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lrissa · 3 years

Text

I Hate You

requested by @bighopenat165

summary: after breaking up with levi you secure your citizenship to the surface but not without reopening an old wound

warnings: vomiting, mild violence

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Walking down the dirty stone pavement you held only a small bag of groceries, just a loaf of bread and two variations of cheese. Hungry gazes followed your steps while you walked, whether it was because you had food that they starved for or because you were simply just a woman walking alone in the underground. But fortunately for you, Levi had taught you self defense and insisted you carry a dagger with you no matter the circumstances. Of course, you agreed.

Stepping up the crumbling stairs to your house you passed by young men as they stuck their grimy hands out to touch your soft skin, a hard glare meeting their gaze before their futile hands could even caress an inch of you. Opening the door to your little house you quickly shut it and observed the room, Levi wasn’t home yet. Sighing quietly you walked to the table and set the bag down, anxiety crawling up your nerves as you wondered why he hadn’t made it back yet.

Taking out your bread and cheese, you made little slices of bread and cheese together. Sitting down on the couch you silently ate, your stare locked to the door as you waited for your boyfriend's arrival. Succumbing to sleep you felt your eyelids shut and your body lean on the couch arm, still in an upright position while your arms were crossed over your chest. Until eventually, darkness wisped you away.

The hard bang of the door made your eyes flutter open in shock, your boyfriend entering the house as he seemed to be mentally struggling, gripping his hair. Blinking, you slowly stood. Drowsiness still coursing through your veins as you almost tripped when walking towards the raven head. “Levi, what’s the matter?” You asked softly and reached your hand out, taking his hand while he snapped his head up to you. He grunted and pulled you to the couch, sitting you down while he leaned on the table.

“I got a job, but it's different this time. I don't know if i’ll come back.” He stated with his arms crossed over his chest, staring down at you with his stoic eyes. You met his eyes with worry in yours, “What do you mean.” Beginning to fiddle with your fingers excessively, he noted this and turned his head to the side, he really didn’t want to do this but he believed it was best.

“We can't be together anymore.” He stated flatly while your eyes widened in shock, standing from the couch instantly as you approached him. Levi turned his head back to you, they held no remorse or sadness. “You’re being irrational Levi.” You snapped and stood in front of him, eyes boring into his as he scowled. “You don't know what's good for you yet, brat.” He stepped away from the table, walking around it as he headed for the door.

Truthfully, Levi was dying from the inside out. More than nothing, he wished to embrace you in his arms and take you on the mission. But it was more than dangerous, life threatening. He had been given a deal from a man with high superiority to kill Erwin Smith and that the pursuers would be coming to get him, Isabel, and Farlan soon. If you had even gotten one hair on your head touched from his doing, Levi was afraid he’d never forgive himself. So instead he took it upon himself to break up with you and sever all ties, breaking both hearts in the process.

“Levi. Do not exit that door.” You commanded and stood abroad, eyes glossing over with tears as you watched your world, lover, your everything take your heart and rip it apart. “Levi..” You croaked out as he stopped for a moment, his hand mid-reach for the handle to turn it and never look back. His fingers shook violently, the urge to grab your face and kiss you was strong. But he couldn’t, he couldn't risk your life for his self desires. Without even saying a simple goodbye he shoved the door open and slammed it on his back, maybe he hoped to see you again, a goodbye rested uncomfortably with him.

You dropped to your knees and sobbed loudly into your hands, your shoulders shook recklessly as all you could do was cry, cry for the lovely times, cry for all the future memories you had wished to have with him, cry for Levi. You had known his lifestyle was going to interfere with the relationship but never had you expected this from him. It was so bizarre that you thought it was a joke, a little tease he was playing on you.

But there you were kneeled down. Tears never seemed to stop as they poured down your cheeks onto the wood boards below you.

──────────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────────

You had done it, you’ve finally gained citizenship and coughed up enough money to go to the surface. It's been years since you had last seen your ex boyfriend, honestly you were still in love with him even after all the heartthrob he had caused you. But as you stepped up the stairs to the blaring sun all you thought of were new beginnings, a new hope fluttered in your chest as you clutched onto your small bag of belongings.

Conveniently, today was also the day Levi was returning from the expedition.

Breathing in the fresh air you stood, eyes staring at the beautiful sky before you. It surpassed your expectations tremendously. Walking along the unfamiliar road you felt the stares of the civilians, your clothing was very different. Dirty and disheveled while they were clean and perfectly perfect. Finding what seemed to be the main road you saw people standing on either side of it, some were sobbing as they awaited their child, although they didn’t know what was left of their kid it was almost a given it would come back cold and lifeless. As others were staring in shock or longing, their dying wish was to be a part of the Survey Corps and live a heroic life, so naive.

Pushing past the civilians you weeded through the crowd, grumbling apologies as you did. Then began the rumble of the floor as the large gate began to pull itself open, revealing horses with battered and horror stricken soldiers. The tired trot of the horses as the hooves clanked against the stoney path. As they moved along their open pathway, carts full of bloody bags filled with mutilated bodies crossed the gate.

Time went short as the cart of bodies passed by your vision. Seeing the missing half of one's face as the remains of their brain was drooping out of the gaping hole. Blood splattered the face while the eyes were wide with fear and their mouth had been mid scream before they met their doom. Bile rode up your throat abruptly, clasping a hand to your mouth as you began to shove through the crowd, pleading to unsee that terrific event.

But in your haste had someone’s eyes gazed at you. The familiarity of the hair and back profile striking a place in their heart so suddenly he almost fell over.

You ran to a back alley, placing a hand on the wall to give support as the bile had tipped over. Puking up any remains of the lunch you had just hours earlier. Heaving air as your chest rose and collapsed in shuddering breaths, tears pricked at your eyes as you shut the tightly, trying to erase your memory.

A man stood at the entrance of the alley, his heart clenching in loving memories as he stared at the woman he’d abandoned. “Y/N.” A man stated from behind your vulnerable figure. You had frozen, there was only one man you had met with that voice, it was Levi. Your fingers began to shake as memories that you shared between each other came crashing down onto your heavy heart.

With trembling steps you willed yourself to turn, to face your fear of seeing him again. Painfully, you looked back to him. He almost looked the exact same, his face still had a passionless look but it was stronger now. His haircut had stayed the same throughout the years. Unbeknownst to you your heart played against you and pang with love, strong enough love it could support two of you.

“Levi..” You whimpered softly as tears unwillingly began to flow one by one down your cheeks. The urge to punch him was strong, you wanted him to feel guilty, to feel sorry for leaving you down there by yourself. Levi’s eyes widened at your tears, he had expected you to lash out and scream not crumble before him.

The raven head began to walk forwards, your tremble only increasing as the man neared you. Seeing you like this struck his nerves and tore his heart even more. His arms began to extend out to you, slowly and shakily they enveloped your shaking frame. Sobs left your lips and you clenched your hand into fists, beating on his chest weakly, “I hate you…” You cried as you continued your futile attempts in hitting him.

Levi frowned and brought you closer to his chest, his own eyes glazed over as he shut them tightly, his hands gripping your shirt in clumps as he held onto you as if you’d slip through his arms again. “I'm sorry.” He said softly, tucking his head in your hair as you stopped your vain attempts and held onto his shirt. Your tears left stains but in the moment he’d forget about it.

“I hate you..” You wept again, his embrace only tightening, “Don't do that ever again…” You choked out. Levi let small tears slip past his eyes, finding themselves suited in your hair. “Never.” He whispered gently, pulling back from the embrace gradually as his hands went to your face. His eyes roaming every place they could, he had missed you so much.

Cautiously, he leaned down and shut his eyes with you following suit. His lips found yours, he still felt the same on your lips, as if you were molded only for each other's warm kisses. The kiss was long overdue, your hands on him relaxing as they moved to his shoulders. Leisurely you pulled away, resting your forehead on his whilst his thumb coated your cheek and rubbed your tears off tenderly.

Both hearts mended back together that day. Starting new beginnings.

#aot fanfiction #levi ackerman #levi aot #levi heichou #levi x reader #levi x y/n #angst #aot #aot imagines #aot x reader #levi angst #captain levi #aot anime #snk x reader #snk #snk anime

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nancydfan · 3 years

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What do you think Chris' thought process was when he found Mia like he's obviously upset with what happened to Ethan and he knows its on him for not telling Ethan literally anything (Chris...buddy, too much action and not enough words. It works for monsters, not people) and then MIA IS ALIVE?? Oh but now he has to tell her about Ethan, who's death is entirely Chris' fault.

...What do you mean Ethan is a mold man? That doesn't make any sense, he's been - there's been no sign of violent tendencies and-

Wait but this could all be an elaborate scheme - no, this is too convoluted and Mia says Ethan doesn't know and she's shaking him, insisting he's still Ethan - still that stubborn civilian that would move heaven and earth for his family. Ok, so...a good bio weapon? Does this mean he's-

'Sir? Uhhhhh, Ethan Winters is at the ritual site and he's...winning??'

WHAT!? Oh, of course he went straight to Miranda even after having his heart ripped out. Now Mia is demanding he bring Ethan and Rose back to her when he sends her off with his soldiers and Chris is hauling ass to the ritual site and there's Ethan on his knees, cradling Rose and looking defeated despite winning. Chris has to get him back to Mia, he can still make this right, he can still do right by the Winters - he could take Rose and still carry Ethan but he's already made that mistake of breaching Ethan's trust. He lets the father carry his daughter.

And then Ethan is shoving Rose into Chris' arms, giving Chris his whole world and asking him to take care of her - teach her to be strong - which, he's flattered, (is he a god-father now? He's looking down at Rose in shock, left gobsmacked that Ethan would trust him with Rose after everything that's happened) of course he will teach her to be strong, but now is not the time, they have to go!

He's shoved out of the way of a mold vine and he watches Ethan, who's looking at Rose with tears in his eyes, saying goodbye and stumbling away with the detonator in his hands and Chris can't do anything but leave him behind.

He hears Ethan die twice. First over the phone and then with the explosion. He didn't fail Ethan once, he failed him twice. Chris is friends with his fellow soldiers and very rarely does he connect with civilians. For the past two years every time he's thought of what he's fighting for, he's thought of the Winters: a devoted wife, a dedicated husband, and their baby all tucked away in a house packed to the brim with love for each other. They did everything he asked of them because they believed he could keep them safe.

He's never felt a failure like this before. Not since Piers, but even Piers was a soldier - was willing to die for the cause. Chris has come back from the brink of defeat before but this...there's no coming back from this.

(And then Ethan shows up with Rose 15 years later like hi :) you want to buy ammo? I got land mines, pipe bombs, a pistol - ignore my busted hands - a knife, a rocket launcher-)

(Rose is giving Chris an intense look the whole time and Chris is staring at Ethan, trying to figure out if this is his recompense for everyone he's failed)

(yes this is merchant!Ethan for re9 anon)

I’m emotional. I want this. Omg wow that’s amazing. Also ignore my busted hands IM DYING. And he’s still good at using them despite everything ahaha

But I have to say I’m loving the concept of also Chris being there because yes the guilt must be unspeakable. And while he’s doing everything now to support Mia and Rose, my gosh it must be really hard especially at first when he sees Them and remembers.

Gimme

#thanks for the ask nonnie 💜💜💜#I love this whole story #resident evil #resident evil spoilers #resident evil 8 #chris redfield #ethan winters #rosemary winters #mrs joe speaks

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novanitas · 3 years

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Love Goes

Writing from experience is always the hardest part about writing because you allow yourself to be vulnerable in a story that you have spun.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31290827

Childe is the only Genshin character mentioned in the story.

The work was written with the mindset of a female reader but no pronouns were used so any reader may enjoy~

Warnings: I don’t know of any to tag >.< Loneliness? Minor Violence? Fluff? A Kiss???

And maybe sometimes love isn't meant to be. And perhaps sometimes it is better to love someone than to be loved yourself. And sometimes love comes and goes, and other times it just goes. Love is like a dam opening and closing as the water rises and falls in hopes of keeping everything in order, in hopes of homeostasis. If love was like a river, then yours must have run dry, the idea of a balanced ecosystem, something of the past. The summer months were approaching fast, and how would you make it through this long drought again?

Water, an essential component of life, something that everyone needs. Love, something you once equated to water, is now like that of exquisite jewelry, something only the rich in life has.

Maybe it was your personality that was unapproachable; perhaps you were too plain and boring; maybe it was the universe punishing you for being born. The maybe's and possibilities as to why you never found love piled up. Your brain found in its darkest crevices perfectly valid reasons as to why you were lonely. You were shy, too shy. Your voice was never loud enough for people to hear, even when you tried to speak. You spent so many years making yourself small and unnoticeable that now when you wish people would throw a glance your way, it never came. You were never pretty, or at least not in the eyes of those that caught your attention. You found yourself boring and without much of a personality, and you knew that others felt that way too. You never stepped out of your comfort zone because you never had anyone you felt comfortable enough to step out to. You had grown so accustomed to your ways that when someone started to take an interest in you, you'd push them away.

How is it to love and never be loved? It was lonely, to say the least—no one to share your feelings with and no one to share moments of happiness with. Your life was lonely, and you didn't know how to escape it.

How is it to be loved but be so oblivious to it? It was painful but only for the person loving you. To see their efforts dismissed because you were so used to being alone, so used to being unloved. To know the pain, you hide because you never had anyone to share it with. To see you suffering alone even though he was right there. To have a ruthless harbinger admire you was one thing, but to have one be troubled by the way you dismiss any kindness towards you was another.

"(Y/N), why won't you look at me?" The boy pleaded.

Why would you look at him? You asked yourself. Just another person passing through your life for what, a day this time, or a week, a month, maybe a year, but not long enough for you to trust your heart with again. Too many people passing through, too little pieces of your heart left to give—too many years of being left alone to know how to let someone else in.

You turned further away, walking down the busy streets of Liyue. The trees rustling in the wind reminding you that summer was approaching once again. Maybe if you ignore him, he'll go away. Perhaps you have finally lost all sanity, and the man speaking to you is nothing but a vivid hallucination built to keep the loneliness at bay.

A hand clasps around your arm, and you knew they were real. You knew good and well that you ignored the one guy you have had your eyes on since the second they walked into town, but why are you dismissing him now?

Loneliness is like a black hole sucking you in until you can't escape.

"Listen, (Y/N), I see the way you steal glances at me when I walk down the street. Why can't you look at me now?" His voice was torn, unsure of what to do because someone dared to ignore him with such a somber look plastered on their face.

"Because," your voice faltered as you stopped walking. "Because, nothing." You decided not to answer, why give your heart to a harbinger of all people. Yeah, give your heart to someone who literally takes people's hearts for a living, you thought.

"You can tell me. I'll listen," Childe said as he pulled your hand and your unwilling body over to a quiet table just above the noise of the streets.

You admit you didn't want to be unwilling; you just didn't know anymore how to be open to others.

Pulling a chair out for you, Childe then sat down across from you and placed his head contently in the cup of his hand, ready to listen to every word that fell from your lips. He was not expecting you to sit there at the table and quietly cry as he watched frantically racking his mind on what to do. At first, he thought it would be best to sit patiently and wait until you stopped crying, but as time stretched on, he became more and more distressed. After long antagonizing moments of contemplation, Childe rose from his chair and sat closer to you, offering a shoulder to cry on as he wrapped his strong arm around you. You found yourself leaning into his embrace and cherishing his presence. Noticing this, you soon composed yourself and thanked Childe for his time before begrudgingly leaving his company, in which you so desperately wanted to stay.

You told yourself in the first steps you took heading away from him not to go back and find yourself in his warm embrace again because it felt so intoxicating there that you wanted to stay forever, you wanted to give him your whole heart when there was only so little left to give. You told yourself to make yourself even smaller and to grow colder, so he stays away, but a heart born in Snezhnaya is already so used to the cold.

In the days following that, you and your strong will only left the confines of your home when absolutely necessary. If by chance you did venture out into Liyue, you made sure it was by the dark of night, and you kept your head down, eyes cast barely above your shoes, only making eye contact with shopkeepers to pay the dues. The streets of Liyue at night were always a sight that brought your gaze from the ground to the world around you, but in an attempt to avoid the sharp blue eyes of that reckless harbinger, you left behind a sight you adored.

Soon those days turned to weeks, and a habit had formed, and the pattern of your life shifted. You began to become familiar with Liyue's nighttime scene, and you began to prefer it as the crowds of people dwindled down, and the soul piercing eyes of Childe never found you. To be honest, you missed his gaze and the cocky way he walked the streets with confidence, but to protect yourself, you thought to stay away. And sometimes, when you protect yourself, you end up hurting or getting hurt more.

Childe was worried at your absence from the quaint streets of Liyue. He, instead of going about his official business at the Northland Bank, began waiting at shops he'd seen you visit daily in hopes to see you, in hopes to coax your heart out of its shell, in hopes to help you carry the pain. In heartbreaking instances, Childe would think to see a glimpse of you from the corner of his eye, and his heart would race at the thought of seeing you just once again, only to be crushed by the image of someone else reflecting into his eyes. He wanted to curse those people, but more than anything, he wanted to curse his heart for jumping at the thought of you.

Childe, having scoured the streets for weeks, began to worry if you had fallen ill or had left for good, and his head was shrouded in turmoil. Lonely nights in his bed turned to lonely nights in his house, his thoughts echoing off the wall, pacing around in their own cage. He only knew of violence, but yet he could not stop thinking of how he held you so fragile when you cried, so violence he turned to. He tore out his house into the streets of Liyue to interrogate and rough up anyone he could in hopes of finding you. Knuckles tight, he grabbed civilian's shirts and demanded had they seen (Y/N). Most of them were too terrified even to give a proper answer, which fueled his growing rage even more. Some civilians got off lucky as their shirts slipped from his grasps, while others were less fortunate than that. Dawn was slowly approaching as a yellow hue graced the horizon while Childe's bloody knuckles dangled by his side.

"Love comes and goes," he mumbled under his breath, "but why can't I let this one go?"

Not even hours passed before the word had spread through all of Liyue that a crazy ginger-haired harbinger tore through half of Liyue looking for you, leaving a trail of half battered bodies in his wake. You thought that in any other instance in your life, you would be scared by that news, but you weren't. Maybe, you thought, if someone was willing to go to such lengths to find you that perhaps this time, love wouldn't go. Perhaps this time, rain will come in the form of Childe, and the drought in your heart will be quenched. But some walls are built to last, and the wall barring your heart would not be an easy one to break. Strength, perseverance, patience, and a fierce tenderness could all hold the key to the breaking of the wall.

So the next night when you strolled the streets of Liyue you did not dare walk with your head down as before, you let your eyes flutter over the docks, hoping once more for a glimpse of Childe, of the harbinger with a delusion, of the man who's touch you could not erase from your memory. His embrace from weeks ago still imprinted on your skin. The stall owners began giving you sideways glances as you passed, and whispers of you and the harbinger of death filled the air. You wanted to hide away from their eyes, but you knew somewhere deep down that the only way you could find love was to give your heart away again, and so you walked with the purpose to find him. You felt exposed, all eyes staring at you, and in moments your heart lurched to a stop when a shadow in the dark had the same form as him. Disappointment was always soon to follow as a Millelith or drunkard emerged in his place. Perhaps you thought, as your mind wandered deeper into the darkness as the night stretched on, maybe, after all, Childe gave up on you. Maybe last night, he was giving up on you as his fist met the faces of others. Perhaps he found you impossible and unlovable after your shying away and weeks of not seeing you.

In an instant, dawn was upon you, and your feet were planted in front of the Northland Bank. This wasn't how the story was supposed to go. Childe was never supposed to approach you and ask why you wouldn't look at him. Childe was never supposed to be kind and to take you to a quiet spot to talk. You were never supposed to cry because you were touched by that act of caring. You were never supposed to shed a tear in front of him. He was never supposed to want to listen so intently to what you would have said. Childe was never supposed to hold you in his arms so carefully as if his touch might break you. You opened the doors to the Northland Bank and asked for Childe so you could tell him what you would have said that day at the table above the streets. The employees raised an eyebrow, knowing no one ever asks for Childe, but before they could escort you to his office, he emerged from behind them.

"(Y/N)" his voice was hoarse, and his eyes seemed much darker than before.

"I want to tell you what I didn't say before." The words escaped your lips at the volume of a whisper.

Taking your hand, Childe leads you through Liyue to a quiet tea shop.

"I was worried about you." Childe blurted as you both sat down with your teas.

"I know. I'm sorry." You said, a slight flush rising in your cheeks.

"If you knew then, why?" Childe asked, concerned.

"Because, Childe." You took a breath of the warm Liyue air. "I have gotten stuck in my ways. I have been alone for so long that I don't know how to accept your love or anyone's love. I don't know how to accept company when I have been so used to no one by my side. I am unsure if my heart can handle someone else walking out with a piece of it and never coming back. I have done things on my own for so long I-"

"And we can learn together," Childe said, reaching his gloved hand out to yours.

"But," you wanted to protest.

"But nothing." Childe insisted. "Love comes and goes, but I don't want to let you go. Love is hard, and learning to love is hard, but we can learn to love together."

"If I ask you if you love me 100 times a day, then would you still want to be with me? If I doubted you and ran away from your kindness, would you find that desirable?" You asked, looking deeply into his eyes, hoping Childe knew what he was asking for in wanting a relationship with you.

"It is easier for me to tell you 100 times a day that I love you than to stand by idly and watch you suffer on your own. If you didn't doubt my kindness, then I would not be living up to my name as a harbinger then would I?" Childe laughed lightly, trying to dissipate the thickness of the air. "And besides, prey is not as fun to catch if they don't run." Childe winked charmingly.

You smiled and punched his arm, to which he recoiled from.

"Be serious." You whined.

Childe's eyes grew a shade darker, and his face dawned a saddened expression.

"(Y/N) have you ever seen someone you love suffer and not be able to do anything? Well, in case you haven't, it is painful, more painful than watching someone die. Seeing you suffer from being alone and your self-doubt is harder for me than anything because it is not like a wound I can patch up. So please let me in, let me share your pain. Tell me your secrets and all your favorite memories. Let me be the kind of person that you have always wanted. Let me help you. I want us to grow as people together." Childe's eyes searched yours, praying the words he said reached your heart.

You sat there stunned at his words and decided that this was the time, now to step out of your comfort zone and to give your heart away, knowing that this time it won't go to waste.

And at that moment, the first rain of summer came, and the drought your heart had been in for so long had been washed away. Childe, a fatui harbinger, a killer, had a heart for you, and happiness bubbled in your chest.

As the rain fell harder, you and Childe stood from the chairs. Before you could run to shelter, he grabbed you by the waist and kissed your lips softly, pulling you into his strong embrace. Hair plastered to his face; he smiled at you as he rested his chin atop your head.

Love was like fine jewelry, and you were finally rich enough in life.

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin childe #genshin x reader #genshin impact x childe #genshin x childe #childe x reader #childe imagines #reader insert #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin impact fatui #fatui #liyue #genshin impact liyue #childe x y/n #childe x you #no beta read we die like my internet in domains

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melissa-kenobi · 3 years

Text

Scars

Commander Kiri x Reader

A/N: heyyy finally got round to writing a Kiri (OC) x Reader yay! I know I've had alot of requests about it so here it is. It still follows the Fallen Premonitions storyline, but reader doesn't end up with Rex, still has her visions of the future and stuff, also they sorta have a thing for each other ahaha, enjoy! x

📷: @pinkiemme (love it so much)

Word Count: 3.4k

"GENERAL!"

The voice of your Commander echoed through the forest as he rushed after you, avoiding the branches that you force threw at him. Your legs ached with pain as you pushed yourself to run faster, not wanting him to catch up with you.

You were on a relief mission, having finished giving the people what they needed, yourself and your two man squadron decided to explore the planet for a while. Neither of you had ever been here before and the shuttle that was supposed to pick you up had been delayed, so there was no point in rushing. You decided that you might as well explore the place with the boys, seeing as they never have a chance to. Which is how you ended up rushing through a forest, having stolen one of your Commanders treats you paced your way through the forest.

Before you knew it, you ran straight into the chest of Hopper, who stood still, glaring at you, all while you gave him a cheeky smile. "Hops, you good?"

"General, what are you doing?" Hopper asked, a hint of sarcasm laced in his tone. You hid the treat behind your back, keeping it out of sight from Hopper and supposedly Kiri.

You rolled your eyes, letting out a small chuckle as you swerved around Hopper, hiding behind him, your head peaking out from the side as you kept an eye out for your commander.

"Nothing!" You innocently smiled, eyes flittering around. Hopper shook his head in annoyance but continued to let you stand behind him, holding onto his arms as protection.

All of a sudden a tap on your shoulder had you flipping around, eyes wide and mouth open as Kiri smiled back at you. "Gotcha..."

"That's not fair, you cheated!" You moaned as you slumped against Hopper who had turned around, watching his General and Commander interact with a curious glint in his eye.

"You're the one who threw branches at me and stole my treat!" Kiri accused as he sent a soft glare your way.

"Wel-" Your words were cut off as you felt a strange presence, no a dark presence embrace your body. You clutched your head in pain as you stumbled, losing your footing. Your head screamed in pain as you felt the darkness embrace your body, you legs weakening as you fell limp. The troopers acted quickly, grabbing you before you could fall to the ground and hurt yourself further.

"General? Are you okay?" Kiri asked, eyes full of concern as he held you in his arms. Hopper checked your pulse only to find a faint beat as he shook you gently trying to wake you up.

"She's not responsive!" Hopper panicked, eyes wide as he looked at Kiri. The Commander picked you up, one hand around your legs and the other around your back as he carried you across to the village. Hopper scurried ahead, looking for the villagers who they had just spoken with, only to find the village completely empty.

"Kiri, there's no-one there! They've all disappeared!"

Kiri furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, eyes flickering around, looking for a safe place to put you. He looked down at you in his arms, your face pale and unconscious as made a split second decision. "Hopper, check that hut over there for supplies, we'll have to make camp here. But be on the lookout, I don't know what's happened but I'll try to contact General Kenobi."

Hopper nodded in understanding, his face stern as he knew your life was on the line.

***

It had been at least an hour since the three of you had made camp. Hopper had found a bundle of material, wrapping you up warm while you shivered unconsciously. You kept mumbling some words, neither Kiri nor Hopper knew what was going on. They had tried to contact General Kenobi but to their disadvantage they couldn't, the signal had been ripped from the village, almost as if this all débâcle was planned.

The boys took it in turns to stay by the fire at your side while the other kept guard by the entrance of the hut they were staying in. Hopper was currently on door duty while Kiri sat besides you, fiddling with his comms, trying to get a signal or something to someone.

"D-dooku...Kiri....H-hops... careful..."

Kiri instantly dropped his comm, his hands coming to hold you down as you shuffled and fought in your sleep. Kiri eventually calmed your down, his body twisting to face you as he gently cupped your cheek, eyes soft as he watched you mumble words. His name to be specific. The very one you had given him, the one he was oh-so proud of.

"Kiri..."

Kiri let out a deep sigh, his eyebrows furrowing as he took a quick glance at Hopper who was focuced on the outdoors before he turned back and spoke to you.

"Cyar'ika, c'mon Y/N, I can't have you dying on me, not when we've just begun. We haven't even had time for a proper mission, or even spend time together." Kiri whispered those few words, hoping Hopper didn't hear him. He leaned down and placed a small kiss on your forehead, leaning down to place his own on yours as he whispered.

"Come back to us. Come back to me."

***

"Kiri! There's some Civ's rolling in!"

Kiri quickly got up, but not before squeezing your hand in comfort, he could have sworn he felt you squeeze back but it could have just been wishful thinking, or he was thinking with his heart.

"They don't look like regular civilians..." Kiri noted as he stood besides Hopper who pulled out his scopes, trying to figure out who the people were.

"That's because they're not! They're clankers! Kriff! Kiri we have to get out of here!"

"We can't!" Kiri instantly turned his head towards your unconscious body in the hut. "She's too weak, we can't move her!"

"Well we have to, otherwise we'll be crushed into pieces and none of us will ever make it out alive!" Hopper retorted, he'd been in a situation like this before with you. But you had been conscious, you had been his saviour, his beacon of hope, but now you were the one who needed the help. That was on of the worst days of his life, but when he saw your face alongside General Plo, he knew it would be alright. You'd taken him into your battalion, practically begged General Plo until he caved and you had been glued to each other since. Hopper wasn't too happy with the way you handled the 265th but you were- no are a good General. He wasn't going to give up on you yet.

"Kiri, you defend! I'll get the General!" Hopper ordered. Kiri panicked, not wanting Hopper to take you, he wanted to be the one, not that he didn't trust Hopper because he did. He just didn't trust himself, would he be able to concentrate when your life was on the line?

No.

He would have to. For his brothers. For you.

Kiri nodded in confirmation as he took out his twin blasters, ready to defend. He started shooting the clankers that came anywhere near the hut, giving Hopper the chance to pick you up and run. Kiri followed suit, but so did the droids, gaining on them as they made their way through the forest, Hopper going as fast as he could, with you slung over his shoulder one hand clutching your back as he shot with the other. Kiri blasting the droids left and right, each one falling down just as quick, but the other behind gaining speed as they soon started to overwhelm the two soldiers.

"Hopper, I can't- I need your help! There are too many of them!" Kiri yelled over the noise of blasters being shot, he narrowly missed a blaster blot being shot into his arm as swooped to te left. Hopper glanced over to Kiri, having taken refuge behind a tree, his back facing Hopper all hope lost from his face, as he breathed heavily. The droids were gaining on them as he took a quick glance. Hopper hid behind a tree, gently placing you on the ground as he placed a small kiss on your forehead whispering a small prayer in mando'a before rushing over to help Kiri.

"What's the plan General?" Hopper asked immediately as he rushed over to Kiri, back to back as they shot the driods that were coming in left and right.

"We need to take out those destroyers!" Kiri stated as he signalled to his right, the two destroyers that were gaining on them. Hopper nodded in confirmation, as he pulled out a grenade, already throwing it in the direction of the destroyers, disabling their shields allowing Kiri to shoot at them, instantly destroying them. But it wasn't enough, they still had droids coming in left and right.

Out of nowhere a force of something threw all the droids back, instantly crushing them to the ground, only leaving the destroyers up, with their shields down, giving the boys a split second to glance back and see you stood there, hands out, a small smile on your face.

"Go..." You whispered, just loud enough for the boys to hear before you gripped onto the tree for support as the troopers quickly looked at each other, eyes filled with fear, not sure whether to go to you or the destroyers. But alas their prayers were answered when several Republic gunships flew in. Generals' Kenobi and Skywalker flying into battle alongside some of thier troopers, giving Kiri and Hopper the chance to rush over to you.

They were too late, Dooku had you in his grip, ready to fly off with you before Kiri blasted his bolts at him, eyes furious as he saw your limp body be dragged away. "Y/N!"

Kiri rushed over to Dooku, blasters held high but never stood a chance against Dooku before he was swept aside like a doll. Dooku regarded this gesture carefully as he watched the young soldier call out your name, leaving his own defenses open. Anakin jumped in at the right time, lightsaber at the ready while he forced pulled your body from Dooku's grip and into his arms. Dooku having already seen your Commander to his left had signalled them to take him instead.

"Kiri! No!" You yelled weakly, tugging on Anakins arms, trying, pleading with him to save Kiri.

"We can't Y/N!" Anakin apologised softly as he watched Dooku fly away, your Commander trapped with the Separatists, all while you stood helpless. You spotted Kiri's helmet, picking it up as you clutched it to your chest, not wanting to let your feelings out in front of Anakin. You caressed the helmet, thumb rubbing over the four arrows marked on it, they represented each of your little squadron, yourself, Hopper, Jester and Luka.

"We'll get you back Kiri. I promise."

***

Coruscant - Council Chambers

"Master Windu, I sugge-"

"No. I'm sorry Y/N, but the council have decided that this mission is far too risky. We can only put our faith in Commander Kiri's hands and hope that he returns to us." Master Windu spoke sternly, eyes fixated on you.

"Bu- I can't let him die! He's my Commander!" You retorted, eyes furrowed in anger.

"We can always get you another one Y/N."

The look of disbelief that crossed your face was more than enough for you to burst out your thoughts. "Then we are no better than the Separatists! Leaving a man behind because he's a clone, because, what, he is replaceable? So are the Jedi, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't at least try and go after them! That is not what the Jedi stand for and not what I signed up for!"

"Y/N! Control yourself." Master Kenobi spoke, eyes sending a warning look at you, instantly telling you to mind your tongue. Obi-Wan's disapproval only angered you further, you wouldn't leave Kiri by himself, not when he sacrificed himself to save you. Why they had taken him was beyond you, but you promised you would get him back.

And you would. Whatever it took. Whether you had the blessing from the council or not.

You bowed in respect. "My apologies Master. I spoke out of turn.. I am just worried about my Commander. He is one of the finest, most loyal person I have ever worked with, and I do consider Kiri a dear friend."

Master Windu nodded in acknowledgement, your apology accepted. "I understand young one, but this matter is out of your hands, as well as the councils."

You nodded in confirmation, ready to leave the council room before Master Yoda called for you. "Yes Master Yoda?"

"Speak to you I wish, in private." Master Yoda asked as he signalled for the other members to leave the room, Obi-Wan placing a hand on your shoulder in comfort before he followed the others out the room.

"What is it Master Yoda?"

"Y/N, sensed a great disturbance in the force I do. Careful you must be when rescuing your Commander."

Your mouth fell open out of shock. "Master Yoda! I-i er, it has been forbidden by the Council, I cannot go!"

"Matter it does not. Ever Clone matters to us, do they not?" You nodded. "Then you will go. Skywalker will go with you, careful you must be Y/N. Dooku looks for you."

"Yes Master Yoda." You knew not to question Master Yoda, especially when he had just given you permission to get Kiri back.

***

"Tell me... Commander... why is she so special? Why do you resist telling me about her?"

The low tones of Asajj Ventress' voice echoed through the tunnels of Dooku's fortress. Her longer fingernails traced the Commanders face, running from the tip of his eyebrow, down his cheek to his lip, before she squeezed his chin in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

Kiri was pinned against the wall on a durasteel contraption, hand held above his head and his leg split apart as they were held down by the same material. His helmet was long gone, probably still stuck on that godforsaken planet, he'd have to get a new one when he got back. If he ever got back. All Kiri could think about was if you were safe, if you made it out alive. He prayed that you did, that whatever he tried to do kept you safe, kept you alive. Your life was worth a million of his, and he was glad that it was him here, instead of you.

"I'll never give you what you want!" Kiri rumbled out, taking deep breaths as she squeezed his windpipe with her bare hands, not using the force.

Ventress growled in anger as he slapped his face, Kiri's head slapping the hard metal as he grunted in slight pain.

"Fine. I guess we'll have to do things the old fashioned way." Ventress taunted as she pulled out a flaring hot viroblade, waving it in the air as she approached Kiri. The blade taunting his skin, as she pressed it slowly, into his upper lip, carving it into his skin. Kiri screamed out, the pain that he was experiencing was excruciating, but it was nothing compared to how he felt when he almost lost you.

Kiri prayed to the maker above, for someone to help him, to hear his pleas, but it was useless. Ventress pulled the viroblade from his face, cleaning the blood off it before hovering over his face again. "It would be a shame to mess this pretty little face up, wouldn't it?"

"Then again, there are several of you clones. Who cares if there's one that's a little bit damaged, or even one less?"

"I do."

Kiri's eyes widened in shock as he saw you approch, your robes swaying behind you as Anakin and Ahsoka followed behind, your twin lightsabers out, a fierce grown painted on your face. Kiri could have sworn he was in heaven, an angel had come to save him, one that had taken the form of you, he would die happily, his last thoughts and visions of you. His eyes started to droop slowly to sleep, as the last thing he remembered was the soft tones of your voice calling his name out.

***

Medical Bay

"Look who's finally awake!"

Luka grinned happily as he hugged his brother, trying his best not to further injure him. Jester copied Luka, giving Kiri a large hug, causing him to slightly wince in pain. Hopper stood on his left as he placed a hand on his shoulder, sending a small smile his way, happy to see his brother alive and well.

"Good to see you back with us Commander."

"Glad to see you too boys." Kiri laughed, although his tone was a little off as Hopper noticed Kiri looking around anxiously.

"She's at a debriefing. Broke a lot of Jedi rules to come get you."

"I-i didn't sa-"

"You didn't have to vod. We already know." Luka smiled, patting Kiri on the arm.

"Already know what?" Your angelic tone echoed through Kiri's room as you entered, a large grin plastered across your face as you saw Kiri wide awake. Kiri's eyes widened in surprise as he wondered if you had overheard their conversation.

The boys quickly looked at each other, before Hopper spoke up, covering up what Kiri had practically confessed to them. "That Ventress got away again."

You rolled your eyes at his statement, taking a seat at the end of Kiri's bed. "She's a coward. She'll always run."

Your boys nodded in agreement, happy to accept whatever it was that you said, moving away from Kiri's confession. "Anyways, I brought some sweets! I bought them from a vendor in Central Coruscant, the twi'lek said they were the sweetest, so I hope they are."

You handed out a packet to each of the boys who looked at them in glee, Jester already stuffing his face with them while Hopper looked sceptical at the sight of them.

"Oh, Hops, they're not gonna harm you! It's just a sweet! Look I'll eat one!" You popped one in your mouth, chewing on the sweet delicacy as you hummed in pleasure. "Here look, Kiri have one!" You took one out, hand coming up to place one in Kiri's mouth when your eyes stopped on the scar that had formed across his upper lip.

It was a deep nasty cut that left a horrible scar, one that you were partially responsible for. "Sorry..." You mumbled, eyes downcast. Hopper could feel the tension a mile away, luckily though before he could intervene, Captain Rex knocked on the door asking for your troopers to report to General Kenobi for their next assignment. The boys said thier goodbyes before leaving you and Kiri alone in the room.

"I am so sorry Kiri! I wish you didn't have to go through all of that, I wish I- we could have done something sooner." Your guilty eyes falling on the scar, and the brusies that scorned his beautiful face.

"Hey, at least we both made it out alive. You saved me, remember? You came back for me."

"I know. But I could have been too late. What would Ventress have done to you if we hadn't arrived on time? If I hadn't gone against the councils wishes? I-i don't know what I would have done." You sighed, feeling the emotions you bottled creep up on you slowly.

"I wish I could take all the pain away for you." You lift a hand, tracing a finger over the scar as Kiri winces slightly, eyes closing in content at your soft fingers tracing his skin.

"You already have."

You look up to Kiri in confusion, eyes caught with his as you leaned in, Kiri simultaneously leaning in too. Your hand moving to trace his cheek as he brought his hand to cup your face his his large hands, bringing your closer as your lips finally met. Eyes closing in content as you felt Kiri's soft lips pressed against yours, the scar brusing your top lip as he pulled away, forehead pressed against you as he smiled happily.

"I would do it all again if it meant keeping you safe."

***

Taglist: @tobitofunction @pinkiemme @shadowfoxey @yamaktaria @callme-eds @starwarsworld

#fallen premonitions #commander kiri x reader #commander kiri #265th battalion #clone trooper x reader #clone trooper luka #clone trooper jester #clone trooper hopper #star wars #anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #ahsoka tano #star wars prequels #captain rex #the clone wars #clone x reader #clones x reader #clone oc x reader #clone ocs

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jjaeong · 3 years

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The Heiress, & The Twelve. Act I.

Episode II: The World, Turned Upside Down.

Series: KPOP Girl Group: 이달의 소녀 (LOONA).

Pairing: OT12 & Mafia Heiress Female Reader.

Summary: As Haseul told Y/L/N Y/N of her origin and purpose, her life had quickly shifted in preparing for her upcoming initiation. And if Y/N thought coming back to take the position that had been destined to her by blood was going to be easy, she'd yet to think again—as she'd been blatantly deemed unworthy by a few members of her own Family.

"So what you're telling me is that.. My real name is actually Y/L/N Y/N, Sooyoung-unnie isn't my real sister—and that I'm supposed to be an heiress to a Mafia Family that's currently the most strongest running Family there is..?"

"Yes."

"..And I'm just supposed to become a boss? Just like that?" The orange haired lady whom had introduced herself earlier by the name Vivi giggled at your puzzled expression, before looking back at the acting boss, Haseul, that studied you carefully as she sat rested back on her seat.

"Precisely."

"But I'm barely of legal age? And I'm still in High School?"

"You Grandfather became our boss just when he graduated from Middle School."

"This doesn't even make any sense!" your eyes snapped over to Sooyoung's who looked almost just as exasperated as you were. Though the woman had been revealed to not be your actual sister, the way you both seemed to have acted with one another after the revelation was exactly the same—even though she knew of it from the start, she still looked at you with the same gentle eyes as if nothing had been said. Jinsol, the woman with the defined jawline shot up from her seat to stare directly at you.

"She's right, this doesn't make sense anymore," Jinsol turned to Haseul with a pleading look while the other girl just kept her eyes dead set on you, "Haseul, we're good now! We've peaked over the last year under your leadership—if we hand it to this.. Child, we'll lose control over our own people before she even gets past initiation!"

"Jinsol, don't—"

"Don't what!? You know damn well what I'm saying right now is what's going to happen after this! What more do you guys need to hear!?" Hyunjin stood from her spot to make a move towards Jinsoul who shot her a warning look just when Jungeun grabbed ahold of the younger girl's wrist, Haseul then tore her eyes off of yours to nod at Jungeun before looking up at Jinsoul's dejected expression.

"Go outside and keep watch with Gowon's team, I will speak with you later." Jinsoul clenched her jaw, practically scowling at you before bowing in Haseul's direction, slipping out of the room just as Jungeun stood from her spot to follow after the girl. Haseul then looked over to Hyunjin, who remained standing stiff on her spot with eyes stuck on the entrance of the living room.

"Would you like to follow too, Hyunjin?" Haseul asked just as Hyunjin blinked, shaking her head in reply before sitting back down and staring vacantly at the ground.

"At your command, Unnie."

"I'll go," Sooyoung answered, rising from her seat when you opened your mouth to protest—not wanting to be left alone with these people you barely knew—but your older sister only shook her head at you, "you can trust them with your life, Y/N. I'll be back when they leave," her eyes then moved to the two girls that sat closest to you.

"At least when the majority of them do."

"We're not asking you to immediately become the boss, Y/N. What we're asking from you is for you to accept the role which was bound to you by birthright." Haseul didn't waste a single second as she quickly resumed from where she left off—just before Jinsoul's outburst. Sooyoung then bowed as well, leaving you with only four members of your Family with you as Haseul turned to look at Heejin this time, motioning for her to present you something.

"You are to be trained, to take all the necessary steps until you're enough to not just be an image to our Family—but as an actual boss, the matriarch of thousands of our associates who's loyalties lie only to you, to the blood." you felt your throat dry up as Heejin reached over to place a small, golden plated box with twelve colored gemstones that surrounded the outer rim and the lid of it with the first letter of your last name engraved on the top. The girl pressed what seemed to be a hidden lock on the box, for it to slowly open and reveal what reminded you closely of Jungeun's pin from earlier—except this one had a clear image of a golden full moon in the middle, surrounded by what you'd initially think as blue gem stones but from how it practically oozed of vivid clarity..

A blue diamond ring.

"You can't escape this, Y/N. Your predecessors had carried this through for thousands of years—none of them even dared to attempt a decline. And so will you."

"Is that a threat?" your voice almost failed you as you tried to muster up the courage to talk back, to which Haseul only returned a disappointed expression at.

"If that is how you want to look at it, then so be it."

You leaned back on your seat, feeling defeated as everyone looked at you expectantly with the ring that sat in the golden box taunting you—as if it was asking you to take it and just accept your destiny. But would it truly be such a loss if you didn't bother to try in the first place? How would you know how deep this entire.. Bounded by blood to the Mafia would be any different to how you've always lived your life? Other than the usual days spent doing your chores and diving into your hobbies once they're done—would it be replaced with dropping out of school to do combat training and sign paper works?

The saying with "curiosity killed the cat" echoed in the back of your head, but then will your curiosity get you killed as well?

"We're not like the usual Mafias you see on television, Y/N. Your grandfather had always been clear with the Family values," you looked back up to find Haseul's lips pulled up into a tight lipped smile, eyes seemingly in deep thought though she kept them on you, "for all these years that we've worked under his care, he lived a simple life and wanted all of us to have the privilege of living the same way."

"You mean after years of slaughtering who ever got in the Family's way got repetitive so he decided to stop?" Haseul's thoughtful eyes quickly shifted into an expression that looked as if she was stung by your choice of words.

"We never resort into such barbaric actions—until it is just."

"And how do you know that? Aren't you just taking orders from him because that's where your loyalty lies? To the blood? Because he's a Y/L/N?" you pressed even further, slowly finding yourself disapproving of whatever statement the acting boss was trying to convey about your Family. The thought of the current highest ranking member of your Family speaking of the group as if looking through rose colored glasses had rubbed you the wrong way.

To you, this is just another Mafia—you've heard about the association well enough to understand that they kill when needed to, but that doesn't justify all those who could've possibly felt the wrath of your Family name when they were barely proven guilty. But to Haseul, as you've observed, she holds the Family at such a high place that it even convinced all four members that were present in front of you, everyone seemed to have understood where she was coming from.

Only you didn't understand, having the perception of a complete outsider, a civilian that was about to be dragged into the dark depths of an underground business empire.

"Y/N, please. Keep an open mind.." Haseul pleaded through her teeth, making you look away from her to stare at the wall behind her. She seemed to have paused for a moment to see if you had wanted to push even further, but when you kept your mouth shut she released a sigh, feeling disheartened at how little you expected from them when they've anticipated for your return for over a year.

"When you become boss.. You will be able to turn the Family around, your beliefs will be weighed along with the members to find a common ground. We can shape the values to what you'd want under your command, Y/N—your grandfather did his best to undo the mistakes of the past bosses as well," your eyes locked with Haseul's yet again, but this time, she had a knowing look set on her features, "you can turn this Family around, just like he did when he took us in."

Took them in? So all these women were all under your grandfather's care? He took care of over seven or more girls yet he couldn't even pay you a visit?

"Why did he.. Keep me away?" you dragged slowly, keeping your eyes on Haseul even though she could clearly see the pain in your eyes as you spoke. Heejin turned to look away from you, not wanting to make you feel any less of yourself at the slightest hint of vulnerability in your voice as Hyunjin inhaled deeply before doing the same.

"The night your Mother was assassinated—was your Father's initiation. You were with her in that separate room, supposed to be kept safe until it was done but.."

"We were attacked," Vivi continued, speaking for the first time since she introduced herself. The lady who was claimed to be the eldest of the group had a calculated smile gracing her features as she looked at you, "at the ceremony, I was the one that first identified the traitors—they were interrogated after that night. It was a coup, they didn't approve of your Father becoming the boss."

"Why?"

"He had the same vision as your Grandfather, he wanted everyone to live a simple life just as he'd experience when he left with you and your Mother a few years back."

"He returned because your Grandfather fell ill. But when your Mother died, his guilt got to him and.." the grim expression that fell on Haseul's face already said enough of how it all ended as you sat there, moving your eyes from Haseul to Vivi who eyed the Leader before she faced you again, nodding slowly.

"And so your Grandfather left you with the Ha's to make sure you were kept alive."

"You're our only hope in finishing what they both had wanted for your Family, Y/N. We can't achieve this on our own, we need a true Y/L/N to stand for us.." Haseul started to sound desperate, the collected girl looked as if at any given moment she would lose it and shut herself down. You still couldn't entirely understand what these girls were trying to persuade you into—but something inside of you just gave into it, they barely even look like the type of members that would end lives without a second thought.

They were following what seemed to be a great cause before, there must've been some sort of oath that had been pledged among these girls with your lineage even before meeting you.

You’d be lying if your curiosity didn’t catch up at the thought of uncovering more.

"Okay." the members tensed up on their seats as you sat up on your own, eyeing the ring that made your heart race up at the thought of it slipping it on your finger.

"You'll guide me, right? Tell me how everything goes and.. Not lie to me about it?" you mentally cringed at your lack of proper vocabulary that would be suited with your destined high position.

Haseul made it look easy.

"Of course, you'll be the future of our Family—coming clean with you is the least of your worries with us." Haseul waved her hand dismissively as you hummed in acknowledgement, eyeing the ring yet again when you heard Vivi giggle yet again.

"Go on, you're supposed to wear it to officially become one with us." she pointed at the box before standing up on her spot, grabbing the empty tea pot that she had practically finished herself before slipping past you and your members to probably make some more. You took note of Vivi's informality with the acting boss when Haseul barely tore her eyes away from you, anticipation practically dripping from her expression.

Reaching over to the box and pulling the ring from it's velvet cushion, the members seemed to have held their breaths as you inspected the delicate designing of the ring closely, eyeing the material in awe at how luxurious it seemed. And with the thought that Jungeun's pin looked expensive, this one looked almost ten times more than what it's bargained for. You slipped it in your left pointer finger and the three practically sighed at the image, your eyes still stuck on the golden full moon crest that lay on the top of the ring.

"Just like your pins." you breathed, looking over to Heejin’s tie to observe her pink gemstone pin with a golden silhouette of a rabbit in the middle. The girl smiled charmingly back at you, eyes crinkling into crescents as she did so.

"Just like our pins."

"I'm going to call Sooyoung-unnie and tell the others we're finished for the day." Heejin simply pat both her knees before standing up with a grin on her lips, smiling even further when you looked up at her which made your cheeks flush before she literally skipped out of the living room. Hyunjin rested the back of her head on the couch, covering her face with both hands as Haseul continued to smile warmly at you.

"We'll be meeting again soon, but for now this is where we'll cut it short. I've assigned Jinsoul, Heejin, and Hyunjin to stay here with you and Yves starting today—just a precaution if the news about your return breaks out." Haseul said as you blinked at her before knitting your brows, thinking to yourself about how fast the leader had planned everything out—as if she already knew how this meeting would end up.

"If I'm guessing the.. “Aliases” correctly—Jinsol is Jinsoul, Heejin is.. Heejin, Hyunjin is—"

"I use my real name too." Hyunjin's muffled voice uttered against her palm, which made you look at her and she just winked at you, completely expressionless.

You wonder why the girl acted like that.

"Okay, then.. Um.. Why is Sooyoung named Yves?"

"The Ha's had been part of the Family since before your grandfather's time, when your grandfather named us—he had certain ideas in mind. Yves refers to the first woman to ever grace the Earth." you looked at Haseul in astonishment.

"So he's sentimental?"

"He named Jiwoo-unnie 'Chuu', I wouldn't go that far." Hyunjin snorted as you almost followed suit, clasping a hand on your mouth at the thought of some Mafia member beating the living daylights out of them, only to remind them to remember her name.

"Kahei is Vivi, Chaewon is Gowon, Hyejoo is Olivia Hye, Yerim is Choerry, and Jungeun is Kim Lip." Haseul named them all for you to only furrow your brows in puzzlement at the information that there were actually more of them.

And why was your Jungeun-unnie named Kim Lip?

"We don't always use our aliases when we're just with one another, we only use them when we're outside doing errands." the acting boss added, holding a finger up as Vivi came back from the kitchen with what seemed to be a handful of the brownies that Sooyoung had made the night before. Vivi then gave you one before handing another to a suddenly perked up Hyunjin that shoved the entire thing in her mouth in one go. You stared at her as she stared right back at you with a mouthful of brownies, tilting her head as she chewed.

"Sooyoungie needs to make more of these." Vivi said as she bit a piece from her brownie to which you followed with your own. Haseul stood up to then bow at you which quickly got you up on your feet to bow back but she shook her head, smiling as she straightened.

"You need to get used to the formalities soon, you'll be our boss after all."

"Please, call me Y/N. And tell them outside as well.." Haseul nodded as she walked out of the living room with Vivi following suit, but not before smiling back at you. You felt your brownie being snatched from your grasp, only to find Hyunjin shoving it in her mouth as she stared at the entrance of the living room with a pondering expression before turning to look back to you.

"You're oddly informal with me—compared to your leader." Hyunjin wiped her mouth with the back of her hand after she swallowed down your brownie, scrunching her nose up at you before eyeing you from head to toe for the second time since your meeting.

"Aeong."

After the events had settled in, you found yourself squished between Jungeun and Jiwoo's embrace as you all managed to fit in your small bed. The two kept apologizing as you gave them a look the moment they stepped foot in your view and had you in theirs arms in no time, and it didn't stop until the two were sleeping peacefully in bed with you, Jiwoo mumbling an apology as if she was still dreaming about it. You'd expected your room to be packed as Jinsol, Heejin, and Hyunjin had made this place their own as well, but since Sooyoung shared her room with Jinsol—the guest bedroom was then occupied by the two other girls, after much to Heejin convincing Hyunjin you'd be safe since your two Unnies have decided to stay with you just for the night.

But Hyunjin swore that the next day, she'd be sleeping in your room whether you'd wanted it or not—to which Heejin only sighed at and asked you if she could as well, not wanting to be the last one to wake up if there was an emergency.

Breakfast was practically the liveliest it’s ever been since you and Sooyoung moved to the house in the city, with both of your parents staying in the country side and Sooyoung graduating High School just a year ago—you both had barely seen each other in the house, but when you did you check up on how the other’s been until your workloads caught up with you again. And so watching Hyunjin and Heejin arguing from who’s getting the last pancake, Jiwoo and Jungeun singing a duet song you’ve heard too many times in one morning—and a silent Jinsol sitting next to Sooyoung who then stood up to grab Hyunjin and Heejin by their ears to tell them to just cut it in half.

But as you found your eyes lingering Jinsol, she tore her eyes off Sooyoung's prepared breakfast to set on you, a grim look setting on her features before she pushed off of her seat to leave. Jungeun stopped singing with Jiwoo to watch the woman retreat, to which you'd hope was just back upstairs to her room but only to feel disheartened when you heard the front door shut close—looking back down on your plate without seeing Jungeun and Jiwoo's worried eyes trained on you.

You could already tell that being stuck with these girls wasn't going to just smoothly pass you by, adding up the fact that this was a Mafia, with real lives on the line under your name—you understood the cold shoulder that would've come from a member sooner or later.

The way to school had you sitting in the back seat of the luxurious yellow car from last night—that had been revealed to be Hyunjin’s—with a void expression set on your face as your mind did it’s best to decline the image in front of you. Hyunjin tailed Jungeun’s electric red car in front on the way to your school, with your mind making up some excuse that you wish the two that sat in front were only kidding as they donned your school uniform which you had merely glanced at earlier—only realizing what was about to happen the minute you squeezed in the back seat. As if it couldn’t get any worse, Heejin popped open the compartment to rummage what you couldn’t see at first—until the girl pulled out a golden plated pistol from the container, as if it was completely ordinary for her to do so.

“Heejin, what are you even—we’re going to school, not a battlefield!” Hyunjin glanced at Heejin who looked at you as if you're the one that had grown two heads.

“We need to be ready at all times, Y/N. They won’t hesitate to kill us, trust me—I’ve seen it.”

“You guys can’t be serious!” Heejin kept her concerned eyes on you the entire time she loaded her gun, glancing down at the magazine to pop it back in and easing a bit of your tension when she put the safety on before handing it to Hyunjin, who only needed one hand to hold the wheel to shove the tip of the gun on the band of her skirt behind her—concealing the gun with the uniform coat. And so there you sat, watching in complete despair as the two supposedly simple High School girls—looking almost like an image of pure innocence in their uniforms—continue to arm themselves on the way to school. Just before Hyunjin parked the car, Heejin attempted to at least hand you a combat knife which made you shoot her a look.

“You’ll get used to it sooner or later.” Heejin nonchalantly said as Hyunjin pushed her door, exiting the car to quickly pull her seat to the front so you could also get out. You suppressed a groan once you found almost the entire student body standing still on their spots to gawk at Hyunjin’s car and the two new students that had easily won the hearts of the onlookers. The only thing that stopped you from stomping to your class was Jiwoo exiting Jungeun’s car that had just shut it’s engine next to you, she let her usual excited squeal out as if the three of you didn’t just tail after them or came from the same place as they had.

“I told you I had someone in mind to park in my spot! Aren’t you excited Y/N? You’re finally going to have friends in your class!” Jiwoo wrapped her arms around your body to spin you around while giggling, correcting herself mid way to drag the word “family” before releasing you from her hold, smiling adorably at Hyunjin who looked at the older girl in horror. As Jungeun and Heejin rounded the car to join the three of you, Jiwoo bounced on her feet excitedly before squishing her cheek against an endeared Heejin who did her best to reciprocate the energy.

Wait.. Did she just say your class?

“Why me..?” you stared up at the sky in dread when an unfamiliar voice called Hyunjin from the other side of Jungeun’s car, the familiar wavy haired girl smiled brightly at the sight of the five of you, followed by the short girl, the mint hair colored girl, and the expressionless dark haired girl who almost fell over when Jiwoo ran up to smother the girl with affection.

“Unnie! You look cool in our uniform!” the girl with the bright smile complimented Hyunjin who’s expression quickly shifted into an endearing one, reaching over to ruffle the younger girl’s hair to which the girl laughed at, attempting to shove her hand away.

“Girls, introduce yourselves to Y/N.” Jungeun cut the encounter short, the four girls turning to look at you.

“Choi Yerim, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you Y/N-unnie!” the wavy haired girl beamed up at you, no hesitation as she reached over to grab your hand and shake it excitedly—for her to only gasp when she stopped mid-way to stare down at the ring on your finger, to which made your eyes subconsciously look at her tie to find purple gemstones and a golden resemblance of a bat.

“Park Chaewon, and this is Son Hyejoo. Yerim, Hyejoo and Hyunjin are triplets.” the mint haired girl motioned to the girl with intimidating eyes next to her, but as Hyejoo seemed to have assessed exactly who you’d be in her life—she bowed in greeting, to which Yerim gasped at before she did the same.

“No, it’s fine guys—please, I’m not initiated yet,” the stood back up on their height as you turned to look at Hyunjin who seemed to have been staring at you the entire time, “and you three bizarrely do.. Look alike.”

“We’re not related, it’s just what we’re known to be called for. Chaewon always tend to give off the wrong impression.”

“Im Yeojin.” the shortest girl bowed without directly making eye contact with you, turning to Jungeun to tell her she’d be heading to class now and left without another word. Yerim gave you an apologetic look.

“She’s Haseul-unnie’s younger sister, she’s just worried for her," she shyly smiled this time, looking around at your group before placing a hand on Jungeun and Hyunjin's arm to glance at the commotion behind her to Jiwoo shaking Hyejoo as she coo'ed, with Chaewon groaning at the sight and Heejin laughing—arms wrapped around Chaewon's arms as they both stared at the other two, "we did our usual rounds, no signs of threat today too."

"Good, that means no one's caught up on our rendezvous yesterday. Stay on guard, they could easily get someone in the vicinity." Yerim nodded at Jungeun's calculating look before the older girl looked at Hyunjin with a stern expression.

"And if it comes down to a fight, Hyunjin and Heejin are with Y/N. That's the closest they can get to her."

"They'll have to figure out which one of us is the boss first." Yerim's lips started to pull up in a grin when you looked at her in confusion just before Hyunjin nodded, grabbing hold of your forearm gently to then eye the two.

"Get to class, we'll talk more later." and with that, the expressionless girl tugged you over to Heejin whom she also practically dragged away by the forearm. Jiwoo and Yerim waved at your retreating figure with big smiles as Chaewon apparently followed behind the three of you, staying close but not too close.

"Why wouldn't Chaewon just walk next to us?" you asked once Hyunjin let go of you and Heejin, the older of the two scurrying from Hyunjin's opposite side to take her place on your left with a contented smile on her lips. Hyunjin merely glanced down at your curious gaze before facing the bustling hallway again, not paying an ounce of attention to your fellow students that gawked at the two girls that walked beside you.

"She's guarding our rear," Hyunjin stated before looking back at you with a knowing look, "if she's seen with us, the enemy would assume she's part of our group. So if she guards from afar.."

"We're at an advantage, got it." you finished, to which Hyunjin nodded at, turning back to the hallways—with you not being able to see the impressed look on her face as you caught up quickly. Heejin peeked from next to you, smiling with her hands behind her back.

"Did you ever catch Chaewon following you around?" Heejin asked when you looked at the girl in bewilderment.

"What?"

"She's been ordered to guard you since the boss passed, over a year ago." Hyunjin said beside you, making you look behind you at the striking girl with flowing mint-colored hair who looked as if she was gliding smoothly past the people around her—something about her aura lit the halls up yet at the same time, she camouflaged in them.

Park Chaewon had been walking behind you for an entire year, and the only time you've actually seen her was that one time in the gymnasium assembly—and the other when she talked to Jungeun in the lot.

The girl was damn good at her job.

"Don't stare at her too long, you don't want rumors of being connected to her floating around. You'll make her job harder for her." you heard Hyunjin say, feeling her hand on your forearm yet again to which made you turn back to the front—but not before shooting Chaewon a tiny smile, making the girl's lips twitch before nodding ever so slightly.

"But she's in the class next to ours, right..?" Heejin laughed, gently bumping her shoulder to yours which made you also bump into Hyunjin who didn't even look back at you two. The soft-featured girl slinging an arm loosely around your shoulders to grin at you.

"Just trust in Kahei, Y/N. She knows what she's doing."

Oh, so the team's strategy is Vivi's role.

When you sat on your assigned seat, you've decided to finally drop the continuous surprise at how fast the group had seemed to settle in your life when the two seats by your own that were usually occupied by your classmates had now been moved to sit in the back of the room—to which Heejin and Hyunjin then taken as if it had been theirs all this time. It didn't stop them from their class introduction though, with Kim Hyunjin staring at the back of the room with a vacant expression—the complete opposite of Heejin's shy smiles and sparkling eyes setting on each student in your class.

You winced at the boys cheering and the girls quickly trying to chat them both up in front of your class advisor, telling them to settle down when Hyunjin barely spared a glance at them as she walked back to the seat next to you—with Heejin apologizing and waving along the way.

You wondered how much longer the day would drag before something else comes to continue flipping your world upside down.

Hello~

I started to write on my laptop and this is way more fun than doing it on my phone (specially proofreading overused words) but as far as this series goes, this chapter did not go the way I envisioned it but.. It still came close. And this is fine too, but now that Y/N and the girls have met—I wonder how this is going to play out. A soft next episode? Maybe a hint of action? We won’t know until it’s there~

Are you guys liking this too? I kind of am, but I need more foundation to the lore in my head and I’m trying to plan out each episode the best I can. All writers want to achieve with their writing is giving a clear picture of their vision through words, you know? Vibe.

Anyways, here’s an episode~ I hope you guys really are enjoying this, I’m slowly easing back into my writing style back when I used to be passionate about writing—so it’ll continue to be lengthy, and more so when I keep at this~ But that’s all for this Author’s Note. The idea of the pins and ring though, had me giggling like a school girl to myself lmao.

And yes, the title was a Hamilton reference aha!

Laters,

JJ.

>ovc: Mnet-KPOP (200206)

https://youtu.be/BRgfqbu3GdE

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

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Another thing about how rwby views trauma survivors reacting to their abuse or unfortunate background is that it frames the solution to healing is by serving in armed forces. Weiss and Blake joined Beacon to escape their abuser. Ren and Nora joined Beacon after the loss of their families. Winter joined the military to escape Jacques and I'm assuming will become the new Atlas general after Ironwood's death. The Huntsmen Academies are all framed as these safe havens (literally with Mistral) for anyone who can carry a weapon, meanwhile anyone who can't or doesn't want to join, or joins a group outside of the institution is depicted as bad.

To say that this is all muddied would be a huge understatement because even if we put aside the complicated message of, "Overcome your abuse by learning to punch back," at this point the combined huntsmen-military is no longer presented as a means of escape. Rather, between the rewriting of Winter's history – she has apparently been manipulated by Ironwood this whole time rather than choosing the military as a means of escaping her abuser – as well as the military aligned huntsmen – FNKI aren't heroes like RWBYJNOR anymore, willingly protecting their home, they're children who have been forced into this conflict – there's now this major divide between fighters-on-their-own and fighters-as-part-of-the-institution. We could even read this as extending to the huntsmen academies themselves, given that one has fallen, one was destroyed, and the other lost its figurehead. They used to be presented as havens for struggling individuals... now, not so much. The plot's message is not that heroes win by banding together through established structures that were designed to help those coming from bad circumstances (note how aware Ozpin is of these backstories: Qrow's bandit tribe, Blake's White Fang history, looking into Ruby's defense of the store, etc.), but rather you win by rag-tag individuals making decisions based on friendship.

Yet simultaneously, that divide is by no means neat and tidy (since plenty of stories have that latter message). As we've discussed elsewhere, RWBYJNOR is ingrained in these structures despite the story rejecting them. They got their initial training at Beacon (how many fans have argued that they learned enough there? That they're basically full-fledged huntsmen already? So, that school was pretty important, yeah?). They worked with Ironwood for months. They're using the prestige of their licenses to get people to listen to them. They're hijacking military equipment to give the world orders to prepare for an attack. Ruby became a general in all but title in that moment, in the same way that Weiss became the Remnant equivalent of a cop when she tried to arrest her father. Volumes 6-8 suddenly wanted to send an anti-military message without considering the context of their story (what does a military mean in a world where unambiguously evil monsters attack, as opposed to a world where these "monsters" are minorities?) and they failed to separate the heroes from the structures they so passionately reject. You cannot have the group stand in opposition to Ironwood and everything he represents while also encouraging the audience to oohh and ahhh at Jaune whipping out his huntsmen license to lead a group of civilians to safety. The supposed cruelty of the former and supposed heroism of the latter are meant to exist simultaneously, despite the contradiction. We went from the message that huntsmen academies, including Atlas', are a haven from abuse, poverty, etc. but now, suddenly, certain types of escapes are no longer morally sound. So just ignore how many of the heroes took the "wrong" path.

And then on top of all of that we have Rhodes. RWBY is pushing the individualism message hard nowadays – that a group of friends is better than a general and his soldiers just ignore that Ruby is their leader and they all follow her orders – yet it's Rhodes' individuality that is criticized in Cinder's flashback. He, as a single person, tries to take on the complex situation of helping an abused child and he failed. The fandom's reaction to his efforts is pretty telling because most kept falling back on structural solutions: "Why didn't he just call CPS? Why didn't he get her admitted early like Ruby? Why didn't he approach some superior to fix all this?" Most fans seemed to grudgingly acknowledge that kidnapping Cinder and raising this traumatized kid on the road while hunting grimm was... not the best idea, so they turned to the very things they've rejected in Ruby's part of the story: laws that people have to follow, schools with an hierarchy that can serve as support, someone above you whose orders you follow and whose seniority can help you in a tough situation. In Cinder's flashback people wanted Remnant to have structural solutions because, clearly, leaving one flawed man to fix this situation on his own didn't turn out so well. They (and the writers) just don't want Ruby to have to obey those same structures because Ruby is the title hero they've grown to love over eight years. We feel like we know Ruby and we assume that if Ruby is in charge she'd totally make the best decision. But Rhodes? He's a stranger, someone we see for less than ten minutes, so his flaws are far easier to home in on. Few are willing to acknowledge that Ruby is Rhodes on a much larger scale, trying things because she wants to help, but ultimately doing far more harm because she's incredibly inexperienced and is just running on her own, individual ideas, not any of the structures in place that are meant to deal with such crises. Rhodes' "Idk what else to do, so I guess I'll teach a tortured kid how to defend herself and hope for the best" is Ruby's "Idk what else to do, so I guess I'll drop Atlas on Mantle, leave with the Relics, move everyone to Vacuo, and hope for the best." The primary difference is that while Rhodes is punished through his death and the narrative makes it clear that this was the wrong choice (Cinder murders everyone and becomes a villain), whereas Ruby's screwups are continually framed as heroic. And that's because the show can't make up its mind about this structural vs. individual approach. Do huntsmen need to be held responsible for their actions, or do they need complete freedom to do the right thing with the belief that anything that goes wrong was completely out of their hands (Yangs' take)? Well, that depends entirely on which huntsmen we're talking about. RWBY's idea that some people are intrinsically good and others intrinsically bad means that the writing – and the fandom – can demand rogue huntsmen be held accountable while simultaneously cheering the group running away from arrest; curse Clover for following orders while simultaneously gushing over how loyal the group is to Ruby; condemn lies that Ozpin gives while simultaneously justifying the ones Ruby gives, etc. RWBY has no clear message, just the insistence that whatever our heroes does is good. The path they've taken, learning to fight to escape horrific situation is a good thing. The path Rhodes laid out, teaching Cinder to fight to escape a horrific situation, is a bad thing. It comes down to the characters, not the situation.

Finally, yeah, there's a complete lack of acknowledgment that either option – structural or individual – alienates those who don't know how to fight. This is seen most clearly in Whitley who asks why he'd want to be a huntsmen when he can afford an army, yet when armies are painted as unquestionably bad, the story won't admit that this leaves Whitley stranded. He had no way to escape his abuse like Winter and Weiss did. He had no way to defend himself when Weiss shoved a weapon in his face. The story never had to grapple with where it's left characters who can't fight and who shouldn't make the evil choice of relying on soldiers because Whitley unexpectedly got on Weiss' good side and gained her protection. It doesn't matter anymore because Whitley is a Good Guy now who the group will take care of. But if he'd continued to disagree? Gone to his room instead of calling Klein? If, in the future, he does something that annoys his sisters and they decide to ignore him like they did before? Well, Whitley is screwed. In a world besieged by grimm – with attacks growing with each volume – he wanted to rely on an army to help solve these problems. But then that was said to be wrong, the general died, and the army, far as we can tell, was left behind to die as well. So what's left? Rely on the huntsmen. Just hope that there are enough (there aren't), that you get a good one (not a Lionheart, or a Raven, or a Cardin, or a Dudley, or...), and that the good ones care enough to bother protecting you. Even if the story hadn't gone out of its way to show how terribly flawed individual huntsmen are – from Lionheart's devastating betrayal to Qrow teaming up with Tyrian – from a practical perspective it's just not enough. Volume 8 showed without a doubt that in a war like this, one built on a witch's ability to summon endless grimm, an army is necessary. Salem would have been into Atlas in a second without those soldiers holding her forces back. Yang, Jaune, and Ren wouldn't have gotten to the whale without that army. Yet the story never acknowledges this, instead pretending like the few individuals we see – the limited numbers the characters keep admitting are horrendously limited – could have somehow saved the day without that assistance. Everything we're seeing nowadays – which characters can use these institutions to escape abuse, which can lie to help the war, which should rely on structures as opposed to their own ideas and physical power – is a mess of inconsistent, often contradictory messages.

#rwby #rwde #mymetas #abuse tw

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ibijau · 4 years

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Oh, I love your Worst Engagement AU. I can't wait for Xichen saving Huaisang from water ghouls in Caiyi Town from the perspective of your AU! Hihihihihi~~~~

ok so, I have like half a second of hesitation because that amazing, beautiful, ultimate Xisang scene is only in the donghua, and I wanted to keep this in novel canon. But you know what? You know what? I love that scene and fuck canon.

ok, warning for... mild infidelity, on a technical sense? I mean, it’s not like they’re really emotionally together. Definitely as far as nhs is concerned. And warning for some quick discussion of the possiblity of underage characters having sex, I guess.

Caiyi town isn't exactly the most fun place in the world, but being anywhere outside of the Cloud Recesses feels like a blessing, so Nie Huaisang doesn't complain. It's a little bothersome being forced to carry his sabre around, but that too is a small price to pay for a reprieve from rules.

They are, technically, under Lan Xichen's supervision, and they are in Caiyi town to hunt down... monsters of some kind. Nie Huaisang honestly didn't pay much attention, and even if he had, he knows it wouldn't help him much. What he does know is that Lan Xichen has briefly abandoned them to go secure some boats for their Night Hunt, which means for at least the next half hour, Nie Huaisang is free.

Mostly, he's free to hang out with Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian and complain that there's not much to do, but it's still freedom. Besides, if his plan works well, he'll create his own entertainment later.

“Why did you even agree to come?” Jiang Cheng grumbles when he gets tired of Nie Huaisang whining about the lack of interesting shops.

Nie Huaisang shrugs, but his eyes go down the street, toward the Lans boys who came along and are trailing a little behind them. One in particular happens to be looking at him, although he turns away as soon as their eyes meet, his cheeks colouring.

“No particular reason,” Nie Huaisang says, as if he isn't determined that he'll have given away his first kiss by the time this stupid Night Hunt is over. “I just thought it'd be fun to see how it feels with nicer company.”

“Night Hunts are not a game,” Jiang Cheng points out.

“But they can be fun,” Wei Wuxian quickly adds, grinning. “Maybe you'll start liking them, and we can Night Hunt together again after we're done with classes here. Do you think your brother would let you come to Yunmeng sometimes?”

“Not unless I improve my cultivation a lot,” Nie Huaisang sighs, glancing behind again.

That same Lan boy meets his eyes with more intent this time, before saying something to his companions and drifting from their group. He goes into a small alley, and Nie Huaisang struggles not to grin. He wasn't sure the other one would actually dare to follow along his very shameless plan.

“You know, I've changed my mind about that candy shop we saw earlier,” Nie Huaisang suddenly announces. “I'll go grab some. If Lan gongzi is back before me, tell him I'll be right there, okay? I'll try not to take too long.”

“Oh, grab some for me too,” Wei Wuxian asks, throwing him some money. “We'll be around. Jiang Cheng, do you think we can fine a wine seller somewhere? We'll need something to celebrate our victory with!”

The two brothers start bickering about whether it is appropriate or not to already think of the aftermath of a Night Hunt when it could bring bad luck. Nie Huaisang quickly escapes, and makes his way to that alley.

He does buy some candies in the end, because it'd be odd if he didn't. They're far too sweet for his preferences, but it matters a little less when he gets to taste them on someone else's lips and tongue.

Nie Huaisang, as it turns out, loves kissing. He suspected he would, or he wouldn't have bothered trying, but it really is a nice sensation, even with a clumsy boy whose name he still hasn't bothered to learn.

It's a shame that he won't get much of that once he's married, he thinks after that Lan boy has left the alley first so they won't be seen together. There's little chance that Lan Xichen would want to kiss him, so he'll have to get his fill before their marriage.

He might also try sex, he decides as he, too, finally leaves the alley. He doesn't think there's any real law against him tumbling into bed with someone else before he becomes tied for life to Lan Xichen, so it should be fine, if he can just convince someone to give him a chance. It can't be a girl, there's too much risk of a scandal. It can't be a Lan, that'd create too many problems down the line. Wei Wuxian could be a tolerable option perhaps, but he only looks at girls (and on occasions at Lan Wangji) so that's not going to work. Jiang Cheng is very attractive, but he's both too stuck up and too aware of inter-sect politics to touch the future husband of a future sect leader. Someone else then, someone pretty and self-important enough that he wouldn't care about upsetting Lan Xichen. Someone like...

Just as he is thinking about him, Nie Huaisang hears the voice of Jin Zixuan coming from the canal, followed by that of Wei Wuxian.

It is a gift, a talent that Wei Wuxian had, and it never ceases to amaze Nie Huaisang how his friend, somehow, always ends up bumping into the people who most dislike him. Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan... Wei Wuxian seems to have a sixth sense to spot them, and for someone so smart, he's really stupid when it comes to realising he could just avoid them.

With a sigh, Nie Huaisang hurries in the direction of their voices. When he realises that these two are alone, without at least Jiang Cheng to keep them in check, he jumps on a small boat and hurries to take it between theirs. Someone has to avoid a diplomatic incident, and it's not going to be these two idiots and their overblown egos.

His peacekeeping efforts are mildly starting to work, or so Nie Huaisang tells himself. It soon stops to matter when a bunch of water bloated corpses spring from the canals and start attacking them.

It all goes very fast. One moment Nie Huaisang was trying to get Jin Zixuan to just calm down for five seconds, the next there's a huge, ugly, stinky creature trying to climb onto his boat. The weight of that thing is such that the other side of the boat starts rising from the water, forcing Nie Huaisang to cling to the sides so he doesn't fall into the monster's grasp.

“Help!” he cries out. “I'm going to fall, somebody help!”

But Wei Wuxian is off saving civilians, and Jin Zixuan is under attack by several water ghouls, so neither can intervene. Nie Huaisang closes his eyes and grasps the wood tighter, wondering if he might manage to unsheathe his sabre without falling, if he can let himself fall and try to strike at the ghoul on his way down. If he were any good as a cultivator, it'd be as easy as breathing, but he's never done anything like this, never had to hit anything scarier than a practice dummy, and that ghoul is big and...

While Nie Huaisang holds on to the boat and panics over what to do, someone joins him on the boat, so light on their feet that the movement barely registers, and with one smooth slash of their sword, they dispatch the ghoul. Immediately the boat falls back on the water with a splash, but Nie Huaisang doesn't even mind that he gets sprayed.

“Thank you!” he exclaims with a grateful smile that turns into a grimace when he wipes the water from his eyes and realises who saved him. “Lan gongzi?”

Of course it'd have to be him. Lan Xichen smiles down at him as if expecting to be praised for the rescue, not a single hair out of place, not a stain on his white robes. Nie Huaisang looks away, refusing to give him that pleasure. It doesn't matter in the end because Lan Xichen quickly leaves him alone to help the others deal with the rest of the creatures while Nie Huaisang sits on his boat, utterly useless.

When the fight is over, they all regroup on the bank of the canal to decide what to do. Nie Huaisang expects Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to be excited that they got to fight and show off already, but instead he finds them oddly serious. They seem like entirely different people all of a sudden, like real cultivators instead of the two goofy kids he's grown used to play with. It's an unpleasant reminder that with them too, there's a divide he can't ever expect to cross. Nie Huaisang is surrounded by amazing people, while he struggles with flying on his sabre for even an incense's stick duration.

He tries to remind himself that he has qualities too, that he doesn't need to play by their rules, that his friends like him even without any cultivation capacity to speak of. It brings him little comfort, especially when he hears Lan Xichen starts to explain how they will proceed from then on, and he realises that he doesn't know how to do most of the things his fiancé is speaking about.

As if guessing his thoughts, Lan Xichen suddenly turns towards him with a look of doubtful appraisal on his face.

“Huaisang, since you're not up to fight after all, just wait for us here,” he advises.

A second ago, Nie Huaisang was ready to beg to be left behind. Now that Lan Xichen is the one demanding it, he feels for the first time in his life an intense desire to really take part in a Night Hunt.

“Lan-gege has so little trust in me,” he complains with a pout. “How am I ever going to improve if I never get to try? I want to try. I'm sure my brother also would want me to, Lan-gege,” he insists, putting as much emphasis as he dares on the nickname and... yes, just as he hoped, it appears to annoy Lan Xichen.

It annoys him so much that a touch of red appears on his cheeks. Just to have gotten a reaction out of his bothersome fiancé, Nie Huaisang is ready to put up with whatever it is people even do on Night Hunts. Between the kissing and making Lan Xichen flush in anger, this is quite possibly the best day of his life.

“This situation appears more serious than I realised when I invited you along,” Lan Xichen replies. “Of course I trust Nie gongzi to do better than what others might expect, but I do not think this is appropriate for a first Night Hunt.”

It's Nie Huaisang's turn to blush in embarrassment, and he glares at Lan Xichen for saying so casually, in front of so many others, that he's never been on a Night Hunt before. It's not exactly untrue, he's never done more than the sort of very easy stuff any child will do, and it all stopped around the time of the engagement because he was so bad and had become too much of an asset to be put at risk.

Just because it's true doesn't mean it needs to be shared.

“Then I will do as Lan-gege orders, of course,” Nie Huaisang says with a short bow. “Lan-gege always knows best, doesn't he?”

“Go wait for us at the inn,” Lan Xichen orders, apparently pleased with how easily his fiancé complies. “Hopefully we'll be back before sunset. Try to have fun if you can, but don't get in trouble.”

Nie Huaisang bites the inside of his cheeks and smiles as sweetly as he can, because there's people around and he knows better than to publicly humiliate his fiancé. But he'll get revenge for this someday, and for everything else as well.

And what better revenge can there be than to make that annoyingly pure and perfect Lan boy marry someone who has already tried dual cultivation?

Besides, it's not like Lan Xichen is ever going to touch him anyway, so he'll have to get his fun where he can get it, while he can get it.

#xisang #nie huaisang #lan xichen #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #I am biased toward the donghua as my favourite adaptation partly for this one scene tbh #it's in episode 4 if you've never seen it and it's on youtube #also nhs doesn't realises this here #but the reason lxc blushes at being called lan-gege is absolutely NOT anger ;3 #jau writes #worst engagement AU #mdzs #Anonymous

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loxbbg · 4 years

Text

The Scarlett Hero

Chapter 0: Being a hero's child sucks

Masterlist

Disclamer: This was originally written for an OC but for tumblr I made it x reader

You always knew what you wanted since you were a child, your parents always told you that they left Japan after finding out mom was pregnant. They named you L/N F/N, but N/N for short and said it was special that you were special. You were their one and only. They only wanted one child because they liked the idea of ‘spoiling’ you. Your O bāchan wanted you to be a boy to carry on the family name, even after finding out when you were a girl she begged for your parents to try for a boy but they never budged. Both your parents came from pro hero backgrounds from your great grandparents when quirks started appearing till now. They've been heroes before heroes were a thing. Your mother was Terepashī and your father was Terekanisu. Before you were born they moved to the U.S in Visalia California for you to live as a normal child, well as normal as a child with former hero parents who were also too rich for their own good can live. When you were born, you were their world. All they wanted was for you to be happy, well until you moved back to Japan. They missed the hero life. They loved being civilians but that eventually got bored, not wanting to do civilian work like in an office. So when their old job offered them their hero jobs and top spots as number 7 and 8 heros if they came back. They sold the house and packed up. You were 8 when you moved and your parents always talked about Japan. You went there to see your grandparents but never stayed long enough to really understand the culture. So after pulling up into a large driveway and a house bigger than where you used to live shocked.

“Mama where are we?”

“Were home darling.” She looked behind her car seat.

“What about home in Visalia?” You didn't fully understand what was happening until seeing people moving boxes that your parents packed back home.

“Remember honey when we said we were moving to Japan we’re staying here baby.” You began to cry.

“What about my friends.” The car stopped pulling up to the house.

“Well you'll make friends here. Come on baby you're a big girl you'll be okay and both your O bāchans are closer so you can see them whenever.” My eyes cleared.

As time went by and your parents got more and more busy being heros, when they made a comeback everyone went crazy. Everyone was surprised after 8 years of being silent they've come back as a force to reckon with. With that force came more jobs and less time to be with their daughter leaving her with nanny after nanny and staying with her

O bāchan. When she turned 9 her quirk finally appeared after years of worry maybe you were quirkless. It was your 9th birthday when you woke up to your parents not being home to wake you up. Your O bāchan had made you a cake and they celebrated but you really wanted your parents like how it used to be before they even moved.

When you parents came home they were tired but you just wanted to spend time with them. It had been a while since they even hugged you.

“Mama, Papa guess what today is!’ you said excitedly.

“Not now Hayami, we’re really tired.” Your dad said taking off his armor and dropping it on the floor.

“But Papa, today's special.” tears began to run down you cheeks

“Dear god F/N we’re tired just leave us alone and bother your O bāchan.” Red hue had seeped from you eyes flowing out. Your hands clenched around themselves, you were angry but sad you just wanted them to notice you again to be their world again.

“Aikia.” Your father Koto had tapped his wife on her side. Pointing towards their daughter only for them to be sent flying backwards by the ray of energy the child in front of them released.

“I just wanted a hug, It's my birthday I just wanted you to be here, please what am I doing wrong!” She was surprised at what she did holding her hands back stepping back from in front of them.

Siri play Sora Ni Utaeba

“No baby, you're doing good just calm down.” They stood up moving forward towards their daughter realizing their daughter had finally developed her quirk. Something this strong in a child is phenomenal. Just from that blast they can see she has her father's quirk but ampules the amount of power that he had at that age with no training.

“D-did I hurt you?”She quivered not wanting to touch them, the red hue still flowing from her eyes. Her father grabbed a hold of her bringing her close to her father and mother.

“No honey you didn't hurt us.” He wiped tears away from her eyes, eventually going back to her normal green doe eyes.

“You got your quirk baby.” Her mom held her hand, gripping it and looking at her hands trying to see what her hands were even doing. Red was still glowing from her hands.

“Mama what is this. Is something wrong with me?” She knew what quirks were but her’s never looked like her parents. In America the kids' quirks resemble their parents more or less. Her parents don't have any color coming from them.

“No honey it's okay I think you just need to be trained. What happened, I felt your power coming from it. How about you let your papa and I go get cleaned up and celebrate your special day and we talk about this tomorrow.” They picked up Y/N happy that she's gotten her quirk now she has a chance to be a hero.

Later that night after they put Y/N to sleep her parents and O bāchan had discussed what they were going to do that she's behind on training when they were her age they were training with pros.

“ What about her godfather. He’s training his own child to be number 1 and All might said he won't train a child no matter who they are.” They looked up at Koto as if he was crazy.

“Koto, Enji would never he's a godfather not a sensi. You know how he is with his own family no matter how hard he tries to hide it his children are separated from shoto.” Aika gave her husband a pinned look. She knows that's basically what his parents did to him but he had no issues with it.

“Hear me out Aika when my parents trained me when I got into U.A I was in 1A my mind was focused. I want the same for our daughter, and her quirk is so much stronger than ours you felt it you know she is. If Enji trains her she can be the top 5 hell even number 1 if she works hard enough and surpasses his son somehow. She's already behind Akia, if he says yes I have no doubt our daughter would make us proud.” He stroked the doubt from his wifes face. Letting her know this might be better.

“Maybe this would be better for F/N. Akia when you were a child you didn't train as hard enough and you didn't even get in the agency you wanted because of your marks. Don't let your child suffer. You want her to be the best. Right?” Akia nodded. Remembering her past failures never wanting her child to be rejected and always being the top.

“I'll make the call then.” Koto steps into another room away from his wife and mother in law.

Koto made the call to Enji Todoroki, the number 2 pro hero Mimi's godfather. Since they were younger and freshly married they had always talked about how powerful their children would be. Unlike Enji, Koto’s marriage wasn’t arranged he had known of his wife when he saw her at the sports festival their 3rd year, seeing her telekinesis at work he was entrances, he knew then that he wanted to be with her and didn't stop till she was his and that she was. It did cause him to drop in the hero polls because he focused on woahing the girl rather than his job but he loved her and that's what mattered to him then. It was full of love.

Enji knew to an extent that their child would be powerful and that if their children had worked together as partners in the hero world no one would be able to stop them. They would be the top heros. So after his long time U.A friend had offered the idea of training his child he took the opportunity never questioning. Him being able to have his song and goddaughter training side by side as partners. Helping her channel her power. This was an opportunity he was not going to waste. Having two future pro heros train under him since childhood how could he ever.

The next day her parents took her to the Todoroki household . She tried playing with the children that were in the courtyard but her father had called her to his side putting her in front of him making her be face to face with a boy with half white half red hair.

“Y/N you know your godfather Enji.” she had met him a couple of times enough to know she's supposed to trust him enough that her parents let him stay in their house in America and even babysat her. Well as good as he did that due to him just telling her to stay in her room and only come out if she needed to. He wasn't the best but her parents trusted him.

“Yes, hello.” She looked up at him smiling, he did not return it.

“This is his son Shoto.” He smiled at her, hers only getting wider getting a warm greeting from someone else in the house.

“Since you've gotten your quirk your mother and I decided that your godfather should train you on how to use it.” She and Shoto were shocked. Him because he's going to have someone else to train with and not be alone with his father. She started to tear because her parents are going to leave her with someone she hardly even knew right after her birthday not even trying themselves but passing her off as someone else's problem.

“Why can't you or mama train me?” she asked, confused. She thought that now that she has the quirk that they would spend more time with her.

“You are so powerful we feel that Uncle could do better than us. He's number 2 after all he will be better than us. Just trust us okayY/N.” She didn't want to make them stand there anymore so she stopped asking questions and went along with it.

That afternoon her father had left her in the care of her godfather that she refers to either ‘uncle enji or uncle Todoroki’ not wanting her to call him godfather. That afternoon training had begun. Shoto had been training his whole life while this was your first day. Enji had made Shoto and you spar telling each of them don't stop till he said to. Shoto was going easy on you knowing that it was your first time but his father had stood in front of him demanding why would he do that, screaming until he cried. Mimi had gone to Shoto’s to help him calm down, not wanting to see her new and only friend cry. Enji watched the scene disgusted that they wouldn't go full force. He walked out of the room demanding they straighten up before he gets back. Mimi had comforted Shoto enough that he stopped crying.

“Is he always like this?” Shoto nodded.

“He hits my mother and yells at the rest of us.” She was shocked she didn't know what to do. He explained to her everything that he even remembers in his 9 years of living.

“Please don't tell anyone you have to pinky promise.” He made her promise not to tell anyone. She had a faint idea that if she did say something maybe something worse would happen to him or even her. That day they had become the closest of friends.

“If we don't get up and start training before he comes back he's going to be even more angry.” Shoto had said, well more like a warning.

By the time Enji had returned Y/N and Shoto were going at it as if they were pros. Even though she only had her power for a day she had learned to dodge attacks from him and when she got behind him she was able hit him with her quirk sending him flying forward and when he sent his flames in her direction she engulfed them with her quirk sending them back to him. Enji had a smirk on his face when he saw them sparing without him actually training him standing there watching.

When her father had come to pick her up ,she had already eaten dinner with the Todorokis’ due to her parents having a job before picking her up. She was basically sleeping right next to Shoto with his head on top of hers. When her parents took her, Shoto’s mom took him to bed hers taking her home tucking her in not knowing what she went through.

Taglist: @fukyouthink

#bakugo katsuki x reader #bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki #shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #enji todoroki #todoroki mha #todoroki #mha x reader #mha #katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader

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themarcusmoreno · 4 years

Text

unsteady

an: this doesn’t have a read more bc i don’t know how to do them tbh AND i’m posting from mobile. any errors present are yet again my own. i tried to give my dumbass, baby boy javier what i took away in timing is everything. i suggest listening to this version of the song that inspired the title and i hope that you guys enjoy it, i’m proud of this one. i left this with a possiblity for more, if that’s something you’d like to see let me know! feedback is welcome! //// tagging: @spacedadheadcanons, @bonkybaaarnes, @callingmrsbarnes, @buckywiththegoodglare, @drakecaggiula91, @thatsonehellofajedi, @mando-vibes, @i-like-those-odds, @i-am-forever-a-fan, @fvckingavengers, @ikeatwins776

You found becoming a DEA agent to be an easy task, falling into the training and field work like they were second nature. You made a name for yourself, eager to the fight and quick to solve the issues presented to you. So, when the opportunity came for you to take an open post in Colombia, in Bogotá, you took it. Transportig your life to the new country seemed easy enough but finding your place amongst the senior agents proved troublesome, especially when Javier Peña seemed to be involved. You'd been placed with him and his partner, Steve Murphy. Where Steve had warmed up to you quickly, Javier stayed distant and cold. Every bit the asshole you had been warned he would be.

Over the coming months, you saw small breaks in the persona the man presented. Whether it was when you joined he and Steve for drinks after a particularly rough day or at the "family dinners" that Connie held once a week. You, even in the briefest of moments, got to see a different side of him. One that showed the crinkle of his face as he laughed at one of the jokes Steve shared, the warmth of his smile as he watched Connie with the Murphy’s little girl and even the lingering glance he'd give you as you told stories about your early days as an agent. A smirk played on his lips every time he saw you home safely and bid you goodnight.

"You know if you keep this up I may think you actually like me or something, Peña." A smile spreads across you face as you lean against the doorway of your apartment.

"Now what would give you that idea?" Javier has a smile of his own as watches you, arms crossed over his chest and head tilted upward ever so slighty.

You chuckle and roll your eyes, turning to disappear into your quiet home. "Goodnight, Javier."

A brief wave of somethig like sadness fills his chest as he watces you turn away, his arm aching to reach out and grasp yours but instead he is met with the soft click of your door. "Yeah.. goodnight, cariña." He mumbles, sighing and rubbing his jaw before he backs away to head to his own place just a floor below.

In the coming weeks, you saw more of that change in Javier. Once in him lingering near the entrance of the office long after finishing his cigarette, fresh cup of coffee in hand for the both of you. You hid the soft smile that crept on to your face at the gesture behind your cup, walking along with him as he explaied yet another lead in the hunt for Escobar. You saw it again in him seeking you out after another raid had failed and your team had lost four men. You'd be alone, gathering your own thoughts when the knocking at the door had pulled you from your silence. Wiping your face quickly, you opened the door to him standing there looking no better than you felt. His jaw clenched and eyes tired as he took your appearance in slowly.

"Mind if I come in?" The softness of his request betraying the way his features held such frustration. You gave a slight nod and made your way back to the chair you'd previously occupied. When he speaks again there's something in his tone you can't quite place, concern maybe. "I couldn't find you when we got back. You disappeared and nobody saw where you went. I thought you'd left. I needed - wanted to make sure you were okay."

You were silent a few seconds before you brought your gaze to his, fresh tears threatening to spill. "Would you be? I lost men, Jav. I lost four good men because of a fucking raid I planned." There's a bite to your words, not at the man in front you but at the pain in knowing you'd cost someone their life for something you believed in, something you trusted. A wave of nausea brought you to your feet, the emotions overwhelming. You let the tears fall, not noticing the gentle pressure of Javier's hand on your arm as he pulled you close. You didn't fight him, instead you turned into him and gave yourself over to the sobs that racked your body.

"Easy, cariña. Easy." Javier rubbed the small of your back, holding you close and letting you cry. His heart broke for the pain you felt and the thought of the guilt you carried. "What happen.. What happen today, it wasn't your fault. The best laid plans fall apart every fucking day and I know that better than anyone else. So does Steve. But this, this raid and what happen to those men wasn't your fault. You want someone to blame, you blame me. Not yourself, me. Understand?"

You listened to him, your tears slowing as spoke to you. Firm but gentle. When you did't respond he said your name softly, repeating his question. "Blame me, no one else. Understand?" He gave you gentle squeeze, words slightly muffled by your hair as he rested his chin against you.*You nodded slowly, pulling away from his tear strained shirt, and answering. "I understand but - "

"No buts. You did your job well today and thats what matters for now. Losing men is never easy but we recover, come back harder the next time and you can bet we will. Harder and faster than this time. We'll avenge the fallen and take that bastard Escobar down a peg or two when we do." Javier looks over your face, absentmindedly reaching to brush a stray tear from your cheek. He lets his hand linger before he shakes his head a little and steps back. "You should take the day. I'll get your reports done. Just go home and rest, yeah?"

You don't stop him as he pulls away, don't reach out fo him the way you want, instead you nod slowly and wrap your arms around yourself to savor the bit of his warmth left. "Are you sure, Jav?"

"Positive, miel. Go home, rest and I'll check on you when I get done here." He gives you a soft smile, not hesitating to reach out and brush your hair from your face. "Maybe I'll bring food too."

"Nothing you cook though because I want to survive the night." You smirk, laughing at his look of shock. "Sorry, you're a great agent but a shit cook." When he grumbles a response, you just shake your head and press a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Jav." You squeeze his arm and smile, glancing back at him before you step out into the hallway.

He feels it then, the unsteady beating of his heart as he watches you leave. The feel of your lips still on his cheek and your scent lingering on his shirt, he knows what it is but he won't say it, at least not aloud. He just sighs, "Shit..."

The month that follows is different, you can't place it but something is different between you and Javier. He's more attentive, checks in on you more frequently. Lingering touches, soft smiles and few too many quiet moments shared for you to keep ignoring whatever may be there growing between the two of you. You don't get to bring it up to him, address the elephant in the room, before another wave of information comes in. Leads you needed to help the raid you, Javier and Steve were planning. Though leery to go out again, your partners encouragement had you eager to finally put a dent in the armor Pablo Escobar thought he wore.

"We've get every possibly scenario covered. Too many guards, too few guards. Nothing in the lab, something in the lab. Civilians present, no civilians present. I'm not saying it's perfect but its about the best damn plan we've had in a while." Steve looks up from the map to the small gathering of men, including you.

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful. Expect the unexpected, I don't want another repeat of last time." Your arms cross over your chest as you look at everything spread across the table. “Everyone gets a vest, everyone has a partner. You watch each others back. We work quickly, we get home faster."

"Well you heard her. Date prisa, go get the gear and be out front in ten." Javier gives your arm a firm squeeze and winks before he joins the other men leaving the room.

You feel his gaze on you before you speak, sighing as you look at Steve. “What Murph?"

"You gonna tell him?" Steve quirks an eyebrow as he pops his gum and rocks on his heels.

Your breath catches and you brush it off as a cough as you start to speak again. "I don't know what you mean. There's nothing to tell anyone."

Steve scoffs, shaking his head as he gathers things from the table. "Uh huh. You keep telling yourelf that, darlin.” He smiles and squeezes your shoulder, "If it helps, he feels the same way. I've been that asshole's partner long enough to know when he's fallen for someone and that someone happens to be you." He heads towards the door, glancing back once more. "Just... Just don't wait too long to tell him. With our job, we aren't always promised tomorrow. But I told him the same thing and so far no one has made a move.”

You hesitate in the now quiet room and let Steve's words sink. Whatever you felt, Javier felt it too. You wouldn't wait past today, you'd tell him as soon as you could. "I'll tell him tonight." With vocal confirmation, you nodded to yourself and went out to join your men.

Javier had been right that day in the office as he held you close, the best laid plans really do fall apart and its usually in the worst of ways. There had been an ambush waiting, a leak from your own department tipping the guards off. You were all outnumbered before you even got there, but when you did you gave them hell. Losing two of your own men as they worked to stop the assault. When the man you'd paired yourself with was taken down, you felt the fear of not making it set in. It make you hyper aware, but not enough. Javier had covered your six after your partner went down, keeping an eye on Steve as well. That's how he saw him, lurking just out of your peripheral vision and coming up fast. The solid body crashing into you was enough to distract you from the shots but when the body didn't hurriedly move, you knew something was wrong. You shifted enough and the body of your protector landed beside you, causing him to groan lowly. You could see the blood pooling slowly, panic rising as your eyes traveled up to his face. Javier.

"Steve, fuck! Steve, get some medic here. Javi is shot, he's bleeding out!" You look around for Steve, locking eyes with him as he brings his walkie to his mouth.

"Necesito abulancia. Oficial de policía abajo." He listens to the feedback and curses. "Goddamnit! They're ten minutes out, he got that long?"

You survey the area of the pooling blood, grimacing at the pained sound Javier produces. "Maybe.. I can't be sure. He took a couple rounds, looks like they went through but its not good. It doesn't look good, Murph." You feel the familar burn of tears as they start to form. Steve's voice fading away as you look down to the soft call of your name. "Jav? Take it easy for me, okay? Try not to move."

Javier blinks softly, the vision of you him above edged in darkness. "Mi sol.." He winces, grasping at your hand as you press it against the wounds. "Oh mi sol, I'm sorry."

His sun. You blink back tears as you look him, cupping his face carefully with your free hand. "Javier, why? Why would you do this?" You don't hold back, letting the tears fall freely. The sound of the ambulance outside not pulling you from the moment. "Javi, why? I don't - I can't lose you now."

Javier smiles, its weak and fading but he smiles as he squeezes you hand and starts to lose consciousness. "This.. This is about keeping you alive." When he starts to drift off, he hears hurried spanish and your cries.

A week. Javier Peña lays in a drug induced coma for a week before he starts to become aware again. Its slow at first, a groan that has you gathering a nurse then a few mumbled curses as starts to fully wake up. You watch him drink slowly from the cup of offered water. Closing his eyes again before he slowly opens them once more to scan the room, you hear his breath catching softly as he looks at you. You don't hear the nurse leave, you don't feel yourself move until your close to his side and his hand is in yours. The warm, tan skin familiar and welcome in your grasp.

You get choked up as you start to speak, the reassuring squeeze of his hand in yours bring the words forward. "I.. I thought I lost you."

Javier's voice comes out soft, raspy from lack of use. "Can't kill me if they wanted to, miel. I'm too fucking stubborn to die." He laughs and grimaces, shifting in the bed for you to have room to sit.

You reach up, rubbing his cheek gently once you finally join him. "Well you at least got the stubborn part right." You tease, wiping your eyes as you look at him. Stubble lines his jaw and chin, his hair unkempt and you know he's never looked better. Never looked more alive.

"What's on your mind?" He questions, running his thumb over your knuckles as he watches your eyes shift over him.

"Do you remember what you said? Before you blacked out?" You work your lip between your teeth before he slowly reaches up and pulls it free.

"Si." He cups your cheek, no hesitation in his movements. "Por qué?"

"What did you mean? 'This is about keeping you alive.' What does that mean?" You lean into his hand, savoring the feel of him against your skin.

Javier shifts, taking his hand from your face and wincing he sits up more. When he's finally up and stable, he leans in presses a soft kiss to your lips. Sighing against your mouth as you return his affection, he breaks the kiss and rest your foreheads together. "It means that I can't picture my life without you in it and I don't want to. I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you that, to tell you I love you."

You smile, matching his own as you kiss him again. "Glad to know it takes almost dying to get you to confess your feelings." You joke, closing your eyes and basking in the moment with Javier. "I love you too and I'm not going anywhere."

#*unsteady #javier peña x reader #javier peña #javier pena x reader #javier pena #narcos #pedro pascal#pedro pascal character x reader #pedro pascal character #ash writes

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mrs-berry · 4 years

Text

Flowers

By mrs_berry

Read on AO3!

Part 3 of ML Love Square Fluff Week 2020

@lovesquarefluffweek

Summary: Adrien needs help growing a plant for a class assignment. He enlists a certain someone with a green thumb for help.

Word Count: 2045

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Plants were clearly not Adrien’s forte.

A few weeks ago, Mme Mendeleiev had given her class a take-home assignment. Students were expected to grow their own plant of choice (within realistic parameters) by the end of the semester. The time frame gave students more than enough time to grow a plant, even if the first attempt or two were unsuccessful.

Sufficed to say, Adrien had come to the depressing realization that his first attempt was a total and utter failure.

Adrien had been hoping to grow some beautiful red roses and planted many seedlings as he had read only about a third of rose seedlings would sprout.

Unfortunately, Adrien’s rose seedlings hadn’t even emerged from the soil, despite having watered them religiously. Obviously he was doing something wrong, but he was at a loss. This was out of his element.

Adrien had considered trying again without help, because maybe the first time was just a fluke. But after hearing the girls behind him in Mme Bustier’s class talking about how Marinette’s sunflowers were sprouting, he suddenly had the brilliant idea to ask her.

Marinette grew flowers and other plants on her balcony, so of course this assignment was a cinch for her. He wondered why he hadn’t thought to ask her earlier.

As the day went by, Adrien never found the chance to ask her.

He then decided it was a blessing in disguise. Marinette might ask him why he was growing roses and he didn’t think it would be wise to say he wanted to give them to Ladybug. He also didn’t want to lie to Marinette, because he knew she hated liars.

So, he came up with the brilliant plan of asking her as his alter ego.

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That night, Chat dropped down on Marinette’s balcony. He made sure to do so noisily in order to alert her to his presence.

As he had hoped, Marinette opened the hatch about half a minute later and crawled up onto the balcony.

She looked a little frazzled and he saw the surprise flash upon her face once she spotted him.

“Chat Noir,” she spoke, a little more high-pitched than usual. “What are you doing here?”

Suddenly her expression hardened for a second and she jumped to stand up, her eyes flittering around.

“Is there an Akuma?” she asked, seeing nothing alarming and finally settling her eyes on the somewhat sheepish-looking superhero.

“No, just me,” he admitted. “Sorry for worrying you.”

“Oh,” she sighed in relief, her posture relaxing and a grin spreading across her lips. “Then to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

The switch between serious and fearless to casual and amused jarred him a little bit.

For some reason, a small voice in the back of his mind compared her to Ladybug.

Shaking his head of that strange (but intriguing) thought, he grinned.

“Can’t a stray cat visit his favourite civilian?” he quipped.

Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Shouldn’t you save the flirting for Ladybug?” she sassed.

“Is that what you call flirting? I’m merely stating the truth,” Chat replied with a wink.

“Mhm,” she hummed, clearly not believing it. “So what’s the real reason for your visit?”

“Well,” he paused, suddenly feeling a bit shy and silly requesting her help. He rubbed his neck, but soldiered on, “I need your advice for growing roses.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow.

“You see, I have to grow roses.”

Marinette frowned at his vague explanation.

“Okay… Do you often grow plants?” she asked.

“No. This is the first time I’ve ever planted something,” he admitted.

Marinette nearly facepalmed. He could have picked an easier plant to grow, considering it was his first time.

“Maybe you should start with something easier,” she suggested. “Like, marigolds for example. Or something you can eat, such as basil.”

Chat pouted at her suggestions.

“But I want to grow roses,” he replied, almost childishly.

Marinette observed him for a moment.

“Why?” she finally asked, curious about his stubbornness.

Chat Noir blushed. Even with the mask and the setting of the sun, she could see the red tinge peeking out from him mask.

Marinette unwillingly felt her face warm in response. Surely, he wasn’t growing them for…

“I want to grow them so I can give them to Ladybug,” he confessed.

He was.

Marinette looked down for a second to gather her thoughts. No, it was not extremely cute and sweet that he was determined to grow them for her.

Not at all.

Nope.

Nuh-uh.

Okay, well, maybe a little bit.

Looking back up, she nodded at him.

“Alright, I’ll help you.”

A beam spread across Chat’s face as he enveloped Marinette in a very enthusiastic hug that was a little too strong to be comfortable.

“I can't—breathe!” she wheezed.

“Oops, sorry,” he chuckled as he let go.

Putting her hand to her chest as she as inhaled sweet, sweet oxygen, she looked up again to see the adoring and appreciative smile he was still wearing.

Since when was he so cute?

She hoped she wouldn’t regret agreeing to helping him.

And, thus, they began their rose-growing lessons.

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“That’s too much water! You’re going to drown them!” Marinette practically yelled as Chat watered the soil.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I know I said not to overwater, but I didn’t say stop watering altogether…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’ve been keeping it in your room? In the shade? The whole time?!” Marinette asked exasperatedly. Chat’s ears flattened as he gave her guilty kitten eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why does it smell like cheese?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking at the lack of rose sprouts that he had brought to her, as he did each time he visited, Marinette sighed resignatedly.

“Here, let’s keep the roses on my balcony. Clearly, they’re not in a good environment at your place,” she commented. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll do the work for you. You’ll just have to visit every time you need to water them.”

“I can do that,” Chat said sheepishly. “Thanks, Marinette.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the frequent visits to Marinette’s balcony, Chat found that the flowers were not the only things growing.

Feelings of friendship and camaraderie grew and grew, as another less expected feeling had been planted.

He tried his best to suppress it, as did she, but against their better judgment, feelings of love had begun to sprout.

Not that either of them would ever willingly admit it. They both had crushes on other people. This love—if you could even call it that—was but a fleeting emotion. It was only because they were growing a plant together, so they were basically proud parents of a rose bush.

That’s all it really was.

Right?

Well, at least, that’s what they tried to convince themselves of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, the roses had bloomed beautifully.

Adrien had taken videos and photographs of the growing process for the assignment, as well as documenting the challenges he had faced. And today, with still time to spare before the due date, he was able to proudly hand in all of the work he had done on it to Mme Mendeleiev.

He wished he could thank Marinette in class for all her help, but he knew he had to wait until the evening, when he could sneak out of his house and drop in on her balcony.

Marinette had seen Adrien hand in his project. She was secretly curious about what he had grown but decided against asking. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt like asking him would be a bad idea.

Chat had just finished his growing his roses last night as well.

It seemed like too much of a coincidence and Marinette was scared that she might find out something she wasn’t supposed to.

So she held her tongue and continued her day as if she had no interest in Adrien’s project.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night at patrol, Chat seemed a little bit strange and had a hand hiding behind his back.

Ladybug had a feeling she knew why.

“My Lady,” he said with an odd smile as he stood before her on a rooftop. “I have something for you.”

With a flourish, he withdrew his hand from behind his back. And in his grasp, a stunning single yellow rose was displayed before her.

Despite expecting a flower, Ladybug was shocked. For some reason, she had expected more than one. And moreso than that, she had expected it to be red since those were the colour roses he had grown.

Also, didn’t yellow symbolize friendship?

“Thank you, kitty,” she responded, accepting the rose.

“You’re welcome, bug,” was all he said in response.

Surprisingly, nothing else was said after that and patrol carried on as usual, leaving a rather confused Ladybug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After patrol, Marinette was on her balcony, looking at all her plants. Chat Noir had taken his rose bush with him last night, leaving an empty and somewhat lonely space behind.

As she reminisced over the rose bush they had grown together, she was pleasantly surprised when Chat Noir landed near her on her balcony.

Like earlier, one of his hands was hidden behind his back.

However, his expression appeared more nervous than it did earlier when he was with Ladybug.

Hesitantly, Chat stepped towards Marinette. She gave him an encouraging smile, which caused his heart to flutter.

Slowly, he removed his hand from behind his back to reveal what he had been hiding.

Half a dozen red roses were laid before her eyes.

Marinette’s eyes widened at the possible implication.

Chat Noir had given Ladybug one yellow rose, meanwhile he was giving Marinette six red roses.

Speechless, Marinette gingerly accepted the bouquet, bringing them to her nose to inhale their lovely scent.

Suddenly filled with butterflies in her stomach, her eyes finally fluttered up to look at his.

There she found heart-melting expression, one filled with love, but also a hint of apprehension and fear.

“I—I don’t know what to say,” she finally managed to say once she had found her voice. “I thought these were meant for Ladybug?”

Chat swallowed, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck nervously.

“They were,” he finally answered. “But as you helped me grow these roses, I came to realize that you had also planted some seeds.”

Marinette just stared at him in curious confusion, waiting for further clarification.

“The seeds of love in my heart,” he replied to her unspoken question, placing a hand over his chest where his heart lay.

Marinette snorted. Her free hand flew to her nose at her unintentional reaction.

Tears pricked at her eyes, as she began to laugh.

Chat looked confused and slightly hurt.

“I'm—haha—sorry,” she said as she tried to calm herself down. “What you said, it was just too… very cheesy.”

Chat wasn’t sure yet if that was a good thing or not, but a silly grin fell onto his face.

“Well… what do you think?” he asked, the suspense killing him.

“About the flowers? They’re beautiful!” she gushed, teasing him by purposely misunderstanding his question.

“No! About the seeds.”

Marinette grinned, both happy and enjoying teasing him.

“You mean the seeds of looove?” she drawled.

To her delight, he blushed. She had to admit that she gained great pleasure from causing him embarrassment.

“Yes, those.”

Marinette put a hand to her chin as if in deep thought. She enjoyed dragging this out. But she supposed she shouldn’t make him suffer too much.

“I think I’m very flattered… and I think you planted some seeds in my heart too…” she answered, trailing off. She gently placed the roses on the table to hold both hands over her heart.

“But…?” He gulped, worried to hear the rest.

“But they are only seeds right now. You’ll have to water them and give them plenty of sunshine if you want them to grow.” She smiled sweetly at him.

Chat’s face completely lit up at that.

“Oh, there will definitely be plenty of sunshine and water,” he promised, pulling her into an embrace, one much less bone-crushing than the last one he gave her.

She returned the embrace, her arms winding around his back, her heart full and ready for a new love.

They both looked forward to the seeds in their hearts sprouting and flowering one day.

#lovesquarefluffweek #lovesquarefluffweek2020 #ml love square fluff week 2020 #ml love square fluff week #miraculous ladybug #marichat #flowers #day 3 flowers #fluff #cheesy #ml fanfic #ml fic #romance

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thejakeformerlyknownasprince · 5 years

Note

What do you think the odds are that morphing drastically increases the lifespan of the morpher? IIRC demorphing is based on returning to the DNA of a specific moment and helped by your thoughts on what you should look like/willing yourself to feel like yourself - are the Animorphs all de-aging every time they do it? (Do we even hear that they've aged physically at any point?) Basically I can't get the idea of them being functionally immortal out of my head. Because they need more angst, clearly.

[If you want angst, then here’s my own hypothesis about how morphing is likely to affect the user long-term.]

• They’re forty-six years old. Technically Rachel’s forty-seven, and Marco three days out from forty-five. They’re businesspeople. They’re parents. They’re adults. They have knee replacements and 401k accounts.

They are still, Marco points out, too young to be dealing with this shit. Too young by half.

• Jake was just trying to figure out how to break the news, when Marco called. All mockery and self-deprecation on the surface, all graves and church doors and plagues on houses, Marco took almost an hour to spit it out. Melanoma. Metastasis. Fuck you.

• It’s a new technology, Ax explains to them, almost apologetically. The first-ever generation of andalite morphers is only about seventy to eighty human years old, and with a two-century lifespan no one can say for sure how the ones who aren’t nothlits or dead already will turn out. It’s a new technology, and one never intended for human use. No one could have foreseen this.

This being Cassie’s doctor calling her to come back in for additional testing, STAT, after that mid-year checkup just because she has been feeling tired all the time.

This being the anger in Rachel’s voice as she demanded: “What do you mean, swollen lymph nodes?”

This being doctors shrugging, sighing, apologizing.

This being the way that the tumors grow back faster and larger, if you morph to try and fix them.

• Cassie goes home. She hugs each of her children, tells them why she’s retiring effective tomorrow, and smiles through tears when all three of them take leaves of absence as well. They spend a crazy, stressful, unforgettable eighteen months wandering the world. They fetch up in a hospice center outside Lagos. They say goodbye. They love each other. Cassie’s a little vague around the edges, when the drugs start kicking in, which is what she blames for not only ordering Ronnie to remarry but compiling a whole list of suggestions for replacement spouses that range from the practical to the absurd.

• Jake says “screw you” when the President suggests that he retire as well. He gets up. He goes to work. He teaches this last batch of recruits how to keep themselves and their friends and the civilians alive. He teaches his successor how to be patient with mistakes and unforgiving with carelessness, how to offer out praise when it’s deserved and not shirk on criticism.

He calls his former students, every single one of them, one by one. Over half manage to align schedules long enough to join him for a beer, or a walk, or a couple hours sitting around a boring hospital room. They tell him about their kids and their battle scars. They offer the strictly-classified versions of missions that leave Jake laughing hard enough to fall off his chair, or holding their hands in his as they cry.

Ray has cancer. So does Idara. Kuan-yu and Skye and Devina too. They keep each other company, they bitch about chemo together, they rack up new battle scars along surgical lines.

It’s an act of forgiveness for himself, to learn about the legacy he’s leaving behind. One which has nothing to do with the statue in D.C. or the Medal of Honor in the footlocker at home.

• Tobias doesn’t say anything at all. He doesn’t respond to Cassie’s requests to at least swing by and see what her mom has to say. He doesn’t share much of anything when Ax, when Loren, when his grandparents all stop in to see how he’s doing. He and Rachel talk all day about ordinary things. They don’t plan on not planning it, but somehow or other they never get around to making wills or even having a proper discussion with their daughter about what it all means.

Tobias disappears, one day, as if he was never there. The others all search, of course, but they’re not really surprised to find nothing. The woods are vast. The body is small. He’d be happier, to know his meat and bones helped keep a fellow predator alive for one more desperate day.

Rachel’s already one of the biggest and baddest fighters in the National Guard. But after this she goes off the rails, morphing and fighting and morphing and fighting, rushing from one mission to the next, never staying in her failing human body for a second longer than necessary. Six months later, she gets her wish: she dies in battle against a group of Neo-Humanist terrorists outside of Peoria.

Jordan thinks that she hates her sister, just a little, as she half-carries her sobbing niece out of their second funeral in less than a year.

• The cells of the human body divide, Ax explains. He wants it to mean something. They divide, and they warp, and they distort. They form new shapes, take on new configurations, they pass through singularities and achieve impossibilities.

Eventually, given time, they get a little too good at dividing. At warping. At making themselves, out of control.

• Ax risks court-martial for punching a commander in the face for suggesting that this all the proof they need that humans were never meant to morph. Punching. Such a human gesture. He had a tail right there, and yet… And yet he did what Marco would have done.

• Marco’s fans raise two and a half billion dollars for research. They donate eight livers, none of which Marco ends up using when he could instead give them away. They start a foundation in his name. They donate time, DNA, wristbands, bone marrow. It’s silly, he thinks, that all it took was putting a face on this disease for half the planet to start emptying their pockets toward its end.

• Jake learns to swallow poison and shave his head. Cassie learns to retract her life down to that which is most precious and essential. Marco learns what it is to live without even the possibility of morphing, after they custom-build him a new body and help him move in forever. Jordan learns how to treasure her niece, treasure her memories, treasure her own time.

• Ax brings them up constantly, even decades after they’re all gone. Be better, he insists to his arisths and officers and researchers. Do better. For them. They ended a war for us. They changed how we think about ourselves, and the universe in which we live. Respect them, by respecting the aliens we’ve never met. Honor them, by learning to give our technology away. Remember them, by building a better future in their name.

#animorphs #au #animorphs au #major character death #grief #aximili #jake berenson #rachel berenson #death #cancer #morphing #angst #you asked for angst #sorry not sorry #absynthe--minded #asks

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lazymilkshakecolor · 6 years

Text

New leaves

Prologue

Naruto groaned as he struggled to open his eyes, he could have sworn he felt the whole building shake.

He stared at the ceiling for a minute recalling what happened, facing the Kara leader with Sasuke and Sakura who was planning on destroying the leaf, defeating him but getting sealed along with his teammates in a scroll that locked them in another dimension by a person they didn't recognize, the dimension they trapped in was the snow dimension, he remembers saying they were lucky it wasn't the acid dimension.

They stayed there for about three months, judging by Sasuke's rather complicated calculations, and it wasn't until one sunny morning, well as sunny as it could get, that Sasuke startled awake, accidentally rolling Sakura, who was sleeping against him, into the snow, much to her anger.

But that anger faded when he informed them that he could access dimensions again, something he wasn't able to do during their stay in the snow dimension.

'Hmm, so someone must have unsealed us… who might it be?’ Naruto thought as he was trying to get up.

''Sarada!'' A voice that sounded like Sakura's screamed from outside, so he got up quickly, running outside of the hospital room, where Sasuke was still resting on the bed next to his.

Naruto froze upon the sight in front of him, too stunned to move.

His apprentice was being carried by two ninja , as Sakura was rolling a stretcher towards them, behind them was a crowd of villagers that were looking worriedly at the girl in Sakura's arms.

But that wasn't the only thing that stunned him.

It was the wreck outside that took his attention, the place that used to be the village capital, was now a pile of wood and cement on the ground.

'What the hell happened?' he thought as his eyes caught the familiar figure in the crowd.

The seventh hokage is known as the hero of the world, as the strongest man alive and as the most unpredictable ninja of all time.

But to her, he was always uncle Naruto, she might not call him that, but he is and will always be the person that was like a second father to her, but as the years passed, they saw each other less and less because of his hokage duty, and because of her training and missions.

So as the years passed she saw him less and less until one morning after a mission has gone wrong.

‘‘Lord seventh,’‘ she said as she got into his office, posture straight as a board and eyes staring ahead.

‘‘Hey Sarada-chan.’‘ he cheerfully greeted, but the grin on his face quickly disappeared as he took in her appearance.

She was standing with the help of crutches, face covered in bandages, and breathes shaky, no doubt the trip from the hospital to the hokage tower tired her.

Naruto closed the report that Konohamaru submitted yesterday and gestured with his head to the chair in front of his desk.

''Lord seventh I can't…''

''Sarada, this is going to take a while and your foot is beginning to shake, so don't make me order you to sit.''

The girl thought for a second before taking a seat, putting her crutches by her side.

'It's like Sasuke's and Sakura's stubbornness has been added and multiplied by ten,' Naruto thought, but if she wasn't as stubborn as she is, she wouldn't be here right now.

''Konohamaru filed me in on what happened,'' Naruto started, the girl raised her head, her gaze on him.

'' You and konohamaru were tasked with delivering a scroll from the kazekage to me, on your way from Suna, you got ambushed, Konohamaru got immobilized after beating the leader of the criminal group, and you stayed with your sensei instead of running to get the scroll to safety, care to explain why?''

He knew why, he just wanted, no needed, to hear her say it, cause it's been so long since he's heard someone from the younger generation say the words that he and his teammates have taken as a lifetime rule.

Sarada gulped as her head lowered, she knew she'd be in trouble when risking the mission like that, but she didn't regret it, cause Kakashi's motto has been taught to her from a young age by her mother, a motto that her father's influence helped drill into her mind.

“Those who break the rules are scum… but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.” Sarada declared proudly, head raised and eye to eye with the hokage.

''You still say that after the beating you took?'' he said, pointing with his eyes at the bandages covering the entirety of the girl's body.

Judging by Sakura's report, the girl didn't have an uninjured spot on her body.

Sarada didn't speak for a couple of seconds and Naruto thought that she had nothing to retort back, but not a beat later she spoke.

''When it comes to my family, I swore I would never let someone hurt them,…''

''And who exactly is your family?''

Sarada smirked, recalling the baker that offered her fresh pastries this morning, the florist that gives flowers away every evening, the kid that bid goodbye to his parents on his way to the academy, smile wide on his face, a smile that filed her heart with warmth, and a second later she responded with the answer Naruto only hoped he would hear somebody say it so confidently.

'' My family… are the villagers lord seventh, I would never let somebody hurt my family, I don't care if it was a lowely criminal or a god, I would face them head on, and would do everything to stop them, cause I swore I would, and…''

'SAY IT, SAY IT, SAY IT…'' he chanted in his head, excited at the prospect of someone other than him saying it.

''I never go back on my word shanaroo!''

He would have got up and hugged her if he wasn't sure she'd be uncomfortable as hell and that Sakura-chan would kill him if he causes any of her wounds to reopen, so instead he just smiled, much to Sarada's confusion.

Naruto got up from his chair and went towards the girl and stood in front of her, she looked up at him in confusion, wondering what he's planning on doing since he's not called the most unpredictable shinobi for nothing.

To her surprise, his hand patted her head in a fatherly gesture, as a wide smile showed on his face.

'Is this what Tsunade saw in him back when they first met?' he thought as a memory of Tsunade kissing his forehead and entrusting him with her grandfather's necklace surfaced in his mind.

''Seventh?''

''I'm proud of you Sarada.''

Not many genin would stay behind and protect their sensei, who was much stronger than them and would probably be fine in the situation they were in, but Sarada stayed, took a beating but protected both the scroll and her comrade.

That, in addition to what she said earlier and her fighting prowess, is what prompted him to make a decision he's been trying to make for a year now, ever since seeing Sarada's powers in the chunin exams, but he needed to see her standing towards the village and whether she's strong enough to handle the burdens of ruling the village, and today, he got the answers he was searching for.

''And I was hoping you'd accept me as your master.'' He said as his hand left Sarada's head, so he could get a clear view of her face.

Sarada stared at him for a second too shocked to say anything.

'He wants to be my master?' she thought, it was almost unbelievable, the hokage wanted to be her master…

Sarada stood up hurriedly and bowed her head, '' It would be an honor lord seventh!''

''Great! From now on you will call me shishou, now come on, we're going to have our first master apprentice activity Dattebayo!''

''Yes shishou!''

Ten minutes later, Sarada's excitement of the secret activity the seventh planned for them has vanished as she saw what it was.

''Ramen?''

''Ichiraku ramen! The best ramen in town dattebayo!''

Sarada sweatdropped.

'Mama did mention that Uncle Naruto is a ramen addict.' The girl deadpanned.

''Sarada.'' He said sternly, standing up to face his student of three years.

She can do so much more, so much better things…

''You need your parent's permission first.''

''I'm jonin, and by law, a jonin can apply to any sector of Konoha's forces without parental consent regardless of age.''

Of course she took that into consideration, cause there is no way Sasuke and Sakura would let her do this, he doubted they even knew.

Naruto sighted before signing the anbu admission forum that Sarada handed him earlier, he was forced to look at this objectively, but he had a bad feeling about this, especially since sarada has been rather odd these past few months.

''Here, '' he muttered as he handed the paper to his newest anbu recruit,'' I don't know what's your true motive behind this Sarada but I will find out sooner or later.''

Sarada didn't even flinch, she just turned around and walked out of the door.

''What happened?'' Naruto asked himself as he looked at his student's retreating back, she was acting normally until these past couple of months, when she's been constantly at edge and angry, angry at who, he doesn't know, but she's taking it out on everybody, even Boruto, who has been the girl's crutch during hard times, so she was to him.

Naruto took a deep breath as he decided to just wait, because judging from experience all will come clear sooner or later.

A beat after that thought Naruto smirked.

''Kakashi was right, I am starting to sound like old man third.

''What the hell is wrong with you?!'' he bellowed.

He couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe that his student, the same student that said that the whole village is her family, injured almost a dozen civilians when she was supposed to guard a truck that was full of missing-nin.

The girl didn't answer, she just kept her gaze on the ground.

'At least she feels ashamed.' He thought, he was actually worried that she wouldn't be affected by what she had done.

''You prioritized a mission in front of the safety of the civilians.''

''I…'' she started but she didn't have anything to say, anything to justify what she did.

''You are suspended from ninja duty for three months, and you are to turn in your headband by tomorrow morning or you will be declared missing nin.'' He ordered.

Stripping a shinobi of their headband is considered one of the harshest punishements applicable on a ninja, since it meant stripping them of their honor and their status as a village protector.

Sarada tore her eyes from the floor towards him, eyes wide and posture tense.

''You can't do that! If you do that I won't be a Konoha shinobi!''

Naruto felt a pang of guilt upon hearing the girl's voice, but he won't go back on what he said, she needs to be punished for her actions, and maybe this will knock some sense into her.

''Well a Konoha shinobi would never endanger the lives of civilians for the sake of a stupide mission, no matter the stakes!'' he retorted angerly.

Sarada who normally had a strong personality, was now cowering in frot of her master as she took a couple of steps away from him.

''I'm sorry, shishou I just don't know why I did that…''

''Sorry doesn't return the lives of the fallen Sarada.''

Sarada tightened her jaw as she took a deep breath, before reaching inside her pouch and grabbing her headband, them setting it on his desk.

''You'll get it back when I see that you deserve it back.''

''And when is that exactly?'' she lashed out, three tomoes spinning in her eyes as her fists clenched, anger surfacing instead of sadness.

''You were more deserving when you were thirteen! What happened to the girl that said that the whole village is her family?! That said that she would do anything to protect them?!'' he bellowed.

Sarada didn't say anything back, she just looked at the floor, anger fading to be replaced by sadness as she realized that he didn't just take away her headband, he took away her status, her status as someone who the villagers could depend on, someone who they could turn to for protection.

She would do anything to protect them, but that's not what previous hokages did, Sarada contemplated telling him that, but that would just complicate the situation, and he wasn't the hokage that she's referencing, other than that, she just wanted to get out of here, to get out of his analyzing gaze, partly because she was tired but mostly because what he said stung deep.

After a minute Naruto excused her, and Sarada turned around and marched towards the doors, but just as she opened the door she spoke in a cracked voice,

''But family don't lie to each other, do they Uncle?''

She saw the hokage's eyes widen and posture stiffen before she closed the door behind her, then she ran out of the hokage building after hearing him call out her name.

''Sarada wait…!'' He called out, but it was too late, she was already out.

'Could it be that she knows?' he wondered silently, thinking about the she could have known, since everything about the Uchiha clans relation with the village is restricted..

Sarada leaned her head on the tree behind her, removing her glasses and wiping her tear stricken face.

Mama, papa, shishou…

They all disappeared about a day ago in an explosion that wiped half of the village.

They're probably dead…, whispered a voice in the back of her head.

But they weren't, they couldn't be, could they?

Her father could have transported them into another dimension, or coated them with susanoo with Naruto's nine tails chakra and Sakura's healing seal on it to keep it from getting damaged.

They had a big chance of survival, but they also have a big chance of death…

Sarada sniffled as she remembered their last words, it was like they almost knew what was going to happen when they headed to face off against Kara's leader.

Naruto grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close to him as he leaned down to speak, voice almost a whisper.

''Never give up on what you believe in.''

The problem was that she didn't know what she believed in…

Another bang erupted which tore Naruto's attention away from her.

He gave her one last look before sprinting towards the source of the noise.

''Catch up guys!''

Sakura sighed, '' as reckless as always…''

Sarada would have laughed at them, but the situation was too grave.

''Hey, come here.'' The older women said as she gestured for her to come, and she immediately obliged as she ran to stand infront of her mother and father.

Sakura put her hand on Sarada 's head, starring right into her eyes.

''Hey kiddo…'' she muttered.

At that day, it would have been almost a month since she spoke to her mother, partly because of her mission to Suna, but mostly because she was mad at her, mad that she kept secrets, mad cause she lied, and mad because she thought she couldn't handle the truth, that she wouldn't understand her father's situation.

''You know that what we did was what we thought was the best right?''

Sarada nodded, she did know, but that didn't help sooth her anger.

But, Sarada wouldn't be herself if she held that against her parents, cause they loved her with all their being, and she felt the same towards them.

So she reached towards her mother's hand and held it, but she was still frowning, to show that this wasn't over yet.

But Sakura was more than happy with what she got as she pulled Sarada's head towards her and hugged her, Sarada didn't hug her back, she just settled with leaning her head on her mother's shoulder.

''You'll always be my brave little girl.'' She said before she pulled away, she then looked at her husband who was staring at his daughter.

Sarada met his stare, and all that was needed was exchanged, his regret over what he had done, his apologies, her forgivness…

''Whatever you do, I will always love you.''

A second later, two fingers pocked her forehead, one finger was her father's, and the other her mother's.

And that was the last thing they did before the dashed towards the battleground.

''I love you too…'' she muttered to herself, as the tears came back to her eyes and she buried her head between her knees.

''Hey Bo…'' she muttered.

She was waiting outside the Konoha meeting room, when she was going to meet the elders to discuss that future of the village.

Apparently the hokage has told his advisor before his disappearance that he wanted Sarada and Boruto to approve of any thing that comes from the elders before it would be applicable.

''Hey.''

It was the first time they saw each other after their parent's disappearances.

''You holdin'up?'' he asked, cause it would be idiotic to ask her if she was okay, cause she was clearly not.

''Yeah, you?'' he didn't look well, he looked like he's been running all night.

''Yeah.''

She sat beside him on the chair in the waiting room and they sat in silence.

But as always, Boruto was always the one that broke the silence.

''You know I'm here for you right?''

Sarada looked at the floor for a second before looking at him.

''You know I'm there for you too right?''

Boruto smiled a little, something he hadn't done in a while, as he put his hand on Sarada's hand, who was resting it on the arm rest, in a gesture of comfort, but he didn't expect Sarada to grab onto his hand, as if afraid to let go.

In the end, she lost her parents and uncle, and he lost his father and his aunt and uncle, but they both lost the people that made them them, but they still had each other, and their was no way they would let the other go.

So Boruto interlocked his fingers with hers, and they stayed like that until Shizune came into the room and called for them.

Before they entered, Boruto spoke.

''I need to talk to you about something after this.''

Sarada nodded, before he opened the door.

''I will not let you do this!''

''Do you propose we just sit and wait till one of the villages attack us? '' the elder answered.

'' None of the villages would attack us, they won't endanger the alliance they worked so hard to accomplish.'' Sarada retorted, but the elder was not convinced.

''Some of the villages now are ruled by shinobi that have not felt the sting of war, much like yourself, so I see no reason why they wouldn't, that's why we should attack first, we'll start with Suna which is the closest to us.''

He wanted to attack the village that had the strongest alliance with Konoha…

''We can't do that! Do you think the hokage would have agreed to that if he was here?!''

''But he isn't! he's dead, that's why Konoha would be targeted.''

''He isn't dead!'' she hollered as the elders stepped back, as if afraid.

''Sarada.'' The sixth said harshly, which made her look at him, and it wasn’t until then that she noticed that her vision was red.

''Turn that thing off!'' the elder ordered, and as much as she wanted to defy him, she had too.

''Alright, this meeting was set to discuss the division of power now that the seventh is missing, so the later conversation will be had on a later date, this meeting is closed.'' Shikamaru declared.

Sarada took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the elder's glare didn't help.

But Boruto's hand on her shoulder directed her towards the exit.

''Come on, let's go somewhere and talk.''

So he took her to their old training grounds, which was empty, probably because it destroyed during the attack.

''God…'' she said as she leaned against a tree.

''I think our parents are stuck in another dimension.'' he said suddenly, which made sarada startle.

''Explain.'' She ordered.

''In the place where the explosion appeared, there was a seal on the ground, I recognize the seal from one of the Uzumaki special sealing scrolls, the ones designed to lock someone up in a dimension, and even in abnormal cases, like uncle Sasuke's case where he can travel dimensions, it will seal his ability to do so.'' He said as he drew the seal he saw on the ground using a stick.

''So the only way to get them back is to open the scroll?''

''Yeah, but I don't know where the scroll is.''

''Hmm.''

Silence befell on them again, but this time, it was Sarada that broke it.

''I think Kashin Koji is the one who has it.''

Boruto looked at her, as if asking her to clarify.

''Back in our last mission regarding Kara, one of the outers we captured told me that Kara had a sealing master, and that master was Kashin Koji, and since the seal we're talking about is space time sealing, the most complex form of sealing, I think it's highly likely it's him.''

''So what do we do now?''

''We have to find him.''

''How?''

''I don't know, we just have too.''

Boruto nodded in agreement.

''Now, about the meeting we just had, do you have any proposition to propose in the next meeting? I think it's better if we coordinate beforehand.''

He's right it is better but there is a problem, she's got nothing.

''I got nothing.''

''You got nothing?'' Boruto was surprised that Sarada hadn't already formulated a plan like she always did.

''no, I'm just confused.''

''Confused? About what?''

Sarada raised an eyebrow, politically confused, sexually confused, hell, she's been suffering from confusion about her clan for about three years now.

''Trust me, you don't wanna know.''

''Why are you keeping secrets from me?'' he blurted out suddenly.

''I'm not.'' She is, there's a lot of stuff she hasn't told him, but that's only cause he probably already knows, like the truth of the Uchiha clan massacre, probably he learned about it from all those scrolls he read from his dad's office, or because she felt that I wasn't time to tell him, like her brief relationship with her former anbu teammate Takira.

''What about your eyes?''

''What about my eyes?''

''You didn't tell me you awakened a new form of the sharingan.''

Sarada's eyes widened, as she activated her eyes and headed towards the lake to look at her reflection.

She found herself staring at six tomoes in her red eyes.

Add ability confused.

''I'm 19 grandma tsunade.'' Sarada muttered as she declined the older lady's sake offer.

''Old enough to kill, old enough to drink kid.'' She said as she pushed the full glass towards the girl, '' and do you really expect me to believe that you've never drunk before?''

Sarada's lips turned into a sheepish smile, she was right, she's been drinking since last year, but only on occasions like the completion of her first anbu mission and such.

Sarada's smile faded as she remembered the nights she had with her anbu team, it was a common misconception that anbu teams aren't close, but the opposite the true, she was really close to her teammates, especially Takira and Kubo, who saved her life on numerous occasions.

''Yeah, thought so , now drink I want to have a talk.''

Sarada raised the glass towards her lips, as she drunk its contents.

She really needed that.

''How's the hospital lately?'' Sarada asked, she has heard rumors of the hospital's budget crises and short staff and they're effects.

''Shit, your mother was a patient lady Sarada.''

''Well, she raised me didn't she?''

Tsunade leaned back in her chair as she let out a laugh.

''You were no easy kid, I still remember the time you accidently broke your arm trying to punch the brick wall.''

''That was just the beginning too.''

''Yeah, your mother told me about the time you thought she wasn't your mother and left the village to look for your dad, you were a real idiot.''

Sarada smiled, it was truly absurd that she would think that.

A moment of silence passed before Sarada broke it.

''Why did you call me here grandma?'' she said.

Tsunade's smile faded as she spoke, '' there has been talks of the alliance disinbanding.''

''why?'' she asked calmly, she knew it would happen sooner or later after Suna's kazekage died.

''Suna and Kiri came out of the alliance cause they are not able to support other villages as per the alliance agreement says they should, but don't worry about them attacking us, I doubt the both have the military power to do so.''

Sarada let out a bitter grin, '' what happened to keeping with the spirit of the alliance and keeping peace?''

Tsunade stared at her for a second before speaking.

''You're a good kid Sarada, but maybe that's the problem…''

''Huh?'' Sarada startled as Tsunade stood up, filled her cup with sake and started to walk away, but sarada still heard what she said.

''You're just a kid.''

She was tired, so gut wrenchingly tired, both mentally and physically, but there was no way in hell she would let the sword that she just blocked fall on kid's head.

''Sarada Uchiha.'' Muttered the mysterious figure, who had just attacked Konoha's ninja academy.

''You should behave your children.'' He said, glaring at the kid who stood up to him and shot a kunai at him in a desperate act of defense.

''Who are you?'' she asked, not bothering with idle chat.

The stranger smirked, before putting his hand on his waist and bowing.

''Kashin Koji, pleasure to meet one of the village's strongest ninja and the last Uchiha heir.''

Sarada's magekyou sharingan blazed to life, partialy because she knew that the holder of that name was a high ranking Kara member but mostly because of the scroll she spotter tied to his waist.

It had the same seal Boruto showed her drawn on it.

''What do you want?''

The man grinned before answering and pointing behind her, towards the kids that were cowering behind the instructors.

Of course, Kara would want kids they could groom and conduct experiments on, especially Konoha's kids who had the most clans between the ninja villages.

The sound of an explosive kunai tore her from her thoughts as she unleashed susanoo, which caught the kunai that was headed towards the kids, and it exploded in its hand.

''Run! And order everyone, ninja and civilian to hide in the special bunkers!'' she shouted as she unsheathed her twin swords and charged at her enemy.

After exchanging blows, Sarada finally managed to knock his sword out of his hand, but he only smiled when she did that.

''I underestimated you girl, but what else to expect from the daughter of two sanin and the apprentice of the third?''

''What do you guys want from all of this?'' she asked because of curiousty and to stall time in order to formulate a strategy.

But he didn't wait, he just unleached a barrage of water and lighning style attacks at her.

''We want peace.'' He answered simply.

''Peace?! It was because of you the alliance that kept the peace was disbanded!''

''What you had was just the image of peace, an image that could break at any hit, peace can only be achieved when there are no ninja to threaten it, especially kekkei genkai users.''

A dangerous glim appeared in his eyes as he said those last words, Sarada thought he meant her at first, but then she remembered what he was doing here in the first place.

Konoha has the highest percentage of kekkei genkai users, a quarter of every graduating class has special abilities unique to their clans.

So he wanted to…

Sarada's teeth clenched, as she realized what his true intention in the village were.

The girl took a deep breath before she charged at him again, this time more determined than ever to protect the people that she considers family.

Sarada almost laughed, but she couldn't because of the pain in her lungs, when the academy building tumbled to the ground, for the third time in her lifetime.

There goes the childhood memories, she thought bitterly as she tried to get up, again, but another kick to the gut sent her flying to crash into the nearby building.

''You're not going to stop until I kill you right?'' Kashin said, but instead of the teasing grin he had at the start of battle, he was frowning, anger clearly showed on his face, probably of the challenge Sarada proved to be.

''I should have got rid of you sooner, but I didn't expect you'd be this powerful.''

she tried to get up again, using her unbroken arm to lift herself up, but Kashin puts his foot on her back and pushes down.

She lets out a grunt of pain as she spites out blood.

''I will never give up…'' she breathed out, not able to continue her sentence as the world blurred.

''On?'' he taunted.

''My oath.'' She spit out.

She heard him laugh as he got his foot off her and picked her up by the neck and bashed her head against the wall.

''We'll see about that!'' he roared as he tightened his grip on her neck.

Sarada resigned to the fact that she would probably die, but she won't leave Konoha without a protector, that's why when her clone burst from the ground underneath Kashin's feet and grabbed the scroll on his waist, then quickly threw it in the air where a hawk she previously summoned was told to take it to Boruto.

Kashin let her go out of shock as he starred at the direction the hawk was headed, he was probably thinking of pursuing it, but her clone engaged him in a taijutsu brawl which didn't let him take one step towards the direction the scroll is heading.

Sarada stood up, using the wall for support, then she took a deep breath and directed the last of her chakra towards her hands.

She crouched down and charged her chidori, weary of her enemy that was trying to reach her, but the clone, was blocking him and his injured state wasn't helping either.

He would have been dead from her earlier attacks if not for the barrier that was surrounding him, a barrier that could be broken by brute force, as shown when it cracked from her susanoo's punch.

She charged at him, and he directed his barrier to the front where she aiming, but she was actually aiming to a couple of centimeters beside him.

Kashin breathed a sigh of relief when she passed him, thinking that she missed, but his relief vanished when he turned around to see her jumping from the top of the building she just ran up too towards him.

Mama, papa, this is the power you gave me… she thought as she directed her super strenght enhanced chidori punch towards Kashin.

''Shanaro-da!! '' she roared as her punch connected with the enemy , and then everything turned to white.

I will never give up, and that's my ninja way!

Pink was the first thing she saw when she woke up.

''Mama….?'' Her vision was extremely blurry, but she could still make out the green of her mother's eyes and pink of her hair.

Am I not dead?

''Sarada, Sarada.'' A soft voice called out to her as a gentle hand brushed her cheek.

Sarada's eyes widened and body stiffened as she woke up fully.

''Mama?!'' she screamed as she rose up.

She was going to look around to see where she was when she was pulled into her mother's embrace.

''I'm here, my brave little girl.'' She whispered in her ear.

The girl grabbed onto her mother's coat fiercely, as she burrowed her head between her neck and shoulder.

''You're here.'' She muttered to herself in relief.

Sakura didn't respond, she just tightened her embrace around her daughter.

If she's here that mean papa and shishou are too…

She could already feel it, the weight lifting off her shoulders as her mother's embrace and comforting words engulfed her.

A couple of days later, Sarada was allowed out of the hospital, coincidentaly, it was the day the hokage requested her presence in his office.

''If it isn't the new hero of the leaf.'' He said as he stood up when she entered through the door.

He headed towards her and helped her into a seat.

''You never show up in my office without injuries do you?.'' He remarked jokingly.

''Yeah, I just can't manage to walk through those doors undamaged.''

''You got that right.''

''So how was the snow dimension?''

''The weather was kinda nice, I spent four months on a fiche diet and I'm pretty sure I lost half my weight, and your parents kept cuddling all night and it's disgusting, how about you?''

''Where do I start?'' she said after laughing, she laughed and smiled these past two days more than she did in the last year.

''How about the part you put a kunai to an elders neck after he wanted to assault Suna?''

''How did you know about that?''

''Shikamaru filled me in on everything.''

''Ahh.''

Naruto stood up from his seat and went towards Sarada, when he got close, he patted the girl's head in a gesture similar to the one he made about six years ago.

''Good job hero.'' He said as the girl blushed and smiled back at him.

A day ago, after Shikamaru filled him in on everything, he decided on two things, first was to fire the current elders, second, he decided to resign in about five years.

Five years is what it took for Kakashi to teach him everything that has to do with the hokage business, and five years is what it will take to teach Sarada.

''A wise man once told me that to be hokage you have to be acknowledged by the villagers first.''

Sarada's head fell instead of rising, which surprised Naruto.

''What?''

''But the villagers…''

''You don't know who pulled you out of that rubble you were stuck beneath? And who carried you to the hospital, and who was waiting at the gates eagerly for their hero?''

Sarada's lower lip quivered, as she also remembered the academy students she saved in her hospital room yesterday.

''You're not the only that protects their family Sarada, they protect and care for you too, practically half the village was waiting outside the hospital doors as your mother was healing you.''

Naruto headed towards his desk and grabbed something from his drawer and handed it to her.

It was her headband.

My family, Sarada thought as she traced the leaf symbol engraved on the metal plate.

She reached with shaky hands and tied it on her forehead.

A second later the meaning of his previous words came to her.

''The villagers acknowledged me that that means that…'' she stuttered as she looked at Naruto who just smiled and nodded.

Sarada stood, not even wincing because of her injured leg and jumped on her master, wrapping her arms around him and letting out happy tears.

''I did it, I did it I did it shanaroo!''

''You still have a long way ahead young lady.''

Sarada jumped away from him and stood up straight.

''Of course sir, may I be excused?''

''Yeah sure, take this week off.''

''Thank you sir.'' She said as she headed to the door.

''And say hi to Boruto for me.''

Sarada stopped in her tracks as her neck reddened, but she didn't turn around and just continued on.

Naruto walked towards the window, where the whole village could be seen.

Construction workers were working hard on rebuilding the village, shinobi were going on missions non stop to get funding for the village, the police force were staying up all night to assure that the villagers are safe, the medical corps are still searching in the rubble for any injured people, kids and housewives making homemade bento's to give to the people who couldn't afford it after the damages they suffered, and of course he noticed the person that just ran out of his office, joyesly greeting the villagers and patting kids on the head as she ran towards what seems to be the hospital, where his son was resting.

Naruto smiled as he looked up, towards the hokage faces, his gaze settled on the third's, then the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, himself, and then on the empty space beside him.

‘’Our family will be in good hands.’‘ he muttered as he thought of all the sacrifices the previous hokages have made to protect the village people, and about all the sacrifices the future hokages will make.

‘‘So is it final?’‘ Shikamaru, who just entered his office asked.

‘‘Yeah, I told you didn’t I?’‘

‘‘Told me what?’‘ Shikamaru asked, a confused expression on his face.

‘‘That their will be always new leaves.’‘

#sarada uchiha #fanfiction #fanfic #boruto uzumaki #slight Borusara #Sasusaku hints #naruto uzumaki #boruto naruto next generations #naruto #new leaves

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