#finally getting what he's desperately wanted for centuries may have made him Slightly Stupid

[bosspigeon]

OH. 48 for adam and nate,,, 🚶‍♂️

48. kisses with trembling lips

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Nate chuckles weakly, head lolling against the pillows when he hears the door click shut.

He can't see the scowl Adam is most assuredly wearing, but one does not know a man for centuries without gaining a sense of how he reacts to things like flirtatious comments delivered from one's sickbed. Not that Nate was making many flirtatious comments from his sickbed in those centuries. None that he can remember, at least. Or, rather, none that he would ever admit to remembering.

Blood loss does funny things to a man's head, after all.

"Do I need to call Dr. Tuft for a psychological evaluation as well?" Adam growls at him.

Well, he must be in much worse shape than he thought. He sinks deeper into the pillows propping him upright, tugging his blanket up over his bare chest to hide the bandages wound around his middle.

"You're upset with me," Nate observes astutely.

Adam laughs, and the bitterness sticks somewhere deep in Nate's still-healing gut, acrid and sharp as the venomous stinger that pierced him through not too terribly long ago. Perhaps mere hours ago, he thinks, depending on how long he slept. It's difficult to tell the time when he can't even see, and while vampires do have an innate sense of where the sun is at any given time whether they can see it or not, Nate is perhaps a bit addled by the circumstances, and is not currently at his best.

"You are lucid enough to understand that, at least."

"Bodes well for my recovery, don't you think?" Nate offers. He tries to sound cheery, but it falls flat.

Adam's footsteps are quiet and purposeful as he approaches Nate's bedside, and it will never cease to be a wonder how he can walk so softly in his thick-soled combat boots. He stands there, silent, for a moment that stretches on for what feels like years, but what are years when Nate has spent centuries aching at Adam's side?

The silence is torture, yes, but at least it's a softer one than he's used to.

Nate can feel the potential energy of Adam's tension practically radiating from him, a low hum of tangled nerves and taut muscle. He reaches out blindly, biting back a noise as the motion pulls at his slowly knitting wound. He clearly doesn't bite it back hard enough, because Adam graciously shifts close enough that Nate's hand can land somewhere on his person.

He squeezes lightly, just to be sure of what it is, and is perhaps visibly pleased than he should be at the gentle give of Adam's chest.

At least he can feel how hard Adam is fighting an indulgent chuckle, so he can't be too cross with Nate.

"Sit down?" he asks, and if he endeavors to sound just a touch more pitiful than he feels, that is no one's business but his.

The edge of the bed gives under Adam's weight, and he makes a point not to dislodge the hand resting on his chest, over his heart.

"You have to admit, it is a bit refreshing to have the roles reversed, isn't it?" Nate smiles rakishly, and he thinks perhaps he should be grateful for the acid burns, as the bandages over his eyes are protecting him from the force of the glare Adam is certainly giving him, because if he could see it, and if looks could kill, Nate would be dead and buried several times over.

"I do not see the humor in this situation," Adam grumbles.

"Nor did I any of the countless times I had to sit at your bedside, old friend," Nate retorts primly.

"That is—" Adam quickly realizes how close he is to shouting, and, not wishing to be hauled out of Nate's room by the scruff of his neck by the only nurse the Agency assigns to any of them at this point (he hopes Elidor's salary reflects how much work he puts in, dealing with their lot) lowers his voice to a furious hiss, "That is not the same thing, and you know it."

"Why not?" Nate fires back. "I've seen you in much worse shape than this, and far more often too." And it tore him apart every time, nearly pried to truth out of him, just in case every time was his last chance to tell the stubborn fool he loved him, but he always shoved at down at the last minute and told himself that stubborn fool was too damned stubborn to die.

"It's different," Adam insists, but his voice falters. "It's— You—"

It dawns on Nate slowly, and perhaps it's the sedatives and painkillers pumped into his system, and perhaps it's simply the side effects of centuries of repression that are to blame for how long it takes. "Oh," he breathes as it hits him. "Oh, Adam." He swallows hard, patting at the blankets until he finds Adam's thigh, and then further until he can find his hands, balled into fists in his lap. It takes some doing with his muddled dexterity, but he manages to pry them open, and slots his fingers clumsily between his commander's and squeezes.

Nate has been so caught up in the sheer, unadulterated elation of finally, finally having what he's wanted with every part of him for so long, he forgets sometimes that, for all the time he was aching, dragged under by the weight of feelings ignored, words unsaid, Adam was aching too.

He's been so tangled up in the... the honeymoon phase of this thing between them, that he has not even spared a moment to realize that now that they have this, whatever it is, whatever they're calling it, that now they have something new and precious to lose.

Perhaps he did realize it, even without conscious thought, seeing as he threw himself into harm's way the second Adam was threatened, never mind that, of the two of them, Adam is much more likely to walk away from a thirteen-inch stinger through his torso.

"Oh, Adam," he says again, stricken with guilt. "I'm... I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, I only— You were distracted, and I thought—" He laughs and tugs Adam's hands to his mouth, brushing kisses across his knuckles. He knows the bruises there have healed, but he is deliberately gentle regardless, as if he could ever make up for the mess he's made.

Adam's hands pull away from his, and he tries to cling to them stubbornly, to dig in his heels and shake his head like a petulant child, but he stills when Adam pinches his chin between two fingers and tilts up his face, pressing his mouth to the bandages over his eyes, first one, then the other. When he kisses Nate's lips, his own are trembling, and while Nate can't see his face, he can taste salt in the air.

He knows better than to mention it. And if he sheds a few tears of his own, cupping Adam's face in his hands so he can kiss him back more deeply, pouring apologies he can't say into Adam's mouth, the bandages will do well to hide the evidence.

#the wayhaven chronicles #adam du mortain #a du mortain #nate sewell #n sewell #adam x nate #twc fanfic #prompt fic #pidge writes #i feel like it's not fair for me to write the inevitable hospital scene for all the other couples #and yet neglect adam and nate? #you know this has happened Several Times over the centuries #usually its adam is the bed naturally #as the party's tank #this time! surprise! it's nate #finally getting what he's desperately wanted for centuries may have made him Slightly Stupid #nate has spent a long time holding adam's brain cells for him #then the feelings moved in and the brain cells went on vacation #they're tired y'all #they deserve it #does this make any sense at all? #probably not #im writing this at 5am #LOVE MAKES THEM BOTH STUPID AND I LOVE IT #ITS WHAT THEY DESERVE

[stars-falling]

late night at the local convenience store (elriel)

summary: elain, desperate for snacks, visits her local store late at night and bumps into her supposed rival (and he's hot).

prompt: esteemed rival chefs find each other shamefully buying ramen at 3 in the morning AU

word count: 1985

note: welcome to the first july upload! this piece was written for a writing month challenge and i had great fun with it! i'm really excited for the other pieces i'll be posting over the next month. i hope you enjoy them as much as i enjoyed writing them! i'll continue working on other pieces over the month too, so there will be more coming after july (hopefully i can finally finish part 2 of both a storm and a summer's day).

in the meantime, hope you enjoy!

lily (tysm for 760 followers btw! love you all <3)

read here on ao3 // masterlist

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Archeron’s Kitchen was the most popular restaurant in Velaris. It had the best food, the best drinks, the best atmosphere, and Elain had never been more proud to say that she was the Head Chef. It had taken years of hard work from both her and her two sisters to reach the level they were at now and they only continued to grow. The sisters worked closely together: Nesta (the eldest) directed the finance and other admin, Feyre (the youngest) worked on the design aspects and managed the staff and Elain manned the menus and the actual cooking. They worked well together, with only minor disagreements happening occasionally, and soon they had rocketed to the most well known and sought after restaurant in Velaris.

This was why she was contemplating her life choices as she pulled up to the local convenience store to buy ramen at 3 am. It wasn’t even the nice ramen; it was the crappy 50p packet of ramen that took less than a minute to cook. She often tried to utilise her skills to cook herself the healthiest and tastiest meals but recently she had been working overtime due to another restaurant's rising popularity. The two staff had even formed some sort of rivalry, trash-talking each other in the streets and slandering the other restaurant to their patrons. She found it childish, so Elain didn’t partake, but she did find it mildly amusing. The new restaurant was several streets over and it was the opposite of Archeron’s Kitchen in every way. Where they were warm and cosy, Starfall was sleek and modern. Where they focused on comfort foods, Starfall served new and innovative dishes. People went to the Archeron’s for the food, whereas people went to Starfall for the experience. And where the Archeron’s Kitchen was run by three sisters, Starfall was run by three brothers.

She had never actually met them. She knew their names and what they looked like but in terms of interactions she had only caught a glimpse of two of them once before. They had stood in the main square with Feyre and Nesta arguing about the importance of serving classic food. Her sisters had both come away grumbling about ‘upstart assholes with no sense of tradition’. As far as Elain was aware, the two brothers they had argued with weren’t actually in charge of the menu, making her unsure if they had full authority over the subject, but she didn’t want to start them off again so she refrained from mentioning it.

Elain pulled into an empty parking space and took a moment to lay her head against the headrest and close her eyes. She was tired and hungry. There was no food in the fridge, her bank account was looking quite sorry for itself and she still had more menus to plan and ideas for new dishes to brainstorm. Steeling herself, she hauled herself out of the car and locked it as she walked to the bright light of the store. She pulled the hood of the tattered sweatshirt she wore over her head as a precaution against recognition. With the status of a semi-famous chef, she didn’t want anyone to see her in the somewhat pitiful state she was in. The bell rang as she pushed open the door, signalling her entrance. The bright flickering lights and cool temperature made it feel like she was entering a separate dimension, one that lacked all sense of time and direction. Elain nodded at the cashier as she walked past them, making a beeline to the snacks aisle. She was greeted by a wide range of ramen, the different flavours and prices making it difficult to choose. She had about £1.50 in her purse and she desperately wanted a coffee too so she would have to be frugal. She was so engrossed with her ramen selection that she failed to notice a person coming up beside her. When she swivelled around to check the time on the obscenely large digital clock above the checkout, she crashed into them hard, causing her, them and the copious amounts of ramen they had piled in their arms to go flying to the floor.

Elain let out a yelp as she landed hard on her tailbone and felt her face heat up.

“I am so sorry!”

A deep, warm chuckle floated toward her and her head snapped up to look at its source. She found hazel eyes staring back. A large man with tan skin and dark hair sat in front of her, surrounded by many colourful packets of ramen. Her heart fluttered slightly as he smiled at her. He was handsome, even in this shitty convenience store lighting at 3 am dressed in similar attire to her.

“Don’t worry about it. I should have been paying more attention. Are you okay?”

She nodded before sitting up fully and helped to gather the ramen that lay around them. He smiled at her gratefully and they sat in content if not slightly awkward silence as they pulled the packets into a pile before finally rising. As she looked closer at him, a spark of recognition kindled within her.

“Do I know you?”

He looked at her curiously, tilting his head.

“I’m not sure but you do look familiar.”

They stood analysing each other. Normally the staring would make her uncomfortable, but with him, she found it didn’t bother her nearly as much as it should have. This went on for about a minute before she saw realisation set into his eyes.

“You’re Elain Archeron. The Head Chef for Archeron’s Kitchen. Why are you buying shitty ramen at 3 am? Shouldn’t you have made yourself a three-course meal by now?”

Elain felt something drop inside her. She hadn’t noticed that her hood had fallen off when she fell, exposing her and her shameful ramen buying to the whole world. But as he laughed softly, she remembered where she recognised him from.

She scowled at him as she said, “ Well you’re Azriel Knight, Starfall’s Head Chef, so you can’t exactly talk.”

She gestured to the stack of ramen that she had just helped pile into his arms. He turned away slightly as if to hide them.

“My stash had run out, okay. I need it to keep me going when I stay up late planning dishes.”

“I get that. That’s why I’m here right now.” She replied and a mutual understanding passed between them.

Elain knew she shouldn’t be talking to him right now, the reminders of the supposed rivalry between the two restaurants loomed like a shadow behind her. But the longer they spent together, the more she found herself not caring.

“I feel like we should be arguing,” He told her. “If my brothers were here, they would have been kicked out for yelling by now.”

She smiled, “Same for my sisters. But I’ve never really cared to be honest. I just want to focus on the food, not a silly competition that people seem to be taking too seriously.”

He nodded in agreement and they both began to walk to the cashier.

“So, what kind of dishes are you planning then?” She asked. “I promise I won’t steal any ideas. It’s not my style anyway.”

“I”m not a hundred percent sure on the actual contents of the dish right now, but I’m currently trying to create a more experimental menu. We recently unveiled a new line of drinks that have a more theatrical element to them. Colour changing, dry ice, bubbling, the whole shebang and I wanted to design a food menu that went along with that.”

He turned away from her to pay the cashier, giving her a moment to turn over his words in her head. She’d gotten a glimpse at some of the drinks and food from when she had taken a look at (read: stalked) their website and various social media sites. She had called it ‘scouting out the competition' when really she was curious to see what had set them apart enough for them to have such a rise in patronage. Whilst it wasn’t her style, she had always thought that she’d like to visit them and try what they had to offer. That was until the stupid rivalry had started and just walking by the restaurant was asking for trouble. Azriel finished paying and grabbed the plastic bag the cashier had placed his ramen in, moving out of the way so she could step up to the counter.

“That sounds amazing!” She replied. ‘I admit, I’ve always wanted to try some of your food but unfortunately, my sister’s might disown me if I even mention it. Calling them over-competitive would be the understatement of the century.”

He laughed at this and she took the opportunity to turn away and press the 50p coin into the cashier's hand. They nodded at her, satisfied and she turned back to Azriel. Together, they walked out of the door and into the cool night.

“I’d say you should stop by, but as you said, our siblings may not be too happy about that.” He let out a sigh. “As much as it amused me at first, I do wish we could just get along. I’d like to come and try some of your food too.”

He swivelled towards her, the white light from the store casting his face into shadows.

“I hope this isn’t too forward of me, but would you like to grab some coffee?”

She smiled at him, shoving the packet of ramen into her hoodie pocket.

“I’d love to. And maybe in the future, we could make some of our food for each other.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “Like a date?”

She felt dread trickle in. Maybe she had misread the situation. They seemed to have been getting on well, and she had caught him checking her out when they first bumped into each other. Plus, he had just asked her to grab coffee with him. Perhaps he was just being friendly.

She swallowed anxiously before replying, “Yeah. If that’s something you’d be interested in.”

He smiled at her brightly, making her heart stutter and skip a beat.

“I’d like that.”

They stood under the streetlamps in an almost abandoned parking lot. Two head chef’s from popular restaurants with bad ramen and a budding connection between them.

“What are you feeling? Starbucks or maybe that local coffee shop down the street? I think it’s called Veritas?”

Elain hummed as they started walking along the road.

“Veritas, I think. I can get a cup of tea for a pound.” She reached into her pocket to show him her single coin.

For the second time that evening (or was it morning?), he raised an eyebrow at her. “I thought I was buying?”

She glanced at him in confusion. “Since when?”

“I thought since I had asked you it was implied?”

She let out a laugh, shaking her head. “My god, we are bad at this. I think we need to get out of the kitchen more.”

“I’m not sure about that, I’ve got plenty of pick up lines I've stolen from my chefs.” He stepped in front of her, stopping her in her path. “Baby, you’re the crème to my brûlée.”

She groaned, hitting him on the arm as she pushed past him. “That was so bad! I might leave.”

“As if you could do better.”

She pulled out her phone, searching up ‘chef pick up lines’. She grimaced, “These are all so sexual! I think it might be best if we keep flirting out of the kitchen.”

They both doubled over in fits of laughter before continuing down the street. She was glad she gave in to her cravings and went to buy ramen at 3 am. She could tell that whatever this was, it was going to turn into something great.

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#lily writes #late night at the local convenience store #my writing #elriel #elain archeron #azriel acotar #Azriel #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #acotar fanfic #feyre archeron #nesta archeron #Rhysand #cassian #au #chef au #restaurant au #July upload #stars falling original

[darylsgirl]

Hes just like the Sun Part 2 Daryl x Reader 18+

Summary: Reader goes missing, Daryl gives up the search after only a few weeks and starts getting closer to another woman. When he finds sign of the reader again but rick is the one to save you. Daryl cant handle seeing you broken and pulls away.

Warnings: A lot of cussing, Domestic violence, Assault

*Hello my lovelies! This was meant to be one long chapter but I've split it into two parts so expect a part 3 :) As always please let me know what you think of this chapter and if i can improve! As always i hope your having a lovely day!*

Part one                            Part Three

It had only been 4 months since that glorious night with Daryl, Since he had professed his love to you and you to him. 

He had spent every waking moment since then showing his love. Proving he would protect you against anything, He couldn’t have known that he would be away when you needed him most… 

You had just been to the gates and waved Daryl goodbye. He had left on a run with Rick, Rosita, Sasha and Abraham. Sniffing slightly you headed back to your home ready to just get in bed and have his smell engulf you for a few hours before you needed to go to work. 

You knew it was silly he would only be gone a week tops he said but that may as well been a century to you. 

You also knew for the next week you would lay awake at night worried out of your mind wondering if something was going to stop him coming back to you. The thought crushed your chest. You couldn’t be without him now, He was your sun, Your every breath. 

You made it back to your’s and Daryl’s bed wrapping your arms around yourself snuggling into his pillow, It was so strange how the smell of Motor oil could be so Damn comforting! You prayed silently to yourself that the first lead they were going to check out would pay off as that would mean he would be back to you within 2 days.

You lay there hugging yourself tightly for a few hours before begrudgingly dragging yourself into the shower and heading to work. The infirmary was bustling that day fortunately for you, unfortunately for your neighbours. There seemed to be a bug going around the town, Which is why Daryl had to leave you in the first place to go and get life saving antibiotics.

It was ironic that illnesses that could be cured with one pill before could cause so much death now when antibiotics are becoming so difficult to find. You looked around the room and silently pleaded with god to let them find something quickly! 

It was pushing 10pm when you were finally on your way home after a final check on one of your elderly patients. You couldn’t wait to get in the shower and scrub the day away and knowing Carol she would have dinner waiting for you. You smiled thinking of Carol you really did love that woman, She had become like your mother taking care of you and always being there. 

Distracted by your thoughts your guard was down and you hadn’t noticed him dart out of the darkness between the houses. 

You looked around wildly fighting the arms that had clamped around your mouth and chest dragging you backwards. You froze,You knew the sound of that breathing anywhere, You could feel the ice in your veins. It was fucking Spencer. 

Daryl’s POV. 

It had been 8 days since he had left. Y/N was going to kill him for being too long and worrying her. He pushed his bike to the limits just like the first night he had met her racing back towards the gate, Where he knew she would be waiting. Grinning from ear to ear with excitement bubbling in his chest he saw the gates come into view. 

When he got close he only saw Carol waiting for him, He never expected the news she was about to give him. The second the words “She’s….gone….Missing” crossed her lips he ran towards their home screaming for her. Carol hot on his heels, He charged into the house straight to their room “Y/N? Y/N?” he ran from room to room in the home screaming still for her before going outside and collapsing at Carol’s feet. 

His fingers were ripping at his hair and face desperately trying to cling to anything he could. “WHERE IS SHE” He screamed up at Carol. She silently joined him in the middle of the road pulling him into her arms while he sobbed.

Y/N pov

You watched him through the hole in the black paint, It had taken you a while. The paint was thick but you had finally managed to make a hole big enough to see out of but small enough for Spencer not to notice.

Your heart broke watching your man screaming for you, You’d have given anything to be able to rush out of there and wrap your arms around him and tell him everything was ok, Just as he had done for you so many times. You had never seen him so distraught and you hated yourself for being the cause of that. You tried to scream but only a rasping whisper came out of you, It was like the nightmare you always had being so close to help but not being able to call out. 

Then you heard it, The boots coming down the stairs you flung yourself into the corner hands covering every inch of skin you could. You heard the door at the bottom of the stairs open, Footsteps were closer now. He approached the door of the laundry room you were being kept in. The light hurt your eyes as the door flew open.

Daryl Pov

Once Carol had gotten him to calm down a little with the help off Rick and the others who had been on the run they pulled him into the house and to the kitchen Island settling him on a stool whilst Carol hurriedly made tea. 

Once everyone had a cup, Rick finally spoke up “C’mon Carol your killing us here. What do you mean Y/N is missing. What happened?” 

Daryl met Carol’s eyes now and listened intently as she started her explanation, Choosing to give just the facts as she didn’t think Daryl could handle much more. 

“We realised she was missing around midnight on the day you left, When she still hadn’t come home. I went to find Denise who said that she had left work at half 9 and would be stopping in to see Mrs Turner on her way home. I asked Mrs Turner who said Y/N had left around half an hour later.” 

“I’ve spoken to everyone in the town, Most were asleep at the time and No one has seen her since. So we know she went missing within those two blocks around 10pm that night. There is also no gear, weapons or food missing from anyone’s home so we know she didn’t just choose to leave” 

Rick put his hand on Daryl’s shoulder, sighing “You should go get some rest brother, Leave it to us” 

Daryl growled throwing Rick’s arm from him “I. Aint. Goin. Fuckin.Nowhere” He spat through gritted teeth. Rick looked over worried before deciding to let it go, God knows if it was him he wouldn’t have left either. “Ok so tell us Carol, Where have you searched so far?” Daryl had never paid more attention to anything in his life. 

After formulating a plan between the six of you, Daryl pushed himself up from the island feeling grateful for a moment that you had arrived not too long after sunrise and you had a good few hours of sunlight left to search. He silently made a promise to her that he wouldn’t stop till she was back in his arms again. 

Y/N 

You woke in your basement cell shaking from the dreams of the night you were taken. The first few weeks had been the worst. He had inflicted every punishment imaginable on you trying to break you. He laid off those when he realised that wasn’t going to happen. As long as you knew Daryl was out there looking for you, You could keep going too for him. You had to keep hope in your heart he was going to find you. Spencer still took you everyday but you had stopped fighting it now and just became numb as you knew you had to just lay silent or face the cattle prod. He really seemed to like that thing.

You still saw Daryl in the street sometimes, At night sitting on the porch alone with a whiskey and a cigarette looking haunted staring into the night. 

There was one day you dared to believe you could have been saved. You woke to hear him outside of your blacked out window, He had fought with Spencer and pinned him on the front lawn while Rick had searched the house. Finding nothing, She couldn’t understand how they had completely missed the basement! Every house in Alexandria had one! You knew if Daryl hadn’t been out there with him he would have known to check here, he would have found you. Every part of her was screaming for her to call out and scream Daryl’s name and begging him to save her. 

She had tried a few times to scream but only a quiet rasping breath left her, Her throat was red raw and no matter how hard she tried nothing would come out. 

Daryl had let Spencer back up still glaring at him While Rick explained “Look man we had to check, You’re the only person in this town that could of possibly wanted to hurt Y/N We had to be sure” 

Spencer replied “I haven’t even looked at Y/N since that day. I did as I was told and kept to myself. I’ve done my job for Alexandria. I didn’t do anything, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep him away from me and leave me alone!” At that Daryl lunged for him again with Rick stopping him before he got to Spencer. 

“Fair is fair now we’ve checked your house we’ll leave you be” Rick grabbed by the shoulders and walked him back to your house and inside to calm him down. 

Spencer’s Pov

He watched them leave and darted back into the house, Stupid fuckin hillbilly he thought to himself, Walking into kitchen he grabbed a water and let his mind wander. 

He had kept his head down and bided his time, Deanna, his mother had finally gotten rick to agree to let him move back into his home. Almost immediately he had set to work in the laundry room downstairs, Moving the machines out, Moving a mattress in, Adding a deadbolt to the top and bottom of the door. Perfect, Now he just had to wait a little longer for his revenge.

 He was going to get that little bitch back for the humiliation, She didn’t get to make a fool out of him and then be happy! Making him watch them both across the road night after night all on each other. 

He bet she knew what she was doing too, Teasing him like this. Flaunting herself all over town with him! What she was even doing with the dirty redneck he would never know when she could have him. He was better for her, She needed him and he was going to make her see it. 

Two months, Two months he had waited and watched pretending to have no interest. When finally the opportunity presented itself, He was walking the back way home trying to avoid the eyes people now made at him when he saw her. 

She was leaving Mrs Turners and walking alone down the empty dark street, He waited until she was about to turn onto their street where the houses were either unoccupied or all the lights were off when he sprinted towards her wrapping his hand around her mouth and dragging her backwards through the back gardens and into his, She started fighting again when she saw he was taking her into the house. He overpowered her easily taking her down the stairs and into the laundry room, He threw her on the mattress on the floor and left bolting the door behind him. She could scream all she wanted, No one would hear her now. 

Daryl’s Pov

After a few weeks it was just Him, Rick and Carol still searching. They were all sitting on his front porch, His eyes scanning every blade of grass as he had been for weeks. 

Rick cleared his throat “Brother you can’t keep this up anymore and I know what you're gonna say so don’t rip my head off but you need to rest. You need to sit down and eat a real meal or you will be in no condition to keep searching. We’ve looked everywhere in a 100 mile radius and there is no sign of her. I’m not sayin give up on her brother but you need to start taking care of yourself Y/N would hate it if she knew you weren’t” 

Daryl felt the sobs coming up his throat, Rick was right there was nothing to go on. No tracks. No sightings. No sign of any trouble or walkers. She had just vanished into thin air. 

Carol was at his side again consoling him “Ya right Rick, I hate ya but ya right” He let Carol guide him back into the house and to the spare bedroom, He hadn’t been able to set foot in their room, It just wasn’t the same without her. 

She lay him on the bed and left to go grab him some of one of the many crock pot dinners the housewives of Alexandria had dropped off for him, Now they knew he wasn’t gay they were circling him like vulchers all vying to be the one to take Y/N’s place if she didn’t return. He had ignored all of their pity, They could keep it. He didn’t need it. 

The only solace he had found over this time was Nicole, She was the one he had saved a few months back when they had stumbled across her alone in the street and brought her to the infirmary where Denise & Y/N had patched her up before the Town had decided to take her in. 

He can’t remember how his unlikely friendship with her had come from she was just there always at his side, The only one to not look at him like a degenerate to be pitied. They sat in comfortable silence at first before they had started opening up to each other, She was pretty he guessed she had nothin on Y/N but he was still flattered when she had asked him for help with combat. He knew it was probably just an excuse to distract him but he was grateful for the distraction nonetheless. 

Y/N pov

You couldn’t believe he had given up, for weeks he had heard him shouting her name and heard them sitting on their front porch discussing how they would find her tomorrow.. But Tomorrow never came.

He still sat on the porch every night but now he was no longer alone, He no longer looked haunted. You guessed you were happy that he looked happier, more relaxed and even sometimes laughed. You just couldn’t stand that Spencer was right. You had probably just been a passing fling to him, The memories you had of Daryl were becoming warped with you spending your days analysing everything to try to find a moment where that seemed to be true, You were a fool and fell hook line and sinker.

Now you knew he had given up on you, Spencer didn’t need to try and break you any more, You were already broken. 

He had started letting you out of the room for longer. At first it was just to use the bathroom and then to make you cook for him. Soon you were out the entire time he was home and only locked up at night he would make you lie in the bed with him all night pawing at you or subjecting you to monstrosities you couldn't even fathom or dare to think about then lock you up in the morning before he left. This was the only time you could actually sleep, safe from him knowing he wasn’t here to bring you back out again. 

Throughout you had refused to even give him the satisfaction of speaking to him or making a noise during any of this. 

The routine became monotonous. Leave the cell, take birth control, make his dinner, sit on the floor by his chair, Wait to see if he gave you any scraps. Go to bed, Lie awake all night crying. Back to cell. Cry some more and then finally sleep before the routine started all over again. You had stopped trying to see him or anything outside, You just couldn’t take it. 

You took a particularly bad beating this morning for burning his breakfast, Hugging yourself on the bare mattress you passed out from the pain.

Daryl’s pov

He still felt guilt for giving up the search but Rick was right, There was nothing to be seen. It didn’t stop his eyes from constantly searching for some clue that she had ever been here. 

He looked down from the tower and saw Nicole approaching waving at him to come down. He took one last look out over the walls before climbing down to her

“Hey D.. Spencer’s been put on guard duty straight after you, Do you want me to take over?” 

“Nah Girl i’m fine. His face won’t be if he tries to talk to me though” 

She smiled up at him and reached forward giving him a lingering hug, Daryl cleared his throat starting to feel a little uncomfortable. She backed her head away from him slowly looking into his eyes and kissed him gently before pulling away fully and looking at her feet. 

Daryl was still frozen in place not knowing how to react when she mumbled “Okay then, Well i guess ill see you later?” He just nodded and rushed back up to the tower. Guilt back in his chest. He hadn’t known that Nicole had felt like that about him and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. His heart still fully belonged to Y/N and he didn’t think he would ever have room for anyone else, not at least until he knew what had happened to her. 

Daryl resumed his aimless search beyond the gates searching all the faces of the walkers who had been put down recently to see if any of them could have any of Y/N’s features. He heard Spencer talking to Rick and figured his watch was probably up.

Daryl climbed down from the tower and faced them both waiting for them to finish their conversation, He noticed Nicole heading over and tried to ignore her. He looked Spencer over and that's when he saw it.

Rushing Spencer grabbing him by his neck and throwing him against the gate. “WHERE IS SHE” Rick tried to pull Daryl off of him. “Daryl c’mon brother we searched his place he had nothin to do with it” 

“Oh yeah? Then what’s this?” He reached forward ripping your sunflower from the lapel of Spencer's coat and offered it to Rick. 

“This could be anyone’s Daryl, Let’s not jump to the wrong conclusion” Rick mumbled 

Daryl Growled back “Turn it over, It’s got mine and hers initials on the back.”

Rick turned the pin over and saw it did in fact have the initials on the back. Giving the pin back to Daryl.

“Spencer, Why do you have that?” Rick said, pulling his gun out and training it on Spencer's head.

Spencer had gone sheet white “Yeah it’s hers, She left it at the house when she left me” He shrugged “Couldn’t have meant that much to her” He smirked slightly causing Daryl to jab him in the throat. 

Rick pulled Daryl away “She were wearin it when I left Asshole, The day she went missin, Na tell me WHERE IS SHE” 

Spencer was silent now, Holding his throat and gasping. Daryl turned to Rick “We needa search his place again, Naw!” 

They both lunged forward and grabbed Spencer dragging him between them towards his home, On the march over a few of their original group followed. “What’s going on?” Rosita asked

“We found proof he knows where Y/N is” Rick replied shortly, still dragging Spencer. The group followed more urgently now. They threw Spencer on the ground in front of the house, “Watch him” Daryl growled at Abe who nodded in response. 

They tore through the house searching again. “There’s still nothin here Daryl, We need to interrogate him get some answers'' 

“Nah she's here, I can feel it. Were missin somethin” Daryl’s eyes scanned the hallway “Wait, That bookcase... It aint meant to be there, Help me move it” They both grabbed a side and shifted it. “The basement, This has to be it” Rick said excitedly. They opened the door and ran down the stairs, Eyes instantly locking on the dead bolt on the laundry room door. “There” Rick pointed towards the door Daryl ran over “Y/N” He yelled.

Daryl unlocked the door and what he saw brought him to his knees. “Y/N” He said softly this time. Crawling over to you and shaking you. “Y/N Please Y/N Answer me” He sobbed. He stood up and backed out of the room into Rick. He couldn’t look anymore; he didn’t want to remember her like this. Naked and battered. Dead on a thin mattress on the floor. He was too late, She was still human so this could have only just happened. He was so close.  She had been here only a few houses away all this time, He would never forgive himself for this “It’s ok, I’ll take care of it. Get outta here Daryl” 

Y/N

Daryl? You tried to open your eyes but they were just too heavy. You were sure you heard him and it sounded close. You fought your eyes for a few minutes begging them to open when you felt something being dragged over you, Your hand instinctively reached up to protect yourself. 

Hands grabbed at your shoulders and shook you. “Y/N...Y/N? Can you hear me?” You nodded your head slowly, finally managing to open your eyes. Your eyes roamed the room looking for Daryl. You were sure you had heard him. You tried to speak to ask where he was but all that came out was a painful croak. 

Rick pulled you into his arms softly “It’s ok, It’s ok now. You’re safe. I got you” He muttered softly pulling you closer to him. “I’m going to carry you outta here now, Is that okay Y/N?” You nodded and let him lift you into his arms gently feeling his skin against yours as he had used his shirt to try and cover your nakedness. He adjusted the shirt so it was covering you more fully and carried you through the house to the front porch. 

You saw Daryl now he was on his knees on the floor hands covered in blood, His head in Nicole's arms and in front of him was Spencer he wasn’t moving his eyes were wide, He was dead. 

You tried to call out to Daryl again reaching your arm out slightly. “Shh Y/N Don’t try to talk. We gotta get you to Denise” Rick looked at you and saw the blood staining the shirt he had used to cover you. “Shit, We gotta go now. Stay awake for me Y/N Just stay awake” 

He took off running with you still in his arms “DENISE, DENISE GET OUT HERE NOW” “Stay awake Y/N. Don’t you dare go to sleep on me” You gripped rick tighter with your arms trying to reassure him that you were still conscious. 

Daryl looked up tentatively not believing what he was seeing, Two minutes ago he was so sure you were dead and now Rick was rushing you away, It made no sense. 

They placed you on the examination table in the infirmary Denise quickly removing and assessing your wounds. “Rick grab me some morphine from that cabinet, I also need a needle, wire and some gauze should all be in there” 

He hurriedly put them all on the table next to you and watched her start work, He looked down at you and realised you were naked again. “Uhm Denise if there's nothing else you need. I’ll go and update the guys waiting” You looked at him panicked now grabbing his hand and shook your head no at him. 

“Ok Y/N, OK. I got you, I’m not going anywhere” He sat with you and held your hand the entire time Denise was working you over only letting go to help her or grab something. 

“We’re done, Would you take her through to the other room and get her in a more comfortable bed? And I'll go grab her some food and water.” He nodded at her and mumbled an apology to you before putting his arms around you and lifting you back to his chest again. 

You were shocked by how comforting it was feeling his skin on yours, You nuzzled your head into his chest as he carried you, Finally feeling safe in someone’s arms, Rick tried to put you down on the bed but you couldn’t face this feeling being gone, You knew if he did you would wake up and it would all be a dream. 

Rick looked at you torn but ultimately decided to lie down with you letting you curl into his body. Denise was back then eyeing the two of you before handing over the tray with stew and a bottle of water, Rick nodded his head at her before offering you the tray. The stew was heaven going down you smiled up at Denise gratefully. 

Washing it down with the bottle of water, You tried to speak again. “Daryl..?” Thank god you were scared after two months it may have taken a lot longer for your vocal chords to warm up. Rick just looked at you and shrugged “I thought he’d of been in here by now, I’m sure he will be along soon” 

You took another drink of water “Did he ever love me?” You croaked out desperately. You felt the tears fall down your face, “He never loved me” 

Rick cleared his throat “Any chance you can get her something to wear Denise?” 

Daryl’s pov

He felt Nicole's arms around him dragging him away from Spencer, He had killed her so he had killed him. Daryl had promised him he would, He just wished he had done it sooner, If he had, None of this shit would have happened and he would be lying in bed right now with Y/N happy. 

He was crying into Nicole's chest now wrapping his arms around her and holding on for dear life when he heard a commotion from behind him. He didn’t look. What was the point? Nothing mattered any more. 

Nicole was shaking him then “Daryl, Daryl look” You followed her eye line and saw her, Her eyes were open she was alive? 

He was acutely aware of everything now. He could hear rick screaming for help, Y/N curling arms around his neck as he ran. Carol at his side pulling him to his feet. “C’mon Daryl we gotta get you cleaned up.” He let Carol drag him home in shock. She turned to Nicole “I’ve got him now, I think you should get going. I need to get him to Y/N” She glared at her now, Nicole breaking under the glare “mm okay, I’ll come see you later D?” 

Carol snapped back “I don’t think that’s wise, Bye now” She pulled Daryl into the house with more urgency and sat him down on the same stool she sat him on when she told him Y/N was missing. Carol then brought a wet cloth over and started cleaning his hands, Cleaning the cloth and repeating until the blood was gone, Next she worked on his face and neck removing all signs of the fight with Spencer. 

As she was finishing up there was a frantic knocking on the door, Rushing over to answer she found Denise on the porch. “Hey Carol, Sorry to bother you so late! Any chance you could grab some clothes for Y/N and something for her to sleep in? Oh um also…. Daryl….Could Rick borrow a shirt?” 

Carol smiled at her “Come in Denise, I’ll just be a minute” Carol disappeared down to the basement while Denise made her way to Daryl. 

“You ok?” He briefly nodded back at her. “She is too, you know in case you were wondering?” Was she making it out like he didn’t care? Was she fuckin kiddin? Of course he cared. He just couldn’t face her yet, The shame was overbearing. She had been so close and he hadn’t been the one to save her. 

Carol came back with a handful of clothes and gave them to Daryl. “Go on now, You’ll take these and let poor Denise get some rest!” He just nodded numb knowing better than to even try and argue with Carol. Getting to his feet he shuffled to the door and down to the infirmary. It took him 5 minutes of pacing outside the door before he could get up the courage to go in. 

He knocked on the door Denise had told him they would be in and his heart broke again. There she was still as beautiful as ever, Still naked and wrapped in the wrong arms. It was a nightmare he would have most nights, He threw his shirt at Rick. Glaring at him, Rick tried to move away from Y/N now Daryl was here. “Noo, You said you wouldn’t leave me Rick” She croaked, Rick looked over at Daryl Apologetically before trying to calm Y/N

Daryl knelt on his knees at the side of the bed and tried to hold her hand, Y/N pulled away as if she had been shocked. Fresh tears running down her face. 

She looked up at Rick again. “It’s ok Y/N your safe, He won’t hurt you” 

Y/N’s POV

Daryl was here, He was really here after the last two months desperate to have him see you, You now didn’t know what to do. You were scared he didn’t love you, So why would he be here now. 

You looked at his warily seeing the torment on his face when you pulled away from him and into Rick. Rick said it was safe but was it? You let Rick pull away this time. “Ok, If you say so. Could you uh give us a minute?” 

“Sure Y/N i'll leave you guys too it” 

You nodded a thanks and watched him leave throwing a shirt over his head as he went. You sat in silence watching the door Rick left through. 

“Y/N” His voice was trembling. “Y/N please look at me” “Baby PLEASE” You flinched and wrapped your arms around yourself when he raised his voice. 

“No baby no, Ya aint gotta be scared of me, Please i’d never, I couldn’t. I love ya Y/N” 

Your eyes flared feeling the anger “No you don’t, I could see you. I saw you give up on me. I saw you laughing and getting closer to her. I was made to watch all of it, While he told me how much you didn’t care and all the things you were doing that I couldn’t see…. He said….He said you didn’t love me..,You can’t love me...Look at me Daryl who could ever love me now” 

You felt the bed sink as he climbed onto it with you, You tried to squirm away from him but his arms found you first, He pulled you into his chest and you instantly felt calm...That damn motor oil smell mixed with him was enough to make you melt. You hated that he had this effect on you even now. 

“I’m so sorry baby, I should’ve been here to protect ya, I should’ve been the one to save ya.” He was hugging you tighter and tighter now “I thought ya were dead, I was gonna join ya” He murmured into your hair. 

“I never gave up on ya, not really. I searched every face i saw waiting for ya to come back to me” 

You still stayed silent, too scared to interrupt him you knew he wouldn’t open up like this to you again and as much as your mind was telling you he was lying to you, Your heart was opening up to him again. You wrapped your arms around him suddenly sobbing. 

“I aint ever stop loving you sunflower, Ya my whole heart”

“Why...Look at me i’m ruined” You stuttered

“Ya aint ruined, Ya strong, incredible beautiful” 

“I’m not Daryl, I let him break me. You don’t know the things he did if you knew you’d hate me”

“I’d never hate you Y/N, No matter what he did it wouldn’t change how I feel. Ya can tell me anything.” 

You lay in each other's arms till morning in silence both wide awake just grateful you were in this moment together. When the sun started coming through the windows he broke the silence. 

“Let’s get ya dressed k?” You nodded and let him help you out of bed and pull your pyjamas over you. Once you had finished Denise walked in. “Good morning Y/N How are you feeling?” 

“Sore...Tired… Can i go home now?”

“I’d really like you to stay here for a few more days so i can keep an eye on you but you know your body. D’ya think you will be okay?” 

You nodded quickly to her “Can you took me home? I’d really like to be in my own bed - I mean your bed….If that’s okay?” You looked up at him nervously half expecting him to tell you it was no longer your home. 

He nodded at you. Denise piped up again “Fine but complete bed rest, I’ll be checking on you every few hours i don’t want to catch you on your feet, not even once until you’ve healed more” 

Daryl pulled you into his arms sweeping you off your feet. “Ya heard the lady stay off your feet, Thank ya Doc” 

He strode out of the office quickly happy to have you back in his arms again. It seemed the whole town was out to see you leave waiting on news, Daryl growled at the ones who tried to approach and carried you home as quickly as he could, He paused at the door to the basement. “Ya sure Y/N?” You nodded at him happily “I’m sure” 

He carried you down the stairs and lowered you gently to the bed. You noticed there was a thin layer of dust in here his pillow was even exactly as you had left it. 

Daryl rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Ya uhm i haven’t been in here since well since you were” You grimaced the thought of him in this bed was one of the thoughts that had gotten you through. 

“I’ll let ya sleep Y/N Ya don need me hoverin” 

“Daryl I need you here, I need to know that when I wake up it wasn’t all a dream and you’re still here. Please don’t leave me” Silently he went to his side of the bed and lay down, Arms pinned at his side. You giggled slightly and stopped the feeling and sound so alien to you now, He looked at you curiously as you touched your lips in awed confusion. 

You lifted your head naturally as you always did, This was your prompt for him to squeeze his arm through the gap. You were happy when he followed suit and pulled you to him. 

He breathed in the scent of you “I’m here now baby” This was the moment you had been longing for the entire time you were apart you smiled as you drifted asleep in his arms. 

You had listened to doctors orders for the first time in your life allowing Daryl and Carol to take care of you, You had seen Nicole come around for Daryl a few times with Carol shooing her away. You couldn’t blame her, Even if it did make you a little jealous. He was intoxicating. After the fourth day on bed rest you asked Daryl to help you shower. His eyes grew hard when he helped you undress the pain crossing his face when he saw you fully. He carried you into the shower and left to take off everything but his boxers and vest. He got back in with you and cradled you for a little while letting the water wash over you both before he started to gently wash you.

Feeling his hands run over your body was electric, You couldn’t believe you were capable of feeling such lust for him still. After everything your body had sustained it still wanted him with everything you had. 

He was careful not to touch you too much as he washed your body and then your hair. You could feel him growing hard on your back before he quickly moved his core away from you. 

He left the water on carrying you out of the shower, grabbed a towel wrapping you tightly and brought you back to the bed and leaving you to change. Taking a shirt and some lounge pants with him back to the bathroom. You could hear his wet clothes hit the floor, Knowing he was naked with water cascading down him in the next room was almost enough to send you over the edge. When he came back he was dry and fully dressed again any hint of his growing erection gone. You were sad to see this but also knew you weren’t fully ready for anything to happen yet. 

Daryl joined you in bed again still not speaking a word pulling you into his arms and allowing you to drift peacefully to sleep. 

You awoke suddenly his arms were gone and you could hear rustling on the other side of the room, Allowing your eyes to open slowly you looked over and there he was in all his glory back turned to you looking for a pair of boxers. You couldn’t have stopped yourself even if you had tried, He turned to you as you approached, wrapping your arms around him wanting to feel every inch of exposed beautiful skin. 

He gripped your arms pulling you off of him and quickly dressed. 

Finally he looked at you “Doc says you’re off bed rest now and Rick needs me on guard duty. I’m sorry Y/N but i need to go” You nodded sadly at him, You were being selfish keeping him to yourself all this time. It had probably been killing him being locked away with you not being able to help the group. That was your man. Completely and utterly selfless. 

He kissed you briefly on the forehead before turning and leaving, Calling over his shoulder. “Carol’s waiting upstairs for you, She made breakfast” 

Smiling to yourself it had been too long since you had had some quality time with Carol, Getting changed quickly and lacing your boots up and walking into the kitchen. Your smile grew wider when you saw her and the food on the counter. 

“PANCAKES!” You rushed to the plate “Thank you thank you thank you” You exclaimed digging in immediately. 

You could hear Carol chuckling next to you. “It’s so lovely to see you still love these” 

Then with a wink “I’m still not telling you the secret though” You groaned happily “I’ll get it out of you one day lady” 

She regarded you thoughtfully “Well how about a trade?” You raised your eyebrow at her. “What kind of trade?” You asked with a full mouth 

Carol tutted at you “Y/N don’t talk with your mouth full!” She scolded. You grumbled “Sorry!” 

You smiled at her again, eating the pancakes as quickly as you could, Washing it down with water. 

“Sooooo….What kind of trade?” 

“I’ll tell you my secret ingredient if you tell me what happened down there” You froze panic rising through your veins. She was at your side instantly arms around you comforting you “Y/N i’ve told you about Ed and when i started letting people in and talking about what he did to me it no longer defined me and i was able to move on. I just want the same for you. I won’t push but when you're ready to tell me. I’ll always be ready to listen” 

It was your turn to regard her thoughtfully this time. Sighing you started from the night he took you and forced the words out, Forcing yourself to get it off your chest. Carol looked at you in horror and tears in her eyes when you had finished. 

Pulling you closer she choked out “I’m so sorry Y/N I promise he can’t hurt you any more, He’s with my Ed now. Rotting in hell” 

She had been right once you had spoken about it and shared your horrors. It felt like she was carrying some of the weight for you. Breathing deeply, trying to enjoy the lessening of the pressure on your chest. You spent at least another hour with her just holding you while you both cried. 

Over the next few weeks you found yourself opening up to Carol more and more everyday. You knew that you would never fully be over it especially now things had gone back to how they were before you and Daryl had gotten together the first time. He came home at night wrapping you in his arms and left at first light barely speaking two words to you. 

Your head was wrapped in thoughts of him again when Carol spoke up.

“Ok enough of this now Sweetie, we're getting you out of this house” Carol smiled at you wiping your face with her hand. Jumping to your feet “Yes please!” You left the house arm in arm ignoring the stares from the neighbours and occasionally stopping to say hello to someone or have a quick conversation. You both stopped at the gates looking out. Carol looked up at the tower seeing Daryl was gone. 

“Now for the fun part! We’re going for some smash therapy!” She nodded at Sasha who handed you a bag with weapons, Discussing the small herd on the west side of the fence who were causing a little trouble. Sasha flung the gate open quickly and you both ran out. Laughing, finally feeling free outside of those stuffy gates you quickly turned serious, running after Carol gripping the two machete’s in your hands. 

You worked together drawing a few away at a time and swiftly taking them down. Exhausted but happy you made your way back to the gate knocking on the front. The gate opened sharply. 

Shit… It wasn’t Sasha.. 

Daryl’s POV

All this time he had waited for you to be back in his arms, He was torn. He felt like the luckiest man on the planet and also like the worst one. He felt so guilty every time he saw her face and what that monster had done to her beautiful body. 

When Denise had come to say that Y/N was cleared to resume as normal all he could think about was getting away from those mixed up feelings for a few hours and was even more grateful when Rick had asked him to go back to guard duty. 

He was just about to pull some clothes on when he felt her grab him, He pulled her arms from him pinning them to her side and quickly dressed feeling ashamed. He wanted her more than anything but he knew if he had felt her skin on his for even a moment longer he would give in to his primal urges and after all she had been through he couldn’t risk that now.

He ran out telling her about breakfast nodded to Carol and headed to the guard tower not thinking in his rush. He climbed up to the top and saw Nicole waiting for him “Uhm Hey Stranger” He smiled “Hey yaself” he reached over his shoulder to grab his - Shit. “I’ll be back gotta go get ma bow” Nicole nodded at him and turned her eyes back outwards. 

He climbed back down and ran back to the house. Not wanting to disturb Carol & Y/N he opened the door softly and crept into the hall, He was inches away from his bow when he heard Y/N talking “He forced himself on me night after night Carol and if i fought he made it a thousand times worse, He would cut me or use a cattle prod on me and if they weren’t close enough it was whatever was closest at the time.” Daryl froze in the hall her words washing revulsion over him.

He didn’t want to hear anymore but he couldn’t make his legs move so he stayed in place just listening to her talk wanting to kill the son of a bitch all over again. After what felt like an eternity he heard Carol console her and he was finally able to move his limbs again. Creeping back outside he felt the sickness come over him and darted behind the house loosing his breakfast. 

He made his way back to the guard tower trying to forget all the things he had heard. He found it even hard to look at her now the shame was becoming a part of him tearing him limb from limb every time she looked at him. He was sure she felt it too, How she didn’t hate him for what she had been through he didn’t know Daryl despised himself. 

He kept out of her way only coming home to sleep and comfort her in the night when it was too dark to see those beautiful eyes staring up at him. 

Nicole had become his solace once more, She was easy to be around and made him laugh, Forgetting for a few moments about the hidden guilt he carried with him now.

He was with her coming onto guard laughing as usual with Nicole's hand on his chest when he saw them return. Y/N had to be covered head to toe in walker blood. Seething he ran to the gate pulling it violently open.

Y/N Pov

“WHAT THE FUCK Y/N YA TRYING TO FUCKIN GET YASELF KILLED?” He screamed at you. You froze walking back into Carol in fear. 

She walked inside with you covering your body with hers. “Daryl, Enough!” Carol snapped at him. 

He roared eyes dark “NO ITS NOT ENOUGH, YA COULDA OF DIED Y/N. I WASN'T THERE TO KEEP YA SAFE, YA’D BE DEAD AND I WOULD BE HERE” He choked “Alone...Alone again” Nicole walked forward and put her hand on his shoulder.

You were sobbing now, Rick had wandered over hearing Daryl’s shouts. You darted over to him. Instinctively wrapping your arms around him and burying yourself in his chest. Rick had checked in on you everyday since he rescued you and you found yourself being drawn to him, Not in the same way as Daryl he wasn’t quite the sun in your universe. But he was comforting to spend time around, He listened to you and it was only him and Carol that didn’t look at you like a wounded animal. 

Rick wrapped his arms around you protectively. “Daryl quit your hollerin, What's goin on here”

Daryl watched you seek protection from him and it was just too much, He turned and walked away muttering to himself. “C’mon you two, Come tell me what just happened” Rick said once Daryl had disappeared with Nicole following him.

You all walked back to Rick’s home that he shared with his son Carl and infant Daughter Judith. You happily sunk to the floor hugging Judith. There was something so comforting about being around an innocent that didn’t know of this world and its pain yet. You wished you could protect her from all of it.

Carol sat with Rick and guiltily explained what the two of you had done. You could tell Rick wasn’t happy with it but let it go when he saw that you were both completely unharmed. 

You had tried to talk to Daryl after that and he had pretended you didn’t exist. You were grateful that because of your growing friendship with Rick he had let you stay with him and the kids. 

You found yourself spending more time watching Daryl wishing he would just look at you but he never did. 

It was on one of these nights watching him that you saw it and he broke you all over again..

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#twd #twdeadfanfiction #twd daryl #spencertwd #the walking dead #the walking dead fandom #the walking dead fanfiction #walking dead #the walking dead daryl #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x reader #daryl #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon x y/n #daryldixonsgirl #daryldixon #daryl dixon #rick grimes #carol twd #the walking dead spencer #lovedaryldixon #norman reedus #norman reedus fan

[anncanta]

Free will argument

Fandom: Dracula (2020)

Characters: Count Dracula, Agatha Van Helsing, John Seward

Relationship: Dracula/Agatha Van Helsing

Rating: Mature

@alma37 @hopipollahorror @ravenathantum @flutteringphalanges @ladyhaley28​ @dragatha @khyruma​ 

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Zoe's voice trailed off in her head, and Agatha went to the window.

Light rain glittered in drops on the bushes and benches of the hospital park, the evening sun peeped through the rare clouds. Slowly Agatha put on her jacket and dialed the number she found in her grand-niece's phone.

‘Jack, get me out of the hospital. I'm discharging myself.’ It sounded confident. The young man on the other end of the line tried to object, but Agatha said: ‘Hurry up,’ – and dropped the call.

They rode in the taxi in silence. They stopped once – at an antique shop. Digging through Zoe's memory, Agatha found this little store in Soho, selling all sorts of unnecessary trifles along with false antiquities and pseudo-magic nonsense.

Climbing out of the car, Agatha returned five minutes later. Leaning over to the open window, she put the bag with aspen stakes on Jack's lap and, going around the car, got back.

She did not know why she was going to Dracula and did not know what kind of reaction she expected from him. And she really had no idea what she was going to do.

‘You don`t look very surprised.’

‘You don`t look very dead.’

‘I`m getting there.’ Agatha walked through the open door and, staggering slightly, sat down at the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack follow her apprehensively. She heard her own voice telling how easy it was to find Dracula's apartment.

When Dracula grabbed the guy by the throat, Agatha woke up abruptly.

‘Let him go,’ she said, feeling the pain rise inside Zoe's body in a hot wave. Why is she here?

‘Why?’ Dracula turned to her with interest.

The pain squeezed her chest and then gone. Agatha swallowed.

‘This is England,’ she said, catching her breath. ‘Conversation preseeds dinner.’

So little time, Agatha thought, looking at how Dracula threw the young man away and, turning to her, leaning with both hands on the table. Almost unconsciously, she mirrored his pose, inside fleetingly noting that she had never been in a more stupid situation.

Except when she died aboard the ship, which she herself blew up, hoping to kill the vampire. Agatha frowned, shaking her head. She needs to concentrate. She thinks about the wrong things.

‘– waiting for someone?’ Jack's voice came to her through the fog in her head.

‘Lucy Westenra.’ The name of the girl Dracula killed brought Agatha back to reality. She raised her head. ‘Do you expect her to rise up and come to you? I have to disappoint you – she was cremated.’

Agatha was surprised by Dracula's reaction. Anger, disbelief, irritation – and a shadow of horror suddenly replaced each other on his face. Did he really feel something for that child, Agatha asked herself distantly. Most likely, however he just…

Dracula's ferocious monologue was interrupted by a sharp ringing at the door. He paused, looking first at Jack, then at Agatha with a victorious smile.

‘You underestimated... hmm... vampires' liveliness,’ with flashing eyes, he said and went to open. He turned around halfway. ‘Dr. Seward. She was your friend, wasn't she?’

Agatha spent the next half hour desperately battling nausea, pain, and fear. The scene with the ill-fated, half-burned Lucy was disgusting, and Agatha almost regretted bringing Jack with her.

It is better for old acquaintances to meet in private.

‘...at least she died well. This is a rare quality, believe me.’

Agatha shuddered.

‘Quality or taste?’ she asked, turning to Dracula.

‘Oh, taste,’ Dracula nodded mockingly. ‘Her taste was unique. I've never seen anything like it before. It was as if she was in love with death.’

‘That`s it!’ Having doused Agatha simultaneously with pain and heat, understanding came. ‘That`s everything.’ She looked at Dracula, frozen in bewilderment. She turned to the tear-stained youth. ‘Jack, go away.’

‘Dr. Helsing, I can't…’ he protested. ‘I will not leave you…’

But Agatha did not listen to him.

‘I need to speak to Count Dracula. It's very personal,’ she said, looking Dracula in the eye. ‘He wouldn’t want anyone else to hear it.’

‘Why not?’ Dracula asked.

‘Because now I know exactly what you fear most,’ Agatha said. She straightened, returning his victorious smile. The pain receded, she suddenly felt at ease.

‘Well, I don’t know,’ Dracula looked at her with childish delight.

‘I know you don’t,’ Agatha replied.

‘Dr. Seward, you may leave,’ Dracula said without turning to Jack.

‘Get out,’ said Agatha.

She glanced at Jack. He looked at her questioningly, as if he expected her to explain everything to him and tell him what the hell was going on here. Agatha sighed slightly.

To tell the truth, she was not sure of anything. Least of all – how what she just realized will help.

‘Today is going to be a beautiful day,’ she said to Jack with her eyes pointing to the curtained window. Deciding that he understood her plan, the guy nodded and left, finally leaving them with Dracula alone.

For some time after his departure, Agatha stood with her head bowed. Pain, faintness, and weakness returned again. I can't do it, she thought.

For just a second, she let go of the expensive tabletop, on which she was leaning so as not to fall, and found herself in the center of some kind of hurricane. She was hugged, held close to Dracula, and he showered her face with kisses. Agatha froze, slightly stunned from all this and from amazement without even trying to escape.

Dracula hugged her with both hands, stroked her head, touched her vertex with his lips.

‘I missed you... I missed you so much,’ he whispered into her hair, laughing.

His lips were unexpectedly warm and soft and he was strong and she was so tired. So confused, so worn out. A stranger in this time, in this place, in this life, and in this body. Pressing her cheek to his shoulder, Agatha briefly allowed herself to just be where she was. She felt good.

Unexpectedly, this thought sobered her.

‘Let me go,’ she said emphatically. He, oddly enough, obeyed instantly. ‘What do you mean – you missed me?’ looking up at him, asked Agatha.

‘That means that I badly wanted to see you.’ He smiled. Agatha frowned in annoyance.

‘You set it up. Zoe... you offered her your blood.’

‘She wanted it herself.’

Agatha flared up.

‘Do not try to confuse me!’

‘It's not that easy to do.’ He took her chin. ‘Agatha,’ he said, looking at her carefully, ‘tell me what you understood about me.’

This simple request uttered without irony and the usual mocking subtext suddenly made all her diligently accumulated anger disappear.

Walking around Dracula, Agatha slowly, overcoming sharp spasms twisting her body, went to the curtained window. She raised her hand and jerked the curtain down.

After waiting for the fuss and screams to subside behind her, she turned around.

‘It`s one hundred and fifty million miles away. What would it do to you?’

Dracula sat on the floor, shielding his hand from the sun, and looked blankly.

Suddenly softening, Agatha walked over. She dropped down next to him.

‘Have you ever thought,’ she asked, ‘why are you the only one of your... kind who is afraid of the sun? Why could Jonathan stand it and why was the girl in your basement not afraid of it? Like the cross, by the way. And Lucy Westenra, by the way, came here before dark.’ Agatha watched his expression slowly change. ‘Why?’

He frowned.

‘I do not know. I thought it was –’

‘Just habits,’ she said. ‘The things which you taught yourself to be afraid many centuries ago, so as not to think about the most important of your fears.’

She turned around, leaning her back wearily on him. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, and in some incredible way, this gave her strength.

‘All your fears lead to one,’ Agatha said, closing her eyes and throwing her head back on his shoulder. ‘Lead to the fear of death. You are a warrior from an old line of warriors, and therefore you hate this fear and are ashamed of it. That's why you came up with all your superstitions and signs.’ Lord, the pain was terrible. Agatha grimaced. ‘Simple as two times two.’

He kissed her again, now somewhere on the cheek or temple. Agatha did not have the strength to resist and argue: Zoe's body was slowly fading away, she every minute waited for the blessed night to fall on her.

Agatha did not remember her last death. Her awakening in the twenty-first century was abrupt and rather awkward. Waking up in a body that she shared with a frightened and lost grandniece, Agatha spent the first few days looking around and trying to understand what was happening and what to do with all this. It was not easy to establish contact with Zoe – she was exhausted and stubborn, overflowing with a sense of guilt. It took three months before her weakened mind was able to listen to something other than itself.

Agatha reproached herself for missing the time. Perhaps she should have been more persistent. Perhaps then young Lucy Westenra would be alive.

It was easy to explain to Zoe why Agatha went to Dracula. Much harder – to explain it to herself. She did not have any means and even physical strength to fight him, and no support, except for a frightened young man, gripped by double grief – because of the loss of his beloved and a friend he was about to lose. Why did she do it?

Because there is free will in the world. Agatha smiled without opening her eyes, remembering how she argued about it there, in the wine cellar, with Dracula. He convinced her that she was looking for violent passions and great adventures, deliberately choosing the dangers – and he believed that she was right in this. Her position, however, rather confirmed his words – even if Agatha did not know what exactly was happening, one thing was obvious: he kidnapped her and kept her with him.

‘What would await you in the monastery, Agatha?’ he said during one of their conversations at chess. ‘Monotonous days, hard work, and prayers to someone you don't even believe in.’

‘I believed in Him thanks to you,’ Agatha answered, and he smiled incomprehensibly and strangely.

Agatha opened her eyes.

‘I lost,’ she said quietly. ‘I lost because I teased the wolves.’

‘I wouldn't jump to conclusions,’ there was a whisper in her ear, and the warm lips moved down to the base of her neck. They played and teased and caressed her until…

‘Will you ever leave me alone?’ Agatha asked, looking up from the chess table in front of her. She opened her mouth again, about to say something harsh, and suddenly realized that the pain was gone. During the three months that Agatha spent in Zoe's body, the pain became so familiar that it was as if, after the even creaky sound that tormented her day and night, there was suddenly quietness.

She looked at Dracula. He sat without saying a word, as the last time, demonstratively clutching a glass of blood in his hand.

‘It's poisoned,’ Agatha said, pointing to the glass.

Dracula was still silent.

‘What do you want?’ Agatha asked almost plaintively. Confusion and fatigue hit her at once. Dracula put the glass on the table, stood up, walked around it, and stopped in front of her.

‘Agatha,’ he said softly. She got up. He smiled. ‘I want to offer you... a choice.’

Agatha frowned. It didn't take a big mind to understand what he meant. Zoe's blood was poisoned, but apparently not enough to kill him. She looked into his eyes.

‘Either I will finish you off, and your death will be quick and easy,’ Dracula spoke her thoughts out loud, ‘or let me convert you.’

The last word made her recoil. Turning away, Agatha walked around the small room several times before remembering that it was impossible to escape from it. Desperately, she looked at Dracula. He stood where he was, not trying to speak to her or stop her. And that moment she clearly realized that he would not force her.

She went up to him again.

‘I have about ten minutes left to live,’ she said softly.

‘That's enough for me,’ Dracula assured her. ‘Although, judging by your blood, you have at least two weeks.’

He was serious. And it was more frightening than all his previous bullying. Agatha ran her hand over her face.

‘You want to make an animal out of me. If only to save me, and you could continue to play with me, you are ready to make me a primitive creature driven by hunger.’

‘I'm glad that you think so highly of me.’ Now in the voice of Dracula, there were familiar, risible notes. ‘But your prejudices prevent you from seeing the essence. At this time, the vampire no longer needs to be a hungry animal,’ he said impatiently. ‘You don’t even have to kill to live. My lawyer delivers blood to me at my first order. Given the required parameters and the talents that I am looking for. Yes, he is quite inventive,’ Dracula smiled in response to the dumbfounded expression on her face. ‘You don’t have to hide, you’ll no longer be an outcast. It would be all the joys of this world before you, including the sun.’ He raised his hand and stroked her cheek. ‘Hate me, if you want, leave me by slamming the door – whatever you want, please. But allow yourself to use this chance.’

Out of place, Agatha imagined what would have happened if she had actually stayed in the monastery. Probably, she would have lived a peaceful life, which would have found its completion in a modest cell on the slope of long fruitless years. She looked at Dracula. He tore her out of that life by the roots, throwing in the face of the self-confident and naive nun the consequences of her own impulsive actions. He killed her, returned her after one hundred and twenty-three years, and offers her... a life without him. Shaking her head, she laughed.

‘Why are you sure that you will succeed?’ she asked without preamble. ‘If I remember correctly, you told Jonathan that most of those whose blood you drink die. How then are you going to?..’

‘Jonathan helped me understand how simple everything is,’ Dracula replied with a smile. ‘And difficult at the same time. Free will, Agatha,’ he said, seeing that she still didn't understand. ‘It's all about free will.’

Agatha frowned, but not because he was now literally quoting what she was thinking.

‘Lucy… you told her something… that in four hundred years she was the first to give you her blood voluntarily. She wanted you. She wanted to stay with you. Like that girl in the basement, probably. But Jonathan,’ Agatha said immediately, ‘Jonathan definitely didn't want that. He begged you to let him go.’

‘He wanted to leave me,’ Dracula agreed. ‘But also – before he died, he swore that he would do everything in his power to stop me. But what could an exhausted, almost drunk dry, sick person do to me?’

Agatha's eyes widened.

‘To fight you, he had to become your equal,’ she said, barely audible. ‘He became a vampire because he wanted to.’

‘Like everyone else,’ Dracula nodded. ‘It's a pity that I realized this so late.’

Agatha just brushed aside another dark joke. Turning away from Dracula, she stared ahead of her for a while.

When she looked at Dracula again, her gaze was direct and open, and she did not need to say a word. He already understood everything.

The next thing Agatha saw was the sun's rays. They shimmered, shone, covered her body from head to toe, spread a sheet of bright light under her. Fascinated by this incredible sight, she did not immediately realize that she was naked and was lying in the arms of a naked Dracula, who touched her shoulder with a kiss.

‘It always seemed to me that the conversion had to be... painful,’ she gasped in amazement.

Dracula smiled, looking up.

‘After all this time, did you think, I`d let it hurt?’

#dracula 2020 #bbc dracula #count dracula #agatha van helsing #dragatha #fanfic

[cherry-interlude]

Lana Del Rey Unreleased Ranking (3)

This is a re-ranking of Lana's unreleased songs, after making a first a few years ago. This is all my opinion, which I don't mind anyone disagreeing with but don't come for me for it - honestly, I like every song, despite any criticism, and this ranking is very vague. It's based on objective and subjective opinion.

This is the third of five posts, with the middle songs.

Dreamgirl

Purely wholesome and dreamy, Lana adds some very fifties “shoo-wops” to play a fifties starlet whispering, her vocals soothing and soft along with the looping piano that guides the song.

Jimmy Gnecco

Breathless over the brisk guitar, Lana gushes over Jimmy – mixing her adoration of her lovers with wannabe-starlet fangirling. It’s one of her best acoustic tracks as she smirks and requests a trip to the park.

Elvis

Lana’s acoustic dedication to her icon Elvis Presley is memorable despite how stripped back it is. It could have been cleaner but Lana’s sorrowful desperation to be close to this man who she is such a fan of works well in being decent output from her.

Boarding School

It’s a difficult listen, considering Lana’s nostalgia is for a “pro-ana nation” and a school where “makig love with your teachers” is revered, but it may just be a satirical look at her time in boarding school when she was younger. I don’t enjoy listening to such worrying topics being handled in an upbeat song but the song itself has well-written lyrics and a great instrumental.

Television Heaven

This song is incredibly sweet, with lovely lyrics, dreamy verses and a distinctive pop feel, but it is definitely a strange mash of instrumentals. It’s not too jarring but it does make the song fall lower in ranking. It feels indecisive as it goes from sugary pop to a slightly darker feel in the choruses, and the lyrics aren’t the most imaginative in Lana’s library of tracks.

Be My Daddy

Lana’s full on sex-kitten in this song that opens with twangy guitars and her hushed “what’s up?” as she greets her potential “daddy”. With dirtier lyrics that she’s “open like a Christmas present” and how she’ll “fuck you”, Lana avoids keeping the sex in just the vibe of the song.

Break My Fall

Another song made for another artist, Lana this time sounds like she’s doing her own track. The pop sound is still ideal for actual music charts but Lana pulls the song off well, playing a strong woman far removed from the tragic women of many of her songs. It’s strong in quality and doesn’t stray into more experimental territory where many of Lana’s unreleased songs reside.

Hit and Run

With three versions to pick from (the poppy original, the Born To Die style slower version and the demo Criminals Run The World that’s a little more overt about Lana’s violent intentions), all three of these songs have something special about them. The pop version is bouncy and chaotic, perfect for a wild spree of gun fights and car chases. The slower version is much more seductive and measured, but a little too reflective compared to the manic power of the upbeat version. Criminals Run The World ranks much lower, not as smooth compared to Hit and Run but still with that insanity that makes Hit and Run a wild ride.

Heavy Hitter

With a jazzy introduction, Lana gives us a glamorous tale of a star having an overdose (somehow she makes it glitzy). However, following the suggestive chorus in which Lana asks her man to open his butterfly doors of his car (to drive her to get help, somehow delivered with seduction rather than horror), the lyrics get lost in Lana’s generic praising of herself and her wicked ways. However, it’s a staple of Lana’s unreleased music, even if I do skip after the (if you think about it) harrowing first verse and chorus.

Behind Closed Doors

The instrumental is a little bit all over the place, but it does work when Lana details her ill-received romance to her lover, then jumps right in the chorus to eagerly tell him how much she enjoys sleeping with him.

Gangsta Boy

Lana is inspired by Betty Boop as she croons and gasps her way through the track. The vibe is great, though the music falls a bit, but Gangsta Boy is playful, light-hearted fun.

You’re Gonna Love Me

Lana may be raw in her vocals and basic in her instrumentals (only a guitar) but Lana takes control, self-assured she will make the listener adore her. Her confessional whisper that she might just want to be loved gives this song a knowing edge despite the pondering questions and realism-on-the-edge-of-pessimism feel tone.

Living Legend

Lana’s Living Legend was intended for Ultraviolence, and whilst the song fits in it is definitely one of her more slumbering songs. Yet her sentiment is strong, her lyrics thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable. All of the versions bring something a bit different but it is underlined by great song-writing.

Hey You

Lana has fun greeting a potential lover with this track and I have as much fun listening to it. The chorus is sparse and repetitive but Hey You is all about grabbing your attention rather than going to deep.

Is It Wrong?

Claustrophobic and guided by a smart riff and technological glitches, Lana pulls off the perfect unhinged groupie as she questions whether or not she is wrong for wanting the star of her dreams so much. The glitching is great for really seeing how Lana teeters on the edge of sanity for this guy she can’t resist, going from being the starlet to the foaming-at-the-mouth fangirl.

Playground

Lana becomes a rapper apparently in Playground and hits back at anyone who doubts her and her music. With a cloying chorus that compares the music industry to a playground of bitchy comments and school yard, Lana’s verses are smooth and her references overall decent. It can be a little bit clunky in places but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Motel 6

A cute little dance track which namedrops Jim and her sister, Chuck, Lana brings the party to her favourite motel, downplaying her glamour to throwback her ‘lore’ and her old life pre-fame. Though it’s very much just describing one night rather than anything complex, it’s harmless fun.

Dynamite

Like the explosive dynamite itself, this song is punchy, restless and powerful. Lana layers this dominating track with innocent references to ice cream and pillow fights whilst also not holding back from the sexual references.

Afraid

Neat and mournful, Lana finally breaks off from her toxic partner. Lana is either sick of being worried for the future or terrified of her partner, and its reflective sadness as she plans to go back home still leaves hope that she will be able to be happy.

Wayamaya

Rolling calmly like a beach wave, Lana takes us straight to Hawaii and paints us an image of handsome surfers and Mercurys. Wayamaya is simply a soothing, short, cute little track that keeps very much surface level.

Hawaiian Tropic

Plinky music paired with non-stressful verses and imagery of Hawaiian shirts, this is the (in my opinion) better version of Every Man Gets His Wish (which shares the same chorus). The subtlety of this track compared to Every Man Gets His Wish helps to convey the hurt feelings a lot better, with the nostalgic feel and mournful longing in the vocals.

Dum Dum

Lana plays the alcoholic star who name drops Scarlett O’Hara and Bugsy Malone as part of her identity. These lyrics are pretty witty and the song snappy but, like some of her unreleased music, is a bit too overproduced and not cohesive. The verses and choruses don’t quite gel which doesn’t make for a song that flows well but with tweaking it could be even better.

Hollywood’s Dead

Lana fits perfectly into the era of fifties with this mid-20th century driven track. It sounds perfectly in place for the decade she frequently romanticises (with a modern twist) and Lana’s crooning, tearful references to her icons drips with glamour.

Fake Diamond

For an anti-romance song, Fake Diamond is quite upbeat. Lana complains of her ‘lover’ who is one way with her, a different way with others, whilst comparing their relationship to all manner of Lana-themed aesthetics (diamonds, movie projectors, etc.). Comparing herself to a child, she practically has a tantrum in the chorus, stamping her feet lovingly as she demands he loves her. I do think this song is joyful, making fun of her inattentive lover whilst keeping one step ahead of his games.

I Must Be Stupid

Lana’s live unreleased track lets Lana enjoy her life despite the hurt that surrounds it, showing strength in the face of heartbreak and other such topics in her music. It was performed post-Lust For Life, an era in which Lana embraced the light side rather than simply the dark.

Live Or Die

The version that is a little bit more lowkey and, in some ways, mature in that it matches a lot of her early albums sound is good but it’s not my favourite. There’s the heady, ultra-pop second version that has plenty more sexy references, a little meow (iconic) and an overall vibe of just having fun on the run. The former version is a bit more serious, but the second is – though less good in terms of production – full of soul.

Velvet Crowbar

Velvet Crowbar is a song that shows the dark side of fame and bad boys, namely the way they self-destruct to the point that their adoring lovers (already addicted to these gangstas of course) are falling with them. This song is a warning to these destructive souls that they aren’t invincible, and an equal warning to the people that love them that they might just fall apart and lose them. Lana puts her emotion across so well, with her stark lyrics, anxious guitars and growling third chorus. Even her more flowery imagery doesn’t cover up the overt fear that runs through this song.

Your Band Is All The Rage

Probably one of Lana’s saddest songs (which could be a great deal many since she knows how to tug heartstrings), Lana lets go of her rock star lover despite still loving him in this acoustic track. She makes soulful promises to be there when he needs him, her love lingering until he wants her back, and utilises the country music theme to her advantage.

1949

The studio version is my favourite but the charm of the original, acoustic demo is unmatched. Despite the controversial inspiration for this track, Lana puts us straight in the world of the 1950s, with American motels and Kmart. It has a note of sadness – perhaps because of the unfortunate tale of Lolita that much of this song seems based on – but it works as one of Lana’s aesthetically pleasing and classic tracks.

Because of You

The spoken intro is a little bit cringe but the song is lovely. Lana plays an immature brat who fell in love with a good man who essentially tamed her (a little bit questionable for some in 2021). It’s got some of her most flowery imagery and it details how her relationship bought out the best of her. The casual comments she throws in throughout the song give this a real bedtime story feel, though this song is anything but sleepy.

Resistance

Frustrated but fun, Lana’s catchy and upbeat Resistance brings to mind surfers and sunny days set in the noughties. Even though she’s furious with the guy who’s causing her so much trouble it still, for a change, stays perky and pleasant. A song that needs more attention, it’s the type of song that gets people singing and dancing along to it.

Dangerous Girl

With a rock-feeling patriotic opening, Lana launches into a track about her prowess as a dangerous girl, like a deranged beauty queen with a gangsta on her arm. It’s simply fun, complete with wolf-whistles and an impression of a siren.

#lana del rey #lana del rey songs #lana del rey unreleased #cherry-interlude

[ihyperfixatedtoohard]

Not my fave song but a song that I’ve always thot is great for romance Under control by Parachute for geraskier ofc

I’m sorry this took so long, I’ve just had terrible writer’s block lately, which is why this one is a bit rushed and doesn’t flow well. Hopefully I’ll come back to it at some point. To make it up to you, I included a drawing of one of the random scenes from this! I hope you like it! (Also, by drawing, I mean incredibly quick sketch that I will likely never finish of Jaskier gazing at Geralt longingly just before the kiss)

~1,300 words

Warnings- Uhh… Geralt yells at Jaskier, they kiss in front of a bunch of people, mutual pining, Slightly Horny, but really just barely, happy ending

Geralt could feel eyes on him. Never a good sign. Usually it means a fight, or at the very least a one-sided screaming match where Geralt will just have to sit there and accept the verbal abuse. This had been happening since Jaskier started playing for the night, but no matter how many times Geralt checked his surroundings, he couldn’t figure out who was staring at him.

An hour passed, and then ten minutes, before he finally turned around fully to see if they were stupid enough to be boring holes in him from directly behind him and-… and… it was Jaskier. Had been Jaskier the whole time. He looked alive, prancing about on stage like that- eyes ablaze with energy, joy, hopefulness. All things Geralt hardly ever saw- especially not with eyes turned upon his figure. When Geralt met Jaskier’s eyes, the gaze quickly shifted, and Geralt couldn’t help but feel like Jaskier thought he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. Geralt knew the way Jaskier loved- quickly and fiercely, with his whole being- and Geralt also knew that such affections could never turn his way- be directed at him- even when Jaskier did things like this. Even when the ridiculous bard pulled shit like this- looking as though he longed for something and then decided he couldn’t have it. Fortunately, Geralt was a smart enough man to know that his thoughts were misplaced- that everything he thought he saw as romance was nothing more than his own longing, and his mind playing tricks to ease the pain of loving someone like Jaskier.

Another hour passed by before Jaskier’s show ended, and the whole time Geralt had been thinking of nothing but the expressions that had danced across the bard’s face. Jaskier approached Geralt’s table and sat across from him as he dabbed at the sweat on his brow. Geralt couldn’t help the feeling that stirred in his stomach- the feeling that he always got after Jaskier finished a performance- which was immediately followed by countless unsavory thoughts.

“… Geralt? You’re staring through me again.” He chuckled softly. “Are you alright?”

“Mh- oh, yes.”

“Good. Did you enjoy the performance?” Jaskier leaned lazily against the table as an ale was brought to the table- complementary, due to the performance.

“… It was less annoying that usual.” Geralt grunted. He refused to admit he liked Jaskier’s performances. It would give him away completely. Jaskier huffed and rolled his eyes before picking up the mug of ale and drinking deeply. He wiped the remaining foam from his lip with the back of his hand.

“Bollocks. You like my music. Don’t lie.” Geralt let out a soft chuckle in place of a response, which Jaskier chose to scoff at before returning to his drink. Geralt stared at him for a moment- wondering how to talk to Jaskier about what had happened during Jaskier’s show.

“Anyway, I think it’s about time for us to reti-“

“You were staring at me.” Geralt grumbled before Jaskier could finish his sentence, causing the poor bard to choke on air.

“I-I beg your pardon?”

“… I noticed you staring at me for most of your performance… You stopped when I looked at you.” Geralt was confused about Jaskier’s sudden (yet dulled) nervousness. The poet was suddenly looking anywhere but at him, and Geralt couldn’t help but feel like he may have done something wrong.

“Well, I had planned to do this later, but…” Jaskier leaned closer to Geralt, which let the witcher catch a better whiff of the bard without his scent being drowned out by all of the others the bar had to offer.

“… You’re already drunk.” Geralt stated with slight surprise. He began to wonder if Jaskier would be more nervous right now if he weren’t intoxicated. Jaskier snorted.

“I was drinking before the performance, remember?” He chuckled as he leaned closer. “C’mere. Closer.” He slurred. Seems the adrenaline high of his performance was leaving now. Jaskier was far less focused on annunciating properly.

“… I’d rather not. Your breath is terrible.” That wasn’t exactly a lie, but there was also the fact that their faces were already so close that if Geralt leaned in any more, their lips would-… well… yeah. Jaskier giggled and moved closer, and Geralt leaned back to leave the bard more space. Jaskier huffed and rolled his eyes for the second time that night.

“You utter cock. Gotta do everything myself.”

“What the hell do you-“ He didn’t have time to finish speaking before Jaskier had launched himself around Geralt and wrapped his arms around his neck and… and kissed him! Geralt was too started to move, and he could feel dozens of eyes on them. Jaskier finally pulled back after what felt like centuries with a dazed and loving look in his eyes.

“Mhh… ‘ve wanted to do that for years.” He laughed softly. If witchers could blush, Geralt’s face would have been bright red as he grabbed his bard and carried him up to the room they had rented. Geralt just wanted to get away from the crowd as quickly as possible so he could sort through his thoughts and talk with Jaskier in private. He tossed Jaskier on the bed, and the bard clearly had a different idea of what that meant from the look he gave Geralt.

“Well, glad to see you’re just as eager as I am-“

“What the hell was that, Jask!?” Geralt shouted. He likely sounded far angrier than he actually was, but he honestly wasn’t sure what he was feeling at all. He had never experienced this much emotion at once, so it all just sort of came out as anger, since that was the emotion he was most comfortable with. Jaskier sat up straighter after Geralt yelled at him, and seemed to be more alert (or at least less lusty).

“Oh… oh, fuck, you didn’t- shit, I thought if I- fuck, I’m so stupid!” Jaskier groaned and put his head in his hands. Geralt looked over, about to agree and tear Jaskier a new one for whatever the hell sort of stunt he was trying to pull, but… well, when he turned to fully face Jaskier he realised the poor man was crying. Geralt stared for a moment- completely perplexed by this new development. Cautiously, he stepped closer, until he was sitting by the bard’s side on the bed.

“Jask, I… I’m not… I’m not mad, I just… what the hell got into you? You made a whole scene, and-“

“I know,” Jaskier interrupted, his voice shaking, “I know, I just… I-I just… I’ve… I love you. I have for so long, and… and I wanted… I wanted to tell you, b-but I knew I wouldnt’ be able to do it unless I was-“ Suddenly, all of the pieces clicked together in Geralt’s mind, revealing the full picture of his bard’s emotions.

“Drunk… you… you got drunk… so you could confess to me…” He stated somewhat dumbly. Jaskier simply nodded.

“I-I guess… I misjudged my ability to keep myself together… I had meant to just tell you, but… gods, did I actually kiss you in front of-“

“Yeah… you did… it was, um… well, it was certainly something.” Geralt coughed. In hindsight, it was rather attractive. Jaskier seemed to be picking up on Geralt’s thoughts, which gave him the courage to ask Geralt an important question.

“… Well… now you know that I love you… do… how would… I-I just mean, is there any way you would-“ Jaskier’s ramblings came to a haunt as soft, unsure lips gently brushed his own. Geralt was about to pull back- not wanting to linger, just in case Jaskier changed his mind, but Jaskier wasn’t having it. He wrapped his arms around Geralt’s neck and pulled the witcher down on top of him- capturing him in a hungry, desperate kiss- like that kiss was the only thing he had ever truly wanted in life. It may very well have been. When they pulled away, both breathless and in need of air, Jaskier spoke again.

“So… does this mean you love me?” He asked somewhat sheepishly. Geralt let out a gentle chuckle and, fuck, if Jaskier couldn’t listen to that laugh forever.

“Yes, Jaskier. I love you.”

Aaaand, now the sketch I promised>>>>

#jaskier #julian alfred pankratz #the witcher #geralt #geralt of rivia #geralt x jaskier #geralt/jaskier #geraskier+headcanon #gerlion #art #fan fiction

[ask-anti-cosmo]

The return of Anti-Cosmo part 4

Part 1 Part 2 part 3

“Hey Anti-Cosmo-“ you started to say but he cut you off and ignored you at the same time.

“And you, my little doll, I’m making you young again and I don’t get so much as a thank you?” he asked the old lady who now looked terribly young. You thought she had actually had turned into a doll, but her face still moved like a human, despite the perfect glass looking skin.

She didn’t say anything, but sat, quivering with fear. “I was always afraid you’d come back for me…” She told him.

“Why would you say that, you were always one of my favorites.” He frowned and leaned forward to her with a finger outstretched. As soon as his finger touched her nose, her whole face suddenly broke, cracks formed starting from her nose and all across her face. Small pieces of what looked like porcelain fell from the cracks. She shrieked in pain, and that’s when you couldn’t take it and grabbed Anti-Cosmo’s shoulder and yanked him away from her. Her face reformed to perfection when his finger lifted from her nose.

Anti-Cosmo looked at you with annoyance. “I believe I was in the middle of something.” He scowled.

“Well now you’re talking to me, because obviously you aren’t going to leave me alone anytime soon, so I want to enter in a contract with you.” You told him

His eyebrows raised. “Really?” He faced you, arms folded. “and what exactly inspired this feeling?” he asked suspiciously.

With his arms folded, this was the perfect time to catch him off guard. You snatched his wand from his hands and held it tightly away from him.

His eyes went wide as soon as he realized the wand was missing. “Wait! Give that back!!” he said and swiped at it, trying to get it back from you. You kept it out of his short arm’s reach and pushed him away with your other hand.

“You will listen to me.” You glared. He flinched and finally looked away from his wand to look you in the eye. He realized he wasn’t going to get his wand back until you spoke, so he stood up straight and pouted.

“Fine. Say what you want.” He huffed.

“First of all, drink my blood.” You told him. He narrowed his eyes at you.

“You complained so extensively about it earlier, and now it’s a demand?” he asked skeptically.

“Because earlier you took it without consent, but now it’s my choice.”

“It wouldn’t happen to be your choice because you know if I do, you would be owed a wish?” he frowned.

“That being said, the more blood you drink, the bigger the magic used for the wish, right?” you asked.

He narrowed his eyes at you before sighing with an eye roll. “Yes…”

“What are you upset about? You’re the one who shared too much.” You said and tucked the wand up your shirt into the back of your bra. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wouldn’t make it easy for him to snatch it back. “So that being said, start drinking. I have two decent sized wished.”

He glared a minute before leaning closer to bite you. You quickly took both his hands and interlocked your fingers with his. He flinched from surprised and looked at your hands, then back at your face with curious annoyance.

“So you don’t get wandering hands.” You glared. “now drink.”

“You’re lucky you’re blood actually recharges my magic faster than human blood.” He huffed and leaned in again and bit your neck. While trying to distract you from the pain, you looked around for something else to focus on. You saw the two women who were just recently being tortured by the Anti-fairy. The young woman chained down struggled to get lose, while the porcelain lady tried to untie her, but her fingers started to chip like glass from scraping at the metal.

Anti-Cosmo started to pull away after one sip, but you wrapped your arms (and his) behind his back and pulled him against your body. He flinched, looking very startled. He struggled slightly, but you held him still. “More…” you glared with a warning tone.

“I don’t like my women so bossy.” He huffed.

“And yet every women in here, you wanted to have boss you around. DRINK.” You commanded again.

He hissed angrily but obeyed and drank more blood. You started to feel lightheaded, but kept your consciousness about you. “That should be enough.” You told him but he stepped closer and pushed you against the wall, still drinking more. “Hey! I said that’s enough!” you yelled and yanked him off, but still held his hands tightly. He you shoved back into the wall, making his wand poke you in the back. “Knock it off! You owe me now, remember?!”

“Like you, I won’t obey so perfectly.” He insisted. “Now you’ve made your payments, give me my wand back!” he glared.

You pushed him away at arms length then let go of his hands. He agreeably let go of yours and held one hand out expectantly.

You slowly reached back and grabbed the wand, pulling it out of your shirt. “The first spell you cast will be my wish, got it?” you glared.

“Oh? And how will you garentee that?” he frowned.

“Because you’re not a liar. You twist your words and others, but you don’t tell flat out lies. You dodge the question a lot too. Now I repeat, You will agree to the first magic you use when you get your wand back, will be my wish.”

He sighed in exasperation. “Fine, I agree!”

You finally handed it over. He took his wand from you and saw a little blood on one of the star point. He smirked and licked it off.

“Alright, so what is this big wish you have in mind?” he asked, looking cocky again.

“Get your wand ready to grant it as soon as I’m done saying it.” You said.

“You seem confident that it’ll stump and or upset me.” He said cockily. “You drastically underestimate me. And I’m sure you won’t wish me back into a safe in the ocean, you saw the effects of last time, you’re too nice~”

You took a deep breath. It was time. “I wish that you are unable to touch or hurt me, unless it’s life saving efforts or I give permission. I wish that after every wish, spell, use of magic, your wand automatically comes to me, and that this is the only wand you can use until I die.”

His eyes went wide with shock but smoke erupted around you two and his wand was missing when the smoke cleared. Something cold was wrapped around your neck. You felt it to find a thin chain with a single black star on it. In the back where the links were was what seemed to be the handle of the wand.

“My wand!” Anti-Cosmo said with desperation and reached for you but his hand was repelled. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” he said, seeming more shocked than angry.

“I’ve made myself the only possible master you could have forever.” You smiled.

“You’ve CURSED YOURSELF!” He emphasized. “WITH ME!”

“Effective.” You smirked. You reached back to the necklace’s wand handle. As soon as you closed your fist around it and pulled, the wand changed back into it’s original form. You held it out to him again. “Now I wish you’d restore those two back to their healthy normal forms.” You said, pointing to the porcelain woman and chained down woman.

He choked, seeming too stunned to do anything for a moment. Then, to your great shock, he smiled and snatched his wand away. “You cheeky little thing.” He smirked waved it for your wish. The two women were back to exactly how you found them, and the wand was back around your neck.

“As annoyed as I am that my revenge has been disturbed, I can’t help but feel a little…joyous.” He smirked at you. “Though taking my wand like that is making me a little more than annoyed.” He huffed slightly.

You were disappointed he wasn’t throwing a tantrum or anything. You were hoping for a better reaction. He seemed more satisfied than you were.

“What shall we do now little master?” he said in a mocking tone.

“You’re shockingly calm for someone who was just swindled out of their magic, and freedom.” You frowned.

“Only pure stupidity infuriates me. Being bested by someone clever…honestly brings me delight.” He smiled. “I can outlive you anyways.”

“Can you though?” you smirked back. “You can’t hurt or touch me. You’ll have to wait for someone else to off me. I can’t die of old age either.”

“Every woman around me dies. Every last one of them.” He whispered the last part, making you curious.

“For now, just take us home.” You said and removed the wand from your neck and handed it to him again.

“Ooooh~ our home?” he smirked. He took his wand from you and swung it around playfully. He waved it and you both wound up back at your penthouse. “I’m fine with the sound of that~”

“Wow, you go from ‘I can’t wait to get away and get revenge’ to ‘oh goodie we’re living together as master and slave’!” you growled and felt the wand, back around your neck.

“And you went from ‘oh you’re the worst!’ to…well, not too far off from that, but now you want to spend eternity with me~”

“You’re definitely still the worst. What I don’t get is why don’t you go find a woman of your own kind instead of constantly hunting terminal humans?” you asked.

He actually hesitated and looked away. “…I had a bride…”

You looked back at him in surprise. “w…an anti-fairy one? What happened? Divorced?”

“No no…that’s not really a…thing with us.”

“Then…what?” you asked expectantly.

He was quiet a minute before smiling again. “She died…probably the first Anti-fairy in centuries to accomplish that.”

“How?? Wooden stake?”

He actually laughed. “We’re not that alike! Besides…there’s a lot you don’t understand about the fae and Anti-Fae…”

“We’re going to be together for a long time. May as well.” You sat down.

He fluttered up and sat in midair. “Its not like you’d find my fairy counterpart anyways. Despite being an idiot he hides very well, as all fairies do, anti or not. First of all, you may or may not have noticed this, but I have a scar. I usually use magic to keep it hidden cause it’s a bit unsightly, but…” he lifted his shirt to see a bizarre star shaped scar on his stomach. “Despite being a fairy, the doctor was an imbecilic making such a massive unnecessary incision.”

“Whoa, I thought you healed fast! You didn’t have any scars from your deep sea adventure!” you said and looked at the scar closer.

“That because we are linked to our fairy counterpart’s. He didn’t have a deep sea adventure, so no scars. This scar was from an organ transplant. He took mine, I took his. While his organ was failing, mine was exceeding the use needed for an anti-fairy. It was mutually beneficial and I got out of fairy-worlds highest security prison as a bonus. But the only reason I got a scar, is because the same exact thing happened to him. Because we were inflicted the same injuries, permanent damage was done to us both.”

“So…your wife, did she die because her fairy half died too? And how?? Can’t imagine much that could cause real damage to you.”

“Care for a cautionary tale told between the Anti-fairy and fairy? It’s told as a reminder why the two Species don’t intermingle.” he smirked.

“A Fairy and an Anti, had one thing Akin

They both had same species folk, who’s lives were a sin.

So they combined their magic, mixed pure with perverse

But when the moment was done,

The trust was then none,

And they parted ways by hearse”

You blinked at him. “So…if the two species combine their magic, it can make a weapon that can kill them?”

“Basically, but there’s an anomaly…the story was they made bullets for their own enemies. They each took their share, but both shot each other at the same time. They say if one was honest, and the other shot at them, then they both would have survived. It’s only because they both planned to kill each other did they succeed. They made many bullets and only two were used. It’s said that after that, the fairies trapped us anti's to ensure their immortality. Only on Friday the 13th were some of us powerful enough to escape, but we were usually captured shortly after. Eventually we all escaped with the aid of a stupid child.”

He stepped towards your bed and laid on it, looking up at the ceiling. He held his hand out to you. “may I?”

You hesitated but gave him the wand. He waved his wand, and shadows began to form, some looking like him, another was identical women with curly hair, and the other was a tall crooked man. “ It was during on of my schemes to make the life of my species better. My wife, her fairy half, both were captured by some crackpot grade school teacher. Their capture only meant to hold them hostage, but he misaimed his bullet and hit both with the same bullet. It was pure …luck.” He said looking off into the distance as his shadows and wand vanished after acting out the scene he described. “They had no corpse’s. Unlike the rhyme, there was no hearse. No funeral. The Fairies…and the Anti-fairies. We all didn’t even know what to do…such a thing was only ever heard of in a story about not trusting one another.”

“That must have been painful. Have you mourned her properly?” you asked.

“I simply felt…no, nothing.” He looked away, rolling into his side. His wings cling to his back protectively, and his legs lifted closer to his body.

“Oh no. You’ve proven to not be the heartless monster you’ve tried to make yourself look like. You may have torture those women, but that was out of revenge. This was your wife, a being meant to live as long as you, probably the person closest to you. You’ve never really had to mourn before then, right?” you said, pulling him back to look at you. His face looked very sad and a little confused. “Why don’t we have an empty casket funeral? Maybe it’d help give you closure.”

He hesitated then his face cracked into a smiled. “I don’t need that, I need revenge. And now I know who to address my wrath to!”

“Did killing the human who killed your wife make you feel better?” you frowned, making his smile vanish. “Don’t tell me you didn’t seek revenge, not with how you’re acting now.”

“I did, but I have yet to find out how he found the bullets or even knew to look for them. Killing him was the most I could do for her. She often slowed me down anyways.”

“This is why you hunt women isn’t it?” you asked and he flinched. “You miss your wife but are constantly disappointed by the ones you come across. Let me guess, too breakable?”

“It doesn’t mater!”

“Oh yeah? What was your wife’s name?” you asked expectantly.

He hesitated a and looked away. “I-it doesn’t matter.” He said again.

“If it doesn’t matter, then just tell me. Or does it hurt too much to say her name?”

He got up from the bed and walked to the window. “I’m going for a flight.” He said as he opened the window.

“Avoiding me won’t help. I’ll still keep asking.” You said.

“Then maybe I won’t come back.” He glared.

“Without your precious wand?” you asked.

“I’ll get another one.”

“Part of my wish was this could be you one and only wand forever. So I doubt that.”

“Maybe I’ll learn to live without.”

“Good luck with your magical crashes.”

His fist clenched but he stepped into the window sill and vanished.

You decided not to worry about it for now and got busy. It was hard to find things to keep you busy since you’ve lived for so long, so lately you opted to videogames.

You sat on your couch and began to play a zombie killing game. You weren’t sure how long you played for, but eventually you heard the shutters open and bat wings flutter. You didn’t bother looking. You pretended to not notice and kept playing.

“Might I make a request?” he asked softly.

You paused the game and looked up expectantly.

“…another controller?” he asked and pointed to the one in your hand.

You rose your eyebrows but held the wand out to him. “I wish you had a matching controller.” You said as soon as he held it. In an instant, his wand was replaced with a gaming controller and he sat in the air with his legs crossed.

“So…how does this work?” he asked, trying to mimic how you held your controller.

You gave him quick short instructions and you both began to play till morning. The light hit his face first and his hissed before setting the controller down and rubbed his eyes.

“So…nice flight?” you asked as you set your own controller down.

“…Her name was Anti-Wanda.” He finally said. He reached into his coat and held a wallet out to you. You took it curiously but only found photos inside. There was pictures of him with a similarly colored woman with crooked teeth and curly blue hair. Her bright pink eyes stood out, just like Anti-Cosmo’s green eyes. She was using her feet to do odd things in some pictures, like holding a sandwich. All the pictures they were close and looked happy.

“You two look happy.” You commented with a smile.

“Id like to think so. I was always trying to make the conditions better for my kingdom and wife, but after she passed, well…I saw no reason to anymore, and just decided to hunt on my own.” He shrugged. “It was because of one of my schemes that she got caught anyways.”

“You didn’t expect anyone to be ready and waiting to catch her. Or be dumb enough to shoot his hostages. Stop blaming yourself. Besides, you have a designated food source now.” You told him. “We can go on our own adventures.”

“What about Anti-Binky?” he asked. “My revenge?”

“I don’t know about revenge, but maybe some justice is in order.” You said.

He cringed at the sound of the word “Justice”, but nodded. “That might be enough I suppose…”

“I’ve got a plan, don’t worry.” You assured.

“So do I. Might we Converse?” he asked.

“Sounds fair.” You agreed.

#anti-cosmo #anti fairies #fairly odd parents #vampire reader #anti-wanda #death #mourning #part 4

[lotrfics]

IMAGINE: Gradually fading when you believe Legolas is falling for Tauriel

Pairing: Legolas x Female Elf Reader

Requested: Yes (Hello! How are you? Can I please request a story where the reader is an elf (Legolas long time friend, she is always near him, being his shoulder to cry on, listening to all his problems, training hard to be the best and learning about everything in middle earth because she loves to learn about every creature). She loves him, but he starts to fall for Tauriel, and they start to get distant. She is dying of a broken heart, and he desperately tries to help her. (with a happy ending please) Thanks) -Anonymous

Summary: You have always loved Legolas, but you are unable to handle your emotions when Legolas seems to be falling for Tauriel

Warnings: More shitty angst, can be a trigger warning because weight loss is mentioned here, though I don’t know if it counts as an actual trigger warning because i’m dumb lol

A/N: Request is slightly changed (Legolas actually falling for Tauriel never happens) because anon wanted a happy ending, and for that to work for me it should be nothing more than a misunderstanding

You were just a child when you met Legolas. You had bumped into him and spilled your drink all over him. He got mad at you and you began apologizing profusely then ran off. You saw him again the next day, and before you can run off, he told you he got over it and asked if you both could be friends.

Before you realized it, he soon became your best friend, you two were inseparable. He knew how ambitious you were, even if your goals were too unrealistic, he would always help you in any way he could to make sure you are the best in whatever you want to be best at. 

Whenever he got in a bad argument with his father or a friend of his, or simply just a terrible day, you made sure to be his shoulder to cry on, and that was enough for him. He didn’t care if you had no idea what to say to him, you were there for him and listening to him ranting, which was all he needed.

Legolas was a prince, so he can be quite busy, at those times you found yourself in the library if other people you knew were busy as well. There, you discovered the existence of hobbits and their culture in a book, and it caught your interest, because if you asked another elf what a hobbit was, they would most likely stare at you with confusion on their face, then walk away without answering you.

As an elleth, you obviously knew of your culture, you would be slow and stupid if you didn’t. Humans don’t go to Mirkwood because they have no reason to, so you only knew parts of human culture through books, and to learn about other parts, you have to know actually know a human, which you don’t. Everyone knows dwarves don’t like to share their culture, so you barely know anything about them. Their stubbornness is known by many, but not every dwarf is stubborn.

Centuries passed by, and you and Legolas began to drift away from each other. This was originally not a bad thing, you were still friends, but he was getting busier than ever and you were too interested in the secrets of Middle Earth to be able to resist going to the library, without giving some time to let him know about your plans.

One day, Legolas made a new friend; Tauriel, Captain of the Guard. At first, you didn’t really care, it would be ridiculous if you berated Legolas for making a new friends. Over time, though, you couldn’t help but feel jealous when you noticed he kept hanging out with her continuously. 

That jealousy of yours only worsened when you chose to talk to Legolas later.

Someone told you you needed to spend one day away from the library, you couldn’t help but agree. So you approached Legolas to ask if you can hang out with him. “Would you like to go on a walk right now?” You asked. 

He shook his head walking away. “I can’t, (Y/N). I promised Tauriel I would spent the rest of the day with her.” Leaving you there confused, jealous and upset. All three emotions at once. He didn’t even suggest another date for that walk to happen, the thought of that infuriated you.

More embarrassing exchanges occurred after that, and once you grew tired of it, you began to ignore him and distance yourself from him. Because not too long ago, but not too recently, you discovered your deep love for him; you had a feeling your romantic love for him began a long time ago, you just only discovered it now.

It didn’t matter to you if you remained his friend and never became his lover, but now that he has found himself a new friend and prioritizes her over you, it hurts. You felt betrayed by your own best friend. It may sound petty, but anyone who has never thought their best friend betrayed them would never know the pain. 

You were starting to feel lonely.

The worst part about it, was he never noticed you were ignoring him. He was so delighted in forming a friendship with Tauriel, it left him distracted to even get a clue he was being ignored. He always used to notice the silent treatments you would give to anybody, whether it was to him, a family member of yours, or another member.

Now, that didn’t seem to be the case anymore. He became oblivious, too oblivious for you to handle. He was falling for her, you knew that, and there was absolutely nothing you can do anymore.

-

The library was your safe haven, it was the only place you felt happy in these days. But that happiness did not last long forever. You could never forget Legolas, how can you forget the one who gave you motivation when you had none? His support was part of the reason you were very successful in many things, and he was the only one that actually listened to your ramblings, which was usually about your knowledge of Middle Earth and it’s strangest creatures.

Eventually, you began having difficulty to get interested in a new book, which was odd, but it happens. Not everything can please you. But soon enough, you realized the things that always fascinated you began to bore you out of your mind. It was concerning, but you didn’t think too much of it, only dismissing it as burnout from spending too much time in the library.

For some reason, even being in your own home began to make you feel sick. This definitely was odd. Elves cannot get sick. From what you knew, only half elves can get sick, but the only thing they can catch was a cold, which you heard was not even anywhere near bad. 

You were a full blooded elf, there was no way you can get sick, and you felt like fainting at that moment, you waited for it, but it never happened. You stumbled all the way to your room, and it left you bewildered to know even getting to your own room felt like a difficult task.

-

While eating breakfast the next day, you were thinking about your condition. You deduced you were already beginning to fade. It bothered you when you first learned only elves can die heartbroken. Being an elf had many benefits, you knew that, but the downsides were annoying. 

Dying of a broken heart sounds silly, but unfortunately it was a curse. It was one of those moments you honestly wished you were something else other than an elf, especially a human, because if you’re going to be honest, elves suck at moving on. Moving on is something mortals excel at, and you wished you had that.

Being in love with your best friend, who isn’t really your best friend anymore because you had drifted apart, was already bad. To make matters worse, he found a new close friend who he was falling for. That told you you could’ve possibly be with Legolas, except he didn’t want you, you weren’t what he wasn’t looking for, instead, Tauriel had and was everything he wanted.

Thinking about it only made you feel more worse. Despite your anger, you knew he was finally happy, he finally found someone meant for him, even if that someone was not you. You’ll die knowing he has finally found someone he has always wanted, as he told you when you both younger. Someone who will make him complete.

-

“What do you dream of, Legolas?” you asked him, while sitting out together, admiring the beautiful view. It was night time, you were the only ones awake and outside. “I know you want something that is not what your father pressures you to be.”

Thranduil was one strict elf. He does not want his son to follow his heart, he always insisted him to follow his head instead since he was just a child. Legolas loved his father, he truly did, but he refused to listen to him. He wanted to follow his own desires, his own goal to remain happy, he didn’t want anyone getting in the way of it.

Unfortunately, he would be reprimanded by his father when he stood up to him about this matter. His father told him following his heart would lead him to become unsuccessful. Following the mind was more logical, Thranduil insisted. You were the only one Legolas confided in about his wishes and his father’s disapproval. He knew you would always support him, no matter what.

Legolas did not respond immediately, he stayed silent, and you began looking around you, stopping when he suddenly spoke up. “What I want in my eternal life?” You glanced at him, giving him a nod to keep talking. “To find someone I would want to be with, to sail to Valinor with once it is time.” He admitted softly.

You merely nodded. You figured Legolas did not want all the pressures of being a prince, he wasn’t exactly a great leader, he would happily give up the role of leader to anyone else. He would do anything to ensure he never rules Mirkwood, to stay away from the throne as far as possible. 

“Tell me more about this species of you discovered, hobbits, I believe?” Legolas requested. You gave him a grin. “I got you interested, didn’t I?” You asked.

“Maybe.” He replied cheekily.

-

Legolas hasn’t heard from you in a while. He grew worried, assuming the worst.

Time for elves are completely different. A couple of centuries are considered a second to them. Legolas has gone years without talking to you before, he was a patient elf, but this time, something didn’t feel right. Plus, you always told each other what you were doing ahead of time should either of you get super busy. 

When Tauriel was busy, he took that chance to visit you, to find out how you are doing. He arrived at your house, entering without knocking, that is completely normal to you both. He was taken by surprise when he saw the room was a mess. Well, it wasn’t THAT messy, but it was a mess to your standards. 

He remembered you insisted on cleaning everything. It bothered you to see dirt, especially on your own clothes. A slight stain on your clothes is easily noticed by someone like you, and it drove you mad. 

Your door was open, once he took notice of it, he ran in. There, he saw you in your bed, looking unnaturally exhausted, worrying him further. Rubbing your eyes, you turned to see Legolas suddenly in your room, startling you. You flinched back and hit your head on the headboard, making you yelp in pain. Legolas winced as he watched that.

You didn’t even hear him come in.

“You look terrible, (Y/N), what has happened to you?” Legolas asked you, concern in his voice. You didn’t respond, you were too busy rubbing your head, the impact was more painful than it should be. But you were dying, so any pain you experience, even if minor, was made worse for you. You felt a migraine begin to develop all of a sudden.

His sudden appearance put you at ease. If only you had the heart to tell him what you’re going through right now. You also wondered how he did not realize immediately you were fading, because that’s the only way an elf can get so dizzy from a silly accident. Nobody can easily tell their friend that they are dying of a broken heart in a straight forward manner.

You rubbed your forehead and closed your eyes as you remained sat on your bed. Legolas gazed at your body, you didn’t look good at all. You were dangerously thin and noticed you were uncontrollably shaking as if you caught a cold. Then it all clicked in him.

“Please, don’t tell me you have already begun to fade,” he had concluded you were dying of a broken heart. Now he needed to know, why and how? So many questions were to follow. “What is the cause of this?”

You glanced at him. “What brings you here?” You said plainly, completely ignoring his question. He gave you a look. “I am sure we agreed many years ago we can visit each other without knocking.” He reminded you. Of course you remembered that exact day. How can you forget it?

Again, you didn’t say anything. He already knew. There was no need to say anything else. Now you were to embarrassed to admit why you were dying. Yes, he knew it was heartbreak, but he didn’t know who broke your heart and why they did so. 

“You have to tell me why,” he desperately pleaded, “I do not know if I am able to help you at this point, but I will go out of my way to find out if it is possible. If I cannot help you, then I will remain by your side until your very last breath.” 

“I can’t tell you,” you mumbled out, but he heard, giving you a look of confusion. “Why do you care?” You suddenly blurted out, to which you instantly regretted. You looked at him and he looked completely offended when you questioned his loyalty to you just now.

“Did you just ask me why I care?” He demanded harshly, making you shamefully turn away from him. “You are why I no longer am in my father’s shadow. You gave me support when I needed it the most. You taught me to go after what I truly want, only if I do it right. And I am more than grateful for that.”

“I do not know how I can ever fully repay for that, and I insist on doing so, even if you tell me it is simply nothing. But it is not nothing, I have confidence in myself because of you. You do not realize how much it angers me when you turn down my assistance, I cannot let you give everything to me while I give you nothing.”

“I supported you when you told me of your ambitions, even if you have really high expectations, but that is not enough. Denying me to try saving your life is a ridiculous decision. I wish I had the power to easily bring you back, but something like this is almost irreversible. But I will still try, I will never give up on you.”

“I cannot lose you,” he began sobbing, “I am glad to have spent hundreds of years with you, since we were just kids, all the way to your last moments.”

After a few seconds of debating to yourself, you glanced at Legolas to see tears forming in his eyes.

“I found someone,” he began, and you immediately understood what he meant. The someone he wanted to sail west with. Though, you didn’t understand why he would gush over Tauriel to you while you were dying. “And that someone is you, (Y/N). I wish I realized it sooner. As it appears you already found someone else, which led you here, heartbroken.” 

Your eyes widened, but you did not say anything. He tried his best to not look away from you, to keep his gaze on you. His lip trembled before speaking up again. “I- I truly love you, (Y/N). I really do.” He confessed, finally turning away from you, not ready for instant rejection.

The pain you have been feeling for a while now have suddenly disappeared. You were no longer shivering, you no longer felt like fainting every other second. His declaration somehow healed you partly. You could tell you still looked like a stick, but you felt a part of yourself returning back to life, you no longer fading.

He had saved your life. And you did not know how to return the favor.

“You would be glad to know I love you too, Legolas. Thank you.” You gave him a sincere smile, it was the first time you have cracked a smile in a while, since the start of your time away from him.

Despite the tears that ran down his face, he couldn’t help but return the smile, completely taken aback, not what he had been expecting after all.

-

Everything gradually went back to normal for you. You instantly regained your appetite, so you were able to eat again without difficulty, no longer looking unhealthy. You were getting happy again, your interests came back to you, now easily reading the books you have always wanted to read, but were unable to read at first because of your broken heart. 

Remember that walk you asked Legolas to go on with you a while back?

It was happening right now.

You weren’t exactly paying attention as you admired the view around you. Suddenly, you saw an arm waving all over your sight. “I asked you a question.” Legolas spoke up, a little annoyed since you weren’t listening.

“Sorry,” you apologized sheepishly, turning to Legolas, “I didn’t hear anything you said at all.” You admitted, and he playfully rolled his eyes at you. “I was asking you what broke your heart that time.” He asked, sounding serious. You both stopped walking. You sighed, you were still too embarrassed to admit it.

“I would tell you, but you would laugh at me.” You told him. He shook his head at you. “I would never laugh at something as serious as that.” He said sternly, and you nodded, taking a deep breath, getting ready for the moment he starts to laugh at you.

“I thought you liked Tauriel, and you were already spending a lot of time with her, so I couldn’t help but feel alone.” You told him, shrugging. You noticed he was grinning, and you sighed. “You were jealous?” Legolas asked curiously, and you nodded.

“You said you would never laugh, remember?” You pointed out. “Yes, but I didn’t think jealousy could kill you.” He expressed.

“We should think of it no longer. I think it is time for us to go back.” You suggested, and he slightly smiled, not failing to notice you suddenly changed the topic. He realized you didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and he decided to no longer bring up it ever again.

He offered you his hand. You gladly took it, intertwining your fingers together as you both made your way to wherever you were going.

-

Taglist: @aspiring-ginger​

#lotr imagine #lord of the rings imagine #the hobbit imagine #legolas x reader #legolas imagine

[zoefandom127]

this literally came up out of nowhere. I was thinking about this YJ fic i read a while ago when Artemis got poisoned then i started thinking about Mikasa's family line and how she has SUPER STRENGTH (don't try to argue with me, just let me believe what i want to believe lol) So i got to thinking and this is what came to be. This totally does not correlate with the plot and i think it may a little all over the place...but let's see how well i did!

The Durability of an Individual

She had never heard of another person with her last name. The last people she knew with the name Ackerman were her parents and her memory of them in her life was pretty short-lived.

Kenny the Ripper. Kenny Ackerman.

Captain Levi. Levi Ackerman.

Ackerman.

What a fucking family tree. She was related to an expert killer and a blunt, emotionless captain. Well, at least there's somewhat of a personality resemblance with Levi.

When Levi had finally brought Kenny into custody, she thought she'd get some answers. But the man was as silent as a dumbbell, refusing to say anything until his hearing. She'd been watching him be interrogated by Levi and Erwin and hoping for a little slip about her family.

Where are they from? Why were they persecuted? Where is everyone else? Anything would suffice her need to know. It had been a good ten minutes before her legs got tired and the fluorescent light started to burn her eyes. She made a beeline for the exit and was met with the afternoon breeze of Ehrmich.

"Hey." She turned to meet the voice and was met with the two boys who were always by her side.

"You okay?" Eren said with a worried expression at her dejected face. Of course, her face remained neutral but with a simple glance, he could always understand what she was feeling.

"Yeah, I just...I finally found my...I don't know what they are and—" Mikasa looked down at the floor she stood, suddenly finding the cracks in the stone pretty interesting. "I want to know more about myself. You know, where I come from, what I am, who my parents were." Her voice cracked at the end.

She felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her body into the side of his. She heard Armin shuffle to her other side and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Letting out a heavy sigh, Mikasa laid her head on Eren's shoulder.

She typically refused to think or talk about anything that involved her parents in fear of having the memory of that night replay in her mind. It still haunted her to this day though she wished it didn't. Not just her parent's death but the people she murdered. That was enough trauma to last a century.

Before she basked too long in the presence of her friends, a door opened only to reveal a stone-faced Levi.

"Ackerman." Mikasa quickly turned her head to salute her captain, feeling Armin and Eren do the same on either side of her. Levi waved them off and set his eyes on her. "You can try to get answers out of the bastard but I guarantee he won't budge. Good luck." Levi stepped aside to allow Mikasa to enter.

Hesitating, Mikasa strode through the door, hearing her friends shuffle in behind her. Making a left on the second door of the hallway she stood before the man who was her supposed "family". Her breath hitched when she saw him bloodied and bruised. Not that she had expected anything less, this has become the Scout's forte now.

Kenny lifted his head slowly, taking in the sight in front of him. He gave a wide, toothy smile and let out what seemed to be a laugh. "Really, kid? You gave up so you sent in the girl? I know I didn't raise a quitter."

Mikasa almost flinched when he yelled the last part. "I…" Mikasa pushed her shoulders back farther than they already were and made her face colder than it was before, "You're a part of the Ackerman clan. Tell me more about them."

"Heh. Not a lot I can tell you, kid. I don't know much more than you." Kenny spoke with a menacing tone, keeping his eyes firmly on her causing her to shuffle slightly on the balls of her feet.

"You don't know anything? What about where we're from? How we got scattered? What makes us able to do the things we do?" Mikasa almost sounded desperate. "Who we were? Just give me that much."

"Sorry. Beats me." Kenny smiled condescendingly and proceeded to look Mikasa up and down escalating her discomfort. "But...you do look familiar."

Mikasa's eyes narrowed at the outward thought. She'd never met him until now so what the hell could he possibly mean by that statement.

"Ah. I get it now. You're Linda and Jamun's daughter."

Mikasa tensed immediately. Her whole body stiffened and her eyes widened, the only indications that his words surprised her. "How did you—"

"You were the girls they were after. You know I dabbled in human trafficking myself, right Levi?" He nodded his head towards the expressionless man leaning against the wall next to the door. "A real doozy business. Quit after about 3 months. But for a short while, I became the commander. You know; calling all the shots, deciding who to kill and who to take."

Mikasa felt her fists clench and unclench repeatedly, trying to figure out where he was going with this whole spiel.

"I remember seeing the name 'Ackerman' on the list and thinking 'Huh, what a small world'. Honestly, I just wanted to test if these were true Ackerman's, you know? Strength and all. Of course my men, dumbasses I'll tell you, killed one too many. I asked the system the next morning why they gave me a group of incompetent shitheads and—"

"What are you saying?" Mikasa demanded, voice shaking.

Kenny seemed a little irritated at the interruption and looked at Mikasa through one not swollen eye like she asked the dumbest question ever. "My, my. You got one almost as dumb as you, Levi." Kenny smiled a menacing smile and gave Mikasa a look that sent chills down her spine. "I sent out the order to kill your parents."

Her feet went cold. Her heart started to beat hard against her ribcage that she thought it might bust out. There was a faint calling of her name from the hallway but she couldn't quite place the voice. She stood frozen in front of "The Ripper", his smile never wavering. Her nails dug into the palms of her hand as she tried to keep her composure but even she could feel her body trembling.

"Well, parent. Singular. Like I said those men were stupid as he—" Kenny didn't even get the full sentence out before a fist made contact with his face in record time and strength. A satisfying crunch filled the silence of the room. As soon as the first hit happened it didn't stop.

Punch after punch rained upon Kenny's body and with his hands tied firmly behind his back he was left defenseless. Usually, Mikasa was the calm one. She was always level headed and never one to fight unless it's needed. But something inside of her snapped. Either it was the careless way Kenny confessed to her parent's murder or the fact that this sick man was her relative; she had no idea. All she knew was that he was in front of her and he was punchable.

"Mikasa." She faintly heard Eren's voice caution her in the background but she didn't stop. The punches became faster and more forceful. She was blinded by rage, she didn't even notice Kenny loosening himself from his bindings.

She felt multiple hands attempt to pull her back but she shrugged them off with a strength none of them could attend to.

"Ackerman!" The commanding voice stopped her in motion, her fist suspended in mid-air. She turned her head to meet Commander Erwin's calm but serious eyes. "Leave."

Her fist throbbed as she slowly lowered her arm. The shaking in her body was less prevalent but still noticeable. Her face was etched in what seemed to be a dangerous scowl as she looked around the room.

She could feel everyone's gaze on her which only made her more uncomfortable. Armin gave her the same worried look he'd give Eren when he went off the rails. The concern that showed in Eren's face was almost alarming but she paid no attention to it.

Sparing one last glance at Kenny, Mikasa turned on her heels to leave the room. But before she could get too far, a strong hand grasped her wrist with an unyielding grip. The hand yanked her forcefully towards the body it was attached to and turned her so that her arm twisted painfully behind her back.

"Ah!" Mikasa let out a cry of pain as she wiggled to release herself but the hand only tightened more around her wrist.

It happened fast. Everyone stood straight in alert and turned their attention to Mikasa in a split second. Eren's eyes scanned the scene and narrowed in a frightening way.

"Now, now. Don't resist. It'll only hurt more. Right, Levi?" Kenny spoke, sadistically.

Mikasa struggled mercilessly against his grasp, almost releasing herself but Kenny simply reevaluated his grip and squeezed harder. Her strength wasn't going to get her out of this.

As for Levi, his eyes turned dark and colder than they already were. He was starting to get tired of Kenny addressing him as if he was still his caretaker. If you could even call him that.

Kenny was always one to have tricks up his sleeve. How had he not seen it sooner?

"Let her go," Eren growled, his eyes never leaving Mikasa.

"Aw, stop being so serious, kid. Learn how to smile." Kenny chuckled in Mikasa's ear. She nearly cringed at his breath.

Mikasa's wiggles became more violent but Kenny kept his hold firm. "She definitely has that Ackerman strength," Kenny muttered as he used one hand to try to keep Mikasa still and the other to reach into the back of his pants and pull out a syringe. The syringe was filled with a clear green liquid from top to bottom.

"Levi, you remember this? 'Only a true Ackerman with immeasurable strength can take this vial'," Kenny looked at the vial then shrugged. "Or whatever bullshit that bishop told me."

Kenny positioned the needle of the syringe inches before the skin of Mikasa's neck. Eren started to charge almost immediately at the older man but Levi pushed him and spoke first.

"What do you want?" Levi all but glowered at his Uncle. Huh. Never thought he'd be saying that.

Kenny's smile grew wider, showing his bloodied teeth. "Easy there, buddy. I just wanna see what the drug does. 'Course I'm not gonna test it out on myself. That would be dumb!" He moved the vial closer to Mikasa's neck. "Nah. Why not try it on someone I don't know."

"Wait!" Eren yelled. Kenny paused his movement. "Why does it have to be her? Can't you find someone else?"

"Sorry, but it has to be Ackerman blood that takes this thing, and unfortunately, no one else but me and my stupid nephew have it in this room. It's nothing personal. Just taking advantage of the opportunity I'm given...just like I taught you, Levi."

With that, Kenny plunged the syringe into Mikasa's neck. She jutted at the sudden insertion and scrunched her face in pain as she felt the liquid be injected into her body.

Loud noises of protest filled the room. Kenny had been ripped from behind her and shoved to the ground but the damage had already been done. He just laid there with a satisfied smile as guards began to point guns at his beaten body.

It was excruciating. The substance entered her and left a fiery, hot path as it passed through the blood in her body. Her knees buckled to the floor, suddenly feeling that her body was too heavy to hold up. The veins within her boiled beneath her skin and her senses became overwhelmed.

She suddenly became aware of every scent, every sound, and everything around her. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears. She didn't even notice how her bruised hands reached up to cover her ears and how a guttural scream ripped from her throat. Her eyes were scrunched shut in order to block out the dim light that illuminated the room, even with how dim it was it still blinded her. She heard her name get called repeatedly from the side of her as her back hunched over but it sounded so distant.

Her eyes flung wide open as she gasped for air that was all around but couldn't seem to be inhaled by her. Wavering on her knees, she slumped to the ground. Her eyes grew too heavy to keep open and the world spun around her.

Eren's face popped into her line of sight, the panic evident on his face. She could see his mouth moving but she didn't hear a thing. Suddenly too exhausted to keep up, Mikasa's eyes shut once again, finally succumbing to the darkness that enveloped her vision.

this was really fun to write! I'm not used to adding or rewriting plots and details like this tho so i'm not sure if it's good but i like it. hopefully you guys did too!

#levi ackerman #mikasa ackerman #aot fanfiction #aot #attack on titan #kenny ackerman #eren jaeger #armin attack on titan #aot headcanons #fanfiction

[valkyriesryde]

Release the Hounds {7/?}

Chapter Seven: Here Comes Trouble

Pairing: Persephone!Steve Rogers x Hades!Reader

Chapter Summary: Its time for Demeter and Hades to stand before the gods of Olympus and plead their case. 

Word Count: 2,300ish

A/N: The title and gif really say it all for this one, some pinnacle moments for all of our characters heheheh

Series Masterlist ~ Masterlist

“I didn’t think you would make it,” Hades turned to face Loki, dressed in a deep dark green suit, a folder under his arm. They stood in room hidden behind the meeting area, if she focused Hades could hear the voices of those sitting out there, waiting for the discussion, likely talking about what they thought.

No one told her this would be amongst lesser gods and nymphs as well. No one told her there was time allowed for questions from those who had them. She thought this was just between the twelve olympians. Her breathing hitched in her throat as she stared at Loki like a deer caught in headlights. 

He dropped the folder on the table and held her shoulders steady as her body began to shake. Convincing the olympians, convincing Thor, that would have been easy. But this felt like a trap.

“I can’t do this Loki, you can do it for me, you know what to say much better than I do.” She pleaded him, her fingers stretched out and back into fists by her side. 

“No.” He shot back, his hands opening her hands and holding them tight. “This is not my fight, I’m merely one of your soldiers, you’re the queen. You’re the one they need to hear it from.”

“They won’t have remembered what I’ve done, some of them it was too recent, some it was just another blip in their lives, most won’t even know of it. This won’t work. There’s no point to any of this!” Her voice began to rise as she pushed him away. The crown on her head started to feel heavy as gold dripped through her hair. 

Steve stood in the hallway, Demeter had told him to sit and be witness to the biggest fall since Cronus. He had snuck away in hopes of seeing Hades before it began but what he found instead was a door left ajar and the sounds of her and Loki. 

Through the crack he could see her profile, her crown black and the ends sharp, there were no jewels, no more gold as it had seeped through her hair completely. Her blazer had been pulled off and thrown over the chair, her floral blouse now stained in black. 

“This is how they see me Loki, they see me as death. Is this not what I should show them?” Her voice was gold and desperate but before Steve could step in, before he could hear Loki’s response, a throat clear came from behind him and Thor stood there before him.

“Evening lad,” he stepped back and gestured for Steve to walk by his side, the god of spring followed, glancing back to the room where he swore he could hear Loki’s voice getting louder and angrier. “I want you to be the one to introduce her, I’ll warm up the crowd for you.”

Thor didn’t even look at Steve after he spoke, he simply stepped onto the stage and behind the podium. 

“I don’t think she’ll be speaking.” 

Wanda, Pietro and Sam leaned against the wall at the back of the room. Pietro had picked out as many of Demeter’s nymphs as he could find and he found them sprinkled across the room.

“She’s planned something.” He whispered to the two on either side. 

“So have we,” Sam’s eyes shifted over the room as well, he nodded at Bucky and Natasha on one side closest to the stage, Rebecca on the other. “If they make a move, they won’t get anywhere near her.”

“What’s that?” Pietro’s eyes locked onto a vine that was inching its way through the cracks in the wood of the stage, it twisted and turned towards the middle slowly as Demeter stepped down the stairs that at first Pietro thought it was from her. But they kept growing as Thor stepped forward.

“Asphodel,” Wanda breathed out and stood straight. Behind Thor, at the back of the stage, they had begun to sprout. “He’s here, maybe he’s seen her.”

“In order to keep things fair you must hear from both sides. You must take into account other’s opinions and their perspectives on the matter. Not every side of the coin is the same. So, Steve?”

Gasps rang through the room like an echo, the asphodels flourished before quickly closing their buds as Steve stepped out onto the stage. 

“She’s not happy,” Sam smirked, the three turned to see Demeter, her face hot with anger and embarrassment but she quickly tried to compose herself, as if to make it seem like Steve would stand by her. 

Steve stood behind the podium, he cleared his throat and scanned the crowd, movement catching his eye to the left. Loki stood beside Rebecca, he stood tall and composed and nodded to Steve. A message, a question or favour. It’s up to you. So Steve pulled his shoulders back, he gripped the edges of the stand and looked straight ahead. 

“Like Thor said, there are always two sides to every coin. Every drachma tells a story. Now I’m hear to tell mine.” 

The vines connected at the front of the stage, the asphodels blossomed again behind him, stronger and taller than before. He felt power behind him, he held everyone’s attention and no more than his mother. 

“The Underworld is no place for the living, my mother is right about that. But the mortal world reeks of death. It’s in their religions, it’s in their philosophies, they hold onto the actions of the deceased for centuries. The Underworld is the place they dream of, it’s what they fear, it’s one of the last great unknowns.” He swallowed the lump in his throat that threatened his speech and he thought of her. 

He thought of the power she held, of the home she had built. He thought of how she welcomed him with caution, how her subjects were her equals. He thought about what Wanda had told him ‘we respect ourselves, our realm and our queen,’ and it made sense to him. 

“Hades is not death. She does not give the final blow and she is not the one that carries the souls. She is not the lies that you fear.” 

He was confident, everything he believed in, every small part of him that thought it stupid that he believed in her so much was eradicated as he stood on that stage. If there was any fear of what Demeter would do once he left the safety of everyone’s eyes on him it was pushed aside by the weight of a hand over his. He flicked briefly down and breathed deeply as it pulled away from him, speckles of gold left atop his hand. 

“She is the riches the mortals seek, she is the keeper of the metals you make your shields from, she is one of us, the same as that of Loki and Thor.” He knew that they wouldn’t believe him unless they saw her and he still felt her presence, it was now or never. Hades may not want to speak to them, she may even hate him for this but he had to, they had to see her as he did. “She and those of the Underworld deserve the respect we give to each other, they’re no different from us.”

Steve stepped back from the podium, he turned to his left and held out his hand for her. There she stood, her crown stood glowing in the shadow in it’s golden glory, eyes strong and a smirk as she reached out her hand and took his. He guided her to where he stood, the vines had turned into mint leaves all poking out between the wood, the asphodels still stood behind her. 

Sam held the blade in his sleeve, Demeter looked too in shock to do anything but he wouldn’t let his guard down, none of them would. 

“I would firstly like to say that this was not my doing,” Hades looked to Loki who just smirked and tipped his head to her and the crowd. Whispers rang through. “And I don’t think that there is much more that needs to be said. For those who don’t know me, for those that have only heard the rumours of what I looked like I’m sorry to disappoint if you were hoping for red horns. I am Hades, sister to Thor and Loki, goddess of riches and minerals, ruler of the dead and Queen of the Underworld. It has come to my attention that my presence is both wanted and unwanted on the council of the twelve Olympians. I see both sides of this debate, I understand your queries and concerns, your worry of what I can bring or how exactly I can help.”

All those on her side stood proud as they watched her address the group. Thor had made his decision long ago, this wasn’t about him, this was about his people. 

“I think it’s time you know what I do in my role. I’ve consulted before, with matters in the mortal realm and here in Olympus. Every week Thor and I meet and we discuss our realms and any issues that the other may need to be made aware of. We give each other advice, we work together in order to make sure our realms are the best they can be. I like to think we do a pretty good job.” There was a soft smile on her face as she spoke, she had zoned out the nymphs and those she didn’t know, she ignored their shock as she focused on those who matter most to her. Her judges, the ones who stood by her side and her brothers. 

“I recognise that Thor is your king. I have no plans of changing that, I respect him too much and love him too dearly. I see no point in moving from the Underworld either. I’m happy where I am and I know you’re happy where I am as well. But Steve was right when he said death is intricate to the living, life and death are not separate. Mortals have famine, they have diseases, and take risks… they have war.” Her voice hitched slightly as a few of the twelve looked down. “Where there is life there is death, when summer ends the leaves die and when they fall they fall into the Underworld where they cover the meadows and those who were once living continue to thrive with the ones they spent their lives missing. In no way do I wish to take over or even have any real say in the events in your lives and the decisions made for Olympus. But I stand here before you because I wish to be with my family once again and witness them doing what I’m so proud of them for, protecting you.”

Loki was the first to start clapping, he cheered and beamed as others joined him. Some even stood from their seats. The judges smiled proudly as they clapped for her, but they knew that this was only the beginning, if Hades was allowed on the council the chances of things worsening were great. If Steve continued to stand by her after this, well, they feared what lengths Demeter would go to to keep what was hers.  

Bucky found Steve behind the stage, he moved quickly as he grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway. 

“Hey what are you doing?”

“We need to get you out of here and now.” He looked over his shoulder, fear in his eyes. Demeter was on a tirade and Bucky was pretty sure Steve would forget what the sun was if she got to him. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Somewhere she can’t find you.” 

The doors slammed shut behind him and before he knew it they were dressed in mortal clothing and stepping out of an alleyway into the busy streets of a mortal city. 

“She’s one of the few who often come to the mortal world Buck, you really think this is going to work?” They both were constantly looking over their shoulder, eyeing every stranger that walked past them with suspicion as they kept moving down the busy streets.

“This is New York, arguably one of the most monster, demigod, nymph invested places in the world.” Bucky opened the door to an apartment building and pushed Steve inside. “She’s got spies but not many here, and if anything will mask your scent it’ll be this place.”

Bucky guided them up the stairs and into a modest apartment. There wasn’t much to it, a lounge with two couches and a standard tv mounted to the wall. A kitchen, pristine as if it hadn’t been freshly cleaned and down the hall Steve guessed was at least one bedroom. 

“Besides, the best huntress, even if she did say yes, wouldn’t think to look in one of her own homes for you.” Bucky smiled brightly, he fell onto the couch and swung his legs onto the coffee table, making himself at home as if he knew it well. He did actually, this building was one of the places he and Rebecca went when they wanted to get away, they were the only ones who knew about it as far as he knew and he knew that Rebecca was loyal to him before anyone else. 

Steve sat on the opposite couch, he buried his hands deep into his pockets and hesitantly pulled out what appeared to be a paper flower.

“What ya got there?” 

“A black dahlia.” He looked up at Bucky and back down to the flower in his palm, there was white under it, a small note addressed to him.

Steve, thank you, I feel as though I owe you another favour every time our paths cross. So here is a gift I got MJ to conjure for you. Tear off a petal, let it drop to the floor and step on it, it’ll lead you to me if you ever need my help. I’m sorry for the chaos that has become your life, I hope that things will settle. Know that I’m forever grateful for what you continue to do for me. Yours, Hades

Chapter Eight: The Protector

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

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[ashliinks]

until finally | cedric diggory

prompt ; imagine being one of the mermaids who lived in the black lake

words ; 4.5k

pairing(s) ; cedric x maledictus-mermaid fem!reader, fred & george x reader                        (platonic)

a/n ; i wrote this at 3am after sobbing over goblet of fire, pls enjoy :) 

        take a shot everytime i saw grindylows for liver failure

Ever since you were as small as a guppy, you had always known you were different from the other merfolk who resided in the Black Lake. Your more human-like features and your lack of proficiency in mermish music, stood out amongst the folk in your village. It wasn’t until you were thirteen, that your mother revealed her darkest secret to you. 

Many moons ago, your family was bestowed with a curse. A blood curse. The curse had been passed down the women of your family for centuries it had seemed. From your understanding, the type of blood curse meant your fate was predestined; and that in time you would be permanently stuck beneath the dark waters of the lake. 

You had never thought to question the days you spent on land. The ability to change your tail into legs had never seemed odd to you, until a young mermaid told you that it was very strange indeed. You would be lying if you said it didn’t cross your mind as to why none of the merfolk took you up on your offers of picnics on the river-bank. 

You had come to realise that your mother had unfortunately succumbed to the curse, unable to transform into a human anymore. As the days went on, she seemed to grow more and more miserable, for she missed the feeling of the sunshine on her skin, the grass beneath her feet and the friends she made in the wizarding world. All of the young wizards she knew had abandoned her as soon as she was limited on the time she could spend above water. You tried to convince her that the younger generations of wizards were more understanding, and that those who visited you after school hours and weekends were the nicest people you had ever met. 

You took a deep breath as you broke the surface of the Black Lake, the warm sunlight being a welcomed feeling on your cold skin. As your ears adjusted and popped at the sudden assault of air, you heard cheering from the shore. Looking over you noticed a cluster of Hogwarts students jumping and waving to you. You couldn’t help the smile that graced your features, diving back under the water so you could swim closer to them.

“Y/N!” A voice called out to you as you resurfaced once more. Propping yourself up on the lakes edge slightly, your eyes instantly recognised the black and yellow robes of the Hufflepuff boy who had come to visit you.

“Diggory!” You yelled in glee, flinging your arms up into the air at the sight of him, making you fall back into the lake slightly. This seemed to amuse him and his rabble of fangirls, them all chuckling beneath their breath as your clumsiness. 

“How is my favourite wizard...Don’t tell Fred and George I said that,” You winced, only imagining the backlash you would receive from the twins if they ever found out.

“Cedric has only gone and put his name in the Goblet of Fire,” One of the Hufflepuff boys yelled with a giggle, making your smile drop suddenly. You pushed yourself up further, motioning for Cedric to lean forward. The boy did so wearily, noticing your sudden change in expression. He was right to do so, as when he was in close enough reach you sunk your hands into the collar of his robes, using your great upper body strength to fling him over your head and into the lake. 

Everyone went quiet.

He resurfaced shortly after, spitting water everywhere. “What in the bloody hell was that for?!”

“HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO PUT YOUR NAME INTO THAT STUPID CUP DIGGORY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE HAD TO DRAG BACK UP TO THE SURFACE BECAUSE THEY NEVER MAKE IT PAST TWENTY MINUTES IN HERE?” You yelled, splashing water at the boy to emphasise your words. 

Cedric was silent. When he put his name in, he had heard of the terrible feats some of the tasks held. He had heard whispers of those that sunk beneath the murky waters of the lake to never return. So it was safe to say, your reaction had been pretty tame to what he initially imagined you would do.

“I might as well drown you myself! How could you be so, so-” Ah! There it was. He had half expected you to drag him straight down to the bottom of the lake and leave him there, but he knew you didn’t have the gall. You couldn’t even hurt a Grindylow, no matter how prickly they got sometimes. 

“I’m going to be fine! I have all but perfected the bubble head charm-”

“You think that now Ced, but wait until you're in the water. Because it's not just your air you have to worry about, there’s the Grindylows and the kelpies, not to mention the giant squid and he’s feeling particularly tender after those Durmstrang kids ran their boat over one of his arms-”

“Love, you’re overreacting! Plus I have you don’t I? Or will you bail on me if we have to come to the lake?” Cedric asked, cocking his eyebrow as he splashed you slightly.

“Are you doubting me Diggory?” You asked, raising your voice as you splashed him back once more.

“I would never!” He feigned hurt at the idea, making you burst out into laughter. 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’VE NEVER RODE A BROOM?” Fred and George yelled in unison as you climbed further up in the tree you were all gathered around.

“My mother kept me in my mer-form most of my life! I’ve never even held a wand even though we’re supposed to be witches,” You giggled as you rose higher and higher.

“YOU WHAT?” They yelled even louder. Even Hermoine had a surprised look on her face at the remark.  It was no lie. Your mother thought it may have been best to keep you a mermaid most of the time, that way when the transformation became final you would not long for the wizarding lifestyle she so desperately missed. You had never ridden a broom, never held a wand. Hell, you had never even cast a spell as simple as an accio charm. 

“Well this simply won’t do,”

“Not at all,” The twins rambled on in turns. You could never quite get over that, their twin telepathy and always knowing what the other was thinking at all times. It must be a terrible thing to have to deal with. 

“C’mon then guppy, we’re off to the castle.”

“Wait, what? I mean is that even allowed, I’ve never been inside the castle, I don’t even have shoes, are you sure Dumbledore wouldn’t mind that I-”

“Christ, you’d think being underwater all the time would limit your skills of communication,” George laughed as you began your descent towards the ground. 

“Who cares if you don’t have shoes, Potter walks around looking like he’s just woken up in a parallel universe half of the time,”

The laugh that erupted from you had you throwing your head back, a chorus of chuckles resounding from below you too. You were laughing that much that you had forgotten to keep a tight grip on the branches, and in the next moment your wobbly legs had slipped from their place, sending you tumbling through branches and leaves. Hurtling towards the ground, you braced for the impact. You almost wondered what would happen if you were to break a leg. Your mother would kill you, there’s no doubt about that, but would your tail also be broken? You didn’t particularly want to find out. 

After what felt like a lifetime, you landed. However, it wasn’t the hard, painful landing you were expecting. Instead what you had landed on was soft, and warm...and moving? Opening your eyes, that you had not remembered closing, you came face to face with a chest. It was only when you looked up, you were met with the slight pained expression of Fred Weasley.

“Try to be a hero and I just get the wind knocked out of me,” He wheezed, making you blush bashfully. 

“Could say you just took my breath away guppy,” He winked, making you burst out in another uncontrollable fit of laughter.

“CEDRIC?” You yelled out as you ran through the courtyard of the castle, the whole place completely unfamiliar to you. You did however, manage to blend in quite well, Fred and George had taken you to Hogsmeade and had provided you with a set of Hogwarts robes, out of the allowance their mother was sending them. You had nearly cried when you found out they had been saving up for weeks just to make you feel more included. Your heart swelled even more when they told you that you could come and visit the castle any time now, looking like a student wouldn’t put you under too much scrutiny. You were still scared as to what would happen to you if Dumbledore, or god forbid Snape, ever found you. 

“Y/N?” Someone called, making you spin around sharply. Your hair still dripping, as you had not waited a single minute from jumping out of the lake to sort yourself out fully, slapped you in the face at the speed of your turn. Looking through the flashes of black, blue and fur, your eyes landed on the boy you had been searching for.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, looking over you in worry that something had happened. He paused when he noticed the robes you were wearing. 

“Are those Hufflepuff robes?” He asked with a small smile.

Looking down, you took in the sight of yourself. The sunshine yellow looked amazing against your skin tone, and the slightly oversized robe made you feel so comfy and to your amusement was surprisingly swishy. 

“Uh yeah! Fred and George bought them for me!” You enthused, ever the one to be easily distracted. “They sorted me themselves, said I was the en-a-body-mans of a Hufflepuff,” You sounded out the word, some words were a little more difficult for you to say, still not entirely used to speaking English after years of speaking mermish beneath the waters. 

“Embodiment?” He chuckled, affection filling his grey eyes making them glisten like the river-stones you had been collecting from the river banks. He watched as slowly drying wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. He would never say it to you though. Terrified of your reaction. Of course he was, in himself, conflicted. He had been dating Cho Chang for a while now, and while he cared for the raven haired beauty from the neighbouring house, he couldn’t quite get over his feelings for the innocent Maledictus that lived in the lake just beyond the school grounds. 

“Yes that’s what I said,” You waved your hand, blushing at the correction. “Anyway, what I’m here for is to tell you about the second task!” You whisper-yelled, pulling him to the side, away from the hustle and bustle of the other students. 

“How do you know what the second task is?” 

“Because it’s me Ced!” He furrowed his brows, confused by your phrasing. “That egg you got from the first task? It’s mermish. There’s been whispers around the village for a few days now, I don’t know much, but I can tell you that you’re going to be in the lake for a long while.” You hated the thought. You had remembered telling the Hufflepuff about the bodies you had dragged from the lake. Even when there wasn’t an event on, there were many students that would go swimming too far or too deep and lose their lives. The Black Lake was not one to foolishly meddle with. 

Cedric had assured you that there was nothing to worry about, but you could see the flash of fear in his eyes at the mention of being in the lake for longer than twenty minutes. You silently vowed to yourself to do anything in your power to help him through the task though. You couldn’t, no, you wouldn’t lose him to the lake. 

When the day of the task came, you were unsure of what to do. Obviously, you didn’t want to get Cedric disqualified from the tournament, or all of his hard work would have been in vain. Fighting off that dragon was no easy feat. But you didn’t want to leave him completely alone in the water. You knew Harry was competing too, but you had also heard that Neville had provided him with some Gillyweed, and whilst its effects are a little unpredictable, you weren't worried. 

“You know you shouldn’t be getting involved with this Diggory boy.” Your mother called from just beyond the rocks.

“He’s a good person mum-”

“They all say that. They all act like they would walk the earth for you, but in reality, they would drop you the moment they have thoughts of you becoming a burden.”

“Yeah, well Ced isn’t like that. You’d know that if you actually took the time out of your busy schedule of moping around the kelp to properly meet him-”

“Do you have any idea who his father is Y/N? Amos Diggory is a very proud man. He will not settle on having a Maledictus as a wife for his precious son.”

“I didn’t ask for this mum! None of us did. But I sure as hell won’t let it define me and everything I do in life. If I am destined to be stuck underwater for the rest of my life, I would sure as hell love to experience life to the fullest before I lose it.”

“It will break you. It broke me.”

“I’m not you, mother.” You whispered, turning away from her and swimming off further into the lake to await the arrival of the champions.

About half an hour into the task, you had managed to locate where they were keeping the champion’s treasure. And you were shocked to say the least. For the ‘treasure’ the village folk had whispered about, wasn’t diamonds or gold. It was people. You were almost horrified at the emotional manipulation these games were playing with the students, the torment of having to try and rescue a loved one from the bottom of the lake; all whilst evading the things that posed a threat to them, trying to keep their charms working and all whilst being against the clock.

It was cruel.

You waited for what seemed like the longest time, not doubting Cedric’s ability to get past the first lot of Grindylows or even his charms skills. But you didn’t trust what might happen once he recovered Cho who was floating in the water. You felt slightly hurt that Cho was the one deemed as Cedric’s ‘treasure’, and your mother's words rang within your ears. It would be more trouble than it’s worth for them to try and capture you. Also, Cedric had been very publicly dating the Ravenclaw student. You had no ill feelings towards the girl, none at all. All of the times you have met, which have been seldom, she was always lovely. Her bright, yet soft voice dancing in the air. Her timid demeanour was very comforting. She was soft, delicate and entirely enticing. You could understand why Cedric was interested in her. They did make a lovely couple. 

It was a shame they had been arguing a lot as of late. Both Cedric and Cho had confided in you about their relationship troubles. The pair of them not being entirely sure whether they were meant to be. They cared for one another, but they weren’t sure whether their romance had run its course. You didn’t dare hold a bias to their troubles. It would be unfair of you to take advantage of a situation like that. No. Instead, like the good friend you were, encouraged them to talk it out between themselves and trusted that this was just a rough patch and they would be right as rain by next week.

Finally, you saw someone emerge from the kelp just beyond the village centre. It was Harry. He looked almost as confused as you were when seeing the students in the water. Ron, Hermoine, Cho and Gabrielle Delacour. She could only imagine the kind of internal battle Harry was currently facing. Ron and Hermoine were his best friends, he had quite the flaming crush on Cho, and Fleur had not yet arrived to collect her younger sister. 

Swimming closer to the boy, you placed a hand on his shoulder making him jump slightly. When he saw it was you he calmed down, you nodded towards the ropes tying the students down to the bottom of the lake. Harry nodded in understanding, reaching to untie Ron first. You noticed the other merfolk drawing closer, and you knew you were in for a lecture once the task was over for interfering.  You guarded Harry, worried more of the Grindylows may work their way closer and drag him down into the depths. You tried to stop him as he reached for Hermoine, but one of the merfolk got their first. 

They aimed a spear towards his neck in warning, “You must only take one,” They sneered, their long hair floating in front of their face. 

“But she’s my friend too!” Harry argued. You placed a hand on his arm and shook your head.

“Only one Harry, I know it’s cruel but someone will come for Hermoine.” You tried to reassure the Gryffindor. He sighed softly, looking back over between Ron and Hermoine. That was until you watched the mermaids scatter, spinning around you and Harry both noticed the shark head swimming towards you at a rapid pace. You weren’t scared as such. You knew these waters like the back of your hand, and you were sure there were definitely no sharks here. 

Your thoughts were confirmed when the shark headed figure swam past the pair of you, biting through the thick rope that held Hermoine. It was the Durmstrang boy, you couldn’t quite remember his name. Krun? Krud? Oh well it didn’t matter. You were still looking for Cedric. The shark man pulled the girl along, dragging her back up towards the surface. From said direction came a flash of yellow, making a smile stretch across your face.

“Finally, where have you been?” You asked, moving backwards in the water slightly. Cedric didn’t answer, only flashing you a small smile before tapping his watch, Harry nodded, the three of you knowing that time was growing short. You moved back as Cedric cast a spell, splicing the rope and letting Cho free. He took her arm and waved at you before heading towards the surface. 

“Come on Harry, there isn’t much time left.” You told the boy, he shook his head.

“I can’t just leave her here,” He pleaded, motioning towards Gabrielle. He was right. Fleur still hadn’t made an appearance. You had just hoped she had been pulled out of the water and hadn’t drowned. 

“Okay, but we’ve got to be quick,” Harry nodded, casting the same spell as Cedric, setting Gabrielle loose. You quickly swam over, taking the French girl into your arms and lead the way towards the surface. You could hear the screams of protest from the merfolk, you were so getting a lecture late. Tension started to bubble in your chest as you neared the kelp, knowing the Grindylows couldn’t be far. Making sure Harry was behind you, you continued on. 

But as soon as Harry breached the edge of the kelp, they came for him. Scratchy limbs and tentacles wrapping themselves around his limbs dragging him down. He let go of Ron, pushing him over towards you. “Get them to the surface!” He yelled, the water making his voice sound funny.

“But what about you?”

“Just go!��� He yelled again. You complied, taking both Ron’s and Gabrielle’s hand and speeding towards the surface. It was no hardship for you, your large tail making gliding through the water so smooth. Just before you reached the surface, you pushed the pair up; knowing you couldn’t be seen or Harry would be disqualified. You waited for a moment, making sure they surfaced, and swam away before you dove back down in search of Harry.

You could vaguely see the boy, still being attacked by Grindylows. Racing down there, you were able to sweep a few of them off of the boy. Just enough for him to reach his wand up into the water. “ASCENDIO!” He cried, and just like that the boy went propelling through the water, breaching the surface like a torpedo and landing back on the dock.

“So when are you asking Cho to the Yule ball?” You asked Cedric as the pair of you walked through the school grounds. 

“I, um, we’re not going to the ball together,” Cedric trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck in awkwardness. You paused where you stood, Cedric not realising for a moment that you weren’t still walking beside him.

“What? Why not? You two would look amazingggg,” You dragged out your last word to further emphasise how strongly you felt on the matter.

“We broke up the day you told me about the task,” He started, looking down at the ground “We both decided it’d be best,” You looked at the boy in confusion. You had thought they were getting back on track. He hadn’t let anything on to you that day. You should’ve been able to tell, or something. You felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Cedric had just broken up with his girlfriend and you had been rambling incorrect words at him, like an idiot. 

“Cho had started to notice that I wasn’t entirely devoted to her. I feel awful about hurting her, but she found out I had feelings for someone else. I didn’t want to admit it to myself at first, but the longer I denied it the stronger those feelings got.”

“Oh?” Was all you could muster, the sinking feeling growing deeper and deeper. How stupid you had been to think that Cedric could be interested in you in the slightest. I mean look at him. The Hufflepuff Heartthrob and now heart-breaker it seemed. You were just a washed up maledictus, who would one day be just a forgotten memory when you were finally bound to the lake. 

“She’s amazing. She’s smart, yet totally clueless about the smallest things. She stumbles over her words in the cutest way, and when she laughs? It feels like it's warming my soul. She’s a Hufflepuff too, so we don’t have to worry about sneaking around, although she would probably prefer we would. I’ve never met her mother, but if given the chance, I would love to convince her how much I love her daughter and that I would do anything just to make her happy,” He sounded as if he was floating. The joy coming from his voice, made your head sink lower and lower until you could not take your eyes off of the ground. 

“Wow, uh, she sounds amazing Ced,” You muttered, not really knowing what to say. Because in all honesty, she did. She sounded like Cedric’s dream girl, and by the way he talked about her he knew it too. Cedric paused for a moment, looking back to notice you trailing behind him. He couldn’t miss the solemn expression on your face, he frowned for a moment. He hated seeing you sad. But then he smiled in realisation.

That smiled soon turned into a fit of giggles, slowly becoming louder and louder until you looked up. Cocking your head to the side, you were confused. “Is something funny?” You asked, looking down at yourself and then around the area, trying to locate the source of his amusement.

“You are so bloody clueless,” He whispered, coming to stand in front of you. You raised your eyebrows, still not getting what he meant. But from here, you noticed how smooth his skin was. The faint rosy blush of his cheeks made him look even more angelic. The soft breeze ruffled his honey-brown locks, always perfectly styled to give him that ‘boyfriend’ look. 

Cedric smiled looking down at you. He watched those gorgeous eyes glisten in the sunlight, plump lips looking irresistibly kissable. He watched as wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. 

Until finally, after so long…

He did. 

Reaching a tender hand up to cup your soft cheek, you leaned into his touch; the warmth from his palm comforting and addicting. Everything about Cedric was entirely comforting and addicting. From his homely scent of cinnamon, brown sugar and honey, to the small chuckles that turn into loud thunders of laughter that make your stomach do flips. Flips like they were currently doing and the thought of him being so close. 

Looking up at him through your eyelashes, you froze in place, not daring to move and ruin the moment. “I have loved you ever since I saw you sat on that stupid rock you love so much. I met the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and I was so distracted I walked right into a tree,” Cedric laughed, the memory made you giggle too. The first meeting you had with Cedric had been the best way you have ever been introduced to anyone.

“And instead of leaving, you just laughed. You laughed so bloody hard that you ended up falling off the rock and into the lake. It was then, that was the exact moment I knew I was screwed. It was that moment that I knew that no one else would be able to compare. I don’t want to find anyone else, I don’t care if in ten years time I have to carry you around in your own luxury tank. I love you Y/N Y/L/N, and I would do anything to make you happy,” 

You were silent for a moment, the sinking feeling turning into the most boisterous of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. THE Cedric Diggory had just confessed his undying love for you. For you. He mistook your silence for rejection. Looking away from you for a moment. He went to move his hand, but you placed yours on top of it, keeping it firmly lay upon your cheek. He opened and closed his mouth like a guppy for a second, not knowing what to say. Before he could even utter a word, you did what you had wanted to do since the day you met the Hufflepuff Heartthrob.

Until finally, after so long…

You did.

You leaned up as far as you could, other hand coming to circle the back of Cedric’s head pulling him down. His lips met yours, and everything fell into place. Hearts beating like crazy within your chests. Breaths short. But everything, after so, so long. 

Was finally perfect.

#cedric diggory #cedric x reader #harry potter #hp #gryffindor #hufflepuff #ravenclaw #slytherin #george weasley #fred weasley #hermoine granger #cho chang #harry potter au #harry potter fic #cedric au #cedric diggory imagine #cedric diggory fic #mermaid #mermaid au #maledictus #fiction #fanfic #writers on tumblr #robert pattinson #cedric x you #y/n #cedric x y/n #gred and forge #harry potter imagines #hp headcanon

[alpaca-writes]

Mystics, Chapter 26

When Arch becomes hired on at Mystics by the strange shopkeeper Lyrem Nomadus, everything seems to be going well- in fact, their life nearly becomes perfection. Soon enough, however, Arch realizes that perhaps not everything is as perfect as it seems….

Read Chapters 1-25 and more HERE

Taglist: @myst-in-the-mirror, @livingforthewhump

CW: swearing, body horror, gore, mutilation.

Lyrem and Paimon are finally able to have an honest conversation- well, I say honest... *shrugs* Xx. Alpaca

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: THE GREAT ESCAPE

        Segovia’s España, Spanish Dance No.10 in G. A familiar tune to very few unless they were well versed in the world and talents of the Spanish guitar. It was what caused Lyrem to take Arch under their wing. Despite his mistaken memory for what was playing in the coffee shop that day, Lyrem grew attached to the dry humour that they exhibited. But of course, he wouldn’t have bothered to introduce Arch to the world of gods and occult and demons if Pan hadn’t pushed him along in the right direction. And he resisted well, for nearly a month until-

        Until they had gotten hurt. Until Arch had been beaten and humiliated and robbed right inside Lyrem’s place of business; Maria’s pride and joy. That was what pushed him over the edge. Arch didn’t deserve to live in fear any longer, and Lyrem would make sure they didn’t.

        Returning to the task at hand, Lyrem’s mind was aware of himself in this memory. The coffee shop smelled of old napkins, and coffee and buttery pastry, and the soothing sounds of Segovia played over the speakers. This was meant to be Apollo’s call. It was the one place and the one memory where the gods could travel freely through. Hades had given him a simple instruction:

        Open the front door from the inside. That was it. It was very easy, and would alter the memory ever so slightly, but it was doable.

        But Lyrem, to Hades’ utter dismay, had a different plan. The last thing he wanted was to open his mind to all sorts of gods and spirits coming and going from one place to the next. There was no telling when it would end, if ever. He wasn’t a stupid old man.

        He was just old. And he was also dead. He nearly forgot that.

        And he also had a score to settle with an old friend. He wanted to hear what Pan had to say for himself. Lyrem knew he would never get that chance the moment Hades became involved. And at that point, Hades would consume his essence and leave him with nothing.

        If this memory was a doorway to Apollo, then it was also a doorway to Pan.

        He just had to find his own way through and lock the door behind him.

        “Lyre!” The barista shouted across the bistro.

        Lyrem did not get his drink. Instead, he glanced from the countertop to the doorway, where a younger version of Arch had just entered and stood before the cork-board, looking for a job. It would be easy to play out the memory the way it was meant to go. He could grab his drink and allow the gods in, or…

        “Lyre!” the barista shouted again.

        He refused his drink and headed toward the back. A door towards the alley that would lead into Pan’s acquired realm, waited for him there, and the hall extended itself. He heard the panicking voice of Persephone overhead.

        “Wait, what is he doing?! Lyrem! Lyrem, stop!

                 Lyrem, he will destroy you! Please! Stop!”

        She wouldn’t be able to manipulate his memory for ever, and sure enough, as Lyrem pushed on, he was slowly making his way closer to the door.

        Hades now, was heard overhead in his disappointment.

        “From the moment I first saw you, I knew you would fail me,” Hades didn’t seem angry, still. “Enjoy your little trip, Thomas. Consider this the last of the sympathies I ever had for you.”

        “Good. I despise sympathy,” Lyrem muttered. Grimacing at the use of his deadname, he opened the back door and stepped through.

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

        “He was just there! How is he gone?!”

        “Charlotte, please calm down”-

        “Calm down? You want me to calm down, Arty?! I want to wring that motherfucker’s neck. I want to crush his skull and stomp on his b”-

        “Enough!” Persephone screamed through. “Please,” she added meekly.

        There was a silence that fell amongst the four of them, though, Charlotte was not yet aware of the presence of Hades among them. Clearing her throat, Charlotte stepped forward towards the goddess.

        “Persephone, is it?” She confirmed. “Would you be willing to tell me how to leave this place and find my child before that molding dish-rag of a human finds them first? I would be ever so grateful for your assistance.”

        Persephone scratched her forehead.

        “Um, well, you see… It’s very likely that Lyrem has already found Arch. Time flows very quickly there, so it may feel like minute to us, when, to Arch… well, it could feel like an hour… so…”

        “So, you’re useless.” Charlotte surmised. “That’s fantastic.”

        Plunking herself down on the sofa, Charlotte massaged her temples with her fingers. Arthur apologized to Persephone silently.

        “We thought that Lyrem would have his own best interest in mind, as well as the best interests for their friend, Arch,” she said. “My uncle and I were… we were very wrong to assume he would do the right thing. I am so sorry.”

        “How difficult is it to create a void into that realm?” Arthur asked. “I used the Abysmal Flame to bring us here from the Labyrinth, I am sure that I can create another, but I need to know where I’m going.”

        Hades was listening in carefully.

        “Very few have ever entered that realm and returned, Arthur,” the deep disembodied voice spoke. “And in order to find your way there, you would need substance from that very realm to help you along. I have tried to create a void to travel there from here already. It was the first thing I did, of course, but my nephew has done a very good job of sealing off all of the exits for Persephone and I.”

        “You could send me to earth,” Arthur said. “And I could create a void from there”-

        “You’ll still need something from that realm, Arthur, and to my knowledge you don’t have that something”-

        “I have someone.”

        There was a momentary hush.

        “You have someone?”

        Arthur nodded. “He was taken there by Paimon. I watched him come back. His name is Benji.”

        Charlotte scowled and lifted her head. “Oh, please don’t tell me Arch is hanging out with Benji, again.”

        “I’ll take Arch hanging out with Benji over a demon any day Charlotte! What about you?” Arthur said, looking back at his sister incredulously.

        He shook his head, and turned to Persephone.

        “May I ask you for one last favour?” he asked with desperation deep in his eyes.

        ----------------------------

        It was a stark contrast from Hades and Persephone’s temporary living space. Lyrem could hardly keep his eyes open in the bright, blinding yellow light that flooded the room. He landed on both feet, his knees, despite belonging to a dead man, still gave him a twinging pain that caused him to wince.

        “Fuck.” Hissing, he shielded his eyes and found his way across, aiming for the door. He was stopped by the sound of a tortured man.

        “I sent… I sent out my call…” a voice shone down from above. In equal amounts of disgrace and disgust. “And you… My sister sent… you?”

        “My apologies… Apollo,” Lyrem answered him, hearing the suffering carry through the room. But it was nothing that he hadn’t experienced before. “If it’s any consolation, I betrayed your sister and your uncle to get here, so”-

        Lyrem shrugged.

        Apollo laughed, hollowly, gaining more energy than he had in what felt like a century from the discourse. “Of course, you did… You’re an idiot… Hades was the only one who could stop Pan… and now you’ve destroyed his only chance to come home- and the only chance to save us all from my insane half-brother.”

        Lyrem shifted his gaze away from the torn-open god before him. Gripping the doorknob tightly, he hesitated leaving Apollo there. But only for a moment. There were more important things to take care of.

        “I am sorry, Apollo,” he breathed guiltily.

         Lyrem forced his way through the door and into the hall. He turned right, despite not knowing his way around the realm at all, and definitely not in the dark. The movements of decayed flesh and their guttural sobs cut through the hall, echoing through the silence, but he brushed them aside. Besides finding the human visitor mildly interesting, they did not advance on him any further.

        Carefully, he traveled down and up steps of stairs, and then found his way to the winding staircase that would lead him to the surface. There was more light there, lining the halls of the cavern so he could finally see properly. The hall was dotted with doors on either side, none of them were open except for one.

        The double set of doors that was ajar just slightly.

        From outside the decorated panels, Lyrem heard the midst of conversation inside.

        “—That’s better.”

        “It would be easier with proper surgical tools. Why am I still using this old thing, anyway?”

        “I’m sure your uncle wouldn’t mind that it’s been passed on to you,” Paimon was personally thrilled with the notion that Uncle Arty’s knife was being used to inflict pain. He didn’t want to replace it. “For now, however, I think we can put this cretin into a cell.”

        “What? But I’m not finished with him yet,” Arch proposed. “Can’t I do this for just a little while longer?”

        Paimon raised a dark brow and sensed the slightest shifting shadow near the door. Suddenly, he was feeling quite generous with his time.

        “Tell me Arch, what would you like to do next?”

        “I’ve never cut out a tongue before- are there any magical properties that come with that?”

        Paimon chuckled, “some tongues, perhaps. Not Marcus’.”

        Lyrem shut his eyes in darkening shame and sighed from hearing the willingness of Arch’s voice. Opening the door more fully, he stepped through and stood at the head of the table, far from where the carved meat was pinned to the table.

        “I thought we were saving this gift for Arch’s birthday,” he commented.

        Arch’s head flipped toward the door, painted with a wide and bloody grin.

        “Lyrem! You made it out! I knew you’d make it out!” they gestured toward Paimon who stood, hooves and all, in his truest form. “Paimon didn’t think you would, but I knew better than to doubt you.”

        Lyrem forced himself to greet Arch with a warmth he didn’t feel. They were bloodied up from head to foot, and none of the blood was their own. He shifted his gaze to Pan, taking in his old friend with a new sight; hooves, antlers, and all.

        Paimon watched him suspiciously. “Arch,” he addressed. “I’m afraid I will have to cut our lessons short. Lyrem and I have some catching up to do”-

        “No, please,” Lyrem walked forward, placing himself beside Arch as he refuted Paimon’s suggestion. “Don’t stop on my account. I think that there are some very valuable lessons to be learned here. Lessons about truth and the inherent value of tongues- particularly silver ones, at that.”

        With the tension rising inexplicably, Arch shifted away from Lyrem and table.

        “Look, I know a cat-fight is brewing here, so, I think I will just… go to my room”-

        “Phenomenal idea.”                       “You should stay.”

        Paimon steeled his gaze at Lyrem and grinned toothily.

        Arch sighed breathily and sunk their shoulders. Looking down at themselves, they shook their head.

        “Really, though, I desperately need a shower, so I’ll catch up with you later, Ly.” Arch held out a bloodied fist and waited for their old boss to bump it. He did so, very lightly.

        Ly? He mouthed to himself. He watched Arch leave the dining hall, and then turned his attention back to Paimon.

        “Different, aren’t they?” he started.

        “What did you do to them?”

        The words, came through gruff and accusatory. Paimon widened his eyes in response, and his smile fell.

        “I helped them discover their potential,” he answered. Idly, he approached the tied-up Marcus, and pulled the gag out of his mouth. Switching subjects, he asked him, “didn’t I?”

        Marcus did his best to nod, though the tears still threatened to take over. In a moment of lost dignity, the boy looked at Lyrem with pleading eyes, and whispered to him.

        “P-please s-sir… Please don’t leave me here w-with him. Ple”-

        Paimon snapped his fingers. Marcus vanished from the table entirely leaving a bloody body outline behind. Lyrem looked back at him, befuddled.

        “Where did he go? Where did you send him?”

        Paimon shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know. I think into space somewhere.”

        “Of course,” Lyrem acknowledged quietly.

        “I imagine you have spoken with my uncle?”

        “I have.” Lyrem affirmed.

        “Enjoyable, was it?”

        “Oh, no,” he answered. “Absolutely not.”

        Paimon raised a brow and conjured up two whiskies. He handed one off to Lyrem and pulled up a chair. They sat at the corner of the table, nursing their drinks as they often did.

        “You and I are of the same opinion then. I don’t understand why Perse decided to live with him. Our father wasn’t so bad- granted, he was never around,” Paimon sipped his glass. “I suppose you’ll be calling me Pan now, won’t you?”

        Lyrem nearly scolded Paimon for thinking so lowly of him. He took a moment to collect himself before speaking.

        “We choose who we are,” he said. “Some of us are simply not born into the roles that we wish to have, so we must create those roles for ourselves. Arch chose theirs. I chose mine. You chose yours, long ago. Arch and I would be the last to look down upon you for trying to control your own fate.”

        Paimon tugged at his long beard lightly as he contemplated something deeply.

        “That is a relief, I must say.”

        “I admit, I am chafed that you put me on their most wanted list under the guise of self-preservation. Did you really need to trap Hades and Persephone because of some family spat?”

        “It wasn’t a spat, Lyrem,” he countered. “They wouldn’t stop trying to control everything I did. They couldn’t even trust me with a realm of my own. They stole everything from me! Do you know what the Labyrinth is? What it really is?!

        It’s my realm! Or what should be my realm! It should have light, and colour, and vibrant, lush wilderness! They took that from me, all because they thought I was having too much fun.

        I created Paimon and hid myself away for centuries because of them. I stayed on Earth because it was the closest thing I had to being home again- And that is all I ever wanted. I just want- I just want to have my home back!”

        Paimon rubbed his hand over his mouth, realizing how much he had packed away and thought he would never speak of to another soul. He grimaced and drank down his whisky with a tightened grip. His glass refilled itself a second later.

        “Hades… My uncle…betrayed me. As did Persephone, and Apollo,” Paimon looked away, off to one side of the room as he continued. “I don’t care what I have to do, I will make them suffer for as long as I can.”

        Lyrem nodded solemnly and silently raised his glass and drank it down. Changing the subject rather abruptly, he judged Paimon with care.

        “And what about the hearts? Persephone said they were useless,” he mentioned.

        Paimon demeanor swiftly turned. He chuckled. 

        “They are, they really are. Well, for you and Arch they are. All that corruption feeds back into me so that I can control this realm- even if its not technically mine. I simply gave you power as you needed it. None of it truly ever belonged to you.”

        “Son of a bitch,” Lyrem breathed, rubbing his forehead.

        “Don’t worry, all those little charms- the adorable little blood magicks you taught yourself before we met, those all still work. But, truthfully Lyrem, if anything happened to me, you’d have been done for a long time ago. Caput.”

        Lyrem sniffed indignantly and straightened his posture.

        “Well, I am glad that I have you as a reliable friend.”

        “Mm.” Paimon nodded slightly as he refilled Lyrem’s emptied glass. “Do you plan to tell Arch what you’ve learned?”

        Lyrem looked up, studying Paimon’s expression the best that he could, hoping that he had learned enough about the god to sound convincing.

        “If I did, then I would spoil all the fun,” he said, “can’t have that, now, can we?”

        Paimon’s mouth was left agape as he heard the response. It shocked him. As Lyrem lifted his glass again, Paimon suddenly stopped him with a hand out, swiping his drink away. Lyrem looked at him with a shock and concern as it vanished into thin air.

        “What was that for?”

        “I poisoned it.” Paimon said simply.

        “Poisoned it!? With what!?” Incredulously, Lyrem stared at the god.

        “Dillitirio Psyche,” he answered. “It would have eaten your soul from the inside out.”

         Lyrem blinked.

        “Delightful.”

        Paimon stood from his seat and paced through the room. Lyrem stood, just watching him carefully.

        “I have a constant distrust of people in my vicinity,” Paimon spoke more to himself than anyone else in the room. “I know it’s a problem, and I am working on that. I was concerned that once you spoke to my uncle that you would no longer believe it to be worth being my friend- especially after…”

        Paimon didn’t finish that particular train of thought and instead created a new one.

        “But the past is in the past, correct?”

        “We only have what is ahead of us,” Lyrem finished for him. “There is no purpose in dwelling on what we cannot change.”

        Paimon stopped pacing, and charged Lyrem, throwing him into a wide hug. This was new. Lyrem could hardly remember a time he had hugged anyone that wasn’t his wife. Regardless, it was clear to him that Paimon needed a friend now more than ever and so he welcomed the embrace and wrapped his arms around Paimon as well. They lingered there for a while.

        With an awkward patting of the back, Lyrem pulled himself away. Paimon grinned with satisfaction and patted his friend’s shoulder.

        “Thank you for always being there for me,” he said, genuinely.

        Lyrem swallowed.

        “Of course. After all,” he said, nodding, “what are friends for?”

#tw swearing #tw body horror #horror #gore #tw gore #thriller #fiction #chapter update! #Mystics by Alpaca #alpaca ocs #Lyrem #Paimon oc #Arch oc #whump #whumpblr #writing #writeblr #original fiction #fic #urban fantasy #greek fantasy #greek gods #olympians #whump fiction #whump fic #writers of tumblr #creative writing #mystics update #whump writing #whump blog

[gingerwritess]

home boy loki needs his hair brushed asap

part 12 of loki’s happy ending, masterlist in bio!

ok now things can start moving between you two eheheheheheh

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There’s a god in your shower.

No big deal. Just another normal day in the life of me.

What in god’s name possessed you to agree to this, you have no clue, but he’s been in there for almost an hour now and you’re just listening to your water bill shoot through the roof.

No. big. deal.

You’re about to go bang on the door and yell at him to finish up before he drains the ocean when the door swings open and he stomps past you.

Glowing.

You lower your fist and clear your throat, intent on ignoring yet another eyeful of bare godly torso.

“Took you long enough.”

“It’s been nearly a month,” he scowls, shooting you a glare. “I have a lot of hair to wash.”

“Cool.” You nod and awkwardly sit on the side of your bed, trying not to watch him finish drying himself off. “I got you some clean clothes. Just some sweats and a t-shirt, nothing fancy. Sorry.”

He casts you a sideways glance, tightening the towel around his waist. “Thank you.”

After nearly three hours of hiding in your office eating, Loki had gathered the courage—and the blatant shame—to reluctantly request to take a shower. You’d told him you wouldn’t stop him from using the communal showers in the tower, to which he had just raised an eyebrow at you in clear annoyance.

“Oh. Right, only Laing, not you,” you remembered. “You, um, can use mine.”

A slightly awkward car ride and a quick stop in the men’s section of the nearest department store brought you to now, holding out the grey sweats and t-shirt to the freshly washed god—the glowing god, you realise again when you get another good glance at that ridiculously well-defined torso.

He takes them without another word, stepping back with one hand holding the towel around his waist, staring at you in silence.

“Well?”

You blink. “Well what?”

“Shall I dance for you as I drop the towel? Or are you planning on turning around?”

So maybe the staring is obvious. But he’s...glowing.

“Yeah, yeah,” you mumble, hurriedly swivelling around on the bed to turn your back on him. “Sorry.”

“Thank you.”

You hear him rustle around for a bit, wishing he could’ve just stayed in the bathroom to change, considering this is now twice that you’ve seen way more of him than a “workplace associate” should ever get to—have to.

I meant have to.

Your heart beats a tiny, tiny bit faster.

You panic.

“So you’re glowing,” you blurt, burying your face in your hands just in case he rounds the bed and gets a look at you.

He doesn’t need to start thinking he holds any power over you.

“No,” Loki quickly replies from behind you. “I’m not.”

“You totally were. I saw you, your whole torso was glowing.”

“Staring, were we?”

You grab a pillow and lob it somewhere over your head, hoping and praying that it hits him—the soft thunk and hissed “I’ll kill you” seem to say that it did.

“People don’t glow,” you huff into your hands, waiting for the go-ahead to look. “Is that just your natural glow? You wear like, permanent all-body highlighter?”

“I’m not glowing,” he says again, voice slightly muffled—must be putting the shirt on.

The dumb side of your brain heaves a sad, disappointed sigh at that fact, and you want to slap yourself.

Slow footsteps drag over to come to a stop in front of you, and you peek through your fingertips to find a thankfully clothed god standing before you—still glowing.

“Just look.”

You push him by the shoulders over to the mirror on your dresser, flinging a hand towards his reflection as he stares.

The gold shimmer to his pale skin is unmistakable.

“Glowing. I told you.”

“I don’t see it,” he smoothly replies.

His hand twitches against his thigh as he turns away from the mirror, and in the blink of an eye, the entire golden hue surrounding his figure is gone.

“You just made it go away.” You blink a couple times, taking a shocked step away from him. “It was there. I saw it, and you did something with your hand.”

“You’re delusional.” Loki gives you a thin smile.

“Do it again.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Do—do it again,” you repeat, waving your hand at him as you look him up and down. “Show me again.”

There’s a strange lift to your voice, something he’s certain he’s never heard before, not from you, not from anyone on Asgard, not from anyone between the two.

Perhaps from his mother, perhaps centuries ago when he couldn’t quite reach the window sill she’d claimed as her’s and his, back when he’d managed to produce nothing more than a painful spark in the palm of his hand.

“Do that again.”

You’re...interested.

A lump catches in his throat.

“No. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

To appease you would be too indulgent. It’d be stupid, a mindless thrill for a few seconds that’d only begin another downward spiral of yearning.

Impressing a mortal isn’t exactly a feat to consider an accomplishment.

The spell was a stupid idea, he decides, it was too obvious, too drastic. The intensity of the concealment might be necessary, but he’ll have to make extra efforts if he wants to keep up the façade without those, uh...glittery side effects.

“Okay,” you slowly say with a frown, “never mind. Sorry I asked.”

The eye contact is scalding.

Something’s up. Loki’s silent, you’re uncomfortable, and those pants look pretty damn good on him.

Some butts are made for grey sweatpants.

Loki finally breaks, turning around and walking away from you without another word—yeah. Butts like that.

Did I mention you’re uncomfortable?

You loudly clear your throat as you stand, shoving every last thought about your fake boyfriend doctor god to the absolute furthest corner of your mind. Time for mature, professional interactions.

“Need a hairbrush?”

“What?” Loki whirls around at your voice, eyes wide. “Why would I need—”

“Easy, Loki,” you laugh, raising your hands in defence. “Just thought I’d offer.”

He goes silent for a moment, then slowly nods.

“Please.”

He takes it from you without so much as a glance.

Riiip. Riiip. Riiiiiiip.

You chance a quick look into the bathroom only to find Loki positively ripping through his hair with the frenzy of a madman, his hair a wet, matted, tangled mess of dark locks that you could’ve sworn wasn’t like that when he came out of the shower.

Or any other time you’ve seen him, for that matter.

“Loki,” you quickly call, slipping into the bathroom before he can lash out at you again. “Stop, you’ve gotta be gentle, stop—stop—”

He scowls when you grab the brush out of his hand, your other hand smacking him lightly on the arm. “I can do this myself,” he grits out, fingers finding the back of his head and rubbing there with a wince. “Don’t touch me.”

“You’re hurting yourself.” You hold up the brush with a sheepish grin. “Can I, um, can I help?”

There’s a moment of hesititation—then deep contemplation, deciding whether he can live with the shame, you guess—followed by another curt nod.

“Sit on the edge of the bathtub, yeah?”

Surprisingly enough, he does as you say, and when the brush meets his scalp, he flinches.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Staring from the bottom up, you try to work your way around the knots upon knots of matted hair, tugging as gently as possible and trying with every ounce of yourself to not let your fingers brush against his neck.

Loki doesn’t say anything, doesn’t move hardly at all, despite your incessant tugging at his scalp. It’s far from a relaxing moment, and even further from—as some may consider it—a somewhat romantic one.

Even still, you desperately want to dispel any tension that might be starting to break through the surface.

“Your hair wasn’t all tangled when you got in the shower,” you point out, working the brush through a particularly troublesome knot near his neck. “You were using an illusion for that, too, right?”

Half-expecting him to deny it, his curt “I was” comes as a bit of a surprise.

“How come?”

“I’ve been stuck in prison,” he replies, but it’s offhanded, thrown out as an excuse.

You’ve half a mind to call him out on it, but you elect to just change the subject instead. “Have you given anymore thought to actually going to your therapy?”

“You mean go back to prison,” Loki corrects, fingers tightening on the edge of the bath. “Back in the hands of my brother and his little friends, their prodding and poking and watching me through a glass case like an animal—”

CRACK.

You both look down with a start.

“I...sorry. I’ll fix that.”

Somehow in that quick little almost-tangent, he’d gripped the bathtub edge so tightly that the porcelain cracked.

An excellent reminder of whose hair you’re brushing—and who you’ve now brought into your home, fed, and are pretending to date, all to appease a grand plan that has yet to be revealed to you.

You suddenly wish you’d brought your taser.

“We should be getting back to work soon,” you say as brightly as you can, putting extra effort into not tugging too hard on his hair as you hurry to finish. “Three-hour lunch breaks aren’t exactly advised.”

Why’d you do that for him, then?

He just nods, hands moving slightly as the edge of the tub crackles back together.

Only one more little bit of hair left to untangle, and your finger brushes just above the neck of his shirt, a jolt of near electricity zipping up your arm as Loki flinches violently, hissing a curse.

“Don’t touch me.”

Swallowing the lump in your throat—and really wishing for your taser—you hurriedly yank the brush the rest of the way through the tangled lock.

His hair moves with the sideways jerk of his head and you catch a glimpse of the pale skin at the base of his neck, normally covered by his hair and the neckline of his shirt.

...and your heart drops.

Bits of fresh red scar tissue peek out from the neckline, jagged incisions along the back of his neck and only suggesting an array of horror further beneath his shirt than you’d like to imagine.

“Loki,” you breathe, a finger catching in the neckline of his shirt to see the barely-formed scars chasing each other down his back.

He stands abruptly and snatches up your wrist, hair falling to cover the cuts and a demon in his eye screaming murder, then you’re back in your office.

“Glowing,” you blurt out before he’s reached the door, making him freeze with a hand on the knob. “That’s why you were glowing, y-you’re covering your—Loki, that’s not—you have to tell them—”

He’s back to Dr. Laing in the blink of an eye, shutting you up with a deadly glare you can see through the illusion.

“This was a mistake.”

Your hand searches the desk for your taser as you stare at him. “Okay then.”

“I liked you much better when you just played along,” he snaps, and your eyes narrow.

“I think you liked it better when I fed you,” you spit back, fingers wrapping around your taser—just in case. “And when I let you use my shower. And when I brushed your hair.”

“If you’re searching for gratitude, look elsewhere, mortal.”

“Really?” Your laugh turns cold, shaking your head at the fake doctor across from you. “I just saved your ass, and that’s how you’re gonna treat me? Okay.”

You pick up the desk phone.

Loki’s eyes narrow. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Reporting you. Again. For real this time.” You flash him a feigned smile and punch in the numbers. “And I’m telling them that you’re hiding crucial information regarding your employer for the little invasion stunt you pulled. They’re not gonna be too happy about that.”

“They owe me everything,” he hisses, taking a rapid step towards you, hand outstretched. “It was my suffering that brought this team of freaks together, it was my strategy that allowed them to become the heroes your world holds so dear.”

The phone is still ringing, and you put it on speaker. “But someone else was playing puppet master, weren’t they?”

“Hang up the phone,” he orders, snapping his fingers. “Stop this. You don’t know what you’d be starting.”

The phone keeps ringing and Loki’s eyes flit up to yours, wide and—huh.

Panicked.

That’s clear panic in his eyes, fear; Loki’s afraid of something.

“Please.”

Reluctantly, doubtfully, you put the phone back on the receiver.

“You better start talking,” you tell him, dropping back into your chair. “Where’d those cuts come from?”

Instead of answering, Laing-Loki just stares at you, those illusive eyes boring into your skull; you’re glad he’s not Loki right now.

Your grip tightens on the taser.

“Stop it.” It’s barely a growl through gritted teeth, barely intelligible.

His fingers touch down on the desk, a little lean to his body that makes you recoil, wishing you could curl into a little ball and escape the burning in his eyes, but you find yourself unable to break the gaze.

“I said stop,” he repeats, and this time it’s a warning.

“Stop what?”

“You’re pitying me.” The corner of his lip quirks upwards.

It’s not exactly a dashing smile.

“No, I’m not,” you counter with a frown. “Don’t flatter yourself, I care about a lot of people.”

“You’re full of it, aren’t you?” Loki laughs, shards of ice against your skin. “You and your caring heart, you want to fix me, rehabilitate me; I’m just another little project for you, hm?”

“Know what? Never mind. I don’t give a shit about you.” You pull yourself to your feet, plastering a smile on your face and pointing a finger at the door. “Now get out of my life. I’m done helping you, I’m done.”

“You and I,” he laughs, a finger gesturing between the two of you, “we’re breaking up. This is over. Robert Laing deserves better.”

Okay, this is all a joke. Sure, Loki, we can laugh about it.

Smacking his hands on the desk once more, he smiles and pushes himself off, spinning on his heel with a swish of his lab coat.

“Oh, and sympathy?” He turns when he reaches the doorway, halfway out and turning to throw one last grin your way. “Not a good colour on you.”

Up goes your middle finger—and he laughs once more.

The last glimpse of Dr. Laing—Loki—you get is him striding away from you, lab coat fluttering around him, little droplets of dark red starting to stain through the white fabric covering his back.

The illusions must be fading.

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feel free to send me ideas!!

if you enjoyed…what if i linked my venmo…haha no i jest…no obligations….just in case….u don’t have to ha ha…….unless… ??

~ masterlist link in my bio ~

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#loki x reader #loki reader insert #loki imagine #loki slowburn series #loki x reader fluff #pre-dating idiots #loki requests #lets get some tension up in here #loki fanfiction #loki drabbles #loki laufeyson #loki fluff

[cinaja]

Before the Wall part 24

Summary: Five hundred years before Feyre Archeron is born, the world is much different from the one she lives in. Humans are slaves, seen as little more than animals by the Fae who rule. But things are beginning to change. Talks of rebellion is spreading and on the Continent, some Fae territories begin to consider the potential gain of War. All it takes is one spark and everything will explode.

Masterlist

----

Mor doesn`t even bother trying to sleep. After Drakon has gone to bed, she winnows back to Telique. There, she keeps walking through the palace gardens. She keeps seeing the look on Andromache`s face.

Two hours past sunrise, she finally dredges up the courage to go talk to her. Slowly, each step heavier than the last, he walks towards the corridor where the human queen has her bedchamber. A few of the guards shoot her suspicious looks, but most nod in greeting. After two years of living in the palace, most of the guards know her personally. Mor has trained with all of them quite a lot, and her friendship with Andromache is well-known.

Still, the guards directly in front of the door to Andromache`s suit shake their heads as Mor approaches. One of them slips inside, closing the door behind him. Thanks to the wards Miryam set up all through the palace, Mor can`t hear a thing that`s spoken in the room. After less than a minute, the guard slips back out.

“She won`t see you”, he says. At Mor`s crestfallen face, he winces and adds, “Sorry.”

“It`s alright”, she manages and hastily turns around.

She all but runs through the corridors. She only knows where she is heading when she has almost reached the wards` edges. At the moment, she can`t stand to stay in the palace, and there`s really one other place where she can go.

It is early enough that there are hardly any soldiers around in Jurian`s camp. Mor nods greetings to a few of them, but doesn`t stop to chat. Her first idea was to go to Miryam`s tent, but she remembers just in time that her friend doesn`t like it when people storm into her tent while she`s not fully dressed. Jurian is far less particular about such things, but his tent turns out to be empty.

Mor decides to try Drakon next, even though he`ll likely still be asleep after they both stayed up all night. Yet when she knocks on the tent`s entrance and then carefully pokes her head inside, she finds that he is not only awake, but also has company.

In spite of the early hour, both Miryam and Jurian are in the tent with him. All three of them look like they were chased straight out of bed. Drakon`s clothes are rumpled like he slept in them, Miryam wears a shirt that Mor is pretty sure belongs to Jurian, who doesn`t wear a shirt at all. They appear to be deep in argument.

“You can`t honestly be this stupid!”, Jurian shouts, “Ever heard the saying ´Never give your enemy what he wants`?”

“What`s your plan, then?”, Drakon asks. He is pacing, his wings tremble slightly.

“We`ll figure something out.”

“No, you won`t!” Drakon turns to Miryam. “You tell him, maybe he`ll believe you. Tell him it´s impossible.”

Miryam tugs on her too-big shirt, looking unhappy. She wears a cloak over it, but her bare legs (and the scars covering them) are visible. “We still have time. Let`s not make any rash decisions”, she says, “We may yet find a way. Let me-”

Drakon shakes his head. “You don`t believe this. You know it`s not possible as well as I do.” He turns to Jurian. “And you do as well. We all know, so we might as well stop pretending.”

“You have no idea”, Miryam hisses, “what she`ll do to you.”

“But I know it`s what she`ll do to my people!”, Drakon shouts. He isn`t angry, Mor realizes. He´s desperate.

Miryam and Jurian exchange a look. Neither of them seems to have noticed Mor yet.

Finally, Miryam steps forward and lightly puts a hand on Drakon`s arm. “Please”, she says, “Just let me call a meeting. We`ll find a way, you`ll see.”

Drakon stares at her for a few heartbeats. Then, he lets himself drop to the ground and presses his palms against his face. Miryam kneels down next to him.

Mor clears her throat, making Jurian spin around to the entrance, hand going to his weapons belt. (It´s just like him to forget a shirt but remember to bring his weapons.)

What`s wrong?, Mor mouthes.

Jurian takes a letter from the table and hands it to her. Mor scans the contents, then curses softly.

“Can you take me to Telique?”, Miryam asks, getting up, “I need to arrange a meeting.”

Mor nods, but eyes Miryam`s clothes. “You want to go looking like this?”

Miryam looks down at herself, as if she only now remembers that she is hardly wearing anything. “Oh.” She tugs the cloak closer around herself. “I`ll go change. Just give me a minute.” With one last worried glance at Drakon, she darts out of the room.

----

Drakon knows the outcome of the emergency meeting long before anyone calls for a vote. He has known the outcome since he walked into the meeting room with Jurian by his side. Still, he keeps arguing.

“But we can`t just let them die”, he insists, knowing exactly how childish the words sound.

Some of the council members shoot him pitying looks. Most, however, look at him with feelings ranging somewhere between annoyance and disgust. They consider him weak, and there is little compassion for that in Continental politics.

“This is war”, one of the royals says, “Soldiers die.” A pause, then he adds, “Your Highness.”

Drakon is pretty sure there is an insult in that pause. Certainly an insult in the condescending tone. He fumbles for words, for something, anything to convince them to help. But all these rules his tutors did their best to drill into his head escape him now that he`d truly need them.  

“But they don`t have to die”, he tries again, “We could still save them. This is not a battle, it`s different.”

He is sure half of the council members are stifling their laughter at this point. His hands are sweaty. As subtly as he can, he wipes them off on his pants.

“Your loyalty to your people is admirable”, a female from one of the northern territories says, “But surely you must realize that any attempt to free your soldiers will only cause other deaths.”

Miryam winces ever so slightly. Drakon is sure there was an insult somewhere in there as well, he just can`t find it. And he has no idea how to reply.

“Maybe not as many”, he says. The words sound wooden even in his own ears.

“Or maybe just not your people`s lives”, another royal cuts in, “And wouldn`t that be better?”

Miryam frowns slightly at the male. “This Alliance”, she says, “has been founded on a common goal and the mutual trust that goes along with it. It is what has made it possible for us to unify soldiers from different territories under one commander, trusting that all soldiers will be treated equally. Surely you did not mean to put all that into question.”

The male blushes furiously, but doesn`t reply.

Miryam turns to the audience. “I know it is a risk”, she says, “But it`s worth it. Not just because these people don`t deserve to die, but because of what it says about us if we do not act.” She looks around the table. “Do we, as this Alliance, allow a thousand of our soldiers to be tortured to death? Do we cave in to the Black Land yet again? We might as well proclaim to the entire world that we are scared of Ravenia, then.” She smiles slightly. “Or do we take the chance to show everyone that the Queen of the Black Land is just as fallible as everyone else?”

A few people nod along. Drakon stares down at his fingers. He should have been the one to give that speech. They are his people, for Cauldron`s sake. He should be able to do something to save them. Instead, he is useless. Worse than that – he`s a hinderance.

“I want to see Ravenia bleed as much as the next person”, Andromache says, drumming her fingers on the table, “But this is too risky. It is far more likely that we`ll lose, and lose badly.”

“I could pull it off”, Jurian says, “We`d need a proper diversion, enough troops and-“

“Thousands could die”, Helion, who is replacing his uncle in the meeting once again, cuts him off, “Thousands would die even if you were to succeed.” He turns to Drakon, regret written plainly on his face. “I like you”, he says, “and I`m truly sorry about your people. On a personal level, I sympathize with your wish to save them – but as a ruler, I have to agree with Andromache on this. We cannot act.”

Drakon should say something. He has to. But everyone is staring at him like they are only waiting for him to make an even bigger fool of himself, and his voice won`t cooperate.

One of the royals – some queen or empress or lady – calls for a vote. Drakon could have told them to save themselves the trouble. They are already going to say no, anyways. The result isn`t even a close call, with less than one quarter in favour. If he`d only been a better leader, this vote might have turned out differently.

“Since we were just talking about the principles this Alliance is founded on”, Queen Nakia says, “I should probably remind everyone that council decisions are binging. Just in case anyone”, she looks from Drakon to Miryam, then to Jurian, “was considering to ignore that decision.”

Drakon doesn`t even lift his head. All he can think about are the people this council just sentenced to death. Sinna and Nephelle, two of his closest friends, the people he could always count on to support him. But also the other soldiers. He remembers talking to some of them during his last visit to the camp. One of the males mentioned how his wife was expecting their first child after two centuries of waiting. A female told him how she planned to marry in a few months. His people, the people he swore to protect.

There is only one choice he can make, really.

Someone puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on”, Jurian says gently, “Let`s get out of here.”

Drakon lets Jurian pull him to his feet. He barely notices walking out of the room, but somehow, they end up back in his tent. He sits down on his bed, Miryam and Jurian take the two chairs.

“I´ll do it, then”, he says. He is surprised by how even his voice sounds.

“Like hell!” Jurian shakes his head. “Don`t give her what she wants.”

“So I´m just supposed to let them die? My life is hardly worth a thousand deaths, Jurian.”

“You don`t even know if she`ll let them go!”

“Yes, she will”, Drakon and Miryam say simultaneously.

“That`s the deal she offered”, Miryam explains, “If Drakon goes through with it and she breaks her word, she`d be sheké.” She presses her lips together. “She is the leader of the most powerful territory on the Continent, but she still needs to maintain a certain image. A thousand soldiers won`t be worth losing her honour over.”

Drakon nearly sighs in relief. He hadn`t been entirely sure, but Miryam knows Ravenia better than most. If she says the queen will honour her word, then that`s what she will do.

“It´s decided, then”, he says.

But Miryam shakes her head. “Why, though?”, she asks, “Why does she even want you to surrender yourself to her?”

“I don`t know.” Drakon shrugs, bitterness creeping into his voice, “Maybe she has decided I haven`t suffered enough for refusing to marry her. Maybe this is some kind of sick game to torture me.”

“She doesn`t play like that, though”, Miryam says, “If she wanted to punish you, she`d just kill all of your soldiers and watch you fall apart over it. She`d target your people specifically, find out who you love and kill them. She enjoys breaking people slowly, bit by bit.” She begins playing with her hair. Jurian reaches out to put a hand on her arm. “But this is different. It doesn`t seem like she wants to punish you, more like she wants you.”

Drakon snorts. “So you`re saying she`s in love with me?”

“No.” Miryam wrinkles her nose. “But there has to be a reason why she wanted to marry you in the first place.”

“It was a political match. I just happened to be the only possible person to be married off.”

Even as he says it, though, he begins to realize that it really does not make sense. Ravenia is at the very top of the Continental food chain. She could have had her pick with alliances - most of them without even having to marry - yet she chose to Erithia and him. Cauldron, she even offered her hand again after he had refused the first time.

“I don`t know”, he says softly, “It doesn`t add up.”

“No”, Miryam agrees, “It doesn`t. And that`s what worries me. Because Ravenia does nothing without reason.”

“In other words”, Jurian concludes, “don`t give her what she wants.”

Drakon runs a hand through his hair. “Could you…” He hesitates. “Could you leave me alone for a bit? I need time to think.”

Miryam exchanges a look with Jurian. “Promise that you won`t do anything stupid without talking to us in advance.”

“I promise”, Drakon says.

It doesn`t matter. Because he swore something else years ago.

He watches Miryam and Jurian leave the tent. He didn`t think he`d be this calm. He thought he`d be half mad with fear. But all he can think about are the thousand people who don`t deserve to die.

He walks over to his desk, takes an empty piece of paper and begins writing. One letter to his council, giving instructions. He only wishes he could have gotten his political system to run more smoothly. One to Sinna, who`ll have to step in to lead his people – at least until they can find a way to get his political system to work without a royal to leat it. The third to Miryam and Jurian, with a brief explanation of what he did.

He leaves the letters on the table and walks out of the tent.

----

Dear Miryam, dear Jurian,

I know that I gave you both my word not to go through with this. But I also swore to protect my people, and that oath weighs far heavier. I will not beg forgiveness for what I´m about to do, but I do apologize for lying. Still, I believe we all know that you both would have done the same.

This is a poor goodbye, I know. Still, believe me that I`m glad to have met you both, and that it was an honour to call you my friends. If there are any two people I trust to win this, it`s the two of you.

I wish you the best of luck. Your friend,

Drakon

“We should have tied him to a chair”, Jurian mutters.

Miryam doesn`t reply. She curls her hand to a fist, crumbling the letter as she does. He`ll be there by now. Maybe he`s already in the dungeons. Damnit, how could he be so stupid? (Even though, deep down, she knows that she would have made the same call.)

“I can winnow to Telique”, Mor suggests.

“They didn`t order a mission for a thousand soldiers”, Miryam says, “They won`t do it for one.”

It is hard to breath. She knows what they`ll do to him. She has seen it countless times. Whatever it is Ravenia wants, she´ll get it eventually. She always does. Miryam presses her lips into a thin line. That brave, noble fool.

“But it must be easier to break out one man than a thousand”, Jurian argues, “If we stage a diversion, then sneak in a small group of soldiers -“

“Forget it”, Tia says from where she`s leaning against the desk, “There´s no breaking into Ravenia`s dungeons, everyone knows it.”

Miryam nods. She`s been to those dungeons. Unbidden, the memories rise – blood everywhere, screams so loud she thought her ears would shatter. She pushes them back down.

“Well, we`ll just figure something out”, Mor says.

Jurian nods his agreement. “No place is without weaknesses. We have thousands of soldiers, for Cauldron`s sake. There has to be a way.” He runs his fingers over the hilt of his sword, as if he`s already imagining drawing it in battle. “This time, we come up with a plan first, then present it to the council. Makes them more likely to agree.”

“No”, Miryam says.

Everyone in the room turns to her. “What?”, Mor asks.

“We aren`t getting in there, not even with ten thousand soldiers. It is too well-protected. No matter how much we plan, we`ll never be able to pull this off. And if we tell the council, they`ll only forbid us from acting again.”

“So we`re just supposed to let him die.” The look Jurian gives her is bordering reproach.

Mor frowns at her, seemingly torn between disbelief and anger, Tia just seems confused.

“Not what I said.” Miryam doesn`t know how she manages to sound so calm. Some part of her is panicking, screaming at her not to do this. But it seems distant, somehow. “I said we can`t get in with an army. I`d take it even further and say that no Fae, no matter how brilliant, will be able to breach Ravenia`s palace.” She turns to Jurian. “But we might be able to pull it off. Not with an army – just you any I.” She manages a humourless smile. “After all, I can tell you from personal experience that no Fae pays much attention to his slaves.”

----

A/N: This is just another (worse) cliffhanger, I know. In my defense, this arc is a bit longer, so I really can't split it up anywhere without causing cliffhangers.

Anyways, huge thanks to anyone reading this! Your likes and comments always make my day❤

Tags: @sjm-things @clolikescloquetas @herpowerisdeath

#this is mean #i know #i`ll try to update soon #miryam #drakon #jurian #mor #helion #andromache

[cygnusfae]

i loved you more than i meant to

in which roman reminisces on his first meeting with logan and has the gayest birthday morning ever. a background to my romeo and juliet au with romantic logince

word count: 2.1k

tws: alcohol, beheading mention, implied internalized homophobia, implied period typical homophobia

a/n: shoutout to my lovely beta reader @airiervessel as i cannot grammar for the life of me

read on ao3

This party was a disaster. What else could be expected of an event that didn’t have any of the amazing Roman Escalus’ creative input? It was absolutely dull, lacking true substance and a certain panache. A je ne sais quoi or whatever the French said. 

Currently, Roman was sat at a free table, idly spinning an empty silver wine goblet before noticing his cousin, Count Janus, and his disapproving glare from across the table. Him and his stupid creepy face. Roman stuck his tongue out at him and slammed the goblet back onto the table, reaching for the bottle of wine next to it. He could almost hear Janus’ scolding. Whatever. This party stunk anyway. More guests began flooding in after being announced, high nobility and that sort of thing. All of them sounded the same to Roman anyway.

He took another sip of this bitter wine. “You would truly think”, Roman grumbled under his breath, “that being prince would allow Thomas to get the finest wine possible. It's absolutely abysmal.” He let out a truly dramatic sigh, and dropped to rest his head on the table. Really, the decorations were hopeless. The tapestries were so last century. And what kind of goblets were these? 

“I would have at least chosen the gold goblets to complement the purple drapes.” He let out another theatrical groan and closed his eyes, then opened them again. He turned to the entrance. A true spectacle was about to begin, it seemed.

The squire at the door coughed loudly. Eyes around the room seemed to settle on him. “Announcing, Lord and Lady Montague, with Lord Patton Montague and Lord Logan Montague.” 

It was like a fairytale. Roman loved those. He loved reading them as a child, the romanticized ideals of the world and of love. He wanted love like from a fairytale, once upon a time. But fairytale love wasn’t in the books for someone like him. So he gave up on having his own romance and decided to put his passions in art, in his creative pursuits. Into helping others, providing justice and being like the princes in his books. Even if he never got to woo a handsome knight, that was fine with him. He was fine with the occasional flirt, a short lived tryst or daring escapade. That was fine with him. Kind of.

But if Roman didn’t know any better, this was as close to the fairytales as he could get. It was as if he was enchanted, spellbound by the man before him. He sat up, gripping the silver wine goblet in front of him. This Logan Montague- Who was he? He briefly remembered hearing about the Montagues and Capulets, rival merchant families. Something about a big feud. He didn’t care for it much, but now he started to pay attention. 

This Logan… he looked fascinating. Like an enigma. His face seemed bored, casually unreadable. Everything about him was sharp and angular, geometric and cutting. Even his spectacles, rectangular cut glass, stood sharply on the bridge of his nose. He looked as if he were carved from marble, sculpted by the finest artisans and craftsmen. He had to talk to him. This was a challenge he couldn’t resist. Roman nodded, as if to himself. He took a swig of his wine, turned it from one sip to three then four then just decided to finish it. He steeled himself, and got up to meet him. But Logan disappeared into the crowd.

Roman frowned. How did he get away so easily? The floor was a mass of swirling robes, colorful figures winding around each other in perfect step to the music. Roman almost growled. “Curse it all!” How difficult could it be to find one devastatingly handsome man? His blue tunic was very distinctive, a particular dark blue shade that reminded Roman of the night sky. Just look for that. How difficult could it be?

Very difficult indeed. Roman must have spent almost the entire night looking. The guests were slowly trickling out, but the Montagues still remained. He had even gone to Montague's son, Patton, and asked but to no avail. However, he did have a lovely conversation with the gentle young lord, so at least he may have gotten himself a new friend. But not what he was looking for. Great. Now he had missed a chance to be with someone new rather, than seem clingy and desperate and go back to one of his previous conquests. Roman sighed, standing at the edge of the room, his refilled goblet in hand. His eyes narrowed, taking a long, slow sip of the wine. He’d had enough of people watching. He needed fresh air. He stepped outside to the courtyard and found himself almost walking into a dark blue tunic. 

Logan was standing next to a fountain, eyes toward the sky and back to Roman. He didn’t even seem to notice that Roman was there at all. He cleared his throat, but there was no response. Logan shifted, moving to sit down next to the fountain. Still, he looked up towards the moon and stars. Roman moved closer, leaning on the wall next to the fountain. Nothing.

 “Good evening my dear fellow. Kind sir, would you oblige me and give me a word?”. Logan finally turned to look at him, but his face seemed annoyed and irritated. Well, Roman felt his enchantment lift slightly at the other man’s sour expression. “The moon is high and wits are waning, apparently, as I am not your dear, nor in the mood for the exchanging of words.” Roman blinked. He was a feisty one apparently, but he was not one to back down from a challenge. He put on his most dazzling, charming, roguish grin as he leaned in towards Logan. 

“Well, not so gentle fellow of mine, how can I refrain from dubbing thee ‘my dear’ when thou art dearest to mine own heart?” Logan made a sort of angry growl in the back of his throat, which should not have made Roman’s heart feel larger than his chest. 

“Do not presume me foolish, Roman Escalus. I do not wish to partake in one of your famed escapades, nor be a battle that you intend to conquer.”. Oh no. Roman might have misread the young man entirely.

“Why my dear Montague, if you only wished to tell me that you held affection for another fair maiden, then why didn’t you tell me thusly?” At this, Logan flushed. Oh no. Roman might have misread the situation incorrectly twice.

 Logan, now turned a lovely pale rose, quietly grumbled under his breath. “‘My dear’, I hold affection for no maid nor do I hold affection for such fairer of the sexes.” Now it was Roman’s turn to flush. But Logan wasn’t finished. 

“Now, ‘my dear’, I believe quite firmly that tis you who art behaving quite unfairly. You believe me some fragile damsel when perhaps you should reconsider your phrasing.” Strike three for Roman, but he was nothing if not persistent. 

“Sweet, gentle Montague, I do not believe thee a helpless maiden. Why, I think thou art the loveliest of the faeries, enchanting me, luring me away to the woods.” Roman lifted his head, looking to their silvery reflections in the water before hearing Logan snort and quietly snicker. Roman’s head whipped back up to meet Logan’s gaze. “How rude! I think that was a lovely compliment!” 

Logan adjusted his glasses before staring straight into his eyes. “The existence of the rumored fae folk is highly unlikely and unrealistic. Thou shalt have to be cleverer in an attempt to woo me, my dear Roman Escalus.”. 

Roman’s heart performed a strange flutter in his stomach, which worried him slightly. But he still gasped in faux horror. “Oh Logan Montague, the blasphemy! Queen Mab shalt have your head for the feast tonight, as consequence for your insolence.” 

“Fae are but beings of fantasy and whimsy, and I put no faith in such things Roman!” 

“Oh, truly, it pains me to hear of your untimely demise due to your disbelief.” 

“I swear-”

Roman grinned as Logan began on a passionate rant. Perhaps this party wasn’t so dull after all.

                                                              ---

Roman blinked open his eyes. Sunlight filtered through the open window, curling wisps of breeze floating in from under the edge of the curtain. He was in his room. The dream was truly vivid, as if he was back at their first meeting only four years ago.

He shivered slightly, gooseflesh rising on his bare arms. His palms were warm, resting on Logan’s arms. He was still asleep, his mouth slightly parted with the quietest of sighs. How lucky he was, to be blessed with the sight of such an enchanting and lovely creature in his arms. 

Roman gently laid the barest of feather light kisses along his shoulders, his lips resting gently on the pulse of his neck. Logan shifted slightly, burying his face deeper into Roman’s neck. If he was to die now, it would be a gift from the heavens to die in this position. 

He gingerly lifted his hand to run his fingers through Logan’s hair, moving it away from his forehead. At this, Logan began to lightly stir. Eyelashes fluttering open, Roman got a glimpse of his pale blue eyes blinking at him. He groaned, slumping father down into the blankets and resting his head on Roman’s stomach. Slightly muffled, he muttered, “Who gave the sun the right to part night’s dark curtains this early?” 

“Tis only the eighth hour of morning, my dearest star.” Logan lifted the covers higher, bringing them over his head. 

“Still too early.”

“Well my dear, might I at least retrieve your spectacles for you?” At his nodding, Roman reached over to where they were haphazardly placed the night before on a cushion laying on the floor. He gently lifted the blankets only to snicker quietly. Logan looked ever ruffled, like a particularly fluffy bird. Spectacles were replaced on heads and blankets were removed. Logan began idly tracing constellation patterns on Roman’s collarbone, having risen considerably more than earlier. Roman frowned. This one was familiar, itching at the back of his brain. 

“Libra? No, I give up. Cursed stars, which one is this?” Logan smirked, having one upped him finally after being evenly matched for the first few patterns. “Oh wise and brilliant prince, I would have thought you able to recognize this one?” 

Roman shook his head. “I concede; I surrender. My brilliant scholar, do enlighten me.”

“The constellation is Gemini, the star pattern you were born under.” That's why it had seemed so familiar. He had seen its shape in one of his books. He was more surprised at Logan. 

“You remembered?” Logan’s face, which was playfully competitive, had softened. “How could I not? The day of your birth must have proved a pivotal date in the turning in the earth. I could never forget.” 

Roman held Logan tighter, resting his head in the crook of Logan’s neck. Logan murmured into his neck, his warm breath making the hair stand up. “It’s your eighteenth year, our third year together. I couldn’t forget that either.”

The dream still had not left his mind. He wondered, and decided to ask, “Do you remember how we first met?” 

“Of course. The party was disgraceful, I had rather looked at the stars instead.” 

“And I would have rathered to look at you.”

“And we bickered all night.”

“A pair of squabbling hens were we.”

“Goodness, we certainly must have frustrated each other to no end.”

“Truly. Lucky for you however, I still love you.”

Oh no. He did not just say that. Roman felt panic rising in his chest, he must have said that way too soon. Logan was sure to be scared off. This was his first time truly loving someone, and he really hadn’t even expected himself to love Logan truly. Did he even love him back? His thoughts were cut off with a gentle press of lips to his. 

“I love you too. I shall love you until every star in the night sky burns out and even then will continue to love you for years after.”

“And I believed myself the more dramatic one.” Logan rolled his eyes, pressing another kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I could almost hear your thoughts travelling far away. I endeavoured to make sure you aware of my own thoughts.” Roman shushed him with another kiss.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” Now that he said it once, he couldn’t stop. He murmured the phrase into Logan’s lips, as if to stamp the phrase onto his mouth. I love you’s were pressed into his shoulders, his cheeks, his forehead, his neck. As if to cover his whole skin, to let love melt into the pores of his skin.

“I shall love you till I part with this mortal coil and even then, for eternity in the heavens above.” Logan sighed, gently brushing his lips against Roman’s collarbone. 

“Till the sun and stars burn out and for eternities after.”

“Do you promise?”

“I do.”

#sanders sides #sanders sides fanfic #sanders sides au #romeo and juliet au #thomas sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #janus sanders #patton sanders #deceit sanders #logince #romantic logince #happy birthday roman #my writing #tw alcohol #sanders sides fic

[kayteewritessteve]

DT - Twitter Drunk 2/3

Description: One stupid drunken night leads to an uncomfortable week from hell. That only gets worse when you are forced to face the problems, that your drunken escapades caused, head on. Yeah, you are never going to drink ever again.

Masterlist HERE.

Word Count: 9,250 ish.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader.

Rating: PG.

Warnings: Lots of curse words, awkward moments, and a slightly frustrated reader. Little angst here and there, but lots of stupid humour.

A/N: I sadly don’t own any of these characters. And no beta reader, so I do proudly own all the errors and this story, so there’s that.

Steve’s POV

Steve finds himself seated at the breakfast bar in the towers main living area. Sam and Bucky on either side of him, as they all silently munch away on their individual bowls of cereal.

The tower is relatively quiet this morning, which is both relieving and scary, all at the same time. The tower feels very much like a small child to Steve, when it is eerily quiet, that’s when he truly had to worry. That’s when he should probably go investigate and prepare himself for the incoming chaos that he may find.

Though the fact he can physically see Bucky and Sam currently, does give him some peace of mind. Those two, together, were mayhem and destruction personified. Anytime they were out in the world together, something usually ended up broken. Be it a window, a plate, a car, or Steve’s mental stability.

However, the lack of a Stark currently, in the silence of the tower, was a little unnerving, if he’s being honest. Though at least when Tony was alone, he stuck mainly to only blowing up parts of his lab, or other people’s personal lives. So he didn’t really need as much supervision as the other two did.

But when the three of them were together, now that was another story entirely. They honestly reminded Steve of a show he used to watch as a kid, The Three Stooges. Though they all sort of switched roles, just depending on the day really. However most days Tony was Moe, while Bucky and Sam were Curly and Larry, respectively. But the odd days they’d switch roles, ya know, just to keep things interesting.

Steve sighs quietly to himself at the thought, as he makes a mental note to see if he can track down some of The Three Stooges videos to watch again. He always did enjoy that show—well, that is before he had to basically live it in real life. So yeah, maybe he won’t look those videos up now.

The sound of hasty shuffling feet catches his attention and he looks up just as Moe—excuse me, Tony, enters the kitchen, looking slightly frazzled and far too overly excited for this early on a Saturday morning. Steve internally groans because he knows Stark is about to drop some sort of bomb on them all.

Something clearly happened that Stark finds incredibly funny or worthy of the whole tower knowing right this very second. He is honestly surprised Stark doesn’t just use Friday to play a pre-recorded message throughout the tower so that everyone can learn of the news at the same exact time. That would be far more efficient, if you ask Steve, but does he plan to mention this idea to Stark? Not a hope in hell. That man doesn’t need anymore ideas to help him gossip more quickly and effectively.

No, Steve will just let him continue to work for it. It keeps him busy and less likely to mess with anyone around him, so that’s a small win, in and of itself. Plus he’s pretty sure that Tony truly enjoys actually seeing the looks on peoples faces when he shares his random news with them, so that would probably explain why he does this all in person.

Tony catches sight of the three men and the wicked grin on his face only grows, and this time Steve externally groans.

“There you guys are!” The older man says quickly as he makes his way towards them, “have any of you happened to check out Twitter yet, this lovely morning?”

Steve furrows his brows, yes, he has a Twitter account, but does he actually use it? Hell no. He can barely even figure out what Twitter is for, honestly, let alone how to maneuver the hell site. And anytime he does get on his account, the tweets—what a ridiculous thing to call them—are usually pretty descriptive and very, very highly inappropriate to say to a complete stranger. When Steve had mentioned the aggressive tweets to Sam and Bucky, they had both burst out laughing and when they’d finally managed to reign themselves back in, Sam had told him those were called ‘Thirst Tweets’—Whatever the hell that means.

That was when Steve came to the unwavering realization that Twitter just was not for him. Though Bucky seemed to pick the site up rather quickly, and now he was tweeting with the best of em.

Steve shakes his head at just how stupid those words truly sound. He’ll never fully acclimate to this time, nor the strange and invasive customs, ideologies, and ethics that comes along with it. Don’t get him wrong, this century does have a lot of really amazing features, such as better healthcare, easy access to information, more equality and a larger variety of much, much better tasting foods.

But some days he did miss the simple things from the 40’s. Meeting people in person, going to the movies unbothered, the anonymity that came with a lack of widespread media, and just going out for a drink and some dancing with a good pal or your girl—not that he did a lot of dancing back then, nor did he actually have a girl, but still, life was simpler then, less wasteful and a heck of a lot less superficial.

“No,” Sam answers, and Bucky just shakes his head before following it up with a, “why?”

“Oh, well, then the three of you are truly missing out,” Tony grins widely, his eyes locking with Steves and instantly the latter knows this cannot be good. “Someone wrote a very sweet and long winded Tweet about our little Capsicle here.” He chuckles, gesturing to Steve, and the super soldier is now positive the older man is actually vibrating with excitement currently.

“No way,” Bucky’s eyes grow wide as he quickly pats himself down then pulls his phone from his front pants pocket.

“What does it say?” Sam hastily asks, as he tries to reach across the counter for Tony’s phone. But doesn’t even get close as the billionaire quickly yanks his hand, the one holding said electronic, away from Wilsons reach.

“Simmer for just a moment, my dear Sammy. Don’t you worry your pretty little head, I’m planning to read it out loud for all of you,” he happily says, putting his phone up in front of his face as he clears his throat loudly. Then he begins to read the tweets, raising his voice probably in an attempt to sound more like a woman.

“‘Do you ever just hear of someone in passing, or see them in the media, and have this instantaneous deep longing emotion within you. Not a longing in the sense of wanting them, but entirely due to hoping with everything inside you that they find their true happiness one day..’‘..‪That they wake up in a few years and smile, like truly smile, because they are exactly where they wanted to be. Where they deserved to be. That they’d ended up with every desire they had yearned for. And I’m not talking about material objects. I’m talking life goals and accomplishments..’‬‪‘..I’m talking about the true important aspects of life. The things that actually matter in the grand scheme of it all. Well, that is how I feel whenever someone brings up Steve Rogers. Or whenever I see an article or a news story about him. I instantly have this desperate want for him..’”‬

Sam cuts in, a goofy grin on his lips, “girl, I feel that. I also have a desperate want for Steve whenever I see him.” He turns to playfully wiggle his eyebrows at Steve, while Bucky and Tony burst out laughing. ‬

‪All of this only causing the blonde to shake his head and drag a large hand down his face in exasperation. Knowing instantly that these 3 were never going to let this go, he just silently prayed that no one else in the tower had seen these tweets yet. Don’t get him wrong, they were sweet as hell, and made a slight blush creep its way onto the super soldiers cheeks, but he wasn’t really a huge fan of the spotlight. Never had been, never will be, and this very much put a blinding light smack dab on his face. ‬

‪Tony quickly attempts to steel himself once again, but he can’t stop the chuckles from bubbling out as he continues to read. Every few words a snort or giggle escapes the confines of his lips. “‘..to be happy. *snort* Truly and utterly happy. The man deserves exactly that, and yet so much more. *small giggle* What with everything he has done for us and this planet. *snort* If anyone in this world has earned their happily ever after, *small giggle* it’s that man.’” ‬

‪Steve just groans and lays his forehead against the cold surface of the counter, as the three men continue to laugh boisterously around him. This couldn’t get anymore awkward and embarrassing, and Steve wasn’t even the one who wrote the tweets. ‬

‪“What are we laughing about?” ‬

‪Whelp, obviously Steve spoke too soon, clearly it could get worse. And much, much worse at that. He slowly lifts his head and then promptly drops it back down to the solid surface with a thump. ‬

‪“Oh Nat!” Tony excitedly calls out, “you’re just in time! We were just discussing the most recent fan tweet for ol’ Rogers here.” ‬

‪“Ah yes,” she snorts, “I also truly hope Steve gets every desire he yearns for.” ‬

‪He doesn’t even have to raise his eyes to know she has a playfully quirked brow at the moment. He can just feel it on her, staring smugly at him. ‬

‪“You saw it already?” Bucky chuckles. ‬

‪“Are you kidding? Who hasn’t?” She cackles, her voice sounding much closer now, “I even already retweeted the entire thing.” ‬

‪“Me too!” Tony quickly chimes in, “I had far too much fun responding to that third part.” ‬

‪“Shit, I need to retweet this now too!” Sam adds, and Steve can hear him shuffling around next to him, most likely attempting to find his phone. ‬

‪“Oh, same,” his traitorous best pal says from beside him and Steve’s head snaps up to narrow his eyes at his buddy in outrage. But Bucky just smirks right back, shrugging his shoulders and then focuses on the phone in his hand. ‬

‪Everyone falls silent as they tinker on their phones, Steve getting up to wash his dishes so he can make a hasty exit from the kitchen. But before he can even turn the water on, a low whistle rings through the room, “damn Punk, you gotta see this dame. She’d give Vivien Leigh a run for her money back in our day.”‬

‪That only slightly peeks Steves curiosity, but only slightly—who is he kidding, that’s a complete lie. The truth is, now he really wants to know what she looks like, but he refuses to let any of these dickheads know that. He’s always had a wee bit of a crush on Vivien Leigh, ever since he’d seen Gone With The Wind. But he ignores Bucky’s obvious use of Vivien to entice him, and instead just nods nonchalantly as he continues to wash his dishes, “I’m sure she would.” ‬

‪“Tin Man’s right,” Sam starts, “this woman is insanely attractive. Steve, man, you gotta check her out,” and just as his friend finishes his words, the unmistakable sound of a stool being pushed back echoes through the room. ‬

‪Steve just hums as he quickly dries his bowl and spoon, before putting them away, “maybe later, Sam. I ah,” he scrunches up his face, which luckily no one can see as he is still facing the cupboards. “I have something I need to attend to at the moment.” Yeah, that didn’t sound convincing or truthful at all. But he doesn’t give anyone a chance to retort as he makes a beeline out of the kitchen. ‬

‪Though he doesn’t miss Bucky playfully yelling, “yeah, I’m sure you do.” And the hidden meaning of those words makes Steve shake his head, and flush just a little as he hastily makes his way down the hallway. Clearly his lifelong best friend knows him far too well, and is more than aware that Steve is sneaking off to both avoid this conversation and privately creep this sweet tweeting woman. ‬

‪Which again those words sound utterly and completely ridiculous to Steve. ‬

‪It had been a couple of days since Tony had come barreling into the kitchen, and since then Steve’s Twitter app had been taking a damn beating. ‬

‪Not in the sense that he’d started posting more, but in the sense that he’d been going on it more. He’d actually asked Bruce that Saturday afternoon if he could walk Steve through how to maneuver the hell site a little better. Figuring Bruce would be the least likely to judge or mock Steve for the request. Nor would Bruce tell the others that Steve had asked, as if they all learned of this, they’d know exactly what he was up to, and why he wanted to know how to use the app. ‬

‪When he’d arrived back to his room after promptly fleeing the kitchen and his overzealous friends, he’d opened the app and tracked down the famous tweets. Which honestly wasn’t hard at all, as damn near everyone Sam had set up for Steve to follow had retweeted the posts by this point. So they were basically his entire main page. ‬

‪He’d clicked around for a bit, until he managed to finally end up on her—Y/N’s page. And then opened her picture only to abruptly drop his phone. Though luckily for the tiny electronic, it never actually met the ground, all thanks to his ridiculously fast reflexes. ‬

‪He’d then just stood there, awkwardly wide eyed and staring at her picture. Because shit, Bucky wasn’t lyin’. She did give Vivien a run for her money. She was stunning, and upon scrolling through her page and reading her other posts, he learned she wasn’t just beautiful on the outside. ‬

‪He’d then noticed a few retweets from some girl named Lindsey, figuring that must be a friend of hers, he opened her page. Instantly noticing a string of retweets of Y/N’s original lengthy post, and jokingly commenting about ‘how much did you drink last night, girl?!’ Though in a lot more words than just that, he was paraphrasing her friends actual response here. ‬

‪And that’s how Steve figured out that obviously when Y/N drank, she wrote sweet and thoughtful messages to and about complete strangers, people she idolized or looked up to, or just plain admired—which yeah, that wasn’t really normal. But in all the best ways. Most people who tweeted him were vulgar and far too descriptive. He honestly didn’t get many heartwarming messages from the public, so these words really stuck with him. They brought a smile to his face. ‬

‪And on top of all of that, she’d been drinking. And most of the drunk people he’d ever encountered were all either loud, rude, belligerent or far too flirty. Booze giving people the liquid courage to say the things they’d never voice sober. Liquor basically heightened a person's internal personalities, which wasn’t always a good thing for some. So the fact that she was so damn sweet when intoxicated, only stood to reason that her sober was probably a true sweetheart, through and through. ‬

‪Which all only made Steve yearn to actually meet the woman behind these thoughtful words. Though he knew that would never actually happen, because reaching out to her now would be weird, wouldn’t it? ‬

‪I mean, would she even want to hear from him? Would she even be interested in possibly meeting him? Would she even respond to a message from him? From the looks of it, she hadn’t posted anything since that night, so maybe she was avoiding her social media at the moment. Maybe she just wanted this all to blow over, and maybe Steve should want that too. Maybe he should just let this all rest, and continue on with his life as normal. ‬

‪It’s not like they’d meet and fall madly in love instantly, or end up becoming something more than that. It’s not like him just letting this whole situation blow over would really affect him all that much, right? Maybe she only felt that way about him because she’d been drinking. What if sober, she had completely differing opinions of him. ‬

‪Yeah, that’s very unlikely, he knows that. But truthfully, Steve was ridiculously nervous at even the thought of interacting with her. I mean, he never really had ‘game with the ladies’, as Sam had put it. And he’d never even really entertained the idea of meeting someone, or dating someone, since he’d woken up from the ice. He’d just focused himself and his mind on his job, and didn’t even allow any hopes of love or a relationship to infiltrate his head. Because he knew once he really, truly thought about it or gave it any weight in his mind, that he’d come to the unwaveringly obvious realization that he was alone. That he was lonely and wanted more than anything to have someone special in his life. Someone who saw him for him, for Steve Rogers the man, and not Captain America the legend. ‬

‪But now all of this had crashed those very thoughts that he’d avoided for so long into his head, like a dang freight train slamming into a car stuck on the tracks. And now all he could think about was how desperately he wanted a person, a gal to call his own. Someone to go to bed beside every night, and wake up wrapped around every morning. A woman to share his free time with, to tell about his days, his stresses, his accomplishments and goals. And have her do the same in return. ‬

‪But even with that all bouncing around in his head, he was scared. Truly and entirely terrified. Because with opening yourself up to another, giving love a shot and taking the leap to see where it goes, came the potential of heartbreak. Came the possibility of ending up hurt and even more alone, if it all fell apart in the end. ‬

‪And yeah, you can’t have true happiness without taking a chance on it. You can’t succeed without first trying. But Steve had struggled his entire life, he’d fought to get where he is today, he’d sacrificed so much of himself and his life to get where he is now. To be at the place he is now, and even though being alone was a sore spot for him, his heart wasn’t tattered. It was fully intact again, and he really just wanted it to stay that way. ‬

‪He’d finally reached a place where he was actually content with his life, where he was proud of who he was and how far he’d come. And he refused to mess with the happy balance he’d found now. ‬

‪Was that a foolish choice for him to make? Oh definitely. But was he going to just continue to be stubborn and pretend like he was truly happy in this moment? Hell fucking yes.‬

‪Steve was ridiculously stubborn, and he fully knew it, and owned it, 100%. ‬

‪Steve walks into the kitchen to grab a midday sneak before heading back to hide in his room. And the second his eyes land on the current occupants of the space he almost groans loudly. ‬

‪Tony, Nat, Sam and Bucky are all lingering around the kitchen island, talking about what Steve can only assume is his personal life. Or rather, the lack thereof. ‬

‪There are only two days left until the press release and Steve has been basically avoiding his friends for the last 2 days. Ever since Tony cornered him in the gym trying to give him the full run down on Y/N. Where she worked, where she’d gone to school, where she’d been born and raised, everything.

‪All things Steve honestly had no business learning from the billionaire. Who had actually proudly admitted to doing a full background check on the woman, as if that was normal to do at a complete stranger. Steve had instantly scolded the man, citing that it was only ridiculously intrusive and unacceptable to creep into someone's personal life like that. Especially someone who none of the team actually knew. ‬

‪She wasn’t some criminal set on world destruction, nor was she a person of interest to the team in regards to a mission. She was a civilian, a regular person, and she didn’t deserve having her entire life picked apart and invaded like that. She deserved her privacy. ‬

‪Tony had then tried to talk Steve into contacting her, even just a small message to her Twitter account to thank her, or something of the like. But Steve wasn’t interested, he was still happily stubborn and pretending to be ignorant to the longing feelings within him when it came to Y/N. Because honestly, he didn’t know her through a dang hole in the ground, let alone should he be feeling this way about a woman he’s never even met, let alone spoken to. This was outrageous, these strange feelings were ludicrous. ‬

‪So no, he doesn’t feel anything towards her. And yeah, he knows wholeheartedly that that’s a blatant lie, but shoot him for trying to think rationally here. For trying to be logical to the fact that one shouldn’t feel this strongly for a damn stranger. So, by day he’ll just continue to fake that he isn’t interested. That he hasn’t checked out her account or photos, that he hadn’t been day dreaming about meeting her. He’ll just continue to pretend like he wants no part of this in front of the whole team. ‬

‪But then by night he’ll check out her twitter, like every night since she’d posted, and wonder what she’s like in person. Wonder if she’s easy to talk to, if her laugh is infectious, if her smile is like the sun, if her mere presence alone is truly calming. ‬

‪She still hadn’t posted a damn thing since the famous tweets, so clearly she was avoiding her social media. She hadn’t even retweeted a single response, nor deleted the original posts. It was like her account was completely frozen in time—pun not intended. ‬

‪Tony had just stood there, continuing to pester Steve about Y/N, up until Steve had opted to completely ignore the man entirely. After he’d stopped responding, Tony had finally dropped the topic and left, but not before vowing to get Steve on board with this ‘operation get Rogers a date’ mission, as the billionaire had hilariously nicknamed it—Note the sarcasm. ‬

‪And once Tony had left the gym, and the door slamming shut had confirmed he was truly gone, Steve had glanced over his shoulder to fully affirm he’d left. And instantly noticed the manila folder sitting on a bench where Tony had been standing. And it didn’t take a rocket doctor to figure out what was in that folder. No, Steve was instantly aware it was most likely a full and complete write up on Y/N. ‬

‪He chose to ignore the folder, or at least he’d put in a solid effort to ignore it. But after a little while—read, literally 2 minutes—Steve finally caved and hesitantly walked towards the folder, wiping his sweaty hands on the towel he’d kept over his shoulder. And once he reached the folder, he glanced around as if to double check there was no one watching or present to witness his next move. ‬

‪Then he gingerly scooped up the folder, staring at the outside for a moment before taking a deep breath in and opening it up. To only be instantly met with a stunning photo of Y/N, that adruptly confirms his earlier thought, her smile is like the sun. ‬

‪And as he delves into every fact and detail about her, all the things Tony had managed to dig up about the woman, the irony is not lost on him. He’d literally just chastised Tony for invading her privacy, and yet, here he was, doing the exact same thing. Lapping up every little detail he could about her. ‬

‪At least Tony had invaded her privacy for semi honourable reasons, he’d only done it to help a friend out. Where as Steve was doing it entirely for selfish reasons. His desperate need to know everything about her, yet being entirely too petrified to actually reach out to the woman, to just speak to her. To give himself the chance to learn all of these things about her, from her, as was the way it should have been. ‬

‪The only thought running through his mind at that point was: What an utter schmuck he’d truly turned out to be. ‬

‪Back in the present, he halts his steps and honestly contemplates if he should slowly back out of the kitchen, before anyone even notices him. But he never gets that chance as 4 sets of eyes snap up to land on him, and he knows escaping now unscathed is highly unlikely. ‬

‪So with a deep breath in, he enters the lions den, entirely prepared for the razzing and ridicule he was about to endure from his, so called, best friends. As they continued to chide him for having not made a move yet, as they continued to inform him that they were displeased with his lack of action in all of this. ‬

‪And as they kept reminding him of what happened the last time he’d waited too long with a gal, and yeah, those comments cut deep. But only because he knew they were entirely accurate, and that’s why they truly cut as deep as they did. He was well aware of his shortcomings in the romance department, but did that stop him from stubbornly pretending like his friends were entirely wrong? Of fucking course not. ‬

‪Because Steve Rogers was thee most stubborn man on the planet, and he was entirely proud of that simple fact. ‬

‪He’s standing on stage, Tony droning on and on about God knows what. Steve had tuned out a while ago, his mind still all over the place. Still focused on entirely different things than the current topic of the day. He should be focused on the facility's grand opening, and Tony’s eloquently chosen words, but yet again, for the millionth time this week, his thoughts are on Y/N. The woman he feels like he knows damn near entirely at this point, yet has never once laid eyes on. Not even so much as seen a glimpse of in real life. ‬

‪And how truly creepy does he sound right now? This was some next level stalker behaviour, as Sam would call it, and he freaking knows it. God, did he know it. ‬

‪Bucky’s elbow making direct contact with Steve’s left side ribs, jars him painfully from his reverie. He manages to only wince slightly at the forceful hit before snapping his eyes at his best pal—who may lose that title soon if he isn’t careful—and glaring at him. ‬

‪Bucky just grins and leans in towards Steve, as he whispers, “don’t look now, Punk, but it appears a little Tweety Bird is in attendance with us today.” Then the brunette nods his head in a direction towards the back of the audience. And yes, Steve is well aware of who he is referring to, as Tweety Bird is the name his ‘friends’ had been using to refer to Y/N as all week. And don’t even get him started on how much that nickname truly irked—‬

‪Hold up. Wait a tick. What did Buck just say? ‬

‪Steve's eyes quickly scan the crowd before landing on her near the back. And God, he couldn’t have missed her beautiful face even if he’d tried. He honestly isn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed her before. His super soldier eyes clearly need to be checked as they so obviously missed the stunning woman hidden in the masses. ‬

‪He finds himself completely and totally trapped in her stare. His eyes locked onto hers as if they were high powered magnets, and not even his super strength could pull them apart now. He is just about to break out into a huge grin, just at the fact he actually got to finally see her in the flesh, but then his mind catches up to the moment. ‬

‪And wait, wait, why is she even here to begin with? ‬

He snaps his eyes to his possible ex-best pal, and narrows them accusingly. If Bucky is behind this, he can kiss his best friend title goodbye. And Steve will happily inform him that Sam has taken up that position now, just to be as petty and childish as he possibly can.

But all he receives in return is a wicked grin from Bucky, as he nods his head towards Tony. And just like that, Steve flicks his intense gaze at the billionaire in question. Wishing in this moment that looks could kill, that he had that super power. Because if they could, if he did, Tony would be laying on the floor right now. But luckily for the smaller man, he doesn’t have that ability, though Tony will wish for a quick death once Steve gets his hands on him.

Once this is all over, and everyone leaves so there are no witnesses, Tony will get what’s coming to him. Mark his words, Tony Stark will learn a valuable lesson tonight—

Movement catches his attention and he flicks his eyes back to see Y/N hastily packing up her things. Wait, she isn’t leaving yet, is she? The press release isn’t even halfway done yet. She can’t just leave, not before he has a chance to actually speak to her. To actually, finally, interact with her. She is here after all, he’d be an idiot if he didn’t use this to his advantage now.

Maybe Tony will be safe after all. He did sort of give Steve this opportunity after all. Maybe Tony’s meddling wasn’t entirely bad this time. Though he would still need a stern talking to about interfering with other people's lives.

Her eyes lock back on Steves and he can see the tears pooling in them now. His perfect eyesight honing in on them, and his heart feels like it’s about to break. She’s tearing up? Why is she tearing up? He sees a tear slip down her cheek as she quickly wipes it away just as she turns and hastily heads for the exit.

And watching her retreating form snaps something in Steve—well that and another well positioned elbow jab from Bucky. As if trying to break Steve out of his head, while also urging him to do something.

Steve shakes his head and then quickly makes his way to the edge of the platform, jumping off it and landing gracefully on his feet before taking off at full speed after her.

Members of the press moving out of his way, and snapping photos as he runs passed. But he isn’t focused on any of that currently, he just needs to reach her, to stop her from leaving just yet. He just wants to meet her, to talk to her in person.

He vaguely hears Tony trying to wrangle in the press, trying to regain their attention as he makes up some excuse for Steve's abrupt exit. He’s guessing Tony saw her leave just like Steve and Bucky had.

He stops when he reaches the first road, and glances around, quickly pinpointing her form hastily walking towards the main road. Her head down as she goes and he begins to jog after her and once he gets close enough he calls out, “Hey, hold up.”

He watches as her steps falter and then stop entirely, her shoulders deflating slightly as her arms rise up a little. Though he can’t make out exactly what her hands are doing currently, but a gut wrenching thought tells him she is probably wiping away more tears. However then she slowly turns to face him, keeping her eyes down as if the ground is the most fascinating thing she’s ever encountered.

And all he wants is for her to glance up, to look at him, to allow him to finally truly take her in. He desperately wants that, he is about to beg her for it honestly. But he is so tongue tied in this moment, he can’t even think of a single word to say. Nor is he sure his voice will even work at the moment.

After a moment though, it appears she’s managed to locate her voice. But she still keeps her eyes down, even as she speaks, and her voice is nothing like he’d imagined it would be. It’s way prettier sounding then his mind could have ever conjured up.

“I um, I’m really, really sorry,” she starts and then clears her throat, “I shouldn’t have come here today. I ah, I didn’t want to ever make you feel uncomfortable in any way. And I guess I just need to apologize to you for my ridiculous antics last week. And ah, and for stupidly agreeing to come to this junket. I’ll just um,” she glances over your shoulder momentarily, as if looking for an escape. “I’ll just be going now,” she quickly says as her eyes finally meet his. And he is instantly aware that she has been crying, confirming his earlier worries. She gestures with her thumb over her shoulder as she takes a small step back. “Sorry again, for um, for everything.”

Their direct eye contact momentarily stuns him, so much so that he had yet to fully comprehend her words. He is just happily lost in this moment, hoping it doesn’t actually ever end.

But then it does, and he is instantly thrusted back into the here and now when she turns and quickly continues down the road. Hastily moving away from him yet again. And fuck that if he is going to let her get away now. Not yet at least.

He quickly catches up to her, softly saying, “wait,” as he gently grasps her elbow in the hopes she’ll turn back around.

She takes a deep breath and then turns to face him again, just as he’d hoped and he quickly, be it reluctantly, removes his hand from her skin. Their eyes connecting once again. And shit, what does he do or say now?

Before he can even realize what he’s doing, his hand rises up to rub the back of his neck as he rips through a bunch of different thoughts as to just how he should proceed here. What he should say to her now.

“I ah, I wasn’t—“ he pauses realizing his mistake then quickly corrects himself, “I’m not uncomfortable about you being here,” he shakes his head, “not at all. I just—firstly, I just wanted to apologize to you, actually. I know they probably forced you to be here today, I don’t really know how, but judging by your reaction to all of this, I’m guessing you really had no say in being here.“ He sighs deeply, “I had no idea that they’d actually invited you, so I can only assume that Tony played a huge hand in all of this. He really likes to insert himself in other people's lives, so I apologize that you got dragged into this. He doesn’t really know when to butt out.”

She nod slowly as her eyes flick down to the ground again, “it’s okay. You really don’t owe me anything, I honestly brought this all on myself. I um, I don’t blame anyone else for any of this, but thank you for saying all of that.” She looks back up at him, “it really helps to hear. This week has just been—“ she halts her words and sighs deeply as she waves a hand around. “Sorry, that’s really not important. Um, just basically thank you, ya know, for easing my mind with all of this.”

He can’t help the frown that forms on his lips, she honestly believes that anything she has to say isn’t important? God how wrong she is, he’d enjoy nothing more than to hear her talk for hours. Even about absolutely nothing. And God, he really shouldn’t be this damn smitten with her already. He shouldn’t be feeling this damn connected to her already. He’s doomed, but yet, he honestly has no issues with that fact. He quickly wipes the frown from his lips and shakes his head, “don’t mention it, but I should really be the one thanking you.”

Her eyes instantly widen, and it takes everything in Steve not to chuckle at the shocked look now on her face. Her eyebrows slowly crinkle in the most adorable way, as her mouth hangs open just slightly. It’s honestly the cutest damn thing he’s ever seen. And he’s seen a lot in his time.

And then she seems to pull herself back together, “I’m sorry if this is rude, but um, why exactly would you owe me a thank you?”

He can’t help the stupid smile that forms as he tries to hide it by glancing over his shoulder to ensure that no one had followed them. Mainly anyone from his team, if he’s being honest. The press following him is nowhere near as much of a possibility as his fellow Avengers, and also nowhere near as embarrassing.

Seeing that luckily no one has, he comes up with a quick plan to ensure that they aren’t bothered or overheard. “I’ll explain all that, but first, can I show you something?”

She nods quickly, “um, yeah. Yeah, of course.”

“Okay, great. Just uh, just follow me then,” he quickly says before he starts to lead them both towards the spot he’d decided would be the best choice for privacy. And to ensure no one overhears either of them.

Reader’s POV.

You fall into step with the giant man, curious where exactly he is leading you to. He hasn’t said anything since you both began walking and you honestly have no idea what to even say to him. The silence isn’t too bad, though that’s honestly a lie, the silence is actually extremely awkward.

You have no idea what he still has to say to you, nor where your currently heading towards, nor what he feels about all of this. I mean, yeah, he said he wanted to thank you, but for what exactly? You have no fucking clue. And shit yeah, that’s a little unsettling, if you’re being honest.

Your hands start to clam up again, as you keep your eyes down, watching your steps to ensure you don’t eat it. Because that would just be so magical if you did biff it right now. Ya know, in front of Steve Rogers and all.

He’d probably think you were just a ridiculous klutz, or an accident prone nincompoop. But really, you just aren’t the best on heels, and as you both have now left the glorious cement behind and are trekking it through the compound’s vast green space, falling is a very real possibility. You hoofing it through the dang wilderness now, as if you’re some seasoned hiker on a nice, scenic Sunday adventure, instead of a small, sightly out of shape, journalist in high ass heels.

You stealthily side eye your adventure buddy and wonder if he’d give you a piggyback ride. I mean, that’s a ridiculous thought, but like, would he though? Ya know, if you asked really nicely and remembered to use your manners? He is rumoured to have insane strength, so he could probably easily chuck you over his shoulder, as if you weighed nothing at all.

Oh God, why do you now want nothing more in this life, than to be slung over Steve Rogers shoulder like he’s some damn caveman. Shit, yeah, that’d be hot for sure.

You shake your head and stifle the laugh that wants to bubble out of you, as you focus back on the ground ahead of you. What a ridiculous person you truly are. Who even thinks something like that about a complete stranger, let alone Steve Rogers—Though, come to think of it, probably a lot of people think things like that about him.

Once again you feel a large warm hand on your elbow and you halt your steps to glance up at him, curious what’s happening. Oh shit, what if he can like, read minds or something, and just no one actually knows about that enhancement of his? Fuck, please God say he can’t.

Though let’s just test that theory, ya know, just to be sure. Hello? Steve? You there? If you are, fyi, my favourite number is 9. And I think you have a fantastic ass—shit, just ignore that last part—

“We’re here,” he says quietly, and his hesitant expression leads you to believe that he can’t, in fact, hear your thoughts. And thank fuck for that.

You nod—no clue why you do, you just do. And then quickly glance around at your surroundings, only to then have your mouth fall open at the beautiful sight before you.

You hadn’t even noticed where you’d ended up until this exact moment. You are standing on the edge of a large body of water, and with a quick glance over your shoulder you realize you are surrounded by trees. The facilities buildings no longer even in sight, and it fells like you are in the middle of nowhere, like there isn’t a single soul around.

Your eyes slowly slip back up to meet the large blondes piercing blue ones, a smile on your lips. “This please is beautiful,” you whisper before your eyes drift back to the water ahead of you. “It’s so peaceful here.”

“Yeah,” he sighs deeply, “it is. It’s ah, it’s one of my favourite spots on the compound to escape to. Ya know, when I just need a moment alone, or some time to think.”

You side eye him again, seeing him just staring out at the water now, and then your eyes drift back to the water as well. “I can totally understand why, it’s so quiet,” you whisper, as if speaking too loud will ruin the tranquility of the location. “Thank you,” you glance back at him, his eyes on you now. “For showing this place to me, for sharing your secret spot with me. I honestly needed a peaceful moment like this,” you sigh, “it’s just been such a long and gruelling week. So, seriously, thank you.”

He nods, “I’m sorry to hear your week hasn’t been very good. Is there anything I can help with?”

“No,” you shake your head, but then halt the action as a thought crosses your mind. “Unless you happen to have access to a time machine?” You ask playfully.

He chuckles, “I do actually, but why do you need a time machine?”

“Just so I can fix a few mistakes from my past,” you nonchalantly answer, but then his words fully sink in and your eyes widen once again. “Wait, actually?”

“Yeah, actually,” he grins as he brings his index finger up to his lips in a ‘shh’ motion. “But that’s just between us, no one actually knows that we have one.”

“Damn,” you mutter as you glance back out at the water. “And here I thought self driving cars were insanely futuristic. But a time machine blows that out of the dang water.” You quickly shake your head, looking back up at him, “sorry, yes, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell a soul.”

He just smiles down at you, “perfect.”

A few moments of silence go by as you both just enjoy the comfortable moment, just standing quietly at the waters edge. As if time has come to a complete stand still, and no one else exists in the world. But then your mind reminds you of the real reason he brought you here, and your curiosity won’t allow you to stay silent any longer. “Um, I believe you wanted to tell me something,” you turn to face him, giving him your full attention.

“Right, right,” one of his large hands comes up to rub the back of his neck again. “I ah, I just wanted to thank you. Ya know, for all the kind things you said about me. Honestly, it was really refreshing to have someone say all of that to me. I’m not really used to people caring that much about me—“ he shakes his head, “no, that’s not the right wording, I mean more, the sentiments behind your words. Lots of people idolize Captain America, they wish him the best, but not a lot of people actually acknowledge me, Steve Rogers, as a person. So it meant so much to me that you were talking about me, the guy from Brooklyn, and not the hero persona I live in the shadow of every day.”

Before you can think better of it, you reach out to gently lay your hand on his forearm. And yeah, you have to force yourself to ignore the instant tingles and warmth that floods your system, just from merely touching him. This is not the time to perv out.

“I’m so sorry, Steve. You truly deserve so much better than that, and I apologize on behalf of my generation for making you feel less important than the Captain. Because honestly, that couldn’t be further from the truth. There would be no Captain America without there first being a Steve Rogers.” You remove your hand from his arm, “and furthermore, Steve can and will live on without the Captain, but the Captain cannot live on without Steve. It’s impossible, he does not exist without you.”

He just stares at you, silently, as his face holds an unreadable expression.

Feeling like you might have overstepped or said too much, you quickly shake your head, “I’m sorry, ignore me, I’m totally rambling again.”

“No,” he shakes his head now, as if snapping out of it, “please don’t apologize, I was honestly just a little caught off guard by all that you’d said—in all the best ways, I promise.” He smiles, “I can’t even begin to explain how truly amazing it is to actually hear someone say that. After all these years. It’s just,” he sighs contently, “it’s just really nice to hear, is all.”

You smile up at him, glad your rambling meant so much to him. He deserves to hear these things, and you believe every word you’ve said wholeheartedly. You wouldn’t have said them if you hadn’t. You may be a lot of things, but a liar or a fraud weren’t one of them. If you deeply believed something as true, you always voiced those thoughts. “I’m so glad to hear that,” you say quietly as you turn to face the water one last time. “I guess we should probably get back. Ya know, before someone comes looking for you,” you glance up at him and smirk. Knowing full well that no one is missing you currently, but you can only assume Steves absence hasn’t gone unnoticed by his team members, nor the press.

And honestly, you don’t need anymore gas thrown on the raging fire that is your life currently. The press would have a damn field day if they caught wind that you two were hiding out in some secret place, alone—Oh God, just imagine the headlines for that.

He sighs, nodding, “you’re probably right.”

Then with a final glance at your surrounds you both head back, you pull out your phone along the way to finish ordering your Uber. Because you refuse to walk back into the conference, side by side with Steve. It’s probably just best if you leave now, before anyone clues in that you both were together this whole time.

You reach the road again, and luckily managed to not fall or break a heel. Which is honestly a feat in and of itself. You’d have to put ‘skilled heel hiker’ on your resume once you got home. Because honestly, that was something any future employer of yours should really know, and appreciate.

You stop walking and Steve notices instantly, turning to look back at you, his brows furrowed in the cutest way. You have to stop yourself from reaching up to smooth out the lines, because it’s weird to touch strangers, right? Yeah, yeah, it’s weird.

“I’m going to head out, I’m sure I’ve missed the entire last part of the conference by now, and I kind of want to beat the rush of exiting press,” you say, which is all true, you just might have also strategically left out the main reason as to why you’ve chosen to leave early.

He nods, “ah, yeah, that’s a good point.”

You smile up at the beautiful man one last time, you’re not entirely sure if you’ll ever see him again, so you take a moment to memorize his features. Ya know, so you can happily and accurately daydream about him later. But then the sound of an approaching car hits your ears and you glance to see your Uber pulling up and—shit. Of course he would have the fastest response time of any Uber driver in history. Because yeah, clearly you aren’t supposed to spend anymore time with this amazing human. That’s just your damn luck.

You turn back to him, and saying goodbye now honestly sucks, but you both have lives to get back to. “Thank you again for showing me your spot, Steve. And for just taking the time to talk to me, it made my whole week so much better,” you smile as the car pulls up beside you both. The driver quickly confirming you are who he is picking up.

“No worries at all,” he smiles back, “it made mine as well.”

Your smiles grows at his words and you reluctantly force yourself into the car, waving as it pulls away.

And as it makes its way down the road, you slump back into your seat, releasing a deep breath. This afternoon will forever live on in your head; the day you met Steve Rogers in the flesh. It will, from this moment on, be your all time favourite memory, hands down.

Steve’s POV

Steve stealthily makes his way back to the compound, rejoining the touring group as his teammates show the press around the main areas of the facility. He falls into step next to Buck, who is lingering near the back to ensure no press members sneak off or get lost.

“So,” Bucky pipes up quietly after a few moments of them just silently walking side by side. Not even turning to look at Steve, and instead keeping his eyes fixed ahead of them both. “How was it? Did you manage to catch her?”

Steve smiles widely, he couldn’t prevent it even if he’d tried. “Amazing, Buck. I did catch her, and she’s just,” he pauses, no words really holding enough meaning to describe Y/N. “she’s amazing, in so many ways,” he finally finishes, even though the word he’s picked really doesn’t do her justice.

Bucky grins widely, “so, when do you see her next?”

And Steves steps falter just slightly at his pals words.

Bucky stops walking altogether, gaping at Steve. “Punk,” he says slowly, “please tell me you got her number?”

“Shit,” Steve cringes as he stops walking as well, he knew he was forgetting something. He then sighs loudly as he drops his head forward. “I totally forgot.”

Bucky groans loudly, “Punk, we talked about this! Rule numero uno, always get the cute girls number!”

Reader’s POV.

You’re sitting at your dining room table, laptop in front of you as you slowly work on the Avengers article for your boss. You had luckily gotten a bunch of photos and recorded most of the conference, so you have more than enough to work with. Which, thank fuck for that. You really need to keep your job, at least for now, at least until you can secure something better.

Your phone starts to ring and you glance over at where it currently sits on the table beside your laptop. You pick it up and see it’s an unknown number—which yeah, that’s a little odd.

You hesitantly answer, unsure who it could be, “hello.” But then there is no response, you pull the phone away from your ear to see if the call is still active, and it is. You put it back to your ear, “hello?”

“Uh, yeah, hi, sorry. Is this—is this Y/N?”

“It is, may I ask who’s calling?”

“It’s um, it’s Steve,” he says and instantly you almost gasp because how did he— “Steve Rogers,” he quickly clarifies, as if you wouldn’t have figured that out already.

You giggle, because this man is just far too adorable for words. “Hi Steve, how are you?”

“I’m good, I hope you don’t mind that I’m calling you. I was going to message you on Twitter but I honestly couldn’t figure out how to do that. And I’m not really any good at texting, so a phone call just seemed like the best option.”

You smile widely, barely containing your laughter at how flustered he sounds. “I don’t mind at all, it’s so nice to hear from you. Though I am a little curious how you even got my number.”

“I ah, I sort of had Tony look it up for me.”

And that does cause you to laugh, “I should have guessed. So, what can I do for you, Steve? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. I just,” he takes a deep breath, and now you swear you can hear voices in the background, you just can’t make out what any of them are saying. A scratchy sound rings through the phone, as if the mic is being covered by something and then you hear a louder muffled voice now, but still can’t make it out. However then the scratchy sound stops and Steve speaks up again, “I ah, I was just curious if you’d be interested in maybe going out to dinner with me sometime this week? I mean, ya know, if you’d be interested in that,” he pauses for a second then quickly adds, “Did I already say that?”

You hold back the excited giggles that want to break from your lips, he is clearly flustered by this and the very last thing you’d ever want to do is make this worse for him. Or to hurt his feelings by laughing at him putting himself on the line like this. Asking someone out is nerve wracking enough in this day and age, let alone when they laugh in your face—or over the phone—directly after you ask.

“I’d love that, Steve. Which day did you have in mind?”

“Friday?”

“Friday is perfect,” you grin widely, then you quickly exchange details and give him your address as he insists on picking you up. You both then say your goodbyes and hang up. And the second you put your phone back on the table, you squeal loudly.

You have a date with Steve Rogers in 5 short days, and you honestly couldn’t be more excited for it. And this all came to pass because you’d been on Twitter Drunk. Who would have ever seen this insane turn of events coming. You certainly wouldn’t have.

And shit, what is Lindsey going to say about all of this? Oh God, when she finds out she's going to just die. You pick up your phone and dial the familiar number, knowing that she’ll be pissed if you don’t tell her right away, or if she hears it from anywhere else other than you.

“Hey Y/N,” her chipper voice plays through your phones speaker.

“Linds, you’ll never guess who I have a date with on Friday. But you have to promise you won’t tell a soul, or so help me God, I will disown you!”

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