#and they'd never arrive. and it would turn out that everyone else had gone and were having fun without me knowing i would just be waiting

[bison-appreciation-club]

so yall telling me that i am wanted and lovable...

#like. i got invited to someone's birthday and i thought it was at the wrong place #so i went there and they weren't there and in a previous friend group they used to tell me to wait for them in a certain place #and they'd never arrive. and it would turn out that everyone else had gone and were having fun without me knowing i would just be waiting #for them. and so i was like. huh. guess that happened again #but turns out i was just in the wrong place and now i feel like shit #because i feel like it's all gonna be one massive trick and i feel like a dick for not being able to trust anyone #i'm so used to not asserting myself and not saying what i want because i've been taught i won't be lovable otherwise and now i don't know #when i'm lovable and when i'm not. what do you mean i can be lovable without having to do anything first? lmao ok then #and my friends are all so nice to me and i feel bad for being so suspicious because of past experiences #vent in tags #dee rambles #to delete #tw vent

[imaginechb]

Long Distance w/ Connor Stoll

Aka I'm back on my Connor shit™️ and now you all have to deal with it ❤️

You started dating over the summer, knowing that you'll have to spend the school year apart, but not really caring. You really liked each other, and no one back home could compare with him. No one could relate to you and care for you on the level that he could, no one had those experiences with you.

On the day you have to go back to your hometown, you pack all your things up in your cabin, your siblings either doing the same or keeping each other company.

Connor appears in the doorway and everyone else exchanges looks before clearing out. You turn to him, tears in your eyes that you don't want to let fall, but you can't help it. He opens his arms and you break, falling into him.

You stay there for a bit, holding each other, letting tears fall, before finally letting each other go. He helps you finish packing and walks you out of the cabin.

The rest of the day is spent laying in the strawberry fields in the late summer sun, playing volleyball with friends, and eating meals together rather than at your respective tables.

When it's time to go, he gives you one last emotional hug and a long kiss, before watching you go, a helpless expression on his face as he turns away.

NOW. while you're gone, he sends you letters. Updates on what's been happening with him and the camp, love letters, he writes down playlists for you.

He misses you so bad, he definitely mopes for a while after you leave, until people kinda tell him to get it together.

Sometimes he sends you care packages with things you might need or want; ambrosia in case of monster attacks, your favorite candies, his favorite hoodie, a cd he burned in Chiron's office while he was away

For your birthday (if it's during the school year), he mailed you cupcakes he and Travis made... they weren't exactly edible when they arrived (or when they were made), but it's the thought that counts, right? He also sent you a bracelet he made you (you'd taught him how), another one of his hoodies, and a necklace that you didn't want to know the origins of for legal reasons.

As for you, it had taken a while to adjust back to the mortal world without Connor. Seeing friends at school was nice, but still lonely without him. They were good friends, but they'd never know you and understand you like your friends at camp would. They were mostly just to keep from being alone the rest of the year while waiting for summer's return.

You listen to the playlists and cds he sent you every night to fall asleep, on your walk home from school, when you miss him. You have it memorized from start to finish at this point.

You wear his hoodies to school and to sleep at night to the point where they need washed, which you don't want to do because they smell like him, but it has to be done 😔

Luckily, that's around the time that he sends another one :D

You send him letters and packages of things from the mortal world, candies that he'd never tried, little stickers and pins from places you go, cds, you even return his hoodies to him occasionally.

He comes to stay with you and your family around your winter break (your family was a little unsure about him at first but ended up absolutely adoring him), and you go to camp during spring break so you guys can spend time together.

YOU GUYS PLAY SILLY LITTLE GAMES LIKE TIC TAC TOE THROUGH THE MAIL OMGS

Iris-messaging whenever you can. Sometimes it's hard because he's busy with training and activities at camp, and you've got school and maybe even a job taking up your time, but you manage at least once or twice a week.

Also depending on where you live, time zones may or may not be a thing. If you live on the west coast, there's a three hour time difference between you, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. You could be getting home from school when he's eating dinner, and by the time you finish up your homework and dinner, he's at the campfire and going to bed.

But you guys make each other a priority, you wouldn't do anything else

Because at the end of the day, it can be hard, and you might miss each other a lot, but you're also demigods in love. What you have is unshakable, it's not going anywhere, even if you do.

#pjo #toa #trials of apollo #hoo #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #chb #percy jackson #pjo hoo toa #camp jupiter #connor stoll #connor stoll x reader #connor stoll x you #pjo imagine #pjo x reader

[streaminn]

:)

"Enid, Enid please. Wake. Up." Wednesday shakes her by the biceps. She's still warm. She can hear sobbing behind her. "Please..." she trails off. Enid's gone.

She has the softest smile on her face. Wednesday's hands are covered in her blood. She feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks up.

Divina.

"Wh— what happened to our daughter? Why?" Her voice breaks. "Why would someone hurt her?"

"Outcast hunters." Yoko speaks up. Tears run down her cheeks, but her face is hauntingly blank. "They must found her at the river. We never should've left her alone."

Wednesday turns back to Enid. She looks so... relaxed. She always had this tightness to her shoulders, always hunching herself down.

Yoko walks past Wednesday and crouches down next to Enid. Gingerly, she hooks an arm under her legs and the other arm beneath her shoulders.

"Wait." Yoko turns and faces Wednesday. Wednesday brings her hands to Enid's stomach and almost touches her. "We haven't known each other very long, but Enid means much to me." Her hands start glowing softly. "Grant me the right to aid in burying her?"

Yoko takes a deep breath, her only daughter's limp body in her arms.

"I don't know you at all." She swallows. "But Enid cared so deeply for you. I couldn't deny her the right to have someone important to her help bury her."

Wednesday nods and her fingers start to glow. She places on them on Enid's abdomen.

"So she passes on easier. The spell makes sure any vile things are repelled by her. I would not have her accosted in the afterlife."

Yoko nods her head once in her direction.

"Thank you."

Wednesday turns to face Divina. "Do you have any idea who's responsible?"

Divina's face is heard-set. She lifts a shaky hand into the forest.

"That way. The village is own for housing outcast-hunters."

Wednesday nods and starts walking past her. Her rapier burns her hip with a need for blood.

Just before she can get past Divina, the siren places a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Make them burn. Please."

This isn't Wednesday's first time staring into the eyes of a grieving mother, but this is the first time she's been in the throes of grief with her.

"I swear on my life that they will suffer."

She walks past Divina.

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

She finds the little village a good few minutes off where she'd found Enid and she hates it. She hides in the tree-line.

Everyone is so happy.

They act like Enid dying was something to cheer for, something to bring out food and drink over.

She walks into the tavern where it seems the entire damn town is enjoying themselves in, her wings out.

"Who was it that attacked Enid?" The entire bar goes quiet.

"What?" Rings in her ears.

She turns to the bartender who spoke.

"Who. Attacked. Enid."

"That werewo'f?" Comes a slurred voiced in the back. "Why, Lady Death, that'd be me." There's the raising of drinks and cheers. They're proud.

"My name is not Lady Death," she grips her rapier's handle, "it is Wednesday. And you," she drags it out of it's holster, "will have no home to return to once I'm done."

She swings.

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

When she leaves, she leaves covered in no more blood than she arrived with. She didn't want Enid's blood tainted by theirs.

She find Yoko and Divina easily. They're both waiting in front of their house. They have a hole dug already.

"Wednesday." Yoko greets solemnly. "We've been waiting."

"Sorry. I didn't want them to have a second of hope."

"Good."

Divina picks up Enid, and places her gently into the ground.

"Wait," Wednesday says before they can do anything. "Give me your hands."

Maybe if they weren't stuck in their mourning, if they weren't mourning their daughter, they'd have been more hesitant over offering a part of their body to Death. But what else do they have left to lose besides each other?

They offer their hands.

Wednesday takes a knife from her belt and cuts their palms. She takes her own hand and does the same.

"Why?" Divina asks.

"For this." She places her uncut hand on the blade's edge, and feels the blood's energy pulse. Slowly, she forms it into a crimson colored ring.

She bends down and takes Enid's hand, sliding the ring on her thumb. She reach over and uses her hand to clean the blood off Enid's side, forming more rings.

She stands back up, and takes Divina's hand first, slipping the ring on her thumb as well. She takes Yoko's hand and does the same.

"So we have something to hold onto as a memento. Of Enid."

Divina nods thoughtlessly, then faces Wednesday.

"Help us bury her."

"Right."

They start piling the fresh-dug dirt on top of Enid. Each toss, they all cry just a little harder than before. When they're done, Wednesday turns to take her leave.

Yoko grabs her arm.

"Don't go, we aren't done." She turns around and They both have a handful of something, clutching it. Divina has both hands full.

"Take some." Wednesday holds her hand out and Divina deposits whatever it is into her palm. She looks.

"Rose seeds?"

"Enid always said when she died, she wanted to be covered in roses." Divina swallows thickly. There's tears streaming down her face. "So people would know she was loved alive. And, because she believes that if she has a symbol of love, it'll be easier to find a lover in the afterlife."

Wednesday stares at the seeds. She doesn't want to plant them, selfishly. She doesn't want Enid to move from her in the underworld because she can't move on in this one.

She plants hers across where Enid's heart and arms are.

She won't deny Enid her love, even if Wednesday herself can't have Enid's.

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

Every year, there's cries from towns and cities alike.

"Don't cut any roses, and don't attack any wolves." One says to another. "Wednesday, She Whom Is Commander Of Death, will haunt and hunt you 'till you're mind is broken, and leave you a shell of your former self."

"Deceitful," the second says, "Death cares nothing for the living." They let loose the arrow in their bowstring, and grins when it pierces the wolf that's been stalking their chickens and sheep straight through its heart. The tip of the arrow slams through the stem of a rose, destroying it.

No one is surprised the next morning when there's a mangled body surrounded by crows and ravens.

-Writer Anon.

NO??? WRITER ANON WHY 😭NOT ENID DYING, I HOPE THEY GET TOGETHER

MAYBE ENID REINCARNATES??? MAN IDK, I JUST HOPE THEM WELL

honestly fuck them hunters, they deserve that death

#writer anon #wenclair

[yuridovewing]

Keep thinking about the Darktail twist and man I still think that Onestar was such a random choice for “has an illegitimate kid”. when imo Blackstar makes wayyyyy more sense. Like, consider, Blackfoot has a fling with Smoke when he’s still in exile during TPB. Smoke is wayyy more dedicated to him than he is to her, he actually looks down on her for being a kittypet.

By the time she’s pregnant though, he’s rejoined ShadowClan under Tigerstar. And oh man. Xenophobia is rife and alive and outspoken. And when Smoke tells Blackfoot about their kits, there’s no room for weakness. He lashes out at Smoke, maybe even outright attacks her (remember this guy killed Stonefur) and threatens her, telling her to either get off of his land forever or he’ll take care of their kits himself.

She’s either pregnant at that point or she’s had Darkkit and was trying to introduce them. Maybe the latter cause Smoke would not be coming back to ask ShadowClan to take him. Plus it’d be a formative memory to Darkkit that sticks with him for the rest of his life. Instead, she runs back home, Darkkit in tow. Warning him as he grew up to never go into the forest, lest his father find him and get rid of him.

Smoke lives out the rest of her days paranoid and distressed, Blackfoot knows where she lives. It gets worse when she hears that he’s become leader and could potentially send cats after her. Darktail grows up, angry and bitter that his mother was traumatized so. And he vows revenge. He trains himself, learns from the remnants of BloodClan how the clan cats fight. When Smoke dies, he leaves their twolegs to follow the clans, long gone at that point.

Revenge has consumed him, dedicating his life to unleashing his wrath onto Blackstar and his followers. He fantasized about how he would gut Blackstar and rip out each of his nine lives, dangle his dirty little secret over his clan and threatening their oh-so-fragile pride. He was going to make sure he would be considered Blackstar's worst mistake- that would be his end.

He sets up the Kin among some of the cats he trained with, some being former BloodClan cats. At first, it's formed in honor. He wanted to live with his friends was all, and this way they'd all be fed and healthy. But it slowly took a dark turn as Darktail still prioritized revenge above all else. He quickly grew manipulative, and while he still valued his cats, he began to view them more as pawns in a game of chess. A game he was always playing against Blackstar- even if Blackstar didn't know it. He took in vulnerable cats, promising them power and prestige, when he really was only concerned with how they could benefit his schemes. It takes him so long to get to a place where he can release an onslaught on his father’s clan.

… But when he arrives, Blackstar is dead. He drowned a year before Darktail arrived. He was buried, ShadowClan moved on, that was that. Darktail felt numb. It was all for nothing. Revenge on Blackstar, the thing that had driven him for so long, was gone. There was nothing left... except for the clan that Blackstar had built.

And it seemed plenty of the young, slighted, and immature apprentices were struggling at the change in power as well.

That was fine. He'd come this far. If he couldn't have Blackstar's skull, the rest of his clan would have to do. And as he witnessed the other clans' pride, he figured they could go as well. To hell with them all. He was gonna terrorize the clans just as they had terrorized his mother so, and he was going to relish every second.

So TLDR: Blackstar's crimes, and Brokenstar and Tigerstar's reign, still haunt ShadowClan to this day in the form of Darktail. Something about how when you die, some of your sins will be passed on to your loved ones who will be forced to deal with it in your stead. Darktail, try as he might, will never be satisfied with his revenge. He is now aimless, lashing out at everyone in sight because he missed his chance to kill the one he hated most.

#tbh i do like mama’s boy darktail but i dont like ‘’oh smokes a bitter ex she made her son hate his dad cause reasons’’ #but in this context it feels better cause like… yeah shes just terrified #btw my ideal avos au doesnt include skyclan at all. yeah ik theyre a good chunk of the arc. idc. theyre staying in that damn gorge #razorverse #why not #also uhhh said drowning cause that happens in canon but since im cutting the time gap between avos and the last hope #i might have it just so he dies in the great battle instead #maybe tho... he still gets drowned but by a dark forest cat #and thats what causes darktail to use drowning cats as punishment #hes trying to kill them the same way his father was killed. cause he wishes he could have done it

[xalygatorx]

Worthy (2015) | Chapter 24, "I'll Always Find You"

Disappearing sporadically in public spaces quickly becomes Cora Dempsey's least concerning problem when suddenly she captures the attention of the forming Avengers Initiative, the World Security Council, and Asgard's fallen prince all in one week. And the universe is only just getting started with her.

Worthy is a slow-burn SFW Marvelverse (films) romance between Loki and a female OC. For additional details on what canon is used, see the Prologue post.

Disclaimer: From here on, at the time of writing Worthy I ran out of canon to go on from the films. Everything from here, forward, is pure HC about what I thought the fight with Thanos and the Ragnarök might look like based solely on existing canon and the title release cards.

Summary: Cora contends with her newborn grief over Loki’s demise. An audience with the “Allfather” comes with an unexpected twist. An old foe begins his greatest onslaught.

Pairing: Loki x Fem!OC

Warnings: Grief

Word Count: 3.3k

Cora inhaled slowly as her back pressed against the chamber door, closing it with a soft click and turning the latch until she heard the lock turn home with a hollow sound. Her eyes closed in time with the door and leaned her head back against the gold paneling with a dull thud, her fingers sliding over the door handle until her hand slipped off entirely to hang at her side.

Loki was dead. And she'd been right about him all along.

Her throat tightened painfully and when she opened her eyes next, the white scleras were red with inflamed blood vessels, saline glossing them over and collecting at the rims. About this, she'd been wrong though. She still had energy to grieve. She would always have energy to grieve and mourn and it came in full force this time just as it had with all the others.

It would have hurt whether he was a truly merciless villain through and through as so many others had thought or the misunderstood prince he'd turned out to be. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Not anymore. Nothing excused what he'd done, but he had redeemed himself when it mattered and that meant so much more than any lingering reputation. People could change. It just took an immense amount of strength for them to do so. Slipping back into old ways was more than possible, it was easier, but she would never know if his change would stick. Neither would Thor or Odin or the Warriors Three or anyone else who had doubted him. Maybe that was a good thing.

Cora clenched her jaw and shook off the thoughts, blinking hard and exhaling at last in a gust, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed until she figured out how to control herself enough to get to work on something productive. Hell, what would she even do now? She hadn't thought much past meeting her Asgardian relatives or any possible outcomes with Thor and Loki apart from everyone coming back alive and okay. It had just seemed impossible for them to fail, even if Thor had ultimately triumphed at the cost of his brother's life.

As she sank into her seat, she crossed her ankles and habitually tucked them back just enough to breach the bedskirt. Her brow arched faintly as she felt her heel hit something under the bed and she leaned forward, reaching to find whatever she'd tapped with her foot, her fingers hooking in a fabric strap. Pulling against the strap, she tugged what turned out to be her purse forward, having forgotten about it entirely after surrendering it to a couple of Frigga's handmaidens upon her arrival when they'd insisted she take a bath to cleanse her wounds.

Setting her purse in her lap, she hesitated before slowly unzipping the main compartment, figuring it could serve as a temporary distraction to root through familiar souvenirs from her home world. She'd rifled briefly through tiny trifles like her car keys (now useless since Clint had put an arrow through where said key would have gone and by this point, her car had probably been towed or confiscated by SHIELD), a couple stray keychains, some old receipts, and keys to her apartment by the time she got to her billfold, grimacing as she unsnapped the clasp and unfolded it.

A soft smirk found her face as she looked down at her driver's license and old school ID along with all her debit, credit, and gift cards lining the pouches inside and thinking how useless they all were here. Cora slid her nail behind the first layer and turned it over, her throat constricting as she looked down at the picture there, faded from the years, of her as a child with her parents.

"Never gets easier," she murmured softly, her fingertips stroking the plastic covering the photograph before she shut and zipped her billfold, replacing it in her purse before taking out her phone.

Out of simple curiosity, Cora depressed the "home" button and felt a sincere sensation of shock when the screen lit up for her to swipe and unlock it. "Can bet there's no wifi here…," Cora commented with some of her usual snark returned and looked over the apps, opening up her photo gallery and starting from the top. High school "selfies" with friends, snapshots of old photos of her parents, a couple shots of her grandmother and her grandmother's golden retriever, Nell, and countless pictures of flowers, trees, and landscapes out in California. She had to admit that she missed it there after all this time away. It felt like ages.

When she neared the end, she nearly went to the home screen again, but she stopped, noticing a small, somewhat blurry final picture she didn't remember being there. It was nestled right beside a short video she'd taken at a music festival she'd gone to in Central Park perhaps a month before all of her problems involving SHIELD had begun. Narrowing her eyes, she touched the square screen-cap and it expanded to fill the screen.

When she pressed "play," her features went blank with disbelief as a jostling video of Loki began. Realizing she had it muted after a few moments, she paused it and put it back to the start, turning up the volume. His hair was shorter here, he even had a bit of color left in his face, but his brow was pinched with determination and utter frustration. Even before she pressed "play" again, she knew this was a mistake, but that didn't stop her.

"Damn, how do I… Ah, right, got it!" his voice played through the speakers, and Cora felt like she'd swallowed a handful of needles as a triumphant grin broke across his face, and she was finding it hard to breathe properly again. She stayed strong as his eyes moved over what had been her phone screen, but she had no idea why he'd had it on in the first place. She couldn't even remember when he might've had access to it.

He continued to mutter, something about messages and addresses, and she could only think that he was trying to figure out how to work the phone and that was how he'd accidentally triggered the app for the camera in the first place. Cora laughed softly as he grew frustrated with the technology, her free hand moving to touch her mouth as she watched, even as her heart hurt in a peculiar way at seeing him like this. Maybe because she never would again.

Finally, something favorable happened for him and he started to calm down, soon smirking and declaring victoriously, "Nice try, Cora, I'll always find you." 

Her smile slowly faded as the video ended there when he locked the phone, her numbness resonating once before beginning to lift and leave her defenseless. Cora sucked in a short breath and moved the track forward again to just seconds before that fateful phrase, listening to it one more time.

"Nice try, Cora, I'll always find you."

She locked her phone after the second run-through and felt her features contort just before a sob was torn from her chest, escalating until she bowed her body so her forehead rested against her knees, her hands still holding her phone against her chest as she wept painfully into the fabric of her gown. Her form flickered as she sank into her own agonizing grief, fading out entirely more than once as she lost control of herself. That was how he'd found her in California at her grandmother's supposed funeral, which had turned out to be a scam. He'd handed her phone back to her once he'd arrived and held her hand on their way back.

Cora cried hard enough to cause muscle strain throughout her body, tension making her ache, but not nearly so much as her own emotions. "Well, find me now," she murmured softly, shaking her head as she flashed back to what he'd said out of spite, that she couldn't save anyone. Not because she still felt ire toward him over it, but because it was terribly true. She hadn't been able to save her parents, she hadn't been able to save Frigga, and she hadn't been able to save him either. This knowledge made her utterly miserable.

A knock on her door made her clear her throat carefully enough to weakly answer, "Yes?"

"Lady Cora, the Allfather desires an audience with you," a man, who she could only guess was a guard, said politely through the door and a faint hint of guilt in his voice told her that he realized she wasn't in the best condition at the moment, even if he didn't understand why.

"Lady," she repeated softly with a strained smirk as she slowly sat up and let her phone slip back into her purse. "That's a new one…" Then to him, she said more loudly, "I'll be just a moment. Thanks."

Cora set her purse aside and stood, checking herself in the nearby mirror and wiping the tear streaks from her cheeks as she mulled over what Odin could possibly want from her. Maybe to kick her out. Talk to her about Loki. He had to be hurting a bit over this, he just had to be. Whether or not they admitted it, they were family and the loss of both his wife and one of his sons was likely to be weighing heavily upon him. She left the chamber and walked with the guard outside to the throne room, where he bowed and left her at the door.

Taking a deep breath, Cora walked through the doors the standing guards opened for her, listening to them settle closed behind her. She started walking toward the throne where the Allfather lounged, holding Gungnir as he watched her progress. Something was different though… There were no guards around; it was just them in the throne room.

That wasn't what was bothering her though, it was about Odin. He seemed less formal, but maybe that was because there were no guards around. She might've thought it was grief exhausting him, but as she approached and his features came into focus, she noted that he was oddly calm. "You…wanted to see me?" she said uncertainly, stopping midway down the carpeted aisle.

"Indeed," he said simply, raising his hand as he leaned forward a little. "Come closer. I do not care for shouting needlessly across the room." Cora stepped forward slowly and he hesitated a long time before he continued to answer her question. He seemed to divert from whatever he was originally going to say and noting instead, "I suppose I mean to ask what you plan to do in regard to your ties between Midgard and here. Whether you will—"

"That's what you're concerned about?" Cora interrupted with slight incredulity. "How much longer I'll be taking up a room in your palace?"

An expression of surrender bloomed on his aged face and his demeanor seemed to shift to one of weary defeat. "A room is of little importance, but I believe I must tell you that—"

"That, what?" Cora demanded, suddenly escalating toward anger. "That I have to figure out what I'm going to do, go through some kind of immigration process in order to stay here, be the only one in this damn place to grieve for your son? How can you sit there and just," she struggled for words, "keep going?!"

His grey brow furrowed subtly and he squinted at her features. "Your eyes are red. Something ails you?" he asked softly, studying her and seeming to lapse back into his former manner.

Grimacing at the fact that her eyes were reddened with her earlier tears, Cora felt her proverbial hackles rise and she shot back, "What 'ails me' is what should be ailing you! Your son just died, do you feel nothing for that?!"

"He is not my son," Odin said coolly.

"What kind of monster are you?!" Cora demanded loudly, feeling her tears beginning anew from two parts frustration, one part grief. Same old song and dance. "How can you just decide not to mourn him? He died for a man who is your son, you won't deny that!"

"You grieve his loss," Odin observed quietly, seeming baffled by her reactions.

"And you don't," she retorted defensively.

"Why do you?"

Cora looked up at him on his golden throne and, in that moment, she hated him. She truly hated him, but she knew the feeling was temporary. She so rarely held a grudge, it was almost an inability of hers to do so. "Because I care," she said quietly. "Because I'll miss him. That's why anyone grieves. The loss and what they will never get to say."

"And what will you never have the chance to say?" the Allfather asked with almost too much curiosity, but Cora didn't notice as she was more concerned with wiping the stray moisture from her eyes.

She floundered for words, struggling to articulate before she grimaced and shook her head. "What does it matter now? And what the hell do you care?" she asked fiercely, glaring up at him as he got to his feet and slowly made his way down the steps to her level.

"It's a bit…," he began hesitantly, which was the first time she'd ever seen Odin grow hesitant, but as she watched, he began to change. A familiar green aura slowly grew over his form, which lengthened and thinned as she watched, her eyes widening as she reflexively took a step back. 

When the light faded, Loki stood in Odin's place, looking down at her with a mixture of interest and wariness. "Complicated," he finished lamely, pursing his lips into a thin line.

"But…you…," Cora mumbled confusedly as he stopped a few steps in front of her, looking up at him with bewildered eyes still red and watery from crying. "Thor said…"

"Thor left before I could heal. I'm still not entirely whole, but," he paused, looking down at her thoughtfully. "I am alive. Obviously, but… Cora, I don't know how you could forgive me for the things I said to you, but if you—"

"Stop," Cora said harshly, raising a hand. Loki closed his mouth and glanced toward the floor, knowing he had been foolish to think she might be forgiving after finding out he was alive, particularly after he hadn't told her straightaway that the Odin she'd approached on the throne had, in fact, been him.

Cora's hands were shaking and her voice shook faintly as she said again, "Just…stop…," just before she stumbled forward and closed the distance in two long strides, throwing her arms around him. Loki jolted in shock and looked down at her, his arms half-raising of their own accord though he hesitated. "You're such an idiot…," she mumbled against his shoulder, standing on her tiptoes to make up for the height difference.

Loki sighed and a faint smile crossed his face as he wrapped his arms strongly around her, ignoring the dull pain in his chest as he held her close and moved one of his hands to gently cradle the back of her skull. It was amazing how the simple act of being able to touch her after all this time was able to ease his mind. "I know."

Cora laughed quietly through new tears of relief, not entirely inclined to loosen her hold, though she did after a moment. As she eased back to standing flatly on her feet and let him go, she sighed, looking up at him and finding that her smile was lingering, despite it all. "I forgive you. Let's just move on, okay?"

Loki smiled back at her and had shifted his hand from the back of her head to her cheek when they broke their hold, softly stroking the line of her cheekbone without entirely realizing he was doing so. "Okay."

The moment was broken when the air changed into an unnerving state of stillness. Loki's smile faded and his eyes shifted from Cora to the entry doors, a hum filling the air just before a snarl twisted his lips and he grabbed her, taking them both down to the golden floor. A sonic wave lashed through the already weathered throne room, sending stones crumbling and gold adornments cracking up the sides. A fissure formed in the floor and it split the throne up the middle.

"What's happening?" Cora shouted over the roar of breaking rock and warping metal, reaching up and covering the back of Loki's head as a fragment of rock hurtled toward it, causing it to slice her hand instead.

Loki glanced around with a feral sort of desperation, not knowing whether to keep their position on the floor or get them both to a safer place, though the presence filling the room felt horribly familiar…

“I warned you that failure was not an option, Loki Laufeyson.”

With the voice came pain of agonizing force that overtook his senses as it had time and time again in Chitauri lands, causing his limbs to shudder as he held himself over Cora, trying to protect her even as he felt like he was being ripped apart. He opened his scrunched eyes to look at her when he heard her gasp loudly, finding her choked with agony as well, her hands tight against her skull as she curled from the inflicted pain.

"Thanos!" Loki roared, enraged that the torture he knew too well was now being used on Cora as well.

"No need to scream, little giant. I am all. I will bring ends to all," Thanos promised with a deep chuckle. Another sonic wave caused the architecture to groan and shudder and Loki gathered Cora closer to keep them both grounded and try to comfort her as the familiar torment continued on, murmuring softly in her ear that it was all in her head and it would end soon.

Loki glanced up when he heard a rumble from deep underground and then crashing until the palace vault, uprooted from its cavernous home broke through the floor and the air went suddenly still again. The enchantment on the vault was breached and a void opened upon the impossibly thick metal door, a blue glow surfacing slowly until the cubical shape of the Tesseract rose up, at once enclosed by the void.

At that moment, a vision of fire into darkness, of burning cities and melting golden reaches, of screaming and death and the universe folding in upon itself washed over him and Loki's jaw clenched as he glanced around at Asgard's royal fortress, a mass of fragmented gold and stone encircling him as the rest of Asgard lay in ash and dust, the sky breaking apart above him. He knew this sight.

The vision faded when he blinked, breathing hard as the mental infliction of implied pain finally faded from his mind, relieved when he felt Cora relax in his arms as well. The bastard never showed himself, but one last threat flowed through the room and echoed twice over. A threat that sent deep chills through his bones and was even enough to pale the fair skin of the trickster god's face.

"Prepare yourself for the final death, son of ice. The Ragnarök begins."

Next chapter: Chapter 25, "Gems of Power"

#loki laufeyson #loki x fem!oc #loki x oc #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #loki fluff #thor odinson #thor movies #thor the dark world #avengers #marvel cinematic universe #angst with a happy ending #slow burn

[backgroundbaker]

Midnight: Fic 5 for @remadoramicrofics

Content warning for some mild swearing and the during-HBP-setting on this one

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

It's midnight on Christmas day, or maybe that makes it Boxing day. She had spent Christmas working, happy to take the increased holiday pay and the promise of a distraction from the festivities. Unfortunately, it had been so dull that she hadn't really been able to keep her mind away from the Burrow and Christmas and him. She should have gone to her parents, but she knew they'd have a barrage of questions for her that she didn't fancy answering. Her plan was to pop round for dinner at some point on New Year's Eve instead, though this was also so she could have an excuse not to celebrate it with her friends or colleagues or anyone else.

She brushes her teeth whilst sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, staring at the peeling plaster on the opposite wall. It's an incredibly boring piece of plaster and she can't stop her mind from drifting to things it shouldn't - mainly what her day might have been like had she accepted Molly's invitation to dinner. Would people have fussed over her and her dull brown hair? Would they have been awkward about her awkwardness, her inability to laugh and joke like she used to? Would she have coped with all the people? Would she have behaved around him?

She doesn't like the picture she paints in her head, yet she can't help but long for it. She misses the old normal and the old her, before everything turned to shit. Of course she knew that in war situations can change for the worse in the blink of an eye, and part of her is angry at herself for reacting so strongly to it. Why can't she just get on with it like everyone else. It was embarrassing really, that little miss auror was taking everything so much harder than the rest of them. It was positively shameful that such a huge part of her misery was caused by a bloody pig headed man, who she may or may not have driven to a suicide mission (she was unaware that her love would be that awful) and who she still loved so deeply it hurt.

Her mind was wandering too far now, it always did at midnight. She schooled herself to start thinking about the positives of the day. Hogwarts was beautiful in the snow, and as most parents no longer felt safe leaving their children there for the holidays, she'd had the grounds pretty much to herself. She had enjoyed a lovely catch up with Professor Sprout after breakfast and spent some time feeding the thestrals. No student had been cursed by a mysterious object, which was a big win these days. Dawlish had taken a whole week off for the holidays so he wasn't around to annoy her. So, all in all, she couldn't complain too much about her Christmas.

...........

Remus was lying awake on the bed Molly had given to him for the evening. It was midnight, Boxing day, and he was allowing himself one last sleep in comfort before returning to the packs. The problem was, he couldn't actually sleep. The mattress was comfy and the room was pleasantly warm, but neither of those things could overcome his racing thoughts.

He couldn't keep Tonks out of his mind. If he was being honest, he had never stopped thinking about her and he wasn't trying particularly hard to fight it either. It had gotten worse when he arrived at the Burrow, with Molly playing those stupid love songs all Christmas Eve. He had spent that evening secretly hoping that Tonks would show up at dinner the next day. Obviously, she didn't, but that didn't stop her name being thrown around the table, nor did it stop Harry asking questions about her damn wolf patronus. He was actually grateful when Percy and the Minister turned up and the room descended into family drama, whilst Scrimgeour whisked Harry away.

Now he was thinking about her again. It didn't help that he had been given Charlie's old room to stay in, and that Charlie had littered his walls and surfaces with photos of his Hogwarts friends. Remus had done the same when he was at school, but he hadn't been friends with Tonks, who appeared in many of Charlie's photographs. Most of them moved and he felt uncomfortably like she was staring at him, watching him from all directions with a smile on her face. (Seeing old school pictures of her, that weren't really all that old, should have been an encouragement for him to stop thinking about her, but it only made her feel inescapable.)

Even when he closes his eyes, his mind plays out fantasies for him where they're together. They aren't always the inappropriate variety of fantasy - though sometimes they are - mostly he just imagines himself being happy with her, having a normal life with her by his side. Or he relives those early order missions last year, where they worked so well together. She's called Dora in his mind, the name she allowed him to use when he said Tonks felt too impersonal. He lets these scenarios with Dora play out, he enjoys them and savours them, knowing they could never be real. He feels a bit guilty about that, especially as he had told Tonks to forget him and stop thinking about him. But he reckons that he can't stop her if she does think of him and so no-one can stop him thinking of her either. Not even him. Not even when it's midnight and he really should be sleeping.

#remadora #nymphadora tonks #remus lupin #remadora microfics

[sardonic-the-writer]

ok hear me out: reader in absolute shambles over charlie's sacrifice, locking themself away in one of the rooms in the wizard tower, and once the others finally convince them to come out because they have a "suprise", they're like "guys there is nothing here." and then someone hugs them from behind 🥲

BEEP YOU ABSOLUTE CHAD

They knew it was the apocalypse, but why did things have to be shitty?

You would be a fool to live in this world and not expect to watch blood be shed—from the living and undead alike. They just found it unfair how it was always the people around them.

First the scientists, then Wimphfred, and now?

Their best friend.

(Y/n) hadn't left their room for anything other than border patrol since Charlie had dimension hopped and never came back. They would be lying if they didn't say that they hadn't been looking for anything at all to take their anger out; preferably a certain goat man.

They had actually caught a glimpse of him once. Sitting atop a burning building, hand stuffed in his suit pockets as the other tossed an apple up in the air repeatedly.

His stare was more bitter than the smell of smoke.

By the time they had sprinted to the roof, he was gone. Only a half bitten apple left behind. Mocking them.

Everyone could tell that (Y/n) blamed themself for not being the one to finish off Tommy. For not defying Charlie's orders when he had demanded they stay at the base with the others.

It had always been them and Charlie untill the end.

"Hey."

The door to their make-shift bedroom cracked open. Light poured into the dim room, illuminating how the person laying on the bed barely moved a muscle at the intrusion.

Darrel (more commonly referred to as Florida Man) cautiously stepped his way into the room. He felt out of his element here. He preferred wrestling gators to comforting mourning friends.

"The wizard wanted me to come get you. We all want to show ya something."

(Y/n) slowly turned their head to look at him. No words were spoken as they stood up, each movement looking like it pained them beyond belief.

Ronald and the Wizard were both waiting in the main part of their collective base, the former donning a big smile while the Wizards lips were pulled in a permanent frown. It had been all but five seconds since they'd arrived before he rolled his eyes and scoffed with his raspy voice.

"You bitch ass kids, using your elders to get things. "Summon people from the dead!" you say. "Make your friend happy!" you say! I'll summon the dead when I'm good and ready. This is peer pressure I say. Stupid-"

He hobbled off while continuing to grumble, missing the way that (Y/n) had frozen.

Their limbs felt like lead, head swimming. Their heart had starred beating so fast that it seemed at any moment it would burst out of their chest.

Before anyone else could say anything, the feeling of a pair of hands wrapping around their torso made then freeze up.

Tears pricked at their eyes as Charlie spoke.

"Hey (Y/n)."

#slimecicle cinematic universe x reader #slimecicle cinematic universe #charlie #charlie slimecicle #charlie x reader #charlie slimecicle x reader #schlatt #schlatt x reader

[dragonmuse]

Lucius seems to have a thing for older men. In the main universe he mentions coming to terms with the fact that he’ll likely outlive both Pete and Izzy.

In the universe where all three are together, Izzy seems to handle it by being practical and making sure that Lucius will be taken care of financially.

How does Pete, in either universe, deal with Lucius being so much younger?

(How have I never discussed this? I am constantly surprised that I can cover so much ground and then look back and just see huge swaths of unexplored territory. It is a joy to create this map with all of you, just so you know!

To your question anon! This started as an answer, but got a bit ficlet on me so let's call it that)

Initially, Pete mostly worries that Lucius will just wake up one day and be like "who is this old dude in my bed? Gross." The longer that goes on with not happening, Pete graduates more into just being proud that he's managed to get this very hot young stud. He's not entirely sure how he managed it, but he's not going to let that stop him from fluffing his plumage abut it. (Lucky for him Lucius finds his pride about this very cute, especially as the years go by and it never dims.) What else is there to say about it? Pete is older, but aside from looks, Pete knows everyone would guess from the way they talk and act that Lucius had years on him.

Sometimes things will come up. Small things. Cartoons that were of the air before Lucius could watch them as a kid. Lucius will say things like, "Oh yeah, that election. It was the year before I could start voting, I was furious." And Pete will think Shit, I was 33. But that stuff comes up because they grew up in radically different places and ways too. They're not similar in a lot of ways, what's one more really?

And then Pete turned 46. Their relationship was six years old and they'd been married for two of those years. Lucius at thirty is even more beautiful, more solid and clever and kind. Pete still says 'my husband' with the kind of reverence reserved for angels and small gods.

It was a good birthday too. A group of them had gone bowling and Frenchie had made Pete a crown out of sparkly tulle and a boning meant for a corset that he wore all night. They drank enough to be merry, but not plastered. Izzy had even shown up, with a wrapped box of lures for their next fishing expedition. It was pretty great.

Yet, Pete woke up in the morning, and a tide of dread swept over him. Lucius was still sleeping, so Pete let him be, wandering into the living room. He didn't start coffee. He didn't go out to the get the paper. He didn't even take the couch. Instead, he claimed John's usual chair and looked out the window.

"Babe?" Lucius found him sometime later. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah." Pete shook himself, dredged up a smile. "You sleep okay?"

"Yeah," Lucius frowned at him. "Hey, c'mon, what's up?"

"Dunno," Pete admitted. "Just woke up with a bad feeling."

"Something happen last night?"

"No, it was great. I had a good time," Pete assured him. He rubbed a hand over his head, the faint scratch of stubble around the edges reminding him it was almost time for a clean up. "I don't know. Maybe it was a weird dream I can't remember or something. You want coffee?"

"How about I make it?"

"Thanks."

The coffee got Pete to move. He sat down beside Lucius on the couch. Lucius was still just in boxers. There was a little hair on his belly these days as if it had just figured out it was supposed to arrive. Pete like that hair, had run his hand over it many times.

"I could take some time this afternoon," Lucius offered, rousing Pete's attention back to his face. "We could hang out, if you want."

"No, it's okay. I've got to finish up the seaming on that pant suit or Frenchie is going to murder me," he sighed. "It's fine, babe, really."

They wound up working side by side anyway. Lucius usually preferred to draw at his desk in the bedroom, but he declared the light in the living room was better today and Pete wasn't going to argue him out of it. Frenchie and John were on a buying expedition, picking fabrics for one of their choosier clients. It was nice to have company in their absence.

Without them, Pete put on his own music, pleased that he could do so uncontested for once. Lucius didn't care, too deep in his work to register much at all. On a whim, he chose an older playlist and hummed along to the music his father had always loved. Old fashioned folk and country things.

It was only halfway through the "Sixteen Tons" that Pete's foot fell off the pedal, stopping the hem midway through. The song fell into the depths, forgotten.

He looked to Lucius, who was tapping his lips with one knuckle on his left hand as he drew a careful arc with his left. The late afternoon sun caught in his dark hair and he looked entirely peaceful and beautiful. His skin was still flawless, broken up only by a five o'clock shadow.

Pete paused the music. It's absence registered more with Lucius than it's presence had and he looked up immediately.

"Are we taking a break?" he asked, rolling his shoulders back.

"I figured it out."

"What'd you figure?"

"I know why I woke up weird today."

"Yeah?" Lucius set aside the tablet and stylus. Still the same one Pete had fixed for him years ago. "Why's that?"

"My dad...he didn't make it to 46."

"I never did the math on that. Fuck, that's so young."

"Right?" Pete scooted over to bump his hip into Lucius' and was rewarded with an arm around his shoulders. "I have days, I guess. But I still feel really good. Happy. Healthy. But he was too, you know? Until that last year or so. What if that happened to me too?"

"You said he never went to a doctor though," Lucius reminded him. "And he didn't take very good care of himself."

"It was the job," Pete agreed. "I think it killed him, in the end. But...I don't know. How can I not think about that?"

"Guess you have to, at least a little."

"I don't have a will."

"....okay, so?"

"So," Pete closed his eyes. "I should have one. My Dad didn't and it was such a mess. I don't want that for you."

"Hey...hey we don't have to talk like that," Lucius said quickly.

"No, I think maybe we do. Just for a few minutes, okay?"

Lucius' mouth pinched up, but he nodded once, accepting.

"I'll ask Stede about a lawyer, he knows a bunch," Pete decided. "It's not like there's a lot of stuff, but I've got a little money saved up. There's the IRA. I want to make sure you get all that."

"Pete-" Lucius started then stopped. "Okay, babe. But only if I get one too."

"Why?"

"I'm not immortal either," he said softly. "And shit happens. You want to take care of me, I want to take care of you. Okay?"

"...yeah, okay."

And he'd go along with it. They'd both get wills written up, simple things to cover their few assets and belongings. They told John and Frenchie where they were were stored just in case which inspired them to do the same. It was fine. Just paperwork.

"You've got a will, right?" Pete asked Izzy. They were sitting out on a rented rowboat, lines cast and the day so beautiful, it was hard to believe death was real in it's golden light.

"Yeah. Changed it a year or two ago so Read can keep her place if something happens," Izzy didn't seem bothered by the topic, eyes mostly on the water.

"Oh yeah, she gets everything then?"

"No. Good chunk, but the agency goes to Jim. Few things to a few other people. My place and the rest of the money goes to Lucius. I figure he can sell it if he wants, but it's as much his as it is mine by now."

"I keep thinking abut that. I never really thought what it would mean in the long run," Pete admitted. Who else could he say this to, really? "I never realized that from the word go, I was setting myself up to leave him."

"Not like you're getting a divorce," Izzy was looking at Pete now, not the water. "We can't do shit about it."

"I could've found someone my own age like a fucking normal person. No offense."

"Fuck off," Izzy said without heat. "Anyone can die on anyone. That's just how it is."

"But-"

"No fucking buts. He's a grown ass man, he made his choices. All you and I can do is try our fucking best for him. Like everything else."

"Yeah, yeah you're right," Pete subsided. He turned his attention back to the fishing line.

A few minutes later, Izzy turned back to him, eyes flashing,

"But you better fucking outlive me, Black."

"Uh...why?"

"Because I am not dealing with him on my own. I can barely do this as a team. You die on me and I will dig you the fuck up and kill you again myself. Got it?"

Pete paused than burst out laughing. "Yeah, I got it."

He didn't really make it a habit of doing what Izzy wanted, mostly because the man was very easy to rile up in predictably hilarious ways, but he thought just this one time he might do his best to rise to the occasion.

#leda house and the kraken verse #ficlet #marry me about it #pete black #lucius black

[katesrambeau]

sneaking around and getting caught- an hournite fic

a little fic inspired by a conversation me and reena had the other day! my first fic lol be nice :)

It'd been a month. A whole month of sneaking around with the boy she's had a crush on for years. Rick Tyler was her boyfriend. She broke out in a smile just thinking about him. Beth had never felt this way about someone, especially someone like Rick. If someone told her two years ago that she'd be with Blue Valley's "bad boy" she would've dismissed it easily. But it was the truth. And she couldn't be happier.

Rick was the happiest he'd been in a long time. Ten years, to be exact. His dirtbag uncle left town, he carried on his Father's legacy as Hourman, and he called the smartest girl in Blue Valley his girlfriend. They had opted to not tell the team they were together, due to all the drama with Courtney and Cameron. Also, Rick didn't like having everyone in his business. He's always preferred it that way. And he admits, sneaking around after school to make out was fun. All those secret meetings at the Pit stop and drives to school were always the highlight of his day.

Courtney had texted them all to meet at the Pit Stop at 4:30 for some important JSA stuff. She did not elaborate what the meeting was for, but the team agreed to come nonetheless. Rick texted Beth and asked if she wanted to go early to hang out. Sure. She knew they'd do more than just "hang out". She texted back "Yes :)" and soon enough she saw his yellow '66 mustang pull in her driveway. "You sure got here fast!" Beth exclaimed as she walked out of her house and into his car. Rick answered, "I wanted to see you." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She let out a giggle and her cheeks turned pink.

"Any idea what Court wanted us to come in for?" Beth asked. Rick shrugged. "I don't know. I hope its about her finally breaking up with Mahkent." "Rick!" Her and Rick had different opinions about Courtney's relationship. "Don't say that!"

"Why not? I don't get what she sees in him anyway. And he knows about us! About the JSA. I'm just saying that I wouldn't be surprised if he went all Icicle Jr. on her at some point." A look of disappointment crossed Beth's face. "He doesn't have to be this bad guy you paint him out to be. You guys are not that different, you know." Rick felt slightly offended by this statement. Him and Cameron have never gotten along. It had just always been like that. They just didn't like each other. Rick was envious over his rich family and seemingly perfect life, although he would rather jump off a bridge before letting anyone know that.

"We are not the same." Rick tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Beth gave him a look. "I never said that! But come on, both of your dads were in the JSA and ISA, you're carrying on their legacies, you both fell for a girl in the JSA, you have anger iss-"

"I'll stop you there." Rick turned his eyes to look at her. Beth couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle. "Sorry. I may have gone a bit overboard." Her cheeks went red with embarrassment. Rick's did too. "No, don't be. I should be the one apologizing, sorry." They took a moment to stare at each other, eyes lingering at each other's lips before Rick had to pull himself away when he remembered he was driving. "It's okay, Rick. I know." Beth said softly. That was one of the things he loved about Beth. She just got him, in a way that no one else did.

Soon enough they arrived at the Pit stop. Just as they'd hoped, they were the first ones there. "Lead the way, Hourman." Beth smiled as Rick took her hand and they walked into Pat's garage. He did indeed lead the way, pulling her into their usual meeting place and into his arms. Beth cupped his face and pulled him close into her warm, sweet embrace.

The world just seemed to disappear when she kissed him. All his problems seemed to melt away at the touch of her lips. Rick just wanted to hold Beth close and never let her go.

Then the door opens behind them, and Courtney walks in with Cameron. Courtney is carrying conversation with him, walking in backwards seemingly lost in his trance. "Okay, so here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna-" "Court." Cameron interrupted her mid-sentence. "What?" She turns around to see Beth in Rick's arms, her glasses ajar, both clearly startled by their presence. "OH MY GOD!!" Courtney yells as she jumps up and down ecstatically. "Since when were you two a thing?!?"

"Oh, we, um-" Rick let go of Beth as she adjusted her glasses. He stood awkwardly, hands slipping into his pockets. Stumbled over his words, he was trying to find something to say that won't embarrass him in front of Cameron. Lost for words, he turns to Beth, who also seems speechless. Then somebody else joins the conversation.

"You owe me $20, Courtney!" a voice says from the loft. Yolanda walks into the light where the team below can see her. "Yolanda?" Beth asked, "Have you been here the whole time?" She was a little freaked out by this. Yolanda makes her way down the the group. "Yup. Heard everything. Maria let me off my shift early. I've been up in the loft reading old JSA mission logs for like, an hour." Rick was startled. "Why didn't you say something when we walked in?" Yolanda smirked. "Why would I ever interrupt you two? You guys didn't even actually check if you were alone, anyway. Plus, I wanted to see if Courtney would soon owe me $20. And she does. Pay up Court." Courtney rolled her eyes as she reluctantly reached in her pocket to grab the money and hand it to her friend.

Beth was slightly offended. "Why are you making bets on us?" Yolanda shrugged. "Why not? It was obvious that you guys liked each other, we were just waiting for you two to finally see it." Rick let out a scoff. "Well no more need for that, we're together okay?"

Of course Courtney wanted to pry for more information. "So how long have you guys been together exactly?" Rick rolled his eyes. "Why are you so interested in my love life?" he asked. Beth blushed when he called it that. She looked up at him with a smile and answered, "About a month I think!"

Courtney's jaw dropped. "A WHOLE ENTIRE MONTH?!?" She stepped forward and hugged Beth. "How did we not notice?" Yolanda replied with a laugh, telling her, "Just because you're bad at hiding your relationship doesn't mean other people are." Courtney's jaw dropped. "Hey!" she said, facing Yolanda. "That was mean." She looked embarrassed. Cameron, finally joined the conversation, having been eerily silent the whole time, agreed with Courtney. "Yeah I don't think you of all people should be talking about their friend's love lives."

That wiped the smile right off Yolanda's face. "Really Cameron? That's low." Courtney gave Cameron a look. He started to give a somewhat crappy excuse, but before that could happen Rick stepped up, staring right at Cameron. "Don't talk about her or anyone else here like that." He took it upon himself to the so-called "protector" of the group, even outside of JSA missions.

Cameron had that icy look in his eye. Him and Rick were face to face and if looks could kill, they'd both be on the floor. Yolanda side eyed Courtney and she turned to Beth, all knowing what was gonna happen if they didn't step in. "Okay why don't we continue this meeting another day" said Courtney, pulling at Cameron's sleeves and breaking him out of the trance. Beth followed suit, saying "Yeah, Rick, let's get out of here okay?" Rick softened his body and stepped back, only because Beth was there. He was sure he could continue this another day, but not in front of her. He grabbed his bag angrily and headed for the door. Cameron's eyes lingered on Rick's figure before turning in the other direction, leaving as well.

Courtney scrambled to follow Cameron, hastily waving goodbyes while Yolanda turned to Beth. "So" she starts, "You and Rick?" Beth chuckles lightly. "Yeah. I really do like him. A lot." Yolanda smiled. "That's good. I'm happy for you guys. Rick seems better than he ever has. I'm sure he likes you as much as you like him." Beth sits for a moment, soaking up what Yolanda had just said before remembering that her boyfriend had just stormed out in anger. She knew she had to calm him before he punched a hole in a wall somewhere. It was her job, she felt like. She balanced him. "Yeah" she answered, "I should probably go check up on him." She started to head in the way Rick left in, saying goodbye to Yolanda and leaving.

"Rick?" Beth calls, as she walks out into the sunlight. She turns to find him sulking against the side of his car. "Come on" he says, "I'll drive you home." His tone had changed significantly. "No." Beth knew what she had to say. "Not until you explain whatever just happened in there." Rick lifted himself off of his car and scoffed. "What is there to explain? I don't like Cameron. End of story." This would be harder than Beth had thought. "I know you guys don't like each other. That is so blatantly obvious. But Courtney really likes Cameron, and he's working hard to be a good guy. For her. He's been through a lot. He's lost both his parents. I know you know what that's like." Rick didn't know what to say. Before he could answer, Beth continued. "If you could just try to trust him, and just give him a chance, I'm sure you guys could be really great friends." Rick, still speechless, opened the car door. "I don't want to talk about it right now." Beth was trying her hardest, but the last thing she wanted was to make him even more angry than he already was. "Fine," she says, "But promise me we'll talk about it at some point." She walks around to the passenger side and opens the door.

As soon as she gets in, he nods his head in agreement and starts the car. "Don't take me home." Beth startles Rick. He looks up at her, and with confusion in his face, asks, "Why?" Beth smiles. "My parents are home. I told them I'd be gone for a while. So I don't need to be home right away."

"Then where do you wanna go?" he asks, the corners of his lips turning upwards. Beth is glad she could make him smile. "You decide. Lead the way, Hourman."

yay first fic hope you enjoyed!! i did write this before 3x05 came out but i was too lazy to post it, and i kept changing it because i didn't like how it was written 😭 writing is not my strong suit but i was inspired so here you go!

#dc stargirl #stargirl #hournite #hournite fic #beth chapel #beth chapel x rick tyler #rick tyler #courtney whitmore #cameron mahkent #yolanda montez

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Mr. Gallagher and Me

Jim x Reader

A/n- I feel like y'all are gonna figure me out with this one, but its fine lol

Playlist Chapter 6 Masterlists

Chapter 7

Jim introduces Y/n to an old friend. Insecurities and a repeated mistake may lead to the end of Jim and Y/n's relationship

Early November The diner Jim had taken her to while they were grading papers a year earlier had unofficially become ‘their place’ and every time they ate there, they'd split a Knickerbocker for dessert. They were probably on track to becoming the establishment’s best customers, not that either of them minded. She and Jim had gone that day primarily to get away from the hustle of the pre-exam season, his students had been requesting private meetings left and right, most of them eagerly asking for extensions or extra credit assignments and while Jim was usually as accommodating as possible, that day, he’d disclosed that he really just wanted to have one lunch without a nervous freshman knocking on his door and asking if he had ‘five minutes to spare’. Likewise, Y/n was growing tired of devoting her scraps of free time, left over from making final corrections to her thesis, helping Jim grade midterms and assisting with compiling the exam papers, to students that had opted to skip classes over the past few months, only to gather some concern for their GPA at the end of the semester. 

“Feels like we’re running away,” Y/n laughed softly, bringing her tea to her lips. 

“We are running away,” Jim chuckled, licking his lower lips before taking a sip of his coffee, “But it's for good reason because those first years are relentless,” he huffed, leaning further against the cushioned back of his seat. 

Y/n was about to respond when the bell over the diner’s front door jingled and two women walked in, one significantly younger than the other, though both were tall brunettes. Most of the patrons were usually regulars and every time she and Jim went there, she could recognize almost everyone in the establishment as someone she’d seen before, but the pair that had just entered, she’d never seen them before. After a moment though, as they got seated at a table near her and Jim’s preferred booth, Y/n stopped paying any mind to them. 

“I’m just gonna run to the bathroom,” Y/n said quietly as she stood abruptly, “Be right back.”

“Are you okay?” Jim knitted his brows, making her pause reluctantly.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why?’ Y/n frowned, a little annoyed that he was holding her back when she really had to use the bathroom. “It's just the tea,” she waved off his concern and before he could say anything else, she hurried off towards the back, where the ladies room was. 

She didn’t take any longer than ten minutes in the restroom, making a mental note to slow down on the fluids for the rest of the evening. Even if she had brushed of Jim’s innocent concern, Y/n had to admit, running to the bathroom that often was becoming annoying; immediately after she’d arrived on campus that morning, twice during a review session she’d held for a few students, when she and Jim had gotten to the diner and then just now- she didn’t even think she’d drank that much of anything! The worst part was that it had been going on for weeks, since they’d gotten back from Derry, according to her calculation. 

But she felt completely fine otherwise, so there couldn’t have been anything to worry about. 

Of course there'd been headaches and back pain sometimes, but that was just stress. 

Shaking off the thoughts, Y/n finished drying her hands and then checked her hair in the mirror before heading out in the direction of their usual booth. She was almost half way there when she caught a glimpse of the brunette woman from earlier, standing at their table, talking to Jim. He was standing too, and they looked like they knew each other well. For a minute, she paused, trying to figure out if returning to the table would be an intrusion. Though, she wasn't given much time to think it through though, because when Jim turned his head, he glimpsed Y/n and then gestured for her to come over. 

Smiling, Y/n approached them, her nerves settling a little when Jim’s arm snake around her waist, “Yvonne,” he diverted from whatever their original conversation was about, and Y/n’s breath upon hearing the woman’s name. Yvonne, he’d mentioned her name a couple times; his wife’s best friend, the woman he had an affair with. “This is my girlfriend, Y/n.”

“Oh,” Yvonne smiled kindly, albeit a little stiffly, extending her hand and after a few seconds of hesitation, Y/n took it so they could shake warmly. In that moment, Y/n realized that the woman she’d been expecting after hearing  Jim’s story was completely different to the one whose hand she’d just shaken, and it was no fault of his. She was the one that had conjured up some cruel, selfish vixen, but Yvonne seemed nice, quiet and shy, and from just their first interaction, Y/n could tell that she might be a little like Jim. Maybe, besides the boredom and turmoil in their respective marriages, that was what had connected them. “This is the woman you told me you were seeing, when we met for dinner?” She asked innocently, glancing at Jim.

Y/n’s eyes went wide and she too regarded Jim. “Er, no,” he chuckled nervously, “That was Orla,” he smiled tightly, “We broke up a couple months after that,” he informed softly, “That was last year,” he smiled to Y/n, “About eight months before we met.”

“Oh, my mistake!” The woman one had to her chest and Y/n exhaled audibly upon realizing that she’d been the confused one- for a minute, she thought he’d been meeting with Yvonne while they were together. “Well it's so nice to meet you Y/n, you’ve got a good one,” she teased lightly. 

“I know,” Y/n laughed too, still a little tense about the whole thing but quickly deciding that she had nothing to worry about, she trusted Jim. 

Next to her, Jim chuckled too, the sound was soft and bashful, “Uh, Yvonne was just telling me that her daughter is interested in Trinity’s Chemical Science’s program, so they did a tour of the campus today.”

“That’s amazing!” Y/n quipped brightly, “Trinity has been great for me, I’m sure she’ll love it here,” she added without thinking.

Yvonne knitted her brows and tilted her head slightly, “You’re a student?” She probed curiously. 

Realizing what she’d said, Y/n attempted to hide her surprise and stuttered, only for Jim to swoop in and attempt to save face, “We work together,” he interjected, squeezing her hip reassuringly. It wasn’t a complete lie just….a safer version of the truth.

“Oh, right,” Yvonne waved her hand casually, “You just look so young,” she added and they all chortled softly, though, for Jim and Y/n it was a bit awkward and forced. As their laughter quieted down, Jim and Yvonne fell into easy conversation once more. With her lips caught between her teeth, Y/n lingered there as they caught up, trading anecdotes about their children, sharing little bits of information about mutual friends and updates on their lives. They went on for a while, seemingly oblivious to her presence and as they carried on and at some point, Jim’s hand fell from her waist, slipping into the pockets of his jeans. Even having not seen each in over a year, Yvonne and Jim were perfectly familiar, if she were on the outside of the situation and hadn’t known them, she might have suspected that Yvonne and Jim were the couple and she was the third wheel. And with that thought,  Y/n let her mind wander to another; 

Was she the right person for him?

Mid November  One would have suspected that Jim would have learned the first time around, but he hadn’t, not really. Maybe he was just an idiot. He couldn’t believe he’d let something like that happen, he should have pulled away, he should have suggested that they not have anymore wine, he shouldn’t have gone to dinner with Yvonne in the first place. Not after Y/n had told him she didn’t feel like going because she had another headache. He should have stayed with her, like a good boyfriend. But he’d gone to dinner with Yvonne, as they’d planned a week earlier. It was really supposed to be the three of them, but when Y/n had said she wasn’t feeling up to it, she’d told him to go ahead without her, that she’d be fine on her own and was planning to sleep it off anyway. And so, he’d gone alone, well, alone with Yvonne. 

Everything had been going well for the most part, but by the end of the night, Yvonne had started talking about how her youngest was about to start university and she was dreading being home alone, without her kids. She’d also said that even though she’d been dating around since her husband had passed, no one had made her feel the way Jim had when they’d been sneaking around. By the end of the night, she’d had way more wine than he had and Jim didn’t think it would have been very responsible of him to let her take a cab or the bus, so he’d offered to drive her home. The ride back to her place had been pleasurably uneventful when they’d stopped in front of her place though, she’d leaned over the console and Jim had been convinced that she’d been going in for a hug. 

She’d kissed him instead. 

"She's too young for you, don't you think?"

"No," he'd chuckled nervously, "She's-" and just like that, her lips, soft and stained with wine, were on his.

“Well,” Y/n folded her arms, standing past the kitchen counter, the granite acting as the only physical barrier between them. "Did you kiss her back?"

"It doesn't matter," Jim reasoned, walking around the counter, only for Y/n to hastily move away, evading his touch. 

"What the hell do you mean "it doesn't matter"?" She retorted incredulously, "And frankly you saying that is answer enough," Y/n's voice broke and Jim felt his heart chip; he'd never seen her cry, emotional sure, but never in tears and he hated that he was the reason for them.

"It didn't even last-"

"So you did!" Y/n turned her face away as she put her hands to her lip, “Oh my God,” even if Jim couldn’t see her, he could hear Y/n’s soft sobs and they only served to shatter his already broken heart; he couldn’t believe he’d done that to her. The kiss hadn’t even lasted very long, Jim had pushed Yvonne away from the minute he’d realized himself, and despite her less than credible state, Yvonne had taken the visible disappointment in stride; walking up to the front door, only offering one halfhearted wave before heading inside. 

But he’d still done it. Even if kissing another woman had proven what Jim knew to be true- that he didn’t ever want to kiss another pair of lips but Y/n’s- it couldn’t be justified. He’d hurt another woman he loved. 

“Y/n,’ Jim reasoned desperately, “I swear to you, it doesn’t mean anything.-”

“Yes it does!” She yelled, pitifully hoarse, “Do you wanna be with her? Is that it?” She heaved mournfully. 

“No, no, definitely not,” he returned hurriedly, hoping Y/n would find truth in his urgency, “I want you, just you.”

“Then why did you kiss her back?” When Y/n looked at him, her lashes were wet with tears, her eyes were red and her face was blotchy. Closing his fists at his sides, the gesture a firm reminder to himself to not reach out and touch her until she was ready, Jim stood a couple feet away, stunned and speechless. He didn’t have an answer, not really, not above ‘muscle memory.’ Because that was what it had been to him, muscle memory.

When he didn’t respond, Y/n scoffed mournfully, “God,” she sniffed, starting to cry again, “I can’t even look at you right now.” Hastily, she collected her handbag and coat, hurrying towards the door, and like a puppy scared to see its favorite person leave, he followed her. 

“Y/n, please don’t go. It’s late,” he began, anxiously reaching for anything that would make her stay, “Please sweetheart, lets talk about this.”

“No!” She yelled, just as she wretched the door open, “I don’t wanna talk to you, I don’t even want to see you right now. So just,” she shook her shoulder dramatically as salty tears raced down her cheeks, “Leave me alone.”

And with that, she turned on her heel and left, leaving Jim defeated and wishing that he could hit reset on the past week or so. 

*****

Tagging- @pearlstiare

#cillian murphy #cillian murphy x reader #cillian murphy x y/n #the delinquent season #cillian murphy fanfic #jim x reader #mr. gallagher and me

[late-nite-scholar]

TES Shiptober Day 28-31- Wedding

And here we are, the last prompt (courtesy of @hombrediablo​) of TES Shiptober. It’s been great, and I’ve had the chance to deep dive into some characters and write some really fun pieces. So let’s end it off with a wedding, and of course, with Besharat and Farkas. This is an idea that I had for them getting married. Sure, they did in Riften, but Hammerfell is right there, and to slip down to Elinhir? Only makes sense to me. I have no idea what Redguard vows would be like, so I just made some up. The date of them getting married is the 25th of Morning Star, 4E 202 (in game it was the 25th of Frostfall).

Anyway, enjoy and thanks for coming by for all the fun!

Length- 1800 words or so

Warnings- none

(Left/top: an approximation of how they look like in their Redguard outfits. Made with https://meiker.io/play/14045/online.html . Right/bottom: The actual dress Besharat wears)

***

It was all so surreal; here I was, back in Hammerfell and readying to be married. But, at the same time, it was so good to be here. The fact that Farkas wanted to do this warmed my heart. It’d been his suggestion, in fact, to make a quick trip over the border from Falkreath to Elinhir to the Temple of Morwha. It was only us and the girls and Vilkas, but just being here was more than enough.

I shook out my clothes and began to dress. I’d bought this outfit in Solitude, but never had a chance to wear it. It had just reminded me so much of home, of festivals and parties in Bergama. The underdress was a soft cream, thickly embroidered with gold in swirling patterns. Belted over this was a light robe bearing matching embroidery; soft and silky in rich fuschia. Long, filigreed earrings nearly brushed my shoulders, and I hoped they wouldn’t get caught in my hair.      

Now dressed, I began to fix up said hair. I shook out the curls and pulled back the front half, securing it with long, golden pins. I lined my eyes with black, making them even brighter, and colored my lips a dark plum. 

Just as I finished, I heard a knock at the room's door. I opened it to Vilkas, who gasped. "Ysmir's beard! I hardly recognize you, Sister! I can't wait to see Farkas' face when we arrive!" 

"Is everyone else ready?" 

"They are. I was asked to come collect you, as it were. And I am honored to be your escort. Farkas and the girls will meet us at the temple." 

I stepped forward, and crushed him into a hug. "Thank you. For being here." 

"Of course, Besharat. To me, you are already family. And now we will declare it so. I know we had a rough start, you and I, and I’m glad that’s over. But come on, we shouldn't be late!" 

It was a nice day, warmer than it had been in Skyrim when we'd left, but not nearly as hot as if we'd gone all the way to Bergama. Which was fine, given I was the only one who could deal with that kind of heat. Vilkas offered me his arm, and we made our way through the streets together. People watched, gossipping, but I paid them no mind. I was too focused on our destination. 

The statue of Morwha towered over the market square, smiling down at all who passed under her gaze. She held one of her four hands out, inviting us into the temple behind her. My heart sang. It had been too long since I’d been in a temple to one of my own gods.   

As promised, Farkas and the girls were waiting by the door. As I got closer, I gasped. The girls were dressed in the finery they'd brought from home, the same as Vilkas. But Farkas wore a Yokudan long, sleeveless tunic of dark grey that split up the sides to show matching loose pants beneath. The keyhole neckline and down the front was embroidered with rich blue, matching the color of the loose robe he wore over top. That was embroidered in silver and green and belted like mine. I stood speechless for a moment, until the girls noticed us. Lucia grinned, and Sissel clapped, jumping up and down.  

"Mama, you're here!" They cried. This made Farkas turn, and he stopped to stare just like I was. Or at least, until I got closer. 

"Eshi…that's….wow."

"I didn't expect this…" I stammered. My hand reached out to rest on his chest, noticing the fineness of the fabric beneath my hand; a soft light linen with a silk robe over top just like mine. 

"The girls and I were in the market, and they thought maybe I should get something to wear that would match you. If we're having a Yokudan wedding, I should dress for it, right?" 

"You look perfect. Thank you, my heart." 

The door opened behind us, and we all turned. A priestess poked her head out, and smiled. "Ah, I thought I heard our lovely couple outside. We are ready to begin whenever you are." 

Vilkas and the girls headed inside to take their seats. The girls were chattering, talking a mile a minute about how we’d looked upon seeing each other. They were even trying to pull Vilkas into their conversation, who, for his part, played along gamely. The door shut behind them, leaving Farkas and I alone.   

I looked up at him. "Are you ready?" 

"I am. Never thought I'd be here, gettin’ married. Never really had anyone interested. Guess I was just waiting for you." He reached out and brushed my cheek.  

"That makes two of us. But I was the one who wasn't interested. Guess I was waiting for you, too." 

"Well, let's not leave it any longer." 

Holding hands, we walked into the temple. I didn't notice the empty benches we passed; the only important one was at the front where Vilkas and the girls sat. All three watched with rapt attention as we made our way to the front together, their smiles bright enough to illuminate the whole place. But we didn't slow down until we reached the beehive-shaped altar at the front where the priestess waited. 

She smiled at us both, pulling us around gently so we were facing each other. Farkas immediately claimed both of my hands, squeezing them. I almost couldn't meet his eyes, his expression too beautiful. I didn’t want to start crying before we’d even begun and I was already teetering on the edge.

But the priestess didn't let the moment linger long. "Ah, but what a joyous occasion we have come to celebrate today! Two souls have found one another, and have come to declare that love and proclaim their commitment before Mother Morwha. It gives me the greatest joy to have you both here, and to stand as intermediary between you and the gods as you make your vows. Do you come both of your own free will, and enter into this marriage without coercion?" 

"We do." We said together. 

"Ah, good. We are required to ask. Now that we have settled that, let us continue. The love you share is a gift, a reflection of the love between Ruptga and his favorite wife, Mother Morwha. It is this love that you will carry between you, through this life and onward to the Far Shores. It is this love that will see you through the greatest of joys and the deepest of sorrows. And it is this love that we celebrate here today. Let me ask you in turn, to speak your vow to uphold and honor this great gift." 

She turned to Farkas first. "Farkas of Jorrvaskr, of the most esteemed Companions, will you stand honorably with this woman? Will you love her without condition? Will you lend your sword to hers in whatever battle stands before you? And will you honor the gifts that result from this union?" 

"I will," he declared. He looked down at me with the softest smile, eyes filled with tears.

I couldn't pull my gaze away from him as she addressed me. "Besharat Earth-Breaker do Bergama, will you stand honorably with this man? Will you love him without condition? Will you lend your sword to his in whatever battle stands before you? And will you honor the gifts that result from this union?" 

"I will." 

"Then let it be known that this couple has declared themselves before Mother Morwha as married. May she bless your union now and forever, and may you both prosper together. Here are the rings that you have chosen as symbols of your bond. Take them now, and seal your vows." 

She handed us our rings, and we slipped them back onto each other's fingers. I'd missed the feeling of it on my hand, even for those few short hours. The priestess smiled again. 

"Congratulations, my dears. Go forth now, as husband and wife." 

A cheer erupted from the bench. The girls were on their feet, and Vilkas grinned. 

"You'd better kiss her, brother!" 

Farkas turned red, and the heat in my face told me I was no better. That didn't stop Farkas from taking mine in gentle hands and leaning down to meet my lips. For a long moment, everything else faded into the background. When he finally pulled away, we were both breathless. 

This earned us a chuckle from the priestess. "Morwha certainly smiles on the two of you." 

That made Farkas'  face turn even redder, but we both laughed. Then the girls launched themselves at us, and we were all hugging. They even managed to pull Vilkas into the fray, despite his protests. 

Eventually, Vilkas was the one to be the voice of reason. “All right then, we’d better get going. We don’t want to miss the feast waiting for us. Come on, girls, let’s get back to the inn and make sure everything is on schedule.” 

He herded them out, leaving Farkas and I alone again. We followed them out the door, but lingered again beneath the statue.  

"Married…" Farkas marvelled at the word,  "It doesn't feel like I thought it would, but I'm happy." 

"How did you think it would feel?" 

"I dunno. You always hear that 'everything changes when you get married'. But it hasn't. I don't feel any different." 

"I've heard that too. And you're right, I don't feel any different either." I laughed. “I mean, what more could there be? I already loved you with all my heart.” 

“And I love you, too.” He grinned. "Well, there is one thing that's changed.” 

"Oh?" 

He pulled me close, brushing his lips against mine. "Now I get to call you my wife." 

The thrill that went through me was enough to pull a small gasp from my throat, which melted into a giggle. "That means I get to call you my husband." 

"That's the best thing I've ever been called." His silver eyes shone with tears. "Right up there with gettin' called papa by the girls. Speaking of which, we should go catch up with them.” 

“Before they talk poor Vilkas’ ears off.” I agreed. 

He offered me his arm, and I laughed as I took it. “I walked here like this with Vilkas. I’m sure people thought he and I were the couple.” 

Farkas laughed too. “Yeah, but we match!”

Every step was light as air as we made our way back. We would celebrate tonight with Vilkas and the girls, and tomorrow head back to Skyrim. It would only be a quick stop at home in Whiterun, before we and a much larger group would head down to Riften so we could do this all again at the Temple of Mara. And then, unbeknownst to Farkas, I had one last surprise planned when we returned to Jorrvaskr. I looked over, heart swelling at the joy in my husband’s smile. I couldn’t wait for that surprise, to finally say to him those words that would mean more to us than either temple vow we would make. That I’d wanted to say for so long, because they were what I felt with every fiber of my being.

I would stand at his back, that the world might never overtake us.      

#tesshiptober2022 #tesshiptober #skyrim #tes skyrim #tes v #redguard ldb #farkas #farkas x besharat #hammerfell #wedding #getting married #Vilkas #skyrim lucia #Skyrim Sissel #family #writing prompt #fluff #sweet

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 39 - Weaving of the Web

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one!)

(White Lion of Andor icon) In which hey, that guy looks familiar...

Rand looked down on the crowds from the high window of his room in The Queen’s Blessing. They ran shouting along the street, all streaming in the same direction, waving pennants and banners, the white lion standing guard on a thousand fields of red. Caemlyners and outlanders, they ran together, and for a change no one appeared to want to bash anyone else’s head. Today, maybe, there was only one faction. He turned from the window grinning. Next to the day when Egwene and Perrin walked in, alive and laughing over what they had seen, this was the day he had been waiting for most.(1)

Rand tries to convince Mat to come with him, but Mat hasn't left the room since they arrived, and he keeps calling Loial a Trolloc, refusing to believe that Ogier look so much like them. Rand considers seeking out a healer nearby that Gill told him about, but healers are all laying low these days, with so many people confusing magic for Dark power.

As he's leaving, Gill says that a beggar has been asking after Rand and all his friends. Rand asks if it could be a Darkfriend, and Gill dismisses the thought. Not everyone is a Darkfriend. There's a rumour that there are strange shapes creeping in the shadows at night, too, how ridiculous. Anyway, Rand had better leave by the alley, two of those traitors are watching the door.

As he leaves, the guard on the alley, Lamgwin, tells him to watch himself. When trouble hits, it would be handy to have Rand in the fighting here at the inn. He's not the only one of Gill's men who thinks Rand will be good in a fight, though Rand can't think why.(2) As he goes, he spots the two men Gill referred to. White-wrapped swords, with armbands AND cockades on their hats, all in white.

Rand learned not long after arriving that the red wrappings indicate loyalty to the Queen and her decisions. White indicates that someone blames the Queen and her association with Aes Sedai for everything that's gone wrong, the weather, the failed crops, maybe even the false Dragon. Rand has no interest in local politics, but he'd chosen, by accident but he chose, and it's too late now.(3)

For today, though, all of that might be set aside. Might. There are ten in white for every one in red. There's some antagonism, as in the excitement some people do things they'd never think of any other day.

Rand gets swept along with the crowd until they round a last bend and see the Palace. The main streets all spiral in toward it, making it hard to miss. Unfortunately, he won't get any closer than this, but he tries to find a place where he can use his height to advantage, as almost everyone is shorter than him. Eventually he finds a place with a good view of the road, three people in front of him who he can see over.

On the other side of the road, there's a disturbance in the crowd. Eventually it parts and a ragged figure gets spat out of it. Rand knows at once that it's the beggar who's been asking after him,(4) and that he wants nothing to do with him, especially here, with so many people on the edge of violence. He makes his way back through the crowd, away from the road, and when he's free of the crowd, he runs, as much to get away as to be out of sight before a group of white-clad folk take the chance to chase someone with red on his sword.

He has no idea where he is when he stops, but he can tell he's still in the inner city. He spends an hour trying to find another place to watch the road. Eventually, he finds a slope, free of buildings. Nearby, he sees some of the palace spires. It's not meant to be climbed, but he scrambles up the slope with some effort, as he heard trumpet blasts so close he knows Logain must be in sight just beyond, and he finds that it's not a hill, but a wall, built to look like a natural slope.

As he gets to the top, he can see down to the road, and the expectant crowd. He made it, before Logain passed by. Trumpets peal victory, as the procession starts. First the soldiers pass, and then comes a huge wagon, pulled by sixteen horses. In the center is a huge cage of iron, with two Aes Sedai at each corner, watching the cage as if the crowd doesn't exist. Outside of them stand twelve Warders, watching the crowd as if they're the only ones guarding the wagon.

With all of that, it was the man in the cage who caught and held Rand’s eyes.(5) He was not close enough to see Logain’s face, as he had wanted to, but suddenly he thought he was as close as he cared for. The false Dragon was a tall man, with long, dark hair curling around his broad shoulders. He held himself upright against the sway of the wagon with one hand on the bars over his head. His clothes seemed ordinary, a cloak and coat and breeches that would not have caused comment in any farming village. But the way he wore them. The way he held himself. Logain was a king in every inch of him. The cage might as well not have been there. He held himself erect, head high, and looked over the crowd as if they had come to do him honor. And wherever his gaze swept, there the people fell silent, staring back in awe. When Logain’s eyes left them, they screamed with redoubled fury as if to make up for their silence, but it made no difference in the way the man stood, or in the silence that passed along with him. As the wagon rolled through the Palace gates, he turned to look back at the assembled masses. They howled at him, beyond words, a wave of sheer animal hate and fear, and Logain threw back his head and laughed as the Palace swallowed him.

Other contingents pass after Logain, but they're all anticlimactic. Rand leans out over the wall a little further, trying to catch another glimpse of the false Dragon.

Overbalanced, he slipped and grabbed at the top of the wall, pulled himself back to a somewhat safer seat. With Logain gone, he became aware of the burning in his hands, where the stone had scraped his palms and fingers. Yet he could not shake free of the images. The cage and the Aes Sedai. Logain, undefeated. No matter the cage, that had not been a defeated man. He shivered and rubbed his stinging hands on his thighs. “Why were the Aes Sedai watching him?” he wondered aloud. “They’re keeping him from touching the True Source, silly.” He jerked to look up, toward the girl’s voice,(6) and suddenly his precarious seat was gone. He had only time to realize that he was toppling backward, falling, when something struck his head and a laughing Logain chased him into spinning darkness.

=====

(1) Awkwardly phrased, but this isn't more timeline shenanigans. Rand's thoughts are still perhaps a little jumbled, but Perrin and Egwene's arrival obviously hasn't happened yet, he's just looking forward to it even more than he's been looking forward to potentially seeing this false Dragon Logain. (2) Even if they haven't seen the herons on his sword, because it's been wrapped up since he got to the city, Rand is our ta'veren hero. Chances are, he's carrying himself with a warrior's confidence because it'll keep him safer. (3) So, ta'veren at work again, leading Rand to choose red instead of white wrappings for his sword, and by trading the heron-marks for red, he's just drawn a different kind of attention to himself. (4) The beggar… wonder who that could be. Rand didn't recognize him but he was across a crowded city street. But it must be someone who knows them all, and the only beggar we've seen was Fain, who disappeared from Baerlon… If Fain has fallen so far as to this, would Rand recognize him at all? Or is this someone else, some Darkfriend like those who met him and Mat on the road? (5) And of course, Logain himself. I couldn't try to summarize that paragraph, the only things I would've cut are his clothes, but even that goes to emphasize how Rand sees that he's made to be a King, somehow. (6) And then of course, ta'veren at work again, bringing him up to that slope-wall. He saw palace spires nearby. I wonder where on earth he could be, and who that is startling him into that fall.

#wheel of time #wot #the wheel of time #twot #the eye of the world #eye of the world #eotw #teotw #wot white lion icon #rand al'thor #mat cauthon #basel gill #lamgwin (wot) #logain ablar

[unseededtoast]

Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Part 29/37 | Part Twenty Eight, Part Thirty

Summary: I've lived every day for the past five years looking over my shoulder. I knew they'd come for me, it was inevitable. I was foolish to think I could outrun my past. It's followed me everywhere I go, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Never would I have anticipated that the shadows would lead me to the light.

Bucky Barnes x OC

Series Warnings: Discussion of human trafficking, alcohol consumption, graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

a/n: Hi everyone, thank you for checking this out, I appreciate any and all support! This series is also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad if you prefer those formats/platforms! This is a completed series, and it's going to take some time for me to transfer it to Tumblr, so please bear with me!

I don't think this is going to end well, what goes up must come down. 

I type away at the keyboard as we all wait for Pietro to return. It's been two days since we arrived at the Sokovian base. I hear Bucky and Wanda talk behind me, but I focus on writing the code before the idea leaves my mind. I had come up with an idea for how to finish writing algorithm the other night, after I killed Dane. 

I hear the door open and close, Pietro must have returned. He's back sooner than I thought. I spin around in my chair and see he has a worried look on his face. 

"The robots, they're here." He says. My eyes widen as I realize the gravity of the situation.

"Are you certain?" I ask. Maybe it's something else. He shakes his head,

"Stark's name is plastered on the metal. They're definitely his." He says. I take a sharp breath and realize it truly is now or never. 

"Pietro, can you keep watch? Let us know if anyone or anything gets close. Wanda, I'm almost done, I'm going to need you to stick around. Bucky, take a seat." I say and everyone nods. Pietro speeds off and I quickly turn back around and furiously type the last few lines of the algorithm. 

I knew we were running on borrowed time but I was hoping that they wouldn't find us for at least another day. My palms start sweating as I realize this code has to work or my chance at removing the programming is gone, possibly forever. My stomach turns as I try to push that thought out of my mind. It will work. It has to.

Wanda stands beside me as I try to wrap this up as quickly as possible. She puts a hand on my shoulder, which calms my nerves just a touch. 

Out of nowhere, the building shakes, and pieces of loose concrete fall from the ceiling. I pause what I'm doing and listen. I don't hear anything. I take it as a warning and type even quicker. The building shakes again. I don't think it's going to hold for very long. 

I finish the last line of code and pull up another application. Before I feel comfortable asking Wanda to put this in Bucky's mind, I have to know it's going to work. I refuse to put something that can potentially be faulty in his mind, I will not experiment with this. The application loads too slowly for the limited time we now have. After what seems to be an eternity, the application shows up on the screen.

Thankfully, my work from when I was in Hydra hadn't been erased. They were likely trying to learn from it when I was gone. I had created a replica of Bucky's mind so that I could run tests to see which program would be the most effective. It shows the activity of the brain and how each program would affect it. At least I have one thing to be thankful to Hydra for. 

I hurriedly switch to another application and merge the algorithm with the small part of the gem's matrix I was able to extract. After the incident with Dane, I wasn't able to sleep, so I figured I'd work on extracting what I need out of the matrix. Thankfully the flash drives remained unharmed throughout the ordeal. After I was able to isolate a portion of the matrix I then merged that small portion of the matrix into the copy of Jarvis I had made to create a heightened version of Jarvis that should be able to dynamically think and react based upon the input it receives.

The code was designed to recognize the trigger words for the Soldier and prevent his brain from starting to scramble. Essentially, the algorithm would recognize the pattern and prevent the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex from going dormant and would regulate the rate of communication between the insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. As a failsafe, in case this isn't enough, I also decided to add in a part that would make sure that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the medial prefrontal, along with posterior cingulate cortex areas of the brain retain communication so he doesn't become disconnected from himself like the programming causes.

Hopefully I was thorough enough and correct in my coding skills. I switch back to the simulator and paste the Jarvis hybrid into the simulation and run it. I layered this with the Winter Soldier program and watch what happens. The building shakes again and more concrete falls. I hear the walls start crumbling, we don't have much time. I tap my foot on the ground anxiously. 

The simulation starts up and I lean forward in my seat to closely watch the interactions. I watch how the Soldier program interacts with the algorithm. The simulation completes and I almost can't believe what it's showing. I run it again, I have to be sure. It works for a second time. 

I look up at Wanda and nod my head. I plug in the flash drive that used to house the gem's matrix, which I wiped after I isolated what I needed. I upload this into the flash drive and tuck it in my pocket, just in case something goes wrong as it tends to do. 

The building shakes once more and I see the large cracks in the wall. I don't think we're going to be able to do this here. I rush into the holding cell where we made our makeshift beds and grab the red leather-bound book. I tuck it under my arm and go back to Wanda and Bucky. 

"Wanda, can you get into that computer and get that code?" I ask, voice wavering with nerves. She nods and wastes no time focusing her energy on getting what she needs.

We had discussed how this could be accomplished as I worked on isolating a part of the matrix. Since the Jarvis hybrid is essentially a brain, we thought it would be possible for her to use her powers and absorb the information and then transfer it to Bucky's mind, much like she transferred her memory into my brain. 

I go to Bucky, who's biting the skin around one of his fingernails and bouncing his leg up and down. I crouch so that I'm eye level with him. He looks at me and I see he's scared. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I reach out and cup his face in my hands, making him look into my eyes.

"This is it Bucky. Are you sure you're ready?" I ask. He swallows and continues bouncing his leg. He nods his head,

"I'm ready. You're sure this is going to work?" He asks. We both look at Wanda who seems to be deep in thought and concentration, her red magic connecting her to the computer. I look away and nod,

"I'm one hundred percent sure the code is going to work." The simulation never failed me, and I hope it didn't choose now to start breaking that pattern. Another tremble comes over the building. What is going on out there, and where's Pietro?

I start worrying that Wanda isn't going to have enough time to do what she needs to do. I give this building maybe fifteen more minutes before it collapses. I don't want to break her concentration so instead I focus back on Bucky. He needs all the support he can get right now. 

"Bucky, I promise you that if I had a single doubt it wouldn't work I would not be going through with this. It will work, you will be free." I say and place one of my hands on his shoulder. 

"I trust you." He says and puts his hand on top of mine and gives it a slight squeeze. The building shakes again. I close my eyes and say a silent prayer, begging for this building to stay standing for just a few more minutes. 

"Adalyn." I hear Wanda's voice call for me. I open my eyes and rush to her, she gives me a short nod.

"You're sure?" I ask,

"I have it." She confirms. I lick my lips, and try to decide if we have enough time in this building. Another strong shake comes over the building, answering the question for me. 

"We have to get out of here, we'll do this somewhere else." I say and the three of us rush out of the building. As we speed towards the entrance, large pieces of concrete fall from the ceiling. I hear a large crash and turn, seeing the room being filled with concrete. It's all coming down.

Bucky picks me up and continues running, taking me out of my shock. I watch from over his shoulder as the base begins to crumble. Wanda throws a large piece of concrete out of our way as it falls in our path. As we make it out of the building, the entire thing collapses. 

Bucky continues to carry me as they run into the woods, and instead of the peaceful woodland sounds we were welcomed with a few days ago, there are sounds of screams. I look around and see a massive army of robots. Some are on top of buildings, tearing them apart. 

In the distance, where the capitol is located, I see a few people flying in the air. Wanda and Bucky stop running and I squirm out of Bucky's hold. We all look at the scene unfolding. 

"Is that Tony and Thor?" Bucky asks and points to the people flying. I squint my eyes to try and get a better look. 

"I think it is." I say as a light beam comes from one of them. That's Tony for sure.

"That means Steve is probably there." Bucky says and takes a step towards the city. 

"Bucky we have to do this now." I say. He shakes his head.

"I have to help Steve, I can't let him fight alone." He says and I grab his metal wrist. Shaking my head, I protest,

"He's not alone, he's got the entire team of Avengers helping him out, we don't. Bucky we need to get this done. If you go out there something might happen. I can't let you." I say and tug on his wrist, begging him to not go. We don't even know what's out there, plus, Tony wants us dead. 

Before Bucky can say another word, the ground shakes. The tremor throws us off balance and I struggle to stand. I look around and notice that it seems we're slowly starting to get closer to the clouds.

"What's going on?" I ask, not feeling good about what I'm seeing. I see a Shield ship fly above and park just on the edge of the city. An idea comes to mind.

"We need to get on that ship." I say and point to it. 

"What about Pietro?" Wanda asks. I run a hand through my hair, trying to think of a solution.

"Okay. Pietro is probably in the middle of the fight going on over there. The two of you need to stay out of that fight, you need to stay alive." I say, knowing there's only one answer to this that I'll be able to live with. I pause before I say the rest, quickly coming to terms with what might happen.

"You two get to the ship. Wanda has everything she needs to undo the programming. I'll go to the city and find Pietro. If I don't make it back, Wanda, please undo the programming." I say and I hand both the book and flash drive to Bucky. They'll need them if something goes wrong and I don't make it back. Bucky shakes his head,

"No. I can't lose you." He says. 

"Bucky, this is the only chance we have at undoing this for good. You and Wanda go, I'll find Pietro and bring him to the ship." I say, convincing myself I can pull this off. More than likely it's a death sentence.

"None of us are going to let anyone go alone. So we go together." Wanda says. I hate the idea of them going into the fight but I know she's right. Bucky hands the flash drive and book back to me and I put the drive in my pocket and tuck the book in my waistband, making sure it's secure. This time I'm thankful that Shield's uniforms are uncomfortably tight, they're able to hold the book close to me and still let me run.

"I hate this idea, but let's go." I say and the three of us start to take off towards the city.

I hope we can find Pietro and get onto the ship. I don't think this is going to end well, what goes up must come down. 

#bucky barnes x oc #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky #bucky fanfic #hydra #bucky barnes fic #james buchanan barnes #marvel #steve rogers #the winter soldier #winter soldier #scarlet witch #quicksilver

[wizkiddx]

supercluster

this is my entry for @hollandsrecs 'toms birthday fanfic fest' event - go check it out!!! I know its a early but im v bored so have it now. also im acc kinda really proud of this one, any feedback would be v appreciated 🤍

the prompt was: 'you and tom are best friends and you tell him that you love him on his birthday'

summary: its toms birthday but he has a few things to get off his chest and into the night sky, y/n joins in with a bit of a revelation too

best friends -> lovers

warnings: mentions of alcohol, bit angsty but promise ends all fluffy and a shit tonne of dialogue

wc: 3.5k ishhh

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Everything got a little too wild and stuffy in the living area, Haz and Harry screaming sweet caroline, whilst Greg (Tom’s stunt man) was pouring *another* round of shots. The sweatiness and clamminess of the room meant Y/n took a moment to escape, sliding out the double doors, and closing them softly behind her to ensure no one would notice her little escape. Something about the midnight air, the slightly dewy smell of the neighbouring fields, felt like it was refreshing Y/n from the inside out. When she turned around, back facing the fancy rented house, she was slightly shocked by Tom standing in the garden. It was his birthday party after all. In all honesty, Y/n felt a bit guilty she hadn’t noticed he wasn’t in the thick of it with his brothers and castmates.

His silhouette was set against the clear night sky, the stars extra prominent this evening and the moon casting a soft glow off the left side of his face, exaggerating the natural contours of his jawline and cheekbones. Clearly, he was enraptured by the sky, staring up at it with a thoughtful look on his face.

And Y/n recognised that look instantly; she knew what he was doing.

In fact, he had taught her to do precisely the same thing. As kids, the Hollands, Y/n’s family and another two families from the local area all went camping together. It was an annual event, ‘the Kingston collective camping adventure’ as Dom had named it. Y/n couldn’t remember a year when they hadn’t gone actually - it was that much of a tradition.

One year, though, when she and Tom were about 9, her mothers’ due date coincided with the camping dates. So, sensibly, the decision had been made that Y/n and her brother would just be looked after by the Hollands - whilst her mum and dad were safely tucked up in bed at home, awaiting the arrival of her littlest brother.

Y/n, her brother Alex, and Tom were all sharing a tent, and it must’ve been at least midnight that Tom was awoken by shuffling and zipping up of the tent. He’d realised she was gone through sleepy eyes and, without a second thought, went to go find her. Sure enough, she wasn’t far away, not even 50 metres from the tent, crouched on the grass. Immediately Tom’s presence had been noticed, making Y/m quickly snivel and wipe her face.

“Are you upset?”

“Go away Tom.” The comment didn’t do a lot, though; instead, 9-year-old Tom had planted himself down next to her - his pyjamas getting wet on the moist grass floor.

“Are you missing Auntie Sarah and Uncle Mike?” In the same way that Y/n called Nikki and Dom auntie and uncle, the Holland boys mirrored the nicknames for her parents. Y/n replied with a long sigh before hiccuping, failing to control the stream of tears. Yes, he was right - this was her first night away from her parents- but she wasn't about to spill her heart out to the 'stupid boy' who had stolen one of her marshmallows that evening. Tom’s little brown eyes swelled, looking slightly terrified and out of his depth, whilst with all his 9 years of wisdom, trying to come up with an answer.

“Do you want to play football to forget about it?”

Unsurprisingly Y/n shook her head violently. Tom cursed inwardly at himself for saying the wrong thing, apparently football wasn't the answer to everything. The two children went back to silence until Tom had the metaphorical light bulb moment. “My mum told me something for when I got to sleepovers? Look!” He grabbed Y/n’s little hand, extending it upwards towards the night sky.

“No matter where you are, you’re all looking at the same stars too, right?”

Tom jumped a little before looking over his shoulder and recognising Y/n with the softest smile that grew across his face. Y/n slowly walked to his side, arms crossed over her chest to try and keep the cold at bay, joining Tom in staring up at the starry expanse.

“How do you always know?” Tom spoke in a breathy chuckle, shaking his head slightly. It was true, she did always know - but his question was somewhat irrelevant. They'd spent most their childhood together, they were as easy to read as a children’s book to each other.

“Missing home?”

“Sort of, I got my own slice of home with the boys and-and you but… pads, mum dad yeh, feel like on your birthday your always supposed to see your family.”

Although Harry, Harrison, Sam and Y/n had managed to fly out to surprise Tom on his birthday- prior commitments meant his parents and youngest brother hadn’t been able to make it. They four arrived yesterday, greeted by a very shocked and pretty emotional Tom - who had clearly been missing the sense of home somewhat. He’d been away shooting a film, then straight away launching into press for the next spiderman movie. It had been a long while since he’d been in London - half a year in fact.

This time too, he’d been away without a single family member or friend - that was another truth he’d learnt about growing up. Your friends and family, they all get lives of their own. Tom used to be a trailblazer, the first to get a job, the one everyone was super proud of. They still were, of course, but didn’t dote on him in quite the same way - everyone had their own shit to deal with. It was yet another reason Tom wasn’t welcoming his birthday as much as he usually would.

“Your parents did always spoil you rotten.”

“They spoilt you worst and you’re not technically their kid.” Y/n rolled her eyes, even if it might slightly true - muttering a ‘touche’ at the brown-haired boy next to her. Their families had always been close; naturally the adults seemed to gravitate more to the kids that weren’t their own. The ones who you could ‘give back’ at the end of the day. It just so happened Nikki and Dom had always loved having Y/n around, maybe a bit more than anyone else.

“Have you had a good birthday then? You should be in there with Greg pouring that shitty vodka down your throat.” Y/n questioned, whilst shrugging back toward the house, the dull thump of Jacob's playlist just audible. Still, both stared upwards, standing close enough that their upper arms were both pressed up against each other. She expected a jovial answer, but even from his tone, it was evident there was something up. He sounded…weary?

“I’m bloody glad you all came...don’t get me wrong, I love Z and Jacob and everyone but….”

“Shitty week?”

“Shitty birthday week of promo and press.” Tom scathed, and Y/n nodded. Even if she couldn’t understand what was so bad about press, she knew that Tom hated it passionately. And in the same way, he loved all his castmates dearly, but they hadn’t known him his whole life. They didn’t understand why he did every little thing; their values lay just that bit apart. It just wasn’t the same as being surrounded with his family - you and Harrison adopted Hollands too.

“I just feel like I’ve spent all week trapped in a room answering the most stupid, irrelevant and inconsequential questions... Everything’s just so surface level and fake and, and I-“He cut himself off, for the first time meeting Y/n’s eyes. In all honesty, Tom got a bit caught up in the stars reflecting off her piercing y/e/c eyes before changing tack.

“Will you do me a favour?”

This wasn’t spoken with the normal Tom tone. It wasn’t joking or jovial; it wasn’t an ‘off the tongue’ thing. This was spoken with such seriousness and gravitas coming from his deep voice that Y/n replied equally truthfully.

“Always T, you know that.”

“Will you please ask me a personal and serious and deep question?”

She got where he was coming from too.

Clearly, even though the evening was supposed to be a light piss up in celebration, it had instead unearthed some darker thoughts that Tom had been harbouring away. Perhaps he never even realised he needed such seriousness, or perhaps with his castmates he hadn’t felt comfortable exposing himself like that. Either way, Y/n was going to respect him now. It was technically his birthday, too; the clocks had already struck 12 - it was now his day.

It wasn’t tricky to think of one; she’d often wondered the same question of him - never with the opportunity to ask. The question popped into her head again, almost as soon as Tom asked for one.

“Okay…. What’s your deepest regret that makes you feel guilty for feeling because in the grand scheme of things, it minor? Like such a 'first world problem'." What do you regret that’s just completely selfish?”

Tom immediately stiffened, his jaw tensing as he worked through his thoughts in his head. Scared she’d pushed it too far, Y/n averted her gaze back to the sky, chewing her bottom lip slightly. It took a moment, but then she saw Tom turn towards her, in the peripheries of her vision. With a tightly closed-lip smirk on his face he joked “If your gonna ask questions like that, we better sit down.”

And so they did, both sitting crossed legged on the ground, knees brushing against each other. Just on the grass lawn, almost mirroring themselves all those years ago as kids in that camping site. Y/n wondered if she should offer to play football instead - to cheer him up.

“Missing out. I miss out months at a time. Miss out on seeing mum and dad, miss out on the pub quizzes with the boys, miss out seeing you… I mean, I didn’t even know you had a new job until you mentioned it this morning. I miss out on time with nana Tess and all my grandparents, and that’s scary cos… well, every time I go, it could be the last time… I don’t know, I just… I get so much, get to travel, to see the world, but… sometimes it feels like I’m sacrificing the foundations. And without the foundations….”

“The walls come crumbling down.” Y/n finished off his sentence quietly, barely whispering the words - but from Tom’s nod of agreement, it seemed like she’d hit the nail on the head. There was silence for a beat till Y/n whispered to him.

“Well, happy birthday to you” Trying to bring the mood up a little, she bumped his shoulder, and Tom chuckled breathily.

“Seriously! This is helping me out. I-I just need to get everything out and start my 25th year fresh.”

“Hey, if that’s all you want, I’m getting a refund on my present- we can just get deep and interview each other.”

“I’m game, except I’m keeping the present too.”

“Just because it’s your birthday and I’m a bit tipsy, I’ll allow it.”

“Okay, well then, Y/n L/n”, He spoke formally, leaning in closer and making her giggle a little. “What’s your biggest regret?”

“Honestly?” Tom just repeated her in reply, but this time it was a statement.

"Honestly."

He really was going deep too. No holding back now. Y/n sucked on her cheek before replying. “Not travelling with you when we were 19… I was just so determined to get to uni and start grown-up life, but… well, grown-up life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I should’ve tried to stay a kid longer, messing about on your film sets and pretending it was work. I think I would’ve learnt more from seeing the world with you.”

“Well, I am very knowledgable.”

“Shut up, you drop out- who didn't know what a drag race was.” She wasn’t wrong, and whilst yes, he had dropped out to be a film star - he was still a dropout. (with exceptionally poor knowledge of RuPaul) He scowled, then leaning back on his hands, so he was half reclined on the grass as Y/n thought of her next question.

“Whats your biggest worry?”

“Easy.” He chuffed, making Y/n furrow her brows at him. Clearly, he’d already thought of this. “That I finally settle down with the love of my life, and then the fans or press or paps ruin it.”

It made sense; every time Tom had gone public with a relationship, it had ended in a minor car crash. Typically it was also the girl who got hurt; she was the ‘victim’ in everything. Though Y/n had seen first hand the effect it had had on Tom - he never made it out damage-free.

“You make it sound like you’ve already got this dream girl queued and waiting.”

“I wish”, Tom sighed, as Y/n took the opportunity to completely lie down on the grass, staring up at the dark abyss. She’d always loved the stars and had become a bit of a geek on them as they’d grown up too- and maybe it was all down to Tom on that camping trip. Following suit, Tom copied her, his head resting on his hands that were crossed behind his head, taking in the moment of pure peace as they lay on the grass.

“You see that bright one there?” Pointing up, Y/n shimmied closer to him so that he definitely saw the same thing as her. “It’s actually not one. Look closer.” Humming, Tom shifted a bit closer, so her shoulder slotted under the side of his body just the teeniest bit. It meant he could follow her direction and squinted up at the little patch of the sky.

“ 5…maybe 6? What is it?”

“The pliedes supercluster…. basically a big group of stars that all were born from the same place- the same stellar nursery.”

“But they’re moving now?” She hummed in confirmation to his question, briefly glancing at the way his eyes were fixed on the sky. For the first time he seemed genuinely interested in hearing her stories of the stars. It usually was an eye roll and ‘you’re so lame’.

“They’re called the sibling stars… like everything in life, as they get older they drift apart but…. but to us down here? They’ll always be associated together because they have a gravitational effect on each other. They’ll always have their thing tying them together. Like an invisible string.”

“Sounds like you’re being metaphorical.” Tom chuckled, expecting a taunt back but receiving nothing except a gentle agreement.

“Theres also actually 7. The last one people can only sometimes see… it’s a pulsing star, so comes and goes.”

“They do that?”

“Yeh, and no matter what… if you can see it or not, it’s always there. Always having an impact on its family.”

Biting his lower lip slightly, Tom repositioned his head slightly, Y/n’s words taking time to be fully absorbed. He was sure she was making parallels to him. Barely there, appearing and disappearing, but always a part of the family.

“You are being metaphorical.”

“Maybe.” She whispered shortly. “Metaphors depend on who’s listening and if they draw parallels to their own life. It’s subjective. You can’t tell anyone what is and isn’t metaphor…. it takes the beauty out of it.”

“Right, sure... But if you were…. me, harry, Sam, pads, you, Haz, Tuwaine? That the 7?” Y/n held back the little smile at his words. Tom wasn’t as ‘head in the clouds’ as she was- he was literal. Also, he was bloody stubborn when he wanted to be.

“I wasn’t being metaphorical T.” He knew she was lying. She knew that he knew. But it still helped him, made him feel a bit better. That he was always, in some way, having some effect... lives always intertwined with the people he cared about the most.

“Tell me another story about another star.”

Time for the rest of the night kind of got lost. The two young adults just lay on the grass, entirely in their own little world, using each others body heat to keep themselves warm through the early hours. Neither felt remotely tired, Y/n whispering her little stories of both the myths and science of the old stars, pointing out each planet. Meanwhile, Tom listened in awe, for once not taking the mick out of her incredibly geeky hobby. Instead, he found himself getting fascinated by all the little intricacies Y/n was so passionate about.

It was only when the stars began to fade, as orangey-red hue started to seep up from the horizon the either noticed the time. It was now the morning of the next day, the house long since had turned silent behind them - presumably, everyone finally passing out shit faced.

As the stars’ light was overtaken by the rising sun, Y/n ran out of stories; the two settled into silence - neither quite ready to go to bed yet.

“It’s still my turn,” Tom spoke into the sky before pivoting his head to look Y/n in the eye, seeing the confusion in her furrowed brows. “It’s my question to ask. My turn.”

“Aren’t you sick of my voice yet?” There was absolutely no reason that they were both whispering. It wasn’t like anyone was trying to listen or that they’d disturb anyone else my talking normally. But it was nicer that way. It felt calming... intimate even.

“One more. And then you get one more… and then we really should probably go to bed.” He didn’t want the night to end; he was immensely enjoying this weird grey time between being 25 and 26. But it was cold, Tom could tell Y/n had started to feel it a little more. To be fair, she was only in a floral day dress, not much in the way of warmth. With a hum of agreement, Y/n smiled lightly at him, urging his question.

“Whats the biggest secret you’ve kept from me?”

With a bit of a scoff, Y/n sighed and closed her eyes, trying to draw some strength she wasn’t sure she had. It wasn’t like she needed to wrack her brains to come up with it - she knew instantly. Almost painfully too.

“Uhm, honestly?” Now even more intrigued, Tom nodded, using his foot for nudge hers - encouraging her to speak. “Probably how much you mean to me.”

“Oh” He couldn’t help it; the sound just slipped out his mouth without checking with his brain first. That answer had just been so unexpected. He had honestly been thinking that it would be something about how ‘fame had changed him’. After hearing that, Y/n turned her head up the sky again, feeling like her cheeks were on fire with embarrassed heat. Tom knew he had fucked up.

“No, I… I didn’t mean- just just ask me too.” With a sigh, Y/n waved off his stumbled answer as he tried to cover himself.

“This is stup-“

“Ask me!” For the first time in 5 hours, Tom spoke at an normal volume - but it felt painfully loud, like a shout.

“What’s the biggest secret you kept from me?” Her tone was defeated, but nevertheless, he answered.

“How upset I was when you didn’t come when we were 19. I got why, but it was still annoying. Felt like you were picking uni friends over me-“ At this point on any other evening, Y/n would have interjected and argued. None of this situation was normal, though, so she chose to hear him out. “- I know it’s stupid, but…. I guess that’s how much you meant an-and still mean to me too.”

There was silence for a couple minutes, waiting whilst the sun started to peep over the horizon, the lone witness to an otherwise very private conversation. That was until Y/n barely spoke, more like mouthed 2 simple words.

“I lied.” The intensity of the way Tom stared at her made Y/n wish that the sun hadn’t been so bright, that they were back in the darkness that hid her face more. “Biggest lie I’ve told you … that I’m not in love with you.”

Y/n didn’t see because she couldn’t face looking at him, but Tom’s face erupted into the most prominent, toothiest smile. Whilst Tom was enjoying the moment of being absolutely ecstatic, Y/n was waiting for a response- feeling her world come crashing in. That she'd just destroyed one of the most important friendships in her life too.

But then he said the opposite of what she thought he would.

“I lied too.”

That had her attention, whipping her head toward him as Tom rolled onto his side on the lawn, balancing with his head resting on one hand. “I lied that I’ve not been completely under your spell since we were kids at that campsite, and you were homesick.”

Y/n’s heart was literally in her mouth, brain overwhelmed but one overriding thought oh so bloody clear.

She’d lost control of everything, arching up to mirror Tom. Using one hand, she reached out to cup Tom’s jaw, to which he instinctively leant toward - until their lips were mere centimetres apart, hot breath fanning over each other.

Y/n no control as she whispered those 3 words against his lips. No control at how immediately after he pressed his to hers; no control as Tom guided her to roll on top of him, knees either side of his torso as his strong arms wrapped around her back.

Once again, time was lost between the two, only pulling apart when their lungs burned for oxygen.

“For the record, I love you too.” Grinning from ear to ear, Tom used one hand to gently stroke his thumb across her cheek, switching his focus from her left to right eye - in wonder at how the early morning sun reflected from her y/e/c irises. He’d always thought she was beyond beautiful, but when she was this close to him, with the sun rising behind her in such a way - she looked damn ethereal.

“Happy birthday T.” Nodding in agreement, Tom chuckled before finding her lips once again, whispering against them.

“Yeh, happy damn birthday to me.”

~~~~let me know what you think ;) ~~~~~

tagging: @hallecarey1 @hollandfanficlove @crossyourpeter

#tom Holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland fluff #tom holland angst #tom holland x y/n #writing challenge #tbff21 #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland imagine #tom holland oneshot #harry Holland

[rubysunnday]

your song | c.b

Summary: Being in love with Colin Bridgerton is hard when the man keeps running off to different continents for months at a time. But the letters he writes and the songs he sends keep the romance alive.

It had been six, long months since Y/N had last seen Colin Bridgerton.

He had gone off travelling again, disappearing off one night with nothing more than a kiss on the cheek goodbye and a promise to write.

The romance between Y/N and Colin had struck out of nowhere. One night they'd been dancing as nothing more than friends and the next moment, there was something more. The way his hands tightened on her waist whenever Cressida said something mean felt different. The way he wrote her notes with every bunch of flowers he sent read differently.

The way he took her hand as she stepped out a carriage, his fingers gently entwining with hers, felt different.

Y/N had fallen head over heels for a man who hated staying in the same place for more than a week. And it was annoying.

He'd written to her more than he had his own family. He wrote to her everyday, judging from the dates on his letters and they arrived in bundles from the postman, all tied with a ribbon that somehow managed to match the dress she was wearing that day.

In the dozens of letters Colin had sent her, he wrote down every detail of the place he was in from the sunsets to the colour of the postboxes. The friends he was traveling with were both music students, desperate for either a career break or to find a new purpose in life.

One of them, Freddy, has been teaching me about the beauty of song writing and how all great pieces of music begin. I'm nowhere near the grandure of Mozart or the beauty of Beethoven or any musicale we've ever attended, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

I've found that in my writings there's always one thing I can never quite describe correctly. I search through books for the right words that could even begin to do you justice, my dear Y/N, but I find none. There's no word for describing the way you watch a musicale, or the way you talk about art and reading. There's no word on earth that could do you justice.

So, I hope this poor man's attempt at a song, written under strict guidance and a watchful eye, will begin to convey, just how much I love you.

Y/N had read the letter over and over, her eyes scouring each and every line, taking in the sloppy slant of Colin's handwriting and how he smudged the ink in his desperation to write and write and write.

She pulled out the final sheet of the letter and let out a small surprised gasp. It was a piece of music, the notes written precisely and intricately, the lyrics written messily and scrunched up underneath it. It was obvious which part Colin had been trusted with.

To Y/N

Your Song - by Colin Bridgerton

Y/N stood up from her desk and walked over to the pianoforte that sat in the corner of her room, covered in a thin layer of dust. Y/N wasn't an expert on the pianoforte, her and Colin had bonded over their failed attempts at playing. Colin could sing, though. And as Y/N read through the lyrics, tentatively playing a couple of notes on her dust keys, she could hear him singing it, his hand in her hair as they watched the sunset from the garden bench at Bridgerton House.

Their romance had been kept quiet. The ton was used to the two being openly affectionate with each other, constantly hugging or holding hands and none of them realised when it turned from friendship to romance.

Y/N and Colin had sat in the rose garden of Aubrey Hall one summer night, the sounds of the ball drifting over to them along the gentle breeze. Colin had quietly begun singing along to the song, his hands gently tracing a dance on Y/N's bare arm as she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes shut.

Colin's singing voice was beautiful. And as Y/N played the song he'd written for her, she could imagine him sitting beside her and singing along, his hands over hers as she slowly played the notes.

Attending the opera without him felt bizarre. They'd begun a routine of sitting next to each other in the box, sharing the opera glasses and softly commenting on the music, the costumes, the lighting.

Y/N sat down in the box, scooting her chair close to the balcony. Her mother sat down next to her and sighed happily as she took in the view.

"Isn't this lovely?" She asked, picking up her opera glasses and looking through them at the stage. "I do love a concert."

Y/N said nothing, merely nodded. She kept thinking back to Colin's letter, of his promised return home in time for the concert. In time for him to sit down next to her, take her hand, and whisper about the music.

Y/N glanced up at the box the Bridgerton's sat in and tried not to let out a defeated sigh - still no Colin. Francesca caught her looking and gave her a sympathetic smile along with a shake of her head and Y/N turned back to the stage, trying not to let the disappointment sink in.

The orchestra began warming up, the music notes blending in with the quiet chatter of the audience. Y/N couldn't stop her eyes from constantly scanning the audience, the stage, the boxes, for any sign of Colin.

An excited whisper went over the audience as the lights were dimmed and the lights on the stage that illuminated the thick, red curtain were turned on.

For a minute there was silence. And then the orchestra began playing as the curtain flew up, revealing the actors on the stage.

My gift is my song, and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody

Y/N felt her heart do a bizarre skip. She recognised those words. She'd read them over and over again each night before she went to sleep. The piece of paper they had arrived on was now well worn and creased and she'd meticulously copied out the notes and the lyrics for fear of loosing them.

She scanned the audience again and felt her heart stop. The concert faded away as she focused on the man standing in the corner near the side door, a tiny smile on his face.

Colin Bridgerton stood with his hands behind his back, smiling up at her, his chin covered in the stubble of a beard. He was tanner then before and his hair had gotten lighter but it was still Colin.

Her Colin.

You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue Anyway the thing is, what I really mean Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

Y/N giggled and felt a smile appear on her face as she gave Colin the smallest wave possible, not wanting to attract attention. Colin waved back and nodded to the door that led to the auditorium. Y/N nodded in return and watched Colin disappear out the side door.

"Go on, then," Y/N's mother said, tapping her daughter's knee. "Go find him."

Y/N quietly slipped from her seat and pushed open the curtain, blinking at the bright lights in the corridor.

As she made her way down to the auditorium, she could hear angry voices that were trying not to yell. She rounded the corner and saw Anthony, Violet and Benedict Bridgerton all standing in front of a bemused looking Colin.

"You said you'd be back by the concert!" Anthony hissed, clearly irritated by Colin's lateness.

"It's hardly my fault the train got stuck by a tree, is it, Anthony?" Colin asked, sighing. "I'm here now, however, am I not? Stop fussing."

Anthony went off again, flailing his limbs around as he tried to knock some sense into Colin, his mother trying to be the peace maker between the two as Benedict tried, and failed, not to laugh.

"This isn't funny, Benedict!" Anthony snapped, turning to face his other brother as he snorted.

Benedict's smirk faded as he realised he was about to be on the end of Anthony's rant. He sighed and crossed his arms, physically bracing himself as Anthony went off again.

Colin, looking both bemused and annoyed at his family, turned and spotted Y/N, hovering at the stop of the stairs. His face fell from an annoyed smirk into a stunned smile as he stared up at her.

"They're actually both," Y/N said to Colin, her voice quiet enough that the three other Bridgerton's present had yet to realise she was there.

"What are?" Colin asked, walking up to meet her, taking each step slowly.

"My eyes," Y/N replied, smiling, dropping the skirt of her dress. "They're both colours."

Colin chuckled and looked like he was blushing. "I told you I wasn't good at song writing."

"Everyone else seemed to enjoy it," she replied as she heard the audience applaud loudly.

"Because Freddy worked on it for months until tonight," Colin replied. "Even then he wasn't sure about performing it. If he'd performed the version I'd written the ton would be complaining. I'm not very good at it."

"I think you're better at it than you believe, Mr Bridgerton," Y/N said as she continued walking down until they were both on the large step that broke up the stairs. "I'm not sure about the beard, however."

"Why?" Colin asked, a hand subconsciously flying to his chin and running across the stubble.

"Well, it just means that every time I go to kiss you, I will have to be tickled and scratched by it," she replied, her hand covering the one resting on his chin. She entwined her fingers with his. "But I can live with that."

Colin laughed and leant forward, kissing Y/N with the passion and desperation of not seeing her for six months. His hand rested on the back of her head, carefully minding her hair as his thumb stroked her skin.

"I think I'm going to stay here for now," Colin said softly, breaking apart from her, resting his forehead on hers. "Stay with you."

Y/N looked up at him, feeling his breath on her cheeks. "Colin Bridgerton, are you -"

"Yes," Colin said, cutting her off. "I am. Because it took being apart from you for six months to realise what I was missing. To realise that I travel the world searching for purpose and reason, when, in reality, my reason is you. The purpose of my entire being is you.

"Without you, I'm half a man. Without you, the travelling begins to feel like running away and I don't want to run from you. I want to take your hand and run with you. Forever if we wanted. I can run until you can't run anymore. And when you can't run anymore, I'll carry you."

Y/N smiled, pressing her lips together as she savoured the taste of his kiss. "Words are your forte, Mr Bridgerton," she said softly, stroking the side of his head, threading her fingers through his curls. "I'll run with you to the end of the world and back again. I'll take your hand in mine and I will never let you go. Not again."

Colin pressed his lips to her and Y/N smiled against his lips before returning the kiss. He smelt of his cologne, the sweet caramel biscuits he loved and, somehow, the floral, homely scent of Bridgerton House

He smelt of home. He was her home. Simply being in his arms was enough.

"I've just realised something," Colin whispered in her ear.

Y/N looked up at him, staring into his eyes. "What?"

"My family is watching us."

Y/N glanced behind him and saw the three Bridgerton's pretending to occupy themselves with anything else. Benedict was investigating a painting, Anthony was admiring the ceiling and Violet had been reading the program but glanced up at them with a smile.

And despite it all, Y/N let out a snort of laughter and dropped her head on to Colin's shoulder. "Of course they are."

Colin giggled, actually giggled, and rested his head on top of hers. "Better get used to it, love, I doubt they'll ever stop staring."

#bridgerton #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton x reader #colin bridgerton x reader #colin bridgerton imagine #colin bridgerton #bridgerton imagines

[bee-s-honey]

How about chrollo x female reader with emojis ☘️+🌷(she already had the kid)+🌾

(I was thinking like, the reader had escaped for years while pregnant and she had a kid who is 5, and one day she decided to take them out to have a picnic with no clue chrollo has found them)

Hi! Sounds amazing, but with the way you suggested it, it could also be labeled with some 🌼(yandere) so I'm going to put that here if that's ok! It won't change the general story you suggested, just describes it good

☘️-lost

🌾-picnic

🌷-with child

🌼-yandere

❥Prompts here | ❥Masterlist here

Set up: the kid is a girl just because I feel like I've only ever seen reader with a boy kid and I would love to write a daughter. I'm sorry if you don't like that. Also I didn't really involve the lost part a whole lot because I couldn't fit it in, but everything else is great!

Warnings: swearing, yandere themes, chasing, capturing, obsessive love, somewhat dark content of course. Also yes the kid has a somewhat ~uwu quirky fanfic~ name I just HAD to. I didn't edit this too much, I did look over it a few times but parts may still seem rushed or something

Two baskets were brought with you. You held one and your daughter, Cordelia, held the smaller one. You brought cups, lemons and lemon squeezers with sugar to make lemonade, sandwiches, berries, and an assortment of chocolates. You beamed as Cordelia pranced around in the grass like a princess. She smiled and giggled whenever she failed to catch the butterflies that whisked by her. She was just like a little goddess, so bright and shining.

The reason you needed two baskets was because she needed to hold some of the food. Yours needed room for the more concerning necessities. You wouldn't need a knife as dramatic as the one you had to cut anything but there were plenty more terrifying reasons you brought it. It wasn't like those terrifying reasons had proven to catch you yet, but you knew it was to never be ruled out. Until the day you died you wouldn't underestimate his ability to find you, and you'd always be prepared.

Cordelia ran around in the grass that nearly covered her completely, laughing and swinging around the basket.

"Momma! Momma, where will we sit?"

"Hmm, maybe we could go sit near there, pumpkin." You said and pointed to a flat spot under a large pine tree. It provided a fair amount of shade and you were thankful since you forgot sunscreen. She sped over and placed down the picnic basket, jumping around while waiting for you to get over.

She was the only person you had left. You were glad she'd turned out to be so precious and not like him. Everything was lost when you left- well- when you arrived in the first place. You didn't know where any of your money or help went after he'd taken you but you knew you weren't getting it back in any form, and after you'd dropped off the face of the earth for years you knew everyone you might've had had given up hope. Even if someone were still there for you the danger they'd be put in was an unbearable thought.

You even almost gave up Cordelia, thinking it'd be better for her to live without you as a secret bringer of hell in human form, but you knew it would be worse. If he dare come near you with her you could keep her safe, but if she were to be with anyone but you she could be in more danger. You had to protect her yourself, and you had to protect her alone.

With any money gone by the time you got away from him, you could barely get away as much as you'd like, and it was still a struggle. You hadn't moved out of the country yet, you couldn't even think of it. At least you were far away enough to be slightly comfortable in public. The other side of the country was better than the same.

There had been several times you almost went back on your own, in moments of weakness you thought- no knew- you wouldn't have the security you had when you were with him again. He would pay for you, make sure you were healthy, he would...love you. But the one issue was Cordelia. As much as you knew about him, his mind got the best of yours and you still couldn't figure out what might possibly happen if something as new as a child was involved. You didn't know what he would do with her, and even if there was a chance he would treat her right, there was an equal chance he would hurt her or get rid of her. It was all too in the dark and you weren't taking a chance.

That was what kept you from staying, what kept you fron returning was similarly out of good guessing. You didn't know what he would be like if you came back. It had already been so long, each month it becomes longer, your fear of him simultaneously grew and shrank in different ways. He might be sweet still, wanting nothing but you and your health, but because of what you did in the first place he might've changed. You knew the idea of punishment wouldn't be out of question, and it was like the longer you were away the more you guessed he'd be upset. It wasn't worth the chance.

You acted like you knew what to do but really there was a lot you didn't know. The future was the scariest to you, the past merging with it for some reason and you didn't know why. They just felt the same...had the same energy when you thought about them.

Cordelia's eyes lit up when you sat down and brought out the food. She loved picnics. The nature became her friend because she was already around it, it had already been your friend because it was secluded.

She reached for the chocolates and you held it away. "Tsk tsk tsk, at least eat your sandwich first, little witch."

She stuck her tongue out but did as told. The food was delicious as you always tried to make it, and the forest you'd found was heavenly. Cordelia would occasionally get up and walk a little to get some flowers and bring them back.

»»»———-♡　————-««»»————-　♡———-«««

Unbeknownst to your unlucky self, the one person that could ruin the moment was lurking closer than expected.

Chrollo felt his hair stick to his forehead from sweat. He'd had a whole workout having to crouch and jump and stalk quietly, secretly, but he would say it was quite fun playing shadow for you again. He had to wear a tank top just incase it was too hot and laughed to himself. 'I don't look to bad, maybe I'll wear this more often'. He tied his hair up to the best of his ability and for the front that was too short he put on the headband but slid it back this time.

Now he could see you more clear, he could watch you smile and he could feel the love for your daughter, his daughter.

He felt proud of all you had done, how you managed everything. All the more reason you deserved to come back. You needed to stop hustling and getting hurt and overworked. You needed to be focussed on satisfying his life again. Nothing else. He would help you take care of Cordelia, give you everything. He needed you back. You were here for him. Divine fate had to have play in your relationship if he actually managed to love you. Him of all people, loving someone, and meeting you, and knowing about you. If it happened it was meant to happen. How dare you insult fate like that really.

He just needed to snap you back into it and then you'd understand again.

»»»———-♡　————-««»»————-　♡———-«««

You handed Cordelia some chocolates, eating the raspberry one first yourself, and watching her go for the white chocolate. As she sat she looked around at the woods.

Her eyes moved from the flowers in the grass to bees landing on them, turning to look in your direction.

She looked slightly up from you, and her smile faltered before spreading even wider. Something caught her attention.

You whipped your head in the direction, met with a fast paced pair of legs getting closer.

You barely got a look at his face before screaming bloody murder and launching forward. One arm swooped up Cordelia and the other flew into the basket. Before you could stand up two arms wrapped around your chest and attempted to pull you backward.

The knife swung up and you heard Chrollo give a small yelp in pain. The red color flashed in the corner of your eyes on the knife. A drop of blood landed on your cheek.

Cordelia screamed, "Mommy don't do that!"

You kicked yourself up and tried your best to hold onto her on one arm but you faltered. You barely got 5 feet away from the site before two hard footsteps landed behind you and Chrollo was on you. He angled his feet right behind yours but wider, twisting his body forward slightly so he could have the strength to grab Cordelia form you with both hands under her armpits. As expected you tried to pull her forward and the positioning made you fall backwards onto him.

Your daughter landed on you, easily grabbed by Chrollo and set down beside him. On instinct you tried to turn so you were facing on him but he guessed that first and held you down.

"Get off me, fucker!" You roared as you wrestled with him. Cordelia had stood up and slowly walked backwards a few steps. She just looked down in shock.

"Would you calm down." He said gruffly. You couldn't do shit with the knife but try to keep it away from him until it was usable. However as you held the knife killer style so it was pointing in the direction your feet with your arm turned up and outstretched, about to swing inward and stab him in the leg, he grabbed and held down your wrist. Eventually his fingers inched upwards and shot the knife away and interlocked with yours.

He fumbled to get your other madly swinging arm in his grasp and made a breathy noise as you kept trying to move and somehow knock the air out of him.

"Cordelia, run! Right now, go far far away run away!" You screamed at her. She had tears in her eyes but they fell and she stumbled back.

"Momma what happening?" Shee mumbled between gasps. She cried at your desperate, sudden state and crumbled in overwhelm.

You tried to say something quickly to both sooth her and get her away but you struggled for one second too long and Chrollo answered her instead, "I'm your dad. Your mommy's being mean right now. She won't be nice to me, can you tell her to stop? Then we can get to know each other, right!"

"No, Chrollo I swear to god if you don't shut the fuck up-" he moved so he was on top now and you were pinned on your front beneath him, hands behind your back like he was arresting you. You kicked your feet up in a frenzy and tried to move but everything just made dirt get all over your dress.

"You're dad?" She entertained wondrously.

"I am! Isn't that cool? I came to see you and your mom!" He faked a chipper accent. 'Funny you didn't tell her about me, dearest. You can't prepare for the things you aren't aware of.'

You felt tears prick your eyes. Your chin was in the dirt and your hair covered your face. You looked and felt disheveled but the interactions between Chrollo and your daughter made it even worse. You began to cry quietly and it came out in quick breaths as you studied the pine needles decorating the ground. For once your heart was going miles a minute and your head was empty.

A warm hand went under your face to keep you out of the dirt and hold you. "Aww, she's crying. Cordelia come sit next to us and we'll calm down mommy alright?"

You looked to the side through blurry vision and saw cordelia run and sit right next to you. The sunflower pattern on her dress was what you focussed on as you internally shuddered from how Chrollo's hand held you.

"Why crying?" Cordelia asked. You barely met her eyes but you could see how much she believed him. She was at a confused peace, yet you could feel every fiber in your body shrivel up.

You shook your head at her while trying to find your words, looking more like you were shaking. "Please, please go run away. I'll find you after a little bit. Please," you whispered, "go into the woods and hide carefully,"

"Y/n, you can't just send her away. She's never seen our house, or all our friends. I would love to meet my kid, dearest."

"She's not yours!"

"Well she wasn't brought from a stork. And you don't think my time memory is that bad do you?" You turned back to the ground, dropping your forehead and shaking in your tears. You thought you'd be stronger, at least being able to get her away, but nothing is happening. She won't even leave.

Chrollo's weight shifted and there was a kiss at the back of your neck, mumbling almost silently, "It's easier to just let yourself be loved." 'like that's even the issue here,' you thought. "Do you want to come live with me? Do you think if we can convince mom you both will come home?"

Cordelia jumped and clapped her hands together. "Yes, yes, yes!" She shrieked happily.

"Chrollo please," you begged. Your soul fell to your stomach when he just chuckled. You felt Cordelia pat your head twice and you were pulled up, sitting back against Chrollo's chest and getting mercilessly clutched to him.

"We'll go get your things and go back home soon. But I'm sure you need a moment to just sit here, don't you?" He asked against your ear. You felt like you'd been paralyzed, head leaning to the side and allowing his to cuddle into your neck as disgusting as it was. Cordelia walked towards you both completely and you felt Chrollo inhale a preparing breath. After he exhaled he opened his arms and allowed her to come cuddle right against you both. Your eyes hadn't moved, zoning off into the distance screaming death of the conscious.

"Y/n, it's ok, hey. I'm here, darling. Look at us," he moved your head to stare right at his face and you looked between him and down to Cordelia, "There we go," he said. His voice was comfortably husky and you didn't know if it was to lure in a false sense of security or because he was tired, maybe a little elated, having you and your daughter right there.

"I missed you so much." He murmured against your cheek in a kiss, then moving to kiss Cordelia's head. You thought you felt sick to your stomach but after studying the feeling more you realized it was more like something had settled after a constant churning. It was both like a homecoming and a dream destruction.

You hung your head, eyes closing to squeeze out some more tears. They dropped down onto his leg and he squeezed the hug on you two tighter. "I wish this wouldn't happen." you whispered meekly.

"That's not true. You know you'll be taken care of as long as you stay with me." He got closer to your ear and tried at least slightly to keep what he said next away from Cordelia, "however it's not nice to run away like that. You will have to make it up for a while, sweetheart."

While it might not happen, I could write a part two for this. No promises but I do want to continue it some more, I was planning to, I just had to get this out tho because it's been in the drafts for so long.

#hxh #anime #hunter x hunter #chrollo #chrollo x reader #yandere #yandere chrollo #yandere hxh #hxh asks #chrollo fic #hunter x hunter fanfiction #hxh fic