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mydisenchantedeulogy · 2 years ago

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Candy Coated [Chapter One] Even in Death [Buddha]

A/n: this is the first chapter of the Buddha (ROR) story that I’ve been mentioning for a week or so now. It was inspired by the one-shot that I wrote ‘Lost in Paradise’, and this story basically follows the same idea.

I waited to post this chapter until the poll went down, which asked about the gender or lack of gender of the Mortal Reader. 65% of 52 voters voted for the reader to be a female and 35% voted for the reader to be gender neutral. I have the screenshot in case anyone wants to see it, though to be honest, I did my best not the mention the gender of the reader at all unless I need to. So, with the voting done, the reader will be female. Thank you for the support and for the votes.

There is a tag list below; if you would like to be added to it in order to keep up with the story when I post chapter, please let me know so I can add you. I plan to update this story as often as possible with two other stories I’m working on, so please be patient. Read the warning tags and enjoy.

Words: 2,139

Tag list: @tojibreedingme, @quinloki, @yingxian, @2lottie2

Warning(s): soulmate au, reader insert, mentions of death, female reader.

No Minors Allowed!!

Fear devours you, tightening your muscles in a way that leaves you powerless and frozen.

You honestly don't remember much; the siren woke you, but it was far too late to evacuate. The storm had been far worse than the news had reported; it had become a category 5 before anyone even knew what was happening. You had tried to shelter yourself indoors as the powerful winds rampaged outside, but it wasn’t enough and the walls came tumbling down.

But somehow you had wound up outside, sitting amongst the wreckage.

This can’t be right. It's silent; the entire world around you. It's almost like the noise had been drained. You can’t hear the wind screaming in your ears or the houses as they are torn asunder. In a way, it’s peaceful, but the silence is also frightening. Especially with your body lying meters away from you, caught beneath the rubble of your cheap apartment.

Why are you looking at yourself?

"This is terrible," a sincere voice utters.

You avert your attention in the direction of the noise, drawn like a moth to a flame, and see a teenage girl with short lilac hair standing in the middle of the road; her aqua-green eyes are filled with tears as she stares out at the chaos.

"The Gods have no mercy," she mentions. "There are so many souls here."

What is she talking about? You raise a curious brow, glancing at your body once again. The reality of the situation hits you like a ton of bricks and tears gather in your eyes.

"I'm dead."

The sound of footsteps brings your attention back to the teenage girl to see her approaching you. If you are dead, is she some sort of reaper? You dart to your feet and take a cautious step away from her, but she raises her hands in defense.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I was sent to help."

"How?" You ask in disbelief, motioning toward your body. "I'm dead. How can you help me?"

She narrows her eyes in sympathy.

"I can take you to the afterlife where you can move on. I'm sorry, but there isn't much else I can do for you."

So, she is a reaper. She doesn't look scary at all, but this doesn't mean that you trust her; a point you emphasize by peddling back as she takes a cautious step forward.

"My name is Göll. I'm a Valkyrie; a demigod. Um... you know, like––"

"I know what a Valkyrie is," you mention. "It's the 21st century."

What you don't understand is what a Valkyrie is doing here. Are they not mere legends? They are specific to Norse mythology, or so you had thought. Realizing that she has been prattling on the entire time about something you haven't been listening to, you raise a hand and stop her.

"So, you came to take me to heaven... or Valhalla–– whatever you want to call it." You ask.

Göll nods.

"Well, not just me. My sisters came here too." She takes a brief look around and frowns. "This was a tragedy. There are more souls here than I can handle on my own."

How many had died? You widen your eyes, a motion that doesn't go unnoticed by Göll.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bum you out." Her eyes fill with tears. "I'm terrible at this."

You can't help but snort. She is an animated person. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you glance at your body once again in sadness. Göll is right; it's time to move on. As much as it pains you, it's time to leave your life on Earth. Warm tears gather in your eyes, but you blink them away and saunter toward her. Göll notices and smiles.

"There's no need to worry. I'll guide you."

She offers her hand to you, but once you take it, a strange sensation overcomes you. Something tightens simultaneously around your ankles and before your eyes, a red cord appears, flickering in and out like a light. Göll squeals in alarm.

"W-what is that?" She asks.

"You don't know? I thought you were a Valkyrie."

Leaning down, you snatch fearfully at the cord, seeing that it's transparent. What is this? It almost looks like a red string of fate. But how can this be? It's in the wrong area.

When it doesn't seem to be hurting you, besides giving you a major craving for sweets, you calm down, though your heart is pounding. It's impossible to tell where the cord is leading; it twists and coils through the rubble like a snake, going further than you can see.

"What do I do?" Göll asks out loud.

She taps her green high-top sneaker on the ground and groans.

"I'll have to take you to my oldest sister. She'll know what to do."

Grasping your shoulder, a blinding bright light surrounds you. For a moment, you fear being trapped in the light, but quickly it fades. You drop to your knees and rub at your eyes.

"Warning next time."

Göll apologies.

"I'm sorry. Please wait here, I'll be back."

You hear her sneakers squeak on the floor as she rushes away, leaving you alone. With your eyes clear, you glance around to see that you are in a bare room no bigger than a bedroom; there's honestly nothing in it. Where did the Valkyrie take you?

Standing with a grunt, you saunter toward the door, checking to see whether it will open or not. It isn't locked, so you know that you aren't a prisoner. A long marble corridor stretches out on either side of you, but as far as you can tell there is no one around. You take an uneasy breath, shutting the door. Göll had asked you to remain in the room, so you plan to do just that. You aren't certain, but a part of you wants to believe that she is going to do you no harm; she seems nice enough, and a nervous wreck perhaps.

It was nice of her to try and comfort you. Though you reckon it's her job to show sympathy toward lost souls. You feel no less grateful to her. It had been a shock to see your body lying in the dirt; the lifeless look in your eyes nearly shattered you.

And then there is this.

You lift your right leg and watch the red cord flicker in and out. It's a tether; it can't be anything else. But who is on the other end?

And what does this mean for me?

The door comes open with a sudden low click and in saunters Göll and a beautiful woman wearing an elegant white dress with gold and navy detailing. Her piercing eyes observe you in a way that makes you uneasy like you are on the receiving end of a judgmental interview.

"Lift your leg."

Can she not ask nicely? Her tone is demanding, but you can hear the interest in it. Hesitantly you bend your knee and watch as she leans down to have a look; a section of her midnight blue hair falls over her shoulder as she does.

"What does it mean?" Göll asks.

The older Valkyrie stands and hums.

"I haven't the slightest idea."

"Y-you don't?" Göll questions with a squeak.

A deep sigh comes from her sister as she closes her emerald eyes in thought.

"Calm down. I know that it's a God Tether... But for whatever reason this soul has it I don't know."

"This soul has a name," you mention giving it. "You can talk to me. It's a fate string, isn't it?"

She hums.

"It's known as a God Tether here but means the same I imagine as your interpretation of it."

"But do souls have tethers?" You ask.

The woman shakes her head.

"I've never heard of a soul possessing a tether; it's for the living. Is this the first time you've seen it?"

You're certain this is the first time. You nod.

"Very well," she utters. "This warrants an investigation. Come with me."

Raising a brow in question, you watch her turn and saunter toward the door; the feather train hemmed into the inside of her dress slides across the floor as she walks. You glance at Göll a moment in uncertainty, humming as she nods to assure you that it's fine.

As you step out into the corridor, the smooth-tongued woman turns to you.

"What sort of living arrangement suits you?"

You raise a brow in question, having been put on the spot. Your face heats up in embarrassment.

"Um... I guess comfortable and simple, but honestly anything will do."

"Göll, have someone prepare this room," she orders.

Tensing, the expressive teen nods and rushes off leaving you with her. You avert your eyes at her in question.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Brunhilde; the eldest of the Valkyrie sisters," she answers with a grin. "Now come this way."

Following her, you survey the area. There isn't much to look at as far as you can tell. The walls are decorated in elegant gold trim and some of the rooms you pass are locked with electronic keypads which is strange to you, as they appear technological; far too 20th century for a 12th-century Valkyrie to have. Did they advance with the times? Perhaps they've always had this technology and mankind just took its time.

"How many Valkyries are there? I recall reading that the number is uncertain."

Brunhilde peeks over her shoulder at you for a moment, then averts her attention to the path ahead.

"There are 13 of us."

That's a lot less than you had expected. Upon meeting Göll you had known that things were not exactly as the history books had written them to be. The question of how much intrigues you.

"And you guide souls from every corner of the Earth?" You ask.

"The human realm is known as Midgard and the God realm in which you reside is known as Valhalla, or as you know it, Heaven. Gods from every pantheon live here," Brunhilde explains. "But to answer your question, yes, we do."

Interesting. You had always assumed Valkyries only led warriors to Valhalla. This discredits a lot of theories about death in general, like there being reapers.

"Do you know a lot about God Tethers? Or fate strings as you call them," Brunhilde suddenly asks.

Peering behind you for a moment, the cord slides along the floor.

"Only what media and fanfiction taught me about them. They're called the Red String of Fate and it links you to your soulmate. But I’ve always heard that the string is around a person’s pinkie, not their ankles.”

"Then you aren't aware that a God is the one who tethers predestined humans?" Brunhilde questions.

"I wasn't aware... But it makes sense."

You frown in response. Fate is only a concept to some it seems.

Brunhilde laughs uncouthly, a noise that doesn't match her demeanor.

"You seem upset."

"That some God is yanking people around like puppets on a string, yes," you answer honestly. "It doesn't seem fair and now even in death it can't be escaped."

You don't understand it at all.

"But that's not entirely true...is it? I'm a unique case or else you wouldn't be speaking to me."

"I'm merely curious," Brunhilde answers.

She stops at the end of the corridor, behind a railing that overlooks an enormous roofless stadium with thousands of seats. Your eyes widen in amazement.

"What is this place?"

"This is the Valhalla Arena. At the moment it stands as a precaution but that matters not at this time," Brunhilde answers.

You wonder what she means by this, but taking into account her entire answer, you know it isn't your place to ask. Perhaps it is a form of entertainment for the Gods and nothing more.

I doubt it, however.

With an uneasy sigh, you glance at her.

“Somewhere out there is the one I’m bound to.”

“Yes… so until I know who they are, I’d like you to remain here,” Brunhilde concludes.

You hum in understanding. Of course, you are curious, but the unknown unnerves you.

“Who is the God who put the string on me?”

Brunhilde grins.

“His name is Yue-Lao. He is known around China as the God of Love and Marriage. And for some reason, he has taken it upon himself to tether the dead.”

You get the feeling that Brunhilde wants to know why just as much as you do.

“I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

“As one would hope,” Brunhilde states.

You have no idea how long this investigation will last, but you are willing to wait it out for clarity.

I’m dead… there’s not much else I can do.

For once time is on your side.

#record of ragnorak #soulmate au #buddha x reader #record of ragnarok fanfic #buddha (ror)#record of ragnarok fandom #female reader

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raspberryfingers · 2 years ago

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A Lion in the Garden -Tywin Lannister x Reader- (Part 27)

WARNINGS: Use of Moon Tea (aka abortion/pregnancy prevention)

A/N: I’m really sorry to everyone who picked yes in the poll, because I know it’s annoying of me to even ask for opinions if I’m not going to listen, but I felt that children weren’t right for Lady Tyrell and Tywin.

This is mostly because I didn’t want to feel like I was betraying my characters, and yes I know it’s not real, but to make Lady Tyrell become a mother when she’s been so adamantly against it for so long would’ve felt wrong to me. She’s always been afraid of being cast aside either for marriage or for having children, and while her marriage thankfully did not do that, realistically being a mother requires a great deal of your time and effort. Being a parent usually comes before all else, especially for women in Westeros, and I don’t want to take that freedom from her.

There is also Tywin, who in many fics I read is more than happy to have children with the reader. And while this isn’t a false interpretation—he certainly wants to continue his legacy and having more children would improve that—it’s also an interpretation that usually comes with arranged marriage fics. Now, like I said, I don’t mind that and it makes perfect sense to me, but given that Tywin has repeatedly shown great deals of emotion whenever Lady Tyrell puts herself in danger suggests to me that he wouldn’t be entirely excited about her having his children. Not because he doesn’t want them, but because he’s afraid of any complications during birth, especially because of Joanna.

So, this is my apology for deciding to ignore the overwhelming amount of support Tywin and Lady Tyrell got for having children, my bad guys. On the bright side, though, I have noted I will continue to write Tywin Lannister oneshots once this story is finished. While some of them will be a sort of continuation of A Lion in the Garden, some will just be regular oneshots, and I will write y’all the fluffiest, most wholesome Tywin dad fic you’ve ever read I PROMISE.

So, overall, just know I didn’t decide to not listen just for fun, I genuinely have reasons that I didn’t feel I could ignore, and also know that I am sorry. With that aside though, I hope y’all still really enjoy the story because I’ve got some big stuff coming up for these last few chapters🤭

—————

It was rather early in the morning, but just as always, Qyburn was awake. Not to mention, he was already in his laboratory researching and conducting experiments.

In fact, he was preparing to start brewing something when there was a knock at his door. It surprised him given that the sun was just barely peeking over the sea.

Qyburn rose from his chair, making his way to the door and pulling it open. He found Tywin Lannister standing there, much to his surprise.

“My lord, how can I help you?” He asked, wondering why the Hand had seeked him out so early, especially the morning after his wedding. Additionally, Qyburn was also curious as to why he had not gone to Pycelle. He was the Grand Maester, after all.

“There’s something I’d like to inquire about. May I come in?” Tywin asked, peering over the shorter man’s shoulder and observing the dark, messy room.

“Of course, my lord. I can clear a chair if you’d like to sit,” Qyburn offered, stepping aside so Tywin could enter and then shutting the door behind him. He couldn’t help but feel nervous, wondering if perhaps his experiments had once again gone too far and the man wished for him to leave.

“There’s no need, I’d like to keep this quite brief.”

“Very well, I-“

“My daughter trusts you quite a lot, doesn’t she?” Tywin questioned suddenly, interrupting the ex-maester and turning to look at him.

“I hope she does, my lord.”

Tywin nodded, hands folded behind his back as he gazed down at the dusty wooden floors. The air was thick and damp, and he wondered how Qyburn ever managed to get anything done without coughing and struggling to breathe.

“It’s rare that my daughter trusts people, especially outside of our family. However, there are certain qualities that win her over quite easily. Those of loyalty, and of secrecy. I wonder if perhaps I could make use of those traits and ask something of you,” Tywin said stiffly, watching Qyburn light another candle as he did. The small man gazed over, suddenly intrigued.

“Certainly, my lord. If it is within my capabilities, I shall do it.”

“And I can trust you to keep it to yourself? To tell nobody, including my daughter?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Tywin observed him thoughtfully, almost as if he was waiting for a but, or a request. Surely this man’s silence would come with a price.

“I will reward you handsomely for it.”

“There is no need, your lord.”

Now this made him raise an eyebrow. The favor and his silence for no price at all? Tywin had met plenty of men in his life, but none had ever been entirely selfless.

“If you do not wish for money, then what is it that you desire? Power? Land?” Tywin interrogated, taking a slow step towards the smaller man. Qyburn only smiled.

“None of those, my lord. I merely wish to experiment and research in peace. It is my one passion and calling, and with both the hospitality of you and her grace, I am allowed to do so. That alone is enough to secure my silence and my services whenever you should require,” he explained, giving a gentle, subtle smile to the Lord Hand. Tywin thought for a moment, and then nodded.

“I see. The task I have for you is nothing quite so… strenuous as what you did for my daughter. I simply require moon tea, though it must be made with the utmost precision. I need it to be entirely effective,” he explained, watching carefully for any hint of change on Qyburn’s face. There was no shock, nor any joy. The request was merely a job to him, not a rumor to be spread.

“I can have that ready within the hour, if you wish,” he offered, raising an eyebrow and running through a mental list of the ingredients he would need from his cupboard.

“Thank you, that would be convenient,” Tywin accepted, beginning to walk towards the door. Qyburn moved as well, reaching for the handle but not opening it.

“Will that be all, my lord?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Of course,” Qyburn nodded, pausing and pressing his lips together for a moment, “May I ask you something, my lord?”

Tywin paused, raising both eyebrows as a sign for him to do it.

“Why have you come to me? The Grand Maester is much closer to the tower of the hand, and he would be able to brew such a thing just as well.”

Tywin inhaled, looking Qyburn directly in his eyes and sucking in one of his cheeks as he contemplated.

“As I said, my daughter trusts you.”

—————

The sun was shining through the windows when I woke, and though Tywin was not beside me, I was glad to find he was still in the room, writing letters at the table instead of sitting in his office.

“Good morning,” I greeted, smiling and rolling onto my side to face him a bit better. He looked up, smiling back at me and setting his quill down.

“Good morning, wife.”

Tywin stood from his seat, making his way over to me and leaning down to press his lips to mine. I reciprocated happily, my hand against his cheek. I always enjoyed the gentle prickle of his beard, and I continued to cup his face even after he had pulled away.

“How early did you wake up?” I asked, yawning and leaning into his touch as he tucked some hair behind my ear.

“Just over an hour ago. Would you like to bathe?” Tywin asked, making me raise my eyebrows and nod instantly. I wanted to bathe very badly, and I smiled upon catching a glimpse of the steaming tub in the corner of the room.

I got up rather eagerly, making my way over to it and cautiously stepping it. It was the perfect temperature, and I let out a content sigh as I lowered down and sat in it.

Tywin shrugged off his coat, and I began to laugh when he rolled up his sleeves and kneeled beside the tub. He motioned for me to lean back, and I did so, allowing him to help me wet my hair.

“Let’s see if you manage to do this better than Cerella,” I teased, feeling the hot water against my scalp and relaxing. Tywin gave a slight scoff, entirely wetting my hair now and letting his hands go through it to massage my scalp.

“I highly doubt that. I’ll attempt to be comparable,” he replied, reaching for the soap and coating his hands in it before coming back to my hair. In the meantime, I had begun to wash my body, and suddenly the shock of what had accidentally happened the night before returned to me.

“Tywin, last night-“

“I know, (Y/N). When we’re done with this, we can discuss the subject. For now, just relax, hm?” He urged me, giving a look of utmost sincerity. I nodded then, swallowing and allowing him to continue with my hair.

Somehow, his hands did manage to make me relax, and I was leaning into his touch completely as he continued to massage my head. I found that I had nearly fallen asleep until I was jolted from my trance by a knock at the door.

“Cerella?” I questioned, looking back at Tywin. He nodded, and I called out for her to enter. There was a creek of the door, and then a few moments later she came into view.

“My lord! I can handle that,” she exclaimed upon seeing Tywin knelt beside the tub, hands in my hair. She had brought fresh sheets with her, and instantly placed them down at the end of the bed before coming over.

Tywin waved her off, shaking his head as he continued to wash my hair.

“I’d like to bathe my wife myself today. Change out the sheets in the meantime,” Tywin said, though Cerella gave me a cautious glance as if asking whether or not I actually wanted Tywin to do my hair. I gave her a nod, letting her know that I was enjoying this.

“Of course, my lord.”

I watched her move across the room and begin to pull the sheets from the bed, though she looked over her shoulder to smile and raise an eyebrow at me. I began to laugh, knowing she was making insinuations that we’d obviously had quite the night.

Tywin of course understood why I was laughing, and out of the corner of my eyes I saw him roll his own and then smile in guilty amusement.

“Lean your head back, (Y/N),” Tywin whispered after a moment, to which I complied and closed my eyes. I felt the warm water against my scalp once again, and it stayed this way for a few minutes until all the soap was entirely out. When that was done, Tywin rose from beside me and grabbed a towel, bringing it back over and waiting for me to rise.

Carefully, I stood up in the tub and held Tywin’s arm as I stepped out. He wrapped me in the towel then, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead as he did.

“I’ll dry and braid your hair right now, m’lady,” Cerella said, tucking the last corner of the sheets into the bed and then fixing the pillows. Tywin was helping me into my undergarments currently, and proceeded to pick out a rather lovely red gown.

“Already dressing me in Lannister colors?” I teased as he helped me into it.

“I’ve been wanting to for months. Plus, we leave for Casterly Rock today. My siblings will be pleased to see it.”

I could feel his hands at the back, messing with the strings and pulling them so the dress fit snugly, though comfortably, against me. Tywin was correct, Kevan and Genna probably would appreciate the gesture, and I hoped it would make a good impression, for I’d only chatted with the two of them briefly.

“Are we leaving in the afternoon?” I questioned, turning to face Tywin now that he was finished with my dress. He nodded, and then motioned to Cerella, who was standing by the dresser waiting for me.

For the next half hour, Tywin and I continued to leisurely chat while my hair was done and while he answered more letters. The odd thing was, my husband seemed unusually tense, and even then it was not necessarily an angry sort of tense, it was almost… well, awkward.

“You’re all done, my lady,” Cerella said, placing her hands on my shoulders as I admired my hair in the mirror, turning my head to both sides to see all the angles.

“Thank you, Cerella, it looks lovely.”

“Of course. I’ll leave the two of you be now.”

Cerella left the room briskly, and once the door was shut I turned my chair toward Tywin and sighed.

“You’re in a mood, Tywin. What's wrong? Is it… well, about last night?” I questioned, hands in my lap. I couldn’t help but fidget with the fabric of my sleeves.

He placed his quill down, taking a deep breath before meeting my eyes. He rose from his chair then, going to sit on the sofa and beckoning me to join him. I did so, despite the nervous wobbling in my legs as I walked toward him.

Once I had sat beside him, he took my hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“I’m not- I’m not upset, (Y/N). I’m conflicted,” Tywin said softly, keeping his eyes focused on mine so I would know he was being entirely genuine.

“About?”

He opened his mouth and then paused before closing it again. There was silence in the room, and everything seemed so still.

“(Y/N), the topic of children was raised by your grandmother yesterday, and I’d like to apologize for not asking you sooner. During the course of our relationship, you have always noted—either outright or inadvertently—that you don’t wish to be a mother. I made the mistake of assuming that your sentiments have not changed, rather than asking you. We haven’t had a conversation about children, and given what’s happened I think we ought to,” Tywin said, motioning with his head just as he always did when he was coming to a point. I nodded in agreement, swallowing.

“I just- I don’t know. I’ve never seen myself as a mother, Tywin. I’ve never craved it the way that some women do. Cersei, for example, adores her children more than anything else on earth, and I’m told that usually mothers are supposed to feel that way. That the second your child comes into the world, you instantly love and cherish it, and suddenly nothing else matters. And maybe that’s right, maybe I would enjoy being a mother and I just don’t know it yet, but I- I can’t see myself that way,” I explained, looking down at my lap because it was difficult to admit. And in truth, I feared I was disappointing Tywin. He had always valued his legacy over nearly everything, and what gave me the right to prevent that?

“And I’m- I’m sorry, Tywin. I’m sure you were hoping I could be persuaded, or that perhaps because my sentiments of marriage have changed that my views on children would have too, but I can’t. I know it would be dramatic to claim that I would lose all sense of self as a mother, but often I feel that way. Even besides being viewed as weak or in no condition to be leading armies, I- I’ve always feared becoming another person. After my mother gave birth to Margaery, she- she was changed. She behaved in ways that she had not after birthing Loras. She became quite melancholy, and often woke in the middle of the night and accidentally harmed herself. It seemed- it seemed she was not entirely, well, my mother, and the maesters had not a clue what was wrong. It’s the reason Margaery is so close to both my grandmother and I, for we had to take over in some ways. And, over the years, I have heard of many women who become quite- well, who change after having children, and it does frighten me. I don’t- I don’t want to ruin the happiness I have with you right now,” I rambled, not letting Tywin speak because I needed to fully express myself before he said anything. He held my eyes the entire time, genuine understanding on his face.

“(Y/N), I never expected children from you,” he said after a moment, catching me completely off guard. I had begun to gape, and both eyebrows were raised in shock.

“If I had, we would’ve discussed it already. In fact, I- I don’t…” Tywin paused, and his voice had an odd tremble to it, almost as if he was going to cry.

“I don’t want children from you, (Y/N). As much as I- as I believe that you would do a wonderful job, and as much as I care for my legacy, your safety has and will always be more important to me. Childbirth includes far too many risks and… and after what happened with Joanna… to put it lightly, I don’t believe I would take another loss very well. I need you more than I need another son or daughter, (Y/N),” he said slowly, trying to maintain a calm and even tone especially as he spoke of Joanna. It was not easy, I knew. I processed what he’d said, and understood that we had come to a mutual agreement against children. A part of me felt relieved, and the part that didn’t felt guilty for being relieved, especially because Tywin’s reasoning was so saddening.

“If that’s the case, Tywin, then what… what are we going to do about what happened last night?” I asked softly, still feeling weighed down by that issue. An odd look passed across Tywin’s face, and then it was gone.

He rose from the couch, glancing at me before leaving the room. I sat silently, wondering what he was doing, for I knew he wouldn’t have dared to simply walk out. My best guess was that he was leaving to get something.

I sat for another minute or so before finally hearing the door open and watching Tywin enter the room with a cup in his hands. As he sat beside me once more, the scent of the liquid inside hit my nostrils, and a nervous suspicion rose inside me.

“Tywin?” I questioned warily, seeing the guilt on his face as he removed the lid. Yes, it was moon tea. Not exactly a minute long brew, and Tywin knew that just as well as I did.

“I asked Qyburn to make it for me early this morning,” he informed, knowing I was surely wondering how he had acquired it. For a moment my fear dissipated, at least knowing that Pycelle had not been asked for it. Then it returned as I processed that someone still knew.

“What?”

“Cersei trusts him, (Y/N). Do you think Cersei trusts just anyone? No. He will not tell of this, I assure you,” Tywin tried to calm me, but I had already risen from my seat, shaking my head with disbelief.

“Why would you go to Qyburn without consulting me, Tywin? Why would you risk exposing us to scandal this way? I know that everyone around us understands our marriage was a love match, but something has to convince them that it is also political, including my father. He approved of your demand to name me head of the Tyrell army with the impression that someday we would have children, and it would be one thing to claim I was infertile and couldn’t bear any, but to risk exposure by requesting moon tea from Qyburn?” I lectured, clenching my skirts and speaking frantically. My thoughts were racing, and I felt mortified at the prospect of people finding out that Tywin and I were purposefully avoiding children. It was simply something that a woman would not dare ask for in a marriage, and nobody would have the foresight to consider that perhaps Tywin did not want children either.

“As I said, I trust him not to spread rumors. He has helped House Lannister a great deal, and I’m not so stupid as to speak with Pycelle. I also understand that while you are a woman of many talents, moon tea must be brewed precisely, and you are no maester,” Tywin explained, standing and approaching me. He placed his hands on my shoulders, holding my attention as he reassured me. I let out a sigh, seemingly pacified until something else appeared in the back of my mind. My eyes shot up, and I gave Tywin a questioning glare.

“What would you have done if I had wanted children, Tywin? Why would you have asked Qyburn for moon tea before we even spoke upon the subject?” I asked, suddenly connecting the dots. My husband looked down at me with a firm stare, as if contemplating which path might be smoother: honesty or lies.

“I believe you already know why, my dear,” he replied evenly, his crystal blue eyes unwavering. There was no guilt on his face, which managed to anger me even more.

“You would have given it to me without my knowledge? Even if I had wanted children, even if my stance had changed entirely and they were the only thing on earth I wanted? Would you have slipped it in my wine anyways?” I snarled, fuming and feeling the angry heat spread throughout my body with each word I spoke. I was baffled and furious that he would dare to violate me in such a way.

“No. If children were the one thing that you truly desired more than anything, I would not have done it. If you felt passionately that you were meant to be a mother, I would not have done it. But if you had been merely willing or open to the idea of children, then yes, I would have. I don’t care if that upsets you, (Y/N), because I’ve told you time and time again that I will do whatever I can to protect you. I will exert every ounce of power I have over the gods to keep you safe, to keep you alive. I need you to understand that your anger does not bother me in the slightest, because I would rather see you furious with me than listen to you scream and watch you bleed out while attempting to birth a child. I can’t- I cannot do that again,” he said, his hand coming to the back of my head and forcing me to look up at him as he spoke. There was something so honest and desperate in his voice that it nearly frightened me. I began to realize that much like most of our arguments, it was once again boiling down to the same thing.

He could not lose me.

Or rather, he could not lose another wife.

Though I felt I ought to have remained angry, I knew it was not often that Tywin became this way with me. He only felt the need to go against me when it came to my safety, and though I would be angered and annoyed each time, it would not last. There was nothing made more clear to me in these last several months than that the impact of Joanna’s death was never going to fade away. Every belief Tywin had within our relationship and now our marriage, every principle. It was because of Joanna.

“Do you think we’ll ever stop having the same argument, Tywin?” I muttered softly, feeling my tense muscles relax just as his did. His hand moved from my head to my cheek, and he took a deep breath before shaking his head.

“No. No, we will always have this argument. It doesn’t matter if we see each other’s perspectives clearly, it doesn’t matter if we want to respect them. As much as I wish- as I wish I could ignore the fear I feel, I cannot. I need you to be safe, (Y/N), even if it leaves you upset. And I apologize for that,” he sighed, eyebrows slightly coming together with a sort of sad concern.

“I know, Tywin. I know. I just- well, we need more trust. I need you to understand that I’m aware of why you do things like this. I don’t hold it against you, and it makes perfect sense. I just- I merely wish you would be more direct when you have these feelings. I wish you would just say ‘(Y/N), I need you to be safe,’ or something along those lines. I only require honesty,” I explained, placing my hands on his chest and giving him a pleading look.

“The problem is, with most of the situations in which we have had this argument, it has happened after something has already taken place. Such as the tourney, or your run in with The Mountain,” he pointed out, to which I looked down somewhat shamefully.

“Yes, I know. But I am done with that now, I promise. I’m certain I’ve said that before but I mean it now. I’m- I’m your wife, Tywin, and I desire your trust more than you know. I’m going to earn it,” I said, bringing my own hand up to his cheek now. I could feel him leaning into my palm, and I brushed my thumb against his face.

“And I will be more open about my- feelings of anxiety,” he mumbled, as if admitting to it was something horrible. I merely smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, Tywin.”

As I sat back down on the sofa and drank the moon tea, I reflected that despite the fact that Tywin and I had had many arguments, they had never lasted particularly long. I was not afraid to be honest, and in turn he was usually quite articulate. I also reflected that the most important thing was to genuinely resolve our conflicts. And knowing that we had just resolved this one made me smile, even if the tea was slightly bitter.

—————

It had been nearly a week since our wedding, and after several days of travel, we had finally reached Casterly Rock.

With the Kingdoms at peace and the peasants of Kings Landing well fed, Tywin and I saw no reason why we shouldn’t step away for awhile after our wedding, especially because he had been meaning to take me back for quite some time now. Plus, Tyrion would take his place until we returned.

We had traveled back with Genna and Kevan, who were both absolutely delightful and just as cunning as Tywin. Kevan was much more polite than Tywin, which in some ways made him even more dangerous because there was a potential to underestimate him. Genna on the other hand opted for humor, and frequently teased Tywin much to his endearing annoyance. She had also immediately taken to me, just as I had taken to her, and I found that each conversation we had made me adore her even more.

It was quite fascinating to watch Tywin with his siblings, for he had such a different dynamic with them, and with Genna especially. He and Kevan had been working as a team for their entire lives, but with Genna it seemed that Tywin cared very deeply and was quite protective, even if he would never admit it.

I had already known of Tygett’s death and Gerion’s adventures from which he had not returned, but I had certainly not been aware of the fact that Tywin’s youngest brothers had not particularly been in his favor. Genna had informed me of it one day when Tywin and Kevan had opted to go out hunting. I had been invited, but knew it would be rude of me to leave Genna alone and chose to stay behind instead.

During that conversation, I had received a hearty confession of gratitude, for apparently I had knocked some sense into her eldest brother and reminded him how to smile. It made me happy to hear Genna talk about him that way, because I could hear both the plain adoration and the criticism in her voice, both of which I felt Tywin deserved.

Beyond that, the days of travel had been filled with pleasant chatter and stories, not to mention good food. However, I was glad to finally reach Casterly Rock, and to my surprise it was just as big as I had remembered it.

“What do you think?”

I turned to Tywin, gaping at the enormous mountain before me. It was even taller than the wall, and I was baffled by the fact that most of the castle was inside of the giant rock, for the part exposed to the outside was already large enough. In a way, Casterly Rock was perfectly fitting for Tywin. Formidable on the outside even without consideration of everything hidden underneath.

“It feels less frightening this time around. It feels as though I belong here this time,” I said, slowing my horse down to a walk just as he did. The wheelhouse was pleasant, but at some point I had wished to see the landscape more fully than its small windows afforded.

“You do belong here now, you are the Lady of Casterly Rock. Though we’re cursed by my position as hand and will probably not see very much of it,” he remarked, which somehow made me sad. Tywin was certainly the most effective hand Westeros had seen in centuries, and as a result he had been forced from the one place he felt truly comfortable.

It was odd to consider, because although Kings Landing had produced many fond memories over the last few years, it would never replace Highgarden. I imagined Tywin felt the same about Casterly Rock.

“Well, I intend to make the most of the time we spend here either way. Plus, I’ve been enjoying your family quite a lot. They’re wonderful,” I said with a smile, turning over my shoulder to glance at the wheelhouse trailing behind us. Tywin scoffed.

“You’ve been enjoying Kevan and Genna. The rest of them are not so pleasant.”

“Whatever you say, Tywin. It’s not as if I’ll be forced to spend much time with them in a castle as big as this,” I replied, also knowing that this next week or so was going to be spent entirely around Tywin’s side, which meant the closest of the family members would be Genna and Kevan.

“No, thankfully we won’t. It’ll just be at the feast tonight and then that’ll be all. Most of them are cousins once or twice removed, and only Lannisters in name and looks,” Tywin grumbled bitterly, jaw boldening just as it did whenever he was irritated. Part of me found it humorous just how much he cared, but I simultaneously knew it would be better not to point that out.

“I’ll cry tears of joy upon returning to King's Landing and seeing hair that isn’t golden,” I huffed, laughing to myself and shaking my head at how ridiculous Tywin was being. Who was I to care about a family that was not my own? If anything, Tywin’s contempt for them probably meant they didn’t have a sword up the ass and could actually tell a decent joke, something that he only took from me and a younger sister.

“Luckily for you, mine isn’t so golden anymore.”

I only grinned at him, joy consuming me. I had complete and utter confidence that this trip would be extremely enjoyable, not to mention, it would certainly be eventful.

—————

“And lastly, my chambers. Or rather ours now.”

Tywin had certainly taken me on quite the tour of The Rock, including his vast knowledge of history with nearly every room we entered, and after several hours we had finally gotten to the part I’d been most excited for.

Two large double doors were pulled open by the guards, and I stepped into the room with an open mouth. Every piece of furniture was carefully adorned with gold and extreme, gorgeous detail, and of course there was no lack of deep crimson to accompany it. But what was truly awe inspiring was the absolutely massive window at the end of the room, enveloping the entire wall and looking out over the sea. It put the view from the Tower of the Hand to utter shame.

“Oh Tywin… it’s gorgeous,” I whispered, unable to avert my gaze for at least a minute as I took it all in. There was a low, quiet chuckle from behind me, and I felt his arms wrap around my waist.

“It’s certainly better than the tower of the hand,” he mumbled, burying his head in the crook of my neck. I found it odd that he was being so clingy, but I brushed it off and simply let him.

“The bed looks quite comfortable,” I noted to him, observing the various blankets and pillows covering it. It was somehow even larger than his bed in King's Landing.

“It is. And we’ll be spending quite a lot of time in it tonight, rest assured,” he said, kissing the side of my throat as I inhaled.

“Ahuh, to get your mind off of your burdensome family, am I correct?” I teased, turning around and smiling up at the man. He nodded, cupping my cheek. He said nothing, and I found a sort of sadness in his eyes.

“Are you alright, Tywin?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows with concern. I wondered if he was thinking of his late wife.

“I’m fine, my dear.”

“Did you… did you share these chambers with her?” I allowed myself to question, surprised when he shook his head.

“No. This room was built just under three decades ago. I- I could not stand to stay in that room after what happened. There was a perpetual blood stain in the bed frame, and I refused to part with any of her belongings. Kevan knew I would go mad if nothing was done and had the room locked up permanently. These chambers were built in the months following that,” Tywin explained, looking over my shoulder at the windows so he wouldn’t have to meet my eyes. He was sucking in his cheeks the way he did whenever he felt the urge to cry.

I remained quiet, wrapping my arms around him and keeping him close. For a moment, he simply stood there and processed his emotions. Then I felt his hand on the back of my head, and the other around my back. Tywin leaned into me completely and allowed himself the comfort.

“Thank you,” he whispered, calming himself with my familiar scent and forcing himself to pull away from me. I nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his chest.

“Of course, my love.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and then looked around, nodding casually.

“Come, we ought to change for the feast. I’m afraid that your wardrobe is going to be entirely crimson this week, wife,” Tywin noted, moving away and going to the closet. Upon opening it, I saw that he was correct. A range of dresses were there, but all adorned with red and gold.

Tywin, on the other hand, was afforded his usual coats. I saw him reach for the black one with gold lions along the bottom and the lapels.

“Is there a particular dress you’d like to see me in tonight?” I asked, coming up beside him and carefully running my hands through the various garments to examine them all.

“This one.”

Tywin stopped my hand, reaching in for the dress I was currently on and pulling it out. It was positively gorgeous, with shoulders and sleeves that were precisely Lannister styled.

I smiled at my husband, taking the gown from his hands and going over to the mirror. I placed it down on the small table beside me, watching as Tywin approached and began to help me undo the back of my dress. We’d become quite used to doing this, it seemed.

“Thank you, Tywin,” I said softly, removing my current dress completely and reaching for the other one. He stopped me, however, and opted to help me with that too.

“If you decide to jest right now, I’ll let you do it yourself,” he said then, noticing the smirk on my face as I opened my mouth. I did not reply, but gave a hearty laugh and moved into the dress as he needed me to. I knew that if I did decide to speak, I’d be unable to resist teasing that he was better than Cerella.

Either way, he persisted in his task and made sure everything was in place. I had a feeling that we’d be making quite the entrance tonight and he wanted to take the opportunity to show me off a bit.

Once he’d finished helping me dress, I returned the favor and fixed his hair. Though he gave me a look, not enjoying the same minute attention that he was always giving me, I knew he at the very least appreciated it. My husband was not very nit-picky about his appearance, but he was well groomed.

“Everyone’s going to stare when we enter the hall,” I noted, observing how we both looked in the mirror and finding that we painted quite the picture. We looked every bit the lord and lady of Casterly Rock.

“It’s almost as if that was what I had intended,” he replied sarcastically, hand brushing against the side of my face. I rolled my eyes at him, grabbing his arm with the implication that he ought to escort me to the great hall now. We had passed by it during the ‘tour,’ but Tywin had insisted I would see enough of it at the feast.

“Come, husband. I desire a good meal.”

Tywin said no more, leaving the room with me on his arm. As we walked, servants and members of the extended family could not help but gape. It seemed that even beyond the fact that I was Tywin’s new wife, the sight of us was rather intense. After all, both Tywin and I had always held ourselves with the utmost confidence. It’s a skill one learns when they intend to acquire power and respect.

“That makes 23,” I whispered to him as another maid walked past us. Tywin raised his eyebrow with me, clearly not understanding what I meant by ‘23.’

“23?”

“The 23rd person who was gaped upon seeing us. By the time we make it to the great hall, there won’t be anybody left in the castle who hasn’t,” I joked, laughing to myself as he shook his head.

“All the Lannisters anywhere near Casterly Rock have been invited to this feast. When we walk through the large double doors, I promise you that far more than 23 people will be gaping,” he muttered back to me, turning into a much larger, grander hallway. When I spotted the great doors at the end of it, a sort of nervousness filled me. It was almost as if I had just processed that the man beside me was the only person I truly knew here.

When we reached the doors, two servants reached for the handles and began to pull them open. A crack of light appeared in front of me, and Tywin broadened his shoulders beside me. I did the same, holding my head high despite my fear.

A lion does not concern itself with the opinions of the sheep.

I did not bother to contemplate that I wasn’t actually a lion but a rose, and that I was quite literally walking into the lion’s den. It wouldn’t have mattered though, because the only lion that truly mattered was Tywin.

Both doors swung open completely, and it took everything in my power to not react to the great hall. It was absolutely huge, and certainly gorgeous. More than that, I couldn’t recall a time I’d ever seen so many blonde haired people in one room. There were at least a hundred Lannisters seated among the various tables, and when they realized who was entering, they all stood up.

After waiting a moment, Tywin continued into the hall and made his way directly down the middle, approaching the head table where Kevan, Genna, and their respective partners sat waiting for us. When we got there, I pulled my hand off of Tywin’s arm and watched as he pulled out my chair. The room was so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop, as everyone was so entranced by the scene before them.

Tywin Lannister pulling out another person’s chair?

I sat down, looking over at him as he pulled out his own chair and joined me. Once we were both seated, the hall was filled with the sound of chairs scraping, everyone eager to sit back down. I let out the breath I had been holding in, glad that people were no longer watching so carefully.

“My dear, I think half of the men in this room forgot they were married,” Genna said, leaning over towards me and smiling. I let out a good laugh, shaking my head at her.

“I beg to differ, but thank you for the flattery. I think they were more shocked to see Tywin letting someone grab his arm.”

We both laughed then, causing Tywin and Kevan to look over at us curiously. My husband took a deep breath.

“What is so amusing, wife?”

“Nothing that concerns you, husband.”

He merely shook his head at me, turning back toward his brother and chatting about something or other. They were prone to intellectual and political conversations, and I quite frankly was not interested at the moment.

“Would you give me a run down, Genna? I would assume you know all of these people much better than Tywin does,” I reasoned, glancing around at everyone surrounding us. They were slightly below us too. Genna nodded instantly, taking a sip of her wine and then motioning about the hall as she spoke.

“Most of these people are cousins, but obviously some are closer than others. The third cousins and such are at that table back there. There are also the Lannisters of Lannisport, though I am not quite so familiar with them. Think of it this way, the closer the table, the closer they are to Tywin. Everyone at these first two tables is a cousin, nephew, or niece. There are a few grandchildren too, of course,” Genna explained, pointing out a few different people to me afterwards. I tried as hard as I possibly could to ferment the information in my brain, even if it was a pointless endeavor.

As Genna was pointing out a few people at the table to our left, I couldn’t help noticing that Tywin was staring at something. Kevan was talking, of course, but my husband was sipping his wine and somewhere entirely different. I glanced over at where I assumed he was looking and caught sight of two older but quite handsome women. I furrowed my eyebrows and inquired about them to Genna.

“Genna, who are those two women? Seated right here to our left?”

“Oh, those two are cousins, daughters of Jason Lannister.”

“Are they..?”

“Joanna’s younger sisters? Yes. Tywin does his utmost to avoid them, it seems.”

I looked at them once more, observing that they looked quite similar, and reasoned that perhaps Joanna had too. Glancing at Tywin, I realized that he looked utterly numb. Many would argue that he always did, but I knew better.

I reached under the table, taking his free hand in mine and giving it a good squeeze. He seemed surprised by this, and when he turned his head to face me, I gave him a knowing look. In no way was his staring offensive to me, for I understood that seeing two faces which looked so similar to one that no longer existed must be hard.

“Are you alright?” I whispered, furrowing my eyebrows with a bit of concern. Tywin inhaled and nodded, leaning over and pressing his lips to my forehead. I was surprised that he had done it so publicly, but perhaps it was what he needed.

“Yes, my dear. All is well.”

I nodded at him, not letting go of his hand even when I turned back to Genna and continued to talk with her. I knew Tywin had quite the troubled past, but that would only encourage me to try and soothe him. For how could I claim to love this man if I did not accept him in his entirety?

Though there was no doubt in my mind our week at Casterly Rock would be wonderful, I knew it would not be without bitter memories, and I was entirely prepared to comfort my husband whenever I felt he needed it.

Tywin would never admit that seeing Joanna’s sisters made him solemn, but I would know. He would never admit that being at Casterly Rock in itself brought back countless memories of his late wife, but I would know. It was the most curious thing that I knew whenever Tywin was upset. But was it not my job as his wife? As the woman he loved?

Oftentimes, I found it was easier to know Tywin than myself. Flaws or grievances that you might shame yourself for become endearing when they are attached to someone you love, and I had certainly discovered that. For Tywin—despite his various flaws, questionable morals, and lack of emotional stability—was so important to me now that I could not imagine myself without him. And sitting at the high table of Casterly Rock, I felt more than just content. I felt completely overjoyed.

For now, among my various other titles, I was the Lady of Casterly Rock.

TAGLIST:

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@ladysindar @vesta-ro @exo-nova @paola-carter

@prettykinkysoul

@fullmoonshadowwrites @kishie8

@the-desilittle-bird @dianilaws @girlonfireice

@muscari-fae @lostgirllulu

@abigfanofgameofthrones @smalltownbigheart

@frombloodandflesh @supernaturalismyreligion666

@thanyatargaryen @rey26 @hexandale @pkawaiidesu5394 @aimsro

#tywin lannister #tywin lannister x reader #game of thrones #game of thrones x reader #house lannister #tywin x reader #charles dance #asoiaf #a lion in the garden

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jjungkookislife · 10 months ago

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A continuation for Envolver 👀 I remember when I first read this. It was when I was reading through your masterlist and I happened to see it when I was searcing something on your wall. I wondered why it wasn’t on your masterlist and just thought how I was lucky that I found and read it by chance. I really liked it but I think you said that you didn’t initially like it so you didn’t put in in the masterlist but I beg to differ. I thought it was an interesting story idea so thanks for making a 2nd part 🥰 It has so much potential. From the little snippets of the boys, I can already see their individual personality. They seem to be so much fun and hot 👀 that I want to read more. And I really liked Psy’s cameo. As the name suggests, do you have plans on making more parts in the future? Maybe that halloween night they were thinking to have? 🫣 I’m just asking btw, no pressure. Just got curious 😂 But anyways, I really liked this. Another poly w/ a unique story concept despite it being essentially smut-centered. Makes you want to see more of the adventure of this poly couple and when they finally make it official or when she finally moves in. But again, no pressure. I’m just thankful any time you spoil us with updates ☺️

I hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself 💜

I had no plans to continue it tbh lol but i think someone asked if i was going to post more and it kinda just came out? I'm still on the fence about if I like it or not but I think I have the masterlist somewhere now lol

It's definitely hard to write for all 8 of them together lol I broke it up in chapters to make it easier to write but now I'm wondering how I'll write 4 people together or if i should do 2 more and then one or have one member in both um events lol but if i do continue it, the next part will be Halloween themed i think unless i can finish off the western wear weekend like i originally planned (i might make a poll for this) it's just a lot of people all at once and i have done it before but it's hard to write smut lately

i tend to put it off until the last possible moment like as I'm editing or going to edit. but i do enjoy writing for them, i just started it as a smut and i feel like i have to finish it as a smut, which is why it's been on the back burner for ages bc I've been working on other stuff but hopefully i can come back to them and butterfly at some point :)

thank you so much, i'm sorry i rambled for so long! i hope you're doing well and i am glad to see you here <3

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harringtonswriting · 2 years ago

Text

the one with the green-eyed spider | s.h.

summary: steve knows you're an absolute catch, and unfortunately, so do others; unfortunately, when that happens this time he's in costume and can't quite sweep you off your feet to show the world that he's lucky enough to be yours (modern!au; spidey!steve universe) pairing: steve harrington x gn!reader warning(s): some jealousy, the use of the name joshua for a throwaway jerk (sorry to any nice joshuas out there) word count: 4k notes: this guy kind of got away from me and ended up being waaaaay longer than intended, but i hope you enjoy! thank you to the lovely anon for requesting this, i hope you enjoy it. i've got some more spidey!steve in the works, including another request, and thank you to everyone who filled out the poll so far! it's still open, so if you'd like to fill it out you're more than welcome. i'm so sorry for how long it took me to get this out; i recently lost a close family member and there's been a lot going on with that. i'll try to post when i can, but it make take some time. i appreciate your patience very much!

...

It seems like whenever you ask the universe for a nice, calm day, some signals must get crossed somewhere because that is never what you end up getting.

Like this morning. After you’d woken up and gotten started for the day, all you’d wanted was to go to your favourite nearby cafe with a book and your laptop and maybe get some reading or some work done. And that would be made better by your favourite drink and maybe a couple yummy pastries or snacks. You weren’t meeting up with Steve until later in the afternoon, so you had some time to kill and this seemed like a good way to do it.

So you pack up your things, bid your apartment goodbye for the time being, and head down to your favourite cafe. There’s a miraculously short line when you get there, and not only do you manage to get your favourite cold weather drink and something to eat, you also get very lucky and manage to snag a very nice corner seat that not only has a great view out the window, but an outlet in case you need to charge anything. That should have been your sign that things were going to go downhill. Which they absolutely do.

You manage to get a full twenty minutes of peaceful reading in before someone hunkers down at the table beside you. You’re feeling a little curious as to who’s choosing to sit there, so you look out of the corner of your eye to see a young man who looks about your age, dressed like he just walked out of an American Eagle ad and dropped down into the seat next to you. Pretty, yes, but he’s just another guy. He must catch you looking at him because you see a grin break out over his face, one full of teeth that are so small, so straight, and so shiny that you wonder what American Girl doll sacrificed her teeth for him before he’s leaning in closer to you.

“Hey, I’ve never seen you around here before,” he says; you’ve never seen him in this cafe before either, though with the amount of time you spend there you’re sure you’d have noticed if he was another regular. You look up from your book completely to smile politely at him and acknowledge what he said before you go back to what you’re reading. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to understand that you’re just being polite because before you know it, he’s leaning over even further to get your attention. “I’d definitely remember a stunning face like yours.”

Oh, he’s flirting with you. That’s what he’s doing over here, sitting next to you. He’s definitely coming on a little strong, and while you’re flattered, you have a boyfriend that you love very much. And you wouldn’t trade Steve and his spandex wearing, pun making, chronically late ways for anything (not that you’ll tell him that, though). So, you try to be nice. You place your bookmark on the page you’re currently reading and hold your book in your hands. Your thumb rubs over its spine.

“Oh, no, I’m–” You start speaking, but this guy waves his hand towards you to get you to be quiet. You drop the polite smile because is this guy really waving at you like you’re a child to get you to shut up? He is, and your grip on your book tightens. If this is his technique for hitting on people, no wonder he’s still single (or you hope he’s single, and that his relationship status doesn’t change any time soon).

“I’m Joshua,” he tells you. One of his hands comes to rest on your table, and you raise your eyebrows. “And I need to know your name so I can know what to whisper in your ear when I take you home tonight.” You almost want to laugh because you really didn’t think people still used lines like that outside of cheesy movies or romance novels. You really needed to remember to tell Robin and Nancy about this, they’d find it both infuriating and hilarious. When you open your mouth to respond, that’s when you hear the bells above the door jingle.

And that’s when your day goes from bad to worse.

You hear a very loud voice shout, “Everybody freeze! This is a robbery!” and when you look up, you can see a group of men wearing ski masks near the bar. Of course this group of wannabe thugs would pick today of all days to come into the cafe you’re sitting in to try and rob the register. You wonder if maybe it’s their first time trying something like this, or maybe Kingpin is hiring any group of idiots who can supply their own guns–it wouldn’t surprise you if he drummed up his protection and extortion rackets by using guys like this to cause problems so he can swoop in and solve them. God, you need to stop listening to Eddie when he goes on about mob politics and conspiracy podcasts late at night.

You can see the guns the thugs are carrying, and how they start to spread out to keep an eye on everyone inside the cafe while one of them gets the barista at the cash register to empty it for them. You completely ignore the guy beside you to try and reach into your bag for your phone without being seen–if Steve’s on patrol, he might be able to get here more quickly than the police.

Unfortunately, Joshua doesn’t seem to realize what you’re trying to do and decides to ask, much too loudly, what you’re doing. Which catches the attention of one of the masked thugs. He moves closer to the two of you, brandishing his gun in your direction. You bite your lip, hoping that the safety is on and immediately stopping your movements.

“Hands where we can see them!” he shouts, and you grudgingly withdraw your hands from your bag to place them on the table where they can be seen. The thug points at you, and then turns his attention back towards the bar where his cohorts are. Well, there goes that plan. You see the poor barista finish emptying the register, and the thug closest to her grabs the cliche duffel bag from her hands when she’s done.

That’s when you hear someone clear their throat from near the entrance to the cafe. You look over and feel a sense of relief flood through your chest at seeing a familiar red and blue figure leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You guys are here for double star day too, huh?” Steve asks the thugs, his voice as light and casual as his posture as if he was asking about the weather. His casual demeanour is hiding how he’s sizing up the threat in front of him; you know that he’s already got at least three different strategies planned out as to how he’s going to get this taken care of with as little damage as he can get away with.

“Shit, boss, it’s Spider-Man!” one of the thugs yells, and then all of them are turning their attention to Steve and where he’s standing. He gives them a small bow, gesturing with his arms as he does so.

“Now, that has got to be the weirdest looking reusable cup I’ve ever seen,” Steve says, gesturing towards the gun that the thug closest to him is holding. “You won’t mind if I borrow that, right? I was in such a rush that I forgot mine at home today!”

That’s when Steve starts having his fun. Almost before you can blink, he’s starting to use his webs to either snatch the guns right out of their hands and stick them to either the walls or the ceiling, or just completely web it up in their hands to stop them from using it. It’s always impressive, seeing how quick Steve’s reflexes are when he’s really trying, the way his body just moves and flows, able to shift and change and adapt to any opponent he fights. It’s really a sight to see, even against some low-level thugs like these guys; you can tell he’s toying with them, though, once the guns are out of the picture. He’s flipping in the air up over their heads, letting them run around and nearly crash into each other as he takes turns webbing each of them up to each other, to the walls, and even hanging some from the ceiling.

When he's finished, Steve grabs the duffel bag of cash that the thug leader dropped and walks it back over to the barista behind the cash register.

“I believe this belongs to you. Don’t spend it all in one place,” he tells her, and you hear her thank him profusely. You see one of Steve’s hands come up to scratch the back of his neck, his shoulders shrugging as he accepts her praise before turning back to face the rest of the people gathered in the cafe. “The police will be here soon, and if anyone is injured please let them know so the first responders can help you as soon as possible. It’s bean great!”

As everyone is cheering for Spider-Man (and some people, including yourself, cringe as you understand the pun he was trying to make), your eyes catch the whites of the eyes on Steve’s suit looking in your direction. His head tilts to the side, and you raise a hand as discreetly as you can to wave at him now that he knows you’re here. You’re going to hear about this later, you’re absolutely sure of it. Steve has made it very clear he’s not a fan of you being in any kind of danger, and you’ve made it clear that you can take care of yourself and have been doing so for longer than you’ve known him, but given that you’ve caught him glaring at sheets of paper that have accidentally given you paper cuts, and smacking the kettle in your apartment when you’d once burned your hand on it, you know he’s not going to give up on protecting you any time soon.

He starts walking through the crowd, talking to everyone and making sure they’re okay on his way over to you. But he’s stopped, though, when Joshua suddenly appears in front of you with a coffee cup in hand. Honestly, you’d kind of forgotten about him once you’d seen Steve, but apparently he hasn’t forgotten about you. He’s standing very close to you, almost uncomfortably so–he seems intent on getting between you and Steve, and one of his hands comes up to touch your shoulder.

“I totally knew everything would be okay. So glad that we can get back to over conversation now,” Joshua says. You furrow your eyebrows, shrugging his hand off your shoulder as you look behind him to see where Steve has gotten to.

He’s not that far away now; close enough to hear what’s going on, but not close enough to step in right now. He’s Spider-Man right now, after all, and you’re not publicly dating Spider-Man. He can’t step in, not without potentially revealing too much about himself because while you don’t like Joshua flirting with you, it’s not technically a crime. You see one of Steve’s feet start tapping on the linoleum floor, which is one of his tells–he’s not happy right now. After knowing him, and then dating him, for as long as you have, you’ve picked up on how he behaves in the suit, his body language and how he moves, because his very pretty, very expressive face is hidden behind wide white and black eyes on a webbed red mask. You can practically see the pout and the frown lines you know are present on his face right now; while that’s normally adorable, you also know Steve has his own insecurities and you don’t want to give him any reason to doubt himself or your relationship.

“I have a boyfriend.” Your voice is polite but firm, and you stand from your seat with your book in hand. You grab your bag and hook the strap over your shoulder (with what’s left of your snack carefully packed up inside).

“Really? Is he here with you?” Joshua asks, raising an eyebrow. He really does not know when to give up, and you shake your head. You’re not in the mood for this right now.

��He’s, uh… at work right now.” Which he is, less than twenty feet away, though this guy doesn’t need to know that work involves semi-legal vigilantism in red and blue spandex.

“Yeah? What does he do? I’m interning at Carver and Cunningham, which is the biggest financial firm in the city.” Oh, of course he’s a finance guy. That explains so much of the entitlement and attitude you’re seeing right now. You chew on the inside of your cheek, trying to think of the best way to describe what Steve does. Sure, you could tell this guy the way that Steve actually pays his bills, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, the idea that pops into your head is one you think your boyfriend will appreciate.

“Uh… web design. Freelance stuff. You’ve probably seen his work, it’s pretty amazing.” You can see Steve’s posture perk up over this guy’s shoulder, his chest puffing up just a bit while you grin. He is more than just pretty amazing, and you’re going to make sure you tell him that later.

“Well, I don’t see him here with you,” Joshua says, and his hand comes up towards your shoulder again. And that is when Steve decides to jump in.

“Hey folks, just coming over to make sure everything is all good before I swing out of here. Are you okay?” he asks, dialling up his overly cheery Spider-Man voice more than normal. You can see his fingers twitching towards his webshooters, and you have to bite your bottom lip to keep from smiling. Oh, he’s really not happy. But Joshua doesn’t seem to notice, turning from looking at you to fully face Spider-Man.

“Spider-Man! That was totally wicked, you are amazing, bro,” Joshua tells him, “Totally had it under control until you got here, though.” Behind him, you raise your eyebrows and your jaw drops just a bit because this guy had it under control? The one who successfully prevented you from contacting Steve earlier than he showed up? Yeah, that’s not true at all.

Steve’s foot starts tapping again as he nods. “I’m sure you did, bro.” One of Steve’s hands settles on his hip as he looks Joshua up and down. “You sure do have a lot of confidence for a guy wearing boat shoes in the city. I will definitely remember that the next time I need help with a mugging, or if something happens on a boat, Skipper.”

You have to cough to hide your laughter at that, and you can practically see the satisfied smirk that Steve will be wearing under his mask. Thankfully, though, Joshua doesn’t seem to pick up on what Steve is really saying. “Thanks man!” He actually seems enthusiastic about it. “You know, I’m kind of an up and coming big deal at Carver and Cunningham. I’d be more than happy to give you some tips, maybe help you set up your portfolio. Being Spider-Man’s financial advisor would look so sick on my resume!”

You kind of want to hear what Steve’s retort to that would be, but he’s saved from continuing the conversation when the distant sound of sirens starts echoing through the cafe. “Oops, that’s my cue! Gotta head out, but you guys stay safe!” Steve waves at the two of you before he shoots a web towards the ceiling with a thwip! He swings off, ghosting by Joshua closely, almost too closely, and then he’s gone and there’s coffee staining the front of Joshua’s outfit.

“Oh man, my shirt!” he exclaims. You take that opportunity to slip past Joshua and thread your way through the small crowd to leave the cafe before he can say anything else to you.

However, by the time you make it outside, Steve is nowhere to be seen no matter where you look. You check your phone and there are no new messages from him either past his usual good morning text letting you know he loves you and your morning breath is terrible with his signature big smiley face emojis. You sigh, hoping that if he’s off dealing with giant lizard men (that you’d need to see to believe, no matter what Steve says and Eddie sends you articles about) or more dumbass thugs somewhere else in the city that he stays safe, and you head for home to spend the rest of your day there.

…

Steve doesn’t get home until much later—it’s almost dinner time when you hear him swing in through the bedroom window, a muffled thump as he no doubt catches his foot on the window sill or maybe knocks into your dresser. You’ve stopped keeping anything breakable on top of it just in case, partially because you know it’ll make Steve more upset than you would be if he accidentally broke something. Which had happened before.

You’re finishing up dinner when you hear the door to your bedroom opening and Steve comes padding out and into the kitchen. You finish plating the pasta and pull the garlic bread out of the oven, putting it down and closing the oven door before you put a few pieces on each plate. You turn to look at him, a smile on your face. He’s wearing his glasses, which he does more out of habit than anything else these days, and a comfy looking pair of joggers and a sweater. He’s also got his backpack in one of his hands, which is a little unusual, but you don’t question it. You smile at him instead, opening your arms for a hug as he stops closer. He lets you wrap your arms around him, squeezing him, and he returns the embrace with his free arm and hand not holding his backpack.

“Welcome home, Steve,” you say, and he echoes the sentiment before the hug ends. You move to grab two glasses and start filling them with water before you move to put them down on the small table you have in the corner of your kitchen. “How was your day? Anything exciting happen?”

“Oh, y’know, the usual. Got some cats out of trees, stopped a jolly green elf from blowing up a bridge, and managed to get in my daily cup of coffee,” he tells you. “Sorry I couldn’t stick around, babe.”

When Steve is Spider-Man, when he’s wearing the suit, you know he’s extra careful about anyone being linked back to him; not just to protect himself and his identity, but to protect the people he loves. You’ve had enough late night talks and comforted him after enough fights and enough nightmares to know that he’s terrified of anything ever happening to you, or Robin, Eddie, Dustin, or anyone else he loves because of him. So you know that in the suit, there’s really nothing he can do in public when he sees you (though in private, you do enjoy showering your personal hero in as much love and affection as you can in and out of the suit), much to Steve’s frustration. Which was extremely apparent today, and brings a small smile to your face.

“I did get you something to make up for it, though,” he tells you, which is when he starts digging through his bag. It takes him a minute, but he finds what he’s looking for and holds it out for you. “Ta da!” It’s one of those square plastic containers you see at the grocery store, ones that have a single serving of cake inside them. You’ve bought them before as treats, or when you and Steve can’t agree on what kind of dessert you want so you each get something different. This cake, however, has obviously gone through a bit of turbulence in Steve’s backpack; he’d probably been swinging around with it, which unfortunately usually causes things to bounce around. A bunch of icing is smushed up against the side of the container, and Steve visibly deflates, with his shoulders lowering and forehead furrowing, when he notices.

“Aw, no,” he says quietly, holding the cake up to inspect through the non-squished side of the container. He squints, one eye closing, before he sighs and drops his bag on the floor. “Okay, well, it was a nice piece of cake when I bought it.”

“No, Steve, it’s still a nice piece of cake,” you try to reassure him, coming back over to stand in front of him and inspect the cake yourself. It looks a little banged up, sure, but it’s still in mostly one piece. It’s your favourite flavour, too, one that Steve isn’t a huge fan of himself. But he still went out of his way to get that for you, and it brings a wonderful warmth to your chest.

“Man, I bet Skipper would have bought you a whole bakery with no smushed cakes.” He’s still a bit sour, though, with a line appearing between his pinched brows. You wrap one arm around his waist, and use the other to cup his cheek. He leans into your touch before his warm, shining brown eyes meet yours.

“Stevie, he could use his trust fund to buy every bakery in the city and I’d still choose you and this wonderful smushed cake every single time.” And, for good measure, you add in that, “His jokes weren’t even funny.”

He presses a kiss to your forehead, mumbling something about boat shoes and comedic timing before he looks between you and the plastic container that’s still in his hand. “You sure you’re happy settling for smushed cake?” He’s not asking about the cake this time, though, and you know he needs a little more reassurance than normal right now so you nod and press your own kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Steve, baby, I will always love your cake the most. And it’ll taste exactly the same, I promise. I appreciate that you got it for me.” Because you do. You’ll always choose Steve, you know you will, and you want him to know it too. The smile that blooms across his face tells you as much, and he stands just a little bit taller beside you. “C’mon, I think we’ve got some leftover icing in the fridge from when Robin wanted cupcakes. We can put that on the cake when we finish dinner.”

“Or, hear me out, we could have dessert first?” He looks so happy that you can’t say no to him. You really can’t, and so you let go of him to cover your dinners while he cheers. You grab a knife and two forks, and then you grab the tub of icing from the fridge, and sit down at the table to start eating the cake.

You were right; it does still taste good, even though it’s been through a lot on its journey home, and you scoop up a bit on your fork before you hold it out towards Steve’s mouth. His cheeks flush a bright pink and the corners of his eyes crinkle with crow’s feet as he opens his mouth and allows you to feed him. He then does the same for you, moving his fork around before you open your mouth and allow him to put the small piece of cake in there. “One day we’ll do this at our wedding. But the cake won’t be smushed then, I promise,” he says, and god, do you believe him. It’d be just your luck that the cake would be smushed, even at your wedding, but as long as Steve is still sitting across from you and making airplane noises as he feeds you, you know it’ll be just as perfect then as it is now.

#steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things imagine #stranger things x reader #stranger things reader insert #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington #stranger things #spidey!steve

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mha-grievances · 2 years ago

Note

Honestly, after seeing the post on your other blog about characters appearing and disappearing after one set of chapters, it got to thinking that the best place for us to see so many of them again?

The Izuku Solo arc.

I honestly feel that we could have seen so many returning faces that help showcase just how much the actions of the first war has affected civilization and how different people are trying to adapt to it, instead of just disappearing in a puff of smoke.

A perfect example? The others schools like Shikestsu and where Ms.Joke teaches. Instead of U.A all of a sudden being this enormous fortress all by Nezu’s design, the various hero schools pool their resources together and help make it that way together. And one of the individuals helping Nezu make it happen? Saiko Intelli and her harem all female crew. And she also helps Nezu plan for likely attack spots and ways to assist with keeping civilians safe.

We also could see numerous combinations between various students saving lives and fighting crime. Sero, Ibara and Mora from Shiketsu (Guy that was covered in hair) entrapping multiple opponents. Camie and Monoma making illusions of themselves and those ninja students that went against Todoroki to completely confuse and intimidate villains into thinking there was a whole army of heroes. Heck, Todoroki and Yoarashi being a two man armada, as well as see how far their relationship has come.

And we don’t need to focus just on the heroes. We could also see just how Izuku himself has made a difference in people’s lives, hero, civilian or villain.

We could see Izuku running into Gentle Criminal and La Brava leading a resistance group against hordes of criminals and being successful and growing in size, simply trying to hold out till civilization is restored. And Gentle makes blogs trying to be inspirational and hopeful during these dark times. We could see students from Izuku’s middle school see him or hear about him and see how he’s become inspirational to them, and how they actually want him to succeed.

We could also see Rappa return and join in Izuku kicking ass. He doesn’t do it because he’s a good guy though. He’s just strolling through a lawless Japan just simply looking for the next best fight, and plenty of criminals are stupid enough to take his challenge. Rappa admits hearing about “Deku” and how criminals are crawling to take a shot at him, and taking out these thugs helps make sure Rappa gets that chance. But he also wants to make sure to pay a visit to Red Riot beforehand. I also think we could see Shia Hissikai trying to gain a foothold of some kind in the shadows, waiting for a victor of some kind before making their big move.

And what did we get for reoccurring characters?

The old man with the antennas in the very first episode, though that was a nice callback. And the two faced earthquake guy and his shallow girlfriend that were only their because of polls. Bah. Lame.

Sorry for the rant, but it really just got me to thinking that Hori has made a huge list of characters that he could’ve really utilized instead of just creating more one note characters and I feel that place in particular was the best to see ultimately how far the story has come and how Izuku actually made a difference, despite feeling he hasn’t done much or enough.

Do you have any idea about how Hori could have done something like this? I’m curious. And again sorry if this post is too long.

Nah, don’t worry. This was a great post that I completely agree with. I feel that the Izuku Solo Arc should’ve been much longer and split into 3. You have the actual Izuku solo adventure, you have the rest of the MHA cast preparing for war, and then you have 1-A and Izuku’s confrontation. Obviously I get that not every character is going to get development. Some simply exist as challenges (Saiko, Nighteye, etc.) while others are there to fill space/for world building purposes. But then you have characters like Lady Nagant, Gentle, and the like who are clearly meant to embody bigger themes yet get shoved to the sideline once their main plot ends. Gentle and La Brava could participate in this upcoming war, showcasing their reformed characters. Gentle’s a cunning man and La Brava’s a tech whiz. I’m pretty sure the heroes are desperate enough to offer them reduced jail time if they helped out. Lady Nagant and Hawks could’ve teamed up to fight AFO, showing that she was swayed by Izuku’s words, while Hawks showcases his willingness to break free from the HPSC by doing something they would’ve clearly been against (letting Nagant participate). Like you said, even Rappa could’ve made an appearance and helped Ejiro in this war with the mindset that “no one’s allowed to kill him except me” (though correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s in jail, unlike Nagant who was hospitalized before she’ll be thrown back in jail). Instead, Izuku kinda just punches Muscular, defeats Nagant, unlocks the other quirks cause Hori’s rushing to end the story, and then is found by 1-A in like the span of three days. If there was a time for world-building, this could’ve been the perfect time.

#bnha critical #mha critical

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fairytsuk1 · 5 years ago

Text

my heart weeps for you. (a)

pairing: izuku midoriya x reader

genre: angst

warning: graphic descriptions of injuries, character death

words: 3.1k

summary: please find me in my next life so I can properly tell you that I love you!

a/n: this is a long emotional one, please enjoy it :)

Midoriya used to think that he'd only ever felt genuine sorrow in his life the day his mentor, father, and a love of his passed away.

"I'm so proud of you, Young Midoriya...I suppose you aren't so young anymore, are you?" his hand rested atop his poofy hair, Toshinori could almost see him when he was much younger. When his embraces still had the familiar teenage gentleness behind them, he'd grown up so much, "I am proud of you. To know that you are my successor is the greatest gift you could have ever given me."

Midoriya had watched Toshinori take his final breaths after he proudly exhaled those three long-lasting words. He didn't cry then. Only when he was lost in the coldness of his bedsheets did his heart weep from anguish as though he had lost a part of himself. He hated the sky and the way it shone so brightly because he would never get to see All Might look up at it once more before smiling.

The world looked at the number one hero as a symbol of peace and that he was! He saved the day as Deku with a small pin of his former mentor near his breast, a constant reminder that he was always with him. Grief lasted what felt like forever, but every day things grew just a bit easier. Only, his biggest regret was that Toshinori Yagi had never gotten to meet you. He would have loved you. It seemed that people who had changed Izuku's life could never coexist. It was if life was trying to tell him something.

In the end, it's just you.

The next time he felt genuine sorrow was on a day bright like the one before. Though the pain wasn't because of how alone he felt or how much he missed those who had passed...No, he felt the wave of sorrow overtake him the moment you'd died in his arms. Unlike last time, he wept. His heart cried out for you even when he chose not to think about it. It wept his entire life, for he was never able to find the same type of love ever again.

"Deku! It's me, Signal, I'm sorry I'm late! The train was packed! This lady asked for help retrieving her cat, and I just couldn't say no in my hero get-up! But I am truly honored to be your sidekick. I will do my best for our newfound team!"

You were young and bright and so colorful. Your hero outfit was a pure white and gave you this sense of innocence, but the red rings gave you a bold and courageous aura. You looked more like an angel rather than a hero. He didn't prefer the traditional cliches when it came to romance, but he couldn't help but feel shocked when suddenly things seemed brighter around him. You made things seem brighter.

"Huh?! It's no trouble at all! Really, don't worry about it! That was great for you to do, you're gonna have everyone's vote in the popularity poll if you keep it up. Ready for patrol?"

You reached into your bag and grabbed a clunky helmet with a black shaded screen, it covered your face. Midoriya felt a frown tug his lips before scolding himself. Why are you frowning at her costume? You haven't known her well enough to be upset by how she looks! Later, he would grin in happy remembrance when he had gone to visit your grave. He hadn't frowned because he thought you were ugly, he'd frowned because he thought you were beautiful.

You talked a lot, mostly about the latest things in pop-culture and anything to do with animals. You seemed to be really into music and saving stray dogs. You also tended to ramble about the mundane things in life like blue-spotted pigeons or plump old ladies offering homemade churros. You also ate with your helmet on, and it made you look pretty silly. He couldn't stop himself from grinning every time you turned your whole body to talk to him. You never knew what he was smiling at.

"Okay, watch this!" he watched you intently while sitting on the park bench, he didn't want to ask what exactly he was supposed to be seeing and had no idea if there was supposed to be anything at all.

"Um-haha! I don't see anything--"

Neon pink. A blushing emoticon with small letters appearing under it.

"Signal loves Deku!"

It was like he could hear Mina's words saying that when he blushed, he looked like a firetruck. He was sure he looked like a million firetrucks right then.

"It's true! I'm a big fan and I've always dreamed of being near you! It's like a confession towards your senpai! Have you ever seen those types of anime? It's usually done better in the manga, but I like the romantic connotations either way. Pretty cool, right? During a stressful mission, I thought it might be better to display messages so people would know it's okay while I'm still kicking ass! Also-"

He laughed so sweetly that it felt like drinking honey and milk. He'd never heard of displaying messages like that, it was different! But it was a good type of different, a uniqueness that made you stand out. It was weird how he had only briefly met you once under the cherry blossom trees when it felt like he'd known you forever. He had only first seen you in your third-year school sports festival at his Alma Mater, but it felt like he'd been with you before. Your energy felt so familiar, and you felt so warm. He chalked it up to your infectious bubbly personality, but he had no idea how deep your energy truly ran.

His sidekick Signal gave him a rush he had never felt before. You were sweet, but your quirk was terrific and incredibly powerful, you could sense civilians and give out concentrated waves of vibrations to either alert heroes or ward off villains. The two of you worked like a well-oiled machine because when he punched? You rescued. When you signaled? He arrived. When you both started? You both finished.

"Hey, Deku? Did you know that I love spicy pork ramen?"

"Is this your way of telling me we should get ramen?"

"...No."

"Let's go then! I'll pay since I am the older one, of course," he grinned back at you, "let's get going short-stuff!"

"I'm average!! We've been over this before you bozo!"

It wasn't a date, it was just dinner after work. No biggie. Midoriya didn't need to fix his hair when he walked past the department stores' glass, and he didn't need to nervously look away from your eyes when you spoke with such intensity.

"Am I too young for you?"

His beer sputtered out from his lips like a faucet; quickly, he began to mumble apologies as the brown liquid was wiped away from the table and his chin, "young?! What do you mean too young?!"

"It's just as I said! I'm only nineteen and you' re-gosh-like twenty-five? No, twenty-six! Am I too young for you?"

"Hey!! I'm only twenty-three! I'm not some old geezer or a pervert or something!! ... You're just fine but...dating looks problematic, so we should just avoid it. Especially for your future career because of power dynamics and stuff."

"Dating? I was talking about being a sidekick."

"W-What?!"

You tossed your head back and barked out a laugh as you blatantly made fun of him, "I'm just messing with you! I meant what I said. If it's so problematic, then please wait for me!"

It had only been six months since he'd met you under a bright blue sky with one wispy cloud floating in it. It had been only a year since he first saw you on his tablet with the most radiant smile on your face even though you'd lost to your opponent.

It had only been six months since he had properly gotten to know you, and it was at this moment he could confidently tell himself that he loved you. Even with that clunky helmet.

"Okay, I'll wait for you. But you better not make me wait too long! Who knows what'll happen?"

He wished he wouldn't have jinxed it.

Red was a fantastic color on you and you knew it. It was merely coincidental that it matched his tie and the two of you looked like a couple. The whispers and comments weren't malicious, they were just curious. Who was Deku toting on his arm? Why did they look so compatible? At first, your curious eyes wandered all over the Pro-Hero Praise Party. (It has an official name, but after hearing your joyful excitement of being able to attend a "Praise Party," it just stuck.). You took it all in before glancing back at him with an open mouth of awe.

"So, are the snacks any good?"

Of course you were amazed. After shrugging in response to your question, Midoriya watched you quickly run off to chat with some of the girls, Uravity and Froppy. You were weird if he was going to be honest, you had this childlike excitement that followed you wherever you went but at the same time...you had a presence. It was commanding, demanding, and it called everyone to pay attention to you. You shone so brightly that it stuck to people's hearts like superglue; walking away almost made his vision go blurry because oh my god, please don't let that force be taken away from me.

You always came running back though. When things began to get a bit more intense with flirtatious comments or lots of alcohol, you were always there to seek comfort. With your exuberant nature came his calming one. You two fit together like two peas in a pod.

"Izuku? I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I...I had a good time! Thank you for bringing me as your plus one to the party!"

He raised a brow in confusion as the two of you stood outside your apartment complex.

"Oh! I had a good time too! We should go to more, it's fun with you," was that coming on a bit too strong? Is that creepy ?! "I--"

Soft lips on his cheek, you had to go up a step because he was just that much taller than you. The gloss made it a bit sticky but you pulled away with a heart-shaped smile.

"Pervert! You're blushing!"

"You're the weird one! Didn't your parents ever teach you not to fool around with older people??"

"Psh, don't pull the 'I'm your senior' schtick!! I heard enough about it from Mr. Ground Zero!..."

He smiled and stepped down, letting a hand squeeze your shoulder. He didn't want to make you uncomfortable with too much affection.

"Well...Big day tomorrow, I'm going to jump right into bed!"

"Got it! Me too! See you later, and thank you. F-For the kiss."

You grinned, your teeth nearly blinding him as you squeezed his hand before turning to go into the complex.

"Also, that hand move was a little weird. Just hug me next time! There!" You stuck your tongue out and hummed, "romantic advice from someone younger than you! Suck it!"

That night, he lay in bed, wishing you were there with him. You two could lie together or watch movies or do anything, really. He just wanted to be close to you. He liked being close to you.

You lie curled up on your side, eyes wide as the heat from your previous action coursed through your veins. Hands lightly rubbed the frilly fabric of the pillow before you squeezed your eyelids shut. Oh, how much you wished the warmth was his and not the space heater near your bed.

SEND DISPATCH OUT! DEKU AND SIGNAL ARE UNRESPONSIVE! NO WORD FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING, WE NEED SOMEONE TO LIFT THE PILLARS!

Dust and crumbled roof fell onto Midoriya's face as he coughed and took in a deep inhale, the fall must've been bad considering the next cough brought up blood. Broken ribs? For sure, he'd broken enough bones to know that the affected area had been his ribs. He was just lucky enough that his hero costume provided enough support to keep him from having anything too serious. Well, he supposed broken bones were still pretty serious...his mind's wandering. Focus on the task at hand.

"Signal? Are you there?" Silence. He wheezed and moved away from the dust waterfall. It was a small area and...he could see the white of your costume easily! Hey! "Y/N! Oh, why didn't you say anything…"

The words died in his throat. Red had pooled around you and a pillar lie where your midsection would be. Your helmet had cracked, and the screen was glitching between various emoticon faces. You lie still and stiff with your hair in your face.

"Izuku?..."

"Don't speak! Don't do anything! I'm gonna get this pillar off of you, and then I'm going to get you some help. Can you say okay?"

"Kay...It doesn't hurt too bad…"

He didn't respond as he leaped over the pillar to see the damage that had been done and how easily he could lift the object. He felt like vomiting when his feet landed on the bone in your ankle. It should've hurt badly with his steel-toed shoes and all, but you made no noise. He glanced back in concern before crouching down and examining your leg.

"You're taking so long, I'm tired…"

"...Can you...can you move your leg?"

"What do you mean? They were crushed, can't feel 'em at all."

If he pulled on your leg, the muscle and tendons would be exposed like red string and yarn. The blood would pool out of your thigh and further stain the concrete. The pillar that came crashing down had caught you on the way down, severing your spine when it hit the ground. If he lifted this pillar, your guts would spill out, and you would bleed out, and you'd be dead and holy fuck there's so much blood--

You sniffled, you had figured it out too.

"I can't feel them, Izuku, please, where are my legs?!"

"They're...Well…"

"It's fucking, oh my god, they're not there. Izuku, am I going to die!? I can get surgery, right? I'll be fine!" You breathed heavily and began to squirm around, "I can still be a hero! I-I'm still a sidekick! It's fine, right?!"

"Please stop moving…" The chip in his ear buzzed loudly though all he could feel and hear was static. He felt paralyzed, what could he do? His favorite girl lies in two pieces because a building happened to collapse, "I'm coming back over there."

You'd begun to cry in earnest, fat tears rolled down your cheeks as your arms beat down on the pillar.

"Stop! I'm fine! Deku! Just pull this fucking thing off of me! I'm fine !" You screamed out in fear, "Please!"

He knelt down and cradled your head with his arms, he smelled like sweat and the rainforest. He felt his eyes well, he was hardly able to blink the tears back. Your voice wavered as you asked the dreaded question. It was much softer this time.

"Will I die?"

How do you tell someone they will die no matter what happens? The silence hung poignant in the air as the distant sound of sirens blared as background noise.

"I'm so sorry! It's my fault! I should've grabbed you when I had the chance!"

"Shut up. Don't think like that. Don't say something like that!! How could it be your fault when a villain attacked this building? It wasn't you, was it?"

Your arm reached up to his face and cupped his cheek, your eyes memorizing every green swirl and every eyelash. There was no time to ponder on what to say, the sirens grew closer. You didn't have time to think about how scary death was or what would come when it was all over. The pillar was going to be lifted soon, and then you'd be gone.

"I'm sorry, Izuku. To leave you this way... I'm so sorry," the words felt like arrows in his heart. So final and spoken so softly. Like you'd already made up your mind, how could you make up your mind in a time like this?!

"You're not gonna leave; if I activate my quirk, I can race you to the medics in thirty seconds, maybe twenty. That's our plan, okay? And then I can--"

"I love you."

"Stop it! Stop saying things like you're ready to go! You aren't! I'm not! Just stop!"

"I love you."

"Please, I'm not ready...Please keep living with me, I just want to be with you!" He clenched his fist as tears freely fell onto your cheeks, mixing with your own, "This won't be your last time saying this, I promise! Just let me…"

You smiled, no teeth this time. Just your lips curving upwards.

"Don't leave me…"

"I love you!" It was merely a whisper this time.

The rock near them was blown away, surely by someone's quirk. But all he could see was your smile and your kind but sorrowful eyes.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I love you, Izuku."

The lump in his throat ached as he smiled and took your hand off his cheek, interlacing the fingers together. The other free hand came to push the hair out of your face. Would he say it?

He stared down at the red and white headstone, custom made. It even had your aura with the bright flowers adorning the soft patch of grass in front of it. He knelt down, leaving red and white roses. He supposed red should be an awful color, having seen you drenched in it in your final moments. But whenever he thought of red, he just remembered those rings that made you look so bright. That dress that made you look so beautiful. The lips that often smiled at him. The love you two had shared.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say it then. But I hope you knew that I loved you too."

It was another day of bright blue skies with fluffy clouds and warm wind. He guessed that All Might would have been enjoying a nice cup of tea while he reminisced. As for you, he assumed you'd be out there saving cats and dogs while accepting churros from strangers.

It was one of the many bright blue-skied days, but one of the first without you.

#midoriya izuku #izuku x you #izuku x reader #bnha midoriya #midoriya angst #midoriya x you #bnha #bnha angst #bnha x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #izuku midoriya angst #boku no hero academia #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia imagines #my hero academia #boku no hero imagines

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greyfongschemmenti · 4 years ago

Text

In These Arms | Chapter 2: Resolution

Artwork by: @tinaducain

Standing on the dock you look up the long incline and sigh then make your way up the Island. After a while you decided to bend a raised square platform from beneath you and use it as a lift. You get to the Temple much faster and bend the platform back to place. The first person you see is Bumi sitting on a bench in the gardens. “Hey there Bumi” you walk over to him and wave. “y/n, hey!” he pulls up his half knitted sweater “How’s it looking?” he smiles brightly. You look down at the knitted sweater and give him your best smile “It’s cute. I’m sure Bum-Ju will love it!”. You smile as you keep walking until you feel a little rumbling of feet approaching and you ground yourself wincing. Meelo and Ikki run and tackle your legs “y/n! Are you staying here? Wanna play with us? How’s Republic City?” Ikki jumps tugging on your hand while Meelo airbends himself up and piggybacks on your shoulders. “Woah guys, slow down” you laugh as you calm Ikki “Hi Ikki… Meelo. No,but sure we can play, The city is doing okay.” Ikki and Meelo grab your hands and lead you down to the gardens. For about a couple hours you spend talking and sending Ikki and Meelo in the air by launching them with columns of earth. Korra and Bolin join in after a while and Bolin thought it would be a good idea to build a small maze for the kids to run through so the three of you built a rock maze for Ikki and Meelo. “Alright you kids ready? Whoever wins gets Korra’s dessert!” you smile at Ikki and Meelo “Hey!” you hear Korra yell out “I didn’t agree to that!” you shoot her a look and she frowns folding her arms “Fine”. You look over at Bolin and shoot him a thumbs up as he starts the countdown and the kids run off. You walk over to Korra and stand beside her “You know you’re allowed to get more dessert” you laugh.

Tenzin walks up to the scene and looks curious about the game “Well at least they’re not causing a mess around the island” he comments. “y/n, nice to see you. I was wondering if you could accompany me for a walk” you look over at Korra and Bolin before looking at Tenzin “Sure, Tenzin” you wave at the group and follow Tenzin. “I hear you’ve been promoted to Captain. Congratulations” he smiles and you blush slightly “Thanks, but it’s just a title. I’m still y/n. Though it’s nice to be recognized for the work I’ve put into the force.” You smile sheepishly. A moment of silence eases between the two of you as you reach the wooden pavilion, the both of you look out and enjoy the scenery, “I never got the chance to thank you for accompanying my siblings and I in rescuing Jinora”. You shake your head slightly and put your hands up “You don’t have to thank me. Jinora was in trouble. I would have done it no questions asked.” You give him a gentle smile causing Tenzin to sigh and nod giving in “Still it is nice to give thanks for someone’s actions.” You nod understanding “I understand, I…no problem. Anytime you need help. I’m here”.

Tenzin glances at your direction before slowly walking into the pavillon “I also wanted to talk to you about what happened in the spirit world…” he spoke tentatively with a gentle expression on his face. “Sure, what about it?”

“How much do you remember from The Fog? It’s perfectly fine if you’re uncomfortable talking about it…” he looks out at the scenery not wanting to cause any discomfort to you. Your gaze goes to the ground as your eyebrows furrow “Um…just remember seeing my dad…making comments about the past…” you tried to not say as much details. “If this is something you don’t want to talk about I understand, forgive me for intruding” he turns to face you. “Did something happen in The Fog with me?” you ask softly as you turn away from Tenzin as he gives you a nod. “You referred to me as your father and mentioned that it wasn’t worth it…” a sharp inhale fills your lungs as you look up to the scenery in front of the both of you as you grip the railing closing your eyes. “Before The Fog I had this preconceived notion that I was the cause of my parent’s death. Everything went downhill when I got into an altercation with some schoolboys that left me scarred on my left bicep and shoulder blade.” You cuff up your sleeve to show Tenzin the burn mark on your bicep before putting the cuff down then sigh as Tenzin keeps quiet, listening to your story. “My dad passed then my mom followed shortly after, my two sisters and I were split up between our guardians. I was set to stay and live in Ba Sing Se, but…”

“You didn’t want to live in a place that was a constant reminder of what you’ve lost…” Tenzin finished your sentence causing you to glance his way before nodding slowly and looking down,

“Yeah, I left and traveled the world. I guess trying to fill whatever I was missing. It wasn’t until after The Fog I spoke to my sister who told me the truth about what happened with my parents. They were just trying to move us into the middle ring to some place safer, but he got infected by an untreated cut and passed away. My mom couldn’t handle the grief and passed from a broken heart. I’ve been trying to come to terms with it and find some closure.”

A silence settles between the two of you before Tenzin speaks up “I’m sorry for the life you’ve been dealt. Not many people can endure and rise above like you have done. I am glad that you have found resolution from your past. Mediation could help you further in finding enlightenment and clarity. If you wish to have some guidance Kya can also be of assistance, she’s a meditation instructor.” Tenzin puts a hand on your shoulder and your eyes well up, tears forming “That sounds nice, thank you, Tenzin”.

“Of course, You’re always welcomed to visit the island, y/n”. You felt that the good thing about Korra coming to the Republic is since her entrance. Everyone has formed somewhat of a dysfunctional family with our airbending family, the 'Gaang' kids, Team Avatar, Lin still needs some convincing . . . and now you.

“I appreciate it, Tenzin. I should go actually, I need to get ready for work.” You smile as you wave Tenzin goodbye and head down to the dock to return to the city.

Word got around that president Raiko wanted to hold a press conference regarding the rising tensions on the spirit vines covering the city. A large portion of the city has been taken over by vines, apartment buildings, shops, and even City Hall. You’ve taken your post to stand behind Raiko’s side next to a column as he tries his best to answer the reporter’s questions. A male reporter raises his hand and begins, “Mr. President, are you concerned that your approval ratings are now nearly as low as the Avatar's? Have you seen today's headline? It says, "Raik-Oh-No. Polls pan, Prez plans!"

A grimace appears on the president as he listens to the reporter, getting irritated before composing himself, “I'm not concerned with snappy put-downs in the press. I'm facing this calamity just like every other citizen. There's a tree growing right through my office. You think I'm not doing everything I can to get rid of it?”

It just so happened to be the moment that Korra flies down on her glider and walks over towards the podium. The reporters start their wave of questions towards Korra and the president,

“A few questions, please!”

“Avatar Korra! Do you regret the way you handled the Unalaq crisis?”

“Why are you forcing the integration of spirits in Republic City? “

Korra tries to ease the reporters and places a hand on her chest, “Listen, I've been trying everything I can think of to get rid of these vines, but-“

“Why can't you fix this?”

“Are the vines here to stay?”

“Is this part of your New World Order?”

Korra tries her best to keep up but gets annoyed and speaks up “Look! Harmonic Convergence was just a couple weeks ago. I just need a little more time to get everything back to normal.” Raiko speaks up suddenly relieved the fault isn’t targeted towards him “The Avatar has put us all in a very difficult position, but my administration- “

Korra confused by Raiko’s sudden finger pointing and irritably interrupts -

“Oh! I'm sorry. Did I put you in a difficult position by fighting the giant force of Pure Evil that was going to destroy the whole World?” she grabs Raiko by the chin “Maybe your administration” she moves his chin up and down slightly “Could've handled that!” Raiko and Korra glare angrily at each other. You wince watching the scene putting your hand down as you cover your face embarrassed for the both of them. Not in front of the reporters, they’re going to have a field day with this you think to yourself. You step up as Lin separates Korra and Raiko apart. You put your hand on Korra’s back and bring her aside as Lin speaks to the reporters “That's all! No more questions!” The President storms back into City Hall and Lin gives Korra a look, “That…. could have gone better but it could’ve gone worse….” You try to put Korra at ease and you’re glad to see Asami walking up the steps. “I should get back” you wave at Asami and head back to the other officers working the remainder of the night at the station while Lin stayed with Raiko on security detail with the spirit vines.

You check the clock on your desk with a groan, rubbing your eyes as you stand up and grab your jacket to head out. Closing the door, you walk out the office and head down the hallway. There’s a shuffle behind a desk and you stop dead on your tracks as you peer over and see Mako. You purse your lips as you slowly walk around the desk and give Mako a slight nudge with your foot “Mako?” you speak softly causing Mako to jump in his sleeping bag. “Oh y/n it’s you” he breathes out as he calms down. “Again? This is the third night now. What the flame-o are you doing here?” you ask as you take a seat on the chair at the desk nearby, “I’ve been sleeping at the station…” he smooths out his sleeping bag, “Yeah I get that but why? Tenzin offered you and Bolin a place at the island…” your comment causes Mako to shrug “It’s weird...besides I’ll be closer to work” - he comments as he sits on his sleeping bag and you nod “If you make it weird then it will be…” you sigh then push yourself up and push the chair under the chair “Yeah okay…well goodnight. Don’t bust too many triads tonight. Leave some for the rest of us.” You give him a smile before glancing up at Lin’s door and see her light still on then look back at Mako as he lays back down. You pull out your wallet and take a couple of yuans out and leave it with a note

“You probably don’t need this, but make sure yogurt yourself fed. Chief wouldn’t be happy if her best detective gets sick.” - y/n

Sliding both through the crack of his desk drawer, before heading to Lin's apartment.

After getting done with your night routine you’ve been lying in bed waiting for Lin to come home. Sleep starts to take over and you doze off after an hour you get woken up by a door opening from the bathroom and Lin in her robe, “You’re home” you murmur as you sit up a bit and turn the lamp on from the nightstand. “Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you” Lin spoke as she brushed her hair and took her robe off, setting it on her chair and walking to the bed in her pajamas. “Nonsense, I was waiting for you” you smile as you watch her. Lin lays down beside you and you open your arms to her. She creeps into your arms and lays her head on your shoulder as you share a kiss before running your hand down her arm. Both of you settle down and hold each other close enjoying the peace and quiet, “So Mako is staying at the station again” you whisper while you rub the curve of Lin’s back.

“Seems like it. I’ve left him so food once” she grumbles

“Wonder how long he’ll last before he wishes to be on a bed. His back will hate him” you grimace thinking about the times you slept on a floor or ground.

“The beds on the island are hard anyways”

“Don’t know how they sleep on them” You both laugh softly “How long will it take for Mako to push past this awkward phase?”

“Hmm?”

“Well since Mako and Korra broke up he’s been weird around her. Even more since Korra and Asami have been hanging out. I get they’re exes and it could be weird but they’re still friends.”

“Not my problem so I don’t care. They can figure it out on their own” She mumbles against your chest as she dozes off to sleep.

You’re right” you rub her back softly as you dip your head down and give her another kiss before dozing off to sleep.

“I understand that you have meetings with president Raiko over the spirit vines and approving the new zoning areas, but if you could swing by for a couple minutes and give some words at the academy from their Chief.” You pass Lin your reports, the new week's patrol schedule, and the update on the arrest books. Lin looks over your work “You made sure everything is up to date?.” Lin puts on her glasses and your lips curl up trying to hide your smile. You always thought she looked cute with her glasses on.

“Yes, the arrest book is set. I personally made sure”

“What about the—”

“Chief!” Mako bursts into Lin’s office interrupting your meeting. “Mako what have I told you about bursting into my office!” she barks out at Mako. “I know but you’re not going to believe it. I ran into an airbender.”

You let out a laugh “You sure it wasn’t Tenzin or air kids?”

“No! It's a random person here in the city! I witnessed it personally.” He walked in more inside the office as he looked as you and Lin shared a glance.

“What do you mean?” Lin looks at Mako

“I got a call early in the morning and when I got to the scene I got knocked down by a door being knocked off its hinges by a powerful gust wind.” Mako reported his findings and your mouth drops “Could it be possible?” you mutter.

“I’m not sure how but we should tell Tenzin immediately” Lin puts down her glasses and gets up.

Approaching the temple you notice everyone is already outside watching Bumi punch the air and you have a slight amused and confused face deciding to play with him as you dodge an attack “Woah watch out Bumi, it almost got me” you quipped. Lin walks to Tenzin and turns around to continue looking at Bumi “Invisible spirit monster attack?”

“Lin! You won't believe this. Bumi just started airbending.” Tenzin looks at Lin

“What?!” you comment as your eyebrows raise. Mako and Lin have similar facial expressions and the three of you look at each other then turn to face Tenzin.

“I'm afraid he's not the only one. “ Lin comments as Tenzin, Korra, and Asami simultaneously react “What?”

Mako joins in “I got a call last night about a guy who just started airbending out of nowhere.”

Tenzin walks up to the three of you “You mean there's another one? Where is he now?”

Mako slightly blushes as he rubs his neck “He... blew a door down on me and got away. We've got an all-points bulletin out on him right now.”

The three of you start to walk off while Mako gets pulled back by Korra “We'll help you look for him. Where should we start?” Mako gets nervous and rubs his neck again and gets awkward “Oh, well, you know, you should... You should leave it to the police. It's... police business, you know. It's, um... official.” Lin and you are standing behind Mako while Tenzin, Asami, and Korra look at Mako incredulously. There is a large amount of awkward tension in the air and it seems like Tenzin, Lin, and you all have the same idea and slide away from the scene and leave the exes on their own. You slightly lean over at Lin “Well that was exciting…Let’s talk to Bumi maybe we can get some more information to help find the other guy” you whisper and Lin nods “Good idea” you subconsciously put your hand on the small of her back and guide her towards the siblings but Lin stiffens and quickly reaches back to swiping your hand away. “Oh sorry” you drop your hand and walk ahead, approaching Bumi who was standing with Kya “So you’re an airbender now, cool congrats” you smile

“Explain to us how this happened exactly” Lin folds her arms as she catches up.

“Bum-Ju and I had a little fight. I made him this sweater, --oh I finished the sweater—“he pulls the sweater out from his jacket pocket and shows you and Lin, you nod at his work politely “And he didn't seem to like it. And I'll admit it might need work, but it was my first attempt at knitting. So I was a little hurt.”

“Get to the point, Bumi” Lin rolls her eyes and groans

“Right! I was climbing a tree that was on the edge of a cliff when the branch snapped, and I started to fall. I was screaming when all of a sudden I started airbending, preventing my fall…well I still fell down hard and it still hurt but it was amazing!” Bumi exclaims as he tries to airbend but to no avail.

You exhale deeply “Well nothing like falling to your almost death to bring out hidden bending powers” you chuckle a bit

“But how is this all possible? Airbending developing randomly out of nowhere” Lin questions the group

“Maybe it’s a result of Harmonic Convergence? The world is balancing out by creating more airbenders.” You try to think of a possible reason.

“That’s possible…I think” Kya folds her arms and thinks of your hypothesis

“Well I guess Kya can’t mother you about not having special non-bending powers” Lin mutters as she gives Kya a smirk causing a laugh out of Bumi while Kya gives Lin a scowl “I do not mother!”

“You do too! You’re just like mom!” Bumi interjects with his sister. “Oh forgive me for looking out for you Bumi! I don’t want you to get hurt or worse, killed!” Kya huffs as she turns pursing her lips.

“Well now with airbending he’s less likely to get hurt though the chances are never zero” you suck in air through your teeth as you rub the back of your neck.

“Mako’s done let’s go” Lin walks away and heads towards the dock

“We’ll be on the lookout for any new airbenders” you look at the siblings before waving goodbye “Hey Asami are you heading back? We can give you a ride” you call out to Asami.

“Thanks but, I’m actually going to hang out with Korra” Asami smiles and waves at you as you nod and join Lin and Mako to the boat.

“Is it possible that new airbenders are popping up in the city?” Mako asks the two of you.

“It sure seems that way” Lin comments as you drive the group back across Yue Bay.

“This is a good thing. More airbenders in the world….” you speak up as you look at the city in front of you. A world with more airbenders. It seems like the world is helping Tenzin out and also creating balance.

#TLOK3InTheseArms #lin x reader #lin beifong x reader #linbeifongxreader #linbeifong x reader #linbeifong #fyrefics

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loneveenas · 5 years ago

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cats and their neighbors

for day @blkjackals!! a gift for the sfe!! hope u enjoy it bb <3

pairing: iwaizumi x gn!reder

words: 1120

summary: our cats meow a lot whenever they’re apart and mine keeps tricking me into letting her meet your cat every time. glad to hear that you’re not that angry either with our cats being literal soul mates.

warnings: none unless you find cat fluff a warning :)

note: inspired by the cute neighbor cat and its owner who’re always taking a stroll together around my neighborhood uwu I LOVE CATS SM THIS WAS FUN note2: also shout out to tamaki @nixhinoya for the cat vs dog poll hehe note3: i hope this makes any sense it’s 1am and i’ll edit later today <333

“oh not again,” you muttered, listening to your cat meow in front of the door of your apartment. you fell back into your sofa. “not this.”

it had been two weeks since she started meowing. and you knew exactly what for.

you clicked your tongue and didn’t even bother moving. you damn well knew that the meowing in front of the door was absolutely not for another round of your daily trip around the neighborhood from five minutes ago. it was for being apart from the neighbor’s cat that joined you guys on your trek today.

that happened vice versa, too. so that luckily wasn’t on you all the time. and on other days you would both be walking around the neighborhood, having had similar plans, and your cats would spot and smell each other and ditch all their good behaviors just to see each other.

stupid affectionate cats.

“stop it,” you told her, but you weren’t putting in much effort either. you slammed one of the loose pillows that were lying next to you. you voiced a muffled scream into it, slowly turning crazy from all the meowing.

even when she was slowing down on the meowing you still knew it would start all over again the minute you started moving from your seat.

“i can’t believe this. are you in love with the cat from next door or something?”

now, you should have known better in not even mentioning ‘the cat from next door’ when being close to her.

something inside her just knew.

she immediately brightened up and started wagging her tail in excitement. you cursed under your breath, but could only hate yourself as you were the one who had done it now.

“okay, fine!” you exclaimed, throwing the pillow off your face and grabbing the leash that you had thrown on the floor. “if you’re misbehaving i’ll put you on the leash again.”

she wouldn’t misbehave, you knew that. but bringing the leash was just a way to make sure she wouldn’t actually run off with the neighbor’s cat on her way making cute cat babies. (even though she was spayed, you never knew if she still longed for a simple family of two with that cute male cat.)

“let’s go then,” you whispered.

you opened the door, trying to keep your cat on the down low before she could sprint outside. however, you were too slow and she rushed outside the door within the first two seconds. she ran over to the neighbor’s door and started meowing frantically, trying to gain the attention she needed.

you realized you had never actually seen your next door neighbor from up close before. it had been some ‘hellos’ and nods directed at each other from across the street, but that was about it. (not that you had, um, lost your cat once or twice in the process, but that’s beside the point.)

somehow your heart started banging in your chest. oh god. you could hear him come closer and closer, reaching that damned front door. you were debating whether or not to jump back into your own apartment, but the switch of the key in the keyhole told you you were too late already.

the door creaked open and, before you could greet him, your cat raced inside, on her way to see the love of her life.

you clicked your tongue for the nth time and slapped yourself on your forehead.

“uh, are you okay?” the very kind voice asked you.

you sighed, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. “yeah. it’s just that my cat just has been meowing about seeing your cat the entire day, you know the drill.”

“haha, yep.” the laugh was sweet and kind, and you were actually curious to see your neighbor from up close.

so you did. curiosity killed the cat.

nearly quite literally.

the neighbor — a man — was broad and lean, and honestly so perfect. he was so breathtakingly beautiful you nearly forgot how to speak.

“i’m sorry if it brought you any inconvenience,” he told you, scratching the back of his head.

“ah,” you quickly said, not really knowing how to follow up from that. that was the exact same thing you had been wanting to tell him. all that meowing must have been very annoying to him. “yeah, no, i mean, i wasn’t going crazy yet, but i was getting close to it, you know?” you laughed nervously. “what about you?”

“it’s not super busy for my studies as of right now anyways, but it’s been worse, to be honest,” he admitted.

you crunched your face. “i am so sorry this is happening. i honestly don’t know what came over her one day, and how i haven’t been able to stop it.”

“i guess you can’t stop love, huh?” he said, grinning wildly.

you noticed he was looking back into his apartment, eyeing something that made his eyes shine with adoration. he then saw you looking at him with your brows furrowed, and stepped aside, making room for you to look. he motioned two fingers in front of his lips, hinting that you needed to stay still. you peeked around the corner and there you saw the prettiest and cutest of views ever.

in the light of the sun falling down in the living room, the two cats were huddled together in the warm spot on the floor. their tails were intertwined and twirling around each other. even the outside noises could not dim their loud purring.

you cooed at the sight, not too loudly, though! you didn’t want to scare those two away from you.

“do you want to leave them alone for a short while?” your neighbor had leaned into you, whispering into your ear. his soft but hoarse voice made the hairs in your neck stand up straight. you gulped. that had been the closest any guy had come up to you in recent times.

“absolutely,” you finally returned. you grinned as you backed away from the door, as your neighbor slowly closed it.

you mentioned you wouldn’t mind it if the two of you spent their waiting them in your apartment, which he happily agreed on. you suddenly realized you had forgotten his name in the passing, which he confessed to having had the same problem happening. the two of you laughed about it as you entered your apartment, and you made him some tea for the wait.

iwaizumi hajime was very cute as he was waiting on his tea, you just couldn’t lie about that.

maybe you and iwaizumi hajime would need to share some more time together if your cats were too.

that didn’t sound like a bad idea at all.

#DAY I RLY HOPE YOU LIKE THIS UWU #MWAH #haikyuuwritersnet #hqwn secret summer #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi x gn reader #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi scenarios #iwaizumi imagine #iwaizumi #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi fluff #haikyuu #haikyuu fic #haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu scenarios #hq!! imagines #dyo's fic

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writingbakery · 5 years ago

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⤿𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬

chapter i ➳ a murder in the dining carriage; the tokyo express is comfortable, quiet, & meant to be superior travel. murder, however, is neither comfortable or quiet, and the circumstances are less than ideal.

dessert pairing; multiple characters x investigative journalist! gn reader

a/n; here we go ! remember to read carefully — clues are hidden everywhere ! — & keep an eye out for the poll at the end of the chapter !

calm.

the train compartment is quiet, calm as you slowly pull away from the station. you’ve been blessed with your own room, an odd number of passengers in this particular compartment — 11, including yourself. you haven’t seen them yet, too focused on organizing your belongings to venture into the other carriages. you’d be on this voyage for six days, you had more than enough time to get acquainted with them.

your room is closest to the back of the compartment, as you’d requested; quieter, less distracting. there was little chance of someone stumbling past your door, isolated from the other double rooms. you were here on business after all, not pleasure; you needed peace & quiet.

investigative journalism required focus, a keen eye for detail that you’d had since childhood. essentially, you were a detective without the restrictions of the law — and without its protections — & with an obligation to find the truth. the public deserved nothing less, & your determination had brought you fast promotions & faster assignments.

you were currently on your way to Sendai, on the trail of a particularly exciting museum theft — your press had paid for this excursion, so you were sitting comfortably in first class, the premium compartment at the back of the train. the rooms were at the very end, then the washrooms, then the dining & lounge carriages right before the coatroom. everything was a little gaudy for your liking, red velvet drapes and gold fixtures, but you couldn’t deny its comforts.

a rustling just outside your door made you pause; setting aside your notepads, you slid open the door a crack to peer into the sunlit hall. there’s a man & woman arguing a foot or two away from your room, clearly frustrated; the woman jabs a finger into the man’s chest with enough force to shove him back against the wall before storming off towards the dining carriage, and you slowly slide the door closed once more to avoid detection. how odd.

you settled into the dining carriage at half six; only a few of your seatmates had done the same. you counted four, all looking rather serious; you do your best not to stare & enjoy the pasta on your plate.

slowly, the carriage fills up; a heavily tattooed man in a button down and ripped jeans sits to your left, wholly out of place in the elaborate room. two businessmen follow after, both in expensive suits; one seems almost angry, scowling into his chicken as the other talks animatedly about stocks and prices. the arguing couple from earlier slip in silently, having seemingly resolved their previous spat; they hold hands, but the fondness of the act doesn’t reach their eyes.

the rest of your seatmates were there when you arrived, & you could only recognize one; ushijima wakatoshi, a well renowned national volleyball player. he’s joined by the couple, & says nothing as he eats. interesting, you think to yourself, & continue with your pasta. another pair of gentlemen are off to your right, quietly discussing nothing at all, & you can tell by their faces the conversation is forced. one is tall, with a mess of black hair over one eye; the other is shorter, a grown out blonde with a permanent disinterested expression.

the last seatmate is seated directly behind you: a slightly disheveled & exhausted looking man in a loose fitting suit. you only know he’s there by his extensive sighing, peppered by the scratching of his pen against paper. there’s a badge on his hip, & a gun concealed under his arm — law enforcement of some kind, probably a detective. you try to drown out his sighs with your paperwork as you eat.

after dinner, you move to the lounge carriage, not quite ready to retire to your quarters. socializing was important for the mind, & you were more than a little curious about your seatmates. [& perhaps you were a little starstruck over ushijima — who could blame you?]

sitting against one of the plush, dark velvet couches, you flick through a simple mystery novel as you observe your surroundings; both the businessmen are here, arguing over the best way to cook a roast duck, as well as the two serious young men. ushijima has sadly returned to his quarters, & so you busy yourself with the hushed argument taking place off to your right. you can’t fully hear them, but the taller man is clearly upset, & you just barely catch the words “abandoning me” & “petty gossip” before he storms out. the two businessmen silently watch the exchange, clearly invested, & you take a mental note. odd, that strangers should be so saddened by someone else’s argument.

all the excitement is more than enough for one evening, & you make to gather your things & retire for the night. you’re stopped, however, by a heavily tattoed hand covering the front of your book; it’s the man from earlier, the one who seemed just a hint out of place.

“ah, leaving so soon ? i was hoping to finally get a chance to speak to the mysterious cutie with the room next to mine,” he smiles, & up close you can see his tongue is pierced, & his messy blonde locks are covering a sleek undercut. you can’t help your little snort, a half-amused smile on your lips as you reply. “does that work on everyone you flirt with, or only the truly desperate?” you ask, & he mocks a hiss as he sits across from you.

“oh my poor heart, that stings. and here i thought you were nice,” he pouts, & you actually laugh; he perks up almost instantly. “now that’s a lovely laugh, i like it. i’m yuuji, yuuji terushima.”

“[y/n] [l/n], at your service,” you counter, deciding to humor the man in front of you; what more could you do, really ? he moves to speak, a charming glint to his eye that you can only assume comes from another attempt at flirting when a shadow looms over you both, & his face hardens immediately. it’s the sighing detective who sat behind you at dinner, looking displeased.

“is he bothering you?” he asks, hands coming to rest on the table, & yuuji swiftly stands despite your reassurances that you were just fine.

“sorry to cut this short, sweetheart, but detective hardass here has a raging boner for me, & i’d rather not spend the evening in his company,” he says curtly, taking a moment to savor the reddening anger rising on the other man’s face before making his exit towards the coatroom.

with the distractingly charming man now gone, you turn your attentions on your “savior” detective, who’s looking much more sheepish than the imposing figure of just a moment ago. “i apologize for intruding, i’m certain you can handle yourself. it’s him i’m not very fond of.” you smile a little, leaning back into the sofa as you eye the exhausted man.

“i can tell theres no love lost between the pair of you. care to tell me why, detective...?” he’s quick to flush again, sitting in the now vacant seat across from you.

“detective daichi sawamura, of the tokyo police department. & so you know, i do not have a “boner” for him. i arrested him for grand larceny & fraud; he’s a well known con man.” you raise your eyebrows in surprise, but a part of you knew yuuji seemed just a little.... greasy. “well, thank you for protecting my wallet,” you joke, gathering your things.

“i’ll leave you to it then, detective. have a good night,”you call over your shoulder as you disappear into the corridor; you’d had just about enough of socializing for the evening.

upon returning to your room however, you find another dilemma; the lock to your doors been tampered with, & it’s nearly impossible to open without scraping against the frame. a call to the front carriage only brings more bad news — maintenance won’t be available till morning, & you resign yourself to a night trapped inside your room. at least no one would be able to get in.

there’s hurried footsteps outside your door suddenly, & harsh voices; you pause, before it grows quiet again. faintly, you think you hear the telltale sounds of vomiting, but it’s soon silent, & you brush it off as your exhaustion creeping up on you. you’re fairly certain you look like detective daichi, & you shake your head to clear it.

you turn out your lights & curl up in bed, wholly unprepared for what the morning would bring.

you’re awoken by a blood curdling scream, just as the sun creeps over the horizon.

the sound shocks you awake so clearly you’re certain you dreamed it for a moment, before a symphony of shouts and panic stream out from the hall. scrambling to find your bed slippers, you stumble towards the commotion in your silk pajamas, pausing at the entrance to the dining carriage.

gone is the smell of pine and mint, replaced with the heady scent of alcohol and blood. face down on the carpet is the black haired man who’d been arguing in the lounge the night before, blood staining the back of his white dress shirt — he’s clearly dead, and the pool of blood beneath him only solidifies that fact. your seatmates are scattered amidst the room; some behind you, following you into the chaos, some perched on the sofas in distress. detective daichi keeps everyone at bay; “this is a crime scene now. please, don’t touch anything,” he orders, still wearing his rumpled suit from the night before.

slowly, carefully, the train staff begin ushering everyone out of the room, leaving you & daichi alone with the body. “his name is kuroo tetsuro. travelled alone, met an old friend on the train, kenma i think he said his name was,” he informs you, & you nod slowly. “i think i saw them together at dinner last night. what a horrible way to start a journey.”

daichi turns to you carefully, weighing his next words. “we’ll arrive in Sendai in six days. between you & i, their police force is .... well. they try their best, but this case will go cold faster than we can blink.” you follow along with his subtext, shifting in your fuzzy slippers as he speaks.

“you want my help,” you clarify, and he nods. “well, i’ll be happy to give it. but trust, everyone is a suspect— even yourself, detective.”

“i’ll say the same to you. for now, we should examine the scene, question everyone while it’s still fresh. we’ve got oikawa tooru, iwaizumi hajime, kenma kozume, tanaka ryunosuke & tanaka kiyoko, ushijima wakatoshi, & yuuji teshurima. i say we start with yuuji. he’s a shifty one, & no one saw him return to his room last night,” he decides, but you’re quick to counter.

“don’t you think that’s your prejudices talking? i’d say we should start with his old friend — he was the last to see him alive last night in the lounge,” you say, & daichi frowns.

“i don’t agree. i’m fairly certain yuuji may have run into kuroo last night, after the incident in the lounge.”

what will you choose ?

question yuuji ?

question kenma ?

vote here.

#haikyuu x reader #daichi x reader #iwaizumi x reader #haikyuu fic #haikyuu imagines #oikawa x reader #kenma x reader #kuroo x reader #ushijima x y/n #yuuji x reader #tanaka x reader #kiyoko x reader #haikyuu fanfiction #murder on the tokyo express series #evywrites

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jaehyunspeachparty · 5 years ago

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daddy jaehyun

iii.xxxiv.

"Where are we going?" Miga put on her jacket while you put on Sunohs shoes. "We're going for a little walk and Daddy is going to vote." You smile and sit up again. Sunoh took your hand and leaned against your body. "Why does Daddy vote?" Miga grins and takes her little pink backpack in which she previously put an apple in it. "I think I have everything." Jaehyun came into the room and put his ID in his jacket pocket. "It feels weird. There's a big election and I can't vote. I've always been voting." You sigh and walk out of the house with the kids. Jaehyun followed you and locked the door. "You could get Korean citizenship." He shrugged and took Miga's hand. The polling station was not far away and so you could use it to go a little round. "Hm? What do you mean?" You were relatively surprised at what he said. "Well, I just mean. You have been living here for a long time, say you only feel at home here. Your children and I, we all have Korean citizenship and you shouldn't have to worry about your visa all the time. But that's only one suggestion." It didn't matter what Jaehyun said. After all, you had never felt like at home before like here and in the house now. But somehow you had never thought of it. "Hmm, I'll think about it."

When Jaehyun finished voting, you slowly went back. You were slowed down, because now it was only a few more weeks until the birth. From now on, your doctor had said that you could always count on the twins to come. Twins are more likely to be born prematurely. But your doctor was still happy because they were quite peaceful in your stomach. The best case would be anyway that they stay inside for 40 weeks. "Slowly the babies could really come. Being pregnant is harder and harder for me." You take a deep breath as you walk up the street that had a little climb. "Hopefully in 4 weeks." Jaehyun grinned and turned to face you. "I always loved being pregnant. But the twins rob me my energy." In the moment you can already feel how they started to move wildly and kick your ribs. "I think they'll rob us of more energy when they're born." Jaehyun laughed and waited until you were with him. "Mummy, you're so slow", sighed Miga and waited for you with her father. Sunoh stayed with you all the time. His fears of loss grew worse. Especially since he started kindergarten. When you finally came to your house, you see that someone was parking in front of your house. A female figure leaned against the car and you couldn't believe who was standing there. Jaehyun looked at you in surprise. He took the children and went into the house with them, Sunoh starts to cry because he would have preferred to stay with you. You can still hear your son's screaming, but it slowly ceased as you walked up to her. "Johanna." You take a deep breath, because you hadn't counted on her. "Can we talk?" She looked at you carefully, she was nervous and her leg was bobbing all the time. "Sure, do you like a coffee? There's a bakery around the corner?" You try to smile, but couldn't imagine what she wanted from you. "Yes, that sounds good." She smiled in relief and the two of you walk slowly. "You look like you're going to pop soon." She smiled and you were relieved that you were already joking. You haven't been in contact for a long time. You didn't even know her son. "I know, and I have a month to go. But it could also start at any moment." You put your hands on your stomach and hope that at least they can hold out now. When you were in the cafe, you sat in the garden on a small table. You order an iced tea and she orders a cappucino. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, but then Johanna began to speak. "I know I was wrong. And I'm so sorry for being so mean to you. That was wrong and hurtful and I hope you can forgive me one day." She sighed and begins to play with her hands uncertainly. "I was just like someone else. I was at the doctor and he found that I had severe form of puerperal depression. The hormones should have made me go crazy and I've been taking antidepressants for a two weeks now." You could see that she was fighting with tears. It hurt you to see her like this. If she knew what Johnny had done? "Hey, don't worry about me, I know this is stupid. I forgive you, okay? I just hope we can be friends again." You smile and put your hand on hers. You were so relieved to have Johanna with you again. You had missed her so much because she has always been there for the past few years. "Thanks, that really means a lot to me." And now the first tear flowed down her cheek. "Can I ask you what about you and Johnny now?" You knew the question was risky, but you had to know how much you could tell. After all, you knew too much and you weren't sure if you wanted to destroy a family. "I know it..." She sighed and took a deep breath. It totally surprised you because you didn't expect that. "Johnny came to me, cried, was on his knees and kept saying how sorry he was. Well ... somehow it was my fault." She took a sip of her coffee and shrugged. "But he still shouldn't have slept with her right away. It's not your fault." "Yes I know, but I forgive him, I try at least. It brought me to reality and I suddenly realized that I need help. I want my children to have their father and I miss him. We'll do a therapy together and hope that we can make it together again." She looked deep into your eyes and you were as surprised as rational Johanna was again. Of course you are worried about her, but you were glad that she was as before. "If you need anything ... I'm always there for you." You are smiling and just were happy to have each other back again.

The whole afternoon was still beautiful. You catch up on all the news. Johanna showed the photos of her son and it was like before. Just before you wanted to go home, Jaehyun asked you to quickly buy diapers. He would then pick you up by car because he still didn't want to let you go home alone after all the incidents with Matthew. You go through the shelves and look for the diapers. When you find them, you suddenly see Soobin racing through the shelves. You got curious and watched her go. She didn't see you, but quickly took something off the shelf and didn't even notice that other packs were falling too. As quickly as possible she ran to the cash register and paid. You didn't want to spy, but her behavior was so strange that you go to the packaging. And right now it hit you like a blow, you couldn't believe what she bought. It was a pregnancy test.

daddy jaehyun masterlist

#jaehyun #daddy jaehyun #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun imagines #jaehyun jung #nct #nct 127 #nct scenarios #nct 127 scenarios

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blackfemmecharacterdependency · 4 years ago

Text

29. The Altar of Grace

Previous Word Count: 4535

“Worship me,” Grace whispered, smiling. Hazel walked back into the room and she hung up the phone and set it aside. Simon didn’t call back. The commandment sounded final for the conversation. The challenge, hardly one at all. He did that every single day. With the exception of when he was at his sickest, backsliding, they would call it in the church - a problem that his mother often saw herself as having when she was younger, because she refused to ever acknowledge that maybe her problem wasn’t spiritual. She gave up even trying after they lost Hope.

The Laurent family lost Hope, and Faith followed shortly after. But Simon? He found Grace. He was more used to the concept of grace than she was. The only time her family ever stepped foot in a church was for political reasons or at the very least public opinion. The little that Grace knew about any of that was stuff that she’d seen in media, and stuff that Simon had programmed inside of him. She’d once joked that he was going to start an Apex megachurch (there were megachurches all over California, and he had grown up in a church house), but the way that his mind went from outlining a few ground rules for the Apex to taking his knowledge of church legislature and formatting a very religious like experience in both praxis and adherence made her let the joke die off fast.

The Apex had been no joke to Simon. It had been, for lack of better comparison, his megachurch. At the center was Grace, and he worshiped at her altar, spreading the gospel of the Apex, the gospel of Grace. He wasn’t just making things up, in his mind. He was just telling others of his vision, of the world at her feet, of himself at her feet. The Bible often spoke of grace, but Simon was never sure of it before her, and once he was sure, his mind easily melded together the concept of grace with the incarnation that was Grace. She hadn’t asked for it. She was born into what she was. She had never really seemed to care one way or another about all of her faithful followers, the mass he organized at school, the branches of his discipleship that spread far and wide online. She had only ever cared about her chosen one. He was that. The one at the right hand of the throne of God, herself.

Grace’s commandment wasn’t unclear, nor was it new to him. It was simply her paraphrasing the Word of God, that he had always been familiar with to some extent. He had memorized verses in his youth. He had heard prayers throughout his life. He knew what she meant. He told her that he would do anything. Threw himself at her mercy to beg forgiveness. He was ready for her to give him his punishment, to give him his instruction, and her response, whether she realized it or not, was one wrapped up in the grace the preachers always spoke of. Because she gave him no punishment, just something that came as naturally to him as breathing - worship me… and she would give him what he was requesting… herself, which was everything he needed.

Sure, one could argue that this was the temptation of Satan. “All this I will give you, if you bow down and worship me.” Simon never believed in Satan. He didn’t really believe in God, either. But, the programming, the ritual, the practices… those were ingrained in him. He simply needed something to sit in the throne of his heart. He could see her there, as clearly as if she were in an actual throne… The was going to MAKE her an actual throne!

Simon sat his phone down and went back to his workspace.

The weekend with Hazel was exactly what Grace needed to rediscover her equilibrium as single mother, independent woman, career lady, etc. Hazel was exhausted, but Grace was revived. Did she wish that she could still go for spontaneous jogs and not have to worry about leaving Hazel for a little bit? Sure, but she had an in home dance studio that she could work off just as much… toxicity. Simon hadn’t contacted her again. But, he was posting every day.

She wasn’t checking, but someone still to this day insisted on tagging her to things or sending her things. Some of these people HAD to make backup accounts, because no matter how many people her social media reps blocked for that, they continued coming. It was actually a few weeks later that she got a call from her contact assistant. She was in the middle of rehearsals for her next music video, as she was planning to finally release an album during her 23rd year. “Yes, Ma’am?”

“Hey, Grace… I don’t know how else to word this but to say that I’ve gotten several calls to ask you about Simon Laurent’s current… situation and it seems like one of his worst meltdowns yet.”

“What? I JUST saw and talked to Simon a few weeks ago for my birthday and he was fine. Although… his mom is dying, so he may be taking that harder than he wants people to know. Just, send them the statement that Simon and I aren’t close enough that I know what is happening with him at all times, but hopefully he will receive the help that he needs in this instance, just as before.”

“Of course that’s my general answer, but there are some very specific concerns that I believe would matter a little more to you.”

“Like?” Grace asked, worried. If Simon had done something violent, or mean, or explosive, she was ready to cut the cord. She had an album, a child, and her 23rd year, and she was not going to waste as much time as she had in the past on overlooking things.

“Well… The first one is the hashtag The Apex Resurrected… it makes people think that you and Simon are mending things, which many people have thought for months, ever since his birthday in California and the family trip in Belize. Now, there are others coming out with accounts of having seen you two in the Bronx for your birthday - the elevator incident at the club, a few crude videos of you… um… dancing with him that night… and now this, weeks later.”

“The Apex Resurrected? I actually haven’t had anything to do with the Apex in a very long time. The Apex became Simon’s and as far as I knew, it was still a thing amongst the stans. You can release the statement that I don’t know anything about that, nor am I interested in learning.”

“Got it. Next cause for concern - He seems to be collecting various professionals in the Apex, or old Apex, or whatever it is for various tasks. Architecture, and other things. He has been making announcements about making a throne, about worshipping you, and about how he backslid…”

Grace bit her lip, “Okay… I may know something about that. Okay. Ummm… I’ll talk to him about it. What else should I be on the alert about?”

“He’s buying a place in Riverdale.”

“Did he get the job?”

“Nothing that I’ve found mentions his job, but that he is buying a house. Grace… That’s not that far from East Village… Is it possible that he knows where you are?”

“No. I’ve been extremely careful and Hazel has too, to not mention things that may give way to our neighborhood. But, he was staying in Riverdale a few weeks ago whenever he was here around my birthday, so maybe he just liked it.”

“Well, he’s been speaking about researching if he can grow hazel trees in New York, because he apparently wants those trees on the property, specifically.”

“Okay, that’s a little concerning, maybe.”

“Moreso whenever he begins to poll followers to ask what type of accommodations they would suggest for child quarters for a female presenting child between the ages of 10 and 13.”

“Okay, no. That’s very concerning.”

“People are speculating that the two of you are moving in with him, or at the very least will frequent his home.”

“Shut it down with a simple ‘I didn’t even know that he had found a place in New York.’ We don’t need to tell anyone about Hazel and I being secretive about our neighborhood, as that will probably make people more curious and for all I know, there are Apex people sprinkled around here. Give me a moment to call him, then I’ll call you back for further updates.”

Grace took a deep breath and called Simon. “Grace! I’m so happy to hear from you! I was afraid that I wasn’t doing enough.”

“Simon… from what I’ve heard, you’re doing way too much, Dude. What’s uh… what’s going on, on your end?” He held the phone for a while, confused. “Simon?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Grace. I don’t understand the question.”

“Okay. Well, my rep called me to say that she’s being contacted by outlets that are concerned about some of your behavior lately. Are you… okay?”

“I’m better than I’ve been in years! Everything is returning to normal, going back to the way things are meant to be.”

“Well… Now, I’M the one who doesn’t understand. What do you mean by returning to normal?”

He laughed. “Grace. I asked you what I needed to do, and I heard you. You’ve missed it. Your power, your following, your praise… and I am going to give it all back to you. I’m going to elevate you again, the way that I used to, the way I never should have stopped… I worship you. That’s what you told me to do to fix this.” He sounded very desperate, but hopeful. He also sounded like he knew that saying this out loud to her… they had a miscommunication. “Grace.” She was silent, but he knew that she was still there, doubting him, doubting herself. “What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with worshiping you? In my own way? It never caused us any pain before. That pain didn’t begin until my love was stifled, and twisted in ways that didn’t feel natural. Are you going to tell me that you don’t think about where we might have been if I had just been allowed to love you like I knew how?”

“What you called love became unbearable for me,” she said.

“It won’t this time! You control whether or not I even get to see or talk to you. I just have to be patient. I have to remember that it isn’t about me. I have to thirst for what you’re willing to give me.”

“Simon, that’s extremely unhealthy.”

“I’m never going to have a healthy relationship! My background, my childhood, my conditions… I’m always going to struggle with normalcy and reason. Relationships will always be difficult and strange… But, does that mean that I can never be happy? That you can’t? The things that have made us happy in the past were things that were so extra to everybody else. You’re just as unhealthy as I am, you were just forced to face that sooner than me. That’s why even though you could have any man in the world, probably any woman, if we’re honest, you haven’t let go of me. I’m always with you. Even when we were broken, beyond reasonable repair, both of us kept holding on to all those fragments. We… belong, Grace. We’re family.”

“Simon… Hazel is my family…”

“Too.” he said. “Hazel is your family, too.”

“We can never be what we were, Simon. Worship me… I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I was being playful. Treat me super nice and buy me things. Fool around a little when we both have time… not… rebuilding the poison that we were together.”

“That poison is who we are. Even with help. We're never going to fully get it out of our systems. We just are learning to live with it there. You rush to save me any time you think I need it. I defend you before I even know a full story. That worked for us, for you and I, until I got greedy. I wanted more, when everything was in perfect harmony. I know that now. I won’t do it again.”

“Simon…”

“I’m making room for Hazel, as well. I’m not trying to take you back or move her aside. I want all of us…”

“In this poison???”

“Unfortunately, Grace… just like us, that kid was born into poison. But, look at how good for her you are, and how good for you she is… And yet… you still hold on to me. Why can’t it be all of us? Working together and healing together? Why can’t I worship you and love Hazel, too?”

“Because I already made the mistake of trusting you and it went miserably! It’s still affecting me, to this day!”

“I know. It maybe always will, just like your parents always will, just like things that will happen between you and Hazel eventually will. Everything in our lives affects us in different ways and I affected you in a really bad way when I knocked you off of your pedestal..”

“It was YOUR pedestal! I never ASKED you to be that person! Then, I had to try to fill shoes that I didn’t even want!”

“But you want them now. Tell me that you don’t want me to faithfully follow you, to do whatever you ask, to atone through my acts for you. Tell me in honesty that you didn’t mean anything by telling me what you told me, and I’ll leave you alone.” They were both silent for a while, then she heard him exhale, relieved. He knew he was right. “Grace… I won’t hurt you again. I swear on everything that we could be together.”

“I’ll… see where you’re trying to go with… whatever you’re doing right now. But, we can’t just go back to normal, Si. Sometimes, just the thought of your face enrages me. Sometimes, I want to visit you JUST to punch you in the gut. We’re not gonna be just okay, even if we work at it.”

“Okay. That’s better than nothing. I had a mom who attacked me every time she saw me. You have no idea what I’m willing to go through to be close to you.”

“Therapy. We should… engage in at least combined therapy, and that’s before jumping to any conclusions that we’re going to be friends again or whatever. Also, I need to talk to Hazel, to see how she feels about you and even the idea of us reconciling to restore friendship for real.”

“She approves,” he said. “She thinks her mom OUGHT to be worshipped.”

“I know you didn’t talk to my baby about this.”

“I asked her for your hand in worship.”

“Ugh. STOP TALKING. I’m gonna… give you a little bit of space while I speak to Hazel and my team.”

“I’m going to continue what I was doing.”

“Are you… sure you’re okay?”

“I feel like you’re trying to ask me about my mental health. I’m fine. I’ve started even seeing a grief counselor that my therapist suggested, for the situation with my mom. I’m going to ask him about a couple’s therapy plan, since that’s important to you. My most recent meds are agreeing with me. I promise… I’m not having an episode, just further epiphany. I want you to have what you were content to have before… do you remember?"

"No. I barely remember my order at my favorite Ethiopian food place."

"You had a wonderful person that you loved and wanted to spend all of your time with.” She vaguely remembered that conversation now. It had been so many years… She didn’t know if she remembered the feeling. She remembered that she had been honest that day, but she honestly couldn't even place herself in the headspace of her 15 year old self. Of… 10-20, even. She had a rebirth at some point. That Grace was dead, as far as she knew and realized… but… she dared to presume, and hoped to guess… maybe that Simon was dead too. The things that they went through still happened, but only in an anecdotal retelling. The man on the phone… she HAD shared a portion of life with him, as well. A sit down, a death scare, recalling their past, birthdays, a sexually gratifying (less traumatizing) entanglement… He was correct. She hadn’t been able to let him go. There was no way to explain it, but if she was going to latch on anyway, they might as well make the most of it.

“Are you in New York?”

“Yeah.”

“Same place as before?”

“No, that was a rental, but same neighborhood.” She could tell he was smiling.

“IF my talk with Hazel when she comes home from school goes in your favor, we’ll stop by with a housewarming present.”

“I would like that.”

“IF Hazel feels safe with it.”

“You’re a lot more afraid of me than Hazel is,” Simon said.

“I’m older and wiser than her.”

“Ehhh… Definitely older.”

“WOW! What part of worship is you roasting me?”

“You told me that your definition is be super nice, get you stuff and go down on you whenever you want… so… I feel like I can make fun of you whenever appropriate.” She blushed. “But, you’re wise. Just… maybe not as wise as Hazel.”

“Speaking of… the trees and trying to set up quarters or whatever… that’s a bit much.”

“I don’t think it is. If we’re going to be establishing a new normal, she’ll have to have as much space in my home as she does in her own. When have you ever known me to half ass something important? You and Hazel are important.”

Grace held the phone tightly. It… mattered that he said that. Regardless of her reservations, of his probable episode, and the sheer amount of nonsense that her rep told her was happening. It mattered that he told her that she was important. That they were.

Hazel and Simon seemed to have been plotting on her. Hazel was a little too comfortable with the thought of them “being friends” with Simon, with the thought of group therapy, home visits and the like, and her saying, “I’ve lived life as a turtle. I don’t think Simon’s episodes are any more peculiar than that,” only made Grace feel guilty about her immediate thoughts - that Simon was having some type of meltdown.

Now that she thought about it, those usually began with him feeling very bad, but that 16th birthday party… that particular whatever it was began with a similar mood - Simon hearing what he wanted to hear, doing too much for her, being very excited about things that had NOT been promised to him. “This is the 16th Birthday Party level meltdown!” Grace said, when it occurred to her. “Abort!” She said.

Hazel looked around the shop and then at her, “Abort buying Simon a housewarming gift?”

“Yes! We… are gonna ghost him!”

“No… We’re not gonna ghost him, because that will take a 16th Birthday Party level Simon and send him into a Pre Hospital level Simon.”

“I just…”

“Grace, do you think that I’m ever going to stop turning into a turtle?”

“Yes. You do it less and less as time goes on.”

“But, what if I don’t? Will you stress out and worry and treat me like there’s no hope?”

“Hazel, that isn’t the same thing.”

“Simon had some type of psychosis going on whenever you two were going through that. He’s spoken about visions of the Void, and you know for a fact that some of the delusions that he projected had no prompting from you. But, he’s been in therapy for a few years and on meds, and doing everything that he can to make amends and clear your name. I know that he’s the one who messed it up in the first place, but look…” She took Grace’s hand and traced a scar on it. “I look at this a lot.”

“My old scar?” Grace asked, chuckling.

“My old bite mark,” Hazel corrected her. “You never seem to think that I’ll bite you again. Simon was doing bad and you don’t have to forgive him or trust him, but if you never will, you should tell him that, not ghost him. And if you won’t forgive him or trust him, it would be better to return to the format of a clean, easy break. What do you think of this hedgehog planter?”

Grace smiled, “I don’t think that fits Simon.”

“I meant for me. He’s really cute. I can put some herbs or a little succulent in there…”

Eventually, Hazel decided on a mini lamp shaped like a white cat. It didn't look like Samantha, but she liked it for her anyway. Grace bought an attachable bidet. Simon was at home, shirtless, in some pajama bottoms and slippers that looked like wolf feet whenever he heard the door. He threw on a tanktop and opened up. “Happy Housewarming!” Hazel cheered. She was holding a gift bag with tissue paper stuffed in it and she pushed it forward.

“Thank you, Hazel!” Simon said. He accepted it and Hazel walked in, immediately going to Samantha so that she could come see the gift too. Simon and Grace were staring at each other. He turned towards Hazel, “Wow… this is a really cool lamp. It’s gonna go well with things too, because everything in here will be white or earth tones. Like the rental, but like… MY style stuff. I’ll give you a tour.” There were boxes still unpacked in each room, all labeled as the room that they were. The only thing set up so far was his workspace, bed, and master bathroom. But, he told them some of his plans for other space and rooms… and he really HAD thought of everything that Grace would have tried to think of if making space for herself or Hazel… even if she WASN’T planning on them ever living here. Hazel was excited about the prospect of a “second home.” ‘WE should help you throw a proper housewarming!” Hazel cheered.

“Who would I invite to that?” Simon wondered.

“Grace’s friends!”

“No!” Grace and Simon both said, then laughed.

“My friends, then… and their parents,” Hazel said. Simon looked to Grace for confirmation. She shrugged her shoulders. “In the event that Grace does not have an opinion on the matter, the natural response should be to seek out my opinion.”

“Okay. Then, you do that, then.” He smiled and leaned against the counter as Hazel started speaking of her decorating plans and other party details.

“You are going to unleash a monster,” Grace said.

“You’re one to talk. She was spoiled whenever I met her. I’m just matching the kid’s energy. What’s that?” He nudged his head.

“Oh! It’s a bidet. Didn’t know if you had one or not…”

“I do not and I do need one, so thank you!” He accepted it and set it aside.

“So… Can… we maybe move her tea set here? You’ve got A LOT more space than my place and it isn’t so far away that it’d be a huge jump to host her tea parties here, if that’s okay?” Grace looked at Simon and saw him processing this question. He looked like he didn’t want to get his hopes up, but also couldn’t shield his excitement.

“Hazel is perfectly welcome to move her tea party set here and her friends are welcome to throw them here, as well.”

“I’ll be here. It won’t be like… me leaving her with you.”

“That’s even more fun,” He said. “Do you need me to rent a moving truck to get it here?”

“No… I’ll handle that part.” So… there was still a level of distrust. But, this was still very big for him and he was going to count his blessings. “Come on, Hazel! We’ll be back around.”

“Bye, Simon! Thank you for the amazing quarters!” He walked them outside and to the car. Grace was reluctant to hug him or anything like that, but she smiled and wished him good night. Simon watched her drive away and looked up at the stars. It didn’t matter if anybody was there or nobody was. Hazel and Grace had made a decision to give him a chance. He didn’t know yet what, but he wasn’t going to let either of them down.

Whenever Grace and I were younger I used to give her tribute. That was what it was called. It started really simple. She defended me against some bullies and after we took care of them, I snatched a couple of things, as souvenirs for her. Then I just continued to do that all the time. I began to do it on a daily basis. I convinced others to do it too. It was never an obligation. She didn't ask me to give her something. She didn't demand that others paid her tribute. I made a conscious decision that she was worth that offering. I spread word to others about it. It was an act of worship. I built her altar with my own hands. I molded her believers with my words. If you asked me back then she owed me everything.

Fortunately now I know better. I'm older, I like to think I'm wiser. It was always I who owed her. I owed her for defending me. I owed her for befriending me. I owed her for lowering herself to my level, even if she just did it so she wouldn't be alone. I thought too much of myself. Convince myself that I deserved everything that she had been gracious enough to give me. I didn't appreciate the value of my riches in Grace.

Life has a way of working things out that aren't meant to be. I was never meant to be the king. Always the servant… Trusted, certainly. But there for the sake of the one who mattered the most. I did everything in my power to be on top. When something isn't meant for you, you can't take it away from someone else. In the process of flying too high, I made myself have to fly solo. Grace had been the wind beneath my wings that made me fly as high as I was flying. Without her there I fell. I crashed.

She was too busy trying to keep herself elevated. She didn't even really witness it - the way that life gave her back what she deserved while I plummeted. She moved on to things on her level. She had chosen me to come with her. I tried to replace her. Now she's soaring, and all I can do is watch from the ground. Proudly, certainly. But forever with the knowledge that I was once next to her, that I could have stayed there had I not tried to snip her wings…

#If They Didn't Get on the Train #AU Infinity Train #Infinity Train #Nesha Fanfiction #Infinity Train Fanfiction #fics

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haro-whumps · 5 years ago

Text

Box Boy Plurality: 02

Second whumpee won the poll. Be warned, this chapter’s a longer one

CW: Dehumanization, slavery, creepy + intimate whumper, brainwashing, manipulation, illegal business practices

Tag List: @thatsthewhump @whump-it @ashintheairlikesnow @fairybean101 @finder-of-rings @comfortforthepain @shameless-whumper @that-one-thespian @burtlederp @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @raigash @im-not-rare-im-rarr @spiffythespook @whumps-the-word @frnkieroismydaddy @whumpity--whump--whump @michelleswhumpyreblogs @jo-castle @newandfiguringitout @lumpofwhump @infested-with-blood

Masterlist

Ren looked up from their work computer, eyebrow arched. It wasn’t time for Yanni to come in and complain about the broken clasp on her phone charm, which Ren would ever-so-generously offer to replace for her. She wasn’t due to notice it until her midafternoon coffee break, since she wasn’t overly invested in checking the thing during work hours.

It wasn’t Yanni, unsurprisingly, but it also wasn’t anyone Ren could say they recognized. Oh, sure, they’d seen the man’s face around before, but they’d never spoken with him, and they weren’t even sure what department he worked in.

“Mx. Pavlish, is it?” he said with a friendly, though nervous smile. He was an okay actor, though. They could only discern his nerves due to their practice at it.

“Hello,” Ren said, carefully, pleasantly neutral. “I’m afraid I can’t recall us ever meeting.”

“Ah, we haven’t spoken,” he said, taking the somewhat-cramped office chair they kept available for visitors and dragging it over to their desk. “My name is Mike.”

He offered his hand for shaking, and Ren inwardly cringed at the feeling of his sweaty palm against their own. They took a squirt of hand sanitizer immediately after, and Mike chuckled with a self-conscious little rub to the back of his neck.

“So, Mike, what brings you here?”

“I work in security,” Mike said, and Ren felt every nerve in their body become immediately alert. “I know, uh, about your little ploy.”

Blackmail, then. He was here to blackmail them. They very, very carefully sized him up.

“And what ploy, exactly, is that?”

“You unplug the ethernet cords to Jasmine’s and Cassandra’s computers just so you can be the one to fix them,” Mike stated, and Ren’s eyebrows shot up.

“You’ve been sitting on this for a while,” Ren mentioned, “I haven’t done that in going on three months now.”

“Wait have you been doing something else?”

“Is that relevant to this conversation?”

Mike chuckled again. “I guess not. But hey, listen, I get it. We all want to impress pretty ladies, right?” He gave Ren one of those nudge-nudge wink-wink kind of smiles, and Ren tilted their head consideringly. Maybe not blackmail? His tone and mood weren’t exactly right for it, but Ren couldn’t rule anything out. “Look, my cousin’s friends with Jasmine, I could have her set you two up on a ‘blind’ date, if you want.” Mike even made the little airquotes around the word. Precious.

“And why would you do that?”

“Because I’ve kinda got a favor I’d like to ask you?”

Hm. Wishy-washy. The threat of tattling on Ren for the sabotage hung, but distantly, left on a backburner that Ren could be aware of but neither would necessarily acknowledge, while Mike offered a perceived reward instead. Ren lifted their finger to their lips, pressing it horizontally along the line.

“I’m listening,” they stated evenly, curious.

“So, I saw you on the news. And your box boy has been, ha, everywhere. And you’re kinda like, the model citizen of whumpee-ownership, yeah?”

Ren blinked slowly, and said, “I might be.”

“God, ha, kinda cagey aren’t you?”

“I prefer to know what I’m dealing with. Continue.”

“Right, so,” Mike shifted in his seat, hands moving from the armrests to scratch at the side of his nose and then back on the armrests, “the law states that pets cannot be held legally accountable for crimes they committed under past owners. The idea is that the new owners will discipline them better, yada yada, behavioral psychology babble, you get the drift. Anyway. I am in possession of a particularly… let’s say, criminal box boy. Defiant and loudmouthed and it turns out he’s been getting into trouble while I wasn’t looking. Ha, pretty embarrassing for a security guard, huh?”

Yeah, no way in hell this guy hadn’t been using his pet to do the things he was too chicken-shit to do himself. It was a smart move, though, Ren would give him that.

“So basically, I need to do some... let’s call it whumpee-laundering. Change hands before the cops get the dna work back. He’s a good lad, y’know, don’t want anything bad to happen to him, much less for him to get locked up. So, howsabout you, oh model pet owner, take him for, what, a week? Two weeks? Just long enough for things to simmer down. I’ll take him right back off your hands as soon as this whole mess blows over, and I will definitely get you a date with Jasmine. Yeah?”

Ren stared at him contemplatively. Definitely not blackmail, this guy was in a bad way, and didn’t want the cops to have custody of a defiant whumpee that would talk the moment it was taken in. He needed Ren to say yes to this deal. But contemplative silence on a man already squirming in his seat worked wonders to sweeten the deal.

“And hey, I mean, he’ll be legally yours, right? So, like, whatever you wanna do to him while he’s at your place, you can do it. I mean, as long as you don’t kill or sell him, I do want him back. But like, if you wanna, fuck, I dunno, chop off his arm or some shit? Be my guest. As long as I get him back alive I don’t care, no restrictions, right? It’ll be fun, he’s got a pottymouth but if you gag him he’s not a bad looker, all things considered.”

Ren hummed, tapping a finger up and down against the back of their own palm, hands clasped loosely in front of their chin, elbows on their desk.

“Say, Mike?”

“Yeah?” he answered eagerly, body jumping lightly in the chair, sitting up straighter.

“I appreciate the offer to set me up with Jasmine, but I actually have no interest in dating her. You’re right; it is the simple act of showing off that I like the best.” Mike visibly began to panic, and Ren took a small mercy on him. “But there is something you have that I would be deeply appreciative of receiving.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I want full access to company surveillance cameras and audio recorders, on my devices, and no record of my permissions.”

“Oh.” Mike blinked, and then grinned. “Oh! Oh, yeah, of course, easy as pie, I can so do that for you. So you’ll take him? Tonight, ideally?”

“When I meet him, I will assess him,” Ren stated. “If I perceive that he is any threat to my own box boy, the deal’s off.”

“Oh, oh no, I’m sorry, I gave the wrong impression!” Mike said with a much more relaxed laugh. “He’s got a defiant mouth but he won’t act up. His bark is way worse than his bite, don’t worry, he isn’t a fighter.”

“I’ll see that for myself, but very well. Bring all of his paperwork with you,” Ren said as they wrote down their number on a notepad. “Text me. I’ll send you my address. Meet there at 5:30, and no earlier. Bring any disciplinary tools you own along with him.”

“Not gonna use your own?” Mike asked with a glance at Ren’s hand sanitizer.

“Don’t own any. I have the blindfold and sensory deprivation hood that came along with my pet’s box, but I haven’t used the blindfold since unboxing him and I’ve only touched the hood to put it away somewhere in the basement.” Actually, where had they put that thing? “My pet is too well behaved for such things.”

Mike whistled. “Nice. You get an expensive model?”

“Well, he wasn’t cheap. But he was exactly what I wanted.”

“Ooo, custom?”

“In training. His appearance was already precisely suited to my desires.”

Mike laughed and extended his hand again, before seeming to think better of it and he shot Ren a two finger salute. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

Ren nodded in return with a pleased little. “See you tonight.” Ren thought of one last thing. “Oh, and Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you told him that you only plan on selling him temporarily?”

“Ah, no, just recently came up.”

“Don’t tell him this isn’t a permanent arrangement. He’ll be easier to mold, that way.”

“You’re the boss,” Mike said with double pistols, and left their office.

The moment the door closed behind him, they pulled out a notebook and began jotting down a list of pros and cons. Their agreement had been deeply tentative, not that they’d let Mike know that. They would thoroughly scrutinize the concept, and then rigorously test the box boy himself once he was brought over.

The idea of having someone to yank around, though. To punish, perhaps with some of the tools Host had listed in their disciplinary video… Ren swallowed, their mouth watering. Skin that they could pinch and cut and bruise, not deeply, nothing permanent, nothing too mean. Someone they could sink their claws into and throw away in a week or two, leaving their home unblemished and perfect, just Soren and them. Just a quick little fix. Just a nice little treat.

The potential cons outnumbered the pros, but the potential pros were of a much higher quality.

They drove home quickly that night, bidding Yanni a very short goodbye, citing business that needed attending, and they weren’t even lying.

“I bet you just wanna get home and cuddle your boy,” she teased them, sticking her tongue out.

“And I bet you’re going to do the same to your babe,” Ren teased in return, wiggling their eyebrows at her. Yanni giggled and admitted to being guilty as charged, and didn’t whine or cling any longer. See? Convincing her to get her own pet had been such a wise decision. So useful.

“Soren!” they called the moment they walked in the door.

“Exalted!” Soren called back, and they noted the sound of a hair dryer cutting off. “You’re home earlier than usual!” Soren said as he rushed down the stairs. His hair was still a little damp, they noted, as they pulled him into a hug.

“I am. I have a big evening ahead,” Ren stated, handing him their lunch bag and prying off their jacket.

“What’s on the agenda, Exalted?” Soren asked, hanging up their jacket for them and following them into the kitchen.

“Tonight, depending on how introductions go, we will be adding a new box boy to the house.” Ren snorted, pulling down a glass and opening the fridge, digging around for their ginger ale. “Well, a used box boy. I’m taking him off a coworker’s hands.” They “casually” glanced over their shoulder to see Soren’s reaction, and he was white as a sheet.

“E-Exalted? I, I don’t…”

“Soren, baby?” they asked sweetly, pretending not to understand.

“If-If I haven’t,” Soren stuttered shakily, eyes wide and vacant, staring somewhere far past the kitchen tile, “If I’m not, pl-pleasing you, if this, is,” he raised a shaking hand to his hair, a front lock, one of the beautiful portions he might have turned into bangs, “is about, what I almost did, I’m sorry, I can do better, I can be better, please, I don’t--I can’t--please, Exalted, I just need to know, just tell me and I’ll do it, I want to, I, I need to, please, just tell me, tell me anything I’ll do anything Exalted please, please, I can be good, I want to be good! I want to, I want to be good, I want to, Exalted, I want to be good for you just tell me please I’ll do anything, I’ll do anything!”

Ren sipped idly at their ginger ale, not bothering to mask their face with concern or pity when he clearly couldn’t see them anyway. God, he sounded so pretty like this. Tears budding up in his eyes, his hands shaking so visibly, his body trembling in a more subtle, yet equally delicious way. It was all so perfect to watch, to listen to as he broke down. They knocked back the rest of their drink and set the glass down on the counter.

“Soren, angel,” they crooned, face twisted up artfully and voice sweet as honey. They gently pried Soren’s hand from his hair and placed it on his collar, which made him gasp, eyes blinking rapidly, immediately grounding him. They caressed his face, then tilted it up. Petting at the lock of hair he’d just been tugging at, they smiled pityingly. “My sweet little bird, no no. You haven’t done anything wrong, pet. I’ve forgiven you for hurting me so badly, it’s in the past my darling angel, weeks in the past. My precious, sweet Soren, shush now, shush. Nothing bad is happening to you. This will be a good thing! Just because I’ll have a new plaything doesn’t mean I’ll neglect you, Soren, sweetheart. And you’ll have someone lower than you on the pecking order! Won’t that be nice?”

“I--I--”

“Shhhh, Soren, shhhhh, shush now. It’s okay, it’s alllllll alright. You’re my favorite, darling, you’ll always be my favorite plaything, don’t worry.”

“Th-thank you, thank you Exalted, thank you.”

“There, there’s a good boy. So well mannered, saying exactly what you’re meant to.” Ren hugged him tightly, too tight, but only just a little. “Don’t forget, my pet. You will belong to me forever. You will kneel at my feet only, you will eat only when I am the one to give you food, you will never set foot outside this house without me and you will never belong to anyone else. You’re mine, mine alone, and mine forever, Soren.”

“Yes,” Soren said, sounding grateful and relieved, just like he was meant to. “Yes, Exalted, thank you, thank you so much.”

Ren grabbed a fistful of hair and kissed him, and he kissed back eagerly.

“Soren, tell me you love me,” they ordered sweetly, and Soren beamed.

“I love you, Exalted! I love you, Ren!” He leaned against them and they let him. “I won’t ever love anyone as much as I love you, Ren.”

“I know you won’t, my angel, you’re so good.”

And that was when the doorbell rang.

“Right on time,” Ren mentioned with a glance at the kitchen clock. “Come along, pet, let’s go interview our new potential plaything.”

“Yes, Exalted.”

Mike looked no less awkward standing up than he did sitting down, Ren thought, as they opened the door. He held himself like an adolescent trying out for theater who had no idea how to act and was in possession of limbs too long for his body. Behind him and to the side, a box boy carried his box on his back, looking very much like he was about to be crucified or somesuch.

“Come in,” Ren welcomed, “Take off your shoes.” Not that it mattered. The boy was filthy and bloody. Every room he set foot in would need to be thoroughly cleaned. Honestly, Mike couldn’t have even given him a bath before bringing him over? He really was in a rush.

“Set the box down; let me get a look at you,” Ren ordered. They observed the box boy, a young man with short (ugh) brown hair, too short to even grab efficiently. Nothing to yank him around by, and no time to grow it out. Whatever, they'd just have him wear a leash or somesuch. Brown eyes, tan skin, ambiguous ethnicity. Somewhat muscled, but half-starved and visibly exhausted, so he moved with a weakness. He let the box thunk down on the carpet, and when he raised his eye he met Ren's boldly.

“Position two,” they said with a snap of their fingers, and they heard a pair of knees hit the floor before they saw the new boy kneel. They turned with surprise and saw Soren kneeling, which prompted them to laugh.

“Oh no, no, Soren, angel, sweetheart, no. Both of you, position one. Soren, now, listen--haha! You just stand there and look pretty okay?” They pet his hair, admiring the way he flushed with embarrassment over his mixup. “You just stay put right here and watch. I'm interviewing the new boy and testing his behavior, alright? You stay put.” They kissed him and turned back to the boy. He was, at the very least, standing in position one, his chin tilted up just a little too high for submission but that was something that could be beaten into him. “Position six,” they ordered, and he held out his wrists with a silent glower. But, ah, to listen to his breathing, was that fear they could detect?

He was bruised and bloody and tired, in all ways just in a horrible state of disrepair. He would require so much fixing, and honestly that thrilled Ren. They took his barcoded wrist and read off the numbers tattooed underneath it. 843-902.

“02, huh?” Ren mused aloud. “I think that’ll make a fine nickname for you.”

“Oh, his name is--” Mike started, but Ren cut him off.

“Irrelevant.”

02’s nostrils flared. “If I'm going to buy him, and I think I will, then the creature he was before coming into my service is entirely irrelevant.”

“Oh, good, you'll take him then?” Mike asked, sounding nervous and relieved. Ren delighted in how much control they had over him, at that moment.

“I'm not done deciding yet.”

Mike’s flash of nervous panic was so delicious, really. As was 02’s confliction. He didn’t know if he wanted to stay with Mike or be taken by Ren, aww, how cute.

“State your type,” Ren ordered, and 02 snarled. Honest to god snarled. Ren had to swallow, salivating at the thought of how much fun it would be to break that.

“Fff-” 02 choked on his own word, conditioning clearly warring with whatever it was that he was trying to do, and Ren arched an eyebrow. “Fuck you.”

They saw Mike twitch agitatedly in their peripheral, but didn’t pay him any mind.

“Position five.”

02 dropped like a rock, his forehead actually hitting the floor, and Ren chuckled. His Processors had done well with him, whoever they’d been, but not quite well enough. The image was all too clear now. Mike had bought himself a box boy, discounted for his bad mouth, and used his excellent behavioral obedience in order to commit whatever crimes he’d forced the boy into, while tolerating his naughty little words as nothing more than a background nuisance. Or, given the bruising, knocking him around for the disobedience, but never bothering with legitimate training.

“State your type,” Ren repeated, their tone taking a special quality that meant firm disappointment. Soren eeped behind them, and they got to watch 02’s chest seize.

“Combination, Ren.”

“Oh no, darling,” Ren said with a laugh, “You don’t get to call me by name.” They nudged his temple with the side of their foot and stated, “Position two.” Once within range, Ren gripped his chin and forced him to look at them. “You will refer to me exclusively as Exalted, or, if you feel I am in a particularly good mood with you, you may call me Honored One. My name is not to come out of that filthy little mouth of yours. Not until we’ve cleaned it thoroughly. Understand?”

They released his chin but he continued to hold their gaze. “Yes,” he stated, “Honored One.”

“Aww, Mike,” Ren cooed, turning to him. “He thinks he’s cute,” they intoned, sounding very much charmed, like a child had just fallen over while dancing.

“I know he’s got a big mouth but he really does obey,” Mike assured.

“I can see that,” they said airily. “Come join me in my office, we’ll discuss price and the paperwork. 02, take your box down into the basement and stow it in the back corner of the laundry room, on top of the other one there. Take Position two in the center of the room when you are done, and wait. Soren, heel pet.”

They led Mike and Soren away from the foyer, not checking if 02 was obeying and not needing to. He might hesitate or linger, but Ren knew with full confidence that by the time they were done signing the papers and lightly harassing Mike for the evening, 02 would be exactly where they’d told him to be.

“Actually,” they said at the door of their office, turning with raised index fingers. “Soren, baby, why don’t you go ahead and get started on dinner for us, mm?” Ren kissed him and patted his cheek sharply, twice. He nodded, worrying his lip, but scampered off to do as he’d been told.

“He’s beautiful,” Mike commented, before Soren was entirely out of earshot. “Even prettier in real life than in the ads, and I mean, wow,” he said with a chuckle, “you know?”

“I do know,” Ren said, gesturing for Mike to take a seat as they closed and locked the door. They pulled up their surveillance cameras on their computer, turned away from Mike, and got their scanner ready to make copies and digital files of the documents. “Did you bring the tools I requested?”

“Sure did,” Mike said, patting his backpack. “Retractable cane, whip, two different gags and a muzzle, which, heh, he hates so much, let me tell you. Handcuffs, too, those too.”

“And the documentation,” Ren prompted, watching him pull them out of the bag.

“You are, heh, quite the presence, you know that Ren?” Mike said as he pulled out a manilla envelope, a cheap blue folder, and some--GOD--loose leaf papers. The fucking audacity, really. The messiness, the lack of professionalism. He couldn’t have haphazardly shoved them into the cheap folder? He really had to go around carrying official legal documents loose leaf? Their BLAW405: Filing and Organizational Systems professor would’ve made a five minute ordeal of tearing this poor, poor fool a new one. Ren tried to make themself pity Mike’s incompetence, because it was just about the only thing preventing them from feeling an unseemly amount of rage.

“Like really, I’m a security guy, you know? I’m kind of hired because not a lot of people intimidate me but you’ve just got this, uh, aura, I guess? Just sorta the way you talk and hold yourself and--oh, yeah, you just, yeah go ahead,” he cut himself off as they took the papers from him and skimmed over them, sorting them into some semblance of a reasonable order to be holding these files in, and read over them quickly but carefully one by one. They were familiar with most of this--they did, after all, possess a box boy of their own--but it never hurt to be thorough.

“I have a certain way with people, it’s true,” Ren commented idly as they shifted through the papers. “Sign here. You’re quite fortunate I am in possession of a notary’s stamp and can forge an impressive signature, you know that Mike?” Ren asked, pulling the stolen (well, illegally purchased. Their mama was a persuasive woman in her own right, and there was little on the black market she could not or would not acquire for her child, at their asking) stamp from one of their locked drawers.

“Oh, fuck, we gotta get a notary for this?”

“Some countries do not require it, and I hear the American legislation on transfer of ownership even varies from state to state, but our homeland is a little more meticulous in these matters. But like I said,” they took the signed paper from Mike and aligned the stamp carefully, before bringing it down with a satisfying thunk, “you’re in luck.”

“You are,” Mike said, chuckling nervously, kind of breathy and rather high, “really something, huh Ren?” They loved his discomfort.

“Mm,” they hummed, pleased, preening a bit, but hey, they deserved to. “Sign here.”

Four signatures later, Ren tapped the stack of papers against their desk, bringing them all nice and neatly in line, and then set them into their copier. “Now, the access files I requested?” Ren prompted, extending their hand. He unzipped an interior pocket in his windbreaker and produced a thumbdrive. “Perfect. You’ll have 02 back as soon as you’re ready for him.” Their copier whirred to a halt and they took the stack of copies from the tray, then slid all of them into the manilla folder, rather than breaking them up like a moron. They held it out for Mike and flashed him a darling smile. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

“Yeah,” he said, sounding a little dazed, taking the folder like it might get up and start moving. “You, you too. Ha, wow, you are efficient.”

“It’s why I have the job I have, and why I lead the life I live.” Ren stood and ushered Mike out of their office, then out of their home. “See you next time.”

“Yeah, thanks again!” he called, and they waved with a bright smile.

“Exalted?” Soren said behind them once they shut the front door, “Dinner will be ready in 40 minutes.”

“Perfect, Soren. I’m going to go greet our new addition, you may come if you want to.”

“Yes, Exalted, I would like that,” he said, wringing his hands anxiously. They placed their palm on top of that worried movement, and Soren stilled instantly.

“Shhh, pet. Remember, you’ll always be my favorite, alright?”

Soren nodded rapidly, but did not appear soothed. Hmm. “A-are you,” Soren hesitated, searching for the words. “Are you going to punish 02 for his defiance, Exalted?”

“I am,” Ren admitted easily. Soren twitched, distress increasing. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re worried for him?”

Soren nodded. “You’ve always been so good to me, Exalted, I don’t want, um, I don’t--I…” Soren pulled on a lock of his own hair, and they shushed him again, caressing his cheek.

“He’ll only get what he deserves, my precious angel. I can treat you well because you’re a very good boy for me, Soren. I’ve rarely had to punish you; you only occasionally fuck up. But my coworker clearly hasn’t given 02 the structure or discipline he needs in order to make him good, so I’m going to have to fix him. And fixing him will require punishing him. Don’t worry, though, pet, I won’t be cruel. The punishment will fit the crime; he won’t get anything done to him that he doesn’t deserve. I promise. He’ll deserve everything that happens to him, baby, sweetheart, I promise, I promise, absolutely all of it.”

Soren nodded again, gripping his collar and relaxing, a little. It was so nice to see him keyed up and anxious. It was so nice to make Mike squirm and sweat. It was so nice, knowing that their own personal chew toy was kneeling painfully on the concrete floor of their laundry room, just waiting for them to go down and bloom a few more bruises across his skin. Perfect, perfect, all of this, perfect. Exactly what Ren deserved.

“Yes, Exalted.”

“Come along, pet,” Ren beckoned, and Soren followed them down the stairs.

02 greeted their arrival by spitting on the floor at Ren’s feet.

“Oh, disgusting little bug, aren’t you?” Ren asked mildly, stepping over the splotch. They gripped his chin again and he glared up at them. “Tell me, 02, which do you consider to be worse? Death, or refurbishment?”

02’s eyes went wide, suddenly struck with fear. Ren of course would do neither, this was a temporary arrangement, after all. But 02 didn’t know that.

“...Exalted?” 02 asked in a voice that was very very very small.

“Answer the question. Which is worse?”

02’s chest began raising visibly, rapidly. Hard to miss, with how thin he was. “D--”

“And don’t even think about lying to me, slave.”

02’s breath caught, a delightful little gagging noise escaping him. “Refurbishment, Exalted.”

“Hm. Then allow me to make something very clear to you, 02. Soren outranks you in every capacity. You will not eat until he has eaten, you will not sleep unless he has first gone to bed, you will not so much as speak if he has something to say. And if you decide that that makes you jealous, or angry, or if you just decide you don’t like my precious boy for some miscellaneous reason, allow me to make it entirely understood that if you harm so much as a single strand of hair on his head, I will personally instruct the Processors to make sure you beg for death before they put you up for resale.” They released his chin with a small flick of their fingers into the soft underside, and were gratified by the little jerk, and the way his eyes stayed on them. “Do you comprehend?”

“You--you’re warning me to keep my hands off your pet?” he asked, fearful and yet still incredulous.

“Of course,” they said, placing a hand on the front of his close-cropped hair and slowly stroking his skull, cradling his head. “Soren is my precious little bird. And you?” Ren moved their thumb sweetly, back and forth, against his prickly hair. “You’re nothing more than some worthless mutt.”

#whump #slave #box boy #bbu #dehumanization #brainwashing #manipulation #creepy whumper #intimate whumper #codependent whumpee #possessive behavior #multiple whumpees #defiant whumpee #ren #soren #02 #mike #mine #writing

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luminouswriter · 5 years ago

Text

YOU ARE WHO MY HEART HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.

BELLARKE.

Bellamy

Sometimes we let the ghosts of our past roam free all around us. Allow them to become a part of us. We don’t let go of the weight and in turn it just crushes us over and over. We expect the scars to fade, the wounds to heal. But how can that happen when we don’t let go, we choose to live in those old memories.

Both Clarke and Bellamy knew all about that. Bellamy trying to get over his ex that left him heart broken and Clarke who for the first time in her life tried to do something for herself and it back fired, now she’s scared to do something, just for her.

The night air was heavy. Bellamy stood outside his balcony, he runs a hand through his dark messy curls anxiously waiting for her, of course won’t admit that, he won’t admit to himself that as he stands here he is waited to take a glance at the beautiful girl that always passes by his apartment building on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. And because it scares him how this girl he has never spoken to or knows he exists ignites something in him as soon as he lays eyes on her. There is a pub just across the street that’s holds live music. And by the guitar case she’s always running with he guesses she must perform there. It’s taken everything in him not to get into that pub and watch her perform but he knows if he does that, he’ll have to talk to her and that scared him, moving on, actually moving not one night stands scared him. As he watches her pass by and stand outside the club, something about her was different, she paces back and forth outside the club it looks like she’s contemplating going in or not until she does but he can’t get the bleak expression out of his mind. He finds himself running into his little apartment picking his blue hoodie off his white couch slings it over his white t-shirt, in a hurry he decides against changing his changing his grey sweats, he takes his black vans, puts them on and rushes out his apartment into the pub. Its crowded, every table full so he stands by the bar. “You want anything?” A brunet haired bartender asks and he picks up on the flirtatious tone in her voice, not trying to pass off his usually brooding look he smiles politely and shakes his head “No… I’m good for now” he says, she smiles at him he can tell she’s looking for another angle to use to talk to him. “Ladies and gentlemen please welcome on of our favorite artist, the reason why her days performing is the busiest” the MC says cheerily and Bellamy turns to the stage “Please welcome Clarke griffin” he says and leaves the stage. Cheers fill the pub and he leans onto the bar. She graces the stage and he can’t help the smile that forms on his face. He thought she was beautiful before but her under that stage light, red lipstick, blond curly hair in a bun he thought she was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. She smiles at the audience but he can tell there is a sadness behind that smile. She sits by the round stool at the center, moves the mick closer to her and swings the guitar over her shoulder and she starts singing. The sound of her soulful voice easily becomes his favorite sound. He could tell the difference from when she got on stage to now, she was lost in her music believing every lyric that she sang about lose and love and he could tell it was personal. He can relate to it, being heart broken. He had wallowed in it but ever since he noticed her outside the back ally nervous and beautiful something happened inside him, something that he recognized as falling for someone but it was weird he has never talked to this girl all he does is glance at her for a few minutes but still, a part of him was slowly opening up and that terrified him, but right now in this moment he was kicking himself for not being in her presence soon enough.

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

This is the sixth time his seeing her set. Still hasn’t given into talking to her, right now he just loved hearing her sing, he knows that if he talks to her he won’t be able to deny that he was falling for her. He thought it was ridiculous, falling for someone who you only saw from a distance but he couldn’t help it.

CLARKE

Clarke entered her little studio apartment, put her guitar case by the door and keys on her table flopping herself into the couch she groans, feeling more tired than usual but her face was smiling. Her door opens and her head shoots at the door “Wells” Clarke shouts ” he grins and sits next to her resting his head “Sorry I missed your set work was crazy”

Clarke looks over at him and smiles “It’s okay…. You are allowed to miss a few seeing as you’ve been coming with me since I started singing outside at little deans. He chuckles “Yeah”. Wells and Clarke have been best friends since they were kids. Clarke and her parents moved into the building that Wells father owned and that was it. Ever since then they’ve done pretty much everything else together. When they graduated high school, Wells went to college to study engineering but he drove two hours most weekends to watch her perform.

“So how was it” he asks looking over at her. Her eyebrows crease the way they do when she’s thinking hard. She sits up and turns her body to face him and he does the same putting one leg on the couch he gives her a curious look.

“I’ve noticed a guy there, he comes to watch my sets…”

Wells’ face grows concerned “like a stalker?”

She chuckles “No…. atnleast I don’t think so…. he watches me sing then leaves right after, or maybe it’s just not mine and I’m … just you know”

“But why hasn’t he spoken to you?” he asks

Clarke shrugs “Maybe he… he just comes for the music and you know…. I’m just trying to flatter myself”

Wells puts a hand over Clarke’s hand that she was using to fiddle with the loose threads coming out of her black denim skirt “He wouldn’t be the first one…. A lot of people come to see you…. Just you. You’re a star, so yeah he could be there to see just you because his in awe of you and your talent,” the pride in Wells voice always warms clarke’s heart. Wells and clarke’s dad have always been her biggest fans and cheer leaders. Clarke leans her head on his shoulder “Thanks” she mutters.

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

Its Fridays and Clarke finished performing, she noticed him again, she leaves the stage packs gets her bag putting it across her chest and carries her guitar case in her hand. Outside the pub, She stands under a poll with a yellow light glowing above her. Its noisy, people going in and out of the pub. Clarke checks her watch, it’s not as late as she thought it was still wishing could be here sooner. “You were amazing in there” A husky voice says from behind her and she turns, its him, looking up at him, She doesn’t mean to but she takes him in, black boots, dark jeans and pink hoodie that makes his brown skin pop, his hair black and messy like it always is. Even in these clothes she can see the outline of his fit body. He moves a little closer.

“Thank you…..” Clarke says smiling, allowing the warmth came with him to settle in her belly.

A slow smile forms on his face and he nodes. He hopes his eyes aren’t giving away just how beautiful he thinks she is by the way his looking at her, he can’t help it, her beauty can’t help but me admired.

The way his looking at her makes her feel like melting right in front of him….“You stayed” Clarke says, trying not sound to surprised or eager. He seems a little confused so Clarke continues “I’ve noticed you…. Lately. You watch me play and when I leave stage and peep…. You’re gone” She masks her disappointment.

He clears his voice, Bellamy’s face is softer than usual. He lets out a little laugh, his a little embarrassed, he didn’t think she noticed him “I hope I didn’t scare you….. I uh I live right behind the pub, the apartments on the other side, I’ve seen you pass by and decided to come in one day and… I just started coming”

She has a huge grin then lets out a little laugh “Huh… so I have my very own groupie” she smirks and he burst out laughing, amazed by her.

He puts his hand over his heart “Its my pleasure to be your groupie” he winks at her, giving her a crooked smile.

It felt like a current of electricity was washing through them. In this moment staring into each other’s eyes if felt like yesterday was long forgotten, yesterday when they hadn’t talked. It was all about right now, as much as it scared both of them as much as their fears were tugging at them to not give in, it seemed almost impossible to walk away from this. Bellamy knew he didn’t want to rush and crush, as much as the feeling Came crushing down at full speed he knew he needed to take a step back and analyze his feelings. He was someone that had his walls up, someone that most people were scared to approach, other than his sister Octavia and best friend’s miller and murphy he didn’t really have a huge group of friends, miller’s boyfriend Brian and Murphy’s girlfriend Emori also part of that small group. Bellamy felt deeply, that is why his break up with Gina shook him. He was all heart, most people didn’t know that.

Clarke didn’t know what she was doing, Usually she was more logical, used her head instead of her heart but it was hard right now. She just met the guy and she was already convinced he was special and that scared her more than anything. Her life was chaos but why did it seem like he could be her safe space, because maybe after a long time she felt safe, safe to be happy and not worry about her mom’s addiction or her father’s work or if she should give up singing.

Bellamy rubs his hands, a nervous tick of his “I uhh… I just … wanted to say you’re amazing up there. You sing and believe every word… you’re just…..special…” for a second they just stare into each other’s eyes. Clarke has electricity coursing through her vain, and tears threaten her eyes, mainly because she hasn’t felt special in a really longtime, she averts her eyes away from his and into the street then back to him “Thank you” she says sincerely. That wordless eye starring moment befalls them again and Bellamy clears his throat and gives her another crooked smile “You’re welcome….. I ahh I gotta go… I’ll see you around clarke” his hands in his pockets he turns around and starts walking away when Clarke calls out “Hey groupie” Bellemy turns on his heals to look back at her, his hands in his pocket he raises his eye brow at her . “You didn’t tell me your name”

He nodes a small smile playing on his lips “Bellemy blake” Clarke smiles and nodes her head “Okay” she says.

“Okay” he says softly, he lingers for a second, turns and walks away, disappearing into the street corner leading to the ally.

Clarke watches him until she can no longer sees him, she can’t help the smile that stays on her face.

#bellarke #bellamy blake #clarke griffin #the 100 #Bellarke fanfic #fan fic

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