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mammonshuman92 · 3 years

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- Homecoming - Pt.2

(Keishin x F!Y/N)

**TW: cussing, implied seggs

He stood up slowly and turned around. His eyes as big as saucers when they fell on you. Was he actually asleep right now, having the dream. This couldn't actually be happening..

You took a step forward and smiled. The same smile that was forever etched in his mind.

"Hi, Keishin. Long time no see."

"Y/N..?"

His heart hammered against his rib cage so hard the sound flooded his ears. For a moment, he was sure you could hear it too.

Is this.. real? I’m not dreaming..? This kind of crap doesn’t actually happen outside of cheesy movies..

But, much to his surprise, it was.

You were actually here, standing ten feet in front of him. How many times had he thought of this exact scenario? What was he supposed to say after ten years?

God, you were just as beautiful as you had always been, maybe even more so. Your eyes, big and full of life, still shined so brightly. You radiated warmth and light that was enough to put the sun itself to shame. He still couldn’t help but be captivated by you.

Pull yourself together, moron. You can’t just stare at her, she’s gonna think you’re a creep..

“Yeah, it’s me.” You said, nodding your head with a smile.

“Wow.. You look great.”

WHAT?! Why’d you say that?!

You giggled, “Thank you. I almost didn’t recognize you with the long hair. It really suits you though, I like it.” He was pretty sure he spotted a little pink on your cheeks, but couldn’t be sure since his brain had pretty much stopped functioning.

“Oh, t-thanks, um, w-what are you doing here? I-I mean, h-how are you?”

Smooth, dumbass.

His stuttering elicited another giggle from you. It was bubbly and bright and made his heart ache.

He held up a finger, gesturing for you to wait a minute. He took off his apron as he went behind the counter and hurried into the back room. He asked his mom if she would watch the shop so he could leave for a bit.

When he emerged a couple minutes later, you were still standing where he had left you. He was scared that when he came back you’d be gone, only having been a figment of his desperate imagination. But, there you stood, looking around the store. When your eyes fell on him, you smiled. The one that had both haunted him and brought him comfort the last several years.

“Sorry about that,” he began, as he rounded the counter and came closer to you, “Uh, do you maybe wanna take a walk? Or, I don’t know, get some coffee and catch up a little?”

“I’d like that.” You said with a smile.

“So, where were we?” Keishin asked nervously, mostly to himself. He was so flustered that he wasn’t acting like himself. His brain wasn’t working the way he needed it to. Hopefully you wouldn’t catch on. The last thing he needed was for you to think he was a weirdo.

“Well, I think you were trying to ask me how I’ve been but it kinda came out jumbled and messy.” You teased, pulling a groan out of him.

No, yeah. She definitely caught on. Is there a rock nearby I can crawl under..?

“Stop, I’m kidding!” You smacked his arm playfully before continuing. “Let’s see. I suppose I’ve been good. Went to college and got my degree in education. High school English to be exact.” You said, the two of you arriving at the coffee shop.

The coffee shop was just down the street and after ordering, you decided to sit outside at a small table under a tree.

“You always did want to be a teacher. So, uh, how about your s/o? What do they do?” He silently prayed to himself that you weren’t seeing anyone and that you also wouldn’t see through his not so graceful way of bringing it up.

You laughed, “I’m married to my career. Dating is...not for me.” Keishin silently let out the breath he’d been holding.

“What about you?” You asked curiously.

“Not really interested.” He said with a shrug.

“So, high school huh? Teenagers are quite a handful.” He said, changing the subject.

“That they are. You have a lot of experience with teenagers?” You asked, blowing on your coffee and taking a sip.

“Yes. Well, only since recently. I started coaching the boys volleyball team at Karasuno.” For some reason that little bit of information made you smile.

“You still play volleyball?” You asked, seeming excited.

“Yep, mostly coaching though. Besides, it kinda runs in the family.” You nodded in agreement.

“That it does. I actually ended up playing in high school and college.” He sat back a little in his chair, eyebrows raised slightly.

“Really? What position?” He asked, a little shocked.

You always played volleyball together growing up, but he thought you only did so because it’s what he always wanted to do. He didn’t think you actually enjoyed it.

“I was the Ace.” Your answer made him laugh.

“What’s so funny?” You asked, feigning a pout. It only made him fall for you harder, if that were even possible.

“Nothing. Just, when we were younger you kinda sucked at it.” He confessed. You smacked his arm again.

“It was honestly one of the main things that reminded me of my time here.” You explained, tone becoming serious. You looked kinda sad as you reminisced.

Did she ..miss me too? No, she had a whole life here. Don’t get your hopes up..

“And, I got to learn from THE Ukai’s. It would’ve been a shame to let years of free training go to waste” You added sounding more upbeat, quickly changing the mood.

You leaned back in your chair and looked up at the tree the two of you sat under. The sun was shining brightly, illuminating your face, making you seem ethereal. He was positive he’d never see anything or anyone else as beautiful as you.

“So, what brings you all the way to Japan? How long are you staying?” He was kind of scared to ask. You just came back. He didn’t want to let go of you yet. Or at all, for that matter.

You sat back up, practically bouncing in your seat.

“Well, I accepted a job offer.” You said, prompting Keishin to pause for a minute.

“What?” His voice was barely above a whisper. His heart started beating faster.

“I actually got here a few days ago. I closed the deal on a house a few weeks back, but had to wait for all the paperwork to be finalized. I picked up the keys this morning.”

She's...moving back?

"Wow. Wait, when you say job offer..?"

"You're looking at the new English teacher at Karasuno High!" You beamed.

He didn’t know what to say.

He imagined you coming back countless times. But, now that it was actually happening? He was speechless.

“You’re coming back?” Was all he could manage.

You nodded, smiling at his obvious question, “Technically I’m already here, but yeah.”

“And you’re staying? You’re not gonna leave again?” He noticed your expression change slightly, a subtle look of sadness creeping in.

He didn’t intend for the last question to sound so desperate, but he couldn’t help it. He was desperate.

“I’m staying.” You said, nodding. Your voice was soothing, almost as if you knew why he’d asked.

*bzzz* *bzzz* *bzzz*

“Who the hell..” He grumbled quietly, making you laugh.

He not so silently cursed whoever was calling and interrupting his time with you, as he dug his phone from his pocket.

Takinoue..

“What?” He hissed into the phone.

“Whoa, attitude. Just calling to see where you are, man. Everyone is waiting on you.”

“Huh?”

“The scrimmage game? With the boys team? Ya know, the one you planned weeks ago?”

Keishin checked the time, “Shit! Okay, I’ll be there in a few.” He looked over, you looking back at him questioningly. He didn’t want to part ways with you just yet. There was still so much to catch up on.

“If you don’t have anything else planned, how would you feel about watching a game?” He asked as you both stood from your seats, hoping you’d say yes.

“And get the chance to see the newest Coach Ukai in action? Count me in.” You smiled brightly at him, his cheeks felt warm at your unexpected excitement.

“Everyone, this is Y/N. She’s gonna watch the scrimmage game.” Keishin announced.

To say that everyone was surprised, was an understatement.

On one hand, the Association team members that also knew you, never would have expected that you of all people would be here and also be the reason Keishin was late.

And on the other hand, the boys team never expected to see their coach with a girl. Especially a pretty one.

“That’s her, Coach! The absolute goddess that was looking for you the other day!” Tanaka yelled, pointing at you.

“You’re right!” Nishinoya agreed, “Man, she’s way out of his league.”

You pressed your lips together trying not to laugh. Keishin glared at you, then at the two boys.

Daichi smacked both of them on the back of the head.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am.” Suga said, bowing to you.

“Maybe I should’ve mentioned that Y/N, will actually be Ms. L/N to most of you, since she’s the new English teacher.” Keishin explained with a shit eating grin, thinking that they’d be embarrassed at the thought of talking to their teacher like that.

You put your hand up, waving slightly, “It’s nice to meet all of you. I look forward to having you in class.”

“We get to see her everyday?!” Noya asked, perking up.

“Did I die? Is this Heaven?” Tanaka added, looking toward the ceiling, hands in a praying position.

Two more smacks could be heard, as well as another apology from Suga.

The game was close, the neighborhood team holding onto a lead over Karasuno for most of the first match, but Karasuno pulled through and took the set. During the second set, neither team could get much of a lead over the other, Karasuno managed to break up the momentum though, taking a solid lead and winning the game.

“You coming for drinks?” Takinoue asked, stopping you both as everyone was leaving.

Just like every other game, the association team was going out for drinks at their usual spot. It’s pretty much a tradition now. But, this time you were here. He doesn’t want to forfeit a single ounce of time to anything else unless he absolutely has to. For the first time in such a long time he felt like the weight on his chest was gone, he could breathe again.

“Sure, that sounds like f-”

“We have plans.” Keishin interjected, giving his friend a look.

Takinoue looked at his friend a second, then nodded in understanding.

“Next time then.” He said, smiling at you before walking away to join the rest of the team.

When they were all far enough away, you turned to Keishin.

“So, plans huh?” You asked casually.

It was still kind of early when the game ended, the sun was just barely starting to set, the sky streaked with brilliant pinks and oranges as you left the gym.

He rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, sorry. That was an excuse to get out of going with them. They can be kind a handful once alcohol gets involved.” He explained.

“Ah. Well, that’s probably best. I’ve got a lot of unpacking left to do anyway.” You groaned slightly at the thought of unpacking.

“Need any help?” He offered immediately.

“Really? No, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not, I’m offering. And anyway, we didn’t get a chance to finish catching up.”

You nodded, smiling, “Okay, we can order take out. I’ve also got beer.”

If you’d have suggested bobbing for electric eels, he would’ve done it. He would do anything to continue spending time with you, because after all these years he finally felt whole again.

“So, what’d you think of the game?” He asked, picking up a box labeled ‘glassware’ and taking it to the kitchen, setting it gently on the counter.

“I think you’ve done a great job with them, Keishin.” You said, getting bites of take out in-between the boxes you were unpacking in the living room, “Those first years are really something to be reckoned with.”

“That they are. Hey, maybe next time we scrimmage I can talk you into playing on the neighborhood team.” He said, as he re-entered the room.

“Maybe. I don’t want to hear any complaining when you lose though.” You said, smiling devilishly.

He laughed at you and picked up the box next to his feet, this one was unlabeled but had a volleyball sticker on it and random little doodles. Your eyes widened when you realized what box it was.

“I can take that one.” You said, crossing the room quickly. You tried not to be obvious, but it didn’t work. He could tell something was up.

“Oh, okay.” He said, extending the box to you. Before you could reach for it, he pulled it back, seeing something extremely familiar through the slightly opened box, he reached inside.

“No, wait!” You squeaked, turning red.

He pulled out a delicate gold necklace. The very one he’d given you as teenagers. The one with his name on it. He looked at you, holding it gently in his hand.

“You still have this?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper, heart pounding away in his chest.

You sighed heavily, still blushing hard. Without a word, you opened the box in his hands the rest of the way, showing him the rest of its contents. He gasped lightly.

She kept it all..

The box was like a time capsule. CD’s you’d burned together for summer volleyball drills, movie ticket stubs from your first real date, notes passed in class, the stuffed iguana he gave you for your ninth birthday, and so, so many pictures from your childhood; birthdays, holidays, summer vacations.

There was something else in there under all the pictures. He dug to the bottom and found several dozen envelopes. All addressed to him. His eyes widened, slowly pulling them out of the box.

“Ah! I forgot those were in there!” You screeched, trying to get them away from him.

“Oh, yeah? Must be good if you’re this desperate to get them back.”

After struggling to jump up and grab the envelopes from him, where he held them above his head, you admitted defeat.

“Fine! You win.” You threw your hands up, walking into the kitchen “I need booze for this.” You muttered to yourself.

They were letters you had written to him after you left but never sent. They all seemed to be around the time you’d lost contact with each other. Dozens of letters, telling him how everything was going with starting over in America, how much you missed him and wanted to come back to Japan, ...how much you loved him. They held so many words of love, but also their fair share of sadness.

His heart hammered away in his chest as he skimmed over the letters.

She missed me too..

Although he hates to see that you were sad after leaving, it also makes him feel relieved. After the two of you lost contact, he was sure you’d just moved on with your life and had forgotten about him. In a way, he wanted that for you; to move on and live a normal happy life. But on the other hand, he hoped he stuck out in your mind, that you’d always love him like you promised you would, the way he loved you. The way he still loves you.

Calm down, idiot. We were teenagers then. Just because she felt that way at one time doesn’t mean she still does. It’s been a really long time.. she probably moved on...

“I was hoping to avoid this conversation..” Your voice startled him, unsure of when you re-entered the room. He looked up from the letters to see you leaned against the doorway that led from the kitchen to the living room. You pushed off the wall and walked over to the box and picked up a handful of pictures, smiling as you flipped through the memories.

“Why didn’t you send them?” He asked curiously, scanning the letters again.

“I didn’t think you’d want them.” You shrugged.

“What made you think that?” He looked over at you.

“Well, it was after we stopped talking, I kinda just assumed you forgot about me.”

As if I ever could

“I thought the same thing about why you stopped talking to me. Looks like some serious miscommunication on our part.”

You laughed lightly, “Yeah, I guess so, huh?

“Kinda makes me wonder how things would’ve turned out had we stayed in contact.” He said.

There were so many things he wanted to say to you, wanted to tell you. The years of being miserable, trying to keep himself together with your memories. He swore that if he were ever given the chance to reconnect with you, he’d tell you everything he’s kept bottled up inside the last ten years.

Yet, here he was, in the exact situation he’d always begged the universe to give him, and all he was doing was trying to avoid anything that might make you disappear again. He was scared, terrified. He didn’t want to lose you again. He couldn’t lose you again.

But, he couldn’t live like this anymore. He couldn’t live another ten years like the last. He knew what he had to do.

He put the letters he had been holding back in the box gently, still holding the delicate necklace in his hand, he turned to face you.

Here goes nothing..

“Y/N, I love you.”

“What?” You choked out.

“I said, I love you. I never stopped, actually.” He began, your eyes widening in shock.

He took a deep breath then let it out slowly before continuing.

“The day you left was the worst day of my life. After I didn’t hear from you anymore, I thought you had moved on. I thought about going to the US a few times to find you, but I didn’t want to disrupt your life. If you were happy, then I could be happy for you. Even if it wasn’t with me. Not a single day has gone by when I didn’t feel like part of my soul was missing.” He confessed.

“I’ve been wishing for the opportunity to see you again, to tell you everything. I don’t expect you to feel the same, you don’t even have to talk to me anymore if it’ll be too awkward, but I needed you to know.”

“Keishin..”

“I know it’s a lot, and I’m really sorry to just dump it all on you..” He kept rambling.

“Keishin.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Do you want me to leave? I’m gonna leave.”

“Keishin!” You yelled, finally getting his attention.

He stopped his nervous rambling and looked at you. Your cheeks were flushed, eyes looking down as you fidgeted with the hem of your shirt.

“I had been looking at houses in this area for a while and I checked out the school just out of curiosity. When I saw the opening for an English teacher, I jumped on it. It felt like a sign, as cheesy as that sounds.” You laughed.

“I didn’t really think any of it through, I just...did it. It wasn’t until this morning when I was walking to the shop when I thought that maybe I messed up..”

“Messed up?” He echoed, prompting you to keep going.

You nodded sheepishly, “I wasn’t sure what I was going to walk into. I didn’t know if you were married and had a family, or if you were even around here anymore. I actually turned to leave after I came in because I was too nervous to follow through with it, but then I heard your voice and I couldn’t help myself. I needed to see you.” You moved closer, stopping only a few feet away from him. “What I’m trying to say is, I never stopped either. Never stopped thinking about you, missing you..loving you. I, too, haven’t had a day go by without you being on my mind, without wanting to see you again and tell you how much I still love you.”

He closed the small gap between the two of you, staring into your e/c eyes. He reached both hands behind your neck and fumbled with something for a moment. You felt a new, added weight. He removed his hands, one moving to the pendant that first adorned your neck so long ago. He smiled as he ran his fingers across his name.

“I wore it everyday for a long time, but the chain eventually broke. Once I got it fixed I put it up so nothing else would happen to it.” You explained, heart racing. Your cheeks felt hot and your breathing was a little fast because of how close he was.

He moved his hand from the pendant to the side of your neck, thumb resting on your jaw. His free hand resting gently on your waist. He leaned down until his face was just inches from yours.

“Since the summer before fourth grade and even now, it’s only ever been you. It will always be you, Y/N.” You stared into his eyes as your own became glassy, your cheeks turning red.

“Can I?” He whispered, glancing down at your lips, then back up to hold your gaze again. You nodded eagerly as you wrapped your arms around his neck, fingers quickly finding their way into his hair.

He wasted no time, pressing his lips to yours in an instant, you let out a tiny whimper. You both had only dreamt of this moment for so long, now that it was actually happening it felt so surreal. Your lips moved together in perfect synchronization as you stayed tightly pressed to one another, terrified that you’d wake up from a dream if you were to let go. What lasted only a few minutes, felt like hours. You were in heaven.

When you finally broke apart, drunk on one another and breathless, you rested your forehead on his, soaking up the moment.

“I love you, Keishin. I don’t ever want to be without you again.” You cooed.

“Marry me then.”

“What?” You pulled back to look at him, expecting him to be joking but he was absolutely serious.

“I was lucky enough to get a second chance and I’m not going to waste it. So, instead of wearing it on a necklace, I’ll get you a ring and it can be your name too.” He was beaming. He hadn’t been this happy in so long. He felt so light, full of love and life.

You nodded vigorously, unable to form words because of the growing lump in your throat. He pulled you in tight, pressing his lips to yours once again. The rest of the night was spent catching up. In more ways than one.

When he awoke the next morning, tired yet well rested, with you curled up sleeping peacefully at his side, he realized that he didn’t have his usual nightmare. And he never would again, thanks to you. He was finally at peace.

#haikyuu fluff #haikyuu fanfiction #ukai keishin #keishin x y/n #haikyuu ukai

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sassyduckqueen · 3 years

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Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 56

~WARNING!!!~ this chapter contains scene of violence, physical and verbal abuse towards minors, mentions of child abuse and domestic abuse! Please be careful when reading this as it may act as a trigger ~WARNING!!~

So that is Mob Boss. This was a very interesting chapter to write. I got to go into some lore and history in this and there will be references. The ending scene was a little bit inspired by the Crow's final fight scene (you can watch it here). This chapter also marks the end of Issac's arc. He will appear again but he won't be causing Luka trouble anymore and probably won't have a speaking role. If he does speak, it will probably insane ramblings about demons. Anyway, hope you peeps like it :D

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Chapter Fifty-Six: Mob Boss

Marinette frowned as she looked at her phone but no text had come through yet. It had been an hour and a half since Luka had left for the metro. Even if he was going to the Liberty, he should have gotten back and texted her by now. She picked up her phone and dialled his number, putting it to her ear as she paced. She bit her lip as it rang but he didn't pick it up. Instead, it went straight to voicemail, causing her to frown and hang up. She scrolled to the Captain's number and dialed it, putting her phone back to her ear as it rang.

"Hello?" The Captain asked, sounding pretty merry.

"Captain, it's Marinette," She stated, frowning as she heard Jagged in the background.

"Hello, Lass!" The Captain roared happily. "Did Luka get back to the Liberty ok?!"

"That's why I'm calling," She replied, frowning. "I told him to text me when he got back but it's been an hour and a half and he hasn't texted. I tried to call him but it went straight to voicemail. I'm worried..."

"Jagged! We need to get to the Liberty!!" Anarka yelled, making Marinette jump. "We're gonna go look for him and hopefully he'll just be asleep and had forgotten to text,"

"Yeah..." Marinette replied but she had a terrible feeling that it wasn't that he forgot. No matter how tired he had been, he had always made sure to text her first when he got home. It was extremely out of character for Luka not to. He knew she would worry and worried she was. The Captain hung up, causing her to put down her phone and pace around her room. She bit her lip and poked Plagg, who was snoozing on his little bed. He groaned and woke up, ready to tell her off for waking him for his cheese coma but that thought dropped out of his head as soon as he saw her expression.

"Dollface, what's wrong?" He asked, floating over to her as tears filled her eyes.

"It's Luka... I don't think he's ok," She gasped, fear clear in her eyes. "He hasn't texted me to let me know he's home. He always texts to let me know, Plagg and his phone went to voicemail,"

"You don't think he ran away again, do you?" He asked, frowning. He thought Luka had enjoyed the party.

"N-No, he was in a good mood. He enjoyed the party," She gasped, making him frown before her phone vibrated. She hoped it was Luka and looked at it but it was the Captain. She swiped the answer button and held it to her ear. "Did you find him?"

"No, he's not at the Liberty," The Captain gasped, sounding panicked. In the background, she could hear that Jagged and Penny shouting his name. "The gate isn't even locked. It's like he never got here..."

Marinette's eyes widen as a possibility hit her like a ton of bricks. Her phone slipped out of her hand as she realized it was the only plausible reason as to why Luka wouldn't text back, answer his phone or not be on the Liberty. She knew he would text her or answer if she rang, meaning only one thing. He couldn't text or call her. She felt stupid as she should have realized it sooner. She quickly picked up her phone as she heard the captain calling her name.

"C-Captain, call the police," She gasped as Plagg looked at her. "I t-think h-his step father-"

"Oh god," The Captain gasped before she let out an angry growl. "If that son of a bitch has hurt my son, I'm gonna kill him!"

"Captain, stay calm," Marinette ordered as she realized that Hawkmoth might try to take advantage of this situation. "Getting akumatized won't help him,"

"You're right, Lass," She gasped before shouting at Jagged. "Lass, I need to get going to report this to the police so try and get some sleep,"

"R-Right," Marinette replied. She knew she wouldn't sleep until he was found. The Captain said her goodbyes, hanging up before Marinette pocketed her phone and took a deep breathe as Plagg moved over to her as she looked up at him. "We're gonna go find him. Plagg! Claws out!"

She transformed into Lady Noir and climbed out of her skylight. She jumped across the rooftops and searched every part of Paris she could think of, trying to find Luka. Minutes turned to hours as she searched but she couldn't find him. She searched in the Eiffel tower, the sewers and the catacombs. She searched the different parks and his usual hangout places but he wasn't there. Finally, she searched the top of the Grand Paris, hoping that maybe he had gone back there but she knew the truth. Luka was missing and it was her fault. She should have insisted that he stay over at the bakery or she should have walked him back home. As the sun rose, she landed on her balcony and went back through the skylight as she dropped her transformation. Plagg flew over to her and hugged her cheek as tears rolled down her face.

"It's ok, Dollface," He whispered, frowning. "We'll find him,"

~Issac's Warehouse, 1 am~

Tikki and Kaalki carefully followed as Luka's kidnapper carried him inside a warehouse near Paris' airport but far from the main part of the city. They had managed to sneak out the drive there without been seen and had been following since. They hid behind some boxes as the kidnap dropped Luka on the floor as a tall man walked in. He had a cigar in his mouth and was dressed in a fairly nice suit. His hair was mostly black but he had some silver hair from aging. It was gelled back and he had a trimmed beard. His eyes were an ambery brown color and his skin was fairly pale. To a certain degree, he resembled an older, male version of Juleka, making Tikki gasp as she realized who he was. It was Luka's stepfather Issac. He moved Luka's face with his boot before tutting.

"Handcuff his hands behind his back," He ordered, causing his goon to walk over to Luka and handcuff his hands behind his back. Luka groaned as he slowly came round, causing Tikki to gasp quietly as he did. As soon as he was fully awake and saw Issac, he tried to get up and away from him but failed, falling back onto the floor. He looked up at Issac with pure terror in his eyes, making the man smirk. "Hello, Luka,"

"I-Issac..." He gasped as he got up and walked over to him, towering him. "W-what do y-you want?"

"Did I say you could speak?" He asked before backhanding him, causing Luka to fall onto the floor. Issac sneered as he looked down at him. "It seems that you forgot your manners in the time that I've been gone,"

Luka didn't answer.

"First, you bite me and break my friend's nose then you ran away and now you speak out of term," Issac continued as he clicked his fingers. The goon who kidnapped him grabbed Luka's hair and made him sit up as Issac walked in front of him. "Clearly, I'm going to have to teach you a lesson, boy,"

Tikki looked away, causing Kaalki to hold her as Issac slammed his fist into Luka's face, knocking him back to the ground before he began to kick him. Tikki gasped and covered her mouth as she heard a crack. Tears filled her eyes as she wanted nothing more to fly over to him and get him out of there but if she revealed herself, it would endanger Luka more. She and Kaalki held their breath as Issac continued to kick Luka. Tikki let out a small cry as she heard Issac beat him until they both heard a thump, causing him to look over. Luka was curled up on the floor, shaking as Issac fixed his hair, pushing it back as he looked at him with disgust. Issac walked away with his goon, leaving him there. As soon as they were gone, Tikki and Kaalki flew to him, scared for the young hero.

"Luka," Tikki gasped, gently touching his face. He had a large cut on his cheek, a busted lip and his right eyes was swallowed up. She cupped her mouth as she realized he was crying. Kaalki hugged him as well. "It's ok. We're going to get you out of here,"

He didn't argue, just nodded and tried to get but fell back down and cried out. He took a deep breathe as he tried to calm himself.

"I c-can't..." He gasped, trying to look at her. "M-My r-ribs... I t-think he b-broke t-them..."

Tikki went to say something but her and Kaalki gasped as they heard footsteps. Luka whispered to them, telling them to hide. Tikki carefully placed a paw on his cheek before Kaalki and her flew off to the boxes again. Issac's goon came in and dragged Luka over to a pillar near the boxes. He uncuffed his hands before moving them so they were around the pillar, trapping him there. Luka hissed in pain as the man walked off. As soon as he disappeared, Tikki and Kaalki flew back over.

"We'll unlock the handcuffs and you can transform to escape," Tikki gasped as Luka tried to take a deep breathe but they both stopped as they heard footsteps again. Tikki and Kaalki hid behind the pillar as the goon came back in with a chair. He placed it in front of Luka and sat down, causing Tikki to frown. Now Luka couldn't transform. The two kwamis bit their lips as Luka carefully looked up at the goon.

"W-what does he want?" He asked, making the man look at him.

"I don't get paid to ask questions, kid," He replied, making Luka frown. He frowned even more as he heard talking. It sounded like a number of people. He heard a door open and multiple footsteps approaching him. He glanced up and saw Issac had returned with a number of other men. Like him, they were dressed in nice suits and were talking to Issac like they were friends. All of their heart songs were strange and messed up, making Luka feel more uncomfortable then he already did. One of the younger ones glanced over at him and frowned.

"Who's the kid?" He asked, making Issac sigh.

"Jagged Stone's boy and our ticket to more money then we've ever gotten before," Issac smirked, roughly grabbing Luka's hair so he was looking at Issac's friends. Luka hissed and flinched as Issac smirked a little. "Micky, take a photo. I plan to send it his father,"

Micky took out his phone and snapped a photo before Issac let go of his hair and walked back over to Micky. He took the phone and smirked at the picture.

"Good job," He stated, walking away with the phone as he dialed a number. Micky glanced over at Luka, frowning a little.

"What happened to your face, kid?" He asked as Issac spoke on the phone. Luka didn't answer. Micky frowned before looking over at Issac as he came off the phone and walked back over. "Hey, what happened to the kid?"

"I had to rough him up a little as he tried to escape," Issac replied as he typed on his phone before he looked up at Micky. "You got a problem with that?"

"Y-You're lying," Luka gasped before Micky or the other guys could answer, making Issac look at him in surprise. He honestly didn't expect Luka to actually try and talk back. "I d-didn't try to e-escape. You j-just s-started t-to b-beat me a-as-"

Issac growled and backhanded him, cutting him off.

"Did I say you could talk back?!" He growled, roughly grabbing Luka's shirt. Luka gasped in pain as his ribs ached before Issac punched him again before dropping him. He began to kick him again, causing Luka to try and curl up as best as he can. However, Micky and one of the others grabbed Issac and pulled him away. "Get the hell of me!"

"What the hell, Issac?!" Micky gasped as Luka carefully breathed in. "Look, I'm all for beat the crap out of guys but we don't hurt women or kids... and that boy is a kid,"

"That boy is a freak of nature!" Issac shouted, surprising his men and causing Luka to flinch. "And I'm in charge here so what I say goes and I say I can do what the hell I want to that bastard! Got it!?"

The guys nodded fearfully, causing Issac to smirk.

"Good," He stated, clicking his knuckles before turning to the goon who was guarding him. "Jose, I want you to keep an eye on him. I'll be back later. I have a meeting to attend,"

Issac clicked his fingers and pointed towards the door, causing his men to leave before he followed, leaving Luka alone with Jose, who got up and out of sight. Luka frowned and tried to move his hands, seeing if he could free his hands but the handcuffs were too tight. Tikki and Kaalki flew back over and landed on his shoulder.

"Kaalki has a plan," Tikki whispered. "She's going to go and see if we can get help to rescue you,"

"H-Help?" Luka asked quietly. "A-As in Master Fu? T-Tikki, y-you can't... he's t-too old... Issac will hurt hi-him."

"I know which is why we're not going for him," Tikki replied, causing Luka to frown. "Kaalki is going to the miracle box to the other Kwamis,"

"W-what?" Luka gasped, hissing in pain. "Y-you c-can't bring them here..."

"Luka, we have to get you out of here. Issac is dangerous and he is determined to hurt you," She gasped, making him frown. He knew she was right. His song was dark to say the least. In the time since he last saw him as a kid, Issac seemed to have gotten worse. "I'm gonna stay with you while Kaalki goes and gets the others,"

"I'll be as quick as I can, Master Luka," Kaalki gasped, placing her hoove against his cheek as he slowly nodded before she flew out and out of the warehouse.

"Ti-Tikki..." Luka whispered, causing her to look at him but before he could say anything, they heard Jose walking back over. Tikki quickly flew back over to the boxes as Jose came into Luka's line of sight before he sat down and began to read a news paper.

~At The Grand Paris Hotel, 5 am~

Anarka paced up and down as she tried to remain calm. Luka had been missing eight hours now and despite calling the police, she had been told that she couldn't report him missing. She had screamed down the phone at that point and hung up. She had then gone on to phone Roger's personal phone and told him what had happened. Roger had told her to remain calm and he would do what he could. She took another deep breathe as someone knocked on the hotel room door. She walked over and answered it, frowning deeply when she saw it was Bob Roth.

"What the hell do you want?!" She growled, surprising him. He blinked before holding up his phone. To her horror, she saw a photo of Luka. His right eye was closed up, he had a cut on his cheek and a busted lip. Issac was smirking at the camera as he roughly held Luka's hair. The message below it read as 'Bob, let Jagged know I have his son. If he wants to see him again, he needs to pay me five million euros and drop it off at the louvre. He has twelve hours to complete this or he'll never see his son again'. Anarka blinked before she suddenly grabbed Bob by his collar and dragged him into the hotel room. He tried to pull away from her but she punched him, sending him flying on the floor. "Where is Issac keeping him?!"

"I don't know," Bob gasped as she grabbed the phone. "I swear, Anarka, I do-"

"Don't lie to me, you pirate!" She screamed, making him blink as Jagged and Penny rushed into the room. "You know Issac so where would he hold him?! Where is Luka?!"

"Bob?" Jagged asked, looking at him before Anarka shoved the phone in his hand. His eyes widen as he saw the picture and the threat before he looked over at Bob with a dark look that didn't suit him. "Roth, I want you to think very carefully about your next answer because if you know where Luka is and you're keeping it to yourself, I will not hesitate to feed you to Fang. Got it?"

Bob nodded as he looked pale. He had never heard Jagged speak so calmly.

"Good," Jagged replied, still eerily calm. Fang came over. "Now where would Issac hold Luka?"

"H-He has a warehouse near the catacombs," He gasped as he eyed up. "I don't know the exact address but I swear, Jagged... I didn't think anyone would hurt the boy-"

"Shut up," Jagged growled before turning to Penny and Anarka. Penny was already on the phone to the police and Anarka looked like she was about to kill Bob. Jagged was honestly surprised that there were no akumas yet but right now, they didn't care. They couldn't rush to Luka's rescue as they didn't know the address but Penny was telling everything to the police that she was on the phone to. Within an hour, Roger and a number of officers were at the hotel and actually taking the case seriously. They took Bob away for questioning and asked a number of questions to Penny, Jagged and Anarka before promising they would do their best to find him before the deadline. Once they were gone, Jagged held Penny and Anarka as they sat in the hotel room, terrified for Luka.

~Back at Issac's Warehouse~

Luka tried to move to try and get more comfortable as his ribs ached. He glanced up and saw the sun was slowly peaking through the windows, making him frown a little. Jose was still reading his news paper, making Luka frown. He moved his hands a little and glanced back over to Tikki, who was keeping an eye on for the other kwamis. Luka jumped as he heard the door open and Issac came into view. He tapped Jose's arm, making him look at him.

"You can head back now," He stated, causing Jose to nod and get up. He folded up his news paper before walking off, leaving Luka with Issac. He turned to Luka. "I thought we could talk, Luka,"

"Y-You never w-want to t-talk," Luka gasped, causing Issac to look at him as he gave him a nasty smirk. "W-What do yo-you want?"

"Money," Issac replied, walking over to him and crouching down. "And your mother of course. She was the love of my life you know. We dated when we were younger and then she ran off to join the 'circus' so to speak. That's where she met that sinner, Jagged. He seduced her and then she had you..."

He roughly grabbed his hair again, making Luka flinch as he leaned closer to him.

"You should have never been born!" He snarled, making Luka flinch again. "But I guess that couldn't be helped. It wasn't Anarka's fault that she was seduced and I was even willing to look past you been the son of that devil worshipper... until I realized that you were a witch,"

"W-What?" Luka gasped, looking at Issac in surprise. "I'm n-not-"

"Don't answer me back, boy!" Issac roared, causing Luka to flinch again. "I saw you using magic when you were little. You would 'talk' to demons and evil spirits and your mother... bless her... she couldn't see what evil she had given birth too. She tried to say it was just imaginary friends and that you were just a sensitive child but I knew the truth. You're a witch and in league with the devil,"

"Y-You're insane," Luka gasped, causing Issac to punch him. "I-I'm not a witch!"

"Don't lie to me, boy," He growled, standing back up. "I know what you are and I made a promise to myself that I would protect Anarka and my daughter from you. I thought I could beat it out of you and force it out of you through pain. I came close but you used your magic on your mother and forced us to break up,"

"Sh-she left you bec-because you were a p-psycho!" Luka gasped as Issac walked back over to the chair. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and took it off before unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up.

"She left because you enchanted her!"

"I-I'm not a witch!"

"Then explain how you woke up from a coma that you shouldn't have woken up from?! Or how you had no brain damage?!" Issac shouted, shocking Luka. He briefly remembered been in hospital for a number of weeks when he was younger but he didn't know he was in a coma. Issac growled and punched Luka before roughly grabbing his shirt again. "You are a witch and you should have stayed in that coma but I'm going put you back there and this time you won't wake up!"

Luka's eye went wide as Issac punched him repeatedly. Tikki cupped her mouth as she tried to look around for something to distract Issac with. She saw a rope and flew over to it before glancing around in luck vision. She pulled on the rope, causing a chain reaction to make a number of boxes fall. Issac stopped attacking Luka and looked up, dropping him back down. Luka's head flopped down as Tikki back to her hiding place before Issac turned back to him.

"What did you do?!" He growled, lifting his head. "Answer me,"

"I... didn't... do... anything," Luka gasped, causing Issac to growl and hit him again before his phone rang. He rolled his eyes and answered it. He frowned and said something. He hung up and walked towards the back of the warehouse. He came a few minutes later with a roll of duct tape. He ripped some off and knelt back down.

"Don't want you to draw any unnecessary attention, don't we?" He stated, pressing the tape over his mouth. "Now we'll have to continue this later so don't go anywhere,"

He smirked and stood up before grabbing his jacket and leaving. Luka tried to look up but he was finding it hard to stay awake. He was in a lot of pain, felt close to collapsing and was more then terrified. Issac had made it clear that he had no intention of letting Luka leave this place alive. He flinched as Tikki flew back over and placed her paw on his cheek, frowning as tears rolled down his face. He was shaking as well, clearly close to having a panic attack.

"I'm getting you out of here," She gasped, flying over to his handcuffs but she stopped when she saw an akuma and an amok fluttering towards him. "Oh no,"

"Hmm?" He tried to say something, making her fly back towards him.

"Luka, whatever you do stay calm," She gasped, making him look at her with a confused look. She decided it was best to warn him. "There's an akuma and an amok,"

Luka's eyes widen, causing Tikki to place her hand on his cheek.

"Just focus on my voice ok?" She stated, making him nod. "Hawkmoth and Mayura only target those who have no solutions but you are Anatis. You always have a solution,"

He nodded and tried to take a breathe but he had to breathe through his nose, which was hard in itself as his nose was busted. He wasn’t sure if it was broken but it hurt trying to breathe. He flinched as the akuma and amok entered his bracelet, opening the connection between him, Hawkmoth and Mayura.

"Escape Artist, I am Hawkmoth," Hawkmoth declared as Luka froze up. "You're trapped and afraid hm? Well, I can give you the power to esca-"

The slightly buzzing noise interrupted his speech but it currently wasn't too loud.

"All I ask in return is-" The buzzing noise got louder. "Miraculous,"

"Escape Artist, I am May-" Mayura declared as the buzzing noise interrupted her as well, getting louder and louder by the second. "I will give you Cell who will assist you in your escape and help you capture others. It will be-"

The buzzing reached a new height, causing his eyes rolled up in the back of his head again. Just like last time, his body began to shake and convulse violently but this time, it was more violent and he was finding it hard to breathe due to the duct tape around his mouth and his busted nose. Tikki flew over and grabbed the tape, pulling it off his mouth as he continued to shake and fit. It only eased up the seizure a little.

"Luka, focus on my voice!" She gasped, feeling afraid too. She gasped as she heard the door to the warehouse opening and hid inside Luka's jacket. She tried to calm him down silently by place her hand on his chest.

"Issac?" Mikey's voice echoed as he came in. She could hear other people walking as well. "Yo, Issac! Are you- oh my god!"

Mikey rushed over and grabbed Luka's shoulders as he continued to convulse. He frowned deeply when he saw the akuma mask around his eyes.

"Shit, John! Keys to the handcuffs now!" He demanded as blood dripped down Luka's noise as the seizure got more violent. Mikey moved his hand behind Luka's head so he didn't hit on the pillar. He was lucky that he hadn’t already. "Kid, can you hear me?!"

John rushed over and unlocked the handcuffs, causing Mikey to move Luka onto the ground and place him in the recovery position. Mikey let out a sigh as he held Luka's head still and tried to keep him calm. He only knew what to do because his sister was epileptic. Who knew that Akumas could trigger seizures?

"What's wrong with him?" John asked, looking at Luka with concern.

"He's having a seizure," Mikey declared, making John frown. "He must be epileptic. Call an am-"

"What the hell is going on?!" Issac roared as he came in. Jose walked behind him. Issac stopped and glanced at Luka with an emotionless look. "Nice try, boy but you can stop pretending now,"

However, Luka continued to shake, making Issac frown. He pushed Mikey away and grabbed Luka by the collar, pulling him up. Luka's eyes were rolled up in his head and he was convulsing. The butterfly mask was clear around his eyes.

"I knew it," He growled, dropping him. "Behold, gentlemen, proof of evil. The boy is possessed,"

"By a fucking akuma!" John gasped, making Jose step back. "We should break the item! It might stop the seizure,"

"He isn't having a seizure!" Issac growled, making them look at him. "It's just the evil inside of him taking a hold!"

"Issac, he's having a fucking seizure!" Mikey gasped, surprised of the lack of empathy from Issac. He may have been a criminal but he had rules that clearly Issac didn't. He took out his phone and dialled 112 but Issac grabbed his phone and threw it on the floor, stamping on it until it broke. "He needs help!"

"As I say before, I'm the boss and I say he doesn't!" Issac yelled, causing his goons to frown as Mikey knelt back down and put Luka back into the recovery position. "Besides, if we alert the authorities, they'll arrest us because in case you have forgotten... we kidnapped him! What do you think they are going to do if they find us?"

"We can't just leave him like this!!" Mikey argued, making Issac frown. "We should break the item with the akuma,"

"And let the akuma go free? Possibly possess someone else?" Issac pointed out, making them frown. "It's not like the bug is around to purify it,"

The men mumbled as he had a point but they also couldn't do anything. It was clear that Luka needed help.

"What if we did it as an anonymous phone call?" John suggested, causing Issac to look at him as the seizure slowly came to a stop. Issac and his men stepped back as the akuma and amok suddenly broke free from the bracelet they had been in. "Did he just reject them?"

Mikey went to answer but to their surprise, the akuma lose it's purple look and turned white and the same happened to the amok, making it into a white feather. Issac blinked as Luka had stopped fitting but was still laid still. His eyes were still rolled up his head but he was still. However, his eyes moved back to their normal position and he suddenly sat up as if nothing had happened. However, his eyes were no longer blue but a beautiful silver color that resembled stars.

"Demon," Issac growled, going to hit Luka but before he could, they heard the sounds of shouting, causing them to look up. Kaalki pointed to them as the other kwamis came in through the window.

"Charge!" Kaalki declared, causing the kwamis to shout and flying towards Issac and his men. Issac tried to hit and attack the kwamis as his men ran away while been chased by them. One of the goons went to call Sass cute until he hissed and bit them, causing him to shout and warn the others not to be deceived by their cuteness. Barkk, Kaalki and Pollen rushed over to Luka as Tikki poked her head out. "We need to go, Master Luka,"

Luka, however, didn't answer. He just simply tilted his head to the side.

"Luka?" Tikki asked, looking up at him. "Are you ok?"

"Tikki, his eyes..." Kaalki gasped, looking at them. Pollen and Barkk gasped as they looked at them. Tikki flew up and looked at them as well, gasping as she did. It was impossible yet there was no mistake in whose eyes they were and they certainly weren’t Luka’s.

"...Finni?" She gasped, surprised. He merely smiled and placed his finger across his lips before he carefully stood up. He hisses quietly, holding onto his ribs before a golden glow came from his cuts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Kaalki's miraculous before putting them on.

"Kaalki... full gallop," He whispered, transforming into Appalo. He turned his hand as he created a ring of energy. "Voyage,"

It opened a portal out of the warehouse. Luka or Finni as it techqually was turned and whistled loudly, causing the rest of the kwamis to fly over after tormenting his captors. They all stepped through, causing the portal to close but not before Issac shouted and tried to run towards them. The Kwamis looked around as they saw they were now on some rooftop.

~Luka's POV~

Tears rolled down Luka's face as he curled up and covered his ears, trying to push away the sound of the buzzing noise. Like the last time, he had ended up in the same hut that he had met Hao Feng but this time, he was alone. The buzzing sound was louder then ever and he was more scared then before. He thought the first time was terrifying but this time was a hundred times worst. He just wanted it to stop. The sound of footsteps caused Luka to glance up as someone walked over to him. They stopped in front of him and crouched down, gently placing their hand on his shoulder. He looked at them as the buzzing noise calmed down but unlike last time, it didn't go away.

"F-Feng," He gasped, tears in his eyes. "W-Why is this happening?"

"We have always been chased and condemned by those who are darkly influenced," Feng whispered, making Luka frown. "I can't help you today. Not in the same way I did before. The akuma and the amok are stronger together but I can bring you to someone who can,"

Luka nodded as Feng held out his hand, causing the younger to take it. In an instant, Feng had pulled Luka to his feet and led him over to a door. He pushed it open and brought him inside. It was just a separate room and part of the hut but inside there was a pile of ash, making Luka blink in confusion. However, he slowly let go of Feng's hand and walked over to it. His instincts took over as he knelt down and gently touched the ash. To his surprise, it began to glow a golden color before swirling up in the air as it reformed to create a beautiful bird unlike anything Luka had ever seen before. It had orange, yellow and red feathers and had a golden circle on it's forehead. It's wings were multicolored and it had three feathers coming from it's head that were blue, purple and green. They also matched it's tail feathers. The bird's eyes opened, revealing that they were silver like Feng's but in a different way. When looking into them, Luka felt like he was seeing the stars. It was eerie but beautiful at the same time. He slowly reached out, causing the Phoenix to lean it's head forward, placing it against Luka's hand. Luka blinked as it nuzzled his hand a little before looking back at him. He jumped back in surprise as it suddenly disappeared in flames, causing him to look at Feng.

"A Phoenix?" He asked, looking at Feng. "Why did it leave?"

"To help you," Feng replied, walking back over to him. "He will be back once your body is safe,"

"My body?" Luka asked, frowning before he gasped and looked at Feng as he sat down next to him. "I'm having a seizure again, aren't I? Why does that kept on happening to me? Is there something wrong with me, Feng?"

Luka glanced down as he thought about Issac's beliefs about him. Issac believed him to be evil and right now, he was beginning to wonder if he was correct.

"Am... I evil?" He asked, looking up at Feng. "Is Issac right about me?"

"No," Feng stated with certainty. "Luka, your stepfather isn't right about you. You are not evil,"

The way he spoke was bitter, surprising Luka but he didn't question it. Somehow, he knew that Feng understood what it was like to be an outcast. Feng gently placed his hand on Luka's shoulder.

"Your stepfather is like most of his kind. He fears what he doesn't understand and unfortunately, that means he's afraid of you," Feng explained, making Luka frown. "But that is on him. Not you. He chose to be afraid. He could have tried to embrace your differences and gifts like your mother did but instead he refused to try and understand and his ignorance only fueled his fears,"

"You know what it's like, don't you?" It wasn't a question but a statement. Feng frowned and looked to the side.

"Like you, I was born... different..." He stated, frowning. "I saw things that other people did and had visions. I saw spirits as well and I didn't realize that other people didn't so I would talk to them. It caused my village and family to grow afraid of me. I would predict things and they became convinced I was the cause. They feared me and thought I was a demon too but I'm not. I was an empath like you and just happened to have the ability of foresight,"

"You were an empath?" Luka asked, surprised as Feng nodded. "Did you hear songs as well?"

"I admit I'm not quite the same level as you," Feng replied, making Luka frown. Of course, it made sense though. Feng would be more powerful. "You are much more advantaged than I was at your age,"

"What?" Luka asked, surprised. "I am?"

"Yes," Feng nodded. "But I know some ways to using that you don't. For example, you can give the emotions you felt to other people,"

"I can?" Luka asked, completely surprised. "How do I do that?"

"Hold out your hands,""Feng replied, moving so he's facing him. Luka nodded and did as told. Feng placed his hands on his, causing Luka to gasp a flood of emotion waved over him. He could literally feel what Feng felt but then he realized it was more then just feeling. He could feel Feng's experience. He could feel the way Feng pushed his emotions forward. Feng was sharing his experience with him, teaching him how to use the method without instruction. Luka closed his eyes and followed the technique. He took the emotions he felt and in his mind pushed them forward, showing Feng what he felt in return. He could feel a connection between them begin to forge. Well, it felt more like he was repairing a connection between them. However, Feng cut it off, causing Luka to frown and open his eyes. "You're not ready for that yet,"

"But-"

"It will hurt you if you do that right now," Feng replied before standing up and holding out his arm. The Phoenix appeared in a flame and landed on his arm. "Besides, it's time to wake up,"

"What?" Luka gasped before suddenly it went dark. He blinked and looked around in confusement, finding himself on a roof surrounded by kwamis. His ribs still felt sore but not as bad and his other injuries were healed. He looked at Tikki as she floated over to him.

"W-where am I?" He asked, glancing at her. "Tikki? How did I get out of there?"

"Kaalki got you out but are you ok?" She gasped, deciding not to tell him the full story yet. "You had a seizure again and Issac had beaten you. Are your ribs ok?"

She looked at him and blinked in surprise. All of his cuts and bruises had been healed. Luka moved his hands onto his ribs ad pressed them. They felt bruised but no longer broken.

"I'm ok," He stated, making all of the kwamis let out a sigh of relief before they suddenly tackled him, making him smile a little as they hugged him. "Thank you for coming for me. Now let's get you guys home and then me. I'm sure Ma is worried,"

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, trying to turn it on but found it was dead. He frowned before calling his transformation on and heading towards Master Fu's with the kwamis.

~Hawkmoth's Lair~

Both Hawkmoth and Mayura stared in surprise as their connection to the akuma and amok was completely cut it off. They couldn't even recall them back. Somehow, the Couffaine boy had not only rejected the possession but actually cut off their connection to it. However, it didn't put Hawkmoth off and he could feel a strong emotion he could take advantage of. Issac's anger made him perfect prey for his akuma. He held out his hand, causing a butterfly to flutter over but Mayura placed her hand over his.

"Are you sure you want to akumatize him?" She asked, making him look at her. "He doesn't just dislike the boy. He loathes him and blames him for everything that has gone wrong in his life. What if you can't control him?"

"Don't worry, Mayura," Hawkmoth smirked. "I can simply cause him a lot of pain to get him in order,"

She frowned but let go of his hand, causing the butterfly to land on it. He turned it into an akuma before letting it fly away.

"Fly away, my little akuma and evilize his angered heart," He ordered as it escaped through the window. A few minutes later, the connection between him and Issac opened, causing him to smirk. "Mob Boss, I am Hawkmoth and I'm giving you the power to hunt down Luka Couffaine and prove that he is in fact a force of evil. All I ask in return is for you to take Anatis and Lady Noir's miraculous and bring them to me. Do we have a deal?"

"Let the hunt begin, Hawkmoth,"

~Back to Anatis~

Anatis stopped on a roof and leaned his hands against his leg as he took a breathe. Despite been better then he was, he still felt weak, his ribs ached and he felt ill and warm, like he had a fever. He took a deep breathe and shook his head, jumping back across the roofs. He stopped a few more times but finally, he came to Master Fu's place. He jumped across and landed on the edge of Master Fu's window seal, opening it carefully before climbing inside and turning to the kwamis.

"Alright, you lot... back to the box," He stated, making them nod and head back apart from Kaalki. Wayzz headed in the back to where Master Fu was. He let out a sigh and turned back to the window but his yoyo buzzed, causing him to open it and press on the notification. He almost dropped it as he saw Anarka, Penny and Jagged on the video. The three of them were tied to stakes by the louvre and were surrounded by some sort of mob who were yelling and shouting as Nadja Chamack appeared on screen. Two of the members of mob shoved the mic in her hand and demanded that she report what they wanted her.

"An a-akuma calling himself m-mob boss has taken over the louvre and- ah!" The akuma grabbed the microphone from and roughly backhanded before she was dragged off by the crowd. He turned to the camera, revealing his skeleton face and blazing eyes. He was dressed in a suit with a dark gray trench coat.

"Luka Couffaine!" He growled, making Anatis feel pale. "I know you're watching this so listen up, you brat. If you don't want your father, his bitch and your whore of a mother to burn then come and face me like a real man!"

"I-Issac?" Anatis gasped, feeling sick and fearful. The kwamis looked at each other.

"You have ten minutes or they will burn in your place," He stated before lifting his arms, causing the crowd to yell and chant 'burn!' repeatedly. Anatis shut off the screen before turning back round and swinging towards the Louvre. He landed in an alleyway close to the scene as the kwamis caught up to him. Issac was throwing up his arms, making the audience chant louder. What disturbed Anatis the most was he could see his friends and some family members there. Juleka and Rose were there and so were Marinette's parents. Luckily, Marinette wasn't there but he was concerned as to where she was. Mob Boss turned back to his hostages as the crowd continued to chant. "Time is almost up,"

He roughly grabbed Anarka's chin, causing Anatis to flinch.

"Still think your son isn't evil?" He asked, making her narrow her eyes before he laughed and let go. "Once that brat turns up, I'll be able to get rid of him once and all and finally things will be right again,"

"You laid a hand-"

"One minute!" Mob Boss shouted, causing Anatis to frown.

"Tikki, Spots off," He whispered, making the kwamis gasp. "Stay here,"

"Luka, you can't!" Tikki gasped but he shook his head.

"I can't let him kill them," He gasped, looking at him. "And I can't be certain that he won't burn them if I turn up as Anatis..."

"Luka, this-"

"This is the only way," Luka replied, turning on his heel and running out of the alleyway as the crowd counted down. "Stop!"

Mob Boss moved his arms, silencing them as he smirked evilly.

"Let the witch through!" He shouted, causing the crowd to part. Luka took a deep breathe and began to walk through the crowd. Issac frowned and narrowed his eyes as Luka walked over to him. He roughly grabbed his arm. "Where are they?!"

"Whe-Where are what?"

"The demons you summoned!" He growled, making Luka frown. He must meant the kwamis. However, he apparently took too long to answer, causing Issac to hit him. Jagged, Penny and Anarka shouted out and tried to break free from their binds. "Answer me, boy!"

"I d-didn't summon any demons," Luka gasped, making Mob Boss growled and hit him hard enough to knock him to the floor and bust his lip again. He roughly grabbed his hair, dragging him back.

"You can burn with your father and his bitch," He snarled, going to drag him over to the fourth stake but before he could a baton came flying at him and slammed him in his face, causing him to stumble back as Lady Noir jumped down, causing Mob Boss to growl. He yanked Luka up and wrapped his arm around his neck and placed his other on his head.

"Let him go!" She snarled, beginning to stalk as her eyes glowed a little. Luka couldn't help but feel a little fear of her. He had never seen Lady Noir look so fearsome.

"Move closer and I'll snap his neck," Mob Boss snarled, making her stop. "Now why don't you be a good cat and hand over that ring of yours, sweetheart?"

"Lady Noir, don't!" Luka called out as she actually looked down at her ring. However, Mob Boss suddenly let go of Luka as he swore. Luka blinked and saw his hand was burn, confusing him but Mob Boss charged at him. A crack appeared in the platform as Lady Noir suddenly slammed her hand down onto the platform and summoned her cataclysm. The wood broke from Mob Boss's weight, causing him to fall through it as Lady Noir suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled her to him, causing them to fall and him to land on her, causing a blush to appear over his cheeks. "S-Sorry,"

She didn't answer as she rolled them over and jumped up as Mob Boss climbed back up and threw fire balls towards them, using her baton to block them.

"Get your family free while I distract him!" She ordered before jumping across and attack Mob Boss. Luka rushed over to Penny, Jagged and Anarka before freeing them. Anarka hugged him before pulling away and cupping his face.

"How did you get away? Do you know why his hand got burnt when he touched you?" She asked, worry clear in her eyes. It become stronger as she noticed he was hot to touch. "Luka? What happened? You're burning up,"

"I'm... fine..." He replied as Mob Boss punched Lady Noir and got on top of her, trying to strange her. Luka gasped and rushed over to the pillar, grabbing a plank of wood. He slammed it into Issac's face, causing him to stumble as Jagged and Penny helped Lady Noir up as Luka stumbled back, feeling dizzy. His eyes flicked silver but luckily no one saw it. Lady Noir rushed over to him and picked him up like a bride as Anarka punched Mob Boss before Penny broke a plank of wood over his head again, knocking him down before Jagged kicked him in the first. Luka held onto Lady Noir as she used her baton to propel them away from the scene as the three of them ran off, away from Mob Boss. Once they were a safe distance away, she lowered him down to the floor but he was taking swallow breathes, reminding her of when he got possessed by an akuma.

"Luka, you're sick," She gasped, placing her hand on his cheek. Even through her glove she could feel how warm he was. "I need to take to the hospital,"

"N-No, he'll look there," He gasped, making her frown. He was right. Mob Boss would look for him there. She frowned as she thought about the most unlikely place that Mob Boss would look. An idea popped in her mind, causing her to click her fingers before she picked up Luka again and jumped off. She set him back down and opened a manhole before helping him climb down. She closed the manhole as he leaned against the wall, breathe in and out but his breathing sounded heavy. She picked up again, making him blush a little but he held onto her as she ran off with him.

"So why is Mob Boss after you?" She asked as they moved through the tunnels. "You don't seem the type to have enemies,"

"H-He's convinced I'm evil..." He whispered, making her frown. He sounded out of breathe and tired. "H-He kidnapped me and I managed to escape s-so he's pissed..."

"I know about the kidnapping," She stated, kicking open a door and bringing him in the room. She set him down on a bench and gently moved his hair, making him blush a little as she looked at him with a soft but concerned look. "Marinette asked me to look for you when she realized you were missing,"

"S-She must have been worried since about me..." He sighed, looking down. "I o-owe her-"

"No, this is not your fault," She gasped, making him look at her before her ring beeped. "I have to go and charge up my kwami then I'll deal with Mob Boss but you need stay here. As soon as Anatis and I have defeated him, I'll get you to the hospital ok?"

He nodded, causing her to run out but only to wait a few moments before Tikki and Kaalki flew in. He went to get up but stumbled and fell back down, making Tikki gasp and rush over to him.

"I'm ok," He whispered, making her frown. "We need to transform and help Lady Noir,"

"Luka, you're in no fit state to-"

"I have to," He gasped, making Kaalki and Tikki look at each other. "I can't let her fight that monster alone,"

They both remained quiet as they knew he was right. He took a deep breathe and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself and replicate the feeling he had when he faced Blackout. Slowly but surely, he felt his energy come back to him as the same feeling washed over him. He opened his eyes as they turned silver, causing Kaalki to gasp a little.

"Luka?" She asked, making him look at her. She wasn’t sure if it was Finni again.

"I'm fine, Kaalki," He smiled, standing up. Both kwamis look nervous. "I take it my eyes are not blue right now?"

"No, they're silver," Tikki stated, biting her lip. "Just like when you faced Blackout,"

"Then it worked," He replied, making the kwamis look at him with surprise. "I kind of learn that I might be able to trigger the same thing that happened during Blackout from Feng . Admittedly, I still don't understand what it was but it gave me enough strength and energy to face him,"

"I see," Tikki gasped, nodding. "So if you can trigger it, it would do the same,"

"Exactly," Luka smiled before frowning. "I just hope I don't faint this time when I go back to normal... but we're worry about that when that happens. Right now, I need to help Lady Noir. Tikki, spots on!"

He transformed into Anatis and took out his yoyo, opening it. He frowned a little as he saw Lady Noir's location wasn't moving but she was at the Louvre again. He put his yoyo away and gently patted his shoulder for Kaalki to sit on it. She flew over and did before he ran out of the room and to the nearest exit. He climbed up and threw his yoyo up, pulling himself into the air and swinging through the streets. He landed on the building opposite the Louvre, frowning as he noticed the flames surrounding the area. He scanned his eyes before noticing Lady Noir, trying to use her baton as a shield against Mob Boss' flames. However, he managed to knock her baton out of her hand and smirked to himself, stalking over to her.

"Kaalki, hide," He ordered, causing her to hide in a nearby alleyway before he jumped down and threw his yoyo. It wrapped around Mob Boss' arm as he lifted it to punch her. Anatis yanked it, pulling Mob Boss into the air and slamming him down into the ground. Anatis freed his yoyo and rushed over to Lady Noir, helping her up.

"You ok?" He asked, making her nod. "Sorry, I'm late,"

"No worries, Annie," She smiled, pushing a bit of her hair out of her face. "You're just in time,"

He went to answer but quickly blocked a fireball from Mob Boss with his yoyo, moving Lady Noir behind him. Feeling a shiver down his spine as they backed away, he took a deep breathe.

Any advice on facing him? He mentally spoke, hoping that Feng might answer.

Don't hold back. This man will take advantage of any weakness you show... Feng's voice echoed in his mind, making Anatis nod. Mob Boss growled and summoned fire balls in his hands, causing a few of his goons to flinch and he heard Lady Noir whimper a little. His flames grew in size, making Anatis gasp as he realized how his flames worked. Show him you're not afraid...

"Of course... fear is his power..." He whispered as it clicked into place. Of course, Issac would be an akuma who feeds off fear. Mob Boss threw the flames towards them, causing Lady Noir stumble back in fear as they flew towards them at full speed. Mob Boss smirked evilly as Anatis stopped spinning his yoyo. Instead, he swiped it up and bring it down, cutting through the flames and destroying them. Mob Boss' smirk turned to a look of shock as Anatis glare at him, standing tall in front of Lady Noir, who was looking up at her partner with awe in her eyes. He turned to her and offered her his hand, causing her to take it before he pulled her to her feet. "He's just like Horrificator, Lady Noir. Fear fuels his flames, making them bigger. He uses his mob to power himself up by making them afraid. Well, I got some news for you, 'Mob Boss'..."

Anatis narrowed his eyes towards him.

"I'm not afraid of you," He stated, enraging Mob Boss. He summoned more flames and threw them at him, hoping to make him coward but Anatis didn't. Instead, he stood his ground, not even trying to block his attack. He had a feeling that the flames only hurt you if you were afraid. Lady Noir gasped and went to take out her baton but he gently placed his hand on hers, making her look at him. "Trust me,"

She looked into his eyes and even though they were silver, she could still see what he was feeling. Smiling to herself, she nodded and turned to face Mob Boss as well.

"We're not afraid of you!" She declared as the flames got closer but as soon as they touched them, the flames completely snuffed out. "Whoa!"

"No!" Mob Boss screamed enraged before summoning a massive amount of flames. "I'll burn it!!! I'll burn it all!!"

"Ok, he's lost it," Lady Noir gasped as Anatis took out his yoyo and threw it into the air.

"Lucky charm!" He declared, causing a hose pipe to appear out of thin air as Mob Boss began to create a fire tornado. His mob became even more afraid, making it get bigger. Lady Noir stepped back as fear got to her as well.

"Annie! Please tell me you have a plan!" She gasped as he looked around in his luck vision. It lit up a fire hydrant and the hose pipe. He smirked to himself.

"I have one!" He declared, making her rush over to him as he opened the fire hydrant. He worked quickly, attaching the hose to the fire hydrant before standing up and pointing it towards Mob Boss, who's flames were huge. He was laughing like a manic as well. "Hey! Mob Boss!! I hope you like rain!"

"What?!" He gasped as Lady Noir turned the switch on the fire hydrant to full power. A powerful stream of water burst through the hose and hit Mob Boss straight in the chest, sending him flying into a wall, causing him to gasp and splutter as he tried to push back the water. His flames completely disappeared as his influence on the nearby crowd weakened. Lady Noir ran up to him and summoned her power, tapping his ring. It turned to dust and the akuma climbed out as Anatis turned off the water. He threw his yoyo and captured it, pulling it back to him. He released the butterfly then unscrewed the hose before throwing it up in the air.

"Miraculous Ladybugs!" He declared, causing it to burst into the cure and swarm around Paris, fixing the damage Mob Boss had done. With him defeated, he turned back to Issac, who looked around confused before seeing the heroes. Almost instantly, he jumped up and ran off, clearly afraid of what the heroes might do to him.

"Should we go after him?" Lady Noir asked but she got her answer when her ring beeped. "Oh no! I need to go get Luka!! He's pretty badly hurt,"

"Ok," Anatis nodded as his earrings beeped as well. "We'll track him down later,"

She nodded and went off before Anatis went the other direction. However, he slipped into the alley Kaalki had hid in, making her fly over to him before he took out his yoyo, reaching into it. He took out the horse miraculous and put them on.

"Tikki, Kaalki... unify," He declared, turning into the merge form. He threw out his arm as he created a ring of light. "Voyage!"

It opened a portal into the room Lady Noir had left him. He stepped inside, causing it to disappear.

"Tikki, Kaalki, divide," He ordered, causing him turn back to Anatis. "Spots off,"

He caught Tikki before sitting down on the bench as his eyes began to turn back to blue. A wave of nausea to wash over him making him to feel weak again as he covered his mouth to stop himself from gagging. Slowly, a headache began to creep through. He took a shaky breathe and held his jacket open, allowing Tikki and Kaalki to hide in it. A few minutes later, the door opened and Lady Noir rushed in.

"Sorry! I had to charge my kwa- Luka?" She gasped as she reached him. He had closed his eyes and was taking short breathes as he felt himself warm up. "Oh god, you're worse than before,"

"I-I'm... fi-" He started but she helped him to his feet and began to lead him outside. As soon as he stood, he felt very weak and ended up leaning against her. It didn't take her long to get him out of the sewer before taking him to the hospital. The doctors and nurses took him from her as she promised to bring his family. Soon, he found himself in a hospital room, lying on a bed while the doctors try to get down his fever as they asked him a number of questions. He answered them as best as he could, even telling them about the almost akumatization and amok. The doctors and nurses shared concerned looks when he told them about it but he felt tired and just wanted to sleep. Seeing how tired he was, the doctors concluded their tests. As soon as they left, he ended up falling asleep and when he next woke, the Captain was sat next to him. Her eyes were closed but he could see how stressed she felt. "M-Ma?"

She groaned and stirred, opening her eyes.

"Luka?" She gasped before standing up and hugging him. He hugged her back. "Oh I am so sorry, Lad. I should have walked with you-"

"It's n-not your fault, Ma," He whispered, gently pulling away from him. "Issac was convinced that I'm the reason you left him. He said I was evil and a witch... I don't understand why..."

Anarka frowned and sat back down, taking his hand.

"He was afraid of you," She stated, making him look at her. "When you were younger, you had what I thought were imaginary friends but I realized very quickly it was something else when I saw you talking to something in your room. You must have been three years old when this happened but when I asked you who you were talking to, you told me it was your grandmother,"

Luka frowned a little.

"The thing was she had died two years before you were born and I hadn't told you about her at all. We didn't get on," She mumbled, looking down. Luka frowned as he listened. "You knew her name and described her down to a tee. I do not doubt that it was your grandmother but it scared me and I told you not to make up stories. You never told me if you talked to anything like her again after that but I would hear you speaking to other things but then Issac heard you talking to them and he became convinced you were 'in league with the devil'. That's what we argued about a lot of the time and it just got worst as time pass. I told him you had imaginary friends and were just sensitive but he didn't believe me. Soon, you stopped talking to things that weren't there and I thought you had grown out of it. I didn't realize Issac had hurt you every time he caught you talking to them. It got worst when you showed an interest in music. He would scream that it was the devil's influence and would break anything that could cause that then he went too far and you ended up in hospital in a coma for a week. It wasn't long after that when I realized he was hurting you. I had been at work that day and Issac had called me, saying you had fallen and hit your head. I only found that it had been him that had hit hit you and caused you to hit your head months later during an argument. It was the moment that I decided to leave him. I hated myself because I should have realized sooner that you were been hurt by him. I packed our bags ready to leave but Issac..."

She took a deep breathe as Luka listened.

"That was the day Issac got physical with me. He then threatened to take you and Juleka away from me if I left. I realized that I would need to be clever and crafty to outwit him so I saved up any spare money we had while trying to protect you and Juleka while we were still there. That's why we were so poor. Issac would spend whatever he had on booze and I was putting anything I could into an account he knew nothing about," She explained, making Luka frown as he listened. "The christmas he walked out, I saw a chance and got the locks changed but he kept coming back. He would try to kick the door down and even tried to take you and Juleka from school one day. After that, I had you both home schooled. Since you were frequently ill, it helped to keep you at home. During the time of having him locked out of the house, I contacted an estate agent and sold the house, which gave us our money. Since I had finally enough money, I brought the Liberty. I packed up our basics and moved us to Paris with the Liberty,"

"How did we get away from him?" Luka asked, causing her to sigh. "Didn't he try to wait outside the house?"

"I called the police that day and had him arrested. I knew he would get out but it gave us a few hours to escape. While he was in jail, we left the house for good. I don't know if you remember but I legally changed our names. Not by much admittedly but before our surname was Couphène but I had it changed legally to Couffaine. It's slightly different pronunciation and spelt differently. The change was small but it was enough that Issac wouldn't be able to find us. Besides, you and Juleka always pronounced it as Couffaine anyway,"

Luka frowned to himself as he listened. He did briefly remember spelling his surname different and got confused when he was first corrected but he assumed that because he was a kid, he just didn't realize how to spell it properly. It never occurred to him that his mother had changed it.

"Why did you change it?"

"So if Issac ever looked us up, he wouldn't be able to find us. It's also why I brought a boat. We could move it and would never be in the same place," She admitted, frowning. "I thought it was safer that way... but I should have protected you better. I'm so sorry, Luka.,"

Tears rolled down her face as she cried, making Luka frown. He carefully moved so he was closer to her before opening his arms. Anarka looked up at him before moving so she was sat on the bed and hugged him.

"It's ok, Ma," He whispered, hugging her before they pulled away. "I was afraid to say anything and when I got old enough to say, Issac threatened to hurt you and Juleka. I wasn't going to let that happen,"

"You shouldn't have had to," She whispered, looking down as she wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry.."

"Ma, it's ok," He smiled, glancing to the side. "But I don't remember seeing them?"

"The coma you were in..." She muttered, looking down. She had beaten herself up for ages when she had realized it was Issac who had caused it. She still felt guilty to this very day. "The doctors... they thought you wouldn't wake up and warned me that you would have brain damage if you did but then you proved them wrong and woke up. Despite been in a coma for a while, you only had a little bit of memory damage. You just didn't remember seeing spirits or ghosts... The doctors and I called it a miracle..."

"But Issac saw it as proof of me been evil, didn't he?" Luka asked, making her frown. "He called me a witch and said I was evil..."

Anarka frowned as she saw the expression on his face. He thought it was possibly that he was.

"Luka Couffaine, you listen to me," She stated in a firm voice. He looked up at her. "Issac is wrong about you, Lad. You're not evil or wicked. You're a pure and gentle soul and he's the evil one for harming you. People like Issac fear what they don't understand... and I was afraid too but not because of you seeing ghosts. Our family have always been different and strange but that's what had me afraid. I feared that people would treat you differently and I was wrong. We should celebrate our differences and gifts, even if other people are afraid of them. If it turns out you are a witch then I will be proud of my witchy son,"

"Thank you, Ma," He whispered, hugging her before pulling away. "Though I think Juleka might be the witch of the family,"

Anarka laughed and ruffled Luka's hair, making him smile before someone knocked on the door and entered. He glanced over and smiled a little as Juleka, Rose and Marinette looked at him. Relief flooded their eyes and before anyone could move, Juleka had rushed over and hugged him, causing him to hug her back as she cried.

"I'm ok, Jewels," He whispered, stroking her hair before he looked up at the other two and stretched out his arm. Both of them rushed over and joined in with the hug. Rose was crying worst then Juleka and Marinette was holding back tears. The three of them pulled away as a doctor entered and asked to talk to Anarka. She got up and walked out as the girls sat on the chair. "Is Dad here?"

"He was talking to the doctors," Juleka mumbled as Luka leaned against the pillow. "And Penny is looking to get Bob Roth in trouble too. He's been arrested as Issac had sent him a photo of you with a message for Jagged. He wanted 3 million euros to release you,"

"Why did he give the message to Bob Roth?" Luka asked, frowning. Juleka looked at Rose who bit her lip. "Jewels?"

"I overheard Ma and Jagged shouting at Mr Roth... apparently he was friends with Issac. He admitted to confirming that it was us to him when Penny threatened him. He's the reason why Issac kidnapped you," Juleka explained, making him frown. "He tried to claim that he didn't know that Issac would do that but Penny, Ma and Jagged don't believe him,"

"What about Issac?" He asked, looking at them. Juleka and Rose looked sad and pale and Marinette looked angry. Luka sighed as he felt their emotions. Disappointment and rage. "He got away didn't he?"

"The police are looking for him," Marinette stated, taking his hand. "And they've placed an officer here in case he tries to come after you..."

"I see," He frowned, making a mental note to track him down as Anatis. "I hope they find him soon. I want this nightmare to be over,"

"I hope it ends soon," Marinette whispered, linking their hands together. Rose gently tapped Juleka and pulled her up, leaving the room so Marinette and Luka were alone. "I'm sorry..."

"For what?" He asked, looking at her.

"Letting you walk home alone and not insisting you stay the night. Mama and Papa wouldn't have minded. They like you," She whispered, looking down. "So I'm sorry..."

"Marinette, none of this was your fault so please don't blame yourself," He whispered, making her look at him. "It's Issac. He's always hated me and this was just part of that,"

"How are you so calm?" She asked, wiping her eyes. "You got kidnapped and you're in hospital and you must have been so afraid..."

"I was..." He admitted, looking down. "It was terrifying. I was almost akumatized too but-"

"Oh no, did you have a seizure again?!" Marinette gasped, looking more worried. Luka nodded and went to continue what he was saying. Only for Marinette to hug him again. "I'm so sorry!!"

"It's ok," He mumbled, making her look at him. "I'm ok. The seizure... it passed pretty quickly and actually helped me escape. Issac and his men were arguing about taking me to the hospital so while they were distracted, I slipped away. Admittedly, it was hard because I was tired and just wanted to curl up but I got out. Anatis found me once I got out of the warehouse he kept me and helped me get away properly... but then Issac ended up akumatized and threatened to hurt my family so I slipped away from Anatis to go and save them..."

"You're so brave, Luka," Marinette praised, making him blush as Jagged and Anarka came back in. Marinette gave them a small smile. "I'm gonna head home but I'll come and visit tomorrow,"

"Ok," Luka smiled, nodding. She smiled back before getting and leaving the room. Jagged hugged him, causing him to hug back as Juleka came back in and took a seat with the others. He yawned and laid back down, trying to stay awake.

"Go to sleep, Lad," Anarka ordered as Jagged sat down. "We'll be here when you wake,"

He nodded and closed his eyes, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

~A Week Later~

"You sure this is the place, Barkk?" Anatis asked as they stood opposite a warehouse. After he had left hospital, he went straight to Master Fu to ask if he could borrow the kwamis. He wanted their help in finding Issac. Since Master Fu was aware of the situation as he had visited Luka in hospital to make sure he was ok, he agreed to let the kwamis help Luka. It had surprised him but since Lika had decided it was time to end Issac's reign of terror, Master Fu had agreed to let the kwamis go with him so he had some kind of back up. At first, Master Fu had tried to convince to let the police do the work but Luka told him he couldn't let it go. Issac hadn't just tried to kidnap him. He was intent on killing him and hurting his family. He knew that if Issac got him out of the way, he would go after Juleka and his mother and he was not about to let that happen. No, he was done living in fear and he would protect his family at any cost. With his mind settled, Master Fu tried to come along himself but his back began to play up and Luka told him to stay back. Part of him wanted to ask Lady Noir to come with him as well but he also knew that this was something Luka had to do and not Anatis.

"This is the place, Master Luka," Barkk replied, making Anatis sigh before the little dog kwami looked at him. "But are you sure you don't want to go in as Anatis?"

"I have to do this as Luka," He replied as the other kwamis surrounded him. "You guys keep back but the moment Issac shows any possibility of hurting me, attack him and don't hold back,"

"Yes, sir!" The kwamis declared, saluting him before he jumped from the building and landed on the ground. As soon as he was on the ground, he detransformed and caught Tikki, giving her a cookie. She took it before flying up and kissing his cheek lightly.

"Good luck," She smiled, making him nod before he walked over and tried to the door. It was lock so Kaalki flew over and unlocked it, causing him to smile and step in. He walked through glancing around as he recognized the place he was held in. He kept his hand on his phone as he walked through. He felt his fear sneak up on him but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He stopped as he looked around. The warehouse seemed completely emptied. He frowned but stopped when he felt someone walk up behind him. Judging by their song, it was Issac. He flinched a little when he felt Issac stop behind him.

"Well, I knew you were dumb but I didn't think you were this stupid," Issac growled as Luka took a deep breath and slowly turned around.

"You'd just come after me anyway," He answered, staring at the man who made his life a living hell. "I'm here to end this,"

"You? Want to fight me?!" Issac laughed before taking out a gun and pointing to him. "You don't stand a chance,"

"I'm not here to fight you," Luka stated, keeping his mind clear and calm. Fear would do him no good.

"Then what do you want?" Issac growled.

"To prove you wrong," He stated, making Issac frown. "Hand yourself over to the police and let this grudge. It will only cause you more pain so please, give yourself in. It’s not too late to change,”

"You are pathetic!" Issac growled, making Luka sigh. He had given him a chance. "You think I'm going to listen to an evil bastard like you!"

"I'm not evil, Issac," He stated, sighing before his eyes turned silver, making Issac stare at him. During his rest in the hospital, he had dreamt a few times of Feng and the bird that he learnt was called Finni. Feng had finally told him that he had natural magic and started to teach him how to chanel it. He still had ages to go and he was still confused about a lot of things but Feng had taught him more about projecting emotions onto others. He could show them love, hope and even feelings like fear and sadness. "But I am different,"

"Demon!" Issac shouted, going to fire his gun but the kwamis flew him, taking the gun out of his hand. "No! You trickster!"

"I'm not a demon and I'm not a trickster," Luka stated, walking closer to Issac. He tried to back away but tripped over when Pollen, Kaalki and Barkk pushed a box behind him. He scrambled backwards until his back hit the same pillar that Luka had been chained to. He went to get up but the kwamis had handcuffed him to it, stopping him from getting up.

"No!" He gasped as fear caught up with him. He didn't expect Luka to reverse their roles. He was the one in charge here. Not the demon child. Luka sighed and crouched down in front of him. "You bastard!! I'll kill you!"

"I have something for you, Issac," He stated, making him blink. "Something I don't want anymore,"

He reached out his hand, causing Issac to try and pull away.

"Don't touch me, you demon!" He shouted but Luka ignored him and rested his hand against his cheek, causing Issac to flinch. For a second, nothing happened but then Issac started to scream in absolute pain and terror as he looked at Luka, who eyes slowly turned from silver to a glowing golden color that resembled the sun. If anyone else had seen them, they would have described them as beautiful but for Issac, they just added to his fear. His eyes widen as he saw a golden aura round Luka that resembled a bird. However, he let out a scream of pain as Luka's touch actually hurt him. Slowly, Luka pulled away as Issac screamed and cowarded away from him, crying as he did. Tikki flew over to him as Luka stood up and looked at him with a mixture of pity and sorrow.

"What did you do to him?"

"I gave him the fear and pain he caused me," He explained, wiping a tear sliding down his cheek as the kwamis flew over to him. "All sixteen years worth and all at once..."

The kwamis looked over at Issac, who was reduced to a crying, broken mess. Receiving all that fear and pain at once had broken him but they could not think of a better punishment for him. This way, he would never hurt anyone ever again. Luka blinked again and wiped his eyes before taking out his phone and placing a call to the police but hung before they could ask his name. He left the warehouse and transformed into Anatis before swinging off. Once he got to the Liberty, he slid in through his room and dropped his transformation before curling up on his bed and began to cry, surprising the kwamis.

"L-Luka?" Tikki asked as Luka shook. She looked at the other kwamis as he slowly sat up.

"I'm s-sorry," He whispered, wiping his eyes. "It's just... I find it hard to believe it's over..."

"It's ok, my prince," Pollen gasped, hugging his cheek. The other kwamis followed suit and hugged him, making him smile despite his tears.

"Thank you for coming with me,"

"Luka!" The Captain called, causing the kwamis to hide as she burst in. "He's been caught!"

"What?" He gasped, pretending to be surprised.

"Issac! Officer Roger called me. They got a tip about where he was hiding and arrested him!" She gasped, hugging him. "It's over, Luka. He's never gonna hurt anyone again,"

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Next Chapter: Chapter 57

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fierysafrina · 4 years

Text

Be with you | Simeon x reader

Fandom: Obey Me! Rating: General Word Count: 1.920 Genre: Fluff | Romance | Comedy Summary: Simeon’s sudden visit takes you by surprise and you’re convinced he lives to see you have a breakdown. Notes: At first I wanted to write this idea for Satan, but there’s a certain angel that needs as much love as he can get because I’d die for him ;-; I tried to go with comedy at some parts and I hope it makes you laugh from all the angst and hurt I’ve been writing and still will write.

This (and all other oneshots) are also cross-posted on AO3 under “I fell in love with the devil” title by Kyra_Gold (that me) if you wish to follow it.

A couple of months had passed since your exchange student program was finished. Now with a degree, you were living in all your comfort of a small apartment. You still weren’t sure how that one year at Devildom was approved when searching for a job, but you didn’t question it. You didn’t want to know of their tricks.

You still received visits from the brothers—especially Mammon, Leviathan and Satan—while you also went to visit them every once in a while. You kept in contact with Solomon, often talking to each other over the phone of his new schemes, getting a new pact and tempting you into the same fate. But just like every time before, you kindly refused. Having seven brothers on your back was already enough and you were quite certain you couldn’t handle any other demon.

Holding a bag of groceries, you were walking back towards your apartment, looking at your phone. Solomon sent you another photo of him and, what you quickly realized was, a new pact. You found it rather amusing there was still a place for a new one on his body. You were smiling at the message and didn’t miss blond hair in the corner. Narrowing your eyebrows, you looked closer at the photo. “Is that Luke or Asmo?” you murmured to yourself when you spotted a shadow looming over your shoulder, speaking;

“I believe it’s Luke.”

Your eyes widened as you spun around, mouth open and ready to scream only to freeze midway. “Simeon?!” you hissed and held for your chest, feeling your heart beat hard and fast against your chest. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“I apologize,” He chuckled. “I didn’t think you get scared so easily.”

“I don’t!” you were quick to oppose with a huff. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to pay you a visit.” He smiled and took a step closer.

Your lips betrayed you into a small smile. "Thank you," you replied when he reached for the bag. “Ever the gentleman.” you couldn’t help to tease him.

Simeon's eyes widened before he averted his gaze, obviously looking embarrassed. With his other free hand, he scratched his cheek, hiding part of his face. You chuckled and slowly began to continue your way. Simeon was quick to follow, walking right by your side.

“How’s heaven?” you decided to break the silence that was unmistakable.

“Heaven’s fine.” He answered, a smile heard in his voice, not only visible. “Luke is quite upset with Solomon for making another pact.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “I wonder how many pacts he has. Last he said it was over seventy.”

“Could be around eighty.” Simeon mused.

“Or maybe a hundred. Who knows.” You grinned only to come to a stop in front of the Cultural Center. There was music coming from the inside and you leaned slightly forward, eyes focused on open doors.

Simeon blinked at you before he looked towards the doors, a small smile spreading across his lips. He looked up into the sky, noticing a couple of clouds as they slowly moved around.

An idea came to him. Looking back at you, Simeon put the bag on a bench nearby and walked behind you. He reached out with his hand, his fingers intertwined with yours. His sudden contact made you turn his way, confusing you. You didn’t have time to ask him what’s wrong, because the next moment he twirled you around before his other hand came to rest on your back as you faced him.

Your eyes widened, cheeks heating up in a matter of seconds and Simeon laughed. You leaned your head against his shoulder. “What do you think you’re doing?” you murmured, voice muffled.

“I want to dance with you.”

Your whole body grew warmer and you groaned. “Stop saying such embarrassing things.” You hissed, but his laughter only grew as he slowly moved both of you on the spot. You dared to sneak a look around only to feel relief when you didn’t see anyone watching you. Even if you saw anyone, they only spared you a glance, but continued their way. A small smile spread across your lips and you completely surrendered to Simeon’s lead.

“I miss talking to you.” Simeon spoke after a moment.

You blinked and looked at him. “W-what?” you couldn’t help the stutter.

“I miss talking to you.” He repeated, his expression gentle, warm. “I miss our talks. Hearing you joke with Solomon, defending Luke whenever the brothers teased him. I miss you.”

“But we’re here now.” You smiled.

You felt his arm bringing you closer to him and you felt your cheeks heat up once more. You couldn’t tell him your feelings for him that you bore since the moment you met him in RAD. He was an angel and nothing good ever came when a human fell for them. Yet in that moment you felt everything around you disappear as you focused on his warm touch that only seemed to pull you closer. Even when he released you, you still felt the warmth on your back, where his hand was, and you wanted him to pull you back in. You wanted him to hold you again. But the music already ended.

“Do you feel unwell?” Simeon’s voice was quiet and you found yourself staring at him. He placed the back of his hand against your forehead, eyebrows narrowing. “You don’t seem to have fever…” he murmured more to himself than you, but being so close you leaned into his touch when he caressed your cheek.

Closing your eyes, you felt a finger go over your lips and you smiled.

Pulling his hand away, you opened your eyes when you felt something much softer press against your lips. Eyes growing wide, all you saw was Simeon standing so close to you with his eyes closed. Your heart skipped a beat and you unconsciously closed your eyes. You felt a smile spread across his lips.

You unconsciously held on his jacket, gripping tighter as you returned the kiss. You didn’t want him to pull away, but he did. A pout was quick to form on your lips and Simeon laughed. Your cheeks and ears were burning as Simeon caressed your cheek.

You weren’t sure what to say, to ask, but you still heard yourself saying; “What was that for?”

Simeon hummed, a smile still present. “I felt like it.”

That made you raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t angels like … prohibited to do that?”

Simeon’s smile faltered, but it didn’t disappear. It tugged on your heartstrings, regretting to ask him. Before you could speak and change the topic, Simeon said; “While that may be the case, when feelings are genuine, they don’t exactly have a say in it.”

“Are you thinking of rebelling?” you couldn’t help but tease.

“Not exactly,” he laughed, shaking his head. He held your hand and raised it to press a kiss on your knuckles. “I’m searching for ways. For us to be together.”

You bit your lower lip and looked away in shyness when you heard the orchestra begin to play once again. You shuddered beneath his piercing blue eyes and warm breath tickling your skin. You noticed a bit too late that he leaned back in, his lips on your cheek trailing towards the edge of your mouth. You moved your head slightly, wanting to hide, but he had none of it. With his other hand, he held your chin in place, preventing you to move freely.

“S-Simeon…” you whispered, your eyes meeting with his.

“Hm?” he hummed, becoming a bit daring by stepping closer to you, his kisses trailing to your jawline instead.

You looked around, turning your head enough to give him access to move on your neck. Spotting a couple of people looking your way, expression either baffled or those of dissatisfaction, you couldn’t help but feel mortified. “W-why don’t we go t-to my h-home?” you managed to stutter out.

Pulling away, Simeon could sense the embarrassment and he chuckled as he held your hand and walked you to the bench, where he put down the bag, and picked it up.

“You’ve become quite bold…” you murmured under your breath, but he heard you clearly.

“I spent one year in Devildom.”

Swatting at his upper arm, he laughed. “If Mammon saw you kissing me, he’d flip.”

“Well, Solomon did mention once that sometimes demons can feel what humans—who make a pact with them—feel. Of course if their emotions overwhelm them.” He shortly explained, making your eyes wide.

“Why did you say that?” you whined, burying your face in your hands. “I have a pact with seven demons, who are quite strong may I add, and if they learn of … whatever we have—” you gestured between your bodies, which made Simeon raise an eyebrow; “—I don’t even want to imagine what they can do.” You shuddered, remembering the wrath you felt a couple of times.

“If it makes you feel better,” Simeon began slowly, reaching for your hand; “I talked with Lucifer about us.”

You narrowed your eyebrows. “That actually doesn’t make me feel any better.” You admitted, feeling your heart pacing up. “As a matter of fact, it makes me feel worse. Who knows in what state Devildom is if he told anyone…” you trailed off, visibly shivering at the thought. “You know what,” you pursued your lips into a thin line. “Suddenly I really don’t want to go home. Is it possible to visit the Celestial realm?” you looked at him and he laughed. “I’m serious. I’m pretty sure demons can’t go into heaven without ending in a fight with angels, can they?”

“As far as my memory reaches, Diavolo and his father are the only exception since they’re royalty and even then they don’t have permission to come as they seem fit.”

“Brilliant!” you grinned. “I really wanted to see heaven one day.” Coming to a sudden stop, you looked at Simeon, who was still smiling. “Wait a second…” you murmured, turning his way completely. “Did you actually go to Lucifer, the oldest of the brothers, and actually told him of all demons about us?”

“Now that you mention it, it certainly felt like asking your parents for your hand.”

You blinked before your eyes grew wide like Simeon just grew another head.

“He’s very overprotective of you, which doesn’t surprise me.” Simeon continued, completely disregarding your baffled expression. “I do expect all brothers calling and cursing me. Especially Mammon, Leviathan and Belphegor, so to speak.”

“You’re way too calm about this.” You exasperated. “I feel weight on my shoulders as you tell me all this. Simeon,” You held him by the upper arms, staring into his eyes. “These are demons we’re talking about.”

“I know,” he nodded, expression softening. “It’ll be alright. I just want to be with you, [Name]. Is that a crime?” He cupped your face, leaning his forehead on yours. “I want to be with you and I don’t want to miss another day. If it means going against my kin and brothers, so be it.”

Without hesitation, you pressed your lips against his, feeling yourself melt into his embrace as the bag he held slipped through his fingers and on the ground. You wrapped arms around his neck, pulling him closer as he placed his hands on your waist. This time you weren’t afraid to whisper those three words that you wanted to this whole time.

Simeon smiled and he pulled away just a bit to whisper; “I love you,” back before kissing you once more.

#Obey Me Simeon #Obey Me Simeon x reader #Simeon x reader #obey me! shall we date #Obey Me fanfic #Obey Me fic #oneshot #safrinawrites #fanfiction #Obey Me oneshot

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maladaptive-ninja-returns · 4 years

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It’s The Avengers (03x09)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 3 Episode 09: I’m Allergic to Bad Memories

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: *shrugs*

Word Count: I am sick. But I am out of stuff to keep my loud mind busy. So here we are. Be grateful to the Gods of k-dramas

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

The chirps of concern were a train of ramblings coming in between the nudges little orange furry paws were giving you; smushing your lips, your cheeks, booping your nose. The only time they stopped was when that echo that resulted in your unconsciousness announced a little plan. “How about I be of some help, little one?” Lulu stood up on his hind legs while he and his camera saw a pair of pale hands stroke your head ever so gently, whispering something foreign under a sweet breath. The next second, you stirred, perking up the little furball- who smushed your face and head with an endless amount of rubs with his own. You groaned before a yelp found its way out of your throat as you felt the bump at the back of your head thump with piercing pain. “Ow! Ow ow ow ow.” “Ah,” the soothing voice called out from outside the frame, “you hit your head pretty hard, dear.” The realisation of the stranger came a little late- maybe because of the concussion, maybe because of the angelic voice that seemed to make you feel at ease- and once it did, your eyes widened while your legs moved your body away from… “God?” you gasped in question while Lulu’s camera looked at the aged women smiling down at you with a glow unlike any. “More or less, yes,” the glowing woman in a gold dress chuckled before bringing her hand forward. “Come, let me help you, dear.” You tried catching your breath there. “Wh...who…” The smile on that bewitchingly calm face brought this uncalled ease inside your chest. “I’m Frigga.”

. A shrivelled high-pitched scream eroded the den as Javier stood frozen at the expressions similar to that of a spooked out little child on the face of the head of the universe’s deadliest mafia. “No, please do not hurt my face!! That is my one good asset!!! You always hit me where it hurts the most!!!” Taneleer cried. The camera focused from the ball of luxurious fur whispering on the floor to Loki- who stood there with his arms across his chest. “I didn’t even hit you yet. Quit being such a pain in the a-” “Ssso what! You were thinking of hitting me,” Taneleer huffed while he looked up at Loki, “I could see it in those snake eyes of yours. Like you will bite my-my h-head off!” Loki sighed and rolled his eyes.

Loki: *bags under his eyes* I am…*blinks tiredly* surrounded...by the most idiotic scum of this universe *camera pans across his shoulder to show Taneleer calling his henchman* “As long as they are here, make sure that little Terran is safe. Otherwise, I will cut off your limbs and feed it to the street rodents,” he hisses.

“I cannot believe you just thought of hurting me for that Terran,” Taneleer tsked and jumped in annoyance, “she is getting between our friendship.” “You were never my friend,” Loki delivered the blow with a straight face while the boss felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. “And to think I made little marble figures of us both hanging out in Knowhere,” he whispered with the hurt reflecting in his voice. “Who is she to you anyway?” He pouted. “Who is this creature to have you travelling by her side as if you are...she is...you both...what is she to you?!!” “Just get me my fucking grace,” Loki raised his voice while rolling his eyes, “or I swear to all the power in this universe I will personally make you suffer for frying my brain cells with your utter nonsense. What are you trying to do? Buy time till your rotten brain can figure out how to make up an excuse for your incompetence?” Taneleer’s slouching and sad figure straightened up and raised a finger. “More like, trying to buy time before I really tell you who I sold your grace to.” . “Frigga?” The camera took in the glowing pale face smiling in your direction as it nodded in your direction. Your face, on the other hand, was a mess of confusion, surprise and the worst possible daze just sitting on top of your forehead. “Like...Loki’s mom Frigga?” A sparkle went off in Frigga’s eyes as the already glowing face seemed to shine four times brighter. Her eyes widened and her smile seemingly found a reason to grow wider. That was till some uncertain thought crossed her forehead and her smile twitched and transformed into an unsettling concern. “This is…” Frigga trailed off. “Weird?” you tried helping her. “It’s usually Thor that people know me through.” “Huh...makes sense.” “How...do you know Loki?” “Oh, I’m his friend. Y/N Y/L/N. Nice to meet you.” “Ah,” Frigga nodded and mirrored your smile before confusion punched that softness away. “I’m sorry, you are what?!” The Lounge Scott sat on the sofa reading the latest copy of One Piece while the big screen opposite him showed Loki threatening Tivan by his collar. The screen did not seem to take his attention but the figure looking in front of it, going to and fro more times than Scott could count. Actually, Scott stopped counting after six about an hour ago. "Instead of working your legs, it would be better to work that mouth for your friend, don't you think?" Natasha called out from behind the counter, sipping on her kale smoothie. The words stopped Steve short, his whole face a mixture of blushing horror. "W-what." "That's not what she means, you thirsty grandpa!" Scott called his thoughts out without raising his eyes from the latest in Wano arc, "go talk to him." Steve blinked and regained a part of his lost senses, slowly moving towards the dorms. "And kiss him senseless while you're at it," Scott added, stopping the captain midway to give him an irritated glare- one that Natasha was loving.

Natasha: *smirks* I have to say it feels good to have someone else make thirst jokes on Steve too *Camera pans out to show Scott smiling for the lens* Scott: It's me *points to self* she means me. Natasha: I guess there are more coming? Scott: *gushing* you have no idea

The Den “So, if I were to summarise what you just told me, midgardians have no quarrels with Loki, Thanos has been defeated and my son is living with the Avengers now.” Lulu’s camera caught seriousness in Frigga’s brows while you nodded. “And I’m his friend,” you added with a smile before looking at Lulu’s camera.

You: I stressed that for reasons *shrugs nonchalantly*

“Right,” Frigga acknowledged. “So, how is my son? Is he here? My essence is only supposed to be released in his presence or someone he…” Frigga paused and looked back at you, this time with the keen observation that seemed to make you a little uncomfortable. “He is somewhere in the back with the anime-hair guy. They are trying to find a way to get him out of these cuffs my dad made so he couldn’t use magic. Long story. But we got teleported into some galaxy far away and now we are here to help Loki get his powers back so we can go home.” You thought best to blabber than stand there in awkward silence while Loki’s mother was giving you a deep mental once over. “And by we I mean me, Lulu and Javi. We are all friends. Lulu is the little baby we adopted on the way,” you cooed and smiled at the little pile of soft fur purring on receiving scritches from your under his not-so-visible jaw. You looked back up to watch Frigga’s fingers rest on her lips to mask some sort of emotion you were too late to read.

Frigga: This cute little midgardian keeps calling herself Loki’s friend *tilts head* and then tells me they adopted an old beastling’s offspring as their child. *contemplates* So...do marriages not happen on earth lately? Or is this something my son came up with? *raises her brows* no matter the story, *waves her hand* I am not letting him lose this precious one.

“Let’s go meet Loki,” you jumped in controlled excitement taking the first step to lead the way before freezing right there. “Wait,” you interrupted your own buzz with a grim expression, “how do I know you are one of the good ones?” “I beg your pardon, little one?” You sighed, feeling a little heaviness settle in your chest. “How do I know you are not going to hurt him?”

You: Yup *purses lips* reasons *stretches the corners of her mouth in regret*

“Did you just ask me if I was dangerous for my own son?” You could already feel the mother hen judgment even when you didn’t stare into her eyes. “I know,” you sighed, “it’s the space. My nerves are overworked and the only thing I can think of is Loki.” “...” “-’s well being.” Clearing your throat, you nodded at your own words, stealing a glimpse at the camera. “That usually does not happen. I can assure you that.” The surprise at your sheer audacity melted within ten seconds to give place to something soft and glowing; along with something else. You did not expect Frigga to bring forward her hand and cup your cheek with her palm to gaze into your soul while you stood there with disbelief dripping from your skin. “Your hand is so warm,” you commented after flinching a little at her touch, waiting for her to say something. But Frigga took her time, her thumb stroking your cheek while you witnessed the corner of her eyes glistening. “By the Norns, you have been one gentle soul through such wild storms haven’t you, dear,” she whispered, forcing you to grow more confused for a second, “why would someone hurt such a precious soul.” Lulu’s camera moved with Lulu’s body suddenly on alert. He could feel the change in the atmosphere right when the camera caught your crinkled brows release themselves to some invisible realisations that were either too quick- or too heavy- to bring tears to your eyes. All that your face carried was bearings of something that stopped time for you while your tears ran as much as they could; and with them ran your breaths getting shallow by the second till Frigga engulfed you in her warm embrace, her hands soothing your back. “Forgive me, my child,” she whispered, never leaving your cold figure, “forgive me for bringing it all back.” Lulu’s whines and unknown movements from the corridor made Frigga bring herself to face a dazed you. “You are one brave human, my dearest. Trust in yourself. And you are not alone. Take good care of my son till I can see him one last time.” With those words hanging somewhere in the midst of your ears and your brain, she left with a peck on your forehead, dissolving into the same light she was radiating all along.

The Dorms and Their Outer Surroundings The camera zoomed in to focus away from the leaves and into the french window of Bucky’s room where he and Steve sat in their respective love seats five feet apart, trying their best to keep their composure while trying to come up with words. Steve cleared his throat. Bucky moved the bottle of water on the coffee table towards him. “So…” Steve’s throat barely made any noise the first time while Bucky’s red face tried to hide under the shadow of his long unruly hair, “I heard that...ahem...that you…” “I’m gay!” The confession came like a shot of rifle mid-air, taking both Bucky and Steve by surprise. “And that’s o-okay,” Steve stressed, sitting up straight, “it’s okay to love anyone you want.” “So-” Bucky’s fingers wrung each other under the internal pressure to get the words out- “is it...is it okay to love you?” Unknown to them, another camera standing outside in the lawn witnessed an excited Scott perched upon the top of the tree with the headphones on to hear every word they said. And just as the confession came, the poor man caught hold of his chest, muttered, “my heart,” and fell from the branch while his red-headed accomplice waited for more. “Is it okay to love you now?” Steve was on pause, his attention solely taken by Bucky’s words and eyes. “Bucky,” was he was able to get out before standing up, forcing Bucky to mirror him. “I know this may seem out of the blue, Stevie, but I have always...always only had eyes for you. And I know times were different back then, but now I finally have the guts to tell you how I feel and I would completely understand if you don’t-” The words were stopped short right on the lips when Steve took Bucky by the collar and kissed him. “FINALLY!” a victorious cry came from the Black Widow right beside the camera, making the poor thing wobble and fall down lens first onto the ground.

The Weird Den Javier’s camera already caught the shimmer of an orb disappearing from right in front of you as he entered the room but his company was too late to notice any of that golden light that had just illuminated the room. The moment Loki entered the room the camera recorded his senses going off. His eyes ran over every corner of the room, over Lulu rubbing himself on your legs while trying to draw your attention, and then back to your figure standing in the middle with your back to him. “Y/N?” he called out, taking one cautious step at a time. You flinched. That stopped him right in his tracks. “What’s wrong?” Lulu’s camera caught your hands wiping away the tears before turning to face him. That effort was not of much use as both Loki and Taneleer could make out some real tears had been shed. “Nothing. Did you find something for your cuffs?” your nasal voice did not help your case either. Taneleer raised his hands a little as he stepped close to you, bringing forward a dense black fabric. You took without much thought and blew your nose into it, making the boss gag behind you. Loki clearly wanted to ask you about the reason behind those tears but those lines of latent rage in between your brows made him go the other way. “We will have to travel a little further for that, I’m afraid.” You sniffed, finally feeling the air in your nostrils. “Cool. Let’s go,” you muttered nonchalantly and walked out. Taneleer’s eyes widened and he aggressively gestured his guards to follow you. Loki’s brows raised themselves in question. “What just happened?” . “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Javier’s camera caught the grit of your teeth as you sat down in the transportation vehicle that looked like an exoskeleton of a schoolkids’ van. “I said I’m fine,” you pressed with zero emotions in your eyes. “Then why are you crying,” Loki pressed back while casually leaning on the doorframe and watching you with his intense gaze. You scoffed. “Because I’m allergic to you,” you spewed into the air and shifted to face away from him. Taking full offence of that statement, Loki opened his mouth to say something before shutting it back. Tight. “You know I’m still single right?” Tivan whispered from behind the God with a smirk. The latter did not pay much attention to his words. “I’ve taken some of your inventory. Don’t bother getting it back in one piece.” Loki was about to step into the van when Taneleer decided to open his mouth. “She knows you are here.” Loki paused, his hand resting on the frame and his biceps feeling a tug under his dark shirt. “She knows you are out of hiding, Loki. She will come for you. I know you already know that. And she will come for anything-” his gaze shifted from Loki’s beautiful back to yours- “-that stands between her and you.” No words came from the other side except for the tap of a finger on the frame before Loki got inside the van and came to sit next to you. Tivan’s guards were already putting the vehicle in full throttle to fly towards your ship while Loki waited for you to say something. But you were stubborn in your own way, not letting out a peep but turning to watch where exactly Loki is sitting. “Lulu,” he stressed with a note of caution when he did not let Javier secure him in his seat, leading to the fur-boy slump in his seat and sulk till Javier presented him with candy. At the same time, you scooched closer to Loki- still not facing him- and let your fingers feel his overcoat in them. Your eyes still carried the remnants of the tears along with a hidden hurt that you did not want to show anyone. But the high definition cameras everywhere were quick to catch it all; even the slight break of your heartstrings when you felt the fabric of comfort in your fingers move away. It also captured the shock that followed when you felt his arm come and rest behind your neck to prevent the discomfort of the metal rails on the back of your head on this bumpy ride, giving you full access to take the support of his shoulder and arms in that moment. You didn’t even realise when the waterworks came again. “What,” Loki looked at you expressionless, “I’m just resting my arm.” You blinked and took in the snot rising up in your nose. “I’m still allergic to you,” you muttered while resting your head on his shoulder. A smile born for two seconds was seen by no one except the camera.

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reggies-eyeliner · 3 years

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Breathe - (Platonic) Alex x stressed out!reader

Summary: (Female Reader, but feel free to request for any and every other gender!) Y/N feels more stressed than usual, trying to balance home life and school life, and her coping skills aren’t going very... well. She gets a little help from a special someone who guides her and helps her live in the present moment.

Warnings: Anxiety, stress, school, cursing, what more can I say? Also the gays because Willie and Alex own my heart lmao

Word count: 1.9k

Requested: Yes! By anon :)

Whenever Y/N tried to get an assignment done, it went a little something like this: first she tried to get everything done by creating a small basis of a tool list. She was still feeling bloated, tired, hot, and sticky, but she went with it and continued to waste 10 minutes on making her to-do list aesthetically pleasing. After that, she thought, “Hmm... maybe I do want to take a break,” but she doesn’t anyway, so Y/N gets out her assignments, lays them all out, and just as she’s about to get started: hey, I wonder how many people can relate to me on xyz, and then she’d get distracted on social media.

Y/N would spend an entire 40 minutes on her phone before she remembers, “MY ASSIGNMENT IS DUE,” so she flips it back out, gets started, but can’t seem to get that guilty feeling of not doing her work out of her head, so she slightly uses that as an excuse to take a break. Only, she don’t take a break and end up rolling out of her chair and going on her phone again, and she still feel just as (or even more) exhausted. Then that’s when the guilt really starts seeping in, and Y/N realizes that she has another extra-curricular class so she gets ready for that, but by the time she’s done, there’s only 30 minutes before the due date-- so she start crying and gives up.

And that’s just a short summary of it.

It was dawning the last few weeks of exam months, and Y/N had been cramming all of her assignments over and over again, constantly getting burnt out and not moving up from her seat, even though she wanted to. It was as if she was glued to her chair, unable to move and constantly on the go at the same time. The stress of having to deal with so many things at once was one of the most overwhelming things that she’s ever had to experience, even though she knows those feelings come-and-go at times--- but this, this was so much worse than what she ever thought. And she believed that she was in literal hell.

There was a constant feeling of “I need to do this, I need to do that,” but it wasn’t that she didn’t want to do it-- it was that she physically couldn’t. Y/N knew that she couldn’t blame her brain for not doing the assignments, but sometimes, she felt like she had to. All the time. The constant feeling of overwhelming stress finally got to her when she opened up her classroom page to find yet another technical issue and the entire page crashed, leaving her with a due date within 10 minutes. It was currently a quarter before midnight, and she had been living on caffeine pills and sugar for the past week or so.

“𝟓𝟎𝟐 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲.”

The assignment was due in less than 20 minutes, and now everything was going wrong. Great.

If I had only not gone on my phone... why did I go on my phone for so long? I should have just stayed put, I can’t believe myself, what am I even doing? This isn’t fair, this isn’t far, but is it fair? I did deserve this, but-- I also feel like I don’t, I worked so hard to get here, but what if I lose it? What will everyone think? No, no, this can’t be happening. I fucked up again. Oh no. No. No.

The thoughts came in like a raging, wild waterfall that was out of control and poured out, overflowing in her brain that pooled her thoughts, with tears that eventually spilled over. In the dorms nearby, Y/N could hear Reggie snoring sound-asleep in this room. Everyone in the band was still asleep like nothing was wrong, and overall, it just... wasn’t fair. How come they were sleeping? Why did they get all of that rest, while you were stuck on this stupid assignment that literally meant nothing to you-?

In frustration, Y/N suddenly wasn’t sure how she was supposed to react. She felt like she couldn’t cry-- more like she wasn’t allowed to cry. Her problems weren’t as bad as other peoples’, so why on Earth was she stressing out? It wasn’t her issue, why was everything always going wrong for her? No matter what she ever did, she always seemed to lose. Y/N pulled her hair and threw the nearest thing onto the floor in the darkness of teh night, when she heard a high-pitched echo from the sound, when she realized she had just smashed her laptop onto the tiled floor.

“Shit-” Y/N cursed under her breath and instantly ran over, her entire body and hands trembling over the cracked screen. In hopes of some sort of miracle, she turned the power button on, because maybe, just maybe it could turn on.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Nothing happened, nothing turned on, and in that moment, Y/N wanted to scream. She wanted to scream because she had so much pent-up frustration and anger, she wanted to scream because no one ever seemed to check in on her, she wanted to scream because she had worked so hard to try her best but every single time nothing ever went well for her. Her head was pounding and her eyes felt like they were being weighed down by boulders.

But she took a deep breath and staggered over to her desk to turn on the lights, and-- wait, why was everything spinning? That’s weird, that’s never happened in the room before. Why is that moon upside-down? What’s going on...

“Y/N!” a loudly-whispered voice rang.

Y/N groaned, mumbling under her breath and rolled over. Everything sounded like she was underwater, a weird, gurgling sound. Y/N assumed she was dreaming, so she pulled her hoodie over her head and slumped back.

“Y/N,” the voice exclaimed in a hushed tone.

Another mumble. Couldn’t that voice tell that she was trying to sleep?

“Hey, hey, wake up,” the voice continued. Y/N didn’t respond and groaned slightly. “Y/N?” a little... gentler this time? A softer tone? Who...

Suddenly, nothing sounded weird and the low hum of the heaters powered back on as Y/N tried her best to open an eye. She could tell by the faint smell of rain and cinnamon that she was still in her dorm, but who was there? They sounded gentle, sweeter, more... cautious?

“Hey, Y/N, you awake?”

She rubbed her eyes. “Al-” Y/N choked, launching into a coughing fit. “Alex?”

He laughed slightly. “That’s right. Good to know you’re brain is working,”

Working? Brain? Good?

Oh shit.

Y/N immediately stood up, staggering from moving so quickly and mumbled, “I-I need to finish my assignment, it’s almost, it’s almost done-”

“Woah, woah, slow down, y-you need to get some air,” Alex said, hoisting her by the shoulders with his hands.

“I don’ need air, I needa ‘inish the assignment, it’s due in-” she slurred, but turned into a panicked gasp when she whipped around, asking, “Alex, what time is it?”

“Y/N,” he said gently. “that’s not important, you just passed out, you need-”

“No, no, no, no!” she said, mumbling slightly. “Is-- is my laptop still working? Is it still-”

“Hey, I need you to breathe-”

“Alex, can’t you see that I can’t? I have so many things to do, and they’re all due so soon-- if I don’t ace this, if I can’t finish this music piece and somehow get all this shitty math stuff correct, I need to work hard. I need to be productive. I-”

Alex’s face suddenly softened and he nodded, letting her speak more.

“I also really, really need to get this done! If I don’t get it done, I can’t pass this class with you guys, which means that I can’t get a decent degree, and I also can’t do anything without the constant guilt that you guys moved on without me! I want to, I want to relax, I want to breathe, I want to just stay in someone’s arms forever and they’ll tell me that I’ll be fine-”

In those seconds, in-between her times of rambling, Y/N barely noticed that Alex had pulled her outside to the rooftop (which wasn’t very high) and wrapped his arms around, pulling her into the softest hug.

She stopped mid ramble. “Wh-what... what are you doing?” she choked.

“It’s going to be okay,” Alex said slowly, almost as if he were testing the words out.

“S-say... say that-t... again,” Y/N trembled.

“It’s going to be okay. I need you to breathe, is that alright with you?”

It was almost as if Alex had become an entirely different person as he slowly let go of her, then he grabbed onto her shoulders and said, “breathe with me.”

“Inhale,”

1…

2…

3…

“Hold for four seconds,”

1…

2…

3…

4…

“Exhale for five,”

1…

2…

3…

4…

5…

Y/N breathed in and out as they both continued to do that for what seemed like 10 times. Alex also seemed like someone new, not the same out-of-sort and confused guy, but he didn’t seem like a teacher either… like an older brother, someone who guided her no matter what.

“Where… who taught you that method?” Y/N asked, trying to stop her voice from trembling.

Alex immediately broke into a smile so wide that he had smile lines as he stared up into the sky. “Willie taught me,”

Y/N slightly smiled. “He did, huh?”

“Yeah, he’s… he’s pretty beautiful,” he continued to nod with that same old dorky expression.

“Beautiful, huh?” she said, trying to match his tone.

“I mean-- uh, pretty good. At that.” Almost instantly, Alex flushed and changed the topic. “A-are… are you feeling better now?”

“Definitely a lot better than before, but... how did you know you had to do that?”

“W-well, when I saw you rambling, I saw myself, so...” Alex shrugged slightly, his eyes undoubtedly playing along the slightest bit. “And since I never really... well, had parents to comfort me while growing up, and Willie was the first to help me, I assumed that you’d might need some help, too.”

Y/N couldn’t believe her ears. How could there be such a sweet, loving, kind and gentle person right in front of her? His smile was genuine as he nodded slowly again.

Y/N grinned gratefully, shifting her weight from toe-to-toe. “Thank you so, so much, but I- I’m just a bit stressed about my laptop, and…”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Alex stopped her before she could continue. “Don’t get caught up in your thoughts (he learned this quote from Willie), just take another deep breath and your head will be clearer. It’ll-- It’ll sort things out. Listen, we can always go to the counselor, she’s on her night shift right now. We can see if we’re allowed to borrow the school’s laptop for now, how does that sound?”

“I…” you nodded. “Thank you… so much, Alex.”

He turned his head and smiled back. “You never have to thank me for anything,” he turned his heel and waved. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up!”

#alex #willex for the win!!!#THIS IS PLATONIC #alex x reader #alex jatp x reader #julie and the phantoms x reader #jatp x reader #PLATONIC #jatp alex x reader #jatp alex #alex jatp #julie and the phantoms alex #willex #willie x alex #alex x willie #WILLEX WHOOOO #platonic alex x reader

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wkngsnds · 3 years

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So remember when I published “Whether You Fail or Fly”? I rewrote it! Well, some parts of it; I tried my best to reach the dark tone I was aiming for, fixed some things I thought were awkward, and so and so forth. I hope y’all enjoy it all the same.

I’ll post it on here too under a read more.

Title: Your Side

RATING: Teen and older audience

Two weeks ago, he never wanted a tool. Tonight, he’s grateful to his hitwoman.

Fuyuhiko had not been the type to black out during his fights; in fact, he savored every cut and bruise that he could take before Peko eventually intervened. He exists in a constant state of irritation with his anger never falling far behind. Despite being a yakuza, or perhaps that is exactly why, his anger was his weak point— almost as blinding and fervent as Kabukicho during the night. Just like his parents, he got hot under the collar relatively quickly and chose to focus all his energy on his victim, so he’s an extremist in his own right too. Fuyuhiko preferred to handle things “a man’s way”: being direct as possible instead of exhibiting a passive aggressive attitude. He believed he could smash his way through his opponents as he refused to lose sight of his goal.

Tonight was no different.

Peko never got hit during a fight— she was fast, strong, and cunning. However, it would be more accurate to say that she couldn’t afford to get hit; a thousandth second too slow, a single hair strand out of place, and it would all be over. She exists in a hypervigilant state even within the confines of the Kuzuryuu manor. It is not that she lacks trust in her “coworkers'', per say, but protecting Fuyuhiko is the only thing she finds herself capable of doing. Truth be told, even with a small army of guards roaming the grounds it does not guarantee his safety, but by acting as his shield he’s all the more safer. It’s why she keeps her mind blank, but never loses focus; that is not to say she does not think at all— if anything, she is the type to overthink matters more than someone in her position should. These constraints both forced upon her and self practiced are why her rage is restrained. She’s not the type to anger easily, but when the emotion visits her it must be leashed and kept within bounds.

Tonight was no different.

An ocean of alarm and disquietude drowned the underground of Tokyo, and nearly flooded the overground the day after Fuyuhiko confirmed Natsumi’s corpse. It had not been long until civilians heard of the misfortunate incident, and they took it upon themselves to go home earlier than usual as a precautionary measure. Even if they did not know Natsumi, her surname carried all the weight it needed to: it was not just a member of the clan who died, but someone with a direct relation to the leader. This action of avoidance, of course, did nothing to deter the Kuzuryu clan from their own private investigations; they were a 24/7 kind of business, after all. Each family belonging to the Kuzuryu-gumi had crawled out of their own holes-- those who supported Natsumi above Fuyuhiko worked especially hard to find their princess’s murderer. Then there were those, in their true yakuza nature, who wanted to take advantage of her death to strip the Ultimate of his inheritance. For them, it had not been a simple preference of the younger sibling, but instead a dissatisfaction and disfavor for their patriarch’s son. By extension, Peko received the same condemnation if not to a worse degree. Those in Natsumi’s faction who were slightly sympathetic to the heir blamed the bodyguard for his physical weakness and lack of will; her entire presence caused his spoiled and rotten nature. Put simply her existence, they thought, hindered his bloodlust. Others argued that the main family was not meant to kill as they were an ‘invisible hand’ which directed them all. A minority thought Peko to be a better yakuza than him, but they were smarter than to voice that opinion. There were also a few who thought him cursed— a way of karma for all the blood the clan spilled since its early days, and that blood most certainly flowed like a river. Nevertheless subsidiary matriarchs and patriarchs respected him as their heir at best, but they would not hold their breath for him either.

The funeral service would bring out the worst in the family.

Nastumi died in less than a week of attending the academy, so the two knew their investigation was limited to this timeframe. After confirming her corpse’s identity, the next step was to speak with the custodian who found her; if he had decided to keep information from the police Fuyuhiko had no qualms in using extensive methods of extraction. Meanwhile, Peko worked to address the rumors of a supposed pervert who was thought by the students to be the perpetrator. The mysterious figure had stolen one girl’s swimsuit, and then planned to violate the young mistress (the disgusted rage she felt momentarily dulled the pain in her wrist as her hand formed into a tight fist). Peko knew she needed to focus, so she took a deep breath and went to look for the first girl whose swimsuit had been taken; if the two were both victims to the degenerate, then it was important to establish a possible connection or a pattern. On the hand, if the attacks were random, it would have been hard to track down a possible suspect with the incredibly vague information. They also did not allow Fuyuhiko, understandably, to enter the crime scene, so her chances of success in that area were virtually zero. On the other hand, if this were a targeted attack, then there was a greater problem to be dealt with, and this girl might be connected.

She could not recall any subsidiaries with the name Sato, but it was also possible her mother married out of the respective family. Furthermore, Peko had not been ignorant to the clan’s...favoritism, but she would not be convinced by the apparent blind adoration; it could have been the start of a coup d’etat, and her young master would be the next target. Peko already failed both Fuyuhiko and Natsumi by not protecting the latter, failure to aid him in apprehending her killer or letting him die meant she truly was useless. Therefore, finding this girl and ‘speaking’ to her took over all her priorities. The kendo athlete scans the morning cafeteria until she spots her suspect (someone had kindly described her appearance) sitting at an empty table near the large windows. Like a tiger, she moves carefully to disappear from the girl’s direct line of sight and peripheral vision; she intended to take her by surprise— using that confusion to assert dominance in the conversation and as momentum for a potential confession. However, before Peko could get any closer Mikan had unfortunately bumped into her; like always, the nurse made a scene whenever she apologized to someone, and blew Peko’s cover. To make matters worse, she spotted the injured wrist she acquired from punching the wall yesterday, and became shockingly insistent on treating the wound. Mikan did not yield to any of her protest, and all but dragged her out of the cafeteria to the nurse’s office. For a weak willed clumsy girl, the kendo athlete did not expect her to be as firm in her handling.

True to her sensitive nature, Mikan noticed Peko’s state of irate despite the latter having a stoic face, and began to apologize once again. Stuttering throughout her explanation, it appeared as though she hardly slept the prior night. Mistaking the red eyed girl’s neutral, if not apathetic, question for sympathy the super high school level nurse rambled on about doing an emergency shift at a nearby clinic. Yet, even for Peko who was only half listening something felt off.

‘What you just said...was a lie, wasn’t it?’ A tit for tat question.

‘H-Huh?! You w-were able t-to tell?’ She focused on the splinting for a moment, ‘U-Um...Pekoyama would it be too presumptuous to ask...if I could c-confide in you with s-something? I-It feels like my chest is going to explode if I can’t g-g-get it out.’

She’s weary of agreeing, but slowly nods her head nevertheless.

‘I...I saw the body. Kuzuryu’s little sister...W-We found her in the music room l-last night.’

‘What did you say?!’

‘Eek! I..I’m sorry!’

‘Tsumiki, you need to explain to me exactly what happened. What do you mean ‘we’?’

At 7:30 pm, both yakuza convened at the heir’s off campus apartment to consolidate all the information they gathered. After deeming that he had nothing left to hide, Fuyuhiko “convinced” the custodian to allow him into the music room. There’s a tight feeling in his chest at the sight of the white tape— he had seen it plenty of time, but knowing it was his sister’s outline made him lightheaded. However, he knew there was no time to be distracted by his grief; he needed to devote all his energy on finding her murderer. Fuyuhiko mentioned to Peko that he saw the broken glass from where, according to the police report, the criminal had escaped.

‘It also said a nearby guard heard the sound of the glass breakin’ but never saw or heard anyone runnin’.’

‘That’s suspicious.’

‘Yeah, and there ain’t any security video footage of a shady person walkin’ ‘round campus. Not to mention, that hole in the window don’t look big enough for someone to jump through. None of this fucking shit adds up!’ He viciously kicks the low table before falling onto the couch behind it, rubbing his eyes and groaning loudly as he did, ‘Either this sick bastard is crafty as hell or...or someone who knows this fuckin’ school’s layout did it.’

She assumes a pensive position, ‘So, someone within the school is the culprit...? I believe that is an accurate deduction. There are even suspects to support your theory.’

‘W-What? Suspects?!’

‘Tsumiki, Koizumi, Hiyoko, Mioda, and a person by the name of Sato were at the crime scene. As it were, those five were the first to encounter the young mistress, and most likely—’

‘The ones who started the rumor of a pervert going around.’ His fists tightened to the point where his fingernails cut his skin and he began to bleed, ‘Those cunts...those goddamn fucking cunts...if it turns one of them killed Natsumi...I will never fucking forgive them. If all five of them were in on it...I don’t care how much blood is on my hands I’ll slaughter them all.’

Peko could not bring herself to calm him down; she shared his sentiments, after all.

The next day went by in a blur. For the first time in a long while, the two yakuza were on the same wavelength: Peko advised him to avoid confronting any of the suspected girls without enough proof less he scared them away losing their only lead. Conceding to her counseling, he keeps his distance from them and their own classmates in general. However, he did not stand by, and instead went to question a few of the students in 77A. In return, he asked her to monitor the behavior of those four— they were citizens who, more than likely, had never dealt with corpses or killings in their life which he thought gave Peko a great advantage. Bluntly put, it takes a killer to know a killer.

At the end of the day, when all was said and done their respective tasks were successful enough to narrow down their suspect list quite considerably. Fuyuhiko learned that not only was Sato with his sister on the day of the incident, but the two often bumped heads with one another. Concurrently, Peko overheard an anxious Mahiru mumble about needing to meet with the same Sato during their lunch break, so she messaged him those details when Koizumi had left the classroom. Although he didn’t find them in time to eavesdrop on their conversation, he had caught a glimpse of someone (he assumed to be Sato) throwing away what looked like paper into the garbage. At first he made sure to stay out of sight, but as soon as the coast was clear he made a beeline for the trash bin.

And just like that the number of suspects dropped from five to two to one.

In hindsight, investigating Sato and Koizumi should have been their first thought, but both were neglectful towards Natsumi’s own complaints and scheming. They had not noticed the particular animosity she held towards the photographer, and instead considered it yet another part of her antics. With Fuyuhiko constantly running away from all criticism and Peko mindlessly chasing after him, they never once considered looking behind them to see if she needed help. However, why would they need to? She was strong, probably stronger than the both of them combined and more than they’ll ever be. It is why she had been so reverend throughout the clan-- the reincarnation of a legend or perhaps something even greater than that. Where they both lacked brutality, bloodlust, and pride Natsumi made up for it a thousand times over. Fuyuhiko could still remember the day his father scolded him right after Peko rescued him from the man’s chokehold; it was a heated argument over something senseless the teenager had done earlier that week which left the patriarch a mess to clean up.

‘This is why you need a fucking tool and your sister doesn’t. Maybe if you had your act more together like her, you would be half the fucking yakuza she is!’

Whether or not they moved forward is debatable, but they left her behind to fend for herself. Natsumi was a tough girl in a league beyond their own, and they were too wrapped up in their selfish problems. Truthfully, Fuyuhiko and Peko knew they were as responsible for her murder as Sato was.

‘I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!’

When the two finally returned to Fuyuhiko’s apartment they sloppily kicked off their shoes, and collapsed from exhaustion in the seats of the sleek black dining table. True to their upbringing, they had chosen a seclusive section of the nearby riverbank as the dumping ground. The route from the school to the river was relatively light, but the combined weight of the corpse, adrenaline, and guilt made it all the more treacherous to walk. Initially, Peko suggested contacting one of the nearby families who worked in construction to place the cadaver in concrete, and then toss it into the river. After a few moments, however, he refused. Fuyuhiko did not want to hide the body; he wanted her to rot for as long as possible before she was found— maggots crawling in and out of the holes they made of her. Normally, he wasn’t the morbidity type, but it would be a lie if he were satisfied with her death alone. Again, it was the first time in a very long while that they were on the same wavelength.

Fuyuhiko could only watch as Peko stood, unsurprisingly, before he did; she had greater stamina and...experience than he did in all of this. She left his direct line of sight, but kept herself in his peripherals. For him, once the adrenaline of killing passed, the soreness dropped upon him like a ton of bricks, his muscles were tense, and it felt as though the slightest movement made his joints crack. He could feel the phantom force from swinging the corpse back and forth before throwing it down the bank. He rested his forehead on crossed fingers as his eyes briefly crossed over; part of him felt ashamed for feeling so weak-- what did that say about his future as a patriarch? He only did the killing, but Peko, like always, ended up cleaning his dirty work. In this case, she was the one who quite literally carried dead weight on their walk to the river. He did not argue when she picked up the corpse like a sack of rice and arranged it to fit in her kendo. The angles were awkward, but after breaking some joints here and a few bones there the corpse fit perfectly. All he could do was watch her. What could he say that would not end with him being in her way? He knows he can trust her to handle this, but what gave him the right to sit back and do nothing? He can do with expressing gratitude towards her or, at the very least, express a greater sense of gratification at avenging his sister.

But all he felt was exhaustion.

“You need to bathe.” It is rare for her to speak with a semblance of authority in her tone towards him, so she captures his attention quickly. On any other day, he might have told her kick rocks for treating him like a child, but he can only put up half a fight tonight.

“It can wait until morning.”

“No, it cannot.” He heard her reach into a separate duffel bag she left in his apartment earlier this morning, “The stenches of blood and death are ones that linger if you do not remove them immediately. I am sure the doorman noticed, but kept his mouth shut.”

From the bag, she first pulled out a loofah and an antibacterial wash set. Next, there was a roll of black bags, a bottle filled with what he assumed were cleaning chemicals for the bat, and a cardboard box. He handed over the baseball cap at her request; she placed them in one of the aforementioned black bags along with her own and instructed him to throw his personal trash in there as well since she would burn everything later. He could also hear the crinkling of the paper that was used to wrap the corpse being stuffed into the bag. Watching her fix the box and line it with another black bag— the way her movements were quick and sharp nearly gave him vertigo, but it’s her calm demeanor (as if doing everything from muscle memory, which was most likely the case) that causes all his hairs to stand. This...this was her true speciality, wasn’t it?

Still not being able to raise his head, he asked if his own clothes needed to be burned as well, but the kendo athlete reminded him of the suit’s hefty price tag, thus intended to send it back home to be thoroughly cleaned. However, in all her fretting of his needs the realization hits him,

“What about your clothes?”

“Please do not worry about that.”

“You just said we have to get rid of the stench, so do you have clothes of your own--”

“Young master. Please go bathe.” Her voice initially sounded strained, then slowed down as if she were controlling her breathing. Not only was this a part of her speciality, but it was clear she had a method for her work that she hadn’t been too keen on straying from-- it was the same inflexibility (one not so different from the blond) that would get her killed on Jabberwock Island. For all the exhaustion Fuyuhiko felt, Peko silently masked her oncoming mental fatigue whilst also trying to ignore the ton of guilt weighing on her. From her perspective, she had just failed for the second time in a row: first, by allowing Natsumi to die and second, by allowing Fuyuhiko to kill by himself. It was not as though she could rid herself of any culpability, because she has disobeyed him in the past for the “sake” of his protection. So why didn’t she refuse him now? He had instructed her to act as if they were fellow high school students, so she would have been well within her orders to randomly check on her-- if not as the young master’s sister, then as a member of the Kuzuryu family she was owed the respect of being welcomed. What made his order so particular this time around that she found herself unable to deny? To make matters even worse, she allowed him to sully his hands with death while she stood and watched the bat crack Sato’s skull open. If she were forced to make an excuse, then it was as if some external power prevented her from interfering. Maybe it was a part of her, the human part, that understood it had not been her place to interject-- that she knew him well enough to know this revenge and avenge was to quench his heart from the sorrow plaguing him. No, perhaps this humanity of hers knew from the very beginning that he would not have been satisfied if Sato died by anyone's hands but his own, so she took the extra precautions to protect him throughout the conspiracy. Taking this into account, it was only natural that the tool she considered herself to be would come into conflict with the meddlesome human she actually was.

As per usual, his movements drew her out of her spiraling thoughts; his stumbling did not go unnoticed, but before she could reach him to help stand, he had already taken the wash set, grabbed his nightwear, and headed towards the bathroom.

“There’s a washer-dryer set in this closet. Wash your clothes.” The door shut promptly behind him

Normally, it took him 15 minutes to get himself clean, but the falling of hot water on his back kept him in for five minutes longer. For five minutes longer, he mulled over his ambivalent thoughts— remembering how Sato’s face contorted into shock, and then overcame by dread and terror at the sight of him...it elevated him. The way she tried to run from him, but Peko threw her to the ground; kept down by an elbow between the shoulders, yet her head kept up by her hair. He’s never felt that kind of power: having everything and everyone in his control. For once, they feared him and not her. For once, someone begged at the feet for his mercy and not his father.

Did Natsumi beg for her life?

Was she afraid?

Did she call out for him?

Then came the boiling rage once again; the jarring reality that it didn’t matter if he killed one person or left an entire town to die, he still had to bury his little sister. He knew her death wasn’t his fault, he’s not that delusional, but he thinks he could have stopped it. If he stopped running away from being compared to her, would she still be alive? He could have been a better brother if he had not been such a damn child. Would she have come to him for her personal problems if he was? If he had convinced their father that she needed a bodyguard if only to keep her out of trouble would that have kept her safe? If he let Peko go check on her, she would still be here, wouldn’t she? He watched as the blood from his hand (there’s only a crack on the tiled wall) washed down the drain, and then turned the faucet off altogether. As he dried himself, he noticed the basket he left in the washroom before the shower had almost been emptied save for his underwear and socks. He only rolled his eyes at this; she did this every once in a while when they were at home, and he grew tired of chastising her to let the maids do their jobs. Fuyuhiko could not begin to understand why Peko did these silent and small acts for him-- her only “job” was to follow his commands; going beyond that just seemed unecessary. It only dumbfounded him more when he realized, at some point, that she’d done more for him in a single week than he’d seen his parents do for each other since he was born. Of course, it was twice as aggravating when she opposed him returning those small acts every once in a blue moon.

He exited the bathroom with his pajamas on and towel over his head as he found her meditating in the same clothes she arrived in. Everything around her had been prepared: the box of his clothes was closed ready to be sent home, the ‘burn bag’ was placed into her kendo duffel, and her black yukata was folded neatly next to her.

Truly, that was what a professional looked like.

“There’s an extra clean towel in the washroom. ‘Left the soap and shampoo inside the shower for you.”

“Thank you.” Her weakened voice does not go unnoticed by him-- in fact, much of her behavior and mannerisms are more observed than she thinks. Though Peko believed herself to have spoken in perfect monotone, Fuyuhiko was able to hear the falter in the middle syllables*. It had been easier for him to count the days they were separate than together, so it would be highly alarming if he couldn’t pick out some difference in her attitude. Of course, recognizing the problem and doing something about it were two different objectives; furthermore, doing the obvious by asking her what was wrong didn’t seem like the right answer either. How many times has she asked him, and he’d brush her off at best and yell at her ‘to leave him alone’ at worst. What right did he have to interrogate her when he wasn’t the talkative type himself**?

Besides, the yakuza heir knew the kendo athlete well enough to sense that she would also brush him off in return just so that he would not worry about her. In this regard, he understood how she felt: just like him, she hated when people fussed about her or gave her any more attention than what she could tolerate. Peko was simply better at masking her disdain than he was; not that Fuyuhiko tried, of course, but still better nevertheless. In fact, this had been one of the many traits they had in common; regardless of surface level differences, Peko and Fuyuhiko were more similar at heart and at will than other people, or themselves for that matter, tended to realize. It’s why they were able to coordinate manslaughter so well.

She cleared her throat which snapped him back to reality; it’s clear he had been staring at her for far too long causing her to become both concerned and uncomfortable. She tried not to express the latter, but, again, he’s well versed in her micro expressions.

“Is there something you need, sir?” Now it’s her turn to watch his movements as he made his way to his bedroom, hands fumbling with the towel still on his head as he slid it down to his neck.

“It’s nothing. Go bathe while the bathroom is still warm.” And with that she disappeared, the door shutting quietly behind her.

Fuyuhiko released a tense sigh as he sat heavily on his bed. He could feel the conflicting twitch of his nerves; his muscles ached now that the adrenaline passed, but the near state of silence save for the hum of the shower relaxed him. If he has access to a mass fortune (legality of said money’s source notwithstanding), he might as well spend it on a condo away from the loudmouths that inhabited the Hope’s Peak Academy student dorms. Slowly, he picked his feet up onto his bed and laid down on his pillow; it felt like his head would explode with all the pulsing in his veins.

2:20 AM.

In three and half more hours, he will be awake for twenty four hours— nothing unusual for him, but worth noting in silence.

He breathed.

Shuffling was heard in the background.

2:36 AM

Fuyuhiko was half asleep when Peko finished showering, and caught her trying to leave quietly. He slowly got up and made his way to lean on the doorframe, hand lazily stuck in his jinbei, and watched her. Despite all her yukatas being black, they had subdued patterns on each of them if one looked closely enough-- the blond was trying to discern whether it was her plain one or one that he bought her. He had gotten two of them for her birthday and Christmas last year, and all but screamed at her in an attempt to convince her to keep them.

He speaks up “That’s the birthday one, right? Your yukata.”

“Yes, it is. Thank you greatly once again.” With a towel in hand, she continuously wrung out the excess water out of her hair, “The material is incredibly comfortable and breathable.”

Recognizing his semi consciousness, Peko seemed more relaxed under his watch; though it wasn’t her place to understand, she remembered him doing this when they were children. On the worst days (i.e the patriarch and matriarch endangering his life during their fights), he would not fall asleep despite being put to bed first by the maids. Instead, he would watch her nestle into her spot beside him, and only then could he fall asleep. She just like then, she told him to put his worries aside, sleep for the rest of the night, and advised him to take today off as no one would dare pester him over his absence. Though, for as long and as well as she knew him, it was ironic how concerned Peko was for Fuyuhiko yet remained oblivious to his deeper troubles. It’s why she mistook the worry in his apprehension at her leaving for a sense of weariness and exhaustion to which she promised she’d quickly leave him to rest. Of course, her words only inflamed the expression on his face (that was not ironic, but instead typical) while his arms crossed in a defensive position.

Even if she knew her heart to be kind, she could not comprehend why that kindness would be extended to herself, a tool, and therefore she could not understand why he protested her leaving.

“I-It’s the middle of the night in Tokyo; there’s some pretty drunk bastard roaming out, no doubt.”

“I will avoid confrontation.”

“Didn’t you say the lock at the girls dormitory is super loud? Wouldn’t you cause a scene entering this late?”

“I can move quickly before I am spotted.”

“Gh-- Your hair is still wet, and then you’ll get sick dumbass!”

At this she looks at him directly with a raised brow, but he doesn’t meet her gaze. Her hand rested on the string of her sword bag, “Please do not worry me. I will be fine.”

He seemed to have no more arguments.

“Then, if there is nothing else you need of me, I shall leave you alone now.” Just as she headed to the door and reached for the handle, Peko paused. Perhaps what he needed now was...comfort, though the bodyguard is not confident enough in doing such a thing-- at least, not in the way he may need it, if at all. Who could fault her hesitation? The last time she tried to ease his worries she let too much of her own weakness show and it worsened the situation.

But if she could provide him some closure...

“What?”

Her posture straightens to face him, “Sato deserved to die-- no, she deserved a fate worse than death. Even Koizumi should...” She stabilizes her breath and unclenches her hand, “I digress. You did it: with your strength and your wits, you killed Sato. That being said, accepting the fact you’ve murdered another person is not without trouble. Regardless if they deserved to die or not, regardless of how strong or skilled you are, regardless of premeditation or in the heat of the moment. Someone’s blood is now personally on your hands.”

“And there’s going to be more in the future.”

“Yes...I suppose that is inevitable. Please forgive my impudence, young master. Sleep well.”

Just like that she messed up again; she wonders when she’ll learn to just keep her mouth shut instead of trying to comfort him...or whatever that pathetic display of encouragement-- if one could call it that. Peko reckons that life would be easier for the both of them if she were a simple yes man. As per usual, being so wrapped in her worries of offending him she failed to perceive the true problem he was facing at hand. When the yakuza heir said there would be more bloodshed, he did not intend to brush her off, but meant that the responsibility and weight of killing was something he needed to adjust to sooner rather than later. Of course, his usual poor communication which fought with a trepidation he tried to hide from her did nothing to help her understanding.

Sometimes, Fuyuhiko forgets that Peko isn’t a mind reader, so there’s no possible way she would know he feared losing her the same way he lost Natsumi if she walked out the door this instance unless he spoke bluntly.

“Stay with me.”

The blond wasn’t sure if the words even left his mouth, and if they did he had not been sure if she heard him. Even though he had always been told to command her, he could never bring himself to do it-- there schools lives notwithstanding as he convinced himself it was for both of their sakes. It wasn’t like Peko’s...circumstances were unique to her; in fact, there were plenty of subordinates throughout the gang who shared her position, her ‘status’ as an object. The self-justified feudal system the clan upheld made bile rise to his throat each time he thought about it. Fuyuhiko has witnessed firsthand the horrid treatment of those people (tools, as they were denoted): the fear in their eyes, the way their bodies are thrown like rag dolls, and the absolute aura despair surrounding them. He doesn’t want that for Peko, he doesn’t want her to be his victim anymore than she already is.

In the end, it seemed that she did hear him, but not in the way he expected when she kneels with her back to the door placing her shinai on her lap.

“I don’t mean guard my door. I meant that I want you to spend the night with me.”

So much for speaking bluntly.

“Young master...?”

“Fucking hell-- look, what I meant was,” He exhales forcibly, “What I mean is...remember when we were really small, and I had those shit fucking nightmares? How I wouldn’t sleep until you climbed into bed next to me?”

He relaxed when he saw her relax.

“I understand.”

He speaks slowly hoping to regain some composure, “I know this kind of thing is inappropriate even if we’ve done it already. I-I mean, we’re high school students now, ya know? Even if it’s just sharing the same bed space, this isn’t something teenagers should be doing. But I...I just--”

“It’s fine. You do not have to explain yourself to me.”

“So you’re okay with doing it? Sh-Sharing the bed, I mean. And don’t say just yes because I asked you, got it?!”

For the third time, “I understand.”

Now it was Fuyuhiko’s turn to overthink their conversation; he knew neither of them were the ‘heart on the sleeve’ types, but he wonders how much exactly she keeps to herself. Whether she thinks him pathetic or weak, but wouldn’t dare tell him directly to his face. Whether she truly hated his existence, and put on a front because she had no other choice. Theoretically speaking, it was a silly thought to worry about. He knew she all but worshiped the floor he walked on-- excused his behavior when it shouldn’t have been excused, took all the cursing he threw at her without blinking, and so on and so forth. But knowing all this and hearing her curt responses did nothing to ease the tension of his nerves.

If Peko thought him incompetent, was there truly any hope for him?

It doesn’t take him long to set up a makeshift divide on his queen size mattress with an extra pair of flat sheets. Fuyuhiko was in bed before Peko as the latter made sure to lock the door; just like earlier, all he could do was watch her move about doing her own security check. He doesn’t think he’d ever find a justifiable reason for all his starring-- perhaps hypnotism would be the closest explanation. She does everything from opening and closing the window (checking it’s bullet resistance and angles for assassins, no doubt) to leaving the room to make sure the front door and balcony door were properly locked. When she returned, Peko looked over the bedroom; with a small sigh, it seemed her rigid inspection was finally finished.

Seconds after this, the lights were turned off as now the soft glow of his bedside lamps filled their portion of the room. The mattress dipped when she sat down, and Fuyuhiko heard the faint sound of the silver haired girl fixing her bamboo sword between the bed frame and the nightstand. Her glasses were the last to leave her body, and joined the lamp on said stand. However, before she could lay down Fuyuhiko stopped her with a sudden jolt that even caught her off guard. The yakuza heir reached under the pillow to find the tanto knife he always kept hidden. She had lent it to him long before they arrived at Hope’s Peak Academy— when they went to different high schools; if she were to be separated from him, then at least he could use it to defend himself. Obviously, there were no qualms of ‘packing’ in the estate, but no one bothered to give him a weapon in the first place-- he even had to use part of his allowance to buy his favorite brass knuckles. The clan members assumed with her by his side she was the only weapon he would use. Nevertheless, there had been a sense of satisfaction for Peko that he had kept it with him for the past two years. She had selected the knife from her collection based on what she assessed of his skills and strength. Once he placed the weapon beneath his pillow, their bodies collapsed on top of the blankets— each letting out an exhaustive sigh. It was the kind of exhaustion that made it impossible to sleep despite a long day of physical labor. Neither of them could be bothered to switch off the lamps, so they laid in silence for a few moments, eyes facing the smooth ceiling above them.

“Hey, Peko. My bad for cutting you off like and saying shit like that.”

Peko was never sure how to take his apologies; she was not the type to hold grudges, and she had never done so with him. They were unnecessary, as she thinks she would forgive him no matter what he does (to her or otherwise). Therefore, she took a moment to choose her words carefully; perhaps if their relationship were better, she would be able to speak more comfortably around him.

“You needn’t apologize. You are correct: once you ascend to your role as the patriarch, you will have even more enemies.” Her tone becomes more assertive, “Rest assured, I will be the one to dirty my hands and cut them down if they oppose you.”

“I still should let you speak.” He stared back at the ceiling, “You said something like that before, ‘Someone’s blood is my hand now’. What were you gonna say after that?”

“Simply...that it would be wise to detach yourself from what you’ve done. Regret is futile, but to associate this with any kind of pleasure is dangerous as well. If you let Sato haunt you it will be as if you never killed her at all.”

“I-Is that what you do?”

Peko eyes darted across the roof above them as if looking for something that wasn’t there. She was a child the last time she gave too much thought into her first assassination; she’s more ashamed for allowing her emotions to seep through than the killing itself.

“I don’t feel anything when I do. Not anymore.”

“When was the first time,” Why does he keep pushing her about this, “That you killed someone?”

How could she forget, “When Mr.Hiromitsu notified Lord Raiden that his team identified our kidnappers, I was instructed to dispose of them.”

He could only stare horrified at her. How does one respond to that? To be told that the person laying next to you, who you grew up with and were closer to anyone else in this world, had been turned into a murder at the age of six. He knew his father wasn’t a saint and in fact might have been the devil himself, but there was something particularly putrid about involving children with his bloodthirst. What was the point of having a code if the boundaries were blurred altogether? Sure, Peko had stained her hands with blood now, but what was his father hoping to accomplish by sending her out to do something so dangerous at the age of six? What if Peko failed and died? Did his father, or his mother for that matter, think they could just replace her without him noticing or caring? His parents should be smarter than that. His parents should know...

He might have been foolish enough to fear her as children, but they should have known how worse everything would have turned out if they let her die.

“Young master, I am sorry for my failures on that day.” Her voice brought him back before he spiralled into an abyss.

“Huh?! Peko, what the hell are you talking about? We’re both still alive ‘cause you were the only one who had any sense left.”

The swordswoman sat up, feet swinging onto the floor— he couldn’t see the expression she was making, but he didn’t need to know she was blaming herself. Again.

“My inability to control my emotions worsened our predicament. If I had controlled myself as I was supposed to,” Her fingers gripped the yukata, red eyes dulled and downcasted, “Then perhaps we would have returned to the manor sooner. If I kept my head clear…it is my fault we were lost in those woods for so long.”

He quickly sat up, “Peko, we were six! I’m pretty fuckin’ sure any normal six year old-- hell, any normal person would have also been scared out their fuckin’ wits. Weren’t you just on my case about letting shit go?”

“That is…” What he didn’t expect was for her to turn to him with a pained expression; somewhere along the lines of pleading, regret, and shame all bundled into eyes that once, unwillingly, struck fear into him, “I’m...not...a normal person, I’m-- I am my young master’s tool, a tool to protect you and to kill for you. That is my only purpose. I should never make you doubt your safety. This also means that I must protect what is precious to you, and Lady Natsumi...if I were not so useless she would still be alive and you would not have dirtied your hands.”

It returned again: the heavy feeling in his chest that was filled with remorse and his self-loathing. He knew she was right, but not in the way she thought. How many times had he pushed for her to be independent of him, to express her opinions and insight? Then, the one time she did as he asked he proceeded to not only dismiss her altogether, but brushed off her rightful concerns for Natsumi’s adjustment into Hope’s Peak. He knew his sister better than anyone, knew the type of trouble she would get into in a normal high school; sure she could throw her weight around ordinary bastards, but this school had its fair share of freaks and superhumans. He also knew that she had Peko run her a few favors (both normal and yakuza related), so it would only be natural for the swordswoman to investigate her transfer even if had no desire of doing so.

“You...you can’t blame yourself; you were just following my orders. Natsumi was my responsibility and mine alone, and I fucked it up by not checking in on her.”

But Peko, as stubborn as Fuyuhiko, would not hear it.

“Sir, you mustn’t blame yourself. If I were a tool capable of being trusted, then I am sure your orders would have been different.”

“Why don’t you get it already? Out of everyone in this world, you’re the only person I can trust. Everyone else is willing to kill me without a second thought.” It felt like he was suffocating, “You’re always putting my life first with no damn regard to your own. You're not invincible, Peko!”

“That is exactly why I intend to fulfill my purpose as your tool until I am a corpse at your feet.”

“Goddamnit, we are done with that crap!” He’s grateful that the room was sound proof, “I don’t want a tool! Tools can’t die. They become dull, they break, and you replace them, but they definitely cannot die. If some fucking rotten cunt smashed your skull in you’d die!”

“I-I wouldn’t let that happen, I assure--!”

Peko’s eyes widened when he suddenly gripped her shoulders; shaking her not violently, but almost desperately as if she would have disappeared into thin air if he didn’t cling onto her that very moment. She had not realized the full look of anxiety and fear on his face until she fully met his stare for the first time that night.

“But you can’t know that,” His voice broke, “You can’t possibly fucking know that! What the hell’s the point if you’re dead?! Natsumi thought she was untouchable, that’s why she was all starting shit with everyone around her. And now what? Now we have to cremate her.”

Finally, his guard breaks and he rests his forehead on her shoulder,

“So, please...stop saying you’ll protect me until the day you die. I don’t...you can’t expect to keep going with whatever life you give me. It’s not worth it, because if I have to bury you too—”

“...Young master?” Peko remained as still as she could; his voice was so weak that she feared he’d fade away from existence if she made any sudden movements. He was so close to her she was sure he could hear, if not feel, her erratic heartbeat-- not that he fared any better than her at the moment, of course. Since neither were the hugging type (at least not openly), the silver haired girl thought to support him through a light touch on his arms.

“Please don’t leave me. I’m so afraid. I can’t do this on my own, Peko, I need you.”

Suddenly, his confession sparked a fundamental shift within the two. From her shoulders, Fuyuhiko’s hands now clung onto the fabric of her back leaning into her more, and Peko welcomed him without a second thought. Relying more on her instincts, one arm supported his weight while her other hand rested below the nape of his neck. An outsider looking in may think it a fond scene: two high school sweethearts expressing their love for another in the middle of the night. However, that sort of naivety could only last so long. What the outsider misunderstood was their embrace had not stemmed from affection or intimacy, but possession and obsession as they clung to one another.

In other words

“I will never leave your side, young master. There is no other place for me than by your side. If you wish for me to stay next to you for all eternity then that is where I shall stay no matter what. Even if the world turns upside down, I will stay beside you.”

“Good.” He pries away from shoulder just to meet her ever intensive stare; it doesn’t affect him anymore (he welcomes it), “Peko, from now on it’s just you and me. Not as master and tool...just together, okay? We live together and we die together.”

“Then let us die of old age and nothing else.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Finally, they laid down embracing each other and fell asleep.

———

#kuzupeko #peko pekoyama #fuyuhiko kuzuryu #pekoyama peko #kuzuryu fuyuhiko #kuzupeko fanfic #danganronpa #danganronpa 3 #danganronpa anime

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stxphxn-strange · 4 years

Text

i want to start posting from my ironstrange college au (remember the makeup fic i posted in like november? i’ll link it below but it’s from that verse) so! let me explain it:

reminder that this is an au and it’s my au, so i decide how this all goes!

Ships:

IronStrange (duh)

ThorBruce

Valcarol

Sambucky

Christine x Hope Van Dyne* (this gets complicated)

Eventual Pristine

Past Stony, Past Stucky

(Lowkey I’m also figuring out if Rhodey x T’challa could be a ship? they both seem too independent but i also might add it in)

Character Notes:

Tony deliberately never specifies if he prefers to go by Anthony or Tony. People call him both, or also his friends call him Ant. Stephen does not/has never called him Tony, he’s always known him as Anthony.

Happy just tends to go by H or Harry (anyone who calls him Harold receives a death glare, but as a joke Rhodey got him a T-shirt and the pattern is just name tags that say “hello my name is Harold.”)

Rhodey just goes by Rhodey bc Tony *insisted* that all their friends call him that and plus he doesn’t hate the nickname.

Natasha is part of this but she doesn’t go to school with the rest of the group. She’s Tony’s half sister and is the biological daughter of Maria Stark and her best friend. She lives in Italy with some of Tony’s extended family and her bio dad. Few people know of her existence, or they know her as Maria’s niece (for her own protection). It doesn’t rly matter that Howard has no idea who she rly is, he wasn’t with her the entire time Maria was pregnant w Natasha bc she was in Italy (and brought Tony with her)

Roommates:

- Tony and Rhodey are roommates, and they live two floors above the four suitemates. The four suitemates are: Christine and Pepper (who share a room) and Stephen and Wong (who share the other room) despite that, the six of them tend to move fluidly in between both spaces.

- Hela and Carol

- Val and Hope

- Thor and T’challa (Bruce spends a lot of time w them)

- Bruce, Sam, and Loki (as chaotic as it sounds btw)

- Bucky and Happy, who I’ve decided are very close. (btw nobody particularly enjoys the fact that Sam and Bucky live next door to each other, when they’re Busy their roommates can be found w Stephen and Co. or one of the other Odinson siblings).

Friend Groups (note: people overlap/belong to multiple groups, this is also not the full list bc that could go on for a long time):

- The Main Six: Tony, Rhodey, Stephen, Wong, Christine, and Pepper.

- Team Big Brain: Tony, Bruce, Stephen, Hope, Carol, Christine, and Bucky.

- Doctors: Stephen, Tony, Christine, and Bruce.

- Dumbass Protection Squad: Hela, T’Challa, Carol, Happy, Rhodey, and Pepper (usually).

- Psych Majors: Pepper, Wong, T’Challa and Loki.

- Stark Industries: Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy.

- People who Like Astrology: Loki, Bucky, Val, sometimes Christine.

Storylines (There’s no established time frame for this really, but it doesn’t follow mcu canon or any canon):

- Stephen and Tony are lifelong friends. They met on the first day of kindergarten and went to school together in NY (where both their families lived at the time) until middle school. For unspecified reasons, Stephen’s parents opted to move the Strange family to Nebraska before the start of 6th grade. Stephen and Tony were Devastated but were already inseparable at that point and stayed in touch. A business opportunity moved the Starks from NY to California. Stephen stayed in Nebraska for high school but Tony’s parents sent him to boarding school (read: Howard sent him away to avoid having to actually parent, and he thought he was lifting a burden from Maria. This was Not The Case, as she loved her son dearly and would call him everyday. Tony appreciated this more than he ever thought possible.)

- Howard and Stane viewed boarding school as a chance to groom Tony into something malleable and submissive enough to take orders from anyone. His obvious feelings for Stephen (with whom he was still incredibly close) were a Great Concern, so the executive decision was made to set Tony up with Steve Rogers, a blond athlete from his school. It was a way to keep Tony’s sexuality controlled, and Howard didn’t think Stephen was anywhere close to the level he wanted Tony to be (of course, Howard didn’t think his son lived up to his expectations anyway. It was more about control). On the surface, Steve was sweet and everything you could want in a partner, and he even charmed Maria into liking him. She genuinely believed he’d be a good match for her son, so it hurt when she found out what he was really like. Rhodey was Tony’s boarding school roommate for all four (4) years. They met and hit it off overnight, Rhodey instantly feeling brotherly love and the need to protect Tony (or “Tones” as he called him. Rhodey is usually the only one to call him that). Rhodey and Steve did Not see eye to eye on anything, least of all how Tony should be treated. Steve was terrible to him, and Rhodey’s heart broke when Tony admitted he was too scared to break up with him.

- Reenter Stephen. After a particularly bad day, Tony called Maria and Stephen sobbing, missing the two (2) people he talked to more than anyone except maybe Rhodey. It was then he confessed what kind of boyfriend Steve was, and Maria gasped before saying, “Dump him. Let me handle the rest.” That very day, Stephen left school early and traveled to see Tony. It was 2am when he finally arrived, throwing rocks at the window and then scaling the side of the building once he had Tony’s attention. Stephen and Rhodey met the next morning, when Rhodey came back from classes and found his roommate asleep him.

- “So you’re the one who climbed in through my window,” Rhodey said. “For a good reason, I assume.” Stephen confessed it was because he loved Tony and wanted to be there for him, didn’t want him to hurt. (It’s fair to say, though, that Stephen visited before/Tony went to visit him, and they’d spent secret time together over the summers). Tony, believing himself incapable of love, didn’t reject Stephen’s confession but assumed it was only love between friends. The summer before they all left for college (Rhodey, originally from Texas, was also going to school in NY with Tony and Stephen. NY was a big part of who they both were, and they both dreamed of studying there together), they finally started dating at Maria Stark’s motherly demand.

- This demand came a short time before Howard and Maria died, and it also came with admissions of guilt and lots of tears. “I was wrong about Rogers,” she said. “You don’t have to accept what I say or forgive me, but I know Stephen is the right one for you. I think I’ve always known.” (No shit, everyone knew) Knowong she was genuinely sorry, Tony forgave her not knowing that she would die a few months later.

- Most of this canon I’ve created takes place starting in their junior year of college, so everyone has gotten to know each other quite well. I’m sure the more I write from this the more I’ll flesh out relationships between certain characters, but one I want to mention is that Tony and Bucky are very close and co-presidents of the “I Dumped Steve Rogers for Peace of Mind” club. Steve goes to college in the next state/a little further north (that’s as specific as it’ll get for now) and dated Bucky the group’s freshman year. Tony didn’t know any of this until Bucky brought him over one day, and after they (Tony and Bucky) had a talk about the way Steve is as a partner, Bucky realized some things and dumped Steve. He remains angry at them both, especially Tony, from a short distance away which terrifies Tony.

- Sam and Bucky kissed for the first time at a truth or dare night Thor and T’Challa hosted in the group’s sophomore year. After they kissed (Sam initiated) they both shyly admitted feelings for each other.

*Now here’s where things get a little dicey. I started this au with Christine and Hope together for no particular reason, maybe they were on a club sports team together and started dating from there? But Pepper fell in love w Christine at first sight, and it got worse and worse the more they got to know each other. Much like Stephen and Tony, they’re the kind of people who meet each other and just click, even if the eventual path to Pristine involves lots of tears and jealousy for Pepper that Stephen never really experienced. He didn’t feel jealous of Tony and Steve’s relationship, because he wasn’t at boarding school with Tony and there wasn’t much he could do. But as a supportive and concerned (and honest but kind) friend, he was always encouraging and there to listen to Tony. Is Pepper going to be as good of a friend to Christine as Stephen was to Tony while Christine gets ready to marry Hope after undergrad??? that’s the question my forthcoming college au fic will answer.

Also mentioned in my forthcoming fic (which I’m still writing rn)

- post undergrad Wong works as a museum director/curator (havent decided yet, maybe he works his way up the ranks) and double majored in psych and history.

- Stephen, Tony, Happy, Rhodey, and Wong all live together and the rest of the group lives around NYC.

- Stephen, Christine, and Bruce (The Doctor friend group) are all pursuing medical degrees while the SI friend group is transforming the company completely.

++++

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk! Congrats on reading all the way to the end lmao. I second guessed posting this a lot but then i remembered that it’s mine and I’m just sharing pre-fic thoughts lol. Thanks for reading/for your support of my work y’all!

Read the makeup fic (it doesn’t have a title) here.

💜💜💜💜

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theultimatefanficwriter · 4 years

Note

Ahhh, can I request a scenario for Gundham trying to comfort his girlfriend after a particularly draining trial when she’s out of it?? I only recently got into Danganronpa and found this blog and I’m in love 🥰

Heck yeah I love Gundham! I’m glad you like my blog! Thank you for the request!

Even a Queen Must Rest-Gundham Tanaka x Reader

You were not ok.

Your best friend on this island, Ibuki Mioda, was just found dead. And to make matters worse, your boyfriend, Gundham Tanaka, was the prime suspect.

"I am telling you fiends, it is not me!" Gundham snapped, glaring at the others who were giving him suspicious looks.

"It's not Gundham!" You agreed. "He would never kill Ibuki!"

"I concur! Gundham cannot be the culprit!" Your other best friend, Sonia Nevermind, spoke up. Gundham gave the both of you grateful looks.

"But the evidence lines up for it to be him!" Kazuichi rebutted. "Ibuki was strangled, and Gundham's scarf was found at the crime scene!"

"I have already informed you that my protective neck wear had gone missing from my quarters at the start of the day." The breeder snapped at the mechanic, crossing his arms. "It is quite possible that a mortal familiar with picking or breaking locks could have snuck into my residence and stolen my beloved scarf."

"But we have no way of confirming that the scarf was really missing, do we?" Kaz pressed.

You rolled your eyes. "He was seen without it the entire day, you idiot!" You spat. "And would he really be so stupid as to leave his scarf there in plain sight if he really was the killer?"

"I mean, yes? Probably." Kazuichi shrugged. "I dunno, he never struck me as that smart."

"But Mr. Hamster Man doesn't have an alibi either!" Hiyoko changed the subject in order to keep the trial going. "He wasn't with anyone at that loud mouth's time of death, not even his slut!"

"Refrain from calling my queen such names if you wish to keep your tongue." Your boyfriend threatened. "And although it is true I do not have an alibi, it is because I was busy searching for San-D, as she had vanished."

"My, you seem to be losing quite a few things today." Nagito mused, leaning forward on his podium. "Hopefully you won't be causing us to lose this trial because of it."

"If Gundham was searching for his hamster around all the islands, surely someone had to have seen him at some point, right?" Hajime questioned, ignoring Nagito. He glanced around the trial room looking for any type of response.

Gundham copied him, and was beginning to get worried until Mikan spoke up. "Oh! W-wait, I think I r-remember something!"

His gaze shot over to her. "Yes? What is it, spit it out!"

The nurse squeaked and hid behind her hair. "Eek! I-I'm sorry! I'll speak f-faster!" She looked between everyone as she continued. "I-I was walking around the beach when I thought I saw Gundham's h-hairstyle in the distance. As I kept walking, I was sure it was him from his clothes, th-though I didn't see his scarf, which I thought was odd. B-before I could say anything he ran away, and I k-kinda forgot about it."

"Around what time was this, Mikan?" Hajime asked her.

The shy girl put a finger to her chin as she thought. "U-um. Around 10:35, I think?"

Gundham, Sonia, and yourself let out a loud sigh of relief. "That's five minutes after the time of death." You pointed out. "And unless Gundham has some sort of super speed, there's no way he could get from the music venue to the beach in five minutes."

Kazuichi's eyes widened, and you noticed he began to sweat. "I-it's still possible!" He insisted.

"Why are you so insistent on pinning me as the killer, Kazuichi?" Gundham demanded, glaring at the mechanic.

"You're the only lead we have!" Souda exclaimed. "If it's not you, then who is it?!"

"Hey, does anybody else think it's weird that the speakers in the music venue were fixed?" Chiaki said suddenly. "When Ibuki had her concert the day before, didn't one of them break?"

"Yeah, I fixed it. So?" Kazuichi shrugged.

Your eyes narrowed. "When did you have the time?" You asked him.

Kaz stiffened and turned to look at you. "Wh-what?"

"When did you have the time to fix the speaker?" You repeated. "It couldn't have been the night of Ibuki's concert. You left as soon as it was over. And you were seen with Sonia until 10:00 today, when you said you had to go do something."

The whole room went quiet.

"I-it's not what you think!" Kazuichi shook his head and waved his hands wildly, sweat pouring down his face. "I-I just fixed it sometime today!"

"Why would you fix the speaker during a murder investigation?" Hajime questioned, narrowing his eyes at the freaked out mechanic.

"T-tinkering with stuff helps me calm down!" Kaz claimed. "S-seriously, if you guys are trying to say it's me, it's not!"

Suddenly Jum-P popped out of Gundham's scarf and jumped across the podium until he reached Souda's. When he was there he climbed up the mechanic's jumpsuit and picked at it. Kazuichi yelped and brushed at the hamster, but it only made it's way back to Gundham. Safely back in his master's hands, the breeder inspected what his Deva had given him. "It seems Jum-P has given us a new clue." The Overlord of Ice informed the others. He held something up with his fingers, and Kazuichi looked about ready to run away.

It was a piece of purple cloth. The same cloth from Gundham's scarf.

"I-I have no idea how that got on my jumpsuit!" Souda insisted. "It's not me! I didn't kill Ibuki! I'm not a murderer!"

Hajime did his thing, explaining how it went down and why. Apparently Ibuki had asked Kazuichi the night of the concert to ask him to fix the speaker the next day, to which he agreed to. He then got an idea of how to kill someone, and frame his "love rival", Gundham. He used his tools to break Gundham's lock while he was asleep and stole his scarf and San-D as a way to keep Gundham busy, then fixed the lock. He then met with Ibuki and fixed the speaker. Then when her back was turned, he strangled her with the breeder's scarf, leaving it behind as evidence.

Everyone voted for him, and he was executed. You all shambled your way to the elevator and made your way to your homes. Normally you would have said something to Gundham, but you felt dead inside. You had no energy. You walked past everyone, including him, as you entered your home.

You fell asleep immediately.

The next morning you woke up to a loud pounding on your door. You blinked open your eyes groggily as you rubbed them. You slowly threw your legs over the side of your bed and tiredly made your way to the door. When you opened it, you saw a very concerned looking Gundham. When he saw you, relief filled his face. "Oh thank the Gods!" He breathed before pulling you into a tight embrace.

You squeaked in surprise. "G-Gundham!" You exclaimed. "Did something happen?"

He pulled away, holding your hand. "When you did not arrive to our morning meal I became concerned, my love. I was worried something awful had happened to you."

You furrowed your brow. "Morning meal...Gundham, the morning announcement hasn't even happened yet."

Your boyfriend looked at you quizzically. "My Goddess...The cursed bear made his announcement nearly an hour and a half ago."

Your eyes widened. "...What?" When Gundham nodded, you rubbed your eyes and shook your head. "I...I slept through that loud announcement?"

"You must be truly exhausted to have slumbered through such a loud call." Gundham mused, looking at you worriedly. He grabbed your hand and gently led you into your room, closing the door behind him. He walked over to your bed and sat on it, you doing the same. He wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you into his side. "I assume your current state is due to the events of the previous night?" Gundham asked.

You nodded as you laid your head on your boyfriend's shoulder. "I...I lost Ibuki. And Kazuichi tried to frame you!" You wrapped your arms around him tightly. "I fought with all I had to prove you innocent, because I know you would never kill somebody." You let out a long sigh. "I guess it used up all my energy."

The breeder looked down at you sadly and ran his fingers through your hair. "My darling queen." He whispered, pulling you into his chest with his other arm. "You did an excellent job last night. One could never have guessed you used even a fourth of your power, you held yourself as proudly as a queen should!"

You blushed slightly and chuckled softly. "Th-thanks, Gundham." You smiled. "Though it honestly didn't feel that way. It was taking all I had not to faint in the middle of the trial. Just the thought of those idiots voting wrong and causing us all to die was stressing me out so much." You closed your eyes as he nuzzled into your boyfriend's chest. "Even now, I'm so exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for years."

Gundham placed a light kiss on the top of your head. "My beautiful angel of darkness." He murmured softly. "You have no need to fear. None of those pathetic mortals could ever stand a chance against your brilliance." He let out a sigh. "And as much as it annoys me to admit this, the one with an unknown talent, the ever slumbering demoness, and to some degree the lucky one have yet to fail us, and have proven their intelligence at every turn."

You giggled softly at Gundham's speech, though even your laugh was halfhearted due to your lack of energy. "Yeah, without them we probably would have died at that first trial." As you thought about that, your exhaustion suddenly doubled, causing you to go limp in Gundham's arms.

Your boyfriend's eyes widened. "You are in a much worse condition than I originally perceived, my love!" He gently laid you down on the bed. "You must stay here and rest until you are well again." He stood and turned to leave.

You reached out a grabbed his hand, though your arm felt extremely heavy. "Wait...stay with me." You pleaded.

He turned to you and smiled sweetly. He bent down and swept a strand of hair from your face before placing a kiss on your forehead. "Do not fret, my angel. I am simply returning to the banquet hall to retrieve you your morning meal. I will return and stay with you while you recharge."

Your heart fluttered, and you nodded happily, placing your arm back beside you. "...thank you, Gundy." You murmured. You still weren't quite used to how much he cared about you.

Gundham blushed slightly at the name. He nodded and placed one last kiss on your forehead before turning and exiting your cabin.

As the door closed behind him, you smiled to yourself. You felt so lucky to have him. He was so sweet and protective of you. It made you feel so safe. You let out a happy sigh as you shut your eyes.

What felt like just seconds later, your door opened, and you blinked your eyes open to see Gundham carrying a tray of waffles, eggs and bacon over to you. "I am sorry it took so long, my love. I am afraid I got caught in an argument with the lucky one." Gundham apologized as he sat next to you, placing the tray beside you.

"Nagito?" You raised a brow as you pulled yourself to a sitting position. "What did you argue about?"

Gundham sighed and crossed his arms, watching you as you picked up the fork and took a bite of eggs. "I am afraid it was over you, my dark queen."

You looked up at him, surprised. "Me?! What about me?"

"The interaction started innocent enough." Gundham explained. "He asked where you were, and I explained you were feeling ill." The breeder scowled. "That pest then had the gall to assume you were faking your illness! He stated you could be attempting to lull us to a state of security before you strike." He looked into your eyes, and you could see the anger in them. "He even had the nerve to insinuate that I would be your target."

Your eyes widened at that, and you choked on the apple juice you had been drinking. Gundham looked to you concerned, but you waved him off. After coughing for a moment, you spun your head to look at him. "He said what?!" You exclaimed. "G-Gundham, I would never-!"

"Relax, my Queen." Gundham reached forward and caressed your face. "Do not fret. I am aware the deranged one's words are not to be trusted." He smiled lovingly at you. "You would never harm me, I know this." You gave him a relieved smile and relaxed at his touch. The breeder used his other hand to sweep a strand of hair behind your ear. "That is when it became an argument. I defended your honor, yet he simply 'warned' me to be wary of you." Gundham scoffed before pulling you into a gentle kiss.

You melted into the kiss immediately, placing the tray of food to the side in order for you to lean further into your boyfriend's touch. "I would never hurt you, Gundham." You muttered. "I feel important around you. I feel...strong." You smiled up at him, the light in your eyes returning slightly. "Even now, I feel a little bit stronger just by being next to you."

Gundham chuckled and ran his fingers through your hair. "You are important, dearest one. I am simply helping you realize your true worth." He kissed you again, then pulled away, a soft smile on his lips. He looked at you for a while, simply caressing your face, until he finally pulled back and handed you the tray once more. "As much as I would love to gaze at your beauty, you really must eat, my dark queen."

You smiled and nodded, continuing to eat the food before you. With each bite and caring look from Gundham you could feel your strength returning to you. Eventually you had finished eating. As you placed the empty tray to the side, you felt much better. You looked over to Gundham, who was simply watching you with a love struck smile. It made you giggle. You moved closer to him and wrapped your arms arms his neck. "I feel much better, my Dark Lord." You murmured.

He chuckled and rubbed your sides gently. "I am most please to hear that, my Dark Queen." He tilted your head up, and your eyes met. You grinned and leaned up, connecting your lips in a passionate kiss. You felt him smirk as he pulled you close against him. "I shall always be here for you, Y/N, my beloved. Whether it be for protection, or to help you recuperate, I shall never leave your side." He muttered into your lips.

You smiled happily as you deepened the kiss. "Nor I yours, my King of Darkness."

#danganronpa #danganronpa 2 #danganronpa gundham #gundham tanaka #fanfic #fanfiction #x reader #reader #request

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waejinyoung · 3 years

Text

Can’t Swim - EP . 8

Can’t Swim 8

word count: 3.2k+

a/n: you might be questioning where I have been for the past couple of months. I have one word to say that should be a good enough answer. College. I’ve been studying none stop and found no time to write the next episode after university started. The posts will no longer be regular so just keep yourselves updated. Hopefully I will have another 2 episodes up between now and the end of the year at least but don’t quote me on that. I hope you enjoy!

I’m deeply sorry for my absence again x

warnings: nothing

EP . 1 , EP . 2 , EP . 3 , EP . 4 , EP . 5 , EP . 6 , EP . 7 , EP . 8 , EP . 9

THIRD PERSON POV

The afternoon continued with Y/N and Jinyoung discussing life and getting to know one another whilst Y/N replied to her emails.

“It’s mind b-boggling how you and J-Jackson may have crossed paths back in 2012…” Y/N had just mentioned how she was training for the London 2012 Olympics to compete for swimming.

“Similar to Jackson, I switched career paths and decided to study architecture. Dad wasn’t the biggest fan until he saw the passion and success I had gained in the industry. He soon came to terms with everything.”

“Wow… do you r-regret it at all?” The clock marked 10:30 pm. You guys had been talking for the past 90 mins, getting to know each other.

“I think I regretted not swimming after deciding to study architecture. I didn’t choose to not compete in the Olympics because I no longer liked swimming so I do regret not continuing although I must say, studying architecture might be the most time consuming degree out there. That’s why later on I decided to apply to become a licensed swimming teacher to undergo lessons. I’d be teaching people how to swim whilst fulfilling my love for swimming.”

“Best of both w-worlds, r-right?”

“Exactly.” Y/N had now placed all her work to aside with her back against the wall, legs crossed enveloped into the conversation.

Some seconds went by and Y/N wanted to know about Jinyoung’s initial dreams.

“What about you? Did you always want to be a singer?”

“Always. I took up d-dance lessons when I was around 15. Then went to a-audition and got in to JYPE. That was when I met J-Jaebeom. We actually d-debuted together as a d-duo group called JJProject to later on d-debut with the r-rest of the g-guys as GOT7. Since t-then they’ve been my f-family rather than just my m-members. I think it’s g-getting to the p-point where I might have spent m-more years of my l-life with them then I did without. Time flies…”

“I could definitely sense the brotherly love you guys all have for each other. So how did becoming an actor happen?”

“I r-requested from the c-company to find roles I could take part in a couple years b-back. First it was small roles in small d-dramas and then being c-casted by more known d-directors to p-play bigger roles. All of that has l-led me to play s-second male lead for ‘When My Love Blooms’.”

“When do the episodes start airing?” Y/N had grown eager about Jinyoung’s talents.

“Hold your h-horses… we haven’t e-even started f-filming yet and won’t be until I r-recover… The original airing d-dates will probably be p-pushed f-further.” Jinyoung’s words drifted into a sudden realisation for his career.

“If only-“ Y/N was about to blame herself again.

“We’ve been through this m-multiple times Y/N. None of this is your f-fault so s-stop blaming yourself for t-things you have no c-control over.”

Y/N had her mouth open ready to retaliate but if she had to be honest… she couldn’t be bothered to fight back considering it was now coming up to 11:00 pm.

“Fine.” Y/N yawned and covered her mouth. Work had been extremely busy today especially with all the news floating around now.

“S-someone’s tired.” Jinyoung eyed Y/N’s tired state and decided to call it a night.

“I still have so much to do. I can’t fall asleep now.”

“C-could you n-not spare an e-early n-night just for t-today?” Y/N recollected her thoughts weighing up if she could possibly sleep early tonight and get all the work done tomorrow.

“I could…”

“Problem s-solved then. Clear up your b-bed and get your pjs on. I d-don’t want to f-face a t-tired Y/N tomorrow m-morning.” Y/N eyed your mean comment and huffed to your orders.

“Yes, sir.”

2 WEEKS LATER

Y/N’s POV

“Miss, Jinyoung has been recovering quicker than expected. He should be perfectly fine to attend the event. If anything unsettling happens you can give me a direct phone call.”

“Thank you so much Doc.” You gave the doctor a large smile and she reciprocated a reassuring smile.

You entered Jinyoung’s room with your outfit for the architecture awards festival along with you.

“Am I allowed to come?” Jinyoung asked as soon as you entered the room. You gave him a nod.

Jinyoung’s voice was more or less back to 100% and his eye had completed healed by the end of last week. There wasn’t much left until being fully recovered. Possibly parting from the hospital quicker than the original 2 months the doctor had estimated.

“I knew I’d get the green light. I even prepared my outfit because I was so sure I’d be able to come.” You hadn’t seen someone so ecstatic for an awards festival.

“As expected… I’m not even surprised. Will you be able to get dressed? Need any of my help?” Jinyoung was still a little instable since he’s been lying in bed for the past 2 weeks. His legs tend to give out for the first 30 mins.

“I think I can manage. I’ll get dressed quickly and then the bathroom is all yours.” You chuckled at his assumption that you’ll take really long in the bathroom for the event.

Jinyoung heads towards the bathroom and you are left there practising a speech you’ve written for all the awards you and your company have been nominated. This isn’t because you knew you were going to win any of them but… the unprofessional scenes if you guys were to win an award and to not have a speech ready daunted you. There was nothing wrong with being prepared.

15 MINUTES LATER

You must say… I don’t think you had ever laid eyes on someone so handsome in your life before. You could swear that this man was carved by God himself.

“How much deeper are you going to fall into my looks?” You hadn’t realised but you had been staring Jinyoung up and down for the past 30 seconds of him leaving the bathroom. Hair all styled. The suit was literally made for him. His cute bow tie was a little wonky leading you to let out a chuckle.

“What?” Jinyoung’s face turned serious thinking something was wrong with how he looked.

“Your bowtie is wonky.” You stood up from your seat and reached out to fix his bowtie. Your eyes were fixated in straightening the bowtie and all Jinyoung could do was analyse your face and how focussed you were.

“There you go. Looks better now.” You lightly let go off the tie and looked up at Jinyoung who was already staring right back at you. Those bambi eyes were going to be the death of you.

“Thank you. Now go and get yourself ready.” He pinched your nose and then you entered the bathroom with your dress, makeup bag and accessories.

20 MINUTES LATER

“Jinyoung~~” You called out for Jinyoung. You were done with everything but couldn’t reach the zipper on the back of your dress. You had been procrastinating on what to do and just gave up. There’s no way you could zip the dress up alone.

“Yes, Y/N. Is everything alright?” You could hear his footsteps come closer to the bathroom door.

“In a bit of sticky situation… could I ask you to do a favour?”

“Sure, what is it?” You went ahead and unlocked the door for him. He took a step back and couldn’t contain the sight in front of him. You were in a red bandeau strapless dress which had a structured skirt that was shorter at the front and longer at the back with. A very slight trail. Unsurprisingly your makeup was the bare minimum and you had left your natural hair out. His mouth was agape as you stepped out of the bathroom.

“How much longer are you going to stare for Mr Park?” He had been in the same awe you was when he had stepped out of the bathroom earlier on.

“Yes…right… the favour?” His soul re-entered his body trying to compose himself. You could only smile on the effect you had on the prince himself.

“I can’t reach my zipper, could you zip up the back of my dress for me?” You saw his cheeks blush a light pink below the thin layer of bb cream he had on. Without the zip done neither of you were going anywhere so he had to do it.

He wasn’t able to give a verbal response and just nodded. You turned around to have your back facing Jinyoung. He moved your hair to aside exposing half of your back to him. He was blushing so hard right now and was happy to have you facing away from him even though in a matter of seconds you’d be facing him seeing the shades of red planted on his cheeks. Jinyoung gently placed one hand on the zipper and the other hand on your back holding the fabric of your dress still. His fingers grazed your skin and they were a little cold leading you to jolt a little by the surprising cool touch. He notices.

“Did I hurt you?” His voice was a little worried. The slightest worrying reaction you make, and he’s so concerned. He’s too sweet.

“Nope, your hands are just a little cold that’s all.” You say whilst you chuckle.

He apologises with his soothing voice and zips up the dress, letting out a quiet done when finished.

You turn back round and thank him for his kind gesture. You also noticed the flush of his cheeks. He’s so cute, you thought. You quickly put your heels on and left Jinyoung’s patient room and entered the hall of the hospital. Expectedly, you guys received some stares and some whistles by the old women sitting outside their patient rooms. The event manager had organised a limousine to pick up each nominee for the awards hence why there was a lovely jet black limousine parked at the entrance of the hospital. The driver spotted you two and guided you the way and kept the door open for you two to enter the fancy vehicle. He ran back to the wheel and started driving towards the venue.

“Anything I need to know beforehand? Who should I present myself as?” Jinyoung had started with the questions during the car drive.

“Who’d you like to present yourself as Jinyoung?” You wanted to fish out his intentions from him.

“Preferably your boyfriend in order to stop those punks from hitting on you but I’d never want to force you into a relationship with me…” He side eyed you as he kept looking out the window. You so wanted him to be your boyfriend.

“Logical. Agreed. If anyone asks, you’re my boyfriend.”

“What an honour.” You slap his thigh due to his sarcastic tone.

“Whatttt? I’m serious. I’m going to be the boyfriend of an amazingly talented architect who’s bound to receive an award tonight. It’s a genuine privilege.” You could only look at him in awe as he described the so called ‘privilege’ he was taking part of.

“If you say so…”

The humming noise from the motor of the limousine was really calming but Jinyoung broke the silence once again.

“Are you nervous?” His tone was much deeper and serious compared to how he was a second ago.

“A little. These awards happen once a year and we’ve progressed so much as a company but so has everyone else in the industry. It’s hard to tell if we’ll be receiving the major validation from the institute. With or without the award tonight I’m so pleased with my company, but it would be nice to get a recognisable achievement for all our hard work.” Jinyoung listened to you as you let out your insecurities for the upcoming night.

“In the little amount of time I’ve met you, I think you’re the only person who deserves all the awards you’ve been nominated for this year. No one can change my thoughts and it’s going to be a pleasure to witness your achievement first hand. I can’t wait.” He rubbed his thumb over your knuckles trying to calm your nerves down. It was going to be a long night.

30 MINUTES LATER

Your limousine had rocked up to the red carpet laid out on the floor outside of the venue of the awards. You took a deep breath as the driver ran around to Jinyoung’s side of the limousine to let him out. Jinyoung agreed to open your door for you so he exited the vehicle first. Like he had planned, he went around to your side and opened the door for you to step out. The cameras started capturing every single moment as you wrapped your arm around Jinyoungs, and he gave you a reassuring nod. You gave him a smile and the two of you walked towards the entrance of the building slowly as you waved to the cameras and press greeting the two of you. The cameras were close to blinding, but you pulled through until reaching the entrance where the bodyguard escorted the two of you to your spaces in the main hall.

The building was full of white and gold decorations. You could definitely tell that the theme was highly influenced by Greek culture. The budget of the awards keep growing as the number of sponsors increase. The bodyguard escorted you to the table that Beck was already sat at with his fiancé. Beck realised your presence as well as Jinyoung. He stood up to give you a hug and shook Jinyoung’s hand. Beck’s fiancé shook both of your hands too and took your seats.

“The famous Mr Park. It’s nice to meet you in person. I’m Beck, the other shareholder.” Beck gave Jinyoung a warm smile.

“It’s nice to meet you to Beck. It seems like you already know of my name, but I’ll reiterate for the norm. My name is Park Jinyoung, you can call me just Jinyoung.” You let out a scoff because of how formal Jinyoung was being with Beck.

“He’s younger than you so you can ignore the formalities.” You said to Jinyoung and then Beck and him opened the conversation about age and their Chinese zodiac signs.

The evening began at 7:30 pm with the award winners due to be announced at 9:00 pm. Until then there was butterflies in your stomach ready to be set free any minute now.

Jinyoung came closer to your ear and whispered, “Loosen up a little. There’s no need to be this tense. Here hold my hand.”

Jinyoung offered his hand and you took it immediately as he gestured his open palm. Your hands were tiny compared to his manly hands. They encompassed all your digits giving you’re a sigh of relief because of the security they exerted. You let out a large sigh and continued with the discussions on your table with the new clients that were interested in your company. Having Jinyoung at the event really helped scare away the useless men who would only be interested in your physique and nothing more. His presence filtered out all the nonsense that would usually be taking place at the table.

The clock finally struck 9:00 pm and everyone went back to their designated seats in order for the awards to be presented. The event holder went through all the minor rookie awards to then move onto the company categories.

“Here are the nominees for Best Project of the Year.” The event holder signalled to the larger screen behind him as the nominees including your company are mentioned in no specific order.

“I was personally really fond of this project myself too. The meaning behind the design and the immense detail put into the façade really makes me excited for the future of this company. I’ll stop blabbing on and open the envelope.” You looked at Beck and then back at Jinyoung who was really eager to know the result.

“The award for Best Project of the Year goes to…” The event holder lifts the flap of the envelope and takes out the white sheet of paper inside. You hold your breath waiting for the result to be spoken.

“The Chamberlain project, designed and constructed by Chevrel Architects.” The whole community around your table started roaring and cheering for you and Beck to claim the award. That was one award written down in the books for Chevrel Architects, a company you and Beck had started years back. You and Beck had decided that if this award was given to you guys then he’d give the speech for it. Beck was the reason for the Chamberlain project happening and hands down you could state it was because of him the project turned out well. You, Jinyoung and everyone else in the hall stood up clapping as Beck walked up to the stage and shook hands with the event holder along with receiving the award. He then walked up to the mic and started his speech.

“I’d like to first start off with a large thank you to everyone at Chevrel Architects. The amount of hard work that was put into the Chamberlain project is indescribable, without everyone’s help it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve such a great outcome. I’d like to also thank Y/N for coming on this journey with me and trusting in me when I said that this company will create its own legacy. This is only the beginning…” Beck continued to thank more or less everyone he knew and came to an end with another roaring applause by everyone.

He jogged back to your table and you admired the award he placed on the table. You felt Jinyoung squeeze your hand in encouragement for you to realise how much you guys are capable of although he still knew you were a little iffy because the individual architect awards hadn’t been announced yet. You couldn’t help but smile at the gleaming object right before your eyes. Having received this award you doubted that another award would be given to someone of the same company.

Minutes went by and the event holder had reached the most awaited award of the night. Architect of the Year. You were surprised that you hadn’t left to use the restroom to throw up all this anxiety already. You were so ready to go home and relax. You wanted your normal heart rate back. You looked at Jinyoung and he gave you a look that melted your heart in seconds. He started massaging your knuckles with his thumb again and you could feel your body ease into his touch. The event holder for the last time of the night directs our attention to the screen for the listing of the nominees. Beck unfortunately wasn’t nominated so he was rooting for you to win the award.

“I know for many of you this is probably the most important part of the night. I’d like to first mention that to be able to be nominated for this award is ana achievement in itself so, you architects should all be proud of yourselves. It was a very hard decision that the committee made but we were able to make a decision. The award for Architect of the Year goes to…”

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I think it was mean of me to have ended this episode here, but it is 2:30 am right now as I write this episode. I hope you guys liked this episode. I shall be back somewhat soon so make sure to come back to check if an episode has been uploaded. Like always let me know your opinions on the story line and check out the other episodes if you haven’t. It would be nice to get some feedback :)

See you next time

writer-nim x

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