#took longer than it should have to figure out the maze one

[doesithavetobeaspider]

My nostrilogia

[januaryembrs]

WHO'S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME? | Spencer Reid x Prentiss!Reader [10]

description: the one with Cat Adams + the one where she tells him.

length: 13k

warnings: literally just watch 11x11, mention of vomit, blood, alcoholism. mention of pregnant wives??

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‘who’s afraid of little old me?

you should be,’

She remembered when she was little when she would wake up so early even the birds hadn’t uttered a morning chirp, her stomach grumbling because she usually hated the fancy stuff they had for dinner and ended up leaving it on her plate. She remembered thinking her mother would be no use, that Elizabeth would tell her to go straight back to bed, even if she whined and cried that she wanted breakfast, remembered thinking Louise, the au pair that usually took the morning shift, wouldn’t be in for another hour or so, and she certainly wasn’t tall enough to reach the cabinets yet. 

Which left her with Emily. 

Nineteen year old Emily, who was already in and out of the house with college, her hair a box dyed black, singed from all the crimping and hair spray. Emily, who liked to take her to the park even if she pretended she was too old, who played Barbies with her and helped her cut all their hair off probably because she figured that was better than her constant urge to do whacky things with her own locks. Emily, who had never wanted a little sister really until Elizabeth had brought home the carrier and suddenly she had never loved ten chubby fingers and toes so much.

She remembered waking Emily up, usually by pulling herself up onto her sister’s Mötley Crüe themed bedding and prodding at the girl’s shoulder until she stirred, how Emily would lead her down the long, ornate hallway into the kitchen, when the only sound in the house would be their bare feet padding along the cold tiles. How Emily would yank two bowls out of the cupboard, tipping a generous dose of coco pops in each of them, back when they were full of sugar and real chocolate, not the healthy crap they sold nowadays. 

It would just be the two of them at the breakfast table, crunching on their spoons, five year old Bugsy no doubt dribbling the brown milk down her chin and pyjama top, but she was happy. Because she had her big sister.

She stared down at the dregs of cocoa that whirled into the white milk as the cereal sat there longer, because she was only picking at it really, and it had nothing to do with the fact she was almost certain they had changed the recipe since she was little. 

“I was thinking,” She said after a moment or so, while Spencer pottered around the kitchen, fixing them both a pot of coffee that she usually was usually bouncing over to grab at this point in the morning. Except today she felt sluggish, lost in that maze of thoughts that only Spencer could really unpick, and the second she’d started speaking his head whipped over the counter to where she idly stirred her breakfast, “About what you said when Gideon… We could probably afford to start looking at buying a house soon, what with the mortgage rates dropping,” 

She looked up at him hopefully, hoping he couldn’t sense the hesitation on her breath because he usually knew what she was thinking before she said anything, and for once she wished he didn’t have that crazy ability to read her mind, only to see him with a small if not saddened smile. 

When Gideon had passed, Spencer had gotten in his head that they needed to leave the apartment, that if the Jason Gideon could have been caught unaware, then they weren’t safe either. Of course he hadn’t meant it, at least not entirely, but Gideon passing had spun the logic half of his brain that spouted the statistics that they were no more in danger now than they were before he’d gone, but still it was something he’d been thinking about. A house meant more space; more space meant they could stop tripping over each other's laundry, meant they could get the bigger shower they’d always talked about, maybe even a tub. A house meant the garden he knew he always wanted Niko and Sergio to have now they were grey around the whiskers and couldn’t run so fast. 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Spencer said, picking up their mugs of steaming hot goodness and carefully stepping towards her, gently sliding the drink over to her as the liquid sloshed and threatened to dip over the edge, “Is there any place you want to look?” 

He left his own mug in favour of circling his arms around her shoulders and pulling her in for a soft hug, her head falling beneath his chin where she sat on the barstool. 

Kissing her hairline gently, she heard him inhale her shampoo scent, and she plonked her spoon back in the bowl to wrap her arms around his waist, squeezing herself into every crevice that they weren’t already touching. 

“I don’t care,” She said, tilting her head to look up at him with love sick eyes, only to see him already besottedly gazing at her, and she guessed by the way his lips draw up at the corners that he didn’t realise he was still smiling, “Anywhere with you is good enough for me,” 

He looked down at her in that way he usually did, expression soft and sweet and entranced, but she saw the traces of worry in his gaze, “You feeling okay? Today is going to be… hard,” 

Bugsy’s expression faltered slightly, and she turned away to push her face into his stomach so he wouldn’t see the doubt lingering in her eyes. She nodded anyway, even though she knew he would catch her in the lie.

After Scratch, Hotch had ordered her to take three months off for a psych evaluation, had granted Spencer at least a month of holiday to watch over her because he knew Reid’s head would be all over the place with worry if he’d returned to work without her. It was like asking Garcia to leave her computers and fluffy pens at home; it just wouldn’t work. 

By the time she was cleared to come back, despite the recurring nightmares of that day still eating away at her sleep, Hotch had set her up to work solely from the office, strictly no field work.

He liked to think it was for her own safety, for her own good since he saw the way she pounded coffee like it was juice while Spencer lingered around her with a worried stare. But if he had to be honest with himself, Hotch couldn’t get away from the things Scratch had made him see just as much as she couldn’t. He couldn’t escape seeing her throat slit like she was a lamb for slaughter, the life leaving her eyes as she faded away. And it was the thought of her carotid artery spraying over his boots that made him want to lock her up in bubble wrap and never let her go. 

But that was feasible in their job, not really. So desk duty it was. 

“You don’t have to go with us into the field, you can always stay with Hotch and Garcia,” He offered, stroking her hair behind her ear and tempting her to look back up at him with gentle fingertips under her chin, and when she saw the unease in the muddy hues, she squeezed him tighter, knowing the past five months had been just as hard on him. 

“No, I want to,” She protested gently, her hands weaselling under his shirt and onto the warm, soft skin of his back, pawing at him like a cat trying to settle. “If you’re being made this woman’s number one target, I want to be there on stand by,” 

And he couldn’t really argue. Because no matter what frame of mind he was in, even if it had been him captured and tortured, he would never let her go out as bait and not be there breathing down her neck. 

He sighed, the urge to protest stuck in his throat and all he could think to do was bring his lips to hers gently in a soft kiss, because his resistance to her being put in the line of danger would only be futile. 

She hummed into the kiss, his hands skirting over her back and she swore she would be content if the rest of her life was spent in Spencer’s arms, in the warm mornings at their kitchen table just the two of them, and the idea of that last part spun her stomach into turmoil all over again. 

What if he freaked out? No, scratch that, he was definitely going to freak out. Spencer hated change, hated having things dropped on him, and Diana was already getting worse with the symptoms of Alzheimers she had begun presenting. He had more than enough on his plate as it was, and she knew she was the only thing that could keep his head from exploding with the worry, even if she was sometimes the cause of it. He’s always been a worrier, and part of her despised herself for the fact that he had shot out of bed every single night she’d been in the midst of a night terror, when the room spun and Peter Lewis seemed so real and so close and she woke up screaming. Because she’d brought him enough stress and trouble, and now she had an extra helping of it dished up and ready. 

It wasn’t one of those things she could keep to herself, not even if she so desperately wanted to sit on it and mull it over for a few months. She needed to tell him soon. 

Spencer looked down at her eyes, the way they’d glazed over slightly, and he wished he could crawl into the space where her thoughts bounced between one another if it meant he could figure out what had gotten her so twisted up the past few weeks. She hadn’t been herself entirely since Scratch, but she had been getting better. She’d started getting more sleep, seemed less jumpy when they were in the quiet of their apartment, and part of him thought maybe that was why she wanted to look at houses. A fresh start. And yet overnight, she’d had this guilty look in her eye like she was suddenly a million miles away, and he hated it. Bugsy had never been distant, which seemed odd to think considering she was burying her hands and face into him like she had no intention of letting him leave. But there was something in the depths of her brilliantly big mind that seemed to hold her tongue for her.

He kissed her again, hoping it was all in his head, hoping she wouldn’t keep things from him because it was them and they always told each other everything. Even if it was gross and weird and inappropriate, everything. 

And he thought maybe it was because he was going on a date with another woman, using himself as live bait to flirt and charm and seduce an assassin in order to take her into custody without fuss. Yeah, that was probably it. He couldn’t say he would be all too pleased if it had been the other way around and he would be watching her ravish another man even if it was just for the job. 

That was definitely it. There couldn’t be anything else. 

“You know I love you,” He said as a statement, yet she nodded as though it was a question, and he kissed her again because he’d regretted not doing it a hundred times a day the second he’d seen her in that closet, regretted not seeing the fact she was more than likely uncomfortable with her boyfriend of two years wining and dining a murderer. “Whatever I say when I’m there with her, you know I love you, more than I could ever love anything else,” 

He seemed so sincere, his eyes turning into that soft puppy like frown, and it only served to drive the knife in deeper as she nodded, her hands wrapping into his hair and pulling him down to kiss her again, this time just a little harder like his lips could wipe away the pit in her stomach. Because it was Spencer, and she was lying by omission, and god did she need him to know how much she loved him before things went wrong and they changed and-

“We have a little time right?” She said, his hands taking the hint as they pulled her to her feet gently, cereal long forgotten in a chocolate slush, and his hands reached down to cup her ass in the way he was more than used to doing now. Didn’t stop him from blushing however. 

“Y-yeah we have time,” He said, and she barely let him finish his sentence before she’d claimed his mouth again, not that he was complaining. She looped her fingers through his belt buckle, stepping backwards with his guidance towards their bedroom, and he hummed through a moan when he felt her run the other hand through his already messy bedhead, tugging on the ends of his curls gently.

“Good,” She responded, with a drop of that natural Bugsy cheekiness he was used to, and the sound of it made him smile. Maybe it was just the job after all, “I think I need a demonstration on just how much you don’t mean whatever you need to say to her,” 

He smirked, because she was more like herself than she had been in days, and god was she pretty when she smiled at him before they had sex, like she knew what was coming, like she knew what she did to him. He wouldn’t be surprised if she could hear his heart thumping in her ears just as clearly as he could. 

“I think you’ll need multiple demonstrations,” He said, his fingers looping in between her buttons on her trousers and popping them apart softly because they’d done this before, rushed it so they weren’t late for work, and ended up ripping good jeans, “Gather multiple sets of data before you draw a conclusion,” 

He kissed down her neck and her small laugh became a moan, “I think it’s pretty much the only way, Doctor Reid,”

He laughed, and she felt it against her pulse, the sound of it making her shiver as he shoved the door open with little remorse for the way it slammed into the wall. And she made a promise to herself that once they’d caught their UnSub, she would tell him, even if it meant all of this would change. 

–

He arrived at the restaurant five minutes early, his suit steamed and neat, a single red rose in his hand. His skin was already crawling at the idea of flirting with another woman, but Spencer knew none of it was real, knew he was just doing his job. Still it didn’t diminish the desire to glance where Bugsy and Rossi were sat in a booth, because he’d seen her in that red dress a thousand times before, and yet it still made his jaw drop the second he saw her in it.  

The brief had been black tie, something to fit in with the five star restaurant, and god had she delivered. He ought to have protested, told her that she was too distracting and maybe insisted she stayed in the office if she looked so striking, but then again she could have worn a bin bag for all he cared, he would still be fighting the urge to look over at her. 

He chose the seat with Bugsy at his back as to eliminate his urge to stare at her, because Dave could keep her safe, the rest of his team could watch her, he had to trust that. 

He lay the rose on the other side of the table, fiddling with the other parts of the cutlery to make sure everything looked perfect, even though in his mind he was thinking of all the things Bugsy would have been saying if she was his date tonight. She probably would have made a comment on his suit (she already had before they’d even stepped out the hotel, just as he’d given her arse a quick squeeze with cheeks even more crimson than her dress because she looked divine), probably would have offered to go to the in-and-out down the street instead because she never cared about splashing out on dates, just being with him was enough. 

Adjusting his jacket a little, he waited, trying to keep his head far away from his girlfriend, although that was much easier said than done. He couldn’t remember what his brain was like before it was filled with thoughts of her.

The ring sat in his sock drawer, buried in one of his older pairs that he hoped she wouldn’t go after since he’d made the mistake of putting it in with his boxers and almost got caught within a day when she went to steal some ready for bed and he’d chided himself for the sloppy work. He knew he wanted to ask her, thought he might even bring her to a fancy place like this, maybe prepare a small speech that attempted to tell her how much she meant to him even though he knew there wasn’t enough words for such a thing. Would he hide it in the cake? No that would be cheesy, she found cheesy overdone. Would she even like it done in public? No, she would hate that, he would wait until they got home, maybe even try that thing she’d wanted to do in bed for a few weeks, and then when they were done-

“Spencer?” A woman appeared at the table, a woman who by all accounts was objectively pretty, yet he felt that small kick of victory when he recognised her from the FBI database. 

Cat Adams. Assassin. Mastermind. UnSub. 

“Cat?” He said with practised naivety, and this time he forced all thoughts of his loving girlfriend from his head like they were about to be tainted by the woman standing in front of him, “Hi,”

“Hi,” She replied, her grin too bright and sparkly for anyone to ever guess she was a killer though he supposed that was the point,

“Hello, it’s nice to finally-” He cut himself off when she leaned up to hug him, her face drawing closer to his suddenly and she looked like she was gearing up for a peck on the lips. Forward. Much more forward than he’d given her credit for, and his stomach flipped in discomfort as he leaned away, “Oh s-sorry, I have kind of a germ thing,” He excused, which wasn’t a total lie. 

Also my girlfriend is sat ten feet away and I can already hear her clenching a fork ready to ball your eyes out like a melon, he wanted to say, though he kept his snark to himself. 

“Oh, sorry,” Cat said, holding her hands up in surrender, and looking up at him with what he knew to be false innocence. But he played along, because the sooner they caught her, the sooner he could be done with the entire thing.

“I’m kinda weird with hugs,” He explained, his face boyish as he gestured her to take a seat, because at least then he could put some distance between them, “Please, sit down,”

She smiled dizzily, slipping her jacket off to reveal a blue dress that accentuated her pixie short hair, her collar bones that could cut glass, her small, sleek figure, and she adjusted her straps as an excuse to divert his attention to her breasts.

“That’s like the oldest trick in the book, get some new material, bitch,” Bugsy mumbled under her breath, drowning her venom in sparkling apple juice disguised as champagne from where they sat in a dark corner booth and Rossi chuckled, shaking his head. 

“I wouldn’t worry about boy genius having a wandering eye, kid. Reid is more devout than my mother on Easter Sunday,” He said, picking at the starter they’d ordered as a way to seem busy. She hummed, diverting her attention into her chicken salad, making sure she wasn’t looking at the happy couple for too long as they talked awkwardly, “Do you think you could take her?”

“I know I could take her,” Bugsy responded in a clipped tone, and Rossi sniggered, and they heard Tara and Derek do the same down their earpieces. 

“It was a joke,” Cat said, to something they hadn’t quite caught, though by the looks of it they were still just making small talk, “A bad joke,”

“No, no, it was funny,” Spencer said reassuringly, and he chuckled, though Bugsy knew off the bat it was fake because she loved making him laugh and it sounded nothing like that. They fell into an awkward silence and she could hear Spencer scrambling for things to talk about because if she walked away their lead to the other assassin went right with her. 

“Can we start over? Hi, I’m Cat,” The woman said, fixing her skirt with a shy smile. She certainly didn’t seem like a killer, Bugsy thought, where she glanced at her in her peripheral. She certainly was pretty, spritely even. A little too eager to kiss a guy she just met. 

“Hi, I’m Spencer,” He replied, in that nervous tone he usually got when she flustered him. 

“Is it true you have three PHDs?” Cat asked with, well, cat-like eyes flicking between sly and seductive, and Bugsy could see how any man who wasn’t as smart as her boyfriend would fall for the act.

“Yes, that’s true. I do have three PHDs,” 

“What’s your favourite book you read last year?” She pressed and Bugsy sipped her juice to stop herself from answering for him.

“I’ve honestly never read a book I haven’t loved,” He said, deflecting the subject, while his girlfriend smirked into her almost empty plate. 

Demons by Fydor Dostoevsky, she corrected to herself because she knew he’d gone back to it more than a handful of times. 

“Tell me about your wife,” Cat went in for the kill, her timid smile morphing into something wicked as she watched Spencer squirm. 

And the second she’d said it something had reared its ugly head inside him. Because try as hard as he might, all he could think about was Bugsy’s face and that damn ring. 

“If you don’t mind, I’d er…” He cleared his throat, wondering why it was so difficult to get through a single conversation when they’d ran through the plan a million times. He knew she would ask, and yet all he could do was get defensive thinking about Cat damn Adams setting her hands on the woman he wanted desperately to marry, “I’d rather not talk about her,”

“Might as well get it out in the open right? I mean, it’s why we’re here,” She said smugly, like that innocent bounce in her step had wiped right away, revealing the murderess underneath, “How long have you been married?”

“Four years,” He lied, though he thought back to JJ’s wedding that same amount of time ago and how beautiful she looked in her dress and her cast and how he’d wished it was theirs. 

“When is she due to give birth?” Cat’s eyes narrowed at the man, pushing her hair behind her ear in a playful manner. 

Bugsy stopped, licking her lips and hoping Rossi wasn’t watching her as she finished off the last of her sparkling juice, raising a hand to a passing waiter to order a second round. 

“You having another one, Grandpa?” She said innocently, despite the stink eye he gave her and nodding to the non-alcoholic beer he’d ordered. 

“Watch yourself,” He said as the waiter retreated, and she snickered into her meal, “Grandpa will knock you on your ass,” 

“You would never, Hotch would hate that kind of paperwork,” She said setting her cutlery on the side of her plate to signal she was done, “HR would have a field day,”

“I wanna hear you say it,” The line crackled in their ear as Bugsy’s drink arrived at the table, and she couldn’t help but think the woman’s seductive voice could easily pass for a call girl. She chanced a quick look over at their table, her heart rate spiking when she saw the woman all but eye fucking Spencer with a bit of her lip, like the thrill of the chase was half the fun for her, and Bugsy felt the disgust settle in her stomach. 

“To have her killed,” Spence replied, and she looked away then, the bitterness settling on her bottom lip in a sneer. She didn’t think for one second that Spencer would think the woman was alluring, it didn’t make him flirting any easier to watch. 

The UnSub smiled wryly, looking down at his arm, “Let me see your ring,”

Spencer froze, holding his hand out hesitantly, the feeling of the gold band entirely alien on his finger even though he was trying to get used to it for the sake of the case. Cat’s hand shot out like a snake striking, holding his ring in between her perfectly manicured fingers, her eyes roving over the jewel.

“You know what that is?” She said with contempt, shaking her head, “A noose, only it doesn't kill you all at once it kills you slowly, day by day,” 

And he couldn’t have disagreed more, in fact the only thing that was killing him was the fact he had been dumb enough to wait so long to propose to the woman he loved more than life itself. 

Spencer Reid, dumb and in love.

“You ever feel that way?” She said, ripping him out of his thoughts, and he nodded wordlessly, sighing for effect.

“I feel that way all the time” Except his every day was spent wondering just how he ever got so lucky, how he managed to fall in love with the same woman who gave him apple cake when he couldn’t remember the last real meal he’d had because he was three months deep in an opioid addiction and having her look at him like he hung the damn cosmos. 

“Take it off,” She ordered, and Spencer tried flashing her a surprised if not charmed smile, though his hackles were slightly raised, “As a sign of your commitment. To me,” 

He bit his cheek, knowing better than to argue back if he was playing the part of the down beaten husband, and began twisting the gold ring off his wedding finger, handing it over to her expectant palm. 

“If she sticks to the pattern, she’ll take him to a secondary location and then kill him.” JJ observed, sipping on her mocktail in her own fancy, ruffled dress, shooting Tara and Derek a look where they played the part of a sweet couple on a date. 

“I’d like to see the bitch try,” Bugsy said through a wide fake smile, her face showing no symptoms of anger except the flash of teeth. 

“Don’t worry sweetheart, we’re not letting it get that far,” Rossi added, and the two of them clinked their drinks together in a ringing chink, “Hotch, do you two have a visual?”

Penelope confirmed with a few taps of her keyboard, and Hotch nodded as Spencer confirmed with a small flick of his eyes he could hear the feed, ”Alright, all agents stand by. Dr Reid will give the green light, don’t move until we have it,” 

“Twenty four carats?” Cat asked, twisting the ring in between her fingers with a smug grin like she already knew the answer. 

“Yeah,” Spencer replied, looking down at the band and back up the soulless dark hues of the black widow woman. 

“Twenty four k times… four years. Means this ring should be dinged and nicked, but,” She huffed, reaching into her purse under the table, and Bugsy damn near spat out her juice when she heard a gun load through the mic, “This sucker is brand new. You’re not married.”

“What was that, was that what I think it was?” Penelope’s stressed tone rushed through the ear piece, and the sound of it plus the smell of the chicken she’d just eaten made Bugsy’s stomach turn again. 

Except this time she felt it coming up into her throat, the same way she’d found herself feeling queasy for a few days. Spencer had thought she had a stomach bug, had tried to get her to stay home with some mint tea, but this was more than the last few times. It was like her anxiety clenched her gut in a tight grip and twisted painfully, and she lurched forward, slapping a hand over her mouth. 

“Kid?” Rossi said, his brows frowning at the expression on her face, and she immediately began untucking her napkin from her chest. 

She needed to make it to the bathroom now, hoped on everything that the sudden movement didn’t distract where Cat held a gun to Spencer’s midriff beneath the table. 

“What is she doing?” Morgan hissed into the mic, while Hotch and Penelope began barking protests. 

“Oh, good lord, Bug, stay down, you don’t know what that psycho is going to do!” Penelope squealed, watching Bugsy rush out of the booth seat, a hand firmly over her lips, and Aaron brought a hand to his head, a splitting headache forming at the sight of the youngest agent rushing for the bathroom. 

“Prentiss, what are you doing, you could blow your cover,” He snapped, though there was no anger there, and she could only switch her mic off for what was about to happen, knowing the team had much bigger things to worry about. 

Bursting the doors open, she dived for the nearest stall and fell to her knees, head in the bowl before she could hock up her guts over the floor, and then came a horrid retching sound. 

Spencer’s eyes widened at the table, hearing his team yelling out orders at the one person he couldn’t keep track of, and it took everything in him not to turn in his seat to investigate for himself what happened for her to flee the safety of the table, or go after her even. Because even if he wanted to, even if he needed nothing more than to make sure she was okay, he couldn’t move an inch. Not with the gun being pointed at all of his important organs by the experienced killer with a smile.

“Do you know why I’m so good at my job?” Cat asked in a sweet tone, her eyes cold and calculating as she cocked the gun beneath the seat. 

“Because you kill without compunction or remorse,” Spencer bit, the flirty look in his expression long gone the second he’d heard the rest of his team calling for his girlfriend. He needed to keep his head, Bugsy was safe so long as she was far away from the woman pointing the gun at him. Having the weapon aiming for him he could deal with. 

“That only gets a girl so far in life,” Cat agreed with a nod, her jaw setting in a hard clench, “No, it’s because I think through every possible outcome and then I plan accordingly,”

And Bugsy’s stomach seized hearing her voice so cold and viscous, and she would give anything to hear her partner flirting with that bitch of a woman if it meant she knew he was safe. She emptied her stomach again right as she heard their UnSub speak once more.

“You see, I didn’t walk into your trap. You walked into mine,”

And with that Bugsy gave another hurl.

–

“Spencer, why did you take time off from the FBI?” Cat insisted, her voice nails on a chalkboard, and he felt the apathy on his face flick into slight annoyance. 

Bugsy. Because Bugsy had been ill, because she hadn’t been sleeping, because she hadn’t been herself for a few months, because his mom had gotten worse, because they needed him. 

Spencer would take the bullet before he ever told her about Bugsy, because he knew for a woman who loved male attention, telling her about the girl he loved most in the world would only draw a big target on her back, and he would never dare to put her at risk. Never again. 

Not a single hair on her head, he’d promised. Not even a scratch. 

“You can ask me as many times as you want but I’m still not going to tell you,” He snipped, making sure to keep his face expressionless if he really wanted to sell the deal that she was a nobody to him.

Her mouth tightened in frustration, “Then you’re cheating, and I don’t like cheaters,”

“You don’t get everything you want just because you’re pointing a gun at me under the table.” He stated blankly, his team waiting on bated breath to see if they needed to send in their back up since JJ’s cover had already been blown. “You’re not the first killer to point a gun at me, you’re not even the first woman to point a gun at me. Sorry.” 

Cat’s smile shifted into something akin to a snarl, and she leaned forward on her elbows, and Spencer matched her challenge with cool ease. “You’re really gonna take this all the way, aren’t you?” 

And Spencer smiled wryly, because her composure was collapsing beneath her, “Yeah,”

“So am I,” 

“Dave, go,” Hotch ordered, and Rossi drew his gun beneath a napkin, shuffling to his feet, “Prentiss, where the hell are you?” 

And she knew she was wasting time, but her stomach had picked the worst time to flip. Perhaps it was the anxiety, or the pressure of a gun being pointed at her love, or maybe it was bad chicken. Either way her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton, her legs weak where she’d crouched on the floor, and she chided herself for not being able to pull it together when Spencer needed her. 

And as if her nerves weren’t rattled enough, she heard Spencer’s mic mute out, and she knew then that the time for sticking her head in the bowl and screaming at herself to get up was over. Spencer was in trouble. Two of their agents' cover was blown. With Tara and Derek sitting the opposite end of the restaurant, he was alone if Cat Adams decided to pull that trigger. 

Spitting the rancid taste from her mouth into the toilet, she reached up for the flush, wiping her mouth with a handful of toilet paper. 

“Hotch,” She tuned in, and she heard the sighs of relief as he and Penelope seemed to both ease slightly at hearing her voice, “I’m back, how’s Rossi?”

“His cover’s blown, he’s heading out to find JJ,” Hotch responded, his heart rate in his throat the second he’d heard her sound through. He knew it would be unfair if he pulled her from field work for another three months, but the second she’d disappeared from their screens, he’d already began thinking of the excuse he could give if it meant he knew she was kept out of harm’s way, “Where are you, are you hurt?” 

“No, no, just,” She cleared her throat, leaving the stall and heading for the sinks, “Bad chicken I guess,”

Taking a handful of cold water up to her mouth, she swilled the liquid around to try freshen herself up, sputtering it back into the sink and running the back of her hand over her lips. 

“Do you need to get out of there?” Hotch asked, the concern thick in his tone, almost as clear as it was on his brow as he leaned in to Penelope’s monitor, “Lewis and Morgan have got eyes-”

“No, I’m not leaving him out there,” She protested, leaning over the sink with an exhausted huff, “I can’t head back to the table, she’ll know I was with Rossi,” 

And as if she had spoken a plea to the universe, one of the waitresses waltzed through the bathroom door carrying glass cleaner and a bunch of fresh toilet paper under her arm, smiling sweetly at Bugsy who seemed like any other patron of their restaurant. 

Her eyes snapped over the girl’s body, figuring she was about the same size, perhaps a tiny bit bigger than herself, she almost audibly heard the click of the idea and before she knew it she had reached out to grab the girl’s attention. 

She just hoped it worked, because otherwise the scolding she was going to receive from Hotch wouldn’t be worth it in the slightest. 

“Here’s what I’m gonna do, I’m gonna penalise you by adding ten minutes because I actually did learn something important.” Cat said with a smirk, her finger flicking over the clock on his phone as she prolonged the countdown, and Spencer squirmed where she shuffled closer to him, close enough that their knees were touching and he could feel where the toe of her heels were teasingly stroking up his calf, like threatening him and his team for information was getting her off. He felt filthy, like he’d need a dozen showers before he fell into his girlfriend’s arms, and part of him considered skipping the whole dinner and speech, asking her the second he saw her again if she would be his wife. 

Because this, having another woman so close, was making him sick. 

“Oh really? What’s that?” He snapped, his patience wearing thin as his lips pressed in a straight line. 

“Your back up, I flushed them out,” She replied with a smirk, looking around the room with an arrogance Spencer wished he could wipe right off of her face, “It��s just me and you now,” 

“Hi, how are we all doing this wonderful evening?” A chirpy voice came from the end of the table, slamming two menus down between them hard enough that their attention snapped to her immediately. Spencer felt his eyes morph into horror, though he fought hard to hide it, as he saw a familiar face, the same one that had been running through his mind since, well, forever. Her red dress was gone, replaced with a maroon shirt and a black pencil  skirt, her hair tied back in a neat bun and she had a pen pushed behind her ear for good measure as she smiled at them tightly. 

Bugsy had really done it this time. 

“My name is Emily and I’ll be your waitress. Can I get you started with some drinks?”

–

“Prentiss, what in god’s name have you done?” Hotch barked, as she waltzed behind the bar, ignoring the looks from the barman that clearly had never seen her working there before. 

“I’m making sure Spencer has back up if she decides to get trigger happy,” She bit back, snagging a pitcher of water from the fridge and two crystalline glasses, placing them on an upturned tray. 

“And what happens if she gets trigger happy towards the waitress that won’t leave them alone?” Morgan snipped, shooting her a look where their table faced the long, walnut coloured bar that wrapped around the back of the establishment. 

“Well then, I guess we pray there’s a doctor in the house that isn't Spencer,” She huffed, plastering a fake smile on her lips, and carefully shuffling the tray onto her palm, “You’re going to have to take me out yourselves if you think I’m leaving him there alone,”

And they huffed, Hotch running a hand through his hair. Because they knew she wasn’t kidding. God help the man who tried to stop Bugsy when she had her mind to something. 

And with that resounding silence, she listened to Spencer’s mic, hoping to catch a foot in to the conversation.

“You should have seen right through me the moment you walked in, but you didn’t,” He said, and she didn’t need to take a glance at Cat’s face to know she was getting more than riled up. Why was she here? What happened to staying with Rossi where it was safe? It was her first day back in the field, what was she doing? He didn’t think he’d ever been so angry, though he knew if he scratched the surface of the feeling he’d find it was fear. And unfortunately for the woman sat opposite him, he’d stopped pulling his punches because of it. “You couldn’t. Because you can’t get to the man you really want to hurt, so you need to hurt every man who reminds you of him,”

Cat’s face flashed with what he could have sworn was hurt, before her eyes steeled back over and she shrugged nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t hit straight home, “That’s kind of boiler plate psychology, isn’t it? I’m just another girl with daddy issues,” 

“You’d be surprised how many killers do what they do because of their parents,” He snapped back, because he couldn’t dare take his eyes from their UnSub, no matter how desperately his gut told him to check on Bugsy. “If it’s so boilerplate, let's test that theory. How hard did you look for him?”

Her mouth screwed up in bitterness, “Very hard,”

“And how disappointed were you when you realised you will never find him?”  Spencer drove the knife in deeper, watching Cat’s resolve fade under his hateful stare, “You needed some other outlet for your rage and for a while this worked, but it also tripped you up,” 

And Bugsy stopped, because Spencer always had a way of saying the exact right thing that made her brain tick into genius, like everything about him made her the best version of herself even if he didn’t mean to. That was what tripped her up. Her father. 

“Hotch, it’s her dad,” She murmured, flashing a couple of customers an easy smile as she took the plates off their table, because Cat would catch on way too fast if she seemed to be the only person not be doing a job, “That’s what she wants, that’s her endgame,” 

And there was only a single second between them, before Hotch caught up to that wonderfully big brain of hers, “Serial killers with an endgame will do anything to get to them, even if it means taking themselves down with it,”

“Why would I make you sit here for thirty minutes?” Cat’s voice crawled down her ear piece as she burst through the kitchen doors, dumping the plates at the pot wash and looking to where JJ and Rossi were talking with the manager. 

“Because you’re stalling,” Spencer said, though he didn’t have that usual tone that told her he was sure of himself, and she knew from the direction it was going that something was missing. They’d missed something, otherwise they’d have Cat in cuffs by now.

“Then you don’t know me at all,” She hissed back, and Bugsy shook her nerves out through her fingers, peeking at where they were sat through the thin glass pane on the door, “Do you think I would show up here without an escape plan. Or is that just what another girl with daddy issues would do? Maybe if you hadn’t fallen victim to your own gender bias, and yes all men have gender bias, even you Dr Reid, you would have recognized that your entire strategy was based on one faulty detail. Can you see it?” 

Spencer paused, his frown shifting on his face, “You’re not here alone,” 

“And my partner? Less paranoid than you think,” She said, and by the sounds of it the smirk was back on her face, and Bugsy fought the sneer twitching at her lips. 

“You planted a bomb in the building,” Came Spencer's response, the grave realisation setting all three agents into motion. JJ’s head whirled to where their youngest stood by the door, her eyes widening at her partner’s words. 

And for a second she wanted to beg Bugsy to take cover outside, to get out while she still could, because it had been a miracle the last time a building had exploded around her and she’d only broken a few bones. JJ didn’t think she could stand to grieve her for good, not the girl who had already gone through so much for them. All because they had missed it. 

But she knew better, knew Bugsy would fight tooth and nail to stay if Spencer was still in the building. Knew that that argument would only be futile, a waste of time, because the Prentiss girl was not leaving. 

“We’ll go check it out, you stay put,” JJ ordered, drawing her gun to her side as Rossi did the same and Bugsy nodded, “Don’t do anything stupid, don’t draw attention to yourself, Spencer knows what he’s doing,” 

And Bugsy paused before she answered, choosing to give them a slow nod because she already had a good idea of what her next move would be, and it absolutely did not involve staying put. 

Like hell she would stay put while he was there. 

With that, JJ and Rossi turned on their heel to head for the stairs leading underneath the building, and Bugsy picked the tray back up, right as Lewis burst through the revolving doors, a serious look on her primped face. 

“We need to evacuate,” Tara said, and Bugsy nodded, flicking a look behind her to where the rest of the kitchen seemed to be waiting on their order, because the second JJ had flashed the FBI badge, they had frozen.

“You get the customers out safely, I’m going to buy us some time,” Bugsy said, and Tara watched her slip through into the restaurant, the tray pressed against her stomach. 

This was stupid. Stupider than she’d ever been, but her thoughts struggled to make sense whenever Spencer was in trouble. And it was like she saw the splash of his brains against the table, the same way she’d seen it in Lewis’s house all on the ceiling, like she could see now just what his organs would look like when Adams shot him however many time in the abdomen. 

She couldn’t think like that. They would be okay, they would figure it out together, they always did. They always managed to put their heads together when they were in trouble. 

Being in danger together seemed like a much better bet than having to watch the love of her life killed in the middle of this damn restaurant because she hadn’t done anything. She wanted to do everything with him for the rest of her sorry life, and if that meant sitting at the nozzle end of a pistol with him, then so be it. 

She just hoped he would forgive her quickly. 

“All we want to do is-” She heard Spencer begin, the other waiters filtering out of the kitchen with shaken looks on their faces, as they carefully slipped their patrons the bill that had already paid off, asking them to leave calmly and quietly. 

“Minimise collateral damage, I get it, I’m not mad,” Cat snapped back, rolling her eyes, “It’ll give me the cover I need to slip out. I just need to know it’s clear, so do me a favour and tell your boss that nobody leaves until its safe for me to do so,” 

Spencer chewed his tongue. He couldn’t let her leave, not when they had her so close, not when they were pursuing Penelope, not when they were so close to catching the woman responsible for so many kills. 

Spencer hated losing, he hated knowing that she was about to get away because he had been too wrapped up in his overwhelming thoughts to figure out her plan, too busy fretting over the two women who meant the most to him to think ten steps ahead like he usually did. 

He’d been sloppy, even though he knew he should cut himself some slack. His fiancee, girlfriend, had been tortured, his mother facing a different kind of terror in her mind altogether. He hadn’t been thinking about work, he’d been thinking of the house they were going to buy with the picket fence and the porch swing and the mortgage, and the damn ring-

“Well?” Cat’s goading voice ripped him out of his reverie, and he huffed in defeat, “Spencer?”

“You can leave,” He murmured, the agitation scratching at his skin because he was struggling to think of a final card to play. He was usually so good at games, usually won every single one of them. But his head couldn’t settle when Bugsy wasn’t near, when he couldn’t make sure she was safe. 

Cat shuffled out of the side of the booth, her eyes flicking across the restaurant for her contact, and Spencer had barely opened his mouth in protest before he watched the UnSub walk straight into a waitress, a false smile slipping on her face as to not raise alarm. 

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was-” And yet his breath hitched when he spotted the hair he’d ran his fingers through just that morning yanked into a bun, the lips he could kiss for an entire lifetime curled in disdain, the body he worshipped refusing to move out of the way for the woman in a hurry. 

And it seemed Cat only realised that the woman who had brought them water wasn’t a waitress at all, despite her plain face that had faded into the background, despite the fact Spencer hadn’t given her a second glance; Only when she heard a gun cocking behind the serving tray at her stomach did the fake smile drop from Cat Adams face. 

Because she hadn’t flushed out Spencer’s back up. Not while Bugsy was still alive and breathing. 

“Sit back down,” Bugsy growled, keeping her tone low but with enough bite that Cat’s eyes narrowed to hide the surprise. 

“Well, well, seems I hadn’t planned for everything, I thought a pretty face like you would know better than to pull a gun on a woman with her finger on the big red button,” Cat said wryly, though Bugsy caught her eyeing up her chest as if to be checking for a bullet vest, “Move out the way, sweetheart. You don’t want this to get ugly,”

Spencer’s jaw flexed as he ground his teeth, though he kept his breathing even. What was she doing? 

He didn’t care that he had no more power over her than anyone else on the team, he wanted to drag her out of the room himself if it meant she would stop throwing herself in the way of danger. 

“Unfortunately, sweetheart, that’s not happening.” Bugsy snapped back, her expression melting into something rogue, something teasing as she leaned towards Cat with a challenge in her eyes. “You’re going to sit back down, and I’m going to show you exactly why you should have accounted for a pretty face like me,” 

“You’re stalling,” Cat snickered, trying to push past the waitress, who wasn’t a waitress at all but an FBI agent, only for her hand to shoot out and grab her wrist, tossing the tray on the table. 

Spencer felt his heart lurch into his throat as he saw both of them pull their guns to waist height, a blink and you’d miss it kind of movement, and it was like he’d seen the game set and matched then and there. 

Bugsy wasn’t backing down. And neither was Cat.

“I make it a habit of knowing what kind of women are going on dates with my boyfriend,” Bugsy’s hand tightened around her wrist, watching the surprise flicker in the woman’s eyes, and she scoffed, “What? You really thought all that flirting and nervous glances were real?”

And the woman said nothing, her ego clearly a little hurt, though Bugsy was just sticking to the profile, and the profile said she revelled in male attention. 

“Cat got your tongue?” Bugsy snipped through a grin, even if her chest was pounding at the feeling of the gun pointing at her abdomen, “Well, lucky for you I have a present for you. On the condition you sit back down and play my game,” 

“You think I’m going to fall for that shit?” Cat seethed. It was one thing to outsmart a man, that was fair game, that was easy pickings for a woman like her. But a woman, a woman who seemed to love playing with her food as much as she did. That was different, “What is it, a reduced sentence? The good TV in my two by four cell? You can keep dreaming, I don’t want your worthless promises,” 

“I’d hardly call your daddy dearest worthless,” Bugsy mused, and she watched Cat’s expression falter, “A dead beat drunk maybe, but worthless? A little harsh considering you waited so long to meet him,” 

Cat paused, eyes flicking over the woman’s face for any signs of a lie, “You have my father?”

And Bugsy smirked, “Do I look like I’m bluffing?” But her face was set in stone, and Cat hated to admit she seemed too confident to be lying, “Why don’t you make this a little easier for everyone and sit back down. I’m not done with you yet,”

The murderess scowled, her shoulders straightening as she ripped her wrist out of Bugsy’s grip and retreated back to the booth. 

And it was only then that Bugsy looked at Spencer, his eyes wide in a horrid mix of terror and rage, and it was a sight she swore she never wanted directed at her again. But she couldn’t leave him, he had to understand that. Because if all the bets were off, if all the cards were dealt, she knew he would need to be dragged screaming from the building before he left her to deal with a hostile UnSub alone. 

And Spencer knew that too, of course he knew that. Yet it didn’t diminish the sickening worry bubbling up in his chest as the women sat down at the table, and their game had a playing field. 

“So, I take it this is the darling wife you wanted killed,” Cat sneered, and Spencer didn’t dare take his eyes off the woman with the gun, even if Bugsy did have one pointed right back at her, “I don’t blame you, I’d want to be rid of her too,”

And they both knew it was a dig, a stab in the interest of getting them both riled up. But it wouldn’t go far. Because despite the anger Spencer felt dwindling in his chest, he always worked better with her. Like a puzzle piece in the tangle of his mind had clicked into place, and suddenly they were a team again, and she seemed more like herself than she had in months, an ease about the way she leaned back in the plush seat despite the fact her finger was resting on the trigger. 

“Have you ever played Cat’s cradle?” Bugsy asked her, knocking her knee against his as if she’d heard his thoughts. They were together in this. Together. Even if the building went up in flames and bullets and the plan went to shit. Just the two of them, the way they’d always been. 

And he felt himself ease back too, something akin to security shifting over him. They always were safer together. 

Cat’s eyebrows raised as Bugsy dodged her comment, “What, do you want to braid my hair like sixth graders, too? What about it?” 

Bugsy shrugged, reaching over with her free hand to the glass of water she’d set down for the two of them, “The way I see it, Cat, you have got those little paws caught in yarn and are scrambling to get out of it,” She chuckled, taking a quick sip, “Now, if we were to let you go, you’d end up walking out of here scot free, and who knows, might even blow up the whole building anyway. But, if we help you out of this little tangle you’ve got us all in, then maybe we cut a deal that doesn’t involve all of us going out in a ball of flames and champagne. Sounds good right?”

The woman’s lips pursed tightly, her head tilting in annoyance, “Alright. Get on with it, no one likes a show off. How did you find my father?” 

Bugsy smirked, “Well that was pretty easy once you have access to the files we have. We traced your birth record to a Daniel Adams, who did in fact leave the country in 1987 but returned in 2012. Based on confidential records in rehabs and sober living houses, which in turn pointed us to flophouses and soup kitchens.” 

The brunette’s eye twitched, like the girl had just spat in her face, which was what it felt like, and she felt the taste of her own medicine was just as sour as she’d always presumed. 

“He couldn’t put twenty four hours together sober, sweetheart,” Bugsy summarised, shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal to her, just another bum on the street, “You can probably imagine our surprise to find that he lives here in DC,”

“Where?” Cat hissed, and Bugsy snickered, shaking her head and taking another sip of her water. 

“I’m an agent, not a miracle worker. It wasn’t that simple,” She replied, boredly tracing her finger over the restaurants emblem they had printed on the napkin, “I found him on the street, showed him your picture and said I’d like to ask him some questions about his darling daughter,”

Cat’s lip pulled down in annoyance, her matt red lipstick smudging with her pout, “And?”

And perhaps Bugsy was being cruel. Perhaps she was playing into the profile that indicated Cat needed someone to match her wit and zeal if she was going to listen. Men, she could squash like bugs. Bugsy, ironically, not so much. 

Perhaps she was thinking about how she’d reached into Spencer's pants to retrieve his gun, and wanted some of what she was saying to hurt. 

“He didn’t even know he had a daughter,” Bugsy said simply, with a small shrug of her shoulders, and she watched the woman’s onyx brown eyes glisten with unshed tears as the realisation crashed on her, "Didn't really seem to care,"

“He-he didn’t remember me?” Cat asked, the tease that had been there half an hour ago wiped clear from her tone, and Bugsy shook her head. 

“Nope,” She said, popping the last syllable, “Alcoholism really rocks your brain. Sorry, honey,”

Adams scoffed, shaking her head with venom, “You’re not sorry. Sorry is what people say when they don’t understand,”

And Bugsy’s brows raised, a bitter empathy flicking in her gaze. Quick, but not so quick that Cat didn’t catch it, and she shuffled in her seat. 

“Oh,” Their UnSub paused, the trodden down look on her face rekindling with interest, “But you understand, don’t you? What, does your father like a good beer or ten, princess?” 

Bugsy snickered emptily, “Ofcourse I understand,” She said, leaning over the table to hold the woman’s glare, because like hell would she back down just because Cat was treading on home ground, “I haven’t spoken to my father in five years. He picked the hot wife and holidays to Aruba over his little girl and he thought a new pony or two would make up for all the times he forgot Christmas. I can’t even remember the last time he sent me a birthday card on time, and yeah he was a bit of a mean bastard once he'd had a whiskey,” She shook her head with contempt, and she felt Spencer knock his knee against hers gently, but she only watched the viper woman with careful eyes. And to her shock, Cat seemed like she understood her, like she had some kind of respect for her telling the truth. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m very good at making sure old guys like that get what’s coming to them. Or is that just what another girl with daddy issues would do?” 

Cat’s face seemed to shrivel in frustration when she heard her words repeated back to her, “Is that really why you came here today? To help me?” And Bugsy tilted her head, knowing their UnSub was running out of time, that her window of opportunity was closing with the patrons of the restaurant getting antsy to leave. “Do you know how many men have told me they want to help me?”

Letting her expression smooth into empathy, she leaned forward, her tone dropping into a hushed murmur, “That may well be true, sweetheart, but from where I’m sitting, I’m not a man,” 

And Cat paused, something like regret drifting over her face, before she spoke again, “Do you want to know how that worked out for them?” 

And with that, JJ and Rossi watched the C4 charge’s switch to green, indicating their line was live and ready to blow. 

“Hotch, she just armed the bomb,”

Bugsy’s expression dropped an inch, the sight of it making Cat’s lips curl into a cheshire smile. 

“You’re not the only one with a loyal partner, honey,” 

But the Prentiss woman was quick on her heels, watching Morgan and Tara rise from their place at another booth, heading towards a woman sitting at the bar on her phone, and she forced her lips together to stop herself from looking too smug to cause suspicion. 

“It seems so,” Bugsy agreed with a nod, handing her gun off to Spencer beneath the table. 

If he was confused, he didn’t show it, probably because he trusted that big brain of hers with everything in him, even if he was mad enough he could feel the annoyance oozing from his hot cheekbones. Yet to the rest of the restaurant, Cat Adams, included she hadn’t moved an inch. 

“But, there is one thing I can guarantee about this partner of yours,” She said, leaning over to pour herself another glass of water casually. 

Cat hummed in content, “Oh, right? What’s that?”

And Bugsy smirked, barely raising the glass to her lips as Morgan pounced on the Bomber, ripping the phone out of her hands and causing the patrons around her to yelp, “She’s sure as shit not as clever as me and my husband,” 

Cat’s head whirlled around to see her partner’s face slamming into the hard wood of the bar, Tara yanking the cuffs from her belt, and she barely had time to flick back to the two agents facing her before a pitcher of ice cold water was thrown in her eyes, her thick mascara running down her cheeks and blurring her vision. Spencer dove over the table and grabbed her gun from her grasp as Bugsy ripped her out of the booth with rough hands. 

She threw her to the ground in the few seconds she was disorientated, her hands tightening around her wrists as make shift cuffs, and she saw Spencer hurrying to grab the real things from his pockets. 

“That was a cheap shot, you’re a cheater, you said you’d play fair,” Cat barked, her cheeks pressing against the rough carpet as the agents cuffed her, ignoring her protests and shoves. 

“Honey, this is me playing fair,” Bugsy snapped with a cruel smirk, “You threatened my friends, you stuck your hand in my boyfriend’s pants, and pointed a gun at him. Believe me I could have done so much worse,” 

And with that Cat Adams was hauled off the ground by the two of them, as they led her out to the police van waiting outside the restaurant. 

–

The doors pulled open, empty, and Cat’s face dropped, because her only silver lining on the entire outcome had been that she’d be able to meet the dead beat dad that ran out on her. 

That agent’s face had been so genuine as she’d said it. It had seemed so real, and yet… 

“You lied to me,” She said as Bugsy set her down on the bench, Spencer pulling another set of handcuffs from his belt and the two of them looked up at her, her lashes lining with disappointment. 

“If it helps, we really did try to look for him.” Spencer said, his tone blunt because she had a crazed look in her eye he didn’t like one bit the second she stared at his girlfriend.

And even though she was the one in chains, heading for prison for a twenty year sentence at the minimum, she laughed. Cackled. 

“It doesn't matter anyway, I still won,” She said, that venomous gaze turning to Spencer because she had learned atleast two thing in the time she’d been sat with the two agents that ruined her life. 

One. Spencer’s mother had Alzheimers, that he hadn’t been lying about. That she was sure was too real to be a story he’d pulled out his ass. 

Two. The girl wasn’t phased by insults or bites or cruel words directed towards her. Yet when it was at Spencer…

“How do you figure that one?” Bugsy said, her brow furrowing as she shook her head at the woman.

“In ten years, Mommy dearest won’t remember anyone’s name,” Bugsy’s head shot up at that, her lips curling into a snarl, and she forced her fingertips into her palm to stop herself from throwing a slap at the woman’s face, “But I’ll remember yours,” 

Bugsy daren’t react, no matter if her chest boiled in anger at the woman’s callous words. Spencer had to give that information up, give a small bit of his soft underbelly to get the woman to trust him enough not to shoot. 

And she couldn’t exactly blame him when he rose to his feet, darting out of the van with a clenched jaw, because the day had been an entire shit show, and she knew by the growl of annoyance he let out that their was a big conversation looming over her head, one she could only see ending in a fight.

It was just the two of them in the van, Cat entirely bound to her seat, and her painted lips had pulled into a grin the second he’d stormed off, her sleek eyes snapping to Bugsy who looked ready to slit her throat. 

“Oh, come on Princess, it was tit for tat,” Cat shrugged as if she didn’t seem destroyed, “You took my dad from me, I guess I had to do the same for that hubby of yours,”

Bugsy looked down at her, swallowing her rage with a purse of her lips, feeling her breath rattle with unfiltered animosity.

“You’d make a shit profiler, for what it’s worth. What you profiled about him was all off,” She snarled, stepping away from the woman and looking down at her as if she was shit on the bottom of her shoe, “At least he’s going to make a better father than the bum who would rather sleep on concrete than know you,”

And with that she slammed the doors closed behind her, darting off on Spencer’s heel. 

+1. The one where she tells him.

She saw his stress lines, the way the day’s events had weighed heavy on him. He sat on the sofa, his shoes thrown by the door after a tense drive home, and she'd found a space on the coffee table in front of him.

He was quiet, he had never been quiet with her, not in the years since they’d kissed that first time in her room. He wasn’t one for the silent treatment, she knew that much. Yet he was just that. Silent.

“Are you mad at me?” She asked, her voice that of a child as her brows scrunched together in worry. She felt the words bubbling in her throat, the thing she’d needed to tell him for a week gnawing at her tongue, crawling it’s way out, only she worried that after what she had done, he might just be ten times more annoyed at her throwing herself in the line of danger. 

He stayed quiet for a moment, and she thought this might turn into their first real fight in the two and bit years they’d been together. Her skin went cold at the words that loomed over them, and she knew by the way he sighed alone he was pissed. 

“You can’t do that,” He said, his voice a restrained bite, and he shook his head for good measure, “You can’t put yourself in the way of danger again, I can’t do that again, not after Scratch.” 

Her throat closed up with tears, and she glanced at him, her fingers itching to take his warm hands in her own, her body begging to preen into him, have him kiss her and tell her he wasn’t mad, that he still loved her, that everything was okay. But he wouldn’t. Not because he didn’t feel any of that, of course he still loved her, but the wet that lined his lashes told her all she needed to know. That seeing what Scratch had done to her had scared him enough that even the idea of her coming close to a hostile UnSub with a loaded gun, that straying from the plan that was designed to keep everyone safe, had tipped him into a grey area that had him both wanting to hold her close and never let her go whilst yelling at her in that broken cadence to show her just how hurt he was. 

“I’m sorry, I just-” She choked, her eyes becoming watery and pathetic and she hated crying during arguments, not wanting to look weak but that was exactly how she felt. Weak. Like she had no backbone to lean on because she knew she shouldn’t have intervened, but the snake-like woman undressing her boyfriend with her eyes while cocking a weapon at him had pushed her over the edge. 

“Oh, you’re sorry, that makes it much better,” Spencer shook his head, furrowing his brows and it was only when he leaned forward that the salty hot tears dribbled down his cheek. “You- you can’t just do that, Bugsy, you know that right?”

She nodded, the words building in her trachea like word vomit, like she wanted to scream the confession at him that she should have given him the second she’d found out. “I know, I’m sorry,” She said again, her words entirely warbled with guilt because she’d never seen him so distraught, and she thought back to the horror that had spread on his face when she’d sat down. 

“You can’t do that to me, sweetheart, do you understand?” His tone had shifted, something a little softer and he grabbed her hands tightly when her shoulders hunched together, and she leaned forward to try to hide her cries in her lap, sitting silently like a scolded child, “What were you thinking? You just got back into the field today, you could have been hurt, you could have gotten someone else hurt-”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” She sniffled, her expression truly guilty, because everything he was saying was exactly true, she could have gotten him shot. “I didn’t think, I wasn’t thinking, I just was worried that…” She trailed off, her heart rate spiking when the words almost slipped from her tongue. She couldn’t tell him, not like this.

“What?” Spencer pressed, because he didn’t like the look of whatever had just passed over her face, and she shook her head in denial, “Bug, tell me,” 

“No, I can’t,” Her breath clogged in her chest, coming out in a shaky rattle, and it was then that he leaned forward even more, trying to dip his head down to catch her eye, "Not like this,"

“Please tell me,” He begged, his eyes still stinging where another wave of tears threatened to burst at the seam when she shook her head again, her chin pressing down into her chest because he hated this. He hated arguing with her. “I’m sorry I yelled, I didn’t mean to, honey, I just got- worried.”

“I know,” She said quietly through another sniffle, rubbing her cheek on her shoulder to dry it, “I know, I’m sorry I didn’t think it through I just,” She took a deep breath, because she knew she needed to tell him, knew there was no more running from it. 

He lifted a palm to her cheek, his thumb skirting under her eyelashes, and he forced himself together because he could never stand to see her cry, not when it was partially his fault, “What?” 

“I just can’t do this without you,” She murmured, her heart in her throat, and it only made it difficult to swallow. She chanced a look at Spencer, his eyes wet and red and worried as she continued, “I can’t be the one to tell this kid their dad died because I didn’t do anything,” 

“What..” He started, his brows immediately falling into a frown as he looked at her. She swore she could hear every single contraction of her heart muscles in her ears, the blood rushing through her veins making it sound like waves crashing on a shore right in her eardrum. 

“It’s still fixable,” She jumped in, before he could say anything, like she needed to justify immediately what she’d said, or even just talk to fill the silence because she hated not knowing what he was thinking, “It’s only five weeks along, I still have time to… fix it-”

“Five weeks- you-you’re pregnant?” Spencer’s eyes were wide, with horror or shock she had no idea, nor did she want to find out judging by the way he had turned pale, reading between the lines, “W-What- fix it? Is that what you want to do?” 

She stopped, because he seemed to be keeping a lid on his emotions, trying his hardest to sound calm and somehow that made it all the more worse. Because she would rather him get angry, or get frustrated and tell her this was too soon, or tell her there was no way he was ready to be a father, because at least then the pressure of it wasn’t on her back to decide for both of them. 

But he would never, and she didn’t know why she’d ever second guessed him. He wasn’t yelling, or turning away, or leaving her the second things got tough, because it was Spencer. And Spencer would never. Spencer gave her the choice of what she wanted to do. 

She stopped, her lungs suddenly feeling just that bit tighter, as she shrugged pitifully, and she thought this was perhaps not the most ideal way to tell someone you’re pregnant, “I-I don’t know, I think…” She stopped, because what did she think? She’d been so wrapped up in worrying about what Spencer would think, worrying about his mom and her nightmares and Cat God Damn Adams that she hadn’t even let herself entertain the thought of a little them. 

But if she said she didn’t like the idea of a little boy with Spencer’s hair and glasses and smile, if she said she couldn’t see the photo album his mom had handed her full of pictures of their kids butt naked and watering the flower beds, she would be a liar. 

“I think… it would take a lot of work, I mean it’s a baby for christ sakes, Bugsy, of course it’ll take work,” He nodded slowly as she chided herself, but she felt his hands tighten on hers, and the tiny gesture gave her the encouragement she needed. She took another breath, that boy with brown curls and her eyes in a jedi costume flashing through her head, “But.. I think having a mini you is everything I could have ever wished for,” 

His lip quivered for a minute, and she worried she’d said the wrong thing. And then…

He smiled, wider than she’d ever seen him, like she could count every single one of his teeth, and she copied him despite the way a frog leapt into her throat, and she saw his eyes line with a fresh set of tears. 

“Really, we’re really doing this?” Spencer asked, quietly, like someone could hear them, or perhaps he couldn’t believe himself even as he said it. He thought his chest was about to explode, thought his heart could never love someone so much as he loved her, thought it would never beat the same way again as it had before he’d been told he was going to have a baby with the woman he’d been in love with for nearly nine years. She nodded, her shy smile turning into something happy, maybe even excited as he pulled her in for an achingly sweet kiss, his hands cupping her cheeks as he kissed her lips over and over and over again, ignoring the salt that trapped in her skin, and he realised then he had started crying just as much as she had. Two wailing saps sitting in their living room, happier than they’d ever dreamed they were allowed to be. “I love you, I love you, I love you more than anything, I was so stupid, I’m so sorry I shouted-” 

She chuckled, shaking her head, and drawing him back in for a long, silencing kiss, “I was stupid, very stupid.” Bugsy said, the weight lifting off her chest like a dumbbell had been moved, and she could breath again. Because Spencer kissed her like he wanted to merge their bodies into one, like he didn’t care for breath anymore as long as he had her lips on his, and she couldn’t help think if that was what he thought of her too, “No more being stupid from either of us. Kid’s got to have at least one smart parent,“

He smiled, enough joy in his eyes to make her think she was handing him the universe. And yet that was exactly how he felt. Like everything he dreamt of as a kid, when he was in his room wishing his dad had stayed because sometimes looking after his mom was tough on a twelve year old, or when he’d held Henry for the first time and thought maybe he wouldn’t be terrible at it by the time it was his turn. 

He looked at Bugsy, the idea of their kid growing inside her, about the size of a petit pois pea at five weeks, and Spencer damn near felt like he’d won the lottery. 

And all thoughts of Cat Adams were gone from both of their minds, the viper woman she wished she had gotten a good right hook to when she’d had the chance entirely unimportant now. 

Because they were going to be a family, more so than they already were. And Bugsy felt as though she couldn’t love Spencer any more than she already did, but she could love his baby more than she’d ever thought possible. 

--

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[valentinetypewriter]

Knife happy Medjacks

Masterlist

Word count: 723

The maze runner (platonic/unspecified) x Gn reader

I got this idea from this deleted scene

Jeff has to wrangle in Clint and Y/n, who after dealing with builders all day, start to agree that maybe amputation is the way to go

Today had been a particularly rough day for Clint, Jeff and I, the builders had started a new project today and with that brought many of those said builders into the Medjack hut with various injuries. Ranging from cuts, scrapes, bruises and the occasional broken bone. They may have been incredibly strong but the builders didn't seem all too bright sometimes.

We had just sent off one of the builders who managed to break his finger with a hammer when Clint decided to speak up “you know, maybe we really should start amputating them” I put away some supplies before looking over at him. “Well I mean it would certainly start teaching them to be more careful” he let out a quick laugh “it would also make our job a lot easier when they're building” the two of us laughed with each other before Jeff stepped in. “Ok no, we are not amputating them” I let out a sad groan “aww come on Jeff, don't you think they deserve it” Clint was quick to back me up “Y/n’s got a point, plus their stupidity is starting to get on my nerves”.

Jeff seemed to almost consider what we were saying before instantly shaking those thoughts away “NO! Besides, how would we explain amputation just for some cuts and bruises?” Jeff simply rolled his eyes at us as he went back to sorting our supplies. Me and Clint looked over at each other, nodding and silently mouthing agreement's.

Organising all the new equipment took a lot longer than any of us would have liked, it wasn't easy when we had stupid teenage boys coming in every five minutes because they couldn't seem to distinguish nails from their own hands. We had just finished taking care of two guys, who had somehow managed to slice up their arms, working into lunch. The random influx of boys coming in was something that the three of us struggled to keep up with sometimes. The three of us sat around the hut all very exhausted. I sat myself down on a chair in the corner of the room, Clint was sitting on a stool with his head resting against his folded arms on the table next to him, it seemed like he was asleep. Jeff on the other hand had made himself comfortable on one of our operating tables.

“We should probably get some lunch before the others devour everything” Jeff said with a sigh, he seemed to hate his own idea of getting up. I groaned as I stood up from my seat, dragging myself over to Clint, shaking him gently “hey wake up buddy, we need to get some food” Clint rubbed his eyes before slowly pushing himself up from his seat. Though before any of us could even move a step, the doors were pushed open. Clint instantly flopping back into his chair, a tired and annoyed whine coming from him. I grabbed the Gigli saw off the tray of equipment, turning towards the door “what do you want?”

The two boys stopped in the doorway “woah put the bloody saw down, we only brought you some food” the three of us instantly perked up at Newts words. “Yeah we thought we'd bring you some food since you've been taking care of my guys all day” Gally sat down two trays of food on the table Jeff was sitting on while Newt handed the one he was holding to Jeff, who instantly started eating, though I couldn't blame him. I pick up one of the trays and handed it over to Clint before dragging a chair over to the table to start eating myself “well thank you boys, that's really sweet of you” Newt smiled at me as Gally ruffled my hair “don't mention it, figured you guys would need some rest, besides we're done for the day, to many broken hands” Gally shook his head and I wasn't quite sure if it was out of annoyances or disappointment.

“Well Gally and I will leave you three to rest, and don't worry we'll bring you some dinner too” Newt smiled at us before making his way out the door, quickly followed by Gally. A few moments of silence passed as we all ate before Clint spoke up “I still reckon we should start amputating”

[binniebakery]

Thornless Rose (2/3)

♡ Prince!Yeonjun x Princess!Fem!Reader, strangers (one sided enemies??) to lovers, fluff (slightly suggestive at some points teehee)

♡ Summary: marrying oranada's "evil" prince was not on your bingo card for the year but hey we thug it out (im not good at summaries) ♡ Warnings: arranged marriage, mentions of minor character deaths, mentions of attempted assassination (i swear the fic is just a lil bit of angst, pure fluff), yeonjun is also the cutest thing alive, yeonjun is a tease

♡ A/N: i know im late for today as its already valentines for me but i literally spent all day being busy!! i promise i will upload the final part later <3 once again ty for reading and enjoy! lmk if theres anything i should change/work on! ♡ Read: 1/3 here! 3/3 here! ♡

You couldn’t quite wrap your head around the situation, the entire trip to Oranada felt like an eternity. Your chest felt heavy with anxiety as you rested your head on your lady-in-waiting’s shoulder. Yuri currently was preoccupied with knitting herself a shawl, humming a soft tune that was so warm and inviting in contrast to the harsh cold winter outside. Your body was immensely tense and soon enough you were lulled to sleep. You were in a slightly foggy garden. Hundreds of white roses surrounded you and the soft scent of moist greenery filled your senses. It was the most beautiful garden you had ever seen. It’s bushes shaped to perfection, hedges surrounding you in an ethereal maze. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, sounds of thunder could be heard in the distance.

You looked up from your reflection in the water to see the world around you develop a greyish hue. Despite the oncoming storm and the smell of rain, you felt no fear. If anything you felt a strange peace, you didn’t want to leave this place, even with the incoming weather.A taller figure walks before you. You couldn’t make out the figure’s face, with features blurred out in the fog. You couldn’t even see the color of their hair. Your eyes squinted in an attempt to see clearer but the fog grew thicker and the storm grew closer. You stared at the figure with confidence. You weren’t afraid.

A soft melody begins to play in the distance, a romantic, soft tune. The figure in front of you stops about a foot in front of you and offers their hand, reluctantly, you reach out. “M’lady, are you awake?”

The sound of a sweet voice had awoken you from your slumber. “Miss y/n, we’re here.” Yuri’s soft voice softly echoed in your ears as you slowly opened your eyes. “Pardon me, I seemed to have slept longer than anticipated.” You smile sheepishly, your senses awakening as you stretch out your arms. “Don’t apologize, you hadn’t slept a wink the night prior so I didn't want to wake you so soon unless it was necessary” she spoke softly as her fingers ran through your slightly messy hair. You closed your eyes and for once let out a genuine smile at the gesture. Yuri always knew how to keep you relaxed. “They’re waiting for you, the king and queen are currently in an audience but for now we shall have you taken to where you will be staying and have you get properly arranged for breakfast with the prince”. Right, your fiance, the man that you would be soon spending the rest of your life with. You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed. “Yes, of course, let us get going then shall we?” You mustered the brightest smile you could but even a stranger could tell that it was with full irritation. As your father’s assistant spoke with the royal guards in plans and details for the week, one had approached you and Yuri and offered to carry your luggage as he showed you to your guest rooms. The prominent tenseness you radiated could be felt by everyone near despite the warm smile you wore. “This way, your majesty” the guard bowed and the three of you took off. The castle was beautiful. It was large and held a very monotone color scheme. Soft greys and blues decorated the exterior as pine trees outlined the entire area. It matched perfectly with the winter atmosphere. Your heart once again felt the intense anxiety that you shoved away, just as sharp as the cold wind that stung your soft skin.

Yuri’s room was right next to yours for convenience, which was a wonderful surprise to you. You thanked the guard and as he spoke with Yuri in the hallway outside your room, you began to unpack. Your room was magnificent, with intricate paintings on each wall, and the wallpaper a beautiful cream color with black detailing. Two large windows showcased the beautiful winter cold outside with the grey laced curtains drawn. You couldn’t get your mind off of that dream you had. Normally, you had odd dreams all the time but this one felt so different. You could barely remember what you had dreamt about. A few light knocks on your door shook you from your thoughts as Yuri asked to come in. She had already been freshened up and dressed and had offered to help you herself which you accepted with a wide smile. Once you had properly showered and changed, your lady-in-waiting began to pamper and attend to your locks. “You have to make a good impression y/n. I trust that you’ll be as sweet and as lovely as you normally are but despite how the prince acts please try to keep proper composure and patience”. You sighed as you longingly gazed out the window, watching the clouds above the castle’s garden. “Yes, of course, I’ve come to terms with my fate. Can we please head to breakfast now so that I may meet my lovely betrothed?” You responded sarcastically. Yuri nodded and held a small mirror to your face. “You look so beautiful, just like your mother” she sighed as you stood from your seat. As Yuri walked over to your bedroom’s door you took a double take out the window. In the garden, a tall figure stood, back facing the castle. A young man with black hair could be seen crouching down, admiring the flora. Could that be the prince? You pondered as you approached the doors. Almost as quickly as he appeared, the young man disappeared. Shrugging it off you let Yuri guide you down the hall to breakfast. The dining room was large and like every other part of the castle, intricately decorated with the utmost depressing colors. It was a huge contrast to your home, with its main colors involving deep reds and oak browns. As you sat, you noted three other chairs on the other side of the long dining table. At least we won't be sitting so closely, you sighed to yourself. After what minutes that felt like hours, voices could now be heard approaching from the hallway, your heartbeat couldn’t be any louder with fear. You sat straighter, hands properly placed on your lap, chin held up with a smile. You had to make a good impression no matter what.

“Good morning, Princess y/n”. A velvety woman’s voice spoke to you as the doors swung open. To say the queen was a beautiful lady would be an understatement. She presented herself in a way you could only imagine to be, adorned in all black, lipstick a deep cherry red almost even looking like blood. Despite the intense vibe she gave off that sent chills down your spine, her face was soft and kind. “G- good morning, your majesties, it’s a pleasure to meet you”! You stood from your chair and bowed, mentally slapping yourself for stuttering. “The pleasure is all ours, your father has spoken very highly of you.” The king smiled, he too was dressed in all black, with navy embellishments to his uniform. His black hair was slicked back but you could easily see the slight grey hairs forming from his old age. “This is our son, Yeonjun. He is our only son and the one you have been selected to be betrothed to”. The king motioned as he stepped aside for you to see the same young man you saw in the garden earlier. Your mouth could have dropped the moment you saw him. It took everything within your power to not blush as for the first time, you felt the gaze of a male your age. He was alluring. His lips were the softest pink, plush and beautiful. His hair split in a way that his forehead was shown, said soft black hair highlighting his cheekbones. His uniform was almost identical to his father's, the only exception being he had very few medallions compared to the king. He was a sight to see and for a minute you forgot that this was a man that people rumored to be a future tyrant. “It’s a pleasure to meet you m’lady” Yeonjun spoke as he approached you slowly hand reaching out for yours. You nodded and offered your hand. Softly and as gentle as he could,, Yeonjun pulled your small hand to his lips and pressed them against it. “Y- yes of course. I- ah yes thank you I’m forever grateful” you stumbled out. Since when did you have such trouble speaking to other royals? You wanted to just run away and slam your head into the wall, head back to your kingdom, and pretend none of this ever happened. As much as you wanted to avoid his gaze, you didn’t want to be rude. Nonetheless, you couldn’t get yourself to look away. He had such an interesting aura that made you want to know more. What made things worse is that Yeonjun had the softest smile and the most beautiful eyes you’ve ever seen. This was not the prince that everyone spoke ill of, this had to be a different person. He had the intensity of his mother yet the way he spoke to you, even the way he held your hand, made you feel like he was nothing more than a delicate flower. A rose without thorns. “Shall we eat? I have something lovely prepared for us this morning” the queen interrupted, noticing the tension between you and Yeonjun. Ever so gratefully, you nodded as Yeonjun quickly pulled your chair further out for you to sit, causing you to once again feel your face warm up. Maybe the dress you were wearing had too many layers. Surely that had to be it. Breakfast went by quickly, Yeonjun didn’t speak a word as he simply watched you in silence. The king and queen were easy to converse with as they led the conversations. As breakfast came to an end both the king and queen excused themselves as they had matters to attend to, leaving you and Yeonjun alone for the rest of the day. “I’d like to take you for a walk if you’d allow me miss y/n” Yeonjun smiled as he offered his arm to you. This is it, he’s going to take you to a nearby forest and murder you, disposing you of your body. You mentally prepared for the worst as you took his arm, allowing Yeonjun to guide you to wherever location he had in mind. Though you had to admit, he was charming and this persona he was showing you definitely could have you fooled.

To your surprise, Yeonjun had taken you to the castle’s garden. Your eyes widened as you felt a wave of deja vu hit you. This garden reminded you of the one you saw in your dream. It was just as beautiful, white roses were everywhere the eye could catch, there was a fountain in the middle and a marble gazebo sitting not too far off. “This truly is beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like this” you whispered to yourself. “You’re beautiful as well” Yeonjun stated bluntly with a smile.

You turned to him, eyes wide and face turning a soft pink. “I- I beg your pardon? Could you repeat that?” Yeonjun blurted out a laugh in response to your flustered face. “I said you’re beautiful as well. I’m sure you heard me the first time miss y/n”. Why was he being so kind to you? You didn’t appreciate this fake personality he was giving you. Where was the rudeness? The snarky remarks? The selfish persona? Was this really the prince that everyone spoke so lowly of?

“Well.. thank you.. I suppose..ah..” you began, looking away as Yeonjun tilted his head awaiting your full response. “You suppose?” he quirked an eyebrow. “I suppose.. You’re also someone I find beautiful. You- you’re very handsome.” You mumbled, unable to still meet his eyes. Yeonjun chuckled and reached for your chin, pulling it upwards for you to look at him properly. “Why thank you, I know.” You would’ve blushed at the sudden contact but it then hit you.I know? You thought. What an odd response to a compliment. It was slightly… conceited? You blinked in confusion but then reminded yourself that you were speaking to the prince of Oranada. Right. You almost let yourself get fooled into thinking this was a dreamy prince from one of the fairy tales you read as a child. This is no man of your dreams.

Frowning as you pulled away, you huffed and looked towards the gazebo on the other side of the garden. “I should have known you were as narcissistic as they say” you spat, then instantly covering your mouth in shock. You hadn’t realized that you were thinking out loud. You looked over to Yeonjun in fear. Was he going to punish you? Was he going to call off the engagement? Was he upset? Yeonjun blinked and gave you a blank look as if he were still processing what you had just said. “You.. think I'm a narcissist?” he pointed to himself, his eyes growing large like a child getting accused of lying. Guilt began to slowly wash over you. Sure he could’ve been a jerk but what if he was just confident? Did you really have to say that to him? “I- I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad, I just- look! I may already have my thoughts about you based on what I’ve heard. I apologize for what I said but I’m scared okay? The world says the man I just met is crazy and a horrible person! Nobody knew you existed until a decade ago!” You exclaimed as you felt tears welt in your eyes. “I don’t know what you’re really like as a person! How can you expect me to not assume the worst..” you looked at the sky in an attempt to stop your tears from completely falling, the clouds were slowly rolling in. Yeonjun sighed and softly reached for your hand. You looked at him as he let out a weak smile. “Let’s sit over there, I want to show you something.” Not knowing what to say or do, you let him guide you to the gazebo and you both sat down. Your eyes searched around the garden in fear. Was he going to yell at you? “My parents knew the dangers of having me. When my mother was pregnant, rumors about the war were starting and they knew that if anyone found out about me, I would have a target on my head.” Yeonjun spoke softly as he looked down at his fidgeting hands. The personality he was showing you now was different from the confident and flirty one he was portraying earlier.

“My people sort of knew I existed, but no one was allowed to speak of my presence. When the war finally reached our kingdom, my parents had their hands tied, I studied a lot and begged them to allow me to help them. So I was presented to the world, and hardly even a day after an assassination attempt was made on my family and I.” Yeonjun’s voice was stern and quiet, you looked at him and could see he was still fidgeting in his chair. You reached over to place your hand over his and nodded for him to continue. “It was my first day on duty, luckily, I was able to apprehend the traitor myself. It was a spy who had been living amongst the people for a while, waiting for the perfect time to strike. My parents were right, he had caught wind of the king and queen having a son and tried to kill me himself.” Yeonjun sighed shakily and you held his hand tighter.

“I was angry, irrational even, before I could even discuss proper punishment with my parents, I simply sentenced the man to death.” Your eyes widened. Was Yeonjun telling the truth? This whole time everyone assumed the young prince had simply let the power go to his head, but he was just a young boy. “My parents found out after it all happened. After a long discussion, we immediately put the entire kingdom on lockdown. For our safety and most importantly the safety of our citizens. We chose not to explain the situation to anyone for fear that we would just invite more danger in our borders. Since then, we haven’t given much thought to the opinions of others.” He bit his lip and looked into your eyes, searching for understanding.

“Yeonjun.. If I may call you that-” He nodded. “I.. I apologize, sincerely. I realize my actions and words were harsh. If you really are telling the truth-  which I assume you are-  I just want to say that despite all those rumors, I want to get to know you more. If you’re willing to accept my apology.. I hope you’re willing to start over with me. Allow me to know you for who you really are, not the person that everyone else talks about.” You held his hands to your chest as you spoke, heart beating so intensely that he could feel it. He swallowed and nodded, releasing a weak smile. “Y/n.. although this marriage is already set in stone, I’m simply enamored by the thought of getting to court you.” As Yeonjun looked down at the stone floor beneath him, you could see that through his black strands his face was pure red. “Of course, I’m more than willing to offer you that chance Prince Yeonjun” you replied, and for the first time in a while, you genuinely smiled. Once you both returned inside, Yeonjun excused himself as he had matters to attend to. Thus, for the rest of the day, you were left with paperwork and your own duties as a princess. Just because you were away from home doesn’t mean you didn’t have work to do. So there you were in your room, Yuri currently organizing your clothes and you writing away at your desk. “So, you’re going to allow him to court you then? Willingly?” Yuri looked at you with hopeful eyes. “Yes! And although he won’t be making it to dinner tonight as he has to go into town, he promised he would meet me tonight in the garden” you smiled dreamily as you stretched out your arms. “Well, I’m glad everything turned out at least alright and he’s not insane.” Yuri chuckled as she placed the last pair of socks away. You placed your hands on your cheeks smiling. This was your first date with Yeonjun and you couldn’t be anymore pleased. You found yourself daydreaming of what could happen. Things finally seemed to be looking up for you, and Yeonjun was starting to seem more like the proper storybook prince you had always read about in your childhood story books.

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter forty one

close to home | chapter forty one

plot: the reader gets taken by the saviors

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 1,489 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd A/N: thank you for reading!!! Hope you guys are liking the longer chapters! This one isn't lol updated twice today not to brag but look at me go

The room was so dark you thought you were still asleep when you woke up. You thought you were in a bad dream. It took you a few seconds to realize the light was shining underneath a doorway, but it barely lit up the room. The back of your head was aching, and you were nearly positive you had a concussion. Slowly, you started to sit up. 

The room was small, like a closet. That was the only thing that you knew. Other than the fact that the saviors had you. Your hands were shaking as you dropped your head in them. You were with the saviors. And you were most likely going to die here. 

Tears burned your eyes as you thought about home and how you’d never see it again. You wouldn’t jog the streets of the community or read comics with Carl ever again. You wouldn’t laugh with Michonne or see Maggie and Glenn’s baby be born. You’d never see Daryl again. And you would never, ever see your precious Tora. 

The image of the cat’s face made you lose it, and you couldn’t stop crying. Your heart was beating erratically, and you felt on the verge of throwing up. “No, no, no,” You mumbled to yourself. 

You weren’t sure how long you sat in that room for. It wasn’t until your tears had dried and you were lying on the floor, defeated, that you heard voices. 

“I got the message she was up,” You heard someone say. 

“Yes, sir, about an hour or so ago.”

“Alright, well let’s get this done then, shall we?”

You heard keys jingling, and then the door opened. Your eyes shut at the bright light, and you raised your hand to shield them as you squinted. 

Two men were standing before you. One held the door open, and the other stood in the doorway. You couldn’t see his face as your eyes hadn’t adjusted, but you should see the figure of a lean man with a bat over his shoulder. 

“Well, well, well, if you ain’t a sight for sore eyes.” The man said. “I sure am glad Dwighty boy brought you to me. Must be my birthday or something!” 

Your vision was finally restored, and you saw an older man with a dark beard. He was smiling down at you, but it made your skin crawl. 

“If you’re going to kill me, just get it over with,” You said. 

The man smiled and rubbed his jaw, “Huh. If I wanted that, you would be chained up outside already. Now come on, let’s get you off the floor,” He said, stretching his hand out to you. 

You ignored it and stayed where you were. “Who are you?”

“Oh, darlin’, I’m so glad you asked me that. I’m Negan. Now, don’t make me ask again.” He said, with his arm still outstretched. 

Your stomach tightened in a wave of anxiety and you grabbed his hand, letting him pull you to your feet. You glanced at the bat that was on his shoulder and caught him smiling at you. 

“This here is Lucille; she’s my partner in crime,” He gave you a playful wink. “But she doesn’t like messing with a face as pretty as yours. Well, at least not much.”

You nearly scowled at the threat but had the sense to keep your face neutral. 

“Come on, let’s go for a walk; we have some talking to do,” 

***

The ‘walk’ with Negan led you to a private room in the maze of hallways. You couldn’t tell where you were or even what this building was supposed to be. He walked before you, swinging the bat, and any person passing you knelt for him. 

You were left alone with him, and he pointed towards the table. “I had a meal prepared for us. I thought it’d be nice to talk over dinner. Nobody does that anymore, you know.” He said. 

The table was set up with two plates. As you sat down, you noticed there wasn’t a knife. Not that you would be stupid enough to try anything in this place anyway. You knew how many people were here. 

A few people came into the room and brought in food. You watched them in silence, and when they were gone, you looked at what food they gave you. It was some sort of chicken with actual vegetables. Fresh vegetables. The Hilltop. 

“Gosh, I’m just starved after a day like today,” Negan said, “Don’t worry about anything in the food. I don’t want to kill you.”

“I find that hard to believe,” You said. 

Negan smiled as he chewed and he leaned back against the chair. “They told me you had quite a mouth on you when they dropped you off here. It’s been a long time since someone talked to me like that. I forgot how much I liked it…”

You made a face at the lude comment and grabbed your fork, examining the food. “Why don’t you want to kill me then? At least for right now.”

“I believe people are a resource, and I believe you could be quite resourceful.”

“I believe it would be better for you to stop staying shit like that,” You said, stabbing a piece of chicken.

“Oh, darlin’, I just can’t seem to stop myself.” Negan chuckled. “I want you to tell me about the community.”

“I-.”

“And don’t tell me you’re not from there. I know it. You know it. And I think you’re smarter than trying to lie about it.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” You said, “It’s a community. Probably similar to this one.” 

Negan laughed and said, “I don’t think that’s true.”

“What even is this place?” You asked. 

“Why don’t you tell me your name, first?”

You looked at Negan as you chewed. “(Y/N),”

“The name as beautiful as the holder,” He chucked. 

You frowned. “Sweet-talking me isn’t going to get what you want, Negan. I will die before I tell you or any pig in this place anything. But it doesn’t matter. We’ll kill you all if you don’t back down.”

Negan looked at you for a long moment before he spoke. “But of course, you won’t be around for that then, would you?”

You dropped your fork and leaned against the seat. You knew his game now. “I don’t intend on it.”

“Well, I don’t think I can let that happen, now, can I?”

***

You weren’t sure how long you were in the dark room after that. Telling time was next to impossible, and you feared you would be left here to rot. But it was favorable to torture, and you considered yourself lucky. 

You’d been in there for hours before someone came to collect you. You were delivered directly to Negan--who you hadn’t seen since the dinner you shared with him. He smiled widely as you were forced towards him. 

“You ready to see your family, darlin’?”

You weren’t given a chance to respond. A bag went over your head, and you were roughly thrown into the back of some sort of van due to all the space you had. It started up immediately, and you fell over as it drove. With the bag over your head and the dark inside of the van, time moved slowly. You could tell it was for a while and thought you were headed towards Alexandria. They’d somehow found the community and would most likely beat you to death in front of everyone. 

The dark closet was preferable. But you didn’t want to wait any longer for death. Everyone lived on borrowed time since the world went to shit, and your number was being called. You could live with it if it meant your family would live. 

When the van stopped moving, it was parked for a long time. You couldn’t see what was happening outside, but you could vaguely hear voices. You heard the door roll up, and someone grabbed you. 

Your body hit the ground, and you groaned as you were pulled back up to your feet and forced forward. You struggled with every step, trying to fight back, but whoever pushed you forward was strong. 

It was quiet, just crickets chirruping when you heard someone’s voice getting louder as you approached. “It’s gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon.” Negan.

“Oh shit, looks like you forgot someone, Simon!” Negan laughed; you could tell this was just a part of his games.

You struggled against the person holding you for another few steps before you were pushed to the ground. The bag from your head was pulled off, and you squinted in the light momentarily before you took in the scene around you.

Your family. All lined up.

[kiliinstinct]

Chapter 32

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] Well, this was a doozy and took longer to update than I wanted. Special thanks to @phoenix-before-the-flame as always. And I'd also like to give another special thanks to @genavere for helping motivate me to get this chapter out. A few set backs had drained my inspiration for this and she helped put me back on track! See This Post For News About Future Updates The post linked above is an older one, so I'll also say this here, Flame's Desire Will be back with the Start of Act 3, but like last year, I'm going to take a 2 month Vacation from it to get my stuff back in order. So expect me to come back by the End of August! Enjoy!

Soft breathing broke through the quiet settling in the still room. The chaos that ensued mere moments ago still echoed in the minds of Natsu and Lucy; Both kept their distance from the other, too afraid to speak first.

Natsu sat upon the charred bed, head in his hands. Fingers dug into his scalp as he pulled at his hair in frustration. As if attempting to keep his broiling emotions under control through distracting pain. Holding back a pitiful whine, Natsu grew all-too aware of his reddened cheeks. Not from the magic that sizzled beneath his skin, just waiting to explode at the slightest drop in concentration, but at the shame filled embarrassment that rolled in his gut. Likewise, a similar embarrassment painted Lucy’s face. Sitting on a dust-covered chair in the corner, she twiddled her fingers. Unable to sit still, Lucy crossed and uncrossed her legs, eyes looking this way and that. Her face was burning, her neck and ears pounded in tune with her heartbeat. Searching for a distraction, she kept her gaze everywhere but Natsu. She couldn’t face him. 

Not yet.

Both were too lost in the maze of their own minds to figure out what to do next. He could still feel her lips against his; Still taste the slightest hints of her on his split lip. The memory swam behind his eyelids, refusing to sink under the rest of his emotions. Her frame, soft in his arms —and the sheer comfort of having her close — made him feel empty at the loss.

He needed to regain control of his emotions before they clawed their way back up his throat and exploded another hole through the keep.

That was his goal.

It should have been his main focus, but this new development knocked him flat off his feet.  He didn’t even have anyone to blame other than his own, impulsive self.

Lucy was a welcome relief that he desperately wanted to cradle in his arms and tightly hold onto. While concerned for his health, she had entered his room without pity, without fear — so unlike what he’d become used to over the last few days. Despite Makarov straining against his own injuries during his visits, it only served to fill Natsu with so much guilt he couldn’t breathe. And then there was Lucy… a balm he feared to lose after his days of isolation.

Once Freed and Levy had visited, mostly to reinforce the runes placed on his door. And though they attempted to speak with him, Natsu had stubbornly pulled the sheet over his head as they worked, refusing to speak with them.  He couldn’t stand the pity in their gazes, or the way they tip-toed around him as if afraid he’d pop off a second time. 

He’d almost done the same when Lucy had come knocking. It was too exhausting, too debilitating to continue seeing the results of his lack of control. He had been seconds away from shouting at his new visitor to leave him alone until Lucy’s voice broke through his discomfort like a siren song.

It took all the control he could muster not to tear the door off its hinges when he threw it open to see her.

The sight of Lucy gave him such exaltation that he reacted before his thoughts could catch up. Instinct needed to hold Lucy tight and let her calming aura seep into his very being until all he could feel was the gentle magic she possessed, pulsing beneath her skin.

In those span of seconds of holding Lucy tight, the warring thoughts in his mind went quiet and his vision clouded. What came next? … he… he wasn’t so sure after that. 

It wasn’t until she bit hard on his lip, palm striking across his cheek, that sense finally returned to him.

Natsu released her immediately, eyes wide as the world froze. He struggled to put together exactly what he’d done while Lucy had spared no moment to scramble as far from him as possible.

When she had slipped in her rush, Natsu was coherent enough to steady her with a hand on her shoulder. But Lucy slapped his hand away with wide eyes. He was confused at first, uncertain why she would wish to run from him, but the sight of her sucking in air as if she’d been drowning, lips swollen as she shook, made Natsu finally step back. A part of him focused on her lips for a second too long before he realized exactly what he’d done.

He really fucked everything up. 

Having the time to gather his thoughts and think clearly, Natsu stole a glance towards Lucy as he released his grip on his hair.  Her face was still red, but carefully set in a neutral expression that gave nothing of her inner thoughts away. If not for her restlessly twitching fingers, he may have thought she’d gone numb from shock. 

“I- … Lucy-” And words stuck like moss in his mouth, filling his throat and lungs until all he could do was stare at the floor. 

Seeming to have better control of her vocal faculties, Lucy inhaled deeply as she replied, “I want you to start talking now. And you better have a good reason or else I’m going to make sure my hand leaves a proper mark when I slap you again. You can’t just give a girl her first - “

“I don’t know why I did that.” Natsu interrupted, words practically tripping over themselves as they fell out his mouth.

She paused, her neutral mask cracking, “... it … was a whim?”

 Natsu leapt to his feet in a flash, “No!” He protested as an underlying edge of panic filtered through him.

“Then what was it?!” She demanded. “Why-” “I don’t know!!”

Natsu knew it sounded foolish. Ridiculous even, but what else could he say? 

Lucy’s mouth fell open, ready to respond in a fury Natsu felt was more than deserved. She had every right to tear into him. The scathing words he expected never came, however, as the words caught in her mouth, only to die a second later. She sighed instead, shoulders sagging as every ounce of her fury escaped through that one, deep, exhale. 

Instead, she pinched her nose, eyes shut tight as she struggled to hold back a wave of frustrated tears.

Panic set in. He’d made her cry. Despite her attempts to remain calm, he’d done the one thing he never wanted to do. Reflexively Natsu stepped forward, intending to console her, but forced himself to stay in place a second later. She wanted distance: he should give that to her…. right?

It wasn’t right. Natsu didn’t dare offer comfort now . Not without permission. Indecision and discomfort settled sickly in his stomach as wispy tendrils of smoke curled off his shoulders. His words were useless, coming out faster than he could process as he struggled to say anything that could fix things. But what could he say when he didn’t fully understand his own actions?

“I mean, it’s not like I didn’t enjoy kissing you-” No, that was wrong.

“I mean, I never thought about it before until right now, but -” That somehow sounded even worse! 

Growling, Natsu groaned as he tugged at a strand of his pink hair. The stone beneath his feet was starting to melt as the build of magic and emotion grew too much yet again. Ugh, why was this so hard? Lucy wasn’t responding, and he couldn’t look at her again, shame filling his gut like a cascade of stones.  Frustration at his inability to explain himself made his eyes water.

What was wrong with him?

Ever since the beginning, he’d been pushing his luck with her. Natsu knew that. What started as duty turned to friendship and friendship turned to… he couldn’t put it into words. It was some connection that compelled him to stay near right until she’d screamed those awful words at him. Despite assuring him otherwise, Lucy’s panic over being touched still echoed in his memories. 

It was his fault then. Reminding her of the horrors of their first meeting was his doing. And while he’d once promised never to give her a reason to remember, he’d broken that vow.

First nipping her when he was half asleep at the tower and now this? His knees buckled as he attempted to reign in his magic. How was he any better than the man that night? Forcing himself on her, saying things like–

Natsu stilled, eyes wide. He recalled his earlier words, pounding into his reddened ears, ‘It's about time you got here’

Why did he say that?

He suddenly couldn’t breathe. The heat of his embarrassment and shame was unbearable as he pleaded for her to leave the room. She shouldn’t be here. She didn’t need to see him like this. Natsu didn’t deserve the company, didn’t deserve the chance to explain – his thoughts derailed as Lucy moved, the chair clattering behind her. Grasping his face with cool, soft fingers, she kept his gaze on hers, lowering them both to the floor as she brushed the hair from his eyes. “Hey, Hey, shhh, calm down-” She said, brows knitting together at his answering, pathetic whine, “Your magic is going crazy, shhh.”

Battling with his broiling emotions and the struggle to breathe, Lucy stayed close, prying his hands from his scalp and holding them tight. The words she spoke melding into the background, muted by his own pulse. He clung to her hands like a lifeline, grounding himself as the steam continued to rise off his heated body.

Sweat beaded on Lucy’s brow, his own body heat treating the room like a mini sauna. Strands of her hair stuck to her neck as she powered through the heat. He needed to stay in control, before it became too much, before he -

He tried to tell her to leave again, but she stayed, mumbling quiet assurances that he couldn’t catch over his own, labored breaths. 

Seconds turned to minutes. And with time, the air returned to normal as the steam dissipated. Natsu focused on her hands, glowing in a soft, ethereal light, blanketing him in a cold that soothed his magic.  When his senses returned, tears were streaming down his cheeks and his body shook from the exertion. “... I’m so sorry-” He pleaded, exhaustion and hopeless desperation bleeding from his every word, “I… I missed you… And then you were here and I hadn’t seen anyone in days and I just- “

He just… what? How could he explain what he also didn’t understand?

“... take deep breaths,” her words finally reached him, talking him through the aching terror in his chest as her magic answered him. Lucy’s magic spilled from her fingertips, flowing freely in warm golden threads that pulsed weakly, wrapping his arms and torso in a soft light. The rhythmic thrums became a subtle call to calm the beast of power inside him.

Her voice pulled him back into focus, “That’s it, just keep breathing. Remember what you told me before? You’re okay, it’s going to be okay. You’re safe. I’m right here.”

Stunned, Natsu blearily lifted his head, confused,“But I-” “Yes,” She clarified, covering his mouth, cheeks still red, “You crossed a boundary, and we’re going to talk about it. But I need you to understand that I’m not going anywhere. You’re still my friend. I didn’t sneak up here just to run away. ”

Her firm declaration forced a startled sob from him. He curled in on himself, finally allowing the grief and guilt to escape him. All that’d he’d held back, the crushing weight of all his wrongs that he’d stuffed away cascaded down his face.

How long had it been since he’d cried so openly in front of another, without the cover of night to hide behind? Since he’d allowed himself to fall apart? 

So many secrets, so many things he feared speaking of; And now his Chief, a man he saw as his own family, was permanently injured. The loss of control Natsu thought he’d left behind in a childhood he believed to be separate from himself was coming back to haunt him. And now this.

Lucy didn’t deserve this.

She didn’t deserve his lack of understanding, his inability to control his emotions, his touch, his —  the sobs shook his shoulders and he held himself against her. He soaked in the comfort she willingly gave. Apologies tumbled from his lips over and over again until he no longer understood what he was sorry for. She took it in. He couldn’t explain it, but she held him tight and let his emotions spill out of him like an ocean until his eyes burned and the tears dried, staining his face.

When he could cry no more, Natsu held still, spent of his energy. His throat felt raw and bleeding and his stuffed nose was irritating. He knew his eyes hardly fared any better, puffy from his emotions. For a moment, Natsu wanted to cover his face, but he was too tired to move. He chose to wait for Lucy to make the next move, instead. 

He’d crossed enough boundaries for one day.

The seconds passed by and Lucy, lost in thought, continued to run her thumbs over his scarred knuckles. It was….strange to see Natsu like this. She knew he had his secrets -everyone did- but to witness him at such a loss was a different thing entirely. It hurt to see her friend so normally full of life terrified of things he couldn’t name.

Just how much was he holding in? How deeply did his grief run?

Lucy didn’t have the answers, but whatever had led him to this breaking point could wait. As he'd done for her, she would help him over this hurdle even if it meant sitting with him till sunrise. Then she'd get answers.

Minutes bled steadily by, matched by the lack of circulation in her legs and the muscles twinging in protest. In response, she tugged him closer, pressing his ear against her chest and continuing the soft circles over the back of his hand that matched the beat of their hearts. A moment of hesitation hung between them when he tensed against her, and she feared he would bolt.

However, that fear dissipated with each labored breath that slowed and left her shivering from the differing temperatures. Slowly, as the tension lessened and his weight increased, she could feel him piecing himself back together—or attempted to. Even a shattered mirror would show the cracks once repaired.

“Natsu?” she hummed his name gently, enquiring.

Burying his face further into her shoulder remained the only answer he had for her, one she seemed to accept for the time. Grateful for the extra time, he focused on the scent on her skin—a distinctly Lucy infusion of spice and something that reminded him of that moonlit night on the beach. Breathing became easier, and his thoughts less muddled. 

And that clarity brought a sigh to his lips. There would be no running away from this mess. Lucy was too smart and knew him too well. She’d give him a push, but he’d have to open up first if he wanted this cleared up between them.

“A lot…” —he swallowed through the pain and discomfort in his throat— “a lot happened.”

Lucy snorted,  “I couldn't tell-”

“Oi,” He defended, popping his head up and pouting. “I'm trying here. Really.”

“I am, too.” Her voice, a soft caress to the tatters of his being, wormed their way into his chest and stoked the growing ember. Even with her thinly veiled threat that followed, “I’m trying hard enough to give you a chance to explain yourself while I weigh whether I should slap you again for good measure or not.”

Maybe not so thinly veiled, Natsu let out a low chuckle and motivated himself to finally put some distance between them. “I wouldn’t stop you if you did. Maybe you’d knock some sense into me.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took a moment of reprieve to gather his thoughts—or tried to. He rocked back onto his heels and felt the pull of the freshly healed scars. “I wouldn’t know where t'start, if I'm honest.”

“How about explaining why you were moved from house arrest to an actual cell,” Lucy offered, scooting around to sit next to him and stretched her legs out.

Natsu ran a frustrated hand over his face and flopped back against the cool, stone floor—a welcome balm compared to the emotions stirring inside. “The actual cells are downstairs,” he explained, staring at the ceiling. “This is just the old man’s extra room. He thinks its best I stay here ‘til I get a handle on myself.”

“But he still hasn't told anyone else why,” Lucy interjected, the accusation already pouring from her lips. “It's like everyone who was there is keeping it one big secret!”

“...Probably ‘cause he wants to make sure I wont blow up a room again when he does,” Natsu said with a shrug.

“Oh right, that.” The reminder of the now gaping hole in the keep mollified her. “Why…?” She let the question hang unfinished between them. 

Natsu swallowed, mouth dry, ”I lost my temper, and I– I ain't exactly right in the head right now, so I don’t blame ‘em. I scared everyone pretty good when I snapped over something stupid and got tossed in here. And I—it’s just—” 

He sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. “Everything's all over the place, and I was just feeling too much when you came in. It was…good to see someone who wasn't staring at me like I was a bomb or something.“ 

”So…you kissed me because I don't expect you to blow out another wall?“

When she put it like that, he had to wonder why she decided to stay and not turn tail immediately. “No, that’s not…I mean…Yes? Or maybe? I was just feeling too much at once and my body reacted before my brain could.”

Her silence spoke volumes; he quickly raised a hand and continued, ”Don't take that the wrong way or anything! S’not like I'd have done that to just anyone who came to visit! But that doesn't mean I understand why that was the urge I had when I saw ya, either! ...Damnit, why is this so hard to explain?!“

“Because it's embarrassing, Natsu!“ she hissed, covering her face with a whine. ”VERY embarrassing! We’ve never done that before! I’ve never done that! We’re friends! Close friends, but still only friends! We can’t—we don’t—! We don’t even like each other like that, Natsu!”

“…But… I do like you.” 

Lucy blinked through her fingers, “...Come again?“ 

“I DO like you,” He emphasized, scratching the back of his head and realized what his words meant. Not just for himself, but for Lucy, too. Everything slowed as he focused on emphasizing what needed to come across in a form of communication he always struggled with. “At least, I'm pretty sure I do. I’m just not sure what kind of like that is.”

“So you,” she started slowly, trying to understand clearly, “are not sure how you like me?”

“I’m sorry!” he blurted out, fixing his gaze on the wall ahead. “I can't say there ain’t somethin' there, I just haven't really thought about it, and—and after what—'' Lucy heard the click of his teeth as he quickly shut his mouth, backtracking on his words. “ I put you in a weird spot. If you still wanna hit me, you can. I deserve it.”

“No!” She felt him pulling away and felt trepidation choke her. “It’s just...I guess that makes sense?” Her voice wavered, the words more of a squeaking sound. But, a weird sense of satisfaction pushed down the panic earlier as she watched color creep up the back of Natsu’s neck. 

It also brought clarification.

Why wouldn’t it make sense, she mentally chastised. Since they had met, every interaction, every emotion that they shared had been carefully tucked away. A connection born from when he had seen her at her worst, and helped her to find her footing in a new place that she wanted to call home so badly. They were…close but even Lucy had to question herself in moments of solitude. Her swiftness in seeking him out when things felt off, the peace his presence often brought.

Their friends could view what they had however they wanted. Tease them from an outsider's perspective. 

She had never thought of it beyond the line she firmly drew. Nor did she want to before.

“I’m confusing myself,” Natsu muttered after some time.

Lucy coughed out a helpless laugh, burying her face in her hair. “This is…not how I was expecting all this to go. It’s…” She hesitated, searching for the right word. “...awkward…”

And that was an understatement if either of them ever heard one.

“I’m not happy about what you did.” The words were forced, her lips pursed together as tightly as the grip of her fingers on her skirt. But the words rang true, the bitter taste of lies nowhere to be found. 

Natsu mumbled, eyes lowered. “I know.”

Slowly, feeling consumed with emotions she still struggled to name, much less handle, Lucy allowed herself to take in the expanse of his marred back. Earlier, her mind could not grasp the discolored skin, the erratic scarring of Laxus’ magic that warped flesh and muscles. Every raised portion, each jagged edge looked painful even with the healing magic she could feel it doused in.

Would it ever fully fade, she wondered, reaching out to touch without permission.

The skin felt stranger than she had imagined. A softness that belied the truth of how it was imparted. Biting her lip, Lucy carefully moved her fingers to the only spot devoid of scarring over the whole of his back. She caught his gaze over his shoulder and felt the fluttering of her heart at the small glimpse of red on his cheeks and soon the back of his neck again—a similar color to her own cheeks, she knew.

“But it’s something we can move on from right? It’s not… this whole—” She waved a hand around between them, “—This situation between us isn’t what we expected. There is something between us, but, maybe, right now isn’t the best time when neither of us are in the right state of mind to figure it out.

She took a breath, and with a finger and a look, gave him a pointed warning. ”So, just don’t do that again without warning. And, I don’t know, ask first? Then it’ll be fine when we sort ourselves out.”

“Uh, yeah,” he said, stomach twisting and churning, “Yeah, I can do that.”

For a split second, Natsu thought he saw disappointment flash across her face, but it was gone too fast to register. It gave the distinct feeling of missing a step in the dark, but the relief he felt strongly overpowered the sensation. She didn’t hate him. She was fine. She understood, maybe. She wasn't going to leave-

He took a breath, trying to calm the inane spiraling he could feel pulling at his sanity, and focused on Lucy. Heat and iron warring in his chest at the tentatively hope blooming there.

“So,“ he prompted, “are we...good?”

Her smile settled the tension in his heart, the heat radiating outward and the iron raising him up. “Yeah, we're good for now.” Though he didn't have much longer to relax, as her attention turned back to the other elephant in the room, “But you still need to tell me exactly why you’re stuck in here.”

He groaned. Damnit, did he have to tell her all THAT too?!

.

.

.

Their conversation went well into the early morning. Once Natsu began, Lucy couldn’t stop asking questions. It wasn’t until the first chirps of birdsong reached their ears that Natsu cut her questions short, reminding her of the time. “The old man’s gonna be coming soon. He always drops by with food so I don’t eat alone. And he hasn’t been late yet.” 

With the time fast approaching, Lucy didn't have time to process their earlier conversation or the retelling of events that happened the day before. What's more, she knew without a doubt that Natsu still hadn’t told her everything that had transpired. 

Recalling the way he'd burnt her and the damage to his house, it wasn’t hard for her to accept that he’d lost control of his temper. What she couldn’t accept was laying the blame all on Natsu. Every situation lately had come up after the arrival of that Draconis, Gajeel. This stranger seemed well equipped with enough knowledge to poke the Natsu’ buttons with ease, which she said as much, pressing into the last few minutes they had until she forced herself to leave.

When Natsu heard the truth in her words, he fumbled, eyes darting to the wall as words tumbled from his mouth in quick succession. “And he was a jerk who said too damn much and pissed me off!” He snapped, flinching when Lucy pinned him with an imperious stare. 

He skimped on the details of what Gajeel had actually said and she knew it, “... He uhh..I think he knows me, from before I came here. And he said some stuff about that…”

He hated thinking of it. The fact he'd lost sight of friend or foe in that moment, weighed heavily on his shoulders. He didn't want to relive it again, even to tell Lucy the truth.

So he didn't.

"...The others, if I asked them what he said, would that upset you?" Lucy asked cautiously.

Natsu knew Makarov had sworn them to secrecy, it was something the old man drilled into him on each visit, a constant reassurance that his secrets would stay just that. He knew this, but a horrified grimace still shadowed his features from where he lay, telling Lucy all that she needed to know. 

Lucy sighed, picking at the hem of her skirt nervously before her final question, "Ok. Then will you tell me when you're ready? I'll wait."

He desperately wanted to say no. The vicious thought of how rumors of his lineage would spread through the village crossed his mind. No, Lucy would never do that, but what if she turned away from him? If he dared to tell her what lay buried away inside, would she still see him in the same light once she knew?

Natsu stayed quiet, nodding instead. She had given him a choice, not a time limit, and he'd tell her when ready.

Didn't she also have things she didn't care to speak of? 

Her train of thought followed the same lines as the conversation abruptly ended. Both were unsure how to continue. While Natsu fretted over the details he wished not to face, Lucy reached for him, gently rubbing his shoulder.

"I know it's hard," She murmured, sweeping a stray strand of hair from her eyes, "when all the pain you don't want to think about gets brought up against your will. I understand. ... thanks for telling me as much as you could."

Natsu felt like the breath was stolen from his lungs at that moment. His eyes stung with unshed tears. He refused to cry again, he’d already broken down once. He'd burdened her enough with his lack of control.

"Makarov's gonna be here soon," He reminded, easing away from her touch. He grunted with effort as he rose to his feet, his shoulders tense with apprehension. Lucy looked as if she wanted to call out to it, but fell silent when he offered his hand. “You should get outta here before he catches ya.”

And that was that.

Lucy saw the dismissal for what it was and took the invitation, allowing Natsu to lead her out. But not before crushing Natsu in a tight, desperate hug that made the pressure in his chest better and worse all at once. He sucked in air like a drowning man when she released him, leaving behind remnants of her scent on his skin.

It was dizzying, but relief flooded him the moment the door clicked shut. He had too much to think about after today and his head hurt from the enormity of it. 

Lucy, on the other hand, wavered behind the door as soon as she left. Something inside her screamed to stay, to keep him company and damned what Makarov said when he arrived. But she also didn't want to push her luck. They both needed a break, him especially and she...

She leapt back from the door as if it had shocked her, face flaming red as she thought back on their earlier conversation.

Did she... basically tell him she shared the same confused feelings he had? 

"Oh god," She whined, panicking, lacing her voice as she rushed back down the stairs, "what did I say that for?!"

Fortune proved to be on her side. Too wrapped up in her racing thoughts to be cautious and hide her presence, Lucy raced down the halls. However none one was around to catch her when she finally made it out into the open air, cheeks still brightly aflame as she ran home. 

Lucy thought of many things as she went. Every piece of information circulated from one emotion to the other. Her embarrassment would jump to worry, then to anger and frustration as she thought back to Natsu alone in that room. After blowing up so much of the keep, she understood Makarov's reasoning, but the Draconis' desperate tears as he clung settled against her skin like an invisible brand.

Natsu was suffering... That alone was enough to make her insides squirm and feel sick. 

She thought, now that Kage was dealt with, that her odd dreams and premonitions of danger would be long gone, but these new developments overlayed that hope with a deeper apprehension.

Just what exactly was going on? 

And that question, wrapped along in the seriousness of Natsu's explosive temper, circled her right back to her earlier embarrassment. Running a finger over her lips– the ghost of her own touch was nothing like the searing kiss that he gave – pulled her deeper into distraction. She struggled to ignore it. Skewed priorities, Lucy figured, but she managed to put the issues aside in lieu of eating the moment her home came into view.

Hopefully the Draconis had his meal already and maybe, just maybe, Makarov would realize just how strained Natsu was with this whole ordeal and change his mind. These were a lot of hopes that Lucy held tightly to as she thought over what dried fruits she had to nibble on for breakfast.

-Only for those thoughts to fly out the window as she opened her door and came face to face with the Chief, sitting calmly at the table as if he lived there.

"What the hell are you-" She shrieked, mind catching up with her just in time to change her wording, "Sorry! That... slipped out."

Amusement crinkled the edges of Makarov’s eyes as he smiled. And for the first time, the romni got a good look of the bandages covering half his body beneath the jacket. Though the table hid most of him from view, Lucy feared the wrappings covered far more than anyone would have liked. 

Her earlier apprehension blossomed anew as she shut her door with a shaking hand. He shouldn't be here alone, she surmised. Not with injuries like that. Looking around the room, Lucy searched for any other intruders, pulling a laugh from the elder.

"You're right to suspect another," Makarov said, wincing as his chuckles stretched a sore muscle, "She's next door with Mirajane. Porlyusica wouldn't let me too far from her sight even if I ordered it. And she's interested in giving you another check up."

The ‘she’ll be back soon’ was left unsaid, but understood.

Well, that answered one thing at least. Lucy furrowed her brow, unaware her earlier shock had melted into aggravation. "... Natsu said you were supposed to visit. Whose with him now then?"

A brow raised, ���So you've seen him after all, have you?”

Lucy cursed inwardly: busted by her own big mouth.

But fury spurred her onward, kicking respect out the window before she could collect herself, "No one ELSE was telling me anything, were they? I like it here, but the way you keep everyone in the dark while you deliberate with only a few people is almost TOO much for me! You know what? I'm not even sorry. Do what you want with that!"

An aggrieved sigh escaped Makarov as he deflated, slowly repositioning himself to lean against the table. 

For that moment, he didn't look the part of an elder or a Chief. Just a tired, hurt man, with too much weight on his shoulders. He looked small. His eyes were downcast, tracing the grooves in the wood without a sound. Almost like a child being scolded. 

It was almost enough to mollify her, but not enough.

"You make an excellent point," He said after a time, just when Lucy thought the silence between them would drive her to shout more obscenities at him, "and I'm willing to discuss this. In fact, that's exactly why I'm here.  Please, sit down, Lucy, you shouldn't have to over use your magic in your own home."

It was a well-placed observation that made her realize just how tired and sore she felt. The magic she called to support her leg was becoming second-nature, but the drain on her body was immense after a full day of use. She slid to a chair and breathed in deep to collect herself.

It seemed, she was in for another long talk; She mourned the loss of getting a little shut-eye and a light meal. 

 Makarov wasted no time. Once she was comfortable, he cut to the chase, folding his fingers together as he watched her with a hard, unreadable stare, "I'd like to speak with you regarding your place here in the village. And whether you would consider leaving." 

He waited for a response, unaware of his words shooting Lucy’s heart out of her body and into a dark void. The world dropped out around her, suspending her in nothingness.

.... what?

[tbsangstersgf]

a/n: sorry this took me way longer than I wanted 😭 I’ve had no motivation and I even had to have a friend help me finish writing it, things have been a little rough lately. I hope you all enjoy!

The friend that helped me is @galactic-junkyard and much love to her bc I literally could not have finished this without her

enjoy!

Requested by @futuristicyouthvoid (again sorry it took so long)

Minho x fem!reader

Warnings: blood and an injury, it’s just fluff honestly though

Two years. You’d been in the Glade for two shucking years. You were also one of the first people in the Glade after a few others, so you were there when the rules were made. You were there when mistakes were made, and you’d seen a lot of people die trying to escape the maze. Not only all of this, but you were the only girl. The only girl in a very confined area with a whole bunch of boys. Thats why you became a runner, you wanted to see first hand exactly what was going on in the maze, and it gave you some time alone. 

You definitely had friends, but they were never your top priority, the maze always came first. The only person you truly took time for was Minho. You never noticed the special attention that he payed you, or the special attention that you payed him. Sure you were aware of how very attractive he was, but the maze should always come first. 

And besides what would be the point of ruining such a good friendship for a dumb relationship. What would even be the point of dating in the maze? It’s not anything could really come from it, right? 

This is what you say to yourself everyday. You can’t get distracted. The only thing that matters is getting out. 

And it stayed that way for a while. It got boring and the maze got more frustrating, but you had to push through.  

It was on a run that everything changed. Those shucked up grievers. You knew how they worked, you knew their usual routes that they took during the day. You knew how to avoid them. But today they were acting different, you were running section 2 like normal, thoughts going through your head as fast as your feet were running. You weren’t really paying to your surroundings, just leaving a trail of cut vines to find your way back. 

That’s why you didn’t notice the clicking and whirring of the griever. That’s why it was too late for you to run. The griever reached its mechanical claw out and was unable to grab you, but did manage to cut you. A long deep cut down your left leg. 

“Shuck!” You cry out. The  pain makes you want to stop, but to stop is to die, so you push on. After five turns your vision starts to blur, but the griever is still following you close behind. Blood is pouring out of your leg, and black is clouding the edge of your vision.

“Help! Help me! Minho!” Your voice breaks and you trip over a stray vine and hit your head. You don’t know what compelled you to yell Minho’s name, but out of all the names you could have yelled, you chose Minho. As your vision fades, you see a blurred blue shirt and then everything goes black.

You open your eyes to see a cracked open window, letting in warm afternoon light. Pounding fills your head and you go to sit up, only to fall back down, a sharp pain running through your leg. 

Why does everything hurt? 

“Hey y/n, how are you feeling?” Clint briefly looks over you, making sure your movements haven’t opened any wounds. 

You let out a bitter chuckle “Good as I can be I guess. What-“ you cut yourself off as you look around and see the sleeping figure of Minho, slumped over in the crudely built chair next to your bed.

“…How long has he- how long have I been out?” You briefly take your eyes off of Minho to glance up at Clint as he begins to move about the room, grabbing clean bandages so he can change your dirty ones. 

“It’s been about three days now, and yes- he’s been here this whole time” he gestures to Minho.

“Oh- three days? I- has he eaten anything?” Concern fills your voice, you know Minho, he’s stubborn and if he’s been by your bedside you don’t doubt that he hasn’t moved for anything. 

“No, like I said-“ just as Clint started to speak, Minho’s head shot up.

“Y/n?” Minhos groggy voice matched his lopsided hair.

“Morning sunshine-“ Clint teases as Minho shuffled over to your side.

“Shut up.” Minho snipped back before turning his full attention to you. “Are you okay..?” He asked cautiously, his voice had an undertone of care and warmth to it.

“Fine.. a little sore-“ you begin before getting cut off by the other runner.

“Where?” His eyes scan your body, making your cheeks flush. You’ve never cared about they way he looked at you before, why now?  You motion to you leg and minho pulls up the thin blanket covering your mangled limb. Both of the two boys take a peek and cringe at the sight of it. Clint, being the closest thing to a doctor, took a closer look at you leg while minho zoned out.

“Minho.. you good?” You ask, immediately getting an agitated answer.

“How could I be okay when your carelessness nearly got you killed. Oh sometimes I swear you do this on purpose but i know your no idiot because I-“

Minho’s eyes caught your tearful gaze and he stopped scolding you. “No I didn’t mean- y/n you now Ii- Clint could we have a moment”

The medic looked relieved to be excused from this awkward situation. He left the two alone in the dimly lit room, giving minho time to form his words.

After a few beats of silence you speak up, “I know you- what?”

You prompted in a mildly aggressive tone. When he refused to speak up you repeated yourself with a harsher attitude. “I know you-“

“You know i care for you! Right…?” Minho said cautiously. Now you were the on who couldn’t speak. Your lack of words made him more self conscious. He was fighting tears, which shocked you. He never gave of that kind of fragility before. “I care for you, a-lot. And seeing you push yourself so hard all the time to find a answer to this shucking maze is killing me. Its killing me because i love you, and im not sure you feel the same. And its okay of you don’t but-“

He was cut off by your lips meeting his. When the initial shock wore off  and you pulled away his hand cupped your cheek and reeled you back in. This kiss was tender and warm. He treated you like an artist would worship his final creation, which was a breath of fresh air in comparison to the harsh conditions the maze forced upon you. On all of the gladers..

“Am I… interrupting something?” Clint interrupted in a cheeky tone. Minho pulls away with a smile tugging at his lips, the happiest hes been since he beat Gally during the bonfire two months ago. 

“Yes Clint, your timing is impeccable-“

Clint snickered, “If I’m not mistaken, you have a maze to run around.”

“And you have a patient to take care of” Minho adds with a glance down at you, “take care of her shuckface.”

Before Minho leaves,  the room he turns and flashes you a wink. The giddy boy left and Clint gave you a look. 

“So…… are we gonna talk about that?” 

With nothing but Minho on your mind and a smile on your face you turn away from the door as Minho is gone now. 

“Nope.”

[midnightshard06]

Flufftober Day 6

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50489362/chapters/127906204

Summary: Sonic and Shadow manage to get themselves lost in a corn maze. Well at least that's what Shadow thinks.

Pairing: Sonic the Hedgehog/Shadow the Hedgehog

Warnings: None

Word Count: ~700 words

@flufftober

“We’re lost Sonic.” Shadow crossed his arms and glared at the hedgehog in question.

Sonic waved him off as he glanced around the corn maze the two were currently in. “No we’re not Shads. I know where we’re going.” 

“Then why have I seen that exact same poorly dressed scarecrow ten different times.” Shadow grit his teeth and pinned his ears down.

Sonic was mildly starting to regret his choice of date spot. Well to be entirely honest it wasn’t really a date anymore since his and Shadow’s friends had managed to worm their ways into tagging along. He just couldn’t say no to Tails’ puppy dog eyes, and for some reason Knuckles had wanted to tag along as well. Honestly he had no clue why but it was good for the echidna to get off Angel Island more. As for Rouge and Omega Sonic had no idea how they’d convinced Shadow to let them tag along. Maybe he’d just chalk it up to Rouge being Rouge. Though why had Omega wanted to come? A fall festival like this didn’t really seem like something the destructive robot would enjoy. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Right not the time for that right now. “Would you believe me if I said I wanted to take the scenic route?” Sonic gave Shadow a sly smile.

Shadow gave him a deadpan look before walking in the opposite direction. “I’ll find my own way out of here.” He grumbled.

Sonic jogged to catch up before slinging an arm over Shadow’s shoulders. “Oh come on, don’t be like that. I swear I know where I’m going. Trust me.”

Shadow kept walking for a moment before glancing over at him. “Forgive me for looking at our current predicament and not believing you.”

“That’s… fair.” Sonic flicked an ear. Maybe he should just tell Shadow. Nah, not yet. “Look, just give me one more chance ok?”

Shadow frowned before sighing and nodding. “One more chance before we do things my way.” He playfully pushed Sonic off him. 

“Alright! Follow me. Next stop freedom!” Sonic took the two down a path he’d intentionally avoided on their several other circles. Shadow seemed confused but also seemed to realize they were somewhere new. Pausing for a moment at a fork in the path Sonic looked around and made a bit of a show of picking the direction before heading to the right. A few more turns later and they were at the exit. Sonic caught sight of their friends all sitting at a table not too far away. They must have been waiting for the two of them.

“How?” Shadow looked at him in confusion. “We were lost.”

Sonic tapped Shadow on the nose. “I told you we weren’t. I knew where we were the whole time. You don’t get to run as fast as me and not have a very good sense of direction.”

“Then why were we going in circles?” Shadow furrowed his brow as if trying to figure it out before Sonic just told him.

“Another easy one. I just wanted some more alone time with you, so I kept us going in circles for a bit.” Sonic rubbed the back of his head. “Not my greatest plan I have to admit since it just ended up frustrating you.”

Shadow sighed through his nose. “You know you could have just said that right?”

Sonic grinned widely. “Oh I know, but it was kinda fun doing it this way.”

Shadow rolled his eyes before grabbing Sonic’s hand. “Next time just say something.”

Sonic gave him a small salute with his other hand. “You got it Shads. Now do you think we could sneak away to grab some of that delicious smelling festival food before the others notice we made it out?”

“Unlikely based on the fact I can see Rouge approaching us right now. I’d bet she’ll be keen to try and ask some… prying questions.” Shadow huffed. “We were in there for far longer than most people are.”

“Weeell.” Sonic smirked. “She’ll have to catch us first right?”

Shadow returned the look. “I suppose she will.” Getting in some mild trouble with the people running the festival was worth the look on Rouge’s face as the two hedgehogs sped away from her. Maybe this had been a good date after all.

[voxxisms]

@staticintone is working with the vee's for a day !! [ cont. ]

     TWENTY - FOUR  HOURS  WAS  PLENTY.  it would be no small feat trying to show his work in a way properly to alastor,  but he had him on his side for the time being.  it might not have been entirely willing,  but he also at least hadn't been the one to issue the command.  just the one asking him to be nice.  he  ...   could pretend.  he could pretend it would all be nice  &&  dandy later,  too.  for now,  he could just appreciate having his presence in a place that he'd always hoped to have him.

        ❛  well,  there's a pretty robust schedule we can slot you into,  but i figure it might be best to just keep you with me rather than making you head off on your own.  the whole place can be a little bit of a maze,  if you don't wander around much to learn it.  so i got an extra desk set up around my office.  ❜

he led them both to the elevator,  pressing the button to take them up to it.  it was a quick ride,  &&  already vox was being bombarded when he reached the floor.

❛  vox,  sir,  the client for sixty - eight wants to ask you about the budget.  ❜

        ❛  tell them to check in on my availability with the receptionist.  ❜

❛  there's been a malfunction with channel six,  the tech agents aren't there right now,  who should we send?  ❜

        ❛  pull one of the interns from the basement,  &&  the lead from channel five,  i know they're on break,  tell them they'll get an early leave if they handle it within thirty minutes,  &&  i'll approve that saturday off they wanted.  ❜

❛  vox,  the newest client is demanding to speak to you now,  on the phone.  ❜

     vox sighed heavily,  pausing in his beeline for the office door.  so close.  he took the phone from the worker,  put on a bright smile  &&  voice smoothing over the clear irritation.  his hold on the frequency was less than it usually was,  given their recent talks,  so it did echo the true feelings fairly obviously.

        ❛  laurence,  hello,  you snagged me!  what can i do for you?  ...  no,  no,  that isn't going to be possible,  you know the schedule of that set location better than i do.  no,  no,  there is nothing i can do to change their mind,  i already did my best to.  ❜    the answer seemed to displease him,  &&  the shouting was easy to hear outside of the phone,  too.    ❛  look,  how about this?  i will move a few things around,  snag us an extra week there instead of longer hours in the day.  i know very well how to simulate the look you want,  i know it isn't perfect,  but it also wasn't originally in your package,  &&  since they're being so stubborn,  i'll toss it in with minimal upcharge.  yes,  exactly.  i'm glad we can reach a compromise,  thank you.  i will see you next week,  then.  ❜    he dropped the phone,  now ended with the call,  into the waiting hands of his worker,  who quickly skittered away to do some other job.

        ❛  sorry about that.  where were we?  right,  i have desk space for you set aside.  ❜

he was finally able to open the door to his office,  his wall of monitors  &&  shark tanks illuminated by light as they entered.  there was already an extra desk set up here,  with plenty of space,  a decent chair,  several things to make his job easier. 

        ❛  you're welcome to pick  &&  choose what you prefer to do.  i have some meetings to attend,  if you'd like to tag along,  that would be fine,  otherwise there is quite a lot to manage on the day - to - day.  there's a stack there that essentially lists out options for you,  &&  whatever you need,  you only need to send a message here or to me  &&  it'll be taken care of.  ❜    he handed him a small phone,  nothing fancier than what one may have had in the early 2000s.  there was only one contact,  labeled assistant.

[felixcloud6288]

Higurashi: Curse Killing Final Chapter

In the intro poem, Frederica Bernkastel talks about herself and several others being trapped in a maze. Of note, the person who knows they're in a maze but doesn't know there's no exit is referred to as "he". I guess "he" is Keiichi who's been trying for three arcs now to figure out what is causing all these terrible events.

Everyone else just lives their lives oblivious to the maze they're trapped in.

And the story as a whole has escalated from the death of a few friends to the death of several villagers to the death of the entire village.

On the one hand, shock would probably make it hard for him to process the situation even when he sees the body bags and the corpses packed into the trucks. On the other, I feel like the buildup to everything was longer than it should have been.

Like, it shouldn't have been gentle. We should have seen Mion or Rena's bodies being packed into a body bag. The story should have slapped us in the face and said 'Yes. Everyone is dead!" and then we get the shots of the hundreds of body bags and the news reports about the disaster.

And then Keiichi freaks out when he remembers that he wished for the death of Hinamizawa.

That one line from the personnel with Keiichi as he passed out "It's not okay for life to die", I don't know why, but it resonated with me.

And some things of note in the death list:

Jirou Tomitake is not his real name

Chie and Kameda (The guy from the baseball game) died in an accident in the mountains.

Teppei is still not reported dead

Shion and Kasai (Who we haven't met) died two months later at the hospital

The very last part of the chapter is like something you'd hear on a conspiracy theory true crimes podcast. A bunch of dudes would be talking about Hinamizawa and claiming it was some government conspiracy and the government killed all these people and claimed it was a gas leak cause government gonna government and this was actually to hide the aliens or something.

And then they'd bring up Keiichi and be all "There was one survivor Keiichi Maebara, who died four months later" "Of course, the government wants to keep him silent." "And he never testified about the disaster" "Oh he probably did but the government came in and stopped any testimony from getting out there." "Or so we thought cause in 2003, a tape recording believed to be an interview from November 1983 was found. Here is that recording."

I kinda want to see if it would be possible to trick an actual conspiracy podcast into thinking this was a real thing that happened.

I was going to mention this in the spoiler section until it got brought up in the chapter itself. Yeah, Keiichi should not be alive if Onigafuchi swamp released enough gas to asphyxiate an entire village. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air so it can be trapped in lower areas. And Keiichi was at the bottom of a ravine so the gas should have settled around there first.

And that reporter did not escape Keiichi's curse. It took 12 years but he drowned just as Keiichi said he would.

At this point those true crime podcasters would be freaking out and be like "Yo, this ain't aliens, it's ghosts! The governments trying to hide that they made contacts with ghosts!"

In chapter 5, Rena asked Keiichi how would he react if the village was destroyed in a volcanic eruption and he was the only survivor. She was trying to make him understand that he should cherish the fun times he has with his friends because those days will end eventually.

It's almost ironic what ended up happening though. An eruption did destroy the village, but it didn't mark the end of Keiichi's happy days. His happy days had already ended so he let the village be destroyed.

back

Spoiler Discussion

I'm making a lot of conspiracy jokes, but there is definitely one here.

Alongside what the interviewer mentioned in the chapter, I also want to bring up how Keiichi had apparently attempted suicide in August. Do you know what else happened in August? Shion committed suicide.

And isn't it interesting that Chie and Kameda died in an accident trying to evacuate from the disaster? People from the nearby area had to evacuate as well but isn't it quite the coincidence that someone from the village ended up dying in an "accident".

What I'm getting at is everyone connected to the village died. I bet Shion and Keiichi didn't attempt to kill themselves in August. Someone tried to get rid of them, but medical staff found Keiichi before he was killed.

[48787]

I go on tumblr so I can look at one single post for upwards of 5 hours to make tags 3 people will read and yet I still am in full belief that I am getting more out of this than I ever did out of any of the college courses I took to pursue a "career" I am no longer simply surviving, but I have managed to realize and now actualize the skills I actually wanted to hone for my entire life and while I am not applying those skills to anything that far reaching just yet, the fact that I feel compelled to apply them anywhere at all is what matters. Once I figure out how to work sleep into this equation world domination is inevitable. I wish I had the ability to do research into reducing the amount of sleep needed for the human body, perhaps eliminating the need entirely so it becomes something only done when rest is truly needed, however I would only have the ability to do said research once I figure out how to cast curses and hexes so I can add a "This can never be used to increase the monetary value of any party ever at all for ever and ever amen" clause that makes anyone who even considers using it to schedule more hours for less pay head explode. It also makes anyone who schedules themself for more hours for the same amount of pay would probably also have their head explode too I think? Maybe if they schedule themself for more hours but for more pay, and at the larger expense of the company's income, they'd be fine? Maybe you could make your boss' head explode by asking for more hours, it's technically their decision... Hmm.. I think I should probably think about the fine print on that, the angelic "Just dont do it lol" way of doing things only really works when you're trying to be vague or ambiguous for a reason... Lucifer might have some pointers, but I hear he's pretty busy. Maybe he can recommend an agent or lawyer? Maybe im so bad at going to sleep because i need to figure out how to make sleep more in line with my weird ambitions.... If the lucid dreaming stuff if real, I suppose I could use it as a time to flesh out very hazy and rough mental concept art.... Eeh... I don't really like putting much stock in dreams... I suppose it's mostly an agency thing, maybe lucidity is what might fix that? Maybe I could more directly confront the world building concepts in my dreams, not in a "What does this mean for my subconscious" kinda way because fuck that, but in a, like, "Oooo you are in a spooky maze" "What is the maze made of?" "Uh... I don't know... stone?" "Like rough stone, cut stone, marble?" "Mmmarble... Yeah.. M--" "Who built the maze?" "Just do the fucking maze, this is supposed to be scary" "Surely someone built the maze, surely they had a reason for building the maze. I can't even know why I'd want to escape the maze until I learn why I'm in it or what's outside it. You have to answer my questions or I'll wake up right fucking now." kinda way. It should be fine to make those threats to myself? I don't think I'd take it super personally, I think I'd get it. I'd probably want to do the world building for myself anyway. I do wish I didn't have to sleep though. I wish I could just think of a good enough concept for a story about not needing to sleep that I'll reach some hidden truth and be able to make the concept work for real... Maybe I'll inspire someone to invent to torment nexus for me!! Man-made horrors of my comprehension!!! I think I'd be honored...

[scarletwritesshit]

Yosuke Hanamura x F!Reader ❀ Town of Blossoms ❀ June 4th, 2013

You looked out your window as the sun was practically roasting everything in its range, including your room, unfortunately. The patch of purple hydrangeas that you had noticed a few days ago still caught your attention. The breeze had long since subsided, and they were no longer rustling about amidst the field of pink. For some reason, you found yourself unable to take your eyes off of them, despite how small the patch appeared to be.

From the heat that you could feel radiating off of the window alone, you could tell that it was once again going to be too hot to do anything even relatively invigorating. For a brief moment, you turned on the television to take a peek at the weather as some sort of a false hope that conditions would ever so slightly improve.

High temperatures for today, high temperatures for tomorrow, high temperatures for the rest of the week. You were immensely disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised. Going against the advice of the weatherman as well as the cautious alert on your phone regarding the dangers of heat stroke, you still made the decision to brave the treacherous temperatures once more. Where is there to possibly go in Inaba that is of such note, that you were willing to brave the sun to venture out to?

Why, you were heading to nowhere other than Junes, of course.

After all, you did forget to pick up something important while you were there yesterday.

Thankfully, you managed to arrive at the food court before the afternoon rush set it. The plans were to not linger around as long as you did yesterday, so you merely ordered a regular vanilla cone. As much as you would love to order a larger serving and drag out your visit like yesterday, that simply wasn't a sensible option.

All through the entire food court, every single table remained unoccupied. Perhaps you arrived a bit too early, or maybe he wasn't coming out for his break after all? You couldn't blame him, as it was quickly becoming an absolutely dreadful experience in the sun. A part of you wanted to attempt to seek him out, but it would raise suspicion if you went looking for him directly. Rather than try and hunt him down in the interior maze of Junes, you took a seat in the shade and opted to eat your ice cream alone.

After you have made it through about half of the liquidizing ice cream, your name was called from the direction of the entrance. You looked in the direction of the voice calling you to be pleasantly surprised to see that Yosuke has taken notice of you sitting all by yourself. He trudged over to your table and took a chair that was across from you and slid it outwards and to the side, allowing him to sit closer to you. Very slick move of him, yet you chose to not make a side comment as that could lead to an awkward conversation that you are not quite ready for yet.

"Back so soon?" he said. "Did you forget something?"

"I did, but I already found what I was looking for."

"More ice cream all for yourself, I see. Come on, I didn't eat that much yesterday."

"I was actually after something sweeter than that."

"Huh? There's not much out that's sweeter than Junes's sugar loaded cones..."

"You'd be surprised," you said, hoping that Yosuke would catch onto your point here. At the same time, you wanted him to completely breeze past your subtle attempt at flirting, if one could even call it that.

"Really, now? I felt like I was going to die after yesterday's sugar overdose."

"Does that imply that I should be dead right now?"

Yosuke looked at you with a blank, confused expression. He was unsure as to how to interpret your comment, as the two ideas did not seem to correlate initially. After a moment, though, he seemed to have figured it out, and he was taken aback.

"Huh??? W-what do you mean that you should be dead? What damn sense do you mean that you could possibly be dead?"

Perhaps it was a little cruel to tease him in this fashion, considering his past experience with Saki. However, you were confident that he was able to understand your true intentions. He wasn't nearly as stupid as everyone made him out to be.

"You're sitting right next to me, aren't you? You pale in comparison to any ice cream served here."

"By your logic here, I think that we should both be dead!"

Both of you turned slightly to look at each other with blank expressions, hoping that either one of you would say something to at least move past this topic. Did he mean to say that? Did you even mean to say that in the first place?

You said nothing, and he said nothing. It was a silent stalemate between the two of you.

Yosuke was the one who countered your statement, so why was he getting noticeably anxious? On the other hand, the exchange between you two hadn’t fully sunken in yet, but you could tell that some inner thoughts had definitely slipped out. The middle of a warehouse store wasn’t exactly the best place to be exchanging deeply rooted feelings. Best to shift the topic before either of you become more awkward.

"Anyways!" you said, brushing off the past few moments as if nothing had happened, "How have things been at Junes lately?"

"Ah....uh...just…just the usual I guess. You know how it goes."

"Long and boring?"

"More like long, boring, and hot. I can’t seem to catch a damn break this year."

"I heard that its only supposed to get worse. A few lives have already been lost to heat stroke."

Yosuke's eyes widened upon hearing this news.

"Already? It’s not even summer yet and people are losing their lives..."

"All I’ve been hearing on the local programming is how we should be considering staying indoors."

"Then, why aren’t you staying home yourself?"

He had a good point there. Not only was the intense heat draining on your body, but you had no real reason to sacrifice your health to come to Junes today. Though, you kept telling yourself that a chance to spend more time with Yosuke was worth braving the weather, it would mean absolutely nothing if the scorching temperatures claimed you as its next victim.

"I’ll be fine, probably. You are the one who should be concerned."

"I’m alright myself. There’s a cooler in the back where we keep our produce and frozen goods. I can sometimes duck in there if it’s getting too bad."

"Are you sure you’re allowed to do that?"

"Eh, probably not unless I’m restocking that day, but they could care less as long as you don’t slack off too much. It’s a warehouse store, can’t really expect much in terms of top-of-the-line customer service."

"Whatever you say. Just don’t go getting yourself fired."

"Worst case scenario, I could probably get my parents to cut me some slack.”

"Wouldn’t your coworkers turn on you if they discovered the strings being pulled behind their backs?"

"It doesn’t matter. They don’t really think very highly of me in the first place. I’m willing to deal with a few disgusted looks if it means saving myself from being roasted to death."

"When you put it that way…" you said, though now somewhat concerned. "Still, you sit in there all by yourself? And no one checks for you in there?"

"We're supposed to open the freezer as little as possible in these conditions, so I can just slip in when no one’s looking."

"If you can do that, why can’t the both of us just go in ourselves?"

Your suggestion was made with pure innocence, yet there was obvious potential for misinterpretation. You did not realize this until it was a bit too late, and you already had pitched the idea to him. The cool air does sound like the relief that both of you need, but really? Was it wise to casually suggest being alone with him?

"Well, I guess we theoretically could, but I’m not too sure how I can slide a guest back there."

Yosuke did seem to be genuinely considering your suggestion. Perhaps interpersonal relationships can be set aside for the sole purpose of seeking shelter from mother nature. Unless…there was the off chance that he was plotting something devious. If that were the case, though, would you really mind in the end? You tried to not think of the possibility too much, but you could already feel your hands becoming uncomfortably warm from the nervousness that stemmed from the potential of this outcome.

"You know the innerworkings of this place better than I do. I’m sure you can figure something out."

"You’re making it sound like I have to come up with some elaborate, over-planned strategy. My days of doing those are long done.”  

“Isn’t walking in the only thing that we have to do?"

"Customers aren’t allowed back there under any circumstance, that’s the issue here."

"Can’t you just say that I’m a close friend of yours, or something?"

"That would arguably make my case worse."

"Hmm…there has to be a better way then. I’m sure you’ll figure something out regardless. It would be a lot better than sitting out in these conditions."

“It’s going to be worth it if I can get us both back there. I hate it out here.”

“Not even ice cream is sustainable in these conditions,” you said, fidgeting with the leftover paper sleeve with your free hand. It was beginning to feel a bit too gross to fidget with, so you crumpled it in your fist and tossed it into the middle of the table. Yosuke looked at it disappointingly, as if he would be expected to clean it up after his break was over. You still planned to put it in its place though. Probably.

Sheltering in the freezer was starting to sound more appealing by the minute, despite the potential risks that involved both you and Yosuke. Your hands alone were starting to get disgustingly sweaty just from resting on the table, and the rest of your body didn’t feel much better. It felt as if the temperature has taken a turn for the worse over the past few minutes…or even worse than it was earlier in the afternoon, to be precise.

Yosuke didn’t seem to be doing much better himself. He seemed as if he was desperate to return to the inside of Junes, where he could at least have a slight break from the heat. Something was holding him back. Though, if he wanted to spend the duration of his break aimlessly wandering Junes, you would take that over sitting out here baking in the sun.

“Should…we maybe head inside?” you suggested. “You look as if you’re suffering more than anything.”

“That would be great. Well, if you would like to, that is.”

It seemed that the mutual consensus was that it would be nonsensical to subject yourselves to the heat further. After all, you could clearly see that Yosuke was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the ever-rising temperatures. You weren’t exactly having a good time handling the heat yourself, as you were feeling lightheadedness slowly looming upon you. It is also worth noting that one of your hands was feeling the effects of the heat a bit worse than the other, as you must’ve left it resting on the table in an unfortunate spot of direct sunlight.

Though, this initial assumption was disproven when you glanced down at the table to scout out where the sun may have been affecting you most. The source of the unusual amount of warmth that you were feeling on your hand was not from the sun, but rather, Yosuke resting his hand on top of yours. You wondered if he was aware, or if it was completely on accident. Seemed like a rather precise accident to happen, though, stranger things have happened. And, despite how sweaty your hand has become, you could hardly bring yourself to pull away from him. It felt…oddly calming to have your hand be held in such a fashion, whether or not it was intentional.

He didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he was completely unphased. It felt as if the lingering feelings that you had for him have reached a strange sense of peace, rather than be primarily comprised of worrying over his perception of your actions. You began to try and gently wrap your fingers around his, as if to drag out this moment just a tad bit longer. In the long run, this shouldn’t mean much, as this is something that best friends do all the time, right?

Even if you are in love with said friend?

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Yosuke asked.

“Uh, right.”

Both of you got up from the table, fingers still intertwined. By now, he should’ve said something. Was this actually on purpose? Could it possibly be a very subtle way of him dropping a few hints of his own? Or maybe you were overthinking this entire thing, and it was simply his own rather unique way of showing a little kindness. It wasn’t completely out of character for him, after all.

Rather than waste your energy questioning him, you allowed Yosuke to drag you over to the entrance to Junes. The air conditioner above the automatic doors blasted both of your faces with sweet, cold relief from the summer heat. It could not, however, save you from the warmth of your lingering anxiety, nor could it distract you from the comforting feel of Yosuke’s hand.

[theberrybrothel]

Berry Brothel: Halloween: Tina

Tina walked into the room quietly, timidly unsure of what to expect. She was surprised at being the last performer tonight, but she rolled with it. As her shoes clicked on the hard floor of the showroom, the room began to shrink going from a grand ballroom with high ceilings to a simple guest bedroom in a typical suburban house. Slowly a bedroom dresser and nightstand came into view. The furniture had an older vibe to it, unlike the sleek IKEA style Tina was used to. Tina thought back and realized what was going on. She was in the bedroom of a teenager from the 80’s complete with 21 jump street posters on the wall. Tina looked around again and was able to tell this was supposed to be a girls room, her room in fact. However, since her card had been nearly blank, she had no idea what she was supposed to do in this place, so she sat down on the bed and stretched out, vibe-ing out to the 80’s soundtrack coming from the radio. Then the music changed. It went from light 80’s pop to fizz as if someone was fiddling with the station and when she looked up, she saw she wasn’t alone. Standing in front of her was a man tall, and a little chubby but not in a creepy way, more a solid way. He was in a striped sweater and burned felt hat. The radio settled on a station, but all that came out was a small girls’ nursery rhyme “one-two Freddy's coming for you.”

    Freddy looked at her “ready to play bitch?”

    Tina screamed as the bed opened up and swallowed her whole fall felt longer than it should have, but so she hit the floor with an audible thump followed by the clang of metal. She was in some kind of room. It looked like a boiler room with pipes and steam and fire, but the room was too big to be just a boiler room instead this furnace lit the fires of hell. She looked around and there were catwalks that ran in every direction, but there seemed to be no clear way out. Any path could be a dead end or another trap, but she knew if she stayed she would be caught and who knows what would happen to her then. Besides the card had told her she was the final girl, so that means she needed to run.

    She took a few steps forward at a jogging pace when she noticed something odd, her weight was off. Mostly in front and behind plus when did her clothing get so tight? “Oh no” she thought. Now she knew the game she was in. She had heard rumors that management was trying things like this, it was a maze, and her job was to solve it without getting caught or getting too big to move. But the rumors she heard were called “dangerous games” not “final girl.” There was no time for that now, she had a maze to solve.

Then the sound of static filled the air, along with that radio tuning sound and again she heard “1…2… Freddy’s coming for you” then she heard another sound, the sound of a knife being dragged along a piece of metal and she ran. She turned down hallways seemingly at random, making lefts and rights hoping this zigzag would throw off her pursuers. What she was really doing, however, was looking for stairs to head up. Tina had to guess that the way out was either at the very top or bottom of the maze and figuring stairs would soon start becoming a problem for her, certainly, if her hips get any bigger, then she had better start at the top.

    Soon she felt two sensations she shouldn’t be feeling right now. First, her nipples hardened and started to show through her tightening tee shirt, then the warmth moved south to her pussy which started to moisten. She knew the cause of both of these sensations, but why was she feeling now? The last thing she should be feeling right now was horny, but then her nipples rubbing on the fabric of her tee shirt did feel good, and the extra jiggle in her ass made it look so spankable and fuckable. These sudden interests in her figure caused her to slow down just a bit, but only a bit was all it took for the radio to tune in. “3…4… better lock your door” and from the darkness of the next turn an arm shot out holding a chocolate pumpkin. When Tina screams, the hand shoves the whole thing into her mouth. She chewed it quickly, feeling the warmth of the chocolate cause a warming sensation to spread thru her body and finally settle into her belly. Which surged outward with an almost audible blorp. Her belly’s sudden growth took up all the slack in her pants and caused the forming of a muffin top over the rest of her clothing. As the hand retreated back into the darkness, it said “trick or treat bitch.”  

    Tina finished swallowing the chocolate pumpkin she had been fed. The warmth of the chocolate flowed through her body, speeding up her growth as it did so. By the time it was done Tina had guessed she had gained at least fifty pounds, the lower half of her belly was now fully exposed from her t-shirt. Her boobs had grown at least a cup size, and she could hear stitches of her pants snapping and popping even as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. She knew if she started running then she would bust out of them. The warmth faded from her body, but for some reason stayed in her nipples and pussy. The feeling of arousal played in the back of her head even as she tried to orient herself and keep trying to find stairs.

    She started to move again, frowning at the swishing sound that was coming from between her legs, a constant reminder of her size. As a performer at the brothel, she was used to fluctuations in her size, weight, and even skin color. But she never had this much time to dwell on it, to really feel what it was like to be this big. And if she was honest with herself she didn’t hate it. Maybe she would start using this as her default daytime size, rather than her old super skinny self, but enough thinking she had a game to win.

She turned a corner and found a set of stairs, climbing them as quickly as her bloated body would allow. When she reached the new floor, she looked around. Visually it was indistinguishable from the previous level. Still, all the steam and piping a jet of steam caught her in the ass, causing her to jump forward. As she felt her body settle Tina was shocked again by how good it felt. The way her body jiggled and shook from just a small movement. The way her very sensitive nipples brushed against the fabric of her shirt when she moved. The slight camel toe that was forming around her pussy, as her ass continued to swell and her panties continued to tighten. The once full pair slowly morphing into a thong, as her cheeks swallowed it. She began moving again. Her body was more massive now, but she was determined to win the game. This time she didn’t bother to check every path and corridor. Time was too short for that. Instead, she rationalized that if there were another set of stairs, it would be at the complete opposite corner from where she now was. So she kept moving, careful to dodge another jet of steam that was about to grab her swelling breasts. She looked around as she walked, taking in this boiler room hellscape. She tried to gauge how many floors there were, but it was impossible to tell. There seemed to be an endless number, both above and below. Worse it all looked the same, a repeating pattern of boilers, catwalks, bridges, and steam. A single wrong turn could get you lost forever, never able to tell if you were just going in circles until she got too big to move and was caught.

    She moved through the maze on a walk. Since her frame wouldn’t allow her to jog anymore, and though she tried to ignore it, the tightening of her clothing across her frame meant that her growing size was never far from her mind.  Her shirt was slowly turning into a bra, as it crept up her growing gut. Exposing more and more flesh as it went. The faint sounds of stitches popping in her pants from the swelling of her ass. Soon it would tear. Through all this the most prominent thought in her brain was horniness. The rubbing of her nipples and the fabric of her panties on her pussy was distracting her more than she cared to admit. “5…6… wear a crucifix” the sound stopped Tina dead in her tracks. He was coming. She whirled around and saw him standing there in front of her. The shadow of his hat hid his face except for that toothy grin. In his hand, he brandished another chocolate pumpkin. Which he quickly placed into her mouth. This time, however, he didn’t vanish back into the shadows. He walked around her dragging his metal claws against her rapidly softening flesh.

    Tina hated to admit it, but the cold metal felt so good against her hot skin. “my, my, my, you have become a chubby one, haven’t you?” She looked down at her body, placing her hands on her belly and feeling its weight. The chocolate pumpkin’s effects were starting now. making her belly swell fast as it fattened. he continued to circle her, cutting off any possible escape route. there was a loud rip sound from behind her as her pants split open to show her red panties “Feels good doesn’t it piggy slowly losing all those constricting clothing?” She shook her head in fear of what he was going to do to her. She was shocked to feel the start of a double chin forming on her. He produced a second pumpkin, which now she dutifully opens her mouth to accept. “Let me help you with that fatty.” he said. He dragged his claw slowly up her swelling belly and right thru her shirt and bra, causing all the newly freed boob flesh to spill out and onto her tummy. “not much longer my plump little piggy.” he taunted. like before Tina couldn’t help the intense feelings of arousal she was feeling from his touch. she closed her eyes to focus on the feeling, but when she opened, then he was gone. but those two chocolate pumpkins ensured he would not be forgotten so easily.

    The weight gain in her ass was making short work of the remains of her pants. rips and tears were now appearing and growing at an astounding speed. The sheer size of her belly was now making her feet invisible to her eyes. if she had to guess she would say about 550lbs now, and she felt every jiggling pound of it.  her legs were starting to shake due to the sheer amount of weight they were holding. This made it very tempting to just give up. sit down and let this Freddy costume have his way with her, but that is what he wanted, and she wasn’t going to be caught that easily. so, with what could only be called an angry puff, she got moving. Her steps were slow and pondering. The size of her gut was so vast now that she could no longer see what was directly under her feet. she had to be careful not to trip over a pipe or lose a bit of floor. she wasn’t sure if she fell she would be able to get back on her feet. Her width became a problem as well. she had gotten so fat that she was almost becoming spherical, and all around her were pipes that were boiling hot. They carried steam from the boilers to whatever hellish machine this place had been built to run. without her clothing to protect her, one false move would mean quite a nasty burn.

   After a while she noticed something, the pipes weren’t branching anymore. they were just leading her down a singular path. Tina wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. On the one hand she might be close to winning this game, or it could be a trap. At this point, however, Tina also wasn’t sure which she preferred. Even without the stimulation of her nipples rubbing on her bra, Tina couldn’t help the intense arousal she was still feeling. her pussy just felt so wrong, so empty, like she just needed something inside of it. It crossed her mind again to just stop and let herself be caught. Then with her next step felt a change. The floor ran out. if she took one more step forward, she would be falling down a dark hole to who knows where. but then that could be exactly what she needed to do. whatever it was she needed to decide fast. she wasn’t sure how much bigger she could get before her legs gave out, and left her stranded. she waddled around slowly to turn her massive body around and face the opposite direction. But when she looked down she was confronted by the same pit as before. she was trapped. she turned herself back to the original pit, and taking a closer look, she saw something glinting in the light. a length of chain dangled from somewhere high above, she reached for it. If she could slide down it like a fire pole, she might be able to control her fall just enough that she wouldn’t end up stuck like a turtle. she got as close to the edge as she dared, and started to try and reach for the chain. as if to tease her, the chain bounced lazily off her belly. The cold metal sends a warm shiver of pleasure up her spine, nearly causing her to lose her balance, but she regains her stability. Tina found she had to turn her body sideways, to reach the chain with the tips of her fingers. pulling it closer to her, she finds a new problem. with her swollen size when she puts the chain in front of her, she almost can’t grab it with her other hand. due to her boobs being too big to put her arms together. After a bit of trial, she manages to get the chain in her hand. just in time too, as she feels her legs give way from the size of her ass, causing her to fall right into the pit. she holds on tight, as she feels the chain go taut. Then from somewhere up above she hears a winch turning, lowering her down until her feet touch the floor.

     As she lets go of the chain she sees it. a door that has a mirror on it so that it blends in with the surrounding pipe, but now reflects Tina’s fattened body as it moves slowly towards it. She is shocked by just how much effort it takes to move just one foot. Above the door in glowing red light is the word “EXIT” Tina moves toward it, and just before she can touch the knob everything goes wrong.

    It starts with the sound of a radio and little girls “9… 10… never sleep again” Tina knew what was coming next, and she would not allow herself to be caught so close to the end. She picked up her pace or at least she tried. And that was when her legs gave out. Sending her face forward on the ground, her arms too stubby and weak to be of any use. She looked up at her face in the reflective surface of the door, taunting her with its closeness. She noticed her face looked different in the mirror somehow. Her nose didn't look right, it looked Like… a snout, it was a pig snout. Poking out from her teased out 80’s haircut was a pair of pink piggy ears to match. Tina was sure that if she could see her ass, then there was a cute curly tail bouncing as she struggled to get up. Then she heard the heavy sound of boots on metal sauntering toward her. The radio tuned in again “1…2… Freddy’s coming for you”. “3…4…better lock your door” she could feel him running his glove over her bare skin. The metal of his claws gave her goosebumps, renewing her arousal despite her fear. “5…6… wear a crucifix” the girls sang

    “Are you ready piggy?” he asked. He positioned himself behind her, and she felt something warm poking at the wet spot between her legs.

    “7… 8… stay up late”. Tina had no choice now, she had been caught and now all that was left was to submit, and in the end, she didn’t even want to resist.

    “Yes, sir you have caught me now and claim your prize.” He thrust into her hard, and she screamed in pleasure. He was so big as he thrust in and out of her. She could feel all her fat quivering with pleasure as he fucked her. She had never felt anything so good. The world around her began to shrink, she was going to cum soon. She could feel it. Her mouth began working on auto-pilot. Sexual feelings brought out by pure animal lust “Fuck me, sir. Fuck your fat piggy! Make me squeal!” as the feelings washed over her she heard inside her head “9…10… never sleep again” And at that moment, Tina was lost in the dream world of the Berry Brothel.

[meatmechapilot]

Rivaereri FallFest 2022 Day 6 - Prompt: Corn Maze

Corn-Labyrinth

Eren looked around him, he is in a corn maze, which is weird because he was just on his couch a moment ago, cuddling with his boyfriend while watching a movie.

Without knowing why, Eren begin to walk, thinking that he should try to get out of the corn maze.  Eren walked for ages, but there does not seem to be an end to it.  The corn maze also became taller and more elaborate the longer he walked.  

Finally, getting tired of blindly trying to figure out the maze, Eren decided to climb on a hedge to see what was going on.  Luckily, he spied a latter and beginning to climb, when he finally got on top of a hedge, he took one good look and was shocked at the sight that greeted him.

The corn maze is clearly more than just a maze, it is more like a labyrinth.  There seem to be a gate at the center of the labyrinth, and something is telling Eren to go there.  Having made up his mind, Eren came down the latter and beginning to make his way to the center, somehow knowing where to go.

After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, Eren arrived at the gate.  He put his hand on the door and it swung open.  Suddenly, Eren was inside what look to be a throne room face to face with... his boyfriend?

"Levi!" Eren exclaimed.

"Eren" Levi said in a bored tone.  Eren can now see that Levi was richly dressed, like royalty, but he was also sitting on a throne made out of skulls, and he's wearing a crown made out of bones.  "I wasn't going to tell the truth until you die, and I claimed your soul."

"What are you talking about?" Eren asked, begging to get uneasy.

"I am one of the Four Demon King of Hell."

"But, but, Demons don't exists" Eren said dumbly, even as he saw that his surrounded by a horde of demons, all with glowing red eyes.  The same red eyes now glow on his boyfriend's face.

Eren was terrified and started to back away.  He saw Levi's face looking dismayed for a split second before going back to its usual stoic mask.  Eren turned and ran.  He heard Levi game a command in an ancient tongue and suddenly the horde of demons surrounding the room started to chase after him.

Eren try to run back to from where he came from the labyrinth.  He can hear the demons, who can apparently fly close in on him.  A demonic voice, who he could swear was Levi, is shouting his name.

Eren ran some more and suddenly he felt himself starting to fall, his name echoing in his ear as he lost conscious.

"~N!"

"~Ren!"

"Eren!"

Eren finally snapped awake and saw the concerned face of his boyfriend.  They had moved into the bed from the couch.  "Are you a Demon King?" Eren blurted out, still affected by the dream.

"Don't be silly, you must have had a nightmare." Levi reassured. "Do you want some warm milk to help you go back to sleep?"

"No, I think I'm alright now." Eren cuddled up into his boyfriend's arms and fell asleep again after a moment.

Levi's eyes glowed red for a second, then he too is sleeping.

[heliads]

Onlookers

Based on this request: “Thomas x Reader: (this is when Gally shot chuck) The group is almost out, but Gally can’t help himself and holds y/n hostage (he has always been jealous of her and thomas’ relationship).”

masterlist

“He’s staring at us again.”

Thomas groans. “No he’s not. Tell me he’s not.” 

You laugh. “He very much is. Look by the Builders.” 

Thomas lifts his head from where it’s been leaning against yours. His eyes scan the Glade, taking in every nook and cranny of the place. At last, he grimaces. 

“He is. Why can’t Gally just mind his own business for once?”

You raise an eyebrow. “After you’ve been so kind to each other once you showed up here? Why would Gally ever have reason to bother you?” 

Thomas pokes you in the shoulder. “Rude. I have been nothing but kind to everyone-” 

You break into incredulous laughter, and although Thomas pretends to look affronted, he can’t keep a smile back for longer than a few seconds. “Okay, maybe not. But still- I feel like Gally can let us have this one moment, right?”

And what a moment it is. The sun is beginning to set on the Glade, draping the entire space with elegant swathes of gold and amber light. The walls of the Maze, which are usually so foreboding, seem warmer now, less inhospitable. Later, when the night begins to set in earnest, they’ll become imposing once more, and you’ll draw closer to Thomas when the creaks and groans of the Grievers drift out from the Doors.

For now, though, it’s nice. You can hear a low babble of chatter coming from deeper within the Glade, where many of the Gladers are spread out along tables and benches to talk through their days while eating whatever Frypan managed to come up with for dinner. Usually, you and Thomas would join their ranks, but tonight you’re content to just be here with him.

The two of you are a short distance away from the main crowd of Gladers, electing instead to sit together at the base of a few trees where you can be alone. You love spending time with your friends, of course, but sometimes you just want to be alone with your boyfriend. Besides, as Minho so kindly put it, the other Gladers don’t want to be reminded of the fact that they’re all terribly single, so you and Thomas take pity on them and go somewhere else, somewhere separate, when you want to be together.

The only problem with this is that not every Glader trapped within the walls of the Maze is so willing to accept your relationship with Thomas. Sure, it took a while to convince Alby that it was a good idea to not send Thomas permanently into the Slammer for daring to kiss your cheek, but ever since then, everyone has been pretty fine with it. There’s only one exception, of course, or at least one vocal exception, and that’s Gally.

You knew this would be an issue ever since Thomas came up from the Box and you fell in love with him the first time. Gally’s been not-so-secretly crushing on you for a while now, even if he tries to hide it, so when you went and set your heart on the Greenie, Gally was furious. He’s done his best to pretend that he only hates Thomas because he’s a Greenie, or because he keeps insisting on trying to figure out the Maze, but you and Thomas know the truth.

Take right now- although Gally is pretending for all to see that he’s locked into a conversation with a few of the other Builders, his gaze keeps flickering over to where you sit with Thomas. You can see the furrows in his brow deepen with every detail. When Thomas shifts to put an arm around your shoulders, you swear that Gally’s about to snap the handle of his mug in two.

However, you’ve learned to deal with Gally ever since you arrived in the Maze yourself, so you pay him no mind. In the end, why should you? You have everything you could want right here- your head leaning on Thomas’ shoulder, both of you pressed to the other’s side as you sit together in the gathering dusk of night. You’ll have to go in eventually, but for now, you can just stay here with him. What more could you want?

Well, you can think of one thing that would be nice: for the two of you to be safe. You don’t think that anyone could drag Thomas away from the Maze, as he’s been practically obsessed with it since the day he showed up here, but for once you’d like to know that he’ll be safe when he leaves you for the morning to go jog its twisting corridors. You can’t deny the grateful leap of your heart when you see him return each afternoon, and that one incident when he spent the night behind its walls nearly killed you.

Now, though, the one worrying about safety isn’t just you but Thomas as well. Teresa arrived a day or so ago, bearing a warning that she would be the only Greenie to show up again, and now the doors to the Maze refuse to close. Darkness is setting upon the Glade, and right now the only thing you can do is wait for the Grievers to show up. If they aren’t kept in by the walls, there’s nothing to stop them from coming inside and killing all of you.

Thomas stays close by your side. “It’s okay,” he says, “We’ll figure out a way to stay alive.” 

Neither of you say what’s really on your mind: there is no way of telling this, not at all. You don’t even know if they’ll leave when the morning comes. What is to stop the Grievers from staying until they kill all of you? You take Thomas’ hand when you start to hear the groans and roars drawing closer to the Doors. If you’re going to die here, at least you won’t be alone.

Thomas kisses your forehead as glints of steel start to appear. 

“Stay with me.” 

“Until the end.” 

Screams start to erupt around the Glade as the first of the Grievers start to appear. The only thing you can do now is survive; who knows how long. Just keep drawing breath until you can’t.

In the end, though, you find yourself alive. You emerge with shaking hands, Thomas by your side. The huts and structures of the Maze are practically rubble, and the bodies of friends you’d once known litter the ground. There’s an awful smell of smoke and copper that won’t seem to leave. What’s worse, Thomas decides to stab himself with a Griever’s stinger, thinking that it will help him understand how to leave. He kissed you once before he did it, just in case he didn’t make it out of the haze of being Stung. Should you have known by that look in his eyes that he was about to make a mistake? If you did, why didn’t you stop him?

He comes out of it eventually, although the sound of his screams echoing from the Med-Jack hut will haunt your nightmares for many days to come. Just when you’re about to go to him, though, you’re stopped by Gally. He orders his Builders to tie Thomas and Teresa to poles, something about how by getting rid of them the Glade will be safe again. Newt and Minho stop you from trying to free them and making a mistake by alienating Gally; they only talk you down by explaining a plan to free Thomas and Teresa a little later.

Reluctantly, you go with them, and offer Thomas a determined nod and smile when he meets your eyes to show that you won’t be giving up on him that easily. Gally, however, takes that as a sign that you’ll be walking away from Thomas forever, and laughs to see how easily you’ll be giving up on your supposed boyfriend.

This only makes it easier to knock him away from Thomas and cut your boyfriend down when Newt and Minho give the signal. Standing there, weapon in your hand and Thomas beside you once more, makes you feel like you could take on the world. The shocked look on Gally’s face doesn’t hurt either.

The Builder tries to convince you to stay, though, as he tries to convince the rest of the Glade. However, you know just as well as the others do that there’s no way you’ll survive another night when the Doors don’t close, and you say as much. Besides, even if you do die trying to fight your way out of the Maze, at least you’ll die fighting instead of fleeing. Thomas holds your hand as the two of you race through the corridors of the Maze. Isn’t this something worth dying for?

You don’t die, though, despite all of the odds stacked against you. Sure, you have to fight past what feels like countless waves of Grievers, but Thomas and the others manage to find their way through and get the survivors into the so-called Griever Hole. It hurts to see how few people you have left, and how many bodies you had to leave behind in the Maze, but you’re living for them now. The best thing you can do to honor their lives is to keep going forward.

You and Thomas walk side by side through the wreckage of a control room, taking in the flickering lights and shattered glass displays with wide eyes. When you see the final message from Ava Paige, you feel this awful emptiness come over you. Why did you do all of this, then? Where are the people ready to get you out, to help you be free? You might have been test subjects all along, but don’t you deserve something for passing their trials?

As it turns out, however, you are not alone. Gally finds his way to the group of surviving Gladers, and stands before you, gun in hand. He’s practically shaking, but you can’t tell why- fear, maybe? Horror at the lives lost? Guilt that he wasn’t one of them, or relief? His eyes catch on you before he goes too far, and he lunges towards you with almost inhuman speed.

Gally’s hand closes around your wrist and drags you over to him. There’s a metallic click and the barrel of the gun is pressed against your forehead. The Gladers all look terrified, but Thomas most of all. There’s a fear in his eyes so strong that you’re almost afraid for him, even though you’re the one whose life is at risk. 

Thomas speaks, voice firm. “Gally, let her go.”

Gally shakes his head wildly. “No, no. She stays. We all stay. The Glade is our home, we can’t leave. We were never meant to leave.” 

At last, something occurs to you. It’s a bad idea, especially for you, but it means the rest of your friends could live. Isn’t that enough? You turn to Gally, careful to keep your voice light. 

“I’ll stay, Gally. We can go back to the Glade. Just let them go.”

Gally’s eyes are bloodshot. They don’t even seem to belong to him. “You’ll stay?” 

You manage to nod. “Yeah. Just let them go, alright?” 

Gally seems to accept this. “Okay.” 

Thomas speaks again, his voice almost strangled. “Y/N, what are you doing?” 

You manage a smile. “I’m saving you, Thomas. You have to make it out.” 

He shakes his head, even as Newt and Minho start to drag him out. “No. No! I’m not leaving you!”

You feel a tear start to fall down your cheek. “I love you, Thomas. I always will. I just need you to make it out.” 

The rest of the Gladers have gone now, with Thomas being the last even as he tries to fight his way back. Is it better this way? Just as you’re about to turn to Gally and try to figure out your next step, though, you notice movement from a door behind you. Gally hasn’t noticed, because he’s still looking at you.

Seconds later, the door behind Gally flies open. He’d taken the gun away from you once everyone left, so he wasn’t prepared when the rest of the Gladers came back. Thomas races to you, and you run with the rest towards the door once more. Minho launches a spear at Gally to keep him back, and from there all you can see is Thomas beside you as you sprint back towards the relative safety of the exit. Newt slams the door shut once everyone is through and you stand there for a second, trying to get your breathing back to normal.

Thomas pulls you into his arms as if to check that you’re still there. “Don’t ever do that again.” He says, and you grin. 

“What, try to save your life?” 

He nods. “I don’t want to have to go through all this without you, Y/N.” 

You smile, taking his hand. “You don’t have to anymore. You got me out, right? We’re all here. All we have to do now is figure out where we want to go. We don’t have to be separated anymore.” 

For once, you don’t have any doubts.

maze runner tag list: gally wishes he had what we have @rogueanschel​, @ellobruv-blog​, @lxncelot​, @neewtmas​

[illegal-spiegel]

Firsts w/ Kaoru

Pairing: Kaoru Hitachiin x gn!reader Genre: fluff Warnings: none

first meeting:

y’all met through, you guessed it, The Host Club

it wasn’t your idea to go

but Haruhi, poor, sweet, innocent Haruhi, was about to lose her marbles

she practically got onto her knees to beg you to keep her company

and what kind of friend would you be if you declined?

(you mainly just went because she bribed you with free tea and desserts)

when you showed up to Music Room #3, it was all that you were expecting and not at all what you were expecting at the same time

you eventually spotted Haruhi through all the people and eventually made your way over to her

the look on her face was almost comical

she bid her guests she was entertaining farewell and they left with watery eyes

you covered your mouth to hide your giggles as you took a seat on the soft couch across from her

“Thank god you showed up,” she groaned as she slumped back into her seat

you let your giggles out freely, studying her tired form

“Awe, is Haruhi tired of flirting?” you teased

she only grunted in response, closing her eyes and letting out a content sigh

you hummed in return, picking up a cookie that was on the table and started to munch on it

you two had a few minutes of silent peace before it was rudely interrupted

“Oh, Haruhi!” you hear two voices shout from behind you in unison

you swear you saw an irk mark appear on her forehead

you raise your brow and go to turn around to see who was causing her so much trouble just by saying two words when two people were suddenly leaning over the back of the couch you were sitting on

you looked to your left and saw a boy your and Haruhi’s age

you turned to the right and had to do a double-take when you saw the same face

‘these must be the infamous twins,’ you thought as you studied them

“What?” Haruhi groaned with dead eyes

you could see the smirks come onto the two boys’ faces

“What are you doing slacking off-” the one on the right started off

“-when you have a guest?” the left one finished you raised a brow at them as you pursed your lips

“She could ask you two the same thing? Why aren’t you tending to your guests?” you defended

the twins’ eyes widened as they turned to look at you, both silently studying you for a moment

“We got bored-”

“-so we came to see what Haruhi was doing.”

your brows furrowed as you look to the one on your left

“You just left your guests?”

Haruhi was the one to respond

“Kaoru probably ran out of fake tears,” she said with a smirk

the twins’ attention went back to her, the one on the right’s eyes widening

“Fake tears? My tears are real!” he defended

you took a mental note that the one on your right was Kaoru. Haruhi may have told you about them before but you were terrible with names

Haruhi only grunted in response before closing her eyes again

you saw their mouths open, ready to bother her some more

so, being the good friend you are, you quickly said something before they could

“Just leave her alone, okay? How about you entertain me?” you offered

from what Haruhi has told you, the twins liked to mess around with people. Whether it is playing pranks and tricks or just annoying them

so, you figured they’d happily take you up on the offer to ‘entertain’ you

as soon as you finished your sentence, a smirk was curling up on their lips

“Entertain you?”

“Why, we’d be honored!”

they ended up trying to actually do so at first, using their little brotherly love act

you quickly shut that down

once they realized you knew all their secrets, including Haruhi being a girl, there was a sudden shift in the way they acted towards you

they were more open suddenly

hanging out:

after meeting, he instantly took a liking to you

he and his brother wanted to become friends with you, mainly to annoy Haruhi 

they hung out with you as much as you allowed them to, which was often so you could give Haruhi a break

it took a couple weeks for Kaoru to work up the nerve to ask you to hangout with him without his brother there as well

you were surprised when he asked you, to say the least 

“Hey, would you wanna go to this museum with me? I somehow won free tickets in class and Hikaru doesn’t want to go. I, uh, know it sounds boring but—”

“I’d love to go with you, Kaoru,” you reassure with a big, warm smile

it was the first time he felt his heart do something weird in his chest 

that weekend, you two went to the museum and honestly had a really good time

you two pretty much just wandered around and talked the entire time, which was several hours 

he found it surprising and like a fresh breath of air at how easy it was to talk to you

he liked studying you when you would stare at something before you, your figure glowing under the big lights 

he knew by the time you two left that he had feelings for you

first hug:

you two hugged for the first when he took you home from the museum, actually 

his palms were sweating just from thinking of doing it 

he tried to tell himself that it wasn’t a big deal but he was just so nervous 

he opened the car door for you when you reached your house and even walked you to the door 

“Thanks for today, Kaoru,” you say softly, giving him that radiant smile that he loves so much 

“It was nothing. I’m just glad you agreed to go,” he admits with a small chuckle

you giggle in return and then you both go into silence 

“Well, I’ll see you at school on Monday,” you say to break the silence

without another word, he quickly pulls you into the hug then

he hears and feels you gasp, your arms staying by your side for a moment before slowly wrapping back around him 

“Yeah, see you on Monday,” he whispers, still holding onto you

you two hug each other a little longer than necessary but neither of you cared 

when you finally did let go of each other, both of your faces were warm

“Goodnight, Kaoru,” you whisper a little breathlessly 

“Goodnight, (Y/n),” he whispers back, finally stepping back to let you go inside

he walks back to his car and watches you unlock your door to make sure you get inside okay 

he then finally leaves with a racing heart and a red face

first time holding hands:

after going to the museum together, you two slowly started to get closer

you texted more often, always called, hung out without Hikaru more, and so on 

it didn’t take long for you to fall for him but you were unsure if he liked you back 

well, that is until October came around

the boys decided they wanted to do a haunted house type thing for their monthly event

after Kyoya talked it over with the principal, the club got permission to do it and to have it held inside the entire school

Kyoya went all out too. He hired professional actors and businesses to scare in the school

the club held it during Halloween weekend, that way they could clean up all the props before Monday

the club made a killer with the amount of people that wanted to participate and walk through the ‘haunted’ school

on Sunday, after the ‘maze’ closed, the host club decided that they should be able to walk through it as well

that’s how you ended up partnered up with Kaoru to walk through together

you two went last out of all of the groups, both of your hearts racing as you two walked into your dark school 

after the first jump scare, you two clung together before relaxing until the next scare

after a few scares, you two just ended up holding hands the whole way through 

you honestly didn’t even really notice since you were too focused on what’s around the corner, what’s in that room, or what that sound was

but Kaoru’s entire focused was on your hand in his, the way your skin looked, the way it felt

when you came out the back main exit of the school though, you instantly noticed

you both shyly smiled as you let go, trying to ignore everyone’s teasing as you all started cleaning up 

first date:

it wasn’t until mid-November that Kaoru asked you out on a date

you both were blushing like crazy as he stuttered out his date proposal and it was the most enduring thing you’ve ever seen 

he asked you out, to which you instantly said yes to, but when you asked where you two would be going, he refused to tell you 

he ended up taking you to a festival that was in town after you said that you didn’t want him wasting a lot of money on you 

plus, he’s really competitive, so it’s fun to play games with him 

you two tease each other back and forth the whole night, both of you winning a lot of games

he even won you a stuffed animal to which you playfully named it Hikaru

he ended up getting too much cotton candy and begged you to help him finish it 

you two spent the entire day there and when the sun started to set, he dragged you onto the ferris wheel 

it was very cliché but he kisses you at the top and you loved every second of it 

when he drove you home, neither of you were ready for the night to end 

so, you just ended up sitting in the car for hours just talking up a storm

when your first yawn is released, he does his best to ignore it but after the second time, he sighs and gives you a soft smile 

“You should head inside. I’ll text you when I get home, okay?” he says quietly, secretly wishing he didn’t say anything when you start to pout 

you rub at your eye though as you yawn again, slowly nodding your head

“Okay. Goodnight, Kaoru,” you whisper sweetly before hugging him

just before you get out of the car, you quickly peck his cheek before practically flying out of the vehicle

he chuckles at how flustered you are as you walk to the door of your home

he makes sure you get inside okay before driving back home

he sticks to his word and texts you when he arrives at home to which you both stayed up late texting each other because you didn’t want the mystical night to come to an end

first time giving a gift:

(we ain’t counting the stuffed animal (Hikaru) he gave you on your first date)

you two had been together for 3 months when Kaoru decided to get you something to celebrate

he asked all your friends along with all the people in the Host Club what they think you’d like 

he got many ideas ranging from clothes to food

he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to get you but he’d figure it should be something nice but ‘simple’ 

on the day of your 3 months together, he picks you up from your house and takes you on a date

you tried telling him that you two didn’t have to celebrate the 3 month mark, but he wasn’t having it 

“You’re special to me and being together this long means a lot to me,” he said softly to you before kissing the back of your hand

he ends up taking you to a hill that looks over most of the town, a smile coming to your face when you see the view 

“It’s beautiful,” you reply when he asks what you think

“Not as beautiful as you,” he teases, shooting you a wink before hauling the picnic basket over to the blanket he set down for you both 

after setting everything up and getting comfy, you two dig into the food that he made

once you two have had your fill, you curl up together and watch the sunset

just before the sun completely sinks below the horizon, he pulls away from you a bit to reach into the basket

“Here,” is all he says as he offers you a rectangular box covered in velvet

you raise your brow up at him but gently take it from him and open it up 

you jaw drops open a bit when you see what rests inside, your heart skipping a beat as your tummy fills with butterflies

“Oh, Kaoru...” you whisper breathlessly, staring down at the intricate necklace

“Do you like it?” he whispers, worriedly staring at your shocked face 

“I, um, got it to represent our first date at the festival...” he continues when you don’t reply. “Sorry, I know it’s ugl—”

“No! No, I love it, Kaoru,” you quickly interrupt when he starts to backpedal. “Sorry, I just was thinking that it looks kind of expensive...”

“Well, ha, you see—”

“Kaoru, how much did you spend on this?”

he stays quiet for a moment, knowing how you’d react when he tells you 

he finally pipes up when you give him the look™️

“It was, um, ¥43,687...”

“Kaoru Hitachiin!” you screech, fully turning to face him with a horrified expression

“What? It’s not that bad!” he shouts, his cheeks starting to warm for some reason 

“Not that bad? Not that bad? You’re right. ¥43,687 is way worse than bad!” 

he groans and rolls his eyes, taking the box from you and taking the necklace out 

“Turn around.”

“No way! What if I break it? What if I lose it? What if—”

“What if zombies raised from the ground right now and killed me? Bam! Dead! Wouldn’t you want something to remember me by?” he teases with a smirk

it’s your turn to huff and roll your eyes now 

“That would never happen.”

“Well, yours would never happen either,” he argues

“Yes it could!”

“We can go back and forth all day, sweetheart. We can never know the future and it’s best to just live in the present.”

When you don’t reply, he smiles at you and holds up the necklace 

“You like it, right?”

“Well yes, but—“

“And you like me, right?”

“Kaoru—”

“Do you?”

“Yes! But, Kaoru—”

“Then put it on!” 

you two have a stare off before you give in, letting out a hefty sigh and turning to put your back to him

he slips the necklace onto you and your hand instantly goes to the ferris wheel pendant resting between your collar bones

“There. Ya see? That wasn’t so bad and you look even more beautiful than usual.”

your cheeks warm with the compliment as you spin around to face him again

“Shut up and kiss me,” you snap with a pout

he chuckles and leans forward to do just that 

first “I love you”:

you both actually wanted to say this on your picnic date but both ended up chickening out since you both thought it was too soon

ever since then, you both have tried and failed to say it 

when is the right time to say it? How long do you have to be dating for it to be okay? What if the other person wasn’t ready to say it back yet?

yeah, a lot of unnecessary worries and insecurities

it isn’t until it’s almost your sixth month anniversary that Kaoru finally works up the nerve to say it 

he was planning a little get away vacation for you two during the summer

when you came over to his house one day to hangout, he first plays it cool

you two do the normal stuff whenever you two hangout, watch your show, makeout a little, make food, the works

after you two are done eating and go to continue watching your show, he stops you

“Hey, there’s something I want to show you.” 

you raise your brow at this, wondering what he could want to show you

maybe a new show he wants to watch? 

“Yeah?” you ask, watching him pull something out from between the couch cushions 

he hands over an envelope to you with a smirk, making your brows furrow 

a letter?

“Go on. Open it,” he says with a chuckle 

you let out a short hum in reply and begin to open it up

you pull out two tickets to something, turning them around to look at the front 

“Are these first class tickets to Italy?” you ask, your voice trembling a bit 

“Yeah! I figured it was about time we went somewhere together!”

you shake your head and offer the tickets back to him, feeling as if you’re going to be sick 

“Kaoru, no. This is too much. I don’t need to go somewhere far or fancy or expensive to have fun with you,” you force out with wide eyes

he frowns at your words, refusing to take the tickets out of your shaky hands

“What? (Y/n), this is an amazing opportunity! Besides, these tickets were for me and Hikaru to go with our mom to one of her fashion shows in Italy. Hikaru is grounded now though for that stunt he pulled in class and she asked if I’d like to take you instead,” he explains with a soft smile, bringing his hand to your free one to give it a squeeze

you relax a bit at this news, now knowing he didn’t waste thousands of yen on you 

“Your mom offered?” He nods his head. “You’re sure she doesn’t mind me coming?” 

“Of course not, baby. You haven’t been around her much since she works so often, but she really does like you. She wouldn’t have asked you to come if she didn’t want you there. Plus, she has to punish Hikaru somehow.” 

you chuckle at that last part with a nod of your head

“Okay, fine. I’ll ask my parents about it and see if they’ll be okay with me going,” you agree

he lets out an excited squeal and surges towards you for a hug

“Yes! You’re the best! I love you!” 

at the three words, you both freeze and stare at each other, both of your faces heating up to a dangerous degree

“Sorry, I, um, I d—”

“I love you too, Kaoru,” you rush out before he can take it back

his grin comes right back to his face before he kisses you passionately 

first trip together:

turns out your parents were okay with you going since Kaoru’s mom will be there 

when you three were on the plane, you and Kaoru leaned against each other the entire time

to keep you busy, you two watched your show and movies, played card games, played games with each other on your phones, and so on

when you all finally reach your destination, you’re exhausted but you instantly perk up when you reach your ride to your hotel

you climb into the limo and both you and your boyfriend ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the beautiful scenery 

when you get to the hotel, his mother announces that Hikaru will share a bed with her while you get the other one. You don’t really mind since she’s paying for all this and you’re in Italy for crying out loud, but Kaoru whines and pouts for at least fifteen minutes

once you’re all in your jammies, you all practically pass out as soon as your heads hit the pillows 

you three were there for two weeks and you and Kaoru had so many cute dates

you went hiking, rode on gondolas, went on tours, took cooking classes, saw a musical, visited ancient buildings, went to the beach and did lots of swimming (where Kaoru got burned), and lots more!

his mom even let you participate in her fashion show

she dressed you up in expensive clothing and pushed you to walk on the runway

you were nervous at first but eventually got into it the more claps and cheers (from Kaoru) you got 

it was honestly some of the best days of your entire life

when it was the last day of being in Italy, Kaoru took you on your last date in the beautiful country

you both shared lots of ‘I love you’s followed by several kisses

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MASTERLIST

More with Kaoru 

Tag List: @pointlesslygay, @katsuhera​ ✦ if you would like to be added or removed, comment or send an ask. Also, remember to tell me if you ever change your username so I can continue to tag you :)

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