#they're usually early to show up but today they were REALLY early! the sun wasn't even fully up and they were tapping at the windows

[magistralucis]

@absolut--kurant!

Jamie Wyeth

Envy -The Seven Deadly Sins

2005

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #187

I still don't have quite enough sleep. I stayed up a little later than I wanted to, but I still wanted to go to the nice place with the awesome leader, which meant I woke up early, because the place is an hour away. It has been some time since last I wasn't too overwhelmed to go. I'm glad I went.

I was in a lot more pain than usual today, though, so I wasn't able to be chipper or to mingle in the way I usually do. I'm really glad that no one seemed to mind.

At the place, there is a young teenage girl who I wanted to give my collection of Pokémon cards to. She is very interested in them, and I had a great big huge binder full of some of the old ones that were around way back when they first came out. I arranged them in pages of sleeves - 18 cards per page - in numerical order. The formatting of these cards has changed dramatically over the years. I don't really like the new formatting, and the old formatting isn't widely available anymore, so I don't collect them anymore. So what's my binder gonna do other than sit on a shelf somewhere, collecting dust? Better that it goes to someone who will be able to appreciate them a little more.

But she hasn't been coming to the place recently, I guess. So I left it with the older gentleman that she is usually with; he will give her the binder. I hope she likes it. But if she doesn't, I suppose I can always take it back, if she doesn't want it.

When we were done, J and I went to Eggcellent again. I was extra tired and cranky from the sleep deprivation and the rib pain, so I got two matcha lattes; one had rose syrup, tea jelly, and cream cheese foam, and the other one was basically the same, except it had lavender syrup instead of rose syrup:

I split each of these with J; he seemed to like sharing them with me, and that was good.

...I spent the rest of the day trying to design a house, with mixed success. It's nowhere near done yet. And I'm not really sure I'm liking the layout. And no... I can't show it to you when it's done, which really super sucks, but it is what it is.

At some point during all that, J reminded me that I have to come up for air every now and then when I'm working on things; I'm a lot like you in that if I'm left to my own devices, the hyperfocus becomes strong, and I don't eat, drink, or sleep properly like I should. I'm probably pretty dehydrated, actually... Suppose I had better fix that...

Well, in any case, J took me on a brief walk outside. The sun was setting, and it was especially nice today, so naturally, I tried to snag a few pictures for you...

...And that's all I've got. I hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as I enjoyed taking them for you; the world is full of beauty amidst the darkness. You just gotta know where to look.

...I should get to sleep. So I'm gonna get some water, and then go to sleep. I've got a visual field test tomorrow morning, I guess, because I had been having this weird thing happen in my left eye somewhat recently whereby a decent chunk of my vision is obscured by a navy-blue splotch for a fraction of a second, every several minutes.

It was doing that for a number of weeks, and then it stopped happening. But they don't know what it is, and my eyes look healthy from the exam just a few days ago. They imagine it's an ocular migraine of some kind (though there was no headache), but they're gonna do the visual field test just to make sure there's nothing weird afoot. I'm gonna assume it's nothing to worry about; possibly just stress-induced or something.

...Next week is gonna be rough. I've got the eye doctor, I gotta get a dress modified, there's therapy, and then orientation for the new job, and then I'm gonna get 4 teeth extracted. It's a lot. I'm daunted. But it'll be okay. I've got this. Don't you worry your pretty little head about me, all right? I'm gonna be just fine. But if you wanna maybe wish me a bit of luck, perseverance, endurance, and resolve, I certainly would appreciate it. And if you don't wanna, then that's okay, too; I'll be all right either way.

I love you. I'll write again tomorrow. Please stay safe.

Your friend, Lumine

[stanning-reyna]

Now He’s Got a Problem

an early botl era percabeth oneshot

“You up next? Or did you show up in armor just to watch?” Annabeth shouted to Percy as she wiped the arena dust that coated her hands onto her pants.

Sherman, who had just lost horribly to her in a match, fell onto the spectators bench next to Percy, breathless. Annabeth wasn’t even winded.

“Did you know in ancient Rome, front seat spectators often wore armor to munera?" Percy replied, staying glued to the bench.

"Did you forget I'm the one who taught you that?" she said, staring him down.

"Nah. But I did decide it's time to embrace the tradition. Make Camp's arena a bit more historically accurate."

This may shock you, but he didn't actually care about historical accuracy. Could you even call it that considering they're Greek demigods, not Roman? Nevermind. All he really cared about was avoiding sparring with Annabeth. Usually they were an even match, but she seemed especially in her zone today and Percy was, well... not.

For some reason, today his eyes kept getting glued to Annabeth's curls that shone like gold in the June sun. A terrible place to be looking if below, her knife was busy attempting to stab him in the gut. If the two of them sparred today, Percy was certain he wouldn't walk out with all his limbs intact.

But Annabeth was never one to back down from a challenge, and today was no exception.

"You're scared you're gonna get your ass handed to you like Sherman did, aren't you? Probably a good fear to have, considering... well, you know," she mused, nonchalantly playing with her dagger.

"Now wait a second," he spoke up. "Considering what?"

Had Annabeth caught him staring at her one of the various times he'd done so today? Had she read his mind somehow? If she meant what he thought she meant-

"Well clearly you're out of practice. You've been taking it easy in the city since our last quest."

Oh thank god, she wasn't on to him. He didn't have to dig himself a hole to hide from embarrassment in. But wait a second-

"I was not taking it easy all school year. There are monsters in NYC, you know. And they're harder to fight because of the crowds of people everywhere," he spit out, annoyance creeping in.

"Oh yeah?" she taunted, placing her hands on her hips in front of him. "If those monsters were so tough, then fighting me will be no problem, right?"

He hated the cocky way she spoke and how she knew just how to push his buttons and how pretty she looked standing there defiantly and-

Now you see his issue. He can't spar with her like this, he'll get decapitated.

"You're on, Chase."

Apparently he had a death wish. Not surprising, actually. He seemed to have a habit of it. You know what? Out of all the ways he could die, at the hands of Annabeth would be one he's ok with. Her standing over him with that dangerous gleam in her eyes, her hair cascading down her back as she struck the final blow?

He needed to take a walk.

Too late. He was already in the arena with Riptide in his hand, Annabeth sinking into a fighting stance across from him. All he had to do was focus for the next ten minutes, then he could go sit alone in his cabin for the rest of the day feeling second-hand embarrassment for himself. Great.

She began with no warning, him barely deflecting her strike before it would've sliced his neck. Maybe his decapitation comment wasn't too far off.

Soon they got into the same rhythm as their usual sparring matches. One would strike, the other predicting the move, both of them rarely landing a hit. Percy knew his arms had grown longer since the last time they did this, but Annabeth’s arms must’ve grown too because she kept up easily.

The thought was a mistake. Now he was looking at her arms and how they glowed in the afternoon sun, the muscles of her forearm flexing as she wielded the knife. The knife that was headed straight for him.

He reacted, but not fast enough. Riptide was knocked from his hand. He landed a good hit to her side with his shoulder, throwing them both off balance and tumbling to the ground, but without a weapon he was quickly pinned below by Annabeth.

Percy was now certain that if he had to pick a way to go, it would be this. Strands of her hair had fallen out of her ponytail during the match, and a chunk reached far enough down that it grazed his cheek. All he could manage to do was stare up at her as she held her knife to his throat.

"That was too easy. I told you, you're out of practice," she said, withdrawing and rolling to her feet.

Percy laid there, still thinking about the soft gold on his cheek, until he realized he needed to get up too. Annabeth offered him a hand, pulling him to his feet.

"I can help you train extra, if you'd like. Do more sparring and stuff after all the other campers leave," she suggested, eyes glued to her knife as she sheathed it.

Maybe Percy was crazy, but he could've sworn her cheeks were pink with blush as she spoke.

[brrahbrrahcharacterimagines]

Groceries (Might Guy x Reader)

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Might Guy x Reader

Word Count: 2723

Warnings: very minor angst, food mentions (TW for EDs)

A/N: Hope you enjoy! I've been so thirsty for Naruto characters recently it's not even funny

Also, this was originally two parts but I've combined them into one so let me know if the transition doesn't work!

Growing up in Konoha you always felt safe. You knew there were experienced shinobi there to protect you. As a little girl, you would see them walk down the streets and watch in awe as they passed by you.

Despite everything you had seen in terms of violence, you still felt safe in the Leaf Village. There had been some tense battles, but the leaf shinobi always prevailed.

It was a day more peaceful than most as you made your way down to the store. You only needed a few things, but with the nice weather you decided to take advantage of the day instead of waiting for the grocery list to get longer.

Smiling, you walked into the store to the tune of children laughing and birds chirping. It was like you were in a movie.

You made your way down the aisles, picking up the items you needed as you went. Milk, eggs, noodles, and more went into the small cart in your hands as you browsed. Lost in your own world, you didn't see the other cart as it came around the corner at the same time as your own.

The carts crashed into each other, you and the other person with them. It almost winded you, both from surprise and the force of falling into the cart.

"I am so sorry!" You explained, looking up to the man you found in front of you. Luckily, neither of your groceries seemed to have sustained much damage. You found yourself surprised to be met with the most gorgeous dark eyes you had ever seen.

"It's no problem!" Said the man, flashing you a confident smile with a thumbs up. "No damage done."

You felt a hot flush rise to your face, but thankfully the man didn't seem to notice.

"Thank you," you said in a fluster. You weren't sure what you were even thanking him for, not yelling at you? It was then that you took notice of his outfit, especially the band around his waist. "Are you a shinobi?"

The smile stayed ever-present on his face.

"Yes I am! A jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village!"

If you had just half the enthusiasm of this man, you think you would be running on empty in less than five minutes. Hearing he was a jonin, you were impressed.

"Well, thank you for all that you do," you offered, moving to continue your shopping.

Although your interaction was brief, you couldn't stop thinking about it as days passed. Something about his eyes, and his confidence, drew you into him. You tried to brush it off, seeing as it was such a simple interaction, but it was impossible. Even trying to tell yourself that he didn't remember you wouldn't work; there was still a part of your brain that would never quiet down.

You had never minded being a civilian in Konoha. Sure, when you were younger you had thought about being a konoichi, but those were just the thoughts of a child. You never pursued it. You were happy with your career, teaching young children in subjects other than jutsu.

Despite your happiness, you began to wish that you had gone to the academy. Then you would have been able to find the man who was plaguing your thoughts. Even after that, you might have been a real option for him. You knew shinobi tended to mostly be interested in other shinobi.

You didn't know why it upset you so much. You didn't even know the man's name, and yet you were sad that you might not be his type. Feeling a bit pathetic, you found yourself in need of another grocery run. Trying to ignore the thought that you might see him again, you made your way to the store.

Sadly, at least for that persistent, gremlin part of your brain, the trip was rather uneventful. At least, until you found yourself in front of the produce.

You were trying to eat healthier, but it was hard. It wasn't that you didn't like your body, you just wanted to feel better in your own skin. As you stood there pondering, a male voice scared you from your thoughts.

"Excuse me."

You turned, disappointed to see a man with silver spikes instead of the dark bowl cut you had hoped for. You mumbled a sorry, stepping out of his way.

"Careful Kakashi," boomed another voice, "I'd keep your distance from that woman's cart if I were you."

Now that is the voice you had been hoping for.

As you turned, the tall man immediately caught your eye. You blushed at his words, remembering your initial encounter. The other man, Kakashi, looked at you with confusion. He grabbed what he needed before walking away, leaving you and the other man alone.

"So what brings you back here?" He asked. Normally you would have thought of this as awkward conversation, but your heart leapt at the opportunity to talk to him again.

You sighed, "I'm trying to decide what I want. I wanted something healthy but I didn't want to just start grabbing vegetables."

"Then you're in luck," he grinned, "I'm somewhat of an expert. Try some blueberries, they're a superfood." He grabbed a package, placing them in his own cart. "They're on me today."

You tried to protest, but he wasn't having any of it. You made your way through checkout, paying the rest of your items before meeting back up with the man.

"Thank you," you told him, looking back up at his deep eyes. Pausing for a moment, you realized something. "I don't even know your name! How could I thank you for buying these before me without even learning your name?"

The man chuckled, extending his hand out to you.

"The name's Guy," he said loudly, shaking your hand. "Would it be crazy to ask for your name in return?"

You blushed as you grabbed his hand, his grip firm yet his hands soft.

"Y/n," you told him. He smiled.

"That's a beautiful name." His words did nothing to help calm the blush on your face. You were sure he knew exactly what he was doing to you based on the color of your cheeks alone. Suddenly Guy grew rather sheepish. "I know how this is going to sound, but would you want to come by my place sometime?"

Your eyes widened. After all this time wondering what this man was really like, he was just the type to invite you into bed with him immediately? Admittedly part of you was curious, but you weren't stupid.

"Excuse me?"

Now it was his turn to blush.

"Well I know how that sounds," Guy said quickly, trying to get his words out faster than he could think. "But I just meant to make you dinner. I could show you how to cook some vegetables so that they aren't all that bad."

Immediately you felt bad for assuming the worst, offering him a small smile.

"I would like that."

He smiled back at you. Guy gave you his address as the two of you decided on a time before parting ways. You couldn't help the giddy grin that covered your face as you walked home. Your date couldn't come fast enough.

---

In the days leading up to your date with Guy, it was all you could think about. You told yourself that was fine, since you were obsessing over him already. At least now you had a reason to.

The day was finally here, and as the hours ticked away you found yourself growing more nervous. Deciding what to wear was a challenge in itself. Did you want to try to dress up nicer, or would that be too much? Yet at the same time you worried dressing too casual would give him the idea that you weren't as interested as you were.

You tried on just about everything you owned, settling for a dress that made you feel pretty. It was fancy enough to make you feel like you were trying, but still casual enough that you would be comfortable.

You looked at the clock, seeing that you still had ample time before you needed to leave. Sitting down, your mind wandered. What would tonight be like?

in your mind you ran through a myriad of scenarios. If you didn't like the food he cooked, you would have to just stomach it and hope for the best. Based on what he told you at the store though, it seemed like he would know what he was doing. Still, you worried that something would go wrong.

Above all, there was a bigger question ringing out in your mind. Would he try to kiss you? And, would you want him to?

The seconds turned to minutes as you pondered, the minutes turning into hours until it was time to go. You collected your things, making sure to grab any and all essentials before you left. You had already told your friends who you would be with, going as far as to give them the address should anything go wrong. Guy seemed like such a nice guy, but you could never be too careful.

Locking the door to your apartment behind you, you set off. It was early in the evening, and the sun was just beginning to set in the sky. You were thankful you wouldn't have to walk in the dark. You knew there were plenty of shinobi around, hell, you were even meeting one right now. But even then you felt uncomfortable walking home alone at night, surrounded by darkness.

It was a shorter walk than you anticipated, and before you knew it you were at his place. Taking a deep breath, you reached up to knock on his door. It seemed like a nice enough part of town, and his place itself was well-kept especially considering how much time you were sure he spent on training.

You heard Guy's loud steps make their way to the doorway, pausing on the other side before the door swung open. His usual confident smile was on his face, but instead of moving his mouth into words he just looked at you. You felt yourself growing red under his gaze.

"Hello Guy," you said softly, looking up at him.

-

Guy had been making the same amount of preparations as you, if not even more. He planned the meal out carefully, even practicing it the night before to make sure it went well. He had spent more time than usual perfecting his hair, making sure not a single strand would be out of place. He had even thought of exactly what he wanted to say when he opened the door.

Hello Y/n, he would say as he smiled at you. You look more beautiful every time I see you.

Sure, it was more forward than he had been with you before. This was a date after all, and he wanted to make how he felt about you clear from the start.

That plan went right out the window when he saw you, your sundress captivating him. It looked so cute on you, and at the same time there was something about it that sent a wave of tingles between his legs. To put it simply, he was speechless.

He knew he should say something but he couldn't, enraptured by the way you looked in his doorway.

"Hello Guy," you said to him. That sweet voice of yours would drive him crazy someday, and he knew that. He loved hearing his name fall from your lips, hoping it would be far from the last time. Everything about you made him fall for you more.

Despite his thoughts about your voice, your words were enough to stir him to action himself.

"Hey," he said.

Really Guy? He thought to himself. You're the Blue Beast, a strong shinobi. And yet all you can say to a woman is 'hey'?

You giggled at him, and he felt a smile creep onto his face.

"It's good to see you again," he continued. He decided to dial back the forwardness, realizing he had already kept you waiting outside for too long in his daze. "Come on in."

-

You followed Guy into his home, taking in the delicious aroma filling the rooms.

"I don't know what you're making," you stated, "but it smells amazing."

Guy beamed with pride, ushering you over to the kitchen.

"It's my favorite." He told you. "A spicy, vegetable curry."

Thankfully, you didn't mind spicy. In fact, you enjoyed it. Your mouth watered, taking in the sight and smell of the food in front of you.

"Actually, it should be just about done." Said Guy, stirring it all for a final time before putting it onto beautiful dishes to serve.

He had already set the table, candles and all. He pulled the chair out for you, pushing you back in as if you weighed nothing. He sat across from you, and the way he smiled at you made you weak in the knees. It's a good thing you had already sat down.

You wasted no time, digging in. And it was delicious.

"Oh my god Guy," you said in near disbelief at how good it was. You could see his expression perk up. "This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," he chuckles, eating his own.

The rest of the meal went off without a hitch. You talked about your job and his, bonding over your love for your respective students.

"Maybe sometime I can come watch one of your training sessions," you mentioned. "I would love to see you teach them."

Guy smiled, "I would love that." The sincerity in his tone took you by surprise. While you knew he was never joking with you, there was always some sort of bravado to his speech that now was missing.

You helped him clean up despite his protests. You told him that if he cooked, you would at least clean up. It was only fair, after all. You scrubbed the dishes, oblivious to the way Guy was looking at you.

He never would have admitted it to anyone but himself, but he was falling in love with you. He had no problem picturing a life with you. Coming up to you at the end of the day, sharing a meal together. He wanted everything that life would bring him.

"Well," you said, finishing up, "I should probably get going."

"Let me walk you," insisted Guy. "A lady such as yourself should never walk alone at night."

He offered his arm to you, and you accepted it with a shy smile. You could feel his prominent muscles under the fabric of his outfit, and you could feel your face growing warmer. You were thankful for the darkness for obscuring your face from him, hoping he couldn't tell.

He could tell.

As the two of you made your way back towards your own apartment he would flex his muscles every so often, loving the way your face would flush. A couple of times he timed it right so that you were speaking, making you stutter.

The walk ended much earlier than either of you would have liked it to. Suddenly your heart started racing. You could answer your questions from earlier clearly.

Would he try to kiss you?

You sure hoped so.

Would you want him to?

Definitely.

You paused in your doorway, letting go of Guy's arm. You looked up at him, flashing him a genuine smile.

"I had fun tonight."

He reciprocated your own expression with a smile of his own, "me too."

You both paused for what seemed like the longest second in the world. It was as if he was building up the courage to actually go through with what he wanted to. He cleared his throat.

"Y/n, may I kiss you?"

You nodded your head and he lowered his lips to yours slowly. As you pressed your own lips to his you couldn't help the gasp that escaped them.

That's a sound I'll keep replaying... thought Guy.

He pulled away sooner than you would have liked, but he was a gentleman.

"I'll see you soon." Guy ended his sentence with a wink, sauntering off as you went to go inside.

"I can't wait."

[mistaeq]

Tuesday, 29th December

Greek Mythology!Duwang Gang AU: Headcanons

TW // sliiight nsfw-ish or non-con hints in dionysus' part. come on it's dionysus.

Today I offer you these babies. Tomorrow who knows. Hope you enjoy, I had fun with writing these.♡

Greek Mythology AU: Duwang Gang Headcanons. [includes: Higashikata Josuke, Nijimura Okuyasu, Kujo Jotaro, Hirose Koichi, Yamagishi Yukako, Kishibe Rohan]

WORD COUNT: 2k

HIGASHIKATA JOSUKE as APOLLO

Seen as the most beautiful god, Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, and more. One of the most important and complex of the Greek gods, he is the son of Zeus (Joseph) and brother of Artemis (Holly). As the protector of young, Apollo is concerned with the health and education of children.

He's seen every early morning, on his chariot, to bring the sunlight up in the sky, all over the Olympus. Josuke's the dream of many nymphs, who look at him from afar, singing songs for the god with their sweet voices, a sound so sweet, a sound so celestial... which is covered up by Apollo's voice fucking around the Olympus with young Dionysus (Okuyasu), pulling pranks on Poseidon (Jotaro) or getting drunk.

You're the most envied creature out of everyone in the Olympus, because Josuke only has eyes for you. Envious nymphs stare at you, and comment on you, trying to convince themselves that they're way better than you are.

"Don't listen to their envy and their insults, they don't know how to cope with the fact that I have clear preferences..." he'd say, caressing your cheek and neck. "This is what poisons relationships and romances... envy... jealousy... but we don't have these useless problems, do we, love...?"

His relationship with other gods on the Olympus is usually fine, but it's not like he cares about hiding his feelings. Almost everyone who knows Josuke, will get to know after not even a week that the god is crushing on you, and that he wants to marry you. You sure hope he's not gonna behave the same way he did to Daphne...

It seems that he has healing powers, and if you happen to not to be a deity, he'll gladly use them on you, Josuke wouldn't forgive himself if anything happened to you.

NIJIMURA OKUYASU as DIONYSUS

Surely not known for his capability to reasonate, Dionysus was the ancient god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, theater, and ecstasy. The god is shown to be a beardless, sensuous, naked or semi-naked youth. Though Dionysus was mostly a kind and generous deity, he could be cruel when he needed it. For some reason, Aphrodite (Yukako) doesn't want to get close to him. She looks scared.

He doesn't do much, during the day. Let's say his favourite thing are feasts. Not really chaste ones, to be completely true. Okuyasu's mind is almost totally hedonistic, and won't feel guilty just because he spent a day watching dancing maenads and had fun teasing them with his Thyrsus instead of caring about whatever mortal dude needed him on Earth. Most of the time he's drunk, but Josuke has his back for some reason.

Many say they don't envy you for being the god's favourite creature, but you don't really care. You enjoy lying down with Okuyasu, caught in a ecstatic feeling as he turns you on with his touch and teaseful words whispered at you.

"Tell me, is it embarrassing for you to be the only one to lie beside me during feasts?" He'd run his lustful gaze and hand all over your body as he asks so, and smirk a little. "No? It isn't...? Sounds like you really like it instead, to be completely honest. Good... really good, in fact. Kiss me now."

He doesn't really have a brilliant relationship with other deities, apart from Apollo. He sometimes sees Echo (Koichi), but not much more. Still, everyone knows it when he has someone he's interested in. The man becomes possessive, Okuyasu will make sure everyone knows you're his. He might give a demonstration during feasts.

He likes to feed you grapes, and in case you liked wine, Okuyasu would want to hold the glass for you as you drink. He likes to do this for you, and you don't mind letting him.

KUJO JOTARO as POSEIDON

Poseidon is the violent and ill-tempered god of the sea. He is nowadays known exclusively as a sea god, but in ancient times, he may have been the god of the earth and fertility or even the supreme god of the sky. His huge height and strength come from his Titan parents, Cronus and Rhea. What he can't acquire with romance and gentleness, he does with violence and craftiness.

He sometimes uses the sea as a coping mechanism for his tiring life. Jotaro doesn't find his ocean so bad to be in, he concentrates and spends his time doing stuff gods... do? What does he really do, is not clear? Apollo and Dionysus tried to stick their heads into the water to spy on him several times, without any result. It's not like he's so happy when mortals need his help, but he can't pull back from his duty.

Poseidon probably noticed you because you weren't bugging him for pointless stuff. He likes pleasures too, like most of the deities do really, he just needs to find the right creature for him. Jotaro doesn't enjoy partners who talk too much.

"Don't worry about being a bother for me. You're the first one who isn't truly bothering me, I take it as a goal by now." he'd say, after he closed you in a bubble in order to bring you under the sea with him. "I never dare to show my realm to people who I judge as annoying, remember that."

It's not like he doesn't have a good relationship with other deities, he basically doesn't really care. He'll just be happy with being under the ocean whenever he feels Josuke and Okuyasu approaching, or not to be there during Apollo and Calliope (Rohan) debates. Give him some deserved peace and an ocean and he'll be grateful forever.

If Jotaro lets you in his private place which is the ocean, consider yourself special for him, for he hates having people there, above all people who are there for him purposely.

HIROSE KOICHI as ECHO

Echo is a mountain nymph, or oread. The myth says that Echo offended the goddess Hera by keeping her in conversation, in order to prevent her from spying on one of Zeus' lovers. To punish him, Hera deprived him of speech, except for the ability to repeat the last words of another. Because of this, his good heart is often misunderstood, but he managed to be appreciated nonetheless.

Koichi would rather have no conversations, for he's not able to say nothing more than the last words his interlocutor said. But he's down to make people understand what he wants to say, by writing it down or through gestures. Apollo approached him once, and brought Dionysus along. He doesn't know how to feel about hanging with gods, but since his issue isn't a problem to them, he'll keep them around. Until they misbehave...

When he gets to know you and notices you aren't willing to exclude him for he doesn't talk properly, his heart melts. Echo wants to spend most of his time with you now, since you make him feel comfortable about the problem Hera caused him.

"I love you, I love you, love you, love you, you, you..." he'd repeat, after you told him that. When he wants to say something like this, you say it for him, so that he can repeat it and say it as well. "You're important to me... important to me... important to me... to me... to me... me..."

Look, he's trying his best, really. Deities aren't known for their inclusive ways, and when he asked you if it was because of his past, you quickly said it wasn't. Nobody cared about it there. Deities were like that with every nymph. Echo had a chance to build up a good relationship with Calliope (Rohan). The muse taught him a lot.

He has fun bringing you to places where your voice echoes, to make you judge who does it better between him and the nature. Needless to say, Koichi always wins.

YAMAGISHI YUKAKO as APHRODITE

Aphrodite was known primarily as a goddess of sexual love, beauty, fertility and even occasionally presided over marriage. Even prostitutes considered Aphrodite their patron. She's had many mortal lovers, and none of them should have ever dared to make her upset. She won't be down for forgiveness, she's really never been. Still, Aphrodite found herself often in trouble due to her personality.

Differently from many other deities, Yukako's real fun consisted in watching humans' love stories bloom and wither. Sometimes she was the reason, sometimes she wasn't. Mortals were so easy to play with. It was when she thought that playing gods was just as simple, that she got caught into a trap. Since that mistake, she decided she would have been amused enough to be happy by mortals' love stories.

Oh, Aphrodite's so used to creatures - above all gods - who tried to stick around her for her body only, so that when you give an appreciation for her intelligence, she'll remember it and love you forever. It's like you signed up a free trial to be loved.

"You know, it's difficult to make me feel love so strong I don't even think about the lustful part... but apparently you managed to do so..." she'd say, sitting in the calm forest as she hands you a flower. "It's good to know someone doesn't love you for your body only but for yourself as well."

Yukako's relationship with other deities and creatures is just... ambiguous? She may never judge what's behind everyone's gaze. Hatred? Love? Lust? Who knows. All she knows, is that the only sight of Dionysus makes the ground under her feet disappear in fear. Compared to him, she'll just be fine in everyone else's company.

Everything she does, it's for the good. If it happens to harm you, Yukako definitely didn't mean it. It'll be enough to tell her, and believe me, it won't happen again.

KISHIBE ROHAN as CALLIOPE

In Greek mythology Calliope is the muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry. He's called the "Chief of all Muses". He's down to help every literate artist who needs him, gives inspiration and guides the mortals' talented hands, as far as they deserve his power. Calliope's used to be mentioned, and might happen to get upset if not. Even if he's only halfway a deity, he's known for his confidence.

The most famous out of the Muses, Rohan won't forgive anyone who's never heard about him before. He can be seen around Echo a lot lately, since he found the nymph's story interesting and won't hold back from inspiring a mortal with writing about what happened to Koichi. He's used to collect creatures' stories, in order to be written by someone who's talented enough to talk about them properly.

He probably got interested in your story first. Then, for some reason he grew possessive of it. Calliope won't let a mortal put their filthy hands on a story so pure. Let the Muse be the only one who can properly love you.

"This story of yours is so beautiful, I can never have enough... and it's mine only, is it, y/n? Is it?" he'd ask him forever until you answer yes, he'll find no peace at all. "Let me get inspiration from you. Let me be the only one who can properly appreciate your life... just like you deserve."

His relationship with other creatures and deities is... rather good? Rohan's used to have debates and discussions with Josuke, and most of the time they just disagree. Though, many envy his capability of being so creative and smart, mortal writers ask for his help several times. Aphrodite and him sometimes fight over Echo.

He'd write lots of poetries in order to edulcorate your feelings towards him and make you forgive him for his excessive possessiveness. Rohan often succeeds.

[jean-kayak]

Anon Request: Hi. Can I request knb gom asking the girl they like out scenario. Thank you.

A/N: Ofc anon, here you go! I hope you like it!

He's actually liked you for a while. You were one of the first people that actually saw him. He was actually about to run into you when you stopped and apologized. Since then, his feelings for you continued to grow. Every time you were both walking in the hallways, you always made sure that no one would run into him, and it made his heart flutter so bad, he literally thought it would explode.

When Kagami finally gives him enough courage to try and ask you out, he actually becomes so nervous that you don't even see him coming up to you in the hallways. "Oh, Kuroko, you scared me, that's a first. What's up?"

He almost chickens out right there, the smile on your face making him even more nervous, and he tries to keep his heartbeat out of his ears just in case he disappears right in front of you. "Um, on Saturday there's this new movie coming out, and I was wondering if you wanted to go see it..." He trails off, hesitant to add the last part, but he swallows his words and does it anyway. "Like a date?"

Your smile widens as you nod your head quickly. "Yes, I would love to go on a date with you."

He almost doesn't hear it, but when your answer fills his ears, he's smiling so big that his face hurts, and his heart is still racing.

He wasn't even sure if you had felt the same way, and Kasamatsu was getting annoyed that Kise was distracted. He had always gotten gifts from fangirls, but he realized soon enough that he only wanted them from you, but despite his usually confident personality, he was way more than nervous to try and ask you out.

And every time he finally got enough courage to ask you, someone would come along and interrupt him, showering with gifts while you start your walk home, and he never got a chance to ask you to stay. He whines to Kasamatsu about what he should do, and he tells him that he should just ask you when no one else is around before kicking him back onto the court.

So, he asks you to stay until practice is over, which you don't mind, and he has you meet him outside the gym. In the back of his mind, he thinks that this probably wasn't the best idea because he's all sweaty, but luckily you won't see how red his face is.

He hands you a huge bouquet of flowers, maybe a little too excitedly because you almost drop them as your eyes widen. "Woah, this is huge. Your fans gave you this?" you ask in disbelief.

He rubs his hands together as he shakes his head. "They're for you."

Your eyebrows raise as you look down at the flowers and back at him. "For me? What for?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go on a date? With me?" The question's out there now, and now he waits for the answer he's been dreading.

"Really? I would love to."

"It's okay if you don't--" He stops himself as his eyes widen. "Wait, you said yes?" You nod as you chuckle softly, and he gives you a big hug in excitement, momentarily forgetting that he was a sweaty mess.

He didn't even realize that he actually had feelings for you until Takao pointed it out to him. But as soon as he did, it seemed to be the only thing he could focus on. Whenever you would talk to him, his nerves got the best of him, and he was always having trouble responding because he found himself focusing more on you than the conversation.

He starts noticing that whenever he has a lucky item every day, that you're more so interested and amazed rather than teasing him about it like the team does, and that doesn't bother him, but how you respond makes him realize how big his crush is.

He's actually reluctant to ask you out, and Takao rolls his eyes before almost pushing him into you and running away before Midorima can catch him. He pushes his glasses up on his nose before he takes out a small teddy bear and handing it to you.

"It's your lucky item for today," he says, having to clear his throat to try and conceal his nerves. You take it excitedly, your eyes running over the cute bear when you notice that there's a note wrapped around the neck.

"You don't have to say yes, and you can keep the bear." He quick to speak when he sees you read it, and his luck isn't the best today, so to say he's a little nervous is an understatement.

"So, when is this date happening?"

He raises his eyebrows slightly. "You're saying yes?" You chuckle again as you nod your head, and he visibly relaxes, a small smile appearing on his face.

You were a part-time manager for the team, and apparently, Aomine was the only one who didn't notice that he was only showing up to practice when you were there. He brushed it off every time someone commented on it, and the team was even more surprised when he started showing up even though you weren't there.

Momoi actually pushes him about it, telling him that his reasoning behind it was because he liked you, and it didn't even dawn on him until he was trying to take a nap on the roof. He still tried to deny it, but almost every conversation he had with you about practice, was you telling him that he still needed to go even if he wasn't going to practice.

Of course, when he shows a little bit of agreement, Momoi gets excited and tells him that he has to ask you out, which he denies quickly, but the more he thinks about it, the less of a bad idea it sounds. He tells her that he doesn't want her help, that he is more than capable of asking you out on his own.

But that doesn't mean he's any less nervous.

He thinks about how he could ask you, but every outcome is just him asking you out on a date awkwardly, and he almost gives up on the idea until you come up to the roof to get him to go to practice.

"Aomine, I thought we made a deal," you say, leaning over him and shielding the sun from his face.

"If you go on a date with me, then I'll go more often." His eyes shoot open. He doesn't know why his mouth started talking on its own volition, but he looks anywhere but your face, scared of your reaction.

"Is that a deal?" He slowly looks at you, seeing that you have a small smile on your face, your eyebrows raised.

"You want to go out with me?" he asks incredulously, and you huff softly as you nod.

"Yes, but I'm not going unless you go to practice." You start making your way down the ladder and back into the school, and he's right behind you, trying to convince you if there's something else he could do instead of going to practice.

Himuro was quick to notice how Atushi's behavior changed whenever you would start talking to him or if you were in the same room as him, but he didn't say anything. He was really surprised when he started offering you food, knowing how protective and passionate he is about it and decided to ask him about it.

"She was hungry," he responds, giving him a lazy excuse before busying himself with opening another bag of chips, but Himuro doesn't miss the way his face starts to turn a light shade of pink at the mention of you.

"You should say something, Atushi," he tries, but he just ignores him, telling him that he was nothing more than a friend helping out a friend.

So, when he sees you walking into the cafeteria, he calls you over, making Atushi freeze, the chips he was going to put in his mouth, hovering in front of it. "I actually need to go, but Atushi has something to ask you."

Murasakibara glares at him as he walks away, and you sit down next to him. "What do you need to ask me?" Your attention is fully on him, and he fumbles with the bag of chips in his hand before holding it towards you.

"Thank you," you say eagerly, taking a couple of chips. "I did not bring nowhere near enough food today."

"Well, you could always get more...like on a date," he responds, cringing slightly at his words, and you smile as you finish chewing, your head tilting slightly.

"Are you asking me out?" you ask, and he gives you a small shrug as he looks away, making you laugh softly. "I'd like that."

He turns his head back to you in surprise before giving you a small smile. "Well, just so you know, you're getting your own food after our first date," he adds, and you laugh as he lets you take another chip.

He knew pretty early on that he felt different about you, but he didn't think at first that it was because he liked you. He wasn't really nervous to ask you on a date, but he was nervous about whether or not you would actually yes or if you felt the same way.

So, for a while, he doesn't say anything at all, keeping his feelings a secret whenever he was talking to you, but because he sees you almost all of the time, those feelings only become stronger and harder to hide.

And he spends way too much time trying to figure out how he should ask you, or if he should be extravagant with it. But everything he comes up with, he just ends up countering with something negative about the idea, so feels defeated.

He doesn't like this feeling, and he decides to just go for it because he thinks he'll feel better that he actually asked you instead of just not trying at all. He's able to catch you after school before he goes to practice, and he takes a deep breath before he speaks.

"I just wanted to ask you something," he starts, and curiosity appears over your face.

"Sure go ahead."

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" It's blunter than he would like it to be, but right now he's pleased that he finally got it off his chest. But that feeling is slowly pulled away as he waits for your answer.

"It took you long enough," you joke, and his eyes widen in surprise before he laughs with you.

"I just wanted to ask you in the right way," he admits, a little sheepishly, and you smile softly.

"But short and straight to the point is good enough," you reply before walking up to him, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek before you start to walk away.

"You've got practice, but text me the details, okay?" And he watches you walk away, his hand brushing over his cheek.

[tevatstavern]

Yang overload.

- Chongyun's positive (Yang) energy seemed to have gotten stronger lately, and it's starting to get out of hand more often than needed. Maybe a little talk about it won't hurt.

[chongyun x g.n reader] [no t.w] [slight fluff]

a.n I do apologize if they're always slight fluff, ehe I'm no good at fluffy fluffy yet! And the short summaries too;; (´；ω；｀)

-•-

After a while of nothing but staring at the beautiful sight around Liyue in Wanmin, you've suddenly felt suspicious with Chongyun's present behaviour.

He seemed a little dazed, it was also accompanied with a emotionless face. You would've thought he was reflecting on his life as an exorcist. But, no. It wasn't anything like that all!

Infact, it was the complete opposite.

All he could ponder about in his mind was you. Though, It may seem like it was way too cheesy and unromantic to him. After all, he didn't have the time to have such fun or acquire a small crush on a person.

But that seemed to changed today.

With a sigh, you stirred your iced water with a graceful slide with your fingers. The ice cubes clinking slightly when touching the inner parts of the glass cup.

It was no secret that you were gifted a vision by the gods. It was no different on how the others had gotten them as well.

Flabbergasted by the sudden news, you immediately made your mind up to help the ones in dire need with your vision! Of course, it wasn't always a perfect and clean run helping out, but the compensation were definitely rewarding.

After all, with great power comes with great responsibility.

Well, to start off your day, you went ahead and tried to find a glimpse of a blue haired exorcist during the marketplace below, early in the morning. Since he seems to be here for a reason, and definitely was not intended on resting.

So you decided to tag along with him before and during his commissions given by Katheryne.

It was a mess trying to clean up the scattered Cor Lapis that suddenly spurred out of his hands the second he turned around to see you waving. And by total accident, you've managed to blow 1 away from the ground and straight to the ocean.

You've never felt so guilty yet quite amused this year. Wincing, as he came back drenched, bangs almost fully covering his eyes. The wooden planks also wet from his steps.

"Sorry! I- I seriously still don't know how to control this well! I'm so sorry-"

"Its alright, All that matters now is that I've gotten my Cor Lapis back. It would've been a disaster if it swept across oceans. It was good I manage to swim my way there on time."

And Giving him his homemade ice popsicles didn't even do the trick at all!

"..."

"..."

"...so, feel better?"

"No. The heat is slowly rising up an- and I can't seem to stop it- I- I think I might've eaten something hot while I was chewing!"

"Want me to make a sweeter version instead? Or do you want me to fetch some Cyro Whopperflower's real quick instead?"

"It- it's alright! just make the popsicles please!"

This weekend, chaos was happening more frequently around him, and you were sure it was bound to continue like this in the next weeks. Besides, you weren't sure if he was in the right mindset this afternoon after all the things that had happened this morning.

Of course you knew he was strong enough to handle such issues and problems himself! But, maybe it's time for you to intervene.

And so, with a nervous glint in your eyes, you opened up your mouth, "Hey.." you spoke out, His eyes seemingly snapping back into reality as soon as he heard your voice, before making an eye contact with you.

"Huh? What is it? My apologies, it seems like I've dozed off.." apologizing, he immediately averted his eyes. Oh dear, is he heating up quicker than usual?

"Its alright, really. I just wanted to ask if there was anything wrong lately. Uh, like your Yang energy?"

"It's nothing to worry about.. Recently, my Yang energy has gotten stronger over the past few weeks and I've been trying to restraint it as much as I can." He confessed, clearing his throat in the process before lifting one of his hands up to grab his iced drink.

With a tilt of a head, you hummed in response. "I don't know about you, but I think that's something to worry about. Any explanations on how it gotten stronger?"

"No, sadly. I'm still trying to find the reasons to it, still no luck. But that's not what matters now, we still have a commission we haven't done yet."

"Wait what? I

thought we finished them all already!"

"Ah.. about that, its not really a commission but instead, clues and information's on spirits I've managed to get a hold of."

"And who did you get it from?"

"Xingqiu, he truly is a good friend, isn't he? With this much research and clues, we'll surely find a good one amongst these papers!" With a small and gentle smile, he sends it towards you. Placing the papers right in front, your eyes scanning through each information given.

'A Blue haired demon destroying a cart of popsicles in Qingce Village?'

"..of course." Ending the topic with a sigh, you took a sip of your water, watching as the sunset slowly get overtaken by the moon and stars. Chongyun did the exact same thing as well, watching as the skies split apart to show the bright moon.

Oh dear, did he managed to catch feelings for you during his travels? He could feel his heart beating.

Touching his face with his hand, he felt the heat slowly becoming more apparent. Sneaking a glance of you near him, his eyes softened.

How would he even confess to you? It was hard confessing without feeling so mushy and awkward, but now, since his Yang energy gotten stronger, it was impossible to even spit the words out at all!

It was in a perfect scenario already! There was barely any customers near, the night sky, with you by his side. It was all set. All he had to do was tell you and everything would be complete!

With a shaky hand, he gripped the glass before sighing. 'Alright, all I have to do is tell them before it's too late!'

Feeling his cheeks heat more than it did before,

He then sputtered out his confession.

"[ y.n ]. There's something important and urgent I need to tell you." Grabbing your attention immediately, you snapped your eyes towards Chongyun. "Yeah? What is it?"

With both of your eyes interlocked with one another, your heartbeats beating in a synchronised beat- you felt like this was a dream. This exact scenario that went through your head before.

His comforting yet sharp eyes staring directly at you with such intense passion, you felt like you could melt at the sight of it. The street lights and lamps that illuminate his face, and the blush plastered across his face was enough for you to replicate the same expression.

"[ y.n ] , uhm.. I.."

"Yeah?"

"Uh, I...."

Oh, well, this wasn't going as planned for him was it?

Nervously gulping, he averted his eyes from you. Watching you stare at him with a blush apparent on your face was enough to make him feel heated up and embarrassed.

Raising his hands, he gripped them together for support. "I..." He spoke, slowly turning his words into incoherent words, mumbling silently to himself before the heat finally got the best of him.

Immediately noticing how red he've gotten, you hastily replied to him to calm down. Grabbing his hand by the action, and gently letting him take hold of the iced drink himself.

But alas, it only worsened as he realized you were holding his hand for a mere second.

"Chongyun!" You yelled out, quickly getting out of your seat before grabbing ahold of him by the arm, the wind blowing in slightly to prevent him from falling over quickly.

Settling him back to his seat in the Wanmin restaurant, you sighed. The blush still visible in your face. The fire behind you cackling as footsteps from another person suddenly is being heard.

Giving your full attention to the entrance, your shoulders tensing up in anticipation, as you waited patiently. The footsteps growing louder and louder, only to be relieved that it was Chef Mao.

"Hey! Didn't know you two were still here, I was about to close up the restaurant." He grinned, walking inside the restaurant as he immediately went tidying up.

"Oh, we were just watching the sunset. I guess we've stayed for too long." You chuckled, Chef Mao could only laugh in return.

"Wayyy too long. Well, you might need to ask for some help if you need to lift a man up." He replied, his words motioning to Chongyun. His back faced to you as he placed the utensils back to their places.

You shook your head in disagreement, despite the fact you knew he couldn't see you. "Nono, it's alright. I think I can bring him to Wangshu Inn with no problem. So, How about I help you clean up, Chef Mao?"

"If you say so, and of course, I couldn't say no to that, even if I wanted to!"

Chongyun awoken with a groan, his hands immediately shielding him from the sun rays that sneakily came through the window binds.

"Huh..? Where am I?" He muttered to himself, eyes blinking twice, before he sat upright. Taking a quick scan around his surroundings, he immediately knew where he was.

"Wangshu Inn. But why am I covered in-" his sentence was cut of by the sight of you sitting down on a chair, your head laying on top of the bed. Your lips curling slightly downwards probably from the dream you're having.

Eyes widening slightly, he took the peaceful image of you in his mind. You looked so graceful sleeping,

despite your messy hair that managed to look quite fluffy to touch. The soft rays of light shining through, your body illuminating softly, giving you such an angelic aura. It almost felt like a dream to him aswell.

With a smile, he patted your hair, running his fingers through your hair. Even if it was tangled. Before placing a small yet gentle kiss on top of your forehead.

He doesn't remember anything that had happened to him during that night, like all the memories have been swiped away from him in a millisecond.

But, he was greatful to have a peaceful morning with you finally in it this time.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Stay With Me (Pt. 08 of 09)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon X Reader

Word count: 3 K

Summary: Daryl found you surrounded by the dead, stuck in the backseat of a car. You were wishing for death to take you away for quite a while now, but, as you slid back and forth into consciousness, there was only one thing keeping you alive. Him, the man with blue, worried eyes and kind voice. Your beaten up body was ready to give up, too wounded and broken to keep going. But this man, who went out of his way to save your life is the only thing in the world holding you up. And, because of him, you feel something you haven't felt in a very long time: hope. Wherever he's taking you, you want to get there, and not only to be buried. For what it feels like the very first time, you want to live. He takes you back to Alexandria, but even there, the nightmares and the terror from all the torture and pain you've been through keeps creeping closer, and Daryl, your hero, is the only one who can keep that all away.

Warnings: Mentions and description (not graphic) of past abuse; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); some violence at the end of the story (a little bit graphic, but not so much); blood.

<- Previous part (07)

Next part (09)->

{The Walking Dead Masterlist}

I want to thank my awesome friend @jodiereedus22, who helped me (and still does) a lot to get this story done. She's also a writer and she's amazing so please go check her work!!

×

Nightmare

It's amazing to know you're excited about the party. Luke is two months old, and since you had a welcome party in-store, you turned it into a birthday party. It'll happen later tonight, by nightfall, and you're enjoying the last moments before you have to leave the bedroom and start organizing things.

After brushing your teeth and hair, you leave the bathroom, smiling to see Daryl still lied in bed. He seems peaceful, eyes closed, so handsome in the morning light. You've been wanting to tell him something, it's been a while... But you never get the right time. Or maybe you're just a little scared...

But looking at him now, it just fades away. You and Daryl have been in a solid relationship, and despite the short time, things have been amazing. Perfect. Carol is even talking about moving out, so you and Daryl can have your own space, but you don't want to push her to it. In the privacy of your bedroom, you're fine. And living with Carol is nice.

“Hey, D.” You say in a soft voice, going to the bed and climbing on top of him. Daryl grunts something, his eyes opening, hands coming to your hips and waist. “Are you awake?”

“I am now that a kitten came to lie down on me.” He mumbles as you move up until your face is at the same level as his. You place your legs around his hips, hands sustaining your weight on each side of his head.

“Sorry.” You mutter, moving to stand up. But Daryl's grip gets tighter, and you let yourself fall, collapsing against his chest, giggling. “Alright, alright. But listen up now...”

“What is it?” He brings a hand to your face, fingers caressing your chin.

“Uhm...” Blushing a little, you clear your throat. “I... I think... No, I do.”

Daryl raises an eyebrow, and you can tell he's trying to figure it out on his own. “Ya wanna break apart?” He bursts out suddenly. “ ‘Cause if that's what ya want, I–”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely.” You say in a sarcastic tone, rolling your eyes. “I'm literally on top of you, Daryl Dixon. How can you possibly think I want to end things?” Moving to sit up, straddling his hips, you cross your arms. “What do you have in this pretty head of yours? Only hunting skills?”

“Yer very funny.” In a sudden motion, Daryl pulls you down again, switching positions so he's on top of you instead. “What is it then?” He asks, his face way too close.

“Can I kiss you first?”

“Nah. Ya got me curious.”

“Alright...” Taking a deep breath, you gather up some courage to push the words out. “I want a baby.” Shrugging your shoulders, you giggle at Daryl's funny face. “What?”

“Don't ya have one already?”

“Yeah...” Mumbling, you wrap your arms around his neck. “Daryl?”

“Huh?”

“I want another baby.” Smirking, you place a kiss on his lips. He's fast to kiss you back, a hand cupping your cheek. “So. What do you think?” You ask when you pull away.

“How are ya plannin’ to get one?”

You're not sure if his intention was to make you blush, but you're blushing anyway. “Uhm... First I need to get married.”

“Get married? People don't care about these things anymore.” He answers quickly, and you wonder if you went too far. Maybe it's way too early, and these thoughts should be kept inside your heart for a while longer.

“I know but... That's exactly why I care.” Sighing, you avoid his eyes. “I'm sorry, we haven't talked about this and I don't even know if–”

“Hey, calm down.” With his thumb and index finger on your chin, he makes you look at him again. You always appreciates Daryl's touch, it doesn't matter how small it is. It took a while for him to get comfortable enough to do this so easily, and you never take it for granted. He's always gentle as if you're a porcelain doll. He's never rough, never violent, not with you. Loving Daryl happened fast and strong, and it's a feeling that only grows, every passing day. “Ya wanna talk about it we'll talk about it.”

“It's just that... I-I love you. With all my heart and... It does feel like we already have this family thing going on and...” Daryl has fallen into this father role, and he's absolutely amazing with Luke. He can make him fall asleep in minutes, and you love to watch as he rocks the baby to sleep. And those moments always get your mind racing. He's already being such a good father so maybe he'd like a baby of his own... And you'd like to give him that. “...It got me thinking.”

“I love ya too, babygirl. But marriage... It would bound you with me on a whole different level.” Daryl sits up, and you follow his movement, your arms still around his neck, keeping him close. “I wanna make sure ya have the choice ta’ walk away when ya want to.”

“I won't walk away, Dixon. I love you.” He needs to be reassured of that from time to time, but you don't mind. You want to spend the rest of your life making sure Daryl knows he's loved. That he's desired and wanted. “I want to be with you for the rest of my life and if that's what you want too... You know, I'm a girlish girl, I'd like to get married someday, and honestly, if not with you then I won't marry anyone else.” Shrugging your shoulders, you look down, a shiver rolling down your spine, feeling his fingers caressing your bare thigh.

“Ya sure ya want this? With me? Are ya sure about what yer talking about?”

“I am.” You mutter in a low voice, blushing. “I am.” Repeating in a low voice, you kiss him, slowly at first, but soon enough his taste overcomes everything, and you think he feels the same since he deepens the kiss. Pulling him down again, you smile when his hand touches a ticklish spot on your side.

“Hey, you two!” Carol calls, knocking on the door. “Wake up. There's a lot to do today.”

Daryl grunts in response, not pulling away from the kiss.

But Carol is right. It'll be a long day and both you and Daryl have stuff to get ready for the party.

The day passes by quickly since you're helping everyone a little. The only thing you can't do is lift heavy stuff. Daryl forbade it, with Denise backing him up, you have no idea for how long. The party will happen at Rick's house since the living room is the biggest, and you spend hours there decorating everything. You try not to think too much about all the people who will be here tonight. You know them, you befriended them, they won't hurt you.

When it's finally time to go, you're impressed by how you feel. Happy, not scared, and actually excited. You never thought stuff like this would ever happen again. It's silly, but it keeps people sane, said Deanna. The sun is making its way to the horizon when you're getting dressed. You chose to wear a dress Daryl brought you from one of his runs. It's a light shade of blue, with thin straps and a nice cleavage in the back, reaching a few inches below the mid of your thighs. You never wear anything that will show the scar on your leg, you don't like it. Nor what it represents. You're putting on your flats when Daryl comes out of the bathroom, hair still damp, but completely dressed. He's wearing what he usually wears, always dark colors, but you don't mind. You really like it.

“Are you ready?” You ask, turning on your heels to face him. Daryl doesn't answer, eyes locked on you, lingering for so long it makes you blush. “D? Cat got your tongue?”

“Nah, it just...” He looks down at his feet before making his way over you. “Ya look beautiful, that's all.”

“Thanks.” Smiling shyly, you tiptoe to kiss him. “But I'll need a coat for when the night falls... Mind if I get one of yours?”

“Won't ya ever stop stealin’ my clothes?” Daryl fakes an annoyed tone, but it takes two seconds for his lips to break into a smile.

“Well, you stole my heart, Dixon. I'm just looking for revenge.” Winking at him, you search on the wardrobe for one of his jackets. “Now let's get going. Maggie and I baked this brownies and I'm dying for one.” Grabbing the jacket, you take his hand and leave the bedroom.

Carol is already there, so you just have to take little Luke and head out. He wants Daryl this time, so he's the one carrying him to Rick's place. As you walk there, the wind messes with your hair, and you try to keep it from your face.

“Who are the new residents, by the way?” You just remembered them. If the day wasn't so hectic, you'd ask Daryl to introduce you to them, just so you could know their faces before having to meet them at the party.

“Two men. Aaron found them starving to death a hundred miles Northwest. They're alright I guess. Since Deanna allowed them to stay.” Daryl reassures you, his free hand taking yours. “Ya ok?”

“Yeah... I'm excited, actually.” As you climb the few steps to the porch, Luke giggles, you're not sure why. “Right, little one?” Stopping by the front door, you step closer to the baby in Daryl's arm. “Are you excited too? For your party? Two months old already, you're growing up so fast.” You're still baby-talking when the door is opened, a smiley Carl gesturing for you to get in.

“C'mon, let's get ya those brownies,” Daryl says as you step inside.

It takes no time for people to come to talk to Luke, him becoming the center of attention. He throws himself on Maggie's arms, who happily welcomes him.

“(Y/N),” Rick says and you turn on your heels to talk to him. Daryl remains close, and you know why. But you feel fine, comfortable around these people. “Judith said a funny word this morning. I wonder where she learned it.” He has his hands on his hips, and you innocently shrug your shoulders.

“What word?”

“Damn it,” Daryl answers, not a hint of doubt in his voice. Rick nods, raising his eyebrow.

“Oh my gosh. Where could she have heard such a thing?” She learned it from you because that's what you exclaim almost a hundred times a day and that's not really a secret anymore. “I'm sure she said something like ‘dang it’ so I don't see how that's my fault. ‘Dang it’ it's not that bad is it?”

“Well, I think–”

“(Y/N). Daryl.” Deanna calls, and you give Rick a smirk, meaning you're happy to be saved from this conversation. Turning around, you focus on Deanna. “Come, you're the only ones who haven't met Michael and Daniel yet.”

“Ok.” You can't help but feel a little anxious to meet new people, so you grab Daryl's arm as you follow Deanna through the living room.

“Over here.” She gestures, a kind smile on her lips. “This is Daniel, and Michael, they were found–”

Her words fade when both men turn to look at you. Their faces are unmistakable, and you feel yourself sinking, skin burning, head spinning as it all comes back.

Their voices, touches, and threats. You're suddenly back there, in the darkness, starving, freezing, waiting, wishing for death to come before they did. You're in the basement where your screams used to echo. All of your wounds start hurting, pulsing, as if they were reopened, all over again.

You never got the names, but you'll never forget the faces. One of them, the you thought looked like Rick, has a smile on his lips. The same sick, wicked smile, the same he had every time he went to see you, never failing to draw some blood.

“Hi, (Y/N).” He says, in the same tone he used to. Low, dark, more animal than human.

What happens next is a blur. There's yelling, and Daryl suddenly isn't by your side anymore. He's a blur, moving towards both men, drawing punches. You're pulled back by someone, you don't know where, but you know it isn't Daryl. You know his touch by heart, and it's the only touch you want.

“Let go of me!” You yell, pushing whoever that was, sinking, falling backward until you hit a wall. You want to disappear again, to vanish from existence. With both hands covering your ears, you push yourself into the wall, hoping it'll absorb you, hide you.

“Take them. Now.”

“The trial happens tomorrow.”

“Lock those assholes up.”

“Enjoy your last night on Earth.”

The words have no meaning, they just keep echoing. The low chattering, the many footsteps... Why are you still here? Why can't you be strong for once and just run? Run where? If they're here... Where else could you go?

“Babygirl,” his low, calming voice is like a beacon, lighting up the darkness, bringing you back, pulling you into consciousness again. Into life.

Moving just a little, hands off your ears and muscles relaxing, you look at him, immediately running to his arms. “They're here. They're here, they... They found me.”

“Alright, calm down now.” He holds you tight, a hand rubbing your back. “Let's get ya outta here.”

Nodding, you offer no resistance when he picks you up. You keep your eyes closed, face hidden on the crook of his neck as you float away. It feels like the first time, when he was carrying you from the infirmary into what's now your house.

You flinch a little when you're pulled down, suddenly recognizing your bed and curling up, pulling the blankets over your head.

“How is she?”

“I don't know.” Daryl sounds angry, furious. “I'll kill them right now.”

“No, Daryl. The trial will be tomorrow. You know they'll die for what they did”

“I don't care!”

“You need to stay with her now.”

You know it's Carol, but still, you want her to go. You need everyone to go away now, you just need Daryl. You need to... Go away. Alexandria isn't safe anymore. You rather face the dead.

Silently, moved by fear, you get up, taking the dress off, and struggling with the first pair of jeans you find.

“(Y/N),” Daryl calls, but you ignore him, sight blurred by the tears as you put a shirt on. “Hey, (Y/N).” You don't know what to take... You just need to leave. These walls won't keep you safe anymore. If you stay... You know they'll find you again.

“I'm leaving.” You mumble, looking around and finding the white sneakers you left by the edge of the bed and putting them on.

“What–”

“I'm leaving! I can't stay here. If I stay here it'll happen all over again.” You're yelling, sitting on the bed, sobbing. “They're here, they'll take me again, they-they–”

“Shh, yer ok.” Daryl pulls you up, into his arms, and you melt. The sobs are muffled by this jacket, and your tears are certainly soaking the fabric. “Look at me, babygirl. Look at me.” Slowly, you raise your head, his blue eyes acting immediately, like a medicine made only for you. “There's a place I can take ya for the night. But ya need to be here tomorrow. To officialize their crime so I can kill those–”

“Take me away, please.” You beg, holding onto him as if he's the only thing keeping you sane. Alive. Because he is. “Please, if I stay here I'll–”

“Alright, alright.” He nods, a hand caressing your cheek. “Let's go then. C'mon.”

Everything happens in the background, you feel. Carol stays by your side in the porch, guiding you to the car Daryl took to drive you away. You barely feel your body now, out on the street, feeling their eyes on you... Their eyes, evil and disgusting, as they lust over you. You know they're not here, but still, you feel them. Wanting you to cave in, to agree to fulfill their needs in the most vile, degrading ways. You're hyperventilating when the gate opens, the woods before you suddenly looking far safer than these walls.

When Daryl crosses the gate, you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, lungs burning. The sun is coming down, so there are a some shadows creeping in... But it's better out here. The wall will keep them inside, you hope.

“Babygirl,” Daryl says, getting your attention. “We're almost there, alright?”

“Ok.” You mumble, and Daryl puts a hand on your knee.

“Nothin’ will hurt ya. Never again. M’ gonna keep that promise.”

Holding his hand, your eyes meet his when he gives you a glance.

Around ten minutes later, Daryl stops the car. You haven't noticed before, but he parked in front of a small, wooden house. It looks like it was some kind of cabin in the woods since there are no other constructions around it. “C'mon.” He says when he opens the passenger door for you. Your legs feel a little weak, but you manage to stand up, immediately looking around. “There's nobody here, I promise ya.”

Nodding, you let him guide you inside, a flashlight on his hand. Daryl unlocks the door, and you wonder why he has the key to this thing. When you step in, the light coming from in between the planks on the windows helps you see the interior. There is a cough and a coffee table, you recognize it despite the dark plastic covering both things. Walking further in, you peak at the kitchen. Everything is clean and has a plastic placed over them. It kinda looks live someone used to live here not too long ago.

“I found this place a while ago.” Daryl starts, placing his backpack on the floor. “Was fixin’ it, cleanin’... So I could bring ya here every once in a while.” He gestures at the whole place in general, and you take another look around. He did say he'd try to find a place he could take you outside Alexandria, but you never thought it would be this good. “Still has a lot to do. Gonna put electricity, runnin’ water will be more complicated but I'll do it.”

“You're doing all that for me?” You whisper, hoping the dim light will hide your blushing cheeks.

“Yeah... Wanted to bring ya here under different circumstances but...” He takes the bag again, gesturing at the hall. “First door to the right it's our bedroom.”

Following his direction, you open the door to a small bedroom with a double bed, also covered with black plastic. The windows have wooden planks on it too, but there's enough space in between them so let some light come in.

“Here, lemme’–” Daryl drops the bag, walking over the bed and removing the plastic. Underneath, the light green sheets seem comfortable and you get it now why everything is covered up. To keep it clean. “Ya can lie down it ya want to. Brought some blankets.” As you move to the bed, Daryl searches in the bag, picking up two blankets and fixing them on the bed. “Ya hungry? Or thirsty? I brought–”

“I just need you, Daryl.” You whisper, drying off some tears that are still rolling down. “Can you come here?”

“Of course, babygirl.” Quickly, he leaves the bag behind and joins you in bed. Daryl pulls you close, you head on his chest as his arms hold you tightly, keeping you safe.

“I hope this is just a nightmare... That I'll wake up tomorrow and it'll all be gone.” Mumbling, you push yourself even closer to him, if that's even possible.

“I'll kill them myself, I swear.” There's a fire in his voice, hate. You've never heard him talking like that, his chest vibrating powerfully. “I'll wipe them off the face of Earth.”

Involuntary, your hand finds its way to your leg, to the scar. The pain is a vivid memory today, and for a moment you feel like you should lie down, as motionless as you can so it won't hurt. So the stitches won't rip again.

How is it possible that all the horrible memories came back all at once? On one second? “I-if I didn't have you, I... I'd die today, I know I would.”

“Nah, ya wouldn't.” Moving, he brings his index finger to your chin, making you look at him. “Yer stronger than ya give yourself credit for. Ya don't see it, but I do.” Then, he places a soft, sweet kiss on your lips, which is sadly, too brief. “But I will protect ya. Always, until my days are over.”

“Daryl, I–”

“I wanna marry ya.” He bursts out, his low voice burning through your head as you wonder if you heard him right. “When this is over and those monsters are dead... I wanna marry ya.”

Despite the terror, creeping through your skin, the darkness threatening to swallow you again, you smile. Everything fades away, and a different kind of happiness washes over you. A type of bliss you didn't even know existed. Unable to control yourself, you climb over him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I love you,” you mutter, not giving him the chance to answer, connecting your lips on his in a loving, passionate kiss.

×

@funeral-7 @heyyy-hey-babyyy @twdeadfanfic @soraitmnt @winchester-angel @bvbwestfall @shawtygonemad @cameronsails @pulplorrd @browneyes528 @btsiguess-kpop @a-dlv @bibibeauelle @lightning-butterfly @yttricuz

[samanthalightning]

She's Got A Date-EoWells X Allen!reader- Part II

*The GIF is not mine. All rights to the owner*

Part I

Summary: A new meta is in town, and you are starting to want your secret relationship not to be not-so secret anymore. But Wells doesn't have the same idea

Warnings: Smut if you squint very hard.

***

You never really were one to wake up early in the morning. You hated it, actually. You never liked seeing the sun rising up, you hated the way it made you feel; that heart sinking and hopeful feeling. It reminded you of when your mother died. You stayed all night with your brother in the precinct, after a few hours of sleep, you woke up when the sun was rising, and you wished really hard to go home and see your parents again. But you never did. Your Mom died, your Dad went to prison for your Mom's murder, you never came home, and the Detective from the case adopted you. Barry told you back then that the sun was also a star, unfortunately, it wasn't the star for wishing.

You hated mornings, but of course, you have to pay bills and have to get a certain someone from your bed.

Your limbs ache, as you stretch your arms over your head. You went rounds last night, which shows how much you missed each other and how much of an animal you both were.

Still completely groggy, you moved under the sheets, propped your elbows, laying on your stomach to stare at him. You couldn't help but smile upon the sight of him.

Always so stern, well-composed, mysterious, guarded, seems like the kind of guy who's least likely to do something that will get him in huge trouble— except for the Particle Accelerator explosion, that was a huge mess— Now, he's in your apartment, sprawled out on your bed, specifically, naked under the sheets of 24-year old girl's bed. So relaxed and comfortable. The careful and stoic demeanor he radiated temporary vanished.

You ran your fingers through his brown, unruly locks. You remember how hard you gripped on them last night.

God, memories like this are what enters your mind when you talk to Barry and Joe; it makes you flustered and all scared to face them. Eventually it got easier to deal with, but the guilt doesn't fade, or it hasn't yet.

Despite Barry's admiration for the man, he would question it. You're his baby sister, and there are so many issues he could point out. But you know him, he'll get over it quickly.

Joe, on the other hand, the silent treatment is what he's going to put on. He's a tough man to break. Besides, he has yet to deal with Iris and Eddie dating.

You didn't want them to feel as though you betrayed them or left them out on a part of your life, because they're part of it. You really wanted to tell them.

You don't want to be all sappy, you want to take in this nice morning and this man in front of you. He usually wakes up before you. Perhaps you really worn him out last night.

You ran your dainty finger across his cheek, he stirred in his sleep, grumpily. You stifled a giggle. Even in his sleep, he's guarded.

"Good morning," you mumbled, leaning to kiss his pink thin lips.

That woke him up. Gradually gaining his consciousness, his lips moved against yours, passionate and sweet. He reeled you into him, his bare chest meets your naked ones. His hands roamed your body, up and down your sides. He then planted a hand on the small back softly, pressing you closer to him, while his other hand slowly moved dangerously low. He runs his hand on the skin of your thigh, up and down. At the same time, your hands gripped his biceps.

The kiss deepened, squeezed and nails dug on the skin of your thigh in the process. You tried to suppress a moan, but damn he was such a good kisser. You don't know how he managed to stay quiet during intimate times like this. The kiss was turning feverishly and intoxicating. You felt that warm feeling in your stomach, an ache between your legs, sending jolts of excitement through your veins.

Wells knew you better than yourself, and he knows how you get. So before things escalated further, it took him a decent amount of control to reluctantly pull away from your lips.

A beam already crossed his face, as he fluttering his eyes open, "A good morning, indeed,"

You gave him one more peck on the lips, before placing your head on his chest, and his arm around you. You snuggled further to his warm body. It's heavenly, because it's starting to get colder in Central City.

"Can't we just stay in bed today?" You looked up to him, pouting with puppy dog eyes. It has an effect on him, and you like to push your luck.

"We have to go to work. And Caitlin and Cisco will notice."

You sighed. "I know." Your fingers drew circles on his chest. "Don't you think it's time to tell them, Har? It's been 6 months."

"I just need things to wind down, then we'll tell them," he assured you, though it wasn't enough to convince you, because that was what he said the last time. You're young, not dumb.

"When will that be?" You tried not to sound as if you were forcing him, but sneaking around is becoming tiring.

Wells frowned, uncomfortable with the discussion. "I don't know. Let's not talk about this— come on, we need to get ready." He tried to sit up, but you pinned him down. Your legs over his and hugged him tightly.

"Y/N…" He warned. You didn't bugde, kept him pinned down on the bed.

"Let's just stay in for a little while. How about just one more round?" You suggested playfully, biting your lip.

He opened his mouth to object, but you didn't bother to let him start. You ghosted his neck, your lips trailing up, and planted a kiss behind his ear, his sweet spot. You sucked it to leave a mark. His chest heaved, licked his dry lips and hummed in satisfaction.

"Y/N, w-we need to go," he managed to stutter those words.

Ever so stubborn, you didn't listen. Instead, you hushed him, and started nibbling on his ear. You earned a growl from him.

"Just one. I promised," you whispered seductively.

Your fingertips brushed against the skin of his stomach, traveled lower and lower, down lower abdomen, painstakingly slow just to rile him up. His breathing was getting uneven. His face still maintained a leveled expression, but his blue eyes turned dark, boring into yours. You decided to go for it. You took his length, as he grunted. You slowly pumped the base, torturing him. He couldn't help but let out a guttural groan.

You don't wanna look back later today, and all you remember was you talking about going out in public again. So, make-up sex, even though you didn't really fight.

He gave in. One round turned into two, turned into three, until you both were very exhausted and fell asleep.

You didn't wake up until it was late. Harrison wasn't very pleased with this. You know he had every right to; this the third time he got late, because of you.

He scolded you for sidetracking him, hurrying out of your apartment, not before giving you peck on the lips.

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open. You exhaled sharply, mentally cursing yourself for having no self control. You and Wells went at it like bunnies in heat.

You hissed, stepping outside. You were a little sensitive, so sore, limbs are like jello. Your legs wobbled as you walked in the hallway. You feel like each step you take, you're gonna collapse to the floor. It's gonna take you a few days to walk properly again. So much for being subtle and discreet. The team will definitely notice.

You entered the cortex. Caitlin and Cisco were present, of course. Cisco was chilling in his seat, feet up on the desk, while fiddling with a pen. As usual was babbling, about how excited he is to know what kind of meta you have to deal with today to Caitlin who was invested in whatever she was doing on the computer.

He paused, seeing you entered the room.

"I take that your date went well last night," he teased.

Caitlin spun her chair around to face you, cocked her head slightly and an intrigued look crossed her face.

You rolled your eyes. "I didn't have a date, Cisco," you insisted.

You know that, of course, they would wonder. Usually, you would come to the lab around Dr. Wells would arrive, just so you can sneak into his tight schedule.

"I just overslept," you lied, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Funny. Dr. Wells overslept, too," Caitlin commented with knitted eyebrows.

Your eyebrows lifted, surprised. Despite the fact that this happened before, it still surprises you how fast he can get here.

"He's here?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be?" Cisco scoffed jokingly.

Your face paled. Oh crap. You were not as good as him.

You opened your mouth, but luckily, Barry, Joe and Wells entered the cortex to save you. They got a case that needed some insights. Members of a crime family had been murdered. Poisoned by gas, specifically. And Joe thinks that it's a Meta.

Wells wheeled to the desk. "Fascinating. A meta-human that can manipulate poison gas," Wells commented.

"Is it just poisonous gas or he can control all aerated substances?" Cisco questioned, walking to the comms, and stood behind Dr. Wells.

Caitlin followed suit. "And how is he able to formulate the connection. Is it physiological or psychological?" She inquired, taking a seat on the chairs, immediately working on something on the computer.

"This individual can create a mental nexus using gaseous substances," Wells said.

"You mean connective gases on a molecular level?" You asked him, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Yes,"

"That is ridiculously cool," Cisco stated.

"This is so exciting," you squealed, rocking your feet in excitement like a child at an amusement park.

Barry laughed at your reaction, Joe looked at you incredulously.

You changed your expression and mimicked a frown, "I mean, it's devastating. People died. Sad."

"They get really excited about this stuff," Barry said to Joe.

"The only thing I'm excited about is putting criminals behind bars, except Iron Heights isn't exactly equipped to handle meta-humans," Joe stated.

"I guess it's fortunate the ones you've encountered so far no longer with us,"

It really is.

"Well, unless we're planning on executing every super criminal we stop, you geniuses are going to have to come up with someplace else to hold them,"

Joe was right. The number of people affected by the Particle Accelerator was huge, it's hard to track them all down, and killing them all isn't exactly the best approach for this problem.

"A meta-human prison? Sweet," Cisco murmured.

"Until we figure a way to remove their powers,"

"There is one place here that might hold them," All of your heads turned to Cisco in curiosity.

"You can't be serious," Caitlin scoffed. "We haven't been down there since— it's cordoned off."

"Cisco's right," Wells agreed. "It could be modified to acts as a makeshift prison,"

Caitlin looked at them in disbelief. Your eyebrows furrowed, confused. You tried to read the room, though you didn't get what they were talking about that made Caitlin upset. She's always been uptight, sure, but this was different. As if she was hurt.

"What could?" Barry asked.

"The Particle Accelerator," he replied.

It all suddenly clicked. Caitlin's fiancé died because of the explosion. Cisco told you he died down there. The details were vague, the team wasn't very open to discuss whatever happened that night.

Silence hung around the cortex, as everyone shifted uncomfortably. It was a touchy subject. To you, to Barry, to Joe, especially to them; the ones who lose more than anyone in this room.

"Uhm, I guess we should go down," Cisco spoke.

You all agreed. Cisco scurried out of the room immediately. Wells was about to follow Cisco, but turned over his shoulder, asking Caitlin if she wants to come with you.

Caitlin didn't budge. She stared blankly at the distance, lost in her own world. The doctor called out to her again, only to be ignored.

"Caitlin," he called her. Caitlin whipped her head around, raising an eyebrow in question. "Did you hear me? Are you going down the accelerator with us?"

Barry cleared his throat. "Actually Dr. Wells used Caitlin's help identifying the poison gas." He turned to Caitlin. "If that's okay with you."

Caitlin smiled at your brother. "Let's go."

Taking a step forward, your body reminded you how sore you were. You limped as you tried to exit the cortex. You weren't exactly subtle. The team noticed you struggling with... walking.

"You okay, Y/N?" Joe was obviously concerned. "You're walking a little funny,"

Your eyes flickered to your boyfriend's blue ones. He was watching you carefully, just to see how you are going to dodge this. You wonder are you going to, as well.

If you had a dollar for every single person who corners you, you'll have— well, two dollars.

"Yeah," you chuckled nervously. "Just a little sore. Took some workout classes last night, and the trainer was very hard and intense on me." He coughed at your choices of words, blush creeping up on his cheek.

Your lips curved slightly, only for it to fade when Joe pointed at your neck. "Your trainer gave you some hickeys as well?" He questioned.

Your eyes went wide, cheeks turning

into a dark shade of red, hands quickly flew your neck to cover whichever part of your neck he left a mark on. He's not a damn good detective if it weren't for his observation skills.

"I think I heard Cisco calling us. Gotta go! Bye!" You sprinted-staggered out of the cortex.

Joe looked at Caitlin for answers. Caitlin shrugged and answered, "She had a date,"

You all approached the entrance of the accelerator. You've never been here before, it's not like you have any reason to down here, but the thought of wandering the what's underneath the floor you work for that blew a hole in the city did enter your mind countless of times. You didn't want to ask, though. It was a sensitive subject.

It's huge space, hollow, dim, despite the number of lights it has, and there's a lot of pipes. There's not much to say, really.

"The copper in the tube is arranged to form cavities," Wells pointed out, wheeling inside. "And we can use those cavities as containment, which we have to design to counteract meta-humans abilities, but..." He paused, processing a thought.

"This is perfect," Cisco said with a heave of chest. He seemed reluctant, but it was the best option you got.

All of you take a look around, check for somethings that could be faulty or ruptured by the explosion, so you could fix it, before building the makeshift prison. Cisco took the other side, and you followed Wells.

You pulled your cardigan across your chest, and crossed your arms. It felt strange and bone-chilling, almost. Lurking around the place that someone died in. Ronnie, Caitlin's fiancé could have been anywhere in here, before he died. It must be so hard for Caitlin. It must have hurt so bad. She had to go to work everyday to the place where the love of her life was killed. You always wondered what he was like, prior to the whole mess 10 months ago. No one talked about him, and asking seems to be so insensitive for people you just had met. But it's been months, and you're all way past being just colleagues. You're dating your boss.

"You never talked about him," you began.

His eyes wandered around, too busy inspecting to turn to you. "About who?"

You wondered if he was truly oblivious or he just wants to confirm if you were asking about him.

"Ronnie," You saw the way his posture stiffened when you mentioned his name, but he didn't stop or paused.

You felt bad for asking. He never really says anything. You know he feels bad, but he was never vulnerable with it. 6 months of dating, he just never talked about his pain, and during the times he was actually in the state of it, you weren't in his life.

"He was a structural engineer for the project; he was a good man, a smart man," he said.

"And he died down here?" You inquired.

He nodded. "Yes,"

"How?" He slowed down, before eventually stopping.

You were met with silence. You instantly felt bad. You knew that you crossed a line and let your curiosity get the best of you. The details may be too much for him to explain.

You shook your head in regret. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive," you apologized.

"No, it's fine." He waved his fingers dismissively. "He contained the blast; adjusted it to make sure that it would go upward, not outward. He wasn't able to go out, since a lockdown was initiated. He saved so many lives that night, including mine."

You know he felt bad. For Barry, for Ronnie, for everyone. You took a step forward to him, and hugged his shoulders from behind tightly. You gave him a peck on the cheeks, then rested your chin on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you lost him," you murmured to his ear.

He sighed, relaxing in your arms, as he put a hand on your arm and rubbed his thumb against the fabric of your cardigan, soothingly.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

"How about dinner again tonight? Just to cheer you up," you suggested.

"I thought we're gonna take a break from your cooking,"

You rolled your eyes, but you were the one who suggested it. You need practice, not spontaneous dinner with lack of experiences with cooking meals.

"I know—"

He straightened. "But…?" He already knew that there is an underlying agenda.

You were hesitant to even say it now, but it doesn't hurt to try. Again.

"There's this amazing restaurant that opened last month. They're not that pricey, but they serve a pretty decent steak. So I was wondering if he could go there too, you know, go on an actual date," you whispered the last part with a wince on your face.

You dreaded his reaction, because deep inside, you know what he's going to say. But you kept your hopes up that he might change his mind on the whole thing.

"Y/N…" He exhaled. "You already know what that means. "We talked about this, right? I don't think it's the best time for us to go public with our relationship."

You sighed, exasperated. You unwrap your arms around him. You heard those excuses enough today. "I know, babe. But why do these people matter? We don't need the public's seal of approval for being in a relationship." You argued.

He turned around to face you. You watched him, as he took your hands and kissed your knuckles sweetly. "We don't," he told you sincerely.

"Then why?"

"It's not the best time. Your brother just woke up and he has a new power to deal with. As long everything worked out, we'll talk about it, okay?" His eyes searching into yours for yes, so you look down at your feet.

You knew, of course. He told you that earlier, still you pushed. You always attempt to do this, using every reason and excuse, but it always leads to you being disappointed. You wonder why it still feels the same despite getting this reaction so many times.

This anger bubbled in your chest. "Yeah, I know. It's what you always say," you murmured through your gritted teeth, sarcasm dripping off of it.

He opened his mouth to reply, but you didn't give him a chance to do so, you walked ahead, past him. Wells, who was very aware of your frustration, followed you. He decided not to react or add fuel to fire. It was not the time nor the place.

While inspecting, walking quickly, so you stay a couple of meters ahead of him, you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket. You fished it out. A notification popped out of the screen. It was a text from Iris.

"Hey. Are you busy tonight?”

***

Yikes. What do you think will happen?

Anyway, I'd really appreciate if you share this and give it some love. Thanks!

Part III

[billyhargrove-imagines]

Kindred Outsiders: Pt. 1

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x OC

Warnings: Cursing

Word Count: 2374

A/N: Hello! This story was originally posted on my fanfiction.com account but I decided to bring it to tumblr as well :) Anyhow, this story is going to take place in the beginning of summer & will later lead up to the events starting in the beginning of season 3. Gif used isn’t mine. Enjoy!

-

Indiana is…different.

I moved out here merely two weeks ago from Los Angeles, California. My father died from a plane crash over a month ago. He was on his way home from a business trip. My mother, on the other hand, isn't in the picture because she passed away from cancer 5 years ago. I was 15 years old at the time.

I couldn't stand being alone in my father's mansion any longer. It just wasn't the same without him. It caused me nothing but pain having to enter a home where I am not greeted a simple 'hello' from my father. Dinners were always lonely so I ended up resorting to going out with friends almost every night for dinner, followed by drinking at home from my father's in-home bar.

When it came around to bedtime, I felt a pit in my stomach whenever I passed my father's office and didn't see the light shining under the crack of the door. He always worked in his office late.

One day I made a bold move by giving my aunt Joyce a call and moved in with her in Indiana a month after the incident. Aunt Joyce is my father's sister.

Her small house is nothing compared to mine and lacked the useless amenities I was used to. But I didn't care. Living here so far with her, Will and Jonathan was much better than living back in California all alone. Sure, I had friends but it doesn't compare to family.

Since I am an only child of my parents, I inherited all of their money. I also made a selfless decision and paid off my aunt's mortgage. When I told her the news, I was thanked with a slap across the face followed by a tight hug. She never wanted any handouts from my parents in the past and still doesn't til this day.

It is 1pm and I just clocked out for my short shift at this clothing store in the starcourt mall. Yes, I have a great amount of money in my bank account, but I still wanted to keep myself occupied by working a part time job. I didn't want to just sit on my ass all day. Especially since I still don't know what I want to do for my career. I am 20 years old and time is ticking, but I don't want to waste my time and money on schooling when I don't know what the hell I want to do yet.

After every shift I've been stopping by the ice cream shop, Scoops Ahoy and I always see the same duo, Steve and Robin. I've become quite acquainted with them and I learned so far that they're fresh out of high school.

"Let me guess, rocky road?" Steve said with a grin.

"You know me too well, Steve." I replied with a smile, stretching my arm out to hand him cash.

"God Steve. Just ask her out already." Robin added, rolling her eyes playfully and crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back counter.

"Can you not?" Steve snapped his head at Robin, cheeks flushed red.

"Very funny, Robin." I let out a chuckle and waved goodbye to the duo as I licked my delicious ice cream on my way out.

As usual, I took my time walking through the mall. I wanted to make sure I finished my ice cream before I arrived to my car and headed home. A variety of families, couples and friends seemed to be enjoying their shopping trips. Though word on the news is that many local business owners are enraged about the mall being built due to losing business.

A familiar female voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hi Victoria!" Aria, my eccentric coworker greeted me, her shoulder-length blonde hair bouncing as she kept up to my steps.

"Hey Aria, I thought you're off today?" I asked, still enjoying my ice cream.

"Yeah I was just shopping around for a gift for my mom's birthday next week." She briefly lifted the shopping bag in her hand. "Did you just get off or are you on lunch?"

"Um, I just got off."

"Yay! I'm going to the pool after this. Join me so I'm not alone!" She suggested. "There's also this hot hot hot lifeguard they hired last week. I went to school with him!"

"Okay sure. But I'm not really into that."

"Come on, Victoria." Aria groaned. "I know you don't have any plans today."

"No I meant the hot lifeguard or whatever. Not into that." I gave a dismissive wave of my hand before taking a generous lick of my ice cream.

"Oh. You're into girls? So sorry. I didn't know."

I snorted in amusement, but internally I was rolling my eyes at her. She's always been quick to make assumptions.

"No no no. I like boys." I made known. "I just don't care to drool over a piece of meat. But I'm down to take a dip in the pool."

"Oh! Okay. Sorry. Sorry again."

"It's fine Aria," I dragged. "I'm gonna go home and change out of this and I'll meet you there."

"Yay! Okay bye!" Aria shouted with glee before going our separate ways. She sure can be annoyingly hyper sometimes, but she's the only real girlfriend I've made here so far. Robin is always working and when she is off, she's always busy doing god knows what.

Like clockwork, my ice cream was finished off before I made it outside to my car. Or should I say my late father's black 1984 Porsche 911. It's quite showy for someone who now lives in Indiana, but this car was my father's baby. I'm never letting go of this.

The Rubberband Man by The Spinners blasted on my stereo as I drove to Aunt Joyce's house. Music from the 70s has always stuck with me. On my face are my favorite pair of black aviator sunglasses.

After a moment of driving down the familiar roads, I pull into the front of my aunt's house. I take the keys out of the ignition, remove my aviators, hop out of my car and enter the non vacant home. "Hey Jonathan." I greeted my cousin who is watching television on the couch with a full plate and fork in his hands.

"Hey there, Vic. You're home early." He said with a full mouth. I hummed in response before scurrying to my bedroom.

I searched through my dresser drawers until I found the perfect bikini for my mood, which is a two piece. I paired my black cheeky bottoms with a neon green strapless top. After quickly peeling off my work attire and slipping into my bikini, I made sure to at least cover up my ass cheeks with denim shorts before throwing on a pair of sandals.

Now I am out the door, tossing my bag of pool essentials in the passenger seat and making sure not to forget my aviators. The sun is at its peak and I am ready to cool off.

Minutes later I pull into the parking lot of the community pool for the first time since moving down here. I've driven past it plenty of times but never had the need to go yet until Aria randomly invited me.

Exiting my car with my bag under my arm and my aviators on, I hear various sounds at a short distance of people enjoying themselves in the water.

The sun is beaming down at me as I'm making my way through the gate, glancing around until I find Aria. "Victoria! Hey!" She shouted with glee, waving her hand. I found her lying on the pool lounger.

"Hey Aria." I greeted, placing my bag on the ground.

"Go on in the pool if you want. I'm waiting for him to show up for his shift. It should be any moment now!"

"Really?" Sitting down at the foot of the empty pool lounger, I shook my head at Aria in disapproval.

She scoffed. "Oh don't give me that look, Victoria." I shook my head at her, dropping my shorts and tossing it in my bag.

Aria let out a gasp out of the blue, sitting up straight. "Speaking of Billy. There he is!"

"Where?" I asked, casually pulling a flask out of my bag. I'm not an alcoholic and I don't plan to get plastered, but a little buzz is well deserved.

Aria doesn't respond. Instead, I scan my surroundings until I spotted the only male lifeguard walking the grounds to my left. He is tastefully shirtless, wearing red swim shorts, a whistle necklace and brown aviator shades. His dirty blonde hair is styled into a mullet, which surprisingly fits his face perfectly.

Billy's head snapped my direction as I'm taking a swig out of my whiskey filled flask. I couldn't tell if he was directly looking at me due to the shades masking his eyes, but all of the women's eyes were on him. And by the swagger of his steps, I can tell he's reveling in it.

"Eh." I shrugged my shoulders, once Billy passed me and sat comfortably in the lifeguard chair. "He's alright." I lied.

From his perfectly tanned skin to his flawlessly sculpted muscles, it's as if his body was made by angels. Even from a distance, I could see that his plump lips could lose any woman in his kiss. But no, I had to feign being unimpressed because a man that looks like that is bad news for me.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" She briskly pulled her sunglasses off, shooting me a look of disgust.

"Are your sunglasses blinding you?"

I snorted. "Nope. I can see perfectly clear."

"Ugh! If you think that Billy Hargrove is just alright, then I don't even want to know what kind of men you consider perfect." Aria mentioned seriously to me as she laid back and placed her sunglasses back on.

"Don't care. I'm going for a dip." I threw my flask back inside my bag before rising to my feet towards the pool to swim a few laps.

Stroking through the water, there is no one alive who can stop me. It's a moment like this that makes me miss the beaches in California. But I close my eyes and lose myself, pretending that's exactly where I am.

Unaware how long I've been swimming to and fro, I do one more lap before I take a break and reward myself with another sip of whiskey.

As I am motioning out of the water and my feet are planted onto the cement, a deep, male voice captures my attention. "Here."

I look and it is the stud himself, Billy Hargrove handing me a towel. "Oh thanks." I accepted with a soft smile, almost hesitant because I have a towel in my bag but I didn't want to seem rude.

I begin pat drying my long, black hair with the towel and begin sauntering towards my designated pool lounger, but Billy halts me, "Hey sweetheart." I spun around to face him with furrowed brows. "What's your name?" He asked, removing his glasses to reveal his annoyingly beautiful, blue eyes.

"Victoria. And you?" I asked even though I already know.

"The name's Billy." He said, randomly placing a piece of gum in his mouth which caused me to catch a glance at his lips, then to his abs and back to his eyes. I swear I saw the corner of his lip quirk up when he caught me. "Nice to meet ya Victoria."

"You too Billy." The sun was so hot that I didn't even need to dry off my body anymore. Instead, I threw the towel over my shoulder.

"Am I mistaken or is this your first time here?" He asked, smacking his gum as he's indiscreetly giving me an elevator look.

"No you're right." Before Billy had the chance to speak any further, I pointed behind him towards the pool. "Hey, I think there's a kid drowning over there."

Just as I predicted, he cautiously looked over his shoulder and that's when I made a beeline towards my pool lounger next to Aria.

"You. Dumb. Bitch." Aria remarked with obvious displeasure as I'm searching for my flask. "I can't be friends with you anymore."

"What now, Aria?"

"Billy the hottie was obviously into you and you blew it! Ugh, the things I'd do to be in your shoes right now."

"Oh please. He's just another pretty boy that wants one thing." I implied before taking a sip. "Go over there and talk to him yourself then." Flickering my eyes, I am now seeing that Billy's back on his lifeguard chair.

"Um no. If Billy wants somebody, Billy always makes the first move. Do I look like I want to embarrass myself right now?"

"If you say so." I said, readjusting the pool lounger so that it was flat and I lied on my stomach, using my arms as a makeshift pillow. "Can you rub sunscreen on me and wake me up in 30. I'm taking a nap."

Being the good friend that she is, Aria stole the sunscreen from my bag and did as I asked. She knows I'd do the same for her.

"I know you can't see right now," she started after a minute of no words exchanged, "but he's looking over here. Probably at your ass." She paused. "I wouldn't blame him though."

She's right. I do have a nice ass.

"Billy can stare all he wants. What do I care?" I uttered lazily, eyes closed and ready to sleep.

"You're insane! If I can't have him, then can you have him for me? And tell me if it is big!" She whisper shouted, rubbing the last bit of sunscreen needed on me.

"Im not having sex with anyone, Aria. Especially not him. I'm taking my nap now."

Billy is just another handsome face with a Calvin Klein body which doesn't impress me because it seems like he's used to getting any woman he wants. But I'm not any other woman, so he can use that charm on the next one for all I care.

[nervousmendes]

Drunken Haze | Shawn Mendes

Shawn x reader (smut)

a/n: this was a failed attempt at writing smut for the first time. (it's very mild, mostly just sexual tension and making out) do check out more of my work on my masterlist right here

summary: Shawn sees the reader at a bar and makes a move.

warnings: mild smut (making out) and very little swearing

Cez does his fair share of research when it comes to choosing a bar to spend the night at, and when you're in Paris (yes, with a French accent) it's totally worth it. Brian walked in first, Shawn and Cez not far behind. "Man I'm so getting shit-faced in here." he sighed as the three of them observed the fancy lights, furniture and wall hangings, taking in the scent of alcohol and cigerettes suspended in in the warm air of the closed space. Cez being the only bright one in the three, quickly spotted an empty booth in the lounge but Shawn's eyes fell straight on a blond haired women, her black dress hugging her hips so well and her toned legs crossed one over the other while she tipped her head back, letting the expensive wine in the glass she was holding flow into her system.

There was something about her that intrigued him. Maybe it was the confidence she radiated, the way she sat with her back poised, the way her silky hair flowed down her shoulders or maybe it had something to do with how her skin glowed in the dim lighting. He felt the urge to approach her, like she pulled him towards her. And it was as if his legs knew what his heart wanted when they started making calculated steps towards the bar counter that she was facing. His thoughts went every which way trying to figure out what to say as he took the stool exactly beside her's, completely ignoring the five (or more) empty stools on his other side.

"Hey." He internally patted himself on the back for sounding a lot more confident than he actually was.

"Do I know you?" Her face broke into a polite smile, and her thick french accent dripped with the words she spoke out of her red stained lips.

"Maybe?"

Too cocky.

"You don't give me a businessman vibe." She said looking at him from head to toe. Looking. She saw the black denim that covered his toned legs, his satin, white shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and the little scar on his cheek that gave his soft facial features a more rugged look. Shawn watched her keenly. His hand went to his hair, fingers pushing a stray curl out of his eye.

"What makes you think I'm a businessman?" He turned in his stool and rested his arm on the bar counter to make her shift her vision from his face to his forearm that flexed under the thin fabric.

"They're usually the cocky ones." He was searching for what to say slightly taken aback by the fact that someone found him cocky, considering that no one has ever called him that before, not in a bad way. He wasn't offended, just surprised. In fact he liked that the whole 'be confident' thing was working.

"But you seem nice, I'll give you that." She chuckled while twirling the empty wine glass in her small hand.

"Will you let me buy you your next drink?"

She considered it, and almost nodded yes for affirmation but then her brows drew in an L shape. "I think I've already had too much to drink." She was mentally trying to count how many times the bartender filled her glass with Chartreuse.

"So why don't you tell me your name, mysterious, handsome, American man?" She said leaning close to him. The already deep cut neck line of her dress plunged down even further, dangerously low, making Shawn draw in a sharp breath through his mouth.

"I love mysterious and handsome, but I'm actually Canadian." He narrowed his eyes at her with a smirk and she couldn't help but smile.

"And nice to meet you, I'm Shawn. Et toi?"

"I can tell you skipped your french classes often back in school." She broke into a chuckle, making Shawn grin right back at her, his face very close to hers.

"You know nothing about me, but I'm afraid this one's true." He whispered, his minty breath fanning her face. She laughed again while placing her hand on Shawn's toned bicep that was rested on the countertop.

"You're funny." Her gaze burned into him.

"I wasn't even trying." Liar.

"I'm guessing that's a lie." They never broke eye contact.

"For someone that guesses a lot, you're pretty accurate."

"You know nothing about me." She said just like he did a minute ago, her lips almost grazing his making sure to not touch them. What a tease.

"How about," the tips of his calloused fingers went to her bare shoulder, "I start with knowing what those pretty lips of yours taste like?" and stroked the soft, supple skin on her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind.

"That's a good start." She inched closer.

"So is that a yes?"

Instead of giving him an answer, she touched his lips with hers, hands going to either side of his neck. He covered her mouth with his, tasting the expensive alcohol she had been drinking all night. He nudged closer to get a better angle, his large hands taking purchase on her waist. Their tongues danced with each other's, deepening the kiss. He moaned under his breath when she licked the roof of his mouth, and he used that as an opportunity to suck on her lower lip. Her nails scratched his scalp, tangling her fingers in his long, soft curls and she quickly figured how much he liked it from the way he kissed her harder in response to tugging his hair. She broke the kiss for air, he assumed but then when he pulled her in again, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I live only ten minutes away, let's get out of here." She was breathing heavily. He nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before getting off the stool and helping her down shortly after. He left a quick text to Brian asking them to carry on with whatever they were upto and rolled his eyes at Brian's response telling him to "not bust that nut too quick". They got in an Uber and sat beside each other, lips red and swollen, breath heavy, and their thoughts everywhere. They didn't say a word to each other. They didn't know what to say but they were both trying to reach out for some sort of connection. She cleared her throat in an attempt to gather the right words before she spoke. Her eyes were set on her hands that played with the hem of her dress.

"Is now a good time to tell you.." He looked up at her, signalling for her to go on. She gulped, "that I actually know who you are, and I acted like I didn't because I didn't want you think of me as someone who would see you as an object just because you're a celebrity." She made air quotes on the word 'celebrity', like it was such a weird thing to say, a word that gives a human, with a little fame they never knew was coming their way, the title of an object.

"That is the best decision you ever made. If I knew you knew I'm sure I wouldn't even have made a move. You have no idea how glad I am that you did that."

She finally dropped the hem of her dress and looked back at him through her long eyelashes. That was it, there was no holding back anymore. Shawn's lips crashed into hers and she kissed his mouth back with that much force, curling her fingers into the collar of his shirt. His one hand went around her waist, palm flat against the small of her back, and the other was tangled in her beautiful, blond locks.

Their lips didn't leave other's even while unlocking the door, and just like you see in the movies, they kissed their way into her bedroom until Shawn's legs hit the cot and his butt landed on the soft spring mattress of her bed. She kicked off her heels and threw one leg to his other side, her knees on either side of his legs, straddling him. His hands slid down from her waist to fill his palms with the flesh of her toned bum. He cooed as he kneaded them with every movement she made sitting right on top his hard-on that strained his tight denims. Shawn drew his lips away from her mouth to leave wet kisses down her jawline and along the expanse of her throat. He attached his lips to the spot under her ear and sucked on the skin there, causing a shivering moan to tumble down her plump lips. He explored her neck and her chest with his hungry lips, tasting the lavender flavour of the soap she lathered on herself earlier that evening. Somewhere along kissing and a lot of exploring later, all the clothing they helped each other get rid of were scattered on the floor, sweat covered bodies moulding and crashing to give each other the climax they longed for.

(I cannot write smut for shit so I cut the crap out and got to the point.)

She woke up to the warmth of the sun shining on her golden skin through the half drawn blinds, feeling a mild headache from all that she had to drink the previous night. That's when she remembered him. She jutted her head out of her pillow to see that his clothes weren't on the floor anymore. She shifted under the sheets to find an empty bed beside her and a post it note neatly placed in the centre, exactly where he slept. She took it in her hand, squinting until she could read what it said.

Sorry, I left without saying goodbye. I'm playing a show today and I have to be there early. Last night was really fun. x

- S.M

Her lips formed a shy smile and her cheeks were tinged a shade of red as she recollected the events of last night. She folded the piece of paper in her hand contemplating whether she had to throw it or save it. She looked down at it one more time, and that's when she noticed that something was written on the other side. She turned the post-it around, to find a phone number written on it and under it he'd written, "maybe I'm glad I didn't say goodbye".

She laughed to herself, carefully placing the paper in her journal, already excited by the idea of seeing him again. She met Shawn less than twenty four hours ago and hardly knew anything about him, but there something about him that drew her in, made her want to get to know him better and of course feel that pretty mouth of his between her legs once again.

_______________________________________________

I'm thinking maybe I'll do a part 2 to this so let me know what you think. Hope you liked this one. Reply to this or leave me a message if you want to get added to my taglist!!

[aureatesvn]

Economy//Jaebeom

Content: humour, fluff(?) if you squint

Model!Jaebeom has never been so confused.

Or,

An avid display of the frustrations of the rich (and supposedly famous).

People came and went like clockwork, each individual blurring into a mass flow of luggage and sweatpants and crying children, lord save him from the crying children. The airport was just a disaster waiting to happen, but he found an awkward kind of comfort in the timeless feel of the place. It was the same routine every time, arrive a few hours early, pass through security, don his trusty bucket hat and find somewhere to wait. With a book, preferably. This time was no different, aside from the… minor intrusion.

It had been less than an hour since he'd made himself comfortable in his isolated corner of the seating area, it was a nice spot and he was quite proud of himself for finding it, to be honest. He'd scoured almost a quarter of the airport (the quarter he was confined to), and it had taken exactly 38 minutes, but he'd eventually gravitated towards the large windows where the morning sunlight was streaming in from. A few moments later, he'd snagged the perfect spot. It was sort of a treasure-hunt type game to him, and he'd undeniable succeeded.

Unfortunately now he was feeling dozy, the warmth of the sun warming him, and the ebbing of people passing by allowing him some peace. It was the perfect setting for a nap, and he'd all but given up on trying to focus on his book. He needed a cold drink, which meant he had to go find a cold drink… He surveyed the area for any nearby cafés or bars, and was left with a single option he could make out if he squinted into the distance, that's where he'd have to go then. 

With a resigned sigh, he started collecting his things, unwilling to part with his spot, when a brilliant idea struck him. Possibly the best idea he'd had in his entire life, really. 

He returned the things to their original places, jacket across the back of the chair, bag (which he'd taken his phone and wallet out of) planted decisively on the seat. He considered leaving his hat as well, but eventually decided that was a step too far, and stepped back to assess his work. 

Well, the seat was indisputably taken, and anyone who would argue otherwise was either blind (in which case he'd happily offer up the seat anyway), or specifically looking to cause trouble. He possibly could have worried a bit more about theft and such, but as it was, he took it as a test of the upstanding airport security and didn't think much more of it. 

Happy with his spot secured, he smiled to himself and ambled his way to the café, peering back every so often to check no one was getting too close to his place. He had one or two stares at how he was forced to angle his head in a rather ostrich-esque way, but it was most definitely worth it. Eventually he was too far away to see, and focused on getting his drink and getting back as soon as possible. 

He was halfway back with his lime soda when he saw it. Actually, he'd seen it a bit before then, but had been in denial about the rather horrible turn of events, and so hadn't quite believed his eyes. He most definitely believed them now. As he drew closer, the scene he was nearing didn't get any less horrifying. In fact, when he was close enough to feel the need to cautiously side-step his way to his belongings, it was decidedly more awful than he'd anticipated from a distance. 

There was someone right there. 

Not on his chair, his things were still perfectly in place, untouched, but at the uncomfortably close distance of the very-next-seat along, there was a person. And all their things. 

He stood over his seat, trying to process the events that led up to this, not quite fully understanding how the obviously taken seat hadn't deterred this female (he thought she was female, at least) from making herself at home in the 2 seat radius surrounding the chair. Least of all, what had prompted her to sit right next- 

'Is there a problem?'

Yes yes yes yes yes absolutely, please leave.

'Sorry?' was all he could choke out.

She was looking up at him, but somehow managed to be looking down her nose, and he had enough sense in him to recognise she felt rich. Or maybe it was her small(ish) collection of branded items. Fendi? Jackson would have a field day. 

'I asked if there was a problem? I don't appreciate being ogled at.'

He was at a loss for words, he hadn't expected her to be so… brusque. Usually strangers at the airport interacted with a stilted politeness, lots of half-bows, please and thank yous, maybe she didn't get the memo? Taking a sip of his lime soda, he noted that Saint Laurent was also present within her collection. How ironic. 

'Ah, no, I wasn't looking at you, these' he gestures to his bag, 'are my belongings…'

He's not quite sure what he was expecting, but whatever it was, it absolutely wasn't for her to look possibly more offended than she had been before he'd spoken. Maybe she'll move if I upset her enough? 

As he half heartedly checks himself for thinking such a thing, she swivels her head back and forth between him and his things, the sunlight glinting off of her hair.

'They're,' she points at his seat, 'yours?'           

She points at him, disbelief written across her face. They stay like that in silence for a few moments, at an impasse.

He coughs awkwardly and takes another sip.

'Yes…?' 

At this point he's thinking it maybe wasn't worth it, and it would be easier for him to just find a different spot, without the oddly confrontational scenery.

'Are you sure?'

He chokes on his lime soda. Through spluttering and coughing and the highly unpleasant burning (fizzing) at the back of his throat, he resolutely decides he's not letting her chase him away from his spot. He got there first anyway. 

Fighting mindset truly in place, he sets her with a condescending smile, and drawls out his question like he would to address a rather irritating child.

'You don't believe that the bag and jacket that I put on that chair, walked over to collect, and said were mine are… mine?'

He sees the realisation dawn on her, and fights the urge to laugh (not because he wanted to be polite, but because his throat was still tingling and he was sure he'd end up coughing again if he laughed at her). She pouts and waves a manicured hand between them, shaking her head.

'No, no, it's just people travelling... economy… tend to…y'know...have...' 

People travelling eco- What?

He blinks at her, once again unsure what to say. 

'WAIT- Not- Not that economy is a bad thing or anything, that's not what I meant-'

A part of him is relieved that there are obviously people out there who are far worse than him at meeting strangers. The other part of him is bitter that he had to meet one of them. He's certain the ice in his soda has melted at this point, and curses her for (if nothing else) leaving him with a diluted room-temperature drink.

'Look, I'll just take my things and-' he spots a relatively empty block across the seating area from them, and gestures to make sure she sees. She blinks up at him owlishly, as if waiting for him to go, and he sighs tiredly. The polite thing to do is to offer to move instead. 

After approximately 15 seconds, he gives up, collects his jacket and bag, and trundles over to the less sunny, less quiet, and overall less comfortable seating block. 

He spends the next two hours trying to lose himself in his book, checking the flight status and complaining to the guys about the awful encounter.

At roughly 11:45 he finally hears the boarding announcement,

Flight KE418 to Seoul will be boarding shortly, please proceed to gate 117.

And by some sheer luck, he finds himself at the very front of the queue when the man at the desk starts checking passports and boarding passes. 

He practically skips his way down the corridor to the plane, buzzing with excitement. He's almost home. The flight attendant smiles at him, checks his pass and escorts him to an aisle seat, and when he takes off his hat to push back his hair, there's a barely noticeable twitch of her lip to show that she recognises him before she disappears to attend to another passenger. 

He sinks into his seat, browsing movie options on the monitor, and is just about to put headphones on when he hears it.

'Oh, thank you, sorry, this seat? Thanks…'

That voice did not go with that meek tone at all. 

He looks up to see her nervously shuffling down the right-hand aisle, and slowing down when the attendant does, one seat ahead. Please no, let me have my flight in peace, lord if you have any mercy…

'This is seat 04, if you have further requirements or any issues, just let us know.'

As it turns out, the lord didn't have any mercy free today. 

He takes in her slight frame over the divider, made to look smaller by her hunched shoulders and clasped hands, before realising she's not yet sat down because she's been staring at him. Great, now all he had to do was figure out if she recognised him because she'd chased him away earlier, or because she'd seen his face in a magazine. Or both. 

He decides to take initiative, and smile politely at her, bowing his head. She's already slowly turning a deep pink and, somewhere in the back of his head, he thinks she's quite cute when she's flustered. 

With that thought, he decides he's in a good enough mood to tease her, and acknowledges that there's no way she won't have recognised his clothes (if not his face) from earlier.

'So, economy huh?'

[puttooru]

“The first petal fell and everything changed.” ⸺ kuroken

KOZUME KENMA STILL vividly remembers that summer; as clear as the glow of fireflies at night and even as clear as the scorching sun.

He was born in a world where soul mates are determined by God through a red thread on the little finger that will be connected and intertwined with their other souls at the age of 18—and Kuroo is half his soul.

It's hard to believe, but that's exactly what Kenma got, God gave him, half of his soul.

Kozume Kenma still vividly remembers that summer; when the red threads on Kenma's and Kuroo's fingers connected and intertwined; there was a chuckle on the man's lips.

"Who would have thought?"

Kenma realized, that what Kuroo wanted to say was not like that but; why do we have to be connected to each other at the end of a breakup like this?—that was the time when Kuroo had just graduated and Kenma had advanced to the next level, third grade, and their volleyball club had long been lonely since Kuroo was busy with his exams.

There was a time when Kenma just sat in the corner of their club room with a volleyball in his hand. The hustle and bustle created by his classmates could never replace Kuroo's voice, smile, or even laughter. Kenma even with his incompetence couldn't make their volleyball club room more colorful, Lev was even more gloomy than usual—maybe he missed Yaku and maybe Kenma's inability made him like that.

Kozume Kenma still vividly remembers that summer; when Kuroo was about to step into the airport with a dream on each shoulder—he would leave Japan and all that was in it, even having to reluctantly leave the half of his newly connected soul—Kuroo kissed the top of Kenma's head, smiling faintly with warm pats and caresses Kenma will miss the next three years.

"Take care of yourself, kitten. Don't stay up too late, quickly catch up with me after graduation."

"Yes... Kuroo." Kenma's voice had never been so hoarse, but parting and Kuroo was the worst mix for Kenma; she cried the same night that Kuroo walked away.

Sometimes, Kenma wondered. Why did they even become a soul couple? It's not that Kenma hates God's choice, but Kuroo with all the noise Kenma never realized would become a complement to his soul. Kenma didn't really expect it either.

But, Shoyo once said to her with a laugh. "I wasn't surprised, after all, when I found out that Kenma and Kuroo-san were soulmates. Besides, long before your common thread was connected, Kenma and Kuroo-san already seemed to have a complete complement of souls.

"I'm not surprised either, Shoyo and Kage are one soul."

And after Kenma's three years of waiting, at the end of his 21 years, Kuroo will come home, to him. Kenma had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The moment where they would truly live life as a pair of souls, Kenma had been waiting for him, for a long time. He would greet Kuroo with a big smile, get into his arms, and let Kuroo touch him for a long time or even more.

But early that morning, Kenma was curled up on the bed. His body was cold and his chest was burning. He gently pressed the left side of the chest that felt tight and burning from the inside and outside. The man didn't even realize when he had screamed until his throat was almost dry and his voice box nearly burst.

When he got up and limped looking at the mirror, there was a sentence written in a straight line on his left chest; "I love you, Kenma."

_____

Kuroo had never felt this happy, as his feet stepped on the Japanese mainland once again and inhaled the cool air in his pores. The reddish sight that greeted him made the man smile warmly, after this he would take Kenma for a walk to enjoy the autumn, because Kuroo knew the past two weeks the man would only curl up on the bed with his cell phone in hand—Kenma's typical.

Kenma's house in front of him was still the same as before, still leafy and lonely outside, but there was a half of his soul that waited and called.

Kuroo had never felt this shocked, when he rang Kenma's doorbell and the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs sounded loud in his ears, when the main door opened only Kenma immediately melted into his arms. Kuroo's chest felt wet and he knew half his soul was crying, so much that Kenma choked on his own spit.

"Don't go, Kuroo. Don't go."

Kuroo thought, maybe the man was still delirious so he hugged Kenma tighter and showered the top of the man's head with lots of kisses. "I'm home, Kenma. I'm home."

_____

"So, the mark that appears on the left side of the chest is the last sentence of our half soul?" Kuroo knew Kenma would cry again, just like three weeks ago when the man had melted into his arms, the same time the mark appeared on Kenma's chest.

Akaashi nodded seriously, there was a trembling tone in his voice. "And usually, if the mark appears painfully with a suffocating burning feeling, it won't last long."

"When?"

"At most, three years." Kuroo gasped and his eyes turned to Kenma who was smiling.

On the way back to their apartment, Kuroo looked at Kenma once again and he was still the same as an hour ago; smiled blankly. Why did Kenma have to show such an expression?

"Kenma...." Kuroo wanted to ask, about the marks that appeared on his left chest and even about the age that he said would not last long.

"No, Kuroo. Please don't." But, Kenma looked away, staring at the expanse of trees whose leaves were reddish.

"Why?"

"Please, don't say that you love me. I don't want to lose you, Kuroo." And Kenma wept in the silence of the car and the smell of lavender, in the noontime that was as cold as yesterday.

"About that mark, I have one too, Kenma."

"Do not say."

Kuroo gripped the steering wheel, there was a pain when he remembered Akaashi's words about his imminent age. Kenma said he couldn't say that he loved the man. But Kuroo wanted to say it, that he loved Kenma as much as the stars and as wide as the Ocean—because Kuroo never had the chance to say it in their time of separation. If Kuroo said it even once, would there still be a reward?

"I still want to be with you a little longer."

That sentence... that sign... no they're even cursed signs that are still connected to each other.

"I still want to be with you a little longer."

"I love you."

_____

Kozume Kenma had never felt this pain. His chest was burning, just like when the mark had first appeared. But this time, his throat was also on fire. It was hot and he wanted to scream, loudly.

Kuroo wasn't in the apartment. Kenma was alone there, curled up on his bed like a cat. He tried to reduce the pain by pressing his chest and even drinking glasses of mineral water, but it was still the same. Still sore, tight, and burning.

Kenma tried to distract himself from the pain, remembering their time together the past three years; they finally decided to live together—actually, ever since Kuroo returned to Japan and Kenma was crying loudly in his arms, Kuroo thought maybe Kenma was already longing for a rich man, he bought an apartment and brought Kenma to live there. He didn't want Kenma to cry anymore because he already missed him, even though if only he could at that time Kenma told everything, that he was already afraid when he read the sentence on his left chest; I love you.

Kenma had once thought badly of God, feeling that God actually hated them. Hate the words of love between them, why should that sentence be the cursed sign? But Kuroo has it all, has various ways to express his feelings, even though Kenma knows the man is often tortured, he wants to say that he loves Kenma as much as the stars and as wide as the Ocean.

But, Kuroo had everything. He gave a touch and Kenma knew there were words and feelings running through there. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head, gave her warm pats and rumbles on her hair, her fingers touching her skin sometimes feeling warm. Without a word even a sound, there was a feeling flowing there. Kuroo loved her, as much as the stars and even as wide as the Ocean. And Kenma loved that man as much as he was given.

His chest tightened again and Kenma's throat, still burning, now felt as dry as the Sahara desert. Kenma reached for his glass, drank glasses of mineral, but it was still dry. Even after that excruciating feeling, the throat was now choking. There are tears running down the corners of the eyes.

Kenma coughed. At first it was just a normal cough and it got worse when Kenma drank a glass of water, he was now sitting on the side of the bed, hugging himself. Akaashi's words about the age that he soon remembered, played like a broken record in his mind. Kenma smiled, don't tell me it's time.

But Kenma still wakes up in the afternoon, he sleeps for three hours, there are messages and calls continuously from Kuroo who looks worried about his unread messages. Kenma grimaced, he felt guilty for making the man panic.

The pain has also disappeared. Kenma wonders, is God still giving him a chance?

A flower fell on her lap.

_____

The Kozume Kenma of today, is not the Kozume Kenma it was three months ago. But for Kuroo, his Kenma was still the same as before. Still with the same smile, greeting voice, expression, and even a small chuckle. Kenma didn't change, to Kuroo.

Even when his body shrunk because of the decreasing weight. Even when his face grew paler. Even when the man coughed incessantly, he vomited flower petals mixed with blood.

The kenma is still the same.

"Kenma, wanna watch?" Kuroo sat next to him with the television remote in his hand.

Kenma shifted his body closer and rested his head on Kuroo's shoulder. His eyes closed, thinking. "A Quiet Place?"

Kuroo laughed softly at his choice. "Why should it be?"

"Because I'm also living in fear, Kuroo. But the difference is, it's not that I want to avoid mysterious creatures, but the pursuit of God. I'm afraid of death."

Without a word or even a sound, Kuroo carried Kenma in an embrace. "You're not going anywhere, Kenma." The sound of the television filled in, Kenma's film of choice began to play. "I will always protect you, even if I have to defy fate." Kenma chuckled.

"Don't joke, Kuroo."

Now, after three agonizing months, Kenma realized that it was not Kuroo who would leave him, but himself. Why did Kenma have to be so cruel to forbid the man to say the word love to him? Kuroo was probably too thirsty, too eager, and too deep to say, and Kenma selfishly forbade—for three years.

Kenma hugged back, his hands shaking and it felt so weak just to just hug him. Kenma wanted to at least touch the man one more time, longer, before it was all over. "I love you Kuroo."

"Me too, Kenma. You even know that."

"Don't say that. Say that you love me too."

"Why? Why should I?"

"Because maybe, all this time, you were tormented. I've been selfish with you, Kuroo. So slumon, say it. Even though even after that the worst thing happened, at least I didn't have to—" Kuroo shook his head firmly, he hugged Kenma tighter than before, but careful enough to fear that the man might get hurt at any moment.

His kenma was like a fragile pearl, but Kuroo never regretted falling and becoming half his soul.

"Don't say it like that. You can still hold on much longer. If I say so, shouldn't I be the one who seems more selfish here?"

"Sorry." Kenma was upset. "Sorry, Kuro."

Maybe it's too soon or maybe it's true that Kenma can never last much longer. His condition worsened in the fifth month and Kuroo was never far from him. The man seemed to always have plenty of time, sitting by Kenma's bed all the time, telling stories and holding Kenma's hand which was smaller than his own.

And even Kenma's palm was still the same as before, it still felt snug in his grip.

In that fifth month, their volleyball club alumni, their classmates at Nekoma, Shoyo, Kageyama, Bokuto, Akaashi, and even people who had been on the same field as them, visited one after another. Looking at Kenma, seeing half of his soul which is getting more and more gnawed by the disease of fate. That damn disease, after the cursed mark that appeared at their 21st.

Sometimes, Kuroo asked, why did all these things have to happen to them?

Kozume Kenma… even it felt like Kuroo couldn't name a hint of badness about that man. The Kenma is too kind, fragile, and shouldn't be rewarded like this. This was not a fate that Kuroo never once expected.

"Kuroo." Kenma called out to him, the hand that was in his grip clasped back. "Don't cry. You don't deserve to cry, Kuroo."

Kuroo laughed, wiping the flow of water down his cheeks. He kissed Kenma's hand, placed it next to his cheek and looked at the man the same way they looked 18 years ago, the gaze that never changed, still the same. Full of feeling there, full of love, full of warmth.

"I want to talk." Kenma spoke again, he stared at the ceiling of the hospital room. The IV bottle swayed as Kenma coughed, not too badly.

"What, Kenma?"

"You believe, don't you, that this is all part of destiny? Something that God wrote before we were born." Kuroo kissed Kenma's palm once again. "I believe."

"So if I go, you won't be suing God, will you, Kuroo?"

"I won't."

Kenma sighed. There was a smile that was hard to spread. "Sometimes, I wonder, Kuroo. Why did all this have to happen. But when I realized what the reason was, I wasn't mad at God." Kenma coughed, this time quite badly. There were flower petals and frozen blood, it felt like Kuroo hadn't seen the petals in a long time.

"He said, someone who is affected by destiny's disease, is someone who does not deserve to be half a soul. God gave his partner the wrong word, that's why this disease exists."

Kuroo shook his head firmly. God got it wrong? Even Kenma was his half soul which was too kind, to the point that Kuroo felt unworthy. "Kenma, kitten, all you have to know here is that I don't deserve to be your half soul. You're too good, too perfect, and there's no reason to make you unworthy."

"Thank you Kuroo." Kenma smiled. "Want to promise one thing? If God gives you another half soul, please accept him and forget me. At least, don't forget too much, keep a little about me in the smallest space of your heart."

Kenma coughed. More and more flower petals fell. Blood that was frozen even fresh blood flowed down. "Actually, I don't want to go, Kuroo."

Kuroo held Kenma's hand, squeezing it tightly. It was tight, it was so tight—the nurse Kuroo called after Kenma's first cough came through the button beside the bed and hadn't shown the bridge of his nose either—Kuroo wanted to throw a tantrum. "Please, please hold on a little longer."

Kenma smiled. "It's about time, Kuroo."

"Don't smile! Don't smile!" I don't know when and since when, Kuroo cried. He held Kenma's cheek, caressed it, carrying it in his arms. Kuroo's nose was rubbing against Kenma's cheek, his face was wet, but Kenma was still smiling, still able to—albeit trembling—to stroke his hair.

Kenma coughed again, getting worse and worse. But Kuroo won't let go, won't.

Kenma Kuroo's face pressed against his collarbone, "No, Kenma. Don't. Don't say it. Please hold on a little longer."

"I still want to be with you a little longer, Kuroo." Kenma smiled and as if not hearing Kuroo's desperate request, the man spoke in one stuttering breath, in one heartbreaking breath.

Kuroo stared at Kenma in disbelief, yet to say those cursed words—to be precise—don't want to. Still hoping that God would be kind enough to give me one more chance. But the pulse is gone, the pulse is gone, the bad cough will no longer be there. Everything about Kenma was taken forcibly by God just like that.

Kuroo hugged Kenma, who was now colder than anything.

"I love you, Kenma."

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Truth & Lies' :New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"Truth & Lies"

Chapter Summary : Bell awake for real in the new safehouse as Sims finally started the group's moves on Duvall

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +4000

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After having a little talk with Sims himself and going back to Park, I was finally able to return back to sleep with her, getting out of my head all the negatives thoughts I had about everything on me. Just by having Park either in my arms or having me in her arms, I was feeling more peaceful and in safety, giving me a sort of protection against my bad dreams but even with her, they were still there and what happened when I woke up in the middle of the night proved that point of view : they will still continue to persist.

Nonetheless, it was the last one of the night, allowing me to have a proper sleep until I woke up. The first thing that woke me up was in fact the sound of a radio that was downstairs, it was not loud but enough to wake me as I was blinded by the sun through the window that was raising up on the city. When my eyes were fully operational, I saw that I was the only person on the bed as Park already left and there were no need to panick at all.....don't worry, Yiri ! She's just downstairs, having breakfast !......

I didn't plan to stay on the bed any further and in a second, I got up from the bed and start dressing myself up with my clothes. It was just 9:42 AM in here but since it's our first official day of work in the US, it was better for me and the others to get ready early in case. Once I was ready, I make a quick turn to my room to take the necessary : my handgun and my jacket and then I head off downstairs to join the others.

There weren't anybody in the kitchen but there were some food on the table for anyone to take and also a little coffee machine on the counter. I decided to just take an little crescent with an cup of coffee, not something too big as I was still feeling like a knot in my chest, thinking of the last bad dream I had with Zasha. I really hope that they're alive somewhere with their brother, maybe with Portnova. They has to be alive !

My coffee ready, I start to walk to the living room....well, our operations room. It was there that I could hear the source of the radio and also some people talking. When I arrived just near the door leading to that room, I could see Park and Sims, chatting while they were having their breakfast, of everything and nothing, sit on two differents couchs.

"Hey, Yirina !" Park was the first one to saw me arrive in the room as the door was just at her sight, she was holding her cup of coffee in hands, having just taken a sip from it. "Come have a sit." She tapped at her right, showing me the empty place on her couch.

"You're looking like someone who has a good night." Sims looked at me, I could hear the funny feeling in his voice, more like as a 'you slept well with Park, I seem.'

"Well, at least, I'm not looking like someone from the NVA or an viet-cong !" I joked, finally sitting on the couch, Sims laughing from it as Park, looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"There's something I'm not aware or...." She started to question, mixing between looking at me & Sims, confused. "Sims ?" She asked her, looking serious

"Let's say that I almost took Yirina for an soviet as I was dreaming of Vietnam." He replied, winking at me. "In fact, yes, she is an soviet....an old one...." He added as I was giving him a fake serious look with that statement.

"You almost shot me in the face." I pointed at him, not making him forget that he nearly took his gun that was on that table.

"You entered the kitchen without making a noise !" He exclaimed, putting his cup of coffee on the small table that was between our two couchs

"How I couldn't know that you were in that kitchen, sleeping on that chair ?" I asked him, getting further into that little fun game we just started before taking a bit of the crescent and a sip from my own coffee.

"I wasn't sleeping, I was dreaming." He tried to defend himself before I could see Park rolling her eyes, desesperated.

"Oh my god, you're sounding like two kids in my charge." She said, getting comfy in the couch as we both looked at her. "By that, if you had killed Yirina...." She started, slowly looking at Sims with an look that could kill a god......was she faking it....or not ?......"I would have become your worst nightmares." Nope, she wasn't faking it but even with that, she decided to relax him by laughing at her turn, showing that she was joking......not really.

"She meaned it." I affirmed as Sims smirked, I know that he know about us but he know that he can't talk about this....hopefully. "Anyways, how's everyone feeling ?" I asked, maybe to both.

"Doing great, just had a great night." Park was the first to reply, turning her head around to wink at me with her eye that wasn't at Sims sight but I think he saw it.

"Same for me...if we don't count your intervention." Sims finally answered, making me rolling my eyes again before I looked around, wondering of something,

"Where's Wolf ?"

"He will arrive shortly : he's training in the Bayou." Sims responded as he was to know more about Wolf. "The Bayou is like his playground, he's from Louisiana." He added, giving me more details about the man in charge of the place.

"Since when do you know him ?" Park asked

"Exactly ? I don't remember...." Sims shook his head, passing his hand through his hair, removing his cap on the way.

"Actually...." A voice was heard near the door before it could reveal Wolf himself in his casual clothes, holding an sniper rifle in his right hand. "We met when I joined the Delta Force at my 18 birthday." He added finally entering the room.

"Hi, Wolf !" I waved at him....at the same time as Park while Wolf walked through the room to get to a table where guns were posed on.

"How was the training ?" Sims asked him

"As usual." Wolf simply replied as he put his sniper rifle on the table before looking at me & Park. "You had a good night, I hope ?" We both nodded as I could see Sims having a little grin on his face...yeah,yeah, we know that you know, Sims....."So, I guess that we could finally have our briefing as we have everything now to start."

"Okay...." Sims whispered, getting up from his couch to move next to the dashboard we all saw last night, filled this time with more info than before. "Before we can strike Duvall, we have to take care of 2 persons." He moved his right hand towards a picture of a bald man with glasses "That guy is Tony Derazio, Duvall's most trusted lieutenant that is the guy making sure that the money is well used." He then moved his hand to show another picture, this one, still with glasses but with long hair. "Him....we only know him as Alvarez !"

"Alvarez is a Cuban counterfeiter that worked with Duvall as a little side business." Wolf added to Sims's briefing. "He's been very discreet and his trips is always secured, not allowing anyone to approach him."

"I'm sure that those guys are not easy to take care of, right ?" I muttered, taking that piece of intil about Alvarez.

"Duvall, Derazio & Alvarez are somehow not very public but the worst is Derazio, that guy....we only see him like one time in a week." Wolf proclaimed, showing to us some pictures from Derazio from afar during his rare times in public. "Of course, Duvall has to go to public time to time for his election campaign." He crossed his arms, looking at Duvall's election poster as my eyes....well...were focused on an picture of an light brown haired person.

"Who are they ?" I pointed to them, that picture.

"Them ?" Sims shook his head. "Frankly, we don't have any ideas. Apparently been starting to follow Duvall everywhere around when he's in public since a week."

"Maybe someone from Perseus acting like an protegee ?" Park suggested, raising an eyebrow at Sims.

"Could be..." Wolf snorted, looking at her picture. "With us now acting, we can maybe know more about that them."

"Today is going to be about scouting." Sims started, moving away from the dashboard to get to a table where some equipment were posed on. "Derazio will be the first guy to fall but we have to know more."

"Where do we start ?" I asked, having finished my coffee and crescent

"Me & Wolf will be charged to make some surveillances about Derazio's doings while you two....." Sims replied before looking at us, turning his back to us. "You maybe want to attend a political meeting from Duvall." He suggested before he showed to us a paper where we could see that Duvall was organizing a little speech today in the New Orleans.....I was a little bit taken aback to attend this kind of thing.

"He's organizing it at the Louis Armstrong Park at 2 PM, if you want to know." Wolf added.

"So, I guess that we don't have any choice...." I breathed, looking at Park who wasn't pleasant by doing this too but we have no choice and it could help us to know better about who is Duvall in person, expect of seeing his face on poster. "Well, let's not waste anything !" I got up from my couch, ready to work !

Once we cleaned up our coffee, we were really ready to go to work on Duvall's case and on his lieutenants. Wolf showed me some radios to work as Sims told him of my cryptography skills from my time in the KGB, not even mentioning one second that I was with Perseus at all. By checking the various transmissions that I worked for the next following minutes, Duvall's communications were not even using the Perseus code, I know that because I remember to be the one who created it.

Instead, they were using the american code, the same one as the CIA used back in my memories while decrypting files with Zasha and bad for Duvall, that code was a piece of cake for me. The first transmissions allowed me to discover various place where Derazio is apparently asking for sort of protection to business, like extortion & racket. It is where Duvall get a part of his money as the other part, it was Alvarez who is making it, by laundering money for him. All of this coming from the transmissions I have decrypted.

After that, there were nothing else for me as the transmissions were stopped for the day and I took more than 3 hours to do this while the others were making their moves : Park calling the MI6 to have more intels on Alvarez as he was an cuban, Sims & Wolf were planning their recon on the places I have found thanks to the transmission. It was 1:40 PM and we were finished eating as Sims & Wolf left before it was our turn as me & Park were going late to Duvall's little political speech.

We took another car that Wolf was able to get for us and then, we were in our very way to get to Louis Armstrong Park, our destination. Thanksfully, we were lucky to not have lost our way around the city while I was discovering it at the same time. It was pretty charming, very pleasant....very changing from Europe, I can say. 10 minutes after we left that we arrived at our destination. We parked the car on a parking and then, we entered the place, finding a empty bench where we could watch & hear Duvall at a safe distance.

There weren't a lot of people but there were enough for us in case we needed to hide in it. We kept our eyes on the podium where we could see 'Duvall 1984' writed a lot around it with his own slogan : 'America First'......just like the name of his party....how original ! Then, the crowd start to cheer as Duvall arrived on the podium with his escort....and the light brow haired woman at his side, dressed in casual clothes, differencing herself from Duvall's men. He then started his speech with us looking.

"So...this is Duvall...." I started, getting my arm on the bench backrest just behind Park, looking at Duvall, already annoyed by his speech.

"I understand your pain at listening to him." Park exclaimed, also annoyed by him before I could see giving me a quick look. "I see that politics isn't your thing..."

"Politicians is always making promises, are they really holding them ?" I asked a rhetoric question, not awaiting for a response. "I lived in an country where there's only one party and for that, it was already hard to keep promises up." I added, been talking about the old Soviet Union, joking about it to Park

"Thanks for reminding me how the Soviet Union politics is working, Yirina." She scoffed, making a little lovely nudge at me.

"These promises....it's all truth and lies given like that and it's more lies." I whispered, joining my hands together, thinking. "By hearing Duvall, I'm wondering how these peoples could lie as the population is going to vote for him."

"Guess that politicians aren't the people that you have in your heart." She said, putting her left hand above my heart as I looked at her "I can say that I'm sharing a little bit of that thought."

"Maybe because my heart is reserved to my friends and loved one ?" I told her, giving her a lovely look and making her blush before focusing on Duvall, visually and not by hearing him. "And to say now that we're trying to avoid an Perseus backed up politician to take control of the US by working with the same organization that wanted me dead." I added, revealing my obvious thoughts at Park.

"Can say the same for me." She exclaimed, referring to what happened to her. "You know that only the MI6 know that you're alive ?" By hearing her, I looked at her, worried.

"What ?" I snorted

"I managed to persuade Adler to not tell the CIA about you, fearing that they can try to finish what they started 3 years ago even if you're now under my responsability." She replied, giving me a little grin. "Of course, the MI6 is keeping secret your presence along with Adler and the team."

"So, I'm very lucky that you are there for me, avoiding maybe Hudson to storm in and to put a bullet himself in me." I smiled at her, relieved of her choices for me.

"With all the arguments I had with Hudson during those years and if I was given one bullet because of them, I would have been able to supply the entire British Army !" She then laugh about it, meaning that it would be a damn lot of arguments in three years. "I'm grateful to have the Crown in my back." She nudged me again like before.

"I guess I became great friends with the Crown and the MI6." I suggested to her, she nodded "God save the Queen...." I said in a low voice before making a little laugh about it and I looked at Park, having an serious look on her face.

"They are leaving the podium !" She told and I looked back at the podium to see that the ligh brown haired person was actually leaving alone the podium while Duvall was still talking. "What are we doing ?" She asked me before I had an idea and I got up,

"I'm going to follow her to see where they are going." I replied, checking if the woman was still in my sight. "Stay here to check for Duvall, we will join together back at the car when we're done."

"Ok, don't do anything stupid, we're not armed." Park exclaimed as we didn't take our guns in public, it was too risky and we weren't going to transform an public park in an warzone.

I winked at Park and then, I walked away from the bench to follow that strange person accompanying Duvall everywhere and now, they left like that without saying a thing. I could see them from afar in front of me as they left the park to cross the street. I quickly moved to allow myself to get close to them in a safe distance, fearing to lose them from my view. They wasn't suspicious of been followed and hopefully, he helped because it's not everyday that we see an redhead woman, wandering around the New Orleans with an scar on her side of the head.

After walking for minutes in the streets, they finally stopped next to a phone booth, checking if there weren't anyone inside before entering it. What they were going to do was maybe going to help us to know more about her and maybe Duvall. I found, by the odds a empty bench that was just next to the phone booth, hidden from its sight and facing the street and I decided to sit on it and again, I was able somehow to hear what they were talking about as she didn't closed the door entirely, I took a little notebook that I bring with me to take notes.

"Vikhor !" It was the first thing they said....a name that isn't american and they weren't sounding american too...."It's Sonya !" They added.....wait, are they that Sonya that had a big question mark in that memory ?

"How's life in America ?" I could hear a man's voice asking.....how I can hear it too ? At least, it's allowing me to follow the whole conversation.

"It's terrible : everything is making me sick." They replied, sounding exhausted to be there. "I have enough to act like Duvall's little puppy, following him around to protect his ass in public."

"I know, sister." The man exclaimed. "Even if Duvall is necessary for Perseus's plans, he's a very stubborn man." So.....they are from Perseus and that man too.....noted !

"Vikhor, I'm sick of been like that, I'm going back home." They told him angry, maybe homesick....

"Sonya, I can't let you do that, we need...."

"No !" They almost shouted, cuting her, what I supposed now, brother. "He can stick his own protection where I think."

"Have you always been like that ?" Their brother asked, like if it was normal for him to ask that. "Wait, don't answer. I already know."

"I just want to come back home and to be with Freya." They.....Freya ?....wait, what's the meaning of all of this ? Is this person with Freya ? "I'm taking an taxi and I'm leaving the US, Vihkor."

"Guess I can't argue with you." Their brother said in a lazy voice.

"Before you hang out, can you give Freya's number of her satellite phone ? " They asked, wanting to know it, desesperatly.....and somehow, me too. "Please.." She pleaded

"Fine, I have it, be attentive." Their brother breathed before he start to tell her the number and if I couldn't hear him saying it, they were repeating the number as they were writing it, allowing me to write it too. "Okay, now, leave the US, I have my plans soon set in motions." He finally said after finishing to tell her the number before she hang out the phone.

I was going to continue to follow them but then, they were able to get into a taxi that arrived in a instant and then, I lost track of them. They were Perseus attachée to Duvall and they weren't liking him at all, explaining why they decided to left the country. Because of their departure, they weren't a target for us....for the moment. I realized that this person was the 'Sonya' mentioned in those files with an big question marked next to her name but what is her last name and who is this Vikhor ?

Well, my job was done here....until I have a bad idea....In a second, I decided to go inside the phone booth with Freya's number in hand. Hearing her name has maked my thoughs mixed again and I don't know what I was doing now : contacting her ? It's too dangerous but somehow, I couldn't control myself to do it anyway. I started to enter the number after I put some money in the phone booth and I wasn't able to stop myself. I was trembling by a lot when I start to hear the phone ringing, biting my lips in stress.

"Freya Helvig !" I could hear Freya's voice and it put me in a big state of stress, my body wasn't responding anymore and my voice....I couldn't speak, what I was going to tell her ? "Is there anybody ?" I started to breath loudly before I took a deep breath.

"Shit, I'm sorry." I whispered in the phone before I hang it up brutally, trying to calm myself down after what I have just done, I did something stupid !

It took me minutes to calm down in that phone booth, a knot in my chest like this morning, my lungs hurting me because of my breaths and my feets feeling in fire before I could finally leave it. I wasn't feeling so well on my way back to the car, trembling a lot, hiding my head to the others with my hood as I could feel my face all white. I was still catching back my breath during the way, making it either silently or louder. I finally arrived at the car where Park was already waiting for me at the driving seat.

"Yirina, you're alright ?" She asked me as I entered the car, still in the same recovering state as before. I leaned myself on the passenger seat, my head looking on top. "Yirina, what's wrong ?" She put her hand on the top of my chest, just below my neck

"I....I did....something stupid !" I said, losing my words and struggling to have my breath back.

"Did they spot you ?" I shook my head to her.

"No, everything went okay, they were as just Perseus agent named Sonya sent to protect Duvall but...." I stopped, getting my hand on top of hers, giving me some relieving. "They weren't willing to stay any longer and they called their brother from Perseus to say that they were leaving and then, right now, they're maybe in the skies, I couldn't follow them more as they jumped into a taxi."

"They left like that ?" I nodded "But what's wrong ? You couldn't know that they were going to left and who they were ?" She added, looking worried by my state.

"They....they asked for Freya's number !" I replied, handing to her the notebook where it was written down, she took a closer look to it. "When Sonya was gone, I don't know what's got into me but....I called Freya." I sniffed, looking away in shame, trying to hold back my tears "I'm sorry."

"What did you say to her ?" She asked, not even sounding angry, pretending that I had maybe played 'Bell' with Freya again

"Nothing...." I breathed before I started to cry, letting out of all my tears I was keeping. "I.....I....I was so troubled....by her voice, by what I was going to do....that I couldn't." She then started to move to take me in her arms.

"It's okay, it's okay." She whispered to me, giving me some little kisses on the head as I was still crying. "Don't blame yourself.." She said in a low voice.

"I'm so sorry, Park." I excused myself, feeling guilty about that. "I betrayed you."

"No, you didn't." She exclaimed, making me look at her in the eyes with a smile. "You're trying to save your friends and by having her number, you can succeed to save her from Perseus."

"I don't know, can I ?" I asked, my voice cracking by saying that, thinking of Zasha, Dedov, Portnova.... "Can I ?" I repeated.

"You will and I'm always there for you." Park replied before she kissed me on the lips, giving me a little grin on my face and my state....recovering more faster even if I couldn't forgive what I have done today. "We're both on the same way, Yiri.....

.....Our way to our redemption !"

[sally-annesstories]

Day 94 - Lost City Trek to Santa Marta, Colombia

Final day of the hike!

1. I might have said it every day for the past 3 days but I've honestly never felt so grim in my life. Woke up very stinking hot this morning as it was so humid where we stayed. I was awake even before our 5am wake up call so I quickly got out of the beds as it was just too yuck to be in there. In the open space I packed my bag in the best way possible to keep clean and dirty stuff separate. Sadly nothing had really dried over night! Becs wasn't well though so we had a bit of a later departure ultimately leaving at 6.20am as she caught a mile. The first part of the walk was Colombian flat with a few up hills. There was one section of up hill which wad particularly killer as had expected it when we went down a few days earlier (the Lost City is a pesky trek where you do have to retrace all your steps as there is only one way in/out). It wasnt even 7.30am and I was dripping. At one point I ran into two guys who I'd done San Blas with who had started the walk a few days after us. Despite the later departure by 8.30am we made it to our morning fruit stop. The watermelon went down like a house on fire. Probably my favourite fruit they've given us on the walks as its just so much water.

2. The second half of the morning walk was much the same though here we did get the chunks of downhill sections. I wasn't super fast with this but at least it was less killer than going uphill in the sun. For long periods I managed to find myself alone which was pleasant as I'm bot really a menial chatter when exercising. Despite the one way in and out though there was a period where I'd been alone so long and not walked past anyone that I questioned if I was actually on the right path (despite there only really being one). Luckily some mules came trotting along and confirmed my direction. By 9am, we made it to the camp from the first day where we got a wee cake and a drink. Usually we'd be having lunch time in the not too distant future but today we would have it after all the walking. The final portion of the day saw another final killer uphill with the remainder being downhill. For the last hour I got myself alone and then listened to a podcast. I would've loved to have done this one other trek days but I didn't bring headphones with me plus it was hard to hold my phone on the muddy portions (I had a stick in one hand and water bottle in the other). But as the walk was easier here it was a good way to smash out the final hour.

3. Finally the walking was done! With the final 5 minutes being flat I made it to the restaurant where we ate on the first day. I hadn't noticed on the first day but turns out there are showers here. This was a delightful surprise. I was luckily there fairly early so 2 minutes later I was able to wash off and put on my pajamas which were my only clean clothes. I had no desire to be in my sweaty sports gear any longer. The lunch was good like all of the food on the trip. Then we hopped in the back of 4WDs for the ride to Dreamers/Santa Marta. The first portion of the ride was a bit rough on windy dirt roads the entire way. I probably spent the majority of the hour calculating on the map how much longer we'd be on it (none of the roads even show up on google). Then another hour on the main road and we were at Dreamers (we were lucky and the first stop!).

4. At Dreamers we inquired about doing laundry but unfortunately it would take 24 hours which we just didn't have. So we took to the bathroom sink to rinse everything out and hope for the best. I just wanted to get the smell out of my stuff so I can do proper laundry in the next place or two. Once this was done I also collected my main bag from baggage storage as I needed to figure out what I wanted with me for the next 2 weeks. I'm going to a few remote places so rather than trekking with everything I owned I opted to leave my main bag at the hostel and just take my day pack situation. Given length of time it was more tricky as I'm doing a range of water sport, hikes and relaxation all in the time. Plus need to be covered from mossies and all that good stuff. Once all done Becs and I went to the mall for the atm before finally being able to chill.

5. At the hostel the English guys had also arrived. It's been nice being with the same people since Panama as less work meeting new people the whole time and they're also fun to hang with. While food on the trek was good, after many meals of rice and beans etc we opted for hamburgers and fries which went down a treat. It was actually the first meal in over a week I managed to fully eat. I also got a mango juice and chilled in the pool for a while. We then all passed time playing cards. Exploding kittens and this other one I never remember the name of (but aim of the game is to avoid getting a predetermained card). At 8 or 9 the hostel hosted karaoke. There were a couple of really good people but also not so good ones in there. A particular group was successfully wasted (I later found I was bunking with them - lucky me). Eventually I slept as best as possible in a room without aircon in this heat.