#but moving around it’s like… I don’t remember running a marathon yesterday

[pinene]

Choosing to believe that it’s a good sign that the booster is KICKING my ass

Like bro. This is. a lot

#I CANNOT move #chronic pain girlies I’m sending you some love. #I don’t regret getting it ofc I’m fine lying down #but moving around it’s like… I don’t remember running a marathon yesterday

[stillflight]

This is that essay I mentioned in the tags on the semiverbal post yesterday: An extended metaphor to explain my struggles with speaking as a verbal autistic person. If you’re allistic, I know it’s long but please open this and read it because it’s something you should understand-- autistic people cannot easily be sorted into fully nonverbal and hyperverbal, no matter how a million infographics make it seem. Maybe also open this and read it if you’re autistic and consider yourself “fully verbal” because it might make you realize something.

Most people can run, right? Most people are capable of running. You might run out of the building when you’re late for work and then walk the rest of the way. You might even run all the way to work and you’d be pretty spent but you could manage it. But you wouldn’t run everywhere. You would get tired pretty quickly, you’d hurt your body, and soon you wouldn’t even be able to walk anywhere.

Speaking is like running for me. Walking is like writing or typing. I could run to work every day but it wouldn’t take even a week for me to be so drained and hurting that I couldn’t even walk. That is to say, using words at all, typing, writing, would all become very difficult. I would have to drive next time I wanted to go somewhere (that’s like, say, using an AAC app), but there are problems with that; it’s expensive, not as safe, and you have to learn how to do it first. And let’s pretend I can’t afford gas prices right now, let alone a car, and that I don’t know how to drive yet. For the hell of it let’s also say that I worry about my safety on the road, which is mostly threatened by other people.

So I try to conserve energy for walking. That’s why I sometimes avoid social situations that require speaking. Not because I’m depressed or anxious or shy. Just because I’ve spent the past week running everywhere.

Sometimes, also, the terrain makes it very difficult to run. For me an example is Zoom calls. I can do my best running up a hill so steep for so long but by the end I’m gonna be too tired to walk home, so it’s in my best interest to quit early. Different terrains are more difficult or less for different people. For some people it’s oral presentations. That’s not difficult terrain for me, but it is like a marathon, which you can’t do without getting some rest afterwards. And sometimes, you know, you get an injury that prevents you from running or even walking. I remember times when I’ve been surprised with difficult conversations that made it very hard to write, or when I overworked myself, or dissociated, or there were fireworks outside, you get the idea. But “injuries” are just temporary.

And, y’know, sometimes walking is fun. I like to go for walks by the lake and get some exercise. I like to write poetry and short stories. In fact it’s kind of my aspiring profession. So I would rather not run everywhere, because I don’t want to be too tired for a nice walk. I would rather use text-to-speech or sign language when it’s possible because I don’t want to be too spent to write important papers or my poetry.

But like. Now imagine that everyone around you runs everywhere, all the time. Or that everyone in your life is an Olympic sprinter and/or regular ultramarathon runner. They can’t understand how on Earth you get tired after running for only an hour! That’s unthinkable. Because running doesn’t require any energy for them. It’s as if, they can just glide along and they don’t even have to think about what muscles they’re using and their brain doesn’t have to manually move their legs. Mine does-- it’s not automatic for me, it’s a conscious effort. I cannot turn on autopilot for speaking, it is stuck on manual. And the way I run and how I run so slowly and I can’t keep up, that’s weird and unnecessary to them too.

But when I ask very politely if maybe I can walk somewhere, they don’t want to have to wait for me, and I can run, so I should have to. Then of course, they get frustrated that I don’t run the correct way. Wouldn’t you start to quietly wish you’d just break your leg so you wouldn’t have to run at all? I used to be ecstatic when I got sick enough to lose my voice and people were ok with me writing to communicate, and I wished it would happen more often. I’d get jealous of people who got surgery on their throat -- I genuinely had no idea why they were upset that they weren’t allowed to talk for several days. It seemed like a dream scenario to me. I didn’t know speaking didn’t require effort for them. I even wondered briefly if I had BIID because I wished I couldn’t talk at all.

I know that all sounds ridiculous but that’s legitimately what it’s like. I can speak, so there is never any reason whatsoever I should be allowed to use text-to-speech or sign language when I don’t “have” to, and the people in my life who know I can “run a marathon” when I have to will never allot me any sympathy or lenience.

#I have had this written out for a LONG time #not even in my drafts‚ in a google doc #I was that nervous to post it #but that post inspired me #autism #disability

[kkendoll]

levi ackerman, one night.

𖤐 chapter two. no harsh warnings needed for this chapter. except, please don’t be alarmed. this chapter is a continuation of the prologue. the official start, i think? and chapter one were events that look place before the prologue. and her hair is dyed ginger, but imagine it to be the color you want!

Your head was spinning as you emerged from the sheets, a silk like duvet concealing questioning parts of your feminine body. Ginger curls were splurged out all over different aspects of your face, and lower neck, bouncy and messy. Momentarily, you struggled to see as well; your vision a light blur as you ghosted your eyes around the room, hardly being able to make out the unknown pictures hanging around the walls; confined by differently made frames.

Where were you?

You knew something was off, deeming your own room had been [favorite color], after all. With a hand pressed against your forehead, you sigh; naturally grabbing your phone off of the dresser, as if the doing had been completely normal. Wiping at your brows with focusing vision, you sigh.

You're quite alarmed to see all the missed calls, and messages from your fiancé. He must've been curious as to why you never went home last night. The last thing you could remember about yesterday was attending a gala of some sort, yourself and a few other acquaintances joining.

  Through the messages you could imagine the expression he wore. These were ridiculous, possibly an overwhelming amount for someone he hadn't seen in maybe a little over ten hours. Still, you were grateful for the concern shown. You quickly press the call button after finding his contact, your notifications coincidentally going off as you hold the hot device up to your ear; making it so that it clicks against your diamond earring, a gift from your fiancé.

  Before the first ring could even pass he answered, dark pants welcoming you into the phone. "[Name]? Are you okay? Where the hell are you?" He seemed to be in some sort of rush, almost as if he had gotten done running a marathon.

  You curse beneath your breath. You hope you hadn't stressed him out too much.

  "A house..."

  "Who's house? I'm about to come pick you up. Why do you sound so tired?" He questioned. You could hear the faint dinging of his car in the background, signaling he had just opened the door. With the press of a button on the car keys, he stopped it; the sound of a door shutting barely audible in the background.

  You didn't answer him. When your vision finally focused out, you took your eyes on the paintings. How come you hadn't noticed the trophies, medals, and awards that were visibly on display just in front of you? They were concealed by a thick, bulletproof yet transparent piece of glass, stapled into the walls itself. There were too many to count, the kiss of your tongue against your pearly whites audible as you give up after the first twenty counted.

  "Answer me, [Name]." You could hear Eren order into the phone, the concern in his voice still audible; despite the roughness of his tone.

  "Uh..." You didn't want to just lie to him. You hadn't established anything about that, but everyone knew it was an unwritten rule.

  As if it were some kind of miracle, your phone beeped twice, something it did just before it shut off due to low battery percentage. You hadn't even noticed it was going dead, but it did. You sigh as you pop the device back on the dresser, strands of ginger curls being pulled behind your ear. It wasn't until you made an effort to move again you noticed the slight ache at your lower waist, a hard exhale leaving you as you somehow manage to stand to your full height in one crooked motion.

  You tug the duvet on your body, the clothing you wore from last night nowhere in sight. Glancing around the room, you pull yourself back over to the award stash, kneeling down. If you could just see who owned these achievements, surely then you'd be able to recover some of your memory of last night, and find out more about today.

  "Levi Ackerman." You sound out, your mouth nearly going dry as you finish up the last pieces of the name; both amazement and realization striking you all at once.

Overwhelmed, you sigh; pressing your forehead down against the top of the cold stash. Not a speckle of dust hit, only further proving that this was taken care of seriously. Hell, you could even smell a lingering scent of apple-cinnamon.

  That name. The second you heard it you figured. You ran into this guy at the party last night, and somehow ended up in his bed the next day. It didn't take an idiot to find out what happened; the clues piecing themselves together. No wonder your forehead was pounding in misery; you were black out drunk last night, and spent it with some man who wasn't in fact your soon to be husband.

This was terrible. What the hell were you gonna tell Eren when you got home?

You could already feel the tears welling up as the realization sunk in a bit deeper.

You cheated on your fiancé.

Where was this 'Levi'? With fuzzy memories, you could make out the other being just as wasted as you, maybe a little more controlled with his alcohol, though. You wanted to leave, but not in just a blanket. You needed to get home to Eren, as soon as possible; and tell the first, and biggest lie you've ever told in your four year long relationship.

You were at a friend's house, maybe?

You tug on the first jacket you could find, a manly scent attached to it. Though, it was the complete opposite from the cologne Eren wore. This one smelled a bit richer, loud and elegant. Whatever was on this definitely cost some serious money. You couldn't fake money on this brand.

Slipping on the sandals you had in your purse, you quickly haul the accessory from the coat rack. You tie your hair back into lazy a ponytail, all in one quick motion. The aching pain at your waist was one thing, but getting out of here was another. It was an amazing thing you couldn't remember the sex from last night, or else you'd feel worse than you already did.

You wipe at loose tears as you make your way out of the door, only now realizing you had been on the second floor. A trip down a glass staircase settled it, your eyes brushing around the expensive accessories and interior that caught your attention. Rich, and captivating; all at once. You swallow hard on a sob, tongue running over your whitened teeth.

Making it outside nearly felt reliving. You were both surprised and amazed you hadn't run into the man who owned all of this luxury at all, not even catching a trace of his voice. Taking your eyes down the watch stapled around your wrist, you find that it was actually still pretty early in the morning, and that you still had time to prepare for the job negotiation.

The honk of a horn catches your attention; as your eyes were once pulled to the ground. Standing before you was the familiar (yet handsome) face of a brunette you had become accustomed to. Brown hair stands were lazily tossed on his forehead, the majority of his hair pulled back into a messy man-like bun. His brows were narrowed, emerald green irises glimmering in dissatisfaction; very little concern following.

Did your mother give him your location, once more? The fuck was wrong with her? You shudder slightly as you approach the vehicle, your hands tucked into the large gray jacket you wore.

This wasn't going to be a pleasant ride home. 

#levi x reader #levi #attack on titan #levi attack on titan #anime #anime smut #boxer #boxer au #kkendoll #cheating #black reader #black coded reader

[corndoggod]

A New Apartment

I almost feel like I’m back in Chicago. The wide screened windows at half mast, the smell of thunder seeping in, a big book in one hand and a tall beer in the other. And all is quiet. I’ve been getting up early too - before 6am - a habit I started the first summer I stayed in Chicago when everyone else decided to leave or go abroad, not that I had many friends anyway. It was one of the best summers in my life, largely because of my routine. I rose early with the sun to write for two to three hours before biking to my job where I watched the World Cup, read articles and researched recipes for dinner that evening. After work I bought a six-pack and went home to cook. I was in bed by 10pm. 

Yesterday I woke up to two mouthy sanitation workers and yelled down, “Thank you.” 

Today I woke up to Chicken meowing, only to realize later that she was thirsty, not hungry. 

I feel calm for the first time in a while. It’s been nice to be slow. Last night, C pried and I told her that ever since I got back from Nebraska I’ve felt out of sync with things, like I’ve been trying to slip back into the flow of things but can’t quite, as if I’m walking one inch off the ground. Normally I’m so consumed with day-to-day shit I suffer from tunnel vision. But it was nice to sit on shore for a bit and skip rocks and drink in the river from end to end. 

I listened to today’s episode of The Daily about people evacuating coastal cities due to the cost of living. And once again, I felt irritated. I was ready to leave, or thought I was, but I had just signed for a new place. I listened to the end, remembered to not race through life, and convinced myself that I was doing well in the city. I had a good job and my rent was below $1000. I lived on a quiet street a block from a park in a new neighborhood I was partially familiar with. 

I meandered from the kitchen where I took my coffee and yogurt and read. Then I ambled into the living room to read some more. Then I ran and rested my legs in bed before posting up in armchair to work. For seven years I had confined myself to my room, because I did not want to risk conversation or observation. But here I could move freely, and how nice it was to rotate around throughout the day. 

It was also great to be alone. I have never lived alone and I still don’t, but C was on Long Island for a paint job and I soaked it in. There were so many things I needed to do alone: bake salmon, catch up on Succession, read the final installment in The Three-Body Problem trilogy, diary, train for a marathon I just signed up for, an play Zelda, which I’d hel off on purchasing until after the move. 

Homeownership will come. Instead, I bought a tent for our upcoming road trip to Yellowstone, Wind Caves an the Grand Tetons. I was excited for strenuous hikes, free hot springs and the majesty of the West. 

After I signed up for the marathon in Acadia, I declared it the year of National Parks. The race has motivated me. I’ve run late (8:30pm) and early (6:30am) and I’ve ran at least five miles every day this week. I may live to regret choosing a full marathon, the training is basically a part-time job, but it’ll be nice to have that as a talking point again. And it’s far more impressive than a half, which feels pedestrian. I will suffer and I will like it and I will feel superhuman come September. 

Now I feel like a Paul Schrader leading man writing alone at the bare kitchen table. Writing the rules of my life. Rereading them. Throwing them away. Waiting for redemption from C who is due home any minute now. 

[yosttravis]

How to Run A Sub 2:40 Marathon

About ten months ago I ran my first standalone marathon, achieving a BQ time at 2:57. Then I ran my second standalone marathon last April in Boston, and PR’ed at 2:43. Yesterday, I ran my third and PR’d, this time at 2:39.

At some point around mile twenty, and I was in cruise control here, it dawned on me I’ve cut a sub-3 marathon time by twenty minutes in about ten months. So that’s extremely cool.

I don’t have a running background at all, but at some point over the last year something told me to keep pushing on this, see where I could really end up. My mara times are still well off anything truly competitive, but they’re also in the universe for the first time, too. And actual runners along the way, you know people who are actually good and who have done this for a long time, have pushed me to explore it more. That these trim-downs this quickly aren’t typical. I hear that, and it’s like dousing gasoline over a fire. So I’m going to see how much lower I can take this. Remember, I’m really old. An Old, as they say.

But I can answer the subject < 2:40 question in one sentence: it’s about discipline. Yes you need some natural talent to go this fast, but if you think motivation will be perpetual, I promise you will learn differently. The further you get into training the easier it is to become unmotivated.

But by that time, you’re usually increasingly disciplined. Not getting mileage in, not spending time in the gym feels weird. It feels undisciplined. It feels like you’re not checking a box you do as part of your every day.

Build disciplined training. How fast you go, how long you go, what you eat, all of those questions are important — but they are secondary. Get on your feet and get moving.

The Race: Utah Valley

So, anyone who has a chance to run this race should do it. The scenery is top-top, running past Deer Creek State Park, historic downtown Provo, and the like. It felt like I was running through Yellowstone at times. Badass.

The race is competitive (2:39 was 13OV), and it invites faster runners by nature due to its BQ status and fast downhill. Some random chronological notes from the race:

Pre-race training was mostly maintenance from Boston end of April until now. Six weeks isn’t enough time to make real gains, but you definitely can get hurt, so I tried out some longer, slower runs this time around. (For context, that was about 215mi in May.) I also knew that a 2:43 on a tougher Boston course asked the question of what my real PR target/time currently was, so I wanted to go under at minimum.

For the first time in an event, I did not go chicken and rice (to be clear this is just my favorite meal by a mile and just so happens to work well for marathons), and went pasta with Chicken Parmesan. This was a bit regrettable as I burped non-stop for the first ten miles or so. That said, legs energy-wise felt great! Morning of, went with the best pre-training food there is, stinger waffles. With a little peanut butter toast.

Still dealing with popliteus tendinopathy. Mostly pain management at this point, not as bad as it was in March, but I haven’t taken any rest time and don’t plan to. The one thing that sucked is this sort of downhill run puts extra stress on core (and different) muscles in your leg, and behind the knees is no exception.

Another reason I strongly recommend the race, beyond the scenery: setup and volunteers and fans were awesome. 9.5/10. And anyone who has ran a race of any kind know that’s a tailwind for you.

I opened up the race with a plan of running neutral or close-to-neutral splits, figuring a 1:18 was more than doable for the first-half, and a 1:19 or so doable for the second half.

That 1:18 number was on the softer side, especially because I opened up sustaining a 5:50/mi or so for a while and felt good. Until …

Mile 12! The choice was let my stomach explode from pee or pull out for a minute and hit the bathroom. This cost me close to a full minute on my total time, annoyingly.

Again, I made two general observations. There were many “better” runners in the field than me, but distance has a funny way of neutralizing things. You can only go so fast for so long and I’ve realized that what makes me competitive is I really don’t get tired. Maybe that’s good pace management, maybe it’s a testament to the endurance training and cross-training I do. Probably both. But again, I ended up passing a lot of sub-3 type runners from miles 17-24 or so.

Which, let me be clear: the 20-mile mark is notable for a reason. I don’t care how fast you are or what shape you’re in, your legs start really fatiguing here. A lot of the last 6-miles comes down to the amount of time on feet you’ve spent during training, and any injuries you may be dealing with.

i ended up finishing a little outside of the money, which sucked, but this is also something I could not have ever fathomed or imagined saying … fifteen months ago? Twelve months ago?

Got to meet some extremely nice people, always worth mentioning. Rode the bus up with the winner Tegene Fikadu — nice guy, built very differently from the rest of us, from Kenya I believe. Breathtaking speed. Also another reminder I need to drop about fifteen more pounds if I really want to leg down. (Problem there, already 2.9 BF, so I’m up against a wall of sorts there.)

I still prefer flat to flat/slightly downhill runs. The rolling hills are brutal; so too are unrelenting downhills on slopes highways. Legs just take a beating. Sometimes think it’s not worth the -5s or whatever.

One random funny-but-true thing: when you’re pacing 6-ish over this type distance, you become so acutely aware of even just a handful of seconds. A 5:55 pace versus a 6:02 pace feels very, very differently. Meanwhile, a 7:25 pace vs a 7:32 pace, still very good mile times, can feel identical.

Stats

Splits (5:42 lo)

As always, a special thanks to the friends and family who have helped me along the way.

#running

[thesexydevils]

Mine Truly - Part Two

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only.

I do not give permission for my work to be re-posted anywhere even if you give credit. But please re-blog and comment. Thank you!

I am not a professional writer, so I am already saying sorry for any mistakes. Just so you know English is my fourth language, so please don’t be so hard on me. My stories are mostly written for adults and have mature topics.

Pairing: Dark Tony Stark x Desi (Indian) OFC

Summary: Tony Stark’s interest is awakened by a new feisty and strong Intern.

Warnings: dark fic, non con, manipulation, stalking, workplace harassment, misuse of power and money, desi ofc, dark Tony Stark

Part One

Everything written in cursive are thoughts (not said out loud).

Mine Truly - Part Two

No POV.

“Love, stop moving! I want to give you time to get to know me, but you are making it harder for me to control myself. Trust me, you don’t want to see me out of control. You are not ready for this side, yet.”

These words hunted her dreams that night. She woke up in sweat and panic, her heart was running a marathon and her body was shaking like a leaf. It was a nightmare but this time it was not something her brain made up but her reality.

Yesterday after Pepper left the room, she was alone with Tony and the few moments with him freaked her out. She prayed to her Shiv ji to keep her family and herself safe but for the first time she felt scared.

Scared of the man who was one of the most powerful and rich men on this earth. His forceful interest in her, made her fear for herself and she understood one thing for sure Tony won’t think twice to get her family involved.

A knock on the door startled her. “Mahi, bachcha everything okay? Even yesterday after work you were stressed and now you look like you had a bad dream.” Her mother spoke softly as she sat down beside her, touching her forehead lovingly.

“Ma, I had a nightmare, it felt too real.” She wiped her daughter’s hair out of her face. “Bachcha, it was only a bad dream. You are my strong girl.”

“I am not strong, mama. I am��” A sob left her lips, and the young, distressed woman hugged her mother.

“Of course, you are my strong girl, and I am not saying this because you are my daughter but because I have seen it with my own eyes. You have been so strong since your dad passed away. You let me grief and took care of us without complaining. I know it had been a very hard year and it was also my fault you had to take the responsibility of us. I feel like the past year I have been a failure as a mother.”

It broke her heart to hear her mother cry. “No, no, no… Mama don’t say that ever again! You are not a failure. I agree that the last year was horrible and losing Papa devastated all of us, but you still managed to be here for us. He was the love of your life, and I can’t imagine what you are going through, but you are also fighting every day to give us a good life.”

She wiped her mother’s tears away. “Mama never say that you are weak or a failure because wherever Papa is, his soul won’t be happy or at peace seeing the only woman he ever loved, so sad and in pain all the time. I am not saying you should not grief or cry, but I want my happy and full of life mother back. Trust me Papa would want her back too.”

Both the mother and child held each other for the next few minutes. They broke apart and the older woman wiped her daughter’s tears and gave her a sad smile. “Okay, now tell me, did something happen yesterday? Because if I remember correctly you were very happy when you left for work, but when you came back, you were scared and angry at the same time.”

She turned around and stood up from her bed. “Mama it’s nothing. My boss, he is just very difficult, and you know how it is.” Her mother stood up. “Mahi, if he is making your work environment difficult and hard then you should complain and if it won’t change, you can still find another internship. You are an intelligent young woman, who can do whatever she wants. I know you want to help with the expenses, you want to contribute but not when you are not happy with your work.”

Mahi had tears in her eyes, it was like her dad was talking to her, telling her to be the person she wants to be. She hugged her mother again. “Thank you, Mama. I love you.”

Her mother laughed softly. “I love you too and now go get ready. Whatever you do or choose, I will be on your side.”

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

Tony couldn’t sleep, because the dark hair and beautiful dark brown eyes of Mahi kept him awake. He was making his black coffee when Jarvis notified himself. “Sir, I found the documents you wanted. Do you want to see them now?”

Tony sat down in his chair and gave the A.I. the go. “Jarvis, I hope you have all the information I wanted too and don’t forget the medical record.”

“Sir I have mailed you the medical reports from Ms. Sharma’s family too. Ms. Sharma lives with her mother and a younger sister. Mr. Sharma died last year in his sleep and according to the reports it was a heart attack. Because of her father’s death Ms. Sharma rejected an internship in London.”

“Jarvis, show me their annual income and where does her mother work and do they have any loan to pay?”

Jarvis showed him all the documents, and Tony felt bad for his girl. Losing a parent was hard, he knew it from firsthand. For some reasons he didn’t like the thought of her being sad. Tony loved her fierce, strong, and stubborn nature.

“Jarvis, track her location and let me know when she leaves her place. I want a team to investigate the stealing matter, let Pepper know I will handle it from here and I want a meeting with her and Happy.”

Tony was drinking his coffee and going through Mahi’s Instagram account, screenshotting every photo he liked. But then a photo with a guy came up, making him angry.

“Find out who this guy is? I want his information and if he is her boyfriend, then I need to take care of it.”

 Jarvis was going through the personnel data, choosing some of the best one for the team and a memo was sent to Pepper as well as a meeting confirmation for her and Happy.

Tony was still going on her social media accounts when his mobile rang, and Pepper’s name popped up.

“Tony, why are you handling the finance matter? I thought we were clear that we can’t trust any stranger who wants few minutes of fame.” Lately Pepper was pissing Tony off, she had forgotten who he really was.

“No, you made the decision without listening to that girl and you didn’t even want to talk about it. You know if I didn't know you, I would think you have a part in all the thievery.”

Pepper sighed in irritation. “Tony, are you fucking kidding me? You only care because you want that girl to warm your bed, but you know she isn’t your type? I am sure she won’t fall for your charm, and I am not sure if money is going to help either. I saw the way she looked at you and it was not in a good way.”

He threw his coffee mug on the floor. “Have you forgotten who you are talking to? Then let me remind you I am the one who made you the CEO of Stark Industry and it will take only one call to take everything you have worked so hard away.”

Pepper was shocked, he had never threatened her openly before. “Tony, you are threatening me because of a mere girl. Girls like her come and go but you can’t…”

“Stop. I don’t care what you think about her but in front of me you will not talk about her in a bad way. And Pepper darling, I was not threatening you, I was only reminding you of who I am. I am Tony Stark and don’t you ever forget that.”

Tony hung up without waiting for her reply. “Jarvis, send an Iron suit to Mahi’s house and report to me if there is anything I should know. Let me know when she arrives at the office.”

“Yes Sir.” Tony sat down on his white couch and closed his eyes. Mahi’s face appeared in front of him, her eyes full of fire. Her soft curves pressed against him and one of his hands pinned her arm behind her back. He dipped his head to her exposed neck and inhaled her sweet fragrance.

“Don’t…” Her voice trembled in desperation, but Tony didn’t know if it was out of fear or his affect on her.

His nose glided from her neck to her jaw without his lips touching her skin. “Are you scared, love?” Mahi opened her mouth to reply but he was called by Jarvis and his daydream of his darling was interrupted.

“Sir, Ms. Sharma has arrived.”

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

The elevator stopped at her floor and walked straight to the small storage room. On my way she heard some whispers from others, but her mind wasn’t there with her. Mahi opened the door and was hit with cold air, but today the coldness of the room didn’t bother her much. She turned the light on and walked straight to the small table, putting her things on the chair.

Suddenly she had a weird feeling, it was the same one that she got when she was in the elevator with Tony Stark. She looked around the poorly lightened room as a shadow walked from the darkness into the light.

Tony Stark wore his thousands of dollars three-piece suit and his famous red colored glasses.

“Really? Sunglasses, here in this room, where you can’t even see more than the table.” She rolled her eyes and normally she would have screamed and ordered him to leave but she wasn’t stupid. Afterall it was his company, and he could literally go anywhere here.

“What can I say love, it’s fashion. You look lovely by the way even if you had not a good night sleep.” She angrily looked at him. “How the hell do you know that? Are you stalking me now? Or was one of your minions watching me?”

He smiled and moved the traitorous lock of hair behind her ear. “No love, your tired eyes and body language told me this. Mahi pushed his hand away. “And who is at fault for this?”

Tony couldn’t help but smirk at her question. “Oh, so now you are dreaming about me? Probably even thinking before you closed your eyes. I should confess too I couldn't sleep the whole night either and for the first time it was something or better to say someone else than my work to keep me from sleeping.”

Mahi angrily turned her back to him and folded her arms. “Nightmare! They were nightmares and don’t think for a second that I would have had anything else then nightmares of you.” A chuckle left his lips as he opened his coat buttons and stepped behind her.

Her mind and her body, both were tired and slowed her reaction time, so when he moved forwards and circled his strong arms around her small body and placed his chin on her shoulder. “Well, it’s a start. At least you have started thinking of me. In a few days the nightmare will turn into a sensual, horny wet dream.”

Mahi tried to prey his arms off her, he on the other hand loved her feisty side. Tony took her delicate skin between his teeth and bit it gently. He angled his face to her neck and started sucking her skin, leaving hickeys on her left side.

Her taste and her sweet smell put Tony in a euphoric state and his mind would still be clouded if she had not fought harder and got herself out of his grip. Mahi harshly turned around and pushed him away, but Tony caught her hand and kissed her fisted knuckles.

“Let me go, you psycho!” He laughed but still let her hands go and stepped back, buttoning his coat up.

“So, we have a date tonight. I will pick you up at 7 pm for dinner at a very fancy Italian restaurant and after that we will go for a long drive. Darling I will see you later and I will drive you back home after work.” He walked back like nothing happened.

His behaviour fueled her anger more, and she couldn’t help but lash out at him. “That is not going to happen Mr. Stark. Not tonight or tomorrow or any other night. You really think I will go out with you? If so, then you don’t deserve the title of a genius.”

His hand froze at the door handle. “Careful love, don’t say anything that would get you in problems.” Tony faced back at her and took his glasses off. The playfulness and warmth he had before was gone, his cold brown eyes got darker and stared deeply into her eyes.

“Problems? You are my problem, why don’t you understand that I have no interest in you or in anything related to you. Since I met you the only thing you have done is to harass and misbehave with me. Just because you have money, you think you are a god, who can do whatever he wants without any consequences?”

“Mahi don’t. Love, you are going to make me angry and trust me you don’t want to see that side of mine. And yes, I can do whatever I want. Afterall I am Tony Stark, a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist and on the top Iron Man. But if you want me to be your God, I will happily take up the role.”

Mahi fisted her hands in anger. “You will be nothing to me, not even if you are the last man on earth. You arrogant bastard.”

“I wanted to give you time and do it the right way, but you lost that option and now you will learn it the hard way. You just said even if I am the last man on earth, I will be nothing to you, but now I am going to be the only man you will have. I will make sure that my way is the only way you take.”

He ripped the door open and left the small room, leaving a very disturbed and angered Mahi behind.

#dark tony stark #dark!tony stark #dark marvel #desi ofc #indian #harrassment #stalking #dark fic #mine truly #tony x ofc

[ko-riacchi]

Snatched

Pairing: Dabi x F!Reader (x Shouto) Genre: Smut Length: 3.8k Tags: Cuckolding, Creampie, Rough Sex, no prep Warnings: Non-Con, Netorare

Synopsis: It was a normal day on patrol for you and your fiancé Shouto. It was about to take a turn for the worse however.

I created the Word file for this fic in September of 2019, so if that tells you anything about how long it takes me to actually sit down and write...

Feedback/Concrit/etc. is appreciated. I’m not confident in my writing at all tbh

Your workday had been boring so far. You and Shouto had been patrolling the outskirts of town for the better part of five hours, conversing quietly while letting your gaze wander around to check for anything unusual or sketchy.

So far, nothing had happened and your feet guided you towards the industrial part of the city, the last part of your route before you would head back and report to the hero agency before doing some paperwork and finally being able to leave for the day.

“So, what would you like me to cook today,” you asked Shouto, your hands playing around with the skirt that made up the bottom part of your hero outfit.

“Hmm…,” Shouto began and fell silent for a moment. He lifted his right hand to his face stroking his chin while looking at you.

“Soba.”

You gave him a look. “Shouto, we had Soba yesterday, we can’t eat Soba every day,” you chided him.

“Why?” He looked you in the eyes, appearing to honestly be curious about why it wouldn’t be possible to eat soba daily.

“Because…,” you started to explain, then huffed, looked at Shouto and smiled a little. “Let me just pick it out then.”

Shouto answered your smile with one of his own. “Okay.”

You continued your patrol through the industrial area, making sure to pass all the spots where drug dealer, small-time villains and shady people in general liked to conduct their business. Although, since it was barely ten past five and the weather was nice and sunny without any clouds in sight, you didn’t have high hopes to actually find something or someone out of the ordinary.

Stopping and stretching your arms up to the sky, you let out a little sigh, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and closed your eyes for a second before jogging up to Shouto and taking his right hand into your left.

“By the way, my mum called the other day and asked if we still needed anything for the wedding. I told her we would be fine but if you can think of something, let me know, so I can call her.”

Giddily, you swung your arm that was connected to Shouto’s, who let you do as you wanted, smiling softly as he saw your anticipation every time you two talked about the upcoming wedding.

“I will,” he told you and gripped your hand a bit more tightly. His way of showing love and anticipation was subtler than yours but over the years you had become quite good in deciphering the stoic man.

In that fashion, you continued to make your way through the industrial area, sometimes conversing about interesting things that had happened at work or with your friends, sometimes just silently enjoying patrol together.

 You had almost completed your last stop of the day when you noticed a figure in the corner of your eye, standing in the shadows of an alley way and grinning at you. It took you a second to process exactly who was standing there but when you did, you started sprinting towards him. You left behind a confused Shouto, who had just been looking in the opposite direction, but he immediately collected himself and started running after you. If you had started sprinting, you had to have a good reason for that; a villain or something equally sinister must have caught your eye.

You had a head start of around 15 meters and Shouto ran behind you, watching your figure as you exited the alleyway. Your feet came to a halt in an open space, an area which at one point must’ve been a truck loading area, judging from the surrounding buildings. In front of you, a figure stood, a good 5 meters between them and you, and Shouto could see you changing your stance, ready to react should the figure attack.

As he was nearing you two, he finally managed to make out who exactly it was standing before you. The black clothing and hair had been pretty non-descriptive but as soon as Shouto saw the burn scars that covered almost all of his body, his eyes widened and he started running faster, hoping to catch up with you before the fight that surely was about to break out had begun.

 Only 5 meters separated you from Shouto now and another second and he would’ve been at your side, when suddenly he crashed head-first into… nothing? He ricocheted off something and fell to the floor but when he lifted his head, he couldn’t see anything. He got up and tried to walk forward, only to feel an invisible wall in his way. Both hands collided with the barrier and he frantically moved them to the left and right to find a way out. In the end, Shouto realized that he had been trapped from all sides. From his positions, he could now see that Dabi was walking leisurely towards you, you stepping back every time he took one step forward but not taking the chance to turn around to see where Shouto was and give Dabi an opening to attack.

Shouto stepped back from the wall and positioned himself sideways, a stomp creating a wave of ice that rushed towards the barrier in hopes of destroying it. It collided with the wall and crushed into bits and pieces, proving to be futile. He just HAD to get through this wall and to you! So he started to barrage his prison with spear after spear of ice, in hope to weaken it enough for it to break down.

You were still cautiously monitoring Dabi’s movement, keeping as much distance as possible, in case he suddenly decided to attack. He had not said anything so far, only sent a lopsided grin your way as he continued his leisure pace towards you. That was about to change though.

“What a pleasant surprise meeting you two here!” he spoke, his tone that of a person meeting friends after a long time.

“Too bad I can’t say the same!” you snarled back and took another step backwards. You had heard Shouto behind you when he had sent out attacks against something, but you hadn’t seen what occupied him exactly and only knew that he had to be not too far behind you.

For now, you needed to get closer to Shoto so you could come up with a plan on how to take on Dabi and any possible allies that were lurking in the dark. You continued stepping backwards. The sounds of Shoto in the background got louder and louder but you could not hear the telltale sounds of a fight taking place. What was occupying him?

Dabi had taken a step forward each time you stepped back but it didn’t seem like he was trying to close the distance just yet. You knew very well that he was capable of sending his flames towards you, so you figured that he just didn’t see the need. Another step backwards had you crashing into something solid and in instinct your head flew around to see what was blocking your path. You couldn’t remember there being a wall behind you, surely you would’ve registered that.

But when you turned around you found… nothing? Only Shouto, standing a meter away from you, panting like he had just run a marathon. Your body was still angled towards Dabi, so you quickly turned back to face him, a soft sigh of relief leaving your lips when you saw that he was still standing away a few meters. Your hand extended backwards, and sure enough, you felt a barrier just behind you.

“Is that a quirk?” you asked Shoto, hoping that he would be able to hear you through whatever that thing was.

“Seems like it,” he answered, his voice strained. “I can’t break through it with my ice. You have to get the person who’s doing this… I can’t help you like this.”

Dabi let out a chuckle. “Oh, I don’t think I’ll let you do that,” she said, coming closer now.

You weren’t sure what to do, step aside and around the invisible wall? If that was even possible. Or stay and let Dabi come dangerously close to you. You eventually made your mind up, taking a step to the side and feeling around the wall, trying to see where it would lead.

The only warning you got was a “I don’t think so” from Dabi and suddenly he was standing right in front of you, blocking your way off. Your eyes widened and your heart rate picked up. How had he managed to come close this quickly?

You ducked and tried to slip away sideways, but Dabi grabbed your arm and pulled you back, slamming you against the barrier. You heard Shoto shouting from behind you, telling Dabi to let you go but he only grinned in answer and lifted his free arm, a blue flame igniting in his palm. “I don’t think you’re in the position to make any demands right now,” he chuckled, bringing the flame dangerously close to your face. You leaned back as much as you could, your entire body pressed up against the wall, the heat of the flames uncomfortably licking over your skin.

“What do you want?” you asked, and you hated your voice for sounding so weak in this moment.

“Me?” Dabi said, extinguishing the flame and grabbing you face with his hand instead. “I just wanna have some fun,” he grinned. “Work’s been pretty boring lately, you know…” His fingers pressed harder down on your cheeks, making your lips pucker and your jaw ache. “And I think I just found just the perfect plaything.”

Shouto banged on the walls. “Leave her alone!” he shouted, another barrage of ice banging against the barrier. You could feel the vibrations on you back where it was pressed against it, but the barrier itself didn’t move, didn’t break or shatter. It was solid.

Dabi let go of your face and leered at Shouto over your shoulder. “I don’t think I will,” he said, his hand now moving down to trail along your thighs. Your hero costume consisted of a bodysuit, a short skirt covering your hips and waist, but your legs were bare, so when Dabi touched you, you could feel it on your skin and it erupted into goosebumps immediately. Was he about to do what you were thinking? No, surely this was just to make you nervous, fuck with your head a bit. Sadly though, it was working and in a split-second decision, you felt like you needed to get away from the villain and pulled at the arm he was holding harshly, hoping that he would lose his balance and you could get away. You ducked under his arms and tried to flee but his grip on your arm had not faltered and he pulled you back, this time slamming you against the wall with your chest, stepping close behind you to hold you there with his body.

“I told you not to do that,” he growled, his hand heating up and singing your arm, the smell of burning flesh beginning to waft from it. Pain shot through your body and tears sprung up into your eyes as you cried out. “I get it! I get it!” you told him, sobbing at the pain. Dabi hummed in response and he reeled back the flames, his grip still iron-like on your arm however and pressing into the charred flesh. “Let’s hope I won’t have to do this again. Would be a shame to burn a cute face like yours.”

Shouto had once more banged against the walls, furiously trying to get them to shatter. How could he just… stand there while his fiancée was being tortured by Dabi. His hands curled into fists, tiny specs of blood trailing from where his nails had dug into his skin.

Dabi simply chuckled at Shouto’s desperate face, his free hand lifting up to your face, turning it towards him. “Really would be a shame,” he said with a grin, before leaning closer and pressing his lips to yours.

Your eyes widened and you tried to move away but when you felt the hand on your face heat up again, you stilled, tears leaking from your mouth while Dabi kissed you and pulled at you lower lip with his teeth. “Open up,” he growled when you didn’t move and you obeyed, feeling like there was no way for you to get out of this situation. Your quirk simply wasn’t made for close-range combat.

As soon as you had opened your mouth, Dabi’s tongue snaked inside, exploring every little nook and cranny that before had exclusively belong to Shouto. More tears rolled down your cheeks as Dabi made a slurping sound, pulling your upper lip into his mouth slightly before he parted from you, looking back at Shouto with a grin. “Delicious,” he commented, loving the way that Shouto looked at him with rage in his eyes.

“But this is not what I’m here for,” he eventually said, letting go of your face. You wanted to spit out the disgusting taste Dabi had left in your mouth, but you feared that this would only lead to him burning you again, so you held the desire back, hoping that he had simply done this to rile Shouto up a bit and this was it. He had said that this was not his goal after all, right?

While you were lost in your thoughts, trying to calculate the next step Dabi would take, he had sent Shouto another grin, making sure that the man’s eyes were on Dabi’s hands as they laid on your thigh again.

You shot up, turning your head to face Dabi with wide eyes.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of time,” Dabi lamented as he let his hand trail upwards and under your skirt. “So, I’m just gonna have get to the main part.”

You heard Shouto shouting but you couldn’t see him, your eyes still fixed on Dabi as he pulled at the bottom the bottom of your body suit to the side, uncovering your pussy for his fingers to explore.

“Don’t!” you shouted instinctively, trying to get him to stop but a slap to your pussy had you lurching forward and against the barrier. Dabi laughed and two of his fingers dipped inside you, prodding against your walls as your teeth clenched at the painful intrusion.

“Yeah, should work,” you heard Dabi mumbled behind you and the next second, his fingers left you and he popped them into his mouth, humming at the taste.

“Gotta say, this one really IS delicious,” he commented, his eyes looking at Shouto, who was watching the situation unfold in front of him with a painful look in his eyes.

Once Dabi had cleaned his fingers, he moved his hand towards his belt, expertly unbuckling it with one hand and shoving his pants down, just enough so he could pull out his cock from his pants.

“Relax or this is gonna hurt,” he whispered into your ear, his hand pushing against your back so your ass would stick out more.

Your wide eyes were looking at Shouto now, knowing what was about to happen. “Don’t, please,” you whispered, a sob leaving your lips. You were going to be violated in front of your fiancé. You were going to get fucked by a villain in front of the love of your life. “Shouto, please, close your eyes,” you begged him as he stood in front of you, both of his hands pressed against the barrier and his face directly in front of you. He shook his head. “I don’t want you to see me like this,” you begged and eventually, Shouto nodded and closed his eyes, a tear running down his cheek just as Dabi prodded your entrance with the tip of his dick.

“You better watch what I’m about to do,” Dabi warned him, not liking that he was not looking at them anymore. “Or your little bitch is gonna be a burnt little bitch by the time I’m done with her.”

At those words, Shoto’s eyes immediately opened again, looking at Dabi with fear in his eyes.

“Don’t watch me, watch her,” Dabi ordered with a grin and as soon as Shouto’s eyes had moved to your crying face again, Dabi pushed into you.

You let out a howl, your face contorting in pain as Dabi buried inch after inch inside your tight little cunt. Your eyes looked up, to the side, anywhere beside Shouto’s face with was still in front of you. You couldn’t bare looking at him.

Dabi let out a small groan. “Damn, you’re tight,” he said, pulling back a little before pushing in again, this time further. “You’re boytoy that small?” He laughed at his own joke and grabbed your hips to hold you still, slamming himself into your cunt to the hilt. Your body was jolted forward and against the wall, a pained cry leaving your lips as your eyes closed. Dabi was big, too big for you and it felt like he was splitting you open in the middle.

You didn’t have time to get used to him however, as Dabi immediately began to thrust into you. He was hunched over you, his head laying on your shoulder and his mouth directly next to your ear, so you could hear every little groan he made. It disgusted you and only made you sob harder.

It must’ve made you clench down on him however, as he let out a small hiss of pleasure and in turn made him only pick up his pace, your body now getting repeatedly slammed against the barrier with Shouto having no choice but to watch the horrifying things Dabi did to you.

After a while the initial pain had subsided, and your sobbing calmed down. All you tried to do now, was to dissociate from everything that was happening, hoping to get lost in your own world while Dabi used you for his pleasure.

Unfortunately for you, Dabi noticed the empty look on your face and he clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. “That won’t do,” he growled into your ear and the hand that had been holding onto your arm up until now let go so he could beginning rubbing at your clit.

As soon as you felt his fingers rubbing you, you were brought back to reality and a pained whine left your lips.

“Say, how would you like to cum in front of your boyfriend?” Dabi whispered into your ear, his fingers picking up in speed and flicking at your clit in the same rhythm as his thrust. “I’m sure he would like to see you come undone at the hands of a villain.”

He laughed when he felt you clench around him and his eyes moved towards Shouto. “She likes the idea, I felt her squeeze my dick,” he told him.

“Fucking die and rot in hell,” Shouto simply replied, his brows furrowed and his eyes full of tears he refused to shed. You had it much worse than him, there was no way he could allow himself to cry.

Dabi let out a bellowing laugh. “Sorry, can’t die just yet. Still got some unfinished business, you see…”

He soon turned his attention back to you however and began pounding into you like a man possessed, his fingers bringing you closer and closer to an orgasm you desperately tried to hold back. He could hear you breathing hitch and felt your pussy trying to squeeze him dry; he knew it wouldn’t take much longer for you to cream on his dick.

A few more thrusts and he knew that he had reached his goal when you cried out, your muscles clenching around him and your entire body twitching as you came all over his dick.

“Fuck, you’re sucking me dry,” Dabi groaned, trying to continue his thrusts but finding it hard with how hard you were gripping his dick. “That desperate for my cum, huh?”

You were panting and crying and trying to calm down again, but those words made you perk up. “No! Don’t” you exclaimed, looking back at him with a horrified gaze.

“Don’t what?” Dabi asked with a snicker, although his breathing had picked up as well as he got closer and closer to his own peak.

“Please, don’t cum inside!” you begged. “Anything else but that!”

Dabi thrust once, twice, and felt his dick twitch as his orgasm crashed over him.

“Oops,” he said with a laugh as his dick spurted his thick cum deep into your cunt. “Too late.” He groaned, pressing inside you as far as he could, lazily thrusting into you a few more times before he pulled out and let go of you, watching as you crumbled down to the floor.

“That was fun and all,” he told you in a conversational tone as he stuffed his dick back inside his pants. “But I got places to be, you know.”

His attention shifted back to Shouto, who was looking at you sitting on the ground, a small pool of cum dripping from your pussy and onto the floor.

“Hope you have a great day, Todoroki Shouto,” Dabi said to him with a wave and a malicious grin and in an instant he was gone, as if he had never been there in the first place.

It was eerily silent now, and Shouto simply pressed against the barrier, wanting nothing more than to go to your side, comfort you and make sure you got to an hospital to look over your wounds.

It took a minute before the barrier vanished, and Shouto had been pressing against it so hard that he stumbled forward a step once it was gone.

He immediately rushed to your side, embracing you and whispering into your ear how sorry he was, that you needed to go to a hospital, get your wounds checked and maybe talk to someone.

You had been silent up until now, your gaze on the floor but when Shouto rambled on and on about how he would take you to people, TELL people what had just happened, your head shot up and you looked at him, shaking it with wide eyes.

“No,” you whispered, pushing his hands away from your body so you could get up. “No, I’m fine.”

You grimaced at the feeling of your sore cunt but ignored it, simply pushing your body suit back into place and dusting off your clothes. “I’m fine,” you repeated. “Let’s just go home…”

With those words, you began walking off, heading into the direction of your shared apartment. Shouto followed your movements with wide eyes, getting up again and trying to get you to reconsider but you ignored his words, simply continuing to walk back home.

Eventually, Shouto gave up trying to talk some sense into you. It would do neither him nor you any good if he forced you to go to the hospital, and so he could only make sure that no one paid any special attention to you until you had reached the safety of your apartment.

Hopefully, you would listen to him eventually.

#bnha smut #bnha dabi #bnha noncon #tw: noncon #dabi x reader smut

[blu-joons]

When You’re An Accounting Student ~ BTS Reaction

Jin:

You threw yourself down on the sofa as soon as you walked into your apartment to see that Jin was already home, controller in hand as he played on his console.

“How was your lecture?” He teased, already being able to tell by the look on your face exactly how it had gone.

“I swear they want to pull me into a breakdown,” you laughed with a groan, “cost accounting is such a challenge to try and get your head around.”

“It’ll be worth it though.”

You smiled across at Jin, knowing that he was right with what he had to say, “graduation still feels like it’s a long way away. At least this semester is over soon, and we can move on to a different aspect of accounting.”

“It’s good and bad, as with everything, but unfortunately you’ve got to know it all to pass.”

“I know, it just sucks,” you sniggered, curling yourself into his lap.

Jin glanced down at you, running his hand over the top of your head, “why don’t you get some rest, let the information that you’ve absorbed sink in.”

“My brain feels like it’s running a marathon after that lecture, I think I might take a little while just yet,” you sighed in response to him.

“I’ll help you switch off in that case, rest is important for learning too.”

Yoongi:

A sigh of relief came from you as you pressed submit on arguably the hardest essay that you’d written all year, throwing your head back in delight.

“I never want to see the word tax written on anything ever again,” you joked as Yoongi came across to see you.

“You did it,” he grinned, pressing a kiss against the top of your head gently, “I bet that feels like a massive weight off of your shoulders too.”

“I’m just glad it’s done.”

His head nodded in agreement with you as he admired the submission screen on your laptop. “You’ve worked so hard on this essay, and after reading through it yesterday, they’d be crazy not to give you top marks.”

“You didn’t even understand a single word of what I’d written when you read this last night?”

“And that’s what makes it so good,” he teased in reply to you.

Your eyes rolled, pushing against his arm, “it’s not as difficult as you think it is, but tax will be giving me nightmares for the rest of my life.”

“That doesn’t bode well when you’re about to become an accountant,” Yoongi giggled, “you might want to rethink your path if that’s how you feel.”

“Trust me, tax accounting is the last route that I plan on taking now.”

Hoseok:

Your eyes flickered up as a coffee cup was placed by your side on your desk, greeted by Hobi’s smile looking down at you whilst you studied.

“Perfect timing,” you chuckled, sliding one of your books across at him, “I don’t suppose you fancy helping me out?”

“Financial statements,” Hobi mumbled as he read over the cover of your book, “do you want me to try and test you or something on it?”

“If you don’t mind.”

His head nodded as he opened it up, turning through a couple of the pages. “Do you really have to know all of this? Everything looks so technical and fancy, so many big words and phrases, it looks impossible.”

“All you have to do is ask me a few questions, I’ll remember all the technical and fancy stuff.”

“But how,” he chuckled, looking at you in complete disbelief.

Your head shook as Hobi read through a couple of the pages, “trust me, a couple of lectures and it’s all drilled into you.”

“I thought that music terminology was tough, but accounting gives it some stiff competition,” he laughed, “I’m definitely in awe of you right now.”

“I think you should wait until the test to decide that one Hobi.”

Namjoon:

You looked across in confusion as you noticed Namjoon sat at your desk, reading through the pages of one of your textbooks that you’d left lying around.

“Something taking your interest?” You questioned, with the sound of your voice causing him to jump as he looked to you.

“I just thought I’d see what some of it’s all about,” he smiled, closing the book back up, “I’d love to understand what you talk about a little more.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

Namjoon smiled across as his hand reached out to pull you into his lap. “You always talk so fondly about the things that you’re learning; I’d love to be able to know a bit more and engage in what you’re passionate about.”

“Accounting isn’t easy Joon, most people don’t have a clue what I’m going on about too.”

“It really does interest me though,” he assured you softly.

Your head nodded, “if you’re that interested, why don’t I teach you a bit? It would be good for me to get a bit of practice in as well before exam season.”

“If you think that it’ll help you, then I can’t see it doing any harm,” he cheered, “shall I grab myself a pen and some paper to get started.”

“I’m an accountant Joon, I’ve got plenty of my own you can use.”

Jimin:

You smiled across politely as Jimin’s parents sat you down, keen to get to know a little bit more about you on your first time of visiting.

“Jimin mentioned that you study accounting,” his mother spoke softly, “you must be good with money?”

“We’ve been looking for someone to track his spending better for months,” his dad added, “always spending money on useless nonsense.”

“He does buy a lot.”

Jimin gently pushed against your arm as you sided with his family instead. “I’m perfectly capable of tracking my own money, although if you wanted to use me for help with your training, I wouldn’t say no to you.”

“Hopefully you could stop him spending so much and think more about saving his money too.”

“Like for when he has kids,” his mum added, surprising you both.

Your head nodded with a little uncertainty, “I don’t think I can quite stop him spending, but I can certainly help manage everything.”

“Hopefully he’ll listen to you, as he doesn’t listen to us,” his mum smiled, “we keep telling him that he’s got to start saving for the future a little bit more.”

“I think he’s got a little while to worry about that just yet.”

Taehyung:

A proud smile graced Taehyung’s face as he watched you submit your application to sign on as a trainee accountant as a part of your training.

“Done,” you smiled, glancing behind you at Taehyung, “let’s just hope that they end up accepting my application.”

“They’d be idiots not too,” Taehyung comforted, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, “that application was incredible too.”

“You have to say that.”

His head shook as he gently nudged you, “I don’t have to say that, but after watching you write down how dedicated you are and writing about your experience through uni too, they should want to snap you up.”

“I’m not going to get my hopes up, it’s only the first application so there’s plenty more out there.”

“It’s a big step,” he smiled, “you’re finally seeing your dreams come true.”

Your head nodded back at him as you allowed your smile to grow, “it’s going to be strange not calling myself a student anymore.”

“You’ll have plenty of people relying on your talents and skills to help them,” he grinned, “you’re going to be amazing for so many people.”

“I’ve got to get the job first, let’s not run before we can walk.”

Jungkook:

Before you knew it, your hand came up to cover your mouth as you found yourself yawning once again, unable to quite break out of the habit.

“Y/N,” you overheard Jungkook call out from the other end of the room, “do you think that yawn is a sign to stop?”

“No,” you frowned, hearing him stand up and walk across the room to you, “I’ve still got a couple more chapters that I need t read through.”

“On the management of money?”

Your head nodded as you slid your book out of Jungkook’s view, “you don’t understand, there’s this massive test in just a few days and I have to be prepared for it, the last thing I want to do is fail and mess it all up.”

“Becoming an accountant doesn’t rely on one exam, and I’m sure you know all of this too.”

“Still, it’s much better to be prepared,” you tried to defend.

Jungkook’s head shook as he relaxed his hand against your shoulder, “has anyone ever told you that you can be a little too prepared?”

“One last chapter and then I promise I’ll call it a night,” you tried to compromise, “once I’ve checked over this stuff then I’ll be good to go.”

“One more chapter, and I’ll be keeping a very close eye on you too.”

---

Masterlist

#bts #bts imagine #bts reaction #bts scenario #bts reactions #bts scenarios #jin imagine #yoongi imagine #hoseok imagine #namjoon imagine #jimin imagine #taehyung imagine #jungkook imagine #jin #yoongi #hoseok #namjoon #jimin #taehyung #jungkook #bts drabble #bts one shot #bts fluff #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #kpop #kpop imagine

[mosswillow]

Try Again, And Again, And Again - Dark!Charles Xavier x Reader

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Summary: Your life is so perfect. A sweet and caring husband, a beautiful home; but something is off.

Warnings: 18+ adult content, dark, smut, vaginal fingering MORE WARNINGS AT BOTTOM

A/N: Requested by a wonderful Anon. I hope you enjoy this, I had fun writing it for sure. 🖤🖤🖤

Word count: 2.7k

By clicking read more you agree that you’re over 18 and understand that the following fic is mature and meant for adults.

Morning light glows from behind the curtains and you blink a few times as your brain wakes up. You look over to your husband, Charles, and give him a peck on the cheek.

“Good morning,” He groans.

You smile and slide your hand over his chest and down his abdomen.

“Well, you’re naughty this morning,” He chuckles.

He rolls to his side and grabs your face, pulling you toward him and kissing you aggressively. His other hand snakes down your body and finds your clit, circling it slowly. You push your hips into his hand and he moves his fingers faster. A moan escapes you  as his fingers dip into your cunt, expertly finding that spot that makes you sing. Within minutes you’re coming around his fingers. He watches you hungrily, sinking his finger in deeper and groaning as he reaches his own climax.

“You’re perfect,” He whispers in your ear.

You smile and close your eyes for a second before rolling out of bed.

“Eggs?” you ask, watching from the doorway as he stretches his tight leg muscles.

“Sounds perfect.”

Charles comes in just as you finish plating everything. He stops at the table and pulls a paper from his lap, opening it and finding something to read. You put the eggs down in front of him and he pulls you down, giving you a kiss.

“Why do you have to be so beautiful?” He asks.

You give a playful smile and shrug while turning away, feigning surprise when he lands a playful slap on your ass. You sit across from him and sip your coffee, studying his concentrated face as he reads his paper. Intelligence is the first thing that attracted you to him, He’s always reading something, always thinking. It was all luck, finding such a smart and caring husband. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

The door opens and you don’t have to look to know who it is. Wolverine.

“You just got back,” you whine.

“Disaster doesn't tend to check the calendar for a convenient time,” He replies, following Logan out to talk to him. You try to hear from the table but their voices are muffled. Charles comes back and you frown as you take in the apologetic look on his face.

“I could help,” you say hopefully. You know it’s not safe for you, you weren't born like him, don’t have powers. Still something inside you wants desperately to go with him and help save the world. He grabs your hand and pulls you down into a long kiss.

“No.”  His tone is harsh and you jump a little.  “I’m sorry, I know how much you hate waiting here. It’s just not safe.”

You stand, taking your plate to the kitchen and rinse it off, refusing to look at him. He pushes up behind you grabbing your arm and you turn to him wiping away a tear.

“Come home, I need you,” you try to smile but end up pouting.

“Always, my dear.”  

The yard is littered with mutants, you watch them mobilize and quickly leave together. It’s suddenly quiet and you sit at the window watching the breeze move leaves around the yard. It’s a beautiful day, it would be so nice to take a walk. It’s not safe when he’s away. It’s what you agreed to when you married him, the constant fear. It’s worth it to be with him, you’ve never loved someone so much.

It’s so nice though and you just want a little fresh air. You look around and open the door, walking into the yard. It’s not a big deal, just a little walk. You make your way through the grass and stop suddenly when you notice something sticking up from the dirt. You bring your hand to the object and feel electricity run through your fingertips as something pulls up through the dirt. A little white bow. You stare at it for several minutes and stuff it in your pocket before heading back inside.

You’re not sure why you don’t just throw it away, why you walk straight to your bathroom and hide it on the top shelf. It feels important, like it’s something special and needs to be kept.

After a few hours you forget about the little bow and by the time night falls the only thought on your mind is Charles. You’re too worried to sleep so you sit on the couch and read a book. The door opens and you look up expectantly.

“You should have gone to bed,” Charles chastises.

“You know I can’t sleep when you’re gone.”

He pulls you into a long kiss and your anxiety melts away.

You wake up halfway through the night screaming. He brings you into a hug and shushes you.

“Just a nightmare,” He whispers as you cry into his chest. He holds you until you’re asleep but the nightmare comes again, and again, and again. You’re always running from someone, so scared.  You eventually get up, make coffee and watch the sun rise.

“You ok?” Charles says from behind you.

“Yeah, I had to be up early this morning anyway. We have that breakfast with Jean and Scott.”

“You can go back to bed, I’ll handle breakfast,” He says and you shake your head.

“I already have two cups of coffee in me,” you smile.

He moves over to you and you look at his face. It’s stern, he’s angry about something.

“I got an alert, you went outside while I was away.”

“Just for a moment,” you say.

“You know you aren’t allowed to go outside alone.”

“I think that rule is a little over the top, I was only outside for a second,” you argue.

“Look at me.” you look into his eyes and his face drops into a disapproving glare.”You agreed to this when we got married, you know how important this is to me and what I’m willing to do to keep you safe.”

you shake slightly and look down again and he grabs your hand, holding it painfully tight.

“Do not leave this house without permission again or there will be consequences.”

“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,” you whisper. You did agree to it, you’re wrong to push back on the rule.

His features relax and he places his hands on your waist, rubbing circles with his thumb.

“I love you,” He says.

“I love you too,” you smile.

He leaves you alone and you look back out the window. You agreed to this, to him. You agreed to obey all his rules for your safety, gave up control and your life is better for it. So why do you feel so trapped right now?

The coffee doesn’t help as much as you would like and you find yourself yawning throughout breakfast.

“Tired?” Jean asks.

“Nightmares,” you smile sadly.

Jean and Scott share a look and you glance between them.

“Is there something wrong?” You ask.

“Of course not,” Jean says “Hey, you were going to lend me a book.”

You nod and walk with Jean across the room.

“Charles says you left the house yesterday?”

You pull a book off the shelf.

“I already apologized, I won’t do it again,” you say.

“You didn’t find anything outside did you?”

You think of the little bow hidden in the bathroom and something inside you tells you to lie.

“No, I just breathed in some fresh air and stepped back in,” you say.

Jean looks at you with suspicion and you shift your eyes away.

You look over at Charles and Scott talking across the room. They smile at you and you give a small smile back. You’re lucky, you tell yourself. Great friends, amazing husband. You’re happy.

“So I was thinking we could go somewhere fancy for our anniversary,” Charles mentions as you brush your teeth.

A frown starts forming against your will, you forgot about your anniversary.

“We could do something more casual,” He tries again.

“No it’s just... nevermind.”

“What?”

You shake your head and look in the mirror. It’s silly but you can’t remember what you did for your last anniversary or even how long you’ve been married. You think it’s been four years but maybe it’s three? Or five? Time doesn’t really matter when you’re with someone you love, you decide.

“Answer me,” He demands, pulling you from your thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t remember what we did for our last one. It’s dumb.”

He smiles and pulls you toward him, grabbing the back of your head and kissing your cheek.

“I don’t think we even made it out of the house last time. Ordered pizza in,” he whispers.

A memory of pizza and marathon sex comes to the front of your memory and you smile.

“Oh yeah, that was fun. A fancy dinner sounds good this time, It’s been a while since we went out.”

“I’ll make a reservation,” He smirks.

You wake up the middle of the night from another nightmare. It’s been a week now and they keep getting worse. They always go the same way, in your house at the living room window looking out. A monster starts chasing you and you climb out the window and run for your life.

You get up and go to the window from your dreams, looking out shaking your head in frustration. Something feels wrong but you can’t put your finger on it. You feel like you’re going crazy, it’s like you know there’s an important meeting scheduled but can’t remember where it is or who it’s with. You look around the room for clues and your wedding album catches your eye. You look through the photos smiling as you remember the day, then you see one that makes you stop. Something about it…

It slides out of the album easily, like it’s been taken out many times before and you turn it over. ‘Didn’t happen: leg’ is scrawled across the back and you quickly slide the photo back in and stare at it. It’s small but there’s a slight inconsistency beside your leg in the photo. You start turning over more photos to find more notes and descriptions of tiny mistakes throughout the album. Beeping comes from your watch and you look down to see a heart rate alert. You take deep breaths as you put the album away and stand in the quiet room.

“What are you doing up?” Charles calls from the bedroom and you jump.

“Just a drink of water,” you call back, grabbing a glass of water and walking back to bed.

A present arrives for you, a big red bow on top. You untie it and look inside finding a diamond bracelet.

“Do you like it?” Charles asks.

“It’s beautiful,” You reply.

He’s always so thoughtful, checking your internet searches to find what you’ve been looking at. He’s really the perfect husband. Your life is so perfect.

The bracelet feels heavy on your arm as you walk to the bathroom to start preparing for your date, taking a shower and applying makeup. You grab your bottle of foundation and notice it’s almost empty. It’s ok because you have another bottle. You reach onto the top shelf and feel something soft. The bow. Your nightmare flashes through your mind and you take the bow with you to the living room window. Something is off, really off. It’s right there, so close, a few minutes and you’ll remember, you know you will.

“What are you holding?” Charles asks, his voice hard. He’s angry, but why?

You shake your head and he sighs.

“How many times are we going to do this huh?” he says, clicking his tongue. A look of contempt solidifies on his face and it starts coming back.

Your nightmare flashes through your mind again and this time you can make out the monster. It’s him, Charles. The photos, they were faked. None of this is real.

“You’re not my husband…. What did you do to my mind?”

“Walk away from the window baby, we don’t have to keep doing this.”

Tears start forming. You’ve had this conversation before many times. It was all a lie, he kidnapped you. You had thought you found a family with them, they gave you a home when you ran away. He took one look at you and decided you were his and everyone just… went along with it.

“Let me go.”

“We’re happy together darling.”

“I hate to break it to you, darling, but If you have to change someone's memories for them to date you it’s not a happy relationship.” you start getting angry, or really, your actual personality comes back. He took everything from you, made you so small. You’ve never been small, always fought. He’s taken away the very thing that makes you you.

“I deserve it after everything I’ve done, everything I’ve lost.”

“But I don’t deserve it. You took everything! My freedom,” you look at your hands “My powers,” you cry, realizing how he made you forget everything you can do. He kept you in this home, treated you like a fragile doll. You’re not fragile.

You reach for the window unlocking it with ease, your muscles remembering the motion.

“You know I’ll always catch you. Even if you somehow get out of our yard there’s no way to hide from me.” He puts a finger to his temple.

“Magneto.” You say simply, the threat obvious in your tone. His nostrils flare.

“You wouldn’t.”

You would.

“I’ll always run and one day I’ll get away. If It means going back to Erik I will.”

“He abused you, beat you.”

“So do you.”

“I punish when I have to because I love you, it’s not abuse.”

“Erik said the same thing,” you roll your eyes “You’re so alike, two sides of the same coin. At least with Erik I was aware of the abuse. You hit me and then make me happy about it, make me thank you.”

He moves toward you, lip curling into a sneer.

“Close that window and come here.”

“You took my memories, messed with my mind,” you yell.

“Only because you can’t ever just obey, it’s always a fight with you. Show me you can behave and you can keep them.”

You start climbing out the window and his voice gets louder.

“Don’t you dare run from me, not again,” He yells.

You run, just like every other time, and just like every time you don’t make it far before he stops you, making you barely able to move. You fight it and sparks fly though your fingers ad you reach for the ground. It’s like meeting an old friend, the earth whispers to you and you cry, not wanting to lose them again. You give your bracelet to the earth and it pulls it under for you. They won’t find it, not even if they dig for it. The earth will keep it safe and give it back to you when you’re ready again.

You’re suddenly pulled up and carried inside. Logan deposits you on the bed and Charles gives him a nod of gratitude. Charles leans over you and you give him the most loathsome look you can muster, still barely able to move. He holds your head and closes his eyes briefly.

‘I hate you’ you think over and over again.

“You just need more time,” He replies, wiping a tear from your cheek as you lose consciousness.

You shoot up and look around your room.

“Are you ok?” Charles asks.

“Yeah, I have a headache is all,” you reply

He pulls you back down to the bed and kisses your cheek.

“Why don’t you just rest today darling, I’ll get you some pain killers.”

You nod, so happy to have such a loving and thoughtful husband. Your life is so perfect.

You look over and see a little piece of wallpaper coming up at the edge. A feeling washes over you, telling you to peel back the wallpaper. Beeps start coming from your wrist, warning you of your heart rate and you take deep breaths.

Something is off.

———————————

WARNINGS: Mind control, kidnapping, mentions of punishments, spousal abuse.

#Dark!Charles Xavier #dark!fic #dark xmen #charles xavier #reader insert #Dark reader insert #charles xavier x you #Charles Xavier x reader #dark!professor x

[darkhymns-fic]

A Deer in Headlights

Noelle runs into a familiar salesman, so familiar that it's nostalgic.

A new deal is struck between them.

Fandom: Deltarune Characters: Noelle Holiday, Spamton Rating: T Word Count: 11,477 Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: Taken place during the Snowgrave Route. I wanted to write about Spamton and Noelle meeting in it, and this was its very weird result! Content warning for themes of manipulation, trauma and character death.

--

The storefront Noelle passed by was new in town.

What she remembered most from that day was how much it snowed, enough to completely cover the streets and houses, until everything was decked out in white, until she lost sight of the details. She had been in elementary at the time, tears still a bit fresh from the night before.

Usually, both her and Dess didn’t typically watch their scary movies on a school night, but what was the point of watching a horror movie marathon unless you don’t make it until the very end?

Maybe that was why Noelle stumbled a bit in her walk after school, taking a wrong turn from what should have been a routine path. The snow made it confusing, and Dess wasn’t here to guide her, needing to stay behind for her cross-country training. (She had never minded the cold when it came to that, of course.) But without her sister, Noelle had no clear direction on where to go, could almost barely see anything in the streets besides the snow.

The first sight she caught was the steeple of the town’s church, the Angel’s great wings splayed out to make an imprint against the sky…and then, right next to it, was a raggedy-looking storefront that she was sure had not been here yesterday.

The windows were empty, and the door was shut, yet she saw someone moving around inside, like a shadow. The snow hid the name of the store, drowning out its lights. Was it even open? The lampposts nearby seemed to be the only other thing to exist, decorative lights wrapped around their frame at the insistence of her mother’s orders.

Maybe she could buy her holiday presents early.

It was the moment that she opened the door, snowflakes coating her mittens, her nose nearly frozen, that she instantly knew the feeling that was regret.

“Hey, kid!” shouted a voice from across the store. “Looking to buy some rare tinfoil packs?!”

The voice was like an icepick, with how loud it was, how sudden, how frightening.

Yet she couldn’t turn away.

“Um, hello?” she answered back, hoofs clacking against a messily-tiled floor, as if… they had been ripped off, for some reason, so that she stepped on the dry foundation underneath. “I was just…um…looking in! Fahaha, I hope that’s okay.”

“Oh, you’re free to browse! But I can’t force ya!” The monster was smiling at her from across the floor, though she couldn’t recall ever seeing a monster look like they did, or talk like they did, or smile so, so often that didn’t just belong to a plain skull. For some reason, to this day, the details of that person in the shop were lost to her, like a smudged drawing where only the eyes and mouth were left.

She could only remember how they had such wide eyes, and a great and big smile.

They were like a shadow, moving from behind the counter suddenly, going to a certain box that was to the right. There were more such boxes on the shelves, on the floor, some of them opened, with an even greater number turned on their sides, spilling out their contents. Much of it was just plain styrofoam packaging, holding little-to-nothing else.

“But, can I interest you in, say…” the shadow turned, the smile widened, “everything we have in stock?”

Noelle looked around the store, seeing few objects out, looking as if the place had been picked clean. The fluorescent lighting up top continually flickered, with one of the lights not even working. There were wires sticking out of the walls, and dry plaster falling across the tiles like dust…

Even as she searched, all she could truly see was that wide and white smile, which had a strange power of keeping her inside instead of retreating for the snow.

But the snow was also too much.

“Come on in, kid! Don’t be shy! Why don’t ya greet the new man in town?”

It was only through those words could she grasp any other details about the salesperson…or the salesman, more accurately. She took only a step or two before he leaned over the counter, imprinting that smile into her memory.

“I-I just-”

“Angel! Looks like you’re in need of a little holiday miracle, aren’t you?”

She had no idea what he was talking about. She shook her head, the snow falling off her newly grown-in antlers, making the floor beneath her feet even messier.

“Hope you’re not only into window shopping!” He barely let her mumble another word, rummaging through some unseen contents of his boxes to then show to her. She heard the crinkling of plastic bags, the clatter of small objects falling to the tiles, but his smile never let up. “Check out what I got in store!”

Noelle peered into the bag he held out, which was as deflated as a popped balloon.

The stuff he offered her was… strange, like knock-off items you’d find at a dollar store, made specifically for the cheap uncle who didn’t want to splurge much at all on a kid’s birthday present. They were some stickers of mascots she had never heard of (Who was Pipisman??) a used sponge, several half-cut erasers, boxes of candy whose expiration date were well past due, and a few chipped pencils, which were at least twisted around a bit creatively. Though she still preferred her candy cane pencils.

The plastic bag also had a “HAVE A GOOD DAY” printed all over the side of it, but it was messy, as the dye of the print looked all smudged and wet.

“…I’m working on the packaging,” he said, startling her from her intense examination of his wares. “Will be ready in two weeks, tops!”

Another thing she noted from the bag was its smell. “Is… is that cologne?” she asked, covering her snout. She recognized the scent from her dad, but never this strong…

“Oh! Good nose ya got there, kid!” The salesman dug into the bag like a vulture, pulling out what looked like a car air freshener, but frayed around the edges. Was that another funny mascot? “One of a kind! Scratch and sniff, and you’ll be cruising in style!”

“But, I don’t drive…”

“Well, get it for your mama! Bet she loves the fragrance of a good man!”

Noelle really had no idea what he was talking about. But he shoved all the merchandise into her hands, so that she was forced to fully acknowledge their existence.

It all felt like it would fall apart at her fingertips.

The longer she stayed in this store, the more she didn’t like this place. It was so…empty, and the only thing that existed was this man right in front of her, with a face that she just couldn’t place.

Maybe it was her memories, trying to shield such a face away from her.

“Looking a little lost there, Angel. But I bet I know what will fill up that bleeding heart of yours!” The man shook, shivered, and smiled even more. He was moving towards the cash register (which she hadn’t seen before?) and pressed a bunch of keys on it with no discernable order or logic. “There’s nothing wrong in having a little splurge once in a while!”

“Um, that’s okay, I-” Noelle curled her hands around the handle of the plastic bag, smiling nervously. It was her fault for coming inside this shop and getting this salesman’s hopes up. “I don’t think I have the money for this.”

The ringing of the cash register stopped. The man turned to her, his smiling never letting up.

“It’s not always about the money, you know.”

Noelle felt something drip onto her hand.

She looked down, at the poor and dejected bag she held, something that one could find at any thrift store, at any trashcan in a shady alleyway. It was the red lettering on the bag; it had been printed so badly that now the dye was spilling over the surface like liquid, staining her fingers. A bead of red trailed down, until it hit the floor with a soft plop. It stained the tile, turning it dark, darker. Realization hit her then.

Noelle had never seen blood before. It was only supposed to exist in-

The salesman reached out and took the bag away from her fingers.

"You need to pay the FULL PRICE for this one!" The smile looked like it was hurting him, his voice strained as if he was crawling on that dirty, rustic floor. “You CAN’T just get this for FREE!”

“But…” Noelle protested, the red staining her fur more and more. She didn’t want what he was selling, so why was she feeling so empty suddenly? Why did the bag leaving her hands left her raw and cold?

The red didn’t stop flowing. She tried to wipe it off, but it only stained her clothes, splattered against the ruined tiles.

“Do you get what I’m saying, Angel? Some things in LIFE aren’t FREE!” He was holding tight to the bag, squeezing it between his palms, strangling it until that same red stained his own hands. “But you don’t always pay with money!!”

What did he even mean? What did he want? The tone of his voice scared her; so clipped and desperate. He was staring at her so hard that she thought he would reach out and snap off her horns if she kept silent.

Noelle liked scary things, the fear that would make her cry and sniffle, that would make her heart pound – but not this.

Not this where she felt she couldn’t even breathe.

“I don’t have anything to give you,” she whispered, her feet doing the thinking for her and edging her back to the half-open door. Her back felt frozen. “If- if you need some help to start your business, I think my mother could-”

A slam of the counter, enough that she thought she saw the surface crack from where the salesman had hit it.

“Oh, Angel… You really are… too… kind…”

Noelle never knew what else he would say next, or just how wide his smile would get if she had stayed longer, the shadows in his store growing dimmer, the lights flickering on and off, the intervals between getting longer. Because her back hit the frame of the open door, startling her from whatever strange hold he had on her.

“I..I think I’m going to go home,” she could only say, her mind repeating it even more. (I need to go, I have to go).

She turned and left, tears starting fresh once again as she ran blindly from the shady shop into the infinite snow.

The blizzard that came a few days later had been the worst in years.

.

.

.

--

I don’t know where I am anymore.

The city, with all its lights, shone brightly above Noelle. When she first arrived in this strange world, it had all looked just so dazzling, like stars across the skies, but in so many different colors. Sometimes the colors were just so deeply saturated, flickering around her like the fireworks during the festival, that it would hurt her head. She had to close her eyes numerous times as she walked.

She wanted to go home, but she had no idea where home was.

And no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop shivering.

“Kris…” she said out loud, more in reflex than with any other intention. She had said their name so, so many times during their walk through the glitzy streets. Through the empty streets. Through the cold streets. And even when they would barely say much back except for that one word, all she could do was keep calling out to them.

Calling out to them…for help? But, no. Kris had already helped her enough, hadn’t they? To become stronger. She was stronger.

She was so strong that she didn’t need to keep leaning on Kris anymore. She didn’t need to keep being a burden.

But then why are my knees shaking so much?

With her hands aching, bringing her back to that day her parents had feared she’d suffered from frostbite, Noelle stumbled. One of the strange mice had scurried at her feet, trying to get away. Its tail was already a glistening blue as it flopped to its side, reflecting the city lights in lurid shades of yellow and pink. Mist escaped her lips. She didn’t even remember moving her hands at all. They were still hurting.

Another stumble to the wall, and Noelle leaned against it as if it was a shoulder of someone else who was even stronger. It was the only way she could stay conscious. Because even in this wondrous cityscape, it still felt so cold, like the winter within a thick forest.

I have to keep going, she thought, her hoof taking another step, going through a puzzle that she barely paid any attention. I have to go home. I have to. I need to.

And then she was stepping on a…person?

“HEY !! THIS [[ Flea Market specil  ]]  SUIT IS ONE OF A KIND!! GET [[your]] OWN!”

Noelle swallowed back her scream, swallowed back her spell, like a living thing that was desperately trying to claw its way out of her throat. She stepped away, seeing the strange, discarded, dirty-looking doll that was now lying in the middle of the street.

Thoughts of blizzards, of hypothermia, of frozen tree trunks where the edges of it could easily cut through skin, flitted away at a new, different wave of fear, of concern.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. Are you okay?” She ignored the ache in her hands and reached out to them. “L-Let me help you up-”

The…person??.. stood up in one motion, but not one that Noelle could ever call natural. It wiped away at its front with erratic gestures, with an arm shooting upwards as if they were swiftly reaching up to catch something, before going back to their original task.

They also moved away from her, though more so with annoyance then any fear of their own.

“HANDS OFF THE [[Limited-Edition Merchandise]]! CAN’T AFFORD T0 STAIN THESE DIGS. LITERALLY. BUT I AIN ‘T NO CHARITY CASE!! [[Call now to donate today]].”

The franticness of the voice brought Noelle back to a certain alleyway she had gone with Kris too… as well as the smell. She placed a hand over her snout, trying to make it seem like she was just rubbing it in case this person was looking. “Is…is it you? From…”

The lights were dim here, one advertising sign above having gone out, giving them ample shade. The black suit, the multicolored glasses, and the strangely rosy cheeks were new to her. But their voice was hard to forget, just without the reverb of a lonely and lost dumpster.

“OH!!! IT’S YOU, [You bright-eyed doe!]” The brisk tone from before changed completely to something much more placating, even if it still ran with sparks and stutters, and made her head sting from the electric texture of it all. “HOW’S OL’ SPAMTON’S [Commemorative Ring] WORKING OUT FOR YA?? [Enter Value Set]% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!!”

Noelle blinked, then looked down to her hand, the one that ached the most. There was the band of metal around her ring finger, a sharper blue than the others she had worn. No decorative snowglobe on it this time, but barbed with several thorns all over its side.

Kris had helped her put it on. They said nothing when she flinched as the ring scratched up her fur and skin, when a small squeak had left her throat. But she had seen their eyes, and it had been the most frightening expression she had ever seen from them.

She pressed against the ring, softly, and just that little touch made it hurt. The ring was wedged in, making her afraid to take it off.

The little man called Spamton was looking at her with such expectation.

“It…It’s helped me,” she finally said. “It’s made me strong.”

Then he started to laugh. The sound of it rolled over her like an avalanche.

“EAHAHEHAE!! TOLD YA, KID!!" He was turning his head at an angle that shouldn't have been possible, but she heard the telltale creaks of plastic, of ball-point joints, of something that was so close to breaking. "THIS [[ Once in a lifetime!!!]] DEAL IS SOMETHING YOU'LL REGRET FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" 

His jaw kept hanging off too wide as he spoke, as if it would fall right off and clatter to the ground. Noelle watched in half-suspension and half-fear, and could only breathe again once he finished talking.

“But… I’m not the one who bought it,” she told him, unsure why. Kris only got it to make her stronger, so…

“AH, YOU MEAN THAT OTHER LIGHT?? NER?? YOUR [Specil Half]!? THEY HAVE AN EYE FOR QUALITY! [A diamond is forever]!!”

Noelle was confused. There weren’t any diamonds on this ring that she could see, and Kris was only looking out for her. There was…nothing more than that.

Even when that voice filled her ears, there was nothing more than that.

“YOU LOOKING A LITTLE LOST THERE?? [Angel], [Angel].”

Noelle was still, but she was listening.

He’d called her that before, hadn’t he? Or maybe he had meant Kris...?

“Maybe… a little.”

Another laugh, but she was prepared for it this time, how the static-filled texture of it bounced against the empty alleyway. It reminded her of her dad’s old tv set they still kept around the house.

“GOOD JOB, KID! GOOD JOB! NEED A [Hand] THEN? SPAMTON LOOKS OUT FOR ALL OF HIS [[#1]] CUSTOMERS!”

“Oh, t-thank you, just…” She looked around, once again pressing a finger against the ring, and once again flinching at the pain. “I’m not a customer. It wasn’t me who bought this. I would have just-”

I wouldn’t have bought it. I would have just frozen you like I did with that other salesman.

The thought was so vivid that she gasped, barely able to keep it together. She… she would have…

But Spamton’s smile only seemed to grow.

“YES, THAT’S IT!! [My sweet little angel]. YOU GAVE SPAMTON A FULL-TIME INVESTMENT! NOW [You’ll pass the savings onto me!]”

Oh, she really had no idea what he meant. “You keep calling me that.”

“HUH ?? I DON’T KNOW YOUR NUMBER, LADY!”

She shook her head. “Angel. Why do you say that?”

And before she knew it, Spamton reached out to pat her head – as if she was some little stray puppy he had found off the streets.

“I KNOW AN [Angel] WHEN I SEE ONE! HAVEN’T YOU HEARD IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE!?”

His hand moved through her hair a bit roughly, and his face was near. Noelle was rooted in place.

Why was this feeling…so nostalgic?

Wait, more importantly, how was he even reaching up this high??

It took Noelle an embarrassing moment to finally see that Spamton was standing on top of one of those cyber garbage cans. Oh. Made sense. He seemed to really find his element with trash receptacles.

“So, you’re an angel too, then?” she asked, confused, but interested. “I don’t mean to be rude, but… you don’t really seem like one.”

If Spamton took any offense, he didn’t show it. Instead, he gave her another firm pat on the head, then poked at one of her antlers as if suddenly pulled by childish curiosity before leaning back.

“YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU [Don’t judge a book by its cover!] I’M OUT HERE, GIVING PEOPLE ONCE IN A LIFETIME DEALS. IS THAT NOT THE WORK OF [Heaven]? IS THAT NOT THE MARK OF US [And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, End Act 5, Scene 2.]”

His barely comprehensible word salad didn’t clear up the issue by much, or at all. “Well, that’s-”

“ALSO I GOT THE HALO FOR IT, SEE???!” At that, Spamton was holding up what looked like a golden halo, but on closer inspection…was actually just a ring of cheese. A very thin ring of cheese that had been eaten in a very specific way to turn into that shape. Had he just picked that up off the ground?

Noelle wasn’t sure if she needed to be here anymore.

“Thanks for talking with me, um, Spamton?” She had barely caught his name but that sounded close to the noises he had uttered earlier. “But, I really need to be going now.” She tried to smile, even though she found the action so much harder to do. “I need to get home.”

As the strange, tiny man was preoccupied with trying to put the cheese halo on his head, he stopped, then raised his head to her with a sudden clacking noise, a little bzzt humming from his throat.

“WHAT A COINCIDENCE, [Angel]. I’M ON MY WAY HOME TOO! WE SHOULD [Collaborate] AND GO HOME TOGETHER!”

…Something about that phrase didn’t sit right with her.

“Ah, no, t-that’s okay. I can go home on my own! To…my own home.” Noelle took a shaky breath, looking past the small man’s surprisingly large head, and all the lights that still gilded the city streets. Even though such streets were so very empty. “I need to find my own way. That’s what… I have to do.” Noelle shook her head, and for a moment she thought the snowflakes would fall from her head.

“OH BUT IF YOU DON’T GO HOME WITH ME, YOU’LL MISS OUT! YOU’LL MISS OUT!” Another awful shaking, his grin so wide and painfully stretched, all as he seemed to move his feet in what could only be termed as a very weird dance. “YOU’LL MISS OUT!!!”

“W-what? I don’t-”

“MY NEW DEAL IS [[out of this world!!]] DOn’t YOU WANT TO KNOW?! GET A LITTLE [Kris Kringle] IN YOUR LIFE.” His glasses flickered, alternating between pink and yellow like a frantic traffic light that hadn’t been frozen just yet. “COME ON, [Angel]!!!”

“I…I’m sorry, I really don’t understand what you’re saying!” She tightened her fists, bringing in a new wave of pain. “I’m leaving now.”

And she was going to. She had taken her step and though she had no idea which direction was what, or if this dream would finally let her wake, she could at least get away from this strange puppet whose voice only kept hurting her head-

“LET ME SPELL IT OUT FOR YA, [Toots]! STARTS WITH A [D] AND ENDS WITH A [ecember]! AIN’T YOUR OWN PRECIOUS [[S O U L]] BEGGING FOR IT?”

She stopped, turning back to him.

The salesman’s glasses were so blinding.

“You… you know where she…”

“NOW COME ON! I’M AN [HonestMan]. ESPECIALLY TO ANOTHER FAIR [Angel]!” Spamton held out his hand to her. “I GOT MY SOURCES! I GOT MY CONNECTIONS! AND I GOT MY [[Unforgettable De4ls]! FINDING [Have you seen me?] IS AS EASY AS C++. YOU JUST GOTTA [Help Me. Oh God. Oh Please Help Me].”

Noelle raised an eyebrow. “Help you?”

“YES!! CORRECTAMUNDO!!” Spamton was jumping up and down, or was just vibrating very, very intensely. “ON OUR WAY HOME, YOU GOTTA HELP ME BECOME [BIG]. NOW, I CAN’T FORCE YOU. EXCEPT! YOU SHOULD!” If Noelle could guess, she thought Spamton was hyperventilating now. “YOU GOT TO. YOU GOT TO. YOU G0T!! AND THEN AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, I’LL TELL YOU [Those wacky d1g1ts!].”

It felt cold, and everything around them seemed to turn even darker. Like the shadows that would stretch out from her bedroom window at night. Always on those nights when she couldn’t sleep, and let her fears take over until she saw the sunlight through the front gate in the distance.

“YOU CAN’T SAY [[N0!!!]] TO THIS DEAL!”

She-

She couldn’t.

She really, really couldn’t.

“If I go with you… you’ll help me?” She clenched her fingers, the pain fresh again. “You will?”

Spamton laughed again, a little sharper this time. But his glasses were bright, and they struck at her, rendering her immobile.

“I TOLD YOU I AM ALSO AN AGENT OF [Heaven].  NOW FOLLOW THIS [Old Friend] HOME! I CAN’T LOSE MY INVESTMENT NOW!”

At that, he grabbed her hand.

Not even Kris had been that forward.

Spamton leapt off the trash can, leading Noelle like an excitable dog that was pulling on their leash. “LET’S GET THAT CHRISTMAS BONUS!”

How easy it was to follow another person.

Spamton squeezed her hand, making her wince. He held the hand where she wore the ring.

She suspected he already knew.

--

When Noelle had walked through the city before, much of it had blurred together for her. The lights, the sounds, the cold. The battles had made it all seem like one great storm that she had to weather through.

Walking now with Spamton, all she could focus on was the strangeness of his hand; stiff, how the fingers creaked when he squeezed her own a little harder, how he pulled her arm along, no matter how fast she tried to catch up.

At some point, he must have taken her underground. All she could recall was the sharp metal clanging sound above her as they descended a ladder, and that any light at all was snuffed out completely, without her ever questioning. How she was able to climb down that while Spamton held fast to her hand, she didn’t know.

And all the while, the strange little salesman kept talking.

“HEY, [Angel]. REMEMBER, FLOAM™??” he was saying. As he spoke and monologued or just laughed at seemingly nothing, she sometimes felt something that ran underneath his skin (?) like an electric current, one that was always so close to shocking her, but didn’t. “THAT PRODUCT WAS GONNA BE A [[BIG SHOT]]!! THE KIDS LOVED IT! YOU COULD MAKE YOURSELF A CROWN, WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE WALLS! WHAT THE [$%#$] HAPPENED, HUH!?”

Noelle was doing all she could to not really look at what they were stepping in. There were no details to make note of with how dark it was, it might as well have been another narrow alleyway but with all the lights off, the electricity cut.

Well, maybe not completely, for she could still see the flickering lights of Spamton’s strange glasses, and how just from that could she still see that they were on solid ground, with only a few discarded debris like perfectly crafted cardboard boxes and banana peels in the way. “I’ve never heard of that,” she told him. “What’s, uh… what’s Floam?”

“WHAT?” Spamton raised up his hands, in turn raising up her own that he was still holding. “YOU GOTTA BE [Class Clown] ME! IT’S! THE CLAY!! FOR [3 Easy Payments of $19.99]! KIDS WOULD EAT IT ALL THE TIME!”

“Well, it sounds like something my mom wouldn’t have let me have, I think.” Not if it was edible.

In a strange way, she did rely on Spamton’s voice; because it was constant, a note of change within the darkness, and it wasn’t… as terrifying. No. Not by that much. He was like something out of those scary puppet movies she would watch. The way they’d cackle and grin, but in the end, was still just a silly-looking toy.

There’s nothing scary about that, she would tell herself, even as the darkness encroached, so much that she could barely see her own hooves. And besides, he said he would help me find-

There was scrambling and shifting from up ahead, a person’s frantic mumblings, quick and light breathing. Boxes thrown, coins falling to the floor. Noelle froze.

Spamton didn’t pull her along this time. He stopped too – and swiveled his head to the right, the light of his bright glasses scanning the empty walls, until…

“Angel,” he called to her then.

There was a person. A blue person. They were scrounging through some boxes right in front of both Noelle and Spamton. Sewer boxes, in particular. All she could grasp was that they were blue.

Despite the different color, they looked a lot like that other salesperson…

“Do you see this, angel?” Spamton spoke again. But was that still him? He sounded so different, his voice low and steady, like a frantic heartbeat finally slowing down. He even let go of her hand then, doing so with all the trust in the world. “Looks like you missed one.”

Everything was blurring together, even in the dark.

He…he doesn’t mean…

Without even thinking, she made a step forward, her hoof making a sharp noise against the pavement.

The blue person noticed the light then, noticed the sound, and jumped. For a moment, she thought she heard them scream.

“W-who’s there?!” Eyes opened wide, Noelle felt their stare. How must they both look? Two figures, standing silently in the dark, unmoving as stone statues.

“HEY   !! FAVORITE COWORKER! STAYING IN LATE AGAIN [On a Friday Night]!?”

Hearing Spamton’s usual tone barely surprised her now. In fact, it was almost welcoming.

“Spamton? Spamton!” The other stood up quickly, smiling, hand up. They didn’t seem to know how to not smile. As if it was all they had ever learned. “Didn’t… Didn’t think I’d see you down here, buddy!”

Spamton brought his hands up together, rubbing his palms, outshining the other’s smile with his manic grin. “I’M NOT YOUR BUDDY, [Pal]!”

A shake, and just the tiniest of downturns around the mouth. “Heh, r-right. You still got it!”

They dressed the same as the others, except their black shirt was visibly torn, and their pants looked even more worse for wear, as if they had been crawling around on the dirty floor for hours. There was the fragile air of confidence, like the other one her and Kris had met, but not by much. Not like the other one who had just completely vanished when she had closed her eyes for only a moment…

She was shaking. She was scared. And she had the sinking feeling that she knew exactly why.

“MY BEST [[Little Slime]]! LOOKING TO EXPAND YOUR PROFITS?!” Spamton’s voice was getting louder, enough to make Noelle wince just a bit. This underground place was a small space, the walls heightening every sound until it was near unbearable. “GOTTA TELL YA. THE CROWD IS [[Help me I’m dying! Please help me I’m dying!]] OUT HERE!”

The blue person was looking more uncomfortable by the moment. Their head turned around slightly, as if searching for a way to escape. “Yeah… Well, sometimes you need to get into new territory, you know?” Another tight smile, but the upright hand drooped, the shoulders slumped. “Oh, who am I kidding. I’ve just been trying to run away before whatever is out there takes me too.”

“OH?? WHY DON’T YOU [Tell me more!]” Spamton hopped on his tiny feet, his grin never letting up. “GONNA EAT SOME DOG FOOD TONIGHT?!”

“N-no?” The blue person gave a quick glance to the floor where cans of dog food rolled around from the sewer boxes. “I mean, uh, there’s been… weird things happening! You must have seen it! Do you remember Pink? He wasn’t at his shop, and there’s frozen Darkners everywhere on the streets. It’s, it’s also been colder too. Can you imagine?” Another bout of nervous laughter. “We’d always be complaining to the higher-ups about the overheating problems and then this happens. Talk about a monkey’s paw situation!”

Their joke didn’t land with either of them. Noelle stared. Spamton kept rubbing his hands. Both silent.

“Heh…always needed to work on my icebreakers.”

But at that – oh, Spamton loved it. He slapped his knee, glasses flashing like the broken flickering of a monitor. “EAHAHAHA! GOOD ONE! ISN’T THAT RIGHT, [Angel]?”

Noelle could only think how Spamton was laying it on a little thick there.

It was as if pointing her out finally lit up her existence to the blue person. They paused, considered, and maybe, in the back of their mind, they had already realized that they had nowhere to run.

But people like to deny things, don’t they? Right until the very end.

“Who’s…she?” they asked, trying to keep up their polite, slightly solicitating demeanor.

The question unlocked something in Spamton, made him shake and burst forth laughing again, the sounds echoing around and around like a building tornado. “EAHAHEAHEA! WHO DO YOU THINK?!” A visible wink, with Spamton even making a clicking noise between his teeth. “SHE’S MY [Hochi Mama]!”

The hollow feeling inside Noelle’s chest only grew. She thought she would wretch on the spot.

“Wait… that’s a Lightner, isn’t it?” The other salesperson – the Darkner? – was now learning the meaning of what it was to frown. There were no glitzy signs of lights to accompany them to tell the viewer to ‘BUY! BUY!’, no lines of shoes or rings behind a storefront window. Just them, all alone, in the dark, and in a filthy sewer.

“[Survey Says]!” And then Spamton made a visible ding! noise from what must have been his mouth?? “THIS L1GHT <neR IS ONE OF A KIND! DON’T GET ON HER [Bad] SIDE!”

The other took a step back, realizing, remembering. They could no longer deny it.

And neither could Noelle as she stepped towards them.

The terrifying voice from before wasn’t here. No, but it had been replaced with a new one altogether.

“CALLING ALL [Angels]!” Spamton turned to her, shoulders hunched. His glasses fell forward just a bit. Could she see what was there behind them…? “YOU GOTTA TAKE THE SHOT!”

That’s right. This was another enemy.

And it was in their way.

“No… No, you two are just here because you’re also trying to escape it, right?” The blue Darkner kept talking, because really, it was all they knew. “You’re not… you’re not…”

“OH, YOU THINK WE WOULD [Turn the other cheek]?” Spamton’s voice only grew louder, like someone turning up the dial of some speakers more and more to the right, unaware to the high-pitched screech that would pop occasionally. “YOU ALSO WANTED TO GET THAT SWEET, SWEET [[Hyperlink Blocked]], BUT YOU AIN’T GOT THE [[Guts]]. YOU NEVER DID.”

Spamton quickly plunged a hand in the pocket of Noelle’s robes. She had no time to react to it with how quick he was. He held a familiar ring, the one with the snowglobe on it. She didn’t even know she had kept it afterwards.

“LOOK AT THIS! LIVING [Free and Easy] IN A NEW TIMESHARE! AREN’T YOU JEALOUS? WELL, [This can be you!!] IF YOU JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND STOP STEPPING ALL OVER SPAMTON      G. SPAM-SPAMTON!”

The skip in his voice was so sharp, it hammered into her skull. Spamton’s movements became even more erratic, glitching in and out, his face distorting into something horrifying, even if for just half a second.

In his hand, he kept waving around that ring.  So tiny, the person that was living inside, that was banging their hands against the glass.

And then Spamton dropped it to the floor, the glass breaking, leaving nothing but dust and fake snow in its wake.

“UH OH! [Clean up on aisle 3!] GUESS HE DIDN’T KEEP UP HIS END OF THE DEAL!”

All that she felt was fear that scurried around in its corner, trying to dig its way out. But the only way out was forward.

Noelle squeezed her hands tight, trying to override that fear with just pain. But it wasn’t enough.

“Is there no other choice?”

Spamton turned to her, stepping over the shattered remains of the Freeze Ring. “DON’T WORRY [My Sweet Sugarplum]! SPAMTON’S YOUR ONLY FRIEND HERE! EVEN THAT KRIS [Abandoned] YOU. DON’T YOU SEE? US [Angels] GOTTA STAY TOGETHER!”

“But, I can’t do it again.” Noelle shivered. The ice block in front of her, the storm that came by so, so suddenly, and wouldn’t stop fast enough.

“THOUGHT YOU WERE A [Girl Power]! IF NOT, THEN [Why] EVEN COME TO THIS CITY IN THE FIRST PLACE?” Spamton was still smiling at her, so, he couldn’t really be angry, could he? “GONNA CALL IT QUITS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE [Final Boss]?”

Isn’t that why she was here?

This wasn’t a movie she could turn off and seek the arms of someone to dry away her tears. There was no one else. Just the dark, the shivering blue victim in front of her, and Spamton’s tight, electric-filled voice, echoing all around her.

He was commanding her to get stronger.

It only felt natural then to raise her hands.

“Wait, please,” the other pleaded, losing their smile completely. Finally, finally, they could pull out another expression, but only when the clock was winding down. “I won’t tell anyone I saw you. It’s our secret, okay? Honor among fellow salesmen, yeah?”

And then their mouth just kept moving, their hands kept flailing.

She couldn’t understand what they were even saying anymore.

“Angel.” A hand placed itself against her cheek, lifting her face so could find her target through the dark. “Remember our deal.”

Spamton was at her shoulder, and just how could he when she was taller than him, she couldn’t understand. Maybe he found another trash can to stand on. Or maybe, he had always been bigger than her, towering over her, overwhelming her.

She cast the spell and-

…

…

…

The snow came up to her waist.

It was so much. The cold seeped into her fur, making her shiver. So much of it. How could there be so much? Was that even possible?

She couldn’t see anyone else in the white – but she could feel something else. That same weight on her shoulder, and a hand that patted her head with quick little taps.

“STAY AWAKE! CAN’T HAVE YOU SLEEPING ON ME NOW! WE GOT MORE [Shmoes] TO GET RID OF.” She couldn’t see Spamton, but looked down to see his little legs kicking away as he sat just near her face. But that didn’t explain the feeling from before, of some great thing leaning over her, of something that could crush her at any moment if she didn’t do exactly as they said.

“YOU LIKED THAT, DIDN’T YOU?” Spamton was chuckling, not as frantic as before, but like spurts of electricity sparking from a broken outlet. “SOUNDS LIKE YOU WANT SOME MORE!”

Noelle didn’t protest. She wanted to tell him she was only doing this because she had to, because he had promised her.

But still, she didn’t protest.

“I KNEW THIS [Little doe-eyed girl] HAD IT IN HER! THIS MUST BE WHAT IT’S LIKE WHEN YOU GOT [No Strings Attached]!” Another electrifying chuckle, and the excited patting on her head. “BUT YA GOTTA KEEP MOVING! I’LL SHOW YOU THE BEST PLACE TO [Grind EXP].”

Noelle didn’t respond – but she did move forward, trudging through the snow.

Her hand was hurting, but pain was a good thing, wasn’t it? It was a good thing.

--

The hallways were incredibly icy.

The last time Noelle was in Queen’s mansion, it had been when she first arrived here, into this frightening but exciting world with bright lights everywhere, and a woman who kept offering her glasses of green liquid that were ‘safe for kids.’ But still, it was someone who kept seeking her out, even if she never really listened to Noelle’s complaints. It had been something nice, even when she genuinely had no idea what was going on. The whole ordeal, while scary, had also been something fun and new.

…And in this world, people kept looking for Noelle, didn’t they? Queen, then Kris, then Be- (No, no, no), and even Spamton. She knew he hadn’t appeared at that empty alleyway by chance.

The small salesman was still seated at her shoulder, jaw opened wide as he tried to catch some drifting snowflakes on his non-existent tongue. “DAMN, [Toots]! IT’S A REAL [Winter Wonderland] IN HERE!”

True. The inside of Queen’s mansion never had this much snow before.

It was easy getting in, with only a quick escape from the sewers they had been traveling, then following a long red carpet that frosted over with each step she took. She saw many that ran away from her on sight; shapes of blue and red, of orange and green – and some shapes that did not.

These ones got in her way. Their way.

Then she’d blink, and soon they no longer were. Just an ice sculpture that leaned against the wall, but one she could easily ignore. She passed by strange bookcases, by giant stilettos, by great paintings that she remembered had a bit more warmth to them.

Spamton had left her shoulder by then, only to grab at such paintings with eager hands.

“I NEED TO ALSO DO SOME REDECORATING AROUND HERE! TO FIT IN WITH THE [Holiday Spirit]!”

He sounded so happy, his voice pitching high, loud against the silence of the snow.

She wanted to speak, but something inside kept her from doing so, as if her voice was encased in ice completely. She only watched as Spamton… did something with the painting. And then another. And another. It took Noelle a moment to see that those faces on the paintings had changed into a familiar smile, complete with mismatched glasses.

Another shape formed in front of them, this one of blue and white, as tall as someone else Noelle used to know. Spamton was too busy in his creative process to truly notice, or maybe he just didn’t care.

“You’re disorganizing all of these paintings! How chaotic!”

Spamton raised his head, but waved the voice away. “HEY THERE [Sweet Sugarplum]. WANNA TAKE THIS CALL FOR ME? I’M A BUSY MAN!”

But he didn’t need to even ask her. Noelle had already raised her hands, and called out–

–she called out to the storm, even though it took away her voice. The wind dug into her skin with pinpricks of ice. But no one could find anything here. No one knew where anything was. No one knew where Dess was. Asriel had gone ahead, but the snow kept falling, and Kris was there, giving her something to keep her from being cold–

Something wrapped around her neck, even though it wasn’t soft.

“[ANGEL], YA GOT COLD FEET?? THIS AIN’T THE TIME!”

Noelle looked down. Maybe at any other time, she would have called it a regular, ratty-looking scarf. Except it was so tight and stiff. It thrummed and hummed, and only bent just so to let her breathe. It felt like something else, like someone had coiled guitar strings around her.

Spamton gave another pat on her head before jumping back down to the floor. “DON’T STOP NOW! YOU’RE ALMOST HOME, REMEMBER? NOTHING IS HOLDING YOU BACK.”

She blinked, looking at the wall with a line of Spamton portraits, to the new statue of ice that was lying on its side, their mouth opened wide in an interrupted shout.

Freezing, shaking, terrified. Noelle wrapped her arms around herself, the strings around her neck tightening. “I can’t… It’s too far…”

Spamton said nothing at first, even as she could feel him vibrating on the floor. The snow built up around him, it would soon bury him completely if he wasn’t careful. And yet she didn’t question why it could snow indoors, but everything felt so cold, and numb, and formless, and silent, and cold and cold and cold.

“AH! HOW SILLY OF ME! SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED [The Smooth Taste of] E G G.”

His words pulled her out of her loop, stopped her shivering. “…Huh?��

With a sudden, painfully sharp motion, Spamton pulled out something… blue… from his pockets. “TRY OUR NEW DEEP DISH [Chicango Style!] PIPIS!!”

A stare from Noelle, another blink, and then Spamton moved again. “OH, ALMOST FORGOT!” He slapped something on the blue thing… which looked suspiciously like a tiny pink bow. “OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY SAID YOU’D LIKE THIS ONE FOR SOME REASON!”

All too easily, she reached for the pipis?? and held it in her palms as if something moved within. She wondered if that was true, how it writhed and shivered against her, how she heard the shell cracking and breaking and kept doing so for too, too long.

“IT’LL MAKE YOU [Stronger],” Spamton said with confidence.

It sparked something in her skull, like a lone bonfire in a vast tundra.

She devoured it then, along with all the wriggly things inside. If it was to get stronger, then how could she say no?

“WOW!! YOU ACTUALLY ATE IT! [2430 Liked This!]”

She didn’t know who all these people were.

“EAT UP! GOT PLENTY MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!” More blue things appeared in his hands, with some he just threw all over the floor. Some of the snow was melting, but only to make room for the items he was replacing it with. A sea of the egg-shaped things, all of them shaking and trying so hard to break free. She ate the last of her shell, the sharp edges poking at the inside of her cheeks.

Yet, she did feel stronger. She didn’t shake as much anymore.

“NO BACKTRACKING! WE GOTTA GO!” Spamton went back on her shoulder, still vibrating, the motion traveling through her body, straight to her chest. Another pipis was cradled in his arms, like a very, very blue child. “OR YOUR DINNER WILL GET COLD!”

Something moved inside her throat, like small hands, small feet, and small screams. But it was fine. They were there to keep her strong.

So, of course, she ate more. Over time, it got easier to swallow.

--

“…I don’t feel so good.”

She must have overeaten. Something that she’d get in trouble for by her mother who would then reprimand her about. Something that her dad would laugh and then eat as much in turn so that she wouldn’t feel left out. It wasn’t as bad when dad was there to share the blame for her mistakes, for her oversights and…

“DON’T WORRY! WE’RE [Home Sweet Home]!”

The place was so dark and calm. And cold.

She had trekked through snow all this way, and now that snow was blowing inside, covering everything up so much that she couldn’t recognize what was what anymore. Her bed, her wardrobe, the strange ice-cube thing that she didn’t like looking at, the statue of who she most admired, the calendar…

Where was all of it?

Spamton hopped off her shoulder, making his own little footprints in the snow, somehow able to stay on top of it without falling in too deeply. “WE MAKE A COUPLE OF [Sweet n’ Adorable] SNOW ANGELS, DON’T WE? BUT NOW I GOTTA [Vamoose]! AIN’T GOT TIME NO TIME FOR [MAKING ,]”

Noelle, still moving forward, started to wonder when her room got so big. But then, Queen seemed to be able to do anything, all too happy to give Noelle a million, happy little snowglobes, a mess of tinsel to dress up her horns, and so, so many holiday coupons. It was all too possible for Queen to redecorate. Yet, she still couldn’t see through the snow…

It dawned on her much too late, the meaning of Spamton’s words. “Are you leaving? But…you said…”

At that, she saw a visible shake, or a shudder, or a distortion in Spamton’s face, but nothing out of the ordinary. No, this was normal for him. He was looking at something in the wall, his glasses shining so brightly.

“OH RIGHT! OUR DEAL. D0N’ T WORRY. YOU’LL GET YOUR [Money-back guaranteed]! I’M JUST. FIXING UP. THE OLD ENGINES! THEY SOMETIMES NEED A LITTLE [Kick].”

Following up on that, Spamton kicked at the wall, a sharp clang echoing around them. It was loud and sudden, moving through her head until she felt she was shaking with the sound. A brief glance at crumbling stone, at strange pillars that extended up into the dark, and something so broken that hung from that same dark, head bowed, like a discarded doll.

She wasn’t home.

“Where did you take me?” Noelle asked. The wind picked up, just by brief, brisk gusts. The bite of it chilled her neck, whipped away at her robes. “Where are we?!”

Spamton wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at something else. At the broken thing in the wall. It was faceless, but it was so big and towering. If it wasn’t held back by something, it would have fallen over and crushed the small salesman into nothing.

He turned to her with that great smile, his jaw slightly misaligned, his eyes, now more visible beneath his glasses, going off in opposite directions. “WHY, [Angel]. I’M JUST TAKING US ON A TRIP TO RADIOSHACK©.”

None of this meant anything to her.

His head tilted, too much to the right. Painful and awful, but maybe pain was all they both knew. “I was never in it for the money, you know.”

When Spamton reached again for that body, it was like a snake striking forth, or a rat hurrying to hide and scamper away. Something both aggressive and so frightened at the same time, he was a smear of black and white, of yellow and pink, of a motion she could barely track, because the snow made her motions so slow.

In the snow, she couldn’t see anything. But she saw him, gargantuan and towering, his glasses shining down on her, freezing her in place.

The spell was at her throat, yet for once, it wouldn’t reach out. Something kept her throat locked, like a dozen tiny hands gripping it closed, and a dozen tiny voices overpowering her own.

Spamton leaned down, his wings so great yet so broken. Strings of green connected to his arms, his legs, his neck. His head tilted again, hitting his shoulder with a resounding clang! His jaw opened wide again, revealing more and more darkness.

“YOU LOOK SO COLD, [Sweetie]. LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED MORE [100% Real Protein] IN YOUR LIFE.”

He aimed something at her, a great cannon that she knew hadn’t been there before. Something blue and egg-shaped shot out, soon exploding in so many, too many copies of his own face.

Noelle stayed still, the ice reaching up from the ground to form right in front of her. So many careening voices stopped short as the ice cracked. She didn’t want to see this, and she closed her eyes as more and more mini-Spamtons lobbed at her with such hostility.

It made sense to fight, but she didn’t want to anymore. She clasped her hands and curled in upon her shield.

“You lied to me!”

A great arm swiped at the ice shield, breaking it fully, making her fall to her knees. His eyes were on her, so bright, making her knees shake, unable to move.

Kris had kept making her move forward, yet Spamton made her feel locked in place.

“OH, BUT I’M AN [HonestMan]. I NEVER LET A PRETTY LADY DOWN! BUT. YOU SEE. THERE’S THE MATTER OF. THE FINE PRINT!!”

Towering, shining, and breathing. He was larger than life, and his wings kept creaking behind him like the weathervanes of the town’s homes. The hand that wasn’t replaced with a cannon reached out, hovering above her. She saw the green strings there as well, wrapped around each finger and pulling at it in random patterns.

“I NEED TO BECOME [BIG]. BUT! I’M NOT [Big] ENOUGH! WHY?! YOU DIDN’T BELIEVE I COULD DO IT?! IS THAT IT?!”

The hand curled into a fist and slammed down, just inches from Noelle. The action shifted the snow, creating another storm that swirled around her and made her shiver so much that her teeth clacked.

“I CAN’T BE [Big] ENOUGH. NOT YET. YOU SEE THESE, DON’T YOU, [Angel]?” He pulled at the green strings that extended from his new, terrifying body. Then he leaned his head back and laughed, the volume so booming that it shook the walls. “STILL A PUPPET ON STRINGS! IN THIS BODY! THIS WASN’T!! SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!”

His great head tilted again, the joints creaking, the metal tearing. His wings tried to flap but they only trembled, and quivered. The snow could not cover up the snow. He overpowered everything, as if every sound was magnified by a loudspeaker.

“I SOLD OUT MY [Friends]! MY [Dignity]! MY [Entire Life Savings]! AND ALL FOR SCRAP HEAP? ALL FOR [[Sell Your Gold for $CASH$!]]. AFTER EVERYTHING THAT I. AFTER EVERYTHING THAT I. AFTER EVERYTHING THAT I. AFTER EVERYTHING THAT I-”

Noelle clapped her hands over her ears. He was screaming so near her, the sound creating a new wave of pain. “Stop it! Please stop shouting! It hurts!”

And Spamton did. Immediately. He looked down at her again, yellow and pink swirling around the floor before focusing on her yet again in one great orange blare.

“OH. BUT THIS LITTLE [Angel] HAS HER WINGS.”

She didn’t understand what he meant at all. It was too much. She wanted her bed to curl up in, she wanted to look up at the night sky and wonder, and keep wondering, hoping for an answer in the morning.

“TO BE [Big], I NEED. WHAT YOU HAVE.” A sudden motion, the strings wringing up by his neck, making him laugh and scream and beg. “EAHAHEAHEA I CAN’T SEE PAST THE DARK. BUT WITH YOUR [Light], I CAN DO ANYTHING!”

In the snowstorm, all she saw was him, a great thing that looked ready to swallow her whole. She had to do something. She had to fight back and get stronger.

Yet when she raised up her hand, she stopped, seeing the trail of red that slid down her finger, from where the ring was. It leaked onto the snow. It made all the white she once stood on, turn into a deep, dark red.

“Wait…” she whispered, eyes wide. “Monsters aren’t… supposed to bleed.”

The laughter again in her ear. And from that laugh, she felt a terror that she had once known before, except this time, she couldn’t run.

“DON’T WORRY, BEAUTIFUL! WE’LL BOTH FIND OUR [[Freedom]] TOGETHER! WE’RE TOGETHER NOW. WE’RE TOGETHER NOW. DON’T YOU WANT TO BE TOGETHER?”

His hand reached out again, enclosing around her like an iron cage.

Then she fell into a darker, darker dream.

--

“There used to be someone here.”

Asgore looked to her in confusion, the police tape stretched across the pathway. Few people traveled this far out of town anyway. But of course they had; her, Kris, Asriel, and…

“Noelle! How are you…  I’m sorry, you saw someone?”

The snow was still so deep that she could barely walk. As an early present, Asgore had given her a coat that was much too big, doing more to drag her to the ground then keep her warm, but she tried to wear it anyway. “The store that used to be next to the…uh… the church?” She pointed in its direction, though she could still barely see. The white covered everything except for the bright police tape. “Someone was… was in it a few days ago.”

At that, Asgore looked visibly confused. “Is that so?” He furrowed those great brows, upsetting a few snowflakes from them. Much of it built up over the top of his police cap. It’s strange how she would remember that over much else; such as how she had snuck out of her home to find him, or how bits of wrapping paper was still stuck on to her hands. Just that holidays were coming soon, they were coming soon, they didn’t stop coming no matter what.

“Can you describe them?”

Noelle thought back on it. She thought, and thought, and thought. “No,” she said numbly. “I can’t. I don’t know what they looked like. But they smiled a lot.”

She didn’t want to make him upset, but Kris’ dad never really acted so, even when all of this was happening. There was so much of Asriel in him, and Kris… well, Kris was…

“You must have a very active imagination, Noelle.”

She froze, blinking. “Huh? W-what do you mean?”

Asgore held such a sad smile, as if he was about to apologize for something so terrible. “Well, the thing is, there’s been no new stores in this town for a while. They’d have to get a license from your mother… And where you saw it, there’s no building there at all. I mean, there shouldn’t be one, not so close to the church.”

She stared, her breath misting out in front of her.

“Or maybe Kris was just playing a prank on you?” Asgore chuckled, before trailing off, unsure. “They have been getting very creative lately…”

She couldn’t see through all the white.

--

Dess had once said that she’d take Noelle to the city, at the very first chance she’d get. Because, she would also say, that’s where you’d see all those bright lights, even at nighttime. More numerous than the stars, lighting up any dark streets so that you would never be afraid. Where people swarmed the sidewalks, so many that you had never seen and never will again, that you would never know no matter how hard you tried, and that before they turned a corner, you would lose them forever. Not like here, in this little town, where everyone knew everyone, where there were no secrets capable of being hidden.

One day, we’ll get that chance. I’ll take you there. I promise.

But in the end, there were only stars and snow. Just that, and the wings she would see atop the cathedral.

--

That special little Lightner was standing before the Fountain.

At every moment, the Fountain’s colors shifted, transformed, and became. A kaleidoscope of dreams, blending into one another, giving everyone a shape and a purpose. It had made manifest the dirty dumpster he had been sleeping in, the fading posters where his face used to be in. Used to. Maybe.

That Lightner saw him, before he descended from the heavens, blocking their way. Sharp eyes. But this kid had always been pretty sharp to know what deals they were getting into.

“LIGHT N-NER1! WHAT’S THIS? TRYING TO LEAVE BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THE GOOD PART?!”

Just like kids today to have such short attention spans!

Now, he may not have been able to really see the Lightner’s face through all that hair. (Suspicious! Very suspicious!) But, he could tell by the way they tightened their hands on their sword, the slow shift of their head as they turned both to the right, and to the left.

“OH! DO YOU LIKE MY NEW [[Wind Beneath My Wings]]? THEY’RE NUMBER    1!!! TRENDING RIGHT NOW!! I’LL SELL YOU A COPY FROM MY NEW [Line of Merchandise] IF YOU LIVE!”

A great gust that brought in the winter cheer, his white wings extending from his back, feathers flying off to be completely submerged in the Fountain’s colors. Beautiful wings. Gorgeous wings! Wings that were so oversized that they were practically inconvenient! He flapped them and held himself in the air. Held himself. Because now he didn’t need any of those strings anymore! Not with these new babies! He had cut away every last one, knowing he wouldn’t fall. No need for anyone else’s hand-me-downs! He already got the help he needed! A last gift from that poor, sad, lost girl.

Now no one could ever say that Spamton G. Spamton didn’t know how to show up in style!

The special Lightner stared, silent as always. Oh, they were always so quiet and weird. Just like the girl had been weird, but she was also sad, and that sadness took up any weirdness she might have had. That was no way to live. He gave her sad little life a new purpose.

The Lightner didn’t have to say a thing. It was all too clear.

“ARE YOU HAVING REGRETS? I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WOULD! [No Refunds!] I TOLD YOUR [Side Chick] SHE WOULD TOO! IF YOU CAN’T TAKE THE DEAL, THEN DON’T TAKE IT! I NEVER FORCED ANYONE!”

The shadow of his wings fell over the Lightner and boy, did it feel good.

“WHO LET YOU IN MY [Mansion] ANYWAY, HUH!?” Spamton fluttered up in the air, showing both power and grace. “I WAS TOO BUSY BECOMING [God] TO DEAL WITH YOU! TOO BUSY MAKING MY OWN DE4LS!1 ON MY OWN TERMS! WITH MY OWN [Warnings and Disclaimers]! YOU THINK YOU CAN CALL ALL THE [Big Shot](s)?”

Snow began to fall, like something out of a cookie-cutter holiday movie that had been sent straight-to-DVD. But Spamton was still flying high! He wasn’t gonna let a little moisture ruin him now.

“WITH THIS NEW SOUL, I’M WATERPROOF, [Baby]!” he shouted out of nowhere, then raised up his cannon arm, and fired.

Such freedom he got without those strings that tried to tangle him up, that tried to wrap around his neck and made his legs move all wobbly and look weird! He was a bird of prey, flying across the field to shoot all he had at that tiny special Lightner. They dodged when they could, and they swung their sword at him when he was close enough. Oh, but he made sure to not be close enough actually! See, that was a little trader’s inside secret. If you didn’t want to get hit, just don’t let them hit you!

It also made sense to hurt the competition by putting a few hazards in their way. The snow was a good way to do that, making the Lightner slip and fall, occasionally falling smack! over a small Pipis and getting hit for multiple points of damage. And sure, maybe the snow hadn’t been Spamton’s idea, but he could make use of it still! He adapted! He brainstormed! He always made good on his investments!

“YOU GOTTA [Buy High, Sell Low], KID!” he shouted, fluttering his wings again, stirring up the snow all around them into a storm. The Lightner put up their arms, but they were blinded, so close to being frozen, but not yet. And it wasn’t just that Spamton didn’t know how to do that exactly!

He had the girl’s wings, what more did he even need?!

The Lightner struggled to their feet, the Fountain’s colors washing over them like a faded rainbow. They stared, and stared, and then called out a name.

The sound of it made Spamton giddy. His wings flapped again, feathers falling around him with the snow that kept piling on the ground. He laughed to the familiar tune of very jingly bells.

“WHAT ARE YOUR [Friends] GONNA DO? THEY CAN’T HEAR YOU! THEY’RE PROBABLY TOO BUSY HAVING ICE-CREAM!”

The Lightner called out again as the snow reached up to their waist. A different name. Their voice got weaker. The sound of it made Spamton euphoric. His wings flapped harder, and his laughter sang to the tune of awful static, the kind that existed in a shopping mall’s loudspeaker.

“THERE’S [[Nothing]] YOU CAN DO! KEEP CALLING. KEEP CRYING. YOU THINK YOU’LL FINALLY [Make a connection]? YOU LOST IT THE MOMENT YOU GAVE HER MY [Commemorative Ring].”

The Lightner couldn’t call out anymore. The snow was up to their chin, reached their lips. They struggled to move, but the cold made their limbs numb. Spamton, still held up by the wings, simply watched as they slowly drowned.

Then there was a whisper. It didn’t come from them.

“HER??” Spamton questioned, leaning down. The Lightner had disappeared, covered completely by snow. “PAY ATTENTION, KID! SHE’S WITH OL’ SPAMTON NOW! HER FUNNY-LOOKING [[HeartShapedObject]] IS RIGHT HERE!”

He slapped a giant hand against his metal chassis, the sound reverberating through the dark, the storm doing nothing to swallow up the sound.

And then, he felt a rumble from inside.

“OH. GUESS I ATE SOMETHING PAST ITS [Exp. Date]-”

That was when a giant pillar of ice erupted from his chest cavity, like a frozen knife. It broke the metal armor he had so painstakingly stolen, all of it falling to the ground into tiny, useless pieces.

His wings vanished. Nothing held him up anymore, so he fell to the ground like a broken, discarded doll.

--

If someone saw the Angel now, they would notice how her lack of facial features were unsettling.

She had so little left of herself. She only remembered how her body was stuck in the basement, alone and crumpled among the strings that had been draped over like a blanket, as if she would be so cold without them. Around her neck, more of those strings were wrapped much too tightly, that if she still had her soul, would have made it hard for her to breathe.

But even someone like her had determination. Queen had said so. And through it all, she realized that out of everyone, Queen had been the only one to have never lied to her.

The Angel, held up by her wings that caught the falling snow, faced the crumpled doll. It had broken apart at the joints, with one of its arms missing, lost in the storm. It had the fake wings, metal that now began to rust from the snow, already half-buried.

She heard Kris from behind her dig themselves up out of the snow, taking in heavy breaths. She heard their voice, already reaching out to command. But the Angel was an Angel of Mercy, above all else.

With an empty face, she descended from the heavens and knelt in the snow. Spamton’s head had broken off at the neck, glasses flickering on and off, static filling them. His mouth was open, but nothing worthwhile came out of it, if it ever did.

“W…WEL…WELC0…MMMEEE..” A sudden electric shock that burst from his mouth, like a frenzied coughing. “T…TO… [Big Sh-Sh-Shot Autoss-s-s-s].”

The Angel grasped both sides of the puppet’s head, bringing it up to where her eyes once were.

More flickering, then a jolt. Spamton focused, and once seeing her, broke into a wide smile, his lower jaw hanging off only one side of his face.

“WOW!! [Angel]!! I THOUGHT I [Killed] YOU!!” He laughed, but it didn’t last long, soon fading away fast. “YOU LOOK [[Downright Terrifying]]!”

The Angel of Mercy tightened her hands against both sides of his head.

“Hold up your end of the deal,” she told him, no longer having a mouth to speak with. “Like you promised.”

His head slowly began to freeze over from where she touched, turning him into a very ugly popsicle.

“O-OKAY! OKAY! NO NEED TO GO [Absolute Zero]! I TOLD-” But the ice was fast moving over him, making his voice go slow. “NO…. NOOooooo nnEEDD..”

The Angel faced him. She was framed by her wings that looked much too big for her, but they would shield her from the cold, from the darkness that tried so hard to bring her further into the deep.

“You promised me,” she told him again. The ice was everywhere, unending. No misty breath left her, she no longer had a mouth.

“IT’S…OKAY IT’S… THIS IS JUST… A RUMOR… A [[Give us the tea!]] FROM A CALL I GOT…I GOT… I GOT..”

The ice covered his glasses, seeped into his mouth. The Angel continued to stare.

“THEY ALWAYS CALL FROM…THE ROOM… BETWEEN…” Spamton said with obvious effort, sparking up wherever the ice covered him. “BETWEEN. THE ROOM. EGG. EGG. E…G…”

The Angel of Mercy did not fully understand, not yet. But she was satisfied, for now. “Okay,” she told him, still holding onto his face. “Thank you.”

Something changed. A shift in the air, a pause in time. Even the snow stopped in place, one snowflake paused just before her face, its intricate designs all too beautiful. She expected the voice, the way it reached out to her like an old friend.

“YOU’VE PROVEN TO BE VERY INTERESTING,” he uttered out, in a voice that made no sound, that could only be felt. And she felt it, as only the Angel of Mercy could, with only her soul and nothing more.

And as if a flip had been switched, Spamton laughed, the sound of everything coming back. Slowed down, sped up, stuck in a loop. It followed no pattern. She felt the vibrations of his laughter through her hands.

“NOW GET READY FOR THESE [Jaw-Dropping Deals]!” he shouted with glee. Promptly, his jaw fell right off, falling into the snow. The rest of his face froze, like an ice sculpture gone terribly wrong.

His glasses went dark.

The snow continued to fall.

The Angel dropped his head to the ground, stood up, and extended her wings to find the room between. The room between. The room between.

#deltarune #deltarune chapter 2 #spamton g. spamton #noelle holiday #spamton #fanfiction #one shot #im sorry this is long #spamton just never stops talking its a nighmare #a fun nightmare but also exhausting

[wintrcaptn]

Forbidden Ch. 2 | Andy Barber

Summary : Summary : You used to babysit Jacob when he was younger and had the biggest crush on his dad, Andy. But being in High school at the time, you knew it was just a stupid fantasy that could never happen. Now, six years later, you were visiting your hometown while on winter break. Once you found out the news about Jacob, you knew you had to go check up on them. But things take a turn when you find yourself alone with Andy Barber.

Part One

A/N : I wasn’t planning on making a second part for this fic, until now. Thank you all for the amazing feedback! I hope you like this one just as much (:

You barely slept last night, all you could think about was the kiss. About the way Andy held you close to him, and how his tongue danced along yours.

It was driving you crazy, wishing you could taste him again. To feel him.

But you also couldn’t help feeling horrible. Like the worse person in the world. And it didn’t help that you were seeing him again in just a few hours.

It was beginning to make you nervous. To the point where you almost wanted to cancel and forget the whole thing.

But you knew you couldn’t do that to Jacob.

Staring at your reflection, you let out a long sigh.

“It’s just one more night.” You said to yourself.

____

Pulling up to the Barber’s house, you were washed over with guilt and filled with anxiety. Not knowing how this was going to play out, made it even worse.

What if Laurie found out?

What if Andy regretted kissing you?

A thousand questions flooded your mind and it was starting to freak you out.

Jacob saw your car through his blinds and immediately ran downstairs. Excitement plastered over his face. It caught Andy’s attention.

“You okay there, buddy?” He asked, flipping through the channels on the tv.

“Y-yeah.” Jacob said, walking over to the door. “Y/N’s here.”

The second your name fell from his sons lips, Andy stood up and shot his gaze to the window.

You saw the door swing open, and Jacob stood in the door way with a cheeky grin. And just then, you knew you had to suck it up and focus on being there for him.

“Hey!” You said, climbing out of your car.

“Hi!” He exclaimed.

Andy tensed up the closer you got. Part of him felt guilty for what happened, and especially for wanting to kiss you again.

This wasn’t who he was. He wasn’t a cheater, someone who would go behind his wife’s back and betray her trust. He hated himself for letting it get to this. But he couldn’t help it. He wanted you.

As you walked into the house, you tried hard to only focus on Jacob. But in the corner of your eye, you saw his figure. Suddenly, your gaze met his and instantly, your breath hitched.

“H-Hi.” He said, hesitantly walking over to you.

You swallowed hard, but found some courage in you to snap out of the daze and collect yourself. “Hi.” You replied.

“So I was thinking we can order pizza and put on a movie or something while I set up the game? Like old times?” Jacob muttered, looking at you then back to his dad. “You’re going to play too, right?”

“Um—if Y/N is okay with it.”

Both of the Barber boys turned their gaze on you, putting you on the spot.

“Of course I’m okay with it.” You said. “Is Mrs. Barber joining us or—?”

“No, she had some errands to do.” Jacob interrupted you. “She said she’ll be home later though.”

You could tell something was off. The second day in a row, and they weren’t together? This wasn’t like them.

For as long as you could remember, they made every effort to be together.

“I’ll get the game. Dad, can you order the pizza?” Jacob’s voice snapped you back to the moment.

But before either of you could respond, Jacob turned around and ran up the stairs, leaving you alone with Andy.

You hesitantly looked over to him, and his eyes were already on you.

It was crazy how much power a stare held over you. It made your heart pound erratically, and it was hard to think straight.

The silence was driving him crazy. He wanted to know—needed to know what you were thinking. And he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Can we talk about—you know.” He whispered, walking over to you.

Each step he made, growing closer to you, things were beginning to feel hotter and constricting.

“Th-there’s nothing to t-talk about, Mr. Barber—“

“Andy.” He cut you off, now standing just right in front of you. His eyes looking longingly into yours, almost as if he were searching for something. “Please, call me Andy.”

You swallowed hard. “Andy, please. Can we just pretend it didn’t happen?”

“I can’t. I tried, but I can’t stop thinking about it, about you. And—and I don’t think I want to stop.”

As you opened your mouth, you were instantly silenced after the sound of footsteps grew nearer.

Andy cleared his throat and quickly walked back toward the kitchen, pulling out his phone to order the pizza.

Finally, you were able to let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding.

“Okay, I got monopoly and Pictionary Incase mom comes home early.” Jacob smiled.

“Perfect.”

After a few hours, the three of you filled yourselves with pizza and soda, while playing the game.

Sitting there with you and Jacob, watching the way you both laughed and talked, it was invigorating. In this very moment, Andy watched his son be a kid again and that’s all he ever wanted.

Everything felt normal. Like how it used to be. Before it all went to shit.

You all talked like no time has passed. Cracking jokes, and teaming up with Jacob, buying all the properties so Andy had to pay.

It was perfect.

“So did you ever finish reading the Harry Potter series?” You asked, rolling the dice.

Jacob nodded, flashing a smile as he remembered how much you used to love those books.

“Yea. They were good. Still not my favorite but—“

“Not your favorite?! Dude, Harry Potter is amazing and it has everything!”

Andy listened to you both go back and forth, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Ok well how about the next time in town, we have a Harry Potter movie marathon? I’m sure those will change your mind.”

“Fine!”

Laurie finally came home around seven. She looked even more exhausted than yesterday, and a little upset.

She said a soft hello, gave Jacob a kiss on the head and went straight upstairs, barely giving Andy a glance.

Then suddenly, it was back to reality.

Though you were able to distract Jacob for a bit, nothing could make him forget the truth. And for that, he needed some time to himself.

“I-I’m getting tired, so I think I’m going to lay down for awhile.” He said, propping up to his feet. “Thanks for coming over. I had fun. Maybe we can do it again soon?”

You flashed him a soft smile, and nodded before pulling him in for a hug. “Yeah, definitely.”

And just like that, he ran up to his room, leaving you alone with Andy. Again.

Andy sat on the couch, running his hands through his hair. Tired, upset, confused. There were too many different emotions running through him, it was starting to become overwhelming.

You decided to clean up the mess before leaving.

“Y-you dont have to do that.” He said, gazing at you.

“It’s okay. It’s the least I could do since you fed me the past two days.” You chuckled.

He chuckled along with you, and helped with the dishes. Not another word but glances were shared.

And every time you looked at him, the more you yearned to feel him. But you knew you shouldn’t.

He leaned against the counter once everything had been cleaned. His arms crossed over his chest.

There had only been one constant thing roaming through his mind; He can't be having feelings for another woman. He just can't.

But no matter how hard he tries to push his feelings aside, he couldnt. It wasn’t making any sense. Why couldn’t he shake this? Why couldn’t he let this go?

Before he had time to process anything, something overcame him and suddenly it all came out like word vomit.

“These past few weeks have been shit.” He said, staring at his feet. “And I have been losing my mind over everything that’s been going on until—“

Andy paused, meeting your gaze. “You showed up out of nowhere and—I don’t know.”

You weren’t sure what to do or say but stand there.

“It’s like I’ve been drowning, and kissing you—kissing you was like coming up for fresh air. I was able to breathe again.”

Every word that fell from his lips only made you want him more. Not only physically, not just feeling him or tasting him, you wanted him. All of him.

And he wanted you.

How did this even happen? You hadn’t seen each other in years and after a day, it was instant. Like it had come out of a movie.

He slowly started towards you, and the way he locked his gaze on you, it was almost as if he hungered for you.

Your breath hitched to the back of your throat, scared to move a single muscle.

“Just tell me to stop, and I’ll let this go.” His voice was low, almost like a growl and it only made you want him more.

Without realizing, he stood just inches in front of you, towering over you. Forcing you to crank your neck up so you could gaze into him.

You slightly opened your mouth, knowing you should say no, but no words came out.

The silence was all he needed, and suddenly, his rough hands cupped the back of your head and crashed his lips against yours.

Everything felt still like time had froze. And you were lost in the moment. Lost in his kiss, quickly motioning back and caving into him.

Soft grunts escaped him as he deepened this kiss, while his hands slid down to your waist. Without thinking, he lifted you off the ground, and your legs wrapped around him.

Andy could feel himself grow harder by the second. Yearning to feel more of you. All of you.

Your fingers were deep in His hair as your lips molded against his. You were both so caught up in each other, taking every second in.

He sat you on the counter, and swiftly took off his shirt, exposing his bare chest.

Your fingers traced over him, making its way down to the button of his jeans.

Feeling you getting closer to his already hard shaft, made him shiver under your touch. And damn, he wanted you.

His lips never left yours, sucking, biting and tugging at your bottom lip, forcing soft moans out of you.

The kiss had been everything you ever dreamt of. Possibly even better.

You were so drenched, you knew your panties had been soaked completely. But you could care less.

You could feel yourself pulsate between your legs where he stood. Your body yearned to feel him. To feel all of him, inside of you.

Andy could sense just how badly you wanted him. It turned him on even more, ready to give in and pound into you. He kissed you harder, showing you that he wanted you just as badly.

Everything moved so quickly, you almost didn’t realize you were both unbuttoning your shirt and with your next breath, Andy pulled the shirt off of you.

You were both lost in each other. Lost in the moment, caving into one another.

His lips began traveling down to your neck. His grazed his tongue over your skin just before he his teeth pressed into you and forced another moan out of you.

He loved hearing you. It made his dick twitch under his boxers, begging to be inside of you.

Until...

“Dad, can you bring up a glass of water for me?” Jacob asked, leaning over the railing of the stairs.

“Y-Yeah buddy. I’ll be right there.” He called out.

Andy swallowed hard as he grabbed his shirt from the floor, while you both breathed heavily.

You mirrored his actions and slipped your shirt back on. Feeling your heart beat rapidly in your chest.

This was wrong on so many levels. You were slowly falling for a guy who was older than you and worst of all, married.

“I’m so sorry, this was a mistake.” You said, starting for the front door.

Andy was torn, knowing he should’ve never crossed the line, but it was too late. There was no turning back now. And though it wasn’t right, he didn’t want to go back.

And for that, he hated himself even more.

“Y/N wait, please.”

Tears began to well in your eyes, as a lump formed in your throat. This felt worse than a break up. Worse than anything you had been through which you weren’t sure as to why.

“We can’t do this Andy, you’re married.” You forced out. “Laurie is literally upstairs.”

He had forgotten that she was in the room. Being with you, was like having tunnel vision and all he could focus on was you.

“Fuck.” He exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What the hell am I doing?”

The tears had stained your cheeks and in that moment, you were broken.

“This was a mistake.” You repeated. “You’re just hurt and confused, this isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have—“

“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this.” He cut you off. “This is bad timing, I know. But I’m not confused.”

You wanted nothing more than to believe him. But how could you with all things considered?

“Dammit.” You whispered to yourself. “I can’t do this.”

With that, you grabbed your bag and left without saying goodbye.

Andy knew letting himself feel this way to begin with was wrong. But why did it feel so good? Kissing you, holding you, feeling you pressed against him.

Being with you, he could finally breathe. It was like coming up for air.

——

Chapter Three sneak peek

Chapter Three

#chris evans #defending jacob #defending jacob fanfiction #andy barber fanfiction #andy barber x reader #andy barber imagine #andy barber #chris evans x reader #chris evans imagine #steve rogers #marvel #cevans

[howlingsaturn]

and in your arms, i will find shelter (1.9k)

i wrote a little hurt/comfort cause the tarlos hug wouldn’t leave my mind so here you go, i guess? spoiler warning for 2x02 of lone star even though no names are dropped. also minor trigger warning for panic attacks and death (always with a happy ending though). stay safe everybody. <3

as you pry the hurt

from my aching body

and the grief

from my shaking hands

i realise

there's nothing more powerful

nothing more healing

than love

When the realisation hits, the weight on his shoulders becomes unbearable. He's surprised it doesn't bury him right where he stands. He takes a look at the rest of his team, small and quiet in the usually so joyful firehouse, and he wonders how he's supposed to survive this, how Judd and Owen can still offer words of encouragement and touches of comfort after all the loss they've suffered. It's excruciating. The whole thing. Every second of it.

Every breath he takes sends a stabbing pain through his chest and his hands start shaking so badly, he can't even ball them into fists. He feels suffocated, like the walls are closing in around him and there's no way out. He feels the sudden, overwhelming urge to run, to get as far away from this place as possible but before he can move there's a hand on his arm and fingers squeezing so hard that he winces.

"TK," his father says alarmingly and his voice sounds so far away, so frighteningly inhuman, that it sends TK into a frenzy.

"I need to go," he breathes out between clenched teeth, his heartbeat echoing in his ears like a stampede. He needs to get out of here. Right now. TK pulls his arm free and turns around, ignoring the calls of his name that follow him out of the door and then he's running. He doesn't know where his legs take him, he can barely focus on the path in front of him through his blurred vision but it doesn't matter. None of it matters. They've lost one of their own today and TK doesn't know if he can ever fully recover from that.

His legs and chest start burning, begging him to slow down and catch a breath and so his frantic run comes to an abrupt halt. He's heaving now, seemingly unable to get enough air into his lungs and it doesn't help the feeling of panic that's been sitting in his gut all day. He fears he might pass out but he manages to get his breathing under control, enough so that he can keep walking. His mind is still too chaotic to rest and there's only one place he wants to be in right now, this one person who might be able to shoulder some of that weight he carries, and so with weak knees and his heart in his throat, TK makes his way to Carlo's condo.

It doesn't take long for the familiar building to appear in his line of sight, he's covered quite a few miles with that run, but it doesn't fill him with the relief he had hoped it would. He's overwhelmed all over again.

Is he overstepping? Should he even come here this late and pull Carlos out of his sleep? He's had a tough day too, shouldn't he let him rest? He can't pour all of this grief on him unnoticed, can he? Does Carlos even know what happened?

He doesn't know what to do, torn between wanting to seek comfort and knowing he will be a burden to Carlos. He longs for him though, his gentle eyes and warm smile and TK is too tired, too upset, to deny himself of Carlos' embrace. Eventually, TK pulls out the key Carlos handed him one night, for safekeeping, he had said with a smile, and TK knew in that moment, with a frightening clarity, that Carlos was his forever, his one.

He takes a few more minutes to collect himself before he opens the door, careful to be as silent as possible in case Carlos was already asleep, and when he lets the door fall shut behind him, he surprisingly finds those brown eyes he's been aching for already locked on him. Carlos is right there, sitting in the middle of the staircase in his pyjamas, looking at TK like he was expecting him all along, and TK feels his heart swell with gratitude. As he stares at him, the pain in his chest slowly eases and he suddenly doesn't know why he was so worried about coming here. He doesn't understand why he was so insecure about seeking out Carlos' presence and asking him to deal with a pain that wasn't his own. It's so clear now, in the way Carlos wordlessly opens his arms and holds out a hand, that he will gladly shoulder some of TK's pain.

TK's legs move on their own account and he all but stumbles into Carlos' waiting embrace, reaching for whatever warmth he can find and hoping it will fill the cold that has seeped into his heart. When Carlos' arms close around him, holding the broken pieces of himself together, TK feels safe.

They stay there for a long time, neither of them talking, and TK finds comfort in the silence Carlos offers. He focuses on the strong beat of Carlos' heart against his ear, matching his own to its rhythm, and when he feels like he won't fall apart with every breath he takes, he opens his eyes and raises his head to look at Carlos. Carlos reaches for him immediately, stroking his cheek with a sad but kind smile, and TK wonders, for the millionth time, how he got so lucky. He wants to tell Carlos how grateful he is and how much he adores him but the words are stuck in his throat. He only hopes Carlos can read some of it in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Carlos finally breaks the silence, and the agony in his voice is evident. He doesn't know what else he can say, there's nothing that will make it okay. TK looks at him for a long time, eyes scanning over his boyfriend's face in a futile attempt to memorise all that he is. He's overcome with emotions, torn between gratitude and the fear of losing him.

He's lost someone today. He can lose someone else tomorrow. Time is not guaranteed, not for anyone, and he's hit with the sudden urge to create a bubble where time doesn't exist and lock the both of them in, if only for just a moment. Carlos swipes his thumb over TK's brow, seemingly having noticed his mind drifting, and TK falls back into his painful reality. He reaches for Carlos' shirt, holding onto him as if he's afraid he's going to disappear, and when he looks back into Carlos' eyes, he finds nothing but understanding.

I love you, he thinks suddenly, feverishly. I love you, I love you, I love you.

He doesn't say the words that are echoing in his head and his heart is yearning to hear, instead he pulls Carlos down and presses their lips together in a desperate kiss. Carlos reciprocates but pulls back quicker than TK would've liked, though he keeps him close, gently holding his face in the palms of his hands.

"I'm right here," he says softly, lovingly pressing a kiss to TK's forehead, and somehow that causes the dam to break. It catches TK so off guard that he can only hold onto Carlos as the waves of grief wash over him, drowning him in a series of uncontrolled and horrible sobs. He barely listens to the soothing words Carlos whispers into his ears, he's too focused on getting his breathing back under control and swallowing down the nausea that hits him. He feels the panic advance on him like a shark, pulling him back underwater and TK needs it all to stop, he can't do this anymore, his limbs are too tired to swim. He tries to tell Carlos as much but his throat produces nothing but broken hiccups. Carlos tries to soothe him, telling TK to breathe and assuring him that he's going to be okay, and after a few agonising minutes, the water finally calms.

There's nothing left of him then. TK feels wrung out and hollow and if it weren't for Carlos still holding him close, he probably would've passed out right where they sit. But Carlos is here, curling a strong arm around his back, and TK lets himself be cared for.

He doesn't remember much of what happened after his panic attack but he wakes up in a warm bed, Carlos wide awake at his side and a few strands of sunlight making their way through the blinds.

He blinks up at Carlos who's already looking at him, a worried frown between his eyes but he smiles upon noticing TK's gaze. He lets his fingers move through TK's hair in a soothing manner and something about that loving gesture makes TK feel less alienated. He's oh so thankful that Carlos is right here next to him.

"How are you feeling?" Carlos asks quietly, pulling TK out of his haze, and TK takes a few seconds to think about his question.

"I don't know. Tired, I guess. Like I've run a marathon. My head hurts. And I'm just…" he breaks off, lost in thought.

"Sad?" Carlos offers.

"Yeah," he agrees, "Sad."

"Me too," Carlos confesses and that's it. He too has lost a friend and co-worker, he too has suffered through a loss that isn't easily accepted, and all of the sudden TK feels guilty for not realising it sooner, for not being able to keep his emotions under control and checking in on Carlos. TK opens his mouth to apologise but Carlos raises a hand in warning, aware of TK's train of thought.

"Don't even think about it," he says but there's kindness behind it. "I'm okay. You were not. And that's alright, it's understandable. But you have nothing to apologise for, Ty." He says it with such conviction that TK doesn't even try to argue with him.

"I'm always here for you if you need me," Carlos adds, "It's what partners do, right?"

"Yeah, I know," he admits, "I just want you to know that I'm here for you too. If you ever need me."

Carlos smiles at him and adjusts his position on the bed so that they're on eye level, his gaze wandering to the fingers that instinctively reach back into TK's hair.

"I care about you," TK goes on and he waits for Carlos to look at him before he continues, "I care about you a lot, actually. More than I can comprehend sometimes. And after what happened yesterday I-- I realised I'm terrified of losing you."

The confession catches Carlos off guard and his hand in TK's hair stills abruptly.

"You're not gonna lose me," Carlos says, a little dumbfounded.

"I could. It's not unreasonable considering our lines of work and I'm --" he breaks off, leaving his self destructive thoughts unsaid but Carlos knows. He always knows.

"No, it's not unreasonable," he sighs, "but listen to me carefully, I'm in this for the long run. I won't leave, not ever, not on my own accord and believe me when I say that I will do anything to come back home to you each day, unharmed. I can promise you that much."

There's a fire in his eyes that TK has rarely seen and he finds that it isn't difficult to trust his promise at all because TK will do the exact same thing. He reaches out a hand then, tightly clutching Carlos' fingers in his own, and there they are again, these terrifying three words. They're itching beneath his skin and tickling in his throat, desperate to be said out loud, but TK decides to keep them for himself for now. There will be a time for them, there will be a time to love and to hope. Right now, he needs to let himself heal. There is, after all, no safer place to do so than in Carlos' warm embrace.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #carlos reyes #tk strand #911 lone star #911ls #lone star spoilers #myfic #i kinda hate this but i needed to get it out #personal #howlingssaturn #howlingsaturnsfics

[galaxyofmyown]

Okay so I just tripped and fell and ate sidewalk so! Maybe reader is helping hotch train for another marathon and they eat shit on the pavement??

oh my god. oh my GOD. this request was so so so fun to write. it’s just so fresh and fluffy and yayyy. and i’m actually very proud of myself for this one. if i’m honest YES i did write me and my friend in as a cameo because we were in dc yesterday morning making fun of all the runners, so i felt it needed to be done. i hope you love it and i’m sorry that i know nothing about running.

warnings: language, cheesy-ass confession

aaron hotchner x reader - marathoners

“I have a theory.” You pant, huffing and puffing as you struggle to keep up with Aaron Hotchner, your boss and King of Quarter-Zips. 

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” He replies over his shoulder, and you resent how even his voice sounds after 6 miles. Six. Fucking. Miles.

“I think you’re evil. I think you’re an evil little man with evil little powers who magically coerced me into training for this stupid marathon with you.”

Hotch laughs, and your resentment grows. If you laughed right now you would probably pass out.

“And why, do you theorize, would I use my assuredly limited powers to make myself listen to you complain all morning, every morning?”

“Because you’re obsessed with me. You can’t get enough of me. You would hear me give a four hour lecture on my favorite sedimentary rock if it meant you could hear my sweet, sweet voice.” You tease, and Hotch looks at you, two-thirds amused, one-third… something else.

Your profiling game was off this morning.

“Whatever you say, (Y/L/N).” He retorts, and you groan.

“Can you please, please, please stop calling me by my last name? It makes me feel like a high school football player.”

“Fine, (Y/N).” He says cheekily, dragging your name out in a way that makes your stomach twirl.

“Okay, well, since you’re in such a compliant mood do you think we could stop running? And then also never run ever again?” Hotch laughs again, and his good mood lifts your spirits. It always does. He checks his watch graciously.

“Five minute break.” He says, and you immediately fall onto a nearby bench. Hotch joins you but doesn’t sit, taking this time to stretch a bit.

“(Y/N), you should also use this time to-”

“No.” You say with a smile, letting the light breeze cool your overheated face.

“But-”

“Hotch?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut. Up.”

He hits his foot against yours, more of a playful nudge than a kick, and you bask in the short moment of contact.

You secretly love running with Hotch. The actual running part is… eh. But the Hotch part is great. You can rarely convince him to spend time with the team outside of work, so you jumped at the opportunity when he offered to train with you for the next marathon. But it also made you wonder.

“Hotch?” You ask again, cracking your eyes open. His body is blocking most of the annoying morning sun shining onto you, and you fleetingly wonder if he was doing that on purpose.

Hotch nods to show he’s listening even as his fiddles with his fancy running watch.

“You know Morgan runs, right?” You ask casually, fiddling with the hem of the oversized t-shirt you wore with your favorite leggings. Hotch looks up.

“Uh, yeah. I think I remember him mentioning it. Why?” He says, uber casual. You shrug.

“I’m just wondering why you chose to train with me when I obviously slow you down.”

“You don’t slow me down-”

“Oh, please. Remember the day I had a cold and couldn’t get up that morning? I heard you telling JJ how much you ran. I can’t get close to that on my best day.”

“Well, that’s why. Challenging you challenges me.”

“That makes literally no sense, but alright big guy. I’m ready to keep going.” You say, standing up despite the pain in your legs.

“We don’t have to if you’re too tired.” Hotch’s voice sounds distant all of a sudden.

“No, I really don’t mind. As long as you buy me breakfast after. Let’s go. We’ll run to the Capitol building and then back around to the smoothie place you like.”

 You start off without him, focusing on the sound of your feet hitting the pavement. You hear him trailing after you, and you run the crosswalk to the National Mall, the sand and small rocks crunching under your feet as you brave the rectangle of pain.

Hotch, of course, passes you easily, and after a bit you’re back to lagging 20 feet behind him. It rained fairly hard last night, and the ground is slushy like half melted snow. As Hotch turns in front of the Capitol Building, you opt for the marble-esque surface that separates the grass from the sand in an attempt to cut a bit of the corner.

You regret your decision immediately. The damp toe of your running shoe catches on the white material and you slip, your body slamming into the ground not two seconds later. You break your fall with your forearms, but the sting of gravel digging into your skin makes you wince.

“(Y/N)!” You hear a voice call, and now you officially want to die. You had briefly forgotten about your boss, your crush, the witness to your awkward fall. But now he was right in front of you, squatting down to make sure you’re okay. So you do what you always do when you find yourself in a painfully awkward situation.

You laugh.

It’s loud, and some of the other 6 am joggers shoot you odd looks. But it seems to make some of Hotch’s worry dissolve.

“You okay?” He asks with a small smile. Grabbing your hand to help you up. You nod, still giggling, and ignore the way your hand feels like it’s been set ablaze.

“Yeah, I’m fi-”

Except you don’t get to finish your sentence. Hotch takes a step back as he pulls you up and his foot makes contact with the same demon marble from which you met your demise. He slips backwards, yanking you with him.

You fall back together, fortunately hitting the grass. Hotch is under you to break your fall, which is a good thing until you realize you’re on top of him, one leg slotted between his.

Hotch clearly had the breath knocked out of him, and he groans, which, okay. It is clearly not the time for a noise like that.

“Oops.” You say, moving to get off of him. As you adjust yourself, you find your face is positioned directly over his, just inches apart.

How cliche.

Hotch, regaining his bearings, looks right into your eyes. You stop breathing for a moment. It isn’t often you get a free opportunity to just look at Hotch, but both of you have stopped moving. You admire his dark eyes, his slightly flushed cheeks, his strong nose. You wonder if he’s admiring anything about you.

(He is.)

You snap out of your reverie and realize how uncomfortable you must be making your superior feel.

“Sorry, sorry,” You say, embarrassed, and roll over to the side as gracefully as you can manage. You’re off of him but your thigh is still pressed against his hip, so you go to scooch away. He gently grabs your wrist before you can, however. Your breath catches as he runs his thumb over the irritated skin where you arm hit the ground.

“You know why I really invited you to train with me?” He asks, seemingly resigned to just… being on the ground now. You twist towards him and adjust so you’re sitting cross-legged, curiosity piqued.

“Why?”

Hotch sighs and makes a face. It’s the same face he makes when he’s about to say something he really doesn’t want to say.

“I wanted to see you. Outside of work. I just… I never had an excuse.”

You frown, confused, “We always invite you out with us. You never come.” You say, not in a mean way, because it’s just the truth.

Hotch falters and props himself up on his elbows. He isn’t looking at you anymore, his eyes steadily trained on the building before us.

“I don’t want to see you in a crowded bar surrounded by our coworkers. I wanted- I wanted to be alone with you.” He confesses, and you freeze. 

“What do you mean?” You say quietly. Because you think you know what he means. But you need him to tell you what he means because if he doesn’t mean what you think he means you’ll fling yourself into the Tidal Basin.

“(Y/N), I know you aren’t oblivious, and I know I’m not subtle. I’ve liked you since you first walked in the door to the BAU.” He says, finally, and you want to cry and dance and-

and kiss him. 

Which you should probably do, since Hotch has obviously taken your silence as rejection and looks like a kicked puppy. 

So you pull him in by the collar of his quarter-zip, kissing him enthusiastically on the mouth. He responds after a moment of brain failure, placing one hand on your thigh and the other on your waist. You know it must look ridiculous for two fully grown FBI agents to be making out like teenagers on the lawn of the National Mall before 7 a.m., but you couldn’t care less. Because it was you and Hotch, a glowing light after all these years of pain and loss and longing. You pull away after a long while, both of you giddy and smiley and bright-eyed.

“You too?” He asks like he can hardly believe it.

“Of course me too, always me too,” you respond, “even when you make me run.”

He laughs, kissing you again, to which you respond enthusiastically. Hotch pulls away and moves his mouth close to your ear.

“We have some onlookers at three o’clock.” He murmurs, and you slowly turn your head to see two girls, not older than 20, trying to enjoy their picnic barely 15 feet away. One of the girls scoffs.

“And people think we’re weird.” She says. The other girl nods, and they go back to eating their breakfast. You laugh.

“Okay, yeah, maybe they have a point.” You say, getting up and brushing the grass off the back of your t-shirt. Hotch does the same.

“Okay, so what do you say, two more miles before the smoothie place?” He asks, and you laugh in disbelief.

“You never learn, do you? No. We’re walking, let’s go.” You say, grabbing his hand because you can now. He surrenders, entwining your fingers and swing you arm slightly as you stroll. 

“Aaron?” You ask, trying on the unfamiliar name for size.

“Yes, (Y/N?)”

“Now that you don’t need an excuse to see me, do we still have to do the marathon?” You ask, tone casual. Hotch laughs and bumps his shoulder against yours. 

“(Y/N), (Y/N). Have you no shame? Actually, don’t answer that.” He says.

“I”m not hearing a no.” You say. 

“We’ll talk about it. Later.” But he kisses you on the forehead, so you take it as a win either way. 

(You end up agreeing to run the marathon. It’s awful and hot and long but when it’s over Hotch is still there with you, kissing you and smiling and promising that you never have to run again in your life. So you think it’s worth it.)

#criminal minds #criminal minds imagine #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner imagine #ssa hotchner #hotch #aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #hotch imagine

[soliverse]

sugar, sugar - z.cl

reader x chenle

genre: angst, fluff

warnings: a kiss in the cheek, cuss words, pessimism (I think that’s about it? Let me know if I missed something.

word count: 6.2k

part of the Candy Hearts Collab by @127-mile (click the link if you want to read the rest of the collab)

synopsis: Your whole life, especially working for your boss, is a living nightmare. That was until you got some sugar in your life.

inspiration:

Isn’t It Romantic (The film from Netflix by Rebel Wilson),

Sugar, Sugar by the Archies

networks

@nctcreations @kdiarynet @kpopscape @kwritersworld @culture-cafe @neowritingsnet @neoswitchnet @czennienet

February 13,202x / 8:00 AM

It was a quiet and peaceful morning. Which is too bad since that’s not what you’re aiming for.

Your alarm should’ve sounded at 6:00AM. Instead, it woke you up an hour late despite how much fumbling and crying that you did make it work last night.

You have completely ditched breakfast, running as fast as you can to the bus stop that never comes and leave as scheduled.

Already half an hour late, you still sat down that bus seat, fidgeting as if not staying calm on your seat will make the bus ride shorter. Right now, the only thing that you’re still holding on to is that small, sliver of hope that you get there before your boss does.

After climbing down the vehicle, you ran like you’re in a marathon and looked for that one window that your coworker always leaves open whenever you’re late like today. You ungracefully climbed up the window of the storage room and met Jisung, who’s already getting himself ready before opening.

“Is he here yet?”

You whispered as you tried to dust your red shirt and smoothened out your wrinkled uniform. The goal is to make yourself look decent, an attempt that you barely managed to accomplish

“He just came in. Hurry up before he notices.”

You mouthed “Thanks” to Jisung before leaving the storage room and sneak into the main entrance to log yourself in for today.

Your eyes scanned the candy-themed decorations for any signs of life (or danger, in your boss’ case) but he is nowhere to be found. You walked casually towards the main entrance, breathing only a sigh of relief as soon as you get to the front door.

Finally feeling at ease, you pressed your thumb on the device that records your time and gave yourself a mental pat in the back for actually pulling it off. At least, before a hand pops out of nowhere and touched you by shoulder.

You yelped at the surprise appearance of your ever-so-stealthy boss right behind you.

“You’re late again.”

He was staring at you with those black intense eyes and his resting bitch face. His expression always made you worry because there’s no way to actually now if he’s mad or not. You kept your head down and tried to avoid as much eye contact as possible.

“Surprised? I saw your little stunt by the window. You know that it’s right in front of my office, right?”

He patted your shoulder before placing his hands back to his pockets.

“You also know that I’ll be deducting that on your payroll, right?”

“Yes sir.”

He didn’t even let you finish and just turned his back at you, walking towards his office.

“That reminds me. We should bolt that window down before someone else tries to sneak in and steal. Tell Jisung to work on that as soon as possible.”

As soon as he’s out the way, you rolled your eyes and went back to straightening the wrinkles off of your uniform.

“Tell Jisung to work on that as soon as possible.” You said, mimicking him made faces behind his back.

As if Jisung knows how to shut that window properly.

 After that delightful conversation, you helped Jisung in refilling the candy containers, tidied the shop by little bit, and breathe for one final time today before you opened the shop.

Some people may have imagined working on a candy store to be a dream. You get to bask in all of the aesthetics, you get to interact with children every day, and there’s that perk that you get to enjoy an unlimited supply of sweet treats during your shift.

Oh boy, some people couldn’t have been more wrong.

Your location is near an amusement park, which is already hectic as it is, but you also need to deal with stuff that all retail staff goes through.

If you were to make an entire list of the stressful situations that you have to deal with every single shift, it would take you all day.

There are children throwing temper tantrums because their parents refused to buy the candy that the wanted, entitled Karens demanding free candy because you made her baby cry, teenagers who thinks they’re so smart by stealing handful of candies from their containers while you’re distracted. It’s a mess.

And that’s beside your main source of stress. That one is sitting on his office at the back of the store, probably playing some game on his phone while you act as both staff and manager, is the best boss in the world, Mr. Zhong Chenle.

Note the sarcasm.

That guy deserves a whole separate list by himself.

///

So far, the first few hours of your shift went smoothly. There were a few customers here and there but nothing that you and Jisung can’t handle.

All is well. But if you’ve worked retail before, you would know that those words are cursed.

You’ve always had this thing where you’d get a stomachache whenever something bad is about to happen. Ever since that one nice lady earlier told you to keep the change with a very kind smile, your stomach has been grumbling like crazy.

You sneaked into the counter and sat there for a moment to rest. The pain is bearable, but it makes it very hard for you to breathe properly. After taking a few deep breaths, the pain subsided a little bit.

Until, someone wrapped their arms around you, startling you off the chair and had you freefalling straight into your butt.

“I’m not paying you to slack off Y/N. Do something. I don’t know… rearrange the Valentines display. Just don’t sit around while there’s so much stuff to do.”

He dusted his overprized outfit that probably cost more than your wage, even grabbing the hand sanitizer from his pocket, completely acting like you had a contagious virus that.

Fighting the urge to talk back, you just turned around and went back to work.

Someday, I’m going to punch that resting bitch face off his face.

Someday.

You went back and found Jisung painstakingly arranging the M&M piece by piece, arranged by color, size and filling.

The kid makes you worry sometimes.

He’s a good kid but sometimes he can be a bit… clueless?

You remembered the first time that your boss bought a cotton candy machine and asked you and Jisung to figure out how to operate it. He almost left work with nine fingers that day.

“Hey kid. Bossman wants us to change the Valentines display.” You explained as you walk over to the center of the room where the display case is placed.

“Not again. What does he want this time?”

“I don’t know. His only instruction is do something.”

He whined for a bit, but he followed your lead shortly after and started removing all of the candy jars on display one by one.

You started working on it as well, hoping that he (aka the owner) won’t notice that you just switched the glass containers of the candy displays with each other and then placed them back in their original place.

You realized that he probably didn’t know what the display looked like in the first place. It’s just more unnecessary work just to keep you moving.

To pass the boredom, you decided to dote on the kid that is busy making a bouquet of out of rose-shaped lollipops right beside you.

“Sooo…”

You said in a high-pitched voice and tried to lighten up the mood a little.

“Any plans for the V-day?”

He stops for a moment, bowing his head down while he tried to hide his shy smile.

“I’m taking this girl out bowling.”

You squealed and poked his side to tease him. He used to be a little highschool kid that you were told to keep an eye on just in case he accidentally kills himself. It was a headache at first, but he grew on you and now he feels like your honorary little brother.

“Awww. My Jisungie is grown up. It felt like it was just yesterday when I was to trying to teach you to tie your own shoelaces. And now, you’ve got a girlfriend”

“Uhm Y/N. That was yesterday.”

You were about to pinch his cheeks once again when Chenle squeezed himself in between you and Jisung.

“And now you’re flirting. Geez. Do I have to do everything around here?”

Why does this guy keep popping out of nowhere?

He stared you and Jisung down before he slithered back to his office once again. You just stood there in disbelief, shaking your head as you went back to work.

///

The end of the day went by smoothly, which made you worry even more. As you return some of the candy displays back to the stock room, you can’t help but think that today was just the calm before the storm.

Take last year’s Valentines for example.

The shop was stuffed with that a customer fainted because of suffocation. Jisung was bleeding because some guy punched him for flirting with his girlfriend (even though the poor kid is just being nice and gave her one of the extra candy flowers.)

And oh, no dates. While everyone is busy celebrating the love that they will share together you celebrated at the fact that the day is all over.

Ever since you’ve started working at that shop, you’ve never really tried to meet new people. You keep explaining that you’re tired all day. That your job is very demanding time-wise and physically. But in reality, no one just asked you out.

You could’ve quit, but who would take in a highschool graduate without work experience? You’ve barely saved up for a whole college semester, let alone the curriculum. There’s nothing to do besides suck it up.

It’s just one of those things that you stop celebrating as you get older.

Valentine’s day, your birthday, your birthday which is the same day as Valentine’s day.

Sighing, you picked up the stack of empty boxes that you needed to take outside for the garbage truck. Once again, Chenle pops out of nowhere, hitting some of the boxes that tumbled back on the floor. His are arms folded at his chest, sneering because of the mess that he created.

“Will you clean up this mess? It’s almost closing.”

You just pursed your lips, nodding as you stacked the boxes once again, trying very hard not to lose your composure.

“And will you please close the lights outside this time? I doubt that can pay for the damages if this shop burns down.”

Back turned against your employer, you picked up the boxes from the floor. You’re just glad that it is tall enough to cover most of your face. If someone could see your face right now, they would say that it is the face of someone that is about to murder somebody. Which is getting closer and closer to reality every single time Chenle opens his mouth.

Besides, you left one of the lights open one time. His petty ass just can’t seem to live it down.

“I’ll make sure to double check before leaving, sir.”

“Good. Make it quick.”

Holding out the boxes, you figured that he’d at least hold the door out for you. You had that one tiny glimmer of hope that he’s nice after all and you judged him too hastily.

Nope.

He slams the door right behind him and closed the lights from outside.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

You slammed the boxes down to search for the lights and open the door for yourself.

Just one punch. I need just one punch and that’s it. He’s gonna get what’s coming to him.

Scrambling in the dark, you almost faceplanted as you tripped one of the boxes in your way. With your arms stretched out as you feel up your surroundings, it took you a few minutes before you’ve finally managed to open the switch and see the mass that you made while stumbling.

You just facepalmed and stood there for a while, reminding yourself to take deep breaths and calm yourself before you actually burn this place down.

One by one, you stacked the boxes once again in one corner, making sure secure them this time. Keeping the door open, you’ve successfully placed them inside the bins.

One box in particular fell down to the ground. You picked it up to stuff it back to the garbage can but the motion made a rattling noise.

I must’ve missed a piece.

You dusted off the nearby pavement and sat down so you can open the box.

Inside was a few bags of candy, adorned with the usual red and white swirls with the text “Sweet Escape” taking over most of the packaging.

This one must be new.

You stuffed the box back to the garbage can, looked around for signs of a snooping, grumpy adult and placed candy on one of your back pockets.

If your boss found out that you messed up the inventory again, he will not hesitate to fire you. You’re just gonna have to sneak it inside before he gets there tomorrow. Well, assuming that your alarm clock works this time.

///

“Mom, what’s for dinner?”

You closed the door behind you and took off your shoes as entered your living room.

Throwing your keys and jacket aside, you’ve just noticed that the lights are all off and the house is eerily quiet.

You grunted as your sore feet walked itself to the kitchen, only to find a single note on the counter.

Me and your sister went out to eat tonight. Just order something for dinner

Love Mom,

All you ever wanted that night that you just to a nice, warm dinner and go straight to the bed and shut yourself from the world.

Great. No breakfast and dinner.

Fuck my life.

You threw the note in the garbage bin and just stomped your way to your room. You felt like breaking down at that moment but you didn’t have the strength to make cry and make a fuss. Maybe you can just sleep all the frustrations off and feel a lot better tomorrow.

Maybe it doesn’t get much worse than this.

You scoffed.

Sike.

As if.

You slammed yourself to bed but soon realized that it wasn’t a very good idea.

You felt something in your pocket popped and it made a huge mess in your bed. You took it out of the pocket and realized that it was the bag of candy from earlier. The seams popped out and tore open from being squished by a tired, underpaid employee.

At this point, you just glared and cursed yourself once as you cleaned the candy off of your bed. Some of the candy is inside the box, so you cupped your hands and poured the remaining contents to your palms. It was filled with tiny colorful candy hearts, which looked appetizing despite the tiny bits of disfiguration and the fact that it was in your pockets the whole time.

Well, I guess this is dinner then.

You popped the candy in your mouth, letting it sit as it oozes a strong citrusy flavor. It had a texture similar to those fever tablets for kids. In fact, it tasted like medicine a bit, too.

The citrus taste kept on spreading in your mouth and your face now contorted to a grimace. It felt like all moisture is getting sucked out of your body.

They sell this to kids?

You ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water to water the taste down. It didn’t do anything, so, you kept on chugging more and more water until you’ve finished an entire gallon of liquids.

You sat down at the kitchen floor and breathe a sigh of relief. The taste finally left your tastebuds, but you can still feel your body feeling repulsed by the extreme sour sugary candies that you just consumed.

Drinking one more glass of water, you went back to your room and changed into your comfortable clothes, finally ready to leave this day behind.

Let’s just hope that those candy bits won’t get you sued tomorrow.

///

February 14,202x / 8:00 AM

The alarm started blaring off from its place, scaring you shitless and making you jump out of bed in panic.

 You could've have been happier and more annoyed at the same time.

You leaned against your bedroom wall, giving yourself a few minutes to calm yourself down before you decided to turn off the alarm.

Once your heartbeat has cooled down, you stepped back to the bedside table and pressed the alarm button to check the time.

8:00AM

"Dammit!”

Your heart started to race once again. This time, it’s the adrenaline rush that’s making you move faster than normal. You even contemplated about getting a shower. However, you're already screwed as it is, you're not going to work without breakfast and shower again.

You stepped back to your room, wrapped on a bathrobe and panting like you just ran a marathon. Digging into your own closet, you noticed that your uniform, a red polo shirt and matching star white pants, is missing from your closet.

"Mom! Have you seen my uniform?"

You shouted from your room but you heard no answer. It seems like they didn't stay the night either.

Great.

Seeing as how your day started, you've deemed the rest of the day unsalvageable and just grabbed the closest thing to red that you have on your closet, which is a red frilly blouse and a white paneled skirt that you've never worn before. It's right at the bottom of your closet, so you've figured you or your mother bought this before and just forgot all about it.

You also grabbed one of your newer shoes to match and bolted to the front door as fast as possible.

You locked the door behind you, only to be spooked as you turned around to see a car parked in your driveway.

It was one of those fancy ones too. The ones that have their doors open at the side like an alien spaceship.

You only know one person in the world that's flashu enough to ride one. And he's just came out of the car.

"Happy birthday! You're pretty early..."

Chenle smiled as jogs over to you, keys jingling on his fingers, and gave you a small peck on the cheek.

You stood there in your porch, frozen.

Zhong Chenle knows how to smile. And he knows about your birthday

"I was about to call you but I didn't want to wake you up. So, I came over instead. Did you eat your breakfast yet?"

You shook your head hesitantly, still unable to speak and process the situation.

"No good, young lady. Go back inside. We're not leaving with an empty stomach."

 ///

 Here's something that you never encounter every day. Your spawn-of-the-devil employer is making you pancakes in the kitchen. And you finally have fresh milk in your fridge.

What happened to the world while you were sleeping?

"I'm not a professional chef but at least it's edible."

He said as he placed a perfectly fine plate full of fluffy pancakes right in front of you. Is this him being cocky?

He sets the apron aside and sat down right in front you, grabbing a plate and a piece of pancake for himself.

"Go on... Tell me if it's good."

You hesitantly took a bite, and then chewed in silence as Chenle expectantly watched you from the side. You set the fork down, speechless.

They're as good on the inside as they looked on the outside.

 "You don't like it?"

He sounded upset. It wasn't like "I can't believe you forgot to do this thing that I told you" upset either. He looked at you with his puppy dog eyes and a bit of a pout.

You froze. What if all of this is trick? And this is just is way of firing you, like letting you down gently in case you formed a vendetta and burn the shop down in your anger.

Which, for the record, is partly true.

"Uhm. It's nice. It's very niceee"

In your panic, you might've overdone the compliment. It sounded like you're on gunpoint and you had to say it to live. Nevertheless, he still smiled to himself and took the compliment well, even pouring you another glass of milk so "it would go down better".

The interaction alone gave you the chills. It felt like you're walking on thin ice and the former Chenle will come out and bury you alive. But even that would've sound more real than what's about to happen next. 

Like the gentleman that he is, he opened the car door for you. You never even got the chance to question where the two of you are going. After sitting down, just when you're about you're about to ask, he held your hand and gave it a kiss.

"You buckled up?"

"Uhm. Yes..."

Still holding your hand, he pressed some buttons on the dashboard and then music started playing. You recognized that it was that song, Sugar Sugar by The Archies. It’s one of the songs that you ironically played in the candy shop. There was also Sugar by Maroon 5, Sugar by Florida.

Well, you get the point.

“Sugar Ah, honey, honey You are my candy girl And you got me wanting you…”

He proceeds to sing along to the song merrily as he backed up your driveway. Meanwhile you sat there quietly as you tried to assess your situation. 

Is this kidnapping? Would it be considered kidnapping if I willingly went inside the vehicle?

Once you’ve realized how ridiculous you sounded in your head, you relaxed for a bit and started humming along to the song. It was at this point that you realized that Chenle had a beautiful voice. The song didn’t have high notes, but it was hard to make your voice pop up with the middle register. It sounded stable, like he’s a recording artist.

The atmosphere at the shop would be much better if he sang like this all the time.

…which reminded you of something that Chenle might be neglecting to think.

Panic washed over you and soon, you can’t keep still and moved around your seat a lot.

“Are you comfortable?

He kept on glancing on your direction, keeping you in check for a few moments while he still kept an eye on the road,

“We can make a quick stop if you need something.”

Trying your best to keep yourself still, you finally sat down and placed both of your hands on your lap, like the kids at school when their parents ask them to behave.

“Where are we going again?”

The question finally popped out and you pursed your lips while trying to wait for the answer.

“I don’t know. It’s your day. We can go wherever you want to.”

“Oh.”

It’s not like him to be away from the shop at this time of the day, let alone the whole day. No matter how sucky he is, he did what is best for the shop. It was his baby.

And if the both of you aren’t going, then it only means one thing. His baby is screwed at the hands of someone.

"By the way, who's taking care of the candy shop?"

You tried to ask nonchalantly, but it only came out sounding more inconspicuous.

"Oh yeah. I left Jisung in charge."

He wistfully replied. Suddenly, you feel your head spinning from your seat from the sheer realization that he left the kid alone, in his shop, with no adult/proper supervision.

"You left Jisung alone... In charge... On Valentine's Day"

You turned your gaze away from him, trying to hide your internal panic. You'll be lucky if the guy made it alive until lunch by himself.

"Relax. He'll be fine. He's with the trainees. Figured it might teach them a thing or two in getting the actual job done."

“And with trainees too… oh my god.”

Great. More casualties.

“You don’t mind if we stopped by the shop first, do you?”

“Of course. You’re the boss.”

///

In a few minutes, he pulls over to the parking lot and you’re glad to see the shop in piece. On the outside at least.

You stepped inside the car and practically ran over to the inside of the shop, leaving Chenle behind.

“Welcome to Sweet Escape, how may I help you?”

Two unknown faces greeted you at the door. They must be the trainees that Chenle talked about earlier.

“Would you happen to know where Jisung is?”

They both nodded and pointed to the direction of the left side of the shop, which was supposed to be all the supplies were. Instead, there was Jisung on the register, which by the way looked different from what you can remember.

In fact, the whole shop looked nothing like it was yesterday. The colors seemed more vibrant and festive and the whole thing looked like a candy wonderland. To be honest, it reminded you of that one Katy Perry music video.

Jisung bowed at you formally and wore his usually customer service smile.

“Welcome to Sweet Escape, how may I—”

“How many fingers do you have now?”

You replayed the question in your head and it sounded just as crazy when it came out of your mouth. At this point, you decided to continue on with the question. For obvious safety reasons.

“Uh ma’am. What do you mean?”

“Hold your fingers up. How many do you have?”

He was hesitant to do as you say. Chenle just facepalmed and gestured him to do as you said, putting up all of his tall fingers in the air.

“Ten?”

You breathe a sigh of relief, almost rushing over to hug the confused Jisung when Chenle pulls you from behind.

“Please excuse her for the moment. She’s feeling a bit under the weather.”

He smiled and bowed to Jisung as an apology, another gesture that you haven’t seen him do before, pulling you outside the store to give you some air. Once you’ve reached the parking lot, he placed his hands on your shoulders to hold you still.

“Okay. Since when is hugging my staff became a thing?”

He stares you down with a genuine concerned look on his face.

He placed one of his hands on your forehead.

“It’s not like you’re sick either…”

Chenle sighs, finally releasing you from his grasp

“Tell me. What’s the problem?”

He sat you down at the pavement and gave you enough space to reflect on your actions.

You had the choice to say that you have absolutely no idea what’s happening to you right now, but you thought that he ought to know why you’re acting that way. Now, you just have to figure out how to explain it to him without sounding like a crazy person.

“I…”

You started slow, working your way into explaining that you woke up into this insane dream about how her boss is suddenly so nice to her that morning.

And then it hit you.

“I had a dream about you...”

Ideas started pouring down to your head, starting to piece together a story that actually made sense.

“And in that dream, you’re this mean guy that never cared about me and other people’s feelings. You just made everyone around you miserable. The dream felt so real so I’m very uncomfortable that you’re acting nice to me now.”

“Is that so?”

You nodded your head as an answer. Chenle pulls you over to a side hug, relief washing over him knowing that it wasn’t that bad as he made it up to be.

“I’m sorry if that mean version of me hurt you.”

He rested his head on your shoulders and pulled you closer to him.

“If I decided to be mean to you in a dream again, feel free to punch me or whatever. I promise to make up for all of it once you wake up.”

It was probably the nicest thing that anyone has said to you in a while. Even though it wasn’t actually him who’s hugging you and making you feel all warm inside, you’re not going to see your boss the same way again.

“You know what, why don’t we start now. There’s plenty of time today to make it up to you.”

He stood up from his seat and brushed himself, helping you do the same right after.

“Where does my y/n want to go right now?”

Your lips formed a mischievous smile.

You knew just where you wanted to go at that moment, but he’s probably not going to like it

///

“Would it hurt you to rest for one second?”

You’ve been running around the theme park for the whole day and Chenle just barely kept up to you and your antics. He gave you a small opportunity for a payback and you’re not going to let it slide. Even if it’s with nice Chenle.

You were about to run off again somewhere when he tugs you by the hem of your shirt.

“Y/N-ah, don’t you feel sick at all?”

Chenle’s eyes droop down as he tried to compose himself. As someone that doesn’t like heights and gets dizzy easily, it seems like he’s about to faint any minute now.

“But I want to ride the Ferris wheel.”

He went sheet white, if that is humanly possible. Chenle had barely enough time to recover from the roller coaster ride a few minutes ago and now you’re already on your way to hop in to another one.”

“Fine. We can rest. I don’t think my ears can handle any more of your screaming.”

You can hear Chenle complaining under his breath. The two of you went to the horror house a while ago and there was a high-pitched screaming the whole time. You’ve been teasing him with it ever since.

“I told you, that wasn’t me!”

“The only person inside is you and me. And I don’t remember screaming my own name for fifteen minutes.”

His mouth opened like he was about to say something, but he stopped midway and just took your hand to drag you at the nearest bench. He sat you down first before he took the seat right next to you, both palms on his face and trying to give himself a moment to breathe.

As much as you wished to torment that guy to death, he really looked sick to his stomach. He can barely lift his head up without taking deep breaths.

“You alright?”

You said as you patted his back gently, giving some time to relax and a moment to breathe.

“I’m fine. I did say that I’ll do anything for you today.”

He takes one last breathe before getting up the bench, only to lean on one side too much and almost toppling over.

“Yeah. I think were done for the day. You can barely stand up.”

You sat him back at the bench and caressed his back to get him to relax. Not even a minute after sitting back down, he did a thumbs up to let you know that he’s doing fine already.

“What time is it?”

“4:30. Why?”

He tried his best to stand up and keep himself still. This time, his attempt was successful.

“I’ll drive you home.”

“Are you sure?”

“You can barely stand up. What makes you think that you can drive?”

“Just trust me.”

///

Sure enough, you both got to your house unscathed.

He told you to step out of the car, which you did, and he smoothly backed the car to your garage.

“How was that?”

He said smugly just as he came out of the car, keys jingling on his fingers once again. You can joke about his motion sickness but you can’t comment on his driving.

Chenle was then about to enter your house, but you stopped him just before he turned the doorknob.

“You know what, I had a lot of fun today. It’s probably the best birthday slash Valentine’s Day that I’ve had a whole life. I think you deserve this…”

You held up your fist into a ball and pretended to land a punch to his face. He winced, which gave you and opportunity to tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He stood there frozen for a few seconds, but it was replaced by a cheeky, boyish smile that he’s been hiding from you the whole time that you know him.

You twisted the doorknob and stepped inside your house first, when a popping sound greeted you from inside.

Turns out, those were party poppers.

“Surprise!”

Your whole family is there, alongside all of your friends from way back highschool.

“Sorry for missing you this morning sweetie, we needed some time for the party preparations. Chenle did a good job of distracting you the whole day.”

An arm wrapped itself on your shoulders and gave it a tight squeeze. It didn’t take long for you to find out who it was.

“She made me ride the roller coaster, twice.”

“Stop being a baby. I asked you the second time but you refused to come with me.”

Laughter fills the room and it went for the rest of the night. The celebration wasn’t fancy but it was enough for you to realize what life you’re missing in the real world. And as much you want to make it longer, sooner or later you’re going to have to come back to your old life.

That time was the next day.

///

February 14,202x again / 6:00 AM

The shrill sounds of the alarm clock woke you up, but you were smiling ear to ear. Something about your dream have placed you in a very good mood. Too bad you can’t remember the specific details. All you know is that there’s a car, the shop, the theme park… Zhong Chenle.

Why would it be a nice dream if your boss was in it?

Before you started conspiring some theories, you shook it off and started to get ready for today. To your surprise, the alarm woke you up on time. This means that you can take your sweet time in getting ready, possibly even make yourself an English breakfast for a change.

Your plans are foiled, however, when you realized that the kitchen wasn’t empty.

“Happy birthday…”

Your mom came from the living room to give you the tightest hug. She hasn’t hugged you like this for a long time, so you reciprocated and pulled her in a tighter embrace.

“I’m sorry that this is all we can afford for now…”

She sits you down the table and pushed the small bento cake right in front you. It is not bigger as your hands, but the pink icing and the decorations looked so delicate and beautiful.

“I promise to make you a better cake next year.”

“This is all I need Mom, thank you for doing this.”

///

Everything is going smoothly today. The bus is on time and the driver even gave you a small Valentine’s card as you went inside. For the first time in your life, you looked at the streets painted different shades of red and you’re perfectly fine with it.

You even got to work early. Doors are still shut down when you got there, so you decided to climb up the storage window so you don’t have to wait outside. As instructed, you finally locked it behind you and made it a point to be on time so you’ll never have to use it again.

You started with work right away, cleaning up as much as you can before everyone gets there. While you were mopping the main shop, you can hear keys jingling from outside, meaning that your boss already got there. The door swings forward and upon turning around, he opened the lights, only to see you standing in the middle of the shop.

He screamed at an ungodly pitch and almost fell down at his place.

“Oh, it’s just you. That wasn’t me, alright? ”

He dusted himself off tried his act together and be as cold as before, only to be embarrassed because you kept laughing at his face.

You tried to keep a straight face and bowed at him to excuse yourself. If your tardiness won’t get you fired today, it would probably be your excessive laughing.

“This is the horror house all over again.”

You swear that you heard him mumble something else, but you weren’t sure if you heard it right.

What are the odds that he dreamt about a horror house too, right?

Before you got the chance to go though, he said something that made your heart race for the rest of the day.

“You were there too, right? I just want you to know that that was really me.”

You turned around to see if he’s joking, but instead found a smiling Chenle at the other end of the shop.

“I actually liked you for a while now. So forgive me for always lashing out on you.”

He placed his hands on his pockets and walked slowly towards you, his head down while he tried to hide his shy smile.

“Happy birthday Y/N. I don’t mind repeating that day again... just don’t make me ride the roller coaster twice this time.”

///

#nctcreations #kdiarynet #kpopscape #kwritersworldnet #neowritingsnet #neoculturecafe #neoswitch #cznnet #nct #nct dream #nct u #chenle #nct chenle #zhong chenle #jisung #park jisung #chenle x reader #chenle scenarios #chenle imagines #chenle angst #chenle fluff

[bangtiddies]

The Light of the Galaxy

Pairing: Taehyung x reader Genre: Angst, Time Travel AU Rating: PG13 Words: 1.2k Warnings: major character death

Summary: You find a cassette that has a backstory that you’ve forgotten.

Note: unedited because I’m a fool. Inspired by the Japanese live action film, Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Written for BGW Drabble Marathon    ⮩ Theme 4: X-inspired

The sounds from cicadas are the first things you hear when you wake up. The carpet floor you’re lying on feels comfortable but out of place. Like you suddenly appeared there, from a different dimension.

This is your room. Yet, you feel like you haven’t been there for a while.

You try to go through your memories to figure out why you feel so out of place. Figure out why you’ve ended up passed out on the floor, in clothes that you wore yesterday. Yesterday? When was yesterday?

Fumbling around a bit, your hand hits something hard. You turn to where your hand is and see that something has slipped out of your bag. It’s a foreign object, and your memory doesn’t give you any clue as to how it got in your possession.

You’ve seen one of these objects before. Your mum owned a few, some that your estranged father left behind. You don’t know how they work, only know about them simply due to curiosity.

You open the case and the item inside gives you some odd wave of nostalgia and longing. It’s a video cassette. And written on it, is a title to what might be a film.

The Light of the Galaxy

“If Jin-hyung and Yoongi-hyung got big in their careers, do you think I would’ve become a famous director?” Taehyung asked eyes lit up like a puppy. Your heart skipped a beat at his expression. There was something about his positivity that moved you.

“I guess?” you shrugged, not recognising his face or name from your time at all.

“C’mon, see if you can remember,” Taehyung said with a teasing smile, nudging you with his elbow. “Kim Taehyung, movie director. Does it ring a bell?”

“No,” you said, shaking your head before letting out a laugh as you joke, “maybe you’re just some random old man.”

Taehyung let out an offended gasp, a hint of a smile in his dramatic expression. After a laugh to brush it off, he looked up at the sky with a twinkle in eye, wishful smile resting on his lips. “Well, I hope I’ll at least be a handsome random old man.”

“What’s the name of the film?”

“The Light of the Galaxy.”

Recognition flashes in Park Jimin’s eyes and his breath hitches. “The director?”

You frown, shaking your head. “It doesn’t say.”

“Oh.” He looks torn, biting his lips,

“Is something wrong?” you ask hesitantly, still not familiar with the person who should be.

“I filmed a short film with a close friend back in the day,” he says with a sombre smile, before sighing. “But it’s a cheesy title. I’m not surprised that there’s other homemade films out there with the same name.”

Something in his expression tells you that there’s a sad back story to the film Park Jimin worked on but unfortunately, you don’t know him well enough to pry. So instead, you awkwardly thank him for the video cassette player, and quietly promise to stay for tea when you return it.

Sad smile on his face, Taehyung handed you a square box. Your heart had hurt at seeing his expression, imagining the kind of pain he might have been going through in the last 24 hours. But instead of showing your hurt for him, you instead focused on lifting his spirits.

“Wow, this thing’s huge!”

Taehyung let out a laugh and your heart skipped a beat. “I want you to have it.”

Your eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he looked at the stars starting to appear above the two of you, that wishful look in his eyes again. “I want to give you something to take with you to the future. To remind me of the time we had, in case my old man brain forgets.”

You hoped that he won’t. You smiled at the video cassette before putting it in your bag. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

Taehyung sighed and then stood up, stretching as he did. “Right, I’m off then. It was really nice meeting you, Y/N.”

“You too,” you whispered back, hand clutching the shape of the cassette in your bag. You were going back to the future tonight. Taehyung was heading back to his home town to mourn with his family. Now was the right time to say goodbye. But you couldn’t help but feel like there were words left unsaid. Words that couldn’t make their way to your lips.

After wishing Taehyung goodbye, you started to head back to Taehyung’s flat — the safest place to disappear into the future. On your way there, you conveniently (or perhaps, inconveniently) bumped into a familiar face.

“Hobi?”

He looked like he was in a rush, face red and flushed. “Oh, hi Miss Y/N.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m supposed to go on a bus to Daegu for a dance workshop but I’ve left my ticket at home,” he said with a worried sigh, ready to start running back to his house again.

You laughed a little. “You know you’re not going to be able to make it, right?”

Hoseok looked dejected. “Yeah, but I guess I hoped that I could. I was really excited for that dance workshop, you know.”

Your eyes widened when Hoseok’s words sink in, remembering the story he had told you back in your time. How he had left a ticket home and missed a bus to a dance workshop he was excited for. How the one time he left his ticket must’ve been the best stroke of luck. Or perhaps the work of fate.

How the bus he was supposed to take took a wrong turn and crashed, leaving no survivors.

Your feet started moving on their own, rushing to where the buses are, tears forming at the possibility of being too late. You arrived there just as Taehyung’s about to board the bus. You go to yell at his name —

Only to be held back by Kim Namjoon.

You struggled in his grip, telling him to let you go, to let you get to Taehyung before it’s too late.

“I know you want to save him,” Namjoon said, emotion in his voice that implied that he too was holding himself back. “But a person from the future must never change the past!”

“Then I’ll stay in the past!” you screamed, kicking yourself out of his grip just as Taehyung’s bus turned into the main road. You tried chasing it but it was too late. The bus was gone, never to return again.

You screamed Taehyung’s name until your vocal chords hurt, tears rolling down your cheeks. Namjoon caught up to you and he stood there, letting you mourn the person who weaved their way into your heart.

“You’ll forget everything about your journey to the past,” Namjoon said softly. “I’m sorry. It’s protocol.”

You wished you didn’t have to. But perhaps it was for the best.

And as you lost your consciousness, you whispered the words that were left unsaid.

“I love you.”

The film is confusing, a short sci-fi film that probably has too many ideas thrown in and a non-linear style of story telling that is hard to follow. Yet, for some odd reason, you find yourself crying during the scene where a young woman is looking at the stars.

When you go to put the cassette away, find a note inside the case.

For you, who sees the stars in the future.

And you don’t know why, but the handwriting and words on the note makes your heart mourn, like you’ve lost something — or someone — important. Forever.

#btsghostiemarathon #btsghostie #bangtanarmynet #btswritingcafe #bangtanidx #magicshopnet #bangtanscenery #bts scenario #bts scenarios #bts fanfction #bts fanfic #bts angst #kim taehyung #v #bts v #taehyung #x reader #angst #major character death #time travel au #time travel #the girl who leapt through time #drabble

[bakubitch-minusultra]

Not Alone: Chapter Twelve

-> an apocalyptic series with bnha characters but without quirks because im the writer and i can do whatever the fuck i want :P

-> Word Count: 4.2k

-> Warnings: talk abt breeder farms, cooking/killing a bunny lol

-> Taglist: @5sosfckss @laudthingcat @zphilophobiaz

People pass by Y/n, becoming a sea of faces. All she could think was how she would get Mina back too. She would do anything to get Mina back. It seemed that it had become her centennial project. She wondered if she would ever just have the people who had become her new family all together, or would she die still looking for one.

“Where did they take her?” Y/n asked again. The huge boys hug and mess with each other’s hair. She wanted to shout but Bakugo saved her the trouble.

He looked around, “Where’s Mina?”

“Hunters got her two days ago. She went looking for Y/n and I heard her screaming at the edge of the field. I couldn’t run. They took her in a truck.”

“I’m so sorry Kirishima.”

He shook his head, “Y/n you went for food after you went for medicine to save me. None of this is your fault. We’ll get her back.” He looked at Bakugo and smiled. “I can’t believe you’re alive man.”

Bakugo ruffled Kirishima’s hair again, “You too shitty hair. You should have died a long time ago with your survival skills.”

Kirishima laughed, “Mina.”

“We need to get her back shitty hair.”

Kirishima nodded. Y/n couldn’t pretend that everything was warm and fuzzy.

She shoved him, “So how did you end up here? Why didn’t you stay at the farmhouse in the barn bunker?”

“I tried to go after them. I went over the hill and broke the branches like you told me. I knew you’d find me.” He shook his head at Bakugo. “She’s like a fucking terminator.”

Bakugo laughed, “I know.”

Kirishima fixed his hair, “Anyway, I came here yesterday. They all know you Bakugo.”

Bakugo shrugged, “I made friends at camp shitty hair.”

Y/n hated the way he called him shitty hair. She hated Bakugo in a horrid way. She wished he was at the breeder camp instead of Mina. Him and his girlfriend in the shorts. They have their mini reunion. She turned away and walked to the nearest small tent. She looked in the flap. A younger looking guy was asleep inside. Half his face was burnt. She walked from one small tent to the next, until she found one with a man with blond hair holding a pen and looking at a map that was spread across a table.

“Are you Monoma?” He nodded, but looked at Y/n suspiciously. “I need to know where the closest breeder camp is.”

He chuckled, “You aren’t thinking about volunteering are you? The food’s not that bad here.” She doesnt laugh, instead she looked at the map. She didn’t know how to read maps. She added it to the list of things her father should’ve taught her.

“My friend was taken. I need her back.”

He started laughing again, “What do you plan on doing?”

She looked up into his periwinkle blue eyes and stare him down, “I’m going to get her back.”

“Look, I get you’re upset but there is no getting them back. They go in and nine years later they get a nice house in the city. It’s not a baf gig. They get healthy food and a place to sleep. Your life here is harder.” She felt her face change. He put his hands up defensively, “Look we have bigger fish to fry than worry about one girl at a breeder farm.” He turned his back on her and looked at the wall of the tent where other maps were hung. She felt her fingers twitch. She wanted to pull an arrow. She left the tent disheartened and lost.

“Y/n where’d you go?”

She looked up at Bakugo and Kirishima walking toward her. She scrunched up her face and walked away from them both. She didn’t know how to be dramatic. She felt the need burning inside of her, but she didn’t physically know how to get angry without using her hands. She walked to a group of ladies who were standing around a fire.

She smiled sweetly and looked at the one who looked most like her mother did, “Hi.”

“Hi sweetie.” The rebellion people were nice.

“Do you know where the nearest breeder camp is?”

She frowned, “Yeah.” She looked over at a dark strawberry blonde who had a scar along her mouth, “Beth where was that camp that you all saw not far from here?”

“South east, over two small mountains and a ghost town. Used to be a place called Licoln there. Stay on the outskirts of that place.”

“Thanks so much.”

“You aren’t trying to go there, are you?”

Y/n shook her head, “No way. Just wanted to know where my friend went. Her nine years is almost up.”

The lady with the scar laughed bitterly, “Honey she aint coming back out here to shit in a ditch. She’ll get herself a nice place in the city. I hear they even got air conditioning again.”

A lady with a t-shirt with a big tongue on it laughed, “Oh girl, what I would do for air conditioning.” They all laughed and it made Y/n grin. She walked away from them and went back to the small tent. The man looked less than pleased to see that she was there.

“Really, you’re back again. Look I’m not sending a bunch of men to their death over some girl.”

“I’m not asking you for a thing. I just want to see the map.”

He held his arm out at the one on the table, “Have at it.” She looked at the compass on the map.

“Where are we?” He dropped a finger onto the map next to a blue line. She dragged her finger southeast to the place that said Licoln. She looked up at him, “Which way is south east from here?” He pointed to the back of the tent where the other maps were. He was blocking her view of them on purpose. “Thanks.” She started to walk in the direction he had told her.

Her quiver wasn’t very full. Normally she would make arrows once a month but she hadn’t had a chance in the last month. Nothing had been the way it would have been back at the cabin. She thought about the moment she stood at the door as Mina knocked outside of it. She remembered the regret. She saw Kirishima and Bakugo and started to walk faster. She didn’t know what to say, but running away from them seemed like a pretty good idea. Kirishima still has a limp, but they move quickly.

“Y/n wait up,” Kirishima shouted. She wanted to be alone. It figured the only boys she’s ever liked had to be friends. Her mom would have been proud. She too had a thing for friends.

Fingers bit into Y/n’s arm and spun her around.

Bakugo towered over her, “What are you doing?” He looked annoyed.

She pulled her arm away from him, “I’m going to find her.” She looked at Kirishima, “Stay here and get better. That leg isn’t going to heal with you walking around so much.” He looked hurt.

Bakugo grabbed her arm again, “Y/n we aren’t going to let you run off half cocked. We need a plan.” She felt angry, maybe it was because she liked them both or maybe it was because they’re not running after Mina, like she expected they would.

She glared at Kirishima, “When you fell in that holse she did the bravest thing I have ever seen anyone do. She told me that she didn’t care if I shot her but I had to come find you.”

He shook his head, “We need a plan.”

She pointed south, “There’s a three day hike, we can plan on the way.”

Bakugo’s grip on her arm tightened, “We’ll be down a mountain and in the woods alone with no resources when we find her. What plan can you come up with there?”

Y/n shook her head again, “I’ve made it this far without anyone.” She pulled her arm free and took a step back, “I don’t need either of you.” She felt something in her stomach. She should’ve grabbed food. She started her hike. She realized she not only had a plan but that she was starving. She heard their footsteps behind her.

“She’s really stubborn.” Kirishima tried to whisper, but Y/n could hear him.

“I noticed that. How’s the leg?” Y/n made a face but didn’t look back at them.

“Good. She did surgery on it. I don’t think I’ll ever win the Boston Marathon if it comes back in style.” Bakugo snorted, Y/n wanted to laugh, but she was pissed off.

“Mina been a handful?”

Kirishima laughed, “Oh my god. The year she started the road to womanhood was the beginning of the end. Oh my god it was so bad.”

Y/n felt her face flush with heat. She remembered getting her first period and cringed. She had thought she was dying for a few days. She had to read an encyclopedia on health in order to find the answers she had been looking for. She made rags and stayed indoors. She rubbed clary sage oil on her stomach for the cramping and put warm compresses on her stomach. It was the first thing she added to the list of things he should have told her about. Being twelve and alone in the forest was daunting. Bleeding every month for no reason was much worse.

She realized how far ahead of them she was when she came out of her daydream and couldn’t hear them. She looked back. They were laughing and walking like it was a stroll in the park. She glanced up in the trees to see the guard strategically placed. She knew they were still safe from the others but she couldn’t imagine laughing and joking and catching up the way they were.

She walked faster. She missed the silence and uncomplicated days of traveling with Hades. He would hunt and they would touch each other every now and again but neither of them needed to make a sound. She looked back at Kirishima and noticed the way he lumbered through the woods and let out a sigh. The bottom of the mountain led to a valley and she climbed a tree and sat on a sturdy branch.

“What do you see?”

“A highway. There’re cars on it, they’re burned.” It frightened Y/n. Scavengers were always nearest to the old remains. She stayed away from the remains.

“Do you see movement?”

She shook her head but narrowed her eyes to improve her vision. The infected had a way of not moving when you needed them to. The sun was going down and she wanted to scross the highway and be halfway up the next mountain before it’s completely dark. She climbed down the tree and tried not to look at either of the hulking men standing next to her.

She pulled an arrow and crouched low to the ground. She shut her mind off. She tried not to think when she was scared shitless.

She could hear Kirishima walking behind her, no doubt completely upright and picking his teeth with a piece of grass. Y/n decided to shoot him herself if he started to hum. The grass on the side of the highway was long. As she slipped through it the wind played with it, making it whisper. The birds here were not the kind who warn you of prey, they were scavengers. They wanted you to die.

The long grass swayed and played with her hair. Her heart was beating faster when her foot touched the gravel on the side of the highway.

She looked back at Bakugo and he nods. Kirishima’s lips curled into a smile. She couldn’t help but want to smile with him. She saw herself back at the cabin for the briefest of seconds. Images of her and him laying on the couch filled her mind. She smiled remembering the way they tried not to get caught staring at each other.

Her mind snapped back.

She closed her eyes and listened to the wind. There was no sound. She climbed out of the huge ditch and walked quickly and silently up onto the broken asphalt. It had started to crack from the weather and lack of care. Where her foot stepped first it crumbled. Her eyes scanned every inch of the deserted highway. Burned out cars sat staggered along the long straight road. The people caught in the traffic jams when the tidal waves were coming or the bombs were dropping to contain the sick. They fled from their vehicles. They left everything and ran. She remembered running.

She shook her head back to focusing. She slipped between an old burnt SUV and the skeleton of a small car. The hood of the car was lifted and the battery was gone. Not uncommon.

“Which way?” Kirishima asked louder than Y/n would’ve liked.

“Shhhh.”

The gravel on the other side was a welcomed sight. When her feet touched the grass she broke into a run. The bushes hit her in the face when she entered the forest. She ran until shesaw the tree she wanted. She climbed it and sat with her arrow pulled and at the ready. She scanned the highway and the ditch vigorously.

Kirishima was huffing and panting while he rested below the tree.

“Oh man you can run. Holy shit. I thought your leg was hurt. Whoa.”

“Kirishima.” Bakugo was back to being Business Bakugo. There was no fun with him, only survival. She didn’t take her eyes off the road. Nothing moved. She was about to climb down but she waited one more second. She saw the bushes across the move and pulled the arrow tighter. It looked like an animal but she couldn’t see clearly.

“I see something,” she said in a low voice.

“What?”

“Animal. Dog maybe.”

“Shit.” She looked down through the thick branches at Bakugo’s;ook and raised an eyebrow. “Trackers.”

He doesn’t finish the sentence and her eyes scanned across the highway again. The animal was gone. Nothing moved. She climbed down fast and turned to face the dense woods.

“That way.”

Kirishima looked pained, “Seriously? We’re going to run some more?”

She looked at him and nodded, “Think about what it’s like for Mina now. She’s terrified. She thinks the breeder camps are what we all think. She is waiting for her turn no doubt.”

He flinched, “Jesus Y/n. Easy on the visuals. She’s my friend for christ’s sake. I’m not bitching, my leg is just killing me.”

Y/n glared, “Is it bleeding?”

“No but it hurts.”

“Climb the tree and wait for us,” She handed him a water bottle from her belt. But Kirishima shook his head and looked at Bakugo who’s face was stoic

“Bakugo I’m not staying.”

Bakugo licked his lips and thought for a second, “You can’t hold us up.”

Kirishima rolled his eyes and sighed, “Let’s just go.”

Y/n held the water bottle out for one more second but he didn’t take her up on the offer. She turned and started to run. Her leg was sore and her stomach was empty. In her haste she never stocked up. Mina had been hard on her rules.

When the sun had started to set they were where Y/n wanted to be. Kirishima hadn’t complained and Bakugo was starting a small fire. She took her bow and found a nice quiet spot to sit and wait for something to make a sound.

The silence of the woods was alarming. She had never been in the woods here. She was exhausted but she stayed focused.

She heard the crunch of a stick and raised her arrow in the direction she heard it in. A large hare hopped over a branch and sniffed the wind. It’s ears twitched and Y/n knew that it had smelled her. She released the arrow, anticipating the hop it would do. The arrow slices through the neck of the rabbit. It tried to move for a second and then stopped. She gutted the hare where she killed it. She never brought it back with its guts. Leaving guts outside the cabin proved to be a mistake. She skinned it quickly with the skinning knife she kept and left the animal’sremains and carried the carcass to the fire.

She heard the cracking of wood when she got close. Bakugo was standing over the fire and Kirishima was sitting on a log next to him.

“So is there something between you two?” Bakugo asked but didn’t move his face.

Kirishima shrugged, “I don’t know. She’s a tough one to get to know. We kissed but it was a mistake.”

Bakugo looked at him and smiled, “I hear that. You remember the Laura Croft movies where Angelina Jolie was all hot and quiet but would kill anything that moved?”

Kirishima laughed, “Yeah. Exactly. Jesus, give her some pouty lips and bam. Laura Croft.”

Y/n felt her insides trembling. She didn’t remember the movies they were talking about. She couldn’t help but want to cry.

Bakugo laughed and shook his head, “But what a bitch though hey.”

She grabbed a rock from where she was standing and tossed it back a few yards. They couldn’t see her if she crouched.

“She’s back. Manners.” Bakugo spoke low and started poking the fire. She stood and walked from the bushes. She just wanted to throw the stupid hare down and leave them there, but her stomach was growling. She was exhausted. She would stay as long as it would take to eat and then she would be sleeping in a tree. Maybe if she was lucky she would fall in her sleep and wake up in hell.

Bakugo held out a small sack, “I have some potatoes from the camp and tinfoil.”

She nodded, “Okay.” She felt awkward. Kissing both of them was obviously bad, but having them call her a bitch after they kissed her was awful. Having Kirishima say it was a mistake was killing her. She couldn’t look him in the eyes. She walked around him and found a good stick to make a spit with.

She searched the ground around the fire until she found a good branch. She stripped the small branches and leaves from it. She smirked and shoved the stick into the open neck. She was imagining it was one of them.

“You’re a scary little thing.” She frowned at Kirishima who was watching her get the hare on the spit. “It’s a compliment.” She didn’t stop frowning. It didn’t feel like a complement. Even if it was, it wouldn’t stop the pain of the kiss being a mistake.

She built a spit with rocks and branches and twine from her backpack. Bakugo sliced the potatoes and laid them in the tinfoil. He placed them high on a rock with a flat surface in the fires circle of rocks.

Bakugo glanced at her, “So what’s to plan?”

“Get captured and free us both.” He laughed at Y/n. “I can do it.”

He shook his head, “I know you can, it's just funny that’s all. You’re willing to sacrifice yourself to save my friend?”

“She’s the only person I’ve met that I liked. Genuinely.” It was a stab at them both. Fuck them.

He raised his eyebrows, “Fair enough.” He looked hurt. The image of the girl in the short shorts didn’t leave her mind easily.

Kirishima looked hurt, “What am I, chopped liver?” Y/n smiled. She hated that she was smiling. She hated that he made her smile so easily. He grinned at her and she remembered his hands on her. She couldn’t stop staring at his lips. It made her feel sick.

Bakugo cleared his throat, “So how’ll you get captured?”

She shrugged, “Just act lost near the area.” She glanced at Kirishima who was still staring at her. His grin hadn’t left his face. She dug her stick in the dirt and drew a circle. She hit a rock and dirt went flying up at Kirishima’s face on his stump.

She laughed as he wipped his face clean, “Thanks.”

Bakugo laughed, “Stop being a baby.”

Kirishima shook the dirt out of his hair, “You did that on purpose.”

She put her hands up with the stick in them, “I didn’t, I swear.” She wish she had.

“I don’t think you shouldgo there, Y/n.”

She dug with the stick again, “I have to.” She didn’t say that she led them straight to Mina. She doesn’t say that it was all her fault. She didn’t have to. They all knew it was true. Bakugo turned the hare on the spit slowly. The smells were starting to make her stomach make noises she hadn’t heard since before she found the cabin.

Bakugo looked around, “When you get captured you need a way out.” He got up from the fire and muttered, “Kiri turn the hare.” He went to a tree and ripped off a branch. He sat next to Y/n on the log. The warmth of his body was touching her and it was setting her nerves on fire.

He bent down and drew a rectangle. In each of the corners he made small boxes, “There is a section that is for the women who are pregnant or about to be impregnated. This is probably where you'll go. Then this wing is for the younger girl who can't have babies yet. This is for the women with the babies. This is where the little girls are kept. Girls they raise to be breeders." He moved the stick to the other side and made a smaller box, "This is where the men are, if there are any men. Sometimes they don’t have any there." He cleared his throat nervously and drew an X in the middle but off to one side, "This is the fertility lab. This is where the lab coats and doctors and cleaners all stay. This is your only chance. They will have a dump somewhere near the clinic. The garbage goes every few days."

She frowned at him but Kirishima asked the question burning in her mind before she could, “Dude how do you know so much about the breeder farmer?”

Bakugo blushed in the firelight, “I lived there for a time.”

Kirishima raised an eyebrow, “As a cleaner or a doctor?” He laughed like he knew the answer.

Bakugo laughed, “I wish.”

Kirishim shook his head, “Nasty bro. Nasty.”

Y/n felt lost. She looked blankly at them both. Bakugo’s face looked like it was on fire.

“I was forced to um… donate.” Y/n didn’t understand what they were talking about.”

Kirishima started to make an odd motion with his fist, “He had to jerk his chiken for the big men.” She didn’t know what that meant but she nodded before they explained. Bakugo looked at her face and laughed.

Kirishima turned the hare, “So how many little Bakugo’s are running around?” Y/n felt her stomach drop. She understood. She felt judgment burn its way across her face.

“I wasn’t exactly in on the plans.”

Kirishima poked the hare, “How was life there?”

Bakugo snorted, “Thinking about signing up?”

Kirishima looked up, “Hey if there are three square meals a day and I get all the, um, reading material I need to deliver the goods, I’m in.”

The humor fell from Bakugo’s face. He almost twitched when he shook his head, “No. No three meals and material shitty hair. It’s more like milking a cow.”

Kirishima ignored the terror on his friend's face and grinned ear to ear, “Are there milk maids?”

Bakugo nodded, “Not the kind you’re thinking of. Mine was a guy named Dr. Stevie.”

Kirishima gagged, “Oh shit never mind.”

Bakugo looked down at the drawing again and chuckled, but Y/n could tell he was haunted by it.

“There’s no human contact Kirishima. It’s all done by machines, the girls and the boys. Anyway this section here has the surgeon’s clothes and boots. Change and climb into the garbage bin in the morning on a Tuesday or a Thursday or a Saturuday. The garbage comes around lunch and the best chance you have at not being noticed is then. They’ll be looking for you after lunch.”

Y/n felt sick thinking about the plan. She was not as strong as the look on her face suggests she is.

“I think it’s done,” Kirishima poked the hare.

Y/n shook her head, “Always over cook wild animals.”

Bakugo nudged her with his body, almost playfully, “You sure about this?”

She nodded and reached into the flames to turn the potatoes. The fire licked at her skin but she ignored it. It hurt. It was a warning of pain to come if she continued to stick her hands in the fire. Sitting between two men she couldn’t help but feel like it was appropriate.

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