#because they thought he was a coward and not cut out for the hero life
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yknow i think a really fundamental misunderstanding current dc writers have with garth is that he genuinely wasn't a child soldier like dick or wally. sure he definitely comes from that era and there Are undoubtedly aspects of his character arc and relationship with arthur that are similar to the classic mentor/mentee relationship, but their core relationship didn't start with that. arthur originally only brought garth along because they were just besties. arthur was living it up homeless style with this random orphan he found and they got into some hijinks together. then shit happened, he becomes King, but he's not going to abandon garth so he continues to bring him along.
part of garth growing up was him having to take things more seriously and learn to handle hero shit. like. he was really just randomly thrust into that world because arthur Became a big hero, not because arthur intentionally took on a protégé.
so when i see dc writing rebirth garth or even yj garth as this Cool Kid who was taken under arthur's wing and trained to become a Cool Hero, it's just,,, it's a Huge misunderstanding of garth himself but especially their relationship. his daddy issues are amplified because he always saw arthur as this cool older man who took him in as a son, not as a student. unlike a character like dick who has issues with bruce because bruce himself treats him as both a son and student, garth really became the student in response to arthur's duties, after they already had an established relationship. and even then, garth was never meant to be arthur's protégé in the way the other kid sidekicks were.
like. garth became arthur's sidekick because he wanted to be there. he wanted to be with His Dad and help him on these important missions. he didn't want to be alone anymore, and if that meant risking his life for arthur then fucking whatever, he'll do it. while arthur did take on the role of mentor and garth was very much his sidekick, garth was never the Child Soldier or the Protégé like the other sidekicks. like i'd say that's actually a huge part of his character arc. current dc writers will Never be able to capture garth in the right light if they continue to paint him as the same kind of sidekick the other titans were.
#sorry im in a very garth mood i will be exclusively talking about garth for like the next week at least#ajhladg#anyway#like im sorry but you can't turn the aquafam into the batfam you just can't#they have a fundamentally different relationship#like that was also a huge aspect of garth's relationship with the other titans#because they thought he was a coward and not cut out for the hero life#and that's because he literally Was Not trained for this! arthur took him in and it Just Kinda Happened#his training really consisted of him following arthur and arthur teaching him shit in the moment#and later on arthur does get more serious about it but again very big difference from the other titans#like literally garth has more of the classic mentor/mentee relationship with atlan than with arthur#garth of shayeris#a huge part of garth's character arc is him feeling like he doesn't deserve to be a hero because he Wasn't trained like the others#he didn't have as many skills didn't have the same confidence etcetc#the other titans were intentionally taken in to be a protégé or became one very Very early on in their life#garth was just going along for the ride man#like i think a really important aspect of his relationship with arthur is that garth never really saw him as A Mentor#he saw him as a dad and role model who occasionally taught him how to do cool shit#arthur was the one who pushed that mentor/mentee relationship and it blew him up in his face because that Wasn't them
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You want a non-cliché male (shounen) protagonist? I got it!
Something that I literally can’t get out of my head recently is how I constantly see discourse about the staleness of male MCs - especially shounen manga protagonists - always so ready and accepting of being the Chosen One. Always so ready to discard their “mundane” life and embark on some dangerous mission. Outspoken, fiery and with unbeatable charisma.
And while we are beginning to see (minimal) change with recent books/manga, do you know who was literally the antithesis of this a lot of years ago?
Tsuna.
Tsuna who was literally the last choice for everything, whose nickname was Loser-Tsuna, constantly bullied and harassed and whom nobody thought he would ever amount to anything. 0 friends, 0 abilities, 0 accomplishments.
And when some guy to tell him “You can become the head of a mafia family. You’re gonna be respected, sought after.”, when Reborn serves him POWER on a silver platter... Tsuna says “oh hell no, fOck all that”, turns tail and RUNS.
He won’t manage to escape forever, but that’s beside the point. Tsuna is a coward, a plain nobody, so boringly normal that in any other anime he would be for sure one of the background filler characters. He isn’t cut to be a protagonist. He’s wimpy, weak and whiny, sometimes to the point of being annoying ever for me - and I love KHR.
But what fascinates me is this. A character so weak and bullied, usually would be elated to have that much power offered to him. I knew that he was the protagonist, so the first time I watched the series I was expecting him to accept the power and better himself, become a different person, a hero. (Or, if he was in another manga, a villain.)
Instead, not only Tsuna refuses - again and again, until the very end - to become who he was destined to be, who everyone around him wants him to be; but the only time he uses the power he was gifted with is strictly to protect himself, his friends and family. And then he quickly steps away immediately after, like when you move a scalding pot without mittens.
His guardians have become... his guardians, in order, because: 1) he saved his life, so he thinks he’s cool 2) mostly head empty, only vibes (also he saved his life) 3) a literal child bribed with candy 4) somebody else asked him and he just went with the flow 5) one crumb of kindness got them hooked (actually 2 psycopaths in one body and it’s not a metaphor) 6) doesn’t give a shit as long as you give him a good fight.
Sure, at some point they all recognize his strenght, but apart from Gokudera’s blind idolization, for everybody Tsuna is just A Guy. He might be their “boss”, and they might come to respect him, but he gets treated nothing like a cliché male MC.
It’s really a shame that Katekyo Hitman Reborn, as a series, was managed badly as it did. Even though it’s one of my favorite shows, it’s weakened by a lot of factors... but an uninteresting MC? It ain’t one!
I smell a reboot in the air. I really hope they will to the series justice.
#khr#katekyo hitman reborn#tsuna#sawada tsunayoshi#vongola tenth generation#mafia#book#literature#manga#shounen#protagonist#male mc#anime#hayato gokudera#yamamoto takeshi#lambo#sasagawa ryohei#hibari kyoya#mukuro rokudo#chrome dokuro
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Drama, tw: Self harm [in fictional characters, not me I'm fine]
Has it occurred to anyone yet that maybe their dad....
[Potential spoiler beyond cut]
Maybe their dad's "accident" was self-inflicted? And that Sub-Zero [Bi-Han] was the only one to see it and really "know" that?
Maybe he knew his dad wanted to die and Sub-Zero was trying to do the thing his dad wanted, instead of what he himself wanted and what his brothers/family needed? Maybe Sub-Zero didn't want his brothers to know that his dad abandoned them like that, [or tried to abandon them, if he lived.] Maybe the dad asked to be allowed to die, rather than the family face the truth that he didn't value them enough to continue to live. Maybe Sub-Zero figured his dad was beyond help if it got to this point.
Maybe he's angry at his dad for leaving them like that, for chickening out on life, for dumping all the responsibility of leading the clan onto Bi-han suddenly. Like, "Dad if YOU couldn't handle the responsibility of running the clan in Liu Kang's service then WHY are you pushing me into it? Do you hate me, did you ever really love any of us, wtf?"
Sadness isn't an emotion that men are afforded. So he turns it all into anger and pumps that anger out over everyone around him. It's just sadness that was over spiced to hide the flavor.
And he can't even get away from his dad's memory for long enough to heal from it and move on. Every damn day someone is talking about his dad and reopening that wound. Not just that, but they make him out to be a saint that was taken from the world too quickly - Bi-han is never allowed to live his truth, that his father wasn't perfect, that he was a coward, that he chickened out and left them all alone.
He is forced to go along with what everyone wants to remember about his dad, because as he well knows, it's too painful to know the truth about their hero. Sub-zero himself wishes he could remember his dad the way everyone else remembers him - he won't dash those fond heroic memories for others. But he himself remembers a weak, pitiful, dying man, possibly who didn't even have the strength to kill himself in a painless manner.
Additionally, Sub-Zero may still have tried to save him: But been instructed and ordered to let him die. It may be the one time he wishes he didn't allow himself to be shackled by tradition.
It could be even more traumatic if it was a ritual suicide, a self-inflicted death to atone for some way in which he failed his duty to his clan or to Liu Kang. That would explain the resentment Sub-Zero feels to Liu Kang, and why his face does what it does when Liu Kang is around. Every time Sub-Zero seems to have "failed" Liu Kang in some minor way could hit different if that's the case. Every time he sees his brothers bowing to Liu Kang could trigger protective instincts.
Idk if their writing team is that good. But it's a thought I've had.
#sub-zero#sub zero#lin kuei#mk1#mortal kombat#mortal kombat 1#bi han#subzero#mk sub zero#reblog#kuai liang#scorpion mk#smoke tomas vrbada#tomas vrbada
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So I finished LN 1 and immediately started LN 2 (and am currently at chapter 3) and I thought before I go on I should take a minute and collect my thoughts
Random yelling under the cut:
the first loop is kinda like a tutorial quest for Subaru. He learns nothing from it.
or to say it more precisely he learns the wrong lessons: Subaru kinda bumbles himself into a win during the first loop. None of what helped him win was planned. And to say it more precisely, what helped him win were random acts of kindness: Reinhard deciding to help while not on duty, Emilia saving that child and showing her nature through that, Subaru empathizing with Felt and Rom and winning there trust that way, Subaru letting Felt go because she is fifteen and he is seventeen (and that scene gave me feelings - he is such a good boy!!!) Felt deciding to not run away but instead to run screaming and crying to the main road and than Reinhard once again deciding to help. Kindness is important. Kindness can change the world. Being kind and helping others is the way forward. ( and in a way you could argue that Emilia was saved in the end because she decided to be kind to a random stranger with a particular ability - I'm actually really curious what happened in the run where Subaru died immediately - did Emilia survive, did she get her crest back, how much did Subaru change)
So Subaru could have learned a lot here: sometimes it's better to be the coward who lives instead of being the heroic fool in everyone's way; it's important to be kind, and also important to let others be kind to you; he's in an incredible weak position so it's important to learn as much as he can as fast as he can, Emilia is kinda badass... There could have been a lot
Sadly Subaru is trapped in a heroic fantasy and decided to rework the whole situation in a way where only the last moment counts were he took the hit for her and learned: I need to be a hero and do awesome stuff to be loved AND there is a right way to do things (there isn't)
its pretty telling that in the moment were Emilia smiles and tells him her name he says "it's not worth it at all" because what Subaru actually wants is Emilia to be indebted to him for the rest of her life, she's supposed to be the reward for all his suffering (no wonder he becomes resentful once she tries to distance herself) and so Emilia becomes Emilia-tan and Subaru will start to ignore every hint that she is waaaaay out of his league and that she doesn't need a protector
The last chapter from Reinhards perspective was really funny. Watching the series I never realized how low Reinhards self esteem is. I always thought he was just humble
The relationship between Felt and Rom was really sweet. I really hope they see each other again
Found family is a big theme in re:zero
I never realized how cold/emotionless Puck is
Spoiler for LN 2:They really sanded down Subarus edges for the anime. The scene were he pets Emilia's hair as a reward is suuuper uncomfortable (i still think he is a good boy at heart though)
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Adventures of Chika Hanabusa: The Restoration of Earth
Disclaimer: This book follows the events of Percy Jackson and Heros of Olympus fanfic, this fanfic will not include Trails of Apollo, The Kane Chronicles, and Magnus Chase.
Chapter 12: Mother vs Daughter
Reyna PoV
As the sky becomes dark, close to evening and the birds flocking together, I notice tree logs being cut in pieces around me. I look to see a tall woman who is around 6 ft, with arms and legs full of muscles, and a scar across her nose. The woman is wearing a red shirt with blue jeans, and she wears a menacing smirk.
"I suppose you must be Reyna, my daughter from my Roman form, Bellona. Nice to officially meet you, I don't have many demigod children." The woman, who must be Enyo, says while she looks at me like I'm her prey and she is a lioness.
"Even if I come from Bellona, you are still my mother. When I was younger, I wanted to thank you for being my mother because I wouldn't have met my comrades for life at Camp Jupiter." I say with gratitude in my voice. Enyo looks shocked at my revelation.
“How the hell are you my kid? Don’t you hate me for not being a part of your life? You carried destruction in your veins child." She sighs while she analyzes me while she sits on a log and looks on at the sky.
“I don’t want to waste my life, cursing you, Enyo, or else I will become bitter like many demigods. If I defeat you, will you change to Bellona? My real mother" Enyo looked on in a proud look as if she was saying that's my girl and chuckled at my question.
"We gods can't just change into our Roman forms whenever we want, but maybe Bellona can meet her kid. I can only recall certain things from my Roman form. Like how Bellona has been close to your family for many generations, till she falls for your father. I remember your father being burdened with his actions on a battlefield and so traumatized to the point he thinks he's on the battlefield even at his own home. Perhaps you were right to kill him, you spare him from suffering. Am I correct? Just guessing here" Enyo looked at me as if she expected me to become angry and impulsive enough to punch her and forget my training.
"Maybe I did spare my father from his madness by killing him, but you or should I say Bellona didn’t try to help him. It doesn’t matter regardless, I must move forward for Camp Jupiter’s sake and be their Praetor.” I say with determination and I look on to my mother in her Greek for determination to beat her.
"For Camp Jupiter's sake huh? I believe that you are a coward, it seems you want to be miserable and lonely forever. It's ok to want for yourself, it's pretty obvious that you want love, but you are too chicken shit to go after it. I guess my twin brother's girlfriend did scare you off from romance. She is right though, a demigod can't heal your heart, only you can heal your heart. You have been neglecting yourself for so many years now my Roman child, the same sin your father is guilty of. Your father became insane because he neglected his mental health for the sake of duty. How long will you neglect yourself for the sake of your precious camp?" Enyo says in a loud voice and I look in cold fury.
She is wrong, I'm not neglecting myself, I'm just being what a leader is supposed to be. I have to be strong for my people, I can't afford to lose myself to the quest of love. Is Enyo right? Only I can heal my heart? Am I making the same mistakes as my father did? All these thoughts kept swarming my head while Enyo looked on in amusement while I was in mental anguish. Suddenly she got out her blood-covered celestial bronze sword and charged at me. I told my thoughts to be silent and I got out my sword to block her strike. She kept on trying to stab me while I blocked her blows.
“Impressive, you can use a sword. I am willing to wager that if you can strike my body at least once then I will leave and stop causing any commotions towards the world. however, if you can't strike me, then I won't stop my rampage. So do you accept?" Enyo asks me when I am holding my blade with sweat coming on my forehead and I steady myself.
"Bring it," I say in full confidence while Enyo smirks and continues her attacks with her sword. I block her frontal attacks as she tries to impale me. As I kept blocking, I felt her strikes becoming faster and I felt my energy drained from each blow. She did a roundhouse kick on my torso but I persisted through the pain. I tried to impale her chest she grabbed my sword and threw it to a tree, but she unexpectedly threw her sword into the ground.
"I'm not going to fight you while you are unarmed, so I become unarmed to make things more fun. Show me what you got daughter." She laughs maniacally as mother and daughter fight fist-to-fist. She throws jabs while I block and dodge to the best of my abilities. She threw an uppercut at my stomach and I spilled a little blood from my mouth. I had to land a hit at her, or else it would all be for nothing. She tried to do an axe kick while I was on the ground, but I moved out away. I jumped in the air and did a jumping sidekick but she caught my leg and threw me to the ground. It was like my back is shattered but I still can fight.
“You can’t even land one strike yet, well I guess I'm too much for you then." Enyo taunted and just yawned. I think I may have to play dirty to even have a chance against Enyo. I observed how Hyun manipulates the mist; it will not be perfect but hopefully, this could distract Enyo. I gathered the Mist around me while Enyo was not looking and I made sure the Mist messed with Enyo's perception and made me think the right tree was me.
“You seriously have no plan to strike me down. Come on Reyna, don't just stand there and be mute. Unless you are planning something but even then it is like you are just rigid like a tree and not breathing at all. Ummm…….wait" As Enyo was busy speaking to the tree thinking that it was me, I sneaked up behind her and struck at the back of the head. I learned from the way that Hyun fights that sometimes sneakiness can be a key to winning.
“Uhhh…. What the Zeus? You used the mist to mess with my perception. My children are not most users, that's usually a child of Hecate thing. A deal is a deal, I will stop my rampage since you have finally landed a blow on me." She grasped her head and did a small warm smile. Why is Enyo smiling like she's proud of me? I don't need her approval. Suddenly Enyo appearance changed into a braided woman with glasses, wearing a dress shirt and a pencil skirt, and she stared at me stoically but with having small smile. She touched my shoulder and suddenly all the pain that she inflicted on me left and I felt my body being healed from Enyo's blows. This is not Enyo, this could be Bellona, my real mother. She is too different from her Greek counterpart, so much more mature and composed.
“I didn’t want you to meet my Greek counterpart's daughter. She is too juvenile and chaotic for my taste. I’m so sorry for Enyo’s troubles.” Bellona held my hand to her chest and gave me a crushing hug.
"It's ok Mother that was not you. I just hope I don't have to fight Enyo again. Othe, why are you hugging me?” I asked as I patted her back.
"Sorry, I got carried away, daughter. It's just that I don’t have many children compared to my twin, Mars. I’m kinda new to this mother thing and Venus sort of encourages me to show physical affection. I'm very proud of the woman you become, and I hope you will find the right one eventually." Bellona let go of the hug and it felt like she lent me strength again like the time when I fought Orion.
"Thank you, Mother, but I do believe that your Greek counterpart is right about not neglecting myself for now, maybe it is time to seek happiness for myself" Bellona only cast a small smile and kissed my forehead.
“You will my daughter. It seems we Roman deities need to do better for our children’s sake and not inspect loyalty when we haven't earned it. Daughter, you have brought honor to my house and you will be remembered as one of the best Roman demigods to have ever lived. The legionnaire owes you a debt. You should hurry daughter; it seems your friend is fighting the Earth Mother” Bellona vanishes out of thin air, and I ran back to where I left Chick and Hyun to deal with Eris. Not again, Chika doesn't deserve to have Gaia possessing her body. Gaia has been a thorn in our sides, it is up to me to stop Gaia’s rampage. I see birds flocking away from the commotion and I feel the air becoming cool like the winter and I see many leaves decaying. I look at a green aura shooting up at the evening sky and I hear a roar, this is bad.
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duplicity
based on the song “why” by derivacat (yes, i know it was based on dsmp, but i still do not support them whatsoever, the song just fit with what i’m writing.)
@tiredsleep said they have nothing left to lose so i had to write some kaeya angst and prove them wrong <333
warnings: blood, stabbing, fire, mentions of beheading and putting heads on spikes
Look at what you've done, is this what you call glory? Do you still believe you're the hero of your story?
You couldn’t believe what you were looking at. The city you’ve always loved, cherished, and put your life on the line to defend, destroyed within a day by the very person who claimed to love you. You felt disgusted, at both yourself, for failing to realize the threat you were laying next to at night, and him, for committing such a despicable act towards the city you both had lived in for decades.
I longed for peace, but you couldn't leave it be. Now you've played your part in this forever unfinished symphony
You looked around at the ruins of the city that had withstood centuries of attacks, and finally your eyes landed on the person that stood in the middle of all the pain and chaos, and caught eyes with him.
Was he seriously laughing at this?
He moved towards your bloody and bruised frame, and you reached for your broken blade.
Oh, it hurts, and it hurts, and it's getting worse. A promise you made, cut down by your blade.
You thought back on all the now broken promises, all the bouquets of flowers that eventually wilted, all the one sided hugs that you had brushed off, all the happiness that he had stamped out like it was nothing more than a worthless bug beneath his heel. And you finally felt the stream of tears that were falling from your eyes.
He reached out to your frame, and you hated yourself for instinctively leaning in to his touch.
Can't stand the rain, can't stand the pain. How it breaks my heart when you tear it apart.
He smiled while wiping away your tears, and finally spoke.
“You know, I did actually admire your spirit. It’s a shame Mondstadt fell so quickly, I would’ve loved to actually fight you.”
You gritted your teeth at that. “Mondstadt only fell so quickly because it was betrayed from within! If you hadn’t chosen the path of a coward and fought us head on, you never would’ve even made it inside the gates!”
So why? Why did you lie? Why did your words amount to nothing?
His smile disappeared at your words, and he moved his hand from lovingly cupping your cheek to gripping your chin and making you look him in the eye.
“If I were you, I’d stop making stupid excuses and start proving that I’m useful, or else I’d have to be disposed of, and no one wants that.”
The tears started falling heavier then.
“…….Was it all really just a lie? Did you really feel nothing for me?”
And why? Why did it fall? Why did you leave me here with nothing?
He laughed.
He actually laughed.
“Of course it was all a lie! Did you seriously think I was in love with you? I just needed someone to make the illusion seem real, and you fit the bill perfectly.”
You were sobbing at this point.
“So, what’s it gonna be? Are you going to prove your usefulness to me, or am I going to have to dispose of you?”
Look at what you've done, is this your happy ending? Look around and see, this is history repeating.
Your shoulders shook with sobs that refused to leave your chest.
“Why are you doing this? What did we do to deserve this?”
He scoffed.
“It’s nothing less than what happened to my home 500 years ago. Do you think we did something to deserve this then?”
Do you even care that you've left things beyond repair? It was by your hand, you've turned a masterpiece into a nightmare.
“If this is how you take revenge, maybe you did deserve it.”
You didn’t know your voice could sound so cold.
He narrowed his eyes and
He hit you.
He seriously hit you.
You could feel the hand shaped sting on your cheek getting worse by the second as he started talking again.
“You’re lucky I don’t chop off your head and put it up on a spike as a warning. I will tell you this one more time and one more time only. Watch. Your. Tongue.”
Oh, it hurts, and it hurts, and it's getting worse. You act like a judge, enforcing your personal grudge.
His eyes none of the love you were used to, only cold, painful hatred was left.
You met his eyes with a glare of your own, slightly less intimidating due to the caked on blood, dirt, and tears covering your face.
You couldn’t help but compare the Kaeya in front of you to the Kaeya that you loved.
The one you loved used to go on walks with you and discuss your future together.
The one you loved used to make breakfast and give it to you with a kiss on the forehead.
The one you loved used to take you on dates every night and promise he’d never leave.
And this one couldn’t hate you more.
Am I to pay for this war you've raised? Yes, it breaks my heart when you tear it apart.
He seemed to know what you were thinking about, since he made you face him again.
“It’d do you good to stop reminiscing on a past that wasn’t real before you end up dead.”
His words came out lacking their usual honey coating, this time dripping with venom.
So why? Why did you lie? Why did your words amount to nothing?
You tightened your grip on the hilt of your sword, and, for a single moment, all the emotions swarming around your chest parted and left only one.
Desire.
Desire for revenge, desire for a home that wasn’t doused in flames, desire for a lover that actually enjoyed your presence.
Desire for a future without Kaeya.
And why? Why did it fall? Why did you leave me here with nothing?
With a newfound determination, you quickly moved your blade into position over his heart.
And, with only a single ounce of hesitation, you delivered what you were sure would be the final blow.
His eyes shot open.
And he let out a hoarse gasp of air.
And he looked at you.
Look at what you've done, you've brought upon disaster
And, as the world around you erupted into flames and disaster, it felt it was just you two again.
He said a single sentence before his eyes closed for the very last time.
“You haven’t saved anything.”
A sense of dread filled you while you sat there, covered in a gross mixture of both of your’s blood, and you felt the weight of your actions come crashing down around you.
What had you just done?
Do you still believe this is the justice you sought after?
tags: @karmawonders, @daeruh
#genshin x reader#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact x you#genshin impact kaeya#genshin#genshin impact#genshin kaeya#kaeya angst#genshin impact angst#genshin x reader angst#genshin impact x reader angst#genshin angst#kaeya x reader angst#x reader#x reader angst#angst
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PJO TV Thoughts
S1,E6
(There will be book mentions/spoilers)
Can’t lie to y’all im on my second week of this semester and already just so eepy
Okay the first line does tell you exactly what’s happening in this dream but I was so confused by it being Percy’s headmaster from Yancy
Anyway omg I swear you can see Luke in the reflection like it’s gonna be so obvious it’s not Clarisse on rewatches
WE GOT “Little Hero”
Cracker Barrel! What o would give to eat at a Restaurant rn
A SECOND SEAWEED BRAIN HAS HIT THE PERCABETH TOWERS
(I am aware others have made that joke)
Omg hi Luke
Good not being sus Luke
ARREST HER?!?! Percy wtf
Luke I’m positive you would know what Ares is like
OOP if Luke picks up on it IMMEDIATELY…
The episode is titled “A Zebra Takes Us To Vegas” AND WE INLY GET A SECOND OF A ZEBRA ON SCREEN?!?!
Anybody else see the Geia fashion billboard or just me
Way to be obvious about it
“I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm/where the music don’t stop for life” I think that Levitating was chosen WITH INTENTION for these lyrics only
ODYSSEY MENTION
Graphic novels do count
ODYSSEUS MENTION
Oh besties… the lotus eaters have upgraded darlings
WISE GIRL WISE GIRL WEE WOO WEE WOO IT’S HAPPENING EVERYONE STAY CALM
The fact that they haven’t shown Grover eating garbage yet… cowards. COWARDS.
I do think that them knowing takes tension out of it but they think that it’s okay unless they eat something
CASTELLAN LORE ALREADY
A Saytr?? I’m saying that TV screen image is a sun so APOLLO MENTION
A gay satyr?!!! The subtext
Oh? I’m compelled certainly what kind of magic does the Lotus have to convince satyrs Pan is there
DREAM TALK
Like you can see extras wearing dated clothes but it’s just not the same
Also I’m waiting for others to find the di Angelos, I know I’m not gonna be able to find anything
(If they cut it out I will lose it)
Are the employees also under the spell? I would have to assume so
Uh oh Grover is forgetting
HE’S HERE
The way his face fell… I’m afraid LMM is eating as Hermes
BTW I saw someone say LMM was a bad choice as Hermes because canonically Hermes has the most children and they don’t think LMM is sexy enough for that… girlie do you not remember what happened when Hamilton came out be SO FOR REAL
At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to seperate actor from character but he’s doing such a good job that’s Hermes I’m sorry (no I’m not)
ORPHEUS MENTION (I’ve helped others [get into the Underworld] before)
Are the fields Italy? Once again folks I’m not gonna be able to find it so I’m reaching out to
Someone looks back I’m guessing
Oh babey the lore the tension
HEY WHAT WAS THAT
My guess is something to do with Gabe or as one brilliant Twitter user said, Percy’s first time at boarding school
YEAH ANNABETH MOVE BABY YOU DON’T DESERVE THAT
(Also how the fuck can Hermes do that)
Sure buddy see you next season
“This was all just a waste of time. We don’t have time to waste.” Oh Annabeth I’m so sorry for what you’re about to learn
I love all the helmets and stuff really lets you know what’s going on
Oh noooooo oh boy oh buddy oh wow that hurt
Sorry he’s making Hermes feel so empathetic which is exactly how he is in the books. He’s good!
OOP
Were those the di Angelos? They were brunette and small (still reaching)
Oh so that’s why they mentioned days earlier I see
HIS KEYS?
Are George and Martha on there are they wondering what’s happening
CENTRAL AIR BABEY
Oh no Percy’s forgetting too
Just rip him out and leave besties
Oh geez they’re never leaving at this rate
Damn there’s that fatal flaw again Percy
RIP Grover playing a human hunter game I will never forget you
Annabeth it was good it really was but you’re right. He is the god of thieves.
Oh boy now we know why they let him drive though
Me when I first started learning how to drive standard
Just in case you forgot Percy is a New Yorker
Oh NO bestie got distracted looking at the princess (his words not mine though I agree) next to him
NO DON’T TURN OFF THE LIGHT I WON’T BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING
What did I just say. What is happening on screen
Oh boyyyyyy
He’s just three apples tall
Oh it’s so much worse underwater
SEAWEED HAIR
Wait… were AFTER the summer solstice? WHY
Exactly Percy you gotta finish it
YEEAHHHHHHH
Four?!?! What about ‘you will fail to save what matters most in the end?’ He better lose one I stg
Next ep trailer
Okay so who’s eye is in the credits what do we think
Crusty’s!
Desert and terrible forest?
Okay yeah he definitely loses one or uses one to trick someone or something he said said “you guys leave with my mom”
Oh wait what if he uses it on Crusty… Disney let Percy actually be violent
SWORD FIGHT NEXT EP? At least the beginning
HOLD FAST MOM OHHHHHHHHH OUCH
BONUS: Hermes in cat form
#if you scroll to the end there’s a surprise :)#it’s not spoilers I promise it’s just a cute pie#PJO tv#percy jackson#percy jackon and the olympians
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Random Criminal Minds canon things (based on my DR)
(I think it accidentally happened because of my headcannons?)
divided it into 2 parts, 2nd one under the cut is NSFW and contains: panic attacks, anxiety, homophobia, suicidal thoughts. (but there is a fun part dw)
SFW
• Derek is lactose intolerant, still drinks milk almost every day and loves icecream.
• Dave and Hotch genuinely consider each other best friends.
• Hotch and Pen give the best birthday gifts.
• Derek broke someone's nose because they made fun of Spencer behind his back, Spencer doesn't know what happened and gave him a lecture on why he shouldn't pick fights.
• JJ is in charge of ordering food and coffe while we're on cases, chooses the best food and place and somehow always knows what we want.
• Dave made pizza one night and now Garcia keeps begging him to open a Pizza restaurant. (he rolls his eyes and says "it's a family thing" as an excuse every times she asks)
• Hotch kept groaning and mumbling for 7 hours straight because our coffe machine was broken and we couldn't get coffee.
• Emily has terrible migraines, only Spencer and I know because we shared medicines once.
• Hotch thinks everything he does as a father is wrong and Jack hates him for them. Cried on my shoulder one night after Jack called him his hero.
• Out of everyone in the team, JJ has the best aim and worst eye sight. (she wears lenses at work and glasses at home)
• Hotch banished Spencer from making everyone's coffee ever since he put 4 cubes of sugar in each cup. (I let him do mine tho)
• Dave keeps 3 bottles of whiskey in his office. Tried sneaking one in Hotch's office once claiming its "so you can have a drink every time you're feeling miserable:)", Hotch felt like it was wrong so he took it home without Dave noticing (he did).
• Penelope once dreamed about getting married and having a kid, sometimes cry herself to sleep missing the baby.
• JJ never took Henry to a church but taught him about every religion she knows so he could choose if he wanted to have one. Will teaches him to be acceptable and open minded.
• Spencer likes fem terms (especially being called pretty)
• Jack has a doll named Lisa, plays with her as if she was a baby (Hotch gets baby fever watching him).
• Hotch, Spencer and Emily are queers.
• Penelope is pansexual.
NSFW
this is the not fun part... feel free to skip
• Emily once had a panic attack because Strauss forced her to "sit properly", her mom used to tell her that all the time.
• Hotch has CPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• JJ was homophobic, knows its wrong but its the way she was raised to be as a kid, grew out of it but still catches herself judging ppl.
• Emily had a ED for a great part of her life.
•Emily and Spencer have chronic anxiety.
• Hotch used to have suicidal thoughts during his 8-18 years, never tried anything because he heard his dad say that "people who kill themselves are cowards"
• Derek had toxic relationships (on both his side and his partners side) for years,
• Before Haley, Hotch had an abusive relationship with a girl older than him (he was a minor, she wasn't...).
ehhh
• Emily used to only have one night threesomes to avoid relationships and feelings.
• Spencer and Ethan had a established dom/sub relationship. It ended when they had a fight over Spencer going to the FBI, Ethan knew it meant they wouldn't see each other much and he just wanted to settle down with Spence, so he left.
now to the fun part:))
• Hotch likes to have his nipples sucked.
• Spencer has a thing for biting (being bitten and biting)
• Derek tried men before, it didn't stick but he had a great time.
• Hotch also tried men (college) but he actually liked it, would do it again 100%, asked Haley to top him once but she refused.
• Emily owns a strap-on.
• Hotch and Spencer have a insane libido, literally the wind could turn them on.
• JJ could cum just from giving head.
• Hotch + couch sex =👩🦽
• Suck JJ's Fingers.
• Make love = Hotch Derek
Fuck = JJ Emily
Have sex = Spencer Pen
• Penelope is not extremely experienced but she does it good.
• Hotch loves body worship (giving)
• Kinks
Hotch = Breeding, Exhibitionism, Pregnancy, Age Play, Quirofilia (hands🥴), Somno, Praise (giving) Dd/Lg, Deepthroat.
Derek = Collaring, Blindfold, Roleplaying, Corruption, Dom/sub.
Emily = Somno, Corruption, Choking,
JJ = Cuckolding, Corruption, Deepthroat
Penelope = Roleplaying, Age Play, Spitting,
Spencer = Bondage, Praise, Quirofilia, Corruption.
(btw I'm not sure if Hotch got more kinks because hes kinky or because I just (sexually) know him better than the rest?)
anyways:) that was it, might do another one if I remember other things later.
#aaron hotchner#criminal minds#derek morgan#emily prentiss#jennifer jareau#spencer reid#penelope garcia#david rossi#bau family#bau team#Vlennoxdr
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Whumpcember #5
The Bad Batch - #5 - “I hate you!”
*
“Turn around! Hunter, we have to go back!”
Hunter grit his teeth and kept the ship flying steadily forward.
Omega grabbed at the controls. Hunter knocked her back, his urgency putting more force behind the push than he’d intended. Omega fell back roughly, a gasp of mingled pain and surprise leaving her as she landed hard.
Hunter wanted to apologize, but he had no time. Explosions were going off far below them, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before they were pursued.
All he could think of was putting space between his team and the Empire’s soldiers. He could not bear to think of the clones below as brothers, not with all the death and destruction they were causing. It wasn’t their fault, but it still turned Hunter’s stomach.
And Omega. They would snatch her back, steal her freedom from her. Steal her away from where she belonged.
“Hunter!”
Omega threw her arms around him, trying to wrestle control away from him. Because she was brave but she was a child, thinking she could take on more than she could.
“Omega, sit down!” he barked, knocking her away again. “Echo, keep her out of my way.”
He knew Wrecker wouldn’t want to do it, not with how upset she’d be. But Echo grabbed Omega, holding her tightly as she struggled and fought against him.
“Hunter!” she pleaded, tears choking her voice. “Hunter, we have to go back. We have to. You can’t leave them!”
He didn’t want to. But he knew when to cut his losses and protect his team.
The hopeless cry Omega let out as they finally entered hyperspace shattered his heart. She went slack in Echo’s arms. He released her slowly, but she didn’t fight him. She just put her face in her hands and cried.
“Kid,” Wrecker said helplessly.
“We let them die. The soldiers were after us, not them! And we ran while they died!” she sobbed.
They hadn’t meant for it to happen. They’d been lying low in a quiet village when they were spotted and reported. When the soldiers came, they were outnumbered, and there was nothing to do but escape.
And those innocent villagers were paying the price for it. There would be no mercy for them. The Empire was sending a clear message.
“Omega,” Hunter said quietly, kneeling before her. “If we’d stayed, we would’ve died too.”
“They were screaming for help,” she whispered. “And we left them.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. She smacked it away with surprising vehemence.
She finally lifted her head, eyes blazing with pain and fury. “I hate you! You ran, like a coward!”
He was too shocked to say anything to that. She drew herself up, glaring at him before turning sharply and storming off.
“I believe hatred of authority figures is quite common for children of that age,” Tech said.
“Not helping,” Echo muttered, elbowing him in the gut. “Hunter, she’s just overwhelmed. She doesn’t mean it. She hasn’t seen war like we have; she’ll come around. She just needs to calm down first.”
How could she, when they were always running like this? When the galaxy was tearing itself apart? When nothing had made sense since the Jedi were killed and the Republic fell?
This poor kid was growing up in a chaotic galaxy, hunted relentlessly. All she wanted to do was help people and be a force of good in the galaxy.
Hunter looked down at the hand she’d smacked away, his heart aching. Maybe she would forgive him once she’d calmed down and thought it all through.
Or maybe she would hate him forever, never able to forgive him for choosing their safety over the safety of an entire village. He was a soldier, not a hero; a tactical retreat was better than becoming a martyr.
Hunter closed his eyes. He wouldn’t blame her for hating him after this. But those three simple words would echo through his head and his heart for the rest of his life, tearing him up inside over and over again.
#whumpcember2022#whumpcember2022 day5#the bad batch#star wars the bad batch#tbb hunter#tbb omega#jtdoeswhumpcember
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@oc-tober2023
For Day 5 I decided to use the prompt "choice." This is a scene from near the end of the Hero City Prequel, where the superhero Bill is confronted with a clone that aliens have made of him. Story scene below the cut!
Bill finally tore his gaze from the fetus in the tank, his entire body trembling. "Why are you showing me this?"
"Well, for one thing, because you have a right to know," Zane pointed out. "This is your DNA we're talking about. Your body that's been violated and used without your consent." They folded their arms. "So far we haven't done anything with the clone yet on the justification that it's evidence in an ongoing criminal investigation."
Zane rubbed their face. "But it's roughly even in size and development with an early third trimester fetus. At our best guess it has two months, three maximum, before it's going to outgrow the pod. If it lives, we'll need to… make some decisions."
"Decisions," Bill echoed flatly, the word feeling hollow on his tongue.
"It is a liability," Zane pointed out, though they sounded far from happy about this declaration. "The decision makers over my head are very nervous about what nasty surprises the kuwar'ei might have left for us in this thing's mind."
They sighed. "They asked me to let you know because they feel like, as much agency as you've had stolen from you in the past few weeks, you have a right to weigh in on this. I don't think anyone would blame you if you were repulsed and wanted nothing to do with the clone. But given your history…"
"My history," Bill repeated again, just as flat as the first time. "My history of not wanting to kill people, you mean. You want to put the life of this clone in my hands, on my conscience, knowing how I feel about taking any life."
Zane didn't flinch, in spite of the raw accusation and agony in Bill's voice. "If you don't want to decide, you don't have to. You can tell them that you don't want any part of this, if that is what you'd prefer."
If I want to be a coward, Bill thought bitterly. A coward like these suited scumbags, fobbing off hard decisions on other people on the thinnest of justifications.
Bill turned away from the agent, back to the clone. He put a trembling hand on the pod, his throat feeling like there was something stuck in it. He felt nauseous. He didn't want to be here right now. He didn't want to be faced with such an impossible decision when he was tired, drugged to high hell, and in pain. He hadn't slept in his own bed in weeks.
But he was a hero. He saved lives. And this was a life that was, for a single, perilous moment, in his hands. He could walk away now, and leave it in the hands of others.
Or…
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He collapsed to his knees moments after the hero’s knife entered his stomach. Before the hero could register what they had done he pulled the knife from his flesh and dropped it to the ground.
“I’m so sorry!” ,the hero sobbed, “ I didn’t mean too.” They moved closer to him as they spoke.
“I just wanted to stop you. I didn’t want this to happen!” They choked on their words, remorse thick in their voice.
The hero continued to babble their apologies but his thoughts were elsewhere. His hand had made its way to the hole the blade had left in his stomach, he pulled it away and was met with the sight of his blood. He knew he was going to die.
“Look me in the eye while I die, you coward.” He spat the words in their direction.
At his words the hero stopped babbling and began to panic.
“You’re not gonna die, I’ll find help.” They made to move but stopped when he grabbed their wrist.
Holding the hero’s wrist tight enough to hurt he spoke, “You are going to sit here and watch as your actions finally catch up to you.”
The hero palled at his words.
“You have been galavanting through my land causing nothing but trouble in the name of your king.” He squeezed their wrist harder as he hissed his words through the pain.
“You have killed my people without a care for who they were or why they were there. You have destroyed whole villages because you King commanded it.” He used his other hand to grab the hero’s shirt and pull him closer.
“You have shown no remorse for your actions and I now realize why. You have yet to watch the blood drain from your victims body. You have yet to be there when they go cold. You may be a killer but you have yet to see the moment the life leaves their body, being reduced to nothing but a corpse.”
He watched as the hero’s eyes widened in horror at his word, the realization finally hitting in them. He was going to make them watch him die.
“N-no I can find help. I can go get someone to heal you!” They tried to pull away but he held firm.
“I wasn’t trying to kill you! I just wanted to stopped the war!” The hero began to sob again, but he’d had enough of this.
“You are going to watch as I bleed out right here in front of you. You will be hailed as a war hero having taken me down.” He shifted slightly pulling the hero closer to make them pay attention to his words.
“You will be know as the knight that ended the war, but you will know what it cost. Your king is a fraud, a heartless man with a need for vengeance. Do you even know what your fighting for?” The hero made to speak before he cut them off.
“I don’t think you do. You have killed so many innocent men, women, and children for a war that was started before you were even conceived. You are no better than me.” He spat. “And now you will watch me die and forever know that your title was forged in the blood of innocents. You will live with the knowledge that you killed children who were too young to understand why you hurt them, and you will never forget this moment.” The hero shook their head as their panic increased.
“Enjoy the rest of your life knowing you have taken more than you could ever begin to repent for.” He released them and laid back on the ground where he had fallen.
The hero started to speak again but he was too far gone to understand their words. In his final moments he laughed knowing that a mark would be forever let on the soul of the foolish knight who blindly follow the orders of his king.
#found this hidden in my notes app#apparently I have my best ideas in the middle of the night and put them in the notes app and just abandon them their#my writing
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Arc Review: The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
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Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Synopsis:
Neither here nor there, but long ago…
Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.
With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.
Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.
My Rating: ★★★★★
**My Review and Favorite Quotes below the cut.
My Review:
This was a wild ride of stories and secrets, shocking reveals, betrayals, and allegiances that shift like the sand. And so, so much magic. I absolutely loved it.
The four characters on their quest (Louli, Mazen, Aisha, and Qadir) were all very different, and all hiding secrets, and it was so satisfying to watch them become closer and slowly reveal them. Some of them, anyway. They were all like onions, slowly peeling back the layers, offering up stories that were A truth but not always The truth. Piecing it all gradually together was very satisfying, like completing a challenging jigsaw puzzle.
I loved the djinn relics and how they tied everyone together in unexpected ways. I loved the secrets behind them, and the magic. I loved how they kept showing up where they weren't expected and revealing new tidbits of information each time.
The story was so vast and grand and full of tales within tales and stories that aren't only stories and truths that aren't the whole truth that I still can't quite wrap my head around it, and I know I will be rereading it before diving into the sequel when it comes out. And I absolutely will be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it because that ending left me with so many questions and not nearly enough answers.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an e-arc for review.
Favorite Quotes:
To live is a matter of belief, Omar had once told her. The wicked live longer simply because they believe themselves to be invincible.
---
Because Omar is family, he thought. And with family, we always try to forget.
---
“Such pretty lies you spin.”
But Mazen did not think it was a lie at all. To him, stories were truths painted over in gold.
---
This is not a story, he told himself. This is reality, and I am living it right now.
---
The merchant turned away with a snort. “Your honesty is a foible, Prince.” She paused. “But also a treasure. Don’t underestimate your ability to influence others.”
---
“We’re all afraid, Prince. The only difference between a hero and a coward is that one forgets their fear and fights, while the other succumbs to it and flees.”
---
Violence does not suit him, she thought, but she shoved the thought away. It did not suit anyone.
#the stardust thief#chelsea abdullah#the sandsea trilogy#orbit books#arc review#netgalley#shilo reads#best books of 2022#inspired by one thousand one nights
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Plans Can Change
This is the prequel to Plan B. Can be treated as a stand-alone fic if you aren’t down for what happens in Plan B, which is infidelity.
Pairings: Natsuo Todoroki x reader, Shouto Todoroki x reader
Genre: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, smut
Word count: 12.5k
Warnings: break-up, heartbreak, messy feelings, lots of emotions, alcohol consumption, wall sex, crying while masturbating, pregnancy mention
Notes: I have never written anything this length, nor have I ever worked quite this hard on a piece before. I'm both petrified & ecstatic to finally post it, so here it is! I hope you all fall as hard for Natsuo as I have 💜
I'm hoping to post the sequel to Plan B soon! Lemme know if you’d like to join the tag list 💜
“Y-you’re what?” You blink at Shouto, shaking your head in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me this is a sick joke.” You shrink away from him, sliding towards the other end of the couch, tears welling in your eyes.
“Baby, I—,” he starts, but you cut him off.
“Don’t fucking baby me!” You shove him away as he reaches out to hold you in his arms, standing to step further away from him. “You’ve told me for years that this would never happen. That you’d come clean to your dad about us and tell him to call off this bullshit quirk marriage idea of his!”
“I know, but baby, it’s not that simple--,” he puts his hands up and rises, tentatively taking a step towards you.
“It is that fucking simple! You’re just a fucking coward!” Tears flow freely over your cheeks, your face reddening as rage boils up inside of you, coalescing into verbal venom that you spew directly into his pathetic face. “Five fucking years of my life, I’ve waited for you to grow a fucking backbone and now it’s just over? All the lies and the sneaking around, I understood when we were still in school, but we’re goddamn adults! We’re pro fucking heroes! And I’ve never been able to hold your hand in public, because you’re afraid of what your dickbag father would have to say about it? The one that you say that you still despise, but yet here you are, throwing away everything to appease him? Did I fucking miss anything?”
“No,” he chokes, looking at you guiltily as tears spill over his own cheeks. “I-I’m so sorry, Y/n. I do love you though. I’m always going to love you.”
“Fuck you.” You spit through gritted teeth, taking a menacing step forward with each proclamation. “You don’t love me. I don’t think that you ever have, because this isn’t love. This is you leading me on, promising me the world, and then snatching the rug out from under me. You’re a selfish goddamn prick, Shouto Todoroki. I guess you’re more like your father than I thought.”
“Y/n, please, it isn’t like that. I-I don’t know what to do! I’m not like him. I don’t want to be, but this is the only thing that makes sense to me. I don’t want to be like him. I don’t want to hurt you,” you scoff, shaking your head as you look upwards, disbelief plain on your face as he continues. “I know it might not make sense to you and I know you can’t understand, but I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone. I’m trying to make the best decision that I can.”
“For everyone? What about me? What about us?” You clutched your hands to your chest, your eyes frantically searching for a shred of rationality behind his eyes. “What about all those times you promised me that we would get to live happily ever after, hmm? When you swore that you would never let this exact fucking thing happen to us?” You sob and quickly pace across the room, folding your arms around yourself as the anger roils beneath your skin, leaving you shaking in the corner, continuing to stew while he stands there, thoroughly defeated and unsure of what to even say.
Because there’s nothing left to say. There’s nothing he or you can say to change what’s been done. To undo the damage that’s been caused by his decision. It’s over.
You sigh, feeling the weight of the world coming to rest upon your fragile shoulders, closing your eyes as you turn away from him, trying not to choke on your words while more tears pour over your cheeks, “Get out.”
“Baby, please just let me try to explain,” he reaches out to touch your arm and you wrench it away from him.
“Go!” You spin on your heel, glaring at him as every loose object in your apartment suddenly levitates. He looks stunned, but nowhere near intimidated as he takes another step closer. You try to maintain your threatening gaze, but you crack, your mouth twitching as you let out a broken sob. “Go,” you beg, a pathetic plea that rings out in the uncomfortable stillness of the room before everything collapses around you two.
He freezes, staring at you apologetically as he seems to mull over his next move. After a long beat, he finally speaks.
“Okay,” he nods solemnly, taking a step back and turning towards the door. He steps over a broken picture frame, one of you and him from your high school days. Both of you all dressed up for the school dance, looking happy as ever.
Another wave of guilt washes over him as he tears his eyes away from the nostalgic, far gone scene, leaving you alone.
///
“Two more, please,” you smile at the bartender, who nods and pours two more shots, setting them in front of you. “Thanks.”
“Y/n?” A voice distracts you before you can lift one of the vials to your lips.
You turn to see Natsuo, Shouto’s elder brother, leaning up against the bar beside you.
“Hey,” you smile politely, silently offering him one of the cups of poison before you. If you didn’t have to drink alone, you’d rather not. “How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain,” he grins, shrugging and toasting you as he takes the shot glass and you both toss them back. He makes a bitter face as he turns to you, an amused expression littering his features, “Whiskey, huh? You’re really not messing around tonight,” he chuckles, “Thanks for the drink. You here with someone?”
“Ha,” you scoff, shaking your head as the burn in your throat tapers off. “Nope. I’m only here, because drinking alone at home seemed a little too sad, even for me.”
“What’s goin’ on? You wanna talk about it?” His cheerful demeanor shifts and he pulls out the stool beside you to take a seat, furrowing his brow as he flashes you a concerned look. “I mean, I know we’re not exactly close, and, I don’t know, maybe this is weird, because I’m just your friend’s big brother, but, I mean,” he half shrugs, “I still care about you. I’ve missed seeing you around the house, ya know. Feels like it’s been a while.”
“Oh,” you pout, looking away from his kind eyes. His words have more of an effect on you than you would have thought they could. “I, uh. I’ve missed you guys too. And thank you for asking. I don’t know if..I mean,” you shrug heaving a heavy sigh. “I don’t know if Sho has mentioned anything, but I had a bit of a rough break up a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were with anyone,” his eyes are apologetic as he leans in closer, turning towards you to give you his undivided attention. “What happened?”
“He left me for someone else,” you gesture for another round, speaking matter-of-factly. “And today would have been our five year anniversary, so it’s been a bit of a day for me.”
“Five years?” He raises his eyebrows incredulously, “I can imagine today’s been rough on you. Where’s Sho though? Shouldn’t he be here?”
“Ah, that’s the kicker. We aren’t speaking,” you toss back another shot, realizing it might have been a mistake as your head begins to swim. “That’s why I haven’t been around. Sorry.”
“And here I was worried you were just avoiding me,” he jests, grinning at you with a boyish charm that you're powerless against, so you offer him a shy smile in return, giggling quietly. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m sure it’s his fault anyway. What’d he do?”
He rests his head on his rolled knuckles, smiling playfully as he looks to you.
“He was never very supportive of the relationship,” you half-lie. “Wasn’t exactly sympathetic to my situation when it ended.”
He shakes his head, “I’m sorry. Seems like his head is stuck a little too far up his own ass if he’s treating you that way,” he searches your sullen expression apologetically. “I’m here to listen though, if you wouldn’t mind a shoulder to cry on. Promise that I’m already on your side.”
“Thanks for that,” you shift your lips to the side, a wry smile lingering as you slide him the shot glass that remains before you. “Here. I think I need to be cut off. Otherwise I’ll really spill my guts to you and I’m not looking to embarrass myself tonight.”
“I don’t think you could,” he shakes his head, tossing back the shot. “You’re too cool to let that happen.”
“You think I’m cool?” You look at him skeptically.
“Yeah?” He squints, cocking an eyebrow, as if it should be obvious. “You’re a badass hero. Plus, I saw you kick Shouto’s ass at the festival, your last year of high school.”
“That was a long time ago,” you qualify, unsure of why you���re blushing so deeply as you sip your water. Must be the alcohol.
“You’re being modest. I think you could still take him.” He folds his arms together, leaning on them as he nudges you with his shoulder. “Because you really are a badass. I’m sorry whatever jackass you were with obviously couldn’t see that, but someone who’s worth it will someday.”
“I thought Fuyumi was the only sensitive Todoroki,” you glance over at him, unable to bear the eye contact for long, so you stare at your feet, fidgeting on the stool.
“I’ve picked up a few things,” he allows his gaze to linger on your heated cheeks before he pulls them away.
“Ya know what. Fuck it, you’re right,” you wave the bartender over. “You promise not to judge me if I embarrass myself? Because I’m telling you, it’s a very likely possibility.”
“I promise,” he nods. “So long as you keep my sensitivity a secret,” he winks and you laugh, shaking your head as you turn to the bartender to order a drink you can sip on.
And then the pair of you do just that: sip on your drinks, chatting about nothing and anything at all. It’s a bit strange, because you’ve never really gotten to talk with Natsuo like this. Your conversations were always limited to polite small talk or interactions that involved the rest of the family, like the weekly family dinners that you were often invited to.
He was funny and kind, charming even. His personality became more apparent to you as the evening drew on and you wondered how you’d never managed to see this side of him before.
You’d been a fixture around the Todoroki estate since you met Shouto when you transferred to UA for your senior year. It was obvious why you and Natsuo had never interacted much then, considering he was a college student and you were his kid brother’s “best friend”.
Maybe he’d just never looked at you beyond that, which would be understandable, seeing as you’d never viewed him as more than Shouto’s elder sibling.
At least, until right now. Again, you wanted to blame it on the booze, but the pressure building between your thighs was getting hard to ignore every time he leaned in a little closer. A smile highlighting the shine in his grey eyes, whiffs of his alluring cologne reaching your nostrils. It was hard to tell if you were dizzy due to his presence or the cocktail you were still working on.
Straw tucked between your lips, tongue pressed against the plastic as you stifled a laugh at his intentionally terrible joke. You pretended to miss the way his gaze lingered on your mouth, watching how you pinched the straw between your fingers, toying at it with your tongue.
He cleared his throat, absently spinning the pint glass in his hands before swallowing the rest of his beer.
“You’re pretty cool too, ya know,” you tilt your head, looking at him sideways when all of a sudden your brain feels much softer than it did just a moment ago.
“Oh yeah?” He laughs, pushing his glass away as he turns to you, his expression changing to one of tentative concern as you sway on the stool. “You all right there?”
“Uh,” you shake your head, but it’s too much motion for you, so you stop and close your eyes, but that only seems to make it worse. “I think I, uh, t-think I’ve ‘ad t’much,” you slur resting your head atop your forearms as you slump forward on the bar.
“Whoa, okay. Let’s get you out of here.” He stands, holding his arm out to you. “Think you can walk, if I help you?”
“Think so,” you mutter, trying to keep your eyes open as you stand and take a wobbly step forward as he wraps his arm around your waist.
“All right, we got this,” he assures you, stooping down so your arm can slip around his neck. He reaches his hand up to hold yours, ensuring your hold on him.
The fresh air of the warm, summer evening granted you little reprieve, but it did feel nice to be outside, away from the noisy patrons and too loud music of the bar. You hadn’t noticed how busy your surroundings were when the two of you were locked in conversation.
It felt like it did now, just the two of you, in a sort of bubble, all your own. Granted, it was far more enjoyable when he was so close to you, because he wanted to be, rather than because without him physically supporting you, you might fall over.
Natsuo didn’t mind though. He’d been in this state before and he wasn’t one to judge. You’d been through some shit recently; you deserved to get blackout drunk if you wanted to. He just wanted to make sure that you got home safe.
“Just gonna find your address, okay?” He slipped the small wristlet you carried off of your arm, looking to you for permission. “Unless you can tell me your address?”
“It’s uhm,” you pressed a hand to your face, pulling at your temple, trying to recall something that should be laughably simple, but you came up with nothing. “My IDs n’there.”
He nods and rifles through the small bag, locating your ID just behind your phone, “Got it. I don’t want you alone with anyone else in this state, so I’ll ride with you and make sure you get inside all right.”
The sense of authority in his voice gave you a pulse between your legs, one you suppressed by pressing them together.
“Yes, sir,” you murmured with a little too much intention and a soft giggle. Gasping, you pressed a hand over your lips when your mind caught up with your mouth. “‘M’sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he shook his head, smiling at you as he chuckled quietly. “Nothing I haven’t heard before.” His tone was playful, but inside his body was screaming.
He’d been casually flirting with you all night, all the while wondering if that was even okay, but he reasoned it was harmless. You were both drinking. You’d just been through a break up and you were his brother’s closest friend. Which meant that you were off limits for a number of reasons, but his dick didn’t get the memo.
“I’m gonna call an Uber,” he pulls out his phone, actively seeking a distraction from how cute you looked with that blush creeping over your cheeks again.
The ride back wasn’t any easier on him. The alcohol in his system was plenty enough to give him a solid buzz, to relax him, but he was tense as ever with you pressed up against him, leaning against his shoulder. The sweet scent of your perfume wafting in his nose while your slow, quiet breaths filled his ears.
By the time he got you upstairs to your apartment, his normally cool skin felt like it was on fire, burning from the chemical reactions caused by the alcohol in his blood and your weight shifting against his body as he helped you to your door.
“Thank you, Natsuo,” you smiled as you leaned against the door, fumbling with you keys, seemingly unable to find the right one.
“Lemme help you,” he said gently, his fingertips brushing against yours as he took them.
He unlocked the door and helped you inside, setting your things down on the table by the door before he set you down on the couch.
“Are you gonna be okay?” He stands in front of you, kneeling down so that he‘s level with your gaze.
“Would you stay if I said no?” You bite your lip, reaching forward to touch his knee, slowly pushing your hand up his thigh and he pops up, putting his hands up as he takes a step back.
“I would, but I’d be sleeping on the couch.”
“Oh,” you look away embarrassed, pulling your hands into your lap. “I’m sorry, I, uhm,” you shake your head, laughing nervously, “I think I misread things. Told you I’d embarrass myself.”
He looks up, clenching his eyes shut as he curses himself silently before squatting back down to try and catch your eyes.
“Hey,” he reaches out to tap your ankle, smiling softly when you look up. “Look, you didn’t,” he pauses, letting out a nervous breath, “you didn’t misread anything. But, aside from the fact that you’re more than a little tipsy, I’m also the slightest bit concerned that Shouto might just roast me.”
You scoff, “I don’t think you have to be worried about that, but I see your point about the other thing,” you admit, smiling lopsidedly. “I’m really sorry for being so forward. I’m not usually..like this.”
“You’re fine,” he reassures you, offering his hand. “C’mon. I’ll help you to your room and then I’ll take the couch, okay?”
You nod and take his hand, smiling shyly as he pulls you to your feet, a hand resting on your waist to steady you as your faces nearly collide.
“Sure you wanna take the couch?” You jest, grasping his shirt to find your balance. “I mean, if you really think I can take him, I don’t think you have much to worry about there.”
You laugh quietly, stumbling towards your room as he follows close behind you, groaning as he chews on his lip.
“You’re very funny,” he says dryly, slipping his arm around your waist as he walks you into your room.
“I’ve been told,” you sit down on the bed, grinning up at him. “Thank you again, Natsu. I’m sorry for hitting on you,” you both laugh. “I appreciate you making sure I got back okay.”
“Anytime, Y/n.” He takes a step back, grabbing the door handle as he backs out of the room, smiling softly. “I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” You watch as he slowly pulls the door shut, not seeing the way he closes his eyes and sighs under his breath.
In the morning, you stroll out of your room to find Natsuo in the kitchen, leaning into your fridge.
“Good morning,” you mutter groggily and he shuts the door, turning to face you with a smile.
“Good morning. I got good news and bad news.”
“Okay,” you shoot him a confused expression. Good news first, I guess.”
“Good news, you do have aspirin and there’s some on the counter for you,” he nods to the glass of water and pills on the kitchen countertop. “Bad news, you’re outta eggs and pretty much all other AM food, so I can’t make you breakfast like I wanted to.”
You blush, staring at the space between your feet, “You really don’t have to do anything like that. I was an ass last night,” you face burns as you recall your actions. “I’m sorry about that, again.”
“About that,” he nods once, sauntering closer to you, leaning against the kitchen counter. “How about we just..start over? A reset from last night.”
You glance up, nodding thoughtfully, “Okay. I’d like that.”
“Great,” he grins, standing up straight as he lightly raps the counter. “How about we start by you letting me take you out for breakfast?”
“I’d like that,” you smile, resting your hand beside his on the countertop.
///
It had been a little over a month since you’d hit the reset button and things were going well. You’d been on a few dates, skirting around the topic of what Shouto might think, though both of you avoided that topic for different reasons.
You hadn’t heard from him, but you did see the announcement of his engagement in a tabloid. She was pretty. Came from a wealthy family, old money. You had to assume that the connections that came with that were why Enji had arranged the whole thing. Her quirk was impressive, sure, but Shouto had two quirks already. I mean, shit, was the goal to hit a triple with one of his grandkids?
Besides the point. Shouto was really going through with it, so you had no choice but to move on. Did you have to move on with his brother? No. Would that come back to bite you in the ass? Maybe.
But you weren’t spending all this time with Natsuo to spite him. That wouldn’t be fair to Natsu and he didn’t deserve to suffer because you wanted to get back at his brother.
No, you genuinely enjoyed your time with him. He was always so caring and affectionate. Always trying to make you laugh. Asking when he could see you next, swearing dramatically that he just might not be able to make it until then. He was never worried about whether or not someone would see you standing too close to one another. He wasn’t apprehensive about holding your hand in public, in case paparazzi caught you and decided to run a story. Being with him was just..easy.
He respected that you were fresh out of a long term relationship, so things were moving slowly. Most of your time together was spent in coffee shops, milling around town, or out to dinner. You hadn’t had any time alone and in private together, part of the strategy of taking things slow.
Which is why, tonight, you had insisted on having him over, so you could make him a home cooked meal in your apartment to celebrate his birthday.
“Are you sure you don’t want any help in here? I’m a decent cook, I swear.” Natsuo smiles as he enters the kitchen.
“No! I’m not letting you lift a finger on your birthday. Just lemme do this for you,” you press your hands to his chest, smiling sweetly up at him, your arms crossing behind his neck. “Please?”
“Fine,” his hands find your waist as he leans in, his heart jumping at the way you blush just before his lips meld with yours. “Can I at least stay and supervise?” He chuckles, fingers outstretched, lingering on your waist for as long as he can manage as you pull away from him.
“I suppose,” you sigh, feigning exasperation as you wrangle the ingredients. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t always use my hands to pick up the knives.” You wave a hand toward your knife block, activating your quirk to coax a knife towards the counter.
“Noted,” he nods, “I’ll keep an eye out. And hey, if you need anything flash frozen, I’m your guy.”
“Noted,” you laugh, turning your attention to the vegetables before you on the chopping block. “Oh, better turn the oven on before I forget.” You remind yourself, slipping past him in the narrow passage between the counter and the island, purposely pressing your ass back against him.
You feel a sense of satisfaction when he reacts, inhaling sharply as he grips the underside of the countertop behind him.
“Oops, sorry,” you stop where you stand, caught between him and the counter in front of you. You look back at him over your shoulder with a seductive smile, bending over to lean against the counter. “Didn’t realize it would be such a tight squeeze,”
“You’re terrible,” he groans, leaning forward to place his hands on the outside of yours, caging you in as he whispers in your ear. “And I fucking love it.”
You whine softly, feeling the bulge in his pants rock against your behind. “Natsu,” your hips roll in rhythm with his, your back arching as you reach back to push your fingers into hair, turning your head to breathe into his ear. “I’m tired of waiting. Need you so bad.”
He grunts, a low, gruff sound emanating from his chest as you’re spun around, back pressed to the counter. His lips take yours hostage and it’s all passion, weeks worth of stored up sexual tension finally being released.
“Bedroom,” he manages to utter, lips still moving against yours, unable to find the will to pull away until you do it for him.
Hand in hand, you tug him toward the bedroom, lips crashing into his again as you pull up beside the bed, fumbling with his belt while he sheds his shirt.
He slips the straps of your dress off your shoulders and you quickly work the rest of it down, leaving you in the light blue set of lingerie that you’d worn for this momentous event.
“You’re so gorgeous,” he lets his eyes roam, taking in every inch of your body while you’re busy dropping his trousers.
You wrap a hand around his cock, stroking slowly as you lean in to kiss him again, smiling proudly as he moans into your mouth, “And you’re so fucking hot,” you sigh, taking a step back towards the bed as his fingers hook into your panties, slipping them down your thighs.
He walks you towards the bed, laying you down as he clambers over you, his cock pressing against your thigh, precum sliding against your skin. You lean forward, making quick work of your bra, a wanton moan is pulled from your throat as he kisses and sucks at your neck. Cool lips soothing the heat boiling your blood as you raise your hips off the bed impatiently, “Natsu,” you mewl softly.
He pulls back, looking down at you with soft eyes as he searches your features. His hand cups your face, thumb on your cheek while his fingers push into your hair and he kisses you deeply. Kisses you like he’s never going to get the chance again. It’s slow, sensual, and sweet. He rests his forehead against yours to catch his breath, the thick head of his cock pressing against your wetness, a sharp gasp in his ears as he pushes inside, followed by a long, satisfied moan when he sheathes his entire length, stilling inside you.
“Shit,” he mutters under his breath, tilting his head back as he thrusts slowly. “You feel so good, baby.”
His hand slides up your forearm, interlacing your fingers with his, another hand slides beneath you, wrapping around your waist as he slowly begins rolling his hips, letting you feel every vein and ridge along his cock as it glides within your walls while his grey eyes bore into yours.
It’s not the aggressive, lust-driven fuck that you were expecting. It’s a slow, sensuous tango. One that would be more accurately described as love-making than fucking.
No further words are exchanged. The only noises traded are the soft moans you’re exhaling, met by the occasional groan between his labored breaths. That is, until you’re gasping, tossing your head back, eyes shut tight while your nails sink into the flesh of his shoulder. You hadn’t even realized how close you’d gotten until you were here.
“Natsu, oh fuck, I’m think I’m gonna—oh God,” you cling to him, falling apart in airy, broken moans and he grunts in response, his hips moving faster as he buries his face in your neck, littering it with kisses.
“Shit,” he mutters, breaking away and trying to pull out as he feels himself getting too close to the edge, but you stop him, squeezing your thighs together to keep him inside.
“On the pill, s’okay,” you pant, loosening your grip on his shoulder to pull back and cup his face, pulling him into a kiss. “I promise.” You speak against his lips, a soft plea that nearly destroys him, “Cum inside me, please, Natsuo..”
“Fuck, baby,” he sighs, tightening his arm around your waist, his other hand pushing into your hair, cradling your head as he kisses you deeply.
His hips stutter, falling into an uneven rhythm while his forehead comes to rest against yours. He falls silent as he explodes inside of you, pouring his essence inside of you in thick ropes as his voice catches up with him, a low, rumbling cry rising from deep in his chest as his balls finally empty.
Collapsing beside you, his eyes are too weak to open, the intensity of his orgasm still weighing them down as he pulls you closer to him. You roll onto your side towards him, resting your arm on top of his chest, where he finds your hand and takes it in his, bringing your palm to his lips.
It’s a moment that you wish you could bottle up and save for a rainy day, so that you could relive it over and over again. Basking in the afterglow, electricity passing between you with each gentle caress that you share with one another in the quiet room.
It’s silent, but not uncomfortably so. There’s an indiscernible buzz in the air. A feeling of tension, but not one that threatens the moment. It’s that exciting brand of tension that you feel in the build up to a reunion with a best friend who you can’t wait to trade gossip with. The tension you feel in the pit of your stomach before you crest over the peak of the highest point on a rollercoaster. It’s something that you’ve both been waiting for, a little scary and a lot exciting.
He wants to take the plunge and catapult down that steep hill, but doesn’t want to scare you off, lest your newly inflicted fear of heights catch up with you. He wants you to know how he feels, desperately. But even if you hadn’t suffered a bad break-up only a couple of months ago, he knew that a confession like that after just six weeks of dating was liable to scare just about anyone off. So, he compromises on his commitment to tell you his true feelings.
“I really like you, Y/n,” he smiles softly, pressing a tender kiss to your temple as he rubs your back. “Like, really like you.” He chuckles quietly. “You can’t possibly know how much.”
“I think that I might,” you whisper as you smile against his collarbone, planting a kiss to his cool skin. “I’m still a little hesitant about letting myself like someone too much.” You draw absent circles against his chest, closing your eyes as you listen to the pounding of his heart. “But I really like you too, Natsuo. More than I probably should right now.”
You can both feel his heart thrumming a bit harder as an elated grin graces his lips.
“I promise I won’t make you regret that,” he says softly, tucking a finger beneath your chin to guide your eyes toward his. “Would you like to come with me to family dinner this week? Everyone’s dying to meet the mystery woman I keep gushing about.”
“You want to tell them?” You ask, propping yourself up on an elbow to look at him.
“Of course I do,” he squeezes your hand gently. “I can’t wait to show you off, baby. I wanna tell the whole damn world that you’re mine.”
A blush creeps across your face while apprehension prods at your insides. You knew this was bound to happen. If you wanted to be with Natsuo, you’d have to face Shouto eventually. Everything was still so new and uncertain, but the look on his face told you that this would mean a lot to him. You couldn’t worry about Sho anymore. He wasn’t yours to worry about. Natsuo was.
“Okay,” you nod, “If you’re ready, I’d love to.”
“Thank you,” he smiles softly, cupping your face in his hand to bring your lips to his. His other arm wraps around you as you kiss him back, bringing you flush against his chest, so that you’re laying atop him. “You, uh, you’re really good at that, by the way.” He chuckles, running his fingers along your spine.
You bury your face into his chest, shaking your head as quiet laughter bounces against his skin, “Thanks,” you pause, tapping your fingers along his chest. “That makes me feel better. I was a little nervous, actually. I’ve never, uhm. I mean, I’ve only ever been with one other person.”
“I was just as nervous as you, I promise.” He reassures you, placing a cool hand to the dip in your spine as he kisses the top of your head. “I thought that you were out of my league before. Now I know.” You can feel his smile against your scalp as he smoothes your hair.
“Shut up,” you giggle, gently pressing on his toned pecs. “I’ve got another confession that might make you feel better. You wanna hear it?”
“Let me have it, angel.”
“I’ve never—how do I phrase it? Uh, I’ve never actually gotten off just by penetration? I hardly know any women who have. I thought it was a myth, but I mean you,” you blow a breath of air between pursed lips. “You, sir, are apparently a thing of myth.”
“Really?” He cranes his neck to look down at you, a look of pride radiating through his features.
“Really,” you smile back. “Although..” your smile turns mischievous as your hand trails lower on his torso, your fingers walking along his abdomen. “Could have been a fluke, I guess.” Your eyes move to study his face, a daring sense of playfulness evident behind them.
“Is that right?” He smiles, indulging you as he sits up, flipping you onto your back and propping himself up over your, a strong arm on either side of your head. “Surely, there’s a way to find out if it was just a fluke or not,” he rocks his stiffening cock against your thigh, still slick with the mixture of both of your release. “Right?”
“I s’pose we could try again,” you grin, catching your bottom lip between your teeth. “For science,” you shrug, running your hands along his sides until they hold his hips.
“For science,” he agrees, his lips capturing yours once more as you guide him inside you.
You clench around him, swallowing the groan that passes from his lips before you gasp, your mouth hanging open as your brows knit together once he starts moving in earnest.
The second go round is even smoother. With most of the jitters out of the way, he’s got a different confidence about him. He slides both hands beneath you, lifting you off the bed just enough to find the perfect angle.
“Natsu,” you whine, already feeling that delicious sensation brewing in your core. “Please,” you reach out, fingertips brushing against his shoulders, falling away as you just can’t reach.
He pushes his hands further beneath you, pressing his palms flat against your back as he brings you into his lap while he assumes a kneeling position.
Your arms encircle his neck, your forehead coming to rest against his. It’s hard to even keep your eyes open, the stimulation of his cock assaulting your womb at this angle is too much for you to take in anything else. You’re melting in his arms, you’re on top now, but certainly not in control as he guides you up and down on his length as it stretches you out, threatening to split you apart.
“Love you,” you murmur, soft and desperate, but loud enough for him to hear with your forehead still flush with his.
You can see the surprise in his eyes and you double down, fully committing to your last confession of the evening. One that you had zero intention of making until he made you feel this way; like you might die if you couldn’t ever be this close to him again.
“I love you, Natsuo,” you repeat between ragged breaths, your fingers interlaced behind his neck as you lift your head to search his eyes, to let him see that you mean it.
“I love you too,” he chortles, the last bit of disbelief exiting his lips in a pant. “I love you, Y/n,” he cards his fingers through your hair, holding the back of your head in his hand as he kisses you deeply and hungrily. The peaks of both of your orgasms cresting as you try to get impossibly closer to one another, your bodies moving in tandem as waves of pleasure roll through them.
Neither of you are sure how much time has passed by the time you’ve both caught your breath. You’re both laying on your side, all your limbs tangled and clinging to one another, heartbeats thumping back and forth. You’ve said all you needed to say, so the little touches suffice. Careful hands idly studying one another in the dim light of the bedroom while you trade soft smiles and lingering glances. And for the first time in a long time, you feel whole again.
///
Sunday arrives much too quickly for your liking. Before you know it, you’re staring down the front door of the Todoroki family home and the pit in your stomach is begging you to turn back.
It’s been nearly 3 months since you’ve seen Shouto. You’d have to face not only him, but his bride-to-be. The thought made you sick to your stomach. There was a lot of potential for all of this to go sideways.
But as you drew closer to the door, Natsuo looked over and gave your hand a gentle squeeze.
“You ready?” He smiled and all your worries seemed to disappear. You remembered the reason why you were here. Why things were different now.
You nodded, slipping your other hand around his forearm as the two of you entered the door.
“We’re here,” Natsuo called as the two of you exchanged your shoes for slippers before continuing into the home.
“Finally!” You smiled upon recognizing Fuyumi’s sweet voice from the other room. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it to—Y/n?” She blinked, staring at the junction of you and Natsuo’s hands. “Oh—oh my God, wait, really? Mom!”
Fuyumi called out, hurrying down the hallway to wrap you into a hug, which you gladly returned.
“Did you say Y/n was here?” Rei stepped out of the dining room, her eyes growing wider as they fell on you. “Oh my goodness, darling, it’s so good to see you,” she smiled warmly, collecting you into her arms as Fuyumi released you.
“It’s so good to see you too,” you hugged her tight. “I’ve missed you guys.”
“Where have you been? And when did this happen? Why didn’t I know about it?” Fuyumi gestured between you and Natsuo as you rejoin hands.
“Wait, are you the one he insisted he couldn’t tell us about?” Rei brought a hand to her lips, smiling excitedly.
“Now you see why. Sis would have asked a million questions,” Natsuo chuckled while Fuyumi rolled her eyes.
“Questions that I would like answers to! How long? This isn’t a prank, right? Because, honestly, he could never do better than you. Please tell me this is real.” Fuyumi placed her hand on your arm, stepping to your other side.
When she came closer, you could see Shouto stepping out of the dining room. The briefest of flames alighting the hair on his left side as he took in the scene before him.
“It’s real,” you pointedly ignored him, smiling at Fuyumi. “Been almost a couple months now, so not long. We didn’t wanna say anything until we were sure it would stick,” you laugh as Enji and Tame appear in the hallway beside Shouto.
“Well, I certainly hope it does. I think it will,” Rei smiled fondly, looking between the two of you. “You look so happy together. I’ve always thought that you would make sense as a couple.”
Shouto turned to re-enter the dining room, but Fuyumi remembered her manners before he had the chance.
“Oh! It’s been so long, I almost forgot. Have you had a chance to meet Tame yet?” She took a step back to wave over Shouto and the pretty woman beside him.
“No, I haven’t,” you smiled and bowed politely and Tame did the same as she came close. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she smiles brightly, “I almost didn’t believe Shouto when he said that he knew y/hero/n personally.”
“Ah, call me y/n, please. I feel so awful that I haven’t had the chance to meet you sooner, but I’m so glad that we have tonight to get to know each other better.” You put on your best smile, finding it easier than you thought it might be in her presence. She seemed like a genuinely kind person, so at least there was that.
“I am too,” she nods, “Shouto told me how busy you’ve been recently. I completely understand, but I’m glad we’ve finally gotten the chance to meet.”
“Oh, is that why you haven’t seen each other, bro? She’s been too busy for you?” Natsuo smiles sardonically and catches a gentle elbow in the side from you as you laugh it off, not wanting to cause a scene.
“I have been busy with the new agency location,” you lie, grateful as ever when Enji interjects.
“I recall Shouto mentioning that a while ago, I hope you’ve left plenty of room to grow at the new office.” He nods, “You’re about to crack into the top 10, aren’t you? That’s impressive, especially considering your age.”
“Getting close,” you smile politely, “But I don’t wanna talk shop while I’m here. There’s so much catching up to do.” You smile at Tame, “And I’d love to have a chance to talk with you.”
“Well, dinner’s nearly finished, but we could still use some help in the kitchen. We can take a little time, c’mon girls.” Rei smiles, leading the way down the hall.
You move to follow and look back as Natsuo catches your hand, smiling and tugging you back to pull you into a chaste kiss before he lets you go, smiling like a fool as he watches you walk down the hallway, oblivious to the daggers Shouto is glaring in his direction.
///
Dinner wasn’t nearly as awkward as it had the potential to be. At least, not for you. You’d spent the meal catching up with everyone around the table, though Shouto was noticeably even more quiet than usual.
He’d missed most of the conversation. After hearing Natsuo’s retelling of how he’d gotten so lucky as to be ‘in the right place at the right time’ to find you in the bar that night, he couldn’t bother to pay attention to anything else. He was ruminating, wondering how you could have possibly thought that this was a good idea. Were you just trying to hurt him? To make him jealous enough to break off his engagement? If so, it was working, because he’d already considered that idea several times this evening.
Just seeing your face again was too much for him. He knew he had to cut off all contact when he left, otherwise he’d crumble. He was fully prepared to avoid you until the day he died to circumvent the pain of knowing he couldn’t just grab you and pull you close to him like he so desperately wanted to. But here you were, laughing and hanging off of his brother’s shoulder, hand intertwined with his under the table as you shared a laugh with his family as if they were your own.
Because they were. You’d been such a presence in the Todoroki family home for so long and that was entirely his doing. How had he ever intended to explain your absence indefinitely? He would’ve eventually had to stop relying on the ‘she’s just been so busy’ excuse. None of that mattered now though. Here you were again.
He lingers behind in the dining room, idly standing aside as he watches Fuyumi gather the last of the dishes to carry to the kitchen. She passes you on her way out, explaining she’d grabbed everything that was left as she went about her way.
“Can we talk?” Shouto utters before you can leave the doorway, a rushed and clumsy inquiry.
You pause to consider, looking down the hall at Natsuo excitedly speaking with Rei while Tame nodded through a conversation with Enji. With a soft sigh, you step into the room, pulling the door shut behind you as you cross your arms.
“About what? I’ve said everything I needed to say to you.”
“About the fact that you’re fucking my brother? You didn’t care to mention that was part of your plan,” he spits, a scowl on his face that you recognized, but had never seen aimed your way before.
“My plan?” You scoff, looking anywhere but at him to search for where he might have found the audacity to accuse you of such a thing. “You can fuck right off. I’m not dealing with this.” With a dismissive wave over your shoulder, you turn around to open the door, but he crosses the room in an instant, catching your wrist to spin you around.
“Why then? Why him?” His voice is shaking, like the last leaf clinging to a barren branch on a blustery day. “Why did you have to come here to throw it in my face?”
“How can you even ask me that question?” You search his eyes, trying to ignore the way that the tears brewing in them pulls at your heart. “Half a decade with you and your family still thinks that we’ve never been more than friends. Not even two months in, he couldn’t wait to tell everyone. That’s why I’m fucking here and that’s why I’m glad you finally let go. You were never going to be honest with your father.” The rage in your blood physically manifests as hot, angry tears slipping from your eyes. “You were never going to be mine, not completely. I let you put it off at every turn, like an idiot. Let you make me feel like some huge burden, because we both knew what was coming. Knew it would be bad if you ever came clean, especially after so long.” You shirk his hand from your wrist and step towards him, curling your fist as he takes a step back. “You never loved me. Not the way that you should have.” He blinks, swaying forward to reach out to you and then back again, looking dumbstruck.
“Do you--do you love him?” He asks as if it’s an impossibility and you don’t know how else to respond, other than with the truth.
“Yes,” you respond in stark contrast to his tone, as if it’s obvious.
As if he should feel fucking stupid for asking, because he should. How could you not love Natsuo? He was giving you everything that you’d always wanted from Sho that he never gave. That he was obviously never going to and yet here he was, accusing you of trying to make him jealous? For what? Why would you want someone who didn’t want you just as much?
The tears fall faster as the question crosses your mind, because it’s not like you could deny how much you still love the man in front of you, despite the pain he’s caused. Despite the fact that you’ve moved on after thinking that you’d never be able to manage it. Natsuo had picked you up and painstakingly pieced you back together in such a short amount of time with the sheer intensity of the way he loved you. Not putting Shouto in his place would feel like a betrayal of that.
“So no, my plan wasn’t to come here and throw anything in your face. I’m not here for you anymore. I’m here for Natsuo and if you’re upset about that, then you have no one to blame but yourself.” You shrug, drying your eyes and expelling an exasperated breath. “My plan was always you,” you pause, studying the man who you’d always thought that you’d spend your life with. Finally seeing, finally accepting that the future you’d imagined with him was never going to happen. “But plans can change.”
You smile sadly and turn away, unable to bear the way that he’s looking at you, like you’d stabbed him in the chest. You move to leave, but he can’t let that happen yet.
“Please come back to me,” the shake in his voice is so intense it sends a shiver up your spine and you freeze. “Please, I’ll do anything, I--,”
“You won’t,” you shake your head, staring at the door in front of you as your voice drops to a whisper. “You and I both know that you won’t. I finally have someone who will.” You swallow, “If you ever loved me, please just let me have that.”
He doesn’t respond and you can’t bring yourself to look back anymore, so you exit, leaving him to pick up the pieces that he broke in the first place.
///
“You wanna watch another?” Natsuo smiles down at you. You’re laying on his chest, snugly nestled between his legs, clinging to him on the couch beneath a cozy blanket while he rubs your back. Your new favorite place in the world. The credits are rolling on the last film you watched and your eyes are beginning to feel the weight of the day.
“Mm, I would love to, but I should probably get home. I have an early patrol tomorrow and an afternoon full of meetings.”
You push yourself up, maneuvering yourself to sit back on the other side of the couch and you catch him staring at you, a soft grin on his face that makes you blush.
“What?” You laugh, lifting a hand to the cheek that was squished against his abdomen. “Do I have a mark on my face or something?”
“Move in with me.”
“What?” Another laugh leaves your lips, one that sounds noticeably more incredulous. It’d only been four months and he had a food sense of humor. Surely, he’s kidding, you think, but his lovestruck expression doesn’t falter. “Are you--you mean that?”
“Yeah,” he shrugs, reaching forward to grab your hands and pull you into his lap to hold you. “You wouldn’t have to leave me if you were already home,” he lifts a finger to your nose, brushing the pad of his finger against the tip. “I hate watching you leave. If I only ever had to do it when you went to work,” he shrugs, “I could live with that. But saying goodbye to you instead of just saying goodnight? It’s killing me.” He lifts his palm to your face, stroking your cheek gently with his thumb while his grey eyes bore into you, melting you in his grasp like they always do. “Whaddya say, baby?”
“Okay,” you beam, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him into a deep kiss. “I’d love to. If you’re sure you can spare the closet space,” you giggle, hugging him around his neck while he chuckles in your ear.
“If I gotta downsize to two outfits to get you in here, I’ll do it.” He squeezes you tight, feeling his heart swell with unbridled joy. “Will you stay here tonight?” He pulls away, utilizing that gaze that you can’t refuse. “I promise I’ll get up early to make sure you’re up in time to leave.”
“All right,” you whisper, catching his cheek to seal the agreement with another kiss.
The next morning, you’re in the kitchen preparing coffee when the doorbell rings.
“Can you get that, babe? I ordered us some breakfast. Thought we could eat before you have to get going,” Natsuo calls from the bedroom, rummaging through his underwear drawer.
He’s about as dressed as you are, which is to say not at all. You nod and snatch his shirt and boxers from the night before, having been abandoned on the sofa when the two of you decided to properly celebrate the new milestone in your relationship. Slipping into them is easy enough as you head for the door and pull it open to find unamused heterochromatic eyes staring back at you.
“Ah, you’re not the delivery guy,” you sigh and he echoes the sound as you step away to let him inside.
“Not exactly, but I do have something for Natsuo. I’m not planning on staying. Looks like you’re busy,” his eyes travel the length of your body, lingering on the outline of your hardened nipples as they press against the thin material of the t-shirt before he looks away.
“Oh, don’t worry, you didn’t interrupt anything,” you smile sardonically, crossing your arms to cover your chest. “He came so hard last night, I don’t think we could do it again this morning if we tried.”
“Great,” he smiles with contempt. “You miss having someone with hero stamina around yet, sweetheart? I know how bitchy you get when you’re left unsatisfied.”
“Okay,” you roll your eyes. “Outta your system? Because he’s coming.”
“I thought you said he couldn’t this morning?” He cocks a provocative brow, letting it fall off his face as Natsuo comes up behind you and you set your jaw, putting on your best smile.
“Hey, bro, she tell you the good news?” Natsuo snakes his arm around your waist and you don’t miss the way the vein in Shouto’s neck tenses.
“What good news?” He looks between you, his tone even, but his mind racing, frantically flying through the worst case scenarios, at least, for him. Had he proposed? That would be rash, but he wouldn't be surprised at this point. Were you--were you pregnant? Oh God, he didn’t even know what he would do if he had to witness that. Children were such a permanent link to someone, he’d never stand a chance at winning you back. A sweat broke out on his forehead as his thoughts went into a tailspin.
“We’re moving in together,” you press your hand to Natsuo’s chest, smiling softly at up him as he held you closer.
“Oh,” he nods, smiling politely. “Congrats. I, uhm, I don’t have much time to stop and chat. I’ve got a lot of wedding planning to handle today. Just wanted to drop this off.” He hands Natsuo a parcel. “Shoes you ordered went to Mom and Dad’s. Told Mom I’d get ‘em to you, since I’d be in the neighborhood.”
“Oh, thanks, man.” He takes the package and moves to set it aside while Shouto takes a step back, giving a quick wave.
“No problem. Sorry I can’t stay, congrats again.”
“No worries, we’ll see you soon. Take care, bro.” Natsuo joins you in waving him off as he nods and continues away from the door, heaving a sigh of relief once he’s out of earshot.
///
“Oh, I think I see one more back there,” Natsuo is seated criss-cross on the floor near the Christmas tree, pointing to a small, ribbon-bound box tucked up against the base of it. “Would you mind grabbing it, babe?”
You’re seated closest to the tree, leaning forward to spy the package beneath the pine branches. The whole family is present, celebrating Christmas Day at the family cabin. You and Natsuo had opted to spend the holidays with your family the previous year, so this was your first holiday trip with the Todorokis. Fuyumi sat on the other side of the tree, leaning against the side of the couch where her parents sat, while Shouto and a pregnant Tame sat on the other sofa.
There was wrapping paper everywhere, all the gifts except for the one you’re reaching for having been opened already in the cool, winter morning as all of you gathered gleefully in your pjs.
“Whoever snuck this back there did a good job making it nearly unreachable,” you laugh, opting to coax the object into your grasp with your quirk rather than continue straining to slip your arm far enough beneath the tree to grab it.
“Who’s it for?” Fuyumi asks as you come to kneel and hold it in your palm, pulling your attention to her while Natsuo quietly readjusts to get one on knee behind you.
“Me,” you glance at the box, seeing the small tag attached to the ribbon. “Doesn’t say who from though.”
“Open it,” she persists as you sit back into crossed legs and oblige.
The ribbon falls away with a soft tug, allowing you to lift the lid off to find that the box is empty.
“Sorry, I wanted the chance to do this part myself, ” Natsuo chuckles softly, popping open the little black box in his hand, revealing the most gorgeous ring that you’ve ever seen within it. “Will you marry me, Y/n?”
You’re stunned speechless, the room silent as everyone looks on, most of them excited, a single individual decidedly less than thrilled, but still holding his breath.
“Natsu,” the waterworks begin as you frantically nod, fanning your face as you reach for him. “Of course I will,” you throw your arms around his neck and he folds his strong arms around you, smiling wide as he kisses from your temple to the top of your head while the rest of the family claps and cheers.
“I love you so much, baby,” he pulls away to cup your face, smiling at you like you hold the whole world in your eyes before kissing you hard with his other hand still pressed to your back.
The rest of the day passed in a daze for the two of you, all loving touches and thoughtful smiles while you spent some quality time with the family. You’d only been apart briefly when Fuyumi and Tame had managed to pull you away from him long enough to gush with you about what you thought you might want the wedding to look like.
Natsuo took the opportunity to sit beside Shouto, clapping his hand atop his shoulder as he did so, “You’ll be my best man, right?” He grins over at his younger brother and Shouto manages to put on a genuine smile in return.
“Yeah, of course. Congratulations, again. She’s, uh,” Shouto pauses to look at you, laughing with his wife. “She’s pretty great. Just don’t screw this up, okay? I already think she deserves better, don’t prove it to me.” He laughs and places an arm behind his elder brother, clapping his hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I guess I never really asked how you felt about any of this, huh?” Natsuo gave an apologetic smile as they both dropped their arms away. “Sorry about that. I guess I was a little upset over whatever was going on between you two at the time, but that wasn’t any of my business. I’m just glad that you guys are good now.” He smiles from Shouto to you, “I’m really glad that you brought her into my life. I don’t know what I would do without her, man.”
“Hopefully you never have to know,” he smiles lopsidedly, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder once more. “I’m glad that it’s you she ended up with.”
“Thanks,” he laughs, nodding as he folds his hands in front of him. “She doesn’t ever say much about her ex, but if you didn’t like him, I’m sure he couldn’t’ve been the best to her.”
“He wasn’t,” he smiles sadly, feeling his heart decaying in his chest as the heavy words fall from his tongue. “But thankfully she has you now. I’m happy for you guys.”
“Thanks, bro,” he nudges him with his elbow. “C’mon, let’s get a drink to celebrate. I’m finally getting hitched and you’re gonna be a dad. The unthinkable has happened,” he chuckles, slapping Shouto’s knee as he stands.
“Ha, yeah. A drink sounds great,” he nods, standing to follow him to the kitchen.
///
That evening, Shouto wakes and glances over at the clock. 2:33 AM and he’s unsure of what’s awoken him, so he turns over and tries to fall back to sleep, staring at the back of Tame’s head when a noise perks up his ears.
He carefully slips out of bed to search for the source, drawing nearer to the wall that their room shared with you and Natsuo’s. He can hear noises that he can’t quite distinguish, but he’s almost certain that it’s probably for the best. Still, he waits, holding his breath to listen more closely. He hears you moan clearly and he tenses, his cock stirring in his pants almost immediately as he sighs.
He can just go back to bed, pretend he heard nothing and ignore the sounds coming from the other room, drown them out anyway that he can, but he doesn’t. He leans in, pressing his ear the thin wall.
“Natsu,” you mewl, back arched off the bed while his cock slowly glides in and out of you. “Feels so good,” you sigh, pushing your hands into his hair to bring him closer, so that you can kiss him. “‘S’ so fucking good, baby.”
Shouto winces, as the name leaves your lips, his jaw tightening as he tries to will the blood rushing to his cock to leave him be.
“Yeah? You want more, baby?” Natsuo murmurs against your lips, smiling as he slips his arms beneath your thighs, picking you up off the bed with ease as you let out a quiet yelp and cling to him in your surprise. “Or should I say, Mrs. Todoroki?”
“Mm, I like the sound of that,” you bite your lip, leaning your head back on the wall that he places you against as he thrusts his cock back inside you.
Shouto can feel the gentle thud of your spine hitting the wall just on the other side from where his ear is pressed. He’s torturing himself, he knows he should pick up his feet and move, but again he doesn’t. He slips his hand into his boxers, stroking his length as the angelic sounds of your moans carry through the wall again.
“I like the sounds you’re making,” Natsuo buries his face in the crook of your neck, kissing fervently while his hips move faster. Your eyes roll back as you cling to his shoulders, biting your lip to try and suppress the wanton sounds that you can barely control any longer.
Shouto balls his fist, pressing it flush to the wall while a silent sob leaves his chest. Tears are drifting down his cheeks while his other hand continues pumping his cock, quickly seeing him towards his release while his ear remains pressed tight to the wall.
He can hear everything, the way you’re chanting Natsuo’s name, the lewd, squelching noises coming from between your joined bodies, coupled with the slapping sound of skin on skin. He can feel each thrust that you accept, the sensation rippling through the wooden wall while he furiously pumps his length.
He’s so close and so ashamed, wetness still streaming down his face as he shuts his eyes tight and tries to replace Natsuo’s name with his own. If he tries, he can see you the way that he had countless times before. Face red, eyes rolling back, chest heaving as you fell apart in a beautiful display or carnal desire. He can picture it so clearly as he hears you doing exactly that just inches away from where he’s painting the wall before him white with his own release.
He hangs his head, pressing his forehead to the wall as he chokes on another sob, careful not to make any noise while another wave of tears breaks through.
“I love you,” Natsuo pants in your ear, kissing your shoulder while you breathlessly respond and Shouto dare to selfishly pretend that you’re speaking the words to him.
“I love you too.”
///
It’s the night before your wedding. The good sort of anxiety is keeping you awake, like a kid on Christmas Eve. You’re up on the couch, trying to sleep, thinking of what tomorrow will bring and wondering if Natsuo is lying awake in his parents house as anxious as you are.
The knock at the door startles you. You stand and cross to the door, looking through the peephole before you throw the door open.
“What are you doing here?” You stare at Shouto, eyes as red as the left side of his hair as he blinks at you.
“Please, don’t go through with this.” He begs, leaning in the doorway, taking a step inside. “Please,” he reaches for you and you step back, pushing him away and he looks wounded. “I still love you. I’ve never stopped, not for a moment. I can fix this, I ca--,”
“Stop,” you say firmly, holding out a hand to his chest as he tries to step closer once again. “Just stop, Sho.” You shake your head in disbelief, gently pressing both hands to his chest. “You have to let this go. It’s not healthy. You have not only a wife, but a baby at home now and I’m marrying your brother in less than 12 hours. This has to stop..”
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” he swallows, sniffling as he places his hands over yours.
“It does,” you protest sadly, pushing him towards the door as tears well in your eyes. “Sho, this is over. It’s been over. Let me go.”
“I can’t do that,” he shakes his head, a bitter smile on his face as his own tears start to fall. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that. Please, Y/n. It’s not too late, just don’t,” he swallows a sob, his voice strained with emotion. “Don’t marry him. It should be me, I should’ve been honest with you, just let me explain, plea--,”
“No!” You cry, shoving him back out the door, tears falling freely now. “Stop! This is the last time I’m going to do this. Stop this, please. Can’t you see that how much I love him? Can’t you see that I don’t love you anymore?”
“You--you can’t mean that,” he sobs, stepping towards the entryway again as you slowly swing the door shut.
“I do,” you sigh, shaking your head. “Goodbye, Sho. Go home.”
The door clicks shut and you jump as his fist hits it, his disconsolate cries drifting through the door as you lock it.
“I know you can hear me,” he sniffs, pressing his palm flat to the door. “I know you’re right there. You’re always right fucking there. Close enough for me to touch and still too far for me to hold.” He pauses, clearing his throat. “I love you, Y/n. I will always love you.” He presses his forehead to the door as you do the same from the other side, eyes clenched tight to try and stop the tears that won’t stop falling. “Please don’t forget that.”
Despite the unexpected events of the previous evening, your wedding day is glorious. Everyone in attendance is happy and eager to celebrate with you and Natsuo. Even Shouto seems to be remorseful about the night before, going out of his way to make sure that everything runs smoothly and avoiding any talk similar to what he had said just a few hours prior. He stops in while you’re in your dressing room alone, sitting and waiting for the ceremony to start.
“Hey,” he says quietly, cracking open the door after checking that no one was around. “I understand if you don’t wanna talk to me, but I just wanted to apologize for last night.”
You look up in surprise that slowly melts away and you nod, “Thank you. I appreciate that,” you give him a small smile and he cautiously steps inside, admiring how breathtaking you look in your gown.
“You, uh, you look amazing,” he smiles and you glance down, blushing. “Really.” He reassures you, shoving his hands in his pockets nervously as he glances down himself. “I don’t want things to be like this between us forever. I’ve acted like an ass and I don’t want my behavior to affect anyone else, so,” he takes a step closer, extending his hand out to you. “I just want things to be okay between us. I’ll never pull anything like that again. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Sho,” you smile, taking his hand and pulling him into a hug, holding him tight and he returns the favor. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” a melancholy smile touches his lips as he savors the feeling of you against him before he has to pull away, stuffing his hands back in his pockets as he nods. “I’ll see you up there. He can’t wait to see you.” He gives you one last wistful smile as he backs out of the room, his gaze lingering on yours as he pulls the door shut.
The ceremony goes off without a hitch. You get to have that magical moment when Natsuo turns and sees you in full regalia, his eyes becoming misty when he does so. A sight that you don’t get to see often. A few stray tears of pure joy leave streaks on his face that you can see as you march closer, grateful that you opted for waterproof makeup as your tears leave marks of their own.
The reception is immaculate. No expense was spared and it shows. Everyone is busy drinking, laughing, and having a grand ole time. The night buzzes on as quickly as everyone told you that it would. Between the traditions and making the rounds greeting all the guests, it isn’t until the evening is winding down that you get to have a slow dance with your new husband, other than your first official dance together, which had felt a little stiff with everyone’s eyes glued to the two of you.
Now, the feeling was perfect. Soft light beaming down from the string lights above you and the moon above them. A favorite song of yours playing gently as conversation hums around you. The dance floor is sparsely populated as most everyone is about ready to call it a night if they haven’t already. He has one arm around you, his hand on the small of your back while the other clasps your hand. Your head is resting against his shoulder as you sway slowly in time to the music, your face tucked into the crook of his neck.
“I wanna promise you something,” he speaks softly, a warm and welcome half-whisper in your ear.
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to give you the best life that I possibly can.” He readjusts your hand in his, interlacing your fingers as he splays his hands across the small of your back and looks down at you, eyes gleaming with good intentions. “I’m going to love you with everything that I have. Every second of every hour or every day for as long as I live, I am going to give you everything, because you don’t deserve anything less.”
“Baby,” you smile up at him softly, in awe of the saccharine promise. “I promise to give you the same,” you lift your hand to his face, holding it in your palm while your eyes bore into his. “You have already given me the world and I will spend the rest of my days trying to give it back to you. I love you more than anything, I’ll prove that to you every day for the rest of my life.”
“I can’t wait,” he smiles warmly, leaning in close. “I love you too, baby. More than anything.” He closes the distance, capturing your lips in a slow, gentle kiss.
///
Years have passed and you’re at home. Natsuo is working an extended shift at the hospital, leaving you to tend to your niece and nephew, who are expected over any minute.
You hear the car pull up and head to the front door, walking outside to see their smiling faces greeting you as they run up the driveway.
“Hey, be careful!” Shouto calls after them, lugging a bag of necessary supplies along.
“They’re fine,” you smile, picking up the smaller boy and taking the girl's hand as you all meander towards the door. “C’mon, let’s get inside. I know it’s close to nap time for you guys.”
“Let me help you get them settled, they’ve been a little,” Shouto sighs, picking up his daughter, “much today. Huh?” He grins, tickling her belly and making the small girl squeal with laughter.
A good deal of pleading and bargaining later, the two are fast asleep in the spare bedroom. Shouto pulls the door shut as you both start down the hall and you turn to him, “I thought Tame was dropping them off today. Is she busy?”
“No,” he shrugs, shaking his head. “I just uh, I thought maybe we could catch up? It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to even talk to you, feels like. Plus Tame’s getting ready to go back to work soon, so I figured I better get used to wrangling the two of them by myself.” He chuckles as you stop in the kitchen, both of you leaning against the island on opposite sides.
“Guess so,” you laugh in agreement. “I uh, I don’t know if you sticking around is the best idea though,” you look down, watching your foot fidget against the floor. “There’s a reason we’re never alone together, Sho. You know that.”
“I know,” he admits, leaning forward to try and catch your eye, which he does. He smiles reassuringly, “It’s been years though. I promised you that I’d never mention it again and I still have no intention to. You have Natsuo and I have my family. What we had is just history. We’re past all that now, aren’t we?”
“Yeah,” you agree, nodding with a gentle smile. “Yeah, I think we are.”
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Castle in the Sky
Summary: You’re the daydreaming sibling of the Shelby’s, but when the adventure spills over into real life, it’s not as great as you’d imagined
(Gif by @nofckingfighting)
A/N: A sweet anon requested: can I have request please Something like this Tommy was very protective over y/n and she gets hurt by one of the bad guys and sees blood on her face now all bruised but Tommy wants revenge Omg if you do so thank you so much for my request! ❤️ Huge fan of your works!This is set around season 1, back in the good old days when the only real enemy was Billy Kimber, remember those days? So easy… anyways, hope you like it J
Words: 2933
***
You were only nine when you started as a bookie’s runner for the Peaky Blinders. Nothing about this was special, half the kids of Small Heath worked for them, but there was just one difference: the Shelby’s were your brothers. It was a good job in many ways, because it meant not only being able to help your brothers, but people were inclined to give you a bit extra, just for being a Shelby. You imagined they thought it good luck.
“Y/N, take this to the other side of town, will you?” Tommy requested as he sat hunched over a newspaper.
You protested a little, “Why me? I’ve done all of mine for today…”
“This one’s extra, alright?”
“Who is it?” you could never hide your inquisitive nature. But you only showed it around your brothers; to the rest of the world you were just quiet and practically invisible.
He smirked slightly, “Someone who’ll pay up big. That’s why I need you to do it. Can’t trust any of the other kids not to steal…”
“I have some homework to do, Tommy.” At thirteen, you were still at school, which was a minor miracle in Birmingham.
“Tell you what: if you just do this one job, I’ll get you magazine you’ve been talking about, eh?” now he looked up and met your eyes.
“Book, Tommy,” you smiled, “You might have heard of the concept? It’s a little like a magazine, a little like that newspaper, but with more pages? Some find it challenging, but once you get used to it…”
“Alright, little miss know-it-all,” he grumbled without malice, “Go on, take the slip, make sure he bets all. Off with you. Stop outsmarting your old brother, eh?”
He winked to make sure you were comfortable and you returned it with a big grin.
“Where?”
“Digbeth,” Tommy’s nose was back in the newspaper, “behind the Golden Dragon.”
***
As you were walking through the streets of Small Heath on your way to Digbeth, you were daydreaming. In a way it was strange just how different you were from your brothers, because the entire Shelby clan was very realistic, trying to make their way in this hard world, where you would rather pretend all day you were the main character in some story. The books you read, it was all an escape to you.
So while you were walking, the people and factories disappeared. In your head, you were walking through the woods, on a secret mission that your king gave you. With the top-priority letter in your pocket, you remembered what he’d told you before you left: “If you get caught, eat the letter. If they capture you, make sure to be brave and never divulge its contents to anyone. And if all else fails, you must make the ultimate sacrifice. But remember, you have to memorize the contents of the letter first…”
Wouldn’t it just be easier to memorize it now and destroy the letter immediately? You pondered on the matter… In the distance, you could see the mountains and the towers of another kingdom, and you knew your enemies were near. Without anyone noticing, you put a hand to your pocket and could feel the reassuring rustling of paper underneath your fingers: the letter was still there.
If it would come to a fight, how would you go about it? If there were just one man, the small dagger in your boots would suffice. If it were two, you’d distract one, maybe by throwing the veil you were wearing, quickly turning around to kill the other and then back to the first one before he had time to recover. If there were more than three, you’d run, because you were the fastest after all. You’d get to higher ground and attack them from there, like a deadly shadow they could never see coming.
As you smiled to yourself, you left the daydream for a short moment. You looked down and saw the muddy shoes you were wearing, marching through Birmingham mud. In the distance, all you saw was smoke and factory pipes. But it was honestly all you needed: your imagination did the rest.
The real world barged in when you delivered the slip in Digbeth. Everything went smoothly at first. Your big brown eyes persuaded him to indeed bet big, and you were quite satisfied with yourself, knowing Tommy would be too. But you still had to walk back with a lot of money now in your pocket.
***
Almost home, there were only a few streets to go. Your head was back in the clouds and this time you were imagining you were a spy during the war. Silently, you moved through the streets, making yourself invisible and pretending every man wearing a hat was the enemy. So each time you saw one, you changed directions or hid for a second. It was a fun game, until you realised the enemy wasn’t wearing a hat.
“Now, what’s a pretty girl like you doing on the streets, all by herself?” A man with a heavy Cockney accent popped up next to you and your heart nearly jumped out of your chest.
You opened your mouth to reply, but no words came out. In your dreams, you always knew what to say, but in reality it wasn’t so easy.
The man approached you and you noticed he’d cut you off from your one exit out of the alley, “It’s Y/N Shelby, isn’t it,” he grinned.
“No,” you managed to say, “you got the wrong girl.”
He grinned again, “Nice try, sweetheart. We’ve seen you at the Garrison. They don’t allow little girls at the pub, unless they’re a Shelby.”
This was all true. You felt your hands getting clammy.
“Tommy sent you, didn’t he?”
Again, you tried to remember what the hero in your stories would do. She’d run, climb the building and then throw a knife right between the eyes of the man. Or she’d say something clever, just to distract him, and then turn around and escape when he least expected it.
He took another few steps forward and you could smell him now, a smell of strange smoke and the river, “Do you know who I am?”
Nailed to the ground, you shook your head.
“I work for Mr. Billy Kimber. Ever heard of him?”
You turned to see if you could escape, but then realised the other side of the alley was blocked by two more men. Neither of them were wearing hats. Cold sweat of fear ran down your back.
The man in front of you started laughing, “There’s no running, sweetheart. Just give it to me.”
At once you realised he was referring to the money in your pocket, but for Tommy’s sake, you wanted at least to try to be brave, “I don’t have anything.”
He sighed, “Don’t play with me. I’m not the kind of man to play with, and neither is Mr. Kimber,” his voice was suddenly low and menacing, “Your brother thought he could, thought he would get away with fixing a race, he did, and now he’s going to be put against the post and shot. Don’t think I won’t do the same to you.”
You gulped, but still thought of Tommy’s disappointment in you when he would find out you’d been a coward. So you took a deep breath and said softly, “It’s not yours. This money is ours. You can tell Mr. Kimber to go fuck himself!” It didn’t come out as strongly as you’d hoped.
Like a crack of thunder, he swiftly slapped you across the face with the back of his hand. All the air was knocked out of your lungs in a second and you stood gasping for air, as you felt some blood trickling down your chin.
“Give me the money,” he demanded again.
And then, like your heroes, you pretended to reach for it in your pocket. Suddenly, you turned around and started running into the other direction, hoping to slip past the two men before they could stop you. But it didn’t work.
One grabbed your arm and when you tried to push him away, he punched you hard. All strength left you in an instant. The second one started fumbling in your pockets and instinctively you kicked him, which earned you another blow to the head. More punches followed and your head was spinning. As you looked up to the sky, you remembered wanting to get back home, to your castle, where all was well and safe.
In the end, they left you on the ground and the money was gone. Your last thought was: Tommy is going to be so embarrassed.
***
“Y/N?”
You opened your eyes, but couldn’t see for a moment.
“Y/N,” the familiar voice repeated, “Come on, yes, let’s get you home. Polly, Polly will know what to do, yes…”
Strong arms lifted you up and rocking with his familiar limp, Curly carried you back to Watery Lane.
When he’d taken you into the kitchen, Aunt Polly flew to your side in seconds, asking, “What’s happened?”
Uncertainly, Curly explained and as he did, he started to become upset over your state. That’s when Tommy came in and started to calm him, while keeping an eye on you all the time.
“Sweetheart,” Aunt Polly had taken a cold cloth to the cut in your lip, “Wake up… Come back to us…”
Again you tried opening you eyes and you finally managed this time. But all your concern was with Curly, who was still anxiously fidgeting with his cap in hand. “Don’t worry, Curly,” you croaked, “I’m alright now. You did good, carrying me here.”
“Polly will know what to do…” he kept on repeating.
Tommy put a hand on his shoulder and it had an immediate calming effect, “It’s alright, Curly, go back to Charlie, eh? We’ll take care of her now.”
Before he left, you said to him, “Curly? I’ll stop by tomorrow, see about that beautiful horse of yours, alright?”
That put an immediate smile on his face, “Yes, she’s a beauty, alright… And she needs her princess to ride her! Back to that castle in the sky…yes…”
When he’d gone, you lowered your head again and sighed deeply. Carefully, you felt your face and only then realised how awful you must look.
“Who did this,” Tommy demanded at once.
Polly glared daggers at him, “You did, I presume?”
“Me?”
“I told you again and again not to use the little ones to run errands. Sending them across half of Birmingham with money in their pockets, and look what happens!”
For a moment, Tommy seemed to be speechless. Then he protested, “They’re invisible, Pol. Nobody knows they’re carrying anything.”
“This one did,” you interjected, “because he knew who I was.”
“How?”
“Said he was with Kimber,” you whispered as the memories came back to you, “said he’d put me up against a post and he’d shoot me, like he’d do with you…”
In a sudden fit of rage, Tommy grabbed a chair and flung it across the room.
Polly snarled at the gesture and then turned to you, “Stay here. This cloth is cold, keep it against your eye, or it’ll turn black in half an hour, and I can’t take you to church looking like that. I just need to have a word with your brother.”
You took the cloth and didn’t dare to look at Tommy, who was now being taken away by his aunt like he was ten years old again and in trouble.
Aunt Polly closed the door behind her, but you still tried to hear as much as you could. Most of it was lost, but when they started shouting you heard bits like “putting your little sister in danger!” and “this is Billy fucking Kimber, Thomas” and “family first”. At first Tommy protested with “I didn’t know they knew her” and “Kimber is getting weak”, but eventually he shouted out in defeat, “I fucked up, alright? I’ll fix it. I promise.”
When they came back, Tommy looked like a dog that’d just been kicked. So he retreated into a corner and started smoking, still sulking a little.
Aunt Polly lifted your head up by placing a finger under your chin, “You won’t look pretty for a week, but it’ll heal.”
You shrugged, not caring about being pretty at all, and muttered, “I feel like an idiot…”
“Why?” your aunt demanded, “because big men decided to go after a small girl?”
Tears started forming in the corners of your eyes, as you admitted, “Because I wanted to be brave! In my stories I’m pretty and strong and the hero, but in reality I’m just like a mouse. No one notices me and I’m useless…”
“Sweetheart,” Polly softened her voice and crouched down next to you, “Just because you can’t fight like Arthur or John can, doesn’t make you useless. We’re all stuck here, in Small Heath, and there’s nothing pretty about that. But you reading all those books? That’s what’s going to make this easier. You can pretend, and that’s worth more than you’ll ever realise.”
You smiled back at your aunt, who always knew what to say to make you feel better.
“I’m off to the chemist to get you some powder against the pain,” she kissed the top of your head, “I’ll be right back, love.”
After she’d gone as well, you sighed again and dropped the cloth. Her words mattered, of course they did, but it didn’t change the fact that you weren’t happy with yourself at all. For starters, you still couldn’t bear looking at Tommy.
“Y/N,” he grumbled, which convinced you even more he was angry and disappointed, “Tell me what they looked like.”
“They didn’t wear hats…”
Impatiently he waved a hand, “Apart from that. What else?”
“I don’t know,” you shrugged, “it all happened fast, Tommy. They had that accent that Kimber has as well.”
“Fucking Cockneys…” your brother breathed.
“Tommy?” you tried carefully, “I’m so sorry, but I lost the money. I tried to keep it. When they asked I told them to fuck off and then I tried to run and even fight, but they still took it. I’m so sorry…”
He held up a hand to silence you and locked eyes with you, “You told them to fuck off?”
“Yes, but it didn’t help…”
“You actually told them to fuck off?” he frowned, “Usually you’re too shy to even say anything to strangers…”
“I was angry,” you explained, “and I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Tommy walked over to you and much to your surprise, he was smirking, “So you told them to go fuck themselves, and then you fought them?”
“Yes?”
“Did you hit any of them?”
You thought about it for a second, “I think I kicked one in the balls and hit the other in the face.”
His grin grew even wider and he mumbled to himself, “Wait ‘till I tell Arthur about this…”
“Why?” you protested, “So he can laugh at me as well?”
“No, sweetheart, he’ll be the proudest brother ever. His little sister, who everyone thinks is a little mouse too scared to do anything? She fucking hit a grown man and told them to go fuck themselves. Now that’s a hero in my book!”
His laugh was contagious and you had to join in. But soon you became uncertain again and asked, “Are you not upset I lost the money?”
“The money’s not important,” his face grew serious again in an instant, “but you are.”
“Really?” you whispered.
“Yes,” he took your face in his hands, “Listen, Y/N, this is what’s going to happen: Billy Kimber threatened my little sister, so I’m going to put himup against the post, and shoot him.”
“And then what?”
“Well, what usually happens in your books? Maybe I could learn something from them, eh?”
A warm feeling of being appreciated for who you were came over you, “You’d take his kingdom and his skull would be put up on the gates, as a warning for all future enemies.”
“That’s fucking dark,” Tommy raised one eyebrow, “But I like it.”
“Me too…” you smiled at your brother.
“I mean it though, Y/N. Kimber touched you, so I’m going to shoot the bastard. I won’t let anyone fucking go near you again.”
And just like that, you felt safe enough again to continue dreaming.
***
A few weeks later, everything had turned to chaos, both in the Shelby household as in the whole of Birmingham.
Tommy didn’t speak to anyone of what happened to you, he hadn’t even apologized, but he wasn’t like that. He told you he’d fix it, promised you revenge, and that was even better.
When the men were counting minutes in front of the Garrison and Billy Kimber’s army arrived, you were sitting at home with a book. You couldn’t really concentrate, because you knew there were too many of them. You pretended some angel would appear to save them all. There’d have to be no bloodshed, because this angel would be on your brothers’ side.
That angel came in the form of your older sister Ada. She’d always had flair.
In the end, only two bullets were fired. You listened to them both. One killed Danny Whizz-bang. The other killed Billy Kimber.
Nobody knew, but as Tommy fired, he didn’t have business on his mind.
As he aimed, he saw his little sister’s face, all bruised and battered.
He whispered, “for Y/N,” and shot.
Bang.
***
Masterlist
#peaky blinders#shelby sister#sister shelby#shelby!sister#sister!shelby#shelby sis#shelby sister imagine#sister shelby imagine#peaky blinder imagine#peaky blinders fanfic#peaky blinders fluff#peaky blinders imagine#tommy shelby#thomas shelby#tommy shelby x reader#polly gray#polly gray x reader#ada shelby#cillian murphy#castle in the sky#the shelby clan
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Prompt: hearing about xuanwus defeat, madam jin and jin zixuan come to lotus pier and overhear madam yu saying wei wuxian should have let the 'sect heirs die', lwj who's recovering also overhears, the 3 get first hand experience of jiang household situation and decide fk this and take wwx out of there, its a prompt from vrishchikawrites blog (a wonderful write!) So maybe ask permission?
From the prompt on @vrishchikawrites
Jin Zixuan could not forget the young man, the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang, who, despite his previous (petty) grievances with, had stepped up when everyone else had been frozen on the spot, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get his blood stained image out of his mind. Which had led to this discussion.
“What? No! I forbid it.” his father responded when he asked for sending reinforcements to Jiang Sect, while he understood with Cloud Recesses burnt down, and Nie under attack, either Yunmeng Jiang or Lanling Jin were next on the table, and despite having well equipped men, with the best of weapons, his father refused to extend help.
Refused to stand against those who sought to harm his son, ‘in situations like these, know when to step back’ he had said, and Jin Zixuan could feel shame creeping up under his skin, outnumbered and clearly at losing stakes, he hadn’t hesitated to save him, and what would that make him if he forgot the debt so clearly owed? To live the lavish life of a coward..! He could see his mother fuming from where she stood, and closed his eyes to suppress his bitter thoughts, he wanted to do something, anything to help.
And suddenly, anger melted from her face and that smile crept up her face and he felt a chill down his spine, a sense of foreboding overcame him, he could see his father tense as well. “Of course, the Jin Sect sides with them.” she spoke, venom dripping off her every word. “Nothing wrong if the Sect Leader’s wife wants the marriage renewed?” a pit formed in his stomach, he did not want to marry a woman he barely knew, but using this opportunity, they could, in a sense create a bond, stronger than of just two sworn sisters.
However, “Madam Jin meets up with her sworn sister, Madam of Jiang Sect, just as Qishan Wen begins its attacks?” the war has been declared, how would it seem if the two sect Madams, and the Sect heirs are meeting, with or without the Sect Leader? “The risks are completely unneeded, what do we gain from this?” his mother glared at his father, who pointedly ignored her, Jin Zixuan exhaled, thinking things over.
As much as he disliked the engagement, he knew she would not bring it up, unless the situation, as dire as it was, needed it, this bond could provide future aid to one another should the need arise, so Jin Zixuan kept his disagreements to himself, because he knew she wouldn’t force him, not with the concerns of a cold loveless marriage like his parents, he knew she was using it as a cover to aid her sworn sister.
An opportunity, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then remembered how the Second Jade, Lan Wangji had stood shoulder to shoulder with him, and Wei Wuxian, Head Disciple, had stepped up to save them.
Jin Zixuan exhaled, and made a decision, muttering out a half-hearted excuse, he left them on their own, and later into the night, he approached his mother.
--------
The boat landed steadily, unnoticed in the middle of the night, his mother had won the final say in the matter, of course with the reluctant agreement of remaining disguised as just another trade ship, the serene view would have been calming, had his nerves not have been high strung from adrenaline, small sacrifices, he could of course find a way to break off the engagement in a future of more peaceful times.
Jin Zixuan climbed out the boat first, followed calmly by his mother, the disguises were near perfect, for the disciples around the brightly lit place to look curious, but not alarmed. One, he recognised seeing a few times at Cloud Recesses, came near them with a nervous smile. “We offer you our sincerest apologies but...we’d appreciate it if travellers could avoid an audience with the Sect Leader?”
The disguises were perfect then, for they had been mistaken as travellers that would go to and fro from Yunmeng Jiang Sect, his mother sniffed and looked at the disciple sternly “We are not here for the Sect Leader, but the Violet Spider, we have an important message for them.” Jin Zixuan had noticed before but now it had become more apparent as the disciples shifted around, something was off, it dampened his enthusiasm and the rush he had felt earlier, instead concern filled him, had something happened to Wei Wuxian?
His mother held out a token, the disciple’s eyes widened and he bowed in respect, “I assume this would be enough?” Madam Jin said curtly, and the disciple nodded, though tensely. “This one will escort you to the guest chambers”
The curious gazes had not been moved, as they moved inside, step by step, down the corridor they went, as the muffled voices became more distinguishable, all 3 of them froze when they heard, unmistakably the Jiang Sect Heir’s voice. “-You shouldn’t have played the hero and you shouldn’t have cared for such a hell of a thing. If in the beginning you hadn’t….”
Jin Zixuan felt a cold pit forming in his stomach, surely he must be mistaken, but seeing the expression twisting on his mothers face, he could assume he was not, in fact, misunderstanding what Jiang Wanyin was implying.
The disciple bowed quickly, slightly panicked “If you’d follow me-” Madam Jin pointed at him and he immediately shut up, head bowed, just as the Jiang Sect Leader reprimanded “Jiang Cheng.” Silence followed. “Do you know in which ways what you just have said is not appropriate?” was followed by a glum “Yes.”
Even if slightly, Jin Zixuan relaxed, his mother’s expression lightening into a frown, ‘at least someone is self-aware’ Madam Jin thought. “He’s just angry and speaking without care” another voice added, Jin Zixuan perked up, Wei Wuxian! So he was alright, he felt relieved. Madam Jin continued to frown, Wei Wuxian was clearly trying to lessen the pressure off of the Jiang heir.
Another harsh voice cut through them all “Yes, he doesn’t understand but what does it matter, as long as Wei Ying understands!?” rang out her voice, Madam Jin’s lips pursed into a line, of what her son had just said, that was what she was focusing on?
“‘To attempt at the impossible’ is exactly how he is, isn’t it? Fooling around even though he knew it’d bring trouble to his sect!?” Jin Zixuan sneaked a look at his mother to see her eyes cold, her fist clenched tightly, he was aware they shouldn’t be hearing this, but this? It wasn’t what they expected at all, he was frozen in place, what in the world was he hearing?
Madam Jin’s thoughts matched her appearance, for once she felt less than charitable towards Yu Ziyuan, and more and more like a fool, here she was, risking her and her son’s safety, her sects safety, for a woman who couldn't care less about her son’s life, but was also wilfully blinding herself to the war right on the horizon, ‘No’ she thought to herself, ‘it was I who was truly blind’
And it was the boy she heard being called ‘Fengmian’s bastard’ or ‘son of a servant’ who had saved her son's life instead, she bit back the bitter chuckle that threatened to escape her, truly, what a fool she was, to be caught in the violet spiders web.
She looked at her son, whose face clouded over the more he heard, she grabbed his arm tightly, if nothing else then to prevent him from barging inside, with Jiang Fengmian’s favor, she was sure that they didn’t need to interfere, until, “My lady, what are you doing here?” she held back her disbelief, her son on the other hand, inhaled sharply.
This was what he was focusing on? Not the insults to his bas- to his ward? To his sect’s entire foundation? It would seem she was truly mistaken, in her and Yu Ziyuan sharing their miseries, entirely wrong about her character, and who was still throwing around callous words for the sake of it, for what else? If not her own cruelty?
"What am I doing here? What a joke that I am asked of such a thing! Sect Leader Jiang, do you still remember that I'm also the leader of Lotus Pier? Do you still remember that every inch of the earth here is my territory? Do you still remember, between the one lying there and the one standing there, which one is your son?" Disbelief and disgust couldn’t even begin to describe what Madam Jin was feeling, the Sect Leader’s response, however, “I do remember.” Enhanced those to the heights she didn't even know she was capable of feeling.
And so stood the enraged Madam of Jin Sect, the horrified Jin heir and one ashamed disciple whose head could bow no lower, but that was nothing compared to what was said next “You do remember, but there's no use if you simply remember. Wei Ying, he really can't take it unless he stirs up some trouble, can he? If I had known, I would've made him stay in Lotus Pier properly and not go outside. Could Wen Chao really have dared to do anything to the two young masters of the GusuLan Sect and Lanling Jin Sect? Even if he did, it'd mean that they ran out of luck. Since when was it your turn to play the hero?"
Blood roared in Madam Jin’s ears, her nails digging into her palm, she wanted to bite Yu Ziyuan’s head off there and then. ‘Of all the idiotic, foolish, horrid, things she could utter-’ in her cursing, she only realised she had put too much force in her rage filled haze when her son hissed in pain, she immediately let go of his arm, and pinched the bridge of her nose, taking calming breaths.
She was afraid she would do something terrible and irrevocable if she stayed there any longer, listening to a pathetic mockery of- she exhaled and pushed Jin Zixuan towards the open doors. “B-but mother-” he looked back but she gave him that look and he quietened “Later a-Xuan.” while moving outwards, the disciple trailing behind them, they could easily catch some of the words the woman threw at Wei Wuxian.
Madam Jin gritted her teeth in anger, and left without looking back, once she and her son were seated in the boat. “A-Xuan” she began, lightly ruffling his hair “Your marriage is up to you to decide, I will have no say in the matter from here onwards” Her son was not going to be married into that cursed Sect no matter what if she could help it, she moved forward to pull him into a hug, “Mother was wrong.”
“But mother what about..?” She heard him say, she pulled back and rest one hand on his shoulder, the other caressing his cheek, her son, who by the Jiang’s standards, should’ve been killed, and her blood boiled in her veins. “We came here to make a bond and talk if it were possible, since that wasn’t possible, it can be done some other day.” She lightly patted him, and seeing his thoughts drift off, thought to herself darkly ‘and if the Jiangs are attacked, well, they ran out of luck then.’
Her son hesitantly nodded, “Wei Wuxian...I owe him, for saving me then, if not for him.....” She sniffed, as if indicating what was obvious “Of course,” When the news spread later that Lotus Pier was attacked, with Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian on the run, she hoped for Wei Wuxian’s survival, more so than the Jiang Sect Heir.
And if, perhaps, after a few years her son proposed sworn brotherhood with that Wei Wuxian, well, it wasn’t without her approval.
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authors notes i guess?
Okay so writing Madam Yu’s lines legit left me disgusted like wtf was she even saying?? Also like I tried to write Madam Jin similar but a bit less than Madam Yu (ya know madam jin never whipped kids with her spiritual weapons, if she had any, not to our knowledge at least...right?) but ended up venturing straight into slightly dark madam jin heh, also like no engagement, no jin-wei tense relationship, (there’ll be 1-2 parts more probably) also wwx woke up earlier in this one, this’ll serve as catalyst for later years.
#mdzs fic#jin zixuan#madam jin#jin guangshan#jiang wanyin#jiang fengmian#madam yu#unnamed disciple lol#prompt writing#anon asks#my writing
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A Failed Betrothal (5)
This is going to be the last part I am going to post in a while. My school is finally starting up again and I am sure to be swamped with homework. Without further ado. Enjoy ❤
[Masterlist]
(Part 1)(Part 4)
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Damian laid in bed, thinking about the recent turn of events. Lady, who told them that they can call her Marinette since they might as well get acquainted while the Waynes were in Paris. She had found out Jason’s identity after a few google searches and by extension, the rest of the Bats while they both were taking a shower. It had taken a few arguments and one sentimonster attack that cut one of the arguments short to trust the Dupain-Chengs with their secret identities. His bride was apparently a superhero too. Has been for a few years. In a different world, he might have actually dated her out of his own free will and fought crime with her together.
Damian shook his head at that thought.
That was the curse talking. Get a hold of yourself, Wayne. Resist. Don’t think about Marinette and her blue eyes.
Back to the akumas, Paris had been under the control of a magical terrorist for years. Lady Noire, formerly known as Ladybug, formed a team to battle against him. He also found out about the Guardian who chose Marinette and someone else, who wasn’t spoken about much except that his name was Chat Noir and she now wields his ring temporarily, to fight against Hawkmoth as partners. The same Guardian that promised her hand-in-marriage in exchange for protection from the League of Assassins. Sabine, the Blue Reaper, had to be restrained from killing the old amnesiatic man by her bear of a husband who was reluctant to do so and also wanted to help her.
Hawkmoth also had a partner who went by the name, Mayura, with a power similar to his and could create sentimonster out of negative emotions. Their top suspect was Gabriel Agreste, with much evidence pointing his way but they had difficulty trying to confirm it and had the time to gather evidence to do it. The local authorities were helpful but getting a search warrant for a famous, rich designer who was a known recluse with circumstantial evidence is not possible.
After informing their father of their kidnapping and the situation in Paris (and racking up the Dupain-Cheng's phone bill), they were told to stay there and help as much as they can. Tim, who was coming to Paris for a vacation (suspicious), got his plans hijacked and was now going to help uncover Hawkmoth’s identity.
When the Justice League had reached out a few years ago, they were rebuffed by the Mayor. Nightrunner got into contact with the one of the heroes, Ladybug who asked for a meeting outside of Paris with Wonder Woman and Batman came along, to assess her. They didn’t expect a young girl to be Paris’s heroine.
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3 years ago…
“Bonjour, Princess Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolayta, it is an honour to meet you. And you too, Batman.” The spotted heroine greeted both of them with Nightrunner besides her. Their meeting point was in the gardens in the Palace of Versailles.
“The pleasure is all mine, Ladybug. But I am confused as to why you have refused the Justice League’s help.” Wonder Woman was worried that the Ladybug Miraculous was active again and for many good reasons.
“I would be glad for some help but Paris is run by an incompetent fool. He wants no one outside of Paris to think that the city is unsafe due to Hawkmoth and keep the tourism numbers high. The other reason is that my Miraculous Cure can restore any physical damages done during a fight and involving you might result in more damages than I could cure. But I also think it would be better if there were less powerful heroes in Paris, akumas amplifies one’s power and I don’t want to fight you after you had a bad day.” Ladybug explained. Nightrunner murmured in agreement.
“Do you know how Hawkmoth operates?” asked Batman. He had read reports of the situation but wondered the true extent of it.
“Have Wonder Woman explained to you about the Miraculous?”
He nodded.
“Hawkmoth has the butterfly miraculous, and it has the power of transmission. In the right hands, they would be used to grant ordinary people powers as the user’s champions. But in the hands of Hawkmoth, he targets people with high negative emotions, a girl after a bad break-up or a student with a failed grade. He grants them powers to use for revenge or some obscure version of justice. In return, he asks for mine and Chat Noir’s miraculous. With our two miraculous, he can make a wish but wishes always come with a price so it is best if we keep it out of his reach.”
“How have you not captured him yet?”
“Hawkmoth is a coward who rarely comes out to face us. I have never met him face-to-face. He uses people to get what he wants. Not very honourable. The Mayor has refused to help my attempts to stop him or prevent more akumas because his bratty daughter isn’t given a Miraculous to be a hero. I don’t have the time or resources because I am still in school and have other obligations outside the suit. I can’t tell my family and ask for help because the Guardian’s ,the one who gave me the Miraculous in the first place, secret identities rule and some magic thing that makes me unable to tell them.”
The adults were all horrified at what the girl was going through.
“We could help in other ways. Not fight the akumas but provide you the resources to track down and capture him. Do you have any training? From the footage we have seen, you know martial arts and how to use some weapons.”
“I was raised in a forgotten temple somewhere in Asia with brutal training everyday before I ran away. I met someone on my way out who took me in and adopted me.” She said it seriously enough that they have no room for doubt.
“Batman, she just said she was adopted. She may have the features but the answer is no.” Wonder Woman said with a knowing look in her eyes.
“I wasn’t thinking about it. She has a duty to Paris right now and I am not going to take away from her life here. I don’t adopt every black-haired and blue-eyed child I see.” Batman denied.
“I am confused.” Ladybug said, tilting her head.
“Batman here has a bad habit of adopting kids with a tragic past, especially kids with black hair and blue eyes.” Nightrunner explained to his fellow Parisian hero.
“Well, Mousier, you will have to fight my parents for custody. While I have training, Chat Noir doesn’t and he hinders the battles with his ‘help’. I would give him some but he sees them as dates even though I have told him it’s not.”
“His incompetence is a liability. Why is he your partner?”
“The Guardian chose him too like he chose me through some stupid trial I somehow passed the requirements for. I am just hoping that there is a really good reason for choosing Chat Noir. I have some questions on how you are-”
“Ladybug, what are you doing?” A sharp voice cut in. An old man who appeared to be dressed as a tortoise landed in front of them.
“Master Fu, this is Princess Diana of Themyscira and the world’s greatest detective, Batman. I am asking for their help in finding Hawkmoth.” Ladybug explained, confused why Master Fu looked upset.
“Ladybug, that was extremely foolish of you. This is a matter of the Order. You shouldn’t have involved other heroes in it. We can resolve this on our own. I apologize on behalf of her for wasting your time.”
“But, Master-”
“We will talk about this later, Ladybug. You are young and don’t understand things yet.”
“Guardian, with all due respect, my mother was a Ladybug wielder herself and the Amazons will lend a hand to any miraculous holders in need.”
“It is appreciated but Ladybug, Chat Noir and I can do it on our own. Come along, Ladybug.”
“Let me at least apologize for my mistake, Guardian.”
“Very well. Meet me later.”
“I am sorry but it looks like I have to fight Hawkmoth without your help. That being said please don’t try to look further into Hawkmoth’s identity and leave any notes of your leads in the mouth of the gargoyle on the northside of Notre Dame where I usually rest after I finish patrol. Salut, Princess Diana, Batman, Nightrunner.” She left using her yo-yo to swing away after giving them a wink.
Batman smirked. He had to give it to Ladybug, she was clever and resourceful and Diana was right, he wanted to adopt her.
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Present time…
(Words in bold are French)
Now that the previous Guardian was out of the picture, the Miraculous team would gladly accept any help they can get.
Damian and Jason had picked up Tim from the airport and they had already set things up in one of the Wayne penthouses in Paris. Less chance of nosy maids than in a hotel.
Bilal had already handed over all the evidence he could find. He was also one of the Miraculous team’s trainers when Sabine couldn’t make it. Jason and Damian were going to help in training and be back-up heroes when needed. (Bilal wore a miraculous once to help out. And that one time was weird enough to last him a lifetime and he was never doing it again.)
Sadly, all the magic users who were allies or part of the JL were busy with other missions or MIA so they couldn’t break Damian’s curse yet. Bruce didn’t see the problem with the curse so unless it causes major problems or someone is free to break it. They couldn’t go back to Gotham until they got the necessary things in order so it looks like they were going to be in Paris for a while.
The next morning, Tim was nowhere to be found. Because they were paranoid Batboys, they tracked his phone to see him at the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery with Marinette and a group of other people, having breakfast.
“There you are, Replacement.” Jason shouted as he entered the bakery, “So, this is where you were? I see you have already figured out who Ladybug is and met her.”
Marinette looked at Damian and Jason, then at Tim and back at them again.
Oh.
Oh.
She face-palmed as she connected the dots and realized what the nagging feeling she had around Tim was about.
“Oh my Kwamis, you are Tim Drake, adopted by Bruce Wayne aka Batman. Jason and Damian are your brothers. And judging by your build, you are Red Robin. I feel so stupid.”
Thankfully, there were no customers around yet to hear some of the world’s most important secrets being out.
“I am- We are not- Bruce isn’t- How?! How the hell did you find out? And you are Ladybug?!” Tim was floundering at Marinette’s words and the caffeine from his first coffee of the day hadn’t kicked in yet. He looked at her friends, who were looking at the Wayne boys with shocked expressions….and looked similar to the rest of the Miraculous Team.
The caffeine finally kicked in.
“Oh my God. I was talking to the entire Miraculous Team and I didn’t know it. That means Chloe Bourgeois is a hero. That bratty blonde I met as a child is a hero.”
“Speak for yourself, Timothy, my childhood friend is a hero too. I can’t believe we are all heroes.” Chloe said in total disbelief.
Introductions and alter egos were exchanged.
Nearly everything went swimmingly if it weren’t for Chloe jokingly elbowed Marinette and said, “You get to date a hero too. No need to worry about flaking out on dates.”
“What do you mean dates? Dupain-Cheng and I aren’t dating.” Damian said, “My mother wanted us to marry each other, not date.”
“Mari, looks like you need some explaining to do.”
Marinette gave the short story on how she met Damian and Jason.
“So you guys are absolutely not dating? Cool. Tim, are you still open to being Mari-bug's fake boyfriend?” Chloe asked. Tim looked at her incredulously.
“You called me all the way here to fake-date your friend. Why? Not that I am complaining about her or anything.”
“There is this boy in our class, Adrien Agreste and he has a little obsession with Marinette.” Chloe explained.
“Romantic Soulmates.” Nathaniel chimed in, doing air-quotes.
“So I volunteered on your behalf to be my best friend’s long-distance boyfriend in America who has video-call dates with her once a week. You are going to have little romantic dates coincidently where our classmates are going to be, especially Adrien. It might put him off from pursuing Marinette for a while. After you leave, we are just to mention you every now and then to prevent him from getting any ideas.”
Damian felt a hot, burning sensation in his chest and clenched his jaw at the thought of Marin- Dupain-Cheng holding hands, cuddling and doing all those romantic actions with Drake of all people. (No, he wasn’t jealous. Not at all. Don’t be stupid. )
“Tch, Drake is going to be busy trying to find Hawkmoth. He can’t go around Paris, being Dupain-Cheng’s boyfriend. Besides, he can’t be a proper boyfriend even in his most lucid moments. I will be her boyfriend instead.”
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(PART 6)
#damian x marinette#mlb x dc#daminette#maribat#Betrothal AU: take 2#A Failed Betrothal#betrothed couple fake dating#Chloe and Tim as childhood friends#Master Fu salt#damian is not jealous. it is an absurd notion to make
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