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strawberrysoup · 4 years ago

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Pocketful of Posies || Chapter 5

You’d been hiding for years and years now; from your family, from society, from alphas and packs. Suppressants were dangerous but effective and necessary for an omega who refused to be owned—but no suppressants were strong enough to fool the nose of a super soldier, who together with his pack would stop at nothing to bind you to them forever.

pairings: dark!Avengers x reader

word length: 4.7k

chapters: 5/?

warnings: A/B/O dynamics, power imbalances, noncon and dubcon sexual situations, loss of autonomy, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat — this is a dark!fic, read at your own risk. more detailed content warnings are included at the end of the chapter to avoid spoilers, click through the read more, CTRL + F “content warnings”.

Rationality within Carol’s pack was often treated like a talking stick; only one person could have and use it at a time, and stealing it required either brute force or a clever trick—which was why she and Loki fumbled it back and forth so often. Sam seemed to have snatched it for a moment, until their omega’s sharp tongue made him fumble. She was cutting and brutal, as wild as she’d looked the first time Carol saw her: covered in mud and blood, half soaked from the bath and thrashing violently while Thor and Peter tried to gently get her in the tub.

The blonde figured it was time to regain the upper hand over their omega and came to stand at the top of the stairs, eyes locking on Sam from behind. He was turning the corner from patience to frustration, their little omega’s demeaning comments making the muscle in his jaw clench. It was impressive though; any of the other alpha’s in the house (plus herself and maybe minus Peter) would’ve had her nose in the corner by now, bent over to hold her own ankles and struggling for balance so that her forehead didn’t press against the wall lest she earn herself a spanking for being sulky.

“Alright Sammy, tag out,” Carol made sure that there was an undertone of mirth in her voice, hoping to bring the other alpha out of his anger. “You should probably go check on dinner and—Bruce, test results?”

“Oh, you’re right,” the beta nodded, immediately headed for the stairs. “Her hormone analysis should be ready at the least.”

The moment her eyes landed on the little omega on the bed, Carol felt her heart melt just a bit. Despite the vitriol she’d been spitting just moments before, the precious thing looked like an angel sprawled out in their den. All she wore was one of Thor’s t-shirts, the hem brushing the tops of her thighs and perfuming her scentless skin with his musk—she couldn’t wait until the suppressants were out of their omega’s system, Carol desperately wanted to know what she smelled like.

“Sammy?” The blonde prompted when the male alpha didn’t move, leading him to sigh.

“Yeah babe,” he leaned over and pressed a kiss against the omega’s forehead, ignoring how she shrunk back into the pillows behind her. “I’m out. Take care of her, beautiful.”

Sam stopped to press a kiss against Carol’s cheek on his way down the stairs, gesturing for Tony to follow. The genius rolled his eyes and huffed but followed nonetheless, only after tossing a wink at the scowling omega huddled in what would hopefully soon be a nest. Carol waited until they were both down before returning her attention to the younger woman, stomach filling with butterflies.

Carol had wanted an omega since she presented as an alpha at twelve. 90% of the people she interacted with thought she was such a waste—a female alpha? Objectively, a useless combination. Female alphas were weak and passive, certainly not strong enough to lead a pack or produce strong alpha babies. If only she’d been a delta or a beta, she could’ve at least carried children. She’d always been fully aware that society’s perspective was incredibly flawed; she was as dominant as any male, just as potent and just as strong. Stronger even—more recently by unimaginable levels.

But omegas rarely looked negatively upon female alphas. Omegas preened and clamored for the attention female alphas provided, they saw it as more tender and careful. Carol didn’t know if she exactly agreed with that either, but at least an omega would never look at her and consider her a very pretty waste.

Or so the blonde had thought, right up until making eye contact with the sweet-faced omega her pack had managed to stumble upon. She certainly didn’t look pleased, her glare verging on incendiary.

“You sure are feisty,” she felt her lips quirking at the corners, especially when the omega seemed to puff up like an angry kitten. “What you said to Sam wasn’t very nice. You gonna hiss at me too?”

The answer was a resounding yes, the cute, clicking cub growl she made only reinforcing Carol’s gut instinct that the little omega was perfect. She liked that fire, it wasn’t disrespectful—it demanded respect and the blonde could certainly understand that sort of attitude. Considering her omega’s evident disdain for modern presentation centered care, it could even be considered mild.

“Claws away, baby,” she ordered, tone amused and the smile still curling her lips as she toed her shoes off at the edge of the bed. “Be a good girl for me now.”

Carol pressed the omega flat to the bed before she could fight, plastering herself against the half-naked woman and burying her face in the crook of her neck. Scenting deeply made the blonde’s eyes roll back in her head—the faint scent of panicking omega wafted off her skin, only noticeable at such a distance. Thank God the Hulk picked it up, the alpha’s senses so incredibly strong that even while masked by Bruce’s beta he had picked up the faint whiff of omega; if Bruce hadn’t prompted Steve to scent carefully they might not’ve found her. Carol hadn’t been the only one in the pack desperate for an omega.

Thor had been… devastated to learn of the lack of omegas on Earth. With the destruction of Asgard and the remaining population’s relocation, it had been another gut punch to the alpha prime who’s people had already endured so much. He’d spoken at length about how omega Aesir were different than humans’ and the tone of longing and sadness in the prime had radiated through their entire pack.

The deltas, Bucky, Tony and Loki had all realized years ago how sorely their dynamic suffered without an omega. A delta’s overwhelming physiological drive was to provide support and comfort to pack members, their intuition let them see their packmates in a way the other presentation’s couldn’t replicate. Their pack’s deltas were all incredibly intuitive, beyond the norm, and without an omega to properly direct them they got manipulative. It was rarely antagonistic or cruel and if there had only been one delta in the pack, it would’ve slid by without notice—but deltas perceived the deception where others didn’t and it usually led to dissent amongst the three.

And while Steve had never said a word, Carol knew that as a sickly little beta he’d dreamt of being ‘strong enough to deserve an omega’. Bucky had mentioned it briefly—as had Tony, who’d heard it from his father at least biweekly. Steve loved omegas; he loved that they balanced an incredible strength with equal fragility. The very nature of them spoke to his inner artist, ‘his inner romantic,’ Bucky had teased. Now that he was a big ass alpha prime? He could deserve an omega now, he was strong enough now.

Their omega was practically a miracle, considering how few of them there were—so few adults, especially. Some claimed the overall population of omegas was going up despite the overwhelming evidence of the opposite and besides, the number of omegas born every year didn’t matter when you had packmates approaching their mid-forties. Tony, Bruce, and Clint were getting up there, as everyone liked to tease. Finding a reasonably aged omega that was also unclaimed? They’d never even considered the possibility, it was unfathomable.

Carol had consoled herself with the knowledge that her pack loved her deeply, found no fault in her gender or presentation. She knew it would take time, but soon her omega would realize the same. There was nothing wrong with her, she didn’t need to hide or put on a façade; not in their pack, not under their protection. Whatever the omega had gone through in her life must’ve been traumatizing, the blonde could only assume some sort of abuse, and it would be tough to instill confidence in her. They’d need to build her back up from scratch.

“You know, if you’d let Wanda search your mind, we’d have a much easier time understanding what’s going on,” the blonde murmured into the omega’s neck, nose brushing back and forth over her left scent gland. “Will you tell me why you’re so scared? Are you afraid of alphas or of packs? Or deltas?”

“I’m afraid of being trapped forever by a bunch of fucking rapists and kidnappers!” She spat furiously in response, struggling futilely under Carol’s careful grasp. “Get your fucking face out of my neck!”

“Packs it is then,” Carol sighed, lifting her head but keeping the woman pinned beneath her.

“You’re so shifty ‘mega, calm down. There are some horrible people out there, we know that better than anyone, and I’m sorry that you were hurt. I’m sorry you had to go through whatever it was.”

The omega froze, muscles pulling so tightly that she started to shiver. Her lips pursed, jaw clenching and her eyes got dim, lashes fluttering as she looked into the distance over Carol’s shoulder. It was a dead-eyed stare, one the blonde had seen before. Her baby was half trapped in a memory, tightly clenched hands clawing at Carol’s shirt and trying to force her body away.

“I’m sorry baby, I’m sorry, come back—” Carol cooed into the omega’s ear, holding her tighter as she struggled. “You’re with me baby, you’re safe. Breathe with me, come back to me.”

“Would you fucking get off!” The omega choked, sounding both parts desolate and frustrated. “Why don’t you people fucking listen? Am I speaking gibberish?”

“I’m sorry you’re so angry omega,” the blonde’s eyebrows furrowed, sadness permeating her expression as she lowered her head to rest her forehead against the omega’s. “I’m sorry, I can’t get off—you need the pheromones, the alpha contact chemicals. Even if you’re traumatized, once the suppressants you’re on start to wear off you’re going to have to submit. We need to start practicing now so you can get comfortable with it, before it’s critical for your health.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry, you’re not sorry! If you were, you would’ve let me go. You wouldn’t be holding me here! I don’t need or want your help, I don’t want to be in a pack!”

“I hear you, baby, I promise I understand what you’re saying,” Carol carefully pinned one of the flailing omega’s arms down with her knee, reaching up to stroke the woman’s face. “You don’t want to be here, you don’t want to have a pack, I’m sure you don’t want to be bonded to us. But you’re on so many suppressants baby, there are so many mind-altering chemicals in the shit you were taking—”

“If you force me to stop taking them I’ll only be under the ‘mind-altering’ chemicals produced by the other presentations and—and this stupid collar forcing my body to produce addictive chemicals at a rapid rate,” she argued, “you want to argue that I’m out of my mind like I can’t be trusted with my own safety! I’m fully conscious, I’m not stupid, I’m an adult for fuck’s sake. The only thing that’s going to fuck up my personal agency is you!”

“We’ll know for sure when Bruce gets your test results back,” Carol sighed realizing how unlikely it would be for her to get through to the omega. “Tony’s having some equipment dropped by in the morning so he and Bruce can run some more. If your hormone levels aren’t entirely trashed, we’ll revisit this conversation.”

“You have to let me take my suppressants tonight then,” the omega pushed against the blonde again, grunting with effort and irritation when she didn’t move at all. “Otherwise the test results from today won’t match the ones tomorrow, missing a dose will entirely trash my hormone levels! The tests won’t provide an accurate reading!”

Carol was shaking her head before she’d even finished the explanation. “No way, there’s a reason those are illegal, baby. They’re so dangerous—”

“I’ve been taking them for fifteen years and I’m completely fine, come on—”

She watched the omega’s face fall when she sighed, “it’s not gonna happen baby. This one isn’t up for debate.”

“This one?” The omega scoffed bitterly, lips twisting as angry tears collected in her eyes. “Nothing is ‘up for debate’. I’m here, aren’t I? Obviously against my will. I’m not even wearing my own clothes, you won’t let me move! You’re acting like this is the one bit of agency you’re planning to strip from me but you’re either too stupid to realize that or you’re too caught up in the idea of having a house bitch to care!”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Carol frowned, thumb smoothing over the crease between her brows. “We’re not looking to ruin your life, baby. The last thing we want is to make you meek or take away your ability to make your own choices, but we have to take care of you.”

“Y-you don’t though,” she hissed, breath hitching as she fought not to cry in front of the alpha. “I’ve been taking care of-of myself for years. I’ve never had a problem I’ve—I’ve never been attacked or assaulted or—”

Carol shifted until the omega was cradled in her lap, easily blocking the omega’s attempts to escape her grasp, “If that’s true baby girl, I don’t think you understand how rare it is—or how it would mean you were poisoning yourself so thoroughly that no alpha could scent you. There’s too many people out there would hurt you just for being you; the only way for you to be safe is with us, where you don’t have to keep taking the pill equivalent of drinking gasoline and bleach.”

“I should have the choice!”

“The choice to slowly kill yourself?” The blonde looked down into the omega’s face in disbelief. “No one in their right mind would allow another person to suffer like that.”

Their attention was suddenly and brutally drawn to the stairwell, both of their hindbrains reacting to the scent of overwhelmingly aroused alphas accompanied by raised voices and shouting. The omega in her lap went completely and utterly still, instincts locking down all movement as if it could prevent her from being seen. Carol sighed quietly through her nose, nudging her forehead gently against the charming little creature hiding against her chest. She couldn’t really tell what they were yelling about but she figured it had something to do with whatever Bruce found.

“Someone has to—!”

“That doesn’t mean—!”

“It should be—!”

The blonde cracked her neck, arms slipping around the waist of her omega and locking in place like iron bands. The cowering made it easier for Carol to snuggle her tightly against her chest, wiggling them carefully as several pairs of feet began stomping up the stairs, until the omega was entirely engulfed by the alpha from behind. Steve and Thor made it up first, shoulder to shoulder and passive-aggressively nudging each other in the ribs. Sam was next, along with Bucky—both of whom were being decidedly antagonistic to poor Peter who followed behind.

“Would you guys shut the hell up? What’s going on?”

Before anyone else could respond Bruce forced his way between the group of more dominant males, eyes flashing green even as he attempted to shake it off, “the amount of alpha pheromone in her blood is so low it’s amazing she isn’t in shock.”

“What?!” The omega snapped furiously, eyes darting between the people standing around the room nervously. “There’s nothing wrong with me—!”

“Carol, hold her,” Steve ordered, as if the blonde hadn’t locked the omega down the second they heard them coming. “Thor, how are we gonna do this?”

Both primes looked almost pained, their faces painted with grimaces as they exchanged glances. Their struggle was easy to identify; neither wanted to cause any strife between them, damage to their partnership would damage the pack but they wanted to be first. Their hindbrains could barely function beyond the desire to fuck their omega, their pretty, sweet little omega who desperately needed alpha semen because her body would stop functioning without it. Primes always got first take on omegas, but when there were two primes in a pack things got dicey.

“Have one of us do it,” Carol chimed, carefully maintaining an expression that relayed she wasn’t trying to step on toes. “Both of you are massive, you could do damage without proper prep and if it’s that serious we can’t wait on that.”

“I’ll do it!” Peter was quick to step forward. “You all know I’ll the gentlest and she’s already upset—”

“Shut it Spiderboy,” Sam quickly interjected, giving the younger alpha a stern look, “she needs careful handling, not some teenager fumbling with his knot.”

“I’m not a teenager anymore you asshole—!”

“Carol’s cock is the smallest,” Tony stated nonchalantly as he kicked off his shoes in the closet that faced the den, “no offense babe, just logistics.”

“None taken,” the blonde snorted slightly in amusement before turning her attention to the two primes, “I can get her started, at least get her hormones on the right track.”

“Let go of me you psycho!” The omega howled, voice constricted by her collar. “Get away from me, let me go!”

A low, bone-deep rumble suddenly washed over everyone in the attic, the growl emanating from both Steve and Thor. A keening moan escaped the omega, her breath hitching and eyes rolling as viscous slick gushed from her pussy. The scent of it made waves through the rest of the pack, a cacophony of moans and growls echoing off the high ceiling as the responding scent of hot and bothered emanated through the den.

“Thor?” Steve questioned the other prime imploringly, knowing that they needed an immediate answer and follow through.

The taller man grit his teeth, nose flaring for several moments before he let out another low growl that made their omega cry with arousal. “You first—leave my shirt on her, please.”

“Oh God, oh God,” the whimpering omega shifted in Carol’s arms, likely about to try to make a break for it when Steve swept her up into his arms. “Please, wait—!”

“Your pussy is dripping for your primes, isn’t it precious?” The alpha male hummed quietly as he swiftly lowered them both to the bed, hands grasping the backs of her thighs and pressing her knees towards her shoulders. “So much slick for such a little thing.”

The whine that came from Peter sounded wrecked, only minutely more embarrassing than the groans and panting coming from the rest of the pack as they watched. The omega looked to be approaching frantic and Carol sighed, shifting farther away from the prime on the bed—there was no reason to test Steve’s incredible patience. Well, that had been Carol’s opinion anyway.

Evidently Loki believed otherwise, but then again the delta was habitually prone to testing Steve’s last goddamn nerve. The brunet had appeared with a shimmering green light, lying on the bed so close to the omega that the scent from his ridiculously expensive Fendi sweater was transferring to her arm and shoulder. The prime had barely flinched, certainly hadn’t reacted in a manner more noticeable than a slight dilation in his pupil. Thor made a reprimanding noise but didn’t move forward to remove the delta, much to Bucky and Tony’s immediate disdain.

“Why the fuck does he get to—!”

“You better rethink that, Ice Man!”

The combined snarls from both primes quickly brought all three deltas to heel and while Loki didn’t retreat, he did keep his hands to himself. One hand propped up his head, the other tightly fisted and rested on the bed between himself and the omega’s borrowed shirt while eyes burned into him from all sides. The omega’s wide eyes were locked on the man, some flicker of recognition fleetingly passing over her face. Loki was good at surprise entrances and even better at taking advantage of his brother’s status in the pack—not that he necessarily got away with things the others wouldn’t, but none of the others particularly wanted to find out what the prime’s breaking point was either.

“I just want to keep her calm, is that so horrible?” The tone the God used was smooth and Carol remembered the talking stick analogy again. “You can smell the poor thing’s terror, is it really necessary?”

Steve looked conflicted for maybe two seconds when a light went off behind his eyes. “Keep her calm so I don’t have to purr and you can stay.”

The delta’s hand immediately slipped up the front of her shirt, cupping the curve of her rib cage just under her breast. His nose pressed into her neck in the following moments, a small golden glow flowing over the little omega’s skin where he touched her. The odor of fear was quick to recede once the windows were open, replaced with the tangy-sweet scent of her pussy. Carol inhaled sharply and whined, drawing Steve’s attention to her wide, sad eyes.

The prime huffed, running one big hand through his hair while Loki held the omega’s thigh in place. “Hands to yourself, Carol.”

The blonde immediately tucked her nose into the other side of the omega’s neck, hands clenched into fists and tucked tightly against her stomach. She could hear the rest of the pack shuffling around, vying for space and views on the bed. Steve seemed entirely unbothered, his gaze once again locked on the pretty omega’s.

“Is your cunt working your slick hard enough precious?” He murmured directly into her ear, lips brushing the skin gently. “If those muscles aren’t strong enough we might have to put in a bit more effort to stretch you out. Squeeze around my fingers baby.”

Carol’s eyes rolled back when a breathy whine escaped the omega, the only perceivable reaction that might’ve betrayed her fear—otherwise, whatever magic Loki had used made her eyes shine with bliss. Steve had two fingers knuckle deep in her cunt, still pressing forward while his slick coated thumb swept up through her folds to pass over her clit. She shook under the grasp of his packmates, hips shifting without her consent to follow the movement of his hand.

“Come on sweetheart, please?” Steve implored quietly, looking at the loosely pinned omega with soft eyes. “Clench your pussy for me, let me take care of you. Please, I—oh, there you go, that’s a good girl.”

He hummed, working his fingers deeper into her cunt and scissoring them carefully. A smile lit the prime’s face when the cutest hiccupping moan escaped the omega, her legs pressing futilely against his hold. Muscle memory tried to guide her legs closed but Carol easily slipped a hand around her knee, keeping her spread wide while Steve continued to stretch her pussy. Another bass toned growl from Thor reverberated off the walls and she wailed, slick dripping over Steve’s fingers while her pussy contracted in waves as commanded by the prime’s guttural growl.

“I’m gonna take care of you precious,” her low whine prompted a moan from Steve as he added a third finger, carefully pressing the pads of his fingers up against her g-spot. “You’ll feel so much better once we fuck you, I promise.”

Carol watched with heavily lidded eyes as the omega’s attention was sparked by Steve’s use of the collective we. Likely it was only Loki’s magic that kept her from lashing out as viciously as they knew she was capable of. In spite of it, her little teeth showed, sharp incisors flashing in a botched hiss. The prime poised himself over her carefully with a small grin, fingers still fucking into her with vigor while he rested his weight on his elbow next to her head.

“It’s gonna be okay omega, it’s gonna be okay,” he cooed quietly against her ear, removing his hand only to pull his cock from his pants. “Take deep breaths, baby.”

“Don’t—” She didn’t sound distressed, the omega sounded aroused and desperate, “I—”

“Shhhh,” the prime’s lips skimmed over her cheeks, down her nose while his hand guided his dick up and down her slick folds until he was dripping with her arousal. “I’m gonna take care of you, precious. We’re gonna take care of you.”

The sound that escaped the omega’s lips as he slipped into her was goosebump inducing in the best way. She whined as the head popped in, breath hitching with every millimetre that came thereafter—and there were a lot of them. The omega was squirming, her heels scrambling against the blankets and both Loki and Carol found themselves having to focus much harder than expected on keeping her still while Steve bottomed out.

“You’re doing so well, darling,” Loki cooed, his nose brushing the line of her jaw. “I know it’s a lot but you’re taking it beautifully. Stay still love, just relax we’ll hold you.”

“That’s right ‘mega,” Steve groaned as he withdrew, the squelch of her cunt making his teeth clench. “We’ll do all the work precious, you just have to be a good girl and take my cock.”

It was easier said than done and everyone in the room save Thor was fully aware of that. The omega’s sweet little whines and cries were causing a massive feedback loop of arousal in the pack’s consciousness and Carol was pretty sure she could hear the sounds of several people going at it but she couldn’t pull her gaze away from where Steve’s cock was drilling into that pretty cunt. Evidently said feedback loop was also affecting Steve, who very suddenly growled possessively.

“Carol, Loki, off,” The prime snapped barely hesitating before dropping his elbows into the pillows on either side of the omega’s head, narrowly avoiding giving his pack mates concussions. “Now.”

Both the alpha and the delta were yanked off the bed by their ankles—well, Carol was yanked off the bed. Loki was yanked off the bed and then promptly thrown into the wall by said ankles. The reinforced exterior wall meant there was only a small dent where the god had landed, but the ensuing ruckus had a strong potential of causing even more damage. Thor immediately turned to deal with the problem, along with several other packmates.

Several things occurred in the next few seconds and the pack would probably fight about what really happened for the next twenty years, but somehow Bucky was thrown through the window and Tony’s right ring finger was broken.

And Wanda—poor Wanda, Thor pushed her out of the way before Bucky could accidentally take her through the window with him. The beta was sent flying, sailing across the bed until she hit the unyielding form of Steve. He startled in shock, immediately drawing back to assess her condition—only for a heel to slam directly into his nose. The prime’s head snapped back from the force, big body falling backwards while his hands scrambled for purchase on his face.

The omega probably would’ve even gotten down the stairs if Natasha hadn’t been ascending the stairs at that moment, having heard the commotion from where she and Clint had been putting away groceries. The redhead smelled her before seeing her, a somewhat sinister grin pulling Nat’s lips when the omega ran directly into her while attempting escape #2.

“Now where are you going, kitten? With that mess dripping down your thighs,” the beta cooed, head tilting as she scented the air. “Why can I smell Steve on you, but not his cum?”

There was a horrible, long pause while the omega seemed to consider her options before landing on Go For Broke. She attempted to dodge past Natasha but the beta’s strong arm immediately lashed around her waist, her superior strength making it easy to force her up the stairs even as she refused to hold her own weight.

Steve met them just two steps from the top, dick out and covered in blood. The prime’s expression wasn’t so much angry as it was disappointed and Natasha hummed in false sympathy.

“Someone’s been naughty, huh kitten?”

content warnings: nonconsensual sex, voyeurism

#avengers x reader #steve rogers x reader #thor x reader #loki x reader #sam wilson x reader #carol danvers x reader #wanda maximoff x reader #clint barton x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #bruce banner x reader #tony stark x reader #bucky barnes x reader #dark!avengers #omegaverse #abo dynamics #will potentially reblog with tags if i remember no promises

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chaoticallysapphic · 4 years ago

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Oh my heart part three

-Summary: Lin never expected to have a soulmate, in a world where your mark appears whenever your soulmate is born she grew up completely blank. So when she’s thirty and it finally etches itself around her arm, she vows to never be with the one meant only for her.

A/N: soooo I’ve never written a kiss before, please give me constructive criticism on it so I can better my writing. This is the last part and I’m really happy with the ending, please let me know which part of this whole series was your favorite!

Word count: 6k

When Lin wakes up, all she feels is the mind splitting pain from her blow, flashes of what happen play in her mind, the last thing she remembers is hearing you scream her name. You, Lin, forces her eyes open which is a task an of itself, and tries to sit up, her muscles spasm and give out, causing her to fall back down onto where she is laying, wherever she is its moving; Tenzin comes into her eyesight, he leans over her as he checks her pupils and her pulse. “Thank spirits you're all right, I was worried for a minu-”

“You just left my sister?!” Lin hears Korra scream from somewhere nearby. No, no she can’t have heard her correctly, Lin tries to sit up once more but Tenzin tries to push her back down.

“Get off of me” she growls out, sitting up so she can finally see the group in front of her. It’s Korra with her fists clenched and her face all pinched and red, she looks like she may very well kill everyone on board, yes, Lin realizes now that they are on the police force blimp. “We couldn’t find her and tanks were shooting at us, we didn’t ha-”

“Where’s y/n?” Lin asks, all heads turn to Lin and Korra points at Bolin and Mako, spitting out “ask them, they just left her behind! Amon probably has her now!” Korra storms off, hitting the wall with her firebending on the way out.

Mako rubs the back of his neck, he does look sorry and Bolin looks like he’s on the verge of tears. Asami is the one who speaks up “When we got down there they were loading your officers into some trucks, they must have already put y/n on there because she wasn’t with you three.” Lin’s heart stops, your gone and the last words she may have ever said to you was “don’t be a nuisance,” fuck. Lin’s head falls into her hands as she tries to keep her breathing even, she pushed you away like everyone else, and like everyone else you left even if it was against your will. All those silly daydreams that she had scolded herself for having, all those desires, she never even got to say how your laugh makes every little worry on her mind vanish.

Tenzin places a hand on her shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze “we’ll find your officers Lin.” Oh right, fuck, not only did she let y/n down but also her officers. How is she going to tell all their families? How will she face the citizens of republic city after failing to protect them like she swore she would? Tenzin tries to push Lin back into laying down and this time she relents, her mind is swirling with the possibilities of what's happening to you right now but none of them are good, even if you do come out alive your bending will be taken away.

“From the looks of it she put up a fight, there was water everywhere…” Asami murmurs out somewhere behind her, Lin squeezes her eyes shut, maybe if she tries hard enough you’ll magically appear, maybe if she promises the spirits she’ll be nicer to everyone, especially you, they’ll give you back to her.

Back, Lin never had you in the first place, she shut you out and squashed any chance there may have been, at the time it seemed smart but now she lays here wishing she had kissed you at least once. On the tram she almost did, when you stepped closer to her Lin's thoughts were engulfed in you, her senses were filled with you, the scent of your perfume, your voice, and even your touch. She’d wanted to pull you into a never-ending kiss right there in front of everyone, wanted to throw all caution to the wind and finally let herself be yours.

Instead, she’d snapped at you with some vicious reply that she doesn’t even remember all too well, just that she called you a nuisance and the devastating look on your face at her response. She had to turn away from you, she couldn’t look into your eyes or else she knew she’d have caved. She would have held your face in her hands and given a million sincere apologies in hopes of erasing that look from your face.

Lin uses the last of her strength to turn her back on the bickering group of teens and falls back to sleep, except this time all she dreams about is finding you dead in some ditch.

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Lin spent her time on bed rest with you and her officers on her mind. She was deeply ashamed of her failure, she even had nightmares about if she did find you. In them you were either dead or close to it, in one you even declined her help to get medical attention and told her you’d rather die than live your life with her as a soulmate. That one had truly shattered her. There's a radio beside her bed, for the most part, it played nonsensical talk shows with mind-numbing segments, the only reason she had it on was that sometimes a police report was given.

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this special report. Late last night equalists attacked city hall subduing councilman Tarlock and capturing avatar Korra details are still coming in but-” Lin turns it off and forces herself out of bed, pain erupts in her right arm and she has to stop for a second to hold it and let the pain subdue, it doesn’t completely disappear but it’s enough to get her out of bed.

She lets out a pained groan and heads over to the closet that has her clothes inside, her uniform stares at her mockingly, reminding her that she’s no longer chief of police but right now isn’t time for a pity party, so she gets out of her pajamas and into her usual white tank top and pants then metal bends the armor on. Lin looks down at her breastplate and stares at her pin that marks as such and rips it off, tossing it onto her nightstand. She has to find Korra, you’d want her to find Korra.

Lin leaves the hospital with a coat over her armor to not so subtly hide what she's wearing underneath and storms off to retrieve Asami from her cell. She metal bends the door off and soon the two are off, Asami is walking next to her, trying to keep up with the pace “we’re gonna find them, I know we will” Asami says, Lin sighs and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. She hope’s so.

She busts Bolin and Mako out next, reluctantly but she knows her best bet at finding everyone in time is with them by her side. Her next destination is Tenzin's office, once inside she finds him sitting at his desk on the telephone, he eyes them, a surprised look appearing on his face which causes Lin to roll her eyes. Did he expect her to pout until someone else fixed this mess?

“I… have to go,” he says to whoever is on the other end of the line. “Call me back the minute you hear anything-” he immediately ends the call, going to stand from his seat with his hands up in the air. “- Lin what... What are… what are you” he sputters out before his shoulders sag and he gives her an exasperated look. “You should be in the hospital! And you three-” he begins, pointing his fingers at the younger three of the group, “- should be in prison!”

“I figured you could use our help finding Korra” she replies, she wants to say find you, but she knows her best bet at finding you is through your sister, and if Lin found you first, you’d be enraged to find your little sister missing. They all theorize on how to start the search, Asami, Bolin, and Mako run off after Mako says he might know where to go. Lin looks up at Tenzin, letting out a deep sigh “wherever Amon is keeping Korra, I bet that's where y/n and my officers are too.”

Tenzin looks into Lin’s eyes and says with the utmost confidence “let's bring them all home Lin.” Everyone eventually boards Oogi and Mako directs Tenzin where to go. Besides his directions it's utterly quiet on the back of the sky bison, everyone is tense and buzzing with the hope that his hunch is correct. Eventually, they land in a city square and upon climbing down Mako immediately runs over to one of the streets “the truck that took Bolin went this way” he states, pointing at the winding road.

They walk down the street for at least two blocks before coming to an intersection, everyone slowly comes to a halt as Asami breaks the silence “which way?” Bolin strokes his chin as he steps closer to the street in front of them and replies “this way seems familiar.”

Lin, not wanting to go out on a hunch, especially one made by him, bends one of her shoes off and slams her foot down, she closes her eyes as she tries to see what's beneath the surface. A tunnel! It's to the left instead of straight and Lin bends her shoe back on, pointing left “there's a tunnel nearby!”

They break off into a sprint once more and come upon an unused storm drain that has a massive tunnel covered by a metal grate. Motorcycle tracks are leading into the tunnel, confirming their growing suspicions. “Korra has to be in there… somewhere,” Mako says as Lin bends the gate upwards with a bang.

They walk for at least fifteen minutes before they come to a grinding halt, in front of them are five separate tunnels splitting off into different directions. Mako is bending some fire in his hand to help illuminate their path. He doesn’t stop though, he points to a tunnel and tells them he thinks it's this way. With no other option, they all follow after him and continue their descent into the unknown. Soon they hear the revving of motorcycles behind them, Lin orders them all to hide and they all press themselves into a hidden nook. A secret door opens up for the cyclists and they speed inside without a single idea of what they’ve just done.

That pesky feeling of hope blooms in Lin’s chest once more, she runs over to the secret door that has since been shut and feels around before bending it open. It slams open and without a second to lose they race down this secret tunnel with abandon. There's a large room before them with equalists working inside, there are multiple vehicles inside and a tram system leading down three tunnels straight ahead.

One of the trams arrives and an equalist with a feminine voice walks up to the one holding a clipboard and says “everything was delivered to the prison, sir.” Both are fools, far too comfortable with the area because they walk away leaving the contraption unattended. “That’s where they must be keeping Korra” Tenzin whispers. And y/n, Lin thinks, she squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, forcing herself to focus and says “we need to get down that tunnel.”

She waves at them, signaling them to follow her as she sneaks towards the tram. Once onboard, Asami drives it for them, going as fast as she can while Tenzin and Lin stand upfront, on guard for anything that may be lurking in the shadows. Once they see a light ahead seeping into the otherwise dark tunnel Lin orders them off and everyone presses their backs against the wall as the tram continues speeding down to the landing.

“It’s empty,” one idiotic officer says, and another reply in a snarky tone “yeah, I can see that.” Before either can investigate further, Lin shoots out her metal wires and yanks them into the darkness with them. She knocks them out, perhaps a bit too harshly but she’s beyond caring and ties them up so they can’t run off to warn anyone else. Using her aseismic senses, she’s able to locate her men… but not y/n.

“What about Korra?” Mako questions, his tone borderline irritable. Lin keeps a calm composure and replies “I don’t see her yet.” Mako and Tenzin follow Lin as she leads the way through the prison, all of the cells they pass are empty, strange. When they turn a corner two guards are waiting, as they ready themselves for a fight, Tenzin uses his bending to knock them out against the walls. Too easy.

When Lin finally finds their cell, all of them are sitting on their bunks with their heads down. Lin bends the bars apart but none of them seem to care as they stare up at her. “Chief Beifong?” officer Song asks, his voice is weak and Lin immediately knows that she’s failed her men.

“I’m too late, aren’t I? That monster already took your bending, didn’t he?” Song nods, his face solemn and Lin clenches her fists, having to look away from him or else she might just crack. “I’m so sorry... Come on, let's get you out of here” Lin turns her back on them and hears them follow after her, that means yours is gone too, wherever you are.

When Lin rounds the corner, she finds Mako holding one of the guards against the wall, one of his fists alight with fire. “I scanned the entire prison, Korra and y/n aren’t here.”

“Why would Tarlock make up a story about getting attacked?” Mako drops the guy and the guard falls to the floor, there's liquid on the floor beneath him that wasn’t there before, that wimp pissed himself. “Because he has Korra” she replies, Lin pushes past Mako and squats down to be eye level with the shaking guard, she wraps her hand around his neck but doesn’t put any pressure on him, it’s a threat and his eyes widen in fear as he realizes it. “W-We don’t have the avatar! I… I swea-”

“Where is y/n, she most likely came in on the same truck as my officers” Lin demands. The color drains from his face at her question, he begins stuttering out some kind of incoherent reply about how he doesn’t know but she can tell he’s lying through his teeth. Lin applies pressure and asks again. “Where. Is. She?”

“Sh-she killed her guards, they took her to a special place!” the guard has spit falling out of the side of his mouth, tears racing down his cheeks, she loosens her hold just a bit. Did you kill someone? It must have been before they took your bending away. “Where?!”

“It’s done below, you have to take an eleva-”

“Show me” she growls out, she yanks him up to his feet and pushes him away from the wall, he stumbles a bit but Tenzin catches his forearm, she can tell he’s not too pleased with her but she doesn’t care. Mako leads Lin's men back to the tram while Tenzin stays with her, keeping his hold on the blubbering guard. He leads them back down where the officers were held but keeps moving forward. There’s a locked door made of solid platinum, the guard pulls a switch out of his pocket and flicks it, causing the door to harshly slide open with a bang. He keeps leading them, his shoulders shaking.

They go down a twisting staircase and stop at an elevator stationed at the halfway point. He opens the metal sliding doors up and the three climb inside. There are a million buttons on the panel in front of them, if Lin came alone she’d have no clue where to start, but thankfully this wimp knows exactly what button to press.

“Oh man, Amons gonna kill me” he sobs out, snot drips into his mouth as he throws his head into his hands. Tenzin gives Lin a look of discomfort, neither are good at comforting people, both can’t be around someone whos crying without becoming incredibly uncomfortable. Tenzin lets out a sigh when he realizes Lin won’t give in.

“We’ll take you with us, so he can’t,” he says softly, the guards head flies up to look at Tenzin, the air bender takes a step back as snot and spit going flying, Lin scrunches her nose up in disgust. “Really?” he whispers, Tenzin nods and before he can even stop it, the guard flings his arms around him and squeezes him tight. Lin feels a chuckle bubbling up her throat at the sight of Tenzin's horrified gaze, he mouths ‘help me’ but Lin just turns her head to look at the door. The elevator dings and the doors creak open to reveal a dark hallway ahead of them. The guard pulls away from Tenzin and pats his shoulder, offering him a smile full of gratitude.

He leads them down the hall before they stop at another door, also made of platinum. Once again he pulls out his controller full of switches and flicks one, making the door slam open. Its pitch black inside, Lin takes a hesitant step inside. The sound of something scraping against the floor echoed through the room and Lin steps out of the way just seconds before you appear, holding up a metal chair, you swing it where she once was.

“Y/n,” Lin says, she sees your arms shaking as you drop the chair, you fall to your knees from exerting to much energy, “Lin?” your voice is hoarse, and when you lift your head to glance up at her, something inside of her cracks. Your hair is matted with dry blood, the side of your face is caked in it and there are bags under your eyes, your skin is so pale and despite only being locked up for a week you look so weak, your cheeks are hollowed out.

Lin finally knocks herself out of her thoughts when she hears you whimper and she scrambles down onto her knees to cup your face, she inspects you for any open wounds, or signs of illness, you bring one of your hands up to loosely grip her wrist and Lin gasps at the sight of your bloodied fingers.

“She… uh she was scratching a lot when we first put her in here,” he says hesitantly. Lin’s head swings over to him, suddenly the promise Tenzin made seems impossible, she wants to kill him and anyone else involved in your suffering.

“Why?” Lin spits out before he can answer her you reply softly “it was so dark.” Lin pulls you into her arms, burrowing her head into the crook of your neck, you fall into her arms, letting go of any tension within you as you become pliant to her will.

Someone clears their throat and Lin lifts her head to see Tenzin staring at her in confusion. “We should hurry,” he says, Lin nods and goes to stand but you grip onto her shoulders, she looks down and sees you try to stand, but your legs shake and you almost fall back down. She catches you and picks you up bridal style, you rest your head on her shoulder and close your eyes when you come out into the light. You hiss due to the pain and burrow your face into the fabric of her coat.

Something warm lights up her heart at the action but she smothers it, now's not the time. On the way back to the others Tenzin continues to stare at Lin oddly as the guard continues to lead them out.

You're sure this is a dream, you screamed for anyone down below, begged the spirits for a savior, and sobbed for mercy. But you gave up hope after a few days inside, it seemed you’d been left to rot, every few days someone would stop by with a small bowl of what can only be described as kitchen scraps and a sip of water. They were prolonging what felt like the inevitable, you felt so close to death, with your bending gone you had become weakened and you didn’t have any water to help strengthen you.

Halfway back to the others an ear-splitting siren went off as the lights in the prison repeatedly flashed red. Everyone broke into a sprint and ran down the stairs that reunited them with the others.

“Let's go, people!” Bolin calls out as everyone boards the tram, once inside Asami speeds off, behind them a set of headlights flashes as another tram picks up speed, Lin sees Bolin bend the tunnel into collapsing right on top of the second tram and if not for the situation she might have given him a pat on the back. Lin gives you to Tenzin who carefully holds you close as she shouts out “We got more company, hang on!” she shouts as she bends a metal vent to act as a ramp for them. Due to the speed of the tram, it keeps its momentum, she then bends away from the earth in front of them to allow them to enter another tunnel above.

The tram screeches as it's off its tracks and now on the stone before abruptly coming to a halt, everyone groans, the impact has caused them to either fly from their seats or in poor Asami’s case, bang her head into the metal wall in front of her. Tenzin had used his air bending to keep both of you seated, adding enough pressure that when everyone went flying, you both just experienced a jolt.

Lin opens up a hole above, letting the sun shed light on the otherwise dim tunnel. Tenzin gets everyone out with his air bending, including the officer that Lin is most definitely arresting and sentencing to life if she can have anything to do with it. Once up above, Lin goes to take you from his arms but Tenzin pulls back and stares her down.

“What was that about down there?” he questions. In another world Tenzin would have been the one fretting over you, he’d taken you both in and sworn to your parents that he’d protect you. Whilst Korra was a bit rough and hard to handle, you’d play with his children, you kept Jinora company when she felt left out, and helped feed the sky bison whenever you could.

You’d already talked to Pema about how you’d help with the delivery of their next child you’d briefly trained at a healing school in the southern tribe before you decided to follow Korra here and had helped many women deliver healthy babies into the world. You were like a daughter to him, so Lin's unusual display of affection almost unnerved him.

Before Lin can come up with some kind of retort, you turn your head, your eyes squinted as you try to adjust to the light. “Lin?” you say, you reach out for her and without thinking of Tenzin she steps closer and grabs your hand. “I need to take her to the hospital Tenzin and you need to deal with Tarlock.”

Tenzin scowls before carefully handing you to Lin, almost immediately you clutch her coat and snuggle in as close as you can. His brows knit together as the pieces of the puzzle finally snap into place. “But…” he begins, Lin stops him before he can bombard her with questions. “I need to get her to a doctor as soon as possible.” She knows later down the line she’ll have to have a long talk with him, explaining herself and… this thing between the two of you. She rushes off in the direction of the hospital, it’s four blocks away which isn’t too far but she’s filled with fear that somehow you’ll die in her arms if she doesn’t hurry. Once inside the waiting room, Lin calls out for help and two nurses rush forward with a wheelchair once they see you in her arms.

They whisk you away, or try to, one of the nurses tries to convince Lin to stay behind but she won’t be separated from you, not until she knows you're completely safe. “She’s my soulmate and I’ll arrest anyone who tries to keep me away from her right now.” That shuts her up. Lin’s never pulled that kind of card before, and honestly, she wouldn’t arrest someone unless they’d done something illegal but you're getting farther away and her heart is beating faster. The nurse blanches and Lin takes that as her queue to run after you.

The same doctor who looked after Lin, which he repeatedly tries to convince her to go back to her room and rest, to which she declines, looks you over for any injuries. The back of your head is healing, very slowly though and it doesn’t look like it’s been properly cleaned so he has one of the nurses do that as he checks the rest of your body.

“Does it hurt anywhere besides your head and your hands?” he asks, to which you can’t offer a proper reply. Everywhere hurts, you're sore and weak and you feel like if you close your eyes you may never open them again. The doctor sighs, “we need some bone broth and -” he starts listing off medicines to the nurses who scurry off and he orders two others to clean your fingers which elicits a pained groan out of you.

Lin kneels and stays there the whole time, once the nurse arrives with a warm bowl of broth Lin takes it from her and helps you sip it. She nudges her arm underneath your neck to prop your head up and gently brings the bowl up to your lips before tilting it slowly to allow only a little at a time. You happily drink it but can only get about halfway before you claim your too full to continue.

She frowns but relents, not wanting to push you. Eventually, the nurses move you to a proper bed, one like Lin’s, after they clean you up and tuck you underneath the blankets. You’ve long since fallen asleep and the sun is beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow throughout the room. You already look a bit better, one of the nurses gave Lin a warm, wet cloth when asked so she could gently wipe your face clean of all the dried up blood. It’s been roughly two hours since Lin entered the hospital and she already wants out, but not without you. This is a public place and therefore means it's easier to attack, if she lets her guard down Amon may very well try to steal you away once more.

Tenzin and the others, sans Korra, enters the hospital room as Lin finishes wiping up the dirt above your brow and when she hears them, she immediately sets the cloth onto the table, embarrassment floods through her at being caught and she knows she shouldn’t care but she does.

“Tarlock is a blood bender,” Bolin says, raising his hands in the air “and he has Korra!” Mako jabs Bolin in the stomach as everyone shushes him, you stir, letting out a groan before stilling once more, thankfully he didn’t wake you, or Lin definitely would have knocked some sense into him.

“We should all go to air temple island, we’ll be safer together-” Lin goes to speak up, she won’t leave you behind “- y/n will too. I spoke with a nurse outside who says she doesn’t have any serious injuries, just malnourished and therefore very weak. Food and rest will help.” He clears his throat and looks Lin in the eyes “I’d like to speak outside for a moment.”

She stands up, knowing that she needs to get this talk over with. Asami takes Lin's seat beside you as she walks out of the room and down the hall just enough so that they are out of earshot. “She’s my soulmate” Lin starts, her hand once more grazes the burnt mark that now fills her with so much regret. Tenzin looks away before letting out a deep sigh.

“How?” he questions. She lied to him for so long, he’s seen her body bare and knows that she doesn’t have a mark, anymore. His eyes follow her hand and a look of shock takes over his features “It wasn’t a work-related accident, was it?” His jaw clenches as he stares her down. She burnt it right before they went out for the first time, he’d claimed he would find the man responsible for her scar but she’d always shrugged it off. It makes sense.

“No… I was ashamed” she grits her teeth as she remembers sobbing over the burn, telling herself to get over it and that it was for the better. That she’d be happy with Tenzin and wouldn’t need some infantile immature young adult in her life. But you aren’t immature, you're so strong and courageous, she’s seen how you care for those around you and honestly, she doesn’t get how your friends with Bolin and Mako since they are both downright annoying whilst you are anything but.

“And now?” he questions, she knows he probably has a million little judgments he wants to spew out, most likely scold her for something that she can’t control and she’s grateful for him reigning it and trying to remain calm. She doesn’t think she can handle anything else that requires even an ounce of effort after how today has gone.

“I tried to push her away, I told her it wouldn’t work but…” Lin tries to find her next words but there's a lump forming in her throat and she will not cry, not in public, and definitely not in front of Tenzin.

“But she was captured” he finishes for her and she sharply nods, staring at some water stain on the wall up above his right shoulder. “I want you to be happy Lin, even if this does seem strange to me, if you both make each other happy then I’ll get over my preconceived judgments and support you both.”

Lin simply nods, tears are threatening to fall from her eyes so she mutters a “thank you” and heads to the bathroom to compose herself. Tenzin understands, he heads back to your hospital room as Lin barges into the thankfully empty bathroom and begins to cry. You're fine, you're safe and relatively healthy and you will be fine. All she can hope is that once you’ve recovered you’ll forgive her, Lin never apologizes or admits she's wrong but for you, she’ll do so in an instant. She’ll get on her knees for you, beg you even. She’ll be humiliated but it will have been worth it if you give her another shot, one that she’ll make sure she doesn’t screw up.

Tenzin’s approval means so much to her, he probably doesn’t realize it either. She might never be close to him again after what happened but she still sees him as her family, if he’d have shamed her Lin wouldn’t have been able to go on, which she’ll never let him know.

Lin wipes the tears out of her eyes and waits until the redness and puffiness die down before leaving the bathroom and heading back into your room. You're sitting up and are listening to Tenzin with a tired smile on your face as he talks to you about who knows what. Your hair is still caked in dried up blood with bags under your eyes but still, you take Lins breath away.

Tenzin ushers everyone out of the room to give the two of you privacy, Bolin puts up a bit of a fight but relents when Lin fixes him with a glare that has him racing on out of the room before anyone else. Tenzin places his hand on Lin’s shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze before shutting the door behind him on the way out.

“Lin” you begin and in an instant, she’s rushing over to your side, she stops herself just as she’s about to take your hand, worried about your reaction. You slowly reach your hand up and interlock your fingers, there’s this look on your face like you're waiting for Lin to pull away in disgust. Instead, Lin gives your hand a gentle squeeze and slowly sits on the stool beside her bed like before.

“I’m sorry,” she says earnestly before you can say whatever was on the tip of your tongue. Your eyes widen but you don’t respond, you're waiting for her to continue, to elaborate so you don’t end up getting hurt again.

“I..” Lin gulps, “I thought I’d be a burden to you, I’m old, practically married to my job, I definitely won’t be winning any awards for my personality-” you crack a smile at that, it warms her heart “-and I don’t want kids. I thought maybe you’d want someone like Bolin or Mako because they could give you those kinds of things I can’t, I like to be in bed by nine and I’ve never even set foot in a dance club before. I’m… I’m not young like you.”

“Are you done?” you ask, Lin furrows her brows but otherwise nods, your other hand, the one not holding Lin's hand comes up to rest on her scarred cheek. “Did you ever think that maybe I want everything you can give me? No matter how much or how little it may be. I don’t want kids, sure they're nice but they are messy and time-consuming, it’s a job for life with no weekends.” Lin laughs at that, spirits, she doesn’t know if she believes you, it seems too good to be true.

“I can’t take someone else leaving me” she states, a pained look settling on her features. Your eyes soften and you pull Lin closer to you, she’s leaning against the bed now, your noses almost touching. You rub your thumb soothingly across her cheek, you're trying to find the right words to say. You can’t mess this up.

“I can’t promise I’ll never get mad at you or I'll never irritate you. We’ll probably have a string of fights throughout our years together but… I’ll never leave you, Lin, you’re all I want out of this life.” Lin’s eyes widen as unshed tears brim at the corners of her eyes. She’s never been told something so heartfelt, so romantic before.

She leans up further until your lips are inches apart and waits for a breath, waits to see if you’ll pull away, and claim that this is all a joke. But instead, you close the gap and let go of her hand just so you can cup both sides of her face. Your lips are so soft and delicate as you pull her closer until your chest to chest like back on the tram. Lin deepens the kiss, her hands resting on your waist, she’s too scared of gripping you in fear of hurting you in your fragile state. You lick the bottom of her lip and she opens her mouth all too eagerly, her knee is now resting on the edge of the bed so she can wrap her arms around you, pulling you flush against her.

Too soon you pull away from her, panting against her mouth and when Lin opens her eyes she has to fight the urge to pull you back into another passionate kiss. Your pupils are blown, cheeks flushed a deep red with swollen lips. She tries to capture it within her mind for safekeeping

“I think I love you” you whisper, your voice is hoarse and you thread your fingers through her hair, lightly gripping it. Lin has to keep herself from moaning at said action. That cynical side of her brain shouts within her skull that you're lying but Lin ignores it, she pecks you on the lips which you eagerly try to deepen but she pulls away just a few inches so she can talk.

“I think I love you too,” Lin whispers, too scared of breaking this moment that almost feels sacred. A smile spreads across your lips as you pull her into a kiss once more. Lin happily kisses you, her heart blooms with a million budding roses, all for you as she finally lets go of all her fears, all her insecurities, and enjoys the feel of you against her. Finally, she thinks

#lin beifong #lin beifong x reader #lin beifong/reader #lin/reader #lin beifong fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #lok #legend of korra #korra #tenzin #bolin #mako #asami sato #sato #mega gay

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 5 years ago

Text

Humans are Space Orcs, “Armor.”

A ton of changes have been going on at my college right now. So sorry for not getting this out at a good time. This is all my brain wanted to right today, because I am kind of out of it right now. but I hope you still like it.

I was standing in the warm morning sun. It beat down onto my back as I stood, feet cool against the damp moss. A soft breeze whipped at my bare chest and stirred around the hair on my face and jaw.

I lean against the spear staring out over the horizon eyes narrowed as I attempted to spot any incoming hostiles.

The more northern clans had been encroaching on our territory lately, and our Sentinel said they were likely to mount a full scale attack within the next few lunar cycles. I tended to believe him.

The thought makes me very worried, for one giant primary reason.

I am a human and these guys are Drev.

IF you don’t know what drev are you probably living under a rock but just to refresh your memories. Six limb 7-10 foot tall monstrosities with a glorious history of cultural combat practices. Humans: 5-7 foot tall monstrosities with a history of trying to avoid glorious combat whenever possible in lieu of chucking explosives at each other over long distances.

Yeah, those guys.

But about six months ago I had taken a trip to Anum to get my head back on straight. The war with the Burg had brought up some…. Deep personal problems I wasn’t aware I still had one of the primary ones being that I hadn’t yet gotten over what happened during Operation Steel eye, when the UNSC welded an exoskeleton to my spine and then shot me full of opiates and amphetamines

But that was a long time ago.

Still, the memories were sharp. I thought not thinking about them would solve my problems, but it turned out it just bottled them up to deal with at a later date.

So I had stepped away from the situation, taken civilian transport to Anum, the place where it had all gone down, and integrated myself into one of the Drev clans fully on their side this time.

I had left a lot of friends and family behind. I had left my crew behind, but I knew that this was something that I needed to do before returning, before actually getting back to myself.

Yeah, yeah I get that it sounds like some kind of new age bullshit, but I guess whatever works.

And damn was it working.

Maybe if it wasn’t going to work for my mental issues it would definitely work for any physical ones I had.

I haven't been in this good a shape ever.

Probably look the best I ever have minus the bad haircut and short scruffy beard.

Hair which was still dyed green by the way.

I sense him coming before I see him, moving up from the rocks at my back. He isn’t trying to hide himself, but Drev are kind of like that in a way. They are quieter than they might first appear.

I still keep my eyes on the horizon.

“Jastish stadik?”

“je. “

He wants to know if I have seen anything, but I haven’t.”

“Juhkee zhe tsak tatal tanantahik.”

I stepped down and out of his way as he took my spot on guard duty.

“Ts Zhin.” I say holding up a hand in goodbye and turning back towards the village leaving him to stare out at the rising sun.

I take the shortcut, cutting down a shallow gully, leaping from rock to rock my feet sure against the stone and moss. Another chill wind blows past me causing an eruption of goosebumps over my back and torso. I glance over towards the mountains which have been more active as of late. The dark season is on its way, and I know that my time here is growing short.

I approach the edge of the village stopping when I see a familiar figure crouched over the moss plucking bulb fruit from where it grows in the fertile, volcanic soil.

I pull to a stop beside her old wizened form, “Nak.” I say

Hijan looks up at me her warm honey eyes scrunching in a sort of smile. She likes it when I call her that.

“Tsata.” she beckons me forward, and I kneel on the moss next to her reaching out to pluck one of the ripe fruits.

She ignores the fruit taking my face in her hands to examine me turning my head this way and that.

She plays with my hair eyes narrowed with dissatisfaction. She rubs the stubble on the side of my face.

“Etatan.” furry

I smile, “Yid zhe rekazi.” I know.

I don’t even bother trying to pill away from her hands as she tries to fix my hair. I have tried to keep it short, but cutting your hair with a hunting knife is never an advised practice, and even I know I have done a questionable job. Hijan has been doing it for me, but its not like she went to cosmetic school.

I look like a caveman.

Aside from the colorful hair, nails.

She brushes my hair back looking at me in a contemplative manner of some kind, “zhe tsajat tsa dadik.” She finally says motioning me to follow her.

She wants to show me something.

Curious, I stand and follow after her my feet passing over sun warmed rock. The sun is up now, and one of their moons hangs just above and to the right.

We head towards her little cottage at the side of the village greeting others as we walk through the town. I can already hear the sound of the morning drills.

One of the Drev officers nods to us from where he sits by his cottage. In his arms he holds a tiny bundle.

I've seen Latinar’s newborn, she's super cute, and he even let me hold her.

That interesting thing about Drev society. Once the kits are born, the father is the primary caretaker while the mother goes off to war. I mean this is primarily because the males are the only ones that can feed the kits. Ha ha they have pit nipples.

Yeah, you heard me right, Under either of their lower pair of arms.

They have two even though twins for Drev are extremely rare, like stupid rare.

When the kit finally reaches its first lunar marker, the father will have the opportunity to name the kid.

He told me he’s thinking about naming her Ralata.

So he’s pretty much naming his kid dirt, but I suppose our connotations of dirt and their connotations of dirt are much different. He fades into the background as we reach Hijan’s cottage, and we step inside.

The moss covering the roof is mostly turquoise, so the light that filters down is almost blue. When it does, I am surprised to see a set of armor pieces resting against the ground glittering in the blue light.

I look at her, confused, “Nin tin?’” What is this?

She takes a hand and nudges me forward.

“Zhe teeya tsa nak chazi.” I made it for you

Hesitantly, I walk over and kneel next to the pieces.

Armor

Beautifully made armor.

Wide-eyed, I run my hands over the warm metal pieces. This is like nothing I have ever seen before. Like No Drev or human armor. Drev armor. This armor has straps: which most Drev armor doesn’t, but it is like no human armor in the way that it is designed and crafted

“Tsa sdarat nak zhegingish?”

I turn to look at her, “Well of course I want to try it!”

In my excitement I forget which language we are speaking, but she seems to understand, and is very happy with my enthusiasm.

She moves forward and shows me how to put all the pieces together. It is a very complicated system, and I am reminded that, like Sunny, hijan was originally trained as an engineer. The lower pieces buckle on, but the upper pieces slide into each other.

And there are a lot of pieces which interlock over each other thickest around my chest and shoulders. Some for my thighs and arms and shins. She even made gloves for my hands, which is kind of crazy considering Drev don’t use gloves.

I shift in place testing the armor.

It’s heavy, but not as heavy as I thought it should be.

I was getting a bit of a medieval feel, though in a way more badass way.

She stand sbefore me looking very pleased with herself.

“Wow.” I mutter

She holds up the last peace smiling, and I lower my head, so she can place on the helmet.

When it’s all done, I look up at her, and I can see the pride in her eyes.

“Tsa cheekish.”

“Yid nezanin.” Of course, of course a thousand times of course I like it.

She beams with pleasure.

“Tsa Daklan!” You’re Amazing

“Zhe rekazi.” I know

I laugh and after a second of thought, I hug her. She’s much taller than me, so I am pretty much hugging her waist like a child. She steps back a bit in surprise, but then seems happy wrapping all four of her arms around me.

Our moment is ruined almost immediately as the alarm is raised, and we break apart.

She points me towards the door, “Ajish.”

“J tsa.”

“Ajish! Zhe tahaji.”

Folowing her orders, I turn on my heels and run from the hut, the armor clinking around my body. It’s harder to run in this, but I am in good shape.

Outside, everyone is scrambling to assemble themselves together. I meet with a column of warriors as they race towards the side of the village.

They look at me with questions on their faces, but then turn their focus back to the matter at hand.

I follow after.

Orders are shouted, and we are directed into groups, battle pairs forming up. I wave the officers on, but one still stops to look at me, “Kayad tsa daeen tadish.” Should you be here

The question isn’t rude. In fact, he seems worried, but I wave him off, “zhe yahan!”

He looks skeptical but runs off.

A moment later a shadow darkens my back, and I turn to see Hijan pull up next to me.wearing her armor.

She nods and I nod back.

My palms are sweating so bad.

I grip my spear more tightly

I can hear shouting in the distance as our group begins to march. It gets louder and louder as we break into a light jog, and then a full sprint. We crest the hill…. To look down on a battlefield.

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seenashwrite · 5 years ago

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There But For The Grace

Word Count: 3.3K Category: One-shot; Introspection; Mystery; Choices; Life journeys; Redemption Rating: Teen & Up Character(s): Dean, Michael, Reader/O.C. Female, and… just read the story. Pairing(s): Read. The. Story. Stop wanting the endings at the starts, impatient young'uns Warnings: None Faux-Warning: There’s no banging, so now that I’ve lost 80% of you… Author’s Note(s): *This is a re-post minus tags & links in an effort to get it to show up in searches*; I’m told you’re not a true fanfic writer unless you’ve done a coffee shop meet-up fic - kindly let me know if I got it right; more post-story Overall Summary: An archangel takes a break from his reconnaissance.

The list grew by the minute, and he had to admit to himself that the mundane task of collecting all his reasons was turning delightful.

The other world hadn’t progressed to this level of corruption; likely it would’ve, had it not been for the brimstone, but that was neither here nor there. The worlds were identical, he’d learned, at least in the ways that mattered. Time nor space made a difference. Humans were, to be sure, utterly predictable.

Case in point: his most favorite time period from recent past had unfolded in precisely the same manner in both places, so much so he came as near to astonishment as he’d ever been. The roaring twenties were rife with sin, the pompous prohibitionists and the lust-filled liquor vendors, the mobsters with their massacres, and the bankers with their bloated greed. His distaste aside, it was beautiful. It was art, the way they crafted their depravity. Granted, it was nothing compared to his favorite time of all, but this was understandable; little could live up to Sodom and Gomorrah.

See there, hunter? I’m a salt-and-burn aficionado.

He’d successfully lulled the man whose body he’d snatched - no, that’s not right. He did not steal. Theft is sin. The hunter had agreed to act as a vessel, it was witnessed, and while there was deception involved, one in his position must think of the greater good. And it should be noted that he did exercise benevolence. Angelic vessels did not fare well, exponentially so for archangel vessels, and it was poor form to run through them quickly.

He knew firsthand how his brothers handled their hosts. Raphael would woo the humans with promises of a glorious afterlife, then promptly expel their souls the moment he got a foothold. Gabriel would talk them into giving up the ghost voluntarily (as Gabriel could talk practically anyone into anything), in an effort to keep himself guilt-free. And as the fall crept closer, Lucifer took to keeping them wide awake, poking, prodding, picking, til slowly but surely the glow faded to embers, finally snuffing them out upon growing bored.

But not him. He was the best of them all, no sense in being humble. He was different, so he did things differently. He pushed the hunter to the farthest reaches of the mind they shared, threats to family quelling the belligerence surprisingly easily.

Are you plotting? he’d asked early on, receiving no answer; they both knew it was rhetorical.

As their time together grew, he’d talk to the hunter on occasion - not aloud, of course - when he marveled at the things he observed, breathing it all in. It had been ages since he’d walked the earth peacefully. It was wonder he felt, and he knew it, and it bothered him. He had been tasked with protecting them, once upon a time, and it was easier then, they were more readily awed, or maybe just malleable. He’d begun to consider if subtlety and manipulation might be ideal this go-round, effective as plagues and floods and annihilation had been, albeit temporarily.

He’d been raised by a vengeful God, the new redemptive version that came with the birth of the prophet never quite sitting right with him, but he was an obedient son, absence or no. He was his Father’s first son, he who was of God, the first angel there ever was, no matter what differing legends over the millennia might’ve said. The offenses the rest of the children, celestial-born and earth-bound alike, committed upon God’s creation wouldn’t have been tolerated back then.

Before. Before it all changed, right under his supposed watchful eye. Before he’d laid waste, in heaven and on earth. Before he’d gotten wrapped up in his plans, let his guard down. Before he lost all three of his beloved brothers in one way or another. Before he’d started paying attention again.

He wouldn’t miss anything else.

And so it was that on his fact-gathering strolls, more and more he found himself slowing his pace, pausing, coming to a halt, damn near freezing in place when something would catch his eye, or touch his ear, or invade his nose, the latter of which stopped him cold this evening, just as twilight eased across the buildings around him, and streetlights flickered on, up and down a nondescript street in a nondescript town on one nondescript walk amongst many.

He went further down the sidewalk, and up the block, and continued around a corner, and there it was, the answer to the question of what heavenly smell had wafted his way.

Hallowed Grounds French and Italian Coffees est. 1922

In his experience, the fates were indeed fickle. On the other hand, he’d done enough surveillance that week to allow for brief relaxation, be someone else for a spell. Seemed the rough-and-tumble hunter had smoothed edges made ragged from eons spent on another plane, made him fractionally more flexible. Teaching lessons could wait one more night, he told himself.

Meant to be, don’t you think?

There wasn’t need for food or drink, but the hunter was practically a junkie on both fronts, and the palate was wide. This body was stronger than most, better equipped for him, as tailor-made things are, of course, but he had not anticipated how demanding it could be, how it would crave indulgence. Undisciplined. Annoying. Distracting. It was for that last reason he’d give in, keep bites small and sips slow, and the moment there was a sense of satiation, off he - they - would go, back on mission.

African coffee was the best, this was not merely a belief but a fact; French he’d always found bland, somehow; Italian was tolerable. He ordered an espresso, tipped well, and the barista behind the former bar said they had servers milling about, one would be by to check in, see if he needed anything else. And despite knowing he’d swallow less than a quarter of the brew, he took a seat at a table, back to people-watching. Not a one was interesting in the least.

He’d noted the woman carrying the steaming metal carafe walking briskly in the direction where he sat, but had already let his eyes roam away by the time she’d gone behind him, and she only had cause to cross his mind when a loud CLANK hit the air, and the sensation of a third-degree burn called out from his lower right leg and ankle. Several gasps erupted from close-by patrons, someone moaned “Oooooh!” in sympathy, and then came the babbling.

It was the woman, the server, and she was alternating under-breath curses with self-deprecation - Such a stupid klutz! - Why’d I take this fucking job? There wasn’t an apology to be found, not a lick of repentance.

She had his attention.

As she made her way around, the carafe - retrieved, now dented and empty - was plunked on his table, causing the espresso to slosh, and she surveyed the mess on the floor, closed her eyes, rubbed them, took a deep breath, then exhaled it far too quickly for it to have been of any use. Her eyes popped open. They instantly lit on his soaked trouser cuff.

“Jesus,” she muttered, flat forehead going to a frown in a nanosecond.

And he frowned, too. Not that he’d been particularly impressed by or had much use for the prophet, nor had he bought into all the trinity talk - he’d found it offensive that any would be placed by the Father as an equal of sorts - but this was in the ballpark of blasphemy. Well, then. Another sinner joins the collection.

Now she’d dropped, and he arched an eyebrow as his head tilted down, feeling her rubbing - aggressively - on his shoe, sopping up the spilt coffee with a rag she’d had tucked in her apron’s waistband.

“That pot was still hot as hell, it didn’t get you, did it?” she asked, looking up at him from her kneeling position.

“No,” he lied.

“Oh, thank God. I’d have been… if you’d been burnt, I would’ve… I am so sorry, sir.”

Penitence looked lovely on her.

“You seem anxious, why don’t you sit, rest for a moment,” he suggested, and gestured to the empty chair across from him.

He kept his eyes locked onto hers; she gave him an odd look in return, but didn’t have time to answer. Another table called out to her, so she broke the stare, told him she’d check on him again later, see if he wanted a refill - anything he wanted, on the house, she added - before rising and leaving his side.

He took her up on it. He paid for the one that followed. And he waited until the patrons had nearly cleared and the lights were being dimmed and the brooms were coming out. Someone else was sent to collect the fee for the still-full third.

Take a hint.

He followed the advisement - whether it was the hunter’s or some sort of self-prompting, he couldn’t say - and exited, though he didn’t carry on with his reconnaissance, instead going down the tiny alley that led to the back of the building, leaning against a telephone pole that was partially in the shadows, settling in, keeping an eye on the side door of the coffee shop.

The hunter spoke up.

You suck at this.

Pray tell?

Trying to pick up a chick, get laid.

Orgasms are insufficient reasons for risking the creation of another abomination.

Go comb through my greatest hits, then we’ll talk about risks and rewards.

It took a half-hour of darkened silence before he began to grow irritable, and he stood from his lean, was straightening his overcoat when the door opened. She spotted him, pretended like she didn’t, so he took a few steps in her direction. He was just about to speak when she whipped around, jerking something from her pocket. She immediately squirted a caustic fluid onto him, which did nothing, save prompting a confused expression to come across his now damp face.

Oh, for crying out—-

Hush.

She coughed several times as a breeze carried the mist her way, though a subtle wave of his hand served to make it disappear, and soothed her stinging eyes and scratchy throat. He pulled out his handkerchief and blotted the moisture coating his cheeks. She watched, not moving an inch, her mouth hanging open ever-so-slightly.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “Please forgive me.”

“That’s the strongest mace on the market,” she muttered. She looked at the tiny tube, sneered, then tossed it down the alley, where it hop-skipped out of sight. Turning her head back to him, she spoke again, this time warily. “You need money or something? You’re not dressed like you need money.”

He returned the handkerchief to his pocket, met her eye. “You think I waited here to rob you?”

“I don’t… well why are you here?”

“I enjoyed your company and hoped to extend our time together.” A pause, then he added, “I have no desire to have sex with you.”

“Gee, thanks?”

He began to respond, hesitated, then opted to go with, “I’m told I’m not… not very good at… this.”

“Making friends?”

“Mmmm.”

“Well, it’s… it’s late.”

He glanced at his watch. “So it is.”

“And I don’t even know your name.”

“Michael.”

“Michael. Okay. I have a brother named Michael. Mikey, if I want to piss him off.”

“Were your parents religious?”

“What?!” she exclaimed, though she chased it with an amused grin. “You ask the strangest questions. Um, no. Not really.”

“And your name?”

“I, uh… don’t give out my name to strangers.”

“Wise. But I need to call you something.”

“Hmmm… I don’t really…”

He waited.

She snapped her fingers. "My family nicknamed me Grace. The way they talk, I’ve been clumsy since the womb.” She rolled her eyes.

“That sounds cruel.”

She laughed, but it was short, clipped. “Nah. Annoying, maybe. But they didn’t mean anything by it. Your family not have a nickname for you?”

He shook his head. “No. They called one of my brothers the star. He… shone a little too brightly.”

She nodded. “I have a friend like that. Drama queen. Sucks up all the air in a room, as my mother would say.”

“May I call you Grace?”

She laughed again, the full version this time, and said, “I ruined your pants, so I owe you. Yeah, sure. Go for it.”

He walked her to her car, but they kept chatting - the coffee shop began as a speakeasy, he informed her, and a two-way mirror once hung over the bar so as to keep an eye out for the police. And the conversation drifted with them as they meandered down the street, ended up in a park, sitting in swings sandwiched between a slide and a sandbox, lazily letting their feet trail through gravel, him allowing her to think he was a history buff, her telling him how she’d been born in another nondescript town in another nondescript state. How as the years passed, it had started to feel like another world.

And when it was her turn to ask about the past, it called up from within him the desire to lie to her - protect her - for the second time that night. So he chose his words carefully.

“I had assignments. One that was the most… I was supposed to guard people. Defend them, when needed. And… and I did a good job for quite awhile. My commander was pleased. But then things… happened. I let an enemy invade. I wasn’t strong enough. Not enough to stop him.”

“You don’t have to go into detail if you don’t want to,” Grace said quietly. She laid a hand over his.

“People died.”

“Oh.”

“They saw me as a protector. There was a time when some practically worshiped me, thought I was worthy of it.” He made a scoffing sound. “I started to believe I was.”

He’d never had a single regret, never let himself fall into the abyss of memories. But even he could be brought - broken, more accurately - out of his routine. And the most immediate period of his existence had done just that, making times of calm a desire, while in the same moment making times of silence an irritant.

He looked down at their hands, flipped his, threaded his fingers through hers, and she didn’t stop him.

They sat, unmoved, no words, for several minutes; three-point-two-one-six, in fact, because he counted them. His mind never rested, even when the hunter’s did, but he liked how she didn’t feel the need to fill the emptiness with idle talk. Made for a touch of calm. Even with the silence.

It held a bit of irony - he was the silent type, everyone said so. He’d found it often communicated intent better than any words could’ve. And more descriptions piled on: Imposing. Intimidating. Towering. Threatening. Some had called him “Beast” long before it had been applied to their once-adored morning star.

So there it was - there’d already been a second lie, and he hadn’t even noticed.

“I don’t mean to frighten you,” he told her, staring at her intently, but this time she didn’t look away.

“You said that already,” she replied, a solemn smile on her lips, not too wide, not too thin, just the right sort, and he hoped he reciprocated in kind. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, saying, “Michael… I mean, my Michael —–”

The hunter’s belly stirred.

“—– you know, my brother, he’s in the service. He’s a Ranger. He doesn’t tell our family a lot of stories from when he fought, but he’s told me some. So if it’s anything like that, then… I can understand. I can try, I mean.”

“I led the entirety of our legion.”

“You’re… you seem a little young to be… what would it be, a general, I guess? Or do you mean you led your division? Or squadron? I know some of the terminology, you don’t have to dumb it down for me.”

“I’ve offended you.”

“No, it’s… don’t worry about it, it doesn’t matter.”

“It very much matters. How people treat one another. People can be vile, sadistic, horrible creatures.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I guess. But we’re the only ones here. And I’m not horrible, and you’re not horrible, soooo…”

“You’re right,” he lied for the third time, and with one of the hunter’s brightest smiles.

Which made Grace shine.

Go.

The hunter did as he was commanded.

Michael thought she tasted like sin.

“Okay. Tomorrow. I’m off work, but we can meet at the coffee shop, figure out what to do from there… around noon sound good?”

He nodded. “That sounds perfect. Thank you, Grace.”

She nodded in return, got in her car, and gave him a little wave as she pulled away.

Is this your plan, hunter? How you think you’ll undo me? Making me more like you?

Hey, I haven’t been driving for awhile now. Ass.

Hmmm.

You kissed her.

What makes you say that?

When you let me leave the bad boy corner, I could tell. Or else you’re putting strawberry lip balm on my—-

Apple.

Huh?

It’s apple.

He waited at her apartment, this time deep in the shadows where he wouldn’t be spotted, made sure she got inside safely, listened for the click that told him she’d locked the door. He began to leave, then thought better of it, decided to play guardian for old times’ sake, placed warding here and there to keep any would-be harm away. And back to walking he went, considering how to kill the hours til they met again.

May as well strike up a conversation.

Now that we’ve spent some time together, tell me - Why didn’t we do this sooner? What’s it been for you, about a decade?

You’re a douche.

Fine. But comparatively?

There’s not a douche scale, dick.

So I’m altogether irredeemable?

Uh - is there some universe where you aren’t?

Perhaps.

So prove it! Let me go! And LEAVE ME ALONE.

Fair enough.

If he were to put a not-so-fine point on his reasoning for not meeting her the next day, that about summed it up. He’d disappoint her, she’d disappoint him, and if she didn’t, that was no good. Probably worse. Better to keep unattached when it came to what the future… what he… would likely bring.

Even so, he found himself once more standing apart, likely imposing, always watching, this time through a window, across hallowed grounds, looking for his grace. He spotted her at the very table he’d been at when they met, scrolling through her phone, occasionally sipping on a latte. Then there’d be a sigh, a glance to the large clock on the opposite wall as five, then ten, then fifteen minutes passed by.

What say after this, we head to the cage, check on that counterpart of mine?

This time, he received an unusually placid response.

Why?

To ensure he’s paying for what he’s done.

Like you haven’t been thinking of nuking this world. You’re still jonesing for your apocalypse. You know you want a do-over.

The world could use some cleansing, true. There’s reasons. But, no. That’s not why.

Then what?! How many times are you planning on dragging me over there, making sure he hasn’t popped the lock so you can keep up your stupid act? They’re gonna figure it out soon, Cas or Sam—-

I thought of all people, you’d understand.

Understand WHAT? It’s payback? ‘Cause the first thing *he* did was make a beeline to take you out?

He killed my brother. With my own sword, no less. And that above all, Dean, I will not abide.

Grace picked up her bag, left a few bills on the table, and as she walked out the door, placed a phone call.

“Yeah, he stood me up… no, no, I’m not… Seriously! I’m not mad, I’m just, you know… yeah. I thought he was different… No, you’re right, and I’m sure he had a good reason, and I told you he didn’t have a phone with him, right? So it’s not like he could’ve…. oh God, no he wasn’t lying, why do you assume every dude…. Anyway, maybe I’ll see him again. I think that’d be nice…”

Well, then. Not so predictable, after all. Not this one. At least, for now.

Teaching the world a lesson could wait for just one more day.

Author’s Note #2: Per request, there’s a walkthrough on the inspiration for the title/plot points, the theology droppings, and the “clues” for the ending twist-a-roo, if you’re interested! Just look for this story on my Master Post (see below) and it’s linked at the bottom of the story.

Want more stories? My Master Post is linked in my profile, and it tells you about getting on the Tag List, too! If for whatever reason it gives you trouble, don’t hesitate to send an Ask and I’ll link you.

Re-blogs and feedback are fuel for a writer’s soul - please do let me know if you enjoyed. 😘

#Supernatural Fanfiction #SPN Fanfic #Supernatural Fanfic #Michael!Dean x reader #Michael!Dean #Nash Writes

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megalony · 5 years ago

Text

Sweetheart- Part 13

Another part of my latest bodyguard! Ben Hardy series which I hope everyone is enjoying so far. There is a lot of angst but some fluff in this part.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogmeddows @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction

Series taglist: @anikatcmh @sillyscissorsnerdsoul

Series masterlist

Enjoy.

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

(Y/n) didn't feel brave.

Sitting there on the second row near to the witness stand, she felt as small as a speck of dust and just as insignificant. Yet with the eyes of her family glaring holes into her, she felt like it was only her and them in the vast room.

She could feel her brothers and her father staring at her like she was the bain of their existence and in a way, she was. She was the person who had brought them here, she had put them up on that stand in front of a judge and jury for them to be seen as the incompetent, harsh, violent people that they really were. None of them would be here if (Y/n) hadn't of stolen the logbook and made a statement and listed all of the deals and transactions that took place which she knew were illegal. They would have gotten away with everything if it weren't for her.

But why should she feel bad?

John had been twelve when she was born, he had twelve years over her and that meant when (Y/n) was younger he was bigger and taller and stronger than she was so he could push her around. He could scare her and frighten her into being so afraid she would never dare put her toe out of the lines her family drew around her. Mark was nine years older but he was a baby, he was a coward who would only give her a shove when he knew no one was watching and even then he would cower back himself.

Her father had been different. He was there half of the time but it felt like he was watching her every second of every day. He controlled where she went when she was little and when she grew up he was still just as strict. Her brothers had free will because they wanted to be part of the family business but (Y/n) had never wanted to, the thought scared her and her father felt he had to frighten her even more to make sure she didn't stray.

Leaving home was the biggest thing (Y/n) had ever done before having Goldie and it was her choice. Her choice to get a job, to get her own home, to have a baby, to go to trial. All of this was her choice and her father hated not having that control over her.

She deserved to see them be put away, she deserved that satisfaction that John wasn't going to kick her or threaten her any more. That Mark wouldn't try and threaten her or strangle her. That her father wouldn't control what she did or hire people to try and hurt or even kill her. She deserved to be with Ben and to bring up Goldie with him without looking over her shoulder in fear that she or her family were going to get hurt.

Daring to lift her head, (Y/n) looked up to her left, letting her eyes trail over the three family members she had left. The three men she was condemning who were no longer her family and never really had been. John was standing on the left which was closest to where (Y/n) and Ben were sitting, then her father was stood in the middle and Mark practically quivering on the right.

Ben slipped his hand into (Y/n)'s when John's lips curved into a rather crude smirk that sent shivers up (Y/n)'s spine. He looked like he did the other day when he hurt her. Like he was thinking of that memory and wanted to do it again.

(Y/n) wanted to bow her head down and close her eyes as tightly as she could but she couldn't tear her gaze away from the three men on the stand. She wanted to watch their reactions when the verdicts came back because the jury were back now and it was the moment of truth. (Y/n) had given her statement, she had shown the court the evidence and explained it and there had been other witnesses who both agreed with her statement and tried to discredit her. Now the jury had to say if the three of them were guilty or innocent and there was surely no way they could say that any of them were innocent.

The judge had said that they would charge each man individually and give them an individual sentence and the first up was Mark. He looked like he was about to cry when the jury said guilty, (Y/n) saw him quiver like he was a piece of flimsy paper that was swaying in the autumn breeze. Yet (Y/n) couldn't feel sorry for him because he did this. He took the bribe, he joined the family business in the first place and he didn't have the guts to walk away.

Next up was her father.

(Y/n) watched how he tried to keep a straight face but when his eyes found her he wanted to snarl but when he thought about the verdict he was getting he almost laughed as he was so sure he would be let off. His reactions made (Y/n) wonder if he had bribed someone, maybe some of the jury or had gotten her evidence removed or maybe he had bribed the judge himself. He just looked so sure he was walking away when he must know he was in deep trouble here because there was no way he could walk away unless he bribed the judge.

A small tingle of satisfaction swarmed through (Y/n) when she watched her father's face drop like he was suddenly experiencing a stroke when he heard the word guilty rattle through the room.

He had tried to bribe someone. There was no other explination for how angry he looked and how there was almost steam coming out of his ears to the point (Y/n) thought his head was going to blow up like a cartoon. His hands latched around the brass handrail in front of him as his eyes seemed to zoom in on (Y/n) with a sense of pure hatred that she had never seen in her father or anyone else before. And it was directed at her.

"You bitch! You're dead now-" (Y/n) almost jumped at the words her father bellowed which turned the whole courtroom silent. The judge didn't even have to ask for the guards standing behind the three men to drag him away so he couldn't be any more of a disruption. They also took Mark with them since he had been charged already and was close to blubbering.

(Y/n) felt her heart hammering against her chest as she still couldn't manage to drag her eyes away as her father was dragged fro the stand he was so desperate to stay on so he could spout his threats and violence. She partially heard some of the threats he was shouting as they dragged him away before the room fell silent once again. Everyone taking a moment to try and recover and act like that didn't happen.

Ben let go of (Y/n)'s hand so he could slip his arm around her waist, keeping her pressed to his side as he rested his chin on his other hand, his elbow propped up on the armrest as he was sitting on the end of the row which made for a quick getaway if needed. His eyes found John's and he wished they were closer so he could wipe the smirk right from his lips. Ben wished he had managed to do more than break one rib, he wished he had smashed John's head into the counter instead of his chest or broken his legs so he wasn't able to hurt either of Ben's girls. But all he could get for some sort of revenge and satisfaction now was to watch him be sent down.

Ben had never felt his heart tighten and crunch in the way it did when he heard the word innocent quiver through one of the jury's lips.

He felt like someone had stabbed him and he knew what that felt like but he had never had his brain animate it like this before. His head started to swim but his mind rattled at the guttural scream that left (Y/n)'s lips and pierced through his ear which surely was bleeding by now.

(Y/n) latched her hands onto the wooden back of the seat in front of her as she stood up, tears beginning to fall from her eyes as her brother smiled like she had never seen before. She could see his teeth through his lips like a shark grinning at its prey. How could they do this to her- how could he do this to her? He was in the logbook, he had personally written in it and signed his name. (Y/n) had seen him and told them all about what he had done- minus what he had done to her and Goldie. He should be in prison now, he couldn't be the only one who got free.

Mark was more deserving of the innocent verdict than John if one of them had to be let go.

Words tumbled from (Y/n)'s lips but she could hardly hear them over the buzzing in her ears. She screamed as she cried at them all, her eyes darting between everyone because they had just killed Goldie. If John was let free he would come after (Y/n) for even daring to go ahead with the trial. He would try and find and hurt her and then he would realise that Goldie was still alive and he would hurt her too. He would be worse than he was before because hurting (Y/n) three days ago didn't even make him break a sweat, he would be a lot worse now and he was free.

"Come on." Ben whispered the words as he wrapped his arms around (Y/n), trying to be careful as he practically dragged her from the row they had been sitting on but she fought against him. "Sweetheart we have to go."

They would drag (Y/n) out if she didn't leave no because she was causing a scene even if she was upset she still couldn't speak during the trial. Ben hooked his arms around her waist and hoisted her up, holding her back to his chest as he lifted her feet from the ground and carried her to the doors. Thankful someone opened it for him so he could get (Y/n) out into the corridor away from everyone.

As soon as her feet were planted on the ground again (Y/n) tried to fight against Ben. She tried to pull from his arms and get back into the courtroom, she wanted to scream at them for how incompetent they were being. To swear and shout at whoever had taken the bribe or succumbed to the threats and let her brother off the hook.

Turning (Y/n) around Ben grabbed her wrists when she tried to hit him in the chest, lashing and writhing in his grip but it was useless. She was still weakened from having Goldie and the stitches and Ben was taller and stronger than she was, it didn't take much for him to stop her from going back into the room. Ben kept her hands pinned to his chest as he moved her so her back was against the wall. His forehead resting against her own as he stayed silent, waiting for (Y/n)'s sobs to quieten down and for her to stop fighting against him.

"H-he... he can't do t-this..." (Y/n) could hardly get the words past her lips as she gasped for air like a fish out of water. She wanted to go home, she wanted to take Goldie home, she wanted to feel safe and be out of danger but nothing was going their way.

Her hands latched around Ben's shirt to tug him closer until his chest was pressed against hers. He let go of her wrists when she started to shake, no longer fighting against him. Ben gently pressed his hands to either side of (Y/n)'s face, trying to brush away the tears falling from her eyes but more kept on falling in their place.

"I know it hurts, darlin' believe me I do. But you're not the judge, you did everything you could and you got your dad away, that was the reason for coming here today. John has no business without your dad there, he has no one working for him." Ben knew it felt like a knife to the heart but they weren't in charge here and they couldn't do anything. If John went to prison when they wanted him to be innocent they could appeal but they had no other evidence and no other crimes to get him sentenced again.

They had to let him walk free.

John couldn't just start up his father's business again, it was clear he was working for his dad and not with him and with their dad being put away John was left with very little. He didn't have people working for him and Ben doubted he hand the funds to hire them either. He was on his own and he was defenceless which is what they needed.

"It's not fair." (Y/n) felt like a child whining because she didn't get her own way but she deserved it. She deserved to have things go in her direction for once in her life.

Putting her father away wasn't enough anymore. In the beginning, she didn't care all that much if John and Mark got sentenced because her father was the enemy but now part of her wished it was John and not her father because he hurt Goldie. John tried to make her lose her baby, he was the one who attacked her and he was the one who had endangered her daughter, she would never be able to forgive or forget what he had done and she needed him punished for that. Getting off scot-free was not adequate.

Ben pressed his lips longingly to her forehead before (Y/n) pressed her face into his chest.

"Oh I know, sweetheart. Come on, we're going back to Goldie before he comes out." Ben couldn't make this better but he wasn't going to let it get any worse by waiting around for John to come out so the siblings could lock horns. He would be gloating at his victory and it would tear (Y/n) apart, Ben wasn't having that.

The moment (Y/n) pulled away from the wall a groan escaped her lips as her eyes snapped closed. Her head staying tucked into Ben's chest as he looked down at her in worry and confusion. Gently pulling her back, Ben rested one hand to her neck as the other held her shoulder, trying to look at her to see what the problem was but she tried to bury herself back into him as if he could take away the sudden pains.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

(Y/n) pressed her hand to her lower stomach as she whimpered, closing her eyes as Ben crouched down in front of her. Moving her hand to he could pull up her shirt to find the sudden problem.

"Shit. Baby you've pulled your stitches, we need to get you back to the hospital." Ben lowered her shirt again after seeing the blood beginning to seep onto her skin as quite a few of the stitches had pulled apart. Most likely from Ben having to carry her out and then her fighting him to get back inside. She was meant to be taking it easy because of how many stitches she had and where they were situated but now they would have to be taken out and redone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Was that Joe?" (Y/n) questioned when Ben walked back into the room, stuffing his phone into his pocket. He had been gone for over ten minutes after leaving the room when his phone rang. (Y/n) was hoping it would be Joe because she wanted the pair of them to patch things up, they had been friends for years and she didn't want to be part of the reason why they had a fight.

(Y/n) bit her lip at the look on Ben's face as he shook his head, he looked perplexed, like he had seen a ghost or had just been given an ultimatum. He moved to sit down on the edge of the bed as (Y/n) pushed herself more into a sitting position. Wincing at the new stitches that were beginning to burn a little.

"Haven't spoken to him since this morning." Ben responded with a shake of his head. He would text Joe in the morning when the both of them had more time to calm down as he knew (Y/n) would text him in a moment to tell him the verdict of the trial.

Joe hadn't meant what he said and Ben knew it, he also regretted the way he handled it but they needed time to cool down.

"Ben, what's wrong?" (Y/n) knew Ben long enough to know the different expressions he wore and how he expressed his feelings. She could see that he was either worried or just debating something but he didn't look happy or normal at all. Ben was always the one who had things under control, the only time she had seen him lose his cool was in the shop when John attacked her. Other than that he had a calm and collected manner and he knew what to do but now he didn't look like he knew what he was supposed to do.

"My manager called me, your brother talked to her."

(Y/n) couldn't catch her breath, they knew what Ben's job was so they knew his name and they knew his manager. Ben didn't strictly work to a signed hour contract like most people and he didn't report to his manager very often. He worked for an agency rather than be a self-working bodyguard because he got a better reputation and it ensured more jobs and better pay. But if her brother found out about Ben it meant they were in more danger even with her father put away.

"He acted the worried brother, told her that I got you pregnant whilst I was working for you."

"B-but you told her-" (Y/n) knew Ben had told his manager that he and her had been together before he took the job so she got pregnant before he worked for her and he wanted to protect her. His manager couldn't have a go at him for protecting his girlfriend and he would be in the clear.

"I spun her a lie and she knew it. Even if your brother was spouting shit she'd have to look into it and if she does and then talks to your brother he'll know Goldie's alive. I had to tell her I slept with you on the job." Ben's manager wasn't stupid and it was a bit of a coincidence if Ben did get (Y/n) pregnant and then she asked him to protect her but if (Y/n) didn't say anything his manager couldn't refute what he had said.

Now her brother had told the truth for once it showed Ben had lied and he couldn't try and cover it up because she would talk to (Y/n) and then if she talked to John again he would be after Goldie quicker than lightning when he realised she was alive. Ben had to come clean to make sure his manager didn't talk to John again and to keep Goldie safe.

"Can't I talk to her... you didn't take advantage and we both know it, surely she'll listen." (Y/n) felt her lips pulling into a frown as she tried not to let the tears fall. Ben didn't deserve this, he had been doing his job for five years now and he was damn good at what he did. He knew what he was doing and he had protected hundreds of people and built up a reputation. (Y/n) didn't want to be the reason that reputation went down the toilet she didn't want to take his job away from him because it wasn't fair. He had protected her and saved her life and she repaid him by getting him in trouble.

"My contract states I have free will over what hours I work, who I work with, that I get all the money the clients pay without the extra tax from the agency. But it clearly states I would be breaching the rules if I kissed, touched inappropriately or slept with the clients because I have to be professional. Doesn't matter if I didn't take advantage of you."

Ben had a lot more leeway and loopholes than most other jobs but it still had boundaries and that meant Ben needed to stick to them. He couldn't act inappropriately with clients and that meant that if he kissed them or touched them in the wrong way or if he went so far as to have sex with them he was not being professional. If he broke the rules of his contract then he couldn't work for that agency anymore and he had admitted to it.

"You didn't-"

"I slept with you and I did that way more than once. Someone who slept with a client can't work with them anymore because its a compromise and my manager turned a blind eye because I lied to her in the beginning. You consented but I shouldn't have let it happen in the beginning, I broke the boundaries of my contract, we can't deny that." Ben's words were spoken in a calm and considered tone which contrasted to what he said and (Y/n) didn't know how he could be so calm about it.

Ben knew he wasn't meant to be with (Y/n) when working for her but he slept with her again and again and formed a relationship with her against the rules. Ben didn't care that he broke the rules and he especially didn't care now that it resulted in Goldie. He wasn't going to lie because he wasn't ashamed or unhappy or worried about his job. It didn't mean as much to him as his girls.

"What happens now?" (Y/n) found her voice to be meek and quiet, Ben seemed to fine with this when she had practically ruined his career.

"We compromised. They can't have me in the agency but I said I quit and she agreed that they won't put this on my record. I get a perfectly clean and good CV and reputation for a new job and I have my family, win-win situation." If Ben put up a fight he knew they would fire him and it would go on his CV or record that he slept with his client and it made him unreliable and look bad.

But if he said he quit then they didn't have to look into it and they could let him go with a clean record and a very high CV and a good word for his next job. He got to keep his reputation which would help to find a good job and he got his family without anything else going wrong. It was what he wanted since he found out they were having Goldie. He was happy about this and he needed (Y/n) to see that this wasn't her fault. This was good for him.

"But you can't be a bodyguard now, what are you going to do now?" Leaning forward, Ben pulled (Y/n) into his arms as gently as he could, kissing the side of her head in the process.

"Sweetheart, this isn't the only job I've had. I used to work as a bouncer at clubs, I've been a lifeguard when I was your age. I don't care what I do as long as it doesn't take me away from my girls. I couldn't keep doing this job with Goldie anyway, I'd be gone for months at a time and I'm not missing out on her life. You both mean more to me than anything else."

Ben had had various jobs, he dipped in and out of jobs until he found that being a bodyguard had suited him well for the past five years.

But his mother was right, Ben couldn't do this job forever and even if he had thought before that he wanted to do this for a few more years, she was still right by saying if he wanted a steady relationship or a family he couldn't do this. He couldn't be with (Y/n) if he was gone for at least three months at a time protecting people and he would miss out on Goldie's life by disappearing. He had been protecting (Y/n) for over nine months now and he couldn't leave for nearly a year with his girls on his mind.

Ben wasn't missing Goldie's first words or her beginning to walk or her first day of school or caring for her at the night. He wasn't disappearing and leaving her life because she was the most important thing to him.

He didn't care what job he had, as long as he was with his girls.

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #ben x reader #dad! ben #imagine #bodyguard #borhap #joe mazzello #sweetheart

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justkending · 6 years ago

Text

Used to Be Overlooked. Chapter 14.

Summary: Steve Rogers was walking down the streets of Brooklyn after finishing a mission. The goal was just to take some time to clear his mind along the city streets, but when he runs into a gorgeous young lady that looks extremely familiar… How can he go about moving on? Who is she? What does he know her from? Was that memory even from this decade?

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (Rosalyn Ember/ Y/N ?)

Word Count: 2800+

Warning: SLOW BURN. Soooo slow, but sooooo worth it...

Series Masterlist

Chapter 14:

“Rosalyn!” Bruce said putting down the gadget he was messing with, and taking off his goggles as well. “What a pleasant surprise? When Tony said you were here and wanted to talk, I have to admit, I was kinda surprised. We haven’t heard from you since the dinner.”

You walked in with Steve right next to you. He had opened the door for you and motioned for you to enter first. Tony was probably close behind.

“Yes, that’s my bad. I’ve been having some major things happen at the lab, and needed to take some time to get it all sorted,” you smiled politely as you walked over to the station he was at. “But in good news, we found a vaccine for the flu that I was telling to you about.”

“Oh, that’s great news! I remember you saying something about it hopefully being done a couple of years from now, but to hear it’s finished so soon is amazing!”

“Amazing indeed. We just needed some insight from a fellow scientist at a partnering lab, and sure enough, progress was made,” you said looking at Steve, who was now standing tall next to you, and then looking back at Bruce with a soft grin.

“Well, like you said. It never hurts to have fresh eyes on something. You never know what you could be missing.”

“Very true.”

“Ok, the king is here! Why don’t we get this party started?” Tony said making a grand entrance. You all turned your heads to the door he came in, and watched as he waltzed over to a stool and turned his body toward you as he leaned against the counter. “What brings your beautiful presence to us this afternoon, Miss. Ember?” he smirked.

“Right,” you sighed remembering all the nerves that you were feeling before coming.

As you got flustered and hesitant at taking the next step you came here for, you felt Steve’s large hand on the small of your back. You looked up meeting his kind and reassuring crystal blue eyes. He sent you a soft and warming smile, and a sense of ease washed over you. For a second.

You took a deep breath before reaching into your bag and retrieving the folder you showed earlier.

“I have some things to discuss with you both. Now, this thing is a very big secret near and dear to my heart, and I ask that you give me a chance in explaining it before throwing me under the category of crazy or… Well… different,” you said looking between the two men who were now furrowing their eyebrows at you.

They gave each other a look of confusion and turned to Steve who just nodded and turned his head to you. You could tell he was there in full support and was going to have your back in the whole process. It made the whole situation a lot easier to handle honestly.

“Rosalyn, is everything ok?” Bruce said taking a concerned step toward you.

“My name isn’t Rosalyn actually.” you said in a soft tone. You handed him the folder which he took hastily, and looked down at it then to your face for direction. “My name is Y/N Erskine, and everything that you need to know about me is in that folder right there.”

You finally turned a glance at Tony behind Bruce, and saw surprise, but not as much as you were expecting. He stood and walked over to Bruce taking the folder from him and quickly pulling out the contents from it.

He started scanning over the files you had, and Bruce took a second to comprehend the situation before looking over Tony’s shoulder and starting to read what he could.

“Wait a minute, this birth certificate is from 1918.” Bruce said stealing the papers from Tony, and looking harder at it. “Y/N Erskine. Daughter of Dr. Abraham Erskine and Mary Erskine. Born October 11, 1918 in Martin Luther Hospital, Berlin, Germany at 2:03 am.” he continued to read. “I-I-”

“Easy there Banner. Don’t get too worked up,” Tony said taking the papers easily from the shocked scientist and looking over them himself before letting out a short laugh. “Good to know,” he mumbled, but you heard it.

“You don’t seem too surprised Mr. Stark,” you said crossing your arms and looking at Steve. Had he told Tony after you begged him not to. Frustration started slowly welling up in your chest. Remember Y/N. Steve wouldn’t do that.

“Should I be? I mean the man your standing next to is literally, what? Four months older than you? I hate to tell you sweetheart, but there have been weirder things that I have seen in my life,” he said sifting through the papers on the counter. Then he came across your blood work. “Now this. This something new,” he said raising and eyebrow, and lifting the paper into the light some more.

“That would be the test I’ve ran over my blood.” you said walking over and standing next to him as you sorted through to find more of those types of papers.

“This doesn’t look normal,” Tony said.

“That’s because it isn’t,” Steve interjected making you both look at him as he made his way over to stand by you once again.

Bruce was still standing where you left him trying to process the fact your birth was almost a hundred years ago.

“Banner, get you ass over here, and look at this,” Tony said snapping his fingers and effectively bringing Bruce’s attention back to you.

“I-I don’t understand-” Bruce sputtered as he sat on the other side of the table looking at you with wide eyes.

“Yes, we know you don’t understand it,” Tony scoffed. “Look at these, and maybe you will,” he said sliding the papers over to him.

Bruce took them and started reading the blood work.

“The white blood cell count is high. If it’s this high, then you should be sick,” he said looking up at you before looking back to make sure he was reading it right.

“What does he mean?” Steve asked as he went to look over Bruce's shoulder.

“White blood cells are part of the immune system of the body. They help fight off illnesses, allergies, infections, and the list goes on. The problem is, if you have too many, then your body can develop bad diseases. Cancer bad,” you explained.

“But that doesn’t make sense for what you’re body does,” Steve said now more confused.

“Exactly, but if you look closer and knew how blood cells are supposed to look-”

“These are modified. They aren’t normal ones. They are bigger, and look…” Banner tried finding the words. “Mutated. Stronger. I-I don’t understand how…” he was still trying to process.

“Ok, Rose- Sorry, Y/N,” Tony said putting the paper he was reading down and turning to you. “I think we are going to need a little background story before we keep reading these lab reports that make no sense to us.”

“Right,” you sighed grabbing a stool and getting comfortable. “What I’m about to say may seem a little… crazy, but-”

“I’m sure I’ve heard worse. Lay it on us,” Tony smiled softly trying to make you more comfortable.

You returned the smile feeling a little better about all of this. Bruce was shocked and still trying to wrap his head around it, but at least he wasn’t screaming at you for lying. Tony was just genuinely curious like Steve said he would be. Less surprised than you thought, but reassuring nonetheless.

As you got ready to debrief them on everything that had happened to bring you here, Steve grabbed another stool and sat by you at the table to make sure that you were even more comfortable. You gave him a smile of thanks, and started telling your story to the two brunette scientist.

You told them basically everything you told Steve, minus a few of the minor details that weren’t of importance to the main problem you were trying to get across.

“So, experiment gone bad? I understand that,” Bruce chuckled finally more comfortable with everything.

“Yep,” you sighed.

“So, why tell us? I mean I’m glad that you felt you can confide in us, but why?” Tony asked.

“I’ve lived this life too long. I’ve done trials and trials of ways to go back to normal, but nothing I do takes,” you said fidgeting with your hands. “I’m honestly tired of this whole not aging thing. I want to be normal again. I don’t want to have to keep trying to find a new life every 5-6 years when things start to look suspicious. I want to settle down, find someone to have kids with, and grow old. Not- not this,” you motioned to the papers.

Steve took in what you were saying and felt a flutter in his chest. You wanted to find love and have kids? You wanted the apple pie life?

Snap out of it Steve! You don’t even know her that well!

But maybe he did. I mean he certainly felt like you knew him, and every time you guys talked or were in the same vicinity of each other, he felt that bond grow.

“Ok, and what can we do to help that?” Tony asked picking up the papers.

“Honestly, maybe nothing, but I thought I would let someone else in on this secret that is my life, and maybe fresh eyes-”

“Can open up a new perspective,” Bruce said making you look to him, and share an understanding smile.

“Exactly.”

“I’m not really an expert in this medical portion field personally, but I’m sure Bruce can lend a hand, and I’ll do my best to see where I can contribute,” Tony said gathering the papers and tapping them on the table so they were straightened. He turned giving you a tight smile.

“I appreciate it,” you smiled back.

Steve leaned over in your ear while Bruce and Tony started talking about what they could possible do.

“I told you. They won’t do anything that you don’t want them to do. This is all on your terms.”

You turned seeing he was just inches from your face, and the heat of a blush started creeping up your neck and to your cheeks. Without thought, you looked down at his lips, but quickly recovered and looked back at his eyes. He had a boyish grin on his face that showed he probably saw the quick glance. You just gave him a fast smile before turning back to the men in front of you, wanting to hide your reddening face from him.

“Ok Y/N. It looks like Banner and I have some things to go over. I’m glad that you came to us,” Tony said smiling and standing straighter as he faced you.

“I have to say, I was hesitant, but I guess I’ve become more desperate in solving this as the years go by.”

“I love helping desperate women,” Tony smirked, making Steve clear his throat in annoyance. “Anyway, this is going to take some time to work through. It also is going to take some collaboration and your thoughts on the process as well. You ok with meeting when you can to help us out?”

“Sure. Work should be a little slower now, so I can make time to come visit every week to help you guys.” you nodded standing and placing your hands in front of you with your bag.

“Yeah, we are going to need all the information, and past experiments you’ve done so far to get a better grasp on all this,” Bruce spoke up coming around the table.

“I understand. It’s a lot,” you chuckled lightly. “Again, thank you so much for being willing to help,” you said offering your hand for them to shake, which they both kindly accepted.

“Anything for a fellow scientist,” Bruce smiled.

“I’m assuming since we can’t tell anyone about this, we need to keep up the front of calling you Rosalyn still?” Tony asked arching an eyebrow.

“That would be ideal. I’m not really comfortable letting this secret out to more people.” you said tilting your head, and nodding.

“One problem with that,” Steve spoke up. You looked over at him with raised eyebrows. He tucked his hands in his pocket and started rocking on his feet. “Bucky already suspects something.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” you said sarcastically.

“When this whole thing's started, and I got a curious in finding out who you were, I confided in him. He was the only one who would truly understand, and well…”

“He knows something is up,” you finished for him as you looked at the ground trying to think of your next step.

“Yeah, and Bucky isn't one for letting things slip by. His curious nature gets the best of him, and he can be a little nosy,” Steve chuckled.

“I suppose since he already knows something isn’t right, we can tell him. Also, wouldn’t hurt to have someone else my age in the know,” you sighed looking at Steve. “But if anyone else, and I mean anyone,” you said pointing a finger and stepping up to him. “Finds out about all this. I will follow up with my threat from the other night,” he raised a nervous eyebrow knowing what you were talking about. “I will leave you with something that can not be healed Cap. I mean it.” you said in a stern and terrifying whisper.

“Y-Yes ma’am,” he stuttered out as he looked into you dark (Y/E/C) eyes that showed promise.

“Good.” you said changing right back to sweet and innocent. He wasn’t the only one who could flip a switch. “Now, if you gentleman will excuse me, I took a sick day for the first time in almost 10 years, and I’m going to take advantage of it. Any further questions?”

They all looked at you shocked, and slightly scared at the change of mood. You nodded and threw your bag over your shoulder.

“Ok, well I will see you all later. Thank you again for the help, and I’m anxious to see where this leads. Please call if you have questions or need insight on anything,” you smiled before turning swiftly and walking to the door.

They were all too stunned to respond, and just watched until you were a few feet away from the door. Tony snapped out of it first, and cleared his throat as he shook his head.

“Wait! One last thing!” he shouted causing you to turn and tilt your head at him. “We are having a charity gala this Friday night. It involves the Avengers inviting foster children here and trying to get some publicity for them to help raise funds for some new homes they are building for them.”

“I think I remember seeing something in the news about that,” you nodded.

“Well, it just so happens that Cap here,” he stepped forward, and smacked Steve on the chest and wrapped his other arm around his shoulder causing Steve to finally snap out of his thoughts and send Tony a glare. “Does not have a date to said Gala,” he grinned in a devilish manner.

“Hmm,” you hummed.

“Tony-” Steve spoke up looking down at the man.

“I’m sure he would love to have a date as lovely and stunning as you on his arm,” he winked. “Isn’t that right, Rogers?” he said patting him again.

Steve cleared his throat sending Tony a death glare before looking up at you who had a sly grin on your face.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want-”

“It sounds fun. I don’t remember the last time I got to go to an event for something as great of a cause as this,” you responded. “Unless of course you don’t want me to come. I understand-”

“NO! NO!” he shouted putting his hands up and striding closer to you. “I would love for you to come. Truly,” He grinned when he realized that he was just a few feet from you. “Only if you want to of course.”

“I want to. Gives me an excuse to get out of the house. Add Captain America in the equation, and you got an eventful night,” you smiled.

God, that smile would be the death of him.

“Really?” he asked surprised that you saw it that way, and a giant grin started to form on his own face.

“Absolutely. It’s a date. I’ll meet you here at 8,” you beamed turning back to the door. “See you gentleman on Friday then,” you waved walking away with pride.

The men watched you walk with poise as you passed Bucky on the way out nodding as you said goodbye. He smiled timidly as you passed stopping to watch you leave too. Once you disappeared out of all their sights, Bucky shook his head out of his thoughts before walking into the lab.

“She terrifies me,” he grumbled walking up to Steve who was still looking where you left.

“She’s definitely something else,” Steve mumbled.

“She is so out of your league,” Tony laughed making Steve send him yet another glare.

“Ok, so what did I miss?” Bucky said clapping his hands.

“What didn’t you miss?” Tony sighed.

“We have a lot to catch up on.” Steve said as all the men looked at each other.

Chapter 15

Used to be Overlooked Tag:

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If I tagged you and you aren’t normally on my tag list, I thought you would enjoy the story. Fair warning, it is a slow burn so we will get to the bottom of the issue later, but the burn is what makes it soooooo sweet. I’m really excited for this series, and would love your feedback:) Thank you!

If you want removed let me know. After 3 chapters I will only tag those that I normally do, or those that ask:)

#marvel series #marvel fanfiction #marvel #mcu series #mcu #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x reader series #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers #steve rogers series #captain america #captain america x reader series #captain america series #captain america x reader #captain america fanfiction #justkending #series #reader insert

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dolphin-bouillabaisse · 5 years ago

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GO-ctober Prompt, 7

Inktober except without the ink, and with drabbles instead.

Prompt #7 - Enchanted

(previous | next | beginning)

(find it all on Ao3)

(Note: A completely different thing this time, because this is only Chapter 1 of a fic now! I liked the idea so much I decided to run far, far away with it. The next chapters will get to Ao3 sometime this month, I hope.)

Crowley stared at the bag hidden inside a cupboard of Aziraphale's kitchen that he knew the angel never opened. (Why he had it then, he wasn't quite sure, but it had been a good place to hide everything from surprise baked goods to secretly stolen wine. Maybe it was his sheer stubborn belief that Aziraphale would never find it there that made sure he actually didn't.)

What was hidden inside the bag itself was a moral dilemma. Crowley was not a big fan of those. He usually left them for the humans to hem and haw over. Demon's didn't have morals, so there was nothing to have a dilemma about.

Except.

Except when it came to certain angels and certain relationships-that-weren't-really-relationships but might have a chance to become actual relationships if either of them had ever dared to talk about possible relationships.

As it stood, this was a moral dilemma for Crowley himself to work out.

And all because of that dam-bles- that witch.

-*-

They'd spent an almost agreeable afternoon tea with her and her boyfriend who'd only said something incredibly rude once, or maybe twice, without realising until Anathema had kicked him under the table hard enough. (That was always good for a laugh, the humans thinking they'd somehow insulted the two of them. As if either of them cared. Well, Aziraphale maybe, all puffing up and fiddling with his buttons. Crowley was, of course, too cool to care.)

They'd had tea and biscuits and some very sweet, very sticky little cakes Anathema had made after her great-grandmother's recipe and Aziraphale had practically swooned over. They'd made chit-chat, or at least Aziraphale and Newt had, while Anathema and he had dived down their on-going discussion about conspiracy theories. (This would've made round 15 of this particular debate, and neither would admit they liked it. They absolutely did. Aziraphale had caught Crowley re-searching the newest arguments for and against certain conspiracies prior to the last two times they'd met up.)

And then, for reasons beyond Crowley's understanding, Anathema had asked him to help with clearing the table. Usually it was Aziraphale almost falling over his own feet trying to get up and help, only to be put back into his seat with a stern smile of the witch and her assurance that she and Newt would manage just fine. (They never did, though, as Newt would end up dropping at least one of the cups or plates. He was lucky their pottery was already a random mix of donation store and flea-market finds.)

He'd gotten up, begrudgingly (but surprisingly fast, Aziraphale noted – it usually took far longer to convince Crowley to do some kind of help, unless you were a particular angel in trouble of course), and trotted into the kitchen with a full tray, Anathema and the plate of biscuits (minus two, which Newt and Aziraphale had quickly nabbed) behind him.

“Thank you.” She smiled in that mysterious, annoying way she had while putting the dishes into the sink.

“Don't thank me.” Crowley shuddered. “Tell me what you want instead.”

“What I want?” “You clearly had a reason for getting me alone. What do you want?”

Anathema sighed. “Do you always assume the worst?”

“Demon. Job description.” Crowley waved the now empty tray around, miraculously not hitting any of the shelves in the tiny kitchen.

“Yes. Alright. Makes sense.” Another sigh. “I only wanted you away from Aziraphale because I have something for you, and I know he'll be so delighted he'll rip it out of your hands before you even get to look at it. And that kind of defeats the point.”

Crowley watched her rummage through a cupboard, followed by a few whispered swears (there was a reason she was one of the few humans he might someday admit he enjoyed the company of), until she pulled out a little paper bag and held it up. They exchanged a pointed look between each other.

“Oh god, stop acting as if it's going to bite your hand off. It's a gift. Just take it.”

“Why would you get me a gift?” He took the bag, though, peering inside for just a second. It contained more small bags. Rather suspicious.

“It's nothing special, don't worry, I didn't think of you or showed you any kind of nicety with this, I know how much you pretend to hate that.” (Anathema's mocking smile was another point for the list of 'things I might actually like about this human'.) “I've started experimenting with tea-blends for spells, and I figured you had a better use for this set than I do.”

“Tea for spells? What am I supposed to do with that? I'm a demon, not a witch. I don't do spells.” He sniffed into the bag for a second, hit with a wave of all sorts of spices, herbs and tea. He counted six little bags, exactly enough for a pot of tea each.

“You drink them, you doofus.” (Daring enough to call him that without flinching at his evil glare that followed? Another point for the list.) “Or rather, you have someone drink them.” A pointed eye-roll into the direction of the living room, where Aziraphale was still chatting away as Newt only nodded and 'mhm'ed from time to time.

Another moment of shared looks, another sigh. “Crowley, for all I care, throw them in the bin as soon as you get home. Or not. Maybe just give them a try, and see if you like the results, is all I'm saying.”

-*-

And that was that. And now he was standing in Aziraphale's kitchen, having offered to make the tea this time, for reason beyond his understanding. Or maybe not completely beyond, but for a reason he did not want to actually admit. Thus, the moral dilemma had been born.

He could make some normal tea. He knew where the bags of Earl Grey were, or the box of loose leaf Darjeeling. He could make some tea, bring it back to Aziraphale, have him drink it while reading, watch him enjoy it from the couch, end of story. Evening spent as usual. No problem at all. No enchanting or magickying or bewitching or whatever you'd call it. No influencing the innocent angel. No pushing on the door to that whole 'relationship' business they'd so neatly packed away without ever mentioning it.

The little bags of tea in the big bag were also very neatly marked. Anathema's handwriting was squiggly and slightly off, and actually made it easier for Crowley to read, (a discover which he pretended to hate for a little while, before being busy hating the descriptions on the tea). He'd read the notes over and over and over again by now, and was glad for a short second that Aziraphale was once again too engrossed in reading to notice how long he'd been gone.

'Receiving Gifts', one bag said. 'Words of Affirmation', the other. 'Quality Time' and 'Acts of Service' had caught his eye at first, but were quickly interrupted by 'Physical Touch'.

At the bottom, slightly smaller and neater tucked away, lay the worst offender.

'Eternal Love'.

This is ridiculous. He stood up to put the kettle on. As if drinking some tea would have any effect like this. He took out the the angel-wing mug. As if a human was able to create something that would have any influence over an ethereal being. He stared at the paper bag now sitting on the counter. As if he was going to try to enchant the angel with something as ridiculous as a cup of tea. He dropped 'Receiving Gifts' into the cup.

Steeped and strained, with one spoon of sugar and a splash of milk, the tea found itself softly placed next to the angel, currently deep into a giant tome of something or other he'd found just last week and couldn't tear his eyes from ever since.

He tore them off of it now, though, to look bewildered at the cup, then, somewhat softer, up at the demon who'd placed it. He'd apparently all but forgotten that Crowley had said something about making a cuppa only – oh, fifteen minutes or so ago.

“Figured you might need a drink after breathing in all that bookdust.”

“Oh, dear boy.” Aziraphale curled his fingers around the cup, breathed in the steam coming from it. “That's very thoughtful of you.”

Crowley made a rough noise while staring at- the cup? The angel? Hard to tell. His thoughts were all over the place, yet he was definitely not thoughtful. Especially not this time. Selfish, more like.

“Don't go down that route, angel.”

“Sorry. But thank you, still. What tea is this?” Another sniff of the aroma, decidedly not Earl Grey. Something deep, something herby. Utterly lovely.

“Beats me. Something I found in your cupboards. Pour it out if you don't like it.”

Aziraphale gave him an almost scolding look (as if he'd ever pour tea down the drain instead of enjoying it thoroughly) before taking a sip.

“Oh, it's lovely!”

Crowley swallowed down the rising feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Nothing seemed to have happened. Why should something happen anyway? They'd returned to their places, Aziraphale over his book, Crowley on the sofa, trying his very best to hang off of it as nonchalantly as usual, and somewhat failing. Far too focused on watching the angel take sip after sip, until the cup was empty yet again. Waiting. Watching.

For what? Nothing was going to happen. It was tea. The witch had played a prank on him, or anyway her work was far too simple to have any effect on a non-human, and it's not like he'd actually expected anything to-

Aziraphale got up. Crowley's mind stilled.

“That reminds me!” (What reminded him of what, exactly? Aziraphale's train of thought was impossible to follow, as always.) “I have something for you.”

“You what?” Crowley only managed to stutter, but Aziraphale had already disappeared behind a bookshelf, returning with a small plastic box.

“Here, I found this at the same Antiques' store I found this lovely tome.” Crowley stared – at Aziraphale this time, definitely. He was still holding the box in his direction. “I remember, you said the last one had turned in your car again. I hope I got the right one?”

He wasn't quite sure what exactly he was doing as he took it from his hands. The thing. The box. He should look at the box. Not at Aziraphale. The box. Look at it, you doofus.

It was a cassette tape of the Velvet Underground. (Crowley wasn't sure if this record had actually ever come out as a cassette tape, but where there was an angelic will, there was apparently a way.)

“Well?” Aziraphale interrupted the myriad of thoughts racing through Crowley's mind. “Is it the right one?”

“It is.” His voice was surprisingly hoarse, as if he had been screaming. (He had, inwardly. Hopefully only inwardly.) “It absolutely is.”

Aziraphale gave him a smile, one of those smiles, the ones that made him feel all melty and soft and nice like he shouldn't feel. Especially not now. Especially not the way he had caused it.

“The right kind of Bebop, yes?” He joked, expectantly, and Crowley stifled a laugh, as he was expected to do. He didn't have much of a mind to play their usual game right now. Luckily, Aziraphale didn't seem to expect much more, as he went back to his desk and tome. Crowley went back to staring at the tape.

'Receiving Gifts', he thought. And then his mind raced to the other 5 bags hiding in the cupboard.

It was going to be a morally tough week. He was not a fan of those.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #crowley #aziraphale #my writing #prompts #october prompts

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mittensmorgul · 6 years ago

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5.06, I Believe the Children Are Our Future. Or that one where TFW teaches the Antichrist about the value of Free Will by presenting all the facts that enable him to choose better than Sam did...

DEAN: Okay. Hey, look, we are not going to kill him. All right? But we can't leave Jesse here either. We know that. So...we take him to Bobby's. He'll know what to do. CASTIEL: You'll kidnap him? What is going on in this town, it's what happens when this thing is happy. You cannot imagine what it will do if it's angry. Besides, how will you hold him? With a thought, he could be halfway around the world. DEAN: So we— SAM: So we tell him the truth. You say Jesse's destined to go dark side—fine. But he hasn't yet. So if we lay it all out for him—what he is, the apocalypse, everything—he might make the right choice. CASTIEL: You didn't. And I can't take that chance.

And, I mean, OUCH.

But... did he, though? Did Sam REALLY make the "wrong choice?" Well, arguably he did in trusting Ruby and allowing her to manipulate him all season long. He made lots of wrong choices, from that perspective. But he was also lied to and manipulated about the fundamental goal of the entire season: All along, they were told that killing Lilith was the only way to stop Lucifer from being freed, to stop the apocalypse. And killing Lilith was, all along, what Heaven and Hell wanted from Sam.

THIS is why Castiel rebelled from Heaven, after all. His own guilt over his part in this, over having been manipulated HIMSELF for so long, after being lied to and literally brainwashed into believing that first Heaven's orders were just, and then when he learned the whole truth, that the apocalypse itself was just.

It was only Dean's influence over him that changed his mind, that gave him an out, that gave him a choice to rebel.

Which means he can heap a bunch more guilt on himself for not being able to get Dean there in time to stop Sam...

Team Free Will is just a mess of unwarranted guilt, aren't they? But I digress (as I am wont to do).

Cas tries direct action, planning to kill Jesse before he can do any harm. He learned that lesson (and it's borne of his own sense of guilt, and lays the groundwork for everything he chooses to do in s6 and beyond, taking responsibility on his own shoulders and believing his own plans are just and good). Meanwhile Sam and Dean try a bit of manipulation of their own, in a misguided attempt to protect Jesse from the truth of what he is. Of course, that was bound to fail:

DEAN: You're a superhero. JESSE: I am? DEAN: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, who else could turn someone into a toy? You're Superman—minus the cape and the go-go boots. See, my—my partner and I, we work for a secret government agency. It's our job to find kids with special powers. In fact, we're here to take you to a hidden base in South Dakota, where you'll be trained to fight evil. JESSE: Like the X-Men? DEAN: Exactly like the X-Men.

I mean, it's a much more palatable lie than "hey you're the Antichrist! this is the Apocalypse! The Devil wants to use you to burn the world!" What do you even tell a kid in this situation, who doesn't even understand his own power? But this poor kid is just tired of being lied to. I mean, he accidentally hurt so many people based on the childhood lies he'd been taught to believe. "Your face will freeze that way." "Pop Rocks and Coke will make your stomach explode." "Joy Buzzers will electrocute you!" All lies. And his belief in them did real harm... ironic, yes? But the demon who made him will use that fact to attempt to manipulate Jesse with some half-truths, which turn out to be even worse than the flat-out lies:

DEMON: Those people you call your parents—they lied to you, too. You're not theirs—not really. JESSE: My mom and dad love me. DEMON: Do they? Is—is that why they leave you alone all day? Because they love you so much? These people—these imposters—they told you that the tooth fairy was real and that your toys could hurt you and a hundred other things that aren't true. They love you so much, they made your whole life a lie. Look into your heart, Jesse. You've always known you weren't theirs. You've always known you were different. Everyone has lied to you. They're not FBI agents. And you're not a superhero.

But the demon doesn't actually tell him the truth. She just uses the fact that he'd been lied to all along to work up his anger... which fails in the end. Because those lies weren't about using him, or manipulating him. They were told to him out of love, from parents who didn't want to manipulate him, but give him a normal childhood...

DEMON: They treated you like a child. Nobody trusted you. Everybody's lied to you. Doesn't that make you angry? See? It does make you angry. But I'm telling you the truth, Jesse. Wouldn't it be better if there were no lies? Come with me and you can wash it all clean. Start over. Imagine that—a world without lies.

HAAAAAAA A WORLD WITHOUT LIES. We know how well that goes, right? Thanks Jack, thanks 14.20. But Sam already sees the way out of this mess.

SAM: We lied to you. And I'm sorry. So here's the truth. I'm Sam Winchester. That's my brother, Dean. W-we hunt monsters. DEMON: Except when you are the monster. Right, Sammy? SAM: And that woman right there, her name is Julia. She's your mother. But the thing inside of her, the thing that you're talking to—it's a demon. JESSE: A demon? DEMON: He's done nothing but lie to you since the moment you met him. Don't listen to him. Punish him. JESSE: Sit down and shut up. A chair scoots up behind the DEMON, who is forced into it, silent. She struggles to speak. SAM: There's, uh, kind of a...a war between angels and demons, and...you're a part of it. JESSE: I'm just a kid.

AND THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHY PEOPLE WERE TREATING HIM LIKE A CHILD! BECAUSE HE IS A CHILD! They were lying to him out of kindness, letting him grow up without having to worry about the Bigger Picture of the World yet, because that's what loving parents do for their kids. They shelter them and let them live in their own imaginations when they're young (not that the Winchesters would know what that's like... well, I mean, Sam had a few years of that before he pushed Dean to tell him the truth, and I think he's been regretting that ever since, so he gets it...)

SAM: You can go with her if you want. I can't stop you. No one can. But if you do...millions of people will die. JESSE: She said I was half demon. Is that true? SAM: Yes. But you're half human, too. You can do the right thing. You've got choices, Jesse. But if you make the wrong ones, it'll haunt you for the rest of your life. JESSE: Why are you telling me this?! SAM: Because I have to believe someone can make the right choice, even if I couldn't.

And Jesse... does. I mean, he doesn't sign on to Team Free Will or anything. He chooses HIMSELF. He REMOVES HIMSELF FROM THE PLAYING FIELD. Because he's just that powerful. If angels and demons want to use him, to manipulate him into fighting for one side or the other, he'll just... disappear himself.

DEAN: You know, we destroyed that kid's life by telling him the truth. SAM: We didn't have a choice, Dean. DEAN: Yeah. You know, I'm starting to get why parents lie to their kids. You want them to believe that the worst thing out there is mixing Pop Rocks and Coke—protect them from the real evil. You want them going to bed feeling safe. If that means lying to them, so be it. The more I think about it...the more I wish Dad had lied to us. SAM: Yeah, me too.

Thing is, did they really destroy his life by telling him the truth? Or did the truth literally set him free? From their limited perspective, based on the manipulation being run on their own lives, and the fact they still don't have all the facts (and won't for years and years to come, really), it really looks like they did burnen this otherwise innocent kid with this horrific dose of reality. But it really does feel like something they were driven to do without a choice. Thing is, Jesse's fate was always probably the most fully informed choice in the entire series up to this point. He had the straight facts laid out in front of him, and was told that it's entirely his choice what he does next. And he chose for himself. That's more than any of TFW will legitimately get, like, ever.

Thanks, Chuck >.>

#spn 5.06 #s14 hellatus rewatch #spiders georg of the tnt loop #it's spirals all the way down #lies and damn lies #that's what free will is

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virmillion · 5 years ago

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Ibytm - T minus 18 seconds

Masterpost - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter - ao3

Words: 2,350

Logan knocks a rhythm into the legs of his chair with his heels, absently observing the cafe. Not terribly busy, given how close to society’s generally-agreed-upon dinnertime it is. Most people have the good sense to be out for a late meal, if not relaxing at home and sleeping off some comfort food. Logan is not included among those ‘most people,’ in case that wasn’t clear.

He glances out the finger-smudged window, watching a leaf skitter across the pavement. A couple of kids chase it along ahead of a slower kid, their backpacks abandoned at the base of a nearby oak tree. Probably a need for speed type deal. Something happens on the table in front of Logan, but he’s too intently focused on the kids outside to notice.

“Logan.”

He waves a vague hand in the direction of the voice, not really processing who it belongs to. At last, the lagging kid catches up and jumps forward, crushing the leaf under their dirt-streaked tennis shoe. The other kids clap them on the back in congratulations.

“Okay, what is it?” He glances across the table to Virgil, who’s sitting on the seat diagonal from him and sipping absently at a cup of coffee that’s probably in the process of melting a few oversized dollops of whipped cream. Virgil doesn’t seem to notice that Logan suddenly decided to start paying attention, which means the latter is free to ogle his husband to his heart’s content. How the faint purple of his fading hair dye hangs just so over his forehead, how that one stubborn spot of acne near his chin pushes his lips up into a half smile, how his eyes sparkle with the light of the early evening sun, how, just by looking at him, Logan can tell he’s savoring every ounce of this moment without even thinking about it.

“What are you doing?” Virgil finally asks, turning around and catching Logan mid-stare. If Logan knew anything about grade school crushes, he would know that this is the part where he’s supposed to quickly shift his gaze, embarrassed to high heck. But he didn’t, so he doesn’t.

“Admiring how good you look.”

“Ew, dork.”

“We’re married. I’m allowed to say things like that.” Logan holds up his ring finger and tilts his head toward it with a lopsided grin. “Sorry, pal, but you’re stuck with me.”

“Just be quiet and drink your drink,” Virgil mumbles into his cup, his face turning a lovely shade of pink. Logan smiles to himself and lifts his own cup to his lips, taking a long sip from the straw. “Where are they, anyway? Weren’t we supposed to meet here at, like, seven?”

“Please, you’ve met Roman. It’ll take him at least that long to get his hair done. Don’t pretend like you expected him to be punctual.”

“I guess it’s just a downright tragedy that we got here on time, then.”

“Indeed. Send in the clowns, as it were.”

“Don’t bother, they’re here.” Virgil jerks his chin toward the door, over which a bell proudly chimes to announce the arrival of Patton and Roman. True to form, Roman’s hair looks as painstakingly effortless as ever, and Logan can’t help but wonder just how early he has to get up to be at work on time (or five minutes late) while managing to look like that.

“Heya, lovebirds!” Patton calls, waving far more emphatically than necessary as he drags Roman into the queue. Roman barely remembers to toss them a passing glance, more focused on the exhaustively detailed menus.

“Remind me why we agreed to this?” Virgil mutters. He swirles the contents of his cup around, but there’s definitely a smile lurking under his feigned irritation.

“Because we’re nice people who talk to other nice people like the good little members of society we pretend to be.”

“Sounds overrated.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t.”

“Hey, what’re we talkin’ about?” Patton asks, plopping himself down beside Virgil. Logan nods his greeting as Virgil knocks elbows with Patton in a weird not-quite-but-still-kind-of handshake. An elbowshake, perhaps.

“Why society and its conventions are overrated.”

Logan cocks his head to the side, watching Patton’s brow wrinkle. “There’s a little more to it than that.”

“Not really.”

“And you say that on what grounds?”

“Well, for one, you started it, and for another—”

“I would hardly say I started it. You’re the one that brought up—”

“Only because you insisted we had to act per—”

“Patton!” Roman interrupts, sitting beside Logan and plunking his cup down on the table. “Tell them what Morgan did today!” Logan doesn’t have time to wonder why Roman got his drink before Patton, as the latter launches into an excited and (some would say excessively) detailed account of the make-believe game his daughter thought up in the backyard, right down to the surnames of her imaginary fallen teammates. Actually, Logan isn’t entirely convinced that Patton himself isn’t the one with the active imagination, even to the point of making up these stories about his daughter on the spot.

“Ariel still doing okay?” Virgil cuts in. Maybe trying to steer the conversation away from how many shades of grass Morgan decreed as being ‘queendom property,’ but who’s to say?

The question sets Patton off all over again, this time encouraging an enthusiastic catalogue of every last one of Morgan’s mother’s movements. How she brought over surprise balloons for Morgan and held her breath the whole time because of her latex allergy (which Patton isn’t entirely convinced she has) but she could be telling the truth since it could’ve been an allergy that developed after her childhood and it certainly wasn’t of top conversation priority on that one messy night nine months before Morgan was born but maybe they should’ve looked into it when she first tested positive on that little stick in case she passed it on to Morgan when they—

“Large coffee for Patton?” Patton jolts out of his seat and is at the pickup counter before Logan can blink. As Patton strikes up a cheerful conversation with the (mercifully unannoyed) barista, Roman twists to look at Logan.

“Ten bucks says he doesn’t need all the crap in that cup.”

Logan is almost afraid to ask, but curiosity begs satisfaction. “What’d he get?”

“Okay, so you know how a large is twenty ounces, yeah? And a single shot of espresso is one ounce?”

“Very much did not ask for the vocabulary lesson, but continue.”

“Right, yes, but it’s important to me that you know all that. Anyways, apply that knowledge when I tell you he got fifteen shots of espresso, one long shot, and two ristretto shots. Oh, and five packets of splenda.” More jarring to Logan than that disaster of a coffee order is the look on Virgil’s face—not surprised in the slightest, as if someone had told him Patton ordered a regular cup of black coffee or something.

“I’m sorry, but how did you figure out that you liked that combination abomination?” Logan asks as Patton returns with a smile over his shoulder to the barista.

“Oh, you know, little of this, little of that.” Patton grins at Logan, and something in his eyes makes Logan’s stomach turn. Logan watches in horror as he knocks back far more than what could be considered an advisable amount of coffee. In a voice like a demon banished from the depths of hell for bad behavior, Patton whispers, “Taste is meaningless. There is no flavor that could supplement the raw energy in this.” Logan isn’t entirely sure whether or not he’s making up this whole exchange to cope with Patton’s drink order, a fear which is not helped in the slightest by Virgil’s continued nonchalance.

“That’s actually one of his tamer drinks,” Virgil finally remarks, studying his nails.

Before the shock of this nonsense has even begun to wear off, Roman decides it’s been too long since he had a turn to speak. “So, mister promotion man, what do you think of the new location? You seen it yet? Been inside?”

“First off, stop calling me that. You got promoted, too. Second, no, I’ve avoided finding out any details aside from the address and how to get there from home.”

“Even finding that out took a solid two days of me pestering him to look it up,” Virgil chimes in, now messing around with his phone. “If it weren’t for me, he probably wouldn’t even know there was a relocation happening.”

“That’s entirely true, actually,” Logan admits. “We were talking wedding plans and he wanted to send me something, and I must’ve had my do not disturb mode on, because I completely missed the email about the move.”

“Not to mention all the texts and calls from me that you so callously ignored! You didn’t return a single one!” Roman sputters indignantly. “It’s like we aren’t even friends! I mean, how cruel can you be? Those texts could have been important!”

“Oh, are we friends? You should’ve told me sooner.” Logan swivels in his seat to face Roman, well aware that Patton and Virgil both have their full attention on the conversation’s direction change. “We see each other at work, and we’ve interned together since way back when, but that’s hardly solid grounds for declaring friendship.”

“We are literally on a double coffee date right now. Like, I am sitting in a coffee shop with you and your husband and everyone’s best friend Patton, and it has nothing to do with work.” Patton blinks at the mention of his name and smiles absently.

“Okay, but it’s not a date , because you aren’t dating Patton, not to mention that attending a coffee peddler at the same time doesn’t necessarily denote being anything more than work colleagues.”

Virgil covers his mouth as he leans over to whisper something to Patton, who giggles into his cup of caffeinated chaos incarnate.

“You tell them!” Patton whisper-shouts.

“I’m not saying it.” Virgil folds his arms and mimes zipping his lips, slouching back in his seat. Logan really ought to have a serious talk with him about proper ergonomic posture, but that’s a lecture for another day. He quirks an eyebrow at Patton’s muffled laughter, but Roman clearly isn’t about to let him dodge the conversation (which had no business existing in the first place) so easily.

“We are seriously hanging out right now. Like, casual hangout session in a coffee shop. You with your husband, your husband with his close work friend, that work friend with his best friend, and that best friend just so happens to be your work friend. This is a large and tangled web here, my good sir, and I will kindly ask that you respect it.”

“How am I supposed to respect such a convoluted string of coincidences, much less one that means so little with how it’s laid out?”

Patton bursts into a full-on belly laugh at whatever Virgil whispers this time. It genuinely looks like his face might straight-up explode from how red it turns, but he shakes his head profusely when Virgil juts his chin toward Logan. “I can’t say that!” Patton squeals. Virgil winks at an understandably bewildered Logan, who would very much like to move on to a new topic of discussion right about now. No such luck.

“So what are your requirements for friendship then, huh?” Roman gets up in Logan’s face,washing him in a wave of coffee breath. Logan grimaces. “Staring at some poor, unsuspecting tour guide in a museum until they take pity on you and accept your desperate pleas to go on a date with you?” Roman puts enough silliness into his tone that it’s clear he’s kidding, so Logan decides to play along. What’s the harm?

“Right, because I’m keeping Virgil in this relationship on my own terms. Virgil, blink twice if you proposing to me was an elaborate ruse for your own chance at single life again. Blink once if that’s not true.” Virgil blinks three times. “You are a monster.” Virgil bats his eyelashes. Logan might scream. Virgil winks.

“Friendship is a weird thing, anyway,” Patton pipes up, a hint of that laughter still tinting the edges of his voice. “I mean, I’m still super close friends with Ariel, and we had a stinkin’ kid together. Meanings can change, I think, since words are already so hard in the first place. Isn’t that a fair agreement?”

Logan and Roman grumble vague sounds of acknowledgement, though their matching unhappy tones make it clear—at least, they do to Logan—that neither of them actually wanted a real answer to their little debate. They were just arguing for the fun of it, kind of like—

“Hey, what about that Neptune expedition riddle from way back when?” Roman says suddenly. “Logan, y’member that? Never did manage to solve it, huh?”

“Oh, no, I definitely solved it. I simply refused to share with rhizocephalan barnacles such as yourself.” Roman—along with the rest of the table—blinks silently at Logan, who crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. “Just google it. I’m not a dictionary.”

“You’re my dictionary,” Virgil coos in a honey-sweet voice.

“Never say that again,” Logan mumbles halfheartedly. Let’s all agree to ignore the blood that rushes to color Logan’s cheeks as he considers the pros and cons of dreaming up something equally lovey-dovey. No, better not. Why ruin his stoic reputation with an attempt at romance that’s doomed to fail before it even launches? Might as well stay quiet, watching the topic jump again.

Well, more like Virgil shoves the current topic off a cliff, but you get the idea.

“How’s Ariel doing on that new degree?” he asks. This sets Patton off on yet another tangent about her career, her interests, her grades, her field studies, and who knows what else as Logan takes another sip of his drink and lets his eyes drift to the window. Some kids sprint across the sidewalk, arms spread like wings, chasing a leaf as it floats along with the gentle evening breeze.

#labhwrites #mine #i'll bring you the moon #ibytm

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jennygirl2014 · 6 years ago

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Raven-Chapter 6

Summary: Now being held in custody, Raven faces interrogation. Steve learns a little bit more about Raven, and the two of them agree to keep a secret.

Raven sat alone in a small room with her hands bound to the metal table in front of her. There was a chain around her waist, restricting her to the chair she was sitting in, and her legs were shackled to the floor. She sat silently under the florescent lights, wearing a mask of contentment. Her suit had been ruined and the only other clothing she had available were a ratty pair of jeans and a black tank. She wasn’t even allowed her to wash the soot or blood from her body before they stashed her away in that chamber, where she had been sitting for hours. There was not a single sound to be heard in the room other than the ticking of the clock behind her. She waited for someone to enter through the door to start the interrogation, and although no one had walked in yet she knew that on the other side of the large mirror on the wall was a group of SHIELD agents looking in, discussing her fate.

Steve stood at the one- way window with Natasha, both of them watching Raven sitting motionless. Natasha had been rather chipper about Raven’s capture, and anxiously waited for what she assumed would be a fit and justified punishment. Steve on the other hand was anxious to talk with Raven, he wasn’t sure exactly what he needed to discuss with her, but he was hoping she would even be willing to listen to him after what he had done. He had done his job, but he felt guilty while watching her sit alone in that cold room. “When will Fury be here?” he asked Natasha.

“Any minute now.” She answered, “She’s been sitting there for hours, and hopefully it will be enough to make her talk.”

“I don’t think it’s that easy.” Steve replied, “She’s complicated.” Natasha shot him a disgusted look.

“Don’t even begin to feel sorry for her. She’s not the woman you think she is. How come everyone here can see her for what she really is, except you?”

“She just saved those people’s lives. Clearly she’s not the villain you and Fury make her out to be.” Natasha blinked in disbelief.

“You’re out of your mind.” She fussed at him, “You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment.”

“What feelings?” Steve shot back at her, dismissing her statement. They stood there quietly for another moment until his anxiety got the best of him. “I’m going to go talk to her.” He walked away from the window. Natasha scoffed.

“Why are you wasting your time?” she asked him, but he walked through the door without answering her.

Steve entered the room and stopped a few feet from the metal table, Raven didn’t acknowledge his presence or even look at him. He drew in a deep breath and walked to the opposite side of the table, standing over the chair sitting across from her. He looked down at her, waiting to get some sort of reaction from her, but she kept her icy gaze down, avoiding his face. He knew she was upset with him, and she had every right to be. He wanted to say something to break the silence, but he drew a blank. He saw the manila folder sitting on the table in front of her, and he picked it up and opened it. Scanning through the brief information printed inside, he tried to pick up on something to initiate conversation.

“It says here you were born in France,” he started very softly, “When did you come to America?” she didn’t speak, and her eyes stayed on an imaginary spot on the wall. He read more and tried again, “You speak more than seven different languages.” Still nothing, “You’ve mastered several different forms of self-defense and martial arts. Where did you receive all this training?” She continued to give him the cold shoulder, not even blinking in his direction. He started to realize he wasn’t getting anywhere with her. He read more of her file and stumbled upon something interesting. “Your real name is Celeste Nevara Simon?” it was an intimate detail about her that he would have never thought to ask. He had a hard time picturing her being known as something other than Raven. He saw her clench her jaw. “Why do you go by Raven?” there was more silence, and he figured he should just give up. She clearly did not want to talk to him.

“It’s not that complicated.” Her voice finally broke the silence. He looked down at her, surprised. She slowly brought her gaze up to meet him. There was another moment of quietness between them. “My middle name.” He looked back down at her name and realized what she meant.

“Raven is Nevara spelled backwards.” He made the connection.

“Minus the A.” she spoke quietly, “And what kind of a name is Celeste anyway?”

“How did you get the nickname?”

“Pierce.” She said the name very sharply. He looked at her surprised again. “Are you going to be the one conducting the interview? I hope not.” Her tone was nasty.

“No, Fury is.”

“Then I have nothing to say to you.” She turned away from him again.

“How were you involved with Alexander Pierce?” he questioned her again.

“I just told you I have nothing to say to you. Especially involving that topic.” The anger in her voice was very apparent. She turned and shot a glare up at him, and it sent chills down his spine. He was sure hell had no fury like this woman when she was angry. “You can leave now.”

“I just wanted to talk.” He placed his hands on the table and bent down closer to her. She shook her head and looked away again. He tried to find the right words to say, but what could he possibly say to her at that moment? Why did he even want to speak to her so badly in the first place? “Raven…I had to do my job.” He tried to explain to her. “I let you go once, I couldn’t do it again.” He added that last part very quietly. “You shouldn’t have come here, you knew what would happen if we found you. Please try to understand that I was only doing my job.”

“I saved your life.” She shot back at him. “Or did you forget?”

“I let you go, twice technically.” He grew defensive.

“I escaped the first time, that doesn’t count. You hunted me down and tried to ambush me in my hotel room.”

“And you pulled a gun on me!” he defended himself again.

“Yeah but I was never going to shoot you! There weren’t any bullets in it.” She admitted. He was shocked to hear her say that.

“You were carrying around an unloaded gun?” he didn’t quite believe her.

“I ran out of bullets way before you found me. People usually don’t push your buttons when they see you have a gun.” She explained to him, “And besides I don’t really like guns. They’re too easy.” He shook his head,

“Look, I came in here to try and reason with you…” she cut him off.

“No, you came in here because you feel guilty!” she argued, “You didn’t want to turn me in, not even since day one. I risked my ass to help a building full of innocent people and what was my reward? To have you turn around and throw me to Fury.”

“What was I supposed to do?” he quickly spit out, “Everyone was watching.” And then he realized how ridiculous he sounded. He was reasoning with a felon as to why he turned her in. “It doesn’t even matter, because the bottom line is my mission was to find you and bring you in, and that’s what I did! I don’t have to explain that to you.”

“I know that.” She spoke very casually, “This is you trying to reason with yourself as to why you did it.” He was now offended by her words.

“I was following my orders.”

“After you had already let me go.” She was amused by the annoyed look on his face.

“You escaped, and it was foolish of me to let you walk away, even after you helped me. I was told to bring you back here and use whatever means necessary to do so, and I should have done it the first time.��

“Then why didn’t you?” she asked him, eyeing him closely.

“I don’t know.” He said it softly, feeling like an idiot. She shot him a sideways glance.

“Does Fury know?” she asked him.

“That I let you go?”

“That,, I know he doesn’t know because you’re here standing in front of me. I am asking you, does he know about what happened?” she tried again, tilting her head to the side. He gave her a confused look, “So he doesn’t know the means of my escape?” Steve shook his head, now knowing exactly what she was referring to. A grin crossed her face. “Which sounds worse, Rogers? That you let me go? Or that I escaped after you had your dick in me?” his face turned bright red.

“Raven, I swear to God…if you say anything…” he warned her, now furious.

“Relax, I’m not going to say anything!” she taunted, “What good would it do either of us if he knew that?” and she licked her lips, “But you can’t tell me that what happened had nothing to do with you letting me go.” He felt a tingling going through his entire body.

“Look, let’s agree to never bring that up again. It happened, it’s behind us, there is no need to discuss it any further.” He quickly shut down any more discussion of what had gone down between the two of them that night. She eyed him again, her lips in a sarcastic pucker, “Promise me.”

“Alright, alright, jeez…” she gave in, “It’s behind us. No more talk.”

“Thank you.” He said, relieved.

“So ashamed,” she started to criticize him again, “Are you more ashamed of what you’ve done? The fact that you gave into your desires? Or are you more ashamed of me? Because you knew who I was and what I was accused of. You keep holding onto this false sense of faith in me, and I don’t understand why you would torture yourself like that.” She started clogging his mind with her harsh words and reasoning again, and he had learned from before that she was very good with words. She knew exactly what to say, and he had to mind what he said in return. It was another means of her manipulation. “Go find yourself another pity project, because I am just fine with who I am. I don’t need you, or anyone, to approve.”

“Why did you save all those people?” he started, and she rolled her eyes, “Why did you save me? Why did you hold back when I showed up in your hotel room? You want to come off like you’re such a threat and then you completely contradict yourself. I don’t think you even know what side you’re on anymore to tell the truth.”

“If my hands weren’t cuffed to this table, I would punch you in the face right now.” She threatened.

“If there is any amount of honesty or loyalty in you at all, now is the time to show it. Because there are a lot of people here who doubt you. And I know who you claim to be, but I only remember the Raven I met. Where is she?” he tried to reason with her, wondering if she knew how deep she was in at the moment.

“Oh, come on!” she was tired of his talking, “Do you ever stop? This is the dumbest conversation I have ever had with anyone, ever! You are literally arguing with me about who I am! You barely know me! I told you why I helped you, and I was already there when the building was going up in flames so why not try to help? The answer is just because! That’s it! I’m no saint in disguise, I’m no hero, hell I’m not even a good person. I do things simply because I want to. I’m selfish like that. Stop trying to push your twisted image of who you think I am onto me.” She sat back in the chair and sighed, tired of the banter. “And I took it easy on you because you were holding back too. I honestly don’t think we are capable of hurting each other for some stupid reason, I don’t know. But if you’re having regrets then by all means, take a swing.” He was struck by her words, and slowly stood up and moved away from her. Just as he was about to open his mouth again Fury entered and the room seemed to freeze over instantly. He stood still and eyed the two of them.

“It’s time to leave, Rogers.” He basically demanded that Steve leave the room.

“Looks like your time is up, Boy Scout.” Raven commented from where she sat. He glared down at her and clenched his jaw. He had gone in there to talk and had achieved absolutely nothing. It was clear that all she wanted to do was argue with him, or insult him, and it was infuriating. They kept their eyes on each other, glaring and burning under the skin. “Bye.” She spoke up again, telling him to get out. He turned and walked out of the room in a huff. Never had a woman ever been able to frustrate him so in his entire life. Natasha spoke to him as he exited.

“Aren’t you going to stay and listen to what she has to say?” she asked him. He sighed out his frustration and stepped back over to the window and crossed his arms. “I told you, you were wasting your time.” He looked down at the microphone button and realized he may have made a mistake going in there and talking to her.

“Did you hear what we were saying?” he asked Natasha.

“No, but I didn’t need to hear the conversation to know it got a little intense.” And she crossed her arms and put a finger to her chin. “Intense is just another way to describe the girl. There is no point in reasoning with her. She is always right, and you are always wrong. And even when you are right, she couldn’t care any less.” Steve sighed again and rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off some of the tension that had built up from the argument.

“Is she always this difficult?” he asked. Natasha chuckled.

“You really have no idea who she really is.”

Previous chapter here. Next chapter here.

#chris evans fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction #captain america fan fiction #marvel fanfiction

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andyfire122 · 6 years ago

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The new addition

(I’ve been sitting on this for a bit and figured this can help since you got back to school. So @theblueskyphoenix so here is the higgsbrood version of how Vincent came into the world. Enjoy, you’ll get the last bit of school done.)

“How many times I have to tell you, I wasn’t loitering I just get turned around!”

Albert sighed. He has been forced to listen to this for a while now. This two got taken in for causing a disturbance. If anyone else looked at it, people would see these two as lovers quarrel. Especially since the woman is highly pregnant.

Except for the woman in question is his sister. Though he was surprised the man didn’t recognize him.

You know, I’ve always wondered how Roni can deal with this guy.

“Yeah, I don’t want you or your bastard kid around there!”

She sighed. “My child is not a bastard. You know who the father is and he’s your brother.”

“My brother is dead, how am I supposed to know that kid is his you...”

Ok, time to put this to an end.

He stepped in between them. “Ok, how about this. You two have an option. You can either sit in jail or have a warning.”

Or just throw you in jail anyway for dragging us into this.

She just raises her hand “Yeah, I’ll go with the warning.”

Just as he was about to yell something else, Albert stopped him. “Need I remind you were just about to call my sister.I’d take the warning.”

Cuz if it was anywhere else, you would be on the floor right now. That would be after Roni gets a turn though.

“How is this fair bringing your brother into this?”

She sighs. “You're the one who brought the police into this. It’s not my fault they sent Al to deal with this.”

The man just huffs off in anger.

“Thanks for the save Al.” It was hard to believe. she was mad a minute ago. Now she was just happy for things to be over.

It’s bad that I don’t know if this is just hormones or not.

He sighs. “I thought you were gonna stay with Mom until the baby is born.”

She just laughs. “Well, I was gonna get that last gift from Reese’s mother and then I somehow ended up at his brother’s house.”

And So her legendary sense of direction strikes again. Of course, she didn’t tell mom or Wil where she went. I don’t know if we should call it lucky that she ended up here.

She was about to speak up again when her eye’s widened. “Al..catch me.”

“Wait, What?” He almost didn’t have time to catch her as she was beginning to fall forward.

She closed her eyes in pain while one hand was holding her stomach. “You really picked a great time little one.”

“What?!”

Of all the moments, Why now?!

His partner, Whitney, hand only came when the shouting began. “Something wrong Albert?”

He looked up about a few shades paler. “My sister is having her baby right now.”

And this is why we told her to stay at home but as always Roni never listens.

000000

They had already tried to make her comfortable by placing on the couch but that didn’t exactly help the siblings with their nerves.

“What do we do?!” They had already sent for his brother and mother but in the meantime, they were on their own.

Mom said she was gonna help with this. We are not the right people for this!

One of the older officers had already arrived. “It will be fine Albert, I had to help my wife with our kid. Let’s just follow through and it will be fine.”

Veronica just glared up through her pain. “Well someone better do something!”

I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die and my sister is gonna kill me.

0000000

Cecelia and Wilson hurried over as fast as they could. It honestly didn’t surprise Wilson one bit that his sister got into this mess. It didn’t stop the duo from worrying.

“Where is my daughter?”

Before the officer can tell them anything a hand beckoned them to the back room.

Veronica was resting on the couch. She looked exhausted but otherwise was fine. Though she was minus one baby.

Wilson gave a strained smile. “You look terrible Roni.”

She sighed. “At least your being honest about it. Sorry, you guys are a little late.”

Cecilia looked worried and took her daughters hand. “Honey, what happened to the baby?”

She looked up a pointed. “Ask Albert because he won’t give him back!”

Albert was currently holding a bundle looking wide-eyed. “So small...I love him.”

“Mom, I haven’t been able to hold my own son yet. Tell Albert to give him to me!”

Wilson just started laughing at the strange circumstances. At this point, all the worry in the room just went away at the moment.

Cece smiled and shook her head. “Al, how about letting the actual mother hold her child.”

“Oh..oops. Sorry, here.” He snapped out of it and handed the sleeping bundle to his sister.

She smiled as she looked at him. The child was just born and yet she could tell he already looked like his father.

“So what are you gonna name him sis?” asked Wilson.

She gave a big grin as she looked back up at them. “I was thinking Vincent. It was Reese’s father's name. Plus I think it fits.”

Cece gave a smile looking at her newly named grandson. “It’s perfect. You gonna be a great mother dear.”

“Yeah, If his uncles don’t steal him.”

Wilson shrugged. “Don’t look at me, that was all Al.”

“Hey, not my fault the kid’s adorable.” She was tired so the officers just handed the baby to Albert. He got sucked in after that.

She had to stay overnight but afterwards, she was allowed to take him to her own home. It still was something no one was forgetting anytime soon.

#fanfic #don't starve #don't starve cecelia higgsbury #don't starve Wilson higgsbury #don't starve albert higgsbury #don't starve Veronica #wilson p. higgsbury #albert m. higgsbury #Veronica W. Higgsbury #i wanted to do this days ago :(#enjoy my sill thought

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drkreviews · 6 years ago

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A Painful Difference

Here I am with the final part of this month’s themed week in “Lyrical Love”! Today’s subject is a song by the visual kei band Amber Gris, precisely of their early ones, Love in the First., released as second track of the second single Shoujo no Cure (Cure of the girl), come out on 24th March 2010. The song represents such in a way the band's unique view of the world, with a melancholic atmosphere, surrounding a common subject, but dealt with a particular depth and passion.

THE MUSIC

The song starts with a living rhythm, featuring an energetic guitar and a pretty relevant bass work; Temari's voice is soft and flowing, becoming more intense in the middle part, with parts in falsetto, the key feature of this talented vocalist in each performance; the result is a passionate and gloomy rock theme, rich of idyllic shades, worth of Amber Gris' unique concept.

Lyrics (Romaji)

Rozetta jou no kusabana, Mada minu haru ni kogareru Yukidoke no mizu ni ashi o hitasu Adokenasa o nokosu shigusa. I don't know, Shelly Koe o kikasete? Kotoba o kikasete? Kimi no koto o sukoshi dake de ii Boku ni oshiete yo! Amai kaori tadayou, Noichigo no jamu o motte Yakusoku no jikan made ato wazuka Shisen sorashi isogiashi. I don't know, Shelly Moshi mo boku ga kimi to onaji nara Arui wa kimi mo kono kotoba ni Mimi o katamukete kureta ka na? Kamisama no itazura de Boku wa kemukujara Osorenaide kono ude wa Kimi o mamoru buki ni kaeru kara. I don't know, Shelly Moshi mo umarekawatta no naraba Sekai de ichiban kirei na hana o mi ni yukou. I don't know, Shelly Semete ima dake, owakare no uta o Tsugi ni boku ga mezameta toki ni Kimi o omoidaseru you ni.

Lyrics (Translation)

Flowers shaped like rosetta I still wished to see them in the spring

A wet foot in the melted water A gesture which leaves innocence.

I don’t know, Shelly (I)

Can I hear your voice? Can I hear your words?

Only a little of you Please talk to me!

Sweet scent which is emanated From the strawberry jam I keep in my hand

A little sign, until the established moment And I quickly turn the sight.

I don’t know, Shelly (II)

If I were like you Maybe you, to these words, could lean an ear?

For a God’s mischief I am covered by thick hair Don’t be afraid of this arm I will replace it with a weapon which will protect you.

I don’t know, Shelly (III)

If I was born again Let’s go to see the most beautiful flowers of the world.

I don’t know, Shelly

At least for this moment, a farewell song So that, the next time I will awake I can remember you. (IV)

THE WORDS

Written by the singer Temari, the song summarizes and introduces such in a way all the features which will be seen in most songs by Amber Gris, especially the simple text layout, made for driving the whole thing with images and sensations hidden in the single words. For understanding its meaning, it’s better to start from the single where it is contained; the title, Shoujo no Cure, already contains a reference to a love feeling towards a girl, correlating this song with the others inside it, Ibara no hana wa tsumi ni saku (Flowers’ thorns bloom in the sin) and Sunny day’s seeker, dealing respectively with flowers being symbol of a unforgivable love sin and remembering the best moments of own life. Going back to the one analyzed here, this song encloses the core meaning of the whole single, as it deals with love. In particular the subject is a relationship between two people, who are extremely different each other, as the protagonist is not human at all, hinting to another important theme of Amber Gris’ songs, the difference. This relationship between the man, a beast, and the woman, named Shelly (an English based name, whose meaning is literally “meadow on a ledge”, hinting to the naturalistic concept brought by the band), who might be a fictitious adressee, typical element of some poems, especially by Dante and Petrarca, is dark and gloomy, seeming like a melancholic version of The Beauty and The Beast. And now... let’s analyze the song!

I) The text starts with the protagonist, who says that he wants to see the flowers shaped like a rosetta in the spring (Rozetta jou no kusabana,/Mada minu haru ni kogareru, the word rosetta is referred to a specific flower, the white rose, symbol of innocence and silence, which, not by case, fits with the rest of the text), while his foot gets wet in the melted water, formerly ice (Yukidoke no mizu ni ashi o hitasu, the ice, like the flower is white, creating an analogy of colours, typical in most of their songs), a gesture which leaves a sense of innocence (Adokenasa o nokosu shigusa, white is correlated to innocence and to a winter setting); then there’s a line, written in English, which will recur in the text, where he talks to Shelly, his loved one, telling her that he is confused and doesn’t know what to do.

II) He asks her if he can hear her voice, her words (Koe o kikasete?/Kotoba o kikasete?, note the strong musicality in these two lines), in few words he wants to see something of her, even a little part, begging her to talk to him (Kimi no koto o sukoshi dake de ii/Boku ni oshiete yo!); then the focus moves on a sweet scent, coming from the strawberry jam he is keeping in his hand (Amai kaori tadayou,/Noichigo no jamu o motte, the strawberry is another image linked to the innocence), asking her for a little sign, until the estabilished moment, when he will turn his sight away from her (Yakusoku no jikan made ato wazuka/Shisen sorashi isogiashi, the estabilished moment seems to be the death, likely of hers).

III) He says that if he was like her, probably she would have heard his words, his voice (Moshi mo boku ga kimi to onaji nara/Arui wa kimi mo kono kotoba ni/Mimi o katamukete kureta ka na?); but unfortunately, he, because of a God’s mischief, is made of a thick hair, closer to an animal than to a man (Kamisama no itazura de/Boku wa kemukujara), but she doesn’t have to fear his arm, which he will change into a weapon for protecting her (Osorenaide kono ude wa/Kimi o mamoru buki ni kaeru kara)

IV) In the final sequence he says that if he could be born again, he would take her to see the most beautiful flowers of the world (Moshi mo umarekawatta no naraba/Sekai de ichiban kirei na hana o mi ni yukou), but unfortunately he will have to limit himself in a farewell song, so that when he will wake up from his sleep, his lethargy, he will still remember her, ending the text in a melancholic way (Semete ima dake, owakare no uta o/Tsugi ni boku ga mezameta toki ni/Kimi o omoidaseru you ni).

He is a beast and she is a young maiden, two different people living a romantic relationship, but it will come to an happy ending? Amber Gris rewrite the canon of “happily ever after”, with a gloomy and sour song, made of natural and direct images and reminding us how the differences are seen, unfortunately, as an obstacle.

That’s all folks! See you tomorrow with a new review in “Let’s Listen to”!

Thanks for the reading!

*Sorry for the delay*

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tancong · 7 years ago

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A Piece of Me (Chapter 4)

You thought I had abandoned this series but alas, you were fooled!

Warning: Combat scene. Involves lost limb without too much gory detail.

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The white cloud painted gray by the darkening sky floated peacefully past the moon, obscuring the cement surface below with a large shadow for a moment before the light shone on it once more. When it did though, it reflected off of a dark pool of liquid that had not been there moments before, one that trailed a short distance before losing its trail next to a large dumpster bin.

It would take another five dead bodies before the alarm was sounded. In all honesty, that was a pretty bad communication system. Had he been here for an infiltration mission, the target would already be dead and he would have been long gone before this alarm sounded. However, this time his target was every living being on the premises.

Actually, the alarm made it easier for him. The enemy came out in squads of two or three depending on their ranks and apparently skill levels. It saved him the trouble of having to search for them and their nearby friends, seeing as they were all nicely grouped up. Groups fell all over the area, by the time one group discovered their fallen comrades, another group nearby was down. Then it was their turn as they tried to report back.

Soon enough, all the grunts were gone. Hell, half of them probably weren’t even part of the battle that had wounded Angela. However, they worked as part of the organization and that was enough of a sin for him to eliminate them.

Most of the guys were inexperienced in true combat, they had only been trained and sparred without the fear of death. Being stationed at the base was technically an easy way to get started unless there was a bloodthirsty cyborg coming. Unfortunately, they were not meant to live long enough to get the experience they needed to become capable combatants.

Even without staring into his eyes and even without the killer instinct that came from years of combat, every last victim felt the unending hatred and intent to kill intently focus upon them before the blade and shurikens struck. The calm and stealthy ninja was gone, the one that would eliminate his victim without suffering nor warning. Instead, there was a demon hungry for blood, one that people can sense even without seeing but much too late to save themselves from his claws.

The ancient Japanese texts spoke of many gods. Among them was The Aragami, derived from the characters “ara” for malevolent and “kami” meaning God. Their power immense and their hatred unyielding, any who deemed to be an enemy was struck down without mercy and without any chance at survival.

At last, he came to the locked metal door of the facility. The facility itself was not overly large, it was but an average-sized extremist mercenary force after all. His blade met the metal with a loud clang, which may have sounded satisfying to spectator had there been any but definitely not to him. He frowned at his blade before sheathing it. It definitely bothered him that the spirit of the dragon refused to beckon his call and strengthen his sword but now was not the time to ponder upon such matters.

The facility was not completely closed of course. A broken window from up high caught the guards below by surprise. As such, they quickly fell to the floor in a pool of blood. As Genji stood up, he was greeted by a phalanx of soldiers, some with shields and some with heavy armaments. Behind them stood a tall man fully equipped in armor.

“Are these all the soldiers you have remaining?”

The man nodded. “You did quite a number on us in quite a short amount of time. I would not hesitate to employ underhanded tactics and ambushes at this point to ensure my organization’s survival. However, I don’t even have the manpower to employ such tactics.”

“How convenient.”

A single dash broke their hard-light shields, though it was hardly up to military standards anyhow. The formation would have definitely been disadvantageous for Genji had the shields been anywhere as durable as Reinhardt’s shield but alas that was not to be expected from the funds of a self-operated mercenary organization.

He had to give them credit, they did not panic and immediately friendly fired. Instead, they quickly reorganized their formation to trap him in, quickly regrouping to attack him in pairs and triples. Even so, his initial attack took out some of them. Each successive wave tired out Genji, his successful takedowns never quite complete between each.

Genji found himself knocked aside and crashing into the wall upon blocking rather than dodging a rather powerful punch. Well, the strong fist held a large mechanical blade but simply blocking it felt like he took a direct punch to the gut. Genji quickly got up and struck down the soldiers raising their guns with his shurikens.

He deflected as many bullets as he could, taking out even more as he took cover. He took deep breaths and ignored the scratches and tears in his suit from the bullets that were not deflected fully.

Shurikens rained down from above as Genji climbed up the nearest cover and jumped out, taking his enemies by surprise. In all honesty, he should have done this in the first place. There were many things that he could have and definitely should have done differently. Nothing that mattered now though.

He landed solidly with both feet on the ground, standing straight to look at the armored man remaining. There was no way for him to break that armor with his shurikens and the gaps were too small for him to hit. Not when the man was still fast enough and skilled enough to dodge them.

The man sighed as he looked around before raising the short sword in his right hand. At least they both came to the same conclusion that projectile weapons would not hurt each other. At last, they attacked.

Knowing better than to take a full blow, Genji deflected the man’s blade to the side and dodged the few he could. The man was fast, almost too fast for someone in full armor. He was strong too. Such was needed to survive the harsh life as a mercenary leader he supposed.

On the blows he deflected, Genji had no chance to counterattack, not with the recoil of the blow. On the attacks he dodged, he snuck a slash in with his sword. Had he been able to summon the spirit of the dragon, it would have already been over.

Instead, they traded blows after blows. Genji was grazed a few times, blood leaking from the cuts across his torso and on his leg. He couldn’t take a direct hit of course. A direct hit that strong would mean instant death. Well, perhaps not instant but he sure as hell wouldn’t be able to fight any longer.

The man’s stamina was running out slowly, though not as fast as Genji’s. It was to be expected, of course, he was built and trained for stealth missions that required quick bursts of speed and strength to eliminate a target and retreat, not a long elimination mission. A gap in his guard resulted in an elbow to the face, the armor screeching and denting it before Genji could leap away.

Genji quickly removed the visor and spat blood from his lips, tossing it aside as he grimaced. The man smirked before frowning as he felt warmth at his neck. The armored guard that had been there had been broken, meaning one more strike would surely do it.

Genji took the opportunity to finish the job. A quick dash to the left feinted with a strike to the knee joint twisted to dodge the blade as Genji jumped through the remaining distance. His sword came from his right side, arm swinging its full arch to find the power needed to finish the kill.

A loud and bright flash came from the man’s left fist, shocking Genji as it had been previously idle other than a source of counter balance. The weapon’s blast spun Genji as blinding pain came from his upper arm near his shoulder.

However, he knew that if he even thought about what that meant, it would be over. Instead, Genji bit his lips hard enough to break the skin and drew his wakizashi with his left hand. The momentum of the spin was enough, it was enough. The blade came at the man’s throat, cutting clean through as Genji continued with his momentum, crashing into the ground without an arm to catch himself.

The heavy and satisfying thud that sounded in the near distance informed him that his job was done. Genji grinned to himself, finding relief in accomplishing his mission, though only for a moment before the pain all over his body changed his mind.

The darkness that enveloped his mind was lifted by a gentle warm flow. He cracked his eyes open slowly, gazing at the strange golden glow. Was it morning already? No, there was no way he could have stayed alive for that long with that much bleeding. Then was it heaven?

As he gazed up, he saw wings spread wide and a golden halo glowing above a worried face. Sky blue eyes gazed down at him, widening as they saw him grimace and groan before attempting to get up.

“Don’t try to move yet! You’re not in good shape. I’m glad we found you in time …”

Well, Genji was never one to be too obedient. He had been at a certain point in time but it had only been for one person. She was gone now, even if it was her face that stared down at him and telling him to do the exact same thing.

“I’m alright. Well, thanks to you I suppose. Minus an arm …”

On a better day, perhaps he would regret not having made a joke about her giving him a hand. However, it was definitely not the first thing on his mind at that moment and definitely in bad taste considering the sorry shape he was in. It was his cybernetic arm anyhow, she could fix it. She’s done it plenty of times before.

“Still, you can’t just run off and do these things by yourself. What were you thinking …”

Genji gazed at her, finding her eyes as easily as if it was what he was born to do. However, he looked away once more. The gaze she gave him was not what he had fallen in love with. It was still her eyes and she was still sincere. However, to her, he was no longer someone dear. He was just another nondescript and unknown wounded soldier. One in the thousands that she had treated over the years.

“What would knowing my thoughts mean to you?”

Mercy froze right then, though her healing stream continued to flow to him. Genji walked away and out of its range then, ignoring the soft gasp in the distance followed by the tense silence. He knew there were others who accompanied her on this mission, of course, he just didn’t have the energy to deal with them right then.

“Genji. You’re important to me. You’re important to everyone. Why would you-”

“Am I really? I’m sorry if I don’t believe it. I came here to do what I had to do, even if I know it solved nothing.”

Mercy pursed her lips, her thoughts in turmoil as she gazed as the unmasked cyborg that turned to face in the near distance. She did not see someone who was angry even if anger was in his voice and expression. Instead, she saw someone who was hurt far beyond what her staff and words could heal.

“Genji …”

The cyborg drew his sword, gazing at its scratches and dents. The spirit of the dragon still did not flow through it, the only companion that he thought he had in this dark time. He grimaced and threw the prized blade aside. He unclasped the mechanical sheath and took it in his hand as if it were a blade.

“You don’t know the first thing about me.”

Then he charged her. Mercy’s eyes widened as she raised her staff to block him, dodging to the side to avoid the follow-up stab. Tracer moved forward to stop the fight, only to be stopped by the outstretched hand of a red-visored soldier. She looked at him in confusion, only to be replied with a shake of the head as the man continued to watch on.

He never wanted to hurt her. He wouldn’t have dared to. However, he had no other way to express his emotions. He had engulfed himself in anger and his primal killer instincts ever since the event, he could think of nothing else.

“How could you say that … when you don’t even remember the smallest thing about us?”

The metals of their weapons struck each other loudly, each strike leading into another swiftly and efficiently from the ninja.

“Not my favorite meal. Not my favorite movie. Not my favorite tea. Not my favorite place to meditate after a long day.”

The doctor never struck back. It was the golden rule after all, to do no harm. But beyond that, this was not someone she wanted to fight. She knew that he wasn’t fighting her, he was fighting something within himself. She could only hope to learn and help.

“Not the first time you took a break to spend time with me. Not the first time I used your first name. Not … not a single part of it.”

The sheath struck her staff once more from above, colliding with a softer clang as he held it there. He met her gaze, searching for an answer that he could not find in himself.

“Yet … yet why is it that I still can’t look away from you? I don’t see a past version of you or a new version. I just see, you. It’s as if you’ve never changed but …”

“But then how can you still fight so well?”

Mercy blinked twice, then twice more as she came to comprehend what he said. She lowered her staff, letting his sheath fall harmlessly in front of her face as Genji waited for her answer. Her eyes gazed down at the slightly dented but still fully functional staff she held in her hands.

“I … I don’t know. It’s as if my body still remembers how to do it. I don’t remember when but I feel like I’ve done this hundred of times.”

Realization struck her and caused her to gaze up to meet his bewildered expression. “Was it you who taught me?”

Genji did not reply. He did not need to. The tears that welled up in his eyes were enough of an answer for her. His sheath dropped from his hand as she opened her arms, letting him fall into them and bury his face into her chest. The others had calmed down and had walked away a bit ago, knowing that the battle was over.

“I was so lonely … I thought … I had lost you forever. I didn’t know … I … You didn’t …”

Angela held him there, pulling his head into her and holding him tight. Her other hand held his hand, calming it from the gentle shake of his tears and fears.

“I’m here now Genji. Everything will be alright.”

Genji gazed up at her, calming himself a bit as he looked for the truth in her eyes. Satisfied, he returned his head to her chest once more.

“Can we just … stay here for a while?”

And so they did. For several minutes, they simply stood there together. When Genji finally hesitantly tore himself away from her, he picked up the sheath and placed it on his back once more. When he picked up his sword, he paused for a moment as he felt a familiar energy flow through it, a glowing green mist that curled around the blade calmly and reassuringly.

Genji sighed softly, smiling at the blade, an old friend. “Oh. You’ve been here all along. I’m sorry for putting you through that … I wasn’t thinking straight. Thank you, for staying by my side.”

The sword returned to its home on his back as he turned around to give Angela a soft smile. She returned it to him and together they returned to the airship.

Genji did not recall falling asleep once more. When he woke up, his arm was back to where it was and he was patched up all over his body. Mercy did not inform him of the extent of his injuries or chastise him for it. Angela later teased him about it and casually threw around remarks with the others about not provoking him on another self-destruct mission again lest it slowed down her work.

She and everyone else definitely neglected to tell him about the soft smile of relief that she had on her face as she allowed him to sleep with his head on her lap during the ride back.

Their lives slowly became normal once more. Some habits die hard and some new ones formed. Despite how far apart they grew in a single day, they both wanted to change it together. And so, the cyborg and his doctor became the best of friends once more.

In a world where death is all too permanent, what Genji was given instead was a small gift of mercy and a new beginning. And sometimes, a beginning is all a person ever get.

The beginning filled with blood and tears shed upon a blade filled with memories and vengeance. A deadly blade of fate crossed with the hope of a new healing light.

Chapter 1: Alive Chapter 1.5: Journal Entry 1 Chapter 2: Lost Chapter 2.5: Journal Entry 2 Chapter 3: Square One Chapter 3.5: Journal Entry 3

Chapter 4.5: Journal Entry 4 Chapter 5: Experiments, Experience, and Emotions

#gency #emergenji #gency fanfiction #gency fanfic #emergenji fanfiction #emergenji fanfic #genji #mercy #angela ziegler #genji shimada

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