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imaginemalereader · 2 years

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Anonymous request: Imagine being Clint Barton’s trans son

Sometimes it was hard to have an Avenger for a dad. For once, that wasn’t actually the hardest part. Him being away a lot had actually made part of this easier. It gave you more time to plan and prepare.

You thought about a letter, an email, a text. Ultimately you decided against them all though. You wanted to tell him face to face. You still wrote out a lot of what you wanted to say but you didn’t want to be reading off a script when you talked to him either.

When he got back from the latest mission, he and Natasha came back to the house. It had been an easy one they said, by Avengers standards of course. Once you were sure that everyone was safe and still as mentally stable as they had been when they left, you asked to pull your dad aside for a minute.

“What’s going on kid?” He asked. He could tell you were nervous, you were fidgety and looked from him and then away and back several times.

“Dad there’s something I need to tell you. About me.”

“Are you okay? Has someone-” His mind raced to a hundred bad things that could be going on before you cut him off.

“I’m fine. I’m just, I’m just not who you always thought I was.”

Was it bad that his first thought was that you were secretly an Asgardian sent to Earth as a baby or something like that?

You read the confusion on his face and quickly continued speaking.

“Dad I’m transgender. I’m a boy. And I want you to call me [Y/N] and your son and a brother and-”

This time you were the one cut off as your dad pulled you into a hug. You wrapped your arms tightly around him and even though you were happy and relieved, you were fighting back tears.

“Son, daughter, anything else. it doesn’t matter buddy. I love you.”

“Thanks dad.” He could here that you were choked up and held you a little tighter.

“Should we go tell your Aunt Nat while she’s here, or do you want to wait?”

“We can tell her now.” You said.

Your dad let you drop the hug first and stepped back when you let him go.

“Are you okay?” He noticed your eyes were watery but he didn’t want to press you.

“Yeah, I’m good. Happy.”

He put a hand on your shoulder and guided you back out to the porch where Nat had gone to wait for the two of you so she wouldn’t accidentally overhear anything.

“Aunt Nat?”

“You both good?” She asked, picking up that both of you had been near tears moments ago.

“Yeah we’re good. Aunt Nat, I’m trans. Could you call me [Y/N]?”

Natasha smiled, then put on a fake frown.

“Clint you’re subtracting from my niece tally.”

Your dad smiled and you laughed.

“Sorry to disappoint.” You smiled.

“I guess I can live with it.” She sighed, winking at you.

With those two out of the way, telling the rest of the Avengers was easy. Your dad brought you to the compound and helped you tell everyone and educate them. Thor needed the most help with terminology but everyone was very supportive. Tony immediately had Jarvis update your records and pronouns in the system.

Everyone was lovely about it, truly.

But your dad was on a whole other level, rivaled possibly only by Natasha. Around the house, you got a Nerf gun to correct people if they misgendered or dead-named you. The idea caught on and soon all the Avengers found themselves shot with little darts if they got it wrong. Everyone became remarkably fast learners.

Your dad doesn’t do much press, not like Steve or Tony, but it makes you smile every time he talks proudly about his son.

He made arrows with trans colors on them that spew colored smoke and disorient a person. You helped him design them after all the gender reveal party fails you saw online.

He’s not so good at dealing with all the bureaucratic nonsense that is the American healthcare system, but it’s impressive what doors being an Avenger opens. If/when you decided you want to pursue medical transition, he’s very supportive. Hormones, surgery, he’s got your back through it all.

The first year after you came out, you asked him to take you to pride. You ended up getting a little more than you asked for.

It started out just the two of you. You walked around, saw the booths. Your dad was happy to see you happy. You got some merch, and your dad bought himself some stuff as well. He asked you questions, you guys talked to people. It was nice, and pretty low-key all things considered.

After some time wandering, you saw a collection of familiar faces approaching.

“I hope you don’t mind, I invited them to join us.” Them of course meant the rest of the Avengers, some of whom stuck out more than others. They all wore varying degrees of pride gear, from Natasha who wore a black shirt with an abstract design in trans colors, to Tony who had gone full rainbow.

The now large group of you walked through the festival together, with everyone talking and laughing. Some asked you questions about words or flags or memes that were unfamiliar. Thor had a lot of questions about how he had become a lesbian icon and what his duties entailed.

At the end of the day, you all went your separate ways.

“Was that good?” Your dad asked as he drove you both home.

“Yeah it was. Thank you for taking me, and for coming, and for inviting them. It was fun.”

“I don’t think I’ve actually said it to you yet, but I’m proud of you. Not just for this, because I know coming out and that is hard. But I’m proud of you. My son. I’m proud of the man you’re growing into.”

You smiled. You wished your dad could be around more, selfishly, but more than that, you were proud of what he did and who he was. You wanted to be like him in so many ways.

“Thanks dad. I love you.”

#clint barton imagine #avengers imagine #x male reader #x male!reader #male reader #male!reader #x trans reader #x trans!reader #x trans male reader #x son reader #x son!reader #son reader #clint barton x son!reader #clint barton x son reader #parent character #dad!clint #dad!character

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phoenixyfriend · 3 years

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For your suddenly omegaverse au what exactly happened? Like I think obiwan and Anakin hop over from cannon verse to omegaverse but I am unclear on if there already existed obiwan and Anakin in omegaverse. Did they die early or do they just not exist or are they just not force sensitive and therefore not a part of the order? Is there still a sith conspiracy around Anakin?

Context: Original Post, Surrogacy, Worldbuilding, Obi-Mom, Soap Operas

So, from the original post:

There is no preexisting Anakin in the Omegaverse

Obi-Wan and Anakin just straight up don’t exist until they drop headfirst into the council room, already covered in blood.

To clarify: There has never been an Anakin Skywalker in this AU. There has never been an Obi-Wan Kenobi.

They don't know this for sure when they land in the AU, though. All they know is that the Jedi have no record of either of them. They figure, well, maybe they just got lost in the shuffle. Anakin wasn't found until he was nine, after all, and that was only by great coincidence.

The rest of this post has almost no mention of the omegaverse elements, FYI.

Warning: References to the Tusken massacre, explicit sedation and isolation of a mentally unstable individual threatening violence.

I don’t want to make light of institutionalization and involuntary holds, but Anakin is a character with a history of violence talking about repeating such an act, and that’s... a bit of an extreme case.

------

It's not that hard to convince the Temple to let them run a mission that lets them stop by Tatooine or Stewjon. Anakin cares a lot more, so Tatooine it is! Obi-Wan can tell there's something sketchy going on with Anakin's particular anxiety about this, but he rolls with it. Anakin was very specific about the timing for some reasons, and at this point, it's easier to just let it all play through.

They go well after the whole “congrats, you’re omegas... somehow,” thing has happened, a month or so before Geonosis would have happened. Obi-Wan has managed to help the council sabotage and delay the Separatist side of the war enough that they’ve gained... maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months. Just a little more time to keep a few more people alive. Nobody’s reached out to Kamino yet, and Jango isn’t staging a failed assassination to draw someone in, either. They’ve bought enough time for Anakin to spend his vacation time checking in on his mom seeing if he exists here, and Obi-Wan can go with him.

They get to Tatooine. They wander about, and Anakin doesn't actually explain where they're going, but takes them straight to where the Lars farm is. Obi-Wan lets Anakin tell him that it was the Force that led him to the right area. Anakin can sense that his mom is in there, and Obi-Wan chalks up the relief from his former padawan to 'she's here and we don't have to look for her.'

Anakin is... panicking. Just a bit. What if he shows up and it turns out this reality's Anakin is off doing something completely unrelated and she realizes he's the wrong person? Or what if she doesn't recognize him and he calls her Mom anyway? What if he fucks up and says something stupid or just starts crying on her? She'll think he's insane.

Obi-Wan... takes over.

Anakin stays hidden, listening. Obi-Wan knocks on the door, and asks if there's a 'Shmi Skywalker' in residence. Someone in town mentioned her. He explains that he has a young friend of about twenty years--they're not sure, exactly, because the friend doesn't know his own birthday, but it's about there--who happens to be a Skywalker, and they're trying to see if they can reconnect him with a parent. They don't have much to go off of other than the surname... the Shmi that lives here wouldn't happen to have ever had any children about that age?

No. She hasn't had any children of her own blood, actually, her only child is her stepson, but she'd be happy to meet this other Skywalker, if he's in the area. It's always nice to find family, and connecting with those that were separated from you is a big deal on Tatooine. She's not going to look a gift bantha in the mouth.

(Cliegg, dear, put down the rifle.)

Obi-Wan promises to let his friend know, bids them goodbye, and goes to find Anakin.

Anakin is having a bit of a breakdown.

As one does.

Anakin insists that they stick around for a bit, that they do what they can to protect the farm, because that's his mom, even if she's not really his mom, and Obi-Wan can tell there's a Lot Going On here. He assumes it's because Anakin's upset his mom doesn't know him, which is a little irrational on account of their two options being "Anakin doesn't exist (and so Shmi doesn't know him)" and "Anakin does exist (but Shmi doesn't know this Anakin, so she still doesn't know him)," but Anakin's not a very rational person.

Obi-Wan thinks tamping down the current crisis is probably a little more important than chastising Anakin's attachment issues, mostly because Anakin's hands are shaking, and he's looking a little wild-eyed, and like. Obi-Wan's not great at dealing with Anakin's many and varied emotions, but he's learned at some point when it's best to just... roll with it Until There's Less Risk of Stab or Sobbing Laughter.

He helps figure out some minor fuckery with the Force to hide the family in the homestead behind them from visitors, and to warn them to hide when someone comes by. It’s not a lot--mostly just meditating and asking the Force for a helping hand--but it’s nice.

Except, well, Anakin keeps fidgeting. He keeps panicking. He has them coming back almost daily for a week, always too scared to talk to his mom but insistent on protecting her, and always looking at the calendar. Obi-Wan wants to get back to the Temple, but whatever the actual hell is going on with Anakin is too big to just ignored.

A specific day comes and goes. Anakin is a mess of jitters and nerves, and finally Obi-Wan asks just the wrong (right?) question, and... they visit Shmi.

Anakin says they can talk later, he just wants to see his mom One Last Time.

(Obi-Wan is getting more and more worried, but he sits through the incredibly awkward meeting between Anakin and his alt-universe mom, watches as Anakin has no idea what to say and almost cries, and Shmi just kind of lets him do that and Beru--a sweet girl, Obi-Wan thinks, and very practical--tells him that this is all very normal for reunited slaves.)

(Obi-Wan wonders if maybe there’s some stuff Anakin never told him about how being a slave affected him.)

(Obi-Wan had thought they’d moved past most of this, but..)

The meeting ends. There’s hugging.

They get back to the ship, and Obi-Wan gets to watch Anakin fall apart. Obi-Wan gets to watch Anakin cry and scream into a pillow, hyperventilate and nearly punch a hole in the wall as he rages about how it was all for nothing! Obi-Wan gets to watch Anakin break into a million pieces in a way he’s never seen before.

Obi-Wan gets a confession.

Anakin tells him about the Tuskens.

It’s not an easy conversation. It’s not a short conversation, either. Anakin’s full of pain and misery and rising guilt, talks about how he’s been asking himself if it would be easier to keep his mother safe if he just killed them all now, except Obi-Wan would know, and be disappointed, and sure the Chancellor had said that they were little more than rabid animals, but Anakin doesn’t think he can kill the younglings again when his mom is still fine, and--

Obi-Wan sedates him.

He wants to say that he’s not proud of this, but... Anakin isn’t well. Anakin isn’t well in a way that is currently, specifically, revolving around doing extreme violence. Anakin is talking about going out and committing a slaughter as preventative maintenance.

Anakin stays sedated until they get back to the Temple, and he’s put in Force-suppressant cuffs--Obi-Wan quietly tells them to use something that can’t be sliced or taken apart by a droid specialist, and to avoid collars because Anakin was a slave for nearly a decade, and has a lot of traumatic associations--and in an isolated room.

It’s not a cell. Not technically.

He can’t just leave, though.

Obi-Wan hates himself for it, just a little. He doesn’t want to be doing this, not to his padawan, his brother, his son, but... a massacre. Even the younglings, he’d said.

(“He said he didn’t think he could do it again,” Obi-Wan mutters, half to himself and half to the mind healer that asks for his rundown of the situation. “I think he knows it was wrong, but...”)

(But he still did it, of course.)

It’s... better than Obi-Wan feared, but worse than he hoped.

Anakin is emotionally unstable. He has been, for a long time, but he’s usually functional. When the mind healer isn’t directly poking at his worst wounds, Anakin can more or less pass for... not okay, necessarily, but no worse than anyone else in the war had. He can say the right words. He can do a joint meditation. He can talk about philosophy the way a Knight that’s taken all the right classes does.

But part of Anakin still holds to the idea that the Tuskens deserved to die.

“This is my fault,” Obi-Wan whispers, more than once, resting his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. “I should have...”

“He was an adult,” says Mace, who isn’t Mace, not the one that Obi-Wan knows, but a newer friend, one that’s still figuring how to act around him. “Young, but still an adult. He made that choice.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t answer. Things aren’t that simple.

“The timing can’t have been a coincidence,” Obi-Wan mutters to himself, later on, but in the same spot, and the same position.

The Quinlan of this universe shrugs. He knows Obi-Wan better than most, right now. Psychometry’s helpful that way, and sharing Obi-Wan’s heat hadn’t hurt. “Seems likely. You said Sith were involved and setting traps, and a kid like yours, with that much power and trauma... ripe for the molding.”

Obi-Wan whines, and then catches the noise and stuffs it back down, locks it up tight with the other ‘instinct’ things he doesn’t like to think about having. The sound already has Quinlan shifting closer, and the smell is... intended to be comforting, he thinks. Reacting to his own distress, which he’s probably just pumping out right now, because he still doesn’t know how to--

“Can I help?” Quinlan asks, and Obi-Wan lets him.

Someone gets through to Anakin, maybe, or he just lets himself be ground down, or Obi-Wan’s entreaties that he can’t teach Ahsoka until he understands his crimes get through. He won’t be trusted around the clones until the Jedi can trust him to do the right thing, they inform him.

“I wouldn’t hurt the clones.”

“Nobody’s going to believe that until you understand your crimes and truly, actually feel remorse for them.”

There wasn’t a crime, technically. Not in this universe. That tribe is still alive, here, unknowing of the fate they escaped by dint of Anakin talking himself down from committing another slaughter.

(He tells the mind healer it’s because Obi-Wan was there.)

(He might have done it, he says, if he hadn’t thought Obi-Wan would be disappointed in him.)

(He says it like it’s a foregone conclusion, that Obi-Wan’s opinion is worth more than the horror of what he might become.)

“We’re going to keep an eye on anyone talking to Palpatine,” Shaak tells him one day, after Anakin’s been mental instability hold for two weeks. “We don’t know for sure how far the similarities extend from your universe to ours, but given everything else you’ve been right about...”

“That bad?” Obi-Wan asks.

Shaak grimaces, fangs glinting in the light. “I want to believe we’d have never allowed a child into such a position, but I can’t know what political leverage may have been used in your dimension... whatever reason was had to put Skywalker in those rooms, we know the consequences now--”

“What did he do to my padawan?” Obi-Wan demands, because Anakin won’t even tell him that. Anakin hasn’t mentioned Palpatine since they left Tatooine. Not to Obi-Wan.

“Nothing physical,” Shaak manages. “But the lies he told and the suggestions he planted... it’s good they haven’t met again yet in this life. We’ll all be keeping them far apart.”

He wants to take solace in that. “Why do you know before I do?”

“Skywalker values your opinion,” she says. “Only yours. He doesn’t want you more disappointed in him than you already are, so much of what is relayed to the council as a matter of security goes no further, but this was deemed necessary to share. He agreed to it, if you worried we’d broken his confidence.”

Anakin’s therapy would normally be entirely private.

Anakin’s therapy would normally not be in response to confessions of mass slaughter.

He hasn’t asked to be let out, which Obi-Wan hopes is a sign that he realizes at least subconsciously that he was in the wrong. The mind healer says he could have been released under watch by a Master probably a day or two after he arrived, but seems to be drawing some kind of comfort in knowing he couldn’t hurt someone even if he tried.

Obi-Wan is Anakin’s emergency contact. His next of kin. His healthcare proxy. Anakin has a right to privacy, minor as it is in such a situation, and everyone recognizes and treats him as an adult, but... Obi-Wan learns as much from the mind-healer as he would have back when Anakin was actually a child.

“He trusts you to make the right decisions,” the mind healer tells him, careful and unassuming. “He has... a lot of conflicting opinions about many things, including the order, the coming war, the nature of human reproductive dynamics, the Code... but he seems keen on the idea that you are his best reference on morality and ethics.”

Oh, good, more horrifying responsibility.

“He’s better,” the mind healer tells him. “I want to get him out of here before he starts going stir crazy while still relying on the perceived safety as a crutch for his mental health. And he--”

“He’ll be staying with me,” Obi-Wan says, heavy as anything. “I know.”

“Well... there’s a war coming,” the mind healer says. She offers a thin smile when he looks at her. “I don’t want him going out, but it makes him feel useful, gives him a direction for the aggression, and... the Council is adamant that we’ll need him as much as we need you.”

It’s true.

“Did he tell you why everyone called him the Hero With No Fear?”

“No.”

“Ask him.”

#Anakin Skywalker #Obi Wan Kenobi #Shmi Skywalker #Mace Windu #Quinlan Vos #Shaak Ti #time travel #omegaverse #SW Suddenly Omegaverse #Phoenix Answers Asks #phoenix posts #Tusken Massacre #death mention #dehumanization mention #institutionalization tw #involuntary hold tw #sedation tw #involuntary sedation tw

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stolen-pen-name23 · 3 years

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19 for the angst and h/c prompts

Hello! Thank you so much for the prompt and I'm SO SORRY it took so long!!!

(prompts now closed)

Ao3 Link

Here ya go!

---

Anakin nervously tugs on his braid as he awaits his turn to compete.

He can’t stop himself from glancing back at the door no more than he can stop himself from hoping Obi-Wan will walk through it.

He’s just late. He’ll be here.

Anakin says this to himself knowing full well that Obi-Wan is never late. Anakin begins to face the fact that Obi-Wan will not be showing up for him today.

He pulls on his braid again, a little more bitterly this time.

Obi-Wan is away on a solo mission — an important one supposedly. But this is important too. Anakin is competing in one of his first Padawan tournaments and Obi-Wan is supposed to be back by now so that he can watch. If Anakin wins the tournament, Obi-Wan is supposed to be the one to weave a brand new bead into Anakin’s braid.

It’s a big deal.

The Padawan Tournament consists of three rounds: an obstacle course, the Show of Force (pun very much intended by the Jedi Council who all thought they were so funny), and a lightsaber duel.

The obstacle course is difficult for most of the Padawans, but Anakin always breezed right through it in the many practice rounds Obi-Wan made him do.

The Show of Force, AKA, lifting various objects for various amounts of time with only the Force was a little more challenging for Anakin at first, but Obi-Wan drilled him over and over until he got it.

One time, Obi-Wan had drilled him on it for so long, his nose started bleeding and he almost passed out. Anakin remembered sensing Obi-Wan’s overwhelming guilt through their bond, but Anakin didn’t really mind. It was only a minor headache and he got a couple of milkshakes out of the deal. Not to mention, the smug feeling of satisfaction he got from Obi-Wan admitting he was wrong. Besides, he did get pretty good at using the Force in ways he never had before, despite the minor case of Force exhaustion he got out of it.

But out of all the events in the Padawan Tournament, the lightsaber duel is Anakin’s favorite part. Mostly because it meant he got to do extra lightsaber training with Obi-Wan which is his favorite thing ever. Though Anakin is excited about the duel, he can’t help but feel nervous for it.

The lightsaber duel is the main event of the Padawan Tournament. Everyone in the temple stops what they are doing to come watch it.

For months, Anakin has been practicing extra hard with Obi-Wan, but now he is worried that was not enough. Obi-Wan said he was ready, but Anakin had never even beat Obi-Wan. Anakin rarely fought against Padawans his age, so he is not sure what he is up against.

A blaring timer goes off, signaling that the Padawan before Anakin has finished his obstacle course. Anakin looks back at the door one more time. It remains closed.

Fighting back his anger and his disappointment, Anakin steels himself for the obstacle course.

“Are you ready, Padawan?” Master Windu asks quietly. Anakin can hear the faintest hint of sympathy in his voice and it makes the rage bubbling inside of him spike.

“I’m ready,” he growls.

“Alright then,” Master Windu says, stepping to the side.

A whistle blows and Anakin takes off. He soars through the obstacle course like it isn’t even there. He leaps from rope to rope and climbs over walls purposely slicked with oil.

It is nothing to him.

He gets through the obstacle course in record time, easily overtaking the other Padawans and then some. He has hardly broken a sweat by the time he gets to the Show of Force.

Anakin must lift weights onto pressure-sensitive platforms in order to release the next weight from its hold. Anakin repeats this process over and over until finally, he is at the last, and heaviest, of the weights. The final weight is small in size, but dense. It weighs roughly the same as a standard Republic-issue starfighter. Anakin splays out his hands and concentrates all of his will into the heavy object. He feels its weight in the Force and rejects it. He bends the air around it to his will and though sweat beads upon his brow and his arms tremble with exertion, he does it. The weight lifts into the air and lands gently on the final platform. No more weights are released and Anakin lets go.

He pants heavily even as the gathered crowd applauds his success. Most Padawans did not make it to the end, let alone complete the final challenge successfully. He allows himself a moment of pride and glances at the stands in search of Obi-Wan’s face, only to remember the crushing reality of his absence.

Whatever.

He doesn’t need Obi-Wan. He is winning this tournament with or without him.

Anakin marches over to the makeshift ring they set up in the gym specifically for this event. His new lightsaber is waiting for him. The power settings are adjusted to a low frequency to avoid any serious injuries, but a touch from the blade would still sting the opponent. Today, Anakin’s opponent is a Padawan who is thirteen like him, but unlike him, this Padawan is tall. He has clearly hit some sort of growth spurt that Anakin has failed to reach, and the other boy towers over him in the ring.

Anakin hides his fear behind a careful mask. He will not show this other Padawan his nerves.

The two Padawans circle each other.

“So, they put me against Skywalker,” the boy taunts. “How come you never spar with the other Padawans? Too scared to fight with anyone except your Master?”

“I’m not scared!” Anakin says. “You’re lucky I only spar with my Master.”

“Oh, and where is your Master now?” the boy asks, looking around the gym. “It’s Kenobi, isn’t it? I don’t see him around here.”

“He’s on a mission!”

“And that’s more important to him than you are? I think that says enough.”

The whistle shrieks and Anakin growls, lunging forward at the other Padawan. Anakin’s strikes are blocked with ease and with a surprising amount of power behind them.

“Center yourself.” Obi-Wan’s teachings reverberate through Anakin’s mind.

Even when he’s lightyears away, Obi-Wan still has a way of getting in Anakin’s head.

Anakin takes a deep breath and changes his strategy. He switches from offensive to defensive and lets the other Padawan tire himself.

“Your blade is an extension of your arm. Wield it.”

Anakin twists his blade around the other Padawan’s blade, confusing him and giving Anakin an opening. Anakin lunges forward and delivers what would have been a killing blow if his lightsaber was not set merely to stun.

The Padawan looks at Anakin with surprise.

“Skywalker wins the Padawan Tournament!” Master Windu’s voice carries with a subtle sort of excitement throughout the gym. Anakin lowers his blade and turns to the crowd of Jedi and Padawans, all cheering for him. He smiles hollowly. He doesn’t want them to know that he doesn’t care about any of their opinions of him. There’s only one opinion he cares about and he is not here to offer it.

Master Windu joins Anakin in the ring and escorts him to a platform.

“Not only has Padawan Skywalker won this year’s Padawan Tournament,” Master Windu announces to the crowd, “but he has also broken records for time spent on the obstacle course and weight lifted in the Show of Force. All Padawans performed very well today, but only one has earned the title of champion. For that, Anakin will receive this bead to commemorate his victory.”

Master Windu holds up a bright red bead to the crowd. He stands behind Anakin and silently undoes his braid.

This is wrong. It should be Obi-Wan, not Master Windu.

He can feel the pity from the other Padawans and Masters and he wants to squirm under their sympathetic stares. His eyes burn and he blinks rapidly while Mace weaves the bead into his hair.

This part is harder than anything else he did in the Padawan Tournament today.

“Congratulations Padawan Skywalker,” Mace says as he finishes tying up the braid. Anakin bows politely and tries to refrain from racing off of the stage.

Slowly, he mixes into the crowd until he is camouflaged enough to make his exit. He slips out of the door and into the deserted hallways.

Anakin walks dejectedly back to the quarters he shares with Obi-Wan, fighting back tears the whole way.

***

Anakin spends the remainder of his afternoon slumped rather lazily on the couch. His peers are all out celebrating the day’s events with their Masters, but Anakin sits alone. He tries watching the holo but can’t pay attention. Frustrated, he switches to his datapad and tries to play a few games. His interest is not captured. He sighs and flops backward, staring at the bare white ceiling.

The soft whooshing sound of the front door opening is the only thing that pulls him out of his current thoughts. Anakin sits up straight and watches Obi-Wan shuffle through the front door.

“You’re back,” Anakin says plainly like he doesn’t care at all.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, dropping his bag heavily in the foyer. “Anakin, I’m so sorry.”

Anakin rolls his eyes and turns away from Obi-Wan.

“Anakin, Padawan, please look at me. I’m so sorry. I tried. I tried to get here in time, but the situation on Corellia got unexpectedly dicey.”

“You should have expected it. You should have planned for it,” Anakin says, still not looking at Obi-Wan.

“I know and I’m sorry.”

Somehow, these apologies did not feel as good as the time Anakin got Force exhaustion.

He doesn’t have to take this. Anakin stands up and starts to make his way to his room.

“Anakin wait,” Obi-Wan says a little breathlessly. “Ana– Anakin can we please just sit and talk about this?”

“No!” Anakin shouts angrily, whirling back around to face Obi-Wan. “I don’t want to hear what you have to say! You weren’t there for me. Why should I be there for you?”

“I understand, Padawan, but—”

“No, you don’t! You don’t understand! All of the other Padawan’s Masters were there and they didn’t even win. You were supposed to be there! You were supposed to be there for me and you weren’t . We’re a team Master and you weren’t even there.”

“Anakin, I don’t know how to make this up to you,” Obi-Wan says. If he looks a little pale, Anakin doesn’t see it through the red-hot filter of his rage.

“You can’t. It was embarrassing. Master Windu had to put my new bead in. It should have been you!”

“Anakin can we please sit down?” Obi-Wan asks, sweat beading on his forehead.

“No,” Anakin says. “I’m done talking to you.” Anakin begins walking back towards his room.

“Ana— Anakin,” Obi-Wan whispers, and this time, Anakin catches the breathlessness in Obi-Wan’s quiet plea.

“Master?” Anakin turns to see Obi-Wan’s knees buckling underneath him. His face is pale and lax as he crumples to the floor. Anakin lunges forward to catch him, but Obi-Wan is heavier and he drags Anakin to the floor with him.

They land in a pile of tangled limbs and Anakin has to put all of his strength into rolling Obi-Wan off of him and onto his back.

“‘m sorry,” Obi-Wan slurs.

“Master? Obi-Wan?” Anakin says quickly. “Obi-Wan, what’s wrong?”

Obi-Wan groans. “‘m sorry,” he murmurs again. “Sorry I wasn’t there. Shoulda been there. Shoulda found a way.”

“It’s okay,” Anakin says, his panic making him forget about his anger completely. He peels back Obi-Wan’s dark outer robe to reveal a large red stain just under his rib cage. “What happened?”

“Told you,” Obi-Wan mumbles. “Told you things got dicey on Corellia.”

“You didn’t tell me you got shot !” Anakin protests. He pulls back Obi-Wan’s tunic to reveal the skin underneath. There is a makeshift bandage affixed to the wound, but it has been bled through. The skin around the wound is red and hot to the touch. “Master, what? When did this…? Why didn’t you go straight to the healers?”

“Needed to see you,” Obi-Wan says. “I was trying to get to you the whole time, but I couldn’t.”

“Master, this is bad . How long have you been—”

“I’m sorry, Anakin,” Obi-Wan whispers, blue eyes shut behind closed lids.

“No, no, wait. Stay with me, Master. You just got here, you have to stay with me.”

If Obi-Wan hears Anakin’s pleas, he gives no indication. Anakin shakes his shoulders and receives no response.

Anakin scrambles to his feet and heads for the door. He has to go find some help. He knows everyone is out celebrating, but someone has to still be in the temple.

As Anakin opens the door he jumps back in surprise. As it turns out, someone still is at the Temple.

“Master Windu?”

“Oh, Anakin! I was hoping I would find you here. I just wanted to check in on you. You seemed a little upset after the—”

“Master Windu,” Anakin interrupts. “I need some help!”

Mace stiffens. “What’s wrong, little one?”

“It’s Obi-Wan! He just got home and he collapsed. He’s over here.”

Mace rushes in behind Anakin and kneels by Obi-Wan’s side.

“Oh, what have you gotten yourself into now, Kenobi?” Mace says more to himself than to anyone.

Mace manages to pull Obi-Wan up and throw his arm over his shoulder. He begins dragging Obi-Wan towards the door.

“Where are you taking him?”

“To the healers,” Mace says patiently.

“Is he going to be okay?” Anakin asks nervously.

“We need to get him to the healers.” It’s not the reassuring response Anakin is hoping for. Still, he follows along dutifully until they reach the healers.

The halls are busier than usual. The Padawan Tournament has always warranted a few superficial injuries and this year is no different. Masters hover around their injured Padawans and Padawans try to hide their wounded pride. At the sight of the Master of the Order dragging Obi-Wan along with a very frightened Anakin in tow, the crowds part.

“Bring him here,” Vokara Che says, calm and collected as ever.

Anakin watches Master Windu carefully lay Obi-Wan down on a gurney.

“Mace?” Obi-Wan says weakly. “Where’s ‘kin?”

“He’s here, Knight Kenobi. He’s alright. Now let Master Che take care of you.”

“An’kin?”

“I’ve got him, Knight Kenobi. Just listen to Master Che now.”

Obi-Wan lets his head fall back on the pillow and his eyes close. Anakin watches healers swarm around him and take him to a back room.

The young Master and his Apprentice are separated once more.

***

A sharp elbow to his rib cage is what wakes Anakin from his light sleep.

“Ow,” he complains.

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan murmurs. “What...?”

“Master!” Anakin exclaims, sitting up so he can turn and look at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan rubs a hand over tired eyes before he focuses them on Anakin.

“You’re in my bed,” Obi-Wan observes.

“I was tired,” Anakin says defensively. He, of course, can’t tell Obi-Wan that he had squeezed himself into the tight medical bed because he just wanted to be as close to him as possible. He can’t tell him that he needed the physical confirmation of his chest rising and falling to know that he still breathed, still lived, even after the healers insisted he would be fine.

“Fair enough,” Obi-Wan says mildly. “Though, you could have slept in your own bed.”

Anakin remains silent and looks away.

“But I’m glad you’re here,” Obi-Wan amends.

Anakin’s chest warms and he perks up to meet his gaze.

“You didn’t have to be here. Especially after I… Well, I’ll make it up to you. I promise,” Obi-Wan continues. Anakin can feel the guilt through their bond.

“Am I sensing more milkshakes in my future?”

“Your senses have become quite attuned, my Padawan.”

Obi-Wan gives him a conspiratorial grin and Anakin giggles at him.

Anakin lays back down and rests his head in the crook of Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, Master,” he says softly.

“I’m glad I’m here too, Padawan.”

#prompts now closed #my writing #anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #thanks for the prompt!

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checkingoutforheroes · 3 years

Text

Natasha’s Birthday.

Pairing: Natasha x fem!reader

Words: 2786

Warning: None? I think.

Genre: Just fluffff. I PROMISE!

AU Notes: I suggest you listen to Uptown Girl by Westlife or Billy Joel while reading this💃🏻🕺🏻

Synopsys: Natasha is not happy to celebrate her own birthday party without her love life. Can Y/n make it?

People starts filling the party area in the compound. Perks of being Tony Stark best friend, he will never miss any of your guy’s birthday. Party is a must! Natasha try to hid her sad and disappoint feeling on her own party but fail when Wanda can easily feel and read mind.

Y/n have been send to a week mission yesterday and there is no way she can come home. The team acknowledge that and tried their best to cheer their friend up. Thor arrived and Tony greet him. “Right on time, Point Break. Party about to start.” “I couldn’t miss the party. It’s birthday party, there must be a cake. How’s Natasha? I heard Y/n is on a mission.” The god of thunder asking his fellow Avengers.

Clint answer him while Tony ask Pepper to call Natasha and Wanda to come down. “This is a secret okay. Do not, any circumstances, tell Natasha this but Y/n is not on a ‘work’ mission.” Thor confuse “What do you mean?” “He means; Y/n is preparing a big surprise for Natasha. It’s more like a show for her. We all kind of have a part in it. Sorry you didn’t have time to rehearse with us.” Steve explaining to him and Thor just sip his drinks happily. “That’s okay. I like watching a show. We have them on Asgard too, when we celebrating something. Like this.”

“And, done.” Wanda is doing Natasha’s hair and can’t help to hear her thought. “Maybe Y/n will celebrate it with you when she’s back. I know it past your birthday but I also know she definitely celebrating it.” Natasha just smiling on her chair, looking at Wanda through the mirror in front of them. “You invading my privacy.”

Wanda just giggle to answer to her mentor. “Well you’re not helping by thinking too loud. We all here for you tonight and I swear I can hear Thor already betting with someone, something about a drink?”

“Thor’s here huh? He’s been away in space but still can manage to come visit his fellow Avengers birthday party. While Y/n was away in a silly mission.” Natasha fake a smile.

“I understand if you want to strangle Fury right now but it’s time to go.” Someone knocking on the door and Pepper come in to get them. “Well, I’m here to invite this birthday girl to her own birthday party.” Natasha smile at her. “We are going. Let’s go.” Pepper nodding “Good idea. Because Thor is just a step away to get everybody drunk.”

They can hear the music blasting when they reach to the floor. “I guess you’re the one who handling the guests invitation?” Natasha asking Pepper. “If I let Tony, he’ll invite the whole Manhattan.” “You know me so well now, Pepper.”

Tony grabs the mic from the DJ and announce Natasha’s arrival. “Ladies and gentlemen, I announcing the arrival of our birthday girl for tonight, The Double Agent imposter.” The crowds go silent and only Tony and Thor are laughing. “I was just kidding. The lovely Natasha Romanoff!!” Now the crowds cheering loudly.

The party goes smoothly as planned. Some of the guess already drunk, chatting with their friends, playing at the pool table, throwing darts and here they are, in a group, sitting in a lounge, chatting with the birthday girl. “I see there are 3 piles of presents.” Asked by the birthday girl.

“They are from your rich guests here, your fan clubs and your little fans.” Clint told her.

“That’s sweet.” She said and Steve notice something is not right. “What is it? You not like it?”

“I like it.”

“She’ll kill to be here but no choice.” Steve try to makes his friend feel better at her own birthday.

“I asked Fury for an exchange, me instead, but you know that old man.” Clint assure her.

“Thank you for trying making me feel better. Well, the God is here. What more can I wish for right?” Natasha smile at Thor. “I apologize, I didn’t bring anything from Asgard. I’m from another course and drop by here but I have this humble drink for you.” Thor hand the drink in an antique and unique bottle to Natasha and she takes it. “Thanks! I could really use it now though.” Tony looks unsatisfied at Thor. “And you didn’t bring one for me?!” Pepper interject him “Thanks to that. You are already drunk even when you’re sober.” “I cannot disagree to that statement.” Sam jokes. Clint, Tony and Steve excuse themselves.

Wanda immediately stops her from drinking that drink. “Why did you stop me?” She asked and Wanda told her to enjoy the party. “You can drink that later because you might want to enjoy your ‘not so boring’ party first. That drink is probably too strong you know, not made for human.” “Everybody else is probably drunk right now, I don’t see why I can’t.” “I can’t let you because-”

Right on time the music play and Natasha turn her head so fast to the stage when she hears Y/n voice. “...that.” Wanda finishes her sentences. Turns out it’s not just you. There Steve on the keyboard, Clint on drum, Tony on bass guitar and Maria Hill on electric guitar. All wearing the same old S.H.I.E.L.D old uniform, sleeve rolling up. They all have microphone with them and singing as backup vocals as Y/n go lead.

Uptown girl,

She’s been living in her uptown world

I bet she never had a backstreet guy

I bet her mama never told her why

I’m gonna try for an uptown girl (Uptown girl…)

She’s been living in her white, bright world (white, bright world…)

As long as anyone with the hot blood can (hot blood can…)

And now she’s lookin’ for a downtown man (downtown man…)

That’s what I am

Her green eyes sparkles bright enough to light up the room when she sees you on stage singing the classic Uptown Girl. She turns to Wanda and Pepper asking whether it is really Y/n or a hologram. “Is that?” Wanda smiles wide and nods. “Yes, that’s Y/n.” Pepper add “I kill Tony myself if that is screen recording or hologram.”

And when she knows

What she wants

From her time

And when she wake up

And make up

Her mind

She’ll see I’m not so tough (duet with Steve)

Just because

I’m in love with an uptown girl (uptown girl)

You know I see her in her uptown world (uptown world)

She’s getting tired of her high class toys (high class toys)

And all her presents from her

Uptown boys (uptown boys)

She’s got a choice.

Oh oh oh oh oh oh

Fury come out of nowhere “It is so awkward to see The Avengers singing. And dancing. Maybe not for Captain America.” Natasha turns to see Fury. “Nick. Is this part of your plan too?” He smiles “How can I not? She’s been begging me for the last two months to not give any of you a mission specifically on this day. It’s worth it.”

Natasha chuckles, out of words. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Fury turns over and showing Natasha’s family. Yes, her family. Alexi, Melina and her little sister Yelena.

Wanda whisper at Natasha’s ear “They are real too.” She nods at Natasha “Go.”

Thor walks towards Wanda and Fury. “I’ve never seen her smiling that big.” Pepper and Wanda looking at her greeting her family. “Me too.”

“Such a noble thing you did.” Thor said to Fury and he just smiling. Natasha brings her family to introduce to Wanda, Thor and Pepper. They continue watching the show and Wanda pulls Natasha’s hand when Y/n calling them to come up the stage. “Let’s go. All of us. The band need us.” Pepper let Natasha’s family walks first. Wanda presenting Natasha and let Y/n takes her hand. She goes next to Steve, Pepper next to Tony, Thor doing silly dance next to Maria and be silly together while her family enjoying with all of them near Clint.

Uptown girl

You know I can’t afford to buy her pearl

But maybe when my ship comes in

She’ll understand what kind of guy I’ve been

And then I win.

Y/n put her hand out for Natasha to take and walking on the stage. Que for her walking. Luckily Natasha play along.

And when she’s walking

She’s looking so fine

And when she’s talking

She’s say that she’s mine

Y/n pass her to her family and jog towards Tony.

She’ll say I’m not so tough (duet with Tony)

Just because

I’m in love with an uptown girl (oohhh)

She’s been living in her white, bread world (oohhh)

As long as anyone with a hot blood can (ooohhh)

And now she’s looking for a downtown man (oohhh)

That’s what I am

Oh oh oh oh

While the rest of them singing the ‘Oh’ parts, you Y/n whisper to Natasha. “You know the next part. You’ve seen the video.” Natasha shyly looking at her family and friends until Yelena yells “Go! This is one in a lifetime chances.” Natasha looks at Y/n, her smile still plastering at her beautiful face. “Why are you doing this to me?” “Because I love you. Dance with me.” The music continues playing even they stop playing the instruments to gather around just like they practiced. Tony already set the music with Friday and it knows the queue.

Uptown girl (uptown girl)

She’s my uptown girl

You know I’m in love

With an uptown girl (uptown girl)

My uptown girl

You know I’m in love

With a birthday girl (uptown girl)

She’s my birthday girl

You know I’m in love

With an uptown girl (uptown girl)

My uptown girl….

They let their friend finish that song. Everybody enjoying the moment and each of them have biggest smile on their faces. Even Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D himself. It’s weird but yes, he is smiling. Y/n and Natasha go hugs their friends and family. Y/n stops at Natasha’s family while she’s with Steve and Maria at the other end.

“I know I just met you, but I already like you Y/n.” Melina says to Y/n and Alexi continue. “It’s hard to see her smile like that. Not even when she’s a kid.”

“Take a good care of my sister. I trust you.” Yelena said.

“She doesn’t even trust me! Her father.” Alexi said and Yelena jus rolling her eyes.

Y/n look at them with hope and grateful in her eyes. “Thank you, for allowing me to marry your daughter, sister. I promise I’ll take care of her.” Yelena sees her sister coming toward them “What are you waiting for? Go put the ring on her finger, in-law.” Y/n smiles big at Yelena’s as she called her sister in-law.

The crowds getting quiet when Tony put a ‘silent’ sign on the screen above them while the other screen focus on Y/n and Natasha without they even notice. Secretly Tony recording the whole thing since the beginning and make the whole documentary out of it. Y/n surely need to thank him.

“Happy birthday, Natasha. You, look so, d.. divine. Tonight.” Y/n nervously said to her soon to be fiancé. Hopefully.

“You sound nervous. You’ve been singing, dancing in front of hundreds people in this room and you’re nervous to praise me?” Natasha cupping your cheek with her right hand. Y/n pull her hand down and Natasha’s sensing something is wrong. “Y/n. What’s wrong?” They didn’t notice that all of The Avengers slowly moves behind Y/n. Even Y/n doesn’t know this part. It was Wanda’s idea. They all get down on their knee when Y/n is on her knee.

“You’re right. I am nervous, now. I’m speechless. Over the edge, I’m breathless. I understand if… I understand...” Y/n is so nervous and let out a long sigh before looking at Natasha’s family behind her. They all nodding at Y/n. Y/n take a deep breath and pull out a red velvet box that have a diamond engagement ring from her pocket. Y/n get down on her knee.

To be honest, Natasha is also nervous and shock, mix with happy and overwhelm when she sees not just Y/n who down on one knee but the whole Avengers. Her second family, also bending their knee but she keeps her composure. Y/n turns to see where Natasha’s looking and almost let out tears when she sees them.

They both looking eye to eye and Y/n starts talking. “You know how terrible I am with words when I’m nervous. That’s why I’m so bad at espionage. You are the most solid, nothing to solidify. Calm and collected. We avenge together, we mess up together. You know I love you, right? Natasha Romanoff, will you accept my proposal?” Wanda hissing and whisper directly to you from her place “Pssstt… Will you marry me. Will. You. Marry. Me.” Your eyes still lock on Natasha astonishing green eyes. “Sorry. Umm... Will you marry me?”

“We drive each other mad, but what is love with no pain and suffer.” The whole room is so quiet that they can only listen to their own heart beats. “To you, I’ve never lied. For you, I’d take a life. I swear.” Natasha said eyes still on each other. “Your answer is…….?” Y/n gulp and Natasha smile. “Yes. I’ll marry you, my favorite Avengers.”

Y/n get up from the floor and hug Natasha a little too strong because why not? She’s over the moon right now. Before Natasha kiss her new fiancé, Y/n turn around and runs to her friends. “SHE SAID YES GUYS! She said the big YES!!”

Pepper stops Y/n. “Y/n, have you kiss her yet?”

“I did hug her.”

They all yell “KISS HER!!” You run towards Natasha and kiss her. “I’m sorry I forget to kiss you. I’m so excited! Can I kiss you now?” Natasha giggles “You’ve never ask my permission before.” Y/n kiss Natasha in front of her family and they awkwardly watch especially Yelena.

“Are you sure she’s an Avenger? Not from any circus camp?” Yelena looking at her sister.

“No.” Natasha let out a small laugh. “No? Are you sure? Yes? No? ” “No…” “Okay if you’re sure, because I want you to be happy.” The sisters hug each other for a while meanwhile Y/n and Wanda hold each other hand jumping up and down like children get what they wish for as Christmas present. “she said Yes Wanda. I’m getting marry.” “Yes you’re getting marry.”

“Natasha.” Melina caught her attention. “I’m proud of you. We, all proud of you. You’ve grown to be an incredible woman Natasha.”

“Looooonggg way from Ohio.” Yelena smiles. “I’ll never forget Ohio.” Natasha told he sister.

“She’s a good person, Natasha.” Alexi caught her attention. Seriousness shown on his face, he continues. “She did asked us for our blessing.” “She did what?” Now its her turn to be serious.

“She asked for our blessing. To marry you.”

“Y/n asked for your blessing?”

“Yes. I know! I can’t believe it too until I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Hah! You’re marrying a vintage.” Yelena laugh at her sister. “Mom, almost take her down with sniper.”

Natasha look sternly at Melina “Almost! Okay! Almost. I didn’t because she came unarms. Not even a swish blade.” Melina clearing the situation.

“She came to you guys? When?” Natasha asked her family.

“Yeah. Alone. Last month. Why?” Alexi asks her daughter.

“I thought Fury brought you guys here. I never told her where do you live. Only Fury knows, based on my file details.”

“She did break into Maria Hill’s personal computer just to find your original file. No one ever know that you and Barton had an original file. Somehow, she did. She’s a catch Romanoff.” Fury came behind her.

“Thank you.” Natasha at him.

“I have to go. It broke my heart to see the Avengers jumping like that.” He looks at the Avengers. “Lighten up, Fury. Let her have a moment.” Natasha said. “You better tell your fiancé not to break any S.H.I.E.L.D files or computers ever again. I’m watching.” He nods at her family and walks away. The family joins The Avengers drinking and chatting. Natasha greeted by Y/n and put her arm around Y/n neck.

“Hey you.” Y/n smiles.

“Hey fiancé.” Natasha smirking seductively at Y/n.

“Fiancé. Huh, I’d like that.”

“Wait until I call you my wife.”

“I’ll love that.”

Tony snap their picture and post it on instagram and twiter. The news travel so fast and the whole world are happy for them. Who doesn’t get excited. Two of earth mightiest heroes are engaged to each other. Their phones are blown off with calls, notification, texts, emails from fans, reporters, sponsors, government, agencies this, that. All of those are for congratulate the couple.

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frostedfaves · 3 years

Text

Repercussions (12)

Masterlist

Pairing: dark!Natasha Romanoff x dark!Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

Summary: Your girlfriends meet your cousin before they leave, and you explain everything to him over a game of Go Fish.

Warnings: dark themes, manipulation

A/N: I truly hope this was worth the long ass wait! although, I’m glad I didn’t rush it, because it turned out exactly the way I wanted it to. please feel free to share your thoughts, and I hope to have the next part out in the next couple days!

Previous part

“He’s here!”

You were on your feet and dragging your girlfriends to the door before the security gate bell even finished going off, letting go for a moment to open the front door and pulling them with you onto the porch.

“Printsessa, slow down!” Wanda slightly scolded with a laugh. “He can only drive so fast.”

The car approached the house quickly as it passed through the gate, and it was barely in park for two seconds before your cousin Wesley was climbing out and running to you. Running to meet him halfway, you jumped into his waiting arms and laughed when he lifted you as high as he could.

“I can’t believe you’re really here!”

“I know, me either!” Wesley agreed as he put you down. “I was starting to think you were too busy for widdle ol’ me.”

“Oh, whatever.” You hit his arm with a playful roll of your eyes. “Come meet my two reasons for being busy.”

Natasha and Wanda greeted your cousin with outstretched hands and surprised smiles when he hugged them instead. You watched with an appreciative grin as the three exchanged names and pleasantries before Wesley went back to the car to get his things, and Wanda pulled you back before you could move to help.

“Let Tash handle it, okay?” she instructed gently as Natasha stepped off the porch. “We don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

You nodded and laced your fingers through hers, following the pair as Natasha led Wesley to his room on the main level.

“Wow. This room is bigger than my first apartment after college,” he commented as he placed his suitcase by the bed, observing every inch of the space.

“I’m glad you like it,” Wanda replied sweetly, still holding your hand. “We were just about to serve lunch, so feel free to join us once you’re settled.”

“Oh, and there’s a bathroom just next door,” Natasha added as she grabbed your other hand, the two pulling you out of the room and closing the door behind you.

“So...what do you think?” you asked once the three of you made it to the kitchen table.

“I think…” Wanda began, and you raised your eyebrows hopefully. “I see why you like him.”

For the rest of the day, you were careful to keep Natasha and Wanda with you under the guise that you wanted them to get to know Wesley, as well as your increasing need to cling to them before they left. Really, you knew they were planning to bug the two bedrooms that you and your cousin would be occupying because the cameras they planted around the house after your ‘suicide attempt’ didn’t record audio. They were far too sneaky to do it in your presence.

Leaving Wesley in the backyard, you followed your girlfriends to your shared room, working hard on building tears as you watched them grab their bags for the mission.

“Okay, printsessa,” Natasha started as she faced you, sighing at the sight of your watery eyes and pouting lips. “Baby, please don’t cry. I promise that we’ll be back before you even have time to miss us.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” you whined as you hugged yourself, averting your gaze to your feet.

“I know, sweet baby, I know.” Wanda hummed comfortingly as she wrapped her arms around you, Natasha joining on the other side. “But your cousin is here, and you’re going to have a really fun week! And I promise we will make it up to you when we get back.”

She pecked your cheek once, then twice, and suddenly the two of them were attacking you with cheek kisses until you playfully begged for mercy between giggles. You then took the time to give each of them a real kiss, once that hopefully conveyed how much you’d miss them in the upcoming days.

“Alright, printsessa, we really do have to go now.”

“Okay,” you sighed and grabbed their free hands in yours, walking them downstairs and to the front door in silence. You gave each of them one more prolonged hug before pulling away completely. “Get outta here before I cry again. And don’t forget to call me when you land.”

“Of course, and don’t forget your rules. We love you,” Wanda told you after a prolonged look with Natasha, and you took a shaky, deep breath.

“I love you, too.”

They squeezed your hands with tears in their eyes before grabbing their bags, and you watched from the porch as they got in the car, waving until they were past the gate. Once you were back inside, you went to the camera blind spot in the hallway and pulled the device from your pocket, turning it on to listen in from the bugs in their bags.

“Were you at least able to get a bug on his suitcase?”

“I thought you were going to!”

“I couldn’t. Printsessa’s eyes got all teary if I even stood too far away from her, and it broke my heart.”

“Well hopefully the cameras will be enough. I want to trust her more.”

“Me too...Can you believe she finally said it? I almost didn’t leave.”

You turned the device off after that, tucking it away again as you went toward the back door just as Wesley came back in.

“Are they gone?”

“Yeah.” You nodded toward the kitchen table. “Sit on the side facing the window so you can block my lips from the camera.”

He moved to take a seat while you grabbed a deck of cards, sitting on the opposite side of him with a wide smile. You shuffled the cards quickly and met his eyes again as you began to deal them out.

“I know you get into some wild situations, but I never expected that the next time I saw you would be to help you escape two Avengers.”

“Trust me, I didn’t see it coming either.” You sighed as you looked at the cards in your hand. “I appreciate you so much for coming though.”

“Of course...but how did you manage to get me here without them knowing it was your idea? They seem pretty detail oriented.”

“Pure observation, Wes.” The two of you played a silent game of Go Fish as you explained. “The plan kind of came together the day Wanda gave me the iPad. I’d taken some money in case I had a small chance to escape at any point and didn’t have a car to use, but I decided to use it for a cab ride when I got the message from Brittani.”

“But why meet with her if you knew you’d get caught with the tracker? You said so yourself that they found you pretty fast the first time.”

“I wanted to get caught, because I knew meeting with my ex-girlfriend would--at the very least--piss Natasha off enough to want to punish me. With the two of them knowing my mental health history, I knew I could use that as a tipping point for a downward spiral, leave little hints as the days passed that my mood was really dropping.”

“Okay…” Wesley paused to take the card you handed him and pair it off with the one in his hand. “So how did you know that Brittani would be at the store and have a phone for you?”

“She has an incredible memory, which is why I made it a point to drop a hint that I was only working with an iPad at the moment, and that I needed to run to the bodega across the street from the cafe to get a burner when I left.”

The two of you counted your pairs when you ran out of cards and you made sure to cheer with exaggeration when you realized you won. Wesley slid all of his cards toward you as you gathered them all to shuffle and deal again.

“I also told her the grocery store we go to is the best one in the city, and may have mentioned the day and time the three of us usually shop because it’s the least busiest time.”

“So when you got caught in front of her, she knew exactly how to help you!” he realized and you nodded. “Guess it only took one gun to the head to guilt them into letting you have a visitor. How are you feeling after that, by the way?”

“It was...nerve-wracking at first, but I was quick to remind myself that it was to help, not hurt.” You took the card from him and added it to yours. “You brought the tools, right?”

“Yeah. You want to do it tonight?” he asked, and you quickly shook your head.

“Absolutely not. They’re going to call in the morning when they get to the safe house, and then I’m going to listen in on the bug until they fall asleep. There’s a camera in the game room downstairs that can also see part of the TV room, but only the part of the couch near the doorway. We’re gonna sneak the tools down there and I’ll sit on that side while you remove the tracker from my ankle on the other side.”

“Good thing I paid attention in those surgical courses,” he joked and you laughed, drawing a card as your smile dropped.

“Listen, Wes...I know you agreed to this and already came out here, but I just want to give you one more chance to back out. If this whole plan works, we’re going to have to work hard to hide from them, and the consequences will be even more dire if we fail.”

“Despite how much time we spend apart, you’re always going to be my favorite person in the world. You have been since the day you were born, when your tiny middle finger flipped up at the doctor. I’m here until the finish line, no matter what that looks like.”

You offered him a grateful smile in return as the two of you moved to count your cards again, playfully rolling his eyes when he celebrated his win. As you gathered the pile for a tie-breaking game, you squeezed his hand across the table, grinning when he shifted into your childhood handshake. Every fiber of your being hoped everything went according to plan, for his sake more than anything. You refused to let him fall when he’d been catching you all your life.

Tags: @littlegasps @imnotasuperhero @natasha-danvers @nat-km-mh @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @creepingwolfberry @emilyprentisswife @cherrieloco @fayhar @bebe404 @becka107 @muted-stoneheart @its-a-long-way-to-ba-sing-se @seventeen0 @trikruismybitch @cosmicbrownies7 @sxphiaswitch @mjaudrey @messuhp @wannabe-fic-reader @buckmesidewaysandcallmesteve @beforeoursecrets @want-to-watch-it-burn @just-a-normalpersons @multi-images @witchxaf @darkangelxoxo @natashadeservedmore @haiiiloeee2 @sakurat123

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youngerdrgrey · 3 years

Text

better me than him (you know, sisters) // a Black Widow fic

About: SPOILERS FOR BLACK WIDOW (2021) // Yelena says, “Even as a Widow, all the girls looked up to what you could do. I would tell them, ‘Natasha is my sister. Natasha is coming back for me. Natasha—’” Yelena spits at the ground. Her despair and her rage overtake her face, and her nose could scrape the clouds, she turns it up so high.

or, an alternate scene for Black Widow, where Natasha talks to Yelena after the kitchen table breakdown instead of Alexei. + read on ao3

Yelena shirks out of Milena’s touch. She snatches up the vodka from the table and turns for the bedroom. Natasha struggles to find the words to respond to her. Some kind of explanation for disappearing, or some way to take back what she said about the reality of their mission together. But it was a mission. It had to be.

“Yelena.”

Yelena doesn’t break her stride. “No.” The door clicks shut behind her. Tense air makes breathing harder. Natasha parts her lips for a bit of extra oxygen. Zones out and misses the moments where Alexei and Milena exchange words. When Alexei goes to move though, Natasha lifts a hand to stop him.

“I’ll go.” At least then Yelena can’t say Natasha never did anything for her. Yelena probably doesn’t remember that Natasha had held a gun to the soldiers who tried to take Yelena away. What does that matter when Natasha failed, right? Without another word, Natasha goes after Yelena into the guest bedroom.

Yelena’s already on the floor with the bottle of vodka in her hands. Her knees bent up to her chest, her elbows just barely on top of them — she looks so small. Defiant. Natasha closes the door behind her.

Yelena looks too tired to glare. “I came in here because I didn’t want to talk.”

Natasha calls, “Bullshit. All you’ve done since we met up is talk. Talk about feelings and futures and our pasts.” She can’t quite tell if her voice sounds disparaging or wistful. Lonely or yearning for whatever part of Yelena still thinks they could be a family.

“We have a lot of time to make up for,” Yelena snaps back. “Or we would, if any of it were real.”

Natasha takes a sharp breath in. “Come on. I do not want to sit here, holding your hand when there are other Widows out there who need us. Drekhov is still alive and ruining their world.”

Yelena gestures to the door with her vodka bottle. “Go then. It’s what you do best.” She won’t look right at Natasha’s eyes. She glares at her forehead, or her chin. At the walls that Milena has looked at for who knows how long instead of looking for either of them. “You left me. You left the Widows. You even left the Avengers to hide out in the middle of nowhere in a camper with a barely functioning generator. You called Mom Milena a coward. But all you do is run and kill and hide from anybody who tries to care about you.”

“And you care about me?” Natasha doubts that. Why would Yelena still care? Yelena was six the last time they really saw each other. Sure, they crossed paths a few times on missions, but the Red Room took great care to make sure they wouldn’t fall back into old patterns. “Because of some assignment?”

Yelena screams, “Because you were my sister! You-you were someone to look up to! Even as a Widow, all the girls looked up to what you could do. I would tell them, ‘Natasha is my sister. Natasha is coming back for me. Natasha—’” Yelena spits at the ground. Her despair and her rage overtake her face, and her nose could scrape the clouds, she turns it up so high. “They told me again and again that Widows are not a family. But I beat your records, and I thought, ‘One day, she will call me on beating her. She will want a rematch. She will want….’”

“You.” Natasha finishes in a whisper. Yelena grinds her teeth and sends her gaze back down to the vodka bottle. “Even if I did want to know you, that’s not how things are done.”

Yelena takes a swig. “You broke your Accords like a week after signing them. Rules are nothing to you. If you want to lie to yourself to make yourself feel better, then go ahead. But do not lie to me like I am a child. I stopped being one the moment you let them take me.”

“I was a child too, Yelena. Dad—” Natasha cringes at the slip. “Alexei knocked us both out. You can’t keep holding onto this.”

“Tell me what I should hold onto then. Hmm?” Her lips curl into a sad snarl. “I have a vest and some memories of-of handstands in the dirt and chasing after your bike because I was too little to have my own.”

“You crashed your own,” Natasha corrects. “We found it before we were supposed to. I tried to teach you how to ride, and you slammed into the garage door. Woke them both up.”

“Great, another wrong memory.” Yelena shakes her head. “It could have been you.” Yelena snorts like the pigs. A sad, strangled sob follows.

Natasha gives Yelena her privacy and averts her eyes. Maybe that’s the cowardly choice here too. Shield herself from Yelena’s emotions. Pretend that… pretend that none of this hurts her too.

Natasha’s not the one who gives the big speeches. That’s Steve’s department. He stands there with his broad shoulders and his bright eyes, and he talks like he’s still that scrawny kid who couldn’t back down from a fight. But he understands what it feels like to be out of place. He made her feel less alone. He made her feel like she was actually helping people. She was an Avenger. Or, like Yelena said, ‘the trained killer little girls call their hero.’

“Do you remember when I first dyed my hair? Probably not. You were, like, four.” Natasha chuckles, and she wonders for the first time if Milena and Alexei are listening in. She walks over to sit beside Yelena. “Milena did it as a science experiment. We used kool-aid to temporarily dye my hair blue, and you got so scared that the blue on your tongue from drinking it would never go away. So I drank a bunch to turn my tongue, and so did Milena. By the time Alexei got home, my whole head was bright blue, and so were our lips and a little bit of your nose.”

The memory makes Natasha laugh, and when she chances a glance across her shoulder at Yelena, she can see the deep knit of the younger spy’s eyebrows. Yelena doesn’t remember, does she? Doesn’t know about some of the little days that made all the other ones that much more bearable.

Natasha clears her throat. “After Budapest, I had my own life again. And I wish I could say that I felt free. But I felt exactly like I did in Ohio. Like someone was waiting to rip me back out of what little peace I could find. So, I did the only thing that I could think to do. I went to the store and bought a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, and a shit ton of blue kool-aid. And I dyed my hair in the S.H.I.E.L.D safe house into the grossest shade of purple that I have ever seen in my life. Clint has pictures somewhere, I’m sure. They’re….” Embarrassing is a word, but they’re the first look at her trying to take her life back.

She’d thought about getting a tattoo back then. She’d gone to a parlor and had flipped through the books of available designs for an hour. Clint had waited with her, making smart ass comments about placement and goading her into making a decision. His personal favorite had been an arrow that he swore would look amazing on the side of her neck. But those permanent changes didn’t feel like her. Not like recreating the memory did.

“I have no idea what they made you do, or what they took from you. We’re going to get the others out, and then you can do whatever you want, Yelena. You never have to talk to me, or Milena, or Alexei again. You can make your own family. Make some new memories. Those days in Ohio, they don’t have to be your best ones.”

Yelena’s lip trembles. She pouts around the emotion. “What if….” She exhales slow, and even that shakes. “What if I wanted that? The… ‘Don’t slouch,’ and the embarrassing parents.”

Natasha lets her voice drop into its raspiest. “They are pretty embarrassing.”

“She raises pigs. Who does that?” Yelena laughs.

Natasha blinks her red-rimmed eyes and nudges her shoulder into Yelena’s. “You and your vest, you fit right in.”

“Don’t be jealous. I could show you where I got it. Make a day of it maybe.” Yelena’s watery eyes find Natasha’s, and they’re so damn hopeful. They ask what Yelena won’t. What if Yelena wants Natasha too? What if they could be sisters again?

Natasha reaches for the vodka bottle, and Yelena hands it to her without question. “Maybe. Once we stop Drekhov.”

“And you get the others,” Yelena adds. “The witch needs new clothes. She looks like a tourist.”

Natasha snorts. “I’ll be sure to give Wanda your fashion advice once she’s off the raft.” They might get along actually. Both younger women, lost a lot as kids, used as violent weapons, but now they’ve got a second chance. It wouldn’t be the worst thing if Yelena tagged along. She’d make a few bad jokes. Get Steve to laugh whenever he comes out of hiding. God, if they ever make up with Tony, he would have a field day at finding out Natasha has a sister. “Do a good job on this mission, and maybe I’ll let you meet them. No autographs though.”

Yelena shoves Natasha’s leg. “I don’t want autographs from your friends.” She pauses to reconsider. “Hm, maybe Captain America. Alexei would shit himself.”

“Did you hear him in the bathroom earlier? He probably already did.”

Yelena groans, and the only thing sweeter than the laughter to follow is the small smile she gives to Natasha. Like maybe there’s still something in Natasha worth looking up to.

“Hey,” Natasha’s voice comes out more serious than she intends it to. Yelena lifts an eyebrow as she waits. “You were always the best of us, you know that?”

The words make Yelena’s lip tremble again. Her nose pitches up, and she sniffles before putting on her best Widow smirk. “That’s why I beat all your records.”

Natasha rolls her eyes. “Сука.”

Yelena pushes herself up from the floor. “I’m not a bitch.” She reaches her hand out to pull Natasha up. Natasha accepts the assist.

“You’re a brat; that’s what you are.” Natasha leads the way back out of the bedroom.

“What are little sisters for?”

Hope. Not that Natasha would admit that part. Way too sentimental, way too honest. She sticks her tongue out instead. Yelena understands though. It’s what they do. Or at least, what they could do, if they keep showing up instead of running away.

"Tell me when you figure it out, okay?"

notes: Natasha is her (foster, mission) mother's daughter, in more ways than one, and Yelena should say it.

I also want to thank you all for the very warm reception to my other Black Widow fic. I have at least one more in the chamber. You are welcome to send in requests, and if any speak to me, I will do my best to write them. Mostly, I just care about this family a lot. Go figure. Let's talk about them. Or anything else in replies/reblogs/asks.

#black widow #black widow spoilers #natasha romanoff #yelena belova #black widow fic #mine #mcu #mcu fic #mcu: mine #black widow (2021)#yelena black widow

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sadachmesarthim · 3 years

Text

coercive notions - stucky

content: semi-graphic violence, blood, minor character deaths, emotional manipulation and abuse, false imprisonment, kidnapping, torture in the form of nonconsensual body modifications, stockholm syndrome.

dead dove: do not eat. steve sucks big time in this one. i’m not really sorry about it.

note: happy 6k followers to @sweeterthanthis !!! i love the idea of these prompts, they definitely did their job !! i was thrilled when i saw i got my quote of choice. this one’s based on ”i wish i knew how to quit you” from brokeback mountain (my favorite angsty husbands)

if the timeline is nonsensical in this - think 2 years post engame but no one's actually died! there is also some background starker but it's only mentioned twice. this is my first time writing for steve and bucky, and my first ~dark~ piece. it was definitely the challenge it presented itself as, and i’m super thankful for the opportunity to participate alongside so many talented witers!!

word count: 4.2k ; read time 15 minutes

Steve'd survived because of Bucky.

Bucky was the one that kept the fevers at bay, bought him medicine, nursed him back to health even when neither of them thought he'd survive through the night. Bucky was the one that dragged him out of the river, and left him alive on the bank.

Left him to wake up.

Bucky was the one that welcomed him with open arms when Steve was abandoned by the Avengers. Steve'd lost his home, his family - everyone and everything he had - when the world rejected him (the millionth time). Bucky was the one that came back. He'd lost his arm, his identity, everyone and everything he remembered - but he still ran to Steve without hesitation. No matter how far away they got, no matter what separated them, they always came back to one another.

They got together right after the fight with Tony in Siberia.

They'd found each other, and suddenly gained a future.

Steve had never... really pictured himself having a future. When he was younger, he accepted that he'd die young. A fever that wouldn't break, a cough that wouldn't leave, pneumonia he couldn't beat... Then he joined the army. He suddenly... had possibilities.

But there was still war, he was still fighting, and he was still in the line of danger every single day. It didn't matter if he was fighting Hitler, homophobia, Hydra, - someone was always gunning for him. Someone was always trying to get him killed. And it worked! He died! Crashed straight into the ocean and froze, for seventy fucking years!

Until someone had the audacity to defrost him, and yet again force him into the line of fire. Without really consulting him first. It was something Steve was slowly coming to terms with - he’d always be fighting, always be serving, always be protecting.

He’d been failing his job as a protector, lately.

+//////+

They all thought it was a bit weird, but then again, so is living with two men that look seventy years younger than they actually are. So is living with your coworkers. So is being a superhero. So of course none of the other Avengers said anything.

Not when Bucky started asking Steve permission for things - to get up from, and leave, the table after meetings. If he could get seconds during breakfast or dinner. If he was allowed to come on patrols or missions. Everyone just assumed it was a forties thing, or that it was just Bucky getting more comfortable around them. The dirtier minds of the group (Tony, Peter, Natasha) chalked it up to a kinky sex thing.

Steve saw it as devotion.

Bucky saw it as a way to keep him appeased.

See, Steve'd gotten more... irritable, lately. Every time Bucky got hurt on patrol, was in a bad position during a mission, needlessly volunteered to do something dangerous - it pissed Steve off to high heavens, for no reason. It'd gotten significantly worse over the course of a few months, to the point where Bucky could barely breathe without Steve getting upset.

It came to a head one day when Bucky got pinned during a fight with New York's latest nuisance. He wasn't even supposed to be there, it was his day off, for fucks sake. But he'd heard the call go out, and suited up before following a few minutes behind the rest of the crew.

This particular species of big nasty™ (a xorrian dog? Thor had called it?) had an... upsetting taste for live, warm flesh. He popped up outta nowhere over Manhattan during the Friday morning rush, apparently scouting Earth for the next course in their Milky Way Dinner Service.

Bucky, self sacrificing moron that he is, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just as Steve laid down the final blow, narrowly avoiding the alien's jaw, Bucky slid underneath it, shoving his hand between the soft plating of the monster's stomach. He reached in, single-handedly gutting the thing while Steve put a shield-sized dent in its skull.

Their foe dropped almost instantly, crushing Bucky beneath several tons of dead weight. None of them would have known he was there, either, if Tony hadn’t programmed life-sensing protocols in a new combat arm he’d gifted the soldier for his second anniversary home and Hydra-free. A signal went to Tony’s suit the instant FRIDAY sensed structural integrity issues, sending him a precise location.

“What do you mean he’s here, babygirl? We didn’t call him in.” The worry in Tony’s voice was apparent, calling the attention of the rest of his team. They were all intrigued, prematurely pulled from their celebrations of a fight well won.

“It seems that Sergeant Barnes is approximately twenty paces northwest of your location, and his elevation is slowly decreasing. Would you like a map of the area?”

“Uhh, no Fri. I think I know exactly where he is. Cap, get your ass over here!” His heart rate was increasing by the second. If he thought correctly (as Tony almost always did), Bucky was... underneath the alien. “We need to pick this fucker up, or flip it, or something. I think Bucky’s stuck under it.”

Steve’s blood ran cold. “Tony, what the fuck are you talking about? Bucky wasn’t part of the group today.”

Steve didn’t hide his anxiety well when it came to Bucky. Their team knew that he was Steve’s whole world. One more life threatening situation, and Steve might actually die from old age with all the years Bucky’d stressed out of him. FRIDAY sending a detailed ping with Bucky’s combat arm location didn’t do anything to ease his anxiety, either. He knew it was just like Bucky to do something like this - jump in without word, all act and no think. Try to help his team out and wind up crushed by an alien pet the size of a 787.

Peter was next to them, soon, ready to help get this thing off their friend. Together, they managed to drag Mister Beast-of-the-Week far enough down the street, revealing a very unconscious, very bloody Winter Soldier nestled in the asphalt.

Steve was on him in a second, picking Bucky up with both hands. Tony already had FRIDAY doing preliminary scans and sending them back to Cho and Strange. Initial reads weren’t terrible, all things considered, but he still looked like shit. He might be five hundred times stronger than the average man, but no one’s prepared to be stuck under 200 tons of pure xeno-reptilian mass. Not even Bucky Barnes.

His head rolled back freely as Steve picked him up, exposing an already bruised and swelling jaw. Steve’s breath caught in his throat, choking him on his own shock. Saved by the bell, Cho called Tony back immediately, sending for one of them to bring him to the tower surgical site immediately.

“We have to go, Steve. Let us take him, we’ll get him fixed. We’ve done it before. We can do it again. But you have to let him go.” Steve’s upward glance brought him Tony’s exasperated face. He was dizzy, everything felt like slow motion.

He didn’t register the movement until he saw it, watching Peter’s hands as they held him back. Tony took Bucky’s lifeless form, carrying him toward Stark Tower and away from the wreckage.

The wreckage he shouldn’t have been anywhere near in the first place.

The wreckage he wouldn’t even have known about if he didn’t beg Tony to be included in all mission alerts.

The wreckage he would have avoided if it weren’t for the martyr complex he’d had since birth. It might not be nearly as strong as Steve’s, but it was still there. Bucky’d always gone to obscene lengths protecting the people he loved.

Steve had a track record of doing a piss poor job of repaying the favor. He couldn’t save him from the war. He couldn’t save him from the train, or from Hydra. He couldn’t save him from Thanos. He couldn’t even save him from a stupid little skirmish downtown. No, from where he was standing, Steve’d fucked up. Big time.

He promised that day, he wasn’t going to let anything like this happen again.

+//////+

It was weeks before he was back to normal, and even then - Bucky wasn't entirely sure he wanted to leave. Not because he was still sore, or not feeling up to par. In fact, he'd been antsier and more ready to get back into the field than ever. He missed his friends, he missed the people he fought evil with every day. He missed sparring with Sam and going on runs with Peter, listening as Thor regaled stories about Old Asgard no one.. could quite follow. Missed the twice weekly calls from Shuri. But most of all, he missed his freedom.

Steve wasn't ready to give it to him.

When he woke up after surgery, Steve was right next to his recovery bed. He almost looked like he did back in the day - sleep deprived, worry lines forcing their way to the surface of his face. Vague frustration enveloped him, even when he met Bucky's conscious form for the first time.

Their first few conversations were tender, loving, but it didn't take long for them to sour.

Steve'd insisted on bringing Bucky back to their shared floor immediately after he woke. He allowed Cho to look him over, FRIDAY to scan him, everyone to come say hi - but he never let Bucky out of his sight. Not while Bucky was awake, anyway.

He slept a lot in those first few days. He was still healing, and while it might have been much faster than anyone expected, he was also recovering from what should have been several deaths over. He spent most of his time in bed, asleep, or talking to Steve.

Most of it was lecture, some was praise. How stupid he was to get involved on his day off. How much Steve loved him. How he wasn't allowed to go being a martyr like that again. How much Steve loved him. How Steve was going to do a better job of watching over him from now on. How much Steve loved him.

There was a lot of that, after Bucky woke up. How much Steve loved him. How important Bucky was to him, how much it meant to him that Bucky was alive and breathing and conscious and okay. Every time he got a lecture, or a reminder, Steve's hand was on him somewhere. His shoulder, his wrist, his face. His throat. Every time he spoke, he squeezed, just the tiniest bit. Not threatening, not even to force acknowledgement. Just.. Because he could. To the untrained eye, it was just physical contact.

Bucky knew better.

Bucky knew conditioning when he saw it. When he felt it.

Bucky also knew he was significantly more susceptible to conditioning than most people.

Bucky was fucked.

+//////+

Tony didn't think anything of it when Steve asked for handcuffs that could hold a supersoldier back. He, too, was a pervert with a genetically enhanced super-boyfriend, who was he to deny the Captain a little fun? He'd designed restraints Peter could use without breaking (or hurting himself!), why not share the love?

No one thought anything of it when Bucky stopped joining them on missions. Trauma has a different effect on everyone, maybe Bucky just needed time to process almost dying (again). No one would blame him for it. Hell, most of them encouraged his staying home.

None of them... really thought anything of it when he quit leaving altogether. They trusted Steve's judgement, and if he didn't think Bucky was ready to leave, then he wasn't. Bucky knew better than to defy him, too - just kept his mouth shut around "yes, Steve"s and "okay, Steve"s.

The conditioning didn't stop as he got stronger. He'd been back to 100% weeks ago, but Steve was still babying him. Carrying him to the shower, not letting Bucky bathe himself, or brush his own teeth. He couldn't dress or eat without help, go anywhere without asking. "I just want to keep you safe. I need to know that you're not going to get hurt." Steve's words remained calm, level, but his face betrayed the threat behind them. If you don't listen, you won't be able to leave at all.

Bucky'd learned the hard way that if he didn't listen to Steve, he wouldn't have a choice. He'd attempted to leave their floor by himself while Steve was out on a mission with Tony, Nat, and Thor - he got up early, showered, got dressed. His first taste of freedom in a long time, he was so excited to go see everyone again.

He was downstairs and halfway through breakfast with Bruce and Peter when Steve got back.

+//////+

Bucky couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun. It's a familiar feeling to him, one he thought he'd never deal with again. The isolation. The lack of control. The fear.

Steve initially hadn't looked mad. He let Bucky finish his meal, kept a distant but watchful eye over the group until the two others finished and moved on to their lab work downstairs.

Bucky knew he was fucked. He'd broken rules. He'd left their room without permission. Steve might not have looked it, but Bucky could feel the anger and disappointment radiating off him.

After that... He wasn't allowed to do anything.

No workouts, no missions, no patrols. No leaving their room. Steve'd used the restraints Tony made - had him thoroughly tied down to the floor below their bed. No internet, no phone. Not a single book or movie or boardgame in sight. Good boys don't require entertainment to behave. No eating - Steve'd placed a gastric tube down his sinus to provide nutrition. His muzzle, the one hydra'd used... Steve'd locked it over his jaw, and left it there. Good boys don't need to use their mouths - not to drink, not to eat. Not to talk back or call for help. No using the bathroom on his own - he had a catheter replaced once a day, and Steve changed his bag as needed. Good boys don't get to leave the bed, not even if it's an emergency.

He learned to wait for Steve. Learned his schedule - early morning meetings with Wakanda, check ins with Fury and Maria, patrol a bit after lunch. Then, he'd come back, make sure Bucky's bag was empty and his feeding tube was flushed and clean before feeding him.

Steve allowed him to use the bathroom and shower at night, under incredibly watchful eyes. The restraints Tony'd made were long enough to stretch the entire perimeter of their room, but Steve kept him on a short leash. Bucky had five minutes total - shit, shower, shave. If he didn't finish in time... There's always tomorrow.

If he did, he'd get rewarded.

Steve'd wrap him up in a large fluffy towel, carry him to bed. He'd bring back the sweet little reminders, with his hand around Bucky's throat. How much Steve loved him. How this was all for his protection. How Steve wasn't going to let anything happen to him, ever again. How proud Steve was of him, for letting him return that favor, even decades later. How well behaved Bucky was, how good he'd been for Steve.

Steve was so different from Hydra, too. That's what made it so fucking difficult to resist the love bomb-type conditioning. He wasn't the torture type - didn't like the idea of doing anything he didn't have to. Steve didn't want to hurt him, and Bucky knew that. He found it harder to reject Steve's advances the longer he was locked in that fucking room, found it harder to discern whether or not he... wanted... to reject it.

He was Bucky's dialysis, and his drinking problem.

He was Bucky's oxygen machine, and the cigarettes he'd smoked to earn him one.

Steve could ask Bucky to do anything, ask him for anything... and he was powerless to say no. He'd tried.

+//////+

It'd gotten him a flick to the mouth, for his hesitation.

"When I ask you a question, love, you need to answer me. Do you understand?" The tears in his eyes nearly spilled over, sharp pain from his lips radiating into his nose and the corners of his eyes. He didn't want to answer. He wanted to leave. He wanted to run, to get the fuck away from Steve and the compound and everything.

"Yes."

"Yes what, angel?" Steve might've been good about keeping his emotions checked in public, but Bucky could tell he was smug. Gloating. He enjoyed this. What'd happened to the sweet kid from Brooklyn that could barely hold himself upright? Bucky missed him.

"Yes, Stevie. I’m sorry Stevie." Saying his name was painful. This wasn't his Steve. This wasn't the Steve he'd fallen in love with. Wasn't even the man that'd dragged him out from underneath that alien... How long ago? Months? Years?

Bucky didn't know anymore.

Didn't know why his friends hadn't saved him yet. Didn't know how his absence went unnoticed for... however long it'd been. Didn't know why he was struggling to be upset about it all.

Steve, observant as he was, could practically see the gears turning in the other's head. He cradled Bucky's face in his hands, drawing him into calculated eye contact. Bucky felt sick. There was something... wrong, there. Something Bucky'd never seen before.

"They don't love you like I do, Buck. They don't want you. They don't love you."

Bucky flinched at the words, physically recoiling from Steve's grasp. He knew it wasn't true, he knew... He thought it wasn't, right?

Steve's laugh pulled Bucky out of his own thoughts, bringing him back to the room in front of him. He had a display up, with various recordings of the rest of the Avengers. He flipped through them, muting and unmuting seemingly at random.

"... I mean, he's probably ditched us for Zemo again. Would that really shock you?"

"he almost died again. I don't blame him, i wouldn't want to be found eith-"

"-e can take care of himself, let's just give him time."

Steve waved the holo display away when he saw the first few tears fall. "Don't you see, Baby? They don't care like I do - they don't love you like I love you. No one will ever love you like I love you." Steve's words stung, but Bucky couldn't deny that they made sense. Of course no one was looking for him. He was unpredictable, still kind of an outsider. Why would they try to come find him? Why would they care?

Bucky's mouth moved before his brain could stop him.

"'m sorry, Stevie, please, I'm so sorry! I-I- I thought they cared, please, please don't leave me Stevie! I was so wrong, Steve please! Wish I knew how to stop, Stevie, but you know I can't. You gotta help me stop Stevie, I've been so confused, been tryin' to quit you Stevie but I can't. Wish I could quit you but I can't, I can’t be left alone anymore. Please, you can take my arm if you want it, Stevie. Take anything, take whatever you want from just please, please don’t leave me alone anymore!"

He was in hysterics at this point, unable to believe what was coming out of him. Was he really okay with Steve taking his arm away? Did he really love this Steve back? Was he just scared?

The worst part was that he couldn't tell.

+//////+

The smell of fresh coffee woke him before he was ready. His eyes burned, still dry after Steve refused to close the window before they went to bed.

Bucky would have closed it himself, but he couldn't actually reach that far.

They'd moved out to the cabin a few months after Bucky finally broke realized how wrong he was. It was a cute little place, big enough for the two of them but small enough to not draw attention if someone came upon it by accident. Not that they really could. Steve'd installed motion sensors five miles out, and had fully automated... solutions, in place, should any threats or issues arise.

They went entirely unused.

It really was a beautiful plot of land - they had a few animals, a cute pair of kittens to dote on and play with. He had enough room to move around, to sit in the sun or curl up in bed. He had plenty of books, games, anything and everything he could want to occupy his time, really. He had Steve.

And breakfast now, apparently.

Steve set the plate on the bedside table, gently sitting next to his lover and planting small kisses on his still shut eyelids. Bucky looked up and smiled, blushing at the hand that'd wrapped around his neck. He reached out, gently thumbing at the inside of Steve's wrist. Oh, how he'd missed this. Missed contact with his Steve.

He opened his mouth, accepting the bite Steve offered him. Steve always made the best pancakes, he thought, appreciating the hot meal hitting his tongue. He hadn't eaten this good in weeks. It was hard for him to cook without his arm, but Steve always provided. Steve cooked for them, cleaned up after them, made sure Bucky was sated. Safe.

He'd taken off for a mission nearly a month ago. A dangerous one, he'd said. One he might not return from for a while, he'd said. Bucky worried. He always did when Steve left, especially since he couldn't know where or why he was going. But Steve always came back to him. Sometimes, he was back in one piece. Once, he'd come home with an arrow in his stomach and several gunshot wounds. That'd been a... scary night. Another time, he came home with half of his hair singed off and his clothes in tatters.

Last night... Last night he finally came home, and he looked like shit.

He was covered in bruises, nearly 40 pounds lighter than he was when he'd left. There were holes in the shield, too large to be bullets but too small to be anything else easily recognizable. Some were through his suit, too - puncture wounds littering his chest and stomach. They were already partially closed, but he was still bloody.

There were still webs in his hair, too - Bucky brushed them away after Steve closed (and locked. always locked.) the door. He knew better than to comment. Steve was just protecting him. Steve loved him, he was doing what he needed to keep Bucky safe.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. That each time Steve left for a mission, Bucky cried himself to sleep. He thought, eventually, that the pain would go away. That the death of each of his friends would get easier, somehow. That the fear, the hope, of losing Steve would stop consuming him.

He'd just smiled, kissed his husband's cheek, and helped him strip down. He'd mouthed at the graze left on the side of Steve's neck, reverent in the presence that was his protector. Bucky'd developed quite the complex, in their time of isolation. Every time Steve came in - from cutting firewood, picking food from the garden, feeding the animals, or from nights like last... Bucky just couldn't stop talking.

About how he wouldn't be alive without Steve. How he'd still be a mindless slave for Hydra, killing innocent people under everyone's noses. How he owed Steve his life, a thousand times over. How he'd've been taken by Ross or Stark or Clint or someone, and locked away miles under the sea. He'd pressed them into Steve's jaw like kiss-coated secrets, like no one in the entire world knew these things but Bucky & Steve. Like they were bits of information to cherish, to chew on and savour before swallowing.

Steve just laughed, picking Bucky up and bringing him to bed. He followed shortly after, cleaning and patching himself up before snuggling right up to Bucky.

Sleeping was interesting, initially, but they'd adapted. It was easier to cuddle Bucky without his arm, but sometimes Steve woke up with his legs tangled in loose chains by the footboard. It was an easy enough trade, in Bucky's opinion. Give up his arm, give up a bit of freedom, and get a loving, devoted husband in return? One that would make him breakfast in bed, one that would hold him and kiss him and praise him whenever he needed? One that would kill for him? Die for him?

Bucky saw it as a fair enough trade, and if that meant their friends needed to die... He tried not to think about it.

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hectabdr · 3 years

Text

Dragon Raja IV - Chapters 13 - 15 + epilogue (Abridged)

Hi everyone, sorry for taking so long to post the last part, I had a lot of work this week.

BTW, since it's over, I put the whole novel summary on a PDF document, which you can download from here.

Previous Chapters

Chapter 13

The nurse at the mental hospital couldn't believe her eyes when Luminous came back and requested to be admitted in his old room. He asked for his usual injection and went back to his not-so-favorite video game level.

In his vision, he kept accelerating far away form the swarm of death servitors, everything went according to plan and they still had lots of time to spare. He made many excuses to Nono in an attempt to justify his incredible performance, in the radio, there was a very strange song, Luminous recognized it, the name was "Daily Growing" by the folk group Altan, it was the same song that Johann and his father heard before they ran into Odin.

Nono was confused, Luminous just seemed to know way too many things. He knew about the damaged tire, about every safe route, the reach of the Nibelungen and the presence of a small, strange building hiding in the distance. It was the Media Asia Group building, according to Finger, this is the place where Nono found Chu Tianjiao's home. If this was a Nibelungen, an exact copy of the room should be there as well, still intact.

There was nothing surprising about the small place, but that was intentional. A person like Tianjiao was probably trained against people with skills like Nono's, so there had to be a secret compartment or a hidden door. He lifted the bed and there it was!

Mr Chu managed to create an underground bunker for himself. There was a bigger, more comfortable bed, a record player with Elvis Presley's discs and leather jackets. Luminous wanted to be more like this stylish man every second he spent there.

He noticed a bunch of pictures hanging from a string. Tianjiao spend a lot of time making copies of photographs from his family, but he wasn't in them, there was another man next to his wife and his son, but he used chemicals to erase him from the images. He also wrote small phrases dedicated to his wife in the back of the photos, like:

"This is the first year since you left me, you look good"

"This is the third year, you're getting fat"

"Fifth year, I don't have time to think of you anymore"

"Sixth year. ...but I still miss you".

The rest of the walls were filled with images and documents connected by red strings. Multiple events were listed in them, including the fall of Black Swan Bay in 1991 and the Greenland incident from November 7, 2002. These events related to dragon sightings and awakenings all led to a specific incident: The resurrection of the Black king Nidhogg. Even to the other dragon overlords, Nidhogg is a god-like existence, and its words are taken as prophecies. Chu Tianjiao was the city's watchman, he came to that place with a special purpose, but he mistakenly fell in love with a young dancer. They got married and had a child, they were happy, but he knew very well that he couldn't give them a peaceful life, so he signed the divorce papers and watched her take Johann away and marry a different man. While that family went to amusement parks and movie theaters, Tianjiao stayed on his underground room thinking about the fate of mankind.

Luminous memorized as much as he could from Tianjiao's investigation and went back with Nono, he kept driving and they entered the empty city, the lights were still on and the amusement park shined like a neon show.

- I always wanted to be in a Nibelungen, but I didn't expect it to be like this.

- How did you think it would be?

- Distorted, scary, definitely not this beautiful.

They looked up and they saw Odin, standing on top of the clock tower, Nono raised a gun and pointed at him but Luminous held it down, telling her not to disturb him, they kept driving silently and the god didn't notice their presence.

Luminous took her to a shopping mall, where they entered a department store and he gave her a dry change of clothes. This was still strange to her, he already knew her size, he never stopped looking at his watch and somehow he also picked an outfit that she liked (a pair of burgundy sports trousers and a fleece hoodie).

He gave her a cup of hot coffee and he suggested they waited on an empty movie theater while they waited for help.

Nono waited uncomfortable in front of the screen, Luminous picked up a random movie from the projector room, it was Wall·E, the second film roll to be exact, so the film started from the halfway point. The movie slowly relaxed her and she started chewing popcorn while they waited.

- I've been here before, haven't I?.

This was the theater where she rescued him from a failed love confession to Wenwen, before taking him to sign his Cassell admission papers. Actually, Luminous was watching Wall·E with his fellow literature club members. All of these were deliberate choices, he only picked the second half of the movie because they didn't have enough time to watch it from the start.

- You have been here, you have experienced all the things we are experiencing now and I have lived this moment many times.

Nono was a profiler, it wasn't that easy to trick her, so he admitted the truth. At 12:00am, Nono was going to die, like every other time.

- This dream will become a reality. I have repeatedly entered this dream just to find a way to save you, but I couldn't find it.

- If you can't find a way to save me, why don't you save yourself instead?

- My senior brother said that he always regretted leaving his father here alone, that feeling of regret is so terrible, it made him want to go back and die right there.

- Don't say such disgusting things, if this is really my end I will accept it.

The answer became obvious, the only way to escape this Nibelungen was for one person to stay behind and die. As the movie reached its climax, a spear broke through the screen, Nono didn't move, Luminous didn't move.

- No, senior sister, this will not be you end, it will be mine.

Chapter 14

Luminous opened his eyes, it was still a quiet summer night, he slid a small knife that he bought at the convenience store and ripped the straitjacket open. The hospital personnel were resting in different rooms so he sneaked out with ease.

His last attempt was the 108th, none of them managed to give him the perfect ending that he desperately chased. The old man with the tricycle was waiting for him outside, Luminous got on the small bike and drove away. The security guard couldn't believe it when he saw the same tricycle pass by for a third time that night, straight into the elevated road.

Luminous reached the old Asia Group building, now flooded and filled with rubble and mud. He managed to find the secret door and found the insides half-submerged as well, but not everything was ruined, he located a small metal suitcase in the corner that was filled with multiple weapons, including a revolver, a tactical shotgun and a Uzi submachine gun.

All seemed to indicate that this equipment came directly from Cassell College, an academy that never bothered to mention Tianjiao's existence.

In his way out, he picked one of the photographs that managed to survive the flood, it portrayed a family of three. Johann was probably five years old and his expression was as emotionless as usual, his robot face wasn't the result of some traumatic event after all, it came with him from the moment he was born. In the corner, Tianjiao wrote some words as well: "Stay like this, not crying, just looking into the distance".

This arsenal was strong, but insignificant in front of a being like Odin. Ming·Z·Lu showed up to offer one last gift.

Something for nothing, 50% fusion.

Luminous was familiar with that sensation, his nerves burned and the depths of his mind seemed to be cracked open, the pain was bigger than any human can endure, but once it was over, there was a feeling of euphoria, a need to fight. His senses increased immensely, he could now distinguish every single drop in the middle of the rainfall. This usually costed him a full quarter of his life but now it was... Free?

He finally heard the distorted noises of the death servitors, it sounded like the crying of babies. The wall of water and wind that protected Odin became visible, the black figure mounted an eight legged horse. He was in the Nibelungen again, this time he didn't plan to turn around.

Luminous approached them and parked the tricycle next to the Maybach, he stood in front of Odin and the god stayed silent. The words "You are finally here" were not uttered this time, he was right, Odin was waiting for Nono, but he didn't bring her this time, Luminous's presence was meaningless to his rival.

Odin kept staring at the end of the road, waiting for Chen Motong to appear and show her face.

- This is the right way to start the game, my senior sister is not here, only you and me, only one of us can leave this place alive!

He was vey happy, he finally played the god. He slowly grabbed a spear rocket launcher from the tricycle, the little devil was as reliable as always. The servitors immediately recognized the destructive potential of the weapon and tried to disperse, but Luminous opened fire first and scattered their shadowy remains on the road.

He saw his face in a puddle, the crazy expression of Ming·Z was now his own, like every other time they fused, it felt like this was his true nature. Weapon after weapon he ran out of ammo, some servitors sneaked behind him and sliced his torso with their claws, if it wasn't for the bulletproof vest that Tianjiao left in his suitcase, Mingfei would have died already.

A shot of his last gun, a M500 revolver finally broke one of the servitor's masks. He hadn't seen one of those faces since his mission in Japan, their skin was covered in scales and their teeth were long and alien-shaped. Odin gave them black robes and masks to use them as his personal servants. Odin was definitely different to every other dragon king he had faced before, they were all savage and aggressive, but this one was stoic and dressed like a figure of mythology, unless...

That was it! Odin wasn't a dragon disguised as a mythical character, Odin, the myth himself has been a dragon all along. The secret party had misread norse mythology, now it was clear that it narrated the history of the dragon clan and it was written by the dragons themselves. Every god was in fact a dragon king, in those myths, the main antagonist of Nidhogg was Odin. This god had already foreseen the coming of the end of the world, the so-called twilight of the gods, where the world tree would wither.

The suppressed Nidhogg will rise in the air, ready for revenge, it will destroy everything and ruin the kingdom of the gods. Therefore, Odin prepared himself for this battle, ordering the Valkyrie goddesses to gather the heroes's souls and place them in the Hall of Valor to assist him in resisting the black dragon. If the norse myths are indeed dragon history, the hall of valor must represent a place filled with countless dragon cocoons and embryos waiting to be awakened.

This information, this great secret was about to be buried there with him if he didn't survive this battle. Nono was probably packing, ready to leave with Finger and go back to Cassell, for whatever reason Odin needed her, she would be out of his reach, he just needed to endure and Odin was still as invincible as ever. Making a deal with Ming·Z was inadmissible, giving the little devil enough power to materialize could bring an immeasurable catastrophe. The boy appeared in front of him.

- Brother, you finally asked to see me, do you want to... Shake my hand?

The multitude of servitors overwhelmed him, he contemplated dying there, it wouldn't be so bad, just very lonely. With a loud bang! the strongest servitor flew out and fell motionless on the mud.

A red BYD car swiftly parked next to him, a hand came out of the window and shot the three closest servitors, that was Finger, of course it was him!

- Drive faster! Why the fuck are you here?

- What do I know? I was eating dumplings with your aunt and the hospital called to tell me you were gone!

Finger placed a tracking device on Luminous just like he did with Nono and saw his trace disappearing in the highway, so he went to investigate and entered the Nibelungen by accident.

- Don't get confused by my F-Rank rating, I started as an A-rank, remember?

Flammel tasked Finger with helping Luminous to prove Johann's existence, he didn't remember the young hybrid either, but he trusted Anjou, and Anjou believed in the importance of Luminous more than anyone. Not everyone on Cassell gave up on him after all.

- Don't drive away, we can't escape!

- I thought you told me to drive faster!

- Yes I did, but I meant towards Odin!

The servitors quickly realized what they were intending to do, so they formed a barrier in front of their master. Finger pressed a button on the car and one mini-gun came out of each side of the vehicle.

- The equipment department makes phones that double as grenades, you think they can't make 007's car?

The gatling guns opened fire on the crowd of servitors, effectively cleaning the way. Finger put the car on self destruct mode and got ready to jump out, Luminous got on the roof, aiming his knife at Odin. The car hit Odin's water barrier and exploded, the shockwave soared into the sky, filled with flames. Luminous jumped and managed to pass through, and with a swift move, he pierced through Odin with the blade, just like Tianjiao attempted to do many years before.

Every servitor stopped their movements, Odin's scores started dropping down immediately and his body got split in two. There had to be something wrong with that, there's no way he would fall to his death so easily. Luminous took the god's skull and removed the mask, under it, the face of a death servitor greeted him instead, the others started crying and laughing at them. Odin's only goal is Nono, it had always been Nono, this was a trap and he was already on his way to get her.

Chapter 15

Nono was sitting next to Su Xiaoyan's bed, peeling an apple. The woman happily ate the bonbons that Nono brought for her as a gift.

- Nono, how is your mother doing?

- She's fine, she's still working and always asks me when I'll get married but I just don't tell her.

Nono had to make up that story, but at that moment she really felt like Xiaoyan's niece. She checked the woman's medical records, apparently the doctors thought she was schizophrenic and amnesiac, as long as Nono played her role well, the medical personnel would think Xiaoyan's amnesia made her forget about her relative.

Because Nono brought Bonbons, Xiaoyan recognized her immediately and happily accepted her gift.

She had been there since her son's death, she lost track of time, to the point where she felt like she had been there for three or four months, when in reality, seven years had passed. Not many people visited her in that time, her husband would take her home for a few days every now and then, but those events became less and less usual. Of course, Nono was there for a reason, without Tianjiao's apartment, her only remaining clue was Johann's mother, but the woman wasn't very open about her life. Nono's ability allowed her to put puzzles together, but Xiaojiao kept messing up the pieces.

- Did your former husband treat you well?

- He couldn't make enough money and he was very unmotivated, playing foolish all day long, I had enough of him!

- But he's handsome, and he's probably still breaking hearts.

- How do you know that he's handsome? You haven't seen him before.

- Of course I have, I remember hugging my uncle!

- Come on, do you really think I'm that broken? I know I don't have a niece.

- Then why didn't you tell the doctor?

- Because you're so pretty, and I like to chat with pretty girls, there's no one else here to chat with me, and you don't look like a bad person either.

Nono was genuinely surprised, so she declared her intentions straight on, she wanted to know more about Chu Tianjiao, but his ex-wife didn't seem to know a lot about him either, he would constantly lie about his past and alternate between multiple versions of the story.

- Sometimes he told me that he was a great spy, and that he came here to complete a task, and I believed him, without a clue of his salesman-like nature!

- And you still married him?

- He was handsome, and I was young.

Xiaoyan didn't express any regret in divorcing him, she'd rather be with someone she could rely on, but there was something else she could not explain.

- But he seems to have left something behind with me, a very important thing, I just can't remember it.

- What is it?

- I said I can't remember it, I've been thinking about it for a very long time.

- What kind of thing?

- A very important thing, I must find it, it would be very bad if I didn't.

A burst of cold wind opened the windows and made them shiver, Nono stood up and went to close them but she noticed something strange, the flowers on the outside were all withered, black petals flew through the room, she closed the window as fast as she could, something bad had happened and the air outside smelled of death.

She took out a desert eagle from her bag and stopped Xiaoyan from screaming, the woman relied on her intuition to understand that Nono wasn't going to hurt her. The place was silent and the lights flickered, the instinctive feeling of being alert that came from true isolation soon got a hold of her. She and Xiaoyan got out of the room, door after door, every doctor and every patient had disappeared.

The rain and the wind rapidly eroded the building. The day was finally here, she had never been in a Nibelungen before, she once regretted not being able to experience it, now Nibelungen came to see her. She didn't knew wether to be nervous or excited.

- Someone, someone is coming. Su Xiaoyan's voice trembled slightly.

The sound of footsteps made an echo in the building, those weren't human steps, that sounded like a few horses were coming their way. The storm, the Nibelungen, the steed, the rider, it seemed to be an ancient king who came with a strong breath of death, and the flowers in the garden withered in front of him. Nono remembered him, she saw his silhouette in the reflection of the glass when she went to Tianjiao's apartment.

The rider didn't seem to know where Xiaoyan's room was and he was checking them one by one. They ran towards the elevator, the rider was on the first floor so they needed to get to the top as fast as they could without the sound of their steps giving away their position. Behind them, the fluorescent lights went out one by one. Nono finally saw the reflection of the elevator's door in a mirror, but when its doors opened, the light of Odin's flames came out.

They ran in the other direction and soon reached the stairs, they ran down but it didn't matter, they were trapped on an endless loop. She shot at the creature but the bullets melted before touching the god's armor. They kept running and Nono kept shooting back but it wasn't buying them any more time, temperatures were rising and there was no way out.

Odin wasn't even in a hurry to reach them, Nono took Xiaoyan in her arms and ran across a hallway, enduring the terrible heat of the floor. She tried to get out through a window, but after opening the curtains she noticed that the whole world outside had changed and she was greeted by the sight of a roman pantheon.

Nono suddenly fell silent, she helped Xiaoyan to sit down on a bench and put her boots on the woman's feet. She noticed something, she was crying, she was remembering.

- There might be a way for you to get out of here by yourself, now tell me, what did Tianjiao left for you exactly?

- It's... A child. I had a son with him, his name is Johann Chu, I can't find my son... I can't find my son!

Xiaoyan was holding a pillow in her arms, the doctor said that she would put this pillow in her belly every morning and happily declare that she was pregnant. Nono took it from her hands and threw it away.

- Since you have a clear memory of him, you don't need this anymore, you will find your son, although I don't know where.

In this world, those who are not lunatics are the ones who were deceived. Luminous and Su Xiaoyan were the craziest because of their link to Johann Chu, to the truth. His mother's mental disorder was not there because she had lost a son seven years ago, a certain god wanted to modify her memory of him and she was resisting. She tied the little pillow to her back because a child is only safe in his mother's body, she sensed that someone was going to hurt her boy, so she wanted to feel like she could protect him.

Nono pushed Xiaoyan into a cubicle next to the ward and told her to keep the door closed until someone came to rescue her. She took Finger's GPS device out of her bag and broke it, expecting Luminous and Finger to arrive there after seeing her signal disappear. Odin arrived, his flames evaporated the strong currents of water and stood in front of her, Nono kept two knives on her back and a desert eagle in each hand.

- Odin!

The creature and his lance were impossible not to identify, the god actually exists.

- You are finally here.

He slowly raised Gungir and a faint white thread appeared, connecting the tip of the spear and Nono's heart. She thought his goal was Xiaoyan, due to her connection to Johann, but she was wrong, Odin's goal was her and only her. No wonder Luminous threw her down in the library, he probably had a foreboding of her death for some reason and tried to save her, his eyes showed a constant state of panic.

She didn't believe him and they put him on a psychiatric institution. She really wanted to tell him that she was sorry, because she had underestimated him.

She had always tried to be there for Luminous, she couldn't deny that she saw a lot of herself in him, this obsession with taking care of her sidekick was so prevalent because she knew how it was like to be powerless, lost and defenseless, but in the most critical moment, she had failed him.

Nono vaguely heard a song, a duet about a father and his daughter, it was coming from somewhere, along with the noise of a car engine. Luminous was coming, that song came from the radio, but how could she hear him? It didn't matter, she felt him presence and she believed it.

- Luminous! Don't you fucking dare to come here!

Nono shot every bullet she had left and they melted on Odin's presence. The lance was thrown and suddenly, the Maybach smashed through the wall, its lights illuminated Nono's eyes. She smiled, the moment she saw him, the cartridge of her gun was empty. The lance had already started its course and Luminous could only see her lips moving:

- I'm sorry

- Ming·Z·Lu! Luminous roared, time slowed down in his eyes

- The little one is here! Ming·Z smiled, Since I promised my brother that I'd try everything!

Come out! Golden saint cloth of the zodiac!, Phase shift armor!, Fierce fist! Seven-fold ring of the blazing sky!, Absolute domain AT Field!.

Every time he yelled a strange name, Luminous froze for a moment, these strange spells were taken directly from anime shows, they were weapons that lined up in front of Odin's lance, even a nuclear explosion could be rejected by them.

- What are you doing?

- I don't really know what tricks would work so I'm doing all of them!

Ming·Z kept casting spells, the speed of the lance was indeed affected but it never stopped nor it changed its trajectory.

- Hurry up brother, run!

Nono tried to yell, telling Luminous to stay away, but her mouth moved too slowly. Luminous ran past Odin and past the lance. The seven-fold ring was the strongest defense against projectiles, every time the Gungir lance pierced through a layer, it made a loud noise. Nono dropped the empty gun, she didn't have the strength to wield her knives. The spear hadn't arrived yet, and she was already like a lamb crucified on an altar.

Gungir hit the final defense, the sound was almost glass shattering.

- I couldn't stop it, even with the last layer. Give her a hug, kiss her! This is going to be your last chance! I'll buy as much time as possible for you!

Ming·Z made another barrier but the lance broke it, the little devil's hands were splashed with blood and they stained his bow tie, but he didn't care and looked at his side as an indifferent Luminous passed by and stood in front of Nono. He never managed to change the events, just the scenery. Gungir pierced through Ming·Z's chest.

- Brother, I tried my best

- It's ok, I'm here as well.

Luminous wasn't going to hug or kiss Nono, he was there to take her place. He could clearly feel his heart being cut open. The spear hadn't even touched his skin and his body had begun to carbonize and turn black, showing a rare struggle, burning it inch by inch.

- No! No! No! Nono struggled to stand up and pull the lance away from him.

- Don't come near me!

The lance tried to go through him, but it only managed to pin him against the wall. Nono shivered slightly and tears slowly ran down her face, but she didn't realize that she was crying. She always wanted him to grow up and go his own way, to use any advantage she might have over him to push him forward, but now the person who was crying on the floor was her.

- Senior sister, are you okay? It's okay.

Luminous raised his head, half of his head and body were carbonized, the cracks at the end of his lips extended all the way to the roots of his ears. He was really happy, because he finally managed to achieve his goal. He didn't want to live with the regret of losing her, he had seen Johann's own regret already.

Odin wasn't pleased, the god roared as he realized he had missed his chance. Luminous whispered:

- Ming·Z·Lu...

- Brother, I am here, you really found a method to stop the lance!

- In this world, only a monster can stop a monster, and I am the biggest monster in the world...

- Yes, you are the biggest monster in the world, brother! You are awesome! Then, are you ready to make the last deal? I can't do much against the lance, but I can take care of the monster behind it, the little devil is good at this dirty work!

Luminous stared at him and asked for two conditions:

- Kill Odin, but also take Nono back to safety.

- Alright but hurry up! That guy is almost here!

Sleipnir's eight legs made a thunderous sound, the dragon subspecies that Odin mounted carried its master into the room. Luminous raised his blood-soaked hand and gave the little devil a high-five. Ming·Z's figure suddenly appeared in the night sky, this time he stopped laughing and opened his arms. He looked like a suspended cross.

- Something for nothing, 100% fusion.

He breathed deeply, as if he wanted to inhale all of the world's air into his lungs. Sharp bone spurs protruded from his body and he was covered in black scales. Huge black wings sprung from his back and he took flight, diving down, his image poured into Luminous's body.

The carbonized skin quickly peeled off, he experienced musculoskeletal growth and deformation and the sound of a glacier cracking was heard across the hospital.

The black wings were opened and Gungir was ejected from his chest. Sleipnir couldn't move a single inch closer to them, because Luminous placed his hand on the horse's chest. Nono stared blankly at him, because she couldn't tell if the monster in front of her was a friend or an enemy, but Luminous stared back at her.

- Sister, don't be afraid, as long as I live, you'll be fine.

After two years, Chen Motong saw the devil that rescued her from the bottom of the Three Gorges Dam once again. She remembered how he held her, his childlike fear and his voice.

Don't die, don't die, don't die... Don't Die!

- So it was you...

But Luminous didn't hear those words at all, he rushed to Odin, at the flash of lightning, the monsters that had been in conflict with each other so many times, leaving countless disasters, clashed once again, and the claws and the sword stained the place red and black.

They roared, they fought, a war between kings that can only be ended by death.

Epilogue

On the elevated road, Finger stopped for a moment to catch his breath. This guy is usually slacking and his posture is erratic. The death servitors are struggling to even reach his clothes.

There should be half a marathon left before he can lose them, however, the physical strength of those things is almost unlimited.

Seeing him stop, a group of servitors suddenly became excited and the baby-like cries they made reached the heavens. A girl in a black outfit and a gauze mask appeared in front of him, a ninja.

- How did you know I was here?

- I have a radar for pretty girls... Can you handle that many servitors?

Mai Sakatoku drew two small blades.

- Those are too many, I'm specialized in assassination, not group combat. It's a pity that the other two girls are not here...

- Then I hope I can help.

He had a sword in his hand, the mirror-like Murasame suddenly turned black, the black blade light soon extended all the way to his body and the rain around it evaporated. Mai was surprised by the brutality of the sword, but Finger remained indifferent.

- What kind of sword is that?

- Murasame, have you never heard of the Dragon Slayer of Fire? Then you are really kind, but a bit ignorant, my friend!

After saying that, he jumped and cut off the elevated road.

#dragon raja #dragon raja novel #luminous #nono #ming z lu #finger von frings #johann chu

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years

Text

The Cassell Cynic Part 2

A continuation of @hectabdr @hectab‘s lovely characters.

When Nathan lay back on the bench, Hana’s face filled with furious determination.

Nathan protested loudly as she stomped his feet, seized his arm in a mighty heave and lifted him across the back of her shoulders. Her strong arm was wrapped around his leg and other her hand gripped his wrist. He tried to pull away but she held him tightly secured. “What are you doing?! Let me down!”

“I’m not going to let you make me fail this assignment!” She grunted roughly and stomped off toward the medieval looking administrators building.

Nathan used his free arm to pull his ear buds out. “Are you kidnapping me? Go die by yourself!”

“You think you’re going to die?”

“Of course I’m going to die if I go on assignment with you!” He struggled futilely against her iron-like grip. “Let go! You’re ruining my day!”

“When the dragons come back, they’ll do more than ruin your day. Or do you not know that because you don’t care to study?”

“I know that and that’s why I don’t bother! It’s obvious that someone else is going to do it, why should I care about it?”

“Because we …” She puffed, staggering with her struggling captive. “You're heavier than you look.... We all have a role to play. No one is going to slay the dragons alone! When the chips are down everyone needs to think about what they can do to make sure the dragons don’t win!”

“If I face a dragon, I’ll bow down and say ‘I welcome my new scaly overlords!’” He hollered loud enough for anyone in the courtyard to hear.

She stopped. Her face turned to him in horror. “You don’t mean that. Surely.”

His face was full of indignation. “And even if I don’t, so what? I just hope they don’t eat me and I live another day because I’m not slaying any god-damn dragon and chances are, neither are you! Now put me down!”

“Don’t put me in the same league as you, you coward…”

“I’m a coward? You’re a coward!” He turned to look at her over her shoulder. “You’re so scared of getting something less than an A+ that you’re kidnapping me! That’s what this is about. Don’t give me that Dragon War spiel. You’re more scared of your report card than a dragon. Am I right or am I right? Exactly. If this assignment was about dragonslaying, I wouldn’t be on it, being C ranked… No one’s going to put the world in my hands! Put me down!”

She finally lowered him from her shoulders and he brushed himself off and smoothed down his hair. He turned to look up at her. “Thank you!”

She gave him a stern look, lips pursed. “You’re really serious… about not doing anything.”

“Yeah! I am serious! Thank you for finally acknowledging that!” He stepped around her to return to his bench.

“So you weren’t put up here to sabotage me?” She asked.

“I am not doing this to sabotage you. No. But someone might be. You do what you need to do if your grades are that important to you, but leave me out of it. I don’t need grades to stay here.” Nathan turned fully around and walked backwards towards the bench. “Contrary to your belief, your assignment is not the end of the world and, if it was really that important, they will find someone else to do it!”

He sat back on the bench, groaning in dismay as he picked up his ruined blunt where he’d dropped it. “If I have to be on your assignment for you to pass then you might as well stay here on the bench! Because I’m not going. Period. You’ll have to deal with the smudge on your record. Though… knowing you, you’ll suplex them until they give you a make up assignment to erase the quote-unquote bad grade, so your parents don’t call you and cuss you out. If you do kidnap me, though, I’ll definitely make sure you fail, you psycho!” He rotated his shoulder. “That hurt, you know.”

Hana stayed where she was and helplessly watched him as he sat back down at the bench. “You’re really not coming. You’re not going to help me at all?”

Nathan didn’t respond. He rolled another blunt and lit it in silence. He could tell she wasn’t giving up, she was just changing strategy. She was drunk on the whole Dragonslaying mission Kool-Aid. He could feel his buzz actively dying as she approached him and sat back down. He passed it to her and she refused. But he insisted. “Take it, you need it more than I do.”

“I don’t smoke.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He inhaled slowly. The skunky smell of the marijuana filled the air. “You shouldn’t care so much.”

“I do care but it's because this is what comes natural to me. I’m strong and talented and I can do the things they need me to do. My talents will be wasted elsewhere. No one’s putting pressure on me. This is who I am and what I do best. So why not excel at it?”

He coughed on a rough pull. He was genuinely shocked. “No? You don’t have some mommy and daddy at home who will be disappointed if you get a B?” He asked, scoffing at her. “You don’t care at all if you ‘fail your ancestors’ or something?”

“No.” She said firmly. “I don’t. I didn’t come from a prestigious family or a famous bloodline. I don’t even know who my father is. Unlike you.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “I’m self motivated and good at what I do. A few of the professors were thinking of putting me on a track to become faculty. They said I have to learn how to be an earnest guide. They wanted me to take you on an assignment and walk you through it.”

“Really? ...damn.” Nathan shut his mouth for once, scratching his head. “I’d pegged you as one of those trust fund babies.”

She gave a bitter laugh. “Believe me, I’m not. Like I said, I don’t care for them. They’re just coasting on their parent’s allowance and pretending to be better than everyone else. Kinda like you. At least you’re a trust fund baby who has their head in reality.” She grinned but there was no humor in it.

Nathan couldn’t argue that. “So uh… what’s this assignment?”

“I just have to accompany some cargo to the airport. But it’s sensitive cargo. So we just need to guard it.”

“Ah ha!” He tilted his head back. “So solve one problem with another. Very clever. You know what I think? I think my lack of urgency pisses them off so bad that they would do anything to get me to care even a little bit. And if they can’t get me to do anything, then they can get me off campus so they don’t have to look at me. They don’t need me here. It’s all head games. So I’ll play their head game.”

“What do you mean?” She tilted her head.

He pointed to the blunt in his hand. “What I mean is, this weed is going to give me the munchies. So, I’ll go ahead and put in a big order from the canteen. What do you like?” He pulled his cellphone from his pocket.

“I guess. Italian… pasta. I like Greek Food?” She said.

“Pasta and Gyros… sounds good to me.” He typed to put in the order.

“Are you ordering food for me?” She peered at his phone.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Nathan turned to her. “Wow… you really don’t have any friends.”

“You don’t either!” She snarled.

“I did before I came here. And I will when I leave here. You on the other hand… good luck on your ‘Hero’s Journey’. Heh.” He chuckled.

“Why don’t you just leave if you hate it here so much.” She stretched her legs in front of her and looked at the sky.

Nathan continued his lengthy order. “I don’t hate it here. I can live here, eat good food, and do nothing. Duh. It’s like the best vacation ever. It just sucks that by the end I won’t get to remember any of it. It’s like an alternate dimension. I just want them to give me good memories. Like I did something awesome. That’s all.” He waved his book of false memory ideas.

“You’re going to let them erase your memory?” Hana lowered her voice, partly shocked, partly amazed.

“Yep. Here I’m no better than a regular human. So I might as well live like one. Order will be ready in 45 minutes.” He put his phone in his pocket.

“Why not split the difference? Do just enough to participate and stick around. That’s what Fingel does.” She wondered.

“Oh ho... Not just Fingel. Isn’t that what everyone else does? I look at everyone around me and… you’re the first person I’ve met here who actually believes all this is for saving the world. That’s cool. You want to be here for that. But that’s why the other people get on your nerves. You can tell they’re faking it, and you’re not about the BS.”

Hana fell into a thoughtful silence.

“Which is why they sent you to talk to me probably.” He lowered his blunt. “It’s not that I don’t care that dragons are big and scary, it’s just I know I can’t do anything, just like 90% of the people here… so…” He shrugged. “There’s going to be maybe… what … 10 or 12 people actually fighting dragons? The rest? They’re just in it for the social points. And I’m not interested in social points.”

“What are you interested in?” She asked.

“Enjoying life while I have it.” He sat back and blew out a long plume of smoke.

Hana sat with him and stared out into the empty courtyards. On the peak of a gabled roof, a mockingbird was singing its heart out and doing acrobatic leaps in the air as it did so. Hana pursed her lips and tapped her feet. “If you could… please do this one assignment for me. I won’t ask again. I’m backed into a corner here and I don’t really have a choice at the moment.”

Nathan sighed loudly. “You could always do nothing, Hana. Just say, ‘He’s not coming, figure something out.’ I don’t want to get in your way, but I’m not going to let them play the pity card either. We’re all adults here. Don’t ask me to play their game. And it is a game.” He looked at her with wide eyes, waving his blunt. “If this assignment is really important, they’ll find someone else. The assignment isn’t the real issue here. This has nothing to do with your grade. I guarantee it has everything to do with their ego. They’re just like my parents. They’re just like my brother. Trying to make me care about their shit and I don’t. And that pisses them off.”

“You’re… pretty defensive right now.” She laughed.

He laughed in disbelief. He was getting pretty riled up about all this. “I want them off my back! I don’t understand why they need the C-ranker to be on board with their war games.”

Hana smiled disarmingly. “I for one… appreciate your honesty. You’re not so bad. I can’t be the only one who feels that you’re not so bad either. I think I’m here because they want to keep you around.”

Nathan raised his eyebrows. “Tch… Yeah good luck to them.”

Hana pushed off the bench. “Alright. I’ll ask them to pair me with someone else or… do something else about it. Nice talkin’ to you.”

“Hey, don’t forget. Food’s gonna be here in 40 minutes.” He shouted after her.

“Alrighty!”

#Dragon Raja

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ifmywishescametrue · 3 years

Text

numbers are hard

also on ao3

Steve has been acting strange all day, and for the life of him Tony can’t figure out why. It starts with sex when they first wake up, which isn’t all that weird. More tender than usual, slower and sweeter than most days, but nothing that makes him question anything right away. The only slightly abnormal part is that Steve skips his run entirely for it, but it’s happened before.

Breakfast is the first real sign that something is up, when Steve breaks out all of the stops to produce french toast dusted with powdered sugar and topped with sliced strawberries. It’s quite the step up from his everyday toast and eggs, and his grin when Tony compliments his cooking is brighter than the morning sun coming in through the wall of windows.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” Tony says, dragging a piece of french toast through a puddle of maple syrup.

Steve leans over, and the kiss he plants on Tony’s cheek is slightly sticky. “You deserve something nice today.”

Tony chews his bite slowly, processing that. Nice today, implying that today is different than other days. He checks the date on his phone as inconspicuously as possible.

There’s nothing significant that strikes him about May 10th. He has a couple weeks to go until his birthday, five more days until the anniversary of their first kiss. Another eight until the anniversary of their first real date. May 10th couldn’t be less special if it tried, really.

For now Tony shrugs it off, chalks it up to just another Steve thing. Like the way he wears socks to bed, but only in December, and drinks a different flavor of tea for every day of the week.

But then it continues throughout the morning. Steve asks him to go for a walk with him in Central Park, and he seems more affectionate than usual when they’re in public. With the Captain America mantle hanging heavy on his shoulders, Steve has typically always been more reserved around others. Their relationship has never been a secret, but Tony knows for a fact that there is exactly one paparazzi photo of them kissing in existence. There are quite a few more with hand holding, maybe the occasional shot of Steve’s arm slung around his shoulder, but never more than that.

Today, Steve kisses him on the pedestrian bridge as they lean against the railing, then again when Tony gets ice cream on his lips from the cones they buy from a street vendor.

“You’re in a very good mood today,” Tony observes on their walk back to the tower.

Steve smiles, “Why shouldn’t I be? It’s a good day.”

Tony nods in agreement, though he still isn’t sure what separates today from all the rest.

At some point it stops being strange and starts giving him anxiety. Weird turns into terror-inducing, because he has to be missing something, right? Boyfriends don’t just wake up one day and decide to be extra caring for no reason at all.

He thinks about asking, but what if he really has missed something important? He can picture the look on Steve’s face when he realizes that Tony has forgotten something that clearly matters to him. The way his eyes will widen slightly, brows turning down and shoulders slumping. Then his face will close off again, turning perfectly neutral to hide the hurt and disappointment. He’ll say it’s not a big deal, but Tony will know he’s lying.

So he stays quiet through the afternoon while he works in the lab on team upgrades and Steve sits on the couch and sketches. It’s easily the most normal part of the entire day, and Tony basks in the quiet comfort of just co-existing with the person he loves.

Steve goes upstairs after a few hours, kissing Tony’s cheek and patting the bots’ metal arms as he goes. He tells Tony to be on time for dinner, and his voice is more pointed than usual, which is why Tony heads up early to be able to shower off the grease from his hands and arms.

There’s a candle burning on the table when he walks into the dining room post-shower and a vase of flowers sitting a safe distance away from the flame. Tony freezes at the sight, but hopefully Steve doesn’t notice as he comes into the room with two plates.

He smiles softly as he sets them down and pulls out Tony’s chair for him. Tony reaches for the glass of red wine the second he sits down. He’ll need it for the night ahead of him.

The dish in front of him is some type of pasta in a creamy red sauce, and after the first bite he asks, “Did you make this pasta yourself?”

Steve nods, and even in the dim lighting Tony can see the way his ears have gone pink. “I had to practice a couple of times to get it right. Luckily Clint volunteered to taste test.”

Now Tony is downright desperate to know what he’s missing, but still unwilling to ask. So he hopes he can be vague enough in his conversation to get Steve to say it.

“I don’t know how I deserve all that work, but thank you.”

Steve’s response, while sweet enough to melt Tony’s heart, doesn’t help. “You’ve done a lot for me. It’s really the least I could do for you.”

He keeps failing all throughout dinner. Every time he vaguely talks about the significance of the day, Steve answers with something that would probably make sense if Tony was on the same page as him.

It’s in the kitchen after dinner that he finally breaks.

“I can do these,” Tony says, gesturing to the sink full of dishes. “Seeing as you cooked and all.”

Steve wraps his arms around him from behind, breath ghosting over Tony’s neck as he ducks down to kiss him there.

“Or,” Steve murmurs, “we could just leave them there for tomorrow.”

“What?” Tony asks. He twists around in Steve’s hold and presses his palm to Steve’s forehead. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to get sick anymore, but you’re clearly delirious.”

Steve laughs, “I’m not delirious, and I’m not sick either. I just want to make the most of our anniversary.”

Tony’s mind goes blank. That was the one thing he was sure he could eliminate from possibilities. He frowns, “It’s not our anniversary. Our anniversary is next week. May 15th.”

Steve’s face crinkles. “No, it’s today. May 10th.”

“On May 15th, you came down to my lab after that mission in New Jersey, and you yelled at me a whole bunch about being reckless - which you were wrong about, by the way - and then you kissed me and I asked you out.”

Steve looks at him like he’s grown a second head, and his arms drop from around Tony’s waist. “On May 10th, we came home from a mission, I rightfully told you that you were being reckless, I kissed you because you told me to make you shut up, and then I told you that I was in love with you. Nothing happened on May 15th.”

“No, no, I know it was May 15th because I thought it was ironic that we got together on the two year anniversary of when you called me an asshole for the first time, and I know what day that was because I marked it on your calendar as a joke, and then you called me an asshole for the second time.”

“It’s May 10th because we had our first date on May 13th. We went to that theater, because they were showing Friday the Thirteenth, and you said that I had to see it because everyone else has.”

“JARVIS, please tell Steve that he’s wrong.”

Steve scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest, “You’re about to be really upset when your own creation betrays you by telling you I’m right.”

JARVIS cuts off Tony’s snarky reply before it can finish forming. “According to my data, the event that you both have described occurred on May 7th of last year.”

Tony and Steve exchange a look, and it’s painfully silent until JARVIS speaks again, “I can provide the recording of this event if you would like.”

Tony waves his hand through the air to dismiss the suggestion. “No, that’s okay, J. We believe you.”

Steve rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, and his face turns pink. “So I guess we missed our anniversary.”

Tony dissolves into laughter, and Steve stays serious for all of three seconds before he’s joining in. He hooks his arms around Steve’s neck, getting on his tiptoes as he pulls Steve down to meet him in the middle. Steve’s hands cover his hips completely, warm on his skin even through his t-shirt.

“Happy one year and three days?” Tony offers.

It’s one year and two days longer than he ever thought they would make it. He expected Steve to change his mind after the first day, when Tony was such a nervous wreck that Steve had to be wondering how he ever got his reputation for a playboy in the first place. And when that didn’t happen, he expected Steve to grow tired of him. To come to the same realization that every other significant other has reached throughout the years - that he isn’t worth the effort.

But here they are 368 days later, and Steve still wants him. He would call it a miracle if he believed in that kind of thing, but the reality is that against all odds, they just work together. There’s no one else he would rather be with, and he knows that Steve feels the same.

Steve smiles, “Happy one year and three days.”

#stevetony #my fic #my writing #mcu #superhusbands

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creative-frequency · 4 years

Text

Inquisitor!Cal Kestis x Reader: Overtime

Word count: 2917 Pairing: Inquisitor!Cal Kestis x Reader Notes: Looks like this is turning into a series and I’m okay with that.

Previous Part

My Writing Masterlist

“There is a package for you.”

The post droid offers the small box forward and your brows scrunch together in thought. “What package?”

“Spare parts designated as ‘2-5-7-K’.”

That kriffing–

It’s the new AC control panel and the connectors that needed changing because the old ones were so worn that the door could break any moment. Your face flushes hot just thinking back to the last time you were near that door. Inquisitor Cal hasn’t been bothering you since – not while awake at least. It’s amazing how gentle scenarios your mind can dream up about someone who freaks you out.

Because you’re a coward, you send a droid to find the Inquisitor and ask him when would be alright to invade his privacy in order to fix the door and the air conditioning. From the bottom of your trembling heart you wish he will be off-planet on a mission during the repairs.

The droid comes back with a breathlessly recorded message. It probably found the Inquisitor in his usual prancing grounds at the dojo.

“Tomorrow morning [sounds of a lightsaber hitting something metallic] should be okay.”

You don’t know if it’s good or extremely bad that you won’t have more time to mentally prepare yourself to enter his quarters. And he didn’t say anything about his own whereabouts, so you’ll just need to assume the worst. Great.

Cal is surprised to hear from you even if it isn’t directly but through a droid. It messes up his rhythm and he breaks the training droid in an attempt at doing two different things at the same time.

Even if you haven’t seen him in the past few days, he has been watching you. It’s painfully evident that you’re not the most aware of your surroundings when working. The uneasy feeling that sometimes overcomes you in the middle of doing something utterly trivial, it’s all his influence: The intense stare tingling in the back of your neck. The sudden cool air current, almost like a breath on your cheek. All of it originates from how his pulse quickens when he sees you.

Cal cannot explain it but it’s not all bothersome. It’s intriguing. He feels something completely new as his eyes trace the shape of your face, the edges of your body under the uniform and the movements of your fingers and steps. You always seem to mind your own business but still are well-respected and over encumbered with work around the Fortress.

His mind tangles from thinking about how to start a conversation. He doesn’t have a reason; he just wants to try to have some kind of social contact with you. He has felt the need for companionship, just someone to talk to, ever since he was appointed an Inquisitor and it became obvious that his brothers and sisters would have nothing to say to him – a former Jedi, the rising star of the Rebellion. The past means nothing to him anymore but some people don’t let go so easily.

Cal doubles his training efforts to have the next day arrive faster.

For you, the morning arrives too soon.

You can barely sleep a wink. The dark liquid in your morning cup drains right into your soul, but the substitute for natural caffeine works like a faulty speeder engine. The jumpstart energy spike never comes and looks like it’s one of those days when you’re going to need to push the proverbial speeder.

Dragging your legs while a happily beeping droid carries the tools and spare parts beside you, you make your way towards the infamous 257K. Each step brings you closer to doom and demise.

Swallowing helps nothing as your heart beats in your throat and your whole body trembles. You hit your knuckles sharply against the metal door, silently praying to every pagan deity you can think of. Seconds feel like hours as you wait for a reply or the door to open, but nothing happens.

You knock again, possibly a bit more lightly, unable to believe your insane luck.

“Looks like no one’s home,” you say to the droid. Stupid relief spreads all the way to the tip of your toes. While humming to yourself, you use the maintenance key card to open the door to the residential quarters.

The rooms the Inquisitors and the Fortress key personnel get are so much larger and fancier than yours. While you have only one room plus bathroom, this one has at least three different rooms, fully furnished and including all sorts of appliances. But then again, you should consider yourself lucky to have your own room instead of sharing quarters like most of the maintenance level staff.

Looking around with interest and criticizing the familiar Imperial-style decorations in your mind, you fail to realize that you’re, in fact, not alone in the room.

The droid next to you beeps. The shape of a ginger bed hair waddles into your field of view – shirtless and yawning.

You’ve never been more certain about a moment becoming your last of existence.

“Relax. You don’t need to be afraid of me,” the Inquisitor says with mirth in his tone and his eyes skim your immobilized frame up and down. His voice his still hoarse from sleep.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, sir,” you peep in a tiny voice, barely forcing any sound outside your throat. There is absolutely no place on the man you can let your gaze befall, not the eyes, not the chest, definitely not on the lower body, so you scour the walls.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Cal assures. He feels something immensely satisfying at looking at you quiver in a mix of fear and respect, but it irks him when you refuse to meet his gaze.

You don’t believe any of his words but can’t help relaxing your shoulders.

“Thanks… I guess.”

Cal grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and settles to stare at you while emptying the drink. Seeing him shirtless doesn’t help to erase the filthy dreams from your memory. In truth, you’re genuinely sure they’ll start having some interesting plot twists from now on.

“So… I’ll switch the AC panel now,” you say aloud, pretending that the room is empty.

“Knock yourself out.”

You turn to eyeball the Inquisitor in bewilderment because of his choice of words.

“That’s what they say, right? It’s a figure of speech.” He sounds uncertain, but you nod slowly.

“Right, sir,” you say and decide to focus back on the job. The sooner it’s done, the sooner you’ll get out of this flytrap.

“You can drop the ‘sir’,” the Inquisitor says and hesitates for a bit. “It sounds weird.”

You try to wrestle your curiosity down but lose the battle. The Inquisitor earns your full attention with arms folded over your chest. Though his bare pecs instantly draw some of it, as well as the thin line of hair leading down into what you assume to be government-issued Inquisitorial pajama pants. They’re Imperial black and not at all complementing to his form. You bite your lip and feel the heat rise up your neck. So much for not staring.

“What should I call you then?” A bold question perhaps, but with each passing moment you feel less like he is going to run you through with a lightsaber.

He chuckles. “I’m Cal.”

You tap the name plate on your chest. “Well, this is me. I guess you would’ve already known that if you’d been interested in my ID last time.”

The mood in the room freezes. Cal looks at you with shock that quickly turns into a hint of a smirk. You wonder how fast he will catch you if you try to run. Learning to keep your big mouth shut in the presence of an Inquisitor would be a beneficial skill. It’s a wonder your career in the Empire is as long as it is.

You suck in a breath and stutter: “I-I didn’t mean–”

“You’re right.” He sits down on a stool by the kitchen nook’s counter and carefully places the almost empty water bottle on the surface.

“I’ll just start working now,” you say quietly and huff out the air in your lungs. Another dodged blaster bolt.

You try not to sneak glances at Cal while you work and he is hovering around in the kitchen and apparently making some breakfast for himself. The smell of real coffee soon fills the room and it’s so delicious that it almost brings tears to your eyes. It must be some really high quality stuff.

Cal miraculously lets you work in peace and the only sounds in the room are your short commands at the maintenance droid. You’re itching to turn and look at what the Inquisitor is doing, but resist the urge. Switching a thermostat unit and a control panel is not really a difficult or time-consuming task and you’re done in record time, eager to get out.

“Done already?” Cal asks as soon as you screw in the last piece.

“Yeah. I’ll take a look at the door next.” You wipe your brow even though the room is cool because of the broken AC. The unit starts immediately blowing warm air.

“Come here first. There’s enough for you too.” Cal taps the stool next to him and you feel the bottom of your stomach drop. You miss the slight shaking of his hand against the dark leather.

“Uh. I, um, can’t. I’m working. Sorry,” you mumble half of the words but the Inquisitor still stares at you with a persistent smile, looking almost like a normal person – a shirtless, strikingly attractive person with the ability to kill you with just his willpower.

He taps the stool again. “C’mon, I know you think it smells delicious. No one needs to know you’re taking an extra break. I’ve got your back, I swear.”

For some wicked, self-destructive reason, you find yourself trusting his words. Or possibly it’s the amazing scent of coffee that lures you slowly to plant your butt on the stool way too close to the half-naked Inquisitor and you don’t know what in the absurd situation makes you the most nervous.

“How do you know that? That I thought it smelled delicious?” you ask quietly as Cal reaches out to grab a cup, fills it and places it in front of you. The coffee is of the perfect mellow dark brown color and just inhaling the scent makes you quiver. “Thanks…”

Cal smiles as you dare a glance at him. “I just felt it.”

He really wants to add the loud flustered feeling you emitted the moment you realized he was in the room, but decides against it. Teasing you too much would be just cruel.

“I see,” you mumble.

“Try it.” Cal nods towards the cup.

You do as he orders and feel the flush of prickling warmth spread from your tongue to every inch of your body.

“It’s amazing.” You gawk at the cup. You’ve never tasted anything so good. The caffeine substitutes can’t even project a light to the real thing. You quite certainly would kill to be able to drink it every day.

“They call you the head of the droid army, right?” Cal asks casually just to make conversation.

You jolt at the comment. In any other situation it would’ve made you laugh.

He continues: “How long’ve you been here to earn a nickname like that?”

You take another sip of the coffee. Delicious. “A bit over two years. I was working on a Star Destroyer before but got transferred here.”

Cal hums in approval. “A promotion, then?”

“Yeah.” Working in a base is likely safer than being on a ship, so in that sense Cal is right. At the time it just didn’t feel like an upgrade to be dragged to a backwater planet like Nur.

You drink the coffee in an uncanny silence for a while and notice that Cal is doing nothing but leaning his elbows against the counter and looking at you. It’s disturbing and makes your already precocious pulse grow even faster. His cup is already empty.

“I’ve seen you train. It’s very impressive,” you say, unsure whether it’s an okay topic.

“Impressive, huh? Nice to know you think that way about me,” Cal teases and gets you flustered, again.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” you reply dejected. Your heart is running a mile a minute and he probably notices it with his stupid senses.

Cal leans towards you with an intense look in his eyes. You lean as far back as you dare without falling off the stool. Your eyes are torn between his freckles, lips and pecs. It’s all making you giddy and nervous.

“W-what?” you manage to splutter out.

“You’re just so… I…” He can’t finish the sentence. Why is he so fixated on you? It makes no sense but he lacks the motive to fight it. Cal’s gaze falls from your eyes to your lips and you’ve seen that look before.

“Are you gonna kiss me?” you ask rather wryly, hoping the tone will mask your inner turmoil.

“Do you want me to?” Cal looks at you intently, hiding his astonishment.

You feel his shallow breaths on your skin as he gets closer and chills run up your spine. The whirlpool of emotions spins faster, making you feel dizzy and surreal. You’re scared and intrigued by the fiery look in his eyes.

“…If you want to.”

This is not actually happening.

“Yes or no?”

Cal takes your chin and you suck in a short breath.

“I’ve got somewhere to be soon, so you need to hurry up.” The words come out sassier than intended and you relish at seeing the smile that spreads to Cal’s face. His eyes flit downwards to your lips and he stops himself from hesitating any longer.

You let out the most obscene sound when his mouth pushes against your slightly open lips and you know it’s bad but you just don’t care. His fingers move up your jaw and touching your hair makes another wave of shivers course through you. You take his free hand and press it onto your waist, which leads to him pulling you up and the stool falls behind you. You hum at feeling the heat of his exposed skin against yours. The kiss deepens and your tongue peeks into his mouth. Cal pushes you against the counter and you’re finally trapped in his clutches.

You’re making out with the one of the most dangerous things in the Fortress, possibly in the whole Empire, and for some reason it’s the best thing that has happened to you on Nur.

“Why mmh–” you try to start when Cal breaks the kiss to draw in a heavy breath, but he doesn’t allow you to finish another word. His cheeks are equally flushed as yours, heart beating loudly in his ears but you both ignore the signs of nervousness and let the craving for being touched overflow.

Cal’s hands wander further down and cup your ass, pulling your hips flush to his. Even if the Imperial pajama pants don’t give much of a show, they certainly allow you to feel it. The want and flustering unease makes your cheeks burn. Cal realizes you can feel his arousal and your pace breaks when he shifts awkwardly.

You pull away from each other, panting and eyes wide. Cal wipes his mouth to the back of his hand and you’ve never seen anyone look so hot.

For a fleeting moment, the fiery, challenging look in his eyes persists and you’re burning to respond to it. Few short breaths dissipate the heavy mood enough to restore some sense into you.

“Wow, I–, that was… um,” your mouth opens and closes, some resemblance of words coming out in jarring patches.

Cal is definitely as equally flustered. The maintenance droid, whose existence you both had already happily forgotten, beeps to signal that it’s almost time for your next task. You’ll be late of schedule because of this.

“Uhh, I should… go.” You motion towards the general direction of the door but can’t take your eyes off the man before you. The man, who you just kissed. Who you don’t know at all. Who is an Imperial Inquisitor.

“Ah kriff, I forgot I’ve got somewhere to be too,” Cal huffs, glances at the chronometer on the wall and runs a hand through his hair. His chest heaves with each breath, trying to pace its rhythm.

You don’t know what to say. Just like that, Cal disappears into the other room and you stand baffled next to counter. Maybe trysts like this aren’t such a big deal to him. There is still some coffee in your cup and it would be a shame to waste it, so you down the liquid in hasty sips.

Before you’re done piling your things onto the droid, Cal emerges from what you assume to be his bedroom in full Inquisitor garb and the sight makes you feel a tingle that’s not altogether shaped by fear anymore.

“I hope you can fix the door before I get back.”

He winks.

The sound of his lightsaber blade erupting straight into the door control panel elicits a short scream out of you.

Before you can recover from the shock and start screaming at Cal, he is already gone with a grin and you’re facing some serious overtime at work.

Part 3

#cal kestis x reader #cal kestis #inquisitor cal kestis x reader #inquisitor cal kestis #jedi fallen order #swjfo #swjfo fanfiction #star wars #my writings

428 notes · View notes

sunmaylight · 3 years

Text

TGCF Book 3 Reaction pt.3 - Wind Master’s Self-Designated Quest & The Events that Happen After

I am back again with reactions & comments for when I read book 3.

This is honestly fun for me because I can look back at what I read and remember my first reaction to everything. I can also see how things connect to make up each arc by going back and reading them.

I really want to start book 4, but completing this first so I compose myself and not be a mess of emotions reading it. Cause, any book that is mainly about Xie Lian’s past is bound to be filled with angst and possible tears for the guy.

Ch 102: The Love for All Seasons Stew, the stew Xie Lian made and Shi Qingxuan is enthusiastically wanting to try some, shares with Ming Yi. Hua Cheng eats it like nothing and gives Xie Lian feedback

- Me: Ah, RIP Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi. It was nice knowing you two.

Start of the Venerable of Empty Words

Ch 103: The stew knocks out Ming Yi and sends Shi Qingxuan to tears. Then Shi Qingxuan hallucinates

- Me: You know, by this point Xie Lian should have his own warning label to prevent this from happening in the future. What if he made something for Jun Wu and kills him with his cooking? Actually, that sounds pretty funny. This just in: Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu defeated by a plate of questionable food made by his favorite Heavenly Official, Xie Lian.

103: Shi Qingxuan tells a horror story. Xie Lian feels a cold breeze and discovers it’s made by SQX.

- Ah, I think I’m understanding more that Heavenly Officials are really eccentric. Especially the upper court.

Xie Lian casually mentioning he has encountered a Venerable of Empty Words in the past and how that ghost left him after staying with the fallen god for almost a year.

- Me: *sobs* Xie Lian.

Wind Master talking about his past before ascension and then post ascension

- Me: Okay, but did you actually ascend?

Learns about Heavenly Calamities

- Me: Well, that will surely be relevant in the future.

105: Investigating for the Ghost. Learns that from a tampered list that Hua Cheng killed vengeful, malevolent tyrants

- Me: Hua Cheng, who else have you killed? How the fu-dge is it that you are more productive than Heavenly Officials in making sure nothing bad happens?

As the group was going to leave, Xie Lian remembers the kids (& Qi Rong).

Hua Cheng: I have already called a babysitter. Don’t worry about a thing Gege.

106: The group was teleported to the wrong place.

- Me: Well, aren’t things starting out just lovely.

Hua Cheng changed clothes and Xie Lian Noticed.

Hua Cheng & Xie Lian exchange verbal communication passwords. Hua Cheng’s password has Xie Lian blushing.

- Me: WHAT IS IT?

Xie Lian’s password: “Just recite the Ethics Sutra a thousand times.”

- Me: ...Is that a joke? Xie Lian, if they actually had to recite that, it’s like saying you don’t want people to talk to you.

Xie Lian’s password is revealed to be just that phrase. He set it up as a joke

- Me: goddamnit. I have been bamboozled.

Learning about the legend of the Potential Scholar He, who was mad smart but got a lot of people wanting to crush him out of jealousy. He died after getting his revenge against those who were gatekeeping him.

- Me: HI! WHERE IS THE SHRINE FOR THIS GUY. I NEED A SHRINE TO WORSHIP SCHOLAR HE AS WELL AS A CERTAIN DIANXIA AND HUA CHENGZU

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng now have to play Mafia in a four man group.

Ch 108: A game to sniff out the Word Ghost. The game reminds me of the Japanese Game, King’s Game.

- Me: Is there a Chinese equivalent to the King’s Game?

SQX -’king’- Xie Lian and Hua Cheng have to strip each other. Just one layer

- Me: If this was me to my crush, I would be weirded out to do this in front of my friends. Unless if I was drunk

SQX to Hua Cheng (from the book): “What’s the worse suffering in the world?”

Hua Cheng: “To watch with your own eyes your beloved be trampled and ridiculed, yet unable to do anything. That’s the worse suffering in the world.”

- Me: (ToT) Hua Cheng. I got to mark this down. Hua Cheng’s beloved and him need their happy ending.

Ming Yi to Xie Lian: “What’s the biggest regret of your life?”

Xie Lian: “My Second Ascension.”

- Me: !!! Xie Lian, what the F*CK happened during the shortest ascension recorded in Heaven?

Ch 109: Hua Cheng lends Xie Lian a ‘bit’ of spiritual power. Xie Lian does a palm thrust and blows off the roof of the temple.

- Xie Lian & Me: ...Hua Cheng, that’s a little bit?

Hua Cheng: Was that not enough? I can lend you more.

Ch 110: Hua Cheng puts on a mini fashion show to Xie Lian in the middle of something important.

Xie Lian: *focus is pulled away to stare at Hua Cheng*

- Me: Okay. Cute, but please focus. There is a time and place for everything. Now is not the time!

Water Master is suppose to prepare for the third Heavenly Calamity. SQX is kidnapped

- Me: What if this is the third calamity? Having to save SQX from the Venerable of Empty Words?

Xie Lian wants to do a soul-shifting spell, but Hua Cheng is stopping him.

- Me: Hm, does Hua Cheng know something? That is suspicious.

Ch 111: Venerable of Empty Words says: “Don’t worry, with your eyes wide open, you will watch the person coming to seek you die before you!”

- Me: *Thinks of Hua Cheng for Xie Lian* Shit, it got to Xie Lian. I really hope this doesn’t happen in the future. Cause, it’s not like Hua Cheng can die by conventional means since his ashes are ***** - Safe

Wind Master is revealed to be wearing a lot of treasures and gems on their person

- Me: Why is Wind Master wearing all of that?

Soul-Shifting spell ends, Xie Lian hears Hua Cheng’s voice

- Oh shit. I think Hua Cheng is mad.

SQX: “This is the Terrace of Cascading Wine. It’s where I ascended”

- Me: Wait, SQX is one of the Four Famous Tales? The odd one that is like Qi Rong that is about a guy who ascended for just pouring wine?

Learns that Xie Lian was actually sleeping when he ascended.

- Which ascension did that happen at?

SQX is in hysteria after Shi Wudu grabs him. SQX was acting suspicious before then SWD arrived.

- Me: Wow, what happened to SQX? D-did he actually fail his Heavenly Calamity and this is part of the punishment? Do Heavenly Officials get an advance notice that they have a Heavenly Calamity they have to face? Or is he behaving like this because of the removal of all of those artifacts and jewels?

-----

Ch 113: Hua Cheng sent a step-litter, a step-litter that is very extravagant, to Xie Lian. Hua Cheng is giving Xie Lian a fancy carriage ride towards somewhere.

- Me: Wow. What an obvious sign that Hua Cheng has deep feelings for Xie Lian

The whole Step-Litter Scene of Ghost calling Xie Lian Hua Cheng’s ‘lady’ while he was in the Step-Litter and everything after until they drop Xie Lian off at Puqi Shrine

- Me: THIS NEEDS TO BE ANIMATED

Xie Lian’s new banner: “Return Babes through Miraculous Hands”

- No words

Hua Cheng helping Xie Lian do a task of working in the field. There is an indescribable tension that has been created through Xie Lian’s dense brain

- Me: Man, you can slice the tension with a sword and they still wouldn’t realize anything.

Xie Lian has a mysterious donor who filled his donation box with gold bars. He decides to return them

- Me: Yes, good for you Xie Lian. You do you.

The Drama between the Wind and Water Masters

- Me: You know, there is someone on YouTube who animated this part. I can now only visualize that while reading through my notes.

Earth Master forged his shovel to be his spiritual device. Ming Yi, Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian travel through the tunnels dug by the Earth Master’s Shovel under Heaven

- Me: Wait, does this mean technically anything can be made into a spiritual device?

SQX can’t access his spiritual powers

- Me: shit. Did he actually fail a Heavenly Trial against Reverend of Empty Words?

The three are forced to dig and end up at Quan Yizhen’s palace with Pei Ming behind them

Pei Ming: QYZ, help me out and capture them

QYZ: *sees Xie Lian and remembers what he did for him during the Lantern Festival* - Grabs bed and throws it at Pei Ming- YEET!

Xie Lian tosses dice and the three end up at Puqi Shrine again. Xie Lian is greeted to the sight of a shirtless Hua Cheng finishing up some labour work with using E-Ming.

- Me: Is this going to be Xie Lian’s gay awakening? Will he finally acknowledge he has feelings for Hua Cheng?

Xie Lian immediately calms down and gets back into action

- Me: dang it!

The group, now with Hua Cheng, teleports to the Rain Master’s land. They exchange what they know and Xie Lian is drawing a very terrifying conclusion.

- Me: So, if there was a chart of the four famous tales compared to the four great calamities based on comparing their authenticity of tales

- Xie Lian Hua Cheng (They have to match somewhat)

- Princess who slit her throat White No-Face (Both have very little knowledge and seem very much bamf)

- General who broke his sword Black Water (Just vibes based on their names)

- Shi Qingxuan Qi Rong (Don’t really match the others, but are famous enough to get on the list)

Xie Lian connects the dots on Scholar He's name

- is that even possible?

Pei Ming arrives and then the group moves to Shi Wudu’s Heavenly Trial ground cause mortals are in danger. Their mission is to help the mortals and not get in the way of Water Master.

Hua Cheng changes into a fisherman outfit

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng share a tender moment with a steam bun. General Pei watches them

- Me: Oh? Pei Ming, what did you notice? Did you notice the potential ship between the two of them?

118: The ship somehow wandered into the Ship-Sinking Black Water’s territory.

- Me: Oh no. The drama.

--------

Alright, here seems good. The next part will be the Wind & Water Master Arc pt 2 (?). At least I think so since the Wind part was discovered and now it’s the Water part that’s next.

You know, I really wanted to comment on a bunch of other stuff. Especially the Hualian moments, but decided against it cause there are some things that should be read

#sunmay rambles #sunmay reads tgcf #sunmay reads tian guan cifu #sunmay reads heaven official's blessing #sunmay reads hob #tgcf #hob #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hob spoiler #tgcf spoiler #book 3 spoilers #halfway through the wind and water master arc

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hitsuackerman · 4 years

Text

Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt.14

a/n: thank you all so much for taking the time to read this fic <3 reading your comments always warm my heart so much and never fail to make my day :’) enjoy this chapter hohoho >:3

warnings: this cannot be read solo, crossover

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 15

Masterlist to my other fics: here :)

Overhaul’s waiting list: @jjk-biased @infinite-universe-love @dirtypride @blackymomo03 @azzie @purple-rabanito @meximorrita @awesomeee19

“ACKERDADDY! YASSS!”

“Isn’t it too early, even for you Gei?” Levi complained as he took a sip of his coffee. You had told him that Gei would be coming over for breakfast, what he did not expect was the echoing screech of his famous nickname from the flamboyant man. But if he were to be honest, Gei was a breath of fresh air.

“He’s right.” Compared to Levi, you still had not fixed yourself up. It looked as if he were the owner of the unit and you were some homeless person he took pity on. Bed hair still present, zero makeup, and Overhaul’s jacket still wrapping your torso. “It’s 7 in the morning Gei. Now make yourself useful and give us the take out.”

“How in the world did you date this cave woman, Levi?” Gei stuck his tongue out as he placed the food onto the table. His stomach did a cartwheel when he saw the signature smirk on the ever so handsome officer.

“I asked myself that question everyday.” He flinched when you threw a coaster at his face. Giving you a wink, he tossed the coaster to the table and sipped his coffee once more. Yet his peripheral vision was on the jacket. A pang of jealousy hit him knowing that was once where his jackets would rest.

Gei was quick to see the remorse in his face and turned the subject.

“So~ What’re you up to Ackerdaddy?” He placed the pancakes in front of Levi. “It’s rather sudden that you’d travel 4 hours just to be here.”

“Her boss is meddling with her cases. I have to accompany them to the HPSC later in the day.” He sliced the pancake and chewed on it. “Petty and troublesome.”

“You’re always welcome in my office~” He winked at the gorgeous man who simply shook his head with amusement. “What about you, baby girl? How’s you and Overhoe?”

“We won’t be partnering for the stake out. Nao will be taking my place instead.” You explained as you ate some bacon. “Chief is making me focus on the arson case. Though I don’t really see the need to since it’s basically straw pulling at this point. Oh well. Hopefully meeting up with Endeavor would help.”

“Good lords. Ya’ll are already dead beat this early in the morning.” Gei pouted and wiped non-existent sweat away. “My invitation still stands, boo-boos. I do need a new secretary though. If ya’ll can hand over a talented man, feel free to toss him in.”

The breakfast was seemingly quick and you were now ready for the day’s work. Picking a business attire, you checked yourself out in the mirror. Presentable enough for those assholes, that’s what you thought. Recalling the last time you saw them, it was when a certain popular hero dragged you in on a random case. The scenery of being parked outside a grocery store and waiting for a delivery was the most random your police life could ever get. Still, the hero made up for an excellent connection during desperate times.

Grabbing your phone, you scanned through the notifications and answered three calls while doing the final touches to your look. By the time you were about to exit your room, you took a step back and dialed a number.

“Good morning.”

“What is it?” Overhaul asked. His voice seemed to echo. You were almost certain that he was doing his villain duties. Though, it made you wonder why he still chose to answer. Maybe he wasn’t in the middle of it.

“Just wanted to annoy you with sunshine. That’s all.” Hearing him sigh meant victory. “Bathe in flowers and joy, Chisaki.”

“When I said feel free to call, I meant regarding the case.” Chrono, who was holding the phone for him, rolled his eyes. Sometimes he loved wearing the mask for that sole purpose. Of course it was rare, though. He respected Kai with all his might. He just had his tendencies.

“That’s not the tone you gave me, though.” Hearing a knock on your door, you had to cut the call short. “Well, I gotta go. I do hope I disrupted your villainous activities.”

“Oh, you did.” That smoothness in your voice caused chills to run down your spine. That man could say random shit and make it sound enticing. “Till later, Problem Child.”

Ending the call, you were now in a much lighter mood. When you were now in the living room, Levi and Gei were ready to leave. Asking the doctor if he would like to be sent to work, he merely flicked his imaginary long hair and said that he had his chauffeur waiting for him downstairs. That was his code for he brought along his car.

Now that Levi and you were on your way to the HPSC building, the both of you were reviewing the elements of the case. Asking each other questions that they might ask. As he drove, you were flipping pages after pages that ultimately lead to being unsolved. With the last straw being Endeavor, Levi stated how the people in the commission would surely give you dirty looks.

“I could honestly care less about them.” You waved him off as he now parked the car. “My ultimate concern is the chief. Do me a favor and stay in the middle?”

“You didn’t have to ask.”

As if on cue, the chief was waiting by the entrance. He had been wearing his uniform which only meant he was fresh from a raid. When Levi took command, his nose picked up the smell of sun, sweat, and some kind of vegetable. Nothing has indeed changed.

All of you were now making your way towards the meeting room. Small talk being exchanged every few steps of the way. When the big glass doors were now opened, all three of you were met by the president herself. Stealing a quick glance, Levi reassured you with a nod and a small tap on the knuckle. Activating your quirk, you felt relaxed once more.

Taking your respective seats, you were quick to take the file out and give them a part of your attention.

“It has come to our attention that a certain case has been lax for quite some time now?” The president started, eyes scanning the reports.

“It has. Every lead had been fully searched yet nothing. The last one is admittedly a straw but it might open something.” You swallowed a bit of saliva. “I will be meeting with Endeavor in the next few days to briefly discuss his ties with the companies.”

“How long has this been under your wing?”

“About a year.” You weren’t sure but it was more or less that amount. Cursing yourself, it was rather embarrassing that your record was not 100% solved cases. It couldn’t be helped though, you would remind yourself that from time to time.

“Drop the case. We’ll take care of it.” The president commented. She closed the folder and handed it over to one of the secretaries. Being handed another file, you watched as they began to distribute copies of it. “However, you may still proceed with Endeavor. Update us regarding that.”

“Sure.”

“Chief Kaoru, have you relayed the information to these two officers?”

“Not yet.” He replied with a smug tone on his voice. Both Levi and you managed to pick it up. Straightening both your postures, anticipation went up. “I thought it would be best for you to break it to them.”

“Understood.” The president nodded to the guard. Following instructions, you watched as the doors opened. Two familiar heroes, along with 4 students, now entered the meeting room. “We have come to discuss a much important matter. However, the HPSC will simply oversee this one. Fatgum and Sir Nighteye will be in charge for the next mission to come. Treat this with utmost confidentiality.”

“(Y/N)~” Fatgum greeted you. He was as round as ever. But there was worry in his eyes. “Long time no see~”

“Indeed it has been, Taishi~” Something was wrong. Despite your quirk constantly steadying your blood pressure, your breathing was now uneven. You had no problem with Fatgum. It was Sir Nighteye you were unsure of. “What’s the mission?”

Giving the floor to Nighteye, all three of you observed as he took out an evidence bag from his pocket. Placing it on the table, Levi took it and held it up for both of you to see. Inside was a small silver bullet.

“That bullet right there,” Nighteye began. “Managed to erase this student’s quirk for a few hours.”

“Erase?” Levi repeated.

“Yes.” The student with dwarf-like ears answered. “I’m not sure when it wore off but I woke up this morning and my quirk was back to normal.”

“And where do you think these bullets came from?” The chief asked. He was now scanning the report and his eye caught sight of a familiar name. He couldn’t help it. A smirk now formed on his face. The tables have now turned to his favors. This was unexpected, they informed him about the outline but he was all too happy at the situation now.

“We think they came from the black market. One of our sidekicks mentioned that the Yakuza might have something to do with this.” Nighteye now opened his copy and flipped through some pages. His glasses reflected the small font on the paper. You knew about his quirk. If anything, you decided to avoid being touched by him. They probably had an idea that you were working with Overhaul and would exploit it.

Levi knew by now what was going on. From under the table, he reached for your hand. It had been clenched into a tight fist this whole time. Holding on to it, he caught a glimpse as to how your shoulders relaxed but your jaw tightened. Feeling your fingers wrapping around his, that was all the support he could lend you for now.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked the green haired boy. “You look like you want to take a shit.”

“Overhaul…” The green haired child began. From where you were sitting, there was fear and regret in his eyes. “Overhaul was last seen with his daughter. She managed to bump into us.”

Just how much did you not know about Overhaul? Nodding him to continue, you saw how his shoulders began to tremble.

“I heard that you 're working with him on a case right now.” He continued. “If there’s any way you can use that to our advantage, please. Please help us get Eri-chan back. Mirio-senpai and I couldn’t do anything but let her go back with that monster. I want to be a hero but I can’t even save a child.”

“Enough.” Levi cut him off. “Sure you wanna be a hero, I get it. But one doesn’t become a hero overnight, kid. The only advice I can give you now is to calm down and recollect yourself. Letting anger and regret take control won’t do shit for any of us.”

“Mr. Ackerman.” Nighteye intruded. “Would it be a burden to ask for your cooperation with this case? You and your quirk would be most helpful in the next coming weeks.”

“Can’t do, Sir Nighteye.” The chief answered on Levi’s behalf. “Ackerman was dragged on for the case now handed over to the big dogs. He’ll be staying here till his meeting with Endeavor is finished. It is to his discretion if he wishes to tag along on his remaining days.”

“First off,” He looked at the chief with his steel gray eyes. One that sent the hairs on his forearm to stand. “Do not answer on my behalf. I work independently as we agreed, shitface.”

Fatgum, Nighteye, and the students all felt their jaws drop. Though the police force did not stand out, it was impossible to not hear about the man in front of them. With a quirk suitable for a hero, it had always been a mystery as to why he chose to hide from the spotlight. Dozens of rumors surrounded Levi Ackerman, yet none of them were sure which were real or not. One thing was certain, the chief did not hold his respect.

“Second, while it’s true that I can only stay till my meeting with Endeavor is over, I can lend my assistance in this mission.” He paused and stared at Nighteye. “On conditions of course.”

“What might that be?”

“There’s only two.”

Nighteye gave him the sign to proceed.

“Do not meddle with my actions. I prefer to work alone when it comes to these.” Squeezing your hand, he made sure to let you feel that you were not alone and he would protect you with whatever power he has in this situation. “The other would be not to exploit her current standing with Overhaul.”

The heroes felt the room shrinking.

“The case she is working on contains classified information. While he may be a villain, there is an unspoken contract that she does not meddle with whatever business he has.”

“That’s right.” You finally spoke up. “While it’s true that he and I have been successfully teaming up for the current case I have, it was made into an agreement that I do not butt in with his affairs. I’m sorry, kid. The only thing I can share is that the Shie Hassaikai base is like a maze and that he may have been in contact with the League of Villains.”

“League… of Villains?” The green haired kid uttered. “Sh-Shigaraki made contact with Overhaul?”

“It seemed so.” You were now choosing your words. You had said too much.

“Are those your conditions?” Nighteye confirmed. There wasn’t that much weight to it and he wasn’t expecting a lot from the both of you either. When Levi confirmed, he stood up and adjourned the meeting. Saying that he still had to meet up with a few other heroes regarding the new found mission.

Now that it was only the three of you in the room, Levi let go of your hand and stood up as well. His senses could feel your disappointment, fear, and urgency. The man sitting beside him ultimately swelled with pride and silent victory at how the meeting had went.

“Let’s go, (L/N).” He said as he went his way towards the door. Opening it wide. He knew you needed a breather. There was a place in his mind that he knew would help sort out your thoughts. It couldn’t be blamed though, you had been dropped a massive bomb. When you passed by him, he slammed the door and grabbed your wrist.

“Levi?!” You squeaked as he ran all the way back to the car. Telling you to get in, you followed and now found yourself buckled up and back on the road. The ride was silent but from the direction he was going and the lane he was in, you knew where he was going.

Your thoughts were cut when you saw his palm asking for yours. Accepting his offer, you desperately held on to it.

“You can cry.” He said as he took the familiar turn towards the destination. “Go ahead.”

Leaning closer towards him, you released your quirk and immediately felt all the tension catching up to your system. Hiding your face in his chest, he gently wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you let the tears fall down your face.

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two words: brace yourselves

#overhaul x reader #overhaul #bnha overhaul #mha overhaul #chisaki kai x reader #bnha chisaki kai #mha chisaki kai #chisaki kai #bnha chisaki

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de-profundis-ad-astra · 3 years

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Word Count || 2.5k Author’s Note || This is part two of what I posted yesterday. You don’t need to have read the first part for this to make sense, but I would recommend it. You can find it here. So, yesterday you met Kerri, today you get to meet Charlotte!

Charlotte Moore was most easily identified by the click clack of her heels on the gleaming tile floors and the way the temperature seemed to flux around her. Her thick, curling red hair—hanging down her back and spilling over her shoulders—practically bounced with a life of its own as she flounced up the stairs and through the halls of Legion’s Los Angeles corporate location. She would have used the elevator, but the prospect of a new job had her positively bursting with energy. The stairs provided an outlet, just enough to take the edge off. Even then, those she passed along her way made sure to vacate more than enough space for her. A privilege that came with her title, she knew.

For someone trained to be silent when entering new or unpredictable situations, Charlotte was capable of making a hell of an entrance. Though unpredictable, she aimed for it every time she met with her… handler.

She reached her destination, wrapped her long, freshly manicured fingers around the knob, and pushed the door open without knock or warning. Most people felt that walking from a well-lit atmosphere into a dark room was disconcerting. Charlotte thrived on such excitement.

Director Cecil Soren tried, and failed, to conceal his jolt of surprise as his office door flung open and crashed into the wall. He knew he’d failed the moment he heard a hint of low laughter join the fading echo of the door and the thud of his knee hitting the underside of his desk. The laughter subsided as Charlotte dropped her body into one of the seats directly across from him.

“You can’t be surprised to see me,” said Charlotte, grinning at the fatigue in her handler’s eyes as he hunched forward to grip his throbbing knee. It seemed her mere presence already wearied him. “I’m always on time.”

Director Soren looked at the clock above his door, his mouth forming a tight line. Eight o’clock sharp. As always. He straightened. “Your punctuality is merely a standard you’re expected to uphold, and is one of the few you actually care to meet.”

Charlotte sniffed, disappointed that he didn’t rise to meet her banter. They were always so good at it. She moved along, not without making a mental note of this, “So, if we aren’t going to play.” She crossed her arms. “What do you have for me?”

Director Soren reached into a drawer, removed a slim file, and placed it on his desk with a certain amount of delicacy. Placing one hand flat over the cover, he slid it towards Charlotte. “The panel has decided to grant you one more chance to prove your worth as a Named Agent of Legion.”

Charlotte nodded with recognition. Over a week had passed since what they considered the unmitigated disaster that had been her last meeting with her disciplinary panel. To Charlotte, it had been just another Tuesday.

What was meant to be a review of her most recent discipline case had devolved into what he could only describe was an amalgam of arguing and backtalk until Charlotte was ordered out of the building and given strict instructions to remain on call.

This was the first she’d heard from Soren since then. Hence the excitement.

Charlotte tilted her head, her eyes locking on the folder like a piece of meat. Her fiery curls fell over one shoulder with the motion. “Can’t say I’m hard pressed to disagree with the decision. What’s the job?”

“Getting you this opportunity was a hard fought victory,” said Soren, deflecting. “I do not suggest you take it lightly.”

“Whatever gave you that impression?” asked Charlotte, her eyes rounding and mouth falling open partway. The portrait of innocence.

Her whole career, actually, might have lead one to believe this. But Charlotte never passed up an opportunity to gibe at her handler.

Director Soren easily saw through the ruse. “Anyone reviewing your service record wouldn’t need to make it far to know your history of insolence.”

Air hissed from Charlotte’s nose as she exhaled, the soft features of her face hardening into hard planes and angles. “Fine,” She huffed, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering to conceal the way she rolled her eyes before her focus narrowed back to the file. Without asking, she reached for it.

Soren yanked the folder back before she could touch it. She leaned back with a puff. “You swore an oath to support and defend this corporation. To bear allegiance to it and no others. Do you still swear it?”

Charlotte’s heart soared at those words, wings fluttering against her ribs. Excitement rose in her throat, and she tamed the face-splitting grin that threatened to break across her face to a mild conspirator’s smile. “I do.”

“You swore to serve as a living example of this corporation’s philosophies and beliefs and to uphold these values at all times. You took this obligation freely and of your own accord. Do you still swear it?”

Charlotte allowed some of her control to slip, and her resulting smile reminded Director Soren more of a predator baring its teeth than an expression of happiness. “I do.”

“Do you swear to give yourself wholly to this assignment and complete the request of its commissioner?”

“I do.”

“Thank you,” Director Soren withdrew his hand, and Charlotte greedily snatched the file off his desk. She flipped it open, immediately faced with the small headshot of a stern-looking blonde clipped to the inside of the cover.

Charlotte snorted, “Hell of a mugshot. What do we want from her.”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Charlotte repeated, incredulous. “Then why—”

It dawned on her, then, and she trailed off. Her handler’s expression gave her everything she needed.

“Oh, Cecil,” Charlotte breathed, placing a hand over her heart. “You shouldn’t have.”

Soren ignored the flattery and the way she casually flung around his first name instead of addressing him by his title. “Agent Gatsby, you’ve been commissioned an assassination.”

Charlotte gave a low whistle as she skimmed over the few pages the file had to offer. “Haven’t had me one of those in… oh, what’s in been? A year? Year and a half?”

“One year, three months, and eleven days.”

Charlotte cocked an eyebrow. “You kept track?”

“It was the biggest mess I’ve ever seen a Named Agent make.”

Charlotte recalled that memory fondly. Another assignment that had put her under scrutiny from Legion’s board of directors. Perhaps even Alpha, herself. It was hard to tell, though. Alpha rarely deigned to show her face to anyone outside her cabinet.

She hummed, handling the file with tender delight, the way she supposed people may feel when holding a newborn baby. “And yet…”

“And yet, indeed.” Soren pinched at the bridge of his nose. “I advised that this kind of mission was inappropriate for your circumstances, but they did not heed my council.”

“Why would anyone ignore you? You have such a commanding presence.” She gave him a once over that seemed all too invasive. There was nothing promiscuous behind the action, but that was of little comfort to Director Soren. It was too reminiscent of a predator assessing a threat. “It’s your broad shoulders. They really work for you.”

Soren ignored the jab; Charlotte’s smile turned into a wink.

“So,” he emphasized, taking back control. “This is a very important mission, and you should treat it as such. This is your opportunity to prove to the board that you are more of an asset than a liability. Success without infraction will put you on the road back into their good graces.”

“And all it’s going to take is a ticket to Texas and one body?” There was far too much glee in Charlotte’s words.

Soren folded his hands and rested his fingers over his mouth. “It’s less about the task itself and more about your performance. Remember what you need to prove to the board.”

“Surely you don’t think I’m taking this seriously?” said Charlotte, feigning incredulity. She tugged the small, index-card sized sheet of cardstock free of its paperclip and inspected it closely.

“I’m ordering it, in fact,” he forged forward. “Your target is dangerous, and you would be wise to proceed with extreme caution.”

Charlotte kicked her feet up onto the edge of Soren’s desk, leaning heavily against the armrest of her chair. “That’s what all the girls say behind your back,” she said without looking away from the photo.

“And if you have any self-preservation instincts,” his voice grew strained. “You’ll listen to me. Please—”

“You say that so imploringly. It gives me goosebumps.”

“Please,” Soren did, indeed implore her. “Be discreet. Do not make another spectacle of yourself.”

“But I’m such a lovely spectacle,” Charlotte pouted.

Director Soren barely had the energy to glare. “There is a lot hanging in the balance, Agent Gatsby. This kind of behavior is not what will tip the scales in your favor.”

“Believe me, if you didn’t make it so fun, I wouldn’t bother,” said Charlotte. “But that’s neither here nor there. I just want to know what Blondie here did to make herself such a prize shot.”

Sure enough, Charlotte’s initial skim of her file had given her absolutely nothing to suggest that her newest target was an overt menace to society. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t above killing another for small reasons. However, she was plagued by an incessant curiosity that yearned to at least know why.

“To borrow a phrase: that’s neither here nor there.”

“Oh, Cecil, you make me laugh.”

She wasn’t laughing.

“I should not have to remind you to remember your place, Agent Gatsby,” said Director Soren. “Everything you need to know to do your job is in that folder.”

Charlotte looked down at the pathetic excuse of a folder. Such a meager amount of information certainly was not typical for her. “You’ve given me enough high-profile jobs to know my resume is stacked with Legion’s trust. When you look me up in the database, it says Intelligence Specialist. Which is code for ‘really really likes secrets’. So—” she flicked the photo around between her fingers and shoved the image of the austere woman into Director Soren’s face. “I’d like to know who this Kerri Stevens is.”

Director Soren’s mouth formed a tight, impenetrable line.

“Classified.”

Charlotte frowned, leaned back, then schooled her features into a neutral mask. She looked pensive, considerate, even, as she secured the photograph into place with its paperclip. She lowered her feet to the floor, but when she looked up, her dark green eyes were positively aflame. Delicately, she flipped the folder shut and placed it down on the desk.

“I wonder what would happen,” she said slowly, carefully, as she slid the file towards Soren. “If I were to… rescind the mission.”

Director Soren stared at Charlotte, yielding no reaction other than a subtle tilt of his chin downwards as he swallowed. She sat back and mirrored her handler’s stare, patiently awaiting an answer. She could be a very patient person.

“I see I’ve made you speechless,” she commented at last.

“You think you can rescind an assassination that came straight from Alpha’s desk?”

Charlotte shrugged, an air of indifference about her that brought Director Soren’s blood to near boiling temperatures. “Depends. How badly do they want me to stay?”

“It’s your status being evaluated, no one else’s,” Soren shot back. “How badly do you want to stay?”

Charlotte clucked her tongue and sighed, “Well, where’s the fun in saying no to such a mysterious target?”

Soren fumed, “Fun?” He glared at the redhead casually slumped in the chair across from him. “This is all just for fun, then. The tests, the trials. All of it… fun?”

“Is working for a max-security espionage operation with blurred ethical and moral boundaries not you idea of a good time?”

“No.”

“That’s probably why you’re not a field agent, then.”

Her handler’s fingers began twitching over the metal surface of his desk. “Perhaps I should tell the board you’re not interested in taking the assignment.” He pulled the folder towards his side of the desk. “We can see how keen they are on providing you with another opportunity once they’ve learned of your apathy.”

“Ah,” Charlotte held a finger up, looking all to pleased by his chosen response. “But you just said they wouldn’t take your council when they chose this for me. They clearly want me to stick around. Maybe it’s time you jumped on the bandwagon.”

Director Soren’s hands slammed down onto his desk so hard his palms stung. It did get Charlotte to shut up, which he reaped a moment of satisfaction from. He fixed his most wrathful glare on his agent who, infuriatingly, remained unperturbed. When he leaned over his desk, her gaze turned questioning.

“Might I remind you, Agent Gatsby, that bearing a Name does not make you untouchable.”

Exhaling deeply, Charlotte leaned forward and braced her elbows on her knees. She gave Soren a wolfish smirk.

“Cecil,” she breathed. “If you want to touch me, All you gotta do is a—”

Director Soren’s hand snapped forward, wrapping her around her throat before she could finish her statement and clenched. Not hard enough to see stares, but just enough to—hopefully—remind her who was superior.

Charlotte gasped, choking on her words, but did not appear alarmed as she casually wrapped a slender hand around his. If anything, she looked more annoyed than fearful. Her manicured nails dug into the bone protruding from his wrist. But, just as she showed no reaction, Director Soren gave nothing away as he pulled her forward until the corner of his desk dug into her stomach.

Charlotte hissed, her nails scratching over his skin, “Buy me dinner, first.”

Soren tucked the pain to a corner of his brain where he would not let it bother him. “Consider the ones who earned the Director’s desk—not a mere Name.” He managed to keep his voice low, despite his rage. “I’ve done more than my due diligence.”

As annoying as the gesture was, Charlotte couldn’t blame him for lashing out like this. Legion was a cut-throat corporation and, in all honesty, she was accustomed to being treated roughly. With her, violence or other physical displays of authority were often the only thing her superiors could do to get through to her. Or at least, it was a way for Charlotte to know that she’d pushed the right buttons.

“A desk,” she snorted, her fist jabbing out and catching Director Soren in the throat. An eye for an eye, a trachea for a trachea.

When his hand retracted, Charlotte calmly drew in a full breath, and scooped up Kerri Stevens’s file from her chair. In a stunning whirl of leather and red curls, she swept towards the back of the office and opened the door.

“You can keep your desk,” she said with pointed lethality.

And with that, the door slammed behind her, leaving Director Soren coughing and ruing the day he was assigned to be Agent Gatsby’s handler.

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mrslaufeyson002 · 3 years

Text

Rise Chapter 8 part 2

I was going with Steve as his date/girlfriend. The party was filled with a lot of people. Steve and Sam were playing pool as I stood by nearby watching. Sam was being cocky (like he always is) and I laugh along with Steve. Sam ended up winning. "If I had known it was gonna be a firefight, I would have called." Steve says talking about the mission from earlier. "No, no. I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough." Sam says and then points at me. "Was Taylor a part of this?" I shook my head no. "I was stuck on babysitting duty." I look over to Thor and Loki, then excused myself.

I join Thor and Loki by the bar. Loki glares at me, but I didn't react. Steve joins us and wraps his arm around my waist. Loki glares at Steve, but like me, he doesn't react. We were all drinking and talking (except Loki) when an old man walks up to us.

"I gotta have some of that" he says referring to the bottle in Thor's hand. "Oh, no, no, no." Thor says replies, almost like he is telling a toddler no. "See this...This was aged for a thousand years in the barrels built from the wreck of Grunhel's fleet. It is not meant for mortal men or woman." I'm confused and about to ask a question, when another old man near by makes himself aware. "Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on." He says, clearly wanting whatever was in the bottle. Thor was hesitant at first, but pours the old man some. I pour myself some more champagne, but kept wondering what would happen to someone like me with a little drop from that bottle. I watched as the old guys reaction. He was really drunk and needed help walking out of here. That's what it does.

Steve and I saw Nat and Bruce at the bar. We walked over and heard a bit of the conversation. "So what do you think? Should I fight this? Or run with it?" Natasha asks Bruce. "Run with it, right? Or did he...was he...What did he do that was so wrong to you?"

"Not a thing. But never say never." She walks away and we walk closer to Bruce. "It's nice." Steve says to Bruce. "What is?" Bruce stumbles on the word 'what'. "You and Natasha, of course." I smirk slightly. "I ship Brutasha."

"No, we haven't...That wasn't..." I laugh a little. "It's okay, Bruce." Steve adds in, "Nobody's breaking any bylaws. It's just she's not the most open person in the world. But with you she seems very relaxed."

"No, Natasha, she's just...She likes to flirt." I walk up closer to Bruce. "I've seen her flirt, up close. This ain't that." Bruce scoffs and Steve walks up to stand next to me. "Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long, don't." Steve holds my hand and we walk off to say bye to the guests and thank them for coming.

We gathered around as a group, eating Shwarma, talking, and laughing with each other (except for Loki, again). Loki kept glaring at Steve. "But it's a trick." Clint doesn't believe the whole 'being worthy' thing. "No, no, it's much more than that." Clint continues with a mocking voice. "Ah, whosoever be worthy shall haveth the power." Thor laughs, but in a serious tone, Clint continues, "Whatever, man! It's a trick." Thor holds his hand out to the hammer in a 'go ahead' way and says, "Be my guest."

"Come on. Really? Clint asks in a 'are you serious' tone. "Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if can't lift it up." Tony teases Clint and everyone laughs. Clint grabs the handle of Mjolnir and grunts as he can't lift it. "I still don't know how you do it."

"Smell the silent judgement?" Stark teases Barton again. "Please, Stark, by all means." Clint challenges Tony.

Tony clears his throat as he gets up off the couch. "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." He walks over to the hammer and tries to and fails like Clint. "I'll be right back." He comes back with a piece of his armor. He still can't, even with both hands. Rhodey even tries to help him out, but they can't lift it.

Bruce stands up to try. He stands on the table and grips the hammer with both hands. He tries and tries, but fails as well.

Steve gets up to try. Loki rolls his eyes at him. Steve doesn't even grunt and the hammer moves a tiny bit. Thor looked upset for a second, but Steve being the nice guy he is, pretends he can't pick it up.

Bruce looks at Nat and I. "Do you girls want to try?"

"Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered."

"I agree with Nat."

I'm talking and laughing with Bruce and Nat, when I heard Maria Hill say, "Steve, he said a bad Language word." I couldn't stop laughing and Steve just looks at Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?"

"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code." Tony suggests and Thor stands up. "Yes, it's a very interesting theory. I have a simpler one." He picks up Mjolnir and flips it in the air. "You're all not worthy." Everyone groans and laughs at Thor's statement.

There was a sudden high-pitched noise and it made everyone flinch or tense up. A weird voice speaks up and the elevator closes. "Worthy." A broken robot is awake and moving around (one of Tony's). He also had wires tangled around him. Everyone looked to see what was happening. "No. How could you be worthy? You're all killers." It points to all of us. "Stark?" I ask my voice trembling a little. "Jarvis." Tony says trying to get the A.I. butler online and awake. "I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a dream." The robot continued. "Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit." Tony says tapping a hologram like pad. "There was this noise. And I was tangled in...In...Strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asks the malfunctioning robot. "Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices." Thor asks him a question. "Who are you?"

"I see a suit of armor flying around the world." It plays a recording of Tony's voice. "Ultron."

"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

"What mission?" I ask trying not to stumble on my words. "Peace in our time." An army of robots burst through the wall and I tensed up. I was waiting for one of them to hit me, but nothing hit me. I looked down at my hand and I couldn't see anything. Was I invisible? I couldn't tell, but I stayed where I was, too afraid to move. A robot almost flew into me, but before it could, Loki must have scene or sensed me, because he picked me up and threw himself (and me) over the bar. I landed on top of him and I blushed. "Thank you...for saving me." He chuckles. "You're welcome, Taylor." I peek my head up over the bar and saw Steve destroy the last robot with his shield.

"That was dramatic." Ultron says irritated. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve? With these? These puppets?" He crushes the robots head. "There's only one path to peace. The Avengers' extinction." Thor destroys Ultron with Mjolnir, or at least he thought he did, but instead I heard his voice say, "I had strings, but now I'm free." Then the lights in his robotic eyes went off. We all just headed into the lab to discuss what just happened.

New face claim character

Jesy Nelson as Dr. Dawn Palmer

#loki #loki laufeyson #oc character #mcu loki #avengers #fanfic #wattpad #marvel #ashley benson #jesy nelson

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