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#bottom right is the face of a guy realizing the years of back pain ahead of him
thosetrollkids · 1 year
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Catboy Doodles Deluxe Pack!
you know how cats get jumpy when they get surprised/scared? yeah :3
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rafescoke · 3 years
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All I Ask ; Rafe Cameron (Part 2)
masterlist
#Part 2
#Part 1
Pairing: Rafe Cameron x reader
Summary: Reader finds herself in the arms of her best friend’s brother after finding her boyfriend cheating on her
Warnings: Swearing, cheating, hella angst, JJ being an extreme asshole
A/N: you guys are truly amazing. thank you so much for the countless amount of love & support for my last works, i love you! 
p.s, my request box is always open! go ahead and drop any ideas bae
“Hey,” he said softly. “You’re okay?”
(Y/N) emitted a laugh, her eyes focusing on the road, but her mind was somewhere else. She cleared her throat, “Um, I don’t think so.”
“Want to talk about it?” he said, and she noticed the grogginess behind his voice. She felt bad now, knowing that she had woken him up, but she was desperate for someone.
She couldn’t go to the pogues; her only friends, not when they knew. They knew all along about Kie and JJ but they didn’t try to talk to her. She thought about Pope, how he had looked so nervous around her since a month ago and how she had thought of it as nothing more than anxiety for his new upcoming scholarship application.
(Y/N) groaned, tightening her fingers around the steering wheel. Why had she been so naive? Why couldn’t she realize the signs sooner?
“Are you okay?” Rafe asked, suddenly jolting up from his bed when he realized how quiet she has gotten. Ever since they got close 4 years ago, there was never a long silence between them as (Y/N) always has a random topic to discuss about. He would tell her that he doesn’t care, but he truly likes the new information she’ll give him.
Like how the word ‘who’ is the oldest English word in the world. 
“Like, the owl?” he asked, scrunching his face. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, licking the slowly melting ice cream, and Rafe had a sudden thought of stealing her snack.
“No. God, you’re stupid. It’s who.”
“Yeah, the owl,” he grunted, thinking hard. (Y/N) looked at him with her bored eyes again, and Rafe took a quick glance at the dripping ice cream.
“No, Rafe, that’s woo. I’m talking about who.”
“You should write it.”
Rafe watched as she used her pointer to write the word ‘who’ on the table using her ice cream. Rafe laughed, finally understanding the joke, and he smiled wider when she returned a grin.
“No,” her voice croaked, and she could feel her tears slowly rolling down her red cheeks. God, she felt stupid. Why would she cry over stupid stuff like this? She had told Rafe before that she couldn’t understand why Bella Swan was too sad over Edward’s flight, saying how Bella had Jacob all along to help her get over him. Rafe rolled his eyes at this statement, muttering something along the words of ‘this is a movie’, ‘Edward is hotter’, and ‘Jacob look like that cashier guy at the hardware store’.
But she understood everything clearly now because she too, felt like staying in her room for the rest of her life. 
“What happened? Do you need me to pick you up?” Rafe asked again, finally standing up from his bed and walking towards his bedside table to retrieve his car keys. He rubbed his eyes, still so tired, but he wanted to make sure she was safe.
“It’s alright, Rafe, you don’t have to pick me up, it’s just, um-” she took a deep breath, “Can I come over?”
Rafe stopped in his tracks, not sure if he had heard her right. He waited for a few seconds, “Huh?”
“Can I come over?” (Y/N) bit her lips, making a turn towards the road heading to Figure 8 from the Cut. The road was deserted, and she looked at the dashboard to check on the time.
2.43 a.m.
“Yeah, sure, um, when are you coming? I just have to wait for you, so you know the new passcode of the backdoor.”
“You guys changed it already?” she asked, and she was surprised to find a smile creeping onto her face. “When was the last time I came over? 2 months ago?”
“9,” Rafe muttered, “But it’s okay. I’ll wait for you, okay?”
“Okay,” she released a breath, “Thank you, Rafe.”
“Yeah,” was all he said before ending the line.
Maybe she did missed him. 
When she arrived before the white building of the Camerons’ household, she could see a figure sitting on the front porch, bending over something that (Y/N) assumed to be a phone.
Rafe was mindlessly playing Candy Crush, just starting on his third level when he heard a car door being shut. He jumped to his feet, ready to greet the girl, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the state of her.
She was still in her party clothes, her (H/C) hair in a messy ponytail and her makeup all smudged. He tried to think of a joke, wanting to lighten up the mood, but his deed was interrupted when she finally had him in a tight hug.
“Whoa,” Rafe exclaimed, putting his arms around her waist. He let her stayed in that position for a few more seconds, liking the warmth, and finally parted after he cleared his throat.
“What’s wrong?”
“I, um-” she sighed, not looking into his eyes. “I got cheated on.”
Rafe was glued to his spot as he watched her wiped her tears with her sleeve, looking down to her glittery blue slippers. He couldn’t remember the amount of times he had prayed for his (Y/N) and JJ to call it off, but he didn’t hope for any kind of cheating to occur.
“I’m so sorry,” Rafe said, pulling her into a hug again. He rested his chin against the top of her head, letting the scent of strawberry wafted into his nostrils. (Y/N) cried against his chest, her face all scrunched up, and when she pulled away for the second time, she noticed the tear stains on his shirt.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she rushed, trying to remove the stain using her fingers even though she knew it was impossible. She was too tired to think logically; she felt like laying in bed and watching Love Island until the day she dies.
“You’re still stupid, even when you’re all fucked up,” Rafe sighed, but he watched her from the corners of his eyes in case his words had struck her, but she looked like she understood the joke. She smiled weakly, pulling on the hem of her dress that had rode up down.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” he said, pulling her by her wrist as he guided her through the backdoor to his room. He showed her the new passcode proudly, mouthing how it was his birthday date this time, and (Y/N) had emitted a small laugh.
Screw maybe, she did missed him.
“And still a mess,” she sighed, plopping onto Rafe’s blue bedsheet as she took a look around the room. The painting of a random boat in the middle of an ocean was still askewed, and his trash can were piling up. She made a face, pointing at the cause of disturbance.
“You have to clean that.”
“Sorry I couldn’t let you stay in our five stars suite, ma’am,” he said, finding an old t-shirt in his cupboard. “You know, since you barged in this hotel at this time, all there’s left is the 3 stars suite.”
“You’re calling this a 3 stars suite?” she laughed, tilting her head to one side. “Rafe, this room can’t even be rated.”
“Whatever,” he pulled out a yellow t-shirt, putting it aside before looking for a new pair of boxers. “Is your room still pink with that weird strawberry pound cake smell?”
“Yeah,” she laughed, crossing her legs. She was glad there were no crumbs on the bed, or else she would rather sleep in her car. “And that smell’s great. My sensory organs are blocked by all the dust you’re collecting in here.”
Rafe grinned, liking how she was back to her old self, and handed her the pair of boxers and the yellow t-shirt. (Y/N) muttered a quick thanks, her feet lightly padding against the carpeted floor towards his bathroom. She closed the door, leaning against the sink, watching her reflection in the mirror.
She did look miserable, and her eyes were all red and puffy. She always hate how puffy her eyes would get after a nice session of crying, having to endure the pain of soothing it down again. 
She shook her head, not wanting to spend anymore time thinking about JJ or Kie or the pogues who had betrayed her, and tried to reach for the zip of her dress. After a few good tries she sighed, relaxing her cramped arms. The familiar yet uneasy pain coursed through her veins, and without wanting to abuse herself anymore, she turned the doorknob.
“Rafe? Can you help me?”
“Huh? Yeah,” he came to the door, closing his eyes before he halted right in front of the object. “Are you naked?”
“No, can’t seem to be, too. Can you help me unzip?”
Rafe opened his eyes, feeling his heartbeat quickening, and with trembling hands, slowly unzipped her dress and stopping directly at the curve of her bottoms, silently admiring the view. 
He cleared his throat, shaking his head at the childish behaviour he just found himself in. “Yeah, done.”
“Thanks, Rafe,” she smiled, and turned to close the door again. Rafe listened to her breathing in the bathroom for a few more seconds, knowing how hard she was trying to ignore the aching feeling eating off of her. He wished he could take her pain away an make it his, knowing that at least he’ll have an excuse to snort more coke to ‘forget the pain’. 
When she got out of the bathroom, Rafe had to stop himself from drooling over her in his shirt and boxers. She always look good, but she had never looked better in nothing but his yellow shirt and his boxers. 
Rafe closed the light, remembering how she hates sleeping with any form of light either it’s tiny or big, and settled himself on the sofa. He wanted to give her space, not wanting to rush anything, knowing how tired she must felt from all the things she had to endure today.
“Rafe, we’re not 10. You can sleep on the same bed as I am,” she sighed, turning to face the other side. Rafe stood up, thanking the gods above, and settled for his new room.
“We never sleep in the same bed before,” he said, pulling the covers to shield himself from the cold. (Y/N) snorted at this statement, still not looking at him or even turning to face him.
The closest thing they have done to sleep right next to each other was in the car during a road trip, and when they woke up, they were both throwing disgusted faces and pretending to vomit.
“Stop it, you guys look stupid,” Sarah groaned, giving them a quick look over her shoulder. Rafe pulled his middle finger from under the blanket he was sharing with (Y/N), causing her to snort and struggling to hide her laugh.
. . .
“So yeah, that’s how you hit it.”
“You’re bluffing,” (Y/N) rolled her eyes, taking over the club and watching the small hole in the distance, squinting her eyes. She took a step back, licked her teeth, and gave Topper the club back.
“See? I told you I’m right!” he exclaimed happily, clasping his hands together. He returned to the game, focusing on his goal, and hit the golf ball.
“That’s fine, I guess,” (Y/N) announced when he came back to the resting area, “For beginners.”
Rafe snorted, downing his mineral water before handing Topper the same bottle. Topper grunted at him, muttering how it’s unhygienic, but he took a full swing of it anyways, being so thirsty after sitting under the sun for hours long.
“We’re glad you’re back with us, (Y/N),” Topper smiled, removing his cap and fanning himself with the clothing. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he looked at Rafe’s expression, he quickly shut his mouth.
He wanted to ask her if she ever missed their old clique when she was with the pogues, but Rafe knew better. It had been 3 weeks since the incidence, and she had been doing so well in coping with the situation. They had been inseparable ever since, always attached to the hips everywhere they go; he couldn’t let one tiny mistake slip that can cause her another breakdown.
“Hey,” Kelce jogged to them, smiling apologetically at Rafe and Topper before placing a quick kiss on (Y/N) ‘s cheeks. (Y/N) smiled, knowing how sweet and gentle Kelce is, almost glad he still does the same thing to her even after they had not been hanging out for a year.
“You’re not dressed for the occasion,” Topper rolled his eyes, “And late. We’re already packing up, man.”
“I know, but I’m wondering if you guys would like to listen to Cage The Elephant this evening by the beach,” he explained, still heaving from his previous activity. He had drove straight from his home to the country club after getting 4 tickets to the show, excited to show his friends what he had gotten for her.
(Y/N) snorted, throwing her arms into the air. “Fuck off, Kelce. There’s no way they’re coming down to Obx.”
Kelce sighed, taking out his phone before showing her the proof in his photos. (Y/N) grinned, trying to contain herself, and looked at Rafe who seemed to be smiling as well.
“Thanks, Kelce,” she laughed, pulling him into a hug. They made her happy, and all the negative thoughts she had about them during her brief friendship with the pogues suddenly evaporating into the air. She squealed, jumping wildly, and she swore she has never felt this happy before.
Just them four. Like the old times.
Four hours later, (Y/N) took a step back when they arrived at the beach, the memory of what happened three weeks ago suddenly rewinding in her head. Rafe noticed how quiet she had been, and pulled her aside while Topper and Kelce went to check on the stage.
“Are you okay?”
(Y/N) bit her lips, nodding. She ran her fingers over the penguin charm Rafe had gotten her a week prior, saying how it resembles him when he sees her. (Y/N) rolled her eyes at him during that surprising moment, touched yet confused at the story behind the penguin charm.
“Okay. Do you need a drink?” he asked again, staring into her eyes. She shook her head, wetting her lips and putting on her usual smile. Rafe grinned at her, muttering how she’s doing so good, all while guiding her towards their two other friends.
“(Y/N)?”
(Y/N) turned to look at the source, not thinking much. She almost fell to the ground when she saw the person responsible, but Rafe still had his arms around her. He turned to check on her again, but followed her gaze when he noticed she was staring at the opposite direction.
“What the fuck?” Rafe yelled, pushing JJ’s chest with so much anger that he toppled over to John B. Sarah yelped, pulling Kie to her side, watching as her brother walked towards them furiously. 
“Chill, man, I just want to talk to her,” he said, taking a deep breath. He noticed the crowd starting to notice them, and his eyes landed on a certain girl who was held up by Topper and Kelce, both asking if she was okay.
“Fuck off, pogue,” Rafe said, his eyes stern as he stared over JJ and his group of friends. “You have nothing to say to her.”
As he turned to return to his friends, his chest heaving from the near-fight he almost encounter with JJ, he bended to (Y/N)’s height to check on her state. Her eyes were glassy, her face red.
“So you’re fucking them all now like a whore?” JJ shouted, loud enough for everyone else around them to gasp, and some already had their phones out. (Y/N) was shocked at this statement, frozen on her feet, not knowing what on earth would make JJ say that to her.
He was never mean to her, even when they had a fight. He yelled at her sometimes, sure, but she had been the one yelling first. He never called her anything of that sort, not even during sex, where she had given him her full consent.
“You’re crazy,” she muttered, her lips trembling. “Go to hell.”
“No, no, because it has always been easy for you, right? You broke up with me, got on with Rafe, leave your own friends and come back to the country clubs?” he laughed, and she flinched at his words. If JJ had meant the pogues as her friends, then he was totally wrong.
“Fuck off, pogue,” Topper stepped out, and before he could finish his sentence, JJ landed a full punch on his face, causing him to fall onto the ground with a thud.
(Y/N) screamed, getting to his side as Rafe returned JJ’s gesture. Topper laid on the ground with his nose starting to bleed, causing (Y/N) to panic while she rummaged through Rafe’s backpack he had left on the ground for clean tissues.
Topper groaned, keep wanting to get up, but (Y/N) held him in place, not letting her friend go and hurt himself more just for her. She cried while she tried to wipe the blood, hearing the fight behind her.
“Fuck you! You stupid pogue! You should be in jail like your dad!”
Something cracked in JJ as he yelled something back in pure anger. He punched, kicked, slapped and hit Rafe who was already on the ground, spitting blood.
“JJ! That’s enough,” Pope pulled him back, trying to contain the wild animal as he thrashed to escape. He yelled more curses at Rafe while Pope tried his best to pull him away, obviously not done with hitting the boy laying on the ground.
(Y/N) cried, running towards Rafe’s side, cupping his face and looking into his swollen eyes. She groaned when Rafe’s laugh filled the air, not believing how he was still joking in a state like this.
“I’m okay,” he said, his breath ragged. “Don’t cry. I’m okay.”
Rafe stood up slowly and looked at the direction of the still thrasing JJ, hearing his muffled shouts with his arms around (Y/N) ‘s waist. He held her close as she sobbed into his shoulder, still trembling.
“Let’s go home?” he asked, and (Y/N) didn’t need to be told twice to follow him into his car. As disappointed as she was that she didn’t get the chance to see her favourite band, she wanted to take care of Rafe, who had been there since the day she found out about Kie and JJ.
The clock struck 12 in the morning and the grandfather clock in the living room chimed as Rafe groaned, feeling a certain girl with trembling hands and tired eyes gently wiping a cotton pad across his cut. 
“Fuck! I said slowly,” he grunted, closing his eyes to decrease the pain. (Y/N) bit her lips, trying to concentrate all the while trying to contain her laugh. He hissed again when she dabbed on his cut, this time with his fingers gripping tightly around her wrist.
“I said slowly.”
“I’m doing it slow, asshole,” she smiled, and felt him softened when she finally threw the last cotton pad. She pulled the covers to his chin, fixing the front part of hair before going to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she came back, she found him still awake with his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.
“I really need you to sleep,” she sighed, “To heal your pretty face.”
Rafe grinned and though (Y/N) tried her hardest not to smile back, she couldn’t deny the warm feeling settling in the pits of her stomach. 
“You think I’m pretty?”
There was no use denying it anymore.
“Yeah,” she shrugged, getting into the space beside him. “Even when you are all fucked up.”
(Y/N) could sense his smile even when she didn’t look at him, knowing how soft he usually end up being when she compliments him. She turned to look at him.
“Are you serious about not wanting a girlfriend?”
Rafe turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised. His insides exclaimed happily, liking the way his words had struck her. He meant what he said, but that statement didn’t apply to (Y/N). 
“Why?”
“Just asking,” she shrugged, and made a move to touch his cut. He hissed, feeling a sharp pain soaring in him, but she looked so peaceful trying to figure out his wound.
“You can kiss them to make them feel better,” he grinned, and watched as she groaned, trying to hide her face against the pillow. Rafe laughed, and turned the lamp beside him off, knowing that he shouldn’t push it and leave her be.
Just as he was about to drift into a peaceful sleep, he felt her soft lips against his, to which it was quick and gentle before she pulled away, giggling.
“4 years.”
“Huh?” (Y/N) questioned, still smiling from the kiss she just initiated a few seconds ago. She couldn’t contain herself; he looked so peaceful, so sweet, and so handsome. She didn’t know why she hadn’t kissed him sooner.
“I waited for that since 4 years ago.”
“Now you’re just pushing it, Rafe.”
Rafe grinned against the darkness, and felt his heart soaring. “Can we kiss again?”
“Tomorrow,” she stated, and Rafe laughed.
Tomorrrow. The next day. Next week. 
He didn’t care - as long as he will finally have her by his side. 
-
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starryhyuck · 3 years
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thin walls. (m)
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pairing: softdom!jaemin x sub!reader
words: 1.8k+
summary: you try your best to keep quiet since you know jaemin’s room is right next to yours. turns out you’re not as quiet as you think.
genre: fluff, smut
warnings: dom!jaemin, bestfriend!jaemin, roommate!jaemin, oral sex, daddy kink, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, creampie
“Isn’t it weird?”
“Is what weird?”
You’re having your weekly video call with Donghyuck and Renjun, the latter actually paying attention to your conversation while the former furiously clicks away on his keyboard.
“We’ve been quarantining for almost a year now. You haven’t gotten any dick in months and your roommate is like the hottest guy we know,” Renjun clarifies, raising an eyebrow. You both ignore the sound of Donghyuck grumbling loudly as he loses another game.
You roll your eyes. “And you’re so concerned about my sex life because?”
“Because clearly, neither me or Donghyuck have one. I’m living vicariously through you.”
That gets Donghyuck’s attention. “For your information, I am supporting many lovely women through OnlyFans. It’s only Renjun that has difficulties with sexual partners.”
Renjun scoffs. “I could have anyone on their knees for me, and we all know it.”
There’s a knock on your door and you take an earbud out when Jaemin pops his head in. He looks like a mess — his hair springing up in different places and eyes puffy. You frown at his disheveled state.
“Hey, are you still busy?”
Your fingers move at the speed of lightning, barely registering Renjun’s protest when you quickly leave the meeting. You toss your laptop and earbuds aside to give your best friend your full attention.
He chuckles and scratches the back of his neck. “If you’re busy, I can come back later.”
“Nope, not busy anymore. Are you okay, Jaem?”
He fully enters the room and shuts the door behind him. He smiles softly at you as he takes a seat on your bed.
“Not feeling too great. Just wanted to see you.”
You ignore the swell in your chest at his confession, worriedly stroking his cheek when you realize how red his eyes are. His hand comes up to play with your fingers, eyes moving in and out of focus.
“What’s wrong?” You finally ask.
He shrugs. “Didn’t do so well on my test today. Feeling a little hopeless.”
Your frown grows deeper. You move closer to him, wanting to soothe his pain.
“Don’t say that. It’s just one test, you’ll do better on the next one. I’ll help you! We can make flash cards and create some trivia games to help you remember.”
He chuckles, eyes still staring down at your connected hands.
“You always know what to say. How is that?”
You giggle. “I earned the title of your best friend for a reason.”
“I suppose you did.” His eyes move upwards to lock on you. “Can I stay here? Just for tonight.”
You freeze. You haven’t slept next to Jaemin in months, the two of you only doing so when you were really drunk or really sad. You don’t even remember what it’s like to fall asleep in your best friend’s arms.
“Sure.”
And you two fall into a quiet rhythm, Jaemin’s arms circling around you as he brings your back to his chest. Your eyes flutter shut, focusing on his steady breaths as you try to fall asleep.
You’re startled when you suddenly feel a pair of lips ghost over your neck, pressing a small kiss to your collarbone.
“J-Jaem?”
He hums in response, not showing any signs of stopping while he continues to pepper kisses on your shoulder.
“Jaem, w-what are you d-doing?”
“I heard you last night.”
You pause. You try to register what he’s saying, which you find is incredibly hard to do when his tongue darts out, licking a stripe up your neck. You backtrack to last night, when you were feeling so drowsy but struggled to get to sleep. You don’t remember much, except for the fact that you reached to your nightstand to grab your vibrator-
Oh. Oh fuck.
“Y-You heard that?”
He hums again, moving to suck your neck with vigor. When he finally parts from his masterpiece, he chuckles.
“How could I not? The walls aren’t exactly thin, you know. I hear everything — all your silly commentary when you rewatch your favorite dramas, your weekly conversations with Renjun and Donghyuck, the pretty little noises you make when you turn your vibrator on, and the unmistakable sound of porn you watch when you’re really aroused.”
You feel more than embarrassed, stuttering as you try to offer an explanation. Jaemin chuckles against your ear, biting softly down on the lobe. A whimper tumbles out of your mouth before you realize it.
“I couldn’t sleep last night after listening to you. You made me fail my test, baby.”
“I’m s-sorry.”
“If you’re really sorry, you’ll let me eat you out.”
You swear your heart stops. “W-What?”
“I’m hungry. You wouldn’t want me to go to bed on an empty stomach, would you?”
“U-Um, no.”
Before you know it, you’re on your back with Jaemin between your legs. His fingers thumb over the fabric of your pajama shorts and he looks up at you, his eyes glimmering with a question.
You nod. “It’s okay, Jaem.”
With your permission, he slides your shorts down your legs and throws them haphazardly across the room. His gaze darkens at the sight of your lacy panties, which you honestly wore unintentionally today. You’re glad you picked them this morning though, because Jaemin looked like he was about to go insane at the sight.
“You’re so fucking perfect.”
And then his tongue licks a stripe up your clothed core and you yelp. He’s almost predatory, shoving your underwear aside and diving into your sopping pussy. You moan when his tongue furiously licks your folds, curling in on yourself while he holds you down.
“Jaemin!”
He parts from you briefly and raises an eyebrow. “I think you have another name to call me.”
You’re confused yet again. “W-What?”
He snickers. “Forgot already? I listened to all those dirty videos you were watching, baby. I know all your cute little kinks. Now, I know you have a different name to address me as.”
“J-Jaemin, I-“
He clicks his tongue. “That’s not right.”
You gather all the courage you have inside of you, ignoring the clear embarrassment on your face by the fact that Jaemin has discovered all of your secret fantasies.
“Daddy, please eat me out.”
He smiles mischievously. “Good girl.”
You have no time to dwell on your self-consciousness before he’s sinking a finger inside of you, tongue lapping at your clit. You feel like a dog in heat, warmth spreading throughout your body as you struggle to comprehend the fact that your best friend is currently eating you out like his life depends on it.
“D-Daddy, daddy!” You scream when he slips another finger inside, curling them upwards while he sucks on your clit furiously. “I’m gonna- I’m gonna-“
You cry out when your orgasm sweeps over you in waves, thrashing and whimpering under Jaemin’s hold. He uses his other hand to hold your hips down when the oversensitivity crashes into you, desperately trying to push away from him.
“D-Daddy, no, I-I’m sensitive-“
Jaemin growls and holds you tighter, fingers still drilling into your pussy and mouth wrapped around your sensitive bud. You don’t have time to warn him when your second orgasm comes just as quickly as the first, convulsing around him. You try to gain a sense of strength to push him away before he can launch you into a third, and Jaemin gets the message as he parts from you.
His chin glimmers with evidence of your arousal, fingers slipping into his mouth while he tastes the remnants of your two orgasms.
He pounces on you, lips crashing into yours and you moan. You can taste yourself on his tongue, and the fact shoots another spike of arousal to your core.
“What else did they do in that video, baby?” He whispers breathily. “Tell me.”
Your brain is a little fuzzy as you try to remember.
“H-He fucked the girl until she was crying and she took it. Anything to please her d-daddy.”
He smirks. “Is that what I should do to you? Fuck you until you’re crying? Will you do anything to please me?”
You know you trusted Jaemin with your life, so you nod.
“Anything for you, daddy.”
He grins. He quickly pulls down his sweatpants and his cock springs up, already half hard. You gulp at his size, and you’re suddenly reminded of why Renjun calls Jaemin the hottest guy you know. Jaemin’s girth wasn’t exactly a secret in your friend group, many rumors spreading around after Donghyuck discovered how well endowed your roommate actually was.
His fingers grip his base, slowly pumping himself while keeping his eyes locked on you.
“Like what you see, baby? Do you think your pussy is ready to take daddy’s fat cock?”
“Y-Yes, d-daddy. I c-can take your c-cock.”
He chuckles at your response, brushing strands of hair away from your face to fully look at you. His look is almost endearing, and you would swoon any other day if he wasn’t about to fuck you.
He lines himself up to your entrance, pausing for a second.
“Do I need to get a condom?”
You shake your head. “I’m on birth control. We’re fine.”
He doesn’t hesitate any longer, pushing into you slowly. You whine at the stretch. You haven’t been taken like this in months, and your vibrator is no match for his huge cock. He coaxes you through the pain, whispering softly in your ear and kissing your neck again to help ease you up.
Once he bottoms out, he waits patiently for your go ahead before moving. You can tell it’s killing him on the inside, brows pushed together as he tries his best not to pound you deep into the mattress.
“P-Please, daddy.”
Jaemin builds a steady pace inside of you, groaning and grunting into your ear as he sinks deeper and deeper. Your mind draws a blank when you struggle to form any coherent words, babbling while he impales you with his cock.
“You’re such a good girl for me. Always so good. Been waiting for this forever, baby. Dreamed so long of having you underneath me like this.”
“Daddy,” you gasp at his unexpected confession, hissing lowly when his fingers circle around your clit. Tears spring up in your eyes from the pleasure.
“Especially all those mornings when you were wearing practically nothing in front of me, you don’t even know how many times I wanted to take you on the kitchen counter.”
You cry when his cock hits you harder and faster.
“But you’re so good for me now, aren’t you, baby? So pretty and perfect for her daddy.”
“Y-Yes, daddy,” you whimper. “I’m all yours. All good for daddy.”
Jaemin groans loudly. “Cum for me, baby. Cum for daddy.”
Your orgasm is blinding, your nails digging into his shoulders as you ride out your high. He follows shortly after you, grunting when he shoots his cum deep inside your waiting womb.
You both lay in silence before you suddenly burst out in laughter. Jaemin eyes you.
“What?”
“We just fucked. I just fucked my best friend and called him daddy. This is so surreal.”
He chuckles, leaning down to press a kiss against your lips.
“Better get used to it. Who knows how long we’ll be stuck in quarantine together.”
You smile. “Doesn’t sound so bad to me.”
2K notes · View notes
majestyeverlasting · 3 years
Note
Can you write prompt(s) 40 & 48 with Dad!Bucky x reader pls?
♡ Of course! Thanks for sending this request in! For the kids, I went ahead and used Jamie and Eden, who are in my Dad!Bucky x Mom!Reader fics. There's cute and funny family ~shenanigans~ in this piece (and Eden ends up duping Bucky). I hope you like it!
♡ Prompt 40: "There it is. There's that smile."
♡ Prompt 48: "Those are my pajama pants. They're literally slipping down your waist."
♡ To make a request for my One Month Tumblr-versary, check out my Fluffy Prompt List :)
No Such Thing as Winning By Default Tonight
The way Jamie and Eden greeted Bucky at the door always gave him something to look forward to, to cherish. They were bouncing on the balls of their feet as if it had been ages since they last saw him. In reality, it had only been a span of hours since he’d left that morning. And with sparkling eyes, they waited for him to take off his backpack and shrug off the leather jacket. You’d spent the day out with them, and they were ready to tell their father about everything. From checking out new books at the library, going to the park, and even getting snow cones.
As soon as Bucky finished putting his things in the closet, he scooped Eden up and kissed her cheek. And he pulled Jamie into a hug after giving him a fist bump—the gesture was something the boy insisted they started doing everyday because it was ‘cool.’ It was important not to forget the explosion fingers right after, because that’s what made fist bumps even cooler.
The kids talked a mile a minute as they told Bucky about their day—as if their lives depended on it. Hundreds of people had told him hundreds of things over the years and, yet, listening to their words—and yours—added a value to his life that he hadn't, or couldn’t find anywhere else in the world. A smile stretched across your face when he entered the living room with Jamie and Eden on either side of him. You were sitting on the couch with the laundry basket on the floor in front of you. Folding clothes that, admittedly, should’ve already been taken care of.
Bucky shot you a wink when your eyes met his, and you felt the smallest flutter in your stomach. After spending the day with children, you were glad to have some adult company again. It helped that he was particularly attractive in his unshaven state. “Hey, stranger,” you teased, affectionately. “How was your day?”
“Not too bad,” he said, draping his arms over the kids’ shoulders. “From what these two were telling me, it sounds like you guys went around the world while I was gone.”
That earned a laugh from you. “It feels like we did. I’m not moving for the next week.”
Jamie snorted. “But don’t you have to move? You can’t just stay still,” he said. “You’re moving right now to fold the clothes.”
You gave him a flat look, narrowing your eyes. Everyone else laughed. “Well, in that case, mister, how about you three come do it for me so I don’t have to move?” Your tone was playful.
“Uhhh... Dad can do it. I forgot how to fold,” he lied.
“‘Dad can do it?’” Bucky repeated, looking down at him in feigned disagreement. If you truly needed a break, or wanted any sort of additional help, he’d step in a heartbeat—he always did.
“Wait, I’m actually pretty good at it,” Eden spoke up, leaving her father’s side to plop beside you. “Do you want me to help, Mommy?” Without waiting for an answer, she picked out one of her shirts from the basket.
It was then that Jamie decided he was going to assist too. Instead of joining the two of you on the couch, however, he sat crossed-legged on the floor, and dug to the bottom of the basket in search of his favorite race car graphic tee. The way their brows furrowed in concentration was adorable. And because they were no longer glued to Bucky, he was able to lean down and press a kiss to your temple, hands bracing on the plush arm of the couch. Before he could pull too far away, you cupped his chin and directed his lips to yours in a brief kiss, sighing through your nose. You felt him smile upon hearing the kids’ quiet giggles.
Eden’s voice soon arose. “Hey, Mommy, look. Is this good enough?” Bucky pulled away and straightened back to his full height, clearing his throat and running a hand through his hair.
On Eden’s lap was a white shirt printed with pink flowers that she had folded. “It looks great, E. Put it on the stack of your other stuff.” You pointed to the clothes of hers that you had already folded.
What you ended up finding later that evening was that one of the kids had accidentally placed Bucky’s navy blue pajama pants in your sleepwear drawer. Considering he was off in the playroom with them, you decided to put them on to go get a reaction out of him. You paired them with a gray V-neck.
When you walked in on him and the kids, they were winning in what appeared to be a play fight. They hovered over him as his back was against the floor. A helpless smile budded on your face as you stood watching in the doorway. He tried to prop himself up upon noticing you, but Jamie growled and pushed chest back down.
“Do you surrender?” He asked his father.
A laugh bubbled up Bucky’s throat. “Yes, I surrender.”
“I don’t believe him,” Eden told Jamie.
“I do! I promise,” Bucky said. “I just wanna talk to your mom.”
They let him sit up, and you caught the way his gaze traveled up your body. “Hey… those are my pajama pants,” he said, pushing himself from the floor to go stand in front of you. “They’re literally slipping down your waist.” To prove his point, he attempted to pull them up to a more proper resting place on your hips. But they slouched back down a bit when he let go.
“No they’re not," you challenged with a smile. "They’re mine."
“Oh, is that right?” He let his hands come to rest on your hips, and in turn you wrapped your arms around his neck, gazing into his eyes. “They look good on you,” he said, voice low. And before you could register his intentions, he reached around you to squeeze your backside.
Bucky chuckled at your small squeak and dipped down for a kiss. He was gentle, and warm, and smelled woodsy. When he started to pull away, you thought it was way too soon. But, a second later, you realized it was because Jamie had started tugging on the back of his shirt.
You stifled a laugh at the way he rolled his eyes before turning around. “May I help you?” He asked the boy.
“Can we do one more round?” Jamie asked. “But this time you have to go harder on us.”
Eden came to stand beside her brother’s side. “Yeah! And Mommy can be on a team with me and Jamie,” she said.
Bucky looked back at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You up for that?”
You wrinkled your nose. “Maybe I should just watch. These pants probably make me wardrobe malfunction prone.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “You’ll be fine.”
That assurance is what landed you in a four-person play fight. Per Jamie’s request, Bucky does exert a little more effort. But he was still overly mindful that nobody got hurt in any other way. For the first few moments, you drew back and let Jamie and Eden make most of the advances on their father. They practically cackled every time he pinned them.
But he eventually locked eyes with you, and you knew he wasn't going to let you remain in the background of the action anymore. All you could do was squeal when he made a very direct advancement. Because you were already kneeling, it didn’t take much for him to force you the rest of the way to the floor. It happened so swiftly that all you could do was let out a surprised huff of laughter. Somehow he managed to capture both of your wrist.
“He’s got Mommy!” You heard Eden say. Then she came to your rescue by pushing his shoulder to divert his attention.
In the sliver of time before Bucky walked on his knees to get the girl, Jamie did a discrete signal to her that she nodded to. All it was was a quick swipe of his pointer finger down his cheek. And between you and Bucky, only you caught their quick exchange. It took a second for it to click that he had told her to fake cry. Or pretend to be hurt, at least.
As soon as Bucky gathered Eden into his arms, and lowered her to the floor in the most gentle 'slam' ever, she enacted their scheme. From her lying position, she winced and released a soft whine. There was no possible way that what he did could've caused any pain, but Bucky didn't even rationalize that. The only thing that rang in his mind was that he'd just hurt his little girl.
“Shoot! I’m sorry, babydoll.” He repositioned to sit in a narrow straddle, and coaxed her up to sit on his thigh. The tenderness of his voice made you want to tell him that she was fine. "What hurts, hmm?" She just continued pouting. Jamie put a hand over his mouth to hide either a smile or shock that it actually worked.
Bucky sighed as his eyes flickered over to you. All you could do was offer an expression that was likely a mix between neutral and guilty. Then he redirected his attention back to Eden and started pressing consoling kisses to her hair. When he noticed her beginning to smile, relief flooded through him. “There it is. There’s that smile,” he said. "I really am sorry, sunshine. Didn't mean to hurt you."
She craned her neck to look up at him. "Daddy..." she said, voice tentative. "I was just kidding..."
Jamie was quick to pitch in. "I only told her to so we could win by default or something. At least she's actually okay, right?" The hopeful edge to his tone made you bite back a smile. "Mom was in on it too." Snitch.
Bucky's mouth fell slightly agape, but he let out a small laugh a second later, shaking his head. "Wow," he breathed. "'Win by default,' huh? Give me a heart attack to 'win by default.'" In all fairness, it had been a somewhat mean trick. But nothing he couldn't recover from.
"I didn't even know if you were gonna believe me!" Eden claimed. She squealed when he suddenly laid onto his back, taking her with him. The sound of their mixed laughter filled the room, and the energetic buzz returned to the atmosphere.
Then Bucky made a proposal to your team. "You guys are gonna have to come save little miss from my arms if you wanna win for real," he said. "No such thing as winning by default tonight."
-
Previously fulfilled request: Cold Little Paws.
360 notes · View notes
bruhlsbees · 3 years
Text
bubbles part two || baron helmut zemo x fem!reader
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read part one here!
summary: you and zemo get a little handsy in the bathtub
pairing: baron helmut zemo x fem!reader
warnings: this the one y’all, the smut fest, but no seriously it’s just pure filth, messy bathtub sex, slight sub!zemo, nsfw, 18+, minors dni
word count: 2,709
a/n: thank you to those who enjoyed part one! :) i’m getting back into writing fanfiction and i hope to continue writing loads of stuff for y’all! enjoy!! (by the way this is my first time writing smut so please bear with me if it's a hot mess)
A low humming woke you up. Blinking, you looked ahead of you and saw Zemo laying back, eyes closed as he hummed an unfamiliar tune. You figured it must’ve been something he grew up hearing in his home country of Sokovia. Smiling, you shook your head and closed your eyes again. You didn’t mind if you fell asleep again, you were quite content with your current situation.
When the two of you shared such a sweet kiss only moments ago, you knew that your behavior towards the man was different. No longer were you annoyed with his presence, but...pleased to find him enjoying your company. You weren’t one for seeking male attention, not caring for the validation as you had your own self confidence that was worth more than any man’s comment - but when it came to Zemo, it was different.
The tune soon dulled to silence and you were once again welcomed to the sound of peace. The only noise you heard was your own heartbeat in your ears. The water was now lukewarm and the bubbles had faded away, you were still comfortable, not even minding the fact that Zemo was in with you. Zemo was also extremely pleased with laying in the tub with you - his rough hands still rubbing your smooth legs and dimpled thighs.
Opening his eyes, Zemo snuck a quick look to see if your eyes were open - seeing that they were closed, he smiled and opened his eyes fully, taking in your naked figure under the water. He noted how beautiful you were, how the picture he had of you in his head was right. There was so much you hid under your clothes, it pained him.
Honey eyes found their way trailing from the top at your delicate face down to the bottom where his hands laid on your knees. Zemo blinked, his mouth gaped open and his breathing shaky. He could feel the heat pulsating from his chest down to his now hardening cock.
Biting down on his bottom lip, Zemo adjusted his position in the tub, sitting up slightly, his right hand dropping down to squeeze himself for a brief moment, applying any sort of pressure he could to relieve the built up lust.
When he wrapped his hand around his cock, Zemo sucked in a sharp breath, groaning your name quietly as he felt the pressure only build, his hips bucking up slightly. Unwrapping his hand quickly, Zemo returned his hand back to your knee, his now hard cock sticking up.
Well that didn’t help.
You heard your name be called in a low whisper, almost not catching it at first. Opening your eyes, you sat up slightly and saw Zemo, staring at you with an almost uncomfortable expression. Frowning, you furrowed your eyebrows slightly, “Are you okay? You don’t look well.”
He let out a weak laugh, shaking his head as his gaze faltered down, “I may have...gotten a little too comfortable, in our current situation.” The confession confused you at first, wondering what he was meaning by it. It wasn’t until you finally looked down and under the water that you realized what he meant.
Oh, that.
When your gaze flickered back up, you met eyes with Zemo and his cheeks were now pink. For such a ‘bad guy’, he seemed to be rather innocent with this sort of thing. You figured with him having a wife and everything, this sort of stuff wouldn’t make him so awkward - but you didn’t mind, it was kind of cute.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” You asked, sitting up fully now and resting on his legs. You usually weren’t the one to take charge in these situations, but it seemed as though he needed help. After all, the man hadn’t probably had sex in almost eight years.
You watched as Zemo became flustered, watching you carefully as you moved up his legs more, settling closer to him, your arms wrapped around his neck now.
“I...I don’t know.” Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Zemo looked up at you, his chest rising and falling as he felt your gentle touch along his bare skin.
Staring down at him, you smiled, quite enjoying the advantage you had over him currently with him sunk in the tub, you resting on his lap. Your fingers gently ran up his neck and face, lightly running along his bottom lip before both hands slipped down and rested flat on his chest.
“You know you talk a lot of game, Zemo,” You noted, smiling as he tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion. “When you first came in and interrupted my bath, I thought you’d be the one taking care of me. But it seems that even the evil mastermind himself needs to be taken care of once in a while.”
The statement took Zemo back a bit. He wasn’t offended by any means, just surprised by the dominant nature of it - he never took you as the type.
“I’ll ask you again,” You began, leaning forward and placing deep peppered kisses along his neck, pulling away when you heard the soft moan escape his lips, looking at him in his eyes, “What are you going to do about it? What do you want?”
“I-I want,” When he felt your lips on him again, he sucked in a sharp breath, his hands running down your back before resting on your hips, “I want to bury myself in you. I want to fuck you.”
Smiling against his cheek, you pulled back and looked at him contently, “Well, why didn’t you just say that?”
Pushing yourself up slowly, you adjusted yourself further up on his lap before sinking onto him, moaning as you felt his hardened length push deep inside of you. Biting down on your lip, you closed your eyes for a moment to adjust to him inside of you before opening your eyes, smiling at him before once again meeting him in the middle for a kiss.
When your lips met there was no carefulness as once before - your teeth knocked against one another and you swore you almost choked on his tongue with how far he shoved it down your throat. You wished that the kiss could last forever, but you were begging for air. Pulling away, you panted - chest heaving as you stared at Zemo, both of your lips swollen and red.
You rocked your hips steadily against him, riding his dick the best you could given your situation in the tub. The water made things a little too slick for your liking, but with how close he held you to him, you hardly had to readjust him back in you.
“Zemo...I-fuck, you feel so good.” You whined, feeling him lean forward and kiss your neck now, sucking on a sweet spot on the side before trailing down to your shoulder, biting down on your soft flesh. Desperate to cling onto you in any way he could, he moved his hands up slightly and gripped at your side, jolting back when you cried out.
Looking up at you, Zemo’s expression faltered from lust to worry, his honey eyes glistening with confusion, “What happened? Are you okay?”
You could all but groan, nodding as you took his hand and moved it back down to your hip, “Madripoor, I got hit pretty good. My ribs are bruised so it’s just...just hurts is all. I should have said something before, I jus-”
You were cut off quickly by his lips, smiling weakly into the sweet kiss. When he pulled away, you felt his fingers tuck your hair back behind your ear that had fallen and stuck to your cheek, “I don’t think you need to apologize, I’ll be more careful.”
Zemo sat up and scooted forward in the tub, wrapping your legs around him and pulled you until your chest meant his, moaning when he felt your hardened nipples against him. He guided you up and down on his cock, disregarding the water that sloshed out of the tub.
“Next time, perhaps it will be healed,” He choked out, his forehead resting against the side of your face before turning, placing open mouthed kisses up your face to your ear, pressing his lips against you, “And I won’t be so gentle.”
Next time. He was already thinking about the next time you’d share an intimate moment.
Pulling back, you grabbed his face in your hands, grinning back at him, “I’ll hold you to it.”
You placed your hold down onto his shoulders, matching his pace as you came down onto him when he rocked his hips up, moaning at the contact. While the sweet talk was nice, you were desperate for a release, and you couldn’t imagine Zemo thought much different.
As Zemo rocked into you, his pace quickening and his thrusts harder, the only thing that escaped your mouth were moans and cries that left you pathetically desperate. Zemo quite enjoyed seeing you come undone on top of him, hearing your moans were like music to his ears.
“Next time,” He panted, looking up at you as your head fell back, eyes closed tightly, “I’ll take you in a bed and we will spend all night making love until the sun comes up. Perhaps next time I’ll bury my face in between your thighs. Would you like that?”
Nodding, you bit down on your lip, a little harder than before, but you were close, so close, and you didn’t know how much longer you’d last - especially if Zemo kept up with his promises.
You felt your orgasm build, your hands gripping the sides of the tub tightly as you shook your head, “I-I don’t know how much longer I can last.”
“Hold it, wait until I tell you to cum.”
The order only made you whine, you didn’t know if you could hold on for him.
His pace became messy, almost desperate to pound into you. His ragged breath indicated to you that he was probably close and wouldn’t last much longer either. You felt your head be pulled down, Zemo grabbing your face and pulling your into a feverish kiss.
“Mine, mine, mine.” He repeated against your lips, sucking on your bottom lip before biting down on it.
Moaning against his lips, you wrapped your arms around his neck, clinging to him desperately as you felt his cock hit your g-spot, your legs shaking around his waist. You couldn’t help but grip onto his cock, making it even harder for him to not spill into you right then and there.
And then it finally came. He became so desperate, so eager with his own release that he forgot about your bruised ribs, wrapping you into a hug as he pounded into you even harder, “I’m going to- cum with me, can you do that?”
Nodding, you rested your face against the side of his head, closing your eyes tight as his fingers sank into your back, thrusting four more times before snapping up suddenly, letting out a loud moan into your ear before spilling his seed into you.
You were only seconds behind him, moaning innocently as you went slack against him, panting in his ear as you laid against him. It was good, so good. You weren’t expecting it to be quite honest. You figured he would be a little rough, given the lack of opportunity for sex, but he went above and beyond what you imagined.
After a few moments, finally catching your breath, you pulled back and looked at Zemo, his pupils blown and only the outer rim of his eyes honey, the rest dark. Blushing faintly, you wiped your hair off your face, blinking before letting out a light-hearted laugh.
“That was...really good.” You confessed, smiling when you felt him lean forward to kiss your cheek. “Indeed, it was.”
While you wished to stay in the tub, have him deep inside of you all day, you knew that it wouldn’t be long before Sam and Bucky got back, and this wasn’t something you wanted to try and explain to them.
As you pushed yourself up off him, you fell back to your original spot in the tub, leaning back to catch your breath and calm down. Zemo, on the other hand, was already moving out of the tub, going to grab some towels to clean up the mess the two of you made.
When Zemo finished cleaning up the water, he dried himself off with one of the dry towels, discarding his robe with the rest of the wet towels. He wrapped the towel around his waist before grabbing a towel for you, making his way over to the tub, tapping your arm lightly as he noticed your eyes closed.
“Here, let me help you.”
Opening your eyes, you turned and saw Zemo standing with a towel opened for you, a warm smile on his face. You could only smile back, admiring the domestic care that Zemo was giving you. While you stood up, you felt his hands hold onto your arms as you stepped out of the tub, not wanting you to slip, before wrapping the towel around you, securing it tight so it wouldn’t fall.
Looking back up at you, Zemo smiled and ran his fingers along your cheek before leaning forward to kiss your forehead. “I suppose we should get dressed before they come back.”
Nodding in agreement, you watched as Zemo nodded curtly before turning, making his way out of the bathroom to go find some clothes. Going to the chair, you untied the towel from around you and dropped it to the floor, pulling on your clean clothes. When you finished pulling up your jeans, securing the belt tight, you heard the front door open and close, indicating that Sam and Bucky had returned.
Making your way from the bathroom to the main room, you smiled at Sam and Bucky who immediately crashed on the couch, letting out a sigh, “So? How did it go?” You asked, leaning against the kitchen island.
“Alright, area seems pretty secured for the most part. Won’t be hard to find the Flag Smashers, no doubt.” Bucky explained, leaning his head back, eyes closed.
“That’s good,” You noted, moving to sit on one of the stools, beginning to pick at your nails, “Hopefully it won’t take too long to track them down.”
Sam, who was now on his laptop, looking at something, nodded in agreement, “Yeah, hopefully. How was it by the way?”
Looking up from your nails, you frowned, confused, “How did what go?”
Turning his head, Sam could only laugh, “Watching Zemo? He didn’t give you a hard time did he? Where is he by the way?”
“Oh, yeah, no, he was fine. Just kept to himself.” You cleared your throat awkwardly before turning your attention to the door that he was in before shrugging, “I assume he’s getting dressed. We were in the bathroom while you were gone.”
The sentence sent both Sam and Bucky staring at you as though you had horns growing out of your head. When you turned your attention back to them, you quickly realized what you had said and covered your ass.
“No, god no, he was in the shower when you guys left and I got in after he came out. Jesus, you really think?” You couldn’t even finish your sentence without laughing, shaking your head before crossing your arms over your chest, “You guys are out of your mind.”
Both men looked relieved to hear that their idea as to what happened while they were gone was proven to be false - but only if they knew they were entirely right. While they went back to doing whatever it was that they were doing, you turned your attention towards Zemo’s room again, this time seeing him in the doorway, smiling in your direction before sending a wink in your direction.
Blushing, you looked away and couldn't help but smile, listening as he came out of the room and into the kitchen, grabbing some cups and the kettle to make some tea.
“Would anyone like some cherry blossom tea?”
273 notes · View notes
ikroah · 3 years
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Whiskey river, take my mind, don't let her memory torture me. Whiskey river, don't run dry, you're all I got, take care of me. —“Whiskey River,” Shotgun Willie (1973)
It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’ #15 - Vegas Outskirts
Collaborative Issue! Guest Colorist: @malpaislegate​ / @socksual-innuendos​
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Read IKROAH on Archive of Our Own
Notes / Original Pencils / Transcript:
Notes:
MAN that’s gotta hurt!! Volume 2 kicks off with a bang, literally if you count the gunshot and honorifically if you count Socks’ knockout color job on this issue. Look at those lovingly rendered bullet wounds!! Muah!!!
It’s been a relief having a month off from the comic as I handled a bunch of other things but there’s a lot to look forward to in Volume 2, as you can probably tell from that very forboding fist clench at the end there. Will Agnes and Cass get the revenge they’re looking for? Can they make it big in Vegas? Will it keep right on a-hurtin’? Find out next ish as Cass leads Agnes to meet the first of their new “friends.”
Original Pencils:
The pencils for this issue are like an autopsy report of all the things that can go wrong with your art if you don’t plan ahead and pay attention. Listen, friend, to my tale of woe, and learn from my mistakes so they don’t become yours!
First, you can see a lot of places where there’s floating objects, empty backgrounds, and incomplete heads. Part of this is because I always intended to just copy and paste repeated elements across each panel instead of drawing them multiple times, but other times I was forced to just because of my lack of planning. The top three panels on page two, for example, required me to draw the background I’d use for them on a separate page.
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Second, you can probably tell that I actually had to flip the two raiders around in the final lineart because I forgot to keep the hands their were holding their guns in consistent—and since I couldn’t flip the middle panel on the second page without ruining the composition, I decided to flip all of their other appearances so that they’d be lefties. I doubt you even can seamlessly wield those particular guns left-handed.
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Third, the size of the cart that Agnes and Cass are kneeling behind changes CONSTANTLY and is dramatically oversized from the third page onward. After inking these pages, it took a lot of work to correct the inks and shrink that cart in each panel, but fortunately it came out looking good.
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And finally, I completely redrew the second panel on the fifth page because it wasn’t until I had already handed he pages off to my colorist that I realized having a second profile shot of Cass so soon after a first one was just...redundant and lazy-looking. So I went back to my sketchbook and whipped up a much more unique, striking angle (I also just wasn’t satisfied with the quality of my art on that panel, so I’m very glad I redrew it). But again, my failure to plan ahead bit me in the ass and my redraw attempt wound up taking up a lot more space than I thought it would, so after inking it I had to basically surgically remove it from the other inks.
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I’ll be honest with you folks: part of the reason that I work in such simple, thick, high-contrast lineart is because it’s very easy to make corrections and adjustments with stuff you could technically color in Microsoft Paint.
Transcript:
EXT. SOMEWHERE IN THE MOJAVE, morning. AGNES SANDS and ROSE OF SHARON CASSIDY stand over the wreckage of a caravan, scattered over a dirt road.
CASS: Hell.
EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE MOJAVE, midday. Looking over a second wrecked caravan, at the bottom of a ditch.
CASS: Fuck.
EXT. PRE-WAR HIGHWAY OUTSIDE OF VEGAS, mid-afternoon. AGNES and CASS survey a third wrecked caravan.
CASS: Shit. The proof is in the pudding. Or the pile of ash, rather. These attacks were done with Van Graff guns for Crimson Caravan caps. I'm sure of it.
As CASS explains her theory to AGNES, a short distance from the caravan two RAIDERS peer at the two of them from inside a barn at a ruined farmstead. They have snake-bite tattoos on the sides of their shaved heads and are holding rifles.
CASS: The scorchmarks and residue in the wreckages? That's energy weapon shit. Plasma and laser. Silver Rush special. Not like it'd be the Brotherhood. And Crimson Caravan must have bankrolled this fucked-up little hunting trip themselves.
The RAIDERS move out from the barn, sneaking up on two passers-by who’ve stopped at the caravan wreckage.
CASS: That explains why they bought me out...they needed the last loose end to saddle up back west with a tidy sum.
(NOTE: *Agnes delivered it and Cass signed it in IKROAH #7—Lou.)
CASS: It's a racket, Agnes: torch the local competition and it's win-win for both the f—
SFX: KRAK
A gunshot rips out from one of the RAIDERS’ rifles and sears across CASS’ shoulder.
CASS (gasping): —uckers.
CASS slumps down beneath the overturned caravan wagon on the road, clutching her shot shoulder.
CASS: —Aaggghghhhhhhh.
AGNES: Cass! Are you—
CASS: Fuck! Agnes, get down you moron!
AGNES ducks behind the cover of the wooden caravan wagon just as another gunshot splinters the top lip of it.
SFX: DTHWAK!
The RAIDERS advance on CASS and AGNES’ position, firing at them from off the road.
SFX: KRAK
AGNES leans over the top of the wagon with her pistol, returning fire.
SFX: BTAK BTAK BTAK
AGNES lands a shot right in one of the RAIDERS’ guts, and she drops her weapon and falls down.
SFX: SPLUT
CASS, leaning out the side of the wagon, takes as careful of aim as she can with her shotgun by holding it with her good arm. Trembling, she fires, connecting with the other RAIDER.
SFX: KBLAM
The would-have-been RAIDERS are dead.
AGNES: ...were those the Van Graffs?
CASS: No. Just some vultures.
CASS leans back behind cover to sit against the bottom of the overturned wagon again, wincing from her shoulder injury.
CASS: Ugghhn.
AGNES (slipping off duffel bag): Cass, your shoulder—
CASS: Yeah, it's been shot. I'm pretty fucking aware.
AGNES (unzipping bag): Quick, can you take your shirt off—
CASS: What!?
AGNES: —so I can dress the wound, Cass!
CASS: Oh! Good! So you weren't coming onto me on what remains of Griffin Wares Caravan.
CASS starts removing her shirt while AGNES produces a bottle of something from her duffel bag, and dampens a rag with its contents.
CASS: And since when are you a fucking field medic, anyway?
AGNES: 2269. NCR Certified.
CASS: What?
AGES: Yeah. I've been one kind of doctor or another since I was six.
CASS: What?
AGNES: Now hold still, this is antiseptic.
CASS: Since you were six!? I...shit, wait, hang on, Agnes—
AGNES pressess the rag onto CASS’ shoulder wound, and CASS winces instinctively. But, confusingly, there isn’t any pain.
CASS: ...isn't this supposed to sting like hell?
AGNES: No, not really. It's an acetic acid solution. Vinegar, basically.
AGNES begins cleaning the wound with the rag.
CASS: I thought you put alcohol on wounds to clean them.
AGNES: That's...a common misconception. It's good for tools, maybe, but too strong for skin. And it can complicate healing if you apply it directly.
CASS: So you're telling me, all my years, I've been wasting good whiskey only making my boo-boos worse?
AGNES: I mean...it's better than nothing in a pinch, but...
CASS: Well, then. Thanks for the lecture, doc. Can you just pass the whiskey anyway? Shoulder still hurts like hell regar—
AGNES hands her the whiskey bottle. She’d already gotten it out.
CASS: —dless. Oh. Thanks.
AGNES unspools a roll of bandages in her hands, then begins wrapping it over CASS’ shoulder and across her chest..
AGNES: So. It's a relatively minor wound, more of a deep graze than a real gunshot.
CASS: You'd know all about real gunshots, huh?
AGNES (unfazed): Uh-huh. I can suture it if necessary, but for now, these bandages will be fine. Just hold still. How do you feel?
CASS: I feel fucking pissed, Agnes!
AGNES recoils, taken aback slightly.
CASS: As I was saying before I got shot in the shoulder—which, however "minor" the wound, is real fucking close to my head, Agnes—this wasn't some random attack. These caravans, my caravan, got hit by the Van Graffs and Crimson Caravan. It ain't just some tragedy anymore. Now I've got names. Places. Faces.
AGNES resumes bandaging CASS.
CASS: I told you—ow! Don't pinch my tit, dammit—
AGNES: I said hold still.
CASS: —I told you, when you told me about this guy who shot you...when I let you drag me out of that fucking outpost...and when we went to Boulder City...that I would do the exact same thing in your shoes. Now, it is the exact same thing. This fucker shoots your eye out, these fuckers ash my caravan...these same fuckers I sold my own goddamn name to on a piece of paper. I mean...what else are we doing out here, Agnes? Getting shot at by Khans and Raiders just for kicks? Are we just fucking around?
AGNES finishes bandaging CASS, then leans back, pensive.
AGNES: No...no, I really guess we’re not.
CASS: That's what I thought. Your friend in Vegas can wait. Help me get mine, and we can get that shitheel together, and that's a prom—
CASS raises her arm  to shake her fist as she speaks, straining her shoulder injury.
CASS: —mmmmmmghhhh. Ooww, oww, oww, oww...
CASS grabs her shoulder in pain while AGNES looks off in the distance and stands up. She looks out towards the horizon—towards VEGAS, and the pre-war casinos and hotels that still gleam and glitter in blinding sunlight.
Her fist clenches. Her brow furrows. Her body tenses, all over, staring at that city, that place.
The caravan wreckage remains alone on the highway, brahmin bones long picked clean by scavengers.
AGNES SANDS IN: IT KEEPS RIGHT ON A HURTIN’
VOLUME 2: MAKE IT BIG IN VEGAS
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Note
could you do one where the reader was natasha and yelena’s “sibling” when they lived in ohio, and reader was taken by the red room with them, and then when reader was a teenager, they managed to escape, leaving natasha and yelena behind, thinking reader was dead. after they take down the red room, they find the reader and have a sibling's reunion? and could you keep it gender-neutral please?
Castle on the Hill
Pairings: Natasha Romanoff/sibling!reader, Yelena Belova/sibling!reader
Description: The reader was Natasha and Yelena's "sibling" when they were undercover in Ohio, and gets taken into the Red Room with them. After escaping as a teenager, the reader stays alone, leaving everyone to believe they are dead until one day, they recieve a call from a familiar voice.
Warning: mentions of the Red Room and the torture they caused, i think that's pretty much it
Word count: 2,002
A/N: i had so much fun writing this omg it seriously made me want to cry! i hope you enjoy it!!
✩❀✩❀✩
“Tasha, stop!” I cried, giggling slightly as my sister and her friend chased me through the fields that were located a few blocks away from home.
The fields were my favorite place to play. My older sister Natasha, who was three years older than me, always liked to come to the fields with her friends. A few months ago, I had turned six and mom told me that I was old enough to go play in the fields with Tasha. My younger sister Yelena was only four, so she was still too young to play with us. But that was okay, I still liked to play with her in our backyard. We even had a playground. Tasha had taught me how to do the monkey bars without getting scared, and I passed the skill on to Lena.
Today, I was playing tag with Tasha and her friend. Of course, with them being nine and me only being six, they were a lot faster than me. Being faster than me meant that no matter how fast I ran, they would always catch up to me. Nat reached her hand out and shoved me lightly in the back. However, I wasn’t expecting it, and it caught me off guard, making me stumble a bit. My foot caught on a rock and I went tumbling forward, rolling down a small hill. The smell of grass overcame me as I continued to fall, hearing a sickening crack followed by a blinding pain in my leg. Finally, I came to a stop as I reached the bottom of the hill. I looked down at my leg. It was bent at a weird angle, and the pain was almost unbearable as I started to wail.
“Y/n!” Tasha screamed as she ran down the hill after me. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I cried, grabbing her and burying my head in her shoulder. “My leg really hurts.”
“Okay, hold on, we’re gonna get you home to mom, okay? She’ll know how to make it better,” Tasha reassured me.
I nodded feebly as she helped me up, sitting me in the basket of her friend’s bike before riding back home to get help.
——
My eyes shot open, tearing me from my dream. It was rare that I dreamt about my childhood. I had very few memories from that time, and the one I had just dreamt about was one of the most vivid. I broke my leg that day, and it took two months to heal. I remember Yelena being upset because it meant I couldn’t play outside with her for a while. As much as I didn’t like to recall that time in my life, I couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
Amongst my other memories from my childhood, there were things like my first crush—a kid in my kindergarten class—when I was five, the friends that I had made and had to leave behind, and family dinners every night. But what I remembered more than anything else were the fields we always used to play in. In the distance of those fields, there was a huge mansion made from stone, and Natasha and I always used to imagine it was a castle. Whenever the sun was setting, the orange sky made it look like there was a dragon in the castle blowing fire into the air.
Suddenly, I was pulled from my memories by the sound of my phone ringing. I looked at it sketchily. I never gave my phone number out to anybody, so the odds of getting an actual phone call were extremely rare. Against my better judgment, I picked up my phone and answered the call.
“Who are you and how did you get this number?” I asked, trying my best to sound intimidating.
“Y/n?” A voice came through from the other end.
The voice almost sounded familiar, like I had heard it before, but I couldn’t place it.
“I’m not going to ask again,” I said, my fist balling up at my side. “I am not the kind of person you want to piss off.”
“Oh my god, Yelena, it’s them,” the voice spoke, but it sounded far off like the speaker had brought the phone away from their mouth.
Did she just say Yelena?
“Tasha?” I questioned, my voice cracking ever so slightly as realization set in.
“Yeah, it’s me,” She whispered reassuringly. “It’s me.”
I fell speechless, the phone almost dropping from my hand as I moved to wipe away the tears that were already beginning to roll down my face.
Natasha, Yelena, and I were all brought into the Red Room at the same time. Natasha was eleven, I was eight, and poor little Yelena was only six. What we went through was something that no child—or grown adult for that matter—should ever have to go through. I was there for ten years. Ten years of being held prisoner, of being tortured, of being forced to kill.
I was sixteen when I graduated the Red Room. I thought it meant things were over, that I could run as far away as I could and never look back, but I was wrong. The Red Room continued to control me for two years after that, until one day I faked my own death and got out. It killed me inside to know that Lena and Tasha thought I was dead, but I knew I had no future if I stayed. My only regret was that I couldn’t save everyone else.
I distanced myself from the world, afraid of what I had become, what I had done, and what I was capable of. I escaped eleven years ago, and I’ve been alone ever since.
“Y/n, are you there?” Natasha’s voice came through the phone again, drawing me back to reality.
“How did you find me? I’m supposed to be dead.”
“I know a guy,” She responded, and I could practically hear her smirking.
Right. She’s friends with the Stark guy who owns practically the best technology on earth.
“Listen, there’s a lot we need to tell you about, and I think a reunion is in order,” Natasha explained. “We have your location and we’ll be there in an hour. Be ready.”
With that, Natasha ended the call, leaving me alone in silence. Half of my brain told me this wasn’t happening. That wasn’t really Natasha on the phone, it was just some cruel way for the Red Room to find me. But the other half of my brain believed that everything that just happened was real. As much as I wanted to err on the side of caution, the thought of seeing my sisters again made me the happiest I’ve felt since I was a child.
I glanced down at my phone to check the time. Ten minutes had passed since the phone call, giving me about fifty minutes to pack up my things and get ready.
Packing wasn’t hard. I lived a very minimalistic lifestyle, mainly due to the fact that I didn’t have a proper job, and I was always ready to run at a moment’s notice if I ever caught wind of the Red Room near me.
I finished packing and proceeded to pace the floor until the hour was up and I heard a knock at my door. Deciding that I could never be too cautious, I grabbed my handgun and checked that it was loaded before pointing it at the ground and approaching the door.
“Who’s there?” I called.
“It’s us. It’s Natasha and Yelena,” A voice with a thick Russian accent called back.
Yelena.
“Prove it,” I said again, still keeping my guard up. “Tell me something that only you two would know.”
There was a moment of silence before someone spoke up. This time, it was Nat.
“When we were little, you would spend almost every summer night catching fireflies because I told you they could grant wishes. When you found out they couldn’t, you were so mad, you didn’t talk to me for a week.”
I smiled slightly at the memory. Turning the gun’s safety on, I tucked it into my waistband and opened the door, staring face-to-face with my sisters for the first time in over two decades. Almost immediately, the two of them embraced me in a tight hug, and I never wanted to let go.
“So, what did you need to tell me?” I asked once we all pulled away from the hug.
“We’ll tell you in the car. We have to get going though, we have a long journey ahead of us,” Nat told me.
“Where are we going?” I questioned.
“Home.”
——
Natasha and Yelena explained everything to me. About how they teamed up, about how they killed Dreykov, and about how the Red Room was finally gone.
“So, the other widows, are they safe?” I questioned, processing everything they had just told me.
“Yes,” Yelena answered from the passenger seat, turning around to face me in the back. “There is no one controlling them anymore, and we are currently working toward undoing all of the mind control the Red Room created.”
“I can’t believe you guys took down the Red Room without me!” I exclaimed, crossing my arms. “I would’ve loved to help.”
“Y/n, we thought you were dead!” Nat tried to reason, but I wouldn’t listen.
I wasn’t seriously angry with her, and she knew that. Teasing each other was something we did all the time as kids.
“You can’t be mad at us,” Yelena raised her hands in mock defense. “We literally just saved so many lives.”
I continued to cross my arms, ignoring them both.
“C’mon, y/n, talk to us,” Nat glanced back at me through her mirror as she drove.
Still, I said nothing. I was extremely stubborn as a child, and I guess somethings never change.
“I’ve got an idea,” Lena whispered to Nat.
“February made me shiver,” Yelena started singing. “With every paper I’d deliver. Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step.”
“I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride,” Nat joined in. “But something touched me deep inside. The day the music died.”
The two of them went quiet and I knew they were expecting me to sing the next part. Yelena looked back at me, and eventually, I caved.
“So bye-bye, Miss American Pie,” I sang slowly, a smile creeping onto my face. “Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry. And them good ol’ boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singin’ ‘this’ll be the day that I die. This’ll be the day that I die…’”
Suddenly, all three of us were singing as loud as we could.
“Did you write the book of love, and do you have faith in god above? If the bible tells you so. Now, do you believe in rock ‘n’ roll? Can music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me how to dance real slow?”
I burst out laughing with glee, causing Yelena and Nat to follow suit. We laughed for what seemed like an eternity, until we were all red in the face and gasping for air.
Trying to catch my breath, I looked out the window just in time to see us speed past a sign that read:
Welcome to Ohio
I continued to stare out the window as I watched the fields fly by. The sun was just beginning to set, and out in the distance, I could see the “castle” that we always used to admire.
Suddenly, I thought back to when we were kids. I was filled with all the memories we made in Ohio, as a family. Even though I knew it was all fake, it was real in my head. Melina and Alexei were my parents, and Tasha and Lena were my sisters. Ohio was my home, and nothing anyone said or did could take that away from me.
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writinghood · 3 years
Text
Heartbreaker
Hey! I borrowed a prompt from @sleepyprompts​​​ and decided to write this terrible fic.
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Mulaney x Reader 
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Genre: Fluff AF
Summary: You’ve been friends since college, always afraid to own up to the feelings you’ve had for him. After spending two years with who you thought was the man of your dreams, a bad break up leads you to a private vacation with your supportive best friend. 
Rating: totally safe for work and shit
    I’m done, you’ve convinced yourself. I can’t do this anymore. 
    A broken heart really is the absolute worst thing. Having both legs severed? No big deal. Cancer? Common. A hang nail? Okay, that’s pretty annoying. But your fiance leaving you after you tried so fucking hard to please him, that’s bottom of the barrel shit.
    “You’ll never find anyone else like me,” was his last goodbye. “Good luck, darling.”
     And you were manipulated just enough to believe him. John saw the signs of abuse. Wise enough to recognize a red flag, yet disconnected enough not to call it to your attention, he believes, honestly has thoughts that you would never be interested in a guy like him.
     “I have an idea,” he says with a playful smirk. “Let’s go to the Poconos this weekend. It’ll give you time to get your thoughts together and I’ll have time to focus on not being a complete idiot.” That last audition was murder. He’s still half dead inside and seeking validation from anyone willing to give it. “We can go skiing, or attempt something less life threatening.”
    Your mind drifts back to your college days when he was someone else; someone slightly dangerous and undesirable. John was always cute, tall and lanky with a sweet smile, yet obviously troubled. 
    “Why not?” you muse, a shoulder slightly rising. It isn’t as if you don’t believe your life is over. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to crash into sumac and die right away. “You’ll drive?”
    He looks at you like you’ve grown a second head. He’s a nightmare of a driver, but if you have confidence in him, he can manage that much...hopefully.
    “Of course, I will.” The bridge of his nose curls, eyes focused on yours. “Pack your bags and I’ll rent a car.” 
     Suddenly, you wonder what in the hell is happening. Good thing you’re delusional enough to buy what John is selling. He vanishes beyond the door to your bedroom and you’re picking which outfits would best suit the late eighties film this shit storm is turning out to be. 
    Heartbroken but comforted by spending time with your old friend, reliable John, you relax next to him in the shitty honda rental. Mind filled with all the reasons you weren’t good enough for the perfect fiance, the Boys II Men song on channel 101.5 isn’t boosting your confidence. He can tell, glancing in your direction once or twice while navigating.
     “Almost there,” he begins, voice soft. “We’re going to have a good time.” 
     You flash a half smile, knowing he’s probably right.
     “You look beautiful by the way.” The tips of his fingers punch the radio dial, bringing forward a song much, much worse until he settles on a Latino station, which is neither depressing nor uplifting. “Te ves hermosa,” he adds, looking extremely awkward. Both hands, all fingers tightening on the wheel, he drives on.
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      The first thing you notice about the cabin is that it’s fucking freezing. Palms gliding up and down your arms, Mulaney reassures you. “We have plenty of firewood. I ordered ahead of time.” He waves an arm toward the corner where a pile of five hundred year old bark rests. Did a caveman own this bitch? you wonder. Is there a saber toothed tiger under those logs?
    Resting before the fireplace, your eyes fix on the flames, a tear or two welling in the corners. You’re thinking about him, the ex, when you are certain that you shouldn’t be.
     “Hey,” that familiar voice pipes up.
    Glancing in his direction, you manage to work up a pleasant smile.
    “He was just another guy,” John says softly. “We’ve been through this before.”
    Your eyes narrow. We? As if he’s had to endure some sort of pain due to your past choices. “What do you mean?” you ask, concerned with his tone.
    “Oh, come on.” Tone playful, he lays a hand on your shoulder, shifting closer. “Ever since freshman year, you’ve been dating these kinds of guys.” Oh god. Is he playing the nice guy card? “Guys who treat you like less than you are.” His expression turns serious. “When you know you’re better than that.”. 
     Watching his face spin from concern to shame, you see he realizes he may be offending you. Turning away, hands falling into his lap, John stares into the flames. Mouth tight, jaw twitching, he asks, “Are you hungry?” He brought a tightly wrapped tuna fish sandwich if you are. “It’s in the mini-fridge.” It’s too much.
    Standing, he looks down at you. Head tilting, your eyes connect with his, heart hammering the way it shouldn’t be. Impulsively, you grab his trembling hand, eyes rounding. 
     “I didn’t mean...” Swallowing roughly, you stand, gaze staying firm. “...to make you feel judged, John.” You realize there may be a thousand different ways you’d like to phrase this. Settling on the truth, your shoulders relax. “Oh god, John, I’ve been in love with you ever since I was nineteen years old.” He tries to read your terrified expression as you confess. “But I know you’d never...” Want me, remains in your thoughts. And in his eyes, you suddenly know he feels the same.
     There you both are. This is real. This is happening. His long fingers locking with yours, reliable John’s mouth is slowly moving toward yours until the connection forces your eyes shut. Loose grasp tightening, palms coming flat together, you’ve found heaven in one innocent kiss. 
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blazedbakugou · 3 years
Text
selfish
In which Bakugou finally gives in to his heart’s desires despite his brain’s protests and allows himself to be selfish just this once.
a/n: this is the part two of my Bakugou fic I posted a while back. Though reading the first one will provide more context, this fic can also be read alone.
read part one here!
read part three here!
genre: angst with a fluffy ending
warnings: angst but there’s a happy ending, aged up characters
word count: 2.4k
pairing(s): katsuki bakugou x gn!reader (romantic)
selfish - PnB Rock
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Bakugou looked out the car window as he watched trees, buildings, and streetlights disappear from view. The car ride back home from Kirishima’s was a quiet one, perfect for contemplation and revelations. He was so deep in thought that he had failed to notice that this wasn’t the route to his apartment but instead it was on the way to yours.
“Oi, Shitty Hair, where are you taking me? My place is that way,” he pointed his thumb in the opposite direction.
Kirishima glanced over at him before focusing on the road ahead, “well, I just thought that you two needed to sort things out… so I’m taking you to their place.”
“Yeah? Well, what makes you think I wanna talk to that dumbass?” Bakugou grunted.
Except, that wasn’t what he was worried about. He knew that he’d royally fucked up at the party from the week before, and the guilt had been eating away at him since. Bakugou was aware that you had every right to be upset with him and he wouldn’t be too surprised if you didn’t want to speak to him after your fallout. He just hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
“Don’t gotta lie to me, Bakubro. That wouldn’t be very manly of you, besides I’m tired of seeing you look so miserable.”
Your apartment complex came into view as Kirishima turned a corner, entering the parking lot.
“Tch, if this goes wrong then I just want you to remember that it was your idea to take me here.” The blonde scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
- - -
Bakugou wiped his hands against the material of his pants, drying off the sweat that had collected on his walk to your front door. He went over everything he wanted to say in his head before taking a deep breath and knocking on the wooden door. The voice in his head nagged at him louder than ever to turn around and never look back, he could get away in time if he ran, he thought. With each passing second, the voice grew louder and louder until the idea sounded nearly too tempting to pass up. Of course, before he could walk away and flee the scene, you answered the door.
“What do you want, Bakugou?”
He glanced up to look at you, grimacing at the coldness in your voice and how could he ignore the way you’d called him by his last name? Though his mind was soon filled with other concerns, like how exhausted you looked and sounded.
“Just wanted to talk…” his voice came out uncharacteristically timid as if he was afraid you’d slam the door in his face any second now.
You scoffed bitterly, “oh really? Now you want to talk? Thought you were too busy?”
“Look, I know I fucked up. Trust me, I know. So can we just go inside so we can talk?” Bakugou awkwardly shifted back and forth on his feet, hands shoved into his pockets while his gaze remained on you.
A brief silence filled the air between you two as he waited for your response, nervously chewing on his bottom lip in the meantime. You sighed before silently pushing the door open and stepping aside, warily letting him in once again. Shutting the door behind him, you motioned for him to head towards the couch.
“Just… wait here,” you said before disappearing into your room.
The blonde felt out of place as he stood in your living room, decorated with picture frames on the walls. He hadn’t been in your apartment in a long time, probably not since your housewarming party that you threw shortly after graduating from UA. The place didn’t look that much different from what he remembered, you still had the same rug, though it had a few stains now and the scent of the caramel apple scented candles you loved still lingered in the air.
After a few moments of standing in place awkwardly, he hesitantly walked towards the chimney to further inspect a picture that had caught his attention. It was a photo of you and him back when you still attended UA, the very same photo he’d kept in his wallet all these years. Hesitantly picking up the picture frame, he felt himself relax a bit as he reminisced all the good memories he shared with you.
“Miss those days?”
Your voice spooked him enough to clumsily place the picture frame back to where it belonged. Unsure what to say, Bakugou remained silent though his eyes spoke for him. God, he missed those times dearly.
“Yeah,” you sighed before walking into the living room, “I do too. Everything was a lot less confusing back then.”
Still, at a loss for words, Bakugou followed you like a lost puppy to the couch before tentatively sitting down. He felt like an idiot for not being able to use his words and get this over with, but it was your presence that turned him into a speechless fool.
“Are you going to keep staring at me? Or are you going to finally tell me what the fuck is going on?” You rolled your eyes at him from the opposite end of the sofa.
“Uh, yeah I just- I don’t know what to say.” He admitted bashfully.
“You’re joking, right? You don’t know what to say? Why are you even here?”
“No- that’s not what I meant. Obviously, I came here to get some things off my chest. I’m just not very good at this sort of thing and...” his voice trailed off into nothing but silence.
“Spit it out already, for fucks sake. I’m tired of waiting, Bakugou.” Your harshness stung but he knew he deserved it.
“Listen, I came to say that… I’m sorry. Okay? I know that I’ve been an asshole and probably caused you a few headaches,” he noticed your scoff before continuing, “I was dealing with some personal issues and took it out on you and I’m sorry.”
“What personal issues were you dealing with that could’ve warranted you treating me like shit? What could’ve been so bad that you shoved aside all our years of friendship and pretended like I didn’t even fucking exist, huh?”
Up until this point, you’d done a decent job at keeping your feelings bottled up. Years of doubt, pain, and confusion were all kept under wraps until now.
“Do you have any idea how much sleep I’ve lost staying up wondering what I did wrong and why you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore? Do you have any clue how much it hurt when I realized that my supposed best friend didn’t want to talk to me anymore?”
There was a certain rawness behind your words, a glimpse at your emotions that showed how hurt you truly were. Bakugou could tell that you were upset, and rightfully so. He knew he needed to hurry up and get his point across before it was too late, and yet he remained frozen in place. Mind racing at a million miles per hour, heart seemingly beating accordingly. At one point, your words had stopped registering in his head, all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat.
“Oh, my god! Are you even listening?” You exclaimed exasperatedly.
Bakugou blinked a few times before replying, “yes! I’m listening, I just- there’s a lot on my mind and it’s- it’s a lot.”
You stared at him expectantly, waiting for a response to the rant you’d just dumped on him. It was hard to look at him for longer than a few seconds, and if you looked for a moment longer, you feared that you’d give in and forgive him. But you needed to stay strong and stand your ground, you couldn’t keep putting up with his shit forever and pretend like it was okay. You deserved better.
“I never meant to hurt you,” he sighed.
“Well, you did.”
His eyes flashed a look of guilt before he averted his gaze to his lap, “I know I did, and I’m sorry. Didn’t mean for things to get this bad, it wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
“Okay… but I still want an explanation as to why you suddenly decided to change your attitude towards me.”
“I know! I’m getting there, damn it. This isn’t easy for me, you know. I’m trying my best so just… be patient with me.” He frowned.
“Can I… can I try something? Do you trust me?” Your expression softened, body turning towards him.
“Tch. I guess so.” Bakugou grumbled.
“Then I want you to come here and rest your head on my lap, like the old days. Remember?” You offered him a slight smile as you patted your thighs.
A confused expression fell upon Bakugou’s face as he stared back at you. It took him a moment before he slowly let his guard down just enough to do as you said, hesitantly resting his head on your lap. You smiled down at him before gently rubbing circles on his temples, something you did back in UA whenever he strained himself too much during training. A noticeable silence filled the room as he felt himself melting into your embrace, something he had missed dearly.
“Now, go ahead and talk to me. I’m listening.”
Bakugou nodded before taking a deep breath, “you’re too kind for your own good, you know. I don’t deserve this, and I sure as hell don’t deserve you, not after everything I’ve done.”
“Ssh, just keep talking.”
“But it’s the truth…” he sighed, “you want to know why I’ve been so distant?”
You hummed.
The blonde shut his eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts, “it’s ‘cause I was doing you a favor— or at least I thought I was. I thought that by leaving you in the past, with my memories of UA, that I’d be able to make things easier on the both of us. Apparently, that wasn’t the case because here we are, three years later back to square one.”
“Why would you think that would be such a good idea?”
“Because… all my life I’ve been this selfish bastard who destroyed everything in his path to get to the top. I’ve done fucked up shit that caused so much pain, so much destruction and if I could take it all back then trust me, I would. Eventually, I got tired of being the bad guy, so I decided that it would be best if I just left you alone.”
Your hands ceased momentarily, “So let me get this straight. You thought that you’d be doing me a favor by ghosting me with no warning? Didn’t you ever stop to consider just how hard it would be for me to lose my best friend?”
“You think it’s been any easier on me?” He scoffed.
“I feel like there’s still more you’re not telling me.”
“Yeah… I guess there’s no more avoiding it now, is there?”
“Nope.”
A sigh slipped past the blonde’s lips, “Figured. Listen here dumbass ‘cause I’m only saying this once. I didn’t exactly plan on falling for my best friend, but I did. It scared the hell out of me at first, just ask Shitty Hair. It still scares me if I’m completely honest.”
“How long? Since you realized that you had feelings for me?” You questioned.
“Far too long.”
Truthfully, Bakugou couldn’t have given you an accurate response even if he wanted to. He had no idea when these feelings had started to develop, all he knew was that one day you smiled at him and he felt his heart race like never before.
“Why did you wait so long to tell me?”
“Be happy that I even told you because I was already set on taking these feelings with me to the grave.”
“Is it really so bad that you like me?” You frowned.
Part of you knew that Bakugou was never the best at putting things nicely and usually it didn’t bother you. Not after years of growing accustomed to his blunt honesty. But that didn’t mean that his words didn’t sting just a tiny bit. Sure, you were happy that you’d gotten your answer but perhaps you’d be happier if he didn’t seem so bothered by the fact that he had feelings for you.
“You need to stop doing that. Stop talking about yourself like you’re just another damn extra. All my life, I’ve looked down on others. Never thought anyone would ever be as great as me. Yet, here you are and now I realize that I’m the one who isn’t good enough for you.”
Bakugou let out a frustrated sigh before sitting up and distancing himself from you, “So maybe it is bad that I like you as much as I do. ‘Cause, you deserve to be with someone perfect for you and I am far from that… Except, I don’t want to let you go. I’m fuckin’ selfish and I want to keep you all to myself. It’s fucked up, I know, but it’s the truth.”
You didn’t say anything for a moment, too busy processing all the information that had been dumped on you. It was a lot, but not necessarily in a bad way. There’d always been a glimmer of hope in the back of your mind that he felt the same way but you never expected him to ever admit it. Now that everything was out in the open, you couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with joy. Katsuki Bakugou, your best friend whom you’d been secretly harboring feelings for had finally admitted that those feelings were mutual.
“I’m the idiot that fell in love with their best friend...” the blonde mumbled, low enough that you’d nearly missed it.
If he had said anything else before that sentence then you hadn’t heard it, you found it hard to focus on his words when all you could think about was kissing him. Ignoring the nerves racing through your body, you took a leap of faith and gently shoved him down onto the sofa, leaning in for a kiss. Bakugou’s face heated up almost instantly with the blush spread across his face as evidence, his hand instinctively cradling the back of your head.
You smiled against his lips, “Well, then I guess that makes two of us.”
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knickynoo · 3 years
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Gonna regret asking this as soon as you answer, but what do you think Marty would’ve done had doc actually died in the parking lot? Like immediately and beyond? And just to spread the pain around, what would doc have done had Marty died by buford’s hand?
This is another one of those asks that got backlogged. Sorry, anon. I've given some thought to these scenarios, though, and, well...I'm sorry. This is gonna be dark.
Had Doc not heeded Marty's warning and actually died (& assuming Marty re-loading the time machine with plutonium and trying to fix things isn't possible for some reason):
Marty would've continued to sit on the cold ground, sobbing for a long while. Einstein would join him, torn between trying to comfort his young friend and whimpering by Doc, trying to get the man to wake up.
Once the initial flood of tears eases, I could see Marty getting angry. Like, the angriest he's ever been. Screaming at Doc, at himself, and maybe finding things in Doc's truck to throw around and destroy. Then another wave of sadness would hit and he'd break down again.
Eventually, Marty would realize he needed to get moving. Someone was bound to see the fire caused by the Libyans' van and also the truck, DeLorean on the street in town, and the man lying dead in the mall parking lot. He'd know that the police would soon be called and that there would be a lot of questions that he'd rather not have to answer, but Marty would be very hesitant to go. He wouldn't want to leave his best friend. How could he? It would be a betrayal. He'd be a coward to run. Doc wouldn't leave him if the roles were reversed. So he'd stay, shivering in the cold night air, trying to figure out what he'll say. What they'll ask him.
After, he'd find a payphone and call the police himself. Upon their arrival, though, he'd lean into his own hysteria and act like he had no clue what happened. Maybe explain he was Doc's assistant and that he'd been asked to come to the mall but he'd shown up late and found the scene as it was already. When it came down to it, Marty would really be too much of a mess to talk to anyone, and the authorities on the scene would just see a distraught kid who needed to get home.
(There's a lot that could probably be said about how things would unfold once Marty got home, but in the interest of wanting to skip ahead, I'll just say that George and Lorraine would be horrified. Scared out of their minds and confused at what had happened. They'd likely do everything in their power to shield Marty from questions and prying eyes in the weeks that would follow)
Oh, right...on top of Doc being dead and Marty having witnessed it (twice!), he'd also have to deal with the whiplash at his suddenly new family. Which would really not be a good situation.
Things would rapidly fall apart for Marty once the dust settled and the reality of things set in. He'd be dealing with a family who all felt like strangers. He'd have no memories of ever having lived with those people. He wouldn't even be able to talk to Jennifer about anything for fear of sounding crazy and scaring her away. His best friend in the world, the only person who Marty felt truly understood him, was gone.
I think some pretty significant PTSD would be likely. Marty would have constant nightmares of Doc getting killed. Of trying and failing over and over to save him. And even with his loving, supportive parents doing all they can, it wouldn't be enough. Marty wouldn't feel a real connection to them or want their help. He wouldn't want Jennifer's help. He'd just want Doc back. He'd torture himself with thoughts of what he could have done differently that night he left 1955 or upon his arrival back to '85. He'd blame himself entirely for not trying hard enough. Not being smart enough or brave enough to have done something to save Doc.
Things would only be made worse as rumors swirled around town. Doc would be solidified as a villain in Hill Valley. A crazy, dangerous man who drew terrorists to their quiet little town and almost got a teenager killed. Marty would have to listen to whispers of people's theories as to what happened that night and hear them express their relief that Doc was no longer around to cause them any trouble. People would shoot Marty sideways glances, either looking down on him for having been acquainted with the deranged scientist or holding pity for him. Classmates would harass and taunt him, wanting to know what happened. Wanting to hear the "real story".
All the while, Marty is consumed by a grief he's unable to escape. He'd probably go one of two ways. Too depressed to function, he'd sort of withdraw entirely from life. Break up with Jennifer, shut his family out, abandon his music, etc. He'd see no real point in trying to make a good life for himself and be too anxious to ever move out of his comfort zone. On the other hand, he could give in to his anger and swing the other way, becoming self-destructive and sabotaging his future--drinking, dropping out of school, and using his fists to deal with any peers who dare to say a bad word about Doc. Either way, he'd be upset at himself because he'd know Doc would want better for him. Expect better of him. But he wouldn't be able to pull himself together because he'd be so stuck having convinced himself Doc's death was his fault.
Where would all of this leave our dear Marty as the years pass? I'm not sure. He'd either spiral totally beyond reach or eventually hit rock bottom and realize that he had to let go of all the sadness and anger and live up to all the potential Doc was always saying he had. At that point, though, he would have lost years to his grief, so getting his life together would be difficult. And...yeah.
That was lovely, wasn't it? Doc's turn!
Had Marty actually been killed by Buford (again assuming using time travel to fix things isn't an eventual option):
I feel like, initially, Doc would skip right past the devastated/crying phase and go immediately to a level of anger he'd never felt before. Do you remember how he acted when Buford was harassing Clara at the dance, especially when she was pushed down? Remember how it took 3 of Buford's guys to hold Doc back?? Yeah, well, take that and multiply it a couple of times.
I think it's quite possible that Doc would attempt to take Buford down right there, which likely wouldn't end well for him. But he wouldn't even care. He was heartbroken already over Clara and then his best friend in the world is killed in front of him. All rational parts of Doc would be gone. And seeing as Buford is, you know, dangerously unhinged and has his little posse with him, Doc might end up getting himself killed a minute or two later as well. In which case...well, that would be the end of this scenario. He and Marty would end up buried next to each other in the Old West.
If Doc somehow managed to survive an encounter with Buford, or if he didn't confront him at all because he was in such a state of shock, I think he'd resign himself to a quiet, lonely life in the 1880s. I'm not sure if he'd stay in town and work as a blacksmith. Maybe? If he wanted the distraction? But he also might move away to a little house and just live off the land.
Not sure how Clara would factor in, assuming she'd return to town to find Doc after getting off her train. I don't know if Doc would push her away, wanting to be totally alone in his misery or if he would cling to her.
Doc would be dealing with a lot of guilt. He'd decide that he was responsible for Marty's death. After all, he'd made the decision to stay in the saloon all night, and Marty had to then track him down. Then he'd taken that shot and passed out, costing them valuable time they could have otherwise used to be well on their way to the train. They could have avoided Buford altogether if it weren't for him, Doc would conclude, and in his mind, he'd essentially forced Marty to have to face the man.
Doc might eventually settle into a routine and go about living his life, but I don't know that he'd ever recover from the crushing guilt he'd feel. Losing Marty would shatter him. Marty was the first person to reach out to him, even with all the rumors and disdain other residents of the town threw his way. Marty liked and accepted him for who he was, something no one else had ever truly done. Marty brought so much good into his life, and in exchange, Doc had done all he could to be there for and protect his young friend--to help him see his own potential. But he couldn't protect Marty, and that failure would hurt more deeply than every other one combined.
Basically, I think that Doc would just lose part of himself after losing Marty. Even if he married Clara and had Jules and Verne and ended up with a nice life, he'd always feel the absence of his friend. He wouldn't ever fully be "Doc" again--more of a subdued, more serious version of himself.
I could see him holding it together for the most part, being a family man, all that stuff. But then he'd have moments where he'd find himself alone and just fall apart. And just to make things extra sad for anyone who's read this far, I imagine Doc taking very frequent trips to wherever Marty is buried, laying a few flowers down, and staying there for hours, crying, praying, talking to himself, or just sitting in silence.
Well. Anyway.
Thanks for the ask?
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serendipityjxmn · 3 years
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Mr. President
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Chapter 19
TW: Violence, strong language, cursing
Words Count: 2.3k
Link to Masterlist
Link to Chapter 20
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After your heated argument with Jimin, you find yourself in the small library room, the room that you often find solace in. You sit on the couch, hugging your legs tight before letting the sobs take over.
You set yourself into this. You fall for him even when you know it’s going to cause you pain.
For a long hour, you just cry yourself out until your body is exhausted and you just stare numbly ahead.
And that’s when you decided you’re going to leave.
You force yourself to sleep then because you know your body needs rest. But half an hour later you find yourself constantly twisting your body, unable to sleep as you wait for tomorrow’s morning to come with pounding heart.
When the morning finally comes, you pace back and forth in your room. You couldn’t sleep a wink last night. You lean against the door, listening intently.
Once you figured that it’s safe, you duck out silently and heads upstairs into the bedroom. You don’t see your husband anywhere so it’s a safe bet that he’s already out to work.
Wasting no time, you take out a medium size duffel bag and stuff several pairs of shirts and pants. You dig in the small drawer and takes out some cash that you had kept. For a moment, you contemplate whether you should bring your phone with you but then decide against it because you don’t want to risk being tracked by your husband.
You head downstairs and exit the house silently and from then on, it is fairly easy to escape. Your own bodyguard, Taeseok is nowhere to be seen and thus makes it easier for you to slip through the security as they probably wouldn’t think that you’re escaping.
You weren’t stopped until the front guards and you quickly lie about going to the gym with a friend and he doesn’t seem to be suspicious at all.
For a long time, you just walk and walk and just take random buses and sit on a bench at random parks, just watching people passing by, watching people who doesn’t seem to have any worry in their life although you know everyone is far from having zero complications in their life.
Everyone is working hard.
Everyone is working hard living their life.
And there’s you. A foolish twenty three year old girl, who’d married the leader of a dangerous mafia gang and ended up falling in love with him.
You find tears slipping from your eyes.
Jimin..
You wonder if your husband’s looking for you.
Or perhaps he’s decided to let go whatever it is between the two of you.
Had you just imagine it? Every little act that he does?
Perhaps you should’ve just said yes to your husband’s new proposal. Maybe that could’ve made things easier and you don’t have to deal with immense pain like this from heartache.
But you know that you couldn’t share him. You don’t want to share him with another woman.
You let out a long sigh. This wallowing-in-sadness is really getting nowhere.
You get up then and sees that it’s almost dark, dusk almost setting in with the yellow and orange sky. Somehow, you find yourself on the outskirt of Seoul after all those random routes you’ve taken. You checked into a small budget hotel after searching around the neighbourhood. You plop yourself on the bed once you’ve settled into the small bedroom, briefly wondering what you’re gonna do after this.
You don’t have any plan.
Let alone a huge sum of money.
You close your eyes for few seconds.
Nevermind all that. It’s okay. You’re okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.
You can start slow from the bottom. Find some low paying job and make your way from there. You resolve to go for a job hunt first thing tomorrow morning.
After you finish a long shower that night, you curl yourself on the bed. The mattress is rough, not at all soft and comfy like the one you’re used to sharing with Jimin but it’s okay, you don’t mind it one bit since you’re used to hardship before you even met him.
You marvel at the fact that you’re once again out in streets. Not far from before you met Jimin, really.
And your husband..
You feel a laughter of disbelief bubbles up inside you.
You left your husband. You made the decision to leave him when he couldn’t reciprocate the feelings he’d never promised in the first place so it’s a bit ridiculous that you’re missing him now right?
Unknowingly, your fingers trace your lips. It seems so vivid how your husband had kissed you last night. You’ve never been kissed that way before but then again, you’ve never been kissed by anyone.
You want to blame your husband for putting you through such pain but you know it’s not his fault. The marriage and the relationship you have with him is only temporary so he doesn’t do stupid things like falling in love or become emotionally invested because that would be a waste of his time.
He’d given you the choice yet you’re the one who chooses the wrong way and walks away from the opportunity he’s given.
But is it though? Are you making a mistake right now?
If you had just say yes, you could have everything you want.
Except his heart, of course.
Which is ironically the only thing that you want.
But you know deep down you don’t want to lie to yourself and to him.
It proves easier than said to find work in this small neighbourhood. It’s been four days and you still hadn’t find a job and you’re getting more anxious.
But no matter what, you still have to eat. You’ve survived not eating for days before and you can survive on minimal food consumption so this is definitely not a new feeling. Pursing your lips, you make your way to the grocery store and begins stocking up on several ingredients and paid for it.
You head back out, holding a bag full of groceries. After a few minutes of walking, you suddenly had that eerie feeling of being watched, a feeling that felt so similar to the one that you’ve experienced while at the charity function at Jaehyun’s house a week ago.
Shiver runs down through your body and you’re not sure if it is caused by the cold wind at night which is suddenly stronger or your growing paranoia.
Pulling your jacket tighter, you start to walk faster. It’s daytime, though bleak clouds are looming over you but it’s still bright. Nothing would probably happen in this broad daylight right?
You wish you were right.
Something happens really quickly just then. One moment you’re just turning the corner towards your block and the next moment, you see someone jumps out of a van and clasps your mouth and nose with cloth tightly.
And everything becomes black after that.
You didn’t faint, you think once your brain starts functioning. Perhaps only for a fleeting moment, you think. You blink several times but your vision is still blinded and realize your face is covered with a mask. The hum of the car’s engine and the slight shake of your body tells you you’re in the van you saw and you’re being transported somewhere. It’s quite a long distance and you try to think of possible places from the routes they’re taking but to no avail. You haven’t lived in the neighbourhood for long, it’s impossible to know where they’re bringing you.
The van eventually comes to a halt and suddenly you feel your body being dragged out. Your feet struggles to catch up as the person drags you over the rough gravel of the pavement, the cold wind making you shudder immediately.
“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” You ask and it’s obviously a mistake as a harsh slap lands on your cheek instantly. You wince, feeling blood forming on your lips.
“Shut up, bitch.” The rough voice says.
They make you sit on a chair, your hands tied behind your back. Your throat is very dry and you’ve no idea how long they’ve kept you there. You can’t see anything as your face remains covered.
At some point, you doze off and only wake when someone hit your cheeks, not too rough but still leaves a stinging pain. They uncover your face enough to give you some water and that’s it. You’re left alone again.
You’re not entirely sure if you’ve been hit again because the stinging pain on your lips and cheeks are now numb, you can barely feel them. You’re not sure if you fainted at some point either.
You hear some voices then. And despite the mask you’re wearing, you open your eyes to the darkness.
“Well, well, well.” A familiar voice. Too familiar.
And that’s when the mask covering your face is yanked away and your eyes struggle to adjust to the light.
“Hello little sister.”
Jay.
Your own brother.
Your eyes stare fixedly at him as he smirks at you. He looks pretty decent, his cheeks doesn’t sunk so much, his face cleaner and he dresses normally.
“J-Jay-“ you struggle to say, your throats is still very dry. You swallow several times and try to gather your voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Aww little sis, don’t take that tone with me. Don’t you miss me?” He leans forward and cups both your cheeks forcefully making you whimper in pain. “I’ve missed you a lot.”
You spit on him, forcing him to release you and with a look of rage, he slaps you hard on your right cheek. Your eyes widen when you see few drops of blood splatter on the floor. You think your lips had split in a dozen different parts.
Jay spits and then wipes his face clear. You look around and realize you’re in some abandoned warehouse and there are several other guys looking at the both of you with interest.
Perhaps they’ve never seen a brother so willingly hit his own sister.
“Why are you doing this?”
Jay tongues his cheek before smirking. “I know you’re living with Park Jimin now. You think you’re safe now that you’re living with him? Do you even know what kind of guy he is?”
“He’s my husband.” You answer firmly.
He laughs at that. “Husband? Funny how he can let his wife be kidnapped, huh? But that doesn’t matter. I need your beloved husband here.”
You grit your teeth. “Why?”
“You’re asking why? What- you think he can simply takes you as he wish? He needs to pay me before taking you. And if he doesn’t, I will sell you off anywhere. Anywhere that gives me the most money.”
You scoff. “That’s all you always think about. Money, money and money.”
“Don’t we all? You have all his money yet you won’t even share some for me? Some ungrateful bitch.” He spats.
He then lunges forward and nothing prepares you for another stinging pain as he hit you right on the cheek. “This is for leaving me bitch.” And then another. “And this is for being such a slut.”
You feel your vision momentarily blinds as your eyes roll out and you struggle to remain conscious. “Just kill me.” You croak.
“Kill? No no that’d be too easy little sister.. I want you to suffer what I suffered.. you’re gonna die.. eventually- oh you will. But being the good little sister that you are.. you’re gonna let me have my fun first, gonna cut your pretty little face first and then maybe your fingers.. and your cunt.. did you have sex with him already? Of course you did like the slut you are.. and then I’m gonna let all these men here fuck you and if you’re still alive by then.. we’ll see..”
“You’re psycho.”
“Psycho?” He laughs. “Maybe I am. Maybe after all is done, I’ll give you back to your precious husband and see if he’ll take you back..”
“No..” you say slowly. “He’s gonna come and he’ll tear your limbs before you could say my name.”
“Shut up bitch,” is the last thing he says before he knocks you out again.
The next time you wake, you hear a female voice in between male voices.
“Don’t you think you had too much fun with her? What if she’s dead already? Damn it, missed my chance to have fun..” the female says, her voice also strangely familiar.
The other guy you realise is you brother laughs. “No.. don’t worry.. this bitch is tougher than you think.. how do you think she’s survived years of my beating and still breathing?”
“Maybe you hit like a pussy.”
“God damn it, I wanna stick my cock into your mouth so you’d shut up bitch.”
You hear her laughter.
Your stomach churns and you have this sudden whooping feeling as your eyes finally refocus and widens in recognition of the said female.
Clara Kim.
There’s no mistaking her tall and slender figure, although her hair is now changed to blue color.
How is she related to your brother?
“Someone’s awake.” Clara says as her eyes meet yours. She takes several steps forward and leans down to stare at you from top to bottom. “So this is Jimin’s wife huh... no wonder he’s changed.” She says when she straightens again.
“Not gonna lie.. I like Jimin and so does a thousand other girls out there but I don’t demand his heart. I don’t do shits like relationship and so does Jimin but you- you little witch-“ she pauses then leans forward again, her slender fingers clasps your cheeks, turning it left and right, “Not so pretty now with all these blood and bruises huh?”
You stare at her in disdain. “He’s not gonna come. He doesn’t love me.”
“We’ll see about that.” She smirks.
He’s not gonna come, briefly you think.
“Just kill me, kill me!” You yell and someone knocks you out again.
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Link to Chapter 20
Posted on 210514 9:00PM
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Text
Here to Misbehave (Pt. 18 | S.R.)
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Series Masterlist | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Finale |
Summary: Reader finds more productive ways to spend her time, including babysitting Henry and volunteering at the local inpatient hospitals.
A/N: That’s my gif so please give credit if you use it 🤗 Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader 
 Category: Smut (NSFW, 18+) Content Warning: Oral (female receiving), addiction, relapse, discussions of death/murder, unsub talk, hospitals, inpatient ward Word Count: 13K
MASTERLIST
—————————————————
The next morning felt strangely similar to the morning of the day we’d gone to the bank. . Waking up in Spencer’s bed and smelling the unmistakable, comforting scent of old book pages and stale coffee. I’d told him when I first came to his place that it reminded me of a library, but it was more like that quiet local hole-in-the-wall bookshop.
It almost felt like that morning, but there was one glaring difference: Spencer wasn’t in the bed.
When I sat up to try and locate him, I was reminded that there are consequences to my actions. My stomach hurt like shit, and I swore I blacked out for a second from the pain. It would pass, though. Considering I had gotten through the night without waking, it clearly wasn’t that bad.
I thankfully managed to get out of bed myself and take the pain medication I kept in my purse. And armed with the knowledge that the pain would subside within the next half hour, I hobbled toward the distant sounds of… vomiting.
Not even bothering to stop yet, I made my way to the kitchen to grab the poor guy a glass of water. It was the least I could do for his comfort considering that I was about to make his headache much, much worse.
Peeking my head through the open door, I frowned at the sight of my boyfriend half asleep on the toilet.
“Hey old man. I brought you some water.”  
Finally looking up, not having noticed me until I spoke, Spencer groaned as he backed up to lean against the wall instead of the dirty porcelain. “God, when did I get this old?”
“Hmm. I’m guessing sometime in the past 30 years.” I hummed, joining him on the cold tile floor. The two of us just rested there, his hand reaching out to take mine with a solemn smile.
“You’re cute.” He mumbled.
“I know, thanks.” I joked back, knowing that I really looked like a whole mess, with my hair desperately needing to be brushed. He never seemed to mind, though. I was glad for the lighthearted domesticity of the moment, because I knew I was about to shatter it like a brick through glass.
Softening my features as much as possible with the anxiety coursing through my veins, I squeezed his hand before finally whispering, “You know your age isn’t the only reason you’re sick though, right?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He snapped back with about as much hostility as I was expecting. He ran a frustrated hand over his face, his breathing picking up almost immediately as he tried to calm himself down.
“I know you’re just trying to do what you’re supposed to, but please…” The waver in his voice broke my heart and turned my stomach to knots. With more force, he held his hand in the air and continued to stare straight ahead. “Just... don’t. I’ll call my sponsor.”
I tried to keep my voice quiet and nonthreatening as I pushed, but I knew that it wasn’t going to make much of a difference either way.
“We have to talk about it, too, Spencer.”
“No, we really don’t.”
“You’re going to get your chip taken away,” my voice broke in half as the word fell from my mouth, “I know that that’s important to you. We can’t ignore it.”
Speaking faster, our urgent pleas overlapped to create a small cacophony booming through the acoustics of the bathroom. “(Y/n), seriously, stop. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A silence fell between us, and I let it sit there for a minute. I wouldn’t get anywhere with him if he was defensive, and that’s exactly what he was at the moment. But I wasn’t trying to chastise him; I’m not his mother, I’m just his worried girlfriend. I loved him and I knew something was wrong, and I just wanted to help.
I didn’t know how. The men I loved never made it far enough for me to be able to help.
“You didn’t even tell me you were coming home. We need to talk about that, at least.” I offered the narrowed scope, hoping that he would take it without any more of a fight.
He didn’t. Instead, he took back his hand and turned it to a fist in his lap. That time it was my breathing that became unsteady, and I tried to touch him, but he recoiled when I came too close.
“You didn’t seem to mind me being drunk last night.”
Although I knew it was coming, the words hurt just the same. I resisted the urge to mirror his actions. I wasn’t angry. I wouldn’t be angry, because that’s what he wanted. If I reacted that way, he could write off my responses.
“I’m not going to agitate you or shame you when the damage is already done, Spencer.” I said as confidently as I could, “I knew you needed affection and you weren’t going to ask for it yourself.”
He finally looked at me again, and in doing so, realized he was making a mistake. The anger melted from his face within seconds, being replaced with overt sadness and guilt. “I could have hurt you.” He whispered through the tears that started to fall.
“But you didn’t.” I said with a gentle smile, reaching over to wipe the saltwater from his cheek. “That’s not a very good excuse anymore.”
“It’s always a good explanation.” He clarified, chewing on his bottom lip. His hands released from their tense state.
My fingers couldn’t move fast enough to clear his tears, but he brought his own hands up to rub the tired eyes. I used the freedom to run my hands through his hair, pulling him closer to me.
Resting his head against my shoulder, he let out a deep, shaky breath. I continued slow, soft strokes along his arm, listening to the rhythm of his breath slowly recalibrate. Once I was satisfied with the pattern, I tried again.
“What happened on the case, Spencer?”
The tension returned, but subsided quicker than it had before. He took a deep breath and spoke through the exhale, trying to rid himself of the thought as he said it.
“We had to kill someone.”
My movements paused for a second before I reminded myself to continue, but my confusion remained. “I understand trauma is complicated but… You guys have to do that pretty often.”
Spencer wasn’t the kind of person who liked to share his thoughts. I knew as much; even his coworkers hadn’t seen the parts of him that I’d seen. There was no way for me to know if I knew them all, but I figured that I didn’t. I was almost certain there was a side of Spencer Reid that even I didn’t know. The only reason I didn’t try to figure it out was because I knew he liked it better that way. He designed his heart that way for a reason, and I wasn’t going to try and pry it out of him.
But he was scaring me. He almost never talked about his job, which didn’t bother me when it was obvious that he didn’t bring it home with him. Him getting drunk and defensive, though, were very different circumstances than the usual.
Understanding that there was no other way out of this, he continued to talk, hushed and slow. “I was alone with the guy, and I had the opportunity to kill him, but I didn’t. I didn’t kill him, even though I really wanted to.”
‘I really wanted to.’ The words stuck out in my head, no matter how quickly he tried to bury them.
“But after Hotch showed up, he had to do it. We didn’t have a choice anymore.” His arms crossed over his chest, but he pressed himself harder against me in a strange, contradictory stance.
I couldn’t respond to the most important part of his confession just yet; I knew the story wasn’t over. Like I’d told him, trauma and grief are complicated; however, there was something else he needed to admit before I could address the part of his admission he seemed most affected by.. “Spencer, that’s okay. That’s not your fault.” I reassured, trying to coax his arms away from his chest. I’m no profiler, but I felt like if he stopped trying to build walls, things might be easier. I could at least try to break down the ones that were tangible.
“I’m not worried about it being my fault. I’m worried about how… angry I am.” He said in defeat, dropping his arms back to his lap. He still didn’t want to touch me, it seemed. Like the same hands that had wielded a gun against a man were too tainted to share.
“I’m angry because… I wanted to kill him, I wanted him to suffer for hurting innocent people and —“ He covered his mouth, and I think the motion surprised himself.
I couldn’t help but feel partially responsible, no matter how illogical I knew that was. It felt like yet another morning was being taken away from us by what had happened before. I didn’t want to think about it; I didn’t want it to torture Spencer the way it did me. It was wishful thinking, and the stupid kind, at that.
Spencer would always blame himself and care too much. While he was always trying to work on the former, I hoped that the world would let him keep the latter. His compassion was one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. The thought of losing the man who felt the need to confess to me that he’d lied about checking me out in a crowded club invoked a sadness I never wanted to experience.
Although, the prospect of that loss paled in comparison to the acute sorrow I was feeling right then, holding Spencer while he failed to hold back tears, choking on his words. “I didn’t do it, and then he almost hurt someone else.” He said, his voice growing more frantic as he broke from my hold, grabbing his hair and pulling it like it would do something to stop the thoughts.
“And I’m angry that I wasn’t the one who got to do it. I wasn’t the person who got to kill him.” He spat, rocking forward as I tried to wrap my arms around him again. He didn’t let me, putting an arm out to hold me away from him. Still, he looked at me when he forced himself to say the conclusion that I’d reached the second he told me he had wanted to kill someone.
“I’m angry that I didn’t kill someone, (y/n).”
There were so many things I wanted to say to him that my mind literally couldn’t pick any of them. All I could do was stare at the man I loved, stopping me from doing the only thing I wanted to do. I just wanted to hold him; to remind him that I would love him no matter what. Just like we always did, I wanted my body to express the things that my mouth wouldn’t articulate.
But apparently, I was capable of doing that without even touching him. Because the longer we sat in silence, the more his enraged grimace warped to a frown. “Please, don’t look at me like that.” He begged, unable to take his eyes off of mine. I wondered if he could hear my thoughts, because before I even spoke, he pulled his arm back. “Don’t look at me like I deserve sympathy for that.”
Ignoring the pesky numbness forming in my lower half at the awkward position on the unforgiving tile floor, I thanked the lord that I was finally getting some relief from the narcotics, which allowed me to climb on Spencer’s lap. He’d finally ceased his valiant efforts to keep me away from him, accepting me with his hands on my hips.
When I tried to kiss him, however, he turned his face away with a sharp inhale. Careful not to use too much force, I use a tender hand on his cheek to lead him back to me. His eyes bounced between my lips and eyes, almost like he was asking me to try again.
“I’m not going to pretend you’re a monster to make you feel better, Spencer.” I whispered, attempting to infuse the words with everything I felt.
Whether it worked or not, I could never be sure, but Spencer’s small smile sneaking over his cheek was enough for me. “I’m pretty sure it’d make me feel worse.” He croaked, laughing as he bit his tongue to stop any other jokes from slipping out. Like he was betraying the pain by letting it go.
“Well I’m not going to do that, either.” I returned with a laugh. Then, satisfied that he would accept my affections, I closed the gap between us. The kiss was so soft I could almost question whether our lips touched. But his hands slid over my lower back, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me against him.
Eventually, it became obvious just how tired the both of us were. With a quiet thanks, he rested his face on my shoulder, enjoying the calm after the storm of his feelings that he’d finally released.
“Can you come back to bed?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He mumbled, holding tighter for a second before he started to help ease me off his lap. “Let’s go, little girl.”
The return to my nickname made me happier than I’d like to admit. At this point, the use of my real name was like a litmus test for his anxiety. And although I could feel Spencer slowly opening back up to me, he still felt so far away when we crawled under the covers.
Turning on my side to face him, I saw something in his eyes that alerted me to just how deeply rooted this problem was. It wasn’t just the event we’d discussed; it was the knowledge that there would be many more like it in the future.
I wondered what Spencer saw when he looked at me. Did he see me like I was in that moment, or was I always going to look like I had before, choking on blood and a confession I wish I could have made more beautiful? Did he see me at all? Or did he just see all the mistakes he’d made? Would all our moments together be marred by the overwhelming tragedy of a single one? More than anything, I just hoped that he didn’t see the faces of the people who had caused us to be in that horrible tableau. I needed Spencer to see beautiful things when he looked at me, because I needed to see them in his eyes. If something so ugly was the biggest thing between us, our relationship would fray with time, each of us unable to truly see the other.
“You’re the best man I’ve ever known.” I said into the silent early morning air of his apartment.
As expected, Spencer’s precarious smile broke almost immediately, replaced with violent sobs and an attempt to hide his face from me by burying it in my chest. I let him, wrapping my arms around his head in the hope that I could act like a shield for the world that never let him rest.
“I’ll love you forever,” I let my voice break, but I didn’t let that stop me. “And nothing will ever change that.”
—————————————————
One of the things people never warn you about when you’re dating a bona fide genius is that there is no such thing as a surprise. It was like every time I came up with an idea, Spencer could see it on my face within seconds. I was never really sure how he did it, although he usually had the decency to wait until a normal person would have figured it out to say something. For example, when we were about three streets away from his best friend’s house.
“Why are we going to JJ’s house?” He finally asked, turning to me with a confused but excited expression that almost hid the residual negative feelings that insisted on sticking around a week later.
I glanced over at him, laughing at the way his fingers bounced on his lap. He never was subtle with his emotions. “I may or may not have offered us up as babysitters so she and Will could have a much needed date night.”
From the way his shoulders dropped, I could tell it wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting. Still, it didn’t seem like he was disappointed— he was simply trying to read my motivations that were seemingly counter-intuitive.
“Really? Isn’t that gonna be a lot for you?” The concern was evident in his voice, which I found both endearing and a little annoying. It wasn’t this fault, really. I was just so freaking tired of not being able to do basically anything I wanted to. Especially when the thing I wanted to do was watch my boyfriend and his godson.
“Henry may be well behaved, but he’s still a toddler.” Spencer continued, eliciting a deep sigh from me.  
“That’s why you’re here.” I half-joked, pulling into the driveway that was starting to feel familiar. If someone had told me a few months ago that I would become friends with the woman I was angrily binge watching clips of on YouTube, I would have asked them if they had me confused for another girl. But, much to Spencer’s delight, JJ and I never really had that awkward phase. From the second that I met her, I knew that we just wanted the same thing: above all, for the people we loved to be happy. And it seemed we both had a soft spot for the man currently in my passenger seat.
“Oh, running after the kid is my job?” He laughed, already unbuckling his seatbelt and pulling his bag onto his lap in his excitement.
“Yep.” I stuck out my tongue at him, which only made him lean over in an attempt to steal a kiss. I allowed it, if only to bring him within arm’s reach. When he started to pull away, clearly ready to hop out of the car and run to his favorite toddler, I grabbed a fistful of his cardigan in an attempt to keep him closer for a second longer.
“But seriously, Spencer, I…”
He settled into his seat, immediately recognizing the faint tremor in my words. His hand came to rest over mine, and I sighed at the warmth that filled my whole body in seconds.
“I want you to remember that you’re a good person.” I whispered, trying to let him feel how deeply I meant the words, “I know how much you love Henry. I think spending time taking care of someone that’s… not me… will be good for you. And me.”
Those big brown eyes glassed over, glancing down and then away from me as he remembered looking at my stomach didn’t ever do much for his self-hatred. Which, in turn, just made me feel worse. I wondered if there would ever be a day where he could look at me and not feel that way. I desperately hoped that there would be.
Spencer rubbed his eyes to stop any other emotions from spilling out. “Does JJ know we’re using her kid as therapy?” He joked between sniffles.
“She’s a smart lady.” I shrugged, smoothing out the now wrinkled cardigan beneath my fingers. “Besides, Henry said he missed you and it’s hard to say no to him.”
And just like that, Spencer’s bouncing returned, his hand reaching behind him to open the door before he could even open his mouth to speak. “Yeah, we probably shouldn’t keep him waiting, then.”
There was no stopping him at that point, and I trailed along behind him, watching as Henry tumbled out of the front door and straight into my boyfriend’s waiting arms on the porch.
The rest of the night went a lot like that, too. Once the novelty of having me there wore off, and Henry realized that my boo-boo made it hard for me to play the way little boys liked to, Spencer returned to his rightful place as Henry’s favorite babysitter.
I didn’t mind; I was perfectly content watching the two of them. Between the cheesy magic tricks that required a little bit of childlike innocence to be entertained by and Spencer’s attempts to follow along with Henry’s excited rants about cartoons my boyfriend had never even heard of, I somehow fell even more in love with the man.
And even though I had planned this for him, it was restorative for me, too. There was this weird, paradoxical guilt you feel when you’re dating someone like him. Although I know that he wanted to spend every waking second of his free time with me, it made me feel like he was missing out on something else. Something better than me.
It was so easy to forget that we could do those things together. In a way, I could thank my injury for that. When we were limited so much on what we could do together, we had to find creative ways to spend time together that were still stimulating for the both of us.
That being said, in that moment I wished for nothing more than rest. Even just watching the two boys together was exhausting, so when Henry’s first yawn sounded, I jumped at the opportunity. Because, see, Spencer was good at the playing, but I was much better at the cuddling.
It wasn’t like he could argue, either, because while Henry curled up next to me on one side, Spencer was on the other, his arm reaching around to rest on the young boy’s back. Despite picking out the movie, Henry fell asleep against my chest within minutes.
And in the quiet calmness of JJ’s house, I found myself almost falling asleep, too. My head rested against Spencer’s shoulder, moving ever so slightly with each deep breath as my eyes struggled to stay open. That was when Spencer kissed the top of my head so delicately that I almost didn’t feel it.
“I love you, little girl.”
My heart skipped a beat at the sound, and the wave of goosebumps and satisfaction covered me like a blanket. If we’d stayed for even a few minutes longer, I would have fallen asleep right there. However, JJ and Will arrived home just in the nick of time. They tried to convince us to stay, but Spencer seemed uncharacteristically excited to leave, so I didn’t question it even though I wanted to. I took the trip home to catch up on my phone and try to wake myself up enough to spend another hour or so awake with him before I passed out.
“Don’t fall asleep yet.”
I perked up in my seat, not entirely sure if he’d actually said the words, or if I’d just imagined them a little too vividly. But when he glanced over at me, I knew that he was just doing that slightly unsettling thing where he read my thoughts.
“Why? You got plans?” I said through a yawn, trying to stretch within the confines of the car.
“As a matter of fact, I do have plans.”
At first, I thought nothing of the smug way he said it— up until I felt his hand slowly slide up my thigh, the pressure of his fingers increasing when he couldn’t go any further.
“This feels familiar.” I chuckled, my mind transporting me back to our first not-a-date. The sensations caused a desire to burn through me so quickly I became lightheaded, my lungs hungry and desperate as Spencer continued to tease me by avoiding the one place he knew I wanted him to touch.
But, of course, just as I reached down to move his hand, he pulled it away altogether.
“Lucky for you, we’re almost home.”
I audibly groaned, knocking my head back against the seat now that Spencer had succeeded in waking me up. “Sometimes, Spencer…” I mumbled, “I remember why I have to be such a fucking brat.”
“It’s my fault, is it?”
There was a distinct darkness and deviancy in his words, despite the joking cadence they were uttered in. It was a voice I hadn’t heard in some time; a voice that was imprinted so vividly in my memory that even just the thought of it would make me putty in his hands. And I knew that I was reminiscing a lot, trying to relive times that had long since passed, but every time I saw a part of the old Spencer — the Spencer who rambled in museums and demanded I cover up my Lolita costume — the more I felt like my life was finally returning to normal.
“Of course it’s your fault. Have you seen me?” I gestured to myself, swamped in a sweatshirt and shorts like a weather-confused idiot. If the clashing clothing wasn’t enough, my make up had smeared from constantly rubbing my eyes. “I’m an angel.” I concluded, intending it to be sarcastic but knowing that he really saw me that way.
And sure enough, Spencer looked me over for just one second before pulling into the parking lot to his apartment complex. “You’re spoiled.” He decided.
“Doesn’t feel that way right now.” I whined, chewing on my bottom lip as I continued to wait for his attention.
But he just parked my car, leaning over to grab his bag from between my legs. Before it got too far, though, I clamped my legs around the leather. “Stop ignoring me!” I said through a pout, only getting more heated as he chuckled in response, tugging on the satchel until it slid from between my legs.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Spencer’s eyes locked with mine, his other hand grabbing my chin and forcing my bottom lip out from between my teeth. He held my mouth open against my resistance, but as soon as I gave into his hold, he relaxed his grip, leaning forward and pressing a much-too-soft kiss against my lips.
Without even fully breaking away, he turned my head to the side to whisper in my ear, “Get inside and I’ll make it up to you.”
Life was returning to normal. Together we excitedly stumbled through the Langham apartment complex until we got to his door, and he fumbled to unlock it without letting me go.
Everything about the chaos felt comfortable and predictable. I didn’t even notice the dull throbbing in my stomach because Spencer’s hands felt like home. The insistent noise of all my messy insecurities was quieted by his lips trailing down my jaw and neck as we finally crossed the threshold.
“Watching you with Henry, I just...” Spencer began to mumble against my neck, our bodies gravitating toward his room with a complete lack of grace, considering how well I should know the layout by now. We made it to the door, but not his bed, as he pressed me against the wall right on the other side.
His lips were slightly swollen from how feverishly he’d kissed me, his breathing ragged and his hair wild from where my hands had raked through it a few too many times. But his eyes were what really caught my attention, staring into me so deeply that it caused a shiver to roll down my spine. Spencer sensed my hesitance, because he brought a gentle hand to my face before he spoke, quietly but surely.
“I want to marry you one day. You know that, right?”
I thought about before; how those words would have filled me with both a naive joy and overwhelming anxiety. But as I stood there, staring back at him, I felt a genuine smile spreading across my lips.
“We speak in a lot of ‘one days,’ Dr. Reid.”
I couldn’t tell the effect the words had on him, although I had a few guesses. I’d avoided the part of the sentence he’d meant for me to hear the loudest. We both knew I’d heard it. At the same time, I hadn’t denied the idea or given any reason to suggest I wasn’t happy about the statement.  
“I’m serious.” He insisted, not ready to drop the subject just yet.
Unfortunately for him, though, I had other plans. As much as the talk of marriage gave me butterflies, there were more immediate needs I wanted him to fulfill. So, without saying anything, I subtly suggested that he put off the conversation and switch to other activities with a firm hand against the bulge that had already formed in his pants.
“God, I want to fuck you.” He immediately groaned, his head lolling forward and resting against mine. I figured that it would be harder to convince him to fuck me now that he wasn’t drunk, but he seemed even more willing now that we’d already made the leap of faith once. Nothing bad had happened to me then, and the dramatic improvement of my mood was helpful for both of us.
So I began to slide down the wall, my hands raking down his chest as I giggled, “Let me help you.”
Spencer’s hands moved so quickly and with such strength that it surprised the both of us. Luckily, he’d grabbed my hips instead of my stomach, halting me before I could drop to my knees.
“No.” He firmly corrected, lifting me back to my normal height before turning the two of us around so that my back was to the bed. “It’s my turn.”
Much gentler now, he helped lower me onto the bed, but he didn’t follow me yet.
“Take off your clothes.” He instructed me as he removed his own.
I listened, watching him intently to try and determine his plans before he actually got to me. But he kept his expressions to a minimum, only giving away his enthusiasm in watching me sheepishly remove my clothing. My shirt was still on when he climbed onto the bed and over my body.
“I want to see you.” There was something pitiful about the way he uttered the words, and my hands hesitated, holding tightly to the hem of my shirt as I avoided his eyes.
“You have an eidetic memory, Spencer. You know what it looks like.”
“I’ll never stop wanting to see you. You’re so beautiful, (y/n).” He used my name, and my body reacted just as quickly as he realized his mistake. Grabbing my arms before I could close them over me, he brought my wrists against the bed beside my head. “You can leave it on for now.”
What he said provided me all the context I needed to know what he was planning, and I locked my legs around him, hoping that I could stall him for a few moments.
“Please, Spencer. Please fuck me.” I begged, arching my back and baring my neck to him, knowing that he could see my erratic pulse in my neck.
“I can’t. Not yet.” His voice was strained, one hand raised so that his fingers could brush over my neck. “It won’t be much longer.”
Frustrated by his undying desire to take care of me, I used my hand that he’d released to grab a handful of his hair. “I want to feel you inside of me again.” I moaned through the words, my heels digging into his back and bringing his hips down to meet mine. I watched as his eyelids fluttered shut, his breath hitching in his throat.
“I want to see the look on your face when you fill me up.” I continued, bucking up in search of the delicious friction I’d been deprived of for months now. “I know what you’re thinking when you do it.”
“F-fuck.” He struggled to lower his hand to hold my hips down, but I could tell he was scared he would hurt me in the process. It was a dangerous game, to ever put me in this position when neither of us had pants on. Spencer’s confidence wavered as he choked on his words, “This isn’t going to work.”
“You can’t think about that if I’m not touching you.”
“Yes, I can.” He responded with no hesitation, his eyebrows raising in a challenge.
“But isn’t it so much more fun when it’s actually possible?” I cooed.
“It’s always possible, it’s just so unlikel— Fuck!” Spencer cut off by his own gasp when I finally succeeded in pulling him against my heat.
The noise that I gave was something between a sigh and a moan, and I swore I saw Spencer’s pupils dilate in response. There were just some things he couldn’t hide, no matter how hard he tried. But my satisfaction was short lived, and Spencer sat up on his knees to place a manageable distance between us.
“We’re not doing this.” He growled through clenched teeth, his nails raking over my thighs before he removed them entirely. “Stop being a greedy fucking brat and spread your legs.”
I waited a second, hoping that Spencer would get impatient and force my legs open himself. But he flashed me a look, warning me that if I didn’t behave, he could very easily just send me to bed without any satisfaction. And as much as I wanted to call his bluff, the idea of going to bed without getting to touch him was so upsetting.
So, I slowly dropped my legs open, running my hands over the skin still burning from where his hands had touched me. And even slower, Spencer lowered himself until his face rested against my thigh, the scruff of his cheek causing a shiver to run up my body.
“Don’t tell me that a few months of me pampering you has undone all of my hard work.” He murmured so softly I almost didn’t hear it.
But the fact that I did was evidenced by my laugh. “That would imply you’ve actually accomplished something to undo, but I’m just as bratty as the day you met me, Dr. Reid.”
He smiled, his eyes focusing on my face as I continued to giggle, now urged on by the way his breath tickled my inner thigh. “Is that right?” He said in that familiar cocky voice. “Because I happen to recall that the first time that I did this, you tried to stop me.”
The blood rushed to my cheeks as my mind replayed the memory of his smirk from when he had held my legs open for him.
‘You’re not broken, little girl. Promise.’ Just the thought of the words was enough to cloud my mind, but I was dedicated to besting him in this exchange. If he was going to be arrogant, then I would give him the best challenge I could.
“Would you rather I fought you?” I asked, beginning to pull my legs shut before he grabbed them and pulled them over his shoulders.
“No. The instructions for tonight should be very easy to follow; even for you.”
I was trying to pay attention, but it was getting harder the closer he came to actually fucking doing something. It was so obvious that he was getting off on the way my eyes were barely able to stay open, my chest moving with each half-sob that came when he would lay a kiss against my hips.
“What are they?” I slurred, grabbing handfuls of the sheets to prevent myself from forcing him against me.
It was clearly the exact question he was waiting for, a devilish smirk stretching over his cheeks as he dragged his lips down to where I wanted them, moving them against my skin to say, “Stay still, and don’t be quiet.”
While I appreciated the instruction, I feared that it was in vain. Because when Spencer finally flattened his tongue against me, I couldn’t have stopped myself from immediately crying out if I tried.
My hands retained their death grip on the sheets, partially making up for the fact that my body immediately disobeyed his command to stay still. But I couldn’t help it; the long strokes of his tongue up and down my sex felt like pure bliss. And honestly, it wasn’t even just the physical sensations. It was just the knowledge that we were back where we should be; shamelessly indulging in our need for each other without inhibitions. Spencer was clearly enjoying himself, his hands struggling to gently hold me down while he devoured me like a man starved.
I couldn’t look at him, my head bent so far back I could see the headboard. His name fell from my mouth like a mantra, my hips rolling against each motion of his tongue.
“I missed you.” I cried, my legs once again locking around him, my heels on his back as I wished I could pull him closer. “I missed this so badly, Spencer.”
He couldn’t really answer, although I think the moan that he gave was meant to be a response. The vibrations almost sent me over the edge, but right before they could, he pulled back ever so slightly.
I glanced down to figure out why, and was met with his eyes watching me intently, analyzing every response I was giving him; memorizing the way my body shook with need after just a few weeks in his absence.
“Please, don’t stop.” I begged, not caring how pathetic the words sounded when they broke in my throat.
“Oh, I’m not.” He mumbled against me, raising his lips to close around the bundle of nerves at my crest.
At first, I just sighed, appreciating the soft flicks and swirls of his tongue that would eventually build up another release. But it was when I closed my eyes that he revealed his plan.
Without any warning, I felt his finger slip between my folds, thrusting into me with one fluid motion as my wanton moans filled the room. He didn’t let them distract him, his mouth intent on the rhythm it had set, and his hand insistently working to match it.
There was nothing comprehensible in the noises I made, and neither of us seemed to mind. Spencer was only urged on, quickly adding a second finger in his ruthless pace that finally forced me to release the wrinkled sheets in my hands. Instead, they wound through his hair, pulling me against him as I chased my release.
“Please.” I whined, hoping that he would know what I was asking for. Because I didn’t even know what I was asking for— just that he could give it to me.
And sure enough, he did, his fingers beginning to curl inside of me with each motion. I used all of the energy I could muster had to keep my hips relatively still, although they were still trembling with the tension spreading through my muscles that tightened around him.
I wanted to call out his name, to give him the praise and recognition he deserved, but my tongue was tied in the haze of pleasure that overtook me. I could barely breathe, my mind transported to some alternate universe where there was only Spencer and myself. There was no point in identifying where we diverged, because he felt so much like a part of me in that moment, I could never separate from him again.
My walls fluttered around his fingers that still pumped into me with the same vigor. His tongue continued to circle my clit while he gently sucked, clearly lost in his own form of pleasure from the activity.
I wished I could touch him more. I wanted to drag him up to my lips, turn him onto his back and ride him until my legs gave out. But I couldn’t; my body tired and no longer used to the energy we once made a habit of spending on each other on any given day. It had used that energy to dull the pain so I could enjoy the relatively tame experience we had just shared.
As I came down from my orgasm, I was filled with guilt over the fact that I hadn’t so much as touched him once in this entire encounter, and now my hands weren’t even able to keep my grip on his hair as he lifted his head.
Spencer seemed none the wiser about the shame brewing in my head, and he wiped his mouth to reveal a lovesick smile beneath his hand.
“Good girl.” He rasped, crawling up to my side rather than on top of me. With a tender hand, he brushed aside the strands of my hair that stuck to the sweat on my face. “I knew you could behave.”
He sounded so proud of me, which only served to intensify the guilt now pouring from my heart and tainting the rest of what should have been a beautiful memory. I clung to the little bit of light I saw in those toffee eyes.
“How dare you imply I’m ever capable of such a thing.” I chuckled, reaching out to hold him somehow.
He took my hand in his, raising it to his lips for a brief kiss before resting them both against his heart.
“Can I help you?” I sounded drunk from my exhaustion, but hopefully determined enough to convince him I was willing. He didn’t buy it.
“No, go to sleep.”
He leaned forward like he was going to kiss me, but then brought his fingers down over my eyes, brushing over my lids in an attempt to get me to close them. To his credit, it worked, but only for a second before they snapped back open.
“That’s not fair!” I murmured, pulling the sheet over me while I tried to sneak closer to him. I noticed the way he scrutinized my free hand’s movements, ready to stop it from doing too much.
‘It’s gonna be like that, huh?’ I didn’t let it stop me from trying. I didn’t even get to his bellybutton before he snatched my wrist.
“I said no.”
“You know... I could help you without touching you.” I offered instead, pressing my hand against his chest since he wouldn’t let it move any lower. “It’s not the first time we’ve touched ourselves for each other.”
Spencer snorted at the reference, bringing my hands up to his neck, where they happily ran through his now tangled hair.
“That didn’t end well for me last time.”
“I bet you still finished without me.” I teased, my tongue slipping out from my mouth.  “Did my pictures come in handy?”
“Like you said— I have an eidetic memory. I don’t need pictures.”
The most noticeable part of his response wasn’t the way his cheeks turned pink, but rather that he didn’t deny that he’d used the pictures. Knowing they were long gone now, considering Penelope’s tendency to snoop too much for her own good, I wondered if that memory was filed away somewhere special in his mind.
“You especially don’t need them when I’m right here.” I purred, tugging him closer by his hair until the gap between us was gone, our lips pressed feverishly against the other.
It was always like that. Like the second we touched, the proverbial dam between us turned to dust. Within a matter of seconds, we’d be so wrapped up in each other that we didn’t care about the wreckage left in our wake.
Spencer didn’t let it get that far, though. He hadn’t in some time.
“You have had enough excitement for one day. I don’t need anything.” He clarified, clearing his throat and acting like I couldn’t feel his erection pressed against my thigh. Still, his next statement was so genuine I couldn’t have argued with it if I tried. “I just wanted to take care of you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
But on the topic of wanting, I knew I felt it more. “I want things to be normal again.” I answered quickly, an urgency blooming in my throat that died when I tried to finish the thought. “I feel so... useless.”
His hand has grabbed my chin before I even noticed its absence on my hip. He held my face towards him, a dark and pained timbre in his voice.
“Don’t ever think that.”
It was a plea. I wanted to give him the relief and assurance he sought, but my gut told me to be honest with him, even if it hurt us.
“It’s just that before, we... did so much more and I’m scared that I won’t...”
Why was it so hard? He was looking at me like he would do anything to stop me from feeling even the slightest discomfort, but I felt like I was suffocating. I didn’t want to disappoint him. I didn’t want him to worry. I wanted to make him as happy as he made me, but...
“I’m scared that I won’t ever be able to do it again.”
He couldn’t tell me that I was wrong. If he tried to make it only about my physical condition, he risked the chance of me telling him I don’t want to do it ever again. Did I feel that way? It was hard to tell; it was too early to tell. But the crushing despair that I felt at the thought of losing that part of our relationship suggested I did not feel that way.
“Hey. Look at me.” Spencer’s voice tore me away from the intrusive thoughts about our inevitable fallout, his hand still holding me in place in front of him, and his eyes still promising me the world.
“Just because we’ve done something before doesn’t mean we ever have to do it again.”
The words felt like the first breath after struggling for air underwater and finally breaking the surface just in the nick of time. Why were they such a relief? I couldn’t figure it out, but was too afraid to ask, fearing how Spencer might take it. Although, the tears pooling at my lashes gave him more than enough to read.
“Tell me you understand.” His request was as gentle as always. After a moment of trying, and failing, to collect myself, I nodded.
He sighed, cautiously moving his palm to cup my cheek. It was his voice that broke then. “I know this is hard, but I need you to use your big girl words for this. I need to make sure you hear me.”
“I understand.” My throat ached as I forced the words out. I could tell he wasn’t convinced but knew any argument would be meaningless while we were both so tired.
“Thank you.” He said, anyway. And like the prettiest sounding broken record, he let his fingertips trail over any exposed area he could find as he spoke the same words I’d heard before, even more insistent. “Even if you never touched me again, just knowing that you’re alive and happy... That alone makes the happiest man in the world.”
Spencer’s lips pressed against my forehead, resting there for a little too long. From the uneven shake of his breath, I knew he was hiding something, but didn’t want to ask what. I suspected they were tears.
I had disappointed him again. I had hurt him, yet again. I hadn’t meant to.
“It’s all that I need. To know that you’re happy.” There was an implicit message hiding in those words.
He was saying he wanted me to be happy, consciously neglecting to voice the resigned addition, ‘even if it’s not with me.’
“I know.” I whispered, half asleep as he continued drawing patterns on my skin. I meant to tell him that he was the only man who’d ever made me feel truly happy, safe, and loved— the only one I trusted with my heart. But all that came out was a simple, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He said back, leaving me to wonder if he’d heard what I meant.
—————————————————
After everything I’d been through, I’d sworn that I would never want to be in a hospital ever again. But, unfortunately for me, it seemed my stubbornness extended even to my own limits, which explained why I was currently walking through the doors of the residential inpatient ward. It was a good idea in theory, to volunteer in the last place I wanted to be so that I could grow used to being there again.
It didn’t have to be a scary place.
Especially since the people around me weren’t the typical hospital patients. In fact, the people there weren’t even the usual patients of the hospital. Apparently, the ward was hosting a group of traveling patients that had been deemed fit for a vacation to the nation’s capital.
My assignment was simple enough - simply meet with a person and discuss the book they were currently reading. There was no requirement that we had to have read the book before, considering that would leave most people without a partner at all.
I was expecting to meet someone to discuss some niche romance novel or whatever had recently come out in theaters, but as I scanned the list of books, one stuck out to me more than the others.
The Book of Margery Kempe (1501).
It wasn’t the book itself that piqued my interest— I’d never read it. I had, however, listened to Spencer explain the entire premise to me on several occasions. Unsurprisingly, no one else volunteered for the book from the fifteenth century that referred to the main character as “this creature.” No one until me, that is.
There was no questioning who my partner was when I entered the room, spotting her quickly on the outskirts of the room with the book in her hand, but her eyes fixed on the raindrops slowly dripping down the window.
“Hi, are you Diana?”
She jumped a little at the sound of my voice, and I tried not to be consumed by guilt for surprising her despite my best efforts not to.
“Who are you?”
“I’m (y/n). I’m sorry if I scared you. I was assigned to be your book buddy today.” I explained, gesturing to the book on her lap with a smile that wasn’t big enough to be fake. From what the nurses had told me about her, I figured it was best to just be as genuine as possible… which made my answer to her next question a little more difficult.
“You’ve read this book?”
“Actually, I haven’t. No one had.” I laughed, pulling another chair over to her before taking a seat. “But I have heard someone go through basically the entire story in their own words, so...” I never finished the thought, cut off by a slight scoff from the woman.
“I figured. You’re very young.”
“Hey! Young people can read the classics.” I defended, crossing the lower half of my legs and tucking my hands between my knees. It probably gave away some of my nerves, but I figured it was alright considering she wasn’t a profiler and Spencer wasn’t here.
“But you don’t.” She wryly noted.
“Guilty. My boyfriend does, though.” I acquiesced, albeit a bit distracted as my mind decided to focus on those memories rather than the current reality.
“At least you’ve got that exposure. It’s important to learn these things.”
For a second, it felt like I was being lectured by my boyfriend, making it hard not to laugh, which I was pretty sure she didn’t appreciate.
“Can you tell me about it? I want to know if my boyfriend was just making stuff up.” I shrugged, laughing while I found myself avoiding her eyes. She noticed that behavior; most people would.
But to my surprise, she started to explain the book, anyway. Less surprising was the realization that Spencer hadn’t made up any of it. It was clear as day from their similar words that they had definitely read the same book. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought they’d discussed it together, too.
She was more talented than he was at explaining, though. Maybe it was a little bit my fault, considering I always got distracted by his voice. But with her, it really did feel like someone sharing a part of themselves. I could tell how deeply she cared for literature, and it made me more excited to hear about the chaste holy woman that found herself tempted by jealousy and sex.
When her story was winding to an end, I was almost sad that it was over. “You must have been a professor.” I mumbled, having already forgotten the information I was given by the nurses.
She was quick to correct me, her mouth curling into a frown as she said, “I still am. I’m just not on the campus anymore.”
“Of course. Gotta stay sharp, right?” I half-heartedly joked, sitting up from my slouched position. A brief stint of silence stretched between us and glancing at the clock I realized that it would still be a little while until Spencer could come get me. So, I turned back to the woman in front of me, noticing the way she stared out the window as she chewed on her nails.
“Is that why you wanted to visit D.C.?” I wondered aloud, and her response didn’t help assuage that curiosity at all.
“I... have another reason.”
“That sounds very mysterious, Diana.” I giggled, leaning forward and whispering, “Are you secretly a rebel?”
She scoffed, but I detected amusement behind the apparent derision. “Nothing like that.”
As sneaky and vague as she was being, and the fact that I had been warned of her paranoia, I still found myself wanting to ask her what could possibly make her as happy as her current thought.
“So what is it?” I said, leaning back in an effort to seem less insistent, explaining my intentions in a rant reminiscent of my boyfriend. “I don’t mean to pry, I just... you got really happy and I’d love to share in that excitement.”
“That’s just selfish.”
She really was so much like him.
“That’s how you know I won’t judge you.” I pointed out, raising one hand in the air and placing the other on my heart.
“I’m not worried about that.” She just waved her hand at me, ignoring my dramatic gesticulations and sighing as she glanced down at the book once more. After another moment of contemplation, her eyes flicked up to me so quickly I almost missed them, analyzing my features one more time before she carefully said, “I’m here to visit my son.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Although her expression was anxious, she still seemed at least a little relieved to have shared her plans with someone.
“He is.” She returned, lightly brushing the back of the book, almost like she was trying to remember something etched on the beveled hardcover. “He’s a good boy. Very bright. He has wonderful adventures. He goes all over the country. He used to tell me everything but... he’s gotten too busy for his mother these past few years.”
As I took in the words, I felt the pain in her voice. My heart wrenched in my chest, imagining how awful it must be to not have a chance to talk to your family. “I’m sure he doesn’t mean to ignore you.” At least, I hoped not. She had so many stories to tell, even in just this short window, I couldn’t imagine anyone would want to avoid her. Then again… I knew it could be hard.
“I know he’s busy. That’s why I wanted to come here. It makes it easier for him.” She was confident in her explanation, and I nodded back with similar gusto.
“Have you talked to him yet?”
“No. I’m going to have them call him today.”
We were both happy then, and I clapped my hands together in front of me to suppress the urge to touch her as I excitedly replied, “I hope you get to see him.”
“Me too,” she agreed, simultaneously hopeful and defeated, before turning back to the window with the same wistfulness as before. “If not, the museums will be nice, too.”
“Hey, if you need a docent, I could always call my boyfriend. He would be so excited to talk to a fellow scholar who could actually follow along.” I excitedly replied, rocking forward in my chair with a goofy grin at the thought. She reminded me enough of him that I figured the two would get along. He’d at least understand what she talked about, unlike me.
“There’s no one that can compare to my son.” She warned, narrowing her eyes and pouting in a way I swore I’d seen before on another face.
“I bet. He does sound a lot like him, though. I bet they’d be friends.” The gears in my brain, rusted and slightly worn, started to turn. “They actually might be... my boyfriend lives near here.”
And that was when it hit me, the obvious conclusion I’d been avoiding for some reason. That creeping, unsettling familiarity wasn’t from coincidence; it was my brain recognizing her as an extension of the man I loved.
“...What’s your son’s name?”
She never got to answer, because no sooner had I finished saying the words thanwe both heard Spencer’s voice from the door behind us.
“Mom?”
The realization crashed into all three of us like a goddamn freight train. And even with my flair for the dramatic, I found my head spinning as I tried to will time to rewind itself.
“Spencer? How did you know I was here?” Diana said through a confused gasp, turning to me to see the equally stunned look on my face.
“I didn’t… I—“
They both turned to me, but I was too busy staring halfway between them, my jaw dropped open and my brain suddenly devoid of any helpful thought.
When it decided to finally be helpful, it was only marginally better. “Well… that makes a lot of sense.” I said with a cringeworthy laugh. When neither of them laughed, and continued to stare at me, I quickly shot up from my chair and waved a shaking hand. “You should talk to your mom. I’ll give you guys a minute.”
I didn’t get very far before Spencer’s hand caught my wrist, his wild eyes wide and insistent as he crackled, “Actually, I need a minute alone with you. If that’s okay.”
I turned to Diana for her permission but found nothing useful. She was also still caught up in the disaster that had just occurred, and turned back to her son who seemed genuinely apologetic.
“Sorry mom, I’ll… I’ll be right back.”
Spencer nearly dragged me out of the room, shutting the door and hiding out of sight of any windows. If he was ready to unleash his pent up anxiety, though, he wasn’t quick enough.
“Spencer, what the shit?!” I whisper-yelled, the sound echoing through the sterile hallway.
My boyfriend didn’t have any answers, his hands raking through his hair as he clearly tried to calm his heart and rapid breath. “I’m sorry I— I didn’t know that she was here! What is she doing here?!”
“Oh my god. Shut up. I’m freaking out. What if she thinks I’m weird?” I rambled back, grabbing my chest once I realized that I was freaking out just was badly as the idiot in front of me. Because seriously, he couldn’t tell me his mom’s name so I wouldn’t be blindsided like this?
Then again, I guess I couldn’t talk.
“What did you say to her?” He whispered back, dragging his hands over his face. He seemed eerily calm while asking, considering just how much we could have gotten into during our conversation. Although, I guess it would have been weird to share the more intimate, embarrassing details with a stranger at a hospital.
“I don’t know! We just talked about you!”
“You talked about me?!”
“Well we didn’t know we were both talking about you!” I said was quietly as possible, which was not quiet at all. Waving my arms between us, I tried to explain the jumbled mess in my head. “She was talking about her son and I was talking about my boyfriend and— Actually, that reminds me.”
“What?”
His answer came in the form of a soft thwack on the back of his head. He jumped, raising his hands to his head in both shock and embarrassment at the public chastisement, despite there being no one around to witness it.
“Call your mother, asshole!”
“Ow?! Don’t hit me!” He whined, and I could tell from the tone that the only damage done was to his ego.
“Stop ignoring your mother! You shouldn’t even be out here!” I reminded him, laying my hands against his chest and beginning to push him back towards the door. “Get back in there!”
Spencer’s hands held onto mine, and for the first time in a while I noticed that they were shaking. The lighthearted panic I’d felt seconds before vanished, replaced with a painful sadness that seemed to bleed from him into my hands.
“I’m not trying to ignore her, I just…” His eyes were struggling to focus, and the crackle in his voice warned me that there was something he was trying to avoid saying. “I can explain… This.”
I didn’t need to hear it.
“Explain what?” I meant the question to be an expression of my feelings, but it seemed to freak him out more. Like I actually expected an answer for why his mother was in a program like this. Like the reason he had kept that from me mattered. I already knew the reason he didn’t tell me— It was pretty obvious.
“Spencer, I don’t care that she’s here. That doesn’t bother me.”
From the faraway look in his eyes, I knew he didn’t really believe me. I couldn’t blame him entirely. The shame was clear on his features. But I also knew that nothing I could say in that moment would make him believe me; it would probably take a long time. That was okay. We had time.
“I’m serious. She’s your mother and you love her, so of course I’m going to like her.” I tried to reassure him anyway, and I noticed the small twitch of his pout that slowly turned into a pitiful smile.
Trying to keep that upward trend, I motioned to my absolutely ridiculous outfit and bedhead before I laughed, “I’m mostly just mortified about the fact that I just met your mother looking like this and acting like a fucking moron.”
Thankfully, Spencer laughed back. His hands gripped mine tighter, and through the tears that stayed perched on his eyes without falling, he croaked, “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Just… go see your mom. I’ll go hang out in the cafeteria for a minute.” I jumped up on my toes, yanking my hands back only to them around his neck.
His arms caught me like they always did, holding me so tightly against him that I could feel his heartbeat against my chest. I kissed him just as hard, trying to remind him that there was nothing in the world that could ruin the happiness I felt when he held me.
I held his face as the kiss ended, squishing his cheeks together and warping his smile in the process. I was just grateful that it was still there.
“And take your time talking to her, because I am fucking starving.” I instructed. The crisp hospital air on my skin was cold as he left, but inside my chest, butterflies erupted that kept me warm. He gave me one final goofy wave before we went our separate ways again.
As I wandered through the hospital halls, I wondered if he knew how nervous I actually was. I couldn’t tell him yet; he would misinterpret it, regardless of his profiling skills. He would see the anxiety in my interactions with her as my fear over his future mental state instead of what it really was— fear that the other woman he loved wouldn’t approve of me.
There was no sense in worrying about it yet. Diana and I had shared a great time together as far as I could tell, and I would definitely make sure that Spencer spent more time talking to her in the future. So as depressing as the hospital cafeteria could be, it wasn’t so bad that day.
—————————————————
Being alone with Diana was so much different after I’d learned that she was Spencer’s mother. Then again, we weren’t really alone - Spencer was there, he’d just passed out and somehow ended up with his head against the pillow on my lap. I was a little surprised by how comfortable he was being so touchy feely in front of his mother, but I’d also recognized the exhaustion the second he walked into the hospital. He’d been out cold for at least 10 minutes, and I was barely able to stay awake, myself.
Diana seemed wide awake, though, watching the minute rise and fall of Spencer’s shoulder as he slept. At least, I thought that was what she was watching, but it could have also been my hand stroking his arm.
“My son seems very happy.”
I looked up, shaken by the sudden sound after nearly falling asleep to the rhythm of Spencer’s breath against my knee. “I think that has more to do with you being here.” I said through a yawn.
“I’m not so sure.” That was all she said, quiet and skeptical. Her eyes were scrutinizing everything she could see, and I thanked the stars that I didn’t have to go through this without him here, at least. At least we’d had one nice memory together first.
“Are you the reason he’s been so busy?”
I was dreading the question but had already planned my response. “I hope not. His job is so stressful, and he spends so much of his free time taking care of me.” I looked down at the mop of brown hair that hadn’t been brushed.
When I ran my hand through the ends of his curls, he shifted on my lap, his hand coming up to grab my thigh as he buried his face into the pillow. I chuckled at the clingy movements, which poorly contrasted my words.
“It makes me feel awful.”
I expected her to look disappointed or disturbed by the action, but she mostly just looked… sad.
“He’s good at taking care of people.” She explained, her head jerking away to stare at the lamp beside her. “I made him do it too often.”
Her answer hurt me in more ways than one. It hurt me because I felt the guilt and shame in her voice over something that she had no control over, which was obviously something that should never happen. But it also hurt because I heard myself in it, and I had to ask myself if, just like I had found traits of my father in Spencer, he’d found his mother in me.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be ashamed of being like her - she was brilliant and obviously cared for him deeply. It was the source of the shame that frightened me.
Was he just with me to take care of me? How soon would he grow tired of that? What would happen when I got better? Would I ever? Did I even want to, if that meant he would leave?
They were terrible, awful thoughts to have. So, I did what I was best at, and shoved them back into the corner of my mind to revisit when I was desperate and alone.
“I think he would disagree. He obviously loves you very much.” Was what I said, instead.
“I could say the same for you.” There was a slight bitterness in her words that forced a frown out of me. The words were forceful, almost like a compulsion that she wanted to fight but was too tired to win. She seemed to regret that, too.
“I know my son... and I’ve never seen him like this before.” She pointed to him on my lap, still sound asleep despite the conversation happening above him. “I don’t think he’s ever slept that well with me. And…”
Part of me wanted to tell her that it wasn’t always like this. I wanted her to know that it had nothing to do with any failing of her own, but a failing on the part of the rest of the world for hurting him when neither of us had been there. But she probably felt the same guilt I did that we couldn’t fix those broken parts. Her eyes met mine, and in the reflection, I saw both of our apprehension.
“I’ve never felt like a girl was taking my son away from me before.”
The breath wasn’t knocked from me, but it did fall out of me in a slow, shaky exhale. I didn’t know what to say back, terrified by the implication behind the words just as much as the fact she felt them.
“He’ll always be yours first.” I promised her, refusing to look away from her eyes even as she refused to meet them. I needed her to know that I would never be a threat to them. That all I wanted or cared about was that he was happy and safe, and that I knew she felt the same.
“Then he should call me more.” Diana said, wry humor bleeding back into the conversation despite how heavy it had become.
“I’ll make sure he does.” I answered, my hands resuming their gentle soothing motions. I saw her hand mimicking the actions against her blanket and found myself wondering about things I’d never ask her. I knew virtually nothing about his childhood aside from the prodigy thing, but it was clear that his father was not in the picture, and that he was very close with his mother.
I couldn’t blame her for wanting to protect him. Just as I had thought it, she’d said it herself.
“When you’re kind like my son, the world will eat you alive if no one is protecting you.”
Maybe Spencer had gotten that mind reading trait from his mother, rather than his profiler training, I thought.
“Are you going to protect him?”
I wasn’t ready for that question. Honestly, I hadn’t even considered it. In all the time we’d been together, I’d selfishly worried about how any harm to him would affect me. In my defense, it had always seemed the more likely scenario.
I was so worried about being the source of his hurt or not being able to fix it that I never thought about how I could prevent it. It almost felt… inevitable. Everyone who loved me got hurt, and he’d already made up his mind on that topic.
“I’m going to try.” The hesitance in my voice gave away my anxieties, and Diana spoke quicker and bolder. 

“You said he takes care of you, but what do you do for him?”
The walls were closing in on me, and I couldn’t fucking breathe. My hand on Spencer’s arm grabbed his shirt before I noticed. I wanted him to be awake, to hold me and tell me that it would be okay. I wanted to be far away from that conversation— that question.
“I-I…” I mumbled, trying to flatten my hand as his mother saw it, trying to act like I wasn’t a fucking child clinging to her boyfriend to save her from a question she didn’t have a satisfying answer to.
It was too late, and Diana covered her mouth as she looked away. “I see.” She said before we both went silent.
The silence didn’t help either, though. If anything, it felt worse. Like my chest had been torn open and she could see all the contents, and the longer I gave her to draw her own conclusions about what she saw, the worst they would become.
That was stupid, right? I couldn’t tell. She liked me, right? Did it matter?
“He told me he wants to get married and have kids and I’m just...” I started to ramble, my hands now hovering above Spencer as I stared down at him, still sleeping soundly like the world wasn’t crushing me above him. In a panic, I looked up to Diana with what I can only assume was a terrified, frantic look. “I’m worried. I’m scared that he won’t be as happy as he could be if he stays with me instead of... someone else. And that question scares me because I still don’t know why he cares about me so much when I can’t give him half of what he gives me.”
My chest heaved from a combination of the lack of breath and skyrocketing pulse. Diana peered at me through her peripherals, a battle visible behind her gaze.
“Most people would be scared to admit that. Especially to his mother.” She thought out loud, and I knew she was weighing my open admission to determine how likely it was that I was lying.
“I figured lying would be worse. I know honesty is important to your family.” I confessed, hoping that my openness wouldn’t come back to bite me in the ass. “I don’t ever want to lie to either of you.”
I left off the ‘again.’
“You know what I think?” Diana said, tapping her chin and readjusting the blanket over her legs as she found a way to be more comfortable with the tension floating in the air.
I took it as a good sign. I hoped it was a good sign. I looked at her in anticipation.
“I think... you two will be happier than you think.” Diana’s lips curled ever so slightly as she held her own hand, rubbing the back of her hand the same way Spencer often rubbed mine. “Love is more than similar beliefs. It’s wanting to share your life with someone. Wanting to see them happy.”
Despite the content of her words, it didn’t feel like a lecture. It was… warm, and comforting. Her voice sounded familiar and loving and safe. She was the one who had taught Spencer to talk.
“I love my son more than anything else in the world. I won’t let anyone take him away unless I’m positive that he will be happy.” Diana finished; the warning grave but her voice quiet.
“I understand.” I replied just as softly, finally looking back down to Spencer. My heart felt like it would burst from the image. As much as I wanted him to see me and his mother having a heart to heart, it was best not to worry him with our battling affections, no matter how minimal the risk.
“Do you love him?”
The question hung in the air because I was still so caught up in his face that I almost forgot she couldn’t read my mind.
“Yes.” I felt the tears forming in my eyes as I breathlessly repeated, “Yes, I do. I love him.”
Diana must have heard the strain in my voice and seen the tiredness in my eyes, because the threatening tone faded. “Then take care of him.” She said, more like a plea than a demand. “Take care of him like I never could, because you know how much he deserves it.”
I nodded, excitedly and happily, my voice breaking and interrupted by a hard swallow to rid myself of the lump in my throat when I said, “I will.”
With perfect timing, Spencer’s body jerked under my hand as it found its way back to his shoulder. “What are you guys talking about?” He slurred before even opening his eyes, clearly bothered by the lost time wherein his mother and I could have spoken about any number of horrifying things.
“We were just saying it’s time for me to head out.” I lied, and Diana’s sly smirk was enough of an indication for me to feel alright about it. It was funny—I’d just told her I never wanted to lie to him, but this one seemed pretty harmless. She deserved alone time with her son, after all.
“Do you want me to drive you?” He finally sat up, rubbing his face to try and get rid of the creases that had formed from the pillow’s texture.
I laughed at the question because he was so obviously not in a position to drive. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d gotten an Uber after leaving his place, and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. At least this time wasn’t a walk of shame.
“No, I’m fine. You stay here and spend time with your mom. Awake, this time.” I warned, poking him on the nose and earning a playful giggle from the grown man at my side. “She came a long way. She deserves it.”
He quickly got me back, grabbing my face and pulling me forward to plant a kiss on my forehead. And as much as I would have preferred one on the lips, I was grateful for his sudden modesty in front of his mother. It still felt strange.
“Okay. I love you. Drive safe please. And tell me when you get home.” He instructed as I nodded along, already having memorized the speech from every time I’d ever left him.
“Of course.” I murmured through a somewhat embarrassed pout before I got up and grabbed my things.
Before I made my way to the door, I stopped, turning to see Spencer take the seat beside his mother. She took his hand, but she looked at me. I thought about hugging her but knew that Spencer’s company was far superior to mine, and that every second I distracted her was one less she got with him. So, I settled for a wave and a smile.
“Goodnight Diana. Thanks for the talk.”
“Goodnight.” She returned, with a contented smile washing over her as her son rested his head on her shoulder. The final image of the two of them happy in each other’s company was enough to satisfy me until the next time I saw him. Because, like we’d just discussed, he was happy, and that was all that mattered.
As I opened the door to leave, she spoke again. “Thank you.” She said, and I knew she was talking about more than the conversation.
“Anytime.”
—————————————————
| Part 19 |
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circus4apsycho8 · 3 years
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lemon drops. | ii | ib ~ garry x reader
chapter i here.
~ two ~
Rest assured your name will be spelled correctly in my contacts :)
It’s you! I’m glad to hear it.
Idk if you’ll be free but I was going to stop by the coffee shop again today
After my classes. Thinking about talking a walk or something after
I can certainly make another stop there
A walk? Any particular trail in mind?
Not really. I’ll probably just stroll through town
I like the sound of that. What time are you done with your classes?
A smile appears on your lips as you sort the details of your next meetup with Garry out. That turned out pretty well, despite the fact you had been a little nervous to text him. In any case, you hop off of your bed, noting that it’s time for you to get ready for class.
With that thought in mind, you mindlessly proceed throughout your morning routine. After your belongings are in hand, you open the door to your room before stepping out into the hallway. As you gently pull it shut, the sound of small footsteps catches your attention.
“Morning!” your little sister greets, grinning widely as you bend down to give her a hug.
“Hey, Ib. Did you sleep well?”
“I did! Did you?”
“I slept well enough,” you reply, listening to her as the two of you start making your way downstairs.
“That’s good. I had a really weird dream.”
“Oh? Do you remember what it was about?”
“Kind of,” she answers as the two of you reach the bottom of the staircase, both turning towards the kitchen. “I just remember a scary-looking face. It was blue and had weird eyes and a creepy smile.”
“That sound scary,” you mumble, ruffling her hair a little bit. “I’m sorry you had to dream about that.”
“Thanks, but it wasn’t that bad. I just hope I don’t have to dream about it again.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to,” you say, spying your parents in the living room. “Good morning.”
They look up, both sending you a smile. “Morning girls. Sleep well?”
“I did. Ib said she had a nightmare, though.”
“Oh no! What was it about?” your mom asks, shifting her gaze to Ib.
“A creepy doll or something…it just kept staring at me.”
“Well, it can’t hurt you now,” you dad adds, smiling softly. You nod, about to say something when you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket. A glance at the screen reveals that it’s a message from Garry:
Look at what I found!!
Attached is a picture of a chunky little groundhog peacefully nibbling on a patch of grass. You giggle quietly, typing a quick response:
Oh, that’s so cute!
“What’re you giggling at?” questions your father, taking a sip from his coffee as he eyes you.
“Oh, a friend just sent me a meme,” you reply, slipping your phone back into your pocket.
“I see.”
“Well, we hope you both have a great day. Take snacks if you need them, and be careful on your way there and back!”
“We will, Mom. Love you guys!”
“We love you too. Stay safe!”
The day drags on as normal once you drop Ib off at her school. Every class had been filled with you impatiently checking the time every so often. With every passing minute, you grew more and more excited about your upcoming meeting with Garry.
Since you get out earlier than Ib does today, that means you can walk with Garry before you pick her up. You have about two hours before that rolls around, and Garry should be at the coffee shop by the time you arrive.
As soon as your last class ends, you gather your belongings quickly before exiting. You mentally groan when you see that the elevator already has a line of people waiting for its ascent, so you decide to take the stairs again.
Thankfully, the light spring in your step makes the descent a bit easier to bear this time around. You’re on the ground floor before you know it.
Once more, the cool breeze envelopes your skin the moment you step outside. A soft smiles lines your lips as you pull out your phone, opening your messages app:
Hey Garry! I’m on my way now, I should be there in about five minutes or so
I’ll be waiting :)
“Nice,” you mumble as you read the message, stuffing your phone back in your pocket afterwards. The walk this time around seems much shorter than it was yesterday. Not that you’re complaining, because it seems like forever since you’ve wanted to talk to someone like this.
Soon enough, you find yourself in front of the café again. You push the door open, glancing inside to find Garry sitting at the same spot, phone in hand.
“Garry!”
He turns before smiling, standing up as you make your way over to him.
“Hello there!” he greets.
“Hey,” you respond. “How are you?”
“I’m doing well, and how about yourself?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” You really like how he’s so well-mannered, and actually enunciates his words. It sends a fluttery feeling to your stomach – one that feels almost nostalgic in an odd way.
“I decided it would be better if we ordered together, since we’re walking,” he says as the two of you approach the counter.
“Oh, thank you.”
“Of course.”
With that, the two of you place your orders before waiting at the end of the counter again. The silence between the two of you is comfortable, thankfully. You’re still excited, but part of you is growing a bit nervous now.
You dart from thought to thought for a few minutes before the barista slides your drinks onto the counter, smiling at the two of you. You realize it’s the same one that served you yesterday.
“Hey guys! Good to see you again. Sorry about the mix-up yesterday.”
“That’s quite all right,” Garry replies. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it!” you add, picking up your drink. “Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome. Have a great day, guys.”
“You too!”
With that, the two of you swiftly exit the coffee shop, prepared for the walk.
You notice Garry has gone silent, staring ahead distantly. You follow his gaze, only to see that the old art gallery is the subject of his attention.
“Ever been in there?” you question.
“I visited it once, almost a year or so ago,” he comments, frowning.
“Funny. I went around a year ago too,” you say. Could that have been where you saw him?
“Interesting. Perhaps that’s where we saw each other?”
“It could be,” you note. “Wait. My sister went too. Maybe she’d recognize you, since she was with me that day?”
“Oh, maybe!”
“You should come with me when I go to pick her up from school, then. Her memory is way better than mine.”
He laughs a little, closing his eye as he does so. It makes you wonder why he hides his other eye behind his hair. “How long do you have until then?”
“A little under two hours,” you say, stepping a little closer to Garry in order to give passing people more room to walk. The two of you are still outside of the coffee shop, studying the art gallery intently.
“Ah, plenty of time.”
“Yeah. So, which way should we go?”
“I say we begin by heading right. From there, we can just go where the wind takes us.”
“I like the sound of that,” you say as the two of you start walking.
From there, you both fall into another comfortable silence. It seems to be a bit more thoughtful this time around, but as you sip on your drink and view your surroundings, you feel your shoulders relaxing more and more. How long had it been since you just enjoyed time with a friend like this?
For the most part, it remains quiet, but the two of you exchange a bit of get-to-know-the-other questions. You’re surprised at how comfortable you feel with him. It’s…natural. Like this is how things are supposed to be. Despite this, you know there’s something you’re missing.
It takes you a second to realize that Garry has stopped, leaving you a few feet in front of him. He’s turned towards the forest encircling the town, his eye apparently having been caught.
“Garry? Is something wrong?”
“I… No, but…well, I can’t quite explain it. But I feel like…” he trails off, frowning as he steps forward. Curiosity piqued, you follow him, staying quiet when he bends down to look at something.
“This,” he states, picking the object up. You frown, going to look at it.
“A blue petal?” you wonder, frowning. “What’s that doing here? It’s fall, and there are no blue flowers over here.”
Your friend nods in agreement. “I have the strangest feeling that I should hold onto this.”
“Then keep it somewhere safe. Your gut is almost always right.”
You’re about to add something when…
“Ow!” you cry, grunting as a sharp pain emanates from your head. It’s like a headache, but way more intense.
You hear Garry saying your name before he too cries out, kneeling down as well. You clutch your skull, willing for the pain to subside, when…
A/N: Thanks for the support on this series so far! I hope you enjoyed. I hope that the next chapter will be out soon. Reblogs, likes, and comments are all highly appreciated <3333 Also, please let me know if you'd like to be tagged for updates :D
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catxsnow · 3 years
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I want to see Tim go absolutely feral.
Tim Drake, the guy who always has the right intentions, even with the sometimes wrong means of doing so. The guy that always seems to know what he's doing and is always one step ahead. The guy that always has everything under control because he's already planned everything out from the moment he steps into a room.
It always seems that he's so in control of every situation that nothing could go wrong. It's true for the longest time. Bruce trusts Tim to keep everyone safe on his own. If there's anyone that's going to get every civilian out alive, it's him. Everyone knows that Tim won't ever cross that line.
Until he does.
It was an accident, it really was. Tim had been getting stronger, his moves more agile than ever before. He didn't realize just how hard he could swing his bo-staff and just how precise a hit to the temple could be. Tim didn't realize that he had taken the last breath of a man until it was too late.
He wasn't scared of what Bruce was going to say, or Dick, or Jason - or anyone. That wasn't what he was scared of. It wasn't that he was petrified at how easy it was to kill someone. No, Tim was scared because everything that he had ever done finally clicked into place. Why was he the one that had to risk his life to save the bad guys? Why was he the one that needed to reach the brink of death just so that some scumbag could live and breathe again?
Tim couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't keep putting himself out there when he knew there was a better way. And so he did the one thing Batman refused to do: he killed. Tim broke free of this ridiculous rule that Bruce instilled into him. He was tired of it, tired of coming home broken and bruised.
They were minor at first - criminals scumbags that had no family and no one to miss them. Breaking free of Batman's vice grip of justice to find his own way - the better way. His brother's trying to bring him back before it was too late. His friends were unsure of what happened to their headstrong leader.
Tim got lost in the darkness far quicker than some of their enemies. He worked his way up from petty criminals to the ones that really matter. Boomerang. Calculator. Clock King. Kid Crusader. Mad Hatter. Joker. Ra's al Ghul.
It's Ra's that finally tips the scales. His brother's siding with Bruce on his quest to stop Tim. Cassie and Bart realizing that Tim has completely lost his moral sense of direction. It's Kon that stays with him. Kon believed in his best friend because Tim has never proven him wrong.
It's when he's standing above Ra's dead body does everyone realizes just how far he's gone. The league in shambles, blood soaking his hands, the criminals of Gotham - hell, of the world are starting to fear the Robin that they never had to worry about before. Everyone is scared because Tim's lost it.
Tim's gone completely feral against his enemies because he's so fucking bad at himself for wasting his years bedridden and in pain when he could have been doing this all along. He's pissed at Bruce for persuading him to fall under his moral code and keep everyone alive. Why is it his choice that everyone gets to live?
Why does the Bat get to decide that the people that have killed so many get to keep breathing themselves? He shouldn't have that power. No one deserves to say that people like Joker get to keep living after everything they've done. Tim couldn't stand by anymore - whether or not Bruce agreed with his plans.
So when the day comes that Bruce has to face his son, it's horrendous. It's not very often that Tim has seen Bruce cry. Damian's death. Jason coming back to life. Dick getting shot in the head by KGBeast. There are very few cases that Bruce breaks down. Seeing Tim for the first time since Boomerang's death? That was one of those times.
Tim's bo-staff is blood-stained. His knuckles bruised and scarred far worse than ever before. New cuts on facing from facing his foes like never before. It's not the physicality of it all that makes Bruce like this. It's the look in Tim's eyes that breaks his heart.
The look of someone who doesn't care that they've killed, that takes pride in those that they've killed. Tim's got that empty, horrendous look in his eyes that Bruce has only ever seen that look in the people that Tim's already killed. No one came back once they had that look in their eyes.
It's that night that Tim realizes that he can't have anyone getting in his way - not when the safety of everyone is at stake. Why stop at the Joker or Ra's? Lex, Deathstroke, hell even Darkseid? Why let those people roam free when they can be stopped? Tim has the power, he's always had the power to put an end to it.
It was Bruce's code that held him back before, and now, it was Bruce himself. So Tim gives him the ultimatum - stay out of his way, or become an enemy. If there was one thing about Batman that Tim knew, it was that he was never going to stand aside when someone was in harm's way.
So what was Tim supposed to do? Let Bruce take him to Arkham to miraculously bring him back to his old self? Nothing about him had changed - he was still the same boy he once was. The difference was now his mind had been cleared of all tainting Bruce had cast on him. Tim couldn't lose to Bruce, not when he still had so much work to do.
Tim did what he had to. He did what no one else in Gotham managed to do. He got rid of the Bat, once and for all.
With Bruce Wayne gone, Tim had no one holding him back. No one to try and sway his moral compass that all this killing was wrong. No one to stop him from cleaning up the world from people that didn't deserve another breath. Batman was gone, and it was Tim's turn to be the protector of Gotham - the right way to protect Gotham.
It was at that moment did everyone realize just how far he was willing to go. Clark, who swore that Bruce could bring his son back home. Dick, who was horrified that Tim was able to go as far as to kill his adoptive father. Kon, who swore that Tim always knew what was right, suddenly faltering at every choice he's made.
Kon, who realizes that this whole time that he was back Tim up, that he was only pushing his father and father towards the edge. Killing Bruce, that had been the final push to get him to fall. Tim would never be able to return to that ledge, not when he had dived headfirst off of it. Kon, who realized that he was the one that was encouraging his best friend to become a monster.
Dick, who knows that he has to face Tim for what he's done. Dick, who tries to stand up against his little brother who murdered their father. Dick, who's on his knees, pleading for Tim to realize what he was doing and that he was going too far. He could forgive him for Ra's, JOker, hell all the other petty criminals that had been disposed of. But Bruce?
Bruce who had given them so much had created this life for them when they had nothing else. Dick couldn't look past that, he could never look past that.
When Tim gives him the ultimatum - the same one that he had given Bruce - Dick can't accept. He can't get on board with this, this mad way of justice. Dick lets Tim defeat him because he can't fight his brother, not even after everything that he's done. All he can see while looking up at Tim from his knees is the little boy that was so filled with joy, so filled with hope to make the world a better place.
Dick's broken because how the hell was he supposed to stop someone who he practically raised, that would now go to no end to take out every criminal he could. How is he supposed to take down Tim until he can't get back up when all he can think about was the first time that he brought Tim to the Titan's Tower and seeing the same joy on his face the first time he arrived all those years ago.
Tim falters, only for a moment. He can't take Dick down as easily as Bruce because he knows that the only reason that he's given up is because he is too broken to fight back. Dick has so much hope in him that Tim will realize that this is wrong. He doesn't; he doesn't realize that what he's doing is wrong because he's not wrong.
It's that split second that everything happens so fast that he can't control it for the first time since he started this mission. Dick moving so fast in one last hope that Tim will come back as himself because he sees that flash of hesitance. It's his last mistake. Tim moves out of reaction, not thinking about his movements but pushing Dick so hard that he stumbles towards the ledge of the building they're upon.
Dick grabbing onto the ledge with all his strength with Tim just standing above him, staring at his brother without thinking to help him back up. He gives him the same ultimatum once more. Dick doesn't have the voice to reply, his throat is tight and it feels like claws dragging down it. He can’t breath, can’t think properly. Dick’s destroyed at what’s become of his brother. 
He doesn't need a response, it's his release of the ledge that answers Tim's question.
Dick takes a final fall, just as his parents had. The fall that started this whole thing - that brought Tim to where he is now. The fall that ended the Grayson family, once and for all.
another (longer than ten minutes this time I promise) ficlet angst! Because apparently I like making you suffer. Had some help this time with @pricetagofficial @river-bottom-nightmare @screennamealreadyused and @subtleappreciation
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hotjellycow · 4 years
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𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚒 𝚂. 𝚡 𝚂𝙼𝚁
𝙷𝚊𝚒𝚔𝚢𝚞𝚞
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙻𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗 18+
𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍
𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐(𝚜): 𝙵𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐,  𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚒'𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚊𝚜𝚜
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I was driving down the road on my way to Karasuno high since I was picking up Daichi up from practice. I put the car in park and got out with my backpack hanging off my shoulder, I closed my door and began walking to where I though the gym was.
I got lost walking around until I saw a large gymnasium ahead. I heard balls bouncing and opened the door quietly trying not to make a scene, I peeked in and saw some human tangerine and human blueberry arguing on the court, I turned and saw suga talking with tanaka and nishinoya. I walked up and tapped Suga’s shoulder, he turned and smiled when he saw me “Ah! (Y/n) I didn’t know you were coming today you should've told me!” We hugged and greeted each other, “Here for Daichi eh?” 
You nodded silently when someone aggressively pat your back, “Hey man! Long time no see!” Nishinoya said patting my bag still, “Yeah we haven’t seen you in a while!” Tanak also said, patting my back as well. 
“Hey guys,” I said rubbing your back from all the aggressive pats, they were going to continue talking when a voice interrupted. “(Y/N)?” I looked back to see Daichi with some water in his hands, I smiled and walked up to him. I gave him a big hug and pecked each other's lips, “You came early,” he said still hugging you, “Yeah the traffic was better than expected” I replied, he nodded and pecked my cheek, “Well you can sit on the bench while I fin-” he spoke but was interrupted by a loud voice. 
“DAICHI-SENPAI! You have a boyfriend!” they yelled, looking over to see the tangerine and blue berry staring at you, I looked and saw a blonde headed boy with a green headed freckled child staring at us too. “Oh, um yeah..” Daichi answered, “Why didn’t you tell us?!” he screamed jumping around me. 
“You never really asked?” the child stopped jumping and stood in front of me along with the blue headed boy, “Do you play volleyball!?” they both asked at the same time staring up at me. 
“No but I play basketball,” I answered truthfully scratching the back of my neck since their intense staring started making my uncomfortable. They both got sparkles in their eyes, “Thats so cool! You should play volleyball you’re taller than Tsukishima!” he said pointing to the tall blonde boy.
“Shut up Hinata” Tsukishima said causing the green boy to chuckle. “So, your Tsukishima, you’re Hinata, I’m guessing you’re Kageyama and you are Yamaguchi?” I questioned pointed at each of them, they all nodded.  
“ALL OF YOU GET BACK TO PRACTICE, BREAK TIME IS OVER!” their coach yelled, I looked at Daichi, “You can wait over there,” he pointed to a chair, I nodded and walked over setting my stuff down. I bought my phone out scrolling through social medias and anything that can entertain me for the time being, I was scrolling though tiktok when I glanced up towards the court. 
 I saw them playing a short practice game with Daichi, Suga, and Asashi against Hinata, Nishinoya and Kageyama. I looked over to Daichi seeing him move around bending down jumping and saving balls but that’s not what I was paying attention, I was looking at the way his ass and thighs looked playing. 
The way he would bend down causing his thighs would flex, his ass on display, the sweat glistening down his thighs making them look delicious.
I gulped turning my eyes away from them, embarrassed I was even looking at them in public, I looked over again to see him in a volleyball position, displaying his ass to everyone. 
I just went back to looking at my phone but couldn’t stop thinking about his ass and the way they looked in those shorts. 
(After Practice) 
“Bye guys!” Daichi waved at the team as we walked to my car, they waved back going separate ways.
Daichi set his stuff down in the backseat while I got in the drivers, he got into the passenger's side and closed the door, “We’re going to your place, right?” he asked glancing over at you, “Yeah, I have some clothes you can borrow by the way,” you answered pulling out of the parking lot.  
He nodded smiling at you, “So how was your day (Y/N)” he asked you, you shrugged, “It was pretty good practice was cancelled because of the coach having a family emergency so that’s why I came early,” you replied smiling as well, “But how was yours it looked like you were doing good during practice.” 
“Oh, it's been good the team has gotten better working together and the first years are doing really good now!” he answered happily. I nodded as we pulled into my house's driveway. 
We got out of the car and entered the house, “Are your parents' home?” 
“Nah they got a business trip thing, so they left, so it's just us,” I said putting our stuff down, “Wanna go to my room?” he nodded also putting his stuff down and following me up to my room.
We began changing into some more comfy clothes I looked over the see Daichi putting on one of my hoodies, I gulped again before walking over I wrapped my hands around his waist as he was looking at a pair of my sweats. “(Y/N)? What are you doing? I’m still changing,” he blushed, I put my hands on his shoulder turning him.  
“Sit on my face.” 
He blushed realizing what I had said, I blushed also realizing what I had said, I let go of him, “Only if you w-want to!” I raised my hands up embarrassed by the suggestion, he looked at me making me shy, he then grabbed my hand pulling it down. "I'd be w-willing to try” he said giving me a smile, I smiled as well leaned in kissing him. 
I pushed my tongue inside his mouth kissing him deeper, he wrapped his arms around my neck pushing his body into mine.
We got on the bed with me in the bottom and him straddling my hips, “(Y/N) aren’t I too heavy,” he said shyly holding my hand. 
“Of course, not baby,” I reassured him, he nodded, “Are you ready?” he nodded and slowly got closer hovering over my face. He looked down at me, I grabbed his hips bringing him down. I spread his cheeks before licking his entrance, he jolted from the feeling. I pulled him down more pushing my tongue in slowly, he moaned panting hard, I then fully entered my tongue thrusting in an out.  
“(Y/N) ~” he moaned; I thrusted my tongue in licking his walls trying to find his most sensitive spot. He began rocking his hips on my face, humping my while panting, “(Y/N) I-it feels good~” 
I began eating him out harder, ravishing him making his whole-body shake, “O-Oh shit~ ngh!” His moaning getting louder causing me to get hard from his sexy noises. I continued until he let out a silent scream, he stopped moving for a second before rocking his hips harder, “T-There! YES~” I continued abusing his prostate with my tongue as he continued humping my face until he completely halted, “A-AH~!” he moaned coming on himself as his hole tightened around my tongue. I pulled it out picking his hips up and putting him back on my hips. 
He was panting trying to regain his breath, “Are you ok baby?” I asked grabbing his hand and rubbing it. He nodded I was about to get up to clean him when he grabbed onto my shoulders again.
“Your still hard,” he said grinding his hips on mine. I groaned at the feeling, he pulled down my pants and underwear releasing my erected penis.
He leaned down and began picking up my erection, I put my hand up and grabbed his hair, he looked up before taking me all into his mouth. I moaned at the warm feeling of his mouth, he licked around my dick bobbing his head up and down making slurping noises.  
“F-fuck Daichi~” I moaned throwing my head back, I was about to cum when he pulled away, I looked down to see him turn his body around.
I was confused until I saw him hovering over my dick, he then lowered himself completely taking in my penis. (Reverse cowgirl) 
“FUCK! ~” I moaned at the unexpected feeling of his ass wrapped around me, he didn’t even give me a chance to think before bouncing up and down. 
I grabbed onto his hips helping him raise his hips up and down, “G-GaH~ (Y/N) ~ You feel so g-good inside of m-me, hah~” he moaned going faster. I thrusted up into him, the sudden feeling causing him to gasp and moan, I closed my eyes groaning.
He held onto my hands that were on his hips, I went faster coming closer to my end. The sight of my dick going in and out of his ass turning me on more, “Daichi ngh~ can I-I?” you questioned.  
“Y-Yes~ Please~!” he moaned, I slammed him down on my dick holding him down until I came inside of him. He came on himself again from the feeling of my warm semen inside of him. We sat there before he lifted himself pulling myself out of him. I watched as my seed dripped down his ass, he turned around looking at me. We stared at each other before we starting chuckling, “Are you ok baby? Did it feel good?” you questioned. He nodded, “Yeah it felt good,” he said, I nodded and stood up getting him come clean clothes. 
I grabbed a towel and some paper towels, I walked back into the room to see him lying on his stomach smiling to himself. I smiled and walked up to him sitting beside him, I began cleaning him up with the paper towels, “Does it hurt baby, your hips?” 
“Yeah but when I take the pain killers it’ll be fine, also (Y/N)?” 
“Yeah?” 
“I saw you staring at me earlier.” 
I blushed bright red.
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sokkascroptop · 3 years
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traitor. (sokka x f!reader) pt 22
part 1 | part 21 | part 23
a/n: just for clarification... one of these days Y/N will be happy. I promise. For being set in prison, this is a pretty upbeat chapter. She’s surrounded by her simps so that helps. Also, let it be clear, no Sokka/Suki kiss in her cell for obvious reasons. I like to think of her as being really happy for Sokka and Y/N, plus she’s like soooo wlw.  
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Y/N had heard all about The Boiling Rock. 
It was the most notorious prison in the Fire Nation which meant kids at school had endless stories and rumors about the place. That also meant that any knowledge that Y/N could remember about the place was probably not true. 
She spent the whole balloon ride there chewing on the skin around her nails and wondering what was going to happen once she got there. 
Y/N tried not to think about the harsh words her father had said to her. It had been the same rhetoric he had spouted over the years, before and after bad training sessions, or any time she got into any type of trouble. It didn’t matter that it was the same thing she’d hear time and time again–about how she lacked the strength and determination that all of her ancestors had carried high on their shoulders–it all still hurt. Each and every time she heard it, she started to believe it a little more. The games her father liked to play on her mind were always bound to catch up to her. Even though she had just learned that her father would rather see her dead than alive on the other side of the war, she was still feeling guilty for disappointing him again. 
Y/N took a deep breath through her nose filling her lungs with the hot air from inside the airship. She held for a pause and let it out slowly; she kept doing that, staving off the tears that were bound to come. It would be better for her if she didn’t cry in front of her fellow prisoners. She would only need to keep her cool for a little bit longer, tonight, when she was alone in the cell she would get to call home, she could muffle her cries into the lumpy pillow that was bound to be under her head. And then she could be happily numb to it all. Her father, the war, her friends. Sokka. Feelings couldn’t be felt at Boiling Rock. The only way she was going to survive was if she felt nothing at all. 
Y/N spent the day as they travelled looking around the airship at the rest of the prisoners on board. They were all in separate cells and she was only able to visualize a few of them. Large men with lots of tattoos seemed to be the main character, but one thing was certain. Hakoda wasn’t one of them. Y/N didn’t want to think about why he was left behind.
The farther they traveled the warmer it got too. The metal that surrounded them was unforgiving and trapped the humidity making it hard to breathe. Y/N wanted to drop to her knees and thank the gods when she finally felt the airship touch the ground. Except that outside it was just as hot as inside and smelled like sulfur from the volcano the prison was situated on. 
Each and every prisoner was handcuffed before they stepped off the airship. The guard that had waved fire in her face and threatened to burn Y/N’s fingers off latched hers. He was young and smirked at her as he tightened the cuffs to the point that her hands went numb. Y/N leaned forward and spit on his boots before she stepped away.
She was shuffled onto one of the gondolas with the rest of the prisoners in a single file line. Y/N did her best to school her expression. Terror spread through her body like a wildfire, so strong that her knees shook, but this was the last place she needed to look scared. She tightened her jaw and stared blankly ahead of her. Staying blissfully numb wasn’t working quite yet. She began to think about her friends; where they were and how they were doing. Was Aang still worried about firebending? Or had his worries shifted to the comet by now? Was Katara trying to mediate the situation? Was Sokka mad at Y/N? She groaned inwardly. Oh man, he would be mad when he found out what she got herself into. 
Y/N picked at the collar of the shirt they’d made her change into. It was thick, almost burlap material. They even smelled like it too. It itched her neck and her back where it touched her skin just a little too much. The pants were no better on her waist. After making her change in front of them, the female guards had let her into the yard that Y/N had seen from the gondola. Y/N kicked her shoe against the packed dirt and looked at her surroundings. High walls surrounded her, topped with razor-sharp wire. It was a meaningless deterrent, the whole prison was surrounded by a boiling lake, no one could get out of here. 
Y/N leaned against the wall as she surveyed the prisoners around her. 
Then, Y/N did a double take.
It was impossible. It couldn’t be. Suki?
Y/N felt her feet fly under her as she ran to the girl; she paid no mind to the people she bumped into or pushed out of the way, Y/N just had to know if it was true. 
“Suki? Is that you?”
She looked so different from the last time Y/N had seen her. Her face was free of the pale Kyoshi makeup and much tanner than Y/N had remembered. How long had it been since they’d met? Y/N asked herself. Weeks? Months even? 
She was sitting on a bench in the middle of the yard, leaning back on her hands, but quickly stood up when Y/N approached her. Y/N was sure the girls hair was longer too. Half of it was pulled up and tied at the back of her head. It was choppy at the ends, much like Y/N’s was when Katara had first cut it, like she had been cutting it herself since being here. Suki’s brown eyes were expressionless when she looked back at Y/N. If she recognized Y/N, she didn’t show it. Either Suki had mastered the look of emptiness that was needed to survive, or she had fallen into a pit of despair. It had been months, Y/N concluded.
Suddenly, as if she had been struck by lightning, she cocked her head to the side. “Y/N?”
Y/N grinned and walked directly up to Suki. She didn’t know what she expected from the girl. A bow? A handshake? Maybe even a hug for having slipped her that fan before leaving? I mean, Y/N didn’t exactly know about Azula’s plan in the first place and she surely didn’t realize that even after trying to help them escape Azula would have the Kyoshi warriors captured and imprisoned. Suki would understand.
---
Suki did not understand. 
She wound her arm back and punched Y/N so hard in the mouth that she saw stars. 
Y/N crouched on the ground holding a hand against her throbbing bottom lip. Her eyes watered from the pain and when she pulled her hand away it was spotted with blood. More blood from her cut lip dripped onto the ground and balled up in the dirt. Y/N spit what was in her mouth out to the side. She ran her tongue against the cut her tooth made, lapping up any blood before it could run down her chin. She could hear the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ of the other prisoners around them; they had formed a tight circle around her and Suki, itching to watch the cat fight they knew was bound to ensue and protecting them from the prying eyes of any guards near.
Y/N stood up and faced Suki. “That hurt.” Was all Y/N could think of to say. 
Surprisingly, she wasn’t even mad. Somehow it made her feel good. Suki was still there. She wasn’t as empty as Y/N thought her to be from first glance. Something about the presence of Y/N reawakened something in Suki. Y/N could see fire in her eyes as she held up her hands, preparing for a defense she wasn’t going to need. 
“Good,” Suki smiled. 
“Now what?” Y/N asked. She brushed her thumb past the cut and licked the blood off it. 
“Now, we’re even.” 
--- a few weeks later
Sokka peeked around the corner of the wall. “I still don’t see her.”
“Well, she’s gotta be around here somewhere.”
“What if she’s not here, Zuko. What if you heard wrong from Azula?” Sokka’s hands were sweaty and it wasn’t because of the heat. 
“She’s here.” Zuko’s words didn’t necessarily comfort Sokka’s pounding heart, but it was nice to be able to rely on someone else’s confidence for once. 
Sokka looked from side to side, scanning each and every prisoner. It shouldn’t have been so hard, most of them were huge guys with beefy arms, he was looking for the only teenage girl within miles. He was just about to suggest to Zuko that they find somewhere else to continue their search–maybe somewhere higher where they could look down–when he spotted her. 
“There!” Sokka pointed at her for Zuko. Her arms were resting on her thighs and she was staring at the ground between her feet. “I’ll go pull her aside and tell her what’s going on.” Sokka stood up from their hiding place only to be immediately pulled back down by Zuko. 
“Hey, what are you–” he started.
“Sokka, look. That girl, next to Suki. Is that–?” Zuko trailed off with wide eyes, his hand never leaving Sokka’s biceps as he stared. 
Sokka looked back to Suki and–
Sokka couldn’t stop staring either. That was Y/N. His Y/N. Here. At Boiling Rock. Standing right there in front of him. 
The last image he had of her was burned into his mind. Her standing on the cliffside with his father and half his tribe behind her as she watched him go. He’d hung over the back of Appa’s saddle until they were miles away and it had been hours since he’d seen her. 
And now she was here with her hand on her hip, looking–surveying the yard around her. Suki was doing the same from her seat next to her. As Y/N turned more his way he could see a bruise high on her cheek and split lip even from how far away he was. She was practically looking directly at him but there was no recognition on her face. Of course there wouldn’t be. He was wearing a guards helmet. He was dressed like one more of her enemies. 
Suddenly her face broke into a smile as she began to laugh at something Suki had said. Sokka could feel his heart skip three beats. He wanted to run to her, but he knew he couldn’t. Everything in their original plan had changed now. If she was here, was his father here too?
---
Y/N lay curled up her side on her cot. Even though it was the middle of the day she was trying to fit a nap in. Hell, there wasn’t anything else to do. The darkness of her cell helped but trying to fall asleep was always half the battle, day or night. She was exhausted, never getting more than a few hours a night, but even then sleep evaded her. The mattress was too lumpy and the clothes were too itchy and the cell was too hot but the worst part was that she was alone. She hadn’t slept alone in months, and it showed now. She used to think that Appa’s snoring was annoying and that Katara talking in her sleep was distracting but now, Y/N missed it. She missed the crackle of the fire and the soft breathing of all her friends around her. She missed the wind in the trees, rustling the leaves and the gurgle of creeks nearby. Most of all, she missed the comfort of her friends being near. The secure feeling of being able to sit up after waking from a nightmare and count the sleeping bodies around you and know that you were safe because they would never let anything happen to you. 
Thinking about being near them again allowed her to drift off into a doze. She was in that state of half sleep when she heard the click of metal as her door was opened. Y/N’s eyes snapped open, but she didn’t move. Whoever was in her cell with her was trying to be quiet. Y/N waited until they got close enough to surprise them. 
She sat up quickly and turned on them. “What are you doing in here?”
The guard jumped back like they didn’t expect her to wake up. “I–”
“What are you doing?” Y/N stood up and took a step towards them. 
The guard held up their hands defensively. “Wait, Y/N it’s me!”
Y/N gasped when she heard his voice. It was unmistakable, she didn’t need to watch as he lifted his helmet off because she was already barreling forward to pull him into a hug. 
“Zuko, what are you doing here?” Y/N asked, her nose pressed into his chest. She hadn’t hugged her friend in a long, long time. After everything they had been through, she didn’t know if she ever would again. Despite everything that had gone down between the two of them in the last few months, it was a relief to see a friendly face. Even if the last time she saw him he was throwing fire at her. “How did you know I was here?”
“We didn’t–”
Y/N pulled away as her eyes widened. “We? Is Azula here?” Y/N could feel her heart beat a little faster. Of course Azula would be there too. Probably the second they heard of her capture they came to rescue her. Even after all of it, Y/N still meant that much to them, right? Azula and Y/N might not have parted on the best of terms but even she was smart enough to know that Boiling Rock wasn’t where Y/N belonged. Zuko standing in her cell was proof enough of that. 
It might have been child-like wishful thinking, but maybe Azula had rethought Y/N offer to come with her. Maybe both her and Zuko had changed their minds...
Zuko shook his head slowly, then began to chuckle. “I guess it’s been a long time since we talked.”
Azula wasn’t there to save her. Y/N hated that she deflated with disappointment. Y/N was silent which Zuko took as his cue to explain. 
“I left the Fire Nation—“
Y/N’s jaw dropped. 
“—the day of the Black Sun. And I–well, I joined up with your friends. I’m the Avatar’s new firebending teacher.” Zuko scratched the back of his neck and laughed uncomfortably. 
Y/N shook her head to clear it. Her thoughts were whirling inside her brain. No Azula but–“Wait, so does that mean Sokka is here? Toph? Where are they?” Y/N grabbed hastily at Zuko’s sleeves.
“Sokka is getting Suki.”
“Suki?” For a brief moment, Y/N forgot that her friend was even in the cell down the hall. 
“Well, yeah we decided that it wouldn’t be the best I went in there.”
“Wait… so if you didn’t even know I was here until you got here, were you coming to get her?” Y/N couldn’t help that jealousy crawled up her throat and forced its way into her words at the thought that somewhere very near her, Sokka was meeting up with Suki and not her.
“Why do I feel like I said the wrong thing?” 
“No!” Y/N said defensively. “No, just..” Now it was Y/N’s turn to laugh awkwardly. “What’s the plan?” 
“I’ll let Sokka tell you that, he’s the plan guy. Come on, we’ll meet at Suki’s cell.” It was almost like Zuko was trying to reassure her. Sokka was here. Not just here at Boiling Rock–but near her–just walls away. Y/N wanted to feel embarrassed at the way her heart sped up, embarrassed at how much she had missed Sokka and how much she had realized that she relied on him for so much since they had met. Y/N wasn’t supposed to rely on anyone. 
Zuko opened Y/N’s cell door, motioning for her to go out ahead of him. Out of an abundance of precaution, Y/N glanced to the left and then to the right first, looking for any sign of a real guard outside making rounds. When there was none, she stepped out, and felt a weight lift off her chest. Y/N wondered if this was all really happening or if it was some cruel dream she would wake up from. 
However, that was a mistake on her part–to hope for something that hadn’t happened in the first place. She should have waited until she was miles away to let out that breath she had been holding since she arrived. 
Stepping from around the corner was the female guard that was always assigned to this cell block. Y/N forced her feet to keep moving forward and hastened to remind herself that to an outsider, neither her or Zuko had done anything wrong; yet. Y/N nudged him in the ribs and hoped that he would take the hint. Luckily, Zuko was on the same page and grabbed her bicep roughly, like he was escorting an unruly prisoner.
 Y/N turned her head slightly to the side, letting her hair fall across her face, hiding her identity. This guard in particular was not the biggest fan of hers, always saying Y/N was too mouthy and threatening to send her to the cooler every chance she got. Even if Y/N had been led out of her cell for a legitimate reason, she still probably would have stopped them. 
The guard was easily two steps away and had barely made a glance in Y/N’s and Zuko’s direction. At first Y/N thought they were home free. That is until the female guard slid in front of Zuko, blocking their path. “Where are you taking her?”
Y/N’s head snapped up and she felt instant regret as the guard realized who Zuko was escorting. Beside her, Y/N could feel Zuko tense up, his hand tightening around her arm unconsciously. “I was uh, taking this prisoner to the yard,” Zuko stuttered out. 
Y/N wanted to facepalm. 
The guard frowned deeply. “This cell block has already been to the yard this morning. You should know that.”
Zuko’s hand was now a vice on Y/N’s arm, begging her to help him. He chuckled awkwardly. “Oh. Yeah, I’m–um–new?”
“I was unaware that we had anyone new working on this block…” The guard’s eyes widened underneath her mask and Y/N knew it was now or never. 
“Oh, for god’s sake,” Y/N growled. She ripped her arm out of Zuko’s grip and pushed the other woman down to the ground, holding her forearm to her neck. “Run!” She shouted to Zuko. 
Zuko took off immediately, his boots slapping against the metal floors. Y/N tried to watch him go while holding the guard down but she caught a knee to the stomach that made her wheeze and the woman tore into Y/N’s arm with her nails. “What are you doing?!” She screeched at Y/N.
The two of them rolled around on the ground, fighting for an advantage. Y/N grasped the guard’s long ponytail hauling her back and gripped her in a headlock. 
Zuko was nearly to the stairs, as soon as she could no longer see him, Y/N would let go and accept whatever punishment that would be thrown at her for attacking a guard, even if it meant going to the cooler. She could take it.
Just at that moment another guard came racing up the steps, apparently having heard the ruckus that Y/N had started. Except it wasn’t just another guard. It was Sokka. His helmet was hanging loosely from his hand, and it nearly slipped out of his grip when he saw the scene before him. 
Y/N and Sokka locked eyes for a beat and all of the air rushed out of her lungs as she gasped. 
It took just that moment of distraction for the female guard to gain the upperhand. She leaned forward and using Y/N’s arm, pulled her over her shoulder. Y/N landed hard on her back with a groan. She let the guard push her onto her stomach and kneel on her back as she yanked Y/N’s arms behind her. 
“Get him! He’s an imposter!” the guard shouted to Sokka. 
Y/N couldn’t see–her face was pressed into the cool metal floor, but she could hear the two boys scuffle before Sokka’s voice rang out, “Don’t worry, he won’t get away with this.”
The woman leaned close to Y/N’s ear. Her breath was hot and it made Y/N shudder. “Yeah, and neither will you.”
Y/N wasn’t focused on that right now. Not the interrogation or the punishment for whatever they thought her and Zuko were planning on doing. No, the only thing she focused on was Sokka’s words echoing over and over in her head. Don’t worry, don’t worry. 
She would never worry as long as Sokka was around to save her.
--- 
Y/N leaned her back against the wall of the cell they’d thrown her in. It was in a completely different part of the prison, one she had never seen before. So that couldn’t be good. 
The door slid open with a bang and Y/N couldn’t help but flinch at the sound. The warden smiled cruelly at her. “How did Prince Zuko know you were here?” He asked, right to the point. 
Y/N scoffed and crossed her arms. “Who?”
The warden chuckled darkly. “I know of your connection to the Fire Palace. You might pass anonymously through the crowds of criminals here, but your father sent a warning letter when you arrived, laying out everything you’ve done and everything I should be worried about when it comes to his precious little rebel.” 
Y/N raised her eyebrows but otherwise didn’t make a sound. The warden paced in front of her like her father had so many weeks before, taunting her with hurtful words. Y/N let her eyes slide out of focus as they tracked his movements across the room. 
“How did you get a message out of Boiling Rock to him?” He paused, standing in front of the open door. Y/N cocked her head and looked to the small opening between his body in the door. She couldn’t help the thoughts that intruded her mind about how small in stature the warden was and how fast she could run. There was a slight opening that she could take to run, given the chance, but there were guards posted outside and she’d be caught quickly and easily. 
Y/N shrugged noncommittally. It was no use trying to argue against him, he wouldn’t believe anything she had to say. And she and Zuko had literally been caught doing exactly what they had been accused of. “Maybe I’m just that good.”
 Besides anything she did say could risk Sokka’s disguise. 
“Normally for a stunt like you just pulled, I’d lock you in the cooler for a week. I’d like to see how a non-bender would fare in there for that long.” A smile stretched over his wide lips. “But it might be more entertaining to just leave you to the masses. Everyone here might be a criminal, Y/N, but they are still mostly loyal to their country. And they don’t like people like you or Prince Zuko. It would be a shame for them to find out you were traitors to the Fire Nation.”
“Are you threatening to tell them?” Y/N couldn’t help but ask.
The warden mimed the same disinterested shrug she gave him earlier. “I won’t say anything. They’d have my job for that. But I can’t guarantee someone else won’t have a slip of the tongue in the future.”
The warden turned around and walked out, leaving Y/N with a feeling of urgency. She still didn’t know what Sokka’s plan was, but it was now or never for her and Zuko. Otherwise she had a feeling they could be in real danger. 
---
It was hours before the guards let her out of that cell. She was led back to her cell block and told to do her chores like she had never been taken to be interrogated by the warden in the first place. Y/N spotted Zuko in Y/N’s usual spot next to Suki, mopping the floor by the staircase. 
Y/N took the steps two at a time to get down to the both of them. She slid into the shadows, hiding from any guards who might see her not doing her job. 
“Y/N!” Suki’s eyebrows knitted with worry. “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, the warden was just trying to scare me. Zuko, are you okay?”
He paused his mopping. “What did he say to you?”
Y/N shook her head. “Just some things about how we were working together. He was wondering how I got you to help me escape. He said that it would–” Y/N deepened her voice to mimic the warden, “’be a shame if the other prisoners found out who we were.’ ”
Zuko frowned. “He said that to me too.”
“That’s not good. We have to get out of here as soon as possible,” Suki said. 
“And we will.”
Y/N looked up to see Sokka hanging over the stair railing looking down at the three of them. 
“Sokka,” Y/N breathed in relief. As he came down the stairs to meet them, the only thing Y/N wanted to do was run and jump into his arms, but she knew she couldn’t. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing them. After what had happened with her and Zuko earlier, the guards were sure to keep a close eye on her. She settled for reaching a hand out and squeezing his tightly, trying to convey every emotion she was feeling into that single touch. 
Suki sent Y/N a pitying look. She knew how much Y/N had missed being back with her friends. Prison wasn’t good for a lot of things, but it was good for catching up between two people. And slowly through that, her and Suki had become friends, even if it was a bit unwilling at first. Suki and her had spent the first two days of Y/N arriving just recounting what had happened between the two of them. Y/N learned of the early days of Aang, Katara and Sokka’s travels, the first time they met Suki, even Suki teaching Sokka how to fight like a Kyoshi warrior. 
---
“He was so hopeless,” Suki had giggled. “It was like teaching a platypus-bear how to dance.” And Y/N had laughed. “He was the same when I first taught him how to sword fight!”
“I thought he had a little bit of a crush on me, you see,” Suki smiled slyly, “but when we met the second time in Ba Sing Se, I was sure he didn’t. He was different. More protective, but not in a love-type way. Like he was afraid for me, or what might happen to me.” 
“I don’t know why he’d ever be afraid of that. You’re tough as nails, Suki.” At that point, Suki had flipped her hair over her shoulder and grinned. “I know.” but then her voice lowered. “I don’t know, but I think something happened to him when he was in the North Pole. He didn’t elaborate, but he told me that he lost someone he was close to, and he just couldn’t have it happen again. That’s why he pushed me away. Well,” Suki rolled her eyes, “he kept me close just to keep me at arms length. And then I left them there, at the wall, so me and my girls could go back and help more refugees.”
“And then me.” Y/N chewed on her lip.
Suki watched her. “And then you.”
---
Suki was giving her that same look now. The one where her brown eyes could dig wells into Y/N’s soul. It was like she knew Y/N better than she knew herself. Although at one time there might have been jealousy hidden in those dark eyes, there was none now, just sadness, and understanding. She had spent countless hours with Y/N sharing even the most mundane details about their friends. It passed the time and kept hope alive that someday they might be rescued, even if it took until the end of the war for liberation. 
The foursome crouched down, hiding from any prying eyes. “I think I may have found a way out of here.” Sokka grinned mischievously.
---
Y/N stood on the banks of the boiling lake with Suki, waiting for Sokka to come back with Zuko and the cooler. The wind that blew in off the lake was hot and stifling but at least it was dark now. The night air gave some relief from the humidity. Y/N couldn’t wait to be off the island and well, anywhere else. 
“That was some fight,” Suki kicked at some of the rocks on the beach, doing her best to look disinterested.
She was talking about the fight that had been staged between Y/N and Zuko hours earlier to get him thrown in the cooler. At first it had been just that, a fake fight for a means to an end, but by the end the guards really were pulling them off each other, trying to stop them from killing each other. Y/N rubbed her bruised arm, the one that Zuko had kicked when she had blocked him. It was better than a busted face.
“It got out of hand. We both have tempers.” Y/N had no idea what had set either of them off. One minute they were throwing fake insults at one another, and the next minute Y/N had her hands fisted in the front of his tunic hoping to get another punch in before she was hauled away from him. She hadn’t even realized how mad she was at him until she had come down from the adrenaline high in her cell. And she had yet to figure out why it all came about.
Suki smirked and held up her hands, “Hey, no judgment from me. He burnt down my village, Y/N. He deserves the black eye I hope he gets.”
Now it was Y/N’s turn to smile.
“But–
“Oh my spirits.” Y/N’s smile faded instantly.
Suki huffed. “But, you two need to get along for the time it takes for us to escape. After that, feel free to beat on him as much as you want.” Suki wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ll even help hold him down.”
---
Y/N could tell there was something on Sokka’s mind once the four of them slid the cooler down the hill and into the water. At first the idea of knowing someone that deeply shocked her to her core; the last time that happened it didn’t exactly go well. The second she had that thought the fear melted away like an ice floe. Of course Y/N knew Sokka like that! They spent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week together for weeks on end as they traveled through the Fire Nation. He was her best friend! 
His gaze was downcast and he definitely wasn’t acting like the same person who 30 minutes beforehand had come to her cell and hugged her tightly, sliding his hand into her hair and promising with such conviction that he was going to get her out of there if it was the last thing he did. 
---
Y/N knelt beside Sokka as he pulled out his blue Water Tribe clothes from behind a rock. Y/N laid a hand on his back and felt him tense up. 
“What’s going on?” she murmured. She couldn’t help but think Zuko must have said something to him just as she and Suki had while they were separated. Was he trying to make Sokka think that their fight was her fault?
“We heard some guards talking–”
Anger flared in her chest as Y/N heard Zuko speak. “I didn’t ask you,” she sneered. The only thing that quashed some of her irritation was the beginnings of a bruise on his cheekbone. A black eye for sure, Y/N thought. 
“You know what, Y/N–” Zuko started. 
Y/N didn’t expect Sokka to stand up so suddenly, turning on the both of them. “Knock it off, both of you!” Sokka rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation. “While I was getting Zuko out of the cooler, he and I overhead some guards passing by. They said that there would be more prisoners coming tomorrow. War prisoners.”
“Oh, Sokka, your dad…” Suki left the edge of the lake where she was holding the cooler from floating away and joined the three of them on the rocks. 
“It doesn’t matter.” Sokka shook his head with a look of resolution in his eyes. “Let’s go.”
“Are you sure?” Zuko asked. His voice breaking the thick silence falling over the group. 
“Of course I’m not sure.” Sokka admitted. “But we came here with the purpose to save Suki, and–and we were lucky to find Y/N here too. I feel like we’re risking too much now. If I had cut my losses at the invasion none of this would have happened in the first place. Maybe I need to do that now.”
“No, Sokka,” Y/N stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her. “We stayed behind and that was our choice. Hakoda and I did not get captured because of you.” Y/N didn’t mention that it was because of her they were all in this mess.
“It’s better to call it quits before you lose.” Sokka’s voice was morose.
“Not in this case,” Zuko said. “You can’t quit because you’re afraid you might fail.”
“Even if I stay, what about you two?” Sokka grabbed at Y/N’s hands. “You and Suki should leave, you’ve been here long enough. And you too Zuko, you can get them out of here. I’ll stay behind and find my dad.”
“Not happening,” Y/N muttered. When Sokka opened his mouth to protest she quickly shook her head and added. “We all care about you Sokka. I’m staying.”  
“Me too,” Suki seconded. 
“Me three.” Zuko shared a look of understanding with Y/N. Whatever was happening between them could be figured out later. For now, they needed to work together. 
Sokka pulled Y/N in for a hug. “I hope we’re not making a huge mistake,” he murmured into Y/N’s shoulder. 
“I’m not too sure we have a choice anymore.” Suki pointed out. “The cooler is floating without us in it in the middle of the boiling lake.”
It had been a long time since Y/N had laughed that hard.
---
Y/N paced around her cell. She wished that patience came easier to her but everytime she sat down, she stood back up and began walking in circles again. Hakoda was here, they’d all seen him come off the gondola, but now that they were all separated again, it felt like she was in the dark. 
Sokka had told them he was going to talk to his dad and hopefully the two of them could come up with a new plan that could get everyone out of Boiling Rock. But that had been hours ago and Y/N was starting to get worried that she hadn’t heard anything from him. What if he had gotten caught sneaking into Hakoda’s cell? Different scenarios swirled through her brain and they all ended the same way. Sokka, locked up, wearing the same prisoner’s garb that she was. 
Y/N pressed her palm into her forehead. “Well at least all of us would be together here if that happens.” Y/N muttered to herself. 
“If what happens?” Y/N could see Sokka’s blue eyes peering through the slat in her cell door. 
“Oh thank Agni, you’re here.” Y/N rushed forward to embrace Sokka. 
“Of course I’m here. I told you I’d come back.” Sokka said. 
“Yeah, but I have this very rational fear that you’re going to get caught masquerading as a guard.” Y/N flicked Sokka’s visor with her index finger. 
“I won’t get caught,” Sokka grabbed her hand before she could pull too far away and linked their fingers. “I saw my dad. He told me what happened.”
“Oh?” A lot had happened the day of invasion. She just wasn’t sure what Hakoda had shared. 
“He said you saved the rest of the warriors by luring off the Fire Nation soldiers. Otherwise everyone would have been captured. I couldn’t be more grateful for what you did for them.”
Y/N’s cheeks grew hot. “You would have done the same.” 
“It was kind–” Sokka kissed one blushing cheek. “–and brave–” he kissed her other cheek, “–and very stupid.” He finished by kissing her lips.
Y/N groaned and snaked her arms around his neck. “Please tell me you have a way out of here. It feels weird kissing a guard.”
Sokka laughed. “I do. We’re leaving on the gondola; today. 
Y/N eyes widened. “I’m not even going to ask how we’re going to pull that off.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got everything planned out. I’ve already talked to Suki but…” Sokka paused.
“But what?”
“I can’t find Zuko,” Sokka admitted. 
“Well that’s not good.” Y/N might not have thought too highly of Zuko at the moment but Sokka seemed to be friendly with him and she knew that he wouldn’t leave without him. 
“I’ll keep looking.” Sokka said resolutely. “I’ve got to go. Find me when they let everyone into the yard.” 
“Be careful.” Y/N watched him step outside of her cell and slide the door shut, darkening the room once more. She was halfway to her cot when she heard Sokka’s voice, still outside her door, and it didn’t sound like he was talking to her. 
  Y/N tiptoed closer so she’d be able to hear what he was saying. 
“–they’ve really got to get their act together.” A voice that Y/N didn’t recognize said. 
Sokka chuckled nervously. “Uh haha, yeah. Well, I got this one, you just get the next one, okay?” Y/N could already picture him doing a set of cheesy finger-guns at whoever he was just talking to. 
Just then, the door to her cell slid open again and Sokka stood there with a worried look on his face. 
“What’s going on?” Y/N whispered, unsure whether the other guards were somewhere near. 
“The warden wants to see you.”
--- 
The only thought that was rushing through her head as Sokka marched her back to the interrogation rooms was that she needed to keep one foot in front of the other. Her knees shook the whole way there and Sokka could tell that she was a bundle of nerves. 
“This is why you couldn’t find Zuko,” Y/N said matter-a-factly. 
“What?” Sokka’s head turned to look at her.
Y/N looked straight ahead. “You couldn’t find Zuko because they already pulled him aside to talk to the warden. They probably found that cooler floating in the middle of the lake and assumed that him and I had something to do with it. They’re going to lock down the whole prison trying to figure out how we did it and who helped us and you’re gonna get caught and th–” 
“Y/N, relax,” Sokka squeezed her arm. “You’re hyperventilating.” He looked around the hallway, looking for some place to stop but it was too big of a risk; so they kept walking, albeit Sokka had slowed them down significantly. “No one is going to get caught. I don’t know why the warden wants to talk with you again, but it doesn’t matter. I said we’re getting out of here today and I meant it.” 
“I’m not worried about me,” Y/N said through gritted teeth. “I’m worried about you.”
“I know. But don’t, I can take care of myself.” 
“I know that.” Y/N hoped that what she said didn't offend him. Of course she knew that Sokka was a perfectly capable warrior who could protect himself. But it was just so much easier to be with him every step of the way to watch his back and make absolutely sure he was okay. It was the most frustrating thing about imprisonment. The control that she held so dearly was gone while she’d been here, and she was clawing at the walls trying to get it back. 
“I’ll find Zuko and I’ll come back to get you,” Sokka muttered under his breath as he left her with the pair of guards standing outside of the room. 
---
Y/N had prepared herself to expect anything when the door slid open, but seeing Azula standing there waiting for her was the last thing Y/N expected.
“Azula? What is going on?” Y/N jumped as the door slid shut behind her, leaving her alone, locked in a windowless cell with one of her enemies. 
“Why did he send you here?” Azula asked.
“What?” Y/N was extremely confused. 
“Your father. Why did he send you here?”
“I am a traitor to the Fire Nation, I thought you would be happy to see me imprisoned. It’s what you would have done.”
“Not here. Not with these people.”
“So what? Why do you care about me all of a sudden?” 
“Not all of a sudden,” Azula murmured. “I can overrule your dad’s orders. I’m bringing you back to the Fire Nation with me.”
“What? No!” Y/N felt like she couldn’t breathe, like she was being backed into a corner with no way out. 
“Why not? Why don’t you want to come back with me?!” Azula shouted.
“Why would you want me to?”
“Because you don’t belong here! You told me that you could change me–why can’t I do the same to you? Why can’t I bring you back to the Fire Nation and make you Y/N again, because that’s not who you are right now.”
“Oh yeah? Well who am I then?” Y/N taunted.
Azula completely ignored her question. Opting to cross her arms and roll her eyes. “You don’t have a choice. You’re coming back to the Fire Nation.”
“I won’t be your puppet anymore.”
“You think that.” Azula’s gold eyes bore into Y/N’s. “But at your lowest, I’ll be the only one that’s there, and you’ll come back.”
Y/N was seconds away from screaming. How dare Azula think that she would even stoop so low as to come crawling back into her good graces. Did she ever really know Y/N as deeply as she claimed? Because if she did she would know that it would never work on her.
Suddenly, a guard slammed the door open, breaking the reverie between the two of them. “Princess, there is a riot in the yard. We have to get you to safety.”
Y/N scoffed at the idea of someone Azula away from the fight to keep her safe. She would want to be right in the middle of it. But Y/N didn’t have time to think about it much more. She assumed that was her cue to leave. 
---
Y/N shoved past the guard in the doorway, grabbing the ring of keys on his belt as she ran past. She slammed the door shut and locked it. Y/N felt the door shake as both Azula and the guard threw fire, trying to break it down, but Y/N knew that they would have a rough go at that. It was a prison after all. Everywhere was meant to keep angry firebenders locked in. 
She took off in a dead sprint backtracking the way that she and Sokka came. She turned the corner and ran smack into someone. Y/N fell hard to the ground but immediately rolled to her feet, in a fighting stance. 
A hand gripped the front of her shirt, his other hand poised over her face. “Oh, it’s you.”
Y/N pushed Zuko away. “Get off,” she growled. 
Zuko rolled his eyes, “Come on, we have to go.” his voice was gruff.
Zuko and Y/N pushed their way through the rioters to get to where they had spotted Sokka through the crowd. 
“How’d you get out, Y/N? I was just about to come and get you.” Sokka asked, shocked. 
“I’ll tell you later, right now we need to get out of here. Fast!” Y/N looked around her and counted heads; they were all there, including Hakoda and Suki. Y/N didn’t know how long the cell could keep Azula contained. If she was as mad as Y/N thought she was, it wouldn’t be nearly long enough. 
“We just need to grab the warden and get to the gondolas.” Sokka promised.
“How are we going to do that?” Zuko asked. 
“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” Sokka cringed. 
While Zuko and Sokka argued over the plan to escape not being fully developed, Suki tugged on Y/N’s arm. She pointed up to the main tower; guards rushed across the balconies, but one person didn’t move, just stood watching over the mayhem happening in the yard. 
“There he is,” Suki muttered. 
“Let’s get him.” Y/N grinned.
---
Suki and Y/N ran, dodging and weaving between the prisoners and guards fighting. They scaled the tower using the balcony railings as handholds and footholds together, until they landed on the same level the warden was on. 
Suki took on the first guard they encountered, ducking under his fire punch and tripping him. Y/N slid under another’s legs, and grabbed the only weapon the guards carried, a heavy baton meant to scare the prisoners into submission. She smashed it into his face as she rolled to a stand. 
The warden made a run for it, but Y/N caught up to him, holding the baton against his neck. “I didn’t take you for a coward.”
Suki came around the front of him and smiled at Y/N who was hovering over the man’s shoulder. “Of course he is, Y/N. You should see his face, he looks like you’ve got a sword held to his throat.”
“I wish it was a sword,” Y/N grumbled. 
Suki quickly tied his hands and gagged his mouth. Y/N pushed him to the ground and the two girls stood over him. A satisfied expression crossed Suki’s face. “Sorry warden, you’re our prisoner now.”
---
Halfway to the gondola, more guards showed up to stop them. Everyone ducked as Zuko blocked the guards firebending. “Stop! Back up! We have the warden!” 
Each and every one of the guards looked to one another to figure out how they were going to handle this type of situation. Slowly, as a collective, they backed away, allowing five of them to pass along with the warden who seemed to be screaming obscenities behind his gag. He began to struggle against his bindings and Hakoda, who was leading him. 
Y/N hefted her baton and pushed the warden’s cheek. “We don’t have to let you walk. One swing and you’ll be out like a light.” That seemed to quiet him down.
Zuko started the gondola and then repeatedly kicked at the lever, breaking it in half so the guards had no way of stopping them once they started. He jumped from the platform and landed on the edge of the gondola; Sokka pulled him inside one of the windows. 
It was slow moving but Y/N could feel the gondola climbing the cable, dragging them out of the Boiling Rock. It was surprisingly silent, like none of them could really believe it was happening, and so easily at that. Everyone shared a cautious look. 
“Is that it?” Suki asked warily. “Are we really on our way?”
“Uh, who’s that?” Hakoda asked, pointing over Y/N’s shoulder back to the platform.
Y/N turned around and stuck her head out the window. When she caught sight of who Hakoda had seen, her whole body tensed up. “That would be what I was going to tell you about.”
“That’s a problem,” Zuko said, his head peeking out the window next to Y/N’s. “It’s Azula and Ty Lee.” 
Suki joined Y/N at the window. “I’ve been waiting for this rematch.”
“Me too,” Zuko said. 
Y/N couldn’t say she agreed; in fact she definitely disagreed. It felt her story was never-ending at this point. She would feel much better if she never had to see Azula again. 
Azula smirked and Y/N could feel her eyes on her face. By the time that Y/N had climbed to the top of the gondola with the others, both girls had made it there. Ty Lee gunned for Suki and Y/N at one end of the gondola, while the boys took care of Azula at the other end. 
Y/N immediately noticed something different about Ty Lee; her brow was furrowed at Y/N and her eyes narrowed. She was angry. 
Y/N was so shook to her core at never seeing Ty Lee angry–ever–that she was almost chi-blocked in her left arm. Luckily, Suki wasn’t phased in the slightest and stepped in to block. Y/N quickly ducked out of the way to get her bearings.
“Why did you leave?” Ty Lee shouted over the wind whipping in their ears. 
“What are you talking about?” Y/N blocked a hit from Ty Lee and kicked out, trying to trip the girl. She was much too agile and backflipped over Y/N’s leg like it was nothing. 
“No explanation, not a word to me about anything!” Ty Lee took a moment to throw a savage punch at Y/N’s head. “What happened?”
Y/N ducked to the left, grabbed her arm and bent it behind Ty Lee’s back. “She asked me to kill someone!”
Ty Lee was like an eel-snake and slipped right out Y/N’s hands, chi-blocking her right arm along the way. Y/N’s arm went numb, pins and needles traveled down from her shoulder all the way to her wrist. Ty Lee chuffed at Y/N’s words and held up her hands, ready to jump right back into the fight. Suki squared up alongside Y/N, ready to finish things. But Y/N was so tired of fighting her friends. She stepped forward, but made no move to attack the other girl.
“I found a better way!” Y/N held her limp arm to her chest and she noticed a waver in Ty Lee’s normally steady hands. “I saw my chance at a life where I wasn’t fighting every second of every day!” She shouted. “Now, are you mad at me for leaving, or are you mad at yourself for not?”
A look of realization passed across Ty Lee’s face, just as she heard Suki shout. “Guys! I think they’re going to cut the line!”
Y/N’s eyes snapped from Ty Lee’s to the platform where she could see guards working on cutting the cable holding the gondola up. 
“Then it’s time to leave,” Azula smirked and used her firebending to blast herself up on top of an incoming gondola. When Y/N looked back, Ty Lee was already jumping to the other gondola sparing a concerned look in Y/N’s direction.
---
Y/N crawled back into the gondola through the window, landing next to Suki on the floor. Her arm was just regaining part of its feeling as she made her way to the front of the gondola with the boys to watch the guards cut only thing still holding them in the sky. 
“I hope this thing floats,” Hakoda said absently. 
“Yeah, if we don’t die from the impact of it hitting the water,” Y/N couldn’t help but add. 
“Wait, look!” Zuko exclaimed. He pointed out a dark figure flinging knives at the guards cutting the cable. 
Mai! Y/N quickly leaned out the window to the other gondola, where Azula and Ty Lee were standing, hoping to gauge a reaction from them. She shared a worried look with Zuko. They both knew what it meant to cross Azula when it came to something she wanted. 
---
Just then, the gondola shuddered to a stop on the far rim of the volcano and they all hopped out. 
“If Azula’s here she must have brought an airship,” Zuko said. He walked up a large hill by the sea, looking for it, but Y/N was still stuck staring across the boiling lake. 
Sokka grabbed her hand. “Come on, we have to go. Azula could be right on our tail.” He began tugging her in the direction the rest of the group had run and she let herself be pulled along because Y/N had seen all she needed to see. 
“I don’t think she is,” Y/N said to Sokka moments later, as they boarded the airship. 
“You don’t think what?” Sokka asked, confused as to what Y/N was talking about. 
Y/N slid down the wall of the airship, all the adrenaline leaving her body at once. “I don’t think Azula’s going to be after us right away.”
Sokka sat beside her and quirked an eyebrow up. “Why not?”
“Because I’m pretty sure while I was still up there I saw Ty Lee chi-block her.”
Sokka’s eyes widened, recognizing how big of a deal that really was. 
Y/N’s emotions crashed down on her like a hefty wave. There was so much to process, so much to mull over. She simultaneously wished she could take a hot bath and drink a hot cup of tea, hell, she would even settle for a bath in the river if nothing at the moment changed. But one thought dominated all the rest. Home. She dropped her head into her hands and stared at the floor between her legs. 
“Spirits, you don’t know how happy I am to see you,” Y/N murmured.
“You’ve been with me for the past two days,” Sokka replied, his voice muffled into her hair. 
Y/N snorted. “That’s not what I mean.”
“I know what you mean.” Suddenly, like it was the last thing he would ever do, Sokka tipped her head up and pulled her in for a bruising kiss. 
It felt like home.
---
a/n: most of suki and Y/N’s time together at boiling rock isn’t mentioned to keep the wc down, but we can guess that they became fast friends while there. And yes, I’m really ramping up the sappiness in Y/N and Sokka’s relationship in preparation for a surprise coming in the near future!
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