#I wanna hop around like a crow | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

abbythewritor · 7 months

Text

"Fairness" One Piece x Saitama reader, Nine.

"Just a Normal girl looking for an everyday life. At least, if you call sailing across the seas with idiots with useless dreams a simple task, then you might wanna see a doctor. Seriously."

Warnings: Blood, gore, mentions of Luekimia, and heaps amount of blood and strength. It might be a little cursing, but not bad, and maybe some flirting in there, but it's mostly clean.

Other things:

-You didn't get bald due to your powers; you got bald to an extreme illness.

-You part of the straw hat crew, but others are interested in you and your power.

-Everyone that is a male is taller than you.

-Monsters from the OPM world will appear in One Piece, and I'll make some new monsters you will fight.

Enjoy the Ninth chapter, everyone!! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"CU-A-AH-CUTIE!!!!!"

The ground below you exploded as you landed in front of the admirals and a Giant orc whose head was bleeding.

Your eyes were darkened, your wig nowhere to be found, as your bald head was revealed, to the world, a new world.

Everyone around you was shocked, as your face didn't change a shade, as the dust finally calmed down, as your eyes and face looked up at the three men, your mouth son forming a snarl shape.

It seemed like Luffy made it as well, as he was smiling, his body all wet thanks to Jimbei helping him. I didn't have time to chit-chat; instead, I teleported from my spot, somewhat closer to the three admirals, as my leg returned. "DISTRACTING WIND KICK!" I yelled, kicking the air right in front of them as a blast of wind came from the impact, but Aokiji froze the air somehow, which made my eyes widen, as the three bolted to me.

I was able to teleport away, didn't know Luffy had a plan as when I teleported, a large log was thrown at them.

Stopping, Aokiji froze the log as well, forcing it back to Luffy, who broke it into millions of Pieces, using the gatling attack, but with his foot to send the pieces back to them.

That destracted the three, as I grabbed Luffy's hand. "Come on!" I zoomed quickly behind them, both of us flying to the execution platform Until Kizaru caught up to us, about to kick Luffy. "Too Slow, Mugiwara..." My eyes widened when he kicked Luffy far, my head whipping that way. "Luffy!" I yelled, blocking Kizaru's kick to my easily, as my head looked to him. "You made it this far little one, I'm surprised....especially with that injury of yours..." I smirked to him. "Do you think I'd let a sharp stick take the best of me? Think again!" I pushed his leg of, both of us going back as I slid on the floor, as he just simply landed as well. "Your strong. Guess I won't back down when facing you this time..."

But, as he was saying that, the men were about to execute Ace, which I saw, as my eyes widened. "ACE!!" I yelled, the weapons about to go down on him as Kizaru saw a chance to leave, not bothered to fight me which pissed me off, but I bolted, faster to Ace, not wanting him to die yet.

I was far away, I needed to move faster, but, time had different plans, as the weapons were already almost to the kill points.

'SHIT! NO! THIS IS NOT HOW FAIRNESS WORKS! HE CAN'T DIE! NOT LIKE THIS!' I thought, moving even faster, but, it was too late, as I was just too far away from him.

Or so I thought.

Sand erupted under the platform boards, killing the two guards before the blades could poke Ace, as mine, and everyone else's eyes widened, as Sengoku's teeth gritted with annoyance, looking for the coraprate.

My face turned releifed, a smile plastering my face as Crocodile strood firm in the crowed, his cloak blowing in the wind, sand swirling around him as the marines pointed guns at him, as he didnt' hesitate.

"I thought that it was to our advantage to have you since you hold a grudge against whitebeard. Crocodile." He finished, Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, hopping out of the debree, ignoring the marines surrounding him as well, as Marco landed on a metal beam above, while Jimbei was still in the water. I smirked, as I look straight at garp. "He still wanted to kill the old man. But he and the waters have changed. Do you think he's stupid to let the Marines get what they want?"

Crocodile looked to me, landing beside him as I touched his hook. "Are you alright?" He looked down at me. "I should be asking you that." I smiled. "Ah, right, just a scratch, I'll pull through, thanks for Saving Ace." He nodded, and looked back at Sengoku. "Don't think I switched dramatically, I can kill the old man later, like Y/n-san said....I won't let the mairnes have this win...or a taste of victory.." His words sent shivers down your spine, as you saw a white line go to his neck. Curious, my head tilted, as I simply grabbed the white line, which only scratched me. "Huh? What's this?" Crocodiles eyes widened, as he recognised the white line, as he looked to hear a familiar laugh, Doflamingo walking to the two of us. "Hey, you, gator guy! You turned me down and now, you wanna team up with Whitebeard and this cutie? It makes me Jealous." He smirked, his power leaving my hands, as I glared to him, as crocodile did as well. "I'm not gonna team up with anybody. I'll make an accepting arrangement to Y/n....she earns my respect..." Corcodile spoke, Doflamigno's smirk growing wider. "So that means your still giving me the cold shoulder, even taking the cutie with you, how fair is that?" "Looks like it's fair to me...I ain't taking her no where bird brain....think of it as being fair." I smile up at him when he looked to me, as Doflamingo let out anouth laugh. "I see then, let's see how this fairness deal plays out!" He attacked as well as Crocodile, as both of them clashed together, knocking some marines back.

My eyes widened with surprise, worried, but saw this as a helping opportunity, Luffy did as well, as we bolted away, heading back towards the platform.

We scattered everyone, clearing a pathway like bowling pins, as I was able to catch up to him.

My eyes looked up at Ace, who was looking down, not at us as I knew how he felt, which made me want to push forwards, to not loose.

As we kept fighting, dodging, trying to survive, as got closer and closer, until Luffy got hit with an Ice shard, as my eyes widened. "LUFFY!" He flung back, his back slamming and sliding on the floor,

Admrial Aokiji stood before him, taking the ice weapon out of his arm, towering over Luffy. "I owed a favor to your grandfather.." He lifted the weapon again. "But I have no choice! Because you chose to risk your life!" But, before he could stab Luffy again, I bolted, standing in front of Luffy, which made his eyes widened,until Marco kicked his side, sending Aokiji flying.

My eyes widened, eyes locking to the man, as Luffy did as well. "Y-Y/n." He spoke, as I just look up at Marco with admiration. "Thank you, for saving my tail.." He smirked down at me. "No problem Miss, Yoi, don't get your cute but in danger again ok?" He winked, turning to fight again as my heart raced, my mouth soon letting out a snort as I turned to Luffy. "Are you alright?!" He nodded, but winced when he leaned on his bad arm, as I held it gently. "Hang on." I ripped both of my pant leg fabrics, exposing my rather large thighs, as marines started to blush, as I wasn't bothered with the stairs, as I kneeled down, wrapping Luffy's arm with the fabric. "So no dirt or debree will get into it." His face watched me with awe, the sunlight shining on the battlefield behind me, as his heart raced, a small smile forming his lips. "Thank you, Y/n-san. What would I do without you?" I sighed. "Probably be dead." He chuckled. "Your right, but, that's not who I am. I came here fighting, for a purpose, for a reason, and that's to save Ace, so you can join my crew." My eyes widened. "Why would saving Ace make me join your crew?" He smiled. "So I can prove to you how good of a captain I can be, even if everyone is separated. Yet again, I'm not just saving Ace to get what I want, I'm saving him because he's my brother-" He pause when we heard explosions, as the giant Orc that helped a ship to land, got shot down, as mine and his eyes widened.

"N-No.." I whispered, as the Orc was an innocent soul, which was falling down to his death.

As he was falling, I saw him look to whitebeard, who held a face of remorse and sadness, as he looked back up to Sengoku.

The action made the old man pissed, as he clenched the weapon in his hand, as he began to walk, towards the edge of his own ship.

Everyone was watching, as he jumped over, right on the ground below.

"WHITEBEARD HAS DECENDED TO THE PLAZA!!" A marine yelled, as the man stood back up, Marines pointing their guns as him. "Stay back, my sons!" he ordered, looking ahead as he lifted up his two handed weapon, a white ball of energy coming out of it while he yelled swinging it to the left.

Cracks were made in the air, which caused your eyes to widen, which broke, a large amount of energy escaping as a shit tone of marines scattered everywhere, like an invisible bomb went off.

As i held onto Luffy as the wind picked up, soon it died down, as whitbeards face was lined with black, as he was angry, his own main grew hopping down with him before he held up his fist. "GUYS! RESCUE ACE AND DESTROY THE NAVY!!!" His words made me smirk, as I was done with Luffy's injuring, both of us hopping up, as we joined them, both of us bolting.

'Don't worry Ace.' I thought, as me and Luffy looked up at him, who's eyes were filled with water.

'We're on our way!'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was tragic. Oars death.

It affected ace, as of the whitebeard crew, as Marco stood in front of him, with a blank face. "Thank you, Oars." He spoke, turning, to seek out the battle, as it was pure an utter chaos, more chaotic than before.

Whitebeard was walking, preparing energy on his weapon again. "Clear the way for me!" He ordered, his crew following orders as they ran, whitebeard about to do his main attack again, until Aokiji went up in the air, putting his hands together. "ICE BALL!" I large amount of ice spread throughout, heading to whitebeard to enclose him, as I turned, looking that way. "OLD MAN!" I yelled, telling Luffy to go ahead, as I bolted, Aokiji landing, as some marines though he was trapped.

But oh boy, where they wrong.

The ice suddenly broke, as I simply punched it, freeing the Yonko, as the Admrials eyes widened. "Ah! The kid is on his side! How could I forgotten!" Getting his powers ready again, as he jumped, about to attack me. "ICE..." I turned, Whitebeard growling with annoyance as his weapon came up, stabbing the Admiral straight through, protecting me.

My eyes widened from his actions, time stopped, as whitebeards large hand was shielding me from some shards, his hand bleeding. "O-Old man!" I yeld, as he glared down at me. "Don't be reckless next time brat.....your lucky it was just my hand and not your heart.." I gulped, as Aokiji's hand grabbed his weapon, Ice forming on it, as my eyes widened. "Pops!" I yelled, him not changing a shade, until Aokiji was hit, spread apart while he turned himself into snow.

A gaint man, his arm lined with Dimon projectect whitebeard, as he landed in front of him and me. "Pops! Move forwards!"

Whitebeard nodded. "Right, I leave him to you. Don't fail me." Whitebeard moved forwards, as I followed after, going ahead of him, as Aokiji was left with the Dimond dude, as the battle and war continued.

Luffy was way ahead, looking up at Ace, as Garp noticed this, his body shaking with sadness and fear for Luffy's life, as Sengoku just simply looked to him not saying anything.

But, as Luffy continued to run, he got slashed down, by a navy Vice admiral, as my eyes widened again. "LUFFY!!!" He slid on the floor, face first, his breaths more tired and heavy. "Vie admiral? The same rank as G-Grandpa?" He asked, slowly getting up, he tried to fight him off, but another Vice admrial came to help, Knocking Luffy down again, which made me run faster. "DON'T GET UP! I'M COMING LUFFY!!" I ran even faster, when Kizaru sent an explosion his way, as I teleported behind kizaru, kicking him easily out of the way, into the nearest building, as I was beside Luffy once more. "Luffy! Fuck, Luffy can you hear me?!" I was worried, until Kizaru came back. "Why don't you both just go away?" I dodged him, but he kicked Luffy away, making him fly to whitebeard, who caught him like a doll.

I sighed with releif, but still felt worried as Luffy was gravely injured, whitebeard glaring to him, as Luffy was upside down. Kizaru smirked at the sight. "OOOH! Whitebeard's command has dulled. You could've done better than that. I can't belive that you let that piece of crap...who is so reckless, take the lead!" His words made me angry, though they were meant to whitebeard who was holding Luffy, as my face lined with Anger. Soon enough, I stepped in front of him, and Luffy, my arms holding out widem my face serious. "I won't let you hurt either of them!" Kizaru's eyes slightly widened. "Oh really?That's a bold move coming from you Little one..." He readied his devil fruit again, as Whitebeards crew stepped in front of him also, ready to protect pops at all cost. "Oh how touching! A family reunion....let's see how all of you can survive this-" "THERE THEY ARE! Y/N-GIRL AND STRAW BOY!" A familiar voice spoke, as I turned and smiled, everyone else did as well, as Ivanka grew in size, herself like a giant as some pirates and marines spit their Saliva out. "I KNEW IT! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING!" she told Jimbei, who was standing beside her large head. JImebi jumped down, worried for Luffy as Ivanka looked to me. "IS HE DEAD Y/N GIRL?!" My brows furrowed, looking down. "He's badly injured..." Ivanka called, Luffy struggling in whitebeards hold, as he tossed him to some crew members to get checked out and treated, as I bolted, running that way. Luffy struggled against their hold, getting out as he pleaded to let him go and save Ace, as everyone heard his hurtful cries and please, but as he left and tried to run, he just tumbled to the floor again, as I rushed to his side. "Luffy!" I spoke, worried, as Jimbei went beside me, as I shook him, trying to get him to wake up, but nothing was happening, as he was passed out.

"Shit..! Surgeon you have to do something, please! He needs to save Ace!" The doctor reasurred me he will do his work, as Jimbie looked back, as whitebeard and Aukini clashed, large amounts of Whit/red energy clashing each other, as I never seen so much power in my life. "Y/n-San! Let's leave Luffy with the surgeon! We need to move forwards!" I didn't like his statement, but understood as all Luffy wants to do is rescue Ace. I turned to look at him, my face gently caressing his face. "Don't worry Luffy...we'll rescue Ace...you'll recover...I have faith...." Before i left, I pecked his cheek gently, yet lovingly, before running with Jimbei, advancing to the battle.

Marco seemed to be coming with us, as many allies of the whitebeard pirates joined as well, all of us heading to Ace's direction. Looking to Marco through the smoke, I yelled to him. "Try to see is you can get to Ace by air!" Liking my statement, he already thought of that plan as he advanced high in the air, which the admirals saw.

Sengoku, annoyed, spoke in the snail thing. "WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!? SHOOT HIM DOWN ALREADY!!" As some of the marines tried to shoot Marco, but didn't work. "W-WE CAN'T" They replied as Marco got closer, until Garp got up from his seat, bolting to Marco, who easily got knocked back by him.

But, for Marco to do an areal attack was all apart of your plan, as you looked to Jimbei. "Give me a boost!" I spoke, Stopping a little ways from him as he knew what I was doing, and nodded..

Once Jimbei bended down a little, I ran to him, his large hands getting stepped on by my feet as he used his strength to push me up high in the sky, as I used my incredible speed to get even closer, right up to Sengoku's face. "You think that was the only move he thought of!? Think again!"

I puched Sengoku, away from Ace as he stumbled off the platform, his teeth gritting with annoyance, looking up as I landed on the platform, my eyes dark.

Ace was shocked, looking up at me, as I didn't let my guard down, as I simply sat down, as I knew Luffy was going to get up. "Ace.." I spoke, himself still not believing I'm right next to him, as my head turned to face him. "Are you ready to be rescued?" My words were almost a myth, as he just looked down at me, as I simply blankly looked at him, as I scooted closer.

But, as I got coser, Garp, Sengoku, and some of the Admrials surrounded the two of us, as his eyes widened. "Get out of the way!!" I didn't change a shade of emotion, instead, I looked to the four, before my eyes slightly widened. "Die." Energy came out of me, a unique sound going throughout everywhere, as the energy spread through the adrmials, pushing them back, as their eyes widened, recognizing the power.

All of them landed to the floor, some other marines and pirates unable to stand, as tinted yellow electricity and light came out of me, as if the energy is destructive.

'I-It can't be...' Ace thought, looking to me with utter shock, as did garp and the admrials.

Ivankove and Jimbei where shocked as well, Marco and pops smirking, as of Doflamingo, who him and Crocodile paused their fighting, looking my way, as did Mihawk, whoput his sword away. A small smile formed his lips, as he finally understood me, as I was just like Luffy, not wanting to back down. "Looks like you evolved, little rabbit...." He spoke, his heart racing wildly, as Whitebeard's smirk was still on his face. "The brat........"

"Has conquerer's Haki..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author: WOOOOHOOO!! Another chapter done! Sorry it took awhile, I have been busy with my everyday life and writing other chapters from other books. I hope you all are still doing safe, and don't forget about the fanart contest by the end of the week!

For this book make sure you do two things.

Draw Y/n by herself.

And draw any character from this book with her, or your favorite scene so far.

The only Major rule I require is no adult content, or your art will be disqualified!

Anyways, I have to prepare for work tomorrow and have a blessed evening!

BYE LOVELIES!!"

65 notes · View notes

ldworldblues · 9 months

Text

i wanna love you while i can

miguel o'hara x gn!reader (~9.7k words) / no gendered pronouns, no y/n usage. sfw. pre-atsv. childhood friends to strangers to lovers. hurt/comfort. angst. light fluff. (temporary) domestic bliss. one (1) touch-starved miguel o'hara.

read on ao3

fic playlist

Miguel O’Hara has died.

That is to say the other variant of Miguel O’Hara has been shot and left for dead and he is scrambling to pick the pieces back up. He had seen it coming from a mile away, the database he requested from Lyla showed the predictions before it could happen.

Unlucky. A fatal mistake. An unfortunate accident for a fortunate man.

Stepping through the portal had been simple enough. Seeing his own face lifeless on the pavement was something he hadn’t steeled himself enough for. But the details don’t matter anymore.

If Miguel were a better man he’d send flowers and heartfelt condolences to the family he’s left behind, informing them of the tragedy and exchanging tales of how good of a man he was and it’s such a shame that he must pass on like this and his beautiful family would surely be devastated.

So here he is at the doorstep of his his home, not because he was a better man, but so that he can finally get back to his family safe and sound. He can feel his heart thumping from his head, a sense of elation filling him from that word alone. Home. Miguel never thought he’d have the privilege of calling something home in his life. And now he finally has it in the palm of his hand, and he’s staying right here. And that alone is enough.

His hand reaches for the door and swings it open.

This doesn't make sense.

The numbers and the letters are jumbled up together and for the first time in Miguel’s life, his brain has all but blocked out the way to figure this out.

He taps his pen impatiently against his desk. He recognized the problem, yes, he knows exactly what is needed to be done in order to solve it. But no matter what he did, his hands and his mind just refused to cooperate.

Frustrated, he dropped his pen on the desk and leaned back, his chair squeaking as he did so, staring at the old, stubborn mark on his ceiling. This shouldn't boggle him as much as it did, there were worse questions that he had solved with finesse, and yet still this simple word problem has him pulling at his hair.

Observe, identify, formulate, answer. That always worked for him.

Think. Think.

Miguel groans, running a hand through his already messed up hair from hours of fussing with it, looking more and more like a crow’s nest. His desk was a mess, that much was certain, paper strewn on whatever free space it can take up on the surface, pens scattered as if the contents would hold the final answer to his dilemma.

This isn’t right. He always had something , if it wasn’t bailing his brother out from a lecture, it was a last minute presentation he had to conjure late at night because you had insisted on going to check out the ice cream from a newly-opened diner down the street.

Thunk!

A loud muffled sound from his window sill snapped him from his thoughts. Miguel groaned, pinching his nose at the distraction.

There can only be one other person who did not care about the fact that it was a Wednesday afternoon. Muttering profanities under his breath, he clicks the lock of his window open to find a worn out rubber shoe on his balcony, and the culprit hopping sheepishly on the concrete with a single, shoe-having foot just below,

You have been his friend and neighbor for a while now. Moving across him a few years back after he found you snooping around the street looking for butterflies despite living in a technological utopia. He had pointed it out as much when you ducked to look through a bush, your voice calling out to him with too much enthusiasm at eight in the morning.

“But don’t you think it would be cool if I found a butterfly in our backyard? I’d be in all the pages of The Daily Bugle!”

Of course, that was during a time when your lives were much simpler, when cliques, overgrown limbs, and overly complicated math formulas hadn’t plagued either of your lives yet. Miguel had continued to watch you on with a mix of bewilderment and awe. And apparently that was enough grounds to establish a bond between you and him.

If it were anyone else knocking their shoe in his window, he would’ve called the cops.

He made a noise of disapproval, ducking down to reach for the shoe with a single finger before calling out for you. “Did you seriously just throw your shoe on my window?”

“You weren’t answering my texts!” You answered back in a volume that he’s pretty sure the entire building heard, like that was supposed to explain why you just threw your shoe that had no business being anywhere near his line of sight.

Well, you did almost break his window by throwing rocks to get his attention like a shitty, half-assed romance novel you liked to bring and he liked to make fun of. And he did put his phone on silent mode before starting. And he sure as hell is not about to tell his mom (much less his brother) the reason why his window broke is because a certain someone won't stop bugging him.

Miguel gestured to your ratty rubber shoe currently dangling in his hand, your expression growing more timid by the minute. Not quite sure what was your thought process in throwing your shoe.

“And you thought this was a better option?” He says, hoping that the annoyance in his voice scares you away.

“I mean it worked, didn’t it?” You beamed, looking too pleased with yourself for the idea, an all too eager smile on your face.

He makes an unamused face. That still doesn’t explain anything.

“You know I’m busy. What do you want?” That was a lie. He was seconds away from ripping his own hair out.

“I’ve got something for you!”

He can't tell if you're pulling his leg or if you're being serious. knowing your track record of sucking up to him.

You gave him your best approximation of puppy eyes, the best you could while balancing on a single foot anyway. It’s not convincing at all and it was more laughable than pitiable the longer you stood there and still he can’t help but heave out a sigh.

Miguel narrows his eyes.

“Fine.”

He shuts the window before he could hear your cheer and hear your protests after you’d realize he still hasn’t thrown your shoe back out of spite.

___

His brother always said that there is more to life than the grand scheme he sees himself in. So let’s start here: if there is one constant thing in his life it would be the blaring heat in the summer and unforgiving winter cold of Nueva York. And probably all of this.

This. Whatever you like to call it when you and him are taking a stroll to wherever the next most interesting thing to have a look at in the city is.

And that would be the preserved apartment building when the both of you still snuck out at midnight to talk. It stood out with its red paint and more antique design that stood the test of time against the more well-known abstract structures of Nueva York. You liked it because it felt like home, Miguel liked it because it was located in the more quiet part of the neighborhood.

“Y’know, I heard from one of the grandmas that they’re planning to pave over this building soon. Says someone is interested in making this lot into a hotel soon, and they can move into a nicer home after.” You said as if you were talking about the weather, admiring the cityscape view as he was.

“It’s a bit sad if you think about it.” You commented wistfully.

“It happens all the time. Nothing ever stays the same in this city.” And this was the hard truth.

“Still, I’m still surprised they’re still letting us in just to hang out at the rooftop.” You replied, plopping down on the edge. Miguel followed suit beside you.

“I’m definitely gonna miss them smooching your cheeks though, guapito.”

He groaned, having half a mind to turn around and leave you there while you snickered. Cheeks flushing up in embarrassment at the nickname the old ladies downstairs gave him ever since the two of you started coming up here. Earning him several coos of him being so polite, some treats, and you taking several candid pictures of him that he almost broke his neck forcing you to delete it.

The blaring of traffic that seemed to go on forever from underneath was nothing but white noise to this steady, unrelenting space with you. Sitting in silence wasn’t an unusual occurrence with you. Often, it was a silent agreement that the other’s presence was enough.

He glances at you.

"So how about you and that Zaria girl in your class?” You chirped up, effectively breaking the silence. Turning to him with a smile that says you know way more than you let on.

Miguel faces you with a weary expression. Not too keen in discussing the love letter he was insistent on hiding after he had received it on his desk two weeks prior from a girl whose name he only recalled now that you’ve mentioned it. He’s been itching to remember it for days.

"How do you even know about that?”

“Gabriel told me!” You grinned.

Of course he would. His brother would also trade him for a bag of chips from you.

He can’t help but feel defensive, “Whatever he told you, it’s not true. She told me she liked me, I barely even knew her, so I rejected her.”

“I see.” You commented. And apparently that was it, letting the hum of the city occupy you.

Surely you had a reason for bringing him up here on a Wednesday. It’s not out of the blue per say, but you usually liked to bother him sometime around the weekends so you can ‘catch entertainment’ as you liked to call it. Whatever it is you find entertaining about him, he doesn’t see it.

Unless you’ve gained enough shame to ask him about borrowing his homework in person rather than through a crudely written text then maybe this is a welcome improvement. But you did say you were going to give him something.

As if you read his thoughts you exclaim, “Oh, right!” You faced him fully, complete with a bright look in your eye that he can only describe as proud.

“Close your eyes.”

Hesitation washes over him, usually when you asked him for a favor there was something in exchange that usually translated to something that would not benefit him at all. Like when you asked him to buy ice cream one day because it was too hot, while he forgot that the ladies downstairs are going to be out and about for their walks. Or when you asked him for help with your homework which resulted in you gossiping behind his back with Gabriel the whole day while he was stuck doing all your homework for you.

He looks you dead in the eye.

“No.”

Miguel couldn't believe that you just pouted.

“Come on! Promise I’ll delete the rest of the pictures with the grannies downstairs.”

“There’s more?”

You shrugged in response. Now apparently too coy to give him information when you already dropped a piece on him.

His eyes flickered from your hands behind your back to your dumb smile. He grumbled.

"Fine."

He closed his eyes and felt you reach for one of his hands to drop something in it. At your instruction to open his eyes, the first thing he sees is an inconspicuous envelope about the size of his palm. Leaving very little possibilities on what it might contain.

Before he knows it, his curiosity is piqued by the envelope. It was neatly wrapped with a simple ribbon in an attempt to make it look unique. He can see you try to avoid his gaze in the corner of his eye.

“You can’t open it yet! It’s only after you achieve your dream!”

“Oh.” He says dumbly, keeping the envelope away. “What’s in it anyway?”

“You’ll just have to figure it out someday.”

“Well, I gotta say, that’s a bit corny.” He commented, ignoring your complaints as he pocketed the envelope in his jacket.

"Is it a letter?" That may have come out too much like a statement instead of a question.

"I– you can't fish out the answer from me, y'know?"

He shrugged noncommittally, "It was worth a try."

You regarded him with mirth after the statement, he looked away in embarrassment.

"Surely, you didn't just call me out here for some envelope. What is it really?" He pointed out.

"You’re right." You answered in a despondent tone, a far cry from the lighter one you carried earlier. He caught your gaze in the corner of his eye.

The sheepish look on your face comes back, this time you don’t seem to do it because of something you did or you’re asking him for a favor. For what? He doesn’t know.

You looked on towards the city, if he didn’t know any better he’d say that you were spacing out. But there was now a sadness in your eye that he could pinpoint. Your mouth gaping periodically like you're trying to hang onto the words you want to say.

Miguel feels the air get knocked out of his lungs when you finally get a hold of it.

“I’m leaving in two days.”

It felt like you just knocked him out of his seat and sent him falling down into misery. Miguel’s not stupid, and you knew that well. He tries to come up with a response, finding none.

Miguel is no stranger to bad news, accustomed to the disappointment that comes with being told of the worst possible outcome and that's why he wants to make it a point to have the odds largely in his favor.

He looks at you incredulously, while you seem to pay no mind to his reaction, continuing to stare into the towering and scattered buildings of Nueva York, but the stammer in your voice and the quiver on your lip betrays you.

"Are you gonna tell me why?" He asks, but he knows it's useless, there can only be one sole reason for your departure. Can see it when you stopped inviting him to your house and mentioning your mother only in passing.

“Isn’t there another way?” He asks.

Because that was what he knew. To recognize a problem and see it for what it is, since that was the only way he can figure out a solution. Observe, identify, formulate, answer. Rinse and repeat.

Your tell-tale silence gives him all the answers he needs. So he moves on to the next question.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Sure, he was pulling on loose ends here but what was he supposed to do?

“Wanted to, but didn’t want to lose you yet.”

Lose . He can’t believe you. Years of conversation and thoughts he’d never share with anyone else yet you can’t bring yourself to let him know something crucial.

You won’t lose him, he’d still be here in his mother’s dingy apartment while you’re off to someplace else that wasn’t here, but he’s going to lose you. If you just said so, he can get you both to the other side of the world, away from his family, away from yours, and away from anyone else.

He chuckles in disbelief. So this is what it was. What it meant to know and care for another person and see to it that despite it all, whatever formation you built it on, will prevail in spite of catastrophe. He’s seen it fail time and time again with his eyes, who’s to say he was the last one.

"So this is a parting gift, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah. I guess it is.” You said with downcast eyes, voice toned down like it’d scare him away too fast if you got any louder.

But it’s fine. You were just a small fragment in his big plan for the future bigger than he was. This moment will just be a silly memory he’d look back on and have a laugh at. You had no place for him with him.

In fact, he just figured out what to do with the problem he was having earlier if you hadn’t interrupted him in his room. If anything this was an opportunity to set things back on course. So why does he taste bitterness in his tongue when he’s looking at you now?

“—I’m still gonna be back, y’know? Probably not in the next year or so, but still. Unless you’re going to end up forgetting me or something.”

That sentence burst him out of his bubble. Furrowing his eyebrows in quiet frustration. What kind of question is that? Of course he won’t, not even when the stupid doodle you left on his desk gets refurbished. Probably not when this apartment building gets turned into a glossy hotel either. He doesn’t think he could go back to the same routine he had before.

It was almost on the tip of his tongue, a few simple syllables that can possibly change the entire trajectory of this conversation into something more hopeful.

Because that was always the issue with you. You need a little push. Always so selfless and up to whatever request people have for you just for a crumb of acknowledgement. He’s seen you break under pressure over it, seen you wish that you had more heart to stop pushing yourself over the edge.

"I need to get back home.”

Despite it being only half past four and his mom won’t even start looking for him until later. He thinks he sees you slump in defeat. He pockets the envelope and turns around for the staircase before excusing himself, as if his heart doesn’t feel heavier every step away without saying anything.

Miguel hears you call out his name.

“I can walk you back home.” He hears you offer, try as you might to not sound small when you utter those words, even when you both know it’s pointless.

He pulled away before you could grab his hand. He hopes that it hurts you as much as it did him.

“It’s fine, I’ll be okay.” He answers from over his shoulder.

Miguel didn't come to look for you the next day and neither did you. The days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and the months into years.

___

Miguel has always thought he was destined for bigger and greater, and yet in this dimension he has found a family and is happier than he thought he could be. Here in this tiny living room, the photos are a testament to that joy.

He remembers in one of the holo-tapes he recovered, you and him were decorating the living room now that Gabriella has been born. You stubbornly insisted that any important memories be printed so that it “ can stand the test of time and not be corrupted from your mumbo jumbo ” making Gabi giggle in your arms and Miguel exasperatedly agreeing to your proposition.

He knew that your sentiment came from your work laptop failing to work a few weeks back—he watched it from the holo-tapes—and you had to beg Miguel to fix it for you because you had a deadline for a report the next day.

He thinks that you were right with that decision now standing in front of the display. Different pictures scattered the mantle, milestones and memories distributed throughout the years, your achievements and his set aside to make way for Gabriella’s appearance. In lieu of rewards and medals, the center primarily featured picture frames of Gabriella. Prizes all the same.

Even when his face is on there he can’t help but feel out of place.

About to turn in for bed, his eye caught a photo that was unfamiliar to him. A photograph of a butterfly perched on, what was undoubtedly your hand even at the vast expense of uptown Nueva York in the background.

It was a pale, small thing, way too small for your hand, yet he can imagine the stupid smile on your face when you took the picture. His mouth can’t help but quirk at the thought. He spots something written on the front, enhanced eyesight be damned, with your handwriting it’d take a lot more than seeing it to read it. His eyes squint, trying to make out what’s written.

“Hey, stranger.”

Miguel flinches in alarm, body tense to prepare for a fight, only to feel arms wrapped around his torso. His shoulders started to relax when you began humming nonsensical tunes, your cheek pressing against his broad back.

He has to remind himself that intimacy and affection with you in this dimension was usual, a privilege his counterpart isn’t aware of.

“Something on your mind?"

“It’s nothing,” He placed his hand on top of yours, thumb rubbing the back of your hand, “I’ll be right there.”

But that’s just the thing with you isn’t it? You just know him so well.

“Hm, doesn’t sound like nothing if it’s got you brooding around in the living room.” You stepped back, facing him in front of you to clasp his face in your hands. In the dimly lit state of the room, the only source of light being the light from the lamp nearby, your face was almost entirely casted in shadow, and still he caught your eyes, though tired but always bright, staring right into his. None of the same weariness he saw on that day.

If you recognized the drop of red in his eyes you don't react to it at all.

Miguel can’t help but nestle his face into your hand, missing your warmth, his hands following suit to yours. “It’s just,” He hesitates.

So this is what he has been deprived of all this time. Given his upbringing, it's hard to imagine that in literal galaxies away, he'd come to know a life of something so soft.

He strayed his gaze to the side, observing the silver ring resting on your finger, “It scares me to think that if it weren’t for all my past decisions, I wouldn’t be here with you today.”

All teasing that was in your eyes was swept aside immediately.

“Oh, Miguel,” You called his name so softly, using your other hand to urge him to look back at you.

“I’m grateful. But it chills me to the bone that somewhere, somehow,” He looks at you earnestly, “I’m not with you or with Gabi.”

You looked straight at him.

“Look, we might have made some bad choices in the past. I know I have. But that makes them more valuable today. I’m not gonna say that you shouldn’t be scared, because it is scary, I admit. But that just means you care enough.”

“Why else would we be living if we knew the answer to everything, right?”

He nodded.

"And besides, I’m here with you right now aren’t I?”

You looked at him so openly he’s afraid that he might just dive right in. He’d give you himself and more if it meant that you’d stay like this with him until his bones give in. But you weren’t his, even when he technically knew you, you didn’t know him. Don’t know the risks he had to take to be standing here with you in the living room of a house that was yours but wasn’t his. So what else is he supposed to say but,

“I guess you are.”

“And I’d still be here even when Gabi starts rebelling.”

He chuckled.

You leaned in close enough for your foreheads to meet, close enough for Miguel to feel your breath brushing on his face, close enough for Miguel to count each strand on your eyelashes, close enough for him to observe the pores and imperfections on your face, close enough for Miguel to commit this all to memory.

You’re actually here. He realizes. Warm and well and happy in front of him. No problems, no villains, no distance between you and him. He had been dreaming of this moment for a long time.

If he had anything left to say to you the time would be now.

He moves away, earning him a confused look. He looks intently in your eyes, holding your hands in a firm grip, scared that you would disappear away in front of him.

“Promise me something.” He tells you.

“What?”

“That you’ll always wait for me the way I’ve waited for you.”

“I promise.” You answered in a whisper.

He holds up his hand. You laughed in disbelief at his raised pinky.

“Really? We’re not kids anymore, Miguel.” He bit back a smile.

“You told me you promised me.”

“Fine.” Yours meet his.

You laugh again when you put your hand together with his, your hand almost comically smaller in comparison to his broader hand.

“Always us every time.”

___

“Why are you crying?”

It’s odd that Miguel is the one asking that question this time. And it wasn’t even the correct question to begin with. But there’s no other better question to ask when you’re currently sniffling inside his blankets.

For Miguel, the answer to problems are solutions. That’s what he was taught anyway, or what he has learned to adapt. It was a logical and sound equation. Either find a way to make it go away or suffer the consequences. Apologizing to his brother was a solution, and so was talking to his mother.

He was pleasantly surprised that his mother let you in but he had always known she had a soft spot for you.

You responded by curling into the sheets further.

He sat beside you on the bed, looking at everything in his room but your figure. Racking his brain and the corners of his room for that one question that you always asked whenever he was upset, because that was the only experience he has had, hoping that would urge you to talk.

“What’s on your mind?”

That seemed to let you out of your stupor, as you moved the blanket until your head was visible to him rather than just the top of your head, your voice muffled under the covers.

“My mom and I had an argument.”

“What’s it about?”

The silence stretches on even further.

“Sorry, I’m bad at this.” He says.

You huffed out a laugh, a speck of joy livening up the space even if it was just a little bit.

“It’s fine, Miguel, really.”

He racks his brain more for anything to say.

“Are you going to do something about it?”

“Don’t think it won’t matter anymore.” He frowned at the skepticism of your answer.

“Was it that bad?”

“She’s fine, just expects a lot from me is all.”

He nods in understanding. Trying not to dwell on it too much lest he loses track of how you’re feeling. He stared at the foot of his bed, wishing it’d give him the exact answer—or question—to make you feel better.

Miguel tries to recall what made him feel better whenever it was you in his shoes. You’d sit him down, have him try to explain the situation, and then offer advice. Sure, your words helped calm him down to think rationally but that wasn’t the part that really unknotted the mess of emotions in his chest.

Oh.

He places his hand right beside your head, enough for it to be in your line of sight. He looks away, embarrassment creeping up on him the longer he keeps his hand there.

Crap, did he have the wrong idea? You’ve always been better at these kinds of things. You were usually the one patting his back after he had an argument with his mother or after a fight with his brother over who gets to eat the leftover takeout from last night. You better do or say something because he feels like he’s going to roll over soon.

He feels warmth envelop his hand.

For Miguel, warmth was suffocating. It was an indication of a blistering, uncomfortable heat that never stops until it burns him to the touch.

But this warmth is invigorating. A profound declaration of things that don’t need to be said.

You squeeze his hand. Miguel squeezes back.

___

So it went like this.

It was bound to come sooner or later, but years of working his ass off Miguel finally gets what he deserves and is now the current star for his newest invention. The Daily Bugle even went as far detailing who he was and the importance of his mechanism. A whole article in honor of his name and this time he is the hero.

What he didn’t account for is the long lost face of someone that reminds him of sunsets and the future.

You’ve moved on, physically or otherwise, and he has learned that too.

He thought it was a scam at first. Some sort of scheme to throw him off guard. But it couldn't possibly have been when it's the exact contact he thought he’d lost— or moreso avoided— years ago

| Meet you at the same place?

He didn’t know you, not really. If you’d even call two people who hang out only to be left in the dust without a warning friends. Even if that same person continued to impact every wake of his life and now you’re back as a ghost from his past coming back to haunt him. No, Miguel didn’t know you like that.

So here he was in front of the same apartment building turned hotel, looking for the same person he’s waited eternity for.

The hotel was certainly…different. Shinier. Newer. More fit for the city than its drabber counterpart. An upgrade from the previous dreariness of the apartment. Shiny windows instead of the dull glass and high rise roofs instead of the cramped ceilings it used to have.

“Hey, stranger.”

That was a voice he hadn't heard in years. The same lilt, tone, cadence greeting him once again, pouring itself into every pore on his skin.

He sees you approach him, a hand raised in greeting and two take-out cups with overpriced brands he can recognize hanging from the other.

Doubt creeps up on him the closer he gets to you, multiple questions popping up in his head like have you seen what he has achieved without you? Do you think the universe is testing him to see if he’ll still crack against you?

Those questions are washed away when your eye caught his in time. Miguel is pretty sure he’s out of breath the moment he arrives in front of you despite not taking more than ten steps.

Several years definitely did you good. Your hair is not in the awkward way you style it anymore, in favor of a more fitting one that frames your face better. And clothes filling out just the right spaces that make a part of his brain get zapped.

But the most startling part for him, he thinks, is how the gleam in your eyes isn't the same as it was.

“Good job making your way over here.” You remarked with a teasing smile on your face.

“I could say the same to you.”

Your mouth quirks up in a snicker, “What? No smart remarks?”

He feels stupid. He has a good head on his shoulders, Miguel believes that. But he has been imagining this scenario the moment he received your message. More words exchanged in that version from the first meeting (again) rather than his brain going all fuzzy and barely muttering responses that required more than two brain cells when he should be mad at you for practically leaving him all those years only to suddenly materialize in front of him like a ghost when you felt like it.

He opens his mouth to retort, only to be cut off with a cup in his direction.

"Walk with me?"

He takes the cup gingerly, your finger brushing each other briefly, before taking a sip to taste. Caramel macchiato . It wasn’t his drink of choice. Too sweet for him. But it was the first branded drink you had him try, during the first year he met you, that wasn’t three or five iced coffees that tasted like lead during exam week and ran himself at risk with a caffeine-induced stroke.

Side by side, you walked mindlessly with him on the pavement of the city with matching cups in hand. Despite your shoulders brushing each other, you still stood there looking miles apart.

For all of New York’s faults, spring was pretty agreeable during its time of year. The breeze crisp, and the temperature just peachy enough to be outside for. At least today the weather was in his favor.

"So, Alchemax, huh?" He hears you say. He glances at you, your gaze still staring straight ahead at the street as if you weren’t attempting to hold a conversation with him.

"Don't act like you haven't heard before." He points out.

"'M just saying. Congrats, you deserve it."

He muttered out a thanks, looking back down at the pavement. The way his pace matches your own even if he was capable of longer strides.

An awkward silence fills the gap between you two, and it takes everything in Miguel to not start taking off the opposite direction. Conversations with you used to be lighter, less slow . And silences were never like one of you missed saying something. Like either of you were skirting around each other, trying to pinpoint what makes the other tick. It just is.

It’s a grim reminder of the fact he’s changed, and so have you.

It takes approximately one minute and thirty-two seconds after you spoke for him to realize he needs to respond back to you. Right . You congratulated him, and he can either talk about himself like an asshole or ask questions to keep the conversation running.

"So what about you? Did you go with being a lawyer?”

You laughed, relief washing over him. "God, no. Realized I couldn’t handle the stress so I just went with its lesser paid cousin. I'm a teacher now. Found a job downtown."

He hummed in response. Wondering if that’s the reason why you seem so exhausted, but pushed against it when he sees a soft smile playing at your lips.

"That's admirable. Wouldn’t have guessed it.”

That seemed to break you out of reverie, your smile was dropped in favor of mock confusion overtaking your features. And finally, finally , you looked at him. “Hm? What’s that? Are you trying to say something?”

He rolled his eyes lightheartedly, taking a sip from the too-sweet concoction swirling in his overpriced coffee rather than responding to you.

“Have you opened the envelope yet?” You asked him.

Strangely, enough, no. Miguel hasn’t opened the envelope yet. He was thinking of it. On the day of his promotion inside the brand new office Alchemax gave him. Hope stirred in his chest when he caught sight of it again in the darkness of his desk, where he hid it for safekeeping. Your words still ringing through his head when he thumbs at the unbroken seal closing it shut. He contemplated it but dropped it in favor of some expensive old wine that some hotshot corporate gifted him, and a nice, long nap.

He shook his head, “What’s in it anyway?”

That unpredictably earned him a look of surprise, before you schooled it back into cool nonchalance, “That’s something you’ll just have to figure out sometime.”

“Hopefully not some kind of code I have to crack for eight more years.”

“You wish.” You stifled a laugh.

His lips quirked up into a small smile.

You stopped walking abruptly, and he followed suit, confused as to why you stood still.

“You know what I’m thinking?” You gave him a look that he’s only recognized by you whenever you think you have a brilliant plan. You pointed at something behind him.

Turning around, he’s greeted by a hole-in-the-wall that’s seen better days. Delicious aromas wafting out out the door beckoning anyone who was near enough to enter. Miguel almost regrets saying yes to this entire thing when he listens to the next words that come out of your mouth.

“Heard good things from this joint. Wanna go check out what the fuss is all about?”

And that’s how Miguel found himself sitting across from you indulging in one too many chicken satays despite having ordered noodles for sharing minutes ago.

It's far from what he originally planned to happen. He had hoped you would talk at a fine dining restaurant, the kind he would forget after a month or two from the monotony and the emptiness in his stomach—his treat of course, and he can finally have closure and move on from all of this and from you.

“You sure you didn’t just call me up just to schmooze me?”

“I’d never!” You quipped, your energy seemingly back in your veins now that you have food in you.

He watches you swallow the last of the skewers with gusto. Having refused your offer earlier to some of your chicken satay , he’s content with seeing you satisfied from enjoying food. Reminiscent of the time when you and him indulged in mediocre one-dollar hotdogs after school all because it cost one dollar. Relief fills him.

“Are you seeing someone?” It was your turn to burst him out of his bubble, the smile he didn’t even realize he was sporting pulled back into a frown. At least you had the decency to sound sincere about it.

“Are you?” He bit back.

“That’s not the question, Miguel.”

“Two months.” He answers.

“Is it serious?”

Miguel raises an eyebrow quizzically at the question. “Well, as serious as a two month old relationship could get.”

He’s not sure where you’re trying to go with this line of questioning. So he asks back, “Why?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just thinking about what she’d think if she saw her boyfriend dining with some girl in some restaurant.”

“Probably not much. Considering I’ve never brought her to some restaurants.”

“Careful. The lady at the counter might hear you and think you’re a lying cheat.” You joked, emphasizing your point with a twirl of your barbecue stick.

Of course you’d point out the sweet grandma by the counter, when you and he entered the establishment she practically cooed and seated you both to an intimate looking corner by the window as it would up the ante of whatever she was thinking of.

He contemplated his next words. He can’t have you thinking that there was more to this than he was letting on. If anything he was just an onlooker since you were the one who invited him in the first place.

“How about you?”

You took a moment to answer, putting down the skewer on the plate. “Not really. Can’t find time for it either. Children are unsurprisingly, very tiring. But,” And for the first time this entire day, your smile reached your eyes. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

And you just had to do him in like that. Giving him hope for another beginning with you in his newfound life.

He didn’t spend half his life with his head buried in a desk only for you to come and sweep it away with your presence.

But the envelope kept away in the darkness of his desk tells him otherwise.

He perks up when he hears you call his name, attention fully addressed to you.

“Yes?”

“Do you think things could’ve gone differently if I’d stayed?”

If there is one thing Miguel has learned about himself throughout his entire life, it’s that he is selfish. Selfish to the point that he takes and takes until there is nothing left but the husk of what once was.

Miguel wants it all.

If you were still going to have him that is.

But he can’t tell you he spent most of his nights, staring at the ceiling mulling over the possibilities of what would be of the two of you if he had just been more insistent. Maybe you and he would be away from Nueva York, in some place far away from the hustle and bustle for something slower because that’s what you deserved. Maybe you’d be married with a white picket fence and a dog or two. Or maybe you would be married off to some nameless spouse while he went on to do greater things, away from the mundanity of a domestic life.

Or this time, maybe you and him would be apart and ultimately it would be for good. Miguel dreads what would become of him if the last one were reality.

“No point in thinking about the possibilities when you’re here now.” Something akin to disappointment passed through your eyes when he said that.

“That’s a good point.”

He anticipates what you were about to say next as you were about to speak up until a ping distracted you from saying another word. You excused yourself ruefully, digging out your phone from your bag, squinting at the display of your phone before shooting him an apologetic look.

“Crap, I gotta go.”

“Already?”

“Yeah, the faculty apparently needs me for something at school.”

You stood up, wincing at the loud screech your chair made as you shoved your phone in your bag.

“Thanks for, y’know,” You gestured lamely to the warm lights of the restaurant and to the dirty plates on the table, “All of this. It was nice.”

“It was nothing.”

He watches helplessly as you sort out your stuff, ready to take off once again and hope for a chance— or whatever it is controlling your meetings with him— to see you again. That same word from the rooftop was on the tip of his tongue again.

You stand up and make a move as if you were about to turn away, a million thoughts flitting through your eyes as you struggle to make a decision. It makes him nervous. Which is a lot to say for someone like him, someone who has always had a quiet confidence and for good reason too.

You broke his heart once, he hopes you'd break it again if it meant living with the memory of you.

You suddenly turned to face him, eyes meeting him with determination.

“Before I leave, I want to tell you something.” You said with newfound resolution, even if it did mean you were clutching your bag for some semblance of courage. He wishes he had something to hold onto for comfort as well, anticipation rising in him as he waits for your words.

“It’s worth a long shot but, I don't feel good about, y’know, your involvement with Alchemax.”

Of all the things that you could have brought up, that was what you wanted to talk about. After all this time, nothing could have prepared him for this. Miguel has to resist a laugh from escaping him. What the hell was he so worried about? That you’d suddenly turn around and tell him let’s get away and he’d say yes and book a one-way ticket just like that?

He might as well entertain your sentiments.

Miguel narrowed his eyes at you, crossing his arms as if to try and put distance between you and him. Though it was useless when you stepped closer to him.

“Explain to me why that is.”

He sees you grimace at his steely tone.

“Take this as advice from me, the whole thing just feels iffy to me. I’ve read the news, Miguel. Stone is not a good person. You could be making a difference instead of tossing yourself away there like a slave.” You explain, with a controlled volume as if you were afraid he’d start running if you were any louder. This whole scenario is playing in front of him again like clockwork.

“You can stay with—”

“I am making a difference, one day this city will be changed in the way I’ve always wanted it to be.” He bit back, challenging the quietness of your volume in the space.

This wasn’t in the cards when you initiated the discussion, and Miguel doesn’t know what came over him when he says what he’s always wanted.

“And I hope you’ll be there to see it with me.”

“I will.” You answered him back. The exhaustion in your eyes making way for something that cuts him to the core.

He doesn’t know whatever was in that booze you ordered from earlier but the small restaurant starts to become a little brighter when he looks at you now.

Miguel realizes a bit too late that he was in a public space when he sees other patrons in the restaurant and the old lady from earlier starts looking in your general direction.

“Look,” He starts in a calmer voice than before, “this is a hard thing you’re asking of me. What makes you think that I should just throw this all in the air and hope for the best?”

“You told me you still haven’t opened the envelope, right?” You said it so confidently it’s making him sick.

“Please, just, consider it.”

Bitterness clouds him. Here he was, halfway through rebuilding his life away from his past and here you are giving him a suggestion to tear it all down again. Miguel already knows all of this, knew all about what the company came with when he applied for the job.

He knows he should say no. His pride demands it, some leftover sadness from that day as an act of contempt to show off he’s lasted this long without you and look what he’s done.

But you spoke to him in a way that screams at him to see this not as strangers who’ve drifted apart from the years, but as the kids in his old childhood bedroom who had nothing to hold onto but each other. Your trust in him was so blindingly open, and something tells him it’s now his turn to give you his.

You were nothing if not the ghost in his memories that live in the recesses of his mind. And you've come back again to haunt him with your promises of the future and warmth.

“I’ll think about it. But don’t count on it.” The relief was instantaneous, you visibly relaxed.

“As long as it means you’ll still be with me.”

And that’s all he needs to know.

___

You have died.

Or rather this was in an earlier time, an earlier date, and an earlier universe. Far from a comfortable life with a cushy job and house with a kid or two and a silver band that never made its way in the picture.

He clutches your pale, cold body to his chest. Tightly holding onto you as if that would grant him a miracle of your lifeless eyes springing back to life. And you would give him some snarky comment about how shitty he looks and he’d shut you up with a kiss because you almost scared him half to death.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, he wasn't supposed to let you out of his life ever again. But he got careless, never should've stormed off when you were finally back to stay like you said you did. Even if that meant swallowing his pride and facing the fact that he was blinded by prestige.

And you were right, always have been. Should’ve listened to you and said yes the moment you opened your mouth to convince him to stay with you.

Weeks later a flurry of events passed him by and now he's stuck again. Donning a suit that felt too heavy on him even though it practically stuck to his skin; and a mask that felt suffocating everytime he put it on.

It made his skin itch knowing that you were out there somewhere in the city, just not here with him.

It's all a blur to him now.

There was a villain attack downtown. A variation of the Sandman he’s never seen before. And a nearby public school was nearby that unfortunately received the brunt of its damage. When he sees you attempt to save as many kids as you can to safety he immediately rushes towards the scene. Attempting to coerce you into evacuating away from the area, only for you to stubbornly turn back into the fractured building, insisting that there were still stuck students inside.

He tried to run after you, but you were faster. Not to mention the villain was still hot on his trail. He can’t possibly lead the villain back to the school. But before either of you know it, the building has broken into dust in front of his very eyes.

After subduing the villain, and this time, he was the hero. He runs himself ragged trying to look for any sign of you in the ruins of dust and stone. Making use of his newly-acquired powers and the many abilities he earned from the past few weeks.

When he sees a familiar figure crushed underneath a pile of rubble, his heart falls out of his chest.

As he cradles your cold, broken body, Miguel finally knows what it means to love and to lose. And your first exit out of his life was just a prelude to the real tragedy.

So he tried to learn to be selfless, learned what it meant to give himself up to keep the boat from rocking and to maintain the universe. And maybe this time, just this once, happiness would be by his side.

___

There was a shift in the air Miguel couldn't understand.

Miguel wakes up to the blaring of your alarm ringing unpleasantly through his ears. He grumbles, silently cursing his enhanced hearing to reach over to your phone that was on his bedside table to shut it up. Eyes squinting as the bright light harassed his eyes.

You reason that he was responsible enough to have him wake you up instead of you pressing snooze on it the entire morning until you run late. Which was plausible, to say the least, nothing else seems to wake you up but his voice urging you to wake up, rewarding him with your pretty eyes blinking open sleepily to greet him.

He pats for your side, finding nothing but cold, twisted sheets and an unmade bed. He sits up in a panic. No signs of breaking in, no signs of struggle. Still, anything can happen. What about Gabriella? Miguel stands up, moving quickly to open the door. Only to be met by the sound of his baby’s quiet giggles and your shushing to keep quiet resonating down the hall of your home, any tension that was previously in his body deflating to make him sigh a breath of relief.

Miguel steps out and is greeted by an almost comical scene if it weren’t for the way it warms him inside out. If the barely concealed giggles and messy countertop were any indication.

You were helping Gabi decorate the pancakes, whose hair was pulled up into uneven braids, attempting to help her shape them with smiley faces or a poor attempt at cartoon animals with fruits and some store-bought syrups. You try to guide her into handling the syrups to draw a tiger but end up looking like a caterpillar more than anything.

Gabriella catches sight of him before you do, her face lighting up in a way that reminds him of you.

“Good morning, papa!” She cried out, running over laughing to barrel toward him.

It was a normal morning. Or at least that was what Miguel convinces himself when he sees that the wall clock on the living room is turning the other way around or when he swears that the birds from outside the window sounded different than they did yesterday.

“...Recent sightings of a masked vigilante saving people has been reported around the city, civilians are advised to keep a look out for this individual’s intentions are currently unknown—”

For all Miguel knows, there wasn’t a Spider that was set to exist in this dimension.

“We’re heading out.” He called out from the front door, holding Gabriella in tow for soccer practice.

“Miguel.” He looks to you standing in front of him, relaxed if it weren’t for the slight tremor in your voice.

“I have something to tell you after work."

Despite having the same face and demeanor as the you he knows, he can't quite make heads or tails of you.

Your ominous request officially set Miguel on edge. Leaving him distracted at work up to the drive home. There wasn’t much space to guess what you wanted to tell him. He made sure to cover all his tracks prior to entering this dimension, ensuring that every document matched his very being as Miguel O’Hara. And he was anything but careless.

He looks up from his dinner, watching you urge Gabi to eat her vegetables and failing miserably when she pouts and whines. Miguel steps in, encouraging her to eat her carrots by eating the ones on his plate and she follows suit hesitantly. (And whenever you looked away he would help Gabi eat her portion as long as she won’t tell you.)

Nothing can go wrong now.

After the dishes were scrubbed clean and Gabriella was dressed in pajamas and put to bed. He meets you in your shared bedroom.

You sat on the edge of your bed, reading a book even though your eyes weren’t following any of the text written and glaring only at one specific part to distract yourself. You close and put the book away when he enters the room, patting the space beside you.

“What is it?”

“You trust me, don't you?”

His answer was immediate. Taking hold of one of your hands, you gripped onto him like a lifeline when he reached out. “Of course.”

“Promise you won’t look at me weird when I tell you?”

He tilts his head at you, finding your behavior more and more odd and he feels even more and more apprehensive as this conversation goes on.

Miguel grazes the band sitting on your finger, making you glance down at your intertwined hands, hoping you’d recognize the same thing he was thinking.

“If this wasn’t anymore proof, then yes, I promise.”

Whatever it is you plan to tell him, there is not a single thing that would keep him from you. If you were to tell him that he was making you unhappy he’d cut himself out of your life entirely if that would keep you happy.

You fidget with his hands like you did whenever you were nervous. Tracing lines at the back of his hand and thumbing his knuckles as if you were committing them to memory. But there’s no doubt about it, you look up to meet his eyes, your heart is opened to him.

For what felt like eternity, you finally spoke up.

“I’m—”

Shapes started forming when it wasn’t there, and the space thrummed with unfamiliar energy that wasn’t of this world.

He has overstayed his welcome and the end has come to collect its debts.

You stand up before he does. Confusion and alarm contorting your face as the walls practically break off into fragments of what it once was.

Every detail was etched into his memory, the worried furrow in your eyebrow as you hauled Gabi into your arms, Gabriella’s cries when you distort before you could even take a step outside your shared home, how you begged him to just take Gabriella and go in a broken voice.

It all happened so quickly.

It’s foolish for him to think that now was any different. This wasn’t some fantasy Miguel created in his head. The fabric of reality ripping apart at the seams is happening right before him. And now here he was tearing whatever is left of this dimension all because he couldn’t face the horrible truth: you were long gone from him.

___

Miguel is back home, and still home is elsewhere. Out of this world, out of this universe to rot somewhere.

The world felt a bit heavier than usual on his shoulders, and so is the weight in his heart.

He turned away Peter’s presence and sent Lyla away for a moment alone with the same accursed envelope he’s kept all these years, digging it out of the corner of his office desk.

His thumb passes over the seal keeping it shut tight, almost running a hole through how many times he’s felt for it.

Here’s the thing about ghosts: they haunt you until they deem it’s time to leave, or when you start to notice their presence.

Such a cruel fate it must be for him to have you once or twice in his lifetime and then never again. He thinks about his variant, how his luck ran out the moment his life was taken from him too fast when it was just the beginning for him. How he’s forced to repeat the same routine of meeting and losing you again and again like hauling sand in his arms.

You told him quite insistently that he could only open it when he achieved his dream. And he’s finally realized it. And so he’s keeping that one condition with him, if only to honor your words.

But that wasn’t the case was it? The only reason he had kept it unopened and untouched all this time is so that he would have something to link back to you. Wherever you were, if by some miracle, he had found you, he’d have an excuse to meet you again.

His own words, the promise, echo in his mind.

And he hopes that one day, it will lead him back to you.

#miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x you #atsv miguel ohara #miguel spiderverse #spiderman 2099 x reader #miguel makes me feel a lot of emotions ://#mc. fic

67 notes · View notes

blueywrites · 1 year

Text

turtle dove and the crow chapter three

will be released on Friday, April 14th at 7pm EST.

Get ready for the holy trifecta in this chapter: fluff, smut, and angst. Not necessarily in that order. 😉

Wanna take a gander at what our two love birds're up to? Aw, who'm I kiddin' - 'course you do. 😘 Check it out below!

Deep in the field, two roosts sit side by side. One is built of sturdy, weathered wood painted the color of bright red berries, with deep-set windows and a dark sloping roof that protects it from the elements. The other is made of wide symmetrical clapboards painted blue like the sky on a cloudless day, with knotted-oak shutters slightly worn from the sun and wind and bright white trim that shines in the eager summer light. These roosts are separated only by a tall fence and a stump rotted through to the other side, through which the grasses of their yards mingle to become one.

These roosts house different birds. One is a trio of turtle doves, a mated pair with a young hen still soft and brown-gray, though her iridescence is maturing now, subduing into adulthood. The other is a pair of long-bonded crows, though the younger spent its fledgling years in the care of another, who pecked and prodded and stole his sustenance until the young one fluttered finally away, seeking to shelter under the safe wing of his older kin.

They may bear different feathers— one downy gray, one glossy black— but if one were to peep through the windows, one would see these young birds and note how similar they appear right now as they preen. Both turtle dove and crow are drawing their beaks along each feather to clear away the dust, fluttering out their wings in great stretches, and hopping about the expanse of their rooms, caught in restless preparation as the grandfather clock ticks its hand toward seven.

The turtle dove adorns herself for the crow. She dresses in her Independence Day best, twisting to watch the ankle-length skirt swirl around her legs in swaths of dainty yellow gingham. She dances her fingertips along the hand-sewn embroidery that decorates the square neckline, feeling along the tiny white flowers and vines for the perfect spot. There, she pins two sprigs— one lavender, one jasmine— to nestle amongst the white threads she’d sewn with careful fingers, her first attempt at embellishing her clothing, ventured to celebrate the holiday in mid-July. With a careful hand, she ties a bow of white silk tied to the side of her head. Now smelling of flowers and gilded in homespun sunshine, she has finished her preparations.

The crow, meanwhile, focuses less on his adornments. He doesn’t possess his own Independence Day best; instead, he dresses in a collared, button-up shirt oft worn, paired with navy blue woolen slacks and a leather belt with a simple buckle. But he made sure to scrub his skin with soap 'til it shone pink over every inch of him— between his toes, behind his ears, on the backs of his knees and the nape of his neck. He has brushed out his hair and tamed the flyaways with pomade, twining the curls around his rough fingers to let them drop into careful coils, working with a delicacy that he feels near-embarrassed about despite not having been observed. Carefully, he picks the dirt from beneath his fingernails and trims them short and neat, though he’d been waylaid momentarily by regretful ruminations on the roughness of his palms. He swipes his thumbs impatiently along the callouses that cannot be softened with warm bathwater as if he might rub them away before giving up and brushing his teeth for the second time instead.

With one last ruffle of feathers and a careful appraisal in the mirror, crow and turtle dove descend their staircases in tandem at five to seven, filled with the flutterings of nervous, jittery excitement that precede such an occasion as this.

#blueynews #td&tc #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson smut #eddie munson angst

114 notes · View notes

upsidedownwithsteve · 2 years

Note

Hi hi, first of all LOVED SDMC you truly are a fic genius (also the way you continuously churn out quality content with blurbs and stuff on top of big fics like that is so impressive you’re amazing but also pls remember to take care of yourself). That all being said, I know you mentioned what blurbs we’d wanna see from SDMC so I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing out the billy/Steve argument that ended in the fight?? I’m just curious about how how you would’ve written it because the way you wrote their dynamic overall was really interesting to me! Anyway hope you’re doing well sending you love!!

Hi! Thank you so much my lovely, I'm so happy you liked it! You're far, far too sweet! I hope this fills in that little missing scene! 🧡

Steve was already in a strange mood.

He’d left your cabin that morning with a small smile and no words, slipping into the forest whilst the sky was still a pale purple, the camp still asleep.

He’d ached in such a good way, the feeling that came from having someone climb all over him the night before, the push and pull of bodies against walls and beds and desks. His lips still felt swollen from your kisses and his skin and hair smelled like you, his clothes creased from where they spent the night on the floor.

Eddie had grinned when he’d snuck back in, a sleepy, slow beam that stretched from cheek to cheek, but he didn’t say anything about it until the next day, when they were both unfortunately within earshot of Billy.

For his part, Eddie looked immediately sorry, not knowing the blonde boy was lingering behind them on the trail, too close and able to hear how Eddie had said your name, a whisper about “what happened, what time did you even come home?”

Billy had laughed, stopping them both, Steve turning to find the other boy grinning, teeth sharper and eyes wicked. He huffed out a chuckle at the sight of Steve’s neck, all pretty little bruises in the shape of your lips.

Billy whistled, long and low and Eddie was already gripping the back of Steve’s shirt, a silent warning.

“Well, goddamn, would you look at that?” Billy crowed. “Did she finally let you get your dick wet, Harrington?”

Eddie could feel the way Steve tensed underneath his hand and the silence that fizzed through the trees was palpable. Steve didn’t say a word and it only made Billy grin wider, like he’d found something new to poke with a stick.

It all came to a head a few days later, after hardly being able to talk to you, only stealing glances across the mess hall, across the camp and over the heads of the kids.

It was making Steve’s chest hurt, his stomach tumble in a way he wasn’t used to, ‘cause Christ almighty, he couldn’t stop thinking about you and that night.

And then Billy was walking towards him on the dock, red lifeguard shorts matching Steve’s, whistle around his neck, sunglasses over his eyes and another on obnoxious smile pulling at his lips.

He waited until he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Steve, both of them staring out into the lake, kids swimming in the section cordoned off by bouys and red rope.

Steve could hear the smack of Billy’s gum, the crack of his knuckles as he flexed his hands and stared at him from behind the dark glasses. Steve knew what was coming, he felt it, his hands were already balled into fists at the thought.

“So, was she good?”

“Get fucked, Hargrove.”

Billy laughed, all deep and sarcastic, turning to face Steve fully.

“What?” He pouted, all fake and insincere. “Can’t we have some guy time, Stevie? Little locker room chit chat?”

Steve scoffed, “I’ve never had much to say to you, man, I’m not gonna start now.”

It was the most sensible he could be. There weren't any other counsellors around, the kids were too close - oblivious but close - and Steve wasn’t ready to get pulled into Hop’s office for shouting some bad words.

No. If that was going to happen, he’d make it worth his while.

“Does she fuck like she argues?” Billy continued, head tilted to the side, pulling his glasses off so he could look at Steve with those discerning baby blues. “Did you give it to her rough?”

Steve took a deep breath, held it in his chest until it burned before blowing it back out with a dark chuckle. His nails were biting into his palms and he wondered where you were, what you were doing, if you would’ve smacked Billy across the jaw already if you had been here.

“My shift’s over,” Steve grunted, shouldering the other boy out of the way so he could walk back up the dock, away from Billy on dry land.

Billy’s smile became a thin line, tight lipped and annoyed that he wasn’t getting the response he wanted so he pulled at the whistle around his neck, spun it around his index finger instead and called out cheerily:

“You should’ve asked Byers for a loan of that fancy ass camcorder,” Billy’s smile was devilish. “I would’ve loved to have seen if Hawkins was as tight as she see-“

Honestly, Steve was impressed that he managed to hold off that long. The sickening crack of bone against bone was satisfying - and a long time coming. His fist connected with Billy’s jaw, the pain searing up across the blonde boy’s cheekbone and Steve wanted to grin at the look of complete shock he managed to pull from him.

But then Billy was on him, hands grabbing at the front of Steve’s shirt as he wrestled him forward, pulling him into him before he swung his own fist back and caught him on the chin. Another punch, landing by his temple, making his eyes sparkle and the lake turn a little blurry.

Steve could taste blood, could hear kids yelling, the sound of a shrill whistle in the distance and he managed to throw two more punches at the blonde, snarling “fuck you,” as Eddie grabbed around his waist and hauled him off of the blonde.

Murray was there first, Hopper behind, steaming coming out of his ears but Steve didn’t care. He didn’t care about the pain pulsing through his face either, that sharp sting of his skin being split.

Billy looked worse.

And Steve was pretty fucking sure he wasn’t going to talk about you again. Not in front of him, at least.

#steve harrington #camp blurb #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington oneshot #stranger things #stranger things fic #ask

413 notes · View notes

specialagentlokitty · 7 months

Text

Saul Silva x reader - storms

Can you write a story about Saul not liking the storm because it reminds him of the gunshot that killed his father and reader (his wife/girlfriend) finding out about it, please? - Anon 💜

After Saul’s home was destroyed, he had nowhere to go back to, nowhere to stay, and you couldn’t bare seeing your boyfriend not have a place to go to get away.

So you invited him to come live with you at yours.

“It’s bit small, but I can make some room for you, and Sky if he wants too.” You said.

“It’s perfectly, thank you so much darling, honestly. At the moment I think will prefer to stay at the school.” Saul said.

You nodded, setting his bag on the bedroom floor, and you gestured to a set of draws in the corner of the room.

“I cleared them for you, it gave me a good reason to finally go through all my shit.”

Saul laughed, walking over he kissed the top of your head.

“Did you you actually get rid of it?”

“Of course not, I just put it in my room at the school.” You grinned.

Saul shook his head a little, smiling at you.

While he was unpacking his things, you made your way to the attic and out the doors.

Your family built this home centuries ago, and coming from a long line of nature fairies, they wanted somewhere to look over all the trees from the little hill it was built on.

So that’s what they did.

You went out the attic doors, and up some old and probably dangerous ladders to a small watch tower where you could sit and just gaze over the forest.

It was beautiful seeing the slowly changing trees from above, the birds flying above and between them.

Sitting on the floor, you let out a small sigh as you held out your hand to a crow who was waiting for you.

“Well hello, I’m sorry I didn’t bring any food up with me.”

The crow titled it’s head a little, looking at you with beady eyes, hopping from your hand to the floor, looking around before taking flight again.

You sat up there for a few minutes, looking as the dark clouds in the distance slowly came rolling closer.

Getting up, you made your way back inside, down to the study to finish some work while you waited for Saul.

Eventually after looking around, and exploring your little home, he came wondering into the study.

“You don’t have a living room.” He said.

“Left hand side of the room, third books, fifth shelf, first book.”

Saul furrowed his brows and you smiled softly at him.

He walked over, following your instructions carefully, and he pulled the book, a small click resounding around the quiet room.

The bookshelf slid to the right, revealing your living room and he turned to you confused.

“But this section isn’t on the outside, magic?”

You pushed yourself from the desk, following him into the living room.

“Yeah, really old magic. The person who built this ages ago did it, used this room to hold all his valuables, I use it as my living room.”

“Why not bedroom or study?”

Gesturing for your boyfriend to follow you, you walked to the large window.

“Cause I enjoy the view from here, and like to watch some tv with it.”

Saul put his arm around your waist, pulling you closer so you could rest your head against him.

“It’s nice, honestly not what I was picturing.”

“What did you expect? A farm or something?” You laughed.

He chuckled a little.

“I suppose so, yes. But this is nice, relaxing, but how do you make it back on time everyday?”

“Oh! There’s a portal here, goes right to my office.”

He nodded his head.

“I’ll show you next week, don’t worry nobody can get through it, it’s not in the open, it’s hidden.”

“How many things do you have hidden?”

“Loads.” You grinned.

Walking in front of him, you leant forward to kiss him and dropped yourself on the sofa, laying yourself down.

“Wanna watch a film?”

“As long as it’s not some sappy one then sure.”

So that’s how you spent the rest of the day, cuddled up to Saul, watching films all day.

As evening drew by, a light rain began to fall and you were sat in bed reading while Saul was doing some work in the study.

It wasn’t long before you fell asleep, and Saul wondered in, climbing in bed next to you, wrapping his arms around you as he fell asleep.

A loud crackle of thunder woke you up, and you grumbled a little, turned over and patting the other side of the bed.

“Love..?”

You sat up, rubbing your eyes and turned on the lamp, looking around the empty room.

“Saul?”

With a small yawn, you got up, padding around each room to try and find your boyfriend, and you found him in the study, sitting in the arm chair.

Another rumble of thunder went over, and you noticed how he suddenly tensed up.

Walking over to your desk, you grabbed the headphones, and your iPad, making your way over.

You sat on the arm of the chair, giving him the iPad after connecting the headphones, then you slipped them on his head, letting him rest against your side.

You didn’t say anything, but you sat there running your fingers through his hair, manipulating thick vines to grow over the windows to block out any flashes of lightening.

You didn’t mind storms, sometimes they were relaxing to just sit there and listen to while reading or working, but you could tell he didn’t like them.

You didn’t want to leave him in his own, so you stayed there all night, falling asleep half sprawled out over his lap.

Saul had set the iPad aside, playing one of your playlists, and he was running his hand over your head, smoothing his thumb over a little scar over your forehead.

He wasn’t sure if the storm had passed or not, and he didn’t want to remove the headphones to check, so he kept them on.

When you woke up again, he was reading something on the iPad, and you removed the vines from the window to reveal the sunrise.

Reaching up, you pushed the headphones down, gaining his attention.

“Hey…” you said gently.

“Morning.”

Saul leant down, giving you a kiss and he set the iPad and headphones on the floor.

You sat up to sit on the arm of the chair but he pulled you back into his lap and you looked at him, letting him bury his face into your shoulder and you held the back of his head.

“If you don’t like storms I can make a quiet room.” You said gently.

He shook his head.

“Don’t exhaust yourself with that kind of magic it’s fine… I’ve never liked them…”

“It’s alright..”

You rested your head on his, and you felt his tears hitting your skin.

“Talk to me love, I’m here for you.”

He took a small breath.

Then he began to explain what had happened with his father, the gunshot, and everything after.

It all made sense now.

And you held him tightly in your arms as he tried to keep his composure.

You didn’t have the words to comfort him, so you said nothing, you simply just held him, and for Saul that was better than someone talking to him.

Just you holding him was enough to comfort him, because it reminded him that he wasn’t alone

#fate the winx saga #fate the winx saga x reader #fate the winx saga x you #fate the winx saga imagine #Saul silva #Saul silva x reader #Saul silva x you #Saul silva imagine

47 notes · View notes

journey-to-the-attic · 5 months

Note

I've just discovered the pet zoo au and I.am.obsessed.

NO CUZ LIKE IMAGINE IK AND BELPHIE LISTENING TO "WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY" AND BELPHIE JUST STARTES MAKING FOX NOISES ON THAT PART.

Also for some reason I think beels "woof" would be like that one meme with the husky where the humans are trying to sush it and he just lets out the most definde 'woof' ever.

Another thing,what if they tried to write out their names??? Like Satan steps in int and tries to make multuple paw prints on a paper to draw out his name in a way (he fails)

Also, it's said that crows can learn some words...what if crow Mammon (due to being magic as well) manages to start saying a few words and even starts making full on sentences. Can just imagine him flying through the window and landing in front of Ik and her dad like "feed me mortals or perish" as a joke to freak them out BC 'omg a talking crow' AND THEY INSTEAD START SCREAMING THWIR BUTTS OFF WHILE MAMMON IS TRYING TO CALM THEM DOWN BUT IT ONLY TURNS WORSE.

On the talking crow Mammon topic,what if he tells Ik what the others want to tell her?? Like "Yeah Lucifer wants you to put more Britney Spears" or "Levi wants to watch you play this game" or "Asmo says you gotta go pet him"

(wanna hear more from you tho BC I like your hcs, they're funny and silly)

orders given, orders received (/j i've been wanting to talk more about this au too!!)

i love the idea of the brothers attempting to communicate their names,, i feel like lucifer and/or satan would come up with some really smart method of going about it (like laying out books or ripping up a newspaper and using the letters), but ik and her dad are just like 'ah, what silly animal antics' and clean up the mess without even noticing what they're trying to spell out

so at first they just all have nicknames-

lucifer: peter (as in Peter the Peacock)

mammon: car (crow goes "caw!", caw sounds like 'car', ergo, car)

levi: socks (on the first morning after they took the animals in, ik found him trying to hide inside one. it's also funny because usually you get cats or dogs named this)

satan: paddy (aunt lisa picked this one - as in st paddy, for his green eyes)

asmo: duchess (ik had a feeling he'd like it)

beel: boof (it's the noise he makes)

belphie: hu (from the chinese word for fox (zhao picked this one). sometimes it's extended to hu-hu)

at first, satan and asmo are the only ones who like their new nicknames, while everyone else is mostly neutral on theirs, apart from lucifer, who HATES his

however, he still responds to it, so really it's his fault that it sticks

eventually everyone warms up to their new nicknames, but they'd still like their new family to know their actual ones

i like the idea of mammon learning speech, so yes he'd be the one to eventually relay the message!

he hops around on ik's shoulder going "lucifer! lucifer! lucifer!", and ik thinks her crow friend is conducting a ritual up until she realises he keeps pointing his beak at peter the peacock

she does switch to their actual names once she learns them, but in her head she still tends to refer to them by their nicknames, and they still respond when she uses them aloud

mammon's language would be more fluent than a regular crow's, but i don't think he'd generally be able to string together full sentences

so it's more like a "hey! food!" when he's hungry, "kid? okay?" when he's concerned, "levi. bowl. broke!" when he's snitching

he can manage full sentences if he tries really hard, but he usually can't be bothered, so he saves them for when he's serious

for example, if ik were getting bullied, he would go full fluency mode to say "i'm gonna kill them for you"

the other brothers are mostly happy to just chill (particularly levi and belphie), but lucifer gets so restless with no work to do that he starts assigning himself random chores to occupy himself

for example he's decided it's his job to open all the curtains in the morning and close them at night

ik starts bringing home random worksheets from school and lucifer will just sit there staring at them (he doesn't have hands to write with so he just has to answer mentally)

levi has a little box by the window from which he can see the tv and also sunbathe

ik brings home a sheet of stickers so that he can pick some to decorate with

beel is SUCH a big dog that he would take up the whooole sofa or bed if he sat there, so usually he very politely sticks to the floor

but then they buy him a big blanket and he starts carrying it with him from room to room to rest on (belphie also steals it a lot)

everyone has their own little spots around the house where they usually stay, apart from mammon, who is nearly always found on ik's shoulder

if ik isn't home he will stand on zhao's head instead

satan nearly always sleeps on either ik or zhao's bed and at some point his habit extends to the others, so they start taking it in turns being 'guards' for both humans at night

lucifer pretends to be above it as if he DOESN'T trot himself right to rooms and stay there the whole night as soon as it's his turn

whenever ik's stressed out from school she comes home and just plonks herself on beel

he's such a big dog that he barely even feels it so he's perfectly happy to be a big fluffy pillow

levi spends most of his time in his box but he'll also be quite happy to go around the house draped around ik's neck and listening to her narrate her whole day to him

sometimes ik brings asmo ribbons and such and he gets so excited that he does that jumpy twisty thing rabbits do (i think it's called binkying?)

asmo and satan both get the zoomies but satan's always so embarrassed about it afterwards, while asmo simply owns the energy and then flops over for pats afterwards

belphie's normally very quiet and docile but occasionally he'll just SCREAM and it scares everyone in the house

#answering asks #anon asks #pet zoo au #jtta aus #i'm thinking about how this was proposed as a post-fall sort of nightbringer au....#there's so much potential in translating the brothers' nightbringer development in this au #but aside from the drama i think getting to be animals just chilling with these two nice humans would be a form of therapy in and of itself #since satan's still newborn here maybe his love for cats in this au comes from having been one during this situation #that reminds me though... eventually they'll have to fix this #diavolo and barbatos figure out where the brothers have ended up and arrive to bring them to the devildom as they were meant to go #so they're trying to secretly sneak them out to turn them back to normal and stuff #but it turns into kid's movie slapstick as ik and her dad assume they're Nefarious Animal Control Guys attempting kidnap #and the brothers aren't really making it much easier because... they kinda want to stay here now #but eventually they will have to go and oh no now i've made myself sad thinking about it

22 notes · View notes

tsarisfanfiction · 3 months

Text

Injure, Not Maim

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Rating: Teen Genre: Action Characters: Clarisse La Rue, Michael Yew Clarisse revelled in Capture the Flag. For @flashfictionfridayofficial #236: Fight or Flight. It's been a while since I last wrote a FFF prompt and I think I'm out of practice trying to keep the word count down, but I've wanted to write some Clarisse&Michael Capture the Flag for a while and the prompt fit so I gave it a go! Might play with this concept again at some point without a word limit challenge. Reminder that there’s now a discord server for all my fics, including this one! If you wanna chat with me or with other readers about stuff I write (or just be social in general), hop on over and say hi!

Clarisse revelled in Capture the Flag. Training was one thing, hours upon hours upon hours of drills and practice against dummies, against her half-siblings, against anyone that could give her a good workout, but it was too tame, too controlled. The savagery of war ran through her veins, and for all that weapons training was an essential precursor, it wasn’t the same.

Capture the Flag, though? That was different. That was the camp divided in two and devolving into chaos as they clashed, no rote drills to be repeated over and over again, but unexpected manoeuvres, carefully laid plans going awry and adaptations forced on the fly.

This was where Clarisse thrived.

Her spear crackled in her hand as she downed a blue-plumed opponent, the electricity more than enough to take them out without maiming them (Chiron was very clear on that one rule, and Clarisse respected the centaur enough to respect it), and she didn’t hesitate as more blue plumes swarmed her. Their strategy was clearly to overwhelm her with numbers – no-one in camp could take her on one-on-one and be confident of victory, and few could give her an even match – but a spear against swords and daggers gave her the advantage of reach, and for anyone that got in close, she had her dagger, too.

“Bring it on!” she crowed, jabbing the butt of her spear into the armoured stomach of an Athena kid before whipping the electrified shaft around in a sweep that knocked two of her other assailants off of their feet. This was fun, and the war in her blood sang as she engaged with the next opponent, another Athena kid because Athena kids were children of war, too, and Clarisse might scoff at their incessant need for plans upon plans, but they could fight.

But Clarisse was better, even outnumbered – although that count kept dropping down as she knocked more and more down, leaving a messy ring of limp, twitching demigods around her.

The blue team were never going to win if they all threw themselves at her, leaving the rest of her team free to track down the opposing flag while she whittled down their numbers steadily. It was a daft tactic, and part of Clarisse knew that Annabeth had to have something up her sleeve, because she always did, but she also knew that she wasn’t letting Annabeth have this victory. If this was the number of opponents Annabeth had calculated it would take to take her down, Clarisse would just have to prove her wrong.

Clarisse let her face split into a grin, laughter escaping her as she kept fighting, as her spear tore armour and nicked skin – no maiming, but there was a difference between injure and maim, and Clarisse had learnt where the line lay years ago.

Her laughter was cut off by an arrow, skimming across her arm and leaving a bloody furrow, followed by another on the opposite arm, and then another.

She didn’t need to see the gold and red fletching to know exactly who had shot at her. It was always the same person. Always.

“Michael!” she roared, batting away the next lunge from her opponent on the ground as she scoured the trees surrounding her for any sign of the Apollo kid. The arrows had come down to her, and Michael never seemed to touch the forest floor during Capture the Flag, lurking in the trees out of sight like a coward as he rained blunted arrows down on the other team – on Clarisse, whenever they were on opposing teams.

They often were.

Her answer was another volley of arrows, coming from a different direction to the first because of course he was staying on the move.

Clarisse’s other opponents disappeared, but she hardly noticed as she struck out towards the foliage. Michael had the greater range, but her spear could still reach the branches and he could only navigate them so quickly.

More arrows rained down on her, and if she was anyone else, someone who didn’t have war thrumming through her blood, fight or flight instincts might’ve been pushed towards flight, away from the aerial threat that was difficult to find and even harder to stop, but Clarisse had never chosen flight in her life, and wasn’t about to start now.

She lunged towards the arrows, her armour defecting the blunted tips and the stolen breath from the impacts barely registering, and thrust her spear up.

She made contact with something, something that immediately cursed her out as Michael tried to not get knocked off of his perch on the branch. Blood ran down the crackling shaft, not enough to be a maim but enough to know that she’d caught Michael, and she yanked it back. Movement between the leaves gave her visual on where Michael was lurking, and she swung her spear around again, feeling the moment the shaft collided with something that moved with the momentum.

Michael broke his fall with a roll, bow still held loosely in his grip. One leg stumbled beneath him as he came to a stop on his feet again; a trickle of blood stained the fabric of his pants around a tear. It was a scrape, the same he’d done to her with his arrows. Injure, not maim.

Weakness.

Clarisse didn’t hesitate for a moment, pressing her advantage, but Michael had long since learnt to merge fight with flight and fled, hauling himself back up into a tree before her spear made contact and letting out another volley of his damn red-and-gold fletched arrows.

“Coward!” she spat. “Fight me.”

“I don’t need to,” his voice floated towards her, leaves rustling in a tell-tale motion.

She roared. “Get back-”

Cheering interrupted her, and she whipped her head around to see the distant, tell-tale shimmer of red fabric changing to gold down by the creek. Michael shifted in the trees, deliberately letting her see the satisfied smirk on his face.

“You lose.”

#percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson fanfiction #riordanverse #riordanverse fanfiction #flashfictionfriday #clarisse la rue #michael yew #tsari writes fanfiction

15 notes · View notes

howlingday · 1 year

Note

Got a special one for Halloween. Can you do a scene from one of the Scary Movies (preferably 1, 2, or 3) please?

Well, it's past Halloween because I'm so backed up on drafts, but I'll see what I can do.

---------------------------------------------------

Who Could Have Done It?

Ironwood: It had to be someone connected to the victims.

Ozpin: And knew about the accident.

Goodwitch: Someone who could move around unseen.

Ruby: But who... (Looks outside, Gasps)

Taiyang: (Memory) Yeah, they used to be a great team before the accident. Almost inseparable, those two.

Ruby: (Gasps)

Qrow: (Memory, Burps) Is... Is good, Squirt... Just... Just doin mah rounds...

Ruby: (Gasps)

Qrow: (Belches, Smiles) Good night, girls~.

Ruby: (Watches crow outside crap) QROW!

Ironwood: Shitliver?!

Ozpin: (Runs out) Peter! Where's Qrow?!

Port: I haven't seen him.

Goodwitch: Bart, have you seen Qrow?!

Oobleck: Sadly, no, ma'am.

Ironwood: HAS ANYONE SEEN QROW?!

Peach: Uh, yeah, he just left out back, sir.

Qrow: (Stumbling outside, Walks straight)

Qrow: (Rips off jacket, Takes off stubble)

Qrow: (Takes out cigarette, Lights it)

Winter: (Pulls up in car, Hair down shoulders) What took you so long, babe~?

Qrow: (Puffs) Just had to put the kids to bed. (Hops in, Kisses her)

Ironwood: (Runs outside, Watches them drive out) Dammit!

Ruby: (Picks up tossed jacket, Finds dagger) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-! (Hit by a car)

..................................................................................

Very Intelligent and Clean Animals

Zwei: (Barks)

Nora: Hi, little guy, how are you~?

Zwei: Fuck off, thunder thighs!

Nora: Wh... What?

Zwei: I said, "Fuck off! Thunder! Thighs!"

Nora: ...I oughtta kick your ass, you son of a-

Pyrrha: Whoa! Whoa! Easy, Nora! Easy! He's just a dog. Hi, little buddy! Would you like a bone?

Zwei: No, but I'd like to bone your momma's sweet ass!

Pyrrha: ...What did little buddy say to me?

Zwei: I said, "Little buddy wanna bone yo momma's sweet ass~."

Pyrrha: You don't talk about my momma like that! You don't know my momma like that!

Zwei: Oh, I knew yo momma real well. I fucked last night. She was howling like a bitch in heat!

Pyrrha: You wanna go?! I'll kill you!

Zwei: Ooh! I'm so scared! Bring it, bitch! Step in my cage and I'll show you and that stupid fucking pony tail who's the alpha male here!

Pyrrha: (Tosses Nora aside, Rattles cage) NAH! NAH! NAH! YOU WANT ME?! I'LL FUCKING GUT YOU RIGHT HERE!

Zwei: (Gnawing the bars) Let me outta here! I'll fuck you up!

..................................................................................

The All-Knowing Oracle

Jaune: Hello?

Emerald: I know. Jaune Arc. I'll be right with you. And don't mind the vase.

Jaune: What vase-? (Vase rattles) Oh my gosh! (Backs away) I'm so sorry-! (Bumps pillar, Giant vase konks his head)

Emerald: That vase. I am The Oracle. Please, have a seat.

Jaune: (Sits, Fart) ...It was the chair.

Emerald: Of course, (Sits, Loud and wet fart) it was the chair.

Emerald: I know why you've come. A great mystery awaits you, young knight, but you must not shy away from the challenge. Only you can- (Turns around)

Mercury: (Watching TV)

Emerald: Merc.

Mercury: Yeah, Em?

Emerald: Do you mind?

Mercury: (Gestures) I'm watching the game.

Emerald: ...The Burns win by 12.

Mercury: (Turns off the TV, Drops remote)

Jaune: Uh, can you tell me about-

Emerald: The relic.

Jaune: Yes! I held it and-

Emerald: Your scroll rang.

Jaune: Y-Yeah, and a voice said-

Emerald: That you would die in seven days.

Jaune: Okay, that's-

Emerald: Getting annoying.

Jaune: Yes.

Mercury: Try living with her. She gets mad about girls I haven't even slept with yet!

Emerald: ...Let me see the relic.

Jaune: Here.

Emerald: (Holds the relic, Vision plays)

Jaune: Look! It's-

Emerald: A vibrator?

Jaune: ...I was going to say Beacon Tower.

Mercury: Go to Beacon Tower. It's your destiny. (Relic shifts)

Jinn: (Watches, Fly lands on the relic)

Emerald: (Swats fly)

Jinn: (Reels)

Emerald: There we- (Swatted)

Jinn: (Smugly holds flyswatter)

Mercury: Uh, E-Em...

Emerald: ...I knew that was going to happen. (Spit hits her cheek)

Mercury: (Pulls Jaune) Okay, get back! Get back!

Emerald: (Wipes spit) Oh hell no. (Reaches into the relic, Pulls Jinn out) GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE! (Punches Jinn) What is your problem?! (Punches) Did the Brothers teach you no manners?!

Jinn: (Pulls away)

Emerald: (Grabs Jinn) GET BACK HERE!

Mercury: BABY, NO! NO! (Pulls Emerald back) Let go! Let go! Baby, we can't take another lawsuit!

Emerald: She spit on me!

Jinn: (Smugly smiles)

Mercury: You won! Okay? You won. Up top, (Hand clap) down low, (Hand clap) and a rump bump (Bump rear). See? We're good- BABY NO!

Emerald: IMMA KILL HER! Are you crazy? Are you crazy?!

RIIIIIIIP!

Emerald: HAHA! Not so great without this, huh?!

Jinn: (Feels her ripped out hair)

Emerald: (Clocks Jinn)

Mercury: You picked the wrong relic to come out of!

Jinn: (Collapses)

47 notes · View notes

ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes · 2 years

Text

He Hasn't Lost His Girl After All

pairing: kaz brekker x reader

genre: fluff

a/n: part two to he lost his girl

It’s been five years since she’s been back. A lot has changed since she left when she was eighteen. She took a deep breath that led to a coughing fit. The air quality was not one of the things she missed. After Y/N left Ketterdam she went out to the countryside, moving in with her older brother, wife and two kids.

When she got there it was a drastic difference from what she was used to. But now it being five years later she thought she would pay a visit to the town that made her the girl she is now. Walking off the boat she looked around and smiled, she reached for the hand of the child next to her. When she told her brother she was going back for a little while his youngest wanted to go with her. Y/N was completely shocked when they said yes. She didn’t know any parents who would let their child go to Ketterdam at the age of seven… She assumed it was the fact that she lived there before and knew how to handle herself.

“Aunty Y/N, what are we gonna see first?” Alyssa bounced on the balls of her feet while holding her aunt’s hand. Y/N smiled down at her and started walking towards the main street, “Well, what would you like to see first?” Alyssa looked around, eyes wide in awe as she thought about all the stories she’s heard from her aunt. “Your friends. I wanna meet Jesper and Inej! Oh! And Nina! She sounds so funny!”

Y/N felt a slight pinch in her heart. She didn’t even know if her friends were still here… But it wouldn’t hurt to check. “Okay, Aly. First stop the Crow Club!” The little girl jumped and pointed down the wrong street, “To the Crow Club!”

Y/N laughed and turned her in the right direction, “This way, babe.” “To the Crow Club!”

They walked down the alleyways Y/N always walked down when she was younger, which she realised it probably would have been better to just walk down the main street with Alyssa… She wasn’t used to having a kid to care for while in Ketterdam. She was used to running free and wild. Walking down the alleyway now compared to when she was younger surprised her. She can see all the dangers lurking in the shadows, when before the streets of Ketterdam was her playground. She placed her hand on Alyssa’s shoulder and held her close to her side, her mind quickly locating where she placed her knife - just in case.

As they reached the Crow Club Y/N started to slow down. “Aunt Y/N/N? What’s wrong? Don’t you wanna see your friends?” She looked down into the pair of bright green eyes and put on a bright smile, “Of course I am! It’s just-”

“Then let’s go!” Alyssa grabbed her hand and pulled her to the doors. Taking a deep breath she pushed them open and looked inside. Nothing’s changed. She smiled softly as a ton of memories rushed into her mind. Alyssa let go of Y/N’s hand and ran to the bar, climbing onto one of the stools. “Is this where Jesper and you would share funny stories?!”

A few heads turned in her direction but were ignored. Y/N walked to her and smiled, “Yep! These seats exactly.” She turned to call the bartender, “One glass of water and…” She turned to see Alyssa crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head as a mother would, “Okay, make that two glasses of water please.”

Alyssa huffed, “Aunty Y/N/N… Daddy said you weren’t allowed to drink while with me.” Y/N smirked, “And I thought you were sleeping when we had that conversation, little missy.” They both laughed, “Okay, that’s one secret I don’t mind keeping from your dad.”

Once they got their waters a voice called from behind them, “Y/N? Y/N L/N?” Both girls turned to see who was talking to them. Once the Zemini boy came into view Alyssa hopped off her stool, “Who are you? And why do you know my aunt’s name?”

Y/N tried to stifle her laugh with her hand before reaching for her niece, “Love… That’s Jesper.” The seven year old turned back around with wide eyes, “You? You’re the Jesper?!” She ran to him and hugged his legs. He laughed, confused, and patted her head softly. Y/N stood up and made her way to give him a hug, “Hey Jes. How have you been?”

He hugged her back, “Hi, Love. It’s been all dark and gloomy without our little ball of sunshine.” She laughed while trying to get Alyssa to let go of his legs. “Aly, please let go. I’ll introduce you properly now, I promise.” She instantly let go and clung to her aunt instead. They both turned to Jesper, “Jes, this is my niece Alyssa. She’s a huge fan of your’s.”

Alyssa looked at him and smiled. Her eyes widened when she saw his revolvers on his belt, “Are those your magic guns…?” She whispered in awe. Jesper laughed loudly, “Yes they are, little one. Magic is exactly what they are. Thank you, Y/N.”

She winked at him then looked around, “Where is everyone else?” Jesper looked around, confused, “Oh! Right, they went out… I don’t remember where.” She chuckled, “Okay. Well, we should probably book a room somewhere in town. We’ll see you later!” Jesper walked after the pair and stopped them, “Your room is still at the Slat. He didn’t let us touch it since you’ve been gone. I’m sure he won’t mind you staying there again. Plus, it would be like old times!”

She laughed, “Let’s hope it’s not like old times. I have a child with me now. Keep things kid-friendly please.” He smirked and shook his head fondly, “So, what do you say? You’ll stay at the Slat?” Alyssa, who was leaning her head on her aunt’s shoulder, perked up, “The Slat?! Can we, can we, can we?! Pleeeease!” Y/N chuckled and nodded, “Okay, okay. We can stay there…”

“Great! I’ll walk you two over.” Y/N put Alyssa down so she could follow Jesper, copying his every move. Y/N chuckled watching her niece but her mind soon became clouded with thoughts of him. It’s been five years… A lot can change in five years. What if he wasn’t happy to see her? What if he didn’t want them staying at the Slat? What if he didn’t even say a word to her? Well, at least that’s not the worst thing that can happen. Alyssa! Y/N never told her about him. She didn’t even know her aunt had a boyfriend. What if she found out? What if she got mad at her for not telling her all about him? What if- “And here we are! Welcome back home, Y/N/N.”

She shook her head and walked through the door and smiled at the familiarity of it all. “Aunty, is this where you were before you came home to us?” She nodded at the little girl, “Yeah, this is where I stayed for practically all of my teen years.” Alyssa looked around in awe, “I wanna see your room!” Y/N picked up the little girl and ran up the stairs, holding her body close.

She walked them to a door and took a deep breath before twisting the knob open. She placed Alyssa down. Jesper was right when he said nothing has been changed. She walked in and looked around her teenage room. A sudden small sneeze came from behind her, “You should probably dust this place…” Y/N chuckled, “I’ll get on that.”

All day had passed and they were finally leaving the room after getting it spotless. Both girls walked down the stairs carrying a few cleaning supplies when they heard laughter coming from the kitchen. Alyssa looked up at her aunt, “Can I go and see who that is?” Y/N smiled, “Let’s put all of this away first, okay?”

They walked to the closet in the hallway and put everything away before making their way to the kitchen. Walking in Y/N finally saw her friends again. “Oh my Saints! Y/N!” Nina was the first to jump up and give her a huge hug. Y/N laughed and hugged her back, “Hey Nina!”

“What are you doing back?” Nina slowly let go of her and smiled as Y/N pointed to the little girl standing behind her. “I wanted to come back for a little while and Alyssa here wanted to tag along.”

Y/N bent down to the little girl’s level, “Aly, this is Nina. Nina, this is my niece.” Alyssa smiled so big Y/N though her face might split in half.

“You’re Nina?! I love you so much! Aunty Y/N has told me so much about you! And Inej!” She looked around the room and spotted another girl sitting at the table and ran towards her, “You must be Inej! ‘Cause you are the only other girl, plus you have long black hair. Hi! I’m Alyssa! Aunty Y/N has told me so much about you too! I think it’s cool how you know how to fight really well and can throw knives!” She swung her arm through the air as if she just threw a knife at the wall. Jesper laughed, as they all looked wide eyed at her with amused smiles.

She continued around the room naming everyone and completely fangirling over them and sharing with them all the things Y/N has told her. And finally she stood in front of Kaz looking up into the pair of black coffee eyes. “And you… I don’t know your name. Aunt Y/N/N must have not told me about you…” She pulled a thinking face, then her eyes lit up, “Oh! You must be Kaz, Aunty’s ex-boyfriend! Did you know that you hurt her really bad? That’s why I’m not gonna talk to you.”

Y/N’s face went pale as she heard these words. “Aly, babe? How did you know about that…?” Alyssa turned around and smiled shlyly, “Well… I might’ve been up past my bedtime and heard you talking with mommy… I’m sorry…” Y/N took a deep breath and smiled down at her, “Just promise me, no more eavesdropping. Okay?” Alyssa nodded slowly.

Y/N felt him looking at her but she looked everywhere else but him. Nina stood up, “Okay! Girl time! Finally! Let’s go!” She pulled Inej up and grabbed Y/N’s arm.

Jesper called after them, “I’ll watch the little one!” Alyssa jumped into his arms and nodded, smiling.

After about three hours of laughing, venting, crying and just catching up the girls decided it was time to go to sleep. Y/N walked back down to the kitchen looking for Alyssa, but right before she walked around the corner she heard her talking.

“I just wanna know whyyy.” A deep sigh was heard, “She deserved better. I couldn’t give her the life she deserved. So in order to give her that… I had to let her go… But there hasn’t been a single day that passed by without me thinking of her. I miss her every day, but she’s happy now. She lives a nice life with you and your family, little one. I’m sure I did the right thing, even if it ripped my heart out to do so.”

“No no no. You got it all wrong. That’s not how the story’s supposed to end. You messed up, I get it. But you are supposed to get her back. You are Prince Charming and Aunty Y/N is the princess. You’re supposed to win her heart back in a daring sword fight. Ooh! Or slay a dragon for her! That would be so cool… Plus, I know she misses you too. I know mommy and daddy told me not to eavesdrop, but I hear her talking to mommy all the time… She really misses you too.”

Y/N put her hand over her mouth to muffle her sob as she wipped the few tears that fell from her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t lost him completely… She really thought when he didn’t say anything at that moment, she lost him forever. But thanks to her seven year old niece she has a chance.

“Well, thank you for the relationship advice, little one.”

“You’re welcome! Aunty tells me I’m a twenty year old stuck in a seven year old’s body sometimes” Alyssa giggled and for the first time in a long time Y/N heard his laugh. It was quiet, but it was there. She smiled to herself and quickly pulled herself together. Walking into the kitchen she saw Alyssa sitting in front of Kaz on the table.

When Alyssa saw Y/N she jumped off the table and ran into her arms hugging her tightly. Kaz smiled slightly at the two of them. Y/N nodded at him and started walking out.

“Um- Y/N?”

She smiled to herself before turning around. “Yes, Kaz?”

Kaz cleared his throat, “Um… I wanted to ask if you- um, if you wanted to- uh, catch up tomorrow? Maybe walk around town…? If you want to.” She bit her lip to hide her smile as she nodded softly, “Yeah… I would like that. See you tomorrow then.” She turned back around and smiled widely.

Unseen to her Alyssa mouthed ‘Told you so’ to Kaz as they walked out. He chuckled and shook his head fondly. He walked up to his own room and smiled. He still has a shot.

Maybe he hasn’t lost his girl after all.

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x y/n #six of crows #six of crows x reader #six of crows imagines #ellora.writes

144 notes · View notes

house-of-slayterr · 2 years

Text

How The Mutuals Get Turned!

Me:

I was sitting on the counter of the comic store, talking to Alan as Edgar stocked the shelves.

“Stop chatting them up Alan, we’ve got work to do!” Edgar groaned.

He hated his brothers crush. Alan rolled his eyes and offered his hand to me, letting me hop down.

“Wanna help us shelf?” He asked.

“It’s not like I had anything better to do.” I shrugged.

Besides, the quicker they finished their job, the quicker we could get out on the boardwalk. So we’d shelved the comics and talked a lot about different vampire lure. Edgar was pleasantly surprised by my knowledge.

As night fell, the boys had dragged me along outside.

“Let’s put your knowledge to the test newbie. See if you could spot a vampire.” Edgar challenged.

“Easy!” I bragged.

I scanned the crowed of the boardwalk for a few minuets before my eyes landed on a few suspicious bikers.

“Them.” I stated simply.

“How did you-“

“We already knew about them” Alan assured. “I’m impressed you caught on so quickly. It took us months to figure them out. But hunting them is a different ballgame.”

I rolled my eyes at the sports reference. It’s not like either them had ever picked up a ball.

“Use me as bait, we’ll make a ambush.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Alan asked.

“No, they’ve got a point. That could work. Paul would throw himself at anyone with legs.” Edgar defended.

“Gee thanks Ed.” I rolled my eyes.

“That’s not a good idea, we can’t take them all on at once.”

“Then we try to get them alone.” I offered.

“I still think it’s an awful idea.”

“Lighten up Ally, there just some vampires, what are you, chicken?”

He huffed. But before either of them could stop me, I made my way over to the group of boys. I approached the tall one with dark hair.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

They all turned their eyes to me.

“Well hello.” The blond with wild hair greeted.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to his friend.

“I’m new in town, and I was wondering if you boys knew anything fun to do.” I lied.

“What, the rides not look fun enough for you?” The blond with a cigarette in his mouth asked.

“Eh, looking for something a little more intense. You boys think you can deliver?” I smirked.

It was all part of my plan. If I got them to show me where they lived I could report back to my boys. Edgar would finally stop thinking I’m useless. But what I wasn’t expecting was for them to have so many others in their cave with them. Seems I got conned into “drinking the kool aid” and I’d have to explain to my best friend why I was now the very thing he was hunting. At least I could still help them out. What better way to destroy the vampires, than to be just as strong as them?

@oceansrose2002

Paul spotted you from across the boardwalk with ease, his eyes instantly landing on your figure. You were dressed in a pretty navy blue maxi dress, and you’re hair fell lazily on your shoulders. He admired how effortless you looked. He nudged Marko and nodded in your direction.

“Damn, you always get the best picks man. You should go talk to her!” Marko encouraged.

Paul didn’t need to be told twice. He walked past a stand, stealing a rose from the vendor and marched over to you.

“A pretty rose for the pretty lady” he said, doing a mock bow.

You giggled, blushing slightly. Nobody had ever given you this sort of attention before.

“The names Paul, Dollface, what’s yours?”

You laughed slightly. “It just so happens to be Rose, how ironic.”

His eyes light up at that. It was right then that he decided you wouldn’t be his meal. You were too damn cute. He invited you to hang out with the other up in the cave, and let you ride on the back of his bike. He’d turn you that night up in the cave, he knew you’d say yes. He’d simply have no fun without you.

@tohuntafreak

Marko was salty that Paul had already found someone for the night. Especially since they seemed to be hitting it off more so than usual. Rose wasn’t throwing herself at him like all the other girls. He moped around, trying to find someone who sparked his interest. And that’s when he found you.

He could spot the shine of your piercings in the dim street lights. This excited him instantly. People in Santa Clara were boring, normally didn’t have more than their ears pierced. He approached you casually, “accidentally” running into you. He caught you as you were nearly knocked off your feet. You starred up at him.

“Sorry, didn’t see you there.” He said.

“You use that line a lot?” You joked, rolling your eyes.

He steadied you on your feet.

“So what if I did?”

“Then you need better game. I’m Devan.” You greeted, a smirk gracing your lips.

He couldn’t help but stare at the way your piercing strained against the plump flesh there.

“Marko. You looking to have some fun tonight?” He asked.

You looked back to were he was looking with his friends on bikes. They didn’t seem half bad in your opinion.

“Will there be alcohol?”

“There can be anything you want Sugar.”

You rolled your eyes at his flirting. After seeing his best friend hit it off with Rose, Marko decided he didn’t want to be alone either. And you were a mighty fine choice for a new friend. There was plenty of mischief in your blood.

@queer-and-utter-chaos

You were an easy choice really. Tall, handsome, Dwayne was smitten. When he watched you help a vendor hang up some string lights they couldn’t reach, he knew you were sweet too. But he wasn’t quite sure how to approach you. Perhaps he could use Laddie to his aid.

He instructed the young boy that they would be playing a game of hide and seek. He could hide anywhere on the boardwalk, and he closed his eyes as the boy ran off. Not that it would make a difference, he’d still know exactly where he was at. He put on his best acting skills and began walking around looking helpless. And like a moth to the flame, you were drawn in.

“You alright?” You asked.

He faked a nod sending you a smile. You watched for a moment as he looked around.

“You looking for something? Maybe I could help?” You offered.

“I can’t find my kid.” You paused.

He didn’t seem old enough to have a child.

“I was supposed to be watching my little brother, and he must of ran off when I turned my back.”

You placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” You said, giving your best smile.

He had you right where you wanted you. After spending nearly half an hour “looking” for laddie, you two had talked about the most random things. And it only made him like you more. And when you found Laddie, the little boy was obsessed with you. He asked you to pick him up, and of course, how could you say no.

“Can we keep them Dwayne, can we?” He begged.

Dwayne looked at you as if asking for permission. Little did you know what you were committing too. But in the end, you’d be happy by their sides.

@auntvamp

David’s eyes latched onto you before the end of the night. And they didn’t dare leave. He took a long drag of his cigarette as he watched one of the Surf jerks try to flirt with you. And that was his last straw. But as he was about to step in, he saw you slap the man, and hard.

Marko chuckled darkly. “She’s got some fire in her, good luck David.”

David rolled his eyes at the younger vampire. He made his way toward you, cause it seemed the bastard didn’t get the message.

“I believe they lady asked you to leave her alone.” He said.

“What are you her boyfriend?” The guy scoffed.

It was then you really turned to look at him. He was quite the site, you had to admit.

“Yeah, he is, so unless you want to get your ass beat, by the both of us, I’d suggest you scram.” You said.

David just smirked. “You heard her.”

The guy scoffed. “Whatever, come to me when you want a real man.” He said.

You rolled your eyes, flipping the guy off as he left.

“Thanks.” You said.

David just smiled and silently offered you a cig, which you gratefully took. He lit his first, than lit yours with the end of his.

“Come hang out with me an my friends, we’ll call it even.”

And with a face like that, how could you say no. David wouldn’t be letting a pesky little thing like human mortality take you from him. Not when things just got interesting.

@vechkinfan

Laddie was actually the one who picked you out of the crowd. He was sat on top of Dwayne’s motorcycle, and from this higher vantage point he had a better view. Something about you seem fun. Before the boys could stop the younger vampire, he was running off into the crowd.

Laddie had gotten really good at his “lost boy” routine. He could lure in anyone the boys wanted if he just pretended he didn’t know where they went. He walked up to you and gently tugged at your sleeve. You looked down to see the cutest little boy you’d ever seen.

“We’ll hello there!! You alright little one?” He shook his head no.

You crouched down to look at him, see eye to eye.

“What’s wrong.”

“My brothers were supposed to get me ice cream, but when I turned around they were gone.”

You feigned shock.

“That’s awful. Tell you what little buddy, why don’t I get you over to the ice cream stand and see if we can find them, yeah?”

“Ok.” He said.

He took your hand and the two of you walked over. After about 15 mins of waiting he still couldn’t find his brothers.

“Now I’m never gonna get ice-cream.”

You laughed. Of course that was what the boy was worried about. You were sure he brothers were probably worried sick about him and searching for him. It wouldn’t hurt to stay a little longer. One little ice cream cone wouldn’t hurt your wallet too bad.

“You like sprinkles little man?” You asked.

His eyes lit up brightly and he nodded.

“And chocolate!”

You laughed. “And chocolate. Alright stay put ok. Can’t have you getting lost even more.”

Laddie babbled about random things as you two are your ice cream. And a guy in a cool jacket with a cheetah on it approached.

“There you are!” Marko announced. “And what have you found for us little man?” He asked, looking you up and down.

“They got me ice cream Marko!”

“I can see that. Thanks for keeping him safe.” He thanked you.

“You should really keep a better eye on him. He could have gotten hurt.” You stated.

Dwayne overheard your care for the boy and joined in on the conversation.

“Don’t blame him, Laddie here is a slippery bugger, isn’t that right? We told you we’d take you for ice cream later didn’t we bud?”

Laddie smiled sheepishly.

“Yeah, but I brought us a friend!”

“It seems you have. Perhaps you would like to join us, that way you can help us keep a better eye on the kid?” Dwayne offered.

You rolled your eyes. Following them back to the cave was a choice you were uncertain about. You never expected your life would change forever after that. But you didn’t mind the new you.

@frenziedslashers

No! No way! Your brother shouted. Edgar would never let you join them! He was ridiculously overprotective of you. You’d help him and Alan on their vampire hunting adventures for a while now. But this time you got sloppy.

David had you in his clutches, and your brothers could only stand and watch in horror. They were completely surrounded.

“Stop hunting us, or I swear to god I will rip out your brothers neck right here!” David growled.

Alan tried to think of anything he could do to help. But he couldn’t think of anything. You were totally and utterly screwed.

“Fuck you bloodsucker!” Edgar seethed.

David grip tightened on you. You didn’t know what to say. Should you say goodbye to your brothers? Tell them it would all be ok and beg them to run? You wouldn’t make it out of this one, at least they could leave unscathed. But then an idea hit you.

“If you really wanted to torture them, why kill me? You could turn me you coward!”

You knew the leader would find the idea intriguing. Sure your brothers would hate you, but you’d be alive. That was better than nothing right? And you’d read blade! He became a better hunter after he was turned. It evened the playing fields.

“Don’t give me ideas little hunter. This won’t end well for you!”

“You’re stalling.” You taunted.

Edgar looked at you like you were crazy. What the hell were you doing. But you gave him your signature smile, one that assured him everything would be alright. Maybe being a vampire wouldn’t be so bad.

“We put our weapons down, you let our brother go.” Edgar demanded.

“You see, I would, but all this talk about a new fledglings got me excited. New trade, I’ll let you both leave here alive after I turn him.”

“No way!” Edgar yelled.

“Orian, please.” Alan plead.

“Just go! You can’t save the world if you’re dead right?”

And those were the words that sealed your fate. Your brothers got to live to see another day. And you’d outlive them.

#the lost boys #mutuals #vampires #vampire squad #david tlb #dwayne tlb #marko tlb #laddie tlb #star tlb #max tlb #Edgar frog #alan frog #paul tlb

34 notes · View notes

am-i-sans · 7 months

Text

dnd adventures 31

cam returns from eeby deeby and lands on undyne! they apologize for landing on her and fall to the ground. undyne tells them to scram cause she wants to be alone. cam heads back to the shop.

frog is still resting on dans. suzy is still crabby. cam tells us what happaned. frog says they should go have fun. frog goes to a random person and asks if theres anything fun around here.

they dont know they just got here, why is that building destroyed? frog tells them about the zombies lol. shes like 'really? where did they come from?' cam says it was a necromancer. 'well thats a bother.' dans is still zoned out. cam tries to think of what to do.

she calls herself annika crow and walks off ok cool. museum? dinosaurs cool! dans is still zoned in the shoe shop oh no they just left him. the kids are in the dino petting zoo. frog can talk to the dinos! tori also talks to them lol. one if the dinos preens cam.

undyne cools off and now is lost again dammit. she got a crit she finds the dinos! meanwhile dans was wandering the city in a daze. a guy runs up to him. he looks like a normal guy but somethings off. he hands dans something and then leaves. dans checks for anything sus. its a brown package and has a weird staticy magical energy he hasnt felt before.

dans opens it. theres a foldable wooden board and an envelope with no signature. in the envelope is a jack of clubs! with a weird shine.

its dess why?! dans reads a letter inside, their instructions. typewriter? 'unfold the board on a flat surface, put the card face up' dans looks around then finds a spot to put the board down. the card turns black! dess pops up out of nowhere?! 'oh im back here. hi.' dans is fucking flabbergasted. 'did you hop out of the card or something?' 'yeah kinda thats employee storage.' 'does that...hurt? are you conscious?' 'nah the last thing i saw i fell to the ground so i guess i was put away.' 'so no eeby deeby?' '...what?' 'did you get your egg?' 'no. i think? now when i got put in the card.'

dans blinks a bunch then slowly tells dess what they missed. 'thats a lot of stuff. sorry im out of it.' dans says to find the others and get them some food. dess tells him to keep the board and stuff and into the bag it goes. we find the dinos!

undyne looks at the dinos and says cool your here and dinos are here nice. she just needed a moment to cool down. she asks if they let you fight dinos here. cam says she isnt allowed to fight dinos cause she would kill them immediately. 'id only knock them out!' tori offers to be a dino if needed. frog is stoked their mom can be a dino lol. tori says she feels smart when she talks to undyne lol.

attika speaks up and asks how you can be a dinosaur? undyne starts asking if she can turn into various plants and her lol. shes now a 9 ft tall undyne lol. now 11ft sksksk. now she picks up undyne lol. cam says she could pick up undyne oh no. dans and dess walks in as undyne is taking off her armor lol.

'uhhh dess is back did we...miss something?' undyne says whats going on and dans gives cam a sly look. oh no undyne is gonna run at her. tori waves at dans as she shrinks to normal. CAM FUCKING DID IT THEY CAUGHT UNDYNE LETS FUCKING GOOOO!!! they forget cam is a fighter lol. 'its not the size' says dess lol. frog tosses confetti hehehe. tori is mildly shocked. undyne tells cam to yeet her at suzy. 'dont break her undyne' undyne crushes suzy oh no lol. suzy cant even shove her off. she finally gets her off and kicks her.

now undyne asks tori oh no. she sighs and agrees. yes she caught her! annika speaks up and says they should stop cause this is a museum. dans is just smiling fondly at them. oh no. undyne. no. nonono. oh no. 'do you wanna be the reason god says yes?' tori throws her at dans oh god. HE GOT A FUCKING CRIT! hes just like how did this happen? she reaches down and fucking picks him up shes pumped now lol. then she puts her armor back on.

so whats the plan? that artifact right. undyne finally notices dess lol. dans says dess teleported in but we assume its weird eeby deeby shit. dans is fucking attuned to dess's board so shes stuck with him wtf. hes gonna be horrifed when he realizes lol.

annika perks up and asks about the artifact. cam asks if she studies magical items. she says magic in general, recently graduated. undyne shows her and annika asks to come along cause she might know of it. undyne tells her its dangerous and some of us have even died and she cant guarantee her safety. also we have a curse where we get stuck lol. annika says shes been in danger before so its fine. undyne calls dibs on the artifact but says she can come.

time to get on soupnik! annika is surprised to see them and undyne explains its her spiritual summon. tori asks if shes sure she wants to stick with us. shes studying soupnik now lol. frog actually introduces themself and blobbo to annika.

tori asks what field she was in. evocation. hmm. vani crawls forward and curls up against annika. we eventually land cause its dark and they need to rest. dans is making dinner. were in a swamp gross. vani is chasing a frog. not our frog like the animal. tori argues with undyne that no she cant magic the water away. undyne asks dans whats for din-din. dans is still kinda out of it and says its sliders.

frog is playing with blobbo who is now splashing around in the swamp lol. so is suzy lol. annika is reading after failing to help with the fire. dans told the local bugs to fuck off lol. tori for fun casts detect magic. she senses something weird in dans backpack hmmm. but she doesnt bring it up cause he IS a warlock.

suzy calls out to cam and throws a mudball at them! cam screeches and ducks under the log after it hits lol. undyne laughs and chokes a bit. cam yells that their shirt is ruined but dans yells they have magic for that. cam yells about the mental toll. dans tells them to throw back but cam says they dont like to get dirty. 'your already dirty.' 'fuck off.' suzy grabs cam and drags them into the swamp. undyne sighs and goes after them and picks them up.

suzy keeps trying to drag them into the swamp. undyne just picks her up too lol. suzy is just feral i swear. undyne offers to play in the mud if she lets go. now its on! cam goes and clings to dans and he sighs and uses presti. cam says they have something to tell dans. its a jar full of those feathers they pulled off of themselves. they say dans has no hair. cam wanted to braid them into his hair but the beard will do.

cam says its a social thing. if your close to someone you give them a feather. an old legend said the feather let the other person have influence over them. cam is a halfling but growing those feathers was so exciting. why is everyone giving dans influence over them lately lol. its to establish a connection aww they wanna share with everyone. dans gets misty eyed and says he would like that very much. cam combs through it and braids a feather into it.

cam looks at undyne and says she needs presti before getting a feather. undyne is too busy wrestling in the mud to notice lol. time to brain tori! then frog! frog gives cam a cool rock.

undyne finally wins and their both exhausted. dans cleans her off with presti, the most useful skill.

moss had to go so we had to stop.

#dans #dnd #dnd adventures

3 notes · View notes

elizabethblake · 1 year

Text

That’s for me to know, and for you to figure out - pt. 5

Panic Imagine -- Dodge Mason x OC (Reese Silvers) -- pt. 5

A girl from a wealthy family wants to get out of Carp just as much as everyone else. With the new guy in town, she seems to be a bit more distracted than she had hoped. And those who once were her friends just may be the ones who will throw her into the deep end. Will Panic be what she hopes, or will she fall into the depths of deceit and lies?

The trees hung low, soaked with dew as we drove down the road headed to Spurlock’s Farm. I glanced back at Heather and Nat in the backseat of the car, they seemed to be engaged in their own conversation. So I took a quick look over at Dodge as he drove, I noticed how his grip on the steering wheel made his hands look that much more attractive and the vein that r- nope. Don’t pay attention. Don’t pay attention to these things, because this can’t happen.

We reached a spot where the trees looked dead, and a scarecrow sat in the thickets of a bush.

As we neared, I saw Summer, Diggins, and a few other people surrounding each other.

“Time flies, so fly like the crow. To reap future treasures from wars long ago. Take one of these tokens along when you leave, and send proof in pictures by midnight to me.” Diggins spouts off as Ray shines a flashlight as his face.

“Ray, can you please stop that?” He snaps.

“Uh, translation please?” Troy asked.

“Troy, I wish that I could help you. But the puzzle is part of of-

“You’re supposed to steal something.” Summer cut him off.

“Thank you, Summer.” Diggins said.

“Uh, so we have to go in-inside the house?” Drew asked.

“Illegal entry, it happens every year.” Heather whispered.

“Ah, the student becomes the master?” Nat asked as she nudged her shoulder.

“You can choose the cornfields or the woods to get to Spurlock’s.” Diggins says, I notice Dodge glance at Natalie, giving her a once over.

“And cause we didn’t complete the last challenge the judges decided it was unfair to award or deduct any points based -

“Wait, how is that fair? Some of us actually had to cross” I interrupted him.

“Yeah, I had to cross Diggins.” Ray added.

“Rankings are the same as they were after the first challenge. Also, cause the cops busted us, no more spectators.” Diggins said.

“We’re still missing Tyler.” Summer said.

“He’ll be here.” Ray said.

“Okay you’ll just sneak in, steal something, get out, and then take a picture and send proof to Diggins by midnight.” Summer said.

“This challenge is worth 50 points, all or nothing. You need 150 in order to make it to the next challenge so, give it all you got.” Diggins said.

“Good luck.” He added.

“And Spurlock’s a nutcase. Like supposedly the whole place is booby-trapped. So just try not to die.” Summer said as she hopped off the back of the truck. Everyone began going their separate ways.

“Hey let’s do this.” I heard Nat say as she took Heather’s arm and pulled her with her as she walked away. I moved to follow them, but I felt a hand wrap around my arm.

“Hey, you good?” Dodge asked as I turned to face him. I nodded my head.

“Yeah, I’m good.” I said with a tight lipped smile.

“Okay.” He said, not sounding convinced. But I still walked away and followed Nat and Heather. The four of us found our way into the cornfield, before stopping in our tracks looking down at a dead animal in a bear trap.

“Gross.” Nat said.

“Which way now?” Heather asked.

“It’ll be faster if we split up and scout.” Nat answered.

“Um, we should see the greenhouses soon, or we’re too far west. Let’s meet back at the next break in ten minutes?” She said.

“Sure.” Heather answered as she went to walk with Nat, and I stood by Dodge.

“Oh actually, Reese, I was thinking maybe you could go with Heather? I just, wanna keep people on their toes you know?” Nat said with a smile.

“Yeah, sure.” I said with a small upturn of my lip.

I gave Dodge a sort of dirty glance before walking away with Heather.

“Hey, Reese.” Dodge called out, and I turned to look back at him.

“You two just uh be careful.” He said before I turned and continued walking away with Heather. After a few minutes of walking, Heather spoke.

“Hey, don’t you think Nat was acting kinda weird?” She asked.

“I mean, doesn’t she always act that way? Like suspicious?” I replied back.

“Yeah, I mean she sorta always keeps you guessing what she wants. But also, I don’t think she means badly. But I just thought she seemed a bit off with Dodge you know?” She said.

“I mean, I didn’t really pay attention.” I said.

“I just thought it was funny cause at first, I thought you and Dodge were gonna be like a thing.” She said with a smirk, and before I had a chance to answer a voice came from behind us.

“Reese? In a relationship? I’ve seen dogs better at mating.” Ray said as he came from behind the corn. I shoved his shoulder back.

“Asshole.” I seethed and he laughed.

“You know you’re going the wrong way.” He said.

“The house is south of the cornfield.” Heather said.

“You sure you’re going south?” Ray said.

“You’re fucking with us.” Heather added.

“I know a shortcut if you want to follow me.” He said.

“Thank you but we’ll pass. Come on Reese.” She said before turning away.

“Yeah, come on Reese.” Ray shouted softly.

“Wouldn’t wanna end up in last place right?” He said.

“What you don’t trust me?” He said as he inched closer.

“No, why would I? You tried to sabotage Dodge at the last challenge.” I replied

“I don’t need to sabotage to win sweetheart.” He said as he stepped even closer.

I scoffed and turned away from him to keep walking in the direction we were.

“Fine! You better just hope you don’t run into Dodge and Nat, I heard them together on my way here. Who knows what sort of trouble they might be gettin into.” He said.

“Goodbye Ray.” I said as I walked past Heather and continued to walk through the field. I turned to realize that Heather was no longer behind me.

“Heather?” I asked out.

No response.

“Great.” I muttered.

I kept walking through the field, but if I was being honest with myself, I had no idea which direction I was walking in.

“You got ten seconds to clear off my land!” A man shouted, I froze in my steps.

“Ten!” He shouted as he shot off a gunshot.

“Nine!” I crouched down and started moving through the corn stalks.

“Eight. Seven. Six!” Gunshot.

“Five seconds before I start aiming.” He shouted.

I finally reached a clearing where I could see his house. I quickly ran to the side door and jiggled the knob to see if it was unlocked, and to my luck it was. I tried to open it without making too much noise. I slipped in through the door before I was grabbed by someone.

“Don’t freak.” Ray said as he pulled me against him as a shadow danced across the wall. After it left, I pulled away from him.

“You can thank me later.” He said.

“Yeah, or never.” I replied as I moved through his house and up the steps, they creaked under my feet.

I came across what looked like his bedroom upstairs, and before I opened the door I spotted a familiar face.

“Where’s Heather?” Dodge asked.

“I don’t know. Where’s Nat?” I asked with a twinge of my voice.

I didn’t wait for his response, instead I just cracked the door. There I saw Ray turn around to face the two of us with trinkets in his hands. His eyes flickered between me and Dodge.

“All yours.” He said before heading out the door, but not before he ran his shoulder into Dodge’s.

I grabbed a shot glass of the table next to the door before leaving the room and Dodge. I made my way down the steps softly and slipped back out the door I came in.

“Hey, what was that? You seemed pissed.” Dodge said, coming out after me.

“I’m not pissed, I’m just not in the mood to get shot.” I said, then a door slammed.

“Nobody’s ever left here alive.” He shouted, before firing off another gunshot.

“We need to head back to the car.” Dodge whispered.

“No I need to wait for Heather.” I said, and then a text rang through his phone. He gave me an apologetic look before taking off, then he turned around and softly shouted.

“Meet at the car.”

Heather soon came from around the house.

“Heather!” I said.

“Let’s go.” She rushed as she grabbed my arm and we took off through the field. Soon we made it to the car, Dodge and Nat were already there.

“We’re here!” She shouted as the two of us got into the car and Dodge pulled off.

“The proof picture.” Nat asked, then the two of us took it quickly before sending it to Diggins.

I huffed as I watched the fields fade from view as we drove into the dark of the woods.

I decided to take a walk the next morning, when I spotted Dodge wiping smears of paint from the Diner’s windows.

“It’s for players’ ball.” I said as I approached him.

“Players’ what?” He asked, continuing to wipe.

“Players’ ball. It’s tradition for the emcee to host a party for the players and their guests.” I clarified.

“Wouldn’t they have sent an e-vite or something?” He asked.

“No, I think it's more festive this way” I said.

“Festive. Right.” He said.

“Here, I’ll help you out.” I said as I grabbed a rag from the window sill.

“How about that.” I added as I continued to wipe off the mirrors.

A few more moments passed and most of the paint had come off the windows when I heard a bunch of guys talking. I looked back to see my brother and his friends walking towards us.

“Hey, I’ll be right back.” I said as I dropped the rag and walked towards them.

“Rhett!” I called out.

“Give me a sec.” He said to his buddies.

“What do you want Reese?” He asked with a bit of attitude.

“Where have you been, Mom said she didn’t even see you come home last night.” I said.

“Maybe cause I didn’t. What’s it to you anyway?” He said as he turned around. I snatched his wrist.

“Hey. I care where you are, we all do, but clearly you don’t give a shit about it. Mom and Dad worry every night about where you are, do you not care at all about them?” I asked.

“Reese you’re full of shit you know.” He said with a laugh.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You think I don’t know that you and Ray have been sneakin around.” He asked.

“Who told you that?” I asked, but no response.

“Fucking Tyler. You know I never understood why you were friends with him.” I said.

“Just go home Reese. Stop treating me like your little brother.” He said.

“Then stop acting like one.” I remarked.

“Whatever Reese.” He scoffed before turning back to his friends.

“Fuck you.” I whispered under my breath before returning to where Dodge was.

“Trouble at home?” He asked.

“Something like that.” I said, before checking the time.

“Hey, I should really be gettin home.” I said.

“I’ll see you later Reese.” He said.

“Alright, bye Dodge.” I said before taking off towards home.

Once I reached the house I noticed both my parents were home, and surprisingly so was Rhett.

“Wow, I haven’t seen you in this house in forever.” I said as I pulled the cherries from the fridge.

“Well I haven’t seen you in clothes that don’t make you look like you live in a monastery so first for everyone.” He remarked, and I threw a cherry at his face.

“What the hell?” He snapped.

“Stop being such an ass.” I snapped back.

“Stop being such a bitch.” He said.

“You know what Rhett. I am so sick and tired of loathing coming home because of the thought that you might be here. You make everyone’s life a living hell, what is wrong with you? Like what is wrong with your brain?” I said.

“Then why don’t you just stop coming home Reese.” He said, I scoffed and shook my head.

“Fuck you.” I said.

“Hey! Watch your language Reese Silvers.” My mother shouted as she came into the room.

“And all this shouting and hatefulness needs to stop. You two are siblings, twins at that. This arguing shouldn’t be happening, you two are supposed to love one another.” She said calmly.

“Yeah well it’s hard to love someone you can’t stand.” He said.

“Real mature.” I said.

“Stop it. The both of you. I’m tired of this.” She said.

“Your father and I have to be at the club tonight. Do you think you can keep from killing each other for one evening.” She asked, but the two of us only stood in silence.

“I expect to see you both here in the morning.” She said before she walked out of the room.

I suddenly got a text from Nat.

“Party?”

#dodge mason #dodge #ray hall #panic #panic amazon #lauren oliver #olivia scott welch #mike faist

7 notes · View notes