#not sure if I should continue this tall legs saga or stop it here | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

qslovebot · 3 years

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Midnight Escapade: Spencer Reid

Summary: Spencer Reid and the reader have been crushing on each other since they met, but neither of them cared to admit it. When doubled up in a hotel room for the night, reader tries to convince Spencer to go with her at 12:30am to get frozen yogurt to cheer him up and it turns into much more than a snack run.

Pairing: Spencer x Fem!Reader

Warnings/Includes: Swearing, mutual pining (a long time of pining leads up to this fic), food, mention of Sept 11, 2001, self-doubt, fluff, kissing

Word Count: 4533

The case was solved, closed, and finally, your eyes could rest. The case you had just finished was particularly stressful to not only you, but your fellow BAU members as well. You all hadn't slept for nearly twenty-nine hours and Hotch decided it was best you all got the rest you deserved at a nearby hotel.

The ride there, you struggled to keep your eyes open, but Spencer Reid was on another greatly interesting rant about a show he liked, so you figured you would try to stay awake to hear it. You always listened to him because a lot of the time, the rest of the team dismissed him and his oddly accurate monologues. They grew tired of Spencer talking so much about things they didn't understand but you were rather the opposite- and that's probably because you liked Spencer so much.

The two of you met when he was introduced to the BAU. Praised for his mind, he introduced himself to you with a shaky voice and a meek handshake. You instantly admired him from his geeky personality outwards to his tall, thin self with a face sculpted by artists. Little did you know he did the same, but immediately thought of you as out of his league, so he stayed quiet.

You had been friends since then, pairing up on cases as your minds seemed to work like a perfectly oiled machine when together. Like Penelope and Derek, you two were known for the science jokes no one understood and shared looks of adoration that the both of you somehow didn't recognize as romantic. But everyone else saw it.

Derek Morgan teased a lot. He talked to Reid about working with the 'pretty girl' every day, poking him in the side and messing with his hair. The geek and the girl who was smart as hell, but didn't make it her dominant trait.

A doctor and the outgoing agent who matched the loudness of Penelope Garcia at times at karaoke night. You brought more liveliness to the BAU- more music, more spinning, more levity in dark cases. Spencer was always trying to hide a smile when you walked in, trying to pretend he hadn't been waiting for you to bring him coffee each morning. You didn't need an eidetic memory to remember his order and that, for some reason, always sent him over the moon.

But you were here now, listening to him wrap up his story as you fought the sleep that was looming over you as the car came to a stop outside the hotel.

"-And that was the end of it all. I think it's so fascinating how they wrapped everything up into this intricate timeline of interactions and moments and backtracks. We should, uh, watch it sometime." He said as he hopped out of the back, holding his small bag and yours.

You sleepily hopped out after him, hoping you didn't look like you felt, because you truly felt like hell. "Yeah, I'd like that," was all you could really mumble out. He passed you your bag and you smiled your thank you.

Emily held you up by the shoulders as Hotch sent through the check-in information. "Some case, huh?" She laughed as you rubbed your left eye. "I suppose we can't make this a girl's night of post-case celebration if you're dead asleep."

You groaned, "You wanted to do that? Damn it, Em, I'm sorry-"

"You need beauty sleep, (Y/N). I'm not mad or anything, I'll just take a bath and pull out an adult romance novel." A smirk played on her lips as she raised her eyebrows. You chuckled tiredly. "Seriously, no worries."

"Did I hear talk of a romance novel?" Derek shuffled over. "Which one are we reading? 50 Shades of Grey?"

Spencer stepped in, "Did you know that 50 Shades of Grey is actually fanfiction written about Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga? If you go further back, Stephanie started Twilight as written alternate universe fanfiction where the emo-slash-hardcore band My Chemical Romance were all vampires. But My Chemical Romance was started by musician and comic book creator- who published a series of comics called The Umbrella Academy in 2008, unrelated, his name was - Gerard Way, who created the band to make music that expressed the trauma he was given from witnessing the twin towers falling on September 11th, 2001."

Emily looked at him, jaw open. "So Nine-Eleven essentially created a badly-written and toxic sex novel, years later?"

Spencer nodded, eyes flickering to you for a brief moment. Derek grinned at Emily, "So you have read 50 Shades of Grey, huh?" He teased. She swat at his wiggly fingers away as Hotch walked over, brow furrowed.

"Rooms need to be doubled up tonight. Morgan, you can come with me. As much as you may hate it, I feel like (Y/L/N) here might collapse on the spot, so we can't go anywhere else." He handed Spencer and Emily a key, expecting them to make their own choices. Of course, Emily knew exactly what she needed to do when Hotch walked off. You were about to turn and go with her, but she bolted off, reaching for JJ.

You looked up at Spencer Reid who had his mouth in a shy, straight-lipped smile. You both knew what this meant, but you were glad you'd get to crash somewhere, floor or not. The room was on the fifth floor, so you took the elevator with Spencer in silence that you were sure he was granting you until you reached the door of your room.

"I will... take the floor tonight," he said, sticking the key in the lock. "You're tired and I'm just going to get dinner and um... read."

His watch read 4:34 pm- it was so much earlier than you had thought, but you were almost collapsing. "I'm sorry," were the last words you could reply with before you walked into the room, got into the bed, and you were out, cold.

You had never had such a fulfilling sleep. You woke up feeling clean, fresh, renewed and restored. There was no groggy feeling that you had accidentally travelled to another dimension while asleep. The room was dim, except for the lamp that was on in the right corner.

When you peered over the edge of the bed, there was Spencer, laying on his stomach with few pillows under his chest and elbows, a book in his hands. He looked peaceful, quiet, calm. "Spence," you whispered. He practically jumped out of his skin and you couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my god, I'm sorry." You grinned.

He smiled sheepishly, setting down his book. "You're awake."

You nodded back, "How long was I out?"

"Since 4:34, so... 8 hours and 20 minutes. It's only 12:22am." Spencer sat up and against the wall while you adjusted yourself to sit cross-legged. You were still in your clothes from earlier and it surprised you to see Spencer in less preppy clothing.

Well, less preppy for him. No cardigan, no dress shirt, just a t-shirt that read 'math is as easy as pi' with the pi symbol made of cherry pie and his regular khaki pants. "Aren't you tired?" you asked, smiling from his shirt, back to him.

"No, uh, I actually got about four hours in the middle of your eight. I usually don't dream anymore but I actually dreamt I was falling, which is a sign of..." he stopped himself, but he was with another profiler, what was the use, you could already fill in the blanks. He continued, "Which is a sign of insecurity and inferiority, but I don't believe in dream analysis..."

You furrowed your brow, watching his eyes look down at his hands. "Are you feeling insecure and inferior, Dr.Reid, because need I remind you that 99% of the time, it's your brain that leads us to solve the cases."

He shook his head, "Thinking myself over, I'd-I'd say it doesn't revolve around work." The stutter was back. He hadn't talked to you with a stutter in months, you'd assumed it was just because he wasn't as comfortable around you then, but now it was back. Spencer Reid needed to be cheered up, something was wrong.

"Well you know you can tell me anything, right? I've kept secrets about my friends since grade one, I can keep yours." You slipped off of the bed and walked to your bag on the table in the far corner. You could feel Spencer's eyes on you as you went, so you shot him a smile over your shoulder. He reverted back to looking at his hands.

Through situations and being friends, you knew Spencer was insecure. He was bullied constantly as a child, some going as far as to strip him down and beat him. Disgusting, self-esteem-ruining acts you wished you could remove from his eidetic memory.

You took off your button-up blouse to stay in your white t-shirt that lay underneath. You hadn't the time to remove it before falling asleep. Thinking about that- you probably had bedhead too. Your balled-up shirt was shoved into your bag and you pulled out a brush in exchange, to get the knots out of your hair.

"I could really go for frozen yogurt right now," you said, running the wooden brush through your hair. Spencer narrowed his eyes at you, a little confused. "I haven't eaten dinner."

"It's nearly 12:30 am..." Spencer said. It looked like he was running through his vast mind to find a scientific explanation as to why you might have wanted frozen yogurt at half-past midnight. You let him, a teasing smile on your lips as you pulled the top bit of your hair up. "Are you pregnant?" He asked, out of the blue, entirely serious. Seemed like the only logical explanation he could find. You nearly choked on the air.

"No, Spencer, I am not pregnant!" You laughed. His face tightened as he went back to searching his mind. "I just want frozen yogurt. Regular cravings, not... pregnancy cravings. Are you coming?"

He looked at you, oddly surprised he was invited. "Why?"

"Why not?" You picked up his jacket from the hook and tossed it to him. "Nobody has to see your cheesy math shirt."

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, but went right back to being analytical, a mumbling rant with hand gestures.

"The average half-cup serving of frozen yogurt alone has about 17.3 grams of sugar and plus various toppings, the sugar is upped to at least 25 grams. But, versus a half-cup serving of vanilla ice cream, the sugar is only about 14 grams and with toppings can be upped to about 22. Fat-wise-"

You interrupted him because this was seemingly the only way to lift his mood and he was making excuses to stay here and wallow. "Come on, for once, let's be able to act like the youngest members of the team. Once, Spence. I don't need a play-by-play on how much sugar is in it- though I did find that interesting-I just want frozen yogurt and I would like you to come with me. I'll pay for yours if you want any, just... please?"

He met your eyes with a curl falling down his forehead and quickly looked back at his hands. You'd been friends for nearly a year and four months and he still couldn't look you in the eyes for long. He really wasn't good at refusing you at all, either.

Spencer nodded and you practically beamed. Maybe this would help to take his mind off of what was bothering him, even if the distraction was brief. You jumped on the spot and slipped on your own jacket and grabbed your wallet, ready to go and by the door.

He had a small smile when the two of you stepped out, his hands behind his back. You locked the door behind you and the two of you walked silently to the elevator, careful not to accidentally wake anyone else in case they decided to peer out into the hall.

In the elevator, you turned and looked up at Spencer who was fiddling with his hands. "You look nervous, Spence. It's frozen yogurt, not a pretty girl."

"Well I'm with-" he stopped himself again and actually started laughing his breathy laugh, squeezing his own hand so hard his knuckles turned white while his cheeks and nose went a little pink. "You..." He finished, rocking on his heels.

You scrunched your nose, shaking your head. Though you mentally disagreed with him sometimes on your appearance, you smiled and looked back up at him. "Thank you. You're pretty too."

He shrugged himself further into his jacket, hands still wildly fidgeting. "Thank you..."

You both stepped out of the elevator the moment it got to the ground floor, looking for air that wasn't filled with odd tension neither of you could explain. You two walked through the lobby and into the cool midnight air outside, where things were open, dark, and still.

You shut your eyes for a moment and opened your arms to face the gentle, cool wind that blew your hair and hit your face gently. Inhaling deeply, you opened your eyes again to Spencer in a similar state, but much less relaxed looking. Instead, it looked like he was trying to calm himself down.

"Spence, you look out of it," you said, folding your arms over your chest. You had gotten him outside, now maybe instead of distracting him from whatever it was, you could help him through it. It was part of being a friend- profiling wasn't needed to see he was thinking long and hard over something that bothered him. "You can tell me what's wrong."

He started walking down the street toward the neon lights that shone bright with the word 'fro-yo', you stepped quickly to follow. "If I like a girl.. h-how am I supposed to go about telling her?" He asked, not even looking at you. His forehead was creased and his hands in his jacket pockets.

So this was about a girl he liked. Spencer Reid had a crush. Of course, you were oblivious it was you, but Spencer Reid was romantically interested in someone!

Yay?

An odd feeling of happiness came with finding this out and there was an uprising feeling within you like the first drop on a rollercoaster, but it lingered... and it was much less happy. You ignored it, of course, letting your outer emotions display themselves.

"Dr. Spencer Reid, the human encyclopedia- have you finally found a girl that puts you at a loss for words?" You teased, pressing the back of your hand to your head for dramatic effect, struggling to keep up with him.

His mouth twitched, "Maybe."

"Well, to be honest, Spence, just... tell her. Just go at it- ask to kiss her, maybe, then confess after. Or... or, you could confess, see how she takes it, then you can see if you should or shouldn't kiss her based off of if you get rejected or not." You told him, catching him by the shoulder to get him to slow down at the entrance of the frozen yogurt place.

He was much taller than you, so that came with him being that much faster, but that didn't matter now, he had stopped. Spencer looked at you, concern in his eyes, panic. You smiled kindly, "She won't reject you. I don't know any girl who would even think of it." Reassurance, because he needed it.

His eyes trailed to the ground and he ran a hand through his hair, opening the door for you. "And w-what do I say?" Spencer asked when you both went inside. You were the only two there and the cashier must have been in the back room.

You hopped over to the flavours, "I mean, whatever feels right, Spence. If you feel like going on a long, romantic, poet-written rant about how much you like her, do that. If you're afraid to bore her, you can wait for her to speak, but the truth is if she can't listen to you rant, she probably isn't worth going for."

He evaluated your words while you casually got yourself vanilla frozen yogurt. He also scanned the flavours, probably mentally shaming the company for marketing this as somewhat healthier. You giggled watching him try to figure out how to get the yogurt out of the machine as you put raspberries in yours.

"(Y/N), uh..." he said quietly, gesturing you over. The genius's mind was scrambled enough to miss the lever in front of him. You took his cup from him and pulled the lever, to which he made an 'o' shape with his mouth and nodded comprehensively.

"Chocolate mocha," you smiled, handing it to him as he stood there sheepishly again. "Good choice."

You spun back to your yogurt, adding a bit of honey over the top of it all. He followed, choosing raspberries as well, silently adding them. He still didn't seem at rest with the girl thing, you noticed by the way he was failing to open the scoop-box of cookie crumbs. He had long fingers, usually nimble ones, but not so much right now. Spencer was too stressed to work properly. Error in the system, you may have joked if things weren't so bad with him.

When you were both finished, Spencer tapped the little service bell on the desk and a little woman, maybe mid-30s came out wearing the merchandise of the shop. You both placed your cups on the scale and she weighed them for the price, but both you and Spencer pulled out your wallets.

He put his card out faster, so you swat his hand with your card and paid while he mumbled "Ow..." Of course, you checked to see if he was really hurt, but he had his small, crooked smile back on his face. He was okay, maybe he was feeling better?

Saying good morning/night to the lady, you both stepped back into the midnight air, starting to walk, but not back toward the hotel. You'd think with what cases you two had worked on you'd be a little warier, but with each other, you both felt safe. You walked a few steps, eating your yogurt, before Spencer spoke up again. "Is it a bad thing I'm so clueless as to what women like? Everything I know about women is scientific. Chocolate releases endorphins, flowers are associated with beauty and love, but... other than that... I don't know anything."

You swallowed your bite as Reid took his, waiting on your answer. Just as you always listened to him, he always listened to you. He probably valued your opinion over Derek's at times. You waved your spoon in the air when you spoke, "I wouldn't say bad. Everyone starts somewhere for everything. If anything, a man who is willing to learn is more attractive than one who wings it and doesn't ask comprehensive questions to up the relationship quality."

"Asking questions, got it. Should my confession include a gesture, though?" He spoke with his mouth full. Spencer really wanted to get this right- it was admirable. But there came that uneasy feeling again. It was more like an ache this time. Perhaps it was the awkward hours of sleep throwing you off?

You sucked it up, shoved the feeling down. "Really, Spence, it depends on the woman. Do I know her? Maybe I can help- that is unless you want to profile her to get her interests? I can help with that too-"

"No, I-I don't want to profile her, I want to stay away from that, we do that on a near-daily basis."

"We?" You questioned. Reid froze, but kept walking, looking a little petrified. He put more frozen yogurt in his mouth, maybe to shut himself up. You grinned, "We as in you and her are both profilers or we as in you and I profile others together, so you don't want to profile her with me?"

"I don't want us... to profile her," he cleared his throat. "Yeah..."

You sighed with a breathy laugh, "Good, because I was starting to think you were after Emily."

He chuckled, "Oh, no, not Emily. She's too scary for me anyway. Uh..." He swallowed hard, the way he always did was he was anxious or nervous. I saw in his face he'd come to some sort of conclusion. "Don't... don't yell at me for this, alright?"

"Yell at you? Spence, I wouldn't..." You were confused. He set his frozen yogurt down on the bench he had stopped in front of and stood back in front of you, pushing his hair behind his ears. He looked at you with his doe eyes and the wind blew his curls back in front of his face, he looked to the ground. His forehead still creased between his brows, but his eyes were soft and sweet, his nose was slightly scrunched and his mouth was twisted to the side as if he was once again mentally calculating something. You granted him back the silence from earlier, wondering what was going on in that mind of his. That was... until his eyes met yours and he looked so desperately lost and longing and like he ached inside... and you no longer wondered.

You let out another long sigh. She was you.

This girl that he was trying to understand how to win over, she was you. He asked you because he needed to know what you wanted. He was nervous because he was practically confessing to you and you, a profiler, were too blind to see that.

He watched your face for your reaction, waiting for something good, but you were too shocked to react right. He unfroze, hands flying to the roots of his hair and he spun away from you. He started rambling, obviously thinking everything had gone wrong. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, (Y/N). That- that wasn't how I had things planned and I was so certain that maybe you-hm- liked me too."

His words made it true. This was, in fact, happening at 12:56am in the middle of a foreign city. Your words spilled out, stern, focused, serious. "Kiss me then."

He spun around again, "What?"

"Confess, then kiss, remember?" You recounted carefully, looking directly at him, stepping closer.

"But I didn't get to do my whole monologue thing-" He was grinning pretty hard now, all signs of stress removed from his face. He looked brighter than the neon froyo sign, in happiness and disbelief right down at you. You were pretty sure you looked similar as all the pieces fell in place in your mind. It all fit.

"I don't care." You beamed back. "Do it after."

So without wasting another second, he grabbed your face and kissed you. He kissed you with a year and four months' worth of frustration, lust, confusion and past jealousies. His hands holding your jaw, his fingertips in your hair and your hands on his chest, holding fast to jacket. The kiss was a little messy the first two seconds, but every second after it was enjoyable and sweet and oddly powerful. He also tasted rich, like chocolate mocha, but you knew where that came from.

He pulled away first, which surprised you, but he didn't move very far, in fact, he mumbled against your lips as he tucked your hair out of your face. "I think I've liked you since you and I first met. You didn't hate my science jokes and instead of being annoyed with my informational rants, you listened to me. I wasn't expecting you to be so involved with me since you're, well... you're you and you're loud and fun and sweet and beautiful, but we worked so well together how could I ignore what I felt?"

His hand was a little shaky still, but his fingertips on your cheek were gentle. He continued to quietly ramble, "I decided maybe I'd do something with myself that wasn't devoted to the BAU so I thought maybe I'd- I'd tell you this. That I think you're beautiful and smart and talented and maybe you'd understand and feel the same way and now that I know maybe you do, I feel oddly put back to how I'm supposed to be. And... I think I'm supposed to be with you. If this is too soon or... ruins our friendship, I'm sorry and I'll slow it down, but I won't stop liking you."

You couldn't believe that in a three-minute span you had gone from painfully oblivious to so extremely wide awake. But it was in the best way possible after a year and four months of you also being painfully crushed by your secret feelings for Dr.Reid.

"It's fine, Spence," you said quietly, smiling at him with the most happiness you had found in months. "More than fine, I can't believe this is real."

He tucked the other side of your hair behind your ear, "You might have DRC, then. It stands for dream-reality confusion and is a difficulty or inability to determine whether an event or experience occurred during the waking state or whether it was part of a dream. I can assure you that you aren't dreami-"

You reached up and pulled him onto your lips by the back of the neck, smiling into it. This would be the first time you've ever shut him up. He welcomed it by kissing you back again, softer this time. Now that he was sure you wouldn't hate him for it, it felt a lot more natural, a lot more at ease. His passion was still there, as was yours, but this was how things were supposed to be. There was no longer a rush.

The two of you started laughing after it all. Both of you laughed at how painfully oblivious you both were and he went on a small explanation as to why we don't see our own tells and how feelings of romantic relation cloud the judgement. You went over every time the rest of the team had made a comment you both secretly loved or some you dismissed because it was an ache to hear.

Spencer opened up about his fear of rejection and you did the same and that too resulted in more laughing because here you were, so afraid, but you had both been in it for so long. You deserved to have each other after all this time not only because you fit, but because everyone saw it too, far before either of you did.

An innocent, fun, midnight escapade to cheer Spencer up turned into him finding a truly happy state of mind. You took that as a win and success as you tossed frozen yogurt containers in the garbage and found your way back to your room where you told Spencer it was okay to sleep in the bed as long as he was nice.

So he let you turn out the lights and lay next to him, your head on his chest in the way you had done before when it was only an achingly platonic move. He played with your hair, stared at the green walls, ranted about the history of the colour green and soon after, the both of you went right back to sleep, entirely happy.

Tagged: @ellyhotchner @softhairedhotch

#spencer reid #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #criminalminds #emily prentiss #dr spencer reid #criminal minds fandom #spencer x y/n #cm #aaron hotchner #mutual pining #romance #spencer reid fandom

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sweeethinny · 3 years

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James is Dating - Part 2

I love part 1, but I felt that Ginny's reaction to that was missing, so here goes, one more mother and son moment between James S. and Ginny

Part 1 | AO3

read bellow the cut :)

'Busy?' Ginny said, head into James' messy room, looking for him in all that mess of clothes, gifts, new things, and a lot of other things he kept inside.

'No. Do you need anything?’ He stepped out of the small closet by the window, still wearing only the old, dirty paint-dry shorts he had used to help build the new house for Sir, their dog.

'Do you want to go with me to the market? Your father asked me to buy more ice cream, fish and beer.' Today all the Weasley and aggregates would gather at the Potter house, Harry seemed more anxious than ever to open the new room, which was now not just a forgotten room at the back of the house, with everything that couldn't fit in the attic, which almost never had the windows open. It was an appropriate place, with comfortable armchairs, a wallpaper of flamingos that Ginny had chosen and an incredible view of the pool and the sunset.

'Sure, I'm just going to put the shirt on ... will I meet you down there?' She nodded, closing the door and walking to the stairs.

It had been a day since James told Harry that he was dating and so far he has remained silent to Ginny, which saddened her a little, since James always told her several things. She waited patiently after dinner, guaranteed to get James to help clear the table with her, and yet, today during the morning run, she tried not to say too much, hoping that he would bother with the silence - as he always did - and talk about the news she already knew.

Harry summed up what the two of them had talked about and how happy James looked about how it all went down, but Ginny wanted to hear directly from him, not just what her husband remembered.

Harry couldn't tell if James had that sparkle in his eyes that she saw appear during one of the dinners, while he and Mira talked softly in the other corner of the table, and her son seemed to almost sparkle every time she laughed. Or when he hurry down the stairs while the owl hooted to announce it arrival with the mail. And Ginny wouldn't even comment on the time she caught him looking at Mira' breasts. It was a quick thing, while she and Mira talked about Quidditch, the girl fixed the collar of her sweater, without any apparent malice, and out of the corner of her eye Ginny had been able to notice the movement of James' eyes.

She wanted to laugh and make some comment about it, but the boy soon managed to get them off track and take Mira away from Ginny, saying they were going to play Quidditch - and they went.

Mira was a girl that Ginny had been cheering James on to notice her, since the first day Ginny met her, she was a sweet person, and it was understandable that even Scorpion, always tried to be around her on vacation. She was also beautiful; tall, almost the same height as James, with blonde hair similar to Fleur's, but more wavy and messy than the perfectly smooth strands of her sister-in-law, dark eyes that seemed almost unreal, and a way of behaving that exuded confidence. Not much to detriment her, just enough that she could survive the world without being too affected. And she was smart, which was a very important point for Ginny not to worry about.

As far as James talked, her mother was a witch and so was her stepfather, while her father was a muggle, as were her grandparents. They even got to know her mother on a day when they went to get Mira to go with them to the Quidditch Cup, the woman had studied in the same year as the twins but was a Ravenclaw, just like her husband.

Mira was the perfect girl that Ginny could have imagined for James.

Okay, aside from the fact that maybe she was in as much or more trouble than the boy, but it was something to let go of.

'Is Dad going to make fish? I thought Teddy had convinced him to make that meat pie,’ James appeared, startling Ginny who was concentrating on watching the yard through the big window in the living room.

'You know what he looks like, when he put something on his head, forget it.' She turned, smiling at the boy and giving him her arm to hold, in order to apparate to the dark and safe alley where they landed. The market was a block and a half away, but today was a Saturday during the holidays, which meant crowded streets and long lines for even the simplest things.

'Excited to start classes?' She asked, needing to restrain herself from releasing a million questions about the courtship he had kept hidden for so long.

'Yes, at least I’m not going to see Professor Johann anymore, which makes me very happy. ’

'I thought you liked DADA.' The two stopped in the fishmonger line, surrounded by conversation.

'I like it,' James shrugged, fussing with his hair like his father did, almost making Ginny laugh. 'But he is very annoying, and he hates me.'

'I doubt it.'

'I'm serious, he hates us all but Mira, but it's because she and he share the same terrible taste for books, and they've been reading the same saga lately, but if it weren't for that, he would make her organize more than thousand of his books in alphabetical order too, as he does with us. '

‘And what does he tell her to do?’ Ginny wanted to jump for joy because they were talking about Mira, knowing that now it would be much easier to pull James’s secret.

'He almost never gives her detention, really, it's almost like he was blind to her walking down the corridors or in the forest at night, but the times he had to do that, Mira said that she just kept separating the tests by year and home' James denied, looking incredulous.

'Well ... and what would she be doing in the hall at night? Or in the Forest? ’

'Nothing I know of, of course.' James smiled in that way that always made Ginny and Harry watch, his eyes shining in something malicious, as if hiding to death what the hell they were up to at school. 'I am usually in my room, you know? Respecting the schedule and sleeping early. ’

‘Oh sure, I sure believe that,’ She smiled falsely. 'Will Mira come to dinner?'

'No, she traveled to her uncles' house in France, her cousin just gave birth to a baby.'

'Hm ... We should go to France for the next vacation, it is a pretty beautiful destination, especially in the summer.' James smiled in agreement, but if Ginny knew her son well, he was not thinking about French landscapes. 'I like her.'

'From whom?' The boy looked at her, curious, as if he were caught in the act.

'Mira. She is very kind to us. ’

'She is like that naturally.' James defended her, even though Ginny was not implying anything.

'A great quality, by the way ... And she is beautiful.' James' cheeks turned pink, but he continued to look confidently at all the fish exposed in the ice basins, it was almost their turn.

'Scorpion agrees with that, I think I saw him looking at her legs more times than I can count.' He looked at Ginny, his brown eyes looking so much like the ones she saw in the mirror when she caught herself thinking about Harry as she dressed for her class, trying to ignore how all the girls seemed to like him now that he was in sixth year and had grown up.

'And you? Do you agree?' She took a risk, biting her cheek to contain her smile when her son's face caught fire.

'She is my best friend.'

'Hermione was Ron's best friend.' She shrugged. ‘That didn’t stop him from finding her beautiful.’

'Daddy told you, didn't he?' James stared at her as if Ginny had just said that she knew his biggest secret, eyebrows raised.

'Did he tell what?' Before James could speak, however, the fishmonger called them.

They didn't waste a lot of time in the market, exchanging few words while choosing the products and then paying, walking at a slow pace and almost as if they were postponing their return home, feeling the breeze of that summer night, and seeing the city brighter and more awake than ever.

James didn't open his mouth, seeming to think well before speaking, but Ginny wanted to laugh and ask her son if he thought she was an idiot and that she hadn't realized that overnight, there were pictures of him with Mira in his room, especially the one of the two in Hogsmeade where he had his arm around her waist.

'He told you what I told him.' The boy finally spoke, and Ginny stopped walking, thinking that if they went home, there would be no way to talk without Albus, Lily, Harry or her whole family arriving and hinder, then, she preferred to stop and sit on a bench that was in front of a square they used to run, discreetly putting a spell so that the fish that would not spoil by staying out of the ice.

'Yes.' She looked at him as soon as they were seated, smiling from ear to ear. 'Your father is a gossip, you know that.'

'What do you think?' James also smiled, but his cheeks were flushed.

'Well, I like Mira, and as long as it doesn't interfere with your studies or hers, everything is fine. I've been waiting for this for some time.' The boy laughed, denying and looking at the lake that shone ahead, lit by the various lampposts.

'Her grandmother wants to talk to us.'

'Grandma?' James nodded, laughing even more.

'She says she wants to meet our family, said she is tired of just hearing about the Potter but never sees them in person.' The two laughed. 'It's all right? Are we going to have dinner with them after they get back from the trip?’

'Of course, it will be a good time, I'm sure.' She sighed. 'Do you like her? Isn't it just something to pass the time?' Ginny didn't know if she would be able to overcome the disappointment she would feel if James did that, even though she thought it unlikely that he would be able to play with Mira's feelings like that.

'Nooo, I really like her. We get along well.' He looked happy, in fact, during the Easter break he looked a little miserable, and Ginny wondered now if it had anything to do with her. James was no longer hiding in the room and remaining silent and scowling in the corners

'Good, because I like her very much, and we would fight if you were playing with her.'

'It is more capable of her making me cry than the other way around,' he joked. 'But I wouldn't have told you if it was nothing.'

'You didn't tell, your father told me.'

'Yeah, whatever.' He shrugged. 'I think I was embarrassed... Lily made the whole trip miserable, sitting in our compartment just to provoke, talking nonstop to Mira.'

'She's jealous of you, you're her big brother.' Ginny smiled, remembering how sulky her daughter was every time James went out with friends and she needed to stay. 'You did the same with Teddy. It's normal.'

'But it sucks.' He made a face. ‘Albus wasn’t like that when he heard.’

'He's better at hiding his feelings, we'll have to wait a few more weeks to find out.' The two were quiet, the music from the pub across the street was loud, as were the laughter and conversation, and Ginny almost started to worry with when it would James who wanted to go to places like that, wondering if she would stay up all night like she did when Teddy first went out.

Not that she didn't trust James, but it was still a little disconcerting to look at him, and realize that he was no longer that little boy who hugged her legs whenever he was embarrassed.

'Are you happy?' She looked at him.

'Yes.' James smiled, that shy dimple appearing on his left cheek. 'I was afraid that she would reject me. She’s a little scary. ’

‘But she didn’t reject it.’

'Yeah, something like that... She tried, and we fought, but then everything went well and I kissed her.' He smiled sheepishly, making Ginny laugh and that maternal concern dissolved a little.

'Well, this is what matters.' She stood up. 'Come on, let's go before your dad pulls out his hair and calls the Aurors to look for us.'

'He wouldn't do that.' The two walked to the alley.

'Never doubt Potter' drama.' Ginny lined them up, James holding her arm. 'I'm happy for you.' She kissed her son's forehead - which was almost starting to get taller than she was - and apparated them back to the house.

#hinny #hp next gen #harry potter next generation #next gen harry potter #James Sirius Potter #oc #james sirius x oc #Ginny Weasley #hinny headcanon

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vasoula · 4 years

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The Peepshow (chapter three)

Summary: Two months after his redemption journey, Sasuke is back to Konoha and Sakura couldn’t be more happy about them spending a lot of time together. However, things take a hard turn when Sakura is assigned a special mission and she has to hide it from the rest of Team 7. Everything comes spiraling down when Sasuke finds out exactly what she has to do.

Tags: hard rated m, blank period, kinda AU-ish

You can also read it on ffnet and Ao3.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Author's notes: The grand finale of my three way saga ends here with a bang! Beware this chapter is hard M, lots of naughty things happening here ;) This monster is almost 10k on its own XD BTW this is the only chapter my friend strawberrycreampiefluff has not read, even though this is a collab between us and the story was her inspo, so this is a surprise for her also. I hope everybody enjoys this fic, comment your thoughts. Ah, I didn't know which way to end it because this is quite self indulgent and the main theme of the fic was teasing so the ending is similar. One day, maybe, I will write a continuation. Thank you everyone for your love and support!

“Act three: Jealousy will drive you mad”

With two powerful stomps and a determined expression on her face, Sakura reaches for the doorknob and pulls.

Sasuke does indeed greet her in the doorway. It is obvious from the casual attire he has put on that he was also about to go to bed; his toned physique is adorned with gray sweatpants and a light blue shirt.

The pink haired woman has no clue what riles her up the most. Is the way those simple clothes cling onto him like second skin emphasizing his fit body or is it the way he is staring her with those bewitching mismatched eyes of his? She cannot wait to find out.

"Sakura," he says in the usual lethargic timbre he uses to pronounce her name.

She blinks her eyes at him fast in response to make sure she is seeing right.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke-kun?", Sakura asks, "It's late."

She casually points out it is time for sleep and not time for late night conversations in her room the two of them alone, together. It does the trick because Sasuke seems to realize a few things about their current situation. His eyes lose focus and start their slow descend, carefully scrutinizing what she is wearing.

His gaze stops his inspection the moment it reaches her chest, zeroing on her breathing pattern and the way some parts of her body stand out thanks to the chilly weather. Sasuke's impassive face instantly changes, his cheeks and ears coloring in a nice red hue.

Then, without much thought, his observation continues and he bites his lip at the display of her bare legs so up close.

For the life of her, Sakura cannot fathom that Sasuke Uchiha is blatantly checking her out.

Feeling self conscious, she hugs herself and steps sideways to allow the man to come into the room. Her blush matches his in response.

Sasuke finally – finally moves from his position and steps into her territory.

Putting a few loose pink strands behind her ear, Sakura closes the door quietly and props her body on it, hands coming to rest between her backside and the wood.

She lets the silence hang on for a few minutes allowing Sasuke to take his time to make up his mind.

"I came here to apologize," he speaks after a while, "I am sorry."

Sasuke peers at her from his spot in the middle of room, shuffling his feet unconsciously.

He looks down, "I shouldn't have interfered with your mission," and spins around to face her bed instead. "It was brash and uncharacteristic of me."

His apology sounds genuine enough, but that still does not excuse the fact he acted out of the ordinary for no reason.

Sakura has had it with this man. Even though she feels beyond furious with him, the girl prefers not to argue with him.

"Apology accepted." She announces curtly. "Still doesn't explain the reason you decided to interfere, Sasuke."

The lack of honorific translates to failure in Sasuke's book of apologies. He tries to take another route. Although he came inside her room prepared and resolute to be honest with her, it seems his pride and ego are still in the way.

"Sakura, you know I am not good at this," He deflates in frustration, "I am not good -"

Sasuke pauses abruptly, not capable of continuing his next sentence. Why is it so hard for him to confess his feelings? How does Sakura do it? Why can he not be more like her when it comes to matters like these?

The lone Uchiha knows how he feels about her, his heart hammering in his chest is that much of a clue. Since he was a young boy- he has always known -what he felt towards her. There is a special connection, even the most logical part of his brain cannot grasp it enough to explain it. It should not make sense how strongly he feels about her without him even comprehending it when growing up.

It has been building up since the start, those emotions have been lying dormant for years, slowly but surely pestering inside his heart. His mind always conjuring up images of her lovely smiles and her healing words. Her confessions and trials towards him whispering hotly in his ears and driveling his mind mad into oblivion.

For such a foolish little game she was playing, her opinion is sure important and sufficient to have him questioning his moralities; her words festering inside his heart and poisoning his mind with good prospects in life like love and family. Who is he to deny her anything when at times he was ready to sacrifice everything he thrived for just to keep her safe? He can try but ignoring his feelings like he used to do in the past is no solution anymore.

Sasuke recalls everything about her until now and comes to one realization.

Sakura was, is and will always be precious to him.

"What?" The woman, plaguing his thoughts, asks defeated. She pushes herself off the wooden door and takes a big step forward.

Thinking what he can possibly do to make things better, he comes up with an idea.

Following along, Sasuke moves closer to her, leaning the right side of his body to a pillar next to him. He is right across her now.

"I am more of a man of action-", he starts trying to redeem himself with his compensatory qualities.

"Then do something -", she explodes, interrupting him mid sentence.

Sakura puts her foot down hard, literally stumping it to the ground. With her fists balled to her sides and a snarl on her face, she feels her patience running out.

The woman looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to do something – anything.

Sasuke's ears are roaring, his pulse skyrocketing. He is breathing hard now, his gaze penetrating as he surveys every aspect of Sakura's face. From her rosy cheeks, to her heated eyes and at last to her luscious, red lips.

She hears him before she sees him react. A hard punch to the pillar he has been leaning on signals he too has reached his limit.

With two fast strides, in speed only Sasuke is capable of, he pushes her against the door with his body. His right hand comes up and he tangles his fingers in her hair, cradling her upper half in urgency.

His stump meets her waist halfway in an attempt to hold her.

"I am losing my mind here, Sakura," He confesses unabashedly, looking at her straight in the eye.

The girl in question glances up at him, his sudden embrace unexpected, but welcome nevertheless. Both of her hands are at his torso, her clenched fists clasping his shirt tightly and crumpling it in the process. Thanks to the position of her grip, she feels his heart beating fast inside his chest – a sign that rings true to his earlier statement.

Searching his eyes for any sign of discomfort and finding none, she makes it easier for both of them and inches closer; her mouth a breath away from his lips.

Sasuke's eyes open and close languidly in response, her glittering irises and pampered freckles on her nose the last thing he sees before he leans in to kiss her.

Sakura spots stars behind her closed eyelids the moment their lips finally touch. It is nothing more than their mouths caressing each other in slow strokes, but the implications of that innocent kiss are more than enough for the two of them.

Feeling brave, the pink haired woman wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer to her. Her heart is about to jump off her chest, aware of his hard yet lean body flash against her. They do not have any prior experience to this, but with their instincts leading them on, they are matching each other just right.

Sasuke feels something inside his head clicking into place, like a puzzle being completed; the repressed emotions inside of him exploding into a thousand pieces. The way he loves and displays it might be crooked, but when he has the woman he adores in his arms, he knows, he can conquer any emotional disadvantage he may encounter.

It seems everything that happens next plays out like it is in slow motion.

Grabbing her by the hip, Sasuke begins to move. Sakura arches into him, their kiss turning deeper. With the tall man leading them on, the couple turns around, mirroring their previous position, but with Sakura on top this time.

"Lift your legs," Sasuke quietly orders with his back against the door. Sakura obliges wordlessly and jumps slightly. Putting pressure on his shoulders, Sakura breaks their kiss for a split second and wraps her thighs around his waist, locking them tightly.

Sasuke's lone arm comes and finds its position snugly under her backside, palm open on her butt cheeks. Without so much a strain, years of physical exertion being put into work, Sasuke lifts her off the ground easily.

Sakura, still preoccupied with Sasuke's soft lips, does not realize their compromising position. Gently coursing her hands through his hair, she caresses his scalp while kissing him tenderly.

With his limbs busy and his vision limited, Sasuke takes a few cautious steps forward. With the bed as final destination, he carefully maneuvers them through the room. A few centimeters away, the mattress lies warm and inviting.

Their kiss stops abruptly when Sasuke's foot comes in contact with outpost of the bed. Lips breaking apart and breaths mingling, they stare silently into one another.

Realizing where the course of their situation is taking them, both of them pause.

Sakura searches his eyes and sees the lust mirrored in them similar to her own. With a determined expression, she grabs the collar of his shirt and drags him down with her the moment she lets herself fall back into the mattress.

Trying to stop his body from crushing her, Sasuke's arm goes forward and he places his hand next to her head. He lets out a disgruntled sound and lets his face fall into the soft cushions of her breasts.

"Sakura," he mumbles incoherently. In response, the girl in question lets out a sigh of pleasure and relief.

She knows the implications and relishes in them. No dream or fantasy could counter that moment in her mind.

Sasuke hesitantly looks up, face heating up slowly. Then, feeling suddenly nervous, he glances sideways, a scowl forming.

Being on top of Sakura, her body body pliant underneath him and her lips bruised from their intense kissing had him feeling some type of way. But, god, her face is what made him look away. Nothing prepared him for this.

Sakura makes a sound in the back of her throat, her teeth biting hard her plump bottom lip. She bats her eyes at him, light pink eyelashes fanning against her rosy cheeks prettily. Sasuke pretends to ignore her, even though he keeps stealing glances at her.

Sakura cannot believe there would come a day where the great Sasuke Uchiha, the infamous avenger, would be shy with her.

Hot stares and naughty smirks are more his thing than awkward and fleeting looks.

Sasuke is nervous, no one taught him how to handle situations like these.

Love is a new, unknown part in his life, and he is quite unprepared.

Wordlessly, she lifts her hand and touches the right side of his face.

He looks gorgeous like this, all strong bone structure and pale white skin. His aristocratic nose scrunching up in distaste, because he dislikes the fact he has no control.

"What?" The Uchiha finally looks at her and asks. He purses his lips and drags his body forward a little bit.

Sasuke is snugly on top of her now, their chests pressed together closely.

Sakura starts caressing his cheek, staring lovingly into his eyes.

"I thought I couldn't love you more than I do," she takes a shuddering breath, her eyes watering slightly. "But, I do."

Sasuke takes the whispered confession in, his throat bobbing. He feels so emotional right now, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He clutches at her words, her proclamation consuming him like it did in the past.

The inner turmoil inside him makes his eyes burn. He struggles to find the words to express what he feels for her. The capacity to love and care endless, unlimited for her. A never ending waterfall of emotions washing his wrongdoings away.

The power coursing through his veins is nothing in comparison to the power she has over him. She could bend him all she wants, mold his being all the way to nothingness and put his pieces right back to their rightful place. No darkness inside of him is strong enough to overcome him as long as she loves him. Her light nourishing him and making him feel alive again.

So many thoughts plaguing his mind, but no words are enough to describe his admiration for her. He wants to convey though, he has to try. For her, going forward in life, he has to try.

"You make me feel alive," he shares with her, "I need you close to me,"

Sasuke utters in a mere whisper, but with each syllable his drive to confess grows tenfold. "I love you," he breaks, voice cracking in the end.

He closes his eyes to get his bearings for a second and hears Sakura's breath hitch.

Sakura feels her soul quivering in her chest; she went to heaven and back.

Before anymore tears could escape her eyes however, she quickly shuts them close. This is no reason for her to cry, for this is a happy moment. She sniffles and opens her jade orbs again. The sight that greets her makes her feel like her entire being is being consumed by hot molten lava. The man of her dreams is staring at her, his eyes intense – an endless inferno of feelings exposed for her to cherish.

Her throat bobs in anticipation at the prospect of him acting out what his eyes are conveying.

"Sakura," he says and nudges her chin with his nose.

Sasuke senses her shiver underneath him even though the temperature of the room is far from low. No matter, he is starting to sweat so he decides to undress. Knowing where this is leading them, he pushes himself up and straddles her, knees on either side of her body. Using his lone hand he grabs the outer part of his cotton shirt from behind and lifts it forward over his head.

Sakura gasps beneath him, eyeing him up and down in appreciation. That escalated way better than what she had in mind. Years of need, aching deep within her.

Her hands twitch and she tries to think clearly despite the situation.

"W-what are you doing Sasuke-kun?", she mumbles worriedly.

After finishing his task, the man in question looks down at her. The left side of mouth lifts in haughty grin before he can stop himself. Now, now what a nice view, he thinks.

Sakura's hair has created a beautiful pink halo around her head, matching her flaming, flushed cheeks. Those unique eyes of her sparkle in the dark, passion shining through clearly in them. Her lips part sensually in silent plea for him to claim her.

She wants this as much he does.

"Hot," he answers. The sensation of her, needy, under him or the room temperature are either correct interpretations.

He knows she likes what she sees. His athletic, lean body is no secret, but for him to display it so proudly to her strokes his ego in all the right places. No woman can appreciate him the way she does. Her pure devotion fascinates him, her hungry stares excite him. Only she has that effect on him. She may be the one to yearn for him since the beginning, but he is the one that has been suffering in silence for so long.

She has been loud, clear, but he has been repressed and tortured with his own fondness right along with her. He wants to toy with her a little more, tease her with some scalding remarks until she is dripping wet with fervor, but alas his patience is running out.

His arm stretches out and his hand reaches her throat, her eyes following along his every movement. His fingertips tenderly graze her pulse point, her skin alight with heat.

Goosebumps rise on her skin, his touch creating thousand fires along her neck. He is stalling, they both know it. But, she continues to stay pliant under him allowing him to continue his ministrations.

His eyes burn in a hankering frenzy, analyzing every little reaction he can get out of her before she turns the tables on him.

She closes her eyes in pleasure, throat stretching out and torso lifting, baring more surface for him to please.

Sakura breaths heavily, legs squeezing shut. She cannot believe this kind of simple form of touch brings forth this much twisted pleasure out of her. This is too light for it to be even considered foreplay, yet...she can get off just to the thought of him even touching her.

"N-no…" she tries to halt the upcoming teasing.

She is weak and needy and she knows he will abuse this knowledge to the fullest. He has always been a person to test her limits. Sasuke loves having the upper hand.

His hand slowly goes down and it reaches her ribcage, right at the center. Her nipples harden in response and she feels Sasuke shift above her.

When something hard grazes her stomach, her insides quiver. She is affecting him even though she is doing nothing to him in return.

Sasuke's movements stop abruptly when he realizes his body has been reacting quite positively to the display. He feels himself confined in his loose pants, the underwear straining against his hard length. Apparently, the object of his desires noticed it too.

This is where he loses the battle it seems.

Sakura opens her eyes slowly, her hands reaching her torso. Both of her palms lay flat on top of his hand – trapping him there. She takes it and starts to move it around her body, showing him just where she would enjoy for him to touch her.

When it reaches her right breast, she lets it loose. Sasuke keeping eye contact with her starts to massage her mound; first tenderly and then more roughly.

Depending on the reactions he gets out of her, his fingers play with her hardened nub, her thin t-shit an extra layer of teasing against her sensitive skin there.

Not knowing what to do with her free arms, she decides to test her power. She splays them flat on top of her lover's chest without so much a thought. His skin is a little cold and damp from sweat, his nervousness slipping through bodily fluids rather than expressions. Going up and down with each hand, she caresses his taught stomach, abs prominent against his skin.

Sasuke hums in response, an appreciative tone somewhere hidden in there.

Sakura makes it her mission to get more reactions out him before he finds out just how wet he has made her down there. His chest is there, pecs hard and her fingers skim over his nipples with a feather like touch.

His eyes clump shut and his body leans forward a little bit. He bites his lip and lets out a small sigh. Sakura smiles triumphantly knowing she is staring to push his buttons. Her hands descend lower, fingers toying with the waistband of his trousers.

Sakura looks from where her hands are, the bulge obvious and near to collision with the inside of her left wrist. She purses her lips and risks glancing up at him. He is breathing harder now, his hair falling like a curtain, his side bang hiding half of his face.

"Don't," comes out the strained response.

His jaw is taught, the angles of it sharp, someone would think he is mad.

He is mad alright, mad with desire.

Sasuke has been thinking a lot about these kind of moments the last few months, his mind conjuring up scenarios and positions – dirty, dirty little longing.

Nothing has prepared him for this sensation. He is powerless against her, needing her to feed his solicitude with ardor. Still though, greedy for her as he is, he struggles to shred his shyness away.

She sees right through him and pauses. "Are you sure?" she asks tentatively.

In an abrupt movement, he grabs her hand, grip strong on her wrist and slams it right back at the bed, near her head. An act of dominance will not hinder Sakura obedient so soon. She fights right back, seeing Sasuke struggle to keep her hand in place.

Sakura huffs and smiles smugly up at him. His face stays impassive, but his eyes glint dangerously.

Thinking she has won this round, the woman prepares a trotting remark. However, Sasuke renders her speechless with his next move. Abandoning his place above her, he straightens up and pushes his knee right between her legs, just below her searing heat. His lone arm reaches out and grips her left thigh roughly, pinning it backwards and spreading her legs apart in an instant.

Sasuke smirks devilishly at her.

The new position and attitude leaves her all hot and bothered.

Then, his hand finds its place just below her belly button. Leaning forward, he grabs one side of her shorts and starts pulling it towards him. Stunned, she allows him to take them off her.

Sakura wants, needs...she craves to see just how much further he can take it.

But despite all the excitement to see Sasuke's walls fall apart in front of her, she cannot help it when she tries to hide her half naked body from him. Only a thin layer of underwear is keep them apart. Feeling shy now is useless, but god these feelings in her heart are so intense and Sasuke acting out all her desires does not help her at all.

Sakura squeezes her legs shut, thighs pressed deliciously together and stomach taught - straining to keep her lower body hidden from his hungry eyes as much as she can.

In a way, Sakura muses, she is teasing him further by denying him access. Sasuke hates disobedience as much as he hates not getting what he wants.

As always impressed by her strength – even in bed – he clasps her knee and tries pushing it apart. "You don't have to ever hide from me." Sasuke says heatedly.

"I-I," Sakura struggles to find the right words, her blushing cheeks a hot flame on her face. "Sasuke-kun, please," she tries to prolong the inevitable.

How can he be so cool about this when they both know how reserved they are? Be that as it may, they both covet each others' touch and they have been doing so since their younger years.

Knowing she can hide herself no more and she is willing to give all of herself to him, all her scars and her invisible wounds, the pink haired beauty spreads her legs apart, baring her womanly figure to him.

It occurs to her that Sasuke is about to say something to her, but decides against it and prefers to speak with his body instead. With more space now free, the man finds himself snugly between her legs.

Before Sakura could realize what is exactly happening and what his next move is going to be, Sasuke surprises her yet again. Rather than mirroring his previous position on top of her, he chooses to cascade down gently with an objective in mind.

Continuing his ministrations, he smoothly lifts her shirt and scrunches it up towards her chest. With that out of the way, Sasuke starts peppering her belly with soft, open-mouthed kisses. It tickles a tiny bit, but the heat pooling between her legs is a tell-tale sign just how much this is affecting her.

When his hot breath fans above her damp underwear, she knows exactly what he is planning on doing to her. Then, Sasuke pauses and looks up at her questioningly as if to confirm if this okay with her.

To answer his unspoken query, Sakura sits up slightly and crosses her arms grabbing her white blouse by each side. She takes it off in one swift movement and quickly lies down, her eyes focused on the ceiling.

Sakura bites her lip, her hands finding themselves near his nape and fondling his shoulders in an attempt to clear any doubts in Sasuke's head that she may not be ready for this. No words need to be exchanged between them, Sasuke could tell even from the way she breathed if this kind of loving was unwanted from her.

She still feels coy, but, Sasuke knows how to handle her. His hand grips one thigh gently, putting slight pressure on it. He bends down and starts pressing delicate kisses right below her belly button and going lower. When his teeth graze the top of her baby pink, lacy panties, she lets out a tiny whimper. He bites the cute bow and pulls down; his eyes are closed and his fingers are digging into her supple skin, a sweet pressure pulling her back to reality.

Her feet trash a little bit, the covers of the bed becoming a mess in her wake.

Sakura unconsciously lifts her butt up when his hand places under her leg. Taking that as his cue, Sasuke grabs the underside of her lingerie and takes it off her.

With that out of the way, her legs spread apart and he leans back to take a good at her. So many thoughts are running through his head, too many things he wants to say to her. Compliment her beauty and ravishing body; even the most hidden parts of herself are pretty to him.

She looks gorgeous like this, all docile and yielding for him. Sasuke wants to worship her body and treat her with fairness; kiss every scar and caress every curve of her. Every little thing he cannot confess to her, he wants to convey it through every action he does just to please her.

The raven haired man wants to clear any doubts she might have in her head. He needs to make her his, claim her and show her how much she means to him. But first, he has to make sure she knows just how much he wishes to satisfy her.

Sasuke bends down once again, his head between her legs and his arm under thigh, his lone hand holding her captive.

Sakura puts her hands over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her upcoming reactions. When his hot breath fans over her wet folds, she loses it.

He hums thoughtfully as if he is pondering something and then his lips are on her most intimate area. First, a gentle kiss on her clit and then his lips part and he is consuming her wholly. Sasuke uses his tongue skillfully, parting her nether folds and lapping at her entrance. The skill he is displaying has the woman questioning her sanity.

He is very meticulous with her, going as far as using the sounds she makes as guidance. His mouth works in wicked ways and she is making embarrassing, loud noises.

When he pauses to take a breather, Sakura whines. The loss of this endless satisfaction turning her bratty.

"So wet, already," Sasuke says with pride.

Sakura wants to punch his face to the next dimension for that snarky comment, but he has her putty in his hands.

Her face is a little damp from sweat and she pushes a few loose pastel strands away from her sticky cheeks and forehead.

"Don't tease me," she pouts and she slaps his arm lightly – a warning.

Sasuke smirks as if expecting that reaction and then his hand leaves her thigh, a slight bruise already forming on her skin where he had been grabbing her.

Sakura's toes curl in anticipation, her hands settling flat at her sides.

At the same time, Sasuke's exploration begins once more, his mouth finding its place on her needy point. Her heart hammers in her chest and she feels her pleasure reach new heights when his fingers join his tongue.

He strokes her dutifully with his tongue while his two long digits spread her wet folds further apart, providing him with more access. Sakura moans in response, her legs unconsciously lifting with her feet landing gently on his shoulder blades.

Her eyes stop staring at ceiling and she watches as the man she desires has his face all up in her pussy, eating her out like she is the most delicious meal.

"A-ah, please," she keens, anything to lead him on.

Suddenly, he is sucking her clit benevolently, his eyes opening slowly when he senses her staring at him.

Sasuke's prowess activates committing this particularly sensual moment to his memory along with many others to come. Her green eyes are shining brightly and her skin glows; the color of her hair matching her skin, splashes of unique shades of pink intensifying her beauty to the next level. She is shaking slightly, trying fruitlessly to suppress her upcoming orgasm from reaching her too soon.

He itches to make her cum more than once, but his main mission for tonight is to make sure she remembers this night forever... just as he will.

Next thing Sakura knows, a finger is added to the mix and now both his tongue and this are hitting different pleasure points inside her.

Too soon, he suddenly stops and sighs against her quivering entrance. "Fuck, Sakura."

Those last few seconds were such a delicious sensation, she never wants him to stop until she is completely spent. Before she could prod him to continue, the woman feels his index entering her.

Sakura trembles when two fingers start going in and out of her in a fast pace, the intrusion welcome and needed. Then, as if this is not enough, his hand curls and his thumb starts teasing her clit simultaneously whenever possible.

Unable to do anything other than shake in his grasp, Sakura courses her hands roughly through his black hair needing to hold on to something. Her waist bends like a feline in heat, her chest heaving up and down and her breaths coming out in quick pants.

Sakura knows she might be hurting him with how much she is pulling on his hair, but she is unable to care at the moment. He deserves it for turning her in to this tiny, needy monster.

"Don't stop," she moans, face contorted in bliss. Her eyes are closed and her brows are furrowed in concentration. Sakura's mouth parts in a silent plea, her red lips shiny with spit.

She is so close, yet so far away.

Sasuke bites his lip, changes his position and moves to rest his forehead on her shoulder. He feels his member leaking precum inside his boxers and he tries to keep it together.

The man is listening intensely to all the beautiful sounds she is making and breathing hard. His pace is relentless and the muscle in his bicep is straining against his skin from the exertion he is putting it through.

Sasuke grits his teeth when Sakura's walls clench around his fingers, signaling she is close – he cannot stop now.

Sakura's arms loop around his neck and she hugs him close, their bodies sticking to each other. The position is not the most comfortable for him, but damn him if he does not love the way she feels around him. A few of her stiletto pointed nails dig into his skin, leaving angry marks on his back, but the pain just adds fuel to the fire.

"S-Sasuke-kun," she sobs into his neck, reaching euphoria finally. Her body spasms around him, his fingers getting coated with her juices.

Sasuke lets out a pleased sound, something akin to a quiet moan and rests his body on her, his hand coming at a stop and pulling out of her.

Sakura lies spent beneath him with her eyes closed and breaths shallow.

The black haired male feels immense pleasure and pride knowing he made her orgasm just with his fingers and his ego swells at her satisfaction. He has been wishing to be the only one to make her a hot mess like this.

Moreover, the discomfort he is experiencing right now because of her is distracting him from teasing her further, even though he truly enjoys watching her blush and squirm under his penetrating gaze and vexing comments.

His cock is solid hard and aching. It is borderline painful not only because he wishes to get his release soon, but also the whole stimulation confined in his pants is a dire situation that needs to be fixed immediately.

When she shifts underneath him, his boner brushes against her hipbone firmly. Sakura pauses, and peaks at him cautiously, her eyes burning with desire once again.

Not wanting her to make her uncomfortable, he tries to untangle himself from her, but the woman in his arms has other plans.

"You are…" Her voice speaks with purpose, however, her tone is light and shy.

Sasuke flushes and stays still as a rigid board, not wishing to discuss his rather big problem down there. He swears if she tries anything, he will lose control fully.

He is like a wild animal caged and untamed, but about to be set free.

The tall man starts to sit up on his knees in order to avoid the impending confrontation, but his member stands proud and obvious to the eyes. His hand, still wet from her peak, lies limply at his side. He swallows hard and blushes, turning to look the other way and avoiding her ignited stare.

Sakura's mouth waters at the sight displaying before her. Her beautiful lover has never looked hotter than this moment. His skin glistens slightly from perspiration, adding a nice glow to his body and accentuating his toned physique. Sasuke's bangs are tinted at the tips, damp from sweat.

His trousers, along with his boxers, hang low past his waistline and his pelvic bones peak out bringing attention to his happy trail and the prominent bulge in his pants. A vein is popping out in his bicep and Sakura catches a glimpse of his arm flexing, probably to ease up the muscle there.

Sasuke tries hard to compose himself in front of her, but his expression gives out and exposes how clearly turned on he is by this – as if his body has not showcased it enough to her.

It is her turn to command him, it seems.

Sakura decides to take the initiative since Sasuke has not moved from his spot. She approaches him cautiously, slowly sitting up on her elbows and regarding him. He murmurs something inaudible and glares at the mattress if it is the source of all his problems. Sakura takes his silence and his stagnant form as her cue and raises completely from the bed, her core still sore from his intense loving.

"Let me,"she whispers to him immediately upon kneeling in front of him. She almost does not recognize her own voice, with how seductive her tone sounds.

The moment the words come out of her mouth, Sasuke gets alert and his eyes widen a fraction. His lips part, ready to say something, probably to stop her, but he does not have the power to do so. She notices his sharingan is deactivated now, but the look he is giving her makes her resolute with her decision.

It incites her motivation to please him and show him how much she appreciates him and all of his efforts towards her. After that amazing orgasm he gave her, the talented man deserves to feel some kind of pleasure too. Besides, she cannot let him handle all that by himself, she thinks cheekily.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura uses the best authoritative voice she can master at a time like this.

He instantly glances up at her, contemplating his options inside his head. Everything points to her with his dick in her mouth. Fuck him and his traitorous body. The most collected part of his brain melts at the thought of her even touching him.

Sakura's hand reaches forward and she palms him roughly through the layers of fabric, face set with a purpose in mind. Sasuke in return short circuits.

He allows himself to be completely overtaken by her.

His senses are overcome by the sheer desire coursing through his veins. Every fantasy, every touch, every word that has to do with her replaying like a broken mantra in his mind. He feels everything tenfold, the emotions consuming him like the black fire he commands to destroy.

Sasuke closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose, his cheeks aflame and his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. His path to redemption has reached its final destination.

To become hers, wholly.

Sakura begins to massage him based on his repressed reactions like a twitch of his lip or the fluttering of his eyelashes. She starts gently, then she adds more pressure as she goes on. When the woman feels like she has had enough, she grabs the hem of his trousers and pulls down. The same process follows gradually for his boxers too. His cock stands proud and thick, complementing his already perfect figure.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, not knowing what to do, tries to minimize his reactions, preferring to stay reserved yet. His introverted nature makes him hesitant when he is the one on the receiving end. Despite that, he knows Sakura, being perceptive when it comes to him, will catch on quickly and she will accommodate herself to get customized to his still reluctant attitude.

Sakura understands why Sasuke acts so averse since he has yet to come to terms with that fact that it is alright to feel emotional. It is okay to express love and feel it consume you. He is afraid that if he lets himself go, he will never be able to stand even the thought of losing her.

When the outer part of her index finger starts to tenderly caress his hipbone, he shallows hard and opens his eyes to look at her.

The look she is giving him makes his heart flutter in his chest. Her expressive light green eyes shine with so much genuine adoration and her smile is sweet and warm; her whole aura feels inviting and secure.

"Sakura, I-" Sasuke begins, the tremor in his voice startling him.

"It's okay," Sakura says kindly and her other hand lifts, her palm laying flat atop of his heart. She soothes him with her next words, "It's okay to feel like this."

Sasuke studies her carefully, appreciating how much she cares for his comfort. She knows him so well and they are not even an item yet. He cannot wait to spend more time with her and learn each others' habits and quirks.

He lets out an affirmative hum and nods at her.

The powerful shinobi observes her as she continues her ministrations. Her left hand joins her right down there. She breathes out heartily, something akin to a laugh and an awkward smile etches across her face. Obviously, she has not done this before.

Then, Sakura purses her lips and with determined expression on her face, her right hand descends smoothly on his rock hard cock. The head is angry, red in color, his shaft one shade darker than the rest of his body. The girl inspects it as discreetly as possible and with two swift motions, her fingers circle around him and she begins to stroke him gently.

Sasuke lets out a hiss, unprepared for the foreign contact. He has touched himself before thinking of her, but nothing compares to this new, real sensation.

Her left hand stays still, clasping firmly his left hipbone to steady her movements. Sakura peers at him from underneath her pastel eyelashes, jade orbs shining innocently just as she bends down and places her bruised, scarlet lips right before his manhood.

Sasuke gulps down the saliva stuck in his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing. Sakura breathes out hotly on it, blinks at him and her tongue comes out to lick him.

The first swipe of her cute tongue against his shaft makes him let out a quiet moan. Unconsciously, his lone hand grabs a fistful of her hair, tangling his fingers in her soft tresses. He tags her forward a little bit, her mouth and nose bumping on his hardness, urging her to take him into her mouth.

Sakura, realizing she needs to step her game up, opens up and pushes his cock inside her mouth. She starts to suck him, creating a steady rhythm in tandem with her right hand. Half of his member is inside her crevice, her jaw stretching and aching pleasantly because of his girth while her hand strokes the other half that she cannot fit in her mouth yet. His size is above average and hard to handle, but it is nothing Sakura cannot learn to master with Sasuke as her teacher.

In time, she swears, Sakura will learn to please him so good, she will have him begging for more.

The woman picks up the pace, and her taste buds feel a salty essence on her tongue. He is starting leak precum already and her suspicions are further confirmed when he commences to panting.

Sasuke is rougher with her now, pushing her forward and making her cheeks hollow out. Her jaw hurts, but the pain is welcome. She gags a little bit, but she does not relent, wishing to deep throat him further.

"F-fuck, Sakura," he curses, his pleasured groans music to her ears. Sasuke sees white behind his closed eyelids, and he grits his teeth trying to hold on longer to the feeling.

The air smells like sex, and the hormones releasing from Sasuke's body makes his manly musk even more intense as Sakura tries to breath through her nose since her mouth is busy.

She moans loudly at a rather harsh tag against her scalp, and the vibrations it creates against his dick cause Sasuke to buckle suddenly. Her fingernails dig into his skin anew and it stimulates him even more, his orgasm approaching at an alarming rate.

Her strokes become uneven, but faster. At that moment, he decides to look down at her, and seeing her like this, on her knees for him doing everything she can in order to satisfy him enhances his experience even further.

"S-Sakura," Sasuke tries to warn her, albeit late. "—I am going to-"

Before he can get any more words out of his mouth, his climax hits him and his hand grips her hair hard, holding on for dear life.

"A-ah," Sasuke lets out a racy moan; a foreign sound when it comes to him. His eyes close in satisfaction and he leans forward slightly, riding out the remnants of his orgasm inside her mouth.

The image that greets him is enough to make him hard again.

Despite being unprepared, Sakura took his cock well, his semen filling her up and quenching her thirst to please him. She shallows everything he has to offer, like its sweet wine pouring down her throat.

He releases her hair finally, and in return she lets out his member fall out of her mouth with a loud pop. At the same time her left arm abandons its place at his hip and steadies herself on the bed instead. Her lips are bruised and swollen, while her hair is wild and untamed, the endeavor clearly leaving her disheveled. Her chin is shiny with spit and some of the excess fluids that must have spilled out.

As if this is not erotic or sensual enough, her fingers come forth and tap on her coated lips and chin to capture any sticky residue that has escaped. She glances up at him from her spot on all fours before him and puts her fingertips in her mouth, savoring every drop of him. Sakura smirks mischievously up at him, putting his infamous sneers to shame.

Sasuke almost gives in, ready to act out all his shameful thoughts away.

Sakura's core still burns deliciously and Sasuke's reactions to her has made her a little wet, in need of attention again, but she does not voice anything out loud and chooses to let this moment pass. They have all the time in the world, after all. The beautiful woman sits on her knees, her palms resting flat on her thick thighs and she lets out a content sigh.

And just like that, their lust infused spell is broken, their awkwardness and shyness returning back, reverting to their usual selves.

The man seems to have a similar thought process, because he relaxes and following her lead, he sits down on the bed.

They exchange a few fleeting glances, unspoken naughty thoughts going back and forth between them; the newly made couple stays put instead.

A few minutes pass, and then Sakura is getting up. She is fully naked, but she is not ashamed anymore, flashing her gorgeous naked body to him.

"We should probably wash up," she comments as casually as possible to alleviate the awkward atmosphere. Unconsciously, the girl scratches her head and puts a few pink locks behind her ears.

In an act of bravery, Sakura adds a proposition.

"Join me?" she asks and extends her hand out.

"Aa." Sasuke nods and gets up from the bed in all his naked glory, leaving his trousers and boxers behind.

Sakura clasps their hands together and leads him to her private bathroom.

Sakura steps inside the shower stall, Sasuke following close behind and joining her, just as she opens the tap. She alters it from faucet to shower head and together they let themselves be washed by the hot steam. His lone hand grabs her by the hip, aligning her thick behind to his still semi hard length. Sakura bends over a little bit, both palms laying flat on the shower wall, probing him further to sensually rub against her. They stay like this for awhile, their aftermath of their hot desire still prominent, influencing their movements.

Sasuke leans in close and hugs her, his hand continuing its journey and draping over her tummy, bringing her adjacent to his chest in an intimate embrace. Then, he kisses her neck and closes his eyes, sighing in contentment. His black hair is fully wet, sticking to his face and obscuring the left side of it completely.

The pink haired beauty, enjoying the warmth provided by her lover, exhales in quick gasps, her lips parting – tasting the water on her tongue, quenching her imaginary thirst. Her pastel locks stick to every part of her face, the hair transforming under the influence of the humidity and turning one shade darker, a close mix of hot pink and coral.

Deciding she has had enough, and this could lead them further into an endless inferno of love and sex, Sakura grabs the nearest bottle of soap and pours some of it into her open palm. Noting the new development, Sasuke lets go of her and allows the woman in his arms to turn around. She starts to wash his hair, standing on her tip toes. To help her out, Sasuke tries to shorten his height by buckling his knees a tiny bit and minimizing the distance between them.

He inclines forward, favoring her gentle touch, her caresses soothing him. The man pulls her into his chest, his arm circling around her waist and hugging her close. Her fingers tend to his scalp, her nails scratching him and creating a pleasurable, fuzzy effect.

Finishing her task, Sakura washes the soap suds off his head with the help of the flowing water, creating bubbles in her wake.

To return the favor to herself, Sakura pours another patch of soap straight atop of her head and turns around. "My turn," she says, giddy.

"Sure, darling." Sasuke says ironically to tease her, smirking lazily. Not counting the implications of such endearment, they both brush it off as a joke for the time being.

He stars to tend to her locks, coursing his fingers through her hair and smothering the soap everywhere, washing her up. Sakura stays still, humming in appreciation at the gentle touch of her menacing warrior, marveling at the fact he is becoming this soft with her.

When his hand descends lower and starts massaging her nape, Sakura lets out a whimper, feeling her knots loosen under his skillful fondling; the stress leaves out of her in a whoosh.

Sakura relaxes under his ministrations, not minding him caressing her body, from her shoulder blades down to her backside. Stopping just above her perky butt, Sasuke halts abruptly, not wanting to be tempted to do more. Paying attention to his struggle, the woman turns around and gives him a chaste peck on the lips.

After that small show of affection, the beauty does not waste anymore time and pours soap all over his body in a rush. He grimaces instantly at the sudden assault, but she does not relent, giggling heartily at his reaction. With the steam volume lowered, she gets her chance to wash his body clean, helping him out and lending a hand wherever it deems necessary.

Busy as he is, Sakura begins her own cleaning process. Using her hands quickly, she gives herself a throughout bath, paying extra attention to her nether regions. Always preppy and careful, Sasuke makes a good use of his lone hand and he washes up nicely, leaving no spot unattended.

They both finish around the same time, and Sakura adjusts the temperature and flow to fit their needs. Splashes of hot water come out strongly, rinsing their foamy bodies fully.

With that out of the way, Sakura grabs the nearest towels she can find; one for her and one for her lover. She lends it to Sasuke who steps out of the stall, giving her more space. The material feels fluffy as she brushes the towel against her body, wiping any excess water.

Sasuke swipes his black locks behind, the purple of his rinnegan glimmering in the low dimmed lights of the bathroom. The mirror is foggy from humidity so his reflection is blurry, a haze of skin in contrast to his glowing eye and dark hair. Sakura's pink halo comes to view, the rose to his black abyss; the contradiction of their permanent colors a poem of its own.

He uses the towel she gave him to wipe away most of the wetness on his skin, tapping gently everywhere. Meanwhile, Sakura struggles to squeeze all the water out of her hair, the towel moving along her scalp to make her strands as dry as possible. Sasuke follows her steps and uses his own towel to dampen his locks just enough so it is not dripping on his shoulders anymore.

After that, they both take a few minutes of their time to finish some extra bathroom businesses respectively and they exit the room. Clean and fresh, the couple lies on the bed; the fact that Sasuke has his own separate room across the hall left unsaid.

Sakura turns to her side to look at him, her body slightly curling to adjust to her favorite sleeping position. Sasuke lies on his stomach, his head turned to his left, staring at her silently. It feels quite domestic like this, Sakura almost muses out loud.

"Good night, Sasuke-kun," she says sweetly, a toothy grin on her face.

She is happy, Sasuke thinks. He blinks slowly, savoring every second he is looking at her.

"Goodnight," the man responds, a tiny smile gracing his lips.

His eyes speak way more volumes than his words are. The night may be small, but their love is forever. Both content, they let the need to sleep overtake them.

Knock, knock, knock.

What an awful background noise for the nice dream she is having; Sakura stirs in her sleep, her brows furrowing as she tries to hang on to the sleepless state. The imaginary images stop and her mind draws a blank.

She feels a little drool on her lips and her hand unconsciously wipes it away.

Sakura-chan!

Ah, yes, Naruto of course, Sakura thinks, exasperated.

Then, the weirdest thing happens. The woman hears mumbling next to her, more specifically grumbling. This person must be quite grumpy in the morning, because next thing she knows, someone curses.

"Oh my god, I can't believe this!" The blond is desperate, his fist banging against the wooden door loudly.

"Wake up Sakura-chan!" Naruto bellows, frustration clear in his voice, "That bastard, Sasuke, had the audacity to leave before us!"

This piques Sakura's interest, because she clearly recalls being the last one to see Sasuke last night. Just when she was enjoying her sleep, her overly excited friend had to come and remind her about her problem.

But wait a minute…

The culprit came to her room last night.

"Shut up," a male voice mumbles hoarsely, the grouchy tone awfully familiar.

Sakura's eyes widen instantly and the sight that greets her makes her breath hitch.

Sasuke is on his back, his lone arm resting on top of his eyes, trying to prevent the sunlight from peeking through his closed eyelids. His chest is rising up and down, the blanket barely covering his naked torso.

"Open up, already, Sakura, don't keep me waiting!" The blue eyed man shouts desperately. He is ready to barge into Kakashi's room if his friend does not show signs of waking up anytime soon. Sasuke has obviously left the building since his room is empty, no sign of him found anywhere when the blond barged into his room.

His options are limited here, and he thought since Sakura usually wakes up early, she would be the one to keep him company until they meet up with Kakashi.

Sakura is about to have a quarter life crisis here. She cannot believe she woke up to this. First, she felt annoyed at being woken up so abruptly, and now, as she stares at Sasuke's good looking side profile, she feels like someone is trying to torture her.

Then, in flash, her memory floods back and Sakura remembers exactly what went down last night. More specifically, how Sasuke went down on her.

Her loins burn and her core aches in a gratifying sense.

"Oh my god," Sakura whispers, trying to keep her voice down. In any other circumstances, she would be shouting. The woman puts her palms upon her heated cheeks, gaping at her lover who seems to be clueless as to what is going on.

"Okay fine," Naruto announces dejectedly, his voice a tad lower this time. With one last look at the door, the young man finally leaves.

Sakura lets out a breath she did not realize she was holding in. Sasuke seems to be wide awake, although his attitude leaves no room for discussion. He is still quite sleepy, and Naruto's wake up call was not the best to start the day with.

"Finally," The man besides her mutters. Sakura pokes his arm, curious to see his reaction to their predicament.

He looks at her from the corner of his eye, processing everything in. When his stare softens, Sakura greets him breathlessly. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

She gazes at him lovingly, remembering how his words left searing marks on her heart, how his lips felt against her skin, making her his.

"Morning," he mumbles and turns to his side, bringing her lithe form close in an intimate hug. Sakura fits herself into his embrace instantly when she realizes what his intentions are.

The couple snuggles silently for a while, their soft exhalations the only sound in the room. The birds are lightly chirping outside, creating a nice cicada in the quiet morning.

"The idiot can be quite a hassle in the morning," Sasuke murmurs suddenly as if commenting about the weather.

He pulls her closer, basking in her scent. His gentle touch, a huge contrast to his past self who was selfish and harsh. She is making him kind again, bringing forth the child like innocence he used to have. The man sighs against her, his heartbeat calm and his mind clear from any insidious thoughts.

The only thing important in his life is in front of him, right in his arms.

Sakura laughs, a beautiful sound and it rings inside him like a bell signaling happiness.

"Yes, always," Sakura responds, a teasing smile on her lips. "But he is our idiot and I wouldn't trade him for the world."

"Sure," Sasuke sneers, mirth somewhere hidden in there.

"Should we..?" Sakura suddenly asks, the implications clear. She gazes up at him seriously, awaiting for his opinion, making sure he is comfortable with all this.

"Let them figure it out on their own," Sasuke says, his eyes sincere. "Besides it will be funnier that way," the black haired man smirks, enjoying immensely the possibility of Kakashi and especially Naruto struggling.

"Hm, fine," Sakura smiles, her eyes glinting evilly. He is becoming a bad influence to her, but she will not lie and pretend that she will not be enjoying torturing those two – their funny comments about her beloved Sasuke-kun had teased her far enough.

Having decided that, the couple gets up and starts preparing for their day. Sasuke collects last night's clothes and wears them again. He bids Sakura a soft kiss goodbye on the forehead and heads to his room to finish up getting ready. Sakura blushes and stares at this retreating back fondly, a huge grin forming on her lips.

When he is out of the room, Sakura punches the bed in excitement, letting out a muffled cry, "Shannaro!".

Half an hour later, all members of Team seven meet up at the hotel lobby. Naruto's reaction is instant, proclaiming how he is going punch Sasuke's lights out for disappearing. The man explains, cool and collected, how it was none of the blond's business where he went. This arises some suspicions and some raised eyebrows as to where Sasuke could have went.

Sakura is trying to be subtle, really, but she is having too much fun. She giggles every now and then, throwing fleeting glances at her lover who is avoiding answering any questions about his whereabouts, probing the curious men even further to try and understand what could have possibly went down between the full of tension – not yet or so they thought – couple.

"I am going to find out what what is going on here and when I do, I will never let you guys leave it down," Naruto swears – an oath he is bound to regret really, really soon...

#sasusaku #sakura haruno #sasuke uchiha #sasusaku fanfiction #sasusaku fanfic #ssfanfiction #ssfanfic #ssfic #vasoula writes #this whole ordeal took weeks my bro #i tried my best #i proud of this

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seerofmike · 4 years

Text

Incompatible

pairing: bubblysparks / wattson x rampart

word count: 2,371

rating: t

tags: beach day, a continuation of yesterday’s soulmate au prompt, background/implied relationships

summary: Everyone else is enjoying themselves at the beach except for Natalie, who is still reeling from finding out who her soulmate is

i ended up splitting it into parts instead of 1 whole fic! day 3 of rarepair week, part 2 of the bubblysparks saga!

reblogs> likes

read on ao3

below

Natalie adjusted her sun hat, trying to block the bright rays from shining directly in her eyes. She heard a distant whoop of ‘cannonball!’ followed by a shout of ‘SILVA!’ When she looked over, she saw that Octavio had leapt from the very cliff he’d been told not to jump from, and now he was pulled onto Makoa’s surfboard, missing one leg.

“It should float back up,” the man was saying. “I wore the waterproof ones today.”

The leg never appeared, and Octavio had to be taken back to shore where he sat, arms crossed and pouting.

Natalie approached him, stepping carefully onto the towels and blankets laid over the sand, as she hated the feeling of it beneath her feet, before crouching next to him with a smile.

“Would you like to build a sandcastle?” She asked kindly.

“No way, José,” he complained. “I wanted to dive.”

Natalie frowned down at his swimming vest. “But...would this not make you float?”

“Yeah,” Octavio said. “I can’t swim.”

Natalie was very confused, but she was used to feeling that way around him. She sat back on her haunches and looked at everyone else enjoying themselves.

Elliott was sunbathing on a yellow towel, arms folded behind his head and hair wrapped up to protect it from the sun's harsh rays. Crypto was reading a book beneath the shade of an umbrella, the hood of his sleeveless hoodie drawn up as he fiddled with his puzzle cube in his free hand.

Ajay, Anita, Wraith, and Pathfinder were all tossing a ball around in the water while Loba floated on her back, somehow managing to stay above the waves without seeming bothered. This place wasn’t very good for surfing, but Makoa seemed content all the same to swim out into the sea on his board, little more than a speck in the distance.

She twisted her head around, looking for the remaining few Legends, but suddenly Octavio started crawling away from her, heading in Elliott and Crypto’s direction.

“Where are you going?” She asked, curious.

“I’m gonna convince Crypto to let me bury him in the sand. Later, chica.”

Realizing that she had been left alone, Natalie looked over at the others again and considered joining in their game—Wraith looked like she was having fun for once, and she wanted to be a part of that experience!

But then a pile of clothes landed beside her, causing her to startle, and she heard a familiar voice drawl,

“Alright, mates, the real star of today’s beach episode is here.”

Sighing, Natalie glanced behind her to see Ramya approaching, ponytail fluttering in the window. She was somewhat surprised to see what she still had her nose and bellybutton piercings in—wouldn’t those get irritated in the water?—but she chose not to voice this out loud.

The girl made a beeline for the water, but she came to a full halt when she was submerged up to her calves, before turning around and looking directly at Natalie.

“C’mon, Miss Paquette,” Ramya said, and she wasn’t so sure as to why she kept calling her that when she had a crude nickname for everyone else. “Fancy a swim?”

Natalie scowled, rubbing at her inner wrist as she watched Ramya cackle before purposefully kicking water in Elliott’s direction, earning a shriek. Those words seemed especially mocking right now, as she was sure that Ramya had figured out that that was what was written on her skin.

Natalie had wanted to join in their game before, but as soon as she realized that Ramya was too, she resigned herself to sitting alone on the beach. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she watched the others have fun, and felt rather left out—which was ridiculous, she knew, because she had chosen to be by herself. But still...

Loba soon got out of the water, wrapping a towel around herself and winking at Natalie on her way to the beach house; a reward they'd been given been given for reaching the end of yet another Apex season.

Anita soon followed after her, saying that she had important things to do, and she watched Ajay and Ramya exchange knowing smirks at these words. She didn’t really get why, though.

“Oi, Nat,” Ajay called, and she waved her hand in response. “Come and join us, now. Have some fun!”

“We’re at a bit of a disadvantage with these two,” Ramya said, pointing at Pathfinder and Wraith. “Cheaters, is what they are.”

“I am simply tall!” Pathfinder said cheerfully.

“Doesn’t change the fact that Wraith somehow always knows where the ball’s going to go!”

The older woman didn’t even say anything—just smiled.

Natalie sighed, considering her options for a moment. Crypto was still reading his book, though he was now lying flat on his back as Octavio covered his legs in sand. Elliott was still sunbathing but he was now laying on his stomach, and...

A shadow loomed over her, and when Natalie looked up, she saw Dr. Caustic approaching the group with several vials in hand. Natalie stood up quickly and backed away from him, and without even looking at her, he gruffed, “I’m taking water samples.”

Wanting to get as far away from him as possible, she glanced between the beach house and the water nervously, before turning on her heel and heading up the sandy slope.

“Oh, I wouldn’t go inside, if I were you!” Ajay called, and Natalie gave a frustrated huff, whirling around.

“Why not?”

“Just trust me.”

Natalie bit on her tongue, considering all of her other options—even the ones she didn't particularly care for—before letting out a sigh of defeat and marching herself over to the water, still making sure to not step on the hot sand directly. Ramya let out a whoop as she waded in, and Wraith greeted her with a smile.

“Alright, ladies,” Ramya said, holding the ball up high. Aside from Pathfinder, she was the tallest person playing. “Let’s give ‘em a game to remember.”

Natalie frowned, feeling like this was a dig at their opponents’ personal issues—but then Ramya tossed the ball up and hit it towards Wraith, who had backed up before it had even gone into the air. She returned it swiftly, and it barreled right between Natalie and Ajay.

The only reason Natalie did not immediately try to intercept it was because she wasn’t so sure about the rules of the game—was she supposed to keep hitting it, or could she catch the ball and then pass it like Ramya had?—and decided that she would observe the others playing before trying to do much.

The ball went back and forth between their two teams, and by the time Pathfinder had bopped it towards her, she felt confident enough to reach high into the air and try to it hit back—but Ramya leaned over, effortless due to her height, and smacked it out of the way.

Natalie looked over at her, slightly offended that she had not been given the chance to get the ball, but Ramya simply winked and clicked her tongue at her, the sun glinting off of her nose ring.

This happened twice more—if the ball came in her direction and Ramya was near enough, she would reach over and intercept it before Natalie could even raise her arms, and soon enough she was frustrated.

The wind blew towards them and nearly swept her sun hat away, but Ramya reached over and caught it, pressing it down on her head to keep it steady with a “Whoops, don’t need to pollute the sea more than we already have.”

“Do not touch me,” Natalie snapped at her, and then immediately felt bad for being rude when the other girl threw her hands up in defense.

They continued their game, and Wraith sent the ball soaring over her head. She tried to jump and catch it, but it splashed into the water behind her, and some of it got into her eyes.

Feeling close to crying because of the burning sensation, Natalie waded out of the water, trying to resist the urge to rub furiously at her face to get it to stop. Because she couldn’t quite see where she was going, she ended up stepping directly onto the hot sand, and let out a frustrated sob as she felt it between her toes—rough and burning and unpleasant.

She heard the others calling after her, but she needed some time alone, needed a moment to cool off—so she stepped carefully onto the towels again as she made her way up to the beach house, hoping that nobody would follow after her.

She heard the shower running, so she did her best to flush the sea water out of her eyes using the sink after placing her hat on the counter. Natalie braced her hands against the cool edge of the sink, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down.

There’s no need to act like a child, she told herself, brushing a stray tear out of the corner of her eye. The spider-webbing scar on the left side of her face seemed to burn after so much time in the sun, so she turned to the fridge to pull out some ice, hoping that it would cool her off.

When she turned around, she yelped and nearly dropped the frozen water bottle she’d grabbed—Ramya stood there, wearing her sunhat, which couldn’t sit right on her head due to her ponytail, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Just checkin’ up on you, Miss Paquette,” Ramya said, and procured a thin box from seemingly nowhere. “Want a chew?”

“No,” Natalie said stiffly, and fought back the urge to demand for her hat back. “...Why do you keep calling me that?”

Ramya raised an eyebrow—the slit one—unimpressed. “Is that not your name?”

“Yes, but.” Natalie took a deep breath, trying to gather all of her thoughts into one cohesive narrative, before saying, “You call everyone else by nicknames. Rude nicknames. You’ve even called me Watty—so why the sudden change towards Miss Paquette?”

“It’s cuz it’s easy,” Ramya retorted with a grin. “Sounds a bit like my name, so that way I always remember it.”

Natalie squinted at her, trying to figure out if this was another one of her jokes, before asking, "And why did you keep stealing the ball from me?"

"I didn't steal anything. You kept avoidin' it, so I figured you just didn't want to hit it 'nd did you a favor." Ramya crossed her arms, cocking one hip out as she continued, "I can add it to ya tab if you're so ungrateful."

More annoyance flared up insider her and she clenched her fists, trying to find the politest way to tell the girl to leave her alone, when Ramya suddenly sighed, deflating before her very eyes.

“'M sorry if I’m going about this all wrong,” she said, and for the first time Natalie detected an undercurrent of...something in her voice that wasn’t sarcasm.

"And I..." Natalie mumbled, averting her gaze. "Am sorry if I have been rude."

“It's just...I never thought I’d meet my soulmate so early, ya know? Thought I’d be six feet under and meet them in whatever afterlife the universe gives me—never expected ya to be here.”

Natalie rubbed at the skin on her inner wrist, trying not to feel guilty for the way she’d been reacting to the other girl, but she couldn’t help it. She was just...loud. And rude.

But not to everyone else, apparently. They all thought she was funny, and seemed to love her. What was Natalie missing out on? What could the others see that she was unable to? Had she not given her enough of a chance?

“But I get that you don’t care for me,” Ramya sighed, turning her back on her. “It’s whatever. No use cryin' over spilled beer, or however the dumb saying goes.”

Natalie watched her leave, and felt, for the first time, the urge to follow after her and talk to her. But she hesitated, and by the time she made up her mind, the other girl was long gone, probably returning to their game.

Sighing, Natalie went to sit on the couch, but froze when she saw Loba standing outside the bathroom, toweling her hair and looking amused.

“Trouble in paradise?” She cooed, and Natalie’s face flushed. “Understandable, dear. Anita and I had lots of tension to work through before we—”

“Leave the kid alone, Loba,” Anita cut her off, exiting the bathroom as well, before giving Natalie a look much more gentle than the one she was accustomed to receiving in the Ring. “Don’t force yourself into it if you’re not ready, Nat. Parekh’s a good girl, I can tell you that, but I get that she’s not your...”

“Type?” Loba supplied.

“You’re not very compatible is what I’m saying,” Anita finished, giving Loba another look.

“Merci,” Natalie mumbled quietly, holding the cold water bottle up to her burning face as she seated herself on the couch. “I...have a lot to think about.”

The older women went to go sit on the patio, and Natalie watched them through the windows, the sun starting to set over the sea and painting the sky blood orange. It reminded her a lot of Ramya's suit that she wore in game, and she let out yet another sigh, carding her fingers through her hair.

Perhaps...Natalie had judged her too soon.

#bubblysparks #wattpart #wattson #rampart #apex legends #apex rarepair week #shut up mike #mike writes things

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deans-baby-momma · 4 years

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Seeking Mercy-Chapter 1

A/N: Here it is. The third act of this story that, to be honest, is just a one-shot that took on a life of it’s own. LOL!! I want to thank @the--blackdahlia for the awesome aesthetic she made for this!!

And now back to the Dean/YN/Adam saga.

Stepping out of the shower, she dries off before moisturizing her skin, grimacing at the feel of the blemishes that mar her body.

The few wounds she carries aren’t what bothers her though; no, she wears those with honor. It’s the discolored, thin and ragged lines that taunt her. But, after carrying two children inside her womb, what does she expect?

She knows she should feel this way. Her husband has done more than enough to prove to her that he still loves and wants her. And she loves her kids with everything in her.

Their daughter is a rambunctious 4 year old who is into everything and wants to learn anything she can. That’s why she is in her 2nd year of preschool. Their son is as rough and rowdy as any 3 year old little boy could be. They both take after their father in more ways than just looks.

Once dressed, she heads out of the bathroom to Kash’s room to make sure he is still down for his nap. She still can’t believe she let the man she married name their son after one of his favorite songs; well, ‘let’ might not be the word to use.

After being in labor with him for over 48 hours, she had to have a cesarean and after they delivered him, she began hemorrhaging and almost died before they got the bleeding to stop. Needless to say, she was out of it when it came to naming their newborn son, leaving the task to her husband. The paperwork was already in place by the time she woke up.

The little sandy-brown haired boy was sleeping soundly in his bed so she continued on through the house toward the kitchen. She had to get dinner started shortly because their dad was picking their daughter up from school on his way home from work.

He and his partner had been called in for backup on a case and had been gone for three days. He had promised though that they were returning today and he would do the school pickup, knowing it would surprise his little girl; to have her big, brave dad be in the pickup line outside of the schoolhouse. But she also suspected that he liked the attention all the staff gave him when he showed up in his suit. One thing is for sure, he looked really great all dressed up.

Dean, Sam and Mary walk into the station at the Stillwater Headquarters, all suited up and ready to play their “parts”; Agents Criss and Frehley, along with their lackie/agent-in-training Ms. Ronstadt.

Dean smiles at the receptionist and points toward Donna’s office, which the receptionist nods the okay for them to enter. As soon as Dean opens the door though, he can tell something is off; Donna looks shocked and surprised to see them. She hurries and puts something away into a desk drawer and locks it before standing up and smiling.

“Dean. Sam,” she says as she walks around the desk between them. “How good to see you.”

“Yea, you too Donna,” Sam says and side-eyes Dean, questioningly. “Uh, you called about a case.”

“Really?” Donna answers, leaning her head to the side. “Oh! That’s right. I did. Duh, it’s been crazy around here lately.”

“So, Stillwater isn’t all that still, huh?” Mary asks, drawing Donna and both boys’ attention to her. Donna squints her eyes and looks at the woman standing behind the two giants.

“Who are you?”

Dean looks around, making sure no one can overhear him and then puts his arms around Mary’s shoulders.

“Donna Hanscum, meet Mary Winchester. Our mother,” he announces with pride.

“Well, now ain’t that just a kick in the pants,” Donna says with a smile spread across her face. “I’ve always wanted to meet ya!” She stretches her hand toward Mary. “Where have they kept you hidden away?”

At that point, Dean knows something is amiss. Sheriff Donna Hanscum is well aware that Mary Winchester died in 1983. Throughout the years since they’d met the kooky officer, they had all become pretty close; hell, Donna was a bridesmaid at his and Y/n’s makeshift wedding. Donna knew their mom was dead.

‘Was’ being the operative word, seeing as the woman in question is standing there shaking hands with their friend and associate. Dean takes the time to get a good look at their colleague, seeing if he could tell what was wrong with her.

As Dean scans over Donna’s features, he takes notice of the way her uniform is neat and clean. Donna Hanscum usually has at least one stain on her uniform shirt before lunch but here it is late afternoon and the outfit looks like it just came from the cleaners. Dean looks over the women’s heads at Sam to see if he has caught the little nuances.

"Uh Donna-" Sam speaks up after his and Dean's silent conversation; something was definitely going on with the perky sheriff. "-you called us. Pretty sure you had a case of our kind here?" Sam reminds her.

"Oh," the sheriff sighs. "Sure, sure. Well, I took care of that."

Dean notices how Donna's eyes dart around the room, not making contact with any of them.

"Well, what was it?"

"Um, it was just some kids goofing off."

"Kids?" Dean asks, inquisitive. "How were kids making other people disappear and then come back changed? Like they were coming off a massive binge?"

"Oh, is that what I said?" Donna answers, acting even more squirrelly. "Uh, I was wrong."

"Well, I think we're gonna stick around and interview a couple of them," Sam says, Mary and Dean nodding in agreement.

"Okie dokie!"

Hearing the front door open, she knew it was just a matter of time before her daughter would come bursting through, happy that her dad was home and had picked her up from school.

Sure enough, the little brown-haired girl came running in with the biggest smile on her face; her green eyes sparkling.

"Hi mom."

“Hey sweetie," she says as she stirs the pasta. "How was school?"

As she listens to her daughter recount the events of her day, her eyes catch movement behind the kid.

As he walks in, her breath catches in her chest. Seven years of marriage and two kids later and he still takes her breath away! Tall and built, chiseled cheekbones, bright green eyes surrounded by laugh lines when he smiled and sandy brown hair styled to perfection. He was literally sex on bowed legs.

Once the little girl was done with her account of her day, she slid off the chair and headed upstairs.

Her husband sauntered over to her with a smirk on his face. He knew the effect he had on her, she had told him once not so long ago.

"I missed you D," he says as he puts a finger under her chin and raises it to capture her lips. "So fucking much."

"Missed you too babe," she whines. "And, I got done while you were gone."

"Done? Done with wh…" he trails off once realization hits. "Oh. Aunt Flo finally left?"

"Yep," she says, popping the 'p'.

"What a welcome home!" He chuckles as his hand slides down her side and slips between her thighs. "My dick sure has missed this pussy."

Her eyes roll as he applies pressure to the seam of her jean shorts right against her clit.

"If I could I'd bend you over and fuck you right here, right now."

Her whimpers are drowned out when Kash's cries sound through the monitor on the counter.

"Daddy duty calls."

With another kiss, he takes his hand from her crotch and sniffs his fingers before turning around to head upstairs.

At the bottom step he pauses and looks over his shoulder. "I'll show you tonight just how much I've missed you."

A shudder runs through her at his promise. 'That man is going to be the death of me', she thinks as she watches him ascend the steps.

@lostinaseaoffictionalbliss @squirrelnotsam @sandlee44 @internationalmusicteacher @kricketc29 @natura1phenomenon @blacktithe7 @spnbaby-67 @travelingriversideblues-x @keymology @tftumblin @markofdean79 @thevelvetseries @deanwanddamons @winchester-fantasies @akshi8278 @michellethetvaddict @larajadeschmidt13 @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @hoboal87 @atc74 @maddiepants @delightfullykrispypeach @sea040561

#seeking mercy #dean winchester #Sam Winchester #adam milligan #reader insert #unplanned pregnancy #dean x reader #adam x reader #cheating #smut #donna hanscum #i wrote a case #made up bad guy #monsters

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hellzyeahwebwieldingreviews · 4 years

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Untold Tales of Spider-Man 14: My Enemy, My Savior – by Eric Fein

Meh

This story’s title page features a great John Romita, Sr. illustration of J. Jonah Jameson sweating it out as he watches Spidey fighting the Scorpion on a viewscreen, with Alistair Smythe gaping at him from another screen. (We don’t know where Jonah is but will soon find out that he’s inside a spider-slayer.) That’s a good way to start.

In the story itself, J. Jonah Jameson has just won the Humanitarian of the Year Award, chosen by the citizens of New York City. After working late at the office on his acceptance speech, he climbs into his limo, heading for home. But suddenly, the limo swerves out of control, running up on the sidewalk. The driver claims he can’t release his foot from the gas and the car is not responding to his actions. When he tries to turn the ignition off, he convulses and falls unconscious. The car drives into a dead-end alley and crashes into the wall. JJJ, bloodied and dizzy, crawls out of the car. Before falling unconscious, Jonah sees “the form of a large man approaching him.”Like that scene? Here it is again from a different perspective. A man “at a control console in a dimly lit lab” watches JJJ get into his limo. He presses a button and a “spiderlike droid” attaches to the car’s rear bumper. The man pushes another button. The spider-droid shoots out “a bundle of fiber-optic tendrils.” Some of them attach to the steering column. Others bore “through the floorboard: where they grab “the driver’s right foot, attaching it to the gas pedal.” These tendrils contract, forcing the driver’s foot down on the gas. After the limo crashes, the man speaks “into a commlink,” saying, “Mr. Gargan, our prey has been subdued. Please, take the necessary action.” Those of us in the know recognize Gargan as the real name of the Scorpion. Of course, those of us who looked at Johnny’s opening illustration already know the Scorpion and Smythe are the villains in this piece.Meanwhile, Spider-Man webs his way to the Daily Bugle. He drops down into a nearby alley, changes to Peter Parker, and takes his latest pix of Spidey battling the Rhino to the city room. There he finds all sorts of frantic activity. Robbie Robertson tells him that “Jonah’s missing” and presumed kidnapped “or worse.” Kate Cushing sends Peter to the crime scene to get some photos. “I’m sure Jonah will be all right,” Peter says, “He’s a tough old goat.”Just then, JJJ wakes up, chained down on a hospital gurney in a lab. He sees “a large mechanical construct twenty feet tall and ten feet wide, surrounded by scaffolding and held up by suspension cables.” “Several smaller robots” service it. The lab’s resident reveals himself as Alistair Smythe, which makes Jonah realize that the robots are spider-slayers. Smythe tells JJJ that he has “inherited my father’s journals and his lab equipment. And I have inherited his crusade. My father’s enemies became my enemies.” And, for Jonah’s pressuring of Spencer Smythe into making more slayers, Alistair blames the publisher for his father’s death.

Then Mac Gargan joins the conversation. Smythe says he and Gargan “recently crossed paths and he explained to me how he was another victim of your crusade,” of how Jonah financed Gargan’s transformation into the Scorpion with “no thought to the psychological damage the treatments had done to Gargan.” (These guys sort of have a point.) When they learned of Jonah’s Humanitarian of the Year award, “the hypocrisy [was] too much…to swallow.” So Smythe built a giant spider-slayer designed to carry Jameson as a helpless passenger. “I’m going to arrange for you to finally be the hero you’ve spent years saying you are, by letting you destroy your favorite public enemy, Spider-Man,” Smythe tells Jonah, “Of course, there is the chance that Spider-Man will finish you off first.” With that, the Scorpion loads JJJ into the giant slayer.Some time later, Spidey is on the Daily Bugle building’s roof expecting an attack. He has received a tip from a “street source” about an event at the Bugle. “And the guy behind it was the Scorpion.” When the giant spider-slayer attacks, Spidey knows that Smythe is also involved. He grapples with the robot.

Just when he thinks he has won, the slayer jettisons four legs. One of them wraps around Spidey’s leg and administers an electrical shock. Ignoring the pain and further shocks, Spidey rips it away from his leg. Whereupon the slayer blasts a hole in the roof.Inside the slayer, JJJ winces at the destruction to his building. As the slayer burrows from floor to floor, attacking innocent people, he starts to wish that Spidey would stop the robot. “What a revelation,” says Smythe over the radio, “Rooting for your greatest enemy to succeed.” And, sure enough, Spidey yanks on some wiring and circuitry and stops the slayer, only to have a voice announce, “This mechanism will self-destruct in sixty seconds.” Hearing this, Spidey picks up the slayer, takes it to the roof, and throws it toward the East River. As soon as he does, the Scorpion attacks him. But the Scorpion also opens his big mouth, saying, “First you knock off Jameson for me, then I kick your butt.” Realizing that Jonah must be inside the slayer, Spidey puts a spider-tracer on Scorpy, snags the robot with his webbing and climbs onto its back.Even as Smythe taunts Jonah, Spidey rips the top off the slayer, climbs in and frees JJJ from his bonds.

But then the slayer lands in the river. Spidey drags Jonah, who is “unconscious and very pale” from the wreckage and brings him to shore. Just as he is about to administer mouth-to-mouth, Jonah comes to. Spidey promises to bring help and tries to web-sling away, only to find his shooters clogged up with “river muck.”The Scorpion is ready to celebrate the deaths of his greatest enemies but Smythe tells him both Spidey and JJ are still alive. “I saw you disobey my direct orders by making yourself known to Spider-Man before Jameson was dead. As a matter of fact, because of your big mouth, they’re both alive,” Smythe says, adding, “You’ve ruined everything, you thickheaded lout! I should kill you, but I have more important things to do. So just get out.” Scorpy doesn’t take well to this and attacks Smythe with a “stinger-blast.” Smythe sics his mini-slayers on Gargan. Then Spidey shows up, having followed his tracer (and he had extra web-fluid in his belt) and defeats both foes.

Rather too easily, unfortunately. As he does so, he says something that may well be the theme of this story, “Oh, here we go again, another chorus of ‘My life stinks and it’s all your fault.’ Well, let me tell you something, bug-boy, I’ve had it with you idiots. Neither one of you can admit to the fact that you’re both responsible for the shambles that your lives have become. Yeah, Jameson helped by making the offer or funding the projects. But you dopes embraced his cause all the way.”The next night, at the Humanitarian of the Year dinner, JJJ gets up and refuses the award. “It would at this point strike me as hypocritical to accept it,” he says, “having just come face to face with two villains whose origins in a small part can be traced to me.” Still, he promises to “continue to crusade against the costumed vigilantes and other superpowered crazies that they attract. Especially that menace Spider-Man, who I can assure you exacerbated the problem with Smythe and the Scorpion.” Jonah gets a standing ovation for his speech but Peter doesn’t take a photograph. He has changed to Spidey to stop “a band of heavily armed men about to break into the banquet.” And so it goes.

This story was merely okay. Pretty much every story has strived to represent an aspect of Spidey’s mythos and this story zeroes in on Jameson. What’s a bit more baffling is the story’s placement. The prior story was set in the very early 80s during O’Neil’s run on Spidey before Roger Stern. This story though could only occur after ASM #373 as that was when Spidey first encountered Smythe after he became the Ultimate Slayer.

However, given how he went into custody this makes one wonder how Jonah didn’t know about Alastair’s upgrade? I can let that go since it’s by no means the first or most egregious fo continuity errors in this anthology thus far. What’s more problematic is that we’ve jumped from like 1981 all the way to 1993. Which is doubly baffling when you consider this book was put out in 1997. For a book titles ‘Untold Tales of Spider-Man’ why would you skip over 10 years worth of material in favour of an era less than 5 years old? Surely there would be plenty of great tales to tell during the Alien Costume Saga alone, which would in turn represent the symbiotes, another iconic aspect of the Spidey mythos.

Beyond that there isn’t much to say about this story. it was kind of cool to check out Smythe and Scorpion teaming up as they are the two villains most associated with Jonah. But other than that...I mean we’ve kind of seen this before haven’t we?

It’s not that it’s poorly executed but it’s just pretty ‘same old same old’. I suppose you could say the same of ‘Livewires’ but at least that told a typical Spidey story set during an oft forgotten era with oft forgotten supporting players. This story is something we’ve seen before since the 1960s.

At the end of the day this is a story that’s skippable as far as entertainment goes but sort of necessary in terms of representing a key component of Spidey lore. From that POV it would’ve been conspicuous by it’s absence.

#Eric Fein #J. Jonah Jameson #Spider-Man #Peter Parker #Untold Tales Of Spider-Man #Scorpion #the scorpion #Mac Gargan

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dekko-61 · 4 years

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Star Vs The Forces Of Evil The Milkshake Saga

Star and Marco Sit on the couch watching TV. “Hey Marco want to go to the Cat Face Dimension?” Marco slumps back in his seat. “Pass”, he says nonchalantly. Star Frowns at that. She hopes she isn’t boring her new best friend. Ding, a new idea now pops right in her head. “Wait how about we prank call Pizza Steve?” Star looks at Marco very eagerly for his approval. “What, Pizza Steve is usually very nice to us Star. I mean the guy gives us free pizza now cause we saved his shop from monsters. Don’t you think that’s a little too far?” Star frowns at Marco again. “Well we have to do something it’s so booooorrrrrrrrring... uhhhhgh.” Marco rolls his eyes at that. “Star there are just some days when things don’t happen. Here on earth we call it everyday life.” “Whaaaaaaat Come on Marco y’know we have more fun then this everyday.” Marco gets up and stretches. “That’s because your around with your wacky ness. Before you things were simple here, you watch a little Tv and have a milkshake.” Star looks up at Marco confused. “Marco what’s a milkshake?” Marco’s eyes widen. “Wait you haven’t tried one yet have you Star?!” Star looks at Marco very nervously. “Uh sure I have heh,heh,heh um Marco I’ve caught up with earth culture for the past two weeks. Marco face deadpans. “Star just admit you’ve never had a milkshake before and I’ll give you one.” Star’s eyes beam instantly. “I never had one, give it to meeee pleeeeeaaasseeee.” Marco grins. “Don’t Move.” He walks into the kitchen and comes back out with a milkshake in his hand. Star eyes the tall glass with the creme on top and the pink liquid from the inside. “Whoa... is that more human magic. Star’s face marvels at the glass. Marco puts the milkshake on the table infront of the Couch and pulls out a straw. He then sticks it in the cream. “No silly this is a drink. I must warn you star it can be very...” Before Marco could finish he notices the bottle is completely empty. He looks over to see Star rubbing her stomach while laying across the couch. “That was so gooooooooood.” Star swings her body upside down. Her torso now hanging above the floor as her legs lay on the head of the couch. Marco looks at this very confusingly. “Star are you ok?” Star eyes turn pinkish red as she looks up at Marco. “Never *burps* Better.” Marco sees her shirt ride up to her neck from star hanging upside down on the couch. He notices her belly is turning from its normal mewman pale white to a very pinkish red. “Uh star...” Star begins to burp some more as pink bubbles come out of her mouth. She eyes Marco very suspiciously and begins to fall on the floor. “Star!” Marco rushes over to her and picks her up from the ground. Marco looks down at Star who’s smiling up at him. “Mmm Marco That was the best thing I ever had.” Marco chuckles very nervously at that. “Uh Star, you don’t look so good.” Star yawns right in front of him before pushing Marco off of her. Star gets up back on her own two feet. She then proceeds to sit on the couch. Star pats the other seat of the couch gesturing Marco to sit back down. Marco was very disturbed by this. “Come on Marco I won’t bite. I just need moooooore...” “Star you’ve had enough Marco countered.” Star looks up at Marco now her expression changed to sad. “But Marcoooo”, she mumbles. “No Star I can’t give you anymore, you look like my parents when they come out of the Pub.” Marco then sees the her shirt is still lifted up like it hadn’t moved back at all. Marco walks over to Star and tries to pull her shirt back down from her neck but it doesn’t budge. “Look Star I think you need some rest, maybe these milkshakes are not good for Mewmans.” Star growls at Marco as he tries to pull her shirt down again. Star pushes Marco’s arm away and grabs him by the side. “I’m tired of you treating me like a kid!!” Marco tries to break away from Star but for some reason Marco can’t break free. “Uh Star when did you get this strong?” Star growls louder this time. Marco looks back scared. [well this is bad.] he thinks instantly as Star pulls him into a head lock. “Think I’m so weak huh, why! Cause I don’t do KA RA TE!!” Marco deadpans at Star again. “It’s pronounced Karate Star.” Star yells this time and her arm is now tighter against Marco’s neck taking away some of his oxygen. “Star...*chokes* St..ar stop this... ACK!” Star grinds her teeth in anger and looks down at Marco very pissed. Her pink red eyes now pitch Red. “First you hate my ideas for fun and now you won’t give me a milkshake instead you’ll send me to bed like a baby. What kind of friend are you?!” Star yells again. “St...ar please l..et go I’m sorryyyyy... ouch!” Star’s face looks very angry now. Marco’s head falls over. He holds his hand out in an attempt to grab the remote. Star looks down at his arm and picks up the remote with her other hand. Marco now continues to struggle within Star’s grasp. He then tries to grab her arm. Marco‘s Hand now weak from the lack oxygen slum-ply slides across Star’s Stomach. His fingers lightly scratch her mid stomach... Star’s eyes widen. She then falls over, on the ground. Her hold on Marco weakens and he gains back oxygen. Marco slides off of her and looks down at the now defeated Star. [I now know her weakness in this State.] Marco grins at that as the arrogant Star gives a slightly weak growl at him. “You think I’m done Marco, just wait till I get up, you will pay... Marco looks down at Star very cocky and rubs her stomach making Star feel worse. “Nnnnnoooohohoho Mm Marco please stahahahahap!! Marco then pokes Star’s Belly Button out of curiosity. Star’s stomach turns a little pale as Milkshake cream flows out of her belly button. Star grins even wider. Ahahahahahahaha, Marco please Hahhhahhhhahhhaha!!!Stahahahahahahahahahahahahp!!!!!!! More bubbles float out of her mouth“Whoa...”,Marco looks surprised. Star eyes begin to flash back to normal pupils. Marco notices that the effects of the milkshake wore off. Star begins to slump over. Marco the picks Star up as her stomach starts turning back to normal pale mewman skin. “What the...Marco what happened?” Star looks at Marco very confused. “Eh you just tried a milkshake Star.” Star looked at her stomach as her shirt finally fell over back where it should be around her waist. “Uh Marco were you poking my stomach?” Marco looked down embarrassed. “Uh no”, says Marco. “It’s not like that... look apparently there was something in the milkshake and your stomach like a... uh a button.” Marco looks away at Star who’s now blushing. “It was the only way to get you back to normal star I’m sorry. Star’s face immediately changes. “Oh ok!”, star gets up and grins at Marco. “You ok this time Star?” Star grins even more now. “Yeah it’s all good, y’know I’m fine that’s all that counts right!” Marco smiles back. “Right, Well lets clean this up”,saysMarco looking at milkshake cream from star’s belly button all over the ground. “Whoa Whip cream! I got this!” Marco looks disgusted as Star licks most of it off the floor. “Hey Marco want some?” Marco looks back Star very scared knowing where that Milkshake cream has been. “On second thought, I forgot I have homework Star, sorry got to go.” Marco backs away and slowly runs upstairs. Star looks down. “More for me then!” Star licks some more before stopping and thinking for a moment. “Huh why does this taste like lint?” END... for now...

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straykidsnerd255 · 4 years

Note

Hello! May i make two in one request? For Hyoga - you are my safe place, i will always come back to you and Radamanthys- soulmate au but s/o is a normal human so they get reborn everytime and Radamanthys remembers everything because he is a specter? Please? Did i make sense? Thank you!

Of course you can!! I hope you enjoy it!! It makes perfect sense. Thanks again for the request!! I had a little too much fun with this request. It got really long.

Key: For The Hyoga Story

S/n- Son’s name

Hyoga- You are my safe place-I will always come back to you

When you were just a little girl, you had dreamed about being a saint. You had dreamed about meeting Athena and becoming one of her guards. Life had a mean why of showing you would never become a saint. You had started your training to become a saint when everything took a turn for the worst. You stepped forward to attack, but before you knew it, Gold saint Gemini Saga was rushing you to Athena. Blood painted his armor and the cape he wore. The next thing you remember was sitting on the bed with the covers pushed to you lap. You sat there staring out the window, tears falling down your cheeks.

“She can’t go back out and train anymore. She has lost a server amount of blood and strength in her legs and I don’t know if she will even be lucky to walk again.” You heard Athena mutter sadly outside your room. You felt your whole world come crashing in your lap. The image you had painted of become a saint cracked and broke to the floor. You lifted the blankets and stared at your legs. Just one touch and they hurt. Any ounce of weight put on them and you come crashing to the floor. You looked towards the door when Saga, Athena, and Aiolos walked into the room. Saga and Aiolos have been your best friends since you were little. Aiolos crumbled to his knees and cried. “It was my fault for not watching. I should have been there to help.” He said.

Your eyes held no more life in them. Saga and Aiolos could see that clearly. You grabbed the blankets that you had moved away and pulled them up over your legs. “I don’t want to talk about it.” You said staring at the blankets. All your eagerness and smiling were gone. You lost everything you truly loved. Saga placed a hand on her head. You couldn’t hold back the tears and began sobbing. You wiped vigorously at your tears but they continued to fall down you face and land on the blankets. Aiolos and Saga moved so they were sitting on the bed with you and hugged you tightly. “I just wanted to be a saint. Why must karma be so cruel.” You whispered before you eyes grew heavy. Saga laid you back on the bed and stood. All three of them left you to sleep in peace. Or that’s what they wanted to think would happen.

{Time Skip-4 years later}

You sat on the grassy fields. You smiling like you always did. Your legs were tucked up against your chest as you watched your husband and 7 year old race around. You stood carefully from your spot and slowly walked towards the two. Your legs were still trying to gain strength from the incident during training those four years ago. Hyoga looked up and found you making your way towards them. “Stay right here S/n. I need to go help mommy.” Hyoga whispered and raced over to your side. “You should know that walking around without someone to help you is a bad idea don’t you Y/n?” He asked looking towards with with a goofy grin and a raised eyebrow. You stuck your tongue out at him and took his outstretched arm.

“Hyoga, You are my safe place. I will always come back to you if you will always come back to me.” You whispered. Hyoga looked down and towards you. He stopped walking and turned you towards him. He tucked his finger under your chin tilting your head up so he could press his lips to yours. “I will always come back to you no matter what happens. I retired from being a saint so that I could take care of you and S/n. That’s my duty now that I am a husband and father. I can’t just abandon you both. That’s not very man like now is it.” He said bending down and nuzzling his nose against yours. You smiled brightly and closed your eyes nuzzling back.

Pulling back, Hyoga rubbed the back of his neck. “I always got a hard scolding by your best friends Saga and Aiolos long before the two of us got married.” He said. You narrowed your eyes in suspicion. “What did they say?” You asked, curious about what they said to him. He cleared his throat. “I quote, “If you break her heart, we will personally break every bone in your body. Got that?” It scared me.” He said. You burst into laughter and wrapped your arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “They are just teasing you love. They won’t do that because they know I would whoop their asses if they did.” You said pressing your face against his chest. Hyoga smiled softly and wrapped his arms around you while staring up at the sky.

“You may have lost all strength in you legs to become a saint, but that doesn’t mean you have lost the strength to be a mother. You have been the world's best mother to our baby boy. I believe that he will carry your wishes of being a saint and become one himself. He will prove that his mother was once a great candidate to be a saint of Athena. I know for a fact, that he will take your name on him and use it to fight against the enemies that you never got the chance to face. He will do us proud Y/n and I know it.” Hyoga said. You couldn’t help but start crying. You could tell that your son would be a saint but, what Hyoga told you, you saw it even clearer know.

You and Hyoga turned to see your son’s back to the two of you and staring at the sunset. “It looked just you and mommy dad. The sunset is beautiful. Just like you and mommy!” S/n cheered before turning towards the two of you. He raced towards you and Hyoga and took your hands in his. “Mom, Dad. I want to be a saint. I want to take moms name into the stars and leave it there.” S/n said staring at the sanctuary ahead of you all. Hyoga smiled at the boy. “Then let's begin training. You have a long way to go.” He said. Your son grinned widely. “I’m ready for it.”

Radamanthys- Soulmate AU

Radamanthys had seen a lot of shit in his life but, seeing you die over and over and over again made him sick to his stomach. Sure he was a spector and had orders given to him by Hades-King of the underworld, but you, you were different and he knew it. Having to watch you lose your life over something so stupid drives him nuts. When you first meet, he hated the idea of a soul mate. He hated the idea of having your soul mates words etched on your wrists. The first things that they say to you when you meet. He hated it all.

That is, until he met you. The words that you said were simple- “Your tall.” That’s it. That’s all that was written on his wrist. He didn’t understand the joyous feeling that filled his chest. He didn’t understand it. So, he grabbed your hand and started heading towards Hades palace. You didn’t understand what was going on but, the words that left his lips were the same as the words on your wrist. “Do I frighten you? Did I hurt you in anyway?” Radamanthys had ways of having people bow down to him but seeing this fragile human, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her.

Back to the present, he screamed at the top of his lungs as one of his so-called-friend killed you on the spot. Hades saw everything and immediately appeared before the spector. Radamanthys cradled you in his arms as he cried. His tears dripping on your face as you faded from his life for the 5th time that year. He had always been cautious when it came to the fact that you could be reborn when you die, but that didn’t mean he wanted to watch you die countless times to see it in action. Whenever you are reborn, you have the same appearance but the only thing that is different, is, you remember nothing of your death. You still remember that you are engaged to Radamanthys and that Hades is always happy when you are around.

One day, you and Radamanthys were out just walking around Hades palace without a single clue that all the spectors and Hades himself were watching the two of you. They believed that you two were a cute couple and would do anything to protect you and him at all costs. You turned your head and looked up at spector. He turned his head to face you when he felt eyes on him but would instantly blush a dark red and his eyes widened when he felt lips on his for the first time. He found himself melting into the kiss and immediately returning it with just as much as you had. He would feel his arms act on their own and wrap around you.

As the days grew on and on, he noticed that you would sneak off to train. He had caught you a couple of times training with Hades of all people a couple of times. He knew that Hades would never do anything to hurt you and found in endearing that you were training the way you were. You had pulled your hair back into a ponytail and wore short shorts and a tank top and held a sword that looked similar to Hades.

“One more time. Try to knock me off balance.”

“Ok. Here I go!”

“Your form is all wrong. Try again.”

“Like this?”

“Much better.”

Radamanthys would be a smiling mess as he watched your train endlessly. “She is something else.” He muttered as he continued to watch you practice with Hades or even Minos. As the days grew longer and longer, Radamanthys found you lying on his bed. You had bruises and small cuts that could heal after a while. He walked over to you and ran his fingers through you hair. Your slow breathing indicated that you were asleep and had been for a while now. He moved his fingers down to your face and traced the outline of your cheeks, jaw and lips. He bent down and pressed his lips against yours. A smile crossed his lips as his did.

Radamanthys walked out of the room and closed the door. “Yo man. How’s she doing? I think me and Hades when a little to hard on her today.” Minos said jogging up to the male. Radamanthys shook his head and smiled. “All I saw was a few cuts and bruises that can heal by themselves. She knew what she was getting into when she started training with your guys…” He looked around after he finished. He could sense something was off and didn’t like it.

He threw open the door with Minos at his side. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” Minos snapped at the group of spectators surrounding an absolutely scared Y/n. Radamanthys moved forward and lifted you into his arms. “Come near her one more time and I will not hesitate to snap each and everyone of your necks.” Radamanthys hissed staring each of them down.

They left the room and headed towards Hades chambers. Radamanthys refused to place you on the ground for fear that the other spectors did something to it to hurt you. Once they reached Hades chamber, Minos knocked instantly. “Come in.” They heard the God of the underworld said. The two opened the door and walked in shutting it behind them. “What seems to be…. Y/n? Are you ok?” Hades said standing from his desk and rushing over to the three of you. He checked over the wounds and made sure nothing happened. “She was attacked again by the lower spectors.” Minos said. Hades growled. He threw the pen he had back over to his desk and walked out of the room. All hell was gonna break loose because someone messed with you. He considered you to be a little sister to him. Hades wasn’t going to let you get hurt like this.

Radamanthys pulled your closer to his body and started shaking. “I don’t want to lose you again. Stay with me from now on. I don’t trust anyone except a few spectors. Ok?” He said. You looked at him and smiled. “Alright. I promise.” You said bending down and pressing your lips to his. You both heard a cough and looked over to see Minos staring at the both of you with a small blush but had a bored expression on his face. “Try not to do that when I am around please. Its gross.” He said. The three of you looked at each other before bursting into laughter. “Whatever softly.”

#Saint Seiya #Radamanthys #Requested #Anon #enjoy #fluff #Soulmate Au #prompts #Thanks for Requesting

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radiant-flutterbun · 4 years

Text

Pixel and the Shapeshifter

(Some context because it’s been Awhile. In my lore I have gods from another world who can visit Sornieth if my shapeshifting shadeling, Inkdrop allows them to. These gods have a mostly human appearance, but a few animal characteristics too. Think of Catra’s design from the new She-Ra show)

Queen Sagacious wasn’t around anymore. One day she just left her queendom and never returned. She didn’t leave a note. She didn’t leave anything behind to tell her subjects what to do in her absence. It was unusual for her. Normally every move she made was carefully planned and organized. She scheduled her life out years ahead of time. And now she was just. Gone.

There were rumors that she went to live on the Dragon Planet, that the gods have started to hear so much about. The was a land dominated by dragons. It was a land of magic. When gods entered the land, they too turned into dragons, but with a price. They lost their immortality.

Ever since Sagacious’s disappearence, Pixel looked for a way to escape. But no matter what they did, they couldn’t seem to get the ankle bracelet that Sagacious placed on them off. It was ironic, considering that Pixel’s own creation was being used against them. As the God of Technology, that had made the parts possible to create the bracelet, and yet Sagacious outsmarted them with their own craft. None of Pixel’s tools could pry the thing off of them. They suspected that Sagacious mixed their tech with her magic, meaning that if they had any hope of removing it they would need to either remove their own leg, or beg Sagacious for forgiveness.

Pixel was considering cutting off their leg when they spotted someone move past their house. They lived in a pretty busy section of the queendom, so the movement wasn’t that unusual, but the look of the being certainly was.

She looked like a young girl with jet black skin, neon green hair, and bright yellow eyes. Immediately Pixel stepped outside for the first time in years.

“HEY SHAPESHIFTER! OW!” Their anklet bracelet zapped them “HEY WAIT!” Zap “OW! PLEASE-” Zap. They could hardly speak with the ankle bracelet continually pumping electricity into them the longer they were out of their house.

The strange girl stopped and turned around. She watched Pixel with a wary expression. Pixel trotted closer to her, but with another good zap collapsed on the ground beside her.

“Um,” The girl said “Are you ok?”

“No,” Pixel admitted as they yet again felt the pain of electricity coursing through them “But I will be if you can take me to the Dragon Planet.”

The girl clicked her tongue “Hmm I don’t know, the last god who convinced me to take him there turned out to be a no good meanie.”

“Hey- OW! I promise I’m not a no good meanie,” Pixel winced. The voltage was increasing the longer they were outside of their house.

“Why do you have a shocky thing on you?”

“Hey uh, I’ll be happy to discuss this with you in my house where I’m NOT constantly getting electrocuted.”

The girl watched as Pixel was shocked yet again and then looked at their open door. She shrugged “Ok, sounds safe enough to me.”

The girl followed Pixel into their little home. Inside wires and glowing machinery lay across everything in a seemingly unorganized mess. There was only a small path to walk without stepping on something. Pixel gestured to a spot on the sofa with no machines lying on it.

“Please, you’re my guest so you can sit on the couch. I’ll just slump on the ground and catch my breath from being repeatedly electrocuted.”

“Ok,” The girl sat on the couch as was requested “You have a lot of… stuff.”

“Yeah, I have a lot of on going projects. I’m Pixel by the way. Pixel Pronoia, the God of Technology. And I only know of you as the Shapeshifter, but I’m guessing you have a name right?”

“Yeah it’s Inkdrop!”

“Alright cool! Nice to meet you! Now about the Dragon Planet…”

“Why do you have the shock bracelet?”

“Oh. Because I’m under house arrest.”

Inkdrop cocked her head “Why?”

“Because Saga is a bitch.”

“You mean Sagacious?”

“Yep. That’s Queen Bitchface.”

“My brother says she’s a bit mean, but all I’ve ever seen her do is read.”

“So you know where she is?”

“Yeah. At Clan Ton Theon.”

“That wouldn’t happen to be on the Dragon Planet, would it?”

“Yeah. Queen Virtuous asked me to take her there.”

“I fucking knew it! It has something to do with the Demon King’s growing power, doesn’t it?”

“Uh. Maybe? Sorry it’s hard to keep track of the politics that happen in every single world I visit.”

“Right. Must be nice being able to travel between worlds AND shapeshift.”

“You’re right it is pretty nice!” In an instant Inkdrop’s hair changed into long thick locks that matched Pixels “I like your hair by the way.”

“Thanks, that’s a good look for you. Anyway, I guess if you’re going to trust me I owe you the truth. Sagacious put me under house arrest because I befriended some mortals, which we gods aren't supposed to do.”

“Really? My brother has lots of mortal friends! And so do I! That’s such a dumb rule!”

“Wait. But you’re not a god.”

Inkdrop shot Pixel a chilly glare that sent a shiver up their spine.

“I mean yeah, it’s a fucking dumb as fuck rule. So as you can see I’m innocent. So can you please take me to the Dragon Planet?”

“Hmm… I still don’t know…”

"Who was the god you let in that you regretted?"

Inkdrop's face further soured "Naperone."

"Why in the Spirits' names would you ever think trusting him was a good idea?!"

"Hey I was new to this world and he seemed nice! How was I to know? Just like how am I to know that I can trust you?"

"Ok, fair. What can I do to get you to trust me?"

Inkdrop scratched her chin "Oh! I know!" She snapped her fingers and suddenly there was a swirling black void in the middle of Pixel's living room.

"Is that a portal?!"

"Yep! But it's not to the Dragon Planet. Hop on in. I want you to meet someone."

Pixel backed away from the portal "Hold up. Where are you taking me?"

Inkdrop held out her hand "Do you want to go to the Dragon Planet or not?"

Pixel thought for a moment and then took a deep breath, stood up and grabbed her hand.

With a giggle Inkdrop jumped into the portal with Pixel in tow.

For a moment everything was black, and then for a split second Pixel saw a flash of white light, causing them to instinctively close their eyes. When their eyes opened again they were in what appeared to be some sort of massive, dim lighted cave. There were several buildings constructed in this cave and the one closest to Pixel was one they recognized. It was a massive black Victorian style mansion, except this version of the building wasn’t dusty or falling apart. It looked formidable and elegant.

“Am I… Am I in the Underworld?”

Inkdrop nodded.

“But didn’t it get overtaken by demons?”

Inkdrop didn’t answer, a tall winged man was approaching her.

Pixel instinctively took their phone out of their pocket and it transformed into a knife with electricity sparking off of it.

Inkdrop smiled and tackled the man in a hug.

“Inky! Wasn’t expecting you to be here. Are you visiting Saph?” the man asked, returning the hug.

“Uh huh! Is she around?”

“Yes she’s in her room.”

Pixel squinted at the man. There was only one person that this could be, but something was off about him “Sepulchral Solstice?”

The man turned to Pixel. He was wearing a blindfold over his eyes, so he must not have noticed Pixel until they spoke.

“Yes that’s me,” The man answered “but I have a feeling that I’m not the Sepulchral you’re familiar with.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh!” Inkdrop spun back around to Pixel “Yeah this is a different universe. It’s pretty similar to yours accept not quite. Like the Underworld is fine here, and Sepulchral is older and Saph exists! That’s who I need you to see so come on!”

Inkdrop grabbed Pixel’s empty hand and with a strength Pixel couldn’t believe such a little thing could have, she began to drag them away from Sepulchral and into the mansion. Pixel quickly turned their weapon back into a phone before they could accidentally shock anyone.

Pixel watched as Gods of Death walked by and ignored them and Inkdrop. Some of them looked familiar to Pixel, but like Sepulchral there was something off about each one.

“Is Arkina here?” Pixel asked as Inkdrop led them up a staircase.

“Who?”

“Arkina, the Goddess of Animal Souls? She’s my sister.”

“Oh. I didn’t know she existed. But if she is here, you know she’s not really your sister right? She’s another Pixel’s sister.”

Pixel rolled their eyes “I know that. I’m just curious is all.”

“Oh well, we’re here now,” Inkdrop knocked on a door painted a dark purple with crayon doodles tapped on it. It was hard to make out what some of the drawings were depicting, but they thought some of them were supposed to be Inkdrop. Others showed a girl with black wings, and more showed another kid with orange eyes and who always seemed to have a dragon nearby.

The door opened and there was a girl with brown skin, black feathered wings and a frilly purple dress. Her face lit up when she saw Inkdrop and the two kids squealed and hugged each other.

“Inky!!!” the winged girl shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Saphy!!!” Inkdrop returned the shouting energy.

“I LOVE your hair!”

Inkdrop giggled and twirled one of her new dreadlocks “Thanks, I thought Pixel’s hair was neat so I decided to sport a new look!” As she said this she gestured to Pixel who was standing awkwardly behind her.

Pixel gave a little wave to Saph “Er, hello?”

“Oh! Hello! I’m Saprophyte Solstice! And who might you be?”

“Oh. Uh Pixel Pronoia.”

“Pronoia? Oh! Are you Arkina’s little sibling?”

At the sound of their sister’s name Pixel’s ears perked up “Yes! But uh-”

“Oh this isn’t your world’s Pixel!’ Inkdrop interrupted “This is a Pixel from another world.”

“Oh, okie dokie.” Saph said.

“And I actually came here because I’m not sure if I should trust them.”

“Ah gotcha,” Saph gestured for Inkdrop and Pixel to enter her room.

Her room was black with splashes of purple and pink. More doodles were taped all over the walls.

“I was kinda hoping you were here to play,” Saph said as she sat on the side of her bed.

“I know I’m sorry.”

“Next time you visit you should bring Cassia and we can have another adventure together!”

“Ok, ok I promise. Next time I visit we’ll do that.”

“Yay!” Saph turned to Pixel “Now I’m going to have to look into your Soul.”

She reached out toward Pixel’s chest and they took a step back “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the fuck are you doing?”

“I have to touch your chest to see into your Soul.”

Pixel scowled “Oh fuck no.”

Saph rolled her eyes “Relax, it's not like I’m asking you to lift your shirt or anything. I just have to touch the spot where your heart is. That’s where the Soul is. Don’t make it weird.”

“Uh, how about no?”

“Then I'm not taking you to the Dragon Planet.” Inkdrop crossed her arms.

Pixel clenched their fists “Fine. Read my Soul or whatever the fuck.”

They winced as Saph placed her hand over their chest and closed her eyes. An uncomfortable silence followed, and then Saph gasped and yanked her hand back. Her eyes were wet with tears and she began to sob.

“Uh… Are you ok?” Pixel asked. In response Saph hugged them.

“You… You’re in so much pain.”

“Uh…”

“SHE KILLED YOUR GIRLFRIEND.” Saph shouted it at the top of her lungs, a combination of rage and sorrow.

“Y-yeah…” Saph’s reaction brought back a wave of emotion that Pixel thought they had buried. They crumpled to their knees and were now at the perfect level for Saph to wrap her arms around their shoulders. Tears now fell down Pixel’s own cheeks “Her… her name was Dana.”

Saph sniffled “That’s a beautiful name! I bet she was beautiful.”

“Y-yeah… She was. But she was more than just looks,” Pixel clutched their chest “She was the only one who ever saw anything in me.”

“W-well I just saw into your Soul, and I think you’re pretty great too,” Saph wiped away her tears and nodded to Inkdrop.

“Alright, if Saph trusts you, then so do I,” Inkdrop snapped her fingers creating another portal “Let’s take you to the dragon planet.”

#tcotg

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ladyshandioftheendless · 5 years

Text

Shandi’s StarTerror Saga 5!

Been a while since I updated this one too! Mostly because I had no idea where I wanted to go next and sometimes introducing new characters is hard haha. But I think I’ve got something good going here~

~Shandi

StarChild wants to find Ace’s assassin! But he can’t do it alone..

MAKE ME FEEL AGAIN Part 5

StarChild paced outside of Ace’s room for what seemed like an eternity. When Tomaziel finally came out he looked at him with panicked eyes. “How is he? Is he going to make it?” Tomaziel sighed. “I think we have everything under control now. The poison was..something called venom..from a creature called a cobra. Do you know of it?” StarChild nodded. “Yes. They’re native to Earth. I’ve no doubt that’s where the assassin came from. I have to pick up his trail. He must answer for what he’s done!” Tomaziel was of course in full agreement. “You’re absolutely free to use our Lighting Portal. Take this communicator with you. It will keep you in direct contact with me. If I find anything here I will make sure I inform you immediately.” StarChild smiled. “Thank you, Tomaziel. You’ve been a great help to me. I know Ace’s life is safe in your hands~”

Upon his return to Earth, StarChild wondered how he should start his search. Maybe Vinnie had some insight that might help? It was worth a try. He went to Vinnie and Gene’s room and knocked. Vinnie opened the door, thankfully still fully clothed. “StarChild? What are you doing out of bed? And in your true form? Fox told us you were ill.” He glanced down at the floor. “Forgive me but..that was a bit of a lie. I..went to Jendell to see if I could find out why I hadn’t heard from Ace. S-someone tried to kill him. Right now he’s recovering from being poisoned. I need your help. The poison was cobra venom. We think the assassin may have come from this planet. I have to find him.” Vinnie frowned. “This is indeed troubling. Please come in. I will use my power to attempt to pick up a trail.” Gene peaked out from the bathroom. “Who is it, Treasure?”

“It is StarChild, Beloved. I am going to help him locate an assassin.”

“A what? What’s happened?”

“Someone tried to end SpaceMan’s life with poison. The perpetrator of such a vile action must be brought to justice.”

“Ace. Is he alright?”

StarChild nodded. “He’s fine for now. An antivenom was administered before the poison could do any serious damage. But now that he’s in a self-induced coma he’s vulnerable. I have to stop the assassin before he tries again.” Vinnie glowed brightly, floating slightly above the floor. His voice boomed as he spoke.

“There..are five. Killing..is their profession. The one you seek..a mysterious face..surrounded by..dark curly locks... Unlike the others..he prefers the slow..agonizing death of venom.. He hides in the dark...like the snakes he adores.. C-Cali..fornia..ahh..that is all I see..” StarChild patted his shoulder. “Thank you, Vinnie. That’s quite enough. I think I know who to ask to find out more.” Gene grabbed his arm as he turned to leave. “You’re not going without me. And it’s not a polite request.” StarChild sighed and changed back into his human form. “Alright alright you can come with me. But I want you to be a good boy and not be rude~” Gene growled while Vinnie giggled behind him. “Let’s just go already.” In a burst of flames they both disappeared.

In San Diego, Paul led Gene to where he hoped Mötley Crüe’s tour bus was still parked. It was there alright, and loaded with people. Music was blasting so loudly from the open door, Paul was surprised the police hadn’t been called yet. He moved to climb the stairs inside but Gene stopped him. “I’m going in first.” Paul rolled his eyes. “Will you stop? I said you could come with me. I didn’t say I needed a chaperone.” He tried his best to look straight ahead as he went inside. He really didn’t need to see random people fucking and doing whatever else. He did spot Nikki towards that back, but he was a little busy with his face buried between a woman’s legs. Paul shook his head. “This was a mistake. Let’s go.” He jumped when someone’s had grabbed his wrist. It was Tommy. “Heeeeey Prince Hottie...didn’t think we’d be seein’ ya again so soon~!”

“I came here to see Nikki..but he’s clearly occupied so I’ll be going.”

“What’s your hurry? Why don’t you stay an’ have some fun with us~?”

Gene grabbed Tommy’s hand and forced it to release Paul’s wrist. “What part of ‘no’ do you not understand?”

“And who are you? His daddy? Pretty sure he’s old enough to make his own decisions.”

“I will break you in two..”

“Both of you please! Tommy..I’m not staying. Please tell Nikki that I need to see him whenever he’s not..doing whatever he’s doing.” He left with Gene following close behind him. “That’s who you wanted to go to for help? I worry about you sometimes.” Paul shot him a glare. “I know what I’m doing. Why can’t you trust me?”

“Princess?” Paul turned to see Nikki stepping off the bus with an awkward smile on his face. “Hey uh..sorry you saw that. When you party as hard as we do things just get crazy~”

“So I noticed.”

“Uh..Tommy said you wanted to talk to me. What’s got my Princess so frantic~?” Paul exhaled the breath he was holding. “I’m..hoping you can help me. Since you originated yourselves here in California you must know this place better than we do.”

“Not to brag but we know it backwards and forewards.”

“Then you must know of some of its..darker places.”

“Heh. We’ve gotten around.”

“I’m..trying to find someone. Maybe you know him? Tan skin..pretty tall..has long curly hair that covers his face..?”

“Curly hair huh? Looks like he’s got a mop on his head? Sounds like Slash.”

“Who’s that?”

“Cool guy. Plays a wicked guitar~ Met him in L.A. a few months back. Had a whole group of guys with him. They were fun to drink with~”

“How many..other guys..?”

“I dunno..four..?”

Paul and Gene looked at each other. They were definitely on the right track. Their looks made Nikki raise an eyebrow. “What’s..goin’ on? Is there some kinda trouble?” Paul took his hand and squeezed it. “Truthfully..there just might be. Can you take us to see this..Slash?”

“Sure I can. I like trouble~”

To be Continued!!

#Shandi's drabbles #Shandi's KISSteriaverse #StarTerror Saga #time to play a game of 'Find That Assassin!'

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ursoself-satisfying · 5 years

Text

an OC sneak peek [2/?]

ok heres another w the accompanying oc!!! its ginger n maryanne 4ever!!!!! i lov them sm!!!!! but anyway heres another excerpt from around the same time n its MORE angst n I hope u like my vagueness lol,, PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK!!! LEMME KNO WHAT U THINK!!!! ilyall enjoy ::””)) IM GONNA PREFACE THIS W THE FACT THAT IK IRL BRIAN IS A PURE MAN N THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN N ANITA IS A GODDESS BUT THIS IS JUST FOR THE DRAMA ITS TOTAL FICTION I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NO DISRESPECT TOWARDS ANY OF THEM its got some cheating ig so be aware that anita is my mom n the loml pls dont call me out ::((

---

“Anything to drink?” He asked casually, causing the girl to squirm in her seat. Her discomfort was amusing to him, as she was the one who had traveled out in the first place. She was present of her own volition but acted as though her emotions had such an irresistible hold on her, or rather Brian did, that she was there out of a primal need rather than any conscious decision.

“No- No, I’m ok, thank you.” The tall man glanced back at her with a soft, sad air about him. This feeling often came with their interactions as of late, despite their past. He averted his gaze from her body and turned his attention on pouring himself some tea instead. They existed in simple silence for a few moments, the only sound in the small kitchen was that of the kettle on the stove and the pouring of boiling water in his cup. He stood at the counter and took a long sip before turning slowly to sit across from his unsolicited guest. A feather soft smile graced his lips as he took her in. Even in an unfortunate situation, she was unbelievable, the same as ever.

The woman bit her lip before leaning forward and uncrossing her tense legs, “So, uh, wh-”

Brian set his drink down with a small clink on the table, the sound meant to interrupt her question. He just stared into the hot earthy contents for a moment and stirred it slowly. “Anita’s at her semi-annual retreat this week without me.” He cleared his throat, “I couldn’t spare the time between the post-production bustle and having to prepare for the cosmos convention.” His smile was thin and he took a sip of his tea before continuing, “I’m home alone for a while,” his eyes traced the woman’s silhouette before meeting her gaze as she was doing the same to him, “but I think you knew that.”

“Look-” She started quietly, but ultimately she could maintain the eye contact long enough to finish and slouched for a second instead. Ginger looked down at his comment, avoiding the aim of his accusatory glance. With a huff, she sat up and turned to face suddenly face him directly. “Maryanne kicked me out for the night.”

The elder of the two raised his brows and put his cup down with a concerned expression. “She kicked you out?” He asked incredulously.

The redhead swallowed, “Shes ‘moving on’.” She spat her words at him with a clear distaste for her lovers choice of actions as well as words.

The long fingers of the guitarist slid across the table and laid open for an embrace. Ginger glanced up at him cautiously before deciding his soft eyes held genuity and she laced her hand in his. The tips of his digits wrapped around her like they were made to fit with one another. Her hands in his caused a wave of emotions to ripple from the contact and Brian could barely handle it. He sniffled and slowly let his thumb slide over the never aging skin of the woman he once adored, and though he would tell himself otherwise, he still adored.

“I'm sorry,” he began, but she shook her head violently with an angry frown. She unintentionally squeezed his outstretched hand but he squeezed right back.

“Don't be. She’s just-” Ginger sighed, “She's different now, you know?”

Her aura slowly shifted from that of deep warm hues to softer cooler tones, from red and oranges to blues and purples like a dying flame coming down from its hottest point. Brian could feel the shift shoot through her and he prepared himself to stand and hold her the minute she needed him to.

Ginger looked up to meet Brian's sympathetic stare. He had always been the key to their emotions and it unlocked some kind of flood gate in her. She could feel it rush all at once in seemingly every part of her body. “I just don't wanna lose her, Brian!” She let it our like a gust of wind from her mouth, a storm of repressed worried. “I can't-! Not like I lost you!”

Just as he knew he would be needed, the man stood and went to her side. She stood as he approached and let him engulf her in his long arms as tears escaped and ran down her already red cheeks. She was shaking, having no way to handle or process the realization their return had thrust upon her. Brian held her sobbing head close in his chest, stroking her short hair and tightening his limbs protectively around her warm body. She could feel him place a small kiss on her head, whispering and cooing to her as he once had long ago, “Hush now, it'll all be alright, my darling girl,” his voice would waver now and again as he calmed her, “my sweet, beautiful, darling, darling, girls.” The smaller hands of the woman held dependently to the collar of his sweater and she choked back a final sob before attempting to speak again.

Her small voice came out with a rasp, raw from her cries, as she tilted her head back to meet the eyes of her familiar love, “We made things work, Brian. Why can't we just be like that again?” She pleaded with shining green eyes that took the man to another scene for a moment, one of discovery and firsts, one full of ecstasy and elation, but one so different than his present. “We were happy, Harold. Why can't we be happy again?” A weak attempt at a smile graced her lips at the loosening of her tongue, unfolding the old name like opening an old scrapbook.

Had her hands not been traveling up his changed face to tether him to his physical body, her use of his other name, so intimate and exclusive, would have had him lost right then and there in the sensation she provided. She cradled his face and her shaking lips begged to be kissed, tangling her fingers in his grey curls to entice him. Drifting closer and closer until he was bent to breathe down her neck, the temptation became too much.

It may have started at the neck but it moved in hot streaks from the necks to jaws to lips on lips. While Ginger's hands were preoccupied with the buttons of his shirt, Brian’s were holding her as close to him as he could, sprawled out on her back dangerously close to her ass. She mapped out his chest with the tips of her nails while her tongue did the same with his mouth. Nothing needed to be mapped, really, because for her it was like walking down a road to your first home. Even after you've left it, you'll always remember how to get there, no matter how much shrubbery grows over the path or how long it goes unattended. Brian was their home and they always seemed to find their way back to him, regardless of the distance put between them.

Brian thought she was exactly the same. Everything about her physically was just as she was when she left him. He then pulled away at the reemergence of that memory. As he separated from her, she mewled in protest, the loss of connection cold on her. That was right, though, she had left and he had stayed. Years and years had gone by and he had made a life for himself, more of a life, or in the very least a life without them.

“Brian,” Ginger moaned, trying to snake her arms back around his neck, “baby, what's wrong?” Her eyes were closed and her shirt was half haphazardly pushed up but her exposure only made Brian suddenly feel sicker.

“You know what's wrong, my love.” His languid fingers worked to pry her needy form off him with much difficulty. Her pouts turned to frowns and he gently, if not reluctantly, pulled her clothes back in place on her but she swatted him away as he spoke. “Ginger, darling, all of this is what's wrong.”

He motioned to them, to the empty house, to the hairs sticking to her face like sunny, golden, cherubic looking locks. She was glowing, but wasn't she always? She was in his eyes but that only made it all harder. “What?” She spat, “That- That I still love you? That's wrong?”

So much of it hurt him but he- He had to. It was really the only acceptable course of action. The teenager in him beat on his heart like Roger on a gong and begged and pleaded for there to be another way, for him to run away with her like he was 17 again, but he was old and his heart no longer reverberated in his chest like it used to. “You're the most intelligent creature I've ever encountered, my love. You know why all this is wrong.”

The tears returned and rolled down her face in record time as she bit her lip. “Why can't things go back to the way they were? It was perfect-”

He sighed, “The world is always changing-”

“I love you, Brian Harold May! And you still love me! I know you do! Isn’t that what you taught us?” With calculated steps, she aimed to close the distance between them but the older man kept her at arms distance now. “If we're in love then we should be together!” With every word, her speech became less and less intelligible through her sobs. “I just- I don’t understand!”

His heart shook as it shattered in his chest at her final words, a final crash to end an epic saga. “Things are a lot more complicated now, Ginger. You'll understand someday-” He held back his own tears and watched her pace the floor in front of him.

“Don't be so fucking condescending!” She snapped, stopping to look him in the eyes, the same eyes she saw when she first arrived. They were the only consistent thing in her long life, the love he held in his gaze. It softened her against her will. She wanted to be angry, not for the first time ever, but for the first time for personal reasons.

Brian paused at this. He had never seen her exhibit this much emotion before especially not aggression. All this time and he wasn't sure if he’d ever seen her this mad. “I'm sorry-”

“Don't be.” There she was. She was back to being cold. Face dry and slack, she was a woman of logic and decision. She collected herself and her things, jackets, and bags scattered around the room, refusing any help or assistance offered by Brian.

He didn't do a thing to stop her in the end. He knew she would find somewhere else to go, to stay, someone else to keep her warm. He had no doubt about that. She was well loved and well read, but ignorant in the ways of society. He worried but he couldn't have stopped her if he’d wanted to anyway. He desperately wanted to, but he knew the second his skin sparked on hers again he wouldn't be able to stop this time. No one in his life deserved that, his kids didn't deserve a father like that and his wife, God, she deserved more than he was being right then.

The door closed with a slam and Brian watched from the window as she got in her car but she didn't leave. She just sat there, hunched over her steering wheel and what he could only assume was yelling. Her mouth was wide and her eyes were shut tightly. He hadn't even realized the tears falling from his own eyes. He didn't wait for her to leave, he couldn't take the site of her any longer, not here not like this.

Behind some of his amps, Brian kept a box. It was filled with old photos, some bits of clothing, and all sorts of pieces of art. His favorite, of course, was the photos though. There they were, all together, smiling and in love. The three of them, they were- They were unstoppable, untouchable. It was golden with them, always. God, he thought how did it come to this? How could their story have arrived at this conclusion? And all Brian could assume was that this simply wasn't yet the conclusion.

#queen #bohemian rhapsody #borhap #she has a voice!!!#bohrhap #new blog #brian may #mine #fanfic #not queen #personal #nut #friends #angst #oc #original character #ginger

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littlefaerose · 6 years

Text

and into the forest i go, to lose my mind and find my soul

WHO: Marley Rose (ft. Shadow!Marley)

WHEN: Wednesday, October 24th, 2018

WHERE: the forest of Marley’s mind

WHAT: This isn’t the trip she asked for...

WARNING(S): mentions/allusions to death and drug use

EXTRA(S): Title is a quote from John Muir. Lyrics in italics are from ‘Forest’ by Twenty One Pilots and ‘Army Of One’ by Coldplay.

I scream, you scream. We all scream cause we're terrified of what's around the corner. We stay in place ‘cause we don't wanna lose our lives.

Homework is done. Her dorm room tidied up. The day’s clothing discarded and new ones set out for tomorrow. There is comfort found in ritual and these days, Marley seeks comfort and distraction from whatever place she can.

Within reason.

There’s a leaf in a small tin in a box, tucked away in the bottom drawer of her desk. Out of sight, but not so easily out of mind. Underneath it, a book overdue from the school library. It hadn’t been her intention to ‘lose’ it. But there were some things that should stay secret. Delmira’s story would have to be one of them.

She’s been giving away too many secrets lately.

The conversation between herself and The Guild has spun out of her control faster than she expected. The truth about the prophecy and its contents is out there. Now she lives in fear of what everyone else is thinking. Of whether the truth is truly safe with them. Of eyes and ears and branches and roots, keeping an account of her every move. Of the mounting number of accidents she’s been involved in over the last few months and the dwindling belief that it has all been just a coincidence.

Maybe I’ll break out the leaf tonight, she thinks, brushing her teeth at the bathroom sink. She could use some of Millie’s advice.

Or at least some decent sleep.

Brush, rinse, repeat.

She wipes her mouth dry with the back of her hand as she turns off the tap and sets her toothbrush aside. Reaches for the canister of salve to twist off its cap. Dips her fingers into a cool green gel and applies them to the remaining patches of discolored skin on the backs and palms of her hands.

Pauses in the middle of the methodical circles she rubs into her skin as a giggle reaches her ears.

She leaves the open canister on the sink and moves to the doorway into her bedroom, brow furrowing as her eyes sweep the room.

She’s alone. At least it appears that way.

“... hello?” she calls softly but hears nothing in return.

Must be getting tired, she thinks with a sigh, scrubbing a hand over her face. Maybe I don’t need...

Her eyes flicker to her desk, lingering on the handle to the bottom-most drawer. Aether, she’s tired, but not enough to fall asleep without difficulty. She should just go to Dani’s room, see if she doesn’t mind sharing a bed tonight. But she has enough on her mind, surely. All of this mess about the collars. The aftermath of the Pagan Pride parade. Midterms.

She doesn’t register leaving the doorway to pull open the desk drawer, only that time seems to jump and a moment later she’s laid back on the bed, an empty tin in one hand and a leaf in the other. She twirls it between her fingers, eyelids growing heavier by the second as she considers it. She knows the risks. Knows the horrors experienced when things go wrong.

Oh, but how easy it is to forget prior experience when desperation overshadows common sense.

Stare into darkness, admit defeat. Coming home and I’m finding no peace.

Darkness.

Then light, spilling through spaces between a canopy of leaves.

She opens her eyes to a colorful greeting of reds, oranges, and yellows. A large frond floats down from above, dancing lazily on the breeze. It seems to spin right along with Marley, nestled in a pile of autumn’s abandoned foliage on the forest floor. She reaches a hand out for the leaf, which lightly brushes her fingertips before wafting away once more. Her head turns to watch as it somersaults in mid-air, delicate and playful.

She breathes deep...

Crisp air. Wet dirt. Notes of pine and that mysterious scent the earth creates after being showered with rain.

Her heart is simultaneously heavy and beating with excitation.

Cold Spring.

She sits up, rustling the leaves around her as she takes in her surroundings. She was just here... hadn’t she just been here? Disorientation is no match for the vivid memory of Breakneck Ridge and the silent forest she met at the foot of the mountains.

They hadn’t come to this place though. No, this place... this place is sacred. It’s her place. The only place left that truly belongs to her and only her.

She rises to her feet. And the leaves rise with her.

She watches them swirl around her and float away, creating a trail. The wind rustles the trees and they sway, urging Marley to follow.

She starts at a walk. As the wind picks up, so does her pace, until she’s running through the woods, following the leaves. She can hear the rush of water from the brook, the distant murmur of conversation and light laughter. The trees whisper and hum pleasantly as she passes by. Birds sing cheerfully.

She remembers this. Remembers what it used to be. Remembers how it ends.

But she still runs forward, doesn’t stop. Not until she reaches the clearing.

The mighty red oak stands tall and proud. Thick vines wrap their way around its trunk and mingle with its many branches. As she moves to stand at the foot of the tree, tiny pink and white petals bloom, spiraling from base to the tips of every branch.

‘About time you showed up. I’ve been waiting!’

Marley’s brow furrows. It’s not Millie’s voice greeting her. Had the leaf not worked?

‘Yoo-hoo, up here, Miss Ambivalence!’

Her heart lurches and stop. Lurches and stops. She rubs a hand over her chest and looks up at the mass of red leaves and white flowers.

‘Climb on up! We both know you want to!’

That voice... she huffs out a breath, shakes out her hands, then grasps the lowest, sturdiest branch and starts to climb. And climb. And climb.

The air is thinner up here. Purer. Her chest feels heavier the further she climbs. She almost slips halfway up, losing her footing and digging her thorns into the branch above her. Her heart lurches again. She swallows back the flash of fear and hoists herself up.

‘Keep going, you’re almost there!’

The voice is closer now. Marley knows she’s nearing the top of her tree, her secret hiding place. Just a little further now...

She reaches the last weight-bearing branch before they start thinning out, short of breath and warm despite the cool autumn air. Her heart races and stops. Races again. She breathes deep, blows it back out.

‘I remember the last time we came here,’ the voice murmurs, and see turns to see the wild-haired, green-eyed girl sitting beside her. ‘That Patrice was a real bitch. Guess it makes sense she’s a petunia, huh? Petty little flowers.’

Marley watches her other self run a hand through dark hair streaked with blond, making it more tangled than it was before. Other Marley doesn’t seem to care much.

“You’re not the one I came here to talk to,” she answers bluntly, surprising herself. “I thought I got rid of you.”

‘I am you, dummy,’ Other Marley chuckles. ‘I’m always with you. You’re stuck with me until the Aether says otherwise.’

Marley rolls her eyes.

“Well, you need to go. I’m expecting someone.”

‘You sure about that?’

“Positive.”

Other Marley shrugs as though to say whatever, crossing one leg over the knee and leaning back against the trunk. She seems to indulge Marley for all of a minute before speaking up again.

‘Pest! That’s what she called us,’ Other Marley exclaims, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘Thorny little pest. Weedy beast. We were only trying to help harvest the pollen from the fields but Aether forbid a middle-tier Fae have to deal with low-level shrubs like us-’

“Please... stop,” Marley replies tersely, tone rising, then settling once more.

‘I see we’re still sensitive about that, huh?’ Other Marley raises a brow, bemused. ‘I thought we were moving beyond the Fae. Picking a side.’

“Yeah, well you’re me. You know how not easy that is.”

‘Oh, bullshit. You can’t lie to me.’

Marley crosses her arms over her chest. Other Marley nudges her with her elbow.

‘Come on, Rosie. Let’s talk. What’s new? Tell me where that perfectly glamoured head is.’

Marley pulls her own arm away and scoots down the branch a few inches.

‘Marrrrrrrley-’

“STOP.”

‘If you won’t talk to me then I’m just gonna have to kick your ass again,’ Other Marley muses. Marley glares.

“You know what it is - there’s a prophecy about me and it involves the world coming to an end, and the Fae just want to... they just want it to end,” she blurts out, clearly frustrated. Heart lurches and stops. “I don’t understand why!”

‘You want to help,’ Other Marley prompts.

“But I don’t know how,” Marley finishes. “Not when the Ambassador is saying we have to just accept what’s coming.”

Other Marley gives her a wry smile.

‘Cutting ties isn’t easy, is it?’ she tsks. ‘And so the saga of fence-sitting continues.’

“I’m not fence-sitting!” Marley argues. “I’ve been telling my friends. I told them about the vision and the prophecy. I formed a guild. I said I wanted to fight what was coming, not sit around waiting for the end to come.”

‘Yes, you’ve said it,’ Other Marley nods. ‘To your friends... but not to your ‘sisters’.’

Ouch. The words make Marley’s brain hurt. They make her whole body hurt as it tenses, then twitches.

‘You haven’t given them your answer. For shame, Marley Rose!’

“I’m not exactly everyone’s favorite Fae-”

‘That’s a poor excuse. Call it what it is - you’re stalling.’

Lurch and stop.

‘You’re scared shitless to cut that cord because what if the other half of your life disappears? What if everyone from your life at NYADA walks away or disappears like you’re so convinced will happen? Then what? Where do you go? To who do you go?’

Marley covers her ears. Lurch and stop. Lurch and stop.

‘The Fae are your contingency plan. Because green blood is thicker than water, right?’

“Seriously, shut up,” Marley says in exasperation. “They’re not a contingency. I have my friends. I have a girlfriend-”

‘-who you passed over for belladonna,’ Other Marley reminds her. ‘A leaf, Marley! A leaf and an imaginary substitute for a sister you know is long dead. I thought we were done being reckless?’

“Me, reckless?”

‘Yes, you. Did you not hear the comment about playing with deadly nightshade?’ Other Marley shakes her head. ‘You say you want to stop the world from ending and yet you’re wilfully poisoning yourself. As though you don’t care that your silly attempt to see Millie again could be your last.’

“Well, it wouldn’t be the worst way to go!”

Everything around them falls to a hush. The trees stop whispering. The wind stills. Even Other Marley pauses, lips forming an ‘oh’ as both her eyebrows rise once more.

‘Woah,’ she whistles low. ‘You know, I was gonna wait and let us deal with that closer to the end of the world, but since you brought it up-’

“Shut up.”

Marley reaches for the branch overhead then and moves to start making her way back down the tree. Other Marley stands up as well and follows suit, much to Marley’s annoyance.

‘Is that why you stole that book?’ she asks curiously. ‘The one with Delmira’s legend in it?’

Marley pauses mid-descent, chest squeezing, body jerking. She almost loses grip on the branch. Other Marley presses further.

‘You really think that’s what’s gonna happen to you. That you’re gonna have to die in order to stop all of this.’

“I thought prophecies were hokey bullshit and that Delmira’s story... I didn’t think that had to be my story,” Marley admits, grimacing as she hangs on. “But then I saw the vision for myself and I... I’m just an ordinary Fae. I’m a weed! An invasive species. I’m nothing special and yet somehow I’m part of this horrific thing and I’m terrified. And it doesn’t help that everything is just shit right now. The government is shit, Bloodline witches are shit, NYADA staff is shit-”

‘Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever heard us say ‘shit’ so many times in one sitting!’ Other Marley marvels with a laugh.

“Aether, you’re so annoy-” She jerks again, squeaking as she loses her footing and falls. Other Marley catches her by the wrist, lifting her up like it’s nothing.

‘Even in the forest of your mind, you’re trying to get yourself killed,’ Other Marley rolls her eyes, setting Marley down on the branch. She takes a seat next to her. ‘Look, I get it. The world is a scary place right now. Nothing is certain. But the world was like that before you knew about a prophecy before you ever came to NYADA. You might think there are better ways to go than trying to save everyone from a giant, earth-shaking tree, but... inviting death before the Aether’s timing isn’t the answer. It’s a crime against nature.’

Marley knows this. It doesn’t make it any easier to hear though. Nor does the admission of such a dark, deeply suppressed piece of herself sit well with her. Is this really what it’s come to once again - risky behavior? She purses her lips together, avoiding Other Marley’s gaze.

“I don’t want them to know about her story,” she admits. “I’ve already told them so much. Too much... that would be too much, especially if it turns out to be true. If it turns out I have to.”

Other Marley places a hand on her shoulder and squeezes.

‘You have so much to stick around for,’ she reminds her. ‘Including helping your friends save the world, and I mean to say that in the least hokey, sentimental way possible. So let’s ease up on the intentional recklessness, okay?’

“I’ll try,” Marley nods, rubbing the back of her neck. Her stomach feels funny, as does her heart. “I think I should go. I don’t feel so good.”

‘I’ve got you covered.’

Other Marley holds up her hand and gives it a flourish, tender green vines sprouting from her fingertips. They wrap themselves around Marley’s waist and, with a gentle push off the branch, lower her down to the ground. She’s shaky on her feet but braces a hand against the trunk as the vines snake back up into the canopy above.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, eyes still cast upward. Other Marley doesn’t answer. All at once though, the forest comes back to life - birds chirping, wind rustling the trees, leaves crunching beneath her feet. She pushes off the tree and starts a slow path back the way she came.

But the way back feels different than the way in. Every few steps, her body tenses and jerks, causing her to stumble. Her heart races but instead of stopping, it only moves faster. Faster. Straining uncomfortably in her chest. It becomes harder to breathe the faster her heart beats... she just has to make it back to the clearing. Back to the start.

She jerks again, tripping on a root and sending her crashing into a pile of leaves.

I’ll be standing there beside you, right when the storm comes through.

‘Marley? Marley, can you hear me?’

Her whole body aches. Her head is throbbing and she feels sick to her stomach. A hand brushes her hair back out of her face. It’s then she realizes she’s on the floor of her room, broken out in a sweat. She tries to sit up, but her body doesn’t cooperate. Her heavy-lidded eyes try to make out who is there in the room with her but her vision is hazy.

She opens her mouth to speak, but only a croak of a sound comes out rather than words. I don’t want to die, she thinks (no, screams) desperately. Not yet. I can’t die yet.

‘It’s okay, Marley,’ Poppy chirps in reassurance, her voice overlapping with one that shakes with worry.

‘It’s gonna be okay, Marley,’ Olivia promises, smoothing Marley’s hair. ‘We’re gonna help you.’

#paras #nimshadows #and into the forest i go #tw: death #tw: suicide #tw: drugs #tw: blood

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theshatteredrose · 4 years

Text

Turquoise Lotus Father (Treasure Seekers Saga 2) - Chapter 12 - Etrian Odyssey 5 Fanfiction

AN: Since I’m in the vulnerable bracket for corona, I’ve been advised to stay at home as much possible. A good excuse to get some writing done. I think we’re about half way through this saga, and the fun is starting :3 Now, I hope you enjoy reading~

Ao3 | Wattpad | FFNet

Chapter 12:

Drayce felt as though his whole his body was trembling as he attempted to force open his eyes. Yet that task felt so difficult. And all he wanted to do was to keep his eyes shut and to go back to sleep.

But there was something telling him that he needed to open his eyes. Now.

With more effort that it should take, Drayce opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and dark. And everything appeared tilted. Disorientated. He appeared to be…lying on the floor. On his side. It took him a few slow seconds of blinking his eyes to regain some kind of clarity.

As his vision cleared, so did the fog within his mind.

And his eyes snapped open widely when previous events came rushing back.

Library. Lights off. Someone else there. Cloth over his mouth. The feeling of nausea and dizziness. And…an apology.

Drayce tried to sit up, but he soon realised that his hands were pinned behind his back. His wrists bound together with some kind of rope acting as a restraint. Damn, his ankles, too. Not only that, but he had a cloth covering his mouth, successfully gagging him.

He slumped to the floor as a fresh wave of nausea washed over him.

The person who attacked him was obviously the one who tied and gagged him. But at least he was still in the library. Though his vision was still on the blurry side, he could see enough. Could see the familiar structures of tall bookcases overflowing with books and scrolls. He was still within the Crescentia. And that was reassuring.

Now…to get out of these restraints…without passing out again.

He closed his eyes and tugged at the bindings around his wrists. Man, whatever his attacker used on him was potent. He could barely move without his vision threatening to grey out again.

The sound of a low whine caused Drayce to blearily open his eyes. The doors to the library rattled, softly at first before somewhat desperately. As if there was someone or something throwing themselves against it. He heard another whine, louder than the one before and then the sound of canine claws scraping at the floor.

He turned his head slowly toward the doors. He could see a light emanating from behind the door. And he could see two shadows. No, there was three.

Nashoba. He was the one attempting to break down the doors.

“Nashoba? Hey, who’s in there? Drayce? Why is the door locked?”

Ashton.

“Something is wrong. Let Theodore open the door for us.”

And Zohar.

“Right.”

A mere second later Theodore phased through the door and glanced around the room rapidly with his eyes narrowed, and suspicious. His soon snapped around in Drayce’s direction. Almost comically (or would have been comical if they weren’t for the situation they were in), an expression of fright and surprised appeared on the round wraith’s face.

He then turned back toward the door, where a chair was also propped against it to act as barricade.

Theodore’s hand then turned into a sharp, menacing claw and swatted the chair to the side sharply, breaking a leg from the chair. With the chair no longer acting as hindrance, the doors of the library flew open as both Ashton and Zohar stood tall on the threshold.

Drayce subconsciously slumped to the floor out of relief and closed his eyes. It appeared that whoever attacked him didn’t attempt to do anything to his guildmates. Better him than anyone else.

“Drayce!” Ashton called out in alarm.

Soon, two sets of hands were on him, tugging at his bindings and removing the gag from his mouth. Drayce was then abruptly pulled into a sitting position and he had to bite his lips together in an attempt to ward off the dizziness once more.

A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders. Funnily enough, they didn’t feel like they belonged to Ashton. And the taut chest he was rested against didn’t feel like him, either.

Blearily, he opened his eyes again and tilted his head back. Only for his gaze to lock with that of Zohar’s. He looked…really worried.

“What happened?” Ashton asked him, pulling him back to the reality of the situation.

Drayce raised a hand to touch his forehead as he rested heavily against Zohar. “I…heard a noise and saw the light off in the library. I think…one of those bandits was here.”

A troubling thought then occurred to him and he feebly tried to sit up under his own strength. But all he could manage was to weakly motion toward the table in the middle of the room. “The research…”

Unbeknownst to him, Shashi had entered the room shortly after Aston and Zohar had. He lingered at the back as two fussed over Drayce. Upon mentioning of the research, he quickly made his way over to the work table.

“It’s been rifled through,” Shashi replied. “Some documents appear to be missing.”

Missing? Damn.

“It was those bandits, then,” Ashton muttered, his expression dark as he stayed crouched in front of Drayce.

“Who was it?” Zohar asked as he wound his arm tighter around Drayce’s shoulders and keeping him resting against him.

Drayce had to think for a moment. “Ah, the harbinger, I think. He used something on me.”

“Likely a form of miasma,” Zohar murmured, more to himself however.

The sound of claws as they scraped against the wooden flooring and a cold, wet nose nudging against his hand prompted Drayce to tilt his head to the side. He soon found the noble white wolf, Nashoba. He laid on the floor next to him, ears back, looking decidedly worried.

Drayce smiled as he raised his hand and gave the white wolf a grateful pat. “Nashoba. Thank you.”

Nashoba gave a small whine as he pushed his head against Drayce’s hand. The wolf was clearly concerned for him. And somewhat anxious. But he wasn’t prowling the room and wasn’t acting defensively.

That meant that the room was clear, right?

But…

“Shashi, the map?” Drayce asked weakly.

“It’s still here,” Shashi promptly reassured. “I had it with me. It wasn’t in the library at the time.”

Thank goodness for that.

“What’s…missing then?”

“Research on the Cursed Blade. And the token.”

Drayce winced, and his nausea promptly increased. “That’s…what they’re after?”

Ashton crouched closer toward Drayce and grabbed his arm. He raised it up over his head to rest limply over his shoulders. He then slipped an arm around Drayce’s back and another under his knees. And without any effort at all, he picked Drayce up off the floor and into his arms. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Drayce squeezed his eyes tightly shut as an almost crippling wave of dizziness washed over him once more. His allowed his arm to drape loosely around Ashton’s neck as he rested his head on his shoulder. He hoped that by doing so would ward off the haziness consuming him.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

Blayke? Man, he was going to be pissed.

“A bandit broke into the library.”

“Drayce?”

“He was attacked.”

Ashton…he didn’t have to put it like that. That was sure to worry the others. Drayce was in no state to dispute that, however.

By the Mighty Tree, he was so dizzy. It didn’t help that Ashton was effortlessly carrying him around.

He just wished his head would stop spinning.

Fiorello’s voice suddenly cut through the sound of the blood pumping in his ears. “Take him to his room. Zohar; stay in the library with Shashi for now and gather the research materials. I’d tell the rest of you to stay back, but I know you won’t.”

The rest? Ah, the others must have been drawn to the commotion. And they…were sure to be worried. Especially now that it had been revealed that a bandit could indeed break their way into the Crescentia. Their sanctuary.

Some guild leader he was.

“Sit him up on the bed,” Fiorello continued to issue orders.

Drayce soon felt the comforting softness of his bed and he had to fight the urge not to simply flop down upon it. Sleep would feel so good about now. But with Ashton’s arm still around his shoulders, keeping him upright and his head throbbing in protest, he wasn’t likely to get any sleep any time soon.

Despite his wooziness, Drayce managed to open his eyes. Just as Fiorello appeared before him, a blue glass bottle in his hands. To which he promptly offered it to him.

“Here, drink this,” he ordered. “It will help with the nausea.”

Drayce promptly took the medicine from the botanist and once again ignoring the nauseating vertigo, downed the entire thing in one shot. Better to drink it all at once and get it over with, honestly.

Thankfully, the medicine didn’t taste that bad. And Fiorello finally allowed for Drayce to lie down onto his bed. The need to simply roll over and go to sleep quickly arose again, but he stubbornly pushed it aside.

He did roll over onto his side, however, his head on the pillow and his eyes shut as he willed the vertigo to stop.

“W-will he be ok?” Faelen asked softly, shakily.

“They used some kind of sleep-inducing substance on him,” Fiorello explained, none of his usual cheekiness or mirth in his voice. “It also caused his blood pressure to drop. He’s just suffering the side effects for now. They’ll pass within a day or so.”

…A day?!

“Th-that bad?” Faelen stuttered, also quite startled.

“I really don’t like this,” Blayke practically snarled. “How did they get inside the Crescentia?”

“They’re bandits and thieves,” Ashton returned with a sharp edge to his tone. “Breaking and entering is what they do.”

“Still…”

“Yeah, I should have predicted this…”

Honestly, Drayce should have, too. Keane was the one ordering those bandits around. And from first meeting with the guy, he felt as if he would literally do whatever necessary to get what he wanted. No matter who got in his way.

He should have realised there would be repercussions of their daring switch-a-roo today.

“At…least we know what they are after now,” Drayce muttered, attempting to find some kind of solace in recent events.

The nausea and dizziness thankfully and finally started to subside. To the point where his head was no longer throbbing and he couldn’t hear his blood pumping in his ears. And Drayce managed to push himself up onto his side, leaning on his right elbow.

“You guys, head back to your rooms,” Drayce ordered gently as he clutched at his forehead with his other hand. “The danger’s past now. They got what they wanted.”

Of course, Blayke started to protest. “But-”

“Blayke,” Drayce cut him off. He motioned with his other hand for him to approach his side of the bed. He promptly did so, kneeling on the ground next to the bed. “Stay with the others, ok? Faelen, Caelem, and Kamali…watch over them for me.”

“…Fine,” Blayke returned after a moment of silence. “They can stay in my room tonight. No way in hell I’m getting any sleep tonight.”

Drayce gave him a lopsided grin. As tired as it was. “You pulling an all-nighter? And you get mad at me.”

Blayke shot him a glare. But it was a worryingly glare.

With a soft gaze, Drayce reached out to slip a hand around the back of Blayke’s neck. He then pulled him toward him so that their foreheads touched softly. “I’m fine, really.”

Blayke didn’t respond at first. And Drayce was fairly certain he knew what was going around in his head. Guilt, anger, worry. Unfairly blaming himself for what happened. Chiding himself for not having the foresight to expect such a thing.

“Don’t push yourself,” Blayke finally muttered.

“You, too.”

Without another word, Blayke pushed himself to his feet and dutifully took a step back. Drayce would have to thank him for his support and understanding in the morning.

“Drayce?” Faelen asked softly, worry in his voice as he occupied the space Blayke had just vacated.

Much like he did with Blayke, Drayce reached out to gently pull the young rover toward him so that their foreheads touched. The touch was hopefully both comforting and reassuring. “Stay with Blayke tonight, ok? I’m all right. If nothing else, I’m sure to sleep like a stone. It won’t happen again.”

“Alright,” Faelen returned feebly. “Do you want Nashoba to stay?”

“Keep him with you. I’ll have Ashton stalking around me for tonight, I believe,” he added with a hopefully light-hearted tone.

Faelen managed a small smile. “Ok. I’ll…try to get some sleep. So, you won’t worry.”

“I appreciate it,” Drayce returned softly.

With Kamali’s help, Blayke ushered Faelen and Caelem from the room. He spoke quietly with Caelem, obviously reassuring the masurao as Kamali comforted Faelen. When the small group left the room, Drayce allowed himself to flop down on his back and draped an arm over his eyes. He managed to push back the dizziness long enough to reassure his guildmates.

Now? He just felt tired. And, well, rather…useless, to be completely honest.

He had a lot of reassuring to do tomorrow, didn’t he?

“Shashi?” From the corner of his eye, he watched as the sigil specialist appear close to his bedside. “The research…”

“They didn’t steal the latest information, fortunately,” Shashi answered quickly. “I managed to discover more information on the Blade Brothers that I wished to inform you of before I tell anyone else. Or more specifically, information on the younger brother of the Turquoise Lotus Father and the events after the Legendary War.”

Drayce let his arm fall from his eyes and he tilted his head toward Shashi’s direction. “What is it?”

Shashi shared a quick glance over to Ashton before his gaze promptly returned to his. “Would it be best to inform you now?”

“Yes, I’m all right,” Drayce insisted as he attempted to push himself into a sitting position. And he thankfully managed to do so without immediately slumping to the side or flat on his back again. “Best for me to know as soon as possible.”

“Very well,” Shashi thankfully said and sat down on the edge of the bed, turned slightly so that he faced him. “It seems that his younger brother was consumed with guilt for being cursed and forced to fight not only his own brother, but to hurt others who tried to help him. Not to mention having fought alongside the dreaded Despot himself. So, he took the name of simply Blood Lotus Brother. As a reminder of his heritage and the sins of his past. The Cursed Blade, as it was known as, was hidden away as it couldn’t be destroyed. No clues were meant to be left, but another therian kept documentation on the Cursed Blade for they believed they could one day prove their true magnificence by controlling the blade.”

Drayce laid still as he allowed the information that Shashi just unleashed to sink into his haze-filled brain.

So…there was a fourth party involved. Things were getting a bit complicated.

A troubling thought suddenly occurred to him. “Wait, are we following the clues left behind by that other therian?” Drayce asked.

Shashi shook his head. “No, I do not believe so. Caelem discovered information on Sorataki. And he was the creator of the Scarlet Lotus, and from what I’ve deduced he was indeed essential to helping the brothers after the war. The other Therian’s plan was discovered by the brothers and they set forth to leave cryptic clues for future generations to search for the Shining Lotus, the only blade in existence that can defeat the Cursed Blade.”

So…there was a strong possibility that they were in fact following the clues that would eventually lead them to the Shining Lotus.

Yet…he couldn’t rule out the possibility that they were leading toward the Cursed Blade. Either instead of Shining Lotus, or alongside it.

Perhaps the brothers and their companion wanted both blades to be found at the same time?

Either way;

“We need to continue on the path we’re on,” Drayce muttered.

“Yes,” Shashi quickly agreed. “We still have the map. And the Scarlet Lotus necklace. Though the bandits now have information on the Cursed Blade, its information we’ve already documented.”

“That’s a relief,” Drayce said with a grateful smile.

“We’ll keep looking,” Shashi promised in an attempt to reassure him further.

“Now, you get some rest,” Ashton abruptly interjected as he moved to stand next to Shashi, though his full attention was directly on Drayce. “Whatever they used on you will linger for a few more hours yet. Best to simply sleep it off.”

Drayce abruptly remembered that he was, indeed, still very dizzy and he grimaced. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said as he lowered himself back down upon the bed.

“And you; you get some rest, too,” Ashton turned his fussing toward Shashi. “You were researching in your room again.”

Shashi wasn’t to be intimidated by his nagging, however, and simply stood to his feet. “Fortunate in this case, it seems.”

Ashton abruptly poked Shashi in the middle of the forehead and sighed in a truly exasperated manner. “Don’t think you can use what happened here as an excuse.”

Drayce had to chuckle at the two. Ashton was well in truly in his fussy-parental mode. No surprise, honestly. And it was reassuring in a way.

A movement from the corner of his eye caused Drayce to loll his head to the side. To where Zohar stood close to the bedside. He had been quiet throughout everything so far. And though Drayce’s gaze was still on the blurry side of things, he could see the worry in the necromancer’s eyes.

Drayce rolled over onto his side, toward the side of the bed where Zohar stood. As if prompted by his movement, Zohar crouched down just as Drayce pushed himself up onto his elbow.

“I’m all right, Zohar,” Drayce stated simply.

Zohar’s eyes softened, yet there was a sense of guilt to them. “Even so…” he murmured as he reached out to gently touch the side of Drayce’s face. His fingers threaded through his hair that hung by his ear while his thumb gently brushed against his cheek. “I’ll have Theodore keep watch for the night. He does not need to sleep.”

Drayce leaned into the touch. His hand…was warm. “But you do.”

“Perhaps,” Zohar admitted. “Would it be all right if…I keep watch over you?”

That…sounded fine. Yeah…

“If that will make you feel better,” Drayce replied, to which earned him a soft smile from the necromancer.

A smile that Drayce felt himself return, albeit sleepily.

“Very well,” Fiorello unexpectedly chuckled, his usual cheeky tone returning to his voice. “Let’s leave Drayce in Zohar’s care for now. Come and get me should you have any worries.”

Drayce honestly didn’t have the energy to roll back over in bed and with Zohar’s hand now resting against the curve of his neck, he lowered himself back onto the bed. His head comfortably against the pillow.

“…Alright,” Ashton agreed, though with a hint of reluctance in his voice. “I’ll…be up all night, anyway.”

With Zohar’s hand gently massaging the back of his neck, Drayce closed his eyes as his body sunk fully into the mattress and sheets of his bed. Sleep came quickly, though he did have one last coherent thought before the lull of slumber;

He did feel better with Zohar there with him.

#Etrian Odyssey #etrian odyssey 5 #fanfiction #turquoise lotus father #the treasure seeker #Angelward Guild

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