#you're so relieved to be alive and to see her okay that you give her a quick peck before resuming your duties

[binah-beloved]

leaning in and gently kissing Binah's beauty mark after a tough fight. okay goodnight

[unclewaynemunson]

After Eddie and Max were brought into the hospital, the waiting room was packed with people. But as time passed by, it got quieter. One by one, worried parents came by to pick up their kids.

“Are you sure you don't wanna come with me?” Robin asked Steve when her mother arrived.

Steve nodded. “Go home, Rob, it's okay. Just wanna make sure Max's mom and Eddie's uncle get here.”

She shot him a worried look, but she knew him well enough to recognize when she wouldn't be able to persuade him – and Steve in turn knew that there was no way Mrs. Buckley would leave the hospital without Robin, after all that had happened that night.

So Steve stayed and waited with Lucas in Max's room for Mrs. Mayfield. When she arrived, he decided to give them some privacy and wandered over to Eddie's room a couple of doors down the hall.

He hesitated for a moment, wondering if Eddie would already have returned from the operation room – and if so, if it would be good or bad news waiting for him on the other side of the door.

He swallowed. Waiting motionlessly in the corridor wouldn't change what he'd find. So he raised his hand and slowly pushed the door open.

Eddie was inside, leaning against a pillow in his bed. He was as white as the sheets around him and he had large stitches in one of his cheeks, but other than that, he looked – alive.

“Eddie,” Steve breathed out while an overwhelming wave of relief washed over him.

It was only then that he noticed the other people in the room and stopped in his tracks.

Eddie's uncle was sitting at his bedside, wearing sweatpants and only an undershirt underneath his denim jacket. He looked exhausted, but just as relieved as Steve felt.

But that wasn't what had sparked Steve's surprise. No, the thing that Steve couldn't make sense of, was the man who was sat in the chair next to Wayne Munson. It was Steve's old middle school science teacher, Scott Clarke. He was dressed in a plaid flannel that seemed more Mr. Munson's style than his own, buttoned askew on top of a pair of striped pajama pants.

“Mr. Clarke? What are you doing here?” The question tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Who are you?” Mr. Munson asked Steve before Mr. Clarke could say anything. It sounded defensive on the verge of being aggressive, but Steve couldn't really blame him for that, considering what the majority of Hawkins currently thought about Eddie.

“Steve Harrington,” he said, holding out his hand.

The lines on Mr. Munson's forehead deepened.

“He's my friend,” Eddie said. His voice sounded hoarse and weak, but Steve still felt a rush of warmth course through his whole body because of the words he said. “He saved my life.”

“Oh.” Mr. Munson's eyes widened slightly and he finally took Steve's hand. “Wayne Munson. Eddie's uncle. Pleased meetin' ya.”

“It's good to see you again, Steve,” Mr. Clarke remarked. “You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you.”

“I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Clarke,” Steve noted, still trying to make sense of what exactly his old science teacher was doing in this room.

“Uncle Scott is also my uncle,” Eddie explained.

Steve looked back and forth between Mr. Munson and Mr. Clarke, trying to find any kind of resemblance between the two of them.

“You're brothers?” he couldn't help but ask, unable to keep the astonishment out of his voice. He would never have guessed that those two men were related to each other.

“Steve, no...” Eddie's voice was almost a whisper and had an undertone of something that sounded an awful lot like exasperation. Steve knew that tone all too well; he had never been good at restraining himself from asking stupid questions, after all.

He noticed how the two men exchanged some kind of meaningful glance with each other.

“Um, I think we should go get some coffee, Wayne,” Mr. Clarke said. “Leave the boys to catch up.”

Mr. Munson nodded, but before he got up, he looked at Eddie. "You'll be alright?" he asked, a worried frown on his face.

Eddie nodded. "It's fine, Uncle Wayne." He said it softly, like he was trying to reassure his uncle, and only after Eddie gave him another emphatic nod, Mr. Munson started following Mr. Clarke out of the room.

Just when Steve realized Mr. Clarke must be Eddie's uncle from his mom's side while Mr. Munson had to be his dad's brother, Wayne let his hand linger on the small of Mr. Clarke's back. It was a tiny moment, that only lasted a second right before they went through the door, easy to miss if one weren't paying close attention. But it was still enough for Steve to understand the exasperation in Eddie's voice and the unease on his uncles' faces. That one touch told Steve all he needed to know: there was this casual, easy kind of intimacy behind it that only long-term partners shared. He had seen his parents act like that, and Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair...

“No fucking way,” he breathed out at the moment the door quietly shut behind Mr. Munson. He turned back to Eddie with wide eyes and his jaw dropped.

“Your uncle is – and he's with Scott Clarke?”

Eddie's jaw clenched. “You got a problem with that?”

In his pure astonishment, Steve barely even registered Eddie's question.

“That's impossible!” he all but exclaimed. “Here – in Hawkins? How?!”

Eddie looked slightly past Steve's face, to the bare white wall behind him. “Jesus Christ, Steve,” he said. “You've seen dozens of hell monsters and walked through an alternate dimension to fight an evil sorcerer, and this is what you decide is impossible?”

“Well, it is,” Steve stubbornly said.

He remembered how he once felt about his teammate Thomas, back in his freshman year, remembered the ache in his chest exactly because of how impossible it was. He remembered Robin talking about Tammy Thompson in that bathroom stall filled with the scent of their puke. But Tammy Thompson is a girl, he had said, in his instinctive and perhaps naive confusion - not because he deemed it impossible for Robin to feel that way about a girl, but because up until that point, he had deemed it irrelevant. He knew better than anyone that those kind of feelings would flare up from time to time around certain people, but as far as he was concerned, it didn't matter. There was no way to act on it, no point in lingering on something that was impossible to have anyway.

“They've been together for over a decade,” Eddie said. His voice suddenly lacked its usual warmth; a warmth that Steve had gotten used to over the past few days; a warmth that left a weird feeling of loss behind in Steve's chest now that it wasn't there. “They make each other happy. They don't hurt anyone with it. So don't fucking tell me it's impossible, man. They love each other, and if you're gonna be a dick about that, I'm gonna have to kindly ask you to fuck the hell off.”

“Woah, woah, woah, wait,” Steve hurriedly sputtered. “I'm not – I didn't-” The words got stuck in his throat, somehow. He didn't quite know how to explain the storm that was raging inside of him, the many emotions he felt upon discovering that there were two men happily sharing their lives together, who lived in the same town as he did. Two men who were just like him, who had figured out a way to not hide away, who had somehow found their way to each other, and who had fallen in love without it being something they needed to repress.

“I didn't know – that it could be like that,” he finally managed to stutter. “I never even imagined a future like that for myself. I didn't know – I thought we were just supposed to pretend like those parts of ourselves don't exist and marry a woman. I never met anyone who did it differently.”

Finally, Eddie averted his gaze to look at him again. His eyes were a little bit wider and he was staring at him so intensely that Steve felt something stir deep in his stomach.

“Stevie,” he said, his voice quiet and so much warmer than before in a way that sent a shiver down Steve's spine. “Jesus, I'm sorry, I had no idea. I thought you were saying..." He cut himself off and inhaled deeply, slightly shaking his head. "Listen, man, there's always a choice. I'm not saying it's easy; my uncles have to hide a lot of what they mean to each other when they're in public. They're risking Scott's job, and maybe even a whole lot more if the wrong people find out about them... But there is always a choice. They're much happier together than they would've been if they had chosen to hide and marry a woman, or if they'd spent their whole lives alone.”

Steve had to take a moment to let Eddie's words sink in. Eddie merely kept looking at him, not making a single sound, patiently waiting for him to get his thoughts straight again.

“Are there more people like them, here in Hawkins?” Steve finally asked.

“Not many,” Eddie answered. “Most people who are different move to the bigger cities, where you're a bit more free to be yourself. But they're friends with this lesbian couple who lives a few streets over. And they know some people in Indy, but Wayne refuses to move there. He's too much of a small town boy, he says.” Eddie rolled his eyes at that last part, as if he could in no way comprehend the thought of preferring Hawkins over a big city like Indianapolis.

But Steve did comprehend it. Hawkins was his home. Even after everything that happened to him here, it was where he belonged. It was where everyone he cared about was. He wasn't naive, he knew that that was bound to change at some point, but he had never dared to dream about going someplace else himself. He had never even dared to dream about being someone else. Yet here he was, sitting at the bedside of a boy whose eyes he hadn't stopped thinking about for days.

Maybe it was about time to change his perception of what was possible and what wasn't.

“I know one person who's like – like me,” he admitted. He wanted to tell Eddie about Robin. He knew that there was nothing to worry about – but he also knew it wasn't up to him to share her secret. “I don't know if this is a weird idea," he continued, "but maybe we could all, like, get together sometime. Your uncle, mister Clarke, their lesbian friends...” The idea of it made him feel weirdly excited. He couldn't really imagine what it would be like, to spend a whole evening surrounded by people he had this one thing in common with.

“Not a weird idea,” Eddie told him, that soft look still shining in his big brown eyes. “Sounds awesome, actually.”

“If we do something like that...” Steve hesitated for a moment. “Would you be there too?”

Despite the stitches in his cheek, Eddie managed to smile, dimples and all. He raised a pale hand and pulled a strand of his hair across his face, like he was trying to hide something written on the skin around his lips. “I thought that was obvious,” he said with a chuckle.

Steve chuckled as well. “Just needed to be sure,” he admitted.

He stretched out his hand and put it on top of Eddie's, where it was resting on top of the sheets. It only took a few seconds: he gently squeezed Eddie's hand, then pulled back again, still nervous and not quite knowing what exactly they were headed towards. But no matter how short, the touch still sent sparks through his whole body.

“I'm glad you're alive,” he said, softly.

Eddie's smile became just a little bit wider, and a faint blush colored his pale cheeks. “Me too, big boy. Believe me, me too.”

(I wrote this bc this post by @boldlyvoid refused to leave my brain for literal months)

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Full headcanons of MC being forced to attack M6 please 🙏🏽🙏🏽

The Arcana HCs: When MC is forced to attack M6

~ oh boy, anon friend, we're really not holding back today are we XD Hope you enjoy this sequel! ~

CW for non-gory injury descriptions, trauma disassociation, and intense guilt

-- to set the scene --

You don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive yourself.

In the moment, all you could feel was terror. The mage you were fighting rippled away as a haze of fear washed over your senses, and suddenly your worst nightmare was right next to you and readying itself to tear you limb from limb. You don't know how long you screamed and lashed out for. You don't know how many rules of fair fighting you abandoned to stay alive.

All you know is that, eventually, the terror subsides, and now you're looking at the pained face of your beloved as blood slowly trickles down their temple.

Julian

The first thing you feel is the way his arms are pinning you to him, effectively restraining you with a desperate hug

He's quietly talking to you, watching your eyes clear as you return to your senses, whispering "hey. hey, I'm here" over and over again until you're able to stop struggling and meet his gaze

You're almost relieved to see that you only managed to hit his head once, until he shakily loosens his grip and you can feel where your hands have angrily clawed and pummeled at his back

He's already nudging you to get back home, leaning a little heavily on your shoulder and telling you over and over again that it's not your fault, the threat's gone, nothing's hurt that can't be fixed

Refuses to take care of his own wounds until you've let him tend to yours and until you've started to believe that things will get better

It's hard not to let your heart break when he finally takes off his shirt and lets you get a look at his back. You tore it to shreds

Not to mention the cracked ribs that clearly make breathing hurt

He doesn't let you dwell on it, instead passing his doctor's tools back to you and talking you through the process of patching him up. Any apology is interrupted with "ah ah ah, my dear, doctors don't say sorry when they're helping people. It's not your fault."

Beyond the initial fear of losing you to the madness, he's not shaken up by your capacity to hurt him. If anything, once he's healed up, he starts praising your ferocity whenever he can

Asra

They're a little ways away from you when you regain lucidity, one shaking arm extended to hold up the magic barrier you were just struggling against. They look terrified - and heartbroken

As soon as you stop fighting and your legs begin to give out, he's sprinting the several feet over to catch you. There's a stream of apologies and reassurances leaving his mouth as he reaches you

"It's okay - it's okay - I'm so sorry, it's going to be okay - I'm sorry I didn't stop it sooner. Just hold on, my love, it'll all be okay -"

Doesn't want to let go of you. Mostly because they're injured and exhausted too, but also because it's easier not to let you see how badly they're hurt if you're both hiding in each other's necks

Won't let you look at him until he heals you first

When you do, you have a to keep a strong face, or you know they'll cover it up and take care of it themself. You didn't get through the barrier, but it seems your powerful magic attacks did. Effectively

The arm that was holding up the shield has bruises and cuts all over it. There's angry red lines reaching from his elbow across his chest where you apparently sent lightning dancing over it

They let you heal them because they know it'll help you, but they won't talk about such a painful thing openly. They don't want you to feel like you have to apologize. The nightmares think otherwise

When he does talk about it, it was seeing you so scared of him, like he was a threat to you. Like he'd hurt you. It's his greatest fear

Nadia

You open your eyes to find yourself at the other end of her drawn sword, the blade carefully hovering at an angle where only the flat of it will strike you. Her eyes look wide and scared - vulnerable

You can tell she's been moving defensively this whole time because she doesn't take advantage of your sudden pause. Rather, she watches you cautiously as you sink to the ground

She wants to believe it's over, but she's not putting her sword away until she knows for certain that it's done. Prove you're back to her

Can't bring herself to touch you or to let you touch her until you're both finished talking. You need to tell her what happened to make you act like that. She needs you to know what she did and why

She did everything she could not to hurt you. She promises

Doesn't hold it against you at all. She knew from the moment your eyes went hazy that you weren't acting of your own volition, and she feels truly sorry for the frightening thing you must've endured

But that doesn't change how startling it was to be on the receiving end of your fear and aggression. She needs to know you're okay. She needs to know she's okay. She needs to know it'll stay that way

Has a Palace medic tend to your wounds separately, but does eventually let you use healing magic on her once she's comfortable with your touch again (though that might take a few hours at least)

Insists on holding you close that night and the following evenings. She knows she's safe with you and refuses to feel otherwise

Muriel

The more your vision clears, the more your terror changes to horror. He did nothing to stop you. He did nothing to stop you

The blood trickling down his temple meets with several gashes on his jaw and neck, there's jagged gouges across his chest and shoulders, and bruises already blooming across his stomach

And yet he's giving you the gentlest look, reaching out to you slowly the same way you've seen him calm wounded beasts in the forest. You've still done much more damage than a scared rabbit

Doesn't say much, just catches you by the shoulders when you start to fall and carefully cradles your cheek when you start to cry

You don't realize how much trauma he's fighting until you've made it back to the hut and the fine tremble in his hands hasn't left

And it's because he's so busy fighting his own awful memories that he accidentally shuts you out, not saying a word, not hearing a word, turning away after setting you down so you can't see him numbly dab at his wounds and try to get the blood out of his sight

Doesn't start to break until you start to break. Somewhere in his mind is a conviction that he's not allowed to feel bad about this because he's had worse, and your tears are his permission

Healing really begins late that night as he holds you in his lap by the fire, learning to let his own tears fall while you tend to his injuries and lament the fact that Muriel didn't protect the person most precious to you - himself

Portia

When the haze lifts, you're flat on your back, all of Portia's weight on your middle while she pins your hands to the ground above your head. The worst part is that she's openly sobbing

You can feel throbbing aches and pains all over your body where you know she fought back and you've never been so happy to be injured in your life. Sadly, you still did a fair amount of damage

So relieved to see you stop struggling and recognize her that she collapses into hugging you and telling you it's over and it's okay and she loves you so much and she's so glad you're back

Furious at the mage that pulled this kind of trick on you, to the point that she can't even hear you bring it up without immediately venting all her anger at them and all the things they deserve

This accidentally makes it impossible for her to accept any kind of apology from you, because to her you're a victim. (which, you are, but that doesn't change the injuries your hands gave her)

Quick to try to cheer both of you up, dragging you home to her cottage, pulling out her first aid kit, and handing you what you need to patch her up while she gets started on you. It'll be okay

Starts processing it pretty openly the next day, at which point you're finally able to share more of how you felt through the whole thing and make the apologies you want to make (she forgives you)

There's a short period of time where you're both extra careful about consensual touch, but all in all, she bounces back quickly

Lucio

You can see his golden arm up and guarding his head while he readies his human hand to push you away again. His gaze is scared and worried, and yet vacant enough to know he's acting on instinct

Stays frozen as you fall, still mentally struggling to realize it's over, before finally collapsing next to you and reaching out to pull you into a hug. You're back. You're here. He's so glad you're here

Shaking and terrified that everything's going to fall apart after this. He just saw you more scared and angry than he's ever seen you before - as scared and angry as he's seen others often look at him

He knows deep down you were under a spell that made you see something else, but there's a worry present in his brain that this was actually you awakening to your true feelings about him

It doesn't help that he doesn't remember what all he did to fight back. Years of combat experience and battlefields kicked in, and all his thoughts went on hold while his body went on autopilot

And the last time someone he loved fought to kill him - well - it was his mother. That did not end well

He can't bring himself to care about injuries until he knows you won't leave him, until he knows you're going to work through this with him. Until he knows you can still love each other

Once you're reconciled and bandaged up, he's in his element. The amount of tender attention you're showing him is feeding his soul

Still subconsciously keeps his guard up around you, for a while

[mirukosbitchywife]

obanai, rengoku, gyomei, and all four uzuis x reader

part one here

part two of hashira x a reader who nearly died fighting demons!! idk if you can tell but this was SO HARD FOR ME TO DO!!!!! this is my first time ever writing for or even about obanai and gyomei really so i struggled with it! please let me know if they're super ooc i tried my hardest but idk if i got the characterization correct!!

tengen uzui plus makio uzui, suma uzui, and hinatsuru uzui:

•you'd wake up after being taken to the butterfly mansion with suma On Top of you crying into your shirt. makio tried to let her go but hina told her to let her have this :( tengen is just sitting quietly next to your bedside, with hina and makio sitting opposite him, all three holding onto both your hands

•tengen told you your actions were very unflashy and that you worried them. they had heart attacks when the crow arrived to inform them of the situation

•suma cries at you to never be so reckless again, makio scolds you (it's how she expresses love), and hina says you should join lord tengen in retirement

•if you lose an eye or something tengen WILL insist you match his. gotta be flashy even when disabled. he's a disabled icon

•even with his long lasting injuries, tengen, suma, makio, and hina are still all shinobi so expect your physical therapy process to be intense

kyojuro rengoku:

•honestly. he's an absolute wreck. has not left your side since he was alerted of your condition, not to do anything besides use the restroom. shinobu has to wrestle him from your beside to make him eat and sleep (sleeping in a chair does not count unfortunately for him)

•is so relieved when you wake up he Literally can't stop smiling. also yelling. he's yelling a Lot. but not in a bad way of course, he's just speaking Very enthusiastically! he might even cry from happiness at seeing you alive and mostly well and moving around

•will literally do everything for you. will not let you move a muscle to do anything while you're recovering essentially. like oh you want some water? he's getting it. you need a book/pen/a blanket, literally anything that you reach for he's going no no you don't need to be moving around let me get it for you even if the item is in your reach

iguro obanai:

•is probably the only one who gives you peace. of course he's concerned, and he's been staying by your side waiting for when you wake up, but will give you space to breathe

•i'm going to assume if you like obanai you also like snakes, because when you wake up kaburamaru is wrapped around you too, he was also concerned okay :(

•would quietly tell you how much you worried him and how he had rushed there. and by that i mean he RAN nobody has ever seen him move that fast outside of battle. he was just really concerned:(

•will hiss at people who try to enter your room in the butterfly mansion. the butterfly girls and aoi are annoyed by him but just ignore it, and inosuke actually starts snorting back at his hissing and they almost actually fight.

•really reliable while you're recovering, a silent but steady presence at your side. is a little bit of a simp and will do whatever you ask bc your hurt :( of course he'll do anything for you :(

gyomei himejima:

•would be silently kneeling by your bedside in prayer with tears streaming down his face when you wake up. immediately notices when you're actually awake from the change in your breathing and immediately stands up and grabs your hands

•also another one who gives you breathing space, but is a little more clingy. might not voice it aloud but is terrified of losing you too and being alone again

•you relish in his strong but silent presence by your side, he doesn't have much to say beyond the fact he was worried about you, but he's more of an actions speak louder than words type person and is there when you need him

•an actual rock for you during your recovery. him being disabled doesn't mean he's not able to help you with your physical therapy and taking care of yourself!! very content to help you

•maybe okay. hear me out. maybe you could convince him to sneak you out and give you piggyback rides once you're well, but not completely healed enough to leave the butterfly mansion. he seems like a big softie who will give into anything that doesn't have any real consequences

[writingforstraykids]

I owe you a kiss - Pt.6

Pairing: Minchan x femReader

Word Count: 5362

Summary: Once you're back home, your husbands try their best to support you, but the circumstances are taking their toll on you. It all goes well until you find out who was the one driving that night...

Warnings/Tags: mention of amnesia, angst, tiny mention of blood, fluff, cuddles, anxious!soft!min, caring!soft!channie, domestic stuff, husband!min, husband!chan

A/N: I know, I know it looks like shit in the beginning but trust the word count, it'll get all good, soft and domestic🖤

PART FIVE | PART SEVEN

Minho slips out of his shoes and stands still for a moment. Chan closes the door and hesitantly slips his hand into Minho's. “Kitten?” he asks quietly but gets no response. “Min, look at me, please.”

Minho does, looking at him with wet eyes, still not saying a word. Chan gently rubs his shoulders before cupping his face and flashing him a small smile. “I know I should be happy,” he finally says. “I know I should be relieved that she's awake and talking. I know I should be happy that we finally got her back. I know I shouldn't still be feeling like shit,” he rambles, and Chan soothingly fondles his cheeks. “But you know how much she hates losing control. You know how scared she gets of change,” he hiccups helplessly, and a few hot tears slip down his cheeks. “Once it'll all settle in, she'll hate me, and I-I can't even blame her because I did-didn't do anything else those p-past two months a-and-.”

“Hey,” Chan says so softly it makes him shut his mouth. “I won't let that happen, baby. It was an accident and there was nothing you could've done,” he says firmly and pulls him in close. “I'm so thankful you're both alive, you know? I don't know-” his voice breaks, and Minho's heart sinks at the sound. “I don't know what I would've done if…,” he stops himself, not daring to put his deepest fear into words. “I get it, Minnie because it would've been a lot easier without the memory loss. I'm terrified of hurting her because I'm not fully feeling well yet. But as long as you won't let go of my hand in all this, I know I'll be okay.”

Minho carefully pulls Chan's hands off his face and intertwines their fingers. “I won't let go,” he says.

“I'll always have your back, okay?” Chan asks timidly, and Minho nods quickly. 

“And I'll have yours,” he promises and squeezes his hands. 

“I could really use a hug,” Chan admits, and Minho doesn't hesitate, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. He gently sways them from side to side and exhales softly. “I love you, Min.”

“I love you too, Channie,” Minho whispers back and squeezes him tightly. 

-

Minho gently helps you out of your jacket and hangs it up for you. Neither Chan nor Minho had remembered that you only moved in here one and a half years ago, so the house was another factor. He watches you glance around the hallway timidly and swallows softly. “Anything familiar?” he asks gently. 

You swallow hard and shake your head. “Not besides…some of the interior,” you tell him. 

He notices how anxious it makes you and carefully slips his hand into yours. “Let me give you a tour, come on.”

You follow him through the house and recognize some bits of your old home. He tells you where to find the most important things, and seems like he's afraid to say anything wrong. It makes you sick seeing your husband try so hard to make you comfortable in a suddenly so unfamiliar place. “I-I'll go use the bathroom real quick,” you tell him, and he nods, telling you again where to find it. 

You close the door and take a deep breath, hugging yourself tightly. “Fuck,” you whisper and sit down heavily at the edge of the bathtub. If you wouldn't know Minho and Chan had been your boyfriends for four years and then husbands for another five you would've freaked out at the hospital. You couldn't remember the past two years of your marriage, but the seven years before are enough to trust them. Still, it all feels so weird. You don't notice how much time has passed until Minho gently knocks at the door and lets himself in. He sits down next to you, and for a moment, you're both quiet. “Minho?” you ask timidly. 

“Yeah?” he asks gently, turning to look at you. 

“Have I been a good wife to you and Chan? Did we have fights? Did I hurt you? Did you hurt me?” you ask, and he inhales deeply. “I know this sounds weird, but…I have no idea where we left off.”

Minho fidgets with his wedding bands and hums thoughtfully. “I can't remember anything big concerning the two of us, we usually get along very well,” he tells you, a small smile on his lips. “We were on a date before the accident. I was very tired, was fighting with Chan over the phone, and…you said you'd take me out for dinner. You were trying to cheer me up, and you did, you always do,” he says and gently clears his throat, pushing away the images of what happened after. 

“What about Chan?” you ask timidly, sensing something off. 

Minho straightens up and pinches his nose, trying to figure out where to start. “About…six months ago, Channie wasn't feeling very well. He was overwhelmed with work and had no resources left for either of us, including himself. He pushed us both away, and one night, when I was abroad, he called me, saying he got into a fight with you and something was seriously wrong,” he tells you and chews on his lower lip. “I called you, asking you to go back and check on him as I flew back home. Chan was feeling numb for quite some time, and we did our best to support him figure out ways to make him feel again. After a while, he decided to visit his family in Australia, take a break, and everything. I stepped in for him at work, and it was killing me,” he admits. “I missed him like hell. I had to lead our team, and I felt lost without him, but you never gave up on me,” he says and his hand subconsciously slips into yours. “He caught me on a bad day, we got into an argument, and well…then we had that accident. Channie got onto the next plane and came back home as fast as he could.”

“Is he still struggling?” you ask hesitantly, and Minho smiles weakly. 

“I don't know, Y/nnie. This whole thing has taken a huge toll on me. I broke down repeatedly and Chan took care of me as best as he could. He even got me a therapist, imagine that,” he laughs, and you can tell he's not really doing well with any of this. “I don't think he had much time to figure out how he truly feels. I should've been there for him more, but I…I could barely get myself out of bed sometimes.”

“I'm sorry,” you apologize timidly, squeezing his hand. “I'm so sorry, Min.”

Minho shakes his head firmly. “None of this is your fault,” he says and searches your eyes. “None of it, okay?”

“Okay,” you nod hesitantly. 

Minho inhales shakily, a suspicious shimmer covering his eyes. “I know this whole memory thing is shit, honey. I feel selfish for saying this, but I'm just so glad you're alive and back home.”

You smile weakly and squeeze his hand firmly. “As long as I have you two, I'll be okay sooner or later.”

Minho gently squeezes back and looks up as Chan steps into the doorframe. “Oh my, am I interrupting something?” he chuckles. 

“Hey, Channie love,” Minho says softly and Chan leans down to give him a kiss. 

“Hey, kitten,” he smiles, gently caressing his cheek. Chan turns to you and gently brushes back your hair, kissing your head, unsure if you feel like kissing. “You're okay?”

“More or less,” you nod, and he sits down on your other side. 

“We're always here if you need someone,” he tells you and gently pats your knee. 

“Thanks,” you nod tiredly. “I really appreciate it, this can't be easy for you either.”

Minho remains quiet this time and glances at Chan. “We're just glad to have you back. The rest we can figure out together,” he assures you. “Just let us know, okay?”

“Okay,” you nod gently. 

-

You turn onto your side heavily and are met with a sight that used to bring a smile to your face. Minho's asleep next to you, his hair hanging into his face, lips parted, and his bunny teeth showing a little. His lashes throw their shadows on his cheekbones and you once more notice how beautiful he is. You've been home for a week now and Minho took another two months off to keep an eye on you. You like being home with Min because he's there when you need him but lets you be when you don't. He doesn't push, he doesn't talk your ears off, and he tries his best not to handle you like you're made out of glass. Still, you can tell he doesn't see you when he looks at you. He doesn't see his wife. He sees the accident and the woman he lost due to the memory loss, and the guilt in his eyes suffocates you sometimes. 

You haven't dared look up the accident yet, but slowly, you can't fight the urge to see what really happened that night. Minho doesn't like talking about it, and Chan wasn't there. 

You slip out of bed and grab your phone, leaving your husband on his own. Locking yourself in the bathroom, you start researching and soon find article over article. Pictures of the crashed car send shivers down your spine. Investigating some further you can tell how worried your friends were about Minho during their interviews, who looks nothing but truly exhausted. You can tell he hasn't been sleeping much; his eyes look glassy in most of them, and Chan never leaves his side.

-

Minho looks up as you come downstairs to join him for breakfast and gets up, putting some waffles on your plate. “Thought you'd like something sweet,” he says and flashes you a smile. 

“Who was driving?” you ask, making him freeze for a second. 

“What do you mean?” he asks, but the slight tremble in his voice tells you he knows exactly what you mean. 

“The accident. Who was driving?” you ask again, stopping in front of the table. 

Minho carefully puts the plate down in front of you. “Does it matter?” he asks timidly. 

“It does,” you nod, tilting your head at him. “Will you be honest with me, or do I have to ask someone else?”

He stares at you, wondering what you're aiming at with that question, but gives himself a push. “I was.”

“Were you drunk?” you ask, and Minho's frown deepens. 

“No.”

“You said you were tired, was that it? Was that what made you miss something?” you ask, and he subconsciously takes a step back. “Were you so upset about Chan that you weren't paying attention?” 

“Y/nnie,” he pleads quietly. “Don’t do this.”

“Min,” you say firmly. “I can't remember the past two years of my life. I don't know what happened and no one can tell me because that'll only be your version of every day,” you say and take a shuddery breath. “Chan hasn't kissed me once since I'm back home, and you look at me like I'm something broken you're too attached to to get rid of. That hurts, Min. I just want my fucking life back!”

Minho raises his hands in defense and steps closer to you. “Honey, I'm sorry, you're right. I can't make up for all that time. But she said they'd come back to you in a few months, at least that the chance is very, very high,” he tries, but the way your eyes darken, he knows you don't want to hear any of it. He tries to brace himself for the emotional outburst that's about to happen, but he can't prepare himself for what you say next. 

“No, you really can't make up for it. Not if you're the one causing this whole mess,” you say, noticing the fear flickering in his eyes, but you don't care. “You were the one driving, you're the one feeling guilty, and now I know why. My whole life went to shit because of you!” you snap at him. Minho doesn't say anything, simply stares at you as your words sink in. His body trembles, his stomach tightening painfully, and his eyes filling with tears. “You fucked everything up, and you're trying so hard to make up for it by staying home with me. Now I know why you so desperately try to make me feel better, and I thought it was because you loved me!”

Minho looks at you as if you just hit him right in the face. A soft whimper leaves his lips, snapping you out of your rage, before tears start running down his face, and his body shakes with a sob. “I know, okay?!” he snaps right back at you. “I know it's all my fault! I-I know I fucked up, and I-I'm the one to b-blame,” he hiccups helplessly, taking a few steps back as you reach for him timidly. “I'm sorry, Y/nnie, I swear, I did-didn't want this.”

“Min,” you whisper guiltily, but your husband shakes his head firmly, biting back a sob. “I'm so sorry, darling, I didn't mean it.”

“Don't lie,” he says, voice cracking. 

“I'm sorry, please,” you try, but Minho pushes past you and goes back upstairs. You let him, knowing he can't handle you, seeing how badly you just hurt him. Helplessly, you grab your phone and call Chan. 

“Hey, baby girl, I'm on my way home. Is everything-.”

“Channie,” you whimper. 

“What's wrong, baby?” he asks worriedly, putting you on speaker. 

“I hurt Min,” you tell him, hugging yourself tightly and sitting down on the sofa. 

“Hurt him how?” he asks nervously, taking a turn left. 

“I said some dumb stuff about him being responsible for my life turning to shit and that the accident was his fault,” you say, and it's quiet for a moment. “Chan?”

“Ynnie…please tell me you didn't,” Chan says lowly, heart sinking to his stomach. “Please tell me you didn't.”

“I'm sorry, Channie, I didn't mean it,” you whisper timidly. “I was just…I don't know what got into me.”

“I…fuck, okay, I'll be home in a bit,” he tells you, swallowing down the lump forming in his throat. 

“Thank you,” you sniffle. 

Chan stares at his phone as you end the call and slams his hand on the wheel. “Fucks sake Ynnie, not when I finally convinced him otherwise,” he curses and finally reaches your street. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Chan quietly pulls the front door closed behind himself and swallows hard as he meets your anxious eyes. “Where is he?” he asks. 

“Upstairs,” you tell him. “Channie, I'm sorry,” you tell him, tears filling your eyes. “I'm so sorry.”

Chan sighs softly and opens his arms for you, pulling you into a tight hug as you get up. “I know you are. I know you're struggling, and I know we can't take that pain away,” he says, soothingly rubbing your back. “But baby girl, you can't forget Minho is a victim here too. He might have been the one driving, but he's also the one who saw you unconscious, covered in blood, and not knowing if you'd ever wake up again,” he tells you gently, without sounding like he's blaming you even a little. “He still feels guilty because he'd rather be the one getting hurt. He's been having nightmares and panic attacks and had a really hard time believing that it isn't his fault, you know?”

“I just fucked that up, didn't I?” you ask timidly. 

“I don't know,” he answers honestly. 

“I asked him if he was drunk,” you admit shamefully. 

Chan bites back a sigh, trying to be patient with you. “Okay, come on,” he says and pulls you to the sofa. “The police provided us the security camera footage, where you very clearly see who's at fault,” he says and grabs his phone, showing you the clip. 

You can see your car pulling up at the crossroads. Suddenly, a car races down the street from the right and crashes right into your side. It's raining heavily, making the road slippery and causing both cars to slide to the side a few meters. Once the video is over, you look at Chan horrified. 

“That other driver was drunk,” he tells you gently. “He was speeding, ignored a red light, and honestly, looking at this, it's a miracle you two are still alive. So please, don't blame anyone else but that guy, hm?” 

You nod quickly and chew on your lower lip anxiously. “Channie angel?”

“Yeah?” he asks gently. 

“Can you tell him I'm sorry? I don't think he wants to see me right now,” you say timidly. 

Chan nods and kisses your temple. “I will. We'll fix this, okay?”

“Okay,” you nod, relieved. 

“I'll go check on him, alright?” he asks, and you nod bravely. Chan grabs a blanket and wraps you up in it, flashing you an encouraging smile. “We'll be okay.”

You timidly grab his hand and search his eyes. “I love you.”

Chan's face softens. “I love you too, baby girl.” 

-

Chan opens the door to the room he uses to work from home, suspecting that's where he'll find Minho. His heart breaks a little as he sees him sitting on the small sofa there, his legs hugged up to his chest. Minho's wearing a sweater of his, burying his face in its sleeves as he takes shaky breaths, clearly trying to calm down. He silently closes the door and walks over, kneeling down in front of him and soothingly rubbing his thighs. “Bunny?” he asks so softly Minho looks up with wide, teary eyes. It's a term reserved for their most private, intimate moments and it never fails to make Minho feel so safe and loved. 

He doesn't say anything, body moving on its own as he slips from the sofa and crawls right into his lap. Chan welcomes him with one of his most loving and healing hugs, nuzzling his nose into his hair. 

“I love you,” Chan whispers, cradling his head. Minho slumps against him, burying himself into his arms as deeply as he can, growing so small it breaks Chan's heart. 

“I'm so tired, Chan,” Minho says, voice raspy from crying. “I'm so fucking tired.”

“I know,” Chan says and turns with him in his hold, leaning against the sofa. “How can I help?”

“There's nothing you can do,” he answers quietly. “She hates me. I fucked up her life.”

“You really think that?” he asks patiently. 

“Doesn't matter. She does,” he says. 

“Do you?” he asks. “You think you fucked up her life?”

“Apparently, I'm not exactly making it easier,” he answers. “Since I'm the drunken, heartbroken, distracted fuck who got us into that accident.”

Chan mindlessly rubs his lower back. “Apparently…so you don't believe it.”

“I-” Minho grows quiet before pulling back and searching his eyes timidly. “Does that matter if she does?”

“To me, it does,” he nods. “You've been blaming yourself for months, saying the most hurtful shit about yourself…I think you made some progress,” he says calmly. 

“Not really,” he shakes his head. “The minute someone throws it at my face, I agree with them.”

“Bunny, can I tell you something?” he asks, and Minho nods tiredly. “She called me the minute you left, saying she fucked up. She asked me to tell you she's sorry because you probably wouldn't want to see her now.”

Minho's eyes fill with tears. “Really?” he asks timidly, and Chan nods. “I really thought she hated me now.”

Chan gently cups his face and plants a tiny kiss on the tip of his nose. “She doesn't, I promise.” 

Minho messily wipes his cheeks with the sleeves before stopping in his movement and groaning at himself. “Fuck, I completely messed up your sweater.”

“That's okay,” Chan giggles softly. “We can wash it.”

Minho hums and smiles shyly. “Just really needed you close after that,” he tells him. 

“You're so cute,” he smiles happily. “Also-” he gets interrupted by the door opening. The two of them look up and see you standing in the doorframe, shaking with sobs. 

Minho moves before Chan can fully comprehend the sight and wraps you into a tight hug. “Shh, honey, it's okay.”

You hug back tightly and shake your head. “Nothing is okay,” you sob. “I hurt you. Just be-because I can't cope with what's happening.”

“It's okay,” Minho whispers gently, caressing your head. “I promise we're okay.”

You timidly grab his sweater a little tighter and bury yourself into him. “I'm sorry, Min. You didn't fuck up anything,” you hiccup. “I love you so much.”

Minho buries his face in your shoulder and shakes his head. “I know,” he whispers and squeezes you gently. “I love you too, my pretty girl.” 

“I just wanna feel normal again,” you whimper, and Minho's hold on you tightens. 

“Try and give yourself some credit, honey. You went through some shit, and you're still dealing with the aftermath,” he says softly and kisses your hair. “Try being a little more patient with yourself.”

Chan smiles sadly, remembering himself saying something so similar to Minho only weeks ago when they went for a walk. So he did listen. 

Two weeks later

You anxiously meet your reflection in the mirror before staring down at your products on the sink. Chan said he'd take you both out to dinner, and you just wanted to look nice but you had trouble remembering your routines. You talked to your doctor about it, and she told you it's completely normal to get confused easily by those things at the moment. 

Minho walks into the bathroom, buttoning up his shirt, and flashes you a gentle smile. “You're alright, beautiful?” 

“Yeah,” you nod quickly and stare back down at your things. “I…I think I need help,” you tell him, glancing up at him as he fixes his hair. 

“Sure, what do you need?” he asks, not quite picking up on your struggle yet. Minho grabs your concealer and carefully hides the dark patches beneath his eyes. He's still not sleeping well, and it shows. 

“I uh, I forgot what I usually do,” you tell him, waving at the various items displayed at the sink. “Like…did I have some sort of routine? Because if I did it's nonexistent in my brain right now.”

“Oh,” he nods and puts your concealer back down. “Uh, I'm not sure, but I can still help,” he tells you, and you smile relieved. “One second,” he winks at you and leaves the room, coming back with a chair. “Alright, take a seat, honey.”

You giggle softly and do as you're told. Chan joins you, chuckling in confusion as he sees you. “Min's helping me, my brain is letting me down right now.”

“Oh,” he laughs and watches Minho grab some of your things. “Yeah, it's good you asked him and not me.”

“I had a feeling,” you tease him lovingly.

Chan chuckles and turns back to the mirror, adjusting the collar of his shirt. He fixes his hair that frames his face in those beautiful curls you love so much and you can see the frown forming on his face before it’s fully there. It’s beyond you how both of your husbands were this stunningly pretty and still had their trouble believing so, Chan much more than Min. “Channie?” you ask gently, and he hums in response. “You look very handsome.”

Chan meets your eyes through the mirror, face softening. “Thank you, baby girl,” he says with a sweet, shy smile. Minho turns around, taking in the sight of his husband, and hums agreeingly before slapping his bum. Chan snorts and fondly rolls his eyes. “Typical.”

“That’s your own fault wearing those trousers,” he smirks before getting started with helping you. “Who even allowed you to leave the house in those, huh? Surely not me. No one else should be allowed to see how well-.”

“Minho,” Chan whines in protest, blushing heavily. “Shut up, will you?”

Minho smiles softly and then you realize he must’ve noticed Chan’s insecurities getting the better of him as well. “Only because it’s you,” he tells him fondly. “So, I think you started like this,” he tells you. He talks you through it, checking in with you if what he’s doing makes sense, and tries his best to make you satisfied with the result. Only a little later you’re ready to go and thank him happily. “Always, princess,” he assures you kindly. “You need help with your hair as well?”

“No, thank you, darling,” you smile at him. “I’ll be done in a bit.”

“No rush, honey,” he tells you and kisses your cheek before leaving you some space. He joins Chan downstairs, who’s standing at the kitchen island, bent forward on his elbows as he checks his phone. Minho smiles at the sight and steps behind him, wrapping his arms around him. Chan gently intertwines their hands on his stomach and finishes his message to Lix with one hand. “You’re alright, kitten?”

“Yeah,” he nods and nuzzles his face into his neck. “Ah, you put on my favorite cologne,” he smirks, burying his nose deeper into his skin. 

Chan hums, agreeing, and turns off his phone, turning in his hold. He smiles as their eyes meet and gently nudges his nose with his own. “Pretty boy,” he whispers, and Minho blushes softly. “I miss you.”

“Miss me?” Minho frowns gently. “I’m right here, love.”

“No..like,” he leaves the sentence unfinished, gently squeezing Minho’s hips. 

“Oh,” Minho laughs brightly and kisses him sweetly. “I can stop by the company tomorrow, just make sure Sungie and Binnie aren’t around.”

“I think I can arrange that,” Chan chuckles, gently cupping his face.

“Don’t start anything you can’t finish now,” Minho warns him, and Chan rolls his eyes, kissing him lovingly. Minho kisses back sweetly and pulls back soon, knowing Chan could get lost in kissing way too quickly. They really didn’t have time for this now. Not with you coming downstairs any minute, still finding your way back into your marriage. “Channie…is that place you picked in walking distance?” he asks. 

“I figured there’s a chance she doesn’t feel safe to drive yet, so yes,” he nods, and Minho hums, relieved. “Also, you aren’t exactly keen to sit in a car yet, either.”

“Not really,” he chuckles agreeingly. “Thank you, Channie.”

“For what?” he frowns softly.

“For being so considerate and caring,” he smiles, shaking his head as Chan is about to respond. “Don’t you dare say it’s nothing now, I will kick you.”

“Oh,” Chan nods, holding back a laugh. 

“Idiot,” he giggles fondly, poking his side.

“I’m ready,” you interrupt them gently, standing a little away from them.

Chan smiles at you sweetly. “You look beautiful, baby girl,” he tells you, and you mirror his smile. 

“Our beautiful girl,” Minho agrees proudly, taking your hand and pulling you closer. “We should probably leave, right?”

Chan checks his watch. “Yeah, we should.”

You swallow softly and glance at them timidly. “Can I sit in the back?” you ask.

“I thought we could take a walk, it’s close by. If we’re lucky, we can see the stars on our way back home,” he says, watching your eyes brim with tears. “Or we can take the car?” he asks nervously.

“No,” you shake your head and laugh weakly. “I would prefer walking,” you assure him. “Thank you, Channie angel.”

“God, you two sometimes,” he breathes out, squeezing Min’s and your hand. “It’s nothing, really an-ey!” he breaks off in protest as Minho punches his shoulder.

“I told you, it’s not nothing. It means a lot, my love, and we’re very happy to have you,” he says. “Also, be glad I didn’t kick your pretty a-.”

“Okay,” Chan laughs and pulls you both with him. “Enough of this now, you’ll make me get all sappy, let’s go.”

-

You enjoy your first evening out immensely. It makes you feel less like something’s wrong with you. Both Chan and Minho focus mostly on you, making sure you’re alright and comfortable. The many smells and loud noises are overwhelming at first, and they try their best to distract you. Once you allow yourself to relax, things get easier. Dinner is delicious, but what truly makes your evening is the laughter, gentle touches, and the way they make sure you’re part of the conversation. 

On your walk home, you indeed see the stars painting the dark canvas of the night sky. You’re walking between them, holding onto their hands, and feel a lot closer to Chan as well. Minho occasionally points out constellations, sometimes playfully bickering with Chan about the correct name. You find yourself smiling, genuinely smiling, for the first time in a while. You think about your day and suddenly stop in your tracks, leading to your husbands turning in confusion. 

“Y/nnie?” Chan frowns as your eyes fill with tears. “Are you okay?”

“I remember that place,” you breathe out, and they both stare at you with wide eyes. “We had dinner there the week we moved in, didn’t we? Channie, you spilled your drink all over Min’s pants. Min, you wouldn’t stop cursing because it got all sticky and-” you break off in wonder as your mind forms such vivid pictures of that day. 

Minho laughs wetly, a hot tear falling down his face. “Yeah, yeah, that’s exactly what happened.”

Chan still stares at you in wonder before laughing weakly. “You remember?”

You nod happily, messily wiping your cheeks. “Yeah, I know that’s not much, but-.”

“No, baby, this is huge,” Chan smiles through tears, wrapping you into a tight hug. “That’s your first breakthrough after only three weeks, baby.”

You giggle happily and beam at Minho, who’s still frozen in place. Reaching out for him, he takes your hand and lets you pull him into your hug. Minho cups your cheek and kisses your forehead softly. “I’m so happy for you,” he tells you genuinely.

-

Back home, as you prepare for bed, the weight of the day slowly settles on your shoulders. For the first time since you got back home it doesn’t feel like the burden of another wasted day but a blanket of comfort. It reminds you of the love and care that surrounds you in the presence of your husbands. Minho brushes your hair as Chan takes off your makeup for you, both as gentle as they can get.

As you lay in bed between them, the events of the past few weeks replay in your mind. The argument with Minho feels like a very distant memory now, simply a hurdle you’ve all overcome together. His forgiveness, his understanding, and his undying love for you feel like a balm for your wounded, anxious heart. Chan’s patience, kindness, and unwavering support for the two of you remind you of the strength of your bond.

In the quiet of the night, with Chan’s steady breathing on one side and Minho’s warm presence on the other, you feel a sense of peace lull you in. The road to your recovery would still be a long one, and you weren’t naive enough to believe that there wouldn’t be any more challenges.

You whisper a quiet “I love you” into the darkness, and in the soft murmur of their responses, you find a promise—a promise of healing and a love that will never leave you. You don’t know why, but right here, you understand that no matter what comes your way, you’ll face it together as a family. With that thought, you drift into a peaceful sleep, knowing that with Chan and Minho by your side, you’ll be okay. You would talk to Chan about the distance you feel another day, and you’d work through your shared trauma with Minho another time, supporting him through his share of the deal as well. For today, you’re glad to be able to fall asleep between the loves of your life.

PART FIVE | PART SEVEN

MASTERLISTS | PROMPT LIST | GUIDELINES

Taglist: (Please let me know if you want to be added to/removed from the taglist!)

If your name is marked red I couldn't tag you for some reason.

@atinyniki @galaxycatdrawz @silverstarburst @kailee08 @aaa-sia @lilmisssona @kthstrawberryshortcake @channieaddict @soullostinspaceandtime @rebecca-johnson-28 @lixie-phoria @kibs-and-bits @xxstrayland @ihrtlix @pheonixfire777 @mellhwang @palindrome969 @michelle4eve @ontito0icongirls @furiousheartpoetry @bluesiebirdie @scarlet789 @ziipzeepzop-eez @harshaaaaa @lost-in-avoidance @dprkbyn @bear8585 @lee-knows-cats @mintchip17 @zdgx1 @lost-in-avoidance @rylea08 @heeyboooo @manuosorioh @gisaerlleri @andassortedkpop @lailac13 @bbokari711 @kazuuuaaa @rssamj

[animesmolbean]

Words Hold Power

An "The Umbrella Academy" fanfiction

Five x Reader

(Female)

Author's Note: Still no spoilers for S4, please. I'm halfway through my third watch of S1 - S3, which I started before S4 was released.

Hope you enjoy the chapter! ♥️

Chapter 2: We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals (A Funeral and Some Trouble)

The siblings couldn't believe their eyes. Their other sibling had woken up from her coma. She was alive.

Klaus was the first to react, hopping off the table and embracing the girl. “Oh (Your Name)! My precious sister! You're back from the dead!”

(Your Name) chuckled softly behind her face mask and hugged her brother back. She pulled away and signed, “I'm happy to see you too.”

Allison was next, hugging her sister. “Hello, honey. I'm so relieved.” She whispered. (Your Name) hummed happily. “Did you just wake up?” She asked the girl, noticing her pajamas. The girl nodded her head.

Vanya came over shyly. “Hi, (Your Name).” She whispered.

(Your Name) hummed softly but happily and the two sisters hugged gently. “I'm happy you're alive.” She told (Your Name). The masked girl hummed happily again before they pulled away.

“Hello, sis.”

(Your Name) turned to see Diego, giving her a gentle smile. She nodded her head to the man. While she and Diego didn't always agree and weren't the closest, they didn't outright hate each other.

Luther came over after, looking down at the girl. “I'm glad you're awake.” He simply said. He was still shocked over this. Having been here the longest and having reached on her several times, never seeing her move an inch. But, (Your Name) knew he was relieved and she nodded at him again, patting his arm.

But, when she turned her head towards the kitchen table, she felt her heart beat faster. There, she saw Five, face showing slight shock but his eyes showed relief. She slowly walked up to him, like she was on autopilot.

Five couldn't believe what he was seeing. (Your Name). The one he was the closest to, standing before him, after just being told she was in a coma. Just when he thought she wasn't alive.

“(Your Name).”

Hearing her name come out of his mouth, (Your Name) sniffled behind her mask and jogged a bit towards the boy; immediately wrapping her arms around him. Five hugged back, clinging onto her. The two embraced for some time, afraid of letting each other go.

They eventually pull away but they can't take their eyes off each other. (Your Name) was still in disbelief that she reached her hands out again and started poking Five's face and playing with his slightly messy hair.

Five gently batted her hands away. “I'm real. I'm right here.” He told her.

(Your Name) raised her hands up a little, backing up a little. That's when she noticed the newspaper. She walked over and picked it up. Her eyes widened at the headline stating that her father was dead.

“This must be very shocking for you.” Allison said to the masked girl. The girl nodded her head before placing the newspaper back on the table. She had no idea how to feel about this. Five, on the other hand,

“Like I said, nice to see nothing's changed.” Five turned and started to leave the kitchen.

“Uh, that's it? That's all you have to say?” Allison asked.

“What else is there to say? The circle of life.” Five said dismissively.

“Well… that was interesting.” Luther said.

Everyone agreed.

Allison spoke again, “(Your Name). Do you want to change your clothes?”

The girl looked at her pajamas and nodded her head.

“Okay. I'll take you upstairs.” Allison offered.

“Come on, Allison. She's not a baby. She can take care of herself.” Diego stated.

“Oh, but Diego, she's been out cold for seventeen years. She probably can't function correctly after not moving for that long.” Klaus whined, defending Allison and (Your Name).

“She's seventeen, not seven.” Diego snapped.

Allison sighed, rolling her eyes. “Come on.” She took (Your Name) upstairs. “You remember where the bathroom is?” She asked. (Your Name) nodded. “Great. You can get cleaned up if you can do it by yourself. We'll wait for you.”

“Thank you.” (Your Name) signed. “You're welcome.” Allison said. “I'm so happy to have my sister back, alive and well.” She added with a smile before she left to go back downstairs.

(Your Name) watched her leave, feeling a comfortable warmth all over her body at Allison's kind words. She went over to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. She heard Five curse in one of the other rooms but thought nothing of it.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't change a bit. She looked like what she did when she was seventeen. But her hair had grown significantly longer; it was almost to her knees. She rummaged around and found a brush and a pair of hair scissors. She brushed it out slowly, getting stuck on a few knots. Once it was smooth, she immediately started cutting the strands of hair. She started by bluntly cutting about ¾ of it off. Now the length was just underneath her breasts. She started to cut it more strategically. She did it in sections and after around ten minutes, her hair was now just above her breasts and in layers. (You can do whatever style you want, whether shorter or longer.)

She turned on the shower and closed the door. She removed her clothes and mask and stepped into the shower, sighing as the warm water hit her skin. She showered until she felt clean, which took her some time, then stepped out, dripping wet. She grabbed the towel and started to dry herself off. She then wrapped the towel around herself and headed to her room to find some clothes.

However, when she got to the door, she saw a glimpse of Five in there and backed away with a soft gasp. Five must've heard her because he spoke up,

“(Your Name). Sorry about this, but I heard you in the shower and decided to pick out your clothes. It's the uniform only, unfortunately.”

The girl peeked inside her room, only showing Five her eyes and up. She reached her hands out and signed, “Thank you.”

Five hummed, giving her a nod. “I'll let you change.” He left her room. (Your Name) watched him leave, noticing his cheeks were a faint shade of pink.

‘Is it because I caught him in my room? Or because he saw me in only a towel? Or both, maybe?’

The girl shrugged, not thinking too much about it, and closed the door once she was inside her room. She slipped on the oh-too-familiar uniform. She looked at herself in her full-body mirror and sighed, not liking how the skirt looked. She then noticed a pair of pants on the bed and decided to switch the skirt out for them. Luckily, the pants fit and checked herself again. She hummed in approval and left the room.

(Your Name) headed downstairs and decided to go to the foyer. She saw Vanya heading over there too, so she walked with her. “You look good.” She spoke quietly. (Your Name) hummed in thanks.

They get to the foyer and see Five standing in there, in front of the fireplace and the portrait of him over the wall. She shyly walked to him, looking at the portrait too.

“Nice to know Dad didn't forget about me.” He said. He turned to see Vanya and (Your Name) standing next to each other. “Read your book, by the way.” He added, addressing Vanya. “Found it in a library that was still standing.”

‘Still standing. What does that mean? And Vanya wrote a book?’ (Your Name) thought to herself.

Five continued as he walked, looking around. “I thought it was pretty good, all things considered. Yeah, definitely ballsy, giving up the family secrets. Sure that went over well.”

‘Did Vanya write about us? Was it positive? Negative? In between? I need to read it myself.’ (Your Name) thought to herself.

“They hate me.” Vanya simply said.

‘I don't hate you.’ (Your Name) thought to herself.

“Oh, there are worse things that can happen.” Five told Vanya.

“You mean like what happened to Ben?” Vanya asked.

This made (Your Name)’s eyes widen. ‘Wait. Where is Ben?!’ Then it hit her. ‘Don't tell me he's …’

Five asked quietly, “Was it bad?”

Vanya only nodded.

(Your Name) felt her heart drop. ‘Oh my God.’

☂

It was pouring out, thunder rumbling as the siblings all walked out to the courtyard for the funeral. Luther led the way, holding the urn that held their late father's ashes. Almost everyone opened up their black umbrellas, minus Klaus who had a clear umbrella with hot pink trim; basically a little kid umbrella. (Your Name) shared an umbrella with Five.

Luther separated from the other siblings, standing a little ways away while the others made a half circle.

“Did something happen?” Their mother, Grace, asked. Everyone looked at their mother. Allison was the one to respond, “Dad died. Remember?”

“Oh. Yes, of course.” She replied, sounding solemn. “Is Mom okay?” Allison asked in concern. “Yeah, yeah, she's fine.” Diego replied.

Klaus pulled out a cigarette and (Your Name) let out a sigh behind her mask.

“She just needs to rest. You know, recharge.” Diego continued.

Pogo arrived with his own black umbrella. “Whenever you're ready, dear boy.” He addressed Luther.

Luther opened the urn and turned it sideways to dump the ashes. However, the ashes just fell onto the ground, making things very awkward.

“Probably would have been better with some wind.” Luther pointed out.

(Your Name) secretly agreed with that statement.

“Does anyone wish to speak?” Pogo asked.

No one volunteered. They just looked around, blank faces. (Your Name) would've stepped up if she wasn't afraid to speak in general.

“Very well.” Pogo started his speech, “In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master… and my friends and I shall miss him very much.”

(Your Name) could tell Pogo was trying to keep it together. She felt a frown form on her face. She knew Pogo and her late father were close, and she wished she could go over and hug the monkey.

“He leaves behind a complicated legacy-”

“He was a monster.” Diego interrupted.

Klaus laughed quietly and (Your Name) looked to Klaus with a blank stare that immediately shut him up. She moved her stare to Diego. Even though Diego had a point, it was still rude to interrupt Pogo like that.

“He was a bad person and a worse father.” Diego continued. “The world's better off without him.”

“Diego.” Allison scolded.

“My name is Number Two. You know why? Because our father couldn't be bothered to give us actual names. He had Mom do it.” Diego said.

(Your Name) looked at Five and she could tell that comment kind of affected him. He masked it well but she could read him like a book.

“Would anyone like something to eat?” Their mom spoke up. “No, it's okay, Mom.” Vanya replied. “Oh, okay.”

“Look, you wanna pay your respects? Go ahead. But at least be honest about the kind of man he was.” Diego said.

“You should stop talking now.” Luther spoke up.

Diego turned to look at Luther. “You know, you of all people should be on my side, Number One.” He taunted.

“I am warning you.” Luther spoke threateningly.

“After everything he did to you?”

Things were slowly reaching a boiling point.

“He had to ship you a million miles away.”

“Diego, stop talking.” Luther growled out his sentence.

But Diego kept going. “That's how much he couldn't stand the sight of you!” He exclaimed, poking his finger on Luther's chest.

With that comment, Luther roughly pushed Diego's hand away and started to throw punches at the other male. Now the two of them were in a full on fist fight. Allison rolled her eyes while Vanya gently ushered their mom back.

“Boy, stop this at once!” Pogo ordered.

Vanya yelled at them to stop. Klaus encouraged the fighting. The two boys kept fighting. Pogo sighed before scoffing and leaving. (Your Name) didn't know what to do; she just watched with wide eyes.

“We don't have time for this.” Five muttered in disinterest as he left. (Your Name) wanted to follow him but stayed back, standing with Klaus.

The fight hit a low point when Luther went to punch Diego, but the latter dodged, causing Luther's fist to collide with Ben's memorial statue. It fell over and when it hit the ground, the head came clean off.

Klaus audibly cringed and (Your Name) flinched.

“And there goes Ben's statue.” Allison said, quietly fuming before she turned around, leaving.

Suddenly, Diego pulled out a knife.

“Diego, no!” Vanya yelled.

(Your Name) knew then, this has gone too far. She pulled down her mask as Diego went to throw the knife.

“Stop!”

Just as she used her power, the knife was thrown. But when he went to grab another, he froze when her power hit him, making him freeze. The blade scratched Luther's arm, revealing a lot of hair. Luther quickly covered it with his hand and walked away quickly, panting and gasping hard.

Everyone else was in shock. They all looked at (Your Name), who was breathing a bit heavily. She saw their eyes on her, and she quickly pulled her mask up and ran inside.

She ran past Allison and Five as she headed to her room. “(Your Name)! What's wrong?!” Allison called out to her in worry. (Your Name) couldn't hear her. She got to her room and shut the door. She sat on her bed, moving her head as she looked down at the floor, panting softly. She subconsciously felt her hand on to her wrist as she remembered a moment from her past.

〰️

17 YEARS AGO

“Nietzsche once said, “Man is as a rope stretched between the animal and the superhuman. A rope over an abyss. It is a dangerous crossing, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling, and halting.”

The seven super-powered children waited at the foot of long spiral stairs, dressed in matching green and white tracksuits. She had her signature mask on, but this one had a special invention hooked in it, allowing her to use her ability without removing her mask. Reginald said that sometimes it's needed in desperate situations or in the training they were doing today.

With the blow of a whistle from Vanya, the seven kids started running up the spiral staircase.

“As much as you strive for individual greatness, and strive you must, for it won't come to you of its own accord…”

The kids all ran as fast as they could. Luther was in the lead for some time until Diego managed to squeeze through and take the lead.

“You must also remember that there is no individual stronger than the collective.”

Out of nowhere, (Your Name) watched Five disappear and reappear ahead of Diego.

“That's not fair, Five's cheating!” Diego yelled.

“He adapted.” Reginald simply stated.

Thinking fast (Your Name) used her ability on Luther and Diego. “Pause!”

The two froze as (Your Name) ran past them. After two seconds, they came to. “What?! Now (Your Name)’s cheating!” Diego yelled.

“She adapted, too.” Reginald said simply.

Five felt a small smirk stretch onto his lips as (Your Name) caught up with him.

They both finished at the same time.

☂

“The ties that bind you together make you stronger than you are alone.”

The kids were getting tattoos today. Allison was crying as Klaus held her, comforting her. They got theirs already.

Diego was in the chair, getting his. He was squirming a bit in pain. Their mother tried to comfort him, but he flicked away, not wanting to seem like a baby.

“They will make you impervious to the pain and hardship the world will thrust upon you.”

Reginald watched them quietly. He turned to the other four, still in chairs waiting. Luther shifted uncomfortably, trying to stay strong. Ben was panting softly.

“And believe me when I tell you, life will be hard.”

Five was the most put together, only blinking nervously and fidgeting his hands a bit. He turned to (Your Name), who sat on his right. She was also panting softly, looking down at her feet nervously. Five knew she was on the verge of a panic attack. He reached his hand out to her and took her hand in his. The masked girl turned to him, eyes shiny with unshed tears. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze to ground herself. Five let her, watching her quietly.

Vanya watched from the stairway. Feeling left out, she took a marker and drew the tattoo on her wrist.

☂

“We can accomplish anything when we accept responsibility together. This is what creates trust.”

Reginald watched his children sleep, monitoring them through wires taped on their heads. The surveillance cameras showed each of them in their room as he worked at his desk.

“Together, you will stand against the reign of evil.”

〰️

(Your Name) sighed through her nose. The action made her cough a little. She looked around her room to see if there was any more throat medication. She managed to find a lot of vials in her bathroom in a secret compartment. She took a bottle, put it in her pocket and headed back downstairs.

☂

In the kitchen, Five was searching the cabinets. Klaus was seated at the table, feet up on the table as usual, guitar in his hands. Allison came in, removing her jacket.

“Where's Vanya and (Your Name)?” She asked.

“Oh. She's gone. As for (Your Name), I don't know. Haven't seen her since she used her ability on Diego.” Klaus replied.

“Wait. She used her ability?” Allison asked in surprise. Five took a moment to look at Klaus, curiosity etched on his face, but he was also secretly surprised.

“Yeah. To try to stop Diego from harming Luther. She looked scared after using it, though.” Klaus observed.

“You know she's afraid of using her ability. She always has been.” Allison said.

Just then, (Your Name) came into the kitchen. Klaus saw her first. “Oh, there you are, dear sister! I missed you!” He whined. (Your Name)’s shoulders went up in a quiet chuckle at his words.

Allison went over. “Are you okay? Klaus told us about what happened.”

The masked girl signed, “I'm okay.”

Allison nodded at her. Then, (Your Name) signed, “Where's Vanya?”

Klaus saw her hand movements and replied, “She's gone.”

“That's unfortunate.” Five spoke up.

Allison agreed verbally.

But Five was talking about something else. “An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, nineteen bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee.”

“Dad hated caffeine.” Allison reminded him.

“Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us.” Klaus pointed out, laughing afterward.

(Your Name) nodded her head at both statements.

“I'm taking the car.” Five said.

This caught the other three siblings’ attention. ‘He can drive?!’ (Your Name) thought to herself.

“Where are you going?” Klaus asked, curiosity etched on his face but also intrigue as he sat up properly.

Five glared at Klaus. “To get a decent cup of coffee.” His gaze softened when he turned to look at (Your Name). “Want to come with me?” He offered.

(Your Name) was surprised by the offer, but she nodded her head, kind of excited to hang out with Five again.

“Do you even know how to drive?” Allison asked, arms crossed over her chest.

“I know how to do everything.” Five replied. He looked at (Your Name). “You know where the car is. Head over there.” He told her before he blinked away.

(Your Name) looked at Klaus and Allison before shrugging and leaving the kitchen, heading to where the car was.

She got out by the alleyway by the mansion and saw headlights coming her way. She raised a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright lights. The car stopped in front of her. The driver side window rolled down, revealing Five.

“Need a ride?” He asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

The masked girl nodded and walked over to the other side of the car. She opened the passenger side door and got in. Five started to drive again. “We're heading to Griddy's. You remember that place, right?” Five asked. (Your Name) nodded yes excitedly.

A comfortable silence fell in the car. A few minutes passed without the two talking. Until Five asked a question,

“Why was everyone talking about you being dead?”

(Your Name) shifted uncomfortably. Five noticed her discomfort. “You don't have to tell me.”

The girl shook her head. “I was in a coma. For seventeen years.” She signed.

Five looked at (Your Name) in surprise. “Seventeen years?!” The girl nodded. “I don't know how, but I'm still seventeen physically. I should technically be 34 years old.” She signed.

‘She's like me in a way.’ Five thought to himself.

“Strange.” He muttered.

They arrived at Griddy's. Five turned the car off and got out. (Your Name) followed out and walked with him. Someone held the door open for them, and (Your Name) nodded to them in thanks. The two sit down on the high table, next to each other, and Five rings the bell on the table.

As the two waited, someone else came in and started on Five's left side.

Then, a waitress walked in after leaving the back. “Sorry, sink was clogged. So, what'll it be?” She pulled out a notepad.

“Uh, give me a chocolate éclair.” The man told her. She wrote it down and looked at the kids. “Can I get the kids a glass of milk or something?”

Five scoffed. “The kid wants coffee. Black. And she'll have (Favorite Donut).”

On cue, (Your Name)’s stomach growled.

“Cute kids.” The waitress chuckled awkwardly at the man, who was confused.

Five gave her a very fake smile, making (Your Name) lightly nudge him, silently reprimanding him.

Sensing more awkwardness, the waitress started to get the orders.

Five let out a sigh. “Don't remember this place being such a shithole. I used to come here as a kid. Used to sneak out with my brothers and sisters and eat doughnuts till we puked. You remember, right?” The last question was directed to (Your Name) who nodded her head.

“Simpler times, huh?” Five said to the man.

The man was very confused but played along. “Eh. I suppose.”

The waitress came back with the orders. The older man took out money and gave it to the waitress. “Here. I got theirs.”

“Thanks.” Five said. (Your Name) hummed and nodded her head to the man before she turned around, facing away from the two as she started to eat her donut.

Five noticed the man's jacket, seeing the logo on the front. “You must know your way around the city.” He told the man. “I hope so. I've been driving it for twenty years.” Five nodded a bit. “Good. I need an address.”

(Your Name) wasn't listening to the two, too focused on eating the sweet treat. She didn't realize how hungry she was until then.

She heard the door open and close, and she turned around again, facing the right way. She just finished her doughnut and pulled her mask back up. “Thank you.” She signed to Five.

Five hummed, nodding at her. He folded a napkin and put it in his pocket. He went to sip his coffee but stopped when the door opened again. In the reflection of the bell, he saw people enter. (Your Name) heard it too.

“Hmm. That was fast. I thought I had more time before they found me.” Five spoke.

(Your Name) looked using her peripheral vision and saw men pointing their guns at them. She felt panic rush through her veins, but she stayed still. ‘What is happening?’ She thought to herself.

One of the armed men spoke, “Okay. So let's all be professional about this, yeah? On your feet and come with us. They want to talk.”

‘Who's they?’ (Your Name) thought.

“I've got nothing to say.” Five simply said.

The armed man then suddenly pointed his gun at (Your Name). “It doesn't have to go this way. You think I want to shoot a kid? Let alone two? One that's not even involved in this? Go home with that on my conscience?”

(Your Name) swallowed nervously. She looked at Five from her peripheral vision. She saw his hands move underneath the table. He was signing to her.

“Be ready.”

The masked girl nodded a bit.

Five spoke again, “Well, I wouldn't worry about that.” He turned to look at the man. “You won't be going home.” He stealthily picked up the butter knife on the table, and with a blink of an eye, he disappeared and reappeared behind the man and threw the knife at the man. The knife lodged into the man, killing him instantly.

The other armed men started shooting, and (Your Name) immediately ducked down, avoiding the flying bullets.

“Hey assholes!” Five caught their attention before he blinked away. The armed men started shooting again. (Your Name) stayed ducked down, but she pulled down her mask, getting ready for anything.

Five appeared again, jabbing the end of a mop into one of the men in the side before blinking away again. He reappeared behind another and used his necktie to pin the guy down on a table and strangle him. One of them tried to shoot at Five, but (Your Name) quickly stood up.

“Stop!”

The man froze in place, and Five took the opportunity to grab a pencil off another table and stabbed the guy, and threw a plate at one that was behind (Your Name), knocking him down. He then pulled the pencil out of the man and stabbed him in the eye. The man screamed in pain and fell back, blood spraying out the wound.

The last two standing armed men stood up, charging at the two. Five ran to the table counter and blinked away while (Your Name) dodge rolled away, making two of them shoot each other instead of them.

Five blinked back, sighing as he walked around the carnage. (Your Name) saw one was still breathing. She turned to him.

“Die.”

With that word said, the man took his last breath and died on the spot.

(Your Name) pulled up her mask. “Great work, (Your Name). You still have it in you.” Five praised her as he got his necktie off the guy he strangled. The masked girl felt her cheeks warm up a little at the praise.

Five heard beeping and picked up a device that looked like a tracking device. He immediately grabbed a bigger knife and rolled up his right sleeve.

(Your Name) was confused at first, but when she saw Five cutting his arm, she internally panicked and went to stop him.

“It's all right, (Your Name).” He tried to reassure her. With a groan of pain, he dug into the self made cut, making poor (Your Name) whine in worry. After a few seconds, Five pulled out a tiny tracking chip, beeping softly and flashing a green dot.

‘Why does he have that in his arm? And who were those men that we just killed?’ (Your Name) thought to herself.

Five wrapped his cut with napkins and rolled his sleeve down. “Let's go, (Your Name).” He gestured her to follow him, with his head. (Your Name) followed willingly and walked on Five's right side. She watched him drop the tracking chop into a puddle near a drain. He fixed his tie with a smirk as he continued walking, with (Your Name) following beside him.

“Who were those people? Why did they follow us? What did they want with us?” The masked girl signed, getting over the slight shock she just experienced.

“Don't worry. I'll answer those questions soon. But we need to go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Just follow me.” Five instructed. “You trust me, right?” He gave the masked girl a barely there smile.

(Your Name) felt her cheeks warm up again. She nodded, signing, “Always.”

Five nodded back at her with a hum as he led her to their next destination.

☂

The pair arrived at an apartment complex.

“Who lives here?” (Your Name) signed.

“You'll see.” Five placed his hands on (Your Name)’s arms. “All right. I'm going to blink us up to the floor we need to. Hold onto me.”

(Your Name) instinctively grabbed Five's arms, and within seconds, the two were teleported into one of the rooms. The masked girl felt dizzy but managed to steady herself. She heard Five sit down in the armchair, and she just stood by him.

They heard the door unlocking and opening. Five turned on the light switch. It was Vanya.

“Jesus!” Vanya flinched in surprise.

“You should have locks on your windows.”

“I live on the second floor.” Vanya said.

“Rapists can climb.” Five coolly retorted.

“And murderers, and robbers.” (Your Name) signed.

“You two are so weird.” Vanya closed the apartment door. She removed her jacket and sat down on the couch. That's when she noticed something red on Five's shirt. “Is that blood?”

“It's nothing.” Five simply replied. (Your Name) shook her head frantically at his words, humming in denial, but the two others ignored her.

“Why are you here?” Vanya asked.

Five sighed. “I've decided you are the only one I can trust. Along with (Your Name).”

“Why me?” Vanya asked.

“Because you're ordinary.” Five replied.

(Your Name) gently hit Five's shoulder in response, silently scolding him. “Because you'll listen.” He corrected himself. “(Your Name) too.”

Vanya agreed and got up to get medical supplies. She came back, and Five rolled up his sleeve, revealing the blood-soaked napkin. Vanya started to fix him up as she looked at (Your Name).

“What about you? Do you need any fixing up?” She asked. (Your Name) shook her head, and she tapped on her pocket before pulling out a vial of throat medicine. “Oh. That's good.” Vanya nodded before she continued helping Five. (Your Name) turned the cap on the bottle and pulled up her mask before she started drinking out of the bottle. The liquid soothed her sore throat. She put the now empty bottle back in her pocket as she heard Five explain,

“When I jumped forward and got stuck in the future, do you know what I found?”

“No.” Vanya replied. (Your Name) shook her head.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Five said. “As far as I could tell, I was the last person left alive. I never figured out what killed the human race, but… I did find something else. The date it happens.” Five paused for a moment.

“The world ends in eight days, and I have no idea how to stop it.”

(Your Name) and Vanya were shocked. They couldn't believe what they just heard.

Vanya offered to make coffee while (Your Name) stayed, still in shock.

‘The world is ending soon? What will we do?’

[purifiedclitoris69]

Flowers

a/n: j a blurb in addition to spiders dance, enjoy!

Natasha Romanoff x reader

You and Natasha have practically been inseparable, since your mission, and extra exercise on the jet ;) The two of you have never been closer, you two did declare that you were each others, you were her’s and she was your’s, making you officially in a relationship. However, here you were as nervous as ever you paced outside Natasha's door, clutching a small bouquet of flowers.

Yourr palms were sweaty, and your heart was racing faster than it had during any mission. After fighting off assassins and taking down criminal organizations, asking Natasha Romanoff out on a date was somehow the scariest thing you’d ever faced.

"Okay, you’ve got this," you muttered to yourself. "It’s just Natasha. It’s just… the deadliest woman alive. Who could kill me with a paperclip, who so happens to be the most stunning woman there is as well..” you began to ramble.

With a deep breath, you raised your hand to knock on the door, your knuckles almost trembling, just about to move. When it opened, suddenly, Natasha stood there, dressed in her loose shorts you could barely see under a sweatshirt, that was yours? You melted at the sight of her; Her eyes flicked to the flowers, then back to you with an amused quirk of her brow.

"You okay?" Natasha asked, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.

You swallowed hard, your voice coming out shakier than expected. "Uh, yeah! I mean, no. Well, yes. I mean—these are for you!" You thrust the flowers toward her a little too quickly, almost hitting her with them.

Natasha’s smile widened as she took the flowers. "Thank you. They're beautiful.” The smirk never leaving her face at how nervous she still made you.

Not as beautiful as you, you thought to yourself blushing. You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly. "Yeah, well, I-I thought you might like them. Not that you need flowers to be more... you know... awesome. You’re already that. Just, uh, wanted to give you something nice."

"detka breathe," Natasha said, leaning against the doorframe, her eyes scanning you with that unnervingly sharp gaze, that held that beautiful sparkle. "What’s going on?"

"Right, yeah, so, uh—" You cleared your throat, trying to will yourself to speak without sounding like an idiot. "I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to go out sometime? Like, on a date, officially. With me."

Natasha's eyes flicked up from the flowers to your nervous face, and for a moment, you thought you’d she laugh and blow you off. But then, to your relief Natasha grinned that—genuine, kind, soft smile.

"You’re cute when you're nervous, you know that?" she said, stepping closer, and placing a hand on your chest.

Your face turned bright red. "What! I’m not-,” she quirked her eyebrow once more, “okay maybe a little.”

Natasha laughed lightly, looking back down at the flowers, a blush of her own appearing "I’d love to go out with you,” she stood on her tippy toes hand going to the back of your neck and gave you a slow loving kiss, “and I love how nervous I still make you,” she whispered against your lips. You blinked, dumbfounded. Natasha gave you a playful smirk falling back to her flat feet. “next time, relax a little. I don’t bite.…unless you want me too."

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, a relieved loving grin grew on your face. "Great! I mean, that’s great! Uh, so… dinner tomorrow?"

"Dinner tomorrow," Natasha confirmed, leaning in to kiss you quickly on the cheek. "And thank you for the flowers. They’re lovely."

“Of course,” you blushed once more handing going to the back of your neck again

“Are you heading somewhere, or you gonna come inside,” she asked opening the door wider for you

“Wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else,” your smile grew wider if that was even possible. Following her into her room, shutting the door, and locking it behind you ;)

[rottenpumpkin13]

Okay but with the thing about Genesis and Cloud getting married for April Fools Day.

Kinda morbid but before Genesis defects from Shinra, he tells Cloud to take the biggest life insurance claim out on him.

Which either forces Shinra to admit that Genesis is actually alive when they said he died in action or to pay a large amount of money out to Cloud.

I couldn't not write this.

-

Cloud sat in a cramped, stuffy office, feeling the discomfort of the rigid chair against his back. The room belonged to the claims department, a neglected corner tucked away on the General Affairs floor of the building. Across from him sat a trio of figures—a visibly anxious man in a suit and two imposing Turks. His leg had stopped jittering two minutes ago when the female Turk⏤Cissnei, he thought, Zack knows her⏤"broke the news" to him.

"Killed in action," she said, lying through her teeth, along with "I'm sorry for your loss" and "no remains have been recovered so far."

Everyone in that room knew it was a lie, including the "widower" himself, sitting there with his arms crossed and feigning the grief Genesis instructed him to display that night he explained his plan.

"You want to get married?" Cloud repeated, the words echoing in the training room, bouncing off the walls and reverberating in Cloud's ears.

"Not in the romantic sense,” Genesis clarified with a teasing grin. “And certainly not with the traditional details of a wedding, although I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a white dress.”

Cloud rolled his eyes, making Genesis's smile turn into a laugh.

"Tell me this is one of your bad jokes," Cloud sighed.

Genesis shook his head, his expression serious. "Like I've said before, I want to help you, but seeing as I will not be able to continue to mentor you, I have to find some other way to guarantee that you're well provided for in my absence."

Genesis winced as he moved his arm.

The mention of Genesis's impending departure was a bitter pill for Cloud to swallow, made all the more painful by the sight of his mentor's wounded shoulder.

"I can’t see how marriage factors into this," Cloud admitted, his tone skeptical.

"When I…" Genesis narrowed his eyes, "Leave, they'll declare me M.I.A. And when I openly defy and wage war against them, they'll try to kill me off and M.I.A will turn into K.I.A. Once our marriage is finalized, you're to take an insurance claim out on me. When I die, they'll have no choice but to give you the money."

Cloud's eyes were wide by the time Genesis finished speaking, in a way that almost made his heart ache. He was going to miss him.

"I don't want you to…" Cloud's voice was small, his brow scrunching together in disbelief.

"And I won't," Genesis assured him with a smile. "They'll do everything in their endless power to brush my existence under the rug and erase me from the public eye. So we're going to take advantage of that to make sure you're comfortable after I leave."

Cloud's hands were two fists balled and pressed into his lap. He kept his gaze fixated on his quickly whitening knuckles, anything to not look Genesis in the eyes, because he knew a pathetic tear would escape his own.

"I could come, you know."

"Defect?" Genesis sounded impressed. "Give up on your dreams, be branded as a traitor, and be targeted by Shinra? I don't think so, Cloud."

"Why not?"

"Because your life will be different." Genesis looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Trust me. You'll be able to take the money, leave the army, take care of your mother, go to university, and start a completely new life as far away from Shinra as you can get."

Cloud dropped his head, his sigh rippling through his body as he finally unclenched his fist.

"So….marriage," he said. "When?"

Genesis hesitated, relieved and in disbelief that Cloud didn’t protest. "We can make it official at the courthouse today," he suggested, unable to hide the urgency in his words. "I leave for Wutai in a week—it has to be now."

"And what will you tell Sephiroth and Angeal?"

"The same you'll tell Zack." Genesis smiled. "An April fools' joke gone wrong because we weren't aware the marriage was legally binding."

Cloud scoffed, shooting the SOLDIER an incredulous look. "That….kinda sounds believable."

"Good. It has to be."

Cloud met his eyes, finally. "This isn't how I pictured getting engaged."

Genesis hummed. "Don't worry, I can get you a ring."

Cloud elbowed him, instigating Genesis to respond with a nudge of his own. Their exchange escalated into a brief play-fight marked by their shared laughter.

Cloud knew he would miss him.

And he did.

Cloud sat, looking down at his hand, playing with the gold band on his ring finger as he tried his best to swallow the lump in his throat. He didn't know why he felt like this. Genesis was still alive, degrading, but still alive until his body finally gave out. There was nothing Cloud could do to help him, so he had to do the next best thing and honor his wish, honor the "joke."

With a heavy sigh, Cloud finally lifted his gaze to meet the expectant eyes of the suit sitting across from him.

"So how much am I entitled to?"

[hsyvers]

IM IN LOVE WITH SPIDER-JEN you dont even understand 🥰😝😻 but im craving some angst... can you write yn getting attacked by one of yunjins enemies and she doesnt get there in time? my heart hurts just by requesting this 🤧

for you, i'd bleed myself dry - spiderwoman!h.yj x reader

WARNING(S); vague descriptions of death

NOTES; 1k. i hate writing angst so so much but when someone requests i'll try my best to deliver so 😭 yk atsv and like the thing abt canon events....and the last gwenter scene in tasm 2....yeah....im kinda denying that it's a pt.2 to my spiderwoman yunjin fic bc im delulu <3

"hey!" yunjin yells, her heart hammering in her chest, "y/n! i need to hear you!"

"i'm okay!" you respond shakily, standing on a tiny ledge that oversaw the whole hollow clocktower, except for a bunch of gears moving. the fall would still be able to kill, "focus on your fight!"

yunjin lets out a relieved sigh, wincing at the action. her ribs hurt the more she breathes, her vision getting blurry the more she evades her enemy's attacks.

how much has technology advanced anyway? with all the guys yunjin has had to deal with, especially the last few months, it felt like every terrible person was trying to be on par with spiderwoman.

that's how you all ended up on top of this fucking clocktower anyway. if it weren't for her insisting to give you a quick kiss, he might have thought you were just a normal civilian.

'fucking idiot,' she thinks to herself, forcing her limbs to move. once she feels her foot connect with his face, she dives down to get you.

"hold on tight," she orders, with you nodding quickly. she webs something sturdy above the both of you, but just as she pulls up, the criminal cuts it off.

all yunjin can hear is your gasp and his sickening laugh.

she grabs you with a web and sends another one to hold her up.

he seems bored of repeating the same action, jumping down to challenge yunjin to take him on again.

you see the white eyes of her mask focusing on you, and at this moment, it hurts to think of how much she loves you.

when he tries to grasp her arm, you shout a warning, and yunjin manages to kick him off again, her arm swinging to throw a punch before she holds herself up again.

then the gears meet, and your web snaps.

it happens so quickly, that, you wonder if you even screamed.

yunjin doesn't either. she just jumps.

lower, and lower, and lower.

a string chases your chest.

you hear a crack, and you feel yunjin's arms envelop you.

and you're grateful that that's the last thing you feel.

"please, please, please, oh fuck," yunjin pulls off her mask, tears streaming down her cheeks when she falls to the floor, cradling you, "please, babe, no. don't do this."

she leans her ear to your chest, and she has the urge to die herself when she hears nothing.

"honey, no, please," she begs softly, her chest wrecking with sobs when she presses a lingering kiss to your temple.

"get up, okay? tell me you're alright. scold me for being late to practice. yell at me for dropping you!"

it aches. it aches how alive you looked and how dead you felt.

"i'm so sorry, i'm so sorry," she chants, holding you closer as she cries, "it's all my fault. i should've-...i..."

"you look so tired," you whisper, one late night.

yunjin had come home around 3 am, and she's sitting tiredly on your bed, nuzzling her face onto your chest as you stood and held her.

"everything...hurts."

you pull her mask off, expression souring when you see a cut on her lip and eyebrow.

"one day, i'll kill the people who hurt you like this," you declare quietly, after patching her up, like you always have, and you always will.

"no need," she whispers, burying her face in your hair when you lay on the bed, "i'll handle them and you handle me, okay?"

you giggle, and nod in approval, taking her hand to press gentle kisses on her battered knuckles, "i'll take care of you."

and yunjin is surprised at how much she yearns. even when you're around. and painfully more so when you're not.

"it's rotten work."

"not to me. not if it's you."

she remembers falling asleep to your voice.

she never regretted touching you, kissing you, telling you how she loved you, every single day. she never forgot your lips on her own, her cheeks, and her scars.

maybe that's why it was so utterly devastating.

because she never felt that strongly about anyone, or anything. she was the city's protector while you were hers.

she crumbles completely, and she sits there for hours.

the police can arrive, blame everything on her, arrest her, she didn't care.

the only reason why she tears herself away from your body, was so you could be buried properly. she feels as though she can't speak, her eyes red and dull when she left you.

she doesn't come out of her room for days. everyone seems to notice spiderwoman's absence. her friends try to get to her, but she refuses to respond.

she finally shows her face at your funeral, and when they ask why she did, she merely says it's all for you.

and also, she thinks, because you saved her. again, even after death. you did have a way with words, after all.

to my soulmate,

i know you warned me before we started dating, about how i might be in as much danger as you are.

if you found this, it's because you were right, and for whatever reason, i can't be with you right now.

i just want to say that i don't regret kissing you that one night after you saved me, and i certainly wouldn't take back all the love i have given you and my experiences of you giving all you have left in you to me.

in fact, i'd do it all over again, and even now, i love you, i love you, i love you.

you got this! you can pull through it. you're the strongest person i know. and don't forget to lean on our friends if you need them. i know you'll be in good hands.

i took care of you for as long as i could, and you protected me to the best of your ability. i know, because i trust you.

so please, continue to smile and laugh for me, i'll be watching from wherever i am, so don't you dare forget it!

yours forever,

the love of your life (your words, not mine, babe)

[cerine0357]

i ask for Yandere ayano shimizu headcanon with a lazy and tired reader of course you can ignore and delete if your stuff is closing or for any other reason.

oc: Shimizu Family:-

Ayano Shimizu X Reader

✤ Summary: Ayano Shimizu finally has his darling, little sweetheart in his the palms of his hands and it appears that they're.....sleeping?

✤ Fluff|| headcanons|| blood, mentions of murder, invasion of privacy, noncon, dubcon?? since Reader does not care what he does to her as long as she gets to sleep, regular yandere stuff|| Yandere version of OCs

✤ Author's note: I loved writing this, it's been a while since I got back into writing!!! I love you all and thank you for reading!!

Yandere!Ayano X Lazy!S/O HCs

◊ Well, this was quite a surprise to Ayano when he realized how you did not even bother the kidnapping, only slept your way through the whole thing and kissed his forehead, thanking him for helping you escape your life and sleep all day. He was flattered and happy about it, but still surprised nonetheless.

◊ It took him a while to get used to it, he would honestly continuously in worry check your pulse and breathing to see if you're alive and well and sound, makes sure you're okay, thank god you are...It scares him and he gets spooked like a mama gets when her newborn sleeping for longer than usual...

◊ He is extremely concerned for you, so he makes sure EVERYTHING IS ABSOLUTELY OKAY! After he gets used to it, he takes his chances to smother you with his affection, kisses, hugs, snuggles, cuddles, anything that he wants, he'll give it to you with a bright smile.

◊ He has Xinyue cometimes check your head and memories to see if any of it is trauma related and how you think about him, if it's all okay, he's so relieved but still incredibly confused...don't you want to return home? Not that he's complaining, he loves that you're willing to be his little trophy doll.

◊ Sometimes he chases off his siblings when they try to see how deep you sleep by pulling pranks on you,he refuses to let them even do stupid shit near you, though he lets those siblings in who need to de-stress from the family shenanigans for self-care (Oshinyu, Oshinuza, Ilseong, Hyejun), he'll even let them apply skincare to you as long as you're not waking up, he wants you to be all freshen up even if you're asleep with drool out your mouth.

◊ Speaking of drool, he has those super absorbent and silk pillow covers for you, so drool dries easily and your hair is also not ruined..he's particular about things, okay?? He's a nepo baby! Leave him alone, by the end of a week you're becoming a nepo baby too, because you're basically family since you're so quiet.

◊ Ayano doesn't allow anyone in your room, fearing your sleep would be ruined, except his parents and some quiet siblings, so his parents sit there for hours. Both Kaiyo and Reo sit in your room with you to do their paperwork and other stuff otherwise they'll be constantly interrupted by servants, pets, the kids..

◊ Constant sleepwear shopping, he has SO MANY SLEEPWEARS FOR YOU!! Listen, poor boy never had a relationship and you're his first one and his parents always spoil each other, he thinks it's a sign of love and he loves you...Poor thing has no idea what else to do, because you're asleep half the time.

◊ He spends so much time snuggling you, de-stressing beside you, watching movies with earphones, doing homework or anything else where he wants quiet. He has a personal pool in his bedroom's large balcony, so he also spends time there, while watching you with lovesick eyes as you slept with drool, eye-crust or boogers, hair messed up and looking like a demon...Oh so gorgeous.

◊ Let's be honest, he even has specially made mattress, blankets, pillows, pillow covers, bedsheets and other stuff...all for you..all custom made, all for you to sleep, drool and fart in anyways...Yeah, pretty sweet, I know.

© cerine0357. All characters belong to me; Aurelia, Moon, Cerine. Reblogging is appreciated, but plagiarizing or copying my works is forbidden, thank you for reading and if you like this check out my blog!

[fishsticksloser]

Hi! I'm unsure if you've done this already or not, but can I request a fem Reader that deals with derealization and depersonalization and how the turtles help her through specifically harder days? It can be either future or present turtles, whichever you feel would work best here! I've just yet to see anything like this before and it would be nice to read something with them that I go through

Derealization!Reader

RotTMNT x gn!reader

Warnings: derealization (it's the main focus), small hints of depersonalization, angst, comfort, fluff, based post movie

A/N: Absolutely no problem! I'm focusing mainly on derealization, but will touch on some depersonalization.

Donnie

Especially after the events of the movie, he deals with a lot of depersonalization

Often like he's seeing himself like some sitcom or something

Believes he works in his lab for maybe a few hours

But comes out and gets a lecture cause it has apparently been a few days?

So he understands

On your bad days, you can sit in his lab with him or lay in bed with him

Donnie will wrap you up in his arms right

Can't feel far away if he's touching you, right?

He'll remind you what time it is, just so you know

He tries to help you keep track of the times that's passed

You're having an issue remembering something?

He's totally got you

He has visual and audio recordings of your first date, first kiss, all of it

Donnie has a hard time remembering things too

He claims that's why he has these recordings

Feeling robotic?

He feels the same and proves to you that you're not a robot

(this consists of him making you laugh and cuddling you close)

Leo

He doesn't completely understand but he tries his best

In fact, he feels the opposite

Like he's trapped in himself after being in the prison dimension

You feel disconnected from him?

He'll ask what he can do to make you feel closer to him

And he'll do anything

Feeling emotionally numb?

That's okay

Leo will still keep you wrapped up tight

He'll still give you all the loving you need

You feel like you're looking from the outside, just an observer

"Then let's give you a show!"

He jokes and does whatever he can to make you feel better

Mikey

Mikey suffered with a lot of derealization after he saved Leo

A lot of derealization

The first few months, nothing felt real to him

Leo was alive? Mikey saved him?

He felt like he was dreaming, his hands didn't even hurt anymore

So he understands

He had to figure it out on his own for the most part, everyone injured and dealing with their own things

So he will run to you if you need him

Mikey never wants you to suffer alone

He'll hold you, peppering your face in kisses to try and bring you back to reality

If it doesn't work?

Don't worry, he's still not going anywhere

Not until you ask him to

Raph

Raph deals with a lot of depersonalization much like Donnie

He feels like he had no control over himself

Like he's watching everything he does from the outside

He's figured out things that work for him

So he'll do the same with you

He found that sleep and meditation help him

Raph will cuddle up with you and sing you to sleep

He'll gently rub your back, kiss your face, whatever it takes to help you sleep

He'll teach you how to meditate

If it doesn't work, that's fine

He's read that relieving stress in general can help

So he'll try anything once

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Galileo Galilei Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies. Not proofread.

When I heard the story from her, various emotions clashed within me.

I could no longer put it aside as a coincidence.

Are you really someone who can influence fate?

Also, am I really that involved with you?

Galileo: "........"

After checking Mitsuki's condition, I returned to my room.

After some hesitation, I opened my desk drawer and found an old, forgotten origami crane tucked away in the back.

Galileo: "I suspected as much."

(Was that scar on her forehead caused by me?)

The scar on Mitsuki's forehead, her past stories, and the origami crane I now held in my hand all intertwined, bringing back vivid memories of that time.

Back when I traveled to various countries and time periods using the door in search of my dhampir brethren, I encountered an incident in a certain country.

------------Flashback-----------

Bystander: "A truck is coming! Run!"

A vehicle made of metal was speeding towards us at a velocity unimaginable in my era.

Among the cries of the surrounding people, there was a girl standing in the vehicle's path.

(If this continues...)

Before I could even think, my body moved.

Galileo: "Guh..."

Just before the collision, I embraced the girl and rolled onto the ground.

The vehicle then came to a stop, barely avoiding us.

Galileo: "Are you okay?"

Mitsuki: "I-I'm fine."

The girl was trembling and clinging to my chest, perhaps out of fear.

Still, I was relieved to feel her warmth in my arms.

Galileo: "Ah, finally, I..."

Those words spilled out of my mouth involuntarily.

The girl then looked up, and I noticed the smell of blood.

She had scraped her forehead on the ground when we rolled over, leaving a smear of blood on the right side of her forehead.

Galileo: "Sorry. I've caused a wound on your face."

Mitsuki: "No, it's okay. I was so scared earlier that I couldn't move."

Mitsuki: "If it weren't for you, I would've died. I'm alive, thanks to you."

The girl smiled brightly, and her innocent eyes overlapped with the eyes of someone I had lost, causing my heart to ache.

(Perhaps my body moved instinctively because their heights were similar.)

(Livia...)

Cruel scenes suddenly flashed through my mind.

Mitsuki: "Mister!"

Suddenly, the girl called me.

Galileo: "What's up?"

Mitsuki: "You see, I want to give you this as a thank-you. I folded this at school today."

The girl held something in her hand.

Galileo: "What's this?"

Mitsuki: "It's an origami crane. When you spread the wings like this, it looks like a crane."

Mitsuki: "Origami cranes are symbols of peace!"

(Peace, huh?)

The girl spoke those words cheerfully, even though they sounded like dry words to me.

Mitsuki: "Thank you, Mister. You're my lifesaver."

After that, I watched the girl run off to what seemed like her mother and then left the scene.

(Lifesaver.)

Galileo: "I couldn't save anyone, I..."

(Being called a lifesaver doesn't seem right.)

(Even though I saved one person, the weight of what I've lost remains unchanged.)

Just like how light casts shadows, despair lies next to hope.

Still, that scene remained in my memory and connected me to a strange twist of fate. 

---------Flashback Ends--------

Galileo: "The girl I helped back then was Mitsuki."

Galileo: "That event happened when I traveled to the future, which means..." 

Galileo: "Mitsuki came from the future, using the door in the mansion."

Traveling back in time, meeting the historical figures who have returned to life, and finally, without warning, meeting Mitsuki in that garden, it was as if I was following the thread of destiny. 

Galileo: "Even if she doesn't have any special powers, it seems she's still the woman of destiny."

(On top of that, the girl whom I once saved might have the potential to hinder my purpose.)

Galileo: "How ironic."

The coincidence that turned into fate made me want to laugh at myself.

(But the past is the past.)

(Regardless of any connection between her and me, it doesn't matter to me now.)

I tried to convince myself of this, but the eyes of the girl in my memory overlapped with Mitsuki's earnest gaze.

(The girl from that time is still alive.)

The fact that the life I had saved was now right in front of me made my heart tremble.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Black Light 2

Warnings: namecalling, violence, other dark elements. Proceed with caution.

Note: someone said August.

Part of The Club AU

"Kam," you tug on Kamlai's arm, "we have to go."

The guy she's with gropes her from behind, grinding on her as she keeps him from tugging up her skirt. She gives you a look. The look. Please.

"Dude," she elbows the spiky-haired pervert, "get off."

He's reluctant until she stomps his toes. She yells at him in Thai, you're not sure what, and sways his arms away from her. You shake your head as you pull her free of his embrace.

"Where's Manda?" She asks with a slur dragging her tongue.

"Dunno," you cling to her, "that weirdo tried to roofie me."

"Huh?" She yells behind you.

"Put something in my drink."

"Ew," she nearly bowls you over as you stop short.

"Yeah, uhhhh," you look around, "where would she–"

"Gross!" She points over your shoulder, "typical."

You follow the direction of her finger to Amanda tangled up, macking on the guy she picked from the lot. Ugh, she really has to be the one and only. You roll your eyes and haul Kam with you as you approach.

"Amanda," you call above the music, "let's go."

She doesn't stop. Doesn't seem to hear you as you latch onto her arm. It's only then she turns her head, the guy's mouth almost continuing its sloppy work on her ear.

"Fuck off!" She shakes free of you and shoos you with the flick of her acrylics.

"Manda," you shout, "we gotta go."

"I'm having fun," she barks back, "you wanna go home, go."

"But–"

"Fuck her," Kam pulls you back. "Look."

You turn with her and look across the room, Cole and the spiky blond staring in your direction, chatting to each other. Shit. You thought the bouncer scared him off.

"But…" you spin to face Kam.

"Nope, not sticking around for her. She got the hot one anyway."

Kam lets go of you and stomps off in her heels, ankles threatening to bend as her arms swing violently. You trail her in a tenous scramble, hands sligthly out to keep from toppling. The flashing lights and the pumping music add to the disarming atmosphere.

The cool night breeze beckons to you through the open door. Kamlai is first out but as you exit, you run into the elbow of an unsuspecting barrier. The same bouncer as before recoils and grumbles.

"Sorry," you smile sheepishly. "You okay?"

He stares at you, his face drowned in shadows, "yeah," he answers dryly, "I'll survive."

You cringe and brush by to catch up with Kam. The glow of her phone lights up her features as her pointed nails tap.

"Calling an uber," she mumbles, "I can't believe Amanda. She's so stupid."

"Mmm," you peek back at the doors. "Maybe we should go back and get her."

"You think she'd help you? She's selfish," Kam sniffs, "remember the school trip to New York?"

"Uh huh," you squint at the dark figure beside the door. You can't tell if he's looking at you but it feels like he is. "I… guess you're right."

"You know I am," she scoffs.

🥂

Just after noon, you wake to the chirp of your phone. You snatch it blindly, rolling over to check the messages. Just Kamlai whining how hungover she is. Mood.

There's a notification that Amanda posted a story. You check it, anxiously, relieved at least to see her alive in the video, though unimpressed at the naked back of the man next to her. If she wants to make Seth jealous, you're sure she's doing a great job.

You get up and get going, the previous night following you around as it rattles in your head and mulches in your stomach. Such a happy birthday, almost drugged and ditched by your supposed bff. And that bouncer… a bit gruff but you can't deny he saved you.

Hmmm. You know exactly how to thank him!

🥂

You walk up to the club. It's not yet open and in the light of day, it's a bit less showy. As you approach, you see a face you recognize. The second bouncer, the pudgy one, yawns as he struts up to the doors.

"Oh, sir, sir," you run forward, your skirt fluttering around your legs, "hi."

He looks at you woth a crooked smirk, "why, hello, darlin'."

"Uh, hello," you reply, "um, I'm looking for your friend."

"Friend?" He frowns.

"Um, yes, the tall one! The other one," you explain poorly, you can't even remember what he looks like.

"Auggy? Ah, well, he should be 'round," he thinks, "didn't think he was seeing anyone."

"Oh, no, no, no," you deny, "I was only hoping to thank him. He really helped me out so I bought some cookies from Marie's…"

"Cookies, you say? I might know where to find him for a price."

"Uh, sure," you open the lid, "snicker doodle?"

He smirks and takes a cookie. He chuckles as he turns on his heel and heads for the door. He elbows it open as he swallows, "hey, Aug, out here."

He lets the door close and you wait on the stoop. You bounce impatiently and after a few minutes, the hinges grind again. You look up as the large man pokes his head out with a dull stare.

"Oh, hi," you keep your smile wide. You didn't notice last night the scars along the right side of his face. A curved ripple around his temple, and several long marks down his cheek and jaw. His eye is completely white and part of his eye brow permanently shorn.

"What?" He snarls.

"Oh, I… you might not remember me, but you uh, you helped me last night so I just wanted to thank you."

He sneers and doesn't react. You open the box and angle it towards him.

"Cookies!"

He stares. Silent.

"Cause you were so nice–"

He steps out completely and you lean away, but don't retreat. He grabs a cookie gruffly and holds it up. He wraps his fist around it and crushes it, letting the crumps rain to the ground.

"I don't want your fucking pity, you bimbo," he slaps the box out of your hands as he looms over you, "so why don't you get the fuck out of here?"

You stand in shock, hands still out as you look at the cookies littered over the pavement. You gape at him and fold your arms over your stomach.

"Why–"

"I said go," he growls, "don't let me see ya back her either."

He steps forward, half a lunge that has you staggering backward. You let out a pathetic squeak as you spin and flit away. You get halfway down the street before you look back over your shoulder.

Wow, he didn't have to be so mean. If he didn't like snickerdoodles, he could just say so.

[thelovelylolly]

Hi first of all i hope youre doing okay, wel best as you can be and i give you my condoleance 💗 please take care of yourself and don't feel obligated to anything.

Tw: school shooting

I was wondering (for when you maybe feel like writing again) You could write Frank Castle x teen reader where she's maybe like his daughter figure (like amy) and he's out doing vigilante shit while she's in school and gets a text from her saying just " i love you" but there is a school shooting and she's shot and just full on panic for context i was in a school shooting a year or two back and got shot luckly the police and ambulance came shortly after but i just wish i had someone like Frank to calm me down or come save me 😅💗

If you dont wanna write this or feel comfortable because of this request my apologies im so sorry just ignore it if that s the case.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading anyway.

I've Got You

Summary : During a vigilante job, Frank gets a text from you and he knows something's wrong. He soon finds out what happened and was there for you. Warnings : *please dont read this if any of this makes you uncomfortable, do whats best for you and your mental health!!* mentions of a shooting, injuries, and death. heavy angst, hurt/comfort, fem reader (daughter figure) Notes : thank you for your kind words love <3 im so sorry youve had to go through something like that, no one deserves to go through that, but im happy youre here :) thank you for your request and i hope i did your idea justice <3

'I love you.'

Frank never knew three words from a text could scare him so much. The three words he had said to you when he came to terms with you becoming a daughter to him. The three words you two rarely had to say to each other since you showed your love for each other in different ways.

The three words you said on a whim before going to school that morning, because it felt right and you had a gut feeling to say it.

But now, Frank was terrified. You usually sent texts with all lowercase letter, with little to no punctuation, with acronyms and sayings that he didn't get.

He was in the middle of a stake out when his phone pinged. He quickly ditched his job and hopped in his truck, speeding towards your school and trying to text you at the same time.

'What's going on?'

'Text me back'

'Call me'

'Do something to let me know you're okay'

His stopped texting after a minute and tuned his radio to the police's frequency, a trick he needed for his jobs.

"Shots fired at the high school, two squads already on the scene-"

Shots fired.

Those two words echoed through Frank's mind, drowning out whatever the dispatcher was saying. He had heard those words millions of times between his marine years and his vigilante time, but this time was different. You were in danger and Frank wasn't there with you, ready to put himself between you and whatever threatened you.

Frank was still blocks away when he heard the dispatcher say, "students are starting to be escorted out, threat is cornered in the gym."

Frank took a deep breath. You could be outside already, waiting for him. He could see you clinging to your friends, all of you relieved to be alive. He could see you talking to whatever authority figure would talk to you, asking them if everyone was okay and who was still inside. You were very compassionate, ready to put yourself in danger to help others.

Something you picked up from Frank.

Minutes later, Frank pulled up to your school. He saw ambulances and many cop cars parked in front and around the sides. He usually would stay away from the cops, but he didn't care. He needed to see you alive and safe.

He parked his truck and quickly got out, jogging over to the crowd of crying students, teachers and parents. He scanned the crowd for you, but he didn't spot you. What if you weren't out yet? Were you still stuck inside? Were you hurt and couldn't get out?

What if he was too late?

"Can I borrow your phone to call my dad? I just want him to know I'm okay."

He heard your voice and spun around, his eyes immediately locking onto you. You were sitting in the back of an ambulance, talking to the first responder inside with you. You were holding your side and your leg was bouncing up and down quickly, a nervous habit of yours.

Frank called out your name and started towards you. You looked over at him and quickly got out of the ambulance, wincing slightly when you hit the ground. You jogged over to Frank, letting yourself break the dam of tears you had been holding back.

The moment Frank's arms wrapped around you, holding you as close as possible, you let a sob rack your body. You were too tired to hug him back, letting yourself sob in his arms. He started to rub soothing circles on your back, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. I've got you, I'm here."

His words made you cry more and wrap your arms around him, holding him tight to make sure he's real.

You were terrified and had no idea if you were going to see him again. You texted him 'I love you' to make sure he knew just in case, then you shut it off so it wouldn't light up or make noise. You then dropped your phone as you were running out of the building.

Frank pulled away from you, looking at you and wiping your tears away.

"I thought I lost you, kid. I-I thought you were still inside," he said, choking up a bit. He glanced down to your side, seeing the bandages wrapped around your stomach. "What happened?

You followed his gaze down, sniveling a bit as you took a deep breath. "I g-got hit, but th-they said it wasn't bad. I g-guess I got lucky."

Frank wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to kiss your forehead.

"I love you," you murmured.

"I love you, too, kid," he replied, leading you to his truck.

[bestworstcase]

@tumblingxelian tag from here

#OK I'd legit love to hear your take on her interactions with Oscar

oh i think about the interrogation scene a normal amount

something i want to underline before diving in is the conspicuous discrepancy between the eloquence and spoken delivery of salem's soliloquies in V1/V3 (internal monologue) versus her dialogue (verbal speech). it's especially noticeable in juxtaposition with ozma's V7 soliloquy versus ozpin's dialogue, where no such discrepancy exists; oz talks the way he thinks, he's an excellent orator and even in casual conversation he's well-spoken and charismatic.

whereas salem... thinks eloquently and often poetically ("nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness..." or "it's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary..."), but speaks with minimal rhetorical flair. her speech is also sometimes a little stilted or just very, very deliberate in a way that does not sound natural; and there's times—her conversation with cinder in V5 is a particularly noticeable example—where what she says circles around what she means.

"working with bandits? keeping ruby alive? what's the point? we're strong enough to take what we want by force!" / "never underestimate the usefulness of others; take leonardo. he was one of ozpin's most trusted, but now... hm. you will have the power i promised you when the time is right, but remember that it comes with a cost. if ruby rose has learned to harness her gift, you must take care to protect yours. there's only so much i can do to aid you."

<- its like. instead of just saying it, salem says examples supporting the idea she's trying to articulate. if a conversation were a math problem, salem shows all of her work but doesn't give the answer. and she does this A LOT.

none of the other characters in the story are like this—which means it isn't, like, a problem with the writers failing to write cogent dialogue. it's a deliberate character choice for salem specifically.

anyway, prior to the interrogation scene, salem only appears in contexts where she is either addressing her subordinates or—in V7—giving ironwood the terms of her siege. on two of these occasions, she get interrupted with unexpected new information (ozpin is back, ruby rose used the lamp) and in both cases, salem abruptly ends the conversation and either kicks everyone else out (V6) or leaves (V7).

and i think that's worth noting in relation to this scene, because the interrogation veers off script very fast and we get to see salem, um, Trying Her Best.

so!

as far as salem knows, oscar is gone. she expects—prepares for—a hostile and painful confrontation with ozma. when oscar wakes up, she's huddled against a pillar in a shadowy corner with an arm curled around herself and her head low, staring fixedly at conjured shadows of her dead children. she is Not Okay.

but when she speaks, her tone is conversational. almost cordial, once she's past the withering sarcasm in "my long lost ozma... found at last." it's affected! it's not real! she's reciting words she planned and probably rehearsed beforehand—which i think is likely the case for most of her little speeches. she's a poor speaker.

except... it's oscar. salem twigs that he isn't ozma the instant he talks, stares at him for a couple seconds without no visible reaction except that her mocking little smile fades, and:

snarls and grabs his face and yanks him down to get a better look at him—the mask just shatters. there's lots of ways to interpret this, but i'm inclined to take it as salem recognizing that this isn't ozma and then second-guessing that instinct and grabbing him because she needs to be absolutely sure.

"you can pretend, boy... but you're not fully him. not yet, at least." her tone shifts on every clause, from almost a growl to relieved to just sort of resigned. and then she drops him, exhales, steps back:

and just... stands there gazing into the middle distance for a couple seconds. like—oscar being here was not a possibility she even considered until it happened and upon finding herself in this situation her reaction is basically, "...um."

and then she's like

well... :)

perhaps you and i can have a better working reLaTiOnShiP.

...

...

oscar, >:[

was it? :\

laying aside the dire understatement of referring to what happened between her and ozma as a bad "working relationship," you can like. hear. the crash box crashing in her head as she says this. her tone swings from sweet and gentle to sardonic to coldly indifferent—and then she follows this by swerving right back into cordial neutrality. hrgkhsj her affect just goes haywire

and i think that happens because this is just so far out of expected bounds that she can't figure out how to say what she needs to say to get herself back on track. her speech smooths out again as soon as she segues into her questions, because she knows what she planned to ask ozma and she can tailor that to oscar instead.

but getting there? dial-up noises.

the hysterical part though is that it's really obvious this awkward verbal jumble isn't indicative of internal confusion or uncertainty, in that salem knows what she's going to do—her chosen tactics are clear and entirely coherent. she:

calms herself down and backs off.

states her intention to play nice if he cooperates.

both implicitly and explicitly differentiates him from ozma to indicate she understands he's his own person and can and will set her rage and bitterness with ozma aside to treat oscar fairly.

which is precisely what i meant in the OP, about salem having the necessary grasp of human nature to be—in theory—a formidable manipulator but lacking the social dexterity and charisma required to put it into effective practice. like, tactically this line of attack is very shrewd, but her awkward, erratic delivery cuts the legs out from under it because she sounds utterly insincere.

⭐️ she tried.

continuing on—salem first explains the context regarding what she needs to know about "the beacon relic" (sidebar, does... salem even know what it is? this is the only one she refers to this way. the lamp, the staff, the sword, and "the beacon relic"), all in a fairly amicable tone except for:

"if i know my ozma" <- she's implicitly positioning herself and oscar on the same 'side' against ozma. this follows from her deliberate rhetorical separation of oscar from ozma and also the basis of her strategy in coaxing this information out of oscar. the reason she's taking the time for this little prologue is not to help oscar understand why she captured him necessarily. she's (trying to) set out the rules of the game she is playing. trying to, because she's doing her showing-her-work-but-not-giving-the-answer thing again.

here's what she means:

"perhaps you and i can have a better working relationship. oscar, was it?" -> i can work with you because i know you're not him. "if i know my ozma, he has used some means of deception to hide [the relic's] location differently from the others." -> ozma lies. i despise him for lying to me. i expect you to prove to me that you're not like him in this specific way. "i need to know where it is." -> i want an honest answer.

salem knows he isn't going to tell her where ozma hid the relic, if oscar even knows that information; she doesn't expect or even want him to tell her that yet, necessarily. rather, this is a test. she wants to see if oscar will try to deceive her.

"that's not something i know about." he passes.

immediately, salem rewards him for being honest. "of course." she removes her hand from the hound's shoulder and moves away.

"he would keep that one guarded as long as possible." she also takes the opportunity to reinforce that she sees oscar as a separate individual and insinuates that ozma is actively keeping secrets from both of them.

and again, this is a cunning approach because:

oscar is scared and uncomfortable. he quite clearly anticipates that salem is going to get angry and hurt him as he says he doesn't know the answer. so when she accepts "i don't know" without hesitation and physically moves out of his personal space, it creates these feelings of surprise and relief.

that emotional reaction is the key to salem's strategy here. first she tells oscar that she will be reasonable if he cooperates, then she clarifies her expectations ("don't lie.") she asks a question knowing full well that he either can't or won't answer it. he says "i don't know" and braces for retaliation, but instead salem goes "okay" and turns down the heat. she's demonstrating through her actions that she's going to play fair.

"how about something easier, then? the password for the lamp."

she doesn't expect him to tell her this one either. not yet. it's another test that builds from the first. she's established that "i don't know" is a safe answer (as long as it's true). what salem's fishing for him to say now is "i'm not going to tell you that."

why? when she walked away, she left oscar hanging from the hound's jaws. salem lowered the heat—she didn't turn it all the way off. the point of all this is to teach oscar how to play her game, and the last rule he needs to know is that "i won't say" is also a safe answer. had he given her that answer, the hound would have set him down and withdrawn to lay down in the entryway.

only then would the game truly begin. the idea is to draw oscar into something like a real conversation and gradually get him comfortable saying things like "i don't know" and "i won't answer that question" by cultivating trust. once that rapport exists, it becomes really easy to turn the discussion around by asking oscar why? why not take the risk of trusting her with this or that information? after all, she's been nothing but polite and reasonable. does he truly still believe she's the evil monster ozma made her out to be? she gave him the benefit of the doubt... can't he do the same for her?

salem wins by convincing him she's a person he can negotiate with. that pulling this off would be the ultimate fuck-you to ozma only makes it more satisfying.

of course, that's not what actually happens. (partly because salem talked a circle about the "don't lie" rule and oscar—who hasn't spent the last four volumes seeing that his woman yells and flips tables when she's lied to—didn't pick up the hint.) instead, he tries to deceive her again and salem lashes out.

<- the physical violence gets all the attention from the fandom, and i do understand why, it's nasty and protracted and made to be viscerally unpleasant to watch, but. it's only a placeholder, something salem does while she considers what she's going to do—and say—to hurt him in a way that will never heal.

ok.

salem gets that oscar isn't ozma, didn't ask to become him, and feels desperate to retain his own identity distinct and separate from for as long as possible. she knows how ozma's reincarnation works, what this curse does to his hosts. it's not hard to figure out that it is a horrifying, traumatizing ordeal for the souls he's "paired" with. this is why she makes such a particular point of differentiating between oscar and ozma.

"the lies come out of you so easily." ("if i know my ozma, he has used some means of deception...")

why does she caress his face like this? to make him remember her like ozma does. "like-minded souls, indeed." you can pretend, boy, but so much of you is him that you remember even this.

the torture is just the preshow. this is the cruelest, most devastating thing she could possibly do to him, and salem knows it. she gave him a pass on pretending to be ozma, and he threw the second chance back in her face by lying to her again; she's furious and upset and she wants to HURT him.

this is how porous the boundaries between you and him have become. this is how close you are to being him. this is how little of you there is left to lose. like-minded souls, indeed.

like.

she does this to fuck with his head and it horrifies him so much that oscar spends the remainder of this arc actively choosing to endure being hazel's literal punching bag rather than let ozma take over or try to escape using ozma's magic. in 8.6:

OZMA: I’d like to express again that this is my burden to bear, not yours. His grudge is with me. OSCAR: No, it’ll be even worse. He’s holding back with me, I can tell. OZMA: I understand. I do. But you’ve done so much already. The least I can do is give you a break and try to get us out of here. OSCAR: We can’t leave yet.

they go back and forth, oscar proposes trying to flip hazel, ozma agrees it's worth a try. when hazel comes in, ozpin goes "oscar, please"—and because oscar doesn't respond, it's ambiguous whether he gives ozma control or if ozma shunts him aside again as he did at haven academy.

either way, the next we see of oscar after the interrogation scene is ozma entreating oscar to let him take over and oscar going no no no, that'll make it worse, no i don't need a break, i've got a plan, no no we have to stay here. and while his reasoning is cogent... this is a fifteen year old boy who's spent the whole day getting beaten up by a guy three times his size, and he actively wants to stay and be tortured more rather than let ozma front for a while.

and then in 8.9:

OZMA: I think this plan to divide may have run its course. It’s time we start thinking about a way out; not having our cane certainly limits our options, so… OSCAR: No! I don’t like what happens when we use magic. Every time we use it, I can feel us merging faster. I'm not ready for that.

the deeper truth gets spoken aloud.

this is not a new thing with oscar—his emotional core has always been existential dread—but framing it in this way, set against hours and hours of brutal torture that oscar insists is the less bad option, represents a massive spike in the intensity of his horror.

because salem Did That.

anyway the interrogation scene is great. 10/10.

[allieslittlewritings]

*not my gif <3

Comfort

Aaron Hotchner x Teen!Reid!Reader

Summary: Hotch comforts Spencer's daughter when she's worried about her dad

Set in: Season 14 Episode 1 "300"

Warnings: Reader is worried about Spencer, mentions of a parent hypothetically dying, hints of self-deprecation

A/n: what i'd give to see Hotch in the later seasons :(

When you were little and your dad was in danger, the team kept it from you as long as they could.

The older you got, the more difficult it was for them to lie or stretch the truth.

By now you were too old for them to not tell you.

They spared you the details of the actual situation.

You just knew Spencer was abducted, and, therefore, there was a chance he wasn't coming back alive.

You wondered if this was it.

If this would finally be the time your dad didn't make it out on the other side of a life threatening situation.

You waited at the BAU and sat by your dad's desk, wondering if that desk would belong to someone else in a few months, maybe years.

Hotch exited his office and slowly walked towards you.

He saw the emotionless expression on your face and his heart sank.

"Hey," He said softly.

You didn't reply.

He walked closer to you and leaned against your dad's desk.

"You can talk to me, you know that right?" He said.

The feeling of guilt had started to build up in his throat.

Maybe if he'd been more careful, or more observant, this wouldn't have happened.

You waited a minute before speaking. "You know, even with everything he's been through there's still this weird thing in my head that convinces me he'll be okay."

"He might." Sugar coating things wouldn't help you right now.

"But he might not." You finally looked at him with glassy eyes.

A quiet, bitter chuckle left your lips.

Not becuase anything was humorous, you simply couldn't believe this was happening again.

"I don't know what I'd do without him, Hotch." Your voice shook as you spoke.

"You're not supposed to," Hotch said. "I know that does little to comfort you. I wish there was something I could say to make it better but there isn't."

"This shouldn't happen to people. And I don't mean me, I mean... hasn't he been through enough? Even if he survives, physically. One person can only handle so much."

"Your dad is strong, and he has you to remind him why he has to keep going."

"What if I'm not enough to make life feel worth it to him?" You asked, your voice cracking.

"Enough?" He asked, shocked. "Y/N, on every bad day I've seen your dad have, when he gets to go home and see you, I can see the weight on his shoulders ease. You've been enough for him to keep going since the day you were born. Hell, even before you were born."

You didn't bother fighting against the sobs begging to be released anymore.

"Come here," Hotch said softly, opening his arms.

You gave in and let him hold you while you sobbed.

He wasn't a very touchy person usually, but he felt differently about that when it came to certain people, and you were one of them.

Hotch swore to himself then that if your dad didn't make it back, he would always be there for you.

You would never be alone as long as he was around.

★

You sat in Aaron's office after that.

He didn't go with the others when they went to hopefully bring Spencer back, choosing to stay with you instead.

You sat on the couch in his office, a book you had only read three pages of open in front of you.

Hotch saw your eyes start to falter.

"You should get some rest, Y/N."

"No, I need to be awake when they get back." You insisted.

"I'll wake you up," Hotch assured you.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

You lay down on the couch and eventually fell asleep. Aaron went to get you a blanket and carefully covered you with it.

★

"Y/N." Hotch shook you awake. "Your dad's almost here."

You quickly sat up, "He's okay?"

"Yeah. He's in the elevator now, he'll be up in a minute."

Relieved tears welled up in your eyes.

"Thank you," You whispered, leaning forward to hug him.

"For what?"

"Being here." You said quietly. "And whatever you did that helped get him back."

Hotch tightened his hold on you, "I'll always be here, Y/N."

fin. ♡