#that shit got my adrenaline going but NONETHELESS!!!! I AM FEELING INCREDIBLE!!!!!

[siyratiin]

finally got a chance to play ultrakill in a while today I am feeling rejoiced rejuvenated and relaxed

[zukoszukhoes]

Don’t Speak- Zuko x Reader

// Soulmate au- Zuko x reader

// summary: In the Fire Nation, when you turn 16, the first words your soulmate will say to you appear on your wrist. Just after y/n’s 17th birthday, they don’t think they’ll ever find their soulmate. Until a certain prince, back from his banishment, comes to stay at their family’s estate on holiday. Suddenly, y/n is faced with a complicated problem; after all, what do you do when your soulmate is the crown prince of the nation you hate?

//part 2 here

//warnings: none, just some angst and a little threatening

// (Y/M/N)= your mother’s name

“(Y/n), the royal procession is here! Come quickly!” The head maid, Lotty, cried into your room.

Shit! You thought, lurching up from your bed. You’d gotten so engrossed in your book you’d forgetting to keep track of time. And now your hair was a mess, your clothes were wrinkled, and you still couldn’t find your shoes. Your father was going to kill you when he saw you.

“Lotty, have you seen my shoes? The ones we got last week for the procession?” You shouted, throwing on your banquet wear as fast as you could.

“It’s in the closet!” Lotty called back from the other room, her voice panicked. Having visitors always put Lotty on edge.

“No, they’re not!”

Lotty rushed in your room, face scrunched up with stress and hair resembling a bird’s nest. “What do you mean they’re not in the closet?” She screeched.

“I checked the closet and I’m telling you they’re not there!”

“Spirits, child! Could you at least try and be organized?!” Lotty cried, digging into the closet. She emerged a minute later with the shoes held triumphantly in her hands and shoved them into your chest. “Now, go, quickly! The prince will be here any minute!”

The prince. The words echoed bitterly in your mind. Despite being the child of a powerful Fire Nation government official, living in the Fire Nation brought you no joy.

Growing up, you’d watched as the Fire Nation conquered the rest of the world. You’d been taught that it was the right thing to do, that you were sharing your success to create a better world. But when your father told you of the lives lost-on both sides- you couldn’t help but hate the war, and the Fire Nation. To you, it was all senseless killing, poorly disguised under the name “progress.”

When you heard about the prince’s banishment for speaking out against the Firelord’s war plans, you’d hoped it meant that he was a fair, wise, and just person. And, that maybe, one day, he would come back and be the Firelord the world needed him to be. However, when you learned he’d killed the avatar in Ba Sing Se, you knew in your heart that he was just as evil as the rest of his family.

Still, your reservations about the royal family did not deter your own family from idolizing them. After all, the Firelord had given your father a respectable job, a good home, and a steady living. Being a high-ranking government official had opened all kinds of doors for your family. So when the Firelord asked your father to host his son, Prince Zuko, while he was meeting with his war generals, how could he say no?

“You’re late.” Your father grumbled as you fell into line in between him and your mother. “Why, on today of all days, did you choose to be late?”

“I’m sorry, father.” You replied, fixing your shirt surreptitiously. “I lost track of time.”

A horrified gasp escaped your mother’s lips. “(Y/N)! Your mark!” She whispered, grabbing your wrist.

In the Fire Nation, everyone had the first words their soulmate would every say to them imprinted on their wrist. However, it was considered improper to display your mark in public. Anything having to do with soulmates was considered private, intimate, and extremely personal. To show your mark to the public, when you haven’t met your soulmate yet, would be considered betraying your soulmate’s trust before you’d even met them. Your parents seemed to believe in this idea more than most. They’d gone to extreme lengths to make sure no one other than themselves, Lotty, and yourself had seen the mark.

You glanced down, reading the words you’d read a hundred times over: “Your shoe is untied.”

“Here,” your mother huffed, handing you her own wrist cuffs. Her mark was gone, disappeared the first day she had met your father. You slipped on the cuffs, watching the words disappear under the bronze metal. “And next time, be more careful!” Your mother scolded you.

You rolled your eyes. But before you could respond, the front gates opened. A palanquin, painted blood red with regal gold detailing, appeared through the gates. Held up by four exhausted-looking palanquin bearers and flanked by guards, it was a statement of royalty that could not be ignored. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at the pomp of it all.

“It’s a bit excessive, don’t you think?” You snorted. Your father glared at you, but cracked a smile nonetheless.

Gauzy white curtains fluttered in the wind as the palanquin bearers strode their way up to the house. In between the curtains you caught a glimpse of a high ebony ponytail, a flaming crimson scar, and two golden, piercing eyes. Eyes widening with surprise, you quickly averted your gaze, a shiver racing down your spine. What was that? After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the palanquin finally stopped in front of your family.

“Please bow for Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation!” One of the guards barked, dropping to one knee. Immediately all of the other guards followed. You slipped into a low bow, watching out of the corner of your eye as the palanquin bearers parted the curtains for the prince to descend.

You’d expected to find the prince revolting. When you imagined meeting him before, his image only conjured anger over the war, anger over all of the injustices you’d heard of over the years. But when the prince emerged from the palanquin, you didn’t feel anger; instead, you felt your heart skip a beat.

Tall and regal, Prince Zuko had a commanding presence that seemed to wrap around your heart and squeeze. You’d always heard that the royal family was cold and calculated- but the prince reeked of raw emotion. He did not smile- or show any expression at all- but his presence emanated raw angst. And those eyes. Once again, the flash of molten amber met yours, one eye haloed in dark red, and sent a jolt down your spine. Looking into his eyes, you felt as if you could watch the gears in his head turn and twist as he studied you. All of his turmoil, rage, and sorrow swirled in those pools of amber, shaking you to your core. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze of liquid gold seeming to find something interesting in you.

You knew it was improper to hold his gaze for so long, but you couldn’t look away. He was incredible, yet turbulent; beautiful, but terrifying. Part of your brain saw him and thought he was nothing more than a teenage boy. The other part screamed that he was nothing but another killer.

“Prince Zuko, it is an honor to have you with us,” your father greeted in a booming voice. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood to attention, looking very much like the important official he was. “I am Executive (L/N). This is my wife, (Y/M/N), and my child, (Y/N).”

“Thank you for hosting me. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.” Zuko replied, his voice quieter than you expected.

“We hope the home is to your liking. If you need anything at all during your stay, feel free to take full advantage of the staff,” your mother said with a gracious smile.

The prince dipped his head in a subtle nod. “I appreciate your hospitality.” He paused, gaze sliding to yours once again. His eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. “You’re (Y/N)?”

You simply nodded. It seemed better not to speak than to speak and say something out of turn (which, as your mother liked to complain, was a frequent and annoying habit of yours).

The prince walked forward until he was standing just a few paces away. He continued to study you up and down, face devoid of emotion. Finally, he remarked in a flat tone, “Your shoe is untied.”

Immediately all of the blood drained from your face. Underneath your cuff, your wrist burned. Your mother let out a small gasp, her excitement palpable. But you felt nothing but dread.

This is impossible. It has to be! Your thoughts raced frantically. Your heart began to thump loudly in your chest, fueled by panic-induced adrenaline. It had to be fake. It had to be.

Because if it wasn’t, than that meant that the crown prince- heir to the throne- of the nation you hated was your soulmate.

You glanced to the side and caught Lotty’s eye. She was practically jumping up and down with excitement, coaxing you to say something. Of course, she, your mother, and your father all knew your words. They knew that Prince Zuko’s first words to you were the first words your soulmate would say to you. No doubt they thought this was a good thing, a cause for celebration. How could they not realize Prince Zuko being your soulmate was the last thing you wanted?

A bead of sweat traveled down the back of your neck. Your father nudged you inconspicuously, prodding you to say something. But you couldn’t. Because those words would cement you as the crown prince’s soulmate.

Suddenly, an idea popped into your head. If speaking would make you Prince Zuko’s soulmate, then you just wouldn’t speak at all.

You clamped your mouth shut, choosing to nod again instead of replying. The prince raised an eyebrow, tension thickening in the air as he waited for a response.

“Excuse my (Y/N).” Your mother laughed suddenly, breaking the tension. She placed a hand on your shoulder in a seemingly harmless gesture, but her nails dug into your skin. “They can be so forgetful sometimes!”

The Prince’s eyes never left yours. “I understand.” He said flatly. His gaze lingered on you a moment longer before he turned away, towards your father.

“You must be tired after your journey. Let me show you to your quarters.” Your father said, lowering himself into a bow.

“Thank you.” The prince replied. He nodded to the palanquin bearers to bring his luggage forward.

“Come, right this way.” Your father directed him towards the entrance. They walked inside, thankfully releasing you from the prince’s presence.

You exhaled slowly, feeling some of your anxiety melt away that the prince was gone. However, your mother’s tension was clearly rising.

“What were you thinking?” She hissed, nails digging deep into your shoulder. “Refusing to speak to a royal! Spirits, (Y/N), I knew you could be headstrong but- but- this!”

Quickly, you looked around for the prince before turning back to your mother. “You heard what he said to me. It matches.”

“I know!” She squealed. “All the more reason to speak to him! You don’t want to insult your future husband more than you already have, do you?”

“Future husband?!” Heat rushed to your cheeks. “Spirits, mother, I just met him!”

“Darling, he’s your soulmate.” Your mother’s voice softened along with her grip on your shoulder. She smiled gently, her other hand raising to caress your cheek. “You two will be together, whether you want to or not.”

You swatted your mother’s hand away, a furious blush scorching your cheeks. “We don’t know that he’s my soulmate. After all, I haven’t even spoken to him yet.”

Your mother’s eyes narrowed and she leaned back, crossing her arms. “So that’s why you refuse to speak to the prince?”

You simply looked away. Lotty caught your gaze, concern swimming in her eyes.

Your mother scoffed. “Don’t be a coward, (Y/N). You have a great opportunity here. You could rule alongside the Firelord, and bring glory to our family!”

You turned away, anger simmering inside of you. “I’m not a coward. And I don’t want to rule beside the Firelord.”

Your mother opened her mouth to reply, face red with rage, but before she could, a servant came out of the front doors and rang the dinner bell.

“This is not over.” Your mother glowered, sweeping past you towards the dining hall. You sighed, about to follow, but stopped for a moment. Glancing down, you groaned. Your shoe really was untied.

~~~

The night was cool and clear. A breeze drifted lazily through your open window, bringing sounds of toad-crickets and beetle-sparrows with it. The last embers of a dying fire crackled in the fireplace. Under your mountain of blankets, you should have been fast asleep. Instead, you were wide awake, the day’s events replaying over and over again in your head. Having a soulmate was terrifying enough, but having the prince of the Fire Nation as a soulmate? That was something else entirely.

Throwing back your covers, you slipped out of bed, abandoning your futile attempts at sleep. You lit a candle and silently left your room, making your way towards your favorite spot in the house. It was a small balcony situated just off of the hallway leading to the servants quarters. Small and hidden from outside view thanks to some nearby trees, it was the perfect place to hide and think. You often found yourself seated there on nights you couldn’t sleep, listening to the cicada-frogs until you were tired enough to go back to your room.

You quietly opened the door to the balcony, looking forward to the solitude, but that night it seemed you had company.

Prince Zuko sat on the weathered stone, staring up at the stars with a dying candle next to him. His head turned as you opened the door.

Panic flared in your chest and you immediately receded, but before you could retreat fully, the prince’s voice called out to you, “Wait!”

You paused, your heart hammering in your chest. Your mind screamed at you to ran back to your room and forget the interaction had ever occurred, but something compelled you forward. Slowly, you opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony.

Zuko was staring at you inquisitively, like you were a puzzle he was trying to piece together. A slight blush colored his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take your spot. I couldn’t sleep.”

You didn’t respond.

The prince’s face suddenly soured and his hand curled into a fist. “Why won’t you speak to me?” He yelled, features scrunched in rage.

Your eyes widened, a jolt of fear electrifying your heart, until you remembered who you were. Yes, you were technically one of Prince Zuko’s future subjects. But you were also not one to be bullied.

Crossing your arms, you glared at the prince, daring him to yell at you again.

It seemed to work. The rage melted into annoyance. Zuko huffed, blowing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, and turned his attention back to the stars. “You’re very frustrating.”

You cracked a smile and slowly relaxed a bit.

“You have a nice house. Do you like it here?” Zuko asked, doing his best to appear nonchalant.

You grinned and shook your head, as if to say, Your tricks won’t work on me.

Instantly, Zuko’s demeanor changed. He become more guarded, more shrouded in angst. “Do you want to know the real reason I’m here?” He started suddenly. He waited for your slow nod before continuing. “My father thinks there’s a spy here.”

Shock sliced through your chest despite your attempts to appear indifferent. A spy? At your house? You shook your head. It was impossible.

Zuko turned to you again, his gaze suspicious. “Maybe I should be looking at you more closely. Maybe you won’t speak to me because you’re the traitor.”

A laugh burst out of your mouth. You, a spy? You certainly had your qualms with the Fire Nation, but your town was tiny and your father barely let you talk to anyone outside of his own circle.

“I know you hate me!” Zuko snarled. “Everyone knows you hate the Fire Nation and the royal family. Who else would betray their country but you?”

You stayed silent, unsure whether to be afraid of Zuko or laugh at him. His anger was impressive to be sure, but it was all bark, no bite. It was a facade to protect himself from his true feelings. You could see that it in his eyes.

Finally, Zuko looked away, a frustrated groan escaping his lips. He leaned against his knee, his other leg sprawled out on the cobblestone. He radiated nonchalance, but there was an uneasiness in his stature that betrayed the turmoil raging beyond his perfectly-measured exterior. Slowly, you reached out with your hand and placed your palm on his shoulder, trying to convey as much compassion as you could in the touch. You knew Zuko didn’t really think you were the spy; if he did, you would have already been in a Fire Nation prison.

The prince shrugged your hand off, still refusing to look at you, but you could see some of the anger dissipate from his frame. Cautiously, you sat down against the opposite railing, keeping your gaze on Zuko. For a minute, the two of you simply sat in silence, you waiting for Zuko to say something and Zuko too proud to do so.

Finally, Zuko broke the tension with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Things are just a bit... complicated, at the moment.”

You found yourself nodding in agreement.

Zuko glanced at you from the corner of his eye. “You can talk, can’t you?”

You smirked teasingly. Zuko grunted and looked away, running a hand through his unkempt raven hair.

“Good. Glad to know I didn’t just yell at a mute person for not being able to speak.”

A quiet laugh escaped your lips. Zuko whipped his head to you in surprise, his blush deepening. Despite your determination to hate the prince, a blush of your own warmed your cheeks. 

“I’m... glad I was able to talk to you tonight. Even if you didn’t talk back. Lotty said you’d probably come out here, but I wasn’t sure if you'd be here,” Zuko said.

You frowned. Of course Lotty had told him where to find you. She may not have been your parents, but she definitely thought highly of the royal family and would be thrilled if the prince was indeed your soulmate. 

“Don’t blame her. I asked her to tell me,” Zuko reassured you quickly, seeing your frown.

You nodded; of course you didn't blame her. Suddenly, you yawned, a wave of fatigue washing over you.

“You’re tired.” Zuko stated, regaining the calm, princely demeanor he wore earlier in the day. You nodded again, crossing your arms to keep yourself warm in the cool night air. “Let me walk you back to your room.” He offered, standing up and holding out his hand. Quickly, you shook your head, launching to your feet. If one of the servants saw, rumors would no doubt spread like wildfire. Besides, you were trying your best to dislike Prince Zuko, and every second you spent with him was waning away your hatred. It was better to stay away.

Zuko’s outstretched hand fell to his side. His face settled into a steely glare and he raised his chin slightly, trying his best (but failing) to appear unaffected. “Fine. Until tomorrow, then.”

You paused, part of you wanting to stay back. Instead, you bowed hastily and retreated from the deck, quickly walking back to the safety of your room. When you were safely nestled under your blankets, heart racing from the encounter, you finally allowed yourself to breathe fully.

In the matter of a few hours, your life had become more complicated than it had ever been before. There could be a spy in your midst, you may have found your soulmate, and that soulmate may have been the crown prince of the Fire Nation. Despite the thoughts running through your head, however, you found yourself yawning. Burying yourself deeper into your pillows, sleep slowly tugged at your brain, sinking you deeper and deeper into darkness. But your thoughts of Prince Zuko spiraled with you, until, when you finally tumbled into sleep’s warm embrace, it was Zuko’s amber eyes that watched you fall.

~~~

The next morning, you decided you needed to do whatever possible to avoid the prince. You couldn’t risk another meeting with him, especially after your meeting from the night before, which had left you with certain... sympathetic thoughts towards Zuko. So when Lotty came into your room that morning, you proclaimed sudden illness and told her to leave you for the rest of the day. “To prevent the sickness from spreading to the prince,” you had claimed. Lotty, thankfully, had obediently left you alone and promised no one would come to see you. However, you still felt defenseless in your room, susceptible to a visit from Zuko. Thus, you found yourself following a path towards the back of the gardens, searching for seclusion. The gardens, lush, green, and sprawling across a whole acre, provided plenty of solitary clearings and hidden grottos to hide in. As you walked through a tunnel of trees towards the back edge of the gardens, you felt the tension from the past day melt from your shoulders. Vines spilled from trees and onto the path, dotted with Fire Lilies in bloom. The intoxicating smell worked its way into your muscles and dissipated the stress. Finally, as you reached the end of the path, you pushed through one last wall of leaves, feeling the last of your anxiousness fade away with the promise of solitude-

You gasped and immediately withdrew, your heart beginning to thump in your chest. Where you were sure you would find solitude, a moment of peace and quiet, you found something else entirely- Lotty. And, to make matters worse, she was speaking with Prince Zuko. 

Luckily, the pair didn’t notice your presence. They were too busy arguing to notice you behind the wall of vines. 

“Please, your Highness, have mercy!” Lotty was saying, a tremble in her voice. Peeking between the vines, you watched her sink to her knees in front of the Prince, her head bowed and hands clasped together.

Zuko’s face was scrunched up in anger, cheeks red. Faint wisps of steam curled outwards from his clenched fists. “You are a traitor to your country. How dare you ask for mercy, after all you’ve done?!” He shouted.

“I know I don’t deserve it. I know I don’t deserve your kindness. But, please, your Highness... for the sake of the girl... for the family... spare me!” Lotty whispered, face wide-open and terrified.

“When I was thirteen, my father permanently scarred me for speaking out of turn. If I didn’t receive mercy, you won’t either,” Zuko snarled. “Espionage is a far worse crime than foolishness.”

Your eyes widened. The spy. Lotty was the spy!

Lotty, the woman who had practically raised you. Lotty, the woman who had cooked for you, cleaned for you, and taken care of you your whole life. Lotty, who loved the Fire Nation so ardently- had betrayed your family to the rebels.

You sagged against the tree, shock paralyzing your limbs. She had betrayed you. And now, she was going to receive her punishment.

You forced yourself to look back through the curtain of vines, hands shaking. 

“I’m sorry, Prince Zuko-” Lotty gasped, shielding her face. Zuko had a blazing fireball poised in his hand.

“Apologies won’t save you now.” Zuko growled. Raising his arm to strike, the fire cast monstrous shadows over the scene, highlighting Lotty’s terrified expression. You watched as her eyes widened, fraught with the knowledge that she was about to meet her doom- and before you knew what you were doing, you were running towards her, screaming at Zuko to stop.

“Don’t you touch her!” You cried, skidding in front of Lotty just as Zuko prepared to strike.

Zuko’s fireball disappeared.

Chest heaving, you glared daggers at Zuko. “If you want to get to her, you’ll have to go through me.”

Zuko’s mouth dropped open in horror, his face becoming pale. “No,” he whispered, a look of horrible realization dawning over his face. He ripped off the cuff on his right wrist, exposing his pale skin and the black words inked into his flesh:

“Don’t you touch her.”

His eyes met yours, panic filling his gaze. “What does yours say?” He whispered, his voice eager yet terrified.

You slipped your cuff off and your own words came to light. The words on yours and Zuko’s wrists began to turn golden from the inside, shining brighter and brighter until the words vanished from your wrists in a blaze of light, confirming the worst.

You and Prince Zuko really were soulmates.

Except, after seeing what he was capable of, you knew you'd never love him.

[writingsbychlo]

💬 blurb request for ff!tommy smut?? honestly Chloe your writing is so good, and ff!tommy is my favorite and it would be such a blessing!! ilysm and congrats on 9k!

if you requested ff!tommy smut, I have rolled them all into one. because there was a surprising number, lol. y'all really thirsty for ff!tommy and honestly me too so here we go! I did y'all a little mix of headcanons and blurb, because all the requests were mixed. I tried to include everything from them all!

no more requests, the sleepover is over! I am just filling out all the ones left in my inbox!

okay, so, it's not like y'all haven't done stuff

I mean, he's hot, you're hot, and you're both mad in love

you've just not done that yet

but, it's been busy, and you kinda want it to be perfect

you had a whole weekend away planned, but it got cancelled last minute after another team injury that meant your team took over

and now, there's just a lot of pining

I mean, there's not much left to the imagination

you're no stranger to one another, a few showers and a lot of wandering hands has left you with a pretty solid fill of your imagination

if you really think about it, you can still feel the way cold shower tiles felt against your back as he scissored his fingers

or hear the way he'd groan ringing in your ears still when you'd go down on him before work

just to smirk all morning as it takes him hours to actually clean his head after a mind-blowing orgasm

not to mention the way your throat had been fucking sore after he'd gone down on you, a pillow over your face just to stop complaints from your neighbours

but you wanted more

you wanted to feel connected to him in that way, because there was only so much foreplay could do

and you were fucking needy

he'd whispered a lot of dirty promises in your ear about what he was gonna' give you, and you were waiting for him to deliver

this time was no exception

stumbling through the front door of your place

a pretty dress on a hook and a suit next to it, both still in their protective covers, waiting to go

steam from the bathroom was pouring out from under the door, and you whimpering embarrassingly as his fingers rubbed slowly across your clit, sucking marks into the skin of your chest where he knew your hemlines would cover

"tommy, please.."

"please, what, angel? tell me what you want?"

it had been a chaotic shift, a lot of adrenaline, and he'd smelled of smoke and been a little sweaty and dirty and he was pretty much entirely what wet dreams were made of

you'd been dripping since you'd gotten back to the station, and uncomfortable ever since

with your back pressed up to the counter, hair still dripping wet much like his own from the shower you'd recently taken, you let out another cry of his name

tracing your fingers over his chest, he twitched a little as you dragged your fingers over his nipples, and down, several spaces marked with raised pink skin, scars of all his saves, dotted between dark hairs along his chest and to his defined abs

"more, tommy, please.."

he grinned, head raising back up to capture your lips, and his fingers slid along slick folds

two slender digits easily slipping between your walls, pumping at the best speed he could manage from the angle

despite the relief, he wouldn't be enough

"no, more, like, I need you to fuck me, tommy."

"we don't have time, we'll be late for newt's birthday pa-"

"so we're late, newt'll understand. if I have to spend the whole night staring at you in that tight fucking suit, looking so fucking good I could pop, I won't make it, thomas. you hear me? 'might just die."

"you're gonna' die if I don't fuck you?" he'd tease, but slip his fingers free, raising them to his lips to lick them clean, and that fucking filthy look he'd get would take over his face. "well, I can't let that happen. I'd better fuck you real good, just to keep you in top shape."

"I think that's a good idea." You whispered, hands hooking underneath your thighs, fingers of one hand still wet as he lifted you, and your legs sealed around his waist. Only a second later, your back was meeting the bedding, stray droplets soaking into the fabric, and his body was following quickly after you. Kneeling before you don't he bedding, he was stretched out in all his glory, hard and toned muscle, dark hair trailing down from his pecs, and his cock tall and leaking, red at the tip in a way that made your thighs clench when he bobbed in the air.

Large hands pushed your knees apart again, letting out a harsh breath as he stared at you, gaze trailing up from your slick core to find you, propped up on your elbows. "You got no idea what you do to me, angel. Fuckin' hell."

"Think I got a pretty good idea." You whispered, red flush growing from his neck to his cheeks, but he gave you a cheeky wink nonetheless. Leaning down again, his lips found yours, a delicate kiss, and you bit gently on his lower lip, that deep and raspy moan you loved shaking along your body when he emitted it.

"You sure you wanna' do this? Want it to be perfect for you. Wanna' take you apart, piece by piece, make you mine."

"We have all night for that once we get home, you can make love to me, but right now, I just need you, Tommy. Been waiting too long." He groaned, your nails scraping over his chest, before your fingers were wrapping around his cock, his hips bucking into your hands.

"Well, if that's how we're gonna' do it, then flip over, hands and knees for me." The request jolted something filthy though you, and you did as told, turning over, before two large hands were palming at your ass. "D'you even know how good your ass looks in, like, everything? Fucking hell, if you weren't wearing heels tonight, I'd fuck you 'til you couldn't even walk. Maybe next time."

Lining himself up and sinking within your walls, your eyes were rolling back in your head. Thomas was by no means small, a voice in the back of your mind that was quickly silenced taunting you about comments once made, and the warmth of his chest covered your back as he leaned over you. Pressing several kisses along your spine, he gave you a moment to adjust, and you wiggled your hips against him.

Calloused hands were on your hips, holding so tightly you thought he might bruise, and he pulled back. One sharp thrust of his hips and he was sinking back into you, stretching you out all over again with a delicious kind of friction that made your jaw drop.

He repeated his actions, again and again, and you were sure you'd be getting noise complaints now, because you couldn't control yourself. His hands were everywhere, pulling your hair and rubbing soothingly over your body, every inch of skin being touched, and you were seeing stars. His voice was echoing in your ears, praises and groans, mumbles about how good you felt, like he wasn't making you see heaven with every thrust.

You could barely breathe, the building fire, the coil getting tighter and tighter, and when you finally snapped, it was with a few brief brushes of his fingers over your swollen clit. Your heart was beating so fast you couldn't barely feel it, but it felt like time stopped, groans and begs and the kind of grunts that only prolonged your own orgasm as Thomas came, pumps of searing warmth, until you were collapsing back into the bed together.

He rolled over, freeing himself from you to stare at the ceiling, and you copied him, panting for breath, and feeling like you were on fire. "Holy shit, that was incredible."

"I can't believe we waited so long for that, I don't know how I lived without it." He mumbled, head turning to face you on the pillow, and his body soon followed. Two fingers on one side of your jaw and his thumb on the other, he pulled you closer, leaving a passionate kiss on your lips. "You sure we have to go to the party? We should just stay here all night, and do that. In fact, we should quit our jobs, Just stay right here, fucking."

"How would we make money to eat?" You teased, and a cheeky look passed over his face.

"I don't know about you, but I've got everything I need to eat right here."

"Oh, you're so bad." You mumbled, pushing his face away from you when he let out a loud laugh, and you tried to scoot towards the edge of the bed. "What happened to waiting 'til after the party before fucking me until I couldn't walk, huh?"

Your legs were wobbly as you stood, wandering back towards the bathroom, and he propped a hand under his head, smirking as he watched you go. "Oh, you ain't had nothin' yet, angel. Just you wait 'til we get back."

[innittowinit]

Abandoned amusement parks are the best place for young children (Chapter 18)

Fic summary:

Techno, Tommy, Wilbur and Phil have been hanging out at the abandoned amusement park in the woods since they moved in. Techno likes knowing he's definitely alone with his brothers Tommy likes climbing on the old rides Wilbur likes having a place to play his music Phil likes spending time with his younger brothers

That is, until a group of brothers calling themselves the 'dream team' move in down the road. Will the sleepy boys give in and share the park or will they succeed in scaring the new kids off?

Chapter summary:  

Wilbur and Techno go to school, eat lunch, and go to class B)

Chapter word count: 2209

AO3

School lunches were…..well they were school lunches. No matter how many people they painstakingly explained why they were the way they were to, there were always people that just never seemed to get it. That was fine, neither Wil nor Techno had ever asked for understanding, having learnt far too early that that was a big ask, instead they would gladly settle for respect. All they had ever really asked for was basic respect, all they wanted was for people to accept that they were going to stay together and that, no, Techno was not going to talk to them just because they gave him notes from class one time or helped clean his desk.

Teenage boys didn’t really seem to grasp the concept of respect. When they saw something they didn’t understand their reaction was to mock it, to make whoever was doing it so humiliated and ashamed that they wouldn’t dare make them confused ever again. Again, Techno and Wilbur both had a lot of experience with this, they knew what bullying was like and what was happening right now didn’t feel the same as the kids that had hurled insults at them in primary school. Nothing was physical anymore but it still hurt when they walked past the ‘popular’ group and they could hear the muffled conversations being had about them.

Wil had always been much more of a people person than Techno had, maybe that’s why it bothered him so much more that the fact that they were close seemed to confuse everyone else so much, Techno could tell that Wil desperately craved for a group of friends their own age that understood them and didn’t question it. Unfortunately, people like that were hard to come by.

They had Niki and they had Eret, that’s all they needed.

“It’s a nice place to chill out” Eret hummed as they led the twins out towards the school field, all three boys holding their lunches in their hands as Eret had said that today was a nice day and they’d be having a picnic outside instead. Technically, year 9’s weren’t allowed on the field at lunch anymore, at least not since Quackity (as he had been nicknamed around the school) stole a duck from the lake that bordered it. It was lucky that all three of them were pretty tall for their age, meaning they blended in well with the year 10’s that were playing football on the main section of the field, with the added bonus that nobody in that year really knew them so that meant no harassment.

Eret had led the twins to the very back end of the field, all the way to the rocky border of where the lake began, only stopping when he reached an old oak tree that’s trunk was considerably wider than any of the boy’s torso’s, taking his seat on top of his coat against the tree’s bark.

“What’s up with you guys today? if you don’t mind me asking, if it’s personal or anything that’s fine,you’re just not normally this….touchy? With each other. I probably worded that bad but you understand what I mean right?”

Wilbur nodded and then glanced to Techno for permission to tell the story, who simply shrugged in response. Both boys took their seats next to the tree and began unwrapping their lunches as Wilbur sorted out the events in his head, everything had happened so so fast and in slow motion, seemingly simultaneously, giving it a hazy and confusing feeling to try and look back on. He supposed that’s just how panic attacks felt in hindsight though, the adrenaline would make things feel fast and stressful of course, while the long reality gave it a much slower feeling than what was true.

“Techno got stuck in a shed yesterday” Blunt. It was easier to simplify it, Wilbur realised.

“Huh? How’d that happen?”

“I got in a fight with these boys who live near us, Techno got overwhelmed and left, the door got stuck and I freaked out. I dunno I didn’t realise i was being more touchy than normal but if i am it’ll probably be because I’m still a little bit shaken up I guess”

The fact that it had been brought attention to made everything seem a lot more obvious, suddenly he felt far more self conscious about having held Techno’s hand all day, about how he skipped music in favour of sitting with his brother in French, hell, even about how he had shifted himself when they sat down so that even when they were eating their knees were still touching. He hadn’t wanted to admit it but all the thoughts of whether or not he was ever going to see Techno again had culminated into a big ball in his stomach that seemed to grow whenever Techno stopped touching him. The reassurance that everything was okay was so so important to him and even if it was embarrassing to realise that he had been clinging onto his twin the whole day, he had known Techno long enough to know that if the touch was getting to be too much, he’d let him know, otherwise he’d just let him burn out all the anxiety until he was sufficiently reassured that nobody was planning on abandoning him.

After what had happened yesterday, Phil had called up their therapist and booked an ‘emergency session’ (Wilbur didn’t think it was an emergency but appreciated it nonetheless) so they could have a professional help work through what had happened. As much as he’d like to provide everything his brothers could ever need all by himself, he was mature enough to realise that some things couldn’t be handled by a 16 year old boy, he loved his brothers to bits and that’s exactly why he wanted them to have every chance needed to get better; the idea of them having to wait multiple days until their usual appointment made him feel a bit sick, they’d gone through something incredibly scary and they deserved to feel at least a little better before then. Said appointment was scheduled to be directly after school today so he wasn’t too stressed about clinging onto Techno for a long time anyway.

“Oh i didn’t realise it was something like that, sorry for bringing it up” Eret sighed, clearly a little guilty after having seen Wilbur try to decide whether he wanted to let go of Techno and be scared or stay and be clingy. He seemed thankful that the decision had ended up being to stay ‘clingy’, he wasn’t sure how he’d deal with it if he put Wilbur through all of that again just from a poorly worded comment.

Techno shook his head, glancing about a bit before deciding that nobody was paying them any mind. “You’re fine.” He muttered, patting his hand on Eret’s shoulder and tearing off a corner of his sandwich, popping it in his mouth afterwards, chewing a bit before talking again. “It’s not the first time it’s happened. Wil’s gonna be fine”

With a little nod, Eret visibly relaxed, of course it made sense to trust Techno on this topic far more than his own instincts, he’d known Wilbur far far longer and they did everything together. The confirmation that whatever damage wasn’t permanent seemed to provide some kind of comfort to him.

There it was again, Techno thought, that immediate acceptance. No questioning. No badgering. Nothing. He knew well enough that there were aspects that Eret didn’t fully understand since he hadn’t lived their life but the fact that he never once tried to press them to talk more than what they were comfortable with, or ask exceedingly personal questions like some people did, it just made Techno, at least if not Wilbur too, feel very seen and heard.

Many times in the past they’d been ‘friends’ with people who were really just using them as some kind of badge or token like- ‘oh look at me! I’m so nice I managed to get the weird kids to talk to me’. It always made Techno sick to his stomach when he realised someone he had trusted would betray them like that, to simply use them and nothing else. Techno was sure that Eret was not like this, he was real and down to earth and good, everything about him screamed trustworthy. At least now they had a good, real friend, who both of them were incredibly thankful for.

“Oh shit” There was a beeping noise coming from Eret’s phone, causing him to chance at the screen and groan “I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you later i guess if we have any classes together”

With that, she packed up her things into little ziplock bags so they wouldn’t spill in her bag and closed everything up, backpack swung onto her shoulders before she waved and jogged back to the main school.

---

School was pretty uneventful the rest of the day, after lunch they had had science (or Techno had science and Wilbur refused to go to his own classroom) and Techno’s violin lesson.

“I’m not going anywhere y’know?” Techno sighed as they waited in the empty corridor for his teacher to show up, Wilbur latched onto him like a lost puppy.

“I know but every time you go behind a door or anything my head gets so loud and it feels like you’re gonna get stuck again. I don’t wanna annoy you, it’s just hard”

Techno sighed and pat Wilbur on the head, he wasn’t really up for a long conversation right now considering that even though the corridor was empty, it could quickly become not empty.

“You don’t annoy me, Wilbs”

In all honesty that was only half true, of course he would never have any strong feelings of anger and annoyance at his brother when he was only doing what was necessary to feel safe but when he was being grabbed and prodded at all the time, there was admittedly a part of him that wished they’d been brought up normally. In any case, any anger that came from Wilbur getting clingy at times was never directed at Wil himself, instead it was more so towards their parents for causing the damage in the first place.

“I’ve got both today? Oh that’s just great, go on in boys!”

Techno was brought out of his mind by his violin teacher walking up, a kind smile on her face as she greeted them. She had been one of the few people who accepted them for them from day one, of course at first she’d been a little hesitant considering she was only being paid to teach one boy but once Wilbur explained that he didn't even own a violin and he was just there because they did not split up she seemed to be fine with Wil sitting in during the lessons. Plus, it was a lot easier having someone who could translate Techno’s little shrugs and grunts.

Taking his violin out of the case, Techno situated himself in front of the music stand, flipping his folder to the piece they had been working on recently, Wilbur pulling up a chair and holding onto one of his belt loops, not wanting to grab his arm or anything big like that right now since playing the violin kind of needed your arms.

“Are we carrying on from last lesson? Getting lots of practice in at home, I hope!”

Techno nodded to both questions, he hadn’t really practiced as hard as usual but the week had been eventful so that was fine.

“Okay then, can I check if you’re tuned up? and then we’ll get started”

Leaning against the wall shortly afterwards, Techno handed the woman his violin, giving Wilbur a sympathetic smile when he saw the boy staring off into space. Surely he had places he would rather be than listening to Techno play his music, he didn’t even play the kind of music Wilbur liked! God. Times like this reminded him why he shouldn’t give up, it reminded him that getting help wasn’t going to ‘break’ the special bond they had, instead it would only strengthen it since they’d both have the freedom to do what they like.

“There we go!” “..Thanks”

The rest of the lesson was best described as peaceful, as different as Techno’s Classical violin concerto’s were to Wilbur’s indie guitar songs, he really did love listening to him place. There was a certain calmness that resonated whenever he did so, a wave of serenity that only painted his face whenever he was completely engrossed in a piece. The music was always things Wil would never go out of his way to listen to and if it wasn’t his brother playing he was sure he wouldn’t have such a strong connection to the music but right here, right now, listening to the careful notes was almost like a compulsion, beckoning him to stare at the dancing bow that was being pulled against the strings in a complete virtuosic pattern.

And so, as the beautiful music decorated the air, Wil decided that everything was okay, no matter how messed up they were, everything was going to be okay.

[daisy-constellations]

Il Me L’a Dit, L’a Juré Pour La Vie - Part 22

Marinette didn’t think inviting Chat Noir in for milk would lead to this.

The heroes were 20 years old, in university, and it was now time to trust each other better than they ever did.

CHAPTER LIST

Rating: Teen/ Mature.

Angst and fluff, and all that good stuff.

Il Me L’a Dit, L’a Juré Pour La Vie - Part 22

Home

Adrien felt his back relax into the plush leather car seat as they drove off from the venue. He was finally on his way back to the hand he could already hear the bed calling his name, sleep hanging over his head. His ears were buzzing from the silence after a long night of loud sounds. He found so much relief in the quietness. There was nothing to him like the peacefulness in the car ride home after a night out; the low hum from the engine and the dark streets filled with streetlamps and colourful neon signs illuminating as they drove by. He rubbed his eyes, feeling the grit of the makeup products smudging off on his index and thumb. Aside from Nathalie informing them form the front seat that they would be departing in the afternoon for Paris, the car ride was silent.

The young man leaned his head back into the head rest and sighed deeply. This whole day was painfully extensive. After midnight, time seemed to have gone by even slower – it obviously didn’t help that he checked his watch every 5 minutes. He stifled back so many yawns, he was afraid that Chloe would call him out. At that point he was growing antsy and when Nathalie came to tell him it was time to leave, he nearly buried her in a bear hug he was so glad.

Just as he felt himself drift off, his father mumbled his name. He hummed in response.

“I’m really glad with how things turned out today. You did a good job,” Gabriel stated.

Without opening his eyes, Adrien murmured a thank you.

“I wanted to talk to you about the school situation,” Gabriel’s arm leaned against the car door and his chin rested perfectly on his hand as he stared out the window. He cleared his throat before continuing. Adrien looked over, somewhat awake again.

“I think it would be alright if you went to school, in Paris, for a program… such as business. I do not wish for you to stray too far away from fashion, but if you would like to take a program that is not fashion, that is fine with me. You certainly have shown you are more than capable these past couple of weeks.”

Adrien felt an excited grin erupt on his face, “Thank you father. I will definitely do my research.”

“I would like you to come to me with the school and the program beforehand for my approval,” Gabriel quickly glanced at his son before turning back towards the window. Adrien could have sworn he saw a small smile form on his lips, but the light shifted so quickly from the moving vehicle, it was hard for him to tell.

Nonetheless, his father was giving him the liberty he so craved. Despite having to work incredibly hard to reach this point, he was glad that something was turning around from this ordeal. He hated that his father still dictated his life despite being an adult now, but it was their family name on the line. His father was the reason he was where he was, so Adrien felt like he couldn’t complain too much.

“I hope we can work out a schedule that fits with your model duties as well.” Nathalie said, resulting in Gabriel nodding with approval. The car grew silent again, except this time Adrien was wired all over again. He had a shot at learning something else… doing something more. He tried to cover his delight by closing his eyes once again, but a smile still rested on his lips.

This good news gave him the boost he needed. He was going to talk to Marinette as soon as he got back.

---

Marinette shuffled around her campus in a daze. She was tired from the night before, barely catching a wink of sleep. She had spent her time in her bed tossing and turning to the point where her sheets were spilling over one side of her bed, and Tikki scolded her. The thoughts of facing Adrien so soon terrified her, but she needed to talk to him. She needed some sort of resolution, even if it meant he didn’t want her back. She just wanted them to be okay again.

Her classes were done for the day, the cold fall breeze whirled around her. She crossed her arms over her body, her long grey jacket not being sufficient for the cool weather, however, she was smart enough to bring a scarf, the long orange and red material hung around her neck gracefully.

She fidgeted with the backpack straps over her shoulders, the brown leather cracking at the bottom, but she didn’t care. She stopped by the stairs that lead down to the métro. She thought about Adrien coming home today. She knew he would be tired, but she needed to see him right away. This boy was driving her wild. She checked her phone for the time. It was nearing 5 o’clock in the afternoon. She didn’t know when he was coming back, but she would wait for him. She would wait for him forever if she had to. He was worth every second of her time, and she felt like a fool for making him think otherwise.

With a nod to herself, she marched down the steps towards the underground train, Adrien’s apartment as her destination in mind.

---

As the days got colder, the nights got longer – it was barely even 6 o’clock and the sun had already fallen out of sight. Chat Noir leaped over the roofs of Paris, one particular home in mind. He had transformed as soon as he stepped foot in his apartment despite Plagg’s complaints.  

He pulled out his baton and used it to help throw himself higher in the sky. Despite the crisp air, he loved the time of the year when it wasn’t quite autumn anymore, but it wasn’t quite winter just yet either. His heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his veins every time he leapt over to the next building.

Despite convincing himself that he thought this would be a good idea, he couldn’t help but doubt his decision – Hell, Marinette might even push him out of her window again, but not with the same playful intentions like the last time.

He tried his best to ignore his fear of being rejected, or being pushed away. This was just a conversation to rebuild a hopefully just damaged bridge; not a completely burned down one. They were a team, and they could not afford to risk anymore danger to Paris by not fixing this mess.

They were a team for so long. It could not just end like this.

Finally, Chat Noir could see the apartment. There was only one light on, the one in the kitchen, just like the night that started it all. He saw a figure move around the room. His heart leapt up to his throat, as he realized what was about to happen. He swallowed his nerves down, his Adam’s apple bobbing.  He pushed his hair back before moving carefully from rooftop to rooftop before skillfully landing on the small balcony. He knocked on the glass door cautiously. He waited and debated knocking again when suddenly the beige curtains shifted out of the way.

Alya stood there, confusion written all over her face which faded quickly when she saw who it was. She slid the door opened, “Chat! What are you doing here?”

“Hey Alya,” he raised his hand. “I see that you’re doing much better since that akuma.” He cursed inwardly, feeling like an idiot. In his rush over, he forgot that Alya lived here as well, failing to consider that she might also be present.

“I am, thanks. I’m glad to see that you’re also doing better,” She nodded politely. She wrapped her arms around her body. She waited for him to continue.

“I – uh. Is Marinette home?” He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“Marinette?” Alya’s narrowed. “No. I think she’s still at school.”

“School? Still?”

Alya paused, a shiver coursed through her, “Come in. It’s freaking freezing out.”

Chat obliged, following Alya back in the cozy apartment. She closed the door and leaned against it, crossing her arms again. He looked around the apartment tensely. It was still the same old place, but it hit differently this time.

“Look, I know you used to come here a lot before, but Marinette is going through some things right now. I don’t know what your intentions are with her, but as her best friend, it’s my job to make sure she won’t get hurt.” Alya was quite stern.  

“No, it’s not like that. I just wanted to talk to her… That’s all.” Chat gave her a smile – the most dazzling one he could conjure up. Alya was still not convinced. He dropped it and caved in sheepishly.

She exhaled, “Fine. You can stay until she gets back. I have to ask you some stuff anyway.”

Shit, Adrien thought to himself. He did not want Alya grilling him for not being there the last akuma attack. He hadn’t thought up an excuse yet. “Well, actually…”

“I’m sure you heard about the akuma attack the other day…”

“Uhm-“

“You know, it was just Ladybug fighting it alone.” Alya started walking in his direction, hands on her hips. Something flickered across her face. She had that look in her eye, the one that Nino had told him about so many times. The scary look.

Chat took a couple of apprehensive steps back. He avoided her gaze, trying to find the best way to get back to the balcony door. He stepped sideways, circling around the other way. “Y-yeah…”

“I’m just wondering, where were you?”

He felt the hairs on his neck begin to rise. His eyes darted around the room for a way out. He honestly started to hope that Marinette would walk in.

“Did you do that on purpose or…?” The wheels in her head were turning. She was too clever, and Adrien knew it. He had to act quickly. He let out a heavy breath.

Chat straightened himself out, so that he would tower over her. He decided to fight back, “Alya, you shouldn’t be so pushy,” he teased. “Superheroes have personal lives too.”

She stopped, studying him up and down before leaning back. She chuckled. “You’re right. I’m too mean.”

“Besides,” a light bulb went off in Chat’s head, “I was injured. Ladybug didn’t want me to fight.”

Chat won this round.

“Damn. And you actually listened?”

“Barely. It killed me to see her fight on her own.” This part wasn’t a lie. The pain he felt in his chest when he saw the news broadcast the solo fight was next to unbearable.

“It was really hard to watch. The last few fights have been rough for you guys… Are you guys okay though?” Alya gave him a sympathy stare.

“I hope so…” He murmured. God I really hope so, he thought. He snapped his head back up. “Uh… Thanks for your concern Alya, but I do have to go. Tell Marinette that I was here, okay?” He reached for the balcony door.

“Oh, sure of course. Good to have you back by the way.” Alya tapped his shoulder slightly before he stepped back into the night. He leaped back on to the next roof over. Chat Noir sighed. That did not go as expected, but it went pretty well given the circumstances.

He didn’t want to stay in the apartment waiting with Alya though. He knew that once Marinette got back, Alya would be listening in to their conversation. The last thing he wanted was to complicate things like that.

He remembered how he used to go there before the duo had revealed themselves. He remembered all the times that Marinette would give him macaroons, or how he used to take advantage of going over by letting Alya interview him for her blog, just to catch a glimpse of Marinette scribbling in her sketchbook future designs. He remembered the time he fell asleep on their couch by accident, and was awoken by Marinette’s soft fingers tracing his jawline cautiously. He pretended like he didn’t notice, but now his heart was tugging at the memory. She was different after secondary school, but different in a good way. She was comfortable with who she was. He was always captivated by her.

Adrien thought about where Marinette could be. Alya said she was still at school. He wasn’t sure if Marinette would still be there, but decided to swing by the campus anyway. The school campus wasn’t too large, so scanning the area didn’t take too long – he even checked through some of the windows, as casually as possible, to see if he could see her inside.

After waiting around for a while, he headed back to her apartment, this time heading for Marinette’s window instead, but her room lights were still off.  Defeated, he decided to head back to his own place. He let go of his transformation in a nearby alley, knowing Plagg was exhausted. He stopped by a small grocery store, picking up a few items to stock up his empty fridge since he was away. He also bought some cheese for Plagg. Not his favourite brand, but it was the only thing that was going to make him calm down. Besides, he deserved it.

Eventually, he found himself hitting the button for his floor in the elevator. Once it reached his level, it dinged and the doors slid opened. The familiar hallway caused Adrien’s shoulders to sag as he started to make his way to his apartment door. Plagg flew out from the pocket he resided in, “Ah, finally. Home sweet home.”

“You can say that again,” Adrien mumbled. He watched as he pulled out his keys from his pocket while he balanced the bags in his arms.

“Oh,” Plagg began.

“What?” Adrien questioned – but once he looked up, he knew the answer right away. Plagg zipped through the door and into the apartment, leaving Adrien.

There sat Marinette in front of his door, her knees pulled into her chest and her cheek rested in her arms, eyes closed. Her features were peaceful; her chest rose and fell indicating her relaxed state of slumber. His own chest swooped down to his toes, a mixture of excitement and uneasiness intertwined. He stood there, watching her, unsure what to do. He was thinking about what he would say to her when he saw her the entire plane ride home, but here she was and all his cohesive thoughts just slipped away into a puddle in his head. None of the carefully crafted words and phrases came to mind.

Finally he placed his groceries by the door and knelt by her, softly tapping her shoulder, “Hey.”

Her eyes fluttered, “Adrien?” Suddenly, they snapped opened once she took in the blond boy inches by her. She pulled back, nervousness erupted. “Adrien!”

“How long have you been here?” He asked, his chin nodded in her direction.

“Uhm, I don’t know. I…“ She cut herself off. She didn’t know what to say to him now that he was actually here. He waited.

She scrambled to her feet to get out of the way, “I’m sorry. You must be tired and just want to get back. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” He eyed her, straightening himself out as well. He breathed out a sigh of relief, and then let out a soft laugh. “I have been looking for you and you were here this whole time.”

“You… You were looking for me?” Marinette pointed towards herself.

“Yeah.” The corners of Adrien’s lips tugged upwards slightly. Marinette almost melted right then and there. Oh how she missed him.

The space between them grew still, neither one of them wanting to speak first, to move first. Adrien stood by his door and Marinette was across from him, back against the wall. Adrien was visibly tired, yet his eyes shone again. His cheeks and nose were pink from the cold outside. He twisted the keys in his hand absentmindedly. His gorgeous hair was flopped over messily and Marinette resisted the urge to reach over to fix it, her fingers gripping onto her scarf instead. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, the hammering rhythm not showing any signs of slowing down.

He wanted to see her. He was looking for her… but for what? He was smiling, but that could mean anything. There were so many types of smiles. A soft smile showed distinguishable similarities to a sympathetic one. It was sometimes hard to tell which was which.

She swallowed thickly. The last time she had seen him, he was battered and bruised. She also spoke the forbidden three words before leaving him like he was nothing. But here he was. Adrien had smiled at her again. Something she didn’t think she would get back. Something she had convinced herself she didn’t deserve.

She thought she was doing the right thing by breaking it off with him, but she just made things worse. She was just scared. It hurt to think that their love could cause damage, but it hurt when they were separated as well. She still believed that they were putting everything in danger by being together, but seeing Alya bounce back after the fight, she had hope that things would be okay.

Finally, she blurted, “We’re like fire.”

This caught Adrien off guard, his eyebrows furrowed. “Oh, uh…”

Marinette raised her hands, “Let me explain,” she exhaled shakily, averting her gaze to the ground “You and I. We’re like fire. When it’s not taken care of, it can go crazy. It can cause pain…”

Adrien’s features dropped. He didn’t like where this was going. He squeezed his keys tighter.

“Fire can be overpowering once it gets out of hand. Us together… We are fire. The thing is, when fire is controlled, it is beautiful. It’s warm. It’s safe.” She continued, “I feel like we let the fire go a little wild, with all the mess that had happened. But still, how I reacted...” She paused. Her words didn’t seem like they were making sense anymore.

“I’m sorry for the pain that I caused you these past couple of weeks. I know I don’t deserve you after the things that I said and the way that I acted. I had a lot of time to think, and then I realized I couldn’t be myself without you by my side.”

Marinette felt a tear trickle down her cheek, she reached up to wipe it away. She looked at her fingertips where the water had transferred. She heard Adrien’s keys clink in his hands as he moved them back into his pocket. She was afraid to look at him, but she knew she had to. She closed her fist tightly before raising her eyes to meet his. They were wide, shocked; his lips slightly pursed. She held his stare, forcing herself to pour everything out. Adrien felt a tingle shoot down his spine as he tried to bore his own sentiments as best as he could.

“What I feel for you is indescribable. I feel like we can control this fire. I feel like our fire can be the beautiful kind… and I’m willing to try again.” Her blue eyes were fixated on Adrien in front of her as her voice broke at the last few words. She felt more tears fall.

The air in the hallway was heavy and cold, but Marinette’s skin was burning. Her hand was still closed in a tight fist. She had quite literally emptied everything that was stored in her heart in every way that she could. Even if he didn’t want her back, she knew she said what needed to be said. However, Adrien was still stagnant, hands to his sides, the same wide doe eyed look adorned his face. She waited for something, but he was unmoved.

She didn’t want to rush him. She told herself before arriving that she had to accept the possibility that Adrien might not reciprocate her feelings, but now that she was there, she was panicking. All the mental preparation was not nearly enough. She could hear her unsteady breaths, her tense shoulders rising, nearly touching her ears. The walls felt like they were closing in, abating the gap between her and Adrien. She wished the floor would crumble under her feet and she could disappear into nothingness.

Marinette couldn’t take it.

“I-I’m sorry, that was too much…” She murmured and headed for the elevator.

Adrien was quick to block her way and she bumped right into his chest. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “Mari…”

“Stop. Just tell me how you don’t want me.” Her lower lip quivered. She wanted to cry even more, but she was so sick of it. She was tired of not being strong enough. She reached up and wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hands. She wanted to be strong for him.  

Adrien’s grip on her shoulders tightened; her petite figure trembled under his palms. “Imagine not wanting to be with you Marinette Dupain – Cheng.”

“I spent my whole evening looking for you,” He slid his hands down her arms. “I had so much to say to you… but I don’t even know where to begin after all that.”

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have taken your feelings so lightly about our identities. I’m sorry I left you to fight that akuma alone. I didn’t even tell you I was leaving…” Adrien spoke softly. His thoughts came to him deliberately. Marinette’s words had caught him off guard, and even though he knew he would never be able to conjure up anything like she did, he wanted to make sure what he said was clear.

“Even though I was hurt, I couldn’t shake the thought of you.”

Marinette shook her head from side to side, her hair swaying over her shoulders. “I don’t believe you.”

“I knew you were hurting too,” he sustained.

Her fingers captured the fabric of her scarf again to stop her from covering her face, still watching their shoes. He was wearing his Comme Des Garçons converse; the shoes were worn out but clean, like most of his shoes.

“You’re lying,” she mumbled to their feet.

“And yet, you’re still listening.” He finally responded.

The elevator made a small rumbling noise down the hallway as it was being used, moving to another floor. Marinette didn’t want to look up. Adrien was right there. Was she allowed to touch him? She could smell the familiar leather and laundry scent he always carried. Her heart ached at the comfort she felt by it.

Adrien exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His hands were feeling clammy – he wasn’t sure what he was saying was right. Her voice was broken when she spoke, it pained him.  He wanted to ease her. He wanted to say something that ignited her the way that her words had left him.

“You’re the reason I find any motivation to do what I need to do. You’re my fire.”

Marinette’s heart burst. Her eyes widened as his words resonated in her head.

Adrien’s hand started to come up and his fingers rested under Marinette’s chin, nudging her face to look up at his. Her cheeks were completely flushed, her lips apart, astonishment written all over her features. She finally willed herself to take in the boy in front of her. She took in everything she could – she was sure that this had to be dream. His golden hair tumbling in front of his electric eyes. His lips broke out into an affectionate smile. The one that only she ever saw.

Adrien brought his head down towards hers. Their noses brushed against each other and his breath was hot on her face. He hesitated. He began pulling away when suddenly Marinette laid her hand over his chest. She leaned back up towards him.

“I love you,” she managed to spill out tenderly.

Adrien’s heart fluttered. “I love you too,” Adrien’s lips grazed over hers as he spoke.

He pressed his mouth down on hers; the heat exploding deep within their chests. The kiss felt like they were being engulfed by flames, the touch of their warm skin was dangerously intoxicating. Marinette’s small hands gripped Adrien’s jacket pulling him closer as his hands looped around her waist. Their lips moved slowly, trying to find their rhythm once again. Adrien had forgotten how much he missed the taste of her sweet lips.

Marinette was first to pull away. She was breathless, her exhales tickled over Adrien’s chin. He kissed her cheek before nuzzling into the crook of her neck, pulling her up in his arms in a tight embrace. Standing on her toes, her arms circled around his neck and she had never felt so at home.  

“Adrien…” She murmured into his ear.

“Yes,” he replied pulling back to look at her.

“I…“ She began.

“Shh,” Adrien leaned in to kiss her again. He knew she was going to start apologizing again, but she didn’t need to anymore. There was nothing to be sorry about anymore. They had found each other again.

[btgalaxy]

Moonlight ~ Jungkook wolf!au

➳ pairing: jungkook x reader

➳ genre: wolf!au, a little bit of everything tbh; angst, fluff, smut

➳ word count: 3.8k

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Chapter 7

      A firm rapping at the door disturbs you and Jin from your watching of ‘Gone with the Wind’, the two of you swimming in a sea of snacks on the bed he collected earlier from the kitchen. After you’d talked things through, you decided it would be best to chill out for a bit, so you drained the bath and took a quick shower and you’ve been laying lazily on the bed ever since, mimicking Vivien Leigh’s Southern accent.

You frown nervously at Jin when the noise resonates through the room.

“It’s Jungkook,” your mate calls from behind the door. Your eyes widen as the two of you share a nervous look, before Jin slowly gets up from the bed, an undecipherable expression on his face as he picks up the bowls and bags of snacks to hug them in his arms.

“Wait, Jin, you don’t have to go,” you tell him quickly, and this triggers the door to suddenly swing open, Jungkook striding in with a huff as he observes the scene in front of him and glaring about like some predator.

Jin freezes under the harsh gaze, “Alpha.”

“I need to talk with my mate,” Jungkook glowers, analysing every moment in abundant detail as he takes very deliberate breaths, clearly trying to sniff out how much of Jin’s scent lingers in his bedroom.

“Of course, Alpha,” Jin hurriedly gathers the rest of the food, struggling with it in his arms as he scurries to the door. He turns to you under the arch, nodding curtly, “Luna.” He finally gives a small smile before leaving, with the sound of clattering some moments later.

You sigh, avoiding Jungkook’s eyes, “I should help him.” But before you’re able to reach the door, your mate steps into the way to stop you.

“He’ll be fine,” he insists, “Won’t you talk to me?”

You curl your lips in an irritated manner, “You seem to do as you please no matter what I say, Alpha.” Jungkook winces at the memory, clearly trying to maintain control over his wolf despite your provoking; he’s determined not to yield to those primitive instincts biting at his tongue, telling him to tower over and intimidate you into submission. But he won’t do that- he won’t allow his actions to be governed by nature this time, this time he’ll think.

“Y/N,” He looks at you wholeheartedly, with a sense of sincerity that cannot be feigned, “Y/N, I’m so unbelievably sorry for what happened that night; just- I cannot even think about the way you were crying and trying to stop me and-“ He cuts himself off, trying to find a way to phrase it that doesn’t sound so entirely morbid.

You stay standing a good metres distance from him as he slumps on the foot of the bed, head held in his hands as they rub over his cheeks, “I hate myself for getting out of control the way I did,” he continues, “It was wrong and I admit that I honestly would do anything to undo it.”

“You can’t undo it,” you bite back, desperate not to look at him else you have a feeling you could cave.

“I know it’s unforgivable. And I know if we were human and not mated then I would have no chance on earth of you ever being able to look at me lovingly or caringly and be able to forgive me fully ever again, but we’re mates and I- I can’t lose you I-,“ When his voice breaks your heart lurches enough to make your stomach churn. He exhales deeply to level out his breathing, “I understand if you hate me right now. I also understand if you’re overwhelmed from going from Theta to Luna, I-“

“I’m not,” you interrupt, cautiously, “I’m not overwhelmed by it.”

He lets a small smile slip through in admiration, wondering how in hell’s name he could ever hurt you the way he did, “It’s okay if you are. And it’s okay if you-,” He pauses, trying to form the words with profound difficulty, “It’s okay if you want to be separate from me for a while. If that means living separately, or- or not seeing each other so you can have some space then that’s okay.”

It’s an automatic response that your brows are raised and lips part slightly in shock. Are you hearing this right? You watch as his body tenses, head falling back to face the ceiling with his eyes squeezed shut, trying to contain his emotions.

When he looks at you again, you feel his pain, “When you ran, when Jin came running to tell me, I’ve never felt so out of control. I have control over everything; my pack, my life, my money, my land, my- my anything. But you’re the one thing that I can’t control and- and I want to give you more freedom, even though you’ve got to know my wolf is telling me not to. And especially after finding you with Taehyung I just couldn’t even control- I mean, I couldn’t stand you being with another wolf, let alone another Alpha, so- so, I’m shit at this.” He shakes his head, scolding himself.  “I’m just trying to say that I’m fighting everything I am to try and make this work, so please, please, will you just understand?”

The room falls quiet with contemplation from the both of you, trying to piece together the shattered pieces of your relationship with some desperation. You’ve never seen an Alpha this way, so vulnerable and open. By nature, they’re inclined to keep their emotions reserved and at bay, and you’ve no doubt it was his Beta to coax him into doing this, but nonetheless he’s opened up to you, and that in itself is an achievement; a step forwards.

Forgiving him may be a stupid idea. Maybe this is all an act, just a way to coverup his lack of control and manipulate you into forgiveness till he does something worse. But he’s also your mate, the only man on this earth that could ever make you truly happy, and you’ve really nothing but the option to give him the benefit of the doubt.

You gulp, breathing heavily, slowly deliberating your actions, “I- I want some days to myself.”

His head snaps towards you, “What?”

“I- ,” You drag your lower lip between your teeth, “When I want time to myself I want you to give it to me. I want my own space too.”

“Like your own room?” He near chokes out with reluctance, and you have to stop yourself from rolling your eyes in response.

You sigh, “Not exactly, just some place that is only mine. But if I were to want my own room then-“

“Then you’d get it.” Your mate stands up, a small smile poking at the corner of his lips.

As he takes a step towards you, you aren’t even sure what to do, where to go. You hate feeling this nervous around your mate, but simultaneously there’s the wolf part of you that just wants to forgive him at this point- to just launch yourself into his arms and embrace him with the love of newlyweds. You’ve never felt so conflicted in your life. And you’ve no more time to think as he approaches you hesitantly, head bowed slightly with a nervous posture.

“So-,” he stammers slightly, “Is- I don’t mean to pressure you, I just-“ His difficulty to ask for forgiveness prompts you enough to speak up, not really thinking.

You interrupt him rapidly, quick to justify yourself, “It’s your only chance of a fresh start. I’m not going to go through that again. I want my mate, not an Alpha that I’m scared of being with. And if you do then I’ll-”

“I’ll never hurt you.” He finally gives into his instincts, bringing you into his arms and squeezing you against his chest tightly. You forgot how good he smelled, wafting up your nose like the aroma of a fresh bakery, and sprigs of lavender in the summer. You’re already intoxicated.

It’s muffled, but you hear him mumble into your shoulder, “Please don’t run again. I can’t handle that. Anything but that.”

It feels so incredible to be close to your mate again, and you too feel the pull of your wolf aching to hold him, so you hesitantly bring your arms up to snake around his waist, feeling the muscle ripple beneath your touch. He responsively curls closer into you, bringing your bodies as close as humanly possible, clinging desperately like magnets.

He pulls back briefly to rest his forehead against yours, igniting your whole body alight with warmth and security; worlds away from after that night.

“I want to take you away. I want to go somewhere it’s just you and me and there’s no Rogues, nor packs to worry about, and no damn Epsilons getting in the way.”

You let out a small laugh, looking up at him with a tender glint in your eye, “I’d like that.”  

“You would?” He seems taken aback, and you subconsciously lean into him as his doe eyes glimmer at you with surprise, revelling in the effect you have on him. What you don’t expect, however, is him to take your movement as an opportunity to lean in and kiss you. The moment his lips press to yours, you snap back, equally as shocked.

He sucks in a shallow breath, stuttering for a second, “Fuck, sorry, I- that wasn’t-“

You swiftly lean back into him, pulling his lips back against yours with fervent desire, fuelled by his hands instinctively falling to your waist and holding you against him. You back up slowly against the force of his kiss, desperately savouring the taste after he so nearly lost you. The strength of the wall offers a brace for you to push harder against your mate, the feel of his tongue softly gliding across your lower lip sending you and your wolf into a frenzy as your hands run up his back and into the strands of his hair, clutching onto the dark locks.

A moan slips through your lips when he rolls his hips into you, and you fleetingly open your eyes to look at each other to see your mate’s usual chocolate orbs have turned a lustful black, shining with desire. He rapidly darts into your neck, pressing his lips to the outline of your mark and a shot of adrenaline pulses through you like bullets, making you weak in the legs enough so that his hands slip under your shirt to hold you up.

The feel of your bare skin under his touch urges him to bring the fabric up higher till his hands are able to reach up to the wire of your bra, tracing the outline of your breast when suddenly the door clicks open.

“Get out!” Jungkook roars, immediately pulling back and instinctively pressing himself against you to cover your hitched up shirt, hands slammed against either side of your head.

“Oh-“ The door slams shut, and Jin retreats back into the hall at the speed of light, although you’re somewhat thankful of his intrusion. You’ve no idea what would’ve happened had he not.

Jungkook looks at you, realising his position and moving back to allow you to pull your shirt back down and step away from the wall.

“I’m sorry,” he coughs, rubbing at his eyes and you try to look anywhere but the intimidating tent that has formed in the crotch of his trousers.

You attempt to obscure a laugh as he ‘adjusts’ himself, “It’s okay.”

He notices your concealment, tilting his head with a humorous glint, “Something funny?”

“No.” You close your eyes, unsuccessful in refraining from smiling widely, entirely entertained by the situation.

“Oh, really?” He challenges, approaching you again with his hands curled as you retreat back with profuse apologies. However, he doesn’t acknowledge them, instead pouncing forwards to begin pinching at yours sides and your belly, making you squirm and squeal beneath him through bouts of laughter.

“No, no, no!” You cry, laughing loudly when Jimin comes bursting through the door, glancing around frantically as if he were on a police raid. When he processes the two of you, however, he falls timid, lowering his gaze to the floor and bowing his head.

“Alpha, Luna, I- I’m sorry, I thought- I thought something else had…,” he trails off, immediately dampening the mood as Jungkook removes his hands from you, everyone thoroughly uncomfortable, bar Jin who stands behind Jimin in the corridor, unenlightened on the situation.

“I’m sorry for intruding,” Jimin reasserts himself, “But there’s a code green down at the South border; it’s Rogues, Alpha.”

Jungkook mutters a curse under his breath, dismissing the two wolves hastily and turning to you with an apologetic look, and you already know what he’s going to say; expect it, even.

“It’s okay.” You stop him, giving him a pitiful smile, “You have Alpha things to do.”

“I’ll be back later, I promise.” He kisses you gently on the forehead and squeezes your hand before making a prompt exit, and you’re left alone again.

“She what?” You smile down the landline at your father, curling your arms around your knees to bring them in closer to your chest.

“She thought I was cheating, she was trying to test me,” he explains, chuckling throatily at the same time.

“Did you pass?”

“Only just,” he teases, and you can feel him smiling through the phone, “You sound much happier, poppet.”

You sigh somewhat contentedly, “I certainly feel better.”

“I told you, love, it takes time.”

You glance at the clock on the wall, processing the time and exhaling deeply, “Dad, it’s late. You should get some sleep.”

“Are you implying that I’m old?” He counters, jokily.

“Dad!” You whine, “I’m gonna hang up now. You need to sleep.”

“Alright, poppet. I’ll talk to you soon. Wish my best to Jungkook?”

“I will. I love you.”

“You too.” You place the landline back on the hub in Jungkook’s office, sighing fondly at the voice of your father still ringing in your ears. You miss him immensely. More than you could ever have imagined when leaving Scarlet Oak. You worry every day whether he’s eating properly, sleeping well, going out often rather than staying inside all the time studying his books and treating his patients. He’s often too compassionate, placing others before himself when really he should be taking more care and focusing on his own health. If only he wasn’t so stubborn, maybe he would be down one bad back and up a few friends. You exhale, you can dream.

You turn to leave when a slightly wedged open drawer catches your eye and you make a double take. You don’t even think as you open it a little more, pulling back the mahogany to reveal another picture frame, the glass shattered into thousands of pieces littering the bottom of the wood. You carefully lean down to shake off the various sharp segments, picking up the image to get a better look.

The man. Jungkook’s father. It shows the two of them in the pack house, looking over some documents on a desk, rather seriously. His father, however, looks immeasurably proud, an arm over the back of his son gripping onto a pencil as he writes on one of the forms. They look happy. So what on earth happened? You don’t risk lurking around any further, placing everything back the way you found it and trudging out of the office.

“Y/N-“ Jin’s voice startles you enough you jump back, eyes wide and chest heaving with fright, “Shit, sorry, I was looking for you.”

“Why didn’t you call for me first?” You heave.

He shrugs, nonchalantly, “Alpha’s waiting for you.”

You frown in response, but after some questioning it’s clear he hasn’t a clue what it’s about, thus the two of you bundle into his jeep, chatting aimlessly about things, both actively ignoring the somewhat compromising position you and your mate were caught in earlier.

“What happened with the Rogue attack?” You ask, igniting a conversation as you fiddle cautiously with the belt strapped over your chest and ignoring the awkward atmosphere.

“It was only a few; nothing we couldn’t handle. Most of them retreated, too,” he explains, and you nod in response.

“Did you fight?”

“Nah, I only fight in the difficult stuff.” He looks over at you and raises his eyebrows jokily, and you subconsciously reach out your arm to hit him, making the car swerve across the road.

“Y/N!” He gasps, “I’m driving!”

“Oops,” you deadpan, highly entertained by his outraged expression and slack jaw.

“You’re mad,” he tuts, exhaling to calm himself, “I don’t need to get into any more trouble.”

When you reach the town you head straight into the pack house, Jin glued to your side after the previous time you were here, not wanting to repeat history. You ignore his proximity, however, instead your attention is drawn to the crowd of wolves outside, just lingering as they talk amongst themselves, clearly out of place.

“What are they doing here?” You ask, but Jin just shrugs in response, ushering you through the door somewhat frantically.

Once inside, you are guided down a hallway ridden with pictures of previous Alphas and pack members, and various achievements on Newspaper cut-outs or medals or trophies. It’s odd, though, how you don’t see a single memoir or photo of the man you assume to be Jungkook’s father, the previous Alpha. You’re distracted as you near the room at the end, a certain familiar smell enveloping you warmly.

Jin opens the door for you, allowing you inside before shutting it behind and leaving you to the lone presence of your mate.

“Y/N,” Jungkook grins, walking over to you to encase you in his arms; baffling the hell out of you. Why is it so weird to see him affectionate? Then you realise the room has been emptied by him, hence all the wolves stood loitering outside.

“Hey…” Babe? Love? Gorgeous? Mate? “Alpha…” Fuck.

He frowns down at you, “Don’t call me Alpha.” His tone is cold and demanding, bringing his hands up to cup your face, “Call me handsome.” His tone changes entirely and the wink that follows makes you laugh, and you come to the conclusion you thoroughly enjoy this side of him, and you’ll enjoy it for as long as it lasts.  

“What do you want?” You grin, pushing at his shoulder to look at the array of documents strewn across the table, catching your eye.

“Yes, right,” he refocuses himself, placing his palm on your lower back to guide you to the files and sucking in a breath through his teeth. “These are the official documents regarding your Luna duties, and your official welcoming into the pack.” He squeezes at your waist and rests his chin on your shoulder as you pick up one of the certificates, thumbing the corner as you scan it meticulously.

“They’re going to begin readying for your introduction tomorrow; it’ll be sorted by next week.” He turns you to face him and take your attention from the form, grin still firm on his lips, “It’s always a great time for the pack, especially with all the shit with those Rogues, it’ll be a welcomed distraction. I’ll take you into the town to get a dress tailored tomorrow. I think you’ll look gorgeous in green…” His head begins leaning down towards you when you turn rapidly away, moving from his grip and back to the documents on the table.

“I thought we were going to do this slowly, Jungkook,” you say, back facing him as you nervously graze over the papers.

“I thought you weren’t overwhelmed about being Luna?”

You begin tripping over your words in regret, “No, I- It’s not that I’m overwhelmed, I just- making it official?” You turn to face him, “Already?”

His face falls slightly, hurt by your refusal, “I thought you forgave me.”

You sigh, “I have. But, the official Luna? That’s so- it’s so- final. I don’t know, maybe it is a bit daunting. I don’t know.”

You slump down onto one of the chairs with a huff, one arm resting on the wood and the other raking through your hair, pushing it out of your face to get a better look at the various contracts and duties you’ll need to fulfil. A lot is required of a real Luna; a certain way you should act, look, be. Alphas are raised for their rank, they’re groomed to be the perfect Alphas. A Luna has to learn from the moment she’s mated, and so much more is expected of the female regarding socialising with the pack members and keeping the peace. Maybe you’ve been in denial the whole time, you conclude.

Jungkook ambles over to you carefully, watching the anxiety ripple into you in waves, “You don’t want to be officialised yet?” He sits across from you, cautiously leaning over to rub one of your hands, and you allow the comfort, calming your nerves as he gently caresses the flesh.

“You said you would give me space, and I could do what I want, when I want. And this is what I want to do.” Your tone is firm, riddled with finality, and it pleases you to see your mate accept it. Granted, he isn’t very good at concealing his disappointment- every wolf yearns to show off their mate to the public- he still grants you this though, and that’s quite the improvement.

He lets out a deep breath, releasing your hand and running his own up and down his thighs, “Well then, let’s get home. I’m exhausted after today. Have you eaten yet?”

The house feels bizarre with Jungkook downstairs cooking as you sit in your bedroom, landline in your hands and thoughts racing through your head like hell-hounds. He won’t answer. He won’t talk to you. The feeling of rejection bites at your pride, but you can’t let that stop you. You won’t let it stop you.

If Jungkook is making an effort with you, surely you must be inclined to make an effort with your best friend, that you knew long before your mate. You should at least try.

“Hey… Hobi. It’s Y/N. I- I just wanted to say that I don’t care what you and June do, or what you don’t do- I just want to let you know that I love you, and you can talk to me. And I’d love a friend. I miss you so much it hurts, and the second you get this please call me back. I’ll keep calling until you do. I’ll see you soon, Hobi. I love you.”

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[qandnoablog]

Anomaly (Marvel Imagine)

Title: Discovered

Pairing: [In Progress]

Warnings: This part isn’t like my other ones since it doesn’t take place in any actual part of the Marvel movies. The scenes, however, are based on the movies - Thor Ragnarok Spider-Man: Homecoming

There will be some moments where a character will be experiencing a panic attack. Since this is based on my own experiences with panic attacks, I hope no one feels offended by how I describe it.

Part: 10, [9], [8], [7], [6], [5], [4], [3], [2], [1]

Key: Y/N - Your Name Y/L/N - Your Last Name

Word Count: 3,273

Summary: All seemed peaceful for [Y/N]. Everything had quieted down since her last adventure with Spider-Man. Little did she know, it was the calm before a storm.

Note From Author: Midterms are coming yet again and I wanted to post this before cramming like crazy! I’m sorry for making you all wait and I hope you enjoy this part!

Part 10 - Anomaly

It had been about a year since her encounter with Spider-Man.

[Y/N] had finally settled to life in New York, enjoying the lively atmosphere and often exploring around without too many worries. Her capture wasn’t exactly a priority, like Captain America or Wanda Maximoff would be, so she didn’t have to be wary of who could find her. In addition, Tony seemed to be helping behind the scenes, erasing any digital trail she may have left behind. She could never confirm his involvement, but she suspected it to be him nonetheless.

Spider-Man would visit frequently, the two sometimes just hanging out as he asked all kinds of questions about the Avengers. At first, he was so caught up with her new gloves that he sometimes forgot she even existed. He got so wrapped up, practically begging her to borrow it for closer examination, but it soon died down.

After that, he would go fight crime and she would sometimes tag along. Nothing too serious happened since then, so he could handle most of it alone. [Y/N] was just there for any damage control, helping him be more efficient during fights. Ned would sometimes also come over with Peter when the two needed a place to work on both actual school projects and other side “projects” without the watching eyes of their guardians. Overall, it was very peaceful.

Everything seemed to be going great until one day… Well, it was one of the worst days [Y/N] had experienced in her life.

The day started off normal. She had woken up early, a bit before her alarm, and was feeling energized to just go out and explore more of New York. Then, something completely unexpected happened.

While walking down the somewhat empty streets, the sun barely making its way up in the sky, a strange, orange glowing circle appeared on the ground around her. A bit panicked, the sparks of light dangerously close to her ankles, she jumped away from the center of the circle. Without someone in the middle of it, it quickle fizzled out and was gone.

What the hell?

She peered over at the empty sidewalk, examining it closely, but it showed no signs of charring from the odd occurance. Then, it happened again. The same circle appeared under her, but this time it was faster. [Y/N] felt gravity pull her down as the ground below her just vanished.

The sensation reminded her of the wormhole back on Sakaar, the flashes of memories jolting her with fear and adrenaline. Her breathing accelerated and her hair stood on end as power welled up inside her and exploded her upwards with incredible force, away from the portal. Just like before, the circle vanished when she no longer stood atop it.

No, no, no, no, no, [Y/N] chanted again and again.

Panic became hysteria as she trembled all over. The fact that she was completely exposing her abilities in public, regardless of the lack of people, didn’t even register in her mind. All she could think of was how she didn’t want to go back to that alien planet. There was no telling how long she’d be stuck in that wretched place again, if she was sent there at all. She might not even be able to return to Earth like last time. [Y/N] was lucky when Loki and Thor ended up there. If she got sent there again, it could possibly be forever. And, if the Grandmaster still ruled and remembered her, she wouldn’t be safe.

Take a breath. Panicking will get you nowhere. Breathe!

A few seconds passed by. Then a minute. After a couple of minutes of waiting the circle still did not reappear. Her breathing settled somewhat and her heartbeat returned to its normal pace. Though adrenaline still pulsed through her, making her uncomfortable with the excess energy, she was too scared to completely calm down.

It’s okay, she tried to tell herself, It could be nothing. Wormholes don’t usually appear in the middle of the ground, right?

But how was she supposed to know? That time on Sakaar, a wormhole just suddenly emerged and sucked her away from her friends and onto Earth. Thankfully, she ended up where she wanted to be, but that was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Out of the infinite possibilities, it was highly unlikely that she would be that lucky again.

However, as she was carefully thinking about all her options while hovering in the air, those same sparks flew out to right beside her. The shock of it startled her so much that the hold on her powers faltered and she began to fall dangerously fast.

Shit!

It wasn’t a fatal height, but it was enough to do some serious damage. She braced for impact, her muscles tensing at the expected solid ground, but then the falling didn’t stop. [Y/N] could already surmise what had happened, the odd portal strangely targeting her, but she was too scared to open her eyes to confirm it. Still, the familiar feeling of nausea was enough for her to know what happened without seeing for herself.

I don’t want to go!

~

“Ah, you’re awake,” an unfamiliar voice called out as [Y/N] finally opened her eyes.

Everything was unfamiliar. The ceiling. The floor. The walls. The bed. Everything… They were all things she’d never seen before. Her heart raced as the events of what happened flooded back to her and her breathing became erratic. Tears filled her eyes and she couldn’t even focus on the person beside her. She couldn’t control her body as it trembled, her body feeling unnaturally cold as the blood drained from her. Reality was slipping from her and she began to hyperventilate, when something brushed against her hand.

“Shhh,” the stranger soothed, his gloved hand gently squeezing her own, “You’re alright. You’re okay. Just take a deep breath.”

[Y/N] finally turned to the speaker. Even he was unfamiliar. He had white streaks on both sides of his hair, contrasting with his normal full head of black. The lighting was dim, so it was hard to focus. Everything about him seemed elegant, but most importantly… Human. He appeared to be human. Though the thought should have reassured her, many people on Sakaar looked human. His clothes certainly didn’t resemble the fashion sense of Earth that she knew of. Still, not knowing was worse than knowing, since the imagination could be scarier than the truth. If she wanted to finally rid herself of this anxiety, she’d have to ask that dreaded, awful question.

“W-where…” She choked a bit, unable to form words as tears spilled from her eyes. Shuting them tight and taking in a breath, she tried again. “Where am I?”

“New York,” he answered, his stern features softening, “Earth, year 2017.”

It took her a moment for the words to sink in. New York. 2017. Earth.

[Y/N]’s body crumpled back in relief and the tears flooded like a broken dam. She covered her face in her hands, unable to stop herself from crying as the fear of being on another alien planet eased away from her. Sobs escaped from her as the sounds filled the near silent room. The man beside her just sat there, patiently waiting for her.

She wasn’t back on Sakaar. She wasn’t trapped on a foreign planet. She wasn’t sent to another place in time. She was still in New York. She was still on Earth.

It surprised [Y/N] how much the many years stranded on Sakaar had damaged her. Of course it was a scarring experience, but it never hindered her this much over the years she had returned to Earth. The memories resurfaced from time to time, often in the form of a nightmare, but they never bothered her to this extent.

“Who are you?” [Y/N] asked when she finally cooled down and recalled that she wasn’t alone in this strange room. Her eyes were still red and most likely puffy from all the crying, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he was very calm, which helped her to feel a bit more at peace.

“My name is Doctor Stephen Strange.”

~

“You’re a what?”

Stephen had finished explaining where she was, why she was here, and how he had brought her there. He seemed to think that all of this was quite easy to comprehend, but a world of magic was just a bit difficult to believe. If he was categorized as a god or an alien, perhaps it would have been easier, but him being a normal human… Now that was hard to wrap her head around.

“I am the master of the mystic arts,” he repeated, “and I brought you here because I sensed an anomaly around you.”

“Look, Mister-”

“Doctor,” Strange interrupted her, adamant on getting that title across.

“Doctor,” she corrected, a bit drained from everything that went on, “I just experienced hell and now you want me to believe all this magic stuff?”

Honestly, she wanted to be mad. She wanted to be furious and throw a tantrum at the man who had caused her so much distress, but she was also tired. She was so exhausted due to all the change that went through her life, every bad experience just crashing back on her in that moment of hopelessness, that she just couldn’t muster up the energy to fight this man. He was a stranger to her. It was fine to leave it at that, wasn’t it?

“I just want to go home. Maybe take a nap. Can I go now?”

“Miss [Y/L/N],” the man replied, his expression serious and unchanging, “I keep tabs on everything that may be a threat to this world, but when you entered my city, there was just something off.”

“Off?” [Y/N] couldn’t even gather enough energy to feel offended.

“It’s as if the time around you is distorted,” Stephen clarified, trying to keep it simple so as to not confuse her. It didn’t really work.

Noticing her blank expression, he waved a hand in front of her, and a strange tingle prickled at her. She looked down at her own arms and noticed something rippling off her skin in almost transparent waves. It felt a bit odd, and she tried to touch whatever it was, but her hands just phased through them.

“W-what the-? What is this?” [Y/N] questioned, goosebumps forming at the intangibility of it.

“Thirty… No, twenty… Eight?” He muttered as he examined the ripples, his hand resting under his chin in thought, “Yes. Twenty-eight.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are off this timeline by twenty-eight years.”

It was then that it clicked. [Y/N] now knew exactly what he meant by off and anomaly. She didn’t know how he knew, but it seemed he was talking about her years on Sakaar. Still, she didn’t know this man. In fact, because of the stunt he just pulled, she didn’t trust him either. Why should she answer any of his questions?

“Ah, so that’s what happened,” Stephen nodded before she could even say a word. He leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of tea that seemed to appear out of thin air. “Well, nothing I can do about that. Strange, but harmless. I apologize for wasting your time.”

“Wait-”

But before she could finish, everything around her blurred. In the blink of an eye, a room full of old books, ancient artifacts, and elegant decor was replaced with the busy, bustling streets of New York. People walked around her, not even noticing that she had appeared out of nowhere.

She felt a bit queasy, the feeling of being transported from one location to another making her recall those wormholes and portals, but she swallowed back the nausea and blinked a couple more times. The sun was now high in the sky, showing how much time had passed. Its bright light made her eyes sting, since they had been adjusted to the dim lighting of that strange room. Shaking off the sick feeling, she gave up the idea of getting answers and simply let the matter drop.

“I really hate magic,” she grumbled, her mood fouled by the whole event as she finally arrived home and flopped onto her bed.

“Now that seems a bit harsh,” a coy voice whispered into her ear, making her jump back in alarm.

The man who stood before her was all too familiar. The years didn’t erase the memory of him, the image etched into her brain from all the rage she had felt for him that day. Without thinking on it for another second, her fist flew towards him, aimed directly at his face. However, her hand merely phased through the figure, his nose uninjured, as she stumbled forward from the lack of impact.

“Hello to you too, [Y/N].”

“Go to Hell, Loki.”

~

“Yes, the second-rate sorcerer,” Loki huffed, his brows furrowing slightly at the memory, “I must remember to pay him back someday.”

[Y/N] had given in once she realized he would not leave her alone.

He had sent a copy of himself onto Earth, admiring the “foolish actions of Midgardians” whenever he was bored, when he had happened upon her. Of course he was not looking for her, not even knowing that she was back on Earth and not with Thor, but he couldn’t pass up this opportunity to mess with her. Besides, he had some free time.

“You know Doctor Strange?”

She had known Loki for a few weeks back on Sakaar and though their relationship was far from friendship, it wasn’t as small as an acquaintanceship. They grew to tolerate one another, especially in the face of the Grandmaster, so of course they could hold a conversation. However, that became a bit awkward after Loki’s little mind tricks he had casted around the time of Thor’s arrival on the alien planet. Still, she hadn’t seen him in years. If she couldn’t forgive this god, then she could at least hold out so that she could find out how Thor was doing after all this time.

“We had a brief encounter,” he scowled at the memory and quickly pushed it aside before it could ruin his good mood, “but enough about me. I’m more curious on why you’re on Earth and not with my brother.”

“Wait, are you with him right now?” [Y/N] asked, sitting up on her bed and following Loki with her eyes as he wandered around her apartment.

“No, I am with a more… Rambunctious bunch,” he chuckled a bit dryly, clearly unamused by the company around him, wherever he may be. “Just some rebels rallied together to go help save Asgard from Ragnarok.”

That made her freeze. She had forgotten that she had been thrown back in time from that day on Sakaar. In Thor’s perspective, she must have been sucked up by that wormhole just mere minutes or hours ago. Not even a day must have passed by since then.

“Okay,” [Y/N] said, nodding as she took it all in. He was curious when he examined her reactions, but wasn’t too interested on what was buzzing through her head. As he was hundreds of years older than any Midgardian, he assumed her thoughts were just as insignificant. “So that means Thor made it off of Sakaar, right?”

“Of course,” the God of Mischief was a bit confused. Her question didn’t quite make sense to him and he didn’t like feeling left in the dark. With that, he decided return to his previous question. “Why are you on Earth?”

At first, [Y/N] was quiet. She wasn’t sure whether or not she should tell Loki about what had happened. First of all, she didn’t like him. Though her feelings towards him weren’t quite hatred, they weren’t very pleasant. Giving this god information was like arming him for battle. Secondly, [Y/N] enjoyed that slight bit of annoyance that shone on his face. It wasn’t a big win but she considered it one nonetheless.

After a while, [Y/N] finally gave in and decided to tell him everything. She took a gamble and prayed that he would pass on the information to Thor. He must have been worried about her since she was suddenly taken away. There wasn’t a day that went by that she wasn’t anxiously thinking back on what had happened after that day. Now that Loki was here, during the time where the battle against Hela was upon them, she desperately wanted Thor to know that she was alright and that he didn’t have to concern himself about her. His focus should go solely to his safety and his people. She didn’t want to hinder that.

“I see,” was all Loki said.

He looked bored, silently listening to her ramble on, but she had studied him enough to read him to a certain extent. Though his face portrayed indifference, his eyes sparked as calculations and thoughts raced through his mind. [Y/N] couldn’t decipher too much, she wasn’t a mind reader after all, but she knew he cared enough to hear her story out. Or at least he cared enough about the information she presented to listen carefully. Hopefully, he would pass on this message to Thor. That was all she could ask for.

Seconds turned to minutes as the silence continued. Surprisingly, the noiseless atmosphere wasn’t as awkward as one would have expected. The two of them were actually used to this, their days in Sakaar making any moment of quiet more blissful than stiff. Then, Loki looked up and glanced at what seemed to be an empty wall.

“Oh, looks like we’ve arrived,” Loki murmured, his image rippling as the main body stirred.

More and more of him started to disappear and for some reason, something within [Y/N] stirred.

“Loki!”

She called out without thinking. When he stopped fading, returning to a more solid image, and turned to her, more surprised than amused, she nervously bit her lower lip.

“Just…”

[Y/N] hesitated. She didn’t want him to know she was worried, given that she was still very mad at him, but she couldn’t let these words just be bottled up within her. Regret would consume her if something happen to him in this upcoming battle. They weren’t exactly friends, but how could she, in good conscience, let a man going off into a bloody battle go without settling debts?

If it wasn’t for him and his brother, she would have never escaped the confinements of Sakaar. Though she couldn’t forgive him completely for making her feel so humiliated that time he had forced her to spill her secrets, she still felt grateful to him for bringing a bit of Earth back to her. It must have been a small thing for him to share but to her… It granted her a sliver of hope.

“Just…” She took in a deep breath, steeling her nerves, and looked him in the eyes. Showing no weakness and only speaking the genuine truth, she finished her sentence. “Don’t die.”

His eyes widened, clearly not expecting those words to ever be directed at him.

“Well, not before I can kill you, anyways,” [Y/N] added with a grin.

A few seconds passed, something clearly happening where his true body was since his image kept flickering, and then, Loki smiled. Though it was that mischievous, signature smile of his, there was a glint that shone in his eyes before he faded away, leaving [Y/N] all alone in her little apartment.

Author’s Note: I’ll be taking a break from writing any more parts. Though a large part has to do with college and my daily life, I’ll mostly be on hiatus until after Avengers 4 is released so I can make the next few parts (which will be based on Infinity War) as accurate as possible. Thank you for sticking with me and enjoying my works! I hope you all will be patient and still want to read Discovered when I return!

[PART 11]

Tags: @themeanestlittlewitch  @stressedandbandobessed7771 @moistpotatobear @fxckingfat​

[lxckyclovers-blog]

SOURCE

100+ followers, aaa!! i want to say a quick THANK YOU to everybody who stuck with me && SUPPORTED me, i really didn’t expect y’all to continue following me up to now and it really means a lot! i’ll mainly be writing about people who i’ve had some level of interaction with, but that DOES NOT MEAN i do not appreciate you && your blog! and now, without further ado and in no specific order:

@relixum​ / @gctshot​ / your other 6 blogs look at where we are... look at where we started... i know i don’t deserve you gale, but hear me out, that would be enough... honestly, we talk a lot, and as much as i compliment you whenever i get the chance to, that won’t stop me now. i love your rping so much?? like, every character you pick up, cherish, decide to give attention to... i instantly know that you’re going to write them so well!! you’re talented, smart, funny, and i! love! you! we just support each other a lot mutually, and whatever happens, no matter what, i’d like that to keep on happening in the future. but right now, know that i love you and you’re always in my mind at least twenty times a day. ♥

@pixcldream​ aaaAAA meme!! i think you were one of my first interactions when i first ever created my blog, but i can’t remember that. you were always kind of approachable for me && i always wanted to be your friend and talk a bit more to you? and heck, you may not be my parent anymore but you’ll always be a parent to me in my heart. i’ve always admired you and love your nanami and headcanons!! 100/10, justifies gamer girl a lot. i also love your art!! and u better watch out before i steal your hands to art like thy- also, if you feel as if you’re dying, Just Don’t

@mxssias​ aaaaAAALEX!! our hope boys combined together is a trouble we cannot keep at bay, and i am Glad™ i followed you because i love your naegi. he’s pure and only wants to do things for the sake of kibou, and i really love our boys’ interactions! even though... a lot has to do with crack. har har. but yeah, our interactions are a+ crack or serious, and may our hope boys spread hope!

@sunnywitchesperitou​ oooh tea!! i love your sonia, honestly! you put depth into her and you clearly know what you’re going to do to make sonia a much more interesting character! i also LOVE your art, like. dang, pleasing to the eye and just overall, your art blows me away!! keep doing what you’re doing mon ami, && you’re fun to talk w/, whenever we do!!

@snappshot​ / @cantatory​ / @steinways​ inHALES... sarah!! we haven’t threaded on your koi or mai yet but i don’t need to interact with them to know that you’re absolutely amazing and rping them. i love the dis//cords you host, bc it’s such a great idea!! even tho i don’t participate in much conversation, it’s still fun, and i love it whenever we talk mi amigaaaAAAA---ur portrayals are beyond amazing, i love how much care you harbor for your characters, that always leads to mind blowing rping!

@nullverum​ / @shpionaz​ listen up you four thirteen los3r...jk jk, boss you’re chill. i mean, i haven’t seen much of your oc but we talk ooc sometimes whenever i’m actually present in the groupchats, and it’s coolio!! i like your portrayal and bro u may not be my main but i will always kinkshame committee w/ you, and even though your name is from the horror film, er, my apologies---anime, homosuk, you’ll always be my friend! (also. psst i’m always up for discussing homosuk for a blast to the past if you need it)

@ofdesperationis MY FRIEND I LOVE IT WHEN YOUR ENO HARASSES MY KO, honestly!! like tbh, he’s just so salty at her and i love writing his reaction to her. he’s just so done with her && her HANDful of puns. i love you portrayal, too!! it’s trés bien, just...mmMM!! i didn’t know what i signed up for when i followed you back, but hoo boy do i not regret it. ko might not want to be friends with eno, buT IT SURE AS HELL doesn’t mean that we ain’t gonna be spicy friends if they ain’t!!

@mendcx / @kurenaii / i think you have other blogs but AKU GOD DAMN, i love your portrayals SO MUCH, and you know this...i know you doooo. i love our interactions && i love it when your kamu steps on my ko, fulfilling his gross and masochistic wishes. your kamu has to put up with so much shit and honestly, i kind of feel bad for him agikha but yo, hit me up in dms whenever bc bro i love talkin’ to you and i’m always up to more of that ship shit if you gotta dump out some stuff and CAN’T HOLD IT IN...oh if only you know how excited i was when you first hit me up, yo, harhar. love ya my buddy, my friend, my responsible friend

@lyingforadream / @hazuukashi / @ofstarsandfists ALRIGHT, DUSTING. j’aime tu rping, parce que est trés bien et tu ne peut pas dire moi autrement. okay, i translated some of that, bUT SOME OF IT IS FROM MY KNOWLEDGE SO YOU! CAN’T! JUDGE! ME! i’m still learning french mon ami, but still! i like your rping and hit me up in dms w/e i’m on and you wanna say something to me, bro. don’t hold back! you’re really funny and GOd, i love ur jokes but man YOU GOTTA STOP KILLING ME. but yea ily bro just try not to kill me anymore tyty you’re one of the best, don’t stop now

@shinguvji iggy!! yoo honestly, i’ve always looked up to you and whenever you notice me, i’m like 000: && you’re like a role model for me! i love interacting with you, it’s fun to see what happens when you put our two characters together. i’ll never forget the story times, especially the fact that guuji is an anthropologist who has Quite the Knowledge on, well, the strangest of stories. you’re really entertaining and i love seeing you on your dash, if i see anything posted by you, there’s like a 99% chance i’ll read it, because everything you create is intriguing!!

@ongakuvoices / @anemoia-avenoir / @ketsuekicrown AAAAAND RIO! gosh i absolutely LOVE the justice you give the characters, and i super duper wish you got more attention on nagisa because your portrayal is absolutely worth it, even if we haven’t interacted much on there. i love talking with you whenever i appear in the chatroom, and whenever we plot our twinbuki au!! can’t wait to set things straight and figure out family stuff, so we could start it already woohoo---your character portrayals are en pointe and i love interacting with you on any blog, and mioda always gives me that rush of adrenaline interacting with her like whoa!! what is she gonna do next? you’re doing 100% amazing so keep it up, my friend!!

@hexapodboy​ GOSH BON, i’ll be honest with ya!! i’ve always looked up to you and you always inspire me!! your portrayals are incredibly mind-blowing and i love seeing you on my dash!! your gonta is so pure and literally doesn’t deserve any of my ko’s antics, because he’s too innocent for it all. i love our crack threads and we need to get more serious threads going, seriously, but nonetheless our interactions are still amusing and, well, interesting! i wish we talked more ooc, you seem like a rly nice person && i love your kara icons ikhgkhgr really gives off the Cool™ demeanor, yo. but!! i can assure you that not 100% of our interactions will involve bombs, gonta deserves better than THAT

@mcfiant / @swcrdleap / your other 9 blogs--- IT’s been like, ten centuries bro, my dude, my partner in *komaeda and amami voice** death o’clock---and i love our interactions! and i love your portrayal of EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. YOU. PLAY. regardless if i know that character or not, because you do such a good job that i just get the sense that it’s how the character legitimately is. we don’t talk much but when we did, it was amazing and i couldn’t stop laughing. i mean. it’s not every day you see amami kicking down doors over hiring assassins. i’ll always follow you mon ami because i love your portrayals and headcanons aND a lot more. one of my faves && i’ll read anything you have to offer bc your work is always interesting, honestly. even if your character is an asshole, komaeda can take it!!! he’s an asshole to himself, after all. but yea neal ily mi amigo and i promise i’ll tell you if anything’s wrong with your links akhgahg

AND I REFUSE TO FORGET THOSE WHO STUCK AROUND! the people in this section are people i’ve had really limited interactions with, but i’m very glad decided to stick around my blog!! i look up to you, and i wish i got to know y’all better so i could give you a spot up there with my positive comments!!

@despuddle / @kxaito / @fxshionable-mxsks​ / @ayatsurii / @kibarashiartist / @mxgicxlrxd / @invegold​ / @hairhorns​ / @twintaiiled / @goodluckgoodhope / @kyoukokiwigiri​ / @hxpelessnurse / @beheadingtoujou / @bubblegumrose / @fashicnkiller​ / @positivepianist​ / @robotichxpe​ / @bestiascuro​ / @docilexdisguises​ / @pseudxcode​ / @cxruscxte​ / @artqiues​ / @sollertiis​ / @boysofbrokensouls​ / @shufukuu​ / @frosted-mermaid​ 

&& HAVE AN AMAZING WEEKEND!!!

[acoolguyscoollife]

Chapter 41: Man, It’s A Hot One

“You’re listening to KBL Radio, the #1 station for summertime magic and music, and now, here’s Santana and Rob Thomas with Smooth.”

 The radio’s signal was surprisingly good, given that it was just a couple of parts that Tabitha had thrown together, and it definitely added to the atmosphere I’d been going for on the roof. In fact, just about everything that had some semblance of normal technology was just something Tabitha had made herself as some sort of challenge. It wouldn’t have been so bad, had she not had the habit of taking apart pre-existing technology to make her other things. I missed my iPod. As the beginning guitar riff started, I took a moment to adjust my sunglasses a little, finding they were slipping down my face from the small layer of sweat that had accumulated from sunbathing for as long as I had. I wasn’t particularly interested in getting a tan, but this weather was too good to pass up laying up here, especially considering it was rare to have bright, sunny days like this in the UK.

 For once, I wasn’t the only one wearing sunglasses, with just about everyone else on the roof sporting them too, though nowhere near as good as my own. It had been a few weeks since the school reunion, and the group had split into two. Paul and Amy were the two communicators of the group since that just made sense, and we’d split into having Rose in charge of the secondary group, with all the people I was slightly less familiar with over there. Thinking about the rest of my group got me pondering something, and I opened my eyes and looked around the roof. It was only me, Amy and Aki (who was, as cats normally did, asleep in the sun) up here, and while Tabitha being hard at work wasn’t too unexpected, Seth not being up here goofing off was odd to me. Where was he?

 Seth

“So whatcha up to?” I asked, breaking an incredibly awkward silence that had formed since my last attempt at breaking the very same awkward silence. Tabitha was at her computer, as usual, though with about ten box fans pointed at her to keep her cool. I had been trying to work up the nerve to mention what we’d talked about in the grid, but so far it wasn’t easy. Adrenaline had been pumping for everyone there, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know whether Tabitha was being serious anymore. Nonetheless, I owed it to myself to get a straight answer, which was why I’d basically tagged along with her like a lapdog.

“The same thing I was doing the last time you asked.” Tabitha responded in a monotone, not looking away from the screen. As easy as it was to just say that I needed a straight answer, actually working up the nerve to ask for one was a lot harder. “Which is to say, whatever comes to me. Mary told us to just do our things, and I guess for me that means… this.” She paused for a moment before letting out an aggravated groan. “This is so bullshit! We’re just… existing!” I watched awkwardly as Tabitha brought up her knees and placed her elbows against her legs, head in her hands. I had a feeling she was going stir-crazy, and I couldn’t blame her. There had been a whole lot of nothing happening, and I would have given anything to get out of this seemingly endless loop of boring.

“Well, what do you want to do?” I asked her, emphasising my word to remind her that we were supposed to be doing whatever we felt like. Her glasses were perched precariously at the end of her nose as she looked up at me, so she had to tilt her head at a weird angle to actually be able to see me, which made her eyes look weirdly small. “Whatever you want to do, you’re right, apparently.” A small smile broke out on her face, as she began to type with renewed vigour.

“First off, we’re finding somewhere with a better temperature to relax in. My brain feels like it’s frying here.” It was refreshing to see Tabitha with this much energy, smiling as multiple different numbers and statistics flashed across the screen. I had asked her to teach me about the different meanings of what was on there, but we hadn’t gotten much further than me remembering the code that was assigned to our universe. It wasn’t something I’d need to know any time soon, thankfully, since Tabitha would be around to do it for me. “Second, I’m curious about that whole Omega thing that Mary mentioned, so I’m going to look into cross-referencing the Greek numeral system with other dimensions and see if it gives me anything interesting. Who knows, maybe that’s the lead that we needed to act on.” I watched the screen as multiple symbols flashed across it, and while I wasn’t fluent in Greek, it didn’t take an expert of context clues to realise what they were. “Third, I’m gonna ask what’s on your mind, since you’ve been lurking here for a while.” I wasn’t aware it was possible to choke on my own breath, but I somehow managed to as she asked this, caught off guard almost immediately. I mean, in retrospect it must have been obvious, but I still hadn’t expected that to be the next sentence out of her mouth.

“I… uh…” I stammered out, feeling my face turn even redder than the sun had made it. Tabitha had turned to look at me now, and I knew that playing dumb would get me nowhere. Unfortunately, my mind had decided that now was the perfect time to shut off my ability to actually speak. And even if I could, what was I going to say? That I felt awkward about the last proper conversation we’d had, that I wasn’t sure about where the two of us stood now, that… wait, that was exactly what I needed to say. “I’m… uh… feeling a little weird after the last conversation we had.” Eloquent as ever, Seth. Tabitha took a moment to think back onto the last conversation, clearly only realising what our last proper conversation had been just now.

“Oh.” She said, no obvious change of expression on her face. “Okay.” I don’t know exactly what she means by it, but it seems vaguely positive, and I wait in anticipation for where she goes next. The silence after that lasts for longer than I’d expect it to, however, and I realise that was probably my cue to say something more.

“Everything we said… it wasn’t just heat of the moment, was it?” I asked, hating myself as I asked it. The question dripped with doubt of Tabitha and I’s truthfulness, as much as I tried to frame it as just a question. I knew she’d know what I meant, or at least I hoped, but it still stung to even say.

“Seth, of course not.” I hadn’t noticed I was looking at my feet until she spoke again, and I felt any anxiety wash out of me as I looked up and saw her smiling. “I’ve just been thinking a lot. I want to be in control of my own destiny, but with the whole Mary thing, am I actually?” Tabitha’s ponderings seemed unrelated, but I waited for her to continue nonetheless. “Prophecies aren’t set in stone. We proved that with Untermeyer and… everything that happened. As much as I loved Uchen, he was definitely not the most loyal that The Elder mentioned.” I had almost forgotten the first prophecy at this point. It all felt like it was so long ago. “But I’m worried that prophecy wasn’t quite what we thought it was. Our numbers only just grew, after all.”

“You think the entire prophecy hasn’t happened yet?” I asked, and Tabitha sucked her teeth for a moment before responding.

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” Hearing Tabitha say that she was unsure of something was a rare occasion, and I’d have poked fun if it wasn’t for the fact that not knowing right now was definitely not something to make fun of. “But I don’t know enough about this shit to make judgements. I want to be in control of my own destiny, no matter what. I need to know that if I make a choice, it’s because it’s what I know I would do.”

“So you’re waiting to go out with me?” I had pieced it together at this point, and the conversation left a dull feeling in my stomach, like I’d swallowed a small boulder.

“What if, and bear with me because I know this is stupid paranoia shit, I’m setting events in motion by acting like I feel like I should instead of how I actually want to? If the first prophecy wasn’t about Uchen and Untermeyer and was about what’s yet to come, I don’t want to spark the flames that start that.” This was clearly something Tabitha had been thinking about a lot, and I was sure she knew of the holes in that theory before I pointed them out, but I still felt like I had to.

“But that same argument could be made about you not doing that.” I pointed out, and she nodded.

“Exactly. Which is why I’m waiting until I’m 100% certain that you and I are supposed to happen. Because I know that any action I take that I’m 100% certain of is aimed at changing that future.” Tabitha finally finished her rambling word-vomit, looking at me expectantly as I took in everything she said.

“You’re aware you’re a crazy person?” I asked, bluntly.

“Oh, absolutely. For all I know this could be a total waste of time, considering I do like you and it’s more of a case of whether it happens now or later. But hey, might as well be certain that the time is right.” Tabitha’s eyes never dropped from me, despite the hand gestures she made idly as she spoke. “Are you… alright with all this? My stupid crazy stuff?” It was only for a moment, but I heard the uncertainty in her voice. A slight quaver in the words, eyes glancing away for a second. It took me a moment to think of the answer. It felt unnecessary to me. It probably was. But at the end of the day, was it my place to say?

“What sort of gentleman would I be if I got annoyed at you for waiting? After all, if all goes well I shouldn’t sour things by being a douche now. It’s just a small delay, that’s all.” I replied, and Tabitha let out a laugh that was almost definitely a cover for her relief.

“I’d call you many things, but a gentleman is not one of them, Seth.” Tabitha’s regular smile had returned, the cocky one that warmed my insides whenever I saw it. The confidence was back, and more bountiful than ever.

“Well, m’lady, mayhaps I need to prove myself of how courteous I can be.” I said, mock-gesturing and bowing until I was almost at a 90 degree angle. In return, she swatted me on the head gently, still laughing.

“Dumbass.” She said in an annoyed tone, but her smile as I stood back up gave away her happiness. “Anyway, we’ve got work to do. You should probably grab the others.” I nodded, each of my steps as I ran to the stairs to get the others taking me off the ground with how bubbly and full of energy I felt. Nothing could go wrong today.

Cool Guy

Immediately, the chill wind of the new dimension bit at my bare skin, arms prickling and feeling as if they were burning from the bitter cold. I quickly retrieved my leather jacket from the pocket world that we’d stored a lot of stuff in, which still stunned me with how it managed to work so well with what I was trying to get.

“Where… the hell… are we?” Seth said, shivering as he tried to move his muscles enough to gesture for his own jacket, but was unable to stop reflexively hugging himself to maintain his warmth. I turned to Tabitha, wanting to know the very same, but the shock on her face told me that she definitely wasn’t expecting this.

“We’re… this is…” She stammered, not hit by the cold but instead by fear. “This world is supposed to be like our own. I thought it was winter here, but the readings say that it’s the same time of year.” I looked at the snow falling from the sky as Tabitha checked, double-checked, and triple-checked her watch. The middle of summer, and it was snowing. But that wasn’t the noteworthy part. The horizon, barely visible through the snowfall, was a bleak, grim red, and a cliché, yet foreboding dark spire reached up to the clouds. Whatever had happened in this world, it wasn’t good.

“What the hell happened here?”