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linnienin · 11 months

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🌛A s t e r o i d ⁕ S a l o m è🌜 ( 5 6 2 ) and the Dance of the Seven Veils

~~~~~~~~~~~ Y o u r ⁕ e n c h a n t i n g ⁕ e n e r g y ~~~~~~~~~~~

An astro walkthrough post following Salomè's steps in the Dance of the Seven Veils through the lens of the Seven Deadly Sins.

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

The gifs in this post (excluded the last one) were created by me and are from the movie "Salomè" (1953) with Rita Hayworth

"Look at the moon! How strange the moon seems! She is like a woman rising from the tomb. She is like a dead woman. You would fancy she was looking for dead things."

"Salomè", Oscar Wilde

W h o ⁕ i s ⁕ S a l o m è (quick summary of her story):

⁕ Salomè, the princess of Judaea, falls in love with the prophet John The Baptist (i'll refer to him as 'the prophet' to avoid repeating his name too much) and orders to free him from the prison he was held in (for condemning the marriage of Salome's parents, King Herod and his wife Herodias as unlawful)

⁕ The prophet rejects her, but she assures him she will kiss his mouth sooner or later, no matter what.

⁕ Salome's mother in the meantime convinces her daughter to view the prophet as an evil person that deserves to die (alimenting her fresh feeling from the rejection)

⁕ When Salomè is asked by her stepfather king Herod (who lusts over her) to dance she agrees only if she can asks anything in return.

⁕ Once the dance's over, Salomè requests the decapitated head of John the Baptist on a silver plate.

⁕ To the horror of all the partecipants, she finally kisses the mouth of the prophet consumed by her lustful desires.

⁕ King Herod, sickened and shocked, orders her execution.

(this is the William Shakespeare opera version based on the biblical one)

M y ⁕ i n t e r p r e t a t i o n :

In a birth chart Asteroid Salomè represents:

⁕ Your enchanting power

⁕ How people target your naivety to use your talent

⁕ The extremes you're ready to face in order to get what you want.

⁕ What you want but can't have

⁕ What desires consumes you

I also want to make a quick clarification between asteroid Salomè and Sirene because both are seducing and mesmerizing energies, but imo: Sirene : conscious type of seduction, aim for what they want, in control of their actions , calculated Salomè: unconscious type of seduction, influenced by others in their choices, controlled by their desires, not in control of themselves

P o s t ⁕ g u i d e:

I'll go through the steps of the whole Dance and make them into little sections:

⁕ Every section is about one of the Seven Deadly Sins ⁕ Within every section there will be interpretations of different Salomè signs/degrees, depending on which Sins they fall into (in my personal opinion)

Disclaimer: every single sign could fall into every single sin since they're all part of human nature, but one would always prevail on others imo, and this is just my personal take on them.

Enjoy ✨

1 s t ⁕ v e i l ⁕ o f f : P R I D E

⁕ Leo Salomè/Salomè at 5°-17°-29° : You enchant with your confidence and talent. Your creativity allows you to shine from within and make a strong impression on people.

⁕ You draw attention to yourself easily, and others envy this, so they target your individuality to trigger the worst out of you. They want to robb you of your 'Main character' type of energy, using your exposition and will to take up space, to their own interest. They feed your ego only to break your mirror into several pieces later, leaving you not recognizing yourself anymore. You'll find yourself becoming riddiculous just to gain that attention again, blending with the masses for validation, but feeling extremely guilty and shameful about it. This is how they trigger your pride. ⁕ You have a great desire to be able to show yourself without getting judged. You want to dive deep into your creative mind and feel accepted and appreciated for your dramatic and showy persona. When people don't understand your needs, you can get arrogant, narcissistic and selfish .

⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓

⁕ Aquarius Salomè/Salomè at 11°-23°: You enchant with your uniqueness and innovation. Your mindblowing perspectives draws people in and out of curiosity, and you release them with more confusion and even more questions, to trap them in getting back to you.

⁕ You know this is your strategy to create multiple connections and dodge your way to the top, but envious people want to stop you from climbing up that ladder. They'll use you and your network for their own interests, but turning their back to you once they get what they want. This is how they trigger your pride. ⁕ When no one truly deeply understand you, your different view and quirky personality, you start to doubt your identity, facing the negative effects of feeling like the black sheep. You lose the courage to stand up for yourself as you isolate from the world with no track of time and completely dissociating from reality. You become inexistent, cause you won't merge with the masses. A great desire to instill change and put reality in discussion burns in you, but if people keep overlooking your ideas, you just explode and can become rebellious, distant and unpredictable.

2 n d ⁕ v e i l ⁕ o f f : G R E E D

⁕ Capricorn Salomè/Salomè at 10°-22° : You enchant with your loyalty and perseverance. Your disciplined and committed persona inspire people, but they also get envious of all the accomplishments you've achieved with such resiliency.

⁕ You view life simply and clearly, this is what allows you to be so precise with no hesitation when making important choices. And because this is such a rare quality, people want to robb you of it and use it for themselves and their interests. However, you base your self worth on materialism and achievements and when people don't validate them, you only want to get more to prove yourself. This is how others target your weeknesses and trigger your greed. ⁕ They show you the best of everything to make you feel inferior and in consequence wanting it all. But the truth is you don't need it all to feel complete within. You have a great desire to feel the best and most powerful of all, but because you attach your emotions to the outside and not accept them inside of you out of fear of showing your vulnerabilities, you are therefore not in tune with yourself and you are controlled by the world. You want to become the best version of yourself, but if you don't truly accept your imperfections, you can get dissatisfied, demanding and cold with no way of enjoying life like you envisioned you'd have.

3 r d ⁕ v e i l ⁕ o f f : L U S T

⁕ Scorpio Salomè/Salomè at 8°-20° : You enchant with your mystery and intensity. Your enigmatic and independent spirit makes you an extremely interesting character everyone wants to get to know.

⁕ You attract unwanted attention, and you are the center topic of everyone's gossipy chitchat. You are people's dream, and everyone envy your subtle popularity, they all want to get a little sip of you. People view you as a prize they want to conquer to make themselves appear bigger. You have a great desire to form deep and meaningful connections, so you give a chance to others in exploring your hidden and vulnerable side, but all they do is take advantage of your thoughtfulness to feed their curiosity and ego, and once they get what they want, they only come back to you when they need a little refresh. This is how they trigger your lust. ⁕ You hide your emotional side because of past wounds, but your intense feelings still need an outlet or else they'd consume you. You need someone that cherish and care for your complexity and is willing to explore the dark without judgements otherwise you'll become insatiable, unfulfilled and uncontrollable, confusing the real profund emotional depth with a toxic emotionless bond based on superficial desires.

⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓��⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕⁓⁕

4 t h ⁕ v e i l ⁕ o f f : E N V Y

⁕ Virgo Salomè/Salomè at 6°-18° : You enchant with your skills and intelligence. Your analytical mind and organized approach give you the ability to grasp details and process them in an incredible clear and systematic way.

⁕ People envy your critical thinking and your kind, hardworking nature, so they take advantage of your modesty to use your talents for their interests. You take pride in giving yourself to others to help them out, but when this gets to an extreme and hinders you from developing your own identity, you get stuck in a limbo of constant crave for validation and endless comparisons. This is how your envy gets triggered. ⁕ You look at others' freedom and accomplishments, and you feel guilty you haven't reached that level yet, so you blame yourself for your inability and incompetence, believing you'll never get better and so remain stuck in your delusions. You have a great desire to master your talents and get genuine recognition from yourself and others, but when you don't take on this path, you become fussy, critical and judgemental.

⁕ Gemini Salomè/Salomè at 3°-15°-27°: You enchant with your wit and sarcasm. Your exceptionally curious mind make you jump on every kind of topic with no shame, letting you explore anything and expanding your horizons making you very clever and articulated.

⁕ You excel in debates and are such a social butterfly, you know how to grasp people's attentions with your words. And well, who wouldn't be envious of such a skill? People use your talents by making you feel like you're guiding them and you have the control over the situation, but then you focus too much on the details that you forget the bigger picture, and this includes you forging your own path and understanding what you truly want from life. Those distractions that people throws at you trigger your envy. ⁕ You look up at the people that make decisions and have a clear idea of what they want to do and you feel jealous of their resolution in walking only one path. You overthink so much you'd love to know how to find peace even for just a second, but you get absorbed in the envy, and at your worst you get gossipy, superficial and inconsistent. You have a great desire of knowing yourself fully, being flexible while also find stability within your flexibility. But if you can't look within and stop comparing with others, you'll never know your truth.

5 t h ⁕ v e i l ⁕ o f f : G L U T T O N Y

⁕ Libra Salomè/Salomè 7°-19° : You enchant with your charisma and tactfulness. Your cooperative nature and romantic aura enhance your already stunning natural beauty, and people envy this hard core because it appears as you have been blessed with everything by life.

⁕ They take advantage of your agreeable temperament to use you for their interests. So you live your life as a secondary character, always trying to please others but never taking into account your own will. People use this indecisiveness of yours to trigger your gluttony. ⁕ You never feel satisfied because you don't even know what you want. So you only "eat" more because you crave that instant moment of pleasure constantly. As you base your worth from outside sources, you feel empty inside, hence why you keep feeling the need to put things inside you to fill that void. You have a great desire to make the world fair for everyone and form genuine connections between people, but if you can't complete this purpose, you become unbalanced, overly-indulgent and insecure.

⁕ Taurus Salomè/Salomè at 2°-14°-26° : You enchant with your steadiness and sensuality. Your driven and kind hearted nature allows you to always put your best in everything you focus on, and you're not one to lose your focus easily.

⁕ People envy how firm and determined you are, despite looking very gracious outwardly, you never give up, and this beautiful combo of extremes make you look like a person that possess everything. Others are gonna want to break your peaceful and unshakable nature, taking advantage of your kindness, they're gonna try to use your resiliency for their interests and letting you see how much there is of the world by shifting your focus on the pleasures of life. Soon you're gonna enter the sensual world and you'd never want to go back. This is how they trigger your gluttony. ⁕ Your body craves intimacy and contact, but you've been living in your head, only focusing on possessions denying your sensual side. Now after realizing how food can fill you and make you enjoy the experience, you become addicted to it. The idea of something that doesn't take up space like everything in materialism, but can instead grow you to take up space (eating) makes you feel important and not tie your self worth to outward successes. But it's still making up for your lack of love coming from within, and if you can't feel it you can get stubborn, possessive and self-absorbed.

6 t h ⁕ v e i l ⁕ o f f : W R A T H

⁕ Aries Salomè/Salomè at 1°-13°-25° : You enchant with your assertivity and bravery. Your optimistic and dynamic spirit combined with your dominant demeanor allow you to be a great leader.

⁕ You fearlessness and ease in overcoming challenges make people envious of the power you hold. They use your spontaneous and competitive nature to their interests, trying to make fun of you, to slowly make you lose the confidence in yourself and step down the throne you deserve, but you can't stand the view of this injustice (both if made to you or to others).This is how they trigger your wrath. ⁕ You are not afraid to speak up, but after you lose your confidence, your words are spilled out with impulsiveness and aggressiveness, making people afraid of how quick you can lose your temper. You have a great desire to help others realize their potential, and you want to guide them on the tortuous path of life, but if people ignore you and make you feel small, then you become impatient, insensitive and reckless.

⁕ Sagittarius Salomè/Salomè at 9°-21° : You enchant with your wisdom and open-mindedness. Your free spirit allows you to experience life humbly giving you the ability to transform your mistakes in insightful life lessons.

⁕ You change people's perspectives by elaborating a wide range of informations and putting them in a clear view thanks to your capability of grasping patterns, and others envy this. They want to robb your wisdom, to feel like wise Gods themselves, so they use your knowledge to shut your voice down, triggering your wrath. ⁕ Once you raise your voice and let everyone see this impulsive side of yourself, you can witness people losing interest and trust in you, making you insecure and small, full of existential crisis. You have a great desire to change the world for the best, and to let people see different point of view with your philosophy, but when you are not understood you can turn into a close-minded, highly opinionated and skeptical person.

7 t h ⁕ v e i l ⁕ r e v e a l : S L O T H

⁕ Pisces Salomè/Salomè at 12°-24° : You enchant with your vulnerability and spirituality. Your imagination allows you to put yourself in other people's shoes and understand their point of view in an empathetic way.

⁕ Your easygoing and adaptable nature make others envious of you. They take advantage of your compassion by treating you as their personal punching bag, their shoulder to cry on, their victim to sacrifce. They suck all your energy into their personal interests, leaving you completely numb and not giving you space to display your creativity. This is how they trigger your sloth. ⁕ You have a great desire to feel emotions and share them with people that truly understand you, but if people neglect this aspect of yourself, you become lazy, unmotivated and hopeless. The world holds no meaning to you and you'd rather spend time feeling delusional than open up in fear of not being accepted.

⁕ Cancer Salomè/Salomè at 4°-16°-28° : You enchant with your softness and compassion. Your nurturing and maternal energy makes others feel at home and safe.

⁕ Your incredible intuition knows everyone's needs and your affectionate nature make you want to help everyone just to see a smile on their faces. Unfortunately others can misuse this gift of yours to their interest since they're envious of how perfectly in tune you are with your emotions. When you can sense that all you see are fake smiles, you start to question your ability to heal others and your sensitive side is hightened. This is the perfect moment for those people to strike some offensive words that will make you insecure and want to just disappear from the world. This is how they trigger your sloth. ⁕ You isolate and close yourself in your shell to protect you from further damage. You feel you are unworthy and that you don't bring any value to the world, so you dwell in your sense of guilt and fear, unable to do anything. You have a great desire to make the world a better place, to share your love and emotions with others, to protect those in needs, but if you can't express this side of youself you become pessimistic, moody and manipulative.

And you've reached the end! Congrats! And thanks for staying with me ✨

I hope you enjoyed this post and find it helpful in understanding your own Salomè placement 😊

Hope the dance steps were easy to follow too 💃

It took me some time to make cause i wanted to truly dive deep in the meaning of it and not only talk about the magnetizing part, but remember, this is only my interpretation, i'd love to peacefully discuss with you if you disagree with me 👍

I'm kinda tempted to make a post on Salomè through the houses, let me know if you'd love to know more on this asteroid

as always,

I wish you a wonderful day ahead (or night) 😘 and i'll see you in the next post! Yours Linnie 🌛

#astro notes #astro observations #asteroid salomè #salomè through the signs #salomè astrology #asteroid astrology #astro community

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herbgerblin · 11 months

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ipre theater thots

loosely based off of this poll. sorry, this got away from me. i was a theater kid for years (i still am, i literally made a bunch of friends larp as wizards two weeks ago)

Davenport: Producer and Stage Manager. Personally more experienced in opera than musicals, but answers the call when the need for a manager arises. Keeps everyone focused and on schedule. Has final word on what choices the art department gets to make. Sometimes does solo performances on his own time.

Merle: Choreographer and Director. Leads the ensemble into meditation every rehearsal before warming up. Talks with each member of the cast one-on-one. Sometimes leaves the script open to interpretation. His artistic vision sounds bonkers in concept, but illuminating in execution. Why are there so many plants? Don't worry about it.

Magnus: Lead Actor and Set Builder. He brings the energy every single night. He doesn't need to be micc'ed up because his natural voice projects well enough. It takes a bit of time for him to memorize the script, but he devotes his heart and soul to it. He claps loudly for the ensemble when he's in the wings. He cries at the emotional numbers. Built all the sets by hand.

Lucretia: Co-stage Manager and Supporting Actor (not for lack of chops, only because she spreads herself very thin.) Knows the script like a second language. Mainly reserves her Director Voice for backstage when things get chaotic. Enjoys performing the musical numbers because no one knows she can belt, until she does. Standing ovation girlie, but bashful about it.

Lup: Co-lead Lead Actor and Costumer. Only willing to do the role if Davenport lets her include cold sparks and fog machines in the set budget (he finds a way.) No one knows when she took measurements for the costumes, but they're ready by dress rehearsal and they fit perfectly. Helps the other actors figure out their groove. Great at engaging the audience.

Angus (special edition): Child lead and stagehand. The sweetest little singing voice you ever did hear. Everyone is going to rue the day his voice starts cracking. A heartbreaker of a performer and a speedy backstage assistant.

Taako: A MYSTERY. He's wearing a fancy scarf and roaming all over the place. He's talking about the Art of the Theatre. He's listed on the billing of lead actors and NO ONE knows what his role is. He remembers all the little things that everyone forgets: clothes pins, a hot glue gun, and electrolytes. He's got a walkie-talkie. Only the managers and tech are supposed to have walkie-talkies. Hello, this is Taako speaking, over.

Barry: Usually Tech. He's got a beautifully choreographed queue of lighting designs and stage effects. He's got an immaculately labeled pad controller and a ready-to-go Excel spreadsheet. But on opening night, Lucretia informs him he's in the orchestra pit.

Barry: ...But I'm lighting tonight.

Lucretia (via walkie-talkie): And our percussionist twisted his ankle tripping over a stage light. You're in the orchestra now, compadre.

Barry: (with increasing emphasis, decreasing conviction) But. I'm. Light. Tech.

Taako: E N T E R T H E P I T B A R O L D

Davenport: Taako, get off this line.

During intermission, Magnus asks him to help lift the ensemble dancers onto the set scaffolding, and hold it steady. Barry agrees, thinking he's in the clear after that. But the second the music number ends, Merle tells him that one of the support roles had to leave, so now he's the understudy.

Barry (longsuffering): I am just. the light guy.

Merle (gesturing to Taako in the balcony, having a ballgame playing with the lightboard): well, in two minutes you're the showstopper guy, so you need to go out there and stop the show

Lup (emerging from nowhere, slapping a red, hooded robe on Barold's shoulders): Knock 'em dead!

Barry: D:

#:0 knock em dead!#okay i'm done it's back to doing laundry #taz balance #taz au #herbgerb blerb #the adventure zone #long post

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lu-vin-it · 7 months

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Where in the World Have you Been Hiding?

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

Summary: Phantom Of The Opera is your favorite musical. It also happens to be someone else’s favorite musical.

Pairings: Remus Lupin x Reader

Pronouns: None mentioned, but I wrote R to be more feminine.

Word Count: 1,001

Warnings: Underage drinking

A/N: Let’s pretend that The Phantom of the Opera was out when the Marauders were in school! Also, thank you to @mictodii and @stqrluvr for proofreading.

Halloween was Remus’s favorite holiday. It was the one day where he actually looked forward to the party that would come at night, and he adored costume shopping.

So just like every year, he and the other Marauders went shopping together and found the perfect costumes. Sirius and James dressed up as Dumbledore and Mcgonagall, Peter as a disturbingly realistic tree, and Remus as the Phantom of the opera.

You weren’t as obsessed as Remus, but you did enjoy the holiday. You went to a party here and there with your friends, and usually dressed up, but that was the extent of it. Even as a child you didn't go trick or treating since your parents were always working.

However, like tradition, you and your two friends, Lacy and Genevieve, went costume shopping together. Lacy was dressed up as a fairy, Genevieve as a quidditch player, though you weren’t sure which, and you were dressed as Christine from Phantom of The Opera.

You were sure no one would get the reference. Wizards and witches usually weren’t brushed up on Muggle media, and it had just come out. But you just couldn’t help yourself. Christine’s dress was beautiful and when you saw a replica in a shop you had to have it.

Before the party, you and your friends got ready in your dorm. Lacy was covered head-to-toe with glitter— which matched your room that was also now completely covered in glitter. Even if you cleaned it with magic, you knew you’d be finding specks of glitter for months.

The great hall was packed with people in costumes. Even Dumbledore was dressed up as an astronaut. The hall was also beautiful, with floating pumpkins and gorey decorations. They even had someone playing an organ– or maybe it was charmed– you had no clue as there wasn’t an organ in sight. Genevieve made a beeline for the drink table, pulling you and Lacy along with her.

“Think anyone has spiked this yet?” Gen asks with an evil glint in her eye.

“Of course we have, gotta be quicker than that.” You and your friends turn around to see James and Sirius dressed up as.. Dumbledore and Mcgonagall.

“Interesting couple’s costume.” Gen responds with a smirk. “What’d you put in there?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” James crosses his arms (getting a fair amount of beard hair in between). Lacy reaches over and grabs a cup, quickly downing it.

“Tequila?” She asks. The boys stare at her and Sirius nods.

“Well we’ve got firewhiskey in our dorm, party in the dungeons tonight, see you there?” The boys smile and nod.

“See you there, ladies.” James replies.

“Hey aren’t you dressed up as that one girl from that one musical?” The raven haired boy asks, pointing at you.

“Oh, yeah, Christine from The Phantom of the Opera.”

“No way! Moony loves that musical. He’s dressed up as the guy with the mask.” You giggle slightly.

“As the Phantom of the Opera?”

“Yeah, the guy with the mask.” You shake your head at Sirius but don’t respond. Sirius looks around the hall before he locks eyes with someone and waves them over. Before you know it, the Phantom of the Opera.walks over to you. Your jaw drops slightly.

“Hey! Christine!” Your face breaks out into a grin.

“Hi! Oh my gosh, I didn’t think anyone would know my costume! And you’re all dressed up as him!” You fangirl.

“I didn’t think anyone would get it either! Your dress is so similar to the one she wore on broadway.” You nod.

“I know right? I saw it in a window and I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I spent basically all my life’s savings on it.” You laugh nervously.

“I’m glad you did. You look great.” He looks you up and down, taking you all in, before meeting your eyes and freezing. “I mean– um.”

“Do you wanna dance?” You interrupt. He sighs and nods. You grab his hand and pull him away from your friends, whom you may have forgotten about. The dance floor was incredibly crowded, and definitely less romantic as you hoped.

And yes, you hoped. It wasn’t every day that a guy dresses up as the romantic interest of the person you’re dressed up as. You were definitely meant to be. Plus, you’ve always thought Remus was cute. When his hands landed on your waist, it took everything in you not to jump on him right there on the dance floor. Instead you put your hands around his neck and swayed with him.

“Favorite song from the musical?” He hums.

“Hard one, Wishing You Were Somehow Here always makes me cry, but I also love Wandering Child.”

“Extremely great choices.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“Masquerade. It’s just so fun to sing.” He nods.

“You’re right, my Mom and I were singing it nonstop after we saw it.”

“That’s wonderful, I can imagine it now, Remus Lupin and his Mother singing and dancing to Masquerade.” Remus laughs.

“Don’t imagine it. It’s embarrassing to admit it as it is.” He replies playfully. You shake your head.

“I think it’s cute.” A silence falls between you for a moment.

“How long have you known Geneiveve and Lacy?” You glance over at your friends, Lacy was drinking another glass of punch and Gen was flirting with Sirius.

“I’ve known Lacy since we were in diapers. We’re cousins on my Dad’s side, and my Mom is good friends with her Dad— they were both Slytherins back in the day. Gen came along in first year, great thing too, Lacy and I are far too shy to make friends without her.”

“You don’t seem shy.” You blush.

“That’s because I’m talking to you.” He smiles.

“Oh really? Am I special or something?” You roll your eyes.

“Don’t get cocky, Lupin.” You glance over at your friends again, they’re still occupied. “Wanna get out of here?”

“Where would we go?” You hum in thought.

“Bell tower?” He smiles.

“Sure.”

#remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin fanfiction #fanfiction #harry potter x reader

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shelbystales · 10 months

Text

Best Aid - Part Five

Modern Tommy Shelby x Reader - Masterlist

Previous parts: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Summary: you are a young doctor in Birmingham. After a crazy incident, Thomas Shelby shows up at your hospital. You don’t know much about the man everyone seems to fear, but you definitely will.

Warning: swearing,

A/N: Comment and interact, tell me what you think! it means a looot thank you very much. Tell me if you ant me to tone down the medical stuff.

English is my second language so I apologize in advance for the grammar mistakes.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

You were on your way to your brother's house to pick up your mom. You managed to buy a car, not with the help of insurance, of course.

"Hey, momma," you greeted her with open arms as she walked out the door with your brother, "how you doin'?" you asked, hugging her.

"Good, my love," she replied with a smile. She seemed well, with rosy cheeks and wearing a cute blue floral dress.

"What's up?" you greeted your brother with a hug, "how's everything?"

"All good. She's feeling a bit fancy today. Keeps insisting she's going on a date," he shrugged, and you smiled.

"Cute. I'll bring her back in the late afternoon, alright?" you asked, and he nodded.

You and your brother aren't super close. You get along well, but you're not best friends. In fact, you're not very close to any of your siblings. Over the years, you've all gone your separate ways, naturally growing apart. It's just the way life goes if you don't make an effort.

You took your mom for a coffee at the botanical garden and took a stroll with her. She delighted in a pistachio ice cream and was enchanted by the thousands of different flowers.

She seemed to be in good spirits, with some minor memory lapses, occasionally asking where this beautiful place was, but nothing too concerning. Nothing that indicated her Alzheimer's condition was worsening. she was at the beginning of the disease, you and your siblings discovered her alzeimer less than six months ago. You quickly pulled some strings and put her on an innovative treatment at your hospital that promised to delay the effects a little. So far it seemed to work, the disease was progressing slowly.

You both sat on a bench near an artificial pond teeming with fish. You picked up some seeds from the ground and handed them to your mom to throw into the water. Each seed hitting the water and capturing the attention of the fish brought a joyful laugh from her.

Something people don't talk about much is how some elderly folks, at a certain point, become reminiscent of children. They start to live a lighter, happier, and carefree life.

"How's your life, daughter?" she surprised you with her question.

"Good," you smiled.

"When are you gonna introduce me to that boyfriend of yours?" she asked, making you laugh.

"What boyfriend?" you asked, and she didn't respond. She gazed into the horizon as if searching for the answer, but it wasn't in sight. To avoid her getting frustrated, you changed the subject, "You know, there's a guy I thought might be interesting to pursue, but I've changed my mind, Mom. Too much work," you chuckled.

"Oh yeah. Love truly is a job. It takes time and a lot of effort," she spoke, returning to her normal tone as if nothing had happened.

"I know, I don't think I'm ready for that," you said, and she smiled at you.

"We're never really ready. And that's why it's so good. Imagine being ready for everything. Life would be so monotonous... so boring," her words made more sense to you than ever.

"Momma, you're so wise, you know that?" you smiled and hugged her affectionately “I love you”

“I love you too, honey,” she said giving light taps on your back.

During lunchtime, you took her to her favorite restaurant, not that she remembered that detail. After lunch, you headed to your house, and she comfortably dozed off on your bed while watching a soap opera, Ozzy sleeping snuggled at her feet. He liked her.

Taking advantage of her nap, you grabbed your patient records and began reviewing the files of the patients scheduled for your upcoming shift, as usual.

On the other side of town, Thomas was deeply immersed in the battle against the Italian mob.

He had found himself entangled in a war that seemed to have no end in sight.

Thomas Shelby, was known for his cunning tactics and unyielding determination, and he knew how to navigate a world where loyalties shifted like sand and trust was a rare commodity.

The Italian mob, equally fierce and calculating, was proving to be a formidable adversary. One that he should fear since they had no limits.

Just this week they tried a deathly attack on his younger brother John. That didn’t go well for the mob. John pulled a Houdini act and got out of dodge. Giving Thomas a small win or rather not giving a loss.

Now Thomas had to think about his next moves, but the only thing in his head was you and your fucking safety. He had put two men to watch you at every hour, 24/7. If you ate a fly he would know, if you hiccuped he would know.

He didn’t want you to pay for his mistake. He couldn’t have that.

But there was something more to it, something more to you that he couldn’t quite understand yet. In the middle of all the chaos in his life, you felt like a piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit. And it was driving him nuts.

"Tommy," Arthur asked, stepping into his brother's office. "We're ready," he said. Tommy nodded and got up to follow his brother to the meeting room, where they were about to have a family meeting.

"Glad to see you in one piece, brother," Tommy said, embracing John.

"Me too," John replied with a smile.

"Alright," Tommy said, taking a seat. "We need to establish a few things today. First off, personal security. Everyone's already got bodyguards, I made sure of that. Don't worry, they're paid not to be seen. Also, don't leave the house without letting someone know. You can either message the family group or someone directly. The Changrettas aren't messing around, and they want our blood."

"And whose fault is that?" Polly asked confrontationally.

"You really want to go there?" Thomas asked seriously. "Because as far as I know, the death of his father worked out pretty well for you, Poll."

"It had to happen," Arthur chimed in with the facts.

The feud between the Shelbys and the Changrettas had been brewing for a long time. They were at each other's throats over territory last year, though it hadn't yet turned into an all-out war. The Changretta patriarch had been growing more brazen and greedy, pushing boundaries with each passing day.

Polly owns a five-star hotel in the city center, and on numerous occasions, he would get drunk and create scenes in the hotel lobby. And it often got to the papers and her clientele would drop like crazy for the following weeks. His fixation on her, driven by an unreciprocated affection, only intensified the animosity

Last year's territorial dispute had been a warning sign, a foreshadowing of the chaos that was about to unfold. The Changretta patriarch's audacity had only fueled the fire

But the breaking point came when he attempted to assault Lizzie, Thomas's assistant. Yes, she used to be a prostitute in the past, but that doesn't give any man the right to violate her. Besides, Lizzie has been Thomas's steady affair for years.

Polly crossed her arms defensively. "I'm not saying I'm sorry for what happened. But it could have gone another way," she retorted, her voice sharp.

"It hasn’t, Poll," Tommy replied evenly. “ We need to stay focused on what's happening now. The Changrettas are out for revenge, and they won't stop until they think they've settled the score."

"Right," Ada chimed in, her tone serious. "So what's the plan, Tommy?"

Tommy leaned back in his chair, contemplating. "We hit 'em where it hurts. We disrupt their operations, cut off their resources.”

Arthur leaned forward, his expression determined. "And we make it clear that they'll regret messing with us. We won't back down."

“How do you plan on doing that?” Polly asked, armed crossed

“We need allies” he answered

Back at your home, your mother's nap ended, and she woke up with a contented smile. You put aside your work and joined her in watching the remainder of the soap opera.

As the afternoon turned into evening, you prepared to take her back to your brother's place.

As you were dropping her off, you were invited to have dinner at your brother's house. His wife is a kind and easygoing person, sometimes even more so than he is. Spending time with them was pleasant, a change from your routine as a single woman living alone and having solitary dinners with your cat.

When you finally got home, you noticed your apartment door was open. For a brief moment, you wondered if you could have left it that way, but the voice in your head quickly dismissed that thought.

Without any desire to find out if someone was still inside, you turned on your heels and dashed back to your car. The only thing in your mind being the safety of your cat.

Doing what any normal person would, you called the police.

You quickly dialed the police and explained the situation, your heart pounding as you waited for their response. They assured you they would send officers over right away.

Standing by your car, you felt a mix of anxiety and fear, wondering what you might find inside your apartment.

Within minutes, the sound of sirens grew louder, and two police officers arrived at the scene. You explained the situation to them, your voice shaky with apprehension. They assured you that they would thoroughly check your apartment and asked you to stay outside.

As you watched them enter your apartment building, you felt a sense of unease wash over you. Moments later, they returned, confirming that there was no one inside, however, they said it seemed someone had broken in. All your things were out of place.

They said they would get the security camera's videos and find the person behind this. And they insisted you slept somewhere else.

You went back to your apartment to gather a few stuff and find Ozzy. When you walked in you were startled. Drawers were pulled open, belongings strewn across the floor, and the place that was once your sanctuary now felt like a violated space. Your pulse quickened as you realized someone had been inside, rummaging through your personal belongings.

After some searching, you found Ozzy under your stove, the poor thing was terrified.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself and ignore the rising panic. The police assured you that they would investigate the break-in thoroughly and advised you not to touch anything until they had collected evidence. "Just get what you need and leave the scene," the offcier said

Feeling a mixture of anger and vulnerability, you sat down and took it all in. You had no place to go. Yes, you could go to your brothers, but it felt like an intrusion. Feeling backed into a corner, you decided to rent a hotel room right next to the hospital. The hotel was cheap, but they had security 24/7 and cameras, which was enough for you at the moment.

The following day was intense. You had to do your rounds at the hospital but every step you took felt like you were being watched, and a sense of paranoia began to settle in. No matter where you went, the feeling of being pursued was constant, leaving you on edge.

You questioned yourself, doubting if you were blowing things out of proportion, letting the break-in get under your skin more than you should. Yet, every time you glanced over your shoulder or felt a shiver down your spine, you couldn't shake the certainty that someone was lurking out there, hidden in the shadows. It was a persistent feeling, like an itch you couldn't scratch.

As you carried on with your hospital tasks, the unease clung to you. It was as if a chunk of your normal life had been snatched away, stolen along with your peace of mind. And in your frustration, you couldn't help but lay the blame on someone: that man with those gorgeous striking sea-blue eyes. Fucking Thomas Shelby.

You cursed his name under your breath, feeling a mixture of resentment and a strange connection you couldn't quite explain. Whether or not he was truly involved, his presence had thrown your life into turmoil, first your car and now your apartment.

"Hey girl, you okay?" Jeremy asked concern etched on his face.

"Yeah, just a bit tired. A little paranoid," you replied, and he chuckled.

"Aren't we all?" he questioned, making you smile.

Jeremy had quickly become one of the most important people in your life. Your friendship was so genuine and light, something that brought you immense comfort. All you wanted was to spill the beans about what had been happening, but was it a good idea?

You soldiered on with your day and tasks, doing your best not to dwell on your life outside the hospital. By the end of the day, you felt so drained that it was as if you had worked three days straight. The truth is, when your mind is on high alert, when anxiety takes over, both your mind and body bear the brunt.

As you arrived at your hotel room and swung the door open, a man's figure seated at the foot of your bed met your eyes. With a scream, you instinctively recoiled, slamming the door shut with force. All you wanted was to run out of there, but before you could, the door swung open, revealing that the man was none other than Thomas himself.

"Fuck!" you exclaimed, pushing the door and, consequently, him. "You're gonna give me a heart attack!"

Thomas rubbed his chest, probably where you had nudged him. "You can be a real charmer, you know that?"

"Charm's not exactly my priority right now," you retorted, still reeling from the shock. Your heart is still beating a million times per second.

"What do you want?" you asked impatiently.

"Just checking up on you," he replied calmly.

"I'm great, can't you tell? Life's just great," you retorted with heavy sarcasm, slumping tiredly onto your hotel bed.

"Why didn't you tell me that someone broke into your place?" he inquired.

"Because you're the bloody reason it happened in the first place! Did that knock on the head mess up your brains? I want nothing to do with you," you stated firmly, frustration lacing your words.

"Look, I know you're angry," he began, his tone softer now. "But I'm worried about your safety. If you're being targeted, you might not be safe here. I can offer you a place to stay, at my aunt's hotel. It's secure, and you can stay there for as long as you need. No strings attached."

You raised an eyebrow, surprised by his unexpected offer. "I appreciate the concern," you said, your voice guarded. "But I'll figure things out on my own. I don't need your help."

He sighed his expression a mix of frustration and concern. "You're stubborn as hell, you know that?"

You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips.

“Look, y/n. I’m not taking no for an answer. You are not safe here. It’s a fact” he said

“And why do you care?” You asked, surprised to see Ozzy climbing on top of the bed and snuggling up to you. He usually hides when people are near.

Thomas hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering between you and the cat nestled against you.

"Because I've seen what happens when someone underestimates danger," he admitted, his tone softer now. "I've lost people I cared about, and I won't let that happen again if I can help it."

You were taken aback by his candid response, his vulnerability catching you off guard. It was a glimpse into a side of him you hadn't expected. As you looked at him, his expression held a mix of genuine concern and something deeper, a hint of regret perhaps.

"You can't control everything, Thomas," you replied softly, your fingers still brushing over Ozzy's fur.

He nodded, a rueful smile touching his lips. "I know. But that doesn't mean I won't try." he took a deep breath "If not for you, then do it for the cat. He deserves safety," he said, making you chuckle.

"Low blow," you quipped, stealing a small smirk from him.

"I won't bother you. In fact, if it's what you want, I will stay as far away as I possibly can. Just please accept it," he insisted, his tone earnest.

After some thought, you eventually nodded. "I don't want to see your face."

"You won't," he replied, his voice firm as if making a promise.

“Okey” you said giving in

Unbeknownst to you, Tommy struggled to suppress his own desires. While you were seated on the hotel bed, he fought the intense urge to sweep you into his arms. To just throw you on the bed and fuck you senseless. But he knew he needed to respect your boundaries, to earn your trust before making any advances.

After your last encounter with him, he noticed he skipped a few steps. He made you terrified. He made you fear for your life, and according to you, that was the reason you kissed him. And that was not something he wanted. He wanted you to desire him as much as he did you right now.

Your current vulnerability only heightened his need to keep you safe above all else, above all his wishes, holding back his desires for a future moment when you'd be ready for him.

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shion-yu · 4 months

Text

Hold Him While You Can

Cliff gets the flu and Elliot insists on being there for him. Inspired in part by this song by Stephen Sanchez. My piece for my final (yay!) @hurtcomfort-bingo space "Asphyxiation" and my @badthingshappenbingo space "Asthma Attack." Original work, 3,523 words. TWs: trauma r/t parental abuse

Cliff's managed to go eighteen years of his life without ever getting the flu, but his freshman year at NYU is when his luck runs out. He wakes up on the first of December with a headache and more tired than usual but doesn't think too much of it. Finals week is approaching quickly and Cliff's been studying with the intention of getting no less than perfect grades on all of his exams. He doesn't pay attention to nearly anything besides studying, other than his boyfriend Elliot.

Cliff doesn't call Elliot his boyfriend out loud, although Elliot calls Cliff that and Cliff knows that's what they are. They go on dates every weekend, usually multiple times per weekend, using Cliff's parents' annual memberships to various theaters to attend every play, opera and performance that interests Elliot. Elliot knows so much about this world - of course he does, he's a theater major - but he's never had the money to actually attend these shows in person; Cliff had the money but none of the interest. He finds he loves them now, though. The performers aren't just a bunch of mentally ill college drop-outs playing make believe on stage, like Cliff's father once said. They're artists and they tell stories that really touch Cliff in ways he never expected. More than anything, though, he loves exploring every corner of the city with Elliot and going out to eat at tiny hole in the wall places where they order random things off the menu because they can't read whatever language they're in. He loves how Elliot speaks passionately about every show and comes up with his own analyses of each work. Most of all, he loves the look on Elliot's face as he watches them and afterwards when he thanks Cliff for bringing him.

They're "friends," but friends don't look at each other like they do... Do they? Friends don't sleep in the same bed whenever Cliff's roommate spends the night elsewhere. And friends don't usually kiss the shit out of each other, desperate and all-consuming.

It troubles Cliff. He never really wanted to kiss anybody until Elliot, but now he can't stop. Elliot's lips are so full and soft. Cliff loves his taste, even though he'd always thought the idea of kissing was gross before. Elliot's so beautiful - men had never looked beautiful before, either. Cliff thinks if he could choose to spend the rest of his life with just one person, he'd choose Elliot in a heartbeat. The problem is he lives in a world with everybody else, including his parents, and it'll never just be them.

Elliot's so patient though. He doesn't push Cliff to be out like he is, or to label their relationship as something more than Cliff's ready to voice. Cliff knows he can't wait forever - he sees Elliot's face fall a bit more each time Cliff introduces him as just a friend - but he's waiting for now and Cliff will take it for as long as he's allowed to.

Thinking about Elliot is what gets Cliff through the day when he's having trouble. For example, the thought of the play they're supposed to go see tomorrow night pushes Cliff through classes this Friday even though he's feeling increasingly off as each hour passes. He's shivery and his body aches like he went on a long run yesterday, but he didn't. By noon his head is aching and by the end of his afternoon class he feels absolutely awful. He drags himself back to his dorm and flops onto bed face first with a groan. At least his roommate's gone for the weekend with his girlfriend, that's a silver lining. He just needs to rest, he thinks to himself. He'll feel better in the morning.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cliff doesn't feel better in the morning. In fact he feels ten times worse, like he's been hit by a truck. He wakes up around three in the morning with wicked chills and shakes in his bed for hours before he can fall asleep again. He knows he's sick, but he's not used to anything like this. Usually he'd just push through and let Elliot pick him up for lunch as they'd planned anyways. That's what he'd always done in high school: drag himself to class and work through the illness. At worst he'd ended up taking naps in the nurse's office, but he never wanted to end up sick at home. It was too lonely there.

He has every intention of pushing through the pain again today, but he finds he's so dizzy that he can barely make it to the bathroom. Not only that, but he can't go a few seconds without coughing. It feels like something is gripping his lungs inside his chest and squeezing and it hurts. He doesn't want Elliot to see him like this, so he sends a text that takes several tries to compose before it makes sense. The tiny letters on his Blackberry are hard to use when his fingers are so shaky.

'Have to cancel today. Sorry.'

Cliff receives several text messages back from Elliot right away.

'Aww you sure?'

'Wait why?'

'You OK?'

Cliff doesn't answer. He can't think of a good excuse and he's too tired to keep his eyes open any longer. He vaguely realizes he's thirsty, but he has no energy to get water. So instead, he falls asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bang bang bang!

Cliff groans and tries to ignore the loud noise. He just wants to sleep, doesn't anybody respect that around here? He thinks maybe if he just stays still it'll stop, or at least he'll fall back asleep.

But it doesn't stop, and then he hears a voice that he recognizes. "Cliff? Are you there?"

It's Elliot. Cliff's heart sinks. Elliot can't see him like this, absolutely not. Not when he's such a mess. "Go away," he croaks out, but speaking makes him cough. He sounds like shit.

"Cliff! Open up before I go get the RA!"

Why is he so damn persistent? Cliff doesn't want the RA to get involved though so forces himself to get up. He wobbles the few steps to the door, shivering as his bare feet hit the cold linoleum floor, and opens it.

"Why would you do that?" He rasps, leaning on the door frame as he glares at Elliot in defeat.

A very indignant looking Elliot stands in front of him with one hand on his hip, his lower lip sticking out in a pout. "Because you're clearly dying, duh."

"Not dying." The string of harsh, deep coughs that comes straight from Cliff's lungs does him no favors.

"Uh huh. Let's get you back in bed," Elliot says. He ushers Cliff back onto his twin mattress and covers him with the duvet. Cliff shivers miserably. Great, now he's sick and humiliated. "Do you have a first aid kit or a thermometer?" Elliot asks him hopefully.

"No," Cliff says. Of course not, what does Elliot think he is, a nurse? "I'm fine E. You should go back to your room." He doesn't want Elliot to catch this.

Elliot frowns. "You don't want me here?"

It's not that, Cliff thinks. As much as he doesn't like the idea of Elliot seeing him like this, he does want him here. He wants Elliot to hold him like he did after that time they got chilled to the bone walking home in the rain and hugged in bed until they felt warm again. But that's selfish, and he's positive Elliot's only here because he feels bad or something, not because he wants to be. He probably just came to see what was up with Cliff ditching him and is now looking for any excuse to get out of the biohazard zone.

"I'm fine," Cliff says. "Just a cold or something."

He's startled when Elliot slaps his hand to Cliff's cheek. Cliff can't help but moan at Elliot's cool palm against his burning skin. "Yikes. A cold doesn't usually feel that that," Elliot says briskly. "Just let me take care of you, alright?"

Cliff blinks in shock. "Take care of me? Why would you do that?"

Elliot looks at him strangely. "You know, coz we're... Together. It's what boyfriends do."

Cliff feels the strange pain in his stomach that he always feels when Elliot says that word. He swallows, which causes his to realize how raw and swollen his throat feels. "What if you get sick?" Cliff asks weakly. But Elliot knows he's got him. All he needs to say is the word 'boyfriends' and Cliff's lost his resolve.

"I've got a good immune system," Elliot says confidently. "Besides, I don't think you should be alone right now."

Cliff feels his eyes suddenly get teary and he jams them shut so that Elliot can't see. No one's ever wanted to be around him when he was sick before. His parents thought every illness was just a pain in the ass and the most caretaking he can remember his mom doing is shoving a bottle of cough syrup and a packet of antibiotics through the door at him. His dad's a doctor, but he's never even home (though Cliff supposes he's the one who probably writes the scripts for said antibiotics). The general concensus among all of them was stay in your room and don't bother anyone or spread whatever it is to anybody else. End of.

"I'm going to grab my first aid kit from my room, I'll be right back," Elliot says. His dorm is only in the next building over so it takes all of five minutes to go back and forth between their rooms, four if they run. Cliff nods and hears his door shut before he opens his eyes to wipe them dry. Elliot's shoved a sock in the door so that he can get back in without Cliff having to get up. Just another little considerate thing that comes to Elliot naturally, yet he's stuck with Cliff of all people, who has the emotional maturity of a middle schooler. Cliff doesn't know why Elliot sticks around really, but he's going to soak up every second of it until it ends.

Elliot's back in the blink of an eye with a large plastic box with a big red cross on the front. "I'm back." He catches Cliff oggling the first aid kit and laughs awkwardly. "Mom's a nurse. She wanted me to be well stocked," he explains. He opens it up on Cliff's desk and pulls out a thermometer. He takes the cap off and hands it to Cliff expectantly. Cliff stares at it awkwardly. It feels embarrassingly self indulgent. "Go on," Elliot says, so Cliff puts it under his tongue and waits, cheeks now burning with embarrassment as well as fever.

Elliot digs through the first aid kit and finds a bottle of Tylenol, then nabs a bottle of water from under Cliff's bed where he knows Cliff stashes them. The thermometer beeps; Cliff hands it to Elliot awkwardly, unsure what the flashing 102.5 on the tiny screen means.

Apparently nothing good, because Elliot frowns and looks concerned. "Have you taken anything for this?" He asks worriedly. He seems unsurprised when Cliff shakes his head no. He taps out two Tylenol and holds them out to Cliff with the bottle of water.

Cliff takes the water bottle and tries to open it, but his fingers are shaky and clumsy and he drops the cap. The full bottle leaks water all over his arm and onto his bed. He cringes, but Elliot doesn't berate him for making a mess. Cliff swallows the Tylenol and feels them pass painfully through his sore throat.

"You should feel better in a bit," Elliot says, but he looks like he's not so sure anymore. He appears to have an idea and dashes to the bathroom momentarily, returning with a dampened washcloth. He presses it to Cliff's forehead. Cliff shivers at first, but soon it feels good.

Cliff's breathing is labored. He's not sure how he got so sick so fast but he hopes Elliot's right, that he feels better quickly. He looks up at Elliot hovering at his bedside and tentatively grips Elliot's sleeve. Elliot looks down in surprise. "Want me to hold you?" Cliff nods. Elliot smiles and climbs into bed without another word.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cliff wakes up with violent chills and a sharp pain in his head. His jaw is taut as his teeth chatter loudly against each other. Elliot's holding him, shushing him. "Shh, it's gonna be okay," he hears Elliot say. "Take a deep breath Cliff, come on."

Cliff tries to, but it produces a hallow sucking in noise deep in his chest. He feels like he can't breathe. He tries to cough, but it's too weak to produce anything. Panic grips him when it feels like no air is coming in.

"C-can't," he gasps. He can't control his shaking and he grabs onto Elliot's shirt, scared.

Elliot leans over and turns on Cliff's bedside lamp. He tries to help Cliff sit up so that maybe his can take a deeper breath and rubs his upper arms. Cliff keeps gulping down mouthfuls of air that doesn't seem to reach his lungs. There's no way to hide the involuntary tears that roll down his cheeks this time. "Try and take a deep breath Cliff," Elliot instructs him. Cliff shakes his head. He can't. "You can do it - yes you can, Cliff. Try again. In through your nose… that’s it. Good job. Slow down. It's okay..."

It takes several cycles of Elliot's guidance between spasms of coughing where Cliff can't follow Elliot's instructions to breathe even if he tries, but eventually he starts feeling slightly less like he might pass out from lack of oxygen. He's dizzy and Elliot eases him back onto his pillows, wiping the sweat from his brow and drool from the corner of his mouth. Cliff shivers and greedily appreciates every breath he doesn't have to fight for anymore. This has never happened to him before and he closes his eyes as he tries to recover from the attack.

Elliot takes Cliff's temperature again and can't hold back the little gasp that comes out when he sees the number. "Shit, this is really high. Maybe I should call an ambulance."

Cliff desperately grups onto Elliot's arm and he shakes his head desperately. "Don't," he begs. It's difficult to speak after what just happened, but he forces the words out anyways. "I can't go to the hospital. My dad - my dad works there."

Elliot looks totally confused, but he doesn't ask questions right at this moment. "You have a 104 fever, I don't think I can handle this with a little Tylenol."

Cliff lets out a tiny sob, which shocks Elliot because he's never seen Cliff actually cry before. "He'll hit me if I embarrass him," Cliff whimpers deliriously. The fever and exhaustion of what just happened is making him reveal what he never would normally. "I can't, don't be mad at me, please, don't hit me." Elliot's heart breaks. He wipes Cliff's hot tears away and kisses his forehead.

"Okay, no hospital," Elliot says against his better judgment. "Let's go to student health in the morning. But we need to get your fever down now. Do you think you can take a cold shower?" Cliff shakes his head no. There's no way he can get all the way down the hall to the shared bathrooms and stand upright for that long without passing out. Elliot grimaces, but he's not surprised. "Okay. Stay here. I'm gonna go get ice and some cold cloths and hope for the best. If it doesn't work we really do need to get you help tonight though."

Elliot forces three Tylenol into Cliff and then dashes to the shared kitchen to grab ice and wet every washcloth Cliff owns. His own hands are trembling with anxiety; he's never seen someone else sick like this before and he really wants to bring Cliff to the hospital, but he'll do his best to respect Cliff's wishes... For now. He swipes at a few tears of his own that escape down his cheeks and hurries back to Cliff's dorm. "Excuse me," he says, and pulls Cliff's shirt off. He's never seen Cliff shirtless before so covers him up quickly with the sheets. Then he places ice on Cliff's neck, armpits and groin, and the wet towels everywhere else. Cliff groans in pain, his shivering so bad that his feet drum in an inconsistent rythym against the wall. He tries to tear away from all of if but Elliot holds him down. "I know," he soothes Cliff. "Just for a few minutes, you're just too hot right now."

The whistling sound that still accompanies Cliff's desperate breaths are noisy and impossible to ignore. Elliot thinks he recognizes it as wheezing. "Cliff, do you have asthma?" He asks.

"Used to," Cliff says after several seconds. The way he’s slurring his words scares the shit out of Elliot.

"Do you have an inhaler?" Elliot asks. Cliff shakes his head no. Elliot grimaces and Googles 'asthma treatments without inhaler.' He ends up making Cliff sit up as high in the bed as possible and making some hot tea. It's the best he can do right now. Cliff doesn't want to sit up, too cold and achy to get comfortable in an upright position. So Elliot slides behind him and holds him so that he can sleep but doesn’t have to work to keep himself sitting.

When Elliot checks Cliff's temperature again, it's down to 103.3 so Elliot decides they can wait for the clinic to open at 8 am. He helps Cliff drink his tea and sets an alarm to wake up at 7:30 so they can get to the clinic the second it opens. By the early morning hours neither of them have slept much and Cliff's wheezing has only gotten worse. Morning couldn't have come fast enough and Elliot was second guessing his decision to let Cliff wait until now, but it's too late for that now. Elliot bundles Cliff up in several layers and leads him downstairs to the lobby. Cliff is woozy and out of it. Elliot sits him on the bench at the door to wait while he catches a taxi.

Cliff seems barely conscious on the drive there. Elliot holds him close, repeating “You’re okay,” as much as for himself as for Cliff. Cliff’s quiet other than the tight coughing that leaves him breathless. Elliot feels bad for the taxi driver and tips him extra for whatever plague Cliff gifted him with on the short trip to the student health center. For the first time since he found Cliff like this he considers his own health again, but it’s too late and there’s no way in hell he’d leave Cliff all alone like this.

At the health center, Cliff’s temperature is 103.5 and the nurse practitioner immediately sets him up with a nebulizer treatment. She asks if Cliff’s been drinking enough water; Elliot answers he’s been trying, but it doesn’t seem like enough. She inserts an IV and runs a liter of fluids for Cliff, saying it should help with his fever.

Cliff clearly does not like being assessed or touched. He clings to Elliot even though there's someone else around and flinches every time anyone else makes physical contact with him. He answers questions robotically and barely above a whisper, mostly just repeating "Yes ma'am" over and over. When they insert the IV, he gets so pale and clammy that Elliot thinks he's going to pass out. He distracts Cliff by talking about the show they were supposed to go to see yesterday. Cliff doesn't respond, but Elliot knows he's listening - at least to Elliot's voice if not the words - because he's clutching onto Elliot's hand so hard that Elliot's fingers go numb.

In the end, Cliff's diagnosed with the flu and an asthma exacerbation. "Did you get the flu shot?" The nurse asks Cliff. When Cliff shakes his head no she tells him it's especially important for people with asthma to stay up to date on these sorts of things, simply prompting another quiet "Yes ma'am." Cliff gets steroids, an antiviral and an inhaler to take home, and then they're free to go. Elliot thinks Cliff looks just as miserable as when they came in, but at least his fever's down and it no longer sounds like he's breathing through a straw. He's greatful he got his own flu shot ahead of time.

Elliot drags Cliff back to his dorm room and tucks him back into bed. Cliff whimpers in pain and Elliot gives him his meds. "There you go Cliffy, you're gonna feel better soon," he croons, brushing Cliff's sweaty red hair off his forehead. "You did so good."

"I didn't do anything," Cliff says dully, hiding under the covers and avoiding eye contact. "And now you probably think I'm crazy."

"What? Why would I think you're crazy?" Elliot asks, genuinely confused.

"...Coz of that stuff I said about my dad," Cliff says, so quietly that Elliot almost doesn't catch it. His heart clenches in pity and he pulls the covers down to reveal Cliff's ashamed face. Cliff closes his eyes and looks like he's waiting for Elliot to say something terrible to him.

"Cliff," Elliot says gently, but firmly. "Of course I don't think you're crazy. I think it's messed up, but because it sounds like your dad sucks, not because of you."

Cliff's face relaxes a little, but he still looks upset. "It's stupid," he says. "I'm eighteen. I shouldn't be scared of... Of that anymore."

Elliot touches Cliff's shoulder. Cliff flinches but doesn't pull away. Elliot rubs his arm gently. "It's okay to be scared of whatever you're scared of," Elliot says softly. "But I promise I'll never hit you. Do you know that?"

Cliff opens his eyes and looks at Elliot. He looks so young and so damaged sometimes, it makes Elliot's heart hurt. "Promise?" He asks in a very small voice.

Elliot swallows. "I promise, no matter what. Even if we fight, or you're sick, or we're driving each other crazy because we have very different tastes in movies." The corner of Cliff's lips twitch in an almost-smile. "I will never put my hands on you to hurt you, I promise. Okay?"

"Okay," Cliff says. Elliot can tell he's trying not to cry, so he kisses Cliff's forehead and lays down next to him. He hugs Cliff and cuddles his boyfriend's overly warm body. He means every word he said. He'd never hurt Cliff on purpose, and anyone who has done so was wrong.

"Rest now," Elliot says softly. "You'll feel loads better when you wake up." He listens to Cliff's shallow, uneven breathing. Slowly it becomes more natural and eventually turns into congested snores. Elliot smiles and continues to hold Cliff even though Elliot can tell he's asleep now. He'll hold Cliff for as long as he can.

#shionwrites #oc: cliff #sickfic #flu whump #bad things happen bingo #hurtcomfortbingo #whump #sick whump #fever whump #hurt/comfort #whumpblr #oc: elliot #male whump #whump writing #coughing

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rfsak2 · 10 months

Text

Y’all are the fuckin’ best. I love all of y’all so very much. Please continue to leave me comments and likes. Let me know if I can do anything for you!

Onward!

Spitfire, Pt. 3

Everyone always thought Daryl was the rough one. DarylxOC

Warnings: violence, lots of bad language words, discussion of r*** and the a**** of children.

Part 2

Rick unrolled the small cache of weapons Carl had found the day before. “Everybody takes a weapon.”

“These aren’t the kind of weapons we need.” Andrea set a hand on her hip. “What about the guns?”

“We been over that?” Shane huffed. “Daryl, Mitzi, Rick and I are carrying. We can’t have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles.”

“It’s not the trees I’m worried about.”

Mitzi arched a brow. “Might as well be. Walkers do not think, do not strategize. We just need to stay quiet and smart. Guns are not quiet and guns in untrained hands are not smart.”

Andrea bit the inside of her cheek. “How is it smart to go out there without guns?”

Mitzi rolled her eyes. “Because you don’t need a gun for a single walker. It’s a waste of ammo. Using a knife or a machete is more practical and safer.” She turned to the rest of the group. “If you don’t feel ready to take down a walker without a gun,” Mitzi gestured around them. “Today’s the day. We can do some practical self-defense training. Practice makes perfect.”

“It’s easy for you to say we don’t need guns.” Andrea sucked on her teeth, gesturing at her suppressed hunting rifle. “You’re carrying a gun.”

Mitzi grinned. “A gun I won’t be using if we come across a single walker. Pinky promise.” She patted her hunting knife in its holster.

“That’s not all.” Shane scoffed. “Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it’s game over for all of us. So you need to get over it.”

Andrea looked disappointed, but didn’t press the issue.

“Th’idea’s to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side.” Daryl nodded vaguely. “Chances are she’ll be by the creek, it’s her only landmark.”

“Stay quiet and stay sharp,” Rick added. “Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other.”

They all nodded and Shane directed people to assemble their packs while Rick turned to Dale.

Daryl crossed to the abandoned Ford pickup behind her. He tapped Mitzi’s side as he passed and jerked his chin toward the truck.

She followed, checking the clip on her handgun as she watched Andrea and Dale argue over the CDC incident.

Daryl caught her eyes and Mitzi made a face.

“What?”

She sighed and whispered so only he could hear, holstering her pistol. “Not sayin’ either of them are right or wrong. Dale needs to mind his business and she needs to stop blaming him for her not makin’ the decision she wanted to make… Regardless, I’ll be glad when the soap opera is over.”

He nodded. “Don’t trust her with a gun.” He shrugged. “Not ‘cause wanted t’off herself neither, she’s too jumpy.”

“She thinks she’s smarter than everyone else. And maybe she is, but she can’t grasp why we don’t want everyone havin’ guns. Doesn’t sound so smart to me.” She noted.

Daryl patted her thigh and moved to lead the group down to the creek.

Carl and Lori passed by her and she reached over to ruffle his hair. When he turned to look at her, she stuck her tongue out at him.

Carl smiled and stuck his tongue out at her in return.

Lori smiled at her. “You’re good with kids.”

Mitzi huffed out a laugh. “Don’t know about that.”

“No, you are. You never really interacted with them at the old camp, but I saw you playing foozball with them at the CDC. They have fun with you.”

Mitzi shrugged. “I have younger brothers.”

Lori looked shocked and, when Mitzi looked confused, she shrugged. “I’m sorry but I just- I feel horrible, I haven’t thought about your family.”

Mitzi waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. None of us have really had time to think beyond right now.”

“How much younger than you are they?”

“Davey is seven years younger, Mikey almost fifteen.”

Lori hummed. “Your parents spaced them out.”

Mitzi sighed. “I appreciate you not assumin’.” She grinned. “We had different mothers. My dad was a dick.”

Lori chuckled slightly. “Sorry.”

Mitzi made a face, dismissing the apology. “It is what it is. They were- are still my brothers.”

“Do you know if they’re okay?”

Mitzi shook her head. “When all the stuff started comin’ up on th’news, I spoke to them. Wasn’t able to get them on the phone since then. They’re with my cousin and Will’s always been somethin’ of a prepper, so I like to think they’re alright.”

Lori smiled again, nodding. “You and Daryl, yeah?”

Mitzi frowned. “Can’t be much’a surprise.”

She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. Y’all make sense.”

“Birds of a feather and all that.”

“That’s part of it, sure. You have some similarities in temperament. You’re both very direct, willing to help.” Lori smiled down at her. “But you two seem more at ease with each other than you are apart.”

Mitzi nodded. “As at ease as you can be.”

“Well… for that matter, you both are well-equipped for this.” She made a motion around her.

“Not much of a choice.” Mitzi tsked, making a face. “Die or do not. I can say for my part, that this is exhausting. And it’s not sustainable. I’m trained to do it, sure. Spend the majority of a six or eight-month long deployment moving from place to place, hiding out in the wild, but-“ she whistled.

Lori nodded. “I agr-“

Mitzi held up a finger and pointed behind them, where Carl was speaking with Shane.

Lori reached out and motioned Carl in front of her, between her and Mitzi. “Gotta keep up.”

Carl sighed heavily. “I am.”

Mitzi glanced at Lori and then back at Shane. She caught Lori’s eye and whispered, ‘Dick.’

Lori took a deep breath and addressed Carl. “You okay?”

Carl hung his head. “I think Shane’s mad at me. Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” Lori rubbed at his back. “No, honey I promise you. He’s just worried about Sophia is all. Come on.”

Mitzi nodded. “Sometimes worry makes adults jerks. Sure he didn’t mean anythin’ by it. You wanna show me your knife?”

Carl smiled up at her, passing her the little 3-inch blade Lori had let him carry. “Isn’t it cool, Ms. Mitzi?”

She nodded. “Pretty cool indeed. I’ll have to show you how to clean it later.”

Carl nodded enthusiastically and she handed it back.

“Mitzi.”

She looked up the line where Rick was motioning for her and stepped around Glenn. As she cleared Rick’s side, she saw a small tent in a copse of trees.

Daryl caught her eyes and motioned her to come closer. “Need’ya to cover the entrance as I check it.”

She nodded and passed her rifle to Rick, shooting a look at Andrea as she pulled her hunting knife from its holster.

Shane rounded the line of trees. “She could be in there.”

Daryl advanced quietly, Mitzi at his shoulder, Rick and Shane behind. “Could be a lotta things in there.”

She squatted about a foot away from the zippered door, knife in hand, while Daryl attempted to peek in the door and window.

He motioned vaguely at Rick who turned to direct Carol to call out for Sophia.

Daryl caught her eye and Mitzi raised her knife at the door when no response came.

Daryl gingerly opened the zipper, parted the flap and coughed. The smell hit Mitzi a second later.

She winced, eyes watering, but fought to keep her eyes open. Keeping her voice low, she nodded at Daryl. “Whatever’s in there is dead but it ain’t movin’.”

Daryl nodded and stepped in, emerging a moment later empty handed. “It ain’t her.”

She heard Carol’s relieved sigh and Mitzi took Daryl’s hand, allowing him to pull her to a stand.

“What’s in there?”

Daryl turned to Andrea. “Some guy. Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain’t that what he called it?”

He shouldered his crossbow and they all jumped when the church bells started ringing.

“What happened?” Mitzi was still about 15 yards away when she saw the small gaggle of group members. The anxiety in their body language reading loud and clear across the distance.

Then she saw Andrea and Dale running full speed across the field and Mitzi felt her gut drop.

“Is he dead? Is he dead?”

“What the fuck happened?” She closed the distance fast but was still a couple yards away when Rick turned and caught her eyes.

“Mitzi, stay back!”

She ignored him, arching to see what they were gathering around. She caught sight of the crossbow on the ground and froze.

“Is that Daryl?” She pushed forward.

Rick turned to her again, pulling a limp arm up over his shoulder. “Mitzi-“

“Is he…” she swallowed dryly. “Is he dead?”

Glenn turned, shaking his head and reaching for her shoulder. “No, he just passed out.”

“Passed out?” Breathing deep, she passed her rifle off to Glenn. She stepped around him and shouldered her way between Shane and Daryl’s other side, pulling his arm over her other shoulder. “What happened?”

She noticed the blood along the hem of his shirt and caught Rick’s eyes. With shaking hands, she lifted his shirt to expose his side.

She gasped when she saw the puncture wounds, the lump in her throat loosening suddenly. “He wasn’t bit.”

When no one else seemed to relax, she frowned. “What?”

She felt something on her shoulder and saw blood dripping from a cut near Daryl’s temple. She pushed his hair away from the wound and her blood boiled.

It was a bullet graze wound, clear as day.

She turned, catching Andrea’s terrified eyes. “You shot him?”

Andrea stuttered. “I thought he was a walker… I couldn’t see.”

“You couldn’t see and you still took the fuckin’ shot?” Her voice rose and she saw Andrea blanch. “Are you fuckin’ stupid?”

Rick abruptly shifted, forcing her to take more of Daryl’s weight. Shane shifted closer to her elbow.

“I’m sorry… I was just-“

“Fuck your sorry.” Mitzi cut her off, snarling.

“I was just trying-“

“If you say that you were trying to protect the group, I’ll knock your teeth down your throat.”

“Mitzi-“ Rick crossed his arm over Daryl’s back to touch her shoulder, taking more of Daryl’s weight back. “It was an accident.”

“A fuckin’ avoidable one. You two bozos keep coddlin’ her fuckin’ feelin’s and now y’see where it gets us.” She shifted Daryl’s weight against hers. “Now git outta my way or help me get him to th’house.”

Rick nodded. “Glenn, grab his bow, please.”

“M’fine.”

She whittled a piece of wood of the branch she was holding. “I know you’re fine. If you weren’t, she-“

“Baby.” Daryl huffed out a raspy laugh. “M’fine.”

She glanced at him, rolling her eyes. “You’re lucky, stupid bitch coulda killed ya.”

“She was tryin’ to protect the camp.”

Mitzi grit her teeth and set her knife and wood down. “I know what she was tryin’ t’do. I do. But what she was tryin’ and what she did are two different things.”

“It was an accident.”

“Oh, I’m so tired of hearing’ that.” She rotated her neck, agitated. “Excuse after excuse. No one willing to sack up and tell her the truth.”

“It was an accident, Spitfire.”

“A dumb one. She shouldn’t ‘ve taken a shot she couldn’t spot. She shouldn’t ‘ve picked up a rifle when she hasn’t even been trained on the handgun.” Mitzi scoffed. “Shouldn’t ‘ve shot a lone walker.”

He conceded.

She picked at her nails. “To be honest if she helped more, if she wasn’t so fixated on doin’ the one thing she hasn’t been trained to do, I wouldn’t be so angry.”

“So it wasn’t just ‘cause she hurt me?” Daryl smirked at her. “Here I was thinkin’ you were bein’ my white knight.”

She chuckled. “Next time, I’ll leave you layin’ in the dirt.”

He smiled and held his hand out to her. She stood, laying her hand in his. He tugged her gently to the bed and she sat gingerly next to him.

“I could kinda hear ya. I wasn’t all the way out.”

She hummed and teased her fingers through his hair.

“You sounded scared.”

“I was.” She shrugged.

“Scared to lose me?”

She took a moment to observe him, the quiet stillness that always followed a question that felt more vulnerable for him.

She nodded. “I’ve never…” she searched for the word, “clicked with someone this way. I don’t know if you feel the same way, but I enjoy who I am around you. Feel accepted, seen, for the first time in a while.”

He nodded, squeezing her knee.

“So yeah, I’m not quite ready to be without ya, Daryl Dixon.” She leaned over and kissed him softly. “Not nearly.”

There was a knock at the door and they both turned to Carol.

She smiled shyly. “I brought y’all some food.”

Mitzi smiled. “Thanks, Carol.”

Carol nodded and lingered at the door. She fidgeted and then steeled her shoulders. “I just wanted to say: you did more for my daughter than her own daddy did for her his whole life.”

Daryl nodded awkwardly. Carol leaned down after a moment and pressed a kiss to his head.

He stuttered. “Watch out. I got stitches.”

Mitzi hid a smile until the door closed behind Carol. Once it did, she giggled. “You’re blushin’.”

Daryl turned to eye her. “You like when I blush.”

She grinned. “I do but you got stitches.”

“Mitzi-“

Mitzi shook her head, forcibly cracking a branch over her knee and tossing it in a kindling pile.

“Can I talk with you please?”

“No.” She set a log onto a wood block.

“Please.”

She lifted the ax over her head and brought it down hard on the log she was splitting. Continuing to ignore Andrea, she tossed one half of the log out of the way and set the other up to be split again.

Andrea shifted, uncomfortable, and jumped when the ax came down.

“Mitzi-“

“I said ‘no.’” She snarled over her shoulder. “I ain’t ‘bout’ta waste m’time talkin’ at someone who don’t fuckin’ want t’listen.”

She tossed the two new halves and picked up another piece.

Andrea sighed. “I’m ready to listen.”

Mitzi turned on her. “Oh, you’re ready to listen? After you shot someone? That’s goddamn convenient.”

“Daryl accepted my apology.” She sounded almost incredulous, impatient.

Mitzi went back to splitting wood. “That’s his prerogative. You shot him.”

“Then why can’t you?”

She tossed a split log in the general direction of Hershel’s wood shed.

“I don’t know what your problem is.”

Mitzi shook her head. “That’s ‘cause you don’t listen.”

“No,” Andrea was indignant, hand on her hip. “You have never said-“

“Are you really that stupid?” Mitzi turned back to Andrea, ax in hand. “Or is your head that far up your ass?”

“I accidentally-“

“I know it was an accident. If I thought it had been on purpose, we woulda been dragging your ass back to camp, not just Daryl.”

Andrea’s eyes were on the ax and Mitzi could see Rick and Shane watching her from near the RV. She huffed out a laugh and lifted the ax, bringing it down on the wood block she had been chopping on.

Andrea jumped.

“You see that?” Mitzi pointed at the former cops who were still watching them. “If I had laid your ass out in that field, I would’ve ended up with my face in the dirt, even though you almost killed someone.”

Andrea nodded, arms crossed over her chest. “You’re a hothead, so-“

“I am. But I’m not gonna ax ya because you’re stupid.” Mitzi turned away again, tossing another split log into the pile. “No matter how entitled you are.”

“Entitled?”

“Yeah. Entitled.” Mitzi spat to the side. “Walkin’ around like your shit don’t stink. Like we fuckin’ owe you shit.”

“I do not act like you owe me anything.” Andrea huffed. “I help out. I protect the camp.”

“By takin’ shoots even when you can’t see what you’re shootin’ at. I know.” Mitzi clapped sarcastically. “Good job you.”

“I was trying to help. I thought he was a walker.”

“You failed, you missed. Thank whatever god applies for that because Shane and Rick wouldn’t ‘be been able to stop me.” She huffed. “Even if he had been, he would’ve been a single walker. It would’ve been better to use a knife or machete. You don’t know who or what could’ve heard that shot.”

“If Daryl had been a walker-“

“Glenn, Shane, and Rick were already on their way out.” Mitzi gestured at the RV. “You put the group in danger by firing that shot, even if he had been a walker.”

Andrea rolled her eyes. “I disagree. I handled what I thought needed to be handled.”

“Why can’t you take accountability?” Mitzi threw her hands in the air. “Not only did you fuckin’ miss, so you didn’t handle nuthin’, you also took a wholly unnecessary shot that you couldn’t spot properly. This is why I don’t trust you with a gun in camp. You don’t respect the power, the danger that comes with a weapon like that. You just want to do the easy thing.”

Andrea pulled back, like she had been hit. “This isn’t about the CDC.”

“I didn’t say it was.” Mitzi stared her in eye. “You consistently avoid tasks that you don’t want to do or have decided are beneath you. You don’t want to get your hands dirty. You want all the benefits but none of the costs.”

Andrea looked confused. “What cost?”

“The training, killing walkers in a safe way, the hard way, the day-to-day tasks of living, scavenging, hunting, the laundry, the cooking.” Mitzi said. “You want to sit on high and let the grunts do it for you.”

“That’s bullshit.” Andrea rolled her eyes. “Why is it the women do all the cooking and cleaning? Why is it that the men sit and do the watch?”

“They don’t. Glenn consistently risks his life scavenging or being fed to a walker in a well.” She shot her a hard look. “T-Dog does whatever needs to be done, he scavenges, siphons fuel, he cooks. If you pulled your head outta your ass, you’d see that.”

She gaped at Mitzi, who rolled her eyes. “We all do what we can. Not everyone in this group is equipped the same way.”

Recovering quickly, Andrea squared her shoulders. “By that logic: I know how to use a gun, therefore I should help in defense.”

“The minute we can do some training on gun safety, the minute I have materials for suppressors, I am all for making sure everyone can use a gun competently, for arming everyone. However, until such a time as that, untrained people with guns are clearly dangerous. Case in point.” She gestured at Andrea.

Andrea chewed on the inside of her cheek. “So you’re the exception.”

“Excuse me?”

“They respect you, they don’t talk down to you or ask you to do laundry-“

“You gonna make me explain it again?” Mitzi stared at her. “I do laundry. Mine and Daryl’s.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m not some uppity bitch that’s too good to wash my own clothes.”

“And Daryl’s?” Andrea ignored the jibe and looked like she had discovered some dirt. “Why do you do his laundry?”

“Because I’m fuckin’ him on the reg and while he’s just as attractive in dirty clothes, clean clothes sure are nice.”

Andrea had obviously not expected her to be so blunt. “So he makes-“

“He doesn’t make me do anythin’. He is not focused on what he wears, he doesn’t give a shit if his shirt is clean. I’m going to do my laundry anyways, because again, I ain’t too good for chores, so I might as well do his, too.”

“You don’t cook.”

Mitzi snorted. “And no one wants me to, I assure you. I lived off of McDonald’s and MREs.”

“So you do it all, Mitzi.” Andrea gestured at the camp. “You keep us safe, you hunt and clean, but god forbid any of us want to do something more important-“

“I swear to god, there’s bees in your brain.” Mitzi point at her temple, exasperated. “There is no task that is more important than any other task. Everything is vital and everyone is vital no matter what they are skilled at.”

“Can’t keep surviving, if we get eaten by walkers.”

Mitzi gestured, sarcastically. “Can’t get eaten by walkers if we starve to death.”

“If everything is just as important, why can’t I do what I want to? Why can’t I help with the defense of the camp?”

“Because you don’t know how to handle yourself with a gun, as evidenced by today and by this conversation.” Mitzi threw her hands in the air. “But then, you apparently know best, despite the fact that you’ve only been usin’ a gun for two months, so who am I to say?”

“How long is gun training in the Army? Can’t imagine you’ve been using guns that long.” Andrea looked smug.

Mitzi gaped at her. “You are catastrophic levels of stupid. Ima explain it one last time. Listen good. First of all, I’m a sniper, so that is an abysmally dumb assertion. Secondly, I was active duty for over ten years before all this happened- meaning, in case you didn’t catch it: I used a high-powered sniper rifle routinely for ten years. Lastly, I have been competitively shooting since I was ten.

“So yeah, my twenty plus years trumps your 60-something days. I am easily the most experienced gunman here. Easily. More so than Shane and Rick combined. So this idea that you are entitled to carrying a weapon and only taking guard shifts, based solely on your ownership and ‘experience’ with a gun, is imbecilic.”

Mitzi turned away again, dismissing her. “If I need any information on the penal code, I’ll call you up, though. Don’t worry, Andrea, you’re still an expert in something… I guess.”

Andrea reached for her arm. Mitzi shook her head and put space between them. “I want to learn, I am willing to learn, but I don’t understand why you are so against me being armed.”

Mitzi shook her head. “I thought you were ready to listen. Until you are trained, I don’t feel comfortable with you havin’ a gun. When you are, feel free to take a watch shift, but even then, that’s not all you can, or should, help with. Carol and Lori aren’t your maids.”

“I never said they were-” Andrea held up her hand to stop Mitzi from interjecting.

It didn’t stop Mitzi. “But you act like they are.”

“Well, what do you want me to do?”

“Use your goddamn brain and get your hands dirty.” Mitzi gestured at the camp. “Do what needs to be done. Not just what you want to do. Take some goddamn accountability for how you’ve been actin’.”

“Uh… guys. So… the barn’s full of walkers.”

Mitzi raised another forkful of eggs to her mouth. She chewed and swallowed and what had just came out of Glenn’s mouth still didn’t make sense.

“What?”

She looked at Daryl, who looked at her. She looked at Rick, who looked at Glenn.

The silence dragged on and then suddenly the rubber band snapped. Everyone seemed to shove to their feet at the same time, panic and fury setting their feet into motion.

Mitzi wasn’t the first to the barn, by virtue of her shorter legs, but she outstripped most of the group.

She circled the barn, knife in hand, looking for any hole big enough for a walker to escape through.

When she returned to the front, the rest of the group anxiously watching Shane stare into the crack in the door, Rick turned to her. “Anything?”

She shook her head. “It’s sealed up pretty tight.”

Shane pulled away from the door. “For now.”

“For now.” She parroted, squatting in front of the doors. She felt Daryl walk up behind her and leaned against his leg.

Shane scoffed and stalked at Rick. “You can not tell me you’re alright with this.”

Rick matched his aggression. “No, I’m not. But we’re guests here. This isn’t our land.”

“This is our lives, man!”

Glenn raised his hands, warning. “Lower your voice.”

Andrea joined the fray. “We can’t just sweep this under the rug.”

T-Dog shook his head, hands on hips. “It ain’t right. Not remotely.”

Shane had started pacing. “Okay. We have either got to go in there. We got to make this right or we’ve just got to go. Now we’ve been talking about Fort Benning for a long-“

“Fort Benning is a pipe dream, Walsh. There is very little possibility that it is operational. And if it is, the only way that’s possible is if they are turning away civilians.”

“You don’t know that, Donovan.”

Mitzi rolled her eyes. “I know it’s real comforting to think that the military is there to protect you but,” She stood, dusting her hands off. “It ain’t. It’s there to maintain the power and authority of the US government. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“That what you tell yourself? Justify you deserting?”

“Shut up, Walsh.”

“You too mucha coward to take a legitimate chance.”

She pegged him with a hard stare. Daryl hooked his hand around her elbow. “It ain’t a legitimate chance, Walsh. You have no proof that it is still operational.”

“And you have no proof it ain’t.”

“No, Shane.” She pointed at her chest, stalking toward him. “I have experience which is somethin’ you don’t have. I have been to Fort Benning, I trained at Fort Benning. If it is overrun, is a death trap. If it is operational, it will not offer the safety or help we need and we will have wasted a hundred miles of fuel.”

He turned to the group. “This deserter-“

Daryl tried to keep her behind him. He turned to Shane. “Watch what you say.”

Shane sucked on his teeth. “Fuck off, man. Just cause you fuck her don’t mean you gotta put up-“

Lori looked aghast. “Shane!”

“Th’fuck ya say?” Daryl stepped forward, Mitzi fisting a hand in his shirt.

“I said just ‘cause she sucked y’off, don’t mean you have-“

Rick stepped in. “Shane, enough!”

Shane rounded on Rick. “She is a coward, man. She deserted and doesn’t wanna go back. That’s why-“

“Last chance, Walsh. Say it again.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I ain’t playing with you today. Watch y’mouth.”

“Or what?” He grinned when she turned to glare at him.

Daryl blocked her way, arm across her chest, as she pushed aggressively against it. “I’ll knock all your teeth out so you can watch it better.”

Shane opened his arms wide. “Bring it, bitch. You ain’t gonna do nothing. Nothing but a cowar-”

She was on him before anyone could react.

Shane lifted a hand, to block her, hold her off, she didn’t care, she batted his much larger hand out of the way, popping him in the face with her south paw.

He swung. Dodging, she delivered two heavy blows to his solar plexus. As he tried to shift away, doubled over, holding his side, she kneed him in the face, before sweeping his legs out from under him.

“Mitzi!”

She felt hands on her shoulder and shook them off, kneeling on his chest to bring her fist down on him hard. Once, Twice.

Shane grunted, vaulting to his feet and slamming her down on the ground.

“Shane!”

She could see the others crowding around, trying to pull him off of her. She ignored them.

She slapped her hands over his ears and elbowed him across the jaw when he reared back.

Two more quick jabs to his face and she pulled him into her, wrapping a leg around the back of his neck and hooking her foot under her other leg.

She squeezed.

She snarled. “Stupid fuckin’ prick. I told you not to fuck with me.” As his eyes became unfocused, she released him and kicked him away.

He fell back, shaking his head, blood coloring his face from a cut over his eye.

All at once she became aware of the cacophony of noise.

“Daryl, get her off of him!” Rick hollered. She could hear crying, more shouting.

Daryl’s hand came into view and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. He prodded at the back of her head and came away bloody. “Shit.”

She brushed off his hand, now armed with his bandana. “M’fine.”

“Keep your bitch in line, Dixon.” Shane shoved to his feet, wiping at his split lip.

“Why? You couldn’t handle me even if, little boy.”

Shane stepped aggressively toward her.

“Shane! That is enough.” Rick growled, pushing him back. “Mitzi! Stop it.”

Daryl put pressure on her head wound as Shane and Rick argued.

“We ain’t going to Fort Benning. Mitzi’s likely right. She makes bad choices,” Rick pegged her with a hard look. “But she knows more about the military and Fort Benning than any of us. The chance that it is operational is low.”

“You’re gonna take this rabid-ass, hick-bitch’s word over mine?”

“A hick-bitch that just beat your dumbass.” She lurched at him again and he stepped back. She grinned. “You scared? You oughta keep my name outta your mouth or Rick won’t save ya next time.”

Rick pointed at her. “Stop it.”

“Why, Rick?” Shane pressed towards Rick. “Why not Fort Benning?”

Carol steeled her shoulders. “Because my daughter’s still out there.”

Shane let out a frustrated, patronizing laugh. “Okay… okay, I think it’s time that we all start to just consider the other possibility.”

“Shane!” Rick looked even more disappointed in Shane. “We are not leaving Sophia behind.”

“I’m close to finding this girl.” Daryl insisted, lifting Mitzi’s hand to hold the bandana to her head. “I just found her damn doll two days ago.”

Shane all but rolled his eyes. “You found her doll, Daryl. That’s what you did, you found a doll.”

Daryl stalked toward Shane and threw his hand out in a frustrated wave. “Man, you don’t know what t’hell yer talkin’ ‘bout.”

Shane stepped back, glancing at Mitzi as she took a step forward after Daryl. “Look, I’m just saying what needs to be said. You get a good lead, it’s in the first 48-hours.”

Rick pushed him away. “Shane, stop.”

Shane turned back to Daryl. “Let me tell you something else, man. If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed-out, with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction, man.”

Daryl lunged at him, Rick getting in the middle as chaos erupted again.

She made to join the fray but Glenn stepped in front of her, albeit nervously. She moved to step around him and Glenn caged her in.

“I don’t wanna hurt you, Glenn.”

He grinned sheepishly. “I don’t want you to hurt me either, so don’t.”

She stepped around him and made it to Daryl’s side as Rick separated them. He glanced down at her and moved so she was behind him.

“Let me just talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out.”

Shane scoffed, shouting back at Rick. “What are you gonna figure out?”

“If we’re gonna stay, if we’re gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land.”

Dale stepped in. “Hershel sees those things in there as people, sick people. His wife, his stepson.“

Rick sounded frustrated as he turned to Dale. “You knew?”

Dale nodded. “Yesterday, I talked to Hershel.”

Shane advanced on Dale. “You waited the night?”

“I thought we could survive one more night. We did.” Dale stared Shane down. “I was waiting until this morning to say something but Glenn wanted to be the one.”

“The man is crazy, Rick. If Hershel thinks those things are alive-“

Rick pushed Shane back again. “Enough!”

The commotion aggravated the walkers, who shook the doors and snarled, forcing a number of the group members to fall back.

She had planted her ass in a chair the minute it was over, face blank.

“You just don’t care, d’ya?”

She glanced at him. “Of course I care.”

Daryl scoffed. “Don’t seem like it.”

“How should I show that I care, D?” She huddled deeper into her camp chair. “What do you need to see? Cryin’, weepin’? All the walkers are dead, so I can’t go beat up on them.”

He snarled and began pacing.

“There’s not much to do about any of that now that will do any good. So if it’s any difference to you, I’m gonna try not to think.”

He kicked a camp chair clear across camp. “Maybe Shane’s right…”

She picked at her nails. “About what? Gunning down people in front of their family members?”

Daryl spat to the side, before glancing at her. “Maybe you are just a coward-“

She recoiled like he had hit her. “Fuck you, Dixon.”

“You didn’t even pick up a gun. Just sat and watched.”

“I had the pistol Shane tried to give Carl. There were already enough people firin’.”

He huffed. “What is it then? You wanna stay here? Even though it ain’t safe?”

She shook her head. “I never said that. I don’t give a fuck about this farm. I do think we need somethin’ more permanent, more protective than a tent camp, but I don’t feel particularly easy here either,” she shrugged. “I don’t wanna go to Fort Benning because it’s a waste of time.”

“But what if it is still runnin’?”

She sighed. “Best case scenario: say it is. Say they take us in. I will be right back in the field. Right back under the thumb of the government. Battle, killin’ walkers isn’t the concern. It’s being cannon fodder for the government.”

He shook his head. “You were an officer- a captain.”

She smiled softly at him. “Baby, I know you think that means somethin’, that I’m valued or important to the government, but it really doesn’t. I am a weapon, that is all. A weapon with a cunt, what’s worse. They do not give a fuck about me.”

He scoffed and paced away, angrily pulling up the stakes to their tent and packing up their shit.

When it was all done, he turned back to her. Quiet and intense.

He set his hands on his hips, worrying his lip between his teeth. He grunted and kicked a pile of logs over. “Sumova bitch!”

She watched quietly as he paced. He glanced at her, caught her eyes, and stopped. “Sophia-“ He stopped and sucked in a breath. “I looked for that little girl for days.”

She nodded.

“And y’thought she was dead.” His tone was accusatory and she winced.

“I wanted her t’be alive.” She gestured at the barn. “I was gonna keep lookin’ until we found out for sure. But, baby… she ain’t you. You could survive out in the woods for a week at her age. I wasn’t sure she could.”

He snarled. “Y’didn’t say anythin’ t’me. You just let-“ He turned away from her.

She sucked in a breath. “I didn’t- I didn’t know anythin’ for sure-“

“Y’still coulda told me! Trusted me ‘nough.” He threw his hands in the air. “I’m not some dumb fuck who wouldn’t ‘ve listened. ‘Stead y’let me-“ He huffed in frustration.

Her mouth opened and then closed.

He trailed off. “Lemme assume you’re on m’side.”

“I am on your side.” He scoffed and turned away. She stood, approaching him. “I thought what you were doing was right, that’s why I was doing it with you. I’m sorry th-“

“Everyone in that camp thinks I’m fuckin’ stupid!” He gestured at the camp. “Thinks I’m some grunt-work hick. Rick’s goddamn errand boy.”

“That’s because they’re assholes.” She reached for his shoulder. He shook her off. “I know that you’re intelligent and fuckin’ sharp as a tack. I know that you are the most capable person here. They know you’re the most capable person here. They know that you can do what they ask you to do. Whether they have a right to ask is a different story.”

He sucked on his teeth. “They think you’re just some fuckin’ hired gun… some fuckin’ some grunt on a tower.”

She sighed and set her cheek against his shoulder blade. She shrugged. “Point and Shoot.”

He shook his head, turning to look out over the house and camp. “You’re more than tha’.”

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “You are too. They’ll see it.”

“Sometimes I don’t wanna wait.” He turned over his shoulder, looking down at the top of her head. “Jus’ leave, you ‘n me.”

She nodded. “Me too, but there is something about having a job, a purpose, a group that has been helpful… processin’ all this.”

“Better numbers.”

“Not just better numbers, shared experience.”

He sighed. “This group is broken.”

She shook her head against his shoulder. “Not yet. What happens in the next couple of days may make it so.”

He hummed in agreement.

She turned him to face her and set her hands on his shoulders. “I am on your side. I’m sorry. I didn’t want t’say anything that I didn’t know for sure. Break Carol’s heart, break your heart. I didn’t want t’be right. But I should’ve talked t’you, should’ve trusted you t’hear me.”

He was silent for a moment and nodded. “I’m still fuckin’ pissed… necessarily at ya but-” He gestured vaguely.

She leaned up to press her forehead to his. “You have every right t’be pissed. Yesterday was horrible, it fuckin’ sucked the life outta all’a us.”

Daryl deflated and she flattened herself to him. “Why did’ya pack everythin’ up?”

“I’m movin’ our shit, further from the house.” Daryl pressed his face into her hair. “Tired of bein’ their errand boy.”

“Mitzi.”

She turned to see Rick striding toward where she sat cleaning guns. “Yeah?”

Rick jerked his head away from the camp and she stood, frowning at him as she set the pistol she had been cleaning in the chair. She turned over her shoulder and locked eyes with Daryl, following.

Rick was pensive, silent as he led her around the house toward the barn. When he was satisfied with how far away they were, he started pacing.

She crossed her eyes over her chest. “Look I’m sorry I beat the shit outta your friend.”

Rick pinch the bridge of his nose. “No, you’re not.”

She grinned and rubbed her thumb over her busted knuckles. “No, I’m not. He fuckin’ deserved it.”

Rick nodded vaguely. “He has been testin’ fate with you since Atlanta.”

“So if you’re not plannin’ on reamin’ me for Walsh, what is it you want?”

Rick sucked in air. “I needed to ask you somethin’.”

She huffed. “Just say it. It can’t be-“

“We need information outta Randall. The size of his group. What they are like…”

He was met with Mitzi’s uncharacteristic silence.

“I need to know. If I kill this kid… I need to know that I’m makin’ the right decision.”

She frowned hard. “You need him interrogated? You’re a cop- go interrogate him. What are you askin’ me for?”

“I can’t get anythin’ outta him except for the same bullshit.” Rick scuffed his foot in the dirt. “He won’t speak at all to Shane.”

He looked over her shoulder. The touch on her waist told her Daryl had followed.

She forced out a long breath. “Why do you think I’ll fare any better? I’m a sniper not psych ops.”

Rick winced. “You’re a woman… maybe he’ll let his guard down.”

She stiffened. “Excuse the fuck outta me, but what? You want me to what?”

He sighed and leaned over to get closer to eye-to-eye with her. “You are a capable soldier, an excellent judge of character. See what you can get outta him-“

“So what, flash him my tits, give him a handy-“

Rick blushed, saying emphatically: “No.”

Daryl shifted behind her, rasping, “Then what are y’askin’, Rick?”

“I wasn’t asking for that kind of handy.” Rick caught her eyes and held them. “You are… exceptionally skilled at causing’ pain. If it’s necessary…”

“You want me to beat the shit outta him.”

He nodded. “I appreciate that what I’m askin’ for is unsavory, but we need information and you absolutely have the right to say no, but-“

“I’ll do it.” Daryl squeezed her hip. She turned to him and he nodded. “I’ll do it.”

Rick nodded. “Alright.”

She shook her head. “D-“

“Ain’t bouta let my woman go in there by herself.” Daryl sucked his teeth. “Kinda pissed you asked her at’all, Rick.”

Rick nodded. “Kinda think your woman could handle herself. Proved it today.”

“Just ‘cause she can, don’t mean she should. She’s not some hit man.”

She shook her head. “Stop talking ‘bout me like I’m not right here. Let’s think this over some more.”

Daryl shook his head. “We need’ta know right?”

Rick nodded.

Mitzi bit her lip. “I’ll go with you.” Daryl sighed, about to argue. Mitzi shook her head and made toward the shed. “Ain’t bouta let my man go in there by himself. Let’s get this over with.”

Daryl looked at Rick who looked back.

Rick made a face. “She’s your woman… said so yourself.”

Daryl nodded. Rick reached over to squeeze his shoulder. “Picked a helluva one.”

“D! We fuckin’ doin’ this or not?”

Daryl tapped her ass lightly. “Sit.”

She shook her head, leaning back against the little curio cabinet he was leaning against. He hummed, pressing closer to her.

Glenn sighed, twisting his hat in his hands. “So how do we do this? Take a vote?”

Andrea shifted. “Does it have to be unanimous?”

Lori supplied, “How about majority rules?”

Rick stepped forward. “Well, let’s just see where everyone stands. Then we can talk through the options.”

“Well, where I sit,” Shane leaned back against the mantle. “There’s only one way to move forward.”

“Killing him?” Dale interjected. “Right? I mean why even bother taking a vote? It’s clear which way the wind is blowing.”

“We’ll, if people believe we should spare him,” Rick leaned over the back of the couch in front of him. “I wanna know.”

“Well, I can tell you it’s a small group. Maybe just me and Glenn.”

Glenn flinched away from the disappointment in his eyes. “Look… I think you’re pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this-“

“They’ve got you scared!”

“He’s not one of us.” Glenn sighed. “And we’ve lost too many people already.”

Dale turned to Maggie, motioning with his hat. “How about you? Do you agree with this?”

Maggie shifted, uncomfortable, looking at Daryl. “Couldn’t we continue keeping him prisoner?”

Daryl shifted. “Just another mouth to feed.”

“It may be a lean winter.” Hershel added.

“We could ration better.”

Dale seized on Lori’s comment. “Well, he could be an asset. Give him a chance to prove himself.”

“Prove what?” She pressed back against Daryl. “That he isn’t like his psycho friends? How do you prove somethin’ like that?”

Glenn gestured vaguely. “Put him to work.”

Rick shook his head. “We’re not letting him walk around.”

Maggie nodded. “We could put an escort on him.”

Shane scoffed. “Who wants to volunteer for that duty?”

Dale stepped forward. “I will.”

Rick held up a hand. “I don’t think any of us should be walking around with this guy.”

“He’s right.” Lori sighed. “I wouldn’t feel safe unless he was tied up.”

Andrea addressed Dale. “We can’t exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labor.”

“Look…” Shane sighed. “Say we let him join us, right? Maybe he’s helpful, maybe he’s nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his thirty men.”

Dale’s voice broke. “So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime he may never even attempt? If we do this, we are saying there’s no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization.”

“He sat and watched two teenaged girls getting raped in front of their father. Even if he didn’t join in…” Mitzi met Dale’s eyes. “Nice people- civilized people don’t do that. If you need a crime to feel better ‘bout this, there ya go.”

Dale scoffed. “You hear that before or after you tortured him?”

Mitzi sighed. “During. And I don’t think he was lying. Except maybe about his lack of participation.”

“You don’t know that!” Dale’s voice was getting louder. “People will say anything when under duress.”

“They’ll say anything to get out of duress, sure. How does confessing to bein’ into little girls help him, Dale?”

“Could you drive him further out?” Hershel looked at Rick. “Leave him like you planned?”

Lori shook her head. “You barely came back this time. There are walkers, you could break down, y-you could get lost.”

“Or get ambushed,” Daryl added.

Glenn leaned over his lap on his elbows. “They’re right. We should not put our own people at risk.”

Patricia worried her hands in front of her. “If you go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?”

Rick looked at Shane. “We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck?”

Rick shook his head. “I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane.”

T-Dog shifted forward. “And what about the body? Do we bury him?”

Dale held his hands up. “Hold on! Hold on! You’re talking about this like it’s already decided.”

Daryl made a circular motion over her shoulder. “We’ve been talkin’ all day, goin’ ‘round in circles. You just wanna go ‘round in circles again?”

Mitzi shrugged. “No amount of lipstick on this pig is gonna make it prettier. Might as well sack up and handle it.”

Dale was visibly distressed. “This is a young man’s life and it is worth more than a five minute conversation. Is this what it’s come to? We kill someone because we can’t decide what else to do with him? You saved him!” He gestured at Rick. “Now look at us. He’s been tortured. He’s gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people that we’re so afraid of?”

Shane softened his tone. “We all know what needs to be done.”

“No, Dale is right. We can’t leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility-“

Andrea stepped forward. “So what’s the other solution? We haven’t come up with a single viable option, yet.”

“So let’s work on it!” Dale pleaded.

“We are!”

“Stop it.” Carol interjected. “Just stop It. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn’t ask for this. You can’t ask us to decide something like this. Please decide- either of you, both of you but leave me out.”

Dale shook his head. “Not speaking out, killing him yourself, there is no difference.”

Rick stepped between them. “Alright, that’s enough. Anybody wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance.”

Hershel whispered. “I don’t know how much longer we can stay here.”

Carl stayed between them, blue eyes turned up at his dad. “I'm not leaving without Mom.”

Rick kept his voice low as she watched the walker that just passed them through her scope. “So we just walk away? Not knowing if my wife, your girls are still out there? How do we live with that?”

Hershel shook his head, looking down at Carl. “You’ve only got one concern now, just one, keeping him alive. Nature may be throwing us a curveball, but that law is still true.”

Mitzi sucked her teeth. “I ain’t leaving’ without knowin’ one way or another. I’ll go back to the farm and check every goddamn walker if I have to. None of our people are gonna be left like that.”

“Mitzi,” Rick shook his head. “That’s not an option.”

“Then I guess we’re waitin’ then.” She checked her magazine and reinserted it into her M110.

Rick was breathing heavily and knelt in front of Carl. “Carl, it’s not safe here. I’m sorry.”

Mitzi bit her lip, fighting not to scream every cuss word she knew by and attract every walker in the area. “You all leave. I ain’t leavin’ until I’m sure. Not gonna potentially leave Daryl wanderin’ the Georgia countryside like that.”

Rick reached for her shoulder and Carl pressed his face into Rick’s sternum. “Mitzi, you can’t-“

He paused and they both turned to look down the Highway.

“Holy fuckin’ shit.” She smiled widely as Daryl guided his bike over the median, Carol behind him, followed by the truck and an SUV.

She waited patiently for Daryl to swing his leg over the bike before passing her rifle off to Carol.

Daryl reached over and pulled her into his chest.

“Fuck, Spitfire, I thought you died.” He buried his face in her hair. “One minute you were standin’ on the RV, the next you were gone.”

She clutched at his vest, tangling her fingers in the laces at his side. “Last I saw, you were shouting from the hog, like it was fuckin’ Tombstone. Scared the shit outta me.”

Part 4

#daryl dixon #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x oc #daryl dixon x reader #twd daryl #daryl dixon smut #the walking dead #the walking dead daryl

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teenandbeyond · 2 years

Note

Hi dear, may i ask for Raph x broadway musical actress reader headcannons pls? And remember to hydrate love 💗

Raphael x Fem. Broadway Reader

Thank you, you too! Edit: Honestly, I wrote this way better originally, but my computer randomly decided to update and Tumblr doesn't automatically save, soooo yeah.

Want more from me? M a s t e r l i s t 2

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

🧶The Mutant of the Opera🧶

Warning(s): ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Among your admirers, there's one special turtle who's your biggest fan.

✨✨✨✨

The first thing about you that Raph fell in love with?

Your voice.

It was strong and soulful, drawing him in, but warm enough to keep him rooted one night at practice.

It was your third musical, first in New York, and you were a supporting character, so you didn't have to come every night considering you didn't have many parts.

And opening night? He was mad you weren't the leading role.

You had the looks, the voice, and the charisma.

Hence, the giant turtle currently on the roof ignoring his communication device.

He made sure to show up each night, soon coming to the roof mere moments before you appeared. He had you timed.

🎶"Lift your head up, darlin'!... Never let them see ya' down. Never be afraid of yourself, keep your feet up off the ground...as you fly! To the sky! Reach your dreams, way up high!"🎶

He hoped to see you again.

And he did, the next year, you were a main character, yet not a leading role.

He hated not being able to watch you like everyone else.

But you had such a presence, it honestly didn't even matter.

And after that musical, you had a fanbase.

Raphael created an anonymous account to fanboy with the others.

Then he was waiting, waiting for you to come back.

Then news came, you were coming to New York to stay.

You lived there now!

And a year and a half later, you got that leading role.

"'Bout time. She ain't fit for anythin' else but lead," Raph complained.

"What're you talking about?" Mikey peeked over his shoulder at the newspaper article Raph was reading.

"Don't worry about it--"

"That broadway star you have a crush on?"

Raph scoffed, awkwardly looking away, "It's not a crush..."

"Dude, you've been talking about her for at least three years. It's a crush."

"Is not!" he weakly defended.

It kinda was.

He didn't tell anyone about the magazine he stole that you did an interview in.

And he refused to actually show Leo how excited he was when he came home with a poster of you for him.

He was excited for tomorrow night, you got a role that you deserved and he couldn't wait to see you play it out.

Okay

He was not ready

Your voice sounded different, a good different like you've been working hard on it. It had a different strength to it.

You pulled off a dark, edgy look quite well

And combined with your stage presence being stronger than ever, he was quite flustered by your performance.

🎶"I might be the good girl goin' bad. Getting hotter by the degree. But this freedom makes me glad. I'm happier just bein' me!"🎶

Okay, yeah.

He could admit the dark look was hot on you.

Well, what he could see from this angle anyway.

By the time the show ended, he hadn't even realized it.

No one had, you were that captivating to your audience.

Thundering applause.

And then the musical was over.

But something, something that night had him following you as you left the theater after everyone was gone, your shoulders sagged in relief as you stopped in the alley for a moment.

"Sheesh. That was so nerve-wracking! I hope I did well..."

Are you crazy? You could've been a tree and still be the star of the show, Raphael thinks.

"But I suppose I always get nervous the first night..."

He might have a thing for your voice.

You bite and release your lip as you go into thought.

"Now I have to drink all that wine by myself, everyone kinda just dipped out on me. Even the staff left..."

And the worst thing happens.

Raphael unconsciously adjusts his footing and you hear movement.

"Who's there?"

Raph wished it wasn't him.

Your arm snapped up in defense, "I have pepper spray and I'm not afraid to use it!"

He couldn't help but smile at the cute case the painful spray was in. If not for the contents inside, it wouldn't be very intimidating.

"Come out! I know you're there! Don't bother trying to leave now!"

Fierce little thing, aren't ya'?

"I don't wanna scare ya' doll face," he graces you with a response after some silence.

"I don't scare easily, I lived in Baltimore for a while, so I've seen a lot."

"You ain't seen me."

"Try me."

He sighed, time to scare his crush.

He eased down and out of the darkness, hands up in surrender.

You dropped your pepper spray in shock.

"Well. You're right, I haven't seen someone like you, before."

Your eyes were wide, trying to process what you were looking at.

"I won't hurt ya'...I was just watching you--That don't sound right, uh..."

You tilted your head, the large man--was he a man, he seemed more like an animal...a shell, a turtle--seemed to be more afraid than you were.

"Are you male?"

He didn't expect that to be the first question you asked...he didn't expect you to ask anything at all.

"Yeah. I'm a guy, why?"

"Just checking...I...I know some animals are genderfluid or whatever. I don't know how it is for...turtles, right? You're a turtle. Not a tortoise?"

"I'm a turtle."

You blinked, "A...big...turtle. I don't remember them being that big."

"Mutant turtle, princess."

"I...see."

"You're not scared?"

"Honestly? I'm too confused to be scared at the moment."

"Suppose that's fair."

You apprehensively put away the pepper spray after eyeing his weapons. "I'm [Name]."

"I know."

"..."

"I-I didn't mean for that to sound creepy...I just--I'm a fan..."

A giggle bubbled from your chest, "You're a fan of mine?"

"How could I not?"

Then he continued to go into a ramble.

Which was flattering.

"Eh...That's so embarrassing."

"It seems you've been watching my work for a while."

"I've watched every show you've done here."

"Really? Where? I would've thought you'd be noticed for sure."

"The roof."

"The roof? You could hardly see much from up there."

"Well, I mainly just listen to ya'. I see what I can."

"Hm..."

Raphael did not expect to get a private performance in the empty theatre.

After double-checking everyone was gone and the cameras were off, of course.

You were such a doll and ordered pizza, too.

He snuck in a little wine.

No one had to know.

He'd crack some jokes in between, cutting off your singing and trading it for laughter.

"Raphael--let me--let me finish!"

He had lots of fun.

And during the ordeal...he found his heart beating even harder for you.

#raph x reader #raphael x reader #tmnt raphael #raphael #tmnt fluff #tmnt headcanons #tmnt raph x reader #raphael x hc #headcanons #raphael fluff #raphael x fem. reader #fluff #tmnt bayverse #bayverse raph #teenaged mutant ninja turtles x reader #teenage mutant ninja turtles

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oyesmendes · 2 years

Text

forevermore

a/n: here's the final part for 'are you happy now?' seems to me this is an appropriate, kind of final ending that i chose HAHAH let me know what you guys think! as always, love and comments r much appreciated!

previous part here | masterlist

he was everywhere.

hawkers sunglasses promotion. alpha tauri modelling. liked by pierre gasly.

pierre seemed to be plastered on every wall you looked at after that night.

you tried your best to avoid him at races, but outside of it it seemed as if he was haunting you; punishing you for your actions. even now when you were sat across the street from a eyewear shop in the south of france, pierre's face was plastered all over its windows, promoting that damned sunglasses.

"so you were saying," george spoke as he cut up a piece of his steak for you, "you're going to see pascale tonight?"

you nod, twirling some of your pasta and feeding it to him.

"since you're going out with your cousins, i'll just drop by to have dinner with her."

it was summer break, and pascale had insisted you joined her for dinner since she found out you were on vacation in france. she had pulled all stops to make sure you came, even offering to drive up to the hotel to pick you up. you had come up with every excuse in the book for the first five days, knowing that once you agreed, it wouldn't just be a 'pascale and you' thing, but the dinner would involve the entire family, including pierre. but after days of giving substandard excuses, you eventually gave in, agreeing to meet her at the Gasly's summer home for one evening.

she had also invited george, but the both of you agreed it would be weird - going to dinner with your ex-boyfriend's family with your current boyfriend. it all sounded like a complicated soap opera plot. so it was decided that you were going alone, while george hung out with his cousins.

"will he be there?" he referring to pierre.

you nod, "it's his family home too."

george doesn't say anything after, scraping his plate clean with his fork. and you don't either, knowing the tension that the topic held. it had been a couple of weeks since the incident, and honestly, the guilt was eating you up inside. whenever you looked at george, the way his eyes light up and his smile softens when he's with you, you bury the secret of that night deeper within your heart; shoving down all residual feelings for pierre into a deep dark corner.

george grabs your hand from across the table, drawing small circles on the top of your palm.

"i love you," he kisses your hand, snuggling his face into your palm. you stroke his cheek softly, "i love you too."

you spent the entire day with george, laying on the beach and swimming in the sea. doing everything to distract the thought of you being together with your ex again. the topic of pierre doesn't surface anymore, and you know george is trying as hard as he can to be understanding.

but time eventually passes, and the both of you get ready quietly for your first evening apart this summer break.

you're dressed in a light blue summer dress you bought a couple of days ago, straightening it out in front of the mirror when george hugs you from behind.

"you look too gorgeous to be going to your ex's house."

"ex's family home, georgie." you place a hand on top of his, "i know this is weird, but thank you for being so understanding."

he squeezes your waist tighter, your back pressing against his front. you giggle, caressing his face gently. you know what he was hinting at, his hand rubbing your sides.

"now we don't want to be late, do we mr russell?"

"my cousins wouldn't mind waiting." he kisses down your neck, right at the sweet spot behind your ear. you spin right around, pressing your finger to his lips. he pouts at you, but you just shake your head.

"should i come with you instead?" he asks. you give him a knowing look,

"no, because i will be fine, george. there are other people in the family that i can and will talk to."

he sighs, "i know it's just-"

"my ex boyfriend. i know, my love." you hold his hand, "how about this? you can come pick me up at 10? i should be done by then and we can go grab drinks at that bar we saw the other night."

george smiles, kissing you on the forehead, "okay."

you hand him a necklace with his driver's number on it, a present he got for your birthday when you started dating. he helps you to clasp it around your neck. you kiss the numbers, "there, you're going to be with me all night."

he kisses you on the lips, "and forevermore."

you smile at the phrase he had come up with a couple weeks ago. to love each other, now and forevermore.

"and forevermore." you repeat, pressing your lips to his cheek, "i love you."

the taxi drops you off in front of the grand summer home. you could hear the commotion from outside, and it was as chaotic as you remember. 6 boys, their other halves and more than a handful of children.

you walked through the front door to be greeted by everyone, pierre's nieces and nephews shouting and pulling you in all different directions. it was overwhelming at first, but you were home.

pascale engulfs you in a hug, thanking you for coming over.

"well, i wouldn't turn down a free dinner!" you joke, the older woman laughing. pierre hadn't come forward to greet you yet, standing in the background and watching as his family welcomed you with open arms. once you were free for a moment, he walks over to you.

"mon choux," you look up, and he hands you a glass of rosé.

"thank you." you take a sip from your glass, then you feel a tug at your dress, seeing his niece with her arms wide open.

"tata, en haut!" she demands, making everyone in the room erupt into laughter. you had no choice but to hand your wine glass to pierre, scooping the little girl up in your arms.

"mon ange," you spin her round, squeals erupting from her, "tu es trop mignon!"

you tickle her sides, causing the room to smile and coo all around.

it wasn't long before his other nieces and nephews were demanding for your attention, after missing you for almost a whole year by now. pierre watched as you tended to each one of them throughout the night, with the little ones bouncing in your lap. he leans against the wall, watching you carry his niece in your arms, blowing raspberries to make her giggle.

"this is what you missed out, mon fils. your stupidity cost yourself a good girl, and cost me a good daughter in law!" pascale scolds when she spots pierre staring at you.

he sighs, "i know, maman."

paul, pierre's brother, leans next to you at the kitchen counter. you had his son in your arms, rocking him as the little boy was falling asleep.

"i heard you're seeing someone new." he says.

"i am," you smile proudly, taking a sip of wine from your glass.

"he treats you good?"

"he does." you take out your phone, showing paul images of you and george over the last couple of months.

"ah this boy, always thought he was more handsome than my brother." he jokes, making you laugh. the boy in your arms stirs, and paul takes him from you so you could have a break.

"if he doesn't treat you good, you know i'll beat him up right? just like how i smacked the light back into pierre's head."

you shake your head, smiling, "i know, paul. thank you."

you finally get to settle outside in the garden, admiring the view from the home. pierre joins you quietly, setting down his wine glass next to yours.

"finally away from the kids?"

"yeah," you chuckled, "got to their bed time."

"about that night," pierre started. you hummed, sipping on your rosé.

"would you ever give us a chance again?"

you set the glass down, turning toward him, "only if i didn't love george as much as i do now."

he nods, turning his attention back to the scenery.

"i loved us, pierre." you continued, "i loved us, and this - your family, you with my family."

you looked up at the starlit sky, "god, we were so perfect, why did you have to ruin it all? why didn't you hear me out? why did you assume i cheated on you?"

he takes in a sharp breath.

"because i was a coward." pierre looks at you, "because all my life, i've never had someone like you who fit in my life so perfectly. you ticked all the boxes, y/n. my mother loves you, and so does everyone in my family. i got scared."

"and the first thing you do is break up with me? you're a complete idiot." you scoff.

"i know i am." he mumbles.

you down the rest of your wine, back facing the view.

"find yourself a good woman, pierre. and when you do, keep her, protect her, and god forbid you chase her away like you did with me. it's the least you and your family deserves."

10pm rolls by, and pierre walks you out front, george already standing at the passenger's side of the car waiting for you.

"thank you for taking care of her tonight," george takes your hand, giving you a side hug. you kiss his cheek softly.

"no big deal," pierre tucks his hands in his pockets, "she was and always is loved by all."

you smile at him, but intertwine your fingers with george's. it hurt him, to see you with another man, but what could he do now? he watched as george opened the passenger's door for you, entering the mercedes.

as george rounds the car, he shakes pierre's hand, and they go in for a short hug. you can't hear what george had said, but he made sure pierre heard it - loud and clear,

"i'll take care of her now."

in this life, and forever more.

taglist: @primadonnasdream @dr3lover @chicadelapartamento512-blog @thebagginsofbaggend @d0ntjudgemy50shades @cowspew @justthatgirlxox @ggaslyp1 @fromthedeskofjoii @lorenakaspersen @words-4u @o0itsjustme0o @totowolfff @gulsolsikke @enjoymyloves @rmaddens @care2703 @katcontrreras @tattered-tales @piceous21 @kyomihann @sgkophie @jpotterdilf @idkiwantchocolatee @bigdiccricc @organasith @anthonykatebridgerton @icecoldtires @vamossainz55 @ophcelia

#pierre gasly x reader #pierre gasly #george russell x reader #george russell #formula one x reader #formula 1 x reader #formula 1 one shot #formula one #formula 1

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chimivx · 1 month

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hii plum! how r u? I'm back with the thoughts I had when I made the nmwid playlist… some songs are in portuguese so i tried to explain what they mean to me. (I hope you don’t mind but I got excited then it got bigger than I thought 😭

amy stroup - dark runs out

it’s comforting to start the reading. it was just her and soobin and the mission of getting the children ready for grandma’s house. could be their song or just her trying to be strong.

last christmas, wake me up before you go-go, I'm still standing, hotel california… I imagine all these songs playing at joy’s house

the one that got away - katy perry

THIS SONG IS THEM. EACH LINE. if I think too much, I’ll start to crying

doughnut - twice

just one of my favorite kpop christmas song. as you put twice names, I thought you could like this song too

back to the old house - the smiths

I think I don’t need to say much…they would love to go back to the old house.

como vai você - roberto carlos

it’s a song about a love that’s over. could be them asking each other how they are after years. basically, the first talk they had after 2 years. but if you want something deeper…

“that time can keep us both apart

don’t leave so much life for later“

and they are leaving the rest of their lives for later.

detalhes - roberto carlos

similar to the previous one, but this is more like beomgyu (he describes himself with long hair and bleached pants). I think the lyrics can be gyu talking in the past or the present.

“it’s no use even trying to forget me

I’ll be in your life a long time

such small details about us

they’re such big things to forget

and they’ll be there all the time…”

she can never forget him.

miracles in december - exo

christmas song and distressing.

sign of the times - harry styles

going to the end of nmwid, this could be them remembering all the story. probably the talk that they had in the middle of the night.

THE LYRICS…

“you look pretty good down here, but you ain’t really good” and “we don’t talk too much / we should open up / before it’s all too much” fits with taehyun. but all the song reminds me the end.

velha infância - tribalistas

one of my favorite brazilian love songs <3 not just in a romantic way but about friendship and childhood

oração ao tempo - maria gadu

just bc was the soundtrack of a soap opera that the main couple were step siblings

pansy - taemin

it’s sad and comforting. like the first, this goes to soobin (how lucky is her to have him…) I left it last because the last thing that happens is soobin comforting her after joy’s revelation. I don’t know what happened after this, but I’m sure that soobin does everything to kept his promise.

I hope you liked it, you can ask me if you need anything. 💗

This is so... amazing. I love you so much for taking the time to do this. The way I have literally listened to all of these multiple times and fully immersed myself in the story... Wow. Wow. Saving this for future, saving this for anyone who wants to see it. Tagging it so we can find it forever. I'm speechless, truly. You're phenomenal. Thank you. <3

#nmwid #cruel summer #sweeties #holy shit #are we joking??????????#i love you so bad

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anki-of-beleriand · 2 years

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The house at the edge of the world Ch.7

Summary: Y/N is the owner of an Airbnb at the edge of the world, a place in which Wanda would either heal or become what everyone is afraid of.

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff/SW! x Female!Reader

Warnings: Minors DNI! +18, angst, drama, slow burn, friends to lovers, pregnancy, romance, fluff, mentions of depression and self harm, healing, jealousy, R owns an Airbnb that welcomes many known characters from Marvel, R has powers, Wanda needs healing, and so does R. Idiots in love. More warnings as the story progress.

Author's Note: This is karaoke time! Which means R gets to sing to Wanda and Wanda gets to sing to R because the both of them are too much of a whimp to say anything straight to their faces. Scarlet as always makes an appaearance and R is really are out of his expertise with Wanda.

R is singing Fallen Angel by Three Days Grace and Wanda ends up singing Just give me a reason by Pink. Even though I think Wanda is more a Three Days Grace kinda girl. Do you guys have any songs that made you think of Wanda? What about Wanda R?

You guys are amazing! I love you, thank you for the likes, the reblog and the comments and tags! I really hope you're liking the story so please do remember English is not my mother tongue, grammar, spelling and funny mistakes can be made. Thanks!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Epilogue

Chapter 7

Getting over the confusion

This was called the Opera Festival, and the event took place between the months of April and September as a cultural show dedicated to opera singers all around the region. The festival became popular for people of this genre of music that soon singers from all around the world, professional or otherwise, came in to enjoy the party.

As many things in the last five years, the Blip changed everything.

There were no more professional singers, or even amateurs ones that would come to the festival. Yet, the people of the towns around the Cing Terre needed something that would help them with their sorrow and at least keep tradition alive. So a year after the Blip, the Festival was back.

Since this was going to be something local once more, they decided to start small with some folk music and different interpretation of music. Since there wasn’t much to work with at the beginning, they also decided to include some theatre plays and even interpretation of movies that they fix to be part of the festival.

Five years later, and the Festival became Tradition once more. This time around those who were in needed for peace and fun were all welcome in the place.

Now the inhabitants of the villages wrote their own plays and create their own music. Sometimes they would go with famous presentations or pieces but most often it would be something they created especially for the festival.

Could you stop looking so awestruck at her? You’re making us look like fools.

Wanda held back her scowl at those words, she didn’t have an awestruck expression on her; but she certainly could stop looking at you as if Ajak or Sprite hadn’t been contributing to the conversation so far. You offered a half smile, bouncing on your feet while wiggling your eyebrows expectantly for Wanda to give her verdict on what she heard and was seeing at the moment.

The main plaza she had known on her first visit to the town had changed completely, right now it was filled with people wearing different attires for their respective presentations. The plaza itself had been decorated to represent the spirit of plays and music with many boats getting ready in the harbour to attend the night events. Wanda couldn’t help but gasp in pure surprise, she turned around admiring the set-up of the even as well as the soft music sounding around them.

“This is amazing.” Wanda exclaimed admiring everything before settling her stare on you. “Why isn’t this more well-known?”

“Well, it was. It’s just that the Blip changed many things, now we just make of this a Festival for the people in here and those few tourists that want to join.” You explained standing by her side with your heart almost leaving your chest.

Ajak and Sprite had moved forward greeting the passers-by while talking with some of the attendants. You wait for a moment until the green eyes of Wanda found yours, and there was that glint of complete peace and contentment you had never seen before in here.

“This looks really beautiful, thank you for bringing me here.”

You chuckled scratching the back of your head bashfully, tilting your head you offered quite a mischievous smile to the redhead.

“What do you say if I show you the underground of the festival?”

“Underground?” Wanda scrunched up her nose, and you stepped forward stopping on time before you did something you could regret.

“Yep, I know you would love it, Principessa. Let’s go.”

A shiver went right through Wanda’s back when your hand clasped hers, it was warm and comforting just the right size to make her feel reassure that everything would be alright. An emotion she was not familiar with yet she had been craving since losing Pietro.

Vision never felt like this. His synthetic body allowed him to maintain a lukewarm temperature but it was never warm or comforting, his hand was big and hard and sometimes overwhelming.

Vision…

Wanda crashed against you when you stopped all of a sudden, you wrapped your free arm around her hips smiling wickedly at her.

“Well, I didn’t know you want to be this close, Principessa, you could have told me.” You chuckled when Wanda opened and closed her mouth stepping back while trying to control the growing blush on her cheeks.

“I wasn’t…You just stopped abruptly and I was…” She started but soon stop when she felt your hand squeezing hers, your expression softening slightly while she offered a single wink.

“Come, stop daydreaming or your gonna miss the show.”

The young witch settled her eyes on you and from that point on, she couldn’t take them off. You were overly excited about the whole thing, and you dragged Wanda around without leaving her hand, not even once. You took her down a path leading to the coast, from that point Wanda could clearly see the group of boats and ships surrounding what looked like two ferries put together with a great scenario on top of it.

The town was really beautiful.

Wanda found herself transported in time, thinking about moments she had only seen in movies. The peace she felt, the moment of complete clarity was something she wasn’t familiar with. And she was starting to love it.

“The idea of the festival it’s that each town surrounding the area of Cinq Terre organized the main event. This year it was the turn for Manarola.” You explain standing closer that was probably necessary to Wanda.

Your free hand extended to the ocean, your eyes gleaming strangely as you continued with your explanation. Your words and your gestures made Wanda’s heart fluttered with emotion, she was loving this part of. You kept on advising down the streets until the sound of people and music stopped, Wanda furrowed her brows looking around then at your back.

“Everything it’s beautiful but, what kind of festival is this then?” Wanda asked innocently almost crashing against your back when you stopped abruptly.

"I never explained that to you, did I?" You flashed her a smile, there was a wink on your part before you took her down one alley to the right.

Wanda couldn't help but be caught up in your enthusiasm. Your hand was still firmly grasping hers, and something inside Wanda was just happy to let herself go and be taken everywhere by you.

"So according to history this is a festival that started right after the second world War." You pursed your lips remembering exactly how everything started. "The town need something to forget the rough times and the old families joined in a single lunch date bringing music and singers from around. It was supposed to be traditional music but one of the inhabitants was an opera singer and he made it possible for more singers to come over. Soon it became the place Italy chose to do the auditions for the best opera singers in the world."

"So, it is opera music only?"

Wanda was not sure if you noticed it, but she and Scarlet where well aware not only of your hand but your closeness, your enthusiasm, the glint of your eyes, the smile that you dedicated her. She was a complete mess, and it was looking as if you were not even aware of what you were making her feel.

"After Thanos many things change, the festival it’s still about music but there is also theatre and games with some nice gastronomy." You stretched out your empty hand showing the buildings surrounding you, the light of the day creating halos of light above your heads while the sight of balconies decorated with flowers and plants made of this place a city lost in time.

"This used to be the city of lovers, now it is the city of hope and new beginnings." You trailed off slowly lowering your eyes for the very first time until you noticed your joined hands, your whole body trembled while your heart skipped a beat at the sight.

When did you grab her hand?

Why hadn't she tried to get away from you?

By the gods, what was happening to you??

"New beginnings?" Wanda almost whispered, a teasing smile showed on your face, and Wanda couldn't help but laugh at the face of pure mischief you were showing to her.

"Oh, yes, I'm gonna show you."

Wanda let herself be dragged around as you spoke with enthusiasm. It didn't take too long for you to reach a small building, at the gate was a single kid who greeted you with excitement written in his face. You presented to him a single coin and the boy snickered pointing at Wanda then at you.

Whatever the little boy had said to you made you step back, the young woman watched with interested the sudden dust of pink that adorned your cheeks with the narrowed of your eyes at the boy. There was something in what he said to you that made you blush, and Wanda was pretty interested in knowing what it was because she couldn’t believe you get flustered in such a way.

“What did he say?” The moment Wanda asked you tensed completely letting go of her hand, all of a sudden Wanda felt empty, cold her hand twitching at her side missing the contact.

"Nothing!" Your answer was too fast, with a nervous tinge in your tone and a scratch on your head. "Come it is about to start."

Wanda wanted to press the issue, she had grown curious to know what could possible made you this nervous but you were fast and were moving down the hall further inside the building. The young woman glanced at her hand, a heavy sigh leaving her lips.

It felt nice being held again.

Wanda couldn't argue with that, it had been so long since she last did any of this. If she was honest with herself, and that was something she had been doing as of late, she never got a chance to do this with Vision. Never. Their lives had been so involved in saving the world and then being on the run, the glimpses of relationship they got were sporadic and it never included this kind of outings. It was always walks in the middle of the night, hotel rooms and dark restaurants.

That was another reason why she had built Westview.

The fake town allowed her to get a chance of a normal life, to develop the relationship with Vision without fear of being interrupted by a life changing event. Or to be out in the light enjoying their love.

But even like that, Vision was always far away…distant.

And she hated the broken tone in her own voice, Wanda had learnt to deal with her mood changes and control them a little bit. But right now something had clicked and the voices she was trying to drown were back; the confusion her emotions brought to her, the inadequacy she felt since the last time Wanda almost kissed you had change the tone but not the voices, or the dark invitation of forbidden promises.

Vision… everything she wanted, including him could be hers. This town would be grateful to be protected from the outside world, they would be grateful to have someone like her controlling everything… offering eternal happiness… and if wasn't Vision who she wanted… the Darkhold could bend the will of the new object of her attraction…

Y/N

"What are you doing there?" Your voice startled her awake, Wanda blinked away in puzzlement she didn't notice she had stopped walking and that you were no longer beside her.

But you did notice, and the shiver that went down your back was enough to tell you what was happening. When you went back you saw her there, standing right in the empty hall arms around herself and the red gleaming in there, it was a flickering of her reality, Wanda and Scarlet were one at the same and yet they were different.

You stepped closer speaking while glancing at her fingertips covered in black ink. Concealing your expression, you offered a half smile grabbing her hand once more your thumb caressing her skin tenderly.

"Are you alright? You space out there." You leaned in, Wanda took a breath stepping back in surprised.

"Y-yes I…" She lifted her free hand waving away an explanation that wasn't coming forward, her eyes flickered to her fingers and you tilted your head seeing the same mark she was seeing. "I just…"

You grabbed her hands in yours, your own fingertips brushing against hers. The tension was quite palpable, and Wanda had the impulse to put her hands away to not let you see the remnants of what she had been doing in the dark, how much of a monster she was becoming in the search for a life she wasn’t sure she wanted anymore.

“The dark magic it’s quite difficult to erase, it takes years and will power.” You mumbled furrowing your brows, you never stopped your tender caress and when you lifted your eyes to Wanda you couldn’t hide the same shade of gold in your eyes Scarlet had seen once.

“Who are you?” Wanda closed her eyes, her whole body stiffened so she wouldn’t do anything she could regret.

Closer, get closer…I can feel it, and I know you can too.

Wanda would not give in. She couldn’t.

"I know you have questions I haven't answered." You said softly, offering a comforting smile. "We will talk about that, I promise you. I will tell you everything you need to know.”

Wanda wanted to believe it, she wanted to believe you but there was a spark of doubt in her mind about your words. About the whole situation. Wanda stopped breathing when you leaned in placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Don’t think too much, Principessa. Let us have fun. Enjoy the moment! Give yourself a chance to live again, Wanda. I promise you; you won’t regret this.”

*****

The house looked empty.

The corridor led to a great garden decorated with olive trees and a fountain in the middle of it, water of colours fell down with just the right spark of magic behind it. Even in the midst of such a beautiful place, with the fresh air of the afternoon and the sun above their heads, there was a tension growing in your chest, poling at your mind.

Was it the hand holding? Was it the fact Wanda stopped for a moment to admire the fountain? Or was it the green eyes that were looking at you intently?

Whatever it was, you were pretty sure you were not the only one feeling it. Wanda bit her lower lip, dipping her head to the side and while she never let go of your hand there was something distant in the way she was holding herself. As if she was protecting herself from something; if you had paid attention to the reflection of the water you would have seen the Scarlet Witch watching intently at your interaction.

"Why did you bring me here?" Wanda finally asked furrowing her brows, "It isn’t as if I hadn’t enjoyed you getting flustered by a ten-year-old kid, or the beautiful scenery, it’s just…”

What are you doing to us?

Why does it feel different?

Why we want to keep holding onto you?

The question itself was a complete surprised for you, the last couple of days had been a rollercoaster of emotions in you. Emotions you never thought you would feel again, and yet her you were standing in front of a young woman that made your blood boil, your heart rate increase, and your mind thing plans to make her happy. To bring her peace.

“I though you might appreciate a change in your surroundings, you told me that you haven’t been able to actually enjoy a festival or an outing with friends.” You furrowed your brows looking away, “you have never been to a beach or…hell, I just want you to see what you have been missing. I thought…I thought this is what friends were supposed to do.”

Everything had been perfect up until that point, Wanda’s heart ached painfully in her chest at those final words. The moment was broken, and you didn’t realize what you had done until you saw the light leave Wanda’s eyes replaced by a strained smile and deep, sad, green eyes.

“I mean…” You wanted to hit yourself, but whatever explanation you had at the tip of your tongue was interrupted by laughter and a group of people walking down the corridor you had left to see the fountain.

Wanda then broke into a smile, and while you could tell there was something cold and distant behind it you couldn’t say anything else.

“So, what’s this great event you were bringing me over?”

You hesitated for a moment, your lips curling slightly.

“You see, this event it’s like a contest. It’s really underground and you can come here only by invitation.” Here you put the coin you had shown the kid out, Wanda took it observing the engravings in it. “The winner usually gets a chance to participate in the closing even by singing in front of everyone.”

"Well, what kind of contest is this?" Wanda couldn't help her amusement at your antics, whatever had happened a moment ago down the hall was soon replaced by your giddiness and the whole surrounding of the house.

"Karaoke." You said with finality dragging Wanda with you down the same corridor.

Wanda stiffened at that, you laughed at her terrified expression until you reached the door leading to the main hall. You turned around knocking on the door three times until the heavy hinges holding it together grinded revealing an old man smiling brightly at you.

"Signorina Y/N! Finally! I though you have chicken out."

"Gustaff! Never! I never back down for these kinds of challenges! But I told you I have a guest and she was hard to convince of this.”

Wanda was almost hiding behind you, her cheeks burnt red when Gustaff took his eyes from you to your joined hands and then to Wanda. The old man gave a knowing smiled before stepping aside and opening the gate for them.

"Ah, yes, the guest with beautiful eyes and beautiful smile." Gustaff said winking at you.

You couldn't help the horrified expression breaking into your face while Wanda lifted a single eyebrow at you, this time around she was enjoying the flustered expression in you while also finding about this piece of information. She was pleasantly surprised, her heart fluttering lightly when she turned around and saw the same blush on your cheeks she had seen by the main door.

Beautiful eyes and smile? The voice of Scarlet sounded please; she purred pressing Wanda to say something. Is that how she refers to all her friends?

"Beautiful smile and eyes?" Wanda asked turning to you, you however were highly distracted looking far away while shifting nervously. "So, you speak about all your friends like this?”

You opened your eyes wide shaking your head, “I…well, I just…”

“I mean, this is the first time I heard a host describe me in such a way.” Wanda tilted her head as if considering her own words, you placed your free hand on your face shaking your head mortified while Wanda seemed to snicker along with Gustaff.

"In all honestly, this was the first time she described a guest like that." Said the older man winking at you.

"Gustaff!" You exclaimed shaking your head, the man laughed waving his hand unworriedly, then you turned to Wanda and found yourself glancing into those green eyes and that smile.

"It wasn't like that!" You exclaimed.

"Like what?" Wanda asked innocently, you narrowed your eyes returning your attention to Gustaff.

"Like I mean… it was… I…" You pointed an accusing finger to the old man. "You know what? I refused to participate in this, where is my table Gustaf?"

Wanda covered her giggles when the man continued with his obvious teasing on you, this time around in Italian. You rolled your eyes trying to get a hold of your flustered face before pulling Wanda to you in the midst of laughs and teasing.

You sat down huffing, Wanda sat right beside you leaning in while still wearing the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Very well, go on… said it.” You rolled your eyes when Wanda finally chuckled, the both of you never noticing your hands were still intertwined.

"Beautiful eyes and smile? You really never said that of your other guests?" Wanda placed her free hand in the table shooting you an amused stare.

"Gee, really what's with everyone teasing me about that," You took a deep breath trying to be serious about the topic ignoring the beating of your heard, or the fact you couldn’t look away from her eyes or her lips. "Of course, you have a beautiful smile and beautiful eyes, Principessa. I choose my friends well, all of them are hot to some degree."

Your last words were said casually, a way to dismiss your real emotions and what you really think of the woman beside you. For the second time that day, you broke the moment, this time around though you never saw the flash of hurt crossing those green eyes, when Wanda processed the word friends. She loosened her grip on you, though you never let go.

"I was just trying to make sure Gustaf knew how you look, you know? I was trying to find a way to become your friend without being awkward and yeah." You trailed off finally letting go of Wanda's hand and grabbing the menu on the table.

Your gripped on the menu was harsh while your mind went a mile away with several thoughts crossing it. Wanda sat there watching in the distance, friends. Only friends

God why did it hurt to hear that?

We don't want her to be our friend.

Then, what do we want?

To that, Wanda had not a clear answer and by the way the Scarlet Witch stopped pressing she guessed she didn't know either.

"Well, I know you have lunch at Ajak’s home, some what do you say if we choose one of these alcoholic beverages?” You tried to sound enthusiastic while keeping your eyes to a menu you knew by heart.

Wanda drifted her attention to the menu, the thoughts dancing around her head in a myriad of puzzlement and sadness. She lifted her eyes to you, but you were decided to ignore her for the time being. Wanda felt the temptation to look into your mind, to perhaps see if it was really friendship what was keeping you there with her. But she resisted the temptation, with a sad smile on her lips she returned her attention to the menu.

She needed a drink.

You two decided on wine, and soon in the midst of a growing silence and a great barrier of inadequacy and fear the both of you waited patiently for the event to start. This was supposed to be a fun time, but now that you think about it something along the way had shifted and now there was nothing fun about what the two of you were doing.

What the hell was happening? Since when did you lose control so fast?

What were you doing with the other woman?

What did you want from her? From you? From this?

When did you start getting confused by her? Why were you confused? Time slowed down around you, you could almost hear your heart beating in your ears. The past was still there, the hurt and the fear of what would happen if you opened up to someone again. Someone like Eliza.

She is not Eliza; she would never be.

You looked out of the corner of your eyes to her hands, those fingers tainted in black. You had offered her friendship once, and now you wished you had offered more. The noise around you was back, yet the tension created between the both of you was almost palpable. Your eyes gleamed in gold watching the black ink, there was something about Wanda about her suffering and her own innocence… you didn't want her to give in.

You didn't want to lose her.

You were probably nothing to her, just a friend and an acquaintance… but you had seen people dying for power and giving themselves up to corruption of magic.

Wanda deserved better.

"Did you know that Hannibal travelled all the way from Spain to Italy with Elephants following close behind?" You sputtered out all of a sudden, Wanda stopped her glass of wine mid-way towards her mouth, she was startled by the comment turning to glance at you with a hint of disbelief in her eyes.

You shrugged offering a tiny smile.

"Yeah, war African elephants walking around Europe and crossing the Alps." You were beaming by now watching as Wanda's expression softened and soon she was laughing out loud.

"I mean, I wasn't there at that time," you didn't even realise the slip of your tongue, far to entertain by Wanda's laughter. "But I was told it was an amazing sight."

And Wanda placed a hand on your forearm holding her abdomen while trying to control her laughter. You started chuckling and soon joined in, whatever tension had grown amongst you broke and you beamed happily when Wanda could only smile at you.

"What are you talking about?" She finally asked in between chuckles.

"Well, I thought it was an interesting fact." You shrugged mirroring her smile. "Want another random fact?"

Wanda softened slightly, her heart soaring happily at the interaction thankful for your comments, for the fact you decided to break the tension and the silence that was threatening to damage the afternoon. The young witch shrugged nodding.

"Sure, what other random fact you know?"

"Well, all roads do lead to Rome." You cocked your head while drawing a map on the table with your fingers. "So Roman's decided to create more than 50000 roads around the empire to make sure it would always lead to the Capital."

Wanda rested her cheek against her hand, you dropped your shoulders letting go of the tension you had been holding for quite some time. When your eyes found those of Wanda you knew something had changed in you.

"So, you only know random facts about Rome to entertain your guests or are you actually very knowledgeable in other subjects?"

The question came with a hint of defiance, the young woman enjoyed the tensing around your lips. Your eyes narrowed slightly letting out a huff of indignation.

"I am very knowledgeable, Principessa." You tilted your head thinking about something else. "But impressing beautiful guest like you it's just a bonus."

Wanda looked away shyly her eyes dancing around the room.

"I know for example that we usually decided if someone it's right for us when we kiss the." You waited for Wanda's reaction, the other woman stiffened at this revelation, she waited a moment before turning to you.

"Really?" She asked her voice trembling at the end, you shrugged lowering your gaze before locking eyes with her.

"Yeah, it's like love at first sight, it happens but takes time and communication to build something out of it." Your voice at this point was just a whisper meant for Wanda. The other woman shifted on the chair, her eye dancing around your face until they stopped on your lips then back to your eyes.

"And… books!" You chuckled nervously looking away. “There are more than a million books lost to history and humanity, but some of them are still out there, magical in nature they're probably being held by private collectors or… well, whoever got their hands on them."

By this point Wanda shifted slightly furrowing her brows. Once more she felt your eyes on her scrutinizing something she thought was a secret. How did you know so much?

You were about to speak when someone tapped you on the shoulder, you turned around to see a beautiful brunette smiling down at you.

"Jessica!" The woman giggled wrapping her arms around you. Wanda sat behind rolling her eyes while trying to keep her expression of annoyance at bay.

"Cara mia!" The woman whispered and Wanda noticed your shiver, the dust of pink on your cheeks and the flirty smile on the woman's face.

She is quite popular, isn't she?

And Scarlet sounded just as annoyed and hurt as Wanda felt at the moment. You stood back giving Jessica a quick check up, the woman giggled again smiling bashfully at you.

"When did you get here?"

"This morning, I only came for our karaoke duo," she said putting a strand of hair behind her ear, you chuckled shaking your head.

"I can't believe you came only for that. I know you like the festival and the people." Jessica shook her head but said nothing else, her grey eyes went from you then to the woman behind you.

"Oh, right, Jess this is Wanda." You stepped back your hand falling on the redhead's shoulder. "She is a new guest back at the hill, and well… I'm trying to give her the whole experience of Vernazza and a well-deserved vacation."

"I hope not all the experience," Jessica sent a cold stare to Wanda while offering a strained smile. Wanda stretched the hand, her eyes gleaming red for a moment.

"We are getting there." Wanda wasn't sure where that come from but it slipped before she could stop it.

You cleared your throat furrowing your words, though there was something in you beaming at the comment. Jessica held back her annoyance while turning back to you, she placed a hand on your forearm before nodding towards the stage.

“So, are you ready for our duet?” Her voice dropped a little, her eyes darkening as she let the invitation rolled out of her lips.

You hesitated for a moment, knowing Wanda had her eyes on you.

“You know I am, why don’t you go ahead and I’ll be there in a minute.”

Jessica seemed to hesitate for a moment, her eyes went from you then to Wanda then back at you.

“Sure, don’t take long, Y/N, I’ve been dying to get together with you for a while.”

Wanda was quite surprised when you sat down again, this thing with you had become like a game of cat and mouse and she was just…god, she was needing some light as to what was really happening before she drove herself mad with want and confusion.

“So, another one of your guests with beautiful eyes and a smile?” Wanda wasn’t meant to sound so bitter, but she did.

You shook your head grabbing her hand in yours, your fingertips trying to brush away the black on Wanda’s own fingertips.

“She was never a guest, though she used to live her for a while. She was interested,” you didn’t know how to explain the next part, Wanda lowered her glance. “I was just…well, she is not my type.”

“No, you like them blond, right?” Wanda wasn´t supposed to ask that, but she couldn’t help herself.

You stopped all movements of your hand, a little confused yet pleasantly surprised by this line of questioning that was not even related to what you wanted to say to Wanda. Still, it was quite evident she was pretty interested in the answer.

“Why would you care so much if I like them blonde, brunette or…I don’t know, redhead?” You asked casually noticing the stiffening on the other woman’s face, the sudden blush showing up there.

“I…I don’t care.” She pulled her hands away resting her chin on them, her elbows on the table. “They…They’re probably waiting for you.”

That was probably true, everything was getting ready to start with the karaoke competition and they were waiting on the last contestants. You turned to Wanda wishing there was something you could say, something you could do to stop this game the both of you had been playing as of late. But just as she was fumbling with her life and whatever the hell was happening, you were stumbling around with trying to finally take command of your emotions.

“They are waiting for us.” You finally said trying to go back to your original plan.

Wanda opened her eyes wide shaking her head, “Oh, no, they’re not waiting for me.”

“Yes, they are.” You smirked watching as the colour left the face of the woman in front of you, and you started enjoying this far too much. “Oh, Principessa, are you afraid of the stage?”

“No! I’m not signing!” Wanda started shaking her head taking her away before you could grab, her.

You were surprised by her sudden reluctance, tilting your head you decided to probe around to see if this was mostly stage fright or something else.

“Come on! I brought you here to have fun, what better fun than to go out there and sing?” You bumped lightly into her, but Wanda merely worried her bottom lip on her teeth looking away.

“It’s embarrassing, what make you think it would be a good idea?” She replied this time around giving in when your hand once more found hers, she let her green eyes wander around before they settled on yours.

“Come on! One song, and we can do a duet, what do you say?”

You made your best interpretation of a puppy dog stare, and soon Wands was chuckling shaking her head while looking sway.

“If a video of this shows on the internet, I’m going to hex you.”

“Yes!” You stood up taking her hand on yours, pulling her closer until she was leaning in against your body. Her beath caught in her throat and you broke into a huge grin.

“Don’t worry, Principessa, nobody would know you were here singing.” With a wink you lead him to the backstage ready to make her enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

*****

Ever since she got to Italy Wanda found herself in a rollercoaster.

Every day it was something different, the very beginning of her forced vacations had been dark, and she had been trying to look for answers and a way out of this reality to go back to the fantasy world she had created for herself and Vision. Then, she allowed herself to open up, to meet someone else, some other people and something in her shifted slowly.

She never thought she would laugh again.

That she would forget all the pain she had accumulate from a very young age. Yet here she was, laughing and holding herself up as another round of applauses came right in for the third contestant. She really was having the time of her life, singer after singer, song after song the time passed by and Wanda alongside with Gustaff was enjoying the show while making sure to the right songs came on the screen and in the speakers.

You watched her from afar, softening at her contentment while speaking with the old man and some of the other organizers. So far she had made herself useful to make you and the others forget about her participation in the contest, but you knew everyone was waiting for the last ones to come before putting her forward to sing the same as everyone in the bar had done.

"He always sings the same song." You whispered to Wanda who turned around startled.

"Really?" Wanda couldn't help the cringe smile when the notes of My heart will go on by Celine Dion came right in.

You nodded offering a bottle of water to the young woman, Wanda took it with a smile noticing that Jessica decided to leave your side if only for a moment. Wanda had enjoyed her time greatly, Gustaff was a nice man and whenever Jessica wasn't rubbing herself on you, she was quite nice too. Wanda just wished she didn't need to see the other woman all over you. It was irksome.

"Yeah, his wife died of a heart attack a year after the Blip." You said softly. "That was her favourite song and movie, so he sings it every year. He doesn't improve with time either."

You chuckled when Wanda slapped you playfully in your arm, though she too was smiling. The crow was cheering, Jessica and Gustaff were distracted and you were finally left with Wanda for a moment.

"Told you it would be fun." You commented lightly.

Wanda nodded taking another sip from her bottle.

"You did." She glanced at her fingertips and while there was still black in them it wasn't as widely spread as it had been a few hours ago. "I have spent a great time actually. This place, these people…"

Here she trailed off looking back at you, she dipped her head looking away with her lips curled tenderly up.

"You…have offered me something I didn't think possible and I'm just…"

We're still afraid of what could happen, or what would you do to us if we gave in. Of what the world may think if we step back, or even if we should keep looking for the fantasy world we create. It was safer, easier to manipulate… to live in.

"You're up next, Principessa." You whispered to Wanda, the mischief on your eyes and smile was not missed in the woman's face who scowled at you knowing right now was not the time for those questions.

"Gustaff already explain to me how you make it possible my name was in there."

You laughed, shaking your head while shrugging, Wanda rolled her eyes matching your smile.

"That I did, I knew it would be good for you and I can't believe you're that awful singing."

"You will regret it." Wanda turned to the stage fidgeting nervously. "I already chose the song and I just…"

"Don't tell me,” You gave her a once over Wanda shivered under your scrutiny. "Welcome to the black parade or teenagers, you have the look of someone that went through that phase in your younger days."

Wanda laughed shaking her head while, once again, swapping your arm.

"No! I did go through the phase, though."

You snickered raising an eyebrow, "Now I need pictures of that, I bet Natasha has some uh?"

Wanda put a hand on her face because, in reality, Natasha did have some of those pictures. You tried to hold back your laughter while Wanda tried to get her blush under control, more applauses were heard and soon they were announcing the next contestant. Wanda shifted from one foot to the other, she bit her lower lip looking away before settling her eyes on you. Once she did it was not only green but red what greeted you and you weren't sure how to react to that.

"I'm just not sure if you have heard the song but…" Wanda trailed off huffing momentarily before continuing, Scarlet Witch pressing the words out of her mouth. "But it was something that made me think of you and my time here so far so…"

Wanda didn't wait for an answer, she didn't even stay to see your surprised expression or the way you followed her with your eyes. She greeted Gustaff and then presented herself to the public, Jessica came to you with a roll of her eyes when she realized once more your attention had been claimed by the redhead.

"So, you and her…" Jessica started but you shook your head frowning.

"No, we… we're just friends." You mumbled but the words seemed painful on your lips.

Jessica was about to say something when Gustaff came in and the music started sounding in the bar. Some people in the crowd recognized the cords of the guitars, and the sweet rhythm of the song.

Gustaff opened his eyes impressed, she wasn't good but she wasn't bad and she had chosen the right song for her type of voice. The old man turned to you, a smile forming on his lips when he saw the look on your eyes.

Wanda didn't know why she was doing it, what impulse her to choose the song or to even accept the main stage to participate in the contest. She just knew she was having real fun, for the very first time in such a long time she was not afraid, and she was free and she… god she was puzzled about her emotions but was willing to see what would happen.

The lyrics rolled out of her lips easily enough, she knew the song by heart having heard it even before meeting Vision. But it wasn't until now that she remembered and felt something in her.

Vision

Y/N

Everything came crushing down on her, her heart beating fast and hard while all you could think was what had been and what could be.

The song came to an end, everyone was cheering and clapping happily. Wanda offered a nervous smile before turning to the backstage her heart dropped when her eyes fell on you but you had your back to her.

With a shaky smile she said goodbye and went past everyone to the bathroom.

You were trying to get your breathing and your heartbeat under control. Wanda's voice was still dancing around your mind, and her softness and eager stare made you tremble with emotions you thought death.

When you tried to return your attention to Wanda she was no longer there.

"She went to the bathroom." Gustaff whispered. "You have five minutes."

You didn't even hesitate while making your way to the bathroom, back there everything was in silence with only the heavy breathing coming from Wanda. You furrowed your brows seeing her reflection with green and red eyes and tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Wanda nodded, splashing some water on her face before showing a strained smile. You cocked your head stepping forward, the urge to take her in your arms was quite overwhelming but you held yourself not really wanting to invade Wanda's personal space without finding the source of her distress first.

"You lie." Your voice had a determination that made Wanda blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You told me you didn't sing but, woah, that was amazing." You beamed at her, the lyrics of the song dancing in your head. "And the song, well…"

Wanda looked away frowning, “right, I just…"

Wanda trailed off, putting her arms around herself. You scratched the back of your head knowing there was a tension in the air that you didn't understand completely.

You knew what you wanted and what you needed to do. So, you took one step forward. Then another one and then one more until you were right in front of her.

"I like the song, and since I listen to yours well…" You two were really close by now, Wanda held her breath waiting for you to do something but you stood firmly just a breath away from her. "... I think it's only right you heard mine, don’t you think?"

Wanda closed her eyes nodding, you smiled leaning in and placing a kiss at the corner of Wanda's lips.

"Good then, this song is also for you." You were about to say something else but stepped back shaking your head. "…I'll wait for you back on the stage."

By the time Wanda was back she sat on a dark corner away from prying eyes. The sound of people talking and laughing broke the silence surrounding her in a comforting embrace of distraction. She didn't dare to look at the stage though she knew your eyes had been on her the moment she was back from the bathroom.

The day had ended up being unexpected. God you almost kissed Wanda!

Wanda could still feel the tingles at the corner of her mouth from the kiss you had placed there. What would have happened if she turned her face the way she wanted?

You would have kissed her and we wouldn't be here.

Wanda put a hand on her face, she wasn't sure how to feel with that. Should she be happy? Angry? Sad?

We're a mess… we don't even know if we want Vision, if we want a new world or…

"Or we want her." Wanda leaned against the wall watching as you and Jessica got ready for the last part of the show.

Your movements were a little clumsy and harsh, Jessica shot you a worried glance you dismissed with a wink. Everything was ready for the closing show that was usually presented by the winners of the last competition.

You didn't win, but Sprite had thought it would be fun for you to go out there and ridicule yourself. She even chose the song, which now that you think about it was perfect.

Too perfect to be a coincidence.

"Well as tradition dictates the winners of last competition had a chance to make a nice performance" Gustaff waved his hands to stop the cheering around. "Now, young Sprite didn't feel well so she left her spot for our own, Y/N."

More claps and cheering, Wanda stiffened when she heard the last part. You were replacing Sprite, so the one that had sang with Jessica hadn't been you.

You really are focusing on that?

Wanda waited until you had fixed the mic making faces, everyone was catcalling you and Jessica making you smile and rolled your eyes. Wanda could see you really were pleased, embarrassed even. Then you lifted your head and found her eyes.

You couldn't look away, and Wanda seemed to be under the same spell.

Jessica didn't understand the selection of the song, but it was evident it was the appropriate one for you, your voice and your companion. As soon as those words left your mouth, your eyes seemed glued to a single individual in the public and that was the redhead you had called your guest. The brunette was starting to think there was something else there.

And when you sang, even if you didn't sound right and lost some notes you did it the same way Wanda had done so. And with the same silent proposal hanging in the air. The lyrics of the song danced around the public but they hit Wanda the most, and with every word with every note Wanda felt something inside her stirred with a deep emotion that made her heart ached and her breathing uneven.

You tried your best, because this was a good chance to get out there what you were feeling. However, by the time the song was over, and you turned around smiling Wanda was nowhere to be seen.

#Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader #WandaxReader #Wanda x Female!Reader #Wanda x Reader #Wanda x You #wanda maximoff #Female reader #imagine wanda maximoff #MCU AU #FANFIC

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xatsperesso · 10 months

Note

Ahhh I really love your Kalego content!!! Best dad 😍

Are you still open to prompts? Wonder how Dadlego will react when seeing/smelling Iruma’s human blood for the first time

Put yourself first

Kalego was tired.

He was once again roped into sacrificing his weekend for the chairman's whims, and once again Opera teased him in front of the kids like he hasn't spent years trying to build his reputation. Then he goes to teach the school but ever since the secret got out the abnormal class has become insufferable!

They no longer listen to him when he teaches, instead they keep asking Iruma about anything and literally e v e r y t h i n g. From schooling to fashion to why he doesnt have horns, and while some questions are intiguing and worth looking into (Is their food really healthy for humans?) ignoring his lessons for a week to ask iruma all the questions they've been suppressing because they didn't have the courage to ask him beforehand is just unaceptable!

So of course, Kalego thought the best way to punish them for not listening to him would be to double their homework, but that didn't deter them from getting their answers.

So Kalego tripled their homework, and it all snowballed from their to where he is now, correcting 80 assignments per student each day, having regular meetings with Balam (whom he beleives to be his..friend, according to human culture) Opera and sometimes Iruma to figure out what needs to be changed to provide him with the best learning environment they could, and trying to figure out exactly how many people who knows of the brat's nature without tipping them off.

So, of course, Kalego is tired, and while some will blame it on him (He really should stop doubling the kids' homework) he beleives that he deserves to re-

A pencil, long left by a brat who Kalego swears he will find, caused Kalego's leg to slip and him to fall. Now, Kalego could've easily caught himself, but poor, tired Kalego thought that it'd be alright to let himself just fall. There are no kids around, no one to see this embarassing scene of himself.

And it would have been fine, except that he slipped and fell off the third floor

on a very beautiful fence that gaurds Balam's new blue fire flowers, the amaryllis.

said fence happened to have very skillfuly carved spikes.

why is his life like this? Why did he wake up this morning? To be impaled on the fence and be seen by anyone who happens to be in the garden? To be the laughing stock of his colleagues once they find out about this humiliating moment?

Kalego sighed a very tired, sad sigh. He'll get up. He'll heal himself. He'll stop by Beur to make sure that everything in its place, and he'll go to Shichirou's office to see what else needs to be changed and he'll finish grading the 1040 assignments he's got to grade (how do they even finish them all in one day??)

He just, just needs a minute, or five. Just five minutes, and he promises he'll do all of these things. Just a five minutes break.

Kalego closes his eyes, and takes as deep of a breath as the pole allows him to, and just-

"S-Sensei!" Opens his eyes again because the universe refuses to give him a break

"Sensei y-you're hurt!"

"Yeah, no shit" he says, and immediately regrets once he saw the very teary eyes that looks just a second away from full on bawling.

"Iruma, I'm fine" he tries to reassure the kid who started shaking all over. Shit, would it be better to put his hand on the kids shoulder? No, no, his hand is covered in blood.

"Bu, but you, you" and the tears are falling. Fuck, Opera will hang him for traumatising his kid, but why is he so shaken up? Is this his first time seeing anyone hurt? Oh shit he's a human what if it is the first time-

Iruma starts to very shakily recite a spell under his breath, and kalego thinks he knows which spell he's using-

"Sonuvabitch!" Kalego winced as he tried to muffle the curse. The brat used the damn floating spell to get him off the spikes, and Kalego was so not ready for this. He was not ready for pain that is resembled being used as cerberus's chewing toy.

"I'm sorry, you're ok, you're going to be fine, everything is going to be fine" is Iruma trying to assure Kalego or himself? Kalego has no idea, but he kept repeating those words like a mantra as he lowered him down to the ground.

"I am fi-" a metallic smell, so strong it felt nauseating hit Kalego so hard, and something was dripping on his wound. Kalego opened his eyes to look at the wound as it fizzled closed before his eyes.

"What the," Kalego didn't know of any potion that healed so quickly. He looked up to see what potion in the name of Delkira could Iruma have-

He saw a knife. He saw crimson liquid that fell from Iruma’s hand, and he saw a shaky smile painted on Iruma’s face.

He's ashamed that it took him a long moment to process what Iruma just did, but by the time it fully clicked, Iruma was already talking out a piece of cloth to wrap around the wound. The wound that he just inflicted on himself, to heal Kalego who was not healing himself because he was lazy.

"Iruma," Kalego watched as Iruma's smile started to dim at his tone and immediately stopped. Wound first, scolding later.

"Give me your hand" he streched his arm, waiting for Iruma to give him his injured arm, and he watched as Iruma relaxed slightly and did as he said.

He unwrapped the cloth, and the metallic smell was so strong he almost choked, but he took a deep breath and casted the spell, making sure that the wound was healed completely, leavinv not a mark or a bruise behind.

"..Does human blood always smell like this?" He asked as he kept poking his hand and seeing if Iruma gives any reaction.

"Demon blood doesn't?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side. So his blood is supposed to smell like that.

"No, it doesn't smell so metallic" he paused for a second, before looking into Iruma’s eyes.

"Why did you hurt yourself?" He asked, and watched as Iruma averted his eyes and started to look guilty and self conscious (Good. This means he knows that this was wrong)

"Well, human blood heals demons, so," he trailed off and started to play with his fingers

"Yes, I saw that" Kalego nodded "but why did you hurt yourself?" Iruma started to fidget in his place, and he looked like he was trying to force the tears down.

"You were hurt, sensei" he finally looked up at Kalego, and his mouth started to quiver

"I, I didn't want to lose you" he averted his gaze immediately after whispering those words, and shit how should Kalego proceed from there?

"...you wouldn't have lost me" he started with reassuring his kid "all of the teachers here know high level healing spells, and we have Beur-sensei on campus for a reason"

"Oh" the tears started falling, but other than that Iruma looked overall calm

"Then, why were you just laying there?" Kalego sighed. He needs to word this correctly so that Iruma wouldn't come out of it with any wormg ideas.

"I," he started, hating the sentence that was forming in his head but knowing that it is the safest one for someone as reckless as Iruma

"I was doing the very stupid act of overworking myself, and when I was on the pole instead of prioritising my health and well-being, I took it as an opportunity to rest. I was going to go to Beur, but then you caught me and didn't listen when I said that I was fine"

And now Iruma is looking embarrassed. Good, because he really should listen to him more.

He started fidgeting again, but this time out of embarrassment "I thought you were lying, or just trying to reassure me"

"Lying," he leaned forward and poked Iruma’s to really drive the point across "is for dumbasses who think everyone around them is too weak to help. And hurting yourself," he picked up the newly healed hand "to help someone should not be your first response. To anything. Period"

"Bu-but what if someone is dying! What if there's no other choice!" And Kalego really, really wants to tell him that there's always another choice. He wants to tell him that he's safe, that he would never be in a situation that he would ever need to use his own blood to save someone's life.

But Iruma has already been in these situations. He’s been in these situations five times, and he's extremely lucky to come out of them alive, let alone uninjured.

"Then you consult an adult, and if there’re no adults you use as a last resort" he really wishes his kid, all the kids could be safe. He wishes he could give Iruma another answer

But the world they live in is an unfair one (maybe it'd be safer to just send him back)

"Yes, sensei" He nods very determinantly, and Kalego, not for the last time, sighs as he knows that Iruma will most likely ignore his words.

He needs to give those kids first aid lessons. They've been through a lot, and judging from recent incidents, they'll be through even more. He's surprised they didn't teach them these lessons yet.

Kalego gets up, totally ignoring his knees that pops louder than those works of fire, and picks up Iruma from the scruff of his uniform, completely taking him by surprise.

"I will be report what just happened to Opera-sen, Opera-san" he said sternly as he started walking towards the chairman's office

"Yes, sensei"

"What were you even doing after school hours?"

"Grandpa (the old ground keeper) asked for help in the garden"

"Ah"

Ifrit was drinking a juice box

Orias was eating a bag of chips

Murmur was roast marshmallows on Ifrit's tail

They were all standing around a big puddle of blood under a very bloodied fence

"Mmm, where do you think that came from?" Orias asked, before stuffing his face with more chips

"I don't know, but what is that smell?" Murmur started assembling s'mores as discretely as he could so Ifrit won't extinguish his fire

"That's the smell of a human blood, probably Iruma’s but the smell is too faint so all of that probably isn't from him" Ifrit noticed the melted s'mores in Murmur's hands, and snatched as he extinguished his tail

"Oh damn, didn't know we were a boarding school. That explains were Iruma came from" Orias ate more chips and watched as Murmur tried and failed to take his s'mores back before Ifrit ate it in one bite

"No, Iruma is Sullivan’s grandson. Legally. Sullivan showed off his adoption papers to me when I tried asking him about the new semester's schedul-Hey! Put me down!"

Murmur started angrily shaking Ifrit in the air "You took my s'mores!"

"*munch munch munch* you guysh shink we should report shis blood to shome one?" Orias tilted hus head to eat the cheeze dust and immediately started choking as some went down the wrong pipe

"Nah, someone will do it eventually-Ow ow ow ow ow too hot too hot too hot-"

"Put. Me. Down"

Orias took one last look at the blood puddle and wiped away the tears that were starting to form

"You guys wanna play some video games?"

"Heck yeah," Murmur let go of Ifrit and totally ignored the thud and the 'oof' that followed "I'm playing as Gyari!"

"Then I'll play as Kuromu, and I'm kicking your ass"

"...you guys don't even know which game I'm talking about"

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

Anyway, kalego keeps doubling and tripling their hw (the bastard) and i just think that he does it without thinking of the fact that he would have to correct it

And what if demon blood doesnt have red blood cells, thus doesn't have haemoglobin, the thing that gives blood it's metallic smell/taste (i think) what if there blood doesn't need it and it can hold oxygen efficiently? Do i know what im talking about? Not really, it's been 2 months I've last read my bio books but anyways im pretty sure(not sure at all) insects dont have red blood cells so ya know biologically it is possible and could be an easy and definitive way to identify humans from demons since there are a lot of diversity in demons.

Also just because there are books on human world (books that balam have memorised) doesn't mean that they cover all the info needed to grow your own info, and seriously, is the food good in the long run?

#Boi how long this was in my asks and i knew what i was going to write but i just couldn't write it #anyways this was fun #thanks anon for the ask!#mairimashita fanfic #mairimashita iruma kun #iruma kun #kalego sensei #orias oswell #murmur tsumuru #ifrit djinn eito #naberius kalego

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