#who pissed off the fates and became their punching bag

[boltlightning]

men are fools, men are frail give them the rope and they'll hang themselves ♫♪

[hana-no-seiiki]

Hello! I hope you are doing well, I have an idea, feel free to ignore but I hope you like it.

Yandere Male Deliquent x GN Ex Bully

Like he tried to make them explode and being their “true self”, because in the past, when they were younger, they defend him and he became a delinquent just to see them again.

Sorry if my English is bad.

Bye!

YAN! DELINQUENT OC x GN! EX BULLY! READER

Also your English great anon! Dw about it.

AAAAAAA I’ve meaning to do more Yan! Delinquent recently anon!! You read my mind. For those new to my account. I already have a Yan! Delinquent OC named Mori Ban (see tag: hns.moriban) who was the first to really blow up from my yan! ocs. I always loved this trope with yan stories hhh

tw/cw: DDNE, mention extreme bullying, assault, and harassment. (brought out my trauma for this one). i imagine reader to be amab/masc for this one but there are no explicits allusions to that.

Uttering the name [L/N] [Y/N] was enough to strike fear in the hearts of men. Literally and figuratively speaking, your voice was enough to make even the highest of authorities piss their pants. Not only were you capable of destroying a person’s physical body with your very own hands, you were able to dismantle everything from their relationships and reputation to their financial situations in life.

People predicted you to grow up and become an even more menacing, ruthless person. You had the potential, and with the way you were it was simply the natural trajectory.

But like you always did, you broke everyone’s expectations.

You were like the delinquent version Serena Van Der Woodsen. Mindlessly strutting in as if you hadn’t put several companies to bankruptcy because the owner’s kid looked at you the wrong way. Nonchalantly eating your lunch in the same vicinity of your old victims as if you hadn’t shoved their face into the toilet as a way to pass time. Cheerfully waving at the student council president as if you hadn’t constantly blackmailed and assaulted them for several years just so they’d do your homework and projects. No one was safe from you. You had no code. As long as you felt like it, any life could be destroyed.

Standing opposite to your current path was Mori.

He used to be the punching bag of your lesser goons. Known for being weak and poor, only good for his academic excellence.

He grew up to be almost as fearsome than you. Where-areas you were coldblooded, revelling in the pain you brought upon others. He was a lot more morally guided. Sure, his enemies often suffered worse fates physically, but he wasn’t like you in the way he picked his battles. He only brought hell to those that deserved it. Those that hurt other people first.

And then there was the way he treated you.

You technically belonged to the category he dealt with. You ruined dozens, maybe even hundreds or thousands of lives in a whim. You were the devil in a pretty suit of skin. Despite your lack of hostility nowadays, you never apologised or took accountability, never attempted to atone for your mistakes. The only reason why others haven’t confronted you about it was because of fear. They didn’t want to potentially anger you and set off a bomb.

But Mori? Mori could handle you.

After all, he dedicated his whole life to being your equal; serving you, aiding you.

In fact, he was just so disappointed to see you this way. All disgustingly docile and horridly disciplined. What kind of monster tamed you to be like this? Mori chuckled at the thought. No one but him can match you. You must have started behaving yourself for the sake of appearance. All of this was just a façade. If you had truly changed you would have begged for forgiveness to those you’ve wronged. If you had become a better person then you wouldn’t be discreetly glaring at him when you thought he wasn’t looking.

If someone had truly taught you to be a goody-two-shoes he would have killed them ages ago.

“Hey, [N/N]. Sweetheart. How ya doin?” Mori leaned forward. He grew to be quite a ways taller than you and had to lean over to meet you face to face. Much to your chagrin.

“Fine. It’s so nice of you to ask Ban. If you’ll excuse me.” You adeptly moved to the side. You had dealt with this man-child several times throughout the semester already and knew to just avoid him at all costs lest you lose braincells and precious energy talking to him.

However, you could only take two steps before his hands grappled unto your wrist.

“Woah woah woah there. We’re not done yet.”

You don’t look back, and firmly yet calmly stated, “Yes, we are.”

“It’s a little late but we have yet to give you a homecoming party. That wouldn’t be fair for the great [Y/N].”

You turned back. Eyes wide, not of surprise or anger, but from sheer awe of this man’s audacity.

“I know what you want, and you’re not getting it from me right now.” You scowled at his beautiful pink eyes and effortlessly yanked your arm away from him. You didn’t know it yet back then,

but you had already lit the match.

©️ hana.no.seiiki - yun | 2023

[harveywritings92]

BNHA Vampire soulmate au: they feed off you for the first time.

They explain to you how blood tastes to them and enjoy a meal... 

Tw: Blood drinking, heavy petting

---------------------------------

Hawks: It's been a year you and Keigo seem to be together, you've been talking about moving in together anywho, You got a paper cut and Keigo who was crashing at your placed smelled it from your living room, he nearly gave you a heart attack when you turned around to see him standing behind you, his gold eyes had red tinge as he eyed your finger like a like man who hasn't eaten in a week. "Ey, there I thought you've already had enough to drink today?" you were referring to the black and red sports bottle he'd brought with him. "I did, It's just- You have no Idea how hard I've been holding back, your blood it does something to me..." Keigo husked eyes locked on the crimson nectar dripping down your hand he was salivating and swallowed hard. "My blood...does it smell good?" you asked timidly.

The blond snapped out of his trance. "Petal, you smell like ripe strawberries and chocolate to me..." Keigo has already told you how smoker's blood smells and taste to him, well you now you were curious about non-smokers, and asked if blood type also has an effect on the blood's flavor? the winged vamp was happy to answer! 

Smokers: Charcoal/moldy bread.

Drunks: depends on how drunk they are, it's somewhere between hard soda and hard wine or liquor.

Drug users: no idea, he says they smell like rotten eggs, and he's seen how loopy other vamps act after feeding on them and stays clear of them.

Sick/injured: He stays away from sick people but they smell like a cross between a hospital or a funeral home.

Virgins: sweet/tart like fruit-punch.

regular folks: like Sangria the fruitiness is still there but it's mixed with bitter wine . 

"Blood types don't really change up the flavors, but I've noticed type As have a spice to them, Bs start off sour, and type Os are pretty mellow." You hummed very intrigued at what you were hearing then, noticed Keigo was still eyeing your finger, like a starved animal, you looked down at the cut then back Keigo and noticed his wings were tense and he was clenching his jaw, after some thought you sighed you held your hand out to him. "Go head before your jaw breaks" His wings bristled. "I'm not some desperate leech y'know." he huffed you shrugged and went to went to put a band-aid on, but Keigo stopped you.

"Let's not be hasty here..."  He stammered out at you cocked a brow at him. "Yer really giving me mixed signals here." you huffed did he want your blood or not? " Um... Are you sure about this?" he said blush adoring his cheeks. "I'm just letting you suck my finger...Why are you acting like I just asked you to pop my cherry?" Keigo's face was as red as a cherry as you said this. "Because you essenually are..." He explained the big difference between mates and prey, on instinct he wouldn't give a crap about some rando he picked up off the street or whatever mystery pack the commission gives him, but you... 

You're his soulmate, his fated one... and right now your pretty much telling him to make you his! He's not gonna stop at your finger, once he's had a taste he's going for your neck! And once he bites you that's it, you have his mark forever, You paused absorbing what the blond male just told you...Well, he hardly leaves you alone already might as well go all in? "Do it." Hawks's eyes were red now. "Come" he hissed sitting across from you and gesturing to sit in his lap.

You complied and watched Keigo warily as he brought your finger to his mouth, immediately you felt a shock go through you the second Keigo's tongue started lapping at the cut, he moaned tasting your blood for the first time. He was right you tasted every bit as sweet as he thought you would...*more...more...* his monster groaned euphorically he felt the cut on your finger close from his saliva's healing properties.

Keigo's eyes drifted towards your neck, You gasp feeling his grip on your hand tighten before his free hand found it's way behind your head, you tensed seeing Keigo's fangs elongate but before he could pierce your neck he smelled your distress.

His rough hold on you suddenly slacked and his hands lowered to your hips his thumbs gently rubbed you sides as he left little kisses and nip along your jaw before you calmed down enough to trust Hawks wasn't gonna tear your throat out. "Just relax." he cooed kissing you neck a couple more times like a countdown. one...two... three! 

You tried not to scream as you felt his fangs pierce your neck, your fingers gripped his jacket as you felt yourself be drained... then like a switch had been slowly tuned the pain tuned into pleasure? moans started sneaking their out from your mouth which confused you, the blond vampire groaned in ecstasy at how rich your blood tasted with lust mixed in he buck his hips against you, after what seemed like hours Keigo's fangs finally retracted from your flesh and lap at the two holes he left on your neck, they sealed as you whimpered weakly Keigo just shushed and you. "It's alright kid, you did good" he cooed kissing your head as you started drifting out of consciousness.   

When you woke up your head was pounding like a bad hangover Keigo was cradling you in his lap looking relieved and sheepish, he explained he went a little overboard with his drinking and venom dosing and you got drunk on him and passed out! you must've looked panicked cos Keigo assured you were completely fine, the venom isn't lethal... (To you anyways, one of the benefits of being a vampire's soulmate.) Though you might be a bit feverish and cranky for the next couple days.  

----------------------------------------------------

Dabi: You were on your period so yes Dabi's self restraint was breaking! you had no fucking idea what you blood was doing to him you smelled like a 5 star meal and all he could do was sit and drown in his own drool and watch you, like a hawk as you moaned and groaned about  cramps and ruining your pajama shorts when you woke up this morning! a low growl escaped the faux raven haired vamp when he saw you toss out a bag with said aforementioned shorts, it took every nerve in him not to run after the garbage truck like a starved dog! before something you said snapped him out of his trance. "hn...What ya say?" he looked at you drinking his third pack of cow's blood.

"I asked if my blood smells good and what does it taste like?"

"I wouldn't know haven't tasted yours yet..."

"Well, what about anyone else's?" 

"Why are you suddenly interested?"

You huffed "Sorry for wanting to know you..." and were about to tell him to forget it, when the the undead cremator spoke up. "Mocha mixed wit' something spicy like cinnamon or rum" he muttered not looking at you. Of course you cocked a brow now intrigued, now that that was out of the bag he might as well tell ya the rest. 

Smokers: burnt rubber/earwax (eh, everyone was a kid once, had to know what that gunky crap in your ear tasted like.)

Drunks: Depends on how much they've drank, it could between hard water to straight up red wine.

Drug users: the one time he fed on one he thought they were just a pothead, but in turned out they had ate a few shrooms which made them kinda taste like... orange juice and black liquorice?... Honestly he can't give a straight answer, as he was too busy trippin out on another plain of existence to remember.  

Sick/injured: doesn't feed off the sick, but they smell like a hospital or a morgue.

Virgins: like apples and honey

Regular folks: they taste like Apple cider. 

Animal blood: kinda tastes like artificial cherry cough syrup, and he hates it!

"Then why do you drink it?" you gulped seeing his cerulean eyes flash red for a brief second as he locked eyes with you. "Why?...*growl* your standing in front of me smelling like a walking buffet and you have to gall ask me why I drinking this crap?!" he snapped crushing the blood pack in his hand as you started backing away, you were nervous that only fueled Dabi's sadistic side you learned early that he enjoyed agitating you via flashing his fangs, popping behind you out of seemingly nowhere, and faking you out.

I.E. making it seem like he was gonna bite you then blow air in your ears before walking away laughing at your reaction, something about putting you on edge and having your adrenaline pumping through your veins adds more "spice" to your scent, it happens so often that Dabi started noticing arousal was mixing in with your fear, you bet your ass he started mocking you for getting off on him scaring you. 

Of course right now you weren't sure if he was seriously mad, or making fun of you again? He was not making fun of you again he was seriously pissed off, The nerve of you walking around asking him about useless crap, and offering him nothing in return! Dabi had you backed against a wall face buried in your shoulder you felt him sniffing you and flinched you felt him nipping along your neck, and like all the other times he's riled you he smelled that that little speck of arousal through the fear. 

He let out a low chuckle causing you to to become fed up, you though he was screwing with you again! "Goddamm-.hm!" You were cut off by sharp yelp as Dabi's fang suddenly pierced your neck! oh god it hurt! you whimpered tried shoving Dabi off! he groaned pushing your back against the wall, suddenly your body felt weird... you moaned it was hot and and everything felt sensitive...

You barely registered Dabi lifting your legs up you instinctively wrapped them around his hips, he let out a low purr and his demeanor became less angry and forceful, his shoulders relaxed as his hands gently rubbed your legs, after what seemed like hours Dabi finally pulled away from your neck lapping at the pin holes he left on, he checked on you only to find you passed out his eye had a rare tenderness to them as he eyed your flushed appearance. "Well aren't you high maintenance." he cooed his thumb caressing you chin before taking you to bed.   

----------------------------------------------------

Bakugou: He didn't want say what you smelled like to him as it made him look soft, he finally cracks after more poking a prodding. "If I fucking do will you shut up and let me sleep?!" he hissed it was 8: 47 p.m. and he was tired which confused you, the sun was still out and you could hear kids playing in the streets outside. You heard a angry growl Katsuki's ears were pink. "S'mores...you smell like S'mores, happy?" he groaned when you started shaking him, no point in trying to sleep now that he's lit the fuse! He gave you the sum up of what blood tastes like to him.

Smokers: old news paper and figs.

Drug users: No clue stays clear of them, they smell like pickled eggs.

Drunks: Somewhere between hard water and flavored vodka.

Virgins: Why would you want to kno-... arhg! Coffee and vanilla!

Regular folks: Irish coffee and bitter mint.

Then you you started asking about blood types and what it was when he drank, Next thing you knew Katsuki let out this frustrated bellow! You yelped as he grabbed your wrists and pinned you under him. "You wanna know what it feels like?" you sheepishly mumbled a meek "yes" but the blonds red eyes narrowed. "Hah? say that again I couldn't hear ya?" he jeered trying to get you to use your voice, you repeated "Yes" again a bit more forceful as the ash blond unbuttoned the shirt he let you borrow exposing your neck to him. 

Katsuki frowned he could smell your reluctance, then grumbled in annoyance as he recalled Shitty-hair's advice ""Take it slow, be gentle..."" He took a deep breath and carefully buried his face in you neck, You flinched expecting him to clamp down, giving how much you annoyed him, but to your surprise; Katsuki instead opted to started leaving kisses along your jaw and collar bone.

You bit back a moan when he found you sweet spot and causing Katsuki to smirk if wasn't so hungry and tired right now, he might've taken this much farther, but the mouthwatering scent of your blood calling him was too much to pass up. "I'm gonna do it" he husked as you nodded and with that, Katsuki's fangs pierced your neck.

You gasped in pain felling them puncture your skin as Katsuki grasped your hand, the blond groaned in euphoria your blood tasted every bit as rich and sweet as he thought it would, he could smell your discomforted and on instinct inject a doses of his venom into your bloodstream in minutes your blood's flavor intensified with added lust, your tiny moans and whimpers were music to his hears, soon his instincts were warning him stop.

Katsuki's fangs retracted he lapped at the punctures he left on your neck, before pulling away to look at you and snorted you were a flushed out mess. "That sate your curiosity?" he huffed fixing your shirt you tried to say something but were too exhausted to say anything tangible, the ash blond chuckled and settled down next to you for the night.   

-------------------------------------------------------

[yutahoes]

Punch

pairing : bodyguard! Yuta Nakamoto x rich girl! Y/N

genre: angst, fluff, childhood friends au

word count: 2.7k words

summary : Yuta has his eyes on one girl. A person he cannot have. 

a/n: based on this ask. you’ll probably guess that I intended this to be an angst fic so the ending is kinda off but I still hope you’ll like it anon.  

“Can you please act like a proper lady?” the mother of the house scolded which only made Y/N sip her soup loudly. “Y/N!” she shouted, which made the younger girl flinch. 

The oldest sighed loudly, closing his eyes. “Can’t we just enjoy our meal without shouting?” The younger girl snickered. “And Y/N, please listen to your mom. Act like a proper lady.”

She rolled her eyes at that. It’s not like she’s not an obedient child, she listens to what they want. She just hated how they put all this pressure on her to be a proper woman when it’s not what she wants. The disadvantage of being born into a rich family. 

Her right wrapped fist hit the punching bag before her left fist hooked to hit its side. The door opened and she swings a punch, only to hit her childhood friend by the shoulder. “That is one weak punch.” Yuta teased, fixing the wrap of her right fist. “Why do you have to practice boxing when you have your bodyguard?” He whispered while fixing the other wrap. “I’d rather break all my bones than let someone lay a finger on you.”   

She laughed. “For someone so strong and muscly, you have such a soft spot for me.” She swing another punch and he quickly dodged it. Yuta held her wrist, gently pulling her to the side but Y/N kept on coming to him with punches. She hit his shoulder once but he didn’t flinch making her repeat the punching.  

Yuta stepped backward, laughing at her attempts. His foot reached the edge of the mat at the same time as Y/N landed a punch on his chest. He fell down on his back, dragging Y/N with him. The girl grinned, “I think I just knocked you down.” 

She sounded so proud of herself that it’s comical. Yuta held both her arms, pushing her down to the mat. Him, hovering above her. “The first rule is to never put your guard down.” He can feel her warm breath against his lips. Her fruity smell arousing his senses. A loud heartbeat, he wasn’t sure if it was hers or his, ringing on his ears. 

Yuta stood up as if he’s on fire. Y/N chuckling while lying down on the mat. He reached a hand to help her stand, letting go when she stood up. “Luckily, you will always be here for me.” The side of his lips curled up. 

He didn’t know when it started. Maybe it started even before he realized it. Since his parents work with her family, he became her first friend. When she went to high school, she refused to have bodyguards following her every move so Yuta, being her classmate, became her personal bodyguard. The main reason why he bulked up. 

But it should end now. He can’t be her personal bodyguard forever. Because from the little girl he first met when they were six years old, Y/N had grown to be a pretty woman. And he’s just a guy. A guy who is attracted to the person he needed to guard. 

-----

“I’m sorry,” Y/N said, holding her shoes while running outside their mansion and into the car. Yuta laughed, closing the door behind him then entering the driver’s seat. “Is mom mad?” 

He shook his head, adjusting the rearview mirror to watch if she’s comfortable in her seat. She was putting on her sandals, the skirt of her dress hiking up her thigh that made him cough. “If she asks, just tell her your piano class ended late.” 

“But I don’t have piano classes.” 

“Exactly.” 

The girl smiled. This was one of the things she liked about hanging out with Yuta. Her parents believe him more than her and he’s good at making up excuses. 

It’s not her fault that she enjoyed watching the boxing match on TV and she forgot about the party that her mom kept on reminding her. Honestly, she would rather just stay at home and practice her boxing skills rather than stand in that posh party and act like her mom’s Barbie doll. Why is this the fate of a chaebol’s daughter? 

The car stopped at the entrance of a posh hotel, the valet already opening the door for her. “Are you coming up after parking the car?” she asked but Yuta just shook his head while reminding her to keep her slippers on the side so he can hide them in the trunk. “What if I get bored?” 

Yuta chuckled. “I’ll be drinking coffee in the lobby.” She grinned before getting out of the car and closing the door behind her. 

The elevator ride is boring already but when she came inside the venue, the party made her yawn. Her mom scolded her for arriving late then smiling at her friends which she greeted with a fake smile on her face. She introduced her to one bachelor after another, obnoxious jerks that she knew since she’s a kid. “Didn’t I told you to wear makeup?” Her mom scolded and she hissed, closing her eyes. She’s pissed off that she’s hungry and her feet are aching real bad. She just wanted to go home. 

Maybe she can make a run for it and go to Yuta in the lobby. 

But her mom held her arm, whispering that she should stop being a brat. It wasn’t until her dad said that they should go home since he’s almost drunk that a smile crept on her lips. She almost hurried outside the hotel, grinning when Yuta opened the door for her. “You look like you had fun.” 

She rolled her eyes at that, “I almost died of boredom.” He chuckled before she got inside the car, Yuta opening the front door for Y/N’s dad. 

The car was quiet that surprised him. Normally, her mom will keep on scolding her for her behavior at the party. Maybe she was being obedient today. “Yuta, your dad told me about your family leaving.” He saw movement from the rearview mirror and shrugged it. “Let me know if you need anything.” Yuta nodded, thanking the older man. 

“We know some doctors in Japan. Maybe we can help.” The older woman from the backseat claimed but Yuta just shook his head. He already feels bad about his family moving so suddenly, he’ll feel worse if he let them help his ailing grandmother. This was a decision that his parents had been pondering for a while and when their employer agreed to let them go back to Japan, he can’t say no. 

The car stopped in front of their mansion, the couple getting out of the car but the girl refused to move and even closed the door of the car. She was glaring at Yuta, arms crossed in front of her chest. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re leaving?” 

Yuta sighed. “I can’t find the right timing to tell you.” She rolled her eyes once again. “I’m sorry but grandma is already old and she wants us to go back to Japan.” 

“Can’t you stay?” 

“I can’t, Y/N.” He hissed. “My parents are already old. They need me more.” 

The girl pursed her lips and he cautiously met her eyes from the rearview mirror. “When are you leaving?” 

“Tomorrow.” 

“Already?” Yuta nodded. The sooner, the better. “Morning?” Again, he nodded. Y/N pouted, squinting her eyes at him. “Can you wake me up before you leave?” 

He smiled, laughing while he turned to her. “You can wake up by yourself.” But she shook her head. “I’ll wake you up tomorrow. Promise.” She grinned, even repeating that he needed to wake her up before leaving the car. 

Yuta sighed, leaning in his seat while taking a silver chain from inside his pocket. His thumb tracing the heart pendant. This was supposed to be his gift for her but seeing as how the other guys from wealthy families gave her diamonds and expensive things, he hid it for months. A knock on the window startled him, hastily putting the necklace in his pocket. He rolled down the window to reveal his dad, smiling at him. “I’ll just park the car.” 

He waited for him outside the mansion as he returned the keys, closing their door in the process. “You know you can stay if you want.” His dad started that made Yuta shake his head. It was his decision to come with them. He can’t stay here and be away from them. They needed him. “I’m sorry, Yuta.” 

“What for, dad?” 

“I should have worked harder and maybe our family is wealthier.” He claimed that surprised the younger guy. His dad is thinking about these things? “You wouldn’t have a problem loving her.” 

A smile crept on Yuta’s face. Of course, they know about it. Everyone does. Except her. 

“It was your mom who found out. You even worked part-time jobs just to get her a present and I felt bad.” Yuta shook his head. They’re the parents he wished for. He doesn’t want anything to change. “Did you at least tell her your feelings?” 

Once again, he shook his head. “It’s just a one-sided crush, dad.” The older tapped his shoulder. “This will pass.” But even he had a hard time believing the words coming out of his own mouth. 

He promised to wake her up and although he’s in front of her room, he can’t have the courage to knock on the door and tell her that they’re leaving. It’s just a crush. He kept on telling himself. This will pass. With a heavy sigh, he put down the necklace on the floor and went downstairs. 

“Did you wake her up?” Yuta smiled, shaking his head. "That girl, really." The older woman was about to leave when the younger stopped her, saying that it's fine. His mom stared at him in worry.

Yuta went inside the cab while her parents thanked the other couple. This is it, he thought. His goodbye to her. His thumb grazed against her smiling photo as his phone wallpaper. His parents both looked at him when they went inside the car, asking if he's alright and he nodded then closed his phone. 

As the car started moving away from the mansion, his phone lit up with her name. He's a coward. He shouldn't be her bodyguard. He closed the phone, removing his sim card and breaking it in half. 

Yuta's goodbye to her. The love of his life. 

The last few years were so good to Yuta. His uncle sent him to a university in Tokyo where he took a course in business administration and start a small business of his own. He met a lot of good people, nice girls from his line of work but sometimes he would trail to thoughts of her. Her smile, her eyes. 

Whenever winter comes, he would think of her grinning excitedly at the thought of snow. When spring comes, he finds himself smiling at the cherry blossoms. Wanting her to see them with her own two eyes. Whenever summer comes, he wished she’s here with him and eating delicious foods at festivals. When it’s autumn, he would dream of them walking under the shedding trees and holding each other’s hands. Then the cycle repeats itself. 

He missed her more as time pass. 

Can he even see her again? Why can’t he fully say goodbye to his feelings for her? 

“I heard there are pretty girls at the party. We should definitely check it out.” One of his business partners claimed, referring to a party happening to a famous hotel in Tokyo. “Maybe this is your chance to forget about that girl.” 

Maybe it is. He should focus on forgetting about her. Maybe this time, he can finally say goodbye to the thoughts of her. 

Surprisingly the more he stayed at the party, the more he was reminded of her. Is this how it feels like being the ‘Barbie doll’? Just standing, smiling, and greeting people when you want to go home and just rest. Seeing how some creepy rich old men were walking to where younger girls are, he thought that these chaebol’s daughters should really have a bodyguard of their own. How is she? Did she find another bodyguard?   

Yuta excused himself outside to get some breath of fresh air. This is dangerous, he kept on thinking about her. He’s failing his mission. “Y/N!” someone called that made him turn to the owner of the voice. A guy in simple shirt and jeans, very different from the semi-formal attire in the party, was looking around the garden. “Y/N, your mom is going to kill me.” 

He really said her name, didn’t he? Before he can walk to where he is, he heard a small sound behind the bushes then some movement. Curious, he peeked behind only to get punched in the face. Hard. “Oh shit, I’m sorry.” Is he hurt that much? Why is he seeing her? “Yuta?” 

“Y/N!” the sound got closer that made her pull him to hide behind the bushes. 

“What are you…?” She put a hand over her mouth to cover his voice. Their distance so close that he can feel her warmth and the fruity smell that he always associated with her. A loud heartbeat ringing in his ears but now, he’s sure that it was his. 

When the guy went inside the party, Y/N breathed hard in relief. Her head lay on Yuta’s shoulder, catching her breath. “That was so close.” 

He lightly pushed her, moving to the side to create a distance from the two of them. “What were you doing?” 

“Hiding.” she said with a grin. “He’s going to return me to mom and introduce me to some Japanese hotshot." he rolled her eyes while fixing her skirt. "I don't even know how to speak Japanese, I just passed class because…" She lightly glanced at him, her eyes widening in surprise. "Your lip is bleeding." 

Yuta touched his bottom lip, a bright red tint appearing on his thumb. "Maybe because of your punch." She repeatedly apologized, handing him her handkerchief. "Have you been practicing your punches?" 

"I'm training to be a boxer to join the Olympics." 

"Seriously?"  

The girl squinted her eyes at him. "I'm stuck with that lanky guy who can't even land a punch. How am I supposed to protect myself?" 

Yuta laughed then pulled her down in an attempt to hide her from the guy looking for her. "Why are you stuck with that guy anyways? Your dad knew better." 

"Well, my bodyguard left me without even saying goodbye when he promised me..." 

"I'm sorry." Yuta whispered. "Saying goodbye is harder than staying with you." He breathed heavily. "I'm falling deeper for the girl I'm supposed to protect. I'm scared I might hurt you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

She rolled her eyes at that. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

"Because I'm a nobody and you're way out of my league, Y/N." 

"You're stupid, Yuta. I didn't even sleep that night and waited for you to knock on the door that morning." She lightly punched his shoulder, earning a yelp from him. Tears were streaming from her eyes that startled him. "I even went to Osaka to look for you." 

He held her cheeks, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. “I’m sorry, Y/N.” He mumbled. “I can’t get you out of my mind as well.” He held her in his arms, her necklace hanging loosely from her neck. He traced the heart pendant, smiling at her. “It looks good on you.” 

She punched his shoulder another time, surprising Yuta. “Don’t hide from me again. I’ll kill you, Yuta.” 

The guy rubbed the spot she just punched, “I don’t think I can be your bodyguard anymore. Let me just guard your heart instead.” Another punch and he just chuckled, pulling her in his arms again.

Yuta smiled. Mission failed. 

He really can’t say goodbye to the love of his life. 

[xbunnybunz]

The terrible, you. (2/5) [Wolf Keum x Reader]

Summary: After Wolf Keum unwittingly rescues you from seedy men in the dead of night, he can't shake you from his side. After a while, he's not sure if he wants to.

Genres: Romance

Date: June 16, 2020

-----

Wolf Keum did not consider himself a man of mild temper or endless patience. Even before his enrollment in Ganghak High School, his name was written in the books beside a blaring caution sign, touting him the district's most feral and impulsive brawler.

When he set foot into school as the new student who had beat the shit out of the fucker, Forrest Lee, he was unsurprised to find that a target was slapped onto his back by not only Hyeongshin students, but Ganghak seniors as well. It amused Wolf that seniors would find him to be a threat, given they had been cocky enough to publicly announce a week before his arrival that they would beat his ass bloody.

Though it was his ferocity and adrenaline that made him the hottest topic of Yeongduengpo, he was by no means dull.

Wolf didn’t often pride himself on wit or dexterity, but he had more than a few tricks up his sleeve to get him out of a pinch. This is why, on his first day at Ganghak, he expected there to be no less than seven people ready to jump him in front of his class. This is also why, before the end of the first bell, he had managed to disband the entirety of the menagerie with nothing but a single punch.

The psychology of hierarchy was a heap of bullshit, but it was still incredibly effective for someone who wanted to inflict fear. Pinpointing the overzealous ringleader had been easy enough, but knocking out five of his teeth in the middle of his obnoxious “lecture” was even easier.

Wolf remained unflinching when the body hit the floor, the silence that followed the sickening crack was deafening enough to hear the pearly molars clattering across the tiled floor. When he walked into his classroom, Wolf was acutely aware of all the people in the room, as well as the other six delinquents, pissing their panties. He knew he was safe for the remainder of his school year, but “safe” was not the game he liked to play.

The rest of the day was a hunting game.

Unbeknownst to them, Wolf Keum did not spare people. He was a natural predator, and he enjoyed every moment of the chase. He stalked, waited and pounced whenever the opportunity arose, and this time he didn’t stop swinging until he could mop the floor with their blood. When the last bell rung, he had made his way through the list three separate times. He relished in their wide-eyed terror, enjoying each time his bruised knuckles connected with an already-askew nose, blood seeping through the bandages- savoring feeling of the old reign crumbling under his cruel pursuit.

Rumors spread like wildfire, and soon everyone knew that Wolf Keum had hung seven of the strongest Ganghak seniors up to dry… Thrice.

He was keenly aware that this was why people often avoided him, but he was indifferent. The natural order of things had been set straight, and he was satisfied with keeping insects under his heel no matter how they begged, pleaded, or kissed his ass.

This is the reason why, when you appeared at Wolf Keum’s side for the very first time, every student at Ganghak High school flew into chaotic disarray.

The girls of Ganghak sat with their white knuckles pressed harshly against their lips, some praying for your safety while others silently cheer you on from the sidelines- also occasionally stopping to make sure they had a first aid kit nearby.

The boys couldn’t believe their eyes when a girl came strolling into the male wing of the school, a small pink plastic bag in hand. They became even further bewildered when you had parted your lips, blush dusting your cheeks, and dared to ask for audience with Ganghak High School’s wild card, Wolf Keum.

Wolf wasn’t as surprised by your appearance as he was entertained. He had recognized your uniform from the night before, but he didn’t think you would seek him out, let alone attempt to thank him.

Especially because it wasn’t his intention to help you.

Still, fate had dealt him his hand. He watched your form, bowed at the waist and offering up a single packaged cream puff.

He spent little time wondering how you knew his preferred snack down to the brand, and instead observed how strangely steady your hands were. From his seat he saw your still form, showing none of the tremors he was used to seeing from men twice your height and build in his presence. His eyes flickered back over to you.

It was impossible that you didn’t know of him, since you had so endearingly called him “Wolfy” the night before. And yet you had voluntarily walked into his den, finding not only him, but the some of the most intimidating students in Ganghak as well.

Did you not realize how absolutely fucked you were if he gave the word?

“Yo.”

You looked up at him, and Wolf met your stare with his own blasé gaze.

He crossed one leg over the other and leaned in close enough to see his own reflection in your eyes.

“What is this?”

Wolf hears you gulp, and watches your eyelashes flutter as you stutter for an answer.

“S-sorry, I hope you don’t think it’s weird. A wrapper fell out of your pocket yesterday after… You know…” You trailed off, and your eyes darted about, cheeks darkening.

While you were conflicted about admitting that Wolf had saved you in front of his followers, Wolf was silently wrapping his mind around why you had stuttered when you spoke.

In the meanwhile, all of Wolf Keum’s lackeys allowed their thoughts to wander. All of them exchanged incredulous, bug-eyed glances at the idea that Wolf Keum had somehow gotten busy yesterday after kicking the shit out of the Hyeongshin kids.

“I just wanted to see you again.”

Wolf felt the heat emanating from your face, saw your eyes darting skyward, down at the floor, anywhere and everywhere but at him.

He leaned back.

See him again?

A coy smile played on his lips; his eyes still upturned with delight. It wasn’t as if he had a shortage of shuttles at his beck and heed, but there was something so damn absurd about someone waiting on him of their own accord- something so fucking hilarious about someone seeking him out and bearing their defenseless, gullible mug to him of their own volition, and for some blasphemous reason, he liked it.

He plucked the pastry from your fingers and allowed electricity to spark where his skin made contact with yours. He watched, pleased, as you startle and bounce back up from your bowed position, eyes glimmering, cheeks pink and nerves frazzled.

Wolf let a lascivious smirk cross his lips and peered at you through his bottom lashes, knowing exactly what it was you came here for.

“...I’ll enjoy it.”

Your face broke into a wide grin, heat climbing up to your ears and seeping into the back of your neck.

“Thank you! I really hope you do!” You bow again and scamper off, throwing back one last glance at Wolf before escaping from his den, unscathed. He watches as you vanish behind the door; the cream puff wrapper crinkled quietly, seeming a lot smaller in his hand than yours.

Wolf Keum was not known for tolerating nuisances or humoring outlandish requests, he knew this just as well as the several gape-mouthed fuckers at his side. But true to his capricious nature, he was an individual heavily swayed by his instincts. And right now, the buzz in his fingertips where he brushed your skin stirred an endless abyss in his gut, strumming his wild and impulsive heart- demanding more, needing more.

You would be back. He knew it.

The hunt was on.

[chaoticallysapphic]

the great divide part two

summary: Who knew that eight words would be your undoing. If you had known then what you know now you wouldn't have signed up for Suyin's dance troupe, you probably would have left Zaofu just to be safe. But you didn't and fate had branded you with a path that chained you to someone who would break your heart. 

a/n: toxic level has decreased a bit, sort of. Thank you @medeliadracon​  for beta reading this!

word count: 7k

“For now” 

turned into two and a half years. You had slipped up a few times causing Kuvira to punish you by leaving you alone for the night and each time you did you became more cautious with your actions. 

One time a young man around your age had started to flirt with you while you handed out supplies, you tried to politely brush him off but he didn’t seem to get the message so he kept persisting until finally Bolin intervened and said Kuvira needed you to grab more crates from the train. 

Another time you had blown up on Baatar when he tried to kiss Kuvira in front of everyone, she wasn’t much for public displays and you knew she would have stopped him if you hadn’t but your fuse was short that day and you paid the price. After that first night of celebration, Bolin and Varrick expected you to join them at the next town but you politely declined and even left earlier than Kuvira did. It felt like there were too many ways to mess up and you grew anxious about all the ways you may upset her.  

Varrick took back his remark about you being fun, which hurt a little bit, and after a few times Bolin gave up on asking. You still missed dancing and that night reignited the passion you had for it so on days spent travelling you’d practice either in your room or in the gym, depending on how many people were already in there.

You hadn’t mentioned your desire to pick up classes again once you got back to Zaofu. A part of you was worried that she’d get angry about it and punish you once more so you decided to wait until you were married, she wouldn’t be able to hold him over your head like that anymore.

On days like today where the need to talk about work has come to a short lull and therefore Baatar fills it by talking to your soulmate, you have to remind yourself that one day you’ll get to hold her hand in front of everyone and proclaim she’s yours. You try to bury your nose in a book about chi blocking (you picked it up in the previous town and it was pretty fascinating) to distract yourself and for a few chapters it works, but when Baatar and Kuvira enter her office alone, the words on the paper become a jumbled mess and you can’t take sitting nearby as you envision what they may be doing. 

You doubt she’d do something salacious with him during the daytime where someone could walk in, but you also didn’t think she’d sleep with him at all and look how that went. You slam the book down on the coffee table, effectively scaring Bolin awake who had fallen asleep on the couch across from you, and storm off to the gym. 

You weren’t much for combat of any kind but suddenly you felt like hitting something, dancing wouldn’t do. So you changed into a pair of sweatpants and a white tank top and walked over to where there were rolls of bandages meant for your knuckles. 

You begin punching at the punching bag hooked up to the ceiling of the train, it’s a bit pathetic seeing as you can’t even seem to make the bag move a little bit but you keep going, keep pouring all of your stress and heartache into each punch. 

“Wow,” comes a voice from behind you, you look over your shoulder and see Bolin leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “What's pissed you off?” You shrug and hit two more times at the bag, your sweating and you’ve only been doing this for a few minutes, the muscles you had were meant for elegant strides, not uppercuts. 

“Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed I guess.” You lie through your teeth and you know he can tell, so to try and distract him you ask “will you spar with me? Maybe teach me a thing or two about holding my own?” He stays quiet for a minute as he looks at you, as if trying to see how you're doing, you try your best to shove everything rising within you down. “Well?” 

“Okay, I guess I should probably make sure I’m not rusty in case we get attacked or something.” He takes his jacket off then wraps his knuckles in the bandages. You spread your legs until they are aligned with your shoulders and hold up your fists. Bolin is good, far better than you which isn’t a surprise seeing as he’s fought numerous battles whilst all you’ve done is read and dance throughout your whole life.

 In Zaofu it was common to join the guard, especially for your young adult years but you’d opted out of it since you were more of a pacifist and therefore didn’t want to enter an altercation with someone if the job demanded such. You feel stupid now for not taking that opportunity as you narrowly dodge Bolin’s fists, you land a decent punch on him after a couple of minutes that temporarily stuns him. 

You punch again but he grabs your wrist and pushes you back, you stumble, and trip over your feet. Falling onto the wrestling mat with a thud, Bolin, who was still holding your wrist falls on top of you. He pulls away but is still on top of you as he worriedly exclaims “Oh no, I didn’t hurt you did I?” 

You groan due to his weight on top of yours but otherwise, you're fine, the mat is soft enough that it cushioned your blow. “I’m fine but can you get off of me, please? It’s kinda hard to breathe.” Bolin’s eyes widen and he immediately rolls off of you, opting to lay beside you on the mat as you catch your breath. 

“Aren’t you a dancer, don’t you have to have a really good sense of balance for that?” He questions and you frown, you're not officially a dancer and you had only taken about two months' worth of lessons before leaving with Kuvira. 

Your practices just consisted of you doing the handful of things you learned in the dance studio or saw someone do at one of the many town celebrations. “Not really, I just do it for fun.” 

“Oh, you just seem so good at it that I assumed,” he sits up but doesn’t move to stand so you follow and cross your legs over one another. 

“I took some lessons back in Zaofu before I left with Kuvira, but I’d only been doing it for a couple of months” you look down at your lap as you remember the freeing feeling of flying in the air as the petals catapulted you to the next. Or how it felt to gracefully spin in the air with your wire. You’d wanted to learn more about aerial moves from Suyin who seemed to be a professional at it and even planned to ask her for private lessons after the performance. 

“I think that still makes you one if you want it to be” he offers, you throw him a grateful smile before looking back at your legs, you pick at the frayed hem of your sweats and sigh. “Are you okay, y/n?” 

Your head shoots up to look at him, your brows pinch together in confusion “what do you mean?” 

“You just seem really sad all the time, or angry. Zhu Li said you haven’t been eating much either.” That’s because you lose your appetite anytime Baatar is so much as in the same room as you and you all tend to take your meals together. If he so much as smiles you imagine throwing your butter knife at him. 

Now that you think about it, your thoughts weren’t always this violent and loud, you’d never let someone's mere existence bother you before even when you got made fun of at school when you were younger. But now you want to rip things apart whilst crying, you want to be destructive especially towards him. 

You must be silent for too long because Bolin places a hand on your knee which causes you to look up at him, it's then you feel how wet your cheeks are. You bring a hand up to your face and once you pull it away you see the telltale sign of wetness, of tears. “‘m just lonely is all,” you say, and it’s not a lie. 

You think about telling Bolin, maybe he’d be decent at keeping a secret but you know it's too dangerous. You don’t want to think about what’ll happen if Kuvira’s grand plan is compromised by you and the young earth bender. 

He pulls you into a hug and suddenly the floodgates burst open, you grip onto the back of his shirt to keep you grounded as you let out all the pent up rage and sadness within you. You think about the last time she didn’t show up to your room, how you stayed up all night in hopes that she just got caught up with some important documents. How when the sun rose and she still hadn’t snuck in, you felt so hollow and alone. 

You grew up on the story of your parents and their perfect meeting, how they clicked instantly, and got married a year later. Your dad still bought her flowers every Friday and your mom still laughed at his awful jokes. You’d hoped for that kind of love when you were little, expected it even. When you met Kuvira for the first time a rush went through your body after she spoke and you just became so entranced by her every movement. She filled all your senses and when she wasn’t around she was all you could think about. 

You’d kept it all for her, you never dated growing up or even kissed someone. You knew your soulmate probably wouldn’t do the same but you didn’t care. You just wanted all your firsts to be with them. You love her so much, you’d do anything for her and it's apparent in your current suffering. 

Slowly as the days roll on telling yourself it will have been worth it when you’re married lost its comfort. You don’t know how long you cry into Bolin’s shoulder but you do know by the time you’ve calmed down you feel so exhausted that you may just fall asleep on this mat. Slowly, you pull away from him, there’s a large wet stain on his undershirt but he doesn’t seem to mind. 

“We’re all here for you, y/n. You’re not alone.” He places a hand on your shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze, you offer him a thankful smile as you pull yourself up onto your feet. “Thank you, it means a lot.” 

When you're in your room you pull your hair out of its updo and fall onto your bed, you're so exhausted that you decide to just sleep through dinner despite the grumble of your stomach. 

You’re awoken a few hours later, you assume, the sun is down and it’s almost pitch black in your room if not for the glow of the moon through your window. Kuvira softly closes your door behind her as she climbs into bed. “Bolin said you seemed too tired for dinner, are you sick?” She wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you close. You wordlessly shake your head and snuggle into her side. 

Kuvira runs a hand through your hair, slowly you feel a bit better about earlier as you begin to relax. “I have to tell you something,” she says softly, almost hesitantly. She’s never hesitant, always sure in her words and actions. You pull away, suddenly nervous at what she has to say. She’s not pregnant, right? Because you can’t raise his child, you just can’t. “Baatar proposed.” 

Your heart stops, “you said no, right?” The silence that follows is enough and suddenly you don’t want to even be in the same train car as her. You sit up and press yourself against the wall since she’s caging you in. “ ‘Vira… no.” She sits up and grabs your face between her hands, you try to pull away but she’s persistent and looks into your eyes pleadingly. 

“I’m not going to marry him, y/n. It’s just to placate him until we win and we’re so close to winning. Only a couple more months, I swear” her words do little to mend your cracking heart, suddenly you don’t think she’s telling the truth. She only said this would go on for a while, she never said she’d sleep with him and accept a stupid proposal. 

“I can’t keep watching this… It’s killing me” you whimper, she pulls you into her arms, you don’t want her to touch you but you also don’t have the energy to push her away. 

“I love you” she begins to pepper your face with delicate kisses, each kiss is accentuated with those three words and soon enough she’s laying you back down as she climbs on top of you. “I only love you, I hate him, I swear.” She pulls you into a soft kiss that conveys her feelings, you slowly kiss her back, your hand cupping her cheek. Slowly she makes you feel less lonely as she pulls your shirt off. 

That night she tries to remind you of how much she truly loves you, and it temporarily works.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“For now,” turns into three years. After Kuvira’s announcement in Republic City, which wasn’t all too well received, you guys head towards Zaofu. Kuvira had kept you from seeing Suyin in the city, claiming she needed time to calm down before a reunion to which you agreed. 

She eases up on you after the proposal, she hasn’t ‘punished’ you since despite accidentally upsetting her quite a few times in public. There’s still that fear of her doing it again, but she always crawls into your bed and pulls you into her arms. She doesn’t wear the ring around you.

 After the announcement you just kept staring at her hand as you tried to fight the tears threatening to spill. A few days after catching you staring, she tells Baatar it was best if she kept it tucked safely away so it didn’t get damaged or accidentally used for bending, but her real reasoning was to help ease your pain.

Kuvira even spends more time with you during the day, much to Baatar’s chagrin. If she wasn’t in some important military meeting she was usually seen reading with you. After a bit of psyching yourself up, you ask her if she wants to practice dancing with you, she looks up from her book and into your eyes before slowly nodding. 

Bolin ends up teaching you how to properly fight someone with your fists and as the months go on you improve greatly. One day you ask him if you can try something on him, he’s a bit apprehensive but relents, before he can even ask what you're going to do you close your fist except for your pointer and middle finger before hitting him in his chi. 

Bolin’s eyes widen at your action, he tries to bend the metal of a dumbbell but nothing happens, “w-why would you do that? How did you do that!” Shock races through you as he keeps trying to bend, spirits you just chi blocked someone. 

“I’m sorry! Some old lady gave me this book about it in a town, she said her grandson was an equalist and she wanted it out of her house. But look, I can block people’s chi’s in a fight!” You bite your lip to keep from grinning as Bolin looks at you as if you're insane.

“You're a bender, why would you need that?!” 

“What if I’m up against a powerful bender? I need to have something to even the playing field.” You bring your hands to your mouth to hide the pride you feel for yourself. “I won’t ever use it on you again; I just wanted to see if it’d work. I’m sorry.” 

A few days later you're sitting in Kuvira’s office with Baatar and Kuvira whilst they discuss how to get Zaofu on their side. Baatar had called for Bolin some time ago, their plan was for you and Bolin to convince Suyin to sign the papers. You felt a bit off about it but the night before Kuvira assured you that it was just because they were still bitter about her dating Baatar, which had caused you to flinch. She knew you didn’t like to talk about him, especially after the proposal.

The morning after she told you, you had stayed in your room for most of the day and when you snuck out to the gym around midday Bolin had entered and told you about their announcement over breakfast. If he noticed you hitting harder than usual, he didn’t mention it. 

“Am I in trouble?” Bolin asks cautiously as he eyes the three of you, you send him a comforting smile which has Baatar quietly scoffing from the other side of the couch. The guy was a real dick and once Kuvira left him you think you might have a word or two with him. 

“No. In fact, I have good news. We want you to be part of our inner circle,” she gives him one of those smiles that only you, and maybe Baatar, know is fake. Bolin looks like he’s practically vibrating with joy as he shouts out “inner circle? No way! Yes!” He begins to fist pump the air before realizing who he’s in front of, which makes you snort (Baatar sends a glare your way at that), and composes himself, “That is a great honor… What does it mean exactly?” 

“It means you’ve proven your worth,” she takes a step back and gestures to the map that has one large piece missing from it, Zaofu, “we’re so close to uniting the empire but Su has some resentment towards me and Baatar that might cloud her judgment and stop her from making a wise decision. We believe you and y/n can help her see clearly.” 

“I can do that!” He says eagerly, “by the time we finish telling her all the great things we’ve done, she’ll be begging to join.” 

“Good, because we’re here.” She bends the blinds up, you look out the window in front of you and notice all the troops waiting outside… She didn’t tell you about this. “Vir-Kuvira, what is this?” You quickly correct yourself. Bolin adds to your question “aren’t all these troops going to send the wrong message.” 

“The army is here to project strength. You’re here to present-” she looks over at you as she continues, her gaze hardening in a warning, “-peace.” You sink into the cushions of the couch and soon she turns away from you to look at her map once more, Bolin looks uneasy and suddenly you feel unsure. 

Kuvira kept you out of some of the meetings in the past because she said it was boring nonsense that consisted of military talk which you knew nothing about so you always shrugged it off. Now you're worried those meetings weren’t nonsense at all. You didn’t even know the army was this big. 

You thought your return to Zaofu would be filled with excitement and joy, you’d listed off all the things you wanted to do in your head, the top one being seeing your parents again. But the tram ride through the city has your stomach twisted in knots. 

When the doors open and you all walk off the people of the city, people you’ve known your whole life, give you looks of disgust. You look down at the floor, unable to stomach the glares they send your way as you walk into the Beifong estate.

You all stop in front of a set of double doors, you’ve never been in this house before, it's massive and honestly seems like a sprawling palace. When the doors open you aren’t met with open arms, the entire Beifong family (sans Baatar) stares at you four with disapproving glares. 

There’s a hint of surprise in Suyin’s eyes when they land on you and suddenly you want to be enclosed in the metal flower like all those years ago. Bolin rushes over to Opal, trying to hug her but she turns her back on him and crosses her arms. 

That feeling in your stomach twists and tightens, you don’t think you can get through the speech you had planned now, it feels like there’s a fist-sized ball stuck in your throat. 

“No, you’ve chosen your side,” she says. Kuvira looks over at you, urging you forward and so you hesitantly walk to stand beside Bolin. “Sides? There shouldn’t be any sides. I know, why don’t we all stand in a circle, huh, maybe hold hands?” You want to slap his arm but you don’t, it doesn’t seem like the right time. 

Before you can say anything, Suyin looks at Kuvira and says “I’m not giving up Zaofu. I don’t care if you brought your entire army.” 

Kuvira lifts her hand and speaks in an earnest tone “Su, I didn’t bring my army to threaten you. I wanted to show you all that your son and I have accomplished.” You bite your tongue, wanting to blurt out that Baatar’s hardly done a thing, and it takes all your might to keep those bitter words down but you manage, somehow. 

“You must realize what your doing goes against everything your father and I tried to teach you,” Suyin seems so disappointed in him, you wonder if your mother is disappointed in you too. 

“Son, you belong here.” Baatar Sr. says.

“Why?” Baatar forces out between gritted teeth, “so that I can go on living in your shadow?” Baatar Sr. 's eyes widen in shock and he looks so hurt, Suyin replies for her husband and says “don’t say that, can’t you see she’s brainwashed you?” 

Kuvira guffaws at that, it’s true, she has brainwashed and manipulated him, twisted him around her finger with her husky voice and promise of love and devotion. “Ha, I didn’t brainwash him. I set him free. And now he’s accomplished more with me than he ever could have with you.” Towards the end, Kuvira’s eyes set into a glare and you decide to jump into action. 

“Obviously there is a lot of personal conflict between you all, but we should be talking about the good of Zaofu and how we can help this great city,” you say, Suyin looks at you pitifully which has you feeling uneasy. 

“Whatever she’s told you y/n, it’s a lie. I know you, you're too sweet and innocent to be siding with her if you knew the whole truth,” her tone is sympathetic, you furrow your brows and look over at Kuvira who looks to be struggling to keep her composure. “I would never lie to her or to Bolin.” 

“You know what I think we need to do? Focus on the future and the future is bright. Let me tell you. I’ve seen it, yeah I saw it last month. We went to this town that had nothing. Most of the people there had never even seen a satomobile before but now they have two satomobiles, running water, and a magnet train that goes right through their town. I mean how awesome is that?” 

You place a hand on Bolin’s shoulder, trying to silently communicate with him to shut up, “they also have plenty of food now, most towns we go to are on the brink of collapse.” 

Opal crosses her arms and glares at the two of you, “they might have been happy when you first arrived but I’ve seen what happens after you leave. Citizens are forced to work as slave labor. Dissenters are sent off to who knows where.” You drop your hand off of Bolins shoulder and take a step back, you guys had actually never revisited any of the towns you helped. You chalked it up to being busy. 

“-But I am giving you the 100% Bolin guarantee that we’re making the earth empire a better place to live!” Bolin says. You were too lost in your thoughts to hear the first half of his speech, there has to be a time someone at least mentioned what happens to the past towns and villages you helped. But your mind comes up short. 

Suyin takes a step forward and says with anger laced in her tone “I can’t believe you brought Bolin and y/n here to try and sway us.” She keeps walking until she’s directly in front of Kuvira. “Leave. Zaofu will never accept you as their leader.” 

“Then you leave me no choice. You have twenty-four hours to agree to join the earth empire or we take the city by force.” No, that was never part of the plan, it can’t be part of the plan. Your family is here, your mother is part of the guard. Suyin kicks you guys out of her estate, as you begin to exit through the front door, Suyin calls after you. 

“Y/n, your parents are worried sick.” You look over your shoulder at her, she gives her a pleading look but before you can even comprehend a reply you hear Kuvira call out in a bored tone, “C’mon y/n. We’re leaving.” 

You rush after her, leaving Suyin and your family behind. You take the tram out of the city then reboard your train that takes you to the center of the camp where Kuvira’s tent is. Throughout the ride, Bolin keeps giving you nervous glances that you try to ignore. Once in Kuvira’s tent she goes to sit behind her desk, you lean against said desk as Baatar stands a few feet from you and Bolin stands in front of Kuvira. 

Bolin decides to break the silence “I mean, you’re not really going to attack Zaofu… are you?” 

“When people don’t cooperate we must find other ways of convincing them to join” she replies smoothly. Your heart drops, she knows how much your family means to you, how much you still love Zaofu. She can’t really be willing to march through there and destroy everything you love.

“Other ways? How many times have we used these other ways in the past?” Bolin tilts his head in confusion. Your knuckles turn white as you grasp at the metal desk behind you while the struggle to keep quiet becomes harder by the second. Suddenly the idea of her punishing you tonight doesn’t seem so bad if you can somehow get her to remain peaceful. 

Kuvira slowly stands from her desk, “It’s not for you to worry about.” Bolin fiddles with his fingers as he tries to figure out what to say next, you know you should intervene, the words are on the tip of your tongue but it feels as if someone’s sewn your mouth shut. 

“So… what happens to all those towns and villages after we leave? I just realized I’ve never really gone back and checked on them.” Kuvira makes her way around the table until she’s in front of him.

“Those people are my loyal subjects and they contribute to the empire however I see fit.-” You push yourself off the table but Baatar grips your shoulder and pushes you back against it to keep you from getting involved, “What do you think you're doing?” you spit out, Kuvira ignores the spat going on behind her as she continues “-Now that you're in the inner circle, you're going to have to learn some hard truths.” 

“You don’t need to be getting involved” Baatar replies smoothly, Bolin seems caught up in trying to figure out how to properly word his response as you glare at your soulmate's fiancee. “You touch me again and I’ll rip your arm off.” 

Baatar laughs, “I’d like to see you try.” Suddenly all the reasonings you ever had to keep your anger at bay slowly start to diminish. “You won’t be laughing when I’ve finally had my piece of you.” He must not see you as a threat, he just shrugs you off and turns to proudly watch Kuvira.

“Maybe I’m not really an inner circle kind of guy. Or- Or we don’t take over Zaofu we could just let them be on their own, then yay the empires united! Congratulations to us.” Kuvira towers over Bolin as she threateningly stalks after him, her fists clenched. 

“ I didn’t know your personal feelings for Opal were stronger than your loyalty to me.” He leans against the table behind him as she stares him down, her behavior is so familiar, you furrow your brows. Is that what she looks like when she’s angry at you? “- Zaofu will join us. The only thing I’m second-guessing is the decision to bring you along. Maybe you need to spend some time in a reeducation camp.” 

“I thought that’s where we sent people to learn new trade skills…” He trails off, eyeing the two of them, his eyes even drift to you for a second, to see if you're in on this but your expression must give your surprise away because the tiniest bit of him relaxes. “Hard truths, Bolin," Baatar drones.

“Your loyalty seems to be wavering.” Kuvira crosses her arms across her chest as she stares him down, Bolin shakes his head thrice. “No, no I’m totally on your side, completely 100% loyal.” He salutes her. It seems to do the job because she simply glares at him for a minute before swiftly turning away. “Everyone, leave.” 

Bolin practically sprints out of there and Baatar slowly follows after, you take your time and at the entrance of her tent you turn around to stare at your soulmate. “Vira-” 

“I said leave!” She shouts, her hands smacking down against her desk as she glares at you. You stumble out, surprised by her outburst, before making your way back to the train to hide away in your room once more. As you pass a large tent pitched near the train's entrance someone grabs onto your shoulder and roughly yanks you to the side so you're both hidden from view. Before you can yell at whoever touched you, Bolin comes into sight. 

“We need to leave, now” he claims, he grabs your hand and tugs you towards the ladder that leads to the roof of the train. “Guards are stationed at Varrick's door, we need to break in from abo-.” 

“Bolin I can’t leave” you whisper, he whips around to look at you. “Are you delusional, did you not see what I saw in there?” 

“You don’t understand, I know what happened was wrong but…” tears collect at the corners of your eyes and you feel that familiar feeling of fear claw up your throat. “She’s my soulmate, Bolin.” 

His eyes widen and he drops your hand as if suddenly you might be diseased, it hurts to see the look he’s giving you right now. “But Baa-” 

“She’s using him, she has for years. Why do you think I’m always so sad? If I leave her she’ll never forgive me.” 

“She’s going to march on Zaofu and probably destroy it. We can get in there and warn them about how strong her forces are,” he tries to reason with you. “y/n the Kuvira you fell in love with is gone.” You look away, a part of you knows that with all this power she’s collected she’s slowly lost pieces of herself. She’s always been a bit controlling and aggressive but it’s gotten worse over the years. 

“I think I can bring her back, You need to head to Zaofu and try to figure out some kind of peaceful solution with Suyin and I’ll try to calm Vira down.” You know you're running out of time, “go Bolin, you need to hurry.” You push him towards the ladder that leads to the roof of the train, before he climbs up he pulls you into a quick, bone-crushing hug. 

“Be safe,” he says softly, giving you one last tight squeeze before climbing up and out of view. You look over your shoulder, eyes drifting to Kuvira’s tent, some of her soldiers are currently erecting tents nearby for your group, much smaller ones but you didn’t mind. 

“You can do this” you whisper to yourself, trying to psych yourself up before marching back towards the massive octagon-shaped tent. 

Once at the flap you gently push the fabric apart so you can step inside, Kuvira is sitting at her desk, reading over a pile of papers when she notices your presence. “I thought I told you to leave.” 

“I wanted to talk to you, about Zaofu.” You try to keep your voice from shaking as you walk closer until you're standing in front of your desk. “My parents are in there, Vira.” 

“They won’t get hurt, you said they're smart so they should know to stay out of my soldiers' way,” she sets the paper in her hand down so she can look up at you, giving you her undivided attention. “We need Zaofu, y/n.” 

“What if we worked out a deal where they remain independent but offer to give us a certain amount of supplies a year in exchange for peace. It could work.” She’s silent, hope festers in your heart as she mulls over your idea. 

“It would make us seem weak to the rest of the world,” she counters and you sigh. You can’t give up, besides the longer you keep her talking the less chance there is of her going to check on Varrick. 

“It would make us seem merciful and benevolent. You told me our image is incredibly important and it’s in a delicate balance right now. Marching on them will make us be seen as no better than the earth queen, the other nations will hate us.” 

Kuvira pushes her chair back and stands, her hands rest on the desk so she can lean closer to you until your faces are only a few inches apart. “If I think about it, will that make you happy?” Her voice is husky and smooth, she’s speaking softly to you and that pesky part of you that’s practically entranced by her is trying to rip through your focus. 

“Yes, it will” you whisper back, she leans forward to bring you into a quick kiss filled with passion and love. You're surprised by her actions, technically anyone could walk right in but you know most people would knock on the wooden post outside before entering. It fills you with hope that she’s willing to kiss you in broad daylight. 

Kuvira pulls away and goes to sit back in her desk chair, you're frozen in mild shock which must be evident in your demeanor because she looks up at you with a smirk. “I’ve told everyone for safety reasons I’ll be staying in your tent, expect me there tonight.” 

Before you can answer, there’s a knock from outside and Kuvira waits a moment before saying in her usual commanding voice, “come in!” A soldier walks in, as he was trained he immediately bows upon entering before walking closer until he’s a few feet from her desk. You try to compose yourself so it’s not obvious what just happened, your cheeks feel warm.

 “What is it?” She quirks a brow and looks up at him, her demeanor towards her soldiers is much calmer and you’ve seen her joke with them a couple of times. One night you asked her why, it just didn’t seem like her to which she replied “if, for whatever reason, I can’t protect myself, my life is in their hands. Why would I not be nice to them?” 

“Baatar asked me to inform you that Avatar Korra is here,” his back is ramrod straight and his eyes are trained above her, as all soldiers are taught. Kuvira stands from her chair once more and rounds the desk, walking over to him, “take me to her.” You follow after them a few paces behind, your hands held together behind your back to appear professional and strong, as Kuvira taught you. 

That smug bastard Baatar is standing beside the Avatar, you had caught a glimpse of her once in Zaofu but she looks so different now with her cropped hair and earth kingdom clothes. ”The Avatar is here to see you,” he says, glancing at her before his eyes shift back to your soulmate. 

“Korra, it’s such an honor to see you again. The last I heard you were still healing in the south pole.” Baatar notices you beside Kuvira and gives you a hardened glare, one of these days you were going to break down his ego for all the pain he’s unknowingly caused you, and all the hatred he has towards you despite not knowing what you do to his fiancee whilst he sleeps. 

“Well, I’m feeling much better now.” 

“That’s wonderful news.” No, it's not. Not for Kuvira’s plans at least. But maybe Korra can help you convince Kuvira to back down and save Zaofu from the impending invasion. 

“I’m here to ask you to back down. Please, take your army and leave.” Kuvira’s brows pull together just a fraction, you know her and you know that means the Avatar’s request didn’t work. 

“I think we both know that’s not going to happen,” she says. Korra’s face sets into a firm glare as she stares her down. “I can’t let you take Zaofu.” 

“Look-” Kuvira gestures to the camp around them, “- I was tasked with bringing stability to the earth kingdom. Zaofu is the last holdout. Why should I treat it any differently than any other state?” She clasps her hands together behind her back once more. Treat it differently because it’s home, because there are people we love inside! The voice inside your head shouts.

“What you're doing isn’t right,” Korra’s face softens as she tries to get through to her. This isn’t working, if anything it’s just giving Kuvira more ammunition to attack, you want to tell the Avatar to shut up and leave. 

“I understand you're just trying to do Su a favor, but you can’t come to me as I’m on the verge of reuniting my nation and tell me to stop. The world was descending into chaos while you were gone,” Korra looks down when Kuvira mentions her absence, looking solemn and remorseful, “and in order to fix it, I had to make some tough decisions.” Yeah like, get engaged to Baatar… 

“I know what that’s like. I’ve had plenty of people mad at me about decisions I’ve made,” Korra looks back up at Kuvira. 

She takes a couple of steps over to the Avatar, “exactly. Korra if you really want to help,” she places a hand on Korra’s shoulder, “go back to Su and try to talk some sense into her. Let’s call a temporary truce. I won’t make any moves until you talk to her and get back to me.” 

“Maybe that will be for the best…” Korra leaves shortly after, rushing to the metal city. Once she’s out of earshot Kuvira glances at Baatar and demands “prepare us for the worst, and go check on Bolin.”  

Your eyes widen and you look between the two of them before speaking up, “I can go find him, we usually spar around this time anyways.” You try to keep calm, Baatar scoffs at your offer “now is not the time for you to run off into some closet for a quick stress relief.” 

You gasp and take a step closer to him, “Bolin is my friend and nothing more. For you to accuse me of sleeping with someone who is happily in a relationship, with your little sister no less, is disrespectful and wrong.” Kuvira steps between you guys, glaring at you both. 

“Baatar, go find Bolin, y/n I need help with some plans in my tent.” Her tone is icy cold and your heart drops, does she believe Baatar? You anxiously follow after her and once you're inside the large tent once more she heads over to a large table with maps scattered across it. Slowly you walk over until you're standing beside her, your gaze locked on the side of her head. 

“You don’t believe him… do you?” your voice is small and she places her hand flat across the table as she stares at the Gaoling province on the map. “Vira…” 

“I don’t think you would, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have feelings for you and I know you can be quite vulnerable at times.” She finally looks up at you with an inquisitive stare, “has he ever tried anything?” 

“No, Vira, he loves Opal just as I love you. If he had ever tried something I would have told you by now, I promise.” You place your hand atop hers and give it a gentle squeeze. She flips her hand so her palm is facing upwards and threads her fingers with your own. 

“Good, I don’t think I could keep myself from fighting him if something had happened between the two of you,” she says possessively while your stomach drops at her insinuation. She pulls you into another quick kiss and your mind is clouded with confusion at all of her affection today; it's foreign and strange. “We only have a few steps left before this great nation is stable due to our hard work. Only a little while longer until I can propose to you.” 

“I love you,” you say softly, one of her rare genuine smiles appears on her face as she gives your hand a gentle squeeze before pulling away from you. “I love you too.” 

Maybe there’s still a chance, after all, Bolin should be in Zaofu by now.

[izzyphantomgamer]

You made me wait too long [Oikawa]

Oikawa felt depressed.

It was lunch break, a time to relax and unwind from the stress the students received in class. It was supposed to be, but Oikawa felt miserable and Iwaizumi was the receiving end of his complaints. It was hard to brush him off because he was particularly querulous that day. His desire for a peaceful lunch was in pieces, but Oikawa was persistent despite his threat.

“I can’t believe it.” He muttered and hid his face between his hands. He felt embarrassed and stupid. “How could I not see this coming?” He continued to whine, his head now buried between his folded arms on the cafeteria table. Iwaizumi heard his trouble more often than necessary and knew the reason he felt discouraged without the need to ask him the source.

The situation unveiled itself a long time ago. The story began at their elementary school days. [L/N] [F/N] was a transfer student that came in the middle of their third year. She was distant, expressionless and boring, nobody wanted to become her friend. Oikawa and Iwaizumi never paid much attention to her until the day their academic results were announced. The two boys were diligent in their study; Thus, it was no wonder they were the undisputed top students of their school until that fateful day. The small brunette placed a rank higher than his friend and he was overjoyed, but his excitement died when his eyes read the words printed on the piece of paper on the bulletin board. He was second. Oikawa Tooru was second. Above his name, [L/N] [F/N] was placed. She was first.

She was first, and he was second.

He felt something inside of him snap. The changes occurred little by little and Iwaizumi never noticed until the annual sports festival rolled around. A volleyball match between two classes. If there was one thing Oikawa was proud of, it would be his aptitude for the said physical activity, but his pride tampered with the moment the ball fell behind him. He was shocked, he was devastated but most of all; he was infuriated. She was able to block his attack with ease. He made sure to use all of his strength but her face showed no fatigue, no sort of emotion that let him know that she acknowledged him. It pissed him off. The match came to an end, their team lost. It felt a bitter taste in Iwaizumi, but he enjoyed the match, nonetheless. Oikawa, however, felt the ground shake under his feet. He swore that one day he would make the girl cry and apologize to him, but it never happened.

In middle school, the situation got out of hand. Oikawa remained determined to make her cry, but as a teenager, he wanted to attempt a new approach: He would make her fall in love with him and he would reject her, plain and simple. He smirked at his plan. It was perfect - he thought, but little did he know how wrong he was. He wanted her to be conscious of him, but it was Oikawa Tooru who began to realize that, despite her blunt and dull personality, she was still a girl.

He noticed her annoyance when she was unable to fix her hair properly, her small and soft hands that were incapable of lifting big and heavy objects, her small stature that rendered impossible to reach high places, her eyes that would shine when she saw the few things that she took a liking to. He would never admit it but he always had his eyes on her. Her routine, her mannerisms, her speaking pattern, the small things she disliked and the fewer things that she came to like. He was aware of all.

Iwaizumi wanted to laugh, the whole ordeal was ridiculous - he thought, but he also took pity at his best friend, he never saw him so worked up over a girl. Let alone a girl that never acknowledged him. He continued to listen to him, not attentive as he had to, but he still understood a few words in case Oikawa began to question him, he wanted to relish his meal before their lunch break came to an end.

“She called me this morning, I was so thrilled! It was the first time she called me by her own initiative and asked me if we could see each other after class, I was so enthusiastic that I never considered the motive behind her request.” He groaned and buried his face even more in shame and exasperation “She wanted to personally introduce me to a classmate of hers!” His voice close to a scream, frustration coursing through his system. He wanted to cry, he honestly wanted to although he wanted to laugh as well, how pathetic he felt to continue to chase his unrequited love.

“Iwaizumi. Oikawa.”

The sound of a familiar voice caused them to stare at the girl who stood in front of their table although they already knew the owner of such a monotonous tone.

[L/N] sat next to Iwaizumi and in front of Oikawa, her bag placed on the floor and the book she carried on the table. The ace noticed that she began to read the book instead of eating and asked her about it, therefore initiating small talk with the girl. It was a wonder how Iwaizumi was congenial towards her while Oikawa always felt a sense of rivalry between them. The two began to talk in frivolous fashion, little things that had no importance but neither of them cared much for details.

Oikawa remained silent however, he had another matter in hand. He leaned his chin on his hand and observed the girl in front of him: her [h/c] hair that was like silk, her [e/c] that showed no emotions but little did people know how much brighter they became when she saw a thing or two she liked, like a child that found their present under the Christmas tree. The way she talked in a nonchalant way, her straightforward words that were never filtered. She was kind and gentle, in her own little way, anyway.

A lost strand of hair that fell on her delicate features pulled him out of his thoughts. Unconsciously, he reached out his hand and tuck the said piece of hair behind her ear, much to her confusion. He noticed how soft her skin was to touch, her body temperature that was comforting. The lock once again fell and instead of putting it into place, he took it between his fingers, a gentle kiss on her soft and perfect hair. It had a sweet scent - he thought to himself.

“Oikawa?” She stared at Oikawa, in the thought of what the boy might be doing. It took no more than a second for Oikawa to realize what happened. He immediately retracted his hand and shoved it in his pocket. A heavy blush on his face and all he wanted to do was scold himself in shame. He gave her a meek glance, but what he saw made him feel worse. Her face void of emotions and it made him feel irritated. If she was any other girl, her face would have already exploded in embarrassment from being touched by him so why? Why was she not reacting to him at all? Maybe it was for that very reason that she was not like any other that he fell for her, hard.

Oikawa felt like he was pushed to his limit. He almost had enough of it. Almost. He had to leave, he was afraid of what he might do if he was to stay any longer in front of her.

The girl was left dumbfounded, but for Iwaizumi an explanation was never necessary. For a decade, he watched their relationship change through time. Oikawa, from rival to love interest but he was not on his own. He was trapped in his secluded world of competition, affection but at the same time denial, and he never noticed her soft gaze whenever she looked at him, her brief smile and her quiet laughter when he started to act childish. He missed all of that, but Iwaizumi was a witness. It happened once in the middle of their conversation; She told him how comfortable she felt around him, how he made her feel safe and how she wanted to be by his side. Iwaizumi was by no means an expert when it came to matters related to love and relationship, but it took him little time to figure out that, for a person of high intelligence, she was very dense. It honestly made him laugh, but he also found annoyance in the whole ordeal. Oikawa was in denial of his feelings for her, but little did he know how she felt. On the other hand, she was oblivious to her own feelings.

The ace thought that it was time to give the two a push.

In the school hallway, Oikawa walked in silence. There were many whispers from the female students, admiring from afar, but he paid no heed to them. He was busy with his own thoughts to notice. He continued to walk with no destination in mind, his hands in his pockets and a frown displayed on his lips. It was outrageous. For someone of his caliber to be incapable of making a girl fall in love with him despite his numerous attempts. His sister, upon learning about his situation, laughed and mocked him. He had many girlfriends ever since his first encounter with his love interest. There were small, cute and very feminine, they were indeed his type of girl and there was [L/N] [F/N].

“I am such an idiot… " he told himself and sighed. He became lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice the presence of a group of girls before him.

“Oikawa san, hello!” They greeted with a bright smile. The boy managed a smile, and he began to converse with them. It felt nice to have people compliment him, to have people fawn over him, to stare in awe when he walked past, to feel warm and fuzzy in his presence. This was the life he wanted, the life he should live. He should forget about his problem, it was for the best.

“Oikawa!” The brunette felt a hand pull his school jacket from behind. He turned around and saw none other than the reason for his own misery. He saw her flushed face, her erratic breathing and her hair disheveled. To say that he was shocked was an understatement, but a blush was inevitable. He wanted to punch himself at the inappropriate image that passed through his mind. Why did she have to be so cute - he wondered. He clenched his fist and bit his bottom lip. All was well, he felt better surrounded by people who acknowledged him but her mere presence prevented him from erasing his feelings.  

A minute went by but she continued to hold his jacket in her hand, she looked up at Oikawa, right into his eyes and the boy was mesmerized at the newfound emotion that she conveyed by her mere gaze, the emotionless eyes he always saw no more and instead were filled with determination and unknown sentiment that it was hard for him to detect.

A decade ever since their first encounter, he thought he was able to move on from her, from all the times she denied him despite her unawareness, from all of his failed effort to make her notice him but there he was, he was smitten. His crazy heartbeat, the nostalgic butterflies in his stomach, the warmth of his cheeks. Gosh, this girl was the sole person able to make a mess out of him and he never understood how.

They were outside of the school building, in a small corner in front of the football field, no students roamed during those hours. Oikawa pulled [L/N] away from the crowd that formed around them, after a little stunt like such, he felt the need to be alone with her despite not much thought about his hasty decision.

A little trail of sweat rushed on the side of her temple, it was a little difficult for her to follow Oikawa. He was so much taller than he was when they were small and his body was far more developed compared to his small frame from their elementary years, she blushed at the thought of how much he changed from the boy who used to cry when he lost, the little boy who got frustrated at every turn, the one who always looked at her with anger in his eyes.

There he was, Oikawa Tooru, his last year of high school, the captain of the volleyball team, there was no more comparison to who he was, but at the same time, he had always been the boy she knew ever since her transfer. She had known him for a decade, but she never noticed how he was in truth.

The boy stared at her, he saw her red face, but in his thoughts, he told himself that it was due to the fact that they ran at a fast pace. He already gave up on her feeling anything for him, or so that was what he wanted. The stare she gave him, he wanted to believe even for little more that he was wrong and she indeed felt something.

She wanted to speak but Oikawa placed an arm above her head, on the hard wall behind her. He leaned close to her face, his thoughts were in chaos and all because of his feelings for one girl. He pitied himself, hundreds of girls fawning over him and he had to fall in love with the one that never saw him as a man.

“[F/N] chan...” he said, a hidden despair in his husky voice “You really are cruel.” He failed to take note of how close their faces were. The said girl was in a tight trap, she began to feel uncomfortable under his stare and presence but she also felt her cheeks warmer than before. Although she felt nervous and felt herself tremble, she did not feel the need to flee or push him away.

“T... Tooru...” she whimpered and backed herself more against the wall. Oikawa stared at her in bewilderment, he must be in a dream. “Tooru, too close.” Again, she spoke his name. She was not the first to call him by his name though the way his name rolled from her tongue was perfect. That moment he began to be aware of their small distance. Damn, if she continued like this he might not be able to restrain himself. He still remained close, he had to wonder why she remained still and why had she not push him away? Did she still not feel anything? Not even a shred of embarrassment? Oikawa was honestly oblivious to her emotions. He was too focused on the history of their relationship to consider the change.

“A whole decade, a whole damn decade I chased after you and you always neglected me. Now, you look at me with those eyes and call me by my name? How long do you still plan on toying with my heart?!” he almost flinched when he heard himself raise his voice at her, he disliked it but he wanted to pour out all of his overflowing concealed emotions. "[F/N], how can you not understand how much I love you and you still treat me like this?!”

She felt the world come to a halt. Oikawa was in love with her. He really was in love with her. In the brief conversation she shared with Iwaizumi in the absence of the brunette, he revealed how Oikawa felt towards her despite his aggressive nature when they were little. She found it hard to believe, but the black-haired ace insisted to look for Oikawa to confirm his words and there he was, confessing.

Silence. Oikawa waited for her to talk or at least a sign, but she was silent. He began to feel embarrassment and frustration in his chest, he was about to pull away but she felt her shift under him. He was incredulous of what his eyes saw: [L/N] was covering her mouth, her furrowed brows, her burning cheeks. He continued to stare at her in anticipation and the girl felt herself melt. He thought he saw enough but she still had something left to say.

“Tooru, you idiot... Stop staring at me like that…”

Oikawa Tooru almost died at the spot. It happened all at the same time, all so fast and it was bad for his heart. He needed time to calm himself but how was it possible when [L/N] [F/N], his love interest for the past decade, blushing and embarrassed right in front of him.

"Hey, [F/N] chan… Can I?" He asked as he leaned in, his lips almost on hers. The girl in question only placed her hands on his shoulders, her half-lidded eyes, she felt lightheaded about the events that occurred in the past minutes but all she was certain of was that she trusted Oikawa. She nodded in silence and waited for him to close the space between them.

"You made me wait for too long."

[uncomfortable-writers]

-𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?- (𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫) 𝟐

(Gif credit to owner)

Fandom: Supernatural

Character: Dean Winchester

Persona: Female

Warning: Swearing

Word Count: 1,424

A/N - Thank you all for your lovely responses <3

Read Part 1 Here!

♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡

A particularly loud snore caught in the back of Dean’s throat while he lay face down spread eagle across his bed still wearing the clothes he’d stormed out in last night. He jolted awake trying to force his green eyes to focus. Letting out a groan which was muffled slightly by his pillow he touched his forehead gently, careful not to agitate his headache more.

How did he even get home last night? Dean tentatively sat up swinging his legs over the side of the bed he rested his head in his hands to try and remember the shenanigans of the evening.

A few doors down you also began to rouse from your dreamless sleep. The thought of being back, combined with having to see and at some point interact with the older Winchester filled you with enough anxiety that rest didn’t come easy that night. Rising from the bed the room became filled with the noise of your back cracking, soon to be replaced by your stomach growling angrily. “Shit”, you mumbled to the air. You flopped down on the bed to think about your options, you could either; venture out to the kitchen to grab a snack but that came with the risk of bumping into you know who or you could just wait it out. As much as the hunger gnawed at your stomach, the fear was too much so you once again opened up your laptop to try and distract yourself. There was a soft tap on your door, followed by Sam gently calling your name, “Hey (Y/N), I made some breakfast if you want any”, almost like he could sense your dilemma. You smiled, practically bouncing over to the door you opened it, “That would be great Sam”. “I can bring--”, Sam started but stopped once you began to step outside of your room, “Let’s go eat”.

Fate was cruel that much Dean couldn’t deny, it always had a nasty way of coming back around to bite him in the ass in someway or another. The smell of pancakes and bacon drifted under the door into Dean’s nose. A disgustingly greasy breakfast was just what he needed. Reluctantly he rose from his bed certain that somewhere Chuck was mocking him. He resented everything about his current situation and resented you even more. Not only did he have to worry about Micheal now but you as well. Dean stumbled over his own feet as he made his way to the kitchen.

“I forgot how good you are at making these”, you garbled through a mouthful of pancake, “But Dean’s were always better”, you were unable to stop the sentence from spilling out from your mouth, Sam didn’t miss the way your face fell. “Yeah well he still won’t share his secret recipe with me...How have you been anyway?”. You were grateful for the swift topic change, it was almost like nothing had changed between the two of you. Dean was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost didn’t hear the sound of Sam talking to you. He froze up, his blood turning to ice in his veins. He lent against the wall, only a few metres kept him from you. Your voice was still the same but as he listened he noticed you sounded tired in a way that he couldn’t place even though it sounded familiar. The more he listened to your soft spoken words to Sam, the more it provoked feelings of nostalgia as his mind fleeted away to a better moment in time:

“Good morning sleepyhead”, you cooed to Dean who walked into the kitchen wearing nothing more than his bathrobe, you were stationed over the hob watching the bacon and eggs cook. Dean placed his head onto your shoulder, engulfing your waist with his big arms he asked, “What’s cookin’ good lookin’?”. You giggled, “Your favourite”. Dean tightened the grip momentarily with a hum of approval, then he pulled on your hips to make you face him, “You’re too good to me princess”, his accent heavy with sleep. He pressed his lips to yours as you let your arms wrap around his neck. “Gross you guys, I’m trying to eat”, Sam piped up from the table, a look of mocking disgust across his face. You pulled away from Dean with a smile.

Dean couldn’t believe how lucky he’d gotten by scoring you: his perfect dream girl. He let you turn back around, “Way to ruin the moment Sammy”, he took a seat across from his brother who laughed at his quip. He watched as you hummed to yourself flipping the eggs, taking a swig from his coffee he was content with the picturesque scene before him.

‘Yeah’, Dean thought, ‘I could get used to this’.

“--and that’s how I took out a whole nest of vamps”, you grinned proudly, watching the visible surprise grow on Sam’s face, “No way, not even me or Dean could’ve done that!”. Upon hearing his name, Dean was thrust back into the real world. He snorted out a puff of air in irritation, breakfast would have to wait. Spinning on his heel he made no effort to conceal the sound of his movement, pissed off that he couldn’t even go anywhere in his own house, couldn’t eat and that he felt like he’d been ran over by a truck.

The noise caught both yours and Sam’s attention. It felt like you’d been punched in your gut, like there was no air getting to your lungs. You waited for what felt like an eternity for Dean to walk into the room but he never appeared. “So where were we anyway?”, Sam questioned, drawing your attention back to him.

“Like I was saying--”.

♡　♥　♡　♥　♡

Sam later found his brother in the library, glued to his laptop screen with a sour look twisting his features into a permanent scowl. His hand was gripping a beer bottle, (like usual), while the other hand scrolled endlessly through useless articles.

Sam cleared his throat, “Any luck?”. Without looking away Dean answered dully,  “I thought I told you to tell her to go”. Sam pursed his lips. When a reply never came Dean glanced up at his brother, raising a brow in an almost antagonising manner. Sam shifted his weight knowing that anything he said wouldn’t sate his brother, “We need her Dean”. His older brother shut his laptop lid with more force than he meant, he stood up, “How is (Y/N) gonna help huh? What’s she going to do that we can’t? Does she know something we don’t?”, Dean paused to let Sam interject but the look on the younger man’s face said it all, “That’s what I thought. We don’t need her, I mean just look at all the other hunters we got runnin’ around here, we don’t need another taking up space”.

Sam softly said, “Dean (Y/N) can help you just need to give her time--”. 

“Time!?!”, Dean scoffed in disbelief, “We don’t have time! She either helps now or I’ll pack her bags myself”. He snatched his beer from the table to storm off to his room. As he booked it around the corner he almost bumped into you, you didn’t need to have heard the conversation he’d just had with Sam, (even though you just did), to tell from his body language that he was livid. Dean’s green eyes widened in shock for a split second before the mix of previous feelings misted over his eyes; hurt, anger and confusion. He quickly pushed past you, your shoulders bumping as he hurried back to his room, “Watch where you’re going”, his voice low like a growl. As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone just as fast, low key wishing he’d lingered for just a few moments longer to take in your relatively unchanged appearance.

Watching his shadow disappear around the corner, you couldn’t stop the tears that began to well in the back of your eyes. Timidly shuffling into the library you found it to be occupied by only Sam. Dean’s words stung as you repeated the sentences in your head. Sam looked up and met your eyes, his demeanour swiftly eased into a much more inviting one, his arms almost twitch up to offer you a hug.

Even though your voice was low as you spoke there was clear determination laced in your tone, “I’ll show him Sam”. With a plan already beginning to formulate, you planned on how to soothe your wounded pride.

♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Tag List: @annestine​

[firesoulstuff]

Captain Canary + “you’re not safe here.”

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27544165/chapters/71160003

Sara can feel her stomach churning, and tears burning beneath her eyelids.

She has hated Lewis Snart for a long time now. The only comfort she has ever been able to take with the thought of him is that he is dead, and it was a very painful death.

Or at least, that was his fate before an aberration appeared.

She and Leonard were in the training room this morning, each doing their separate exercises. She’d been going through some of her forms whilst Len had been behind her across the room and hitting the punching bag. Eventually she noticed she hadn’t heard him in awhile, but she hadn’t heard him leave either. When she turned around he was gone, and before she could start looking for him Gideon called her to bridge.

She found out what happened, and immediately she had wanted to throw up.

It was the same thing that happened with Ray on the mission that brought them to the 80’s. There’s an aberration, and a past version of Leonard died.

That aberration? An extra crewmember for Lewis being free on the weekend of a heist because turns out the Time Masters pulling strings had been what kept him away. The heist still failed, but instead of getting busted this extra crewmember was able to get a very ill tempered Lewis out and home free. Where he took out his anger on his pregnant wife, and then his nine-year-old son who ran in to protect his mom and baby sister.

Little Leonard didn’t stand a chance.

Leonard – their Leonard – is back for now, because they’ve traveled back to before Lewis returns home and so the timeline isn’t yet set.

“You ok?”

No, she is not ok.

She’s with Mick, heading to the Snart household to get Little Leonard and his mom out. Their Len is with Ray and Amaya, staking out the heist and making sure the police come early, which they will so long as they act on the tip Zari is sending them.

She glares over at Mick, her expression saying for her how she is very much not ok, and then she sets her eyes forward again.

“His mom is pregnant.” She says as they come up on the house, and Mick hums.

“Yeah.” He agrees, “Time keeps on track, Lisa will be here and pissing everyone off in ‘bout a month.”

“That’s not the point.”

She doesn’t look, but she can feel Mick eyeing her. He gives it a minute, until they’re at the front gate made of rotting white-picket-fence, and he sighs as he nudges it open.

“Believe me Blondie, nothing would make me happier than putting that asshole eight feet in the ground, especially before he hurts Lisa. But if we do that her and Snart become different people.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She mumbles before she can stop herself.

Mick rumbles at the back of his throat and eyes her, but he doesn’t say anything about her choice of words; he knows what she means.

They get up to the front door and he reaches for the knob, but his hand hovers above it, his eyes locked firmly on the door.

“Snart will get his chance.” He says, almost more to himself than to her, before he finally looks at her. “If Lewis shows up here, he made the choice.”

She… She knows he’s right. She still feels sick, and like she isn’t going to be sleeping for a long time after tonight, but he’s right. This is Leonard’s life and his decision. Unless he comes over the comms and tells her otherwise, if Lewis shows up here she won’t kill him; no matter how much she wants to.

Mick opens the door and it creaks open, and right away there’s the sound of movement coming from the kitchen. Its dishes rummaging around, glass, and given the time it’s a safe bet it isn’t a third grade Leonard Snart looking around for a late-night snack.

“I’ll get her.” Mick says, and then nods to the stairs next to them. “You get him.”

She nods; content to let him make the plan this one time, and hurries up the stairs. She doesn’t take enough precaution to keep her footsteps quiet, she wants him to wake up. She does, however, keep them light and quick; because what she doesn’t want is to take the risk he might mistake her for his father.

The upstairs hallway is small, barely five feet long and with two doors on each wall. The first is propped open, a dark bathroom on the inside. The second is closed, but the plush L hanging on it being a soft white color with tiny pink flowers clues her in that it might not be the dwelling of a nine-year-old boy. The next door, however, it has a nameplate with Leonard spelled out on it in crooked stickers and it’s frame is decorated with the images of astronauts and aliens.

She allows herself a tiny smile; letting herself forget for just half a second the reason she is here and instead bask in the peek into Leonard’s childhood.

Then her half-second is over, and with a gentle hand on the knob she turns it and lets herself into the room.

It’s dark, not even the dimmest of nightlights to offer comfort. She wonders, idly, about that. She knows Leonard now prefers to sleep without a hint of light, but she doubts he became that way this young of his own accord.

She decides not to dwell on it, not now anyway. Instead she pads across the room and kneels down next to his bed. His adult self would have heard her by now. He would have opened his eyes; he might even have jumped. But this Leonard is still snoring softly and it breaks her heart that she has to wake him.

“Leo.” She whispers, her hand coming to ghost over his back.

He stiffens, his entire body giving a jolt as is eyes snap open.

“Shh… It’s ok.” She hurries to say. “It’s ok, I know you don’t know me, but I’m a friend of your mom’s. She called me, you guys are going to come with me and my friend for a sleepover.”

God, she hopes little Snart hasn’t been well taught in the art of not getting kidnapped.

He sits up; looking at her in very much the same way her Leonard does when he’s trying to determine where her plan is going to land them.

“Why?”

Her breath hitches as she tries to think of a lie. Except what’s worse is she realizes he’s nine. Leonard has told her Lewis first came after him at the age of eight, and while he didn’t earn himself a permanent scar until eleven, at nine he already knew it was best to avoid daddy when he was angry.

“You’re dad called from work.” She says, watching his eyes for some kind of sign of fear, and she sees it. A flicker, a faint tightening of his body, and it makes her gut twist even more. “Something went wrong tonight, and he’s very angry about it.”

There’s another tightening of his body. His shoulders close in and his eyes flit away from her, and automatically she spreads her fingers out on his back.

“It’s ok.” She promises him, and licks her lips to force herself to continue. “But you’re not safe here.”

He shifts by only the tiniest amount, but it’s towards her, and she needs him to hurry but she doesn’t want to rush him.

“Boss!” Mick’s voice suddenly shouts from downstairs, and Leo jumps where he is. “We gotta move, you coming?”

She looks back to Leo, and she almost wants to call back and see if his mother will yell up that it’s ok, but it’s Mick in charge if getting her. She’s probably unconscious by now.

She dares to put a little more pressure forward with the hand on his back, and he follows it. He lets himself fall into her and wrap his arms around her neck. He’s a little awkward to stand up with and carry, tall enough that he should be walking himself. But she isn’t going to put him down unless she absolutely has to.

.

.

“You didn’t kill him.”

Leonard – her Leonard – looks up at her, and after holding her eyes for a long moment he sighs and puts his partially assembled cold gun on his nightstand.

“Raymond wouldn’t let me.”

She raises her eyebrow, not that he’s looking anymore. His eyes are downcast, his mouth a firm line, and she gives him time but she’s starting to think he isn’t going to elaborate. That’s fine, she can’t expect him to want to share anything. She’s about to bid him goodnight and then go spend the next six to ten hours sharpening her knives and imagine them carving into the flesh of Lewis-

“I couldn’t.”

His words are quiet, so much so that a part of her thinks she might have imagined them. But then he sighs and leans over to the nightstand again, this time picking up his famous deck of cards and beginning to shuffle them mindlessly.

He glances up at her, and she takes the hint and steps into his room and closes the door behind her.

Even so, it’s some time before he speaks.

“I wanted to.” He finally says, “And you know I could’ve gotten through Raymond.”

He finally looks at her with that, waiting for her to acknowledge his attempt at humor, and she gives him a smirk.

Then it’s back to shuffling the cards.

“But… If I had… then I wouldn’t be here would I?”

He brings his eyes back to her, and she looks away.

“No.” She agrees, “You would’ve had a different life.”

A better life, but she doesn’t need to say that.

“No telling what that might have brought.” He acknowledges, “You wipe the memory of little me?”

She nods, “And your mom.”

He nods this time, and gives the cards another shuffle.

“My and Lisa’s childhoods were… awful.” He says, “Not a day goes by I don’t wish things had been different. Getting the chance…”

He trails off, gathering his thoughts, and she’ll give him that. She’ll give him all the time that he needs.

“Lisa’s happy now.” He finally says, “She has Ramon, and all those other idiots. And I…” He swallows, “I have some idiots of my own. Couldn’t risk that.”

She smiles, and she wants to tease him. She wants to taunt that Captain Cold does have a heart and she’ll never tell. Maybe tomorrow she will, but not right now. Right now he has unshed tears in his eyes, and his face is pale. He’s even less likely to sleep tonight than she is.

So she crosses the room and without a word crawls in to sit next to him on his mattress. He scoots enough to give her space, but she still presses right into his side and lays a hand down over his wrist with hardly any weight to it.

“Good.” She finds herself saying, and she runs her fingers up is hand until she dips them between his knuckles. “Because these idiots would be lost without you.”

[myhockeyworld87]

Choices - Tyler Seguin/Jamie Benn - Part 3

Word Count: 1722

POV: Reader

Warnings: Swearing

Notes: So here’s the chaos you all asked for. You get another 48 hours to make your choice for the next part of the story. As always feedback is welcome. Peace, Love and Hugs All!

Link to Choices Masterlist

A cold sweat broke out across your brow as you heard Jamie say. “Please, enlighten me as to why you’re being a complete dickhead at the moment.” This was really happening. It was kind of like watching a trainwreck; no one ever wants to see it, yet you can’t look away.

 You saw the look in Tyler’s eyes, knew his intent the moment he had asked if Jamie really wanted to know what was bothering him; and then like fireworks on the Fourth of July, things just exploded. “You’re fucking dating my girl. That’s what the fuck a matter with me.”

 Jamie for his part looked completely clueless. “Are you mad? I’m not fucking dating Kathleen.”

 “Not Kathleen, you idiot. (Y/N), you’re fucking dating (Y/N), the only woman that’s ever mattered to me.” Bile rose in the back of your throat; and you wanted to run away and hide in the bathroom, beside the aforementioned Kathleen.

 Jamie’s head snapped so quick to your face; you were surprised he didn’t get whiplash. “What the fuck is he talking about?”

 “Umm…I…” you searched for words, yet there were none. How did you tell the man you were currently in love with; that you’d once been madly in love with his best friend? You exhaled a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding in; and with a sag of your shoulders you resigned yourself to your fate. “It’s true, well not true…because we’re not dating…I’m dating you…Oh god…” This wasn’t making any sense; and the look on Jamie’s face only made this a million times harder. “Jamie, just let me explain.”

 “Explain…How the hell do you plan on explaining that you’re dating my best friend and me?”

“I’m not dating Tyler!”

 “We were in love! Don’t even try and deny it.” Tyler interjected.

 “Shut your fucking mouth, before I break it.” Jamie’s blood was boiling over. His fists clenched on the table as if he was going to just reach out and punch Tyler. You placed your hand overtop of his, and he flinched. The biting reality of the situation slamming you in the gut.

 “Can we just go somewhere and talk? Anywhere but here?” You looked around; your raised voices had attracted attention. “I promise, I’ll tell you everything; just not here.”

 “Fine.” Jamie made a move to get up from the table. Tyler mirroring his actions. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 “I need to talk to (Y/N).” Tyler looked pointedly at you.

 “I have nothing to say you.” You fairly spat the words at him.

 “Well there’s a lot I have to say to you, and this time you’re going to listen.”

 Jamie stood up to his full height, which was only an inch or so more than Tyler; but at the moment he was using all of it to his advantage, as he stood face to face with his best friend. “She said she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

 The menacing look in Tyler’s eyes would’ve frightened just about anyone; but Jamie wasn’t just anyone.  Neither man was backing down from the other, and if you didn’t get them out of here soon; you weren’t sure what would happen. “I’m not letting her leave, without talking to her. So, you can either move out of my way; or I can make you move.”

 “I’d like to see you try.” Jamie took a closer step to Tyler. There was barely an inch separating the two of them. You could see each of them flexing their fists, preparing to strike.

 There was only one thing you could do, before this became even more of a scene than it already was; and that was to step in between them. “Stop, please.” You tugged on Jamie’s arm. This time he didn’t pull away from you; though neither man backed down. “Can we please just leave? I’ll talk to him, if that’s what he wants; just please don’t do this here.”

 Jamie’s eyes finally moved to your face. The pleading look you were giving him, must have broken through to him, for his stance relaxed slightly. “If that’s what you want.” You nodded, as you slowly moved your hands up and down his arms. “Take your real girlfriend home Seguin, and give me some time with mine. Then if (Y/N) still wants to talk to you, you can talk at my place.”

 “You’re not leaving here without me.” Tyler made the statement so matter-of-factly, as if there was no other option then all of you leaving together. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve waited two years to talk to you. I’m not taking any chances now.”

 Closing your eyes, you mentally willed Jamie to just agree to Tyler’s unreasonable request so, you could just get out of this place. “Is that what you want?” Jamie was leaning down whispering in your ear. Even now, when he didn’t know the whole story; your well being was his first concern.

 “I just want to leave, and if that means Tyler has to come with us, then so be it.”

 Jamie looked pointedly at Tyler, before saying. “Get Kathleen. You have five minutes, or we’ll leave without you. I’m going to get the car.” With that, he pulled you both away from Tyler; and headed to the door.

 “Jamie, I need my things.” He stopped and changed directions, taking you back stage. He let go of your hand, as you grabbed your bag; there was a note of sadness in his eyes and it broke your heart. “Jamie, I’m so sorry. I know I should’ve told you…”

 “Not now (Y/N).” He took the bag from you, then clasp your hand in his; the small gesture somewhat reassuring. By the time you made it to the valet stand, Tyler and Kathleen were there waiting. The ride home was completely silent. You had no idea what Tyler had told Kathleen, but the minute Jamie pulled into her apartment complex; she jumped out of the car without a goodbye to anyone. Every so often you would chance a glance over at Jamie, though his expression gave away nothing.

 About fifteen minutes later you pulled into Jamie’s garage. Your palms were sweaty as you walked into the house, that had become more a home to you over the last couple months. Jamie went straight to the fridge and grabbed a beer, cracking it open and taking a long swig before saying. “So, let me see if I’ve got this right. Seguin here, is the hockey player who broke your heart and swore you off professional athletes?” You nodded your head and went to say more; but he held up his hand. He then looked at Tyler. “And (Y/N) is the girl that you fucked shit up with, two years ago; then walked around love sick for I don’t know the next year or so.”

 “Well it’s a lot more than that.” Tyler added in.

 “Look, you don’t get to talk right now. I’m still pissed you’re fucking here at the moment. This is between myself and (Y/N). So why don’t you just make yourself scarce for a bit.”

 “It’s not just about the two of you, Chubbs. You need to realize that I loved (Y/N) first; that I still love her.” After essentially a half hour of no one speaking, things were escalating quickly again.

 “Tyler, I need to speak with Jamie.” When he didn’t move, you added. “Alone.” He couldn’t believe you were dismissing him and made a move to say something about it; however, you continued. “I promise, I will speak to you afterward; but can you please just give us a few moments.”

 “Fine.” He wandered off into the house, probably to the game room but not far away.

 Your eyes searched Jamie’s face, there was worry, anger, sadness and even fear there. Hopefully you’d be able to wipe some of that away. “Jamie, I tried to say this before at the club; but I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you about Tyler, when I found out you were a hockey player.”

 “You think.” Sarcasm tainted his voice and he wouldn’t look at you.

 Reaching out you touched his arm and he turned. “I don’t have an excuse for why I didn’t tell you, other than I didn’t know how. How was I suppose to say that I dated one of your teammates? That the guy that broke my heart, was one of your friends?” His eyes were searching your face, looking for the truth in your words. “You remember when I told you what happened? You wanted me to tell you who it was. You said the next time you saw him on the ice, you’d break him for what he’d done to me. That’s all I could hear every time I went to tell you it was Tyler.” He winced, hearing his words coming back to haunt you both. “I don’t want to be a problem between you and a teammate.”

 “Did you think you could keep this secret forever?”

 “Yes…No. I mean, I knew you’d eventually find out; just not like this.” In your mind you’d pictured the whole thing differently. “I guess I just thought, that maybe Tyler wouldn’t even remember me; and then it just wouldn’t matter.”

 “Not remember you? How could anyone forget you?” He tucked a small strand of hair behind your ear, and you leaned into his hand craving his touch.

 “Jamie, he’s not like you. He cheated on me the minute he had an opportunity; so, it wasn’t too much of stretch for me to think I wouldn’t even register in his memory.” Anger flashed in his eyes at the mention of what Tyler had done to you. “Can you forgive me for not say anything?” You knew you were asking a lot, yet he’d asked the same of you not long ago.

 “I get why you did it; and how can I not forgive you, when I did the same thing. I guess, I just need to know where this leaves us?”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Decision time again:

 A)      Tell Jamie that you need to speak to Tyler before you know where you stand with him.

B)      Tell Jamie that you need time to figure things out.

C)      Tell Jamie that it changes nothing between the two of you.

[namirotraeu]

Online Relationships

I know it took me a long time to finish this fic, but I hope you’ll still give it a try. I originally planned it to be longer. I had to delete several scenes since it does not match, maybe I’ll use it in my future fics. 

Please enjoy the final chapter and let me know your thoughts. 

“Personalities and relationships tend to differ offline. “

(Part 1) I (Part 2) I (Part 3)

Title: Online Relationships- Part 4

Pairing:Trafalgar Law X Nami

Genre: Romance / AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 1734

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, they rightfully belong to Oda Eiichiro.

Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships because of her beauty. It was not her fault that she became the cause of a ten-year war. It was the Fates who were weaving her destiny. Nami liked the epics The Iliad and The Odyssey, which tells the story of Helen. She read the books all over again every time she finds time to do so. She loved how the story tells that we are rational beings and it is our actions that makes our fate. Helen chose to love and that love became the downfall of a lot of people. Nami, on the other hand chose, to leave a comment on Law's post. She never thought it would end up like this.

16 love reactions. 5 likes. 25 comment replies.

Luffy D. Monkey: Zoro, Sanji, Robin, Franky, Ussop, Chopper, Brook, Vivi and Shiraoishi. Look! Nami, we demand an explanation! Since when did you and Torao became too close?

'Ugh, why did Luffy have to be the first one to see this? He even tagged all our closest friends.' Nami thought in despair.

Sanji Vinsmoke: Is the shitty doctor your boyfriend, Nami-swan? T^T

Zoro Roronoa: Witch, I told you to behave. Law, better take care of her.

Nico Robin: My, my, I never knew that he stole your heart, Nami.

Chopper: So it was Law that Nami likes?

It was not only her friends that reacted and commented. Even Law's friends did.

Shachi: Captain! She commented. Hurray!

Penguin: Yay! Our captain is on his spring time.

Bepo: Sorry for not noticing it earlier. I'm rooting for the two of you. May your relationship be strong. Aye!

X-Drake: Hmm..

There are a lot of people who reacted which she did not know personally, but were mutual friends with Law in Facegram. At this point in time, she regretted what she did. It would be a big deal for his and her friends. She even read a comment conversation between Penguin and Luffy saying they should team up to match the two of them. What is done is done, so she decided just to meet up with her friends in Baratie's Food Joint. Luffy said that Robin and Franky will be joining them since they have no work for today.

Her friends have already placed their own orders when she came to their table. She ordered her favorite tangerine smoothie and the lunch special from the counter. Luckily for Nami, Law and his friends were seated far from their table. She is too ashamed to look at them, but her curiosity urged her to take a glimpse on his table. Even with the crowd their eyes always find each other. His lip draw into a smirk, then he waved at her. She smiled and waved back while her cheeks is slightly blushing. It felt like it was just the two of them in the food joint full of people. But they are not. Both their group of friends is observing the two of them.

Luffy, Chopper and Ussop was laughing out loud when they saw Nami coming back to their table.

"Why are you laughing?" Nami questioned. The trio continued to laugh till Ussop decided to answer her.

"Law sudden used his bag to hide his face after you smiled at him. He was so red."

"Eh? I don't believe you. We both know you're a liar." Nami taunts her friend.

“Shishi.Torao! Look over here. Nami wants to see your face" Luffy shouted. Nami hurriedly punched Luffy to silence him.

She subtly glanced and saw Law's friends looking at her while pointing at Law, who is burying his face on the bag. His friends was laughing and teasing him. He is obviously pretending to be sleeping, she knew he wasn't someone who can sleep in any place. She found this scene cute and she happily ate her lunch with her friends.

                             ───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Marine duties in the town vary depending on which branch you are assigned. Being a Rear Admiral, Drake doesn’t have much to do than waiting for a new mission for him. He often uses his time off visiting museums to see dinosaur artifacts or collaborate with universities for dinosaur researches as a hobby. Today was he was supposed to meet Corazon, Law’s foster father, to fetch a package for his father. However, the old man called that he will be sending over his son because he has urgent matters to deal with his brother.

He knew the whole time him and Law would be together would be spent with them pissing off one another. That nerd really makes him tick. Just thinking that they would be meeting up in a few minutes made him exhausted.

While strolling in the park, he saw a familiar red head who was leisurely walking.

“This would be interesting.” He thought. He heard that Law tend to be quiet when she’s around.

“Nami!” He called out.

“Oh! Hey Drake. It’s been a long time since I last saw you. What’s up?”

“Nothing new really. I’m supposed to meet up with Law in Buggy’s Steak House for lunch. Join us.” He invited.

“It is your treat? You know I like free things.” The younger girl beamed.

“Of course, and you’ll get a bonus of seeing Law.” He teased.

“I see him almost every day in the campus or at Baratie. He should be the one getting a bonus of seeing a cute girl like me on weekends.”

“You should say that to him.” He chuckled.

They arrived shortly at the Steak House. Law was already grumpily waiting for Drake.

“You said you’d be here thirty minutes ago.” Law scoffed.

“My bad. I brought company.” Drake pointed at Nami.

“Nami-ya?” Law was shocked at the unexpected appearance of the girl.

Drake wanted to laugh out loud at the shocked state of Law. The rumors were indeed true. Maybe this lunch would be interesting.

“Hey Law!” Nami greeted.

Nami sat next to Drake while they are sitting in front of Law. Law ordered for Nami because Drake won't stop teasing him to pay for her.

"I never knew you were this close." Law stated as he looked at the two red heads conversing like its just the two of them.

"We knew each other for quite a long time and you know the thing about Robin." Nami explained. Drake and Robin used to date, however, things didn't proceed romantically as both have their priorities.

"Hn." Law quietly finished his meal.

The two red heads continued on talking. While he stayed quiet observing the two.

It didn't take too long for Drake to excuse himself. “I better go. We have emergency at the base. Walk her home or I’ll tell Cora-san that he did not raised you to be a gentleman. Surely, he will be disappointed.”

As a matter of fact, there was no emergency. He was just annoyed by Law’s state. He thought he would enjoy him squirm at the girl’s beauty, but it became boring since its not like his usual shitty attitude. Might as well give the two a little push. Maybe Nami could forgive some of his debts.

                             ───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

"You don't really have to walk me home, Law. I'm going to the university to check on the progress of our team's prototype." Nami said.

"Nah. I'll walk you there. Could it be you're afraid of me?"

Nami was shocked by the question. She was quite shy that he is walking her to the university but not afraid.

"Nope. Why would I be afraid of you? I doubt a nerd could outrun me." She taunt.

"I don't think so. I may be a studious type of person but I have been athletic since I was middle school. I beat up Shachi and Penguin when I first met them."

"Being violent is not the same as athletic. Why would you even beat up your friends."

"It was their fault since they were bullying Bepo. We were all young back then." He argued.

She noticed he is awkwardly keeping distance between the two of them as they walk.  

"You know, sometimes I don't get what you are thinking. Online we are so close, but offline we're so awkward." She said bluntly. If she wanted to move forward they would have to break their barriers.

"Its just that I don't know. When I'm with you I feel like a different person, Nami-ya. Every plan I make to get close to you, seems won't work. I guess plans do not apply to you and your friends."

"Do you really like me? Or are you just pressured from the people around us?" She was embarrassed to ask, but decided to ask anyway.

"Why would I be pressured? When I met you before it was just you, not my friends nor your friends. At first I thought I was just an infatuation, but it grew on me. Nami-ya, I like you."

She leaned to gift a light kiss on his cheeks. "Let's take it slow until you are used to being around me. We should hang-out like today more."

He stared a her rosy cheeks and glorious smile. What happened today will surely change them.

"Oh! I think we should give them our response, Mr. Heart stealer."

                             ───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Their friend's phone rang with a notification; it was a tagged comment from Law. He posted a photo of Nami drinking coffee from a cafe. From the photo, they could see Law's favorite hat on the table.

'I don't know about being a Heart stealer, but this girl clearly stole my heart.' This was the caption of the photo.

Before their friends could comment on the post, another notification rang. Again, they were tagged in the comment section, but this time it was by Nami. The photo she posted was from the same cafe. A booked covered the lower area of this face, while his golden eyes looked straight to the camera. Nami leaned her cheek on the top of his head, while giving a bright smile and peace sign.

'Oops! Exams are still ahead. Gotta keep this nerd Heart stealer focused on studying.'

Nami captioned it this way to show that even if they will be moving forward, their dreams would be their top priority.

It wasn't long until her and his phone began ringing. They friends wouldn’t stop until they heard the whole story. 

[jojomugi]

hola. 😳 so, i’m a big h*etaro fan as you may know- could you possibly do a little scenario of the reader comforting him after the events of sdc? like my guy, there’s no way jotaro was just okay after all of that. nonono. i do not think for a minute he was. anyways, may i please get some (a bit angsty) soft comforting hours for jotaro? pls and thank you.

Ah yES!!!!

My apologies for the wait. I’ve never written Jotaro before, so this involved a lot of drafting. On the bright side, Jotaro is now another character I can write. I just hope it’s not too OOC. Honestly, we don’t get to see old Jotarhoe get into his feelings too often unless he’s pissed off. I hope you enjoy this though!! I put a lot of love into it just for you buddy 👀!!!

All aboard the angst train whoo whoo.

✨AU: N/A

✨Word Count: 2517

✨SFW?: Yes

✨Spoilers ahead for JJBA PART 3!!!! Read at your own risk!!

The pink petals of the cherry blossom tree outside your home fell like rain droplets from the sky. You were awaiting the arrival of a friend; A friend who on an emotional level was much more than that to you, but a friend nonetheless. Last time you had seen Jotaro Kujo was when you and the rest of the stand using crusaders all reached Egypt.

Quite frankly, the time you spent apart from each other would’ve been far shorter if it had not been for the incident leading up to your departure from the group. The long memory was still fresh in your mind like a new film on a camera roll. You wanted to stay and help, you consider him a friend and the rest of the group like a family to you. But that day when Kakyoin became visually impaired by N’doul’s stand Geb and upon Jotaro’s stern request, you went back home. But now all that crossed your mind was the outcome of those final days in Egypt. You knew Jotaro was obviously still alive, as today certainly wouldn’t have been planned out if he wasn’t. But what happened to everyone else? And was it true that the menacing DIO that by proxy haunted each step in that journey vanquished? 

You shook these thoughts from your mind, as your questions would all be answered shortly. You gave yourself one final look down in the mirror and adjusted your pleated skirt with a slight smile. 

‘Today is going to be a good day’ you silently reminded your reflection with a small nod. But before you had a chance to double-check your small shoulder bag, you were stopped in your tracks by a doorbell. 

“In a second!” You called out as your fast feet hurried down the hall like a rabbit. Like ice, your socks did not do much good with the traction on the floor as you hastily slid around on the smoothly polished wood base of your home to grab a few final things and your shoes. Once you finally got everything together at the speed of light, your perfect display you worked on all morning was now a wreck. You h/c hair now not as smooth from when you first brushed it, and your crew socks now at different lengths. Luckily for you, Joataro was one you could genuinely count on to not judge you for your slightly clumsy physical appearance. As he was a Joestar. And one thing you learned from those days of traveling was that no matter what kind of person they are, all Joestars have a righteous heart of gold.

You suddenly swung the door wide open as a sheepish grin plastered on your face. “My apologies Jotaro, I lost track of time.”

“Oi, y/n, it’s fine. I was 5 minutes early anyway.” He bluntly responded with a dip of the bill of his hat. Jotaro had always been a reserved man until he was poked to the point of utter annoyance, but today, right now, something seemed off about him. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but something in your intuition told you that he deeply troubled by something, more so than how he was during the trip to Egypt. However, you kept to the sideline, as you understood that he was also the type of person to talk when he was ready to. There was no point in forcing him and ruining what was supposed to be a good day for you two. Like a switch, you let out a blink of your e/c eyes and formed a now nonchalant like demeanor. “Oh! Well, it’s alright really. I need to work on my time management skills anyways.” 

Your words were quickly disregarded as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Yare yare. Are you ready?”

You let out a small nod as you stepped out to lock your door. You two finally departed to the sidewalk to make your way towards town. However, all the could be heard between you two were footsteps.

Crunchy. Melancholy. Footsteps.

Internally you just hoped that something interesting would come by the path you two took. Like maybe a cute dog, or an interesting butterfly. Anything to break the tense silence between you two. It was agonizingly awkward, even for Joatro’s standards of reservation.

But if fate wasn’t going to intervene, you had to come up with something on your own. You pondered hard on what to say, as you wouldn’t want to trigger any type of problems dwelling within his mind. You went with the safest route and asked a question you already had a vague idea of an answer to.

“How is your mother doing?”

The silence continued for a few moments more. You slid your hands into your cardigan pockets and waited patiently. 

“She’s better now.” 

The Kujo’s words were as blunt as an ancient knife. But even so, it deeply stung. Your hunch was correct there really was something wrong.

“I’m glad to hear. I was so worried about her. The day I flew back here I used what was left of my money to have a card and flowers sent to her.”

“I know.” 

And yet another insult to injury. Still, even with your sensitive emotions, you did your best not to take it personally. 

“She…really appreciated it. Thank you y/n.” He carefully added, as his step accidentally kicked a rock down the coated pink pathway. Your e/c eyes couldn’t help but soften at the sentiment. He was slowly but surely seeming close to his normal self. With the flip of your locks, you quickly turned your head up at him to press on.

“Well, I’m glad. And what about Mr.Joestar? How is he?”

A faint smile formed that hid behind the high collar of his coat. The only way you could tell he was even smiling was by the very slight movement of the male’s defined cheekbones. 

“Psh…Still a pain in my ass like before.”

A small irresistible giggle emitted from you. Jotaro’s ocean-like eyes glanced down at you for a moment, before steadily looking forward again. His look was now refined and sober once more.

“Oi, y/n, I’m getting tired of walking. Let’s go sit at the bench up the way.” He suggested with a point from his bold finger in the general direction of the bench that you two would soon be approaching. You complied with a nod and once you both got there, you sat on separate ends.

From the eyes of another, no one would even guess you two were even going to the same destination, that it was a mere coincidence you two just so happened to be sitting on the same bench. That was far from the case, but Jotaro was mentally distant and you were hesitant to step into that void of mental distress. Still, you felt as his friend, and how close he was in your heart, it was your duty to help him through whatever he was going through, or at least support and encourage him. You took in a deep inhale, and shortly freed a long sigh from your lips.

“What about Kakyoin? I’ve been worried about him too. Is he still able to see? I figured he would’ve called by now, especially since we live in the same-“

Those first words amongst your rambling…

‘What about Kakyoin.’ 

A tsunami of flashbacks washed over his already flood thoughts and emotions. The weight of guilt at that moment would have destroyed mountains if it was able to. Since that night, he couldn’t help but wonder what he could’ve done differently for him for Kakyoin to still be with them. He made a best friend in someone who thought he couldn’t trust in the beginning. As much as Jotaro’s Joestar legacy deemed him a hero for defeating DIO, in Joatro’s eyes, Kakyoin was a real hero for the final message he left them in those endmost moments of his life on what DIO’s stand really was. Deep down he knew its what Kakyoin would’ve wanted, vengeance for all those that DIO damaged, including himself. He knew that the fight would end with loss—But he could not shake the feeling that he could’ve done something to change the fate of his best friend.

He quickly straightened up with a snap.

“Damn it. Can you just shut up already?” The male gritted, retaining all the frustration and overwhelming emotions he wanted to release. He’d never inflict harm onto you, but he definitely wanted to punch something. But just as quick as he fractured to you, he instantly regretted his knee jerk reaction to you. Obviously, you would’ve had no clue on what was taunting him. The Kujo was at least that rational with his mind. “Just….”

A longingly defeated groan fell from his mouth as he bent forward, bracing his sharp elbows against his knees. You were struck in the heart by his harsh response. He was always quick to be agitated but not in this way. But if the mention of Kakyoin was enough to drive him to that, you only feared the worse, for Joatro was never one to get overly tied up in small, fixable, problems. You slanted towards his direction while still respecting his personal bubble. 

“Jotaro…are you alright?” You asked with a soft sort of caution. 

There was a long pause yet again. The male slid his cap off for a moment before sitting back up and placing it back upon its place. You deserved to know what happened to your form friends as well, just as much as he had the right to grieve over this loss in his own ways. What to say wasn’t hard to formulate, but translating the pain into spoken words was what tormented him.

“Kayoin…Didn’t make it.” He alas answered, trying his best to keep the sharp lump that he formed down. To not fall apart.

For a moment you were dumbfounded. You certainly did believe him, but how? How could such a talented stand user like him fall? Your lip twitched as it begged you to allow itself to quiver. As much as you yourself wanted to break down from this news, you remained strong. This time it was your turn to be the strong one for him. Jotaro truly needed you, for you were the remaining person who wasn’t far across in another continent that he knew he could confide in. He undeniably trusted you with his whole heart, which was truly a rarity for anyone he kept around.

“I’m…so sorry…” you shakenly stammered, as you placed a soft hand on to one of his broad shoulders closest to you. He sharply continued, almost as if you remained silently idle in the same place you were before. 

“Avdol and Iggy…they didn’t make it either. Old man shouldn’t even be here but he survived thanks to DIO’s stupidity.” He spoke in a begrudging manner. He hated that name. DIO. If it wasn’t for DIO, he wouldn’t have had to lose anyone, and no one would’ve been hurt, not even the people who blindly followed him in hopes of something in return. However…ironically enough, he wouldn’t have had the experiences he had that brought him and others together to form a bond that carried its way through even the afterlife. 

You remained silent as you awaited for him to continue if he wanted to continue that is. Your light fingertips gently grazed themselves across him back, leaving a reminder of your openness and reassurance you had to offer for Jojo.

While getting a grip on his composure, Jotaro continued. He hated apologizing in general, but in this instance, it would’ve been upright rude for him not to. “Listen, Y/n, I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“Its fine, Jotaro. I don’t blame you once so ever.” You scooted closer towards him before proceeding on. “In fact, you seem to have a lot on your mind today.”

Jotaro let out a breath of air and leaned back in the wooden seat. That was the damn truth, he really did have a lot on his shoulders, even though everything was done and over with.

“I don’t want to admit it, but I’m dealing with a lot of emotions I don’t understand. Hell, it’s even more terrifying to confront them than it was to confront DIO. Even after defeating him, there is still a lega- no, a path he left behind that needs to be dealt with. He’s dead for good, but the consequences of his actions are still here leaving an impact on me and so many others.” 

“Unfortunately I don’t know if Star Platinum could beat up your emotions…But at least you can beat the crap out of DIO!” You nervously joked, hoping to not border onto the boundary of joking inappropriately. 

“Tch. True.”

One side of the Kujo’s lip halfheartedly curled at your honest yet funny commentary. He honestly needed to help combat with containing the deep-seated emotions that wanted to explode from within. 

As quick as your joke spilled, you shook your head to keep your focus back onto him. It was time to pour your honest intentions to him. Even though he was no longer facing DIO, he was now facing what some might even say was more mysterious and challenging than some century-old vampire. And that was the human mind and its complex rewiring after a traumatic event. You’d never discount your own feelings, but you’d also never leave someone you love to suffer alone. You calmly shut your eyes after you found the courage within you to say what you needed to say. And then you spoke.

“I’m not a therapist by any means but…They were my friends too. It already hurts to have them gone, but it hurts, even more to see you struggling alone with pain far greater than yours.” Your trailing hand froze back onto his shoulder.

“Jotaro. Take what I’m about to say as you will but….” Your body froze as your sudden pause drew his handsome blue eyes and attention back onto you. Yeah, this was a lot easier to say with his strong intimidating appearance not looking you dead in the eye. With a small swallow, you finally said it. “I love you, and I will always be there for you. It would be a disservice to how much we grew together during those weeks to not be there. Whenever you’re ready, and whenever you need me. Just call me and I’ll be there.” 

Jotaro’s eyes didn’t stray from yourself. He was clearly taking what you said into deep consideration. He took in a deep inhale and turned forward. You could feel a load of relief wash over you until suddenly, his large hand placed itself over your much more tinier one. 

“Y/n.”

“Y-yes?”

“Thank you.”

[medea10]

My Review of Magical Girl Site

How did I get into this anime? I…huh…Good question! I don’t recall. Probably some other anime reviewers mentioned it and I put it on the Amazon/Netflix list hoping I won’t have to watch it any time soon. Two years later and here we are!

Aya Asagiri’s life is a living hell. She is constantly bullied at school and no one does a thing to stop it. Her teachers don’t care about her well-being. Her father barely notices she exists. And to top it off, her brother beats the crap out of her just for him to relieve stress! Is it any wonder that she wants to commit suicide? One night, her computer mysteriously turns on to a website, promoting Aya to become a magical girl. She brushed it off and thought nothing of it…

That is until the next morning when she finds a note and a gun in her shoe locker. After being tortured by her bullies and almost raped, she finds herself at the end of her ropes and pulls out the mysterious gun. When she pulled the trigger, her bullies disappeared. Turns out, the targets are transported to another place. In the case of some of her bullies, they were transported to in front of a moving train.

Karma, bitches!

It’s unknown why Aya was specifically chosen to become a magical girl, but fellow magical girl Yatsumura feels she could use Aya’s magic to combat a looming threat to other magical girls. But they must not overuse their magic, otherwise they will die.

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: As of this moment, this anime seems to be in the capable hands of Amazon Prime. And we all know how well they treat animes, right?! Hahaha! Funny! Anyways, don’t expect a dub! The cast seems to be comprised of many female seiyuus I’m not particularly familiar with. I mean with the exception of Aina Suzuki, I hear her sounds every day thanks to the Love Live game apps! Add to that the creepy, raspy voice of Frieza playing the site administrator! One voice actor however I heard the second he let out a creepy, hygena-like laugh, I knew exactly who this crazy bastard was! Nobuhiko Okamoto plays a great psychopath. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Aya is played by Yuuko Oono

*Yatsumura is played by Himika Akaneya

*Sarina is played by Haruka Yamazaki (known for Ruka on Hayate the Combat Butler, Mero on Monster Musume, Aika on High School DxD, and Natsumi on Danganronpa 3)

*Nijimi is played by Yuu Serizawa (known for Shera on How Not to Summon a Demon Lord)

*Shioi is played by Aina Suzuki (known for Mari on Love Live Sunshine)

AUTOMATICLY THROWN ON DISLIKED LIST: Okay children, who automatically ends up on my hate list for life?

Fuckers who commit rape and fuckers who kill animals for fun!

Damn right! Give this anime some credit for not showing Aya’s bullies throwing a cat in front of a moving train. If this were 10 years ago, they probably would have animated it and I would have been puking afterward. I’m not sure which of Aya’s bullies threw a cat in front of a moving train, but for the time being, I’m throwing them all on the list.

And while I’m here, Sarina! She was like the ring-leader in the bullying of Aya. I’m almost certain she’s the bitch that killed the stray cat but I have no proof of that. With my history with horrible people like that, I have no sympathy for bullies in the slightest and feel she got what was coming to her. Bitch, you got that big, ugly scar on your neck for a reason. You got what was coming!

DEFINITELY BELONGS IN DISLIKE HISTORY: Now that I got the usual gripe off my chest, gotta add Aya’s onii-chan, Kaname! Sweet merciful crap, do I love hearing Nobuhiko Okamoto play a psychopath, but this is going way too far. And Kaname is just irredeemable! He has this complex that makes him think he’s on God-tier and everyone else is beneth him. Now I do have to hate Kaname and Aya’s father for placing this kind of pressure on Kaname and beating the shit out of him if he gets bad grades. But good fuck, this guy just pushes past the line of no return when he tries to manipulate little girls, steal their power, and lose control. And this wasn’t like he had no control over his own body and wants to stop this from happening! Kaname meant every thing he did to his sister and her friends. OH…and that one guy he forced to off himself! I just can’t even with this guy!

SHIPPING: I know a lot of people ship the hell out of Aya and Yatsumura and yeah, I can see that and I would ship them too. But for reals, I just want these two girls to live a life of peace together for as long as they’re around. For fuck’s sake, did you see the shit they put up with in their lives? Aya was bullied relentlessly at home and school. Yatsumura watched her whole family be slaughtered by a creep. These girls deserve some sort of peace! I know this is the shipping category, but I felt the need to say this.

STICKS: Okay anime, what are you doing? Aya uses a magical gun! Sarina uses a magical yo-yo! Nijimi uses magical panties (insert immature laugh here)! Yatsumura uses a magical remote! How hard is it to have them say that! And I probably shouldn’t put blame on the anime and holler at the manga! But calling magical items “Sticks”, that feels…I don’t want to say stupid, but I can’t think of any other word to go along with that. I just feel like the manga was on some deadline and they were frantically finishing what to call their magical items and just went “FUCK IT, IT’S STICKS”.

COULD HAVE FOOLED ME: In the “Could have fooled me” category we have a boy who identifies as a girl magical girl! Man, 2018 definitely was the progressive AF year! I mean, we had Lily from Zombieland Saga, we had the girls who transformed into magical buff men in Magical Girl Ore, and now THIS! So we have Kiyo! An openly transgendered magical girl that’s not a token joke! Okay, well done guys! Pearl points all around!

ENDING: Early in the series, we learned about a moment called “The Tempest”. A catastrophic even set to take place once enough negative energy is caught. There are a lot of Magical Girl Site administrators that take advantage of “POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS”. They pick the most unfortunate girls as pawns in their game. And once “The Tempest” hits, everyone will die and the world will start over anew. Aya and Yatsumura end up meeting new magical girl allies and even a few that were coersed by different administrators. Not to mention one of Aya’s bullies is a magical girl too with a score to settle! What could be worse?

How about we add Aya’s disgusting brother to this mix?! As I’ve mentioned before, Aya’s brother Kaname would use Aya as a personal punching bag in order to get rid of stress. When Aya became a magical girl, she would spend more time with Yatsumura or the other girls, leaving Kaname to go without slugging his sister. So fuckface over here manipulates another magical girl, Nijimi to do what he says. This leads to him stealing Nijimi’s underwear and gaining her magical power of mind control. I never thought I would have to say a sentence like that, but here we are.

Kaname went out of control with this power as he managed to injure all of the girls and give a fatal blow to Nijimi. But another possible enemy dropped a bomb on us when they kidnapped Kaname. THEN, these girls are targeted at Nijimi’s funeral and they almost died. Add another plot-twist, a police officer that’s been seen from time to time in a lot of the tragedies in the show is in cahoots with one of the magical girl site administrators. This keeps getting fuckier by the minute! Well, the girls felt it was time to take action and try to take out the administrators that screwed them with this doomed fate. But once they took out one of the administrators, they came across an ugly truth.

Sight administrators are magical girls who died previously!

Yeah, not that big of a shock! Madoka Magica gave us magical girls who end up so corrupt that they become witches they’re supposed to fight. While some of the administrators ended up falling to these girls, Nana (the creepy one we’ve been watching since ep 1) is the hardest one to take out. She ends up killing Yatsumura (because she used up too much of her power), but then manipulates her to become an administrator.

Once she manipulated Yatsumura, she ends up going after Aya. And after a lot of back-and-forth between the two girls, Yatsumura was able to snap out of Nana’s control and they managed to take out Nana. And we end the series with a brighter future for Aya and Yatsumura as their lives become a little less unfortunate.

Yeah, few issues here!

1.) There are still a butt-load of site administrators. Isn’t there still a “Tempest” going to happen? 2.) Aya and Yatsumura’s lives aren’t in danger anymore after using fuck-tons of their power? WTF?! 3.) What was the point of Aya shooting herself to get Yatsumura back? I am not following you. Is this some sort of Insception shit?! 4.) That detective! Misumi was his name? Why was he just casually talking to Nana a few episodes back? 5.) Why don’t we see him until the final few moments in the finale? 6.) WHY DID HE RAPE KANAME?! 7.) WHY WAS THIS SCENE A THING? 8.) I don’t want to say Kaname deserved it, buuuuuut… Uuuggghhh…Mumble, mumble. I can’t finish that thought. 9.) These site administrators are probably pissed and are going to want revenge on these magical girls. What’s going on here?

…Let me guess, I need to read the manga to get all my questions answered…

FUCKING FIGURES!

Seriously...what Misumi did. That scene is forever etched in my brain forever. Next to that scene of Kaname wiggling his junk in front of a guy.

This anime was pretty bad. No wait...

This anime was way too edgy for me! Episode 1 was just absolute torture porn involving Aya. The first episode managed to combine the bully scene in Vivid Strike, the puppy killing scene in Elfen Lied, and every bullying episode of Hell Girl all into one single episode. As for the rest of this series, they go above and beyond to grab some of the worst aspects of other animes and implement them here. Aya’s older brother almost has a God-complex that rivals that of Light Yagami of Death Note. Nijimi has a devoted fan that’s almost crossing over from the movie Perfect Blue. Body mutilation scenes on levels not seen since Higurashi! And fill this world up with the worst kinds of humans imaginable like in Elfen Lied! This was just too much hatred! Too much!

Add to that, there’s absolutely no resolution to this story. Yes, Aya and Yatsumura are alive and together. But guys, there are still some other-worldly strong site administrators looming! Tempest is still happening. KANAME IS STILL FUCKING ALIVE…literally and figuratively speaking! And with how much this anime has been panned by anime fans across the board, I doubt if this anime will ever receive a sequel. Guys, if you want a really good 12-episode anime about magical girls with an edge, just watch Madoka Magica. But if you’re a curious idiot like me, whatever, you do you!

As this anime is an Amazon Prime exclusive, I’m afraid that’s the only legal outlet for this.

Now that this is over, my next Amazon/Netflix/Crunchyroll anime is…

Grand Blue!

Oh, it’s set in a cute ocean town. Am I going to enjoy some cute absurdity like I did with Tsuritama?

Sort of!

OH GOOD FUCK, WHAT FRAT HOUSE WAS THIS BIRTHED FROM?!

[writing-appreciation]

SYNOPSIS: You and Peter were dating before the snap, but after Harley helped you through five years of pain. Five years later, you Harley finally makes his move, and Peter doesn't know what to do.

PARING: Stark!Reader X Peter Parker

WARNINGS: ☡ ENDGAME SPOILERS ☡ LIKE MASSIVE ENDGAME SPOILERS. DETAILED ENDGAME SPOILERS. NOT SUBLE ONES. IF YOU READ THIS AND HAVE NOT SEEN ENDGAME YOU WILL HAVE THE WHOLE PLOT SPOILED FOR YOU.

-Author rambling. You'll see if you read it. I'd figure I'd warn you about it because this is a LONG puppy.

-I also cried while writing this. So be warned.

-jerk!Harley?

-LANGUAGE 

WORD COUNT: 7,475. Yeah, it's a long one.

GIF NOT MINE: @parkerpunology

I felt a sudden shift from Peter's arm which I was leaning on.

"Babe, do me a favor and stop it. I'm trying to rest." I complained, still with my eyes closed.

"(Y/n), look." He said. I could detect the fear in his tone. I looked at him and noticed he was staring outside the bus window. I followed his gaze and saw some giant spaceship?

"I gotta get over there." He grabbed his bag from under the seat and shuffled with it.

"Peter, are you sure?" I asked him with my fingers laced in his.

"(Y/n), this calls for Spiderman." He said while gesturing to the giant flying doughnut.

"No, this is an Avengers thing. This is over your paygrade." I argued.

"Just stay here, be careful. Protect May for me." He replied and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.

I knew there wasn't any use in trying to convince him otherwise. I got up and tapped on Ned who sat behind us.

"Ned, cause a distraction." I told him. It didn't take long for him to look up from his phone to see the arising problem.

"Holy shit, we're all gonna die!" He said while rushing to the back of the bus.

"Peter, should I go? This looks like an all hands on deck situation." I suggested while examining the scene. I could tell my dad was flying around there from his blasters.

"(Y/n)." He warned, now locking eyes with me.

He didn't have time to tell me no because I grabbed a webshooter and opened the emergency window.

"See ya there sweetie." I smiled as I tapped on the edge of my glasses to make my mask surround my face.

I used my powers to manipulate the air around me. Doing so basically allowed me to fly.

I began to make my way to the problem. I heard Peter thwipping behind me.

By the time we arrived at the park I saw my dad fighting with some Mortal Kombat reject character.

"Peter, help the old man." I said. Although he was quite a distance away, I knew he heard me because of our comms.

"On it!" He said and went his way.

I continued on, surveying the scene for any other enemies. I did see a man in old timey clothes waving his hands around, making orange images fly around him. He looked like one of the good guys. So I began to help target the squidward looking creature. I bent the metal shrapnel around us to throw at him. This apparently only made him angier. He reversed my action and threw the metal back at me.

The strange man in strange clothes managed to stop the shrapnel from getting to me by turning them into butterflies. Weird.

"I don't have time for this." The creature snarked and telepathically pushed us against the side of a nearby building. Bricks from the wall caged us in. The pressure was like falling off the rope in PE class. It hurt.

While I was still being compressed, the two were having some kind of banter about some necklace the, for lack of better words, wizard had on. The Wizard managed to get off the wall and was now back on the ground. The alien made the wizard pass out and went on his way.

When he was a distance away I began to fall from my position.

"Okay, now I'm pissed." I muttered and flew towards them.

I didn't know why this Wizard was so important, but if the dickwad squidward wanted him, it probably wasn't for good reasons.

"(Y/n), (M/n) Stark, what in hell do you think you're doing?"

I mentally cursed at the sound of my father's voice coming from my comm.

"Helping save New York apparently." I quipped.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Peter swinging to the wizard as well.

Out of nowhere a blue beam lit up the sky. The Wizard began to he sucked into it. I saw Peter grab onto a lampole and pulled on his webbing. But it wasn't enough.

"Uh, Mr. Stark, I'm being beamed up!" He said.

"Dad!" I cried out to him while following the beam up, but staying out of its path.

"Yes, I see it. FRIDAY, deploy 17A and 24S."

17A? 17A was Peter's IronSpider suit. I didn't know he finished it. 24S on the other hand was a mystery.  

I looked up and saw Peter rip his mask off. He looked like he was having trouble breathing. Makes sense, we were high up.

I was still quite a distance off of him, but when he was falling, I was prepared to catch him. FRIDAY beat me to the punch. His suit appeared around him and he was back to kicking.

I smiled in relief, but it was short lived. I saw another flying thing coming straight to me. 24S was probably a suit for me. Once the package hit my foot, the nanotech immediately began to form around me.

"Alright, FRIDAY, send them home." He said as he blasted past me.

"Oh come on!" I heard Peter say through the comms.

I felt a parachute deploy from the back of the suit. I was instantly drawn downward. I tried to use my powers, but they weren't working in this suit.

"Dammit Dad." I whined, knowing he could still hear me.

"Love you sweetheart. Be back in a jiffy." He said with uncertainty in his voice.

"Just be careful." I said again.

"Al..ways a-..a...m." His voice began to give out. He was too far away for me to contact him..

"FRIDAY, can you get me to Bruce?" I asked.

"Sure thing Miss. Stark." The AI replied.

Once I landed, I saw Bruce and Wong talking.

"Hey, you good, Doc?" I asked.

He was holding a phone and looked apprehensive.

"The Avengers broke up?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad." I replied.

Wong took this opportunity to make his exit.

"This is worse." He gestured the scene around us.

I nodded, now knowing what the phone was.

"Call him." I said simply.

I watched as Bruce held the phone to his ear.

This was clearly worse.

Earth just lost its best defender.

And I just lost my boyfriend.

---WAKANDA BATTLE---

While I did appreciate my father's suit for me, I figured it would be more beneficial if I had my powers rather than my suit. I was tasked with helping protect Vision and Shuri.

I liked Shuri. I was certain Peter would like her too, but the introduction would have to wait as Peter is in space.

When everything went down, it went down hard and fast.

One moment Shuri was working on Vision, and the next we're being thrown out of the window. She was knocked unconscious, but the kingsguard were with her, so I felt fine going to help Vision.

I ran off, following to where he fell. It was in a forested area.

By the time I got there, Steve was fighting a monster and telling Vision to run.

I, being the self sacrificing Stark that I am, ran into the fight. Bending his own sphere against the creature.

Steve gave me a look of disappointment, but I just shrugged it off.

We were okay. For now.

The air suddenly became tense.

I heard Bruce through the comms say, "Cap, that's him."

I looked around and saw a giant purple guy towering over everything. I couldn't help but notice gauntlet on his left hand. I realized the green infinity stone that the Wizard had was part of it. I pushed the anxieties of what happened to the side. This was the fight of our lives.

But I froze. I saw as Natasha, Rhodes, Bucky, Sam, even Banner go for him. All efforts failed.

I heard Wanda and Vision behind me. They were saying goodbye.

Thanos was coming straight in our direction.

Steve jumped into the line of fire and grabbed the gauntlet. He screamed as he struggled to hold it back.

I gasped as Thanos' right fist met Steve's face.

He looked right at me.

"The formidable Stark child. I hope people remember your father." He said as he began to pass me.

'I hope people remember your father.' Replayed in my head. I let out a scream as I began to shoot fire out of my hands straight to the side of his face. It was ineffective.

I bended all the metal around me to create a sphere and pushed it to his direction. He turned, simply closed his fist and the sphere became a crumpled hunk of metal. He turned to Vision again.

Relief instantly set in when I saw the bright yellow flash. I was saddened by Vision's death, but relieved that Thanos' plan had been cut short.

I crawled my way to Wanda. She was crying, I was crying. We were both a mess, but for different reasons.

Thanos said something about understanding Wanda's pain and suddenly the flash was being reversed.

"No!" Wanda and I said in unison as the stone on Vision's head reappeared. Thanos pushed us away before we could do anything.

I hear a shattering and looked up to see Vision colorless on the ground.

Thanos had all six infinity stones. He looked elated.

Then Thor decided to join the party.

With stormbreaker in his hands he lined up his shot. There was hope after all.

The axe landed dead centre in his chest. Thor pressed it further.

I know Thanos said something, but the light ringing in my ears enabled me to hear it properly.

But he snapped.

Nothing happened at first.

Then it all came crashing down.

"Steve?" Bucky called out.

Then he was gone. Turned into dust before our eyes.

Everything happened so fast. Wakandan soldiers began disintegrating, our friends. Wanda, who was leaning over Vision, accepted her fate. She fell into it.

I looked down at my hands, expecting me to go to, but nothing. I was still here.

"Oh God." I faintly heard Steve from a few feet away.

I stayed on the ground. Not knowing what to do or where to go.

----22 days later----

I stayed at the Compound for a while. Dad, Peter, or Stephen (as I learned was the Wizard's name) hadn't returned yet. Pepper was on a last minute trip in Hong Kong when the actual snap happen, but they cancelled all flights; so I couldn't stay with her until she got back. When she did, we went home and just went through Dad's stuff. We refused to believe he was gone.

Natasha, Steve, and Rhodes set up shop at the compound. They wanted to fix this, whatever it took.

One day Pepper got up at 3:00 a.m and pulled me awake too.

"(Y/n), come on. Tony's back." She said through sniffles.

I shot up. If dad's back, that means Peter's back too!

Happy drove us to the compound with excited energy.

When we arrived there was still no sign of dad, so I asked Happy if he could drive me to the nearest Burger King. We both knew that Dad would be craving a cheeseburger, so Happy happily obliged.  I also figured it wouldn't hurt to get Peter some fries. He's never turned down fries in the time I've known him.

When we got back, there was a huge spaceship on the lawn.

Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes right then and there. I didn’t even wait for Happy to open the door for me, I rushed it open with the food in my hand and ran inside.

"Dad! Peter!" I called out to them.

I walked into the conference room to see Steve, Rhodey, and Natasha looking at me with sadness.

"(Y/n)..." Steve trailed off.

"What? They're okay aren't they? I brought them food, if they want it, but I know for a fact Peter will eat these fries. Oh, damn I didn't' get anything for Stephen. Anyway, are they sleeping or something?" I asked, now noticing they weren't in the room.

"Tony's resting in the…" Natasha began to say and move at an angle so I could see the room ahead of us.

I gasped and dropped the food. I ran past the three and fell to my knees at the base of his bed.

He looked terrible. His cheekbones were prominent, so was every other bone in his body. Knowing dad he would've given any food to Peter. Speaking of, it was weird to not see him around. He probably went to check on May. God, she'd be so happy to see him!

Even though I was happy at the thought of Peter and May's reunion, it didn't make me feel any better about how dad was.

I felt Pepper rub soothing circles into my back.

Apparently this was enough to help me fall asleep because the next thing I knew I was wrapped in a blanket in my room at the compound.

"Good you're awake. I was starting to think passing out was a Stark curse."

I surveyed the room to see who's voice that sentence belonged to.

"Dad." I choked out. I reached my hand up to my eyes to wipe the tears of joy that began to fall.

"Hey, we have to talk." His voice began to waver.

I sat up and gave him my attention.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. The kid- Parker- Peter. H-He didn't make it." He said quickly and avoided my gaze.

That there. That was when my world shattered around me. I got my dad, but at the cost of my boyfriend. But I can't deny that part of me had thought about this. The prospect of Peter dying in battle. It hurt like hell, but it didn't seem to phase me. My dad caught on to that.

"(Y/n), talk to me. Say something." He looked up to see my stoic expression.

I took a deep breath. "How?"

"Don't do that. Don't play tough here. It's okay to feel…"

"How did he die, dad?" I asked again, looking up to see his tear stained face.

"The snap." He replied simply.

I looked to my nightstand. There was a photo of us together at a dinner with Dad and Pepper.

"This is the worst breakup ever." I said without emotion.

I could tell my dad didn't know how to react to that. He decided to wheel over to my bed and gesture for me to hug him. That's all I needed to see to bury my face into his shoulder and sob.

---1 year later---

"Keener, I swear to God, you're impossible." I rubbed my temples while he pranced around my room.

Well, my in the process of being built room.

After dad got better, he decided to build up his family. The wedding him and Pepper had was nice and small. The antithesis of anything Stark related. He then decided that expanding the family would be a good thing. Which is where Morgan came into the picture. Or at least, the embryo of Morgan. Before she was born though, dad insisted that his favourite girls design the new Stark home. Seeing as Pepper was eight months pregnant, she couldn't exactly drive out here and be around all this paint; so it was decided that I would get the final say.

I decided to bring Harley along because he basically became my best friend this past year. He lost his mom in the snap and eventually found his way out to New York with his uncle.

And oh boy did Harley get into everything.

"Why is there such a large open space here?" He asked as we entered what would be the dining room.

"Clearly because it's not furnished, idiot." I whispered.

I continued walking around the place and saw the makings of a home. The family room was the only room fully furnished at the moment and it looked beautiful.

A worker came up to me shortly after.

"Miss. Stark, we hope everything is to your liking?" He asked nervously.

"Yes, my parents will love it too. You're all going excellent work. Keep it up and my dad will undoubtedly tip very well." I smiled at the group of workers who had now huddled around to hear what I had to say.

"I still think it's a little roomy!" Harley called from the couch he was sitting on.

"Harley, shut up!" I yelled at the boy.

This caused the workers to laugh.

----PRESENT----

5 Years. It's been 5 years since the world's been normal. Two years since I graduated High School.

Five years since I last saw Peter.

It was that emotion that made me want to take on Scott's Time Heist. Then again, we were happy. Morgan happened in these five years and she made all of us extremely happy. Dad retired his gold titanium alloy suit, and I was on my way to co-running Stark Industries.

But then I think about the trillions that died, and it feels irresponsible to sit back and live happily.

Eventually dad and I did solve the missing variable in the time travel equation. But whether or not we should act on it was the tough part.

The next day we were driving ridiculously fast to the compound.

The days after that came the planning.

After that the heist was underway.

Harley and I stayed behind to watch the shop.

"Going subatomic in 5…"

I adjusted a few levers.

"4...3…2… brace yourselves and be careful." I warned as the countdown came to an end.

"See you in a minute." Natasha with joy evident on her face.

"1." I said and pulled the final lever.

Then they were gone.

"So…" Harley trailed off, "how long will they be gone?"

"About a minute for us. Natasha wasn't too far off, actually." I smiled, looking at the data we were collecting.

"Okay, so I have a minute to do this." Harley breathed out.

"Huh?" I said, now looking at him.

"Listen, I don't know how else to say this, but I like you. Not in the jokey, friend kind of way. More of a hey, I wanna take you out to a restaurant and treat you like a lady kind of like you." He scratched the back of his head.

"Har…" I breathed out, ready to explain the millions of reasons why anything between us couldn't happen.

He quickly rushed a finger up to my lips.

"Shhh, I just had to say it. Whether you reciprocate or not will take time, I get it; but I will wait." He said, now pressing his forehead against mine.

I heard frantic beeps from the monitors. They were all synced to come back. Mostly. I noticed Natasha's sync wasn't shown.

I shrugged it off as a glitch and brought them back.

Once they all reappeared I heard Bruce say, "Did we get them all?"

Followed by Rhodey asking if it really worked.  

I wasn't the only one to realize Natasha was gone.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asked first.

Clint looked broken. Like he had just witnessed the painful death of a loved one. He didn't say anything, which is all he needed to say.

Bruce fell to the ground of the time heist rig and slammed the ground.

"No." I whispered out.

We all took off in different ways, but somehow all ended up at the lake.

"Do we know if she had any family?" Dad broke the silence.

"Yeah, us." Steve replied, looking off into nothing.

Thor went on into hysterics. He was denying that she was gone. This angered Clint and he processed to challenge Thor to go and try to save her. I saw tears roll down Steve's cheeks as they fought.

I simply walked away. I couldn't be in that environment anymore. I heard a crash of water and a Hulk-eske grunt. That told me enough of what happened.

I reentered the compound to see Scott, Rhodey, Harley, and Nebula still standing around.

"How are they?" Scott asked.

"Her sacrifice won't be in vain. Thanos is going to suffer." I simply said as I walked past them.

But I couldn't help but notice Nebula slightly reacted to that.

"(Y/n), wait!" I heard Harley call after me.

"No, Harley. I don't wanna talk. Go away." I slammed the door behind me and crashed on my bed.

This plan was supposed to bring everybody back, but we already lost one team member. Who says we wouldn't lose another?

The day after we began to construct our own gauntlet. Rocket, Bruce, Dad and I all collectively worked on it. We all watched in awe as the stones seamlessly worked into the gauntlet.

Then followed a huge argument of who had the burden of wearing it. Thor volunteered himself immediately. His logic being that he was the strongest. I watched as dad told Thor he wasn't in the condition to wield it. So that's when Bruce nominated himself. His reasoning being that he was "made for this."

Dad had me stand behind him and Clint. We were behind dad's shield.

"Hey FRIDAY, do me a favor and activate Iron door protocol, will ya?"

I watched as the compound began to lock itself down. Even the very room was being locked down. This was it.

And so Bruce did it. He placed the gauntlet at his fingertips. We all watched as the nanotech began to fit around him. After a few screams, pleas, and a snap, Bruce collapsed to the ground. Everybody went to inspect him. I noticed though, that Scott went off to look outside. Clint also went in a different direction. He went to the table. I could hear a slight vibrating. Almost like it was coming from a phone.

"Guys, I think it worked." Scott called out.

Still examining Bruce, I noticed his expression change to fear as a shadow crawled up his face. I turned to look at he window above us. It was a massive ship. Something was coming right for us.

Suddenly we were attacked.

"(Y/n)!" I heard my dad yell. I couldn't tell where I was, but I just kept falling.

…

"Come on kid, get up."

I looked up and shook my head.

"Clint?" I asked, unsure if I was actually seeing him, or if my subconscious was making him up.

"Yep, that's me. We gotta get out of here." He held out his hand. I noticed he held the gauntlet with his other arm.

"Thanks." I said while grabbing his hand and pulling myself up.

I tapped the edges of my glasses and hoped FRIDAY would still be functional.

"FRI, where are we?"

"According to the blueprints, you are located approximately underneath the 4th conference room."

"Get us a path out of here, please."

Suddenly an animalistic sound caused the both of us to turn towards the source. Clint shot a light arrow in the direction.

Chitauri.

"Any day now FRIDAY!" I yelled as we began to run away from the creatures.

"Continue down this corridor. It will lead to a tunnel close to the surface."

"Yeah, very helpful thanks." I heard an out of breath Clint say.

We continued running. Clint now had his sword out and was slicing Chitauri as they got too close. Once we approached a water pipeline, I saw my opportunity.

I began bending the water around us, and shot it forcefully at the herd chasing us. It effectively knocked them back several feet.

"Couldn't do that any earlier?"

"Shut up Clint." I replied as we continued running.

Before we got to the upwards tunnel, Clint turned around and shot a grenade arrow towards the heard. He then sent a grappling hook to the top of the tunnel.

I couldn't help myself, "What? Couldn't do that earlier?" I asked as we both grabbed on the wire.

"Shut up." He said with a small smile.

Once we got to the top Clint exasperatedly said, "Okay, take five."

He rolled on the ground, but still had a hold of the gauntlet.

I rolled over too. In the past five years, cardio hasn't exactly been my main focus.

"Oh hey, I know you." I looked up to see Clint handing the gauntlet to Nebula.

"Father, I have the stones."

"What?" Clint and I said simultaneously.

As Clint was closer, he went to get the gauntlet back. Except Nebula turned a gun on him before he could do anything.

"Move and your friend gets blasted through his heart." She said, clearly directed to me.

Suddenly another Nebula and a green lady showed up. There was some back and forth between the two that ended up with Clint being able to get over to me quickly.

Then Nebula shot Nebula.

"FRI, how about that way out of here?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Through here." Nebula said and began to walk away with the green lady.

"FRI?" I whispered as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I'd advise following them."

"Still such a big help." Clint mumbled as he picked up the gauntlet.

When we got out it was chaos. I saw Steve with a half broken shield facing off with Thanos. Thanos had thousands of his soldiers lined up a prepared to fight.

I saw my dad laying down, but still moving. Thor was facedown in a pile of rubble. Rhodey, Scott, Rocket and Banner were nowhere to be seen.

Did we just lose again?

"Steve. Can you hear me? On your left."

I could've sworn I heard Sam's voice in the comm.

Suddenly a familiar orange glow appeared on Steve's left side.

Out walked T'challa, Shuri, and Okoye.

It worked. They were coming back!

Hundreds of other portals opened and more of our allies flooded out of them.

Out of the sheer number of people I couldn't make out Peter,  but I was relieved that he was okay.

"Avengers!" I heard Steve yell.

"Assemble." He finished with an overwhelming amount of determination.

Then everybody took off.

This was truly the fight of our lives.

I began flying up and made my way into the fray too.

"Gotta say, when I imagined us fighting a massive army of space aliens, this is not what I had in mind." I heard Harley say.

I chuckled.

"Now's not the time for unsubtle flirting with my daughter, Keener." Dad snapped.

Harley took off in a different direction. I took the moment to observe his suit. Green. Interesting choice.

The fight was brutal, but suddenly it got a whole lot worse.  

After a fight with Wanda. Thanos commanded an aerial attack. Some sort of bombs began falling into the battlefield. They were mostly metal so I tried to bend as much of them as I could, but there were too many.

"I got this. I got this. I got this. Okay, I don't got this. Help, somebody help!" I heard a familiar voice call.

"Hey Queens, heads up." I looked up to see Steve throw Mjolnir in the direction of the cry for help.

I watched as Peter shot webbing at the hammer and trailed behind it. He was holding the gauntlet in one of his ironspider arms. Then he was being held in the sky by Pepper. Then he was on the back of a flying horse. This is a lot.

He fell nevertheless and I began to make my way to him. But of course I was cut off by Chitauri trying to you know, kill me.

Abruptly though, they stopped firing at us, and began firing upwards.

"FRIDAY, what are they shooting at?" I heard my dad ask.

"Something just entered the upper atmosphere."

We all looked up to see a bright yellow streak flying through Thanos' ship.

Steve was the first to notice who exactly it was,

"Danvers, we could use an assist down here."

It looked like we could win this afterall.

When I finally made it to Peter's side, he was a mess. He held the gauntlet with both arms and kept looking wildly around. Before he could see me though, Carol got to him first.

"Hey, I'm Peter Parker." He said shakily.

"Hey Peter Parker. You got something for me?" She smirked.

He pulled himself up. "I don't know how you're going to get it past them."

"Don't worry." Wanda said, now landing near him.

"She's got help." Okoye finished.

By this time I noticed a whole legion of women were surrounding Peter. Myself included. They began taking off, but I stayed behind.

I jumped over a rock that separated us. I looked at him. He looked terrible. His nose was bleeding. He looked terrified.

"(Y/n)?" He asked while taking a step closer to me.

Suddenly a violent shake drew our attention away from one another. Good thing it did, because we then noticed a huge rock coming straight for us.

Without thinking, I pushed Peter down into the ditch we were standing in and used my powers to redirect the rock towards some line of aliens.

I didn't look away until I felt him grab my hand.

He was crying.

"No, no. Don't you do that Peter. Because if you start crying, I'm gonna start crying and we need to win right now." I said instinctively wiping his tears.

"I missed you." He said, now pulling me into a tight hug.

I sighed. "I missed you too, but let's win this before we talk." I reluctantly pulled away.

Trust me, I would've given anything to continue hugging him, but right now I knew I had to be objective.

We looked around to see if there was anywhere we were needed. Carol and Thanos were fighting. And Thanos had the gauntlet on.

My breathing hitched. I began flying to them until I saw Strange holding back water from flooding the field.

I redirected myself towards him and began to move the water back. Carol could handle her own.

"No, go to your father, he's going to need you." He said, "I got this handled."

My father? I looked around and saw him face down near Thanos.

In a blind rage, I flew to him quickly.

"Dad?" I asked, shaking him awake.

We both looked up and saw Carol holding the gauntlet open.

"Get back." My dad said after looking at Strange.

I didn't argue. I flew several feet away from them.

I saw Thanos rip the power stone from the gauntlet and punch Carol with it. She went crashing into some debris.

My dad quickly got up and tried to remove the gauntlet. It was unsuccessful.

Thanos threw him a fair distance.

"I am inevitable." Thanos said while snapping his fingers…

But nothing happened. I waited for everything to be gone. He said he would destroy Earth and take great pleasure in doing so, but he didn't. He looked at the back of the gauntlet in shock. He then locked eyes with my father.

I looked to him and saw the stones move their way up his arm.

"No." I said under my breath.

Once the stones were in position, they all glowed. He looked like he was in pain.

"And I… am…" He paused and looked back to me for a second. He mouthed 'I love you' with tears beginning to fall.

"Ironman." He completed just before he snapped his fingers.

"Dad!" I screamed as a blinding white flash temporarily blinded me.

I hid my face as the light took over, but once it was gone, I felt different.

When I could see properly, I saw dad tiredly prop himself against a pile of rubble.

I quickly pulled myself up and stumbled my way to him.

"Dad?" I asked as I fell to my knees beside him. His eyes looked empty, but he still looked at me. Half of his face was burnt. He looked like should be in pain, but he somehow managed to look at peace.

"Hey brat." He said in a faint whisper.

"Hey, save your energy." I said to him. "Help!" I shouted to nobody in particular.

He lightly shook his head.

I heard Rhodey land, but kept looking at my dad.

He looked at Rhodey and gave him a faint smile.

Then came Peter.

"Mr. Stark?" He called. Once he saw him, his voice began to break.

"Hey, Mr. Stark, it-it's Peter. We won' Mr. Stark. I'm sorry Tony."

Dad look at Peter and then back to me. Peter nodded before being pulled back by Pepper.

"Pep." Was all dad could make out.

"FRIDAY?" Pepper said, hand on his arc reactor.

The AI said something about his vitals being low.

"We'll be okay. You can rest now." Pepper said, locking eyes with him.

He looked at me one last time. He pulled out one final smile and kept looking at me. I saw a single tear fall down from his eye.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the arc reactor turn from its shiny blue to black.

My father just died.

Pepper leaned in a kissed his cheek. After she placed her forehead on his chest and began crying.

I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder.

I heard Peter drop to his knees beside me. Then he was wrapping me in his arms and we were crying.

…

I held Morgan in my lap as we watched Tony's final message.

"I don't know if I'll have time to do personalized messages for everyone, but I'll be damned if I don't try. They'll be somewhere stored on FRIDAY. I trust you guys can find them…"

I zoned out. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be laughing at a family dinner again, but instead here we are: mourning our dad.

Soon enough we were all at the lake. I sat with my feet in the lake. Morgan was standing, leaning against Pepper who had just released a bunch of flowers and dad's old arc reactor into the lake.

I was crying again.

I stayed there for a while. Just watching the flowers float around the lake.

Until somebody cleared their throat behind me.

I reluctantly turned around to see Harley.

"(Y/n), I am so…"

"Keener, I swear if you say you're sorry for my loss, I'm going to throw you in this lake."

"Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Literally anything else."

"Well, I think I'm going back to Tennessee."

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms in annoyance, but also in coldness. The temperature suddenly dropped.

He sighed as he took of his jacket and placed it around my shoulders, "My mom called me. She wants me back there. But you're not there, so I don't particularly want to go back."

I mentally cursed. Really? He thought this was the time to discuss his confession?

He sat next to me.

"(Y/n), I get that it's tough right now. I'm not telling you to make a decision now, but I will wait for you." He said while placing a chaste kiss on my cheek. I also felt him squeeze my hand.

With that he got up and walked away.

----PETER'S POV----

I spent half of the service watching (Y/n). She and Mr. Stark were close. Anybody could see that. His passing hurt her. I didn't know if I could help here through this.

Shortly after Mr. Stark died, I was tasked with having to pull her away from her father's lifeless body. Her and Pepper asked for a moment alone. But in that moment, she attached herself to his hand. I tried to be as gentle as I could with her. But she wouldn't budge.

I didn't blame her. I was the same when my Uncle Ben died. I refused to leave his side.

Cap urged the importance of moving them though. Apparently the stones had to be returned to their times. This meant we'd have to pry the stones off of Mr. Stark. Cap and Dr. Banner said they didn't deserve to witness that.

So I did have to beg her to leave her father's side. When that didn't work, I had to drag her away from him. She cried as I began to pull her away.

"Peter, please a few more minutes." She begged through tears.

I placed my hands on either side of her face, "(N/n), I'm sorry this isn't healthy, trust me. I know."

My plea did virtually nothing to help her.

Suddenly rain began pouring from the sky. It didn't take long for me to realize it was her that was causing this. Not intentionally, it just happened. It got worse as we had more distance between us and Mr. Stark.

Suddenly another boy in a green suit landed near us.

"(Y/n), hey." He began to reach his arms out to her.

I quickly blocked this advance and kept walking her away.

"Peter, let me take her. I can get her somewhere dry quicker." He negotiated.

I thought about what was best for her. She didn't need to get somewhere dry.

I nodded and allowed him to pick her up bridal style.

And off they flew.

I felt helpless. It felt inappropriate for me to cry because she was the one who lost somebody, not me.

When we arrived though, I couldn’t help but notice the same man who flew (Y/n) out of the storm a few days back. Who even is he? I have never seen him around.

After Mrs. Stark placed the memorial to Mr. Stark in the lake, we all stood in a moment of silence.

She held Morgan's hand and began to walk back to the house. (Y/n) stayed at the edge of the lake.

I knew she needed time, so I walked into the house with May.

About 15 minutes later, I noticed it was colder outside. I ran up to her room and grabbed her a jacket. I stopped by her nightstand. I knew I shouldn't be snooping, but I smiled at the photo of us still sitting on it. But behind it, I saw a photo of her and the other boy smiling with ice cream. Surely they're just friends. Why else would my photo still be here, but then why did she also have a photo of him there too?

I shrugged it off and made my way outside to give her her jacket. Before I even made it outside I saw her wearing his jacket.

Once I was outside I began to hear their conversation. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was a Spiderman perk.

"My mom called me, she wants me back there. But you're not there, so I don't want to particularly go back." He said with a smile in her direction.

(Y/n) didn't respond. She just continued staring into the lake. He sat next to her. His leg was touching hers.

"(Y/n), I get that it's tough right now. I'm not telling you to make a decision now, but I will wait for you." He said while placing a kiss on her cheek. He also gave her hand a squeeze. He got up and turned around. When he saw me he smiled.

I stood still.

As he approached me, he smirked, "You were gone for five years, Parker. I wasn't. She moved on."

I clenched my fists. It took everything to not punch him in his smug looking face right then and there.

I ignored his comment and made my way to my girl.

"(N/n)?" I called to her.

"Peter, hey." She said, still stoically staring into the water.

"Stupid question, but are you okay?" I immediately regretted asking. Who asks that in a tim like this?

She actually looked up at me. She smiled sadly.

"I'll be fine. Actually I wanted to ask you something."

I sat down by her and nodded my head.

"Dad left me a video. I'm scared to watch it alone, can you…"

I already knew what she was going to ask.

"Yes. (Y/n), obviously." I said, looking into her eyes.

"Come on then, dad hates to be kept waiting." She said while pulling her feet out of the water.

I immediately jumped up at offered her my hand. She accepted as she pulled her shoes on.

She led me back to her room and sat on her bed. After a moment she patted a spot next to her.

"FRI, can you play my video from dad?" She asked, hesitation in her voice.

FRIDAY projected the video on her wall.

It was Mr. Stark sitting there with with a pensive expression.

"You know, I feel it. I can feel like I'll end up with the gauntlet. I can guarantee you, sweetheart, I will do everything I can to give you your five years back. From ages 14-19 you grew up too quickly. So when I inevitably get the gauntlet, I'm going to fix that. So I hope you're ready to go through high school for the second time."

"Oh God." She breathed out.

"FRIDAY, pause please." I asked.

"Peter, when he snapped, I felt different. He actually made me a 14 year old again." She choked out.

FRIDAY resumed the video.

"Also, I'm confident you'll do amazing things. You and your little boyfriend."

I smiled at Mr. Stark calling me her little boyfriend.

"Harley actually just asked me if he could ask you out after everything was back to normal…"

What? Wait, was Mr. Stark referencing Harley as (Y/n)'s boyfriend?

"Also when you inevitably walk down the aisle with him, just know I'll be there, watching you."

Crap. I zoned out. I didn't catch what he said. Who he meant.

"You already are the best big sister to Morgan, and I know you'll only continue that trend." He smiled into the camera.

She was crying her eyes out. I didn't know what to do.

"God, I wish I could make this video go on forever, but time is running out isn't it? Major things:

Your trust fund is frozen until you turn 18, obviously. I already wrote a letter of recommendation for you for University. By the way, don't feel pressured to go to MIT. Go to your topic pick. I'm trusting you with everything. Morgan is too young to understand, but you can carry on my legacy. I know you can. And I know you will. Morgan will eventually join you in that, but right now it's you. And I know you'll hurt. I didn't even like my dad that much when he died, but it it still hurt like hell; now, I'm assuming you love me, which only logically means losing me will hurt even more. A typical week or two of grieving is obviously encouraged, but there is a point when it'll become too much. Move on, grow. I'm not saying forget me, but just don't let my hypothetical death destroy you. You are too talented to let my death hinder your future."

She was still crying, but now she was clutching a pillow.

"I love you, (Y/n) (M/n) Stark. Don't you forget that. In fact, I love you 3000."

With that final comet, the video ended.

She took a deep breath in and smiled.

I awkwardly sat on her bed, looking at her smiling at the frozen image of her father.

"So, I guess I'll be going back to MidTown Tech afterall." She said, now wiping her eyes.

"Yeah." I awkwardly shifted.

A gentle knock was heard on her door.

"(Y/n), sweetie, is Peter in there?"

May.

I jumped off her bed and waved a quick goodbye. She didn't even process it. She was still looking at the wall.

I opened the door and silently shut it behind me.

"Hey, how is she?" May asked me in a hushed voice.

"Well, she just lost her only living parent, May." I said bitterly. Mostly because I saw Harley in the other room.

"Well, come on, Happy offered to drive us back." She suggested, following my gaze to Harley.

I followed her out. But I couldn't help but think about (Y/n) and Harley. Were they serious? At the very least I know Harley likes (Y/n) enough to have asked Mr. Stark if they could go out. I couldn't tell how (Y/n) felt though. Part of me obviously wanted her to still like me. Five years in the soul stone and all I could think about was getting back to her, but it didn't even hit me that other people could have already gotten to her. I was lost. I didn't know what to do about this.

…………………..

A/N: Wowie this ended up being WAY longer than what I thought it would be. I was originally aiming for circa 2000 words, but here we are.

Fun Fact: my original draft for this had the reader on the spaceship with Tony, Peter, and Strange; but I changed it.

Question: should I do a part two to this because it was left on a rather mysterious note.

[randomfandomimagine]

Fate Is Sealed. Chapter 7

Fandom: John Wick

Ship: John x Elizabeth (OC)

Previous Chapter - Chapter Index - Next Chapter

Read it on AO3!!

Aurelio put his jacket over my shoulders, stopping to comfortingly rub my back.

“Fuck” He muttered, passing a hand over his mouth, after John was done explaining. “No wonder she’s such a wreck”

“Yeah” John walked through the garage, offering me a glass of a thick liquid and peering at me with worried eyes. “Can you think of anyone who-?”

After little consideration, I snatched the glass from his hand and downed it in one gulp. It burned like hell and it made me cough, but it helped me numb all the overwhelming sensations that were taking over my mind and body. The crawling in my skin, the fuzziness in my brain… Just… everything.

“Holy shit, Elizabeth...” Aurelio uttered, heaving a deep sigh. There was a loud silence in which I felt them intently watching me. When I rolled my eyes, my friend continued speaking, directing his words at John. “To answer your question, yeah. I don’t know the details, but she's in trouble with this guy, Gaige Stoakes”

“Smiling Gaige?”

“That’s him. I think he’s the one who sent her to kill you”

“He is”

“So whatcha gonna do about it?”

“Take care of it” Retrieving a gun from his belt, he adamantly cocked it.

“No” Every fiber of my being felt unstable, but I still spoke up. “You’re not doing that, I don’t want your charity”

“It’s not charity” John frowned, watching me gravely. “I owe you a debt; you’re involved in this because of me”

“I didn’t help you because I wanted you to owe me” I stood up, ignoring how weak and shaky I felt and how my legs seemed made out of jelly.

With the corner of my eye, I caught Aurelio tensing up at my sudden movement, but I completely ignored him and faced John. He observed me in silence; his eyes were piercing as though he was trying to read my mind.

“I just helped you, John, because it was the right thing to do” I said to fill the silence, sitting back down when I felt myself swaying. “Because I wanted to”

Even as he towered over me, holding a gun in his hand, his gaze was stern yet somehow soft at the same time. His head slightly fell forward, forcing the curtain of dark hair over his features to hide them.

“Fine” John budged, saving his weapon. “But this isn’t over”

“Maybe, but it’s my problem, not yours” I wrapped myself with Aurelio’s jacket, averting my gaze under John’s attentive stare. “And I don’t work like you do”

“I’m going home” He paused, sending me a significant glance with his following words. “It’s safe there”

I averted my gaze, flustered by the invitation. While a part of me was glad that I had somewhere else to go, somewhere where I wouldn’t feel on edge given the circumstances, the other part of me was too conflicted to even admit it.

My relationship with John was itself too strange and complex. I knew there was some kind of connection, he had to feel it too. When we were together there was a different atmosphere now, electric almost. My thoughts inevitably evoked those moments in which I treated his wounds, and I became rattled at the memory of that intimate closeness.

Footsteps claimed my attention, although I repressed the urge to look up. I knew John was leaving, slowly, giving me the chance to call him back. I didn’t.

“You good?” Aurelio rested a hand on my shoulder, patiently awaiting a response.

I sighed, quickly lifting my glance just in time to see John’s tall figure disappear outside.

“Yeah” I locked eyes with my friend, forcing out a smile. “I’m fine”

“You were lucky John was there” Aurelio let out an awkward chuckle, allegedly to relief the tension. However, I scowled at him.

He was right, but he didn’t have to say it. It made me feel helpless, like a damsel in distress. Like I had no power, like I never fought for myself. And I was done with that.

When Aurelio stepped away from me, I stood up. I took his jacket off me, placing it on the chair instead. He was already a few meters away, but turned around with the unexpected movement.

“Hey, where you going?” He asked me, giving me a wary look.

“John’s” I only replied, exiting the garage with determination.

I didn’t really like lying to Aurelio. We had been friends for a long time and I appreciated his support. But I needed to do that alone. If I told him my plans, it would have complicated everything. And he might have involved John again.

Standing before Gaige’s place, I took a deep breath. It was insane, but there wasn’t much else I could do other than pull a John Wick and kill everyone. And that wasn’t really my style.

I came in, trying to remember the things I mentally planned to say while I walked all the way there. The sight of that place that I had been in so many times was strange. It was probably the first time ever I was willingly there and not being threatened. Or tied up. Or serving as a punching bag.

The building still gave me the creeps. I could feel the evil there floating in the air. None of these people were up to any good.

Once inside, a blonde woman with wild brown eyes and a ponytail watched me half amused and half disgusted. I did my best not to even glance at Simone as I went straight to Gaige’s office.

The adrenaline once again made an appearance as I lifted my fist to knock. My knuckles made contact with the door, and I opened it immediately after as not to get cold feet.

Inside the room I was received with a nasty sight. I used to think that Gaige’s lively face was bad enough because of the fake nature of it. That was until I read a clear anger in his features. 

“Elizabeth Dawson” Gaige only said, setting his wide brown eyes on me.

“I want to make a deal” I valiantly said, making myself loud and clear. “Let’s end this bullshit. I’ll do anything to settle it”

“I gave you a chance” There was a dangerous edge to his usually falsely cordial voice. “But you didn’t kill John Wick. In fact, you sent him to me and he killed many of my men”

I took a step back, closing my hands into fists when the realization hit. This was a terrible idea, obviously. That I wanted to act on it didn’t mean I thought it was smart. It clearly wasn’t. But I had to go and do it anyway. I had to do something.

“Then you two kill two of my closest, most loyal men” My heart hammered inside my ribcage with the mental image of Delfino and Dominic’s dead bodies. “And now you expect me to forgive you just like that?”

“I’ll do anything” My voice shook, aware of what I was promising.

“It’s too late for that” He clapped his hands twice, making me jolt up in alarm.

I jumped up again when the door to the office opened behind me and a certain woman walked in. There was a tense pause in which the three of us waited for the other to act. Until I did, trying to gain the upper hand.

First shielding my face with my arm just in case, I advanced towards Simone and shoved the hard part of my palm against her nose. I heard gunshots as I made a run for it.

The scene was all too familiar when the goons outside stood prepared to intercept me. This time I ran for the window instead. It was a few stories up, but I went for it and accepted my fate.

I screamed as I fell, landing on my feet but losing my balance. My ankle twisted, but I was sure I had only sprained it slightly. My knees received the true impact as I fell forward, painfully breaking my fall first with them and then with my hands and my arms.

I looked up, stopping for a second to catch my breath and analyze the situation. I had forgotten with the rush of the moment, but just then I realized I had walked there from the car shop. I literally had no way of making a quick escape. I should have thought about that before. I was fucked.

I was too into deep in that shit and I could not think straight. I had just wanted it all to end once for all. Stupid! I had to go and do that reckless bullshit. I just made everything ten times worse.

Standing there alone in the middle of the street I probably looked like a fool. I frantically thought what my options were, but there wasn’t much to do.

A pair of wedge heels resonated near me, so I slowly turned around to face her. I was surprised she came alone, but she could probably take me on her own.

I could clearly read the contempt in Simone’s brown eyes, more intense than ever. I never really thought she was close to those two, but apparently she was. Like she needed another reason to hate me.

She pulled out a dagger and walked towards me at a too calm pace. I gulped, forcing my mind to focus on the scene that was about to develop.

All I had was my trustworthy knife and gun, my fists and the medium amount of self-defense knowledge I had. I didn’t know if it would be enough to survive an actual confrontation like that. Especially if she was that pissed at me, more than ever.

I pulled out my gun from my belt and pointed it at her. Simone didn’t bat an eye and continued to close the distance between us, the fire in her eyes only growing more intense by the second.

Watching the tattoo that peeked from under my sleeve, I gathered the courage necessary to cock the weapon and set my finger on the trigger, ready to pull it.

Before I could, she moved at the speed of light and drew a revolver, not hesitating not one second to shoot. The bullet barely graced my wrist, but it burned my skin as it peeled some off and caused me to drop my weapon.

“You’re gonna pay, Lizzie” She scowled at me, not lowering her gun. “And now you don’t have your dear Boogeyman to protect you”

I wished I had told John what my plans were. Or even Aurelio. They might not have helped, but at least they probably would have stopped me from this madness.

I knelt on the ground, clutching my raw skin to my chest. Watching her point the gun to my head was when the adrenaline once again came to the rescue, triggering all my instincts and self-defense abilities.

Throwing myself backwards so my back slammed against the ground, I sent her a high kick that deflected the bullet. The gunshot echoed around the empty streets and the projectile got lost above me.

Lunging forward and desperately holding on to her wrists, I pulled myself to my feet as I forced her gun up and away from me. Simone grunted in frustration, struggling against my grip. Our forces were almost equally matched, but knowing that I would eventually lose, I changed my strategy.

I twisted her arm over my head and forced her in a lock, pressing her back against my front and taking ahold of all my strengths to keep her in that position. That way, the gun was aimed away from me entirely.

Simone shot a couple more times as she wriggled in my grip, now screaming in fury. I grit my teeth, trying not to listen to my heart pounding in my chest and ears.

I loudly cried out when I suddenly felt an excruciating pain in my upper arm, subsequently making me let go of her. My head began spinning when I saw the hilt of a dagger sticking out of it. It took all the self-restrain within me not to pass out at the harrowing sight.

My heart thumping inside my ribcage, faster than before, reminded me that I still needed to focus. It must have been just two seconds but to me it felt like several minutes before I recovered.

Simone was ready to retaliate, but all I could do to stop her was kick her in the stomach, yet that only bought me a couple of seconds as she caught her breath again.

I took a step closer to face her, but I stopped in my tracks when a gasp left my throat. A gunshot had sounded, and I had felt the impact. My eyes widened and my throat instantly dried as I cautiously looked down to myself.

My side was gushing blood, and I got so light-headed for it that I fell to my knees once more. My entire body had gone completely numb, including my brain since it could not comprehend the fact that I had been shot, except for the acute burning sensation in my left side. It felt like the bullet had been on fire and was consuming me from the inside.

My hands moved on their own as they clutched the bullet wound, staining my fingers with a sickening crimson. Helpless squeaks escaped my lips in anguish.

“Oh, how I hate to see you suffer like that” Her voice was overly sweet, in a clear fake tone that made my blood boil. “Maybe I’ll stretch it out before I kill you”

Her venomous words gave me enough strength to stand up to her. I rapidly pulled out my knife and slashed it against her wrist. I felt nauseous when I felt it deeply cut through skin and tendon. Simone groaned and her fingers automatically lost the strength to keep wielding the gun.

When the weapon hit the floor, I kicked it hard, sending it as far away from me as possible. The damage was done, but at least she wouldn’t be able to finish me off with it.

“You pathetic little girl” I yelped when her fist made contact with my temple, causing me to literally see stars as I lost balance and landed sideways on the floor. I heard the metallic sound of my knife landing close to me.

Taking advantage that I was down, Simone punched me right over the eye. As she threw her arm back, I weakly pushed her shoulders to get her away from me. It didn’t do much and she unleashed her fist against my face again.

Not knowing what else to do, I wrapped my hands around her neck as tightly as I could. She immediately gasped for breath and reached out to hit me again, but I pushed my knees against her to create some distance.

Her face was becoming blurry, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of the blood loss or the tears that were starting to form on my eyes.

I grimaced when her long nails managed to scratch at my face, painfully digging in my cheek and causing me to inevitable let go of her as they dug deeper into my skin.

As soon as she was freed, she pulled out the dagger from my arm. It had felt so numb after I was shot that I had forgotten it was still lodged in there. The action was so quick and ruthless that it literally blinded me from pain, and I shrieked in response. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see, I couldn’t function. For several seconds, there was only pain. That also got rid of my numbness and made every other wound to join in a collective wave of agony.

“You think you can get away with it?” I felt her blade, warm with my blood, against my throat. “You worthless, insignificant piece of-“

I was barely aware of what I was doing as I stretched out my arm and took hold of my knife to blindly sink it in her. Not aiming, just wherever I could reach, whichever body part was the closest.

It gave me enough time to get her off me as she struggled to breathe with a knife to her chest, and stumble to my feet. I watched her for a few seconds, ready to strike back.

I had never felt so alert before, somehow managing to ignore all the pain I was going through and how so many places in my body throbbed. I felt like an animal, pure instinct and adrenaline that took over my conscious self and moved without warning.

As soon as her eyes directed towards me, pulling the knife out of her chest, I acted without thinking. I tiredly punched her on the jaw, knocking her out cold. She limply fell backwards onto the ground.

I made it. I had no idea how, but I had made it out alive and dodged her. I was –allegedly –safe then. For the time being. My mind seemed to work on autopilot as my feet tiredly dragged across the ground, moving in a direction I wasn’t entirely sure about. I couldn’t focus; every thought that popped up in my head vanished before I could grasp it. Everything was hazy and distant; the whole world spun around me and challenged me to keep my balance.

A somewhat lucid thought stayed in my mind long enough for me to realize where I was going. I smiled, hopeful, when I was received with a warm comforting sensation at the thought of him.

Turned out I didn’t technically lie to Aurelio, I just took a detour. A long, torturous and traumatic detour. I would have gone to him in the garage, but I didn’t really want to get him in trouble. Besides, I felt safer there with John. It was that stupid connection I felt with him, like I was drawn to him. So I kept walking to his house, glad that I remembered his address from back when I investigated him. But overall, relieved it wasn’t too far from there.

Tag list: @lea-kenneth / @lookinsidemyhead / @ciccithedreamer / @writerandee / @contanto-que-voce-me-queira / @recentcrib8422 / @anita-e-taylor / @elena-mayfair / @fyspidey / @mell-bell / @yes-captainstark / @quentinbecksass / @buckysjuicyplums / @misfvit / @e-lysium / @alluna-naozumi / @alainabooks143 / @superbateclipseclod / @angelenemies / @hopeinahotbox / @deaadenn / @spacepari / @piaeforever21 / @thecraziestcrayon / @homeybadger // Let me know if you want to be added or taken off this tag list!!

[nyxtoxicate]

hello yearning: a'plyae mae.

Summary:

Jung Taekwoon, a fourth tier soccer player in the K3 division of Korea's football leagues, juggles the struggle of raising his nephew as well as pushing his career forward when he unconsciously commits an act which bestows a faerie of good fortune upon him. A problem; the faerie is very mischievous. Another problem; the faerie is also very, very attractive.

Rating- Mature.

artwork by @changbaegi​. used with permission.

Chapter 3: Virtuoso (or read on ao3)

There's a silvery-green sheen of light that seems to envelop the man lounging on Taekwoon’s furniture, and he blinks once -twice- to reassure himself that it was not a figment of his imagination. If he squints hard, really hard, it almost seems as though there is a glittering substance present within the sheen, falling like an iridescent curtain over the strange man’s head and down to the bare feet, crossed at the ankle, settled on the white tile floor. His white tile floor. The white tile floor that was the base of HIS kitchen where he ATE.

Taekwoon was still frozen in place, stuck in time as the other man stretches his arms over his head, apparently completely content to lounge in this position all night if need be, and Taekwoon bristled at that. Still, he couldn’t quite ignore the shiver that was running up his spine at the sight of the man, because -while he was certain they had never met before- there was an air of familiarity about him

(Oh, so you’re who I’ve been waiting for?)

He's just going to ignore that strange, otherworldly voice that popped into his head, thank you very much. Instead, what Taekwoon is going to do is he's going to grab the iron skillet on top of his stove and he's going to get some answers. As soon as he can move.

“Oh, right, Oopsy Daisies, you're stuck there until I explain the deal!” Comes the (throaty, rhythmic) insufferable voice of the man in the chair. “Frozen in time until you accept your fate,” he continues to drawl and the soft screeching of the chair’s protest as it is slowly pushed back, bottoms of its legs scraping against the floor, echoes through the tiny room. When the man stands, Taekwoon is disgruntled to find that the pair are nearly identical in height, meaning his above average stature wouldn't be aiding him this time around. That was just fine, though, because he was broader than this stranger from years spent training his body to reach the edge of its endurance and then some. But, he still wasn't able to move. He was trying to will his frame forward, and when that proved futile, his attempts became desperate enough that all Taekwoon wanted to be able to do was twitch his fingers.

All efforts were in vain, as it were. This man seemed to be telling Taekwoon the truth, and the only logical explanation for the phenomenon was that Taekwoon had been drugged. It most likely occurred when he had been searching the home earlier, his mind too preoccupied to notice any odd remnants of ill-meaning dust or liquid splashed along his walls. Or maybe it was the tap water in the sink he had rinsed his face in. That had to be it. Water, the original source for human vitality and the very basis of life as he knew it would be the thing that finally did Taekwoon in. Just the thought was enough to send him seething- if he had the ability to seethe, that was. Which he did not. Because it was as if someone had set a literal pause on him, feet as lead weighing him down to the floor but his body in a state of utter weightlessness. He might say this is what floating felt like if he was paying more attention to the unnatural sensation overtaking him and not on the long piece of yellowing parchment the other man seemed to have conjured from thin air which was now slowing unfurling to reveal bold, black lettering, cursive and slanting and looking very incredibly ancient. Like a prop from a bad history movie. Taekwoon felt like he was in a bad history movie.

The man clears his throat and Taekwoon’s eyes, surprisingly not dry, set to attention once again.

“Yadda, yadda, yadda, introduction to why I’m here, but you should know that already, blah blah blah, HERE WE GO.” A slender finger with nails unkempt and cracking at the edges, though not dirtied, rests pointedly on a section of text that Taekwoon can hardly see and definitely cannot decipher. “When the giall -that’s you- has committed an act of utter sanctity while not under dis-repose influence, shall be granted, for indefinite longevity, an Asparas of one of the following sects to be decided by the council of sects immediately following the act and with due haste so long as no unearthly entity deem is inefficient; i) Sylia, for acts of the kindred spirit ii) Iallea, for acts of the wandering flesh iii) Diamae, for acts in relation to salvation iv) Rutia, for acts that the Oke’trall will v) Nullea, for acts inconceivable by no other means than Thaumaturgy or Mysticism vi) Atua, to grant safe passage into wosh regions.”

Taekwoon is at a complete loss, the words tumbling from the man’s mouth being a language he couldn’t interpret. He was catching some Korean words jumbled in with a lot of jargon and then something that sounded almost Celtic. He would very much like for this man to leave.

The man only whistles through his teeth, smiling brightly up at Taekwoon. His eyes crinkle at the edges and Taekwoon tries not to think about how nice it looks because this was not the right time to be ogling.

“You really did something pretty nice to have me assigned to you!” The stranger sing-songs, seeming extremely pleased with himself. “I’m from the Diamae sect, but your case could have been between the Diamae or the Sylia sects which is why it took a lot longer for me to finally get to you. They said something about a kid and a cliff, but that’s really all I heard before I got too curious and decided to just come and see you even if the entire meeting hadn’t exactly adjourned, but you wouldn’t even give the courtesy of greeting me! You just locked that cute little kid up in that room and then came out with a bat! That wasn’t a very nice thing to do at all, you know. Especially since I’m basically going to be living with you from now on and all that.”

Was this some kind of a fever dream? It had to be. Any moment, Taekwoon would be waking up after being shaken to consciousness abruptly by his nephew who would be chastising Taekwoon for not waking up early enough to take him to school on time and Taekwoon would eventually forget all about this crazy situation playing out as he blissfully went out the rest of his life in comfortable repetition. He might be able to recall the dream when he woke up, but it would soon fade away until the remnants were nothing but forgotten glimpses into a world belonging to his imagination. If Taekwoon could move, he would pinch himself.

He still couldn’t move though, and that was really starting to get to him.

“Aye, we might not have gotten off on the right note, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get along just fine once this is all cleared up. Anyway, you have to accept the acquirement of Asparas (1) amae before we can get the rest of the details sorted out. It’s also kind of mandatory for you because if you don’t accept then it’s going to make a lot of really powerful people preeeeettyyy pissed,” rambled the man in his rapid-fire manner of speech. Taekwoon could hardly keep up, still reeling, but it seemed that it was unnecessary for him to be aware of the goings on because some otherworldly force was tipping his head forward and then back. A nod. He had just accepted whatever the Hell was being given to him.

The man claps his hands together, overjoyed, before snapping his fingers and the action unbinds Taekwoon from whatever chains were keeping him in place. He has to test out his newfound freedom by first curling his wrists and clenching his fists to ensure that his blood was in proper circulation throughout his body. It was, and Taekwoon geared himself to give out a punch that would have the other man sprawled on the floor in seconds, but then-

"A'plyae mae. A'llemenia mae Kalan . But you can call me Jaehwan while we’re here. It’ll make me fit in better,” there was a hand being extended in Taekwoon’s direction, one with long and slender fingers adorned by patterned wooden rings and interwoven with what he could only assume to be moss and petals. The look that he was being given was one of (adoration?) fondness by the man- Jaehwan- and Taekwoon thought that maybe this wouldn’t be the best time considering that if he didn’t try to figure out what had just happened, he might me “pissing off a lot of really powerful people” and that didn’t sound good at all if they were anything like the guy that kept magically appearing in his home. Taekwoon takes the man’s hand and tentatively shakes it.

Now that he’s stepped closer, the football player can see that there are intricate lines running up the stranger’s flesh, dancing, even as he stood still, over the skin like veins but a milky hue in colour. So very strange. Taekwoon can also see the violet bags under brown eyes (or were they green?) indicating that this man was tired even through the cheerful facade that was being put on. If Taekwoon didn’t know better, he might say that the cheeriness was an act. But, what really struck him was the blond locks set atop the man’s head. They were so yellow in shade that Taekwoon was reminded of sunflowers, and at first he thought it might be dyed that way were it not for the consistent colour. He had had his own hair dyed once, and he knew that there were some things that artificial colour could not achieve.

“Why are you here?” He manages to ask without stuttering, his eyes now drawn to the slightly sunken cheeks that sit atop a prominent jawline.

Jaehwan’s smile falters for a moment before he releases Taekwoon from the embrace and squares his shoulders before quickly dropping into a bow at the waist. He’s back up so fast that Taekwoon thought he would have missed the action if he had blinked and surely Jaehwan’s head would be swimming from the disturbance to his equilibrium? But, there seems to be no such inhibition, and Jaehwan’s voice sounds without any hesitation.

“I’m your personal angel! Well, not angel. I’m an asparas, but they basically sound the same, so does it really matter?” Taekwoon thought that, yes, it did really matter. “And the reason I’m here is because you committed an act that was out of selflessness for that boy down at the… Where was it? Some marine place? I think that’s what it was. I wasn’t really paying attention, I just went where they sent me to go, and that was here!” Damn, this guy looked really proud of himself.

“But…” Taekwoon just thought he had done what any other normal person with a moral compass would have done. Besides, it had been an accident; it wasn’t like he willingly went out of his way to save the kid, he was just the one who happened to be standing there when it happened. It just seemed way to circumstantial for any of this to be substantial.

It was like Jaehwan could read his mind, because the asparas was clasping his hands behind his back and looking humbled, and his voice was lowering to a much quieter tone as he spoke.

“Really, I’m only supposed to be bestowing good fortune upon you right now because what you did wasn’t, what do you call it? Totally heroic? But, it was still a really good thing to do, and everyone at the council has to think about that before they send one of us over here to be around the humans and stuff.”

“That doesn’t make much sense.”

“Just think about it like you have your very own personal lucky charm now.”

Taekwoon didn’t really believe in luck. It was hard work and perseverance that had gotten him to where he was, so what did he need this for? Slowly, he makes a grab for one of the chairs at the table, slinking into the cushion-covered wooden seat and resting his chin in his hands as he tried to mull over the new information. He could be crazy. This could be a fever- dream from some bad food he had eaten earlier in the day, because if you asked him, that tteokbeokki from the street vendor in town earlier had tasted a bit off to him. He could also be trying to fill the void of loneliness that was in his heart whenever Minyul wasn’t around, but even that couldn’t really explain what was going on because he should only be experiencing this phenomena when his nephew wasn’t around, and he had heard Jaehwan’s voice in the past when he thought there was an intruder.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he can hear said voice saying, and a pair of bare feet appear in Taekwoon’s peripheral vision underneath the shadow of his fingers. When he looks up, he can see an impish grin. “There’s no way that this could be real, right? I come in here claiming to be some sort of FaeFolk and making you sign some agreement that says I’m going to be here a while? It does sound pretty freaky, but I promise, you’ll barely know I’m here! I can even babysit! Kids love me. Check this out!”

And before Taekwoon can protest, Jaehwan is lifting his hands. In one of his hands, his fingers furl toward his palm but the other hand acts as a stabilizer underneath it in a completely flat position. Jaehwan takes a long breath, focusing intently on one spot just beyond the point of Taekwoon’s shoulder, and then his eyes glaze over as if he is staring into nothingness. Taekwoon waits for something to happen. He waits a minute. And then two. But, then he realizes that there is no motion to Jaehwan’s shoulders that would indicate an intake of breath. The football player wonders if Jaehwan is frozen just like he was and if this would be a good time to try and maneuver the body out of the home while he could, but then he sees it.

The foggy mist begins to collect around the man’s mouth, and Taekwoon watches in horror, sinking into the back of the seat, as the mist clouds just before Jaehwan’s head, morphing in shape like something alive and twisting in the air as though writhing in agony. The same shimmering sheen is present through the mist and it glitters in the air until something… Twinkles? There is something most definitely twinkling in the center of the vapor and disturbing the area around it as it grows in size and brightness. Taekwoon can barely see Jaehwan’s face through the smoggy substance because it is darkening to a deep purple even as the orb becomes brighter and brighter.

Taekwoon finally has to shield is eyes, but when the light dims and he can turn to see what has become of the bizarre scene, the Fae is half- enclosing a sparkling purple tourmaline in his hand and grinning an illustrious grin. The space around him should be empty, but lilac flecks glint in coruscation in the air, teasing and enveloping the asparas in a nebula of placidity.

“Pretty cool, huh?”

Taekwoon hadn’t realized his jaw dropped.

⋯ ◯ ⋯⋯

Excerpt From The Third Work of Han Gyeon (1625)

To be understood as a translation into modern speak of the 20th century. Translation as approved by professors Choi Yongmin and Kim Soyee of Korea University’s Linguistics Department and the International Circle of Korean Linguistics.

Good Fortune bestow the group of Seven, for seven be one of the most magykal of the numbers; no doubt to be reasoned by those we were seeking that these seven were only of the most capable of men to make this journey. For, even though the legs we were to trudge on ached with a fury and e’en if our feet be waterlogged and mud- soaked, we seven did not falter in our task of bestowing the water upon the grounds of the land. Our entry to the place of wonder be granted only from our prowess, and only when granted access through the iridescent gloss that separates the holier world from that of Mankind did we allow for rest. I fear that the first few moments we spent were to set at ease our tired bodies and souls and to mourn for the loss of the good fellows we did leave behind, but we would soon to be reunited; for their Sakes rather than ours. Only by following the streams, the gurgle of the brooks and distant roar of rushing water, were we to come upon this place, nestled in the hills and secret from most but those who know the path to trudge. Here, the spectrum is like nothing that can be sought in the realm of Man, in a place where even the air dances with a mingling of vibrant hue and our guide partakes of the scenery with a satisfaction us seven have come to know, for surely this place will leave us with such longing once our presence had become unwanted. Soon as we are relinquished from this place, it would haunt our hearts until our very last breaths, but we were not to know that until the years of despairing were set upon. In that instant, the brief period of time that passed between myself gathering my strength before taking in the fictitious around me, we would be surrounded. Not a menacing demeanor, nor one of manic, ominous threat, but one that had three of our group whispering in hushed murmurs to themselves. Their eyes would flicker about, though in fascination or fright it cannot be known; all that is for certain is that we were under a watchful gaze while amongst the whimsicality of the unknown, and so would the piercing gazes remain on our backs until we set off once again in search of the meeting place. “Be sure to bring another,” our guide suggested from his place to the stream nearest to us, because water seemed to flow in wavering and winding currents up the hills, cupping his hands in demonstration to us as he fills his palms of the clear liquids of the realm. We were all to follow suit, not to forget ourselves in bewilderment and there were only a few who needed to scramble. The way that we were to go was one flanked on both sides by trees whose branches were heavy with ripening fruit or flowering blossoms even while the floor of this forest, for surely this was still woodland although the thicket was that of pinks and oranges whose bark was littered with fluttering insects. The overhang of twigs offered cool shade against the beating sun, cooling the grass and moss of the woods. There were flowing tides here as well, following the path and intersecting at times, but never crossing over the areas of shade we were subject to. It was something akin to an arch, harmonious. A being of less caliber may seek to lay a hand upon the efflorescence as if in a lovers’ caress, but we were of good and clever men and we followed our guide staunchly so as to ne’er lose sight of the trail we were to take. Even if we were welcomed here now, the men were of unspoken agreement that wandering was only in a Fool’s agenda. Every so often, a shadow would cross the peripheral of my vision, flitting from sapling to timber but never back, always following. I would never turn my head to meet the kindred spirit; it would have been unwise. Instead, when the sun must have reached high noon, our guide instructs us to sit. The wind began to still around us, no longer buffering against the cloth of our cloaks nor whispering through the trees in its song, and so we sat side- by- side on the trail, the length of us spanning just the necessary amount. We would wait until They were to greet us. We would offer our gift to them, one of tenacity and fearlessness and diligence, and then the meeting would commence. Out of the corner of my eye, I remember the shadow sitting down on par with us as well. Faintly, falco naumanni calls.

⋯ ◯ ⋯⋯

“How did you do that?” The football player blurts out once he’s found his voice, the pounding of his heart thundering in his ears. There was no possible way that no trickery was involved. Jaehwan was an illusionist, most likely, and had probably set up lights around the apartment to make the elaborate scheme seem like magic. This was the only possible explanation that Taekwoon could think of, because he was a very logical man and nothing that was happening was happening with any practicality. That, or he was losing his mind.

“See? That’s why kids like me! Even Minyul liked it, and I only did some small stuff.” Without a care, Jaehwan tosses the gem behind him and it clatters against the floor before resting still with a final deep thud where it would stay nestled in the carpet of a rug. Taekwoon followed the action with his eyes, but could hardly process it.

Jaehwan was suddenly very close, and Taekwoon visibly startled in his chair. He didn’t like the way that this man could move like that, soundlessly and so quickly that it was unnerving. Jaehwan’s eyes were quite large as they stared reproachfully into Taekwoon’s own, his arms descending so that the Fae’s hands could grip at the arms of the chair on either side of Taekwoon’s lax body. He was leaning in so close that Taekwoon thought he could scent the faint smell of salty sea water rolling off of him, and that did nothing more than pique his curiosity and send his stomach into a flurry of action. All at once, he felt exhausted and sick, and Taekwoon’s eyes fluttered closed at the wave of nausea that was slowly overtaking him. This didn’t seem to disturb Jaehwan, nor did the faint groan of displeasure that sounded from the Korean man sitting in the chair. Instead, he leaned closer, the aroma growing in strength until Taekwoon was certain that he was standing seaside. If he tried to focus on the darkness behind his eyes and escape into that solitude, images of flotsam and jetsam infested his thoughts until he was certain that he was floating among the waves of the ocean. His palms felt sticky and clammy at his sides before they clutched at the cushion beneath him in an attempt to return to reality, but he could have been a man drowning for all that Taekwoon could do to save himself.

As quickly as the phenomenon started, it ceased. Taekwoon drew in a long gulp of air to steady himself and grasp back into the world that should be around him. He was in his kitchen. He was sitting down. And Jaehwan was still much too close.

“I don’t just do party tricks,” the asparas hums in a condescending tone while something dangerous lurks in the flash of his eyes. It dawns on Taekwoon immediately that Jaehwan had been the cause of the overpowering experience, and that revelation was enough to have him scared. Taekwoon was frightened that this monstrosity of a creature was in his home, and he was frightened that this being was now wont to be around him. The goosebumps erupting on the flesh of his legs, arms and stomach were a clear indication of his emotion. Still, the level stare kept Taekwoon locked in place until the most that he could do was breathe and keep eye contact and pray to whatever deity had cursed him that they would relinquish the contract he was a part of and give him back the previous life that now felt so far away. ( It was funny how time worked like that. Just a few hours earlier, Taekwoon was hoping for some company, and here it was, but not in the way that he expected it. )

Jaehwan pulls away after another moment, the silence broken by a chuckle and then it’s as though a switch has been flicked because the asparas is turning on his heel with arms extended toward the ceiling of the apartment in a show of sheer joy. After a short stretch, Jaehwan lifts himself up onto the counter of the kitchen under which a set of cupboard sit, swinging his bare feet out toward Taekwoon at the table. Taekwoon wasn’t a religious man, but if the Devil were real, surely He was in his home in that instant.

“I don’t usually take up this much space, so this is kind of weird to me. Plus, this human body just feels so… Long? No, that’s not the word. Lanky. It feels lanky,” Jaehwan almost pouts, his bottom lip curling out just slightly in a way that should be endearing but that Taekwoon could only think of as being heinous. “And the beds here are so weird! How can you sleep on something like that? The pillows here aren’t even stuffed with feathers like they should be. That’s what they told us, you know. That the human world was full of all these weird things and that you guys use animals for clothes and stuff.”

Jaehwan must really like the sound of his own voice is the conclusion that Taekwoon is drawing, and the football player begins to ascend from his place of refuge to tentatively move back a hairsbreadth towards the doorway leading out into the hallway.

“You could stay somewhere else?” He suggests in a small voice and then immediately internally chastises himself. Taekwoon’s may have a naturally quiet way of speech, but it wasn’t going to be of use now when he should be authoritative enough to buy time to think of a means to escape. It was that, or somehow undo the deal he was coerced into, because he was going to be taking anything that Jaehwan told him previously into careful consideration.

“Oh, no, no. I… I can’t really. Once one of us FaeFolk are tied to a human, we’re basically bonded. It means I should probably masquerade as your bodyguard or something. Oooh! That would be cool! You could act like you made a mafia boss really angry and that you had to hire protection just like in those movies!” Jaehwan suggests, elated at the idea and Taekwoon didn’t pause to wonder how the asparas even knew what the mafia was if he didn’t even know that pillows were rarely stuffed with feathers anymore. Another thought does strike him, though.

“You said… That they told you what here was like,” he starts, not wanting to picture who ‘they’ were, “does that mean you haven’t been here before?”

“Nope!” Jaehwan shakes his head, crossing his arms in an x over his chest. “Not even once until I got assigned to you. It’s really weird here. You humans don’t even have the nocturna lumos, and that was my favourite part of back home. I mean, you can still see the stars and stuff - I sort of spent the last few nights on a few roofs here- but it really isn’t all that spectacular.”

“Then why send you here in the first place if your home is so much better?” Taekwoon snaps with some regret. He was finding it a struggle just to stand now when his body was weighing itself down so heavily from tiredness.

“Because, it’s our duty to serve the good.” The vague explanation sounds like one that would be given to a child, as if Taekwoon couldn’t understand the full situation so there was no point in telling him. That was irritating, and Taekwoon grinds his teeth together. Briefly, his gaze locks on the bright green numbers of the timer on the microwave set against the wall beside Jaehwan’s head and is unhappy to note that it’s nearing midnight.

“Where do you plan on staying tonight, then?” He resigns himself to asking the man lounging on his counter-top. Jaehwan’s head cocks to the side, lips pursing before he shrugs his shoulders and hops down from his position to land on his feet with all of the grace of an Olympic diver.

“I don’t really wanna sleep tonight. Have you got any movies?”

Taekwoon’s eye twitches but he nods.

“Oh, good, ‘cause I don’t really like it when it gets really dark, so I can just stay in that room with the Big Screen and watch some of those until you wake up. You have those funny ones, right?”

“Comedies?” The only comedies Taekwoon owned were animated because of his nephew and even he could barely get through one of them without feeling as though his brain were leaking through his ears from the sheer stupidity of the absurd storylines. ( He had no desire to find out how a talking, dancing pickle was making his way through life in a cucumber world was all he was getting at. )

Jaehwan only smiles widely at that, and the sight is enough to make Taekwoon’s jaw ache. How could a person’s mouth stretch so obscenely? And in such a square shape? But Taekwoon doesn’t have any more time to mull it over because Jaehwan is moving in his lightning fast way again and tugging on the long sleeve of the shirt the football player is wearing to pull him into the living room that housed the television Jaehwan fondly called the Big Screen. There was no way that Taekwoon was going to be getting away from him, it seemed.

“You’re not going to stay and watch one with me?” Comes the inquiry from the man who had set himself up on Taekwoon’s couch, tucked inside a blanket that Taekwoon was uncertain of where he had procured it from, while Minyul’s uncle abandoned all hope and began to set up the proper configuration for DVDs on the television.

He shakes his head, bending down to insert a disk into the drive before pressing play on the controller in his hand and gearing himself for the loud burst of song that would soon bellow from the speakers. He sets a volume he hopes that his neighbours won’t mind and leaves the remote on the small wooden table in the center of the room. If Jaehwan wanted to use it, he could figure it out himself, Taekwoon reasoned.

“When this one stops just click on the ‘Eject’ button and the disk will come out, then you can put in a different one,” Taekwoon explains to the dejected man on his couch. He doesn’t spare Jaehwan another glance until his legs guide him through the archway that will lead him to the hall. That’s when he hears the faint call.

“What?” He turns in exasperation, rubbing at one of his eyes to attempt to relieve himself of a little bit of the drowsiness screaming at him to sleep.

“Allo’nae. Goodnight,” Jaehwan’s voice sounds in muffled manner from the cocoon of blankets, and Taekwoon can see in the dim light from the television that the Fae had angled himself towards the door to watch as Taekwoon left.

“Oh. Goodnight,” he replies, and that seems to satisfy Jaehwan because his gaze returns to the screen and Taekwoon hears no more from him for the rest of the night.

It’s only when Taekwoon is tucked into his own bed with the blankets pulled over his head and the low din of the television can be heard even through the thick padding of his door that he thinks the familiarity in Jaehwan’s face could be placed. His clothes didn’t give him away, because even Taekwoon had noticed that, save for his lack of shoes, the Fae had been dressed, well, human-like. He had been wearing black denim jeans, for Pete’s sake. No, it had to be something else.

His active mind plagued him until somewhere an hour or so later, when Taekwoon was in the glorious and tranquil state between sleep and wake, he placed Jaehwan’s face. It was the one he thought he had seen etched into the trees in Hallyeohaesang National Park.