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#‘you can’t shove your emotions in a closet’ yeah I can just watch
simplyghosting · 2 years
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riotkayla · 2 years
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Finding the Truth: part two
Part One 
Synopsis: A week after the shocking surprise in the parking lot, you and Eddie are now seeing each other for the first time in three years. Dustin and Eddie bicker over what to buy for the occasion. 
TW/Warnings: Use of F-word, angst, fluff if you squint
Likes, Comments, and Reblogs are welcome! Please do not copy my work for your own or I will hunt you down :)
Gif not mine!
not edited bc I didn't have time, just trying to write while the muse is still here 
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For seven days Eddie poured over pictures from Dustin and Wayne, memorizing how she looked at every moment of her life. He was in love with her and didn't even know her yet. But he did, he knew everything about her. Knew that she didn’t want to drink from a bottle for the first year of her life, loved the color green, and was basically a fish the past summer. 
Dustin called you on day four, not letting you know that Eddie was back in town and listening to the conversation. You answered on the second ring, “Hello?” breathless as the sound of a tantrum took over the background. 
“Sorry it’s Dusty- should I call back?” Eddie glared at the white receiver clutched in his friend's hand, willing you to say no. Hearing your voice for the first time hit hard. The breath was knocked from his lungs and he could picture you standing in the kitchen, barefoot most likely,  with the phone cradled between your shoulder and ear watching your daughter let out her emotions. 
You sighed, “No, it’s fine. She’s been like this all day. I took her pacifier away last night and she is not happy.” Eddie can hear the frown you’re wearing on the other side. 
“Oh well...” Dustin paused and looked at Eddie. “I have a surprise for you and Will. Wanna come over...” Eddie mouthed ‘Saturday’ to Dustin trying to stay quiet,  “Saturday to come see it?” 
“Uh..” you were craning your neck to look at the calendar on the wall. No one noticed how quiet the background had gotten, “Yeah Saturday is good. I can be there for dinner?” 
“Good, don’t forget to bring Willow over!”
“I won't Henderson,” you chuckled over the line. There was a loud crash and then a cry. “Oh shit, lemme call you back. Will just knocked something off the wall-” and the line went dead. 
------- 
It was a strange sight to see. Eddie Munson stooped down on the Barbie aisle of a Walmart close to Hawkins, looking for anything that screamed ‘I’m sorry I didn't know you existed this whole time but I love you.’ The pink clashed with his all-black outfit, making him stick out like a sore thumb. It didn't help that Dustin was hovering over him chastising every item he picked up. 
“No you can't get that one- she got three mermaid barbies for her birthday this year,” Eddie let out a very dramatic sigh and sat the plastic box down, turning to his friend. 
“If you don't shut up-” he threatened the kid. “I’m gonna shove a mermaid doll up your ass,” 
“Dude,” Dustin waved his hand around, his voice coming out as a whisper. “Not in front of the Barbies!” 
Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose. They had been up and down the aisle three times, each toy he picked up Dustin shot down. It was either a duplicate of one, had too many choking pieces, or she would never touch it. Why did he have to have the most spoiled and picky kid in all of Indiana? He was about to give up when he spotted it. A pink little electric guitar, the perfect toy for a rockstar’s kid. Eddie reached up to the top shelf it was hidden on and pulled it down, showing the item off to Dustin. “s’pretty metal, right?” 
“I don’t know how metal a plastic guitar with Barbie’s face is but sure,” Dustin shrugged. He wouldn't tell him that Wayne got her that last Christmas.  “She’ll love it.” He was pretty sure it was collecting dust in the corner of Eddie’s old closet at the trailer. 
----- 
You weren’t sure what to expect Saturday when you pulled up to the Henderson household. Dustin had been living by himself for over a year now but did he really know how to cook? It was usually you who did the cooking and planning events for the small group of people. Willow sat on your hip, face snuggled up to the crook of your neck as you waited for Dustin to answer the front door. 
The white front door creaked open, the face of Will’s “dusty-bun” greeting them with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. ”Hey hey hey there’s my favorite girl!”  He was hiding something- you recognized the look when he played with Eddie in Hellfire all those years ago. You raised an eyebrow at him as he reached to take the squirmy toddler from your grasp. “C’mon in. Dinner is almost done.” 
“Dusty,” Willow squirmed when they walked into the living room, the pink guitar propped up in a chair. “s’that mines?” You were hit with the aroma of Italian cooking, the commotion in the kitchen distracting you from the toy. Dustin let her down and she scurried over to the chair, fingers tracing over the picture of Barbie on the hard plastic. 
“Steve here?” You ask, dropping your car keys on the coffee table and heading towards the intoxicating aroma of cooked garlic. Dustin was right on your heels, hand tugging on the sleeve of your jacket making you halt. “What?” 
“Before you go in there I just want you to know I tried really, really hard to keep this a secret. Like really hard but he knows how to crack me,” You furrowed your eyebrows, the sound of footfalls on the carpeted section making you turn. 
Eddie stood in the door, a hand towel thrown over his shoulder and dark eyes looking you up and down. “Hey bug,” he offered, the old pet name rolling off his tongue with ease. Your eyes took him in, ripped black jeans, a black fitted tee, your engagement ring hanging from the chain around his neck. 
Your breath caught in your throat, and for a split second, it was just the two of you. Had the circumstances been different this could have been just another normal day for the two of you. Dustin’s presence brought them back to their heartbreaking reality. 
“Eddie?” You finally turned to Dustin with a groan. “You told him about Willow?” 
“I figured it out on my own,” You turned back to face him, already feeling the walls you had built over the years starting to crack. At this moment the world-famous rockstar was just a guy. A guy who just found out he was a dad. Eddie seemed smaller standing in the doorway, eyes apologetic. “Saw your mom with her last week and I just had this gut feeling when she looked at me.” 
Your eyes were locked on Eddie but his were locked on the small kid peaking from behind the couch- two sets of identical eyes focused on each other. Slowly he kneeled down to be the same height as her, an inviting smile dancing across his rosy lips. “Hi I’m Eddie,” he murmured to the girl, offering her a hand. 
“I know,” Willow quips, cocking her head to the side and moving towards the male. “Gwandpa Wayne tells me stowies ‘bout you.” Dustin wrapped an around your shoulder, both of you taking in the scene. Willow moves cautiously to her dad, a little hand outstretched and ready to play with the long curls as soon as she's in reach. Eddie’s eyes look up at you waiting on a confirmation. You nod, knowing that you wouldn't be able to keep her away from him anymore. 
Eddie pulls Willow into a hug, the child instinctively nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and wrapping her little arms around his neck. She knew from the moment she saw him in the parking lot that day who he was. Wayne had spent countless hours telling her stories about dear old dad and what he was doing out in the world. Pictures of Eddie sat against the wall along with newspaper clippings about his band. Willow had grown up knowing her dad was a rockstar. Eddie kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of strawberry shampoo and the familiar scent of you. 
“Well I really hate to break up this moment but, is dinner ready?” Dustin asked, squeezing your side with a smile. You shook your head, peeling yourself from his side and moving into the kitchen to see what Eddie had attempted to cook. Dustin stayed in his spot, watching Eddie interact with Willow. 
You were busy setting the table, placing porcelain plates loaded down with spaghetti into the chairs when Eddie came into the room. The sounds of Dustin and Willow playing with the toy guitar floated from the other room. 
“Hey,” it came from you softly, afraid that talking any louder would break the moment and the past would rear its ugly head back at the two of you. 
“Hi,” Eddie’s fingers drummed against the tabletop, a nervous habit he had since middle school. “So.. we have a kid- s’fucking crazy.”
“Yeah it is,” you wrapped your arms around yourself, knowing good and well that you would reach for Eddie if you didn't. The moment was intoxicatingly domestic, something you had been yearning for over the years. “Are you mad?” 
“At first, yeah. Almost knocked the shit outta Henderson when I came over last week but, uhh,” he rubbed the back of his neck, another nervous habit. “After I found out more about her I just wanted to meet her. She’s fucking perfect Bug.” 
“Yeah, at least we did one thing right,” you turn away from him, moving to the counter to cut up the pieces of spaghetti for Willow to eat. You had thought about reaching out sometimes when Wayne had her for the weekend, but how does someone casually drop a bomb like that over an international call? 
Your back was still turned to him, a fork cutting noodles and meatballs into smaller sections when Eddie moved from his spot to be closer to you. “Can we talk more about this later? Maybe Uncle Dusty can watch her tomorrow?” He was in your personal space, hand pressing into the small of your back. You searched his eyes for any trace of mischief but there was nothing joking in his gaze. 
“Yeah, we can get lunch tomorrow?” 
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Runaway Wolf - Chapter 5c
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*Warning Adult Content*
Liam Blackman
“Boyfriend?’ I watched him, cautiously searching his face hard, for a violent or negative reaction.
I bit my lip as I nodded.
“Yeah. His name is Matt, Matthew,” I was stuttering.
My wolf didn’t like it that I was telling him about Matt but I didn’t care because that was who I was with.
“So that makes you… gay?”
It didn’t really come out like a question but more like he was he was trying to test the word for the first time.
I felt my hands beginning to sweat and my heart could rival a cheetah at full speed as I watched him anxiously.
‘Please don’t do this to me again,’ I begged silently and my wolf whined desperate for acceptance from his mate.
Kyle blinked gazing back down at the jeans and reached to pick them up.
“The shirts are in here?” he asked his back to me as he walked over to the closet.
“Yeah,” I breathed.
He wasn’t showing any signs of revulsion at my confession.
He opened the sliding door to grab at a plain black shirt.
“Thanks,” he said to me his grey eyes showing no hidden emotion just gratefulness just like last night when I told him he could stay.
I nodded in a daze at this unexpected reaction.
'Wow.'
“So how long have you known Matthew or been together?” Kyle asked suddenly.
We were sitting in a quiet restaurant called Grilled It.
I loved to go here... they had the best glazed salmon.
You may not believe me but all us wolves love a good fish ever so often.
I nearly choked on my peas at the question coming from his mouth.
I looked up at him and he had a curious expression.
I swallowed the food lodged in my throat before gulping down a bit of water.
“A-a few years now.”
He nodded shifting his attention back to his medium rare steak.
His knife slides through it so easily, now that I showed him how to cut it since he forgot that too.
There was a puddle of red juices under the steak at the pressure he put on it.
I was fascinated and mesmerized at the way he slipped the red morsel into his mouth and how his eyes darkened a stormy grey every time he tasted the blood and meat on his tongue.
I ordered it like this for him on purpose to see if it would awaken his sleeping wolf or to see if it was still there.
I wanted it to be as close to a hunt and kill experience as he possibly could get.
And it worked, Kyle’s dormant wolf was enjoying his bloody prey even if Kyle didn’t notice this, he was just loving his meal.
“Is your food good?”
He nodded quickly getting another bigger bite in his beautiful mouth… ugh there I go again.
Even watching him freaking eat is turning me on.
Oh how I wish I could cut it for him and feed him a piece myself.
Sighing I turned back to my fish and shoved a bit in my own mouth to distract myself.
“Do you love this Matt of yours?” there he goes again with the crazy unexpected questions and making me choke on my yummy fish.  
“E-excuse me?” I coughed hitting my chest.
Kyle straightened in his chair watching me in concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I waved him off finally getting the fish down.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
I once again gulped down water.
Kyle frowned at me before relaxing back in his chair.
“So do you?”
I glanced at him warily.
“That’s kind of a personally question Kyle,” I told him.
He raised a dark brow.
“Is it?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
He bit the inside of his check in thought.
“Why? It’s just a simple question isn’t it?”
I closed my eyes and tried my best to find the right answer to this.
“Not really in my case. I’ve had a hard love life, you could say and... the last person I gave my heart too, didn’t want it, so I kind of gave up on such things. So to answer your question is no... I don’t love him. I don’t think I can honestly love anyone, like I did back then, ever again but I care for Matthew deeply, if that makes sense.”
I can’t believe I just told him that.
Kyle’s perfect face was drawn in a frown, he was so closed off I couldn’t tell what he was thinking except that fact something was indeed on his mind.  
Once our meal was down I paid for the bill and stood.
I needed to get home before that pup messed up anything in my apartment. We walked out climbing in my 78’ Mustang my dad and I refurbished a while ago. I didn’t really use it, just when I had to go far from my apartment or grocery shopping but mostly everything was in walking distance.
“I talked to Alp... Liam... my friend from the house we lived at and he said he’s going to send your information tomorrow, so it should arrive this week or so,” I said to him catching my slip up just in time.
Kyle glanced at me with wide eyes.
“Really?”
I could feel the excitement radiating off him and I could help the smile from slipping on my face.
“Yeah, he was about to get you a plane ticket to fly back home to your parents,” I paused to meet his gaze squarely.
“Would you rather go back. I can call him and tell him to do that instead.”
I watched him shift uncomfortably.
“My parents?” he whispered and I nodded slowly.
“I’m pretty sure they miss and your sister.”
“Why didn’t you tell him to get the plane ticket?” he asked softly.
I shrugged glancing down at my lap where I fiddled with my car keys.
“I thought you deserved to have a chose. I told you I don’t mind you staying and I thought it would be overwhelming to be surrounded by faces you don’t recognize… though you don’t recognize mine either.” I chuckled nervously.
He let out a huff of laughter.   
“As much as I want to know who my family is I-I’m kind of scared to so I think I’ll keep you up on the offer of staying here… at least of a little while.”
He looked out towards the sidewalk of walking pedestrians with a thoughtful expression.
I sighed thinking of how hard all this must be for him and wishing I could do so much more that I am but I couldn’t these things took time and in my case the more time with Kyle Parker meant the closer to heartbreak I was getting.
Man who knew I was such a masochist.
I started up my car right when my phone buzzed with a text.
Reaching in my pocket I pulled it out to see one new message on my screen with a picture of Matthew’s face and my heart skipped.
I swiped it open to see in all caps.
WHY THE HELL IS THERE A FUCKING WOLF IN YOU HOUSE
'Oh crap.'
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wench-and-jezebel · 1 year
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Stranger Things Reaction: The Weirdo on Maple Street
Wench (@scripted-downfall) reacts: A Flashback Series
See this link for context
Dustin, it’s not like all you did was clap; you kinda lunged at her.  She could be not-deaf, or she could be deaf and have eyes alkdsjf
Okay, look, I guess how people see this as “Oh, look, Mike’s so in-tune with her, he’s realizing she’s scared and cold and drenched and all.”  But.  Also.  Have you considered.  That he’s literally the caretaker of the group?  Steve is the overall babysitter/caretaker, eventually, of course, but, of the kids, Mike is the one who’s always anticipating people’s emotions.  He’s always ultra-aware of Will, sure, and El, but there are other examples.  I’ll start mentioning them when I see them.
Well, there’s one; the other two instantly turn around, but he stops her, points out the bathroom, etc.
Noticing a trend of compromise here; I remember the “compromise” and “halfway happy” scene with Hopper in the later ep, and now there’s Mike going to close the door, Eleven stopping him, and him putting it cracked instead.  I don’t know what this says, but it says something.
Dustin being adorable alkdsjf
“Like Michael Myers”  Foreshadowingggg
DUSTIN.  WE KNOW SHE ALMOST TOOK OFF HER SHIRT.  CALM THY SELF, PLEASE  (but also you’re adorable)
“I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods.”  -Mike, s4.  Buddy, what do you mean???  You legit found her and went, “here’s how we can get out of having to worry about her and her potential backstory from the asylum, and then we go out again, and this time we find Will.”  WDYM YOUR LIFE STARTED WITH EL???  (Shhh.  Not me having spoilers from s4 or anything…)
Oh, look, the yellow phone returns
Ouch
Mike, you’re so subtle
I love the Mike-taunting-Nancy-with-innuendos thing here.  “What’s your test on again?  Human Anatomy”  aka the sibling “I know what you did and I’ll tell if you don’t hush.” 
Okay, but the fact that El's somehow managing to stay in someone's house without any adult ever noticing a;kdsfj;lkadjf
I’m sorry, but this is just… not how a romance would be shot.  Mike is concerned and caring, yeah, but not like a boyfriend, I’m sorry.
All the Upside-Down places being cool-colored, and all the party scenes being warm
WAIT THE JACKET JONATHAN’S WEARING.  I’VE SEEN THAT BEFORE.  YOU’VE SHOWN ME THAT SOMEWHERE BEFORE
The awkwardly hovering blurry figures over her shoulder
She still looks so different
I KNOW.  WAYNE’S WEARING IT.  WHEN HE’S PUTTING UP THE EDDIE POSTERS… not to push my Eddie-lives agenda, but.  I’ve heard about him and I don’t accept the Eddie-dies agenda, so.
Dustin.  Let.  The shirt thing. Go.
“Nice, right?  It’s a 22-inch.”  The contrast between then and now aldskjf
El getting to have some degree of fun with the chair is precious
Love this song.  Even before I watched this show, I loved it, but even more so now.
Jonathan, pushing against conformity for the sake of conformity since season 1 episode 2.
If this shopowner can afford giving her an advance, he sucks for not just giving it to her; if he can’t, I sympathize.  Idk how to feel, tbh.
Nooo, poor Mike. I understand, tho.  I, too, rant about my fixations until the other person walks off.  ‘Tis sad, every time
Mike and Will practically hugging in the photo though (photo post here)
Mike legit almost ran out in front of his mom with El right behind him; y’all ain’t inconspicuous
Um.  Just pointing out the symbolism of Mike suggesting hiding in the closet as a viable defense mechanism
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide anything.”  *thump*  “Is there someone else here?”  “Nope!”  That went well.
Poor El
Poor Joyce
I think I’m gonna write those four words a lot for this show
Poor Benny  (See?)
Um.  *Jonathan shoves Lonnie off him*  “You’ve gotten stronger”  SIR?!  I don’t like that insinuation.
Dustin is adorable.
Oop, spooky door slamming motion.  And nosebleed.
(I’m sorry, but I have to say… It’s a pet peeve of mine that the blood never changes from that same, one-centimeter drip out of her left nostril.  Like, it’s the stupidest thing, but it irks me.)
Lonnie, you’re an asshole.
Oh, he actually tried it: “Look, all I’m saying is, maybe I’m not the asshole, right?”  No, sorry, Lonnie, you’re definitely the asshole.  Many times over, in fact.
Dustin is the only one acting normal; he’s so cute
Y’all ain’t acting normal; it’s a wonder no one’s noticed
I’ve had Dustin’s “spasm” thing in my head ever since I first saw that episode.
Nancy being mean to Dustin again :(
Go Mr. Clarke, finding the clue
Dustin continues to be my beloved
Poor El
“A friend…”  “Is something you’d do anything for.”  “You lend them your cool stuff, like comic books and trading cards.”  These two answers are not equivalent, btw, and it’s very easy to tell which is Mike talking about Will and which is Dustin talking about Will.  *cough cough* Byler *cough cough*
Dustin and Lucas in the background were quality.
Barb deserves better
“Is that a new bra?”  “...No.”  Mmmhmmm
Who tf is this chick? Hopper had a gf?
Ma’am just wiped off their campaign map; how dare.  Better hope Mike had that written down
Also, how convenient of her to know which miniature was Will’s alkdsfj
Okay, I’m sorry… Look, I love, love, love the D&D stuff, okay.  But the fact that Dustin, Mike, and Lucas are all like oh my god she picked up the demogorgon is kinda ridiculous because it’s not like she knows what it means?  She just saw the mini and was like, ooh, scary thing, that works. (At least as far as we know)
Love the music
Steve, buddy, you are so awkward
Poor Barb
I could neverrrrrr.  I hate trying something new with an audience and then screwing it up, and this was such a doomed-to-fail situation, too
Poor Barbbbbb
Carol deserved getting shoved into the pool for that smirk, just btw.
Although, judging by how steamy that pool is, it doesn’t seem that cold, tbh
Jonathan being creepy
Will and yellowish phones again
FLICKER LIGHTS
Poor Joyce never has working technology
I still love this song
I was waiting for the bulb to burst but it didn’t… at least her tech isn’t not-working that badly
Also, the light-flickering-and-music-combo to show Will still trapped there/get her to go back in is so cool
“Well, you are cleaning the sheets”  The sad bit is, Steve’s parents probably wouldn’t even notice if they weren’t laundered at all
Poor.  Barb.
Steve’s room is so horrible.
“Some… privacy please?”  *he turns*  “Steve?”  *takes off shirt*  Ma’am wot.  (Yes, I know, the first might well have been a test to make sure he’d respect her boundaries, but still.  Ma’am.)
Poor Barbbbbb.
I will say, the photos Jonathan took, for all they’re creepy, are very pretty.
The image of the blood passing through the water was pretty
I love this song too… Hazy Shade of Winter?  Gold.
And that’s a wrap!
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arcadejohn127-9 · 3 years
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Can we get the brothers and undatables being at one of Diavolos parties and a nobles starts telling MC that The brothers and undatables don’t really care about them. They start telling them that they are just Diavolos pawn and Lilliths replacement. BTW I love your writing it’s honestly some of my favorite pieces in the fandom.
Some of-of your f-favourite pieces in the fandom??!! Um Chile anyways- OMG!! Y'all are too sweet to me!!! Thank you so much!
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I'm not going to lie, I got shocked when I saw another requested this as I just finished writing section for this ask but my brain is dumb and really focused on one sentence and read it utterly wrong
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Part 2 - ending
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"ah, so you're the human I've been hearing so much about."
You turned around to see a Noble, you bowed at him with a smile.
"oh- hello, who are you? If the human you've been hearing about is (Y/N) then Yep! That's me!"
"splendid! I'm so glad I finally get to meet you, I've heard so much from Diavolo and news sources, you wouldn't mind humouring me for a dance and talk?"
"it'll be my honour." You took his arm, letting him guide you to the dance floor.
You could feel the brothers eyes on you, watching closely to how you rested your hands on the demons shoulder. All of them slowly stalking as you two danced.
"what is it like being a human in the Devildom?"
"scary...at first but now I feel like it's my home! I really can't imagine being anywhere else."
"free housings, connections to the most powerful beings in this realm and outside, pacts with the the 7 brothers and having them do anything you desire."
"I mean- I guess? It's nothing like that or that I'm using them, it's a long story - I love them all very much."
"you may not be using them but they're definitely using you, we're demons after all and there is nothing more precious to us than a soul likes yours."
You were suddenly pulled through the crowd, his dancing becoming quicker and sharp as if sensing the brothers watching him.
"don't you realize you're just the princes pawn? A small piece of a puzzle of his 'plans' - do you really think a demon of his importance would really care about bringing peace?! It's all but a ruse and you're just helping him fulfil it."
"that's not true! Diavolo is a kind and thoughtful man, he wants peace and I will be a stepping stone for that to happen - after all I am a link to all three realms."
"human with demon pacts and ancestral connections to both the brothers and angels - how is it being the ancestor to Lilith? I heard she was a real doll but such a shame she risked it all for some moral, have they ever compared you two?"
"how do you know about my ancestor? They've- never properly made a comparison and I'm sure they mean it in an affectionate way-!"
"don't you ever feel like a replacement? I heard since the discovery they've treated you even better, that can't be a coincidence."
Your blood went cold as your heart collapsed into your stomach. Your eyes glancing to the brothers In the distance. You knew he wasn't right but apart of you was scared. After all, he knew so much that you didn't think anyone outside of your social circle would know. How did he know all this?
"we went through something really traumatic together, it was bound to make us closer-"
"just admit it, you know you're being use but you just won't accept it because you're scared of facing and truth and being left - is there something unpleasant waiting for you in the human world? Is that why you're so willing to be preyed upon?"
"it's not like that..."
He suddenly dipped you, you clutched to his shoulder as tears glazed your eyes.
"isn't it? Can you confidently say it isn't?"
"yes.." your voice came out shaky and distant, you wanted to be confident but you couldn't.
"they don't care about you, all they want is to use you, make it easier on yourself and leave, run as fast as you can and never come back to the devildom."
Lucifer:
He was the first to reach you after your dance with the Noble
He twirled you so you would face him
"what did he say to you? You're crying."
"it's nothing..."
He opened his mouth to press on but he saw you grit your teeth
Glaring at the dance floor as you two stepped to the music
"If he threatened you then I'll handle him, it's no issue for me to do so."
You just shook your head
"stop being so overprotective, I know you don't actually like having to look after me, just stop forcing yourself."
"That's not true, I look after you because I care about you, it's become more than a duty."
You just clicked your tongue, pushing yourself away from him, disappearing into the crowd
Mammon:
Mammon held your hand, hugging you from behind as you two swayed
"You don't look too happy, are you overwhelmed?"
"I am now that you're here."
Which wasn't a lie, you felt so conflicted and betrayed, having him around just made you want to cry
He frowned, spinning you around
"oi, what's that all about? If I did something you gotta be honest with me,I swear I didn't steal nothing."
"I'd prefer it if you did, then being mad at you wouldn't feel so horrible."
He raised a brow
He was completely confused on why you were acting like this
"Was it that noble guy? Did he say something to you? I swear when I find him-"
You shook your head, moving away from him
"You're not going to do anything, you're a coward - just stop pestering me."
You felt awful but you didn't do anything to fix it, just running away from the shocked demon
Levithan:
"You here to take a break? Join you, I will."
He pointed to the empty spot smiling at himself for his Yoda voice
You wanted to feel bad but right now you were extremely upset
"Yeah, I do, I don't want to be around anyone right now."
"I get that but Lucifer said someone's has to be with you but I don't blame you for not wanting me to do it-"
You snarled
"can you not make this about you?! I just don't wanna deal with anymore demons!"
You shuffled closer into yourself, eyes subconsciously finding the noble you talked to
Levi followed your gaze, his Insecure angst turning into annoyance
"That noble did something....it's okay to speak up, we can go to prince-"
"go away! I don't want to keep hearing you pretend to care about me!"
He was stunned
You suddenly stood up and trudged away from Levi, seeking out the bathroom
Satan:
You ducked away from the crowd of demons
Sticking close to the wall as you clutched your arms
The nobles clawing at your mind as you stared to the side
"Did you enjoy the dancing? You look tired, I know a good hiding spot."
"Where is it?"
"I'll take you there-"
He went to grab your shoulder but you just shrugged him away
Not daring to look at him
"just tell me where it is, I'll get there on my own just fine."
Satan turned his head, trying to get a better look at your expression
But you just stepped away from him
"if you're not going to tell me I'm going to go find it myself-"
He grabbed your wrist, cutting you off
"Was it that noble? What did he say to you?"
His anger flared as he glared at the noble
You Yanked your wrist away, frowning
"wouldn't you like to know?! Just let me- just let me breathe-!"
He paused, inhaling a deep breath
You took that moment to run off, wanting to escape the situation
Asmodeus:
"oh (Y/N)~!! I'm so glad you're finally free, when I saw that guy dancing with you I got so jealous, I thought you were going to give me all your dances?"
He playfully pouted whilst holding your hands
When he saw you weren't smiling his chipper mood immediately dropped
You moved away from him, Unable to pull your thoughts together
"what's wrong..? Did he say something?"
You shook your head
Should you tell him? But what if they treat you different?
What if it really is all a fake?
"I just need to get some air."
"oh! I'll come with you!"
He springed up, grabbing your hand once again
You threw yourself back in panick
"NO-! I mean- no thank you."
You quickly dashed to the nearest balcony ignoring the murmurs in the ballroom
Beezlebub:
You bumped into one of the many buffet tables
Avoiding an active ballroom wasn't easy
"you're not dancing anymore? Want to sit with me?"
You jumped, somehow surprised Beel was at a buffet table
"no....I'm good, I'm going to the dorm."
"Already? Do you need me to walk you home? It's pretty late."
You shook your head
You wanted to chew him out for being so kind of you
Your overwhelming emotions rising as you tried to stay dismissive
"Just tell the Brothers I'm leaving, I think I'm going to head back home."
Beel raised a brow
You looked away from his confused expression
"my real home, I need to leave the Devildom."
"you're upset from your dance with the noble, we can talk about instead of you leaving-"
"I need a break."
You repeated, your voice becoming irritated and cold
You held back your frustration and left the party
Belphegor:
"Are you leaving?"
You yelped, knocking your hand on the main door
You just wanted to slip out of the party but it seems you'd have to confront one of the brothers
Belphegor yawned, rubbing his eye
He was sleeping in the coat closet until you woke him up by your footsteps
"yes- I'm tired of this party."
"I'm tired aswell, let's go together, I'm ready to sleep."
He shuffled out of the closet but you put your hands out Infront of you
"go sleep in the palace, I don't want to be around you or-or any of you-!"
"Was it that noble? I felt jealous when I saw you two dancing together but now it seems I shouldn't of, he said something to you, didn't he? What did he say?"
You didn't even realize he saw you or was awake when that happened
You backed up until you bumped into the door
Belphegor cornered you
Wanting his questions answered but you just shoved him back
"leave me alone-! I know you're just see me as an replacement!"
You slammed the door after you and sprinted back to the dorms
UNDATEABLES↓
Diavolo:
"I see you're expanding your circle, I'm glad- why do you look so upset?"
"it's nothing, my Lord-"
You both stopped
You haven't referred to him like that since the beginning of the exchange program
He leaned down to get a better look at you, eyes darting over the conflicted and slightly Horrified expression
Both of your gazes landed on the noble
"What did he say to you? If he made you uncomfortable or threatened you, I'll deal with this-"
He tried to give you a comforting pat on the shoulder but you pushed your body away
"Quit it! Stop trying to act like you care."
You were sure if people saw your interaction they'd be glaring at you
Thinking of your audacity
But Diavolo was worried about you
He knew that Nobel has hurt you
"I do care for you, we all do - please tell me what happened."
You covered your ears, tears pricking your eyes
You shook your head and ran away
Needing space to figure out your thoughts and your emotions
Barbatos:
You trudged past Everyone, growing irritated with yourself
Were you really going to believe that guy? But it seemed to make sense
If it wasn't right then why did you feel this way?
"here, you look as if you need it."
He hands you a handkerchief
You took it slowly, looking at him with distrust
You frowned as he just smiled at you patiently
"why do you even care? Is it because of the prince?"
"I'm simply helping because I desire to, it seems Someone is causing an issue with you."
"Don't you know everything? You should know exactly what's wrong....you don't have to keep acting all vague in hopes it'll throw me off, I know you all are-"
He tilted his head, eyes squinting with an almost annoyed expression
"nevermind....Just leave me alone."
"I will but it is best to remind you that the Noble you're trusting Is not the type of man you want to be around, he is using you not the other way round."
Your froze
Unsure how to respond, you clutched the handkerchief as you gritted your teeth
You quickly ran off not wanting to confront your emotions
Solomon:
Isn't this Fun? I've even made a few pacts whilst here-"
"why are we even here? Do you ever feel like we're not actually wanted? Just being used?"
Your eyes flickered between Diavolo and the noble
Rubbing your arm as you tried to soothe yourself
Solomon followed your eyes
Clicking his tongue
"I see, that nobles gotten to your head, don't fear my apprentice, I'll fix this."
He rolled up his sleeves but you just grabbed his arm
You felt stupid for thinking you two could be on the same thought process
Was it really just the Nobel Getting to you???
But what you're feeling feels so real and so genuine - this feeling of just being a pawn or a replacement to them
"No...it's silly to think we'd be on the same page, they have much more history with you meanwhile all I have is being their sister's ancestor."
You walked off leaving the wizard to mewl over your words
You didn't stay to find out what would happen now that Solomon knew the gist of what the Nobel said to you
Simeon:
As you charged away from the party you suddenly bumped into Someone
Simeon grabbed your arms as he steadied you
But that's when he noticed your teary eyes
"Oh, what's wrong? You look upset."
"I want to leave this party."
You frowned, holding his arms whilst he held you
You glanced at the demons on the dance floor
"Are you sure? The brothers will be upset with your sudden disappearance-"
You huffed
Pushing yourself away from Simeon as. got ready to just leave by yourself
"if you don't take me back then I'll just go myself."
He was caught off by your sudden change in mood
Realizing something really harsh must of happened he grabbed your hands and wiped under your eye
"Wipe your tears, I'm sure Luke will be thrilled to see you in purgatory hall."
And just like that he walked you out of ball
A few shouts from the brothers rang in your eyes but you just sped up your pace
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alwaysmarveling · 3 years
Text
When You Try Your Best but You Don’t Succeed...
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader
Warnings: Mentions of death
Word Count: 2k
Summary: When your mission goes wrong, Nat’s there to help
“What’s up, Rogers? How’s my girl?” Nat smirked, talking to her friend and coworker through the phone. The heavy sigh she heard on the other end caused her face to drop and her spine to straighten.
“We’re coming back, Nat.”
“Is everything okay? You weren’t supposed to be coming back for another week. Is Y/N okay? Is she hurt?”
“Physically, she’s fine. Just the normal cuts and bruises. Mentally… Nat, there were kids.”
“How many?” Natasha asked, her voice now unreadable.
“Ten. Eight of them made it, but… we couldn’t get to the last two. She tried, but the damage to the building was bad, and… she tried. I had to physically pull her out before she could get herself killed.” Natasha’s arm trembled slightly as she lowered herself down on the sofa in her room, listening carefully to every word coming through the phone’s speaker.
“When will you guys be back?”
“We’ll be back in about an hour. I think Y/N’s sleeping right now, but I’m not sure.”
“Okay,” the redhead nodded. “Thanks for letting me know. Steve,” Natasha paused, “how are you doing?”
“I’ll be okay. It hit her the hardest.” The woman nodded to no one in particular as she played with the end of her hair, her glance not quite meeting the floor.
“Alright. Take care of yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Steve teased. Natasha smirked as she hung up before returning her thoughts to your predicament. Your relationship with the spy was relatively new. The two of you had been together for just about three months now. Before that, you had been close friends, but emotions had never really been a huge part of your relationship. Nat knew you needed her now, though, and she’d do her best to be there for you.
---
“Hi, Steve.” Nat waved at the super soldier as he entered the compound’s living room. Steve gave her a small smile before retreating to his own room to freshen up.
“Hey, ba...” She took in your weary, blood-covered form, the smile she had put on for Steve quickly vanishing. Steve had told her you weren’t hurt, but she was not expecting you to be that bloody or that dirty.
“I’m fine, Nat,” you reassured her, giving her a weak smile. By the time you had finished speaking, she was already there, holding your hands.
“You don’t look fine,” she murmured, brushing a hand over your face before stopping to cup your cheek.
“One shower and I’ll be as good as new,” you tried again, your voice cracking on the last word. “I should go,” you whispered, dropping her hands and rushing out of the room before she could stop you.
---
“Y/N?” Natasha knocked at the door tentatively. “Are you okay?” You sniffed, wiping the tears that were making their way down your face.
“I’m fine,” you called out, turning off the water. How long had you been in the shower for?
“I, uh, I got dinner ready. If you’re hungry.”
“Sounds good, I’ll be out in 5 minutes,” you replied, towelling yourself off. You wanted nothing more than to stay in bed for the rest of the night, but your shower had already been suspiciously long, and you needed to prove to Natasha that you were okay. Well, you needed to make Natasha think that you were okay.
It wasn’t that you didn’t trust Natasha. You were just very aware of how new your relationship was. An invisible force was pushing—or more like shoving—you to let her hold you in her arms and tell you that everything would be okay, but you didn’t want to overstep any boundaries in your relationship. Taking a deep breath, you threw on a light t-shirt and shorts before meeting Natasha in the kitchen.
“Hey, I made your favorite,” Natasha announced as you padded into the room.
“Thanks, you’re the best.” You winced slightly at your response, not sounding quite as convincing as you would’ve liked.
“You sure you’re okay?” Natasha asked gently. You didn’t know about the phone call she’d had with Steve, and she wanted to give you the chance to tell her yourself.
“I’m fine. The mission was just tiring.” Natasha rubbed your arm comfortingly.
“I’m sorry. Maybe we can just watch a movie tonight and cuddle?”
“Nat, I...” you didn’t know how to tell her that you wanted to be alone without sounding off; you never said no to cuddling with her. She tilted her head slightly when you didn’t continue. “Yeah,” you sighed, “that sounds great,” you agreed, spooning some of the food into your mouth.
“I’m glad you came back early, love. I missed-” You dropped the spoon at her first sentence.
“I’m sorry, I can’t do this, Nat.”
“Babe, wait-” You didn’t turn around as you fled the room, not wanting her to see the tears that were streaming down your face.
---
“Y/N,” Natasha sighed. “Please let me in.” Natasha had waited 15 minutes before following you to your room. She put away the food she was sure you’d be asking for later, threw on some pajamas, took two bottles of water from the kitchen, and grabbed her laptop and one of the oversized sweatshirts in her closet for you. All she needed was for you to let her in.
“I’m sorry, Nat, I- I’m really tired, and I think I’m just going to go to bed,” you called through the door. You mentally smacked your forehead at how unconvincing that sounded, your sniffles obviously heard through the door.
“Y/N, please,” she responded softly. “We don’t even have to talk, just… please, let me in?” You sighed, wiping your eyes and smoothing back your hair, trying to make yourself at least a little more presentable. Since she was definitely aware that you were upset, the least you could do was not show her just how upset you were. But when you slowly opened the door and met Natasha’s worried gaze, you couldn’t help but break down. “It’s okay,” she murmured, closing the door softly behind her and wrapping her arms tightly around you. “I got you.” The two of you stayed like that for a while as you just enjoyed the feeling of being in her arms. Her scent and warmth kept you grounded, reminders of all the beauty in the world when you could only see the ugly. When your sobs quieted down, Natasha pushed you away slightly to get a good look at your face.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked softly.
“I- I don’t know,” you hiccuped. Your throat was dry and your voice cracked, but you weren’t focused on that. Nat was, though.
“That’s okay,” Natasha reassured you, squeezing your shoulders. “Here, put this on. And drink some water, okay? And I brought my laptop so we can watch your favorite movie.” You couldn’t tell if your heart warmed or sunk at her actions, and you stared at the sweatshirt and water bottle that she offered you. “Y/N?”
“I don’t deserve this,” you whispered, tears filling your eyes yet again. The redhead sighed, placing her things on the bed before taking your hands up in hers. She pressed her forehead against yours, forcing your eyes to meet her emerald orbs.
“Sweetheart, please listen to me. I know that you want to save everyone, we all do. None of us would be here if we didn’t. But the reality is that we can’t. No matter how perfect we are, how trained we are, or what powers we may or may not have, there’s always going to be people that we can’t save. We’ve known each other for quite some time, yeah?” You nodded slowly, still not meeting her eyes. “Then trust me when I tell you that you deserve this. Hell, you deserve so much more than this. You put 110% into everything that you do, and nobody doubts that for even a second. I wish everything that you did would work out perfectly, but it can’t. You have to forgive yourself for this. Please, believe me, love.” You didn’t respond for a moment, taking the time to wrangle up the billions of thoughts swirled around your head but vanished the second you tried to focus on any of them.
“They were kids, Nat. I tried so hard, I-” At that, you began to sob once more and allowed Natasha to pull you into her.
“I know,” your girlfriend shushed you, her heart breaking at the cracks in your voice. “You always try your hardest, and that’s something I admire so much about you. But listen to me. You saved eight of those kids. Because of you, that’s eight little girls and boys who get to go back home to their families and grow up to become amazing adults. You may feel like you failed now, but without you, none of those kids would get that opportunity. Not one of them. Okay?”
“Okay,” you said softly. “Thank you,” you mumbled, giving her one last squeeze before you let her go.
“You’re welcome,” your girlfriend smiled. “Now, put this on,” Natasha ordered, throwing the sweatshirt at you. When you cocked your head to the side, she smirked. “You didn’t think I was leaving you alone, did you? I said we were going to snuggle and watch a movie, and I meant it. Unless you don’t want to.” The crinkles around the corners of her eyes began to recede, her smirk faltering.
“I’d love to,” you responded, giving her a peck on the cheek. “You’re very sweet,” you complimented her as the two of you climbed into your bed.
“Only for you,” she whispered, winking at you. The spy pulled you in close to her side, pressing her lips to the top of your head before pulling the blankets tightly over the both of you. “That’s a nice goose egg you’ve got there,” she murmured, referencing the growing lump on your head. “Do you want me to get some ice for it?”
“I’m fine, Nat. Everything’s just superficial.” Natasha hummed, running her fingers gently over it.
“If you say so,” she said reluctantly. “I guess you’re still somewhat attractive with it.”
“Hey!” You smacked her across the stomach. “You’re supposed to be supportive.”
“I’m just kidding, babe. Very attractive. Makes you look less like a dork and more like a badass.”
“Oh, shut up and watch the movie,” you grumbled, pushing yourself further into your girlfriend’s torso.
“Nat?” you spoke up, the movie now halfway over.
“Yeah, hon?”
“Steve told you about the mission, didn’t he?” The redhead pulled her eyes away from the screen to look at you.
“Yeah, he did. Is that okay?” Her voice was steady, but her face was unsure and vulnerable. You paused, considering your answer.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” you finally responded. “Although I need to tell that old man to get his wrinkly ass out of my business,” you said, your lips curving up slightly at the corners.
“He’s just looking out for you, babe. He loves you,” she teased, squeezing your cheek. The two of you fell silent for a moment, neither of you really paying attention to the various images flashing across the screen.
“Do you?” you asked softly, looking into Natasha’s green eyes.
“Always,” she whispered, leaning down to meet your lips.
“I love you, too,” you giggled, breaking the kiss.
“I love you more, you dork.”
“I thought I was a badass!” you whined, turning away as Natasha pecked your lips again.
“Mm, you are. My badass.” The two of you smiled at that, and you pulled Natasha’s head down to meet you in another kiss. The pain of losing those two kids was still there, and it would take some time before you were able to truly forgive yourself, but having Natasha with you made things a little bit easier.
293 notes · View notes
multifandomimagines · 3 years
Text
Obvious - A Kai Parker Imagine
Characters: Kai Parker x Reader
Word Count: 2285
Summary: Kai and the reader go to a party at the Salvatore house, but they can’t keep their hands off each other.
Warnings: Alcohol, suggestive comments, making out
Written by: Josie
A/N: First imagine! Really hope you guys like it, we’ll be posting more like this soon so be sure to check out our page to help us get going! x
Disclaimer: Gif isn’t ours - credit to who it belongs to.
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Kai and Y/N didn’t have what was known as a typically conventional relationship. A witch with unlimited power and a somewhat insane siphon, both with a thirst for chaos and excitement? I mean, causing mayhem together isn’t usually on most people’s date night ideas list.
The Salvatore house was once again home to a massive Friday night party, courtesy of Caroline Forbes’ charm over Stefan, who reluctantly agreed to let her use their house as the venue. Only one of the couple was technically invited, as Y/N was best friends with the hostess. The others weren’t exactly thrilled at Kai appearing by her side with a wide grin when they arrived, but they wouldn’t object. For now at least. Not when he brought enough snacks and drinks for at least ten people.
A few drinks later, and the two witches were almost ready to let loose on the unsuspecting partygoers. What they were planning wasn’t quite as extreme as Kai would have wanted, but Y/N was able to convince him of something both fun, and that wouldn’t kill her friends or land them in a magical coma of sorts.
“Come on,” Y/N giggled as she dragged her boyfriend by the hand away from the snack table and toward the middle of the room. Kai eyed the food with longing as he was taken away from it like he was being torn from his soulmate. He kind of was, really. “Dance with me.”
Turning back to his girl, he raised an eyebrow at her flushed expression. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Only enough to give me confidence,” She turned to face him when she reached her destination in the middle of the crowd, having forced herself and Kai through various sweaty bodies. Kai got smacked in the face by a dancing drunk blonde on the way, but Y/N’s grip on his hand was too strong to give him the chance to get angry at her.
Kai smiled and pulled her close as she wrapped her arms round his neck, beaming up at him. “I thought you wanted to cause some trouble?” He smirked, leaning close as he spoke. Y/N was already a little tipsy, but having him this close made her feel completely intoxicated. He was stronger than any alcohol she could drink, and she never got hungover after a hit of him, she only wanted more.
“I do, but can’t we just act like normal people at a party for a bit? And besides, I like this song!” She swayed with him as the bass boomed through the speakers, making it all the more intense.
“You know I’m not all that much of a dancer.” Kai chuckled at her moves; she was so carefree once she let herself go and her smile was enough to pull at the corner of his lips.
“You liar,” She hit lightly at his chest and looked up at him with a challenging fire in her eyes. “You dance all the time at home.”
“Okay yeah, but that’s not in front of everyone else,” His eyes drifted behind her as she cocked her head in confusion. “And your friends are watching us.”
Y/N turned her head to the side, still latched onto her boyfriend, and caught Damon and Elena keeping a watchful (and definitely judging) eye on the couple. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Kai. “Let them,” She spoke, reeling him in with her gaze. He was basically putty in her hand. “Just pretend we’re back at home, dancing in the living room, just like we do at the weekends.”
A smile crept its way back onto Kai’s lips as the memory flashed against his mind. Saturday nights were traditionally romantic - they’d cook dinner together, cuddle on the sofa and watch tv, then afterwards he’d always somehow end up twirling her around the room with the lights dimmed until they couldn’t dance anymore, and he’d carry her upstairs to bed.
“Unless,” Her voice by his ear pulled him out of his reverie, looking forward to tomorrow’s date night and thinking about how well he was going to treat her. “You fancied going somewhere else?”
The hair on the back of his neck pricked up at her words, eyes snapping to hers, pupils dilated. His signature smirk appeared, quickly melting her down. “You know me so well.”
Grabbing her wrist, their roles were reversed as he dragged her out of the crowd this time, eyes darting quickly as they searched for somewhere to hide.
“Here,” Y/N said, pointing to a small storage cupboard. “No one ever comes in here.”
“Well then,” Kai said, pushing her inside and closing the door behind them. “You’ll be the first.”
In a flash, she was slammed against the door as Kai’s lips moulded with hers in desperation. He had needed this all night. He might be an expert at hiding it, since emotions had never really bothered him before, but the critical gazes of her friends made him uncomfortable. They made him start questioning every move he made, just because he wanted Y/N’s friends to approve of him and be happy that she’s with him. Kai Parker would never let stupid emotions get to him. Not like love. At least, not until her.
She sighed into his mouth as he took her breath away, her hands gripping his hair tightly while his held her waist firmly in place. His fingers slowly trailed up her shirt, brushing the skin underneath, making her shiver. Breathing heavily, her hands found their way to his chest as he pulled away from the kiss and moved his lips to her neck.
“Eager, are we?” She giggled, her voice thin from the exhilaration. She felt Kai chuckle in response against her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her veins.
“Impatient, actually. I want you now.” Kai trailed his lips down to her collarbone, and back up to her jawline.
Y/N was finding it harder and harder to think straight as Kai pulled away, his fingers tracing the faint marks he’d left on her neck. I’ll definitely have to add to these later, he thought. “What about the plan? Still want to cause a little chaos?”
Kai’s hand that was on her neck moved behind and into her hair, her head automatically tilting up to make capturing his lips easier. “To hell with the plan.”
Leaning in for another heated kiss, their lips had barely met when the door of the storage cupboard swung open and the two of them fell to the ground with a good thump, Y/N groaning as Kai’s whole body weight crushed her.
“Seriously?” Caroline stood over the couple with her hands on her hips, looking mostly irritated yet somewhat amused. The twinkle behind her eye when she looked at Y/N gave that away - she was always the most supportive of her dating Kai.
The female witch glanced sheepishly up at her friend, lightly shoving Kai to the side. The siphon didn’t even want to make eye contact with the blonde vampire. He was yet to familiarise himself with how to deal with awkward.
“Y/N, I thought I said making out in dingy cupboards was off-limits! Raise your standards,” Caroline eyed her friend, the ghost of a smirk lingering on her lips. After looking briefly at Kai’s embarrassed expression, she leaned in closer to Y/N and whispered, “If you guys want to have some fun then just leave. The party’s starting to clear out now anyway, and it’ll be a lot more fun than in a dusty old closet.”
She winked at her and strutted back into the crowd, not before giving Kai a light pat on the shoulder on her way past. She was right, the crowd was slightly smaller than before.
“God,” Kai sighed. “That was awful. I don’t like awkward, it’s my least favourite emotion so far.”
Y/N laughed at her boyfriend; he still discovers himself experiencing new emotions all the time, and she finds it oh so endearing to see how he reacts to the foreign feeling. “Well if anyone was to catch us, I’m glad it was Caroline.”
The tall boy looked at the girl he thought was an angel, although she didn’t quite see herself that way. Sometimes that made him sad, another feeling he didn’t particularly enjoy. “Let’s just get out of here,” He said, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers, something she always loved. “Bring the party back home, just you and me. We can pick up where we left off and no one will even notice we’re gone.”
Y/N grinned, happy that they were always on the same page. She took a step forward, watching as Kai’s eyes lit up more and more the closer she got to him. Their sparkle seemed to be directly proportional to his distance from her. “You just read my mind.”
It wasn’t long until Kai was driving his silver car back to their shared apartment, one hand on her thigh as it always was. She was his comfort blanket no matter what, and physical touch was Kai’s love language, so even when driving he craved some contact with her to keep himself sane.
Mostly sane anyway.
Eventually, they returned to the warmth of their apartment and wasted no time in latching onto each other. See, that was the thing about Y/N and Kai. She might be his comfort blanket, but he was hers too. When they’re apart it feels like two separate parts of a magnet, aching to be able to touch, see, feel the other, so when that ache is satisfied, it’s like a force unlike any other, and pulling them apart proves difficult as neither of them wants to ever be away from the other.
Their love for each other was obvious, you’d have to be blind not to see it. The only reason Y/N’s friends tolerated Kai was because they couldn’t deny the clear adoration and care he had for her. They’d tell her Y/N, he can’t be trusted, he doesn’t feel, he can’t feel love, but when you witness a love like they have, how could you ignore it? They’d almost come to a silent truce: Kai stays out of trouble and never hurts Y/N, and they’d leave him be. It worked for them.
What they had said about him not feeling love was true though, before. Kai thought that love was a wasted feeling - relationships crash and burn everyday, he’d said once, so why would he let it waste his time if he can’t one hundred percent confirm that it would be for life? Y/N came into his life like a wildfire spreading through dry forest, this new and unusual feeling coursing through him at an alarming pace, and it made him want to scream. He couldn’t understand why he was unable to shake this one girl out of his head, it was distracting him and he couldn’t concentrate, it was a nuisance.
But as time went on and he started wanting to make sure she was safe and happy, it became less and less of a burden to him. In fact, he started to revel in it. Any excuse he could find to see her, he’d take it. Any chance to protect her, he’d be there in an instant. He actually started to care, which baffled him at first because Kai Parker doesn’t care. But as he looked at her then, wind blowing her hair around her face, he didn’t mind it. Maybe caring wasn’t so bad, if it was this one girl he cared about. He decided then that he would dedicate all his emotion to her, all his care, all his time, all his love.
Love. When Kai realised he was in love, he wasn’t sure if he was awake or dreaming. Love was pointless, he told himself so. But he couldn’t bring himself to lie to himself any longer. It may have been pointless to him back then, but not now. Now, his whole reason for living was to make this one girl happy, this one girl who had managed to change a man so set in his old toxic ways. He loved her.
Y/N wasn’t sure if she’d ever definitely know that she was in love. I mean, how can you really know? Everyone’s experiences with love are different, and all relationships vary, so there’s not one set formula for it. Love is complex, and that was scary to her, because she didn’t want to let someone in thinking they’re her soulmate, and they end up breaking her heart. She’d made that mistake before, and she didn’t want to let the wrong person get to her again. But with Kai, there wasn’t a single question or doubt in her mind. This, this was what love was supposed to feel like. All that fear of allowing the wrong person into her heart had vanished in an instant, because she knew there would be no one else ever again now that she had Kai. He had taken up residence in her mind and there was no space for anyone else. He was her person, she knew, it was obvious. She loved him.
Back in the apartment with the two of them getting lost in each other, those intense feelings resurfaced. In that moment, it was just the two of them: no problems, no death, no prison worlds. Only the crystal clear love they had for each other that everyone could see. It even got them a bit of a reputation in the local supernatural community as the couple that defeated all odds.
The sociopath who learned to fall in love, and the witch that taught him how.
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Text
you know that a boy who likes boys is a dead boy
Summary: Spencer's gay. He joins the BAU and befriends the team, but it is 2003. It's a secret he has to keep. He just didn't expect it to be this hard.
Tags: gay!spencer, coming out, hurt/comfort, insecure!spencer, misunderstandings, angst with a happy ending, dad hotch, protective!hotch, protective!derek, childhood trauma TW: one instance of explicit homophobia, but it is referenced a lot, as is Spencer's internalised homophobia at the start of this fic. A shit ton of heteronormativity but tbh that's just canon lol
Pairing: Spencer Reid/OMC, Spencer Reid & Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid & Aaron Hotchner, The BAU Team & Spencer Reid
Word Count: 6k
Masterlist // Read on AO3
Consider this my contribution to pride month 😌 I've waited so long to post it and I'm so glad I'm finally doing it because it's definitely one of my all time favourites <3 Gideon is here somewhere but just like with all my early season fics he's not really part of the plot I combined my moreid and gen taglists bc it was hard to know the audience for this, but just ignore it if you're not interested!
you know that a boy who likes boys is a dead boy, unless he keeps his mouth shut, which is what you didn’t do, because you are weak and hollow and it doesn’t matter anymore. — richard siken, a primer for the small weird loves
Spencer has only told one person in his whole life.
His mother guessed. For as long as he can remember, she’s used gender neutral pronouns when talking about his future partner, read him all the gay literature she could find, promised him that he’s perfect just the way he is.
The trouble is that Spencer only believes her until the first grade, when Ryan Sampson shoves him over in the playground and calls him gay. His mom had only ever used that term in a sweet, loving way, taking care to associate such words with positivity, as long as his dad wasn’t around to hear. When that word comes out of Ryan Sampson’s mouth, it is not said with sweetness and love; it is said with venom, and Spencer learns quickly that his mom is wrong. He is not perfect just the way he is.
And so, he keeps it a secret. When his mom notices him getting uncomfortable at the mention of future partners, she stops bringing it up, though she refuses to give up the diverse education she provides for him outside of school. His dad tells him that one day he’ll be a strapping young man and marry a nice girl in a church, and Spencer nods along. He ignores the way his stomach turns with anxiety at the thought. Ignores the screaming match his parents have that night. Ignores the fact that it started because Diana chipped in with ‘or boy’.
He’s in high school by the time he’s twelve, and the only part he’s grateful for is the absence of pressure to get a girlfriend. His dad’s out of the picture now, and Spencer tries not to let himself think that maybe if he wasn’t like this he might have stayed. Diana’s so out of it most days that she doesn’t remember what she noticed about him when he was a child, only recalling the last few years of shoving himself so far back in the closet he can hardly see the door anymore.
It feels like he’s lost his last ally.
(He hates that a small part of him feels relieved she doesn’t remember; that he almost feels assured by the fact that the last person to know who he really is has forgotten. There is only this version of Spencer Reid now. No other exists.)
He makes the mistake during his second undergraduate degree. He’s just turned eighteen but he is already a doctor and, fortunately, this alienates him from most of his peers, but someone manages to slide past his defences. Ethan Miller is twenty, in the second year of his (first) undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, and he’s nice. Spencer doesn’t have a lot of experience with friendship, but they get on well and Ethan makes him laugh. For the first time, he feels comfortable in the presence of anyone other than his mother.
They slip into an easy friendship: waiting for each other after class — Spencer back in the undergraduate buildings now he has his first PhD under his belt — and going out for ice cream and pizza and Thai food. Ethan goes to parties while Spencer studies, and then they reconvene to watch Doctor Who and play cards.
For almost a year, Spencer keeps his secret carefully locked up, hidden behind the mask he’s perfected after so many years. Even though he’s eighteen, nearly nineteen now, he doesn’t try and explore that side of himself. No, that’s far too risky. He doesn’t try and pretend any other way either, he just stays silent and lets people’s assumptions lie for him, but he can’t help the longing that claws up his throat when he locks eyes with a passing guy on campus. One time, he’d seen two men kiss on a bench in the city, and he’d run back to his dorm and had a panic attack. Why couldn’t he have that?
The feelings don’t stop, and he doesn’t know how to make them. He hates that he isn’t normal, but still longs for the touch of a man, the feeling of being wrapped up in strong arms, of being kissed by dry, chapped lips, and falling asleep to a heartbeat approximately 11% slower than that of a woman’s.
It’s a constant battle inside him, emotions raging, and he struggles to control it, suppress it, tame it.
He pays a sorry price.
Ethan makes him feel comfortable, and that turns out to be a detriment. He relaxes around the other boy: he tells him about growing up as a pre-teen in a high school, about how a child feels living 260 miles away from home, even about his mother’s illness.
And one day, it slips out. They’re on the beach, lying on towels as they look up at the blue sky, talking about what their futures will look like: Ethan will be a successful chemical engineer in Berlin, and Spencer will work for the FBI, profiling serial killers.
“You’ll have to marry a German girl,” he tells Ethan. “It’ll be tough to convince an American girl to move all the way to Germany as soon as you graduate.”
“Yeah, and what about you? You’ll be off fighting crime around the country, not much of a life for a family.”
“Oh, I imagine my husband will be the type to—”
“Husband?”
Spencer freezes. It shocks him as much as it shocks Ethan. He doesn’t even pay much attention to Ethan’s disgusted face and his outraged tirade. He hears slurs and insults, hears him say that he can’t believe Spencer tricked him like this, that he was probably waiting to make a move on him, that he was never to look in Ethan’s direction again, but Spencer is frozen in time.
He’s never allowed him to think much about what his personal life might look like in the future, but he’d said ‘husband’ on instinct, without thinking, and it’s clearly something he actually wants. Ethan’s words sting, but the moment brings about a realisation Spencer is thankful for; it instigates a journey of self-discovery and self-expression, of the joy of living as your true self.
He loses his first and only friend, but he gains something much more valuable. He visits gay bars — nervously sipping a non-alcoholic drink in the corner at first, before soon becoming confident enough to respond to the men who sidle up to him and ask for his name. He lets go and dances the night away, sometimes going home with one of the many dance partners he acquires during the night, sometimes heading back to his own dorm happily alone.
Makeup and dresses and skirts and heels make their way into his wardrobe, and he befriends girls and drag queens and other gay men who encourage him to be exactly the way he is. And the best part is, he never has to come out to any of them. All of them know, and that’s good enough for everyone.
The fun comes to a sad sort of slow, however, when he joins the BAU. Everyone knows law enforcement’s relationship with the LGBT community is less than adequate — Spencer’s seen it with his own eyes: butch lesbians and men in dresses getting roughed up by angry police officers for ‘lewd behaviour’ or ‘drunkenness’ when they’re just being themselves. It’s not safe for him to tell anyone, so he doesn’t.
He still goes out with his friends when he’s in town and wears makeup and dresses and crop tops when he’s at home, but presents as rigidly straight Dr Spencer Reid to his team at the BAU.
The hardest part about it is that he loves his team. He’s known Gideon for years — and he wouldn’t be surprised if he suspects something after coming over to his house unannounced one night, only to have a man other than Spencer open the door — but he settles into a comforting dynamic with Hotch. He can’t help but see him as something of a father figure, and he knows Hotch has a soft spot for him, always looking out for him and taking him under his wing without a moment’s hesitation.
Elle, JJ, and Penelope all take a shine to him, too, teasing him without a hint of malice in their tones, only the kind of playful kindness that reminds him of his mother. He forms a special bond with Penelope and they spend hours watching Doctor Who together and geeking out on all the areas their interests overlap, and the comfort he feels with her matches the comfort he’s found with his new group of queer friends.
(She doesn’t hold a candle to Ethan, he decides one night, after he’d cried at a movie she’d made him watch and she felt so bad she made him hot chocolate and jam toast and cuddled him until he felt better.)
Derek becomes a brother to him. He puts him in a headlock at least once a day — which Spencer has been reliably informed by multiple sources is a very brotherly thing to do — and teases him relentlessly, while simultaneously being fiercely protective of him. Enough so, that Spencer sometimes wonders if he even has Hotch beat in that department.
He loves his team and his team loves him. It should be simple. It is still 2003.
He comes in one morning late for a briefing, his shirt buttoned wrong and his hair is a mess, and he’s fairly sure that his attempt to cover the hickey at the base of his neck with concealer has been ultimately unsuccessful. It’s obvious why he’s late. Gideon is too engrossed in the case file to notice, but Hotch raises an eyebrow, an amused look on his face as everyone else immediately takes to teasing him.
“Who’s the lucky lady, pretty boy?”
Elle raises an eyebrow to match Derek’s shit-eating grin, “Someone definitely got some strange last night.”
“When do we get to meet her, Spence?” JJ asks, smirking as he takes a seat.
He’s bright red — as if he needed to look any more debauched — and Spencer tries to ignore the hurt that seizes his chest at the reminder of his need to stay quiet. This team respects him, and he can’t throw that away just because Spencer gets too comfortable.
God, he wishes Penelope was here.
“None of your business,” he mutters, trying to keep his tone light. He fails.
Naturally, Hotch notices and swiftly moves the briefing on, and Spencer keeps his gaze locked on the case file, not missing the absence of a reprimand from his superior. He’s constantly thankful for the older man, but in this moment, he wishes he could hug him.
(A voice that sounds dangerously close to Ethan’s rises up and taunts him in his ear: he wouldn’t want a dirty homo like you anywhere near him—)
Derek doesn’t let up on the case, continuing to bug him about the special lady in his life. He does concede that it could’ve been a one night stand, which is one front he’s right on, but a couple more concessions are necessary before Derek comes close to the truth of last night.
Eventually, Derek stops, and Spencer notes that the cessation of comments comes suspiciously close to the last time Derek and Hotch were alone together. He doesn’t have it in him to feel angry at Hotch for stepping in when he had it handled; doesn’t have the energy to act as though his pride is wounded, because really, neither of those things are true, and he doesn’t need to add another item to ‘Spencer Reid’s List of Things He Pretends to Be.’
The situation is forgotten, and time moves on.
Things change when he finds his first proper boyfriend. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the giddying rush of emotions it turns out to be, and Spencer spends his days smiling as he daydreams his time away.
His name is Oscar Wilkins, a History professor at Georgetown University, and Spencer falls quickly in love with him. Ever since their mutual friend had introduced them at a gay bar one evening, they’d spent all their free time together. He’s kind and gentle and understanding of Spencer’s hectic and unpredictable job, and he finally has the chance to experience everything he quietly and shamefully longed for as a teenager.
The only downside is the silent breaking of Spencer’s heart that the most important people in his life can’t meet his boyfriend. He longs to show Oscar off, to hold hands in front of his team, lean up to press a tender kiss to Oscar’s lips. He wants to put a framed picture of the two of them at the Washington Monument on his desk to remind him of why he needs to get through the hard days; he doesn’t want to have to sneak out of the hotel room he shares with Derek to whisper hushed, loving goodnights over the phone.
But he’s too scared. Too cowardly.
It’s different being who he is with his gay group of friends littered with wlws and drag queens and other gay and bisexual guys. They understand.
But Derek and Hotch are two extremely masculine, alpha men: Derek’s a ladies’ man and Hotch is married to a woman he met in college with a baby on the way and both have a strong and dominant energy that still sometimes manages to intimidate Spencer even after all these years. And Elle and JJ are lovely — some of his closest friends, really — but sometimes they remind him a little too much of the mean girls he went to high school with.
The hardest person to keep his secret from, though, is Penelope. She’s his best friend and he desperately wants to give her all of him, but he’s so scared. He’s lost a best friend to this secret before, and even though he’s certain she’d be fine with it, what if she accidentally let it slip to Derek? What if Hotch found out and didn’t see him in the same light anymore? What if the girls started teasing him? What if Gideon didn’t want to mentor him anymore?
The fear paralyses him. And it’s a cycle he doesn’t know how to break.
Fear, though, doesn't stop everyone from noticing his daydreaming, his dopey smile when he checks his messages, his urgency to get home where he would’ve stayed until the small hours of the morning before. As excellent as he is at hiding his sexuality, he’s fucking terrible at hiding the fact that he’s in love: it was easy enough to pretend he was straight, but hiding something this all-consuming is an impossible ask.
Derek comes over to perch on the edge of his desk one afternoon, sighing as he sits down. “Pretty boy, this is getting ridiculous,” he says, snatching Spencer’s attention away from his phone. “You’ve been grinning like an idiot for the last twenty minutes as you’ve texted Future Mrs Reid. When are we going to meet her?”
(He hates the new nickname the team has given his mystery significant other, although Oscar had found it hilarious. “It’s funny because when we get married, we’ll hardly be able to tell,” he’d argued through his laughter. “Neither of us will change our name because of our academic profiles, and we’ll both still be ‘Dr’. Our wedding rings will be the only indicator.”
Spencer hadn’t argued back, because he’d been too tongue-tied and flushed pink at Oscar’s use of ‘when’ in regards to their hypothetical nuptials. It was only made bearable by Oscar kissing him gently and tucking him under his arm, not embarrassing him any further as Spencer had sort of anticipated, warmth settling over his chest at the thought of their future together.)
“You won’t,” he replies, perhaps a little too curtly.
Derek starts at that, clearly not expecting it. He definitely should’ve tried to play it off as a joke. “What— should I be offended, pretty boy?”
You wouldn’t call me that if you knew who I really am.
“That’s up to you, Derek,” he says calmly, although he still can’t meet his eyes, “but you won’t meet the ‘Future Mrs Reid, so I think it would probably be best if you left it alone.”
“Damn,” Derek mutters under his breath, clearly pissed off and probably more hurt than Spencer ever intended. “Suit yourself.”
And with that, he gets up and leaves his desk. Spencer’s only solace is the text message he sees on his phone when he picks it back up: I love you so much. You know that, right?
The light-hearted ridicule comes to an abrupt halt after the incident with Derek, and it’s clear that he had been the biggest contributor to the teasing. He’s thankful that the jokes have stopped, but he wishes desperately that it didn’t come with the growing distance between him and his team. Loneliness takes the place of his previous irritated anxiety, and he isn’t sure what’s worse.
It all comes to a head at the end of a case in Michigan. They’re stuck in the lounge of the small inn they’d stayed in the last few days, a snowstorm having blocked them in and grounded the jet, although Gideon had long since retreated to his room. The fire’s going and they’re the only guests around, so it’s cosy enough, but Spencer can’t help but feel sick at the idea of another night away from home.
It’s only been two weeks since he’d snapped at Derek, but the chasm between him and the team is only widening with each passing day. He knows it’s not a case of ‘pick a side’, but the team’s morale relies on light-hearted banter and teasing, and him not being a part of that anymore has only brewed awkwardness. Everyone’s trying to give him space when space is the last thing he wants.
Oscar’s keeping him company over the phone at least, but it’s not quite enough to quell the loneliness swimming around his stomach, and the 'discrete' sideways looks he gets from the team only make him feel worse.
“At least it’s nice and toasty in here,” JJ sighs as she takes a sip of the hot chocolate the kindly inn owner had made for them all.
Elle hums in agreement. “There are worse places to be grounded.”
“I dunno, man, I just wanna get home,” Derek says, not taking his eyes off the fire. Spencer can’t help but agree.
“Oh, come on,” Hotch muses, considerably more jovial now the case is over, “we’re here, and that’s not going to change any time soon. We should make the most of it.”
“It’s at least nice to be somewhere sort-of Christmassy now it’s December,” Elle points out. “We could be stuck in a dingy police station like we probably will be next week.”
“Ooh, I noticed that Jemimah and Kiran started planning the Christmas party last week,” JJ says, smiling at them. “I offered my help, but they seem to have it covered.”
Hotch raises an eyebrow“That’s probably a good thing. You don’t need more work on your plate.”
“Not gonna argue with that,” she murmurs, smiling as she brings her mug to her lips again.
Spencer doesn’t miss that Derek is still stewing on the opposite side of the room.
“Are you looking forward to the Christmas party, Spencer? Will you come?” Hotch asks, clearly trying to rope him into the conversation, which he appreciates. He’s been making a lot of effort with him the past few weeks, and it’s just about the only thing that’s getting him through each day.
Before he can reply, though, Derek erupts from the other side of the room; an already pissed-off man being pushed over the edge. “He won’t even let us meet his fucking girlfriend, Hotch, he’s not gonna want to come to the Christmas party!” he yells, throwing his hands in the air as he glares at Spencer with a stormy expression raging across his face.
Suddenly, Spencer can’t stay silent anymore, and his retort shocks himself just as much as it does everyone else. “I don’t have a girlfriend!”
It might be the loudest he’s ever shouted in his whole life. He’s always been quiet and restrained, the type to state his feelings as calmly as possible no matter how he’s feeling on the inside. Even in the biggest fight he’s had with Oscar, his voice was barely loud enough to qualify as a shout.
There’s a brief stunned silence, but Derek quickly slices his way through it, voice raising to meet Spencer’s fiery emotion, fierce and loud. “Oh, don’t even go there, Reid, you’re really gonna try and argue that? You’re gonna lie about her as well as not let us meet her? What a boyfriend you are.”
“I don’t! I don’t have a girlfriend!” he repeats, voice catching this time as tears rise unbidden to the backs of his eyes and all the emotions of the journey he’s taken with his sexuality over the years flood him in a wave of intensity he’s not prepared for.
“You’re fucking lying—!”
“I have a boyfriend!” he yells. “Alright? I have a boyfriend. I’m gay.”
The anger and emotion quickly dissipates, and he’s left standing alone in front of the team he’s put so much effort into hiding this from, watching shock spell out across everyone’s expressions. He’s never felt smaller than he does in that moment, and he quickly grabs his phone before running upstairs to his room, locking the door behind him.
“Oh God, Oscar, I fucked up so bad,” he cries over the phone as soon as his boyfriend picks up.
“Hey, hey, breathe, baby,” Oscar says gently, but Spencer can hear the anxious concern in his voice, “it’s gonna be okay, I promise. I’m here. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I just— Oh God, I just told the team.” A new wave of horror rolls over him as he realises what he’s done. Times might be changing, but it’s still only 2006, and he doesn’t know each and every nuance of his team members’ political positions and, fuck, he hates that his existence is a fucking political position.
Oscar’s been so understanding of his reluctance to not tell the team, even though Spencer’s met pretty much everyone in his life. He isn’t sure what he’s done to earn such a gracious and understanding boyfriend, but he’s not about to question it.
“Baby, I know it’s scary, and I know you’re really worked up right now,” he counsels, voice soft and reassuring, using the nickname he knows Spencer loves the most to make him feel as safe as he can from 700 miles away, “but it’s probably not as bad as you think. From what you’ve told me about the team, they love you so much, and even in the case that in the past they've had some issue with gay people, I can't imagine they’d ever actually think of you any differently when it comes down to it, Spencer.”
He’s crying too hard to reply, and Oscar understands immediately, gently transitioning into a story about his day that slowly starts to calm him down, and by the time he’s wrapping it up, his tears are starting to subside.
“Thank you, Ozzy,” he whispers into the phone, lifting himself up off the floor and making his way to sit on the bed instead.
“You know I’d do anything for you, sweetheart,” he murmurs warmly. “Do you want me to stay on the phone for a bit?”
“Yes please,” he whispers again, holding it as close to himself as possible, drawing all the comfort he can from his boyfriend’s voice.
He lies there listening to Oscar’s voice and trying not to think about the disaster downstairs for a good ten minutes before there’s a tap at the door.
“Oz, there’s someone here,” he says, voice panicked.
“I think you should probably speak to them, baby,” he urges. “I’ll stay on the phone with you while you do, if you like?”
“Please.” He gets up from the bed gingerly, keeping his phone tightly gripped in his right hand as he slowly unlocks the door with his left, revealing Hotch on the other side.
“Hey, Spencer. Do you mind if I come in?”
He’s riddled with nerves, but Hotch is smiling warmly, and he’s never said a harsh word to Spencer, so he steps aside and lets him into his room.
Hotch quickly notices the phone in his hand, visibly still on a call. “Is that your boyfriend?”
Spencer nods.
“Do you mind if I talk to him?”
His brows knit in confusion and his lips part slightly in surprise, but it’s all he can do to hand the phone over, watching Hotch carefully.
“Hi, Spencer tells me this is his boyfriend?” Hotch inquires politely into the phone, his tone still warm. “I’m Hotch, Spencer’s boss.”
He can vaguely hear Oscar speaking on the other end of the line, and he worries slightly that Oscar will somehow give away the familial feelings he holds for Hotch, but the conversation doesn’t last long enough for the anxiety to really take over.
“Everything’s fine here, I just want to have a conversation with Spencer, so is it alright if we hang up and I talk to him alone for a minute? He can call you straight back afterwards.” After a brief pause in which Oscar says something, Hotch looks back up at him. “Are you okay with that, Spencer?”
He nods hesitantly, and Hotch says a quick goodbye to Oscar before surging forwards and wrapping Spencer in a hug. It catches him off guard, but he doesn’t waste any time in burying his face into Hotch’s neck and soaking in the comfort and warmth that always radiates from his father figure.
“Come on,” Hotch says softly as they pull away a good minute or so later, “let’s sit down, shall we?”
“You’re not mad?” Spencer can’t help but ask, the question burning his tongue as anxiety — however quietened from Hotch’s hug — still swims around in his stomach.
“There are many things that could make me mad, Spencer,” he says earnestly, “but this is not one of them. I would never be angry at you for being who you are, okay? I might… I might be overstepping here, and if I am, then tell me and I’ll back off, but I’ve always seen you as a mentee, and over the years that’s developed— well, I see you more as a son these days. And part of that is wanting to protect and support you no matter what you do or say or who you are.”
Spencer wastes no time in diving back in for a hug, clinging onto Hotch for dear life as he hugs back, rubbing his back gently.
“I’m so sorry you didn’t feel like you could tell us sooner, Spencer,” he says in a voice soft with affection and regret. “But I’m so glad you’ve told us now.”
He only presses closer at that, tears springing back to his eyes. “I didn’t want to lose you.” He knows what he’s implying, and even in a roundabout way, he’s glad he’s telling Hotch.
“Oh, Spence,” he sighs sadly, “you couldn’t do a single thing to lose me. I’m in it for the long haul.”
“Really?” he asks, hating how insecure he sounds.
“Really,” Hotch promises, pulling away as Spencer does. “Now, you have a whole team of agents downstairs who are feeling very sorry for themselves and really want to see you.”
Nausea rolls in his stomach and panic springs back up as he looks at Hotch, desperate for some sort of grounding. “Are they angry at me? Do they hate me now?”
“No one hates you, Spencer,” he says firmly. “I promise you that. Everyone just wishes that they’d made you feel more welcome and comfortable. We all hate that you felt you had to lock up something so integral to who you are, and we can’t help but feel we played a part in it.”
“No,” he protests — the last thing he wants is family blaming themselves when it has nothing to do with them, “it’s not your fault, it’s just…”
Hotch nods. “I understand, it’s okay. Now, do you want to go down and see them? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it might help ease your mind to see that they really don’t hate you.”
Spencer pauses, taking a moment to think. “Can I see Derek first?”
“Of course,” Hotch says understandingly, and the comforting smile that crosses his face makes Spencer feel safe and taken care of. “I’ll send him up?”
Spencer nods and Hotch hugs him once more before leaving the room almost reluctantly. He wastes no time in picking up his phone and sending a text to Oscar. You were right. Hotch is fine. He’s just sending Derek up before I go and see the team but he says that no one’s angry and I think I believe him. Thank you, Oscar. I love you.
Not even half a minute goes past before his phone lights up with a text back. I’m so glad, baby. Call me later, okay? I want to make sure you’re okay before I go to bed. I love you more.
Before Spencer can argue that actually, he is the one more in love with the other, a hesitant knock sounds on his door. Nerves suddenly flip his stomach, and he clenches and unclenches his fists a couple of times before forcing himself to cross the room, revealing a very worried and regretful-looking Derek.
“Oh, pretty boy,” he says sadly, before crushing Spencer in a warm and tender hug. Immediately, he relaxes into the arms of one of his best friends, and relief courses through his blood at Derek’s reaction. “I am so sorry that I ever made you feel like you couldn’t tell me that you were gay or had a boyfriend. That’s completely on me. I don’t care who you love, Spencer, I just want you to be happy, okay? And if this guy makes you happy, then that’s fine by me. But if he ever lays a hand on you or—”
“Derek, Derek,” he laughs, “it’s fine I get it. Thank you, though, I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier and for snapping at you in the bullpen that time…”
“I understand, Spence,” he promises. “It’s in the past, okay? And I’m sorry for pushing so hard. I mean, I’d love to meet him but if you don’t feel comfortable or you don’t want to, that’s fine, too. It’s your life, man.”
“No, I… I think I want you guys to meet him. It’s been so hard to keep him away from the people I consider my family, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. Maybe after Christmas, we can all have dinner or something.”
Spencer smiles shyly. “Well, Oscar’s a great cook, so I reckon we could work something out.”
Derek grins, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he immediately jumps back into teasing him as they make their way to the door to go downstairs and see the rest of the team. “Ooh, lover boy’s got him a chef, hey? What else does this Oscar have going for him?”
Spencer chatters eagerly about his boyfriend to Derek, barely skipping a beat when he joins everyone downstairs, his friends taking his cues and joining in with the conversation seamlessly. He’s had enough fuss for one night, and the warmth and understanding on everyone’s faces tells him everything he needs to know.
“Do you have any pictures of him?” JJ asks, raising an eyebrow with eager expectancy as they all settle back into their seats by the fire, a warm and unbelievably happy feeling settling in Spencer’s stomach.
He blushes, digging out his phone from his pocket and unlocking it. “More than a few, I think.”
He finds the most recent picture of his boyfriend — a candid shot of him cooking in the kitchen, spatula aloft, and a huge grin on his face — and hands the phone around.
“Oh wow, you like them buff, huh, pretty boy?” Derek teases as soon as he gets his hands on it, and Spencer’s stomach twists in a sudden bout of fear, expecting to see some hesitancy or even disgust on his friend’s face. What if he thinks that Spencer has a crush on him? What if he’s uncomfortable around him now?
But if Derek’s having any of those thoughts, they don’t show on his face. He’s smiling widely and openly, all the pent-up anxiety and frustration borne from hurt gone from his body language, and he looks completely comfortable sat next to Spencer, his arm stretched out behind him on the back of the sofa.
They sit happily around the fire for a couple of hours, settling into a happy, intimate familiarity Spencer hadn’t realised was missing when he was hiding something so integral to his being from his family, and he’s still smiling when they finally part ways to head to bed, the clock ticking closer and closer to 1 am.
He gets ready for bed quickly, brushing his teeth and throwing on the top he’d stolen from Oscar the first time he’d stayed at his place; a welcome change from his worn and wrinkled suit. As soon as his teeth are brushed and the lights are all off except for his bedside lamp, he pulls out his phone, knowing there’s one more thing he has to do before he goes to sleep.
“Spencer?” Penelope’s voice sounds down the line, clearly concerned. “It’s almost 2 am here, are you okay?”
“I’m gay,” he says, getting straight to the point. The main reason he ever kept it from her was because of his fear of it accidentally getting out to the team rather than fear over her reaction. After all, multiple of his drag queen friends are also hers.
“Oh my God,” she says in that small voice she uses when she’s not actually talking to you, before finally actually replying to me. “Spencer, I’m so happy you told me!”
He doesn’t miss her choice of words, or the way she says them and he tilts his head suspiciously. “You already knew, didn’t you?”
She sighs. “Yeah. I’m sorry, a couple of months ago I saw a text from Oscar on your phone when you went to the bathroom during one of our Doctor Who marathons, and it wasn’t hard to figure out the relationship.”
“And… wait, you’re not mad at me for not telling you sooner?”
“Spencer! Of course not. I was waiting for you to be comfortable enough to share it with me. I felt awful that I knew without your consent but I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to catch you off guard or make you feel uncomfortable. It’s fine that you waited, baby genius, I’m just so happy you told me now. What finally gave you the courage?”
“Well, it might have slipped out in front of the team this evening,” he admits sheepishly, “and the only reason I never told you was because I was scared that it would slip out somehow — accidentally, of course, I didn’t think you’d tell anyone on purpose — and now everyone knows. It’s been killing me not to tell you, Penelope, it really has because I love you so much and you’re my best friend and I trust you with my life, it’s just…”
“Whoa, slow down, Spence,” she laughs fondly, “you don’t have to explain yourself to me, I understand. But I’m glad you finally told everyone and you can be yourself completely with us, now. We all love you no matter what, you know that right?”
“I do now.”
“Good. You should get some sleep, baby boy, it’s late and you’ve had an emotional evening.”
Spencer smiles. “Yeah, I know. You should, too, Pen. I’ll see you when we can finally make it home, okay? Love you.”
“Love you, too, 187,” she says softly, and Spencer can hear the smile in her voice. “Goodnight.”
As soon as he hangs up, he settles down into the bed, turning off the light and pulling the duvet up over his shoulders before dialling one more number.
“Hey, baby,” Oscar says, voice as gentle and caring as it always is, although thicker with tiredness now. “I take it everything went okay?”
“Yeah,” Spencer murmurs, already feeling tired as the safety he always feels at the sound of Oscar’s voice settles into the fibres of his being. “It went so well. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.”
“I can’t wait either, sweetheart. Are you in bed now?”
“Yeah,” he sighs. “Can you talk to me as I fall asleep?”
“Anything for you, Spence,” he says softly, before transitioning seamlessly into a story about the professors on campus, and his gentle comfort and the knowledge of the unconditional love his family has for him finally lulls Spencer into the best sleep he’s had in weeks.
taglist : @criminalmindsvibez @moreidstrobed @suburban--gothic @strippersenseii @takeyourleap-of-faith @negativefouriq @makaylajadewrites @iamrenstark @livrere-blue @hotchseyebrows @reidology @i-like-buttons @spencerspecifics @bau-gremlin @hotchedyke @tobias-hankel @goobzoop @marsjareau @garcias-bitch @oliverbrnch @physics-magic @sbeno22 @temily @enbyspencer @im-autistic @anxious-enby @kuolonsyoja @reidreids (add yourself to my taglist via this form!!)
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ragingbookdragon · 3 years
Text
These Words You Should Always Remember: To You, My Heart I Surrender
Batsis x Ghost-Maker One-Shot
Word Count: 4.6 Warnings: Explicit Language, Violence, Angst
Author's Note: This wasn't supposed to be 4K words y'all. I swear. But y'all better love me for it. Enjoy! -Thorne
**********************************************************************
There were the occasional sounds of fists meeting faces and shins hitting sides echoing in her ears, but she paid them no mind, eyes trained on the screen before her. She was content to let her brother and oldest friend beat the ever-living shit out of each other if it meant they’d eventually put their feelings aside and make up. Of course, it was a long-shot pipe dream and one not so easily reached—she could hope though.
Over the sound of the continual fighting came footsteps, followed by, “Aunt (Y/N). How’s it hangin’?”
Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled at her second nephew. “Jason,” she greeted warmly, and he bent down beside her, letting her press a kiss to his temple. “What are you doing here so late? I thought you and Roy were going to Panama City tomorrow? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
He shrugged. “Plane leaves in the morning. Figured I’d hang around here for the night to say a couple ‘see you laters’.” Jason’s eyes followed the screen. “Is that the human trafficking ring out of Saint Petersburg?”
“Yeah,” (Y/N) answered, turning to click at the mouse. “Some lawyers from the courts around here got caught in a hotel room with a few of the girls.”
Someone new appeared in her peripheral, two people actually, Tim and Dick. “Didn’t they arrest everybody in the hotel room?” Tim asked, propping his chin on her shoulder.
She reached up and scratched his scalp the way he liked. “They did. The girls were sent to a secure facility for treatment and the lawyers have unsurprisingly lawyered up. None of them are talking.” (Y/N) clicked on the screen, opening a tab that led to an interrogation room. “Gordon’s not having any luck. Whoever’s running this operation is obviously terrifying enough that none of these guys are cracking. Even with the threat of getting sent to prison for life.”
“Want some help?” Dick offered and she shook her head.
“Nah. We adults have it.” (Y/N) looked at them and smiled. “You guys go do what young people do. Hang out with your friends, drink, party, be young.”
“I feel like you’re saying that to the wrong trio,” Tim said. “None of us drink except Jason and even then, none of us party.”
She shook her head again, this time in shame. “God, you people need to live.”
Jason happened to glance over her head, and he frowned. “Speaking of needing to live…you might wanna stop Bruce and GM from killing one another.”
(Y/N) turned in the direction of her friend and brother and sighed. “Am I a terrible person for considering letting them punch each other unconscious?”
“Nope!” came unified response and she chuckled, rising from her seat.
“Thought so,” she said, walking over to where Bruce and Ghost-Maker were about to go at it again.
She stepped in between them, gracefully dodging a throw punch and a kicked-out leg, shoving both of them back in return. “Hey, enough.”
“Move.” Bruce commanded and she glared at him.
“I said, enough.” Her head turned to Ghost-Maker. “We all know this little sparring match has gone a bit farther than just training.”
“No one’s getting hurt, (Y/N).” Ghost-Maker said, and she narrowed her eyes.
“Maybe not right now, but someone will get hurt and we don’t need that.” She pointed to the opposite ends of the room. “Separate and cool off. Both of you.”
Seeing that she wasn’t going to budge, Bruce let out a puff of air and turned, striding into the showers, leaving her and the other man on the mats. (Y/N) sighed quietly, rubbing her temples, and griped, “I swear you both make it so difficult to be around.”
“Only because he lets his emotions get in the way.”
(Y/N) looked up at him, watching as he wiped the sweat from his face. She caught his hand. “You busted your knuckles.”
“I’ll be fine.” He started to pull away and she tightened her grip.
“Don’t even start with me, Ghost.” She tugged him to the med bay and shoved him towards a seat. “Sit.” He obeyed, though she could tell he was probably making a face at her, and she busied herself with finding the antiseptic and some wraps.
Turning back around, she perched herself on the desk and placed his hand in her lap, gently wiping the blood and dirt away from the wounds; then she set the rag aside and wrapped his knuckles with the fresh gauze, carefully, as if he were made of glass.
When she was finished, she couldn’t help but do the childish thing she’d come up with all those years ago during their training; (Y/N) softly rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles, blowing quietly, then she murmured, “There. All healed.”
A rare smile came over his lips, though she could tell it was more of a sneer than one. “You’re still doing that?”
(Y/N) huffed a laugh and shoved his hand off her legs. “Yes. How do you think I managed to heal all the wounds me and the family have gotten over the years?”
“Hmm, stitches and alcohol.”
“Smart-ass,” she grunted, rising to her feet. “You hungry?”
Ghost-Maker stood from his seat. “No. I have to get back to The Haunt.”
“Hot date waiting?” (Y/N) cracked, elbowing him in the side and he snorted.
“No. I need to read up on the information Icon’s run through since I’ve been gone.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, gazing at him. “You know I’m doing that right now with our scans, right?”
“Of course, I do. But you’re not Icon.”
(Y/N) rolled her eyes. “Great, I’ve been beaten by an AI.”
“An AI that I designed.” Ghost-Maker added, and she glared at him for a moment before chuckling.
“With fear, so I’ve heard.”
He shrugged. “I figured I would give him the one thing I lack.” He looked over at her. “Do you want to come with me?”
She wanted to, but she sighed heavily. “I can’t.” her eyes found the shower room door. “Someone needs to stay behind and talk to him.”
“I’m not surprised you’re staying.”
It was all he said before he disappeared from her sight and (Y/N) bit the inside of her cheek as something aching tugged deep in her chest. She hated how easy it was for her to understand when Ghost-Maker was disappointed in her decisions. How easy it was for him to impact her feelings. It’d been almost two decades since they actually held real conversations and every memory of the time they’d spent together, her, him, and her brother came back to her. Every moment of watching the two boys go head-to-head, and her torn between her family and the man she loved—it’d always been that way…and sometimes she wished she were like Ghost-Maker, unfeeling of love and empathy.
She shook herself from her stupor and walked into the locker room, leaning against the wall of the closed shower door; she could see his feet beneath the door. “Why do you always let yourself get so angry when it comes to Ghost?”
“You know why.” Bruce retorted. “You know how he is.”
“And I know how you are,” (Y/N) countered. “Yet you refuse to admit that on some level he’s got good points.”
He stuck his hand out from the opening of the door. “Towel.” She waited. “Please.”
Handing it over, she said, “You and I both know the longer we do this the darker it gets…the darker we get.”
“I’m not killing people, (Y/N).” Bruce griped as he stepped out of the shower, the towel around his waist. He’d busted his eyebrow and lip.
“I’m not saying you have to, Bruce. I wouldn’t expect you to. All I’m saying is you won’t admit that Ghost is right about things.”
“About what!” He shouted, turning on her. “That I should just start slitting throats up and down the street! That I should give up what we started as children! What (Y/N)!”
She merely stared at him amidst his yelling and then she calmly stated, “That you can’t save everyone.” He didn’t react, just looked at her as she explained, “You are so hellbent on the idea that everyone can have a moral redemption arc, but the truth is that not everyone has one nor does everyone deserve one.”
(Y/N) shook her head. “Sometimes I think Ghost was right. Trying to save everyone? Giving up every part of myself to make sure everyone lives? He was right. It eats until there’s nothing left inside you.”
“So what? You’re going to stop saving people?”
“Don’t be an idiot, Bruce.” She gave him a sharp look and said, “I’m going to stop saving the people who don’t deserve saving. And if that means I let someone bad die? I can live with that.” Walking off, she ignored him as he called out for her to stop, leaving him alone.
***
The little hovering tray floated into her peripheral and she blinked, turning to look at it. “Good evening, Miss Wayne. Refreshments?”
She smiled, plucking a champagne glass off along with a few grapes and cheese slices. “Thanks Icon.”
“You’re welcome.” The tray wandered off and she walked over to where he was sitting down, silently reading through the reports.
“Find anything interesting?” she asked, popping a grape in her mouth as she nudged his elbow off the armrest to perch on it herself. His arm unconsciously rested around her waist, fingers brushing the side of her pants.
“Leonidovich is having a party tonight.”
(Y/N) hummed, watching as he clicked through the pictures of the party’s setup. “Big place. Open. Good for plain clothed security to get around in.” she narrowed her gaze. “This is the ball room of the Winter Nebula Hotel. Who’s renting out the penthouse?”
Ghost-Maker smirked. “Our host for the party.”
She nodded. “Then that’s where the real party is going to be tonight.” Glancing at him, she asked. “Any big ballers on the VIP list?”
“Oh, a few internationally wanted arms and drug dealers.” He looked at the screen. “Leonidovich picked up a new shipment of girls earlier. He’s probably going to make a deal with the dealers tonight in exchange for them.”
(Y/N) nodded. “I guess it’s time to put our noses to the grind then.” She shimmied off the seat and started towards the closet. “Have any dresses back here?”
“You’re going inside?” he questioned, almost sounding surprised.
“Well, you can’t go it,” she retorted. “Your wily ways of fucking and flying means that people know your face.”
“Half of it.”
(Y/N) stuck her head out from the curtain, neck, and shoulders bare. “You’re not going to go in without your mask on. We both know that.” She pulled back in, grunting and shuffling around until she was finished.
Pulling open the curtain, she stepped out in a thigh length white heart-bodice dress, form fitting to her body and off the shoulders. (Y/N) slipped in the black metal teardrop earrings. “Part of me wants to ask why you have female clothing in your closet, but the other part wants to ask why on God’s green earth do you have to buy everything in white.”
Her face pinched. “It’s sterile. At least paint some gray in here somewhere, Jesus.” Ghost-Maker merely chuckled at her complaints and stepped behind her, gently placing something around her neck. “What are you—”
He let the black necklace fall to her chest and gently grabbed her chin, the other plucking a small device from the tray that Icon had next to them. Maneuvering her head to the side, he reached up and stuck it behind her ear, snug and out of sight. “Your hair should cover it,” he said.
“What is ‘it’?” (Y/N) asked.
“Listening device.” Ghost-Maker nodded to the screen, and she looked over, seeing a black box on the screen with a marker that was ticking. He raised his fingers to her ear and snapped; the blue marker etched with the sound, and she couldn’t help but feel impressed.
“Nicely designed, Ghost.” She remarked, glancing back at him. “Get my invitation?”
“It’s printing.” He met her eyes. “You need to be careful.”
(Y/N) knew he was being serious, but she couldn’t help but mess with him a bit. She smirked. “Why, Ghost, are you worried that I can’t handle a bunch of international criminals by myself? Me? That mighty Widow-Maker?”
“I’m not worried about you.” He said, and it hurt a lot more than she expected it too. “But I’d be down a sparring partner if you got yourself killed.”
She blinked at him. “I’m not sure what’s more upsetting—that you only think of me as a sparring partner or that you legitimately think I can’t do this by myself.” (Y/N) tipped her head. “Ghost, I’ve got this.” He opened his mouth to say something, but she turned away, walking to the door. “Where will you be tonight?”
He watched her back. “I’ll be doing what I do best. Surveying until you get into the penthouse.”
“You can’t bust in until I get enough on Leonidovich to have him arrested.”
“I’m not going to arrest him, (Y/N).” She turned, staring at him, but she said nothing, and he cocked a brow. “You’re not going to stop me?”
Her gaze fell to the tile floor, and she shrugged. “I don’t think I can, even if I tried to.” She let out a breath and turned. “Good luck tonight.”
***
To a novice, the party would’ve just been a normal high-class function, but to her knowing eyes, both from her own billionaire life and her vigilantism, this party was crawling with criminals. She’d caught at least seven drug deals go down in the past five minutes since she walked in, and at least nine men went off with escorts.
She inconspicuously grabbed a champagne chute from a waiter’s tray and sipped it lightly, scanning the room for Leonidovich. He was in the corner of the room, sitting next to a few women who (Y/N) recognized from the missing persons in Gotham.
His eyes flashed to hers and she gave him a flirty wink, disappearing to the bar, knowing he was going to take the bait. Sure enough, a hand touched the small of her back and she hummed as his lips brushed her ear. “I wasn’t expecting a goddess like you to come to this party tonight.”
She smiled and leaned back into his chest. “This goddess goes where she pleases.” Tipping her head slightly, she caught his eye. “And where her boss will find the best deals.”
“Deals, hmm?” he hummed. “What kind of deals are you expecting?”
(Y/N) smiled. “Oh, the ones where lots of money is involved…and merchandise.”
He gazed at her for a few moments then murmured in her ear, “The code word for entrance to the penthouse is ‘подземный мир’.”
“I’ll remember.” Leonidovich pulled from her with a smile and disappeared into the crowd. Something made her want to shiver from disgust, but she concealed it, watching and waiting for him to enter the elevator.
When he did, she waited another few minutes before walking over to it; the security stopped her and she cocked a brow, muttering, “подземный мир.”
The two guards looked at each other then stepped aside, letting her into the elevator. Another guard was inside, and she smiled politely as she stepped in, glancing at the little panel as it blinked.
It dinged, signaling their arrival and when the doors opened, she was greeted by an extravagant penthouse. To her surprise, there weren’t many people inside, just Leonidovich and his personal entourage.
“Ah, you’ve come,” he greeted, holding out a hand.
She took it, letting him place a kiss to her knuckles. “I told you, this goddess goes where she pleases and where she’s needed.” Looking around, she murmured, “My boss would prefer our business done alone. Is that possible?”
The guards seemed to turn even frostier but Leonidovich merely chuckled, nodding his head as he let her go and gestured to a side door. “The office is just through those doors. We can draw up a contract.” He turned to his thugs. “Wait here.”
(Y/N) nodded, following him as he led her into the office, noting how he locked the door, and he motioned to a chair in front of the desk. “Please, sit.”
Taking her seat, she crossed a leg over her knee. “You wouldn’t happen to have something to drink, would you?”
“What can I offer you?”
“Vodka.”
He chuckled. “Ah, a woman after my own heart.” He waltzed over to the bar and poured them both glasses, walking back to hand her hers. “Here you are.”
(Y/N) took it and clinked her glass to his. “ваше здоровье.”
They both downed their glasses and for effect, she held her façade. “You speak and drink like a true daughter of Russia.”
She smiled. “I’ve had more than a few drinks with many sons of Russia.” Glancing out the window, she added, “My boss is interested in your inventory. A few of them actually.”
Leonidovich hummed, turning back to wander over to the drink counter. “Tell me about your boss.”
“He’s a multi-billionaire out of Hong-Kong. Made his fortune by building cell towers and selling opium on the side.”
“Opium is a highly sought-after drug.”
“That it is,” (Y/N) agreed. “He’s been branching out into Kolkata, wanting to get into the spice trade.” She gazed into her empty glass, staring at her reflection. “But the men over there want something in return…more than money, if you catch my drift.”
“I do.” He said, matter of factly. “Perhaps I can offer them something better.”
“And what would that be?” almost there. She thought, but she never expected—
“You.”
(Y/N) turned her head just as he swung his arm as hard as he could, the vodka bottle in his grasp. She barely even had time for her eyes to widen when it collided with her temple, shattering into a thousand shards, cutting deep into her skin.
She fell out of her seat and hit the ground, dazed and in a massive amount of pain. Reaching up, she felt the blood pouring from her head and she sucked in a shuddering breath, trying to wipe away the fluid from her eyes so she could see.
Of course, he didn’t give her time because he was pressing his knee into her back, fingers yanking the listening device from behind her ear. Leonidovich glared at it and smashed it between his fingers. “I know who you are working for. I’ve seen this tech before.”
(Y/N) rolled onto her back, throwing out her elbow, which to give her credit, she did catch him in the jaw, but he was quick to respond, punching her across the face. Blood pooled in her mouth, and she spat at him, then his hands were winding around her throat, squeezing tightly. It reminded her of the training in the Amazons where she had to learn to uncoil anacondas from her body.
His grip became tighter and tighter just like the reptiles and she bared her teeth as she tried to suck in air, digging her nails into the flesh of his hands, his wrists, anything she could scratch at. He was heavy enough that she couldn’t flip him and with the dress tight around her thighs, she couldn’t cock her legs up to his shoulders or waist to get any distance between them.
She gasped when he put his knee in her stomach and that was the last bit of air she had to hold in. Her lungs started burning, begging her for air she felt the panic starting to rise in her as she thrashed beneath him, trying to throw him just an inch, but nothing was working.
Dark spots started to ebb out from the corner of her vision and like the phrase had come alive, she saw every moment of her life flash before her eyes. Every wrong decision, every right one. Every goodbye, every hello. Every person she’d ever lost and every one she’d ever saved. Her nephews’ and nieces’ faces darted across her vision followed by Bruce’s and then his.
She didn’t want to die now. Not since he’d come back to see them after so long. She wanted to stay. Wanted to tell him she loved him, even if she knew he would never be able to feel the same. She wanted to live.
Gunshots sounded from the outside, but they were like whispers as her eyelids started to droop shut, brain fogging from the lack of oxygen. Her hands started to go slack as the door was kicked in and as her arms went limp, something damp splattered across her face and the weight of Leonidovich’s body fell away.
(Y/N) sucked in a lungful of air and rolled, with what strength she’d received from the freedom, over onto her side, coughing violently. Her head was swimming with pain and her brain felt like someone had taken a mallet to an overripe melon.
Someone gripped her shoulder and she screeched, flailing on them when they grabbed her wrists. “(Y/N). It’s me.” They pulled her against them, folding her to their chest and placed a hand to the back of her head. “You’re safe.”
Sandalwood and metal oil wafted up her nose and she heard the familiar hum of his suit. “K?” she breathed, terrified to pull away and look at him.
His thumb caressed the back of her head. “It’s me, (Y/N).”
Something broke inside her and she buried her face in his cloak, sobs wracking her body as she clung to him. Words passed her lips, and she wasn’t sure what she was saying but it didn’t matter because all she could think about was how he’d saved her in the nick of time. The man she’d turned her back on at twenty to go home with her brother, had saved her again.
***
When she awoke, she sat up straight in the bed, vaguely unaware of how she’d gotten there in the first place. She started to move when she heard, “I wouldn’t get up if I were you.”
Stilling, she looked over, seeing Ghost-Maker with a book in his hands. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, one of his favorites. When they used to train together when they were children, they used to lie under the stars, and he’d tell her all about how each chapter in the book had been devoted to a different art of warfare; she loved how passionate he would get when he talked about it.
“What happened?” she asked, fingers twitching against her side where it had started to ache.
“You were found out and almost strangled to death in penthouse suit.” He snapped the book shut. “When the bug went down, I moved in and took care of the criminals in the suite before killing Leonidovich and saving your life.”
(Y/N) frowned as he set the book down and leaned over, checking inside the bandage that was wrapped around her head. “Thank you.” Her eyes found his behind his mask. “What happened after?”
“You don’t remember?” he inquired curiously, and she tried to shake her head, but his grip was firm, keeping her in place.
“No. I remember you saving me but everything after that is a giant blur.” Suddenly she felt too transparent and pulled from his hands, turning her back to him as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. She rested a split second and stood, though his earlier warning rang in her ears as her knees buckled beneath her, head swimming.
He was there in an instant, arms wrapped around her waist as he caught her, lowering her back onto the bed. “I told you not to move.”
(Y/N) grunted at him and when he moved to pull away, she held on, resting her head on his shoulder. “Just…wait, K.” She whispered softly. “Please, just a moment.”
Ghost-Maker didn’t move though she felt the way he tensed at the first letter of his name. “You called me ‘K’ back there too.”
“I was relieved to see you.”
“And what you said afterwards?” She fell silent. “You don’t remember, do you?”
(Y/N)’s lips pulled downwards. “I have an idea of what I said. But I doubt you’ve been oblivious to it all these years.”
“Why do you love me?” he inquired, and from the tone of his voice he was either genuinely curious or completely baffled, she was hoping for the former and not the latter.
She turned her head, ignoring the prickling of pain as her temple brushed his shoulder, and pressed her forehead into his neck. “Because you saw who I was when no one else did.” Tears started swimming in her vision, and she reached up, curling her hand in his suit jacket. “I love you because you’re you, K. Because you’re my oldest friend and the one who’s always known me.”
Ghost-Maker closed his hand around the one in his suit and fell silent for a long while and (Y/N) stayed quiet too, simply letting the tears fall from her cheeks to the skin of his collarbone, her lips quivering against his skin.
“I can’t love you the way you love me.” He finally admitted.
(Y/N) blinked the tears away, whispering, “I know.” She started to pull away from him, reaching up to wipe her eyes. “I’m sorry, K.” It was hard to look at him, but she managed it, barely. “Just…give me some time and let me work through all,” she gestured around herself, her heart, and her head. “This.”
“You’re not angry at me.” He remarked and her brows furrowed.
“Of course not. Why would I be?”
“Because I don’t feel what you do. Love.”
(Y/N) couldn’t help but laugh despite the heartache. “K, I’m not going to get angry because you don’t feel love.” She reached up and placed a hand to his cheek, her thumb brushing against the fabric he kept covering his nose and eyes. “I know that in your own way you do care. Even if it’s not love.” Her hand shifted and she ran her thumb over his lips. “I can live with that.”
Ghost-Maker slid his hand up the side of her neck, pulling her to him; he pressed his lips to hers and she closed her eyes, letting herself be lost in the bliss of the moment, if only for a moment, then she pulled away and opened her eyes, gazing at him.
She offered him a sad smile and managed to find her feet again, rising from the bed, leaving him there. “I’ll see you sometime soon, K.” she said, walking to the door.
“Do you want me to call Bruce to pick you up?”
“No. I’ll walk for a bit.” (Y/N) got to the door and stopped, pausing to look back at him. “K?”
He glanced over, meeting her gaze. “Hmm?”
“Do you know what my biggest regret is?”
“I don’t.”
(Y/N) grimaced. “It was leaving you.” Even behind his mask, she knew the surprise was in his eyes; she knew him that well. “And if I could do it all over again…I’d stay with you instead of getting on the plane that night.”
Ghost-Maker looked shocked for a moment, then it gave way to a smile. A real smile. One she hadn’t seen in years from him. “I think I would liked that.”
“Goodnight K.”
“Goodnight (Y/N). Stay safe.”
240 notes · View notes
ahh im obsessed with the summer prompts. Can I request Lifeguard Tom with prompt 36 please? preferably fluffy ending but its all up to you thanks!
This became very long sorry bestie. I hope you still enjoy it tho! Love you so much, thank you for the request love!
Reminder to everyone else that the Summer of Love is still going on and I'll be accepting requests for it until September 22nd! You can find the prompt list here!
Let’s Give It a Shot
36 - It’s the last day of summer, and your last day together
Pairing: Lifeguard! Tom x Reader
Summary: Tom shows you exactly why you love him so much
Warnings: angst, crying, fighting
Masterlist
Summer of Love
⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒
Tom peaked at the bed as he pulled his shirt over his head, a smile came over his face at the sight.
“Good morning angel,” he cooed, “Like what you see?”
“I liked it better when you had your shirt off,” she teased, her voice still raspy and tired, “Remind me why we agreed to work today?”
“It’s only till noon,” he reminded as he bent to kiss her. He laughed as she attempted to pull him into bed, “I’ve got to get going, swim class starts at 7.”
She rolled onto her back and groaned, “Who the fuck takes their kids to swim class at 7?”
“Their toddlers angel, most of them have been up since 5,” he pecked her lips one final time before standing up, “I’ll see you at 8?”
She hummed, nodding once before she closed her eyes again, “Love you.”
“Love you too,” he watched her settle back into bed before leaving, closing the bedroom door as quietly as he could behind him.
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆   。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆
“Bye bye,” Tom waved to the kids as they padded through the lobby.
“We’ll see you all Thursday,” Harrison added.
“Well I really appreciate it,” Tom smiled in response, falling into the spinning chair that she usually sat in, “Seriously, I owe you.”
The kids filed out, being ushered away by their parents while the boys hung around the front desk.
“I can’t believe I agreed to take you shift,” Harrison yawned, stretching his arms above his head, “You’re such a dick.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m the best,” he glanced towards the door, just in time to spot (y/n), “Oh shit, fun’s over Tom, time to get back to work.”
“Ha ha,” she rolled her eyes, “What are you two doing at my desk huh?”
“You’re desk?” Tom smirked, “This is my desk today angel.”
“Oh and I suppose you want me to save the drowning children?”
“No,” he stood and grabbed her by the waist, “Haz is going to watch the pool today and I’m going to help you up front.”
She raised a brow and turned to Harrison, “Really?”
He nodded, “Course sweetheart, happy to give you a little extra time together.”
“Aw, thank you Haz,” she cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“You’re welcome,” he gave her a squeeze before dropping her, “Alright, I’ve got to go clean up, you two just make sure everything is done. I don’t want to get in trouble because you two were making out instead of working.”
“We will, don’t worry,” she laughed, “Thank you guys, I couldn’t have dreamed up a better last day.”
“You’re welcome,” Tom hummed, pressing his lips to hers as she tried to reach for the computer behind him, “We could do this everyday if you stayed, I could switch to the front.”
“Tom you know I can’t,” she sighed, “I don’t think we should be having this discussion at work either, it’s just gonna make us both emotional.”
“You’re leaving tomorrow morning so I’m gonna be emotional no matter what,” he sighed, “You never want to talk about this.”
“Because I don’t like thinking about leaving. I don’t like the idea of being far away anymore than you do.”
“Then don’t leave,” he grabbed her hands, preventing her from getting to her job, “Just stay here. You can move in with us, Haz adores you, he won’t mind.”
“Tom I can’t. I have to go back to school, and right now I have to open, so can we please save this for later?”
He sighed and nodded, “Yeah, yeah, we can talk about it later.”
“Thank you,” she kissed his cheek before pushing across the floor.
He laughed as the chair spun away from her, “I don’t know how you expect me to help from all the way over here.”
“I expect you to go make sure the bathrooms are stocked,” she flashed him a cheeky smile while she popped open the register, “And I’m gonna count the cash.”
He sighed and dragged his feet towards the closet, “Fine, fine, I wouldn’t do it for anyone else though.”
The day continued as normal, despite Tom’s best attempts to distract (y/n) from work. Tom had surprised her by doing most of the work throughout the day, insisting she simply sit and handle the register. It was a nice change, normally when Tom hung out in the front it was just to steal drinks and tease. Tom busted through all of her tasks, seeming impossibly determined to get them home as soon as possible. He’d managed to do it too, Harry arrived at exactly noon and he’d rushed (y/n) right out the door.
“Hurry,” Tom shook her shoulders while she gathered her things.
“I am, I am, sheesh,” she shoved her phone into her purse and stood, “What’s the big rush?”
“I’ve just got a lot planned for today,” he beamed at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, “Now come on, our first stop is this way.”
“Our first stop?” she knit her brow as he led her towards the pool, “Wait why are we going to the pool?”
“Because it’s our first stop,” he repeated, stopping just outside the doors, “See that?” he pointed to one of the lifeguard’s chairs.
She nodded, trying to imagine where he might be taking the conversation, “I do see the chair Tom.”
“It’s the most important chair in the world,” he kissed the top of her head with a smile, “Because I was sitting in that chair the first time I saw you.”
She flushed, biting her cheek to try and fight off her smile, “Stop.”
“I remember it exactly. You walked out of there and I just couldn’t take my eyes off you, you wouldn’t believe how disappointed I was when they said you were gonna be up front.”
“I thought you were pretty cute too.”
He laughed, “Thank God you did.”
“Did you bring me out here just for that?” she raised a brow, “You’re not trying to throw me into the pool?”
He shook his head, “No, just wanted to be a little sappy. Now I’m gonna take you on that date and be even sappier.”
“Lucky me,” she chuckled, “So, where are you taking me now?”
“Minx,” he smirked, “Alright darling, just get ready for the best date of your life.”
“Back home, I can’t parade around the town dressed like this,” he motioned to his swim trunks with a smile, “As much as you might like that.”
“I’d rather save that for tonight,” she teased back, “When I’ve got you all to myself.”
Tom took her home, refusing to reveal even the tiniest detail about their date as they both got ready. He claimed it would be long, that’d they’d be out until that night, but refused to give her any more details. He even went as far as to try and blindfold her when they got in the car, but he quickly dropped it when she refused. She expected he’d be taking her somewhere new or out of town because of this, she was completely in shock when he just drove her to a sandwich shop just up the street from the pool.
“Seriously? We eat here like everyday,” she rolled her eyes, “This cannot be it Tom.”
“It’s not,” he laughed, “Obviously I’ve got something more than this planned. I just thought we could stop here.”
“Why?”
“Because, if you remember,” he began to explain, a smile overtaking his features, “You stayed late to help me clean the pool and I took you to lunch as thanks. It was like our first half date.”
“Half date?” she laughed, “That is not a thing Tom.”
“Yes it is, it was the first time we hung out outside of work together, and it’s when I asked you out, it’s a half date.”
“Those are very specific circumstances that define a half date,” she pursed her lips, fighting her urge to smile.
“Whatever, the point is, this place is special because it reminds me of you,” he leaned over the middle console to press a kiss to her cheek, “And I just wanted to tell you that before we got to the real date.”
“Aw,” she cooed at him, “Don’t tell me it’s going to get even sappier than this.”
“Oh angel, just you wait, it’s only getting worse and worse from here.”
She watched out the windows as Tom drove her across town to another restaurant, though this time she knew exactly why he’d brought her there.
“Tom,” she bit her lip as she spoke, “This is incredibly cute.”
“Ah not here angel,” he grabbed her hands as she tried to open the door, “Just being sappy again. Remember what happened here?”
“Our first date, how could I ever forget that?” she smiled as she reminisced on the happy memories, “We got all dressed up and you brought me flowers. Then we talked until they closed, and we still couldn’t get enough of each other so you drove me up to that cliff side and talked all night.”
“No, no, it was nothing like that,” he rolled his eyes, “I picked you up and you looked so fucking gouregous I could barely speak. Then I took you to this restaurant and I tried so desperately and to seem interesting enough to keep your attention. For some reason you put up with me, and we talked and talked and talked. I thought you’d want to go home at the end of the night but you still weren’t sick of me so we drove up to that little lookout point and I fell madly and deeply in love with you while we talked the night away.”
“You did not fall in love with you on our first date,” she rolled her eyes, “You’re just trying to make me emotional.”
“I fell in love with you the first time I laid my eyes on you, it just took me a little while to realize it.”
She sighed, letting her head fall onto his shoulder, “I fell in love with you the first time we kissed. I’ve never felt like that with anyone else.”
“Mine was cuter,” Tom hummed as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“Oh whatever,” she rolled her eyes, “Alright, are we going to the real date now?”
“You’ll see, you’ll see,” he shushed her, driving just a few parking lots over to the local bowling alley, “Remember here?”
“Another one?” she sighed, “Alright, you took me here to introduce me to your brothers. I found out that I majorly suck at bowling that night.”
“Yeah you do,” he laughed, “But my brothers adore you, they treat you like a sister and it totally melts my heart.”
“Yeah, I think they’re cool too,” she chuckled, “So, is there an actual date or are you just taking me on a victory lap of the city?”
“There is a date, at the end of the victory lap,” he admitted, “There’s just a couple more things I want you to see first.”
“You’ll see, just give it a second,” he hummed.
Tom drove her all over the city, stopping anywhere with even the tiniest amount of significance. He took her to the club where they’d spent Harrison’s birthday, the fairgrounds where they spent way too much money on rigged games, even the local park, where her and Harry had gotten way too competitive with a game of frisbee golf. He took her to more sentimental spots too, like where they’d had their first kiss, the hill where they’d fallen asleep watching a meteor shower, the place where they’d first said I love you, where they’d had their first time. It was like a montage of their greatest hits, that had her falling in love with Tom, and the city, all over again. She was almost in tears when Tom finally declared that the tour was over, and it was really time for their date.
“Okay, where are we really going then?” she pressed, her eyes glued to the window for any clues, “I mean we’ve pretty much been everywhere already…”
“Looks like we’re heading to your place, or work,” she knit her brow.
“Does it?”
“Does it?” she mocked, “We have to get out of this car soon or I’m gonna pee myself.”
“Well,” he flicked his blinker on and turned into the pool parking lot, “Good thing we’re here.”
“Tom I swear to god I-”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he laughed, “But you can run inside real quick and use the restroom before we go.”
“They’re closed.”
“I have my keys,” he flicked off the car, grinning as he waved for her to follow, “Hurry up angel.”
She followed him inside, suspicious that he had some kind of ulterior motive, “We are not fooling around in there Tom.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” he hummed as he opened the front door, “Go on, take care of your business.”
“Thanks,” she scampered off to the bathroom, only to find Tom was missing when she returned, “Tom?” she peaked around the lobby but found nothing. She got no response when she knocked on the men's locker room door, and the employee lobby was empty. “Tom?” she called again, peeking at her phone for any hints, “Come on,” she sighed and headed for the pool.
“Surprise!”
Out jumped everyone she’d spent the summer with, Tom, Harrison, his brothers, everyone they’d worked with at the pool, all the friends she’s made across town. The pool was all lit up, lined with tables full of food and drinks. (y/n) was in shock, her jaw hung open as she took it all in.
“So,” Tom’s arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed a kiss to her cheek, “What do you think?”
“This is amazing,” she squeezed his hands, “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” he kissed her cheek again before stepping away, “We all wanted to make your last night really special.”
“It’s perfect,” she confirmed, “Seriously, I couldn’t imagine anything better than this.”
“Glad to hear it love,” Harrison wrapped his arm around her shoulders for a quick hug, “Come on though, you’ve got lots of people to say goodbye too.”
She was led around to say hi to everyone, progressively becoming more and more emotional as the night went on. Tom stuck right to her side, doing his best to comfort her as the night went on. It was nice, she appreciated the gesture and everyone being there, but the realization that this was her goodbye just kept creeping back up. Tom could tell she was drained by the end of the night, obviously ready to just curl up in bed.
“Angel, are you ready to go home?” he hummed.
“No, no, I’m okay,” she insisted, “We should stay and help clean up.”
“You can’t clean up your own party,” Harry rolled his eyes, “We’ll stay back and clean it up. If you’re ready to go you and Tom can head out.”
“Are you guys sure?” she wrung her hands nervously, “We can stay and help.”
Sam nodded, “Yeah, it’s not very much anyway, we’ve got this.”
“Thanks guys,” Tom squeezed her side, “Let’s get you home then yeah?”
She nodded, “Thanks guys.”
She moved to give each of them a hug, mumbling a quick goodbye, hoping to escape to the car as quickly as possible. Harry seemed to have other ideas in mind though.
“I love you,” he squeezed her tight.
“Aw, I love you too,” she chuckled.
“I’m gonna miss you so much sis,” he patted her back as she pulled away.
She forced a smile as she stepped away, waving to them while her and Tom slipped away.
“Are you alright?” Tom squeezed her waist.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she insisted as she climbed into the passenger seat, “I just wanna go home.”
“Alright, we’ll go.”
“He called me sis.”
“What?”
“Harry called me sis.”
Tom chuckled, “Well yeah, I told you earlier, they think of you like a sister.”
“But it’s different when he says it,” she sniffled, her facade finally crumbling, “I don’t wanna go Tom.”
He moved to her side as quick as he could and pulled her into him, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to angel. If you want to stay you can, Haz and I would be more than happy to have you.”
“But I can’t! I can’t just ditch everything for a summer fling! I have to go back to school and my family and I have to go home! But I don’t want to go back there! I want this to be home, I don’t want to leave!”
Tom took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head before scooting back to his seat, “I know we went a lot of places today angel, but I’ve got one more thing to show you alright?”
“No I don’t wanna go fucking see anything else Tom! I just want to go home…”
“We will, I just want to show you one thing angel, it’ll make you feel better,” he promised, slipping a hand over hers, “It’ll be quick.”
“Okay…”
She was quiet the rest of the short drive, he’d taken her to a small cafe, they’d only been there once before.
“Come on angel,” he waved for her to follow him.
“Why would you bring me here?” she scoffed.
“Just come on,” he insisted, smiling as she slammed the door behind her, “Come sit with me,” he patted his lap.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms before falling into his lap, “Why are we here?”
“Do you remember what happened here?” he hummed.
She nodded, “Yeah, we had our first fight here, and it seems like you’re trying to have our second too.”
“No, I’m making a point,” he corrected with a smile, “We had our first fight here, and then we never came back here again. But that is not why I brought you here, I brought you here because that fight made me think about us, and the fact that you had to leave at the end of summer. I kept trying to think of ways around it or ways for us to minimize our time apart, but you know what thought never crossed my mind?”
“What?” she sank into her chair.
“That when summer came to an end we would break up, because we aren’t a summer fling. We never were, not even for a second, and the sacrifices we make are not for a summer fling, they’re for a real relationship that both of us treasure. If you really, really don’t want to go then you can stay, and I mean we’ve got a Uni nearby and you’ve always got somewhere to stay here. But if I’m the only reason you don’t want to go then you need to go, and we’ll suffer through the long distance until my lease with Haz is up and then I’ll move to you.”
She shook her head, “It’s not just you, I love this town, and the friends I’ve made here, it’s everything about this place. I just feel like I belong here, and I’ve never felt like that back home.”
“Obviously I’m biased here,” he chuckled, “But you could always just give it a semester out here, transfer back if you hate it, or vice versa. Just remember this long distance thing is going to be temporary no matter what, and even then we’re only a couple hours apart.”
She was silent as she tried to sort out her thoughts, “Yeah, school’s a little cheaper out here too, that’d be nice. A-And I haven't paid for anything yet this year so I’m not really obligated to go…”
“You don’t have to justify anything to me angel, obviously I want you to stay” he kissed her shoulder with a frown, “If you wanna give it a shot then I think you should, but if you don’t, we’re still gonna make this work, because I love you.”
“I love you too,” she sniffled while he wiped her eyes, “Thanks Tommy.”
⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒
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Omg I love all your drabbles they are so amazing and brilliant I can’t believe you do that for free! What a blessing you are!! I was wondering whether there would be a part four to the vacation au and if not could you do maybe more jealous Cassian but in your lawyer au I’m obsessed but honestly anything you write has me happy!
This is so sweet I am so glad you’re loving the drabbles! I did a second part to the vacation AU a couple days ago so I’m going to go with Jealous Cassian in the lawyer AU. I already *kind* of did this but I’ve been doing jealousy light lately and this time we are cranking it up to 100. This one is kinda long and pretty angsty and I think I definitely need to smoosh all these lawyer drabbles into a mini story that follows Nessian from meeting while studying for the bar exam and then through snippets of their careers so maybe that’s what I’ll do next.
Actually facing Nesta in court was an extreme rarity. All of her non pro Bono work was strictly solicitor. Drafting contracts and negotiating deals in different chic board rooms with little glass bottles of Perrier and complimentary latte carts trolling the halls.
Nesta thought that she didn’t want to litigate. She thought that people didn’t like her and because of that she was a bad advocate. She couldn’t have been more wrong.
Watching Nesta fight for something that she believed in, truly believed in, was the closest thing to a religious experience Cassian had ever known.
“And I would urge you to consider in your decision, your honour, the fact that even if it should apply in this case, the very law my learned friend is attempting to uphold is currently under review by the Supreme Court and may soon be overturned on the basis of being unconstitutional as well as unconscionable.” Nesta took a pregnant pause.
“If that happens. If this law is overturned, as you well know, it will not be retroactively helpful to my client. My client who was born here. My client who grew up in Queens. My client who can draw you a map of which bodegas has the best coffee vs the best sandwiches and their proximity to the nearest train, and if that doesn’t qualify her as an American, and a New Yorker, then I don’t know what does.” The judge smiled a little at that. It was a calculated risk, the emotional appeal. But Judge Miluski was already on Nesta’s side and she was a born and bread New Yorker and she had the rare distinction of being a member of the judiciary with a sense of humour. “If this law is overturned, which we both know is highly likely, then my client will be sent to another country, a country she has never even been to, not because she did anything wrong, but because this trial happened a few weeks too-”
Nesta trailed off, eyes caught at the quietly opening gallery door. A man stepped in. Tall and thin and… greasy. Hair slicked back with so much product Cassian didn’t think he’d feel it if he hit him on the head with a hammer. Which he desperately wanted to do. That brutish, violent, raised in foster homes in Harlem side of him that even a legal education and a closet full of Armani suits could never quite polish out of him lit on fire at the sight of this creep. This asshole who was wearing fucking asics with his $4000 suit. And no tie. Top three buttons of a pinstripe white shirt unbuttoned. What a fucking rube.
Except that this guy. THIS fucking guy, made Nesta lose her train of thought. This guy who walked into court late and had yet to drag his eyes up from Nesta’s ass, had distracted her. Caused her to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and smile a little. This shy, light, cutesy little smile that absolutely did not belong on Nesta Archeron’s face.
When Nesta smiled it was a sly, knowing, victorious thing that curled across her lips and set Cassian’s heart hammering in his chest.
This… this was insanity.
The man smirked, deep and arrogant, as he stood at the back of the courtroom, hands slid into his pockets. Not even respectful enough of the proceedings to sit down.
Nesta gathered herself quickly. The whole mess over in under 20 seconds, but Cassian noticed it. Even as Nesta went on and cited the law and the competing jurisprudence and the ethics and the constitution, he couldn’t focus. All he could think about was that little smile.
Cassian said his final piece, the judge ruled, as they both knew she would, in Nesta’s favor, and it was all over.
Nesta didn’t even gloat like she usually would have. She just stuck her hand out, the absolute picture of professionalism, and shook his.
“Good working with you, Counseler.” She said, as if he hadn’t pulled her around the side of a building and pushed her body up against a brick wall the other day, moulding her into him as they fought over this case. Discussed their future. Their passions.
She’d rejected his invitation to dinner, but she always did. It was a part of the game. A game that Cassian was determined to win.
“Who’s the tech bro?” The sneakers with the suit and the unbuttoned shirt and the general shitty attitude all pointed to that being the only reasonable profession.
“Babe,” the slimy man in question pushed past the swinging waist high half door that separated the gallery and the space where counsel’s desks sat. “Let’s go.” He wrapped and arm too tightly around Nesta’s waist and pulled on her a little.
Cassian curled his fists into his palms so hard his nails bit imprints into the skin of his palms. Babe? Telling her when to leave? The pulling? No.
“I’m Cassian.” He held out his hand. “ADA. What firm do you work for? Haven’t seen you around.”
“Tomas.” The man scoffed, “And I’m not a lawyer. Not interested in all that gibberish you’re type is always spewing. Sounds like pure nonsense to me. I’m a tech investor.”
Yeah. That sounded about right. No actual skills. Not an engineer or developer or even a business manager. Just an idiot with a trust fund throwing money at whatever looked cool.
“Well, Tomas. Do you know why they call that big exam full of all that gibberish you hate the bar exam?” The weasel just raised his eyebrows. “It’s because once you pass it, then you are an attorney. And allowed to cross past this BAR.” Cassian pushed Tomas back out the little half door again. “Which separates the civilians in the gallery from the lawyers making their cases. So maybe learn how to show a little respect.” Cassian scoffed, flicking his eyes to Nesta, “In a few different areas of your life.”
“What the fuck, bro?” Tomas rolled his eyes. “This is why I fucking hate going to your lawyer parties and shit. Jackasses like this.”
“Tomas, please.” Nesta placed a hand on his chest, Cassian tensed, and that seemed to calm Tomas down. Not Nesta’s touch, but another man’s jealousy.
“Why don’t you bring the car around. I have to work out a court date for another matter with Cassian but I’ll be right out.”
“Yeah, ok.” Tomas glared, keeping eye contact with Cassian as he kissed Nesta’s cheek, hand travelling too far down her back. “Hurry though.”
“Of course.” Nesta smiled that same tiny little smile that made her look like a doll on a shelf and Cassian wanted to scream.
“What the fuck are you doing with a piece of shit like that?” Cassian minced no words as he turned to face Nesta.
“Excuse me?”
“Pretty straight forward question, Nes.”
“You… you don’t know him. He’s not like that once you get to know him.”
“Sure he’s not,” Cassian scoffed.
“What is your problem?”
“My problem is that your boyfriend, who I’ve never heard of or seen before today despite knowing you for years, had a chance to see you in court. Had a chance to watch you all fired up and passionate and brilliant and instead he walked in late, stared at your ass instead of listening to what you were saying, and then shoved his way up here and pulled at you to leave like you were some kind of toy he didn’t mind tearing the arm off of.”
Nesta blinked. Huffed out a breath. “We’ve been on again off again for a while. That’s why you haven’t seen him before. And he just doesn’t like lawyer stuff that’s why he’s like that in here ok? Not that it’s any of your business.”
“So you’re dating someone who not only doesn’t recognize how brilliant you are but won’t even let you talk about your job?” That was wrong. That was so wrong. That was… why Nesta was so intense with him. Why she debated and fought and talked for hours. Because she couldnt do it at home.
“Why do you even care, Cassian? Let’s just set a date and-”
“Fuck you, Nesta.” Her jaw fell open. “Fuck you for even asking me that. You know why I care. You can’t play dumb with me like I assume you do with him.”
“You don’t know anything about my relationship!” Nesta defended a little too vehemently.
“I know you can’t yell at him about his take on immigration laws,” Cassian stepped closer to her. “I know you can’t get a little tipsy off your favorite Malbec and go on a rambling tirade about the corrupt judiciary and your twenty three- or twenty five depending on the night- reasons why voting for judges completely undermines the integrity of the legal system.”
The was almost no space between them as Cassian looked down, gently set his hand under Nesta’s chin and raised her gaze to meet his. Burning with anger and passion and barely concealed desire. “I know that he didn’t understand why you were crying when RBG died. Because he doesn’t care about how appointing Supreme Court judges works or what that meant for the future of the court. And because I know that you weren’t with him that night. You were with me. Just like election night in 2016. And the Kavanaugh trials. And when the travel ban came into effect. You found me. Because I get it, and I care about your thoughts on all of those things. I’m devastated by them too. You were with me, Nes. And don’t you dare pretend that doesn’t mean anything.”
“It does,” Nesta let her cheek sink into his palm. “It means everything Cassian, but…”
“But we fight,” he smiled. “We bicker and yell and cross ideologies and disagree on all the little things. But not the big things, Nes. Never on the big things. We disagree on how to change the world, not what we want to change in it. Isn’t that what matters?”
Nesta swallowed. “I can’t risk losing you.” She said quietly. “I need you. For all of those reasons, I need you to be in my life and if we… I hurt the people I love, Cassian. So if I let myself love you, I would only hurt you. And I can’t bear the thought of hurting you.”
“So you date him.” Realization was an arrow sailing into Cassian’s chest. “Because you won’t hurt him. Because you could never actually love him.”
Nesta swallowed. “See? See how awful I am?”
Cassian moved his hand to her back, pulled her into his chest. “Go,” he whispered. “Go do whatever you need to do. I’ll be here. And I’ll be waiting for you to realize that I’m not going anywhere. That I can take it. Whatever you want to throw at me, I can take it, Nes.”
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A Story (Alec Volturi x Reader)
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You opened your eyes, sitting up straight. Your back was stiff. You were in your bathtub, fully clothed, soaked. The bathwater threatening to spill over and freezing. You frowned. “I need to stop drinking.” You grumbled before rolling out of the tub. You groaned, too sore to even consider standing up. You’d clean the mess later. You crawled into your bedroom before flopping onto the floor. This had to be the last time you drank, it had to be. Better ignoring that you definitely could have drowned, since you were so intoxicated that you tried to take a bath and didn't even take off your clothes. You couldn’t even remember the night before so really, it wasn’t worth it. Whilst you didn’t have a headache, thankfully, you just felt tired...and cold. Phone, where was it? You groaned, a sudden feeling you had left it in the bathroom. You didn't see it around your room and it wasn't in any pockets thankfully. With a sigh, you figured you couldn’t avoid the day any longer, although it would be very nice to try. Regardless, you slowly got up and trudged back into the bathroom. 
Your phone was on the floor, next to the bath. A couple of water droplets lay on the screen but remained undamaged...although it had twenty percent battery left. You had two missed calls from Alice. You checked your texts to find none. You decided to call Carlisle who picked up after two rings.  “Hello?”  “Carlisle, it’s (Y/N).” You said.  “Hello, are you okay?”  “Yeah, i’m good. I just...do you know if i was drinking last night?” Carlisle seemed amused. “No, why?”  “Oh, no reason. I just, woke up weird and tired.”  “Im sure you could have done that without alcohol.”You could hear his smile in his voice. You hummed in amusement.  “Are you coming to visit today?”  “Yeah, I can do that.”  “I just wanted to check since you said you would yesterday?” Carlisle responded. “I did? I must have forgotten but yeah, i can do that. I’ll come over later. I’m going to take a nap first, okay?”  “Alright, I’ll see you soon.”  “Bye, Carlisle.” 
When you arrived at the Cullen’s, they seemed as though they were waiting.  “The Volturi are coming to visit.” Carlisle informed you.  “The who?” You made a face of confusion.  “The Volturi.”  “I’m going to assume thats some vampire friends i don’t know about.” You shrugged. Carlisle turned to you with a look of confusion of his own. “You’ve-” He paused. Carlisle's eyes widened, a sickening thought rushed through him. Panic rushed through Carlisle realising the likelihood of his thought become more and more likely. "Stay here for a while. We have guests, I believe you'll have met them before." Carlisle swallowed hard trying not to scare you. You lightly shrugged. 
A group of seven arrived, all dressed in black and grey with cloaks, varying in the same colours. You could tell they were an older coven with how they moved. You were given their names and noted the odd looks they gave you. You figured it was down to being human, you were a big no-no from what you remember. "Do you know these people?" Carlisle asked you before putting his hand into Aro's in a weird bizarre handshake. You shook your head. "No. We haven't met." Carlisle inhaled.
This made Esme step towards you. "(Y/N), why don't you help me in the kitchen?" She smiled. "Carlisle will get our guests settled in before you make their acquaintance." You nodded. "Sure thing, Esme." Without a second glance you turned, heading for the kitchen, Esme sending Carlisle a glance. 
Half an hour passed and Esme led you to the living room where the Volturi awaited your presence. Your eyes immediately shot to Carlisle, nervous about meeting his friends but he nodded in encouragement. The leader in the middle was the first to greet you. "You must be young (Y/N), we've heard so much about you. We are delighted to meet you. My name is Aro." "Hi...it's nice to meet you too." You nodded. He held out a hand and you hesitantly reached out thinking it was a handshake. Instead, he cradled your hand in his own briefly. A flicker of an unrecognisable emotion passing his face before his wide smile returned. "These are my brothers, Caius and Marcus." The two men beside him nodded to you and you offered them shy smiles. He gestured to who you were told were their guards. "This is Jane, Alec, Demetri and Felix." You nodded. "Hi." You said nervously as the four nodded at you. Later that night you huddled into your seat. "So you guys have been around for a long time?" You asked looking over the Volturi members. "Yes. Quite." Aro smiled slightly. "Do you guys have any good stories? Surely you've got at least one after all this time." The Volturi looked around amongst each other, Marcus kept his head down whilst the Cullen's looked around uncertain of how to continue the conversation. Marcus spoke up, meeting your gaze. "I have a story. It was quite some time ago but I believe it's one our coven cherishes." All eyes were on Marcus, uncertain just what he was doing. However, you seemed pleased. "I'd love to hear it...if you're willing to tell it." "I believe it would be a good one to tell." Marcus nodded. "This is a story about a human we once knew, one who after all this time will continue to be very special to us." 
(Y/N) caught Alec in their sights as he approached the door to the spare bedroom. "Alec!" They cried out with a grin. "You're here!" "So are you." Alec said peeking around the door. "What are you doing here? You don't live here." Alec couldn't help the amused smirk building upon his face as he watched (Y/N) struggle to reach for something on top of the closet. "I'm visiting but...! I can't reach my folder! I left it here the last time I stayed over. It has all my documents in there." With a defeated sigh, (Y/N) began to drag themselves down the closet doors. "I'd offer my assistance but I don't think I can't do anything without damaging furniture." Alec pondered. Alec's eyes suddenly glinted, clearly having an idea. "Come here." Alec bent down. "What am I doing?" They asked with confusion. "You're going to sit on my shoulders and I'll lift you up." Alec responded. (Y/N) made a noise of protest but couldn't think of a reason why. They couldn't necessarily tell him you were too heavy, tall or would hurt him given Alec was inhumanly strong. "...Promise you won't drop me?" They asked him. Alec looked unimpressed. "I have no reason to drop you now, come on." (Y/N) whined quietly in defeat once again moving to Alec. 
As they got into position they looked down at him nervously. "You're sure I won't hurt you?" (Y/N) asked and Alec rolled his eyes, wrapping his hands around their ankles and standing up with ease. (Y/N) squealed, although it seemed Alec was right. He wouldn't drop them. "Oh it's all the way at the back, I bet Emmett did that. Can you take a step forward please?" Alec complied and suddenly the folder was in arm's length. (Y/N) grabbed it. "Thank you!" "Did you know that it's very likely you couldn't get down now that I have a hold of your ankles?" Alec smirked and (Y/N)’s smile of accomplishment vanished. "You'd get tired quickly." They retorted. "Would I? Shall we see how long I last?" Alec responded. "If you don't put me down, I'll eventually pee on you. It's inevitable." Alec immediately pulled a face of disgust, crouching back down and letting (Y/N) stand up.  "So are you visiting the Cullen's or have you broke in? Oh! Oh! Did you run away from the Volturi and so have sought shelter with the Cullen's?" They asked. He scoffed. "My coven is visiting to check the progress of the hybrid." Alec answered. 
Later that night, (Y/N) and Alec were outside, sitting on the Cullen's balcony floor. "Why do you need those? Those documents?" Alec asked turning his head towards them. "Oh, it's just stuff to keep the state happy. It's documents saying that Carlisle is my emergency contact and stuff, he's my legal guardian though I'm not living with him. I'm in contact with him frequently and he gives me money for my house. All of that stuff. Boring really." "You still haven't been in contact with your parents?" Alec asked and (Y/N) smiled at him sadly before shaking their head. "You should reach out, (Y/N). The argument was a typical one. They have no reason to hold a grudge against their own child for this long over something so trivial." "It's a little more complicated than that. Although I guess deep down, I like to think that maybe I do have their forgiveness." They admitted. "You didn't do anything wrong. Besides, for the last option, you could always make them forget the argument ever happened and avoid the topic forever." Alec smirked at (Y/N) who playfully shoved him. "Thanks Alec." They said with sarcasm. "It'll be okay, I assure you." Alec said to them. "They'll come around if they aren't already waiting for you to come back to them." 
(Y/N)’s gift was phenomenal. Unique but dangerous due to its impact. They could make people forget things, everything really. Whether it were, events memories or thoughts, none of them were exempt. The only person it didn't work on was themselves. Since meeting the Cullen's and eventually Alec, (Y/N) had better control of their gift making them a very tempting addition to Aro's collection. Although that was still very much in discussion. Whilst they'd have to be changed at some point, it wasn't consensus that they were to join the Volturi. As a matter of fact, it was highly debated among both covens instead. 
"You talk about my ability like you can trust me with it. I'm still learning, you could be forgotten at any time." Alec chuckled. "First of all, it doesn't work on yourself. Secondly, you don't forget someone like me." Alec's smile faded. "Not for good reasons, might I add." "Good reasons for me... you've been nicer to me lately." (Y/N) said. "I'm trying...it's not your fault you're human." Alec smirked slightly. (Y/N) narrowed your eyes on him playfully. "It's all I can ask." Alec wasn't the most open individual nor the kindest. He certainly had nothing nice to say about (Y/N) when they first met. Although over time, he gradually warmed up to them- even if it was reluctantly. Now (Y/N) felt like Alec understood them better than anyone in the world and accepted them. It made their bond to him stronger than most bonds could ever be. (Y/N) was confident that a piece of them would always be connected to Alec, nothing could divide them from him.
None of the Volturi really understood why Carlisle had a form of guardianship over (Y/N) and what a conflict with their parents actually meant for them to no longer be around their parents. Whilst the Volturi wanted to respect their privacy, it was important to them if (Y/N) were to become a vampire eventually. It was necessary to have the details. Although even being close with Alec didn't give them any answers as (Y/N) never told him any complete details. 
There was an argument about (Y/N) wanting to be independent, treated less like a child and since then, they hadn't been near them since. Whilst this seemed logical that (Y/N) left, it didn't make sense why their parents hadn't reached out to them in so long. So much so (Y/N) was convinced that they couldn't be forgiven. 
Marcus asked (Y/N) about their parents when talking one night. "Do they know about your gift?" He asked. (Y/N) wanted to wince at the reference of their ability being a 'gift' when there was very little actually pleasant about it. "No, they don't. I never told them and after that argument, I guess I had made up my mind they could never know."  "Do you miss them?" Marcus asked. "I try to forget about them if I'm honest." (Y/N) answered. This response made Marcus tilt his head slightly. They looked at him, really scrutinizing him. Marcus was the most kind and gentle of the Volturi leaders. (Y/N) couldn't help but trust him, especially after he came to defence of their friendship with Alec to anyone who questioned it. Marcus had always made it clear that the bond Alec shared with them was undeniable. "Can I tell you the full story?" "If you wish." Marcus said quietly. 
(Y/N) could remember the moment that their house stopped being your home. Everything was as it always had been. Signs of life, nothing missing from it's usual place. However, it was no longer welcoming as it had been before. Even the photographs of (Y/N) and their family, scattered around the place. Things were different now. Instead of a family, there were just memories of one. It took some time for (Y/N) to understand how their gift worked. Although they were forced to learn the hard way. (Y/N) had been arguing with their parents when (Y/N) said something about forgetting (Y/N) ever existed. Their parents did. They never had any children by that name. Nor had they ever seen (Y/N) before. All memories of them gone in a matter of moments. From then on (Y/N) could only see their parents from a distance, outside their house. Their parents wondered why they had pictures with the strange person in their house and got rid of them too. "I wanted to remember every inch of them as they were. Their eyes, nose, mouth, hair. Every tiny detail, because I knew after today. I'd never see them again." (Y/N) told Marcus. "Why are you so determined to pretend this didn't happen rather than embrace it and carry on?" Marcus asked. There was a moment of silence. Neither of the two looking at one another. "You rejected Corin's gift when offered comfort after your loss. Why?" (Y/N) responded. Marcus thought about the answer but it didn't require much thought. He had spent decades thinking about that decision and why he made it. "Because I wanted to feel the pain. I didn't want to feel content about her death." (Y/N) thought over his answer before replying, sadness almost radiating from them. "See that's where you and I differ. I want nothing more than to forget." Their voice was quieter as they looked down at their hands. It was safe to say, Alec was furious at (Y/N) when he found they had left out such an important detail when it came to why their parents didn't speak to them. (Y/N) had more than one chance to tell him and they didn't. It felt like a betrayal, like they had lied. Alec only ever asked (Y/N) to be honest with him, no secrets. This secret was a pretty big one at the very least. (Y/N), on the other hand, didn't think anything wrong with that. They were allowed some privacy like every other person. They were sure Alec didn't tell them everything so why should they share something they simply hadn't been ready to speak about until that moment. It was how the argument had began and it seemed the more defensive (Y/N) got, the more angry Alec became. 
"This isn't a big deal, you're making something out of nothing!" (Y/N) said with exasperation. "It is something, (Y/N)! You didn't trust me with the full story and you told Marcus! Even Carlisle knew!" "Carlisle had to know!" (Y/N) argued back. "If he didn't I'd have been taken by social services! I told Marcus because I was ready to talk about it and I knew he wouldn't make a big deal out of it! It was nothing to do with trust!" Alec scoffed sending them a sneer. That was when their anger had begun to really build. "Am I honestly supposed to believe that you tell me everything!?" (Y/N) snapped. "That's different! There are parts of my life that aren't necessary and would only scare you." "Like your complete lack of trust and hatred towards humans for being burned at the stake? Like the dark, twisted things you and your coven have done in the name of justice?" "You don't know what you're talking about." Alec said icily. "You're just a little human who thinks they know everything when they know nothing. I have given you no reason not to trust me-" "Alec, I didn't do anything to you! Ever! I didn't accuse you of witch craft! So what did I ever do to you like the rest of the human population!?" Alec laughed darkly. "Of course, you wouldn't understand. How could I expect you to? You're only human." 
(Y/N) was stunned into silence before fury took over them. "You are cold." (Y/N) said, anger and disgust in their eyes. "Cold and empty. So empty you have to suck out the life of everyone around you to feel even an ounce of emotion. Perhaps that is what your village  saw in you! Perhaps that's what Aro sees in you! A monster just like the rest of your coven!" (Y/N) looked taken aback by their own words, stunned. When they saw the look of growing rage upon Alec's face, they knew they had done it again. Like they had with your parents, they lashed out with hurtful words they didn't mean. Alec was very hurt. (Y/N) knew by the emotion overpowering his stoic gaze. "I'm so sorry." (Y/N) whispered, their anger rushing away as they began to feel nothing but guilt. The look Alec gave (Y/N) could kill but instead he began to walk by them. (Y/N) reached out for him, grabbing his hand. "Alec, wait-" They began but gasped as they immediately felt cold numbness crawl up their arm. Alec roughly tore their hand off him and they were so caught off guard that they didn't even notice the slight pain you felt within their fingers. Suddenly (Y/N) felt like they were on fire. 
(Y/N) screamed, collapsing to the ground, seeing Jane was now beside her brother. The two watched (Y/N) scream without sympathy. "So that's how you really feel." Jane said simply. Alice and Carlisle were quick to rush by the twins and towards (Y/N). "Enough! Not in my house!" Carlisle barked.  The pain stopped, only (Y/N)’s hysterical crying being heard. "I didn't mean it!" They cried out as Alice pulled them into a hug, hushing them. "It's okay." She told (Y/N). "You're okay."
It was obvious that all the Cullen's and the Volturi knew what had happened and surprisingly enough the Volturi also seemed rather angry by (Y/N)’s outburst. Alec had made it known, (Y/N) wasn’t worth his time. (Y/N)’s true feelings had finally come to light. Yet none of the Volturi seemed to believe them when they said it wasn't true. Despite knowing (Y/N) sometimes said things they didn't mean. The last time they had seen their parents being one of them. 
It had been Marcus that suggested the two covens separated for the night for some space. Especially since the Volturi hadn't fed yet. However, much to (Y/N)’s surprise, someone of the Volturi had phoned the Cullen's. Whoever it was, was asking on the leaders behalf how they were. If (Y/N) had to guess it was Marcus. If they were hopeful, Alec would want to know too. (Y/N) stared at Carlisle, who stood at the entrance way. "Marcus wants to know if you're okay." Carlisle said. "However I'm not entirely sure what to tell him. So, how are you (Y/N)?" (Y/N) slowly met his eyes. They looked exhausted from how upset they had been. "Tell him what he wants to hear. Tell him that I'm fine." Their voice croaked slightly. "I don't think I can do that." Carlisle said softly. "Why?" (Y/N) responded flatly. "You're asking me to lie for you." Carlisle replied. "He thinks I'm a monster. So it's better he thinks that way." Carlisle began to protest but Esme appeared with the phone. "Would you be willing to speak to him?" Carlisle asked, taking the phone from Esme. Even as Carlisle put it on speaker, Marcus asked if (Y/N) was alright. He even acknowledged that Jane's behaviour wasn't necessary. Somewhat of an apology. However (Y/N) stayed put, simply staring at the phone. After another few moments of silence, Carlisle took the phone off speaker before putting the phone to his ear. "My apologies, Marcus. I don't think they're feeling well enough to come to the phone right now. They appreciate your concern." "Of course, Carlisle." Marcus responded. "I thought it best to express my concern given Jane's gift." Marcus lifted his gaze to the twins, Jane looking indifferent whilst Alec's eyes were latched onto Marcus. "Emotions are high right now, would you appreciate our return tomorrow?" "Of course." Carlisle responded. "I'm going to keep (Y/N) here over night to keep an eye on them but I'm sure they will be just fine." After some more conversation, Marcus bid farewell and hung up the phone. 
He turned to Alec. "I assure you, they didn't mean it." "That doesn't matter." Caius snapped. "They still said it." Marcus turned his gaze to Caius. "You suffer from the same flaw Caius. If anyone should be understanding, it's you." "Why should I take the time to understand? They're human. That's a waste of energy." Marcus turned back to Alec. "Trust me. I'd know if there were any truth in their words." 
"They're coming back tomorrow?" (Y/N) whispered. Carlisle nodded. "We can take you home before they get here if you like. However, I feel more comfortable keeping an eye on you tonight after..." Carlisle trailed off but (Y/N) knew. After Jane used her ability on them. (Y/N) nodded. They were given the option to stick around the next day. Although (Y/N) declined, deciding they'd go home instead. 
"I'll drop you off." Alice said brightly in attempt to keep the mood light. "Thanks." (Y/N) said quietly. Alice, Carlisle and Esme went quiet. "Let's go out the front." Alice smiled. "I'll go and get my keys and meet you at the car okay?" (Y/N) nodded. "Sure." "Come and visit tomorrow." Esme nodded to them with a smile, bringing (Y/N) into a hug. "Okay." They responded quietly, offering her a small brief smile before heading out the door. 
Just as the door shut behind (Y/N), the Volturi moved into the living room after being let in by Jasper. Carlisle was quick to welcome them. Before they could ask, Carlisle explained whilst Alice passed by with her keys in hand. "Alice will be back shortly. She's taking (Y/N) home." 
Alice grinned at (Y/N) as she walked down the path. "Alright, ready to go?" Even now she was trying to keep the mood light. (Y/N) nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the ride." "Of course!" Alice responded. (Y/N) kept their eyes on her, not daring to look at the house until they were in the car. 
Two days passed and Alec still wasn't speaking to )Y/N). Although (Y/N) figured it would have been best if they were the one to reach out to him given the situation as well as knowing Alec wasn't necessarily one to do any kind of approaching unless it were to kill them. (Y/N) found him alone and decided that was a better opportunity than any. He sat his his back to them, seemingly reading in Carlisle's study. "Alec?" (Y/N) asked quietly. They didn't receive a response, not even the turn of his head. He remained unmoving. "Could we talk for a minute? I want to apologise again. I didn't mean it but I still said it and I shouldn't have. It was an awful thing to say and I'm so sorry." Their words still didn't earn even the turn of Alec's head. "I can't stand not talking to you." (Y/N) began. "You're my best friend and I miss you. I want to make it up to you. To show you that I’m sorry and that I'd never think such a thing of you." (Y/N) still received no response. They sighed. "I don't know what to do here." "What makes you think you can do anything?" Alec's voice was cold. Although (Y/N) considered it progress. Especially as he turned around to look at (Y/N). His face was unforgiving, gaze piercing and his mouth in a tight line. "We both know I'm going to hurt you regardless." Suddenly he was standing and slowly moving towards them. (Y/N) took a step back. "You're scaring me." They said, trying to maintain the distance. He looked at (Y/N) like he did everyone else. He looked at them like he wanted them to burn as he did, like (Y/N) deserved more than he ever did. Alec looked like he most certainly would hurt them or even kill them. "I didn't mean it!" (Y/N) pleaded. "I'm sorry!" Alec glared at (Y/N). "It was my fault. It won't happen again." (Y/N) faltered. "What?" “It’s my fault for thinking you were different from any other disgusting wretched human!” Alec had most certainly returned the favour, his words cut (Y/N) to the core. They felt tears well up in their eyes. "Get out." Alec snarled and they did. Without question. 
Another day or so passed and (Y/N) had an idea of how to fix all of it. Once again, (Y/N) waited until he was alone, this time he was outside by the tree line before the woods. "I'm mad at myself too, you know." (Y/N) began, crossing your arms over your chest. "I felt the same way when I made my parents forget about me. The confusion and fear they had to see someone claim to be their child, have photographs with them but have no recollection of them ever existing. I was so angry with myself for saying what I did and I'm even more angry that I did it again but this time to you. I meant what I said Alec. You're my best friend. What I'm trying to say is that I get it, if you hate me. I understand. Although I really do want to try anything I can to make this up to you." His back was still towards (Y/N). "You won't even look at me." (Y/N) said quietly. Alec turned to look at them with an empty stare. "Alec..." (Y/N) trailed off. "I want you to forget this happened." "What?" Alec's eyes narrowed on them. "I want you to be happy. I never wanted to hurt you. So I want you to forget-" "No!" Alec covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly. "Alec, look at me." (Y/N) stepped closer. "No! Get back!" Alec yelled. That was when Carlisle hurried in between them both. "What is it?" Carlisle asked, looking between them both. "They're trying to make me forget!" "It's better this way!" (Y/N) pleaded to Carlisle. "I never meant for any of this and it's hurting him! I can fix it!" "(Y/N), I want you to listen to me very carefully." Carlisle began, blocking them from Alec. “These thoughts, these memories, they don’t belong to you. They are not yours to take." "I-" (Y/N) struggled to respond. Feeling both the eyes of Alec and Carlisle on them. Carlisle put his hands on their shoulders. "This isn't the way." "I can't believe you!" Alec spat. "This is how you want to make it up to me? Wipe my memory and pretend it never happened!?" (Y/N) could see the hatred in Alec's eyes. Any second chance he had considered was long gone. 
In that moment (Y/N) gave in. They knew they couldn't fix it. (Y/N) couldn't make it up to him and he wasn't willing to forget. It was over. Jane was the first to storm up to (Y/N) when they came back into the house. She was immediately held back and to their surprise she didn't use her gift.  However, she did rant that they were lucky she couldn't slap you at the very least. Although she didn't need to. (Y/N) was suffering enough. They didn't look at anyone, instead walking out the front door. Alec and Carlisle entered the house, Alec yelling in outrage. Carlisle simply wasn't listening to him. His eyes immediately searching for (Y/N). "They left...what happened?" Rosalie asked. Carlisle said nothing, rushing out the door after (Y/N). 
It was night time and most certainly not safe for them to walk home alone but they were determined to. Tears running down their cheeks, arms crossed over their chest as they briskly walked down the road. "(Y/N)!" They heard Carlisle call out behind them. (Y/N) didn't respond, continuing to walk away. Suddenly Carlisle was behind them, tugging them back. "(Y/N), it's not safe out here. Come back inside, we can figure-" "No!" (Y/N) shouted back. "Get off of me! I'm going home!" "Let me take you home then, come back to the car." Carlisle said. "I'm not going back in there! I’ve lost everything! It's my fault! I lost my friend, I lost my parents and there's no one else to blame but myself!" (Y/N) yelled. "(Y/N), you are a wonderful person with a remarkable gift. You just need some guidance. We can help you, just come back. I'll take you home!" Carlisle pleaded. "You know what the cruel part about my gift is Carlisle?" (Y/N) said significantly more quiet, an eerie calmness taking over them. "I can't use it on myself. I can make everyone around me forget anything but the one who wants to forget the most is me." (Y/N) took a step forward. "Can you take me home please?" Carlisle nodded. 
Outside (Y/N)’s house, Carlisle pulled over. "Come to the house tomorrow. We'll have something figured out by morning." (Y/N) sighed before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it." "This will improve, (Y/N). We'll talk things over with them." Carlisle assured them. "Yeah, just at what cost?" (Y/N) mumbled. "I lost my friend. Alec will never speak to me again." "You don't know that." Carlisle responded hurriedly. "I do." (Y/N) said. "I'm just going to sleep this off. I'll see you tomorrow." 
(Y/N) decided to run a bath later that night. Kneeling on the floor they turned on the tap which began to fill the tub. They felt the weight of every decision they had made on their body and no longer could they even cry about it. Whilst (Y/N) thought a bath would be best, they didn't really care about it being too warm or too cold. As a matter of fact, they didn't think further than the action itself. 
"They hurt me." Alec ground out. Marcus wanted Alec to see reason. Not only that, Marcus wanted Alec to admit the reality of the situation and not hide from it. It was of no surprise to him considering (Y/N) was the first proper friend Alec had, the closest anyone had ever come to the twins. "Just as you hurt them." Marcus replied. "You've hurt many people, Alec. (Y/N) is one of many on that list. Yet regardless, they want you in their life. They want your friendship. You want to punish them but you don't realise they've already punished themselves. More so than is necessary. Furthermore, you aren't just punishing (Y/N), you're punishing yourself. I know you want to be their friend but you won't let yourself." "They-" "You're torturing yourself as much as your torturing them." Marcus said simply. "I think they frightened you, boy. I think you forgave them the minute they said it and that frightened you." Alec didn't have a response. As much as he tried. He couldn't tell Marcus he was wrong because he wasn't. "I can't trust them." Alec responded. "You can. You simply won't. They said awful things but still want you in their life. Apologizing the minute it was said. You've never experienced that and it bothers you that it makes it difficult to act in your usual response." "I don't know how." Alec said after a moment of silence. "I don't know how to show that I care about them and I don't know how to show it when I forgive them. I'm so used to pushing people away that...I don't know how to let people in." "You tell them." Marcus responded. "Even if it means you need to say it to yourself first. Put down the weight of the past. Even if it's only for them." Silence filled the room. "I forgive them." Alec said under his breath, it was quiet, barely audible but there none the less. 
Alice tilted her head, staring at nothing in particular. “What is it Alice?” Jasper asked. “I think i should check on (Y/N).” She responded. “I can’t be sure but i think something is wrong.”  “They’re upset.” Carlisle responded. “Do you suspect they’re in danger?” Alice tilted her head again. “I don’t think so. It’s hard to tell, I see them and then it just goes black.”  “Why not give them a call?” Esme asked lightly. Alice nodded, immediately going for her phone. 
(Y/N)’s phone buzzed beside them, as they sat and watched the running tap. It was a text from Bella, telling them that Jake and the pack were around the area, making sure they knew the Volturi wouldn’t come within their vicinity for the night. (Y/N) was about to respond when they got a phone call from Alice.  “Hello?” (Y/N) answered.  “Hi (Y/N), I just wanted to check in with you since things didn’t end too well tonight.” They paused and Alice noticed. “They’re just leaving now for the night.” Alice said, locking eyes with Alec as the Volturi moved towards the door.  “I’ll be fine.” (Y/N) responded.  “I... thought i had a vision of you but, I couldn’t see anything.” (Y/N) smiled slightly with a hum of amusement. “You don’t need to look out for me, Alice. I’m just going to go for a bath and head to bed.”  “Are you sure?” Alice asked.  “Of course. Besides, I’ve already began running the water...as you know.” Alice hummed quietly in amusement. “This will be fixed tomorrow.” (Y/N) swallowed. “I know.” (Y/N) said quietly.  “It’s a good sign they want to see you, you know?” Alice said.  “I can only hope.” They said simply.  “Anyway, get some sleep and i’ll speak to you tomorrow, yeah?”  “Yeah, have a good night Alice.”  “See you tomorrow, (Y/N).” 
When (Y/N) hung up the phone, a tear ran down their cheek. ‘disgusting wretched human!’ Alec’s voice rang in their head. (Y/N) put their phone on the floor next to them. (Y/N) felt their clothes stick to them as they sank into the water, leaning back in the bath. The calm luke-warm water peaceful, like their mind. (Y/N) felt a tear run down their cheek. (Y/N) shook their head biting back their tears. Before any more could fall, (Y/N) slowly sank underneath the water. After a brief moment,(Y/N) sat up, their hair dripped as they felt another wave of calm wash over them. (Y/N) noticed a reflection of the ceiling along the water. An idea rushed to their mind and that was when they knew, what they had to do. (Y/N) hunched over slightly, arms moving to the edge of the tub, more droplets falling down the sides. They looked at their reflection.  “You’re going to forget. You’re going to forget the Volturi, forget what happened. You’ll forget ever meeting them. You’re going to forget that you have a gift to make people forget things. You won’t think to even question it. If it’s brought up. It’ll be like a dream, or story that you made up. You’ll forget ever using it, you wont remember to question why your parents aren't around.” It wasn’t known when (Y/N) had stopped repeating those very words. Although it wouldn’t concern them, they’d forgotten they had ever done it. "If only (Y/N) would have waited. If only we were quicker. Then maybe we would have had the time to tell them that they were forgiven. That for some of us, there was nothing to forgive. Maybe if we had spent more thought, we'd have known how much hurt they truly felt. However by then, it was too late what was done was done. They'd forgotten who we were, forgotten what they had done and all the details in between, washed away by their gift. We'd never know if such a gift could be reversed but could only hope that they've found peace and happiness. They'd live out their life, never knowing the happiness they gave and the joy they spread to many."  Marcus finished.
Many in the room couldn't help but glance at you, wanting to see your reaction. Perhaps a flicker of recognition would show. Your head lowered and the two covens seemed almost hopeful. You lifted your head, wiping your eyes. "That's sad. I hoped for a happy ending." A pang hit some of their chests, that statement had remained the same even before you had forgotten. A quiet hum escaped you. "You know it's strange, you said the humans name was (Y/N). My name is (Y/N) too." "Oh?" Marcus responded lightly with a ghost of a smile. You nodded. "It's a funny coincidence, I suppose." You looked at Marcus with uncertainty. "I feel like I should hug you...?" You began. Marcus cracked a small smile. "That's alright." Marcus stood up and you met him half way.  The room was quiet, even after you both separated. 
You moved into the kitchen to refill your glass of water when you jumped. Alec was so quiet you had no clue he was even in there. "You scared me!" You laughed, a hand going to your chest. "Sorry." Alec felt a pang in his chest, remembering how tried to apologise to him and he completely rejected you. This time you were apologizing for nothing. In your eyes, you had apologised to a complete stranger and that broke Alec's heart. He wished he could turn back time, assure you that you were forgiven, that you'd always be his friend. He missed that chance, you got so good at your own gift you figured out a way to use it on yourself. "Alec, yeah?" You asked. Alec nodded. "I'm getting better at names." You smirked, pleased with yourself. "The human in Marcus' story was your friend right?" You asked nonchalantly as you filled your glass. "Yes." Alec responded. "Can I ask you something?" You turned, now with a full glass with a small smile on your face. Alec knew that smile well that you had sent him. It was the polite smile you wore to anyone you didn't know. In the hopes that it would cover up how nervous you actually are about meeting new people. "Yes." Alec said again, not entirely ready for the question but whatever it was, it meant you'd stay in the conversation. For all he knew, that last conversation he'd have with you. "Were they nice? Your friend?" You might as well have stabbed him in the chest in that moment. Alec did his best to hide it. "They were wonderful. The best friend I could have ever had." Alec responded. You slowly nodded, contemplating his answer. "That's nice. Anyway, I won't bother you anymore." You smiled, raising your glass. "See you around." You turned and walked out the room without even a second glance. Leaving Alec standing in the kitchen, alone once again. Jane moved passed (Y/N), casting them a quick look before entering the kitchen towards her brother. She said nothing as Alec looked at her. For what could she honestly say? "They forgot me." Alec said quietly.
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narutogwriting · 3 years
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What about an angst and/or fluff scenario where kiba opens up to his s/o about his father? Like he acts like it doesn’t affect him but one day his gf asks him about it and he lets his true emotions out? I love your writing and thanks if you decide to do it!!
I’m so sorry this has taken so long to get to this! I am absolutely in LOVE with this idea! I have started and restarted this prompt a million times because I really wanted to do this prompt justice. I hope you like it<3
Why Doesn’t He Want Me?
Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka x Reader
CW: none
Length: 2.6k+
Summary: Kiba was raised by two strong women. He’s never felt like he was lacking anything not growing up with a dad. That’s what he tells everyone, anyways.
Inspired by a scene from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air you know the one
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Kiba was a lot of things. Arrogant, confident, loud, sure of himself.  He was hot, and he knew it, and he loved to flirt. It was easy to take him at face value, accept him for the playboy he pretended to be. But that wasn’t really Kiba, you knew.
Kiba had been raised by the definition of strong women. Between his mom, Tsume, and his sister, Hana, there was no room in his life for disrespect towards women. Despite the way he liked to pretend he was a player, Kiba held a deep reverence for all the girls in his life. Any sort of misogyny he’d picked up in the early academy days had been thoroughly scared from his body the second his mom had gotten wind of it.
Fight like a girl? Run like a girl? Act like a girl? None of those things were insults to Kiba. He saw the way his mother and sister fought, the way they ran, and how strong they were. Kiba’s whole life had been shaped by having a mother and sister that raised him.
And Kiba loved the way he grew up. Sure, his mom could be a little scary at times. But she was tough and strong willed and independent. Hana was a little softer, though Kiba wasn’t sure how she’d managed to end up that way considering how hard their mother was. They were a perfect contrast to each other to help Kiba become a relatively well rounded guy.
Kiba knew that he had known his dad when he was young. He had been too little to remember him, but he had one picture of his dad holding him when he was a baby that was tucked away back somewhere in his closet. The few times his mom--in all her fury--mentioned his father, she’d vent over the way he’d left her alone with a two year old and an eight year old child.
She didn’t talk about him much ever. It was a sore spot for his mother, he knew. She didn’t have many weaknesses, but being left by Kiba’s dad had really done some damage to her.
It was out of love for his mom and respect for her hurt that Kiba made it a point to never even think about his dad. When people would ask about him, Kiba would sometimes make jokes that he’d been too weak willed to handle a woman like his mother, but that was the extent of him talking about his dad.
And he thought it must’ve been true, though. His mother was amazing. His sister was amazing. What other reason could there be for his dad not sticking around?
~
Kiba’s a young child again, so young that he hasn’t even met Akamaru yet. He’s at the playground, reaching for the monkey bars. He can see his dad on the other side, waiting for him. Kiba’s happy, confident. He’s just two years old; he’s never been let down before, never had a bruise that hadn’t been kissed or a scratch that hadn’t gotten a bandaid on it. He’s never reached for someone and been left on the floor.
So Kiba grabs for the first monkey bars, his eyes securely fixed on the rings above his head. He doesn’t think to look to make sure his dad was there, because hadn’t he always been?
He reaches for one ring, and then the other, and he’s going quickly, surely. He’s half way across when his eyes flicker from the bars above him to the ground below him, looking a million miles away. The distance scares him, he falters, and when he reaches for the next ring, he misses.
Little Kiba goes barrelling to the ground, hitting the wood chips. They soften his fall just a little, but it still hurts. His eyes water as his lips begin to tremble, and reaches out, blinking blurrily through the tears. 
He’s reaching out, and he’s waiting, and he’s expecting his father to be there, to pick him up and rescue him and comfort him. 
But he doesn’t.
When Kiba can finally see past his tears, all he sees is his dad’s back as he’s walking away, leaving him on the floor, crying and hurt and alone.
He yells out for him, begging for his dad to come back even as he’s disappeared into the distance.
~
Kiba wakes with a cry, sitting up startled. He blinks, looking around the dark room. He’s in his bedroom, and it was all just a dream, he realizes.
More of a nightmare, really.
Kiba’s breathing hard, and he realizes he’s shaking. He tries to relax, take deep breaths as his hand reaches for his cheeks and sees that they’re wet.
He’s crying. He can’t believe that he’s fucking crying. “What the hell…” He mutters to himself, shoving his fists to his eyes to try to stop the tears. It was just a stupid dream.
You sit up slowly at Kiba’s side, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.
“Kiba? You okay?” You murmur through your yawn. Glancing at the clock, you see that it’s about three am. Kiba usually sleeps through the night.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He mutters, but you know Kiba better than that. He’s shaken by something, and you slide one arm around him, resting your head on his shoulder as your free hand strokes through his hair.
“Kiba…” You say softly. He’s silent, but you don’t mind. You let the quiet drag on, letting him collect himself. You know Kiba doesn’t always have the words to describe what he’s feeling, and sometimes he just needs time to get his thoughts together. You wait patiently, hugging him reassuringly and letting your fingers massage his scalp softly.
After a while, Kiba sighs. “It was just a bad dream is all,” he tries to assure you, but you’re not so easily deterred.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” You ask him gently.
Kiba finally turns to you, seeing how you’re looking at him with those wide, concerned eyes. Since you’d been together, you’ve pushed him in the best ways. You had such a gentle, unassuming way about you that he’d never realized he needed. You were soft when he was hard, vulnerable when he was closed off, and you saw him when all he wanted was to hide away.
He never could keep anything from you.
He wipes at his eyes again, quickly, like if he does it fast enough, you won’t see it, but of course you do. You never miss anything  when it comes to Kiba. 
“I had a dream about my dad is all.” He says quietly, and you nod in understanding, but don’t say anything; just wait for him to continue.
Shifting uncomfortably, he tells you, “I was little, like two or something. I was on the monkey bars, and he was watching me, waiting for me on the other side, but when I fell, he left, and I was crying and shit. It’s stupid.”
“Kiba,” Your voice is low and soft, but stern, making him turn to look at you again. You’re gazing into his eyes so intensely it almost makes him flinch, but he stays locked in on you.
“It’s not stupid.”
And he lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in. This is another thing about you that is so great for Kiba. Sometimes he thinks he needs some kind of permission to feel, like he doesn’t deserve it or it's not important enough. 
And of course he doesn’t need permission, but you give it to him anyways, let him know that it’s alright to feel hurt and sad.
Kiba looks lost and broken and so sad it makes your heart clench. You love Kiba, love him so much. You can’t stand to see him like this.
“You don’t talk about him much,” You finally say, deciding to help Kiba by directing the conversation. He just shrugs, staring at his hands. “Do you remember much about him?”
Kiba shakes his head. “Nothing, really. I was pretty young. I know one or two things that my mom’s told me, but she doesn’t like to talk about him. I’ve never asked Hana… I’m sure she has more memories than me, but I don’t really want to know them.”
That makes sense to you. It’s too painful; in a way, it’s a sort of bliss to Kiba to not be able to remember anything on his own. To ask Hana, to hear stories about his dad, would only open up wounds that Kiba wasn’t prepared to deal with.
“It doesn’t matter anyways,” Kiba continued. “Ya know, it was just a dream. It’s not like it means anything…”  
He lays back down, tucking himself under the covers like he’s done with the conversation. But he should know better. You’re not going to let him off that easily. 
“Actually,” you touch his cheek with your hand, slowly turning his head to face you. “I think that that dream has given me more insight into your feelings than you ever have.”
Kiba stares at you blankly because while the dream upset him, he really didn’t think there was more to it. You lay down next to him, tucking yourself into his side as you stare up at him with affectionate eyes. You love this man more than anything.
“The monkey bars are the childish side of you, showing that these feelings are coming from a stunted place because you were too young to process it all.” You explain to him, and he’s looking at you like you're crazy, but you don’t mind. “Your dad was waiting for you on the other side, because you feel like you had to go to him, like it was your responsibility to be the one to initiate and carry the relationship. You have a great mom, Kiba. You should know a good parent is always there for their kids, not vice versa. “
You kiss his cheek softly as your heart aches for Kiba and his sadness, the kind that had been buried so deep, even you hadn’t seen it there.
“The reason that your dad walked away when you didn’t make it across the monkey bars is because you feel like you weren’t good enough, like you did something wrong, and that’s the reason he left....”
Your voice cracks as you speak the words because it’s so tragic, and it’s just not true.
Kiba was the most amazing person you knew. He was so great, so full of love, and everything you never knew you needed in your life. And to realize that for so long he’d been holding this feeling like he wasn’t good enough… It broke your heart.
The silence seems to drag on forever, and it almost makes you nervous. You can’t read Kiba in the darkness, and it’s so quiet. But he’s slowly beginning to shake, and when you touch his cheek again, you realize that tears are flowing freely down his face.
“Kiba,” You say, but he’s getting out of bed. You don’t know whether or not to go after him, but he’s just going to his closet. He’s reaching to the back, throwing things aside to get to whatever he’s trying to find.
When he finally does, he comes back and sits on the bed. You push yourself up to look at what’s in his hands and see that it’s a picture. It's crumbled and creased and has a small stain on it, showing you how old it is. A closer inspection shows a toddler Kiba being held by a man that looks almost nothing like him. You see that Kiba got his nose from his father, and despite having the same canines as his mom, the softer smile from him too.
Kiba’s gripping the picture tightly in his hands, and you’re almost afraid he’s going to rip it.
“You know,” he rasps out, his teary eyes locked on the picture in his hands. “It’s been years since I looked at this thing. When I was little, I used to look at it every day. I kept it under my pillow and would study it, to make sure that if my dad ever came back, I would recognize him.”
He sniffles, rubs his nose. “I would look at it every night and then every day, I’d look around everywhere I went, hoping I’d catch even a glimpse of him.” Kiba laughs through the tears, a dry, humorless laugh that makes you wince in pain for him. He crumbles the picture into a ball and chucks it at the wall.
“I don’t need him, you know?” Kiba’s trying to keep his voice calm and steady, but the words wobble as they leave his mouth. “What would I even want him for, anyways, huh? He’s never done anything for me! I got into the academy without him, I became a chunin without him! I’m becoming a great ninja! I got a beautiful girl. Everything I know, I’ve either learned from my mom or taught myself!” 
He’s getting louder and louder with each word. His hands are balled into a fist, but you take them in your own, pressing your lips to them gently until they uncurl. You won’t let his pain harden him.
“I’m eighteen years old now! I can’t even remember my father! I always tell people he left because he couldn’t handle my mom, because she was too good for him, and it’s true!” The last word is broken by a sob, and he’s trembling as he collapses against you. You hold him with all of your strength and love, pressing kisses over his head as tears start to fall from your own eyes.
“She was too good for him, and so is Hana. But, you’re too good for me! You’re way too good for me, and I would never leave you! So he must’ve… He must’ve been unhappy with me.” He cries out. You can feel his tears soaking through your night shirt.
“I must’ve not been good enough for him… Why wasn’t I good enough? Why doesn’t he want me?” And it’s the presentense that really sends you over the edge. Not wondering why his dad hadn’t wanted him when he was younger, but needing to know why still, even now all these years later, his dad wasn’t around.
So you hold him as he cries, and you cry along with him. You place kisses over every crevice of his body, whisper “i love you’s” into the crook of his neck. You reassure him, over and over in every way you can think of that he is worthy, that he is enough. That he is not defined by somebody so broken that they couldn’t love anybody but themself.
You tell him as much as you can, until it’s ingrained into his brain, that if and when Kiba decides to become a dad, he’s going to be the type of man that his own dad could only dream of becoming. That, despite the pain, despite the abandonment, Kiba has come out on the other side, strong and loving and kind and a good man. The type of man that you are proud to have in your life, and proud to love and be loved by.
It’s emotional, and it’s heavy, and you both are worn and exhausted by the time the sun is breaking a light blue through the darkness. Kiba falls asleep in your arms, holding you like you’re his only anchor. 
And you know it’s not fixed. Some things that are broken will always stay cracked. But it’s a start. For the first time, Kiba is healing. He is Kintsugi, the art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. Though there are cracks in him, for the first time, with your love, he is seeing that he can fill those cracks in. He can paint them golden, become more beautiful, more whole than he was before. He will use that pain and that hurt that he’s felt for so long. 
He is worthy. He is loved. He will be a better man. 
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elle-writes-things · 2 years
Text
Maintaining Reputations
Queen of Hearts: Part 4
Queen of Hearts Masterlist
Summary: It’s Marcus’ first day of school, and the rest of the students are enjoying tormenting him. Ophelia has to discreetly step in, and stop Chico from killing Marcus. She also relays the details of her promotion to her friends, but receives apprehension rather than support. 
Warnings: brief (canon-typical) violence, allusion to an abusive relationship
Word Count: 1099
It was the new kid’s first day of class, which meant hazing and pranks would be at their peak. Ophelia had already watched Willie and Saya snub Marcus in the span of two minutes and couldn’t help but feel some second-hand embarrassment for the boy. 
“Do you think I should offer to help him find his classes?” Violet asked, breaking Ophelia from her reverie. Ophelia looked up at the curvy blonde standing next to her in mock surprise.
“Why?” she snorted. “So you can both get conveniently lost in the janitor’s closet?”
“At least I can admit that I’d love to get him alone,” Violet retorte, using a compact mirror to apply a coat of lip gloss.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ophelia asked, immediately becoming defensive.
“Please,” Violet scoffed. “You’re not fooling anybody. It’s alright though. I’ll let the others know you’ve called dibs.”
“Who did Lia call dibs on?” Charlotte asked, coming up to the two girls?
“New kid,” Violet said, nodding at Marcus. Charlotte scanned her eyes over him as he tossed books in his locker.
“Not a bad choice,” she said, turning to Ophelia. “Although it would seem that you have some competition.” Ophelia looked across the hall to see Maria making her way over to Marcus.
“She’s going to get him killed,” Violet mused, shaking her head. “The greedy bitch can’t leave some for the rest of us.”
“Shush,” Ophelia warned, not taking her eyes off the pair. “I’m trying to listen.” Maria leaned against the lockers next to Marcus and flashed a smile. 
“You Mexican?” the girl asked.
“Umm. My dad was Nicaraguan,” Marcus answered. “Mom was from Kansas.”
“Yeah. Well whatever you are, some rep you’ve got,” Maria told him. “Half the class is scared shitless. The other half wants to see if your rep’s for real.” Marcus didn’t respond but Maria didn’t take the hint. “So what’s your affiliation?” she asked, moving closer to him.
“Oh, I don’t vote,” Marcus explained, naïve to the workings of the school. Maria let out an exaggerated laugh in response to his confusion.
“What is she, twelve?” Violet spat. “That is rudimentary Psychological Manipulation.”
“How did she get into AP?” Charlotte asked, backing Violet.
“Would you two quit it!” Ophelia hissed. “She just told him to join Soto Vatos.
“Not sure that offer is going to last,” Violet said, pointing at Chico who had stalked up to Maria and shoved her against the lockers.
“You like this pendejo?” he asked, hand wrapped around Maria’s neck. 
“As if,” she choked. “I am just looking for new recruits, baby.”
“Get off her,” Marcus interrupted, giving Chico a slight shove. Ophelia let her mouth drop open as she heard Violet let out a loud curse next to her. Juan, Chico’s second, stepped forward with his fists raised.
“Hey,” Chico said, stopping Juan with his arm. “Tranquilo.” Then he turned and punched Marcus in the stomach. The boy let out a strangled grunt before Chico forced his head up with his knife.
“You like Maria?” Chico asked. “Then meet my other lady.” Before she could think, Ophelia stepped up to Chico. Without hesitation, Juan shoved her against the lockers. She gasped for air which was quickly granted when Violet and Charlotte pulled him off of her. Whispers broke out amongst the hallway, curious as to why the Queen of Hearts would interfere with Soto Vatos business.
“Step off Chico,” Ophelia ordered.
“You have eyes for this puta too?” he taunted, not moving his knife. 
“I’m offended,” Ophelia drawled, removing all emotion from her voice. “I thought you knew me better than that. I just think you should give the rest of us a chance to properly welcome your new friend.” Chico looked at her in tense silence before laughing.
“I forgot how crazy you Suits are.” He looked at Violet and Charlotte who were still holding Juan back. “Tell you what amiga,” he began. “Tell your girls to let my man go and we can make a deal.”
“Ladies,” Ophelia prompted, and the two girls let go of Juan. She turned to Chico expectedly.
“You have until tonight to have your fun,” he told her, removing his knife from Marcus’ neck and turning to look at the body. “You and I are going on a date,” Chico said. “Wear something nice. We’re going to bury you in it.” Then, without warning, he grabbed a cup of juice from Billie and poured it on Marcus’ head. After the last drop of liquid left the cup, he threw it at Marcus’ chest and stalked off. Maria stopped to shoot Marcus and apologetic glance before hurrying after her boyfriend.
Ophelia turned to look back at Marcus who was glaring at her. If looks could kill Ophelia was sure she would be six feet under. Irritated by his attitude, she grabbed his tie and pulled him towards her, careful to not touch his stained shirt.
“I would suggest showing a little more respect to somebody who just saved your ass,” she hissed, brushing her lips against the shell of his ear. Then, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I’ll see you after classes. We’ll find you something nice to wear for your date.”
“I mean he’s cute,” Violet said, after they had made their way down the hall. “But I don’t think any guy is ‘confront Chico’ cute.” Ophelia thought back to last night, when Lin had called her to his office, assigning her the duty of watching over the new boy. 
“I don’t have a choice,” Ophelia explained with a sigh. “He is my pledge.”
“Shit,” Charlotte breathed. “So anything that idiot does is on your ass?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Ophelia said. Then, holding an internal debate with herself, she pulled Violet and Charlotte into an alcove. “You didn’t hear this from me, but my aunt is transferring to our Parisian division. That opens up the King’s spot and Ace is considering making me the Heart’s nominee.” Charlotte squealed and Violet violently grabbed Ophelia.
“This is amazing!” Charlotte squealed. “I am so proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Ophelia beamed, glancing at Violet who was unusually quiet.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Violet asked, her eyes darting nervously between Ophelia and Charlotte.
“Of course I am,” Ophelia said. “You know I’ve always wanted this.”
“I just…” Violet started, at a loss for words. “You should think hard before committing to anything.”
“Thanks for worrying about me,” Ophelia said with a smile, “But I’ll be fine.”
“Alright,” Violet relented. “Let’s go before we’re late. My knuckles are still bruised from Lin’s cane.”
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haechanokeh · 3 years
Text
I'm Right For Your [pt. 6]
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(you can play Die For You by The Weeknd while reading this 😌)
pairing: popular college! mark x average! reader
genre: romance, smut, angst, series.
warning: corruption, oral sex (both receiving and giving), cream pie, rough sex, anal sex, mention of religion, rough sex, self-esteem, psychology, public sex, sub! reader, sex toys. possessive mark two-faced mark
I think I’m right for you, babe. You know what I’m thinking, see it in your eyes. You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry. It ain’t workin’ ‘cause you’re perfect and I know that you’re worth it I can’t walk away. (Die for you by The Weeknd)
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the next morning you made it at the right time in your first class. it's a usual morning, everyone was talking except for two things.
mark did not greet you and he's not sitting beside you nor his bads or anything from him. bit you felt relieved because for just at least one day, you want a mark-free day. he's giving you so much stress lately.
there's a quiz for your first subject and you studied it with mark on saturday. okay, you're just an average student so of course it's very hard for you but you were very thankful that you studied with mark because you're very confident answering some questions. you felt guilty for being mean yesterday but… you couldn't help it. you were afraid and it's as if it was your defense mechanism to became rude to him yesterday. yes, you're afraid of wanting something that you think you don't deserve.
after the quiz, your professor continue on its lecture and finished the whole slide.
"okay, for your homework. of course, it's always by pair. i'll give you 3 minutes to look for your pair and tell me who you are going to pair with because you will choose a number that has your case question. don't worry, it's not hard, it'll just test your good decision making and morality. so, you may start looking for your partners " he announced. you cursed inside your head because it's another homework or activity that is by pair. you hate pairings or groupings, you prefer doing things alone.
they all started to talk to each other, going to one person to another asking if they wanted to be their partner or if they already have a partner on the other hand, you remained sitting on your seat. you said to yourself that you're going to be partner with someone who's the same with you, unwanted. but half of you was waiting for mark to approach you but it seemed like he already got his partner, mina. you were stealing glances at them so yeah, now you'll have to wait for whoever doesn't have a partner.
you're sighed and tucked your hands on each side of your blouse' pocket, resisting to pout. but someone sat beside you, your heart almost jump and excitedly looked beside you. but to your disappointment it's lucas.
"you look disappointed," he chuckled. "do you have a partner?" you shook your head as an answer. "do you want to be my partner, i mean i'm not as smart as mark but i-"
"what?" why did he bring out mark's name? "no, really i'm fine whoever i'm going to be partnered with. i just want this to be over."
"yeah, of course." lucas laughed. well everyone knows you're the type of person who prefer to be alone. "you should smile more often, i thinks he likes girls who always laugh and giggle."
"who?" your forehead knotted in cluelessness. he gave you playful smile and scooted closer to you.
"i know you like mark." he whispered into your ears. your eyes circled in shock.
"no, i don't. what are you talking about?" you lowered your voice. but lucas wasn't convinced.
meanwhile, mark who's controlling his facial expression as he secretly watching the both of you, now broke. his face became serious when he saw lucas' shoulder touched yours and when his lips were near your ears and whispered something. he's glaring at him. mina saw it all, he always watches mark.
she knew that there's something between the two of you, and she felt scared. mina likes mark, everyone knows that already and when they heard that you like him, she feared that she would lose her chance. but mark's face says it all. mina is not dumb, she notices how mark's been all over you and now he witness another side of mark, a jealous mark.
"mark?" mina called his name. mark blinked and shifted his attention to mina.
"what?" he politely asked.
"do you want to change your partner, i mean... you obviously want another." mina slowly glance at you and mark followed you. mark swallowed nervously.
"ha, i am that obvious?" he asked nervously. mina smiled.
"yup." she replied. mark stared at you for a couple of seconds but you're comfortable with lucas, he guessed that you have a partner now.
"let's just be partners." mark smiled at mina. her heart skips a beat but with pain.
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it's been three days of no mark but his presence is still there. you missed mark's touch, you missed the frustrations and highs.
that's why while your mom's aways, you're making the most out of it.
you put your vibrator into max.
"mark!" you screamed his name, your eyes rolled pussy and legs pulsating. you were screaming his name with shame but pleasure.
you sat up and stared at your room blankly while catching your breath. you remove the bullet from you. you get out on your bed and go to your bathroom to clean the vibrator. you put it back in its bag and hid it in your closet. you crawled on your bed and lay there hugging tightly a pillow.
"i miss him." you became honest to yourself. you don't know if you miss him or just his touch but attachment you feared is finally happening.
you should've stopped him or yourself from touching you... or you should've totally give in?
the next morning, you groan in pain. as if your head was being drilled. nobody noticed it because you're good at hiding your expression and emotion. unlike your classmates, mark see all through you. your switching brows, discomfort face, quick massage on your forehead, and your quick nap when you have a chance.
"hey." lucas nudged you. you lifted your head and your are squinting adjusting your vision.
"hmm?"
"some of our classmates will go to mark's house to answer legal ethics case. i was thinking if maybe we-"
"no." and you shove you head back down.
"why? you can meet your in-laws already." he grinned. you sat up and pinched his hard arms. "ah! okay okay i will not tease you. but i mean, we're having a hard time in what laws will be used against the defensor." he has a point.
your professor don't worry, it's easy is a lie.
you sighed. "fine."
"yes!" lucas fist pumps and jumps out of his seat just to tell he's going.
mark was watching all along. he saw you shove your head back again. he wanted to detach his ass from the sit but what if you ignored him again? mark giving you time to think, and of course he also wanted to think. but those days without you is absolutely a frustration, he never thought he wanted someone this much. he also thinks, and hopefully he's right, that your reaction the last time you talk was because of jealousy. but what he hated the most is your fear of loving him just because the two of you don't fit in. so does she think someone suits her better than him?
no, i'm right for you and there's no one else but me. it's an obsessive statement but mark is already aware of that. you turned him like this.
now you understand why they always wanted to be in his house. it's huge, and you know this house too. you never thought the nearby huge house is mark's house.his house is very popular, well not his house itself but his mom and dad who's a pastor because they are so kind and loved by the neighborhood.
mark's mom is already outside the door greeting each on of us. mark and mina is infront of you.
"lucas! i missed you dear." she hugged lucas. her eyes landed on me. "oh my, a new face." she smiled at you. you smiled back (don't forget the work awkwardly.)
"nice to meet you, i'm y/n." you politely said.
mark's mom gazes at you and lucas as if she's teasing both of you.
"you're girlfriend?" her brows were bouncing up and down. you and lucas just awkwardly smiled at her but before you deny it to her, mark’s nerves snapped.
mark turned his back and walk towards you, he literally squeezed himself between you and lucas. he put his arm across your shoulder and the other arms are on lucas. your breath hitched. you missed him this much.
"mom, we're getting inside." mark covered his irritation with a lovely smile.
"okay fine fine. make sure that you won't do anything dumb okay?" she said to his son and reach him for a kiss.
"nice meeting you again sweetie." she looked at her son again. "i already cooked some food. be back at 1 in the morning. don't wait for me and your dad." she patted mark's chest and left.
mark removed his arms from you and look at lucas.
"c'mon." he said and entered the house. he did not give you a single glance.
i knew it, he's mad at me.
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you literally wearing your flat face. you are bot hiding it as you sat on the end of the couch with lucas beside you.
"how is this a group study? I thought we're going to answer the homework?" you told lucas with a low voice and teeth gritting in disbelief.
"mark already reading it, let's just wait for his notes." he said eyes never leave the huge tv.
you squeezed the bridge of your nose and stood up. you want to go home but before that you have to take your paper from mark, so you walked in the dining area. he's there reading about 5 papers in total.
why is he tolerating their laziness? you said annoyingly while watching him from behind. you sighed and gather all your courage to walk towards him. you were beside him and he felt your presence so he looked up. he noticed your eyes looking for something.
"care to tell me what are you looking for?" his brow lifted.
"our paper. i want to go home, i wasn't supposed to be in here. i thought we will answer it." you finally saw your paper and grabbed it. you look down on him straight in the eyes.
"you shouldn't allowing them to make you answer their homeworks mark. you're not helping nor being kind." what you're doing right now is obviously called scolding, and you know what? you made mark smile,he felt that you cared for him..
"it's okay, it's my advantage too. i got to read a lot of cases, i'll just treat it as if i'm studying theirs." he looked back at the paper he was reading. you rolled your eyes
"geek." you murmured and he clearly heard you.
"have you taken a paracetamol at least?” he said out of the blue.
“excuse me?” you were kind of lost. he looked at you.
“your head ache.” he said. your jaw dropped in amusement.
“how did you know?” he just smiled at you and shrugged as his answer. “i already did but i think i need to rest.”
both of you weren’t aware that you were having a casual conversation.
“you can use that room.” mark pointed at the 3rd room from the corner next to the kitchen.
“oh no, thanks. i’ll just head back home.” you politely declined but mark was not having it.
“you will rest there or else i am going fuck you in this table.” he threatened you. of course he wouldn’t do that, mark never will share you.
“you wouldn’t” you chuckled knowing that he was just joking.
“try me.” he challenged you but his tone of voice seemed like you wouldn’t dare. you swallowed nervously.
“they’ll look for me.” you whispered.
“no they wouldn’t. you’ll have to take your bag, i’ll just tell them you already left. once the tv is open they don’t care about anything.” he convinced you. his tapping his index finger on the table growing impatient. “rest because you need energy later.”
“for what?” you furrowed your brows.
“for me.” he gave you an eye smile… a scary one. it was fake but looked so genuine… but twisted.
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you finally woke up. you looked at the digital clock table near you. it's 8 in the evening. you sat up but good lord you screamed when you saw a figure sitting at the end of your bed. it was mark.
"mark!" you touched your chest and tried to make your heart calm.
"eat your dinner and your medicine." he said in a monotone voice.
"are you mad at me?" you ask him the dumbest question, EVER. you obviously at fault, you just threw him outside your house without any explanation.
"no. " he replied and stood up. "let's eat." he's so cold, he left the room.
your chest became heavy. you followed him, eyes sticking at his icy figure. you felt suffocated and you just saw yourself chasing his back and embracing it. mark's body tensed as he felt your tiny figure behind him and short arms around his waist.
"i don't like it when you're mad. don't be mad at me." you were shoving your face against his back. his sweet but masculine cologne lingers into your nose and it made a calming effect. "i'm sorry if i was being mean." you shove your face more because of embarrassment.
"fuck…" mark cursed under his breath. you were so irresistible. he turned his body, facing you still arms around him. he witness your red as beet face. he cupped your cheeks and stared at your eyes.
"was it jealousy?" he asked referring to what happened that day. you shyly nodded your head. "i have something to tell you."
you blinked waiting for him to say whatever he wanted to tell you.
"i love you." mark missed saying those 3 meaningful words.
he then captured your lips. you shared an aggressive and eager kiss, your teeths are almost clashing with each other because of how aggressive mark is. suffocation was there but you love it. there was drooling, but you love it. they are moaning, and you fucking love it. mark squeezing your breast, fondling it, massaging it. until your shirt and bra were sitting on top of your round firm breasts. he then lifted you and made you sit on the dining table. thank god the table is long and that the food was far from you.
his gave you kisses down to your breast. he was nipping and your breasts. all you could do was moan. your hands playing the tips of his hair.
“i missed you so much.” he sincerely said while hungrily eating your breast.
“you were ignoring me.” you were supposed to sound lonely and sad but you moaned your words. it's impossible not to because gawd his wet and cold mouth feels good.
“i gave you some space but i don’t like it when someone occupies that space other than me.” he murmured. he went back to your face, giving your feathery kisses.
mark felt threatened when everyone keep on saying that lucas and you seemed close and actually look good together. they say that you need someone like lucas, bubbly and noisy. every time he hears that his blood boils. the fuck they know. he say.
you are quiet yes, but you have a lot of side. you are funny, you're savage, cute, and funny- and noisy especially when... you know. you are hardworking too, even though you sometimes procrastinate you make sure you study and understand the lesson. the down side is you just have low self-esteem and not honest to your feelings. but you are not just the quiet and the loner
“head still hurts?” he stared at your face.
“kinda.” you answered honestly.
“should we try if orgasm really make-” before he even finish his sentence you lift your back. you were expecting him to move back his body but he stayed still. you stopped before your lips touch.
"i'm hungry." you said. mark's eyes fell on your lips.
"do you want to do it here or to my room?" he asked. your nose scrunched.
"no, i mean i'm literally hungry for food." you said almost laughing at how disappointed he looked.
"food can wait." mark mumbled like a little kid throwing tantrums.
"you don't let the grace wait… right? i thought christians are thought to be like that." you were being cheeky. he widely smiled at you.
yeah, they don't know anything about you. you are more than the quiet and loner girl. i will never let anyone know this side of you, no one will appreciate you like i do. no one fits with you like i do. no matter how many times you deny it, i'm right for you.
"hmm? is there something on my face?" he was staring at you for quite long now so you felt conscious on how you look.
"let's eat? i thought you want me to take my paracetamol." you pouted.
"how about we go to nonpharmacological management?" you cringed when you hear his technical words.
"what? water?" you snorted.
"no, orgasm." he smirked and pushed your chest down, you felt the cold glass on your back. you cursed under your breath because of his sexiness.
mark rolled up your skirt and pulled down your panty. he did not waste any seconds, he dive into your wetness. he flatly licked your slick. you purred in excitement. mark pressed his thumb on your clit which added to your pleasure. mark sucking your folds, and every juices inside you while rubbing your clit.
"mark…" you moaned signalling that you are going to release. mark switched his thumb to his mouth and tongue, eating and rubbing your clit. he inserted two fingers inside you, and your back arched in intense pleasure.
"mark, please don't stop." he curled his finger and swear your eyes crossed when he hit your spot. "right there, right there, right there!" you cried loudly.
he never missed hitting your spot, and he was literally becoming aggressive in your clit. softly biting it, eating it, spitting on it.
"ohhhh…" you couldn't think properly nor talk properly. you legs involuntarily squeezed mark's head. his free hand pushed your one leg flat on the table to spread your legs. you couldn't handle the extreme pleasure building up on you.
"no… fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" you sat up, pushing mark's head away from you. your head threw back and eyes rolled back, you almost saw your brains. hands unconsciously rubbing yourself as you release… so much?
you squirted on mark's pants. your back fell on the table, it hurts but you're too high to complain. you were catching your breath and you were light headed. you're aware of what happened but you don't have energy to get embarrassed.
while your lashes are still fluttering and your chest aggressively going up and down. mark was really satisfied. he wiped his face using the end of his shirt. he leaned forward, arm resting on the side of your face.
"no headache?" he was teasing you. you laugh through your highs.
"yeah."
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anyoneseenadam · 3 years
Text
The Moon Spirit - three
Dorian x reader, Fenrys x reader (throne of glass)
Description: When you’re taught to be a queen from such a young age, nothing could go wrong. But when the king starts to fear your growing power you find yourself thrust into a world of faeries, evil magic and powerful men, learning to stand on your own can be harder than it seems.
warnings: Fenrys being cute, badass reader but like a shit ton of angst, allusions to sexual assualt (Fenrys canon stuff), mentions of weapons? idk if that counts
word count: 4.4k
a/n: so this took a while but it’s finally done, please comment it genuienly keeps me going cause it’s super easy to get unmotivated, hope you enjoy <3
——————————————————————————
After he left you, Fenrys begrudgingly found himself back at the palace, bowed on one knee in front of Maeve. She looked cruelly beautiful as always but there was something more sinister sparkling in her eyes today, remaining quiet as he stood back to his full height, meeting her gaze with wavering confidence.
“Who have you been with?” she finally broke the silence and he cursed himself for thinking he could ever get away with that.
“I just walked a young girl home, she was new, and I was afraid someone may take advantage of her if she was alone,” he spoke truthfully, allowing Maeve to push into his mind as she searched for a hidden lie.
He watched as she drew in a sharp breath, something like fear flickering across her face before her tightly drawn lips spread into a wide smile.
“Come here,” she commanded, and he went to stand in front of her, close enough to smell her sickening perfume and to see the flawless texture of her skin. “Do you love this girl?”
He shook his head, no, and she ran a hand down his face in a motherlike way. “Good, you will be recruiting her.” His eyes widened and he had to put his energy into not flinching away.
“What?” he spoke with an incredulous tone and Maeve glared at his lack of respect making him bow his head. “Sorry your majesty, I’m just slightly confused. She was just a young girl and didn’t seem to have any former training.”
“And that’s why I’m in charge, you men are too foolish. That was a powerful girl, and I would rather she remained on my side than any other.” He frowned, powerful? She had seemed kind, lost and strong enough to hold her own – but not powerful.
“I need you to see her again, convince her to join.” Fenrys physically felt the command go through him and he stood taller again, nodding gruffly as she waved her hand in dismissal.
--
Your first few days of work had been harder than expected, and you had gone home with aching muscles from lifting books and sore cheeks from plastering on smiles. Albert had made your days easier, drinking hot tea with you as you slowly revealed more and more about your past to him, his kind, old eyes lulling you into a comforting state.
But you didn’t receive rest when you got home. Ploughing through books on spirits and practicing using the limited magic you had found until the early hours of the morning, getting barely two hours of sleep a night unplagued by nightmares. By your fifth day Albert had handed you a pot of cosmetic product to hide the circles forming, commenting on scaring the customers away as you stuck your tongue out at him but smearing some on regardless.
On the second Saturday after your arrival you had a day off and used it to venture into the market, your empty shelves no longer sustaining you, let alone Amaris. Your basket soon filled with colourful fruits and vegetables, and you were browsing the fish section when a shadow fell over you.
“Let me take that for you,” you turned to see Fenrys standing over you with that same easy smile, his head tilted slightly. You rolled your eyes, trying to block out the feelings expanding in your chest at just the sight of him.
“And here I thought I had lost you,” you muttered, and he laughed, taking your basket from you, and paying for the wrapped salmon you had just been passed. “You don’t need to do stuff like that,” you told him, and he took your arm as he led you out of the market.
“Can’t help myself, I see a pretty girl in need and boom, I have to help.” He joked and you laughed lightly.
“Oh yeah, the damsel in distress disease, I’ve heard that’s a nasty one to cure,” he smiled down at you with a sparkle in his eyes.
“Not really, all I need is a kiss,” he tugged you closer and you squealed, shoving him away as he laughed.
“As I said, nasty.” He dramatically put a hand to his heart, throwing his head back in distress.
“You wound me darling,” he complained, and you laughed, hating how much you genuinely enjoyed his company. You reached your apartment in no time, and he stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to your door.
“So no invitation of tea, a glass of wine, a home cooked meal?” he asked, and you rolled your eyes,
“I’m afraid I reserve that for people I like,” he raised his eyebrows, hopping up the steps two at a time.
“Even if I have genuine cause to talk to you?” he asked and the sincerity in his eyes made a shot of fear run through you. He couldn’t know, could he?
“What is it?” you asked, and he smiled softly, a little pain shining through his loving eyes.
“The queen has a proposition to make.” His voice quietened and you straightened your posture, your entire demeanour switching in a second.
“Come in.” you opened the door and stepped in, allowing him to duck as he followed.
The first thing he noticed was how barren your apartment was, a simple kitchen, connected to a room with a pale blue sofa and worn coffee table. Your shelves were bare, and he sneaked a look into your room as he passed the open door, your mattress on the floor covered by only a thin blanket and a few cushions, one incredibly expensive looking gold dress on the floor, stained dark red. But before he could venture further in he heard you cooing in an impossibly soft voice.
He turned the corner and blanched at the sight he saw, “What the?”
You turned from were you were feeding small bits of salmon to a pure white bundle of fluff that hissed as soon as it saw him. “Amaris, be polite!” you scalded, and he surveyed the cat with a wary look, untrusting of the small creature.
“You have a cat.” He stated, suddenly completely unsure of his taste in women.
“No he’s actually a spider,” you deadpanned and Fenrys pouted.
“But I thought you’d be a dog person,” he complained, and you laughed, moving to throw open the curtains in the room before you started putting away the food you had bought, boiling a pot of water over your stove.
“I just like animals, why does it matter?” you asked, and he threw his arms up before transforming into his wolf form. You gasped and Amaris meowed loudly, scampering to hide behind your legs.
“You’re a wolf.” You stated and he turned back with a smile.
“No I’m a spider,” you flipped him off as you turned to put the rest of your food away.
“I prefer you as a wolf, they’re one of my favourite animals,” you told him and he smiled, sticking his tongue out childishly at Amaris who just sauntered of to doze on a pillow.
“So, what does the queen want?” you asked, pouring the hot water into a pot you had prepared, and he sat down on your worn-down sofa, cringing as it creaked under his weight. You followed suit soon after putting the pot and two mugs down, curling your feet underneath yourself as you looked at him.
“Well, she has told me that you’re actually extremely powerful and because of this she wants to recruit you. She wants you to join the Cadre.” He spoke surely and confidently but his eyes shone with wariness.
“Okay first of all, I’m not at all powerful, secondly how would she even know if I was, which I’m not! And third, what is The Cadre?” he laughed slightly and moved forward to pour himself a cup of tea.
“Well you clearly are because she recognised you and always knows these things, trust me. She’s never wrong about this. And The Cadre is a group I’m in, elite soldiers sworn to protect Maeve.” He explained and you shook your head.
“Fenrys I barely know basic self-defence, I’m not a soldier. And I don’t want to be sworn to royalty.” Your hands were shaking slightly at the thought of being sworn to another tyrant, “Plus in all honesty I only found out I was Fae on Monday, so I’m not exactly well versed in this shit.”
“How did you not know before?” he asked – frowning.
“The country I… come from, there was no magic. The king wiped all magic out years ago.”
“Why?” It was an understandable question but still made you panic, he couldn’t know.
“I don’t know, all I know is he did, so those alike me – with magic but born into a magicless world – never got to know.” You were good at concealing emotions, that much Fenrys could see. You seemed to have iron walls built into the clouds around your heart, protecting it as fiercely as you would Amaris.
“Well, Maeve wants to meet with you soon, so let me know when you decide gorgeous,” he stood, and you smiled at him gratefully for not prying further.
“I’m really sorry Fenrys I just don’t think it’s a good idea. As I said I’m not a soldier.” He nodded but his eyes still conveyed a sense of worry.
“Well keep in mind you would get to train with me, probably shirtless.” He joked as you opened the door for him, grinning when you laughed loudly, shoving him through the door.
“Bye Fenrys,” you said, eyes sparkling as he waved, whistling his way down the street comically.
You closed the door as your smile fell, a weight settling on your chest as you already knew why he looked so wary – Kings and Queens didn’t understand the word no.
--
You practically ran to the library the next day, opting to bring Amaris with you as he peeked out of the small handbag you had found stuffed into the back of your closet. When you flew into the library you instantly sought out Albert, who took one look at your flushed, shining appearance and abandoned the pile of books he was putting away, motioning for you to sit down.
You sat quickly, huffing out a breath as Amaris crawled out of his makeshift home and started exploring the new territory of the small backroom reserved for staff only.
“What bothers you child?” Albert’s voice was steady as always and his dry, warm hands grasped yours gently as your eyes filled with unshed tears.
“I just – I needed to talk to someone,” you stuttered out, your breath coming in harsher pants as he shushed you.
“Take a minute and allow yourself to breathe first dear,” he commanded, and you pressed a hand to your heart as you tried to slow its pounding. “Start from the beginning, tell me what’s wrong.”
“The man I loved, his- his name was Dorian, Dorian Havilliard.” You said quietly and Albert let out a small chuckle.
“I presumed as much, I visited Adarlan once, and an old man never forgets the face of a princess.” You looked at him through blurry eyes, confused.
“You knew?” he smiled sadly at you.
“I was 90% certain, but I would never have pressured you to reveal secrets like that.” He passed you a tissue, “But I sense that’s not all that weighs heavy on you?”
You shook your head, “Queen Maeve has made clear that she wishes me to join the Cadre.”
Albert’s face changed with the clear shock, and you bowed your head, shamefully.
“And what did you say?” he asked slowly.
“No, of course! I don’t have any desire to be another monarch’s puppet.” You stated and he shushed you again.
“You need to remember that people always listen.” He scolded, repeating one of the first things he had told you when you started working. “I agree that you should be cautious, but perhaps gaining the queens protection would be beneficial. Plus you would become an extremely skilled swordsman.”
“I am not a man, nor do I wish to be.” You said through gritted teeth, “And I vowed that I would become skilled on my own and go back to Dorian.”
“Yes but if you join, you will be more skilled than ever before,” Albert reasoned and you shook your head, tears welling up again.
“I thought you’d be on my side for this, you are the one who told me to be careful around powerful people.” You felt unjustly betrayed as he spoke and his shoulders slumped slightly, sighing before grasping your hands lightly again.
“I am dear, and I urge you to do what you think is best. But I am simply reminding you that if you truly want to beat this king you are being offered power on a silver platter right now, and perhaps it would be foolish to deny yourself it.” You let his words run around your head as you worked overtime trying to figure out a plan.
“Say I joined – what do I need to do to ensure I don’t become another puppet?” you asked, and he smiled at you.
“First of all, she will offer a blood oath and you must refuse it with everything you have in you – she came to you remember you hold the power. On that note you must summon all those queenly powers of yours and ensure when you speak to her, she is meeting you and she is trying to win you over. Never the other way around.” You nodded, pocketing the information in your head. “When in the palace you are always being watched, always being listened to, so keep your wits about you. But I’m sure you’re used to that by now.”
You laughed under your breath, “It’ll be just like going home,” you commented, and he smiled.
“Sadly yes, now take this money. Go but a new dress and tomorrow you will take a carriage, you can’t walk there.” You thanked him softly, placing the gold in the purse you held, “You’re a kind girl, that is what makes you strong and that’s what will make you a good queen. Don’t let them take your heart.”
Your throat tightened and you nodded due to the lack of trust you held for your voice, standing, and collecting your bag in one hand and Amaris in the other. Albert stood to take you to the door with a smile, and a gentle pat on the shoulder.
“You can have tomorrow off work as well, however I feel our work together is already coming to an end.” You smiled softly, allowing him to pet Amaris’ head softly before he kissed your cheek gently, ushering you out the door.
“Have a good night Albert,” you said, turning to see him watching you with sorrowful eyes.
“Remember what I told you dear, don’t let them take your heart.” Your smile was sad as you spoke,
“I won’t.” You both heard the lie but, neither of you decided to correct it. Not tonight.
--
Of all the things Fenrys expected to see the next morning, you were the one he hoped for. But as he looked around at the powerful men surrounding the room he felt white-hot panic seize him as he realised what you were about to do. You hadn’t even looked at him when you walked in, keeping your eyes trained solely on Maeve, not even dropping them as you dropped in a low curtsy.
He was even more shocked by the blood red dress you adorned, the v-neck deep and skirts long with a slit up either leg, high enough to reveal the halter you wore with a silver dagger and a ruby encrusted hilt secured into place. Every man, woman and mouse watched as you walked through the room – head high and shoulders back, revealing enough to entrance everyone in the room but covering enough to keep them wanting more and he felt his anger grow as he watched you.
You waited with a soft, but condescending, smile on your face, allowing Maeve to regrasp some power by speaking first – every movement so calculated and precise. As he watched you he saw the power and understood the fear and lust building in the room.
“So I guess you heard my offer.” Maeve finally said, drawling low with relaxed posture.
“I did.” Your statement was short, to the point but you saw it grate Maeve’s nerves and smiled as sweet as spun sugar, “Your majesty.”
“And?” he watched as Maeve grew more agitated and was surprised she hadn’t killed you yet, usually not standing for even an ounce of insubordination.
“I am willing to accept on one condition – I’m not taking a blood oath.” He had to fight jumping in the air with glee as you spoke, so afraid you were going to get tangled in the mess he was in. Maeve’s face grew dark, but you held your ground, never letting your eyes stray lest she see your weakness.
“Well that’s simply not viable,” she stated, glaring you into the ground but you just smiled again, nodding with a polite laugh.
“I see, well this was a lovely meeting, gentlemen.” You raised your hand politely as you moved to leave, your eyes finally flittering over him and the rest of the cadre. You bowed once again to Maeve, making to leave when Maeve raised her hand.
“We are not finished.” She stated.
“Well I’m terribly sorry your majesty but I’ve made my terms extremely clear, and since you refuse to budge - I believe we are done.” Your voice was still sweet, but he watched your face change slightly, every bit a queen looking down upon her people. He couldn’t help but wonder were you learned to speak this way, but Maeve simply laughed.
“Yet here you are,” she spoke with a mocking tone, and you smiled with your teeth this time.
“Need I remind you that you sought me out, if I have terms it should be in your best interest to meet them if you wish me to join your miniature army.” Fenrys heard Lorcan snarl lowly next to him but gripped his arm in warning.
“Oh your training is impressive princess, but I’m afraid it will be of no use.” Your face didn’t budge as Maeve spoke, but Fenrys watched as something flickered through your eyes, “You see, I learn of misdemeanours in other courts very easily and I wish to show you what I learned of Adarlan.”
“There’s nothing you could show me that I won’t have seen before,” you said, and he watched the two of you laugh like you were mingling at a party instead of standing of in a court.
“Oh I’m afraid this is relatively new, you might reconsider your terms after this,” you stood straight as Maeve walked down the steps and moved to whisper something the rest of them couldn’t hear in your ear, her hand pressed lightly to the base of your neck.
She pulled away after a few minutes and he took in your now shaking hands, eyes filled with tears you clearly refused to let fall. You took in a steadying breath before speaking, “You’re lying.”
“Oh I wish I was princess, but I can only show the truth and it appears your prince had moved on rather quickly, what use is there going back to a country where you can no longer rule.” She stroked your hair condescendingly and you chewed the inside of your lip as it quivered. “But here, here – under my control – you have power of your own. Men will no longer hold onto you like a prized pony, you will become something they fear, you will be my perfect princess, the daughter I never got to have.”
Fenrys inhaled sharply, he knew Maeve never planned to relent the throne, especially not to a woman from another country. She looked at you like you were a doll, something for her to reshape and change. You must have seen it to, but through your blurry eyes everything had changed.
“Okay,” your voice was smaller than before, and he wanted to tear Maeve limb from limb for having broken you down so harshly with just a few words. She smiled cruelly at you as she cut a small line along her forearm and you bowed your head in pain, before falling to your knees – graceful even as pain consumed your entire being. You brought your lips to her wound and drank as she repeated the words that he remembered all too well.
When you rose your lips were sparkling red, and your eyes were glistening with tears still unshed – but you raised your head like a queen and Maeve smiled.
“I believe you have already met Fenrys, he will be training you as the training you have received is not proficient, I’ll have all your belongings brought to a room here.” Maeve waved her hand to some guards, but you stopped her.
“I only need Amaris brought here; the rest can burn.” You muttered.
“And for your new wardrobe?” She asked and you smiled looking down, wiping your mouth slowly.
“Make it red.” You finally met Fenrys eyes, and he stepped forward, desperate to drag you far, far away.
“Shall I escort her to her new room?” he asked Maeve and she flitted her eyes to him, then to the hand he had pressed to your back.
“Yes and then afterword’s come find me,” she smiled cruelly at him, and he felt you stiffen under his hand, but he just nodded and began to lead you out of the room.
He led you through the corridors and up the stairs in silence, angry at you for accepting and at himself for not putting up more of a fight. When he reached the room he presumed would be yours he opened the door for you, following you in as you sat on the bed, your usual lightness replaced by the weight on your shoulders.
He watched you bow your head and came to sit beside you, “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologise; this was my choice.” You said and he reached an arm around your shoulders, but you quickly shrugged him off.
“I shouldn’t, we shouldn’t, if you and the queen are…” you trailed off and Fenrys bowed his head in shame.
“It’s not like that, she, she makes me,” he muttered, and you inhaled sharply, turning to him with those watery eyes.
“I had no idea, I’m sorry,” you whispered, instantly looping your arms around him neck and holding him tight. “She’s a monster.”
Fenrys huffed a laugh, pulling away, “You’re telling me.”
He reached a hand for your face slowly, wiping under your eyes where a tear had escaped, “how did she change your mind?” he asked, dark eyes searching your face for clues as your bottom lip quivered in pain.
“She showed me home,” was all you said, and his shoulders dropped. He would leave it for now, you were young and clearly not ready to speak – and now, they had all the time in the world to speak.
“Sleep tight, training starts at seven tomorrow,” he stood and kissed your head lightly and you nodded, words getting caught in your throat. He left quietly, walking away as quickly as he could to avoid hearing the soft sobs that erupted as soon as he closed the door.
--
You could barely contain your tears until you got to your room, repeating rule thirteen over and over in your head, crying in public is only appropriate at funerals and weddings. But as soon as Fenrys left your room you sobbed into your hands, wailing, and crying like a child throwing a tantrum as you let out the emotions, the screams that have been locked inside of you for so long.
You had done everything for Dorian, changed every part of yourself and become the perfect princess, girlfriend, fiancé – and he, mere weeks after you had to run, was already moving onto a new girl.
As hard as you tried you couldn’t get rid of the image of him and the blonde girl out of your head. How he kissed her softly, his hand on her lower back where it always used to rest on yours. The smile when he pulled away, the way he laughed with her, the way Chaol smiled at his brother when he was happy. You had been forgotten, replaced, almost instantly, the warmth you used to feel when you thought of home, of your princes’ arms replaced by a tight chest and a cold feeling encompassing your heart.
“I’m sorry Albert,” you whispered into the air as you stood looking out on your balcony, gripping tightly to the rail as you feared your legs would give out, “She already took it.”
You were interrupted by a quiet knock on your door, wiping your eyes as you opened it – taking Amaris from the tall guards’ hands as a flurry of women pushed in, filling your drawers with clothes and cosmetics, candles and hair pins, books and plants, a million supplies for Amaris and then some. You smiled politely at them as they left without saying a word, in and out extremely quickly as you stared at a knot in the floor.
Another knock sounded soon after and you turned your head to see one of the Cadre staring in with piercing green eyes. You motioned for him to come in and stood, tilting your head up to meet his gaze as he took in your messy, tear-stained expression.
“You’re the first female member of the Cadre, ever.” He stated and you blinked slowly.
“Lucky me,” your tone was sarcastic, voice rough from the crying but the man smiled.
“I’m Rowan, it’s good to meet you.” He reached out a hand and you met it, allowing him to kiss the back gently.
“(Y/n)” you returned, with a slight curtsey.
“I look forward to fighting with you (y/n),” he stated, releasing your hand and turning to leave, stopping right before he reached the door, “Oh, and don’t lose that dagger, you’ll find a shocking number of men dislike powerful women.”
“First I’m hearing of this,” you deadpanned, and he chuckled.
“Goodluck kid.”
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