#very proud of myself that I’m almost to the tower and haven’t had to check a walkthrough once

[probablygayattorneys]

Like most adults, I have a limited amount of time to play video games. Other things must be done. And this is causing a problem, because I recently started playing a new game on my Switch, and I’m finding that I don’t want to play SoJ, which is, quite frankly, a shitty game, and instead I want to play the switch port of OneShot, a game I love so much I have a framed poster in my room and has been such a joyful experience. But OneShot isn’t part of a series I’m going for completion on.

[physicalturian]

[G] Gentle summer - Rengoku Kyojuro x GN!Reader - Part 2

[Contains spoilers from the movie, and the manga] [No pronouns used for the reader, no physical description; Everyone +18]

Words : 10 317

Archive of our own

Warnings : Blood / Injuries / PTSD

--- Part 1 -

I do not care. I do not care. I kept repeating to myself when I felt the two little hands nudging my thigh. My name was called in the hope of waking me, little did they know I was fully awake but did not wish to wake up. I was trying my hardest to keep my eyes shut, it was in vain when Naho mentioned him, “The Wind Pillar has arrived at the mansion and is looking for you, he seems to be in a foul mood and-“ “No need to say more, this man is always in a foul mood but I will get him. You can leave, thank you Naho,” She gave me a curt nod and stood up, pausing mid-way to the door when she giggled and smiled at me before looking next to me and hurrying off.

Something was holding me back from fully sitting up. It was heavy, and as I tried to move my hand I realized it was wet. Slowly turning my head, I covered my mouth to hold back a laugh. The sight was hilarious, Kyojuro was laying the lower half of his body on the futon while the top half was on the tatami. His hand was still holding mine, but he was now resting his cheek on it too, drooling. As much as I found the situation adorable, it worried me that he was laying on his stomach. “Kyojuro, would you please wake up?”

I patted his cheek to get him to react, nothing. Pinching it lightly did nothing either. “It is still morning, do not make me yell,” I mumbled as I hesitantly ran my hand through his hair. It was soft, with a lot of knots, but still enjoyable if I did not thread my fingers, that is. “I have a lot of patience, but as cute as this is, you are sleeping on your stomach and I will not have it,” Without much gentleness, I slipped my hand out of his, earning a sleepy grunt from the man when his cheek hit the tatami. Looking at the time, I hurried to help the man back on his back and onto his futon, then left the room after putting my futon away once I made sure his wound was alright.

Knowing Sanemi, he would not give me time to get changed once I’m in his vicinity, so I made a detour to get dressed in my kimono, without forgetting my sword, before going exactly where I knew he’d be. There was no way to deal with this man with gentleness, usually Shinobu or Aoi would take care of the Pillars when I was busy but not him. They did not want to waste time with him.

Entering the dojo, I did not knock to warn him of my presence, I slid the door open with force before closing it the same way. “You are bleeding over the tatami,” I stated to the man who was training, blood dripping from his open wounds. My stare was not one of someone afraid of the violent man, but of someone annoyed to the bone. “I wouldn’t be here if you had arrived sooner,” He snapped, slashing more decoys, his eyes ever so filled with rage.

“I am here now, stop moving,” Aoi must have sneaked in earlier to put the necessary to treat his wounds, which explained the tray with medical necessities. While Rengoku did not listen to me out of air-headedness, Sanemi did not listen out of spite. He had heard me perfectly well but was being his usual self. It’s with a sigh that I unwrapped the additional sash around my waist and used it to tie my sleeves out of the way, “Why is it always like this with you?” I asked once I was done.

He faced me with a maniac grin, “It’s more entertaining like that, come at me,” it was always the same. The man was fully aware his wounds needed treatment, but if the attention was not given the moment he arrived at the Butterfly Mansion, he would go on about his life, untreated. Using brute force was the only way to get him to stay put, and that’s what I did, it was not a serious fight, far from it. No breathing technique were used, a simple sword fight. But even with a gash on his arm, Sanemi was strong, he was an amazing swordsman.

The loud clash of the metal colliding was repetitive, consistent, it was accompanied by long sounds of the same metal as our swords slid against one another. The closeness of our faces was paralleled by our swords pushing with force against the other. “I have barely woken up, I am in no mood to entertain you any longer, just drop your sword,” I grunted, trying hard to match the force with which he pushed against my blade.

“I don’t care,” He pushed once more then stepped back, when I almost tripped, I still caught a glimpse of the wince that flashed on his face before disappearing. “You are weak,” He spat, running at me again, I did not step down. “I might not be a Pillar, but I am not weak,” I said casually, this time gaining the control as I pushed him back, holding my sword with one hand as I moved my free one to grab his arm roughly. It made him moan in pain, but he did not let go of his sword.

“You play dirty-“ “It is to match the state you put the dojo in,” I said playfully. As humorous as I was trying to be, I knew he was going to stop fighting soon enough to let me treat him, but I did not appreciate the disrespect of ransacking this place for entertainment. “It’s just blood, who cares,” He shrugged, stepping away from me as he let his sword drop by his side, sheathing it away.

Mirroring him, I did the same, my back facing him as I took the tray from the ground and joined the man’s side. He had slumped down on the ground gracelessly, his sleeve rolled up, “Clearly, you are not the one cleaning it. Are you not aware of how hard it is to get blood off the tatami straw?” He simply rolled his shoulders in response, looking away as I treated his wound. I knew here and then that the conversation was over, there was no surprise; The length of our interactions could be summarized to aggressive banters, not that I had any say in how it went. I simply knew how to deal with the man.

“You have frightened the girls, and you have made of this place a mess,” I started, while packing everything, “Apologize to them on your way out,” It was not a question, it was a command. I was not in any power to do so, I was not Master Ubuyashiki, Pillars were not my subordinates, but I liked to believe they respected me enough to listen to me when I’d tell them they’re in the wrong. The odds of the Wind Pillar excusing were slim, but I found solace in knowing I tried. No one can change a stubborn man, not even kindness, not when he seems so keen on being wilder than a boar.

With a huff, he left, but the door did not close. As I stood up, I saw a blond mop of hair outside, “You have awakened, did Tanjirou make a lot of noise when he woke up?” I asked the lightning user. Zenitsu had a strange way of using his breathing technique, but was a skilled fighter, nonetheless. It did not show in the way he held himself. Stammering, the boy stood straight, “Tanjirou said that- big brother- I mean, the… Rengoku woke up? Can-“ He was pushed to the side when the face of a boar was now in front of me, “Can we see him! Gonpachiro saw him-“ He was very loud, and very energetic, it was too early for this.

Placing a hand on both their shoulders, I smiled kindly, “He needs some rest,” They sighed, so I continued, “The proper way to start the day would be the morning meal, let us eat, then I shall see if Kyojuro is awake,” After asking them if it sounded good to them, the two boys nodded and sped off. Somehow they managed to turn their breakfast into a competition, which threw me off slightly but at the same time made me smile. I was glad to see them well after the events on the train. While I was not there, I knew they had fought bravely and assisted the Fire Pillar with honor. Strong fighters are those with strong hearts, but a strong mind plays a big part too… let’s see how long they’ll last�� I thought darkly.

Aoi told me she’d check on everyone while I had breakfast, she argued it was to compensate the morning setback and to help me release some stress from having dealt with the Wind Pillar. I told her it was alright, but she insisted. It was odd but appreciated. What was even more strange was when I joined the kitchen, I was quickly shooed away by Sumi. “Kiyo will bring you to your room!” “Sumi, I know where my room is, would you please tell me what you are up to?”

The young girl shook her head as her friend held my hand and pulled me in a direction. I did not need to read minds to know where she was bringing me, “Kiyo, this is not my room. It is-“ “You’ve spent the night there! Even if it’s a secret, we’ll help you out!” She whispered excitedly as she knelt by the door and slid it open, gesturing for me to get in. I crouched down to her level and used a gentler voice, to show I was not mad, “Has he given his permission for you to do this? It’s his private chamber, and he is also in need of rest-“ I stopped talking when she looked down, her hands on her lap as she greeted someone shyly, with a lot less familiarity than she would if it were me.

Looking to my left, I was being towered by the warm presence of the Fire Pillar behind me, “Thank you, young Kiyo!” The girl nodded and hurried off, but I was able to catch a glimpse of her reddening cheeks as she disappeared off. “A fine morning! Thank you for coming, I was not sure you’d agree,” Rengoku said as I entered the room, closing the door behind me.

“Before you say anything, I haven’t done anything!” He said in a defensive manner, laughing softly as he showed me the trays on the veranda. “This morning Shinobu visited,” He paused as he showed me he could sit down without much help, I smiled to myself at the determination he put in all of this, he was also proud of showing his improvement. The Pillar seemed to have seen it, he looked up at me and grinned, “Within a few days, I will be able to go everywhere with you-“ He cut himself off when I made a curious face. “In a sense of going on a date with you, I do not plan of following you around the mansion,” He said, chuckling.

While he said so, his cheeks were brightening. The sun was not yet to blame since it was not on this side of the building yet. Huffing a laugh, I knelt in front of him, our food separating us. “I see nothing wrong with having you around me a bit more, I find you very calming,” Bowing, I wished him a good meal as we then both started eating. He did not, however. He looked at me with bright eyes, “You do?”

Chuckling, I nodded, “I do, yes, even when you talk a bit loudly it is enjoyable to be around you,”

Rengoku hummed, the smile on his face growing wider and wider by the second. “I feel the same about you!” He told me, as he tied his hair back to get it out of the way as he ate. To that, I laughed as I finished my bite, hoping the warmth in my cheeks wasn’t showing. “Maybe it is biased by the fact that I took care of you many times, have you considered that?” Yes, I accepted his courtship, yes I found the man beautiful in all aspects… and yet, I was trying to make him change his mind. Was part of me thinking I was not worth his attention?

I shook the thought away and tried, at the same time, to avoid staring at how gorgeous he looked with his hair tied back. “It is fantastic that you can take care of people! I myself am clumsy and come back with a lot of wounds, but that is not the reason why I like you,” He paused, about to shove the biggest portion of food in his, already full, mouth. I placed a hand on his, making him look at me like he was caught red-handed. “Sorry,” He said it in a way that was muffled by the food and how much he had in his mouth but I still smiled.

When he swallowed he put chopsticks down and held one of my hand in both of his, “It’s the way your eyes light up when doing the things you like the most, it’s the way you carry yourself everywhere with such grace-“ “Grace is a big word, wouldn’t you say?” I said.

“To me it’s grace! If it’s not, you still look stunning every day, but I find you the prettiest when watching the sun set. It sends my heart all over the place to see you smile-“ His compliments, while kind-hearted and genuine, were becoming too much for my erratic-beating heart. I carefully pried his hands away from mine and covered his mouth, lifting myself on my knees a little to reach his face. “Your point has been made, Kyojuro, I shouldn’t have assumed you were biased, I get it”

Under my hand, I could feel his lips turning up, his smile broadening as he moved my hand from his face, “I’ve changed my mind!” He exclaimed, letting go of my hand. Quirking a brow in response, I wondered what he meant by this. His eyes weren’t leaving mine, his smile turned more smug than joyous, while both were positive feelings, I couldn’t help but feel my body react someway. “The sight of your bashfulness might be a prettier sight than that of your face under the sunset’s golden glow,”

Any hope of hiding how flustered I was, was gone after he opened his mouth. The funny feeling inside my chest was not leaving, if anything it was reaching for him, but I did not. Looking at my food, I chuckled nervously then said, “I will have to take a look at your wound, you rolled on your stomach during the night. I was rushed this morning, I did not have time yet to do so,” When Rengoku laughed, oh so beautifully, I looked at him with a frown. It was in no way threatening, but I tried hard to keep some ounce of dignity.

“This is serious, I hope it was worth it. I even had to drag you back to your futon,” Nodding fervently, he took a sip of tea to help the food pass then beamed, “It was absolutely worth it, I got to hold your hand. I would have expected you’d have let go during the night, but I am overjoyed that you did not,” His sincerity was off-putting and welcomed at the same time, I tried to match it to no avail.

“I did not want to let go, I was here to help you sleep after all, was I not?”

“I’d like to think you enjoyed my company too, you are free to leave whenever you wish!” It was not some passive-aggressive speech, it was honest. And it was sweet too, he deserved some back. “I will be staying until you are fully recovered…” I trailed off, hesitating to add more, trying to make it sweet but I did not know how, then I spoke, “It was a peaceful sleep, I trust you slept well too? After all, you did end up sleeping on my hand and drooling on it, I felt you must know about it,” It was his turn to be embarrassed as his face turned a different shade.

He swallowed, with some struggle, and quickly said, “I am sorry for the drool! I slept very well, I had to come closer because you tugged my arm during your sleep, it was adorable,” I covered my mouth to avoid spitting everything out and finished eating before reacting, “Have I done that, now? That…” I wouldn’t know much of what I do in my sleep, it was quite exceptional to sleep this close to anyone. Ever since I started the slayer training I have had no opportunity to share a bed with anyone. There was no denying what he had said, nor had he given me any reason to distrust him.

“Well, perhaps I will bring my futon closer next time. I wouldn’t want you to end up on the tatami once more,” I trailed off. Noticing he was done eating, I did not give him time to react and grabbed my tray, “I will be cleaning everything up, sorry for intruding. Kiyo brought me here, she-“ “I asked her to bring you! I wanted to eat breakfast with you, has she not told you?” Clenching my jaw, I threw a glare at the door, although I couldn’t see anyone I knew one of the three younger girls was waiting outside.

Sighing in resignation, I put everything down and sat next to the Fire Pillar after moving the pillow. “She made it seem like it was her idea, I felt a bit uneasy interrupting you. I also thought you were still asleep,” Kyojuro hummed, wordlessly telling me to continue. Looking to the side at the flamboyant man, I smiled and placed my hand down, close to his, “I think I like the idea of you trying to have the girls’ attention for such a small endeavor. It is cute,”

“You think I’m cute?” He did not seem shocked, it sounded more like he was making sure he heard right. Though I was persuaded he knew he heard right since he was smiling proudly at me, “Among other things, yes,” I tried to give off an air of mystery, and it seemed to have worked since it piqued the man’s interest. “Among other things? I wonder what else it could be,” He was thinking deeply, his chin resting between his index finger and his thumb. Reaching for the ribbon in his hair, I untied it and freed his mane, I was in awe at how much his hair was tangled.

Quirking a brow curiously, Kyojuro asked, “Do you prefer it undone?”

I laughed, “My preference does not matter, but have you considered combing your hair?” He shook his head, “It gives some volume with the knots!” I did not know who had planted that idea in his head, it was odd, and I was not expecting him to say that at all. When I stood up, he stopped me by grabbing my hand, “Are you leaving already? Will you return tonight?” My heart soared, the pleading look in his eyes turned me into a puddle, but I kept my composure and huffed a laugh.

“I am not leaving; I believe there is a comb in the cabinet. If you’d allow me, I’d gladly untangle that mane of yours. You will not lose volume, I promise,” There was a glimmer in his eyes when he smiled and went to stand up, fortunately I was next to him when he started falling forward. I quickly took hold of his arm and held him back from hitting the floor. Helping him back to his feet, I inquired, amused, “You are wearing a jinbei, on what could you have tripped?”

“Well- Maybe it was a technique to get closer to you?” He smiled at me, he had been doing so a lot recently, and goodness was I weak to it. Not just his smile, but his presence, his laugh, his pretty face… that was getting closer now. I did not look away; I matched the intensity of his gaze but couldn’t find the proper words to reply. Of course, I wanted to get closer to him, but what would the others think? Was it a good time to do so? A lot more was to come, and we could not allow distractions. My eyes darted to his lips, I knew it, but I quickly averted my eyes to look at the pillow on the ground.

“Let’s get you seated so that I can check your wrappings,” I whispered, gesturing for him to sit down. Rengoku made a confused sound but did as I suggested; Once seated, he leaned his head backwards to look at me, “As comfortable as this jinbei is, would it be problematic if I wore my kimono?”

Glancing at him as I made my way to him, fresh wrappings in my hands, I nodded, “Once I’ve changed your bandages, you can do whatever you’d like- unless it’s training. That is still off-limits… However, seeing how fast you’re healing, I might let you train tomorrow.” I told him as I gestured for him to lift his shirt. The Pillar leaned back on his elbows after having undone the tie of his jinbei, his bright eyes observing each of my movements. It did not look like it, he seemed to be simply fascinated by what I was doing but I could see he was thinking of more.

To get his mind off of whatever was going in his head, I prodded, “Are you not excited to be training-“ Suddenly, my hand was gripped when I was about to uncover his wound, a frown painted on his features the Fire Pillar did not move. Rengoku Kyojuro was a man of many talents, being the most optimistic in this mansion was one of them. Never had I seen him without a smile or confidence. Even at this very moment, the look on his face made me want to pity him, his features were serious but seemed to be hiding some pain, it was not a sight I relished in, but he was not asking for pity. Instead, I gave him time.

When he did not let go after a few minutes, I grabbed his hand with mine that was not tightly held in his large one. “Kyojuro, are you alright?” His hand did not move, so I gently pried his fingers away. As I started doing so, he came back to me and let go of my wrist, quickly after, he threaded his fingers with mine and brought my knuckles to his lips. “I apologise, I don’t know what came over me. I’m-“ He chuckled nervously, breathlessly, but I think I knew what happened. But was not going to mention anything, so, instead I brushed my thumb over his cheek.

“We’ll say it was a technique to hold my hand, right?” His cheeks flushed red, his warm hand clenched mine a moment, the prettiest laugh escaped his lips as he looked down shyly. “Well, I’m definitely not against it… But you might need both your hands if you want to take care of me,” He let go of my hand and leaned back once more, his eyes still looked distant as if he was trying to force himself to not look at the wound. To help him, I talked as I removed it, “Do you like fireworks? There will be some in the village nearby, and while you probably can’t go there yet, I know a spot where we can see them,” There was no need to mention that the spot was on the rooftop of the mansion.

At least not yet.

“Fireworks are great! I remember, I would bring my brother to our small village’s festival. It wasn’t grand at all, but we had a lot of fun. He used to be scared of fireworks, he’s not anymore.” He winced a few times as I cleaned the wound, but I listened intently. Looking up, I asked, “Were you?” he lifted himself from his elbows to help me wrap the bandages and quirked a brow in a question-like manner. “Were you afraid of fireworks?” “Oh, not at all! I always liked them, I always loved how everyone would agree on it being the most beautiful thing during the festival. It would always bring everyone together- and it’s also, like a painting in the sky,” His gaze set on mine, a serene smile on his lips.

“It’s also a great moment to spend with someone you care about, wouldn’t you agree?” Keep your composure, do not look away. “I agree, it is in three days. Will you be available?” Extending a hand to help him up, he took it. I was glad he did not pull me down to him, only accepted the help. Once standing, he gave me a curt nod. “I will be. Even if I had some plans, I would make time for you,” He made a gesture as if he was whispering a secret, leaning forward, “Being bed-ridden gives you a lot of free time, but let’s not mention that,” I laughed at his antics, realizing we were still holding hands. In my head it was quite simple, if I did not mention it, he would not let go. So that’s what I did.

“It has benefits indeed, not all bad…” He must have seen my eyes dart to our hands, even for just a second, I thought so when he squeezed his hand and his smile broadened. Not moving from our spot, I changed topic, “You mentioned Shinobu visited this morning, I believe we did venture off topic, but is she back? I have not seen her,”

Just as I asked, a gentle voice was heard next to us. I should have let go of Rengoku’s hand, but instead I simply hid our hands behind my back as we faced the face in question, “I have returned for a while, yes. I trust Aoi has been doing good work?” Shinobu’s eyes darted to the Fire Pillar’s stomach then back at us, “Would you like me to take care of your wound while I am at the mansion?” She asked in her beautiful voice, her expression as neutral as possible. She would always seem deadpanned if not for the smile gracing her features all throughout the day.

The golden-haired man shook his head fervently, “I am feeling great!” he added that I had been doing a great job at taking care of him and that he would only allow me to take care of him.

The woman’s face turned to me, a more sincere smile on it, “Is that so?” “Aoi and the girls are shy around Kyojuro, that is all,” I explained as composed as I could. She turned to look at Rengoku, throwing me a side glance, “Kyojuro, hm? How cute, I will be checking on Sanemi, then. I am sure you will be enjoying one another’s company the best you can, yes?” Before she disappeared, the Fire Pillar made sure to make it even more obvious of what was going on when he grinned, “I will definitely be enjoying every second of it,” Then like a gust of wind, Shinobu was gone.

“She has indeed returned; I should help her out with Sanemi. He was in a foul mood when I saw him earlier,” I said, letting go of Kyojuro’s hand as I made my way to the door. His eyes darkened suddenly when I paused at the door, about to tell him something. I held my tongue. “Has something happened with his brother, again?” He asked, seriously.

I shrugged, “I never ask, I am only the person in charge of calming him when Shinobu is not around. He scares Aoi and the girls, he might be a kind person deep down, but I do not have time to spare on his immature attitude.” Perhaps it was too sincere, after all, Pillars probably all got along. At least, most of them, I knew for sure that the Fire Pillar got along with all of them some way, I never knew how he did so, however. Humming, he joined me by the door, “I will pay him a visit, if I am allowed to leave this room, that is?”

Laughing, I slid the door open, “Of course you can leave the room, I would ask of you to take the crutches in case you get tired on the way. One of the girls will be bringing you your kimono, I’ll let you get changed,” When I lifted my head after giving him a curt bow, his lips were on my cheek as he pressed a tender kiss on it before pulling away smiling. “Thank you, will I be seeing you tonight?”

The nerve. This man, how could he? Be this adorable, after kissing me. Was he not aware of how fast my heart was beating, of how I wanted to pull him closer for more? That was not proper, but I relished in the idea of being in his arms. Shaking the thought away, I kept my mouth shut until I found the proper words, that were not pure gibberish and finally opened it to say, “I will be training this afternoon- without any mission, I need to keep in shape… If you’d like to do the same as yesterday, you are very welcome,”

He nodded. “Gladly! I will be visiting Sanemi promptly, I’ll make sure to be at your training on time,” We both stood by the door, unmoving, looking at each other. It was longer than socially appropriate, but I felt the need to do something, anything, I did not wish to leave him yet. Leaning in quickly, I pecked his cheek before hurrying off, “I will see you then, take care,” My hand held the hem of my attire, I did not want to look back and see his expression. Would it be shock? Satisfaction? Happiness? Perhaps was he flustered? I told myself to not look back, but my self-restraint was not what it used to be.

Just one glance, I thought as I looked over my shoulder. The sight that greeted me was more than enough to reassure me, he was covering his mouth in an excited-way, his cheeks reddening. This was good, this was worth it- Still not having looked away from the Fire Pillar, I bumped into someone and apologized just as fast. “Kanata? Is there a problem with Master Ubuyashiki?” I asked as I stabilized the child with both of my hands on her shoulders, she showed me the letter destined to Rengoku.

“I see. At the end of the corridor. Is it urgent? Shall I gather-“ Cutting me off, she shook her head, “A personal exchange between the Fire Pillar and the Master, I will be leaving now,” With a curt nod, she quickly left. I watched her go, dazed by the interaction. But I did not let it linger on my mind any longer, bumping into her helped me straighten my ideas. I still had things to do for the rest of the day and could not let the beautiful man make me lose focus.

Among other things, I had to make sure the Wind Pillar’s report was adequately done. I trusted Shinobu to write hers with care, but everyone knew Sanemi did not have the soul of a writer, nor the patience of one either. Once this was done, I was going to check on the other wounded, but Shinobu was already one it. She was, after all, in charge of all this. She had taught me some things but was more versed in that field than I was, yet she allowed me to stay by her side today as she did her round.

We did not exchange much, being focused on taking care of everyone. I stopped following her once we reached the three new recruits’ room, a lot was happening there, they were all very awake. “Aoi will be taking care of them, they need to learn how to breathe properly. I will make sure everything goes smoothly, you can leave,” She nodded curtly my way, dismissing me, but I stood there. “I need to exchange a few words with them, after that I will make sure to leave them alone to that they can focus on their training,”

She agreed, bowing me farewell as she made her way out. I did not bother to knock considering how loud the boys were being, the odds of them hearing me were very low. “I see you are both very energetic, you will be able to see Rengoku later in the afternoon. He has to have a talk with the Wind Pillar first, but I’m sure he’ll be very happy to see the three of you,” Looking at Tanjirou, I smiled knowingly, “Perhaps avert from jumping on him this time. He did not mind, but he is still in a bad shape, no matter the smile on his face, understood?” The young brunette nodded, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Turning around, I faced the two others, “And you two,” They paused their shenanigans, “Tame yourself, tone the energy down a notch. I do not know where you found all that enthusiasm, but I know it’ll disappear quick enough once you’ve started your breathing training,” With a curt nod, and a mischievous smile, I left them, ignoring the slight fear in their eyes. Only one of them had determination, as if he had been challenged, and that was the boy with the birthmark.

Staying at the Butterfly Mansion too long brought boredom, I’ll admit. I could not fill my days with training, as much as I wanted. It would make my hands calloused, and I would be exhausted too fast, so I would read. Trying to learn more about the demons, reading reports from the Pillars before they were sent. Yes, it was not made to do so, but I was curious. And it kept me busy, I also made sure to put them back in place every time. They never saw any difference.

One time I got caught, but the Mist Pillar did not care. He stood by the door, then left without a word. It made me refrain from doing so for a few days, then I began again.

Sometimes I would help taking care of the big mansion, but the girls were not the fondest of the way I did things and tried to keep me busy too. Fortunately, most of the time I was away, but when I wasn’t, it was for a longer period than I liked and staying put was a drag.

I managed to stay busy and did not see time pass. The afternoon arrived quickly, and once I got changed, I knocked on the wooden beam next to the shoji door. I waited until I heard his voice telling me to come inside, his kimono was half-way opened, the sash keeping it closed on the lower half. While my first thought was that he looked the most beautiful like this, I also calmed myself down for he was exposing his entire upper half quite a lot. It’s not that I had never seen it, but the mood between the person taking care of the wound and the wounded, was not present.

Instead, it was just two people, alone in a room, which brought a different kind of intimacy than the one from a caretaker. Looking aside subtly I spoke up, “Are you aware this is not the proper way to wear a kimono?” I asked jokingly as I made my way to the veranda, walking past him. The steps of the Pillar echoed behind me as he joined my side. “That is true, but it is so warm today,” He pulled out a fan from the inside of his attire, making me confused for a moment but I did not ask.

“You should have taken it in consideration before asking to wear it, then. Should Kiyo bring you your jinbei? I am sure it is clean by now.” He shook his head fervently then gestured at himself, grinning, “I am handling it properly,” I ogled, he brought the attention to his chest, what else could I do but enjoy the sight? And enjoy the sight, I did. So much he caught me after I stared a bit too long, “Is it distracting you?” He asked with a grin, returning to fanning his face. Turning my face away, I chuckled, “Absolutely not,” It was bolder than usual to ask me such a question, which made me wonder…

Throwing him a glance, I could see his cheeks were slightly redder than usual. While it could be put on the account of the heat, I couldn’t help but ask, “Kyojuro, have you drank?” I had my answer when he laughed loudly, turning it into something shyer when he stopped. “You have a keen eye. I am not drunk yet, but I drank some sake with Sanemi, it had been a while since I had done this,” He hummed, content. His eyes were focused on the horizon as he pondered, nostalgia filling his gaze. My heart seemed to like seeing him happy, I could feel it beat faster.

Clearing my thoughts, I stood up, sword in hand, “You should be careful, the sun makes the alcohol take effect a lot faster. You should drink some water, Kyojuro,” Chuckling, the man stood up and made his way towards me, smiling ever so reassuringly. “You are worried, it is very cute,” My cheeks flared up, but I didn’t say anything as he continued, “But I am not nearly as drunk as to make any mistake, I would say I am tipsy at best,” His eyes trailed on my face a moment, meeting my curious ones for a moment before looking down. He turned back, laughing to himself before clearing his throat, “Let’s begin, shall we? Perhaps would you like to work on hiding your presence?”

Right, training. Straightening my back, I focused on holding my sword properly and took a few deep breaths to calm down. How can I calm down? Had his eyes lingered on my lips? I must have imagined it… No amount of forcing could make me leave my head, I am sure he did, what would I have done if he had kissed me? Kissed him back. But it is not good to so when such a big fight is coming… I quickly got past the denial stage, and started bargaining, we can’t allow ourselves to be distracted but having someone around helps you stay grounded, does it not?

“Are you alright? I promise I am fine, if that is a big concern-“ “It’s alright, it’s alright,” I huffed a laugh as I gave a curt nod to the Pillar, tightening my grip on my sword I set myself in position. “I simply got lost in thoughts,” I said lightly, resting my posture a moment as I quirked a brow towards the golden-haired man. “Can I ask you a question?” he nodded enthusiastically, sitting back down as he fanned his face. His hair was pushed back by the gust of wind the fan made, but that was not what caught my attention.

What caught my attention was the way he was sitting. A hand behind his back as he leaned on it, his legs spread slightly, half-way through sitting tailor style. It had no reason to look this good, this sinful, and yet I couldn’t look away. But I did, focusing back on his beautiful eyes, “Am I that bad at hiding my presence? I have always thought I was doing good, now I am thinking back on a lot of things… I have never encountered any issues during missions either,” I trailed off, thinking of all the times I tried to be discrete around the Pillars, watching some train, perhaps one more than the others.

He had indeed told me he had seen me lurk around, but perhaps it was only a few times. Lifting his chin as he looked up, thinking, he hummed, “Well…” A few moments passed, then he looked back at me, eyes wide, just like his smile. “I would like to think I have always caught you watching me, even when you’re on the roof, your feet dangling off the edge. That’s also because your shadow is casted on the ground,” He said with a laugh. While he laughed, I sheathed my sword away and tried to keep my composure, “When I train at night, there is a lot less movement in the mansion, so I can sense you a lot more,” He nodded, giving it a deeper thought.

“When you hover by my door nervously too-“ “I do not hover nervously, I am not nervous. I am simply aware that you might be occupied somehow and think against disturbing you. That is all,” That was too fast, too defensive, he saw right through it. I crossed my arms over my chest, looking at him intently, he was beaming but not saying much. “Maybe you are the only who can sense me because you try to, have you considered that, Kyojuro?” I suggested.

He seemed proud that I had said so, his smile, instead of being a grin, turned into one that spread from ear to ear. Using the beam next to him for support, he stood up and walked up to me, his hands reached out for mine, uncrossing my arms. “I do. I find comfort in your presence,” his hands slid from my forearms to my hands, holding them gently. “I have gotten used to having you around, even if you do not know, and even if we do not always talk,” He pulled me closer without much force since I let him do as he pleased. I wanted him to wrap my arms around his form so he could do the same with me.

He did no such thing, no. Instead, he brought my knuckles to his lips and pressed a kiss on them, “We should still work on your breathing, shall we?” I couldn’t talk, instead I turned my hand palm up and placed it along his jaw, holding him there a moment. With the sun hitting strongly, I could feel my whole body heating up, but it was not the only reason. The warmth inside me was welcoming and kind, frightening at time with how much I wanted more, but I enjoyed it. “We should- yes. We should resume training,” I said as I stepped away from him, his hands letting go of mine.

He stood there with a knowing smile, then stepped back and proceeded to explain how he would do it. After a while, he changed his way of explaining and gestured with his hands where he could feel the energy going through and enthusiastically. “I do not feel it there, it is more in his area,” I said as I pointed at my sternum, then asking him to wait as I put my sword on the ground. He shook his head, “That is wrong, it should be,” stepping closer he pressed his fingers on each side of my ribs then trailed against it back to the sternum, “The entire thing here, does it make sense?” He brought his hand on his chin once more, furrowing his brows as he thought deeper with a hum.

While he breathed heavily through his nose, I could feel the tingles on my skin, goosebumps. But there was no time to lose on this, I did as he instructed and closed my eyes, calming down my breathing. “Alright, now you have to visualize it- it is harder to explain than I thought it would be, but it has to go,” once again, he trailed his indexes, starting at my throat then grazed down quickly to separate at the ribs and set on the side. I ignored the shivered that ran down my spine, “That is how I do it, here,”

I opened my eyes in surprise when he put my hand on his side, the area that he showed on my body. “Do you feel the difference?” “I believe I do,” he laughed breathlessly, his smile faltering. It was my time to furrow my brows when I saw that, “Perhaps you should stop for a while-“ Just when I said that, he gripped my shoulder tight, his head hanging low. He was still smiling as he looked up at me, “As much as I would like to say I’m fine, I think it is a bit too much in one go,”

Chuckling, I agreed and helped him back on the parquet of the veranda where I sat him down and handed him back his fan, “Heat, alcohol, training,” “You,” “…it does have some effect on the body- I’m sorry? You said something?” The golden-haired man had said something as I berated him half-heartedly, but I did not quite catch it. Grabbing my burning sword from the ground, I brought it where there was shade and sat next to the Pillar.

He looked at me from the side, and smiled, “I said, you,”

“I, what?” I asked, confused. “You make my heart beat so fast, I am bound to feel dizzy sooner or later,” Huffing a laugh, I looked ahead instead of his blinding smile. If I stared at him again, I did not know what I would do. Would I have the audacity to reach for his hand? Or his cheek, perhaps… No, I wouldn’t. “I am willing to bet is it mainly due to the gaping wound in your stomach and the stifling heat, that is bound to have some effect on the body,”

His laugh would have been louder if he was not decomposing next to me, I heard a thud quickly after. Looking at him in panic, he was laying on the ground with a lazy smile, his entire body stretched out. “I am usually a lot better at handling heat, this is a first,” He chuckled.

Seeing Naho from the corner of my eyes, I gestured for her to approach when I noticed the tray with water and a cloth. She set it on the ground before hurrying off, I barely had time to thank her.

“Let it be the first and only time, yes? I do believe we are done with training for today, nothing much can be done in this heat,” I said as I placed the wet cloth on the man’s forehead. A long sigh of satisfaction left his lips when he opened his eyes and looked at me. I sat, kneeling by his side, changing the cloth every few minutes to get him to liven up. With his eyes locked on me, watching each of my movements, I was very aware the latter. I made sure to not overdo anything, nor to look at him. In this very position, I could easily lean in and- and nothing, get him to cool down and go, I reprimanded myself.

Stopping me by grabbing my arm gently, Rengoku spoke up, “If nothing much can be done in this heat, that means you are available for the rest of the day, correct?”

I nodded, quirking a brow as to ask what he meant. “Well,” He grunted as he went to sit up, I was quick to help him do so, feeling his muscles under my hands but not reacting. “Would you comb my hair? I do not know how to say this, but…” He trailed off, a short huff escaping his nose. Seeing how he seemed to grow timid, I voiced my agreement, adding, “I had indeed planned on doing so earlier today,” Standing up, I made my way to the cabinet, “Since you are so beautiful- your hair is, your hair it’s a beautiful color, it’s going to be fun to comb it,” I hummed unsure, hoping I had covered up my mishap. It was badly done for sure, since I was more eager to run my fingers through his hair than anything.

When I returned to the Pillar, he had made his way back inside where the air more bearable and was now sitting on his futon. I did not remark he had not put it away upon his awakening in the morning, but instead stood in front of him as I ask, “Are you certain you are feeling good? Only minutes ago, you were ready to pass out,” While I said it in a lighter tone, worry still weighed on me when I looked at his half-lidded eyes. Still, I knelt behind him and had to take a moment at the sight of his bare back. It took all the self-restraint in my body to not throw his hair over his shoulder and let my hands travel over his back muscles. Yet, I managed to hold back.

Part of me felt ashamed to need that much restraint when it came down to this man, but there was nothing I could do about it. “I will be honest with you; I might fall asleep. It seems I have overdone it today,” He chuckled, scooting back so that his lower back was against my knees. Laughing with him, I said he was right but that he wasn’t the only one at fault, “I should not have asked for your help, I knew you were in no shape to do so,” I then started combing his hair, encountering a lot of knots but Kyojuro did not seem in pain as I undid them, so I continued while talking.

He tried to look at me, leaning his head back but I pushed it back to straighten it, he laughed, “Do not feel guilty, I am sure we have made some progress. And I did get to see you flustered again, there is nothing to regret from that,” He said with conviction. It made me pause in my action, which gave him a chance to turn around and look at me from over his shoulder, “Yes, just like that, beautiful,” He grinned before turning around once again, letting me resume what I was doing.

A comfortable silence set between us, we could hear the water from the pond outside along the people talking in the corridors when they’d walk by the room before quickly echoing away. The heat was not going down, but the room temperature was good enough for us to get through it. I had a harder time with the warmth coming from the man in front of me, but I was not going to complain. I found comfort in him being this close to me, so much I had this growing fear inside me, this fear of losing him. After all, was I not getting him back to health so that he could fight some more? He was one of the strongest and was going to be fighting equally strong demons when it came down to it.

I hated it, there was nothing to do about it, for I was also going to be fighting but it was still a nagging fear that had made its way inside my mind. “I deeply respect you, Kyojuro, I trust you do what you believe is right and praise you for it… but sometimes being selfish is not bad, I know you are no such person but… consider it if you ever found yourself in a situation that gives you the choice,” I said softly as I run my hand through his hair to check if there were any other kinks in it. When I did not receive an answer from the exhausted man in front of me, I guessed he had fallen asleep.

Huffing to myself, I started threading my fingers through his hair once more, this time braiding it, “Perhaps it is for the best, it was out of place to say that much…” I mumbled to myself, not adding anything more as I finished braiding his hair. When it was done, I placed it over his shoulder and hesitated a moment.. Looking around the room, I made sure no one was looking and placed a kiss at the intersection of his neck and shoulder before standing up quickly, stumbling slightly from how long I had been sitting. I was amazed at how he could still be sitting when he was clearly asleep but still proceeded to lay him down before leaving silently.

For the rest of the afternoon and evening, I helped with making dinner. A lot more had to be made considering whom had joined earlier today, but also because the three recruits had the appetite of ogres. It seemed the training they were undergoing made them spend all their energy a lot faster and at the end of the day they were starved. While they all waited for the food, I had led the recruits to the Fire Pillar’s room as promised and left them all together, knowing Tanjirou would be a lot more cautious and take care of his friends if they were to go awry.

Doing something other than taking care of the Pillar was very welcome, it kept my mind off thinking of him which I now realized was a lot more recurrent than it used to be. I had always liked Rengoku, but clearly, spending more time with him reinforced that feeling a lot. I would still try to get myself to not consider getting together with him, but then my brain would remind me that he had set himself on the path of courting me and warmth would spread in my chest. My name was called as I was putting away the dishes, bringing back to the present.

“Tanjirou? Are you not with the others? I trusted you to take care of their… rambunctious attitude, is there a problem?” The boy shook his head and furrowed his brows a moment, before tentatively saying, “I thought… Big brother has been talking about you for a while now, I thought you had gone away on a mission and he was missing you but…” Hearing him say so brought heat up my cheeks, I heard the girls chuckle in the kitchen and turned around to shush them. It was hard to keep myself from smiling but I kept my composure, “Well, you can tell him I will return soon,” I held back from saying that I will spend the night with him again.

Another fit of giggles behind me brought back the heat to my cheeks, but also to the young man’s, in front of me. He gave me a curt nod before hurrying off, embarrassed. When he was gone, I resumed my activities without saying anything, but I could hear the comments from the people in the kitchen. “Are you aware I can hear you?” I asked, half-joking half-annoyed. Their giggles stopped, ushering their words into a silence as they went back to their tasks.

I knew the rumors would spread fast, but if Kyojuro was being this obvious in whatever he was doing, they were bound to grow even more. I made a mental note to mention it to him as I walked to his room, thinking I would be hearing some ruckus and found myself surprised when it was completely silent. Should I go in? Perhaps he has fallen asleep again, along with the three boys? They needed to rest, I should peek and make sure- “The nervous hovering!” The door was slid wide open as the joyous man stood in front of me, his hair still how I had left them.

It suited him. It suited him so well, even more so with his kimono properly draped over his shoulders. A weird feeling wormed its way in my chest when I looked at how gorgeous he looked like this, “I was not hovering, I thought you were asleep,” Looking over his shoulder, I noticed he was alone, “Have the recruits left already?” “Yes! When young Tanjirou told me you were coming back, I made them leave, the evening is ours after all,” He smiled gently.

I knew he did not mean it in the way I heard it in my head, the one that involved more proximity, so I banished the thought and hummed. Two little forms slid inside the room and placed the food trays on the ground before hurrying off, I managed to catch a glimpse of their grinning face as Kiyo and Sumi disappeared. “Come on,” Taking my hand in his, he led me inside, I noticed my futon was already spread out and a lot closer too. I did not know if it was on purpose or accidental, but whichever it was, I was not going to say anything.

“You know, Kyojuro. I was not entirely sure everyone in the mansion knew I had spent the night here, but with how open you are to talking about it, I’m sure even the young Master knows, now,” Was I complaining? Or was I embarrassed by how he had no filter when talking about this? At this point, I was sure he had talked about it in length with the recruits who had nothing to do with any of this nor found interest in the topic.

Nodding, Rengoku swallowed and said, “Master Ubuyashiki knows, I have been exchanging letters with him,” I felt my throat tighten, that was what I feared. I never knew what the rule regarding relationships between demon slayers was, it was one of the main things holding me back from taking a step further. At least that is what I kept telling myself. Clearing my throat, I ate some more and inquired, “What? I am not sure it is allowed. No, actually, I do not know anything about what is accepted in the corps, regarding that…”

With his eyes wide, Rengoku stared right at me, “It? That? Would you mind being clearer?” His tone was innocent, but he was smiling proudly, as if he had caught me. Straightening my back, I played the serious card, “Well, you are courting me, are you not?” He laughed, nodding, “Correct. And you are doing the same with me, in your own way, is that right?” I was, indeed. Less with words, more with actions, but I was. I was relieved he noticed and that he did not think he was doing it for nothing. But I did not reply.

Feeling his hand on my ankle, I was startled and let out a sound of surprise, making him chuckle as he said, “Would you mind answering me?” “I am. Yes, I am courting you, because you are very,” Many words crossed my mind, beautiful, kind, stunning, funny, warm, welcoming. But only one left my mouth, “nice. You are nice, yes.”

He had to cover his mouth when laughing this time, his eyes closing as he did so. At this very moment, I thought, if I could, I would have painted this very moment and kept in my room the beautiful sight he had given me when laughing so brightly. It was something I’d never forgot. I looked down at my food, his cute laugh engraved in my head. “Well, Master Ubuyashiki informed me he had nothing to say, as long as we both put our duty before anything else. Which, I am sure you can do, if… it came down to it, someday,” “Of course, if it ever, yes…” We both looked up, our eyes meeting an instant before looking back at our food. A smile grazed my lips, I could feel it.

Without much more to say on the topic, the conversation drifted off to family and things we loved to do when we were younger, it flowed smoothly. It was also relaxing, even more so with the cool breeze of the night that entered the room. When we were done, and everything was tidied up we slid in our respective futon, lulled to sleep by the lighter temperature and the cricket conversations outside. In the depth of the night, lit up by a clear sky, as the door leading to the garden was still open, Kyojuro said my name softly.

“Yes?” I replied, my voice barely a whisper as I turned around on my futon to look at him. He was already facing me, his eyes wide open, not an ounce of sleep painted on his features. In an ushered tone, he asked, “Would you please sing for me?” There is a lot going on in my mind, was the subtext when he worded his question.

I reached out for his hand and held it gently, “Well, would that help you sleep?” I whispered, chuckling tiredly. “I think so,” He said it as if confiding in me, huffing a short laugh. Even with the little light that illuminated the room, I could see how his eyes flickered almost sadly before setting on our intertwined hands.

Not commenting on it, I started humming tiredly. I did not know how long it took for us to fall asleep, but I remembered him mumbling something before passing out. What had he said, I do not know, but I did felt serene as I dozed off.

[Part 3]

[xpeachesncream]

off the grid | three

summary: it was as simple as swapping places with a stranger from across the world to get away from everything back home. that is - until you meet Jimin. things become more complicated as he unfolds a new chapter in your life that you were initially trying to avoid.

pairing: reader x pjm

genre: post-college au, christmas/holiday au | angst, fluff, smut (to come)

words: 2.4k

chapter warnings: cussing / mature language, definitely inaccurate depiction of transportation, events and whereabouts in South Korea since i only did my research thru the internet, jimin continues to be cute as fuck for being such an angel

> series masterlist <

"Jimin!" You whined as he had hurriedly grabbed the check from the waitress and politely shoved it back in her hand with his card.

"I just wanted you to enjoy your lunch." He laughed at your pouty face - brows furrowed, lips poking out.

"That doesn't mean I can't pay for my own food."

"Can you relax? It's fine. If anything, you can just get me when we grab dessert later."

"Sure, if you don't beat me to it again."

"Maybe it's your reflexes."

"Wow, I'm a little appalled at that statement. Already judging me?"

"Never that, just being honest." He smiled. "Okay, I'm joking. Don't kill me." He laughed as he stood up and gathered his stuff. You two were spending some time going around Insa-Dong before heading to a park near the N Seoul Tower later tonight to chill.

Besides beaming with kindness, Jimin was patient. He let you walk around wherever, doing whatever, without complaining. He was also very smart, giving the inside scoop with the added bonus of tips and tricks and reciting historical facts when the perfect opportunity arose. He made fun of you for buying small, cute souvenirs because it seemed like a never ending collection, but nonetheless, he really enjoyed how happy you looked. How you glowed. How down to earth and laid back you were. Even though it hadn't been long since you met, you weren't reserved and you took him in (as he was) with ease. He was normally a shy person, but he appreciated the warmth that radiated from you. He felt comfortable, almost like you both had known each other for years.

"Come on, Y/N." He laughed. "Really? How many more pins and stickers do you need?"

"Jimin, you need to lower your voice." You joked.

"I'm sorry." He began to raise his voice, causing others to turn towards you two. "HOW MANY MORE PINS-"

"Oh my god, okay! Stop! I'll drop it!" He laughed and prevented you from dropping your items down.

"I'm just playing. I'll stop." It hit you that his hand still lingered on yours, so you quickly drop it down before shyly tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

"I promise this is it." You shrugged. "For now." You kept smirking at him over your shoulder before you happily walked over to the counter. After slipping the small shopping bag into your bigger shopping bag, you met Jimin outside of the shop who had been taking pictures of the street with his polaroid camera. "Do you always do this?"

"Take pictures? Yeah, I like holding onto the memories, as cliché as that sounds. They really do hold a lot of meaning for me."

"No, I think that's pretty cool."

"Do you mind?" He slightly rose his camera towards you.

"If you take pictures of me?" He nodded silently. "No, I don't."

"Thanks. It'll add a nice touch to my collection." He quickly snapped a picture of you smiling.

The two of you continued to walk around, with Jimin making sure you didn't miss anything significant. He led the way majority of the time, dancing when he would hear music playing on the street, mimicking ads posted on the walls or simply taking more pictures. When you both had your fill of the area, he drove to a nearby bbq restaurant where you could get some jajangmyeon, samgyeopsal and other entrees ready made for takeout before grabbing dessert on the way to the park. You held onto the food while he grabbed a blanket from the trunk of his car and laid it on the grass so you two could dig in and eat.

"That's a nice ass view." You said, staring at the tower up ahead.

"I could take you up there another day. There isn't much, but the view at the tower is amazing."

"I bet."

"So, what made you want to come to here?" All this time you had been spending with Jimin had been occupied by all the plans that you hadn't been able to really talk about this. You hadn't been able to divulge about the dirty details of all things home.

"I really just wanted a break from the chaos." You shrugged.

"Mmm, really painting a great picture of Los Angeles right now." He said sarcastically before he covered his mouth to laugh.

"Sorry, it's a great place, really. I honestly can't see myself anywhere else." You sighed. "I just.. felt myself slipping, you know? I was getting lost in all the work I had to get done, all the projects on my plate. At one point I felt so stuck that I really questioned if I belonged. I'm turning 26 soon and I still feel lost."

"Impostor syndrome?"

"Yes, that."

"Why? You made it that far, haven't you? May I ask what you do back home?"

"I work in translational science." His eyes widened.

"Wow, that's amazing. You came this far, Y/N. Why would you doubt yourself like that?"

"I guess I just always feel like I need to prove myself to everyone around me."

"In work or in general?"

"It was starting to feel like I had to prove myself in general."

"That's not fair. I know it's easier said than done, but you shouldn't do that to yourself. From what I can tell, you're a great person who's down to earth and enjoys life as it comes. There's nothing wrong with that. You're where you're at for a reason. I'm sure your friends and parents are really proud of you."

"Thanks." You smiled softly. "Yeah, my parents are pretty great."

"Yeah? See, that's good. What are your parents like?"

"Well, my dad is the executive director of another lab, while my mom is a pediatric nurse."

"So, science and healthcare revolves around your family."

"Pretty much. My dad is the reason why I got so interested in pursuing a career in science. He would always teach me things growing up and I always enjoyed going to science museums with him. That's all I wanted to do."

"That's cute." He smiled. "You're really close to your parents, then."

"Yeah, I am."

"Do they know you're here?" You nodded.

"Yeah. They were just sad I didn't join them on their Europe holiday trip."

"What?! You turned that down to come here? You're something else." You laughed and tossed a crumpled napkin at him, making him dodge it.

"Hey! I told you. I just wanted to do something solo. Something different."

"I mean, are you really doing it solo if you're here with me?" He smirked.

"I'm leaving."

"No, I'm kidding." He laughed as he put his hand out to stop you. "I know, I know. For the record, I'm glad you're hanging out with me and letting me show you around."

"Nice save, Park."

"You got it, sweetness." He winked, making you shake your head at the pet name.

"What about you? What's up with you and your family? I can tell you and Yana are close."

"Yeah, we are. I'm really happy about the relationship we have. She's my older sister and she's done a lot for me. A lot." He emphasized. "I can't help but feel super protective of her. I feel like I want to shield her from the world sometimes because she's such a good person and I don't want to see her get hurt, you know? It hurts me." You nodded silently. "I know part of the reason why she agreed to this whole thing was because of her ex." You swallowed the lump in your throat because same. Fucking same.

"I get that. That's really sweet of you."

"As for the rest of my family, I mean.." He sighed. "Yeah, we're all close. I love my mom and dad. I'd do anything for them, no question about that. They've always been supportive. But, sometimes I can't help but feel like I disappoint them."

"Why do you say that? Only if you feel comfortable, though." And he did. Jimin really did. He wasn't much to talk about his personal details because he was so busy trying to make sure his people were good, that people he cared for were okay. He barely had time to look out for himself, but he didn't mind it. All he wanted was for his people to be good. If that could happen, then all was well. Plus, he would hate to have to burden someone with such negative thoughts. It wasn't the happiest topic for him.

"I do." He softly smiled at you, his eyes wide and round like a puppy. He ran his hand through his hair before adjusting his position on the blanket. You couldn't help but feel weak at the sight of him. Sheesh. He could do the bare minimum and it would still be so attractive. "My sister is super smart and successful. She's worked so hard to get to where she is now. I mean, she works for a really popular magazine here. She started as an intern, then worked her way up and now she's close to creating her own clothing line. It's been her dream and she really worked to make it happen."

"That's amazing."

"Isn't it? She's such a boss." He shook his head. "And then there's me." He scoffed. "I went to school for business, with a minor in art. But that's about it for me. I don't really know what I want to do or how to go about making my degree useful." He used air quotes. "I honestly just don't even know. I got through school just fine, but I never had set plans for myself. I help my mom and dad at their cafe, then that's it." He shrugged.

"Jimin, you still have so much time to figure out what you want to do. Don't beat yourself up just because you didn't get there as quickly as Yana or other people. Your path isn't theirs and vice versa."

"It just gets hard, you know? I want to make them proud."

"And I'm sure they are. They always will be. You have so much to offer to the world, no doubt. You'll be able to show that in time."

"Thanks Y/N, I needed to hear that. Really." He smiled. "Just you listening makes me feel better."

"You should make more time for yourself, Jimin." You already could tell what kind of person Jimin was. One that always made time for everyone but himself. One who was completely and utterly selfless.

"I know, I'm working on it." He scooped into his ice cream cup. "So, enough of me." He chuckled. "Back to you."

"What else can I say about me?"

"I don't know, Y/N. I'm sure you have a lot you can say about yourself besides being a badass scientist." You chuckled. "Is that really the only reason why you came to Seoul? To get a break from LA and work?"

"If I'm being completely honest, no." He nodded as he continued to keep his attention on scooping more of his ice cream. "I'm actually in the same boat as Yana with the whole ex situation." You scoffed. "It sounds pathetic coming from me, I know."

"No." He shook his head. "No, it doesn't."

"I dated this guy for almost 5 years. But, it was so on and off and inconsistent during the last year. After we officially broke up, I couldn't separate myself from him, even if he was treating me like shit. Like a convenience. He would come around whenever he wanted to, even though he was already seeing other girls and playing his games. I was so tired of crying and feeling hurt over the fact that I was so replaceable. I was longing to find myself again."

"I'm really sorry, Y/N. I can't apologize on his behalf, but you definitely don't deserve that."

"It is what it is."

"No, it's not. Someone who is more worried about getting their ego boosted than treating someone right doesn't deserve your time. None of this was your fault and I really hope you know that."

"It took me a long time to see it that way, of course. It was really difficult. I always questioned what was wrong with me."

"Nothing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. Please hear me when I say that. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I really mean it. You're beautiful, smart and you have a lot of things going for you. If he can't fit in that equation, then fuck it. That's on him and that's his loss." You chuckled.

"Thanks, Jimin."

"Of course." He tilted his head to the side as he smiled. He continued to stare for a bit longer, eyeing all of your features and taking it all in. You were really beautiful to him. A work of art. The last thing he wanted to do was scare you away, but he felt compelled to be by your side while you were around. He just wanted to keep spending time with you, getting to know you and making you happy. That became his goal. "So, uh. I have a couple of more places I'd like to take you to, if that's alright?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm down to see everything and anything I can while I'm still here."

"I'll do my best." He chuckled. After you both finished up your ice cream, you threw out the empty containers and packed up the blanket before heading back home. You knew you were going to keep spending more time with Jimin and his friends, but you were beginning to feel a little sad parting ways at the end of the night. You gave Jimin a tight hug and said your goodnights before shutting the door. You threw your shoes off to the side and took a quick shower before plopping yourself into the warm sheets. Yoongi had left you a voicemail you hours ago, but you had been so caught up that you hadn't checked your phone until now. You weren't going to call back due to the time change. Namjoon and Yoongi were for sure knocked the hell out. They wouldn't hear a thing.

"Oyyy," Yoongi's raspy voice came up on the voicemail. "Just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing down there. Namjoon is out running errands but I think he's gonna be hanging out with Yana again. Call me back when you get a chance. But not when it's like 4 or 5AM here please. Take care of yourself and be safe."

[skylarmoon71]

Loki Laufeyson : (Short Story)- Chapter 4

"How are you holding up back there." you could barely reply, the very prominent stab wound in your stomach was making it a bit difficult to do much. You held your abdomen, resting your head on the back of the helicopter. Natasha was clenching our hand as Steve steered, hoping they could make it to the tower before you bled out. Your vision was getting a bit spotty.

"We're almost there Nat, make sure she doesn't lose consciousness!" 

Steve called. Natasha nodded.

"You hear that, we'll be there in no time. Don't you dare close your eyes."

"I'm sorry." This was your fault. Since your conversation with Loki, you couldn't concentrate. Not only did you put the mission at risk, but you also managed to endanger your team. If Natasha hadn't gotten to you when she did, you would have been sporting far worse that a knife wound. You coughed, and some blood ran over the side of your lips. Natasha titled your body, ensuring that you didn't choke on your own blood.

"We're losing her!" Natasha panicked. You wanted to stay awake, but it was so hard. You felt so weak, and cold.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)!!"

~~~

"Get her back here immediately. " Steve is carrying your body through the hallway, and he stops when they get to the medical room. Tony and Bruce rush to your side, and the rest of them are gathered around, watching how pale you seem now. You're lying there and Bruce is reaching for supplies to get to the wound. Tony has all the equipment ready, and in seconds, Bruce has a pair of scissors, cutting around your vest to get to the wound.

"What the hell happened!" Bucky demands. He pushes forward, but Steve grabs his shoulder, shaking his head. Now isn't the best time to lose his temper. His lips form a thin line, and they can't do much but watch Tony and Bruce work. When the door opens behind it's Loki and Thor who walk in. Their smiling, discussing something. That all stops when they see your body on the table.

"Lady (Y/N)." Thor is stunned at the scene, and Loki takes a few steps closer. It's weird for him. He's grown used to your frown whenever he steps into the room.

Bruce has just finished hooking the patches to your body, and the vitals displayed in not to his liking.

"This isn't good, she's going to crash. She's lost too much blood. We need a transfusion."

As high tech as the building is, Tony doesn't have blood just lying around. It would take time to obtain some. As it stands, they don't have time.

"We're in luck, she's a universal recipient. " Bruce says in relief when he runs through your charts. Natasha is already rolling up her sleeves.

"I'll do it." Loki states.

They're a bit taken aback.

"That's generous of you, but you're not exactly human. We have no idea what kind of repercussions that will have on her." Bruce argues.

"It's because I'm not human that makes it the best choice. My blood should help to speed up her recovery."

"Brother, are you sure?"

"I'm positive. "

Maybe it's because he feels he owes you something. They don't really have the luxury to question it. Loki takes a seat, and Bruce is still a bit hesitant when he hooks up the needle to his arm, connecting it to yours. His eyes dart to the screen, checking to see if there is any significant change.

Positive or negative.

The steady beeping that follows makes Bruce sigh. "Her pulse is returning to normal. Blood pressure has lowered too." He's going over every bit of information, just to make sure this doesn't turn south, and Loki settles into the chair, watching your slow breaths. Your hands twitch, and he jolts when he feels a shock. He blinks for a second, wondering if he imagined it.

"Brother, what's the matter?" He's not sure.

"Nothing it's, I was sure I felt something." he squints, now he feels a bit of a migraine, and he grips the bridge of his nose.

"Where am I?" The voice in his head makes his eyes dart around.

"(Y/N)?" Loki speaks aloud.

They watch him wearily. 

"Are you sure you're doing okay buddy." Tony asks. 

You're still unconscious, so they can't see how he could be talking as if you aren't.

"It's (Y/N), I think she's...she's speaking with me."

"No way.. Even while she's unconscious are you sure?" Bruce's curiosity gets the best of him.

"Loki? Is that you, what happened. The last thing I remember I was on the helicopter and I.."

The monitor starts to flash, a loud beeping increases. Bruce scrambles over to the screen.

"Loki get her to relax or she's going to blow the machines!" He hollers.

He reaches over, taking your hand.

"Calm down, we've managed to stabilize your body. You're in the medical facility. You need to relax."

It's said so calmly, and you're not sure why, but you comply. When the beeping fades out, Bruce can breath again.

"How come you're the only one who can hear me."

"It must be the blood transfusion. Our abilities are somewhat alike in certain instances. "

"You're...giving me blood?"

Loki smiles. "Don't sound so surprised, I do have a heart mortal."

"Didn't I say stop calling me that. You're lucky I'm unconscious otherwise I'd beat your ass. Again."

This time Loki laughs out loud.

Tony watches suspiciously.

"What are you guys talking about."

"Trivial things."

Tony doesn't quite believe it. "Riiiight. Well she seems stable, and you two apparently have a lot to talk about so we'll just leave you to it. I'll take this in case anything changes." He grabs a smaller device.

"This will go off the minute she wakes up, or in case she goes jedi on us again."

Tony ushers everyone out, deciding that you and Loki need a little time to chat.

"Wait a second this is incredible. I have to study to see how far her telepathic waves-"

"Not now doctor." He has to pull Bruce out, and Thor sends a proud smile in Loki's direction right before they leave.

"Loki." There's a bit of uncertainty in your tone this time.

"What is it, if you're worried about being alone there's no need. I'm right here."

You never thought you'd feel so relieved to hear those words.

"T-Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. On the grand scale of things, I owe you at least this much."

He's referring to what happened when he went all crazy trying to take over the world. It causes a flash of guilt, and Loki is a bit overwhelmed by the weight of it when he feels your pain reflected off of him. 

"Is that what you feel all the time." He closes his eyes to try and make it go away.

"Y-Yeah it's...it gets a bit hard to deal with." You have to get a better handle, because he's connected now. So if you aren't careful, he may feel all your conflicting feels, not just the negative ones. That unnerves you.

"You're not just a telepath, you're an empath."

"I have no idea what I am."

He recalls the story of your childhood. It dawns on him that whoever your birth parents were, they had to have been powerful people. Possibly not even truly humans.

"Have you ever tried looking for them, you're birth parents."

It's personal, and he knows that the question sends you in slight chaos. There is a sense of dread that runs through his veins. "I haven't." you finally respond. The sinking in his stomach disappears, replaced by a warmth. 

"I already have a family." He wonders if the warmth is due to the memories you've had with your foster parents.

"I can feel how much you love them." It reminds him of the way he treasured his late mother Frigga. There is a lot he's regretted in his life. One of his biggest is possibly not expressing how she never made him feel like less than what he was. She was the one who got him into magic.

"You have someone like that, I can feel it. Who is she?"

You're not at full strength, otherwise you would have just picked the name right from his mind. But you hope that he wants to actually tell you.

"Her name was Frigga. She..she was my mother. She was an incredible person. She didn't deserve to..she shouldn't have died."

His grief, it was so strong. Not what you expected at all. Not for him.

"I'm sorry."

Loki shook his head.

"It's in the past."

"I'm not just talking about her. I'm sorry for what I said before. It was wrong, and cruel. I was trying so hard to look at you like you were a monster because I was pissed at myself. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I just took it out on you. I'm sorry Loki."

Loki smiled at that. 

"I am sorry as well. For everything." his hand tightened, squeezing your palm, and in that room, all you could feel was a general warmth wash over. 

For the first time since you came, you weren't angry.

[twokinkybeans]

Inch By Inch (Sequel to Seven Inches - Tailor!AU)

A sequel to Seven Inches, written for both our TwoKinkyBeans July Exchange plus the line prompt that Lien sent me:

“Oh” Tony coos as Peter gives him another quick gasp. “Can’t get enough of me, can you?”

I hope you guys enjoy!!! 

Warnings: nff, smut, handcuffs, light dom/sub, pet names, a size kink I didn’t quite intend to write but IT HAPPENED.

-

Peter stares at the supple material that’s spread out all over the desk. He swallows and reaches out for it. His fingers trace past the tightly woven twill texture. May, from the other side of the shop, cocks an eyebrow at him. “You’re alright up there?” Peter’s cheeks flare up right away. He tries to come up with a somewhat plausible excuse as to why he takes such a sudden interest in the navy blue material. He can’t think of any. The only thing that keeps replaying in his mind is Tony’s promise. He can nearly feel the man’s hot breath tickling on his ear again. “Make that tweed suit yourself, kid, and it’ll be the one I wear when I take that sweet little ass for the first time.”  The man had slapped is butt and resumed their earlier conversation as though nothing had happened. Fuck, he wants Tony so bad.

“I, eh-” Peter stutters, “-I want to learn how to make a suit myself.” May squints at him, searching his face. “Why do I have a feeling this has something to do with a certain customer?” She presses her lips together, but her eyes betray how she’s trying to hold back a wide grin. Peter smiles sheepishly.  “I wouldn’t know what you’re talking about.” “Mmmh.”

-

Peter’s focus is nowhere to be found. He wants to listen to May as she gently explains different sewing techniques to him, he truly wants to. Yet, it’s only Tony’s voice he hears inside his mind. Gosh. He wonders what it’ll feel like to have Tony inside of him. Sure, he’s been topped by other guys before, but nothing is comparable to the size of Tony’s massive cock. He can already imagine it sticking out of the thick pants proudly. The suit itself would be a hot as fuck look without question. Would Peter be able to feel the structure of the fabric against his thighs? Feel every little fiber?

Peter craves it all. The man’s voice, his hot gaze. Since the ‘Shop Incident’, they haven’t even laid hands on each other again. Okay, well, they had. But nothing truly sexual. Just chaste kisses and whispered promises as it’d been impossible to find space in their shared schedules. Peter has been very occupied with his newly found Spider-Man duties now that Tony had taken the role as a mentor too. His new suit is insanely good, and Peter loves patrolling in it and exploring all the latest tech the man included. Tony has been busy also, and he hasn’t made it into the shop once.

“Peter Benjamin Parker, get your ass back to earth.” “Wha-” Peter breathes out startled and blinks a few times. There, he’s got no focus. 

No. 

Focus. 

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but your crush is as big as Stark’s wealth.” His aunt shakes her head almost teasingly. “Aaaargh, May, how do I get rid of it?” “You don’t. Well, you will eventually. But while it’s there, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You’ll be walking with your head on cloud nine for quite some time.”

Peter is silent for a few seconds, letting her words sink in. “Do you… Do you think I’m too naive?” “How- Why do you think that?” “He’s Tony Stark, May. Am I… Delusional for thinking he might actually want me?” “It’s clear he does, isn’t it?” “I mean…” His voice trails off. May finally puts the fabric back down on the table.  “Yeah?” “More? I mean more. Oh, I don’t know. I don’t even know if I want more, then how can I even think about what he might want from me?” May makes a shushing noise, shaking her head and grabbing Peter’s hands within her own. She smiles sweetly at him in the way only she can. A warm, comforting feeling spreads in his chest, and his panic dies down. 

“Peter,” she whispers and tucks a loose curl back behind his ear. “As much as I understand your nerves… They’re only natural. And there’s no hurry. Now tell me, what’s with the suit? Every time you see it, you get a little weird.” “He… He made a promise about it.” “Oh?” “Mmmh, I’ll spare you the details.” “Oh.” She chuckles. “In that case, why don’t we get back to making it?” “That sounds like a solid plan.”

And that’s what they do.

-

Peter’s heart hammers in his chest when his eyes dart up to the top of the immensely large building that is the Stark Tower. He’s been here before, obviously. But never as Peter. Always as Spider-Man- with the other Avengers around as well. Now, he’s just Peter. A tailor-in-learning. On his way to deliver a handmade suit to his crush/mentor/hero. Tony. Tony Stark. The richest man in the States. 

How the fuck did he get here.

He stares at the intimidating entrance. Men and women in their sophisticated clothes walk in and out of the building. He feels terribly out of place, but he takes a deep breath and pushes through his nerves. The large, busy foyer nearly overloads his sense. However, a few deep breaths help him to shut out the visual and audible stimuli. He strides over to the reception area and smiles politely at the lady behind the computer.  “Hi! I’m Peter, Peter Parker, Miss. I uh, I’m here to see Mr. Stark? About his new suit?” He holds up the package to show it. The woman returns his smile and nods.  “Let me check his schedule, Sir.”

Sir. Peter almost snorts but feels very proud at the same time. 

“Mr. Stark is expecting you in his private quarters. Here,” she says. She hands him a keycard and then points towards the elevator. “The keycard grants you access to both the elevator and his suite. It’ll take you to the right floor automatically. Please hand it in when you leave the building.” Peter nods, his jaw slack as he takes in all the information. He slides the keycard through his fingers, twisting- turning and playing with it nervously. Pressing his lips together, Peter thanks the lady once more and makes his way towards the elevator. 

It isn’t until he actually sets foot into the metal box that he realizes what exactly the woman had told him. He nearly gasps. His heart misses a beat and his cheeks heat up.

Private quarters.

Oh God- Oh God. Tony has set up the meeting in his private quarters. That means something. Doesn’t it? Or is he the type of man that doesn’t care about random people stalking through his living space? Peter has no clue. He hopes he’s an exception to the general rule. That no one else is allowed in the man’s suite. 

He hopes… Well- He hopes Tony and him are going to have sex. Real sex this time. Tony promised. He told Peter they would. He wouldn’t back down now, would he? Peter sighs, tapping his foot in restless motion. Peter eyes the small display indicating the floor they’re at and inhales slightly when he sees they’re nearly there. This is it. This is-

Ding.

Peter clutches the suit a little closer and hesitantly steps out. Everything in the Tower is absolutely gigantic, and apparently, the suite is no exception to that. Peter can’t even imagine having… This much space. The glass windows let the sunlight cast a golden glow over the man’s presumable costly possessions. He takes it all in. The large, plush sofa. The pool table. The fucking  hot tub in the middle of the room with circular descending steps around. A soft, instrumental beat is playing through the hidden speakers. Peter wonders how on earth he will find Tony seeing that this is just his leisure room.  “Mr.-” “Ah, Parker, there you are. I’ve been waiting for you.” 

Peter turns around startled and stares at the man leaning against the side of the bar. A smirk plays on Tony’s lips and he raises his glass. “You want some?” “I, eh-” Peter babbles, still a little dumbfounded. Tony flails his free hand, and Peter decides a quick why the fuck not. If he’s old enough to fuck whoever he wants, he can sure take a small drink, right?

A few minutes later, they’re seated on the large plush sofa. Peter sips his Tequila Sunrise cocktail. Tony insisted that Peter would enjoy it and much to Peter’s liking and dismay, Tony was right. He’s not 100% sure what’s in there, but he sure isn’t complaining. “So,” Tony smirked, “-I see you brought a new suit?” Peter eyes the suit, still neatly packed in its cover.  “I- I did, Mr. Stark. Would you like to try it on?” Tony tilts his head. His eyes burning, prodding and oh God- Peter can feel his own heartbeat speed up. “Show it to me first, boy.”

They stare at each other for a brief moment. They both know what’s happening. They’re slipping back into their roles. Just as they had in the shop. Tony’s voice already dropping a notch, the rough scratch in his words catching on his tongue so sweetly. So… Authoritative.  “Of course, Sir,” Peter gushes and rushes to pull the zipper down. Carefully, he takes out the suit, smiling slightly at the feel of the thick, textured fabric as it slides past his hands. Tweed suits are not very high in demand, but they definitely radiate a certain chic vibe. Maybe because it’s so timeless.  “Here you go.”

Peter stands up, holding the piece by the clothing hanger and blushes when he hears Tony’s appreciative hum. The man stands up too. Slow. Calculating. He strides closer, making Peter’s dick twitch every time the man’s leather soles hit the floor. When Tony stops right in front of him, the older man grins. “Oh, isn’t it just gorgeous,” he coos. “Almost as beautiful as you. Tell me, did you make this?” “I-I did, Sir. My aunt, uhm- May. She obviously helped me get the technique right.” “Goooooood.”

A pause.

“Now, be a good boy and help me change clothes.” “Yes, Mr. Stark,” Peter whispers breathlessly. For a short second, Peter waits for Tony to make the first move. It never comes- oh.  A strangled noise escapes from his throat when he takes a step closer. His fingers moving up to help Tony get out of his cardigan sweater. He’s the one making the movements, and yet it feels almost humiliating to undress Tony. In the very best way, of course. “Am I doin’ it right?” “Mmh- Just keep it up, honeycomb.” Peter nearly cracks up at the pet name, but the lustful look in Tony’s eyes keeps him going. He’s deliberately not being very careful. His fingers brushing past Tony’s naked, warm skin at every possible opportunity where he slides the fabric off the man’s shoulders. The icy, blue light coming from the Arc Reactor shining freely onto Peter’s face. It’s… Such a powerful device. Peter groans. “I can feel the vibrations,” he mumbles as he keeps staring at it. His hands slowly trace down now. He definitely should work a little faster if he wants the man inside him sooner rather than later. It’s not gonna happen automatically.  His hands work on the fly of the pants and he tugs them down impatiently. Then, he drops onto his knees. Carefully untying Tony’s shoelaces and taking them off together with the pants. All that’s left now are the tight, black undies. “Leave them on for now. Go on, dress me.”

-

“Oh, oh!” Peter whimpers out loud. His arms are shackled to the headboard above his head. His legs are draped over Tony’s still fully clothed shoulders and the man’s cock pounds into him harsh and fast. The soft, thick wool pants have slid down to Tony’s knees where it rests on the sturdy mattress. “Oh” Tony coos as Peter gives him another quick gasp. “Can’t get enough of me, can you?” “P-Please, gimme everything, every last inch of you,” Peter pants heavily. He feels so incredibly full. It’s nothing like he’s ever experienced before, and it only aids in riding his ecstasy more and more. He can’t really feel Tony’s balls slapping against his skin yet, and somehow it’s the only thing he’s ever wanted at this moment. “More, need more!” “Yes, ’m gonna make you fall apart at the seams,” Tony growls. He slows down his movements for a good second and tightens his secure grip on Peter’s hips, dragging him up a bit. Peter snorts at the pun, but the light chuckle morphs into a loud and pleading moan when Tony slowly but surely fills Peter up wholly. The weight of his balls finally settling against his skin. Peter’s eyes water at the near overwhelming intensity of pure happiness coursing through him. He did it. He took a full seven inches inside of him.

Everything that happens after that is one big blur. Tony manages to hold him up with just one hand, using the other to drag sweet strokes on Peter’s hard and leaking cock. Everything just feels so goddamn perfect, the fire in his stomach building and building and building and- “I can’t- I can’t stop oh fuck oh Tony!!” Peter cries out, cum spurting from his cock right onto his chest. His eyes are pressed shut, his head pressed back into the soft, fluffy pillow. “I keep coming...” he mumbles completely dazed. It’s true though, he can feel the muscles jerk- aiding in forcing even the last few drops out of him.  Tony’s hips stutter. His breathing simply stops as he presses into Peter with such force that it brushes past Peter’s overstimulated prostate again. It stays there when the cum oozes from the man’s dick. It fills him up, Peter can feel the slight pulsing inside of him. 

“Oh, sweet boy…” Tony murmurs after a few seconds of undisturbed serenity. The firm grip suddenly becomes a very soft caress on Peter’s tired muscles, and it’s only then that he feels they’re trembling. Slowly, Tony helps him put his legs down. As a result, his cock slips out, and Peter gasps when his hole desperately tries to clench around nothing after the fast pounding it received.  “Mmh- feels cold,” he mumbles. Tony is quick to respond to that, shifting around so he’s able to tug the sheets up to cover the exhausted boy. Peter lets out an appreciative groan.  “So,” he smiles sleepily, the tiredness catching up with him, “-do you like your new suit?” Tony snorts, and he nods. “It’s perfect, such hidden talent in you, Spider-Boy.” “Oh, go fuck yourself,” he giggles. Tony tilts his head playfully. “Nah, I’d rather fuck you. After a short break, obviously.”

Peter gives the man a teasing push, only to draw him down and nuzzle into his chest. He might not be sure what Tony wants from him, but Peter sure as fuck wants cuddles right here, right now. “Hug me.” “As you wish, honeycomb.”

[atinybitofau]

S E O N G H W A ⭇ art thief au

WHO COULD PUT A PRICE ON FINE ART?

a/n: had a little fun with this one hehet

• “A little more to the left.. a little more... there! That’s perfect.”

• now I know this sounds boring.

• —you being one of the most elite art exhibit planners in the country.

• except you find it more worth while than anyone else normally would.

• art being more important to you than a menial article of praise.

• art was a gift—

• a skill no less.

• that shouldn’t be auctioned for money hungry fools.

• but for people with a taste.

• though you don’t give yourself enough credit.

• not like anyone gives it to you in any how.

• “Y/n, Mr. Jung won’t be making it tonight. The finalized list of visitors will be printed and in your hands before doors open.”

• you smile your assistant away, fumbling with white tulips in a priceless vase.

• “One less of a burden anyway. We can open doors at 7.”

• things at the exhibit were perfect.

• after all, it was you who planned it.

• artists from far and wide just thieving for your expertise.

• the expertise of setting their art up.

• time was almost near,

• you, yourself presenting like an art piece from the pop up.

• but lights blind you as you check yourself in the mirror.

• halls eerily quiet.

• till you hear a hushed glass shatter over your breath.

• you run on your 5 inch heels thinking,

• how could you have been so unprepared?

• you, a widely known exhibit planner,

• to be robbed minutes before the exhibit even begins.

• you gasp,

• when the lights flicker on.

• a man like Spider-Man hanging lopsided from a rope, only lips shown to you.

• vice and like an art form itself.

• the way it mocked you and your excellence.

• “You’ve done an outstanding job, Ms. y/n. With your over the top art events— I couldn’t help but drop by and steal a glance of my own.”

• your jaw tightens and you’re eye locked with the masked robber.

• “A man like you shouldn’t feel honored.”

• “That may be so. But I’m definitely honored by the art pieces you have put out here today. One in particular I seem to be granted on.”

• he’s talking about you.

• though hiding behind a mask,

• feeling tempted to reveal himself in your presence.

• “My staff... what have you done with them?”

• “Oh? The poorly rooted crew you call your staff? Those little pesks would believe any voice out of your given ear pieces. Even if it were my own.”

• “Of all exhibits, why mine?” you ask the thief, eyes still unruly drawn to his.

• more tempted to pull the mask right off his face.

• if not for the visible gun and knife at his collar.

• “Now, Miss. That’s no way to credit yourself. You’re the most enviable art host in all of South Korea. Not at all tasteless. And maybe a little bit uptight but that’s no ridicule. I would steal your art auctions faster than you could say you’ll spite me for it.”

• “Is it too late?”

• “Depends. Turn around and we’ll see.”

• you reach to slap him when he graces on his rope like a stripper.

• lips smirking at you through his ski mask.

• and you visibly shudder, gulping.

• eyes watering when every single painting, sculpture, and art form disappeared while you had been conversing with the thief himself.

• “Y-you’re gonna pay for this.”

• “Will I?”

• the lights flicker again and you’re left in an empty space.

• no beauty.

• no art.

• no skills left to present.

• you were helpless because of a damn thief.

• and after paying your dues,

• a kind sue despite it being your fault,

• now jobless at the will of the devil,

• close to committing suicide for losing your whole life.

• just from one hell of a heist.

• “Y/n, there’s a check for you in the mail.”

• you look up concerned, letter now in your hands.

• it’s a check for half of a million.

• you noticing the only hint at the corner of the letter.

• an address?

• and a note hidden inside as well.

• ‘though you don’t give yourself enough credit, miss, you did take part in the most successful heist in South Korea’s crime syndicate. here’s your share. if it doesn’t tickle your fancy, why don’t you give my little art exhibit a visit? Maybe we could negotiate a price more reasonable for you.’

• your fingers play with the check.

• all of your debts solved if you do accept it.

• classless money.

• though...

• you had to admit that you were tempted to give yourself the credit.

• after all?

• wasn’t it you who set up the most successful art heist in the world?

• “Woah, girly. You’re at the wrong art exhibit.”

• shakily, you try to make out the lips on this handsome man.

• not the man you’re looking for, you think.

• not the art form you couldn’t stop thinking about for the past months on end.

• not the one who robbed your life away in a light’s flash.

• “Who sent me this?” you ask another man whose lips also had no resemblance to the lips you look for. “I need to beat the shit out of them.”

• one on the stair railing, eyes of glass shards smirks at you poking interest.

• “Brave for someone who rudely walked into a fox’s home.” the blond sings quoting the thief of animals. “As a past art collector, don’t you think you could give the home’s residents a little more class? Like complimenting the art on the wall. The least you could do, Ms. y/n.”

• he’s not him.

• speaks like him.

• acts like him.

• but he’s not.

• “I know you’re trying to deceive me. But I’m here to thank your little boss. Someone a little less tasteless.”

• he’s impressed.

• thinks you’re as graceful as they come.

• no doubt the woman his boss has been pining for.

• an art that he’d insist on stealing if it didn’t come to him fatefully.

• “What makes you think I’m not him?”

• “I’m an art collector, didn’t you say?” you taunt the petty thief, other’s joining in on the show. “I have a knack of weeding out the grotesque virtues.”

• “It’s a wonder why you haven’t joined us yet.” the blonde jumps off nodding towards the highest level of the building. “Doing quite well stealing the hearts of men, why not the art on people’s walls that they don’t deserve?”

• he makes one hell of a statement though.

• for someone who knew very little of you.

• that you’d have a knack of doing what they do.

• “Go on then. The art piece you’re looking for’s up there.”

• you shove the cash check into his chest before storming up,

• for the moment,

• for the first time in your life ignoring the paintings on the walls.

• sighted on a more particular object of beauty.

• “Ms. y/n.”

• you stare at the curves of his back.

• as he stands in front of clear glass panes that face a city.

• like a truly priceless art form.

• “Finally giving yourself the credit you deserve?”

• you take a deep breath before saying, “Depends. Turn around and we’ll see.”

• so he does.

• and you think you need to give yourself more credit too.

• for finding the most beautiful art piece in the world more definitely being a vice you shouldn’t be shameful for. but proud of.

• “Yeah.” your lips twitch. “I should give myself more credit.”

• his eyes spoke more than it should.

• like something out of a museum.

• history of unspeakable truths.

• you wanted to keep it for yourself.

• an art you didn’t want to sell even if your life depended on it.

• “Ms. y/n. I hope you didn’t show up here to return what you insisted I’d pay for?”

• you let him enjoy mocking you.

• heels locked in place when he’s towering you the way he did on a rope not even a year ago.

• his head cocks in interest. “What’s this? You don’t seem unhappy. More enticed to see me actually. Now of all exhibits, why mine?”

• you’re in a time lapse.

• of hand crafted beauty at your disposal.

• but no one’s asking you to auction anything but yourself and your life.

• fully committed to using your skills for his bidding.

• “What you did to me deserves more than just a payment from selling you out the largest art heist in the world. I deserve more credit than that.”

• he’s bought.

• the way you look.

• the same way he did when he was robbed of his own life years ago.

• the vengeance and the vice.

• “That you do.” he glances to your lips. “Is this your way of saying you’d like to plan one of my heists, ms. y/n?”

• if this is how everyone feels about winning an auction.

• maybe you were wrong about the tasteless rejectables of high society.

• “Do you doubt my skills, fox thief?”

• “Give me none of that,” he chuckles lowly. “I am no fox. Just a man who craves the best art in the world.”

• “And I’m just a woman who came here to beat your ass.”

• he smiles at you.

• thinking you’re definitely the one art piece he left behind that day he should’ve stole over anything else.

• “And now?”

• “Now I just want kiss your ass. For giving me the credit I’ve always deserved.”

• you think he’s the greatest creation.

• for knowing true art and what’s valuable—

• the recognition.

• not the fame.

• “Did you get to look at the art downstairs? My exhibit that’s been needing a skillful planner like yourself.”

• your eyebrows frown. “More stern on finding you.”

• he smirks. “How sweet. Though... why don’t we take a second glance at them, shall we?”

• you follow him out.

• his hands interlaced with yours.

• as your greeted to 7 other smirking men at not only your disposal, at the bottom of the staircase.

• thieves in their natural habitat.

• surrounded by paintings that none other than you had painted years ago.

• that you thought you had sold to an anonymous collector.

• “Now about that heist we talked about. Let’s start by stealing what you really deserve.”

• he spins you around.

• arm locked up with yours.

• “How’s my heart sound? What kind of a price would you put on that?”

• “A price only I could afford, I’m sure.”

@atinybitofau

[nagdabbit]

🥺👉👈 pwease? 🥺🥺

okay okay, but like, be gentle? it's just bones right now, and a really good ending, if i say so myself, but, like... bones. it's bones with rules, because i like them. and it's about four dumbasses playing dnd, so obviously i gotta.

anyway, here's a lil bit. not quite the beginning, i guess? i dunno, i've forgotten how to do writing on the internet. be gentle.

~~~

D&D was weird.

It involved a lot of sitting around, trying to stay focused as Heather narrated at them. A lot of trying to be clever, trying to be smart. A lot of trying not to fuck up entirely.

The biggest problem with it all was that, sitting directly next to his highschool--and current--bully, it was damn hard not to feel like he was breathing wrong. Hell, Billy had shown up and rolled his eyes at Steve's presence, so he was clearly existing incorrectly, too.

"Alright, you've made your way from the college library to the very outskirts of the city," Heather said, eyes scanning her notes, while her arms made wide, sweeping gestures. "Almost an hour on horseback through the busy, winding streets. There are no street signs directing, but you see a path breaking away from the main road, and disappearing into the trees. The path is dense and quiet and dark."

"Is it weirdly quiet?" Steve asked, then shrank a little as Billy whipped his head around to glare at him.

But Heather just looked a little proud. "Yes! The sounds of the city have disappeared, but it's that same oppressive quiet that you rode through on your way to the city. Musty and still and quiet."

"Do I notice the same thing?" Robin asked.

"Go ahead and roll…" Heather tilted her head back and forth as she thought about it, "Gimme a nature check real quick."

Robin eagerly rolled her die, and then groaned. "That's a seven."

Heather chuckled. "You don't notice shit," she joked, but her smile was teasing. He liked that about her, the way she could ease tension and soften failure. She was easygoing and kind, just about the only person he'd trust his best friend to. "No, you don't notice anything out of the ordinary. The wood has grown so dead, and quiet so steadily that you haven't even noticed it happening."

Robin made a face, and scribbled that down. "I don't like that one bit," she muttered.

"As you make your way through, you come to a small clearing, and in the middle of it stands an ancient temple," Heather said, hands still weaving the story out in front of her laptop screen. "It's small and crumbling, but the thick vines and moss-covered roots that cover the intricately carved stonework looks like the only thing holding it upright. This is the home of Ash, the cleric. And, Billy, why don't you introduce yourself."

At his shoulder, Billy straightened up a little. "A tall tiefling steps out of the door as you ride up." Steve very carefully didn't laugh at Billy making his character tall. "He is a mottled grey-brown color, almost like tree bark, and his dark hair is pushed back away from his face. He has horns pushing out of his forehead that curl back over his head. He's wearing old, but sturdy leather armor, decorated with oak leaves, the symbol of Silvanus. He's carrying his wooden maul, and he looks very angry."

"Great, who does he see riding up?" Heather asked, turning her attention back to him and Robin. "Althea?"

She nodded, eagerly. "On the first horse, you see the elf that you've been dealing with. She's got her hair braided back, and she's wearing the dark robes of the college, with the crest on the front. You don't see any weapons on her, but she has several books strapped behind her."

Heather smiled, sweetly, and Steve had to wonder just how often they'd get distracted flirting in the middle of a game. But then Heather looked at him, expectantly, "Ront?"

Right, fuck. He shoulda probably thought ahead while he had the chance. "Uh, following behind her, you see a large half-orc, about seven feet tall. He's wearing just simple clothes, no armor of any kind. He has a carved, wooden amulet of a hawk, hanging around his neck, and a battleaxe strapped to his back."

"Perfect!" Heather clapped her hands together, excitedly. "And our party has gathered! Althea and Ront, you arrive in the clearing surrounding the temple of Silvanus. It is late afternoon, the forest around you beginning to cool as evening draws closer. Ash steps out to greet you, and--"

"And walks forward toward them, very annoyed, like he's been waiting. And he says, ah, she finally leaves her tower to visit the peasants," Billy greeted in a gentle accent, almost Irish, maybe. He gave Robin a mean grin.

"Shut up, I finally have something helpful," she snapped, going for haughty and posh. "The village of Oakville--"

"Oak Pointe," Steve corrected.

"--was wiped out," she finished, unperturbed. "Only one villager survived."

"And how is he useful?" Billy asked, and Steve got the feeling he wasn't exactly in character.

"First, he's the only living person who has seen how these monsters operate," she reasoned, just as annoyed.

Billy turned his sharp gaze toward Steve, and it cut just as deep as his words. "And why are you so important to all this?" he asked, in a mocking tone. "Why not run for the lawmen in their castle? Why go to the librarian?"

"My entire village is gone," he said, slowly. "Everyone I have ever known, just gone. My family, my friends, everyone. If I can stop this from happening to others, I'm going to. Guards with swords didn't do a damn thing to help when this all started, they won't help now."

Billy--Ash, whatever--gave him a long look. Not impressed, definitely not, but maybe surprised. "Then why didn't you come sooner?"

"I had to be sure they really were dead, and that I wasn't sick. It spreads so fast, I needed to wait it out," he reasoned. "Someone brought that death to my home. I wasn't going to risk bringing it here."

Billy studied him for another long moment, expression a little more searching than judgemental. But finally he nodded. Maybe not acceptance, yet, but close. "And you, why are you finally here?" he asked and rolled his gaze toward Robin. “I have been sending my concerns for months, and you and your books have ignored me at every turn. So why are you finally here? We could have made so much more headway if you hadn't waited for a witness.”

“Because I might have finally found a clue," she said, triumphantly, expression a little more fiery than she'd worn the week before. "And I'm gonna open up the book to the weird pictures and things that I've been working on."

"What is this?"

"A book I'm trying to translate," she said, jamming her finger against the page as if she had an ancient book in her lap. "I have yet to get very far into it, but it speaks of a temple, deep in the Rootwood," Robin said. "And monsters like the ones we've been hearing stories of. And then I wanna explain the--well, everything that you gave me, so here," she added and handed over her notes. "I'm gonna explain all of that."

"And once she's explained it all, I wanna see if anything she's said fills in any gaps in what I've already learned," Billy said, absently, as he scanned the notes and scribbled notes into his book. "Or, like, if I can piece anything new together from all this."

"Great, whenever you're done reading, roll a history check," she said, and turned back to Robin. "Are you telling him everything?"

Robin smirked, "Of course not! I don't trust him, so I'm only giving him what I've gathered from the book, not the scrolls I've been using to translate it." As Billy glared at her, she held up another set of notes as proof.

Heather had been good about that, helping them figure out what their characters would know about the world that she'd created for them. Gave them pages of more and text for them to use. Steve had his own print out and the notes he'd taken as Robin had explained everything she'd learned, and he pulled it out to follow along. Or, rather, he intended to. Heather beat him to the punch.

"While they begin to compare notes, what's Ront doing?" she asked, easily.

He blinked, felt his cheeks go hot. "Uh, Ront is just looking around the temple."

"Meandering?"

He shrugged a little, "Exploring."

"Poking things?" Heather suggested, innocently.

He saw Billy pull a face, and walked himself back a little. "Only stuff that doesn't look breakable."

Heather narrowed her eyes, lips quirking up in amusement. "Roll a--hm, roll an investigation check for me, please."

"No," Billy said, firmly.

She gave him a wicked look, "Yes."

And Ront's intelligence score had a pretty little negative one above it. Which meant he was pretty dumb. Which meant Heather wanted to cause a little trouble. Meant she was going to let him have fun in order to terrorize Billy a little bit. Get a smidge of revenge for all the shit he's spewed the week before. Which, honestly, Steve could really get behind.

So he hoped, and he prayed--just a little--and threw the die into the little tray in front of him. The math wasn't too hard, thankfully, despite the distracting groan from Billy and snickers from Robin. It was a perfect roll, really. Better than anything he could have hoped for.

But, fuck, it was so hard to keep from breaking, to keep from laughing loud enough to wake the neighbors, that his eyes threatened to water. At his side, Billy had already slouched back against the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Calmly, he folded his hands in his lap, and gave Heather a serene smile. "Zero."

[previouslynebraskan]

Why humans are assholes

Hi, my pen name is Gwendolyn, and welcome to my TED talk on empathy

*side note, I suck at writing, and my train of thought is derailed frequently.  So buckle up, and I’ll be surprised if you make it with me to the end, as we don’t know organization.

First off, I’ll disclaim something terrible about myself.  I’m a Christian.  Even worse.  I’m a rosary rattler.  A Catholic!  Oh and you thought it couldn’t get worse?  I’m not even a good one.  God and I are only on speaking terms when I need him (which is pretty frequent, but not the point).  Church feels like an obligation most weeks, and just because I know the rules and believe in the rules, doesn’t mean that I follow them.  

Alrighty!  Terrible things out of the way.  Let’s begin.  Humans are assholes.  Most people, especially the population of Tumblr, will agree with me.  Between human atrocities, selfishness, and down right lack of care, humans are just assholes.  I am too.  I am human.  Ask my siblings.  Like any good older sister, I wanted nothing to do with my siblings, and when forced to see them at school, I was unprecedently mean to them.  Ask my husband.  I am ridiculously selfish, and only do things when it suits me.  And yet, there is an entire history of the human race, with worse individuals than myself.  And a lot of people might see that, and think, cool, I feel better about myself, because I’m not Hitler.  I feel better about myself because I wasn’t a member of the KKK.  Well, personally, I don’t.  The next disclaimer I am going to make about myself, I’m a self-diagnosed empath.  I’ve never been to a therapist.  I don’t currently have plans to either, but I’ll let God decide that path later.  The reason I bring this up, and the reason I mentioned my religion at the beginning, is because I truly believe that if not for my first disclaimer, my second might not exist.  

I am a crier.  And I get annoyed at criers.  But I don’t cry at reasonable things.  No.  I cry at other people’s feelings.  Let’s bastardize the golden rule real quick.  For those who are unaware, “Treat others how you want to be treated.”  Now, I’m sure many people recall going through a phase where they could translate that in their still learning brains to “I can treat people however I want because I wouldn’t care if they were that way to me.”  Now back to the golden rule.  The bastardization is, put yourself in someone else’s shoes.  How many of us got told this by their parents at a young age after not playing nicely with another kid?  Apparently, God took it upon Himself to write that verse on my heart.  And it went something like this:  I cried when my mother told me that her grandmother (whom I had only met twice and had no actual recollection of) died.  I was inconsolable when my grandfather died.  So much so that even now, almost fifteen years later, it still stops me in my tracks, my heart hurts so much.  I cried when Michael Jackson died.  I didn’t really even like his music that much.  I’ve cried at almost every movie I’ve ever seen.  My sister’s speech at my wedding included the moment where she had to chaperone me on a date with my then boyfriend, and we went to Frozen.  Now yes, I cried at the scene when her parents die in the shipwreck.  But it gets worse.  Elsa is out there, just ran away, no plans for shelter yet apparently, and she begins to break out into song.  At first I’m fine.  But then I can feel my heart, as she sings, “well now they know.”  I start bawling my eyes out.  And all I can give in response to my sister’s quizzical look of “What the fuck is wrong with you???” (Yes I cursed, I told you, not one of the good ones. Fuck off), was: “She’s just so happy!”  I wouldn’t necessarily say I was sad at that time.  But I could feel the relase that an animated character was expressing on the big screen.  I could feel the weight come off of her shoulders, and I cried.  I mourned for what she went through, but shed tears of joy that she had found peace.  Tonight.  I was watching Facebook videos instead of taking care of my nightly routine of getting ready for bed.  And a Mengele twin told her story of survival.  When she mentioned looking around for her father and older sisters, I felt that.  When she said she could still see her mother’s outstreched arms, I could see that.  When she mentioned the panic of trying to save her sister years after liberation, trying to find records of what was done to them, her rage and anger.  And then her forgiveness.  Do you know how strong someone has to be in order to forgive?  To let go of the pain in your heart, knowing you’ll never get revenge.  You’ll never get an answer.  And you just let it go?  That strength is super human.  This week, as we pass the 20th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11, my hometown did a wonderful commemoration.  I cried.  My aunt gave me a look of disgust because I was crying, again.  I cried not only for those who lost their lives, but for their families who would never be whole, for the heroes who stepped up, then and now.  I am a proud Navy wife.  My husband is out sacrificing his time, so that I don’t have to.  And so that I can worship my stupid religion that I cling to, so I can walk around saying inappropriate words and wear not enough clothing.  But he made that choice.  There are a lot who didn’t.  Earlier this week, someone posted the transcription of the phone call of flight 93.  The moment that he said that the passengers wanted to sacrifice their lives, for the sake of our country, I hurt.  And then he asked the person on the other end of the line to pray.  Another video this week, an ex soldier, who fought early on in Afghanistan was telling a story about one of his soldiers.  They were getting ready for a raid that would likely kill them.  His soldier asks, I know we signed up to fight, but why are we doing this?  The man’s response was, for the people up in that tower who didn’t.  He goes on to explain the story of a young mother. Two kids.  Went to work like any other day, and her last attempt at human decency was to hold her skirt down as she jumped out of the burning tower, so the people below couldn’t see up her skirt.  

Crpl. Page was a Marine from my state who just passed away.  He was two years younger than me.  I never knew him.  But I grieve for his family and friends.  

See the worst part about being an empath in a world where human’s are assholes, is there’s never a shortage of people’s feelings to feel.  I’ve been told that you can experience an emotion so strongly that your body’s only reaction to the volume of what it feels is to cry.  And that resonates with me.  I feel joy to such an extreme when I’m with my family, celebrating time together.  I feel the sorrow of people missing loved ones, and their hearts breaking.  And there are times when I wonder if it’s a gift? Or if it’s a curse.  It’s a gift to be able to go to someone and say, I can feel for you and your situation.  I don’t feel sorry for you.  I feel your pain as though it were my own. But it’s a curse to feel the attrocities of humanity and just sit and wonder why it had to happen.  Why it had to come to this.   I got told I was crying for attention.  I wasn’t, but that didn’t matter. Supposedly, behavioral psychology could “fix me” if I wanted it.  I could be trained to control my emotions, and process them in a way that wasn’t so consuming.  It would definetly help my self diagnosed depression.  But let’s posit that God made me this way for a reason.  He gave me this gift with a purpose in mind.  What then?  The problem is, I don’t know how to effectively use it without letting it ruin my life.  I can never be a therapist, because I would be able to take on the feelings of my clients.  And while I do very much believe in tough love, I also belive that if you just have the right push in the right direction, great changes can be made.  Would the Holocaust have happened if Hitler had  better relationship with his mother? (this is a personal piece, I am reflecting on history classes I haven’t taken since high school.  I’m not fact checking this. Don’t at me.)  Would Columine have taken place if those kids had been in a better place mentally?  

You know what the awful thing is...? Look at all of these events.  Look at all of these heart wrenching dates in history.  And then look what came out of them.  Out of 9/11 came one of the most unified fronts America has had in a long time.  Out of World War II came men of valor.  A chemical reaction occurs when you take an object, and force it to experience a high degree of change.  And that is what gives us assholes grit.  Our experiences make us tougher, and make us better.  And maybe less of a crybaby in my case.  Or more of a cyborg who doesn’t experience emotion for fear of being consumed by them. 

Ramble is over.  For those of you who persisted and tried to keep up, good job and I’m sorry.  For those who didn’t, don’t worry, I wouldn’t blame you.  

Some effort is better than none at all, and if all you are capable of is existing today, then I hope you do, and I know you will do it beautifully.

[rons-hermiones]

Come Find Me

Come Find Me

by rons-hermiones

Summary: Unplanned, Hermione is forced to spend Christmas at the Burrow due to her grandmother falling very ill. After being ignored by Hermione for weeks, Ron is determined to show her how much she means to him. Just before he gets the chance to tell her, Bellatrix Lestrange shows up with other plans for Hermione. Can Ron get to her before it's too late? (Ron/Hermione Half-Blood Prince AU)

Rating: M for language & dark themes in later chapters.

Chapter Twenty Two

Ron hadn’t said a word all morning. He’s of course been quiet since everything went down just what, two weeks ago? 

The person he has the least trouble talking to is Harry. His whole family and The Order are right devastated, but no one gets how he feels quite like Harry does. 

Her parents were an entirely different story. 

That day when they left Hampstead Hermione’s parents had showered the three boys with tender embraces and promises that things would be alright. But that shouldn’t be the case. 

Not when Ron was responsible for this whole thing. Not when he spent more of his time at the Granger residence locked away in Hermione’s room, explaining to her father all the times he’s been a right tit to her over a game of chess. 

He should’ve been the one giving the reassurances that he would get their daughter back, not the other way around. 

That was only two days ago. 

Now he stands on the chaos that is Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, still having not spoken a peep to anyone. Not even when Harry told him he’d been screaming for Hermione again in his sleep last night. 

However, time was running down as the Hogwarts Express rolled up and opened its doors. 

His Mum was tearful, more so than usual, probably with the notion of sending three of her mourning children off to school. 

That’s right, three. Ginny, Ron, and Harry. 

“Come here sweet girl, promise me you’ll write darling.” Molly cried into Ginny’s shoulder, the girl stifling a nod through sniffles. 

Soon, Mrs.Weasley pulled away to embrace Harry tightly, her sobs only becoming louder, causing a slight scene. 

Arthur noticed and gently patted her back as he turned to Ron, “I know you can do this son.” He said in a whisper. 

After a moment he spoke, “I don’t know if I can Dad.” This man right here is his hero. He couldn’t help but be honest with him. 

He dropped his hand from his wife’s shoulder and switched it atop Ron’s. “I know you can do this Ron, I know you’ll be strong. For Hermione.” He told his boy, who somehow has grown into a man.  

Knowing his fathers words to be true, the youngest Weasley brother managed a nod as he grasped at his Dad’s shoulders. 

“Someone will be sent there within the week, yeah? Make sure everything’s alright down in Hampstead.” 

“I promise Ronnie. I’ll see to it myself. Someone from The Order will check the wards and debrief the Granger’s.” Arthur swore. 

As they departed a few days ago, Bill had promised Hugo and Jean someone within the Order would be stopping by to properly debrief them and check the wards. Ron was determined to make sure this promise was kept. 

“Swear to me Dad that you’ll write if anything changes,” his father opens his mouth, “I know Mum thinks I’m too young and it’s too dangerous, but I’m going mental as is, I reckon it’ll only get worse at school. Please promise me you’ll tell me what’s being done if anything, anything at all changes. Please?” He begs. 

After a few moments, a little misty eyed, the man nods, “I promise son. I promise.” 

The conversation ends as Molly halts herself at her youngest son. Crying and whispering sweet nothings. Words of encouragement. The promise to bring Hermione home. 

“I promise Ronnie, she’ll come back. She’ll come home.” She cried softly. 

He rubs his mother’s back gently, “I’ll hold you to it Mum.” Ron responds, just as tenderly. 

At this Molly pulls away to gaze up at her son, who now towers over her. So proud of the man he’s become. At the things he’s able to face. 

And she tells him as much, “I’m so proud of you Ronnie. Please know it, I am. You’re so strong.” She fusses with his hair gently. 

Not willing to let himself cry here, he leans forward and places a soft kiss on his Mum’s cheek. Really caring less who saw. 

“I’ll write, okay?” 

“Okay.” She answers, stepping back into her husbands awaiting arms. 

A whistle sounds as more kids pile onto the train. 

“You guys need anything to help you out,” Fred winks, “you just owl us, we’ll send it in a tick.” 

“On the house.” George promises, clapping Ron on the back as he smiles at Harry. 

“Goodbye gits.” Ginny supplies with a watery smile. 

The pair of them just grin back, silently wishing the three of them luck. Letting them know to be strong through a simple expression. 

As they turn to board, Harry whispers low in Ron’s ear, “it’ll be alright mate. It will.” 

Not in the mood for sentiments any longer, the ginger just grumbles. “Let’s get on this ruddy thing before anyone finds us.” 

Somehow, they managed to discreetly find a private compartment, drawing the shade and sitting in silence. 

As the engine gained speed and the train began rolling forward, Ron blocked out whatever nonsense Ginny and Harry were going on about. Instead, he watched the pastures speed by. 

It all felt so wrong. 

For the first time since he was eleven he sat here in this compartment, in their compartment, without her here. It was almost too much to bear. 

No asking if he’d catch up on any assignments. No listening to her talk about her holiday as her eyes shined with joy. No shutting Harry down for wild theories. 

Nothing. 

And despite Harry and Ginny rattling off nearby, there’s nothing. 

Just silence. 

Apparently, a lot of time passed with Ron sitting like that. Gazing out the window and feeling empty. 

The only thing that pulled him from his trance hours later was the door sliding open. He gazed at it with hope, because for some stupid reason, for one second, he imagined Hermione being on the other side. 

Of course, she wasn’t.  

“Oh finally! I’ve checked just about every compartment.” Neville told them, taking a seat next to Ginny. Diagonal from Ron. 

He soon reverted his eyes back to the window, hoping Neville would leave him be. He wasn’t in the mood to socialize. 

“Hey Neville.” Harry said, sitting up and trying to smile, though it faltered. 

However, the fellow Gryffindor didn’t seem to notice. 

“How was everyone’s holiday? Mine was quite good if I say. You see here,” he held up a pot with a pretty flower, “this is a Whispering Lily, my Gran managed to get one, rare things they are. I’m not even entirely sure what it can do. I just know it’s properties are similar to a Dancing Daisy.” He sounded off like they understood. 

“You see I was hoping Hermione could help me, I’d bet she knows. I can nurse plants, sure, but knowing everything about them? Not particularly. So where is she?” He finished, at the mention of her name Ron finally looked up. 

“She's not here.” Harry said shakily, though calm. 

“Oh, loo?” He figured. 

Ginny shook her head, “no Neville she’s not here. As in, she’s not on the train.”

It took a moment but it finally registered with him what Ginny was saying. Neville knew Hermione wouldn’t miss school for anything. Unless of course..

“No! We’ve been owling over holiday, we had been sending letters back and forth, she told me about her Gran!” He exclaimed in disbelief. 

For a brief moment something bubbled deep within Ron. It wasn’t the same insane jealousy he felt when he thought of Hermione and Viktor Krum, but it was more feelings of disappointment. Disappointment in the fact that she didn’t feel sure enough to find that sort of comfort within Ron, despite sharing the same house. 

He soon pushed away those thoughts because soon enough something dawned on him, “When was the last time you owled her?” He finally spoke harshly. 

Neville jumped at the aggression behind his words and the look in his eyes, “uh I don’t know!” 

Ron leaned forward, determined to know the truth. He knew it was far fetched to think she was owling Neville somewhere but at this point he wanted to cling to anything. 

At his look, the brunette shut his eyes in thought, “I sent a letter late Christmas Eve night, it probably arrived in the morning. I haven’t heard from her since. I swear.” He said defensively, though unsure why. 

Harry flicked his gaze to Ron’s nodding at Neville’s words. He can recall the golden owl that he knows to belong to Grandma Longbottom pecking on the Burrow window while the Weasley’s were at Muriel’s. 

At the chosen one's gesture, the red head eased a bit, though his stomach was still turning. The brief hope now squashed and turned into terrible parasites. 

“What’s this all about then? The lot of you are acting like wherever Hermione is she’ll never come back.” Neville piped up after the long tense silence. 

“Of course she’s coming back!” Ron snapped sharply before he could help himself, causing the other boy to flinch. 

“What I think he means is,” Harry starts softer, “is that Hermione’s Grandmother passed over holiday so she’s gone home to Hampstead to deal with it all and the arrangements.” He said, voice quivering over the lie, but to Neville it appeared as mere sadness for their friend. 

“Oh Merlin! That’s terrible! Harry, please tell me next time you write her, will you? I’d like to send a letter out with Hedwig.” He responded sadly. 

At this, the dark haired boy could only morosely nod. 

“Have you heard from her? Is she alright?” He asked next, frantically searching their eyes. 

“No Neville. We haven’t.” The youngest Weasley brother said to them. 

He knew he was letting his anger get the best of him. Not anger at Neville, but at the situation he, Harry, and Ginny have been put in. More importantly, the unknown situation that Ron can only imagine is a grueling hell that Hermione’s in. 

Neville takes a shaky breath, “I’m sorry if I’ve done something to upset you Ron.”

Suddenly he feels guilty, but can’t bring himself to justify his behavior. 

“Ron’s just a little upset, him and Hermione never got to say goodbye.” Ginny commented softly, placing a gentle hand on Neville’s arm. 

“I’m sorry mate,” and again, Neville’s apology feels wrong, like the roles should be reversed, “tell me you sorted everything out with her, yeah?” He asked hopefully. 

Nothing came from the ginger but a rough growl, anger displacing his sadness yet again. 

Sensing as much, Ginny piped up with raised eyebrows and a tone that left no room for argument, “Ron, don't you have a prefect’s meeting?” 

And he did. Normally Hermione would drag him there ten minutes early, but this is how things are now. She’s not here. 

Wordlessly, he stood and exited the compartment, needing some time to breathe. The distraction. 

The only thing that registered were Harry, and Ginny’s voices assuring Neville he did no wrong as they continued their elaborate lie. 

Not wanting to think about all that’s wrong, he let his body go on auto pilot to the prefects car. Just as he reached it, a body knocked into him. 

“Sorry.” They said. 

Turning to investigate he was left mouth agape because Draco Malfoy had apologized for bumping into him. 

“Sorry?” He repeated. 

Draco said nothing but instead pushed on into the compartment and moved to talk to Katie Bell, who seemed to pass back from her poisoning. 

Ron remained outside for a little, mentally preparing himself for the barrage of questions that’s bound to come about his absentee partner. Another thing that also remains in the back of his mind is Draco Malfoy’s behavior, something  he’ll have to catalogue and look into later.

After all, his father is a Death Eater. His Aunt is Bellatrix Lestrange. 

Not realizing he’d been lingering for five minutes, he soon entered behind Ernie Macmillan. 

The first five minutes of the meeting dragged on. He spent most of his time observing an uncharacteristically quiet and squirming Draco Malfoy. 

Maybe he was spending too much time with Harry. Looking into something as simple as an apology and now he’s suddenly got a hundred different scenarios conjured up that involve the blonde git holding Hermione somewhere. Torturing, mocking, hurting her. 

It drives him wild with rage, but he knows it’s something just capitalizing on. Something he’s determined to fixate on just to distract him from the Order’s failed attempts to bring in Hermione. 

But would it do more harm than good raising suspicions with Malfoy? On the very off chance he is right, asking could only-

“And because of Hermione not being here. We’ve rearranged the schedule a bit for you Ron.” 

His eyes instantly snap to Katie’s at the mention of her name. It’s used in such a nonchalant, casual manner. Everyone at the Burrow has just been referring to Hermione as ‘she’ for the better part of a week. 

All he can do is deafly nod in response. His ears suddenly ringing, with all thoughts of Malfoy leaving his brain. He feels like for the first time since it all happened, the weight of his much everything is going to change is now laying on his shoulder as heavy as ever. 

No more prefect rounds. No more doing homework in the common room. No more dining hall. No more classes. Hell, even no more of him watching her ignore him. Even that was better than this. 

And on top of it all, to everyone around him, he had to appear as if that were okay. That he could survive without Hermione, that it wasn’t killing him. 

Surely he’s already failed at that, he could barely speak to Neville without biting his head off. 

As much as all of these dark thoughts swim in his brain, he knows he needs to remind himself that this isn’t forever. That Hermione will come home and they can do all those things again. 

He tells himself this over and over, despite knowing that if, when, she comes home, things will never be the same. 

For the remainder of the meeting the only thing that rings in his head are those three horrid words she spoke before vanishing. 

Come find me. 

  Over and over playing out in his head. He’s so distracted, he’s failed to notice the cart is not vacant, save for Katie, and the meeting over. 

“-go.” He hears her say. 

Soon he shakes his head, “sorry what?” 

“I said you can go, Ron.” The brunette seventh year says. 

“Oh right, sorry.” Quickly he moves to exit the compartment. 

“Bye Ron, like I said, let me know-“ 

He stopped abruptly, something just now dawning on him. Not even able to focus on the fact apparently she’d been having a full blown conversation with him. 

“Hey Katie?” He halts, voice rather shaky. 

“Yes Ron?” She asked with a quirked brow, almost sensing his unease. 

“How did you know about Hermione?” He asked almost forcefully, “that she’s taking some time uh, away.” The ginger managed softer, willing himself not to cry. 

“Oh, well Draco told me.” She responded like it was the most simple thing in the world, like that would make sense. 

“He did?” Ron asked rather taken aback. 

Katie nodded, “sure. He said he’d heard she was spending time with her folks,” her voice dropped into a whisper, “I had around the tower her Grandma was ill.”

Not wanting to give himself away Ron just nodded shakily, “right.” 

Still, how did Malfoy know she wouldn’t be here? Could Harry have been right... no there’s no way. He’s a tosser! What would You-Know-Who want from him? Fashion advice? 

Noting the far off look on his face, the Head Girl spoke again, “hey if you’re worried about doing this alone we can always get someone to help until-“ 

“No!” He jumps in quickly, rather loudly too, “no, I mean, I’ll be fine.” The ginger covers up 

Still looking skeptical Katie nodded and offered a weak smile before vacating the compartment. 

He needed to find Malfoy right now

[call-me-dumbass]

So I haven't actually read up on how old the Lords are, in which order they were "adopted" by Miranda or how old they were when it happened because I am ignorant like that. So bear with me for the following headcanon, that's just something soft I needed to get out of my system, regardless of how well it fits into canon.

(Also I think I should note that, for some reason, I was convinced for a very long time that Miranda took Heisenberg in and started the experiments when he was still a child, I don't know where that came from or how accurate it is but that's kinda the idea behind this whole thing)

You can’t tell me that Karl Heisenberg didn’t love his baby sister. He got “adopted” at a very young age, he probably was orphaned (either at Miranda’s hand or even before that) and he knows what it feels like to be alone. And I believe that the Cadou-procedure did leave one mark or another on his body. His face and body are covered in scars and some of them he’s probably had since childhood or early teens due to either the experiments made on him or the first ones he performed on others (which were bound to go terribly wrong). And, in the beginning, he probably felt bad about them. So, yeah, of course he likes Donna. How could he not? She is young, her face is scarred, and she lost her parents. The only friendly company she knows are her gardener and her dolls. Karl gets her.

He hates Miranda with a burning passion and when he sees what she does to poor little Donna, how the girl suffers from the Cadou at first, the hatred only grows.

After Donna is told to settle down in her childhood home, Karl offers help rearranging furniture, building some more if needed. (He notices that there is so much wood in the house, barely metal; he supposes his reputation had gotten out here many, many years ago. People were scared of him and what he could do. It makes sense.)

Donna is delighted. She is too weak to do all the lifting and she is very happy about being able to make the house truly her own. To shake off the haunting memories of her deceased parents. (She does love them, misses them every day, but continuing to live in the unchanged house would be too painful. She couldn’t take it.)

The rearranging takes a whole day and Karl does almost everything alone, and, of course, he is complaining the whole time. Donna makes coffee and packs and unpacks boxes, and around noon she makes lunch. Angie takes a nap after she’s been on edge the whole day, flying around, instructing Karl and annoying the living hell out of him. So, the two of them now sit there without someone else to initiate a conversation. Donna isn’t sure how to start one and is afraid that this will take an awkward turn, but Karl wouldn’t be Karl if he didn’t have something to bitch about. He rants over the last meeting with Miranda, because “If I have to listen to one more fucking sermon about how to do my job, I swear to god, I’m throwing myself off one of the factory towers!”

Of course he’s over-dramatic, but he manages to break the ice and Donna chuckles, nodding in agreement. He goes on about Miranda and his current project and what dumb bullshit Alcina told him on the phone last week and Donna doesn’t talk – she rarely does these days – but she doesn’t have to, because he can read her in a way that makes words unnecessary. He even manages to make her laugh at some point with a silly story about one of his lycans and they are both equally surprised at the sound. But he gives her a smile that’s less cocky than usual and she knows he’s proud of himself for cheering her up like this.

When they’re done with the house, it’s already getting dark outside, and Karl grumbles about how he lost a whole day of work to this bullshit. Angie tries to slap him and they almost start a fistfight, but Donna manages to keep her doll in check. She pretends not to her the “Crazy bitch” Karl murmurs under his breath. She walks him to the door and when he says goodbye, he rests his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. “You tell me if you need help with something else”, he says, “but don’t expect me to spend another whole fucking day here.” She just nods and he taps her shoulder before making his way down the path, lighting a cigar on the way.

He is in a good mood when he comes home and settles down in his workshop (he didn’t lie about losing precious worktime, he does have an army to build). While he scribbles down ideas for another soldat, he thinks that it was actually nice to get out and how homely it was spending time with Donna. The kid doesn’t talk much, but that’s alright with him, he’s not sure if he would in her situation. It’s clear she has a shitload of stuff to work through and it makes Karl angry, because he knows she won’t. He knows she won’t because he didn’t, because there’s no one in this damned village who gives a single flying fuck about their wellbeing, because their so-called mother only cares if they’re worthy of staying in the family, indifferent to their health – physical or mental.

Karl knows that Donna won’t work through her issues, and he knows that he can’t help her with that, he’s too damaged himself. But he knows that he’ll do everything he can to make her life at least a bit more bearable. Maybe even comfortable, as far as that’s possible in this hellhole of a town. Because he might have never known his real family – at least he can’t remember them – and that shitshow Miranda calls family sure as hell ain’t one, but he’s pretty sure the way he feels protective over Donna is what it feels like to be a big brother.

The next day, a small package gets dropped off at the factory. No sender, just his own name in neat handwriting. When he opens it, there’s a doll in it. It’s tiny, dressed in tattered cloth, with wolf-like features and soft fur on its arms and legs. There’s also a note, a little piece of paper folded once in the middle. When he unfolds it, it simply reads Thank you.

Karl usually doesn’t like dolls. He finds them freaky. This one, however, finds its place on his desk in the workshop, with the note propped up against it.

[saedii-gilwraeth-simp]

Another World - TDC Holidays - Day 7

I’m experimenting with a new style so tell me what you think!

DAY 7

AU: BAND

POV: MAGAZINE

‘Queens of Music - The rise of girl group Reign’ by Mathilde Seer - Sunpool Magazine

The Rolanth pub is alive and bouncy tonight as new kids on the block Reign take the stage. I sit at the bar and laugh along as singer and guitarist Arsinoe interacts casually with the crowd before the start of their set, while her fellow bandmates warm up their instruments. She is bubbly and shockingly alive as the dimmer lights hit her iconic black and red half-face mask.

The crowd eats it up, cheering as eventually drummer Katharine starts their beat. Bassist Mirabella grabs the attention of every person in the room as she joins in. Their synchronicity is currently unmatched by any band their age (hell even bands older than them) and their set roars into action.

The Queen sisters rose into the music scene nearly a year ago and I’m lucky enough to be one of the few journalists invited to the pub gigs they play in between sold out stadiums. Their set is filled with their own self written hits as well as countless classics that everyone knows (even an improvised cover of Bohemian Rhapsody) and the crowd just gets higher and higher.

When I’m allowed back stage at the end of the night, or early morning (there were a lot of impromptu encores), I’m unsurprised to see the sisters still completely wired. Katharine and Arsinoe (who is hanging upside down on the couch) are playing a game of UNO that is surprisingly intense and Mirabella looks like she is trying and failing to meditate. The background speaker is playing what sounds like Hey Violet’s ‘Guys My Age’ at a volume that is just short of too loud.

Arsinoe looks up when I walk in, smiling and flipping herself right way up, standing with a skip. She’s taken her mask off and her deep facial scars catch the light of the backroom, but her smile is infectious as she hugs me, UNO cards still in hand.

I’m lucky enough to have been offered to travel with the sisters for the next stop in their tour and I can tell already it will be as chaotic as all else, especially as Katharine yells at Arsinoe to “get her ass back to the game”. I take the seat Mirabella subtly offers me and prepare myself for the road.

~

The next morning, I wake on the tour bus before the triplets and prepare to interview the three of them. Mirabella’s the first to rise, stretching to touch the ceiling of the bus and apologising for not waking up earlier. She grabs a protein bar and comes and sits down across from me. I start with their break into the music scene, the Quickening Music Festival, which they shouldn’t have been playing in and everyone I talk to agrees they definitely crashed illegally.

“Our start to the music industry was definitely one that could have gotten us in trouble, mostly because Arsinoe takes opportunities where they come, no matter how hair-brained they are,” Mirabella tries to sound mad, but she actually sounds like a proud older sister, which she is. Her protective nature is well known in the fandom and is the subject of many journalistic questionings and internet memes that, when mentioned, gains a serene and agreeing nod.

Speaking of serenity, I am quickly learning that Mirabella is the most calm musician I have ever met, and when I mention this, Mirabella just laughs.

“Compared to my sisters, sure. But I have my days, just like any one else,” at that exact moment, a loud thump comes from the bunk area and Katharine stumbles out a minute later, rubbing her hip. She doesn’t speak and I’m vaguely reminded of a zombie. But, a really short one. My interview with Mirabella ends there as she stands to check on her sister. Quintessential older sibling.

Katharine is my next interviewee and she tells me to just call her Kat. The youngest triplet sits across from me, fiddling with the 8 rings she wears, one of which is definitely an Arron family seal ring. When I ask, she tells me she stole it. I can’t tell if she’s messing with me. She’s the smallest of the three and looks like she could lose a fight with a strong gust of wind, but you wouldn’t think that if you saw her on the drums.

“I have a lot of pent up emotions,” she declares when I ask about her instrument, “I nearly broke one of Arsinoe’s violins when we were younger, so she bugged Willa to buy me a drum kit. I haven’t looked back since,” I can’t help but smile at the story. Arsinoe and Kat seem to enjoy the most banter, but anyone looking at them can see there is genuine sisterly affection there. “But yeah, I went through some shit when I was a teenager and the drums helped me express my aggression healthily.” I don’t ask for any more. Anyone who listened to songs on their debut album like ‘Down, Down’, ‘Viper’ or ‘Dead and Gone’ can hear the deep emotions lying underneath Kat Queen’s skin. Their technical prowess and gory themes have also immortalised the songs as fan favourites.

Kat is gone by the time I look up, seeming to be inspired as she sits on another table and begins writing something down that she eventually hands to a passing Arsinoe, who has spent the morning texting a mystery person with a nearly imperceptible blush on her face as she enters the kitchen area. When she catches me looking, Kat leans over and whispers to me;

“Her and Junior have been chatting forever, if that’s enough of a scoop for you,” she laughs slightly as Arsinoe comes back into the table space.

Arsinoe seems to be the brain behind the operation’s more chaotic elements. She is a verified master of at least four instruments (five if you count voice) and has written the most songs on their album. She looks at me with a cheshire grin and the first thing I can think to ask about is her scars.

“I fought a brown bear and won,” she says, casually enough for me to question whether she’s actually serious (it seems deadpan outrageousness runs in the family). I move onto her music.

“I did a lot of travel when I was a teen, so I had a lot of influences as I was learning my instruments. I also had a lot of people with different styles who have made my music better,” and then she says “shoutout to Jules Milone” and laughs. Her laughter is rough but bright. Much like her songs, which include ‘Sea Ports’, ‘Mount Horn’ and ‘Pub Song’.

She makes me feel comfortable enough to even ask about her love song, ‘Maybe More’. Despite being on the B Side of the debut album, it sent fans crazy with theories. Most in Reign’s fanbase agree that the song is about Arsinoe’s old friend and fellow famous musician, Billy Chatworth, who has also written a song with strikingly similar themes and metaphors, ‘Caught Out’. Both are so tight-lipped it’s almost confessional, but that never stops anyone trying to confirm. Arsinoe laughs when I ask but doesn’t answer, a la Barney Stinson when asked about his occupation on HIMYM.

We get off the bus at the castle-turned-stadium that acts as Indrid Down’s hub of entertainment and it’s all systems go. Mirabella is co-ordinating with the roadies who are moving their stuff. She is somehow both kind and authoritarian. Arsinoe is writing lyrics as she’s walking while listening to something through earphones. Kat is rubbing her drumsticks together and tapping her legs with them while also trying to trip Arsinoe up as they walk together.

They take the stage an hour later and the crowd is deafening as Kat hits the first beat of their set (the jaunty 'Pub Song’). The next two and a half hours go by quicker than expected. The crowd is wild as all three triplets interact with them, and even I’m swept into the hype and I go to concerts like this for a living. Finally, the gentle but haunting lull of ‘Queen Crowned’ finishes their setlist and the audience roars as Arsinoe hits the final, stunningly high note of the song.

Backstage is bustling as mics are removed and sweat is wiped away. Arsinoe picks her sisters up with the force of her hug and then she pulls me into a tight (and very sweaty) hug. The back area fills and Mirabella squeals in excitement as two women who must be her girlfriends kiss her. Kat is embraced by a tall, blonde guy. Arsinoe grins and continues a conversation as she helps one of the roadies pack up before they go out to sign merch.

I leave before the triplets enter the venue lobby to sign merch and meet fans, but I hear the cheering and loud speaking a block away and can’t help but smile. Reign will be around for a while, I reckon.

Crowned - DEBUT ALBUM

Yin

Dead and Gone

Protect

Pub Song

Down Down

Queen Crowned

Viper

Falling Rocks

Sea Ports

Mount Horn

Yang

B-Side

One-Handed Mistress

Fire Maiden

Maybe More

Court Rules

Jules

Cliff and Tower

Three Prisoners

{Cover} SUPERBLOOM (MisterWives)

{Cover} Clean (Hey Violet)

Tag List: @nataliaarronn​, @poisonerrose​, @alwaysbored005​

[widaugast]

            DYNAMIC META:  CALEB & CADUCEUS.

        I was going to queue this, because Talks was very recent and I haven't watched the whole thing, just seen transcripts... but I’m in the process of processing via words here, so I’m posting my thoughts as they are right now. Subject to change. So, with that caveat in mind  ---  and that Caleb, of all people, is certainly not immune to flaws and blindsides with his friends  ---  I'm going to informally drabble about the dynamic between the two, as I see it, for a little bit below the cut.  I'm not sure what I'll cover, so this is a blanket spoiler warning!

        FOR AWHILE, CALEB TRUSTED CADUCEUS IN A STRANGE WAY, AND THE TRUST WAS (IT SEEMED) MUTUAL, EVEN WHEN THEY FIRST MET.  I think I've either written or reblogged meta about this before, but Caduceus met Caleb and the Nein under extraordinary circumstances  ---  not only did they need the help of someone they'd never met, and Caleb and Beau both accepted and shared the dead people tea while Caduceus talked to them and began to let them know him a bit, but Caduceus met Caleb while he was in full protective mode.  Arguably, he saw the most decisive Caleb had ever been up to that point:  a Caleb running with one mission, one goal, and the time to mourn was later and the time to fix things, if they could be fixed for both their kidnapped friends and Mollymauk, was now.  Caduceus met Caleb at his most leader-y he'd been so far in the campaign, the most decisive and quick because he'd been forced in his hand, and that's a hell of a first impression.

        LIKEWISE, CALEB MET CADUCEUS IN THAT STATE OF PURE DECISIVENESS AND ACTION, AND THAT PERCEPTION OF UTILITY OVER FRIENDSHIP WAS HARD TO SHAKE.  To an extent, I think it's a trap he can still fall into  ---  that all of the Nein can, especially because Caduceus' growing into advocating for his own desires, needs, wants, and thoughts is a slow one.  Respecting that process is something I myself hold, I'm proud of Caduceus for growing at whatever pace he can, but it can make him appear static, especially to Caleb's mind  ---  he met Caduceus as an asset before he met Caduceus as a friend, and though that disturbs him more now I think (at least as far as my portrayal is concerned) it's still something he's not always conscious of, and needs to be told off from.  Fjord, especially, is good at checking in with Caduceus the man, but Caleb, well...

        THEY'RE FRIENDS AND ALLIES, "IT'S MORE IMPORTANT YOU STAY UP THAN I STAY UP" AND CALEB MEANT THAT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE STILL ISN'T PERPLEXED AND SOMETIMES EVEN FRUSTURATED BY CADUCEUS' POINT OF VIEW (AS HE PERCIEVES IT).  Both Caleb and Caduceus are marked by remembrance, but Caduceus  ---  from his first moment making "the earth remember" Mollymauk  ---  has been about (or seemed to be, to Caleb) moving through and moving with that, seeing death as natural.  Winter, the season of death, is natural.  This doesn't mean he's nihilistic or anything, far from it, but death is well...  among other things, it can be recycling for the enjoyment and remembrance of others who knew them.  That's part of the ethos of the Blooming Grove itself.  Whether that's still Cad's M.O. I can't speak to, but it's definitely Caleb's first impression, and Caleb's own relationship to remembrance is a lot different.

        FOR CALEB, MEMORY IS SOMETHING THAT WILL FOREVER BE PART OF WHO HE IS.  THERE'S NO GROWTH OVER IT.  THERE'S NO WAY OF BLOSSOMING OVER IT.  THERE'S ONLY LIVING WITH IT.  I think that's really exemplified in the Tower, where Caduceus seemed almost perplexed that Caleb kept the rooms of memories  ---  good and ill  ---  when it'll stay in Caleb's literal mind, his literal memory.  "Why remake your trauma?"  "Because it's never going away."  That's not literal dialogue, but I think...  for Caleb, memories, even the bad ones and especially the traumatic ones, aren't ones that he could even have imagined leaving out of that Tower.  They're a part of him, wholly and thorny and inhabited only by ghosts and himself at this point.  He doesn't grow over them directly, doesn't attempt to see the seeds of something good in them, but chooses to work directly above it  ---  while still keeping them, because they're part of who he is, even with everything good he now knows he can do and has done kindly for his friends.

        The memory rooms are right below a room of endless possibility, right below the very illusion of possibility itself.  I'm not sure that Caleb "creeps Caduceus out," as Liam said on Talks tonight  ---  or if "creep" is the right word at least  ---  but they do have fundamental differences in the way they seem (at least from Caleb's perspective) deal with memories, especially bad or traumatic ones, even if they maybe have more in common than they realize.

        What do I hope happens?  I hope, and want to work on with my portrayal, a mutual understanding that you don't have to have the same position as someone to be their friend  ---  and for Caleb to expand his mind a bit.  Constantly living with your trauma literally (just) over your head isn’t necessarily the most healthy coping mechanism, Beau, Jester, and Caduceus all had points on that. That being said, as Caleb has said to Yasha, “I don’t think a few hours are going to roll back months of pain,” and Caleb dealt with his trauma and has been carrying it on his back since he was a teenager, and is still  working through the fallout. I don’t know when the end date on that is, and (at least as I see it) trauma doesn’t have an expiration date, you only learn how to cope with it better and I think maybe part of Caleb’s journey is learning how to have better coping mechanisms for what it feels like you’ll never get over. What you may never completely get over. The memory rooms aren’t the healthiest, but he’s trying to build over them, and I do wonder if he can (or has) even yet thought of alternatives: there’s other ways to remember and keep the past with you, but he’s right now doing it the only way he could think of, even if it’s not healthy. He’s, in a way, doing the trauma recovery equivalent of throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks: maybe it’s just not forgetting, maybe it’s that simple. It’s not, but I don’t know when he’ll come to see that. Hopefully, he can learn more of that by listening to his friends, including Caduceus.

There's a lot of things that Caleb and Caduceus don't have in common, and probably won't ever, but I think they could each learn something from each other  ---  whether it's on memory or faith or something else entirely.  They're both grounded in protective instincts now, at the least, support casters usually foremost, so there's that to start, but some sort of better understanding is a long time coming and due.  (Also because Caduceus taking a long time to process and speak up for his own needs and feelings is sort of an inverse and not dissimilar to how Caleb was at the start of the campaign, albeit a... well, like I said, an inverse of it.)

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: Never Let It Fade Away

Relationship: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Tags: Sexual Harassment, Light Angst, Talking, difficult conversations, Friendship, Platonic Relationships, Sad Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Honesty, Types of love, actual Very Good Friends Ladybug and Chat Noir, he's her idiot little brother, They’re messes but at least they're messes together, Brother-Sister Relationships, Moving On, Partnership, Salt, Sugar, THEY’RE DOING THEIR BEST, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Adrien salt, but only a tinge

Summary: Ladybug notices Chat seems withdrawn in the weeks following Miracle Queen, and they have a much-needed talk. Directly connected to "Catch a Falling Star."

Notes: Been meaning to write this for a while, as a follow-up to the conversation between Chat and Marinette in “Catch a Falling Star.” This conversation is what Kagami was referencing in “Love Language,” though she doesn’t know everything about it. No, there’s not Adrienette or Ladynoir endgame in this fic series, but Marigami/Kagaminette. There may be more one-shots between this one and “Love Language” that pop up to show the movement toward that.

AO3 link

Part of the Catch a Falling Star series | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

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She was embarrassed to admit how long it took her to notice Chat seemed withdrawn, even pensive. Everything had happened all at once—the expulsion, giving up on Adrien, Miracle Queen, the loss of Fu… Chat was her partner and she’d failed to even think about him.

The realization hit her on patrol one night; it felt like he was looking through her, his smile similar to Adrien’s model smile in its falseness.

“Chat, are you doing okay?” she asked when they reached the Eiffel Tower, their last stop of the night.

He started, looking at her wide-eyed for a moment.

“A lot has happened,” she continued, “and I’ve been so focused on the changes, I haven’t checked to see how you’re doing. You seem… withdrawn.”

He looked away, up at the stars winking above them, partly drowned out by the light pollution of the city. The sigh he let out was almost resigned.

“I’ve… been thinking a lot,” he said after nearly thirty seconds of uncomfortable silence had passed between them. “A while back, I had a conversation with Marinette Dupain-Cheng; you know her, right?”

Ladybug nodded, feeling awkward to have him talk about her true self like that.

“I saw her crying on her balcony, stopped to check on her. She was going through some things at school. And one of the things she mentioned was a friend being sexually harassed.”

Her mouth went dry at that; his body language, hunched in slightly, his faux tail curled around his leg… She wasn’t sure where he was going with this. Had he been harassed? As Chat? As his civilian self? Was he hurt?

“I… after what that one Félix kid pulled—the one you punched?—I just…”

He looked up then, and she was startled to see tears in his eyes.

“I’ve harassed you. And I am so so sorry I put you through that. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable, and if you want to punch me too, I know I deserve it.”

Her mind whirled, relief at the fact that he wasn’t a victim, shock at his belief he’d victimized her. She’d been irritated with his flirting, sure, but she’d never considered it sexual harassment.

When she reached forward, he flinched slightly, as though expecting that punch. Instead she grasped his shoulder.

“Chat, I punched him because he tried to kiss me and I didn’t trust him to stop when I told him no. You’ve always given me time to say no, and you’ve always respected my answer. You’ve never tried to force yourself on me. I trust you.”

His body tremored under her hand.

“I looked up sexual harassment, though,” he said. “And I kept asking, kept bothering you to go out on a date, kept flirting when you when you said to stop, and I keep making you say no when once should be enough. I’m horrible.”

“No, you’re not. Don’t talk about my partner that way.”

She sighed softly when he looked away.

“You… Look, I’ve been irritated at times. Like when you do it while we’re fighting Akumas. And, well, it’s hard. You’re one of my best friends, and I know how you feel, and I wish I felt the same. But I’ve never felt sexually harassed by you. Ever.”

Chat glanced up again, his gaze uncertain. “Really?”

“Really. I won’t deny that it sucks to have to turn you down, because I hate hurting you. I do love you, just not like how you want me to.” She squeezed his shoulder. “I want you to be happy, Chaton. And I worry that being stuck on me, you’ll miss out on someone wonderful.”

He quirked a wry smile, the meaning obvious.

Ladybug sighed softly. ���I’m not as wonderful as you think I am, you know. I’m a mess, especially outside the mask. But your friendship has meant so much to me; I’d be a much bigger mess in the mask if not for you.”

She was glad to see his smile turn more genuine at that.

“Until this year, I didn’t really have friends,” she continued. “I was actually bullied pretty badly. And I almost quit being Ladybug in the beginning. I would have, if not for you. You, and this, helped me gain confidence.”

“I didn’t have friends until this year, either.” There was wonderment in Chat’s voice at finding they had this in common. “I don’t have a lot of social experience. It’s really made it hard to make friends—and you were one of my first real ones, too. My only friend before that was… well, she’s pretty awful. I used to watch movies and TV and imagine I was friends with the characters.”

Though that information was new, Ladybug also wasn’t surprised.

“That’s where you got your ideas about romance, isn’t it?”

At his nod, she sighed again. She gestured at the beam they were standing on, and was glad when Chat took a seat, letting one of his legs hang over. She sat beside him, crossing her legs, getting comfortable.

“Chat, so many of the relationships portrayed in TV and movies are super toxic or even abusive.”

His ears flicked back, and he looked chagrined. “Yeah, I learned that when I was looking up sexual harassment.”

It had clearly been an upsetting realization for him. Probably it had really challenged what he thought he knew about the world.

“It’s not really your fault,” she told him. “A lot of people our age don’t know. We’re young and we live in a society that normalizes that stuff. I’ve been… not great myself at it. I’ve engaged in toxic behavior myself. Toward the person I had a crush on.”

“You did? But you’re so professional, LB.”

His surprise made her wince.

“Yeah, but I’m human, too. And we’re both, what? Fourteen? Fifteen? I’ve done things I’m not proud of. Like stalkery things, a lot worse than what you’ve done flirting with me. And I ultimately decided I needed to let my crush go.”

Chat’s mouth opened, then closed. “Why?” he finally asked.

That was a complicated question to answer.

“Well, who’s to say I wouldn’t be just as toxic in a relationship with him, for one,” she said softly. “But also… I’ve been through a lot in my real life lately. And the crush started to fade as a result. A friend was growing closer to him so… I let him go. I don’t even know if I’m ready for a romantic relationship at all right now. Things as a civilian are difficult right now. And maybe I need time to figure myself out first, you know?”

After a short pause, Chat nodded. “I understand. A friend… In my life, a friend of mine has expressed interest in dating me. And I’m just not sure. I don’t know if I feel that way about her, and I’m afraid of hurting her. And…” He glanced at her. “Well, you’re not wrong. I’ve been holding out for you, which hasn’t been fair to you.”

“To either of us,” Ladybug amended. “Chat, you’re one of my first friends, my most important friend, my partner. I’m an only child, and it’s like through you I’ve gained a brother.” She quirked a smile. “A dorky, pun-loving little brother.”

He laughed. “Hey, maybe I’m older than you! You don’t know!”

“You act younger, so my headcanon has you as the little brother,” she retorted with a giggle.

It was nice to see him laugh. Hangdog looks had no place on a cat. But Ladybug knew there was more that needed to be said, that they needed to get out. None of this was easy, but she’d learned that the necessary conversations rarely were. She was glad it wasn’t a school night, that they had time for it.

“Sometimes… I was worried you didn’t want to be my friend,” she confessed. “Because you wanted more. And I’m not really good with self-confidence.”

“No…” The look on Chat’s face was one of horror. “I absolutely value your friendship, and I’m so glad I met you. It’s…” He looked down for a moment. “This is dumb, but I like this trope in movies and shows and anime, the friends to lovers one?”

He seemed to be struggling for words, but Ladybug knew the one he was talking about.

“Oh, so like superhero partners and friends, like the idea of destiny sort of thing?”

“Yeah, that. Dumb, right?”

She shoved his shoulder with her fist, a fake punch, much different from the one Félix had gotten—and for good reason, as Chat was nothing like that horrible brat.

“Maybe a little, but only because real life is way different from that, you ridiculous weeaboo.”

Chat actually giggle-snorted, sending Ladybug into a giggle-fit that left her wheezing.

When they had recovered, Chat offered a sad smile.

“You know, I wonder if I’m in love with ideas more than anything,” he said softly. “Like… this isn’t how I act in real life. I’d share more, but identity stuff. I’m able to be me as Chat more than anywhere else. And I guess I’m scared people in my real life love the idea of me instead of who I am. But I’ve been doing that to you, too, haven’t I?”

She smiled back. “Probably. As I said, I’m a total spacey mess in my real life. Can’t share more, same reason. And I think I did that to the boy I liked, too. So you’re not alone there, either.”

“We’re both messes, LB. We can be messes together. In, you know, a platonic way.”

“Thanks, minou.”

They sat in companionable silence for a while. Eventually, she lay back on the beam to stargaze, and he mirrored her movement from the other side, until their heads were beside each other.

“Do you really hate it when I call you Bugaboo? And m’lady?” he finally asked.

Ladybug hesitated for a moment. “Well, hate is a strong word… Friends make up nicknames for each other, after all. It just felt like you were calling me those like as a potential girlfriend.”

“Well… kind of. But more because they’re pretty awesome puns on Ladybug.”

She turned and stared at him. He was smirking.

“You know how much I love those, right?”

“Oh my god you are an idiot.”

“But I’m your idiot little brother.”

Ladybug groaned, almost sorry she mentioned that. But at the same time, it seemed they could turn over a new leaf, create the partnership and friendship they both needed.

“Thanks for checking in on me, Bugs. I don’t think I’d have ever gotten the courage to apologize otherwise.”

She snorted at the new nickname, reaching up to awkwardly ruffle his hair. She was rewarded with a purr. “No problem, mon petit frérot. We both needed to talk.”

She relaxed, watching the moon slice across the stars as time passed them by, relieved that at least this part of her life was in the process of being healed.

[dentistiny]

Take Care of Me

Bucky Barnes One Shot

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Counts: 3254

Warnings: Abortion. Languange. Angst?

Summary: You and Bucky are best friends. And he supports you through a very hard decision.Some burried feelings come up to the sunlight.

A/N: Alright. This one was a little hard for me to write. I literally had to took several smoke breaks. Hope you enjoy anyway!

The drive from the clinic was silent. Bucky was focused on the road. He couldn’t really figure out what to say. He didn’t want to upset you more than you already are.

You didn’t feel like say anything. Part of you was gone forever. And you didn’t quite know how to feel about it.

Bucky and you knew each other since the day you started to work as a lawyer at the Stark Tower. It wasn’t like you were superhero’s lawyer it was quite opposite. You were looking for the pro-bono cases and getting paid by Mr. Stark. It was a win-win.

And the years passed by all those sleepless nights made you and Bucky best friends. And turns out he wasn’t just a cranky old man. He was funny, kind definitely a gentleman. At some point you even had a little crush on him but it was better not to mention this since you have a boyfriend at the moment.

He was such a supportive friend.

So, you couldn’t think of anyone but him about what you were going to.

When he found out you decided to get an abortion, he tried his best to not make it harder for you. Because he could see your struggle and how hard for you to talk about this. He didn’t ask questions about the things you try to avoid talking. Like what the hell is the father doing.

“Do you want anything from the market?” He asked as you were getting closer to the supermarket in your neighborhood.

“No. I just want to rest.” You look outside the window. You tried to convince yourself that you did nothing to be ashamed of. But you just couldn’t shake this feeling.

So, when you arrive home you throw yourself into sleep’s arms. And it took you so well.

Even though Bucky insists for you to sleep in your own bed you chose the couch. So, you could hear him around, and won’t feel lonely.

When you woke up you saw his muscular silhouette coming out of kitchen. He walked towards to you.

“Can you get up a little?” Bucky puts the hot plate on the table carefully. You take a deep breath as you straighten up your body. You immediately smell the food Bucky brought in.

“Am I smelling chicken soup?” You ask with a little smile. He was sitting on the table right next to the plate.

“Yeah, I did it myself.” He looked so proud of himself. You leaned your head back of the couch.

“You know I don’t have a flu, right?” Your smile widened when he rolled his eyes.

“And you know this soup is the only thing I can cook.” He was about to pick up the plate but stopped. “You’re very welcome by the way.” His sarcastic voice made you feel okay. Even though you were far away from okay.

“I can handle it, give it to me.” You tried to reach the plate, but an intense pain made you hissed and you couldn’t be able to move any longer. You closed your eyes not to cry. Or not to see the pity in Bucky’s eyes.

“How about you don’t act like an Amazon for one day? And I don’t feel completely useless. That’d be great.” You opened your eyes to look at him, why did you want to cry right now? Damn it.

“Useless would be the last word to describe you.” Your voice cracked.

“So, it’s on the list.” He sounded offended but you knew he was just messing around. “Your soup is getting cold. And I brought some painkillers.” You shook your head.

“It’s just cramps. I already took two of them anyway. They make me dizzy.”

He put the spoon in your mouth with such a focus as he murmured. “Whatever you want.” You frowned as you swallow it.

“Hmm, you are getting pretty good at it.”

His blue eyes light up.

“Right? I put my secret ingredient this time.” You raised your brows as you taste another full spoon of soup.

“I wonder what it would be.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“I would tell you but then I might have to kill you. And I really don’t want to kill my best friend.”

“What if I promise not to tell anyone.”

“Even if they torture you to get this information from you?” He narrowed his eyes with such seriousness. You raised one of your eyebrows.

“I’m pretty though. I’ll take it to the grave with me.” You answered with the same tone.

He checked the room. Even though there’s no one else in the house apart from you two. You almost cracked but you didn’t. He got closer to you as you unconsciously mimic him. For a moment his eyes turned to your lips. He swallowed hard nothing. You didn’t notice. You never did.

“I put,” He licked his lips. “My love.” You hit him in the chest with your palm as you laughed. Pain in your lower abdomen slowed down your laughter but you kept your giggles.

“Fuck off!”

He smiled so widely his lips almost reached his ears.

“What? I can love!” He defended himself.

“I know you can. But I know what I heard when you were at the kitchen. All of the curses.”

“That’s exactly how I express my love!” He put his hand on his chest. It looked funny when Winter Soldier try to look innocent.

“Okay. No more jokes because I am in pain.” You slowly lay down on the couch. He didn’t wait a second to get up and help you. He fixed the pillows under your head.

“You will stay here tonight, right?” You hesitated when you asked.

“Of course, I will Y/N.” He lowered himself to make an eye contact with you. “I mean, unless you don’t want me to-“

“Can we watch Finding Nemo?” He pressed his lips together. You’ve been friends long enough with Bucky to know that was your safe movie. You rarely had your vulnerable moments. But when you do, you run to this movie. For some reason things become a little better when it’s done.

“Do you want popcorn?” He asked as he got up. He took the empty plate off the table.

“No.” You pout like a spoiled kid.

“Hot chocolate?” He tried again.

“Okay.” You said like it wasn’t a big deal.

But it was. He left your sight as he stepped into the kitchen.

It felt nice to taken care of. That was something you failed to do. Most recently, to be honest. When the tears rush into your eyes again you puffed a breath out.

“You made the right decision.”

You whispered yourself but the moment you closed your eyes a single teardrop run through your side of your eye. It found its way through your temple and got lost in your hair. Somehow that single drop managed to drown you.

You sighed and wiped them away quickly. You didn’t want Bucky to see you like this. You were already a mess.

It took a few minutes to calm yourself. And the timing was perfect when Bucky come back with two cups.

“Here’s your order, ma’am.” You tried to smile.

“Thanks.” Your voice was weak. Like you. He put the cups on the table and opened the movie on the TV. Then he sat on the floor right in front of you. You took a sip of you hot chocolate. It tasted like heaven.

“You good?” He checked on you before settling down. “Need anything?”

“I am okay.” You smiled at him. When the movie started you, both watched it silently. Your one hand was on your stomach. The other was stroking his hair. You couldn’t pay attention to the screen.

“Bucky?”

“Hm?” he slightly turned his head to you. Like he didn’t want to lose your touch.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.” He assured you like it wasn’t important. “It’s just a hot chocolate.”

“I don’t mean that. I mean thanks for being there for me today. For driving me home from clinic and taking care of me. For not letting me do this alone. It means a lot.”

He turned fully to you. And took your hand in his.

“I can’t imagine the otherwise. Of course, I have to be there for you. You’ve been there for me like a million times.”

“And thank you for not judging.” You sniffed as you started to cry again.

“Y/N,” He reached to your face put his hand against your cheek. He gently touched you with his thumb. “I would never.” He looked right into your soul. He had so many things to say to you. He has them almost the first day he met you. But he kept silent. Like now.

“Did he call?” you asked with such a desperate voice. Bucky opened his mouth then shut it. He smiled.

“I haven’t checked the phone for a few hours now, actually.” You knew he was lying.

“Buck.”

“No, he didn’t. Sorry.” You chuckled.

“You shouldn’t be sorry. You are not the one who knocked me up and then ask for me to get an abortion.” He looked confused. You couldn’t stop your little laughter. “I mean he told me that he was busy today, but a message wouldn’t hurt anybody, right?”

Bucky wasn’t holding your hand anymore.

“Y/N, are you-“

“It’s okay. It’s fine. Shitty things happen. It’ll get better since the baby is out of the frame.” Your breathes become irregular. Now you feel like someone was chocking you.

“Hey, hey. Look at me, let’s just breathe okay? Good, just try to calm down.”

You mimicked his movements as your lungs filled with the air again.

“Better?” His gaze was concerned. You nodded. “Okay. Now, can you tell me what really happened?”

“We didn’t plan to have a baby. That’s all.”

You wiped the tears with back of your hand.

“But did you want it when you found out you’re having one?” there was knot growing inside your throat. You weren’t able to talk. “Did he force you to do this?” You could see he was getting angry. That was the last thing you wanted. So, you shook your head.

“He didn’t force me.” You said in such a disguct. “We- That was- We talked about it. It was our decision.” You lied. And he knew.

“Y/N.” You look away. It was too much. You felt ashamed. “Look at me.” You change your gaze at him. “It’s okay.”  He assured you with his soft eyes.

“How can I willingly give up on my baby?” For a solid moment he studied your expression, your desperate gaze.

His head fell down with a curse.

“Fuck.” You thought he was mad at you.

“I am sorry. I am so sorry.” You broke down. He immediately got up and hold you in his arms.

“No, no, no. Don’t say that.” You hold onto his shirt with your fists as you were sobbing. “I wish you told me before. But don’t feel guilty, you did what you think was right. It’s okay.”

“I am a terrible person.”

“You are the best person I have ever known. That asshole is just absolute fucking worst. Put the blame on him.” Your sighs slowed down. “At least he won’t be bothering you anymore.”

“What do you mean?” You put a little distance between you and him.

“Since you broke up with him.” He said like pointing out such an obvious fact.

“I didn’t.” You said while he slowly let you go. You wiped the tears on your cheeks with the back of your hand. “What makes you think that we broke up?”

“Are you kidding me?” He looks like he is about to lose his mind. “Well first of all, he didn’t even bother to show up even though he made you get an abortion!” His voice raised.

“He was busy!” You defended your boyfriend. Bucky chuckled at your answer.

“And why would I leave him after I got an abortion for him?” He run his hands through his face.

“Why would you do that in the first place anyway?” He was genuine with this question. He never understood why you were with that piece of shit.

“Because I love him! And that means sacrifice!” Now you were shouting too.

“Oh God! That’s not love!” He looked disgusted.

“So far with not judging, huh? How would you know about love anyway?” He laughed at your words. But the vein on his neck was popping.

“Right? How would I know? Well. Let me try.” He took a deep breath before speaking again. “It must include a drive to the clinic and back home. I think it’s making a fucking soup even though you hate the smell. I think it’s watching her to be with some fucking disaster and not be able to say a word about it. Because you are too afraid to ruin your friendship with her. So, you stay silent for years and accept any kind of love from her!” All these words he spoke, didn’t make any sense to you at first.

“You know what I think it is? When you told me that he didn’t want the baby, but you did, that the first thing that come to my mind to be the father of that child if you would only asked.” His hands fell down his sides.  “Accepting you with your everything. That’s what love is.”

Your bottom lip was shaking, and your movements were heavy.

“Wh-“You cleared your throat. He was rubbing his forehead. “What do you mean?”

“I am fucking in love with you, that’s what it means.”

His voice was no longer loud or angry. It was exhausted. He was exhausted from loving for so long and so hard.

“No, you are not.” He ignored your denial.

“But you are stuck with him.” He said in the saddest tone you’ve ever heard. He looked at you to see your face, but you were facing with the floor. He shook his head and took his jacket from the sofa. You saw him leaving.

“Bucky?” He didn’t stop.

You stood up and followed him through the hallway.

“Where are you going?” He didn’t answer. Not even you went after him to the door. He just slammed it to your face. You didn’t find the strength to open it up again. You just put your forehead against it as you try to bring yourself back together.

How could you be so blind? How could take your shot with some asshole just because you thought Bucky would never love you the way that you loved him. How you could let your heart break over and over again. And break his heart with your blindness.

Of course, you had feelings for him. More than a friend. It would be impossible to be around Bucky Barnes and not to caught up by strong feelings. Not when he came back from his missions all dirty and tired, but he always smile. Always smiled at you when he saw you.

Anytime you call he would pick up the phone. And if you need him, he would be there. He would listen, try to find solutions to your problems.

Bucky never likes to someone to touch him. But he would always let you.

He would always hold you.

Such a stupid woman.

You walked back to your living room. That stupid movie was still running. You found the remote to pause it. You took the cups from the table they were still half full. You made your way to the kitchen and you washed the dishes despite to your cramps.

You felt like you deserved this pain. So, you embraced it.

When you were done you go back to the room and sat on the couch. You watched the frozen frame on the screen. You just looked at it for two hours.

You didn’t look away when you heard the click on the door. Or when the door shut quietly. Or when Bucky throw his heavy body next to you.

Okay, maybe that moment you looked at him with the corner of your eye. He didn’t say anything.

“I paused it so when you get back, we could keep watching.” He sighed as he reached for the remote. Pressed the play button. Neither of you said anything next fifteen minutes.

“I am sorry for leaving.” You fought with yourself not to look at him. He was calmer. “And for the things that I said. It wasn’t my place to say those things.” He took a break to put together the words he was about to say. “And I was being unfair when I opened up about my-“ He tried to find the right thing. “Feelings.”

“I didn’t want to be alone.” You admitted. “I wanted to be loved.” You turned your eyes to your hands. “I needed to be loved because I believed you could never love me back.”

Bucky clenched his jaw. He knew he was too late to win you. He wanted to punch himself in the face.

“I didn’t want him to leave me.” You tucked your hair behind your ear. “My cowardness cost me my baby and you.”

“You must think very low of me.”

Your nose was burning. Your eyes were burning. Your chest was burning. Everything was on fire. Then Bucky touched your face with his metal hand. That was better. He made you look at him.

“I am sorry.” You whispered like pray. “I am a mess.”

“That makes two of us.” His velvet voice strokes your skin. You lean your body to him. Your back fits perfectly to his chest. He holds you after he put a kiss between your hair. His scent filled your lungs and left you breathless somehow for a second. Even though movie kept running you closed your eyes.

“He called. Asked if you were okay, said he’ll be here in the morning. With breakfast.” He said with the most monotone voice you’ve ever heard. You simply nodded.

Bucky wanted to beg you to leave him. He wanted to get on his knees and cry on your lap to be with him. He would never reject anything or anyone coming from you. He would love you the way you needed. He would never leave you alone or make you feel like you are. He would watch this stupid movie with you thousands times. He wanted to let you know all of this.

But he knew that you already know. But choose to not to say anything about it. So, he stayed silent.

You knew before he came Bucky would leave. But you had no idea what will happen the two of you from now on. After all the confessions, could you still be friends? How could you bring your boyfriend to the dinners or parties? How could you attend at the game nights or movie nights?

This night could be last night you and Bucky share together. Just the two of you.

So, you got closer to him. Make sure to remember his scent. His warmth.

He did the same as well. He holds you a little bit tighter.

Even after the screen went black. Even after you fell asleep. Even after the sun rises to the room.  

But he had to let you go.

So, he did.

Little did he know he left part of his heart too.

Or you kept your tears until he’s gone.

[aphasene]

The Commander's Neice A Levi x reader fanfiction

Chapter six

My eyes snap open. I face a dull grey ceiling; I try to recall the events of what happened before. Nothing. I wriggle my wrists; the sound of chains jingling fills my ears.

“Huh-?”

I sit up as quickly as I can, I stare in pure terror at my chained arms. What the hell happened? why can’t I remember?

“It’s okay, Breathe (Y/N). you can get through this.” I sigh. “I just need to get my bearings and find out where I am and how I even got here.”

I look at the room, it seems to be a cell of some sort. There’s a toilet, a sink and of course a bed. The room feels almost claustrophobic. “I Need to find a way out. What if I call out to someone? I wonder if-.”

“Are you finished?” I hear a very familiar voice bark at me.

I whip around to see three people before me, behind a set of bars. I see a slightly taller woman with messy brown hair, tied in a loose pony tail and slightly dirty glasses. A blonde man with steely blue eyes that pierce right through me.

And finally, I see; him! The soldier from before. He didn’t look nearly as kind as he did before. Well, he didn’t look that kind anyway but that’s beside the point.

“Good afternoon cadet (L/N).” The blonde man speaks up, folding his hands by his stomach. “I trust you’re well?”

I scowl. “Well, I’d be a bit better if I knew where I was and who you were.”

“Of course, my apologies. My name is commander Erwin Smith. I am the commander of the survey corps.”

‘Smith’ huh? That was mother’s maiden name.

“This is Zoe Hange and Captain Levi Ackerman.” He gestures to the two beside him. “Do you remember what happened before you ended up here?”

I shake my head. “No, not at all.”

Levi rolls his eyes impatiently.

“Try to think, (Y/N).” Erwin says. “Think back to before you blacked out, what were you doing?”

I close my eyes and think. Before I ended up here I was in trost, I was on the clock tower I saw someone who looked vaguely like Marco and then-.

“Oh my god!”

I shoot up from the bed I’m perched on, the chains preventing me from hitting the ceiling. “Marco! What happened to Marco!?”

“He’s dead.” Levi snaps. “Do you feel better?”

“Levi.” Hange warned.

“What? She needed to know.” He groans. “She should know that when you sign up for this.”

Then it hits me: Mikasa, Eren and Armin. I haven’t seen them since before the raid, they could be dead for all I know. I need to see them, I need to know if they’re alive. I can’t-.

“Cadet.” Erwin cuts through my brief panic. “May I ask what’s around your neck?”

I look to my pendant. “oh this? It was a gift from my mother. She told me that it was meant to be the key to saving humanity. My father told me that I’d meet a relative of mine here.”

Erwin clutches something beneath his shirt, then straightens back up. “Cadet (L/N). We would like to formally ask if you’d like to join the survey corps?”

“Sorry?”

“Clearly your mission is vital to humanity’s safety. It would only be the best option to speed it along, of course you’d be trained between raids and scouting missions too.”

“Sir, can I ask why I’m in this cell?” my eyes dart around the room.

“Oh yes. Levi, would you like to tell the story?” Erwin looks over to an already bored Levi.

“Sure.” He clicks his tongue. “Not long after I left you, I went looking for a comrade of mine that had gone missing a few hours before. I found you over your friend’s body, that when things start to turn to hell. I watch you turn into a titan.”

A titan!?

“You went on a rampage, no one was hurt, thank god, but I cut your nape as soon as possible and here you are.”

“A titan.” I repeat.

“Yes. A titan.” Levi sighs.

“So, what do you say? Are you joining us?”

I take a second to think things out; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. A chance to carry out my mission, is this too good to be true? Of course, it’s only a coincidence that this could’ve happened. nevertheless, I can’t pass it down.

“Yes, I will join the survey corps.” I blurt, giving the best salute I can manage, despite the chains around my wrists.

“Excellent, you will be joining Levi’s squad, Hange and I will leave you both to it. Levi, if you’ll escort Miss (L/N) to her new room.” Erwin announces before leaving the dungeon with Hange close behind.

I look over to Levi, awkwardly as he smirks at me, I couldn’t decipher whether it was from amusement or pity, still, it was some sort of smile…sort of…not really.

Then he returns to his usual stoic expression and unlocks the door, steely eyes burn into mine.

“Follow me.” He says in a monotone voice. I do as I’m told and walk with him, out of the cavern and up the stairs.

“So.” I Begin. “How long have you been-?”

Levi stops in the middle of the corridor, still facing away from me. almost as if he was about to say something ground-breaking.

“Now listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once.” He huffs. “I’m your superior, not your best friend. Just because you lost a friend does not mean that you can be mine, got it?”

I nod meekly.

“Good, I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement.” He turns to a room on the left, “This is yours, now that you’ve joined the survey corps. I want to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, is that understood.”

“Yes captain.” I say, saluting.

“Good, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Levi turns on his heels before walking away, leaving me very much alone.

I open the door to the room and take one look around the place.

In the left corner I see a small single bed with fresh light beige sheets covering it. Next to it there’s a nightstand of the same colour and a wardrobe. The room was very different to the rooms where the cadets slept. It was much cleaner and it seems to give me a feeling of what life was like before the fall.

I sigh and flop on to bed, the mattress springing ever so slightly as I do so. I place my head in my hands, a lot happened yesterday…or today…I’m not too sure what day it is, or even what time it is. All I know is that I’m still alive and that it’s late afternoon, well that’s what it looks like anyway.

I hear a dull knock on my door. had Levi come to check up on me? It wouldn’t be surprising considering the fact that I had shapeshifting titan abilities, what other teenager has titan shifting abilities?

I walk up to the door and open it, revealing Mikasa, Eren and Armin in front of me with very concerned and confused looks on their faces.

“Hey guys how’s it-?”

Before I have time to finish, Mikasa wraps her arms around me, bringing us into a tight hug. “We didn’t see you come back from the mission, so we though something happened and Marco-.” It seemed as though she was on the brink of tears, I had never seen that side of her before.

“No, no. I’m okay, I guess I have some explaining to do.” I rub the back of my neck.

“What do you mean?” Armin asks. “We just assumed you went back with another squad.”

“You might want to sit down for this.” I say nervously.

The three of them sit on my bed in a neat row, facing me. I take this as the opportunity.

“So, during the mission I blacked out and woke up in a cell with the commander and a couple of the other higher ups…like Captain Levi.” The last part comes out as more of a murmur to myself. “It turns out that I turned into a titan and everyone’s kind of freaking out right now. Oh! And I joined the survey corps.”

I watch as my friend’s expressions change from relived, to confused and back to relieved again.

“A titan?” Eren repeats.

“Yes. A titan.”

“But why?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I literally blacked out before I don’t remember what happened at all. So, I’m just going to assume that it’s the truth. Would the higher ups lie to me about something like that?”

“I suppose not.” Eren sighs, “But, what are you going to do now that you have this information?”

“I assume that commander Erwin wants to use it for the corps.”

“Well, that would be the rational choice.” Armin replies. “But now your part of the Survey corps?”

“Yeah I guess so. Its kind of scary.” I sound a little scared, but attempt to cover it up. “I suppose my father would be proud of me.”

“And on your first day too. I don’t think anyone’s been able to do that.” Eren exclaims.

“It’s really because of my titan ability. I barely survived that last mission. If it weren’t for the captain, I’d be as good as dead by now.”

“True, but

Now you have a better sense of purpose.” Armin smiles, “We’re just trainees.”

“Do you guys think that you’ll join the survey corps?” I ask.

“Of course!” Eren yells. “I’m going to kill every last titan in existence!”

“There he goes again.” Armin sighs.

“I’ll be joining the corps to keep an eye on Eren.” Mikasa sighs.

“I don’t need you to keep an eye on me, I can look out for myself!” Eren protests.

“And I’ll be joining the corps because let’s face it: I’ve got nowhere else to go.” Armin finishes with a shrug.

“We have a while of training before we can make that choice. Not all of us can be elites like you.” Eren chuckles, tapping my arm.

“Shove off Yeager. It’s got nothing to do with skills. They just want me for my amazing ability.”

“That doesn’t make it any less amazing. You went to one training day, and here you are.”

I smile. “Thanks guys, you’re all very sweet.”

“I don’t suppose you want to join us for dinner?” Mikasa asks.

“I’ve had a rough day; I think I’m going to turn in.”

“Alright, well see you tomorrow.” Eren waves as the three of them shuffle out of the room.

I lean against the windowsill, staring out into the town below. I could’ve sworn I felt something brush against my back.

“Well, I did it; father.” I beam. “I’m one step closer.”

[pessimisticlatte]

Glass Roses ~ Chapter 22

Adrienette/Adrinette ~ Marichat ~ Nathalie x Happiness ~ Gabriel x Ceasing Existing ~ Me x crying because my baby is finally done and I can start working on other fics

THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER OF GLASS ROSES, GUYS!!! I’m currently writing the prologue because I feel like a prologue is needed to tie up some loose ends (cough, comatose Emilie, cough). All chapters will be uploaded to AO3 for on demand viewing. If you’ve been reading since chapter 1, thank you so much for your support and I seriously hope you’ll read my next fic (it’s already in the works because I couldn’t help myself)! Anyway, on with the show...

“Hello, I’m Nadja Chamack with today’s news. The supervillain known as Hawkmoth was apprehended today after Ladybug and Chat Noir provided evidence to the police on his identity and his direct involvement to the ‘akumatisation’ of Parisians. Gabriel Agreste, renowned fashion designer and head of the Agreste brand, was revealed to be behind Hawkmoth’s mask, his son, Adrien, newly 18 has taken over as CEO of the Agreste Brand with Ms Nathalie Sancouer, Gabriel Agreste’s former assistant, acting as his proxy. Ms Sancouer has also confirmed that she has, in fact, adopted Adrien Agreste and that she has made the decision to remove Adrien from the public eye for the time being. Police Captain Raincomprix has set up police units surrounding the Agreste mansion to ensure that Mr Agreste and Ms Sancouer’s privacy is respected. 

“This devastating discovery comes a week after Adrien’s 18th birthday, which was held at the Chateau de Agreste in Alsace last Friday, where Ladybug, Chat Noir and the rest of their superhero team were said to have been in attendance. One of our interns was lucky enough to be at the celebration itself and capture footage of one of the superheroes, known as Queen Bee, saved a civilian as they took a fall from a balcony. It’s confirmed that this civilian is okay and taking some much needed rest at home with their family. Gabriel Agreste is currently being held at La Sante prison without bail and heavy restrictions regarding visitors; the date for his trial has not yet been set but the Ministere Public has released a statement saying that it will begin soon and will not be open to public viewing as a normal case would be.

“That’s all for tonight, I’m Nadja Chamack, don’t be bemused, it’s just the news!”

Leaning against the doorframe, Adrien watched Nathalie switch the tv off and stand, slightly shakily, before she turned to face him with a sad smile.

“Are you okay?” Moving around the couch, Nathalie gently placed her hands on Adrien’s shoulders and looked up at him with worried eyes. He was stressed and not taking his father’s arrest well, though Nathalie had seen first hand that Marinette was more stressed about Gabriel’s arrest than Adrien was and she had to wonder if Adrien was worried for his father at all or if the haggard, reserved look on his face came from worry for someone else entirely.

“I’m fine but I don’t think you should be the one asking that. How’s your head?” Looking at the bandage afixed to Nathalie’s temple, Adrien checked that no blood was spotting the white linen as a tell tale sign of her having torn her stitches again. After her fall from the balcony, Nathalie had needed 8 stitches and had been prescribed medicine for her blood pressure, once news had gotten out about Gabriel being Hawkmoth, her doctor’s demeanor had changed to become one more understanding of the situation the poor woman was in. 

“It’s alright, Adrien, I haven’t torn them again,” The night after Nathalie had come home from the hospital, she’d had a severe panic attack as she stepped through the doors of the Agreste mansion. The attack ending with her having torn 6 of her stitches and requiring the Agreste family’s preferred doctor to come to the mansion to stitch her up again. “I sent an email to all the news stations this morning asking that they respect our privacy. I doubt they will but at least Nadja Chamack has the dignity to say that we want it.”

“You need to worry less, Mum,” Hooking Nathalie’s arm into the crook of his elbow, Adrien led her to the dining room and helped her into her chair, right across the table from him. “Sabine and Mari dropped over a lasagna a few hours ago, I just took it out of the oven so I’ll be right back, okay?” Adrien dropped a kiss to the top of Nathalie’s forehead before disappearing through the salon doors leading into the kitchen.

After the whole Hawkmoth debacle, Nathalie and Adrien had decided to cut down on the amount of staff within the mansion. They’d made sure to hand write letters of recommendation for each of the staff members they’d let go, making sure to sign with both their names to ensure that Gabriel’s now tarnished reputation wouldn’t hinder them in getting new employment. The mansion felt even bigger and more empty without them but Nathalie had to admit that it felt even more like a home now that it was just her, Adrien and, occasionally, Jean-Luc Gorrille. She’d begun to look at smaller places for them to live, Adrien having caught her looking at some and having lit up so brightly at the idea of living somewhere smaller, quieter, easier to turn from just a house and into a home. She’d never been happier.

Emerging from the kitchen with two steaming plates of lasaga, a set of cutlery held in his mouth as another hung precariously between his fingers beneath one of the plates, Adrien tried to announce himself with a muffled ‘ta-da’ before he placed Nathalie’s plate down in front of her carefully and handed her the cutlery he’d been holding beneath the plate. Taking his set out of his mouth, Adrien moved around the table and took his seat.

“You know, it’s actually kinda sad,” Using his fork to cut away a small chunk of the lasagna, Adrien looked up at Nathalie with a wry smile.

“What’s kinda sad?”

“That neither of us can cook and yet we’re the ones preparing our meals,” 

“I hope you mean ‘preparing’ very loosely because all you did was heat this up, Sabine and Marinette made it,”

“Damnit, Mum, why’ve you got to go ruining everything?” Laughing, Adrien spoke with joking accusation in his voice as he pointed his fork at Nathalie.

“Language, young man!” Kicking the joke right back to Adrien, Nathalie’s laughed joined his. “Or I’ll have to wash your mouth out with soap and send you off to your room!”

“Remember when you actually had to wash my mouth out with soap?” 

“Yes! How could I forget?”

Sitting at the table together, reminiscing about happy memories of the past, both Nathalie and Adrien were given the very rare chance to forget about what was happening beyond the walls of the mansion.

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

Leaning against the railing bordering her balcony, wind ruffling her dark hair as it lifted off the seine, Marinette looked out across the city toward the Agreste mansion.

“Hey Princess,” Dropping down behind her on light feet, Chat Noir walked up to his girlfriend and wrapped his black clad arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as she leant back into his warmth

“Hey Chaton,” Nuzzling her head up under his chin, she felt him squeeze her more tightly against him. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m alright, I think I did my grieving for him a long time ago,”

“I feel guilty...it feels like I took him away from you,”

Pressing a firm kiss to the crown of her head, Chat gently rubbed his thumb across Mari’s stomach. “You can’t take away something that wasn’t there in the first place, Mari,”

“But what if he could’ve changed?” It sounded as if she was pleading with him. Shaking his head, rubbing his chin against the top of her head as he did, Chat refrained from telling Marinette that his father wasn’t worthy of her remorse or guilt because he knew that it wouldn’t change anything, it wouldn’t change her mind or take away how she was feeling. “What if he could’ve changed, Adrien, and I took that chance away from him?”

“We’ll never know, Princess, and sometimes it’s better not knowing,”

“Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?”

“To some people, maybe, but for us, I’d like to think that ignorance is happiness. If we stop asking ‘what if’ then we won’t have to feel the same pain twice,”

“Sometimes you say the smartest things and I have seriously no idea where it comes from,”

“It only happens when Nino lets me use the braincell,”

“Nino lets you use the braincell?” Mari let out a deep, rich laugh. “Which one of you broke it then because it almost never seems to work.”

“No comment,”

“Saying ‘no comment’ is still commenting,”

“You’re too smart for your own good,”

“Well, Chaton, one of us has to be otherwise god knows what would’ve happened to Paris by now,”

Pointing out toward the Eiffel Tower with a claw tipped finger, a grin hidden in her hair, Chat drew Mari’s attention to the colours dancing upon it. “Well, there would be a big statue of me right over there, big enough for you to see from here and swoon over,”

“What about a statue of me?”

“Hmmm,” He pretended to think for a moment, drawing giggles out of the girl in his arms. “I think I’d put a statue of you right outside my window so I could look at it all the time.”

“That’s kinda creepy,”

“Then, instead of a statue, how about you just stand outside my window forever?”

“Oh my god, no,” Thinking of the snowfall of Paris winters and the stifling gummy heat of French summers, Mari shuddered. “No, no thank you.”

“How about a compromise then?”

“What compromise do you suggest?”

“I get to look at you all the time ���cause you live with me,” 

Mari paused, her heart thundering in time with Chat’s against her back. “Let me finish university and then we’ll see,”

“You got accepted?” Pulling away from her, Chat turned her around slightly to look Marinette in the eye, gently pressing her back against the cold iron railing behind her.

“Yeah, I got accepted for a fashion and design degree,” 

“Oh my god, I’m so proud of you,” Gripping the backs of Mari’s thighs, Chat lifted her up onto the railing and held her securely, more wary of balconies and such since Nathalie’s fall on his birthday, before pressing his lips to hers firmly. “I don’t know if there’s a time when I’m ever not proud of you.”

“Sometimes, you make no sense at all,” Wrapping her arms around his neck, Marinette pulled Chat Noir back into their kiss, the two of them illuminated by the lights of Paris and of the silvery moon beyond. This was a new world, a world without Hawkmoth, and there wasn’t a way in hell that either of them were going to let it slip through their fingers.

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