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lovelookspretty · 1 day

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lover of mine

drew starkey x actress!reader au

— in which drew and y/n, secretly exes, must fake date in order to keep the peace at a mutual friend’s wedding, but the forced proximity makes them question whether they ever truly moved on.

warnings: y/n lowkey being difficult because she doesnt want to lie to her best friend, DREW TRYING HIS BEST

one | two | three

authors note: okay she was a little UGHcore but i just needed a rocky start before things got cute n theyll be communicating soon. guys i promise theyll get better n y/n also wont feel so guilty as time goes on !!!!!

you gaze up at the home through the window of the car. drew is driving beside you, insisting you begin the plan by arriving together to the address leila forwarded to everyone.

“it’s . . . i didn’t think it would look like this,” you say aloud, and drew turns down the volume of the radio after he parks the car out front.

the house is big, surrounded by a few others down the road that look similar to it. the first floor seems like a basement area because the stairs at the front of the house lead all the way up to the second floor and continue two more, standing at four in total.

it’s just a few miles away from town that you and drew were able to drive by and take a look at on the way there. the area is beautiful. no wonder why leila’s mom and her boyfriend stay there.

the front door is open and you spot leila’s head peeking out of the doorway just on time. she disappears for a moment before she’s leaving the house to hurry down the stairs, probably to greet you both. you’re already unbuckling your seatbelt and getting out of the car to meet her halfway.

“isn’t it amazing? was it a safe drive from los angeles?” leila asks as you quickly greet her with a hug, before you walk her over to drew’s car. he’s opened the trunk and back doors to retrieve your things. “two weeks here will be nice, huh?”

“oh absolutely,” you agree with her, and you grab your purse from the backseat and drew’s backpack, then shut the door. “is everyone else here?”

“yeah, they just got here an hour ago—gia brought her boyfriend, roman. he’s a little shady but they’re kinda cute. libby’s here too, ooh, and oscar, theo’s childhood friend,” leila says and you can just hear the excitement in her voice that makes you smile.

you hold one of the straps of drew’s backpack and hold it up for him to take it while leila keeps talking. you watch as he eyes it for a moment before looking at you, as if he’s wondering why you don’t want to take it.

the thought doesn’t even cross your mind but it’s fine. he takes his backpack and slings it over his shoulder, then continues to grab the handle of his suitcase and carry it out of the trunk, then yours.

you stand there and wait for him to hand you something to carry but he just keeps his backpack on both shoulders, shuts the trunk, locks the car, and then grasps both suitcase’s handles with either of his hands, ready to head up. there’s a faint smile on his face when he faces you and leila.

“you’re taking them?” you ask, referring to both of your things so you can just bring your purse to the house.

he nods like it’s nothing, “yeah, i got it.”

leila can’t help but awe at you two. “you guys are so adorable. theo and i missed having you both around,” she says as she turns around and heads to the home.

at her words, you peer over your shoulder and send drew a knowing look, but there’s a slight twinge of guilt in both of your expressions that you have to shrug off.

you and drew stand side-by-side as you confront the home, watching as leila walks up the steps and is immediately approached by theo, who hands her a drink.

they share a kiss, and right past them you can just barely spot a few figures that must be the rest of the group. they’re shouting and laughing with one another, leaving you to look at drew again.

he gives you a nudge. “professionals, remember?” he’s referring back to your initial conversation about the plan just two weeks ago.

something about all of this just makes your stomach turn, but you nod. “professionals,” you repeat, and then look at the house again, then you take your step.

you’re carefully settling down on the bed leila’s given you and drew. it’s in a separate room right next to where she and theo will be sleeping. and of course, there’s just one bed.

“i can take the couch tonight if you want,” drew offers as he sets both of your belongings on the side, but he’s talking about sleeping on the small couch on the opposite side of the room to the bed, just against the window.

“it’s just sleeping in a bed, star, it’s nothing we haven’t done before,” you tell him with a shake of your head, and drew’s shoulders drop ever so slightly at the sound of his old nickname, the one that once rolled off your tongue so effortlessly. now, it feels like a small peace offering, a reminder of when things were simpler.

he gives it a few moments to make sure you’re okay with it, before he nods. “okay,” he says.

you check the time on your phone. it’s already eleven in the morning and leila said she wanted to go swimming in the afternoon. you have a whole beach ahead of the house but she insists on using the pool in the back. theo even suggested earlier that he and oscar can grill some lunch.

“i should get ready,” you say as you stand and toss your phone on the bed, then approach your suitcase. there’s a knock at the door and you know it’s leila. “i’ll be out soon, sorry!” you tell her, hoping you’re loud enough for her to hear you from all the music they’re playing out there.

you glance up at drew when you see he’s just standing there. “what are you gonna be doing?” you ask him, then rifle around your clothes for a bikini.

he scratches the back of his head as he settles on the couch, and he shrugs, “might join theo and oscar since they’ve been down there already.”

you only nod as you find a matching set that you’ll decide to wear today. drew is looking around the room, even outside where the views are like paintings on a canvas.

“this place is so nice,” he says, a little too casually, like he’s trying to ease the awkwardness. “lei’s mom really knows how to live it up.”

you don’t respond right away, focusing on your makeup bag that you need to retrieve something in. it’s not that you don’t hear him, you just . . . don’t feel like talking. when you finally do, your voice comes out flatter than intended. “yeah. it’s a nice place.”

tension lingers heavy in the air. you hear drew shift on the couch, probably sensing your mood, but he continues. “kinda reminds me of that trip we took up the coast. remember that little inn with the—”

“i don’t really want to talk about that right now,” you cut him off, your tone sharper than you mean it to be. you don’t look at him, you just reapply your perfume as if it’s the most important task in the world.

there’s a pause, and you can feel drew’s gaze on you. “right,” he says quietly, “sorry.”

you exhale, trying to shake off the tension building in your chest. you know it’s not his fault—not entirely. this whole thing was a bad idea from the start, but you agreed. you’re here. and now, you’re stuck with him, in this room, pretending like everything’s fine when it’s the furthest thing from it.

“i . . . didn’t mean to snap,” you say, softer this time. “it’s just, i’m still not completely okay with all of this.”

drew leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “i get that. but we’ve already talked about it. we agreed to do this, and now we’re here. you know that it’s too late to back out.”

you close your suitcase with more force than necessary, finally looking up at him. “yeah, but it wasn’t my idea to lie to my best friend, drew.”

his jaw clenches for a second, and you can see the faint flicker of hurt in his eyes, but he doesn’t lash out. he just nods, “i know it wasn’t. but you’re here. you agreed.”

you purse your lips, frustration building. “yeah. because you asked me to. not because i wanted to.”

he runs a hand through his hair, letting out a slow breath. “i didn’t want to drag you into this if you were gonna be miserable the whole time.”

“i’m not miserable,” you snap, but the lie feels heavy as it leaves your lips. you avoid his gaze, the weight of everything sitting on your shoulders. “i just don’t want to pretend everything’s okay when it’s not.”

he’s quiet for a moment, the silence thick between you two. “i’m trying, y/n,” drew says finally, his voice low, almost pleading. “i’m trying to make this less . . . awkward, but it feels like no matter what i say, it’s wrong.”

you just fold your arms, staring at the floor. “maybe that’s because it’s not just about this trip. it’s about everything that happened before.”

drew’s expression hardens, but he doesn’t argue. “i know. i just thought that maybe this could be a chance for us to be around each other again. figure things out.”

you raise your eyebrows. “figure what out? there’s nothing left to figure out. we’re not together. and pretending like we are just feels wrong.”

he’s silent for a long moment, staring at you like he’s trying to find the right words but can’t. eventually, he just stands, moving over to the window. “if you want out, y/n, you can tell them the truth. i’m not gonna stop you.”

you swallow hard, not knowing what to say to that. of course, he’s not wrong—you could end this charade whenever you want. but something keeps you from doing it. maybe it’s the fear of letting everyone down. maybe it’s the guilt of seeing leila so happy, thinking everything’s fine between you and drew.

or maybe it’s something deeper—something you’re not ready to admit to yourself yet.

“i’m not gonna ruin leila and theo’s plan,” you mutter, more to yourself than to him. “i’m sticking to ours.”

you’ve collected your swim suit and a pair of shorts and head for the bathroom. before you close the door behind you, you hear drew’s quiet voice, more resigned than angry now.

“i’m trying, y/n. i wish you’d let me.”

you’ve joined leila downstairs, as she’s planned on preparing other food for todays lunch in the kitchen, so libby, gia, and roman are already there enjoying themselves. they’re mainly just talking, not doing much other than that. leila’s already set everything up for you and her to work on for the next half hour or so.

you greet libby and gia with a small wave, having already said hello to them when you first got there. libby is a publicist in hollywood who met leila while she was filming some indie movie earlier in her career. she was brought in to manage leila’s pr during a press tour and boom—immediate friends.

gia and roman came sometime after. all you know is that leila met gia at a party like you and leila. gia’s incredible in fashion and helped leila with some of her carpet looks. roman’s just this alternative musician who she started dating this year. cute, but a little weird, like leila said.

“so, you and drew starkey?” roman asks as he pops a grape in his mouth, eyeing you. “i thought outerbanks didn’t have a girlfriend.”

“you thought that, and a lot of people still do,” you tell him. leila’s showing you her plan on what to cook while you watch. “he and i like to keep it private.”

“more like a complete secret,” he says, in which gia has to smack his arm to tell him to stop talking. “what? nobody knows.”

“some relationships work better that way,” you say.

“yeah, maybe take a page out of their book and do the same,” libby tells roman, and you see leila smiling at her friends as she works on dicing the vegetables. “there’s a few photos of you two out on the internet. i mean gia, baby, if i were you, i’d keep it a secret. roman’s so blah.”

he shakes his head at her and it makes you smile this time. libby catches it and grins, giving you a nod as she peels her orange.

after eating lunch and playing around in the water for hours, you all finally settle at the firepit, minus gia and roman who insisted they needed to sleep earlier because of their flight in today.

you’re leaning back against the seat, sitting next to leila who’s wrapped up in her blanket. the boys and libby are talking on their own about whatever. you don’t know. you just see drew smiling and constantly leaning forward and laughing, in which you tell him every time to be careful in case he gets too close to the fire.

your focus wavers when you feel his hand casually rest on your thigh. it’s not possessive, but there’s a weight to it. you immediately stiffen, your body instinctively tensing at the sudden contact.

your gaze flicks to his hand, then up to his face. he’s not even looking at you, continuing his conversation, acting as though the gesture is completely natural. it’s all part of the act, you remind yourself. he’s only doing it to make sure no one suspects anything. you know you can’t react—any sign of discomfort would raise questions you don’t want to answer—but it pulls you out of the moment with leila.

you force a small, tight smile and try to refocus, nodding along to whatever leila is saying.

“how have you and drew been?” she asks you, and you suddenly feel that guilt creeping up on you at that moment. that’s a terrible question.

you blink twice, considering your words before speaking, “we’re good, really good. it’s gonna be a little hard when drew leaves to film soon, but you know how it goes.”

she hums. “that’s how theo said he felt like when i was away for white lotus,” she says gently, understanding where you’re coming from.

you smile, but the weight of your lie settles deep in your chest. it’s a weird feeling, pretending to be something you're not, especially when leila’s eyes are so kind, so trusting. you know she means well, but there’s just so much guilt.

leila tilts her head and leans it on the back of the couch, watching you. “it’s tough, isn’t it? balancing everything—work, life, love. theo and i had such a hard time with it at first.”

you nod, keeping your hands busy by fiddling to avoid looking at her. “yeah, it is. i mean, it’s always been a challenge with our schedules.”

leila’s brows furrows slightly. “you two have always seemed like you handle it so well, though. what’s your secret?”

your heart races a little, and you force a chuckle. “i guess we’ve just gotten used to it.”

the words feel hollow, and you wonder if she can sense it. it’s not a complete lie—you and drew had gotten used to it all, but that was before everything fell apart. before the distance between you became more than just physical.

leila catches your eye again, her voice softer. “you two have always been so private. it’s kinda nice, though. you don’t have to deal with all the drama the rest of us go through with the media and stuff.”

you force a laugh, and you can just feel the warmth radiating off your body. “yeah, it has its perks.”

you can’t even look at her. your gaze keeps getting drawn to the fire that leila can just sense the awkwardness, tilting her head a little, and you can see the faintest trace of concern in her expression.

“you okay, y/n? you seem . . . i don’t know. tired?”

“i’m fine,” you say, a little too quickly. you clear your throat, trying to keep your voice steady as you continue. “it’s just . . .” you pause, checking that the others aren’t listening before leaning in to speak quietly, “drew and i, we’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. work and everything. i think it’s just catching up with us.”

leila nods, sympathy in her eyes. “i get it. it’s hard when you don’t get enough time together.” she pauses, looking like she’s considering her next words. “but hey, at least you’re here now. a couple of weeks without any distractions, right? this could be good for you two.”

leila’s gaze shifts to the others where drew is still laughing with theo, libby, and oscar. her voice softens again, and she leans closer to you this time. “it’s just nice to see you both here. i don’t think i’ve even seen him since that last time we all hung out a year ago. it’s been a while.”

your heart drops because she’s right—the last time she saw drew was when you were still together, a year ago.

leila just smiles, “well i’m glad you’re both here. theo and i were saying how we miss having you two around more often. it’s gonna be so fun, just like old times.”

you nod, the guilt wrapping itself tighter around your chest, making it hard to breathe to your own best friend. you manage to force another smile, but it feels brittle, like it could shatter at any second.

just then, drew catches your eye as you and leila continue your conversation. his grin falters for just a second when he sees you, like he knows what’s on your mind. and for a brief moment, you wonder if this whole charade is even worth it.

“yeah . . . just like old times.”

@rubixgsworld @itgirlbrina @thepopcultureaddict @samsmelodrama @kissfinalgirl @itsamegazaddysworld

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lxvsiick · 2 days

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SINK INTO THE MEMORY | HAN TAESAN X READER

PAIRING: sunshine protector! han taesan x sunshine! fem! reader

SUMMARY: Taesan feels the need to protect his ball of sunshine, Y/n.

GENRE: sunshine and sunshine protector, imagine, fluff

WORDCOUNT: 3.9k

A/N: A Taesan fluff imagine because I keep giving him angst imagines . . . LOL! Inspired by another BOYNEXTDOOR Taesan self composed song -- SINK INTO THE MEMORY ,, man he's so talented it makes me cry

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

The sun hung low in the afternoon sky, casting golden light over the playground. The sound of children's laughter filled the air, but on the far side of the park, Y/n sat alone on the swing, kicking her legs to gain height, her tiny hands gripping the chains. At just six years old, she was already a little ball of energy, always smiling, always friendly. She hummed to herself as she swung higher, her eyes bright with the joy of a carefree afternoon.

Suddenly, a group of kids, a mix of her age and older, approached her with narrowed eyes. One of the older boys stepped forward and shoved her hard, knocking her off the swing. She landed with a soft thud in the sand, her hands stinging from the fall.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, her face scrunching up in confusion. "You didn’t have to push me! I was almost done, you could’ve waited your turn!"

The group of kids ignored her words, laughing as they claimed the swing for themselves. One of the older girls sneered at her. "Who cares? It’s ours now."

Y/n stood up, brushing the sand off her knees, and stomped her foot. "That’s not fair!"

The group started to move toward her, their tone shifting from playful to aggressive, and for the first time, she looked nervous.

That’s when he appeared.

Han Taesan, also six years old, had been watching from a distance. Though he was known as a "troublemaker" by his parents and the other adults around, he wasn’t bad—he just didn’t follow the rules like everyone wanted him to. Seeing the group ganging up on her, something stirred inside him. He walked up to them without hesitation, his little fists balled at his sides.

"Leave her alone," he said firmly, his voice steady despite his small size.

One of the boys from the group turned to him, sizing him up. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Taesan didn’t flinch. He pushed the boy hard enough to make him stumble back. "I said, leave her alone."

The group exchanged uncertain glances. They had heard about him—how he wasn’t afraid of getting into trouble. It was enough to make them think twice.

"Whatever," one of the kids muttered, turning away. "We were done here anyway."

As the group scattered, Y/n stood there, watching the whole thing in awe. She wiped at her cheeks, where a few frustrated tears had started to form. Instead of crying, though, she smiled brightly at her protector, her eyes sparkling with gratitude.

"Thank you!" she beamed, bouncing on her toes. "That was really brave of you."

He shrugged, kicking at the sand as if it wasn’t a big deal. "It’s nothing. They were being mean."

Y/n, still glowing with her usual sunshine-like energy, dug into her small backpack and pulled out a crinkly bag of snacks. "Want some?" she offered, holding the bag out to him.

Surprised, he blinked at her before slowly taking a piece. "Thanks," he mumbled.

And just like that, they sat down in the sandbox together, munching on snacks as if they had been friends forever. Y/n chatted away, her voice bubbling with excitement, while Taesan listened quietly, a small but genuine smile creeping onto his face. He hadn’t planned on making a friend that day, but now, with her by his side, it didn’t seem so bad.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the classroom windows, casting a warm glow over the desks. Taesan, now 17, sat at his desk, his headphones snug over his ears as music pulsed through them. He absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the table to the beat, his gaze wandering toward the door, half-lost in the melody.

That’s when he spotted her.

Y/n was passing by his classroom, a tall stack of books in her arms. She was struggling to balance them, her steps wobbly, barely able to see over the top of the pile. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she shuffled down the hallway, clearly in over her head.

With a small sigh, he pulled off his headphones and placed them on his desk. Without a second thought, he stood up, leaving his classroom and slipping out into the hallway. He didn’t need to think twice—he couldn’t just sit there and watch her struggle like that.

Catching up to her with quick strides, he reached out and grabbed the stack of books from her arms. The sudden movement made her jump in surprise, her bright eyes widening as she turned to face him.

"Oh!" she gasped, her voice soft. "You scared me!"

Taesan gave her a small smirk, adjusting the books in his arms with ease. "Why are you carrying all of this by yourself?" he asked, his tone low but laced with concern. "Isn’t the vice class representative supposed to help with stuff like this?"

Y/n blinked at him, her face flushing slightly. She offered him one of her signature bright smiles, the kind that always made it hard for anyone to be mad at her.

"I volunteered to do it," she said softly, her voice sweet but firm. "I didn’t want to bother anyone else. Junho was busy."

He glanced at her, eyebrow raised. He knew her better than that—she had a habit of not asking for help, always shouldering the burden on her own. He didn’t buy her explanation, not one bit. But instead of pressing her on it, he simply sighed and shifted the weight of the books in his arms.

Y/n noticed the look on his face, the way his brows knitted together in quiet disbelief. Letting out a small giggle, she nudged him gently with her elbow.

"It’s fine now," she said, her smile widening. "You’re here to help me, aren’t you?"

He stared at her for a moment, then let out a soft huff of amusement. "Yeah, yeah, I guess so."

Without another word, the two of them continued walking down the hallway together, her steps now light and carefree without the heavy stack of books. Taesan walked beside her, still holding the books, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She was always like this—too kind, too independent. But he didn’t mind helping. Not when it came to her.

As they walked, the quiet warmth between them settled in, the kind of comfort that came from years of knowing each other, from the unspoken understanding they always seemed to share. Even without saying much, they were always in sync.

And despite the heavy books in his arms, Taesan couldn’t help but feel a little lighter as they made their way down the hallway together.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

The late afternoon sun cast a soft glow over the college campus, the sound of chatter and footsteps filling the air. Taesan walked on the side with his four friends, his headphones snug over his ears as they laughed and talked around him. Though their conversations flowed easily, he was in his own world, the beat of the music steady in his ears.

That’s when he saw her.

Y/n was across the quad, her expression tired and frantic, her fingers flying over her phone’s screen as if typing a million thoughts at once. Even from a distance, he could see the tension in her posture, the way her shoulders hunched forward as she moved quickly, almost nervously.

With a small frown, Taesan pulled off his headphones, letting them rest around his neck. He paused mid-step, eyes fixed on her, then glanced at his friends. "You guys go ahead," he said, his voice calm but distracted.

His friends exchanged glances, then shrugged and waved him off as they continued on their way. He didn’t waste another moment, cutting across the campus to catch up with her.

"Y/n!" he called out, raising his voice just enough to get her attention.

Y/n’s head jerked up at the sound of her name, her eyes wide and slightly panicked. As soon as she saw him, she quickly turned away, looking down and wiping at her face. But it was too late—he had already seen the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

His heart clenched.

"What’s wrong?" he asked softly, stepping closer to her.

"It’s nothing," she mumbled, her voice shaky, refusing to meet his gaze.

He let out a quiet sigh, knowing her well enough to understand when she wasn’t telling the full truth. Without a word, he gently took her hand, ignoring her weak protest as he led her toward a quiet bench tucked away from the busy part of campus. The area was mostly empty, the hum of campus life just a distant noise now.

They sat down, Y/n still clutching her phone tightly, her eyes darting around as if she didn’t want to face him. He watched her for a moment, her normally bright expression clouded with stress and sadness.

"So," he said softly, turning toward her, "are you going to tell me what’s really going on?"

She bit her lip, her fingers tightening around her phone, her brows furrowed as if trying to keep everything inside. For a moment, she didn’t say anything, her throat working as she held back the tears.

"Is it the group project?" he pressed gently, his voice quiet and careful.

Her silence was all the confirmation he needed. After a beat, she gave a small nod, not looking at him, her lips trembling. His eyes softened, and he felt a pang of sympathy. He knew she had been struggling with this project for a while, dealing with uncooperative group members and mounting stress.

"I’ll talk to them," he said, his tone firm. "They can’t just leave all the work to you."

"No!" she blurted out, her voice cracking. She shook her head quickly, finally meeting his gaze with watery eyes. "Don’t do that. It’s fine. I—I’m just a little stressed. I don’t want to bother anyone about it."

His jaw tightened. "It’s a group project. You shouldn’t be doing all the work by yourself."

Her frown deepened as she stared at him, her eyes pleading. "Please," she whispered, her voice trembling with exhaustion. "Let me handle it. I can do it, really."

He looked at her, the determination mixed with vulnerability in her gaze, and felt his resolve weakening. He hated seeing her like this, but he knew better than to push her when she was already so overwhelmed. With a long, resigned sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease just a little.

"Fine," he said quietly, his voice softer now. "But promise me you’ll ask for help if it gets too much. You can’t do everything by yourself."

She gave him a big, grateful smile, the weight of her exhaustion still heavy in her eyes, but at least the panic had ebbed away a little. "I will," she whispered, though they both knew she was too stubborn to ask.

He didn’t press further, instead reaching out to give her hand a comforting squeeze. As they sat there in silence, the weight of the world seemed to lift just a little from her shoulders, knowing that—at the very least—she wasn’t completely alone.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

The library was quiet, the soft hum of overhead lights barely noticeable against the silence. Taesan pushed open the door, scanning the tables until his eyes landed on a familiar figure—Y/n. She was sitting alone, her head resting on the table, arms tucked under her cheek as if she'd collapsed into sleep.

He hesitated for a moment, taking in the sight of her, clearly exhausted. Walking over, he set his bag down quietly and slid into the chair next to her. Her laptop was still open, the screen displaying a half-finished document.

Taesan glanced at her, making sure she was still asleep. He could see the strain she’d been under from the deep circles under her eyes. Without a second thought, he reached for the laptop. Scrolling through the document, he realized she had been struggling with her group project—yet again. He sighed quietly and began typing, finishing the section she had started.

Minutes passed as he worked, his fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard. When he finally finished, he saved the document, closed her laptop gently, and pushed it aside.

Turning his attention back to Y/n, he rested his head on his arm, facing her. He couldn’t help but stare at her sleeping face, the way her features softened in sleep. There was something calming about just watching her, knowing she was finally getting some rest after everything she’d been dealing with.

A few minutes later, Y/n stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Taesan quickly sat up, pretending to look busy as she groggily lifted her head.

She blinked a few times, surprised to see him there. “Oh, hey,” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep. “When did you get here?”

He smiled softly. “A few minutes ago,” he lied, avoiding her eyes.

She stretched and rubbed her eyes, yawning. “That’s weird. I must’ve knocked out.” She sat up straighter, looking a bit more awake now. “You won’t believe it though—my group members finally started helping me out. It’s like a miracle or something.”

There was a hint of suspicion in her voice as she turned to him, narrowing her eyes playfully. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Taesan shifted in his seat, shrugging nonchalantly. “No idea what you’re talking about,” he said, avoiding her gaze as a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

She stared at him for a moment, as if trying to read his face, but then shrugged and leaned back in her seat, letting it go. “Well, whoever it was, I owe them. Seriously. I was ready to lose it.”

He didn’t say anything, just smiled to himself, secretly pleased that his interference had helped her in some way. He glanced at her again, and for a moment, everything felt right—like this quiet connection between them was enough.

The sound of a distant clock ticking was the only reminder that time was still passing, but for now, Taesan was content to sit here, next to her, in the quietness of the library.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

FLASHBACK

Taesan didn’t listen. Y/n had been stressing over her group project for days, but when she’d mentioned her group members still weren’t pulling their weight, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Even though she told him not to interfere, he decided to handle it his way.

Spotting one of her group members near the student lounge, he walked straight up to him without hesitation.

“Hey, you’re in Y/n’s group for the project, right?” Taesan asked, his tone firm.

The guy—Sunho—looked up from his phone, sizing him up. “Yeah, why?”

“Well, you should really start helping her out,” Taesan said bluntly, crossing his arms. “She’s doing all the work, and it’s not fair. She shouldn’t have to carry the whole project on her own.”

Sunho scoffed, putting his phone away. “And what if I don’t? What are you gonna do about it?”

Taesan’s expression hardened, taking a step closer. “I know you’ve already got a warning for not pulling your weight on other group projects. I’m sure the professor would love to hear how you’re treating this one.”

The guy’s smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing. He muttered something under his breath before grumbling, “Fine, whatever. I’ll help out.”

Satisfied, Taesan nodded and walked away, already looking for the next person in Y/n’s group.

It didn’t take long to spot Jihye chatting with her friends near the campus cafe. She was laughing, clearly not thinking about the project at all. Taesan hesitated for a second, but then pushed forward, determined.

“Hey, Jihye,” he called out, walking up to the group.

She turned around, surprised to see him. “Oh, hey. What’s up?”

“You’re in Y/n’s group for the project, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” she replied, her smile faltering as her friends looked at her curiously.

“You should stop being lazy and start actually helping her out instead of letting her do everything,” Taesan said flatly, ignoring the shocked looks from the others. “It’s a group project, not a solo one.”

The girl’s face flushed red with embarrassment as her friends stared at her. “I—I’ve been helping,” she stammered defensively, glancing at her friends for backup. “We’re just… working on it separately.”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Taesan shot back. “I’ve seen how stressed she is, and it’s not because you’ve been helping.”

The tension hung in the air, and her friends shifted uncomfortably. Jihye clenched her jaw, clearly embarrassed to be called out like this in front of her friends.

“Fine,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “I’ll talk to her and help out more.”

“Good,” Taesan said, his tone still sharp. He gave her one last look before turning on his heel and walking away, satisfied that he had done what needed to be done.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

The sun was shining brightly on campus as Y/n walked alongside her two friends, their laughter ringing through the air. They were heading to their favorite café when she spotted Taesan across the quad, walking with his friends. Her heart did a little flip.

“Han Dongmin!” she called out, her voice bright and cheerful. The moment he turned to look at her, his face broke into a small, genuine smile, and he waved back, his friends chatting animatedly beside him.

Her friends exchanged knowing glances, smirking at each other. “Aww, look at you! You’re practically glowing!” Wonyoung teased, elbowing her playfully.

“Right? You’re like a total lovesick puppy,” Yoon chimed in, waggling her eyebrows. “So, do you guys have something going on?”

“Shut up!” Y/n blushed, shaking her head vigorously. “We’re just best friends! That’s all!”

They laughed, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction. “Best friends who smile at each other like that? Come on! There’s got to be more to it!”

She felt a mix of embarrassment and frustration as they continued to poke fun at her. “Seriously, it’s nothing! We’ve always been this way!” She insisted, trying to keep her voice steady.

The teasing continued for a few more moments before her friends finally let the topic go, shifting to a discussion about upcoming events on campus. But even as they talked, Y/n felt a weight in her chest.

She let out a sigh of relief, grateful they had moved on, but the idea of having feelings for her best friend lingered in her mind like an unwelcome guest. Memories flashed through her head: times when he had stepped in to protect her, standing up to bullies or helping her with her books when she was overwhelmed. The way he always seemed to sense when she was having a tough day, how he’d show up just when she needed him most, his presence a comforting shield.

“Are you even listening?” Yoon asked, pulling her back to the present.

“Uh, yeah! Totally!” Y/n replied, forcing a smile, but her mind kept wandering back to Taesan. What if there was something more? What if they could be more than just friends?

She shook her head slightly, trying to dispel the thoughts. “I mean, it’s just... he’s really important to me, that’s all,” She said quietly, more to herself than anyone else.

“Whatever you say, Sunshine!” Wonyoung teased, giving her a playful nudge.

As they continued their walk, Y/n couldn’t help but glance back at Taesan, who was now laughing with his friends, the sunlight catching in his hair. Her heart fluttered again, but this time, it felt different—more complicated.

Could she really navigate the transition from best friends to something deeper? The thought danced tantalizingly at the edge of her mind, leaving her both excited and anxious.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

The library buzzed softly with the murmurs of students studying and typing away on their keyboards. At a table strewn with open textbooks and loose papers, Y/n sat, her gaze distant as she stared blankly at her laptop screen. The rhythmic clatter of keys and occasional shuffling of pages filled the background, but she barely noticed.

Taesan approached with a light-hearted stride, his usual grin replaced by a more contemplative expression. He slid into the seat next to her, his eyes scanning the scattered books and her vacant stare. Curiosity piqued, he leaned in close and waved his hand in front of her face, his fingers brushing lightly against her cheek.

“Hey, Earth to Y/n,” He teased, his voice gentle but laced with concern.

Startled, Y/n jolted upright, her cheeks flushing as she found herself inches from him. She quickly backed away, her heart racing as she tried to regain her composure.

“Oh, um, hi,” She stammered, avoiding his gaze. “I was just… thinking about stuff.”

“Stuff, huh?” He said, leaning back but keeping his gaze steady on her. “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing,” She insisted, her blush deepening. She fidgeted with her pencil, trying to focus on anything but his intense eyes.

Taesan didn’t press further, respecting her reluctance to share. They sat in a companionable silence for a few moments, the tension between them building like static electricity in the air.

Finally, Y/n took a deep breath and turned to him, her eyes full of hesitance. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” He replied, his interest clearly piqued.

“How do you know if you… like someone?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Taesan looked at her thoughtfully, his own cheeks faintly pink. “Well,” He began slowly, “I guess it’s when you want to be around them all the time, you care about their happiness more than your own, and you just feel this urge to protect them. Like, you always want to see them smile.”

A long pause followed his words, Y/n absorbing the meaning behind his confession. His heart pounded in his chest as he met her gaze.

“I guess,” He continued, taking a deep breath, “that’s how I know I like you. I want to protect you and make you happy. I like you a lot, Y/n.”

Y/n’s eyes widened in shock, her entire face turning beet red. For a moment, she seemed to malfunction, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for the right words.

Seeing her reaction, Taesan couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He reached over, gently taking her hand in his. “You don’t have to answer now. I just wanted you to know how I feel so you don’t misunderstand. No pressure.”

Instead of letting go, Y/n grasped his hand tightly, her fingers trembling slightly. Her gaze dropped to the table, her thoughts racing.

“You know,” She began, her voice wavering but sincere, “earlier today, Yoon and Wonyoung were teasing me about us. It got me thinking. I don’t know what I feel yet, but I do know that I don’t want anyone else to protect me but you.”

Taesan’s heart soared at her words. A soft smile spread across his face as he squeezed her hand gently.

“Then, let’s figure it out together,” He said softly, his eyes shining with affection.

Y/n nodded, a shy smile appearing on her lips. They sat together, hands intertwined, the weight of unspoken feelings finally shared between them.

୭🧷✧˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

A/N: and then they all DIE! 😈 JK YAY! a happy ending for Taesan! This is my apology for all the Taesan angst imagines/stories i have wrote and will be writing in the future ... 🙇🏻‍♀️ my fingers hurt from typing so much … but thanks for reading!

MASTERLIST

#lxvsiick </3 #kpop #boynextdoor #boynextdoor x reader #han dongmin #han taesan #han taesan x reader #han taesan fluff #boynextdoor imagines #boynextdoor ff #boynextdoor fluff #taesan fluff #taesan boynextdoor #taesan x reader #taesan #taesan bnd #bnd x reader #bnd fluff #bnd imagines

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apoloadonisandnarcissus · 1 day

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"The Last Temptation": One Megathread to Rule Them All - Clues and Speculation, PART 2

6) Galadriel's conflicted feelings for Sauron

Well, she hates him and wants to kill him, destroy him, causing him to be dead for good, right?

Right?

RIGHT?

Okay, I’ll just let Morfydd explain how Galadriel is feeling these days:

It would be like if you had the most intense type of synesthesia, and then you met someone else that had the same type of it, but then you find out they’re the worst person in the world. But you can’t undo that feeling of what it was to be understood and connected in that way.

I think they’ve made a mark on each other in whatever, however, that turns out. And that’s very significant when someone’s managed to actually make you question the way you think of things and the way you think of yourself... and I think they were both so lonely when they met.

Galadriel is heartbroken, and understandably so. She’s grieving the loss of her friend Halbrand. She thinks she has been played for a fool, and the connection they shared was a lie, and another one of Sauron’s deceptions, the cruel and cunning sorcerer. She's haunted by this moment, as we’ve seen on 2x02:

Everyone who has been deceived by someone they cared about can relate to this. Yes, Galadriel is sad and depressed, but she’s also angry and probably feeling a little bit humiliated and ashamed of herself for falling for Sauron’s lies. She’s going through all seven stages of grief. And so, she wants to destroy him, and make him pay for deceiving her, and manipulating her into caring this much about him.

She’s so obsessed with finding and defeat him, it blinds her (as we’ve discussed on Part 1).

The realization of having been played for a fool, pains her so much, here she is, in 2x06, emphasizing with Adar and oversharing.

And so, when she’ll go to seek out Sauron in the finale, she wants to kill him. Like 100%. No doubts there. She resisted him once, she will resist him again and again, because after her little chat with Adar (and probably with Celebrimbor in 2x07) she’s confident in herself. She’s prepared. She knows Sauron will bombard her with lies and visions to manipulate her. And since promises of power aren’t enough for her, there is nothing he can tempt her with. Like Adar said to her in 2x06, there is nothing he can give her, because she’s fully aware of his manipulations.

My guess is that she’ll probably use Adar’s theory (Morgoth’s iron crown + Nenya) to try and slay Sauron. That, most likely, will be her plan of attack.

7) The "Last Temptation"

As we’ve seen on the trailers, and with no surprise whatsoever, Sauron and Galadriel duel for a moment when they are, at last, reunited in 2x08.

Galadriel is looking at him full of anger and hatred, ready to destroy him, and his lies and deceptions. Sauron, on other hand, is just rejoicing he’s able to be in her presence again. From the interactions we, the audience, saw of him with Mirdania throughout the season, Sauron probably thinks dueling counts as flirting.

Anyway, I don’t know for how long the showrunners will drag the fight, but it will stop, because the Halbrand form will be back, back again (like we were teased in 2x04):

And this is not just “any” Halbrand: this is King Halbrand, the “I felt it too” Halbrand in all of his glory. My bet is Galadriel is prepared for this, and won’t fall for it.

But Sauron brought the big guns this time, and there is a plot twist. And I believe this is the scene that, according to Magda Walma aka “the Polish reviewer”, will make “Tolkien fans” (aka lorebros) lose their minds, the scene which caused her to believe Celeborn won’t ever be in “Rings of Power” and that someone in the production might have fallen on their head.

They might leave it ambiguous, however, Morfydd saying “they’ve made a mark on each other in whatever, however, that turns out” makes me believe the showrunners might have made it explicit, and reveal the truth of it. And that’s why the Tolkien purists will lose it.

My guess is Sauron will tempt Galadriel with what she least's expects: the truth. And the truth is their connection was real, and not a part of his schemes (the season pretty established he’s in love with her).

Now, I don’t know if there will be a kiss or not, because the mere notion of Sauron in love with Galadriel is enough to mind blow the lorebros. However: if this was a one-sided thing, why would the Polish reviewer believe that Celeborn will never be casted? So, here’s my two cents: Galadriel feels the same way, and this scene either explicitly states it or highly implies it.

Now, I don’t know how Sauron will prove his love for Galadriel, honestly. I don’t think visions are enough to put that point across, and from what we’ve learned from the director of the finale, I don’t think there will be any deception involved in this scene. So, he’ll probably prove himself through some selfless action (which is a bit odd, but I don’t see how he could convey his point in any other way without looking/sounding manipulative): he either saves her, surrenders himself for her to kill him, or whatever.

8) The Aftermath

As we’ve seen in Part 1, all foreshadowing points towards Galadriel succumbing to Sauron’s temptation.

Erasing all of that for a “she resists him at the end” or a rehash of S1 finale would be stupid, to be honest. And I know many criticize “Ring of Power” writers, but one thing they do well is building-up the season and the foreshadowing/clues (example: Sauron/Halbrand in S1).

The question is: what happens next?

Galadriel snaps out of it, for whatever reason: either Nenya, or Elrond (remember the promise? Turns out, he’s unable to keep it);

She sacrifices herself to save Middle-earth/stop the battle, and goes with Sauron (somewhat unwillingly but believing she might “keep him in check”);

She willingly goes with Sauron/joins him, in “full Dark queen” mode;

Any other scenario where Elrond is forced to choose between stopping Sauron or saving Galadriel; only see it happening if it’s from afar and not him actually intervening, because that would remove Galadriel’s agency (and I don’t see the show going there). For instance, Galadriel is injured for some reason, and Elrond has the chance to save her, but choses to save the Elves instead, or something like that).

Alright, that’s it. That’s the clues we’ve got. Let the debate begin.

Just don’t mention Celeborn (it’s confirmed he’s not in Season 2) and the stupid fake leaks.

#trop season 2 #trop season 2 speculation #trop s2 #galadriel #sauron #sauron x galadriel #galadriel x sauron #haladriel #annatar #saurondriel #halbrand #galadriel x halbrand

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 7 hours

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Mad Season 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, social anxiety, chronic illness, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker

Summary: a class project gets messy. (short!reader)

Note: happy weekend.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

“Hey, how’d you get in?” Peter rushes in, a tray of drinks in hand.

You pop up on the stool, broken from your trance. Uncertain what else to do, you spent much of your time trying to distract yourself with his schematics. You twist to face him.

“Um, Bucky,” you answer and cringe at home dumb you sound. “He helped.”

“Bucky? Helpful?” He nears and puts the cardboard tray on the table, “I guess he can be.” He picks at the edge of the tray, “I got you a blueberry matcha. The place I hit didn’t have strawberry in season anymore.”

“Oh, sounds... interesting, but you--”

“Didn’t have to. I know, you always say so but I felt bad for being so late. I told may to get an airtag for her wallet. She can be so--” he stops himself and chuckles. “It’s whatever. She’s got a lot going on.”

“Mhm,” you accept the cup he offers. “I was just looking over the plans. I think we could probably just go with yours. Makes more sense.”

“What? Oh, no way,” he takes his iced whatever. It just looks like layers of sugar and cream. “I think we could easily bring together both. Take some of your features and mine. I don’t want to take over.”

“Yeah, but...”

“But nothing. Really. It’s a team project, not my project,” he insists as he hops up on the stool next to you, “so,” he swipes his hand in the air and a holographic screen appears. You flinch. “Let’s compare and redraw.”

You gape as another floating rectangle appears before him. No wonder his look so much better than your Paint hack job. You want to sink down and disappear. You always figured you’re not interesting enough to be his friend but now you’re certain you might be too stupid and poor for him too.

“So, I’m going to get logged in...” he mutters.

“Um, Peter?” You murmur, “are you sure you wanna be my partner?”

“Why... wouldn’t I?” He hovers his hand before the screen as he looks at you.

“I dunno. I don’t... I don’t have much to offer. Not a lab, not all these cool computers...”

“Oh this? No, it’s not—it's not a big deal. Dude, I'm so lucky Mr. Stark is letting me use this. I’m not ignorant, you know? I just thought it would be easier. I don’t think your roommates like me much and mine are so loud.” he explains as he lowers his arm, crossing both over the table as he leans on it. “Do you not want to be my partner?”

“Nnnooo,” you drag the word out. “No, I do, but I want to contribute to and I don’t know how to use any of this.”

“That’s cool. I’ll show you.”

“Um, okay,” you nibble your lip sheepishly. “I guess...”

“Did you try the tea? Is it good?” He changes the subject. He does that a lot. Pivots around before you can finish your thoughts.

“Not yet,” you look down at the bright pink lid, “where did you get this?”

“Some place called Berry? I don’t know. Everything was bright. You’d hate it,” he laughs again. “Oh,” he snaps his fingers as you blow into the lid cautiously. “Before I forget, I’m having a party. I know it’s not really your thing but it’s ‘my turn’,” he makes quotations with his fingers, “and I don’t really wanna but I also thought I'd invite you in case you wanted to not be there with me, too.”

Your blink in surprise, “a party?”

“I know, too much. Well, I didn’t wanna leave you out.”

“Mmm,” you drone nervously. It is really nice of him to think of you and after everything else, you hate to say no. “No one ever invited me to a party.”

“No?” His brow furrows, “really?”

You shake your head, “I’ll come. Yeah. I’ll try. You know, it’s college and ...” you take a sip and clear your throat, “should I bring a dessert?”

He laughs and gives you a playful grudge, “wow, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask me that except my aunt’s friends. Nope, you can just come as you are. You can always bring some drinks for yourself but I’ll have more than enough to share.”

“Oh, okay,” you nod.

“The tea good?” He asks again.

“Yeah, sweet,” you put the cup down.

“Awesome!” He grins. “I really didn’t think you’d come. I’m so excited.”

“Really?” You ask.

“Well, duh. You’re so fucking cool. Like all my other friends, they try so hard. It’s all ‘let’s go do shots’ or ‘watch me do this dumb shit’. You don’t even try, you’re just you. It’s like people don’t realize they can just be nice and be cool for just that.”

“I... yeah,” you don’t know what to say.

It’s like he’s calling you boring but not. You know you are and you don’t mind but you can’t ever remember when you just felt like everyone else. Where you weren’t the odd one out. Despite trying to include you, Peter still manages to push you to the edges.

You wince as you notice how he stares at you. You fidget and pick at the button on the front of your corduroy skirt. His eyes flick down to the nervous movement.

“I like that,” he reaches to touch the ridged fabric, “blue. Oh, thick.”

Your leg twitches in surprise, “uh, yeah... found it at the student thrift shop.”

“Really?” His fingers brush over the hem and touch your coloured tights. They linger for a moment before he pulls away. “Cute. I’ve never been there.”

“It’s not bad...” you cross your legs as you knee tingles from his touch. That was strange.

“Well, anyway,” he waggles his fingers as he turns back to the table, “uh, where was I?” He squints at the screens and taps in the air. He pauses and looks at you. “Here, I’ll show you how it work, alright?”

He reaches over again and you brace yourself. He grabs the underside of the stool seat and drags you closer. He it so easily, you gasp. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. He slides his hand around so his arm is diagonal around your back.

“Right, so...” his shoulder presses to you as he points with his other arm, “you can just use your finger. I’ll have to add your prints to the program. Put your hands up.”

You obey as he stays close. You’re overly away of it. The way he’s pressed to you. He doesn’t seem to notice at all. You try not to think of it and focus on his instructions. The project. That’s why you’re here.

#peter parker #dark peter parker #dark!peter parker #peter parker x reader #bucky barnes #dark bucky barnes #dark!bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #mad season #series #drabble #au #winter soldier #spider-man #avengers #marvel #mcu

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gilverrwrites · 2 days

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A kiss for the caged bird

Tim Drake/Reader, 5K

AN: Please don't think too hard into any of the science-y crap I wrote, I was pulling it all out of my butt. Anyway, this was supposed to be a quick 500-1000 thing to clear up my writer’s block and here we are. Bon appetit my loves, I hope you enjoy ♥︎ Warnings: Dub-con (purely by the nature of sex pollen) | voyeurism | swearing | dirty talk | mean-ish Tim | minor slut-shaming ♥︎

His normally tender blue eyes are completely saturated with a dense shade of green. From the whites, to his pupils, they almost seem to be glowing. They've also been watching you like a hawk with a heated intensity that puts your hairs on edge from behind the glass of his cell since you’d entered the cave.

“It's just a shame the one person who could probably crack this in no time is the one person who can't help us right now.” Dick laments as he adjusts his bootstraps. “But I have complete faith that Oracle has got this.”

“Me too.” You agree as you stare at the projected screen, all of Barbara’s research thus far. Most of it made little sense to you but it all seemed technical enough, like she was on the right track.

“Right, so she's gonna keep working on that, Spoiler and Orphan are following the Narrows lead while Red Hood and I check out the Reservoir.” The words breeze through your head, you know you should be paying more attention but you're only half listening. Tim has taken his shirt off and is leaning against the cell door. His toned body gleaning under a layer of perspiration, as his venomous green eyes stay locked onto your frame, in all of its dragged-out-of-bed-at-2 AM-after-a-looonnnnngggggg-day-patrol glory. Seemingly noticing your distraction, Nightwing steps into your line of sight as he continues to relay the plan. “You just have to make sure he doesn't hurt himself or do anything stupid until we figure this out.”

“I know, I got it.” Dick doesn’t seem convinced, frowning as his eyes dart between you and Tim. Ignoring his doubts, you settle into the chair at the centre of the console, clicking away until you pull up the live feed from inside Tims's 6x8 prison. You can understand Dicks caution, the undeniable chemistry you and Tim shared had been evident to everyone for a long time, impeached only by your mutual reluctance to date on the job. If Bruce were here, he’d never allow for this, but Dick is doing the best he can with the resources available. Regardless, all doubts aside, you won’t allow your feelings to cause problems, not when lives hang in the balance. “Just go.”

“You’re sure?” He tries to place a reassuring arm on your shoulder but you both jump at the sudden sound of Tim’s fist needlessly hitting the wall. He’d need superstrength to break out of that thing, you're not concerned. Maybe a little more roused by the lack of restraint than you’d like to admit, but no less confident in your ability to babysit than you had been moments ago.

“Certain.” You wave off Dick when he turns back to you, lips still pursed. “Go. Who knows what that crap is doing to him, the sooner you find Ivy, the better.”

He knows it, probably better than you do.

“Buzz if you need anything.” At once you're relieved by his departure, and concerned for his safety, for everyone’s safety.

“Be safe.” You bid, watching as he straddles the Wingcycle.

“Be safe.” He echoes and without another word he's gone, leaving you alone to care for your caged Red Robin.

For a long time, you stare at the empty space Dick left behind, all too aware of Tim and the way his hot-blooded stare makes your skin burn but eventually you have to face him. Can’t monitor him without looking at him after all.

In an attempt to ease the mood, you offer him a smile. Apparently, it does nothing to reassure him or ease his tensions. He simply continues to glower at you. When that doesn’t work you play up your preceding frown, playfully pouting the way you would when you’re teasing his mid-mission stresses, but that fails too. Finally, you curve your left hand in a half heart shape, a common greeting between the two of you from rooftop to rooftop and for a moment you think it might work. He pulls the hand he has pressed to the glass back for a moment, but all he does is clench his fingers back and forth a few times before letting it fall to his side.

At a loss you spin around to the computer, tapping your fingertips on the desk as you consider Barbara’s research once more. The chances of becoming a forensic palynologist within a few hours with nothing but google and whatever research Bruce has backed up in the archives is slim, but it saves twiddling your thumbs, so you start by looking up any chemicals identified by the forensic scanner that you’re not familiar with.

It’s hard to sit still, knowing your every move is being scrutinised but by far the worst part is the silence. Tim and you are muted to each other unless you’re pressing the comms link located on the keypad by the cell door. The only sounds you can make out are the far away screeches of real-life bats located further into the cavern, and the drip, drip, dripping of the wet walls. It’s downright eerie when you’re practically alone, so when Oracle buzzes in about an hour later you jump to answer it, eager to hear another human, and anxious to find out if she has any updates.

“How’s he holding up?” She asks, and you’re glad she can’t see your worried expression. Tim hasn’t moved since Dick left. Except for when you’d crossed the bullpen to look for a fresh pen after the one you’d been using ran out of ink. You exclude that last part from your update, however.

“Okay, just tell him to hang tight, I'm getting closer.” You can tell she’s trying to sound more hopeful than she actually is, and your suspicions are confirmed when she begins to ramble about her findings. She often uses the team as a sounding board when she’s trying to wrap her head around something. “The pollen he inhaled is decreasing his plasma levels and increasing his testosterone.”

“If he’d touched the plant like she’d wanted him too it would re-level those hormones, presumably she was relying on him needing that to keep him under her control.”

“Right.” You’ll pat yourself on the back for impressing her at a more appropriate time. “And if that were it, we could just pump a bunch of oxytocins into him and voilà! But something else is messing with his nociceptors. Not to mention this stuff is packed with things I’ve never even heard of. Have you heard of horny goat weed?”

“Yeah, epi-me-di-um.” You sound the word out from your notes. “Only since tonight.”

“Where do people get these names from?” Babs groans, you can hear her tapping away at her keyboard. “I’m close though, I know it.”

“I believe in you.” She ‘awhs’ at your encouragement.

“Until I’ve got this, there is one thing he can try.” She trails off at the end. Her hesitation strikes you as odd. Surely whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. “If he’s really suffering… ejaculating might help ease any pain if only temporarily. Masturbatory only, obviously, this stuff can and will spread like hot gossip at one of Bruce’s galas.”

“Ah, okay.” You understand her aversion now, looking over at Tim as you consider how you’re going to tell him that. “I will pass the information along.”

The line goes quiet, Babs clearly sensing your discomfort, but however you’re feeling, Tim is likely feeling one thousand times worse.

Habitually, you tell each other good luck and be safe before hanging up, promising to get back to each other ASAP should anything change.

As you pass by the glass of his cubicle to reach the control panel on the other side Tim follows, falling into stride with you like a mirror image. When you stop, he stops, pressing his forearm to the glass and leaning his weight against it as he awaits your next move. Tilting closer when your fingers graze the comms button. Up close you can see that actually his irises are still blue, they’re just almost non-existent, drowned out by his green sclera’s and the sheer size of his impossibly blown-out pupils.

Bzzt. The mic crackles as you activate it.

“Hi.” You test the waters, but when he doesn’t respond you press on. “Are you in pain?”

He silently gazes at you for so long that you start to think he’s never going to answer you. Dumbly, you tap your finger on the plane to try and coax him out of his head, instantly feeling bad as you remember all those signs in zoos ‘PLEASE DON’T TAP THE GLASS, IT MAY CAUSE STRESS OR HARM TO THE ANIMALS’.

Tim must feel the same, like a caged beast, because the seething in his response startles you.

“No.” He taunts mockingly, mouth still twisted into a tight snarl. “I feel fantastic.”

At least his sharp humour is unaffected.

“Oracle said… that…” You can’t help allowing your eyes to trail down his body, shamelessly locking onto the subject matter, due to the distance and the darkness of his tights you’d hadn’t noticed until now that he’s rock hard, the length of his erection straining against the close-fitting fabric. Your face burns at the realisation, at your obliviousness. Of course he was, that’s what aphrodisiacs do. But mostly you're ashamed of how much you enjoy looking at it.

“Wh-” Tim's voice makes you jump. Embarrassed, you inadvertently take your hand off the switch. An uninfected Tim would have rolled his eyes at that, would have laughed at you good-naturedly, but this Tim just tilts his head like he’s cracking his neck, eye still on you. It’s like he physically can’t look at anything else, can’t stop drinking in every inch and crevice of you, cuts and moles and all. When you push down the button again, he repeats himself impatiently. Bzzt. “What did Oracle say?”

You take a deep breath, staring at the wall behind his head to help you concentrate, determined to get the words out no matter how awkward you feel saying it. “She said that masturbating, specifically ejaculating, won’t fix things, but it should… alleviate some of your discomfort, for a while.”

It’s his turn to drum his fingers on the glass, jaw growing tight as he seems to mull on what you’ve just told him. You chance a glance back down to his crotch just long enough to see him palm his hard-on through his pants. You’re unable to keep from imagining what he looks like down there or how he might go about pleasuring himself. Feeling bad for having such depraved thoughts about him while he’s suffering and vulnerable, you remind yourself not to gawk at him.

“No, I’m not doing that.” He states sternly.

“It might help.” Your objection comes purely from a place of concern.

“What would help me is if you’d fuck off.” His response is like a slap in the face, hitting you out of nowhere. You’re only trying to help, had your wondering eyes really prompted this level of ire?

“Wh- “

“It’s bad enough that I can’t control my body and that I’m stuck in here unable to do anything worth doing, but I have to watch you fucking slutting around in those f-.” Shocked by his sudden outburst, you instinctively pull your hand back. You know he’s just trying to let off his frustrations, but it still stings a little. Feeling bad for silencing his partly warranted rant, you tune back in, unable to keep yourself from flinching and jumpily flailing your hands around every time he gets under your skin. Bzzt. “Should be making an antidote or tracking down Ivy but instead all I can think about is bending you over that-”

Bzzt. “-out there trying to help me and I wanted to punch him for touching you like some macho i-” For the first time since you’d started supervising him, Tim finally looks away from you. Throwing his head back and tugging on his own hair as he tries to compose himself. It doesn’t work. You hadn’t thought it possible but when he finally comes back to you, his face is flooded with even more ferocity, like he wants to eat you alive. Bzzt.“-elp me, if you want to help me then fuck me yourself or get out of my sight!”

There's no way you’ll let him get away with talking to you like this, but now is not the time. Swallowing your pride and clenching your fists, you leave him be, hurrying back to the desk, cursing him under your breath as you pull your feet up into the chair and turn your back to him in order to try and make yourself as small as possible. You hate to admit it, but if it weren’t for the risk of infection, his parting words might have worked. Fuck. The thought of opening that door and letting him bend you over whatever he’d had in mind makes your blood rush.

To distract from the thought of Tim’s cock being buried tight in your walls, or how hot he’d look, panting and red faced beneath you as you fucked yourself on his length, you return to your research, glancing at the live feed to Tim’s cell every few minutes purely to confirm that he’s still alive.

You consider changing into something more conservative, this might be the one and only time you could consider slut-shaming somewhat okay, but to do that he'll be forced to look at you, so ultimately you elect not to.

Filthy thoughts continue to plague your imagination as you try to work, and the knowledge that Tim is thinking them too, only makes it worse. You’re so tired and tense and horny that after a while it becomes difficult to focus. You’re pressing your palms into your eyes when you hear a ping; A message from Spoiler to say that The Narrows was a bust, they’re moving on to another location. Another ping from Red Hood reporting a similar issue with their own intel. One more from Oracle to say that she’s pinpointed 90% of the formula and should be able to start reverse engineering soon.

You chime in to state that Tim is holding up. The computer pings once more, a private message from Oracle asking if it helped. You’re part way through typing that he refused when you glance at the video feed, Tim still has his back to the camera, his body pointed toward you the same way he had been all night. You freeze as you notice his bare ass.

His hose are around his knees, back bent in a hunched position, one arm jerking rapidly to and throw as he presumably strokes his cock. Without thinking you turn to face him, and he brazenly stares back at you. Once your suspicions are confirmed, you rapidly swing back.

He’s working on it. You amend. Unsure what to do from there you needlessly stare at the jagged ceiling, restlessly pulling at your fingers as you try to calm and distract yourself from the fact that Tim is currently playing with himself, and using whatever 2-inches of your skin he can see to fuel his fire. Brain and libido at odds, you force yourself not to look at the spectacle he’s putting on.

He’ll be mortified when he’s cured, don’t make it worse, you think. Yet ultimately you crack, too intrigued not to sneak another peek and once you give in to the temptation it becomes impossible to stop.

You could watch him like that all day. Watch the fierce look of concentration on his face, the bulge in his cheek where he’s biting his tongue. Watch the pink crown of his cock, and the way his balls tighten with each brutal thrust of his fist. Watch the way every lean muscle in his body tenses and twitches as waves of pleasure roll though his body. The way his green veins grow more pronounced as he chases his climax? Wait. That can’t be good.

Had they been green this whole time and you just hadn’t noticed? You've only seen one thing like this before. Venom. Could that be the missing 10%?

As though you hadn’t just been ogling him, you cover your eyes as you approach. This time he doesn’t follow you, legs firmly planted on the ground, but when you glimpse through the cracks in your fingers his head is turned to watch you still and you hastily snap your digits closed again before you speak to him.

Bzzt. “Tim, your veins are turning green.”

At the sound of your voice his knees buckle, your hand falls away to watch as his weakened muscles cause him to fall forward. His weight rests precariously against the glass as he hangs between standing and kneeling.

“Tim. Y- “

“I know.” The aggressiveness in which he snaps at you makes your skin run cold, but he follows it with the most pained, puppy dog eyes that you immediately forgive him. As if you have ever been able to hold anything against him for a substantial period of time.

“It hurts.” His teeth are gritted as he explains. “Hurts when I stop.”

You’ve no idea what to say. You wonder if there’s a painkiller on earth that could help him right now but he speaks again before you can suggest it.

“Help me.” He sounds so solemn, despite the fact that he hasn’t once stopped stroking his dick, closely staring at every curve of your body.

“We’re trying.” Your words barely seem to register with him. “It won’t be much longer.”

“No. Help me.” The repeated instruction does nothing to clarify what else he could mean until he continues. “Your voice sounds so sexy, fuck. Talk to me.”

Oh. “And say what?”

“God, fuck. Do I have to spell it out for you? Anything!” He barks, simultaneously carnal and irritable. Each word out of his mouth is more breathless and desperate than the last. “Fucking anything. Tell me you want me, that you want me to fuck you. Come on, please do this for me.”

“Okay, okay.” You can do this. “I do want you. I want to fuck- I want you to fuck me so bad, Tim.”

Despite it being true, you feel lame, clumsily parroting him, but Tims full bodied reaction spurs you on. He takes the final plunge, dropping onto his knees, leaning back on his haunches and practically presenting his engorged shaft to you. From here you can see how his skin is tinted several shades of pink and red. His blush seems to stem from his chest, running along his neck and shoulders, highlighting his cheekbones and the tips of his ears. You’ve never seen a prettier sight. It’s so enchanting, it almost diverts from his unnerving blood vessels.

“You’re so beautiful.” You purr, finding more confidence with every quiet huff and moan that spills from his lips. “I wish I could do this for you. I want to make you feel so good, I’d let you fuck me anywhere.”

He nods rapidly at you, encouraging you to continue while bucking his hips forward.

“I know your cock would fit just right in my mouth and feel so good, would make me gag until you came down my throat.” You open your mouth and stick your tongue out to show him, feeling silly until he replies.

“Fuck. Yeah. You’d look good sucking on my cock.”

“Yeah!” You agree, just the sight of him is enough to make your heartbeat race. But the thought of taking him in your mouth, slobbering all over his cock and watching him enjoy every second of it makes you rub your thighs together. You want so badly to get yourself off too but the little voice of conscience in the back of your brain is telling you not to, that it would be taking advantage. “Or you could bend me over, rip off my clothes and fuck me. I’d love to feel you pounding into my tight pussy.”

“Oh, pleasepleaseplease.” The words are slurred as he sinks his teeth hard into his tongue.

“You don’t have to beg, Timmy.” He hangs on your every word as you vocalise the thoughts and fantasies you’ve only ever indulge in when you’re alone at night. “You can have whatever you want. Fuck me however you want, you can fill me up over and over. We’ll make sure everyone knows who my pussy belongs to. Would you like that?”

“Yes.” The confirmation is instant, no-nonsense. Followed by him closing his eyes and slamming his spare hand against the window to steady himself.

“Mine…” When he opens his eyes again, they unsurprisingly immediately lock onto you once more, zeroing in on your throbbing centre as he tells you. “Let me see it.”

“What?” The saliva in your mouth turns dry in an instant. Despite Tim baring all to you the thought of getting your whole pussy out in the Batcave scares you. In a strangely invigorating way.

“Need to cum and I fucking can’t.” Tim explains weakly, punching the wall again, this time with less vigour. “Show me your cunt.”

The c-word sounds so strange on Tims lips, so filthy. He’s frantic. You’re no closer to understanding how to cure him, and apparently your presence has only made things worse but maybe this is how you help him.

Hurriedly, you scurry over to the Batcomputer, Tim asserting his discontent by hammering his open palm on the wall repeatedly until you return moments later with the desk chair.

You waste little time shimmying out of your sleep shorts before you lose your bravado. Falling back into the chair, you adjust the height until your now exposed pussy is level with Tims eyeline. His demeanour changes in an instant, lips morphing into the first semblance of a smile he’d given you all night as he shifts closer.

Emboldened by his enthusiasm you spread your legs wide, resting your feet on the glass and using your fingers to spread apart your folds for him to get a real look. You’re not sure how he’ll feel about the shameful amount of moisture you’ve produced later, but for now his mouth very visibly waters. You don’t think he’s blinked since you sat down.

Uncurbed, you brush your finger over your sensitive clit, toes curling in response. You’d love to say you did it to put on a show for Tim, to help him find relief but in actuality it’s entirely self-serving. Unable to resist touching yourself at the sight of him on his knees for you, mercilessly fisting his cock in frenzied, rhymeless strokes. Regardless of your motivation, Tim seems to appreciate it.

Strands of his dark hair fall into his face as he leans forward, partly hiding his glassy eyes and reddened cheeks, but he quickly whips them back once more ensuring he maintains an uninhibited view of your fingers as they rapidly paw at your sex. Angling yourself so that Tim can see every minute detail, every roll of your hips as you lower your hand and sink two fingers into yourself. All the while you keep massaging your sensitive bud, Tim’s name a prayer on your lips as you watch him, watching you, fevered and hungry.

It comes as a surprise when your orgasm hits first, walls convulsing and spasming as you objectify yourself for Tim, acting like his personal pornstar. It’s a shame he can’t hear the wetness of your hole or the strangled, lewd gasps and moans that escape your throat as your body trembles from the intensity of your climax.

The slick of your release leaks from your sex, trickling between your legs, down the chair, and onto the metal floor. Like a man starved, Tim slams his face into the glass, finally closing his eyes and lapping at the pane with a flattened tongue.

Whatever vision he’s conjuring works, his lids twitch, eyes darting open to watch your panting frame. He looks sacrilegious, full body blushed and sweating. His face softens, mouth slack and drooling as rope after rope of cum spills from his reddened tip and hits the pane.

You’re only able to enjoy the sight of him coming apart for a moment before you notice that the viscous fluid is unsettlingly coloured. Not milky white as it should be, but a strange, luminous green colour.

Tim slumps downward once he’s spent, and you watch the rapid rise and fall of his chest while he comes down from his high. Your heart aching as you wonder whether his pain has been even slightly alleviated. The fact that the swelling of his veins seems to have subsided bodes well. Eventually he comes too, enough to also notice the puddle of green excrement between his legs and it’s your turn to all but lunch yourself at him. You shout falls on deaf ears until your kick’s echoes into his cell. His hand freezes and he watches, still hunched as you stumble to the control panel on unsteady legs.

“Don’t touch it.” Tim nods sheepishly in agreement. It probably won’t hurt him, having come from inside him, but better safe than sorry. “I’m gonna grab you some gloves and slides to take samples with.”

Before he can concur, you’re gone, inelegantly hiking your bottoms back on as you go. You feel bad, jumping straight back into business without so much of a ‘how was that for you?’ but these are strange circumstances, and whatever freaky substance he just shot out of his balls might be the missing puzzle piece in treating him.

Eventually, once you’d collected everything you’ll need and updated the Team, you do ask, holding the mic down with your elbow as you pull on a pair of rubber gloves, waiting to take the samples from him. “How do you feel?”

“Hot, and sore.” He tells you. He’s pulled his trousers back up, but you can still see the outline of his half-hard penis. “It’s still in me, I can feel it, but it doesn’t hurt as much. I can think. Which is something.”

“I’m glad it helped. Hopefully we’ll get you back to normal before it gets bad again.” He offers you a smile then. A genuine, none-hedonic one that makes you feel fuzzy. You’ve missed that smile.

“Yeah, hopefully.” He places the slides, tools, and used gloves in the containment slot and closes his side of the two-way mechanism. You offer him a half heart which he returns before you start sorting and bagging everything.

You’re about to turn your back when he taps gently on the glass, gesturing for you to open the comms line again and you oblige with your elbow once more.

“Listen, I’m really sorry for being an ass earlier. You didn’t deserve what I said to you.”

You can tell he’s stressing about it from the gloomy look in his blue-green eyes and the way he tugs at his waistband. Normally he fidgets with his gloves or his collar, but needs must an’ all. You’d give anything to be able to hug him right now.

“Don’t worry, I know you didn’t really mean it.” Admittedly it had shaken you, for all of five minutes, but you’ve never been able to stay mad at Tim, even at his worst, and you’ve seen him do far worse. “You weren’t really mad at me, right? Just the situation?”

“Yeah. Mostly myself but that doesn’t make it okay.” He’s still fiddling, still looking at you mournfully. It means a lot that it bothers him so much, but you need that to stop. You need him to be normal for like half an hour so you can get some work done without worrying. And you need to get the work done so you can make up for your own misdeeds.

“No really, it’s fine I don’t care.” You stress, hoping if you chide him a little it will absolve him of his guilt. “Just don’t do it again.”

“I’ll try not to.” He promises. You can tell by the way he works his jaw back and forth that he’s working up to say something else, something that has his ears and cheeks turning pink. That or the absolved symptoms are coming back already. “And thank you. For the other stuff.”

“Oh good, I was worried you might regret that part.” You hadn’t realised how badly you needed to hear him say that until it happened. It’d kill you and whatever situationship you have going on if he’d considered your actions exploitative.

“No! Not at all. I mean, I always kind of hoped that one day we might end up…” He vaguely gestures into the air which doesn’t help his point, but you understand what he’s getting at and nod, urging him to continue. “You know? But I never would have imagined it happening like this.”

“I know what you mean. I always figured something might…” You’re floundering. This is not the time or place for this conversation, you’re completely unprepared and as badly as this conversation needs to be had, you really don’t have time. “I mean, I wouldn’t wish what’s happening on anyone, but if it had to happen, I’m glad it was you. Because you’re the only person I would have done that for.”

You can’t imagine having done that for Dick, or Barbara, or God forbid Bruce. Just thinking about it makes your stomach churn.

“Good.” He seems more relieved now than he had when he’d cum. “I’d hate it if you’d done that with anyone else.”

If this were a movie or an action-romance novel, this is the part where you’d kiss, you think. But it’s not, and every second the two of you spend stammering about your feelings and making go-go eyes at each other is a second that could be spent on finding an antidote.

“We’ll talk, later.” You promise.

“I’d like that.” Tim replies before you pull away from the keypad. In a moment of whimsy, you blow your hot breath against the glass until it’s steamed up before pressing your puckered lips on it. No sound escapes the barrier between you, but you can see Tim laughing, his cheeks still palpably pink. He returns the gesture just moments before the Batcomputer begins to buzz.

Hi friend! I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad you exist. ♥︎

#gilverrwrites #dc #reader insert #tim drake #tim drake/reader #tim drake x reader #red robin/reader #red robin x reader #red robin #nsft #as always i wrote this with AK Tim in mind but I added the long hair cause I know ya'll are thinking of pretty boy tim #i love em both but AK Tim is my true love #f reader

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mitsukitsume · 8 hours

Text

Our own world.

Pov: Nothing else matters when it's you and him...

It was another regular day for you. You were laying in bed hearing your boyfriend move about,doing his work.

"Do you want some tea?"

He asked you. You smiled in response.

"Alright, I'll make some for you too. It's a new flavour I saw. I hope it's good."

You continued to lay and relax in the soft comfort of your bed. He sat down for a minute and you heard the him typing something on his desktop.

"I'll be there in a minute."

After a few seconds, you heard his footsteps coming towards you. He bent down and pecked your lips. It made your heart flutter. You felt butterflies in your stomach as you shifted slightly in your bed. He pulls up after placing a few more kisses. He lets out a small chuckle. You heard the sheets rustling as he laid down beside you.

"I was thinking of planning some sort of trip.."

You heard him say..

"it's just so busy with your schedule and my own that we just...don't have time. I wish we'd get to be more close together. I always look forward to spend my time with you."

You again smiled hearing him say.

"i know you want to spend time with me too and I also know that work is important. But taking a break is also very important you know..."

He said to you. He shifted a bit closer to you.

"Mmm..like the view?"

He teased. You chuckled at his attempts to fluster you.

"I definitely like mine...I don't know how I got so lucky..."

You smiled shly upon hearing his flirtatious teases. It went on for a few moments. You shifted in your bed slightly. You kept listening to him talking about his day..work.. passions...and most importantly..he talked about you two and what a life he wanted with you. It was all going so well until you heard a slight change in his voice..it..went..lower..?

"Huh?"

You thought to yourself. The smiling lightning up your face fades away as you hear his voice slowly fade away as well...

"The audio ended...?"

You picked up your phone to see that the audio did end. You were staring at the blank screen of the YouTube video with the replay button being the center of attention. Suddenly..unease flooded your heart as you put your phone down and looked around the room. The sounds of love...laughter...and life were now being replaced with the haunting sounds of your loneliness. The bizzare void of nothingness in your heart. It felt so heavy yet so hallow.

You again picked up your phone to quickly replace the ended video with another...you school through YouTube endlessly hoping to find something to ease the pain in your heart. To play the role of love you never got. To fill the void in your heart with comfort.

You had no one.

No one to ever fill these empty places. No one to love. No one to run to. No one to cry to. No one to laugh with.

No matter how many audios you listened to...deep down you knew it was all in your head. The reality that you hated so much, that you longed to escape from is going to come back to you one way or another. You can turn away from the truth but you can't ever deny it. The only weapon you had against war with reality was your imagination.

You wiped a tear from your eye as you almost started to panic at the thought of utter loneliness. That was until the sound of his voice filled your ears again and there you were...in your own world..with him..

"Darling! are you home?"

You shifted in your bed and smiled hearing him call you darling... Lost in bliss only to return to the pain...again.

#zsakuva #redacted audio #asmr #asmr boyfriend #escaped audios #audio roleplay #asmr roleplay #lots of tags haha

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afreakingdork · 1 day

Text

Soft Spot - Chapter 8

RotTMNT Donatello x Reader

Someone's excited and someone isn't in this week's chapter art by @garbagemilkshake

Rated: Explicit

Warnings/Tags: Romance, Established Relationship, Married Couple, Married Life, Aged-Up Mutant Ninja Turtles, Villain Donatello (TMNT), Love, POV Second Person, Babies, Pregnancy, AFAB reader, Vaginal Sex, Rough Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Creampie, Breeding Kink, Multiple Orgasms, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Fertility Issues, Pregnant Sex, Pregnancy Kink, Reader-Insert, Cunnilingus, Fellatio, Cum Eating, Turtle Noises (TMNT), I have a Biology Degree and I’m Using it, Menstruation, There WILL NOT be any Miscarriages

Synopsis: First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes the next step about as smooth as the others arrived. The baby-oriented sequel to Weak Spot.

Also available on Ao3

First 💜 Previous

Trigger warning: There is a mention of miscarriage. Reminder that there will be no miscarriages in this story. I apologize to anyone who has suffered that grief and please know that while times may be tough in this story, they will get better.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. leapt into the air. With a swivel of his torso that would have been impossible with mammalian spinal columns, he rotated all the way around to snatch a Frisbee. He then landed with the brunt of his weight denting dead grasses. Doing the same spine breaking spin, he whipped the plastic disc away from him. It shot with lethal accuracy at your mate who caught it without wasting a bit of movement.

The Frisbee was launched again and the game continued on as it had.

It had been going on for some time now.

It seemed like everything had.

This family picnic.

The last few weeks.

The persistent chill in the air.

It was why you were able to be out like this in the first place. For weeks, clouds took root in the sky. They darkened the doors of NYC and filtered out vibrancy. What was left was the usual humdrum of the city’s occupants and the only other entity that marked winter: cold.

Those who braved the elements bundled up, but there was little to see. All color was sucked from the concrete and buildings leaving everything a similar grey casing as the cumulus constellations above. Even a bright colored coat amongst the sea of neutrals seemed a pale comparison to how it appeared on a store rack.

It sent hoards of people indoors where golden tones were meant to encourage circadian rhythm. Bars were packed until condensation clung to the windows and hid them away from the chill. Restaurants buzzed with patrons looking for bowls of comfort and rooftop parties were dotted with the glowing embers of heat lamps instead of fairy lights.

They glowed like fireflies overtop the city, you imagined.

In reality, you hadn’t seen them.

You hadn’t seen much as of late.

Your husband had become a husk.

You had played out the rest of your Valentine’s trip in quiet contemplation. Waking for the multi-course breakfast should have been a treat and to an extent it was. It helped mop up the bitter feelings of the night before and there was love baked into every bite. The couple and other bed and breakfast tenants made for lively conversation and you heard life stories.

Ones that included family.

Ones that turned Donnie further inward.

He had yet to emerge in the time that followed.

When S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. phoned about the parks being empty, Donnie hadn’t challenged him. He agreed to an outing regardless of the conditions. Your son then immediately texted you with complaints of Donnie’s pliancy since he’d had a whole presentation planned to convince him. You offered to listen, but you certainly weren’t going to turn down the offer. In the end, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. gave up and you instead ironed out the necessary details that brought you now to the park.

Only a few joggers happened by at an irregular pace and they were so bundled up they didn’t blink an eye at the giant purple humanoid automaton.

To a side glance, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was nothing more than a colorfully dressed being braving the cold in layers. In reality, your son generated his own warmth and the cold meant his processors were firing at some kind of top optimization. He could finally walk around in his humanoid form without being gawked at and having the park to yourselves was an added bonus. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was living out his dreams of playing catch with his dad, even if said man was less part of the game and currently acting like an automated machine that fired discs.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. nabbed the plastic out of the air in another momentous leap before he ran over to you. “See that one? Did I get higher that time?”

“I think so…” You pondered to play up his excitement.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s legs folded up so he could more closely match your height. “Well!?”

You rolled your eyes over the darkened sky before landing on him. “I bet you can do better.”

“I can!!” He revved to his feet and launched the Frisbee at Donnie. “Throw it high!!”

Your husband complained and the disc then cleared S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s leap by several leagues. “Shoot!”

It disappeared into some dead brush.

Heavy metal footsteps clabbered after it. “I got it!”

You watched the lights on S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s chassis disappear and turned back to Donnie. Your husband’s eyes were both fixed and unfocused after where his son had gone. It had been weeks since you’d seen life shine off his gaze. He fully moved through motions and had never verbally accepted that you were no longer trying. Instead, he let his actions speak louder as you’d gone through your next ovulation cycle without having sex at all.

General intimacy might also have been absent had you not pushed for it. Your mate didn’t deter you, but was a lackluster partner in that regard. You often curled up against him on the couch for the sake of it and it was only after you continued to root stubbornly did he relent with an arm around you. You’d settle as thanks for it, but he no longer churred.

You hadn’t heard the sound since that accursed morning.

There was no helping it.

As Donnie had hypothesized, you became his strength where he lost will. He could easily be led, but he lost the desire to plan. This was his version of burnt out, you thought, as you took over making meal plans and keeping track of household stock. You often left him notes of what needed to be done that day and he always had them complete by the time you got home. It was a little more on your mental load, but his despondency didn’t make the extra work a chore. You wanted to care for him. The only exhaustion you had faced in the last few weeks was the one that struck you every time you opened your calendar.

The ovulation schedule was still overlaid amongst your daily tasks.

Since Donnie was no longer updating it live, it now ran on the last approximate data. You saw the time when your body supposedly released an egg, but if Donnie’s nose picked up on it, he didn’t betray that information. He was a shell that currently did what he was told, ate what was put in front of him, drank until a glass was empty, and slept when he laid down. You cared for him without a single question as you imagined this was all very new for him.

He had never spoken of burnout before though you imagined that was probably the stemming factor for his big 30s change. Years of scraping by took its toll on him and had manifested in him giving up the will to fight. He carried on for the sake of it after that and history seemed to align with what was happening now. It made you wonder how or if Donnie had ever learned to process grief.

It didn’t seem like it since his reaction to such was to shut down. While he rarely treated himself like a computer these days, it seemed like an instinct to fall back on those old habits. The moment the chip in his brain couldn’t process one thing, the system kicked in with a failsafe. It robbed him of all other emotions during the reboot. He was in safety mode which glided by on the barest instruction. Sex, to that extent, was out of the question for a multitude of reasons, but the largest reason had to be it was inadvertently the cause of his crash. Doing it again led to that ultimate are you or are you not pregnant scenario that had caused his malfunction in the first place. Until he could handle that exact computation, you would be in stand by with your pocket warmers close, not that you were troubled by the actual cold.

It had been S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. who created the electric blanket you were currently perched on. He was becoming acutely aware that his parents’ flesh bodies were negatively impacted by the cold. You weren’t exactly sure, but you had a feeling he had downloaded data on babies and it had scared him to find out how fragile they were. That was presumably connected to the dangers of motherhood which was why it made sense when your son demanded to take you out shopping for a downier winter coat. You’d picked him out a cute beanie for his worries which he’d clipped onto his head. It flopped around as he jumped which was exactly what it did when he burst from the bushes. “Found it!”

“Where was it?!” You called out to him.

“Tree!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. threw his arms out to mimic branches. “I didn’t cut it down!”

“That’s my boy!” You cheered him on.

He wriggled happily before coming over. “Soup time? I’ve been keeping it toasty!”

“Sure.” You moved to give him room on the blanket if he wanted it and looked toward Donnie. “Come back in!”

Your husband didn’t jostle and walked forward as if a command prompt had been entered.

You pulled up a secondary blanket that was tucked around your legs.

Donnie knelt down on a far edge of the ground cover and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s chest compartment opened up.

Right next to his facsimile of a heart was a large thermos which he extracted and set down. “Don’t touch it yet. Outside temperature reads 93°C.”

“That’s not toasty; that’s boiling.” You chastised him.

“Nah, it’s totally food safety holding temp!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. scoffed.

“When’d you get your license?”

“I got a part time job!”

“And you didn’t tell me!?” You pinched up the fabric on Donnie’s pants to tug him.

Your mate shuffled only an inch closer.

“I don’t tell you everything, mom.” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. took a bitter tone, but his digital eyes wrinkled at the improv.

“My baby, I remember when you were just a microchip…” You feigned sobbing and pulled a seam on Donnie’s pants harder.

He finally came close enough that you could toss some of the blanket over his lap.

There was still a modest distance between you.

“So embarrassing!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. whined.

“Bring someone home so I can show them your baby pictures.” You grinned and grabbed the handle of a soft-sided cooler.

From inside you produced a nice crusty bread you had gotten that morning with S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. as a pre-game outing.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. tugged the cooler to him to get bowls ready and dolled out steaming cups of soup.

“Mom…?” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. watched on as you relished tearing into the loaf.

He sounded nervous so you addressed him seriously. “Yes?”

“I… don’t have a job.” His eyes were pricked with pixel tears.

“I know, dear.” You patted his hand.

“And I’m ace!” He burst into a phony sob.

“But your dating profile!” You feigned a gasp.

“I just love a free meal and ice breakers!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. supposed agony had him falling over onto you.

He was metering his weight and you wrapped an arm around him. “We’ll figure this out. It’ll be okay.”

“Yeah?” He looked up at you and his display blinked away tears.

“Of course. I’m always here for you.”

“And… scene!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. shot upright and you were barely able to get out of the way.

You tittered along with him as he passed you a spoon.

You took it and gave it to Donnie along with a bowl and some bread.

He stared down at the mixture before ladling some up and eating it since it was there.

You gave him a forlorn look before S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. passed you some soup of your own.

“Which parts were true?” You took a knowing bite.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. clammed up and picked up some bread for the sake of it.

“Shelly.” You didn’t need to press heat to know your son would crumble.

“The dating profiles and ace part.” He tore a bit of the bread flesh out and worked it between his metal digits into little tight balls.

“You’re… dating!? Like actually?!” You perked up before you got a bite in your mouth.

“Yeah…” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. gave way to despondent embarrassment and balled up more bread.

“I feel like I want to congratulate you, but you’re acting weird…”

“I kinda sorta… Uh… keep ghosting them…?”

“Oh…” You finally took a bite and found the temperature warmed your throat pleasantly.

“Yeah… I love the first date. Ugh, I could do it a million times over! The talk! The first look where they get that feeling! Each person is totally new and figuring out how to make them laugh that first time! Unf!! That’s what I bet it feels like when you take a good bite of food! Has to be!”

“Sounds like it, but…”

“I know…” He ground out and wilted. “Some of them get real mean when I turn them down after. There’s like expectations. That stuff sucks. Can’t we just hit it off and end it there?”

“Not really how it works… It sounds like these people are looking for a real connection. How much are you telling them beforehand?”

“Mostly the synthetic body stuff as a test. If they can deal with that then it’s all picking a place.”

“I meant about you being ace or that you don’t want anything long term.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was getting close to hollowing out his slice of bread.

“You’re not.” You ventured a guess.

“I’m not.” He agreed with a pout written in his body language instead of on his display.

“You’re feeling guilty about it.”

“The last guy got so sad…” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. set the empty crust aside and started building up his bread pellets into a pyramid.

“It hurts. It sucks to think you met someone only for them to just want to stop after one date. Can’t you set the apps so it’s not romantic?”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. knocked over his growing tower.

You waited.

“You can do that?!” Your son’s eyes shot to yours.

“Depends on the app, I think.”

“Show me your profile!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. made an immediate grab for the pocket of your jacket that had your phone.

“Hey! Just because you can hear where it is, doesn’t mean you get to take it before I say yes!”

“Kid rules!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. protested and snagged the flap on your jacket anyway.

You were unable to swat your son away as he got your phone and plugged it into a port in his hand.

“Kids learn certain boundaries.” You grouched and gave up to eat.

“Nah, kids break the rulez. That’s with a ‘z’ by the way.” His eyes blinked at the display. “There’s nothing here!”

“It’s almost like I’ve been in a committed marriage for years!” You dunked your bread into the soup and watched it sop the liquid up.

“But you said you could make friends on it.”

“I have friends.” You chuckled.

“More friends.”

“I’m pretty good with the friends I’ve got.”

“So you just stop!?” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. looked at you like the odd one.

“I’m not against it.” You reached out to take your phone back.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s eyes rolled over into binary.

“What are you doing?” You turned wary.

“Found it!” In a blink, he projected a display of a dating profile you had made in your 20s.

You screeched straight through setting your soup safely aside and waved through the pixels to destroy it. “What is that?! Where did you find that?!?”

“Nothing on the internet dies!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. cackled pure malevolence to the cloudy sky.

“Is that active?!” You hissed and started grabbing at S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s form in an attempt to stop the display.

“Nah! It’s an archived page!” He giggled.

“Who archives that!?” You asked rhetorically before switching gears. “Turn it off now, mister.”

He laughed louder and the image dissipated.

You sank back into the blanket with a scowl.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. held out for a few seconds fiddling with his bread again.

“Want advice?” You sighed.

“Yes please.”

“Apologize to whoever will listen. Be honest about how much you feel comfortable with sharing. It’ll help. People can usually sense when someone isn’t honest.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. nodded.

“And ask that last guy to be your friend. He might be up for that. He might not be. It’ll all depend. Just stay safe.”

“Are you warning me about stranger danger?” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes.”

“Will you give me a curfew?!” He cheered.

“You live on your own!”

“Aw!” He whined long. “Can I move back in and get one?”

“Back in?” You got hold of your bowl. “How long has it been since you were living with Don?”

“What was it, dad? Like nine-ish years?” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. turned to Donnie as if he hadn’t been silent all this time.

Donnie didn’t look or respond.

“Nine years, 142 days, and six hours.” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. told you.

You gave him a sympatric look for trying to include Donnie.

He took it with an understanding bob. “It’s not like there’ll be room for me soon anyway.”

“Shelly…” You had always had a feeling that S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was insecure about his place since you’d told him you were trying for a baby, but this was the first time he’d voiced it.

He waved his hands to dispel your worries. “Not like that! I want a little dude or dudette sibby!”

You tried to stifle a laugh.

“I do!”

“No, no.” You reached out to take one of his hands. “Not that! ‘Sibby?’”

“I’m gonna teach them all the cool slang!”

“Sure…” You teased.

“I am! I’m gonna be so cool! The coolest bro ever! I’ve been downloading books and everything!”

You softened. “You are.”

“Can I babysit?”

“Only lame big brothers don’t.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. gasped, horrified.

You squeezed his hand, not that he could feel it.

He did notice though and looked up to you. “How’s that going? The data hasn’t been updating like before…”

The way Donnie’s spoon scraped the bottom of his bowl was palpable.

You sent him a nervous look, but he didn’t return it.

When you got back to S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., you saw your son had done the same.

“Clean.” Donnie spoke his second or third word of the day.

You slurped down the rest of your soup and held the last bit of bread in your mouth before passing him your bowl and utensils.

He got his own and walked off.

“I mean it’s obvious something happened.” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. spoke as soon as Donnie trended out of eye line.

You chewed quietly before you spoke. “It really seemed like I was pregnant for a minute…”

“Did something bad…?” He searched you with growing anxiety.

You shook your head. “No miscarriage, just a late period.”

“Could be late from stress.”

You bobbed your shoulders both agreeing with the possibility, but also not knowing for sure.

“What happened?”

“The emotional toll is… getting to us. It finally caught up with Donnie… I don’t know, Shelly. I asked if we could stop trying for now.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s red eyes widened.

“He’s not getting back on his birth control or anything, we’re just… I don’t know! We didn’t talk about it. I guess we won’t be obsessed with the schedule? I guess it just happens if it does…?”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. nodded.

“He’s hurting and I can’t help.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. tipped over until he could rest his head on your shoulder.

You set your cheek atop him. “I was hurting and he was there for me, but now it’s reversed and I think I’m doing everything I can, but maybe there’s something more.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. shook his head under the guise of snuggling closer.

His body radiated warmth and you leaned into it. “I know… Part of this is him coming to terms with what will or won’t happen.”

“I don’t really get it.” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. spoke softly after you hadn’t for a while. “The urge to reproduce or whatever, but I get family. I love family. I want more to love.”

An arm snuck around to hug you.

You wriggled until you could sling one around him.

He rumbled with what you identified as a digital version of a churr. “When’d you get that?”

“Used a mixing board and messed with the levels a few weeks ago.”

“That’s fun.”

“Makes me feel closer to dad.”

“You’re just like your dad.” You pecked just above the point of S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s triangle.

“Thanks.” He rumbled louder.

You chuckled and rubbed his arm.

He adjusted a bit so he could lay in your lap.

You made sure he was whatever version of comfortable that worked for him before you followed lines in his body with your fingers.

He relaxed there for a while and his eyes closed. “You’ll make good parents.”

“I hope so.”

“You will. Dad’s come a long way. You’ve always been great. Fun to make yell.”

“Goodie.” The corner of your lip quirked sarcastically.

“It could take years.”

“I know…” You murmured.

For a long moment you both existed as parent and child.

“I think… we need to accept that. I think that despite hearing those low odds, we thought we could beat it like we have everything else. I think all this… shit, all these shitty thoughts, this misery, is a weird warning.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. watched you.

You looked down at him. “You can’t strong arm a baby. A baby takes time.” You rubbed the area where his cheek would be. “A baby takes understanding and you can’t force it. You can’t force any kid. Knowing every logical science fact in the universe isn’t going to convince a baby to stop crying. Kids are little nonsensical storms. Maybe all this was showing us that. The sooner we accept it, the better.”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. reached up and took your hand.

“Do you think Donnie will ever make up for how he treated you?”

“No.”

“But you still want him to?”

He thought for a long moment. “No.”

“Are you waiting for something…?”

“Nothing.”

“Why… did you stay? Why do you still bother? You became independent, why didn’t you leave?”

The line of S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s smile was so genuine you felt your very being soothed. “He’s my dad.”

You had to look away.

You looked up at the cloudy sky.

It sat the same way it had for weeks.

Unmoving.

You lost focus as you stared at the diffused light.

You didn’t see anything until a sharp zap of cold nipped your nose.

It almost felt wet, but from what you saw of the sky there was nothing there.

You had to bring your head lower to see the tiny tufts of snow.

You patted S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s chest to get his attention.

The flakes weren’t heavy enough to come straight down and instead flittered off with weak will to gravity.

“It’s snowing…” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. mooned.

He was soon up from your lap and catching your hand.

You were on your feet in moments and he threw his head back. You watched as his digital tongue appeared from the line on his beak and a snowflake hit him only for it to melt instantly. He cheered for it and you threw out your frame to do the same. The snow tasted sour on your tongue and you gagged a little. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. fussed about acid levels and you returned the concerns by wondering why he hadn’t warned you. He started to respond before he ran for the sake of it and you chased after.

He purposely kept within reach so you could catch him and when you did you caught his wrists. You then threw your weight to one side which spun him, but didn’t knock him over. You kept up momentum, soon running. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. caught your hands right back and you were twirling until the flurries made for white blurs around you. Increased speed eventually broke you apart and you both fell onto crunching grass with giggles.

Donnie appeared over your head and you looked up at him with warmed cheeks. “It’s snowing, Don!”

He nodded and offered you a hand.

You let him help you up and tried not to look too owlishly as he initiated a secondary action by dusting grass clippings from you.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was still on his back and watching with glowing eyes.

“Where’s the stuff you rinsed?”

Donnie looked over to the blanket.

You followed his sight and assumed by the open cooler that he had stuffed the tableware in there. “I might have eaten some acid snow.”

Your husband’s face didn’t betray much, but his chin dipped a little to check.

You stuck your tongue out for him to see.

A snowflake immediately landed on it and you choked as you stumbled away. “Ack!!”

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. hooted with laughter.

“That was dumb!” You coughed and returned to find Donnie with the faintest light in his eyes.

Yours tripled in size.

He did nothing more and only continued to watch you.

You thought about double taking, but instead chewed your lip.

It took some heavy debate before you gave it all up to chance, “Did… you trick me?”

His gaze softened the smallest amount.

Your heart skipped a beat.

You meant to say something, but a flake then touched down on the tip of Donnie’s nose.

His eyes crossed to look at it and you reached up in a great show.

He lowered his head for you thinking you’d wipe it.

You were going to and fisted up your fingers so your thumb was free.

Just before you made contact, you switched grip so your forefinger was extended and used it to swipe down the melting droplet straight into your mate’s mouth.

The acidity hit his heightened taste buds and he reared away from you with the most movement he’d made in almost a month.

Both you and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. couldn’t contain your giggles.

You both felt the moment Donnie recovered more than saw it.

“RUN! DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. shrieked before kicking up lawn to take off.

You pivoted as quickly as you could to run the other way.

You heard S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. scream out something about Donnie not being able to catch you both before there was an explosion of sod. You turned back, having run a good many feet away to find debris falling with the snow and Donnie hunched over the jangling arms of his son’s body in a crater. You peeped a single time as his head shot toward your direction. You made it exactly three more leg lengths before your husband dropped down in front of you.

You tried to keep from running into him, but your backpedal tripped you.

In a perfect tango maneuver, his hand caught your waist and you were tugged flush with him.

You hadn’t been this close of his violation in a while and butterfly wings beat against your insides as you looked up at him.

His gaze poured over you, still partially withheld, but opening up further by the second.

“You were listening to me and Shelly.” You told him.

“Yes.”

“Did Shelly know?” You tilted your head.

“One can assume.”

“Did you two set me up?”

“No.” Donnie almost smiled, but caught himself.

“Shelly!” You called out. “Did you!?”

“No!” You heard some earth shift and assumed he was pulling himself up.

“You okay?”

“Yup! Can we do that again?!” He cheered.

“Later.” Donnie rolled his eyes and didn’t bother raising his pitch.

“You seem to like what I thought. About not rushing kids?”

Donnie evaluated you for a while before he looked off to the side. “Sound rationale.”

You reached up and placed your palm flat to his cheek.

He leaned into you. “I’ve been distant.”

“You needed to be. I always told you. It’s fine as long as you know I’m waiting.”

“Always…?” He turned up the end of his sentence with a raw tear to his chilled gaze.

“Always.” You agreed and tucked your fingers into his mask.

He gave a faint exhale and leaned down.

“You don’t have to force yourself to be okay. Even now.”

Again, his lips twitched like he might smile, but didn’t.

You thought that was enough.

He came closer until he was just shy of kissing you.

His reluctance to marry your lips meant something so you only watched him up close and let your hand slide down to his shoulder.

He liked the maneuver and felt comfortable enough for his eyes to shut as he took in your closeness.

You nosed into his airspace and commingled just like that.

The snow didn’t pick up and stayed little wayward flurries that would sometimes brush your skin.

Long after they dotted and melted against your coat did Donnie’s forehead brush yours and he gave the barest churr.

Your fingers spread out against his collar and you sighed contentedly.

“I’d like to continue our exercise in spontaneity.”

“Oh?” You breathed out and felt the warmth of it bounce back from his skin.

He nuzzled you amongst a slight nod.

“I’d like that. I like being close to you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t stay away.”

“You needed me.”

“I did.” He pulled so there was the pressure of your body against his. “Needed you close. Need you.”

“I’m here.”

This time when he nodded it was to lift his head.

“What’s left from your list? Double penetration?”

That finally got him to smile, but he squashed it.

You chewed on your grin.

“An entire mechanism for such, my present at the lab, and something new I’ve added as punishment.”

“Edging…” You hissed at your kryptonite.

Donnie only sent you a confirming look before he released you.

You took a few steps to give him space.

“Now?!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. chirped as he waited the same distance away.

“Run!” Donnie snarled once before taking off.

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. squealed delight as he thumped away on bulky limbs. “Wait! This body sucks for this!”

“Too bad!” You heard a clunk of metal before you saw Donnie reach him. “I believe this is called: tag!”

“Tag…” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.’s mouth line warbled and Donnie turned to run.

“Tag! Mom! It’s tag!”

“There’s no tag-backs so…” You saw Donnie signal you for which way to go and you ran that direction.

“Tag!!!” S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. cheered before his plodding footsteps were sent in your direction.

(Check out behind the scenes for this fic and more on my Patreon. You can follow me there, here, or the tag #softspotfic for updates)

@tmntxthings is busy with life changing stuff and @thepinkpanther83 is sick as a dog! Much love to my precious betas in these trying times!

#softspotfic #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader #donatello hamato #donnie x reader #rise donnie #rise donnie x reader #rottmnt donatello #rottmnt Donnie #me #fanfiction #my fanfiction

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differentpostrebel · 2 days

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Lost and Found: A Pirate's Promise

Chapter 34: Trapped in the Depths: The Encounter with Doflamingo

This gif because we get another Sanji POV, as he finally makes it to Zou.

A/N: We back with a second new chapter! Since its my birthday we getting the gift of Fanfics! LMFAOOO, but you guys when I tell you these upcoming chapters are cooking! Like my god! Im about to drop a sneak preview tomorrow. We got both Sanji POV, and Usopp POV. Thank you guys for everything, dont worry I have the master list ready also so I can pin it on my page as well. And without further ado let the adventure begin!

Word Count: 7.9K

Sanji x Reader, Sanji x Y/N, One piece X Reader

Y/N POV…

Doflamingo continues to step forward, laughing menacingly. Luffy and I both stand stunned. “Princess, why look at you. Seems to me I’ve found you once again,” Doflamingo taunts, his voice dripping with malice. His eyes gleam with a twisted amusement as he takes in my presence. “How fortunate for me, wouldn’t you say?”

I open my mouth to retort, but Doflamingo cuts me off. “Look at you three, huddled together in your little hole. Should I take those handcuffs off you, Law?” His voice is dripping with mockery as he focuses on Law.

I reach for Law’s hand, gripping it tightly, reminding him that we’re not going to let anything happen to him. “Or should I cut your wrists along with them?” Doflamingo’s words make Law tense, his eyes narrowing in defiance.

I glance down at my blade, noticing that it’s channeling a different energy—a strange, shifting hue that I’ve never seen before. “What’s going on?” I think, feeling a mix of confusion and unease.

“Now, Princess, why don’t you come here where you belong?” Doflamingo continues, his voice dripping with sinister intent. “I have something special planned for the two of us.”

“Like what? Getting your ass kicked a fourth time by me? I’d like to see you try,” I retort, my voice firm and defiant despite the fear clawing at the edges of my composure.

Doflamingo’s grin widens, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent hunger. “Oh, don’t be so eager to test me. You see, I’ve grown quite fond of watching you struggle. It’s almost entertaining, watching your hopes crumble. But what I really want is to see you break, to see the despair in your eyes when you realize there’s nothing you can do.

I clenched my fists, fury rising in me, but before I could snap back, Luffy stepped forward. “I thought you were back at the palace! What the hell are you doing down here?” he shouted, launching a punch. Doflamingo deflected it effortlessly, the punch ricocheting off the walls like a pebble.

“I came to rescue you, of course,” Doflamingo mocked. “You clearly need help if you're falling for traps like this.” He unleashed a barrage of sharp, bullet-like strings, aimed straight at Ucy. “I’ll put you out of your misery.”

“Ucy!” Luffy shouted, panic in his voice.

“Forget the bull, just get away!” Law yelled urgently as Ucy collapsed to the side, throwing us both into the freezing water.

“Y/N!” I heard Law call out, but the cold water overwhelmed me, my limbs freezing up as I struggled to keep Luffy afloat. The weight of my drenched dress and tiara was unbearable, but I couldn’t let Luffy sink. He couldn’t swim due to his Devil Fruit powers.

Doflamingo loomed over us, his voice full of contempt. “What a joke. Any fool could kill you in this sorry state. You’ve riled up a bunch of weaklings who think they can take my head, but now I see you’re nothing more than a pathetic joke.”

I gritted my teeth, my whole body shaking from the cold. We needed to get out of the water—fast.

Doflamingo turned to Law, his voice low and cutting. “Why side with this idiot, Law? When you were younger, you had such potential. Ruthless, cunning. Now look at you. Who turned you into this weak coward?”

“That’s enough!” Law shouted, seething with anger. “I won’t become like you! I was saved!”

Doflamingo’s expression turned darker, unimpressed. “Pathetic,” he hissed, raising a hand to send another attack toward Law.

Suddenly, one of the unwanted guests from before lunged forward. “You won’t lay a hand on Strawhat!” he yelled, trying to stab Doflamingo. But the blade passed through his body effortlessly.

“It’s not the real thing!” Law yelled, shaking with frustration. “It’s a puppet made of strings!”

“Damn clones,” I muttered, my teeth chattering as I tried to keep steady in the water. The cold was sinking into my bones, making it harder to stay upright. I could feel my strength fading.

“Thanks for the help!” I managed to shout to our unexpected allies. “Are you guys hurt?”

“Don’t worry about us! Let’s just get you both out of the water!” one of them called back, pulling Luffy out first. I was next, my entire body trembling from the cold as they dragged me back onto Ucy’s back.

I shivered uncontrollably, my soaked hair clinging to my face and my wet clothes weighing me down. Law, still in his cuffs, glanced at me and smirked despite everything. “Princess, you look freezing. Come here and huddle up for warmth,” he teased, his shirtless chest exposed under his coat.

I raised an eyebrow, still shaking, but couldn't deny how cold I was. “Oh, now you’re using this as an excuse, huh?” I teased back, but leaned into him, grateful for the heat. His body felt warm despite the freezing conditions, and I pressed close to him, trying to stop the relentless shivering.

One of the other guys frowned. “What happened to Doflamingo’s body? That didn’t seem like a real fight.”

“Moron,” Law snapped, though his voice was softened by the fact that I was still holding him close. “I told you, it’s only a puppet. Though I can’t figure out why he even bothered sending one here. Is he trying to taunt us, or is he planning something bigger?”

I glanced up at Law, the tension in his jaw evident and something else that caught my attention—my thigh felt lighter, and my left hand was empty.

“My blades!” I gasped, pulling away from Law. “I must have dropped them in the water,” I muttered, trying to spot them through the rippling surface. A faint shine caught my eye at the bottom. "There they are!" I said, starting to make my way back toward the edge of the water.

But before I could react, one of the unwanted guests jumped in. "No, Princess! Allow me to retrieve them!" he called out.

“Wait, you don’t—!” I began, but it was too late. He had already dived in.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. “Hmm, maybe these don’t do anyth—" I began, before hearing him yelp. “Here they are!” he said, only to have the blades suddenly burst into flames. The man dropped them instantly, his hands burned as the heat seared him.

I sighed, shaking my head. “No one’s allowed to touch anything that’s mine—especially my blades and jewelry,” I explained, diving back into the water myself. I retrieved the blades with ease, feeling their familiar power hum through me as I returned to Ucy, securing them back into the thigh halter.

“Why did that happen?” Luffy asked, clearly amazed by what he’d just seen.

“King said the same thing when he gave them to me—anyone who tries to take my blades or jewelry gets a nasty surprise. Only I can use or wear them. Unless I deactivate the trigger myself, they’re off-limits,” I replied casually, brushing off the water as I moved back toward Law. I huddled close to him again, seeking warmth, his body still radiating a comforting heat.

“Sorry about that, you guys,” I said, a bit sheepishly.

“Oh, don’t worry, Princess! We aren’t mad at you!” one of the guys stammered, blushing furiously.

“Yeah, it was just a simple accident,” the other chimed in, trying to excuse the sudden situation with an awkward laugh.

Law, still handcuffed with his hands tied behind his back, smirked, watching me lean closer. “It’s always something with you, isn’t it?” he teased, his voice carrying that familiar, warm edge.

I pressed against him, shivering as the chill from the water still clung to my skin. “You’re warm, I need warmth,” I murmured, nuzzling into him without hesitation.

He tilted his head, unable to move his hands, but clearly enjoying my dependency on him. "I can’t do much about it with these cuffs, but you’re welcome to get as close as you need," Law quipped, his eyes flickering with amusement. “Though, I have to admit, I don’t mind this at all.”

I gave a playful smile, feeling a bit of my strength return. “Guess I’ll just have to stick around then,” I said, leaning more into him as his body heat slowly began to thaw my cold skin.

Law’s smirk grew. “As if I’d let you go anywhere else."

"Why do you think Doflamingo said he wanted to rescue us?" Luffy suddenly asked, his face twisted in confusion.

I lifted my head slightly, glancing between them. "That man doesn’t even know the meaning of the word ‘save.’ It’s a trap, Luffy. Everything with him is a setup." I shifted in Law’s chest, still feeling the chill, but unwilling to move away from his warmth.

One of the allies chimed in. "Oh, that reminds me—everything Kelly Funk said? He tricked us! That bastard was lying the whole time."

I pulled away from Law just enough to turn towards them, eyes narrowing. "I knew it! I could feel it—that guy had bad energy around him. We shouldn’t have trusted him."

"After we found out what he was planning, we knew we had to stop him," the ally continued. "Doflamingo took him down without even breaking a sweat."

"Man, Traffy was right—Mingo’s just taunting us!" Luffy muttered angrily, clenching his fists.

"Bastard’s playing a dangerous game," I agreed, feeling the strange hue return to my blades, now safely secured on my thigh holster.

Luffy’s mind was already racing to the next problem. "How’s Cabbage doing? Did he beat us to the top?"

"Yeah, we’re way behind," one of the guys answered. "Everyone’s probably already on the second level by now."

"Ugh! We need to get to the sunflower field. I needed that shortcut!" Luffy groaned, clearly frustrated.

"Hurry back to the entrance!" Law said, trying to strategize.

"No! I’ll make us an entrance!" Luffy grinned wildly, grabbing both Law and me.

"Luffy, what are you—" I started, but before I could finish, Luffy shouted, "Gomu Gomu no Elephant Gun!"

The massive punch ripped through the ceiling, creating a giant hole in the sky and opening a path to the second level.

“Alright! Y/N, Traffy, let’s go!” Luffy yelled, his enthusiasm unshakable.

Law sighed, clearly annoyed. "We could’ve been crushed!"

Ignoring him, Luffy grabbed both of us again and launched us towards the second level. We landed with a thud, soaking wet but unharmed.

“Good, now we’ve caught up with everyone else!” Luffy said with satisfaction, letting me go. I clung to Law for a moment longer, still cold and wet.

“Let’s go, Luffy!” I called, running alongside him, activating the familiar electrical charge in my hands. We sprinted towards the palace, determination in every step.

“Get back here, Princess!” a voice yelled from behind. A Doflamingo subordinate was hot on our heels.

“Not a chance!” I shouted, sending a bolt of lightning toward him, striking him down instantly.

As we continued running, Cabbage suddenly appeared on his horse. “Cabbage! You trying to get in my way again?” Luffy called out, half-joking.

“Not this time,” Cabbage responded with a dramatic flip of his hair. “Get in!”

“Huh?” Luffy and I blinked in confusion.

“I’ve decided to give you a ride,” Cabbage said, sounding as regal as ever. As he turned his horse, he noticed me. “Princess, come to the front. I’ll hold you!”

“Hell no!” I leaped into the air, gliding alongside them. “Luffy, get on!”

“Right! Let’s go!” Luffy shouted, jumping onto Cabbage’s horse with Law.

“Would it kill you to show a little gratitude?” Cabbage muttered to Luffy, annoyed.

I clenched one of my blades in my hand, feeling the familiar heat of fire surge through me. “You attack, and I’ll clear the path,” Cabbage called out, locking eyes with Luffy.

Just then, I noticed a fourth person had joined us on the horse—Kyros. “Hey, Kyros!” I called out, smiling despite the rush of adrenaline.

“Princess,” Kyros nodded back, keeping his focus ahead.

Cabbage continued to rant as we moved forward, but Luffy and I ignored him. "Rebecca is headed for the flower field," Luffy explained to Kyros.

“Rebecca?! Is she in danger?” Kyros asked, his voice filled with worry.

“Don’t worry, Kyros. She’s in good hands,” I reassured him, slashing the air with one of my blades, creating a fiery barrier in our path to protect us from incoming attacks.

“My elegant steed cannot maintain its grace with four people on its back!” Cabbage complained, but I cut him off with a sharp look.

“Cabbage, I’d appreciate it if you stopped yelling at my captain and Kyros!” I snapped, pausing mid-air.

Cabbage dramatically placed a hand over his heart, blinking at me. “Such fiery passion! Oh, we are so meant to be!”

I rolled my eyes, flying alongside them as we pushed forward. Allies below us fought valiantly against Doflamingo’s subordinates, clearing the way.

“You take out the boss! We’ll handle these lackeys!” a giant called out as we passed.

“Cabbage, get them to the palace, and fast!” one of the allies yelled.

“Thank you, guys!” I shouted back, grateful for the support as we neared the palace.

“This is getting fun! Let’s go!” Luffy shouted, grinning ear to ear as we all charged towards the palace together. One by one, Luffy's allies kept taking down the subordinates, giving us a clear path forward. While Cabbage rode ahead with Luffy, Law, and Kyros on his horse, I soared through the air beside them, scanning the battlefield below.

"Onward, Farul!" Cavendish called out to his horse, urging it forward, as I glided beside them, my eyes sharp for any signs of trouble.

"Hey, Luffy!" I called from above, catching his attention. "You think those guys are going to be alright? I saw Dellinger back there, along with that ton guy. Looks like he managed to pick himself back up after that punch I gave him." I clutched my blade, feeling the fire inside it flicker to life once more.

"Yeah, they’ll be fine!" Luffy responded confidently, shouting over the wind. "We just need to get to Mingo, and fast!" His eyes were fixed on the towering palace in the distance, determination blazing.

Just then, another group of subordinates appeared ahead of us. "Not so fast!" one of them yelled, blocking our path.

"Damn, they keep popping up like roaches," I muttered, preparing to strike. The familiar heat surged through me as I clenched my left hand, ready to ignite my blade once more.

But Cavendish raised his hand, stepping in. "Allow me, Princess." His eyes gleamed with pride as he unsheathed his sword. "Blade of Beauty, Sol Dux Paris!"

He cut through the air with a flourish, his attack striking with deadly precision. Luffy followed up instantly, launching a furious Jet Gatling that sent the remaining enemies flying.

"We’re almost there, guys!" I shouted, seeing the palace growing closer with every second. Deciding to conserve some of my energy for the final fight, I gracefully descended and landed behind Luffy on Cavendish’s horse.

"Welcome back, Y/N!" Luffy grinned, his energy never wavering.

I smiled back at him, but Cavendish immediately noticed the added weight on his stallion. His annoyance was instant. "Who else is riding my stallion?! It’s meant for elegance and grace, not... passengers!"

Peeking out from behind Luffy, I raised an eyebrow, amused. "You were saying?" I teased, giving him a pointed look.

Cavendish turned his head slightly, catching sight of me, and his dramatic frustration vanished in an instant. "Ah, Princess!" he said, his tone shifting. "I didn’t realize it was you... My apologies, your grace is always welcome."

I stifled a laugh, leaning forward. "That's what I thought," I said, rolling my eyes.

Cavendish, or "Cabbage" as Luffy called him, continued to land blow after blow with his sword, cutting down enemies left and right as we rode.

“The long-leg guy got beat!” Luffy shouted, looking back, ready to jump off and help.

"Luffy, we're almost at the palace!" I reminded him, gripping the horse tightly. "Don’t worry, they’ll be okay. Once Doflamingo is gone, we can go help everyone."

Before Luffy could respond, Cavendish cut him off. "This game is nothing but a way to get us all killed! The only way to save this island and its people is to get rid of Doflamingo." His voice was full of conviction as he spoke. "Despite his strength and advantages, he made one key error—the colosseum. I will defeat Doflamingo with my bare hands!"

Luffy’s expression turned into one of pure rage. "I already told you, I’m going to do it!" he shouted.

"This one’s personal!" Law interjected, his voice steady despite his handcuffs. "I’m the one who’s going to take Doflamingo down."

Kyros wasn’t backing down either. "Your passion is admirable, but this is my fight!" he said, his resolve clear in his voice.

Kyros clenched his fist tighter, his voice full of determination. "My grudge is from ten years ago. I won’t let him escape this time."

Law smirked slightly, his usual calm demeanor returning. "Well, my grudge is from thirteen years ago."

Luffy, not wanting to be left out, jumped in with enthusiasm. "Yeah? Well, my grudge is from thirty years ago!"

Cavendish shot him an incredulous look. "You dirty liar! You're not even thirty!" he snapped, his irritation evident.

I groaned, slapping my forehead in frustration. "Seriously?" I muttered under my breath before turning to face them. "Listen, we all have our own personal grudges when it comes to Doflamingo," I said, my voice firm. I glanced at my injured left shoulder and instinctively grasped my collarbone, feeling the ghost of Doflamingo’s grip on my neck. The memory of his hands tightening around me still sent shivers down my spine.

"But we need to work together," I continued, my frustration rising. "Arguing isn’t going to help us. Once we get there, we can figure it out. But right now, we need to stop fighting among ourselves!"

Before anyone could respond, we suddenly reached the third level. The air felt different, thick with an eerie fog. From the mist, shapes began to emerge, slowly taking form. I squinted through the haze, trying to make sense of what we were seeing.

"Holy... what the heck are those things?" Luffy said, his eyes wide with shock.

Before us, what appeared to be dead toys—broken, distorted, and unsettling—began shambling forward, their lifeless eyes staring straight at us. They moved in unnatural jerks, creaking with every step.

My breath caught in my throat as I gripped the reins tighter. "What the hell is this...?" I whispered, feeling a chill creep up my spine.

Sanji POV…

I watched the mist-covered island, beginning to come through, but I couldn’t shake the sense of urgency gnawing at my gut. I was here to protect my crew, but my thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. Y/N.

My cigarette hung loosely from my lips, the end flickering with each deep breath I took. I’d already gone through too many packs just thinking about her safety. Every puff seemed to ease the tension in my chest, but only for a moment. What if something had happened to her? What if Luffy and Mosshead were too late?

“Sanji! You’re spacing out again.” Brook’s voice snapped me back to reality.

I flicked the cigarette away, letting the wind carry it off the side. “I’m fine, Brook. Just… thinking.” I straightened up, trying to focus on the task at hand. As Nami, Chopper, Caesar, and Brook continued walking ahead, I felt a deep sense of unease creep over me. The further we went, the heavier the atmosphere became, and something in the air made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

We rounded the bend, and that’s when I saw it—destruction as far as the eye could see. The once serene jungle of Zou was now littered with broken trees, debris, and ominous smoke rising into the air. Crucifixes, scattered like some macabre display, stood out among the wreckage.

“What the hell happened here?” I muttered, my eyes scanning the scene. The devastation was overwhelming, the remnants of a violent battle etched into the land.

Y/N POV…

"I don't like this one bit," I muttered, my eyes scanning the eerie scene. The toys, now looking more unsettling than before, stood around us like silent sentinels.

"Are they tin soldiers?" Kyros whispered, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Cavendish growled, Farul beginning to back up slightly in response to the tension.

"One of them fell over," Luffy said, pointing towards a toy soldier that had toppled onto the ground. Just then, to our horror, the toy soldier began chewing through the dirt, its jaw unhinging in a grotesque manner.

"What the hell is this?!" I yelped as we narrowly dodged the crazed attack.

"I'm going full speed," Cavendish declared, gripping the reins tightly. "You guys are going to have to take care of yourselves."

"We're completely surrounded!" I said, feeling the tension rise.

"Were there always this many?" Luffy asked, eyes wide as more toy soldiers began to emerge from the mist, their movements jerky and unnatural.

"What a nuisance," Cavendish said, his voice cold and calculated. "The only way to advance is to dispose of them."

"Alright!" Luffy grinned, flexing his arms. "You guys wanna join in?!"

Kyros quickly dismounted the horse, readying his sword. "Yeah!"

"Wait, Y/N," Luffy suddenly turned to me, his tone shifting to a more serious one. "You stay with Traffy on the horse. Gotta save your strength for the big fight, don’t we? Cabbage, Kyros, and I will take care of them."

I crossed my arms and pouted, feeling a bit left out. "Man... I wanted to join in on the fun!"

Law's voice, low and teasing, broke through my frustration. Still laying down on the horse, his handcuffed wrists resting behind his head, he smirked lazily. "Don’t pout, Princess. You’ll get your chance. Besides..." His gaze flicked over to me, eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "I’d rather keep you here with me. I might get cold without your warmth."

I raised an eyebrow, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Really, Law? In the middle of all this?"

His smirk widened, and he winked. "What can I say? I prefer the view here."

We turned back around, watching as Luffy, Cavendish, and Kyros moved through the toy soldiers with dynamic speed and precision. Their attacks were swift and powerful, each strike perfectly calculated to dismantle the advancing horde.

"Hmm, two minutes," I commented, a teasing smile playing on my lips as I glanced at the aftermath. "Looks like a new record, Captain."

Law, still lounging on the horse beside me, chuckled softly. "Typical Straw Hat... always a little over the top."

Luffy, hearing me, flashed his usual grin as he finished off the last toy soldier with a quick punch. "Gotta stay sharp!" he called back.

"Nice work," I said, still smiling, though my focus had already shifted forward. Luffy climbed up to the horse, followed by Kyros. Cavendish, however, remained oblivious that the group was already mounted.

"Cabbage, we’re waiting," Luffy laughed.

"Were you all just watching me?" Cavendish asked, clearly annoyed.

"Lighten up, Cabbage, now hop on," I said, a small grin tugging at my lips.

In an instant, the toys sprang up again, one of them launching a surprise attack on Farul. The impact knocked all of us to the ground.

"Horseeey!" Luffy cried out, his voice full of concern.

"Is he...?" I muttered, dread filling me as I saw the injured horse lying motionless, struck down by the toy's attack.

Luffy’s expression darkened, and with a quick motion, he launched a Jet Pistol at the center of the toy, knocking it down. "Farul!" Cavendish yelled as he knelt beside his horse. "Stay with me! I can’t believe it... they crushed its head."

"How are these toys still moving?!" I growled, clenching my right hand and pressing it against my left, activating the electrical charges flowing through me.

"How dare you! That’s my partner!" Cavendish roared, drawing his blade. "Blade of Beauty: Round Table!" He struck at the toy, but even that wasn’t enough. As we watched in disbelief, all the toys began to stir, coming back to life.

"You’ve got to be kidding me!" I said, exasperated.

Suddenly, a voice cried out from above, and a figure landed on top of the toy soldier. "Damn it, I got sloppy," the man said, shaking off the dust.

"It’s you?!" Luffy exclaimed, recognizing the figure.

I turned swiftly to Luffy, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know so many people?" I asked, half-amused, half-bewildered.

"Mr. Luffy! And... Princess Y/N!" The man’s eyes widened, tears streaming down his face as he began to cry out dramatically. "Oh, my dreams are coming true!"

Before I could respond, another figure appeared from above. "Robin!" Luffy and I shouted in unison.

Without thinking, I ran up and hugged her tightly. "Good to see you’re okay, Y/N," she said with a soft smile, though her expression quickly shifted when she noticed the bruising on my neck and collarbone. Her fingers lightly brushed against the marks.

"What happened to your necklace, Y/N?" she asked, her voice concerned.

I looked up at her, my emotions starting to well up. "Doflamingo... he yanked it and threw it on the ground, breaking it," I said, my voice wavering. "And the marks... they’re from him, too." I held onto Robin tighter, the weight of everything catching up to me.

Her arms wrapped protectively around me. Just then, Law approached us, his frustration evident. "Nico! You brought the key, didn’t you? Give it to me now!" he demanded, his eyes sharp with urgency.

We pulled away, and I made my way towards Law. "I left them with Rebecca," Robin replied, her tone steady despite the tension.

"Damn," I muttered, my frustration mounting. I had hoped someone would have the key.

"What?!" Kyros said, his concern palpable.

"She’s alright," Robin said reassuringly. "She’s headed to the flower field right now."

"Well, she got away," a voice said, dripping with disdain. "Even if she makes it into the palace, she won’t be able to do anything."

The figure emerged from the shadows, his face coming into view. He raised his eyes, locking them onto Luffy and me. "Strawhats," he said with a sneer. His gaze then shifted to me. "And you, the young master has been waiting for your capture."

Rage surged through me, and the blades in my thigh halter began to glow with their distinctive hue. "You can tell the young master he can shove it! I’m not his, and I never will be!" I shouted, the hue intensifying.

The man ignored my defiance, turning his attention to Robin. "I’ll kill Rebecca once I’m done with you."

"Bastard!" Kyros spat, his anger barely contained.

"I know you!" Luffy exclaimed, his voice filled with determination. "The name’s Gladious, and I’m putting an end to this rebellion."

The toy soldiers began to move again, and I yanked one of my blades from its sheath. Blue flames danced around it, ready for action. "Rooster, let’s go!" Robin commanded as she and her partner took their positions.

"Luffy, Traffy, Soldier, Y/N, go ahead to the flower field and get that key," Robin said decisively. "We can handle this."

"Are you sure, Robin?" I asked, my voice wavering with concern.

"Rebecca is waiting! Just go!" she insisted, her voice unwavering. With a determined nod, Luffy agreed with Robin. Gladious then launched his attack, but before Luffy could react, he was blocked by a massive shield. "Mr. Luffy, let me take care of it!" Rooster called out, stepping forward. "Barrier!" The enormous protective barrier shielded us from the oncoming assault.

I quickly placed my blade back into the thigh halter, securing it as the blue hue faded from my weapon. I couldn't help but wonder why the hue kept appearing whenever I felt intense emotions. Gladious groaned in frustration and summoned the toy soldiers once more.

I clenched my right hand, feeling an intense surge of power as I prepared for the fight. "Luffy, let’s clear a path!" I shouted. With a powerful punch, I struck the ground, unleashing my technique, Celestial Rupture. The impact created a massive shockwave that rippled through the area, causing the toy soldiers to collapse and shatter under the tremendous force. The ground cracked and trembled as debris flew in all directions, dismantling the toys in a spectacular display of devastation.

Luffy, seizing the moment, unleashed his Jet Whip with fierce precision. His rapid kicks and strikes sent the remaining toys hurtling through the air, their bodies disintegrating upon impact with his powerful attacks.

“Rooster head” or how luffy called him was stunned. “Sweet! I got front row seats to a Jet Whip strike and a combination of beauty and strength by the Princess! What a day!” He swooned, clearly awestruck.

“Stop wasting time!” Law snapped, his irritation evident. “We’ve been fighting these stupid dolls forever! Hurry it up, Strawhat!”

With a determined glint in my eye, I leaped backward into the air, landing next to Law. I crouched down beside him, my fingers playfully sliding through the back of his hair. Law tensed slightly at first, but soon, a soft groan escaped him as I let my fingers slowly trail down to the back of his neck, brushing against his skin.

His hat shielded most of his face, but I caught the faint blush creeping up his cheeks. His eyes, darker now, looked at me with a mix of tension and something deeper. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I teased softly, my voice low and flirtatious.

Law exhaled deeply, his head tipping just slightly into my touch. “You have no idea,” he murmured, his tone rougher, edged with a teasing promise of his own. His voice dropped as his eyes met mine, unwavering. “Once these cuffs are off…”

I raised an eyebrow, my smirk widening. “Once these cuffs are off… what?” I whispered, letting my fingers linger at the back of his neck, feeling the slight shiver that ran through him.

Law’s smirk matched mine, his gaze intense. “You’ll find out.” He leaned into my touch just enough to send a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

I chuckled softly, pulling my hand away, the warmth between us lingering.

As Luffy ascended the barrier stairs, Rooster Head was still celebrating his moment of glory. “Thank you for being born!” he exclaimed, still on the ground in a state of utter adoration. His enthusiasm was infectious, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his dramatic display.

Finally reaching the top, Luffy, with me over his shoulder, and Law beside him, saw Rebecca waiting eagerly. “Rebecca!” Luffy shouted, his voice full of relief. “Lucy! You made it!”

Rebecca’s face lit up as she held up the key. “Luffy, here!” she called out, tossing the key toward him. At that moment, a toy soldier lunged towards us, its mouth open menacingly.

“Luffy, now!” I yelled, bracing for impact. With quick reflexes, Luffy grabbed the key and unlocked Law’s cuffs. Law and Luffy landed gracefully, and as I prepared to propel myself into the air, Law swiftly caught me mid-flight.

He looked at me with a smirk, his eyes betraying a mix of relief and amusement. “You really do have a knack for needing rescuing, don’t you?” he teased, his voice low and warm.

I raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at my lips. “Was this your way of showing me what you’d do once your cuffs were off?”

Law’s gaze deepened, and he grabbed my wrist as we both landed safely on the ground. His voice was dangerously low, “Not even close, princess.”

A faint blush colored my cheeks, and I froze for a moment, caught off guard by his intensity.

Luffy, oblivious to our exchange, cheered with enthusiasm. “We finally made it!”

“About damn time too!” I said, shaking off the lingering heat in my cheeks and walking towards him with Law by my side.

Luffy, Law, and I stood together, but I could sense Law’s distraction. "Finally free," he muttered, flexing his hands, now rid of the sea prism stone cuffs.

“This is it—the fourth level where Mingo's hiding. Let’s tear this place apart!” Luffy said, determined.

I clenched my fists connecting them, the fiery energy and electric pulses blending as they surged through me. "You had me at tearing this place apart, Captain," I said with a wicked grin.

Just then, a voice cut through the air. “Law! Strawhat! Princess!”

My blades began glowing again—this time, my left hand pulsed with blue energy, while my right hand gleamed white. I glanced at them in confusion. “What the hell is happening now?”

“It’s Diamante,” Law growled, his expression darkening as the man approached. Kyros leapt forward, blocking his attack. “You three go ahead!” Kyros shouted. “I’ve got a score to settle with him. Kill that bastard!"

Luffy and Law both shouted back, “Leave it to us!”

I couldn’t help but smirk. "Make sure you whoop his ass for us, Kyros!" But before we could charge forward, Law grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I unclenched my hands, feeling the energy dissipate.

"Strawhat, let’s move," Law ordered.

"Yeah!" Luffy nodded, pausing only to thank Rebecca for her help.

"Will you really defeat Doflamingo?" she asked, eyes full of hope.

Luffy turned, his face serious. “My name isn’t Lucy, it’s Luffy. And I’m going to be King of the Pirates!"

I couldn’t help but smile at his bold declaration. His conviction never wavered, and I felt proud to be by his side. “There’s no need to worry,” Luffy reassured Rebecca as we ran towards the palace.

Just as we neared, Diamante unleashed his Devil Fruit powers. “You pain in the ass brat, you stubborn fool, and you—traitor!”

Before we could fight back, Law stopped us. “Wait. Room!” The dome surrounded us, and in a flash, we were transported to the palace pool area.

"So this is the place," Luffy remarked, standing up.

"Took long enough," Law replied, his voice tense.

"Wow, your ability really comes in handy," I said, impressed but noticing how drained he looked.

"Yeah, princess, but it takes a toll. With the sea prism cuffs and you carrying me around, I saved just enough energy," Law said, forming a smaller circle. “Scalpel.”

To my shock, Law groaned as he reached into his own stomach, pulling out two bullets. Luffy and I watched in silence as the bloody projectiles hit the ground.

My hand instinctively went to my left shoulder, remembering the bullet lodged there. Luffy noticed and turned to me, his eyes widening. “Wait, Y/N, weren’t you shot too by Mingo?

Law’s hands hovered over the wound, his eyes wide with shock as he traced the damage. His breath came out in sharp, shallow bursts. I could feel the tension radiating off of him, the way his fingers trembled ever so slightly.

"You were shot?" His voice was a low growl, almost feral, as if he was holding himself back from exploding.

I nodded, trying to keep things light. "It’s not as bad as it looks, Law. Really, I’m—"

“By Mingo?” he cut me off, his voice trembling with barely controlled fury. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense, and suddenly the world felt too small. “And you didn’t think to tell me?” His words were clipped, barely restrained, as if holding back a storm.

I winced as his hand gently, but firmly, pressed against the wound, inspecting the damage. “It happened when you were unconscious back at the colosseum. I didn’t think it—"

"You didn’t think it mattered?” His voice was cold now, deadly. He yanked his hand back from my shoulder as if it burned him. “He hurt you, and you kept quiet?!”

I swallowed hard, trying to reason with him. “It all happened so fast, I was facing Doflamingo head on. I just needed to—”

He stepped back, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white, his jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth. “That bastard,” he hissed. His entire body seemed to be trembling with a rage that was about to boil over.

“Why is your wound more damaged?!” he yelled, his usual calm shattered as the reality of what Doflamingo had done started to sink in.

I sighed, knowing this was coming, knowing he wasn’t going to let it go. His concern felt suffocating, but there was no escaping it now. “When… I got to the palace, I was tied with his strings. You were still unconscious in a chair next to me,” I began, my voice trembling slightly as the memories resurfaced. I could still feel the tight grip of those cursed strings around me.

Closing my eyes, I forced myself to continue, even as the memory sent a chill through me. “He… kept trying to touch my collarbone and my exposed shoulders, but I pushed his hand away every time. That’s when he got angry… and he dug his finger into the bullet wound,” I whispered, my voice fading as the pain of that moment surged back into my body. I could still feel his fingers pressing into the wound, the sharp sting, the agony as he twisted it just to make me suffer more. My breath caught for a moment as I tried to shake it off.

Law's eyes darkened further, his hands trembling as his fingers curled into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. "That sick bastard…" he muttered, fury evident in every word. He looked as if he was ready to destroy everything in his path just to get to Doflamingo. His protective instincts surged, his anger almost tangible in the air around him.

“He wanted to break me, Law,” I admitted quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “He thought he could control me… that he could use my pain to make me bend to his will.”

Law’s gaze softened for just a moment, the rage still there, but now mixed with a deep, unspoken regret. He reached out, gently touching the edge of my wounded shoulder.

"None of that matters now." I said quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from my injuries. "We’re here now. I’m fine.”

But Law wasn’t listening. He was already forming the circle around me, his fingers moving with precision but shaking with anger. “This is going to hurt,” he muttered, his voice strained.

“Scalpel.”

The sharp pain of the bullet being removed shot through me, but I clenched my jaw, determined not to make a sound. The lead bullet dropped to the ground with a dull thud, and Law froze, staring at it. His eyes darkened with something far more dangerous than before.

“Lead bullets,” he whispered, the anger building in his voice. His fists clenched again, shaking with rage. "He used lead bullets on you."

The cold fury in his voice sent a chill down my spine. Law straightened up, his whole body rigid with barely contained violence. “I’m going to kill him,” he swore, his voice low, trembling with hatred. “I’ll rip him apart for this.”

I reached for his arm, trying to ground him, but he pulled away, eyes fixed on the horizon. “Law—”

“No,” he snapped, his voice a growl. "This ends here. That bastard will pay for every second of pain he caused you."

“What... did you just say?” Luffy’s voice was low, almost calm. Too calm. His eyes darkened as they shifted between Law and the bullet.

Luffy’s head snapped toward Law, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Lead bullets?" His voice was low, but there was an underlying tension. He glanced at the bullet on the ground and then back at Law. "Wait... is that the same kind of bullet they used back at the Colosseum?"

Law nodded grimly. "Yeah, it's the same. It’s not just a regular bullet. Lead poisoning slowly kills you from the inside out. That bastard… he planned to make Y/N suffer.”

Luffy’s face tightened, his jaw clenching as the realization sank in. His fists began to tremble, knuckles white with the force of his grip. “He used these on Y/N…” His voice dropped dangerously low. “That bastard used those on my crew.”

His gaze shot toward the palace, his eyes now burning with an intense rage. “DOFLAMINGO!”

Without warning, Luffy slammed his fist into the ground, the sheer force sending cracks through the stone. “I’m not letting him get away with this!" His voice grew louder, filled with fury. "Nobody hurts my friends like this!”

He shot a determined look at Law and me, his face hardened with resolve. “We’re ending this—NOW.”

he declared, his voice low but filled with the fire of determination.

My hands began to tremble, the weight of everything crashing down on me. The memories of Doflamingo’s torment, the fear that my friends wouldn’t reach me—it all hit at once. The strength I’d tried to hold onto started to slip away.

I turned to Luffy, my vision blurring as tears welled up in my eyes. “Luffy... for a moment...” My voice cracked, the tears I had been holding back finally spilling over. “I thought you and Zoro wouldn’t make it on time,” I whispered, a single tear slipping down my cheek.

Luffy's expression softened, the fiery determination in his eyes mixed with something warmer—reassurance. "We're here, Y/N. And we're not going anywhere," he said, his voice steady, filled with a strength that reminded me why I could always count on him.

As I stood there, trying to calm my shaking hands, I suddenly felt two strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. Law’s grip tightened, his hat tilted low, hiding his face. But I could feel something wet hit the back of my neck—tears. His voice, usually so controlled, cracked with emotion as he whispered, "Princess... I..." He hesitated, his words barely coming through. "I couldn’t protect Cora... and I couldn’t even protect you..."

The weight of his pain hit me as hard as my own. I turned around gently, cupping his face in my hands. His eyes were glossy, filled with guilt and sorrow. "It’s okay, Law. I’m okay," I whispered, wiping his tears away with my thumb. I didn’t want him to carry that burden any longer.

With a soft smile, I reached for my tiara, removing it from my head and handing it to him. "Hold on to this for me," I said, looking into his eyes as if to reassure him that I would be fine.

I turned to face both Luffy and Law, determination settling back into my chest. "Let’s go kick Mingo’s ass!" I declared, trying to ignite the fire in both of them.

Just as Luffy and I were about to start walking, Law reached out. "Wait, Y/N!" he called, his voice returning to its usual sharp tone. "We need to come up with a plan. We can’t underestimate him."

Luffy crossed his arms, huffing in frustration. "Look, Mingo’s getting an ass-kicking whether there’s a plan or not. So let’s go!" he retorted, his fists clenching with excitement and impatience.

The two began to bicker back and forth, Law trying to be strategic while Luffy, in true fashion, was ready to charge straight into the fight.

Their voices suddenly quieted as we all heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching from inside the palace. Our gazes snapped towards the source, the tension thickening as we realized someone—or something—was coming.

Usopp POV…

I readied my slingshot, my hands a little shaky but steady enough. Kanjuro was preparing the drawing we'd use to stop Sugar. Viola, with her clairvoyance, was crucial now—her eyes could see what was heading our way.

"It's going to create a level playing field with Sugar," I muttered, grabbing the wrapped-up drawing and heading back to my station.

"Viola, I'm going to need your clairvoyance. I want you to relay every move Sugar makes," I instructed, my voice more confident than I felt. Viola nodded with determination.

"I am the sniper. This is where I shine. I take out enemies from afar and protect my team!" I whispered to myself, pulling my goggles down over my eyes.

"Viola... make me proud," said King Riku, his trust pushing me to do better.

"I can see her now! Sugar is approaching them from behind," Viola called out, her eyes locked on the scene. Hack and King Riku were ready to provide backup, making sure no one could sneak up on us.

"She's nearing your friends at a steady pace; she's in their line of sight!" Viola continued.

"Keep your eyes on her!" I urged, my heart pounding in my chest. "I gotta make this count!"

"Sugar’s in the yard now," Viola said urgently. "It seems she’s crying, trying to play the sympathy card with your friends. And... Law is holding onto the waist of the princess."

I let out a breath, smirking slightly. "Really? I just know Sanji would have a field day if he was hearing this," I muttered under my breath, trying to distract myself from the pressure.

"They’re about to leave her behind, but... wait, they’ve turned back," Viola informed me, her voice laced with concern.

I began to pull back the strap of my slingshot, as far as I could go. The tension in my arms, my nerves, everything was tightening. "You gotta tell me her exact location!" I shouted.

"Look at the top of the towers, the windows in the center! I can see them, but there’s an iron bar over it," Viola explained quickly. "There’s a bottom bar too, about four feet from the ground."

"Sugar’s still behind the column! She's advancing—she should be in the middle any moment now!" Viola said, worry creeping into her voice.

"My target's behind a damn wall. If I miss, it's goodbye, Luffy!" I muttered, feeling sweat drip down my face. The anxiety spiked, and I swallowed thickly, shaking my head to push away the “what-ifs.”

"We have to nail this! No matter what!" I growled, gritting my teeth. The pressure mounted, but I had to keep steady.

"Hey, Luffy, Y/N... I don’t want to miss this, and I don’t want to head to the seas without you or Y/N!" My thoughts raced as I focused.

"I can see their auras!" I thought to myself. Then, the moment came. "Special long-range attack!" I shouted, releasing the slingshot, the projectile flying through the air toward its target.

"Luffy, Y/N... I’ve got your back, even if you don’t realize it. Keep pushing ahead!" I thought, my hands trembling as I waited for the impact.

And then—Sugar was out cold. Her trauma reignited, rendering her unconscious.

"Outstanding! You pulled it off! You really are a sniper. Sugar is down for the count!" Viola said, tears in her eyes.

"How are they?" I asked, my heart still pounding in my chest.

"They're all fine, Usopp. Nice work!" Viola said with a smile, her voice full of relief.

I let out a long breath, feeling the weight lift from my shoulders. I did it. We did it.

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