#and yes i just added some angst factor with the memory wipe what do you take me for

[owl-with-a-pen]

Winn had been in the future for way too long, how else could he forget just how heavy Kara’s infamous game nights could be? Add Lena and Alex to the equation as the worst enablers in history and he was certain he’d have a wicked hangover come morning.

But, hey, this was a party, and he was only back in the twenty-first century for a couple of days. So, consequences be damned, he was going to make every second count.  

At least, that’s what Drunk Winn thought. Future Winn, well, he might have had some choice words to say on the matter.

Good thing he was living in the present.

Winn was in no way close to being the worst offender of the night, he could thank his very human alcohol tolerance for that. That being said, games requiring strategy - or even general dexterity - were well beyond anyone’s ability right about now. So, they’d all taken to the floor of Kara’s apartment - some in better states than others.

Lena was the only one who had kept the high ground up on the sofa, wine glass deftly balanced between three fingers as she curled snugly into her chosen corner.

Down on the ground with the common folk, the couples had predictably coupled together. Kelly was lazing across Alex’s lap, resting her head against the cushions that weren’t currently being occupied by Lena’s legs. On the other side of the coffee table, Nia and Brainy sat arm to arm, an impressive hoard of snacks littered around them.

It was in that blissfully intoxicated state that Kelly had proposed the terrible idea of playing a game far less taxing to the ol' thinker: truth or dare.

Winn had expected outrage, a cacophony of booing, at least one person begging they switch to Netflix instead of trialling more party games – especially of the high school variety.

What he hadn’t expected was to find himself lured into an impromptu circle not ten seconds later, an empty beer bottle poised at the centre like a deadly snake ready to snap. Kelly had been immensely pleased with herself.

Guess Alex was rubbing off on her, now Winn had three enablers he had to worry about.

Thirty minutes and half a solo cup of questionable liquid later and so far, so good, Winn had yet to divulge any timeline altering secrets to the party. He had a pretty airtight plan to avoid that, in actual fact. It was a simple execution: he just avoided 'truth' at all costs.

Oh, the things he’d done already for those damned dares. He still wasn’t sure where his left shoe was. Or his Legion ring.

Another Future Winn problem. For right now, none of that mattered, especially when it was his turn to spin again. Winn couldn’t say his spin had been very eloquent; the bottle travelled impressively slow, a hollow warble echoing from the empty glass until, eventually, the bottle’s neck came teetering to a halt in front of one unsuspecting Coluan.

The second the bottle stopped, Brainy peered down at it as though its very presence had personally offended him. Winn smothered a snort with his hand. He’d been lucky to avoid the bottle’s judgement so far, but even a twelfth level intellect’s luck ran out eventually.

Unable to contain his glee any longer, Winn grinned broadly. “Well, well, well, Querl Dox,” he announced, slapping his free hand against his knee, “we haven’t heard much from you tonight. So, what’ll it be, buddy? Truth or dare?” He pointed to Brainy with an overgenerous hand, slopping the contents of his cup across his wrist in the process.

“Winn!” Alex scolded.

Winn rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright!” he said, making a show of putting the cup down. He wasn’t surprised when Alex thrust him a handful of paper towels to clean up his mess.

While Winn mopped up his sleeve and a good portion of the floor, Brainy sat with rigid posture as he pensively observed his options. His eyes flittered towards the ground, then back up again. Once or twice, he caught Nia’s gaze, who smiled at him encouragingly, brushing her hand across his knee. Her superhero name had never been more deceiving – it looked like Dreamer was the brightest eyed of the bunch by miles. The only close contender was Brainy, although it wasn’t a particularly high bar overall. With the alien grade alcohol sat between them, Winn knew for a fact that neither one of them was particularly sober.

Eventually, Brainy narrowed his eyes, lifting his head. “Very well,” he said, puffing out his chest as though he’d just volunteered himself for a suicide mission. “I choose truth.”

Winn’s eyes widened in surprise. Well damn, maybe he had.

He’d sort of expected Brainy to pick dare like just about every other superhero sat around the circle. The only outlier was Lena, who had promptly bowed out of the game before it had even started, electing to act as umpire from her perch on the sofa.

Winn drummed his fingers together beneath his chin. It was rare that he was ever given the opportunity to ask Brainy something that – barring certain prohibited topics – he’d answer honestly and without hesitation. Whatever he asked still had to match the vibes of the game, of course. In which case, he knew he had to play this safe.

“What to ask the smartest person in the room,” Winn wondered aloud, mostly to buy some time. The truth was, there wasn’t much he could ask that was game-night appropriate – otherwise, he wouldn’t get a fun answer. And he really wanted a fun answer.

Which only left, well, the most generic of all high school truth or dare questions.

A devious smile spread along Winn’s face. He could make that work.

“I’ve got it,” he declared, leaning in as though he was the one about to divulge a secret. “So, Querl, tell us, who was your first kiss?”

Everyone loudly oooo’d at that. Everyone except for Nia, who grinned mischievously into her cup. “This is gonna be good,” she muttered, taking a sip.

Brainy, however, looked vaguely wounded at the question posed. Picking up on his discomfort, Nia ditched her cup and took her boyfriend’s hand instead, squeezing his fingers reassuringly.

“Is it too late to change my answer?” Brainy asked.

“Absolutely,” Alex and Kelly said together.

“No take-backs, those are the rules,” Lena reminded him with a wink.

“You’re not even playing!” Kara objected.

“C’mon,” Nia said, bumping Brainy’s shoulder. “You told me, it won’t break the timeline.”

Winn eyed her suspiciously, but Nia only shrugged, offering him a not-so innocent look that very much read wait and see.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait for very long. Nia’s guiding touch seemed to be the final element required to sway him, and with an awkward shuffle so that he could gain closer access to the circle, Brainy lowered his voice to them all. “So long as it does not leave this room,” he told his friends with critical seriousness. “Can I count on you to uphold that?”

“Jeez, Brainy, now you have to tell us,” Alex said. “We promise.”

A volley of promises followed Alex’s, and although Winn could confidently say that no one here was sober enough to be believably reliable, it seemed Brainy was just drunk enough to trust in their honesty anyway.

“Very well,” he said, leaning in a little further. Collectively, everyone else did the same. Alex even removed a very disgruntled Kelly from her lap just so she could get a better angle on the action.

Winn scooped up his drink, coddling it close to his chest in anticipation.

Brainy took a deep breath, keeping his eyes trained to the centre of the circle. “The first kiss I ever had was with… Kal-El.”

The reaction was instantaneous.

Kara spat her drink straight back into her glass. Winn damn-near choked on his. He coughed, only to jerk when Alex clapped him so hard on the back that he felt his teeth rattle inside his head.

Up on the sofa, Lena stared on with a coy look of approval.

“Kal-El?” Winn repeated, his voice barely a squeak. When Brainy didn’t even try to elaborate, Winn cleared his throat viciously enough to burn. “Tell me you are not talking about the Kal-El… as-as in Clark Kent, Kara’s cousin, literal Superman?”

“Told you this was gonna be good,” Nia said.

Winn turned to her incredulously. “And you knew about this?”

Nia smirked. “No secrets, remember?” She tapped her cup with Brainy’s whose green skin was quickly beginning to darken into an awkward blush.

Winn shook his head, paused, then drained the last of his drink in one solid gulp. The fire in his lungs at least cleared some of the static in his brain. Or made it worse. At this point, it was hard to tell. “Woo boy,” he gasped out, “first off, I am jea-lous. Second, I have questions.”

“Truth or dare only permits one question per round,” Brainy cautioned, his voice tight.

“Screw that, I want the juicy details!”

“Seconded,” Lena said swiftly.

“Thirded.” Alex tipped her glass towards Brainy.

“Traitor!” Kara cried, shoving her sister playfully on the shoulder.

Alex scoffed, “What? He’s not my cousin!”

“Let’s call this part 1b of a multi-layered question, ‘kay?” Winn said, scootching forward. He’d practically thrown himself into the centre of the circle by now. “How was it? Was it more than once? Oh my god, when did this even happen?”

“A long time ago,” Brainy said, somewhat gravely. “We were both teenagers at the time, Kal—Clark, visited the future on several occasions when he was still learning to utilise his powers. He trained with us, for a time. And… we grew close.”

“So wait, you guys were actually an item? How has no one in the Legion ever mentioned this to me?”

“It didn’t last long,” Brainy said quickly. He lowered his gaze, raising his shoulder in a half shrug. “It couldn’t. Clark belonged in the twenty-first century to ensure the present day of the thirty-first.”

Nia bit her lip. When it was clear Brainy was done explaining, she cleared her throat. “Also… for our present to exist, a lot of Clark’s time in the future had to be erased from his memory.”

Kara’s face fell suddenly. “Oh, Brainy…”

Unperturbed, Winn raised an eyebrow. “So how far did it go? Are we talking just kissing or did you find out how hard the Man of Steel really is?”

“Oh Rao,” Kara groaned, throwing herself onto her feet. “That’s it, I’m going out to get more snacks.”

“It’s nearly two in the morning,” Alex said, frowning down at her watch as though this was news to her, too.

“Not in Paris it isn’t,” Kara announced with forced cheer. “At least from there, I won’t be able to hear any more of this conversation.”

“Can I get a croissant?” Winn asked, batting his eyelashes.

“Croissants aren’t for traitors,” Kara said, ruffling his hair. She patted Brainy’s shoulder as she crossed to the door, offering him a gentle smile before she sped out of the room.

In the awkward silence that followed, Kelly cleared her throat, looking over to Nia with a wince. “Sorry, is this whole thing weird for you, too?”

Nia laughed abruptly, shaking her head. “What? No way, I literally asked the exact same questions when he first told me. Believe me, you’re gonna have to try a lot harder before I start hearing anything new.”

“Well in that case,” Winn said, turning his grin back on Brainy. “What was Supes like in the sheets?”

Brainy only offered a strained smile in response, leaning helplessly towards Nia. “It appears we have opened a can of worms,” he muttered.

Nia wound her arm around his back sympathetically. “Only answer what you want,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder. “I’ll put them all to sleep if they get too nosy.”

“Uh, you know we can hear you, right?” Winn said.

Nia raised her free hand in warning, vibrant springs of dream energy already coiling around her fingers. “You know that was a threat, right?”

Winn lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, well received. But seriously, Brainy, what was it like dating Superman?”

Brainy rolled his eyes, reaching for the nearest bottle and taking a lengthy swig from it.

Winn’s grin widened. It looked like things really were about to get juicy.

Thank God they had the rest of the night. Something told him this was going to be a long story.

And it would require an even longer recovery.

#supergirl #brainysupes #brainia #brainiac 5 #nia nal #kara zor el #winn schott jr #alex danvers #lena luthor #kelly olsen #clark kent #my writing #you have no idea how long this dialogue has been in my drafts for. i actually lost it and then had to rewrite it. #it's silly. it's fun. it's silly fun. i was just in a brainysupes sorta mood #why not make it canon in a silly fic? #you can't stop me #and yes i just added some angst factor with the memory wipe what do you take me for #ya'll know the drill by now

[darkmindsotome]

Idiot’s Choice

Fandom: MLQC

Pairing: Victor Lee x Mc

Word count: 3,101

Warning: very slight spoilers on some early phone calls, fluff with a little angst.

Written by: darkmindsotome

A/N: The idea for this came to me after running back through the producer’s birthday messages on the game from my last birthday. A soft CEO.

Darkmindsotome Masterlist 

---

Idiot’s Choice

He checked his calendar again. The screen on his computer refreshed for the eighth time that hour showing no changes. There was a childish digital sticker on today’s date with no explanation attached to it. Not that he needed any details, he knew why he had placed that sticker there.

The cutesy cartoon squirrel looked like her, well to him it did. He thought back on a dumb conversation they had had a while ago when she was rambling on about how he resembled a cat in her eyes. Despite himself, he still smiled when he heard her ask why he thought of her as a squirrel only to be lost for words at his explanation.

Today was the day. He had taken it upon himself to look at her personnel profile for work. Her company had this thing for making an office blog that ran alongside normal productions for Miracle Finder. He was told it was a new trend among companies, a peek behind the scenes. Small snippets of office banter and candid pictures had popped up revealing a workspace quite unlike any you would find in LFG. He frowned briefly wondering how you were supposed to work efficiently in such chaos before moving on to pull up the event pages.

A picture of a giant ice cream cake in the shape of something that he supposed was a kind of animal filled his screen. Text laid out in sloppy icing saying “Happy Birthday Boss!” was clearly visible. He cross-checked the date with the small personnel file in his hand that contained his contract with her. Yes, the date matched so now all he had to do was wait.

Waiting sounded like the easiest part of his whole plan. In fact, it was excruciatingly painful. His eyes fell on the pile of gifts he had selected and had wrapped. What he thought was a small pile in fact covered most of the top of a table in his office.

The different shaped boxes ranging from palm-sized to something closer to a shoebox were arranged so each could be seen. The complimentary wrapping paper with corresponding ribbons and bows made it look like an upmarket window display.

Time was a constant factor he was always aware of. The steady tick tick tick from the hands of the clock sounded mocking as he tried to focus on some work. Where was she? She wouldn’t forget about today, would she? No… maybe she’s thinking of seeing someone else today and not me? The idea, as brief as it was, hurt to even consider.

He had seen her posts on Moments where others had happily commented back. He had read her words smiling only to see the reply from someone else wipe it from his face. She was free to have friends and naturally that would include any gender. It didn’t stop his mind from wandering a petty path of jealousy when he saw the happy insider jokes and promises to meet up and try something new together when it was directed at another man.

He chastised himself for getting so worked up over something so childish. He knew what she was like when he fell for her. Oblivious, naïve, perhaps lacking in experience would have been a kinder way of thinking about it. What he felt to be a fairly obvious display of his intentions had repeatedly taken a turn he had not predicted.

“…Dummy.” His softly spoken term of endearment tumbled from smiling lips as he turned the page on another document. Using his pen to mark typos and underline sections for correction.

Time marched on and eventually, the entire morning had passed him by without the cheerful voice he wished to here filling his office. He thought back about a conversation they had where she had asked him what he did for his birthdays only to look upset at his reply of ‘nothing special’.

Birthdays to him were another day. They held some significance as a child, as they did to all children. Even back then though they had still felt more like a formality for him. His father was always working hard, his mother… actually that might have been the last time he had what you would call a very happy birthday. He shook his head chasing away the maudlin thoughts and refocused.

Today was her birthday it wasn’t about him at all. She had such a sad look on her face when he spoke of his own that he really did have to wonder how someone with such a kind heart had remained so pure in this world. She had known pain and loss yet she still moved forward like a blinding light in the darkness. The strength she showed, that self-motivating determination was what had made him take a second chance on an otherwise fruitless business arrangement.

She had a fire, she had a spark that reached out and touched others. She had so much potential if she only applied herself a little more to the groundwork. He guided her and watched her grow. He drove past her office on his way home frowning at the lights remaining on so late at night. He wanted her to grow but he didn’t expect her to work herself to exhaustion. He reminded her she could ask for help, ask him. Am I really so unreliable? Unapproachable?

The time she spent on his own birthday preparations had been a shock. The flowers, balloons other kitschy decorations that were completely her and yet it had touched him deeply that she had tried so hard on his behalf to prepare something he would like. He didn’t tell her that all he needed was to have her there with him. All he needed was to hear her say the words “Happy Birthday Victor!” in her cheerful voice and he would have been just as blown away.

The pile of gifts on the table caught his eye again. Knowing her she would try to refuse taking them, but he wished for her to have all of them and more should her heart desire it. Where was she?

Slipping his phone from him jacket he checked for any notifications even though he had turned the volume on the device all the way up to maximum and knew he couldn’t have missed a thing. He caught his own reflection in the glass of his window. The cool, calm man he usually saw was absent from view.

In all these years nothing had rattled him to the core in such an obvious manner. He could count the few times something had on one hand. This was different. Ever since their very first meeting, it felt like there was a lingering memory attached to her.

He listened to her talk and babble on about inane topics and found himself enthralled. When she was struggling, he found himself practically running to her aid. She was like an open book, so full of life and connected to all kinds of emotions. She was nothing like the other people he had met and here was the proof. He was waiting for her.    

The knocking on his door drew him back to himself. He calmed his nerves and removed all signs of his previous anxieties from his overactive mind. In all honesty, he could laugh. How many times did he call her and her childish imagination out when it took hold of her?

“Victor it’s me.” Of course, it was.

“Come in.” His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall and straightened his posture. The door opened as he fixed his stoic mask in place resisting the desire to look at her. His eyes wavered on the document in his hand tracing the lines of text there without registering any of them.

“I’m sorry it took a while to get here. I finished the report and my printer was broken at home so I have to go to the office.”

A thin office binder appeared in his view. His eyes followed its high gloss cover to the delicate manicured fingers holding it. The sun from the window behind him catching on her jewellery as he looked up into her eyes. She looked different. It wasn’t the passage of time or his own mind playing tricks.

She had adjusted her makeup and styled her hair differently. She wasn’t meant to be working at all today but she had managed to appear before him dressed as if she had just walked in from a presentation. Her cream blouse was tucked into a form-fitting pencil skirt. Even the blazer she had chosen seemed so alien to him.

“Is something wrong? I didn’t use the wrong type of binder or something did I?” Her enquiry made him realise he had been staring.

“No, it’s fine.” He took another look at the document she had handed him before adding it to the pile on his desk and turning his critical eye back to her. “You got dressed up like that to drop off a report? You are aware there is a difference between professionalism and amateur dramatic performances?”

She fidgeted in place those little wheels turning in her mind just behind those clear eyes. His caustic words had a way of provoking a response. Sometimes he did it on purpose but there were other times such as now when they simply seemed to leak from him. A precise and cutting verbal display of word vomit even he, on occasion, hated with a passion.

The opinions of others never usually affected him. If they were hurt in some way by his critical reviews of their work and efforts, he saw it more as a ‘prove me wrong’ installation of inspiration. They had a choice, double down and get it done or walk away. It was a hard, cut-throat approach to business that had seen him a long way.

Meeting her had changed that. She shook him to his core. Had him questioning his managerial style and way of interacting in general. They had not known each other long at all but he already knew things had changed. For better or worse this was now something he was sure he didn’t want to lose.

Those little wheels kept turning in her mind. His harsh words however many he spoke in jest or just to get a rise out of her. He always felt a pinch in his chest as he waited for her reaction. He never wanted to hurt her.

“Say what you like I have already decided that nothing you say to me today is going to get to me.” Her childish bravado made him scoff.

“Oh really? I’m so pleased you found a way of keeping yourself happy. However, misguided the ideas to do so maybe.”

She gave him the most adorable glare before looking around the room and realising rather comically there was a stack of gifts behind her.

“What’s all this your fan – mail?” It was clear from her voice she had been thrown by the cheerful collection of wrapping paper trussed up with all the ribbons and bows.

“A return gift,” He said rising from behind his desk to stand just behind her. Leaning close enough the scent of her shampoo to fill his nose. “for a Dummy.”

“Return gift?” She spun around the unbridled curiosity in her eyes sparkling.

“Have you forgotten your own birthday?” He teased.

“Of course I haven’t. I’m just a little surprised you would know my birthday. Besides people don’t give gifts expecting anything in return.” She looked back at the collection of gifts without moving to take one. He was at least thankful for her distracted attention because she had managed to draw out something like shyness from him.

“Don’t go getting so excited I only picked up a few things and had them delivered here for you.” He cleared his throat and moved back to his desk. Choosing to perch on the edge of it rather than sit behind it.

“A few things this looks like half a store. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.” Now she was at least taking a closer look at them all. Her hands reached out with fingers showing a slight shake as she brushed them over a coral pink ribbon.

“You think selecting a few things like this is trouble? I just happened to see some items that looked like the kind of childish knickknacks you enjoy and…”

“So, you were thinking of me?” She stopped investigating the ribbons and turned to him with a disarming smile.

“No, I wouldn’t say that. I was just acquiring some items in passing.” He covered for his floundering heart as she continued to smile at him. Honestly, what are you thinking looking at me like that?

“Whilst thinking of me?” Her persistence only added another layer to his own wonder at her line of questioning.

He knew she was right outside of work usually people didn’t gift a gift expecting one in return that was the whole nature of gift-giving at its core. You gave a gift as a gift without a desire for personal gain entering into the equation.

“All I thought was there was a certain Dummy who would like them. If you don’t want them you don’t have to have them.”

The smile on her face faltered at his words but it wasn’t in a way that he recognised as upset with him. Her eyes became downcast, the energy she showed so confidently when entering his office looked as if it were draining out of her.

There was something hidden in that curious look she was giving him. Concealed under the surface of her words and questions. He knew what he wanted it to be but he also felt that it was the wrong answer. How can such a simple mind confound me like this?

“What’s wrong?” He asked. His worry affecting the tone of his voice, making it softer.

“Nothing just… Ever since Dad. I’ve been on my own you know? The guys at the office try to do things and it's great but…” She cut her explanations short as if she were trying to trim off the pain from memory. He knew all to well that it didn’t work like that.

“… no substitution.” His voice was almost a whisper. His own protected memories answering her own, mirroring the loss.

“What?” Her eyes returned to him. Her smile was gone and it was like someone had dimmed all light in the world.

“I’m the same with my—Well we have similar thoughts on the subject.” He didn’t speak about his past. He had no reason too. It was private his life was of no concern of others but when it came to her, he wanted to tell her. They had shared so many things in such a short time it was strange to think that they hadn’t simply always just been together.

“Thank you.” Her smile crept back, tugging gently on the corners of her mouth.

“If you want to thank me you could pick a gift.” He joked hoping to get that smile to beam brighter.

“Oh! I couldn’t there are so many and I don’t know prices on them or anything. Knowing you they are all really expensive and—”

“Price isn’t important. Whatever I give to you is because I wish you to have it. Pick a gift.” He cut her off as she rambled. Why did everything come back to money? Accept the gift already. Accept… Even in his own mind, he couldn’t voice his own desires.

“… Y-you.” Her eyes flew open along with her mouth. She seemed completely stunned.

“Excuse me?” Did I say something that was truly that shocking?

“If you want me to pick a gift. I chose to have one that is truly and completely one that is so expensive no amount of money could hope to cover it.” She seemed to be back to her usual self or at least the playful childish one he had grown to love. With a sheepish smile that only added to her charm, she planted both of her feet firmly in front of him like she was awaiting a firing squad. “I chose you. Will you be my gift?”

Her request had his own mind grind to a screeching halt. Nothing could have prepared him for that question. Even if he had in a moment of lucid daydreaming thought that she might for a moment suggest such a notion he still had no control over himself.

“Do you have any idea what you are asking me?” His shocked face was reflected in her eyes that were searching him, wondering what his reply would be.

“I just want to spend some time with you on my birthday. Eat a meal, hang out maybe go watch a movie. Is that so wrong?” Her voice grew quieter the more she spoke. Withdrawing into herself fear of rejection looming over her head as he continued to look in awe at the woman in front of him.

*Sigh* She really has no idea of what she does to me, does she?

“No not wrong at all. It is very you.” He drew her to him and gave her a hug. She felt stiff in his arms by the sudden change in proximity but quickly relaxed against his chest. “You got bolder.” His words brushed over the top of her head causing her to giggle at the way it tickled.

“I’m allowed to at least for one day out of the year.” She squeezed him back.

“Let me finish up here and I’ll meet you at reception.” He withdrew from her sharply not trusting himself any further without first taking a moment to compose himself.

“Ok!” She happily bounced out of his office the door clicking shut behind her completely unaware of how shaken she had left him.

He slipped his arms into the sleeves of his black suit jacket. Remembering those two small arms of hers putting in as much effort as she could to show him how much she appreciated him agreeing. We don’t give a gift to receive one in return but what would you say if I told you this right here is one of the best return gifts I’ve ever received?

He delved into the pocket and pulled out the key to his car as his eyes looked once more at the pile of unclaimed gifts.

“You could have had any of these and this is what you choose?... Idiot.”

---

[minniepetals]

String Of Fate 02

— summary: they set fire to the world around them but would never let a flame touch her.

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: fluff, angst || poly!au, soulmate!au, mafia!au

— word count: 4.2k

— warnings: none

╰ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 

In a lone room Jin had taken you in, you sat on a chair across from Jin as he examined your arm. The room didn't distracted you, although you wished it did despite its lavish designs and gorgeous, exquisite interiors, but you were instead entranced by Jin's concentrated face. 

His brows were furrowed and you could tell he was angry but rather than looking scary like Hoseok, he held those back in (for your sake). When he asked you what had happened, you told him the story of both the wounds and he took it much better than Hoseok—not that you were expecting him to. 

"Why didn't you go to the hospital?" Jin asked, allowing you to look down with pursed lips.

"I don't like the hospital," you told him truthfully. 

A lopsided smile formed at the corner of his lips. You never did. There wasn't much of you that had changed, you were still that same girl he had fallen in love with and Jin was glad for it. 

"And besides," you continued, "those doctors are nosy. If I were to go, they'd ask how I got this gash but I can't tell them about that night otherwise we'd both be in trouble."

He knew that you hated being questioned, that you'd rather deal with your own problems than to be asked several questions even you didn't know the answer of. He knew you didn't liked random people talking to you so of course you wouldn't like them invading your own business.

"Even if you did get in trouble, we'd help you," Jin said softly as he caressed the arm he held. "They're all afraid of us. They'd have to get through us before they can get to you and that, is never happening."

Again, why say those words? You couldn't understand why they were so sweet to you. There was something you were missing, you knew, and you wished so badly that you could just have all the answers. But you didn't and that made it all the more frustrating.

"Well," he reverted back to your arm with pursed lips, "looks like we'll have to stitch this up."

That got your attention. "What?!" You gasped and immediately pulled your arm away from him, carefully holding it before you were afraid he'd take it and actually stitch you up. You shook your head furiously, vehemently opposing to the idea. "No, please don't," you whimpered and some tears appeared at just the thought of being stitched up. 

Jin then gasped. "No, don't cry. Please don't cry," he quickly begged as his hands went up to cup your face. His thumbs light brushed along your eyes to wipe away your small tears. "I won't stitch you up," he promised. "I won't hurt you, so please don't cry."

There was a strange feeling that came through his promise, telling you that you could trust his words. So you calmed down and stopped holding onto your arm for dear life, letting his take it back into his grasp. "So then, what will you do?" you pouted.

He gave you a smile. "Do you trust me, Y/N?" 

The call of your name made your heart fluttered just as Hoseok did and you nodded. "Yes, I do."

With that answer, Jin's heart melted. You trusted him even though you didn't know. Perhaps fate wasn't really that cruel. Even if it meant starting your relationships all over again, as long as you were alive and well, Jin couldn't care any less about the other factors. You were there in front of him, trusting him and not running away.

Yet while it did made him happy, he felt a bit nostalgic as well. You trusted him even though your memories were still lost and they...

He didn't know what to do. Just staring at your doe eyes as they stared back, showing complete trust, he was reminded of the last time he had saw you. You still loved them despite everything, despite them thinking otherwise. You proved your love a long time ago, now it was their turn to fix what they had done and show their love for you.

Jin knew they couldn't mess it up again. They couldn't lose you again. You were soulmates for goodness sake, and soulmates were made for each other through an everlasting lifetime.

"Jin?" Your voice called and it brought him out of his daze. You looked at him with worried eyes but Jin could only give you a facade smile, hiding the sadness behind it. Maybe you knew, maybe you didn't, but nonetheless, he ignored your worries to bring his attention back to your arm. 

"Close your eyes," he told you and you did just that. Once your eyes had fluttered shut, Jin couldn't help but to linger just a little longer, staring at your beautiful features. His heart started aching once more and with a quiet sigh, he held a hand over your wound.

He couldn't heal the past but at least he was given a second chance to heal your heart. And there was no way he'd mess it up this time. 

And that went for the rest of them.

~~

"Y/N's here, isn't she?" Taehyung asked the second Hoseok appeared in the living room where the rest of them were. "I can feel her presence, hyung." Without further ado, he tried to walk past his the older man, only to be stopped. 

"Don't," Hoseok warned. "She doesn't need to be overwhelmed by all of us again. If you saw the state she's in, you'd only scare her and we don't need that."

"What do you mean? What happened to her?" Jungkook abruptly stood up, the only thought being concerned with what had happened to you and ignoring everything else. 

Sighing, Hoseok shook his head to dismiss the conversation. "She'll be fine, Jin hyung's with her."

But still, the only thing the two youngest could hear was that you were hurt and that they felt the need to check on you. "If Y/N's with Jin hyung, then it must be serious. I'm—"

"Stop," Hoseok growled, pushing back Jungkook and Taehyung who followed suit. "Do you think I'm not desperate to see her either?" He countered, the anger clearly shown in his tone of voice. "As much as I want to go to her and hold her and check if she's alright or not, I'm going to first respect her needs. And right now, she doesn't need us hoarding around her," Hoseok said, allowing the two boys to calm their anxiety a bit. 

"Give her space," he added in a little more softer. "Let fate do its job, she'll soon understand everything and return to us."

"But hyung," Jimin began, finally speaking up since Hoseok's arrival as he sat still on the sofa, elbows propped against his thighs with a conflicted look. "Will she still love us?" He asked almost inaudibly, afraid of the reality as he kept pondering on that question since the second he saw your tears that night.

"What are you talking about?" Walking in on the conversation after overhearing it, Yoongi leaned his body against the wall, arms crossed against his chest as he furrowed at Jimin's question, while Namjoon walked in after him, just as concerned. "Why wouldn't she still love us?" Yoongi scowled.

"Don't you remember the reason why she lost her memories in the first place?" Jimin inquired as he looked up at them all, brows knitted yet besides the frustration shown on his face, there were clear regret and sorrow of the memory. 

As much as the others wanted to argue Jimin's point, they couldn't because they knew the truth behind his words. That regretful past was engraved in their minds forever whether they liked it or not so it was something they'd never forget. You were special to them, their precious girl, their soulmate, and all that beautiful moment ended all because of them. They blamed themselves ever since the incident, knowing it'd be hard to find you and have you returning to them again—if you wanted to return to them. The latter was hurting them yet what else could they do? 

Whether the eight of you were bonded by a string of fate or not, in the end, it all came down to decisions on staying or deciding to leave. They'd accept whatever decision you would make, of course, but they couldn't promise that they'd be alright. Even though they had each other for love and support, the guys knew it wasn't going to feel complete without you, in fact, that was the exact feelings they felt since they lost you and the feelings they felt at the moment. 

It was hurting them.

If having to feel so empty and helpless as they searched for you for far so long, then they couldn't ever understand how it'd feel if you were to leave their side for good. It would hurt much more than what they were imagining. 

"I'm not losing her," Taehyung declared firmly. "Not again."

"Don't be selfish." Although he knew what Taehyung was feeling, Namjoon still knew he had to consider your feelings as well. 

"But she has to love us, hyung," the younger man argued in a tone combined with frustration and whining. "We need her too. She completes the whole heart. What's the point of the string of fate if she wouldn't love us? What's the point of fate itself if she doesn't choose us?" He asked before answering his own question. "There'd be no point at all."

"Taehyung's right," Jungkook agreed with a nod. "Why connect us with the string of fate if that bond won't allow us her love? The universe doesn't work like that. It doesn't make mistakes. From the second we were born, the eight of us were chosen to be each other's soulmate. Eight," he exaggerated. "Which means losing one won't complete the circle. We need her too."

"I know," Namjoon acknowledged yet was still stubborn and thinking more of the blames he placed upon himself. "But consider her feelings too because it matters the most at this point. The universe didn't make a mistake, we did," he said before adding in, "I did."

Out of all the boys, Namjoon blamed himself the most, feeling the most responsible for having to lose you in the first place. He didn't blamed anyone else but him, believing and thinking it was only his fault for the tragic loss. If only he could go back and fix the things he said and did to you, if only he could go back and reassured you that he loved you, if only he could fix his mistake...if only.

But reality was, he couldn't. 

"We were given another chance," Yoongi said gently as he laid a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, watching him with adoration and trying his best to comfort him. "We can fix this. She'll love us," he promised, "I know she will. We just have to trust her and believe she'll come back."

Trusting in you, that was all they had to do. As all of them shared an understanding look of Yoongi's words, they nodded, knowing exactly of what he meant.

Minutes later, when the door opened and the six guys invited themselves into the room Jin and you were in, they paused at the scene in front of them. 

"Hyung, what did you do?" Namjoon asked in a cautious and shocked tone as he stared at you who was lying in bed, eyes closed and sleeping as Jin stood beside you, arms crossed and brows furrowed and conflicted. 

When he heard Namjoon's voice, the man finally broke his eyes away from your body to see the rest of the guys filling up the room and staring just as horrified as Namjoon. When they looked down at Jin's hands, Jimin gulped. "Hyung..."

"What was I supposed to do?" Jin said shakily as he ran his fingers through his hair. "She teared up at the thought of stitches and looked even more terrified than she did that night. I can't resist her tears, you know I can't." Breathing a bit shaky, Jin dropped his head back and scrunched his face, not knowing now of what to do when you woke up.

"It's okay, it's okay," Namjoon tried assuring as he went on to hold Jin in his arms to try and calm him down. "Y/N's tears had always been our weakness."

"But look what I've done. I ruined this. I—"

"No, you didn't," he hushed him softly, rubbing his palm up and down the older man's back. "We'll think of something."

"It's okay, hyung," Hoseok added in. "Seeing Y/N's tears is worse than this, even though..." he slowly trailed off at the thought of the possible responses from you. What if you ran away before they could explain themselves? What if you were even more scared of them than you were before? What if you wanted nothing to do with them or straight up decided to hate you?

Lightly slapping Hoseok's arm, Taehyung mouthed, "You're not helping."

"I messed up," Jin concluded regretfully.

"Don't say that," Namjoon said. 

"She's going to run away."

"Stop."

"She's going to leave our lives."

"Jin—"

"We're going to lose her again!" Jin shouted in frustration as he backed away from Namjoon's arms, only to turn around cautiously at your sleeping form and hoping you wouldn't wake up from that. His wish came true yet nothing was helping as the tears began to form at the thought of losing you. "And it's all because of me."

Seeing the eldest's tears forming instantly alarmed the rest of them and they were quick to run over to him. Yoongi cupped Jin's face to brush away the tears that had fallen down. It had always been hurtful to see one of their other soulmates crying and their hearts dropped at the sight of Jin's tears. But the guys understood, because that was probably what Jin had felt when he saw your tears even if it was for a smaller cause. Still, any kind of tears was painful to see. 

"Don't blame yourself, babe," Yoongi comforted in a soft tone. "We're not going to lose Y/N again. It's our fate as soulmates to accept one another and to stay together for an everlasting period."

Mumbling to himself, Jin pouted. "But with the situation we're in.."

"I know, I know," Yoongi nodded. "Y/N's not going to understand right away but I know her, you know her. She's kind and willing to understand even if things may be difficult. She's always been that forgiving, kind hearted girl," he assured. "Even though others take advantage of that," he added in more like a side comment. "But she's not going to leave us because of this."

"Remember when you first helped her out?" Jungkook chimed in. "She was astonished and maybe a little scared but nonetheless, she never ran away and thought you were abnormal or scary."

"The situation might be a little different from now," Jimin acknowledged, "but Y/N's heart isn't easily swayed towards the dark and assumes the worse out of people just because of a simple thing."

Taehyung nodded. "You helped her out, hyung. You didn't hurt her. She'll understand."

In a way, saying those words out loud, even though it was meant to be comforting words to Jin, had also been comforting for the rest of them as well. Because saying those reassuring words was reassuring them that you'd stay and be willing to understand and still accept them for who they were. It helped them to remember the kind and forgiving heart you had even though sometimes that would hurt you a lot and you'd wish that could change in certain situations. Still, remembering the you before was reassuring their worries of you leaving.

"We're not going to lose her," Hoseok affirmed, placing a light kiss on Jin's head before turning to stare at your sleeping form. "We're not going to lose Y/N."

Silence fell upon the group as they laid their eyes on you, eyes filled with grief but also adoration and love for you. They felt serene just watching you sleeping there. Listening to your calm breathing, it reminded them of the times when everything was right, when you were there in their arms and they woke up to your beautiful face every morning. 

Things were different now and it was going to be a complicated road, they knew, but they guys were willing to go for it if it meant being with you again. After all, your sacrifice could never beat whatever they were going through now. Seeing you sleeping there without any fear or concern, they knew you must have been hurting a lot inside, although you yourself didn't know the reason. The pains were inevitable and the guys all wished they could emit that from you.

But they couldn't. At least not now.

Maybe that was there punishment, for putting you through those pains, they were punished to live without you and had your memories taken away. They knew it was fair, yet it still hurt them to know that you were going through the pain as well, and worse, without even knowing your source. 

"She's going to wake up soon," Jin said. "The gash wasn't that major to deal with." Turning back to the others, he ushered them to go. "I'll fix this."

They all looked at him with hesitation. "Are you sure?" Namjoon asked.

He nodded firmly as he wiped away his tears. "I did this, I should fix it. And besides, if she sees you all in here, it'll only freak her out more."

They understood his point which was why they didn't questioned Jin and longer and only reluctantly stepped back. With one last glance made your way as you began to stir awake, the six guys made their way out—well, five. 

As the others walked out the room, Yoongi snuck behind to stay in the room.

Reaching out a chair to sit on, Jin leaned over to lightly brush away the extra strands of hair that covered part of your face. "Y/N," he called softly and you began to blink awake. Your eyes roamed around the unfamiliar ceiling drowsily before turning your head to the side and coming face to face with Jin. 

The two of you stayed there staring into each other's eyes. No words were spoken, the only sound you could hear was the sound of calm and comforting breathings. Being so close up to him felt heart pounding. It was a little different from the atmosphere from your first meeting, when you had first came face to face with Kim Seokjin. It was different because he was closer, and no one was dying around you, no creepy feeling, no scary thoughts of what he could do to you. You could only feel his warmth and secure.

And that was the best feeling in the world. 

You had always told yourself that being with a man who made you feel safe and sound was far better than a man who only made your heart excited and pounding so fast. The feeling of security was much better than the feeling of excitement, and you felt safe there. 

It was ironic, he was a mafia, the worst mafia of them all and yet he was the one to make you feel safe more than any other man you've encountered before. You felt like you could trust him, like he was a safe haven, like he was...a soulmate.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked you in the most gentle voice. 

"Jin..." Your brows furrowed a bit and holding up your wrist in front of you, you stared at it in confusion before looking back at him. You still remembered what had happened, how could you forget?

Jin's face fell at the sight, an uneasy feeling filling his stomach as he saw that you clearly remembered what had happened. Were you scared? Afraid of him? Why weren't you saying anything? "You can leave if you want," he said almost inaudibly but because you were right next to him, you heard what he said. Although Jin didn't liked the suggestion, he knew you had the will to choose. 

Whatever it was, he had to accept it. "If you're scared of me, you can leave."

Even with his words, you did nothing but stared at Jin for a prolonged time, no words exchanged, just strange eyes staring into his. He was dying to know what you were thinking, why you weren't saying anything and just staring. 

It wasn't that you were scared of him, you couldn't find yourself to feel scared around Jin's presence even though you knew he was a mafia. You didn't know exactly what to feel, what you should be feeling. Should you be afraid of him and run away? Should you be angry and hate him? Or should you feel thankful for what he had done? 

He was so mysterious, they all were. Now with what you had witnessed however long ago, more questions swarmed around your head and all you wanted to do was to just sleep and think nothing of anything. You wanted to believe everything had been just a dream but the fact that you had just woken up in front of a handsome mafia told you otherwise. 

But then again, how could he do what he had just done? A part of you told you were seeing things, but another part of you wondered how in the world had it been an illusion when, clearly, your arm was fully healed? A part of you wanted to open your mouth and ask him every question that had been swarming like bees in your head, yet another part of you just wanted to forget about everything and leave. 

Leave.

But a tug from your heart kept you from doing so. 

Watching you carefully from where he was hiding, Yoongi held his gaze on yours as you reached out a hand to slowly and softly caress Jin's face. Maybe you knew what you were doing, maybe you didn't, but nonetheless, soft clear tears were falling against your delicate cheeks. 

It was then when Yoongi felt the desiring urge to appear before you nod to hold you in his arms, lightly brushing away your tears and giving you soft kisses on your head—but he stopped himself. He knew that if he were to make his appearance, things would only get more complicated and hard for you. 

Your tears had always been their weakness and Yoongi hoped so badly to be in his boyfriend's position so that he could assure you with gentle words that everything was going to be alright. 

Because Jin wasn't doing his job. 

He too was in a trance as he stared back into your eyes. Perhaps you hadn't realized that you had begun crying, and perhaps Jin didn't realized the state both of you were in either..both lost in your own little worlds.

That was, until a sudden ring brought you both out of your daze. 

You gasped a little and let go of Jin, jolting right up to sit on the bed as you realized it was your phone going off. Reaching for it on the desk near, you supposed, Jin's bed, you grabbed for it and saw your best friend's name on the screen. As a drop of tear rolled down onto your phone screen, it was then when you realized you had actually been crying. 

You took a moment to wipe away your tears before looking over at Jin, phone still going off. His eyes looked perplexed and you knew then that you had to make a decision; to stay or to leave. 

Something told you to stay, to shut your phone off, to ignore your friend just this time. Maybe it was that string tugging at your heart and telling you to not leave them because you had that urge to know them, to learn more about them. Although strangers, you felt so connected. 

But you couldn't stay. 

You couldn't. 

You stared back down at your phone after the call disappeared and instead a text replaced your screen. 

Dahyun: Y/N, I need a shoulder to cry on.

And that was enough to have your decision made up. 

"Please tell me where the exit is," you asked and he told you. 

He allowed you to leave. 

And you did; running out the door and towards the outside world as quick as you could. Jin and Yoongi watched you silently, wondering why they hadn't stopped you. They could've if they wanted, they were far more stronger than you, but they didn't. A part of them felt you were going to leave, but perhaps it was only a wishful thinking that you'd stay.

You wondered, if Dahyun hadn't texted you, would you had stayed with them? Tell Jin that you weren't afraid? Tell him that it felt just right to stay with him? 

Maybe. Maybe not.

But perhaps now, maybe things were ending with them, that you'd never see them again. 

Maybe. 

Or maybe this was just the beginning.

#bts poly au #bts mafia #bts polyamory #ot7 x reader #bts x reader #poly bts #bts angst #bts fluff #bts scenario #bts fanfic #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook

[jamesbarnesappreciationsociety]

Jessica Barnes: Jr. CEO (One Shot)

Summary: This is the cutest company takeover in history.

Pairing: CEO Daddy! Bucky Barnes x OC: Jessica Marie Barnes

Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson

Scott Lang and Peter Parker

Word Count: 1,879

Warnings: Angst; fluff

A/N: @stevieang, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to beta read for me. Your insight is greatly appreciated.

Exquisite Designs, a commercial architectural firm owned by longtime friends James Buchanan Barnes and Steven Grant Rogers, boasted some of New York’s wealthiest clients. For over 17 years, the firm built some of the most elegant office buildings dotting the skyline in New York City.

Their number one client is Stark and Wilson Land Development. The firm was currently working on the Howard and Maria Stark wing of Mt. Sinai hospital" It was a 24-7 project with big deadlines, big pressure, and big payoff. This project held a special place in Bucky’s heart. His wife, Lillian, died from a brain aneurysm, leaving behind an adorable daughter with rich brown hair like her father and hypnotic amber eyes identical to her late mother.

Her frail body lay in the lovely king size sleigh bed. Different hues of blues dotted the sheets, comforter and blanket. Blue is her favorite color. James Buchanan Barnes, held his wife Lillian’s dainty hand. He knew her time on Earth was drawing to an end. Sunken eyes turned towards her husband whispering, “Please promise me, you’ll live for Jess.”

“Don’t know how to do that without you, Doll.” Bucky wiped the steady stream of tears from his face. 

With a faint smile on her face, Lillian Marie Barnes closed her eyes. Shoulders shaking, Bucky sobbed openly, kissing her hand. “I love you, Lillian. I’ll do my best for Jess.”

Steve heard his best friend crying. He then realized, his “Lillie Bug” was gone. Trying to explain to a 3 year old that her mommy was gone, Steve put it this way. “Munchkin’, ya remember when your daddy told ya that mommy would go to sleep forever?” 

Jess nodded ‘yes.’ “Daddy said mommy was Sleeping Beauty, but the Prince couldn’t wake her up. So, she’ll be in Heaven watching out for us. Is she an Angel now, Uncle Stevie?”

“Yeah, Lillie Bug is an Angel.” Jess crawled in her uncle’s lap, “I’m sad.”

“Me too, sweetheart.” Burying her face in Steve’s massive chest, Jess cried herself to sleep. 

Following Lillian’s memorial service, Bucky spiralled into deep depression. No longer able to care for her, Jess mourned the loss of her mommy and daddy. Signing temporary control of Exquisite Designs to his best friend, Bucky sought the nurturing spirit of Lillian’s parents, Raymond and Bethany. They agreed to keep their granddaughter as long as needed. Unable to understand why she wasn’t with her daddy, Jess often cried, becoming clingy. 

Three months later, Steve kicked his friend in the ass, explaining Jess longed for her daddy. Losing her mother had taken a toll on her young life, now she needed him to get it together. 

Realizing Steve was right, Bucky planned a father/daughter vacation to Maui. As you would imagine, Jessica was delighted. Boarding his private jet, the duo made their way to crystal clear water, sugar white sandy beaches, for a chance to reconnect with his daughter. Tucked away in his luggage were photo albums, holding page after page of heartwarming memories.

Sitting in Bucky’s lap, Jess wiped the tears cascading down Bucky’s face. “Daddy, don’t be sad. Mommy is in Heaven. She can see us, just look up.” 

Turning her gaze towards a cloudless sky, Jess baby girl smiled and whispered,“Mommy told me to take care of you.” 

“Thank you Jess. I Iove you so much. Please forgive me for not spending time with you. Your momma was my world. Following her death, life just wasn’t the same. I neglected the one person who needed me the most; YOU!”

“Daddy, it’s okay.” Her face was sincere and her words showed the goodness deep within.

“No baby, it’s not. From now on, I’ll take more time off.” 

Her face lit up like a carnival in the night. “Really?? Yippee!”

Upon returning home, Bucky thought of a wonderful way to honor his wife’s memory. He approached Steve about plans for “The Lillian Marie Barnes Child Care Center.” A free center for all employees of the firm.  Parents could be there at the beginning, middle, and end of the day and didn’t have to worry about their little ones while at work. The age limits were: infants 6 months - 1 years old and children 2- 4 years old. Employees, as you could imagine, were ecstatic. 

Since “The Howard and Maria Stark Children’s Wing” was on schedule, Peter Parker, Director of Marketing, pitched an idea to Bucky. 

Gathered around the spacious cherrywood table were upper management and their executive assistants. Facilitating the meeting, Peter laid out his plans for “Kids Takeover the Firm Day.” “I thought it would be fun to take a day off and let the kids run the company. We’ve worked extremely hard to meet all our deadlines and it’s been accomplished.” Everyone listened attentively.

“Have you decided on a date?” Bucky leaned on the table.

“How about this Saturday? The phone lines won’t be operational just in case one of the kids decides to call out, and our answering service would alert us if they received calls that weren’t caught by one of us.”

Bucky added, “You might be onto something Peter. I’m sure they would love to dress up and  play Junior Executives for a day.”

Nat and Clint’s twins, Mason and Jason, would serve as Jr. Executive Assistants to the Jr. CEO.

Steve agreed, “Jessica should serve as Jr. CEO.” 

Bucky couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you sure? I don’t want any favoritism.”

“She’d make a great Junior CEO!” Wanda’s eyes sparkled.

With this in mind, Bucky suggested taking the remainder of the day off. “Alright, let’s get the ball rolling. I have a little CEO to shop for.”

Bucky made his way to Jessica’s preschool class. She immediately sprinted to his arms.“Hi sweetheart. How’s my girl?” 

“I’m fine daddy. We learned our ABC’s and numbers!” Jess’ smile mimicked that of her mommy’s.  

“What? My goodness you’re smart!”  Bucky kissed  her cheek, nose and forehead before dropping the big news on her.

“Guess what? On Saturday, all the kids of the moms and dads that work for Daddy and Uncle Steve’s company get to be in charge for the day. Uncle Steve has promoted you to Junior Chief Executive Officer - the Big Boss.”You’ve been deemed Jr. CEO.”

Unable to contain her enthusiasm, Jess sprung up on her toes. Pumping her fists in the air, she jumped around declaring, “I’M THE BOSS...I’M THE BOSS!!!”

“Peanut, there’s more to being CEO than just saying you’re the boss. Remember that it’s important to always treat your employees with respect.”

“Okay daddy. I’ll be good.” 

“How about a shopping trip? You’ll need new clothes, a briefcase, and shoes!”  There wasn’t much his girl loved more than going shopping.  She was all in now.

“Let’s go!!!”

TIME FOR WORK

At 8:00 on the dot, decked out in her navy blue “suit” and carrying her briefcase and phone, Jessica Marie Barnes, Jr. CEO, reported for work. 

Natasha’s twins Mason and Jason, donned brown two-piece suits, cream shirts, and brown striped ties. Malachi Rogers sported a gray 3 piece suit, powder blue shirt, and solid tie. Wanda, Scott and Sam’s kids also looked razor sharp, in pastel dress shirts, dark pants, and black patent leather shoes. 

Parents and kids gathered in the small conference room. The kids couldn’t sit still, they were hyped to get the show on the road.

“I must admit, this is the best dressed staff in all of New York.” Bucky beamed, “Jessica, you have the floor.”

“Thank you Mr. Barnes. Good morning. My name is Jessica Barnes but you can call me Jess. It’s time for our morning meeting. Follow me to the small room.” 

Their parents laughed quietly and smiled as they filed out of the room.  How much trouble could 3 and 4 year olds get into? Yikes!

Parents applauded as Jess led her friends to another conference room set-up with breakfast sandwiches, fruit, pastry and juice boxes.

Munching on a sausage and biscuit, Malachi announced, “Okay, folks. We have a lot of work to do. There’s a meeting with people who want something built.” 

One little lady asked, “Mr. Grant, who?”  

Malachi replied, “I dunno let’s make something up.”

One factor forgotten, in the midst of their excitement of the day, the cuteness of the kids, someone forgot what could happen if kids consume copious amounts of S.U.G.A.R.  

Jess, Malachi, Mason and Jason wandered away from the others and ended up in one of the copy rooms. Mason, with wide-eyed wonder, suggested making copies of their faces. How they turned the machine on is one of life’s biggest mysteries. They took turns copying faces, arms and legs. Jason, however, took it one step further. He sat on the machine and took a picture of his bottom. 

Next, a group of 3-year-olds snuck into a few offices with sticky hands, pressing on the keyboards. Yep, they made a mess. 

Not to be left out, Jessica and her gang visited the employee break room. The refrigerator and lower cabinets were raided. They devoured chips, Christmas candy, and cookies leftover from an office meeting. 

Smeared on the pristine white walls were tiny chocolate handprints, water and orange juice got spilled onto the floor, and a few kids ate too much. The room was an absolute MESS.

Mason and Jason tried to clean up the spilled juice throwing paper towels on the floor. Malachi retrieved a mop, attempting to clean up.

Instead, he slipped, face first, soiling his new suit. Jessica, completely flustered, plopped on the floor in tears.

Leave it to the Moms in the room to hear what wasn’t being said.  Natasha and Wanda suddenly looked at each other and sprinted out of the room towards the suddenly-silent children.  They knew that quiet kids equaled disaster and were nauseous at the thought of what they might find.  All the parents ran and converged on the breakroom, stopped cold by what they found.  As they surveyed the damage. Bucky murmured, “What the hell happened in here?”

While he shook his head, most of the parents pulled out their phones to capture the moment.

The state of the room was nothing compared to the tired, messy children who were in varying stages of sugar crashes. Bucky looked at Steve, “We’re going to have to give the cleaning company a major bonus after this weekend. They’re going to think we left a zoo loose in here!”

Understanding the need for parents, as well as kids to recuperate, Steve suggested everyone take an extended weekend. Everyone accepted the gracious offer.  

“Kids Takeover the Firm Day” was a complete success. Jessica Barnes’ reign as CEO had come to an end. Sleeping soundly on her daddy’s black leather office sofa, Jess was visibly exhausted. Kissing her chubby cheek, Bucky moved a strand of hair from her forehead. In that moment, he felt Lillian’s presence. Wiping a wayward tear from his face, Bucky knew his wife would live on through Jessica Marie Barnes, Junior CEO.

Tagging: @stevieang @loricameback @mrsgoodnight @suz-123 @pegasusdragontiger

#Jessica Barnes: Jr. CEO #fluffy goodness #hope you enjoy it #dad! bucky x ofc

[anotherererifanshippingcorner]

#3 Wonders of the unkown (Goodbye) pt. 2 - for Eren/Levi Angst Weekend

Part 1 is here!

Title: Wonders of the unknown Prompt: Goodbye for #ereriangstweekend by @ererievents​ Rating: Explicit Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin Pairing: Eren Jaeger/Levi Ackerman  Word count: 5.1k Additional tags: Alternative Universe - Dystopia (sort of), Soulmates AU, Angst, Smut, Fluff Summary:  In this world, everyone has a soulmate, but it hasn’t always been easy to find them -not like now. Years of scientific progress helped the world organize and engulf the functioning of the Red Thread of Fate into the system, so that no one would fear not meeting their destined one ever again. Levi Ackerman is finally twenty, and the Red Ceremony -where young men and women meet their soulmates for the first time- is close. Or is it really?

Read under the cut or on ao3

*** «For a while, they went on with the lives the system created for them, marrying them out with the people they were paired with and raising a family. Years later, both their husband and wife died, just like that. And one day, they met again, and that triggered their brain into revealing the same sleeping memories the government had tried to take away from them. They were discovered and threatened, told that they didn’t have many options and could only cooperate or have their brain played with again. See, the thing about wiping one’s memory is that it can be done only once without damaging the brain. Doing it again would be too much trouble even for the government. But my parents said they just wanted to be together. Initially, they were against it, since my mother came from a rank much higher than my father’s, but they fought it off, swearing they would keep quiet and disappear. The government ended up granting it, provided that they would live in isolation and didn’t keep in touch with anyone. They didn’t need to be asked twice. My parents run and hid as far away from the city as they could»

He remained silent for a few seconds, probably gathering his thoughts, feeling your eyes boring into him. You weren’t the only one who was nervous.

«And then they had me. I’m sure that scared them a lot» he murmured, smiling sadly and dropping his head, hiding his face from your sight. Your chest tightened, and you had to force yourself to breath and stay still while your mate was so distressed.

Your mate. It still sounded strange, and yet so right.

«We were happy. As happy as we could be in the situation we were forced in, but it was true. The place I grew up in contains so many beautiful memories, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to part from it»

His shoulders were shaking, and it was enough to break your heart. If all of that was true -if memory-wiping tools truly existed-, then you supposed you could try to believe him. There was too much pain in they way he talked and behaved, too much sincerity in his eyes when they met yours for it to be a lie.

But you had questions. There were things probably left unsaid, and you wanted to understand.

So you asked them, hoping it would distract him from the pain he was reliving so that he could explain everything to you.

«Why did they do that? Why pair your parents with different people in the first place?»

«Because of the Caste system» Eren said, voice rough, scrolling his head to regain control of himself. When he looked over at you, his eyes were lucid, but firm. Your expression must have alerted him of your confusion, because he smiled patiently and set his cup on the small table in front of the couch, leaning toward you slightly.

That’s when you remembered about your tea -only to find the cup half empty, drink already cold. You imitated him, while listening to his explanation.

«Think about it. Do you believe that there had never been people whose soulmate was of a much lower Caste than their own?»

No, you didn’t. And it was strange. Everyone had always moved within their own Caste, one above or one below at best. It had always striked you as odd, like it was too much of a coincidence, too romantic, as they put it, but no one had ever said anything, and your mated friends had all seemed happy.

You signaled him to keep going.

«The SP is supported by the government and the Caste system, financially speaking. Those of a high rank would never accept a farmer or a simple worker as their sons or daughters’ mate. Something needed to be changed, in that case, and they developed a memory-control tool. My parent’s friend, Armin, was part of the project, and refused to work on it when he found out what was his purpose. They wiped his memory, and he was assigned to the SP, so that they could keep an eye on him in case he remembered something. And he did, because he had left something to himself, knowing that the very same thing he refused to be a part of would be eventually used against him. We met when he came in contact with my family, after he found out about my father’s story and medical studies. With that, he discovered about me, too, a boy born from a couple of not recognized soulmates that no one, neither Sina’s government, knew about. He promised my parents he would protect me if something were to happen. And he kept it -he still does»

You brought your hands to your temple, massaging them while trying to come to terms with what you heard. Keeping your distance from him was giving you a migraine, but you weren’t quite ready for physical contact. His distress bothered you, though.

«So you are saying it’s all about money and power»

«Yes»

«And that people are manipulated if their destined mate is not of the same social status»

«Yes»

«Does that mean there are others nowadays whose mates have been paired with different people? Like it was for your parents?» Like it could be for us?, you thought, without having the courage to say it aloud.

Slowly, as if he didn’t want to reply but knew that he had to, Eren nodded.

«Okay. Then, how did you find me? Why now?»

«Armin. As I said before, he works for the SP and he kept out an eye for the chemical factor that would react with mine. Yours did, but he didn’t find out until yesterday. He was the one who send you the invitation letter»

You sagged back on the couch, looking at your hands, heart beating faster at the way yours and Eren’s red string were finally joined into one. You started thinking how it would be, to be paired with someone else now that you knew about Eren. You two have been together for less than a couple of hours, yet the thought repulsed you, making you shiver as if you were ill.

The doorbell echoed in the apartment, and he got up from the couch and went to let his guest in.

«Levi!»

He took her arm and pulled her in the entrance, locking the door. She angrily got out of her coat and scarf, never once looking at you.

«Are you finally ready to tell me what’s gotten into you? It’s been weeks since I last saw you and you didn’t even go to work. What about Nif-»

When she turned her head abruptly and realized the state he was in -disheveled hair, heavy bags under his eyes, comfy clothes-, she just knew something was very wrong.

«Tell me everything»

And he did.

«Are you okay?»

You glanced sideways at Eren, noticing how his eyes were observing you, worried and antsy, probably trying to guess how you felt.

«I- it’s just, it’s crazy. I’ve never been a fan of the Ceremony myself, but this is kind of hard to believe»

You saw his eyes hesitate at your words, but he held the sadness in them back, forcing him to hear you out. So you spoke quickly.

«It had always felt stupid and superficial when to me, like what they were doing was fucking obnoxious while it should have been more of an intimate thing» you added, hoping your embarrassment wasn’t obvious and that Eren didn’t think it was childish.

«But that’s not the point. What really frustrates me is that a part of me already believes you» you reluctantly admitted, diverting your eyes from the hopeful glint in Eren’s irises, «which kind of complicates everything and confuses me even more»

But Eren was already nodding, understanding clear as day in his expression, and your heart broke a little bit more at his eagerness.

«I get it. I grew up in this reality, but for you it’s just a sad story. I am already grateful you heard me out»

And then you just couldn’t take it anymore.

You scooted closer, before you could even change your mind, and took his hand in yours.

Relief washed over you in a potent wave and your body finally went slack, comforted by your mate’s closeness and direct contact. You heard him breath out, too, and he carefully tagged you against him, enveloping you in a hug. It was blissful and comforting, even if the socially awkward part of you was twitching a little. It subsided after a few moments, letting you relax.

You both remained silent for a while, hearts pounding, skin tingling, humming contently here and there, but the urgency of your talk kept nagging at you.

«You said you brought me here because you wanted to keep me safe, so what’s going to happen to me?» you whispered, snuggling subtly against his side. You felt his chin find his way on your head, waiting for his words to fill the silence again.

«They’ll look for you in the SP, because you’re already twenty. They’ll know about you having a soulmate, because the chemical agent is already active. They’ll know you already met me by the way the soulmate’s factor in the blood reacts and changes after the first meeting. I am not in the Registers, so it’ll take a while for them to figure it out, but when it’ll be clear that your soulmate is not out there, they’ll keep digging. Or maybe they won’t even bother and force a different mate on you, ripping our bond by means of some kind of injection, which creates a fake string connected to someone else»

He held you tighter, trembling with disgust only at the mental image of it. Was that your destiny? To be a rebel or become a marionette for the Caste system?

«And if they find out about your existence? Do you think they would use me against you?»

«Within the blink an eye»

You nodded.

«What now?»

«What?»

Your condescendence seemed to surprise him -it surprised you, too. Were you really going to do that -believe him? He didn’t have any logical reason to lie to you, and the risk of losing that, if what he told you was true, was too high.

You broke free from your hug, regarding him with a serious look.

«What should we do? My friends are probably looking for me and the Ceremony should be long over, now»

He seemed at a loss for a while, apparently lost looking at you with the same wonder he had in his eyes when you first met. That was, until something occurred to him.

«For now, tell them you are okay and that you are trying to figure out why your mate wasn’t there. It’s better if they don’t know. But at some point, you’ll need to notify the SP of your status, to gain you time and don’t have them suspecting about you. That’s if they don’t come to you first»

You agreed.

«I believe you»

He breathed out his relief, letting Hanji hand him a second cup of tea.

«It’s absurd and amazing and tragical and makes me really, really angry, but I believe you»

«I don’t know what to do» he admitted, glancing out of the window, not daring to wonder if he was okay, if he was thinking about you.

«Are you angry at him?»

He didn’t answer.

«You know they probably found out about him and he was only trying to keep you safe, right? If he told you where he was going and what he was-»

«That’s what makes me furious»

«But now it’s perfect!»

He looked over, noticing how happy she seemed to be.

«They don’t know you remember now, so it’s the perfect time to look for him!»

«What about Nifa? What about you, the others-»

«I’m sorry for that sweet angel. She can be your cover, so that they won’t know you know. Because honestly? I want you to be happy. And if it means letting you go so that you can find your soulmate and be with him, even if it’s far away from here, then that’s where I’ll help you go»

You weren’t aware you had been in love with him since the moment you met his eyes.

Well, that wasn’t quite true.

The bond didn’t create love, but helped you to build up complicity and trust with someone the universe knew would understand and support and accept you completely.

Love was how some people decided to call it.

At the beginning, Eren didn’t know why you kept wanting him back. He thought you were going to dispose of him soon after knowing how dangerous it was for the both of you to be together, but when you demanded if he was ready to take the risk and he told you he had been dreaming of living with you since the bond kicked in, you were quick to silence him.

«Then it’s settled. We need to work on your tea skills. I’ll teach you»

That was the reassurance you both needed.

«How do we do that?»

«You mentioned a friend of Eren’s in the SP, right?»

«Yes. Armin Arlert»

«That name does sound familiar. I’ll ask about him to my colleagues at work and see what section he works in, specifically»

«Alright. Be careful and don’t attract unwanted attention»

«Yup! Leave it to mama Hanji!»

He rolled his eyes into his head, smiling for the first time since all those memories came back to him, days prior.

«Hanji?»

«What, shorty?»

«Thank you»

«I don’t think it’s okay for you to come here this often. Maybe you should tone it out a bit. We should be careful»

Eren pouted, hiding well his worry, and inched closer.

«I can’t honestly go long without seeing you, Levi»

You laughed a bit, every day a little more charmed by the childish way with which Eren made him smile.

«Tch, you pimp»

«What did Armin say?»

«Nothing. He told me we need to wait, that he’ll take care of it»

«You really brought that cup here?»

Eren took his jacket off, hanging it in the entrance and getting rid of his dirty shoes. Your heart jumped at that little act, knowing it was out of respect for you. He turned, raising his full hands and showing off his gift.

«Of course! It suits you, so don’t complain»

You didn’t even realize you were in front of him until you took his face into your hands and brought it down to kiss him, tugging at his lower lip impatiently to get him to open his mouth.

He did, eagerly as in everything he did, circling your waist and deepening the contact.

«Mmmh, someone missed me» Eren smiled against your lips, licking them lightly once, twice, before taking them again, roughly.

«You know I always do» you said minutes later, breathless, cup forgotten in Eren’s hands.

«I miss you so much»

His whisper echoed in the night, sheets agonizingly cold, Eren’s side of the bed devoid of any trace of his presence.

«You truly are a ghost»

«Have you ever thought of running away?»

You didn’t stop playing with his hair, for once not tied in a messy bun, and Eren didn’t open his eyes when he answered.

«I did. My father offered me to, after mom died»

«Why didn’t you?»

«For a lot of reasons, the main one being you»

«Me?»

He took your other hand and brought it to his face, kissing your palm lightly and making you shiver.

«Yes. I knew there was a possibility that your were here, in Sina. More than that, I could somehow feel it. I couldn’t go away without at least meeting you, even if it meant sacrificing everything my parents did to keep me safe»

You didn’t speak for a while, enjoying the feeling of affection and serenity that staying close to him gave you. Then,

«Let’s run away»

«Uh?»

Eren turned his head, lifting his eyelids and looking at you.

«Let’s run away», you repeated, your gaze never leaving his.

A couple of seconds of silence, then a smile, a passionate kiss on your hand.

«Yes. Let’s do it»

«Hi, Levi»

A shy voice greeted him on the other hand of the phone, feeding his guilty conscience.

«Hi, Nifa»

«The SP settled our first date, did you read it? It’s in two days from now»

«Yes, I read it»

«I’m really excited! Where should we go?»

«Wherever you want to go»

«Levi- Are you sure?»

Your hands tightened their hold on his shoulder, bringing him down urgently, legs around his waist. Your arousal bumped together and you both hissed, the friction doing wonders against your heated skin.

«Yes. It’s already uncertain as it is, I don’t want to miss any of the thing I can do with you»

Eren moaned at your words, and every caution from him disappeared.

He took his time entering you, holding your hips down and reveling in the feeling of his dick sinking into you, just as much as you loved the sensation of being filled to the brim, despite the initial uncomfortableness.

Suddenly, Eren was everywhere -in your heart and soul, whispering at your ears and against your lips, intertwining your fingers and caressing your sides, while he slowly, slowly moved his length out of your hole before going back in, every time a little bit faster to get you both used to the feeling, until he set a rhythm that had you withering and trashing against the sheets, sweat trickling down your skin.

It was a torture, one you never wanted to end.

«Eren- faster»

«Not now- let me»

His thrusts became longer and deeper, searching, wandering, taking your breath away, making it impossible to stay still.

«Eren- Eren, please»

«It’s okay, love, I think I-»

You screamed, literally screamed when Eren pushed against something inside you that had every single nerve of your body light up and shout in pleasure, rendering your words much more incoherent.

«There! Do it again!»

But Eren was already doing it, apparently having been looking for that particular spot, and he started pounding with reckless abandon into it while holding your right legs up, your left one draped on his shoulder.

«Yes, oh god, Er- Eren-»

«Shit!»

Eren’s hand flew to your erection, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer with you moaning and panting like that, closing around it and fisting it in time with his thrusts. Your hips drove right back onto Eren’s dick and into his hand, seeking all the pleasure you could get, making him lose even more the thin grasp he had on his control.

«Levi-» he sobbed in pure pleasure, «Levi»

It didn’t take more of a couple of push and encouraging words for you to come on your stomach, painting yourself with your own semen and trying to keep up with Eren’s movement a little bit longer, until you felt him come in your ass, gasping weakly at the sensation.

None of you spoke, but you embraced each other tightly, still feeling vulnerable and open, but satiated and warm as never before.

«Shit»

He came again, moaning silently, the ghost of Eren’s touches and kisses on his skin.

His breath was heavy, lungs extending frenetically to gain as much air as possible, eyes blinking tears away and revealing the sad truth-

He was still alone.

«They came. They told me my request for my missing soulmate has been accepted and that they’ll let me know. Are you sure that was a good idea?»

You were pacing nervously in the kitchen, preparing lunch while referring about your last encounter with the SP division. You had to make them aware of the fact that you weren’t contacted for your Ceremony, so not to raise suspicion in the government.

«You know it was, you agreed, too. They’d find it strange if you didn’t alert them of your status, now that some time had passed. Not all Ceremonies happens immediately after one’s twentieth birthday, but we can’t risk it»

You sighed, irritated by the fact that he was right and the one of you who managed to keep his cool.

«What if the next time they’ll come back they’ll wipe my memory because they didn’t find one?»

«We won’t let that happen. We’ll find a way, I’ll ask Armin»

«I don’t want to forget about you»

«We won’t let that happen. If they take me- no, listen. If they take me, they’ll make you forget. But the bond is truly a mysterious thing. Scientists keep analyzing it as if they have it all figured out, but there are many aspects of it that keep eluding the human mind. So if you were to forget about me, and they were to force a bond with someone else on you, which is the standard procedure, your original bond probably wouldn’t disappear. It’s carved in your soul, in your essence. It’s not something science can erase. Keep it always in mind»

«We should have run away when I told you» he murmured with a bitter smile, bowing his head to the wind.

«Did you say something?»

He turned his head, giving a shake of his head to Nifa.

«No, everything is alright»

She smiled at him, and when he did the same his eyes were dull and a but glassy.

That evening, when he came back to his apartment, someone was already there.

«Were you waiting for me?»

The blond man raised his head, regarding him with a tight look, before pulling away from the wall.

«Let’s talk inside»

«What’s going on?»

«…»

«Eren? Who was on the phone?»

«I have to go»

«What the hell are you talking about?»

«I won’t come anymore, okay? I don’t want them in your head. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me»

«No! Don’t you dare leave me, Eren. Even if they wipe my memory, I won’t forget. You know I won’t»

«Is this for me?»

The man was extending a letter to him, and Levi took it with weary eyes.

«It’s from Eren»

He wanted to open it. He wanted it so much his fingers were shaking, hand cramping around it, but his body was frozen.

«Are you Armin?»

The other nodded, watching Levi.

«Did you see him? Is he okay?»

«Yes. He is well hidden»

He breathed in. The out.

Eren was alive and well.

«Okay» you said, nodding, walking around the couch and sitting on it.

«Okay»

Eren watched you sleep.

He loved doing it, one of the rare moments you were truly unguarded, and your walls weren’t up to protect you. The little light seeping in through the window danced of your distended features, throwing shadows on your cheeks and in the corner of your mouth, illuminating your forehead, free from your usual frown and adorably covered from your scattered after-sex hair.

He watched you, smiling secretly, brushing your bangs just to impress on his skin a last touch, aside from a last look. He let you believe you had managed to convince him, but he knew that he couldn’t stay.

Then, he stood.

Marched toward the door, stopping at the doorstep of you room, glancing back.

«Goodbye, Levi»

He left with a whisper.

He threw the letter on the small table, drawing a pensive look out of Armin.

«I don’t care about his words, as long as he is okay. I want him»

«You want him?»

«I want to go to him, get the hell out of here» he specified.

Armin seemed to understand what he was implying, but that didn’t mean it’d be easy to convince him when Eren’s safety was in the man’s hands.

«Do you love him?»

«Yes»

«Are you ready to do whatever it-»

«Yes»

«What about your life, your friends-»

«I don’t care. And they’ll understand» he replied in order.

Armin seemed lost in thought, and Levi didn’t really care what he was thinking about as long as it would lead him to Eren. Then he’ll give that jerk a piece of his mind.

Three men in black gear and two in white coats entered his apartment and started looking around.

Panic filled you to the brim, knowing it had to have something to do with Eren. Did they find out about him? Did they take him away while he was asleep?

«Who are you? What are you- ehy!»

Those clothed in black ignored you, taking stuff from the furniture and couch -Eren’s stuff, you realized with a new wave of horror and fear.

«Don’t touch anything! Where is he? Where did you bring him?»

One of the men in the white coat, probably a doctor or a scientist, came toward you and looked at you with something akin to pity.

«That’s none of your concern, and soon you’ll agree with me on that. Please, just relax and let us do our work, everything will go back to normal in a couple of hours»

That’s when you understood what was going to happen -they were going to use the memory-tool on you. It was really happening. They were going to take every trace of Eren’s existence from your life.

«Can I ask you something?»

«Make it quick» Levi said, crossing his arms.

«How did you remember? I worked in the SP for years, and every time someone gained his memories back, it was because they were triggered by the presence of their mate, but I know Eren didn’t come here to see you once since he had to go away. How did it happen?»

The younger sighed, almost smiling, not looking at Armin’s way.

«It was that stupid cup»

«Uh?»

«The only thing belonging to Eren that they didn’t manage to take away. He left me without saying a word, hoping that not knowing where he was would keep me safe. When they raided my place searching for things with his digits on, they didn’t find any on the cup and thought it was already mine. I just used that so many times that it wasn’t his anymore, not in a tangible way»

Armin seemed to understand, expression finally distending.

«But then again…» you added, leaning your head to the side and focusing on nothing in particular, «it’s like Eren had said many times to me. The bond between soulmates is a mysterious thing, not even science can harness it completely»

The blond man couldn’t agree more.

A body was found on the side of the road next to the burning car, rendered completely unrecognizable. Scientific managed to confirm the identity after a DNA test, already hypothesized as a result of an investigation on the license plate.

Levi Ackerman, age 20, Caste D, had only recently gotten through his mating Ceremony. We are close to his mate, Nifa Meier, and his friend, in their mourning.

 Petra was inconsolable, her mate, Auruo, unable to make her stop crying. Gunther and Erd still couldn’t believe it, looking helplessly at each other.

Hanji, on the other hand, felt like she was the only one who could truly be of any comfort to them, but the truth was that she was powerless.

She couldn’t tell them Levi was okay.

She couldn’t tell them his death was faked in order for him to be with his mate again.

She couldn’t, and she wouldn’t, keeping the danger and the happiness of knowing it all for herself.

She hoped they would eventually forgive her.

«You sure look like shit»

The man at the bar counter didn’t really turn around to look at the one who addressed him, only slightly moving his head without looking away from his beer. His fingers, that had stopped upon hearing that voice, started playing with the hem of the mug again, trembling slightly.

«I’m already 26, guess it’s starting to show»

The newcomer hummed, taking the barstool on his left.

«Yeah, it took a while for me to come over»

«I know» said the man, taking a good swig of beer and wiping his mouth clean with the sleeve of his hoodie.

«Gross»

Eren started laughing, lightly at first, as if he didn’t want to be heard, until his eyes betrayed him and became lucid, a half sob leaving his throat.

The barman looked at him curiously, sending Levi a perplexed glance, but he distracted him by ordering his own drink.

«Levi, I- it’s so good to see you»

Levi was sure it was. Something was alive, in his stomach, as much his string was, fluttering and dancing in bright red now that it was reunited with Eren’s own.

«Yeah, I know» he murmured, which was is way of saying, yeah, me too.

None of them spoke for a moment, voice suddenly nowhere to be found, and Levi’s eyes wandered, unfocused. There were too many words to express his sorrow and loneliness and relief and love, but not nearly enough to say what he wanted to convey in that moment.

The barman came bake with his order, placing it in front of him and giving them the privacy they obviously needed.

«Bourbon?»

«I became quite acquainted to it while you weren’t there»

A strangled sound made his way out of Eren’s mouth, one similar both to a laugh and another sob.

«Let me guess. Erwin’s personal stock?»

«Precisely Erwin’s personal stock»

Levi managed to smile, thinking about Armin’s blond mate and the entire cabinet filled with different brands of bourbon.

Both Levi and Eren turned serious pretty soon, though, the sweetness of their reunion hiding lost somewhere between the lines. So much to lighten the mood.

They hadn’t seen each other in months, and Levi’s patience was already running thin. He wanted to scream at him, in many ways, as much as he wanted to touch him and never let go again.

«You are impatient. You are doing that thing with you finger tapping against the glass-»

«You tried to leave. You left. You said me goodbye»

«Levi-»

«No» he interrupted, nervously tipping his head back and sipping his drink. «No, I know why you think you did that, but you were wrong. You are wrong. You should have asked me to run away with you, or you should have taken me seriously when I proposed it»

«It wasn’t an option back then, you know it»

«Yes» Levi said through gritted teeth, sparing no attention to the barman moving behind the counter or the people filling the bar. «Yes, I know. But you did everything on your own»

«Had I not already ruined your life enough?»

«You are the only good thing in it, Eren»

Tears left the safety of Eren’s eyes and descended upon his cheeks, their owner wiping them angrily, nervously drinking his beer.

«I just-»

«I know. I know you are acquainted with running away alone, but there is no way I’m letting you do that again» Levi kept saying, reaching over and taking Eren’s closer hand to him. «It nearly broke me»

The older man’s fingers squeezed Levi’s with all the strength they had, and Levi let him, relief washing over him through their bond now that his mate was finally touching him.

«I’m sorry. It’s been a torture- knowing what they were going to do to you, staying away- but they were planning to take you and probably use you like they did with my parents, and I couldn’t- if they took me that would have been one thing, but-»

Levi brought their hands against his lips and kissed the back of Eren’s one, reverently, meeting his gaze for the first time since he arrived there. His eyes were exactly like he remembered them -exotic, bright, of impossible colors, looking right through him and making every single one of his nerves feel alive.

«I’m aware of it all. Still, you should have told me, instead of disappearing like that. You’ll have to do a lot to gain my trust again and show me that you are sorry. Right now, I just want you to take me home and make love to me»

Eren shivered, never once breaking eye contact. Levi’s other hand was on his cheek in seconds, and the older man kissed his palm without even thinking, once, twice, nuzzling against it.

«Yes, sir»

#ererievents #ereriangstweekend #my writing #day 3 - goodbye #fic: wonders of the unknown #OS #angst #fluff #smut #ereri #riren #snk #soulmates au

[literati42]

Tim Drake Fic: When the Bat is Away

Title: When the Bat is Away Part 1

Rating: PG

Genre: Hurt/comfort, family, angst,

Characters: Tim centric, with Jason, Dick, and Damian. Mentions of Alfred, Julia Pennyworth, and Bruce

Description: When Batman and Alfred are out of town, the Robins--past and present--are left to care for Gotham. All of this would work out fine if Tim was not hiding something...

Prompt request from @fandom-princess-of-awesomeness `: “Tim ends up getting sick while Bruce and Alfred are away and Dick, Jason, and Damian take care of him.”

Note: This is part 1. Part 2 is here

           Tim wiped sweat off his brow with one hand, holding on to one of Gotham’s many gargoyles with the other. It was a cool night according to the weather he checked earlier as part of his pre-mission recon. Tim was never one to leave any loose ends and not factoring in weather into plans was simply amateur hour. Weather could be your greatest foe or your best ally, depending on how well you accounted for it. He explained this to his siblings several dozen times, but of course, that just led to Jason calling him a nerd and Damian going on about how a true warrior is master of the elements rather than a slave to them. Tim rolled his eyes at the memory and took a breath, wiping his forehead again. It was supposed to be cold, and genuinely each breeze seemed to go right through him, regardless of the Red Robin uniform. So why was he sweating? He cursed himself for losing focus, shifting his grip and glancing out to watch for his siblings. He leaned a hand on the net where one of the Riddler’s henchmen hung below the gargoyle Tim was currently perched on. His name was Eric, Tim knew this not just because of his detective abilities. He knew this man’s name because it was time number 7 he caught him during a heist. Eric had worked for every big wig baddie in the city, with the exception of Joker because, and Tim remembered the quote exactly, “that fool is crazy.”

           “You’re not looking so good,” said Eric, frowning through his green costume. “Maybe you should let me go and get some rest. You have a bit of a sheen.” The sad thing, Tim noted, was the man sounded genuinely concerned. “And those bags under your eyes are getting worse.” Tim did not hide his eye roll.

           “You can’t see the bags under my eyes,” he replied.

           “True, but I know they are there,” Eric replied, “I hear it in your voice.” Tim grunted. “Seriously, you’re not even being a smartass. That’s not a good sign from you, I mean it.” Tim grumbled, turning away. It was bad enough to get the overbearing parental treatment at home, but now the actual criminals were joining in? He straightened up to try and work a kink out of his muscles and felt a sharp pang in his side. He hissed and pressed his hand against it. “Kid?” Eric said. Tim waved him off.

           “Hey Babybird,” the signal picked up in his communicator, transmitting the familiar voice of Dick Grayson, resident first Robin and current Nightwing. “We have a situation. You got the Riddler problem handled?”

           “Yeah, it was just Eric again, the big guy himself didn’t make an appearance.”

           “Is that Nightwing?” asked the thug, shifting in the net, “Say hi for me.” Tim glared down at him, but could not respond before Nightwing chirped over the comm.

“Oh hey Eric, didn’t we just lock you up?”

“Didn’t take, what are you going to do? That’s the broken system for ya,” Eric replied.

“If you two are finished playing catch-up, there was a situation?” Tim pressed, massaging his temple. His skin felt clammy. He pulled his hand back and saw it was shaking, just slightly. He needed more coffee.

“Yeah, something going on at the docks. Head down here as soon as you can.” Dick sighed, actually sighed over the comm.“ Something is always going on at the docks, and it’s never anything pleasant.”

“We’ll all go take a picnic down by the polluted Gotham water next time we’re free then,” broke in the voice of Tim’s other older brother, Jason Todd.

“The communicators are for mission relevant conversation,” Damian’s young voice came in now as a low growl, “I expect professionalism from the three of you. Just because father is away doesn’t mean we can slack on discipline.”

The bickering became a steady flow and Tim could not stay focused on the meaning of the words. The pain in his side was magnifying now.

“Hey, Red Robin, maybe it’s not the best idea to be swinging around in your condition,” Eric commented quietly, as Tim shot his grappling hook. He did not respond, just shut off the comm, his head immediately filling with silence in the absence of familial bickering. He closed his eyes for a split second, forced them open, and swung.

_-_-_

           Less than 10 minutes later, Tim was neck deep in thugs. He swung his bow staff, connecting sharply with one’s temple and then spun around to take another out at the knees. Dick was to his right, Jason to his left, and behind him, he could hear Damian. Tim remembered that morning when Dick joked about being bored while Alfred and Bruce were overseas. Of course, Dick had only said that to whine about the fact that the older generations were not sharing the information about where they were going or why. They merely stated that they would be gone and out of communication, and could the four boys please try to work together and keep Gotham in one piece. After having to break up another squabble between Damian and Tim, Bruce had commented that maybe he should call Superman to swing by for a few days. That had Dick straightening up quickly to assure their father they would be okay and would even play nice. After all, what was the worst thing that could happen in a few days?

           Tim rolled his eyes as he ducked to avoid getting shot in the head by a gun that was definitely not street legal. Yes, Dick, what was the worst that could happen? He thought. He saw one of the higher up henchmen ducking out a window. Tim narrowed his eyes and broke free of the fight, jumping onto a surprised thug’s shoulders and using them as a springboard to throw himself out the window. He landed on the other side. It should have been a clean jump, but for some reason, it vibrated through his bones. He cringed and then his hand went back to his side. The pain was sharp. He lifted his glove, but no blood. He concluded he was not shot. Anything else he could worry about later. He took off after the man. The chase took them down a pier toward a boat. This man was clearly a general among the Penguin’s thugs, heading back to the casino to report on the current Robin activity. Tim could not let him get away.

           Red Robin heard the fight behind him spilling out of the warehouse onto the street. His brothers were outside now but too occupied to track him. He heard other thugs running their direction, heading for the boat, but he focused ahead. He launched himself off the pier just as the boat started out, rolling as he landed on the deck. He was up at once, fists up. The world swayed as if from waves, but the water was clear. The thug turned around, his expression going first to fear and then to confusion. Then a look of confidence took over the thugs face. Tim had exactly two seconds to try and untangle that expression before pain rocketed through him from his side. He collapsed to his knees. Suddenly, Tim was hurling onto the deck. The pain in his side was ratcheting up. He felt impossibly hot and terribly cold. He saw the thugs boots in his vision and then hurled directly on them.

           He could just make out the sounds coming over his comm. “Status report,” Dick’s voice commanded.

           “I have West exit covered,” Damian pipped in.

           “Have a pile of them at the East exit,” Jason added.

           “That better be a living pile,” Dick said.

           “Where’s the fun in that?”

           “If father was here…”

           “Red Robin, report,” Dick cut off their younger brother. “Red Robin…report.”

           Tim heard all of this. The familiar sounds of his siblings squabbling, just as a hand roughly hauled him off the deck. He was suddenly face to face with the Penguin’s enforcer. The wicked smile would have been sickening if Tim had not already felt so ill. He leaned in, his voice registering on the comm. He knew. He knew they could hear him. “Sorry, birds, Red Robin is out of commission.” Tim tried to make his body work, but the pain was so intense he was unable even to keep his eyes open. Then he was in the air, thrown like garbage. The waves hit him with their ice, and he gasped. Water filled his lungs. The pain, the growing fever, the water. It all mixed together into a swirl of pain and panic.

_-_-_

           “Sorry, birds, Red Robin is out of commission,” the words hit Red Hood like a punch to the gut. He shot his current opponent, not even checking to see if the wound was fatal and took off back toward the others. The splash registered on the comms, so Tim was near the water. Jason holstered his weapons and dove off the dock into the water; one thought bouncing against his skull like a pool ball. No Robin was going to die here tonight. Not again. He saw the wake of the boat heading off and swam toward it, diving down the moment he reached the place the boat had been tied up. The waves broke the light of the full moon above into fingers reaching into the murky depths. One finger caught on red. Red chest plate, red metallic wings. Jason did not think, merely grabbed and began kicking back to the surface. His little brother’s body was completely still against him. He surfaced, and suddenly there were hands trying to rip Tim from him. He snarled and tried to kick away.

           “Hood, stop,” Dick’s voice snapped. He grabbed Tim and this time Jason let go, letting their older brother draw the kid up onto the dock. Dick laid Tim out and began compressions. Jason pulled himself up, watching. Tim was not respond. At all.

           “You’re doing it wrong,” Damian said, pushing Dick away and taking over. His furious little fists pounding Tim’s sternum. Jason looked up, alert to the danger, but all the henchmen had scattered, using this opportunity to avoid capture. Not a lowlife in Gotham wanted to be around if one of the Bat’s birds died. Jason growled. He would not let himself think that.

           Damian’s fist made a wet thwack, and suddenly Tim was sputtering. He threw up water. Then vomited again. Jason leaned forward, watching the kid’s face, but those familiar eyes remained shut. He hurled one final time and then curled up in a ball. He was shivering, his face contorting in pain. Tim, the tireless. Tim the never-say-never. Tim the boy who would claim he was fine even if have his limbs were laying in a pile on the floor. Jason’s little brother Tim, whimpered in pain. Jason felt sick.

           Then he felt furious.

           “What did they do to you?” he growled. He saw the hand Tim had pressed against his side and began trying to pry it loose. He needed to see the damage. He managed to move Tim’s hand, but there was no visible wound. The kid’s hand though, Tim was burning up.

           “We need to get him back to the cave,” Dick said, his voice sharp, masking the worry with control. Jason grunted in response, dragging the kid up into his arms. He felt Damian fall into step behind him, saw Dick going first. Jason felt Tim trying to curl up again in his arms.

           Someone was going to pay.

----

Part 2 to continue

#tim drake #tim drake fic #batfam #batfamily #batman fan #timdrakefic #jason todd #dick grayson #damian wayne #tim drake hurt comfort #poor babybird #when the bat is away