#and she gets all huffy and she’s like sorry for being such a burden to you | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

captainsophiestark · 2 years

Text

The Weight of the World

Rhysand x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2021!

Requested: Yes, by the lovely @hellotvshowtrash

Fandom: ACOTAR

Prompt: “I need you.”

Summary: Y/N is a member of the Inner Circle, and has been almost as long as Cassian and Az. She and Rhys have been friends for a long, long time, and Y/N's always hoped they might be more. Still, she does her best to be there for him in whatever capacity she can, even when Rhys refuses to let other people suffer when he can instead carry the weight alone. Y/N's had enough of it, and is hoping she might finally be able to get him to break down and open up to share some of the burden with her too, but she might get more than she bargained for.

Word Count: 2,604

Category: Angst, fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"How about it, Y/N? You coming with us?"

Mor grinned at me as Cassian and Azriel stood on either side of her, all three of them looking at me. After dinner at Rita's the four of us almost always went out dancing, no matter what Amren and Rhys decided to do. It was tradition. Tonight, however, that tradition would have to break.

"Sorry, Mor. I'm just not up for it tonight."

Her face fell immediately, and she quickly closed the distance between us as she put a hand to my forehead.

"Are you feeling okay? Do we need to call Madja?"

"No, Mor, I'm fine," I insisted, brushing her off as I took a step back. "Tonight's just one of the rare nights I don't want to go dancing. I promise I'll make it up to you next time."

Mor stared at me for a few beats, then sighed when she realized I wasn't going to change my mind.

"Fine. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." She turned on her heel and started heading down the street, Cassian and Az giving Rhys and I a wave before heading after her. Amren had already left, which meant it was just Rhys and I now, alone.

Exactly what I'd been hoping for.

I'd known Rhys for a long time, and over the years he'd tried to master the art of hiding everything he was dealing with from the people he cared about. But every time he got better at that, I got better at noticing it. And no matter how determined he was to keep his friends from sharing any of the weight he carried, I was just as determined to not let him carry it alone.

In the back of my mind, I'd always thought it must be a mate thing, the way I could read him. But we'd spent centuries together, and the bond never snapped into place. I was staring to get as hopeless as Azriel with Mor, but I tried to block that thought out of my mind as I turned to Rhys.

"So... you didn't want to go tear up the town with those three either?" I asked. Rhys gave me a small smile, then put his hands in his pockets as he started walking along the river, back towards the townhouse. I fell into step beside him.

"No, not tonight. It's supposed to rain, and I don't feel like walking through the streets of Velaris at two in the morning looking like a drowned rat."

I huffed a laugh, but I couldn't help being a little disappointed. He was deflecting, again, instead of talking out any of his real problems.

"Alright then. What's your plan? Just gonna go home and brood?"

Now it was Rhys' turn for a huffy laugh.

"I guess so. I have a lot of things I need to take care of, and I'm quickly running out of time to take care of them."

"Is there anything I can help with?"

Rhys sighed and paused, stopping at the railing looking out over the Sidra. He just stared out at the river for a few beats, apparently lost in thought, and I stopped and stood beside him. I watched his face, trying to read the emotions and stress he worked so hard to keep concealed there.

"No," he finally said. My heart sank. "I appreciate the offer, Y/N, but you don't need to worry yourself with any of my problems. We all have enough going on as it is."

"Rhys. Look at me." He turned, a bit reluctantly, and I took his hands. It took all the courage I had to take that leap, but I didn't let myself think about it as I stared straight into his eyes, trying to will him to believe the words I was saying. "The weight of the world is not yours alone to bear. You have friends and family who care about you. I care about you. I want to help you. Please, trust me enough to let me help you."

Rhys blinked, and I swear I saw the air go right out of him. He looked more vulnerable than I'd ever seen, and when he sagged and leaned a little into me, I thought I might've finally broken through to him. Then, just as quickly as he'd faded, he straightened back up and gently pulled his hands out of my grip. His mask of calm, clever coolness was back.

"I appreciate it, Y/N. It helps me to know you're here for me, and that the rest of our friends are too. But I don't want you bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders simply as a consequence of knowing me."

I scowled and started to protest, but before I could, Rhys took a step back. His wings extended behind him, and he gave me a sad smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow for our meeting with the Court of Dreams, Y/N."

"Rhys-"

He didn't let me get more than his name out before he took off into the night air. I watched him soar over the lights of the city and back to the townhouse, and once he was out of sight, I sighed.

"Those damn wings."

****************

I spent the rest of the walk home absolutely stewing in negative emotions. I don't know what I'd been hoping for; Rhys was five hundred years old, and he'd had this habit just as long. Did I really expect him to break down and change just like that?

Unfortunately for me, the answer was yes. I'd been hoping my words, my touch, would be enough to get Rhys to change. To open up to me, to let me carry the burdens he so desperately wanted to keep the rest of us from carrying.

I really should've known better. Maybe it'd be different if we were mates.

I stared out my window and brushed my teeth as I watched the first drops of rain coming down. It wasn't even midnight yet, so Mor, Cassian, and Az would still be dancing the night away inside.

Well, Mor and Cassian would. Az was probably sitting in a corner judging everyone else.

Either way though, Rhys was right. They would all look like drowned rats when they eventually came stumbling out to walk home.

Amren, of course, would be holed up in her little attic apartment, probably asleep or doing a puzzle now that she'd gorged herself on blood. And Rhys...

Rhys was probably still up, working away at the townhouse while no one was around to bother him or try to help him. Consistently putting the weight of everything in the world on himself, and never letting anyone help with more than a part of the load.

I sighed, spit out the toothpaste, then collapsed into bed. There was nothing more I could do, other than continue to be there for him if he ever decided to get his head out of his ass and change his mind.

I tossed and turned for a good hour before I finally managed to pass out. I could hear the rain picking up outside, and eventually, the sound of it pounding against the roof was enough to lull me to sleep.

BANG BANG BANG!

I shot out of bed, grabbing my dagger from under my pillow as I went. I glanced at my clock and saw it was just before two in the morning. The rain was still going strong, and I froze, all senses on high alert as I listened for whatever sound had woken me up.

"Y/N!"

BANG BANG BANG!

Rhys. I'd recognize his voice no matter what, even over the rain and his pounding knock on my door. I shot out of bed, grabbing another dagger I kept hidden in a plant in the hall as I went, just to be safe. I flung open the door, looking for any threat.

"Rhys, what's wrong? What-"

As soon as I got the door open, Rhys dropped to his knees in front of me. He was absolutely drenched from the rain, but when I looked around and behind him for the problem, I saw nothing. I looked back at him curiously, and when I met his eyes, I could tell he'd been crying.

"Y/N. I need you."

"I... Rhys, it's okay. I'm here."

I tossed my daggers to the side, then dropped to my knees to be closer to eye level with him. I reached out and took his hands, and he stared at me like he couldn't quite believe I was real.

"Oh, Rhys..."

I didn't hesitate to throw my arms around him and pull him into me, dripping water and all. He seemed shocked for a second and hesitated, then wrapped his arms tight around me too. He pulled me close to him and buried his face in my neck, and then we just stayed that way, breathing each other in half-inside and half-outside.

Rhys held me in a death-grip, like he was afraid the entire world would fall apart if he let me go. I held him back just as tight. I'd told him a thousand times that I was here for him if he needed me, and I meant it. I was just happy he'd finally listened, and came to me when he needed me.

I kept expecting Rhys to pull back after a few moments, but he didn't. I rubbed my hand over his back, trying to help him through whatever he was feeling. After a few more seconds, I felt his chest shaking. He was crying into my shoulder, trying to be quiet but not quite able to hide the dump of emotions.

My heart shattered. I quickly moved one hand to run through his hair, and kept rubbing his back with the other one.

We stayed like that for a long, long time. Rhys just clung to me the whole time, and I refused to flinch for a single second. Finally, though, as he started to calm down just a little, I spoke without moving an inch away from him.

"Rhys... please, tell me... what's wrong?"

"I... I still see her, Y/N. Amarantha. She haunts my nightmares. And as the world creeps closer and closer to war with Hybern, I can't help thinking about how many more monsters just like her are waiting for us there."

I took a deep breath, then pulled back just enough so I could look Rhys in the eyes.

"Rhys, I'm so so glad you came to me. And I know we can't see what's going to happen in the future, but dammit, I will not let a single soul anything like Amarantha near you, ever again."

He shuddered a shaky, horrified breath.

"Better near me than you."

"Rhysand. You will not bear the burdens of this war alone. I won't let you." He looked up at me from where he'd been staring holes in the ground, and as soon as our eyes met, my heart felt like it was about to explode. "I love you. No one and nothing are going to take you from me, including your own stubborn desire to sacrifice everything so that others don't have to."

Rhys just stared at me, blinking stupidly.

"You... love me?"

"Please tell me that's not the only thing you took away from what I just said."

"In what way do you love me?"

"Rhys-"

"Because I love you, Y/N. More than anyone else I've ever met. All I've wanted for a long time is you."

"Rhys... I've felt the same way for so, so long. I've been trying to get you to let me in a little more for ages, and I can't even tell you how happy I am that you're here, even though it kills me to see you like this."

"Can I... can I kiss you?"

"Of course."

Rhys didn't waste a second as he pulled me to him, kissing me like he'd die if he didn't. I kissed right back, and the two of us fell backwards through my doorway in a sopping wet heap, still locked together as close as we could be.

As we laid there on my floor, the rain still pounding outside and my two daggers discarded on either side of us, I felt a strange glowing feeling in my chest. Rhys kissed me even harder, pulled me even closer, as that glowing grew and connected to Rhys' own expanding darkness. I felt closer to him than to anyone else who'd ever been in my life, and for a what felt like an instant and a lifetime all at once, Rhys and I existed as one, in and around each other, and not a single other thing in the world mattered.

Even as the glow began to fade, I felt different. Rhys and I slowly, reluctantly, broke apart, leaning back just enough to look each other in the eyes even as we still held each other tight.

"Was that...?" I breathed, not quite daring to believe it.

"Mating bond," Rhys confirmed, just as breathless as me. "I can't believe... I'd only ever hoped..."

"Me too..." We stared at each other a few beats, breathing heavily as we both processed the unchangeable shift our lives had just taken. Then, I smiled, and Rhys' expression mirrored mine. I was deliriously happy as I leaned forward and kissed him again, joy bubbling in my chest and coming out in a gleeful laugh, muffled by Rhys' mouth.

Rhys' darkness expanded around us, blocking us from sight as we deepened our kiss. Before I could get completely lost in him, however, I forced myself to pull back.

"What's the matter?" asked Rhys. He clearly didn't want to stop, and I knew that with the mating bond being what it was, we weren't going to get much done for the next few days at least.

"You know that this means you have to share things with me now, right? I'm your mate, I'm your partner for everything in life, including trying to hold the world on your shoulders. It's you and me doing that together now, not you alone, okay?"

"I promise."

"Good."

I grinned, then didn't waste a single second before kissing Rhys again. He kissed me right back, then pulled back and growled in my ear as he picked me up and stood.

"Let's go somewhere other than the front entrance of your apartment, shall we?" he asked.

"Anywhere you want," I breathed back. He gripped me tighter as he finally closed my front door, then carried me back towards my bedroom where I'd spent so many nights worrying about him.

Yes, we were headed for war. But Rhsyand was my mate, and I was his. Nothing the world or Hybern threw at us could be strong enough to take us down now.

418 notes · View notes

bokettochild · 3 years

Note

About Legend having insane leg strenght: what if the reason he never brags about that is because he's embarassed about it? He thinks that pulverizing a boulder with a kick is either something everyone can do or too similar to a bunny. One day he and Four get dumped into a monster camp without their items or weapons and Legend takes desperate measures to ensure they don't die: anihilating the entire camp with only his legs. He is unironically and literally capable of killing someone with his /1

This ask references this post btw, so, check it out if you need context!

Honestly, I loved this so much! THANK YOU!!! But I am half asleep, so the cool stuff I saw in my head is being stinky and not comng out. I'm sorry, hope you like my half-asleep drabbl of Legend being weak as shit while simultaneously having the strongest kick out of the whole Chain XD

Legend hates being at Ordon.

It’s not that he hates the people; he’s used to country folk, he was raised around them, heck, his grandparents have the same strong twang in their voices that everyone in Twi’s village does! He loves the fresh air and the sounds of animals and the sight of growing things everywhere he looks.

But he hates looking around and seeing Twilight’s entire village (even the freaking kids!) wander around lifting things that probably equal his entire body weight!

Seriously, Malo (that was the terrifying toddler’s name, right? That’s what Twilight said when he introduced them all, right?) could lift up a small goat with ease, and he was an actual toddler!

What was Uli feeding her children that they turned out this strong? Were all the village women using it? How on earth was every person in all of Ordon fully capable of throwing Legend over their shoulder?

It hadn’t happened yet, but Legend was on guard because it was only so much time before someone figured out it was possible, and it wasn’t as if he could fight them off.

He wasn’t jealous, definitely not. Not even when he saw Twilight carrying a mother goat across the village with an easy stride as he brought the nanny back to her pen. When he buried his face in his arms and sighed it wasn’t because he was remembering how much he had to tug and pull to move a basket of apples, no, it was just because the mere thought of carrying goats for the foreseeable future made him tired. Definitely.

But this strength was just an Ordon thing, right? It was totally just something that was common in Ordon, and Legend took comfort in that as he sat on the front porch of Uli and Rusl’s house and helped with the mending.

Even their blankets were heavy, what the heck?

But then Sky walked past.

And Sky was carrying a barrel, an entire barrel. One that swished and clunked with the sounds of grain filling it, and if the small trail of spilled seed that followed after the hero meant anything, then that thing was full.

Okay, so Skyloftians were strong too, no big deal.

Big deal.

Their entire visit to Ordon, helping to hide away animals and supplies before a local monster band stole them, was spent with Legend trying desperately to not be jealous as he watched everyone from Wind to Time lift and carry things that he couldn’t even knock over if he pushed against them.

It wasn’t even that most of thing things were heavy, it was just... he was weak.

Uli’s gaze when she’d figured out the truth had been surprised, eyes blown wide with shock as she watched as Legend, who’d opted to help indoors since he knew working outside would lead to him being more a burden than an aid, struggled to lift buckets of water to fill the wash basin. Dark brown eyes had followed him as he’s left the bucket outdoors and stomped inside, hissing and wheezing under his breath as he moved his attention to his bag and grabbed one of his power bracelets.

“Hun,” Uli’s soft country twang caught his attention as the woman drew close, concern filling her warm gaze. “Are ya’ feelin’ alright?”

And reputation or no, Legend’s Gran would have his hide on a hitching-post if he even so much as dropped his manners. There was something about country folk that was so inherently polite and welcoming, that even the salty vet couldn’t help but return with the same manners that his Gran had pounded into his head since childhood.

“Yes, ma’am.” Crimson trailed up his neck to blossom across his cheeks and shoot up his ears. He tried to ignore that Uli had a baby on one hip and a bushel of food on the other, breath contained and relaxes as she stood there, no hint of strain in her face or body language. His fingers trailed along the clasp of his power bracelet, shame building inside as he shuffled his feet.

You just can’t walk away when lady’s talking to you, especially if she’s being all polite like and just makin’ sure you’re okay.

“Are you injured?” The farm-wife pressed. “You were huffy something huge with that there bucket.”

And Legend would like nothing more than to sink into the earth as he glances over the full bucket of water that no matter how hard he tries, he just can’t lift. “I’m just not much of a farm-hand is all, ma’am. I’ll be right as rain in a tick, just needed to grab something I forgot.”

And while the look Uli gives him is a bright smile, he knows worry when he sees it peeking out of someone’s gaze. He tries to ignore that, instead turning back to the chores he’d been assigned and trying his hardest to ignore ethe fact that no one else was wearing power bracelets when they all came back for dinner that evening.

He’s not strong. So what? He can lift his sword well enough, and he can do most other things too when he wears the power bracelets.

Yes, he knows that Ravio warned him about not developing muscles if he relied on objects so much, but he’s never had time to work out or build any muscle mass, so when he needs it it’s a bit more important to just get his work done rather than hope he’ll develop it. He’s paying for that, and he knows it, but he can’t really help that he doesn’t have the time or space to really do anything about it.

Oh well, at least the others haven’t caught on.

Warriors hefts a huge rock over his shoulder and throws it, chuckling deep and loud as he smirks at the rancher. “Beat that!”

They’re clearing a road where an avalanche swept through and blocked off the main entrance to a local town. They’ve been at it for hours, and while Legend tries his hardest to be discreet by sticking to things he can actually lift, even if it does require his bracelets, the others have devolved into a contest to see who can throw stuff the furthest.

There’s nothing on the other side of the road except for the edge of a swamp, and even Legend has to admit that it’s ridiculously satisfying to hear each of the heavy stones go ‘plop’ as they land in the marsh.

Twilight smirks at the captain, all his sharp teeth on display as he hefts a rock that’s the size of Wild and easily bigger than half of the rest of the heroes. “Watch and learn, city boy.” Twilight grunts (well at least it took some effort) before throwing the boulder and watching with the rest of them as it soars through the air and lands with a dramatic ‘splosh’ in the middle of the swamp. Cheers erupt from the younger heroes, and a few even drop their own burdens to give a brief round of applause.

Warriors humphs shrewdly, gaze thin as he looks over at Twi, who only cocks a brow in challenge. “Anyone think they can beat that?”

Legend finds his gaze meeting Four’s swirling hazel, and they both quickly look away from the captain, both well aware that the biggest rocks they’ve lifted are maybe the sizes of their heads, and no where near the horrific loads that the taller heroes are tossing left and right.

“I’ll try!” Wild’s eyes are flashing as the kid clambers over the rock slide, eyes darting to and fro until they land on what has to be the biggest, most horrifically sized piece of rubble Legend has ever seen. The Champion beams, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles briefly before taking the stone in both hands and lifting it over his head and throwing it.

The swam erupts in goop and several of their group yelp and have to dark back as smelly water sprinkles the edge of the path. Wild beams down from his perch on top of the pile, hands on his hips as he looks down at them. “Who dares challenge my strength?”

“How about you, Vet?” Warriors nudges him lightly, chuckling with a cocked brow. The man is just teasing, and he doesn’t mean any harm, but Legend finds himself irritated anyways. He doesn’t know what it is about Warriors, but the man gets under his skin entirely too easily.

“No thanks.” He grunts, hefting his own stone (so small in comparison) a bit higher and adjusting his grip as he walks over to the swamp.

Wild scrabbles around above, knocking stones aside and sending them rolling down towards the vet. Legend rolls his eyes, dodging quickly around a few and kicking some of the larger ones in the direction of the swamp.

He smiles to himself at the satisfying ‘plonk’ as each one hits the surface.

Four’s head aches and the next time they see Warriors they’re going to kick him in the shins.

The captain is good at planning, usually, but if his planning means that Four is waking up to stare around a vast room where people in red and black PJ suits are eating bananas because said plan went wrong, then they think they’re a bit justified in wanting to kick the captain.

They’d reach to rub their head, to adjust the headband that’s riding too low and letting their hair all hang in their eyes, but their hands are bound behind them, and they’re left huffing their breath and scrunching their nose in an effort to relive their irritation. Their mind is too wild to shake their head, but they let their eyes wander.

Legend’s violet gaze meets theirs, sharp fury bubbling below the surface as Legend sits across from them, hands bound behind him, a rope leading from his wrists to a hook in the wall that is definitely higher than either of the two of them can reach.

As unkind as it is, they breathe a sigh of relief to know they aren’t alone (even if being four people in one body technically means that they’re never alone as is). It’s...nice, having Legend around. They don’t know what it is, but the taller boy feels safe and that’s something that they, especially Red, fond comfort in.

But the fact that two of them are here means that Wars is getting both his shins kicked, fair is fair.

Legend squeaks in that harsh way he does when he’s angry, a poor and rather adorable attempt at a growl, but apparently, he’s unable to make any sort of guttural noise, so the squeak is the best he can do. “I am going to strangle Wars when we get back. Yiga? Seriously?”

They raise a brow. “Weren’t we fighting moblins?”

“And a Talus. Unless these guys have transformative rings, then someone messed up.” The vet grates out, but before he can try and unravel their situation any more, a masked face is shoved into the vets own, one of the pajama clad banana eater’s apparently trying to leer over the vet, breath strong and rank even behind his mask.

“So! The friends of the hero awake! You will call me Astorah! Leader of the Yiga and supreme priestess to Lord Ganon!”

“I’ll call you annoying and maybe alive if you let us go.” legend drawls, unimpressed. “Seriously lady, get your face of mine or I’ll knock it in.”

They smirk. Legend is as polite and well-mannered as can be around the country villages, but the minute he’s away from thick mountain drawls and country twang, the Vet becomes a sour and salty speaker who’s as likely to threaten you as o smile at you. It would almost be funny if they weren’t being held captive.

Astorah makes an indignant sound, hand shooting out to smack Legend across the face. The vet can’t do anything to stop it, and the blow sends his head swinging to the side, a faint grunt escaping as the self-declared priestess stands to her full height (she’s taller than either of them at any rate) and promptly orders her subordinates to see to it that the prisoners be brought to ‘the mountain’.

“The hero will be looking for his friends,” The pajama clad leader declares excitedly, hands rubbing together like a villain in a bad stage play. “So, let's help him out, shall we?”

The vet and smithy exchange a glance, each somewhat surprised at how... pathetic their opponent seems to be.

“Their screams should do the trick; all heroes listen to cries of help after all.” There’s a mad waver in her voice and the pitching is all wrong.

She’s delusional. Vio whispers, and the rest of them are inclined to agree.

Across from them, legend scowls as another red and black clad weirdo comes to grasp his binds, unhooking them from above as yet another does the same to Four.

Ideally, they would try and escape now, but legend only follows along slowly as Astorah leads them through the endless halls and up step after step, murmuring, laughing and shrieking loudly as she goes, hands fluttering and gestures erratic as Legend’s scowl grows more and more each minute.

It all seems rather pathetic, all thing considered, until another, larger, more intimidating individual stops them, voice harsh as it grates out something in a language neither hero can understand. Astorah protests and shrieks at the figure, but they disregard her and instead turn to the heroes.

“Put them back, screams echo within a cave far better than on a mountain top.”

Four’s stomach sinks. Being outside means being closer to escape, means finding the others easier and kicking Wars for landing the in a battle where two of their own had been captured by the enemy.

Legend seems to be of the same idea, his eyes flashing as he pulls at his bonds, tugging away from the guard holding onto him.

The oddly garbed enemy slaps him again, but Legend doesn’t seem to be affected, only pushing harder and biting towards the next hand that swings his way. Astorah pulls away with a light sob, shrieking when Legend’s teeth keep hold of her hand while the enemies around them erupt into action.

Fours unsure of what happens next, their head is still spinning, and quite honestly, they’re sure Hyrule will declare him concussed when they get back, but he does see blows being thrown Legend's way, blades being drawn as shouts echo around them.

There’s a dark of movement, and one of the enemies falls. Four stares in shock for half of a moment before turning their gaze to Legend, who, for all intents and purposes, looks half feral.

Blood stains the Vet’s bucked teeth and his hair swirls as he spins and ducks beneath blows. His hands are still bound tightly behind him, a rope trailing on the ground as Legend evades contact, yet somehow still manages to down another enemy.

Four would try and help, but their mind is spinning, their brain not yet up to date with what their eyes are seeing, that and they’re still bound themself, their arms are fastened behind them and they’re not even sure how Legend is managing to get blows in.

And the he sees.

The vet’s boot swings up to make contact with one of the jaws of the enemy.

Yiga. Wild had told them about them, the Yiga clan, people out for the hero’s blood. The word only comes to mind now, but they’d had to tune out of the battle for a brief moment to remember it. They’re brought back to it as the sound of an agonized scream breaks through the air, accompanied by the harsh snapping sound that Four knows too well from having broken their own bones.

Legend fights with his hands behind his back, kicking out like an angered horse and injuring any who step near. It’s impressive honestly, watching how blood spurts and bones crumple from the force of the vet’s blows, and all that without having use of his hands.

The Yiga back away, eventually leaving the room entirely as Legend squeaks out an angry Legend sound after them, before turning his attention to Four. Four says nothing, and it appear Legend thinks that that’s okay, because he darts towards the door they had been headed too, leading Four with nervous glances being thrown back over his shoulder every few minutes.

The mountain top they emerge onto is higher than Four expected, and they want nothing more than to snuggle down in the cozy parka Legend once leant him, but they have none of their items, and they’re lucky to even be out in one piece.

It takes a lot of work to climb down a mountain with their hands tied, but their fingers are too cold to make any good of the knots, and they manage in the end to climb down. They’re in the last legs when Four notices what looks like a small group of travelers below, and they can almost hear the singing of the Four Sword from them.

They’d dropped their blade in their battle, the very reason they were caught in the first blade. They’re not happy someone else touched it, but they are glad they didn’t leave it behind.

“Four,” Legend’s voice breaks them from their thoughts, and as they turn to face him, they find that Legend’s face is flushed, ears twitching nervously as he avoids their gaze. “Could you...not tell the others about all that?”

“About what?” They clamber down another stone, Legend still within sight as he trails down beside them.

“The...kicking.” Legend flushes. “I know you guys- most of them anyway- could have it handled better. I just, Wars is bad enough as is, I don’t need him bring up my lack of strength next time he decides he needs ammo to mess with me.” There’s a scowl on the vets features as he hops down and across and small hold in the mountain side. “I get it, I’m weak in comparison, they could probably have beheaded those guys with their bare hands, but mine fingers are shit o a good day and-”

Four doesn’t know if they actually figure something out or randomly spew words, but Legend’s eyes turn to them in surprise when the smithy stares down at him. “You do know most Hylia’s can’t do anything by kicking each other, right? I’m planning on kicking Wars when we get back, and the most it’ll do is bruise him.” Their voice is flat, but they let Viol take over, he always had the best endurance out of them when it came to rocky places anyways. “You kicked a man’s ribs in, Legend.”

And it’s not funny, it really isn’t, but they giggle, watching as Legend flushes before their eyes, and when the others trail up towards them, gazes curious and concerned, Four is laughing hysterically.

It could be the head wound, it could be Legend’s face, but the thought that Legend was able to kick a man's ribs in and hadn’t done so to any of them yet was both surprising and highly relieving for whatever reason, and it’s hilarious listening to Legend try and explain himself as the vet protests and struggles against the fact that apparently Hylian’s don’t usually have enough leg strength to kill people with.

Yes, people died back there. Yes, Four just watched them die. Maybe it’s Shadow’s influence, but Four can’t find that they're overly bothered. They are tired and injured and cold, and if they can laugh about something as ridiculous as Legend’s strange strength imbalance, then Hylia danggit they’re going to!

They never do kick Wars’ shins in, they giggle to hard at the thought that Legend doing so could actually break them, so they topple over before they can lift their feet.

#fluffics #linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe fic requests #lu legend #lu four #yiga clan #why does no one write a female yiga leader who's stupid?#it's fun #as a girl I can say we can be very dumb #and she is

152 notes · View notes

dessarious · 4 years

Text

What Makes a Family? Pt8

AO3 Beginning Previous Next

“How exactly is a billionaire businessman connected to the al Ghuls, and what does that have to do with my birth mother?” Marinette decided to take advantage of Alfred’s shock. She knew better than to think he’d just answer her question but she’d be able to get a lot of information from his reaction while he was off balance.

“How does a teenager from Paris even know who they are?” Deflection. Fairly standard move.

“I asked first.” She had to hide a smile at the eyeroll that produced. Finding his buttons was proving to be quite amusing.

“Master Bruce has business interests all over the world.” She just gave him a flat look. More deflection.

“No, that’s not it.” Alfred blinked at her for a moment. She’d admit he was very good at half truths, but not enough to fool her.

“I assure you Miss, Wayne Enterprises has ventures all over the world.”

“That may be true but it’s not how he’s connected to the League. Wait… Taila can’t be my mother. There’s no way she could have written that note given that the woman has no empathy.” After what happened that would be a literal nightmare. But there was also no reason for Talia to want to protect her from the League so it couldn’t be her… right?

“No, Talia isn’t your mother.” There was a slight emphasis on the word ‘your’ that most people would have missed. He wasn’t kidding when he said things were complicated.As far as she knew Talia only had one child. A child she claimed was fathered by some American superhero. What was his name? Dixon? No, Daren? No that wasn’t it. She’d gone on and on about her precious…

“Damian.” She didn’t mean to say it out loud but seeing Alfred’s expression she was glad she did. But if Bruce was Damian’s father as well, and Talia wasn’t just being grandiose, that meant he was a hero? “Where exactly does my father live?” She’d done her homework on other heroes in case she needed help or one of them ended up in Paris. Maybe she could narrow down the possibilities by location.

“Gotham, Miss.” Marinette heard a sound leave her throat that she couldn’t identify. Judging by Alfred’s expression he hadn’t heard anything like it before either.

“My father is Batman?” Alfred wasn’t able to hide his shock, but she wasn’t certain it was because she was right. At the same time all the pieces fit. Not to mention Tikki had told her that as a true chosen, fate and chance were always working overtime around her.

“Marinette, that is an interesting fancy. Just because a man lives in the same city as a notable vigilante doesn’t mean they’re the same person.” Alfred’s tone was a bit huffy and Marinette laughed out loud, earning her a glare.

“You have tells Grandpa Alfie. Using my name without prompting is definitely one of them. Don’t worry, the secret is safe with me.” She suddenly found herself on the receiving end of an extremely intense stare. It was a lot like the look her Maman gave her that made it feel like she could see everything Marinette had ever done wrong. When she was younger that stare made her start confessing to everything, even things she hadn’t done. By the time she became Ladybug she was able to hold it in though she couldn’t control her expressions. She honestly didn't know how she’d kept it secret for so long. Now though, she could simply sit there calmly and wait as Alfred seemed to weigh and measure every aspect of her life. She felt sorry for all her siblings who must be on the receiving end of this inspection on a regular basis.

“I would like to know how you came to that conclusion, why you think you can be trusted with such information if it were in fact true, and how you know about the League of Assassins.” The poor man sounded so tired. She could only imagine what he went through on a daily basis if she was right about her father. The only solid thought that went through her head was ‘give to get’ and as she examined her instincts she knew he could be trusted. Not to mention that at this point she’d had too many slip ups to avoid at least a partial explanation. Fate and chance once again conspiring to set her on a certain path. As much as she hated her hand being forced like this it wasn’t fair to take it out on her new found family.

“It’s complicated.” She giggled at the flat look he shot her as she echoed his own words back at him. “I have a lot more pieces of the puzzle than you’re aware of for starters so nothing you said or did would have outed him by itself. My conclusion is actually tied to how I know about the League of Assassins and that is a story that I need you to promise not to share, with anyone, unless you ask me first. No one knows the whole of it besides me because I don’t want to risk any Akuma’s or worse. But I trust you to keep it to yourself, given that you’re obviously experienced at keeping secrets.”

“I have a feeling you are as well.” She could only offer him a tired smile at that observation. If only he knew. His look softened considerably. “You have my word that nothing you say will be shared without your permission. Unless it’s a matter of life and death.” She let out a thoughtful hum before replying.

“That’s fair I suppose. Granted the whole life or death thing can be a bit subjective. I suppose I should start at the beginning, though I’m not sure I know where that is anymore. Remember how I said our heroes and villains are using Magical Artifacts to get their powers?”

“I do Miss.” She rolled her eyes, more in annoyance at herself than anything.

“You’re just going to refuse to use my name at all now that I called you on your tell aren’t you?” There was that almost smile again.

“I don’t know what you mean Miss.”

“Of course you don’t. Anyway, those Artifacts are highly coveted by certain groups. One of those groups is the League of Assassins. Given how little information gets out of Paris intact I’m still not sure how they found out the Miraculous were in circulation, but Ra’s and Talia came to Paris, about two years ago I believe, to try and take them.” That had started the worst week of her life, even if some of the lasting effects were some of the best things in her life currently. That week she’d found out that Adrien was Chat. That was the week Paris had been destroyed over a dozen times as she fought and Akumatized Ra’s al Ghul almost by herself. That was the week she’d given Chloe, Luka, and Kagami their Miraculous permanently. That was the week she’d seen everyone and everything she’d ever loved ripped apart. She still had nightmares that featured the lifeless stares of everyone she cared about. Yes she’d fixed it in the end, just like always, but unlike everyone else she didn’t have the luxury of forgetting. Suddenly she felt gentle hands on her own.

“You remind me so much of your father. You both carry burdens and refuse to share them. You both seem to think that the world is on your shoulders, and yours alone. You both have people all around you who would help, if only you’d let them.” His tone was an odd mixture of concern and censure.

“You’d be a good match for Wayzz. A calm and steadying presence full of wisdom yet willing to do whatever is necessary to protect those you care about.” She was just as surprised by the words as he was but she knew she was right. “But that is another complicated matter and I still owe you a proper explanation for the first round of confusion I sprang on you.”

AO3 Beginning Previous Next

Ko-Fi

@moonystars14 @ladybug-182 @elmokingkong @smolplantmum @jessigurl-design @trippingovermyfeet @its-salty-bug @whydoexamsexist @scorchdragon88 @alenee13 @lil-1254s-blog @sturchling @random-fandoms7 @fandom-writer642 @chylou34 @thewitchwhowaited @junarvion @laurcad123 @hakoirii @aestheticnpoetic @aegyobutpsycho2 @sassakitty @swiftie-miraculer13 @miraculous-simmer7 @peachedpocky @misslenamooney @shamefullove @user00000003 @18-fandoms-unite-08 @galla02006

#bio dad bruce wayne #marinette dupain cheng #Alfred Pennyworth #maribat

305 notes · View notes

theshylittleelfgirl · 3 years

Text

Whew! this idea has been in my noggin for a while now and i finally had the brain power to actually write it! Horaaay for BIG BRAIN! If you liked this story please be sure to leave a comment to let me know if i should continue it or if you liked it, There's going to be some spelling errors i pray that you forgive that! It is awfully late here and my brain is fried right now lol

I added a little bit more to the story not much, It was really bothering me so i fixed it! Part 2 will be coming soon :D

Enjoy!❤

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

I was sitting in Levi's office reading a book on his couch, I have finished my daily routine, I decided to spend my free time with levi.

But that short fucker was To busy doing paperwork.

We haven't had sex in like a year....A Year!

I was always trying to get him in the mood, running my fingers up his sides in the morning trying to make my intentions clearer, but apparently he got all huffy and said 'Quit pestering me brat, I'm trying to sleep here.' and then he would roll back on his side facing away from me.

'What a rude shithead' i huffed.

Then an idea popped in my head, it was getting pretty late maybe just maybe we can have sex and fall asleep cuddling, It would usually help the both of us relax after a long day.

"Hey levi?" i said in an innocent voice.

"What?" he said irritated he looked up at me briefly then back down at his paperwork.

I strutted over to him standing behind his chair massaging his shoulders unbuttoning the top of his shirt ghosting my fingers over his collarbone. "I'm going to get ready for bed, why don't you join me?" i whispered seductively into his ear. "Maybe i can show you how flexible i've become." i nipped his earlobe.

"No, I can't leave this paperwork you go ahead and lay down." his face remained stoic not phased in the slightest.

I growled and stood in front of his desk slamming my hands down but not getting his attention what so ever "All you ever do is paperwork levi! i get its part of your job but fuck! we haven't had sex in a year, A Fucking Year Levi! i've tried everything to get your attention but you continuously refuse my advances, What do i have to do? Write "Fuck Me" on my forehead to get your attention?" i panted after my rant my face red with anger.

He finally looked at me for the first time this night his icy glare pierced through me like a dagger. "If all you want to do is spread your legs then your not fit to be in the scouts, You want to be fucked so bad? then go find someone else to do the job, I got priorities to attend to and you aren't one of them, Now shut the fuck up and leave me the hell alone!" he snarls when he was met with silence only then did he realize he fucked up, "Y/n, I-i.." he couldn't muster up the courage to apologize for his shitty words.

Hair fell in front of my eyes "If that's what you really think of me then i think our relationship is officially over Captain, I won't bother you ever again." i went into 'our' room grabbing a bag i began stuffing my belongings toiletries,clothes,drawings into said bag. He heard the dresser jores being opened and closed 'Shit! she's going to leave! do something moron!' he jumped out of his chair rushing into the room and saw me packing my things. "Y/n, baby, Wait please i didn't mean what i said i swear, I'm just stressed that's all." he tried placing a hand on my shoulder i shrugged it off. "Don't." i said darkly "Don't fucking touch me." once my things were packed i swung my bag on my shoulder walking right past him not sparing him a glance.

I reached the door i felt him grab my arm i halted my movements. "Please don't do this." he begged.

I ripped my arm out of his grip "I hope your paperwork can keep you warm at night, Captain, because i won't be anymore, Asshole." i opened the door slowly shutting it not wanting to wake up the other soldiers.

I walked the dark halls trying to find hanji's room 'I should of brought a lantern with me.' once i knew i was far enough away from levi's room i slid down a wall it was only then that his words started to sink in 'Asshole...what a fuckin asshole! Mikasa warned me about him why didn't i listen to her? god i'm so stupid.' i laid my bag beside me hugging my knee's to my chest i sighed 'I tried so hard to see his side on things, To understand his pain what he went through, Understanding how he was about as romantic as a cactus, His cleaning obsession's, I tried so hard for him.' I buried my face in my knee's silent tears fell down my face.

I began to sob 'Why would he say something so fucking cruel?!' hugging my knee's tighter i began to shake.

"Y/n?" he deep masculine voice echoed in the halls.

I looked up to see a bright orange light illuminate a tall manly figure then i looked up to their face.

"Erwin?" my voice cracked

"Y/n, What happened? your eyes are almost swollen shut." he kneeled in front of me.

"Levi he....he." tears began to pour from my eyes. "He hates me, He thinks i'm some kind of whore who will spread her legs openly for any man, He told me i wasn't fit for the scouts, that i'm basically a burden on him." i sobbed into my hands shaking even harder.

Erwin sighs "Levi has always had a sharp tongue sometimes he doesn't think things through clearly." he looked to your side and noticed a bag. "You have no where to sleep, Why don't you come into my office and you can take my bed i'll take the couch, How does that sound?" he gently placed a hand on your shoulder.

I looked up at him tears still falling from my eyes. "I'm not going to kick you out of your own room Erwin, i wouldn't feel right doing that to you." you looked away embarrassed that the commander saw you in this state, but he's seen me like this countless times he and i were friends after all we would share our burdens over a glass of whiskey once in a while.

He took my small hands into his calloused ones and squeezed them reassuringly "I have no problem with sleeping on the couch, I hardly ever use the bed anyways, So you wouldn't be taking anything away from me." he smiled gently.

I looked into his calm ocean eyes i hesitated for a minute but nodded "Okay, i will if it's truly no problem." sighing knowing there was no arguing with him.

"Its settled then, Lets get you to bed, You must be exhausted." He let go of my hands and stood up he lent his hand to me, I took it and he helped me stand noticing my tear stained cheeks he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a handkerchief he offered it to me.

I took it from him and gently began dabbing the soft fabric on my eyes and cheeks, I offered it back to him and he held up his hand "Keep it, You need it more then i do, Besides i have a million of those things in my dresser." he chuckled picking up the lantern.

A small smile formed on my lips i nodded stuffing the handkerchief into my pocket.

"Shall we then? you'll catch your death in this cold hallway." he inclined his head in the direction of his room/office.

I reached down and grabbed my bag off of the floor slinging it over my shoulder once more.

"Lets go." i simply said erwin began walking down the dark hallways if it wasn't for his lantern lighting the way i would of been lost forever in these damnable stone hallways.

"If you don't mind me asking, Why was he being so harsh this time? not that i'm excusing those awful untrue things he said." eyes glued to the steps in front of him.

I looked away from his back my voice deeply saddens. "I just wanted him to come to bed and relax with me, I'm sorry if this is to much info but we always made love and then we would cuddle afterwards whenever he was stressed and he was extremely stressed tonight, so i offered to help him relax and that's when he..." i choked down my sob breathing rapidly.

"E-erwin do you think he's...?" i couldn't finish the words 'Would he stoop so low that he would cheat on me? Am i not enough for him anymore? does he take me for a woman who would sleep around with other men? Why would he say those horrible things to me? What have i done wrong other then try to love him flaws and all?' a million thoughts ran through my mind, i felt a weight on my head i looked up to see erwin looking at me sadly he ruffled my hair.

"No, Levi is definitely not the type to run around, He really loves you y/n, I bet he feels absolutely awful for what he said and i imagine he's beating himself up over it, Levi is a tough person to get along with but you have dedicated your heart and soul to him, He wouldn't throw that away just for some random woman, Not only are you the bravest most loyal soldier your the most kindest caring person as well, That's a rare thing in these times, He's lucky to have someone like you y/n." he took his hand away so he could look into my eyes.

I began to tear up again. "His words cut me deep erwin, I don't know when or if i'll ever forgive him, his hurtful words are still fresh in my mind, But i do appreciate what you said to me, That's probably the nicest thing i have heard in a while." i smiled through the tears.

He nods. "Its going to take some time for you to heal and that's completely understandable, You are more then welcome to stay in my room for as long as you want to, But if you ever feel uncomfortable, Hanji isn't that far from where i am, She would more then welcome you to stay, Just be prepared to be interrogated she doesn't give up easily." he sighs

"I'm fully aware." I giggled a little taking the handkerchief dabbing my eyes again.

He smiled and began walking again i followed him looking back into the dark hallway wondering what he's doing right now, i sighed directing my head towards the back of the commander.

Unbeknownst to you, Levi lingered behind one of the archways (is that what they call it? its 3am give me a break lol) listening in on yours and erwins chat.

He clenched his hands into a tight fist knuckles whitening. "I fucked up, Now eyebrows is going to take her away from me, I'm such a fool." he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I have to fix this, No, I Need to fix this, But how? i'm clearly shit at my words." he sighed

"Maybe hanji can help?" he started to feel hopeful, he was either desperate or crazy to even consider help from the mad scientist, Definitely crazy.

With his mind made up, He pushed off the archway(?) looking at that orange light fade away into the darkness once more he turned away and began walking back to his room.

"Please don't give up on me y/n." he pleaded.

To Be Continued.

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #levi attack on titan #angst #romance #comfort #jealousy

62 notes · View notes

fallout-snippets · 3 years

Note

Fallout 4 companions (+Rhys, Haylen, Sturges, the faction leaders, and the nuka-gang leaders) react to Sole riding in on a horse, and ordering them not to go near it, and when/if the companions disregard this order (maybe they only met Sole just recently and haven’t learned that Sole only gives orders for the sake of other people’s safety), they end up getting kicked/bitten/crushed between the horse’s butt and a wall, and Sole informs them that this is exactly why they told them to stay back?

Cait reacts just as quickly as the horse and quickly jumps back before its hooves connect. She still falls backwards and yells. Gets huffy with Sole and thinks they should’ve told her it was an aggressive animal that attacks just by being approached.

Codsworth raises one of his arms and shouts “Why, you!” at the horse, quickly hurrying off to find a mirror of some kind so he can see if his chassi got dented. Apologizes to Sole for not listening to them but hates the horse.

Curie is completely dazed and in shock, staying on the ground for a moment to collect herself. Thinks the horse is magnificent and patiently asks Sole for instructions on how to properly conduct herself around it.

Danse is 100% embarrassed and hopes no one but Sole saw it and that Sole has the good heart never to mention it again. He very cordially apologizes and never approaches the horse again, even when Sole says it’s okay.

Deacon knows about horses and how scared they are for its size and it’s only really by pure accident and aligning of stars that the horse backs into him ass first. Jokes it off, asks if Sole trained it to do that. Makes sure never to end up behind it again.

Dogmeat tries to greet the new, large and funny-looking dog but quickly ducks away from its stomping hooves and hides. Only when Sole introduces them to each other slowly and properly do they begin to get along.

Hancock is humble and knows it’s his own fault for not listening. No hard feelings. Lets Sole know he’s sorry for ignoring their command and that he’ll be more careful from now on. Also makes sure the horse knows it wont happen again or there’ll be a big potluck where everyone’s invited.

MacCready pretends it didn’t happen. He gets up, dusts himself off and makes sure Sole knows he’ll listen to them from now on but if this never gets mentioned it again it’ll be too soon. Keeps a good distance from the horse.

Nick can only blame himself, he remembers horses from before and how easily spooked they are. Has some experience with them and ends up making friends with the animal, despite their rocky start. Doesn’t apologize for not listening but takes responsibility for his own actions.

Piper, like Danse, is extremely embarrassed. Like Cait, she also confronts Sole saying how they could’ve warned her the horse was dangerous. Eventually calms down and enjoys riding along with Sole across the wasteland, takes some care of it herself.

Preston praises Sole for having such control over an animal that large and aggressive. Apologizes for not listening and takes time to learn how to approach and care for the horse himself so it’s not a burden Sole has to carry alone.

Strong is about to kick the horse right back when Sole screams at him to stand down. Gets scolded for not listening but thinks it’s bullshit. Bides his time for his revenge on the four legged motherfucker who got away with attacking him.

X6-88 would never disregard a direct order but somehow he ends up behind it and the hind legs connect with his chest and force him flying backwards. Acts like it was just a tumble and not a straight kick in his rib cage. Has him out of breath and sore for days but his composure never falters. Sole did tell him not to approach and he is the only one to blame.

Ada, like Strong, wants revenge but stands down when Sole tells her to calm down. She still spends a lot of time fantasizing about ways to hurt the horse right back.

Longfellow loves animals and feels kinda self-conscious that the horse didn’t immediately take to him, even if horses are almost mythical and unknown in his time. Doesn’t know not to scare horses and he ends up getting thrown around a bit before he gets the hang of it. Knows Sole means business when they say something but eh, you gotta try yourself forward sometimes.

Gage already didn’t trust the thing and this only makes it worse. Tries from time to time to convince Sole to just dump the thing somewhere or for them to cook and eat it. Thinks that even if Sole warned him not to get close that the horse is an unnecessary addition to the party.

Rhys gets mad at the horse, probably out of embarrassment. Agitates it enough that someone has to calm down the horse and someone else has to calm down Rhys. Calls it “yet another wasteland abomination”.

Haylen is also furiously embarrassed (brotherhood peeps got a lot of pride to hurt) but is more apologetic. Asks for information on how to approach it to save face but plans on never going near it again.

Sturges tries to be as gentle as possible but if the horse reacts by biting him after he approaches slowly and with his hands outstretched towards it in good faith then it’s not a friend he plans to make. Doesn’t dislike the horse, it’s just an animal that reacted like an animal, but keeps a deliberate distance. Will still make sure it’s taken proper care of if he has to, no animal has to suffer just because it has instincts.

Father somehow manages to turn it into a lesson about how mankind and the surface world has dwindled into disrepair. Doesn’t take accountability for his own actions, thinks the horse is a lesser animal and shouldn’t be allowed to react that way.

Maxson knows how to be diplomatic and manages to smooth over the fact that he ignored Soles order. Studies the horse to see if it can be utilized for the Brotherhoods benefit but eventually scraps the idea. Definitely romanticizes the old war image of war generals riding into battle on a horse with a bayonet raised high but the cost and the cons outweigh the pros. Like X6-88 he never lets it show that his ribs are severely bruised.

Desdemona just sighs and throws her hands in the air. Yeah, okay. That’s a horse. It doesn’t have to be her problem, she has enough as it is.

Mason definitely tries to mount the horse in some kind of alpha display but immediately gets tossed off a good few metres. Would try more times before getting violent to show the horse who’s boss but Sole probably sets him in his place, either by scolding him or threatening him. Considers the horse a personal challenge.

Nisha plans a slow death for the animal that reeks of shit and dust. Will absolutely kill the horse if it’s left unattended and pretend it was either not her or an accident. Doesn’t care that she was warned, things like that just don’t go by unretaliated.

Mags doesn’t want to go near it all since it’s such a filthy animal but when Sole tells her not to she gets curious. Considers it a lesson learned and to not take Soles word lightly.

44 notes · View notes

bloodfromthethorn · 3 years

Text

Bridal Carry

Hiking trips are more hazardous than Riley remembers them being. At least she has Jack there to make her rescue feel as awkward as humanly possible.

Part two of the July of Whump 2021 prompt challenge (although this one is much more fluff than whump, oops).

Also on AO3.

“This is undignified.”

“You’re the one who had to go and break your ankle, you can’t blame me for this.”

“It’s not broken. And you could at least pretend like you’re not enjoying yourself.”

“Ri, you know I’d do anything for you, but carrying you down a mountain is not really what I’d consider a good time.” Jack let that settle for a moment, then shot her a vaguely wounded look. “And you know I’m never happy to see you hurt.”

Even still blushing faintly in embarrassment, Riley couldn’t help but feel a thrill of guilt trickle down her spine. She knew Jack was likely more unhappy about her ankle than she was – when she’d first fallen he’d gone white with panic until he’d ascertained that she hadn’t actually done herself mortal injury. His worry had been genuine enough that she hadn’t had the heart to play it up in a way she might have done with Mac or Boze.

“I know,” she grumbled quietly, unwilling to entirely let go of her displeasure. There really wasn’t a lot of dignity in being carried back to the car like a baby. “I’m still unhappy about it.”

Jack snorted as he stepped carefully over some stones littered along the path. He didn’t seem burdened by her weight in the slightest; Riley knew she wasn’t exactly heavy, but this seemed a little bit extreme.

“Well I’m not exactly thrilled. What was your plan, scampering up that gravel mountain? Thing looked like danger a mile off.”

“It was hardly a mountain,” she contested, not for the first time. “I just wanted to see if I could see back to the river from there.”

“And could you?”

There was a huffy pause. “I didn’t get the chance to find out.”

“Because the gravel mountain collapsed on you.”

Riley shot him a dirty look that he utterly ignored. He’d become immune to her stink eye approximately twenty minutes into knowing her and it seemed like a decade apart had done nothing to blunt his familiarity.

“I didn’t look where I was putting my feet, that’s all.”

“I saw you looking plenty. You kept looking right up until the ground fell out from under you.”

He sounded vaguely like a parent delivering some sort of life lesson to a wayward toddler and it was doing nothing for Riley’s discomfort. She barely resisted the urge to cross her arms. There was nothing she could do about the huff though.

Jack glanced down at her, taking in the downcast eyes and blushing cheeks, and sighed to himself. “I’m not mad, Ri,” he informed her gently, returning his attention to the uneven track they were following. The last thing they needed was for him to turn his ankle over too. “I just get worried when you get hurt. I hate seeing you in pain.”

Riley’s annoyance immediately faded again at the reminder, and she rolled her eyes to allay Jack’s concern. “I’m not really hurt, Jack,” she reassured. “Can barely even feel it anymore.”

“You can’t feel it because you haven’t had to put weight on it for twenty minutes. I’m not letting you even think about walking until someone in Phoenix med has given you a look over.”

Whatever sympathy Riley might have been feeling vanished in an instant and she shot him a disbelieving look. “No way.”

“Uh, yes way? That thing could be broken for all you know. I’m not about to just drop you off at home with a pack of frozen peas and call it good.”

“That is exactly what you’re going to do,” she shot back firmly. “It’s just a sprain! You are not dragging me into work on a Sunday for something that I won’t even remember tomorrow.”

Jack rolled his eyes, undeterred from his steady trek back the way they’d come. He didn’t even have the courtesy to be out of breath. “You can’t walk on it. That’s not the kind of thing you just ignore.”

“It’s a sprain!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you had a portable x-ray machine tucked into your rucksack,” Jack shot back drily, hefting the thing swung over his shoulder to prove his point. “Is that why this thing’s so heavy?”

She firmly ignored the comment about the backpack – he’d been entirely unfazed at the idea of carrying both of their packs and her all the way back down the trail they’d just spent an hour hiking up so he could just suck it up. “I’d know if it was broken,” she said instead. “I would have heard it.”

“Not necessarily,” He said smartly, visibly gearing up for yet another life lesson. “You’ve not had anywhere near as many broken bones as I have – thankfully – so you’ve still got a lot to learn. Rule one is that they don’t always make a sound.”

“I’ve broken my wrist before. I remember what that felt like and this is nothing like that.”

“Rule two,” he continued without slowing down, “Is that all broken bones are different and what you might remember from one doesn’t necessarily apply to another. Rule three-”

“Okay, god, please just stop.” Jack broke off with a wide grin and Riley couldn’t help but roll her eyes fondly in return. “You win okay? I’ll let a doctor check me out. But we’re not going to Phoenix for it. There’s a clinic two blocks down from me that’ll do just fine.”

“You’d really rather sit in a waiting room for three hours with me hovering over your shoulder than just head to the place where you’ll get seen immediately and no one will ask you any questions?”

“It’s not like we were doing anything covert. We were hiking in the woods for god’s sake.”

“Okay, fair point. That still leaves the waiting room.”

Riley bit her lip for a moment, then decided she might as well come clean. “I don’t want a report ending up on Matty’s desk about that time I fell over and twisted my ankle.”

To her surprise, Jack didn’t laugh. He didn’t even look like he was trying not to, although to be fair he was good at hiding things like that. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged. “What? I’ve been there. I get why you’re worried but honestly, there’s nothing to stress about. Matty hears about all kinds of stuff way worse than this and she never even blinks – ask Mac about that time he broke his wrist in two places coming off a surfboard. That was back in Thornton’s days, but man you should have seen the look on her face! Mac looked like a kid trying to pretend the window broke itself and he had nothing to do with it.”

Riley could definitely picture it. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“So the worst that’s going to happen here is Matty’s going to give you a despairing look, and then we’ll all get on with our day. And besides, going to a different clinic isn’t going to make a lick of difference. You really think Matty’s not going to hear about it anyway? I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t already know and had an ambulance waiting for us back at the car.”

Something very suddenly occurred to her and she looked up at him wild-eyed. “You didn’t call her, did you?”

He snorted. “No way, that’s a conversation for you to have with her. I’m not getting in the middle of it.”

“I thought you said I didn’t have anything to worry about.”

“Yeah, you don’t. But as soon as Matty finds out I was inside a ten-mile radius she’ll blame it all on me and that woman is scary when she’s on the warpath.”

Riley rolled her eyes again, finally starting to feel vaguely settled in her perch of Jack’s arms. It still wasn’t exactly comfortable – there was only so much he could do to minimise the sway of his gait and the summer sunshine was doing nothing to offset their shared heat where they were pressed together – but Jack’s insistence of acting like everything was normal was oddly soothing. He made it seem entirely natural that he should be carrying her when she couldn’t walk herself and it was hard not to copy that same mannerism.

“Okay, fine, if it’ll make you happy, we can go to Phoenix med. It wasn’t your fault though,” She pointed out lightly.

“That usually doesn’t seem to matter. And it’s kind of my fault. It was my idea to come out here.”

“And it was my idea to climb up a stupid gravel pile. You had nothing to do with it.”

Jack hummed discontentedly. “I could have stopped you from trying it. I knew it would end badly.”

“You assume everything will end badly.” She twisted the arm she had wrapped around the back of Jack’s neck to press her palm flat to his shoulder like she could somehow infuse her sincerity that way. “You can’t protect me from everything. Certainly not my own stupidity.”

He paused for a moment to properly look at her, his eyes darting to her traitorous ankle for just a moment before reseeking the honesty in her eyes. Whatever conclusion he came to, his hands on her tightened ever so slightly. “I can try.”

She shook her head, but she was smiling. “I know you will.” There was a pause then, as she fought to battle down a decade of hurt-disguising-itself-as-anger to quietly murmur, “Thank you for that.”

“Always,” was his immediate response. “I wish you didn’t make it so hard for me, but I’ll protect you from anything for as long as I’m able. And longer if I can. That’s my job, remember?”

“I thought your job was protecting Mac.”

“Him too. Truth be told, he’s a thousand times more difficult to watch than you. You’ve at least got some sense when it comes to things like running towards explosions and mixing unidentified chemicals. But you’re part of that too now, Ri. I’m your Overwatch as much as his.”

It was raw and honest and probably everything she’d been waiting to hear since she was thirteen and suddenly without a father again. She had no idea how she was supposed to react. In the end, all she could manage was gripping sharply at the hand tucked under her knees like it was all that was tethering her to reality.

He gripped back just as tightly so perhaps he understood after all.

A long minute passed in silence as Jack carefully wound his way down the path. Even with her weight, the downward slope meant that he was making better time than the pair of them had on the way up. By Riley’s reckoning, they’d be back within another fifteen minutes.

That knowledge in hand, she cast about for another, less sensitive subject, and almost immediately hit upon something sure to get Jack talking normally again. She grinned at him. “So if this is what an Overwatch does for someone with a twisted ankle, does that mean you’ve carried Mac around like a damsel in distress?”

Jack’s laugh was bright, entirely free of the seriousness of their previous exchange. “Once,” he managed after his initial laugh had died down. His face was still broken open in a broad grin. “That kid is far too heavy for it though. He might look like he’s wasting away but he’s tricky like that – nearly put my back out last time I tried something that wasn’t a fireman’s carry. Ingrate couldn’t stop laughing at me for three days.”

He didn’t put much effort into trying to sound offended, too busy smiling fondly.

Riley smiled right back. “Well, a man of your age, you do need to watch out for things like that.”

“A man of my-” He shook his head in faux disbelief, the smile not budging. “Sure,” he said in the face of her laughter, “Mock the person trying to get you out of here in one piece. Maybe I’ll just put you down on that rock over there and head home myself. Leave you behind to look after yourself.”

“You could,” she agreed amiably, still grinning brightly. “You won’t though.”

Jack shot her a dry look, but his eyes were shining in the sunlight and Riley felt warm all the way down to her bones. Her ankle barely even twinged.

“Yeah, you’re right. I won’t.”

#MacGyver #jack dalton #riley davis #hurt riley davis #fanfiction #fanfic #my fanfic #whump of july 2021

16 notes · View notes

vivifrage · 3 years

Note

#7 for ghost and PK?

Oooh these two! Gonna keep with Archivist!PK AU

7. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

Their father - sire, creator, whatever - was, as Hornet told them, and as they’d been discovering, not in the business of feelings.

Every time they visited the Archives, he worked, worked, worked. They had to follow him from room to room if they wanted to observe him, where he’d do every odd job Ghost could think of, and then a few more. At times, like the rare occasions they saw him actually teach a class (never more than a few students per class, all of them the sorts whose eyes sparkled not with Kingslight but with ideas and questions), they could stand wherever and, so long as they were not an unworkable obstruction or posing a threat, their father would let them do as they pleased. They’d sat in the middle of the teacher’s podium, once, and he’d simply raised his head and addressed the class over them.

Sometimes, when he was alone, they got him to admit the same things they already knew. He had been so, so cruel to their sibling. He had burdened all his children with his mistakes. Hornet had been left to guard a corpse. He killed, however indirectly, almost everyone who had been close to him.

They had never seen him crack a smile, though. They had seen Hornet smile. And Hollow, in their own way. They’d even seen Lemm smile! Nor did he laugh, unless it was sad and bitter. He refused to see the White Lady and rarely made trips beyond the Archives, let alone to the Den. He let them sip his tea, whenever he had it, but it always seemed from some idea of parental obligation rather than anything else. It was like the regrets pulsing through his veins had drowned everything else out.

Hollow insisted there was more to him, that he was thoughtful and caring and full of love. Hornet said they were wrong. Only when they couldn’t hear, but she said it.

(His regrets were in her veins, too. It made her painfully easy to believe.)

They came to visit him, once, after they had spent most of the week in the Resting Grounds, following Seer and the Radiance around. The ex-god was still rather huffy with them, but every time the two got too much at odds, Seer stopped whatever they were doing and asked, what were they really feeling? What was happening?

(The Radiance, almost always, was afraid. Death had choked out her light twice now, and it was so easy to feel its hand on her throat again. And the fear made her mad. She was afraid, and lonely without her moths, and still getting used to this mostly-mortal body.)

They followed him to his room, when the day was done. He lived in the basement, in a cramped space with a desk, bed, and chair squeezed in, along with whatever accoutrements he could fit.

He did not speak to them, as he usually did. It couldn’t be for lack of grievances to air - they knew better than that. Instead, he silently went through his nighttime routine, setting water to boil in a small kettle, picking up something to read, and poking through it until the kettle sang.

They knew the next step, and hopped up on the bed to wait for him. A spoon clicked against ceramic. Click click, pause, click click. Honey and light, herbal tea wafted through the air as he waited for it to steep.

When he approached, he pressed a mug into their hands, and held another against himself.

For a second, they didn’t believe it. They swirled the tea around, glanced from it to him and back again. They opened their mandibles and scented the air. And at last, they sipped it.

Oh, it was nice. A little too sweet, but nice.

They stared at him, waiting for an answer. Why? Why this tea? What was he doing? Who did he take them for?

He said nothing. Just drank his own tea and read.

They squished up against him to read over his shoulder. He was cold, in a different way from the Void, an active chill rather than a passive absence of warmth. He said nothing, and moved only to keep their head from tweaking at an awkward angle.

They drank their tea, letting the honey and sweet floral taste lull them to rest, bolstered by the dark room and the comfy bed underneath. Their head bobbed, and the world grew dim and hard to think through.

The mug was empty, they thought, when their father took it from their limp hands. It was definitely cold. Cold tea was nice enough.

But- they still didn’t have their answers. They heard the clink of dishes being set aside to deal with, and the tapping of their father’s footsteps on the floor.

They held up their hands, and put that will they were supposed to lack to use, signing, “Are you trying to tell me something?”

He paused and for the first time in... quite a while, they heard the whispery rasp of his voice. “What do you mean?”

“The tea. You don’t make me tea.”

He sighed. The world went dark for a moment; he might have done something more. They didn’t know. But they heard, “You’re my child.”

“What does that mean?” Later, they’d be frustrated with him. For now, the tiredness dampened anything more than a spark of bother.

Silence, or maybe they nodded off again. Then he said - more of choked, “I’m sorry.”

“You say sorry so much. Not sorry, not now. No regrets. Enough.”

Their head fell again. Their body tried to come with. Cold hands caught them before they fell, and eased them back onto the bed, their head on the pillow. Their fingers curled into the blankets, peeking out from under their cloak.

“What do you mean?” They asked again.

“I-” He sighed again.

“Father?” They tapped his wrist. “What does the tea mean?”

He said nothing.

“Father?”

Nothing.

“Do you love me?”

If he answered, they missed it, having dozed off. But they woke again, after a time, bundled up in the blankets and tucked in, their father huddled in his chair and turned away, fast asleep.

#hollow knight #jaxx writes #caros-arts

25 notes · View notes

thelostandforgottenangel · 4 years

Text

What might be our Last Dance

@bloody-dark-shells03 @betelgeusessonajblog @lonelyheart-clubband @fyreball66 @blossom-skies @midnightrebel669 @darksaphire2002 @nikitaboeve @mistyroselove @bayverse-turtle-power @queendice98 @waterstar2016 and all the Raphie lovers out there who I apologize deeply to for this garbage I have gifted you with.... SORRY!

youtube

Raphael stepped into the living area where his wife stood with their four year old daughter her body posed perfectly as she helped the girl in her ballet lesson but he smiled seeing her curvy body was now more rounded with the little one growing within her but his goddess’s form was perfect as she danced teaching her lesson

He stood back to not let them see his pain – this might be the last time he saw either of them and it broke his heart to see the burden wearing on her features of knowing

He had told her the night before and then they had been forced to say goodbye; a long night of passionate lovemaking where she took his burdens and held him as he came to terms with his possible fate

She knew the risk, had stayed with him even if she worried for him every time he walked out that door with his brothers but despite that she still held her faith he was coming back to her that he would see their youngest greet the world

Raphael was pulled out of his thoughts when the little girl fell once more getting huffy when she couldn’t do what her mother did making the massive turtle laugh at her temper realizing she was every bit him as she was her beautiful mother when she gave up before her mother lifted her up showing her again even as the turtle lifted his pride and joy up kissing her cheeks making the tiny girl giggle with glee as the woman stepped closer kissing his bicep smiling wider as he spun her

“Momma an Daddy dance!” the girl cheered getting a rejecting scoff from the ninja shaking his head seeing his girl knew he didn’t dance, at their wedding he refused more in fear of hurting his love then being embarrassed of screwing up their first dance

Slowly the woman took her from him shaking her head no sitting her on the couch before getting in her starting pose again whispering for the child to watch her as the song started over again facing him her hand extended to her hotheaded love as she moved instantly knowing she was directing this performance towards him

She always said this song was for him and at first he had thought it was so stupid but she made him love it, from the first second he had heard it – to this very moment as he watched her heart break all over again

She started by circling him her hand tracing his chest and arms as she went their eyes meeting in the most intimate way seeing his little girl watching in awe as the woman danced around him for being 7 months pregnant he couldn’t tell she was struggling as smooth and fluid her movements were

He could see she was fighting tears but her smile was brighter then ever for their baby making him smile and instantly he was back to the first night he had seen her on the roof of the studio apartment, her form twirling and dipping around to the same song her lonely eyes holding so much sadness even as she smiled having seen her hidden audience. For hours he had sat there on the roof of the building shadows watching her until he knew the steps she took by heart falling for her before he had ever met the woman that danced away with his heart that night

As she came out of the first spin singing softly along to keep beat she found herself in his strong arms looking up at him suddenly lost in his loving trance as he moved with her seeing her smile break as he took the steps with her just like the dance was meant to be her body against his their eyes locked both lost in one another

He didn’t even hear the excited squeal of his daughter as the two moved in unison; his normally guarded heart open to her light guiding his wife in the dance he knew by heart even though he had never danced it as she sung to him, he didn’t see his brothers and father watching with the same sadness having been calling to him to gear up for their mission but what he did see was her

His light in the dark, the love of his life standing strong even when he knew just how broken she was the dance lasting a lifetime for him until the music ended and she was shaking in his arms whispering for him to tell her he was coming home, the turtle leaned down kissing her as she cried for him when he pulled away he didn’t look back grabbing his gear from Leo and walking out of the home not wanting her to see him crying

Never seeing his rock crumble to the floor watching her life walk out the door or the tears that fell for him as their little girl wiped her mother’s wet cheeks “No cry Mommy... Daddy come back-“ and like that she hugged the only thing in the world left of him knowing the truth

This was their first - their last dance...

((Really thinking on continuing this.... my heart isn’t sure if it’ll survive if it ends like that for these two))

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #i'm so sorry #last dance #heartbreak #tmnt raphael #love #Raphael x Female #this song just ripped my heart out #fearful #RAPHAEL FEELS #daddy turtle #tmnt 2014/2016

93 notes · View notes

nightwingshero · 3 years

Note

4, 23, and 24 for whichever OC you’re feeling today :)

Thank you, hun!!! I did a few of my OCs lol so this got long, I’m so sorry!!

Kinsley Patel

4. What kind of Dungeons and Dragons player character would your OC create to play as?

Kinsley loves D&D, and she does different kinds of characters every time. Her favorite was the gnome bard or her elf druid. She honestly plays with Cisco, Blair, and a few others because their campaigns are just...insane and sometimes based on the adventures they have as heroes.

23. What moment did your OC feel the most powerful?

When she discovered her control on plants and when helping Blair control her powers. Kinsley was able to use her knowledge and ideas to help Blair understand how her powers worked, and how to help train her (much like Cisco and Eobard did with Barry). Plus, finding out you can control plants was cool and she gushed about for ages. Needless to say, her houseplants (and Blair’s) never die.

24. What moment did your OC feel the weakest?

That was when Blair was in a coma. Well, that was one of them. Nothing she did could bring Blair out of it and she felt completely hopeless, which isn’t a thing for Kinsley. Another one is a more generalized thing since it occurs a bit more often. Kinsley has meta abilities, but she’s not a hero--she’s not trained to be. It wasn’t something she wanted, even though yes, she loves her powers and enjoys using them, but she gets enough of good-doing from helping Team Flash, she wants to just help them instead of shouldering a lot of that burden the way Blair, Ray, Oliver, and Barry do. So when crisis moments happen, she feels regret and helpless because she’s not on their level by her own choice.

Blair Chambers

4. What kind of Dungeons and Dragons player character would your OC create to play as?

Blair either plays a half-elf ranger or a tiefling warlock or wizard. Which...the latter is kinda funny because she doesn’t really believe in magic (even if some of her own powers come from exactly that). Blair is a bit repetitive at times, but she shakes it up from time to time! Her character is usually a hero though!

23. What moment did your OC feel the most powerful?

When defending and saving people or her friends. A particular moment that comes to mind was when she was recruited to help the Legends with Valentina in Russia in 1986 (time travel is just so much fun, isn’t it?). A few of their teammates were taken, and Valentina became an unstable form of Firestorm. It’s the first time most of the team actually see her use her powers (many of them not even being aware she had powers), and she did it to shield them from the blasts Valentina threw at Mick, Sara, and Leonard. So when she’s able to use her powers to help people, to do good, she feels very powerful.

24. What moment did your OC feel the weakest?

Blair feels the weakest when she’s technically at her strongest. Her meta powers are space related (with a bit of magic), meaning there’s a lot of nuclear energy and just...the potential for that...Blair has been able to make solar flares, creating explosions, and even has gone borderline supernova, while also making the environment around her turn to space-like conditions (no oxygen and super cold, making the temperature plummet fast) and its later discovered that she absolutely has the potential of creating a black hole. She has shown signs of a collapsing and dying star, and while yes, the power she has is just phenomenal, it could kill everyone close to her. It’s the lack of control that makes her feel weak, not being able to reign that in the way she feels she should. It’s honestly the magic that helps balance it out, it keeps her from doing exactly that. So instead of a splicer or a power block, that’s what she uses to keep her powers from becoming unstable and killing her, and those around her.

Wren Blake

4. What kind of Dungeons and Dragons player character would your OC create to play as?

Wren is either going to play a half-orc barbarian or an elf rogue. Most likely the latter, if we’re being completely honest. Her characters are always super chaotic, no matter how “different” they’re going to be next time. Wren is rather predictable when it comes to that stuff, and her playing with Mel, Jane and Randy...makes Rowan and Whitney very tired.

23. What moment did your OC feel the most powerful?

You know, I could say it’s when she’s the Judge or when she’s the leader of the Resistance...but I’m going to say Wren is her most powerful when she’s playing the piano, and I’m gonna tell you why. Wren feels the closest to her mother when she plays music, especially the piano, and that’s when she’s the truest to herself. Honestly, all worries and all the negative things fall away and she’s the most at peace then.

24. What moment did your OC feel the weakest?

When she lost her child and when she spirals during the Reaping. The Bliss makes it so much worse, too. She becomes weak by falling into old, bad habits that overcome her and its not something she manages well. It’s one of the reasons she chose Eden’s Gate, she was emotionally and mentally vulnerable.

Whitney Seed

4. What kind of Dungeons and Dragons player character would your OC create to play as?

Okay, so when Wren and Mel were able to twist Whit’s arm enough to join them...she chooses...the same damn character...every damn time...and it’s a human cleric. The one time (ONE) that she didn’t choose to be a cleric...she was a damn paladin. It makes Jane groan and complain each time, because she finds it so damn boring, and Whit gets huffy and threatens to leave the game...which makes Randy and Ro jump in and smooth it over so they don’t lose another player (we don’t talk about what Sharky did).

23. What moment did your OC feel the most powerful?

The most powerful? When she killed Joseph. It felt like she was taking back her freedom and her life, honestly. It was freeing to her. And for a moment, she felt invincible. Whitney has never been allowed to really feel that, Nancy always saw that as a threat to her control over her and would squash that immediately.

24. What moment did your OC feel the weakest?

There are a few...and while she may not have felt this way in the moment, years looking back, her wedding is one of them. She sees the manipulation and control for what it is. And it didn’t really end there, she felt weak mostly throughout her whole marriage and as Mother of Eden’s Gate. That’s why poisoning people was her go-to when she had to get rid of someone. It was her strength when she had none. Another was when everything happened with Emmett. She lost it, but caved to Joseph and his reassurances...which were greatly lacking of empathy and compassion, and most of all, grief.

#oc: kinsley patel #oc: blair chambers #oc: wren blake #oc: whitney seed #my ocs #asks

1 note · View note

shittyelfwriter · 5 years

Text

Almost

Pairing: Castiel x fem!reader

Word count: 4600-ish

Summary: You had waited so long. You had never given up, keeping the lights on for Castiel and hoping that one day, there would be time to act on what you felt. But when you overhear a conversation Cas has with Jack, everything falls apart.

Warnings: For once, I think I wrote some real angst? I think any Cas girl who watched this scene in 14x09 “The Spear” probably felt similarly—even though it’s one of my favorite Cas scenes of all time now, it’s very bittersweet.

A/N: Slow burn is a specialty of mine and I felt like injecting it into an already emotionally charged situation. I’ve had this in my drafts a while (hopefully not too long, oof I’m not sure of the quality on this one) and wanted something suitably angsty to post before the season premiere tonight.

More of my writing (masterlist)

You had gotten up to get another cup of tea, a long night of research keeping you up and in desperate need of caffeine. You found your way quietly down the bunker’s halls, near tiptoeing to keep from waking the boys. They’d had a very long week, needed their sleep and would be annoyed to find you awake yet again, when you’d promised to rest. You couldn’t help that your mind wouldn’t stop running in circles, a sixth sense of sorts telling you something was wrong. Something big, important—other than Michael being on the loose, which was bad enough.

The sensation had been with you since Jack had come back from the dead, and at first you had thought it had to do with the price he’d paid to come back to you all. Burning off part of a soul was no small loss—you’d done it before, under a circumstance you didn’t like to relive but that had had to do with getting Cas’ wings back. It left you feeling empty, different, and you’d been lucky enough to get that part back. Jack, however, couldn’t, and it had seemed like that should have been what was concerning you, because it was. But that wasn’t the Something that was nagging at you, and you knew it. You just couldn’t tell anybody, because Sam and Dean were already maxed out, Jack was still recovering and Cas…

Oh, Castiel.

You hated the feeling that once again, it had to do with him.

He had told you, about what had happened in Heaven. Jack had blurted part of it out to you, not used to holding things back when you and Cas especially were such parental figures to him. But he’d stumbled at the part where he’d tried to explain how they’d gotten away from the Empty, and when Cas had cut in to prompt him that the Empty had simply “decided we weren’t what it wanted just then”, it hadn’t sat well with you. You’d given Cas a questioning look, but the expression on his face told you he wouldn’t say any more than Jack had—that maybe, he had been the one prompting Jack to alter his story in the first place.

You’d admit, you’d been huffy with him afterward; discontent. Cas had attempted to soothe you, reassure you, but you hadn’t wanted to hear it, knowing it was just an attempt to smooth over a lie. You had felt his sadness, heavy like an ache over your heart, but he’d been resolute as well. Sure in the choice to protect you, once again—you hated when he did that, even though you made the same choice whenever you had to when it came to him. It was an impossible situation, and you wanted to yell at him and demand the truth, but who were you to yell at a ball of celestial energy and hope it would crack under the weight of your scrutiny?

Hence the research. You’d been spending every free minute burying yourself in any bit of lore you could find regarding the Empty, chasing loose ends and delving into old cult works, anything for information on how the being functioned, thought. Your mind was running in circles, chasing a definitive reason why two of the people dearest to you would lie to your face.

As you approached the kitchen, you heard voices. You slowed down, pressing closer to the wall to make as little noise as possible. It sounded like…

“…how could the Empty get in? I thought Heaven was supposed to be perfect.” Jack. It sounded like he was about as confused as you were.

The other voice made your heart jump. “No, it’s…nothing’s perfect, Jack.” Cas. Your chest felt tight at the idea of him lying to you, again. You’d thought he and you had moved past stupid things like that. “I know Naomi, and she’s complicated, but there’s nothing that she won’t do to protect the souls in her charge. Try not to worry, okay?”

There was a long pause. “Okay,” Jack said finally, and you heard a clink, then a rustle. “Cas?” Another pause, this one weighted. “About the deal you made, with the Empty.”

Your stomach fell so far you swore it had hit the floor. Oh no, no, not like that…

“Why can’t the others know?”

There was a sigh. “They can, it’s just that I don’t want them to. They don’t need that burden. You don’t need that burden.”

“Of course I do.” Jack’s strident tone echoed the way you felt about the situation. “You did that, for me.”

God, what had he done? What had he done this time? Your mind was racing so quickly, in such a panic that you had to consciously remind yourself to listen for Cas’ answer.

“You know, the Empty said it wouldn’t come for me until I had given myself permission to be happy.”

You felt like the floor was about to fall out from under you, vertigo hitting you hard with a wave of unease.

“But with everything going on, with Michael still out there, I don’t see that happening any time soon.”

“And Y/N?” Jack asked the question your heart was, the one that made all of this so hard. “She makes you happy. You make her happy. Is that why we’re lying to her?”

“Y/N…” Cas’ voice caught in a way that betrayed more emotion than you’d expected, considering the way he was behaving. “Y/N has been through enough—I’ve put her through enough. No matter what’s gone wrong, how far I’ve strayed, Y/N has always been there, waiting for me to come back. And now, with my promise being what it is…”

“You don’t know how to tell her that you won’t be able to, someday.”

“Yes. Someday, before I can give her what she’s been waiting for all this time.” There was heavy remorse in his voice, and from the underlying grate to his voice you almost dared to think he was close to tears.

“It’s not fair,” Jack insisted, sounding upset himself.

“No, it’s not.”

“We shouldn’t be lying to her! The least we can give her is the truth.”

“I can’t, Jack.”

“You don’t understand what it’s like, to be human, to feel as much as she feels for you—”

“No, you don’t understand.” And now you could hear the lump in his throat, his words nearly breaking. “I can’t look her in the face after all these years and watch as her dreams die, to look and see the last of her hope flicker out. I can’t, Jack. I’m not…I’m not strong enough.”

Another long pause. “Because you love her too,” Jack realized, and a sob caught in your throat.

“Yes, Jack.” Your tears spilled over as you shut your eyes, finally hearing what you’d always wished for—but said to someone else, and under the worst circumstances. “Because I love her too. And if there is one thing Y/N has taught me in the time I’ve known her, it’s that sometimes, to protect those you love, you have to make choices that hurt. There’s just no way around it. This life is many things, but it’s rarely happy.”

You hadn’t realized you were crying until you felt your tears spilling down your cheeks, your face hot with emotion.

“It’s hard to lie to her, isn’t it?”

“I know. Keeping things from her goes against the grain for both of us, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” You heard that clinking again. “I’m sorry,” Jack said, which was just like him. You knew how much it was bothering him, not telling you. But he respected you and Cas too much to not listen to what Cas was asking him to do, and you hated that Cas would put him in that position in the first place.

“Hey. At least we have”—there was that rustling again—“Krunch Cookie Crunch.” You heard a crunch, and in spite of your distraught state you realized how odd it was that Cas was eating again lately. It was like he was trying to enjoy the little things, before…before…

You heard them keep talking, but you tuned it out, trying to keep control of your emotions. You looked down at the empty of of your mug. The Empty. Before all of this, you’d always felt the silence, the dark to be a friend. Now it didn’t feel that way. Now, it was going to take away what you loved most, in all the world, in Heaven or Hell or anywhere in between, and—

Before you had time to react, the mug slipped from your trembling hands, shattering noisily across the floor. You drew back in surprise, fresh tears hanging in your eyes as your mind reeled, some part of it unable to fully process what had just been said—

“Y/N?” You jumped a little, looking up to see both Jack and Cas looking at you with alarm. You didn’t know what to say, the lump in your throat making it hard to breathe.

“I was just…coming to get a cup of tea,” you explained weakly, but you could see it in Cas’ eyes the moment he realized what had happened, why you looked so pained. Get out of here, your mind was screaming at you. Get out of here! It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. You’ve ruined everything, years of patiently waiting spoiled in an instant, because of you!

“Y/N,” he said, a mixture of regret and empathy in your name, but you shied away, stepping back to avoid the shattered glass at your feet.

“I’ll just ah…I’ll just go,” you said, turning away towards your room again, not exactly knowing how to process any of what you’d heard or how to hold in the storm brewing in your chest. Get out of here, get out of here, I can’t handle this…

“Y/N, wait—” You heard Cas’ footsteps, felt him reach out in the static air behind you, and in a panic, you just ran. By some miracle in your panicked state you made it to your car and up out of the bunker before you could get caught, your clammy hands white-knuckling the steering wheel. You needed to get some space, away from it all, to just process things.

You went to a place where you could feel some semblance of peace. It was a dock, overlooking a little lake; the starry sky stretching out above you. You’d been there with the boys once, a few summers before. It was a good memory, of a less complicated time, and it gave you the open space you needed. You knew you were warded, that Cas couldn’t just follow you there, but you knew it would only be a matter of time before he pieced together where you had gone. He knew you too well, you realized, sitting down at the edge of the dock. But not well enough to know that you’d rather know the harsh truth than a pretty lie. Now that you were alone in the quiet of the night, reality settled over you in a cold wash of nauseating heartache. You gave into the need to cry, sobbing until your chest ached, until your eyes were red and swollen and your face splotchy.

Until you felt nothing but empty, you realized. You looked down at your feet just a few inches above the surface of the lake, your watery reflection scattered by ripples. You felt betrayed, stupid, weak. Powerless to keep the person your most loved safe. You should have known, you mind told you. You knew he was lying, knew it was something bad. You should have seen this coming.

Somewhere in the midst of your turmoil, you heard a familiar swoosh behind you, the sound of wings you knew all too well. But you didn’t bother turning around, or acknowledging him at all. What would you say? What could you say, now that you knew?

“Y/N.” You’d heard that tone before. It was halfway between repentant and apologetic, and you hated it. It meant he was asking forgiveness for something that was avoidable, and it made your heart weary. You rose to your feet, eyes still looking out over the lake.

“Castiel.” You heard him walk closer, felt him come to a stop about a foot and a half away. He took one look at your face, and when you finally glanced up at him, you saw him breaking under the weight of what he’d done.

“I just wanted to protect you,” he said, barely above a whisper. You forced the slightest of smiles, your eyes glossy again.

“That’s what you always say, right?” You looked down at the dock, voice quiet. “You say you just wanted to protect me, I yell at you that I don’t want your protection if it comes at the price of you. You tell me it was the only way, I cry, you hold me…” you trailed off, rocking on your heels a little. “Let’s just not, this time. Let’s not and say we did, and save us both the effort.” Your hands clenched into fists, the urge to yell compressed into a wavering, forced tone of voice.

“I’m furious with you, you know that? And it’s not just cause you kept this from me, because I guess in one way or another it’s your business, and you should be able to tell or not tell whoever you like—never mind the fact that we always tell each other practically everything nowadays,” you said with a bitter laugh, running a hand down your face and sighing. “I mean shit, Cas. You’ve had the kid lying to me too. Jack doesn’t deserve to be put in the middle of this, he’s got enough on his plate.”

You looked up at the sky, watching your breath curl into slight vapor in the chill. “It’s not okay. None of it is okay, and you know that, which is why you didn’t want to talk about it. So let’s not talk about it.” You turned to face him, feeling just exhausted, like ten years of stress had hit you all at once. “Let’s not talk about everything we’ve been through. About the years we’ve taken to know each other, or about what we’ve told each other. About—” You faltered.

You thought you’d cried yourself out, but at the thought of what he’d said to Jack, you were right there on the verge of tears again.

“About how we feel.” You felt your tears spill over, but you didn’t look away. “Never, ever talk about how we feel until it’s too late. For the first time, that’ll be useful, don’t you think?” You let out a little laugh, sounding as hollow as you felt. “At least how miserable it makes us will keep you alive longer. For the first time, there’s a reward. As long as we never say what we want to say, do what we want to do…” you shrugged, hopelessly. “You’ll live. And that’s what I care about, Cas, just like you cared about keeping me safe. It goes both ways.” You moved to step around him, and felt his hand on your arm.

“It wanted you, Y/N.” The words chilled you, as lowly as they were spoken into your ear with the gravity they were. “It wanted Jack at first, because Jack is half archangel and that makes him their property, but it wanted you, too. Just because it had been in my head, because it knows what you mean to me. The thought of losing you, and Jack, I couldn’t bear it. So I said no.” You felt him step closer to your side, and you wanted to fall into him, wanted to seek comfort when everything was falling part so completely this time. “I said, ‘take me instead’. And it told me it wanted me to suffer, so it would. But only after I let myself be happy. And it was perfectly clear exactly what it meant by that.”

The wind whipped up off the lake, and you said nothing. He pulled you by the arm, into his, and you didn’t protest, but you didn’t react. Not at first, anyway; you just felt…hollow, distant. But the longer you stood there, him holding you close with his lips near your temple, you realized you felt something. A sort of presence, just behind your ears, similar to the sensation of your ears ringing but without the noise, and when you realized that, a huge weight of emotion came crashing down over you, choking you with its intensity. You fisted his coat, gasping for breath and felt his lips press against your temple. Anger, frustration, regret, sadness. So much sadness. You felt him start to pull away, concern leaking through the connection. He was afraid of burning you up, but you flattened your palms against his chest, feeling your heart reach for him, unafraid. The connection redoubled, and you felt him gasp, whisper your name.

There it was. Behind it all, there was the thing that you’d heard in his voice, seen in his actions. There was the emotion of years, and while you could feel that it was the blink of an eye in his scale of time, it was more meaningful than anything that had come before it—and anything after it, considering how he was going out. It made your heart contract with pain, and you felt him reach out to you, carefully, but there was a desperation behind it. The edge of his grace touching your soul, and then…

Brilliance.

Everything went white, and hazy, and light, and you thought for a moment that it was an awful lot like the time you’d died, but now you were floating. He was there with you, in shapes you couldn’t quite comprehend, and you were surrounded by love. You wanted to stay there. You felt his hands on either side of your face, the warmth of his breath, and then…

You were opening your eyes again.

There he was in front of you, blue eyes shining with tears, hands on either side of your face. You didn’t have to ask him what that had been. He’d told you once, when you’d been discussing your ability to hear his true voice and not go deaf. He’d called it a ‘special connection’ at the time, and your both shared a smile that hinted at more. You knew, he knew that there was a reason, that you were meant for something more, together. You both knew, you just never said it.

“Why didn’t we ever say it?” You whispered, feeling his forehead rest against your own. You were crying again; every time you thought you’d given your last there were more, like your tears were endless.

“We didn’t need to,” he told you, and even though it hurt you knew it was true. “We both knew. We’ve always known.” That energy had been there between the two of you from the beginning, a silent conversation. But what you’d just experienced was a song, or a snippet of one, and you didn’t want it to end so soon.

“I just…” you could hardly speak, your throat was so tight. “I just hoped…” You couldn’t even bear to say it anymore. “Cas,” you said, practically whimpered, breaking down in sobs and leaning your cheek into his hand.

His kisses were soft, unexpected, but so very wanted. You could hardly breathe, but you needed him, so much, so much it was suffocating you and the idea that after tonight, there was no more hoping, no more ‘someday’, no more maybe…it was tearing you apart.

‘I love you,’ you prayed to him, between breathless kisses. ‘I love you, and I know I’m just one person, one tiny soul, but I wanted to prove that I did. I just wanted to prove that you meant everything to me. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…’

You’d been through a lot together, over the years. There had been so many no win scenarios, so many instances that called for goodbyes and somehow, none of them had felt quite this hopeless. Perhaps it was because you were dealing with the Empty, a being who existed outside of the realm and influence of reality and it’s laws. But knowing that it’s intent was to ruin Castiel for all that he had the moment he finally, after so long, allowed himself to stop suffering and struggling and just be happy, ripped into your soul in the deepest, most painful way possible—because you knew, you could hear it in the way he hesitated his words, in the blinding white light you’d seen and felt the truth: that that moment would come sooner if you gave yourselves the chance to act on the love you shared.

You knew you’d do anything to keep Cas safe, that had never been a question. You’d been putting your feelings on the back burner for a long time to do just that. But tonight, you were getting just the smallest taste of something more, and the realization that you had to stop right then and there to literally prevent the person you love from happiness, to keep them alive, was a bitter pill to swallow.

But you’d do it.

You took the tiniest step back, more of a suggestion than an action. He paused, hands still on either side of your face, confusion wrinkling his brow. You were surprised and a little proud to see him looking as breathless as you were—and he didn’t need to breathe. You suspected the intensity of your emotions more than made up for that.

“Cas,” you said, softly, drawing in a deep breath. He seemed to realize what you were about to do and he shook his head, eyebrows knitting as he leaned in and pressed another kiss to your lips, slightly more insistent—more of a plea for you not to say what he knew you would. “Cas, please,” you tried again, pushing on his chest with your hands. You were still crying, barely able to speak around a sob hanging in the back of your throat.

“Don’t do this.” It should have been illegal for his eyes to still look light and ethereal, even in moonlight. He was beseeching you, begging for you to stay, not reject him because of his mistake—because of the threat giving in now posed. But that choice, one that should have been both of yours, had been taken from you.

He had already decided, when he said take me instead.

“You know I have to,” you replied, taking another, steadying breath and looking skyward. His hands went to your waist, yours moved to rest on his forearms. Like the last lingering reminder of what you’d experienced in that white light, you felt his emotions. Sadness, regret and this time, fear.

“Are you going to leave?” He didn’t mean the dock, or the lake. He meant are you going to leave the bunker? Are you going to leave our home?

Are you going to leave my life?

“No,” you said, hoping that was the right decision as you saw tension melt right off of him. He tugged you forward into his arms, cradling your head to his shoulder. You allowed yourself a moment of peace, almost as if memorizing the feeling, before pulling away again. You could feel the loss radiating off of him, how badly he wanted what you did and how much it hurt when you drew back from his touch. “But this…” you looked between the two of you, biting your lip until you could be sure you wouldn’t burst into tears again. “We can’t have this,” you said, and offered him a broken smile. He looked away, unable to meet your eyes even when you tried to turn his head with a hand on his cheek. “Castiel. You know why, don’t you?”

“Not because you don’t want this too,” he confirmed, and you nodded. “But because…because…” he couldn’t bring himself to say it. You didn’t need him to. It hurt you just as much, and him admitting it wouldn’t make it hurt any less.

In silence, you slid your hands down to intertwine your fingers with his. You leaned up, pressing a slow, gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere. Not without you,” you promised, even though you wanted nothing more then to run. To scream, to pick a fight with something because your happiness was being taken from you before you could have it.

None of that mattered, you realized, with an odd sense of clarity. You had to set aside your heartbreak, for now. He needed you. Jack needed you. Sam and Dean needed you.

And if history intended to repeat itself, then you would be there, right beside them the whole time, to the bitter end.

You weren’t surprised or offended by his loss for words. Human emotions were oftentimes too complex for him to verbalize succinctly, you’d long since learned. The tumultuous energy you could feel from him was enough to tell you, in no uncertain terms, how roughly he was taking this. Good, you thought with no small note of morbidity. The pain will keep him safe. The only thing you could truly do to keep him safe was to break his heart, and as much as it made you hate yourself, you knew it gave him a fighting chance.

At least until you could have words with the Empty on your own, but he didn’t need to know that. For now, all that mattered was keeping things the way they had always been. A little too distant to satisfy, a little too close to not hurt for want of more.

You gave his hand a soft squeeze, gently tugging him in the direction of the shore.

“Come on, angel. Let’s go home.”

Little did you know that internally, he was still fumbling over the words he wanted to say—but he knew it was too late for them to mean anything. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I failed you. I failed us. I’m so sorry. Because he couldn’t help but feel that regardless of his sacrifice, the Empty had still taken you away from him anyway.

Ceaseless apologies silently flowed your way as he followed you towards a future where you would never, truly, be his.

Tag list is currently open, feel free to request being added!

@netflixandcastiellll @imamotherfuckingstar-lord @bkwrm523 @willowing-love @joanne-egberp @splendidcas @samanthasmileys @consultingfanboy @castielspahdehrah @gryffindorable713 @miss-spnm0mma @blushingjared @a--1--1--3 @mertwintinyhouserealtor @webcricket

#castiel x reader #cas x reader #castiel x reader insert #spn x reader #reader insert #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fanfic #spn fanfiction #spn fanfic #spn #supernatural #anawritesthings

94 notes · View notes

trevardes · 4 years

Text

Only a gentler kind of sleep (Kylux, post-TRoS)

A fic about Kylux as Force ghosts, because after The Rise of Skywalker we all need a happier kind of ending.

Also on AO3: https://archiveofourown.net/works/21876055 Summary: Ben huffs out a laugh. "I have to admire you then; being so stubborn you became strong in the Force at the last possible moment by sheer will.

"Hux shakes his head. "You're an idiot, Ren. I didn't do it on purpose. Figures I'd get stuck with you by accident." Ben laughs, almost carefree. "I don't know why, but I'm actually happy about it." Hux is sort of fun, now that there's no power to fight over, and no possible way to kill each other. Seeing his angry little face day in and day out makes Ben feel like there still is a constant in his life - or in his death. Something he can count on, even if it's just someone endlessly miffed about his mere existence. "I did betray you, you know that right?" says Hux, perplexed.

Ben floats up and takes a seat on a thick tree branch. He's taking care to stay almost invisible, and he's far enough away from the firelight that the three people around it can't see him.

They've built a bonfire and Dameron is roasting some kind of meat on it, the other two looking on with hunger in their eyes, telling him to hurry up. Ben can't quite smell the meat cooking, but at the same time he can see and feel every molecule of it, every last particle making up the fat and the gentle smoke rising from it.

FN-2187 - no, Finn - has an arm around Dameron's waist and seems to be close enough to restrict movement and be more of a bother than of use. He's telling some joke Ben can't quite hear, and they're all laughing, encased in their little bubble of careful happiness against the dark of the night.

Ben's eyes stray to Rey, and there's the customary roil of sadness somewhere around where his stomach once was. He can see her in half-profile, her eyes crinkling with her laughter and her hair in unruly wisps, soft brown turning to red in the fireglow and black where the light doesn't touch her.

He could go join them, Ben thinks. If he tried very hard, they might even see him, she might even take him by the arm and pull him to sit on the ground beside her.

Her hand might pass through him, though, and he knows the fierce light and the devouring darkness would make him a pale imitation of what he once was, fleeting and feeble. He doesn't want to go to her like that.

It's not that Ben regrets what he did. Fighting Palpatine and saving Rey were some of the best things he ever did, the best things he ever would do. He keeps his eyes on her, seeing how happy she looks. No longer burdened by any unreasonably heavy fate or purpose, she can focus on helping the galaxy along on its way to healing in little ways that she can. She's happy and mostly safe… and he can't quite be sorry.

He does regret not being able to sit there beside her, not being able to gradually learn to know her better. He regrets not knowing if one day they might have been something precious like real friends, or even something more, like he'd wanted to. Sometimes he still thinks he can feel her lips on his, cool and chapped and rough, and it makes him miss life.

Still, he doesn't regret his death. He'd been so tired for so long, and now he finally gets to rest.

It feels good to be a part of the Force, wholly now, and without the pull to either side, dark or light. He still belongs to both in equal measures, but somehow the two sides have an easier time existing as one when he's no longer made of flesh and bones. Only spirit, now, and it… it feels like peace. Like forgiveness.

The fire's almost died and Finn has fallen asleep with his head on Rey's shoulder, when Ben catches a glimmer to his left. He turns, an expectant frown already on his face, waiting.

It takes Hux longer to materialize than it's ever taken Ben, even in the beginning.

"Hello, Ren", Hux says evenly, settling to sit beside him. Ben can see the rough bark of the branch through Hux, and it still feels disconcerting. Ben suspects it will for a long time.

"Hux."

"I still can't fathom why you choose to spend so much of your time watching over them." Hux is in a huff like he always is, red hair turned pale by his ghostly state, looking even thinner than he looked in life, deep shadows under his eyes.

"I still can't fathom why you choose to spend yours bothering me", Ben says, though he doesn't really mind, not any more.

"I'll have you know I do plenty of things without you", Hux scoffs. "I like how easy it is to go to distant places and just… listen."

Ben knows Hux does that. Walks into deep forests and barren wastelands and puts his hands to the ground, feeling the Force move in everything around him. Floats around in the cold expanse between stars and listens to the hum of the universe. He could never hear it when he lived, so it must be shocking, to discover he really is only a tiny speck in the great flow of the Force.

"I went to Arkanis", Hux continues quietly.

"You did?" Ben looks at him more closely. Hux is squeezing his hands tightly together on his lap, biting his lip. The skin seems to lose colour, though it didn't have any to begin with. He's still wearing his uniform, even now, though it isn't pristine like it always was, Before. His hat is nowhere to be seen, his collar unbuttoned, and there's a scorched hole on the left leg of his trousers, and another on the chest of his jacket.

"I went into the sea to see the monsters."

That means something to Hux, but Ben doesn't know why. He's only been able to find out that Hux's father had a school on Arkanis, and that Hux has bad memories from the place.

"What were they like?" he asks, in the same quiet tone Hux is using.

"Just big fish", Hux laughs, bitter for some reason. "I suppose we're all ultimately less than."

Less than what, Ben doesn't ask. He knows.

Below them, Rey is falling asleep too, leaning her cheek on Finn's hair.

Ben could try to visit her dreams, it might even be easier than going to her in the waking world and trying to hold onto a form she could see and hear.

He doesn't. He'd be a pale copy. Less than, just like Hux said.

"Guess we are", he whispers. Shoots Hux a lopsided smirk.

"Though you're more than I thought, General. I tried so hard to sense the faintest echo of the Force in you, when we were Snoke's, and I never found anything. How did you hide it, all these years?"

Hux laughs. "Do you think I would have hidden it, if there was even the slightest chance I could have gotten back at you somehow? Wouldn't I have weaponized it if I'd known I had it?"

Ben huffs out a laugh. "You definitely would have. I have to admire you then; being so stubborn you became strong in the Force at the last possible moment by sheer will."

Hux shakes his head. "You're an idiot, Ren. I didn't do it on purpose. Figures I'd get stuck with you by accident."

Ben laughs, almost carefree. "I don't know why, but I'm actually happy about it."

Hux is sort of fun, now that there's no power to fight over, and no possible way to kill each other. Seeing his angry little face day in and day out makes Ben feel like there still is a constant in his life, or in his death. Something he can count on, even if it's just someone endlessly miffed about his mere existence.

"I did betray you, you know that right?" says Hux, perplexed.

"Yes, it was pretty noble of you, wasn't it?"

"No. I just wanted you to lose."

Ben smiles, a little melancholy. "And I did. Are you happy?"

"Honestly?" Hux asks, smiling as well, though he's more rueful. "Yes. If I couldn't be Supreme Leader, I'm happy as hell you couldn't either, nor Palpatine."

"You'd rather take the 'lawless chaos?'" Ben still remembers how passionate Hux always was about controlling the whole galaxy, and how ardently he wanted to give it his own kind of order in return, even if it was a peace kept only by fear of him and his Starkiller base.

"Better lawless chaos with no leader than lawful chaos under you or stars know what kind of utter madness under Palpatine." Hux has gone all huffy, though there's a smile tugging at a corner of his mouth.

Ben chuckles and looks back at the three sleepy friends around the fire. Dameron's eyes are half closed and he seems in danger of tipping forward and frying his nose in the embers.

Ben waves a hand, and across the clearing, a twig snaps on the ground. It's not a loud noise, but Dameron sits up, alert. He sits quietly for a moment, looking around, hand on a blaster at his hip. When nothing happens, he turns to prod Finn and Rey awake, and despite their grumbling, he herds them away towards the command centre and their beds.

Ben and Hux watch them go in silence, until their voices can no longer be heard.

"Don't you think it's bad for you to lurk like this?" Hux asks quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Being alone and dreaming about things you can't have. About living people and living things."

Ben sighs, pulling a leg up onto the branch and hugging the knee to his chest. "I guess", he concedes, "But I like it, too. Knowing she's okay."

Hux hums, not saying anything for a long time. He mirrors Ben's position, seemingly unconsciously, but pulls his other leg up too.

"You're not with them anymore, though." Hux seems to still enjoy stating the obvious, hurtful things as much as he always did.

"No", Ben admits. "I'll cling for a little while more, If you don't mind." His tone becomes sardonic, but he doesn't exactly mean to show he's affected.

"At least I'm not all alone", he continues, jostling Hux none too gently with his shoulder. "There's always you."

"There's always me", Hux concedes, chuckling and shaking his head. "It's still not good for you", he repeats, clearly just to be annoying.

"Don't you think it's bad for you to always go looking at your forests and seas and asteroid fields all alone?" Ben asks him.

Hux huffs out a breath, surprised. "I do listen to people too, sometimes. I just… I want to learn to know the Force. It's unsettling, not knowing what I'm made of now."

"You were always made of it, we all are", Ben says, almost gently. Hux makes a face.

"Smartass. Easy for you to say, since you know everything about it."

"Not everything", Ben laughs. Not nearly.

"You laugh a lot nowadays", Hux muses, looking like the thought annoys him.

"I guess I have fewer reasons not to. Less to worry about."

Hux tilts his head. "Must be nice."

"What are you worrying about, then?"

Hux looks down, his fingers absentmindedly picking at the scorched hole in his trousers. The translucent skin underneath the fabric seems flawless, no blaster wounds in sight.

"Why are you still wearing those, by the way? It's been months."

It's hard to say how many; Ben and Hux aren't tied to existence and time the same way living beings are, and sometimes it's easier to lose shape for a time, just floating in the current, asleep almost.

Hux makes an embarrassed sound. "Because I don't know how not to. I've been angry about how you're in a different fancy robe everytime I see you."

Ben snorts, and then laughs harder at Hux's offended expression. He reaches out a hand and lays it on Hux's chest over the hole. The fabric knits back together as he tells it to, and Hux's chest rises and falls quickly in a breath he doesn't need. He feels warm to the touch, like nothing has for a long time, his useless ghost heart beating a staccato rhythm near Ben's hand.

"I could teach you", Ben offers, surprising himself as much as Hux.

"I have no intention of becoming your… padawan", Hux spits the word like it tastes revolting.

"Your choice", Ben smiles, enjoying Hux's sneer.

"Kylo Ren", Hux hisses. "How can you still be the most irritating thing in my life after I've fucking died?"

The name is unfamiliar now, but at the same time hearing it from Hux feels like coming home. He won't tell Hux to call him Ben; Hux probably wouldn't obey him in the first place, and besides, a part of him likes keeping that tie to his past.

"It's a gift", he hums. "How about it?"

"Fine", Hux growls and grabs Ben's hand from his chest, putting it on the hole in his trousers. "Show me."

Ben can feel his warmth under his palm, through the fabric and on the patch if bare skin. He can feel the way this strange half-life of theirs pulses through Hux, and the way he trembles just the tiniest bit under the touch. Icy blue eyes meet his, fiercely, and Ben smiles.

"I will."

#kylux #the rise of skywalker #the rise of skywalker spoilers #tros spoilers #star wars #ben solo #general hux #kylo ren #hux #my fic #star wars spoilers #star wars ep ix #kylux fic #gahh i'm nervous bc this is my first kylux fic in ages

2 notes · View notes

annerbhp · 6 years

Note

“I just really need to have you here right now.” Hinny 😙

Harry hates to be nagged. It drives him up the wall whenHermione tries to do it. Always has. He wonders how Ron can put up with it, theway it just seems to roll off his back when Hermione starts in on something.How sometimes he even looks like he finds it endearing or something.

Of course, as much as Harry hates to be nagged, he hatesbeing maneuvered even more. Nothing gets his blood pumping faster or brings tolife that stupid part of his brain that likes to yell and do rash things morethan the creeping feeling that someone is trying to manipulate him into doingsomething.

He thinks it’s one of the things he’s always liked aboutGinny. She doesn’t nag. She doesn’t manipulate. She just lets him do his ownthing, and if she thinks he needs to do something or understand something, sheplainly states it. Or yells it, if required.

He prefers that really.

All the same, he knows he misses things. A lot of things.Ginny doesn’t get huffy about it. She doesn’t do passive aggressive, far morelikely to go full on aggressive with a bat-bogey to the face. There are timesthough, where she doesn’t even get mad when he fucks something up. Like sheknows this is just how he is. But he can tell he’s disappointed her somehow.

It’s a thousand times worse.

The unbearable feeling of letting her down builds up on hisskin over time and, of course, they end up having a spectacular row. Aboutsomething stupid and unimportant and completely unrelated to what’s reallygoing on, but he just doesn’t know how to bring up the things he really wantsto say.

So they row and yell and Ginny gets very near to throwingsomething at him. He can’t even remember what this argument is about at thispoint, just that he started it.

“I’m not a fucking mind-reader, Ginny!” he eventually shouts,all of his pent up frustration and annoyance with himself pouring out.

She falls quiet, that dangerous thoughtful silence thatmeans he’s let something horribly telling slip.

Ginny retreats, giving him space to calm down, and he wishesher back immediately.

Later they lie curled up together in the dark and he wantsto tell her how terrified he is that he’s going to fuck this up, going to driveher away or lose her or just make her fall out of love with him. That thelonger they’re together, the more he’s beginning to suspect there’s somethingbroken in him—this inability to understand what she needs, to see things he’ssupposed to. The inability to know what he himself needs enough to even ask forit.

He doesn’t say any of that though. Of course.

They navigate it like they do all things, Ginny giving himthat look like she’s figured something out. She starts carefully verbalizingall the things she expects of him, taking nothing for granted, like she’s takenit at face value that he can’t read her mind.

I need you to owl meif you’re going to be later than seven. Just so I don’t have to worry.

I need you to come tothis stupid thing with me or I think I might hex someone and get fired.

I don’t need you tocome to every one of my games. This one isn’t important.

It makes things better for a while. He listens and does hisbest and feels a little less like he’s navigating a minefield.

Only then Ginny starts to expect the same thing from him,and he’s utter shite at it, no matter how hard he tries. He thinks about thewet towel she leaves on the floor in the bathroom every day without fail, theway she’s someone who is clearly used to being picked up after and how itsometimes drives him batty, but before the words I need you to pick up your towel and hang it up can pass his lipshe thinks that he doesn’t actually care that much about it if it means he getsto have her here.

But there are other things floating around the edges of hisbrain. Like waking from a nightmare and wanting her to be awake too, but notwanting to bother her. Like banging around the house after a particularly uglycase but not being able to get the words past his lips that he needs her tohelp him fix that. To help him figure out how to deal with it better.

He can never manage to bring any of that up.

“What? Because you don’t think you deserve to need things?” she explodes inexasperation at him once.

He wonders if maybe he doesn’t.

Her expression tells him she knows this, even if he hasn’tsaid it out loud.

She grabs his face, kissing him like somehow she might beable to snog it into his thick skull.

He appreciates the attempt.

Eventually he fucks up and misses something she clearlycommunicated was important to her, too busy out on some mission or getting lostin work. He at least knows why and how he messed up, not some horriblerealization after the fact.

She still doesn’t get mad.

He can’t explain why that grates, but when he thinks aboutit, for some reason he remembers the day of Dumbledore’s funeral, Ginny’sexpression as he broke her heart and abandoned her and she absolved him of itcompletely.

At the time, that had seemed just another sign that Ginny isperfect, that she understands him. The relief that she made it so easy for him.

Only now, looking back, does it start to feel like somethingelse. It makes him realize being an Auror doesn’t actually feel all thatdifferent from being the Chosen One.

“I should have been there,” he tells her. “I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head. “It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

He doesn’t know why she’s saying that. It was a big deal. Animportant event for her. It meant something to her. And he’d missed it. Hehadn’t been there.

“I know your job is important,” she says.

Not more importantthan you, he wants to say. Only is it? Is catching bad guys and makingeveryone safer…isn’t that more important? He’s spent his whole life being whatthe world needs him to be.

He just can’t figure out how to be what she needs.

She gives him a fleeting smile, absolving him yet again.

“The last thing he needs is more expectations put on him,”he overheard her say to her mother once as the two of them sat in the warmkitchen of the Burrow. Like she refuses to be another burden on him.

He doesn’t know how she can’t understand that she isn’t aburden.

He works it like a puzzle as the months pass, watching her,cataloging her words and actions, letting her fill his entire being. He thinksshe would laugh at him, if she knew. Areyou treating me like one of your cases, you nutter?

He just likes watching her. She’s a puzzle he’s pretty surehe’s never going to solve, but knows he’ll never get bored of.

He eventually sucks it up and tells her about the damp towelthing, just to do his part. To try. Shelooks surprised, but says, “That’s easy enough,” and presses a kiss to hislips. She’s careful never to leave the towel lying around again.

He finds he misses it, one day pulling it down on the floorjust to carefully hang it again himself.

Maybe he is a nutter. At the very least, he’s hopeless. He begins to wonder if he’ll never be able to figure this out.

On a usual weekday morning, Ginny comes back sweaty andbreathing hard from her morning run just as Harry sits down to breakfast. Herfood is waiting on the counter, a warming charm keeping it for her like usual.

“Thanks,” she says, pressing a kiss to his temple beforerunning back upstairs for a shower.

He lingers long enough to see her again to say goodbye. Shelooks surprised to still see him here. “Aren’t you going to be late?”

“Yeah,” he says, getting to his feet.

He kisses her on his way out, her fingers catching his andsqueezing tight.

He spends the morning buried in work like always. There arereports to fill out. New cases. Old cases. Horrible people doing terriblethings.

Things to be fixed.

Ginny didn’t say a word. She would say, he tells himself. She’sgood at that at least. But he keeps thinking of her fingers tight around his.How much earlier she’s been getting up lately. She’s been reading the same bookall week.

He pushes his chair back, Ron stopping mid-sentence as itnearly slams against the wall.

“Mate?” he asks.

“I have to go.”

Ron looks at him like he’s losing his mind. “Right now?”

They have a case spread out on the table in front of them.Another day, another case. Another mystery. Another thing to be fixed. It’simportant. They’re all important.

Not as important asyou.

“It can keep, can’t it?” Harry asks.

Ron blinks. “Uh. Yeah. I suppose.”

“Okay,” Harry says, reaching for his cloak. “I’m going.”

“Are you coming back?” Ron calls after him.

Harry doesn’t answer.

The house is quiet when he lets himself in. He finds her inthe sitting room, tucked up on the sofa with a book she isn’t looking at. Herattention is out the window.

It just doesn’t feel right.

“Ginny.”

She turns, book falling to her chest. “Harry. Aren’t yousupposed to be at work?”

“I left,” he says, pulling off his cloak and dropping it carelesslyover the back of a chair.

She frowns at him. “What?”

He’s beginning to feel a bit silly, but pushes it away. You aren’t wrong. “I just thoughtmaybe…you might need me here,” he says, lowering himself down on the couch nextto her.

He sees her pull back, chin lifting. “I’m fine.”

She is fine. There’s no big crisis, there’s nothing wrongneeding to be fixed, really. He thinks she would have said if there was.

He’s still here.

“We don’t always have to have a reason to need each other,do we?” he stumbles out, this thought that has been circling around in hisbrain, getting slowly clearer.

She meets his eyes, and he sees it there, what she hadn’tlet herself ask of him. Because maybe this is something they both strugglewith.

He lifts his arm, and she only hesitates a moment beforesliding up against him with a sigh. Like giving up a fight she’s tired ofsustaining.

The problem, he realizes as he holds her close, is that theyboth know the dangers of needing. How quickly that can be turned against you.Harry learned long ago the futility of needing what will never come. But Ginny…Ginny knows how quickly need can turn into a trap.

“How did you know?” she asks, voice wavering slightly.

“I just…had a feeling,” he admits.

She turns her face into his chest. “Impressive. You’regetting pretty good at this.”

“No,” he says. “Not yet.”

But he won’t ever stop trying.

#harry/ginny #i have no explanation for this wierd little ficlet #but here it is #thanks for the prompt anon #annerbfic

461 notes · View notes

tempestshakes01 · 5 years

Text

happy and anxious.

happy because i love my apartment and i love Lil Cup of Joe. he is a terror and the sweetest boy ever, and i feel so much love for him. this is why i can’t be around an animal for an extended period of time. i will die for any creature i get attached to and lil joe is now my baby.

but i am anxious because i put of working when my brother brought home a puppy. he didn’t ask me to, but he’s an idiot who’s never home and bought a puppy to make him come home. i gave him 3 days and when his habits didn’t change, joe was being left alone and untrained, and i needed a running buddy--well, i took over. joe’s now potty-trained and knows a few (one) command. i take him everywhere to socialize him. he’s mine. but i’ll never say that to nick. who still needs to go therapy. i don’t know him. i don’t know what goes on in that head of his. it’s like we switched personalities in our 20s. i went from the quiet, serious type to basically a manic 13 yr old boy. he went from a wildly charismatic clown to a brooding hipster. what makes him laugh? what is he thinking? what is he passionate about? how does he talk to other ppl for hours but he can barely speak to his family for more than half of one? what did we do?

i got really angry the other night thinking about the fights i’ve had with my parents this past year.

1) washington d.c. - mom and i got into to it in front of the fuckin white house at dusk. i was so emotional and upset at being there, right there where trump fucks over our country, and my mom was being...well, the woman fox news molded. i was furious and trying to keep it nice, so i asked if we could just stop. stop talking. i was gonna blow up. and my mom was like, “why do we stop when you say stop, but when i ask to stop, you continue?” which...is it true? i didn’t think so, and because i can’t keep my mouth shut, i argued until i walked away. i walked into the crowds and then i kept walking. i kept walking. i kept walking.

it was terrible. i texted her “i’m gone” and i left.

i forgot the details but i wandered that area of d.c. got a coffee. tried not to cry. and then...remembered how much trouble my mom’s phone was giving her, that her gps apps weren’t being accurate, that she wasn’t confident at the metro, and that it was now dark. that she was alone in an unfamiliar city with a camera bag strapped to her screaming “i’m a tourist!”

i felt like utter and complete shit. it was one of the most despicable things i’ve ever done. later, i told some people and they were like “she’s a grown woman! you were both upset!” but no. i can’t make excuses like that. i knew that my mom was scared. i burst into tears. a crazy sobbing girl in the middle of d.c. i immediately texted her and told her to get back to me when she got to the hotel.

an hour later, back at the hotel, my mom couldn’t even look at me. couldn’t speak to me. i knew i had to apologize and i did, wording it carefully because i walking on a minefield. i again blocked out most of the conversation, but it quickly dissolved into a mess of confessions. i was wrecked. at first because of what happened, but as our conversation turned into an argument, i became furious again. over how she interpreted some of our interactions. over how i “blamed” her for my anxiety and anger. i told her i got my anger from her. that i was slow to it like my father, but when something lit inside me it burned bright and hot and deadly like her. that her grudges and cold shoulders hurt me so, so badly when i was a kid (which she then explained wasn’t a grudge, just her processing her anger...but that was way, way into the night). oh god, it was so bad. so bad. she confessed how she felt about all us kids. told me about her problems with andi and nick. told me she wanted to move away from us. told me she didn’t want a relationship with me or them if it was going to be like this.

i didn’t sleep. just cried and cried. like i did when i was a kid. sobbed in the bathroom and then under my covers. we barely talked the next day, but it slowly became okay. i didn’t know how to explain how much i loved her, so i tried to show her.

in the end, we were ok enough.

2) driving 30 hrs across the country - my dad and i were talking and he told me how he didn��t get us, and that we were hurting mom by rejecting her or something. he was upset and my dad doesn’t get upset, so i got upset and moody. and he was like “why are you like this? just with me? just with us. you’re so cruel.” and i knew it was true but it still took me an hour to snap out of it. and i apologized.

but i feel sometimes angry bc i got the emo dump from both my parents. about both my siblings! and they don’t even talk to them about it! my parents don’t even touch nick anymore! they leave him alone because it’s easier that way and he wouldn’t listen even if they tried to talk to him! and my sister would get super huffy and feel judged and act out in some way and take the kids! so. i get it but i hate it!!! because i got the feelings dump! i got the tears and the hours of psychoanalyzing why we are the way we are! and i hate that i feel burdened by it sometimes?

i want to be there for my parents but sometimes i’m that petulant child that still wants a mommy and daddy, not two parents who are human and exist with their own emotional life. and that’s so unfair to them and wrong of me, but i feel that way because i’m the child that gets this brunt of this side of them.

but it’s because in my own way im the most difficult and this shit spills out when i push them.

my parents (mostly mom) are only getting more set in their ways and defensive of their opinions. my mom...my mom who taught me so much about art and the world and appreciating different cultures and music and lived life with such vigor and wonder...i can see that fading and hardening. she’s stubborn about what she like and doesn’t have much interest in anything new. she’s offended and hurt when i gently bring up her how she used to be.

my dad’s always been this way. very traditional, but kind. spoiled, but hardworking. likes what he likes. but he’s eating more greens. he’ll try what i make because i made it. we listened to latino usa and old radio lab podcasts that whole drive from wa to tx, and he loved it, and we discussed the episodes. and i loved him so much because he gave them a shot and we connected.

but my mom. my mom. i miss her and she’s right there, but she’s not. and i know i’m part of the reason she’s retreated into herself and her more ‘sturdy’ beliefs and the friends who share them. she’s so quick to judge and harsh about it these days. is it age? is it us? is it this horrible world?

i came home to this. i came home and how quickly people change bc i didn’t expect my mom to be so old. in spirit. she’s tired. she doesn’t trust me. we’re working on being gentle. i’m working on not being so quick to anger.

my dad and i...i’m thrilled we’re getting along so well after i treated him like shit during the ~separation years~ between my parents. i was awful to him and he knew why, but he never called me out on it.

my sis and i are fine. i’m so relieved she got out of that last relationship with that TERRIBLE PERSON and came to her senses, and somewhat grew up. we kick it. she cooks for me. we don’t completely jive cause she’s hood, but can code-switch between worlds, and i’m suburban through and through, so i’m not as cool or smooth as she is. i’m her dorky weird little sister and i appreciate her love for me.

my brother? a mystery. a complete mystery.

and i’m reminded of how he called me on my birthday and started weeping and asking about therapy and saying he’s sorry he never believed in my anxiety because it’s true--you don’t ask for, you don’t know why it appears, and it wrecks you. and he deals with it now for no discernible reason and he sounded so, so broken over the phone that i was shaking and crying when we hung up.

but now he’s as chill as ever and takes minimal care of his puppy because the 1st dog he got was pretty hands-off from the jump, but she was grown and pooed and peeded everywhere for months (he says no, but that’s selective memory), so now lil joe is mine and i need to get a job because the lack of structure is killlllllllllllllingggggg me. but i don’t want to leave lil joe :(

it’s funny how i never set out to write all this shit, but it comes spilling out.

huh. wait.

i left and i worked on myself but then i missed my family.

did i come back to work on the family? to work on my relationship with them? is that my purpose here and why i felt compelled to return?

went climbing with GA. i was totally afraid of falling and bouldering isn’t as fun to me as top rope, but i wanna keep at it.

trying to set something up with B and A. my buds. i love em.

gotta set something up with L because I have a feeling we’ll be good friends here. and weirdly, BG contacted me even though I haven’t talked to him since college? and even then we weren’t that close. he was just inching toward asking me out and never managed it.

fav emmy looks: zendaya (obviously. omg, whatta babe), maisie williams (whatta look, suits her perfectly, killed it), gwen christie (whatta jesus babe), that girl in the billowing mint green dress, anddddd clea duvall (a babe in a tux).

vm continue to make me sad and hopefully things go well with tour for them. it’s nice to see them getting along with charlie and tanith. with bby charlie and tati and max’s kid coming along...oh boy for scott’s emotions. he’s gonna ignore the HELL out of those sad feeling for what couldvebeen with tess and he’s gonna plan hard for his and j’s future offspring instead. (can i also predict that i think one thing scott’s gonna have trouble with in his marriage--oddly enough--is keeping the marriage a partnership and not bulldozing over his spouse with his wants and needs ...wait, that’s not odd lol)

anyway, gotta take joe out to pee. gotta get to bed soon because i wanna be on the trails by 7am and then maybe to the climbing gym. this face maybe a potato but my body can improve! (i’m thicc at the moment thanks to texas food 🤧)

#miranda this is your life

1 note · View note

sunlitroom · 6 years

Text

Gotham – s4e10 – Things That Go Boom

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

Previously on Gotham:

Jim got his tainted captaincy from a tainted man by tainted means. Oswald knows that Sofia paid off the mayor, but only asks that she never betray him again. Oswald wants Ed back from the narrows. Barbara shot Cherry. This is Lee’s turf! He’s eating cooking them. Martin is in danger. Jim arrested Pyg. Sofia will never be Jim’s enemy. Martin told what he saw. Oswald says Sofia will pay for what she’s done.

As always, long post will be long. There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot might appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)). There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism. Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

Arkham, and the usual parade we get. Thanks, show. Strolling over to the gramophone player, Pyg changes the record to Ave Maria and does some Hannibal-esque hand movements in front of it, eyes shut. He’s such a tool.

The other patients seem ok with the new music - except for one who doesn't like the song. His mother used to beat him to it, and it was playing when he killed her. He tells Pyg to turn it off or he’ll do the same to him.

Pyg smiles nastily and walks towards him. In a mocking tone, he asks why his mother beat him – was he naughty? Did he soil his trousers? Did he stutter?

The poor man, visibly struggling, swings a punch at him. When Pyg reels away – we see a close-up of his face, which looks strangely distorted.

Telling the man he wishes he hadn’t done that, he pops his jaw back into place. He comments that he paid a fortune to look this good, deliberately flicking the record back on again. When the man rushes towards him, enraged, Pyg stabs him in the gut with the cracked record, and then slits his throat with the other half, and we see the man die to the tune that tormented him.

Pyg goes back to conducting. I start to ponder who I’d like to kill him and how.

At GPCD, where Jim and Lucius are examining an x-ray. Pyg apparently has titanium plates under his skin, altering his appearance, as well as having had his fingerprints burned off. Lucius says he must have had multiple surgeries. Jim says this makes no sense – Pyg is a ‘glory hound’, a classic sociopath: why doesn’t he want the credit? He asks Lucius if he could reconstruct Pyg’s original face, and then leaves.

Harper catches him on the way up to his office, and tells him he has a visitor: Sofia. He thanks her. Entering the office, he asks Sofia what she’s doing there. Sofia says that she hadn’t heard from him in a few days. Jim looks askance at her, and remarks that he didn’t know he was meant to call. Sofia replies that after the other night, she thought they were seeing each other again

(An aside – yeuch. Really, Jim?)

Sofia is very bright and smiley. She thinks Jim’s worried about Oswald, and tells him he doesn’t have to be – she told him. Jim’s eyes widen

You did what?

Sofia claims that she has it under control – she’ll remove Oswald, and then they can be together.

Jim shifts uncomfortably. He tells Sofia that whether Oswald is in the picture or not, they’re not going to work. He doesn’t see a way forward for them. Sofia’s face shifts into a huffy, affronted expression very similar to the one she wore when Carmine told her she wasn’t ready for Gotham.

(A lengthy aside.

Ugh. I’m really hoping that we find there’s more to Sofia in the next episode, and that she was playing Jim here as much as she has apparently been playing Oswald. There was plenty about her that was interesting early on. The fact that we view her in a parent/child context due to her being Falcone’s daughter, her manipulativeness, her sulkiness at being overlooked, her ability to seem non-threatening: these were all characteristics that gave her a certain kinship with Oswald, the man she was in town to overthrow. That gave their relationship room for nuance – would she empathise with the man she was planning to ‘remove’? Feel conflicted?

Her close relationship with her brother meant that she had ample cause to resent Jim and want revenge, even though she was seemingly in town to help him out, as well as sleeping with him.

If, from those promising beginnings, what we’ve actually ended up with is yet another character who holds Oswald in total contempt for no good reason, and yet another woman who has mystifyingly decided that Jim is her one and only – then I’ll be pretty disappointed.

Another ugh – this ‘relationship’. If she is sincere, what has Sofia’s romantic past been that a relationship with Jim looks so enticing? There’s been an occasional fuck after business meetings and lots of mistrustful staring and now she’s starry-eyed? Am I supposed to be sold on this? The whole thing has just seemed tawdry – especially from Jim, who seemingly continued things even after hearing Sofia describe Harvey – the guy who saved his neck more than once - as weak, incompetent and a burden.

It’s never really felt particularly passionate, either. There’s no trust, no emotional engagement, no romance. You could at least see emotional neediness at play in his makeshift relationship with Valerie Vale – but what the hell was I supposed to see here? It’s just seemed sordid. And torpid. Turgid. Flaccid. Putrid. Take your pick.)

The Narrows - where Lee is holding court over a dispute. Ed advises, but Lee wants to solve issues peacefully. Where Ed remarks that allowing one to stab the other would solve the problem, Lee wants them to join forces. Before the man leaves, Lee asks after his daughter. He tells her that her fever is down, and thanks her.

Ed looks at her. He says that

These bums are so lucky to have you

Lee sighs, and says she hasn’t forgotten about him. Ed, agitates, says she says that, but he’s still a moron. Lee says that she said she’d fix him, and she will.

Their conversation is interrupted by a man with a broken nose. Someone called Samson did this after he refused to pay protection money and told him Lee was in charge. Ed says she has to show him that she can't be pushed around, and she should send Butch. Lee says she can’t have Butch solve everything while preaching peace to everyone else – it’s hypocritical. Ed asks what she is going to do, then?

As Sofia gets home, we hear stormy weather outside, and see Oswald waiting for her. She feigns a smile, and says that this is a pleasant surprise. Oswald smiles tightly and assures her that this is nothing pleasant.

Oooooh – Victor strolls into the room. Hi Victor. Take me now, Victor.

Oswald continues. He says he was continually suspicious of her – but she always had the perfect explanation to defuse his suspicions

(An aside – this alone is implausible. Oswald has played that game before – he knows that too many perfect explanations are suspicious in and of themselves. It doesn’t wash that he’d have put it to one side.)

He says, though, he finally has proof of his enemy. She told him she hated Jim, but she is – in fact – his lover. Martin saw them both. She tries to deflect, but Oswald says he’s had enough of her lies, their entire friendship - the intimacies they shared: all a pathetic charade

Sofia insists that she cares for him deeply. Oswald says that he wishes that were true, but he did some digging and found out about Jim’s trip down south just before Sofia arrived in town

(An aside – again, implausible. We’ve seen that Oswald tends to know Jim’s home address. He was likely to be keeping a particular eye on him at that time due to their disagreement over the Pax. Yet he’s only just found out he went on a short holiday? Nope)

Sofia stares at the floor, apparently caught out. Victor chips in

Coincidence? I think not

Oswald says that they were plotting to destroy him the whole time.

Sofia’s face changes, and takes on a shark-like blankness. She spits venom.

Bravo, Oswald. I was warned you were a mastermind, but you were an easy mark. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with goulash and a good foot rub.

As if things weren’t already weirdly domestic enough between them at the Iceberg Lounge, Victor glances at Oswald’s feet.

Oswald tears up listening to her.

Now I see the real you. I was blind to your manipulations – but I will correct that mistake

Oswald apparently has decided on a very specific person to take revenge for him, the Dentist – a tall, thin man who appears in the doorway.

Jim is visiting Pyg at Arkham. Pyg is pleased his ‘little scuffle’ brought Jim along. Jim, though, says that he wants to know who Pyg really is

Don't you know, Jim? I’m a reflection of you

Jim, being almost comedically unreflective, doesn’t get this, and punches Pyg in the face instead. One of the plates shifts. Jim asks him who is hiding behind the mask. Pyg tells him what he sees is what he gets. Jim brushes past this – telling Pyg he craves attention, so why not take credit?

Pyg smirks that the whole town is crazy for him – but Jim tells him he’s yesterday’s news, a second-class psychopath. Jerome, Fish, Oswald – now they have staying power.

(An aside – Jim, you total nitwit, if you complimented Oswald like that to his face he’d probably have agreed to dismantle the Pax and take you to dinner.)

Pyg gets agitated at this. Jim says he’s already forgotten, and this is his last visit. He’ll never think about Pyg again. Pyg laughs at this, claiming it’s just mind games. I dunno – Pyg, ask Jonathan.

Jim calls the guard, telling him

We're done here

Pyg is irate

We’re not done here

He tells Pyg to have a nice life

Pyg’s accent abruptly shifts and becomes….southern. Sorry – I can’t do any better than that.

Don't you walk out on me

Jim smiles, satisfied

There you are

Back at the Narrows, Lee and Ed are visiting Samson. Lee tries to negotiate reasonably, while Ed bristles at being described as a has-been. Despite Lee’s efforts, Samson remains stubborn – he doesn’t want to negotiate, he wants to take.

Ed recommends using Grundy again, but Lee sees Samson cough blood into a handkerchief and quickly invents an illness – Narrows’ Lung – which she says she will treat in him and his people free of charge.

Samson laughs at the idea he gives a damn about his people. His laughing turns to more coughing. Lee tells him she’ll be back to negotiate in a few days with his replacement, after he’s drowned in his own blood. She and Ed turn on their heels, but Samson calls them back. Make it 30% of fight night profits and they have a deal. Ed whispers that this is too much, but Lee agrees, and tells him to come by the clinic.

The Dentist is manipulating Sofia's jaw left and right, examining her teeth, which he looks forward to seeing in his trophy case. Sofia tries to pull the ‘do you know who I am?’ trick, but the Dentist knows only too well. She’s the daughter of the man who killed his brother. He turns on his drill, and says he’ll enjoy this.

Sofia turns stone-faced again. She says it’s true her father killed his brother. She says, too, that she knows the address of the Dentist’s wife and son, and that she learned every detail of Oswald’s organisation

(An aside – either she’s outright bluffing, or a whole bunch of stuff has been happening with absolutely no hint to the viewer – which is irritating)

Sofia essentially says she knows everything about everything and has orchestrated everything that has happened. If he kills her, then his wife and son will be murdered. She leans back, smirking, and tells him to drill away.

The Dentist tells his assistant to tighten her restraints. When he leans in to do so, he murders him. Sofia tells him imperiously that he made a wise decision, and orders him to untie her.

Immediately after this, she leaves the house. However, the car door is locked, and peering inside, she sees her driver is dead. Tabitha, Barbara and Selina have shown up, and proceed to kidnap her.

At the gun shop, Sofia is tied up. Barbara wakes her up, and introduces the curiously boring girl gang. This recap is taking forever, and I care increasingly less about any of the characters in this scene, so – Barbara wanted to use Sofia as leverage over Oswald when she though he and Sofia were bffs, but now Oswald wants her dead instead. That doesn’t matter to Barbara, though, because that means Os will negotiate to get her back either way. Sofia makes more superior noises about her super awesome master plan that only worked because Oswald was suffering an unfortunate attack of ooc again.

Oswald is in his office. Martin is in his chair, and a smiling Oswald says he’ll grow into it. Martin helped him vanquish his enemy, and has a beautiful future ahead. Oswald is going to impart all his wisdom, and if Martin pays attention, all this could be his one day.

Martin shakes his head, looking unhappy. A worried Oswald asks him what’s wrong. Martin writes in his pad

I lied

Agitated, Oswald asks what he means – did he not see kissing? Martin did see kissing, but Sofia wanted him to report this back to Oswald. Oswald is confused for a moment, but then twigs. She knew how he would respond and wanted this confrontation.

(An aside – does that mean the whole affair with Jim was just part of her plan?)

Victor enters the room and tell Oswald they have a problem. The dentist has gone – whereabouts unclear, and now Barbara has Sofia.

Oswald yells in temper – asking how Victor knows this.

Hilariously, Victor pulls an exaggerated scandalised shush face, and tells him he knows because Barbara is

On. The. Phone

Barbara and Oswald talk. She has Sofia – but will exchange her in return for the gun shop and complete autonomy. When did that become so important to her? Didn’t seem to be an issue when she worked for Ra’s.

Oswald agrees to this, and says he’ll send Victor over to collect her. Victor smiles. Oh my.

Martin looks nervous, and Oswald irritably tells him that their conversation is not over. This poor child.

Lucius and Jim have a new sketch of Pyg. Jim tells Lucius to start the search in the South.

(An aside - All of it? Isn’t it quite big?)

Lucius suggests that Pyg was faking, but Jim is certain it was a slip-up.

(Another aside – Probably not a coincidence that we learn Pyg is from the south in the same episode where Oswald clearly reminds everyone that Jim took a trip south before Sofia’s arrival)

Walking to the clinic, Ed asks Lee why not just let Samson die. Lee says Narrows’ Lung is made up – he just has bronchitis. Her smile fades when she opens the door, and sees the clinic trashed. Ed tells her this is the kind of person they’re dealing with. No more diplomacy – she should take Butch and end this.

Lee refuses – she’s got a better idea.

Back at the gun shop – Sofia says this is too easy. Oswald couldn’t wait to get off the phone, so they need to get out of here. She tells them she’ll give them everything they want when she’s in power, but Tabitha bridles at Sofia’s assumption of being in charge. Selina, meanwhile, has spotted Victor in front of the shop with a rocket launcher.

Outside, Victor shoots, and then grins widely.

(An aside, would you shoot that right beside your ear?)

We see that Tabitha, Barbara, Selina and Sofia have escaped through the back door. Barbara snarls that she’ll break Oswald’s little beak in half. After what Barbara pulled last season, I’d say she had it coming.

Sofia runs into GCPD, face all smeared with soot and tears.

Jim!

She turns on serious crocodile tears. She underestimated Oswald, and now he’s tried to kill her! She tells Jim he won’t stop until she’s dead and he needs to

Use the position I gave you and end this

Jim has an army, she points out. He should take the fight to Oswald.

Light finally fucking dawns on Jim’s face. This was her plan all along. She never had the numbers to start a war, so she schemed to set them against each other – make Jim captain and send him to take Oswald out.

Sofia says his job is to stop criminals, and that’s what he’d be doing.

Jim says it’s not that simple. It never is with Oswald, eh Jim?

Sofia says they can bring law and order back – this is what he wanted, and it’s his for the taking. He needs to crush Oswald.

At the Iceberg Lounge, Oswald is telling Martin he betrayed him. Martin writes in his pad.

She used me. I'm so sorry

Oswald wonders aloud about sending him back to the orphanage, which is a shitty thing to do, Oswald, so stop it.

Victor returns, but before he can speak, Oswald dismisses the little spy from the room. A tearful Martin leaves, and an incredulous Victor watches him go.

He tells Oswald the place went up in flames. Oswald grins, and tells Victor they are going to unleash a crimewave like the city has never seen to teach Jim a lesson for cheating on him with another gangster aligning with Sofia Falcone. Victor gives Oswald a hilariously smitten smile.

I wouldn't make that call

Jim is here. He tells Oswald he spoke with a very alive Sofia. Oswald says he has witnesses as to his whereabouts. Jim says he’s not there to arrest him. They’ve both put up with Sofia long enough. Oswald knows when it’s time for some sexually-charged antagonism and bargaining, and asks Victor to give them a moment.

Oswald sighs wearily and tells Jim he has his attention. Jim says that Sofia deliberately put them on the path to war, and will let the city burn to the ground to prove herself to her father. He can’t allow that.

Oswald asks what he wants from him. Jim says he’ll put her on a train, and he doesn’t want Oswald involved. Oswald wants her to suffer, though, and laughs incredulously at Jim’s notion that she’ll meekly accept this betrayal and go home.

Jim says if she returns to the city, he’ll jail her. If Oswald refuses, Jim will use GCPD to tear him apart piece by piece

(An aside – GCPD is Jim’s personal grudge squad, apparently)

Oswald says that doesn’t sound pleasant, and he is willing to put aside personal feelings for the good of city, but

Where does that leave us?

(An aside - the shippy stuff just kind of writes itself)

Jim says there can be no more licenses - but he won’t have to worry about Sofia. He holds out his hand. Oswald looks down at it and smiles. He says it’s good to know, after all they’ve been through that they can resolve this diplomatically.

Jim gives him a smile which can best be described as flirty, and leaves.

Back on Samson’s turf. He mocks Lee’s Narrows’ Lung ruse. Lee tells him she wants him out of the Narrows by the end of the day – Ed backs her up. Samson says they’ve dug own graves. Lee claims to have had Samson’s drinks poisoned, and claims to have the antidote. He caves fairly fast, and she tosses him the antidote.

Jim and Sofia at GCPD. Jim says he’s doing this to protect Sofia. She tells him not to pin this on Oswald – if he’s got something to say he should say it. She kisses him, and tearfully tells him they’re the same, she saw it the moment they met.

(Lord – this shtick again from one of Jim’s love interests)

They both want power, she says, but it’s easier to send her away than confront that. Jim draws the scene to a brusque close by cuffing her, telling Harper to take Miss Falcone to the train station.

A fairly relaxed Oswald drinks at the bar of the Iceberg Lounge. Victor says that Jim did indeed put Sofia in a train, and Oswald amiably remarks

Talk about a turn of events - I didn't see that coming

(An aside – seriously, this is all so domestic. What did he need Sofia’s friendship for again?)

Victor asks if Martin is to be sent back to the orphanage. Oswald has the good grace to look regretful, at least, and says that won’t be necessary.

He walks through to his office and begins to apologise before seeing that Martin is gone. A note of panic slips into his voice, and his eyes widen when we see Martin has left a picture illustrating a kidnapping, at which he panics in earnest.

Martin is shoved into a car by Selina.

(Hey – remember when Selina was an individual with her own unique moral code, and who would likely never have considered this? That was good, wasn’t it?)

Barbara comments that Martin is cute. Selina says he doesn’t talk. Tabitha says he gives her the creeps. Tabitha, being someone who liked to listen to a confused Gertrud crying and begging to see her son, is quite the authority on creepy.

Sofia is on a train with Harper, who tells her to get comfy. We hear tickets please, but it’s not a conductor, but Victor. Hot, hot Victor.

He knocks Harper out and asks Sofia where the boy is. She smirks, and tells him he’s alive, and if Oswald wants to keep things that way, he’ll meet her at Crown Bridge in an hour. Victor shoots her cuffs off.

(An aside, that’s the second child Sofia has threatened to murder in this episode alone. She also does not seem give a tuppenny fuck at the thought of abandoning her orphanage)

Everyone is under the bridge. Sofia is using Martin as a bargaining chip. Barbara, Tabitha and Selina – standing alongside her – are tacitly OK with this.

Oswald promises martin everything will be alright. Sofia says if he hands over control, then she’ll let Martin keep his head. Oswald says the Falcone name meant something once, and her father would be disgusted by her actions. Sofia snaps back that her father would be proud.

Oswald smiles, sensing a raw nerve, and possibly remembering what Jim said earlier. He tells her it must be hard, living her whole life trying to get daddy’s approval.

Sofia’s face twitches, and we see he’s hit home.

I myself can’t relate, seeing as my parents loved me without condition

(That was downright beautiful, Oswald. Drag her.)

Sofia’s temper has flared.

Say one more word and I will kill him and execute you. I am choosing compassion but I am willing to change my position.

Oswald tells her not to kill the boy – he’s innocent.

Barbara smirks.

(Remember when Barbara used be halfway likeable too?)

Oswald says he submits. Sofia releases Martin, who heads straight to Oswald. Oswald tells Martin he's sorry for what said earlier: he does really care about him. A tearful Martin nods, and Oswald sends him to wait in the car.

Looking over at Tabitha, Victor does a tear down the face motion.

Martin gets in the car as Sofia watches. Oswald looks at her.

You were wise to use the boy, as you know – my heart is my greatest weakness. But I will not allow him to be used as a pawn in your game.

Lifting his hand, he presses a button on a remote device, and the car explodes.

Oswald’s men start shooting, and Barbara retaliates. Oswald screams at Sofia

You wanted a war, you got one!

(God - Victor’s shooting stance.)

At Cherry’s Place, Lee asks Ed why he’s so blue. He feels useless – he’s not a sidekick, but Samson is right, he’s a has-been. Lee says that since he trusted her, she’s going to trust him with something. There’s nothing wrong with Ed’s brain – his ability to guess Samson’s actions proved that. The block is psychological.

Ed asks how she could have lied to him – looking genuinely hurt. She says that she was afraid he would simply go back to being the Riddler, and she likes who he’s become – who he used to be: Ed Nygma, her friend. Ed looks touched.

Sofia, Tabitha, Selina and Barbara trudge sulkily into Sofia’s mansion. She wants to hit Oswald again. Selina says she lost. Sofia is still scheming aloud – and Barbara comments acidly that she probably didn’t get told ‘no’ a lot as a kid, and reiterates that she lost her shot.

Sofia says she’s not done, and she’ll cut them in – telling them they need here. Oswald might have won the battle, but she’ll win the war.

At the Iceberg Lounge, we see Oswald alone, looking thoughtful.

Boss

Victor is there with Martin, who - of course – is not dead.

My boy - you did a splendid job of dying

There was an escape hatch in the car.

Oswald tells Martin that Victor will take him to a safe location, and he can never return

Martin shakes his head, and writes in his pad

I don't want to leave you

A tearful Oswald comforts him

There there. This is what I have to do to protect you. You’ll understand when you’re older.

Martin steps forward and hugs him tightly. Oswald hugs back.

Victor is impatient and wants to finish Sofia now, while they have the advantage - but Oswald wants his top man to take Martin to safety. Victor has a mini internal conflict over the desire to go do some killing, and puffing his chest a little at being described as Oswald’s top man.

Besides, Oswald remarks, he has a better plan for her.

At GCPD, Lucius says Pyg was known as Lazlo Valentine down south. His crimes were also very different. Jim says serial killers don’t change MO. Lucius then comments that he was never released but escaped.

At Arkham, walking down a dark corridor, a guard walks towards Pyg’s cell – where we can hear strange noises. As he enters, he sees the cell is empty, before a noose drops round his neck from above the door, and we see him hanged.

Somewhere in Cherry’s club, Ed washes his face. When he glances back up at the mirror, we see his Riddler persona, behaving much like Bad Ed used to. Ed seems dismayed to see that he’s back – angrily calling out

No!

Back at Arkham again with Jim – who finds Pyg’s cell empty and the guard dead. There’s a message on the wall

It's been fun, James – Lazlo.

General Observations

It’s hard to say too much, since there’s obviously a lot to be continued next week. Some temporary thoughts, then.

I will be surprised and confused if it’s not revealed that Pyg was put in place by Sofia, all part of the same plan to unsettle Oswald and bloat Jim’s ego.

Jim rattled on about sociopaths this week. If anyone showed a much darker side to herself this week, it was Sofia – blithely willing to murder two children to further her plans, faking tears to manipulate, and dropping into a stone face when found out. If she’s behind Pyg, then she effectively ordered the slow, painful deaths of several cops – including Harvey. I still think we might find something out about her next week - maybe from Carmine.

I am so bored by the Sirens. So bored.

Sofia learned a lesson that others have learned before her, Jim will flip his loyalties/attentions back to Oswald when pressed. How long, you have to wonder, did it take him to edit her out of the picture after he got the captaincy? He just about tells Oswald she’s a third wheel that neither of them needs to be bothered with. Fickle, fickle Jim.

We again have a situation where our main villain – Jim openly recognises how dangerous Oswald is – is more sympathetic than just about anyone else. Sofia’s a poor creature – all dead eyes and a desperation to please daddy. Jim is…well, Jim. The Sirens are all smirks and catsuits. Oswald does terrible things – but again demonstrated a selflessness that we don’t really see elsewhere. He loves Martin, and he’s desperate for companionship – but he’ll send him away to keep him safe.

Poor Lee is destined for disappointment with the return of Bad Ed/Riddler.

Victor.

Thoughts?

#gotham commentary #things that go boom #gotham s4e10

22 notes · View notes

dammitadolfnomorecake · 6 years

Text

WAD, LIAO

Lance had thought everything would be fine now his heat had passed. He was trying his hardest not to burden his friends, even though he was barely able to pull off his usual over the top persona.

It'd been four movements now, and as far as everyone else knew he was just fine, but that was because he was living a lie. After waking up in Keith's arms, Lance had crept back to his own room, ashamed of needing the alpha's touch. Arriving back at his quarters, he'd found it trashed with a very angry Shiro waiting for him. After backhanding him hard enough that he tasted blood in his mouth, Shiro had forced himself upon him, not stopping no matter how hard he fought. Now every time Shiro thought he was getting to close to anyone, the alpha would punish him in the same means. Honestly, Lance had lost count of the times Shiro punished him. The omega only knew that the bruises left never faded before new ones were added. Shiro was careful though, the alpha never hitting him where anyone else might see, and his punishments only came in the dead of night, when everyone else was asleep. Lance was falling apart, and after how Keith had been so sweet to him, so he couldn't bring himself to admit the abuse was still occurring.

Returning to his quarters, Lance didn't even need to look back to tell Shiro had followed him. The alpha uncharacteristically quiet as he pulled Lance up against him

"Sh-Shiro?"

"Why did you save Keith? Do you like him?"

"Wh... what do you mean?"

Sliding his hand down Lance's pants, Shiro grasped his limp dick firmly enough that Lance yelped

"Shiro"

"Do you like him? Do you want him instead of me?"

"No! No... Keith's our friend"

"You little slut. You want him too don't you. You want his seed and his pups"

Trying to free himself, Lance whimpered as Shiro's cold inorganic hand tightened further

"You're wrong! I don't... please alpha..."

"Don't forget who you belong to"

"I won't! Please, Shiro... my alpha..."

Suppressing a shudder, Lance hated calling Shiro his. He hated Shiro and couldn't believe he'd ever fancied the alpha. Shiro was playing everyone around them, and no one seemed to know or perhaps they did and they just didn't care

"Good omega, now present yourself"

With his hands against the wall and his pants around his ankles, Lance found he couldn't cry anymore. Feeling the drag each time Shiro pulled back, the alpha would leave just the very tip of his erection inside of him before slamming in bruisingly hard. Reduced to snarls, Shiro mouthed at his neck, but never bit down. It was like he was telling Lance that he wasn't worth bonding with now that he knew he could knot him all he wanted without it. The feeling left him hollow... even more hollow then the act of sex it's self. He was just a toy in the alpha's hands, not even a person.

Sitting with Allura, Keith was nursing his drink. With Lance's mental health not improving, they were planning on setting the castle down on the next suitable planet they found. After being stuck inside the castle for so long, they were all going a little crazy

"Good news, I think I've found a planet suitable for our stop"

Interrupting their musings, Coran beamed happily at them

"You have?"

"It's a wormhole away, but it has a suitable atmosphere, and as you requested a pretty big lake"

Knowing how much Lance missed Earth, Keith had specifically asked for the planet to have somewhere they could go swimming

"We'll go right now. I think we could all use some downtime"

"I'll find my bathing suit. I just hope it still fits"

Coran plus bathing suit equalled speedos in Keith's mind. A sight he never needed to see. Still, Coran seemed especially excited about making landfall, something he hadn't really expected.

It was another 6 vargas before the castle finally came to a rest on the planet Coran had found. The moment Pidge had realised what was happening, the girl had come running to demand answers. Paging the rest of them, Allura kept the anxious Pidge waiting until she could announce to all of them they were taking a holiday. Lance didn't seem as enthused as Keith had hoped, the omega shying away from the group, exchanging a glance with Allura, both of them silently agreed that today would be Lance's day

"Hunk, we'll need food for a picnic, and there's a big lake for swimming. Keith, why don't you take Lance down and check out the water while we get everything organised up here"

Shiro frowned at the pair of them, but Hunk was already talking menu items

"Shiro, why don't you help Hunk with the food. Pidge, you're on entertainment"

"I can do that! I've been working on..."

Walking over to Lance, Keith placed his hand on his shoulder

"You ready?"

"Sure"

Landing Red near the shore of the lake, the pair of them walked over to the edge of the lake. Bright blue in colour, it looked harmless enough

"Keith, why are we here?"

"Because Allura wanted to take a break. We've been on the move nonstop, and being trapped on the castle nonstop is hard"

He had word vomit. He'd tried to make it sound casual, but his words ended up falling out all over each other

"You're a terrible liar"

"Fine. Allura's worried about all of us. You're barely talking to any of us. Shiro's all broody. Pidge hasn't been tinkering as much, and Hunk... no, Hunk's been fine in the kitchen"

Honestly he hadn't really been paying much attention to everyone else, whenever he was alone, Lance crept into his mind. Actually... no, Lance crept into his mind even he didn't want him to

"Well... do you think the water's safe?"

"I'll go in if you do"

"Are you calling me chicken?"

Letting out a huffy pout, Lance put his hands on his hips

"No, but I don't see you moving"

"You're not moving either"

Acting on impulse, Keith grabbed Lance's hand

"If I'm going down, you're coming with me"

Never in his life had he imagined he'd be running into a strange alien lake while holding Lance's hand. Ignoring the initial shock of the cold water, Keith plunged forwards, dragging Lance with him below the surface. Reemerging Keith immediately looked to Lance, for the first time in movements the omega was laughing. A wave of affection rushed up, and before he knew it, Keith had pulled Lance close

"Um, Keith?"

"You look like a drowned rat"

"You're the drowned rat with that mullet of yours"

"Well it takes one to know one"

"Oh! It is so on"

Dunking him under the water, Keith grabbed Lance around the waist and pulled him down, both grinning at each other stupidly. Lance really was most beautiful when he smiled. Filled with the urge to kiss Lance, and when the pair finally emerged again, he did just that. The kiss was slow and sweet, and over before it really began. Breaking away, Lance's smile faded and Keith cursed himself ruining the moment

"Lance..."

"I'm sorry"

Fleeing the lake, Lance left behind a trail of distress that had Keith cursing himself all over again. The trip down here was supposed to be helping Lance forget his troubles, not add to them. Giving Lance enough time to settle down on the bank of the lake, the alpha took his time as Coran emerged on the shore line

"Keith! Lance! How's the water?"

Gross. As he'd predicted Coran was dressed in his speedos, while the man's moustache almost seemed to gleam unnaturally

"It's nice!"

Wading out of the water, Keith wiped his face before looking down to find a very red-faced Lance

"What? What is it?"

"Keith, your bobby dazzler's showing"

"My what?"

"If you two wanted to go swimming naked..."

Looking down, Keith realised he was now naked

"I wasn't naked when I went in!"

Looking away, Lance covered his face with his hands, while Keith tried to hide his crotch

"It's true. We both had our clothes on"

"Then why are you naked?"

"I don't know..."

This was mortifying, but at least Pidge and Allura hadn't been here to witness his moment of shame. Turning away, Coran gave him enough privacy so he could return to Red. He should have known better than to trust Coran or to trust that alien water was really water.

With swimming out of the question, Hunk and Allura went about setting up a huge picnic, while Pidge was beside herself examining the properties of the water. The only explanation they had was that Keith's clothes dissolved completely because he was in the water longer than Lance. Though Coran insisted he was still going swimming after they'd all eaten.

Despite having showered and changed, Keith still made it back to the others before Lance did. The sun setting as the omega finally came wandering into camp. Smiling, Lance plonked himself down next to Hunk

"Hunk, I'm starving"

"Good. I might have made too much"

"With your cooking, there's no such thing"

Looking over to Shiro, he found Shiro watching the pair. None of this escaped Allura though

"So what do you usually do on Earth, when you go for picnics?"

"Allura, I think this more like dinner than a picnic. But we swim, or we play games"

"Or we drink. It's about having fun"

"Speaking of drinking, Lance, you have to try this"

"Hunk, did you make moonshine?"

Hunk squirmed for a second

"I didn't mean to. I was trying to recreate a milkshake"

Keith had no idea how a milkshake became moonshine, but Lance wasn't questioning it. Taking he bottle Hunk produced, the omega popped the cap, before downing a long swig

"That's enough! This stuffs pretty strong"

Lowering the bottle, Lance let out a long "ahhh"

"Wow. That's good"

Taking back the bottle, Hunk took a much smaller swig before passing it on to Allura

"Drink up, I've got another 4 bottles"

With the fire dying, and everyone full from Hunk's cooking, one by one everyone started heading to bed, until it was just Keith, Lance, Hunk and Shiro left. Shiro had barely had anything to drink, where Lance and Hunk were both well and truly plastered

"... and then Coran comes up, and you know what he says, he tells Keith his "bobby dazzler's showing"! Can you believe it! He called Keith's junk "bobby dazzler". Wheezing from laughing so hard, Lance fell back as Hunk pulled a face

"You saw Keith's junk?"

"Yep! You should have seen the look on his face!"

If looks could kill, Keith would be dead. Locking eyes with Shiro, the alpha looked murderous

"Lance, it wasn't that funny"

"But it was! I had no idea how much I needed this!"

At least Lance was feeling better, though it was definitely time for the omega to call it a night

"Hunk, why don't you help me get Lance to bed. I think he's had more than enough"

"Nooooo!"

"Yeah leave us alone. We can drink"

"No, Keith's right. It's time we called it a night. Come along Lance"

The moment Shiro said Lance's name, the omega stopped laughing. Pulling himself to his feet, Lance seemed to fold in on himself as he looked to Hunk

"He's right. I'm going to bed"

"Fiiiine. Keith will stay with me, right?"

"No, Keith's going to bed. So are you Hunk"

"Why you gotta be so mean Shiro?"

"It's fine Hunk. I'll see you in the morning"

With the way Lance was staggering, Hunk didn't blink twice as Shiro pulled the omega against him, but Keith wasn't having it. Rising to his feet, he jogged the few steps to catch up with the pair. Looping his arm around Lance's waist, he forced a small smile

"Let's get you to bed"

With Lance deposited in his bed, Keith went to tuck the omega in, only for Shiro to grab his wrist

"I'll do it"

"It's fine"

"Keith, I said I'll do it"

"And I told you it's fine"

Snarling, Shiro shoved him so hard that Keith ended up tripping over backwards

"What the quiznak man?! I was just trying to help"

"Trying to help? You were making a pass at my bitch!"

"Lance isn't yours"

The look that crossed Shiro's face turned Keith's blood cold. Scrambling to his feet, he stood his ground

"Lance isn't your bitch! He's a human being"

"No. He's mine! I've already laid claim to him"

"I don't see your bonding mark on him"

"It's only a matter of time. He's pregnant with my pups after all"

Keith staggered slightly

"What?!"

"Can't you smell it on him? I bred him, and there's nothing you can do about it"

"You're lying"

"Admit it little alpha, there's no place for you here. He's going to birth my pups, and they'll tear him apart as he does"

Seeing red, Keith threw himself at Shiro

"You bastard!"

Having fallen into the trap of swearing with Altean words, it felt good to use actual swearing for a change. Laughing off Keith's first blow, Shiro sidestepped it with ease

"You've got to do better than that!"

He'd been an idiot. Hunk's moonshine had dulled his senses, grabbing his knife from his belt, he straightened himself up

"Should I tell you how it felt? How warm and wet he was? Or good he felt around my knot"

Roaring, Keith lashed out blindly. Parrying with ease, Shiro grabbed him by the wrist, snapping it with ease. Howling in pain, Keith drove his knife into Shiro's leg as he struggled free

"You're dead, you hear me! Dead!"

"Stop it!"

Screaming out, Lance moved to stagger between them

"Stop it!"

"Lance, get out of the way"

"Yeah Lance, move. This is a fight between alphas"

"No! That's enough"

Shiro didn't seem to agree with Lance. Grabbing him by his shirt, Shiro threw Lance across the room. The teen smacking solidly into the corner of his desk, before crumpling to floor

"Lance!"

"Leave him!"

Ignoring Shiro's command, Keith rushed to Lance, only to be grabbed by Shiro's bionic hand and hurled backwards. Panting hard, Keith tried to push himself up

"Don't you dare lay a finger on Lance"

Laughing, Shiro crossed over to him, the alpha driving his boot into Shiro's face

"Pesky little alpha's should be seen and not heard"

Driving his boot into Keith's face again, Keith's whole world turned black.

Waking up, Keith struggled against whatever was binding him. Wriggling desperately, all he could think of was Lance. Something was very wrong with Shiro, and he feared for Shiro's safety

"Look, he's awake"

Whatever had been covering his face was pulled away, and Keith recoiled from the sight in front him. He was sitting on Lance's desk chair, and directly across from Lance laid bloody in his bed

"Now tell him"

"Shiro"

"Tell him Lance!"

Flinching at the alpha's tone, Lance nodded slowly

"Keith. I love Shiro. I'm having his pups. I know you think I like you, but I don't"

"And"

"And when the pups are born, I'm leaving with Shiro"

What total bullshit. He would have told Lance so if his mouth hadn't been gagged

"If you so much as tell anyone about this, I will kill him. I'll kill him and leave his cooling body in your bed"

It was clear Shiro wasn't joking

"Keith, tell him. Tell him you won't tell! Please!"

Mocking Lance's words, Shiro parroted them back

"Yeah Keith, tell him"

He didn't want to cave. His alpha was beyond furious and he wanted to tear Shiro's throat out with his bare teeth, but he couldn't do anything to help Lance unless he did. Nodding slowly, Shiro smiled down at him

"Good choice"

Walking over to him, Keith tensed like a snake ready to strike, only Shiro didn't move to untie him, instead the alpha knocked him out with a solid right hook.

1 note · View note