#so. so much to process. so out of left field its come back around to the right

[showing0resultsforsanity]

how did... I get. here..?

[inbabylontheywept]

i once accidentally dated someone for a few months. its very difficult to explain how this happened, but the gist is that i thought we were hanging out, and she thought we were on dates, and it was just a very painfully highschool thing.

she was a little bit confused that i hadnt tried to pull any moves, at all, even a little. like, didnt even try holding hands because, and i cannot emphasize this enough, i did not know we were dating.

so, halloween rolled around, and she thought, you know, why wait for destiny, when you can grab it? so she hit me with a clue by four.

babylon, she said. babylon. my mom's gonna be out of town on halloween, and im gonna have the house to myself, and it's going to be kind of lonely. would you like to come to my house and watch scary movies with me?

you know, kind of a netflix and chill thing. except, and i cannot emphasize this enough, i did not know we were dating. also autism. so i took it at face value and said: oh! yeah! thatd be fun! and she thought she got her point across, but she didnt and it was a mess.

skip forward to halloween: my family has a block party every year, right? and at that point i was too old to really trick or treat, but we still wore costumes for our role in the block party, which in my case, was handing out cotton candy. so i took the first shift, and my costume was this homemade abomination minion thing. i had full yellow body paint, and goggles, and a bald cap, and overalls. the kids who saw it were like, uh, hm. overly realistic minion. and adults were like, oh, some kind of hills have eyes hillbilly with jaundice. very scary.

(it was not my best costume.)

my little brother swapped me out for second shift, and i was getting ready to change out to head to her house when i was like: no, she'll get a real kick out of this. this is one of the worst things i have ever worn. so i kept it on and just brought a change of clothes thinking i could shower real quick and change at her place after she saw my nightmare getup.

so i left after that, got there, knocked on her door, and she said come on in. so i went in, and there was this very long hall with an abrupt right turn into her living room where the tv was, and i went down the hall, and i made the turn, and my field of view went from beige drywal to her, on the couch, naked. naked in the paint me like one of your french girls pose. super naked.

i panicked. this was my first time seeing a real person like, full on sex naked,which is a totally different beast from other kinds of naked. you see one kind of naked and you think yeah, im ready for all the kinds of naked, but you arent. i wasnt at least. i really wasn't.

so my brain crashed to BIOS. she also crashed to BIOS, but for different reasons. of all the ways this could have turned me, having me show up in yellow body paint and overalls was pretty pretty low down the list.

so we sat there a while, and you know, she wasn't getting any less naked, which really wasn't helping me get my brain sorted out. it really wasnt much of a surprise when she got her bearings first and started asking questions.

"babylon," she said. "babylon. what are you wearing?"

and i was like, kind of rebooted, but i was nowhere near full functionality, so symbolic language wasnt loaded in yet. i had nothing running but my trusty autism.exe, so i said

"overalls"

and she looked at me like i was the dumbest person in the entire world, and i looked at her like she was the first naked person i had seen in real life who got naked specifically for me, and my upper level cognitive process went: "listen man, we are not going to get our shit together as long as 80% of your brain power is devoted to not blinking. you gotta get out of here."

and if id communicated that, maybe things would have been less of a mess, but instead i just kind of turned around and walked back to my car. i figured i could drive a few loops around the block, get my brain in order, and figure out what the hell we were gonna do.

the only thing i had said to her since arriving was, again, overalls.

first loop around, i was like: oh god fucking damnit. oh shit. oh shit. shes gonna get like, an eating disorder from this. oh no.

second loop around i was like: oh NOOOOO oh WHAT THE FUCK oh SWEET JESUS PLEASE. i dont wanna go back man. i just wanna bury this and forget about it. please. please. let this bitter cup pass from my lips.

and after my third loop, i went and i knocked on her door again.

she answered it this time, and i counted my lucky stars that she'd changed into some pajamas. she was all teary eyed which was the saddest thing ever, and we sat down in her kitchen and talked. it was pretty bad - i figured out we'd been dating, and she figured out that trying to jump from home plate to 3rd base is considered ballsy in baseball, least of all dating. no real winners there. and i can remember after all that, we sat there a bit a bit longer, just steadying ourselves, and i was like "well, im actually really glad we figured that out. guess i'll see you at school tomorow' and she said "WAIT. wait."

"lets watch shrek 2."

so we did and it was horrible. we did not look at each other. we did not say a word. we just sat in stony silence, while shrek 2 played in the background, and when it was done we shook hands. i think we might have been able to salvage that as a friendship if it hadnt been for shrek. as it was she turned white as a sheet and ran away every time she even got a glimpse of me at school, and that summer she moved to a new state to live with her dad. all her friends said she moved just so she wouldn't have to go to school with me anymore, and i dont actually think they were lying.

every time i hear relationship counselors talk about how important communication is, and i'm tempted to roll my eyes, i look back and go, alright. alright. theres probably some poor bastard, somewhere in the world, who doesnt even know that hes married.

and god help him when he figures it out.

other bad dating story here.

[pinkthxt]

･°❀⋆The Ghost and the Southern Peachೃ࿔*:

Cowboy!Simon Riley & The sweet peach

A/N ⋆˙⟡ tw? Threat of violence . Maybe will add another part to this.

The heat was suffocating.

It clung to Simon Riley’s skin like a second layer, thick and punishing. The midday sun hung high in a sky so bright it was almost white, the horizon wavering under the relentless heat. The air was dry, tasting of dust and sun-scorched earth, and the wind, if it even existed, was a mere breath that stirred nothing but the scent of baked grass and distant cattle.

Simon lay sprawled in the middle of a vast field, his body aching as if he had been thrown from the heavens and left to rot beneath the merciless sun. The land stretched out in every direction—endless, empty, and raw. Sparse mesquite trees twisted their gnarled branches toward the sky, and patches of prickly pear cacti lay scattered along the cracked earth. To the west, he could make out a barbed-wire fence running alongside a dirt road, its weathered wooden posts leaning from years of enduring the brutal South Texas climate.

He pushed himself onto his elbows, blinking against the brightness. His head throbbed, his mind sluggish and thick with confusion.

Who am I?

The thought flashed through his mind like lightning, sharp and jarring. Then, almost instinctively, the answer followed.

Simon Riley.

That much he knew. That much he was sure of.

But everything else?

A void.

There was nothing before this moment—no recollection of how he had gotten here, no memory of where he had been before waking up in the dirt. He knew things, though. He knew the way his hands felt clenching into fists, the familiar weight of a gun that wasn’t on him now. He knew tactics, how to read people, how to survive.

But none of that answered the question gnawing at the back of his mind: Where the hell am I?

The sudden sound of hooves striking gravel shattered the stillness.

Simon’s body tensed, instincts flaring to life before his mind could even process the movement. His eyes snapped to the source just as a horse galloped past, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.

The rider was a woman, her posture steady, movements fluid and effortless. She rode like she had been born in the saddle, as if the land itself had carved her from sun and grit and wind. Her horse, a powerful chestnut with a black mane, moved like an extension of her—strong, controlled, obedient, but not broken.

Simon had seen skilled riders before, cavalrymen trained for war, men who commanded horses with discipline and force. But this was different.

This was natural.

She pulled back on the reins with a practiced ease, the horse slowing into a measured trot before coming to a stop a few yards away. Dust swirled around her, catching in the late afternoon light like golden embers.

She tipped her hat back slightly, revealing a sharp, calculating gaze beneath the brim. She didn’t speak right away.

Instead, she studied him.

Simon recognized that look. He had given it before. She was assessing him, cataloging every inch of him, looking for threats, for weapons, for any indication of what kind of man he was. Her gaze lingered on his clothes—dark, tactical, too heavy for this kind of heat. His boots were coated in dirt, but not the red dust of this region. His gloves, fingerless and worn, bore signs of combat rather than ranch work. The skull-printed balaclava pushed down around his neck was another anomaly—one that made her fingers twitch toward her hip, where he suspected a revolver or a knife sat waiting.

“You look lost, stranger” she finally said, her voice smooth, wrapped in a slow Southern drawl.

Simon stayed silent for a moment, his mind scrambling for answers that weren’t there.

“I reckon I am,” he admitted. His voice was rough, raw from disuse.

The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn’t buying it.

“You from around here?” she asked, though the answer was clear.

“No.”

She raised a brow, shifting slightly in the saddle. The horse beneath her flicked its ears, sensing her unease. “Where are you from, then? Don’t sound Texan, not even American”

Simon clenched his jaw. The words stuck in his throat. He could recall training, the feel of a weapon in his hands, the snap of orders being given—but nothing before that. No origin, no home.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, and he hated how weak it sounded.

That set off warning bells in her head. He could see it in the way she straightened, how her grip on the reins tightened just a fraction.

“You don’t know?” she echoed, suspicion creeping into her tone.

Simon watched as she looked him over again, her sharp gaze flicking between his clothing, his stance, the tension in his shoulders. A man with no memory showing up in the middle of nowhere? It wasn’t a good look. And out here, in the deep south of Texas, strangers weren’t always welcomed with open arms.

“You got a name?” she asked, her voice a little harder now.

“Simon.”

She let the name settle between them, rolling it over in her mind, tasting it like she was testing for poison.

A gust of wind stirred the dust along the dirt road, whistling softly against the wire fence. Somewhere in the distance, the faint sound of a windmill creaked in the breeze.

Finally, she exhaled, tilting her head toward the road behind her.

“Well, Simon, I don’t know who you are or how you got here, but I do know better than to trust a man who just shows up outta nowhere.”

Fair enough.

Simon had spent years reading people, and she was an open book despite her guarded demeanor. She didn’t trust him—hell, she probably thought he was a drifter, a troublemaker, maybe even a criminal. But there was something else in her gaze. Not fear. Something closer to… curiosity.

She clicked her tongue, her horse shifting restlessly beneath her.

“Town’s about four miles down that road,” she said, tipping her cream hat towards the dirt road. “You can start walkin’ and you’ll make it there before sundown”

Simon arched a brow. “You’re not offering me a ride?”

She smirked, the expression slow and knowing. “Not a chance, stranger.”

And with that, she turned the horse around, setting off at a steady pace toward town.

Simon let out a slow breath before pushing himself to his feet, rolling his stiff shoulders. The town—Ruidoso, Texas—sat low on the horizon, a scattering of wooden storefronts, barns, and ranch houses, surrounded by endless miles of land.

Dust kicked up beneath his boots as he started walking.

She hadn’t trusted him.

He didn’t blame her.

But something told him she hadn’t seen the last of him yet.

masterlist ⋆. 𐙚 ˚

[thefusioncelestial]

Mix 14: Model Stirrer

Ah the modeling world, constantly shoving the prettiest, most handsome, most aesthetic people in our faces. But some of those models were not born that way, some had to be made.

In a series of valleys, no longer on any maps, is a series of modeling camps. For the most part, they seem normal: helping with health, modeling techniques, building connections, and all the shebang; but there is a secret program.

The program aims to reject nobody once they get in, but still wants its prospective models to actually try to get better. Thus the mix & match program.

The bottom 10% & top 10% are brought together & merged. For the cream of the crop, they assimilate members of the bottom 10% to improve "minor" things. There are also rumors that nepo babies who got to the top via connections are given total make overs via this program.

But more often than not, the bottom 10% are merged with each other. A mutual fusion.

Here is Yorden:

A part of the bottom 10%, he is was on the fitness model track.

Problem is that he could never put enough muscle on his frame. Many of the teachers disliked his beiber cut as well. Other than that, he performed well and every other measure. Had he had any connections, he could have gotten that make over that the top 10% gets.

Next is Elijah:

Same track as Yorden. Same problem exacerbated by his tall frame. A bit of a social butterfly, and that has made him a target. Some nepo baby wants his height and social skills for themselves.

The day before they were due to get assimilated by other model students, they hatched a plan.

"Will this plan really work," Elijah asked.

"It's either this, or we are someone else's lunch," Yorden responded.

Elijah pursed his lips for a moment, but silently agreed. Elijah found out that he & Yorden was due to get absorbed by Josh. Everyone hated Josh, he was a nepo baby who had the same bad marks as them in the physique areas, and even worse grades elsewhere except in runway & photo poses. Yet, he was on the top 10% in board rankings.

"I can't believe they want us to give ourselves to him to make him halfway good, all because his grandfather is on the board," Yorden said.

"Nah, we would catapult him to the 1%, give yourself some credit," Elijah chimed.

Yorden sniggered, he liked this about Elijah; a joker and is able to see the positive in many things. That position energy brought people towards him like a magnet, but even his connections couldn't save him. This large social network made him stick out like a sore thumb.

"Anyway, this has worked before, if we merge & are good enough, we can shave off getting eaten by Josh-turd, or we can fight him off tomorrow and absorb him instead, but we got to do it together," Yorden said.

Yorden was the ideas & plan guy. Every criticism, he turned into a basis for improvement. He decisiveness & work ethic is what led to him getting targeted.

The duo sneaked into a lab, the same lab where they were to meet their fates tomorrow.

It was a combination of blue, grey, & very dim. There were operating tables with other past students strapped on them in a state of sedation. They are shocked that isn't them right now, but the knowledge of their selection was not for them to know. Elijah's friend network was able to get that info to them.

But what they wanted was in the back of the lab. Three twenty foot cylinders that could pack four guys each. This is how they planned to merge. Each guy would stand in each side cylinder, and the process would merge them into singular new person who would come out the middle cylinder.

There was a problem, they needed a third person on the outside to activate the machine. So much for Yorden's plans. But where Yorden fails, Elijah succeeds.

Had Elijah chosen a more traditional path, he could be fielding acceptance letters from many engineering & computer science programs. That potential never left him.

"Get in one the cylinders, I know how to get around this," Elijah said.

He walks to a nearby computer console and begins typing away.

Yorden begins to walk to the cylinder furthest away from the console.

"How," he asked.

Elijah turns towards Yorden and smiled a big smile. Yorden remembered: Elijah was a tech wiz. He broke into the cafeteria system once and had the gluten free, sugar free sauce dispenser spray anyone who tried to use them.

Yorden smacked his forehead, he forgot about that quality of his soon to be other half. He was soon in the cylinder, within a few moments it closed shut. Josh was a shade of red for a month.

It was cool and surprisingly airy. Made sense, don't want the fusees dead from the lack of oxygen. It was like the rest of the lab and dimly lit. But in the middle was a pitch black circle. It gave off an energy that both drew you in & made you uncomfortable. Yorden quickly shook his head to get out of the trance.

"Hurry up before I get claustrophobic," he yelled.

Elijah was almost done. He had to change the settings, from assimilation to merge. He was tempted to assimilate Yorden, but he rather not just be another Josh and all the other top 10%'ers who devoured others for their personal advancement. A quick fifteen second delay for the activation, and he was ready.

He heard Yorden.

"Just a moment," he yelled. He pressed the activation button.

The fusion cylinder suddenly roared to life after the instructions were sent. This was Elijah's que to quickly get in the cylinder closest to him.

Elijah was soon inside the cylinder after a quick sprint. It closed behind him. Elijah was a little nervous, and that made him a little bouncy, but after exhaling a deep breath he calmed down.

The insides of the cylinders turned bright as the dim lights turned on, and made the insides look like an infinite white room with a pitch black circle in the middle. Yorden reached out and noticed that the infinity was an illusion, he could feel the cylinder walls after reaching out.

A large start up & then suction noise could be heard. A swirl of light could be seen forming inside the cylinders. It was barely noticeable at first, but soon turned in a spinning light show with Elijah & Yorden in the middle of each swirling rainbow light pillar. To get out of the delirium the spinning and random color changing induced, they both looked up at the pitch black hole at the ceiling. They noticed that the color show terminated there. The suction noise ramped up.

Soon they were both floating. They were approaching the black circle, coming closer. Eventually they reached the black circle and expected to bump their heads, but instead they notice they flowed into the circle with no resistance. From their perspective, they entered a pitch black tunnel and were flying through it with their clothes attached. From the outside their bodies were slowly floating up through the circle and were being swallowed by the dark entrance.

Soon they were gone, effectually in the pipes that connected the three cylinders. As they approached the center connection, low light random color shapes began to zoom past them. Eventually they were able to make out each other's shapes. They crashed against each other with a thud, but no pain was felt.

Then they began to move downwards in an accelerated rate & began to spin.

"This is it, it was nice knowing you," Elijah said.

"We are about to get to know a lot more about each other, everything in fact," Yorden piped.

Elijah closed his eyes, no turning back.

With what little space they had between each other, they nodded towards each other.

Their bodies glowed. Elijah red, Yorden blue. Their bodies of light swirled around each other and then mixed into one purple light.

The light that carried their merged being approached a tunnel of light. It entered the center cylinder and landed with a light thud.

The central cylinder suddenly let out a lot of steam & began to shake. The system was taking the different aspects of Elijah & Yorden and sending the result to this humanoid being of purple light.

It began to stand up. And began to groan as it did.

It gained Yorden's skin tone.

It began to breathe heavily.

It started off with Yorden's frame, but soon it doubled in muscle & grew taller. Shoulders, arms, legs, neck, & chest popped with new muscle.

It had Elijah's abs, but soon his his abdominals grew in size. It's skin restricted & squeezed giving it more defined obliques.

Both of the fusees were not well endowed, but together their family jewels and rods combined on the being to be longer and girther.

It's butt double in sized like blowing two balloons.

It kept Yorden's facial features as a base and then began to morph. It had Elijah's dark hair, jawline, nose, & eyebrows. It kept Yorden's eyes only a little bigger, and kept his ears & chin. The mouth was mix.

After a few more pops and gradual changes in other areas, the merger was done. The being stood fully up.

The purple light faded away & the central cylinder opened up. It stopped shaking and steam flowed out of the bottom of the cylinder.

It walked out and as it did, it thought of its new name.

"Zachary, I am Zachary," he exclaimed.

He looked down and noticed he was wearing a combination of his fusee's clothing. He had airpods in his ear, but messing around with them revealed that they were interfaced with the lab's security systems.

The Elijah part of him remembered the layout from the maps given to him via his social network, and bucked it to the nearest bathroom. He lifted up his shirt to check out the new him:

He was overjoyed.

And the gambit worked. The timeline shifted so that Zachary was never up for assimilation.

Here he is the morning before graduation:

He'll continue to model, but maybe he will pursue that tech potential that Elijah gave up.

[ma1dita]

its 2am and im delirious im so sorry but

jealous! (and maybe clingy!)luke x apollo!reader when he sees the same couple of campers constantly coming to you for medical attention over small scratches or feigned illnesses just to get your attention..and reader is just so kind to everyone they’d never refuse to treat anybody no matter how minor the injury, but it drives luke a little mad teehee 🤭

🐥 also happy (late) birthday jo!!

🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥

luke castellan x gn!apollo!reader

a/n: i will never get tired of bf!luke.

wc: 947

“Be with you in a second, sweet boy!”

Your hands were fiddling with gauze as you brush past Luke sitting on the only empty bed left in the infirmary. And you weren’t even talking to him! Your words were directed to his half-sibling and with all the others waiting for you, it was obvious that you weren’t leaving your shift anytime soon despite his plans for your date night.

“Doc, what about me? I feel sick too,” he mutters into your neck, big hands pulling at your waist and playing with the smock tied around your frame.

“What’s the matter, my love?” You coo, brushing back his mop of hair and looking into his honey sweet eyes. He grins and it’s a bit boyish and quite sinister, all Luke with a definite trick up his sleeve. 

“My heart hurts…. because I pulled a few strings to have dinner with you at the lake and we’re not there right now,” he sighs, hot breath tickling your earlobe, “And I need you to fix me up too.” Cheeky asshole.

You bite your lip and slowly pull yourself away from his embrace, not without kissing the corner of his mouth before the fluttery feeling is weighed down by the reminder of your responsibilities at the sound of a scream from across the infirmary.

The room was filled with campers of all ages vying for your attention and waiting for your gentle hands to tend to everything from a scraped knee to a rising fever (though if you ask Luke, he’s so sure he saw Bradley from cabin 9 standing over the forge in the armory trying to break a sweat earlier).

It was sickening. Someone ought to tell these campers to get in line. Connor Stoll almost skips–excuse me, limps, (now that you’re watching him again) towards Luke with a shit-eating grin at his moody disposition at the fact that he has to fight for your attention.

“Beat it, loser.”

“Baby! Don’t be mean or I’ll ask you to leave. Get up, Connie needs to get his knee wrapped,” you say with a furrow in your brow. Your eyes dart around the room wondering where the rest of your siblings have gone to help you heal these campers, but unlike you, they’ve already clocked out for the day. It’s a wonder how many kids at Camp Half-Blood get brutalized, maimed, or both on the daily, but it’s all in a day’s work of being a child of Apollo.

“Yeah, move it bighead!”

Luke grumbles, rising to his feet and shoving Connor a bit harder than what’s brotherly, so much so that the preteen falls face first into the cot. (Luke thought it was dumb that the kid was acting like a baby since the idiot scraped his knee jumping off the roof of the dining pavilion because Travis and Chris dared him to.)

“OWWW!” he groans, and before you can react, Bradley’s asking for another cold towel and little Lila from cabin 4 starts crying about her sun poisoning from being out in the strawberry field—your shaking hands and wide eyes let Luke know you’re at your limit so he ushers you behind a curtain for examinations.

“Honestly, you’re overworked babe. Take a break,” he says sternly, but softens as you look up at him with a pout and a whole lot of love. He smooths your hair down and hands you a glass of water.

“Just need to see the rest of the patients for the day and send them on their way. I don’t want anyone to be hurt,” you mumble through sips, leaning against the wall and shutting your eyes. To Luke, it sounded like the quicker you get through this the more time he spends with you— and so he moves so quickly that you barely process what he’s doing until you hear various complaints from campers (who are annoyed that their new nurse isn’t as pretty as you and dons a fierce glare and curls that hang over his forehead like a dark cloud).

Nurse Luke models after what he’s seen you do here countless times, but in a way that’s very much his own. He gives out ambrosia and nectar, cleans up booboos where needed, tells Bradley to fuck off and take a cold shower, tapes Connor’s mouth shut, and awkwardly jokes to a kid from cabin 6 that he probably shouldn’t be the one doing stitches or he’ll get a scar that looks like the one running down his cheek. They agree to wait until later, holding bloody gauze to their chin.

By the time you’ve calmed yourself down, you pull back the curtain to see an eerily quiet infirmary (and you’re not sure if they’ve been threatened into silence) but everyone is bandaged, fed and watered—to the best of Luke’s ability. It brings up a sunny smile on your face that reminds him of the first rays of morning light which is a view he never gets tired of, and you finally throw in the towel when Leo and little Will come in for the evening shift. 

A resounding sigh is heard from the infirmary’s patients as you leave with your boyfriend, to which you don’t think much of as you look at Luke like he’s the answer to all of your problems. He kisses you in the doorway like its a cure, whispering sweet nothings and promises of a nice dinner at the lake even if it’s pitch black outside now.

It also serves to those damn kids as a reminder that he’s the one who gets to fuss over you and though he doesn’t like starting fights, boy, does he love ending them, in his own little way.

[d0youc0py]

Even when he wasn’t working his mask seem to haunt him. He wanted to be here with you- but every time he looked in the mirror he was pulled away. Red bumps littered his jaw and some even around his hairline. He had always struggled with acne, having the acne scars to prove it, but it seemed to be getting worse. He’d been in a hotter climate this last mission, the sweat and not being able to air out his face was taking its toll.

He felt so unattractive. He quickly figured out when you feel ugly- you act ugly.

“Sweetheart, open up.” Simon sighed, his hand knocking at the door to emphasize. You two had just gone out on your first date since he’s been back and he snipped at you the whole time.

“Fuck off!”

Ouch.

“Sweetheart.” He started again. The bedroom door finally swung open. His body tensed at your teary face.

“I don’t know what happened to you while you were out there, and god knows you won’t tell me, but you have no right to take it out on me. I’ve been waiting for you to come home for the past three weeks and what am I greeted with? Hostility. It’s like I can’t do anything right.” You sputtered, glaring up at him. His hand instinctively went up to wipe the tears away from your face. He had never been the best at comforting people, but he would do anything to get your tears to stop.

“You’re right.” He admitted. The glare left your face. He was usually much more stubborn- unless he knew he in the was wrong. You softened. “It has nothin to do with work, at least not in the way you think.” His hand went up to rub his jaw but he quickly stopped himself. “I just haven’t been feeling”- He paused. He brought his hand up and motioned to his jaw, turning his head to the side.

“Si.” You murmured. You had noticed a little flare in his skin, but you didn’t really process it. He was always so handsome in your eyes. Your fingers reached up and traced along his cheekbone. “I understand.”

“Shouldn’t take it out on you though, yeah?” He affirmed.

“No you shouldn’t, but I understand now.” You smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his chin. “You’re so handsome, you know.” You mumbled down his neck. He flushed, clearing his throat. “Do you want some help with it?” You offered.

His metabolism wasn’t what it use to be. Luckily the physical activity of his job kept away any unwanted pounds. That was until he was forced to go on medical leave and spend three months ‘taking it easy.’

He would be completely lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed it though. Being home with you had been heaven- but a bit of hell on his waistline. He noticed it a bit, but he honestly didn’t think anyone else would. He was rudely awoken when he arrived back at base only to have Soap and Gaz poke fun at him. He knew it was all in good fun, but his first thoughts were about you. Had you noticed? If you did, how did you feel about it? He hushed his own thoughts figuring he would loose the weight out on the field. That was his second rude awakening. He had shed a few pounds, but a few stubborn ones remained poking out over his belt.

“How does Y/N feel about their new pillow?” Soap hummed, plopping down next to him. It had been like this for the past month.

“Sleeps like a rock.” Price grumbled.

“Didn’t know you knew what that was Cap.”

“Soap fuck off.” Ghost growled from across the aisle. “Fucking hell.”

The plane was quiet for a while after that.

John shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was never one to be insecure, but this was striking a cord. He remembers being younger and overhearing his mother gossiping in the kitchen about the neighbors.

“Alice has gained so much weight. She’s just gotten married too! Couldn’t imagine already letting myself go like that.”

Letting himself go.

That’s what it was. He didn’t want you- or anyone to think that he had ‘let himself go.’ That it was no longer important to him if you had found him attractive. That the two of you had been married for a little over a year so he could just give up. He shook himself out of his thoughts again.

•••••••••

He couldn’t even get through the door by the time you were on him.

“Welcome Home.” You smiled, pressing kisses to anywhere you could reach. He chuckled, leaning into you. He placed one arm under your bottom lifting you up to him. He dropped his duffle bag at the door kicking the door closed behind him.

“I missed you.” He murmured kissing you back just as desperate. He plopped down on the couch, settling you tightly in his lap. All was right in the world till your hands started to wander.

“You get hurt again?” You questioned after he flinched. Your hands went to pull up his shirt to inspect the damage. He stopped you. “John?” You questioned softly. He tangled his hands with yours.

“You know I have a tendency to be a bit old fashioned.” He started. You pressed your brows together.

“John I’ve seen you naked before.”

“No, love.” He chuckled. “I’ve gained a bit of weight and back in my day that was more scandalous than adultery”-

“You know I don’t care about that.” You interjected.

“I know, that’s what makes this whole thing ridiculous. It’s just something I’ve found out about myself, something that I need to work through.” He sighed, pressing a kiss against your forehead.

“Does this mean I can’t touch you?” You mumbled, fiddling with his shirt collar. He quickly shook his head.

“Course not.” He whispered.

“Johnny, you’re being too loud.”

That sentence had been replaying in his head like a broken record. You didn’t mean anything by it. You were just keeping him in check. Yet he could feel your embarrassment. The heat rising to your cheeks. The panic in your voice. The way you gave total strangers an apologetic smile when they turned your way. He had always been a naturally loud talker. Growing up with five siblings in a small two bedroom apartment was to thank for that. The fact that he had been around explosives for the past eight years didn’t help either.

“Johnny?” You tapped his arm. His eyes fled from the small paper bowl of ice cream to you. “You okay? You’ve been so quiet since we’ve left the restaurant.”

He couldn’t stop a dry chuckle. He grabbed the small bowl, shoving a spoonful in his mouth.

“ ‘m fine.” He mumbled. You sighed leaning across the table gripping his hand with yours.

“Jo.” You pressed again, flashing him your undeniable puppy eyes. He gave your hand a small squeeze.

“Sorry for the way I was at the restaurant.” He grumbled.

“What?” You asked, leaning forward again.

“I said, I’m sorry for the way I was at the restaurant.” He repeated. Your brows furrowed. Suddenly it hit you. Your hand left his and clamped over your mouth.

“No, no, no, Johnny.” You said quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. Well I did- but”- You cut yourself off. You rubbed your forehead. Your hands reached out again tangling yours and his together. “I’m sorry I made you feel bad. That wasn’t my intention. I just know you sometimes forget your own volume.”

He gave you a small smile, pressing a kiss to your knuckle.

“I know Bonnie. I just don’t like embarrassing you.”

“We’re just so different in that way Jo. My parents were so strict about how loud I was- especially in public. It’s just a stupid habit I have, but I should never expect you to follow it.” You smiled softly. He smiled back at you, the sparkle returning to his blue eyes.

“I should still work on it though. Don’t want to blow your eardrums out, then we’ll both be shouty.” He chuckled.

“You hate it when I do this don’t you?” You hummed.

“I’m still not use to it.” He sighed, using his thumb to run small circles against your hip. He shivered as your fingers traced over another long stretch mark on his back. He mumbled something and pulled you closer, your body almost completely buried underneath his.

It was no secret Konig was tall. Along with that height came stretch marks. Mostly on his lower back and calves, some even under his arms. Some had faded, a small ridge in his skin to show they were still there. Others were a deeper pink- more noticeable.

“Everybody has them Konnie.” You mumbled, pressing a kiss under his jaw.

“I know.” He purred out as you massaged a small kink out of his back. Truth be told he didn’t really care about them either- until the locker room. That’s when he noticed how excessive his seemed. He had carried that feeling for a while, it wasn’t until he met you did he become more comfortable with it. You had showed him your stretch marks and he saw how pretty they looked on you. He slowly began to figure out that if he thought they looked nice on you, then you probably felt the same way about his. He still tenses when you touch them, his eyes darting to yours for any sign of insincerity. He’s always met with love and want. Just the thought of it causes a flutter in his stomach.

[boyneptunee]

7k, tomarry, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, misunderstandings

(or) Tom thinks Harry is only in it for the money. Harry, on the other hand, tries to build a Home.

Their marriage was not one of love, but one of convenience.

And when the one who had planned their marriage passed on, and faster than one could even begin to process the death of the old man, Tom was quick to file for their divorce.

Tom Riddle was, somehow, someway convinced Harry had married him for his money, and the papers now clutched in his hands proved as much. They were a damming evidence that despite their time together (if one could even call it that) despite living together in close proximity... they did not know each other. At all.

Half the assets, half the house and half the money, all listed down for Harry once they finalized their divorce.

There was just one tiny, insignificant detail to take into account.

Harry couldn't care less about the money. Or the house. Or anything at all, in fact.

He had tried to make it work, had tried to make a home for himself in the spaces between the empty walls of their house, of their life.

He had tried so, so hard.

He had cooked for Tom, had made space in his own schedule to visit him at work, had made accomodations to spend time together and try to make it fucking work.

And all this time his husband (ex husband?) had thought Harry was after the money.

To be fair, his parents had not left him much - they'd had such a sudden tragic ending, so young, so naive they could not have known Harry would end up alone -, and much less after his uncle had dug his claws into his inheritance.

But, he'd been nothing if not the exemplar in his field of work, the best of the best, and his marriage to Tom Riddle had been one of convenience and it had certainly helped his husband climb up the ladder of power faster than one could blink.

He had no need for Harry now, it seemed.

Harry wondered why he had accepted the agreement from the old man in the first place, now, sitting alone in the garden he himself had planted. The sun was beating down on him and his lovely bed of flowers in such an unforgiving way he almost hoped the ever present clouds that seemed to never stay too far away from England's soil would come back. The sunny day was certainly not helping his gloomy mood one bit.

He had wanted company, he reasoned. Someone to come home to, someone to call his. He had grown tired of the stagnancy of his life where everything had centered around his work, his progress, his merits, if only to forget the aching loneliness of coming back to an empty apartment, an empty life so dull it left him reeling with gut wrenching fear that he'd never be able to get out of the darkness that filled every corner of his vision. He feared he would never know love.

Well.

It had certainly backfired spectacularly.

Tom Riddle had no time for partners, for starters. Much less time to think of something as silly as love. He had no time for anyone but himself and his career.

There was a pitch growing in his stomach, acid crawling its way up his chest, up his neck and to his mouth, bile tasting foul and unforgiving.

Padfoot laid by his feet, yellow eyes watching with intent as Harry gagged and lost his lunch all in one go.

Tom Riddle had not been man enough to give him the divorce papers himself. Harry shouldn't have been surprised, really.

He sighed, cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned his back against the backdoor.

Well, then.

With dry eyes and heart heavy Harry called up his lawyer. He would settle things, and he would leave.

Perhaps it was due time to visit his friends who now resided in Australia. Or maybe he should visit Charlie up in Romania. Either way, he would go.

After all, Harry had always fled from the places where he was not wanted.

~

When Tom Riddle opened his office door to see his lawyer standing grim faced on the other side, he sighed internally.

His husband must have asked for more, then.

Perhaps all the property their house stood on? Harry seemed terribly fond of the woods that surrounded it, often hiking with his mutt early in the mornings on the weekends. Perhaps he had asked for more money? Another house? An apartment downtown? Although that last one didn't seem so likely.

So, when Tom sat down on his desk the least he expected was a long list of demands to be added to the final agreement.

He really should have known better.

Blank.

The page his lawyer extended with Harry's name and the name of who he supposed was his lawyer was blank, save for a single sentence relinquishing all shared assets, all shared properties, their shared bank accounts back to Tom.

And that was it.

No demands, no money, no properties.

Just what was the boy playing at?

He wanted Tom to believe he would leave with the clothes on his back and that god awful dog that followed in his heels everywhere he went and that was it?

But when he looked at his lawyer's face a heavy stone settled on his stomach.

"Mr. Potter has asked for his lawyer to see to the proceedings in his stead, and he has signed all the necessary documents. If you are in agreement with the changes, Mr. Riddle, we can move forward."

It simply couldn't be.

Harry had tried so hard to gain his favour, his attention. Surely he must want something else.

Tom just had to find out what.

He left work early for the first time he could remember in recent memory and headed straight to the house.

He had to pause as soon as he stepped foot out of the car, wondering just what was different that had made him stop on his tracks.

The lights were off.

All the lights of the house were off, in fact, save for the ones outside.

Tom entered cautiously, almost waiting for Harry to be sitting behind the island in the kitchen, food waiting for Tom as was part of their routine.

But the house was empty. There were no shoes at the door.

In fact, when Tom opened the small hallway closet by the front door all of Harry's shoes were missing.

The stone in his stomach seemed to grow heavier.

He took the stairs to reach the bedroom two at a time.

He turned lights on as he went, not familiar enough with the layout of the house to not risk slamming into furniture.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at first glance.

Then he opened Harry's closet, and all his clothes were gone.

Padfoot's dog bed at the foot of the bed was also missing.

Had he taken all his things?

Tom spun around, trying to pick out all the details of the home he'd barely given a thought to.

He hadn't picked any of the furniture himself, he noted distantly.

Had Harry done it? Tom certainly hadn't picked the art on the walls, or the soft blankets that were thrown over the bed, or the rugs that lined the floors.

He came downstairs in a daze, and poured himself a glass of water in the kitchen.

He hadn't picked out any of the glasses, the softly painted mugs or silver utensils.

There were decorations around the house he had never given much thought to.

His secretary, he thought dizzily. She must've picked–but no. The decorations had been there long before he had been granted a secretary for himself.

Harry must have picked everything all by himself, to fill out the house his father had gifted them with after the marriage had been finalized. The house that had come with just the bare essentials. He remembered distantly the empty walls, empty cabinets, empty garden.

Shit.

Harry, who woke with Tom each morning despite not starting work until hours later to cook him breakfast and sit with him in the mornings. Harry, who always prepared him lunch the night before and placed it in a bag beside his briefcase each morning despite the fact that Tom didn't bother to pick up the bag on his way out more often than not.

Harry, who always waited up with dinner despite not knowing the time Tom would get back, often staying hours sitting while the food grew cold.

Harry, who waited with soft smiles despite Tom's cold and often dismissive demeanor.

They'd been married for a year, and Harry had never slipped.

Tom had often thought his husband must be a truly great actor, to endure living with someone who didn't care a single bit for his welfare and still have smiles for him each passing day. He truly must have wanted the money, he often reasoned.

Tom knew the rough background Harry had come from, an aunt and uncle who had almost drained his inheritance before he'd even had a chance to claim it, the way he'd fought to get to the top of his company on his own merit alone despite his last name being able to turn more than one head.

Tom should have really known better.

They had similar childhoods, he supposed. Grew in a rough environment hostile enough to stamp out any hope for a better future and still flourished enough to outshine anything and anyone on their path.

Perhaps Tom had thought they were more similar than he cared to admit.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Harry Potter had craved building a home and a family so fiercely that when presented with the proof that all his efforts had been in vain, he hadn't fought back. He hadn't even asked for anything for himself.

Now that he thought about it, he had never asked anything out of Tom either. Nothing he was not willing to give. No unnecessary touches, no meaningless conversations, nothing. Harry had been simply there, waiting.

Waiting for Tom, he realized. There in case he wanted some company, waiting there in case he wanted dinner, always attentive to his needs but never asking for anything in return.

And Tom had turned and spat in his face time and time again.

And now.

(OR) you try so hard to love me, I cannot seem to hear on AO3 (there's a second part!)

Now, he stood alone in the home Harry had tried to build for them.

~

[vivalas-vega]

fine line / part four

ok last one for the night !! again, so sorry to my followers that don't care about the mcu, very sorry for spamming your dash :( don't know for sure when the next part will be coming but I'm actively working on it!! enjoy and please please please let me know what you think!

fine line / mcu x reader / part four

part one / part two / part three

summary: Three kids from Brooklyn. A war that asks too much. And a woman with secrets stitched into every seam.

to be tagged in future works, please turn on post notifications for @vegaslibrary

word count: 2.8k

warnings: (not specific to this part, but for the series as a whole. this fic is 18+, you are responsible for your own media consumption). language, angst, drinking, smut, violence, references (and descriptions) of bucky's abuse within hydra, canon-typical situations - this is the mcu y'all, shit will get a little crazy, and a little devastating

Early 1945

You got the assignment in a burned-out church in northern Italy. The message came folded into the binding of a field manual, passed through five hands and two borders to reach you. The words were sparse, the tone unmistakable:

Extraction required. Austrian alps. High priority, dangerous terrain. Low probability of return. You’re the only one close enough to make the drop.

You’d accepted without hesitation, but before you moved you sent a message of your own. Not to command, not to any handler… to a name you hadn’t spoken aloud in months, and you knew it wouldn't arrive before you did.

It took three days to track them down; a whisper in a tavern, a smudged map pinned to a wall, a soldier who recognized your eyes and lied to his captain so you could pass… but you did find them, just after dusk, in a makeshift camp nestled in the dense woods near the border. Fires burned low, tents were pitched with weary hands, mud clung to everything and the air was heavy with smoke and frost.

You stood in the tree line, half-shadow, watching. Steve looked nothing like the boy you’d left behind. He moved differently– taller, stronger, but somehow still Steve. He laughed at something Bucky said and the sound carried like it belonged in another life. And Bucky… he looked older, not in the lines of his face but in the way he held himself. The war had soaked into his bones and left its mark and it was then that you finally stepped out of the woods.

It didn’t take long for Steve to see you, Bucky preoccupied with something in his tent. He was halfway to you before anyone even registered movement, his face shifting from disbelief to something softer, something a little broken. “Button?” 

You smiled, small and tired. “Took you long enough,” you said, just above a whisper. He caught you in a hug that lifted you off the ground and for the first time in years, you let yourself melt into something comforting… grounding. “You look good,” you said as he set you down carefully. “Huge. But good.”

“You look… thinner,” he said, cautiously, concerned.

“I haven’t been eating much sausage,” you replied, lips twitching and he shook his head despite his grin. You heard a rustling from behind him and peered around his large frame to meet the eyes you so desperately needed to see… and he stood there in quiet shock, unable to move, questioning his grip on reality.

“Hey, Sarge,” you said, breaking through and he let out a sharp exhale. You could see the weight drop from his shoulders. He was on you so quickly you hadn’t even processed the first step he’d taken and you felt emotion immediately swell in every inch of you as the arms you called home cradled you so closely, so tightly.

“You never write,” he murmured into your hair.

“You never wait,” you teased as he pulled back to hold your face in his palms, touch so featherlight it seemed he was scared he’d break you. Looking at you now, he wasn’t sure he could hold on to you. He pulled you right back in, hand cradling the back of your head as he tried to feel every inch of you pressed against him. You were here, you were real and breathing in his arms. 

Finally, he whispered, “I thought you were dead.” You pulled back, just enough to look at him, not far enough to separate your bodies.

“I was, for a little while.” His eyes flickered over your face, noticing all the little differences. Your sharper cheekbones, a scar above your brow you didn’t have before, the way you carried yourself now, like a blade drawn halfway.

“You’ve been in deep,” he stated and you nodded. “Too deep?”

You almost smiled, “depends on who you ask.”

He didn’t. He just cupped your jaw like you might slip from his fingers, he wasn’t entirely sure you wouldn’t, and ran a thumb along that sharper cheekbone. “You’re meaner.”

“And you’re dirty and bleeding.”

He looked down at a scrape on his knuckle and huffed a laugh, “so, really not much has changed.” Steve had watched from the side for a moment, he needed to see the two of you like this as much as the two of you needed to feel it. Three kids from Brooklyn, brought back together through blood and secrets, somehow surviving it all… and then he slipped away while the two of you slipped into his tent, knowing you needed more than you could have in the middle of camp.

Bucky didn’t say a word as he lit the lamp low and shrugged off his coat, unfastened his boots. You watched in silence, trying to convince yourself this was back then. The routine was the same, the setting was not. You crossed the space and kissed him like it was the first and last time all at once. Slow, aching, deliberate… then quick, fiery, desperate. His hands came to your waist and drew you in, and he felt your whole body shudder against the heat of him.

He peeled you back layer by layer, scraps of you littered around the tent, and pulled you onto a makeshift pad on the floor… not much by way of comfort but it didn’t matter. You didn’t need any more than this right now. You hadn’t stopped fighting, not for a single moment, since you’d left Brooklyn, and that fight was still in you right now, a habit you couldn’t seem to drop, not even here. Not even in his arms.

The need in your chest was bubbling and overflowing and it made your movements sharp, and a little frantic, but Bucky cut through it all. He grabbed your hands and pinned them on either side of your head, and gave you a steady look before dipping down to kiss the soft skin of your neck. He took his time, not leaving even an inch of your skin unmet, unloved by his lips, and with each gentle movement you slowed, you melted.

“There she is,” he muttered, sending a shiver up your spine, and while he still had your hands pinned you used your head to nudge him back up to you, to meet your gaze. You tilted just slightly, asking for something he’d never deny you, and he captured your lips again in slow, languid movements. Savoring you, because who knew when you would have each other like this again? 

He started to kiss down your body but you shook your head, pulling him back up to you, “I need you,” you whispered, completely broken and full of such longing it cracked his chest in two. Perhaps there wasn’t enough ceremony as there should have been, but it didn’t matter. When he pushed into you, you both exhaled in relief. Low and absent of any tension. Your legs wrapped around his hips, hands cradling his jaw like you were scared he’d leave, and you could feel tears stinging your eyes as you pulled him down for another kiss.

Pleasure bloomed in every fiber of your being, each slow drag and snap of his hips driving you towards something you wanted to stave off as long as you could. You didn’t want this to end… just like that night back in Brooklyn, you wanted to stay right here with Bucky, just like this, for the rest of your life. You hooked his leg, a new move you’d learned for much different situations, and flipped your bodies, your knees settling on either side of him as he looked up at you in awe.

His hands roamed every inch of you, committing each soft sigh and whimper to memory as he traced a set of bruises along your rib cage, and you leaned down to press your chest flush against his, hips rocking back and forth in a way that made it hard to think of anything but each other’s name. It felt like something of the old you was being put back together, while the new you was being ripped apart at the seams. 

You let out a gasp when he bucked his hips to meet yours, a new angle that made you slump against him, unable to do anything but take what he gave you. A hand threaded through your hair, gripping at the base and pulling, not sharply but enough to feel a dull, delicious ache. “Want to see you,” he muttered, and you nodded softly, the movement pulling tighter against your scalp and coaxing a moan from your lips. His head tilted at this, just slightly as he analyzed your reaction, the way you’d clenched against him and something flipped… and it wasn’t just you. 

“You’re not delicate anymore,” he hummed against your lips, hips snapping harder against yours and you tugged at the strands of his hair, just like he had with you.

“Never was,” you managed to get out but words were lost when he grabbed a leg and hooked it over his shoulder. Your nails raked along his skin as he took you, and you were never more content to submit to anything in your life. For just a brief moment you could pretend this was it. You were Bucky’s girl, and nothing more. You weren’t a spy, constantly on the move, on the run. You weren’t headed for a mission you may never come back from. For just a brief moment, you got what you always wished for. You and Bucky and a bed, nothing else.

You unraveled when a hand rested on your throat, featherlight but steadying against the motion of your bodies, and he wasn’t far behind. You locked yourself around him, keeping his hips flush against yours as warmth coated your walls, not wanting to let go of any part of him, and he let his forehead rest against yours as you both tried to catch your breath. Your hands softly traced every inch of him, moving from his back, to his chest, his shoulders, then his face. You held him against you, fingers splayed across his jaw, “I am so in love with you I think I’d throw it all away to run away into these woods right now, if you asked.”

He shifted the two of you slightly, rolling onto his side and pulling you with him, hooking your leg over his hip and not letting himself pull out of you… not just yet. He wanted to keep the two of you as close as possible, for as long as possible. “I’m so in love with you I’d say yes if you did,” he murmured, hand carding through your hair as he gazed down at you. “Are you asking?”

You took in a deep breath, “I don’t think I can.”

He nodded, “I don’t think I could mean it if I said yes.” You dragged the pad of your thumb across his lip and he kissed it softly, pulling a smile from you. “How long are you staying?”

“Until first light,” you answered and he sucked in a deep breath. It wasn’t enough, but it never would be.

“Where are you going?”

“North. Austria.”

“That’s deep,” he replied, pain evident in the way his voice stretched, like it was about to crack. “How dangerous?”

“I might not come back,” you said, deciding not to lie to him. Part of you wanted to, to give him hope that everything would be just fine, but you thought that was cruel… to not prepare him for that possibility. 

His grip on you tightened, “then stay.” he said. “We’ll find a place for you, a job that’s worthy of you. Frankly, we could use you here, Button.”

You smiled softly, “you don’t even know what it is I do,” you said, but he shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter. We need it. We need you.”

“You know I can’t,” you said, pressing your forehead against his. “We all have jobs to do, Bucky.” 

“You’ll come find me when it’s all over?” he asked and you nodded, pressing your lips to his. Telling him everything you didn’t have enough words for, and when you felt him twitch inside you, you just pulled him closer, deeper, and let that be enough.

The camp was quiet as you moved through the shadows between tents, the kind of hush that felt like the world was holding its breath. Like it knew today was a big day. You thought this would be easier, leaving the same way you’d made him promise to back then, but it wasn’t. Each step felt like a betrayal, felt like a painful sludge through molasses, but you didn’t stop. Didn’t turn around. If you’d seen the way he looked at you, not fully awake but eyes full of admiration, you wouldn’t have been able to do it at all. There was still a war to be won, and you played a part in that. You couldn’t abandon when it seemed you were so close, even if some part of you thought you deserved to be selfish now. You’d given enough, let someone else do the rest… but you couldn’t. You had to see it through.

Steve was already up, because of course he was. He sat near the dying fire, poking the embers with a stick and a cup of steaming coffee in one hand. He didn’t even look up when twigs cracked beneath your boots. He knew it was you, that’s why he was here. “You could’ve stayed long enough to let him wake up.”

You hesitated, then lowered yourself beside him, letting your bag hit the ground with a thud. “It hurts less this way.”

He nodded slowly, “that’s what Bucky thought, too. When he left you.”

You gave a dry laugh, no real humor in it. “We’re great at running away, the two of us.”

“Maybe,” he replied. “But not from each other.” That sat between you for a while, warm and honest. You reached for his mug and took a sip without asking, and he let you. He’d let you take anything he had to offer.

He didn’t press you for details, even though he wanted to. He just sat beside you and watched the sky shift from violet to gray, until finally, he said, “you gonna come back?”

You didn’t answer right away. “I want to.”

“That’s not the same as will.”

You looked down at your hands, “no. It’s not.”

Steve glanced towards the tent, “he’s gonna wake up and be furious.”

“I’m counting on it,” you said, trying not to smile. You turned to look at him, to really soak him in and without even thinking your hand trailed along his arm, feeling the expanse of muscle and you breathed a soft laugh. “It’s unbelievable.” you said. “Almost didn’t when I caught a photo of you in a newspaper. Thought someone pasted your face onto someone else.”

“Feels that way sometimes.” You let your hand fall but you found his instead, wrapping your fingers around it and pulling it into your lap. You clung to it like you would a life raft, and he gave you a soft squeeze, but you could still feel the strength beneath it.

“I knew I was right to believe in you,” you said softly. “You’ve made me prouder than I was back then… which is a lot.” 

“You always were,” he said with a slight chuckle. “And you always knew just what to say… When it felt like nothing made sense anymore I thought ‘Button believes in me, believes I can do this, and she’s always right’. Kept me going.”

“I’m scared,” you replied, more honest than you expected to be but Steve knew how to pull it out of you without even trying.

“I know,” he said, hand still firm in yours. “But I’ll be here when you get back, so will Buck.”

You smiled, barely. “So, that’s your job now? Waiting around for the people who run?”

He looked at you now, and his voice was quiet but sure. “No. But it’s what I choose.” Something about that made your chest ache, for just a moment. “Ten minutes before the whole camp’s up. Not enough, is it?”

You shook your head, not wanting to get up. Not just yet. Just like you had back on that tiny cot somewhere in Brooklyn, you turned and threw your arms around him, hugging him so tightly he could feel how strong you’d become since he last saw you. 

“I love you, Steve Rogers, you know that?” you asked, the words the exact same, but with a different kind of weight.

“I feel it no matter how far away you are,” he replied, slightly muffled by your hair. “I hope you feel it, too.”

You nodded against him, pulling away and cupping his face to press a soft kiss to his cheek, committing him to memory the way you had Bucky. “I’ll see you on the other side?” 

“See you on the other side.”

prev / next

[moons-and-mobility-aids]

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen | Chapter Twenty | Chapter Twenty-One | Chapter Twenty-Two | Chapter Twenty-Three | Chapter Twenty-Four | Chapter Twenty-Five | Chapter Twenty-Six | Chapter Twenty-Seven

Content Warnings: Adult content, mostly accurate depictions of being an onlyfans creator (hi, I am one), reader is fem, uses a wheelchair, and has cerebral palsy.

The pain is an old acquaintance, but its visits are no less unwelcome. It starts in the small of your back, a dull throb that radiates upward until it rests heavily on your shoulders, seeping into your muscles and settling there like a weight you can't shake off. You've known this discomfort many times before—it's as much a part of your life as the wheelchair beneath you—but familiarity doesn't make it easier to bear.

On better days, you might distract yourself with work, lose yourself in the process of filming and editing until the hours slip away and the pain becomes a distant hum. But today isn't one of those days. Today, the pain screams for attention, and no matter how hard you try to push it aside, it refuses to be silenced.

You sit stiffly in your chair, every inch of your body tense as you stare at the screen of your laptop. Notifications blink in the sidebar—messages from subscribers, comments on your latest post, purchases from your latest PPV video. On any other day, these would bring a flicker of satisfaction, a reminder of the community you've built and the support they offer. But today, they're just another task, another demand on your time and energy when you have so little to spare.

The thought of spending the next hour fielding messages, putting on a brave face and keeping up the pretence of high spirits despite your fatigue is daunting. You know your limits, and right now, they're closing in. To push through would be to invite a storm of pain that could sideline you for days. And that's a risk you can't afford.

Drawing in a deep breath, you open a new message to your subscribers. You've done this before—those rare times when the pain became too much, and you needed to step away for a bit. Always vague, never revealing the true reason behind your absence. You've kept your health private since the beginning, and you don't intend to change that now.

You: Hey everyone 💕 just a quick note to let you know that some personal stuff has come up, and I need to take a break from messages for a few days. No worries, though! I have plenty of content scheduled, so you'll still see new videos and posts while I'm away. I'll be back to answering messages soon, but I just need a little time off. Thanks for understanding 💕 I'll talk to you soon.

The message sends, a faint sense of guilt washing over you. It's not that you've ever promised to be available around the clock, but there is an unspoken obligation that comes with managing your page. Your subscribers pay for the privilege of access, and while the content will continue as usual, it's the personal interaction that some of them crave.

You can almost see the responses now, words of concern mingling with offers of support. But those are worries for another time. Right now, all you need is rest, a reprieve from the constant demands of your online persona.

The pain has spread to your legs, a dull throb that promises no respite. A weariness settles over you, heavy around your eyes. You've done what you needed to do, set the wheels in motion for the next few days. Now, there's nothing left but to try and rest, despite the discomfort radiating from your body.

You manoeuvre your wheelchair closer to the bed, then reach out, fingers grasping the sheets. With a grunt, you pull yourself onto the mattress, each movement sending fresh waves of pain through your limbs. But finally, you're settled, your head sinking into the pillows. It's not perfect—far from it—but it's a hell of a lot better than the chair.

Your eyes flutter shut, and you focus on your breathing—in, out, in, out—trying to push away the persistent ache. For a while, there's only the sound of your own heartbeat, a steady rhythm in the quiet room.

Just as sleep begins to claim you, your phone buzzes on the bedside table. Your hand shoots out, instinctively reaching for the device. Another notification, another chance for income—it's a lifeline you can't afford to ignore. The screen lights up, casting a glow across your face. It's OnlyFans again, this time with a message from Prongs.

ProngsPlayground_free: I sent you a $100.00 tip with the attached message of 'Hey, love. Saw your message—hope everything’s okay. You don’t have to respond or anything, just wanted to send a little something to make your day a bit better 💖 take care of yourself.'

This isn’t the first time Prongs has tipped big, but this feels different. There’s no pay-per-view content you’ve sent, no special offer enticing the extra credits. He's tipped just because.

The screen blurs for a moment as you blink away sudden tears. You can’t afford to let them fall, not with the makeup you’ve painstakingly applied, but the emotion is there all the same. Gratitude swells within you, raw and real, mingling with something else—a sense of connection that goes beyond the superficial exchanges you’re used to. Fans don’t usually do this, not without expecting something in return. Tips often come with demands; they are transactions, not gifts. But this... this feels genuine.

Prongs doesn’t know the half of it, doesn’t know the circumstances behind your plea, but he seems to care. Is it possible? Can someone who watches you night after night from a world away actually see you—not the fantasy, but the person beneath?

A flicker of temptation stirs within you, the thought of thanking him for his words, just a brief reply to acknowledge that you've seen it. It would be nothing more than a courtesy, a small gesture to show he isn't shouting into the void. But you remember why you sent the message in the first place—you need to disconnect, retreat from the world and nurse your wounds in solitude. You can't afford to engage, not even with Prongs, whose energy often brings comfort and laughter.

Not today.

Nevertheless, as you set the phone aside, a faint smile tugs at your lips. It's but a small thing, this unseen thread connecting you to another soul in the vastness of the universe, yet it lightens the weight on your chest, if only for a moment. He doesn't know the truth of your situation, the depth of the shadows clouding your vision, but the simple act of reaching out, however unknowingly, reminds you that you're not entirely alone.

The day stretches on, feeling longer than most as your body refuses to cooperate. The pain ebbs and flows like a tide against the shore of your tolerance. You try to distract yourself by scrolling through social media, watching videos, but nothing holds your attention for long. Your thoughts keep circling back to your OnlyFans account, the accumulating messages, the content you're unable to create.

You've always been organised, scheduling your posts at least two weeks in advance. No one will truly notice your absence from the platform—not yet—but the knowledge does little to ease the tension coiling in your gut. There's a gnawing sensation that you're falling behind, missing out on opportunities to grow your following, even as you know health should take precedence.

The sun has long since set, casting your room into a cocoon of darkness only broken by the glow of your computer screen, when another message notification pings.

ProngsPlayground_free: Just wanted to let you know that Moony and Pads send their love too. They asked me to pass it along. 😉 No need to reply, but we're all looking forward to having you back.

A soft chuckle escapes your lips, a tiny release of tension in the tight coil of your chest. The heaviness is still there, yes, but so is something else. Something warm and quiet that whispers, "You're not alone."

Because it's true. You've always known, on an intellectual level, that OnlyFans is more than just content creation—it's about fostering connections, providing a personal touch even across the digital divide. But it's one thing to understand that in theory, and quite another to feel it so acutely when you're the one needing reassurance.

The thought of them—Prongs, Moony, Padfoot—possibly sitting together somewhere, their eyes glued to your videos, their hands flying over keyboards to send these messages. They care. It's a small balm on the raw wound of today, even if you cannot reach out to them in return.

Your eyelids grow heavy as you let the phone slip from your fingers and clatter onto the bedside table. You sink further into the plush pillows, body still aching, but mind finding a semblance of peace amidst the chaos. Maybe you won't be able to film for a while. Maybe you won't be able to reply to every message, every show of support. But that’s okay. Your fans, they understand. They'll wait for you, just like they always have.

And for now, that has to be enough.

[octo-artist]

Pokerehab Chapter 2:

An unwelcome face

N x Reader x ?

Tw: lots and lots of swearing, volo being a delusional asshole, minor ptsd and anxiety mention

—————————————————

-Back in Ancient Hisui-

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S BEEN GONE FOR MONTHS!”

Pokémon scatter as a voice roars through the clearing. The source being a rather upset young man in odd clothes his golden hair messily tied up with quite a bit of it falling into his face. Sitting in front of him is a middle aged woman in dark formal attire, her expression is calm despite the male in front of her.

“As I had stated Volo, she and Sneasler’s warden had decided to go back to their own time and return to their old lives months ago. The clans even came together to give them a going away party the night before they left.”, she stated once more, taking a sip of tea once she’d finished speaking. Volo however did not like this answer slamming his hands down on the table causing it to shake.

“I heard you the first time Cogita! I just can’t believe she’d just up and leave without telling me first!”

“To be fair to the hero, you did betray her up on Mount Coronet. I wouldn’t blame her for not wanting to see you after that. Let alone speak to you”

Still fuming, Volo sharply turned away from Cogita, calling on Giratina to leave for their hideout. Upon seeing the stone walls of the cavern he immediately threw a punch at the wall, breaking the skin on his knuckles in the process, blood slowly dripping from the wounds. Giratina watched its trainer’s tantrum from a distance, knowing how obsessed he’d grown towards the hero in the time after their last encounter.

“To think she’d have the gall to not only leave without telling me but to also go with THE FUCKING WARDEN AS WELL! AFTER EVERYTHING I DID FOR HER! She’d better have a good fucking excuse for just up an-” Volo was cut off as his surroundings changed and he felt himself briefly fall, landing rather uncomfortably in a bush. Wiggling himself free, Volo took a moment to get his bearings, noting Giratina to be nowhere in sight.

“Thank you for nothing you useless noodle”, he mutters under his breath as he stands and brushes off his clothes and fixes his hair, “Now where the fuck did that overgrown noodle drop me” Walking off he eventually comes across a pathway, as he was about to step out onto the path a young woman barrels past him, nearly knocking him over once more as well as nearly tripping herself up in the process. Catching herself she quickly turns while still running yelling out to him “I’M SO SORRY BUT I CAN’T STOP RIGHT NOW I NEED TO GET THESE THREE TO THE RESCUE CENTER!”, nodding her head towards three gray lumps in her arms before turning back the way she was running.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” He yells out in frustration as he finally steps out onto the path once more, looking the way the woman had left. Growling under his breath he starts walking in that direction, following the one potential lead he had to finding the Hero. Knowing them it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they built a so-called rescue center for the creatures they loved oh so much.

It takes him a good ten minutes to reach the crest of the hill he spots a lone building in the trees, behind it is a large fenced in field and orchard with several pokémon he did not recognize running around or napping in it, well except for one Alpha Luxray sleeping near the door surrounded by several Shinx.

“... Well this just got harder than I thought it’d be…”, he thought to himself as he shifted to hide behind a tree watching the building below.

Some time had passed, though unsure of how much, Volo eventually spots someone exit the building, though it wasn’t the Hero. The one who had exited was a young rather lanky man with wild green hair tied back, he was balancing some bowls of food in his arms as he approached the now awake Luxray and shinxes. He watched as the boy carefully dodged the shinx before reaching Luxray and started setting the bowls down, the pokemon quickly beginning to eat. The boy once done tending to the group eventually turns back to go inside, though is stopped as the Hero finally exits the building, their lucario following close behind. Volo feels his anger begin to flare again as he watches her hand the young man a bag and walk back to the luxray to sit down in the grass and start pulling food out to eat themselves.

Did… Did they seriously just replace him with this bean pole of a man?! Him the one who offered her companionship and aid when the world turned against them, the one who gave them advice on how to more effectively catch pokemon, the one who was willing to tear apart and rebuild reality for them?! Not on his watch… Volo begrudgingly pulled away from the scene into the woods to further plan how he’d win the hero back.

-With Y/n and N-

“Yea you wouldn’t believe how many times I had to go find this guy’s sister, and she’d always be in the strangest of places! One time in the highlands she’d ended up on a ledge next to one of the base camps! How nobody heard her or found her is astounding to me!” Y/N rambled as she and N ate lunch, it was a slow day at the center, they’d had a few scheduled to be released back into the wild.

“The more you speak of this place it sounds quite strange indeed. But oddly peaceful too.”, N replied while taking a bite of his food, “getting to be surrounded by pokemon out in their natural habitat sounds like a dream to me.”

“You’d think so until you have a parasect chasing you down for merely looking at it wrong. Arceus help you if you got spotted by an alpha.” Y/N says looking at her luxray sweat dropping as she remembers when she caught her as a baby alpha shinx… she will never forget all the shocks and scratches she got that day. “ But hey, you still get to live out your dream of helping pokemon and releasing them back into their natural habitat or find good homes when they’ve fully recovered!”

“It’s not quite the same but it does bring a sense of joy and fulfillment being able to help innocent pokemon find themselves again after recovery. It still boggles my mind that you’ve managed to hire so many of the ex-grunts and give them a sense of purpose here.” , N stated looking out over the field of recovering pokemon joyfully living their best lives while retaining their freedom.

“Well that's because some of them genuinely wanted to help poor unfortunate mons that were actually being neglected or abused. They just needed proper guidance to find the right way to go about it, a large portion of our rescue team that investigates abuse cases are Ex-grunts and they’ve told me that they love their jobs because they actually get to help the pokemon that need it.” Y/N pauses to eat a bit before continuing, “it just feels good giving people who deserve it a second chance. Many of them have been able to properly re-enter society thanks to the center. I’ve actually been considering expanding our efforts into other parts of the region and once we’ve established a good base, maybe expand efforts into other regions!”

“You certainly have big plans for this place, it's nice knowing there’s a good soul like yours leading this organization. It eases my worries of it turning into another team plasma. Or worse.”, N stated.

“I completely understand that, there’s way too many folks out there who’d take advantage of innocent people who are just down on their luck. This place has become both a sanctuary for the pokemon and the people who work here. It makes me smile getting to see them all enjoying their work and knowing they’re happy to be making a difference.” Y/N stated in response with a careful smile on their face. Their smile soon dropped for a moment as their body stiffened looking around at the surrounding treelines.

“Is everything alright Y/N? You seem tense all of a sudden…”, N asked, trying to spot whatever had set them into alert mode. “I thought I felt eyes on us… It's probably just a curious pokemon but I can't shake the feeling…”, Y/N replied, settling back down again. The Luxray continued to remain alert after her trainer returned to their lunch, scanning the treeline for any sign of trouble. A young trainer eventually comes barreling down the path with a trio of pidove in their arms, calling out to the duo, “HEY IS THIS THE REHAB CENTER? I’VE GOT A FEW PIDOVE THAT WERE HURT BY POACHERS!”

Standing up Y/N quickly approached the trainer, “Yes here follow me and I’ll help you get them checked in with Mike. I’m gonna need you once they’ve been handed over to the medical staff to write a report on where you found them and any details you can provide so we can alert the local officers about the poaching activity.” Y/N led the trainer inside leaving N with Luxray and the Shinx litter.

N looks to the large luxray sensing her unease, “what had you so on edge old girl… you obviously know something is out there…”, he asks not expecting a response from the normally silent and stoic beast, but is surprised when he is graced with one.

“I smell him, he is here… as is the dark one…”, her voice rings out clear in his ears. He thanks arceus for this blessing that has allowed him the chance to know what it is the Pokémon need directly from them, especially now that there seems to be a perceived threat in the area.

“Who is here? Who is the ‘dark one’?”, N replies his unease growing as he too looks at the tree line with luxray trying to spot what she’s searching for.

“Volo and Giratina. How dare he return after all he’s done to my trainer. I aught to bite him for his crimes”, Luxray growls lowly, her fur standing up.

N in an attempt to calm her down gently strokes her fur, as if to assure both her and himself of the situation. “You know they wouldn’t want that… they’re too kind to hold such grudges, even when it’s well deserved. They’ve shown as much with the chances they’ve shown to the grunts that defected after plasma was disbanded…”

Luxray slowly calmed herself, returning her attention to her litter upon hearing one yelp in response to their sibling playing too roughly. N deciding it was time to head back inside, gathers up his leftovers and walks back into the center, seeing the trainer from earlier talking on the pc to an officer and putting in their statement on the poaching activity with Y/N talking to Mike at the desk about the pidove trio.

“Once they’re done speaking to officer Jenny make sure to let them know they can visit the pidoves once they’re out of surgery, I can’t believe that poachers would do that to some poor innocent pidoves.”, Y/N says as N approaches them, giving Mike’s minchino ear rubs as they speak. “Will do boss, also we got some more updates on the development of the new Galar location, Nancy put the papers on your desk so you can look them over when you have the time.” Mike responds while typing away on his computer.

Y/N stops petting the Pokémon and turns to head back outside spotting N walking up, “oh hey! I was about to head back out, I’m sorry if I kept you waiting.”, they apologized. “No, no it’s alright, I honestly figured it was a good point to end our break and get back to preparing recovered pokemon for release back into their natural habitats.” N chuckled, assuring them he wasn’t upset while trying to hide his unease at what luxray had told him minutes prior. Y/N gives him a smile while motioning for him to follow, to which N proceeds to do, walking out to the yard where a handful of Pokémon are being loaded up into carriers marked to be released back into the wild. “Well, you have quite a few patients who are ready to be released, once they’re loaded up you and Molly can start driving the group back to their habitats and setting them loose, I know that’s your favorite part of the process so I wanted to let you know you got a big group today.”, Y/N says while watching a particularly rowdy herdier give the staff the run around refusing to be placed in the carrier, making the duo chuckle knowing the little guy is gonna be just fine once he’s back out in the world, if the staff can get him into the carrier that is. N slowly stopped when the nagging thought of what luxray had told him just minutes prior…hesitantly he looked to Y/N and says, “Luxray told me something concerning after you’d gone inside…”

Y/N turning to give N their full attention looks at him waiting for him to continue.

“She’d said she’d smelled someone in the area… and I worry about his intentions because I know you’ve told me what happened back in Hisui…”

Y/N cocks an eyebrow, “Is it Kamado? I can handle his self-righteous ass any time.”

N takes a deep breath preparing for Y/N’s reaction, “N-no… she’d said she’d smelled Volo… and Giratina…” As he’d expected, Y/N’s body stiffened at the mention of the duo. “I…see, well, if he tries anything I know we can handle him, I’ve fought him before, and beat Giratina twice. What’s one more ass whooping?” They try to say with confidence, but their voice waivers a bit. Their lucario who’d been silently following the duo senses her trainer’s stress and gently nudges her head against their hand as if to try and distract them, to which Y/N gently pets the soft fur on her head, slowly calming down at the welcome distraction.

“Do you think we should at least let the staff know? In case he tries anything when you’re gone?” N asks, the idea of Volo attacking the center making him nervous as he’d come to love the place and its staff. They truly understood him and his desire to save pokemon, Y/N going as far as to even show him a different way of doing so that teaches others about proper pokemon care and how to spot a sick or injured pokemon in the wild and what to do in such a situation. It had become his home to a degree, even Reshiram liked the place, getting to lounge in the sun all day with the other mons.

“I’ll call a team meeting, in the meantime how about you go see if any patients are ready to be let out into the yard. I can tell you’re nervous and I know seeing pokemon get to stretch their legs after a long recovery makes you happy.” Y/N responded, almost sensing their dear friend’s distress, steading themselves to head to their office and call for the crew to come to the lobby and talk. N nodding before parting to go to the stables, the route having become a familiar one over the months, passing the nursery as he’s done many times before, the achanine that normally is in there is absent, and in their place are the nursery workers checking up on the hatchlings and noting down their health. “Must have gotten up to stretch her legs, looks like we have some new eggs from the conservation program.” Turning away from the window he continues to walk.

Back with Y/N, they’re speed walking towards their office, Mike the receptionist and his minchino close behind along with their lucario. “Boss, who exactly is Volo? I mean I know you’ve mentioned him in passing briefly but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you go into detail about him…” Mike asks worried about his boss’s sudden change in attitude. It almost reminded him of some of the higher ups back when he was in team plasma… it was uncanny how they could go from cheery and friendly to serious and hyper focused in an instant.

“He’s a very dangerous man from a long time ago, I’d thought he’d disappeared and he’d keep his cruel mug far away from this place. But I guess he got bored of hiding and I want everyone ready in case he tries something. He’s a cunning jerk who will do whatever he can to trick you into thinking he’s harmless before stabbing you in the back. Do not under any circumstance trust a word he says”

“I see, I’ll head back to the doctors and let them know to lock down the back in case he tries to get in.”

“Good, thank you Mike, you’re a good man and you’ve done so much for this place since it opened. I’d say you’re due for a promotion soon if you want it.”

“Thank you ma’am maybe once this is over we can talk more about it, and honestly I’m glad you were open minded enough to give me a chance to turn my life around. Not many folks would do that for an ex-grunt.”

“I could see you genuinely loved pokemon and just wanted to do right by them. It's easy to get lost in the flowery language of a maniac. I know this all too well. But that’s a talk for later, we need to make sure everyone is prepared.”

“On it. I’ll keep watch at the desk and I won’t let him through if he tries to worm his way in” Mike turns away and sprints back down the hall to warn the doctors, his companion bouncing after him. Once he vanishes around the corner Y/N opens their office door, inside is filled with photos and other memorabilia from their time in Hisui, their uniform carefully displayed in a case alongside some empty pokeballs they’d saved, on the wall is a picture of the clan leaders, wardens, Rei, Akari, Cyllene, Laventon, and them all together. It had been a bittersweet goodbye with promises of visits now that they’d established a way to go back and forth between the times, Ingo having returned with them to reunite with his family and hopefully help his amnesia. Striding over to their desk they bend over pressing the button to the mic to announce over the speakers, “Attention staff members, we are having an emergency mandatory meeting in the lobby. Please finish up the task you are on and make your way as soon as humanly possible. Thank you.”

They hated having to pull out the serious voice, they preferred to have a friendly demeanor to make staff comfortable at work, but this was a serious matter. They could not take any chances of someone not showing up.

After a handful of minutes the entire staff is stationed in the lobby, confused murmurs can be heard among the crowd as they wait to hear what their boss has to say.

With a hefty breath Y/N begins, “Thank you all for showing up, as it stands we are on lockdown till the situation has been handled. I’ve been given word of a dangerous individual being found in the area and for everyone’s safety I am requesting that you all remain on high alert, we need to get the Pokémon inside their respective lodgings till we know the threat has passed and I request that everyone please remain at their stations until further notice.” Gasps and murmurs can be heard among the staff as they process what they’ve just been told. N looking around spots Mike and Jess both looking at one another concerned and back to Y/N.

“You are all dismissed now back to your stations. Make sure all Pokémon have been accounted for and are safely where they need to be. I will let you all know when the lockdown is done and the threat has passed.thank you for your hard work and cooperation”, Y/N finishes their announcement, watching the staff of the center disperse to tend to their new orders with haste. Jess and Mike sticking around with N and Y/N.

“You alright there boss? You look like you’re gonna be sick. Maybe you should sit down for a bit…” Mike suggests concern etched on his features as his michino bounces up his uniform to his shoulder.

“Mike is right suga’ you look like you done seen Darkrai ‘imself.” Jess pipes up her concern for Y/N mirroring Mike’s.

“I’ll be fine, this is partially my fault, this is someone who I have a rather tumultuous history with… I will deal with the threat myself. My focus right now is ensuring everyone here is safe both humans and Pokemon alike.” Y/N states, a slight quiver in their tone. They’ve fought Volo and barely scraped by when Giratina joined the fight. But now they’re unsure how they’d fare a second time… they were younger, their early 20’s, and had gotten lucky the first time, but would they be so lucky now?

“You’re spiraling Y/N”, Mike’s voice broke them out of their thoughts, his tone laced with worry and seriousness, “How about you take a break. I’m sure we can take this guy working together”

“Mike I appreciate the thought but-”, Y/N

“If I may interject?”, N joins the conversation, “I think Mike has a point. If he is causing this much distress then you should let us help. Your luxray already has told me who it was they smelled, and I remember what you’ve told me about him before… Please don’t push yourself. Let us help you.”

Y/N looks between the three who look back at them with assurance and determination. They can feel their heart swelling a bit with pride and relief to know that they’re not alone in facing Volo this time. Possessing Giratina or not, they know he’s smart enough to back down when faced with too high of odds of losing. Volo is a coward, he ran when he was defeated not wanting to face reprocussions for his actions. After a moment of thinking they give a small smile when they feel their Archanine nudge under their arm, sharing that same look of determination.

“Okay, but we need to properly prepare, I’ve fought him before but that was at least three years ago.” Y/N states, “He’s no doubt gotten stronger since then. I’ll give you all the run down of his team as I remember it. But be wary, he has Giratina on his side and while it’s not fully under its command they share a common goal so it cooperates with him, to its own albeit attitude laden degree.”

Jess pipes in with a loud whoop her Houndoom howling with her before she gives an eager grin, “Let’s get this varmin off our turf! He messed with the boss an now he’s gonna be hurtin!”

Mike nods in agreement with Jess as N walks up to Y/N and puts a comforting hand on their shoulder, “Let’s gather our teams before we start planning. The facility is on lockdown so no doubt the cops are already on their way.”

Y/N smiling at N the spark returning to their eyes as the other two start to go over their respective PC data to prepare their Pokemon for the upcoming fight, “Yea, all we need to do is stall for time. Maybe I can get a message through the gateway to Cyllene and the wardens for extra assistance. They know Volo’s crimes and have been itching to get their hands on him so he can finally face judgment for the chaos and harm he caused.”

Taking a moment to talk to Jess and Mike to discuss the plan and explain Volo’s team and his history with their boss, N and Y/N go to gather their teams and strategize for the inevitable fight.

Of course upon hearing that the man who hurt their beloved trainer has returned Zoruark and Lucario have been on high alert, Y/N’s alpha luxray ushering her litter to a safe part of the facility to hide.

“Okay so let’s go over it one last time before we confront him. I’m going to go out as bait since I’m no doubt the one he’s after. You, Mike, and Jess will be hiding nearby in case things go awry and I need assistance. Mike and Jess’s main job is to keep him away from the facility and deal with his main team while we keep him and Giratina at bay. Thank Arceus you have Reshiram on your side as that’ll help us immensely in keeping the giant shadow wyrm at bay till the cops or the wardens arrive. I’ve already sent a letter to Cyllene and the clan leaders alerting them of the issue at hand. If everything goes as planned we might finally be able to apprehend him and send him back to Hisui and rebanish the legendary back to its realm.” Y/N pours over the details checking for anything they’d missed. N nodding taking in all the information. It amazed him how quick his new friend could form such a plan under duress, but he and his Pokemon, who’d come to love their trainer’s friend, were happy to see them back to normal.

N stands up with Y/N who attached their old uniform belt to their waist, having taken a moment to pull their old galaxy team uniform from its case and going into the side room to change, attaching their Pokeballs to it. He looks stunned at the complete change in energy that came with th uniform, as if it gave Y/N a much needed confidence boost. “Let’s go see Jess and Mike and tell them the rest of the plan. That way they’re in the know and can prepare their teams accordingly.” He says reaching the door going to open it.

“Right. Hopefully starraptor reaches the settlement’s fast enough for them all to reach us in time. But be prepared to restrain him if needed, he may look scrawny but he’s surprisingly fast and sneaky. He’s caught me off guard plenty of times in the past.” Y/N warned N as they entered the hall. The walk back to the lobby was quiet, the air tense, a stark contrast to the usual warm welcoming atmosphere the center usually has. The soon reach their destination, seeing the two trainers in the lobby waiting, both possessing full teams of Pokémon ready to fight. Jess’s houndoom now having a zebstrika in its place, the dark dog not being fit to fight, while mike’s minchinno now has his old friend Liepard in its place, the large feline standing at attention next to its trainer ready for whatever orders he gives.

“Alright, we’ve got the plan finished, for the most part I’m going to try to diffuse the situation but should Volo start to get aggressive you three will be nearby to provide support should I need it. He’s delusional but I hope that after three years he’s become somewhat reasonable. But I’m not putting all my chips on that chance.” Y/N states their lucario standing close by protectively.

“Got it boss, if he makes a move on ya we’ll get him where it hurts! Nobody messes with our amazing boss!” Jess says, smacking a gloved fist into her other palm, the nineteen year old eager to fight.

“You have a lot of us second chances including myself. We owe it to you that we can live a normal life now when nobody else gave us a chance. We have your back whether that man likes it or not. You’re not alone this time!” Mike adds, his gratitude towards the trainer who’d seen the good in him and many others clear as day, his companion pipes in with a trilled cry sensing its trainer’s commitment.

“Thank you, all of you, this means more than you’ll ever know. Now, let’s get moving. He’s no doubt still nearby.” Turning to their Pokémon Y/N continues, “I already know lucario isn’t going to return but the rest of you back to your balls, the less of you out at once means the less chances of him feeling threatened and attacking.”

One by one they return to their balls, their zoruark taking a moment to nuzzle their arm for assurance before returning with the others leaving only the ever loyal lucario present. Taking a breath, Y/N steady’s themselves before nodding and waiting for N, Mike, and Jess to disappear down various halls to go out other exits. When they can no longer hear footsteps they turn to the main entrance, keeping the door locked on the inside they carefully open the doors slipping through and slide them shut behind them. The air feeling far heavier now that they’re alone once more. Beginning the trek up the path towards the direction luxray had caught the scent they begin to think to themselves. Last time they felt this way was back when they were forced to confront volo on mt coronet. They’d trusted him only for him to betray them for his own delusions of creating a new world that he believed to be perfect. They knew better, it wasn’t that simple… the fight took hours, a storm had raged around them soaking the duo to the bone. They’d barely managed to squeak in their victory, their ever loyal Lucario having been the last one standing in the fight. They couldn’t ask for a better companion, she’d been by her side through everything. Every hope and heartbreak, every day and night out in the wilderness, watching over their beloved trainer as they rested each night. They remembered an old story Laventon told them one day how it was believed in some regions that humans and Pokemon possessed two halves of one soul, and that when the halves that matched collided the trainer and Pokémon would move as one unit together. He’d joked how her and her lucario reminded him of the story wondering if it could be true… Y/N certainly believed it, it would explain the unspoken trust between the two and how in tune they were…

“Well well well and here I thought I was going to have to drag you out of that little building of yours myself”, their thoughts were halted as a voice they’d dreaded to hear rang in their ears, lucario growling lowly at the new presence.

“Volo. What are you doing here? You’re not welcome”, keeping their tone neutral and firm they try to not think on what he’d said.

“Now is that any way to greet an old friend? No hellos or how have you been’s? I’m hurt my dear chosen. But no matter, my motives are simple really”, he finally reveals himself from behind the trees, he’d returned his hair to it’s original bun but still wore those blasted robes he wore back on the mountain. Has he even washed them recently??

“Whatever your reason is, leave, you know damn well I don’t want to see you. Not after what you did in Hisui.” Y/N snapped, their patience growing thin.

“Oh but I certainly wanted to see you. After all Arceus did send you after all to stop me, meaning you’re by all means mine and I was quite miffed to hear you’d left me behind like I meant nothing to you!”, he feigns offense, dramatically placing a hand on his chest. His acting was good but Y/N knew better, they heard the venom beneath the sugary words, he hadn’t changed a bit. Only shifted his delusions from Arceus to her unfortunate soul.

“Volo again, leave, you’re not welcome here. Especially not after your betrayal on mount Coronet. I’m not as naive as I was back then.”, Y/N remains firm in her stance. Keeping her voice as steady as possible while her lucario keeps a stiff stance, ready to jump into action at the slightest hint of conflict.

“I’m not going anywhere my dear. Not without what I came here for.” He replies, his voice taking a dangerous tone at which lucario sensing his intentions jumps between her trainer and the delusional man.

In turn the other three reveal themselves with their Pokemon in tow, and Reshiram crying out from above the treetops grabbing Giratina’s attention.

“I’ll give you one last chance Volo. Leave. You won’t find this fight going the way you wish if you continue. Unlike last time, I’m not alone.”, Y/N stands straighter at the presence of her friends, confidence rising as she watches Volo look around stunned at the idea of being surrounded, clicking his tongue and gritting his teeth he growls out, “Giratina, retreat, this isn’t over yet Y/N. Not till you’re back in hisui with me where you belong.”

As he finishes his statement a gloved hand latches onto his shoulder from behind, a stern face adorned with a new cap appearing behind him and a deep voice ringing out, “Apologies but you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Emmet think you can help get the big one under control while I get this crazy asshole restrained.”

“I’m Emmet and I’m already on it! Come on let’s get this big worm back where they belong!” A more chipper but equally stern voice rings out, an identical face covered with a shit eating grin off to the side wearing white, who with the help of N, Jess, and Mike starts to round up the distortion god while his twin wrestles the angry blonde to the ground cuffing him behind his back.

Tension leaving their body, Y/N’s luxray releases itself to catch its trainer as they nearly collapse from the stress, “Just in time you two. I was actually worried he was going to get away but I didn’t want to start an altercation without full backup and we all know how long it takes for the cops to respond out here. Hopefully Cyllene and the others will be here to take him back soon.”

“Indeed, it’s quite lucky for you that Emmet and I happen to be headed over anyways as he wished to meet you in person and see the center once he heard of it. Wasn’t expecting to see this one again after all that occurred.”, Ingo replied hoisting a cursing Volo back to his feet as the large legendary flees the scene.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not that shocked. He’s as delusional as they come. I’m just glad nobody got hurt in the end. Let’s take him to the holding room at the facility till the others get here. Then we can talk more. At least once we’re inside we can keep him under lock and key.”

“I’m Emmet and it is nice to meet you! Ingo has told me much about you and your adventures! Now may we be off to the center Miss Y/N?”, Emmet in all his excitement jogs up holding a hand out to Y/N who shakes it with a relieved smile.

“Pleasure to meet you Emmet and welcome to the Pokémon rehabilitation center. As you know, I’m Y/N, I’m the director of the facility. Let’s head inside so I can let the staff know the lockdown can be lifted and everyone can return to their stations and work.”

Nodding Ingo and Emmet follow Y/N, Emmet eagerly chatting with the lady while Jess and Mike pat N on the back for his quick thinking earlier in the day, Ingo escorting a cuffed and upset Volo in front of him.

And once more things were back to normal, the halls quickly filling once more with talking and the sounds of Pokemon being treated.

[manhattanstrawberry]

AND YOU NEVER KNEW, HOW MUCH I REALLY LIKED YOU...

Synopsis : Finally coming to see the famed Onigiri Miya after years of waiting, Osamu welcomes you with a meal from his very hands. But it seems as though you’ve both had moments that never got communicated over the phone and some news are a bit more shocking than others.

Tags: Onigiri Miya Osamu, old friendships, reunion, slight angst, mutual pining

Warnings: none

Word count: 2.4k

Author's note: when I said osamu brainrot I didn’t mean for it to be angst but I’ve been thinking about a bittersweet ending or an angst fic for osamu a lot so I did that first but trust! I will do a happy fic with a good ending for osamu soon!! I hope you enjoy! ღ

Song reference

Art credit: @Freaka_LoonyZ

It’s been a while, and the frosty tips of snow settle into your hair as you briskly cross the street, trying your best not to slip on shallow snow piles lining the asphalt road. You hadn’t really gotten a chance to go to the restaurant in person much since immediately moving to Tokyo for university after graduating high school. He’s sent you photos and videos of the whole process from the moment he toured it as an option to buy and the moment he opened up to the public. You’d been supporting him through it all and today after so long you’d finally get a chance to surprise him and well give your own greeting to the restaurant. 

You’re excited to see him as you walk into the restaurant, the ring of the little door bell and the warmer air inside immediately has your shoulders dropping from their tense posture before.

The lighting is comforting and a little dim from the warm lighting from the ceiling. There’s a few plants around and small dining tables. You can smell the lingering aroma from the kitchen traveling into the dining area and the faint smell of coffee beans. Taking a quick glance back at the little door bell next to the entrance had you grinning from ear to ear. It’s the same one you had looked at back in your third year at a little arts store on a field trip to Osaka. You suggested putting this cute little door bell by the door despite the fact that it wouldn't match the aesthetics of his restaurant at all. All in fun nature. But somehow the cute little bunny found its way to his restaurant, letting him know there was someone out there ready to try his food. 

Walking in you see a few workers by the counter, some on the grill while their customer watches, another garnishing a roll and another disappearing into the door towards the back— the kitchen you assume. But you don’t see Osamu, and you’re afraid you might’ve missed him this evening. You look a little through the door to see your assumptions proved correct as you see a peak of the sleek kitchen through the door, but still no Osamu. Your shoulders slump a bit as you take one of the high seats by the long counter, placing your purse in your lap. 

The most you’ve seen of Osamu as of recently, is really his twin on the television for matches or when you attend his games in Tokyo on a whim to visit an old friend. And you’re hoping this time you get to see the one with his real hair color instead of a clearly fake blonde. 

“Hi, what can I getcha?” 

The sound of a young male voice interrupts your thoughts as you come back down to reality. 

“Hi, is the owner here?” A little nervous to finally see him in his own restaurant and to be told that he left to do something at the very moment you came to visit. 

“Ya, he’s in the back finishing up something, do ya need him?” 

“Oh yes please– unless he’s busy I can wait.” You nod. 

The worker nods back at you before disappearing into the kitchen. You twiddle your thumbs and pull at the packaged chopsticks, tearing the paper and rolling it into little balls before you hear footsteps coming out of the kitchen door and your face lights up. You can see his eyes widen as his mouth slightly opens in shock. He’s shaking his head in disbelief teasingly and you nod right back at him. You're here. 

“Can’t tell if being on my feet the whole day ‘s starting to make me hallucinate or if yer really there. 

“I’m finally here!” 

“It’s been like what, 3000 years?” He’s standing in front of you across the counter, his hands on the counter as he leans closer to you. 

“Oh, stop. You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to come here— I never ever got the time!” Your hands move along as you talk, punctuating every word you say. 

You still do that

He knows you’ve had a lot on your plate with graduating university and travelling. He doesn’t hold it against you, but he can feel his heart pumping blood 2x times more than the usual rate and the tips of his ears getting warm at the sight of your smile, in his restaurant. 

“I bet ya never went grocery shopping this week so yer stuck with eating out, yeah?” 

“You’re terrible.” 

He gives you a teasing smile that soon settles into a gentle one, soft and familiar. 

“I see the little bunny rabbit by the door.” You give a mischievous grin, as he gives a faux sigh of annoyance. 

“Ya, had some city girl pestering me about it a few years back.” He starts to shuffle some plates to his side as he teases you, his eyes glancing at you for one second as he works quickly. He doesn’t want to look away from you for too long. You’re too beautiful and he can’t have you disappearing again. 

“How did you even get it, I was with you the whole time.” You tilt your head, truly confused at how he managed to get the little door bell. 

“Ran back– no sprinted right before we left the city.” His face showed nothing but cockyness. “So fast, ya barely missed me.” 

You give him a laugh and he feels like he’s running through a field of tulips to meet you in the middle.

You go silent for a while and your smile goes soft. And he just looks at you, waiting for whatever you want to say to him. 

“Seriously Osamu.” You look around you slowly before focusing back on his face. “It looks— the restaurant looks amazing. Just beautiful.” 

His lips stay shut as you pause. 

“I’m really so proud of you.” 

He feels a little bashful. He can feel the blood rise to his cheeks and he can almost feel himself tear up a little. 

“Thank you.” He’s grateful with every fiber and bone of his body. “I couldn’t do it without ya— seriously.” 

“Please, I barely did anything and it’s been years.” 

“Ya supported me a lot though for the years ya were here for and the ones ya weren’t.” He pulls his Onigiri Miya cap off his head, before extending his arms to secure it on yours. “Take the thank you.” 

“Okay, you’re welcome.” You nod back to him, giving him a gentle smile. He’s come so far, from everyone thinking he was doing the wrong thing leaving volleyball to follow his real dreams and aspirations to owning his own restaurant. You couldn’t be more proud of him. 

“So want anything? On the house.” 

“Hm.” You slide the menu in front of you, humming as you look at the options. “Surprise me! And I’m paying, I have to.” 

He gives you a hearty chuckle, as if you’re an unbelievable talking dog. “Yer not paying for anything.” 

He places the steaming dish in front of you, your eyes lighting up at the meal. 

“Wow, it looks great!.” 

“Wait till ya have a bite.” He smirks a little as you reach for the onigiri on the plate. 

“Wow, ishs fanthatshic.” You muffle, with your mouth closed, as you chew down into the onigiri. “Cod?’ 

“Grilled salmon.” He nods. “And I get the best rice from Kita.” 

“Wow, that's great!” You swallow your bite before you’re going for another one. 

“Ya gotta a lot of wow’s tonight.” 

“It’s so good, Samu. You do takeout right?” 

Another laughs leaves his lips, he picks up a dish rag and wipes a clean spot over and over to avoid staring at you as you enjoy the food cooked by him. 

“Souta would love this.” 

His arm pauses for a moment, the clean spot— even more clean is neglected. He doesn’t remember any cousin of yours named Souta. Maybe he’s just a friend from university. 

You’re still chewing, and he can see the clear enjoyment from your face.

“Are you dating anybody?” You say in between bites as you go for another. “I wouldn’t believe it if you're still single and you cook like this. God, Samu. I think I have to move from Tokyo.” 

He laughs once again, and rubs the bottom of his nose with the sleeve of his arm. 

“No, I’ve got no time f’that.” He leans against the counter. 

You’ve got one last onigiri on your plate and you’re trying to restrict yourself from gulping it down. But you can’t help yourself and take a bite out of it. 

“God, no wonder I had the biggest crush on you in highschool.” And you’re gulping down another bite without a care in the world. 

“No, ya didn’t.” He laughs as he takes the plate from in front of you and places it on the counter beside him. 

“I did, you knew!” 

The both of you are silent, and the long pause has you looking away from the onigiri and at Osamu. His smile is gone and he’s got this unreadable expression on his face. Your face falls at the sight of his expression. 

“Osamu.” 

He chuckles a bit, before reaching for the rest of the things set up on the counter by your seat.

“I didn’t know.” 

You’re still silent, you don’t know what to say after he made that face and you’re still trying to figure it out. 

“That’s funny.” 

And he sounds a bit too serious for someone finding humor in something. 

“Are you laughing at my sad highschool crush on you.” You laugh softly, trying to ease the unsettling feeling in your stomach. 

“No.” He laughs again, it's strained. “I was completely in love with ya in highschool.” 

And he’s sure he still is. 

You put down the onigiri, afraid that if you take another bite you might end up choking. He stops organizing the plates or utensils or whatever's in front of him and he just stops, like it hurts to move. The silence is deafening, and crawls along the hairs of your skin. And for a moment you almost feel yourself tearing up but you don’t allow it. 

His heart has completely dropped into his stomach as he clears his throat. 

You blink and drink some of the water in front of you to push down that gnawing feeling in your throat. 

“Wow.” 

“Well, it’s in the past right.” Another pained laugh leaves him, as he goes to wipe the area where your plate sat before. 

He kind of wishes you’d stop him there, tell him you’ve still got those feelings of yours and that something can still come out of it. But instead his heart shatters into a million pieces from your words. 

“Well, duh. I’m engaged.” You hold your hand out a little for him to take a look. He knew he was still in way too deep when he could only look at you the whole time and not even realize the diamond on your finger. 

“Wow, that’s great.” He’s happy for you, he is. But he hides his dejected spirit well with a fake smile, choosing to say something positive. 

“The wedding’s in May, I was supposed to send out invitations next month, but I guess you get an early invite.” You give him a beautiful smile that pierces his heart even further. 

“Wow.” 

“You’ve got a lot of ‘wows’ tonight.” You tease him. 

“No, I mean that’s good, congratulations.” 

You can hear the hesitancy in his voice, it’s barely there and you wonder if it’s really there in his voice. But you can hear it. 

“Yeah…” 

He can see your face fall a little and he feels a bit guilty that maybe you caught on to his slight mood. 

“Tell me about it.” 

“Really!” Your face lights up immediately, clapping your hands and he gives you a genuine smile as he nods. And so you tell him about all the arrangements, the flowers you want to have as you walk down the aisle, the flowers you’ll have to decorate the venue, the venue where you want it, the dress and on and on you went. You talk with him about things too that you haven’t gotten to tell him over the phone, such as your new job and how you had to move apartments a while back because almost half the building was about to fall apart. 

And he listens. Sharing bits and pieces of his own life that he hasn’t gotten the chance to tell you about. The two of you falling back into that friendship all those years ago, even when you too were pining over the other. 

“It’s getting late, you should head out now.” 

You turn to see the last of the employees leaving the shop. You hadn’t even realised that everyone had left and it was already past 10 p.m. 

“Oh, you’re right.” You get up from your seat and collect your scarf and purse. “I should get going.” 

You stand behind the chair you were previously sitting at as he looks at you, a gentle smile on his face. You look back at him and for a minute you mourn the friendship that you once shared in your youth and the love you could’ve shared. And you don’t notice that he’s trying his best to fight back tears, maybe the gloss on his eyes is from the long day of work. A soft smile graces your features, almost as if you’d already accepted reality. You have. 

“Bye, Samu.” 

He gives you a nod, the smile never leaving his face as the little bunny by the door rings and you disappear into the night once again. 

He wonders if he should call Atsumu, to help lighten up the situation as he slumps down to the floor, holding his head in his hand. 

And maybe for once he should’ve taken Atsumu’s advice, all those years ago. But he didn’t. He never gave you that letter that’s been sitting in his nightstand since he was 17, and the flowers he got you had wilted and died a week after he had bought them. He graduated and ended his 3rd year without telling you anything about how he felt. He thought that maybe he’d have the chance later, when he was more prepared, more to offer you. 

And as he watches you walk down the aisle months later, with cheers of happiness in the back, his brother beside him with slow claps. He could only feel himself regret every single choice in his life that led him to sitting in the audience instead of the one in the black suit walking by your side.

A/n: I lowkey suck at writing the miyas’ accent, im sorry 💔

Divider creds: @i-mmaculatus @hyuneskkami

© manhattanstrawberry please do not plagiarize or repost my work

[kuro4thegays]

- Happy birthday to my favorite architect

[Word count: 1.7k] [Kaveh x gn!reader] [Content: picking sunsettias on a vast field and playfighting, not much more]

“Stop wiggling around. I could fall, you know?” You did your best to steady yourself, but it was becoming clear that if Kaveh doesn't stop moving your faith might be sealed. “Maybe if you were to grab that sunsettia a little quicker we wouldn't have to worry about breaking my back!” Kaveh was fast to make his issues with this little setup of yours known as salty beads of sweat started to collect on his forehead. You sighed, quite harshly at first, but obliged, reaching your hand as far as it could go. “Just a little more…” That’s it, the branch was just within your reach, just another stretch and that sweet, juicy reward will be in your hands. You could practically taste it, the juice of the ripe fruit trickling down your chin as you bit into its soft flesh. That’s it, so close, just the last push and…

“Nope.” Kaveh tumbled onto his knees, quickly removing your body from his already sore shoulders. “No more…” As soon as the weight was gone he fully let his body give into exhaustion, letting the soft grass soften his fall. “What?! It was literally in my hands and you just… ugh!” You stood up on your own two feet, leaning over the man’s worn out body. Kaveh couldn’t even breathe, let alone answer, but his bright red face told you everything. “You have said that 12 times in the last ten minutes we’ve been trying this.” The artist struggled, but managed to utter those snarky, but truthful, words.

He wasn’t getting up.

“Oi! Kaveh!” Your attitude evaporated within seconds, like a water droplet landing on hot metal. You dropped to your knees, leaning directly over Kaveh’s weak frame as you tried to figure out what was wrong. Did he really overexert himself? Does he need a medical professional? Oh God, what have you done? Not knowing what to do, you straddled Kaveh, not fully wrapping your legs around his waist to leave room for him to breathe, before pointing up your ring finger. “What finger am I holding up?!” You looked at the exhausted architect wide eyed. Awaiting his response with a heavy breath. “You…” Kaveh extended his hand. “Yes?” You leaned closer, your face only centimeters away from his. “... are an idiot.” Just like that you felt him lightly slap your shoulder. “Huh?” Blank face. Evidently, it took you a moment to process the hit. Only when you heard Kaveh’s light chuckle did it finally register.

“You!” You were quick to straighten your back, now leaning away from the male. “I should have seen this coming.” Of course, you could have just gotten up, but truthfully you still had some of that pettiness left inside. “You got riled up so quickly, I couldn’t help it.” Kaveh chuckled, completely unaware of your new intentions. “Oh, yeah? Seems like you got me wrapped around your fingers. Maybe I should try taking some control back, hmm?” You looked at him like you were going to pounce, now tightening your hold over the other male’s body. You wrapped your thighs around Kaveh’s waist, no fear of suffocating present now as you prepared yourself for an attack.

“What are you planning on doing?” Kaveh gulped, readying himself for whatever was about to come. He could sense the want for revenge in your eyes. He might have started to reconsider his actions. A shame that it was all in the past now.

Suddenly, you grabbed Kaveh’s sides, your nimble fingers ready for a counter attack. Just a single move of your digits and Kaveh knew what he was in for. Tickling. “Wait!” He tried to push you away, but before he even got the chance to raise his hand his body had already started to squirming with laughter. He tried desperately to shove you away, but you already got him by his weak spot. You really did have many ways of stealing his breath away. “Too late.” Your attack on his sensitive spots was relentless, oh that revenge might have been sweeter than that fruit still standing out of their reach. “Stop it!” Kaveh tried to grip your teasing hands, yet they were too damn fast. “Maybe I’ll consider it if you apologize.” That should have been easy enough, well, it would have been if you had stopped. Obviously Kaveh was too busy trying to catch his breath to even begin to form a sensible sentence. His mouth was wide open, but no words were coming out. “No?” You raised an eyebrow, directly challenging your victim which seemed to have only agitated him further. “No… f- fair.” Kaveh choked the words out, his lungs fighting for their dear life. He kicked his feet at you, throwing his hands in a feeble attempt to catch one of yours. Though stamina wasn’t one of your strong suits either. Sure, tickling was easy enough, but having to dodge Kaveh’s wild moves proved to be quite tiresome. You faltered and even if it was just for a second Kaveh too found your weak spot. “Sorry not sorry.” And your waist seemed just within his reach.

“My turn.” Using all of the strength he had left inside he flipped you on the grassy field beneath. But, unfortunately for him, you were not a quitter. “Hey!? You grabbed both of Kaveh’s hands, blocking his tickle attack while trying to reverse the roles yet again, using only your lower body force. “What are you trying to do?!” Despite the losing battle, Kaveh laughed from the very bottom of his soul, no tickling required. At this point the both of you were pushing past the exhaustion.

You wriggled out of Kaveh’s grasp, yet as soon as you turned around to crawl away he had already caught you by the foot. Things grew blurry from then. The only safe thing to say was that the two of you were now just two idiots rolling in the grass. Perhaps it was that familiarly sweet scent of early summer that was influencing you or the lingering taste of the equally sweet sunsettia lingering on your tongues. The only thing you knew for sure was that in that exact moment Kaveh was only yours. Be it his body that so beautifully glistened with sweat under the setting sun, his ever so witty tongue that threw teases your way or simply the fact that his eyes were only looking back at yours. In that sense you were fully his too. Your words were equally teasing, your body equally vulnerable and your gaze fixated on one man and one man only. “Take me.” Your body so painfully screamed, yet your mouth was already preoccupied with wild laughter. And even if you could speak it wouldn’t be necessary. You found your answer in the way Kaveh looked at you. 

“You done? Already?” You chuckled, but you really weren’t any better. Your body gave out, falling on top of Kaveh in a way that could only be described as the opposite of graceful. You were now very sweaty, awfully so, and the dirt lingering on the fabric of your shirt wasn’t really complimenting the look. “You’re a mess.” Kaveh was quick to point out, ignorant to his own disheveled state. “Look who’s talking.” But you shut him up rather quickly. The two of you just laid there, feeling the cool shade embrace your hot bodies as you let your lungs relax for a while. Admittedly, you never knew one’s cheeks could hurt from smiling, but somehow after experiencing it you don’t think it’s all that bad. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind feeling it again someday. “Can I kiss you?” You asked. You were far past the point in which this question would be necessary, but just looking at Kaveh’s peaceful face made you want to make sure that you weren’t being too needy. “When have I ever said no to that?” You took that as a yes. You didn’t waste time before planting a tired, but plenty affectionate kiss on Kaveh’s soft lips. Even in your most worn out state there was that last bit of strength reserved specifically for Kaveh. You slipped your tongue in, barely, just enough to have the briefest taste. It was enough for you, enough to give you all the energy in the world you would ever need. Because if there ever was anything you wanted more from Kaveh than his love was for him to accept your love, for him to be on the receiving end for once. He has enough trouble in his life already, why would  you ever want to add to that?

You leaned in for another, opening your mouth wider this time, hell, you were even feeling bold enough to stick your tongue out just the tiniest bit, but were stopped in a rather comedically painful way. “Ouch…” You stopped right in your tracks, hands swiftly searching for the place of the impact. You rubbed your head before noticing something coated in that familiar shade of orange. A sunsettia, that damned sunsettia. “Mehrak!” Kaveh giggled, pointing at his trusty, sentient workcase. “How has it charged so fast?” You questioned, not that impressed by the robots ability to pick fruits. “You’re just being salty.” Kaveh retorted. “Perhaps.” And you weren’t exactly trying to deny it. You grabbed the ripe fruit, the best one they have found this entire season, before offering it to your love. “For you.” You smiled, placing it securely into the man’s hands. Kaveh bit into its hard surface before suckling in all of its sugary juice. He took the time to savor it, but eventually returned it into your hands. “Are you sure? I want you to have it.” You shook your head, but the architect was as insistent as ever. “[name].” The call of your name spilling from Kaveh’s lips was enough reassurance. You too bit into it, the same spot Kaveh previously did. It was heavenly, the juice slowly trickling down your chin and onto your shirt. Truly one of a kind. The artist really did have the eye for good fruit. The gentle summer breeze reminded you of home and the sunsettia in your hand of that first pang of love you felt all those years back. 

“Kaveh.” You murmured, lips still attached to the orange sweetness.

“Yes?”

“Happy birthday.”

[Writer’s note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY INDEED. Anyways, it was a good one. I'm absolutely in love with his birthday art, he really is the prettiest man there ever was. Now I'll probably be working on the next part of What does freedom look like without you? The only thing that I'll say is that it'll be a backstory bit, so do with that what you will. Have a great rest of your day and say happy birthday to my favorite boy. Bye bye]

[ceask]

based on some yapping

this is purely Nightmare's pov. I think he'd be too possessed to realize he actually killed the tree and that people are around him and all that. Perhaps people came running when he had given in and blacked out.

The small guardian was all alone once again, sitting under the tree hidden amongst the forest. A home sealed away from society by a magical field only him and his brother could see and walk through. A barrier only powerful enough to break by cutting down their beloved tree.

It was never his intention, really. He didn't mean for this to happen.

But Nightmare's feet dragged him upwards, made him stand before a branch that coincidentally lowered to his eye level. The gold of the apple shone despite there being little sunlight. So tempting, so inviting. The back of his mind whispered for him to take it, to show he can be something more than a scum of earth.

The boy's gloved hand reached into the sky, barely touching the apple. The glow played between his fingers, reflecting against them. He was mesmerized, feeling like a mortal before an ethereal deity. Like a nothing before something. Well, he was nothing. Nothing in this world. Nothing for the village but a punching bag. Nothing compared to his angelic brother.

So he shall redeem himself.

With one sharp movement, like a wild animal jumping onto its prey, he grabbed the apple and ripped it right off. The shine vanished before his very eyes, and the gold had rotten to black in seconds. The lumination from the golden apples turned into a dark fog, the ethereal atmosphere was gone, replaced by a somber swamp. Branches with rotten apples were hanging down, dripping with acidic juice.

Nightmare stood horrified as he held the black apple. The embodiment of negativity, the thing that haunts him. His destiny. My fate. My reincarnation.

Hands shaking, he almost impulsively took a bite. The persistent voice in his head overshadowed the horror, making him consume the ill fruit. The taste was sweet and sickening, the acid tingled on his mortal tongue. It hurt, it burned, but he couldn't stop no matter how much he wanted to. His internal monologue of cries and desperation was drowned by whispers, so many layered over each other it was hard to think. His hands and jaws worked on their own, until he felt like he had no power over his body. Like he was possessed.

By the tenth apple, black mush started to leak from Nightmare's eyes. His skull cracked, and he let out a yell of pain. Fighting for control was useless, as something forced the fruit down his throat. It burned, it hurt like nothing before. It was torture. The acid burned through his skull. and the black goop was starting to fill his bones. It was coming out of every gap possible. His eyes, his mouth, his nose. The substance had blinded his right eye in the process. He couldn't breathe, he could barely think, and his body disobeyed him.

It didn't take long before he felt his spine crack open. The sound that left his throat was straight out of a banshee legend. A long, terrifying screech that scared the crows off the forest trees in miles of radius. A scream that must have reached his brother's ears. Despite the mention, Nightmare wasn't thinking of him at all. His mind was filled with fear and regret, his bones cracked and twisted open as the goop materialized into solid limbs. It was agonizing. This was worse than torture: this was death. He wanted nothing other but to die, nothing but to stab himself. I can't go on. Please, end my suffering.

His prayers were heard by his own possessed body. The tentacles pierced through his chest, making him fall to his knees. Nightmare was numb, his thoughts running at the speed of light. His eyes blurred as the acid of negativity corrupted his whole being, and he closed them. The agony, the burning feeling, the hissing on his bones. It was so much, it blurred together. One big torture device. His destiny, his fate. The sweet relief of death.

Nightmare let the possession take over. He stopped fighting it, he was tired and hopeless. He blacked out, a small thought of his past self left unfinished. 

He was sorry.

[woso-fan13]

Whumptober 2023: 30 (uswnt)

No. 30: “It’s okay, just to say, ‘I’m not okay’.”

Borrowed Clothing | Bridal Carry | “Not much longer…”

Football is life, something you and Dani Rojas clearly agree on. From an early age you had given everything to the sport. In return, the sport has given you a career and a family. 

All that being said, as much as you loved soccer, you had your limits. And sometimes, you were ready to be subbed out.

—-

A lot of this could have been easily prevented. It wasn’t. You could have looked up second sooner and noticed that the other player was also planning on going up to head the ball. Coach could have saved a sub to use in case of emergency. Neither of these things happened.

What had happened was that you collided heads with another player. You both landed on the ground, dazed. Your opponent recovered after a moment, pushing herself to her feet. You moved to do the same but stopped as you felt the world spinning and your vision going fuzzy. Having had too many, you were an expert in concussions and you knew enough to know that you just earned yourself one. 

You stayed seated on the ground, waiting for the medics to come help you off of the field. They were taking a long time. Your teammates must have been thinking the same, as you could hear them voicing their confusion and frustration around you. 

You hear a pair of feet stop in front of you. You look up, ready to let the medic know that you have a concussion and need to be subbed out. You’re instead met with a striped shirt and a whistle. One of the refs, which is strange. 

“The game’s almost over and you’re out of subs, you’ll be fine for the rest, right?”

You want to argue, but he’s gone before you can process what he said. He’s right though, football is life. You can push through the next 4 minutes, you just need to get to your feet. 

You, surprisingly make it almost 3.5 minutes. You don’t actively participate, but you are able to receive and pass a ball, so you’ll give yourself some credit. As the timer moves from minutes to seconds left, though, your brain tries to voice its displeasure. Your vision is wavy as you sway on your feet. You reach out for something to steady you. 

“Shit,” you hear a voice say as an arm moves around your back to support you, “hang on, kiddo.”

You’re not completely sure who’s voice that is. You think it might be Sonny’s, but it’s really a wild guess. 

You must make some sound, probably a groan, because the voice starts speaking again. 

“I know buddy, I know it hurts. There’s not much longer, then we’ll get you out of here. Okay?”

You try to nod in response, regretting that decision as a new wave of pain shoots through your head. This causes your vision to blur completely as you feel arms wrap even more firmly around you. Just as you hear the final whistle, you fall unconscious. 

Emily tries her very best to keep you from hitting the ground. 

[shira-cosmic-star]

Little things to love. Jabberwock HC

(This was ordinally supposed to be a different HC. Then I got sidetracked and came up with this one. I promise I'm working on the Wish Me Mell pt 2. It'll be posted some time tomorrow. Thank you kindly for your patience.)

Warning: Nothing but fluffy, GNreader

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

Haru: 

Mc headed over to Jabberwock to assist with the animals. It was a long week and maybe this will cheer them up? They’ve always enjoyed spending time with the boys and Peekaboo.  After making your way through the entrance. MC see a wide grassy field. So far there wasn’t any signs of animals or ghouls nearby. Just a straightforward path to the dorm. As MC walked on the side walk, they looked around deep far into the distance. 

“Gahahha! Watch out!!” MC heard a voice behind them. As soon as they turned around Mc see a goat like anomaly, running towards them. Panic begins to set in. 

‘Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh! What should I do!?’ They sway left and then right. Unsure which direction to go.  

“BAM” 

“Ow” They cried as the goat ran straight into them and slammed its head into theirs. Haru quickly runs over to them and helps Mc up. 

“Gah! Are you okay MC?” He questioned after seeing what the goat did. MC had their hand on their forehead. Once he removed their hand to take a look. There was a knot on their head. 

“Is it bad?” He looks into their eyes. 

“No, no, no! Nothing an ice pack can’t fix!” He stated cheerfully. Haru takes their hand gentle and guide them to the dorm. In the dorm Ren was sitting on the couch watching YouTube. After hearing the door creek open. Ren looks up from his phone. 

“What happened to you?” While he raised one of his brows, he asked. 

Not fully wanting to admit what just happened. MC pouted and removed their hand from their forehead. 

“Eh? Yeesh.” Haru had come back in the room and handed MC an ice pack. Once they have placed it on themselves , he hummed to himself. “MC, why didn’t you move out the way?” His voice carried with concern. 

“I-I was going to, but I panicked and I-I didn’t know where it was heading...” MC explained their thought process. They stumble with their words as they feel the rush of embarrassment forming on her face. He chuckled and patted her back. “Hey it’s all okay. It could’ve been worse.” He explained to MC in a tempt to cheer them up. MC smiled and nodded their head. 

“Yeah! I could have broken a nose or busted my head!” MC spoke with a cheerful voice and good attitude. Haru loved this about MC. He stands up straight with both hands on his hips. “That’s the spirit! Gahahah!!” His laugh rings throughout the dorm and They joined him. 

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

Towa 

Upon, MC’s arrival. They have offered Towa a dandelion. Which to their surprise, Towa eats it before they could say anything. From that day on. He had taken a liking to MC. Though he isn’t much of a talker. He still listens and communicate the best that he can. Towa would nod his head, yes or no while he makes little sounds. Mc is able to tell by the tone of Towa’s hums whether he is saying ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ 

Right now, both of them are sitting on the hill watching the sunset. Mc would do most of the talking. Meanwhile, Towa would listen. He enjoys hearing all of her stories. Rather they were happy, sad, silly, or scary. Though, the one thing he loves the most. Would be how caring and mind she is. She would often stop by with homemade lunches for all of them. Making sure that each of them had at least a healthy full meal. Mc would even take care of peekaboo, while Haru and Towa was out. Often when Mc makes the meals. She would make sure Towa’s was perfect. Favoritism? Probably. She spends a lot of time with him. So why not put a lot of effort into making his meals? Mc had learned which flowers he likes to eat. Some flowers he would eat. While others he likes to smell and admire. 

Towa also loves to cuddle with her. He would sit her, right between his legs and hold her to his chest. Recently, Mc has been with the other ghouls and helping them out. This makes Towa extremely upset, he misses her so much. So, now they are both cuddling was they watch the sunset. When it starts to get dark outside. Towa tells her how much he enjoys being around her. So much that he wishes it never ends. He will always be grateful for the things Mc do. Not only for him, but Haru too. 

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

Ren: 

Ren was working at the Mystery Diner this evening. He had messaged MC about joining him. They were planning on watching horror movies and playing video games together. But unfortunately, MC wasn’t available that night. They were off on another mission with the other ghouls from another dorm. Recently MC has been cancelling the hangouts due to the missions. Ren sighs heavily, he knows deep down they don’t mean to cancel on him. Yet, he couldn’t help, but miss their present.  

Shortly after the mission, MC had gone to the school store to find something that Ren might like. They went from alle to alle. They couldn’t find anything there. Disappointed, they sighed. Then and idea came to mind. They decided to make him a gift. ‘Maybe that will cheer him up? Hopefully this isn’t cheesy or makes things weird...’ Alongside of some snacks he might like. This took them a few days to make his a cute sorry gift. They have messaged him, asking if he was either at the dorm or at the diner. He had clarified that he was at the dorm. Shortly, MC walking into the dorm. Ren wasn’t in the lobby, nor was he in the kitchen. That could only mean one thing. He was in his room.  

‘Knock Knock’ MC hits their knuckle on the door. Ren opens the door to see who it was. They had their hands behind their back. Standing in front of him was MC. Looking guilty like a child who had done something wrong. “Oh hey” He was the first to speak. Ren opens the door wider and lets them in. Mc sits down on the edge of his bed and took a deep breath. 

“Ren, I’m so sorry for cancelling the past few hangouts. To make it up to you. I’ve made you this. They showed him the basket of horror movies, his favorite snacks, and cute little items that reminded MC of him. There was a shark key chain. A small plushie of his favor horror movie character, and a note for him.  

“Don’t read the note yet. I rather you read it when I leave. I’m truly sorry Ren, I hope you can forgive me.”  

Ren’s heart beats faster and louder. His ears red as his cheeks. He was speechless, how on earth is he able to talk now? He can’t even look them in the eyes. His fists balled up from his anxiety. He takes in a deep breath. Looks them in the eyes and spoke. 

“You didn’t need to all this, but thanks.” At the end of his sentence. He looked away extremely bashful. With his hand rubbing the back of his head. MC knew that all was forgiving. Ren have asked them if they wanted to stay and watched the movies with him and share the snacks. Both of them hearts swells with a certain feeling. Who knows where things will lead in the future. 

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

(Edited)

Thank you for reading this feel free to like, comment, and reblog!

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𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝐷𝑎𝑧𝑧𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠✮

[fishareglorious]

In the wake of the new pizza hut collab and that one specific emote of schneider threateningly looming behind pizza hut regulus with a gun, I got possessed and created an au where ezra, matilda and regulus work with each other in the same branch.

May or may not have gotten carried away with it. AU below.

matilda is the long suffering branch manager that doesn't even want to work there. this poor french girl is really going through it (customer service)

alas she stays because of a certain redheaded customer. sonetto visits sometimes to check on regulus and that the store is relatively close to where she lives.

matilda constantly five seconds away from firing everyone and handing out her resignation but then sonetto walks inside and suddenly everything is good (sotheby just accidentally created ketamine in the back)

she hates her job because all the people that visit here are fucking lunatics.

ezra is the least problematic of the employees and he sometimes supplies the mushrooms because of his mycology hobby, but one time he accidentally switched up the button mushrooms with similar-looking hallucinogenic ones and matilda put a stop into it because a customer got high (desert flannel)

kanjira is their one and only delivery driver and while she drives matilda up the wall by always stealing from the cash register, she'd terrifyingly efficient and fast with her deliveries (at the expense of being a menace in the highway)

regulus works as an all-rounder but sometimes takes kanjira's place whenever she's not around. she always gets a traffic ticket. she and kanjira are in a competition on who can amass the most

apple is here and is the only other voice of reason working in this place. matilda respects him because he's the only one that can rein in regulus

The one story that started this whole AU. sorry schneider's dead in this universe

one day vertin comes around to catch up with regulus. regulus was on the process of serving pineapple pizza when suddenly someone appears behind her to chop her in the neck and curses her out in the most horrific ear-bleeding italian. vertin catches a glimpse of regulus' attacker, then crumples into the floor in shock because its her dead mafia girlfriend.

matilda comes to the scene only to see regulus passed out and vertin silently weeping on the floor.

someone still has to serve the damn pizza. fucks sake.

after the pineapple pizza incident there's now a ghost haunting the store that really really has an agenda against pineapple pizza. at this point matilda is very much inclined to blackout the hawaiian in the menu just to placate the damn ghost.

A comprehensive list of all the weirdos that come in here:

there's an absolutely pleasant and nice lady that sometimes eats here but the thing is she has this thing where she puts yellow bug things in her pizza as some kind of condiment and its so damn weird because those things are still ALIVE. but she gets a pass because she's done no trouble and is nice to everyone

one time the store had a break in and for some reason all the greens in the inventory were eaten. everyone checks the security cameras. it was. it was a fucking deer.

(yes, jessica is an actual deer here.)

constantine came here once only to pull the "i demand to speak to your manager" thing

pickles at one point ordered something here by himself. in the words of regulus: what the dawg doin?

ezra's collegemates (the laplace crew) sometimes visit and its a hit or miss depending on who is it

the last time x came here the stove got legs and sentience then it left pizza hut and never came back. some say it became a famous track and field runner

medicine pocket was banned like. years ago even before matilda started working here. does it stop her? no. he caught wind of sotheby's ketamine thing and tried to recruit her at one point. matilda chased them off with a spray bottle.

mesmer jr is the least chaos-inducing person of the group but at the same time because of the childhood friends that have baggage with matilda the tension between then is. frankly you could cut through it with a knife

one time she, vertin, and matilda were in the same proximity and regulus passed by and started asphyxiating

sometimes their research advisor enigma gets dragged here because someone has to feed him something other than his twentieth cup of black coffee. matilda has beef with him for some reason.

the only people matilda remotely respects that has entered this pizza hut is shamane and kaalaa baunna

but at the same time she has witnessed kaalaa stumble here at an insanely late/early hour with three giant cups of coffee then proceeded to chug all of it down then order something. she is visibly shaking from the caffiene. matilda is scared.

matilda called shamane 'dad' once and after that she has sworn to never show her face to him again

pavia exists here but keeps a wide berth of pizza hut because it contains the insult to italian cuisine

one time a foreign singer (isolde) came here to have lunch with her wife then got possessed by schneider and started angrily lambasting and threatening to haunt everyone from the grave if they've ever dared to eat pineapple pizza. she later passed out then woke up all normal again

lilya is also on the pizza hut blacklist because she crashed her motorcycle into the windows trying to pick vertin up

broke as hell researcher windsong stumbles into pizza hut with the biggest smile on her face as if she won the lottery (she did. it was the amount of the cheapest thing in the menu) then proceeds to hork down her food like she's starving (she probably was.) fun fact this is inspired by her voiceline that is basically the same story

bear with me on my vilasong propaganda for a sec.

local schoolteacher vila comes into the store because her student wandered off and is now talking windsong's ear off, and then the two have this weird but sweet meetcute that's almost the same as canon

windosng tells her "oh god hey i swear im not a child abductor" then vila just laughs and fucking sniffs her and says "yeah i know you don't smell threatening at all."

they are both so strange. next time they come together hand in hand.

matilda is malding can't she have a nice meetcute like that with sonetto (minus the whole. child abduction statement. and the sniffing thing. actually she just wants a normal nice meetcute)

37 came there with the aperion gang and all she did was calculate the precise circumference of the pizza and then tell the matilda it was an imperfect circle. matilda then says 'do i look like i give two shits about whether or not this is a perfect circle. fuck you want me to do' but in customer service language

would arcana even step inside a pizza hut.

a knight sometimes comes here and he and apple are the investments in pizza hut's old men yaoi stocks.

hofmann and marcus came in once and marcus was the one trying to order but the poor thing kept stuttering so badly that hofmann heaved out the most world-weary sigh and ordered for both of them

besmir came in there once while vertin was there and vertin shot up from her seat and went 'MOTHER???!?!??!?!?!!!!!!!!" and thus came the most awkward family reunion that happened. (regulus screamed out "SO YOU HAVE A MOTHER" while the two were watching each other awkwardly not knowing what to do)