#you think anyone would care if I fell off the face of the earth for a while?

[tojirights]

Ong your Alastor showing you off to Vox one was so😍😍🤤🤤

Can you make do an enemies to lovers? Like how maybe Alastor’s been possessive of you and he hates how much he likes you, and one day your dressed in something scandalous (maybe Angel helps pick it out) and Alastor can’t take it anymore. Much degradation on the side pleeeeeease🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

a/n: degradation is my specialty 🩷 requests open!

tags: 18+ smut nsfw, slight coercion, degradation, choking

words: 1k~

ever since alastor met you, he struggled to understand you. rather, he struggled to understand what you did to him. you wore down the walls he so carefully built and did it effortlessly and it drove him mad. your smile, your voice, the genuine care you showed for him and everyone in the hotel.

you took up his every thought and he hated it. he hated that he couldn't stay away either. he just couldn't trust anyone else to protect you. he wants you more than he'd ever admit, and while everyone told him that you felt something for him, he chose to ignore it. but when he sees what you've decided to wear tonight, he nearly has a heart attack.

"what on earth are you wearing?" alastor speaks, cocking a brow when he sees you walking out of the hotel with angel. you smile shyly, out of your element in the flashy and revealing outfit angel styled you in. "oh this? yeah, i know." you laugh, covering your chest with your arms. it does nothing but push your tits further together, threatening to bust out of the barely there top.

"its a little much, don't you think?" alastor's eye twitches as he tries to suppress his anger. how dare angel dress you like this! "you don't like it." you frown, looking down at your outfit. he sighs, rubbing his temple. "it's not that..." he speaks before shooting a look at angel that would have burnt him to a crisp if possible. "i uhh.. i'll let you two talk." angel quickly scurries away, blowing you a kiss as he does so.

alastor's blood was boiling at this point. "do you understand the attention wearing this would earn you? is that what you want?" he's tugging you into the shadows with him before you're brought to his broadcast tower. "alastor what is going on?" your frown deepens when he bumps into his desk.

his final straw is watching you bend down to pick up the papers that fell, your entire ass on display as your skirt falls forward. he's behind you in a flash, one hand pressing your face into the wood of his desk while the other pins your arm behind you. all you can do is gasp for air and wiggle under his grasp but its no use. "now deary, you must be doing this on purpose." he growls, trying his best not to be too rough but he's having a hard time holding back. "a-al don't-" "keep your mouth shut." his harsh words make you shudder. "if you so desire to dress like a whore, you'll be treated like a whore."

alastor releases your arm, causing your eyes to widen when you figure out what he's doing instead of holding you. his clawed finger tears straight through your panties in a single stroke, exposing your pussy to him. "w-wait alastor, it's not what you think." you gasp out, but he's already sliding a finger through your folds. "what's that? are you saying that your cunt isn't basically begging to be used right now , hm? that you don't want to be fucked over my desk right now? because that's what that outfit was telling me. and now your pussy is telling me the same thing, darling."

he's slowly pumping a finger in and out of your now soaking cunt, the sound of your wetness filling the otherwise quiet room. "you'd let me, wouldn't you?" the second finger has you moaning into his desk, and against your better judgement, you nod your head as much as you can while being held down. "yes, i-i wanted you to see me." your eyes sting with tears as embarrassment fills you. god yes, you wanted alastor to see you in such a skimpy outfit. but you didn't expect him to lose it on you like this.

and still, every harsh word has you dripping and approaching orgasm faster than you could have expected. "now there's a good girl." alastor coos, a sense of pride filling him, rather, filling his aching cock. he hopes to never forget the sight in front of him, the way your skirt still hangs around your hips, your panties torn in two just enough that he can see your pretty pink pussy peaking between the slit he ripped.

"all you had to do is be honest, you didn't have to have angel dress you like a little sex doll just to get my attention. you shouldn't dare dress like that for anyone but me, do you hear that, sweetheart? i don't want to have to leash you as well, but i have no issue doing so if you can't behave." he ends his sentence by finally pushing his cock passed your puffy lips.

your eyes roll into the back of your head, fire scorching through your body as alastor plows his cock in and out of you. "a-al fuck, too big." you whine, bracing your hands on the desk with every thrust. alastor snickers behind you, only pulling out to flip your body around. being able to look up at him only makes this worse. the sinister smile on his face, his hooded, dark eyes. his clawed hand wraps around your neck, squeezing just enough to make you gasp for air. "don't you worry your pretty little head about that, darling. you can take it." he grunts when you clench around him.

alastor's pulling out just in time to paint your thighs and stomach with thick ropes of his seed. you whimper as you feel it splashing on your skin, covering you and your clothes. you feel dirty and used, and my god do you want this to happen again. alastor catches his breath before planting a kiss to your forehead.

"are you going to cum already? with my hand around your throat?" he would laugh, but it's possibly the hottest he's ever seen you. your eyes glassed over with tears, you nod. "'m s-so close, al." you pant, barely making the words out before waves of pleasure crash into you and you're cumming hard on his cock. your vision goes black, choked moans escaping as alastor fucks your sensitive pussy.

"the next time i catch you wearing something like that, i won't hesitate to make an example out of you." his words lack the same bite from earlier, but you still shudder at his implications. he turns to grab something to clean you up with but stops dead in his tracks when you speak.

"y-yes sir..." you whisper.

#hazbin hotel #alastor x reader #alastor x reader smut #alastor smut #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin alastor smut #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel smut #hazbin hotel x reader #alastor x you #alastor x you smut #hazbin hotel imagines #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor hazbin hotel smut #hazbin alastor x reader #alastor imagines

[runninriot]

...✍️

“I want that too, y’know. The touching and kissing, everything. But the problem is, that I- I want all that from someone I can’t have. And that sucks.” Steve chuckles bitterly.

Isn’t that funny? That there he is, the wonderful man that stole Eddie’s heart, being just as miserable, just as heartbroken as Eddie is. It’s hysterical, really. Eddie wants to laugh, wants to ask who Steve is talking about. Finds it impossible to think there could be a single person in this world that would pass on the opportunity to be with Steve in all the ways Eddie would kill for.

   “Guess that makes two of us,” Eddie confesses and Steve perks up at his words, opens and closes his mouth as if he, too, doesn��t know if it’s okay to dig deeper.

There’s a sadness in his eyes Eddie thinks must mirror his own; two sets of brown eyes searching for comfort in each other. Eddie feels so small, so angry for Steve and himself because love could be such a beautiful thing but isn’t when the rhythm of your heart doesn’t match the one it’s beating for. When love is a one way road with no exists.

   “What do you mean?” Steve asks but Eddie just shakes his head and smiles weakly, trying to take some of the heaviness away for both their sakes.

People don’t choose to fall in love, it just happens. And when it does, there is always a fifty-fifty chance that your love is requited. That the person you fell for likes you in the same way, wants you just like you want them.

Sadly, Eddie has yet to be one of the lucky ones to experience that. The real thing. And while they are still staring at each other, each wallowing in their own sorrow because being in love hurts – he realises that this is so much more than a stupid crush. That this goes deeper than anything he’s ever felt before. That maybe for the first time in his 25 years on earth he understands what true love feels like. Feels the crushing weight of it. Knows it won’t fade so easily. But-

   “You’ll always have me.”

He can pretend. He can be Steve’s friend even if it hurts. Eddie would rather pull his own heart out than not to have Steve in his life. He’d rather be Steve’s friend than nothing at all.

   “What?” Steve seems confused at his statement and Eddie can’t blame him.

   “I’m sorry you can’t have who you want but you’ll always have me.”

   “Why do you say that?”

   “Because I mean it, Steve. No matter what, you’ll always have me. It might not be enough for you and I get that. But for me, this is everything I need even if I can’t have all I want. You wanna know why I came home so early? Because when you texted me, I realised that I don’t need to be anywhere else, with anyone else.”

    I just wanna be here. With you.

Eddie bites his tongue to stop himself from saying more, knows he’s already said too much. Probably shouldn’t have said any of it.

The confusion in Steve’s eyes turns into something else – anger maybe? Frustration? He pulls away from Eddie, jumps up off the sofa and walks a few steps back.

   “You- you can’t just say things like that, Eddie.”

Eddie hates that there is so much space between them, so he stands too, approaches Steve like he would a scared animal, taking slow steps to close the distance between them.

   “I can’t say the truth?” He doesn’t think about his own words, just lets his emotions take over his brain and mouth, doesn’t care about the consequences.

   “N-no! You can’t just say it like it means more than what you’re actually saying. You’re doing this enigmatic bullshit I never understand because I’m too dumb to read between the lines!”

That causes Eddie to freeze on the spot. He’s only inches away from Steve now, could lift his arms easily to reach out for him. But Steve’s words stop him.

He’s right, isn’t he? Eddie does that a lot. Says only half of what he means or says one thing and means another entirely. He just never realised Steve knew. That he can see right through him.

   “You’re right,” he agrees.

Steve huffs annoyed, rubs his hands roughly over his face.

   “Then tell me what you mean. What you really mean.”

It doesn’t matter now, does it? He already said too much anyway. Steve is already onto him, knows Eddie is playing a game of hide and seek with himself – hiding the truth and seeking for an easy way out. But it’s too late to try and turn this conversation around.

   “What I mean is-“ Eddie takes a deep breath, summons all the courage he can find in himself. “It makes two of us because I feel that same way you do. Wanting someone I can’t have? Because you’re my friend, Steve. I can’t have you the way I want you and that’s fine. It hurts like hell but it’s fine. I can live with that. You’ll never be alone because you’ll always have me as a friend.”

Steve stares at him with eyes full of rage.

   “But I don’t want you as a friend.”

Steve’s words hit him like a fist to the face. But before Eddie can let them sink in and start spiralling about the meaning behind them – Steve not wanting to be friends anymore because of Eddie’s confession, obviously – Steve closes the distance between them in one swift motion, grabs Eddie’s face on either side, looking at him with determination in his eyes.

   “I want you as more than a friend, Eddie.”

#eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #idiot friends to lovers #wip

[tomblythismyhusband]

sweetest con [ billy the kid x fem!reader]

[summary]: billy the kid x fem!reader | you and Billy enjoy a quiet morning before he has to leave town.

[warnings]: just fluff :), mentions of violence (murder)

[wc]: 1860

[authors note]: this was so cutesy to write. i love soft billy. i feel like it kinda got a tinsy bit sad at the end, was thinking of doing a part 2 but idk!!! lmk!

The sun fell in warm beams through the curtains of your bedroom. The warmth enveloped your body, making yourself smile. Your eyes cracked open and your heart fluttered at the sight of Billy, still lying next to you, soundly asleep. His face looked peaceful, his hair a perfect mess.

You laid there for a moment watching him, debating whether or not to wake him. You felt a sense of pride that you were the one to see him sleeping and in such a vulnerable position like this.

When the name “Billy the Kid” was usually mentioned, fear swept through the minds of those who heard it. He was a wanted man, a murderer. He was said to be cold blooded and ruthless. It was valid for anyone to be wary but you knew the real him.

Instead of terror your body was always filled with love whenever you heard his name. You always had to be careful how much you felt these emotions when out on the town. It would be very suspicious if you were all smiley when someone mentioned him. No one knew it, but he was yours and only yours.

You shifted your body to lay on your side, staring at Billy’s sleeping face which was now illuminated by the sunlight. You could see the dots of faint freckles on his nose, the perfect shape of his soft lips, and the hint of blush in his cheeks.

He looked like art. Art that you could never get tired of.

You took a hand and gently ran it over his cheek. His skin was warm and comforting. You brushed some of his messy brown curls off his forehead as he stirred a bit.

His blue eyes fluttered open and a small, groggy smile pulled at his lips.

“Mornin’ beautiful.” He mumbled, the smile still on his face. You always liked him in the morning. He was always softer, more down to earth.

You leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his nose. He let out a deep hum in response.

“Morning to you too.” You whispered, your face still close to his. Billy let out a sigh, staring up at you. The sunlight seemed to make his eyes glow an even brighter blue.

“You always look so gorgeous in the morning, darlin’” He said softly, running his finger gently through your hair. The feeling of his fingers brushing their way through your locks made your head feel like it was buzzing. You leaned down to plant another kiss on his nose, overcome with happiness.

“I like it when you play with my hair.” You sighed once you pulled back. “It feels nice.” This earned you a smile in return from him.

“Well I like being this close to you.” He said in a low voice.

His eyes studied your face, taking in every perfect.

“I would never leave this bed, and stay here with you forever if I could.” He whispered, moving his hand up to trace your lips with his rough fingers.

You pursed your lips, kissing his thumb as it gently ran across your mouth. He moved his thumb off your lips and you spoke.

“We don’t get to spend time like this together often… its rarity makes it more special don’t you think?” You said softly.

Billy let out a small chuckle. “You’re right…. But in all honesty I could do the same thing everyday with you and it would still be special, y/n.”

You felt your cheeks warm at this and leaned in for a kiss on his lips. Unlike your usual kisses with Billy, this one was soft, slow, and gentle. The usual roughness and need for dominance had melted away.

You wrapped your arms around his neck as you slid closer to him, not breaking the kiss. When you finally pulled back he wrapped his strong arms around your body and held you tightly, as you placed your head on his chest. You felt butterflies in your stomach as you laid there. Billy gently ran his fingers over your hips, tracing every delicate curve with love.

“Do you know what time it is?” He mumbled into your hair after long moments of silence. You shook your head letting out a sigh. You dreaded this question, but you knew it was coming.

“Do you really have to go Billy? Can’t you stay a bit longer?” You whispered, a hint of sadness in your voice.

Billy kissed the top of your head softly, letting his lips linger for a moment. “You know why I can’t stay darlin’. It’s too dangerous for me right now.” He said in a low voice.

As much as you hated it, you knew he was right. He was on the run. In sweet moments like these you always forgot that he was a wanted man. An outlaw. In a perfect world he would be safe from the law, but the world wasn’t perfect.

You tilted your head up to gaze up at him. “Please don’t go away for too long this time ok?” You said quietly.

Billy gave you a sad smile. He wanted to comfort you, tell you he would be back soon, but he also knew he shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep.

“I’ll try my hardest darlin’…..” He paused for a moment, lips parted. Finally he spoke again. “But I can’t make you any promises…”

You let out a huff in reply, squeezing him closer to you. He combed his fingers through your hair in a comforting way.

“Darlin’ the worst case scenario would be me gettin’ caught, because I’m sure as hell not coming back if I’m hung.” He said in a serious tone.

You squeezed him a little tighter. “I know…..” You said sadly. “Your constant runnin’ just really is the sweetest con.”

A small laugh puffed past his lips. “And why’s that?”

You gazed up at him. “I don’t like how you always have to leave… but at least I know I still have you, at least you’re still mine.”

Billy leaned down and kissed you softly on the lips again. You wished that you could lie like this with him forever.

He then shifted his body, almost like he was signaling to you that he had to get ready to go. You released your grip reluctantly and watched him sit up. You stayed laying down, your head in the soft pillows as you watched him stretch up his arms and let out a soft grunt. You liked the view of his broad shoulders, and bare chest in the morning sun. All these little things about him made it even harder to watch him go.

You watched him as he turned his head towards you. “Now don’t get all pouty on me darlin’” He teased, brushing his fingers on your arm.

You let out a breathy laugh and pulled yourself up from the pillows so you were sitting next to him. Your messy hair and rumpled clothes made Billy admire how effortlessly beautiful you were. He took his hand and ran it across your collarbone while staring deeply into your eyes.

“Every second I’m gone I’ll be thinking of you.” He whispered.

My cheeks grew warm, as a smile spread across my face.

“I love you Billy.” You said softly. A look of excitement flashed across Billy’s face, before it turned loving. He had never really had someone who he had truly loved. All the women he had been with were always temporary. They were only interested in late night meetups, and casual flings. It was comforting to have you and to know that this wasn’t temporary, this wasn’t a fling, this was real.

He leaned in to kiss you on the forehead with a smile. “I love you too angel.” He said quietly. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

He gave you one final kiss on your lips before pulling back the covers of the sheets to climb out of bed. He was still groggy, his movements a little sluggish. You flopped back down on the pillow watching him with admiration.

You watched as he roamed around the room collecting his things. You noticed how his back flexed as he pulled on his shirt.

“Darlin’ don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” He teased when he noticed your eyes roaming his body.

You giggled and sat up in bed, pulling the covers off of yourself. “I can’t help it. You know I have a thing for rugged outlaws.” Billy let out a chuckle at your teases.

You got up handing him things like his socks and his suspenders. You sat down at your vanity and brushed out your hair. He was almost dressed when suddenly he frowned.

“Y/n where are my boots?” He said, searching around the room. His eyebrows were furrowed.

You looked at him through the mirror and smiled. “If I tell you then you are able to leave.” You pouted. Billy came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist. He placed his head in the crook of your neck and stared into your eyes through the mirror.

“Darlin…….” He sighed. It pained him to see you so desperate for him to stay.

“Fine…” You breathed, leaning your head against his affectionately. “Your boots are beneath my bed.”

Billy let out a small chuckle. He placed a kiss on your cheek. “Thank you.” He said softly as he pulled away to grab his boots. You watched as he bent down and spotted the pair near the front end of the bed. He sat down and yanked them on.

You knew that it was time to say goodbye once the boots came on. It was almost routine now.

You stood up as he slung his gun over his waist and placed his hat on his head. You walked over to stand in front of him, his tall body towering over you.

“Be safe ok?” You whispered, grabbing one of his hands.

“I will be. Don’t worry.” Billy said softly. His voice had a tinge of sadness to it. It made you feel better knowing that you weren’t the only one saddened to have to be apart.

His hand squeezed yours in a comforting way. You tried to soak in every aspect of him because you knew the moment he left the loneliness would creep in.

You leaned up to kiss him. You savored the kiss. You memorized the shape of his mouth, the softness of his touch, the warmth of his breath. You didn’t know when he would be back, it could be days, weeks, maybe even months.

You pushed down the looming fear that this could be the last time. The world was a dangerous place for him. The slight chance that the next time you’d see him would be at his grave scared you.

Billy could sense the tenseness and anxiety in your body. He cupped your face gently.

“Y/n, I’ll be fine. Please trust me.” You could see the sincerity in his eyes, and nodded.

“Goodbye Billy.” You whispered.

“Goodbye darlin’. I love you.”

And with that he was gone. To your disappointment he seemed to have left quickly. A part of you pursued that he would come running back, but he never did. You couldn’t help but relish in the feeling of sadness that had crept into your heart.

He came and he went. And you couldn’t help but wish that his boots were still neatly tucked beneath your bed.

#billythekidxreader #billy the kid x you #billy bonney x reader #billy the kid x reader #billy the kid #billy bonney #tom blyth x reader #tom blyth #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x reader

[gadriezmannsgirl]

I have this idea for a fic and you are the very best to write it🥰.

Sports journalist reader and Pedri being in a private but no secret relationship, she is ok with it until people start commenting that Pedri surely wants to keep her private bc he wants to keep his image of being single and linked with ig models, and maybe it gets worse whe he fucks it up with a public comment along the lines of him not being in a relationship and she is like "ya basta de estupideces" and we get drama. Here I don't know what could happen but it ends with our beloved reader doing the post match interview with the players, when it's Pedri's turn they do the questions as normal but at the end he knows the mic is on and he says something like: "me esperas para llevarte a casa amor?".

It's Enough -P.G8

Summary: You're tired of people assuming things that are not true while your boyfriend shuts them up

You loved your work, you loved being a sports journalist, you were happy when you got the job at Sport and you loved being able to make people see a different point of view from what other journalist do, make players feel comfortable around you and ask them different questions than: "How was the rival team? Any thoughts on winning a certain trophy this year?"

And that's how you met and eventually make Pedri, your ten months boyfriend, fall in love with you, you being yourself even while working.

You had let people known you were in a relationship together two months ago and while everybody knew that, you both liked your privacy and you both tended to keep things on the low. And mostly, Pedri.

Everything has been great, both of you understanding each other, talking of anything, making time to be together, rarely fought but this one... it was the biggest one, you could ever have.

"I'm sorry"

"You really just think a simple sorry will cut it? I have my best friends asking me if you take this relationship seriously! My mom's calling me like crazy because she saw the video and my co-workers are sending me <<I'm sorry>> kind of texts, my brother wants to hit you in the face and I would gladly let him!" You shook your head "Why did you do that?!"

How on earth will he say "I'm not seeing anyone at the moment" when he clearly has you?!

"Y/N, amor-" You cut him off

"Comments about you with other girls have been going on and on lately, I honestly don't care about them, I know you and I know you wouldn't do that but then, you went ahead and said that shit that sent everyone into madness, it makes me rethink of everything I thought I knew about you once!" You admit with tears at the verge of falling "Did you lie to me? Do you really love me? Or you want me just to keep you company at nights?"

"Hey, no. Please, don't think that" Pedro shook his head "I've never lied to you, I'm in love with you, you are the girl of my dreams and the love of my life"

"Si lo soy, entonces ¿Por qué carajos dijiste eso?" (If so, then why the hell you said that?) Your voice broke lightly and the first tear fell down "You just embarrassed me in front of everyone, Pedri. There's nothing you can do to take it back, people think I'm good with open relationships, with you cheating, people are saying that you are hiding our relationship because you're embarrassed of me, people are saying you broke up with me just because you had what you wanted, people are saying shit about us, about me and it's all thanks to you"

"No, I didn't wanted that. I didn't- I'm not ashamed of us, of you, I just wanted to protect you, I-"

Your phone ringing interrupted him, you looked down at your hand and your boss's name flashed across the screen, you sighed in fear. You were news and bad ones.

"I gotta answer this"

"Please, amor-"

"Don't call me that, Pedro. In fact, don't call me, don't text me, don't even look at me, nothing at all because if you do I will do something I will later regret on"

"Like what?" He asked softly

"Like breaking up with you" You said strongly looking at him "I really can't bear with you right now, Pedro. We'll talk later" You shook your head and answered the phone going upstairs

Pedri felt like crying.

He knew he screwed up the second those words came out of his mouth, but it was as his body just blurted them out before his mind could process it. He just wanted to keep you safe.

But what a way of doing so, right?

He tried to do something else to shift his attention to the small office he set up for you at his house like washing the dishes, play some NBA, laundry and eventually get ready for his match.

He went upstairs with the intention of going straight into his room but his body tricked him and he ended up at your office, his heart breaking up when he heard you sniffing while speaking to your boss.

"You're giving us bad reputation with those news, Y/N" He heard your boss say

"I know, sir; my apologies" You said "He must have been really tired, you know he isn't like that"

"Whatever it was, it's done"

Pedri closed his eyes, his hand on top of the doorknob ready to come in and defend you but his phone interrupted him

Tiburón🦈

"Ya vamos a empezar a calentar. ¿Dónde estás?" (We're starting the warm up. Where are you?)

He sighed and went to your chat: "I love you, always have and always will. I'm truly sorry about everything, my love. But I'll make it up for you, I swear to God"

And leaving a kiss on the door, he left the house quickly, his body was on his way to Lluís Companys but his mind and soul stayed with you at his house.

You sighed, coming out of the shower. You had to go to Barcelona's match because you were scheduled for tonight's interviews, looking at the watch on the wall, you saw you were a bit early but still needed to go so you could make it on time.

You weren't in the mood for anything today. From being called names, to have all of your contacts worried about you and your relationship, to have your boss onto your neck wanting for you to dissolve any rumor but won't even knowing how to do so.

You wanted to simply disappear but you never had powers back in high school and you won't grow powers now being an adult. So the only thing you did was buckle your pants up and act as if nothing was affecting you.

Calling a cab, you went to Lluís Companys and with the help of Aaron, the cameraman you started the reportage in which ended up with Barcelona being the winner. 2-0. Both goals from Pedri.

Both goals that were dedicated to you.

Your heart beating incredibly fast at the gesture of your boyfriend who changed his glasses celebration for your name on a personalized Barcelona jersey, still with the 8 number

"Te quiero" he had said before giving the jersey to one member of the staff and return the game.

You felt extremely proud knowing he was the MVP however your happiness slowly turned sour because as he was the MVP of the match you had to interview him, you wanted it or not and you weren't ready to face Pedri yet.

"Buenas noches, Pedri" You said with a small smile, professionalism running through you

"Buenas noches" (Good night) He said softly

"Vamos a ser un poquito rápidos que sabemos que tienes que irte... Enhorabuena por la victoria de esta noche" (Congrats on the win tonight) ", 2-0 against Getafe How do you feel?"

"Well... Good. We played very well, we had control, we managed to knock the rival mostly from the sidelines, we knew we had to be strong since Getafe is a great team as well. And well, it was a very good game which we won and now to focus on the next game"

"Both goals from you with amazing assists of Fermin and Raphinha. They were amazing, by the way"

"Gracias"

"And you are the MVP for tonight's match. Congratulations as well with that, Pedri. How do you feel about that?"

"Good, good. It feels amazing, my goal is to score more and make more assists this season and hopefully I'll be able to help the team in any way I can"

"That's good to hear, Pedri. Once again, congratulations. Have a good night!" You said quickly wanting to get over with everything. "¿Lo agarraste?" (Did you got that?) You ask Aaron who nods and goes to show you a bit of the footage.

"Amor, ¿me esperas para que vayamos a casa?" (Babe, you wait for me so we can go home?) You heard Pedri asks "Por cierto, esto es para ti" (By the way, this is for you) He hands you the jersey

"What? Why?" You receive the jersey looking at it

"I'm dedicating goals to my one and only girl, is it bad?" And as much as you wanted to refuse a smile slowly came up to your face. You shake your head softly coming over to him to hug him "Te amo" (Love you) He said "And I'm sorry" You smiled and kissed his lips before kissing his sweaty, dirty but rosy cheek

"Don't do it again please" You whispered watching his big brown and beautiful eyes

"Never. You're my girlfriend, I'm in love with you and I see the rest of my life with you by my side, amor" He whispered back before pecking your lips softly "Entonces... ¿Me esperas? Voy a bañarme y a cambiarme rápido para que vayamos a casa y descansemos" (So... You wait for me? I'll shower and change really quick so we can go home and rest) You nod softly

"Better be quick, I really want to go home" You smiled untangling yourself from him

"I'm off right now"

"Y/N..." Aaron called you softly with a panicked look to his face

"What?"

"Football players mic was on and that was live" You open your mouth in shock, troubles keep coming at you.

"Don't mind" Pedri said "Let everyone know I'm taken by the best girl ever" You looked at him and he winked at you squeezing your hand.

What a sneaky boy he was.

°°° °°° °°° °°°

Taglist: @gaviymarcsbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover @azzpenswrld @http-isabela

#gadriezmannsgirl replies #gadriezmannsgirl writes #pedri gonzalez #pedri #fc barcelona #fc barca #pedri x reader #pedri gonzalez x reader #pedri icons #pedri gonzalez icons #pedri imagine #pedri gonzalez imagine #football players #football player x reader #football players imagine

[lowkeyerror]

Warmth

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Notes: Slightly sad but overall happy and super fluffy, Christmas themed, happy holidays everyone!

Summary: You miss your family during the Christmas season, making you feel isolated. However Wanda reminds you that there are still people who care about you here.

Masterlist

Christmas was hard for you. It reminded you of all of your losses. Your parents, your sister, and your team. Watching the snow fall together only reminded you of those that fell with you during the war. You were always a little more zoned out during the season. Focusing was harder than it ever would be.

You had a new team that was not dissimilar to your military family, the Avengers. This wasn’t your first Christmas with them, but it was the first time you couldn’t pretend to be filled with the Christmas spirit.

They didn’t really know what was going on with you, but they could guess based on your past. Earth’s mightiest heroes were string warriors on the field, but they weren’t savvy when it came to emotional turmoil. So, they let you sulk to an extent. They would drag you out of the house, but they let you sit out any activities.

That’s how you ended up sitting alone in a nearly emptying ice rink Tony had rented out. You watched as members of the team skate on the ice with their friends and family members. Clint had brought Laura and the kids, Tony brought Morgan, Bruce brought his cousin Jen, Thor had brought Valkyrie along with Loki. Even Natasha brought Yelena out for the day.

You hold a sad smile on your face seeing them enjoy each other.

“You aren’t going to skate?” Wanda sits next to you adjusting her skates.

You shake your head, “I think I’m good just watching.”

Wanda sighs at your words, “Where’ve you been these past couple of days?”

Your brow furrows, “I haven’t gone anywhere.”

Wanda jabs a finger against your forehead, “We both know you haven’t been present up there. What’s bothering you?”

You want to close off and you are prepared to do so, until you catch Wanda’s eyes. They’re filled with genuine care and worry. As much as you hate to admit it to yourself, you don’t want to push her away.

“I miss my family. My parents, my sister, my friends, they’re all gone. It’s hard to not think about them around this time of year. The past couple of years I’ve been good at keeping it inside, but it’s too much this year.”

Wanda understands, probably better than anyone else in the building. She finds herself reaching for your hand, “Tell me about them.”

Your eyes grow wide for a second, but nonetheless you search for a memory to share, “For Christmas my mom would always make this pie. It wasn’t really a pie, more like a cheesecake. She called it a banana split pie. My sister and I would always have some silly competition for the last slice. One year we did a performance for my mom and dad and the winner was supposed to get the last slice of the pie. So, picture me 13 years old, scrawny as can be, determination on my face, as I belt out the lyrics to Last Christmas by Wham. It’s just as over the top as you’re imagining it.”

Wanda laughs a bit, which only widens the small smile playing on your lips.

“Now my sister wasn’t going down that easy, she did a dance routine to All I Want For Christmas is You. My parents were split, they couldn’t pick a winner. So, while my sister and I were arguing about who was better, my dad ate the last slice of pie,” you can’t help but roll your eyes.

Wanda cackles openly this time, “All that hard work for nothing?”

“Exactly! I poured my heart out, I could almost taste the pie.”

The two of sat with the warmth of your story. The woman had succeeded in lifting your mood. It almost made you want to go out and skate with the others, but there was a lingering sadness after you realized that you’d never share a moment like that again.

“I miss my family too. Pietro loved Christmas. I never really knew if he preferred getting gifts or giving gifts. I think he was just happy to have everyone together” Wanda speaks up.

“Do you have a favorite gift from him?”

Wanda smiles while looking at the ring that adorns her finger,” He gave me so much more than just physical items. For a long time, it was just us, my parents died when we were young. Piet gave me comfort, more than anyone probably ever will. This ring belonged to my mother; it was a gift to her from my Papa. I thought it had been lost in the bombing that destroyed our home. Years later, after our parents were long gone, he gifted me this ring. I don’t know how he got it, but he did. I don’t think I ever hugged him that hard. I cried against him, and he held me. I was only a teen, still a child really, but I cried like I was a 4-year-old. This ring, it’s like my entire family on my finger. My mama, my papa, and Piet.”

You have tears brimming your eyes as they shift from Wanda to the ring, “It’s beautiful, Wanda.”

She nods her head, holding back her own tears. She takes a large breath and holds out her hand, “Skate with me.”

It’s not a question, but even if it was, you doubt you’d say no to her. Reluctantly you lace the skates and follow her on to the ice. The red head nearly falls after her first step onto the ice. You were quick to place your hand on her waist.

You chuckle from behind her,” Have you done this before?”

You don’t see the rosy hints of her teeth, “Yes, I’ve just never been particularly good at it.”

Once you’re sure that she’s steady, you move to face her. This time you hold out your hand and she looks at it skeptically, “And you’re good at this?”

You scoff and tell her to watch you. Skating around the rink is simple enough, you show off a bit with a simple figure 8. Then you skate back up to her, “I think I’m pretty ok, what did you think?”

She gives you a side eye, “I get it you’re a professional skater.”

You shake your head and extend your hand again, “Let’s do a lap together.”

Wanda hesitates.

You reassure her once again, “We’ll stay close to the wall, I promise to not let you fall.”

She places her hand in yours, “If I fall, I'm taking you with me.”

“Fine by me.”

The two of you begin to skate laps in the rink hand in hand. Wanda refuses to let go of the rail for the first few laps, until she’s content with just holding on to you. True to your word, the woman doesn’t fall. You revel in the happiness that radiates off of her as you move on the ice.

“Teach me how to do the 8.”

“I can’t promise you won't fall if we're going to do the 8,” you warn her.

She shrugs a bit, “Just promise you’ll catch me, and we should be fine. “

Now it is you that has the tint on your cheeks. You nod and slowly show her how you do the figure 8. You can feel her eyes intensely watching every little detail of your movement.

She tries a few times on her own, coming really close but not being able to complete the 8. The frustration that’s building within her shows on the outside. It reminds you of a child having a tantrum. It’s quite adorable. She’s nearly ready to give up and you can tell.

“Hold on to my hips, we’ll do it together.”

Wanda lets out a huff of defeat before carefully skating behind you. Her hands rest respectfully on your hips. You begin to make the figure 8 and she follows holding you tightly, scared she might fall. Once you’re down you hear a small applause erupting for the two of you.

“Double infinity, nice,” Tony says slow clapping.

“I think the real miracle is Y/n keeping Wanda from falling on the ice,” Natasha chimes in.

“Careful Nat, before my powers accidentally trip you,” Wanda playfully taunts the spy.

Nat holds her hands up in defense, “It was just a joke, Wands.”

This moment feels warm, like the memory of you singing your heart out in front of your family on Christmas day. It’s partially the playful banter from the Avengers, but the other part is the woman standing besides you with her arm steady around your waist.

Her kindness, her comfort, it was like a heater in a cold room.

The attention naturally shifts from you and Wanda when the kids call for attention. You take this as your moment to head back to the benches and sit for a bit. Wanda trails behind you, a little more skilled than when she first stepped on the ice.

“I needed that, thank you” you say to Wanda, eyes shining up at her.

“It was nothing, Y/n. Besides I feel like the one who won the exchange, now I can skate without falling on my ass.”

The humor does little to cut through the sincerity of your voice, “I mean it Wanda. Thank you for skating with me.”

She matches your sincerity, “I know it’s a hard time for you, but it’s nothing that you have to face alone."

“Wanda, Y/n! You lot done for the night already?” Thor screams from across the ice.

Wanda looks like she wants to skate some more, but she can tell that you want to rest.

You beat her to it, “Go, I’ll join back in a bit.”

She eyes you tenderly, sticking out her pinky finger “Promise?”

You nearly snort at the childish antics, but still find yourself locking your pinky with hers, “I promise, now go."

She gets back on the ice, and you watch gleefully as she skates around with much more confidence. Fearful of breaking your promise, you find yourself back on the ice not long after Wanda. You skate with her and the others until it’s time for the rink to close. You almost don’t want the day to end, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t exhausted from the activity.

As soon as you’re back at the compound you quickly shower and then prepare for bed. For the first time this month the minute your head hits the pillow you’re out like a light. No intrusive thoughts, no unwanted feelings, just sleep. It feels good when you wake up a full 8 hours later.

You get ready for the day in your room. As you open the door to exit, you’re met with your skating partner from the day before.

“Good morning,” she says cheerfully.

You send her a grin, “Morning, what can I do for you?”

She extends her hand, and you grab it, letting her lead you through the compound.

“Where are we going?”

“The kitchen,” she says as if it is a full answer.

You continue to allow her to pull you around, “What’s in the kitchen?"

She shrugs, “You’ll see in a second.”

Once you’re finally in the kitchen, Wanda stops walking right in front of the refrigerator. “Okay, close your eyes.”

You give her a look as if to say ‘really’ the look in her eyes directly challenges yours and with a huff of annoyance you shut your eyes. You hear Wanda going into the fridge but resist the urge to open your eyes. It seems like an eternity before you hear the fridge close. You fidget in your spot a little as your anticipation builds.

“How long until I get to open my eyes?”

“Open them now.”

When you open your eyes, they immediately widen. Tears build at the edges of your eyes. Your eyes move from the counter to Wanda.

“Is this- did you make my mom’s pie?”

Wanda smiles softly, “I don’t know if it’s exactly like your mom’s, but after hearing your story, I Googled a recipe. You didn’t really describe it in great detail, but I wanted to do this for you.”

Without any hesitation, you wrap your arms around the redhead. You hug her tightly, unable to properly express the immense amount of emotions you are feeling right now. She hugs you back just as tight, rubbing your back soothingly.

“I know it’s morning, but do you want a slice?” Wanda’s tone is delicate as she speaks to you, knowing how vulnerable you are at the moment.

You pull away from the hug and wipe at your eyes a bit, “I would love a slice.”

Wanda cuts you a slice and watches nervously as you lift a fork full to put in your mouth. As soon as the dessert hits your tongue, your mind is flooded with memories of your family Christmas parties. It was just like your mom’s. This time the tears spilled over as you put the fork down.

Your glossy eyes meet Wanda’s, “It’s just like hers.”

There’s so much more you want to say to Wanda, but you can’t. The tears are flowing too fast. The magic user attempts to wipe them away, but they’re coming faster than she can manage.

“I really hope there are some happy tears in there or else I’ll just feel like an asshole for making you cry,” she continues wiping away your tears.

Her statement makes you laugh, “They’re all happy tears, I promise. I’m just- this is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Just think of it as a thank you for the skating lessons,” Wanda says nonchalantly.

“Why did you make this?”

Her eyes don’t meet yours as she gazes at the floor. You can see the bright pigment dusting her cheeks as she plays with the ring on her finger.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do. I wanted to do something nice for you for the holidays.”

You want her to look at you. In fact, you need her to look at you. You place one of your hands on the small of her back pulling her closer to you. Once she is as close as can be, she has no choice but to meet your eyes.

“I want to thank you,” you say, eyes boring into hers.

She nods ever so slightly, “Thank me then.”

Your lips press against hers gently. The first thought that slips into your mind is the softness of her lips. What follows is the feeling of warmth spreading across your body as the two of you kiss. You wonder for a moment if your lips taste like bananas (they do). Wanda doesn’t mind, your lips against hers fills her heart. The same warmth you feel courses through her. The kiss doesn’t end until you hear someone clearing their throat in the kitchen, but even then, you don’t jump apart, you just pull away from each other.

“I hate to interrupt, but uh I was wondering if I could get a piece of that pie,” Clint says eyeing your pie.

A protest was about to leave your lips, but instead a smirk played on them instead, “Sure Clint, you can have a piece.”

The man reaches for the pie, but you pull it out of his reach, “If you can beat me in a talent show.”

Clint looks from you to the pie a few times before rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Fuck it, I accept.”

You smile at the archer, “5pm sharp, hope you can impress the team or else no pie for you.”

He leaves the kitchen grumbling, but the smile never leaves your face.

“Old habits die hard I see,” Wanda says teasing you.

“It’s the pie, it makes me do it,” you laugh, and she laughs with you. You peck her lips again, “Thank you, Wanda. This means everything to me.”

“I’ll make it over and over again if it keeps you kissing me like that,” she says like a joke, but you hear a slight seriousness to her tone.

“I still have to kiss you a thousand times, just to thank you for this one. So, expect plenty more kisses in the future. I think kissing you might just be better than the pie.”

The two of you laugh again, warmth filling the kitchen of the Avengers compound. It floods into your system as you revel in this moment with Wanda. She feels it too, as she tries to memorize every detail of this moment. It was more than just a first kiss; this was the moment that you knew Wanda was the warmth you needed to get through the winter.

#lowkeyerror #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff imagine #natasha romanoff #tony stark #clint barton #the avengers

[thatacotargirl]

To the Ends of the Earth (2)

You asked for a part 2 to this, and part 2 you shall get!

Part 1 is here!

As always, inbox is open for requests for any ACOTAR characters.

Tagging @mybestfriendmademe for the kind request, thank you for your continued support angel 💖

Divider from the one and only @tsunami-of-tears! 💜

A Cassian x Reader Imagine

You wake with a groan. Your stomach was more settled and your head more calm, but a day full of agonising pain isn't the most conducive to a restful nights sleep. Rolling over, you are greeted by an empty bed.

It's hard not to feel a smidge of disappointment that Cassian didn't stay the night. You could have sworn that, last night, you'd heard him finally admit his feelings for you - the same feelings you'd harboured for countless years. Maybe your love wasn't as unrequited as you had once thought.

Dragging yourself up and out of bed, grateful to have not soiled your bedding once again, you head into the bathroom to freshen up and ready yourself for the day. The scent of Cassian still lingered on your clothes and it took everything in you to rip the shirt off your body and throw it in with the pile of dirty laundry.

Had Cassian really said that? Or had you dreamt it? Surely if Cassian really felt that way, he would have stayed? Or did he not realise you'd heard him? Did you hear him?!

You looked in the mirror and pouted at yourself. You were spiralling. Over a male, no less. Shaking off the thoughts, you got yourself washed and dressed, and headed to the dining room for breakfast.

-

Cassian and Azriel were already sat at the table, a bowl of porridge in front of them, chatting away. When you entered, both males fell silent.

"Good morning!" you called cheerily, setting yourself down at the table as the House placed a bowl of porridge in front of you.

"Morning, y/n. How are you feeling?", Azriel asked, shovelling another mouthful of porridge in mid-sentence.

"Better thanks, not 100% but better".

You glanced at Cassian, but he simply nodded into his porridge, avoiding eye contact with you. Huh?

"Thanks for you help, Cass", you offer him a smile - only to find it is met with indifference.

"Welcome", he replied, not even offering a glance up to you. You gaze over to Azriel, who simply shrugged, but you couldn't help noticing the small smirk he had on his face, and the sly nod he made in Cassian's direction. Cassian remained silent, finishing his breakfast faster than he has before, and left the table without Azriel, and without a goodbye.

"What was that about?!"

Azriel's smirk only grows bigger. He knows something, and I'd bet my right hand it has to do with Cassian taking care of me yesterday.

"Perhaps you should find out", Azriel offers, the smirk never leaving his lips.

Is that a challenge? I think it is. And if it's a challenge Cassian wants, it's a challenge he's going to get.

About an hour later, you find yourself heading up to the training ring atop the House of Wind. You have no intention of training today, still going through the throes of your cycle, but a little light stretching never hurt anyone. And, if you happen to be in the skimpiest pair of shorts you own, and the tightest sports bra barely holding you in, whilst Cassian is stood across the ring, that's just a coincidence - right?

Laying out your mat, you start some yoga poses, careful not to make eye contact with the Illyrian brothers sparring opposite you. Even without making eye contact, you can feel Cassian's gaze burning into your soul. You hear a sudden thump, and raise an eye to see Cassian sprawled on the mat, Azriel victorious on top of him.

"Distracted, brother?", Azriel asks mischievously. You have to hold back a giggle, carrying out another pose that you know makes everything stick out in all the right places. You hear Cassian huff, and watch discreetly as they start their sparring match again.

You stay for an hour, stretching out your muscles and working on some core balance, before rolling up your mat.

"Later boys", you call, throwing a wink in their direction. Azriel laughs, waving you off, but Cassian remains frozen solid - not daring to glance in your direction. It doesn't change the heady scent of arousal that wafts in your direction as you spin on your heels though, which takes on a distinct sandalwood tone, the same that had clung to your shirt last night.

Feeling pretty confident, based on Azriel's behaviour today and Cassian's response at the training ring, you decide to kick it up a notch.

You run yourself a bubble bath - which is realistically more bubbles than it is water - and settle yourself in. Cleaning off the sweat from your hour long yoga session, you wait patiently, listening for the distinctive heavy footsteps of the Illyrian General.

When you hear them walking down the hallway, you make your move.

"Is someone out there?", you call. You hear Cassian's footsteps stop outside your door.

"Y/n? All ok?", he calls back cautiously.

Carefully situating yourself so you are completely covered by the bubbles from the neck down, you smirk to yourself.

"Not really - I've got myself in a bit of a pickle and I can't reach it!".

You hear Cassian open your bedroom door and stifle your laugh when he pauses, clearly confused as to where you are.

"Can't reach what?"

"The shampoo, Cass. Give a girl a hand?"

You can almost hear his breathing from how deep it is in the adjoining room.

"Why can't you get it?"

"Why, because I'm all wet silly! Rhys won't be happy if I damage his floor by getting it soaked". You knew it was a bold-faced lie, the House would dry the floor instantly for you. He could correct you, he could tell you that the House would dry the floor, or that the House would even get the bottle for you if you asked it to. Or, he could walk in and give it to you. The choice was his.

You waited, almost giving up, before you saw the doorknob to the bathroom turning. Cassian walked into the room, hands over his eyes, as he reached out blindly to your shelves.

"This one?" he asks, holding up a body lotion.

"Nope"

"This one?" he asked, holding up a bottle of perfume.

"Cass, please just pass me my shampoo".

Cassian turns his back to you, making sure he can't see, before locating the shampoo and passing it to you without looking. You can see how hard his body is moving from his deep breathing.

"Thanks Cass".

"Yep, ok, good, welcome, is, um, is that all?"

He's flustered.

"Yes, thank you".

Then he ran, so fast he almost tripped on the carpet, out of the bathroom - your laughter following in his wake.

As evening approached, you began to get frustrated. You had spent the entire day taunting him, trying to get him to react, and the most you had got out of him was a blush.

You knew you weren't wrong - Cassian had some sort of feelings for you - and you wanted to know what they were. But, if he was going to play this hard to get, it was more than just a challenge you'd taken on - it was a damn suicide mission. You had to hit it in the one place he wouldn't be able to handle. You'd have to fight fire with fire.

As the Inner Circle gathered around the dinner table that night, exchanging stories of their day, your eyes fell to Azriel. He looked at you, confusion marring his face, until he saw your eyes glance over to Cassian, then back to him. His shadows, whirling around his face, filled him in on the rest of your plan; and Azriel smirked, leaning back in his chair.

Dinner was swiftly finished and everyone descended to the sofas in the main living room of the House, glasses of wine and whiskey in hand. You waited until Cassian was seated opposite Azriel, settled with his glass, before you made your move.

Sauntering up to Azriel, you gave him a smile, and sat down on his lap before taking a small sip of your wine. His legs moved, accommodating you, so you could lean against his chest. You didn't dare look up at Cassian, but you could feel the stares from the rest of your family, who were absolutely baffled about the scene unfolding in front of them.

"How about a drinking game?", you suggested, your voice cheeky and mischievous.

"Heck yeah!" Mor replied, "how about truth or dare? If you don't answer the truth or do the dare, you drink".

"Sounds great! Mor, you go first".

A few rounds went by and soon you were all in fits of laughter. Cassian had flown around the House of Wind entirely naked, Feyre had taken a shot of whiskey off of Rhysand's body, and Elain had admitted her crush on Lucien - much to everyone's whooping and excitement, and Elain's sheer mortification. Soon, it was Azriel's turn to ask you a question, and you saw the wicked gleam in his eye before he even opened his mouth.

"Y/n. I dare you to kiss me".

You gape at him, still seated in his lap. You can feel Cassian's gaze blaring at the back of your head as you turn to face Azriel. He winks at you knowingly, and you feel your confidence rising.

"Very well, I'm not one to turn down a dare".

You begin to slowly lean in to Azriel, eyes closed, before you are suddenly hoisted into the air. You open sharply, and realise you are staring down over Cassian's shoulder. You look up and see Azriel laughing on the sofa, Feyre in stitches on the floor, and Rhysand with a beaming smile on his face.

You stay silent as you let Cassian carry you up to his bedroom. He places you on the floor, his face red with fury.

"What the fuck was that about? Do you have feelings for Az?"

It was so comical, you couldn't help but laugh. Cassian stared at you absolutely bewildered.

"What's so funny?"

"He was doing it to wind you up, Cass; we were both in on it, I've been doing it all day".

"But why?"

You felt your own face flood red then, eyes on the floor as you fiddled with you hands.

"I heard you. Last night".

Cassian froze.

Several minutes went by in silence.

"Did ... did you mean it?"

Several more minutes went by before you dared to look up, your eyes meeting Cassian's. You saw the guarded look in them, his eyes searching yours. Clearly, they found what they were looking for, because his entire body softened.

"I meant every word of it".

You lunged at him, wrapping your legs around his waist and arms around his neck as he hoisted you up and into his chest. You both stayed like that, holding each other for some time. When you lifted your head from his shoulder, you noticed he was smiling, his eyes swimming with love and adoration. You felt a warmth in your heart that you'd never felt before, and clung to him tighter, resting your head back on his shoulder with a sigh.

"I'd go to the ends of the Earth for you too, Cass".

#a court of thorns and roses #a court of wings and ruin #a court of silver flames #acotar fanfiction #acotar x reader #acotar #a court of mist and fury #acotar x y/n #a court of frost and starlight #cassian x y/n #cassian acotar #cassian imagine #cassian x reader #cassian

[morose-melodies]

how to defeat a giant | yandere! fatui harbingers x reader

content warning: none

summary: due to dottore's carelessness, he broke a glass jar while experimenting with toxic gasses and now the gasses a spreading throughout the castle.

note: I finally wrote part 3, yay. I've had half of it written for months but didn't know how to continue it, so I gave up. but I finally finished it, yay. I'm not sure if it's going to be all that good though and so sorry for the lazy ending, I did not know how to finish it. but anyway, I hope you all enjoy :)

taglist: @kaveh-is-pretty @nomorefstogive @frankypasta @salacun @teal-aurora

part 1 part 2 part 3

the sky was falling.

you were sure of it and afraid. the dark, star-less sky was falling, growing closer and closer to the ground, and soon, the sky would meet the earth.

you pressed your palms against the cold window and looked up, frozen and afraid, what can anyone do in a situation like this?

perhaps you could stop this from happening if only you had your power, but alas, that was in the past, you've changed and no longer wield the power that made you special.

"no..." a stray tear left your eye as you moved away from the window and towards the door to your room, you knocked, gently at first but as time passed it became more frantic and rough.

you began to feel faint, and your knocking became harder and you began to cry, "please, open this door! please someone- anyone! open the door!"

no answer.

you cried harder, the side of your hand becoming sore from banging on the door, you knocked and cried for quite some time but never gained an answer which led you to back away from the door and sit beside the window again.

you felt terrible. you rested your cheek against the window and cried, watching as the sky fell.

...

"what have you done, dottore?" PIERRO questioned dottore as DOTTORE passed out gas masks to all of the present harbingers, "there was a small incident." dottore replied.

COLUMBINA giggled as dottore tried to water down the situation before them.

"small? soldiers are fainting from that gas- some are in critical condition, what do you mean small?" SANDRONE snapped at dottore, as she slid the mask onto her face.

"this is a first. nothing like this has happened to me before-"

"mistakes from you will not be tolerated. some soldiers are barely breathing and delirious due to your mistake, nothing like this will happen again, understood?" pierro narrowed his eyes as he watched dottore humbled himself and nodded, before saying "of course, lord harbinger."

columbina messed with the straps on her gas mask as she asked, "do you think the gasses have reached out mag-"

"has something happened, where are all of the soldiers?" asked PANTALONE as he entered the castle, pierro quickly pulled pantalone in and shut the door behind pantalone, "we cannot let the gasses reach the town if that happens, we will never hear the end of it."

columbina tuts, after being cut off but didn't attempt to speak again.

"gasses-?" before pantalone could ask, dottore handed him a gas mask and with no questioning, he slid it over his face, "what gas? what has happened?" pantalone asked, and before dottore could explain, sandrone said, "dottore made a mistake, broke a jar full of toxic gasses, its harming harbingers and yet he doesn't seem to... care that much."

pantalone nodded slowly, his eyes roaming across the room slowly, but his majesty was nowhere to be seen, "where is our majesty?"

everyone paused, silence overtaking them before dottore said, with a scoff, "don't worry, our majesty is in the safest room of the castle, the gasses wouldn't be able to reach our majesty so soon."

"we don't want the gasses to reach our majesty at all!" sandrone was on the verge of ripping her hair out from the frustration she felt.

"we should check on our majesty..." columbina butted in, as she tugged at the straps of the gas mask, harder.

"do you know the side effect of the gasses, dottore?" pantalone asked, and dottore shook his head, "I know nothing about the gas, I was merely messing around when the jars broke."

"so... you were just playing with toxic gasses-"

"yes."

sandrone released a sigh, as she turned away from dottore, her frustration apparent as she clenched her fist. columbina grinned at the chaos, "how long have the gasses been flowing around?" she asked.

"for more than two hours now," dottore replied before sighing, hard... he believed everyone was completely overreacting.

"we must check on our majesty... just in the case that anything has happened, " pantalone said before he turned on his heel and began to walk up the staircase which led to your room.

the front door opened once again, "hey-!"

pierro pulled CHILDE into the castle and shut the door behind him, before handing him a gas mask, "what's this for?" childe asked as he slid it onto his face.

"dottore... released toxic gasses into the air," sandrone briefly explain and childe laughed, "really? I would have never expected that from him."

"me neither," columbina grinned and childe quickly looked over to the corner where columbina was resting and cringed slightly as he nodded.

...

"your majesty...? if you don't mind, we're coming in," pantalone warned but gained no response. pantalone opened the door and looked in, you weren't by the door or on your bed.

you were by the window, on the ground. pantalone fully entered the room and dottore followed after him. "you said our majesty was safe-"

"perhaps our majesty is resting," dottore said, trying not to worry pantalone as he turned you onto your back.

the gas had definitely reached you.

he could tell, from the way you were twitching and choking on your drool, the way your eyes rolled back into your head, and the way you were barely breathing.

dottore turned to pantalone, and tried his best to remain calm as he asked, "go back down and get a gas mask for our majesty, do not take your time."

pantalone was quick to leave the room and go down the stairs, to see that CAPITANO and ARLECCHINO had arrived, "I need a gas mask for our majesty."

pierro handed a gas mask to pantalone, then he went back up, just as he was walking up the stairs, capitano asked, "is our majesty not doing well?"

"I'm sure our majesty will be fine," pantalone replied but his voice was laced with uncertainty, which caused capitano to follow after pantalone.

pantalone reentered the room and capitano followed after him, "here," he handed the mask to dottore and dottore put the mask onto you.

dottore connected his and your mask (let us all pretend that something like that exists), so that his oxygen would become your own so that you could regain consciousness soon.

you choked before a small cry left your lips, pantalone kneeled to your side and ran his fingers across your arm, "are you feeling well, your majesty?"

"...sky... the sky, " you choke out as you attempted to sit up but dottore stopped you, mumbling for you to relax because you didn't feel well.

"what about the sky, your majesty-"

"pantalone, our majesty is already confused and you are making our majesty even more confused." dottore grumbled before lifting you into his and handing you over to capitano, after unconnecting your masks.

capitano took you down the stairs, "the sky... sky," you continue to repeat and in response, capitano hushed you, saying, "your majesty, calm down... you're confusing yourself."

"lay our majesty onto that table," dottore said to capitano, knowing he couldn't take you into his laboratory, so he settled for the dining room table, "and get a blanket for our majesty," dottore said to childe who idly sat on the table.

capitano placed you once the table and you tried to sit up once again, "the sky... it-" capitano gently placed a hand onto your shoulder and with a gentle push you lay motionless on the table.

"the sky..." you mumbled idly, weakly reaching out to sandrone, who looked over to you anxiously, she quickly made her way to your side and took your hand into hers, "what's wrong, your majesty?"

but you didn't reply but continued to mindlessly mumble on about the sky. what was happening? why do you feel so bad? why are all the harbingers leaning over you with worried expressions?

"our majesty will be alright, with time, surly the side effects will fade off, our majesty's immune system is far stronger than the average human's immune system" dottore tried to calm the others, though his words didn't seem to calm them at all.

"i can't believe this!" sandrone grumbled, her fists tight as she narrowed her eyes at dottore, "this wouldn't have happened if you were a little more... more careful!"

seeing you so weak... disheartened sandrone.

"hey, you heard dottore, our majesty will be fine. just give our majesty some time to come around," childe stood at the edge of the table, a small smile on his face, as his hand rested upon your ankle, as he tried to comfort sandrone though his words didn't seem to reach her.

"what...? what's happening, where-" you pushed yourself up slowly, eyes squinted, vision blurred and hands shaking.

"your majesty-!"

"sandrone, quiet." pierro held a hand up, to silence her or anyone else who would attempt to speak.

you were silent, staring off past the harbingers and at the wall. your lips parted and breath uneven. "pierro- tell me what's happening," you commanded as you ran your fingers across the gas mask on your face, "wh-what is this?"

"dottore released toxic gasses into the air as a result of him carelessly messing around with the gasses in his laboratory." pierro replied, his tone sharp as he glanced back at dottore.

"forgive me, your majesty." dottore apologized, his eyes closely watching you as you looked around at all the harbingers.

columbina sat down beside you, her cold fingertips running across your skin, as she felt for your pulse and smiled.

"now, your majesty, you were saying something about the sky... do you remember what you were talking about?" pantalone asked.

"yes..." you started, as you tried to get off of the dining table but capitano grabbed your arm and pulled you back to where you were once sitting, "the sky... was falling. i saw it," you told the harbingers.

"falling? is that even possible?" arlecchino asked, and dottore shook his head, "completely impossible. perhaps the gasses reached her sooner than i initially thought it had," dottore mumbled to himself but sandrone, being so shaken up by what had happened, said, "this is terrible! You're just terrible. you've caused our majesty unnecessary suffering... thanks to your carelessness."

"have I not apologized countless times?" dottore asked, his eyes narrowed at sandrone, "if you hadn't been so carele-"

"stop it- the both of you. do you not realize you're making this about yourselves other than our majesty? both of you, come with me" pierro grabbed dottore and sandrone by their arms and with a less than polite grin, excused the three of them.

columbina grinned as dottore and sandrone got pulled away.

the remaining harbingers sat in silence.

childe sat at the edge of the table, his hand rubbing your ankle. to childe, it was an honor to touch your skin... your perfect skin... heck, it was an honor to even be able to serve you.

arlecchino was admittedly quite angry though she made no comments. how could dottore be so careless... our majesty could have died because of him... how dare he. she stood at your side, her hands pocketed in an attempt to look composed but by the way she was biting her lip, it was obvious that she wasn't at all happy with what happened.

capitano was at the side of arlecchino, he silently stared down at you, he was just grateful that you were okay. things could be worse. but they aren't and he's grateful for that. he wanted to hold you again but he knew if he did, he'd end up never letting you go.

columbina was sitting at your side, her cold fingertips grazing your skin, as she hummed to you. she was happy, to say the least, she didn't want to be away from you for so long ever again. she smiled softly as she held your hand.

pierro came back minutes later, "your majesty is going to recover just fine. some of the soldiers are already making recoveries themself."

the tension amongst the harbingers seemed to fade and everything seemed okay again.

#yandere x reader #yandere genshin impact #yandere #yandere scenarios #capitano x reader #capitano #yandere capitano #dottore #yandere capitano x reader #dottore x reader #yandere dottore #yandere dottore x reader #sandrone #yandere sandrone #yandere sandrone x reader #yandere columbina x reader #yandere columbina #columbina #pierro #yandere pierro x reader #yandere pierro #childe #yandere childe #yandere childe x reader #yandere arlecchino x reader #arlecchino #yandere arlecchino #yandere pantalone #yandere pantalone x reader #pantalone

[ramblingthoughtsofayoungadult]

Unpredictable, Part 10-Limoreau x black!fem!reader fic

A/N: It's been a long time coming but it's here. The next part will be the finale. Thank you all so much for your support. I love reading all your replies and messages :)

Content warnings: Swearing and some violence

Word count: 6.5k

Series Masterlist

Many experts are concerned with the pervasiveness of serial killers in a supe society. Some people propose intense ideas, like using AI or supes with predictive abilities to kill potential serial killers beforehand. Others…

I paused my fingertips over the keyboard and sighed. “It’s okay, just breathe and think of the words. Dr. Melrose is one of the nicer professors, anyway.”

Then, my fingertips started moving again.

Others think this is too extreme and argue that serial killers have a right to live as much as anyone else. Which is the dumbest idea on planet earth.

Nope, can’t submit that.

I punched my thumb on the backspace button and stared at my two semi-decent sentences. Then, I glanced down at the clock in the bottom right corner of the screen and sighed.

The essay had a minimum fifteen-page requirement and it took me an hour to come up with two sentences.

I groaned and leaned back against the swivel chair and stared up at the stark white ceiling. Last year’s campus library renovation included an impressive update of the study rooms, including making them sound-proof, power-proof, and equipped with the most state-of-the-art technology.

My textbooks and notebooks were sprawled around the table, each with color-coded highlights and meticulous notes that did nothing but make my head spin. Usually, I spent most of my writing time trimming down my page length, especially when it came to ethical issues around crimefighting. But my brain couldn’t focus despite the distraction-free environment.

No matter what I did, I kept picturing the looks on Jordan and Marie’s faces when I told them I couldn’t go to the town hall. They both looked like I had taken away a large chunk of their hope.

But I couldn’t have been that helpful anyway, I thought harshly.

Sure, I helped them gather information and connected some dots but anyone could have done that.

I clapped. “Y/N, you have to stop thinking about them and the town hall. You need to finish this paper.”

Just when I grazed my keyboard, the study room door swung open. I jumped and turned to ask the person to leave, but stopped when I saw Coco standing in the doorway. In her cropped black Tommy Hilfiger blazer and matching cigarette pants, she looked like a debate moderator. Her hair fell in perfect curls and her eyes slightly narrowed at me.

“Hey, you could have knocked,” I said as light-heartedly as I could.

Coco let the door close softly behind her before sauntering over to me. “My bad, I was in a hurry. I thought I’d find you here since you weren’t at the house.”

Coco’s tone was much shorter than usual and she kept her gaze on me. My stomach churned and I straightened up.

“Coco, it was a directive from Sydney, not me,” I explained.

Coco sighed. “I don’t know why I thought I could surprise you when you know everything.”

“Not everything.”

“Anyway, what the hell is that directive about? How does she want to ‘pursue our ambitions’ but not voice our opinions?” Coco scoffed. “I knew her whole I-care-about-all-women schtick was bullshit.”

“Did you talk to her about it?” The look Coco gave me made me shrink back into my chair.

“Why do you let her walk all over you? She made you do her dirty work.”

“As a secretary, I do have to send out communications about a variety of things; it’s part of my role. Besides, it wasn’t my decision.”

“Don’t hide behind your role, Y/N. You’ll do anything to stay good with them, even if it means missing out on a historical moment.”

I hesitated. This would not be the last time that two polar opposite politicians would face off on core issues, but it would be the first time that the main issue was supes.

“I get that you care about this since it’s your major and everything but, I have to set a good example for the other girls and the initiates.”

Coco rolled her eyes. “Do you know what the other girls and initiates are doing? They’re arguing with Sydney right now and some are trying to figure out if a shapeshifter can somehow change their appearances. Everyone wants to be a part of it; Sydney’s just scared of fallout and I know that you know that.”

While I did have many ideas about why Sydney made the decision she did, it didn’t matter. I tried to push back but it failed and I had to deal with the consequences.

“I know she’s trying to protect Si Chi’s legacy and reputation and even if I don’t agree with it, I don’t have a choice.”

“Damn it, Y/N, you always have a choice! You always choose to follow the rules but guess what? Rule followers get forgotten in history; it’s the people who stir up shit that gets remembered.”

I glanced at my laptop. “Not always.”

“Well, most of the time but that’s not the point.” Coco pulled the chair from the other side of the table around and sat next to me. “You could do some real shit in the real world if you weren’t so caught up in your own head.”

Her words made me pause. This wasn’t the first time that Coco tried to push me to “think bigger” and it was usually flattering. This time, I felt myself get more and more nauseous.

I sipped some water. “I don’t think you always have to rebel to create change.”

“There’s a time for everything.” Coco leaned back in her chair and glanced at her phone. “I have to start walking to the union before everything gets too crazy. I hope you’ll have my back at the house.”

She didn’t wait for a reply and slipped out of the room almost as quietly as she entered. Immediately, I slumped in my chair and pouted.

Not everyone could be like Coco and take risks like that. In her situation, rankings didn’t matter, she just had to graduate and network like crazy. It was different for me and anyone else who was trying to at least get a city contract; rebellion did not look good on a resume.

Coco isn’t the only one risking their reputation, my brain reminded me.

I groaned and rubbed my hands over my face. Even though Jordan was always hellbent on climbing to number one, they wanted to expose everything happening at GOD U. According to Cate, Jordan had a whole meltdown when Andre and Marie’s rankings forced them to number five. Despite all that, they wanted to do the right thing.

And then there was Marie. She’d unexpectedly received everything any GOD U student could want on a silver platter: a high ranking, backing from Vought, and promotions on social and regular media. But she never wavered when it came to the Woods.

And it’s not like I didn’t want to go to the town hall, I couldn’t. There would be cameras everywhere and the news would get back to Sydney faster than A-Train. Her icy glare sent a chill down my spine at the thought.

I shook my head.

I can’t focus on any of that, I had to focus on this essay.

Finally, I started writing:

Other people suggest that such practices are much too inhumane and that serial killers must experience early interventions as soon as possible. However, in such a situation, it is near-impossible to determine the best practices much less who would deliver them.

I smiled to myself as I kept writing and breathed a sigh of relief once I finished my thesis statement.

“Great, now all I have to do is----”

“Y/N, what the hell!” Emma demanded.

I jumped and turned to the study room door. Emma’s face was beet-red and she had detergent stains all over her sweatpants. The door slammed behind her as she stormed over to me.

“What?” I asked.

Emma shook her head. “You know what. I just got off a video call with Marie; what the hell happened?”

My stomach dropped and I almost let my head plant on the desk.

At this point, it was like the two of them were haunting me. After a couple of deep breaths, I explained Sydney’s order and how I had to break the news to Marie and Jordan. As I spoke, Emma’s expression became more solemn.

“Why would you do that? Things were going so well,” Emma mused.

“I have to keep my position in Si Chi, Emma, and I can’t do anything that messes with it.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

 I hesitated, wondering if it was a little bit of both. Emma plopped down in the chair and dropped her bag on the ground.

“I know that you’re a good-two-shoes but you’re not that way all the time. I mean, you do regularly sneak off campus with the others,” Emma pointed out.

“Not so loud. You never know who could be listening,” I insisted.

“Anyway, I get that your parents really screwed you up but, when do you get to live your life?”

The last part sounded like something a really good therapist would say. Even if those words did come from a therapist, I still wouldn’t know how to answer. Every move I made since middle school was to get me to be a successful (married/engaged) supe and that was always enough for me. Mom and Dad both seemed please with each stride I made towards that goal, but it was always limited and I never stopped to think about what I wanted.

All I knew was that I was dying to know why Shetty wanted Cate and me to be friends, how long the Woods existed, and why she created the virus. I also knew that the thought of Jordan or Marie getting hurt because of all this made my chest ache.

I fidgeted with my hands. “I am living my life.”

“Are you? Do you really want to be in the library while everyone’s at the town hall? Do you really want to give up on looking into all of this?”

I snapped my eyes up at Emma. “Of course, I want to go but I also have to play it smart. Why can’t anyone understand that?” I sighed. “I just got here, Emma, and I don’t want to lose it, I can’t lose it.”

Emma frowned. “You didn’t try to look into the future about this.”

She was confident and her gaze never left mine. I wanted to push back but, there was no point. Out of everyone, Emma knew me best and there was no point in hiding. So, I explained everything about my power loss to her. The words felt like I was digging my nails into an open wound and I could feel my throat constricting towards the end.

“Shit,” she muttered.

I nodded. “I really can’t do anything out of line now; I have no leverage for Si Chi and if they found out my powers are gone, they’d kick me out immediately. Plus, I’ll get expelled, and then what? Work for my mom or dad?”

“I’m really sorry about your powers, Y/N, but you don’t know that they’re gone for good. Plus, there are plenty of other ways you can be successful here and once you graduate. You could write a tell-all book, work in research, or model like I’ve been telling you to do forever!”

I snorted at her words, which made Emma burst out laughing. I don’t know how long we laughed for, but it felt good. However, when it stopped, a realization dawned on me.

“I don’t know, Emma, things don’t tend to work out for me if I don’t follow a plan,” I expressed.

Emma wiped some tears from her eyes. “Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe my powers going away because Cate’s brainwashed or getting caught up in a conspiracy that could get us all killed or maybe having your new boyfriend attack me.”

Emma flushed. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

I rolled my eyes. “But that all happened because I was going off the plan. I was supposed to focus and crack the Top Fifteen this year.”

“But Jordan and Marie weren’t in your plan, and they were pretty good.”

I sighed and rested my head on the desk. At first, I thought our conversation was going so well but then Emma had to bring them up.

“And it’s over before anything really even started.” I propped my chin up on my hands. “But that’s probably a good thing since I need to stay on track. I’ve only gone up to Sixteen.”  

Emma pursed her lips and straightened up. Wordlessly, she stood and slowly made her way to the other side of the table. She paced back and forth for a second before slamming her hands down on the desk.

 “No, you don’t get to talk like that. In our fifteen years of friendship, I have never seen you look at or act the way you do with Marie and Jordan. You look so happy, and you deserve to be happy, I don’t care what anyone else says and you need to start believing that.”

For a second, I thought my vision blurred but it was the tears welling up in my eyes. I willed them to stay away for a second.

“But what about Si Chi?” I wondered.

Emma groaned. “If they’re going to kick you out because you went to the town hall to be with your girlfriend and partner, then they’re idiots.” Emma stood. “But you have to decide which is more important.”

The issue was that the thought of losing either of them made me nearly hyperventilate. Si Chi was a beacon of social acceptance, but Marie and Jordan made me feel accepted. No matter how uncomfortable I felt sobbing in front of them or not wanting either of them to see me in bad lighting or makeup-less, they made me comfortable.

“They don’t want me back. They’re both…unstoppable and I’ve proven to be the exact opposite.”

“Come on, Y/N, stop with the self-doubt. I can promise you, Marie and Jordan want to be with you too, they just don’t know how to reach out.” She smirked. “You should have heard Jordan ranting about how they’d knock Sydney out of her power trip; Marie had to cut the call short to calm them down.”

I laughed a little at that. “Jordan always said that Sydney was the most mediocre telekinetic on campus.”

“But the point is they both still care a lot about you. They’re obviously hurt but you’re not totally unforgivable.”

“Thanks, Emma.”

“And if they did break up with, you always have me whenever I’m not with Sam.”

“Gee, thanks. Where is he, anyway?” “Locked away in my dorm. Could you imagine him out there in the craziness?”

“Yes.”

Emma opened her mouth to argue but got cut off by her phone alarm going off. “I have to go switch out the laundry. I hope one cycle is enough to get blood out.”

 When she left, I mulled over everything we talked about. Were she and Coco on the same wavelength or something? In both conversations, I could have started screaming at either of them but buried deep down, I knew that they both had good points.

Brink was always saying how we have to take calculated risks as heroes and it was important to minimize the damage. Even though he wasn’t my favorite professor, he did have some good points.

Maybe there was a way to minimize the damage with Si Chi and my relationship.

The thought made my hands shake as I packed up my things.

Fifteen minutes later, I was desperately trying to stop my shoulders from hiking up any further to my ears as I walked to the union. The protestors’ shouts all across the green were deafening and did nothing for my pounding head and heart. Throughout the crowd, several people were filming for social media and I did my best to avoid them.

After a few minutes, I spotted Jordan and Marie standing a couple of yards away from a side entrance that was guarded by two burly men. My heart skipped a beat as I watched their focused eyes on each other as they spoke.

Here goes nothing.

I slowly sauntered up to them, my mind racing with something, anything decent to say.

“…well, we have to figure out a way in,” Jordan muttered.

“Hi,” I chirped.

When they both faced me, I had to force myself not to try to run. Marie’s eyebrows raised and Jordan slightly narrowed her eyes at me.

“What are you doing here?” Jordan asked.

I swallowed. “I’ve had a couple of pretty intense conversations that helped me realize that you were both right: the Woods is bigger than GOD U and I should help expose it. I’m sorry about earlier, I was scared and I still am but, I want to help in any way that I can.”

The next couple of seconds felt like a million years. Finally, Marie smiled and relaxed.

“Does this mean that you don’t care about Si Chi anymore?” she asked.

“No, I’m petrified of all the cameras but I’m trying really hard not to think about it,” I admitted.

“Well, it’s a good first step. We’d love your help,” Marie declared.

Jordan paused before sighing. “Just don’t run off again.”

I agreed. “So, you’re looking for a way in?”

Marie nodded. “But we can’t get past those two without causing a scene.”

If I had my powers, solving that would have been easy but I was on my own. I glanced at the two burly guards and cocked my head.

“Did you try flirting?” I asked.

“No, and don’t even think about it,” Jordan threatened.

I turned to her. “You’re jealous about a suggestion?”

Jordan shrugged and Marie chuckled.

“Fine, that’s off the table.”

“Do you know a teleporter?” Marie asked.

“Well, there’s Gia Sharpe from Beta Ro but she’s probably inside already,” I offered.

Jordan started rolling her eyes but paused and grinned when she saw something. “That might not be necessary.”

Marie and I followed her gaze and I gasped when it landed on Justine and Renee. The two were standing on a nearby green and Justine was trying to direct Renee to hold the camera to really capture her dismayed expression. I slid behind Marie and put my head down.

“What’s wrong?” Marie asked.

I huffed. “It’s Justine.”

“Do you two have issues besides what she did to Emma?” Jordan asked.

“Sort of. She and her friend tried to rush Si Chi and after everything with Emma, I couldn’t let that happen,” I explained.

“And?” Marie prompted.

“And, I explained my concerns to the other sorority presidents, including Sydney and none of them wanted to promote her behavior.”

Marie smirked and Jordan’s grin deepened.

“You blackballed that bitch from every sorority?” Jordan teased.

“No, I just gave the other presidents information I thought they could use,” I defended.

“That’s pretty badass, Y/N,” Marie stated.

I smiled as my stomach flipped. “Anyway, I know that she doesn’t know that I did it but I have a feeling that she would take any opportunity to make me look bad.”

Jordan glanced at me for a second before turning her gaze back on Justine. Jordan’s jaw clenched and there was a new glint in their eyes that only appeared right before a fight. As she started approaching them, I moved to stand next to Marie.

“What are you doing?” Marie whispered.

“Causing a distraction,” Jordan called over her shoulder.

I gulped and stared as Jordan called Justine before delivering a right hook to her jaw. Justine stumbled for a second before straightening up, her jaw askew. She snapped it back into place with a flick of her hand and hissed something back at Jordan. Seconds later, Jordan was beaming in the middle of a full-on brawl.

“Does Jordan always get like this when they fight?” Marie asked.

“Yes. One time, they almost got us kicked out of a club because they sent a group of guys to the hospital.”

“Almost?”

“Cate.”

“Oh.”

I smiled as Jordan dodged one frat boy’s sloppy left side kick only to spin him to collide with another frat boy that was approaching her from behind. “They look really good when they fight, though.”

Suddenly, the guards rushed past us, and Marie grabbed my arm.

“Let’s go before you start drooling.”

Victoria’s makeshift green room was immaculate and complete with various notes for the town hall and water bottles and snacks. She also looked immaculate in her navy-blue suit and perfectly coiffed dark hair. Her eyes were wide, eerily wide, and it felt like she saw everything. Those eyes watched Marie with intensity as she explained everything with the Woods and handed over the drive.

Victoria rubbed her thumb over the device and pursed her lips. “What you just expressed to me is a serious matter. Have you told anyone else?”

“We don’t trust anyone else,” Marie answered.

“Understandable.” Victoria’s slow head nod made my blood boil and I didn’t know why. “Of course, I will get this into the right hands as soon as possible.”

“And we won’t get in trouble?” I asked.

Victoria faced me. “Of course not. If anything, you and your friends should be heralded as heroes. However, I understand your concerns and appreciate your courage in coming to me.”

I nodded stiffly. “Thank you for your time. You probably have plenty of other last-minute town hall things to do.”

“Yeah, thanks for listening,” Marie agreed as she stood.

“I do but, I also wanted to speak with Marie for a moment, alone.”

Her words made my heart rate pick up and I could hear several alarms going off in my head. Something was off with Victoria but I didn’t know what and I couldn’t just drag Marie out of there with no explanation.

I turned back to Marie, and she nodded. Slowly, I stood and one of Victoria’s assistants guided me out of the room. I couldn’t stop myself from pacing up and down the hallway. There was no telling what they were talking about, and I hated not knowing.

If only---

No, that won’t be helpful. I just had to be patient and wait for her.

But patience was hard when my gut felt so uneasy like it was on a rocking boat. I’d never met Victoria until then and I knew Coco thought she was an acceptable candidate. So, I had no cause to feel the way that I was feeling.

Maybe it was paranoia or stress; both were known to make people perceive things differently.

But my intuition was never wrong.

Finally, Marie walked out of the green room, her eyes wide but she seemed okay.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she confirmed.

As soon as we were out of earshot, Marie started rambling but I got the gist: Victoria was a supe with the exact same powers as Marie, she and Marie were both in the same facility as kids, and Victoria was Marie’s benefactor.

“She even told me about how she can see people’s internal organs and that it happens when you focus enough,” Marie gushed.

“That’s cool,” I mused.

The sunlight was refreshing when we got outside but it didn’t distract from the rowdy protests in front of the union. Each “Supe Lives Matter” sign made me cringe but both sides were extremely passionate. It was hard to understand why people loathed finding a middle ground so much.

“What’s wrong?” Marie asked.

“Nothing, I’m glad that we handed over the information and she was receptive,” I stated.

Marie frowned. “You’re holding back.”

The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight and I could already feel the roots of tension appearing.

“I just…I don’t have a good feeling about Victoria,” I confessed.

Marie paused in her steps and I hesitated before facing her. “What do you mean? She was our best option and she’s the one who got me in here, she can’t be that bad.”

“I know and I’m not saying she is, I just feel like something’s off.”

“Don’t start that self-sabotaging bullshit,” Marie warned.

“I’m not. You and Jordan want me to be honest and that’s what I’m trying to do. I can’t ignore my gut, Marie.”

Marie opened and closed her mouth several times. The furrow between her eyebrows was deeper than usual and I wished that I knew the best thing to say. It was difficult to tell my girlfriend that I was happy that she knew who her benefactor was but that I was also suspicious of said benefactor.

“Let’s go find Jordan,” Marie muttered.

I quietly agreed and followed Marie to the protest area since that’s where most people were. Even though I saw a couple of Greek Life people I knew, I couldn’t find Jordan.

It’s hard to say what exactly started it but in an instant, I was caught up in a sea of protestors pushing and shoving each other. Then, the shoves turned into punches and kicks. I saw several teeth get punched out of heads and people resetting their broken noses before going back in for more. All I could do was my best to dodge all the mayhem and in it, my stomach sunk when I realized that I’d lost Marie.

“Marie? Marie!” I called.

I thought I was being loud but I quickly got drowned out by the yells and grunts of the protestors. A burly jock lunged for me but I grabbed the back of his collar used the momentum to send him flying into the people behind me. I kept trying to call for Marie but got distracted by all the jostling.

Breathe, just breathe, Y/N, I thought.

Then, someone grabbed the back of my right arm and yanked me through the crowd. I yelped at the strength but couldn’t fight back as I was finally pulled to a fairly clear sidewalk. The same someone grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face them and I sighed when I made eye contact with Marie.

“Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?” Her eyes frantically searched my face and she felt all over me for any bruises. “You have some blood on your dress.”

I gasped. “Is it mine?”

Marie shook her head and hugged me.

“There you two are, we’ve gotta get out of here!” Jordan rushed as he approached us.

Marie and I pulled away and trailed after Jordan. After a few minutes, we stopped at a clear green and I slumped against a tree.

“You didn’t get in trouble for the fight?” Marie asked.

“They didn’t catch me,” he said with a wide smirk. “How did things with Neuman go?”

“Good, she actually listened to us and said she was going to hand over everything to the proper channels.” Jordan nodded. “Did she say what would happen to Shetty?”

“She wasn’t sure but probably firing,” Marie reported before glancing at me.

I huffed and pushed myself to lean straighter against the tree.

“How long will it take?” Jordan asked.

“She didn’t say,” I answered.

“But, she’ll do it; she actually wants to help, Jordan,” Marie insisted.

Then, Jordan looked at me and I glanced down at my shoes.

“What’s going on with you two?” he asked.

“Y/N’s suspicious of Victoria even though she’s willing to help us,” Marie said.

“I just have a bad feeling and I was trying to be honest,” I defended. “Plus, Jordan brought up a good question. She never gave us a timeline or the names of those she would be speaking with. There are kids still down there.”

“I’m sure Victoria will be as quick as possible. If she was willing to help me, she must be willing to help others.”

“Wait, what?” Jordan asked.

“Victoria’s my donor,” Marie explained.

“That’s amazing.” Jordan paused and looked at me. “I’m not gonna pick sides or anything but, you both have good points. Neuman is our best option to expose the Woods and have people listen. Y/N has sensitive intuition, and she might be picking up on something. But, no one should be fighting right now, especially since we just made up.”

“I didn’t mean to start a fight,” I pleaded.

“It’s not a fight, it’s a disagreement and I’m okay with dropping it for now if you are,” Marie offered.

I nodded.

“Good.” Jordan stepped closer to me and frowned. “You got caught up in the brawl.”

“I don’t think it was long, though, and I’m not hurt. Marie found me but I was able to evade several people; I even threw a guy further into the crowd.”

Jordan smiled. “That’s my freshie.”

I didn’t have long to bask in the praise since my vision was overrun with the clearest image I’d had in a long time. Cate was standing in Shetty’s pristine living room and the older woman was cowering against the wall, eyes blown wide with fear and shaking her head.

“Cate, please, don’t do this, you don’t have to do this,” Shetty’s voice echoed.

“Yes, I do, you gave me no other choice.” Cate’s voice was hollow and her eyes were bloodshot. Then, my gaze fell down to her hands and in one, she held a sizable butcher knife.

When I blinked, Jordan, Marie, Emma, and Sam were looking back at me. I flinched a little.

“Do you zone out a lot?” Sam asked.

“No, Y/N just had a vision,” Emma replied with a grin.

I slightly nodded and pushed myself off the tree. “We need to get to Cate, now.”

Shetty’s house was as pristine as any college dean’s would be: the houseplants throughout the house accentuated the ivory and pastel décor and the scent of chamomile filled the house. The space in itself oozed serenity but I felt my skin buzzing as I traipsed through the house with my friends.

Just like in my vision, Cate was standing in the living room, her back facing us. Across the room, Shetty cowered against the wall and kept trying to crawl to no avail.

“Cate, what’s going on?” Jordan asked.

When she turned to us, everyone else gasped except me. Cate’s pupils were dilated, and her eyes were redder than I’d ever seen them. Her arms rested at her sides and the butcher knife glinted in one of her ungloved hands. Cate’s loose posture would have been more concerning if I hadn’t seen what I saw.

“You were fast,” Cate commented.

“We were on our way when you called me,” Marie shared.

“I caught a glimpse of what was going on and thought we should all talk,” I added.

Cate smiled and walked over to me. “Your powers are back, that’s amazing.” She went to grab both of my hands, but I flinched.

“Thanks,” I muttered.

“Y/N, please, help me,” Shetty pleaded.

Cate whirled towards her. “Shut up! Only speak when I tell you.”

Shetty immediately closed her mouth but nothing Cate said wiped the terrified expression off the dean’s face.

“Cate, I think you pushed too much. Why don’t we sit down and you tell us what’s going on?” Marie offered.

“Also, where’s Andre?” Jordan asked.

“He had to go into the city and I feel perfectly fine. I realized that it wasn’t my powers that were making me sick, it was the prescription Shetty gave me,” Cate stated.

“What?” Emma asked.

If the prescription Cate took for her headaches somehow dulled her powers, then that meant…

“She gave you suppressants,” I concluded.

Cate nodded. “Exactly.” She turned away and started walking towards Shetty. “When Indira came home, I got her to admit to everything she’s been doing. Plus, the clips I saw from the town hall inspired me. We’ve been letting non-supes control us for far too long. They’re just scared of us because they know we should be the ones running things.”

While Cate was partly right about some non-supes being scared of supes, that didn’t mean the answer was to subjugate all of them. The situation was worse than my vision led me to believe and I wracked my brain for the best words.

“Cate, you don’t have to do this. We gave over all the information to Neuman and she’ll get it out soon,” Marie offered.

“Yeah, all of this will be exposed and Shetty and everyone else involved will face the repercussions that they should,” Jordan added.

Cate seemed unimpressed as she glanced at the knife in her hand. “That’s too good for Indira.” She faced the woman. “You brainwashed me and made me believe I was helping Luke when I was part of the reason he died. I should have reported you as soon as I got suspicious.”

Shetty shrunk away from her as much as possible and made some sort of noise behind her closed lips.

“Cate, that’s enough,” I tried.

The blonde turned to me. “Don’t you want to know why she wanted us to stay so close? Just ask and I’ll make her say.”

“You don’t have to do that, Y/N,” Jordan said.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Emma voiced.

 As I stared at the petrified dean, my curiosity didn’t matter. What did matter was that Cate was unhinged and I had to talk her down. She didn’t have her gloves on, which meant that she could peek into any of our heads at will. The best solution was to keep my head as clear as possible.

I took a deep breath and did my best to sweep away any annoying thoughts.

“I appreciate the thought but it’s okay. I don’t care about that anymore; I care about you.” I approached Cate like a zookeeper would approach a tiger. Her eyes never left mine and I forced myself to relax as I grabbed her free hand. “I’m still hurt by what you did but that doesn’t mean I hate you; none of us hate you. You’re one of my best friends and I know you have good intentions and Shetty took advantage of that.”

Cate nodded and breathed. “She did.”

“Yeah. So, why don’t we get out of here and let the police or whoever’s in charge of taking down people like her do their jobs? We can go get milkshakes at Vought-a-Burger if you want.”

Cate paused for a moment and mulled over my words. My heart rate felt like it raised with each passing second. Then, she eyed me. “Thanks for trying, Y/N but this is for your own good.”

“Cate---”

“Indira, tell Y/N what your plans were for her,” Cate cut me off.

Shetty sat up and responded, “Upon receiving your application and seeing your powers, my plan was to admit you into the school but admit you to the Woods before the end of your first semester.”

“What?” The word felt like it was punched out of me and I took a step away from Cate.

Shetty continued, “A future probability supe with a ten percent margin of error is too dangerous. There is no way of predicting any of your moves or motives and I wanted you sedated and monitored. But Brink stopped me just before sending out acceptance letters; he insisted that you were much more useful in the classroom than you were in a lab.”

My stomach churned as I kept backing away from Cate, whose gaze never left mine, and Shetty. I could feel my neck and shoulders tense and I suddenly felt lightheaded.

“Stop,” I requested.

“Keep going,” Cate instructed.

“Cate, stop!” Emma pleaded.

“She needs to hear this.”

“I disagreed with him but set up check-ins with you in an attempt to get his perspective. On first impression, I knew that you were intelligent but anxious and you had no malintent in your power use. I paired you with Cate as a peer mentor because I knew she would be able to keep a close eye on you and make sure you were taking your medicine without being suspicious,” Shetty articulated.

“Did you put me on power suppressants too?” I asked.  

“Partly. In each session, I made sure to play upon your insecurities, which would heighten your anxiety. You had so much self-doubt that your attempts to strengthen your powers were limited. Also, the medication I gave you only included a minimal amount of anti-anxiety medication. It also included power suppressants that dulled your abilities but not so much that you would notice.”

For a year and a half, I aired out all my insecurities, fears, goals, and grievances with Dean Shetty. She’d always made me feel secure in her office and was quick to offer advice. She listened every time I cried about my parents and gave me ginger tea after each episode. The fact that she’d been manipulating me and drugging me this whole time made it feel like the floor fell out from under me.

When I remembered she wanted me committed underground, I had to take really deep breaths.

She never cared about me or Cate; we were the enemy. Everything we told her was just more ammo that she could use.

“You never helped me; you almost made me worse,” I hissed.

“You’re too dangerous, all you supes are! It’s just a matter of time before you kill us all!” Shetty snapped.

“So, you kill us first?” Jordan shot back.

Shetty didn’t respond but glared defiantly at Jordan.

“She’s the enemy, Y/N, they all are. We can’t let them control us anymore,” Cate insisted.

 “But hurting her doesn’t make us any better,” I whispered.

Cate nodded slowly. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

She turned on her heel and walked back over to Shetty and I couldn’t take my eyes off the knife.

“Cate, wait, I get that Shetty’s deplorable, but she isn’t worth killing,” I pleaded.

That and all my other pleas fell on deaf ears as Cate walked over to Shetty. She turned to me and glanced at the others behind me, all were similarly asking her to stop.

“Slit your throat, Indira,” Cate ordered, handing the butcher knife to Shetty.

The woman easily accepted it and obeyed the commandment in one swift motion. The gurgling noises were the worst and my hands slapped across my mouth as I forced myself to take deep even breaths. Then, Marie brushed past me, gently pushing me closer to the others as she approached Cate.

Marie stretched a hand towards Shetty but Cate grabbed her arm.

“Cate, let me help her,” Marie insisted.

“I can’t do that. This is what she deserves,” Cate said slowly.  

For a moment I froze. Part of me wanted to lunge forward and free Marie and the other wanted to get as far away from the bloody scene as possible. Either way, I knew that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the life slowly draining from Shetty’s.

Taglist: @gardenof-venus @badbishsblog @morelovemorepeacemoretattoo-blog @darksoul100 @simiinthemirror

#black!reader #jordan li x reader #gen v x reader #marie moreau x reader #limoreau x reader

[spatialwave]

"baby, don't you know? that you're my golden hour."

pairing: pre-war!cooper howard x ftm!actor!reader word count: 2.5k summary: being an up-and-coming actor had you fighting tooth and nail for opportunities. you were young, though, still had much to learn and people to impress. you were surprised when cooper howard took it upon himself to mentor you. the cowboy star supported you through thick & thin — a light in your life that reminded you everything would be alright. warnings/tags: sfw, implied transphobia, angst, grief, mention of death, hurt/comfort, fluff. notes: as a transmasc enby, i get very passionate writing ftm!reader stories. this had been sitting in my brain for awhile, so thank you to anon for sending an ask that kicked my ass into gear and write it!

“what do you mean? they told me last week that i had the goddamn job,” your voice was loud and snappy, jaw clenching as you fell back into the chair with a heavy thud, “i did three goddamn auditions and even did a table read, now they’re saying i’m not the right fit? what the hell is that supposed to mean? i put in the fucking work already.”

you were sitting in your agent’s office full of luxury furniture, expensive paintings and the gaudiest decorations. with a red face, you huffed as he explained to you the situation at hand.

your next movie had dropped you as the supporting actor. it would’ve given you enough screen time for it to be your real breakthrough role and shoot you up into the fame and glory you’d been fighting for.

“well,” your agent sighed, leaning forward against his desk, “there’s been word going around about you.”

defensive, you furrowed your brows in confusion, “what word?”

he’d grown uncomfortable, putting one leg over the other as he rested into his chair and thought about what to say next. he needed to be careful with his words, seeing that you had been ready to knock shit off of his desk if he angered you anymore.

“i think you should read this,” he murmured, filtering through papers on his desk until he grabbed a folded newspaper and pushed it toward you.

your heart sank as you snatched the paper, eyes wide and shaky when you read the front page. it was all about you. your deadname was plastered in large text as the article detailed your past that you had gone lengths to keep out of the public eye.

you changed your name, moved away from home and started your transition quietly. you had done everything to make sure that people perceived you the way you wanted.

but life was never that easy.

your eyes settled on a few words, ‘a trusted source confirmed.’ thoughts ran through your mind, thinking of any person who you’d grown up with, family members, ex-friends—anyone who would be willing to spill career-ruining information for a quick lump of cash. 

“i had no idea—“ your agent spoke, but you cut him off.

“i was hoping to keep it that way until i was in a damn grave” you said, voice calm but cheeks red and breath heavy, “fuck this.”

there was nothing worth sticking around for, who the hell would want to hire you now? there were too many close-minded people in the world, and you could already imagine the headlines of them lumping you right in with the opposition. a trans, american communist.

fucking christ.

the following week you isolated yourself in your apartment, high-end and expensive. you couldn’t even feel comfortable in your own home because the looming possibility of being unable to pay rent was alive and very real. you stayed in your bed, wondering how on earth you thought you’d be able to careen through life without anyone finding out.

you were lucky that your mother supported you every step of the way when you were a young, confused teen. she helped you navigate your feelings and even urged you to talk to a professional. one year later, you’d started testosterone injections.

she passed three years ago, leaving you with nothing but her memories and the devastating reality that you’d be alone from here on out. you always hoped your secret died with her.

you melted away on your bed as the sound of thunder boomed loudly and shook your apartment, rotting into nothingness. sleep was on the horizon, but you’d been interrupted by a buzzing sound vibrating from your intercom. you didn’t move, keeping your eyes shut tight and hoping the sound would stop. 

buzz.

“who is it?” you asked tiredly, pressing your forehead against the buzzer.

“a friend,” a southern voice replied, full of static.

you let go of the button that connected your voice to the intercom at the entrance of your apartment, closing your eyes and wishing that cooper would turn around and leave. His pity was far from what you needed

you were angry at the world, and that included him.

swallowing a lump down your throat, you pressed the door buzzer, feeling it vibrate beneath your finger until you were certain the cooper was inside the apartment and out of the rain.

with a blanket strung over your shoulders, your bare feet padded against the hardwood flooring as you unlocked your door. three locks for safety.

you waited to hear footsteps, your ear pressed against the door while your gazed focused on nothing in particular. a shell of a human was the only way you could describe yourself.

you’d never felt this dark before.

a gentle knock rapped against the wooden door, and you had to force yourself to open it up slowly as the lights from the hallway spilled into your dim apartment. meeting cooper’s gaze left you feeling like the smallest man in the world, even if you were the same height.

“you look like crap, kid,” cooper sighed, getting a good look at you. you hadn’t showered in a couple of days and your stubble had started to grow out. for years, you’d been so meticulous with how you looked, never once letting someone see you less than your best. not even cooper.

“stating the obvious,” you murmured, stepping back to give the older man time to step in. you didn’t bother sticking around for a proper greeting, already heading back to your bed so you could collapse on top of it, burying your face into your pillows.

the sound of cooper’s footsteps made you queasy, curling into a ball and peeking out as he turned on a lamp near the doorway. 

“why didn’t ya’ tell me?” he asked, rolling up the sleeves of his button up to his elbows, having discarded his coat and hat. you rarely ever saw him dressed so casually.

through furrowed brows, you glared at him, “i didn’t have to tell anyone a goddamn thing, you know. it was my secret to keep.”

“i didn’t mean it like that,” he sighed, stepping close until you felt the bed dip down next to you, “you’re not obligated to tell anyone your secrets,” his voice was so soft, it made your stomach twist, “but you’ve been ignoring my calls. why?”

a deep, shaky breath came from you as you looked at the man sitting next to you on the bed, his face lit up by the warm lamp, “i don’t need your help. i’m fine, cooper.”

“you’re a terrible liar,” he murmured, a tiny smile on his lips, “you always have been.”

you hated how well his voice and presence soothed you. for the first time in days you felt a spark of hope in your chest, but you stomped it out before it could burn bright.

“i know,” you whispered, moving to rest upright against the headboard with the blanket tight around you, “i figured you wouldn’t want to be seen with me.”

you didn’t dare look him in the eyes because the last thing you needed was for him to feel sorry for you. it wouldn’t be the first time someone questioned your identity and been turned off by it, many of your old friends had left you in the dust. considering you some kind of freak.

yet, there was cooper howard loyally at your side, his hazel eyes showing nothing but compassion and care for you.

you could remember it clear as day, the first time you filmed a scene with him. it was your first big movie gig after years of ads and small roles on television shows, a character that would be memorable if you played it well. cooper was the lead, a sheriff with a heart of gold, and you were his loveable, naive deputy. 

feeling sick to your stomach was an understatement, you vividly remember looking in a mirror and seeing how sunken in your eyes were. you’d been trembling all morning, repeating your lines under your breath as you sweltered underneath the heat radiating from the floodlights that lit up the desert scene.

cooper approached you with that big smile of his, his teeth perfect. everything about him was perfect.

the two of you had run lines weeks and days before, but as you stared at him then, you felt your mind draw a blank. you weren’t going to make a good impression on anyone, especially him.

“you good, kid?” he asked you, head tilting as the makeup department did quick touch ups before the cameras started rolling.

“yeah. i’m great, never been better.” you forced a smile, which got a snort of laughter out of the esteemed actor.

“you’re a terrible liar,” he laughed, reaching over and giving your shoulder a few strong pats, “don’t worry, alright? remember that you’re here because you deserve it. you’ve got skill.”

the rest of the movie was a breeze.

cooper had stuck by your side since then, taking on a role like a mentor. he gave you acting tips, took you for coffee to meet with a better agent, and made sure you had all the connections you needed for making your career even bigger than his own.

you’re not even sure of the exact day you fell in love with him, but after a year of pining for him in secret, you knew you had to end things before trouble found its way to you.

then, he and barb divorced. so, like the devoted little mentee you were, you stayed by his side. 

you helped him start up his gig work, which took weeks of convincing, and it only paid just enough to get the alimony to his ex-wife. you’d even started purchasing the dinners and coffees that you two love to frequent, knowing that at some point he wouldn’t be able to treat you as much as he used to.

cooper had become your lifeline, and this was the easiest way to repay him.

“why would you think that?”

cooper’s voice snapped you out of your daze, eyes readjusting to focus on the man sitting in front of you. he sat there with his brown eyes big and wide, the golden glow from your lamp creating a halo around his head. 

“well, uh, you wouldn’t be the first to think that,” your voice was barely above a whisper as you dropped your gaze, full of shame. 

he exhaled a heavy breath out of his nose, “i’d never do that to you, you know that,” his voice was a comfort to your broken heart, “look at me, i need you to see me say it,” you listened, eyes flickering up to meet his, “i will never ruin what we have over something that makes you… you,” he whispered, his hand holding yours, “you’re the same kid in my eyes and always will be.”

your bottom lip trembled as he spoke, his words digging deep into your heart and leaving you in a mess of emotions. you’d spent the last three days convincing yourself that life was over as you knew it, that all you worked for was just a heap of wood burning away into a pile of nothing.

cooper was a testament to the fact that things would be okay, even if the world wasn’t fair. after his divorce, you knew that he’d lost out on role after role, and if he managed to keep his pride, so could you.

“shit, coop, you’re so stupidly kind,” you laughed, tears rolling down your cheeks as intense emotions flooded you for the first time in months. you weren’t much of a crier, but these wouldn’t stop, “i don’t think there’s anyone in the world who’s as goddamn nice as you. it’s almost sickening how sweet you are.”

the man grinned, “don’t go rubbin’ that in, you’ll inflate my ego and you do not wanna’ see me like that.”

you let out a god-honest laugh for the first time in days, one that made your stomach flutter and leave your cheeks a little sore. 

the days got easier after that night. cooper visited you every day, bringing you a coffee and lunch, not leaving until he got a smile out of you. the two of you would sit around chatting for hours, he’d tell you all the bullshit stories of the gigs he’d picked up. he shared how barb was going to let him take janey to the gigs, too, and you saw how bright his eyes shined at the thought of getting to be with his babygirl, even for just a few hours in a day.

cooper reminded you that it was the little things that made life manageable.

a week later, he’d convinced you to go with him to see sugarfoot at her stable the day before a birthday gig, his first time that janey would tag along.

“hey, coop?” your voice was quiet as you sat in the passenger seat of his car, eyes watching the trees pass by as you made way for the stable in a secluded area outside the city. the evening was warm and bright, filling the sky with hues of orange, red and pink.

“hm?” the man hummed, tilting his head to you, but not taking his eyes off the road.

“why me?” 

his eyes flickered to you, “what do you mean?”

“why, uh… why’d you choose to mentor me?” you mumbled.

the car slowed down as you approached the turn-off to the stable, cooper looked back to road, “guess i can’t really get away with saying it was just outta’ kindness, huh?”

you chuckled, “i want the real answer.”

as you approached the ranch, cooper rolled the vehicle to a stop and shifted into park. you moved to open up the door, but his words interrupted you.

“you reminded me of myself when i was younger,” he answered honestly, turning his head to look at you, “i figured helpin’ you out would heal my soul, or somethin’ like that.”

“how selfish of you,” you snorted, “and to think i thought you did it out of love.”

you kept laughing to yourself after you spoke, opening up the passenger door and getting out to stretch your long limbs. you turned to look over at cooper, able to see him over the roof of the car, and it was then you noticed the red blush that coated his cheeks. he couldn’t hide it from you, even if he tried.

“c’mon, coop,” you smiled, feeling your heart flutter in your chest as you stepped around the vehicle, motioning for the older man to follow, “you don’t have to admit your love to me yet, just shower me in presents and i’ll know it’s true.”

“you’re a real pain in the ass. you know that, right?” he chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. 

neither of you needed to admit it out loud just yet, the look you shared spoke more than words could.

“i do,” you said through a smile, leaning into his touch as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder and placed a gentle kiss to your temple.

you leaned back, taking one long, good look at cooper. he was breathtaking under the evening sun, his skin radiant. you’d never seen him so happy.

“thank you for everything,” you said.

the colour of my sky.   you set my world on fire. and i know, i know everything’s gonna’ be alright.

#cooper howard #cooper howard x reader #the ghoul #the ghoul x reader #cooper howard fic #the ghoul fic #pre war cooper #fallout fic #angst with a happy ending

[save-the-villainous-cat]

could i request for a hero x villain dating but neither of them know theyre hero/villain until like villain unmasks hero and oops! thats their partner of like a year. or maybe the hero makes a huge sacrifice by unmasking themselves..either way, i leave it up to you!! thanks!

The hero leaned their head back, smiling, and god, the early morning light hit their face just right. More at peace than anything else, they enjoyed the moment and despite the blood on their neck or their bruises on their fingers, they seemed happy. The villain could only watch in awe, astonished that this was the person they were dating. At least that took their mind off the fact that they were sitting on the edge of a rooftop.

“This is really unfortunate,” they said. “I didn’t see this coming at all.”

It wasn’t sarcasm and the villain knew that feeling. Shock at first, denial right after and somewhere along the way, anger and frustration mixed together. But what was there to say? What could one make of this?

One thing was quite clear; everything had changed.

“I think I should apologise, then. I’m the bad guy here.” The hero turned towards them, their face still calm, still beautiful.

“Darling, we’ve been in this for long enough to know that it’s not black and white,” the hero said. They gazed into the distance, thinking. “Isn’t it funny? We found each other in both our lives.”

They looked down, probably drowning in their own thoughts. The hero had a talent for that. Being patient.

“This makes everything a lot more difficult, though. We agreed that work is work and home is home. But now work isn’t just work anymore and home isn’t just home. Home is work and work is home and I don’t want to, no, I cannot—”

“Love,” the hero interrupted them, “I am not mad at you. God, I cannot blame you for keeping it a secret. I did too. And I know why. This isn’t a violation of trust, this is a question of protection. Who on earth would tell anyone that they’re a superhero? Who would tell them they’re a villain? I cannot be mad at you, we both made a choice.”

“This is jeopardising our relationship,” the villain reminded them. “We’ll fight here because we have to and we’ll fight at home because there is nothing else to do. Just thinking about the pain I caused…I can’t believe that it was me all along who scarred you.”

“I love you, you know? We can figure this out,” the hero said quietly.

The villain could only sigh.

What if they could not? There was no way the villain would give up on their job, they loved the hero, truly, deeply loved them but if they quit, others would take advantage of it and either expose their identity or make sure they would wake up in a coffin the next day.

Giving up their power meant giving up their protection and their own vulnerability would harm the hero as well.

“Christ, I can’t do this…” they mumbled. They looked at their feet, feeling the world spin around them. This was it, this was the end of their relationship and the hero still tried to solve it.

It was true, the world wasn’t black and white but this wasn’t really grey either.

“We can figure this out, I promise,” the hero said. “Calm down, my love.”

“I can’t,” the villain whispered and they came to the tedious conclusion that they were crumbling inside. Hadn’t they deserved this one person? Hadn’t they deserved this one home that didn’t scare them? Hadn’t they deserved to sleep next to someone without having nightmares? It fell to ashes right before their eyes, running like sand through their fingers.

Tears burnt in their eyes. Having someone in their house, in their bed who worked against them, who could use them…the villain couldn’t stand the thought. Conflicts at home were hard for them and they often caught themselves being manipulated by people they loved. The hero wasn’t like that but now the hero had the potential to become that. The first tears were rolling down their face by the time they had realised it.

“Love…” The hero’s voice was careful now, trying not to cross any lines.

“I think we should take a break,” the villain whispered and in the hero’s eyes, they could see theirs and their very own soul breaking.

#writing snippet #heroxvillain prompt #heroxvillain snippet #heroes and villains #hero #villain #hero x villain #heroxvillain #an answer for an ask #request

[no-saints-around-here]

I read Quiet Afternoon and I got to thinking, it says “tip his hand and break the sole unspoken rule he had held himself to for all these years to punish you.” Does this mean this is the first time Rindo has slept with bestie? If not, what was the first time/incident that caused Rindo to sleep with airhead best friend?

Masterlist | Quiet Afternoon

ahhh this became a lot longer then I anticipated - wrote a short fic at the bottom cause I thought it would explain what happened much better than just word vomit!

‎‎

To answer the question first: no. Its not Rindo's first time, not by a long shot.

That line is more so that Rindo is a delusional and unreliable narrator when it comes to his bestie: that is delusional and unreliable on a good day, and straight up in denial on having even held hands with you, let alone touched you, on a bad one. And this is also when this boy is at his most dangerous, willing to do anything to anyone, Ran included, to prove to himself that he was your best friend and nothing more, that you were still his sweet, naive, innocent airhead who he found especially annoying.

If you squint really hard at the implications of Rindo installing a soundproof door on his first day of moving into Bonten HQ, together with how well this boy already knows your body and your patterns by the time of the events of Quiet Afternoon, you may be able to infer that its definitely not your first tango, even if Rindo insists it is (no sweat if you didn't though, it was really very, very subtle on purpose).

And no one knows this fact better than Ran, given the older Haitani was the precise reason your purple-haired Bonten friend first broke rank against his better sense.

Rindo’s breaking point came sometime during your stardom period. All started going downhill when he reluctantly allowed you to continue to perform as an idol against his judgement on the basis of just how happy it made you - it had always been hard for this baby boy to deny you anything you wanted, and fresh out of another stint in jail, the delinquent-turn-yakuza was eager to make up for his time away from you. And this was on top of the weak spot he always had for your pouting, so no surprise that he caves as soon as you started to look the slightest bit down about having to leave your little gig so quickly after starting.

One of the caveats he does put in place in exchange for indulging you is that he is now personally in charge of your security, and that the rest of your bodyguards were from Bonten. No exceptions. Absolutely does not trust your ‘agency’ or whatever other maggots that you choose to surround yourself with, and so will take it upon himself to accompany you everywhere, to stand guard outside your changing room when he absolutely couldn’t be inside with you, fly with you everywhere you go. But of course this also means that he has to take time off work to do so, and that meant convincing Mikey to let him do so. Ran finds it amusing to what length his younger brother will go to keep you by his side (cough begging and grovelling in front of Mikey), promising that you could help to launder their money and what not. Mikey honestly couldn’t care even a lick, as long as Rindo takes the work in whatever country he ends up in.

Yet for all that he has done for you, the honeymoon period lasts only a good 6 months before everything fell apart. Rindo thought he had a good handle on things, but never has he been so under-prepared when it finally strikes your best friend just how massively popular you had become in such a short period. Everywhere you went, no matter where you toured, your concerts were all full, stuffed to the brim with fans. And oh how he detested that word.

Fans. Rabid, like mad dogs. Decked out in merchandise bearing your face and name, screaming at the stage hoping for even a smudge of your attention. even coming to the concert venue early hoping to get a glimpse of you.

Scum of the earth, how dare they ask for more than getting to breathe the same air as you?

How dare they demand more?!

The resentment of your adoring masses only built up more and more in Rindo, having to watch from the sidelines as you enthusiastically shook hands and thanked your fans for your support, dancing for them and winking at them. Like you were some sort of whore putting yourself on show for the world. Rindo would never stand for this, not for his best friend, yet he still gritted his teeth; for reasons beyond him, you were enjoying this, enjoying shaking your ass and chest at the unwashed insects.

And then all hell finally broke loose upon one of your returns to Japan after another of your tours.

‎‎

‎‎

All Downhill from Here

"Let. Me. Go," Rindo hissed as he was manhandled away from the still buzzing arrival hall by a rather amused Ran, his twisting and struggling to break free from the other’s grasp to no avail. "I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him, and then I'll kill you."

The older Haitani sighed as he continued to force his younger brother along the otherwise empty corridor. "And that is precisely why we are in this situation."

And as usual, to none of their surprise, you were at the center of it all, though your airheaded presence that Rindo’s world revolved around was nowhere in sight, having already been sent ahead to the meeting point without your best friend’s knowledge. The hallway echoed with the clicks of their shoes, joined occasionally by the buzz of machinery as they passed and the hum of air-conditioning overhead. If he had known what the day was going to bring, Ran mused, he would have proposed doing this from the start; after all, airport staff were easier to disperse and keep away compared to the hordes of fans that you attract everywhere you go, and these staff corridors were rather convenient, snaking throughout the airport and away from the public eye. 

Rindo’s cursing and swearing went in one ear and out the other as Ran continued to daydream, though the man couldn’t quite blame his unusually hot-tempered younger brother either. After all, it had been the continuous build up of months of stress, having to deal with you and your little idol gig that you insisted you wanted to keep, and this latest incident was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

A huff as Rindo finally gave up on his failed escape, his shoulders relaxing in the armlock he had been held in for the past fifteen minutes.

Ran raised an eyebrow. “You done?”

”Yeah. Let me go.”

“You sure?”

”Fuck you, I’ll get that shitstain later.”

Which was exactly what the older of the brothers wanted to hear, Ran nodding as he released Rindo without another word. Shitstain was putting it lightly in his opinion, considering how much trouble he had caused in the span of a single minute - but it wasn’t his problem to solve. As long as Rindo wasn’t attempting to pull a gun in front of the police and the public to settle his little lover’s quarrel, Ran couldn’t quite care what happened to another nobody.

Ran jerked his chin down the corridor. “She’s two doors down to the right. Security escorted her there earlier.” The room was already demarcated as yours, what with two Bonten grunts flanking each side, but he thought it would be better to make it clear, given Rindo’s state of mind. 

His younger brother was already gone before he could finish his sentence, and all Ran received as a thank you for his hard work was the slam of the door.

Ah, siblings.

‎‎

‎‎

Rindo didn’t quite see it as lightly as Ran did. 

This past day had already been particularly hellish for him by any standard measurement. It all started with the last concert of your first tour two nights ago - he had been watching from backstage, as he always did, when your skirt had ripped during your second song. The sound of cloth tearing reached his ears even over the sound of the throbbing music. He had confirmed as much when you finally returned to him waiting for you in the dressing room during the intermission, which only sealed the suspicions that churned in his sinking gut: at just the right angle, you would have flashed the fans in the first few rows, his wretched older brother seated in the VIP box included. Even if he had made you put on a new, longer skirt, it was already too late. 

And then when he had tried to drill into you about the importance of keeping your distance from those lowlives least you catch something nasty, you hadn’t taken his concerns quite as seriously as he had hoped, laughing and beaming back at him, patting his hand reassuringly and trying to convince him that they were harmless. Strike 1.

He didn’t know what he expected, Rindo had to admit to himself; you had always been such an airhead, even since childhood when he first met you. You probably wouldn’t even have survived for so long if the younger Haitani hadn’t take you under his wing as his best friend, and the least you could do to pay him back was to listen to him. All he asked was for you to stay close to him and far away from everyone else, especially Ran.

Sure, there were times like this where Rindo would be forced to allow Ran to inhabit the same space as you - seeing as his older brother had attended your concert and similarly happened to be heading back to Bonten HQ, the three of you had to share the jet - but of all the people to turn up cheekly waving merchandise with your face and name plastered all over? Well, he did say that you were one of the best he’s seen in a while, but still. The man with the short purple hair did it on purpose, Rindo was certain, and definitely to trigger an outburst from him; if you hadn’t been present, he would have strangled Ran himself for bringing up how good you looked on stage (now he was certain Ran saw your panty flashing). Strike 2.

‎

It was without a doubt that your best friend was already rather on edge as the jet finally landed back in Tokyo. It was supposed to be a secret when you would arrive, which meant that there were fans behind barricades eagerly awaiting your appearance outside the airport. Sure, fine. You were famous, whatever, Rindo could hardly bother. But what broke his dam was a single unruly fan. One man, decked out from head to toe in merchandise spouting your name and face, who had decided for very clear, unacceptable reasons to jump the fence in an attempt to ambush you. And the vein that had been throbbing on Rindo’s forehead all day finally burst. Strike 3.

If Ran hadn’t been a second faster to grip and restrain his hand, Rindo would have shot him dead before security could grab the assailant. 

And the missed opportunity continued to haunt him despite thirty minutes having already passed and nothing having happened to you, the sheer anger he had felt in that moment surging through his veins once more as Rindo stalked down the corridor, leaving Ran to talk at his back. Sure, he was going to arrange to have that scum erased, yet the upcoming torture wasn’t enough to soothe his nerves. Because how dare he? How dare that unworthy insect you called a fan even think of laying a finger on you? 

And then the heartstopping fear that chilled him to his bones that followed - what about you?

Throwing open the door and seeing your back turned to him only reinforced his sudden onset of fear, the closing of the door behind him reverberating in his ears. You were too naive, too stupid to think beyond your next meal, but what if there was someone else in the picture? Could it be that you had laughed away his concerns earlier because someone else told you so? Could it be that you continued to indulge others because you were being influenced? Could it be?

It had to be, Rindo gulped, as you finally acknowledged him, standing from your small seat and waving eagerly. Someone must have gotten to you while he was locked away in prison, brainwashing you into abandoning him and running off with them. Or worse, with Ran.

He couldn’t hear any of the words you were speaking at him, trapped in the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, his body numb as you tugged him over to the small comfy corner that the airport staff had set up for you. 

Nothing went in, Rindo staring blankly at you, though you seemed to have failed to notice your friend’s inaction until you tried to get his attention. 

”-n! Rin-rin!! Hello?”

The Bonten executive blinked, awakening to your curious face taking up his entire view. 

“Rin-rinnnnn.”

Rindo simply stood suddenly, forcing you to back away, though a beam quickly replaced your surprised expression. A quick glance around the room told him that it was empty of cameras, and he was certain enough that the grunts outside had ensured as much - they were, after all, the ones who would pay with their lives should the police ever become involved. “Bend over the table and pull down your skirt,” he ordered, though he didn’t wait for you to register his instruction, instead already moving to gently guide you.

He had to make sure that you knew who you belonged to, and no matter how much your best friend dreaded what he was going to do to you next, it was necessary. You couldn’t be trusted to know up from down, let alone keep yourself safe and away from those who wanted to do your harm. From those who wanted to see you separated from him.

“Okay!” You cheerfully agreed. “What are we doing?”

Needless to say, this fateful day was the start of the end of your career as an idol. You had a good run while it lasted.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #yandere tokyo revengers #yandere tokyo revengers x reader #tokyorev x reader #rindo haitani #yandere rindo haitani #haitani brothers #rindo haitani x reader #haitani x reader #tokyorev #tokyo rev x reader #rindou haitani x reader #haitani rindo #haitani smut #rindou smut #ran smut #rindo smut #tokyo revengers smut #bonten #cheesus answers

[siriustar8]

A little something I wrote when listening to waiting room by phoebe bridgers, please enjoy and let me know what you think !

Waiting Room

Remus was always waiting.

He waited for his father to love him.

He waited for his mother to get used to the gashes across his face, ones inflicted by his own nails ripping his skin apart from agony.

He waited for the neighborhood kids to stop throwing stones on him whenever he walked by, waited for them to see him and accept the child beneath the monster.

He waited for the school doors to open to him, to let him in.

And then he received the letter.

And he started a whole lifetime of waiting.

Remus fell in love with sirius in the first year. Sirius was rough around the edges, not used to the taste of freedom, unable to be cautious when handling it. He pranked, and stayed out after curfew, and caused a whole lot of trouble. And James' inability to refuse him anything only enabled his erratic behavior.

It was up to Remus to tether him to the earth, to keep him grounded.

It was Remus' arms around him during a breakdown that caused the tears suffocating him to finally come out. He cried on Remus' jumper for so long that the dampness never left his soul, and the wet spot will forever feel colder than the rest of his body.

It was Remus' voice, small and shaky, that told him how important he was, how wrong his parents were, how loved he must be by his baby brother. He told him in no certain terms that he was the reason remus stayed, and sirius cracked a smile at that.

It was remus' jumper that brought sirius comfort on the very bad days. When sirius couldn't get out of bed and felt the urge to hurt himself as a way to prove his worth.

It was Remus' stash of chocolate that gave him something to nibble at when the kitchen's were too far away and starving himself caught up to him.

It was Remus, always Remus. So loving, so caring, so gentle with Sirius, and ever so patient.

Waiting was a game and Remus never loses. He waited for sirius to pull his pieces together, fill the gaps left by a cursed childhood, before he ever looked at him and saw the sparkle in his eyes.

He waited for Sirius to understand, to figure out what the sparkle meant, to work out if he felt the same way.

Remus waited until their fifth year. And sirius fell harder than anyone would expect.

Remus' waiting seemed to finally pay off. He was adored by sirius, dotted on and spoiled to the extremes sometimes. Sirius was in love and happy and filthy rich, there was nothing that could've stopped the flow of gifts or detentions for kissing in the hallways.

But it all crashed down when the prank happened.

And Remus started waiting for the day it would hurt less than he loved sirius, brcause he knew that no matter how heartbroken he was, sirius will always win him back. He wasn't meant to be away from him.

It took a fairly long time, but by the end of sixth year, they started dating again, tentative and gentle, like a whisper, both of them too afraid it'll crumble.

Everything between them was so delicate, and they kept it together out of pure love and dedication to one another.

But Remus' fate was to never leave a waiting room, to be stuck in the between, in the "until". Settling wasn't good for his restless bones, and life refused to give him a respite.

James and lily were killed, and Remus knew that Sirius was innocent.

But knowing didn't change the fact that he was waiting, again. Waiting for Sirius to get out of azkaban, waiting for the wizengamot to realize their mistake, putting such a pure soul in the one place that could sully it. He waited, nights spent with his fingers around a whiskey tumbler, mornings spent with his head on a pillow, gazing out the window hoping to see a black dog down the street.

He waited for 12 years.

And Sirius was back, beautiful as always even in his filthy rags and matted hair. His eyes held the same tenderness he always reserved for Remus, as if the night stars clustered there to gaze upon the moon. His body lost it's plumpness, and the bony elbows around Remus' waist made his heart chatter, but at least he was there, in his arms. Sirius was free, or as free as you get when you escape, and he was innocent.

They spent magical days in their cottage, Remus drinking up sirius' presence, sweet as a nectar. They never fought, too busy making love, bodies showcasing how their hearts beat as one. They barely detached from each other, always a hand on a thigh or fingers intertwined or a head on a lap.

Nothing in the world made Remus feel at home, except Sirius.

They always fell into one another's orbit, star crossed lovers.

But it was Remus' job to wait.

So when Sirius fell into the veil, he had no choice but to resume waiting.

Waiting for the day he'll muster up the courage to follow him there.

#marauders #the marauders #wolfstar #marauders fanfiction #remus lupin #sirius being sirius #gender fluid sirius #remus loves sirius #sirius and regulus #remus x sirius #sirius black #sirius orion black #james & peter & remus & sirius #remus loves chocolate #moony x padfoot #james potter #wolfstar microfic #wolfstar fic #the marauders fandom #marauders era #marauders headcanon

[gibbysupremeacyisreal]

𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

Word count: 2.8k

warnings: praise kink, pet names (baby, channie, sir, good girl) unprotected sex (be smart.), swearing, choking kink(chan), jealous chan, one sided enemies to lovers.

A/N: this took me so long to write omfg. let's all give a round of applause for me 💅

You didn't want to be at this party. And he could tell. From the way you sat nervously in the corner to the way you looked mortified when anyone you didn't know tried to start up small talk with you.

He knew he shouldn't be watching you. He just, wanted to make sure you were okay. It's not as though you would appreciate his efforts, though.

You hated him. You hated how one of his dimples was deeper then the other, how good his blond hair looked with his dark eyebrows, his Australian accent that made people swoon. All of it, It was all an act.

Some people wonder whether or not the devil is real. You think he is, and he was put on this earth in a mortal form. Taking over none other then Christopher fucking Bang. God, even his name is attractive.

It pissed you off immensely that girls were trying to flirt with him. And it pissed you off even more that he couldn't care less, as his eyes were glued to you.

You squinted while looking around the room for your roommate, Felix. You loved being his roomate. He would bake for you, invite you to spend holidays with his family, let you vent to him. All under one condition.

Once a week you would have to force yourself out into the world and go to a party hosted by one of his friends. Usually Jisung, who you have grown quite accustomed to. He called it your "Weekly dose of socialization."

He cared about you. It was sweet, really. But, you weren't a big fan of it. Yes his friends are nice but so is laying in bed and watching TV.

At least that's what you thought at first. That was before you met him. Christopher Bang, most people call him Chan, a few Chris. But everyone all has one thing in common. They adore him. Well, everyone except you. You knew behind that stupidly adorable laugh and that dumb smile he got on his face when he saw someone he knew, you knew that he was a liar.

And thats because you fell for his lies.

Around a year ago when you first moved in with Lix, his friends would come over often. At first you didn't interact with them except for a casual bow everytime, but one of them stood out to you. He would come into your room and start talking to you whenever he came over, inviting you to come join the group.

You shouldn't have fallen for it. No one as high on the social ladder as him would fall for someone as antisocial as you. It just doesn't work, you should've seen that. You can't blame him, if you think about it.

The girl you caught him with when you were on your way to surprise him was beautiful, You just wish he hadn't led you on. It would've hurt less if he had told you he wasn't interested instead of you catching him with his tongue down someone else's throat.

You never spoke to him again. Actually that's not true, you have, telling him to go fuck himself or eat a bag of dicks whenever you saw him. Mature, I know. Other then that you haven't explained what you saw or even let him try to save himself. Because it wasn't worth it.

You had more important things in life to deal with. Like the importance of watching TV with your cats, while eating Felix's brownies! Nothing can go wrong in the comfort of your bed. It's a safe haven.

You looked at Chan, making eye contact before grimacing and looking away. "Gross. Men." You whispered to no one in particular. Jisung basically bolted your direction when he saw you. "My favorite gremlin! How are you?" He said with his over enthusiastic voice. "I'm would be better if you stopped talking to me, British boy." You responded, smiling at him.

"You're so kind to me." He fake sniffles, laying down on the bench you were sat on, putting his head on your lap.

"You look bored." He states, looking up at you. "Wow, Really? Wouldn't have ever known if you hadn't told me." You started brushing through his hair with your fingers untangling it, completely unaware of Chan's huff of annoyance as he saw your actions.

"This is why you're my favorite! Anyway back to ME, I'm great thanks for asking, I might be a little itty bit drunk but I might not be. Who knows!" He closes his eyes, giggling slightly whenever you would pull at his hair.

"I didn't ask about you, nerd." You groaned in faux annoyance, trying not to smile as he looked up at you, offended.

"I'm hurt, Y/N. That was so rude, you're so annoying." He swat your hand away from his hair and sat up, turning the other direction.

"I know you think I'm annoying, but in reality I'm just hot and irresistible." You flip your hair and roll your as eyes as Han chuckles.

"You're such a idiot." He smiles, laying his head on your shoulder this time, to glare at everyone from the corner.

You smile as you see your friend, Yunjin walking towards you, dragging someone along with her. "This is Chaewon, my unofficial wife!" She stated enthusiastically, smiling at the two you. Jisung looks up, suddenly interested.

"Wait... WEREN'T YOU IN I*ZONE-" Jisung starts, you immediately cover his mouth to stop him from embarrassing you. "He meant it's nice to meet you." I smiled and bowed kindly. Grimacing when the demon you called your friend licked your hand, forcing you to remove it from his mouth.

"Yeah! I meant hi!" He smiles, giggling when you wipe your hand on his shirt, maybe you went over his abs on purpose, maybe you didn't.

Chan managed to excuse himself from the one sided conversation the lady in front of him was having, he stopped paying attention to what she was saying when he saw you.

He walked over, looking at you and smiling slightly before looking to Jisung, "Hey! How've you been man?" He plops down next to him, nodding at Chaewon and Yunjin. "I'm alright. Tired, but alright." Jisung smiled back at him, laying his head back on your shoulder.

He knew. He knew what he was doing, he had too. Why else was he making eye contact with Chan while you were messing around with his hair some more.

You looked at Jisung, then at Chan, hitting Jisung's forehead lightly. "I'm gonna go get something to drink." You muttered. Getting up, Yunjin getting up to follow you, dragging Chaewon along. "He's such a dick! He always comes over just to annoy you I swear! That man gets on my nerves." Yunjin said, looking back just to glare at Chan.

Chaewon nods, "I don't know what your relationship is with him, but he's been staring all night. Thought it was weird because you didn't seem interested.." She says, grabbing a cup and getting some coke.

"It's because I'm not. I was at one point, found out he's a player and now we're here." You stated, smiling when Chaewon handed you the cup.

"Did you ever tell him that you didn't want anything to do with him anymore? Maybe he's just oblivious to the obvious cold shoulder you've been giving him.. and because he's a man." Chaewon said as she handed Yunjin her drink before getting her own.

"Maybe. I just don't really owe him one." You responded, checking your phone once again.

"Dude you waiting for someone? You keep checking that phone like you are." Yunjin asked, suddenly interested in the conversation. "Nope. Checking the time, Felix said we could leave at 11:30." You stated, looking around the room for your roomate.

You sighed when you didn't see him, excusing yourself from Yunjin and Chaewon's argument about whether or not flaming hot cheetos are better than the original and walking to the door leading outside.

You unlocked your phone, seeing you missed a text from him. You groaned as you read the message.

lix :): I'm so so sorry Y/N but I'm leaving with someone and he's rlly cute and omg ufhdidjwbg *!&$>*$?×,!$* I'll call you a Uber if you want, otherwise you can ask Chan to drive you home !! :)

me: you owe me you stupid australian. your doing my laundry for a month, fuck head.

lix:): love you <33333

"Hi.." Said someone behind you, making you jump slightly before your eyes softened.

"I know you don't really owe me anything, but I really need a ride, Chan." You stated, avoiding as much small talk as you could.

"Uh, yeah I'll drive you." He smiled awkwardly, reaching in his back pocket to make sure he didn't leave anything before walking towards his car, you following behind him.

"You haven't had anything to drink right?" You asked nervously, you didn't want to get into a car with sober him let alone drunk him.

He shook his head, opening the passenger door when you two reached his car, smiling slightly when you got in.

"Thank you. You remember where I live right?" You asked, looking over at him."I think so. Just haven't been 'round in a while." He nodded to himself, starting to drive. The first few minutes were awkward, a joke every here and there, Chan looking at you when he thought you couldn't notice, you staring at him whenever he smiled at one of the shitty jokes you made.

That's when he asked the question.

"Why did you stop talking to me, Y/N? I really liked spending time with you, you know." He frowned slightly, looking over at you when you reached a red light.

You sighed, looking down at your lap.

"I saw you kissing someone else, Chan. We went on 2 dates, you flirted with me all the time, you asked me to be your girlfriend even! Then I came over to tell you I made my decision and that I wanted us to be official and I saw her. It sucked and I knew I would start crying if I tried to explain what I saw so I decided to ignore your existence." You said in one breath, inhaling once you were done. Damn you could be a rapper.

He looked back at the road, expressionless.

"Do you want me to explain myself? Because I will. I really like you, Y/N. And if I have to explain what happened then that's what I'll do." He stated, driving once the light turned green.

"An explanation wouldn't be horrible." You mumbled, fidgeting with your nails.

He looked over at you for a moment, before sighing. "She was a friend. She invited herself over because her boyfriend had just dumped her, I comforted her, she took that as an invitation I think? She kissed me and I assume that's what you saw. Afterwards I told her I wasn't interested and we promised each other never to speak about it again." He states, reaching your apartment complex, parking and then looking over at you.

"I would never purposely hurt you, Y/N." He added.

"I feel kinda stupid now." You joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm sorry I assumed you would do that, Chan. You don't really seem like that kind of person." You smiled, opening your door and getting out.He smiled, opening the apartment door for you and standing outside. Waiting for your next move.

"Do you uh- do you wanna come up?" You asked, avoiding eye contact in the embarrassing case he said no."Yeah. I would like that a lot." He reached his hand out towards you, signaling you to take it, giggling when you do.

"You still remember our apartment number? Creep." You smiled, walking up the stairs, you started swinging your hands back and forth.

"I came here a few times when you were ignoring me, I almost knocked on your door but I ended up backing out." He looked down at your intertwined hands, his ears and nose turning a light red. He looked up as he recognized you two were on your floor.

"Pussy." You said jokingly, reaching into your purse to grab your key, unlocking your door when you reached it."

"You're so rude. I can't belive I like you. My taste concerns me." He chuckles, face softening as you laugh.

You look at him, seeing hes looking back at you. "Can I kiss you, Chan?" You ask, a sudden seriousness in your tone.

"I don't really think you deserve it." He smiled teasingly, dropping a hand to your waist and pulling you his direction.

"Shut up." You said, cupping his cheek and kissing him. He immediately reciprocated, putting his hand on the nape of your neck to deepen the kiss.

You whimper into the kiss when he bites your lip, he reached down to your thigh squeezing it before tapping it, indicating you should jump. You did, wrapping your legs around his waist as he carried you to your bedroom, you reaching behind him to shut the door.

He placed you on the bed, starting to kiss down your neck as you grabbed his hair. He lifted for a second, "You're so pretty. So fucking pretty." He said, making you sit up so he could pull off your shirt. He sat back for a minute admiring you. He smirked at the way you shrunk under his gaze.

"I'm gonna fuck you so good, baby." He smiled up at you, pulling your pants down you legs and quickly taking off his shirt.

He immediately started kissing your stomach, slowly traling his way down to your thighs, biting them gently.

You traced your fingers up his arm, digging your nails into his bicep when he starts kissing your clothed cunt. "More. Sir, please..Fuck I need more!" You started moaning, not comprehending what you were saying.

He groaned against your cunt, starting to pull off your panties, as you reach up to unclasp your bra.

"Fuck call me that again." He said, immediately attaching his mouth to your neck, making his way down to your breasts. You moaned, intertwining your fingers in his hair and pulling when he got to your nipple, taking it into his mouth and sucking slightly.

You grabbed at his pants, attempting to pull them down, failing miserably because of the angle. He stopped you, taking down his pants and boxers in one.

You moaned when you saw him fully, cock already hard and leaking pre-cum. He smirked at you, kissing you before pulling back.

"Condoms?" He asked, you looked at him, mentally cursing yourself.

"I don't have any..." You frowned. This is what you get for being bitchless you guess.

"I can go raid Lixs' drawers. Hold on, baby." He said, starting to pull his boxers back up.

"Or you can just fuck me raw." You said, suprising yourself with the amount of confidence you had in your tone.

He groaned at your words, putting a hand against your throat."You really know just what to say, huh?" He started, "Oh wait, you can't answer." He chuckles, leaning down to kiss your jawline one more time.

"You're so fucking adorable. And you're all mine. I'm gonna fuck you everyday until the only person's name you remember is mine." He said, sudden seriousness in his voice. He started teasing your entrance with his cock, your arousal already acting as lubrication.

He moaned as he pushed inside you, "Fuck you're tight, baby. Feel so good." He said, rubbing your cheek with his thumb as he tightened his grip around your neck.

He started thrusting into you, grabbing your thighs and pushing them to your chest so he could hit your sweet spot, cooing mockingly when you let out a whimper.

"Poor baby.. Does it feel too good?" He asked in fake sympathy, smiling when you nodded vigorously.

"Such a good girl, My good girl." He groaned, lifting his hand from your waist to rub your clit. He picked up his pace, his breathing becoming more rapid.

"I've waited for this for so long baby. Im fucking obsessed with you." He grunted, looking at your face and seeing your eyes shut tight.

"Cum? Please?" You asked with what little voice you had. He smiled at you, letting go of your neck so he could hear you moan as you came.

"Whenever you want, Baby. Whenever you want." He said softly, he reached down and intertwined your hands, squeezing them reassuringly.

"Thank you! Fuck, Thank you, sir." You started stringing together your words, arching your back off the bed.

He moaned your name as you came, his high immediately following yours, rubbing your thighs to try and soothe you. He laid down next to you when both of your highs turned into sensitivity.

The second you came back to reality, you immediately started laughing, Chan looked over confused,

"What? Was it bad?" He asks, nervousness apparent on his face.

"I'm obsessed with you! Oh my god, Babygirl." You said jokingly biting your lip and trying not to laugh again.

"Oh, shut up! Ms. Cum, Please." He said smiling over at you, reaching his hand over to brush the hair out of your face.

"You were going all Darth vader on me. you got a choking kink, Channie?" You smiled, raising a eyebrow. He started getting out of bed and heading towards you kitchen.

"Wowwww. You really slept with me for my food. We live in a society-" Your words were cut off as he returned with a bottle of water for you.

"Oh. Nevermind. Thanks!"

#straykids smut #skz smut #stray kids smut #Bang Chan smut #Chan smut #bangchan smut #christopher bang #chris smut #kpop smut #skz hard hours #stray kids #skz #straykids #stray kids Chan smut #straykids Chan smut #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #straykids x reader #Chan x reader

[hippolotamus]

Several Sentence Sunday 🥃

tagged by @daffi-990 @disasterbuckdiaz @wikiangela (please visit their snippets if you haven't done so... i promise it's very worth it)

was feeling angsty today and apparently all i do these days is visit various WIPs.... here's one i started over the summer based on The Great Gatsby quote 'I wish I had done everything on earth with you'.

It was a Tuesday morning. Eddie was running late. He had spent the better part of the night thinking about his now empty house, wondering how Chris was settling in and fighting the urge to call or text every five minutes. Naturally that had meant he finally fell into a deep sleep just before his alarm went off. So, he snuck into the station, bleary-eyed and in desperate need of caffeine, hoping no one would notice. Well, maybe one person. One person who would already have a black coffee with a splash of half-and-half ready in his favorite mug.  That fantasy couldn’t have been further from the nightmare that awaited him. Buck’s locker was empty, there were no traces of him in Eddie’s locker either. The red and white name tag was removed from over his turnout cubby. All of it was just- gone. Vanished. Like Evan Buckley was never there. A goddamn ghost who haunted Eddie, even after he finally resurfaced at another station far from the 118. A phantom who stopped answering his calls or showing up for celebrations on the Grant-Nash patio.  “H-hey, Eds.”  But now here he is. A specter who has the audacity to show his face at Hen and Karen’s anniversary party and approach Eddie with a too familiar nickname.  “Buck,” Eddie replies as cordially as possible without turning around. He focuses his attention on the cocktail in his hand, condensation sweating down the sides. On the pink, white and orange streamers hung from the ceiling, joined together in criss crossing arcs. Not on the voice he would know anywhere, or the way he has to fight the urge to turn around and run. Whether it’s toward his former best friend or away, he’s not exactly sure.  “How are you?” Eddie’s body stiffens, his hand clenching around the plastic cup fighting to remain whole in his grasp. How are you???? Is Buck serious right now?  He takes a deep breath, making his shoulders rise and fall in a way that Buck can’t possibly not notice. A bitter laugh escapes, falling from his lips. “‘How are you’. That’s your opener?” Eddie holds up his drink in a mock cheers, not knowing or caring if Buck saw. “Good to know your charming personality is still intact.”

no pressure tagging @thewolvesof1998 @ladydorian05 @malewifediaz @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @stereopticons @elvensorceress @giddyupbuck @monsterrae1 @spagheddiediaz @spotsandsocks @chaosandwolves @wildlife4life @heartshapedvows @loserdiaz @your-catfish-friend @statueinthestone @buddierights @911onabc @hoodie-buck @the-likesofus @fionaswhvre @barbiediaz @eowon @honestlydarkprincess @spaceprincessem @pirrusstuff @jesuisici33 @rmd-writes @apothecarose @welcometololaland LOML @lizzie-bennetdarcy @vanillahigh00 @steadfastsaturnsrings @watchyourbuck @weewootruck @exhuastedpigeon @underwater-ninja-13 @messyhairdiaz @gayedmundodiaz @fortheloveofbuddie @jamespearce9-1-1 and anyone else who wants to share

#seven sentence sunday #not even pretending it's 7 tho #buddie wip #some kind of ex-something or other to lovers i guess #buck might've run away after chris went to college #because y'know chris was the glue holding them together and what would eddie possibly want with him??? #poor confused golden retriever boy #fic: everything on earth #hippo writes #there's another snippet around here but god knows where

[songofthesibyl]

Second Bloom

A Tamlin POV of Lucien’s early days in the Spring Court.

Lucien leaned back, closing his eyes, and breathed in deeply. “Incredible. I’ll never get used to this.”

     “Maybe in a few decades.”

     “Never.” He fell back until he was against the trunk of the crabapple tree, its pink and white blossoms framing his golden-brown skin, red hair, and green-and-yellow jacket. A vision. Tamlin had never seen someone look so at home in the Spring Court. Whatever pain he was in, for the moment his face was awash in tranquility. Not a mask. Tamlin felt he truly did feel at peace, for a moment. And he wanted that for him. It was just strange to see his Court through someone else’s eyes. Every day was a revelation.

     A blossom came loose, and Lucien stuck out his tongue, letting it rest like a snowflake. After a moment, he closed his mouth around it, chewing it. And a memory was unlocked.

     “My…mother. Used to make jam from the blossoms.”

     “Apple dumplings,” Lucien replied. “In blackberry sauce.”

     “Hmm?”

     “My mother. When I was little…”

     A wind picked up, swaying between them. The blossoms would never fall completely. Buds would not turn to ripening apples. Deep crimson, and green, and pink. Falling to the earth with a soft thud.

     “We can get apples.”

     “No.” Lucien launched himself off the tree trunk with his foot. “I’m ready for something different. Continue the tour. I want to see everything.”

     They continued, walking leisurely through bluebell woods, carpets of periwinkle and violet. Oaks embraced by circlets of ivy, hawthorn tress whose scented white blossoms made Lucien scrunch up his nose in disappointment and distaste. Most of the time Tamlin merely pointed things out. He didn’t want to pry, and Lucien seemed content to take it all in. But the loneliness, and the sadness, were there, glimpsed at intervals as clouds passing, a shift in the wind. As the arc of the sun passed overhead, Lucien wiped his brow, and they walked into another wood of oak, birch, and beech, settling in amongst a sea of wild garlic. Lucien took off his coat and laid it on the ground, sitting on it and undoing the top button of his shirt. Tamlin hesitated a moment, seeing the shadow pass again. But the silence remained, and he joined him, sitting nearby and drawing up his knees to his chin, continuing to look at the world through Lucien’s eyes.

     “The weather’s even more capricious than in Autumn,” Lucien said.

     “Yes.” Winds of change, at a moment’s notice. He kept his coat on, shivering.

     Lucien eyed him. “You always wear a bandolier?”

     “I…” He seemed to notice these things. But he was not ready to talk on it yet, either. “Is it strange?”

     Lucien only looked at him, shaking his head, sensing. “I was just curious.” He turned away, leaning forward into the garlic. “Can I?”

     He sat up. “Go ahead. Anyone can forage here.”

     Lucien raised an eyebrow. “Just the garlic?”

     He huffed a laugh. “No. The Court.”

     “That’s different. My father—“ He stopped. “You have a Tithe here, right?” He gripped the stem, pulling it out in one quick motion.

     “Yes,” he sighed. “We do. That doesn’t mean I own every inch of this land. I’m its caretaker, its protector. Its—“

     Lucien took the stem of garlic, chewing on it. “Do you hunt those who can’t pay?”

     “I don’t…” He looked down, idly pulling on the grass. “I don’t hunt people.”

     Lucien looked at him, stopping what he was doing. “I was just joking. I don’t think you actually do.”

     “Before you came here?”

     “There were all sorts of rumors about you.”

     “I’m sure.”

     “But I don’t tend to care what other people think.”

     He wanted to add that perhaps they were right, but thought better of it. The air was sweet, and mild, and after a moment of looking at him, Lucien settled into place, casually chewing on the garlic stem, then lying down on his coat and closing his eyes. Such ease and tranquility he remembered feeling once, in another Court, and there was a pang in his heart. But he could not join him, feeling ill at ease. Remembering what bound him here.

     Instead he continued sitting upright, feeling tense, shivering at the wind whose sudden cold he had still not gotten used to. When the cold never settled in, when the warmth was always behind. When he thought there might be rest, for a moment.

     “Do you ever relax?” Lucien said, his eyes still closed, lying on the ground.

     “I’m High Lord.”

     “That’s not what I asked.”

     “I can’t. I don’t…have time.”

     “You have time now.”

     “Actually, we should probably get going. There has been a problem at the Wall.”

     Lucien sat up. “What problem?”

     “Humans, wanting to get in. Looking for the thin places.”

     Lucien looked down, as if understanding their impulse.

     “They’re not fae. They…it’s not that I mind them. But I…they don’t understand. They see a land of eternal Spring, and…anyway. Winter will be there soon enough. It’s understandable they’d think to come here. I suppose.” He got up. “Mostly children. Who were not alive when humans were enslaved. But who have relatives who remember. Yet they still…”

     “They have difficult lives. And it seems you’ve created a welcoming Court.” He stood up after him.

     “I thought I had done my job scaring people away.” Tamlin looked around at the idyllic landscape. “I’m tied to these lands. That’s what I mean when I say I don’t own them. They are me. But…” The wind picked up again. “If they truly reflected me…it would be winter here too.”

     A silence followed. He looked to Lucien, who was staring at him, wide-eyed. All of a sudden the corners of his mouth started to lift, blooming to a wide smile that quickly ripened to laughter.

     Tamlin looked down, turning red as Lucien’s laughter got louder and louder.

     “It’s,” he stifled a smile, crossing his arms. “It’s not that funny.”

     But Lucien only kept laughing, starting to walk out of the wood. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

     Lucien stopped, wiping his eyes, bending down over a grove of lily-of-the-valley. “Ahhh…” He breathed the scent in deeply. “These only bloom in Spring,” he said, getting up. “Not in winter.”

     Tamlin said nothing.

     “You’re a male of few words,” Lucien went on.

     “Sometimes. Usually because I get the response you just gave me.”

     “Don’t be so ridiculous, and you won’t.”

     Lucien walked on ahead, confident, beginning to know his way around. As if it were truly beginning to feel like home. Tamlin wondered how long it would take for him to change his mind. Like the children who desperately ran to his Court, until they learned the truth.

     As the manor came into view, Lucien diverted from the path, heading into the gardens. He had not spent much time showing them off. He cared for them meticulously—or he tried to—but he never lingered here. But he continued to follow Lucien’s lead, letting him do as he wished.

     “I should probably—“

     “What are these?” Lucien pointed to clusters of white flowers bordering the path to the garden.

     “Sweet alyssum.”

     Lucien bent down once again, smelling them. “Like honey.”

     “Yes. My mother planted everything here.”

     “It’s beautiful.” He began walking through. “And these?”

     “Uh…gillyflower, I think.” Scent like cloves. Lucien moved on. Asking after every flower, spending his time on each one.

     “This?”

     “Lady’s seal.”

     They passed iris and gardenia, daffodil and sweet pea. Lucien stopped again at a shower of wisteria, before moving on to the rose garden.

     “These are nice,” Lucien said. “What kind are these?”

     “Eglantine.”

     “Hmm…” He kept going.

     “I really do have to get back. You’re welcome to stay.”

     Lucien nodded at him idly. “Thank you…for the tour.”

     “It’s my pleasure.”

     “Have you thought of a position for me yet?” He asked, not looking up.

     “It…not yet. Soon. I’ll let you know. In the meantime I’ll familiarize you with more of the Court. We can go to the coast. There’s a pool the locals have taken to calling the Cauldron.”

     “Yes, I’ve heard of that. Selkies live there, don’t they?”

     “Yes. They go between here, and—“ he stopped, unable to say the word.

     “Hybern?”

     “Yes,” he sighed, tensing. “Anyway. Enjoy the gardens.”

     Lucien nodded to him.

     “And…I don’t hunt down the humans. I just want to protect them.”

     “From what?”

     “Me.”

     Lucien looked on him sadly, but Tamlin did not stay to hear anything else. He was already being ridiculous. The more he talked, the more Lucien would be turned off. He had been lured here, like those desperate children, with the promise of relief, and succor, and an end to their problems. But there was no paradise here. No end to suffering. It was merely dressed in sweet scents, and bright colors, luring them like bees or moths, until they realized it was not a bellflower, or honeysuckle, but a nepenthes, trapping them inside, feeding on them. He would learn, as the others had, in time.

     But that laughter. That full-throated, hearty laughter that rang throughout the wood. It wasn’t mean. Not mocking, like he had been used to. He didn’t think Lucien had a cruel bone in his body. He set everyone at ease here. Even himself, for a moment. And he hadn’t felt like that in a very long time.

     That night, the laughter rang in his head like the singing of bluebells. He dreamt of them. Of the laughter. Of hands in the garden. Of his burying them. Of it spreading, from the heart outwards. One by one. The eglantine, the briar. Pink tulips, and gentian. One after the other, wilting and browning and falling to the dirt. His mother’s gardens, and the meadows, and the wood, to the very end, to the coast. A blight spreading through his whole Court. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first. And then faster and faster, cresting like a wave, all the way to Hybern.

     He woke up in a sweat. He felt a moment of panic, trapped, until he realized he had run his claws through another set of sheets. He retracted them, sighing, and threw the sheets off. Every time he had woken up since he had become High Lord, he felt it, momentarily, the panic of where he was. The darkness, and the trapped feeling, needing to get out. And then the pull of the earth, dragging him down. He would struggle against it fruitlessly for a moment, an overturned beetle. And then give in, becoming limp. Letting himself settle against it. The thorns wrapping round, and digging into his flesh, and melding with his bones. Piercing his skin, as claws.

     He wanted Lucien to feel safe here, cared for, while he recovered. Welcomed. But he didn’t want him to feel settled here. To sink in, and be buried alive. Choked in blossoms and scent, while he festered inside. He wanted him to feel free, to do anything. Go anywhere.

           He could tell Lucien noticed his reluctance to name a position for him, in the days that followed. Lucien would ask, casually. And he would say he was thinking about it. And continue to familiarize him with Spring. And Lucien’s wonder, and appreciation for everything that surrounded him did not lessen. No hesitation, or boredom, or annoyance made its way in. But it only made him worry rather than reassure him. It was not good to fit in here.

     Finally, they made their way to the western coast. They walked its beaches, its cliffs, and he showed him the Cauldron, where a pod of selkies rested with their young. He had always felt a sort of kinship with them. Shapeshifters as he was, and usually wary of outsiders. And not liking to be tied down. Lucien hailed them, but they only looked curiously, and headed out to sea. He and Lucien followed after with their eyes as the selkies disappeared from sight, past the horizon to the specter of Hybern.

     “You haven’t shown me the villages here,” Lucien said, after they had stood in silence for a time. 

     His voice took awhile to hit him, mingling as it did with the wind whipping his ears. He loved how it could shut his mind off, covering him in a kind of cocoon.

     “Tamlin?”

     “Hmm? Oh, yes.” He suddenly remembered Lucien’s reputation. “I’m sorry. I’m not that…social.”

     “I’ve gathered.”

     Once Lucien met people, he would be further enmeshed here. But perhaps it was good—he must already be getting bored, and restless. He would not be enough himself. Eventually, Lucien would tire of him, and this place.

     “Tomorrow.”

     “Alright.”

     He thought Lucien would protest more, but he seemed to accept it, perhaps content with his reassurance, and the promise of what was to come.

     He hardly slept that night, tossing and turning. He kept seeing mountains, craggy hills, and forests of juniper and pine. And suspicious, warning looks. The caverns around the Cauldron were filled with bats, who entangled themselves in his hair, and bit at his neck, and drove him over the edge. He floated on the waves, the current dragging him, until he was pulled to the shore, long nails and red hair overhanging like algae. And a voice to his ear telling him he was finally home. And there was a castle, and there were tethers tightening around his wrists, and his neck. He couldn’t breathe, and he pushed against them—

     He woke up. Another torn set of sheets. He threw them off again, and leaned forward, his hair falling in front of him. And his head in his hands.

       “We don’t really have big cities here. I don’t know how interesting it will be,” he said as they set out on horseback the next day.

     Lucien looked at him wryly. “Will you let me decide that?”

     “I—“

     But Lucien had already set off, his hair flying behind him. Tamlin followed after, smiling slightly with the thrill, and the freedom. The breaking up of the earth underneath, and the drive forward.

     Lucien turned to him when he had caught up. “We have villages in the Autumn Court, too. That’s where Jes—“ He stopped, and his horse slowed to a trot, his head hanging slightly.

     It was the first time Lucien had even started to speak of her. It had been weeks.

     “Anyway,” he went on quickly. “I’m sure the villages are lovely here.”

     “They are, but I—“ He stopped.

     Lucien stared at him, waiting.

     “Nothing. Come on.”

     He led the way. The landscape of the Spring Court was largely of farmland—greens and rhubarb, spinach and radish. Berries and apricots. Herbs. Massive flower farms. Many traded with the other seasonal Courts. Even Autumn. Others raised sheep and cattle. And there were rolling hills dotted with idyllic cottages of stone mined from the region; the older houses had taken on a gold patina over time. As with everywhere else, Lucien remarked on the beauty of the area, the golden hue of the cottages reflected in his skin, accentuating his eyes. Tamlin rode through the towns and villages with him, introducing him but hanging back while Lucien spoke to everyone they passed. Asking their names, what they did. Quickly falling into a rapport with them. One after another. His own mare shook her head in impatience, sensing his anxiety and eagerness to flee. He soothed her, forcing himself to relax as well as he watched Lucien—so at ease already. Occasionally Lucien would look back, as if to see if he was alright, and he would give a reassuring smile back. And then Lucien seemed content to talk with the villagers, for hours. When he finally trotted back to him, he was more animated than he’d seen him yet, his eyes sparkling. Tamlin couldn’t help but smile in response, charmed as the villagers had been.

     “At this rate it will take years to get through every village,” he said.

     “Like I said—I’m not going to get bored.”

     “What did you talk about?”

     Lucien grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes, and rode on.

     He felt a wave of discomfort and self-consciousness, looking towards the village for a moment before following on. As if Lucien already knew the Spring Court better than he did.

     It continued like that for days. He continued to stay at a distance, watching Lucien bring life and light to each village as he had to the manor. He wanted to thank him, and remembered that, in the human world, in the solar Courts, Autumn was soon to start. A time celebrated as one of thanks. There were harvest festivals in honor of this all over the Autumn Court, the air rich with spices and the bounty of the land. Different villages would cook their signature dishes. Lucien had yet to mention his home, or his family, since almost speaking the name of his beloved. But Tamlin thought he saw a dimming of the light in him, as if the angle of it had deepened with the sun’s waning, and the shadows lengthening. Every day a little bit darker. He could not judge Lucien’s reluctance—he himself could hardly bear to speak of his mother. But there had been no word from the forest house. And he knew Lucien would be homesick. He had to be. And he thought of the peace of him surrounded by crabapple blossoms, and thought to bring it to him—the gold, and the warmth, and the sun.

     His heart raced the morning of the equinox. Light had been behind his eyes, he had dreamt of the sun. And when he awoke, he was glowing—a rare lapse in the leash he kept around his own power. He shook it off, and dressed, and waited.

     Everyone in the manor was in awe at the display. In every room, throughout the halls, spilling out of doors—anemone and dahlias. Carnations and aster. Mums, coneflowers, and zinnia. Reds and purples and oranges and yellows. He usually wasn’t much for ostentatious display.  But he had felt compelled. He waited anxiously in the dining hall for Lucien to arrive.

     “Lucien!” He said rather loudly, standing up when he finally arrived. Lucien started in response, almost in a daze.

     “What—“

     “Sit, please.” He ordered breakfast to be brought.

     Lucien stared at the bowl before him. “Apple…dumplings.”

     “In blackberry sauce, just like—“

     “Yes.”

     “I know it won’t be as good as what you’re used to, but—“

     “Tamlin…” Lucien looked up from his food at the display of sunflowers in the center of the table, and there was a look of unfathomable sadness on his face.

     “Uh—“ He indicated the serving girl to leave them. She looked at Lucien, then at him, an awkward expression on her face, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

     “Are you alright?” He asked, tentatively.

     A tear slid down Lucien’s cheek. It was the first time Tamlin had seen him cry since he had first arrived. Every other time the shadow had passed, or he had banished it, shaking it off with a laugh, plunging into each new experience. But this was the great equal. Light, and shadow. Soon, the darkness would overwhelm.

     “It’s just—those were Jes’ favorite flowers.”

     “I—“ He slumped in his chair. He was an idiot. “I’m sorry. I’ve upset you.”

     Lucien breathed in deeply. “No, it—“ He laughed, blinking as the tears continued to fall. “This smells good.”

     Tamlin watched him, waiting. Lucien trembled a moment. Then wiped his eyes, and picked up a fork and knife, cutting into the dumplings. “They’re good,” he said.

     “I’m sure they’re not like home,” he said softly.

     “No, try them. I don’t want you to just sit there watching me eat.”

     “I’m sorry.”

     Lucien looked at him until he picked up his fork. It was delicious—he would have to compliment the cook—though his palate was trained for what bloomed in Spring.

     They ate in silence, and though he knew Lucien found it annoying, he could not help but look at him at intervals—over and over—hoping for a different look, for the joy to return to his face. But at least he didn’t vomit, or gag in disgust. He finished everything. Tamlin remembered when he would hardly eat at all. When he couldn’t do anything.

     He looked down at his own plate. He had managed to finish too. He dreaded the conversation they would have now. How thoughtless he had been.

     But Lucien stood up instead. That was right. He would leave now.

     “Tamlin?”

     “Yes?”

     “Walk with me.”

     “Alright.” He sighed, and stood up, his face growing hot as they walked out into the flower-filled halls.

     “It’s beautiful. Really.”

     “You don’t have to say that. I can see it upsets you.”

     “Why did you do this? All of this?”

     “I—I thought you might want a reminder of home, on—“

     “The equinox? Do you celebrate it here?”

     “Nominally. It’s not really…”

     “A Spring Court thing? Yeah.”

     “On the border, mostly—“ He stopped. Another painful reminder. But Lucien didn’t react.

     “You really went all out.”

     “You seem to like flowers.”

     “It’s not—“ He stopped, walking outside to where there were boxes of marigolds, black-eyed susans, and zinnias. He plucked one of the zinnias, attaching it to a buttonhole, and smiled at some potted allium. Then looked at him.

     “They are beautiful, Tam. Really.”

     He smiled.

     “Can I call you Tam?”

     “No one has in quite a while. But yes. You can call me that.”

     “These. All of this.” He gestured around. “It’s beautiful. I do appreciate the gesture. And…I haven’t wanted to face—I’m still not ready.”

     “I know. I’m sorry.”

     “You don’t have to keep—“ He looked again at the purple globes of the allium. “You know these can only be planted in Autumn?”

     “…Yes.”

     “They’re, beautiful, Tam. But they’re not me. I don’t know that they’ve ever been—“ He looked at the sentries nearby, and walked on. Tamlin followed behind, giving him space.

     After a time, walking towards the rolling hills, he went on.

     “I love my home. I miss it. Every day—I don’t miss them.”

     His father and brothers. He nodded in understanding.

     “But it’s not…the land. Not really. I do love to be in nature. I think I feel…most at home in it. But it was the people. The villages, in my—Autumn. It was who I met there. It was the fields of sunflowers towards Summer—but not the flowers—it was seeing them with her. It’s not the flowers of Spring, or their scent. It’s who I’m viewing them with. Who made—makes them grow. Who nurtures, and protects them. Who gets joy from seeing them. You know, I did talk to the villagers about you.”

     “And what did they say?” He tried not to sound too anxious, but he saw Lucien smile slightly in response, sensing it.

     “Well, they said you’re not exactly…” He cleared his throat. “Approachable.”

     Tamlin looked away, crossing his arms.

     “Yes,” Lucien chuckled. “Like that. But…they know you care deeply for them. That you would do anything for them. That you’ve provided for them. Protected them. Despite how you…your early days…you chose them. And they know that. I chose this, Tam. I came here, of my own free will. Like I said before. I could have gone to Winter, or Summer.”

     “Wasn’t this closest?”

     He rolled his eyes. “Come on, you’re missing my point. Whatever people said about you—he’s a beast, he’s a monster. Instinctively, I knew I would be safe here. I still feel that way.”

     “I—I’m glad.”

     “Are you sure? You don’t want me to leave?”

     “No, I—“ He felt a tug on his heart. “Don’t leave. I’m sorry if I haven’t made you feel welcome.”

     “No, you have. But you need to stop apologizing for existing. For this Court. I want to be here.”

     “I’m so—“ He stopped himself.

     Lucien only smiled, and kept walking.

     “Autumn will always be a part of me. My mother…Jes…but I’m here now. However it happened. I have to embrace it, Tam. Everything. I have to. Do you understand?”

     He looked at him. Lucien had let his emotions come to the surface for a moment. A moment of trust, and vulnerability, that he could not betray.

     “Yes.”

     “I get the feeling, you feel like an outsider in your own Court. Like you don’t belong. Is that fair?”

     “Yes.”

     “Then that makes us two exiles in the Spring Court.”

     He bent down to admire a patch of snowdrops. “You are not your father and brothers. I am not mine.”

     Tamlin kneeled down next to him, suddenly feeling the pull of the earth.

     “You have in your Court a flower that blooms in the Spring and Autumn.” Lucien glanced at him. “Roses.”

     “Yes. Among others.”

     “So. Let us decide. To transplant ourselves. Put down roots.” He sat down next to him. “You may not feel like it, but the land is reflective of you. It’s a place I want to put roots down in. We can make this Court into anything we want. You’ve already transformed it from what it was under your father.”

     “I’ve tried. Not enough.”

     “Then let us resolve today to try harder.” He held out his hand. After a moment, Tamlin took it.

     “Good.” They shook, and Lucien released him, settling back on the earth.

     “I’ve…been thinking…” Tamlin breathed in, and out. He had made a deal, after all. “About a position for you.”

     “Court jester?”

     “No,” he laughed. “Though I wouldn’t doubt you’d excel at it.”

     Lucien smiled. “So, what is it, then?”

     “Well…you certainly have a way with words. The way you are with people…me…I sometimes…find it difficult…talking to people.”

     “You don’t say.”

     He rolled his eyes. “Lucien.”

     “Sorry, sorry. Go ahead.”

     “And with your reputation…getting along with the other Courts…I thought…would you like to be my emissary—the Spring Court emissary, I mean?”

     “Yes.”

     “…You don’t want to think about it? It would mean…at some point…going to Autumn.”

     “I’m not afraid of them.”

     “Good. Because I can’t think of anyone else I’d like to be the face of the Spring Court. Certainly no one who could make it look as good.”

     Lucien smiled to himself, looking at the ground, then looked up at him. “You’re not always so bad with words.”

     “Once in a great while.”

     They fell into silence again. He looked at the snowdrops, Lucien joining him. A moment’s pause, before the work began. The first flower of Spring, on the first day of Autumn. It fit, somehow. And he felt as if he could—reach down, from the tips of the blossoms, deep into the earth, instead of the pull from below. That he could direct it. Like a gardener, he supposed.

     And not alone.

@tamlinweek 2024 Day Three: Flower Language

#tamlin week 2024 #tamlin week #tamlin #acotar #lucien vanserra

[sserpente]

A/N: Request from @vampirexsoldier​ and based on an idea I got watching the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Enjoy, everyone!

Words: 3412 Warnings: vampire!Reader, blood, feeding, burns/fire

“That’s a terrible idea! What if she finds out?” Peter Quill bellowed with utter outrage in his voice.

Gamora’s proposal wasn’t entirely bad. The question as to How do you keep a dangerous vampire—you—who could lash out and kill everyone in seconds in check? had hung in the air unanswered until Gamora chuckled and spoke up. “You make her fall in love, how else?”

And because it was rather unlikely anyone was up for the task or even emotionally available for that matter, everyone’s eyes promptly travelled over to Mantis. She shrugged with her eyes widened.

“Okay, even if that works… who do you want to make her fall in love with? I don’t volunteer, I don’t wanna end up as Dracula’s supper!”

“Who’s Dracula?” Drax asked. Quill rolled his eyes.

Surprisingly though, it was Thor who spoke up next, a sly grin playing on his lips. “My brother.”

“Your brother is Dracula?”

“What? No. That’s not what I meant.”

“Loki? You wanna make her fall in love with the guy who almost took over Earth a few years ago? That’s not a recipe for chaos, that’s a recipe for disaster,” Quill said.

“Loki’s changed since then, Quill. And I think… I think having someone infatuated with him will do him good. Besides, I think she is his type for him to help keep up the act. She’s quite… mean.”

Gamora chuckled once more. “He won’t like that if he finds out though.”

“Are you serious? You’re seriously gonna do this?” Quill threw his hands.

“I am Groot!”

Thor’s eyes widened. “He’s what?”

“Right behind you, you oaf.” Loki’s voice slid through the air like one of his daggers and instantly, the room fell silent. Even Nebula who had elected not to partake in the conversation at all looked up to see what would happen next.

“Loki!” Thor called out innocently, turning on his heel to face him. Everyone in the room could tell that Loki’s hand must have been itching to wipe that shit-eating grin from Thor’s face.

“You heard everything we said, didn’t you?” the God of Thunder asked then.

“That I did.” He was calm. Perhaps a little too calm, even.

“So… so what do you think?”

“I think you’ve lost your mind but that’s not new.”

“Loki, please. If… I mean, if she tries anything, we’ll know you’re strong enough to defend yourself.”

“She’s like a ticking time bomb and until we can rule out she doesn’t work with the enemy, we have to… keep her at bay,” Gamora added matter-of-factly.

“I agree with my sister. She’s dangerous.”

Loki let his gaze wander over the others. Then, he sighed. “Fine. But you…” He pointed at Mantis who flinched in response. “…You lift that magic as soon as we’re off this ship.”

Thor patted his brother on the shoulder when she started nodding frantically.

“You’re staring, Trickster.” Your feet were crossed and propped up on the dashboard, careful not to press any buttons and turn off autopilot or something silly like that. You’d been engrossed in a journal Quill and Nebula had picked up from that abandoned spaceship. “Still don’t trust me?”

Technically, they didn’t want you to read it. They didn’t trust you. You couldn’t blame them really. While none of their suspicions about you were true, for you certainly wouldn’t work for someone who called himself Kang, they were right to fear you at least.

People had messed with you too much in the past. It had changed you—you, and your morals. Taking a life here and there and draining someone of their blood to guarantee your own survival might not have been noble but sometimes necessary. Besides, it was hilarious to watch people cower before you.

Looking up from the journal, you met Loki’s blue gaze observing you curiously, and tilted your head.

“Trust is for dogs.”

You’d rather not go into the story of how you ended up on the Guardians of the Galaxy’s spaceship in the first place but they were a means to an end. You needed to get far away from those disgusting demon poachers who had wanted to harvest your fangs as if you were a chicken laying eggs.

In return, you’d offered them your help with whatever it was they were planning on doing against Kang. Loki was by far the one who trusted you the least. It was funny, really. He was outrageously hot and his smile, albeit sarcastic and snarky most of the time, had—metaphorically speaking—pierced your heart with an arrow.

Falling in love sounded so ridiculous you hadn’t properly considered it yet. You were a vampire for heaven’s sake. You didn’t fall in love. If anything, you experienced physical attraction and that all too familiar throbbing right between your legs when you imagined your fangs buried in Loki’s neck all the while his cock was buried in you. You’d simply ignore how your heart jumped every time he entered the room.

Loki was walking on very thin ice today. He had recently, so you’d learned, been affiliated with some sort of time police. In some universes… multiverses (to be quite frank you still couldn’t exactly wrap your head around it all) it was Kang who was in charge of this so-called TVA, in others, they were doing everything they could to stop him.

It was a fight you were not about to get involved in any more than necessary but you had to admit, you more than just liked the formal attire he wore whenever he went back there with the help of these silly little time doors.

You’d been dancing around each other for weeks at this point and while the others steered clear of you as best as they could, Loki seemed to somehow always be around you, watching you—probably expecting that as soon as he turned his back on you, you’d go running to Kang or something like that. That, or you’d jump on his back and rip out his throat with your fangs because food was a rarity in the middle of space.

“I can’t say I’m a huge fan of dogs—being a blood-sucking creature of the night and all.”

You had indeed not fed in a while and it was starting to give you quite vivid and filthy daydreams with Loki. The number of positions you had already imagined while you were feeding on him would have had Aphrodite herself blush.

“Right. We’ll be landing on a planet called Solaris tomorrow. Mobius suspects a Kang Variant has taken precedence there.”

“You almost say that like you think I care.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Your skills are amenable. We’ll need you in this fight.”

“Really? You expect me to focus on a fight when you’ll be wearing that? All I can think about is how much I want to grab you by that tie, pull you down to me and kiss you senseless until you beg me to… well.” You winked at him.

Loki swallowed thickly. Taken aback, perhaps, that you so brazenly flirted with him or simply wary of the fact it was a vampire of all beings who was attempting to seduce him.

He opened his mouth but then closed it again without having said anything, making you chuckle triumphantly. “You’re cute when you don’t know what to say. I bet that doesn’t happen a lot.”

His eyes narrowed.

“I mean it, Loki. You’re one attractive god. If I was religious, I’d worship you over Thor anytime.”

The smile he gave you in response didn’t quite reach his eyes. It wasn’t full of suspicion as usual but it wasn’t sarcastic or mischievous either. In fact… you figured it was actually a little sad. Why you practically admitting to him that you’d fall to your knees for him elicited that kind of emotion from him though, you weren’t quite sure.

Perhaps it was for the best. As long as you couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that your heart demanded more from Loki than just his blood and his body yourself, focusing on lust and physical desire was your best bet.

With one final smirk, you returned to reading the journal. Loki made it a point not to leave the room and to instead watch you like a hawk.

And here you were now, part of a fight you had wanted to stay away from. But a promise was a promise and you had honour—you’d keep your word, if anything because that meant you got to spend more time with Loki.

Solaris was lovely. Lovelier than Earth in many aspects but then again, food was scarce and most beings on his planet were, well… inedible. It left you a little hungrier than you would have liked given the current circumstances. Plus, Loki’s throat began to look more and more delicious with every passing second.

Loki’s mysterious TVA friend had been right though. Kang—or at least, one of his many Variants—was here. He was every last bit as annoying as your involuntary travel companions had made him out to be, obsessed with ruling the multiverse and time and bla bla bla. You had to resist the urge to roll your eyes as he made you all listen to his grand plan, no doubt an entertaining stalling method for him before he’d strike. You understood him in that regard, at least. Playing with your prey before the killing blow was fun. As a vampire, you’d know.

“I knew you’d come,” Kang finally concluded after a while. “Of course, I wasn’t sure which Variants of you I’d encounter but I must admit the selection is quite disappointing.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you know what, you’re disappointing too,” Quill snapped with his gun pointed at Kang.

“I’m sure—because I’m not the Kang you were hoping to put an end to. You see, I’m always a step ahead. All of my Variants are, in fact. I volunteered to take care of you.”

“Can we kill him now?” Drax uttered. His comment earned him an eye roll from both Nebula and Gamora, followed by an angry “I am Groot”—whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

“Let’s get this over with,” Rocket added.

“I agree. It might be best to do it quickly and painlessly.” Then, much to your surprise, Kang’s cold gaze fell on you.

“You’re the vampire. I’ve heard of you. It’s quite hilarious how you end up with the infamous God of Mischief in almost every universe.” What the actual fuck. “Or have you chosen Thor instead here?”

You blinked, too stunned to speak for a second. Thor wasn’t your type at all, you had made that pretty clear to Loki, and only recently too.

“You could truly be so much more though. Why would you want to waste away with these self-proclaimed gods? I can assure you that joining me would give your eternal life a much greater purpose.”

“Yeah, go ahead and provoke her,” Quill interrupted, “She’ll rip your throat out before you can say ‘time’!”

“I’d rather gauge my own eyes out,” you added, for once agreeing with the snarky Star Lord.

“Ah, I see… you like him. Well, it wouldn’t truly be a loss, you see. I can always get a new Loki for you. One that is more… compliant.”

“Go to hell.”

“Shame. I’ll have to kill you too then. Let me start with you, actually. It will make this unpleasant fight so much less messy.”

Time to bare your fangs. You could practically feel your eyes turning red, those pointy teeth forcing their way out of your gums to become a deadly weapon. You could feel Loki’s eyes on you when it happened. Curiosity mixed with fascination and vigilance made for a delicious combination. But there was no time to swoon over him now. Not when you began to realise what Kang—calm and irksomely collected—was doing.

Fiddling with the time manipulation device on his wrist, the noise it caused was deafening. It was like the sky above you was screaming in agony as the stars moved and the moon retreated. He was speeding up time, speeding up the night… and you were out in the open, with nowhere to retreat and escape from the deadly sunrays about to dig their hot claws into your flesh.

You shrieked when the first beam hit your skin. Panic set in quickly the very moment you smelled the smoke coming from your own body, the excruciating pain that felt like falling headfirst into an active volcano.

All hell broke loose around you with both the Guardians and the two Asgardian gods breaking into a fight all the while you frantically, desperately looked around for cover, somewhere to hide. You had approximately thirty more seconds before you’d burst up in flames like a phoenix and turn to ashes—only that unlike a phoenix, you wouldn’t be reborn.

“Loki, get her out of here!” you heard Thor roar.

There. A tent. You doubted the thin ceiling made entirely of fabric would protect you for long but it would have to do. So you ran, faster than any human eye would be able to witness, abandoning the group you had promised to help.

Instead, you assessed the damage done. Grunting in pain, you eyed the burns on every inch of exposed skin. Your body was fighting it, pumping both blood and adrenaline through your system determinedly to heal you—but with the lack of nutrition lately, you soon realised that you were too weak. And then, everything around went black and someone caught you in their arms.

When you came to, you tasted blood.

“Drink. Don’t stop.” Loki. Demanding and stern, pressing his wrist against your lips. Your eyes—undoubtedly red—flattered open, a surprised sound escaping your throat. Loki’s blood tasted heavenly. Warm and sweet and salty all at the same time, it felt like you were feasting on freshly harvested honey.

Your body welcomed the feeding with open arms, demanding more and more as it slowly regained the strength it needed to properly start the healing process of your skin. You could feel it tingle and itch with every drop of blood you swallowed until you were strong enough to wrap your hands around Loki’s lower arm to pull him even closer to your face.

He was behind you, you only realised then. Your head was resting on his lap as he was kneeling on the floor, his thighs supporting your head. Fuck, you didn’t want this moment to end, ever, and for some reason, this felt even more intimate than the idea of simply fucking him while your fangs were buried deep in his flesh.

He’s saving your life, a know-it-all voice in your head whispered. That’s why.

Eventually, Loki pulled his wrist away. You licked your lips, slowly becoming more aware of your surroundings. You were back on the spaceship and the atmosphere was, quite frankly, grim.

“What happened?” you croaked, feeling several pairs of eyes on you. “Did somebody die?”

“Kang’s gone. Dead, we killed him,” Quill explained briefly and to the point.

He didn’t need to elaborate. It was a bittersweet victory—after all, there were hundreds of more dangerous Kang Variants out there and it seemed as if this one had merely served as a distraction from the real deal. What was it he had said? Somehow, you ended up with Loki in every universe? What did that even mean? In what way?

“Great. I’m going to take a shower then,” you announced. With as much grace and pride as you could muster after almost dying before all of their eyes, you climbed to your feet and strutted away, turning around the corner to get to one of the small bathroom units that came with surprisingly modern showers.

“Why did you do it?” you heard Thor ask Loki quietly once you were out of sight. You could have been mistaken but it almost seemed like there was a slight smirk in his voice. You lifted your head and froze, tuning in on the conversation. In any case, you’d like to know the answer to that question as well, after all, Loki had always been the one person on his damn spaceship trusting you the least. You surely were hoping you had now proved to him that you did not, in fact, work with Kang—in any universe for that matter.

“She was dying, Thor, and quite frankly, none of you even considered making a move and offering her blood.”

“That can’t be the only reason. Has it got something to do with what Mantis did to her? Did she… did she grow on you a little?”

“But…” Mantis started at that very moment. She was instantly cut off by Loki’s scoff.

“You keep forgetting the very people we both grew up with consider my true nature a monster too.”

“What, so you did it out of solidarity among monsters?” Quill intervened. You rolled your eyes. But what was that Thor had said? What Mantis had done to you? What did she do to you?

“But I…” Mantis started once more. Again, her words fell on deaf ears.

“You’d do well to watch your tongue, Star Lord.”

“Hey!” Mantis finally screeched. Silence. Now they were listening to her. “I haven’t made her fall in love with Loki yet! I couldn’t do it while she was awake and I’ve never seen her sleep before!”

Made her fall in love with Loki. Her words rang in your ear, floating around and repeating themselves over and over like a poltergeist in your head. Made her fall in love with Loki. They had been planning on doing that? Why? To keep you at bay, to keep you controlled? Love was a powerful instrument and that… that was foul. It was vile and outrageous, it was…

“What… what do you mean by you haven’t done it yet?” you heard Loki ask. So he’d been in on it as well.

You growled, turning on your heel to get rid of your leather trousers which were ruined now due to the sun scourging your skin.

“If you didn’t manipulate her emotions yet, then why is she constantly…”

Unfortunately, you were still a little too dizzy to do so. You took the shower curtain down with you as you slipped on the wet tiles, making them all aware of your presence again and unfortunately ending their conversation in the process.

But you were still able to figure out the rest of Loki’s unfinished sentence. He was wondering. Realising, even, perhaps, that all those things you had told him… that you found him attractive, cute, that you wanted to do such deliciously filthy things with him… you had meant them.

And perhaps—just perhaps—that was a little too much for him to bear. You could only imagine the confused looks on the others’ faces.

“If you’ll excuse me,” you finally heard him say. You didn’t even notice you were still cowering on the bathroom floor, leaning against the wall. When Loki entered the bathroom, he helped you up without a moment of hesitation, ignoring your weak protest as he did.

But then, the very second your eyes met, he knew. “You heard it.”

“Every damn word. You’re all insane if you thought that would work.”

“They thought it did. I thought it did.”

So that was why his expression was always so… so sad whenever you flirted with him. He must have thought you’d done it only because of Mantis and it had left him… disappointed? Realising this, it was hard to feel anger toward him. The others, yes. But not him. So instead, you said, “Thank you, Loki. You saved my life today. I’m in your debt—and trust me when I say that having a vampire in your debt is power on another level.” You just about managed to wink before another wave of dizziness made you stumble. The God of Mischief instantly wrapped his arms around you to steady you.

“Do you believe me now then?”

Loki smirked, returning the wink. “Yes, pet. I believe you now.”

“Then that’s your cue to kiss me, Trickster, ideally before I pass out again.”

You knew the moment his soft lips connected with yours that you would gladly pass out again if only that meant you’d feel that gorgeous mouth on you forever though.

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