#especially because he knows many things would be different right now if she chose not to be | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

atlabeth · 5 months

Text

greener grass | luke castellan

i recommend reading bleedin me dry before this as this is the au to that!

summary: what if you left with luke that day in the woods?

a/n: would just like to give a HUGE thank you for the massive amount of support on my luke fic!! and another huge thank you to all you angst demons because why do you want more of it. i mean i get it but why. anyways here’s a different path of actually accepting luke’s offer like so many of you said you would instantly fold lmao i hope you enjoy

wc: 3.2k

warning(s): fem!daughter of demeter reader. luke is his own warning. kind of unhealthy relationship, weird vibes all around

The stars were brighter than ever tonight.

It was one of the first things that stuck out to you when you got to camp, and it was one of the first things that you noticed when you first got on the road with Luke.

You’d always loved the stars. They were a rare sight coming from the city, such a sign of nature and purity that it honestly shouldn’t have been a surprise when you were claimed. You still remembered the shock that went through you when you first saw what a night sky free of pollution could be, and you still remembered the first time you risked your life with the harpies just to spend the night star-gazing.

And you could never forget the first time you dragged Luke along with you, his wry protests falling on deaf ears though he grinned the entire way down to the beach, his hand laced in yours.

Gods.

Luke.

Even the thought of him these days was enough to make your heart clench, a slight shiver run down your spine, and you weren’t fully sure as to why.

You loved him. You ran away with him. Every path that led you here, you willingly chose to walk down.

But you still questioned every second of every godsdamned day if they were the right decisions. Especially now, as you sat alone in front of the fire, carefully stoking it with one of the few dry sticks you’d been able to find after taking shelter—in your own haphazard tent made of vines and tree trunks and any other bits of nature you’d managed to sprout from the ground with your powers—to wait out a rainstorm.

You decided to spend the night, deciding that traveling through the darkness was too risky after the last monster attack, but the minutes couldn’t have been creeping by slower. If being in nature didn’t quite literally fuel you, you knew you would be far more miserable than you already were.

You loved Luke with all your heart, and if he was willing to potentially throw off his entire plan just so he could bring you with him, then he had to love you the same. You owed him this, at least, to not abandon him.

You— you didn’t want to serve Kronos, but you didn’t want to serve the gods, either. Your mother abandoned you before you were old enough to know what the word meant, leaving you on your father’s doorstep swaddled in blankets and with a note that he still had to this day.

Demeter left your father to raise you on his own, left you to live the half-life of a half-blood, and hardly paid attention to you since. She didn’t help you when you were on the road to camp with your satyr, wondering if every bump in the night would be your end, and she let you feel worthless for an entire year before she finally decided you were deserving of her claim.

Or maybe she just finally remembered you existed.

You understood Luke’s anger—you felt it yourself more than you liked to admit—but the path he was on was a dangerous one. You doubted you could take him off of it, but you could keep him safe, and you could prevent more damage. That was all you cared about at this point.

How long you could walk this line was an entirely different question.

You sensed him before you heard him even lost in your thoughts, but the snapping of twigs still made your breath catch for a moment. You kept your gaze on the fire as you spoke.

“Anything?”

“These woods are surprisingly bare for the time of year,” Luke said as he set his backpack on the ground, kneeling down to rifle through it. “I feel like Artemis is punishing me.”

“Well, she doesn’t exactly have a reason to help you,” you said wryly. You gestured with your head towards the miniature orchard you’d been making at each one of your camps—one pro of your parentage was that you—hopefully—wouldn’t ever starve on the road. You’d been growing plants since you realized you could, so it was practically second nature at this point. “Fruit’s on the menu, if you’re interested.”

Luke chuckled as he walked over, and as he plucked a perfectly ripe strawberry, he glanced at you. “Feeling nostalgic?”

You shrugged. You wondered which of your siblings would be in charge of the strawberries with you gone. You hoped Mr. D wouldn’t give it to one of his kids. “Do you blame me?”

“Not at all.” He popped it into his mouth then took an apple from the smallest tree you’d been able to grow. “It was home for us both, for a while.”

You bit your lip. It still was your home—it had been for the past four years. You wanted to go back eventually, but you felt like you had sealed your coffin by going with Luke. Would they ever welcome you back, knowing you willingly followed him into the darkness?

“How long do you think we’ll be on the road?” you asked, finally looking over at him as he sat down across from you. “Not that I don’t enjoy being with you, but… it’s not exactly the safest.”

“At least another week or two,” Luke said. You tried your hardest to keep your expression even as he settled the full force of his gaze on you—you couldn’t deal with the scrutiny. “I need to make sure they’ve lost our trail. The last thing we need is a questing group on our asses.”

You huffed a laugh. “You think they’ll actually send anyone after us?”

Luke shrugged. “If all went well, camp is in total disarray. If it didn’t, they still know I’m with Kronos. I can’t imagine Chiron would take that lightly. And,” he inclined his head, “I did kidnap you.”

You scoffed. “You didn’t kidnap me.”

“They’ll probably think so,” he said, and there was something strange in his eyes. “Doesn’t make sense for you to come with me willingly.”

This again. “Luke—”

“I know,” he said, a slight smile on his lips. There wasn’t much heart in it. “You don’t have to explain yourself again.”

“I just don’t want you to think I’m not with you,” you said. “I— I am. I’m only here for you, Luke.”

His eyes softened. “You mean it?”

“I do,” you nodded. “I couldn’t just leave you.”

“I don’t take any of this lightly, you know.” His eyes never wavered from yours, the orange light flickering across his face and casting a devilish shadow. “You being here means the world. Nothing’s gonna happen to you—I’ll make sure of it.”

“I’m not just gonna lay you out to dry, either,” you said wryly. “We’ll protect each other. Like we always have.”

“Exactly,” Luke affirmed. He bit into the apple he’d seemingly forgot about, and you looked up at the sky in the resulting silence.

It felt like your mind always drifted back to camp, back to your siblings and friends and the victims of Luke’s crusade.

Your summer siblings who would come back next year and wonder where you went, your year-rounders waking up the next morning and all the mornings after with a discontented glance at your bed.

How long would it take for them to forget you? For you to just be another lost demigod in the camp files?

And poor Annabeth Chase. Luke practically raised her, and he walked out on her without a word—you considered yourself lucky he didn’t do the same to you, and you had no idea what awaited you on your path together.

The gods had never been one for listening, and certainly not to you, but you hoped at least one of them would look down on you. Maybe your mother could provide some of that wizened second child advice, shine her favor on you for the first time in your life.

Well. You doubted Demeter would very much appreciate your quasi-support of the titan that ate her. The thing you should have considered yourself lucky for was that your powers still worked.

Luke brought you back to Earth by saying your name, and your gaze snapped back down to meet his. His scar seemed especially grisly in the firelight, at odds with the softness of his expression—something that felt all too rare these days.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“What else could possibly be on it?” you asked wryly, tossing the stick you’d been fiddling with into the fire. It crackled as the flames devoured it, something so out of its realm thrust into it anyways.

“Stupid question,” he admitted.

“We’re practically fugitives, Luke,” you said. “We have monsters after us, and possibly people from camp. We left everyone behind. I’m with you, trust me, but— but I can’t just get over it all as easily as you.”

“And I get that,” he said. “This—” he sighed and shook his head— “you really don’t know how much you being here means to me. I thought I was going to be out on my own on all this.”

Your throat bobbed. You’d never tell him, but you didn’t even know what your answer was going to be until the words left your mouth.

“And you’re telling me that you’d still choose them over me?”

“No,” you said. “I wouldn’t.”

Luke’s eyes softened and your throat felt like it was closing up.

“Then come with me,” he whispered. “We will change the world together.”

“I can’t,” you asserted. “I can’t just leave everyone behind— I’d be leaving my entire life behind, Luke!”

“You’ll help them more this way,” Luke insisted. “The gods aren’t on our side—we’re here so they don’t have to pay attention to us. If we want anything to change for the better, we’re gonna have to do it ourselves.”

You bit your lip, and he brushed a strand of hair out of your face.

“I wouldn’t ask you this if I didn’t think you were right for it,” he murmured, tilting his head as he gazed into your eyes. “Your mother’s never bothered to see you before. I’m gonna make her see you.”

“How?” you asked, hating the hints of desperation coloring your voice.

“You’ll see,” he said. “But we’re gonna do something so big that no one’s going to be able to ignore us.”

Memories of the past four years flashed through your mind, but the two at the forefront were ones with Luke and ones without your mother.

He’d always been there for you, even when Demeter—especially when she wasn’t.

You couldn’t just leave him on his own. Not when he was baring his soul to you—not when his quest for greatness included it for you too.

Not when he was the first boy you ever loved, the one who brought you back from the god-induced edge.

“…Okay,” you said, the word feeling like an ultimatum the moment it left your lips. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

He stared at you for a second like he didn’t hear you, or rather like he didn’t actually believe it. And then he broke out into a grin.

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” you said. “Have I ever lied to you?”

“Go to your cabin and pack your bags,” Luke said, still unable to control his exuberant expression. We’ll meet each other at the top of the hill.”

“Right now?”

Luke nodded. “Only a couple hours until we’re harpy feed. Everyone’ll think we’re just leaving for the school year.”

“You’ve always been a year-rounder,” you said. “Won’t people—”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “No one’ll think anything of it. We just have to get out before anyone asks any questions.”

“Luke,” you murmured, “are you—”

Luke cut you off with a blazing kiss, the same kind of fire in his eyes when he pulled away, a slight smile on his lips at leaving you breathless.

“I’m sure,” he whispered. “You’re not going to regret this. I promise.”

It was all you could do to stare up at him, his grip on your arms the only thing keeping you upright for a solid moment.

“Go,” he said. “Take your time—don’t draw any suspicion. I’ll meet you there.”

“You’re really sure?” you asked, finally able to form words. “Really really sure? About this, a— and me?”

He cupped your cheek, tracing his thumb along your jaw. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than I am about you.”

Leaving camp was insane—when Luke told you of Kronos’s plans, it was even more insane—but it had always been you and Luke. He’d been such a huge part of your life, ever since you first came to camp, that you couldn’t imagine yourself without him.

And when you looked back at him, illuminated by the fire, you were sure of at least one thing.

You weren’t leaving any time soon. Not when you could still fix all of this.

A yawn got the better of you, and you felt Luke’s eyes on you as you covered your mouth with a fist.

“You should get to sleep,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”

“It’s been a long day for both of us,” you said. “We both had to get here—and you were the one who wandered around in the woods for two hours trying to hunt.”

“How do you know I wandered?” Luke asked, setting the apple core down on the ground next to him. “You weren’t there. Maybe I had a very respectable saunter and just came up with nothing.”

You chuckled. “The trees speak to me.”

“Really?” he asked, clearly amused. “And what did they say?”

“That you’re an awful hunter,” you mused, “and you should be very thankful that your girlfriend is good at everything.”

Luke smirked and got up to start walking towards you. “Your ever-knowledgeable trees should know that I already know.” He kneeled down in front of you, a slight smile curling on your lips. “And that I am very thankful.”

He pressed a heated kiss to your lips, and you reciprocated, looping an arm around him to keep him close before you pulled away.

“It’s always good to hear it,” you murmured.

“I’ll say it as many times as you need,” he assured. Luke stole another kiss then gestured towards your makeshift tent. “But you do need to get some sleep. We’re picking up at first light.”

Your smile wavered. “We’ve been moving break-neck for a week already. Are you sure we can’t ease up?”

“Soon,” Luke promised. “I told you, I just want to make sure we’ve lost any tails. We can’t afford that right now.”

He must have seen the change in your expression, because his eyes softened and he took your hand. “It won’t be like this forever, babe. You can handle it.”

“It doesn’t mean I want to,” you said dryly, but you sighed as you squeezed his hand. “I’ll turn in if you do too.”

“Anything for you,” Luke said with a smile. You chuckled and shook your head as you stood up, and Luke grabbed his backpack before he went over to the tent with you.

Your meager belongings weren’t much. You’d stuffed all the demigod essentials, some outfits, and a sleeping bag in your pack before hightailing it to Thalia’s tree, and Luke hadn’t packed much more—but at least it was light traveling.

Every night had been spent in the same way, sharing your sleeping bag as you got what precious sleep Luke allocated before you were back on the road again. You were sure the only thing that got you through each early rising was his soft touches and easy murmured words.

You laid down, staring up at the roof of brambles and bark, and you twisted your hand just so to make them twist away from each other for a small opening.

Luke raised an eyebrow at you as he zipped his bag up, still crouched on the ground. “What’s that for?”

You shrugged. “I’ve always liked sleeping under the stars.”

Again, that small smile. It could still make you melt, even now. “I remember. I just hope it doesn’t start raining again.”

“Like rain’ll be the worst thing we’ve dealt with,” you said wryly. “Besides, I can feel it in the air. We’re gonna be fine.”

“Yeah,” he said. “We are.”

You glanced over and he was looking at you. You patted the spot next to you.

“C’mon,” you said. “I’m cold.”

“Oh, we can’t have that,” he said, amused, and he huddled in next to you. You let out a contented sigh as his body heat sunk into you, and he draped an arm across you to pull you closer.

“That better?” he asked.

You hummed in response. “Thank you.”

“Always.”

You closed your eyes as you exhaled deeply, trying your best to unwind the tension in every part of your body. You weren’t used to trekking miles every day, eating rations you’d packed from camp or gas station food from whenever you ended up close to town, only having the woods and the sky and Luke for company. It was starting to wear on you, but you weren’t going to let Luke know.

“I love you,” Luke said suddenly, breaking the silence, his breath tickling your neck. Your eyes snapped open. “You know that, right?”

A moment passed before you murmured, “I know.”

You could feel some of the tension leave his body, and he adjusted his position to be closer to you.

“Good.”

His curls brushed against your skin as he rested his head in the crook of your neck. Luke was a comforting presence behind you, like an anchor in the choppy waters you’d thrown yourself into, but it… it just felt different than the countless other times.

But that was only natural. You were back on the road, living the way you did when you first made the trip to Camp Half-blood with your satyr. Of course it felt different than the crowded chaos of the Hermes cabin, or the beach underneath a tapestry of stars, or your own bed at the behest of your siblings. The only thing that stayed the same was the scent of nature, and the scent of Luke.

Things were different, yes, but you knew that would happen. Luke was different, but you knew that would happen—half the reason you came along with him was because you wanted to make sure he had a lifeline, a way to come back to shore when he decided his crusade was over.

Because it had to be over eventually. He would decide that there was no way you could beat the gods, that it wasn’t worth killing himself over some meaningless mission. The gods had never cared about you before—you didn’t know why they would care about some half-baked rebellion by two of their least favorite kids.

You loved Luke. He loved you. You told yourself that was all that mattered, because you were in this together now.

For better or for worse.

#damn girl you really are a demeter kid the way you're planting these seeds of distrust #also he hasn't told her what he did to percy so this is clearly a very stable and good situation for both of them #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan fic #luke castellan angst #pjo x reader #x reader #sadie writes

731 notes · View notes

sopebubbles · 1 year

Text

Master List

Eight

Synopsis: in a world where alphas, betas, and omegas live along side modern humans as second class citizens, you've fallen through the cracks of a society that wants to take everything wonderful from you. Luckily a timely encounter with the boys just might save your life.

Chapter summary: Jin's form of leadership comes to bite him in the ass, and everyone will have something to say about it. Will they still follow him?

WC: 8k

Warnings: ANGST, fighting/yelling, swearing

Jimin's head snapped to attention when a knock at the door pulled him out of concentration. His coworker Nina poked her head inside.

"Jimin, there's a girl here to see you."

"I told Sana we would meet after lunch. I'm still trying to catch up on some paperwork from last week." Jimin looked bewilderedly at the stacks of papers cluttering his desk.

Nina shook her head. "It's not Sana. It's some girl named Y/N. Never seen her before. But I'll tell her to come back another time."

Jimin shot out of his chair the instant he heard your name. "No. Don't! I'll see her."

Nina paused as he opened the door to follow her. "I thought you were busy."

Jimin blushed and smiled. "This is important."

Nina gave him a playfully suspicious look before walking back to her desk. Jimin followed her and felt the tightness in his chest release when he saw you sitting in a chair, swinging your feet while you waited. Yoongi was right; you did seem like a little girl, especially the way you curled in on yourself.

"Y/N?" His voice was so quiet he wasn't sure you would hear him, but your head turned in his direction.

He'd been so thrilled by the news that you'd come that he hadn't stopped to think about why until he saw your wide eyes look at him from gaunt features. The last time he'd seen you, you were well fed, energetic, almost glowing. That might have just been the tail-end of the heat hormones, but you almost looked like a different person now. Your skin was ashen, with dark bags under your eyes. It was only a week since he saw you, but it looked like years on your face.

"Y/N," he repeated.

"Surprised to see me?" You asked as you got to your feet and approached the counter once again.

"Yes," he nodded. "But it's a good surprise." He wanted to launch into a million questions, but he hesitated. The last time he tried to really talk to you had backfired. He followed your gaze to Nina, who quickly looked away when she realized she was staring. "Come to my office so we can talk."

"I'm glad you came," he said as he closed the door behind you and gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. "Where have you been staying?"

You looked at your hands in your lap, but didn't answer. "How is Hoseok?"

Jimin tried to smile for you, but it was weak. "Hobi is fine. He's wondering where you've been. He was hoping you would stay. We all were."

"I don't think everyone was," you mumbled.

"What?"

"I know Seokjin was just trying to be polite. I would have just been in the way. It's better for everyone if you just pretend you never met me."

Jimin's heart sank. For a moment he had believed you came to him so he could take you home, but you wouldn't make things that easy. "So why did you come here?"

"You said you could help me find a job." He froze momentarily before sitting on his own chair. Was that really the only reason you had come? "I've been looking online for the last week and I just…" you looked up at him and he met your gaze expectantly. "I haven't had a lot of luck the last couple of years trying to pretend I'm Sap, but it's really hard to get a job I can manage when they know I'm omega. So, you said you knew people who would hire me…"

Jimin nodded knowingly. Unemployment was generally considered an alpha problem because many, if not most, omegas chose to stay at home, but that trend had been changing. Omegas faced a lot of stereotypes about not being able to handle physical work (which wasn't true) and for their frequent heat cycles, making employers view them as unreliable. On top of that, you were far from the only omega to not finish high school since the onset of heats made attendance difficult at best. While Jimin was all for omega empowerment, he couldn't help wishing you'd choose to just stay at home with Hoseok. But he was getting ahead of himself. Jimin clicked around on his screen for a moment before his printer began to whir.

"I have a list of businesses that hire omegas, and who give priority to people in your situation." Jimin grabbed the sheet of paper off the printer, but hesitated before handing it to you. "Would you reconsider coming back to the house?"

You sighed and shook your head. "I can't, Jimin."

"You really can. I know that maybe Jin didn't seem so keen, but Hoseok is worried. Yoongi–" he stopped himself from admitting that his alpha was a wreck, but he didn't think he imagined the glint in your eyes as the mention of his name. "He really wanted you to stay. So do I. We want you to be safe."

"It's nice of you to worry," you said, reaching for the paper. Jimin reluctantly handed over, feeling defeated. "I can take care of myself, though. I promise, I'll be fine."

When you stood up to leave, Jimin had the sinking feeling that you really wouldn't be, but there was little he could do about it. He couldn't lock you in this office until you agreed to come home with him. He sighed in resignation. "You can tell anyone on that list that I sent you and put me as a reference," he told you, picking up one of his business cards and scribbling his personal phone number on the back before he handed it to you. "And if you change your mind, you know where to find us. Our door is always open to you, Y/N."

"Thanks, Jimin," you smiled sadly.

He wanted to do something crazy, like ask you for a hug and maybe try to give you a proper scent mark so that you'd walk out of there with a bit of him, a bit of them. But he could only watch you go.

Yoongi drummed his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel as he drove to pick up Jimin from work. Normally the beta went to and from work with Namjoon or Jin, depending on their schedules, but today the pack alpha had sent a mysterious address to the group chat and told them to meet there after work. The location happened to be in the opposite direction of home from Namjoon's school, so Yoongi offered to pick Jimin up. He was more than happy to do it. He'd been feeling edgy all day with the house feeling so empty, everyone gone to work and even Hoseok mysteriously missing from the house in the afternoon, taking Taehyung with him. Your absence rang from every corner of the quiet house, mocking him.

When he pulled up outside the shelter, Jimin was chatting casually with some alpha teens in front of the building. He flashed Yoongi a crooked smile, and not the endearing kind, but the troubled kind; the kind that let the alpha know immediately that something was off with his younger mate. He cut the engine and stepped out of the car.

"Hey, Yoongi!" One of the young men on the sidewalk called as he stepped up on the curb and held out an arm for a greeting. Yoongi clasped his hand and bumped his shoulder. "Where you been? Missed you on the court."

Yoongi grimaced. Playing with the kids was one of his favorite things to do with his free days. Jimin liked to act like it was some sort of mentoring program; and maybe it was, but it was very informal. Just a few hours playing around and maybe every now and then Yoongi managed a conversation with one of them and was able to give them some advice, but it wasn't a big deal. Nonetheless, Jimin knew it meant a lot to the young alphas to have Yoongi spend some time with them and treat them like people, something that was frequently absent from their daily interactions, as you well knew. He also knew Yoongi enjoyed it beyond the game.

"Sorry, man. I promise I'll come by later this week," Yoongi told him and meant it. He turned his eyes to Jimin. "Everything okay?"

The beta nodded. "C'mon, let's go."

Yoongi opened the car door for Jimin, then nodded to the guys still standing around before he walked around to the driver's side. He started the engine and pulled into traffic before either of them spoke another word. Silent minutes stretched before them, but Yoongi couldn't take it.

"Are you afraid to kiss me in front of your clients?" Yoongi asked, half joking, although he'd usually get at least a kiss on the cheek from Jimin when he first saw him, even if it was on those afternoons he showed up at the shelter.

"Of course not, hyung," Jimin answered lightly but didn't look in his direction.

Yoongi reached out his hand to take Jimin's. "Then can you tell me what's wrong?" He asked with a kiss to the back of his hand.

Jimin's fingers tightened around him and he cleared his throat. "I saw her."

Yoongi came to an abrupt stop a couple meters short of where he meant to at the red light.

"Y/N?"

Jimin nodded. "She came to see me at the shelter."

Yoongi turned his head to look out the rear window. "Is she–? Did she–? Is she staying there?" He finally managed to ask, when he really wanted to ask why you weren't in the car with him right now going back home.

Jimin swallowed. "She's too old, hyung," he reminded his alpha and watched him sink back into his seat. "Besides, she said she wouldn't come back with me. She thinks…she thinks it's for the best, and that we were just being polite."

Yoongi leaned his head back against the rest and a thousand protests died on his lips. Jimin didn't need to hear them. "Do you know where she's staying?"

A car honked as they sat in front of a green light and Yoongi slowly pressed on the accelerator. "She wouldn't say, but that makes me think it's the same shelter as before."

"Shit," Yoongi muttered.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I should have found a way to make her stay. I should've called you. I just…it all happened so fast."

Yoongi spared him a quick glance. "Jimin, did you think I'd be mad at you?"

Jimin squirmed. "Not mad…"

Yoongi laid his hand on Jimin's smaller one again. "Jimin, of course I'm not upset with you. I know you couldn't hold her there. If she wasn't willing to come, that would only scare her, and the last thing we need is for her to be scared of the least intimidating member of our pack."

"I'm going to try not to be insulted by that, hyung."

Yoongi smiled in spite of himself. "Damn. Okay. I mean, it sucks. You know I want to find her. But this is good. We know more than we did. At least she knows where to find you if she's in trouble but—oh! Is she in trouble? Why did she come to you?"

"She's not in trouble as far as I can tell. She just remembered that I said I could help her find a job, so she came to see me. It seemed like maybe she was ready to stop pretending to not be Lykos." Jimin almost sounded proud.

"And?"

"I don't know. All I could really do was give her a list of places I knew are usually hiring and tell her she could use me as a reference."

Yoongi nodded thoughtfully. "That's good. If anyone calls you trying to hire her we might be able to find her," he said, mostly mumbling to himself.

"Hyung?"

Yoongi pulled to a stop in front of a large, yellow house. Jungkook and Namjoon pulled up right behind him in the police cruiser. They all stepped out at the same time, sharing a glance before turning their curious and confused eyes toward the property. Yoongi noticed the realtors sign in front with the bold red "SOLD" sign. His stomach flipped.

"What the hell?" He muttered in a low growl before he made for stairs up to the porch, trodding carelessly over the green lawn. Stomping up the steps, he knocked loudly on the front door.

Hoseok answered the door with a beaming, heart-shaped smile. "Welcome home!"

Jimin watched Yoongi's jaw clench, and he was certain that if it had been anyone but Hobi who answered the door, Yoongi would already be on a tirade. Jimin reached out to grab his elbow, silently telling him to stay calm but also reminding the alpha that he was there as they stepped over the threshold of the house.

"What is this, Hobi?" Yoongi barely restrained his growl, but his discontent was clear. He moved further through the entryway into what would be the living room only to let the others inside.

"This is our new home," Jin said, standing at the counter where the open concept living room and kitchen blended. Yoongi opened his mouth to speak, but Jin cut him off. "Before you start, let me show you around first. There's so much more room. There's a detached garage where Taehyung can do his painting. There are also three bedrooms upstairs. The master bedroom is absolutely massive. Wait till you see. And plenty of room for the kids," Jin rambled on, setting one foot on the first stair, ready for them all to follow him up.

"Jin," Yoongi said the syllable firmly without raising his voice.

The older man froze and looked down at him in frustration. "Can you at least look around before you get upset."

"So you understand that I'm upset?" Yoongi asked calmly.

"You're always upset about something," Jin mumbled in response.

"That's not true, Jin. And that isn't the point."

"Then what is the point, Yoongi?"

"Did you buy this house?" He asked through his tight jaw.

Yoongi's citrus went bitter, stinging their noses, and Jin swallowed but stood firm. "Yes. Hobi and I came to look at the house yesterday and made an offer. The seller was highly motivated and we signed the papers a few hours ago."

"You and Hobi? And who else was involved in this decision?" Yoongi demanded, casting his gaze momentarily at the omega.

"No one. Hobi liked the house, and I bought it."

"Oh, Hobi liked it, so that's all that matters," Yoongi threw his hands up and walked toward the back door.

"Yoongi, it's really a great house. Just take a look," Hoseok tried to persuade him.

"I don't care about the house!" Yoongi snapped.

"Don't yell at me!" Hoseok snapped back, stepping closer, but Jin came off the staircase to get between them.

"How could you two do this?"

"I know you hate change, Yoongi, but–"

"This isn't about not wanting to change!"

"Then what is it about, Yoongi?" Jin tried hard to keep his calm.

"It's about you deciding we're all going to move suddenly, like we're just pieces of furniture in your house."

"Yoongi, Jin and I have been looking for a house for months," Hoseok reminded him.

"I know. But I always assumed when you got serious about buying one you would consult us. How can you just make a huge decision like this for all of us?" Hoseok balked at the betrayal in Yoongi's eyes.

Jin's chest puffed out before he spoke. "We made the decision we thought was best for everyone."

Yoongi shook his head. "Your un-fucking-believable, Seokjin." Jin let out an exasperated sigh. "What gives you the right to treat us like this?"

Jin growled low. "I'm your pack alpha. It's my right to make the decisions I think are best for this pack. You're just upset because you wish you were pack alpha over me."

Yoongi stared him straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I don't, Jin. I don't want to be your pack alpha. I just want to be treated with a little respect." He took a step closer to where he had to look up to keep eye contact. "But if I were the leader of this pack, I'd do a hell of a lot better job than you've been doing lately."

"Yoongi," Namjoon finally stepped in, his voice a warning that Yoongi did not want to heed.

"You think this is easy?" Jin snarled back.

"It's not meant to be easy! But you see it as a set of privileges when it's meant to be a set of responsibilities!"

"I am trying to be responsible! I'm trying to build a proper home for our children!"

"Damn it! That's the problem! For your children. Because you're so ego-maniacally focused on these kids you don't even have yet that you don't give a shit about what you're doing to the pack you have right now!"

"That's not true, Yoongi," Hoseok jumped in.

Yoongi held up his hand. "Don't defend him, Hoseok. For the last year you've been catering to him instead of facing the fact that he's changed."

"I've-"

"You used to be so caring about all of us. You had such a big heart when I met you. You were so open and that's why I fell for you. You made me feel so safe. You brought Jimin into your home without a second thought. But now I don't even recognize you. You don't care, do you?"

"That's not fair, Y–"

"You don't care that Tae will have to walk outside at night to get to his studio when his nightmares keep him up? Or that this house is so far from Jungkook's station? Or that you're taking me and Jimin out of the most stable home we've ever known without even asking us? Or-"

"Yoongi," Hoseok gasped, chagrined at the alphas slipped admission.

"No. Fuck this. I'm leaving." Yoongi hung his head in defeat and shouldered past Namjoon to get to the front door.

"Hyung, wait!" Jimin called, going after him.

"Jimin–"

"Give me your keys. You're not driving angry like this," the beta reasoned. Yoongi gave them up without a fight and stormed out of the house. The door shut with a thud of finality.

Jin swallowed in the silence that followed before he spoke. "Let's go see the rest of the house." He turned toward the stairs, and Namjoon made to follow.

"Kim Seokjin." He froze at the frigid tone of Hobi's voice.

"He's just pouting, Hobi. He'll get over it," Jin said over his shoulder.

"Jin," he said more loudly this time. "He is our packmate. And he is just asking us to listen to him. Now you're going to take me home and listen."

When Jin and Hobi arrived at the house the first floor was dark except for the sliver of light underneath the closed door to the spare room, but they could hear Yoongi's angry footsteps upstairs. Hoseok rushed up the stairs ahead of his mate to find Yoongi rummaging through drawers, pulling out shirts he thought were his. It had become difficult to tell the difference between yours, mine and ours. Five years together had made their lives enmeshed in the most intimate and simple ways.

"What are you doing?" Hoseok asked softly from the door.

"Making it easier for you all to move without me," Yoongi mumbled as he closed one drawer and opened another.

Hoseok's voice trembled as his hands did. "What do you mean?"

"If it's easy to make the decision to move without even asking then it doesn't matter if I go with you, right? So I'm taking my stuff, and you can take the rest."

"Yoongi, that's not true," his omega said, stepping closer to try to stop his hands.

"Hoseok, back off."

He let out a small whimper. "We made a mistake. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, but I know I was wrong, okay? Please, let's sit down and talk about it calmly."

Yoongi held still, trying his best to resist acting out. He wouldn't get violent. He wouldn't get physical no matter how much he felt like exploding. Not to Hobi. "I don't feel calm right now. I need you to give me some space and let me do this."

"No!" He whined. "Don't do this! Don't leave us, please?"

"Who's leaving who, Hobi?!"

"It's not like that, Yoongi, honestly."

"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic?" Jin said from the door.

A growl started in Yoongi's chest when his eyes fell on the alpha.

"It's just a house, Yoongi," he added.

"Maybe to you. Maybe to you it's just a place to live."

"What else is it then Yoongi?" Hoseok asked, desperate to understand what was going on in his head.

Yoongi sighed and hung his head back to stare at the ceiling. "You guys are so privileged. You don't get it. You grew up in homes that were yours, where you were born and where you belonged. Then you came here to live in your own home. You take it for granted that wherever you go to live will be your home. You don't know what I know. What Jimin and Y/N and even Tae knows! Do you get that this is the only place I've ever felt I belonged? That until I came to live here and you accepted me, that I was only ever a guest wherever I was? Do you know what living with that kind of insecurity is like? This is the only place I've ever felt safe and you've just taken that from me."

"It will be the same at the new house, Yoongi," Hoseok spoke softly. "It will be your home."

"How can I know that? When it feels like you don't want me there because if you did you would have asked about my feelings before making such a huge decision? I feel so unsafe with you both right now. So if it seems like I'm acting childish, maybe I am, but I feel so out of control right now. And if that's how I feel, how do you think she will–" Yoongi's voice died.

"Y/N?" Hoseok asked after a heavy silence.

"She's gone, Yoongi," Jin reminded him and received a black, watery glare in return.

"She's not. Jimin saw her today. She's not ready to live with us but she went to Jimin for help, so she might. Only if she comes here, we'll be gone. And what would she think except that your offer to stay meant nothing and that there is no place that's safe. You're pack alpha. You're supposed to make us safe."

Jin watched Yoongi as he ranted and felt his anger soften. The man was right, he hadn't considered those things at all. If he was being honest he hadn't cared if Yoongi or the others disagreed with their choice of home, but he hadn't even considered that they might have such a strong reaction. The new house was a better one, and he thought that would be all that mattered. When he finally responded, he spoke as softly as he could. "Yoongi, I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Honestly, I didn't know that it would matter that much, and I'm sorry. But you're safe and you belong in our new home just as much as you do here."

Yoongi scoffed. "A year ago I might have believed you."

"What do you mean?" Jin questioned and didn't miss the way Hoseok's back stiffened.

"You've been pushing us all out ever since you started trying to get Hobi pregnant," Yoongi accused.

"Not this again."

"Yes, this again! Every time Hobi goes into heat you treat the rest of us like we're less important than you. Like you're the main character and we're all just the supporting cast."

"Because he's my husband! He's my omega! This is my pack! If you hate it that much then go find Y/N and start your own! See if I care!"

"Jin!" Hoseok cried as if in pain.

"Fine! I will!"

"Yoongi, no! Both of you stop it. Don't say shit you don't mean. No one is leaving. Fuck!" Hoseok stepped close to Yoongi and cradled the alpha's face in his hands. "Please, baby. Don't leave me. I swear. We can work this out. Calm down, please." A tear dropped down Yoongi's cheek, and Hoseok wiped it away with his thumb. Yoongi wrapped his hands gently around his wrists and pulled his hands away.

"I'm sorry, Hobi. I just…" his eyes flickered to Jin. "I just need some space right now."

He took the bag he had been filling with random t-shirts that may or may not have been his and walked past Hoseok, past Jin and down the stairs. He didn't know how much they heard, but Namjoon, Tae and Jungkook all stared at him as he moved quickly through the living room toward the spare room, which Jimin had been readying for both of them to sleep in.

The others slowly made their way upstairs to see their pack alpha and omega. It wasn't particularly that they wanted to comfort Jin and Hobi, but they all knew there was nothing they could do for Yoongi at the moment, and none of them had gotten the chance to say their piece yet. They found Hoseok sitting on the edge of the bed facing the window that looked out onto the street, while Jin remained by the door, both speechless and not acknowledging the other.

"Are you here to leave us, too?" Jin asked bitterly.

"Hyung, don't get angry with us. Especially when you're the one who caused this," Jungkook spoke softly. Despite being the youngest, he had known Jin longer than anyone, except Hoseok, and he wasn't afraid to tell him the truth.

"I'm the bad guy for wanting to give my family a better home?"

"No, hyung," Namjoon answered as he sat on the corner of the mattress, facing his alpha. "But at any point did you even think to ask us what any of us thought would make a better home for all of us?"

"We've been looking for a long time and none of you have ever said anything," Jin defended.

"You and Hobi have been looking," Taehyung corrected. "You show him things you're looking at. Maybe we should've spoken up before, but we didn't know how. Honestly I've been kind of terrified of what's going to happen and then…this was kind of sudden."

Hoseok turned to see his youngest alpha with a tear-streaked face. "What are you afraid of Tae?"

He sank down onto the bed beside his omega, facing him and letting the contact of their legs sooth his fraying nerves just a bit. "I guess…I don't really know what's going to happen when you eventually have Jin's baby. I'm not sure what it's going to mean for the rest of us."

"What do you mean? It will be everyone's baby. It will only add to our pack," Jin told them, a little shocked by Taehyung's implication.

"Then why does it matter so much if the baby is yours? Why can't it be any of ours? Mine or Namjoon's or Jimin's? If nothing will change between all of us, then why has so much changed already?" Tae wondered in a shaky voice.

"We're still a pack. Nothing has changed. We'll still be a pack," Jin tried to assure him.

"With all due respect, Jin, only you, Hobi and Jungkook know what it's like to have a pack this big." Namjoon shrugged. "The rest of us don't know what happens to other partners when a couple has a baby. We've just been following your lead, and it seems like…I don't know. We get pushed to the edge?"

Hoseok choked down a whine. He didn't know why, but he'd known his husband was struggling for months with his feelings about having a child. When he couldn't get Jin to talk about it, he decided just to support him in any way he could. That had mostly meant going along with his ideas and boosting his confidence. He hadn't realized how much he had been neglecting his other pack members. Suddenly it made so much more sense that Jungkook, Yoongi and Taehyung had been spending so many nights outside his nest when he realized they didn't feel as welcome there.

Hoseok reached out to grip the back of Tae's neck and meet his eyes. "Tae, baby, your home will always be with us. And I'm so so sorry for not making that clear enough, and for not discussing it with you before we made such a big decision."

Tae smiled weakly and wrapped his arms around the omegas middle to bring him closer. It was far from making everything better, but he still appreciated being told explicitly that he was still wanted. "Things might change when you have Jin's baby," he said, not able to keep the worry from his voice even though he kept it quiet.

"Why is everyone so obsessed with the fact that it will be my baby?" Jin grumbled.

"Why are you so obsessed, hyung? You said the baby will be all of ours, so why does it have to be you?" Jungkook reiterated the question they could never get a straight answer for.

"I have a family line to uphold. I know you all don't understand that, but it's important!" Jin cried out, finally cracking under the crushing weight of that pressure.

"Is it more important than not alienating your pack? Is your family–which already has a whole group of kids to carry on its name–is it more important than the one we've spent a decade building?" Hoseok asked, looking at Jin for the first time since Yoongi had left the room.

"No. Of course not," Jin sighed.

"Since when was it ever important to you anyway?"

"Well, you are my husband. Shouldn't your first child be mine?"

"You didn't answer the question, Jin," Hoseok said sternly, crossing his arms.

"Fine! It's never been important to me. But it is important to them! And I thought maybe if I could prove to my mother that I'm a proper pack alpha then for once she wouldn't look at me like a huge failure!" The loudness of his voice got away from him even though he felt relief for finally getting that off his chest.

"I cannot believe this is about your mother!" Hoseok shouted back. "You're going to risk losing Jimin and Yoongi over your mother, who has never treated you the way that she should?"

"What do you mean lose Jimin?" Jin asked seriously.

"Look around, Jin. Where do you think he is right now? Do you honestly believe that if Yoongi goes, Jimin won't go with him?" Jungkook asked. The thought caused him a great deal of pain. Everyone relied on Jimin, more than he probably knew. But he understood, because even if Jin was being a complete ass, Jungkook knew he would stick with him, too.

"Who else wants to go with them?" Jin looked around the room. Half expecting to see every hand raised.

"No one wants to go, hyung. Not even Yoongi," Tae told him. "We just want to know it matters if we stay."

Jin rushed to sit behind Tae on the bed, covering the younger man's back with his chest. "Of course, Tae. Of course it matters. I would never want to live without any of you," he promised. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being the pack alpha you deserved and for making you think you weren't important to me. Hobi, I'm sorry for causing all this drama and putting you in the middle of it. I never meant to. I was just-"

"A spoiled brat."

Jin sighed and flopped back into the nest on his back. "Yeah. And I need Yoongi, too. To put me in my place when I'm clearly out of line and out of touch."

Jungkook crawled onto the bed to where his leader rested and pulled back his bangs to lay a kiss on his forehead. "We can all do that. But you do have to apologize to Yoongi…if you want him to come with us."

Jin looked sadly into the betas eyes. "Of course I want him to come with us. How would we manage without him?"

"What if he won't come?" Namjoon asked. "What if…I think she's more important to him than we are."

Hoseok still faced away from the group, but spoke clearly. "She's not. He just knows she needs him, more than we do. Or at least, more than we've been showing him. Jin needs a baby and Yoongi needs that omega if we're ever going to have any peace."

"Hobi–"

"Everyone get out."

"Hobi, wait–"

"You're in my nest with your work clothes on. Get up. Go get some pizzas because I don't have time to cook tonight. Get cleaned up before you think about crawling in here again."

Hoseok's boys didn't wait to be told twice before moving and getting out of his way.

Yoongi entered the spare room while Jimin was in the bathroom and flopped onto the bed. The beta had used the blankets from your brief nest to make the bed more cozy. Your sweet apple scent was fading, but he took a deep breath in while he could.

"I'm sorry, it's not a proper nest," Jimin said from the door to the bathroom. It could never be a real nest unless it was made by an omega.

Yoongi raised his hand in the air toward Jimin. "It will be great if you come down here with me."

Jimin did as he was bid and cuddled into his usual spot, draping his body half way over his hyung's. Yoongi took a deep breath of him, lavender and apples and regrets.

"I don't like hearing them fight," Yoongi said after several minutes.

"I know. But it's not your fault. It had to happen eventually," Jimin reassured him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, hyung."

"I'm acting like I know all the right things to do, but right now I don't know. I don't–" Yoongi tried to hold a sob that was caught in his throat. "I don't want to leave, Jimin. Truly. I love it here so much. I love them. All of them. Even Jin. Even when he's being the world's biggest asshole. But he–"

Jimin stroked his hand along Yoongi's chest to calm his breathing. "It's okay, Yoongi. I trust you. Whatever decision you make, I'll be with you. If there really isn't room for you and me anymore, we'll find our own place. We'll find Y/N. We'll make a home together."

Yoongi pulled Jimin tighter to him and sobbed into his shoulder, whispering repeated apologies while Jimin tried to hush him until they fell asleep just like that.

It had killed Yoongi to leave Jimin in the middle of the night to go to work, but he'd made it through the shift with that hollow, numb feeling left in your chest after you've expelled all your other emotions. He didn't realize how many had actually been boiling in his chest and for how long until he finally got them out. He hoped that he'd make it home in time to drive Jimin to work, but when he arrived, only Jin and Hobi were in the kitchen. Their eyes met with his briefly before he ducked into the spare room and shut the door. He knew he'd have to speak to them eventually, but he wasn't ready yet. The raw anger caused by built-up hurts that he let explode yesterday was gone. He almost didn't feel angry at all anymore. But all the hurt was still there, but while he couldn't tell them how to fix it, talking to each other would only risk inflicting more harm. He showered quickly before he sank into bed and fell asleep surrounded by the scent of you.

When he woke in the afternoon he laid in bed and listened to the soft sound of Hobi's footsteps moving from room to room, already organizing to move their whole lives across town. The papers had already been signed. The decision wouldn't be changed. It was fine. Yoongi got up and changed into basketball shorts and an old extra large t-shirt (which was in fact Namjoon's), slipped on his basketball shoes and walked straight from the bedroom out the door before he could be caught out by anyone.

Yoongi kept his basketball in his car because he was always ready for a pick up game. He tended to have a relatively new one at any given time because when all the balls at the shelter inevitably wandered off, he would leave his and go straight to buy a new one or two. He picked up the ball from the floorboard of the backseat where it wouldn't roll around too much and headed into the shelter.

Nina, or anyone else who might be working, never stopped to ask him what he needed anymore as he strolled past the desk. She merely offered a pleasant 'hello, how ya been?' And let him be on his way. He went straight back to Jimin's office first.

"Come in," Jimin said quietly when Yoongi knocked on his door. The alpha could see the exhaustion on his face as soon as he walked in. "Hey," he smiled tiredly, but he was genuinely relieved to see the man.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you?" Yoongi went around the desk to give him a hug they both needed. He nuzzled Jimin's head under his chin, making sure to give him a good scent marking like he had intended to do this morning.

"I'm alright. Just tired."

Yoongi crouched down to examine the beta's face more closely. There were dark bags under his eyes and an unfamiliar frown on the usually happy man's lips. "Did you sleep after I left last night?"

"Off and on," Jimin shrugged and continued when he saw Yoongi breathe in to speak. "And before you say sorry to me one more time, don't! You're banned from apologizing for anything."

Yoongi closed his mouth to pout for a second before he asked, "for how long?"

"Until you've done something you need to apologize for. And that doesn't include going to work or leaving me on my own for a few hours. I'm a big boy, Yoongi."

"Well…:

"Don't even start, hyung!"

Yoongi chuckled and pulled him in for a chaste kiss before he stood. Leaning against the desk, he took a look around Jimin's small office. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Jimin knew what he meant to ask, but he hadn't seen or heard from you. "Not today."

"Okay then." Yoongi did his best not to sound disappointed. "I'm going to go shoot some hoops for a while and then I'll drive you home. Make sure you tell Joon." Jimin hummed, and Yoongi turned to leave but stopped and hesitated a moment before he asked, "How was it this morning? I wanted to drive you but–"

Jimin waved his hand dismissively. "It was fine Yoon, don't worry. We didn't talk or anything, but we don't normally talk much on the way to work."

Yoongi grinned. "Neither of you are morning people."

"I'm literally amazed we make it to work every morning," Jimin agreed.

When Yoongi got to the basketball court it was empty. It was unusual, but not a total shock. It was really a lovely spring day out and if the kids wanted to soak up some of the sun's energy, that was perfectly understandable. He didn't mind playing alone for a bit until someone came in; they eventually would. He stretched before warming up a little and practicing his free throws. There was something calming about having a basketball in his hands. No matter where or when, the feel of the ball at his fingertips never changed. No matter where he moved to or who was around to play, there was always a court, always a game. If it wasn't for basketball he might not have met Jimin at the court where Jimin went to meet his friends even though he never played.

He let his mind wander as he dribbled and shot, all according to muscle memory. There was too much on his mind for it to completely go silent, but he let the thoughts run through him instead of trying to control him, and by the time someone came to break up his solo practice, Yoongi had a plan.

Earlier in the morning, Jungkook and Taehyung had gone to get moving boxes and soft packing materials. Since then, Jungkook had gone to work and Tae was responsible for getting his painting room packed and cleaned, leaving Hoseok alone in the kitchen carefully packing dishes with one eye on the front door and the other on the clock, just waiting for his packmates to come home.

When Jin comes home first, he can't help but feel a short pang of disappointment. He'd been dying to see Yoongi all day, just to be able to look at him and know he was doing better. Even though he knew that was probably too much to expect. Even though he didn't feel like he should be forgiven yet.

He couldn't believe how thoughtless they had been—how inconsiderate he had been. When Jin first took him to the house, Hoseok fell in love immediately. He could imagine them all there so easily and picture how their lives would blossom and thrive there. He even pictured you there. There were two smaller bedrooms down the hall from the master suite. One would make a charming room for the children, and the other would be a perfect room for you, at least until you got more comfortable with them. There was space for everyone and Hoseok just wanted it so badly. They moved too fast, but it all seemed to fall into place so perfectly. He had overlooked any immediate concerns in view of the future happiness they would all have, and now he felt terrible for it. Knowing he was complicit in how things played out was the only thing keeping him from being cold toward Jin. Even though he still didn't fully understand Jin's own motivations and wasn't ready to talk about it, he knew it wasn't all Jin's fault. And it wasn't only Yoongi that he needed to make amends to, although the others he felt certain he could placate with plenty of TLC and reassurance. What he didn't know now was whether Yoongi would even give him the chance. And then there was Jimin, who hadn't said a word and hid himself away. Hoseok wasn't sure quite what the beta was feeling, but he knew that when he found things too difficult to face, he tended to hide behind Yoongi and let the alpha speak for him.

Hoseok's focus snapped to the door the instant it opened again and was relieved to see his two smallest packmates enter together. Yoongi met his eyes and he couldn't help brightening up just a bit. At least they'd come home. Jimin went straight to the kitchen where Hoseok was wrapping bowls in paper and washed his hands. After he dried them, Jimin hugged his back. Hosek froze for a split second at the unexpected contact before he melted into Jimin.

"Do you want me to order dinner tonight? I've been craving Chinese all day," Jimin said, nuzzling the omegas back in a way that made him want to purr.

"That sounds great, Jiminie," he smiled and missed him the moment the beta let go. Jimin didn't go far though, only pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table.

Yoongi took a bowl from the stack on the table and a piece of brown paper and began to wrap it carefully, but Hoseok laid his hand over Yoongi's.

"You don't have to help," he said softly.

Yoongi paused and looked him in the eyes for a long moment. "Am I still a part of this pack?"

"Of course you are."

"And I'm still one of your alphas?"

"Always, Yoongi," Hoseok assured him.

He shrugged and began wrapping again. "Then of course I'm helping. You need me. I'm an expert mover."

"Yoongi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to exclude you. I was thoughtless and I'm really so sorry," he rushed out, unable to go another second without at least trying to put things right.

Yoongi gave him a half smile. He bit back the knee-jerk 'it's okay' because they both knew it wasn't. "Apology accepted. I'm sorry for flipping out."

Hoseok shook his head. "It was a big deal and you reacted the only way you could."

Yoongi sank into a chair and covered his face with his hand. "I felt like a stupid teenager, yelling at my mom because I didn't know what else to do."

Hoseok frowned and reached for his hand. "I feel terrible that we triggered that for you."

"It's alright, Hobi. What you and Jin did was shitty, but I think I was brewing for a while. I should've noticed last week with how upset I got over Y/N, but I think going to her old apartment set me off. My mom and I lived in a few places like that, and those were the most chaotic times of my life."

"I'm sorry, my love," Hobi said again, stroking his hand.

Yoongi laughed and looked at Jimin, who was already looking at him. He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, I get it now." Jimin grinned back, but Hoseok only looked confused. "No more apologies, Hobi. I've already forgiven you. It's done."

Hoseok pouted for a moment. He didn't feel like he'd said enough. "I have to say sorry to Jimin, too. I should've thought more about your feelings."

Jimin shrugged. "I know you won't let it happen again.

Hoseok nodded and continued. "I need you to know you'll always be a part of this pack. I shouldn't have been in such a rush, but you have to know that it was because I could see how happy we could all be there. I even have Y/N's room picked out already."

Yoongi's back straightened. "Y/N's room?"

"Yeah. I don't know how you would, but I just feel like you'll definitely find her, and she has to be part of our pack."

Yoongi felt the slightest twinge of possessiveness, wanting you to be only his. But his fingers tightened around the omega's. "Thanks, Hobi."

"Does that mean you'll move with us?" Jin asked softly as he entered the kitchen.

Yoongi looked at Hoseok and shook his head. "Not yet. I think I should stay here a while."

"When I saw her yesterday, I told her that if she needed anything she could come here. Yoongi and I want to stay for a while to see if she comes," Jimin explained the plan Yoongi had discussed in the car. Even though they accepted Hoseok's apology and wanted to stay with the pack, they knew they still needed some time to cool loff from the hurt their packmates had caused, and waiting for you would help, especially if you actually did show up like they hoped.

Jin nodded thoughtfully before meeting Yoongi's eyes. "That's fine. The house is already listed, but you can stay until it sells. And in the meantime I'll do anything I can to win your trust back. I hope you know how sorry I am for how I've made you feel."

Yoongi nodded but said nothing, knowing that trust could only be built with time.

A/n: i am the tiniest bit sorry about mc being basically absent this chapter. But all in good time i swear. 💜

Permanent taglist: @lilacdreams-00 @wholockian1 @babycoffeefire @theatren3rd @bri-mal @jikooksgirl19 @jaiuneamesolitaiire @marvelfamily3000 @borahae-reads @yoongiigolden @staerryminimini @valhallawhispers @m4gg13-g @i-have-no-life-charlie

@ellesalazar @rinkud @osakis-gf @scuzmunkie @queen-in-the-shadows @toughbook @zariaskz @chansbaybygirl @cryingpages @coralmusicblaze @alex--awesome--22 @singukieee @welcometomyworld13 @juju-227592 @bangtanflirt @wittyreader @nyrovieeie @welcome418 @guinhosletters @lifeistooshorttowasteyourtime @moon-cupcakes @passionandsuga @zvrjkb @m0v3m3ntsblog @kykyxstandler @writingwithmai @moocow778 @ladyalicesbookstore @yoonseokerist @deejay08 @momoasenthusiasticreader @littlestarstinyseven @bittersweetbaylee @irtiqa

2 @im-sinking-in-mud @iloverubberduckiez-blog @someshinesomedont @kungsoonie @neverthefirstchoice @kameko-ko @sehun096rainbow @fluffyspaceprincess @fluffy-canada-pancakes @armyloveot7 @katcutie @samararose21 @bangtan1325 @everglow98 @littlebaby-bunbun @thatfatbussy01@kooslilhoe @forevermoremagcon @lovelgirl22 @zae007live @mushroom-main @serious-addiction @princess-sunshyn @roguesthetic @jenniferk101 @bookingsunshine

Taglist is still acting weird. I'm sorry.

752 notes · View notes

hellfirenacht · 11 days

Text

Wing Man 11

Fic Summary: Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington is your best friend, and is constantly striking out. Sick of this, you two make a deal; you’ll wing man for each other. Hooking Steve up with dates is easy, but he finds himself struggling to find you a date. At least, until Dustin starts talking about his new cool friend Eddie.

Chapter Summary: Steve talks shit. Paige and Eddie talk business.

5.2k words

(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)

Working for Family Video came with many upsides, especially when you worked with people who you also enjoyed seeing outside of the store. Rentals were already dirt cheap with your employee discount, and near expired candy and popcorn never quite made it into the dumpster out back and somehow magically appeared in your bag instead at the end of your shift.

You always liked to think that Family Video was sponsoring your bi-monthly movie nights with Steve and Robin. The Harrington household was always the meeting spot, as he was the only one who had a tv and VCR in his room. Well, you did as well now after Keith had tossed out an old player, saying it was broken. You’d brought it home to tinker with and found that some kid had stuck gum in the tape slot. It had taken you a week to clean and another month to figure out how to hook everything back up, but it was yours. Steve still had the nicer home and tv though, and more importantly his parents bought brand name snacks.

The three of you were in Steve’s living room, the movie playing on the screen long forgotten as the three of you caught up with each other. Robin was usually the barometer for if a movie was worth watching, she and Steve might have had very different tastes, but Steve would usually get sucked up into whatever movie she chose.

“So is his band any good?” Robin asked, dumping a bag of m&ms into her bowl of popcorn.

“I think so.” you shrugged, cracking open a drink. “If anything, they’re good enough to be scouted twice.”

“By the same person.” Steve pointed out. “You know, his ex.”

You had brought the news of Eddie’s meet up with Paige to your friends with mixed results. Robin seemed indifferent, but that’s because most of the time she didn’t have the same interest in talking about boys. Steve, however, seemed less than thrilled about this idea.

“Yes, Steve, his ex. As in, not together anymore.” you sighed, wishing you felt as confident as you sounded. “Whatever happened between them sounded like it blew up for both of them.”

“But she still wants to have lunch with him!” Steve said.

“Yes, to talk about the band!” you shot back. “And it’s lunch. Didn’t you tell me that dinner is a date and lunch is just two people hanging out?”

“Since when does my advice apply to you or Eddie?”

“Since Paige isn’t me or Eddie, so your dating advice might actually apply here.” you snapped and took a breath. “Sorry. This is all new to me. I’m really not sure how I’m supposed to feel right now. It’s like every time things start to go well with me and Eddie, something happens. Paige, Chris, you-”

“Hey-”

“I like him a lot.” You leaned back against the couch, grabbing the popcorn bowl from Robin. “When I’m with him, I get that same feeling that I do when I’m hanging out with you two or when I’m at the show every month. I don’t feel like I’m hiding myself when he’s around.”

“There are other weirdos and freaks around.” Steve pointed out. “If I had known there were that many of you around, I would have agreed to go to the show earlier to help you get phone numbers.”

“Yeah, but have you seen the way she looks when she’s talking about Eddie?” Robin hopped into the conversation. “I don’t think anyone even existed to her that night.”

It was true, no one other than your friends and (unfortunately) Chris had truly registered to you at the show. Yeah, you’d noticed the few cast members but they weren’t the metal head with the long hair and crop top that had held your hand all night.

“Oh shit, did I tell you guys that we ran into Chris?!” You asked suddenly, changing the subject.

“Wait, that guy you and Eddie kept talking shit about?” Steve turned to look at you, grabbing a handful of popcorn and getting crumbs on the couch.

“Yeah!” you said. “He actually works for the show now, I guess? He said he’s been there for a while and he’s seen me at the show before. It was so fucking weird.”

“Is that the guy who said you were too normal to play with Hellfire?” Robin asked.

You nodded. “Yeah, and he ran Hellfire into the ground until Eddie took over. And now he’s doing tech for the show. Also, he was Rocky in the shadow cast.”

“The guy in the metallic shorts?!” Steve gawked.

“Columbia did say that the cast changed for the night.” Robin said, and you gave her a quizzical look, remembering the lipstick mark you’d seen on her jaw that night. “She came by and talked to us before the show!”

“She couldn’t resist my charm.” Steve gave you a smile that you were sure worked with someone like Nancy Wheeler, or Tammy Thompson. You just shook your head and laughed.

“Right, anyway. Chris came and talked to us after the show and he told me auditions are gonna be open for the cast. He gave me his card, and told me that it was invite only.” you explained.

“You’ve been talking about wanting to be part of that since we started working together.” Steve said.

“Yeah, I guess I get a shot to do something, too.”

“Chris turned you down for Hellfire, and now is letting you audition?” Robin asked.

“We aren’t in school anymore.” you pointed out. “I know how it sounds, but none of us are the same people we were back then. I’m not the same person I was two years ago, none of us are.”

“I hate it when you’re right, you know.”

“I’m just saying that if I can give you the benefit of the doubt and make friends with you then maybe Chris isn’t as big of a prick as he was back then. I might not have even given Eddie a chance, either.” You picked out a few m&ms from the popcorn bucket, getting your fingers covered with butter and colored candy coating. “I mean, at the end of the day, isn't that what this whole deal was about? Shaking off old habits and trying to step outside of contentment?”

“I thought your deal was so that you can stop having Steve check you out every time you wanted to rent porn.” Robin snickered.

“I thought we were just trying to get dates.” Steve looked confused and you gave him a pat on the head. It always amused you how his hair could spring back into place like that.

“That too.” you said.

“So, you’re really okay with Eddie going to see his ex?” Steve said, forcing you back into that topic.

”I’m not thrilled about it.” You finally admitted. “But we only went on one date and this might help his band. Besides, if we start... Whatever this is without some sort of trust then is it even worth starting?”

“So you trust him?”

“I trust you and Dustin, who vouched for him. He was honest enough to tell me that it’s his ex who wants to talk about his band. What happens next is up to him.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Steve relented and his eyes wandered back to the tv.

You didn’t, but you were tired of letting other people tell you what you should or shouldn’t do.

Ever since Benny’s shut down, there wasn’t really any good place to meet up with someone for lunch in town. Every time he had seen Paige before, it had either been at the Hideout, or his van. Neither of which was really a good place to talk about Corroded Coffin.

It was Paige’s idea to meet at the small hole-in-the-wall pub that was just out of Eddie’s comfort zone in terms of price. Eddie arrived on Saturday afternoon, earlier than he meant to with his nerves. He leaned against the wall outside of the pub, watched the cars go by as he waited for her.

She didn’t leave him waiting for long, and ten minutes before their agreed upon time, Paige was standing in front of him for the first time in over two years. She hadn’t grown an inch, but her wavy dark hair had, and now barely brushed her shoulders. In the daylight, Eddie could see a faint tint of red that he never noticed before. Other than two or three times, he realized that he and Paige had never spent a lot of time together when the sun was out. Paige’s freckles were as prominent as ever.

To Eddie’s surprise, she looked happy to see him.

“Hi, Eddie.” she said, and to his relief she didn’t go in for a hug.

“Hi, Paige.” He responded and reached over to open the door to the pub for her.

The two didn’t say anything until they were sitting at a dimly lit booth in the corner, where Paige broke the ice.

“Before we get into any business talk, I need you to be honest with me.” She started, sitting up straight and looking him in the eyes. “If you care about your future in music, and your band, you need to tell me what happened. Tell me how you ended up in jail two days before the most important moment in either of our careers.”

Eddie had expected this, and the past week had been spent trying to find a way to spin the story so that he didn’t look like the biggest asshole on the planet. In the end, he decided that he should be honest with her. Paige wanted real, and he would give that to her, tarnish and all.

Someone came by and took their drink orders, giving Eddie a moment to collect his thoughts.

“I did something stupid.” He started.

“Obviously.” She gave him a wry smile.

“Moving to California isn’t cheap.” He watched the tone of his voice, searching for that piece of him that made Hellfire and Corroded Coffin listen to him. Being a dungeon master for so long had given him a way of speaking that could draw someone in when he tried, and right now he knew he needed to try and convince Paige that Corroded Coffin deserved a second chance. “I needed a way to pay for everything that came with moving across country. My dad... he-” Eddie’s voice wavered for a brief moment. “He had an idea to make some quick cash for the two of us. It wasn’t smart, and it really wasn’t legal.”

“Jesus,” Paige sighed, looking at him with a deep frown. “I would have helped you, Eddie. I was already willing to let you live with me for free until we got you set up. I told you that you didn’t have to be alone in this.”

Asking for and accepting help wasn’t something that Eddie was ever good at. He’d been hyper-independent since he was a child, when his dad would disappear for long stretches of time, even after his mom died. Asking for help after (or especially because) Paige had put in so much money and effort for him already, wasn’t something that he could bring himself to do.

“I know.” Eddie said. “I had this stupid idea that if I didn’t make the effort on my own, then I didn’t deserve the change. So I did something stupid, really fucking stupid, and it cost me everything.”

“Mark told me that you shot a cop.” Paige said, and before Eddie could speak up, she continued. “I didn’t believe him. When I wired the money, I was able to get an idea of what happened. You saved that guys life.”

“I couldn’t let him just bleed out on my yard.” Eddie said. “I couldn’t- it wouldn’t be right to run away like that.”

“You really caused a lot of trouble, you know that?”

“I know.” Eddie took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I fucked up. I did a lot of stupid shit I shouldn’t have, and I paid the price. It cost me more than just the audition.”

There was a time between getting the news about his audition with WR Records and the heist that Eddie flew. He had everything he had ever wanted; he got the girl, had his dad back, he had a future, which was something he never thought he’d have. For a few beautiful weeks, he had spiraled up, up, and up.

In the end though, what goes up must come down. Eddie had reached for something that would never be meant for someone with the last name ‘Munson’. He had crashed back down to earth, to the reality of who he was and it had cost him everything. His dad, his childhood house, his audition, Paige, and even Ronnie for a short time.

For the next two years, Eddie swore to never even think about reaching for the sun again.

“Thank you for being honest with me.” Paige said. “I still think you’re an asshole.”

“I was an asshole.” He didn’t even try to fight it. “The biggest one in Hawkins.”

Even with her declaration, Paige still had a look on her face that was the ghost of an expression she had in the passenger side of his van on the night that she had given him the news that WR Records had liked him.

“Things went downhill for me when you bailed on the audition.” Paige said, and Eddie swallowed, his mouth feeling dry. He had never known what had happened with her after their fight over the phone. “I got in a lot of trouble because of you. Davey doesn’t like anyone, but he liked you. When I couldn’t get you out there, it really screwed up any trust I had with my job.”

She stopped talking for a moment as a waiter came by and dropped off their food. Eddie couldn’t bring himself to touch the overpriced sandwich in front of him yet. His mouth felt dry and he reached for his water instead.

“I was stuck in a dead end job, where any talent I tried to bring to the label was shot down without being given a chance. I was being paid to do nothing, except babysit the studio and paperwork. I got demoted, and I was already at the bottom of the totem pole.” Paige never looked away from Eddie, her gaze unflinching and sharp. “I stopped liking music.”

Guilt washed over Eddie, and there was something in him that screamed at him to run away to avoid this. Being the reason someone stopped liking music? He knew he’d fucked up but that... that was something deeper than just missing an audition.

“They didn’t have the means to really fire me, I hadn’t done anything wrong.” she continued. “They moved me to a smaller label under the WR name. That label was where acts they had given up on went to die.”

“Which label?” Eddie managed to ask, despite how dry his mouth felt. Even the water wasn’t helping.

“Left Turn Media.” Paige said.

During those weeks when things had been good between the two of them, Paige had mentioned the label once or twice. It was considered a death sentence to be put on that label, and working for them was WR’s way to get people to quit without firing them. The two had listened to a few cassettes from the label. The bands weren’t bad, and that was what stuck out to Eddie. The music wasn’t bad, but it was clear that the production was lacking and half-assed. Paige said that the music would be sent out to small radio stations to be played in the middle of the night.

“Shit.” Eddie said.

“Yeah, shit.” Paige let out a laugh. “But if there’s one thing I am, it’s stubborn. I threw myself into my work. I’ve been spending the last two years breaking down and completely reassembling Left Turn, and now I’m in charge of it.”

“You.” His eyes went wide as he stared at her. “You’re in charge of Left Turn Media.”

“It’s amazing what you can do when you’re pissed and have something to prove.” Paige shrugged. “I had a lot of time to think about my relationship with music in the last few years. I realized if I wanted to bring something real to the music scene of L.A. I was going to have to do it myself.”

Her dark lips curled up into a smile. “I should almost thank you for fucking up. Because you bailed, I was put in charge of a sinking ship. I patched it up with my own time and money and now Left Turn has become the label for all misfit bands who don’t fit any shiny polished label. I proved to myself and everyone around me that I belong in this industry.”

“I-” Eddie wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond to that. “You’re welcome...?”

“We’re expanding the label outside of California.” She continued. “I’m in charge so I’m trying to bring good music to my hometown. It’s still not the biggest label, and we can’t offer half of what the bigger labels would, but it’s something.”

“And what are you offering?” Eddie felt dizzy, the more she talked. His words were careful, as if asking the wrong question could end in another blow up between the two of them.

“What I’m offering is another chance for Corroded Coffin to be signed.” Paige’s arms crossed over her chest. “Left Turn is still finding its footing outside of L.A., so we’re flexible. I’m here to work with local radio and college stations around Indiana to get them to play the few bands we’ve signed so far. Who we have are okay, but they aren’t...”

“Real?”

“Eddie you have something, as much as I never wanted to admit it again after what happened between us. There’s something about the way that you play that I haven’t been able to find since. I could do this without you, but I think that this is the real sink or swim moment. WR Records goes on with or without you, but I think what you have is what could turn Left Turn around.” Page took a deep breath. “If Corroded Coffin wants another shot, this would be it. If you still have that do-or-die energy when you play, I could offer you a real deal to put together an album. I could get you on the radio.”

Eddie listened to her words, taking in what she was offering. Yes, it wouldn’t be the easy street that WR would have been able to offer, but it would be something. And this time, it wouldn’t just be him auditioning, but Corroded Coffin was wanted this time.

“You’re serious.” Eddie said, his heart rate picking up.

“As serious as shooting a cop.”

“Jesus.” Eddie couldn’t stop himself from letting out a laugh. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing up his fringe as he replayed everything that Paige had just told him in his mind. She wanted him to audition again. This was a chance that he wasn’t sure could be passed up.

“Some of the band is still in high school.” He said, feeling reality settle like a stone in his stomach. He didn’t mention that his name was on that roster.

“Like I said, we’re flexible.” Paige said. “I still need you all to audition again, and even then it’s going to take me a few months to set anything up here for the band. I want you all to audition with me and a few others from the label before the end of the year. If everything goes according to plan, Left Turn might have the recording studio ready by next June.”

“You’re setting up your own recording studio?” Eddie perked up, the anxiety and guilt that he had originally felt was now shifting into something new. He found himself relaxing enough to eat his overpriced sandwich.

“Yes. We need something that’s a step above Live Mike Studios in Lafayette. We have the building picked out and are already gutting it for Left Turn.”

“You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?” Eddie smiled at her.

“I have.” Paige agreed. “But I learned not to put all my eggs into one basket. This industry has taught me to have a plan A, B C, and D.” She let out a long sigh. “I made it to plan L before and I would prefer not to do that again.”

“What was plan L?”

“If I go into the whole story, I’ll need a strong drink. It involved a guitar player with his head up his ass thinking he was going to be the next Gene Simmons.” Paige groaned.

“Gene Simmons doesn’t play guitar.” Eddie pointed out. Paige gave him a thousand yard stare, which said everything he needed to know. “Ok. Gotcha.”

“I’m hoping to get everything set up with minimal surprises.” She concluded. “Get with your band. I’m going to be in town for the rest of the year setting things up.”

Eddie nodded. “So... why Indiana?” he asked. “You were in California. Why come back here to set this up?”

“Like I said, I want to bring good music to my hometown. Once everything’s done, I’ll be able to move back and forth from California to here.”

“And Corroded Coffin?”

“Will stay in Indiana.” She said firmly. “I can’t turn you into the Rock Hero you could have been two years ago, but I can try and make you a Hometown Hero.”

Another story. Paige had always been good at spinning stories. Once upon a time, Eddie had been a barback turned frontman turned Rock Hero. Now he’d be barback turned frontman turned Hometown Hero. That part felt less believable than before.

That’s how Paige saw him, but how did he see himself? Barback turned front man turned drug thief turned drug dealer turned uber senior? None of that was a story worth selling. And what about the rest of his band? Would Gareth, Jeff, or Zack want to be part of this? Ronnie hadn’t, she just wanted to play just to play. Jeff had been excited about this when the opportunity was first presented, but would he still want the chance? Gareth was the youngest and still had over a year of school left.

One thing at a time.

“I’ll talk to the guys next practice.” Eddie said.

“Good. Are you still playing at the Hideout?” Paige asked.

Eddie froze for a second, as he imagined Paige and you in the same space to watch him play. He imagined your excited face, and the way you would cheer for them after every song, the excitement that radiated off of you after every set. Even earlier this week, when you’d dropped by to watch them, knowing that Eddie was going to see Paige, you’d still shown the same enthusiasm as before.

He’d thrown you another pick. You’d handed it back to him at the end of the night, telling him that he could toss it at you again next week.

“You look like someone who loses your picks the second they are out of your sight.”

You’d been right. The only one he could consistently find was the one he’d turned into a necklace. His dad’s picks had been packed away, shoved under his bed where he wouldn’t see them. Eddie didn’t use those picks anymore.

A few weeks ago, he couldn’t stop comparing you to Paige, but now he couldn’t stop thinking about how different you two were.

“Yeah, we play on Tuesdays now.” Eddie said. “People stopped complaining enough that Bev decided to give us a steady slot.”

“Good to know.” Paige said. She wasn’t confirming or denying if she’d show up, but that look in her eyes said that he could expect to see her again soon.

After all, The Hideout was the only place in twenty miles of Hawkins that offered any live music.

For the rest of the meal, the two caught up with each other. It didn’t feel as weird as Eddie would have expected, but it was nice. He let Paige do most of the talking, letting her tell him about her work in the industry, he didn’t need her knowing more than she needed to if he wanted to have this shot. Would she want to sign a bunch of high schoolers? He hadn’t even told Paige the first time that he had dropped out when Higgins blackmailed him.

That was alright for now though. Paige talking meant that he didn’t have to and he added to the conversation by asking plenty of questions about her work. Hearing about the music industry from her end was something that he had a genuine interest in, anyway.

Paige told him about how she had been given a copy of Iron’s Maiden’s Live After Death by Davey. She was even willing to make Eddie a copy of it. It wasn’t the video, but he wasn’t about to turn down audio of one of his favorite bands that wasn’t even released in the US.

When the check came, Paige didn’t even blink as she paid the tab and the two of them made their way outside again. It was still pretty early in the afternoon, and the chill of the late autumn air contrasted the bright blue sky.

Trying to still be somewhat of a gentleman, Eddie walked Paige to her car as she recounted the tale of how she had been on the flight from Indianapolis to Los Angeles where Izzy Stradlin had been arrested for pissing in front of everyone.

Paige stopped with her hand on the door to her car before turning around to face Eddie before getting in.

“I don’t hate you, you know.” she said. “I was mad for a really long time at what you did. But I don’t think you’re a bad guy, Eddie.”

Eddie didn’t feel like he deserved the forgiveness she was offering him. Being told that he was anything other than some satanic cult leader or freak wasn’t something he’d ever get used to.

“Paige I...” He wasn’t sure what to say.

She had that look in her eyes, the same look she’d had after she’d given him the news about his original audition. What are you waiting for? Paige was moving closer, freckles like constellations on her skin and the moon in her eyes eclipsed by her eyelids.

Eddie's hand fell on Paige’s shoulder before her lips could get any closer to his. “I can’t.” he said.

Her face went through a few emotions. Surprise, disappointment, and settling on embarrassment.

“Shit. Sorry.” Paige said, shaking her head.

“No it’s.. It’s fine.” Eddie said, and he could have sworn that Paige looked just as confused as he did. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to do.... That.”

Eddie hadn’t once entertained the idea of Paige and him together again. It didn’t feel right. He wouldn’t lie and say that he didn’t find her attractive, but it wasn’t the same feeling he got that first night in the Hideout. As a teen, he’d been thrilled that a pretty girl was paying any attention to him at all, and was willing to do anything and be anything she wanted.

Any relationship with Paige was business, plain and simple. She wanted a Rock Hero to help her get up the ladder, Eddie wanted to make it with his band. Sex had just been a bonus in their past relationship. Paige knew her stuff with music and the industry, but she didn’t rant about Ozzy and his bats, or have a real interest in D&D or put herself out there the same way that you-

“I’m seeing someone.” He blurted out before Paige could say anything else.

Paige looked surprised for a moment and shook her head and laughed. “Right. That... I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I did that.” she admitted. “I guess I got swept up in this stupid fantasy about being a power couple. We’re a bad idea.”

“I’m sorry.” Eddie said, not sure what else could be said in this situation.

“Don’t be. You’re right, ‘us’ is a bad idea.” she ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s a good thing my offer isn’t dependent on if we’re sleeping together or not.”

“I know you bought me lunch, are giving my band a second chance, and forgave me for one of the biggest fuck ups of my life, but I don’t put out that easy.” Eddie smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood.

Paige offered her hand and Eddie took it. “Business only then.” she said. “Talk to your band and call me to set up the audition.”

Eddie watched Paige’s car drive off, and suddenly felt a lot lighter. He blasted his music and drove home, nearly laughing like a maniac. Today had been a wild roller coaster of emotions, and he couldn’t wait until the next band practice to bring the news to his band.

At home, he grabbed his guitar and immediately began sorting through Corroded Coffin’s small pile of original songs, and the covers that they were able to perform the best. Eddie was off, lost in his own world as he wrote, re-wrote, and re-worked the set list.

What would you think? Would you be excited for him? If this worked, he was going to make sure to get you concert tickets. Okay, he was getting ahead of himself. Maybe you could at least come for the audition as moral support. His band liked you, so maybe they wouldn’t mind.

Eddie didn’t come back down to Earth until the phone rang that evening after Wayne went to work. He almost missed the call because of how deep he was into perfecting the riff that had eluded him for the past few months, determined now more than ever to get it down.

He reached the phone on the last possible ring. “Hello?”

“Hey... Eddie?” Your voice cracked over the phone, and that feeling of excitement came crashing down. “Sorry I... Can you come pick me up? I’m at home.”

You were crying. He could hear it in the way your voice strained and cracked. He was already reaching for his keys.

“I’ll be right there.”

a/n: As I stated before, I do like to try and keep everything as time accurate as possible. However things happen, and sometimes things are too good not to use. The Izzy Stradlin incident did not happen until 1989, but the fact that it was on a flight from Indianapolis to LA was too good to pass up. I also would like to notate that I did make a mistake when it came to the Ozzy Bat Incident. It was not a 17 year old girl, it was a 17 year old boy and the bat was already dead. Chalk that inaccuracy up to the tabloids of the time, and the lack of Google. No, this will not be addressed in the future of the fic unless it’s funny.

Dividers By: @strangergraphics

Tag List @k8loo @terrormonster55 @sp1dyb0y1008 @crocwork-clockodile @ali-r3n @mxcheese @josephquinnschesthair @gagasbee @peaches-roses-sins @witchwolflea @vintagehellfire @royale1803 @cumslutforaemond @prestinalove @browneyedgirly93 @perpetualmess @thebook-hobbit @cultish-corner @grishaversecaptivated @sortagaysortahigh @halialex1119 @siriuslysmoking @huffledor-able541 @pookiesnatcher @eddiesguitarskills @browneyes-8288 @sheneedsrocknroll92

#nacht fic #wing man #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you

90 notes · View notes

zafirosreverie · 1 year

Text

Little furry friend (Bruno x F!Reader) part 2

For @hectic-hector (ily 💕)

Part 1

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

"Julieta!! Do something about your sister!!"

The healer sighed and rolled her eyes fondly before turning to see Pepa effortlessly carrying Bruno into the kitchen. She knew that her brother justified that with the weight loss he had while living in the walls, but the three of them knew that Pepa had always had incredible strength and that she could lift both of them on each arm without breaking a sweat.

"Julieta!! Tell your brother to stop being a crybaby!!"

"I'm not a crybaby!"

"Yes you are!"

"Julieta!!"

"Okay, that's enough" the older one said, trying not to laugh at Bruno's pout when Pepa sat him down in a chair "what's going on?"

"Your sister is a nightmare"

"Your brother is an airhead"

"...okay, something else I don't already know?"

"HEY!!"

Julieta laughed at her siblings’ expressions and rolled her eyes again. Sometimes it was exhausting mediating their fights, but she truly loved them with all of her being and wouldn't have them any other way, no matter how many gray hairs they gave her in a day (definitely more than the six grandchildren combined).

"And you're supposed to be the good triplet?" Pepa crossed her arms with a pout.

"I always said that we should be careful with her, she has a mischievous glint in her eyes" Bruno whispered to the redhead

"So it's against me now?" the older one said, putting her hands on her hips "two seconds ago you were arguing for god knows what"

"oh yeah! You're right"

"Oh no, did you have to remind her?"

Bruno growled when a rainbow invaded the kitchen and Pepa got a little closer to her older sister, taking her by the hand like an excited child. It was always funny how Pepa could change her mood so quickly, especially when she was with her siblings, when she felt safe from being judged. But it wasn't as funny when he was the victim of her plans.

"Let's invite Y/N to dinner!"

"What?"

"We are NOT going to invite her to dinner, Pepa!"

"Why not? You already spend all day with her anyway, Bruno"

"It's different!"

"Why?!"

"Because you are not there to try anything"

"Excuse me?!" the redhead thundered "well sorry but someone has to take the next step if you're not going to do it yourself"

"There is no next step, Pepa, we are just friends!"

Julieta sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose as her siblings returned to a heated discussion that must have started long before they entered the kitchen. She could understand Bruno's anger or concern, and would usually agree with him that things should happen on their own.

The thing was, this time, she was on Pepa's side. It had been months since you showed up at the house with Bruno's rat in your hand and the whole family had been surprised at how well you got along with him. She had to admit that like her sister, she felt quite betrayed that he hadn't told them about you sooner, but she understood that he had a right to his privacy as well.

And if she was honest with herself, she was relieved at how well you treated her little brother. It wasn't common for townspeople to associate with him of their own free will, even after the candle fiasco, but you didn't seem to have any problem, you were kind to him, you treated him as an equal, and you were even one of the few people he felt comfortable enough about physical contact with.

Of course, the nervous mess he was when you were around him, or the blush that would always come over his face when you smiled at him, or the goofy smile he had all the time when you talked to him, didn't go unnoticed either. Dolores even confirmed that his heart raced every time he saw you or someone said your name. It was obvious to everyone that Bruno Madrigal was completely in love with Y/N Y/L/N, and would be cute, if it wasn't for him refusing to do anything about it.

Her brother was already exhausting the family's patience and even Casita had tried to intervene (which is why Bruno chose to go to your house instead of having you visit them). Julieta was really beginning to consider that they would have to take that step for him.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Pepa's thunder began to get louder. The kitchen began to be filled with black clouds and if she didn’t intervene soon, all her effort would be wasted due to the rain. However, she did not have time to do something when you popped your head through the window, with a small rat on your shoulder.

"Hi Juli!" You said, always smiling "What are you doing?"

Months ago, it would not even have occurred to you to be so open with her, but after the kind reception that the whole family had made, you could not help but feeling comfortable and happy every time you approached Casita.

"These two, always fighting" she returned the smile

"For the last arepa again?"

"No" she laughed, remembering the time Pepa almost threw a knife to Bruno when he took the last arepa, although she quickly calmed down when she saw that he had taken it for you "for something that Pepa wants Bruno to do"

"Ohhhh" you said, with curiosity in your eyes "What thing?"

She was about to answer when Antonio suddenly entered the kitchen. The boy smiled widely as soon as he saw you and ran to greet you. After Bruno, Madrigal's youngest son was the one who more time spent with you.

"Hello Y/N!"

"Hey Buddy!" You answered "Long time no seeing you"

"Yes, you didn't come for three days!" he pouted

"I'm sorry, I had things to do in the carpentry" you apologized

You did not even notice that the black clouds had disappeared, or that the Madrigal triplets were looking at you with curiosity, kindness and nervousness.

"It's okay" Antonio smiled at you "is just that the animals began to ask me where Uncle Bruno's girlfriend was" he shrugged

You felt your cheeks turning red, and you quickly looked where the seer was, a few steps behind his nephew. He did not look better than you, on the contrary, he looked pale and two seconds of fainting, while his sisters smirked and tried to hide their laughs behind their hands, although the rainbow that filled the room betrayed the redhead.

If you were honest, the idea itself was not bad. Actually, you had long accepted your feelings for the younger triplet, even if you didn’t plan to do something about it because you did not think the man returned your feelings. But now, seeing him so red and nervous, you committed to question it.

"S-she’s not my g-girlfriend" Bruno stuttered, resisting the impulse to hide with the hood of his Ruana

"She's not?" Antonio asked innocently

"No, I'm not" you replied

For a moment that seemed frozen in time, you could feel the eyes of the three adults on you, Pepa seemed disappointed, Julieta contained her breath and Bruno looked really defeated. That was what made you take a risk.

"Toñito, your uncle and I share Sebastián, remember?" you said gently

"Yeah?"

"That means we have a child together" you smiled with malice when you heard the triplets gasps "I am not his girlfriend, I am his wife"

"W-what?!"

Pepa and Julieta laughed at their brother's complete shock, and you couldn't help noticing how adorable it was. But then, as if he was a statue, he fell backwards, harshly hitting against the ground.

".... ooops" you said.

#reader insert #x reader #bruno madrigal imagine #bruno madrigal x reader #bruno madrigal preferences #bruno x reader #bruno magridal #encanto preferences #encanto x reader #encanto imagine #encanto

299 notes · View notes

aspoonofsugar · 1 year

Text

Alyx - The Protagonist

Yang: But she was kind of a mean person, right? She lied and cheated her way through most of the book. Weiss: She was trying to survive. The morals of those old stories are so simplistic.

This exchange is interesting, especially because it is not the first time characters interpret Alyx in opposite ways.

Oscar sees her as a child who goes on an adventure, is changed by it and struggles to go home:

Oscar: I thought the idea of falling through Remnant into a new world was exciting. I never understood why she was so sad when she finally made it back home. But now it makes more sense.

Ozpin sees her as a girl, who runs away from her problems in a fantastical dimension:

Ozpin: I was recently reminded of an old fairy tale. A young girl flees the consequences of a choice, to a magical place. But, having never learned from her initial failure, she only succeeds in spreading it.

All of these characters project parts of themselves on Alyx:

Oscar sees her as lost, because he himself feels lost and away from home.

Ozpin describes her as a coward because he himself has run away into Oscar's subconscious.

Yang criticizes Alyx's tendency to lie and cheat because she sees these 2 attributes as the worst of the worst. She is conveniently ignoring she herself has been omitting information about Raven. Not to count that lie, cheat, survive are ideas that apply to Raven specifically. This means there is a part of Yang she herself is not confronting.

Weiss sympathizes with Alyx and refuses the moral of the story as too childish. Which kind of adult would truly believe that lying and cheating to survive is wrong? Except that Weiss's whole arc revolves around her embracing childishness once again and finding the hope and wonder that was stolen from her as a child.

So, everyone sees Alyx as a part of herself, but who is Alyx really?

ALYX - THE CHARACTER

Alyx is no-one, just a shadow:

Just an empty silhouette that can be filled by anyone:

This is what characters are, especially protagonists that are meant to carry a whole story on their shoulders:

Blake: I've read so many stories... I never thought I'll be the moral of one.

Characters are in stories to teach people morals and to convey messages. Basically, they all have purposes:

Blake: Have you ever heard the namy Alyx? Little: Alyx... Is that a purpose?

Maybe this is the real reason why names equals purposes in the Ever After. It is because characters are their purposes in a story... and yet, people are much more. So, what happens when a person ends up making their sense of identity overlap with their purpose?

Little: And is to Ruby Rose your purpose?

They lose themselves. Like it is happening to Ruby and like it has most likely happened to Alyx.

Weiss: What did Jinxy want from Alyx? Blake: Her saddest memories and her happiest.

Jinxy wanted Alyx's saddest and happiest memories. If a person loses both, they lose their past self. They lose who they are. It is probable Alyx chooses to leave the previous "her" behind, but can't forge any new identity, trapped forever to be a character. A protagonist. A fairy tale.

RWBY - THE LEGENDS

Blake: We are doing the same thing Alyx did. We are ruining everything!

Here, Blake is talking about RWBY's predicament in Ever After. She thinks that since they know how the story goes, they should be able to avoid Alyx's mistakes. She is frustrated they can't and overreacts. Why is she so emotional about it?

Because Blake is not talking about the Ever After. She probably means this:

Weiss: Maybe Jaune and Winter were able to get them out. Despite everything. Despite us.

RWBY has seen the adults fail at Beacon, so they strived to be better. They learnt from their mentors' mistakes, grew stronger and chose a different approach. Only to fail in the exact same way.

Blake and Weiss are having opposite reactions to the Ever After, but deep down they are dealing with the same sense of failure.

Blake is filtering it through a fairy tale. They must do everything perfectly here in Ever After, because if they can't, what good are even they?

Weiss is dealing with it by refusing the fairy tale. They messed up so royally in Remnant, that who cares what happens in this bizzarre world, which isn't theirs?

What about Yang and Ruby?

Yang is reacting the same as ever. She is going with the flaw and cracking jokes:

Ren: It's okay to be afraid, you know. You don't always have to hide it with a joke.

Ruby is choosing to push forward:

Ruby: We may not know exactly what's going on, but for whatever reason, this place is putting us on a similar path as a book we all read as kids. I say we follow it and stop pretending we know what we are doing.

She is given the role of Alyx and she is determined to fulfill it. She is stepping once again in the role of a protagonist. And yet, to keep on following an already pre-established script without putting that much mind to it isn't the right answer.

The fairy tale should be a chance for Ruby to face heself: who she was, who she is and who she wants to become.

What if you could leave Ruby Rose behind, shed like an old coat? What might happen, if you don't?

Isn't it interesting that the metaphor of an old coat is used? What is a little red hood if not something similar to a coat? A mantle (similar to that of a superhero for that matter) that Ruby chooses to wear? Who is she outside it? Outside her allusion? Outside her fairy tale?

The same goes for RWBY as a whole. They aren't in training anymore. They are Huntresses and are slowly growing into legends. They saved Haven, protected an ancient Relic, decided the fate of a Kingdom. Ruby is famous worldwide as the young Huntress who is challenging Salem. They are growing into more than just themselves. And yet, this is extremely dangerous, because losing one-self in a bigger tale is rather easy:

Pyrrha: For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all.

This is why they are in a fairy tale they all know deep down, even if they have forgotten. It is so they can reconnect with whom they are. Metaphorically, they are going back to The Girl Who Fell Through The World, so that they can look at it from a different perspective. What teachings would they learn that they missed as kids? What will they discover?

What's sure is that they won't get anything if they keep refusing it (Weiss), not taking it seriously (Yang), being too worried about doing everything perfectly (Blake), following the script without thinking too much about it (Ruby).

ALYX - THE PERSON

RWBY must find themselves again and it would be interesting if they succeed by finding Alyx, as well.

In general, I think Neo, Jaune and Alyx are all characters the protagonists must "find" if they really want to figure out the world and their current situation. It is easy to see how this may work out for Neo, an enemy mad with grief, and Jaune, a friend traumatized and lonely.

What about Alyx?

It is possible she might stay in the background as a symbol. However, some hints suggest there might be more to it:

Weiss: He's adorable! Blake: And a lot older than I remember from the book

The world they are in isn't exactly the same of the fairy tale. Jinxy is much older and Little isn't in the original fairy tale. This is why they have no idea who Alyx is. How can they? They are too little to remember. They are in the Ever After, but in a future version of it. This ties with the idea they are confronting their childhoods as adults. It might also be there is a reason for it plot-wise.

Everyone seems to have their own idea of what happened to Alyx. Maybe the whole point is that they will have listen to Alyx's own version of the story.

THE GODS - THE WRITERS

These meta-themes are important outside this volume and for the story, as a whole. After all, let's not forget the Gods allude to the Brother Grimms. This means they are symbolically "the writers" of the characters. Through this lens, then, the whole conflict between the God of Light especially and Salem can be summarized as a writer not being able to write a character.

The God of Light wants Salem to learn an important lesson, so he comes up with a punishment and an obstacle for her to grow. This is how usually a writer approaches a character arc. However, Salem refuses to change, as the God of Light wants. She refuses to learn the theme he desires. If anything, the result is the opposite of what the God of Light expects. Why is that so?

Because the God of Light is dumb and not such a great writer on his own :P To write humans well he needs his brother's help. That is because humans are a mix of light and darkness, of selflessness and selfishness, of logic and emotions, of mind and heart. He approaches Salem as if she were to function exactly like him, but she is much more similar to his brother. Emotional and driven by her personal wishes.

So, the Gods are the writers and RWBY and the others are characters in their hands. When is it that a character overcomes their author? When they end up communicating something their author did not see coming. In this way, they surprise the writers and help them grow. This is probably how RWBY is gonna solve its conflict.

The girls will end up embodying a theme and a teaching the Gods and Salem did not account for. In this way, they will defeat them, symbolically.

At the same time, a meta-reading can very well apply to RWBY's most existentialist themes.

Let's consider these 2 lines:

Weiss: We are not in a book and even if we were we know how it ends, right over there.

Cinder: Oh, come now. Even if you know how the story ends, that doesn't make it any less fun to watch.

Even if all lives end in the same way (death), it doesn't mean they are not beautiful and worthy to be lived. Even if you know how the story ends, it doesn't mean you should not live it fully. You should dive deep into it, embrace wonder and go through it to the very end. Skipping pages means you are just giving up on new opportunities to grow and bloom.

#rwby #rwby volume 9 #rwby spoilers #team rwby #ruby rose #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #yang xiaolong #alyx #rwby meta #my meta

383 notes · View notes

carmesi-butterfly · 7 months

Text

from me to you

vampire yang jungwon + human female reader. word count 2,3k. vampire au/fantasy au. warnings hurt/comfort, abandonment. &team's appearance. not proofread.

«From me to you. A letter for Yang Jungwon.

I miss you, Won. I don't know where you are, I don't know why you left me, and I don't know if I honestly want to hold that knowledge in my soul until my ends arrive.

Because unlike you, I'm just a mortal spirit. I desire to spend the rest of my life with you but I understand that you don't yearn for the same as me, and even if it hurts my heart, I accept it, by cause of my respect for you and your freedom, since I had the chance to meet you I noticed how you are an untied person and that's what attracted me of you, and that's why I always knew how this would end, I tried to ignore it but… such a free nature being tied to someone? The end was evident.

I'm sorry, at this point I'm just rambling about everything I can, I have sent so many letters this year and no one got a response which makes me feel a bit unmotivated, because of that I chose to start using a diary and set all my thoughts in there! I don't want to wait anymore for an answer that will never come, for a lover that will never come. A diary is for me, I feel it can help me to heal and cure my inner self.

It's my time to go, this will be my last letter meaning that is a definitive farewell for me, forgetting is not an option and even if it was I would never choose it, because ¿why would I forget you? The only man I loved, you opened my eyes to a new world full of beautiful things and a different perspective, and I will always be grateful for that. I love you Jungwon, goodbye.»

The body of a man lay on the ground of a big lounge, surrounded by an immense amount of envelopes and letters, all opened, his friends standing near him encircling the space.

"She sent fifty-five letters, those are at least one letter a week" announced Jake, impressed by the situation.

"I feel bad… maybe we shouldn't have left" followed Sunoo with a hand on his chest, slightly caressing it.

"Maybe? She was heartbroken, and this letter was from a month ago so who knows how she is now" answered Sunghoon trying to be honest, but slightly being a bit rude at the end.

All the voices resounded in Yang's ears but he didn't seem to notice.

"Guys, this is not helpful for any of us" The conversation was interrupted by Heeseung, who seemed worried about his friend's state and how the others managed the situation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think I could cause more problems than planned" apologized the leader of the pack of wolves.

"Don't apologize, K" a soft voice echoed over the rest, comforting his friend who seemed a bit conflicted. Jungwon left the cloud forming on his mind, bringing his feet back on the earth. "It was my fault, I managed the situation poorly" his hand reached his head, messing his hair with frustration that tried to hide behind a tiny smile.

"I think it's our time to leave," offered the second oldest of the opposite group, holding his comrade's shoulder.

"Are you okay with that, Jungwon?" kei asked.

The relationship between both groups was clearly out of the ordinary, vampires and werewolves forming an alliance, it could even be considered against nature, two categories who faced each other since the start of their lineage collaborating in search of a common good: peace, not only for vampires and werewolves but for the humans too, because ignoring the amount of suffering humans caused to their people, there were a few ones with a golden heart willing to help any creature just in behalf of the mere wish of assist the fellows, precisely like you.

"Yes" affirmed, accompanied by a nod, "I think it's time to rest, especially for all of you," said referring to the predators, "we don't need sleep hours, but you do. Especially after this long trip, the best is to go rest right away"

They assented, and the head of the wolves talked again. "We owe you a favor, search for us when you need it"

By the time all the werewolves crossed the entrance their presence became undetectable, fusing with the big trees that make up the forest and blending into the darkness. With that, the vampires dispersed in the house choosing to mind their own business, leaving their friend alone to have his time for himself.

"Are you going to be okay, Jungwon?" Jay asked, preoccupied with his confidant.

"Yes, don't worry, I have to fix the mess I created" sighed, his tone became serious showing his friend everything he needed to know: determination.

Between vampires and other magical species that knew him, Jungwon had a reputation of the solve problems in his group, one that tends to be a magnet for problems as pure vampires with a high range tend to get into problems easier than other vampires with a lower status, adding to the mix the uncommon union with a few werewolves, it gives the perfect recipe of a disaster. Because of this, a case where Jungwon committed a mistake was unusual, and now in a position where he had to resolve his own problems the logic that characterizes him is pushed into the background and his heart takes the lead.

«Since I had the chance to meet you I noticed how you are an untied person and that's what attracted me of you, and that's why I always knew how this would end, I tried to ignore it but… such a free nature being tied to someone? The end was evident.» The words materialize in his mind, recalling the letter he read just a few minutes ago. "She thought I abandoned her," thought, feeling his heart break like a crystal shattering on his chest.

He has to search for you, no matter the late hours or the poor lighting because of the recent night arrival, he had a mission before and achieved it sacrificing your union in the process, his mission now was to rectify his mistake, even if that doesn't bring you back to his arms like you were before, knowing that you're aware of the events that lead him to fade away and giving the most sincere apology was enough for his soul.

As if someone dropped a spell over him his body began moving by itself, heading to a small cabin near a lake that was pretty well-known to him. It was your house, probably one of the places where he keeps most happy memories, and where a lot of new emotions blossomed on his inside.

Since the start of his long-lived life, Jungwon had the opportunity to experience what love is, the love for his brothers, for his life, for his home, for his hobbies, and the nature around him amongst a lot of other things, but the feelings unfolding in his chest caused by you were a new experience, a ton of butterflies hovering on his stomach directing to his heart, a heart that hasn't beat in a long time but now felt warm and alive.

His journey ended with your portico in front of him, a lamppost lit up the entrance that was decorated with bindweed hanging over the top of it, flower pots beside the door; red carnations, crimson roses, and few aloes. Like a final touch, baby's breath surrounded the area. All of those plants were new, there was no way you could keep a plant alive, because as you said to him once: «I always forget to water my flowers! This is the third time I have killed a cactus, why do I have to be so reckless?».

Without noticing, tears started to fall from his eyes, on a familiar place that felt distant, with flora that didn't have to be there and memories from a faraway moment that now felt overwhelming, the young Jungwon got off the deep end, crying intensely while all sorts of emotions impact him, the remorse and fear, he should have told you, even if it was an emergency, how long would it have taken to inform you about the recent urgency? He just needed to tell you, but he didn't, and now he probably lost you forever, and that's such a long time for a vampire. Despite his recent thoughts about not needing your love again and only wanting to deliver his apologies in search of your wellness, his body quivered just thinking about it, the suffocating feeling of knowing that he could lose the person who showed him what is love, was eating what he had left of a soul.

But the situation had to be confronted, he was the one who chose to appear, if he had to talk to you with his face full of tears, reddish eyes, and his nose dripping then he would.

Three knocks on the door were enough to wake you up, and distrust invaded you while thinking "Who is knocking on my door at this time?" it was suspicious not to say the least, at first you decided to not open it, perhaps whoever was knocking your door in the middle of the night would choose to just go and come back in the morning, but when the second banging started it worried you, what if someone is in danger? There were sightings of wolves near your area, it could be someone at risk of being attacked and searching for help in the desolate house close to the forest. As a precaution you approached the front door with a sword in hand, maybe it was a bit exaggerated for the situation, but the elegant weapon had sentimental value being a gift from an old lover who yearned for your safety.

"Who's there?" you asked, raising your voice as a try to make your voice clearer for the person on the other side.

"I-I am Jungwon…" mumbled, his weak voice exposing the crying session he had just a few minutes before.

The answer petrified you, it was him, it was his voice, after a year of waiting patiently, after months of feeling heartbroken, and after a few weeks of giving up on ever seeing your significant other again, it happened, Jungwon came back. Without a doubt, you opened the door desperately searching for your once-lover, dropping the sword in the process.

When the entrance opened, both maintained an ecstatic stand, you wanted to jump into his arms, searching for the warmth and comfort only Yang can give you.

Taking the initiative the boy said "Hi, y/n…" while collecting the courage needed for the words he was planning to say. "I know that maybe it's not the best moment to come and that it's egoistic on my own to show up like this… but I couldn't wait anymore, not after all this time".

The words unfolded through your ears like soft petals falling out of a tree, it was enough for your tears to start sliding over your cheeks until they reached the end of your jaw, and a gasp came out of your mouth "Did you receive my letters?".

"I wasn't here to read them, but I've received all of them. I never knew you could write so good" A tiny smile showed up on his face, emphasizing his soft cheeks and shrinking his sharp eyes.

"I thought I was never going to see you again" cried with a weak voice, "Where were you?... Why did you disappear just like that?" the efforts of the boy in attempting to make a more agreeable space for the conversation worked, in spite of your questions each one more intense than the other one, your body language demonstrated comfort, especially for the way your eyes searched his and your distance reduced discreetly with a few steps made by you.

"I can explain everything, that doesn't mean you have to forgive me" Delicately his hands cupped your face, brushing your cheeks softly.

"Why wouldn't I forgive you?" you asked, a smile showing up on your face while your hands took his and caressed them, also maintaining the embrace on your cheeks.

The question confused Jungwon, who didn't manage to formulate a question before you talked again.

"Even if you truly leave, I forgive you, because that's what you decided although my heart may not take it well," said with a giggle "I already forgave you, there's no bone in my whole body that can be mad at you" the happiness you tried to demonstrate was overshadowed by crystalline years balling through your eyes. "I love you Won, and love hurts sometimes, I'm willing to experience that pain for you" Your testimony shocked the vampire, who felt touched by your words.

"I don't desire to hurt you, not anymore" And with that, helping himself with the grab he had on your face, Jungwon placed a kiss on your lips, after a long time of missing this kind of connection. A few seconds passed and the kiss got intense, the result of more than a year of dreaming with any dose of contact now unleashing, but sadly, you need to breathe. When the kiss broke, with irregular breathing spoke "Maybe we should talk inside… so I can explain everything, and you can talk to me about your new hobbies" referring to the new plants that formed part of the environment, "I'm interested in reading your diary entries if you let me"

All the pages you had the opportunity to fill talked about him, from top to bottom without wasting any minimal space, and because of that the petition made you feel a bit embarrassed, but you agreed intending to show more from you to him.

#enhypen #enhypen x reader #yang jungwon x reader #jungwon x reader #enhypen fluff #yang jungwon #jungwon fluff #enhypen imagines #enhypen scenarios #enha x reader #jungwon imagines #jungwon enhypen #jungwon scenarios #enhypen jungwon x reader #enhypen au

92 notes · View notes

mythicalartistx · 5 months

Text

Updating KH ship lists

Again I don't care if those disagree or like another better as long as no one calling each other delusional

Anyways here are my 11 KH ships + a few honorable mentions

#1 Soriku

This is probably my favorite ever, there's so much to say I don't even know where to start. I shipped them as friends but who also should date. Besides they're just really cute and silly to me.

The dark realm scene in kh2 is so good, they have an understanding of the other and are happy to be there together with the other person.

They both just love each other and do everything for the other (Riku's sacrifices for Sora in days kh2 kh3 and trying to save him in ddd) Sora is always trying to find him because he wants to be with him; and he just misses him. Riku's jealousy and feelings showed his insecurities to bring the island to darkness when he feared Sora's and Kairi's relationship and leaving him/ Sora befriending others with the belief he was being left behind.

The novel also has some added cute scenes where Sora is just bashful around Riku or just happy to be with him. They hug and hold hands more. Also there's a scene in the kh2 manga where Riku gives Shang a papou fruit to give to Sora. And Sora instantly know who gave it to him because "only Riku would do something like that".

The papou scene in kh1 manga Riku gets so close to his face and then Sora is blushing later, thinking about it. In DDD, it's about Riku's feelings for Sora and the darkness right? Some of those things are seemingly parallels.

Finally in kh3 Riku scarifies life for him because he doesn't want him to be sad and with the parallel to Hercules sacrificing someone because all he knew was that he loved someone and didn't think. Sora is just always thinking about Riku and wants to be with him especially with the failing to be a keyblade master.

Also there are no orders to these

#2 RepliNami

Honestly this is the only Riku that I like with her at all and also people end up confusing which Riku did what— they're different people, Sora said so himself. Repliku still has his feelings for Sora but now he decides to keep a promise for Naminé even if it didn't happen because he wants to do something himself.

Not something with memories that belong to Riku. And Naminé also does care for him. There's mainly KH CoM and Kh3 to go by. In COM he fights for Naminé against Sora thinking it was him (though all these things end up fake) but still he choses to embrace these memories for the sake of Naminé.

In kh3 he admits that everyone moved on except for him who was in darkness. When Riku notices his presences they work together and Repliku admits that he has one more thing to do and wants to save Naminé.

Then in his death he finally leaves the world and gives up the chance to have a body all for the sake of her having one so he asks the original Riku to dl him one last favor and making sure she's okay.

#3 Rizoriku / Yozoriku

Rizoriku because lack of RIZZ and it sounds so silly

I recently got into this and yeah I'm probably like one of the few people who are even into this.

They haven't EVEN INTERACTED. Riku felt Yozora in his dream/ secret ending but they never really seen each other. Yozora probably had in the secret ending/ dream. He was looking at him at that matters.

But imagine the possibilities, they are both tied together by Sora. Riku is searching for him and Yozora potentially hurt him, he hates that. They cannot stand the other. They fight the other so much. They're both looking for "Sora" to save. They look similar and Yozora has been stealing other's forms (It's toxic but eventually turn cute.)

Now they have to work together to find Sora / Nameless Star and then they start being cute and caring. I thought there might be at least more of this but no it's so rare I only seen like 4 fanart pictures of this and it's all from the same person

I got so happy when I saw some

#4 AkuSai / LeaIsa

It's so toxic. They've broken up too many times to count. They're divorced. And there's a whole ton of tension. It also have parallels to soriku.

Lea and Isa worked together to save X but she was gone and decided to become apprentices to save her. Then Saïx had to work his way to the top to find out what happened while Axel went off making friends and spent less time with Saïx which caused jealousy.

Their arguments and tension is so thick in 358/2 days, and in kh3 during that clocktower scene. You can tell there is something there. Also during DDD when he faced Saïx when saving Sora.

Then they finally have an understanding and Saïx apologies and admits he was jealous. Lea holds him in his arms, then after Saïx gets recompleted I think they finally will calm down and get back together, let's see how long it lasts.

#5 Kailette

I'm not super into this one because lack of content but I feel like this has potential to be super interesting and fun. Olette being one of the first real people she meets outside of the world and besides from Sora and Riku who kept unintentionally leaving her behind.

They befriend each other and Olette likes listening to the stories Kairi tells her.

I think they're really cute and have potential to go places or even Kairi becoming part of the sea salt + twilight town gangs. I see more fun fan content for this that makes me love it and hopefully we'll see more in the future.

#6 Zemyx

They're so silly together. I honestly love this. I ended up loving this because of fan content. It was just so great to me.

Like Demyx is kinda silly and dumb and Zexion is smart and intelligent they can't help be attracted to the other.

That one manga panel of them played twister though.

Also when they finally meet in kh3 and he realizes is that you? Also props to the manga version of the scene where he calls security on his bf until he realizes he's on their side.

#7 Xehaqus

They're actually so cute. I'm not joking. The fanart is so good and honestly dark road just shows their relationship and how it fell apart.

Eraqus is so silly and just enjoys his time with Xehanort but also believes to do what is right for fear of everyone losing to the darkness (which is why he did what he did in BBS).

I love that they often worked together and whispered just between themselves that the others would often say what are you whispering about?

They're post kh2 Soriku in dark road and then it turns into kh1 Soriku. Eraqus was blinded by love and didn't want to separate from him which is why he kept him around during BBS after he disappeared.

They're chess buddies and there's a deep relationship there and finally at the end of 3 they can be together at last

#8 NamiXi / Namishi

I don't think about this pairing as often but I also like it. Like I see the vision and I'm definitely for it. Naminé is definitely a lesbian + whatever thing she has going on with Repliku. Again I'm a multishipper so 🤷

Naminé helped Xion see who she is and actually honest with her. They're definitely friends too, but then will date. What they have at the end of kh3 is really cute to me where they collect seashells together

Also with them both being aspects of someone else can relate to seeing memories that aren't theirs/ wishing to be another person.

(no picture of them interacting 😢💔)

#9 RepliVani / VaniPliku /NamiVanpliku

I originally liked them as the duo first being friends who are just silly and fight. But now I'm really into them as also a couple. Naminé is definitely there breaking the tension.

I wish they did interact since they're similar both being created from someone else. Vanitas being part of Ventus and Repliku being part of Riku.

As a fan of lost trio I also think the concept of them fighting over Naminé could also be interesting like who better friend/ Vanitas thinks he is going to be left out and pretends he doesn't care. But their interactions I need

#10 MarLar

I don't think about them that much but again I really like them. This is probably my only one that's part of Union x in a way.

Marluxia is the only one Larxene really tolerates and they both have plans to be overthrow the organization together.

They are closer than any of the others and keep finding their ways to each other.

In Union x they were also close and befriended each other and ever since then they stuck together even if they had memories or not.

#11 Roxner

This could also be with the HC of transfem Marluxia

I'm still new to this ship but I recently thought you know I actually like this. Roxas and Hayner's relationship is honestly likable friends that could honestly be something more. Especially in kh2 beginning with how they interact with the other.

I also want to point out kh3 desire for him To want to find Roxas too.

Also in days when Roxas spends the day hanging out with him and the rest of them.

Fandom makes this honestly nice and cute couple through fanart and comics.

Conclusion

Anyway that's the ones I like in no specific order except Soriku is number 1.

Those that aren't here means I am either indifferent/ neutral towards to ship, dislike it, or I think it's weird as in an adult that's 26 being with 14 yo would be.

And most I don't even dislike if seen my other posts about this subject 99% I'm neutral towards except og Riku and any female ship.

However honorable mentions towards Brain and Marluxia I think they have potential to be interesting but not a lot about them, this goes for Brain and Ephemer too.

Cinderella and Aqua, it's honestly the only Disney + original character pairing most people agree one is good.

I like seeing the art about it but that's about it.

Larxene and Aqua as well as Terra and Marluxia as honorable mentions, I've seen some fanart that makes me think otherwise.

30 notes · View notes

blue-slxt · 11 months

Text

Punishment

🔞Minors Do Not Interact🔞

A/N: This was requested by an anon and honestly, thank you to that person for the inspo because this really scratched an itch in my skull. This isn't proofread so if you see any typos, no you didn't. Anyways, I hope you guys like this. All characters are aged up.

Pairing: Lo'ak x Fem!Metkayina!Reader

Warnings: Explicit Smut, P in V, Spitting , Dom!Lo'ak, Creampie, Degredation Kink, Praise Kink, Exhibitionism, Fingering,

Word Count: 1.2k

Summary: Lo'ak gives Ao'nung a gentle reminder about who you belong to.

Talking with Ao’nung was always…odd. Sometimes it was tense and awkward. Most times he would crack jokes that would make you cringe.

Other people would say he was trying to flirt with you. You didn’t think so. Flirting was supposed to be smooth and charming. Ao’nung never struck you as either of those things. Especially since you had grown up with him, you saw all his most awkward stages and phases.

You know who was smooth and charming? Lo’ak. Now, he always made his intentions very clear with you and he never failed to turn you into a swooning mess.

The thing that really struck a chord with you about him was how possessive he could be. Normally, that was something you hated in a man. You had lost count of how many men you had rejected for behaving that way. But the thing that made it different with Lo’ak? The way he chose to handle his jealousy. He didn’t yell, he didn’t fight, or anything of the sort. What he did do? Fuck you until you forgot your own name.

Today was going to be no exception.

He found you at the secluded section of the beach that was supposed to be reserved for just the two of you, but you weren’t alone today. Ao’nung was standing in front of you and it made his blood boil in his veins.

“You know, you always were good at finding the best spots for having a little privacy” he said looking over you hungrily. He doesn’t even notice Lo’ak coming up behind you.

His hands rested on your waist as he pressed his chest into your back.

“What you two talking about, yawne?” He asks into your ear.

It makes you stiffen with excitement feeling his breath on the shell of your ear and knowing that you were in for a punishment. Lo’ak was never the type to really care if you spoke to other men, so long as it was kept strictly friendly. But he knew that it was never fully just friendly when it came to Ao’nung. Not to mention, he was here at your secret spot. That, he could not let slide.

“It’s none of your business.” Ao’nung frowns at him.

Lo’ak shoots him a look, “Anything involving my mate concerns me. She is mine. Got it?” His grip on your body tightens. “All of her, especially this.” One of his hands travels past your waistband and cups your pussy. The bold move makes you jump, but also makes you incredibly wet. Ao’nung swallows hard as he’s unable to tear his eyes away from your blushing face and half-lidded eyes. Your breaths are coming out as small pants.

“You nasty girl. Are you getting wet from being watched?” He coos teasingly in your ear while he drags his fingers through your slick.

You whimper under his teasing but he won’t accept that. “Use your words, yawne.” He orders as he pushes one finger into you.

“Y-yes…”

“You know what to do.”

You immediately knew what he wanted. He asked the same thing of you through every punishment. You untie the strings of your top and Ao’nung is the one blushing now. He’s confused about this whole situation, but most of all, why he’s getting hard right now.

You shimmy your loincloth down your thighs until it falls around your ankles and you step out of it. Standing here fully bare in front of Ao’nung made it hard for you to meet his eyes even though his gaze was completely transfixed on you. You sink to your knees in the sand while Lo’ak circles you like a predator.

“On your hands and knees.”

You do as you’re told and keep your eyes trained on the ground below you.

“You see this?” Lo’ak says to Ao’nung. “I’m the only one who can make her act like this. Isn’t that right, yawne?”

“Yes sir” your voice is meek and small to align with your current state of submission.

Lo’ak kneels behind you and crouches over you with his fingers trailing over your wet cunt. “Maybe we should demonstrate for your friend.” He emphasizes the word ‘friend’ inserting his finger into you again. “Tongue.” You tilt your head back towards Lo’ak and hold your tongue out. A long line of his spit rolls off his tongue and into your mouth. You swallow and open your mouth for him to see. “Good girl.”

He easily undoes the knot on his loincloth for it to fall off him. He pulls his finger out of you and lined up his tip with your entrance. “Now, tell him who you belong to.”

“I belong to you” your embarrassment makes you mumble the words at the ground.

“Oh, you must not want it as bad as I thought” Lo’ak backs away from you ready to deny you your pleasure.

“I belong to you, Lo’ak!” You say louder this time and look Ao’nung dead in the eye. His ears twitch and his loincloth is about to be torn in half from how hard his boner is pressing against the fabric.

Lo’ak smirks to himself looking at your dripping cunt on full display for him and how your hole clenches in anticipation for him. He slowly sinks himself into you and your head falls back finally being filled.

He sets a slow, but steady pace watching your ass bounce back against his hips. Every thrust pushes a new moan from your lips. Your eyes squeeze shut taking in all the stimulation.

Lo’ak reaches forward and holds your jaw to bring your face back up, “Look at him. Look at him and tell him who gets to fuck you like this.”

“You do, Lo’ak” your mouth is agape and you’re panting heavily. Lo’ak speeds up his pace.

“And whose dick do you love the most?” he growls behind you.

“Yours, Lo’ak!” His pace speeds up even more so that he’s full on pounding into you. Ao’nung can’t tear his eyes away. As much as he hated to know that he would never have you, he couldn’t help the way that seeing you so fucked out of your mind right in front of him made him dizzy with lust.

“And who gets to fill this pussy?”

“You do, Lo’ak! Only you!”

He leans forward so his lips are right next to your ear, “Now beg me for it in front of his face. Beg me just like you always do, you fucking slut.”

Lo’ak’s word is law right now. There is no denying him. Your eyes lock on Ao’nung’s whie you speak your broken words. “Please Lo’ak! Please cum inside of me! I need it! Make my pussy drip with your cum!”

Ao’nung can’t help the way he bites his lip listening to your vulgar pleas. He had always dreamed of hearing your sweet voice say such filthy things. “That’s right, baby. Just like that. I’m gonna give you exactly what you want.” Lo’ak neared his peak just as you finally fell into yours. Your whole body shook as he continuously drilled into your sweet spot.

With three more sloppy thrusts, he came inside of you filling you with all of his hot, sticky seed.

“Fuuuck” he groans while gripping your ass cheeks.

You fall to the ground since your body was exhausted from the force of your orgasm. Lo’ak stayed on his knees just watching as your body intermittently twitched from the aftershock.

“Remember that next time you try to move in on what doesn’t belong to you, reef boy.” He smirked up at the Metkayina who was still frozen in place and had a huge dark spot on his loincloth from where his precum had stained it.

#avatar #avatar the way of water #awow #avatar smut #avatar fic #lo'ak #loak #loak x reader #loak smut #loak sully #atwow loak #loak fic #avatar loak #loak fanfiction #avatar twow #atwow #awow smut

129 notes · View notes

siriusly-addicted-to-writing · 5 months

Text

[Y/N] Picks…

Pairing: [Y/N] x Sirius & [Y/N] x James (@ different times)

Summary: [Y/N] needs to decide between James & Sirius, but she doesn’t know who to pick.

Warning(s): cussing, sexual implications, make-out (kinda detailed but nothing too crazy), unedited,

A/N: hey everyone. wow, i didn’t expect to ever be back honestly… but here I am. i’m going to be upfront and tell you that this will be ROUGH because i haven’t written anything from this world in almost two years. i also wanted to try something a little different, so it’s a chose your own adventure. at the end, you’re able to pick where you want your path and it will take you right there! anyway, i hope you enjoy!

Masterlist

——————

Of course, [Y/N] didn’t expect to fall in love with two guys. Nor did she expect them to fall in love with her. Stuff like this isn’t planned. It just happens.

First, there was Sirius. Yes, Sirius Black. The boy of about everyone’s dreams. From his charisma to his style, there was nothing to hate. Well, besides one, minor detail.

He was a player.

Simple as that. Sirius Black was a player. He talked to the most girls, or well, that’s what everyone thought. The people who actually knew him, knew differently. If you asked someone who actually knew him, they’d tell you that he didn’t like most of the girls in his year… besides roughly three. Those were the ones he talked to.

Although, if you continued asking questions, you’d find out about the older girls. Of course Sirius Black was a sucker for older girls, especially the ones in the year above him. It always started with a conversation, but with Sirius, it was never just a conversation. When given the chance, he would make sure to give them a good time.

So when [Y/N] started catching feelings for him, she knew it wasn’t going to be good.

And, well, it wasn't.

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

One year ago...

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

The moment [Y/N] caught feelings for Sirius, it was like a blow to the chest. The whole world around her was quaking. It had to have been the fact they were in the same house. It had to be.

The days when she would get up in the morning on Saturdays and he would tell her how great she looked in those jeans or that shirt. She knew it was just him being friendly, because how many girls has he said that to? …but she couldn't help the butterflies in her chest.

It wasn't just that; it was also the fact that he would talk to her the most, and even though she was awkward with almost everyone. He could get her to have coherent sentences come out of her mouth. And damn she was thankful.

[Y/N] saw a side of Sirius he didn’t let that many other people see, or at least that’s what she thought. She isn't sure who saw this side of him, but she hoped it was just her.

In the beginning, liking Sirius wasn’t that bad. No, it was actually pretty great. Nothing changed. Their friendship was as strong as ever.

But then a few months past.

[Y/N] had liked Sirius for FOUR months now, and he didn't show any interest. There was nothing concrete that convinced her that he had feelings. It didn’t help that all of her friends said the feelings were mutual. [Y/N] didn't want to get her hopes up, so she said it was just him being nice and as friends. Although, she couldn’t help the desire in her heart that her friends were right.

But then summer came, and the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of her feelings for him. Being a half-blood was a good thing. She could see muggle guys, and maybe move on from her five month crush.

Her goodbye was bitter sweet, but it was good. It was healthy.

What wasn’t good, however, was the fact that Sirius would send her messages by owl constantly. [Y/N] would stop whatever she was doing and immediately read and respond to the letters. It was fine until the owls started arriving hourly. Hourly.

Now, hourly wasn’t a bad thing, but it did make things a little more complicated. How was she supposed to get over Sirius now?

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

Two months later

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

Summer went by quickly for [Y/N]. Between hanging out with her muggle friends, including a few cute guys, and writing to Sirius, the time flew by. Although it meant saying goodbye to her friends and family, she couldn’t wait to get back to Hogwarts to start her 5th year .

Something felt different in the letters Sirius had written. There was a shift sometime in the middle of July. The letters started to feel fueled with longing. He would tell her how he missed her: her smile, her laugh, her presence. The last letter he wrote to her was to tell her he couldn’t wait to see her.

Now, [Y/N] wouldn’t lie to herself, she did have a little fun over her summer break. There were a few wild nights that ended in kisses under the stars, but nothing too far. She didn’t doubt that Sirius had some fun too, but despite with being with other people, she felt like her and Sirius were going to go somewhere this year.

Once [Y/N] got back to Hogwarts, everything would be as it should be. Her and Sirius would finally get together, and this would be her year to shine.

Except, there was one minor problem she didn’t bother to take into account.

Head in clouds, beyond excited, [Y/N] walked onto the train looking for Sirius. Maybe he had a spot saved for her, or maybe he was looking for her. Her eyes scanned the cabins, but as she got closer to the end, her heart stopped as she narrowed in on a cabin to her left.

There he was, in the arms of another girl.

It’s not like [Y/N] hadn’t seen it before. She had. Many times, but it was different this time.

Sirius’ eyes devoured the girl in front of him. He wanted her, all of her. With a flick of his wand [Y/N] heard the compartment lock and the blinds went down.

[Y/N] blinked.

She heard nothing as she walked away, with only the ringing in her ears to remind her it was real. That, yes, she just saw that. She was only vaguely aware that a strong arm reached out and pulled her into a cabin. She was only vaguely aware that the boy held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth the whole way to Hogwarts. She was only vaguely aware that he whispered in her ear that ‘it’s going to be okay’, over and over again.

[Y/N] blinked.

Her ears stopped ringing to allow her to hear this whispered phrase again.

“It’s going to be okay, [Y/N],” the voice said. [Y/N] thought to herself for a second before deciding that, yeah, it was going to be okay. Her eye’s focused on the male who held her in his arms.

James Potter.

Of course. She smiled at him before drifting off to sleep.

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

One month later

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

“James, stop it right now, or I’ll…” [Y/N] started. James was currently sitting on the couch next to her in the common room clicking his wand on the table. [Y/N] sat down about an hour ago to start her potions homework. James quickly sat down next to her to get a head start on his too. The first half an hour was entirely productive… that was until James started getting too distracted to focus.

“Or you’ll what?” James countered, wiggling his eyebrows at [Y/N]. [Y/N] scoffed and rolled her eyes.

James and [Y/N] have always been friends. They’ve always been study buddies, but they didn’t do much other than that. They hung out with their mutual friends during their fourth year, but James had been actively pursuing a girl named Lily and [Y/N] was crushing on Sirius. Although, James decided to give up on Lily over the summer and move on (like [Y/N] should have), and saw [Y/N]’s face when she saw Sirius.

Later that day, when James and [Y/N] were sitting in the common room, Sirius walked in announced his new girlfriend. [Y/N] almost threw up, but James’ firm hand on her knee kept her grounded. Sirius’ eyes drifted to [Y/N], then to James’ hand and his smile faltered.

For less than a second.

If [Y/N] hadn’t been so caught up in her despair, she might have caught it.

But James did, and he took care of [Y/N] from moment day on. The first few days were rough. [Y/N]’s heart was breaking all at once and it hurt. But as time went on, it got easier.

Over the next month, her and James became inseparable. They did everything together, from eating, to studying, to sneaking out to stargaze. They were each other’s partner in crime.

Although, Sirius was still there. He’d distanced himself (having a girlfriend and all), but he was still friendly to [Y/N]. [Y/N]’s pain settled into a dull ache after awhile. He’d smile at her every now and then causing that dormant pain to spark through her, but she was okay. James helped numb the pain too.

It was easy to see that James and [Y/N] had feelings for each other. Everyone could see it, but neither of them admitted it. Whether it was too soon, or they were scared, nothing happened between them.

Well…

“Oh never mind, just shut up,” [Y/N]’s face blazed pink as she buried her face back into her homework. Beside her, James fell quiet. She did dare glance at him because what she wanted to say was written clearly in her eyes.

“You better tell me,” James started. [Y/N] tilted her head to look at his face. There was a mischievous gleam in his eye. “Or I’ll…” he continued.

“Or you’ll what?” [Y/N] said, fully facing him. James leaned toward her and nudged her chin with his thumb.

“Or I’ll kiss you,” James said, not waiting for a reply as he leaned in the whole way. [Y/N] had just enough time to close her eyes before his lips were on hers. Her hands reached up to grab his head, pulling him closer, to deepen the kiss. A surprised grunt escape James’ mouth before he reached over to reposition [Y/N] on his lap.

Now that she was straddling him, she kept his face close to hers. Nothing had felt this good in awhile. She could get lost in his kiss. She felt secure in his strong arms; it felt safe.

Seconds, minutes, or hours could’ve gone by, James sure didn’t know. He was too lost in completely devouring the girl he had sitting on his lap. That was until he heard a clunk.

Frightened, [Y/N] pulled away and looked over her shoulder to see a shocked Sirius. Sirius stared a second too long before bending over to pick up the book he dropped. When he stood up, he did not make eye contact with James or [Y/N] before walking up the stairs to his dormitory.

“Well, that was... wow,” James said, causing [Y/N] to regain attention on James. When she looked at him, his hair was a complete disaster, and not to mention his swollen lips. She smiled, thinking she probably looked just as ridiculous.

“Yeah,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek, “it was”. James smiled at her before turning back to his homework.

“Now, what potion were we working on?” James asked as [Y/N] shifted off if his lap to sit next to him. She smiled at him as he started to flip through the pages of his textbook.

‘I’m happy. This is what I want. James likes me,’ she told herself. Although, that dull ache returned, bringing Sirius’ shocked face right along with it.

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

Present day

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

James and [Y/N] started dating a few days after that. He brought her a bouquet of roses and turned them from white to her favorite color. He presented them to her after a big quidditch match. She blushed profusely, and said yes in front of the whole party. She didn’t fail to note that Sirius left with his girlfriend shortly after.

James and [Y/N] fit together perfectly. They never argued, supported each other, and were best friends. It was safe.

Safe was the right word to describe it. What James and [Y/N] had was safe. There would be no heartbreak because they both knew they loved someone a little more, not that they would ever admit it. They would never call each other out on those one second too long glances, or those wandering eyes in the common room.

[Y/N] saw a future with James. She truly did. It was a simple one, but perfect nonetheless. They would live in a small cottage right outside of London with their two boys. It was perfect and happy future. She loved James a lot, and she knew he loved her.

And she knew they would grow to love each other completely. It would just take time.

Honestly, everything was entirely uncomplicated.

Until…

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

Later that night

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

[Y/N] and James were eating dinner in the great hall. It was James’ favorite meal, and [Y/N] rolled her eyes as he was literally stuffing food into his mouth.

“You know, this isn’t a race. The food won’t get up and run away from you,” [Y/N] said, nudging James in the shoulder. James turned his head and you barely caught the mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Well, you know [Y/N], this is a school of witchcraft and wizardry. You actually never know when the food will get up and run away from you…” and with a flick of his wand the food started running all over the table. She laughed as the chicken sprinted through your potatoes, only to be silenced by a single look from one of your professors.

“JAMES POTTER,” a loud voice bellowed across the hall. James flicked his wand again to stop the running food; the chicken landed in the pudding. James turned and winked at [Y/N] before getting up and walking over to the voice. She blew him a kiss and watched him go.

She smiled as he reached out for the kiss and smacked it right in his cheek. Her stomach swarmed with butterflies.

She talked for awhile more before grabbing a cupcake and heading back to her room.

As she left, she didn’t notice that Sirius walked out the door moments before her. She definitely didn’t notice that he walked into a broom closet near her house.

Although, she did notice when a strong arm reached out and pulled her in said broom closet.

“What the hell?” [Y/N] yelled before a hand clasped over her mouth as she dropped her cupcake. She jumped back in surprise when her eyes landed on her captor face.

Sirius’ face.

“Please, let me talk first before you say anything,” Sirius said, slowly removing his hand from [Y/N]’s mouth. She raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Sirius paused a moment before continuing. “[Y/N] what happened to us? I thought we had something going on over the summer, and then I see you in James’ arms on the way to Hogwarts and I…”

“Let me stop you right there. Are you trying to pin this on me? YOU were the one who was making out with another girl on the train. James found me after I saw,” [Y/N] said, interrupting him. For the first time, thinking of that memory didn’t bring pain, it brought anger instead.

“What? No.. I didn’t.. we didn’t…” Sirius started, but couldn’t form a sentence.

“You can try to deny it all you want, but I know what I saw,” [Y/N] said. “You know what else Sirius? I loved you. I wanted nothing more than to be with you. You crushed me when I saw you on the bus, and you crushed me again when you announced you were dating her. I don’t know where this conversation is going, but we have both moved on Sirius. I’m with James and you’re with…”

“No, I’m not with her. We broke up weeks ago. I broke up with her because I wanted to be with you. I only started dating her to make you jealous. Who would’ve thought you’d be the one making me jealous,” he glanced at [Y/N]. She had nothing to say, she was just watching him. Sirius continued, “[Y/N], I love you. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I’ve loved you for awhile now. I’m sorry I’ve been such a fool and made a huge mess of things. I should have never done anything to hurt you. Damnit, I want a second chance [Y/N]. Please, give me a second chance.”

He took a step closer, and leaned forward…

Time seemed to stop for [Y/N]. She didn’t expect to fall in love with two guys. Nor did she expect them to fall in love with her. Stuff like this isn’t planned. It just happens.

There was Sirius, her first love. The boy who had her heart from the beginning, but then broke it into two.

Then there was James. The boy who picked up those two pieces and made them whole again.

But the more she thought about it, the answer was right in front of her.

Of course, the person she belonged with was…

James

Sirius

25 notes · View notes

randomreadingtimewithtsuki · 2 years

Note

Some Bleach characters reaction to receiving a bouquet of flowers from their s/o? Thanks!

Thank you for requesting! I hope this is of your liking!

Tsuki's note: sorry it took a little a while!

I chose a few characters again… I am trying to pick different characters XD

I wanted to use a very specific Brazilian saying. But it sounds so weird in English T^T for my fellow Brazilians, it was " cavalo dado não se olha os dentes" something akin to " you don't judge something that was given"

Tsuki's note 2: Nel's is platonic. Purely and cutely platonic.

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

Rangiku:

• She is so happy!

• I have a feeling she would rather a bouquet with warm colored flowers. Like red, orange, yellow.

• She will hug you tight!!

• While she puts the flowers in a vase, she will be smiling at the bouquet the whole time.

• She has a very tender and loving look too!

• But you bet she will tease you.

• 10/10 will say something cheesy like " aaaw! What's the special occasion? Did you just miss me?"

• She is not very good with plants but will try her best to keep them alive for as long as possible.

• You can see she is more radiant than ever.

• When the flowers withers away she will be sad and kinda pouty.

• Shamelessly asks for another bouquet from you.

• From now on every time you are not looking, she will have a soft expression towards you!

Ukitake:

• Ok, man is super happy.

• I feel he would love those bouquets with mixes of flowers and leaves.

• He is so surprised that it makes it very easy for you to see so many emotions go through his face!

• It goes like: a small smile and hum from the moment you call him to surprise to realization to happiness to ecstatic!

• He pats your head and ruffles your hair.

• He thanks you a lot!!

• He takes very good care of his bouquet.

• It lasts for a really long time! He also places the flowers on his desk.

• Whenever he has a break he stares at the plants and smiles happily.

• He is 10/10 giving you something back. Be a bouquet, some sweet you like or even an accessory!

• Lowkey looks forward to the next gift from you!

• When he is alone putting them in a vase he wonders why you gave them to him in the first place.

• He doesn't push you though.

• Be ready to have two shinigamis following you around indefinitely!

Grimmjow:

• Surprised to see him here? Why not give some love to the arrancars too.

• Not gonna lie, he will just stare at the bouquet for a while.

• He doesn't know what to do?

• Should he keep it? But they need water, right? Should he refuse it? Who knows?

• He takes so long thinking about it, that he makes you a little upset, as you pull the bouquet away asking if he didn't like it.

• He just " eh?" To you. He is undoubtedly confused.

• But as he sees you pulling the flowers back and looking sad, he snatches them out of your hands: " cannot refuse a gift given"

• That being said, he doesn't care what kind of bouquet it is.

• That doesn't quite help your mood but at least he took it.

• He actually tries hard to keep them alive.

• He may fail miserably, but he did try.

• Whenever he looked at them he felt so weird? It's called affection, you dummy.

• You don't see a direct change in him right away.

• The only thing that happens is that he becomes more protective of you.

• Lowkey is anxious for a possible next gift - in a good way.

• He doesn't know how to give you something back.

• Especially because you still seem a little upset from his previous reaction.

• So to make it up he occasionally just drops himself on you.

• You might notice, right? Right?

Child! Nel:

• You must be wondering why you chose baby Nel?

• Well, picture this:

• You give this little snotty bean flowers. The most colorful ones you can find.

• She will be mesmerized.

• So happy that you got her pretty things!

• She loves flowers!

• You can teach her to care for them and she will do her best!

• He will giggle and show it to Ichigo " itsugo! Look! What y/n gave meee!"

• She will be utterly sad when they whiter.

• But nothing that a warm hug can't fix!

• She will be thrilled if you give her more flowers or even a potted one.

• Claiming that it will live longer ( as long as she cares for it)

• She will take care of the little plant diligently.

• Will give you updates about them. How much they grew, if they bloomed and what not.

• Adorable no?

• Her cute smile has no price! The happiness she shows with such a simple gift is the most precious thing!

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

This is it! I hope you have enjoyed what I had to offer!

Forgive if they were short!

I was thrilled to write this, but I felt like I would write a freaking essay again lol

Anyway!

Thanks for reading!

#bleach #bleach x reader #matsumoto rangiku #matsumote rangiku x reader #jushiro ukitake #ukitake jushiro x reader #grimmjow x reader #Child! Nel

159 notes · View notes

tzaharasykes · 23 days

Note

I would love to hear all the reasons you don’t ship Donna with Eric and don’t think they were right for each other because I totally agree and we’re such a minority! They want really different things out of life and I feel like Eric needs someone more romantic, supportive and loving than Donna is while she needs someone more unconventional and adventurous than Eric (I say this as someone who likes Eric but isn’t crazy about Donna, and she honestly seem to believe she was way too good for him)

Hi! Yes we really are in the minority here. I pretty much don't like them together primarily for the reasons you have stated. What they want out of life will take them in totally different directions, especially Donna. Donna is probably the biggest issue for me, and you can't exactly be a shipper of a ship if you simply dislike half of it.

Donna has always seemed like she thinks of herself as better and smarter than Eric, and is not afraid to disrespect and belittle him. She mostly says nothing when their friends put Eric down in order to prop her up. When there is a problem, he is primarily to blame before she can even think of apologizing for her mistakes.

She thought so little of him throughout season 3, specifically before the episode of their breakup. Main examples I can think of right now: interjecting and belittling him when he's trying to tell his friends a funny story, ditching him for hours after a concert night out and feeling entitled to do so, and her diary entry about wanting Eric to be, like, edgier or something, which led him to attempt to get a tattoo for her. It is Eric's fault for reading her private diary, and he should not have done it. But this specific point goes back to what you mentioned about Donna needing someone more "adventurous". Eric was not that for her.

These were the true feelings that she was yearning for, but chose to settle with Eric after her failure with "bad boy, exciting" Casey because Eric is safe and practically "worships" her, which naturally gives her the upper hand. I just think that's a horrible way to look at someone, in my opinion. At the end of season 3, once she was made to face the reality of being with Eric in the long term, she rejected the idea and didn't want to give him a real answer.

I don't think I need to talk too much about the crap in season 4. More belittling, more pettiness, vengeance (unapologetically slandering him in the school paper and then getting upset when she gets a taste of her own medicine), and rubbing Casey in his face. Eric wouldn't think to treat her the way she treated him. Yet he is somehow still the bad guy and in the complete wrong.

Season 5-7 were basically the same type of behavior. Season 6 brought back Mitch, which really brought some of Donna's worst qualities (ego and pride) in the way she treated Eric. Season 6, Eric ditches his own wedding, knowing this conjugal life will only fill Donna with regret. Imagine knowing that the person you love is going to regret spending the rest of their life with you. Just wow. Season 7 Eric seems to have grown disillusioned with his life and this shitty relationship and just left. I'm glad he did.

In the end, it was all a rollercoaster and while Donna and Eric had their (few) sweet moments, so much of it was overshadowed by these lame negatives for me. As for Eric, he threw himself into this relationship and made Donna his whole world to the point where he had no aspirations besides wanting to be with her. Naturally, this made him insecure, especially when he felt he was being left behind. This wouldn't have happened if he had some solid goals for his future, rather than just sitting around, smoking pot with his friends, and thinking of Donna all day. In Donna's defense here, I can see why her feelings about the promise ring were so hesitant.

So, these are my main reasons for not liking the ship. No matter how many years go by and I rewatch, this minority opinion remains the same.

#that 70s show #eric forman #anti donna pinciotti #anon #ask #sorry for the late reply btw #haven't been online #hope you see this anon

7 notes · View notes

rinseveryday · 10 months

Note

Hello! I have so many thoughts and theories in my mind, especially I want to ask you the one. What do you think about the Demon King Rin? In the last chapter we saw how all pieces of the puzzle is coming together....

Hello! Thanks for the ask! I also have so many thoughts, please ask away anytime.

Massive spoilers for chapters 139 (138? I don't remember) and above!! Putting my response under the cut because it is long :> Like, I had to sit down for over an hour, long.

Demon King Rin my beloved boy

You know what's funny about life is that I fell in love with him way back in 2013, and he ended up becoming exactly my type of character 10 years later. I kept up with the series, but I discovered my tastes through other media so it was a huge shock to me when Demon King vigilante Rin shows up in canon. I was/am OBSESSED with the anti-hero or jaded hero types, like Daredevil and Deadpool just to name a few (I had a Marvel phase) as well as serieses like Devilman and Chainsaw man on the anime side. A monster with a human heart, bonus points if they live in a world that doesn't accept them. Now why am I talking about other shows? (Bc I wanna, that's why)

Well, Blue Exorcist didn't start as an adult rating, morally gray, anti-hero series did it? It was a fun, cliché Shonen show for teens set in an academic setting with all the typical school festivities and classmate crushes you can expect. Kinda different than Daredevil. But it's slowly been creeping towards darker, more serious topics over the years because Katoh's specialty lies in her ability to twist clichés into her own thing. AoEx's plot runs a lot deeper, and more sinister than your typical devil shonen manga. I still see a lot of theories about AoEx that still think it'll follow a Shonen plot, though, where the end will be a big fight against Somebody and then they'll all go home, become exorcists, and move on.

But really, Katoh's already said that Rin is a character that, if she's not careful, becomes real dark, real fast. I bet she had been wanting to add an anti-hero plot to the story for a while. He's no Naruto. He is the fox.

And so, newsflash! Rin's biggest antagonist isn't a demon. It's himself. Not demon!Rin, but Rin, as a whole. The plot isn't anywhere near being finished. Right now he's not the Blue Exorcist quite yet. He's a guy (level of humanity questionable) wreathed in the flames of a demon god. The day where he must choose between Assiah or Gehenna, is coming closer.

We see in the timeskip chapters a world where the current day has become Rin's tragic anti-hero backstory. Where he made choices that led him away from his human allies. Where he chose to embrace his demonic nature and fight against the corrupt human organizations.

I used to think that someone else was leading Rin, using him as a puppet leader of a resistance with his friends kept away as blackmail. Because how could Rin be so organized as to lead any sort of resistance right? Did his friends die which made him go rogue? What did Paku see? Was it related to Rin's reasons for becoming the Demon King?

However, now with the things Rin brought up in the most chapters, I don't know. I still find it hard to believe Rin would lead anything, but maybe he was just doing his own thing and the demons followed on their own *shrug.* If Rin's friends were still in the picture, he'd go to the ends of the Earth to get them back. So that leaves us with either a) they're dead or b) he chose to leave them.

People wear masks to hide. He doesn't need to hide his identity because his flames give it away so... Maybe he's hiding from shame.

His face went from sad to blank when he realized Paku was around. Rin Okumura? With a blank face? Our Mr. Wears his heart on his sleeve? Dude who cries from manga and slaps his knee when he laughs?

The blank face is a coping mechanism, just like the mask. He's probably disassociating so he doesn't have to deal with the painful memories she brings. Memories of his friends... Memories of being human.

Which brings us to the question, What did Rin remember when he woke up? I have a feeling he never reconciled with his demonic nature in that future, which led him to be at odds with exorcists. (RIP Malchidael Miku, you were too annoying to live). He probably didn't see the same future Mephisto did, but considering he does have all the same powers Satan does, he definitely saw Something.

Rin is right in that he was wrong to cage his so-called "demonic side." Or, if you read the raws too, he called it the "demon me." Everyone has anger and violence and desire and scorn in them as part of their survival instincts. That's not even a purely "demonic" thing. Rin forces the embodiment of those feelings, demon!Rin to yield and stay put. He doesn't understand why demon!Rin lashes out so strongly nor why he wants to take over.

Uhmmm sounds real healthy right? *Checks watch* demon!Rin should be back any chapter now~ It really begs the question, is demon!Rin the evil one for wanting to break out? Or is human!Rin the evil one for forcing demon!Rin to keep seething in jail?

Going back to the topic, it seems that Rin doesn't want to become the Demon King this time but he also isn't sure what to do. He knows he needs to do something about his burning questions and he knows the key to truly taming himself lies in knowledge and understanding. He has only caged himself, and has yet to reach Yuri's level of taming. Demon!Rin will come back. He'll always be there to protect Rin when he needs him the most.

While I sure love me some villain and anti-hero AUs, I do hope my beloved Rin Gone Wrong to stay in those chapters. He deserves a happier True Ending than becoming a Demon King 🤧

Well, there's some of my thoughts on Rin as Demon King and the plot. This got super long and was actually longer before I cut out all the unnecessary rambling.

Tl;dr he scares me

#ask #theory #it was hard to write with my brain exoloding #rin okumura #aoex #idk if i wanna put this in the big tags bc i dont even know if im coherent #been busy freaking out over my new job so it was nice to just think about Rin for a few hours

29 notes · View notes

apocalypticavolition · 2 months

Text

Let's (re)Read The Dragon Reborn! Chapter 2: Saidin

I am running out of pictures so rapidly it's alarming. It's as if I've moved beyond the territory of the show and the comic books and so all we've got left is text, which is apparently terrible for engagement. Also terrible for engagement is warning people about spoilers, which is why I won't tell anyone who doesn't already know that this post contains spoilers for the whole of The Wheel of Time series. Come right in and make lots of outraged replies about how I've ruined everything for you instead.

This chapter starts with the dragon's fang symbol, probably because it's literally called "Saidin" and Rand will be fucking things up with it.

All the women who came insisted on speaking to Moiraine immediately, and alone. The news that Moiraine chose to share with the rest of them did not always seem very important, but the women held the intensity of a hunter stalking the last rabbit in the world for his starving family.

It's almost like they're working for an Aes Sedai, and not just any Aes Sedai but one of the few left who tries to live up to the old standard. I'd think that pretty important too unless I was literally dyingn of thirst.

Or ever, he added to himself. Moiraine had kept them there all winter. The Shienarans did not think she gave the orders, not here, but Perrin knew that Aes Sedai somehow always seemed to get their way. Especially Moiraine.

I get that you're stir-crazy bro but do you really WANT to be wandering the wilderness in the middle of winter, fighting battles that you can avoid by staying still? What alternatives do you have other than "Don't do what Moiraine wants because she's Aes Sedai"?

“The Tinker woman is going to die,” she said softly, eyeing the others near the fires. None was close enough to hear.

It's times like this you can remember why Min doesn't particularly want her powers. She's probably seen quite a few people who were going to die soon by this point, just because when you walk by so many people in a city it's bound to happen sooner or later.

“Is that her name? I wish I didn’t know. It always makes it worse, knowing and not being able to. . . . Perrin, I saw her own face floating over her shoulder, covered in blood, eyes staring. It’s never any clearer than that.” She shivered and rubbed her hands together briskly.

I wonder if these omens she sees are realistic enough to be as traumatizing as seeing the actual thing.

He thought of the wolves. No! The scouts would find anyone or anything trying to approach the camp.

Good job helping fulfill Min's prophecy, Perrin. Things might have been different if you'd used your resources to your fullest advantage.

She had told him; she had tried warning people about bad things when, at six or seven, she had first realized not everyone could see what she saw. She would not say more, but he had the impression that her warnings had only made matters worse, when they were believed at all.

Poor Min.

It had made him cautious and careful, and regretful of his anger when he let it show. “I am sorry, Min. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I did not mean to hurt you.” She gave him a surprised look.

Really I think my problem with Perrin is that it's very obvious that he has completely over-corrected for problems in the past to the point where he's now too afraid to do much of anything on his own.

“Strange,” she said softly, “how you seem to care so much about the Tuatha’an. They are utterly peaceful, and I always see violence around—” He turned his head away, and she cut off abruptly.

And again, it's other women tearing Perrin apart with words much more than him hurting them physically or emotionally. Perrin's problem is that at heart he absolutely agrees that violence is damaging even in self-defense but he exists in an Age where that self-defense is very necessary.

She rolled her eyes at Perrin, a wry twist to her mouth. “All I wanted was to live as I pleased, fall in love with a man I chose. . . .” Her cheeks reddened suddenly, and she cleared her throat.

1. Min, almost no one chooses who they fall in love with. 2. You're lucky you're blabbering in front of Perrin and Loial and not anyone with an understanding of love because for all your "don't like to talk about your visions" thing, you sure are signposting it for everyone.

The Ogier looked at them, suddenly shy, his ears twitching. “Promise you will not laugh? I think I might write a book about it. I have been taking notes.”

Really, you could argue that Loial has hardly been swept up into the ta'veren stuff at all yet. If he'd met anyone so interesting as Rand and crew, he might have chosen to go traveling with them anyway. After all, his choosing to leave the groves had nothing to do with them.

Uno, who could hardly say a sentence without a curse, spoke now with the deepest respect. The others echoed him. “Honor to serve.” Masema, who saw ill in everything, and whose eyes now shone with utter devotion; Ragan; all of them, awaiting a command if it were Rand’s pleasure to give one.

While Rand of course dislikes this treatment, I do think that having to deal with this for a few months is the start of his arrogance. You can't be treated like this by every normal person you spend time with without it starting to rub off on you.

And aside from Moiraine and Lan, there were only the three of them—Min, Loial, and him—who did not stare at Rand as if he stood above kings. And of the three only Perrin knew him from before.

It's rather unfortunate that Perrin instinctively understands why Rand needs him here and tosses that aside much later on in the story. All three of the boys seem to backslide a bit as a result of what happens to them.

A man—a thing!—everyone was taught to loathe and fear from childhood. Only . . . it was hard to stop seeing the boy he had grown up with. How do you just stop being somebody’s friend?

Prejudices - even really rational ones like "Don't trust the dudes who can and will melt you in their sleep" - tend to have a hard time sticking around in the face of empathy, which Perrin to his credit does have a lot of. It's why he's a little better at dealing with this stuff than Mat.

He began to laugh mirthlessly, his shoulders shaking. “I have the duty, because there isn’t anybody else, now is there?”

Rand's not going mad from the taint here, but rather from the reality of his position finally setting in. The weight of the world is on his shoulders so it's understandable that he's cracking under the strain. And that more than anything is why Moiraine is right to have him wait - if he did go out onto the Plain in this state he'd probably snap in battle instead of thrive like he has before.

Perrin almost laughed himself, in confusion. “If you agree with her, why in the Light do you argue all the time?” “Because I have to do something. Or I’ll . . . I’ll—burst like a rotted melon!”

Like Perrin, Rand's big problem in this sequence is that he doesn't have any viable alternatives and just whines a lot instead. There's a lot Rand could be doing (more training with Lan, trying to learn politics from Moiraine, studying with Loial, etc.) but instead of dedicating himself to his fate he just laments all the deaths that are happening in his name instead. This is naturally only going to lead to more problems down the line.

Rand shivered; despite the chill, there was sweat on his face. His eyes were still shut tight. “Oh, Light,” he groaned, “it pulls so.”

Nope, this isn't taint madness either (I will be doing my best to demonstrate to you why NONE of his craziness in this book can be chalked up to that specifically). Remember: Rand is a wilder and he's still in that awkward "could easily draw enough power to burn himself out because he doesn't even know the proper exercises for starting out with the power" phase.

Rand stood with his head thrown back, his eyes still shut tight. He did not seem to feel the thrashing of the ground that had him now at one angle, now at another. His balance never shifted, no matter how he was tossed. Perrin could not be certain, being shaken as he was, but he thought Rand wore a sad smile. The trees flailed about, and the leatherleaf suddenly cracked in two, the greater part of its trunk crashing down not three paces from Rand. He noticed it no more than he noticed any of the rest.

The land and Rand are one, so he externalizes his temper tantrum out onto the world to avoid having to acknowledge his actual feelings.

Rand looked around as if seeing things for the first time. The fallen leatherleaf, and the broken branches. There was, Perrin realized, surprisingly little damage. He had expected gaping rents in the earth. The wall of trees looked almost whole.

And of course, Rand hasn't really addressed any of his internal issues so while he's a little disheveled, nothing has actually changed.

“They’re always there, dreams,” Rand said, so softly Perrin barely heard. “Maybe they tell us things. True things.” He fell silent, brooding.

Rand is of course also snapping under the pressure of Ba'alsy's TAR campaign. The lack of good sleep is already catching up to him here and it's not going to be getting better anytime soon.

Ah well. Next time: News!

#let's read #wheel of time #wot #robert jordan #wheel of time spoilers #wot spoilers #perrin aybara #leya #min farshaw #loial #rand al'thor #uno nomesta #masema dagar #ragan

7 notes · View notes

avengerscompound · 1 year

Text

The Recruit - 5. Clint

The Recruit - An Avengers Fanfiction

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing: Clint Barton x Bucky Barnes x Sharon Carter x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Sam Wilson x F!Reader

Word Count: 2684

Warnings: nothing really.

Synopsis: When Sam Wilson is set up on a blind date, he doesn’t expect anything to come from it. He is already in a relationship after all, and not just with one other person, but a whole group of them. You never expected to end up working for the Avengers let alone be dating six of them at the same time. Now you’re balancing a new job, a new romance, new friends, and a secret that could destroy a lot of lives if it got out. It’s a tricky balance to get right at the best of times, but when something happens to Steve Rogers it’s up to the people who love him most to get him back.

5. Clint

Clint had been excited when Sam had come to the group suggesting that they consider adding someone else. First of all, he loved Sam and he trusted his opinion. If Sam had met someone he had shared such instant chemistry with, then in Clint’s mind, that could never be a bad thing. The other thing was, Clint’s capacity to love was boundless. He didn’t trust easily, and he hated being around a bunch of strangers, but if he chose someone, they were his person and he would love them so hard and so protectively. The problem was he was an absolute disaster within a standard monogamous relationship. He flirted with other people. He misread cues. He would get super passionate about things and end up fighting with them. Once he even cheated on a girlfriend because he didn’t realize she thought they were at the exclusive part of the relationship. It hadn’t been malicious, but it had happened and it had ended up hurting her really badly.

The thing he had now with Steve, Sam, Bucky, Natasha, and Sharon was everything he had ever needed in a relationship. He had so many people he loved. They didn’t mind if he flirted with other people. If Clint blew up and got huffy about something there was always a mediator there to talk him down. He never felt completely alone or completely misunderstood.

Not to mention he was a certified kinkster and having five people he could go to bed with meant he was always getting his needs not only met, but well and truly exceeded.

Adding someone else to the group - especially someone Sam felt so strongly about could only be a good thing as far as Clint was concerned. Meeting you completely sealed the deal for him. The dinner had gone great. He knew not everyone was as keen to add someone else. Steve had been difficult to convince that polyamory would work in the first place and worried that anything that might disrupt what they had could end up ruining it. Bucky and Natasha were both distrustful of new people, and Sharon said she didn’t want to make any decisions based on a complete stranger. That had all changed after the dinner. You’d been cautious and a little unsure yourself, but it was clear to Clint at least that by the end of the dinner everyone was way more open to the idea.

The night had ended with a series of different levels of goodbye. Bucky had politely nodded to you and Steve had kissed your cheek. Clint and risked a slightly parted lips kiss on the mouth and it had been so good. It held with it everything that a good first kiss always held, the promise of new love and a whole bunch of firsts to come. While he knew that this was completely new for you and it would take a while for you to be comfortable with it, Clint had gone to bed with Natasha and Sharon buzzing about the fact there was a new romance in the air.

The following day Clint had gone down to training excited to see what you could do. Working with you was going to make it easier to get to know you and for the first time in a long time, he was excited about the morning run.

He waited in the specialized gym by the wall, his eyes scanning the huge two-story space filled with people of all shapes and sizes for the person that was going to be his new person.

He spotted you as you came in through the large quadruple doors. You were scanning the large space, both taking it in and looking for anyone you might recognize. He was about to wave you over when your gaze landed on him you lit up and made a beeline over.

“Hey there, newbie,” he said. He made no move to kiss or embrace you despite the mindblowing kiss from last night. This was work and the relationship was a secret, so he had to hold back. Thankfully you did too. Aside from blowing up the secret, the last thing he wanted was for you to be singled out as not belonging in the program because people thought there was some kind of nepotism going on.

“What’s going on? I thought this would just be the recruits,” you asked as you gestured vaguely to the room.

Clint laughed and shook his head. “Later you’ll be split up,” he said. “But this is morning fitness. All the agents and the Avengers are expected to attend. The only two people I know who can get out of it are Bruce and Tony, and Steve’s not exactly happy about the fact Tony keeps wriggling out of it. It’s also open to everyone who works with us if they want. That group over there -” he pointed to a group of five people milling by the exit “- they’re from legal.”

“That’s pretty impressive,” you said with a nod. “So should I go anywhere in particular?”

“Well, if you want to go with the high school clique system, the other newbies are over there,” he said, pointing to a group of about ten people all in clusters of two or three. Not that he wanted you to go. If anything, he wanted to do the run with you so that the two of you had more time to get to know each other. “They’ve all been at it for a while. We don’t have a formal recruitment process so people join and run through it and get made official at different times. If you want to be brave you can try and introduce yourself.”

“And if I don’t want to be brave?” you asked.

Clint laughed and leaned up against the wall. “Then stick with me. Get those rumors swirling around.”

You laughed. “You think they’d start just because I was talking to you?”

“Oh sure. You might end up the queen bee of all the newbs because of your sweet Avengers connections,” he teased. “And there’s all kinds of weird rumors flying about. I heard that Nat was a vampire and slept in a coffin. And that I was a robot that lives on coffee. Though that one might be true.”

“I’ll try and be good. We’ll just make it look like I am a brown noser,” you said with a playful smirk.

“Teacher’s pet? I could live with that,” Clint chuckled, liking you more and more every minute. “Maybe I can find you some extra work to do in the office.”

“You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you, Barton?” you asked, raising your eyebrow at him.

“Only always,” he replied.

The room fell silent suddenly and Clint gestured for you to turn around. Steve was striding through the room in a pair of dark blue sweatpants and the most form-fitting, gray compression shirt he owned, leaving nothing to the imagination. Clint logically knew that Steve wore that shirt to minimize chafing and collect up sweat, but god if Clint didn’t tell himself that Steve only wore it because he knew how hot and bothered it made everyone else.

“Good morning, everyone. We’re going to start our warm-up run now. Recruits, stay behind after everyone else has been dismissed,” Steve announced.

Everyone began heading to the doors and you looked at Clint with confusion etched on your face. “We’re going out on a run?”

“You haven’t heard of the famous Avengers run?” Clint asked. “Every morning we slow down traffic doing our run. We go from here down 42nd to the East River, down to 22nd Street, then to Flatiron Building, up past the Empire State back here again. It’s about three and a half miles. We aim for about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Nat does it at about twelve. Steve and Bucky lap us all three times. But it doesn’t matter too much. Some of the slower people take forty minutes or so. They might just only do the jog and then head to work - or they join in on the circuits after we’ve started.”

The crowd began to thin as everyone headed outside, and Sam spotted you and Clint and headed right toward you both. “Morning fellow bird and fresh meat.”

“I’m fresh meat?” you giggled. Clint noticed the automatic step forward and then freeze, like you’d gone to kiss him hello, and then realized that would be a terrible idea.

“For now. And I’m still waiting to get a taste,” he said.

“Oh, Sammy,” you scolded. “You could have done that on the first date if you’d asked nicely.”

Clint started laughing as Sam just blinked at you. The bold flirting and innuendo in such a risky setting was a bit of a turn-on if he was honest with himself. He smiled at you and quirked his eyebrows. “You and I are going to get along just fine.”

When you stepped outside the building, the crowd was already jogging toward the East River. One lane of traffic had been blocked off and a huge crowd had gathered on the footpaths, calling out and taking pictures. “Holy shit,” you gasped.

“You’ve never heard about this? Really?” Clint asked.

You shook your head. “No. Never.”

“Oh man,” Sam said. “This is the daily running of the Avengers. The cops fucking hate it. Every day it’s like a mini-parade. They have to block off parts of the streets. Keep the crowds back. We keep talking about moving out of the city. Tony talks big. Huge military facility. Not just because of this, but the tower is a bit of a target.”

“The mayor fucking loves us being here though,” Clint added. “Futzing superhero capital of the world. It’s part of the tourism marketing. Right up there with Broadway and the Statue of Liberty.”

“Crazy,” you said, shaking your head.

“Yeah, it’s a little much,” Sam said. “Maybe we’ll move upstate one day. Until then - the morning running of the Avengers.”

“What a surreal life you guys lead.”

Sam looked over at you with his head tilted. “I guess this is a pretty good way to ease you into it. I should thank Tony for that.”

“Yeah. I guess it is. It also gives me an excuse to be here all the time - and - I can get to know you through work too,” you added.

“Smart,” Clint said. “So in that spirit. Maybe we should try getting to know each other better.”

“On your left.”

Steve came tearing past your group on the left-hand side as he did every day. Clint braced himself and a moment later Bucky appeared on the right with a ‘right.’

“I’m literally going to kill you, Rogers!” Sam yelled, picking up his pace for a couple of yards and then dropping back again.

“Jesus,” you cursed. “I knew they were fast…”

“It’s something else, right?” Clint said. “Not a bad view while they leave though.”

“Steve has been pulling that shit since I met him,” he said. “Fucking show off.”

“Okay, I want to know that story,” you said.

“Alright - so -” Sam started. “I’m out for my morning run around the National Mall and I hear on your left. That jerk runs past wearing pretty much exactly what he’s wearing now. If I hadn’t already known I was into men I would have known it then. His tits…”

“Tits…” Clint giggled.

“This is a four-and-a-half-mile run,” Sam said. “It took me half an hour. He fucking laps me three times! He did the whole thing four times while I’m doing the one circuit, and every time he comes past me as close as possible with an ‘on your left’. We’re the only two people in the place. He could have just taken a wide arc around me. But no. The asshole has to show off.” He looked over at you with his dark eyes twinkling. “You know he’s flirting when he starts showing off.”

You laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. If he wants to drop to the floor and give me fifty to get me all hot and bothered, he’s definitely on the right track.”

Both Clint and Sam laughed. “I’ll have to keep that in mind,” Sam said.

“You know what’s super hot?” Clint said. “Bucky and Steve can do push-ups one-handed with someone sitting on their back. When they’re at the touchy-feely, show-off stage, you should totally get them to do that.”

“I’m definitely going to,” you laughed. “Holy shit. Even the thought of it is hot.”

The three of you reached the first bend and Clint and Sam veered to the right, nudging you so you were following the group running down the East River. “Okay - in the spirit of getting to know each other better; tell me something about yourselves I wouldn’t be able to google.”

“Oh… nice one,” Sam said. “Let me think…”

Clint went quiet while he considered what he was willing to tell you, and Sam seemed to do the same. It was quieter down this stretch of road. There were fewer spectators and being able to see Brooklyn, where he’d once lived, helped Clint run through the various stories he had to share. Steve and Bucky passed the group again about halfway to the next turn, repeating ‘on your left’ and ‘right’ as they passed which once again made Sam yell and pick up his pace. When Sam slowed back so he was in step with you and Clint again he glanced over at you. “I’ve got it,” he said. “I collect bird feathers. I don’t know if you noticed them around the place. I put the big ones - peacock, pheasant, ostrich - you know - into jars. The smaller ones, I put in books. I don’t know… I’ve always really liked birds.”

“That’s really cute,” you said, an affectionate smile crossing your lips. “What about you, Clint? You like birds too?”

“Birds are okay. I like them fine,” he said.

“Alright - so what’s your thing, Clint?” you asked.

Suddenly the perfect bit of information popped into his head. It was the perfect level of salacity and not something the public knew at all. “I can pole dance!”

“Seriously?” you asked. “Me too!”

Sam stopped running, and for a moment you and Clint didn’t realize you were leaving him behind. Clint laughed and turned, jogging backward. “I think we broke him.”

“Sam! Are you coming?” you called.

Sam shook his head and caught back up to you both as you and Clint continued your conversation. “I wouldn’t have predicted that for you,” Clint said, as you took the next corner. “No offense or anything. Ex air force special ops just don’t seem like the pole dancing types, is all.”

“I did pole fitness back in school,” you explained. “Well - not in school obviously, it wasn’t part of gym class. Some friends decided they wanted to do it and invited me along. It was such a good workout. Core strength, legs, arms, flexibility. Well, you know?”

“For sure,” Clint agreed. “I fucking swear by it. Plus it’s fun to bring out sometimes just to surprise people and get ones thrown at you.”

You threw your head back, cackling. “Holy shit, yes!”

Clint looked over at Sam. “Is your brain still broken, birdy?”

“Did you want a demonstration of pole dancing?” you added.

“Honey, you can demonstrate that any time you want,” Sam said. “Both of you at once if you like.”

You laughed. “If you’re good. We might have to go out on another date, won’t we?”

“What are you doing tonight?” Sam asked.

“On your left,” Steve said as he came past you for the fourth time, this time as the three of you approached the corner at the Flatiron building. He was quickly followed by Bucky on the right.

Sam threw his hands up in frustration, which in turn made you and Clint both lose it. “I might have to see how well I’m fairing after today, won’t I?”

“Yeah,” Clint teased. “This is just a warm-up. Now we’ve got the hard stuff.”

// NEXT

115 notes · View notes