#and it's just. never good enough. THEY'RE never good enough. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

silken-moonlight · 3 days

Text

Older Alpha and Human waitress series / Part 3

A/N: Here you will find part two. And here the moodboard I am so happy to be back with part three. Thank you all so much for the feedback. I have been writing for a long time but could never really tell if my writing was good or if my characters were good. So hearing all your opinions really gave my writing confidence a big boost. Thank you so much! I don't know if you would be intrested in moodboards and playlist for my stories? I have seen some things like that, but wanted to check first if there is a demand for that. -Swan/Moon

Desmonds POV

His heart pounded so incredibly hard in his chest, he was afraid that ahe could hear it. They had similar intrests, they were joking around with each other. This was good, really good. Maybe for once fate would be on his side.

""I always retreat to my cabin in the woods," Desmond told her, wanting to keep the conversation going. He wanted to know more about her. However, the alpha tried to stay calm and especially: not creepy. It must be strange enough for her that a much older man was flirting with her. Though Desmond actually doubted that she was aware of his advances. Calling her beautiful multiple times made her only roll her eyes; calling her funny made her smile, but it did not reach her eyes. By now, he had gotten a handful of smiles from her, honest smiles. Also, it was difficult to get personal with her. She always talked so... inpersonal about herself.

""A cabin in the woods? Sounds like an absolute dream. But more like a little shed with a bed or an actual house type?" she asked and snickered, the corners of his mouth rose. She made him chuckle and laugh. When was the last time he had laughed heartily? He felt like he had become like his father, a cold asshole. No wonder his brother refused to talk to him. Had he become emotionless toward his pack too? Gods, life had drained him through the years... He craved something he had right before him. Desmond wanted to reach out, throw her over his shoulder, and take her to the said cabin. However, that was not how things worked. The alpha needed a slow and non-strange approach to all of this.

"More like an actual house in the woods. I must admit I have gotten attached to some luxuries like a toilet, an actual kitchen, and Wi-Fi," Desmond answered. He looked up at her. She grinned. "Okay, I absolutely understand that. I went camping once. It was the worst thing I ever did. The mosquitoes ate me alive." Desmond chuckled and drank in the view in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to talk on with her. Of course, he had thought about asking her out to eat. However, he didn't feel ready for that, afraid of rejection. Usually, he would laugh at himself. He, Desmond Lyall, Alpha of one of the best-situated packs in this part of the world, afraid of rejection?

His phone beeped, and he ignored it. "Do you have dogs?" she asked him. Desmond looked at her, surprised. "No, I sadly don't have the time for a dog," he lied. Technically, he was a dog...well, a wolf. "My family owns two corgis, Pumpkin and Spice. They're so lovely," she told him with a big, honest smile, clearly proud of her dogs. Desmond chuckled again, but before he could answer, his phone beeped again, and he excused himself to look at it.

Beta Isaac: How is it going with your mate?

Beta Isaac: So, she works at 'Sailor Boy.'

Alpha Desmond: How do you know that?

Beta Isaac: I'm the one overseeing the money that goes in and out of the pack fund. You can guess now three times how I know that.

Alpha Desmond: Remember your place. Isaac.

Beta Isaac: Somebody's getting blue-balled apparently. Never would have guessed you to be the patient type. Now tell me about her so I can tell Denny to look her up.

Alpha Desmond: No, I want to do this myself and alone.

Beta Isaac: Hey! We have a right to know things about her too, since she'll be your partner.

Alpha Desmond: Just give me some time.

Alpha Desmond: Any news about William?

Beta Isaac: Sadly no, but Denny keeps his eyes (and cameras) open.

Desmond sighed. Denny was their tech guy, a twenty-two-year-old who had recently joined their pack. He had a knack for everything technical and could even hack and control a microwave. Desmond liked the kid. He had a good heart and a weakness for bubble tea—and, of course, his boyfriend, Collin. Collin was Desmond's godson, a burly wolf who was a bit dim-witted but with a big heart. Denny and he were good for each other.

Desmond looked up from his phone when he smelled other wolves enter the resturant. Some young wolves in their late teens had entered. They sat a little farther away from Desmond, but nodde at him. Of course they sensed his presence and ackowledged him at it was usall.

Desmond watched his mate as she walked over to them and took their orders. The boy ordered some cocktails that were only found here. Flirting with his mate, he shot glares toward the boys. However, they clearly didn't get the message.

Throughout the course of their stay, they even dared to look at his mate's breasts, Which of them looked wonderful in that tight top, however, it was unacceptable. They also behaved like little rowdies, being loud and obnoxious in general. When his mate walked back into the kitchen, Desmond got up and walked over to the boys.

""Listen up, pups." He growled at them, his presence radiating the dominance of an older and more skilled predator. "If you continue to behave like this, especially towards the waitress." He dipped his head a little lower, his voice once again a growl. "We have a damn problem." They dipped their heads in submission, being quiet. Those boys knew when they should listen and this was such an occasion.

Desmond walked back to his table and sat down again. When his mate returned, the young wolves behaved better, keeping their gazes lowered and being quieter. Immediately his mate was friendlier with them, giving them her cute smile. Desmond would go mad; he was jealous and felt possessive. However, he absolutely knew it wouldn't bring him anywhere if he acted further on it.

Once again, he spent his whole evening there and went back to his hotel, his mind occupied by his little mate...

____

Fate meant well for him. The next day, he had some free time because the meeting was not happening. There had been an emergency in the pack of the other alphas, and they would wait upon his return.

Now, Desmond was a little at a loss about what to do. He dressed a little more casually today, just in some dark blue dress pants and the matching dress shirt. He decided that he would take a little stroll around the city. After all, he hadn't been there since his early youth.

So he walked familiar places; many things had changed. There had been a cinema at one corner in the inner city; now there was a phone store. Some things were the same, like the bookstore. It was still there. Desmond had bought some of his favorite books there; they stood in his cabin now. He reread them every so often, wanting to walk down memory lane and maybe get himself a new book, he walked in.

It smelled still the same: old and new books, brewed tea somewhere...And by the moon, his mate had must have been here—it smelled like she had just walked by. Unable to do anything else, he followed her scent through the few rows of books.

There she stood, not in work clothes. Desmond's inner wolf whined at the sight. He wanted out, he wanted to follow his nature: To care, to protect, to love, to claim. His mate looked beautiful. Just in some beige corduroy pants and a fitting shirt. It was open and under it she wore a tight top. He tried to concentrate on something else than her perfect breasts. So he quickly averted his gaze, trying to look at the books

"Our paths seem to cross constantly." She greeted him and walked up to him with a chuckle. "It seems that way." He answered and smiled at her; she was at least one and a half heads smaller than him. In her hands were some books.

"Honestly, I didn't think you would be the type to read." She said to him and looked up. Desmond answered, "Well, I used to get my books here when I was younger and on vacation." He told her, suddenly becoming aware of their age gap.

"I still get my books here." She answered with a chuckle. "And what are you getting?" He asked and tried to look at the covers. "Romance and fantasy books mostly. I love fantasy books; they help me escape from this dull world without magic." She joked. But Desmond could feel an underlying sadness in her voice.

"We all need a way to de-stress. Books are perfect for that." He answered her softly, thinking of a very different way he would like to de-stress right now.

"What do you usually read?" She asked now, definitely interested. "I read Lord of the Rings when I was younger. I also read a little Game of Thrones and other fantasy books." The alpha told her. Fantasy books were his guilty pleasure. His mate's eyes lit up. "I love Lord of the Rings!" She exclaimed, and he could see she wanted to talk more, but her phone rang. She answered it quickly. "Hey, Mom, is everything okay? Oh. Yeah, I am coming home. Don't touch him. I'll be there." She quickly ended the call. "Sorry, but I have to go," she said to him and quickly put the books she wanted to buy aside and almost ran out of the store. Desmond was greatly worried. The woman on the phone sounded like she was in distress. It also broke his heart that his mate quickly abandoned something she liked and wanted for...whatever was happening. So he took the books she had laid aside and walked to the counter. He bought them. The alpha might have overstepped in this phase of getting to know her, but he would give her the books this evening when she was at work.

181 notes · View notes

luxuourr · 1 day

Text

Why manifesting is your best friend + society is a bitch.

manifesting ?? my best friend ? hell no. i need to work so hard...

pookie it's not your work hard thing , your society you live in, we collectively live in , has told us fucked up shit we don't need to believe in, nothing of it is true. The only thing true is what's from the heart and it's the feeling , you didn't and god didn't and universe didn't send time upon us , we used our brains to create it ,

laws don't fail. laws are made laws because they're undeniable.

understand time is not linear , scientists found alphabets otherwise let's be honest , who would have known what's English is?? If Greeks and Egyptians didn't work on time. would we know today?

nuh uh! so I suggest you to remember, don't look at how much time or date you're at, don't look at how many hours until he (sp ) surprises ur enemy with date , how you fail

no time to think of this, think the best of every possible circumstance, I know and you should too, you're doing a great job

even if the last conversation with him ended in a divorce, breakup or failed situation ship, you can get it all back, even if life has not been kind to you and you could not keep up with the most important exam of your life AND you're a victim of domestic abuse or parental abuse. it's not too late, you're not doing anything right or wrong , just because you could not do more than you could because of circumstances, it'll not change your results , it'll not change you getting 100%, if you did everything positively and tried to slap your negative thoughts there's always hope. i say this as I have not prepared anything for the most important math exam of my life and it's 5 pm rn , I have 14 chapters and have the most biggest exam of my life tommorow at 1 pm, have severe depression and the most toxic and hurtful family you could ever imagine to have.

believe me, no one will care about you, until you make it happen.

do you know what your job is ?

- know what you want + assume you're that version, that super model , famous celeb, have that desired body s/o or whatever , fullfill yourself after that and BOOM you wake up in it, won't even take less than a 2-3 days if your belief is good enough, you're doing shit in a fun way to manifest everything you want

- failure doesn't exist , no you're not delusional for attempting nothing in exam and wanting 96% ,you're god remember. the others who have the exam aren't , if you assume you'll know everything without studying that's going to happen, it only depends on what you feed yourself with.

- gone is gone , it's like it'll never come back, if there is something attached , like up coming results from what happened, i suggest assume + accept and move on

- if you script, mediate, robotically affirm, visualize or do whatever, it is meant to happen

- do not worry, you're doing a good job, just try your best for certain things or assume , everything works in the best possible outcomes

- mountains and clouds , centuries and the equator will move for you to get your desires.

- no you're not cursed and shit, life's a rainbow sparkle colors it's all a roses of bed and not what society taught us, just assume and you'll wake up with it

- for example if you have important exams of your life , there's this girl in front of you doing so well in exams , u don't wanna cheat and there's no chances anyway but you realize, the best you're doing right now is trying your level best in the exam and if you have time or not , time doesn't matter it's just created by us, remember she's not better she has no idea about LOA It's , you it's me it's us. Why would she be better, she had to study 24/7 and then still assume about average grades and stress over what's wrong and right , instead you , who could visualize given it well, be the person who got 96% in these exams isn't it much more fun, less tiring and entertaining??

- you got to know manifesting for a reason, trust people who posted their success stories, trust yourself , be kind to yourself and don't let the old story walk over you, it was never there , failure never existed , you've always been the new story you created for yourself, understood.?

- beating yourself up is not going to reverse time again honey, it's gone , it's not coming back , like never so focus on yourself, your feelings , your intentions , your life. Try to know that manifesting is not about trying to get and doing methods to recieve , it's about KNOWING and feeling.

e. g Aliyah is a girl who's a manifestor she wants good grades, she has issues she cannot study because of and cause her to be burn out at home , so she decides , the night before finals.

she thinks " i will try my best and even if it's the point where it wasn't good enough, universe and manifesting has my back, the time that'll be taken by the institute to check my exams , I'll revise everything including all my wrong parts of exam and unfilled parts to fully filled correct answers because crying and whining won't do shit, but this feeling will change everything" , even her bsf in this case supported her and told her that she's manifesting for her and everything plays out in the best possible circumstances. You only assumed like that and made it happen

e. g there's another manifestor called Sara she is also giving the same exam as aliyah , but instead of working on her self concept , believing in herself

, she'd cry for hours everyday for three months so instead of reality giving her the 100% she's been hoping for , she fails she thinks 3D is everything( it's not ) , she doesn't believe in bloggers she's impulsive, thinks crying is the solution to everything , she spends 3 months crying and shitting about herself to achieve nothing in life

prior to this aliyah the master manifestor slays in everything she does, she accepts and moves on , every time bad thoughts get to her , she slaps them with " NO THIS IS MY WORLD IM AN ACCURATE PERFECT MANIFESTOR"

so who of them saved themselves despite abusive household and everything??? Sarah just spent all the time crying and whining.

you can either be her. ( Sarah) or HER (aliyah)

#law of assumption #affirmations #law of manifestation #manifestation #revision #subliminal #void #void state #void success #subliminals

197 notes · View notes

corvidcrossbow · 2 days

Text

~•♡•~ Double The Fangs, Double The Fun

➳ Summary: Daryl and Scud are regulars at the bar you work at, but they're only really there for you. One night while chatting, you injure yourself, so they help you home to heal up (Vamp!Daryl & Vamp!Scud x Fem!Reader)

➳ Era: idfk sometime, somewhere, no apocalypse (this is a crossover fic for smut lets be real)

➳ Word count: 5.5k (3k of it is smut)

➳ C/W: VAMPIRES ‼️‼️, minor wound, blood (duh), biting/vampire feeding, double penetration, hints of Scud's mommy kink

➳ A/N: I wrote doc title for this as “DTFx2” cuz of the lettering, not even realizing the “down-to-fuck” till later, plus it being 2 partners – I cooked on this title. BUT ANYWAY I AM FUELING THE VAMP!DARYL FIRE AND VAMP!SCUD TOO BECAUSE THIS IS A PLAGUE AND I AM ILL AND I WILL SPREAD IT

You stretched your arms up over your head, leaning forward against the counter in front of you. It was another slow weeknight, no customers present, hindered by the fact the bar was tucked away in some deader part of the city. It was pretty boring, but you got paid for kinda just diddleling around a lot of the time. You rhythmically tapped your fingertips against the surface, but straightened up when the door jingled open.

“Fuck, I was about to start praying you two would show up. ‘Ts borin' as shit in here,” You laughed as two familiar faces walked in from the night; Daryl and Scud. They were your regulars, stopping by most any time you were on shift. And you heard from coworkers sometimes they'd show up, see that you weren't there, and just leave.

You never found it creepy though, it wasn't like that. They were always very respectful towards you, kind of chivalrous, but not obnoxiously. They'd always buy a drink and tip heavy, or just straight up give you money – and would scare off the actually creepy drinkers: the one's that'd prey on a woman as if she was frail. You didn't require them, having pepper spray and a gun beneath the counter, but they gave you extra security. And we're good company.

Scud, who you knews real name was Josh – the more ‘loverboy’ one of the two – popped by most nights after work. He was really sweet, having grown a soft spot for him and letting him bend the rules; like allowing him to smoke a joint, or three, inside, so long as he shared them with you. He claimed he was a sort of engineer, which you found a little surprising given you'd never seen him without the skunky smell of weed wafting around his figure, but it's not like it mattered to you.

Daryl, on the other hand, was much more reserved, and you'd be lying if you said that didn't intrigue you. He appeared older, and more of a rarity, seeming to drift in and out of town: which made sense given that scratchy, deep southern accent he carried.

“Ain't gon’ pass up seein’ ya, moonshine,” Daryl grinned as he sauntered up to take a seat, Scud following right behind and taking the one opposite him. ‘Moonshine’ is what he always called you, given you were a bartender, and it was ironic because you never saw either of them till after sundown. “Shift slow?”

“Painfully,” You groaned and rolled your eyes. “Ion even know how we get enough profit to keep this place open. Not sure anyone in our staff remembers the last time we saw the owner in person. I swear this is some money laundering scheme.”

“‘Least your gettin’ paid, yeah? My boss don't even got me onna regular schedule,” Scud tisked, reaching into the pocket of his large, layered jacket and pulling out the container he kept his joints in. “Ya wanna J?”: To which you nodded and he passed you one. Daryl's observant gaze watched your every movement, as he typically did.

“Ya get yer nails done, darlin’?” He asked, squinting his pale blue eyes and setting his hand out as you lit the joint.

“Hm?” Your eyes flicked to him, understanding, and you set your palm in his hand so he could see. Pressed to your nail beds were coffin acrylics, painted a rich red, the gloss making them almost bloody. “Jus’ got ‘em done this morning. Figured if ‘m gonna be sittin’ here twiddling my thumbs half the time they might as well look good.”

“Looks perfect on ya.” Your gazes locked together for a moment, hypnotic in a way as his irises seemed to pulse, then suddenly shift down. He loomed closer and ran his thumb over your fingers, appreciating the gleaming texture that reflected in the dim light.

“Real pretty momma's,” Scud added as he took a long drag of his smoke, holding it for a moment before skillfully exhaling in a long plume that dissipated and began to fill the small space with a haze.

“Mm, thank you boys,” You turned a little, offering a bashful smile at their endless complimenting – they showered you with affectionate comments every time they came in. “Either of you want somethin’? It can be on the house, think the workers drink more than customers.”

“‘Ll take'ah whiskey – ‘nd m’payin’ ya anyway, angel,” Daryl replied, fishing for his wallet and passing you bills that more than doubled the price of a shot. Frankly you felt bad sometimes, like you were taking his money, but gave up a long time ago with trying to decline. He insisted.

As you went to grab the iconic bottle of Jack Daniel's off the shelf behind you, your elbow stuck out a bit too far and knocked over a large glass you'd been using for water, sending it to the floor where it shattered. “Ugh, never complain that you're bored at work. Fate'll always make ya clean.”

You quickly poured the auburn grog into a shot and slid it across the wood countertop to Daryl, dropping to your knees to pick up the larger shards.

“Fuck!” You seethed, accidentally slicing open the palm of your hand by sweeping it over the edge of a fragment in the other, your joint nearly falling from where you'd pinched it between your lips. Both men bounded from their stools to look over, simultaneously uttering ‘Ya alrigh's?''s. You half-clutched your fist and rose to be level again, hitching your breath with a small whine as striking pain electrified your nerves.

Blood quickly began to spill from the gash, running down your wrist and upper forearm before dripping to the floor a couple times as Daryl snapped to grab a clean rag from behind the bar so you could hold pressure, moving so fast he registered as just a whoosh. As your eyes were shut in pain, theirs were blown open, locked onto the crimson that tinted your skin. They could see the microscopic way it gushed a bit more from every beat of your heart.

Tendrils of that sweet, mind warping scent curled through the air and around the pair's bodies. God it smelled so damn good – you smelled so good. They didn't wish you harm, but they'd just been agonizingly waiting to someday, by some chance, get to smell the life-giving fluid that pumped through your veins without the blockage your skin created, keeping the complete experience inside of you. And they could only dream of getting to taste it…

You spun back to face them, and swore for a second, the color of both their blue eyes had altered to match the plasma soaking into the grey washcloth in your grip – their faces flat like they hadn't eaten in years and you just baited the idea of a gourmet feast. But once you blinked, they were back to azure, concern etched across eyebrows and frowns. Maybe it was just the shitty brilliance of the bar.

“‘M fine, jus’ being mindless I guess. Scud, how the hell are ya smokin’ and working with wires ‘n soldering shit,” You shook your head, blaming your incident on the brain fog from weed, although it was a poor excuse given it should not have taken effect that fast. Perhaps you were just embarrassingly locked on auto-pilot.

“Ya look like yer bleedin’ bad, princess. Lemme see.” Daryl beckoned you over and took your hand. His body tensed, that dangerous feeling of his canines extending creeping up. It took all he had to not press his mouth to you. He knew better, he had control. You let him remove the rag, examining the cut and finding it to be quite deep, him stating it might have to be closed

“We don't got any medical stuff here ‘sides maybe a few bandaids. I'd be surprised if anybody else came in ‘ere tonight so I'll just close up ‘n deal with it home. Sorry to cut our chat time short guys…” You gave a half frown, taking an unsteady inhale and trying to mask the aching in your extremity. You smothered the joint, enjoyment ruined.

“Don't gotta apologize mama's. Wantcha to be okay,” Scud commented, mirroring your expression. Looking between him and Daryl, you felt there was some synergy connecting them, like they were communicating despite both staring at you.

“Why don't we take ya home, mebbe have me patch tha fer ya, hm?” Daryl suggested, readjusting his leather jacket as he tilted his head slightly.

“Oh, no. I don't wanna bother either of ya with that…”

“‘Ts no bother, sugar. We wanna make sure you're safe. ‘Ts late, dark, ‘nd you're bleedin’. Don't want anythin’ bad happening to ya,” Scud explained, his every word ending on a sort of mewl as he plucked his joint from his mouth to speak clearly.

“Alright – just cause I know you two will follow me to check anyway.” You grabbed your things, Daryl and Scud helping to close up the bar so you didn't further injure yourself, then leaving with you. It was reasonable for them to come with, and this wouldn't be the first time. And this wasn't the safest part of town, so it wouldn't hurt to have them.

❥-》》—————➣

When you returned to your apartment, both of them praised your designing of the interior, having not been inside before. To you it wasn't much of anything special, but again, it was just in their nature to say kind things to you.

You nodded Daryl in the direction of your bathroom so he could grab some ointment and gauze, going to sit on the couch as Scud plopped beside you. You easily could've nursed it yourself, but if there was anything you really knew about Daryl, it was his tendency to always be doing favors – and not letting you decline.

“Y'know… I know a way tah make that heal faster than any dressings could,” Scud broke the silence, dragging his gaze over your frame, and landing on your hand where you still held the soiled rag. He couldn't fucking take it anymore. He didn't have the control that Daryl did.

“What do you mean?” You now faced him, confused at the way his breathing seemed to grow a bit heavier, chest puffing further out despite his lazy posture. But he straightened some, scooting closer to you and reaching for your hand.

“Just trust me on this…” He was salivating, bottom lip practically trembling with anticipation. He was so close, access to your fresh blood right there. God how he ached for it every time he saw your beautiful face, just so damn entranced by you. He tried not to completely lose his mind as he neared your palm.

“Um… yer gonna get it infected doin’ that.”

“Won't.” And his mouth hovered right above it.

“Seriously, Scud, what are you doing?” Now you were concerned, tempted to call Daryl back. Was this some weird sex thing? His way of trying to seduce you? Taking ‘kiss my boo-boo to make it feel better’ a bit too far. But you sensed this… energy, radiating off of him, drawing out your naïve trait of curiosity. Something felt different about him, although you guess it always did – but only now could you really perceive it, having him so close. “What are you? ”

Scud's eyes flicked up to yours, blue flipped across the scale of hues to match the color you'd caught a glimpse of at the bar – the color of your blood, and those flawless new nails. “Whadda ya think I am, sweetheart?”

As his lips peeled back with a grin, you could see the lengthy, pin-sharp fangs that descended from the roof of his mouth, glistening with his famine. Your mouth fell open, pupils dilating as realization worked through your brain. Oh shit. Oh, shit..? You didn't speak, but didn't know what to say anyway.

He chuckled at your reaction. “Jus’ relax, mama's.” Finally. His tongue darted out, dragging a long lick over the front of your wound, causing you to wince and jerk a little. It didn't particularly hurt, but was so odd at the start. Scud held back a moan, but couldn't help his remarks: “Mmm, you taste so good… bettah than I ever imagined…”

You swallowed thickly, watching him work saliva over your tender flesh, and lapping away any remnants of the blood that ran down your arm. He stared intensely into your eyes as he drew a long, excessively slow lick up your limb and back to the wound. You felt it begin to radiate, an unfamiliar warmth centralizing over the cut but spreading out into your entire palm.

He brushed his lips against your fingers with a featherlite kiss, and reluctantly pulled away, letting you watch branches of skin connect together from both sides, color quickly shifting back to your normal tone, and your hand completely unscathed. You flexed your tendons, feeling it for yourself. It was completely healed, a two-week time lapsing into under a minute.

“Why'd ya show ‘er.” Daryl's voice was stern, silently standing behind the couch and startling you as you whipped around. You should've figured – it wouldn't take that long to find simple first aid in your bathroom.

“Known ‘er for long enough, D. Why let'er suffer with some gash if we can just heal it for her?” Scud replied and shrugged innocently. But his wording was key; ‘we’.

“You're both vampires,” You nodded dryly as Daryl grumbled something under his breath and came around the couch to sit on the other side of you. Now the ‘moonshine’ was really ironic. “Okay… I assume if you were gonna drain me ya woulda done it by now.”

“Don't tempt me, baby,” Scud smirked, and Daryl shot him a harsh glare. “What? Sure she appreciates the healin’ at least!”

“Yeah, I do… but it's weirdly intimate, no? Just, wetly runnin’ yer tongue all over someone, gathering saliva on their skin, tastin’ the irony remnants of their blood-”

“Quit talkin’ like that,” Daryl hissed, your sight passing back to him, watching his adam's-apple bob and his jaw tense. His eyes reddened as well, and it dawned on you how teasing your choice of dialogue must've been for them.

“Or keep goin’. Like hearin’ your gorgeous voice say such pretty words,” Scud wet his lips, volume just above a whisper. You felt trapped between two sides of a spectrum, both equally covet… and you were way more into it than you would ever want to admit. Your jaw laxed with a weary breath, mind wandering further ahead than you liked it to. “But you're right, can be real intimate.” His voice dropped lower as he neared you, keeping sights intertwined.

“You're torturing me momma's… pleas’... would give anythin’ to feel ya,” He almost whimpered, puppy dog eyes peering up at you. “He would too, he's jus’ a lil’ more shy.”

It'd be the fattest lie of your life to say you didn't find him attractive, both of them. Closing the door behind you some nights after they'd walked you home, tempted to just bring them inside. How many times you muttered dirty words as your legs tangled in your bedsheets and you touched yourself, imagining how they'd sound in Scud's whiny hitches, or Daryl's gravelly grunts…

You reached up, taking Scud's chin in the light hold of your acrylics and bringing his mouth to yours. He directly melted, turning to puddy from that alone and cravingly dabbing your lips with his tongue. When you pulled back, he tried to follow, pining for more. But you wanted to be fair, and switched to the other man.

Daryl looked like he didn't know what to do, that effort of displaying confidence broken the second the gate he'd been waiting outside of for so long actually opened. But a quick ‘C'mere’, and the curling of your pointer finger brought him to you expeditiously, rough lips chafing over your moisted ones. He shoved away his groan, not quite ready for that yet.

“This ain't gonna stop at kissin’, right?” You checked on an exhale, both their eyes boring into you from either plane, the patterns of their breathing reworking themselves. Dropping it here would be teasing you now.

“S’ain't gon’ stop less ya want it to, moonshine,” He rasped, irises captivating and luring you back to him, clawed hand coming to his cheek – that made the groan slip. He inhaled sharply, ardently guiding his tongue into your mouth, which definitely made Scud jealous.

The engineer brought his hands to your waist, toying with the seams of your shirt as Daryl harshly tugged you closer to him, gaining momentum, growing hungrier. He explored the entire cavity of your mouth, feeling the heat of your gums, the smoothness of your teeth in comparison to his canines, and drew a moan from your throat, hints of a smile crinkling.

“Yer not good at hidin’ whatcha want, honeysuckle,” The southerner purred, trailing down to your jawline as Scud's lips pressed to the nape of your neck. You weren’t sure if he could tell by your body language, or was able to read your mind or something; all the near whorish thoughts running through your psyche.

“Then you should know how long I've thought about this.”

Daryl immediately hooked his strong arms under your thighs, shoving Scud back to stand up off the couch, your legs instinctively latching around his torso as he started to leave a hickey on your neck and find his way to your bedroom.

Scud awkwardly stood behind for a second, shyly glancing to the floor, feeling literally and figuratively pushed aside by the other's dominance. “C'mon Scuddy,” You mouthed, and he looked like he came in pants right there – hurdling to track after you.

Daryl roughly threw you onto the edge of your bed, simultaneously ripping your shirt up over your head. He reached down for the button of your jeans, quickly popping it out and tearing them off, leaving you in just your lacey, red bra and panties.

“Jeez, you ‘nd fuckin’ red, woman.” He bordered on a growl, sliding off his jacket and tossing it to the floor. You sat upright on the rim the mattress, aiding Scud in dropping his many layers, but he teetered like he just wanted to fuck himself senseless with all it still on.

Both them now shirtless, you raked your nails down their chest, taking extra notice to follow the lightning-like scars carved into Scud's abdomen to your left. You let out a breathy curse at their defined v-lines and mouthwateringly sexy happy trails, discarding Daryl's belt, and gently cupping his pulsing erection through his jeans – the same through Scud's cargos.

One twitched, then the other, and you chuckled. “You two really want me that bad, huh?” You questioned, beaming up through your lashes with a flirty smirk: but that mischievous temping simmered seeing the pure lust on their features. They looked like they were gonna eat you alive, and honestly… you wouldn't mind it.

You undid their pants to drop them down, and with some sort of unspoken permission translating between the three of you, they pounced forward, resistance snapping like twigs. Scud hauled your body up the bed and instantaneously found your lips, already gasping into your mouth. His hands each found one of your breasts, fondling and pawing impatiently through your bra.

Daryl grabbed your hips, tugging you back down a little and drawing a wet lick from the hem of your panties up your navel, holding you to him as your spine arched. He kissed and sucked at the delicate skin on your pelvis and inner thighs, leaving behind litters of those gentle bruises on the surface, spotting across the curves of your body. His fangs grazed you as he worked, a persistent reminder of what a feral vampire could just take from you – but he was a humble man, and prefered to give.

You directed Scud to strip your bra, given he'd basically lost all ability to function the second your clothes were off, and even worse once he was on you. Now with your chest fully out, he was gone. He greedily sucked one nipple into his mouth, kneading the other like a cat, while Daryl curled a finger around the hem of your panties, deliberately running from side to side before he suddenly ripped them away – literally ripped. “Promise ‘ll buy ya new ones, babydoll.”

Whatever deeply guttural noise that erupted from you when Daryl's tongue made contact with your cunt was everything but holy. Your hips bucked up into his face so rapidly it almost caught him off guard, his palms splayed out on your thighs and his mouth latched onto your clit. He sucked in rapid pumps, before trawling down then back up and spreading your folds. He lapped up every bit of your pooled wetness, taking a deep inhale and the hidden claws in his fingertips nearing shooting out as his toes curled.

“Fuck! Yer pussy smell's'so fuckin’ good.” His words came out as near snarls, reverberating against your core. Should the view of him not have been obscured by Scud, you're sure you would've came at the sight of him so deeply intoxicated by just the scent of you. “‘Nd tastes so goddamn lovely.”

“‘Ts not fair, man, ah wanna taste ‘er-”

“Nah. Ya got ‘er hand, pussy's mine.” Now he was snarling, possessive crimson eyes stabbing into the other man as he'd turned to look back at him, burying himself deeper into your cunt and earning another wild moan. Scud frowned a little, but you brought your hands to his hips and readjusted him to be sitting on your chest, legs on either side of your body.

“Don't worry, baby.” And you rolled down his boxers so his dick was free: fully hard, tip swollen up and flushed with color, absolutely weeping for you, and it bobbed with a twitch. You wrapped your hand around the base, giving a few pressurized strokes as he bowed forward over your head and straight up whimpered in your ear, aching and pulsing and starved of touch and attention.

“Oh-.. God, momma's… t’so good…” He wove his fingers through your hair to tug lightly at the roots and anchor himself. But the second you put your tongue on him, he jerked forward and shoved into your mouth, cumming abruptly. He couldn't help it, you were; “Jus’ so warm…”

Still you swallowed it down, swiveling the tip of your tongue along the underside of his head, prolonging his high. You weren't surprised; with how frenzied he was, acting like he'd been edged for far too long – which you supposed he had, based on how he talked earlier – you pegged him for the kind to cum fast. He probably wanted you to actually peg him too.

Daryl tipped a domino by chuckling at the early orgasm, the sound waves making you moan around Scud's cock, which in return made him slide a bit deeper again. Daryl started to hum, and removed one hand from your thigh to slip two girthy fingers into you, curling them up and pressing into that sensitive spot in your walls. He focused his mouth on your clit, drawing it in with suction while he rapidly wagged his tongue, soon pumping his fingers in and out of you, and your moans picked up.

The shallow edge of Scud's claws inched further out and held your skull, careful to not scrape into your skin, but exigent nonetheless. His breathing descended into ragged heaving against the side of your head as you worked his cock like you knew every little thing that got him going.

“Getch'yer dick outta her mouth so Ah can hear ‘er cum,” Daryl barked, breaking contact from you for just a moment. Scud groaned, wanting so badly for you to deepthroat him, but he shifted over to the side, knowing Daryl would forcibly do it anyway. Now he moved impossibly faster, fingers stretching you open and filling the bedroom with wet noises from how he had you dripping.

Getting to hear you clearly now sent him into overdrive, grunting against your clit while Scud just laboriously returned to toying with your boobs. “C'mon girl, jus’ cum. Cum fer me. Wanna see yer gorgeous face.”

“Jesus, Daryl-” Your sentence split, and you cried out, trembling legs coming together and forcing him flush against you. You rode his face, a hand flying down to tug at his sweat-dampened locks and assisting you in rolling your hips. He clutched you bruisingly hard, nearing ripping into you.

When your limbs relaxed again, he lavished long licks over your cunt, swirling the tangy, sticky nectar of your release over his entire mouth. “Mos’ perfect fuckin’ thing.”

“Pleas’ mommas, can I fuck ya?” Scud pleaded, cupping your face to catch his distress. Sharing was hard when one party was so much more controlling. Poor thing needed you.

But seeing Daryl yank down and discard his boxers, hard cock visibly throbbing and tip shaded red, he needed you too. And you could tell a blowjob just wouldn't settle it for either of them. “Fuck, just-.. both of you fuck me.”

“Can ya handle two, sweetheart?” Daryl exhorted, swiping a strayed bit of hair from your forehead and deftly tucking it back, slightly softened eyes checking for sincerity in your expression. With your nod, they acclimated to desire once again.

He flipped onto his back, and manhandled your body overtop of him, your back flattened on his chest, and Scud hurriedly positioning above. Daryl kept your legs spread apart with his, reaching around and palming at your breast while going down to slick himself between your soaked folds, slapping himself against you a couple times. “Ya tell us if s'too much, alrigh’?”

“Yea, yeah- please, just fuck me already,” You wailed as he angled you down and slipped deep into you, Scud giving you a second to adjust before coating spit over his shaft, and gently guiding into you as well.

Your back arched as Daryl held you firm, whining in delectable pain as they strained you further open than you ever had been, your acrylics digging into his waist beneath you. Scud layered himself onto you, sucking another hickey into your chest then rocking his hips a couple of times.

When you handled it well, Daryl took it as a cue to join him, plodding more in his thrusts to still give you the opportunity to bail if this wasn't to your liking. Your eyelids fluttered closed, head lulling back to rest on Daryl's shoulder as your heavy breaths fell in line with the pace. When Scud pushed in, Daryl would pull out, and vice versa: always keeping you full while maintaining the motion that granted so much ecstasy to you three. Every one of their filthy noises sounded incomprehensibly better than you'd ever pictured.

Scud mewled against you, head buried into your breasts and giving quick pecks or licks any time he wasn't being uncontrollably vocal. Daryl did the same, groaning into your shoulder and hair.

“Takin’ us so good, arentcha darlin’? So wet, pussy so tight,” Daryl hushed into your ear, hooking up faster and faster following each of his thrusts like the speed was on a multiplier.

You twisted fingers in the back of Scud's head, triggering a loud whine when you tugged on the roots of this hair and that metal choker he always wore. He started to waver, weakly humping you like his brain was fried and just focusing on staying as deep inside you as he could. “Mmm… mommy, I… ‘m so hungry. Please…” The hinges of his jaw started extending on their own, humid exhales dampening an area by your neck. Tasting hints of your blood earlier spawned a black hole that decimated the sinkhole he'd previously had caving in over time. In the near year he'd known you, that urge to just feed from your tender flesh was all he ever thought about. And now, warm walls of your cunt wrapped around him, urging him to another orgasm… He couldn't wait much longer, he was starving.

Daryl planted his feet to make up for Scud's faltering rhythm, the strengthful build of his hips and thighs making it easy to lift you. He was trying so hard to focus on just fucking you, but as the other vampire's imploring got the best of him, he started to follow suit. “Ya know yer'a damn tease, righ’ moonshine? Lookin’ so sexy all tha time, tha seductive scent ah yers… Fuck, I kno’ ya taste like heaven…” He craned his neck up, applying pressure to your carotid artery with his tongue, feeling everything he wanted pump through you at a rapid rate.

You took in a shaky breath, vivacity emanating from the both of them and encircling you. Their dicks throbbed inside of you, the drifter pistoning while the engineer hunched, but that just wasn't enough, and it made the craving so much more pressing. Their pairs of fangs rested on the edges of your skin, tracing over it, each on one side.

“Shit… just do it-.. Jus’ fuckin’ do,” You panted, and it happened so fast you barely even realized it. Scud's bite was eager, being more frantic and on your left: Daryl's more longing, savoring the feeling of piercing into your silky flesh on the right. They drew long siphons into their throats, sultry crimson flooding their systems as their eyes blazed a mutual color.

A strangled moan ripped from your being, your consciousness floating in a haze. Daryl fucked you faster, empowered by your smooth blood, grunting savagely as his razor-edged talons dug into your breasts, Scud's on your waist: but they were so careful to not rip you up.

“Mmmnngh… oh, gods momma, m’gonna cum…” Scud lost any last sense of his composure, curving his spine and slicking out of you to cum over your pelvis. He whimpered like an injured dog, anchoring himself with the teeth lodged in you, grinding against you a few times to ride out the bliss as he messied your body with lengthy ropes of white. Waves of body-wracking pleasure made him writhe around on your chest, lost in some other realm.

“Fuck… cum fer me again, dollface. Know yer good fer me,” Daryl mumbled against you, driving into your cunt with every newfound bit of liveliness he garnered from feeding on you. Your brain stopped working at this point – those red acrylic nails scratching at Daryl's thigh with your left, and Scud's back with your right.

You felt lightheaded, loss of ichor incapacitating you even as they'd ceased thirsting, just keeping fangs planted in your muscles. The crest of euphoria floated your soul to nirvana, Daryl's tip brushing past one specific golden point in your walls and shoving you off the cliff of your climax, tightening his hold on you as you bowed and bucked, vision stripped from your senses.

Your pussy spasmed and massaged around the southerner's cock, and with a final few abusing thrusts, he withdrew and spilled his own load over your folds, resistant moans rumbling from his vocal cords. All three of your chests heaved intensely, fighting to steal any oxygen from the lust-filled atmosphere of your bedroom.

Daryl's hands drifted to your midsection to push up and roll Scud off of you to the left, knowing he was too much of a fucked out mess to do it himself. He gently laid you between the two of them, smoothing a caring hand over your chest and pressing a kiss to your upper arm. “Ya feelin’ okay, moonshine? Didn't take too much, righ’?”

“Yea, ‘m good.., jus’ need a minute,” You wheezed, eyes shut and soma trying to recuperate. Daryl peeled himself from the bed, going to wet a rag, and fetch some water and food. Returning, he compassionately cleaned away the cum smeared across your curves, supporting you as he helped you drink and all – then gathered extra layers of healing saliva over your puncture wounds just to make sure they'd seal over.

He soothed you by tracing patterns with his calloused palm, the three of you resting for a long while and wrapping thoughts around what just happened.

Scud snaked his arm around yours and cuddled right up against your side, keeping lips pressed against you with his whiny hums. “Wanna feel more'ah ya mommas…” To only say he was needy was an understatement, he was full on reliant – vampiric endurance adapting the role of an exponent for such.

“Let ‘er rest.”

You brought your nails to Scud's scalp, gently scratching his head and he practically began to purr. Even if Daryl shoved him off, you appreciated how benevolent he was to you, and could tell he felt less-than right now, lacking your focus. “That spit of yours work on swellin’ too?”

He nodded with a mumbly ‘Mhm…’

“Then how bout'cha lick my pussy till it feels better, ‘nd we'll keep goin’ till botha ya are ran dry, hm?” You suggested, planting a kiss on the top of his head and sensing the energy shift.

And they were both on you all over again in an instant.

©corvidcrossbow 2024. I do not give permission for my works to be copied, modified or adapted to other platforms. My work may be translated only if asked and with proof of given consent.

174 notes · View notes

atlabeth · 2 days

Note

🧸 dare i say luke castellan fluff..... please.... CONGRATS ON 3K!!!!

summer stressed

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of athena reader

summary: summer is over, most of your siblings are gone, but you still can't relax. fortunately, luke is pretty good at it.

a/n: thank you for the request sorry that these are taking so long but thats life !! this one is for all my anxious girlies that always think they're forgetting something even when there is absolutely nothing to do (me finishing finals and still feeling like i should be doing something at all times)

wc: 788

warning(s): all fluff

“This feels weird.”

“How does it feel weird?” Luke asks, amused.

“We’re just… sitting here,” you say.

“Is that a problem?”

Your head rests on Luke’s chest as you lay in your bed together, one of his arms curled protectively around you as he keeps the other behind his head. Every so often, he trails his fingers down your arm, plays with your hair a bit, adjusts his position to make you more comfortable.

You can feel the warmth of his skin even through his camp shirt, and it makes up for the slight chill of the Athena cabin. He’s basically your own personal space heater. You wouldn’t classify any of this as a problem.

“No,” you say. “The opposite of a problem.”

Luke chuckles, and you can feel his eyes on you. “Then why does it feel weird?”

You let out a huff and sit up, turning to face your boyfriend. “Because we’re just sitting here.”

“You’ve already said that, babe.” He smiles, and you have the urge to kiss him right there. You wonder if he knows the power he holds with that damn smile.

“It’s too quiet,” you say, gesturing around your cabin. “It’s never a good sign when things are quiet.”

“Could that be because more than half of your cabin is gone?” he asks.

“My siblings are smart,” you say. “They’re good at causing chaos in silence.”

“And if they are, that’s a problem for another day.”

“I’m still forgetting something,” you insist. “Are you sure I’m off the clock for today?”

Luke nods. “All the counselors get the day off from leading lessons after the last day of summer. Everyone’s off the clock.”

“And I don’t have anything I need to clear with Chiron.”

“You had the conversation with him about going into the city to get stuff for Jane’s party last week, and we’re taking a van out in two days,” Luke says. “Nothing else I know of.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“There’s really nothing else?”

“Nothing,” he promises.

You look around your cabin and shake your head. “No. No— this place is a mess. I’ve got to clean up before inspections—”

Luke catches your wrist as you try to get up and says your name softly. “Your cabin is spotless, ace. I think I can see my reflection in the floorboards.”

“Still, Luke,” you insist as you look at him. “There’s got to be something we should be doing.”

“There isn’t!” he exclaims. “I’ve never met anyone more desperate to be doing busy work, babe. All that talk about us getting some alone time for nothing.”

“I just have this feeling that I’m missing something,” you say as you shake your head.

Luke laughs again, and you find yourself smiling just at the sound. He’s just so beautiful when he’s happy. “Alright, ace. Want me to ease your worries?”

“You can try,” you say. “But you’ve spent enough time with Annabeth to know what she’s capable of. Imagine dealing with a whole cabin of Annabeths.”

“You may have a whole cabin of Annabeths, but I’ve got a whole cabin of thieves, pranksters, and unclaimed kids. I think I’ve had my fair share of cleaning up messes.”

“Alright, pretty boy,” you say, your smile growing despite yourself. “Ease my worries.”

Luke nods, and he sits up so he can be eye level with you. He’s still got your wrist in his hand, and as he talks, he absentmindedly trails his thumb over your skin. “Yesterday was the last day of summer, and half of camp is gone, including your cabin. We spent the entire day fixing things up and making sure all our siblings were ready to go and doing everything Chiron and Mr. D asked. Everyone that wanted to leave left, all the counselors—including you—executed everything flawlessly, and there is nothing left to do but relax for a bit.”

“My cabin—”

“You’ve already cleaned it three times,” Luke says.

“It doesn’t hurt to do it a fourth,” you shrug.

Luke smiles and shakes his head. “It’s spotless, ace. The only thing left to do is enjoy some well-deserved alone time.”

You meet his gaze, that slight smile still on your lips, and Luke tilts his head. “So? Have your worries been eased?”

“...Mostly,” you say, and your smile turns coy. “Some kisses might help me forget them completely, though.”

Luke laughs, and his eyes gleam as they drop down to your lips for a moment. He brings you even closer with the hand still around your wrist, then he drops it in favor of slinging an arm around your waist. When he speaks, his voice is much softer, though it’s got a rugged edge.

“Now that is something I can do.”

#sadie's 3k celebration #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan fic #luke castellan x you #luke castellan fluff #percy jackson and the olympians x reader #pjo x reader #x reader #sadie writes

241 notes · View notes

callyourose · 3 days

Text

match point, chapter three.

→ introduction one two three

— In which Art and Patrick find themselves intertwined with the relationship of tennis superstar Tashi Duncan and her best friend, Lennon Caddel.

LENNON CADDEL WASN'T TASHI DUNCAN'S LAP DOG. No matter what their relationship would lead you to believe. Lennon was her own person, Tashi knew that. She could make her own decisions, she could choose what to wear or who to date all on her own. She was a grown-up. But... why would she want to? It was just so easy for Tashi to just tell Lennon how to think and for her to listen. Tashi liked that she got to hold on to that sense of control off of the tennis court, and Lennon just liked knowing someone was thinking for her. Maybe that's why their relationship worked so well. They had never argued, they've never even been close to a friendship-ending fight. For the past nineteen years, Tashi had been telling Lennon what to do and Lennon had been letting her. Sometimes it got lonely and sometimes Tashi wasn't very nice. But Lennon had, like, no friends outside of Tashi. Which is how the latter liked it. She wanted Lennon's attention to be on two things and two things only. Tennis and her.

Art and Patrick, and Lennon and Tashi, were sitting on the floor of the boys's hotel room. The carpet was scratching the back of Lennon's thighs, but the alcohol in her system made it not that noticeable. They were passing around a beer, but Tashi had told her to take a shot for confidence before they left their own room. So she did. And now she's sitting here with flushed cheeks and shaky hands and she's unable to focus on anything but the way Tashi is caressing her thigh and the way Art's arm is up against hers and the way Patrick is staring at her.

"Len? Lennon?”

She blinks, smiles softly, and turns to look at her friend. Tashi's hand is still rubbing her upper thigh gently and it takes everything in her not to melt into the floor. "Sorry," she says sheepishly, "I kinda zoned out."

Patrick and Tashi share a smile and she cant help but feel like they're making a joke that she's not in on. "It's okay, honey," Tashi says with a grin, "Patrick just asked you a question and I wanted to make sure you were listening."

Lennon turns her head slowly to look at the brunette boy in front of her. "Oh, I'm sorry."

He smiles and brushes it off. "It's cool, don't worry. I was just wondering what your plans are. Like if you're gonna go pro." He takes a drag of his cigarette before holding it out to Lennon. She looks at it, looks at him, and then looks at Tashi. Tashi knows what she's asking for. She's asking, silently, for permission. She nods softly, and Lennon is reaching her hand out to take the cig from Patrick.

She takes a long drag, longer than she should've, before pulling out of her mouth and handing it to Art. She tries to hold back a cough, but it comes out as a gag. She's so embarrassed that she could just curl up and die right there. Everyone in the room is laughing at her. Patrick being the loudest, but Tashi not far behind. Art glances at her apologetically, but he's still laughing.

Lennon forces a chuckle before, finally, answering the question. "I, uh... I don't know if I want to go pro," she looks down at the ground before looking back up and smiling softly, "I don't think I'm good enough to go pro, honestly." She's messing with the necklace around her neck, a gold chain with Tashi's name engraved on the pendant.

Patrick scoffs. "Are you kidding? You're like... made for going pro. You're crazy fucking talented."

Lennon blushes and brushes off his compliment. "Thanks... I don't know. I just don't think I could be happy playing tennis for the rest of my life."

A wave of seriousness washes over the room. Tashi rolls her eyes and lightly slaps the outside of Lennon's thigh before pulling her hand back. "Don't listen to her," she tells the boys, "She's super fucking talented and she knows it. Of course she wants to go pro."

Lennon forces a laugh. "Yeah, I mean going pro would be amazing." She side eyes Tashi, almost begging for approval. And she gets it. Tashi, ever so lovingly, resumes the soft caressing of her upper thigh.

It's well past midnight. 4:37am, in fact. According to the clock on wall. The girls had bid their goodbyes to Art and Patrick about an hour ago. When they got back to their own room, you could feel the tension in the air. Lennon could sense that Tashi was mad at her for something, she just didn't know what.

They had been laying together in their shared bed for the better part of the hour. Tashi had her back to Lennon, when normally she's turned the other way. Every single night, Tashi has her chest pressed to Lennon's back and her arm draped over her stomach. But not tonight.

Lennon can hear her soft breathing, she knows that she's asleep. But the fact that her closest, and only, friend is mad at her is making it impossible for her to follow suit.

Everything she does, she does to please her. She's worked so hard to improve her backhand, to straighten her posture, to stop biting her nails just because Tashi told her to. She's gotten so good at making her happy that she's started to sense her problems before Tashi gets the chance to. She wants to push off the disappointment for as long as possible. But sometimes it's unavoidable. Like tonight, I guess.

"Tashi?" She whispers into the air. The soft hum of the air conditioner muffles her voice. "Tash?"

She stirs in her sleep before waking. She keeps her eyes closed but rolls over on to her back, indicating that she's listening.

"What?" She answers. There's a bite in her tone. Lennon can almost smell the disappointment that's rolling off of her in waves.

"Are you... mad at me?"

Tashi blinks her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. "No."

Lennon sighs, tears filling her eyes as she stares at the side of Tashi's face.

"Stop crying." She can't even see her. She just knows her that well.

"I'm not crying," Lennon chokes out, her voice cracking.

Tashi turns her head to make eye contact. Even in the darkness of their room, there's no denying the glint of light reflecting off of her teary eyes. Just as a tear falls, she reaches up to catch it. "Oh, but you are. Why are you crying?"

"I just," Lennon blinks as she tries to push the tears back into their ducts, "I hate when you're disappointed with me."

Tashi feels bad. She knows she should apologize. She hates when she makes her cry. But something in her refuses to let her say that she's sorry.

Still staring at the ceiling, she asks the question that's been floating around her mind for the past three hours. "Why would you tell them you don't want to go pro?"

Lennon is taken aback. That's what this was about?

"I- I don't know. I do want to go pro. You know that I do." She bites her lip, biting back tears and hoping that Tashi believes her.

And she does. She rolls back over onto her side, this time facing Lennon. She brushes a stray hair out of her face and tucks it behind her ear. You would think that nothing had happened at all they way she was smiling softly. "I know you do."

Lennon smiles, drowning in her approval. She rolls over, pressing her back to Tashi's chest. And just like every night, Tashi slings her arm over Lennon's middle, pulling her ever closer. "It would be really fucking stupid of you if you didn't."

#art donaldson smut #art donaldson #art donaldson x reader #tashi duncan x reader #tashi donaldson #tashi duncan #patrick zweig #patrick zweig smut #patrick zweig x reader #challengers x reader #challengers #05172024

215 notes · View notes

dandylovesturtles · 13 hours

Text

I lied

this fic is going to have at least four parts. oops.

Sorry this took longer than I intended! I started working on it literally the next day after the first part went up and banged out 3K words, then wrote another 1.5K over the next couple days, ended up hating it, deleted the whole thing and started over. I'm much happier with this version.

I had intended for this part to go deeper into the immediate aftermath buuuut this part ended up so long I decided to make that the next part!

And I got enabled on discord to be mean with the cliffhanger, so... sorry <3

CW: minor violence, angst, nobody having a good time, Bishop being Bishop

btw this is Part 2 of the Room Fic that doesn't have a title yet. If you're confused, start here!

-----

They're somewhere in Nebraska, and Raph's never seen so many stars before.

He thought he had seen stars, when they went camping in the woods that time with Todd. Now, sitting on the side of the road by the Turtle Tank, he's realizing that he didn't really see them.

He wishes he could enjoy it, but he can't. Not really. Because nine days ago, Leo stormed out of the lair and never came home.

(Raph knows the thing he'll always blame himself for is picking the fight in the first place.)

It took them several days to learn what had happened to him. Even more days to learn where he was taken. And now they're stuck on the side of the road in Nebraska while Donnie fixes a flat.

Mikey's dozing against his shoulder. He hasn't been getting enough sleep, not that any of them have. April's handing Donnie tools and keeping him company while he changes the tire. Draxum and Splinter are inside the tank, on the lookout for cops with the help of Donnie's police scanners.

It's cool since the sun went down. Quiet. Crickets are out and playing their songs. Raph's seen a few deer, and an owl. The stars are twinkling overhead, and it's calm, peaceful.

The weight on his shoulder is suddenly gone; Raph looks down to find Mikey sitting up straight, wide awake and head cocked to the side like a bloodhound who just caught a scent.

He opens his mouth to ask - and then he feels it too.

It's a cacophony of emotions, strong and hot and mixing together until they're overwhelming. Fear, pain, exhaustion, loneliness, and a blinding fury like even Raph has never felt before. Hatred and bile and the desire to attack, to harm, to destroy.

And underneath it all, a presence as familiar to him as his own, one that's been by his side since almost the day he was hatched. One that is fragile and desperate and screaming out for help.

Leo.

Raph stands up - next to him, Mikey is already on his feet. Raph reaches out his hand, his ninpo flaring to life, straining out into the open air like if he just stretches far enough, he can pluck Leo out of the hell he's trapped in and bring him home.

But he can't reach far enough, because the EPF took him all the way to Colorado. And they're still on the side of the road in Nebraska.

As quickly as it came, the presence is dying away again. It shrinks smaller and smaller and then fizzles out. Raph releases his breath, letting his ninpo fall away, his fingers still grasping open air.

A sniffle. Raph looks down and finds Mikey sobbing. He scoops his little brother into his arms, and Mikey throws himself into Raph's chest, heaving breaths shaking his tiny frame.

"Leo," he whimpers. All Raph can do is pat his shell.

He turns to take stock of Donnie next, carrying Mikey over. His other little brother has tears trickling down his face, too, more subdued but still visible. He's holding his wrench in a vice grip, and for once he doesn't utter a single protest when Raph reaches out and tucks him in under his free arm.

"...What just happened?" asks April, hesitant. Raph wishes he knew how to explain.

"It was Leo!" Mikey does it for him. "He... he's reaching for us."

"What!? Like, mind meld or something!?"

"No," answers Raph. "I don't really know what that was... but it was definitely Leo."

"So..." April pauses, eyes searching each of their faces. "Is he... okay?"

None of them know what to say, but she gets it anyway.

"...I'm going to destroy the EPF," says Donnie, voice dark and cold. "I'm going to raze it to the ground. There will be nothing left."

Raph squeezes his shoulders, pulling him closer.

He doesn't know what to do other than agree.

-----

"This is a good thing," says Draxum. "That means he's still alive."

"But they're hurting him!" Mikey argues. He's halfway in Draxum's lap, arms wrapped around Draxum's middle. Donnie sits on one of the bench seats, curled tight around his own legs, while Splinter strokes his head. Raph sits on the bench seat across from them, April leaning against his side.

"I told you what the EPF is capable of," Draxum reminds them. "This is not a surprise."

"Read the room, Barry," says April.

Splinter's look is increasingly far away, his touch on Donnie's head automatic and absentminded. He's able to stay in the room with them when there's something to do, but now the fear and depression are threatening to take him away again. For the hundredth time since this nightmare began, Raph feels the hopelessness set in.

Draxum sucks, but he's right, echoes the voice in his head that sounds too much like Leo. The plan hasn't changed. Now get moving before you tire out.

"Drax is right that Leo's alive," Raph echoes. "So we need to get a move on. Donnie, how's the tank?"

Donnie uncurls, coaxed by the request to talk about his baby. "The spare's on, and I did some checks on the engine and interior systems. We're ready to go."

"Alright." Raph stands up, rolling his shoulders. "It's Raph's turn to drive. Everyone buckle up."

The mood in the tank shifts after that; they have a direction, and a plan. Leo is hurt, but he's still alive, and nothing has changed.

Donnie and April sit together in the front seats. Mikey passes around snacks and drinks from their cooler, then snuggles in between their dad and Draxum. Draxum says something negative about the snack food, which pulls Splinter out of his trance and starts up some heated bickering between them. Even more of the tension leaks out of the cab.

Raph puts the tank in drive and pulls back onto the quiet highway, driving west again. At their back, the sun starts to rise.

-----

It's late in the day when they reach Colorado Springs.

Donnie was able to pin the EPF base's location down to the mountains surrounding the town, but he couldn't find its exact location. Whatever equipment they have, it's completely scrambled the subcutaneous tracker Donnie put on Leo (and boy, was that a stir when Donnie revealed he'd put trackers on all of them). It had taken a combination of Donnie's hacking and April's investigative skills to get this far.

"It makes sense," says April as they pull the tank into a campsite outside the city limits. "There's, what, three bases here? Where better to hide a secret branch of the military than with the military?"

There's snow on the ground outside, even though it's early May. Even so, the temperature was pretty mild while the sun was up. "It's the proximity to the mountains," Donnie explains when Raph mentions it, but the rest of the explanation blurs together. He's too tired to keep up with Donnie's science facts, but infodumping calms his brother down, so he lets him do it and nods along.

They eat a proper meal that Mikey cooks for them on one of the campsite grills, then settle in to nap until the sun goes down. Raph isn't sleeping, and he can tell from all the shifting around that Mikey and Donnie aren't, either. They're too close to Leo now to rest.

But you gotta catch some Zs before you go storming into enemy territory, the Leo in his head reminds him.

Raph hates every second you're in there, he thinks. But it won't be long now. Big bro's comin'.

He wishes the Leo in his head would say that he believes that. But all Raph can remember are the words they said during the fight, and he never quite goes to sleep.

-----

They break into pairs for their search. Raph goes with April, Mikey with Splinter, and Donnie stays with Draxum at the tank. Donnie uses his tech to try and narrow down the location of the base, while the other two teams go in opposite directions and start scouting the area on foot.

It takes a long time for them to learn anything, and as the sun comes up again, Raph starts to worry that they're going to have to leave Leo trapped for another full day.

But then he and April finally get a lead. They send the info to Donnie, and it helps narrow down his search.

Just after dawn, they reconvene at the tank, gathered around satellite images and drone shots of a nondescript military compound several miles outside the city.

"There it is," says Donnie with finality. "That's where they're keeping Leo."

"Then what are waiting for?" asks Mikey.

Wait for dark, says the Leo in Raph's head.

And that advice makes sense. There will be fewer employees at night. The dark provides natural cover. It's sane. It's smart.

Raph ignores it entirely.

He's not leaving his little brother with those people for one second longer. Not after what he felt, sitting on the side of the road in Nebraska.

"We're not waiting for anything," he says. "Let's move out."

From the looks on their faces, they all agree.

------

The site looks as generic as possible. There's a high electric fence circling the whole thing, with a basic "No Trespassing - Government Property" sign. A simple guard stand sits at the drive-in gate. The buildings visible beyond are drab and featureless.

The government stopped publicly funding the EPF in the nineties, Draxum had told them. But the organization had never truly gone away; it was just funded through underground means now. Miscellaneous defense funding. Anonymous donations. Private benefactors.

Originally it had been founded to defend Earth against aliens. But when no alien threat appeared, they moved on to a new mission: defending the United States against yokai.

"Even though we were here first," Draxum had said testily. "Typical Americans."

Raph hadn't liked anything Draxum had to tell them about the EPF. That they weren't bound by any of the laws the rest of the military was. That the yokai they had managed to capture were never seen again. That Draxum had had a very brief run-in with them once, decades ago, and he doubted they had ever forgotten it.

Really, though, all he'd needed to know was that they had his brother.

It's the middle of the morning, so their stealth options are limited. Still, they aren't ninja for nothing; they use the forest and the snowy terrain to their advantage and sneak their way into the compound. Raph has to admit, he was a little worried about Draxum on the trip over, but the old goat does a pretty good job keeping up.

It takes them a bit of time to work out which building to enter. They rule out a mess hall, a medical ward, the barracks, and some kind of training center first. Then, toward the furthest reaches of the compound, they find a building that looks particularly suspicious, with a guard gate on the path leading to it and more armed guards on the roof.

"That has to be it," says Raph. No one disagrees.

They use a passing supply truck to slip past the guard gate, then sneak around the back and use a fire ladder to get to the roof. They dispatch the guards on top quickly and easily, then find a ventilation shaft leading inside. Mikey, Donnie, April, and Splinter fit easily enough, but Raph and Draxum are too big to wiggle through.

"Find out where we're going. Radio us as soon as you find something," Raph says. Then he gives Mikey, April, and Donnie's shoulders each a squeeze in turn. "And be careful."

"Take care of Red," their dad says to Draxum just before he follows the others inside.

"He's safe with me," Draxum promises.

"You're safe with Raph," Raph feels the need to say. Splinter chuckles before disappearing into the shaft after his siblings.

Waiting outside becomes nerve-wracking quickly. Raph starts to pace the length of the roof, back and forth, glancing at the unconscious guards from time to time to make sure they're still unconscious.

"You're going to wear a rut on the roof," Draxum admonishes him. Raph keeps going anyway.

-----

Finally, after what feels like ages but is only about ten minutes, his radio crackles. Raph freezes, pulling his wrist close, where Donnie's tech is hidden under his wraps.

"Hey." It's April's voice. She sounds out of breath, but not distressed. "Come to the back of the building. Should be a door."

"On our way," says Raph, waving at Draxum to follow before dropping off the roof.

The door is easy enough to find, the snow around it trampled down. He gives the metal a rap with his knuckles when he gets there, and the door swings open, April grinning, her bat perched against her shoulder. Behind her is another unconscious guard.

"Nice, April," says Raph, hustling inside. He kicks the last of the snow off his feet once he's on the cold linoleum floor, Draxum following suit. April lets the door swing shut again. "Where's everyone else?"

"We found some kinda security room. Leo's gear was in there." She pushes by and starts to lead them down the hall, voice low, eyes watching for anyone rounding the corner. "Donnie's poking through the camera footage. Didn't look like anyone much was in this hall, so I came to get you."

"And Leonardo?" asks Draxum.

April gives a shake of her head. "Haven't found him yet, but he's gotta be here. There's not much more of the building to search, so we're close."

Raph peeks in open doors and through windows as they walk, taking in the space. It looks like an ordinary office building inside; nothing nefarious, except for the fact that the people working here are kidnapping scum who have done something so terrible to his little brother it made him scream out in anguish and fury. But if he hadn't known that coming in, he wouldn't have expected anything. It all looks very...

Raph comes to a sudden stop. Through the sliver of window in a door, he sees the first occupied room since he's entered the building. Only one person is inside, wearing a white lab coat and tapping away at a computer.

But what's more interesting is the door on the other side of the room: solid metal with no window, and a sign that reads "Inmate Observation - Authorized Access Only".

Raph grabs April by the shoulder before she can get too far ahead, pointing at the window. "Do you know what's in there?"

She turns back and takes a peek. "...No. I don't think we went through there yet."

So they haven't ruled this part of the building out yet. And it's the only one so far with anyone inside.

Inmate Observation.

"Raph, wait, I think we should-" April starts, but Raph doesn't listen. Raph can't stop himself.

His little brother is in here. He knows he is. The one who was taken from them. The one who cried out to them in fear, begging to be saved.

He's not making Leo wait a moment longer.

Raph throws open the door and marches inside.

"...Okay," April says behind him. "I guess we're doing it this way.

-----

The scientist or whoever they are tries to radio for help. Raph picks the radio up and crushes it in his hand. They turn and run, and that takes care of that.

April calls the others on her radio. Raph doesn't listen to the conversation. His eyes are locked on the door.

Inmate Observation.

He reaches out and throws the door back with a bang.

He's ready for the gunshots before they come, and his ninpo is already active, forming a protective bubble around himself and shielding Draxum and April. He's expecting bullets, but instead it's darts; they embed themselves harmlessly in the arms of his projection. Raph waits until the volley stops, then drops the projection, and the darts fall harmlessly to the floor.

He steps into the room and clocks one of the guards on the head before they can reload, watching as they fall to the ground. April wallops the other one, then kicks their fallen gun under a desk. She brandishes her bat at the other occupants of the room: two more scientists in lab coats, and one steely faced man in a suit.

The scientists seem intimidated. The suited man does not.

"Ah," he says. "So you've finally made it here, Draxum."

"Bishop." Draxum sounds equally unimpressed. "I thought you died in the nineties."

"So does most of the world. It's convenient for my work."

"You guys know each other?" April asks, looking between them.

"We know of each other." Draxum sneers. "If my plans had gone as I intended, he would truly be dead by now."

Raph narrows his eyes at the man. "Are you the one who's been keeping my brother here?"

To his credit, Bishop still looks unphased, even though Raph is tall enough to hulk over him. "I am the director of this facility."

It's enough of a yes.

Raph rushes Bishop, slamming him into the wall behind his back. Raph keeps him pinned, one hand on his neck, the other arm pressed against his chest, and Raph presses until he feels something start to crack.

Bishop hisses but does not cry out.

"Where are you keeping him?" Raph demands.

"He's in there," says Bishop, wheezing only slightly from the constriction on his lungs, his voice firm otherwise.

Raph tosses a look where Bishop indicates, seeing a large window. It's looking into a seemingly empty room; white walls and no furniture other than a toilet in the corner.

"Raph don't see him," he growls.

"He hides under the window." Bishop's eyes flicker to one of the scientists. "Pointless, really," he says, giving the man in the lab coat a nod. "Show them."

The scientist looks uneasy, but he turns and clicks a few buttons on a desktop. A screen pops up, but it doesn't show anything other than static.

"...Something is wrong with our camera signals, sir," the scientist reports.

"Ah." Bishop's eyes glint, and then flick back to Raph's face. "So there are more of you."

Raph doesn't answer that. He gives Bishop a rough shake. "What have you done to him?"

"Your brother?" Bishop clarifies. "Nothing."

Another shake. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying." Bishop's eyes are steely, even as his wheezing picks up the more Raph leans into his chest. "Other than as was necessary to move him, we have not touched him."

Raph doesn't move an inch. "I don't believe that."

"Then see for yourself." Bishop looks at the other scientist now, giving a small nod of his head. "Dr. Keller, open the door for this brute so he'll stop assaulting me."

Raph scowls, staying exactly where he is while the other scientist scurries to the metal door by the window and inputs a code into a keypad. There's a beep, and a clipped, artificial voice says, "Inmates clear the door. Security personnel entering. Stay still and you will not be harmed."

Finally, Raph lets Bishop go, and approaches the door.

-----

When Raph imagined one of them getting kidnapped by a shady, quasi-governmental agency intent on imprisoning mutants, he always pictured something... different.

He thought they would be in cages, not tall enough to stand in. That they would be fed from dog bowls or water drippers. That handlers would patrol the room with cattle prods, ready to shock anyone who stepped out of line.

But there is no cage, and no cattle prods. Leo is just in a room.

The first thing Raph notices about the room is the cold. The rest of the building is hardly stifling, but even then, the blast of air that comes through the open door feels like Raph is stepping into a freezer.

As he saw from outside, there's no furniture. Or he doesn't think there is, until he looks down, under the window, and finds a cot.

And what's on the cot makes his heart stop.

Raph can barely remember the last time he saw Leo pull himself fully into his shell for anything other than shell bowling. He complained that it was too small, that the hot and cramped space made him feel claustrophobic.

Now he's completely pulled inside, still and silent in a way Leo should never be.

For an eternity, Raph thinks he's too late. They came all the way here only to save Leo's corpse.

"Leo...?"

He kneels by the cot, reaching out and putting a hand on Leo's shell. He's cold to the touch, and it unsettles Raph even further. He shouldn't be this cold.

Raph keeps his hand where it is and stays very still and very quiet. And he waits.

And then he hears it, so faint he almost misses it: a terrified, whimpering chirp.

Leo is alive.

Raph feels tears spring to his eyes. He puts his other hand on Leo's shell, rubbing in big, soothing motions.

"Leo! Leo, it's me! We're here, we're getting you out! It's all going to be okay, just trust Big Raphie, alright?"

So saying, Raph straightens back up, and grabs Leo's shell in his hands to carry him out, to take his little brother home.

A hand shoots out of the shell, stick thin. Though it's clearly weak, it grabs on to Raph's arm with a desperate ferocity, clawing at the skin there.

Raph freezes, not putting Leo down but not lifting him any further, either. He peers into the gap in Leo's shell, and sees eyes peering back at him, glassy and wide and full of terror. A cornered animal fighting for his life.

Raph takes a deep breath. He summons all the love he has for Leo, all the relief he feels at finding him alive, all the happiness he has from having his little brother in his arms again, and he pours it into a genuine smile, no matter the danger outside.

"Hey, Leo," he says, voice soft. "It's just me. Raph came to get ya. Everything's okay now."

A second passes, then five, then twenty. April starts to come in, but Raph waves a finger at her to tell her to go back before she startles Leo. He keeps the smile on his face, his eyes locked on Leo's, his hold secure but non-threatening.

And then, slowly, Leo pokes his head out.

"Raph?" he asks, in a voice that is exhausted and hoarse and warbling and absolutely beautiful.

"Yeah," says Raph, blinking tears back. "Hey, buddy."

Steadily, Leo unfurls the rest of himself, one limb emerging at a time. He looks terrible. His cheeks are sunken and gaunt, his skin is an unhealthy color, his eyes are ringed by dark black circles showing off how little he's slept.

Raph is so happy to see him. He so wishes this wasn't the state he was finding Leo in. If he could turn back time and make it so Leo never suffered, he would in a heartbeat. But he's so happy to have Leo back that the tears keep flowing.

The grip Leo has on his arm shifts. No longer trying to claw himself free, but grabbing on, holding still, with all the same desperation as before. His eyes search Raph's face, over and over until it seems he's finally satisfied.

"Raph," he repeats, and it's not a question this time.

"Yeah," Raph says anyway. "I'm here."

He lifts Leo the rest of the way, cradling Leo against his chest. Leo's so much lighter than he should be, and Raph feels a sharp pain in his heart over it.

It's okay. They'll leave. They'll take care of him. And then Leo will be all better again.

Leo shifts himself, reaching one arm up and hooking it around Raph's neck. Just that much movement seems to sap a lot of energy, and he slumps his head against Raph, giving up on holding it upright. It reminds Raph of when they were little and he would carry Leo to bed, before Leo started insisting he's too old for that.

"Am I dreaming?" Leo whispers.

Raph's heart breaks, but he doesn't lose his smile. "Nope. You're wide awake."

"Then..." Leo nuzzles closer. "Can we go home?"

"Yeah." Raph sniffles, shifting his grip so he can get a hand free without disturbing Leo. "We can go home."

Leo doesn't say anything more, just hums quietly against Raph's neck. Raph wipes his tears away, then turns and carries Leo out of the room.

-----

Bishop is still against the wall; it's Draxum's vines holding him there now.

When Leo sees him, he shrinks into himself, crossing the arm not hooked around Raph over his chest. Raph turns his body so Leo is shielded from view, glaring hard at Bishop as he does.

"Didn't do anything to him, huh?" he asks, voice icy.

"He is unharmed," says Bishop, equally cold. Raph wants to kill him.

"That's enough out of you," says Draxum, and a new vine wraps around Bishop's mouth. That shuts him up.

April's eyes are wide, her hand over her mouth as she looks at Leo, but she quickly pulls herself together, her expression turning to one of hard steel. She comes closer, only softening when Leo's eyes lock on her.

"Hey, Leo," she says, reaching up and giving his arm a pat. "How're you feelin'?"

"Happy to see you," Leo rasps, and it's so sincere that Raph feels tears spring to his eyes again. April has to blink hard behind her glasses.

"We're really happy to see you, too."

"Yes, everyone is happy now," says Draxum, though his eyes are worried as they look Leo over. "But we still need to get out of here."

"Right." April opens the door back into the offices, letting Raph through, before she pulls up her wrist to talk into her Donnie tech. "Guys, you there?"

"We're here, April," comes Donnie's voice. "We've extracted the information and we're on our way to meet you."

"Great." She smiles up at Raph. "We got Leo."

"Leo!" Mikey's voice comes booming through the radio, loud enough that April cringes and leans back. Raph can hear Donnie make a noise of protest in the background. "Is he okay!? Can I talk to him!? Did he miss me!?"

April raises her wrist so the tech is in front of Leo's mouth. He tilts his head towards it, saying, "Course I missed you."

"LEO!" screams Mikey even louder, and Raph thinks he hears the shout from somewhere in the building, too.

"-key, give me back my arm-" comes Donnie's voice, then there's an exaggerated throat clearing before he's saying, "We'll be there in one minute. Be ready to move."

"We're ready," Raph assures him. They move to the door and watch for the others to appear.

-----

Days of stress seem to fall off his brothers and Splinter when they see Leo.

Raph wishes they could have all the hugs and reassurances he knows they all need, but there's just no time; they're still in enemy territory, and the man who hurt his brother the most is just behind two doors, only being held by Draxum's vines. There's time only for brief shoulder touches and for Splinter to jump up on Raph's shoulder and give Leo's forehead a quick, relieved kiss.

Raph gives the rest of his family a quick glance over. Mikey is carrying Leo's gear, the katana sheathed across his shell and the rest of it slung over his shoulder. They haven't gotten any injuries, as far as he can tell. Everyone looks good to go.

"How do we get out of here?" asks Raph. Donnie pulls up his wrist tech.

"It may be inevitable that we'll face resistance on our way out... But the closest door is this way." He points down the hall, back the way Raph, Draxum, and April came from.

There's a weak thump against Raph's shoulder. "Gunners on the roof," Leo rasps once he has Raph's attention.

Raph wonders how he knows that, but there's no time to ask.

"We took care of 'em," he says instead. "You just relax, okay? We're getting out of here."

Leo lets his head fall against Raph's shoulder again, and Raph takes that as the okay to move.

It takes less time to get out than it did to get in. No need for stealth now that the director knows they're here, after all.

They run down the hallways, through doors, past the still unconscious guard April took care of earlier. Draxum takes the lead through the door, and they all crash as a group outside.

Where a ring of soldiers are waiting for them, guns trained their direction. And Raph isn't sure they're loaded with darts this time.

Leo shudders in his arms, and Raph curls protectively around him, already summoning his ninpo to shield them. His family forms their own protective barrier around the two of them, readying their weapons and squaring off against the soldiers.

Behind them, the door opens.

"This doesn't have to end in anyone getting hurt," says Bishop as he walks out.

Raph doesn't turn towards him, keeping the shivering Leo out of his sight. "What, like you didn't hurt my brother?"

"I've already told you, I didn't touch him." Bishop sounds only mildly put out. "He can attest to that himself."

"It's cute that you think any of us care what you have to say," snaps April, rounding on him and pointing her bat his direction.

"You should care what I have to say." Bishop nods at Raph. "Your comrade needs medical attention. Care that I can provide, if you lower your weapons and surrender."

"Care he only needs 'cause you jerks kidnapped him!" yells Mikey.

"Mikey," whispers Leo. Raph glances down at him, but Leo isn't looking his way.

"I gave Inmate 24365 plenty of chances to cooperate in exchange for more comfortable living conditions. That he declined was his choice. But I have no wish to see him dead. We were going to transfer him to the medical unit just as you arrived and interrupted us; surrender, and we'll take him there now."

"No," snaps Splinter, stepping toward Bishop. "You will come nowhere near my sons ever again."

"Mikey," Leo hisses with more urgency.

"These turtles are your sons? Really?" Bishop sounds disbelieving. Raph still doesn't turn his direction. "What am I supposed to believe next? That humans can give birth to birds?"

"They are my sons!" Splinter asserts. "Come near them again, and you are dead!"

"Perhaps we should kill him now, Lou Jitsu, and be done with it," Draxum suggests.

"Mikey," says Leo, kicking one emaciated foot. Mikey finally looks their way, confused. "Gimme... swords."

He doesn't have to explain. But Raph feels uneasy. He exchanges a glance with Donnie, who seems similarly concerned. "Nardo, I don't think-"

"Hey," says Leo, and even though his vocal chords sound tired and out of use, they can all hear him, their confident face-man of a brother, with a big ego and a cocky tone, shining through. "Trust me, I got this."

Mikey gives him the katana.

"The American government have allowed the yokai to live peacefully within our borders up until now," says Bishop. "If you kill me, that peace will be ruined."

"This war was started when you kidnapped my child!" cries Splinter, snapping his tail.

"You threaten the Hidden Cities as though you know anything about them," says Draxum. "They do not fear you."

"We know more about them than you think."

"You expect me to listen to this blathering?"

"Is it a chance you're willing to take, Draxum?"

Draxum falls silent. The lack of answer makes Raph feel even more on edge. But Leo is holding his katana now.

"You'll threaten the yokai no matter what we do today," says Splinter, voice dark. "No. We will not hand Leonardo over to you. You will not lay a single finger on him."

"So you're saying you won't surrender." Bishop pauses. Leo takes a deep breath. "You agree, Draxum?"

"...Leonardo is my creation. My son." Draxum sounds resolute. "No. I will not surrender."

Bishop scoffs. "Your son... this animal."

It's only the fact that he's holding Leo, fragile and shaking in his arms, that keeps Raph from turning around and killing Bishop right then.

But he doesn't, and Bishop raises his voice.

"Baron Draxum is a known yokai terrorist, who has threatened mass murder on the civilian human population of the United States and the rest of the earth. These five yokai are co-conspirators, and this woman with them a sympathizer and accomplice. They are attacking this base with the intent to harm those inside, and so anything we do now is self defense."

There's a smile in his tone as he says it.

"Fire at will."

Around them, triggers are pulled, and gunshots sound off.

But the flash of blue under their feet is faster.

For the first time since coming outside, Raph chances a look over his shoulder at Bishop, just as he's falling through the portal. Bullets whiz overhead, and one hits home.

The last thing Raph sees as he disappears into the blue light is blood blooming across Bishop's suit.

-----

They fall out of the portal somewhere outside the fence. Raph's not sure exactly where. He's not even sure Leo was aiming, beyond getting them away.

He lets out a relieved laugh, looking around at everyone, in one piece and notably not shot. They still have to get back to the tank, but they made it. They're safe.

"Leo! You did it!" He whoops, looking down at his little brother. "I can't believe you really- ...Leo?"

That's when he realizes that Leo isn't moving.

He's slumped over in Raph's hold, no longer holding himself up. His katana slip out of his lax grip and fall into the snow with a soft whump.

"L-leo!? LEO!"

Part 1 | Part 2 (here) | Part 3 (coming soon)

#rottmnt #dandy fanfiction #rise raph #rise april #rise mikey #rise donnie #baron draxum #rise splinter #rise leo #cw violence #cw guns

170 notes · View notes

ch6sos · 15 hours

Text

₊˚⊹♡ dad!nanami headcanons

summary: simple headcanons of nanami being the Best Dad ever <33

cw: all in lowercase because i was a bit lazy i am sorry-

3.5k words oopsies not too much but still a good enough number yuh

dad!nanami who cries upon seeing his newborn baby girl, grateful that she was born.

dad!nanami who climbs inside of his daughter's crib/bassinet while she cries and just gently puts her on top of his chest, softly caressing her fragile head and giving her soft kisses.

dad!nanami who is so patient with his baby. when she cries he doesn't get frustrated or mad, he tries his best to make her feel better by reassuring her with words or giving her favorite toy.

dad!nanami who loves looking into his daughter’s eyes because she has his sweet amber eyes in doe form.

dad!nanami who coos at his baby all the time, his most genuine smiles stemming because he's happy to have such a blessing in his life.

dad!nanami who has his baby on his lap while she gets shot with a needle at the doctors, and proceeds to glare at them or try not to cry because of the small wails of his baby girl.

dad!nanami who always carries his baby with him in one of those baby wrap carriers. he even brought her to work once, and the baby just relaxed with him while he typed away at his computer.

dad!nanami who once felt lonely as an only child, wants to have another baby or adopt one because he doesn't want his daughter to grow up feeling too alone.

dad!nanami who lets his daughter pat his face with her slobbery, sticky hands, but scrunches his nose up at her and gives her small kisses.

dad!nanami who gets home from work and immediately grabs his baby girl, collapsing on the couch and lays with her while he has her lying on his chest, and drifting off to sleep with his suit on.

dad!nanami who spoils his baby, with clothes, toys, and more, and enjoys seeing the gummy smile on her face.

dad!nanami who goes through instagram or social media, sees babies on his explore page everywhere, and begins to have more baby fever.

dad!nanami who gets sad when his baby is sick, and immediately starts trying to make her feel better. he has to sneakily give her medicine because she refuses to drink it, and remembers that his parents told him once that he was the same way, he was a stubborn little baby.

dad!nanami who finally has a use for the random pairs of baby shoes snuck away in his closet; he doesn't have to buy them because he thinks they're cute, he now has a daughter who can use them.

dad!nanami who once always had a stoic look on his face, but as soon as he had his daughter, the most genuine smiles ever come out of his face. his friends and people around him are surprised, as they never see him smile.

dad!nanami who is desperate to get off of work just to see his baby.

dad!nanami who bought a bed extension so that he could keep the baby close to her on most nights, even though the baby has her own nursery.

dad!nanami who lets his baby girl chew on his ties, even though they're expensive.

dad!nanami who is an absolute softie for his baby girl. even when she is chewing on his tie, when she broke something, he could never be too angry at her.

dad!nanami who is overwhelmed with emotion when he realizes his baby has spoken her first word. as he hears the faint "yes!" escape her lips, he is filled with joy and tears. He gently scoops her up and spins her around, a mix of laughter and tears escaping from him.

dad!nanami who is overcome with emotion as he watches his baby take her first steps. he sits on the couch, eagerly waiting for her to clumsily make her way towards him. a wide smile spreads across his face as he extends his arms to welcome her into his embrace. tears well up in his eyes as he feels overwhelming joy. his daughter, seeing her dad cry, becomes emotional as well, and joins in with tears of her own.

dad!nanami who does not trust almost anyone with his daughter, only his partner and ino.

dad!nanami who notices his daughter babbling at something, and notices that she was babbling at an old photo of him and haibara. he smiles fondly, gently whispering in her ear.

"yeah, that's your uncle. he would've loved you so much, sweet pea."

dad!nanami who bursts out laughing when he sees his little one trying to slap gojo in the face, gently kissing the top of her head.

"attagirl. you're so smart. i'd love for you to do that more."

dad!nanami who lets yuji see his daughter, and closely watches him as he takes care of her. he smiles fondly though, knowing that yuji was another reason why he wanted a kid.

dad!nanami who, on his daughter’s first birthday, had a small little gathering for her, and chuckled as she looked out of it and stoic, almost reminiscent of his personality.

dad!nanami who prepares himself for the "terrible two's & threes", knowing that his daughter may be more temperamental around this time. though, he doesn't need to do much because he does gentle discipline.

dad!nanami who blinks, and all of a sudden his baby isn't one, two or three, but now is five, entering kindergarten.

dad!nanami who looks at his daughter, smiling gently as she grabs her backpack and they head inside of the school. but then frowns and kneels when his daughter begins to cry a bit.

"listen, my love, i know it's scary. being in a room with strangers your age. but i promise, everything will be okay, alright? you’re such a brave girl, i know you are. no need to be nervous, okay? you’re smart, you’re the best, so i know you will have friends right away."

his daughter immediately smiles a bit, and she gives him a soft kiss on his cheek and nose.

"okay... i love you, papa... so much. bye bye.."

dad!nanami who is still parked in front of the school building for a while, overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down his face as he realizes just how much he loves his daughter and how quickly she is growing up.

dad!nanami who sits down and looks at his baby girl fondly while she blabbers about her first day at school.

dad!nanami who is basically a second teacher to his daughter, he teaches her how to read and she always enjoyed reading ever since she was way younger, so she is advanced for her age. he smiles when he hears this at the parent-teacher conference and rewards her.

dad!nanami who nearly faints out of joy when he realizes he's gonna have another kid.

dad!nanami who loves to fix up his daughter’s hair, running his hands through it, and gently kissing the top of her head while she sits on his lap.

dad!nanami who puts his daughter on top of the stool so she can watch him cook/bake something for her.

dad!nanami who tells his child that she is going to have another sibling, which immediately resorts to talks about where babies come from.

dad!nanami stalled on the question, trying to think of how he would tell her the answer to that question. the stork? magic?

dad!nanami who, on his days off, takes his daughter out onto an adventure, taking her to the park, going on the swings, and getting frozen yogurt and pastries from his favorite bakery.

dad!nanami who does anything for his daughter, dresses up as a princess, dresses up as a superhero just to play along in her games.

dad!nanami who takes his daughter trick or treating and secretly has a rivalry with all the kids in that neighborhood so he has to obviously make his daughter the best costume.

dad!nanami who proudly takes a picture of his daughter holding up any achievement they earned from school, and posting it on his facebook, instagram, whatsapp status...

dad!nanami who smiles when his daughter asks "do you got games on your phone, pa?" just for it to be candy crush.

dad!nanami who makes sure his kids aren't on technology at a young age because he wants them to live their youth not on social media.

dad!nanami who only shows discipline by showing disappointment in his face. if his daughter cries at his face he would immediately soften up and begin carrying her, smothering her with kisses.

dad!nanami realizes his second child, his son, is a carbon copy of him, from his hair to his eyes, to his facial expression and attitude, he was the same as him.

dad!nanami holding his two children as he reads a book on the couch, each on the side of him.

dad!nanami who officially retired to become a househusband, and stays home to take care of his children. he still receives big money!

dad!nanami who chuckles at his son as he eats food with a slightly grumpy expression, reminding him of how his mother told him he used to be like that.

dad!nanami who does not have a favorite because both of his children are his top priority in life.

dad!nanami who watches with a fond smile as his daughter shows kindness to her little brother. he tries to hold back his tears, but they fall anyway, causing his two little ones to cry as well.

dad!nanami who goes out with his little ones and has his son on the baby strap thingy and his daughter holds his hand as they walk.

dad!nanami who talks about his daughter and son in every conversation he has with people, and spends time rambling about them, about their achievements, about how cute they are...

dad!nanami who plays peekaboo with his son chuckles when he bursts out giggling.

dad!nanami who takes pictures of his son, but he always has a small scowl or a serious expression on his face. he smiles at the sight of it.

dad!nanami who once got visited by gojo, and while his daughter took a liking of uncle gojo, his son does the same thing that she once did when she was younger, sticks out his tongue at him, and looks at him with a grumpy expression.

"next time, you should bite him."

dad!nanami, who somehow knows about the mom gossip because they believe he is the only man ever to be allowed in the mom gossip, so he somehow knows... everything about the neighbourhood.

dad!nanami who notices his kids have taking a liking to bread, just like him, so he begins to make his bread and feeds them it.

dad!nanami who plays music while he cleans, and then smiles widely when he notices his son, dancing along to it. he then grabs him out of the crib, and slowly dances with him in his arms.

dad!nanami who once wakes up to see his three loves, his partner, daughter, and son made him breakfast in bed. he happily gives them all a kiss, thanking them.

dad!nanami who sees his son playing with his watch, and sees him trying to put it on. he laughs at the sight, knowing that his son will probably turn out to be exactly like him.

dad!nanami watching as his son crawls ontop of him everytime he's on the couch or in the bed, and he smiles fondly.

dad!nanami, who unknowingly fell asleep many times with both of his kids on top of him, his partner having a whole collection of the pictures.

dad!nanami who lets yuji sees his new son, and watches as yuji got better at handling and holding the newborn. he looks at them with so much love, knowing that in the future, yuji will also guide him like his little brother.

dad!nanami who used to have drinking as pastime before having kids, but completely stop as soon as his daughter was born.

dad!nanami who spends moments reading to both of his kids, or singing lullabies so they could go to sleep.

dad!nanami who smiles when he realizes his first son's word was not dad, but his name. he heard yuji say "nanamin", and then he copied his words, only saying the min part.

"no, no baby. it's dada... da-da!"

"min!"

dad!nanami who doesn't care, he just tries not to tear up again at his son who said his first words.

dad!nanami who watches his son, does the same thing his daughter did - looking and pointing at a picture of him and haibara. he smiles sadly, yet finds solace in the fact that both of his children have somehow acknowledged his best friend whom he lost so long ago.

"that's your uncle haibara. he would be so happy to see that you know who he is, bubba."

dad!nanami looks at the picture of haibara, with a frown on his face. he can't help but feel saddened that his friend never had the chance to grow up alongside him, and was left behind in the past. he reflects that haibara would have been glad to see him happy for once.

dad!nanami hears a faint murmur, and it seems as though his son said "haibara." picking this up, he tries not to cry.

dad!nanami who teaches his curious daughter how to cook, since she loves watching him as he cooks. they then take up the food to his partner.

dad!nanami who sees his daughter one day comforting her baby brother from crying, exactly like how he used to comfort her as a baby. he feels his heart explode from how cute it looked.

dad!nanami who blinks again, and all of a sudden his two children are 8 and 13, but no, he doesn't have just two children. he has an additional one, this time another girl, who is two years younger than her big brother.

dad!nanami who takes his children to the beach to make sandcastles, and lets them do whatever they want to him. so of course, he gets buried with sand as they laugh at him.

dad!nanami who prepares for his daughter's adolescence, understanding that she's experiencing growth hormones and puberty. he willingly provides period products for her and supports her through any challenges. when she becomes more irritable, he addresses it with understanding and patience, not taking it personally.

dad!nanami who raised a son who reads at a seventh grade level as a third grader.

dad!nanami, who also has his youngest daughter, who is only six years old, reading at a third grade level and his eldest daughter, who is an eighth grader almost reading at a college level.

dad!nanami who lowkey interrogates his teenage daughter's friends when they come over. she tells him to calm down, and eventually he does. she always asks him why does he do it.

"it's obvious, sweet pea. you have to be careful with who you surround yourself with, especially at your age. when i was your age-"

"okay dad, i get it, you're old!"

"hey, i'm not THAT old."

dad!nanami who prepares michelin star level meals for his family, his daughter occasionally helping.

dad!nanami who notices that his son grew up to be similar to him; stoic yet caring, smart and respectful...

dad!nanami who buys everything for his kids; when they have a new interest they have to get ready because he's going to bombard them with merch of it.

dad!nanami who is respectful of his adolescent daughter's privacy; though occasionally worries about her and wants to know about her life.

dad!nanami who does his youngest daughter's hair, and reminisces about how he used to do his eldest daughter's hair when she was the same age.

dad!nanami who gathers up his kids and they keep haibara in their remembrance, and he tells them stories about haibara of when they were teenagers.

dad!nanami, who observes that his adolescent daughter is going through an emo phase—albeit one he is familiar with.

dad!nanami, who enjoys showing his children affection by hugging and kissing them from time to time, wants them to be able to communicate their feelings effectively, as he was not able to do when he was younger.

dad!nanami who raised a non-ipad kid family, he limits their technology use and makes sure they're living offline more than online.

dad!nanami who makes christmas an absolute experience for them. he dresses up as santa, has a whole neat pile of presents for each of them, and prepares them a fancy christmas dinner.

dad!nanami who doesn't believe in birthday celebrations for his kids because they share his preference for low-key events. however, he shows his love by taking them out for a special meal or getting them whatever they desire.

dad!nanami who enjoys spending quality time with his kids. he loves playing Scrabble with them, and even though he's a scrabble master, he lets his kids win to boost their confidence and make the game more enjoyable for them.

dad!nanami who sees his eldest daughter come home with a bunch of flowers and letters on valentine’s day…

“i wanna see who these are from…”

“dad! they’re nothing.”

“do you like any of them? if so, what are they like?”

“daaaaaad!”

“okay, fine. i’m sorry, sweet pea. i just can’t believe my baby is growing up so fast.”

dad!nanami who once saw his son in his closet, putting on one of his suits.

trying not to chuckle, he covers his mouth. “bubba, what is this?”

“my clothes.”

“oh? YOUR clothes? you have great taste, son.”

dad!nanami who realizes that his children are different in their own ways— his eldest daughter is emo like he once was, listening to my chemical romance, occasionally wearing his old jewelry and some of his old clothing, but she was not quiet like her father, she was bubbly and loud, the complete opposite of him.

his son, on the other hand, is more stoic, much like him. his son takes some time to smile, but around his father, he is a smile machine, especially when nanami tickles him or plays with him. he also enjoys reading a lot and is classy, just exactly like his father.

his youngest daughter, she is ambiverted. while loving interacting with people, there are times when she needs space or does not like talking to people. she is like a balance of both of her siblings but is not that developed yet. she is also a huge foodie like her father.

dad!nanami who has their drawings and report cards on the fridge, it looks like a mess because it is covered with achievements.

dad!nanami who still wears the handmade jewelry his children had to make during a kindergarten activity class.

dad!nanami who raises a house where everyone does something, they all clean, cook, and do chores.

dad!nanami who has several parenting books (even though he doesn't need them) but uses them to better understand his children and improve his parenting skills.

dad!nanami who raises his kids with so much love and affection; always making sure they're okay, comforting them through their hardest moments and making sure they treat others the way they want to be treated.

dad!nanami who is now older, his eldest daughter 24, his son 19, and his youngest daughter 17, seeing how his children grew up to be such amazing people.

he sees that they grew up to be such respectful individuals, feeling content that he and his partner did such a wonderful job.

he sees how his daughter, who is engaged to her significant other, has grown up to be such a lovely person—working her way up independently in the world while attempting to do good for the world by pursuing a law degree.

his son, who is a carbon copy of him in terms of looks, has also grown up as a person. he is strong when it comes to academics and has grown to become more sociable yet still introverted. he became an empathetic, considerate young man who upholds boundaries and constantly watches out for those closest to him, just like his father. he also grew up to be an animal lover; which is why he'd love to become a veterinarian.

his youngest daughter, who is currently a teenager but almost an adult, has grown up to be unbelievably intelligent. plays chess with her dad 24/7; honor roll, is the equivalent of someone that princeton university would accept …. she puts a lot of effort into her success and aspires to write in addition to running a flower shop (him core).

dad!nanami who loves all his children, so so much, and would do anything for them.

a/n im going to kms

129 notes · View notes

jae-bummer · 18 hours

Text

The Stranger in 43B

Prompt: You move in next door and he tries his hardest to be a good neighbor while you try your hardest to be left alone.

Pairing: Ateez Park Seonghwa x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Song rec while you're reading: Close - Han

Putting your hands on your hips, you let out a sigh as you assessed the sight in front of you. Boxes upon boxes in leaning and teetering stacks were balanced haphazardly around the living area, all of them threatening to come down in an expensive game of dominoes at any moment.

You never realized just how much crap you owned until you moved.

"Hello?" a gentle voice called from your entryway.

Nearly tumbling into the stack of boxes closest to you, you spun in surprise. With your hands full as you came in, you forgot to kick the door closed behind you as you had done most of the morning.

"Uh..." you trailed, looking down the hall and into the face of someone you had never met.

Admittedly, he was handsome...but still, stranger danger.

"Neighbor," he smiled in explanation. Moving to take a step in, he stopped himself. His cheeks instantly began to blush pink. "May I?"

Anywhere you had lived, you had made a point to make yourself as small and insignificant as possible. You didn't want to rely on any of your neighbors for anything, and more importantly, you didn't want to be relied on. It was easier to be a lone wolf. Having to care for yourself and yourself alone was difficult enough in this modern hellscape.

You stared at him, unblinking. "Sure?"

So much for your survival instincts.

Smiling to himself, he gave a short nod before stepping just inside of your entryway. He lifted a plate into the air. "I heard we had a new neighbor moving in down the hall, so I made muffins."

"I'm allergic to blueberries," you blurted, trying not to wince at how loud the declaration came out.

He narrowed his eyes. "Good thing they're chocolate chip."

"Right," you laughed nervously, still making no move to come closer. "You really didn't have to go to the trouble."

"It was no trouble at all," he insisted. Was it just your imagination or did you see his smile become tighter? "I have housemates, so they're always eager for me to bake something and-"

"Oh, if you have roommates, you don't have to waste any food on me," you nodded. "Thank you though!"

"I'm Seonghwa," the stranger said, you assumed trying a different tactic for conversation. Honestly, you never really understood people who insisted on being friendly.

"Y/N," you nodded shortly, letting the conversation lapse into something awkward. Maybe if he felt uncomfortable he would leave.

No such luck.

"Do you need any help with boxes?" he asked, looking around the room with wide eyes. "No one should have to move by themselves."

"I work best alone," you said cheerfully, hoping he'd pick up on the hint.

"Oh," he hummed, pursing his lips. Sweeping one last gaze across your apartment, he let out a sigh. "I'll just set these on the counter then?"

"Really, you don't-"

"Please," he snapped before catching himself and letting his face fall into a serene smile again. "I insist."

"Counter is fine," you chirped, trying not to feel as if you were just chastised by a parent. "Thank you."

"No thanks needed," he affirmed, stepping gingerly between boxes and packing materials to get to the kitchen. Placing the plate on the counter, he turned back to face you. "Just return the plate whenever you have the chance."

As you were opening your mouth to tell him he could take the plate before he left, he was already giving a small wave and backtracking out of your apartment. "It was nice meeting you, Y/N. If you need anything, I'm just down the hall! Apartment 43B."

"Right," you croaked, watching him disappear around the corner into the hallway.

And that was how your relationship with Park Seonghwa of Apartment 43B began; awkwardly and against your will.

The day after he had broken into your apartment (been invited in) to poison you (give you muffins that were admittedly delicious), you waited until it was 2 AM the following day to covertly stalk down the hall and abandon the plate. You placed it in a shopping bag (you weren't going to leave someone else's dinnerware on the ground) and tiptoed toward his door.

Looking down at his welcome mat, you hissed out a laugh. Decorated in floral patterns, it noted in sprawling script "Bless Our Nest." You didn't even know him and somehow that was so on brand.

Depositing the bag in front of his door, you must have looked like a fool as you attempted to run quietly back toward your apartment. No one looked cool when they were trying to be sneaky, no matter how the spy movies made it seem.

"Y/N?"

Your shoulders scrunched up to your ears as you spun slowly toward the sound of Seonghwa's voice. "Why are you awake?"

He lifted his brows in amusement at your curt response. Waving his hand in the air, you saw he was holding a Nintendo Switch. "New Animal Crossing expansion dropped at midnight."

"How did you hear me?"

Crossing his arms, he leaned against the door frame. He eyed you up and down carefully. "I have a camera doorbell."

Glancing directly to the left of his elbow, you tried not to swear. He sure as shit did. You crossed your arms as well, trying to hide yourself from his appraising gaze.

"Why'd you come to the door then?" you managed, unsure of where to take this conversation.

"And miss this exciting game of twenty questions?" he grinned. "I'm not going to leave a Williams Sonoma plate for someone to steal."

You sighed, of course he owned expensive flatware.

"I didn't kno-"

"Of course you didn't," he grinned, lifting the bag from the ground. "I'm teasing you, Y/N."

You opened your mouth, unsure of what to say. It had been quite awhile since someone had bothered to banter with you.

"Why are you awake?" he countered, cocking a brow.

"Unpacking," you said quietly. You weren't going to admit that you had also been waiting for the Animal Crossing expansion.

"Thanks for bringing back my plate," he managed, biting his lip as he held your gaze a little too long. "I'm going to get back to it though."

"Right," you nodded. "Sorry for-"

"Goodnight, Y/N," he smiled genuinely, cutting off any apology.

Shutting the door softly between the two of you, you shook your head.

"Goodnight."

Of course that wouldn't be the last time you saw him. Against your best efforts, he became one of the constants in your routine. Whether it was fate or organized by his own design, you were constantly bumping into each other around your apartment building. Trash drop off? Seonghwa. Going to grab your mail? Seonghwa. Hopping in the elevator? Seonghwa.

Needless to say, you shouldn't have been surprised when a few weeks later, you heard a light knock on your door.

"Do you need any candles?" he asked, appearing in the doorway.

You furrowed your brows as you took him in. Already wearing pajamas at 8 PM (albeit a very expensive looking silk set) his arms were full to the brim with what appeared to be Yankee Candles. By all accounts, he was adorable, and you hated it.

"They're all the same scent," he attested. "So if you have more than one going at once, you won't get a headache."

"Seonghwa-" you began, completely confused by his appearance until another roll of thunder shook the complex and the lights above you began to flicker.

"I probably should have led with this," he chuckled. "But the power likes to go out at the smallest weather event."

Looking toward the ceiling, you grimaced. While you didn't mind bad weather, you did mind the power going out. Sure, you were an independent adult who could navigate the world alone, but as soon as the lights went out, you were on edge. It wasn't necessarily the dark that scared you, but the things in it that you couldn't see.

"I have lanterns somewhere..." you muttered, walking further into your apartment. You racked your brain, trying to remember which box you had packed them in. While you had most of your day to day items unpacked, there were still quite a few boxes waiting to be opened.

"I brought my lighter too in case you didn't have one," Seonghwa insisted, following you into the living area. He began to set the candles down on the makeshift coffee table you had created out of cardboard. "Let's get these lit before the-"

As if summoning it with his words, all noise halted around you as the power shuttered off.

"Lights go out."

"Shit," you whispered, standing as still as possible in the blackness that threatened to suffocate you.

With a light pop, the space was illuminated in a dull glow as Seonghwa's lighter flared to life.

"Thank god," you nearly cried as you watched him lean down to light the candles. For once, you could confidently say that you were thankful for your overly helpful neighbor.

"Hwa to the rescue!" he chimed, attempting to light the first candle, but the wick refused to catch. "Now why..."

You watched in horror as the lighter flickered out. As Seonghwa pressed the button again, it only clicked. "Oh, come on."

"Shit," you whispered into the darkness again. "Shit, shit, shit."

"No worry," he said confidently. "I'm sure it won't be out for long."

Feeling as if you were a piece of ice that had begun to melt, you slid toward the floor with a plop. "Shit."

You closed your eyes tightly, convinced that the blackness that hid behind your lids was safer than anything this apartment could provide.

"Y/N?" Seonghwa's gentle voice filled the silence, noting the obvious shift in atmosphere.

"Yep," you hissed. Your eyes were screwed shut, only cognizant of his movements by the noise of him shuffling around you. "I'm good."

"Are you sure?" he asked, this time much closer. You couldn't confirm, but it felt like he was crouched down in front of you. "You don't sound okay."

"I'm fine," you gritted out. "You can head back over to your place."

Even though the idea of being alone right now was terrifying, you didn't know if you were prepared for the level of vulnerability it took to show Seonghwa this part of you. That's why it was easier to push people away.

The pace of your breathing sped up, your body completely ignoring every therapist you had ever worked with. How could the room spin when your eyes weren't open?

"Hey, hey, hey, hey," Seonghwa cooed, pulling you into his arms without a second thought. "It's going to be okay."

Panicked breaths shuttered out of you as you allowed him to tuck you tightly into his chest.

"Crap, is this alright? I didn't ask permission to touch you, but also-"

You quickly nodded your head. "F-f-fine."

"Okay," he said, voice still calm. He began to run his hands over your hair, his fingers smoothing through the strands methodically. "Just breathe, Y/N. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

You knew he wouldn't. While you had forced yourself to be annoyed at his mere presence, Seonghwa had done nothing but be there for you from the beginning.

"Let's breathe together, okay? Can you do that with me?"

You remained silent, already trying to focus on his breathing cadence.

"Good, you're doing so good," he hummed. "Are your eyes open, Y/N?"

"No," you choked out.

"Open your eyes," he whispered. "I've got you. Let them adjust to the dark. It's not so scary once you can kind of see what's going on."

You thought about arguing, but he hadn't steered you wrong yet. Your eyes fluttered open and you instantly began to breath easier. He was right. There was a slight glow coming from under the door, no doubt the apartment's emergency lights flared to life in the hallway. The windows also provided a bit of light on their own, the moon bright despite the clouds passing by.

"See," he cooed. "This isn't so bad."

You hadn't realized that you were white knuckling the fabric of his top and slowly released the smooth material. Setting your palm against his chest instead, it was more obvious when his own heartbeat sped up.

You thought back to every time you had bumped into your neighbor, every kindness he showed you just for you to push him away. What were you afraid of?

Leaning slightly away from Seonghwa, you tried to make out the outline of his face. it was easy to see his features this close, even cloaked in night.

It might have been the oxygen you had been depriving your brain, but it seemed like a great idea to kiss him.

"Hwa," you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

His tongue skirted across his bottom lip, almost like an invitation.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you pressed your lips lightly against his, barely a ghost of a kiss. Just as you began to pull away, you felt his mouth chase after yours. Another kiss, this one soft and sweet before he broke contact.

Maybe your fear was confusing itself for sexy feelings, but either way, mortification flooded in where butterflies had once been.

"Y/N?" he said quietly, his eyes searching your face. Even in the dark, they were so big and bright. His own expression was one of wonder.

"Sorry...was that...I didn't-" you stumbled over your words. He had been so conscious of asking for your permission to touch you earlier, and here you were, just thrusting your lips into his.

A small smile fought it's way onto his mouth. "I just wanted to make sure it was something you wanted...I don't want to take advantage-"

"No, I thought I was the one taking advantage-"

"No!" he laughed. "I'm not the one coming down from a panic attack."

"I thought...maybe I mistook your kindness and..."

"I think we're both fine then," he hummed, snuggling you in closer. "You know...you...you could do that again...maybe."

"Oh...I could?" you whispered, letting the amusement take place of the fear.

"Mhm," he hummed, his face coming even closer to yours. "It'll keep your mind busy until the power comes back on."

"You're such a thoughtful neighbor," you whispered.

"Dare you say...your favorite neighbor?"

"I dunno," you hummed. "Mrs. Huang in 41B is pretty high on my list."

"I bake waaaay better than Mrs. Huang," he grumbled, his lips still painfully close but still not on yours.

You pretended to think. "I suppose you're my favorite neighbor, but only by a little bit."

Lifting his hand to cup your cheek, he grinned. "Let me close the gap then."

#ateez #park seonghwa #seonghwa #ateez seonghwa #ateez fluff #ateez x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #ateez au #neighbor ateez #seonghwa fluff #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa au #seonghwa fanfic #hwa

114 notes · View notes

creatingblackcharacters · 2 days

Note

Hello! i'd made sure to read through your pinned posts before asking this, so i hope it's not come up already, but how do you feel about characters (esp in anime) who have dark/tan skin and white (usually straight) hair? I've seen a pattern of it with a few characters, in particular the character of Noe in The Case Study of Vanitas and Miriko in My Hero, and was wondering if you'd have any thoughts on these sort of designs!

Thank you for your time, and if you've answered something like this before/don't feel comfortable with the question, please lmk!

Well, you said you read through my stuff first, so I'm sure you can guess a little on what I'm gonna say. I actually have a redesign of Miriko AND Noe, my pretty boy. Gave them both afro textures and rounder noses. Personally, I'd feel less annoyed by it if they gave the characters textured hair and made them unambiguously Black 🤣

Jokes aside. The issue is that for the many artists that give their characters this design, they're doing it because they think it "looks prettier" than what regular Black people look like. They're not actually doing it with the intent that "this is my Black character", it's "this is my character with brown paint bucket". Hell, every time I see Miriko in fan art, she gets lighter and lighter.

And while yeah, I enjoy unnatural colors on Black characters, if you never draw Black characters unless they... Don't have Black features... 😐😐 We have a problem! We may need to check our biases to determine if we feel lesser about Black features! Why did you do it? Is there an in story reason for your character to have these particular features that we're less likely to have? (For example, my OC Philia's eyes are green because they're supposed to reflect her (white) father's. He's supposed to be looking into the mirror of his own soul, his own life, when he looks at her. It's for storytelling and symbolism. I didn't just do it because I thought she'd look "better" with them.)

Your Black characters shouldn't have to have light eyes or straight blonde or white hair to be deemed "cool enough to include". Black features are not a monolith, there's an infinite number of ways we can look. If none of those are somehow pretty or good enough for you... Again, we may need to check our racist and colorist biases.

#like I'm tired of Storm with straight hair ngl #creatingblackcharacters

110 notes · View notes

adoregojo · 2 days

Text

✘ unrequited love

summary: loves echoes through the darkness, yet there's no light to erase it.

↝ they like you, you don't seem to share the bits of it.

context: unrequited love, angst no comfort, !!gn reader!!, angst and also angst, mention of blood, character: isagi, bachira, nagi, rin.

Isagi.y

he felt his heart break a bit, didn't shatter. just a little crack that made him lose his breathing track for a second.

he has to take a step back from you, to 'comprehend’ it, and by that he means living his ordinary road, just with a new layer of wretchedness. He really tried going on his old ways, yet his attempts were futile. He wouldn't utter a tune on breakfast with his family, his friends would ask him why he stuck to the mud all of a sudden, he would woolgather like there was a castle in the sky, in class, in practice to the locker room.

he would walk back home, stare at the mirror, and surveyed his features. fingers crossed his face, did he perhaps not fit the standards? more importantly, your standards? he does realize that he wasn't that much of an eye candy, but he definitely wasn't an eyesore either. did he look too basic? he’ve always been told that by his teammates一yet you always told him that they're just jealous that they don't carry the most splendid, navy blue pairs of eyes around really一god, he really missed you.

he tried, he really did try to connect the puzzle, solve it to get the idea out of your mind. laying in bed with his hands behind his head, his ceiling seems to be the most interesting thing to ever exist. Was he not your ideal type? you always told him that as long as heart remains genial, it’d be good enough. did his heart come out as ruthless? well, it's not like his behavior on the field is helping.

it took him a good long days to get it, this was not a game he could fathom in a blink, this was you. he can't change what you think of him, he can't force you to see him as the almighty devotion defines that he sees you as, he can't make you love him, as much as he wishes and prays to. for once, this isn't something that his ego could grasp on, even for his sake.

he asks you to be friends again, if you were kind enough to agree, he'd be willing to get on his knees, thanking what you had left of sympathy for him. even if life never came back like it used to, as long as you're by his side, it's not the end of the world just yet.

isagi could just wish, you’d somehow discern a new corner in your heart that’ll behold as a sense of love for him, for what he had of selfishness clinging onto him, for what he had of undying love for you.

Bachira.m

he really, lived and witnessed the world ending through his eyes and mostly his heart.

to put it mildly, bachira have always been out of place. to other people, he didn't seem to reach out of his weird spot he somehow earned. you were nice though, the nicest person he had ever met, you were his special place, and the safest of all. his favorite flower and the references to cross his brush over the pearly white papers. and with all the cheesiest in the world一his universe.

it was an unyielding thing to not catch feelings for you, his ever first friend that didn't feel ashamed when hearing his name beside yours, till he found himself wanting more than just that title, for you to be his better half sounded like a paradise blessing pouring on him.

there would be dreams where he'd finally get to press his lips against yours, it's too good to be true, the warmth and the dizziness, the sweet flavor against his lips was making his mind melt to a pool, made him heat up like he was standing above a low steam stone, he wanted more, till he'd fell unconscious in your arms from the lack of air, never ever wanting it to come to an end, yet I'll eventually burn to ashes.

he never hated you, he could never. even when you uttered the words of rejection that came like a keen pain right up his chest. it hurts, more than any punch, kick or insult he'd receive. his wheel of life seemed to diminish, and his eyes began to water.

a part of him knew this was coming, even when you became something of him, there will always be a sound whispering how inadequate he'll remain, no matter how he tries.

but hey, it's bachira. the same guy that’ll always look at the brightest side. above all, it's still love, yeah? even if you didn't return it, he was grateful that he somehow got to experience it, to pick raw flowers from the backyard with the biggest, lovesick smile glued to his face. to wake up everyday just to see you again was enough reason to leap off the bed. he was glad to say he for once, had a crush, coating the fact that his feelings got smashed to a wall. he was glad to feel any sense of true love.

your existence alone in his world was the definition of bliss, maybe he was sad because he wasn't in yours.

after all, you loving him back was too good to be true. being your friend should be an honor itself, he’ll keep on telling that to himself, till he finds the right extinguisher for the fire you lit up his heart.

Nagi. S

“sei.. I'm sorry, but I don't like you that way.”

“oh.” it was light, a tune of realization. In an instant, his eyes are empty again, the world blends to a hue of gray he knows the most, and suddenly sinking into a dreamless slumber for a whole day sounded like a brilliant idea.

“okay.” that's it, that's all he had to say before he's.. him again. he was nagi again, not the seishirou that fell smitten and starstruck, the one you made with your bare hands, the better version一the happiest version of himself.

he doesn't get a grasp on why he felt nothing at that moment, but at the same time he felt everything一it almost felt like he had an organ failure, but also his heart rate draw at halt. it was hard to put it on words一but what he knew, he definitely never, ever wants to experience anything like that again.

for the longest time, nagi always lends to your hand, interlocking his fingers with yours, it's been like this for the longest time. you and him, perhaps against the world一but really, it was more like you against the world while he immerse in your shadow.

he didn't mind. your light has always been overcasting. your smile was radiant, with your eyes aglow, he couldn't help but feel small. he was nothing against the brightest star to ablaze at him, and for the countless nights, he'd wondered一why him? nagi didn't exactly embrace the fact he was a slacker, he just tended to let it be this way, it was too much of a hassle to correct it一or maybe it was a truth that cannot be denied, who knows.

it was mostly his fault, for getting too used to you, for leaning on you like his own wheel of life. but he didn't want to let you go, it would be a pain一he was selfish after all.

nagi would slim down on your shoulder, he can feel your slightest tenseness. you were always comfortable, so comfortable that he could just be one with you.

“do you like me back yet?” he would ask, you say nothing. he’d inhale a soft sigh, snuggling onto you even more till his snowy locks kept on tickling the skin of your neck.

“that's okay, I'll stay here until you like me back.”

you again say nothing, but you’ll let him hold your hand, meshing your palms together. maybe he'll let go when his heart stops skipping a beat for you, or when the world comes to crumble, but they both end up with the same fate anyway, so it didn't really matter.

Rin.i

he knew he'll at some point regret this. wanting you of all people was a sin, a forbidden love.

despite his ears ringing, and his heart dropping to his core. he saw it coming, he would mutter that he'd be ready for it, just for it to sting like a sore thumb. it felt like he was collapsing on the ground with a pool of blood and tears, and all you’d do is watch with pity.

he felt bare, naked and exposed, he wanted to hide. he felt rejected and small. Suddenly he was fifteen again, pleading for his big brother to not leave him to rot in the cold, to not let the snow be the only source of comfort he had instead of a warm embrace.

for once, he had felt his heart swell with adoration一for a second, he didn't even have a name for that feeling, was was genuinely confident that you were making him somehow ill, there had to be a medical explanation for the mini heart attack he suffered from whenever he witnessed you at elation.

he allowed it to happen, he should've pushed you away more, he should've stood up his ground, he should've made more effort to strengthen his walls that you decayed with ease.

but what was there to wonder about the ‘what if's’ and the ‘maybe's’ yet again here he was, playing a secondary role in the ones he loved the most once again. digging his own grave stupidly.

for the first time in forever, he didn't feel like it was a challenge to love him, he didn't have to look at his reflection and grimace, he didn't have to be muddled by the name ‘itoshi sae’ this time, he was rin一your rin, was it bad that he wanted to live by that? it felt right to.

he knew he wasn't perfect, maybe even his flaws swamped over what he had of strengths. yet you seemed to admire him through it all, you looked at him like he was something一someone, he wanted to be that someone to you.

you managed to make everything look soft, feel warm. you stained his world with colors he thought he forgot the hues of it, he thinks he likes you a little too much.

for the longest time, rin was afraid he'll eat the life out of you, just like the maggots adore the flesh. seems like he was worried about nothing, because he’ll never be what he ought to be一yours.

you probably hate him, he did exclaimed hurtful things, he saw your eyes narrowing into a pained expression, it ached more than any rejection. he didn't know why, he was overwhelmed, angry and blinded by rage一and like the predictable itoshi he was. he revealed his cuspids and went for the throat.

he just wanted to hurt you back, that's what felt right at that moment. and yet as soon as he saw shedding tears running down your cheeks, satisfaction never came across, all he felt was a deep-seated regret. he felt ugly, sour and mean. and most of all, cruel.

and when rin sinks to his bed, he curls himself to a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. did his heart die already? or was he just too numb to feel anything at the moment? all he can sense is tiredness, so he closes his eyes to nothingness. where he dreams about you, with him in the summer breeze and cheap popsicles, and nothing bad happened to you and him.

sounds like a nice dream.

#blue lock x reader #bllk x reader #blue lock #isagi x reader #nagi x reader #rin x reader #bachira x reader #rin itoshi x reader #bachira meguru x reader #isagi yoichi x reader #nagi seishiro x reader

105 notes · View notes

gffa · 2 days

Note

If Kenobi season 2 happens and they bring back Commander Cody, how do you think they should handle Obi-Wan and Cody storywise?

I'm so very on the fence about whether I would even want a second season of the show--the first season was never meant to be anything beyond a mini-series and I think having it be self-contained that way made it so much more satisfying. It wasn't meant to be an ongoing story like The Mandalorian is, and Ewan was just leaving the door open for any potential future stories. On the other hand, I WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF EWAN'S OBI-WAN. For me, I think any potential second season needs to really feel like it has a point and feel sufficiently tied to Obi-Wan's core story if they're going to the effort of bringing all the actors back again. Which means: Anakin needs to be a central figure in it, even if I'm not sure how well that would work after that unnamed moon wrapped things up pretty well between them and Obi-Wan was where he needed to be for ANH. An Obi-Wan show needs to be centered on Obi-Wan's story. Versus that I think whatever Cody's storyline is, it needs to be about him, and not about someone else story. Which means I'm not sure how good I would feel about him being part of an Obi-Wan show, which would make his issues about Obi-Wan, meanwhile Obi-Wan's been more about Anakin and Luke and the Jedi. (Leia worked because she was about Anakin and Padme and Obi-Wan's connections to the Republic/Bail.) I would prefer Cody's story about what he does after leaving the Empire to be told elsewhere because I think Cody deserves to get that to himself. What I really want is a story that can fully focus on Rex and Cody meeting up again and maybe joining the Rebellion or working together to help other clones. There's some really potentially good, crunchy conflict to be had between Obi-Wan and Cody because of Utapau, and theoretically what I would love is if it could be tied into a story about rescuing Luke and some clones somehow, that they intersect for an episode or two, that it has this undercurrent of how well they worked together--and still do, they fall right back into seamlessly understanding each other and complementing each other's fighting styles--but that they're on different paths now. Obi-Wan has his sacred duty to watch over Anakin's son on Tatooine. Cody has his need to help his clone brothers or fight in the bigger Rebellion. Both important paths, but they part ways as friends again, maybe Obi-Wan can put him in touch with Bail to join the Rebellion proper. I would love to see Cody and Obi-Wan crossing paths again, conflict about what happened on Utapau, maybe that's how Obi-Wan finds out about the chips, Cody gets closure and can go on to fight against the Empire that oppressed him and his brothers, Obi-Wan is watching over Luke to ensure the galaxy has a future, and both of their core stories are respected, but there's resolution here. I'm not against cameos in Star Wars, I just want them to be used for emotional resolution, not because of Rule of Cool. This is why I thought the 501st trooper was perfect for the show, because it was part of the theme of Obi-Wan seeing Anakin's ghosts everywhere, that's why Leia worked so well for me in the show, because it was about Anakin's ghosts again, about the missing part of Obi-Wan as a Jedi who was a teacher, about the loss of Padme in the galaxy, about his duty to help the people of the Republic where he could versus his own crushing depression and trauma. Whatever role Cody would play on the show, I would want it to support the core of those same themes, while also respecting that Cody has his own story to be told. What I picture so clearly in my head is, post-fight scene where they've wiped the floor with whoever was coming after them, is just the two of them nodding at each other in understanding, that there are scars between them but they both can let it go now, Obi-Wan knows it wasn't a betrayal, Cody knows that Obi-Wan doesn't hold it against him, they both know the other has purpose in their life, and they each have regained a friend. The galaxy looks a little brighter after that.

#lumi.txt #star wars #obi wan kenobi #commander cody #meta

60 notes · View notes

satancopilotsmytardis · 2 days

Text

Pack Play

Pairing: Shigadabi

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Commissioned by an anonymous user. Dabi has been a wolf all his life and he has never had a good time with his rut, always ending up somewhere unsafe, underfunded, and unpleasant for each cycle. So when they take over the PLF and they get the funds to make a good, proper rut room, Dabi is absolutely going to take the opportunity to get himself everything he could possibly want for it. If Duster is gonna get to enjoy it too when his rut hits, then that's fine, it just means that hopefully, he won't complain about the excess that Dabi's put into the place. He really was not expecting their cycles to sync though.

Contents: Werewolves, pack dynamics, mating cycles, sex toys, knotting, multiple orgasms, scenting, supernatural AU

Word Count: 6564

Finally getting to have a real home for the first time in months is a blessing and a curse. It's good to have the PLF and know where they're sleeping, where their next meal is coming from, and that they have a minute to breathe without having to be terrified that the police or heroes are going to be on their ass constantly. It's bad because without the constant stress that's been on them keeping their instincts at bay, all of them are struggling to make sure they have what they need as their bodies go out of survival mode. Compress, a fang, has access to as much blood as he wants given their numbers now, and so does Toga, though her needs are related to her quirk rather than biology. Twice is still grappling with his curse of a quirk and how violent being around doubles of himself can make him as a doppelgänger. And he and Shigaraki, both werewolves, though Dabi thinks Duster was turned instead of born, suddenly have their own territory, packmates, space to transform and run, and plenty of food. And unlike the others who are just settling in and getting comfortable once the hard work is done, Dabi is preparing himself for a week-long frustration that he can feel rapidly approaching.

It's been three months since his last rut, which is the longest he's gone since joining the League, because at least back in Kamino they had regular meals and the safety of a rut room. But when they ended up back on the streets, his body had plunged right back into survival mode and had left him exhausted and unable to even think about sex, so he hadn't had a rut. But he knows as soon as he sleeps in a real bed for the first time in months that the next one he has is going to absolutely ruin him.

He gets Shigaraki to approve his plans to renovate one of the guest houses into a proper rut room. The guest houses around the villa are small single room studios with a kitchenette, bathroom, and not much else, but that's more than good enough for his purposes since no other wolves lived at this site before. And perhaps knowing he'll eventually be spending time in it as well, Shigaraki gives him a hell of a budget for the place. So Dabi looks up real rut rooms. Good ones, not just chains attached to radiators and dirty mattresses on floors, usually in a room so small that he can barely move as he goes desperate for a mate.

He spends a week getting the place renovated. The building gets shutters installed over the windows that can't be broken, the door is reinforced, only opening for someone with claws like theirs so that no humans or other creatures accidentally stumble inside and put themselves in danger while they're feral, and a similar keypad inside that can only be opened when their claws are retracted so that they can't get out during their rut once they're inside. He gets furniture that is bolted to the ground and floors, an array of ready to go meals and non-perishable items, sinks and other appliances that have handles that will be easier to use when he's out of his mind with hormones and unable to retract his claws, and an air conditioning unit that he knows he's going to be grateful for when he's dying of his quirk as his body tries to get him to his completion as many times as it can possibly go.

He also picks out cleaning systems for the entire room. Most werewolves don't have a full rut room in their homes that is rated appropriately for public safety, and getting a room in a private residence licensed is hard, so most wolves are used to having to share them in mating houses. Usually there are fully different wings, if not entirely separate buildings for wolves who go into rut and heat respectively, but there's always the knowledge that whatever toys or amenities are in the room, have been used a hundred times before. In good mating houses, they're cleaned so meticulously that the chemical burn of the detergent is the only thing that can be smelled, and in less savory ones, well, those are the ones he's spent most of his life in. But he does not want to deal with that when it comes to him and Duster so he puts in the effort and research to figure out exactly what he needs to make sure that the entire room can be cleaned as efficiently as possible, even making sure to have a drain installed into the floor so that the entire room can be hosed down to eliminate pheromones.

And then he gets to pick out the fun stuff. He's never had a rut bed before and he's nearly vibrating as he gets to pick it out. It's a big square bed that is low to the floor, maybe only an inch or two from it, and it's made with a waterproof material and soft, thick covers that can be removed to be washed. He also buys every pillow, blanket, and other accessory that goes with it so that he will have it as cozy as possible. He gets pheromone air fresheners that will pump in the smell of heat, and lube treated with them to make the rut feel better even without having a real partner with him. And he gets toys. Not just sex toys, though he does, of course get those. He gets chew toys for werewolves, something that some wolves consider with a fair amount of derision, believing only pups need something to put in their mouths when they're in rut, but Dabi doesn't care. He likes to have his mouth full and he's very excited for the bit that is supposed to feel as soft as skin that can release different flavors as it's gnawed on. The reviews for the one that say it tastes like slick and the ones that advocate for the taste of blood all seem very positive, so he gets one of each. The breeding bench with a slot where different fleshlights and strokers can be swapped out on a whim is pricey, but Dabi doesn't give a shit. Detnerat is bankrolling this whole thing and he wants his next rut to be enjoyable for the first time in his fucking life. He gets a few of the different toys and a few dildos as well. He'll let Shigaraki think that's just in case any wolves who go into heat end up staying at this base too, but in all honesty, he's just always wanted to have both during his rut, and he gets toys with knots so thick he's almost jealous, and suction cups on the bases so that he'll be able to pin himself between the wall and breeding bench when the mood strikes him.

Dabi finishes designing the rut room, makes sure that everything inside is ready, and goes back to his work. He can't make his hormones surge through him, so this will just have to wait until they do.

///

They've been at base for five and a half weeks before Dabi starts to feel the first stirring threads of his need. It starts off in the middle of their morning meeting, Shigaraki still away for his last check-up now that his leg should be completely healed, and the rest of them are healed themselves and settling into their work more comfortably. Dabi feels his temperature starting to creep up a bit and he tries to lower his quirk, confused because he's not feeling particularly emotional looking at budget spreadsheets or quarterly reports on the book sales. When he can't make his temperature lower, he knows already that he's creeping towards his pre-rut. And he doesn't have to be terrified this time. Scared that he'll end up getting caught by police while he's out of his head, worried he might wake up with blood on his teeth that he didn't mean to take, either from a victim or a mate he wasn't looking for. He has a safe place to go, and towards the end of the meeting he says he'll be out of the building for the rest of the week, if not most of next given how long it's been since his cycle hit, and no one questions that.

He goes back to his room and packs a bag full of soft loose clothes, if he bothers to dress at all, and then he heads out to the rut room. Going inside he finishes setting up some things, making sure the bed has all of the blankets arranged the way he wants them, making sure all of the toys are out of their cases and cleaned, that the lube doesn't have its seal on it anymore, little things that will make him feel better when his cycle hits him completely. And then he strips out of his clothes, only putting on a pair of loose pajama bottoms, and lets himself half transform. He's been careful to not do this in front of anyone else so that they wouldn't see his white ears and tail, but he'll like being comfortable when he wakes.

Dabi climbs into the bed, circling around a few times, and then gives a content sigh before he curls up again. This is going to be the easiest, most comfortable rut that he's ever had.

///

He wakes with a soft chuff, immediately noticing his cock is straining his pajama bottoms and that the room is starting to fill with the sweetness from the air fresheners. Dabi moans softly, grinding himself into the pillows when he hears a sharp inhale and a distinctive click as the door shuts.

A growl tears out of his chest as he wakes all the way, getting onto his hands and knees, claws out and fangs bared as he tries to find what is disturbing him in his territory. It was the worst thing he could have done because Shigaraki is the only other person that would care about visiting this room and of course it's him standing in the doorway. Of course that defensive sound triggers his instincts too. The other man is across the room in an instant, his tail tearing through his clothes, his ears pinned back against his hair, and his own claws and fangs bared as he gets right into Dabi's face with a snarl. Dabi whimpers. His wolf accepted Shigaraki as his leader a long time ago, and he shouldn't have displayed that kind of open aggression against him without expecting a fight. Dabi is even more humiliated when he whines softly and automatically puts his head low and rolls onto his stomach in submission.

Submission that puts his aching cock on display, erection unmoved from the embarrassment that heats his veins as his rut claws across his nerves. Shigaraki growls at him softly, leaning in to nip at Dabi's throat to ensure he knows his place and Dabi has to bite his lip and try not to squirm as that makes him even harder. Then Shig chuffs at him, letting him know that the transgression is forgiven. Dabi quickly rolls back onto his stomach and mumbles,

"What are you doing in here?" His face flushed as his body wars with the want to submit and the desire to fight Shigaraki into submission so that he can mount him as his rut hormones soak his veins.

"...Same as you."

Dabi groans, hiding his face in his arms. "Go away," he whines. It's not uncommon for packs to sync their cycles, but he really, really had hoped that the fact that he mostly wandered away from Shigaraki when they were on the streets would mean that this wouldn't be an issue. And he had really wanted to enjoy his first rut somewhere good and safe by himself. Duster goes and grabs the backpack that he dropped by the door on his way in and starts to strip out of his villain shit, the same way Dabi had when he'd come in.

"I couldn't open the door if I wanted to." And yeah, that was the point. Keep them in here in case they go totally feral. But it doesn't mean that Dabi isn't pouting a little. "Scooch." He instructs as he comes back, now also just in pajama pants, and smelling of spice and thunder, but not overwhelmingly so yet. He's not hard as he climbs into the bed and licks Dabi's hot cheek just above his scars. It's a soothing action, something to tell Dabi that it's alright, that he's still safe here with the alpha of his pack. It's something Shigaraki has only done for him once before, when he was hurt after Kamino. These kinds of things are confusing to people who aren't like them, and he doesn't think that Toga or the others would ever let them live it down if they cuddled and groomed each other the way Dabi sometimes craves from his pack leader. Humans, even other preternaturals, often misconstrue the things wolves do as romantic when their intimacy usually comes without those ties. Dabi shifts over in the bed so that Shigaraki can curl up with him.

But the encouragement and affection makes his body feel even warmer, and he pulses out his scent involuntarily to show his alpha that his need is so high. Shigaraki lets out a low, rumbling churr and gives him another little lick.

"Do you want to be mounted, puppy?"

His cock aches, his instincts screaming that mounting or being mounted would feel so good, but he doesn't know if he really wants that. "'Puppy'? I'm older than you."

"Maybe, but you're my pack," his only biological pack until they bring more wolves into the PLF. "And I take care of you." That sentiment really does not help with the arousal suffusing his body.

It makes Dabi swallow back some of his nerves and admit, "... I don't know..."

"That's alright, Dabi. I'm not going anywhere. Go make yourself feel good, puppy."

Dabi nearly whimpers. He knows this isn't uncommon for made packs, but it still feels embarrassing to want to touch himself in front of the other wolf. But he was given an order, and his need is so insistent that he pulls himself from the bed and over to the toys nearby, shakily removing his pajama bottoms. When he chances a glance over his shoulder, he finds that Shigaraki has curled up facing the opposite direction from him and that's really all he can stand. He fumbles to open the candy-like lube and wraps his hand around his cock with a moan.

Dabi manages to make himself knot once, though he shouldn't have done it in the open air, because that made it sting like crazy, and clean up a little before he climbs back into the bed. Shigaraki pulls him close when he does, and Dabi would have laughed at him if he were awake, but he's still out, his body pushing him to sleep while he can until his rut hits completely. He's too restless to sleep, but it is nice to be close like this. He's a little shameless as he tucks his nose into Shigaraki's neck so he can soak up his thunderstorm smell as he sleeps.

///

By the time his next wave of need hits, Dabi does not give a single shit about being exposed. He slips Shigaraki's embrace and fumbles to find the fleshlight he'd picked out that was specifically made for wolves. It doesn't look that different from the ones that are made for humans and other species, but the inside was modeled off of a werewolf's body, and the false vagina has ridges inside that mimic the muscles wolves have to keep a knot locked in tight. He gets the toy into place on the breeding bench and snags the lube off of the floor, squirting a generous amount inside and along the outer lips of the toy until it's dripping wet like a real cunt would be for a wolf in heat. Fuck just seeing the toy looking so much like flesh makes Dabi's whole body tense with his need and he gets onto the bench without hesitation.

His cock is already aching and dripping when he rubs it against the toy, feeling the soft silicone against him, cool against his burning heat and that has him growling. It's not a mate's body though, and that means he doesn't need to worry about anything else but chasing his own pleasure, so he only rubs himself against it enough times to make sure there's lube smeared along his sensitive piercings before he's sinking in deep with a groan. The toy clutches his length, nearly sucking him inside, and massaging every inch of him with soft ridges that feel so good he doesn't care that they're not real. He fucks his hips as deep as he can go on the first thrust and his claws scrape against the bench as his whole body trembles. His knot hasn't even formed yet, but he can feel those special ridges touching where it will and the tease of them has him panting harshly.

And then he hears Shigaraki growl softly. Dabi whimpers, not turning to look at him, his tail drooping between his legs as he worries the other will want this now that he's woken, now that the smell of his arousal is pulsing hot through the air and making it abundantly clear that he's in his rut proper too. He won't fight the other for any of this, but it doesn't mean that Dabi won't miss it if he has to give it up. He's pretty sure if the other makes him stop fucking the toy so that he can have his turn, Dabi will be back inside of it the moment that Shig's knot unlocks, squelching through his cum just to find his own pleasure.

But Shigaraki doesn't make him stop. He chuffs at him and moves closer, getting the discarded lube and then moving away again. Dabi chances looking back at him, trembling from how badly he wants to move, but his instincts force him still until he has his alpha's approval. And Shigaraki is leaning back against the pillows, red eyes half-lidded and watching him, his hand slick and wrapped around his cock. His massive cock, Jesus fucking Christ, Dabi whimpers as he sees him, as he immediately wonders how big his knot must be when he's already so thick and long. Duster makes him even more needy when the other is shameless, stroking himself with long, sure movements, as his eyes drag over every exposed inch of Dabi's body.

"Did you change your mind, puppy?"

He's damn fucking close to it now that he's seen the other's cock. But he doesn't have words for it, just soft animal whines as his head goes foggy from the heady smell of the two of them and the false heat hanging around in the air. Duster shifts, letting go of himself and coming back over so that he's so close to Dabi's body.

"Let me help you feel good, Dabi." he murmurs, dipping his head to his neck and scenting his nearly broken glands.

He's never had someone with him during a rut, and he's already drowning in the sensation of having toys, having somewhere safe, having his pack with him. "Duster," he moans and can't help it. His hips move forward again, fucking into the toy that puts sparks under his skin as his tail stands up and tilts to the side to make his ass open and exposed for his alpha to use in the same manner.

"Need you to use your words, puppy, or I can't touch you."

"Want it, Duster." He whines.

"Good boy," And Shig's mouth moves to his neck, his teeth nipping at his skin and making Dabi's whole body shiver as he is torn between fucking into the toy hard and trying to grind back to get Shigaraki's cock inside of him as fast as possible. Shigaraki has his gloves on, and he wraps his hands around Dabi's hips as he licks and sucks along his neck, forcing him still as his slick cock rubs against his hole. Dabi can't help the needy little moans that come out of him as he's forced to stay with that delicious pressure around his own cock as the other starts to tease at the ring of muscles with his head, trying to get Dabi's body to loosen for him without hurting so that he can have the more he's craving without them having to open him up when it will be nearly impossible for either of them to retract their claws.

He rocks his hips against Dabi, rubbing and grinding, and putting that good sensation there even though he must be as desperate as he is to have more. And he lets Dabi move his hips at that same rhythm. It’s much slower than he would prefer, but he doesn’t care when it means he gets to rut into the toy beneath him. The fleshlight swallows up his cock on each thrust, gushing around him and squeezing deliciously, making animal sounds of pleasure spill from his lips as he fucks it at the pace his alpha sets.

“You’re doing such a good job, puppy. Does that feel good?”

He whines, nodding weakly. He feels like a puppy. Like this is the first time he’s ever had his rut from how small and fragile everything feels when he knows his pack leader can take it away whenever he wants. No matter how good it feels, until he’s locked inside, Shigaraki could just make him stop. He could make him sit on the floor instead of in the bed and watch him as he knots the toys and enjoys his rut instead, making Dabi endure his arousal without ever getting off the way some packs choose to when they aren’t looking to have a whole litter of pups to take care of.

But Shigaraki doesn’t make him stop. He kisses and licks his neck as his hands guide his hips so that he’s fucking the toy a little harder, a little deeper, until his head is touching that final barrier at the tip and that extra sensation there has him whimpering and yipping, begging Duster without words to let him keep doing it, trying to show the other how good it feels, how much he wants to cum. The other keeps teasing against his rim, but lets him continue, his tongue laving over Dabi’s scent glands like he’d mate him right now, without even asking. That should turn him off sharply, but instead Dabi moans loudly, fucking the toy a little rougher, a lot rougher when Duster doesn’t stop him, letting him find the fast pace that he wanted before the other woke and saw him trying to satisfy himself.

Moans and whines leave his lips, as he starts to feel his knot swelling, his legs shaking and his toes scraping against the floor as he chases his completion.

“That’s it, show me your pretty knot, baby boy.” Shigaraki’s voice is slurred around his growls and that’s what sends him over the edge, nearly biting through his lip as his fangs sink into it as he fucks as hard as he can into the toy as he swells rapidly. Duster pushes the tip of his cock into his hole at the same time as Dabi’s orgasm surges through his skin and he howls his pleasure as the toy squeezes his cock, those perfect ridges locking his knot inside as he pumps it full of so much cum that the special pressure release at the back has to open so that it can spill out the mixture of cum and lube that can’t fit inside. He keeps letting out gasps and pants as his entire body shudders as his pleasure racks him, pulsing through his full knot and at his hole as those muscles are made to accommodate his alpha’s cock. He feels even bigger than he looked and Dabi had been looking forward to pinning himself between his knot and a fake one, but this is better.

So much better when Duster smells the blood on his teeth, even though the wound heals rapidly, and he chuffs against his neck. “Is my puppy teething?” He’d have snarled at him any other time, but right now, Dabi’s body is too wracked with pleasure to do anything but whine. “That’s alright, baby boy. Open wide and I’ll give you what you need.”

Dabi does as he’s told in a haze and his tail wags a bit as the other brings one of the chew toys to his mouth. He can smell blood beneath the false silicone skin and he is so eager to have that behind his teeth– and Shigaraki feeds it to him as he feeds inch after inch of his cock into Dabi’s pliant body. His legs twitch uselessly, claws digging into the floor as he’s suspended on the breeding bench, his ass held high for his alpha and his knot trapped in the toy, as his mouth and hole are both filled. His teeth sinking into the silicone is the only thing that keeps him from blowing out his throat on a fresh moan, and even then, he can’t stop the tears that prick at his eyes and roll down his cheeks as he’s filled so much fuller than he ever has been before.

Shig only gives him a few seconds to adjust before he rolls his hips into his body. It’s so much, but his pack leader has already been so patient even though he must be feeling the same insatiable need Dabi has been. And Dabi’s entire body goes limp with his submission. He wants his alpha to feel good. He wants to be used by him through his rut. He wants to show the other that he can be a good packmate after spending so much time running away from him and the bond their instincts kept asking them for.

Shigaraki stiffens over him, his breath catching in the back of his throat as Dabi gives himself up completely. It’s a reprieve of seconds before the other is growling loudly and fucking into his body hard. Dabi’s teeth sink into the bit in his mouth and muffles his moans as every inch of his insides is made to feel as good as his cock, still being held tight by the wet warmth of the toy. Shigaraki’s cock is so big inside of him as he fucks into his body, setting his thrusts to the same hard, unrelenting pace as Dabi had used when he’d been allowed. It is all instinct and need and he trembles when he hears his alpha starting to make those same desperate, animal noises as Dabi had been. Duster is always so composed nowadays that Dabi can hardly tell what he’s thinking, hearing him falling apart, hearing him enjoying himself and knowing it’s because of him, makes his whole body thrum with fresh pleasure.

He can smell, through the glands on his thighs that are still strong, how warm the air goes with his contentment, and that has Duster’s claws biting into his skin as he holds his hip with one hand. The other reaches for his chin and he forces Dabi to turn his head back as much as he’s able. He moans through his toy as Shigaraki leans over his body, hips moving even harder and faster, and the angle ensures that he is rubbing against Dabi’s prostate on each thrust. He looks at the other blearily and whines, trying to fuck his hips into the toy again as Shigaraki bites down on the other end of the bit, his fangs sinking in deep and filling their space with their tangles scents, false heat, and false blood. It’s a lie and Shigaraki’s teeth aren’t anywhere near his skin, but Dabi swears he can feel them inside. He swears, for a moment, that it feels like the other mated him.

He thinks it must feel like that for him too, because he lets out a feral growl as he fucks him hard enough to put bruises under his skin a few more times before his knot is swelling. It’s massive as it pushes against his rim, but Duster doesn’t slow down, doesn’t let Dabi adjust, he forces his body to accept it and the complete domination has Dabi’s knot starting to shrink. It’s not because it feels bad, no, he’s unlocking so quickly because it feels too good to be claimed so completely as Shigaraki slams into him twice more before his knot is filled and his cum is pouring into Dabi’s body, leaving him completely soaked as the other growls around the toy in their mouths so fiercely that Dabi can feel the vibration of it between his teeth. His knot is shrinking because his body is so aroused it wants him to be able to do this again as quickly as possible and he’s not about to try and fight that.

It takes a long minute for Shig to fill him, and he thinks that he’ll be forced to hold still for a while even as his cock, still hard and sticky, is able to slip out of the fleshlight as his knot shrinks. The mess he made inside of the silicone pussy drips out in rivers along the fake lips and if he wasn’t already full and aching, Dabi thinks the sight of that alone would have made him ready to go again.

He thinks he’ll just fuck back into it again after it drains a little more so that it can take him a second time. He’s not expecting Duster to wrap an arm around his waist, let go of the toy in their mouths, and pull Dabi off of the bench. He lets out a muffled yip in surprise and then keens as the other pulls out. He doesn’t have the muscles in his hole that are inside of a wolf’s vagina to keep their mate locked inside by their knot, and he whimpers as that massive intrusion is taken out of him, when it feels so good to be full and wet, keeping his alpha’s cock warm. Then the world shifts sharply and Dabi’s back is hitting the soft nest that they shared before, kicking up more of their tangled scents.

Shig’s hands wrap around the backs of his thighs and he pushes his legs up to his chest before he is re-entering his body, his swollen knot pushing back inside in one smooth movement that has Dabi arching with a moan as he nearly bites through the toy. Oh, oh! He didn’t know other wolves did this, but Duster starts to fuck him again with his knot still full. And if feels so good, as that swollen section reaches the perfect depth to always have pressure against Dabi’s prostate as he fucks him hard again.

There are stars exploding behind his eyes as he scrapes his claws down the other’s back, holding onto him as he nearly chokes on his toy, spit trickling out from between his lips, but he’s scared that if he lets go he’ll say something embarrassing, that if he lets himself open his mouth, it will be to beg for his alpha to mate him and they’re barely a day into their cycle. Shigaraki fucks him with his knot, leaning down to lick away his spit and the tears trickling across his cheeks, words lost to the growls, barks, snarls, and groans that his wolf knows are all good, good, good. Sounds that tell him he’s being so good for his pack. He’s being good, giving him what he needs, and that makes Dabi’s body even hotter.

Duster’s hair is falling around them as he leans over him, eyes drinking him in like the sight of Dabi alone is enough to make him feel so good, and seeing that affection, that want on his face has Dabi whimpering, trying to buck his hips up to show his alpha how much he likes it. How good he’s feeling as he’s used. Too good. His cock hasn’t been touched, but he’s drooling fresh pre all over his stomach. And, he whimpers as it stings, his knot is starting to form again in the open air.

But he doesn’t try to touch himself. He doesn’t reach for any of the other toys he got to make him feel like he was mounting a mate to sate his needs. No, this kind of release can be something different, something special, because it’s another form of submission to not try and find the heights of his pleasure and let his body be used by his alpha instead. He yips and whines through the bit and Tomura chuffs soothingly, licking his cheek again in a far contrast to how hard he’s fucking into his body. He watches as Dabi creeps closer and closer, the sharpness of knotting in the open air stinging and aching, but never letting him come away from the edge of his pleasure when he feels so full of the other’s cock and so wanted as he watches his body give itself to everything he’s doing to him.

Dabi moans loudly, a sob on its heels, as his knot fills and he pumps his spend all up his chest and across his stomach in thick spurts as he cums again. He is beyond bliss as he lays completely limp beneath the other, his eyes heavy and his head swimming through the pleasure that just keeps coming as Duster fucks him through his orgasm, one hand only coming to stroke and rub at his swollen knot after cum stops dribbling out of him. It prolongs that bliss, but Dabi doesn’t think he could ever possibly float so high he wouldn’t notice Shig’s knot inside of him.

Which makes it particularly notable that Duster’s knot doesn’t shrink as he keeps fucking him. He stays swollen. Oh fuck. Dabi moans weakly, his jaw aching from biting the toy so hard, and it finally falls from his mouth. The second it does, Shigaraki is leaning in and kissing him, licking out that false flavor of blood from behind his teeth as his thrusts grow harder again. Being able to keep his knot like that means he’s an alpha alpha. Not just one because he leads their little pack, but because he is a holdover from history back when wolves had secondary sexes. His rut will be longer, harder than Dabi’s. He’ll cum so much more, and be so territorial that if anyone comes near the rut room he’ll tear them apart without blinking.

Dabi doesn’t mean to pulse out the scent of warmth that he does. A scent that tells Duster how safe and good he feels knowing that he’s even more dangerous, even better suited to be his leader, than he thought he was before this started. But he can’t hide from those feelings as he’s fucked so deeply through his rut.

It’s Shigaraki who howls this time, having to bite the pillow just beneath Dabi’s neck to keep from mating him, and making Dabi’s whole body go tight with delight as he makes Shig lose his control so completely as he pumps him full of his cum again.

And he loses track of time completely after that.

///

According to his phone, when he manages to find it after they wake up without either of them aching for it again, it’s been two weeks, by the time their cycle ends. The rut room is in a state, the blankets and pillows shredded and stained, some of their toys broken from how much they used them, and his body humming with satisfaction as Duster licks at his skin to clean him up after such an intense and prolonged cycle.

But tongues alone can’t clean them up completely, and they do end up having to shower before they re-enter the main room and take in the full carnage.

“I’ll–” he starts to propose how to clean up after themselves, but Duster cuts him off.

“We can deal with it tomorrow, come on, I want to go eat something and see the rest of our pack.”

Dabi nearly goes boneless. His instincts were screaming for food and comfort too after something so intense and he can’t help it when his tail wags as his leader gives him permission for that.

They leave most of their shit in the room, just pulling on pajamas before they unlock the door and head back across to the main villa. It’s after sundown and a fresh weekend, which fills them with delight when they don’t have to go find the others, they’re already in their common room, Compress in the middle of making dinner for everyone.

“Welcome back,” they’re greeted with some enthusiasm, though the others try to go back to what they’re doing like he and Duster can’t smell how curious they are about what they are guessing must have happened between them while they were both gone for their rut. But food is already being made and their pack is around, so Dabi just chuffs at Shig and he pulls him over to the unoccupied armchair, sitting down and pulling him into his lap. Dabi’s tail immediately starts to wag as he cuddles into his chest, licking at Shig’s neck as the other starts to groom his ears in return.

Dabi doesn’t think his wolf has ever felt so happy and comfortable after his rut.

Not a surprise though when he has to be human again as Toga can’t contain herself any longer, “Are you two dating now?!”

He opens his mouth to snap at her, but Shig beats him to the punch. “No, we’re not. These are things that wolves do to reinforce pack bonds. If any of you were wolves too, we would be doing the same thing with you.” Well, not entirely. Toga would still be a pup if they turned her, but yeah, the sentiment stands.

“Oh…” she says, not quite able to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “So it’s totally platonic cuddling, and licking, and fucking?”

Duster doesn’t hide his amusement. “Yes.”

“Mind your own business, human,” Dabi mocks lightly before nuzzling back in to shamelessly scent Tomura’s neck. “Hey Duster?”

“What is it, puppy?”

He licks his scent gland again, nipping at it lightly too, just to hear the other growl. “Date me?”

He feels it when Tomura’s tail starts to wag too. “I’d be happy to, Dabi.” And he presses a kiss between his ears, his scent overwhelming him with how sweet and content it goes.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!”

“You two are insufferable.” Compress informs them. “Do you want your steaks bloody?”

“Yes please.” Tomura answers for both of them and Dabi stays tucked into his embrace for the rest of the night. He has a sneaking suspicion he’s never going to want to let go.

#shigadabi #my writing #mha fanfiction #fanfiction

60 notes · View notes

janeyseymour · 15 hours

Text

La Costa Nostra- pt 21

Cowritten w @schemmentis

Summary: You find yourselves falling into this new life. Meanwhile, things back at home change.

WC: ~2.05k

The girls love their new school- something you’re eternally grateful for. You manage to find a new business to manage the accounts of, free of any secondhand business on the side while your wife falls back into teaching like she used to before she left to open her restaurant.

This life is different, but it isn’t unwelcome. You easily blend in to the always lit and alive city. You spend much of your time out exploring, finding new special spots and diners to take your girls. You even join a new perish- one that you know will never quite feel like the one back in Philly. The people there are nice enough, but no one will ever be Barbara and Gerald Howard.

Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, Gerald Howard brings the ledger into his place of work. He calls up the two who handled your case to begin with and brings them in while his wife is there.

Together, the four of them promise to take down the mafia. Neither agent lets it slip that the four of you are still alive; Danik almost does though at Barbara’s shed tears for your twins.

Instead, Danik puts herself into the work at the end of your case. The dismantling of the mafia in the city. A workaholic already, she pushes herself even further. It's only Shaw that reminds her to sleep, at least for an hour or two. To eat, even just a few bites. Danik might know the truth of you and your family being alive. It doesn't negate that there are people out there who would stoop to order the hit. To include two very young children in that hit.

They start back at the very beginning. Working through your old salon and Melissa's cherished restaurant. Neither look the same now, a few months since your ‘deaths’. It's far more obvious now that both locations are fronts. Whoever is running things is getting sloppy. Danik guesses because they've run out of people they can use to hide behind; like you and Melissa were. The members of Cosa Nostra are front and center now. Running in and out of both the salon and restaurant at all hours.

“That definitely wasn't as good as the last time we were here.” Shaw mutters as he follows Danik out of Twelve Tables.

“I'll give her this much;” Danik starts as she gets into their unmarked car. “Melissa was much better with the food than whoever is back there now.”

Shaw sighs as Danik begins driving back down the street. “Back to the salon? Again?”

“Yes. We're closer there than we are with the restaurant. Besides, I called Andretti. He's still undercover and is with the Italians. He's going to try to nab Luca tonight. I need to be there.”

“Grace, you need a break.” Shaw says quietly from the passenger seat. It's rare for them to use their first names, but in the last few months it's grown in frequency. He silently blames a former Melissa Schemmenti and her teasing him from her hospital bed.

He hasn't asked his work partner out. He won't until the case is done. Still, he's been driven to show his affection for her in trying to make sure she takes care of herself at least while they work. Because if people around here are okay killing kids; there's a good chance they're more than okay with killing a federal agent or two in the right circumstances. Circumstances they're pushing their luck on every day and have been for a long time now.

“Ben.” Agent Danik says, almost sounding through her teeth. She's grown from looking at him with a glare for pulling out first names to returning the use of them. At least sometimes. It's progress. “Not tonight, alright? Just…tonight could be the break we need. Leave me be about the rest shit. Just for tonight.”

Agent Shaw sighs. “Just for tonight.” He reluctantly agrees as his partner parks their car adjacent to the salon. “But tomorrow, you’re sleeping. I’ll drag you to bed myself if it means you’ll get sleep.”

He doesn’t miss the blush that creeps into his colleague’s cheeks.

From here, they can see the front through the large glass windows. The very few clients and hair stylists moving about the front. They can also see down the side alleyway. The door you told them any side business went in and out of. The occasional meeting was held in the alley, too.

Tonight, there's a figure leant against the brick next to that door. The dim glow of a cigarette seen each time a draw is taken from it. In the light of dusk, it isn't easy to make features from where the figure stands. Though the height and build matches Luca Bellino.

“There's Andretti.” Grace says with a nod to a man walking down the sidewalk, from the direction of Twelve Tables.

Andretti turns down the smaller path of the alley way. It's then that the figure near the back door of the salon drops the cigarette, stomped out beneath a shoe. The figure steps closer to the street to meet the undercover officer halfway. Just enough distance for the street lamp to illuminate features. It's without any doubt Luca Bellino.

Shaw and Danik watch silently over the next few minutes. The conversation can't be well heard from their car, though they're certain Andretti has some recording device hidden. It looks like a normal conversation between friends. Like two men chatting and catching up over newly lit cigarettes. Until finally, Andretti pulls a thick, nearly over-filled, envelope from beneath his jacket and passes it to Luca.

Danik is already throwing open her car door and tugging her holstered weapon out as she crosses the street.

Shaw scrambles to follow after her, not bothering to even close his car door. He jogs to catch up to her, pulling out his own weapon in case.

“Freeze!” Danik calls once she's on the sidewalk. “Put your hands where I can see them.”

Both Luca and Andretti raise their hands in compliance. Danik nods for Shaw to cuff Andretti to maintain his cover as much as they possibly can. “You're under arrest.” Danik says as she tugs Lucas's hands behind his back to cuff him herself.

“The fuck?” Luca spits, turning to Andretti in a look of panic. He tries to look over his shoulder at Agent Danik. “What for?”

“Money laundering.”

“Money laundering?!” the nephew of Melissa shouts. “This isn’t money laundering! He owes me money for buying my car!”

“From a fat manilla envelope in a dark alleyway?” Danik shoots out. “Sure. We’ll believe it when we see it.”

The two men are taken into the station, and Andretti is a great actor it turns out. He huffs about the entire time that he knows Luca can hear him. And then they’re separated, and the undercover cop breathes a sigh of relief.

“Jesus, Shaw,” Andretti sighs as he rubs at his wrists. “Did you have to cuff me that aggressively?”

“Maintaining the story,” Shaw chuckles. “Sorry man.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Danik rolls her eyes at the two. “Shaw, get in there and get him to say something- anything. About the Schemmentis, about the hit on Bobby, about Cosa Nostra. Anything.”

Benjamin Shaw would be lying to himself if he said that Grace Danik ordering him around like that wasn’t hot. He obliged her orders, storming into the interrogation room.

As soon as he’s in there, Luca spills everything aside from the fact that he’s the one who was contracted to kill you and your family. Of course, he only offers up the information at a deal of not being put into jail and only paying a small fine in comparison to what he would have actually had to pay if not for the information.

Danik’s eyes raise at all of this information coming so freely. He tells who is in charge, the way that the Schemmenti family found their way into the mob- the fact that you were tied into the Irish side of it all. He takes down Tony and Uncle Dominic, and everyone else who was involved. Luca tells where they’re all planning on meeting tonight.

The police hold Luca until they can round up everybody within the family. Danik and Shaw are able to come out of the raid without a scratch on them, although other members of the family aren’t so lucky. They manage to keep both Tony and Uncle Dominic alive- if only for the information that they hold. Others are slain as they all turn on each other and try to find out who the rat is, pulling guns out of their coat pockets and firing without hesitation.

The next day, Mickey is set free from prison. He knows that originally, you, Melissa, and the girls were supposed to be the ones to come retrieve him and bring him out into the world for the first time in years. Instead, it’s Kristen Marie. He’s thrilled to see his blonde sister, but what he really wants is to see the four of you.

When he cries, Kristen can only pat his arm in an awkward fashion. She thinks his tears are being shed because he’s finally on the outside- only until he chokes out Melissa’s name and your own does she understand why he breaks down on the sidewalk of the prison building. He drops to his knees as ugly sobs wrack through his body. He was looking forward to the day that he would be able to hug your girls for the first time as a free man- to be able to pick you up and spin you in a circle without the guards looking at him as if he were clinically insane. All he wants is to be able to punch his oldest sister in the arm with a shit eating grin without having to worry about being chastised by security.

That Sunday, he finds himself slipping into the church that he knew the four of you attended. He recognizes Barbara Howard right away. As he makes the sign of the cross over his chest, he looks up at the ceiling- as if he could see that the four of you were looking down on him. He goes to slide into the pew, but a quick hand stops him.

“This seat is taken.”

“Barbara,” Mickey whispers softly through the sermon. Only then does the woman look at Melissa’s brother and see eyes that resemble your wife’s so clearly.

“Mickey?” she gasps softly as she pulls her hand away from the spot and invites him in.

The three, Mickey and the two Howards, end up at your diner in the booth that you always sit in. For the first time in months, breakfast isn’t a silent affair. Mickey trades stories about his sister and you from your past while the Howards tell him about what the four of you were up to for all the time he was behind bars. It’s therapeutic in a way for all three of them. He promises to meet them again for the next sermon.

That's the start of a new tradition. One similar to the one you, Melissa and your girls had with the Howards. Sunday morning services, Sunday brunch. Mickey fills the pew for you. They don't let anyone else sit in that last pew. After a few weeks, they don't even have to tell anyone the seats are taken. Your old parish knows not to even try.

@thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson @dvrkhcld

#abbott elementary #abbott elementary fanfiction #abbott elementary fanfic #melissa schemmenti fanfiction #melissa schemmenti fanfic #melissa schemmenti x you #melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti

53 notes · View notes