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yandere-sins · 3 years

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Yandere Kageyama please! Maybe he is the leader of the Mafia or a Gang leader?

Now this is very farfetched, but yandere!yakuza!Kageyama? Hot. Didn’t make him the leader in case I want to write more for that AU. It wouldn’t make sense if he was a leader yet in the long run.

»»———————— ♡ ————————««

Dealing with other people had never been your strong point.

It wasn’t like you lacked social skills, and you had a few friends to prove that. However, you just weren’t good at negotiations or lying. Being in a tense conversation always made you nervous, as did having to stand your ground and not be a push-over. Then again, you probably would have made it through your life just fine if not for that one mistake.

You cursed your ‘best friend’ quietly under your breath as you walked the long hallways. Feet on wood made those full, echoing sound of steps, letting you know that this was real wooden flooring, only the best of the best and expensive as hell. Things that could be bought when one lends out money and then asked for more and more back.

At the same time, you had to curse yourself too. How stupid had you been to co-sign a contract you hadn’t even read?! Who did this in this day and age, just blindly believing that you weren’t just selling off your soul to someone else’s cause? Of course, no one expected your friend to bail the moment his brilliant idea of a business got ruined, leaving him deep in debt. Still, now it was your responsibility to pay back the money you never even possessed in your whole life.

Anyone would have been nervous, wringing their hands as they got escorted through the traditional mansion. From afar, you heard calm, serene deer scares clicking and water flowing into a pond. Everything seemed so perfect.

Perfect enough to hide a lot of secrets.

Only the person who had greeted you, a tiny, young man with very noticeable orange hair, seemed as if he had no care in the world. He hummed happily, occasionally throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure you were still following, before moving forward in what could be best described as carefree jumps.

“It’ll be alright,” he hummed, after watching your wringing hands. You managed a faint smile, wanting to believe him but finding it hard to after having done your research. This wasn’t just a loan shark facility. The Karasuno clan wasn’t just men in suits with more papers than words. They were the kind of people you didn’t want to pick a fight with, the ones you’d avoid at night. The ones really desperate people would go to for help when the government refused them. The ones your best friend thought he could trust after every bank denied him a loan.

And now it was all on you to meet these people, anxiety or not.

You were led into a nice tatami room, with only one table and two seating pillows filling it. A waste of living space, but it sure left an impression. To be able to afford a mansion so big to have an almost empty conference room in it surely was something to look in awe upon.

“Kageyama will be with you in a bit. Make yourself at home!” your guide chimed, grinning widely before he shut the door behind you. Now, you were all on your own, and you shifted your weight on your feet for a while before deciding to sit down. Just standing around would be very rude, too, right? The last thing you wanted to make was a bad impression, even though that meant you had nothing to get your mind off until it was time to meet that Kageyama-guy.

Meaning, the moment the sliding door flew open, you jumped hard, having been in your thoughts for just a minute too long. “[Name]?” the person who entered asked, and you stuttered a quick, “Y-Yeah?” back. He nodded approvingly before walking over, taking the seat across from you, and you began to wonder if you were sitting on the right side of the table or if there were any rules for that.

“I’m Tobio Kageyama, thank you for coming,” he introduced himself, reaching inside the jacket of his black suit - matching the dark tuft of hair he had perfectly. For a second, you thought those were the last words you’d hear before he pulled a gun on you, but instead, he made a letter appear, as well as an expensive-looking pen.

“This is your signature, correct?” He unfolded the paper for you to see, pointing at the bottom where he had it black ink on white paper, your very own signature. “Yes...” you mumbled, slowly curling into yourself. “Alright, did you have any contact with the person who took out the loan lately? We’ve been trying to find them, but if we can’t, that would mean that you need to pay--”

“I don’t have the money.”

Whatever had ridden you to interrupt him like this vanished with the little bit of confidence you had left. You felt sweat collect on your forehead, and you were too afraid to look up at him, while Kageyama’s mouth hung open, in the middle of saying something. Closing it, he looked at the table, followed by some taps on the wooden surface.

“Do we... do we know each other?” he asked suddenly, catching you off-guard. But he managed to draw your attention again, eyes flitting up to look at his face. “I- I’m not sure, do we?”

“Second year of high school, I think I sat a few rows behind you.”

Blinking, you could barely believe what you were hearing. “Huh, you were? I’m sorry... I must have forgotten... Or wait, you were really into volleyball back then, right?”

A smile crossed his face, nothing you would have described as sincere, but it seemed like a well-meant try. Still, you felt a bit of relief ease the tension in your shoulders, despite not exactly being safe even now. “I’m glad you remembered. I just noticed.”

Clearing his throat, he looked back down at the paper again, pointing his pen towards a large number with a lot of zeroes, making you shift your attention. “See, the problem is that this was my first deal with someone from outside the organization, and I’d absolutely hate to sit on this kind of money. You understand that, right? I eventually have to give it back to my bosses, and for that, it would be really bad for me to not have it, right?”

“I understand...” you mumbled, gulping at the big sum he was talking about. “But I really don’t have it! If I could, I would give it to you right away, but there’s no way for me to pay it back anytime soon.”

Kageyama watched you intently, time passed painfully slow. Something about his unblinking stare was unsettling, but you figured he might just be thinking right now, and instead removed your eyes from him shamefully. It was your fault, and you’d do the right thing if you could to make up for it, but as you were, there was no way to do so.

“I believe you,” he eventually agreed, pulling the paper off the table and back into the pocket inside of his jacket. “So here’s what we will do instead.”

Reaching into the opposite side from where he had just put the document into - and you were almost a hundred percent sure that this was your death sentence now and he’d pull a gun - he produced a silken, deep black, and long piece of fabric. “For as long as the debt isn’t paid, you’ll work for me. There is a lot to do, and you’ll not complain nor search for outside help while you work here. I hope you understand that if you can’t pay back what you owe, we will have to find other people in your surroundings to help you; your family, for example.”

Holding out the piece of fabric towards you, Kageyama leaned forward over the table. “I only do that because we have past together, [Name]. I’d hate if there was something happening to someone I know just because one more asshole runs away from their responsibilities. I can help you, and this is a good option, believe me. No harm will come to you or anyone else this way.”

The offer sounded reasonable enough, despite you not missing the bad notions in it that he so carefully threaded into his words. In the end, even if you knew each other, he too was a yakuza, serving his own and his clan’s purpose more than anyone’s. This was a merciful suggestion compared to the alternatives, and you could not imagine how your parents would take it if they were to be bothered by people like him.

Agreeing despite your better judgment, you took the thing from him, stretching it in your hand. It was soft, and honestly, you could imagine yourself wearing a pajama in it; it was that comfortable. “Uhm...” you mumbled, realizing you didn’t know what to do with that. “Please put it on,” he instructed, standing up. Only now did you realize it was perfectly made to be used as a blindfold.

Despite your hands shaking, you hesitantly covered your eyes with it, thanking God that if this was your end, you’d at least not have to see it coming. You flinched when you felt two other hands coming down onto the back of your head, helping you to secure the fabric tightly before you were asked for your hand to help you up. Up till now, you weren’t dead yet, so that was an achievement. “It’s just for security reasons, don’t worry. I’ll bring you somewhere safe, so just follow my lead.”

His fingers linked with yours - weird considering you two weren’t so close to justify such an affectionate hold on you - and you felt his tug, urging you forward. “Where... Where will we be going?” you asked, hearing the sliding door open, followed by a small chuckle of a third voice, before familiar-sounding footsteps took off before you two. Kageyama clicked his tongue, and you already felt like you had made a mistake, unable to see that his reaction had been for someone else entirely.

“Don’t worry, [Name],” he assured you, but his lack of answering your question barely helped you.

Still, all you could do was trust him, now that you were in his care.

Trusting was something you were very good at after all, Kageyama was aware. You’d trust a friend you’d only known for a few months and co-sign his contract with the yakuza. You’d trust said yakuza when he told you he had work for you to fulfill the deed. And you trusted Kageyama to be sincere, when really, he had set you up to come to him and agree to his conditions without complaining, letting yourself be taken to his room easily.

A room in which really no one could hear you when you screamed as the Karasuno clan’s prodigy would do all the things to you he had been dreaming about for years now.

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teawaffles · 3 years

Text

The Conspiratorial Bullet: Chapter 2

“Oh my…… I thought this would be nothing more than a war game, but it’s certainly more nerve-wracking than I expected.”

The participants had taken their places, and around five minutes had passed since the game began. Kevin was whispering to Albert beside him as they walked, while pointing the gun he’d received in every direction around him. But in contrast to the jittery man, Albert had the relaxed air of a soldier.

“Certainly, this is a feeling of tension one wouldn’t normally get to experience. In fact, the enemy might just be around that corner.”

“What!? Really?”

Panicked, Kevin’s eyes darted all around them in a fluster. That disproportionate reaction elicited a wry laugh from Albert.

“Although it’s important to be aware of your surroundings, if you’re that stiff, your movements will be slow when it’s time to fight. Please relax a little.”

“I-I see. Yes, you’re right……”

Kevin nodded. Beside him, Albert’s guard was impeccable as he watched the leaves swaying in the slight breeze.

The playing field encompassed the entire forest. That said, as it wasn’t a vast area, there was no danger of getting lost. In addition, there was a little cabin in the woods, used on a daily basis by the gamekeeper who managed the hunting grounds; as they had obtained permission to use it during the game, indoor battles were also an option.

For the purposes of safety, all players were obliged to wear spectacles shaped to resemble goggles, as well as bulletproof vests. The guns they had been issued fell into two categories: revolvers and sniper rifles. As a forfeit, and also to pass the time, eliminated players were tasked to feed pheasant chicks at a game bird nursery a good distance away.

Incidentally, Herder had also wanted to impose a severe punishment in the event a gun was damaged. Foreseeing that this would create needless worry, Moran and the others had swiftly hushed him before the words left his mouth.

Thinking back to the explanation of the rules, Kevin looked at the revolver in his hand.

“In any case, this gun is exquisitely crafted. As it was mentioned earlier that the guns used fake bullets, I imagined it would resemble a toy, but it looks exactly like the real thing.”

“I’m pleased to hear that, though it’s all due to Herder’s exceptional skill. I heard he oversaw the creation of these weapons down to the finest details.”

Kevin looked at the card attached to his gun with string. Written on it was a number 8.

“I see: so this is a measure to prevent the guns from getting lost. But if they are so important, I thought it would be safer to carve the numbers directly onto them.”

“You may be right; in which case, we may’ve caused everyone some inconvenience.”

Albert said that with a slightly apologetic tone, and Kevin waved it off.

“No, no — if anything, it reflects his passion, and I honestly respect that. Even though I work in a different field, I have a lot to learn from him as a professional.”

“Thank you very much. I’m sure Herder would be delighted to hear that,” Albert replied, with sincere joy.

However, in an instant, Kevin’s expression seemed to grow a little darker.

“Still, maybe I shouldn’t have brought Helena here after all. She absolutely insisted on coming, so I relented, but with the guns looking so real, that…… I wonder if it’ll remind her of that incident.”

Albert could sense what he was trying to say.

“For that, I sincerely apologise. This event must seem somewhat inappropriate after what she went through.”

Hearing Albert take his remark so seriously, Kevin tried to explain himself in a fluster.

“N-No, it’s alright, I did not mean it as criticism. Besides, Helena seemed to be especially enjoying herself too.”

“Nonetheless, please allow me to apologise, for it may be the case that she’s simply putting up a strong front.”

At that, Kevin cocked his head in confusion.

“……Then, why did you decide to hold this game?”

Albert’s reply sounded almost as if he was speaking to himself.

“——Because it’s part of our ‘plan’.”

“Huh?”

Unsure of the meaning behind that word, the question fell from his lips before he could stop himself. But Albert did not elaborate further.

The conversation had unwittingly ground to a halt. Just as Kevin was searching for a different topic to talk about, Albert’s sharp gaze landed on a nearby thicket.

“There’s someone there.”

“Huh? Really?”

Bewildered, Kevin looked in the same direction. Then they heard the sound of leaves rustling, and the undergrowth parted to reveal an elderly nobleman.

Seeing the person before them, Albert lowered his gun. A warm smile rose to his face.

“……So it was you, Lord Andy. I thought you were the enemy.” [1]

“Hello, Albert-kun. Just for fun, I thought I’d hide and see how long it took you both to spot me, but it seems you discovered me instantly. As expected of the young, your perceptiveness is incredibly sharp,” he laughed, ruffling his own short white hair. He was also on the same team as Albert and Kevin.

The elderly nobleman was Andy Krueger, whose estate extended across the surrounding lands; he also owned the hunting grounds on which the game was being held. Today’s game had been brought into reality after Albert proposed the idea to him.

For such an important gathering on the social calendar, one would normally be hesitant to transform it into an unorthodox event like this. But Andy had jumped at the offer, and even offered his opinions on the finer points of the game. Because of this generous and broad-minded nature of his, he also had the trust of the other nobles.

At the man’s arrival, for some reason, Kevin sighed in relief.

“Please don’t surprise me like that — unlike Lord Albert, I was frightened half to death.”

“Sorry about that, Kevin-kun. But aren’t you being too timid? Have a little more nerve!”

“I’ll do my best.”

At their friendly banter, Albert seemed curious.

“Are both of you already acquainted?”

“Yes,” Kevin affirmed. “We got to know each other when Helena’s father and I were gaining recognition in London. Ever since that time, the nobility had not looked fondly upon us, and only Lord Andy treated us as equals.”

Kevin looked gratefully at the nobleman as he said this, and Andy clapped his shoulder heartily.

“Those aristocrats are really quite averse to the changing times, it seems. But I have no interest in such dreadful traditions. Even at the gathering earlier, they were keeping their distance and saying such rude things that I had to tell them off. Although I hadn’t seen them in a while, because of that, I didn’t even get a chance to say hello— Ah, apologies.”

“No, it’s fine, Lord Andy. You don’t have to apologise,” Kevin said, waving both hands in the air. “Rather, after hearing that you went to such lengths for a good-for-nothing like me, I’m truly grateful.”

“What’s this? Timid as ever, I see,” Andy barked. “You’re an excellent businessman, so why not act like it?”

Then the elderly nobleman’s expression, which had been cheerful thus far, clouded over just a little.

“Nevertheless, I still feel sorry for your friend. At least, his daughter Helena seems to be doing well…… Have there been no clues even now?”

Kevin’s tone also grew heavy.

“……None at all. Helena believes he’s alive, but personally, I think he’s no longer……”

“He’d suddenly vanished, didn’t he?”

Out of the blue, Albert cut in. The two men were startled, but Albert continued with a somewhat knowing look.

“After the incident at the department store, I became curious, and tried doing some research into it myself. It seems there are various peculiarities about this case. For one, the store Helena’s father opened with Mr Kevin had been a success, but one day, he simply disappeared without warning. On the night he was thought to have disappeared, when he was having dinner at home, a friend testified that nothing had seemed particularly off about him.”

“Moreover, that was the last time I saw him. I never thought it would be the last conversation we’d have together……”

Kevin — the friend who’d testified — said so in a thin voice, the corners of his mouth twitching as if in self-mockery.

“Of course, at first, the police suspected that I had something to do with it. They even went to the trouble of thinking up a motive: that as a co-owner, I would stand to gain all the store’s profits if he were to disappear.”

Thinking back to that false accusation, Kevin’s shoulders drooped. Seeing that, Andy addressed him in a droll voice.

“Come now, you never know — one day he might just come home all of a sudden. I’ve told you before: there’s nothing we can do at present, and on top of that, worrying unnecessarily will only injure your health.”

“……You’re right. Besides, we’re supposed to be having fun right now: if I’m the only one being so grave, I’ll just be putting a damper on things.”

“Exactly, exactly. Well then, let’s get back to the game,” Andy urged, thumping him on the back.

Albert, who had been watching their exchange with a calm gaze, smiled gently.

“Indeed; let us focus on the competition first. By the way, it’s about time for us to get our blood pumping…… I’d like to advance deeper into enemy territory. What say you two?”

At his invitation, Kevin quickly shook his head.

“No no no! Frankly, since the start of the game, my heart’s felt like it’s about to explode! Anything more than this and it’ll stop altogether!”

But the elderly nobleman threw his head back in hearty laughter.

“You young people have so much energy, it’s making me jealous. Kevin-kun, you’ve got to watch and learn as well.”

“No…… When I think about what lies ahead, somehow my legs can’t stop shaking,” Kevin murmured weakly. His legs were indeed trembling pitifully, so much so it wouldn’t be surprising for them to give out any moment now.

Andy sighed, as if astonished.

“It can’t be helped then. Sorry, Albert-kun — it seems he can’t go on. I’d like to say that I’ll go with you in his stead, but…… for some reason, my legs have been hurting for a while now. Despite my high spirits, my years have bested me today,” he laughed wryly, his expression weak.

Albert nodded firmly.

“I understand. Well then, let’s part ways here. I wish you both the best of luck.”

“T-Take care……”

Watching Albert’s brave figure as he walked gallantly into the depths of the forest, Kevin felt ashamed at his own cowardice once again.

Scoreboard

🔹 Blue team: Albert, Jack, Fred, William, Kevin, Andy

🔺 Red team: Moran, Bond, Louis, Helena

Footnotes:

[1] Andy’s title is not formally given in the story, but judging from the amount of land he owns, I think it’s safe to say that he’s a member of the peerage like Albert, and hence should be addressed as “Lord Andy”. (Wikipedia)

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #yuumori #english translation #the girl who sees rainbows

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a-sour-nectarine · 3 years

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Summary:

The memories froze him. He didn't realize that Obi-Wan was calling his name, increasingly urgent, or that the water had reached his hips. It was cold, not as cold as it had been back on Kamino, but still just above freezing. He could almost imagine the crimson light of the clock, the sneering face of the trainer. The trainer hadn't been inherently cruel, but years of torturing little boys did something to the psyche.

So Cody suspected, at least.

Finally, a cry of "Cody!" woke him from his reverie. Obi-Wan was sobbing on the other side of the chamber, in a way Cody have never seen him cry, hand gripping his hair tightly enough to stretch the skin above his ear.

The water was up to his chest now, and rising fast, and the panic was still tight in his chest, but he made himself look Obi-Wan in the eyes. Before he did though, he caught his own gaze. His face was smooth in the crystal, no scar marring his temple. He absently wondered how anyone would be able to tell who he was, stuck in a child's body with no scar.

Notes:

Everyone shut up, I was supposed to post this last night, but I fell asleep. I am aware that it's Monday. Don't want to hear it.

This is my fourth and final submission for Codywan Week 2021! I really tried to do all seven days, but for my first ever event like this, I don't think I did too bad.

Prompt is an alt, Sith/Jedi Artifact Shenanigans.

"Um, commander?"

"What, Waxer?" Cody said irritably, blinking sleep out of his eyes. Day three in the remains of this stupid temple, and Cody, General Kenobi, Waxer, Boil, and six shinies, all yet to be named, had been grating on each other's nerves nonstop.

"You might want to... um... check in a mirror."

"Lieutenant, unless you have a mirror with you, that's not gonna happen."

"I just, um. Hold on. I'll take a picture, send it to your HUD."

Seconds later, said picture showed up in front of Cody's eyes. "Oh, Force."

A sleepy voice from the back of the room piped up. "Force what?"

Cody removed his helmet and shared a look with Waxer. That was not a brother, but it didn't quite sound like the General either, meaning....

"Hey, General, you might wanna come over here." Waxer shrugged at Cody as he called out. Sure enough, the figure making it's way over to them was not the General, or, at least, not the General they were used to. He looked like a cadet.

Well, so did Cody, so who was he to judge?

"Oh, Cody!" Obi-Wan exclaimed once he noticed the commander's state. He didn't seem to be able to stop the smile pulling at his mouth.

"Ah-ah, speak for yourself, General."

Obi-wan squinted down at his robes, which were the same as the ones he went to sleep in. He was drowning in them, looking only slightly less ridiculous than Cody did in his oversized armor. "Well, this is unfortunate."

Boil snorted. "Maybe one of you is small enough to fit through that hole now.

The General lit up. "Brilliant, Boil. Someone boost me up."

Boil snorted again, but followed him to the far wall. It had been pretty destroyed in the explosion, though still pretty effective in keeping the ten of them trapped. But maybe, now that Cody and Obi-Wan were smaller...

"Wait, wait, we aren't going to address the fact that we are– small? What caused it?"

Obi-Wan's lips quirked up in a smile, and Cody noticed how much more expressive he was when clean-shaven. "Well, I suspect it was caused by the artifact that also triggered the explosion that trapped us here. So, personally, I'd rather worry about it later." He held up the small slate of rock, carved with languages none of them could read.

Cody gaped for a second. That was pretty good thing to say if Obi-Wan wanted all the men to immediately lose faith in either himself or Cody. They had never disagreed in front of the troops, no matter how minor the issue. Equally unusual, he felt the urge to snap back. It was like he was four all over again— Oh. He was, wasn't he?

"Alright, but if you make it through, expect me to follow."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Obi-Wan chirped, grinning like he had just won some huge award.

Turned out that they both did fit, though Cody had to get shoved through and his shoulders got a little scraped up. But it was worth it for the first breath of fresh air outside.

Obi-Wan turned to him, eyes wide, and laughed. "I was honestly not positive that would work."

Cody couldn't help but join him in his laughter, breathless and a little manic, before a voice called out from inside the rubble.

"Will you two grow up and go find a damn signal?"

That was definitely Boil, no one else would speak like that to their COs, even if their COs were children. Cody couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, yeah, old man. We're going." Cody really was just content with losing all respect, wasn't he. Eh, he was four, he was allowed to be petulant. Besides, he doubted that the eight people still trapped under the debris would be telling anyone else. Not because he trusts them, hells no, but because the situation was almost as embarrassing for them as it was for him and Obi-Wan. After all, they were the ones whose shebs would be saved by children.

Obi-Wan held out his hand, and Cody took it without a second thought, not that he had time to. The Jedi took off the second he had a hold on Cody's fingers. They ran up to the closest hill they could find and surveyed the landscape. Nothing but red grass and blue flowers and crumbling old ruins as far as the eye could see. It was almost beautiful.

Until it started raining.

A couple of light drops of water was all the warning they got before the sky opened, absolutely soaking them immediately. Cody groaned and took off again–-still attached to Obi-Wan–-towards the nearest gray, stone building that looked like it still had a ceiling. As soon as they made it inside, they heaved out twin sighs of relief. The building wasn't completely waterproof, but it was good enough. They made their way into the middle of the floor, where there was the least amount of leakage, and Cody shook himself savagely. The rain outside was not slowing, in fact, it seemed to only get heavier as time went on. Lightning flashed every few seconds. The thunder was constant, but could barely be heard over the sound of the rain.

And then the walls came down.

Not "came down," as in they fell. "Came down," as in a separate set of walls dropped in from the soggy ceiling, completely (and separately) entombing Cody and the General. The walls were some kind of clear glass or crystal, faceted and almost completely transparent. The wall between them had gaps in it, sort of decoratively symmetrical.

"Uhh, Commander?"

"Yeah, sir, I noticed." Cody pounded on the wall, and it didn't even crack. Not glass, then. His enhanced strength would have taken care of glass that thick, child body or no.

In spite of the situation, Obi-Wan giggled, his voice echoing oddly from the other side of the crystal. "Cody, please don't call me "sir," it feels strange. I'm eleven."

"How can you possibly know how old you are?"

"No scar on my thumb. I rub it when I'm nervous, but right now there's nothing to rub."

"How do you know you aren't– I dunno, nine?"

"Just a guess, I suppose. I feel too tall to be nine. You, on the other hand, look younger than that."

Cody quickly crunched the numbers in his head. "S'pose that would make sense, if it's relative. I'm developmentally about 10 years younger than you. Twenty-four to thirty-five, eight to eleven."

"You're ignoring the fact that we are trapped."

"Yes, I am."

"That doesn't change the situation."

"I'm aware. But, as previously stated, I am eight years old. Four, actually. I'm trying not to panic. How are you calm?"

"Oh, I'm not. I'm actually fighting off a panic attack, if I am to be frank. This is almost exactly how Qui-Gon died, with me trapped on the other side of a ray shield. I just keep talking because it seems to distract me."

Cody cursed himself. He knew that, and it should have occurred to him that this was probably Obi-Wan's worst nightmare. He kicked his feet along the bottom of the wall, and noticed a particularly concerning fact. The crystal was growing. Not just randomly growing, it seemed to be specifically growing to cover the holes in the wall, creeping up and up. And, as if that wasn't worrisome enough, Cody's feet were wet. Not from the rain, but from the water seeping up from the floor. It was rapidly climbing higher, just a little below the level of growing crystal. The sound was rather pleasant, Cody noted, but he also noted that Obi-Wan's side of the little prison was completely dry.

The irony was not lost on him. And the irony was pretty kriffed up.

And it got worse once Obi-Wan noticed. The Jedi just let out a hysterical little laugh, and started pacing. "Wow, how wonderful."

"Hey, Ge–Obi-Wan, it's okay. It's okay. It's really slow."

Obi-Wan stopped pacing and stretched his hand through a hole at shoulder height, yet to be covered. Cody didn't even think before he grabbed the boy's (man's?) hand.

"It'll be okay," He repeated. "I'm fine."

The water was about knee high now, and the row of crystals at shoulder height were starting to close off. Cody pushed Obi-Wan's hand back just before the crystal could trap it there, and Obi-Wan let out a pained sound, pressing up against the wall. It hurt Cody. Hurt him more that being trapped, than the memories he had at this age, the memories that this water chamber was starting to dredge up.

Watching his brothers take their turns in the tank, none coming out conscious. "It's for your training," the longnecks had said. It felt like torture to Cody. Though, he supposed, maybe that was the point. It's hard for torture to frighten you if you have already experienced worse.

His turn now, he pulled on the breathing mask and stepped into the tank. It started filling up from the tubes in the sides, and the cold water shocked him a little. He watched the blinking, red light outside on the wall, until it counted up to three minutes. As soon as it hit three, he took a deep breath and shoved the mask off his face, and the clock started counting down again. Could he make it?

No. He woke up later in the medbay.

Like he always did.

So Cody suspected, at least.

"It's alright," he said as the water carried him up, up, toward the top of the chamber. It wasn't nearly far enough away.

"I'll be fine," he called as he felt his head press against the ceiling. Too soon.

"I'm okay," he lied, then took a deep breath, right before the water covered his mouth and nose.

The clock ticked down, 2.59, 2.58, 2.57...

He sank back down, keeping his eyes open and on the crying boy leaning on the wall. Cody smiled and pressed his hand against the crystal.

1.46, 1.45, 1.44, 1.43...

Obi-Wan frantically pushed his own hand against Cody's through the wall. His other fist pounded at the crystal, to no avail. Cody's lungs were starting to burn.

1.03, 1.02, 1.01...

Cody's vision got darker, but he kept his gaze on Obi-Wan. Through the water, he looked distorted, but his eyes were unmistakable. Blue, bright with tears, creased with grief. Cody thought that it had been a while since he had seen those eyes smile. He hoped they would again, maybe after the Wars. Long after Cody was gone. He hoped this wouldn't break Obi-Wan beyond repair. His gaze really did go black now, and the clock in his memory blinked just twice more.

0.01, 0.00.

He felt a satisfied smile pull on his lips. He made it.

~~~~~~~~

Obi-Wan saw Cody's eyes close, and he cried out. "Cody! Stay with me!"

He couldn't ask that of him. It was selfish and impossible. But Obi-Wan felt so small, so helpless. It was just like when Qui-Gon had died, and he could do nothing. Nothing.

"Not nothing," a voice chided. "You can change it, this time."

A different voice swirled around him. "He must learn."

The first voice pressed in. "This will only break him. You are strong, child. Use it."

The soft voice was right. If he lost Cody right now, he would shatter. There would be no Obi-Wan Kenobi to put together, not like there had been last time. He would never come back. Maybe that was what the Code aimed to prevent when it forbade attachments. He had never been good at staying away from those he loved.

But there was no way to get to Cody.

"The power. It is yours to use, young one. Focus it."

"What power?!" He yelled, sounding like a child, even to his own ears. He was a child, actually. No response. Obi-Wan took a deep breath and placed his hands on the crystal wall, tears slipping down his cheeks as he closed his eyes. And he focused. It was like meditating, but more. He felt it. Power. Flowing through his very being. That was what the voice meant. It felt like an ocean, pushing and pulling at him, flowing through him. He waited, waited....

And pushed.

The crystal around him shattered. Shattered like Obi-Wan, because he surged forward and Cody was in his arms and he was him again, filling out his armor, scar across his temple but he was still and cold. Obi-Wan lowered Cody to the ground, brushing the shards of crystal away with his mind, and cried again. "Cody, Cody please. Wake up." He gulped in a breath of air. "Commander, wake up! That's and order!" And he used the power and he pushed the water out of Cody's lungs, but he still didn't stir. He heart had all but stopped, and he wasn't breathing. Obi-Wan used the power again and gathered the Force around Cody's lungs, breathing for him, in--out--in--out--in--

That's when Obi-Wan noticed the crystal in his hand. He would have dismissed it, thrown it with the rest of the shards of crystal littering the floor around him, if not for the glow.

"It is for him. This was as much his trial as it was yours."

The sense of desperation flooded him again, and he fought back tears. What use would Cody have for the crystal if he was dead? But he pressed it to the commander's chest anyway.

"Cody, don't leave. Please wake up. You have to wake up."

And then it was like Cody had heard him, because he coughed and shivered. Obi-Wan released his grip on the Force, because he didn't need it anymore, because Cody was breathing on his own. He squeezed his eyes shut and the scar on his temple stretched. Obi-Wan sobbed in relief and pressed a kiss to Cody's forehead, because he was alive, and they had passed whatever test they had been given, and they were alive.

And that would do for now. That would be enough until they had to go find help, until they had to get the squad out, until they found someone who could help.

Because Obi-Wan was not going to lose anyone today.

#codywanweek2021 #commander cody #obi wan kenobi #there were many external factors that influenced this fic #its far from my best work #but kinda interesting at least

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shouldntcryoverit · 3 years

Text

the art of discordance

a captain rex x jedi fic during clone wars era :))

no warnings i think uh yeah hope you enjoy let me know ig...

next chapter

CHAPTER ONE -

A new general. That’s what the rookies had heard, though Rex was reluctant to believe the Jedi Council had the guts to replace Skywalker. After a good few months, the captain had learnt of his general’s unique ‘disposition’, and getting a new general to step in was what he least expected.

That was until the ship landed just outside their camp and she walked out. Even from his position sitting further back on some crates, Rex could make out the figure, identifying her as one of the jedi knights, though which one escaping him. Perhaps the rumours were true.

He watched as she walked closer, hands placed purposefully and eyes wandering over the other two jedi in front of her. The commander crossed her arms defensively, though her master seemed unbothered by her arrival, excited even.

“master?” Ahsoka coughed

“oh snips!” Skywalker bleated with the same enthusiasm he had wagered throughout the interaction “this is Jaida Reyes”

“the one from your padwan stories?” Ahsoka said with smug conviction

“my reputation precedes me” her accent was crisp and calm, though her tone radiated a coolness that Ahsoka couldn’t help but feel distanced by “though i’d rather be known for my skills with a lightsaber than helping Akin steal from Obi-wan”

Ahsoka held back a snicker as Rex walked up to the three, absent minded as he double checked his comm.

“General Skywalker, we have the new coordinates” His attention tried hard to divert to the new face.

“ah thank you” Anakin turned to his friend “this is my captain, Rex”

Rex nodded at his introduction.

“i’m the new co-general, General Reyes” her face settled into the beginnings of a smile, but faultered and remained her neutral, placid gaze.

The young jedi watched with focused eyes as they walked the short distance towards the briefing tent. Already her presence seemed to spark rumours among the men, and she watched as the younger looking troopers sent her inspecting looks. It was to be expected, honestly she never wanted a big formal introduction, but she didn’t know that her arrival would breach the news so quickly.

When they arrived, the tent was half full. An open and decorated holo map was in the centre, with at least two clones at each marked entrance point.

“Boys” Skywalker called “we have a visitor”

She rolled her eyes slightly at the flamboyant gesture, but stepped forward anyway. “I’m General Reyes, apparently Skywalker wasn’t trusted enough to run his own battalion, so i got called in” Her hands rested behind her back, but a small grin encroached her face as the snipe made a few troopers smirk.

“excuse my fellow jedi, she’s never been good at taking second place” Anakin fired back, earning another set of grins.

Reyes crossed her arms as her smiling face resumed the same placcid one she’d kept previously. “i have heard nothing but good things, and i look forward to serving with you.”

The Captain moved forward from the side of the room and clicked to change the holo map, it made a small beep as he did.

“The 212th met a settlement of droids over this side of the ridge. Last report was that they were able to move forward at the threat subsided.”

“so what does that mean for us?” Jaida’s brows furrowed as Rex layed the plans out for her. Already her mind was scoping escape routes and vantage points, but she remained seemingly unbothered by the conflict describes. Rex couldn’t help but feel unmotivated by her apparent lack of interest.

“our initial plan was to take out the last forces left on the planet after the seppie defeat, but intelligence believed the 212th accidentally did it for us”

She scoffed “so we’re here for a clean up?”

“hope you brought something fun to do” Ahsoka scorned.

The efforts were limited within the first hour. Already the men were tired of the same scenery and nothing but expansive flats. The sun stood high in the sky, illuminating the landscape in a orange hue. It wasn’t hot nor cold, everything about the mission mediocre, something Reyes particularly hated. It wasn’t just her with an annoyance, she could sense the captain’s distrust. She understood it, only hoped it wouldn’t comprimise her efficiency.

As if nothing interesting was ever going to happen, a yell from a trooper a little further ahead broke the methodical thump of the machinery.

Soon followed was the sound of gun fire. Each shot was slow, until finally the enemy was visible.

“Find cover!”

“you did say you wanted action” Anakin quipped, earning an actual chuckle from her usual pursed lips. It almost caught Rex off guard.

It was unavoidable, the lack of cover meant the men were almost completely exposed, accept for the three jedi that stepped forward, sabers ignited.

Reyes was a new sight, though she didn’t look out of place on the battle field. Her lighsaber was different, instead of the usual one blade, hers had two, both green and glowing as she tactically spun it round and round, catching blasts as if it were sport. Even her fighting style seemed new, she fought with elegance and structure, each blow purposeful and strong.

Her focus was planted entirely on the enemy ahead, so much so that she failed to notice the trooper settling down beside her.

“karking droids, never seem to die” she muttered, deflecting a few more blasts.

A muffled laugh came from beside her and the familiar blue and white etched her vision.

“I’d get used to it general” a trooper grinned

Jaida turned and grimaced, an offering of acceptance. As she refocused her mind to the task at hand, a thought slipped through.

“trooper, get those three and come with me”

Her request caught the clone beside her off guard, but he complied none the least.

The five of them rounded behind the line of defence, all the way to their republic.

“uh, sir, what are we doing?” a soldier with a hand print on his chest asked, gingerly as the new, seemingly scary, general climbed onto the side.

“if i can prime the ignition gear and jinx the starter cable, I can force it into their ranks and it’ll, with any luck,” she popped her head up with a half devilish grin “turn them all into scrap parts”

It was the trooper with the cog on his helment that relaxed first “heh, they teach you that at the temple?” he quipped

“nope” she gestured for them to cover her as she popped open the side “they taught me it on florrum” she said with a smirk, before diving back into the mess of wires and sparks.

Jaida’s plan worked, and effectively too. After a very short battle, the men finished their sweep and prepared to bid the timeless campaign fairwell.

Once back on the ship, most clones settled down for the trip back to Coruscant, and Reyes followed suit, though only subtly checking that everyone was well and okay, before continuing her sweep on the ration packs. After she deemed her check satisfactory, she retreated to the command rooms. The door slid open and revealed Rex standing over a report, absent minded to say the least. His shoulders tensed momentarily as the door swooshed, and she noticed the sour taste that seemed to flood his tongue when he met her eyes.

Jaida cleared her throat, and planted fists against the table, propping herself up.

“i’m sorry, we lost men” Jaida spoke calmly, slightly softer than her usual tone.

“with all due respect sir, you don’t seem all that bothered.” Rex mentioned.

“captain” “it’s not something i’ve grown accustomed too yet” Jaida countered, though her argument didn’t cause Rex’s stance to loosen. She cleared her throat

“i’ve lost people before, and I know what it’s like to loose someone in battle, though i don’t know what it’s like to loose your brothers. i did not want this” her tone was instructive, but it softened all the same and her true compassion fell through.

Rex paused for a moment and met her eyes again “i shouldn’t have blamed you, my apologies, general”

“relax, captain”

“it’s uh, Rex, sir” he corrected. It was when he lifted his hands to the side of his helmet that Jaida realised she had never actually seen his face. It came off, and revealed a strong jaw and cheek bones, all toned perfectly set. His eyebrows arched above his eyes, a slightly different shade of golden brown than his brothers. Of course the main difference was his hair colour, short and stark blonde.

“Jaida” her response made Rex frown ”if i have to call you by your name you have to call me by mine. Jaida” she explained

“sounds fair”

“good” she smiled for the first time, and Rex liked it.

————————————

The night after an assignment was always filled with either anecdotes or silence, a relief or devastating. Jaida watched as the men loitered around crates of rations and equipment, all with distant smiles; tired.

She had previously been stuck at the medbay after the medics caught sight of her, a few gashes on her cheeks the real cause - nothing bacta wouldn’t heal, but she learnt quickly of their head medic, Kix, and his ability to scare even Jedi into looking after themselves. After making peace with the captain, a warmth had begun to spread about her.

Now, she stood against the cold duraplast walls of the Resolute, picking aimlessly at the scarce red dirt left on her hands.

“You okay Jay?” the question broke her mindless thought.

“yeah, i am” she looked up to her friend knowingly, Anakin grinning as he always did.

“Generals!” a trooper with geometric tattoos called out “come sit with us”

She turned her head sharply and gazed over the haphazard array of lounging clones

“I ought to check the ration packs” she tried to excuse.

“you should take one sir” Another clone encourage lazily “deserve it after that rescue”

She blinked for a second, unsure if it would make more sense to agree or deny. Before she said yes or no, Anakin had already collected her on his way to his own seat in the game.

Jaida sauntered over and handed each clone a bar before taking one herself, sitting down cross leggedly just as graceful as she did anything.

“sir, i don’t like it” she spoke between chews “name’s Jaida”

“well, Jaida, general’s told us a little about your career together, got any stories?”

“many” Jaida gave the first ghost of a smile any of them had seen from her yet, however small it may have been, and lent backwards against another log “Anakin ever told you about the time we climbed to the very top of the temple walls?”

#captain rex #captain rex x reader #clone wars #501stlegion #anakin skywalker #the clone wars #rex x reader #commander rex

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neon-junkie · 3 years

Text

The Last of his Kind - Chpt.1

Summary: A handsome young man approaches you at the bar after catching you checking him out. Names are exchanged and drinks are downed, and you seem to have fallen for him a lot harder than you realize.

Pairing: Jack Marston x f!Reader

Word Count: 3941

Rating: SFW

Tags: Post-RDR1, Saloon, Drinking, Flirting, Slow burn, Strangers to lovers, Gambling, First dates.

Notes: finally, some Jack Marston content, because this man deserves some love!!!!!!!!! to clarify, this is set after RDR1 and the epilogue, so Jack has already killed Ross and is now just trying to move on with his life.

To everybody's surprise, you'd done it. You'd managed to move out of your parents' house and buy a small home on the edge of Blackwater, with a chicken coop and a tiny garden around the back of the house. It's homely enough, perfectly decorated and surprisingly warm, even in the winter. The fireplace provides more than enough heat to keep your one-room house cozy, and you always get that wholesome feeling in your chest as you sit against the window, watching the snowfall with a hot beverage in your hands. It was nice to be able to work in the town that you live in, your place of work being less than five minutes away, and sometimes you like to shake up your morning commute and walk along the docks, overlooking the water and the land in the distance. The view is beautiful during the day but even more so at night, as an array of lights dance along the horizon. You'd heard about a city across that lake called Saint Denis, and although people have told you time and time again that it's huge, you can tell from how far across those lights go, as well as how bright they are. Maybe you'll visit that place one day. The furthest you'd ever traveled was up to Strawberry, only because your parents live there, and down south was a complete mystery to you. You're aware of that place called Thieves Landing, and you dare not to travel south because you fear that everywhere else will be as chaotic as that place.

Your closest friend and co-worker, Belle, had told you that the land down south was actually quite nice. Well, the scenery was, but Armadillo was almost always riddled with some sort of plague, and the other town down there was completely abandoned. The name slips your mind, but it's no matter as you'll never head down there. She's been to Thieves Landing many times for gambling trips and has egged you on to come with her one day, but you worry that it'll be your unlucky day and you'll end up in some sort of mess, so better safe than sorry. Instead, Belle likes to play her games at the Blackwater Saloon whilst you mingle and relax. She's tried to teach you before but there are so many cards and so many rules. You've gone this far in your life without getting addicted to a fun way of losing money, and you're happy to continue living your life without it. And that's where you are now, sitting at one of the tables with Belle, having a rant about some customer you served today who has his own nose way too far up his ass. A few drinks have been shared between the two of you and you can tell from the way Belle keeps looking at the Blackjack table that she wants a game sooner or later. Blackjack was the only game you knew how to play, only because the dealer does all the work, though you'd still rather save your money, even if luck tended to be on your side and you'd exit the game with a small profit. "Shame I was in the back when it happened," Belle tells you after you've finished laying out what happened to her. "What would you have done? Barked at him?" you say with a laugh. "I would have!" Belle says proudly, then lets out a bark, a surprisingly realistic one that catches the attention of a suited man at the table next to you. He pulls an odd face but turns his attention away as the two of you laugh. The town knows by now that the pair of you are a little odd, but times are changing and women seem to be asserting themselves more and more every day. Just last week, you saw a woman dragging out her husband after she'd caught him chatting to a woman at the Saloon. Normally, men would step in and try to defend the husband, saying the woman clearly wasn't 'doing her job' as a wife. But a bunch of men had stepped in and told the man off for being unfaithful. You're welcome to this change, and although there's no man in your life right now, you hope that he'll be a kind and gentle soul. Well, you wouldn't marry anybody who isn't, though you'll always have that worry of marrying a man who lets himself go the second the wedding rings are on. Let's hope things are different for you. Belle snaps you out of your daydream as she perks up again. "Ugh," she says as she rolls her eyes. "Another cowboy. I thought they had died out. He must be a wannabe, though I'm unsure why anybody would want that life." You're about to ask who she's on about but your eyes drift over to the bar, fixating on the stranger leaning against it. He's tall with sun-kissed skin, his cheeks a little rosy as he's just walked in from the hot evening outside. For a cowboy, he's clearly got good hygiene, as his hair falls nicely against his shoulders, his facial hair is neatly trimmed, and his clothes are perfectly clean. Maybe he's just trying to look the part but is a little too soft for the lifestyle? Either way, he looks young, maybe around his early twenties. The way his brows naturally furrow brings a soft smile to your face, as he's clearly trying to look a bit tough but he's quite adorable instead. "I'll give him credit, he is handsome," you tell Belle as your eyes stay locked onto him. "He's probably the only handsome cowboy to ever exist then. They're all so dirty and smelly," Belle shakes her hair. She's clearly not had a proper look at him, though you're thankful as you're definitely calling dibs on this one. "He doesn't look it," you tell her, your eyes briefly flicking over to her. "He's only just walked in and you're already planning the wedding, aren't you?" Belle says with a laugh. Belle's laughter has caught his attention, as he looks over to your table, his eyes locking onto yours. You gulp and quickly look away, giving Belle a small kick under the table to stop her from laughing. "What?" Belle asks. "Your laughter's caught his attention," you tell her, your eyes wide and glued to her. Belle looks over at the bar and grins as she looks back at you. "My laughter may have caught his attention, but his eyes are definitely fixed on you, sugar," she chuckles. You can't help but peek over at him once more, instantly looking away as you realize that yes, he's staring directly at you. You see his head move and check again, letting out a sigh of relief as he's now turned his focus to the bartender as he orders a drink. "What perfect timing. There's finally a space at the Blackjack table, meaning you'll be left on your own, looking all pretty and available," Belle says with a chuckle as she stands. "Belle, don't do this," you sigh. "He's just a boy. This ain't the first time you've chatted up a stranger at the bar," Belle replies. "They were different! Well, this is different. He just seems... you know," you attempt to explain. "You've caught feelings already. I understand." You're about to jump on the defensive and say you haven't, but Belle cuts you off as she hands you some change. "How about you go get a drink for yourself and if things go south, get one for me too and use me as your escape route, alright?" A long sigh escapes your lips before you respond with "fine." You stand up also, Belle flashing you a smile before she turns and heads to the Blackjack table. As you walk over to the bar, you count through her change, checking to see how much she gave you but to also prevent your eyes from awkwardly catching the strangers. He's stood at one end at the bar, yourself at the other. The bartender serves you your drink and the leftover change is put into your pocket. After taking a sip of your drink, your look out the corner of your eye at the stranger, noting the way his head quickly turns. He was definitely staring at you again, but you're just as guilty as you're now staring at him. The sight of a pair of guns on his hips tells you that what Belle said was true, that he's definitely a cowboy, or whatever they now call themselves. The gunbelt he wears is worn down and you assume it's been passed down to him, meaning at least one of his parents lived the same lifestyle. "Something catch your eye, Miss?" somebody asks. You shake your head a little as your eyes trail up his body and oh shit, he's speaking to you. "What?" you blurt out, the panicked expression on your face making him softly laugh. "I said, has something caught your eye, Miss?" he asks again, a lot slower and clearer this time. You suddenly realize how awkward you must have looked, staring down at his gunbelt, though he may have thought you were staring at something else instead. "Oh, I was... admiring your gunbelt," you honestly tell him, though it sounds odd saying it out loud. "My gunbelt?" he double checks with you. "Yeah... it looks well worn," you tell him as if he doesn't already know. "It is. Was my Pa's," he tells you, his eyes briefly flicking down to the piece of equipment. "Was that really what you were staring at?" he asks you with a soft smile as he looks back up and draws his focus back to you. "Yes!" you say with a nod. "I promise." "Heh, sure," he laughs again. "I ain't ever had a woman check me out before," the stranger tells you as he bridges the gap on the bar, taking the few steps over to you and leaning against it. His body is turned mostly towards you, but his elbow rests on the bar top. He crosses one ankle over the other, his spurs clinking as they move, sending a shiver down your spine. You've heard many stories about true cowboys and you've seen the odd wannabe or bandit, but something felt authentic about this stranger. "I promise you, I wasn't being perverted," you explain. "I don't view checking somebody out as perverted. You're only admirin' them, no harm can come from that," he says with a shrug. "But I can see how flustered the thought is making you, so how's about I buy you a drink to settle your nerves?" the stranger offers. He adds on a "sweetheart" at the end, the sound of that petname coming from his voice draws you to him even more, and you find yourself agreeing to his offer in a heartbeat. He's polite when he orders, using his manners and checking with you on what you'd like. You finish up the drink you currently have as he pays for your next one. Either you didn't hear, or he snuck this in as you were occupied with downing your drink, but he orders a shot on the side. At least he ordered gin, as despite it still burning, it doesn't burn as much as whiskey does or leave that awful feeling in your throat. "Thank you," you say as he slides your drink over to you, followed by the shot. "May I know your name?" you ask him. "Marston. Jack Marston," he tells you as his attention focuses back on you, the bartender moving away to serve somebody else. "And yours?" "___," you tell him. "Pretty name for a pretty woman," he says with a smile as he picks up his shot. You can't help but shake your head a little at the cheesy comment, but you pick up your shot and clink it against his glass, both of you necking the burning liquid. There's that nasty feeling in your throat, trailing down and settling in your stomach. You lightly cough, placing the empty glass on the bar top and taking a well-needed sip of your drink. Jack doesn't seem phased, taking a much smaller sip of his drink and licking his lips, probably savoring the taste. "You alright?" he asks. "I don't often drink liquor neat," you explain, letting out a small cough and chugging some more of your drink. "I'll get the next round," you tell him, deciding that shots are definitely off the table. "We're doing rounds? I can't take money off you, sweetheart," Jack informs you. "But you can take drinks off me instead," you correct him. "Alright. If you insist," he says with a smile, shaking his head at you. "So," Jack begins after having another swig. "I noticed your friend went straight over to that Blackjack table. You not much of a gambler then?" he questions. "Oh, Belle? Yeah, she loves it. I just can't wrap my head around it, apart from Blackjack because I'm not doing any of the work," you shrug. "I could teach you sometime? Card games just kinda click without you even realisin'," Jack replies, shifting more of his weight against the bar as he relaxes against it. "She's tried to teach me so many times and I just can't figure it out," you say with a soft laugh. "She's tried to take me down to Thieves Landing many times, saying I'll definitely win there as apparently they're a bunch of morons, but I just don't trust a place with a name like that." "I don't blame you," Jack nods in agreement. "But the folk down there are nice, despite the name. It's more of a lawless place but the area has its own morals and codes." "I dunno," you drawl, nervously fiddling with your drink. "Trust me, it's alright. Maybe you'll head down there one day and bump into me," Jack tells you. "Do you visit it often?" "I'd say I'm a regular there, yeah. I tend to visit a lot of places down south," Jack replies before taking another sip of his drink, finishing the bourbon off. "What're they like?" you question. "I've only been up north to Strawberry as my parents live there." "I haven't been Strawberry since I was a kid..." Jack pauses. He's clearly having a flashback moment, though his attention quickly turns back to you. "Down south is alright. There's the occasional bandit that you bump into on the roads, but the town folk are kind." "Occasional bandit?" you question with a concerning laugh. "You make it sound so inviting." "Well, down there is 'uncivilized', or at least that's what rich folk describe it as," Jack explains. "And what would you say?" you question, finishing off the rest of your drink. "Me? I'd just say it's a different part of the land," he shrugs again as he gives the bartender a wave, who nods in return to indicate he'll be right over. Jack turns his attention back to you. "But if you ever want me to take you down there, I'll keep you safe," he says with a wink. "Ain't you a bit young to be tryna keep me safe? 'Specially from bandits?" you tease. "I may be young but I know how to work a gun," Jack informs you. "It's in my blood," he adds on. You're unsure on what exactly he means with that last comment, but you decide not to press into it. Thankfully, the bartender comes over to serve you and you buy the next round, without any shots this time. Your stomach has barely settled down from that gin, and your body feels sickly enough from being chatted up by this handsome stranger. The drinks go down quicker than you realize. Jack seems well-composed, though he's beginning to slur a few of his words and stumble whenever he excuses himself to the restroom. You, on the other hand, are struggling to keep yourself sober-looking. This stranger has scrambled your nerves and you've fallen into the liquor for comfort, and now you're having to deal with the outcome. You stumble back into the Saloon after taking a leak. Jack is still at the bar, leaning against it as he swirls the booze in his drink, fiddling with something to pass the time. Belle had found you moments ago to inform you that she was heading home, giving you a nudge and wink as she tells you that you look very happy with this handsome stranger and that she assumed you wouldn't be needed her back up plan. You'd said goodnight to her after insisting that you weren't just going to take this one home, that something about him feels different and you want to see where it takes you. Jack flashes you a smile as he notices you approaching, trying not to laugh as you narrowly miss stumbling into a stranger. "You alright?" Jack asks as you. You're about to reply that you're just fine, but as you go to lean against the bar, you stumble over your own feet and almost fall flat on your bum. Jack's reaction times are still immaculate, even whilst tipsy, as he manages to catch you before you can hit the floor. Your eyes lock onto his as you realize the pickle you've gotten yourself into, and both your expressions turn nervous once you notice how close your faces are. Jack helps pull you up to your feet, though an arm remains around your waist, your hand resting on his shoulder to keep yourself up. "I'm gonna take that as a 'no'," Jack tells you. "What? Oh! I'm fine, trust me. Just a little tipsy," you reassure him with an embarrassed laugh. "I think you mean 'drunk'," he says as he shakes his head. "Maybe I should get you home?" Jack suggests. "You don't have to walk me back," you tell him, but Jack quickly shakes his head and waves his hand, dismissing your claim. "Not only is it the right thing to do, but I doubt you'll make it home on your own," Jack comments, concerned for your safety, not just from strangers, but from the liquor in your system. "If you insist," you shrug, taking up his offer. "I very much do." Jack gently removes his arm from around your waist, only to offer you his arm instead. You link your arm through his, your other hand holding onto his upper arm as he walks you through the Saloon. As you exit the building, you notice your reflection in the large windows, and your stomach begins to spin at the sight. You quite like the look of yourself and this handsome young man, a curious duo but you fit together like two pieces of a very odd puzzle. Is it wrong to already take a liking to him? Especially when you only met him a few hours ago? You'd heard about 'love at first sight' and all those other cheesy terms from the books you read, but maybe they write about those things for a reason. You're snapped out of your daydream as Jack makes a clicking noise with his tongue. The sound of hooves clopping against the stone floor makes you snap your head over your shoulder, noticing that one of the horses that was hitched outside the front of the Saloon is now following closely behind. "I assume she's yours?" you ask him. "She is," Jack confirms as he leans his other hand out to loosely hold onto her reigns, leading his horse as well as leading you. "So, you don't live in town?" "I don't," Jack tells you. "I live on a ranch in the Great Plains," he informs you, tilting his head down slightly to look at you. "A ranch? That must be hard work," you let out a sigh. "It.. erm... Yeah, it can be. There ain't really many animals there anymore. It's hard to run a ranch by yourself," Jack replies and you notice the darkened tone to his voice. "I won't ask," you tell him, not wanting to pry into his private life. "I'll tell you about it someday," Jack tells you. He catches your eyes and gives you a smile, reassuring you that you haven't accidentally stumbled into anything too personal. "So, who's this lady then?" you comment as you peer over at his horse. "Oh, I just call her nag," he shrugs. "You haven't named her?" you say with a slight laugh. Maybe he'd only brought her recently, but from the way she's sticking beside him and loyally following, you assume otherwise. "Yeah. I ain't really sure why, I just haven't," he tells you. "Well, we've gotta name her!" "We?" Jack questions. "So, you want to see me again?" he says with a smirk and a flirtatious tone to his voice, making you softly laugh. "If you'll let me," you flirt back. "Of course I'll let you, sweetheart. How about I take you out some time?" Jack questions, coming to a halt outside your house. "I'd love that. You know, there's a nice Bistro in town that I've been wanting to try out. We could go there?" you suggest. Your arm slips from Jacks as you talk, standing in front of him instead. You can't help but reach out and gently stroke his mount's nose, picking up on how well-groomed she is. "Sure. When are you free?" Jack questions, watching you pet his horse. He can't help but smile at the sight, his nag warming up to you quickly. "Wednesday?" you suggest, giving you two days to mentally and physically prepare yourself. "Wednesday it is," Jack says with a nod, his eyes trailing back to yours. There's a slight pause as you move your attention back to Jack. You try not to smile too much but you can't help it; this handsome young stranger is making you feel a hundred things at once, but he seems the same, flashing you a smile in return. "Thank you for walking me home," you comment. "It's no problem. Now, you should get yourself inside before you stumble over something else," Jack teases, enjoying the way your cheeks turn red. "Alright," you say as you roll your eyes, walking up the steps to your porch. "Does 5 sound good? for Wednesday?" you ask as you turn back to him. "5 is good. I'll come by here," he says with a nod as he climbs up onto his nag, shuffling about in the saddle until he's uncomfortable. "Now go on, Miss. Get yourself to bed," Jack tells you. "I will. Goodnight, Jack," you say with a smile. "Goodnight, darlin'," Jack says as he tips his hat at you. He taps his spurs against his mount's stomach, his horse slowly trotting away. Jack's eyes remain on you until you enter your home, ensuring you're safe inside. Once inside, you lock the door and lean back against it, holding your chest like a cheesy girl who's fallen in love. You can't help but smile, though you think you're only swaying about because you're still tipsy, but who knows? You get ready for bed, Jack staying on your mind the whole time. It's incredible how one person has made you feel this way in such a short amount of time, though the nerves of your date have already begun to sink in. Hopefully, the date will be just as good as tonight, maybe even better. But you have tomorrow's shift to get through first.

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honeypirate · 3 years

Text

Figure it out

Part four

Hinawa and fem reader

Masterlist here

The one with ✨ another song! ✨ And nurse 👨‍⚕️Hinawa!

I’m like that monkey at a type writer that people always say “even a monkey could write that” that’s how I feel with this lol but I like it anyway 😜

You wake up before him, slowly coming to consciousness as the sun shines into the window, your eyes flutter open and immediately look over to him, taking in his messy bed hair and calm face, a hand on his chest and one on his stomach. You watch him until you see him start to stir, then you take a deep breath and sit up, stretching out your arms and groaning at the pain and stiff muscles from your injury.

“Good morning sleepy head” you say when he sits up, he smiles “good morning” you smile at his morning voice, so low and raspy. “How do you feel?” he asks and you shrug “as good as i can post surgery with a stab wound. I don’t like that you were so overworked, but I’m glad I don't have to be here alone” he yawns and then smiles softly at you, his eyes still full of sleep as he gazes over at you “well, honestly, even if I didn’t have to be here, I still would come and stay by you if i knew you didn’t want to be alone.” you raise your eyebrows with a smile “you’d do that for me?” he nods and sighs, a soft sound containing all he feels about waking up and seeing you in the morning, makes him wish he stayed beside you when he slept in your bed. “of course i would. You’re important to me” he says softly and before you could discuss that any further nurses came through the door.

After their tests they tell you that Hinawa can be discharged and that you could as well if you promised to be on bed rest with minimal office duties for the next few months until you’re fully healed. You decided to take that offer because there was no way in hell you’d sleep in this bed another night, they gave you some as needed pain medication and a prescription for another month, with an appointment to get your stitches taken out in two weeks.

Back at the base you head towards the Captain’s office but Hinawa stops you “you heard them. you should go rest. I’ll tell Captain Obi” you’re about to insist you’re fine but he shakes his head, holding out your medication he was carrying “go, take some of your medication and rest” he orders and gently shoves you in the direction of your room and you huff before sticking your tongue out at him as you walk away, keeping your right arm against your middle so you didn’t move your stitches.

You stop by the kitchen to get some water and run into Maki, “oh Y/N you’re finally back! How are you?” “it’ll take more than a little knife to take me out” you say and laugh gently as you get yourself a glass of water “how long will you be out?” you take one of your pills before you say “a couple months, i hope less though” she nods “you should go rest but it’s my turn for dinner so it’ll be done in a few hours” you nod “okay thank you, see you later”

When you make it back to your room you lay down, the short walk strangely exhausting, you find yourself panting, your side hurting. “Okay, i’ll just lay here until my meds kick in, then i’ll get up” you close your eyes, trying to distract you from the throbbing pain, focusing on evening out your breaths, you didn’t notice when the meds kicked in because you were already asleep.

When you wake up again it’s dark outside, your clock’s lights reading 12:23am, you lay there for a moment, considering going back to sleep but your stomach rumbles and you groan, having missed all meals today you were starving. You slowly roll out of bed, the familiar walk taking longer because of your baby steps.

He was worried when you didn’t come to dinner, but he figured you were sleeping when your door was quiet, and figured he would make you a good breakfast in the morning. He woke up to your singing again, your voice from the kitchen vents

“It's nothing, it's so normal you You just stand there, I could say so much But I don't go there 'cause I don't want to I was thinking if you were lonely Maybe we could leave here and no one would know At least not to the point that we would think so”

He pushes off his blanket and quickly makes his way to the kitchen.

The lights are on this time, illuminating the hallway from the open door “And I couldn't tell, if anyone here was feeling the way I do But I'm lonely now, and I don't know how To get it back to good”

he walks in and smiles at the sight of you singing softly, heating up some of dinner with a metal bowl with your hands on either side, using your fire instead of the microwave. “Hey” he says and you look up at him from the counter you had used a chair to be able to sit on top of, “hey are you hungry?” you ask and he shrugs “i could eat” you laugh “perfect, I already have enough for you here”

You convince him to eat on the couch since you were injured, and he carries both of your bowls as you walk, he tells you everything you missed during the later afternoon and evening, the fights over dinner and the new information about the white clad. Once you’re sitting on the couch, he hands you your bowl and you smile up at him warmly “thank you Hinawa” he nods and sits next to you, his thigh pressed into yours leaving no space between you. He was warm and it was comforting, you found yourself leaning into him but didn’t care enough to stop, you were injured and medicated and needed some comfort from him

You eat in silence and when you are just thinking about how you needed a drink, Hinawa hands you a bottle of water. you didn’t question it, just took it with a smile. After you were done eating, you leaned your head against his shoulder and closed your eyes “when I was younger, I used to help out on my grandma’s farm in the Chinese peninsula. well one day i was messing around while working, completly goofing off, and slipped in some mud while carrying these 5 gallon buckets full of water with lids on them. i slipped and landed on the very edge of the lid. The edge went right between two of my ribs and cracked them. What was the worst was that one of the farm workers saw it happen and came to ask me if i was okay and I just popped up and pretended i was fine, i said “at least i didn’t spill the water!” and laughed And he gave me this like” you raise your head and look at him with a super worried face, causing him to chuckle “and he said ‘no sweetheart,who cares about the water. Are YOU okay?” you chuckle, the medication making your ribs only slightly ache, “I didn’t even find out my ribs were hurt until later, showing my grandma my bruises that night, it hurt to laugh for two weeks or so” you lean your head against his shoulder “you must have been a really tough kid” you smile and nod “I guess I was, but the actual reason why I told you this story,” you frown and bring your hand up, grabbing his shirt sleeve gently and turn your face further into his arm, your voice more muffled now “ this injury is going to take longer to heal than that one, which means less time I can laugh. And I love joking around with you every day, love that you make me laugh easily, I don’t want to have to miss out on that for a long time” he chuckles and lifts his arm, wrapping it around your shoulders and gently holds you a little closer “i’m sorry you wont get my amazing jokes for the next little while” you lean up and point at him “you have to keep telling me things! No! Don't stop. I will just control myself!” he smiles and you get a little embarrassed by your outburst “please, dont stop telling me funny things. Okay?” you whisper and he nods “okay, but if you hurt yourself and laugh i will stop right then” you nod quickly “deal! No going back on it!”

He laughs some more and you lean back into him, a smile on your face as you try and hold in a groan, pain shooting in your side from your wound, hoping to get away with it until Hinawa tenses, scooting forward and looking at your side with a worried face, thats when you notice the blood on his side and you gasp, looking down at yourself and seeing the blood spot against your white shirt “you might have ripped a stitch” he says and you sigh “fuck. Can you help me? I can't quite..” you hold your hands up and try to reach it to showing him how awkward it is, he nods “i’ll meet you in the bathroom for the better light after i put the dishes away i’ll grab the first aid kit and be right there” you nod and stand, wincing with the movement, thankfully Hinawa wasn’t looking and you sighed in relief. When you look up to himhe looks straight into your eyes “i saw that” he says and then laughs at your look “i’m not going to lecture you this time though, not unless you do this again” you nod and salute weakly “yes sir” he shakes his head and holds the two bowls stacked in one hand, his other resting on your lower back as you walk down the hall together, not moving it until you pass the kitchen and he leaves you to continue your slow shuffle by yourself.

You reach the bathroom and manage to maneuver your way up onto the counter top and once you do you look to the doorway and see him standing there, an amused smile on his lips “did you..?” he laughs “yeah, the whole thing. Im impressed with how determined you were, i could have just lifted you if you waited” you sigh and he comes over to you holding the first aid kit and an extra shirt

He looks at you for a few moments, you look back into his eyes without speaking, like you were lost in his beautiful golden orbs, until you realized he can’t help you with your shirt still on. You blush and look down before you use your arm on your good side to lift the bottom up over your head before pulling it down your other arm and holding it in your lap as you avoid eye contact now, suddenly feeling very self conscious.

He watches as you take off your shirt, the tips of his ears turning pink because of how soft your skin looks, of how gorgeous you are. He watches as you blush and shrink into yourself, watching the physical response of your self consciousness. “Hey” he says softly and you hum in question without looking up at him. He reaches out and with his first three fingers, gently tilts your head to look at him.

“Let’s fix you up okay? Don’t worry I wont hurt you” you smile at his warmth “I trust you Hinawa” he nods “good” he drops his hand and then washes them in the sink next to you before opening the first aid kit and slowly peeling off the bandage stuck to your skin with tape.

He dabs at your would gently with a wet washcloth as you hold your arm up, clutching your opposite shoulder so it’s out of his way. “it’s not bad, you won't have to go back to the doctor, you just need to take it easy and go to bed after i’m done” you smile as you study his face while he looks at your stab wound. He dabs it with peroxide, then puts on some neosporin so it won't stick to the gauze he places over it and then another bandage that he wraps around your middle instead of taping it to you.

“Is this too tight?” he asks and you shake your head “no, it’s perfect. Thank you for your help.” he nods “of course, here, i brought you a shirt” he hands you one of his extra black shirts and you thank him before taking it and trying to put it on. He watches as you struggle for a moment before reaching out, helping you unfold it and slip it up over your bad arm and then holds it as you slip your other arm through it, gently sliding the soft material down all the way, his fingers brushing across the skin on your back.

Once you brush your teeth and make sure you have everything you need, you lay in bed, him helping you get situated in silence. You watch him, a question in your eyes that you’re too embarrassed to ask “Do you want me to stay?” he asks for you and you smile shyly “only if you want to though” he smiles and then looks into your eyes “if i am being honest, I slept the best next to you than i have in the all of my adult years” you beam up at him “then you’re saying you’ll-” he nods “I’ll stay” your heart warms and your stomach floods with butterflies as he climbs into your bed beside you.

Because of your wound you have to lay on your side facing him, a smile on your lips and your eyes looking at his face as he lays beside you “you can’t sleep unless you shut your eyes” he says with a smirk, his eyes never opening. You reach out and grab his side, pulling yourself as close to him as you can and moving down just a little before you bury your face in his chest, he chuckles and watches you, waiting until you're comfortable before he gently wraps his arm over you.

“Tell me a story?” you ask and he sighs with a smile into your hair “real or fake?” he asks and you smile into his chest “you decide” he hums as he thinks “okay, ill tell you the story and at the end you can guess if you think it’s fake or real” he thinks for a moment before kissing the top of your head and beginning his story, his hand coming up to play with your hair that’s on the bed behind you

“There once was a prince of a small kingdom, he was handsome, intelligent, and level headed. One day the prince’s best friend was poisoned by a neighboring kingdom that was trying to start a war. The prince vowed then and there that he would never allow himself to care for another person again, never wanting to feel the same pain and grief again. He lived like this for many years, keeping his heart guarded, thinking he was doing the right thing” you were trying so hard to pay attention, forcing yourself to stay awake for this, it felt important. But the sound of his voice, the smell of him, and the warmth of him holding you, that fights to pull you to sleep.

“One day the prince met a princess, she came to stay at his kingdom and they became friends, laughing and joking with each other every day, she was the only one in the kingdom who seemed to understand everything about him without even trying. She easily walked into his heart and made it her home, walking through each wall and barrier like it was nothing, like it was her purpose to make him feel again. The only one who made feelings joyous instead of exhausting. She saw every hidden part of the Prince and made him feel worthy, she showed him how nice it is to have someone close to him who understands and doesn't make him feel guilty about where he lacks. The door in his heart opened for her like she had the only key.” you smile, thinking about how lovely the princess sounds. He swallows hard and his hand stills, strands of your hair twisted gently around each finger.

“The Prince fell in love with the Princess easily, even though he hadn’t felt the feeling for years she easily claimed all of his love as her own. She would sing to him, call him to her with her angelic voice. She made him laugh easily and not to mention she was an amazing person. She is kind, smart, and the prince is positive she is made of everything sweet and good. One day the princess got hurt.” Your fingers clutch his shirt gently as you whisper “oh no” he chuckles and kisses the top of your head before continuing “She got hurt and the Prince couldn't protect her. He felt terrible about it even though there wasn’t anything he could have done in the moment, he was tied up at the time. There was nothing he hated more than seeing her hurt and wished he could save her from it, but since he couldn’t, he would do anything he could to help her as she recovered. staying by her side and protecting her until she was strong again, until she was back to being able to protect herself. then he would go back to being her partner, and not just her nurse and guard.” You sigh and turn your face so your cheek presses against his chest “I like the prince” you whisper and he smiles

“Real or fake?” he asks and you hum into his chest, too far asleep to truly answer. You hum again and try to wake yourself up more but your mouth doesnt say what your brain tells it, it just mumbles out “my.. prince” before taking a deep breath and sighing into his chest, completely unconscious.

He wakes up with a start, panic in his heart from a dream he can’t remember. He looks down at you in his arms, a smile on your sweet sleeping face. You looked like an angel in his arms, the sun on the horizon hitting your window illuminated the back of you like a halo. He tried to move, to get comfortable again, but your unconscious hand gripped his shirt, and his heart. He was frozen to the spot, his heart racing thinking he woke you up, he waited a moment before looking down at you again.

“Maybe, if this happens again, we could sleep in your bed. It’s bigger than mine right?” you say and snuggle further into him, making sure you don't hurt yourself anymore, your wound was already throbbing and you didn't want to make it worse until you had to get up. He chuckles and kisses the top of your head “right” he clears his throat, the sun rising waking him up more, “you’d want to, do this again? Sleep beside each other?” you look up then, opening your eyes purposefully to look into his, “Hinawa” you reach up to cup his cheek “why wouldn’t i? You keep me safe. Do you think that these have just been coincidences? That it was just because you happened to be here?” you pull your hand down and furrow your brows “unless you don’t like mmm--“ you stop and change your sentence “ You don't want to. Then I mean yeah of course whatever you want I don’t want to make you uncomfortable” he smooths out your brows gently with his finger and he chuckles softly “shhh shh it’s not like that” he gently wraps his arm around you and holds you to his chest, his hand gentle against the back of your head.

A knock sounds at your door followed by Maki’s voice “sorry to wake you y/n but we have an emergency meeting in 5” you tense, knowing it must be big if they’re waking everyone “thank you Maki” when her footsteps retreat is when Hinawa lets you go, he looks into your eyes, he was sad you had to part so soon but he knew it must be important. “We’ll talk later” you smile softly and nod as he gets up softly and helps you out of bed so you didn't hurt yourself. At your door he cups your cheek with a smile before silently slipping out your door.

#hinawa fanfiction #hinawa imagines #hinawa x y/n #hinawa x you #hinawa takehisa x reader #fire force hinawa #hinawa x reader #takehisa hinawa fanfiction

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jhoudiey · 3 years

Text

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve added anything to Loru, but I’ve FINALLY finished her birthday fic! Yay! My bird girl is 18 now! The only warning for this I guess is Implied Violence, 2900 words. Borrowed Theo and Kore from @girl-in-the-tower and Scarlet from @rikanoctrix since I want to try and add more OCs into Yoru canon going forward.

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“Neee Fugu-chan” Floyd grumbled, having kicked his way unceremoniously into Yoru’s room

“Floyd it’s too early for you to be this loud, what do you want?” She mumbled, not bothering to pull herself up from her mattress where she way laying face down

“I wanted to be the first person to wish you a h----aaappy birthday” he said, stifling a yawn

“You’re too late for the birthday thing, sounds like you came for a nap”

“That too” he said casually, throwing his uniform jacket toward her desk chair. It missed and landed in a pile on the floor. He jumped over Yoru and bounced slightly when he hit the mattress. She shoved one of her pillows at him, opening her eyes the tiniest amount.

“Its only 9 though, who already said happy birthday?” he whined, clutching the pillow to his chest to look at her. She blinked slowly at him before responding.

“Ortho at exactly midnight, Idia at like 6 this morning when we realized the time, and my dad when I got home. If you wanna nap do it quietly, I just got to bed” she turned away from him and buried her head in her pillow again.

“Have any big birthday plans?” he asked, looking over the edge of his pillow. She rolled back to glare at him

“Dinner later with my dad and some staff. That’s it. No you can’t come. It’s not a party. Good night” she said bluntly, shoving her face back into her pillow.

“Night Fugu-chan!” Floyd murmured, curling up on the other side of the bed.

It was already dark when she woke up, she could smell dinner being cooked from downstairs and hoped that Crowley had at least asked some of the cafeteria ghosts to cook instead of trying to cook it himself. He’d tried to bake her birthday cake 2 years ago and almost set the house on fire, he hadn’t attempted cooking since. Yoru showered, threw some clothes on and made her way downstairs to the dining room.

“SURPRISE!” She was almost blown backwards by the noise and took a step back. The room was full of staff and the few friends she’d managed to collect while haunting the grounds of NRC. Floyd grinned at her from behind Jade and Azul, Ortho was floating near the front of the table with a huge smile on his face with Idias tablet floating nearby, and the staff were all gathered around the room wherever they’d fit. She’d never had a birthday where so many people came for dinner, and was taken a aback

“Neeee Fugu-Chan!” Floyd called “You said I wasn’t invited but I bet you never knew there was going to be a party for you!” He smirked at her, Jade chuckling softly beside him.

“Uhhhh...what...is going on?” she asked, looking around the room at everyone, still shocked to see so many people. Crowley swooped down on her from across the room, draping his arm across her shoulders.

“Oh my sweet daughter, I thought for your 18th birthday we should have a spectacular party for you with all of your friends and family!” he gestured around the room with his other arm. “Everyone is here to celebrate with you, so make sure to not run away!” He steered her deeper into the room, sitting her down at the head of the table laden with food. She awkwardly glanced around the room, was she supposed to say anything? Were there customs for this sort of thing? She sat in silence, fidgeting a little in her chair, hoping that someone else would say something to break the tension that had settled over the room.

“Yoru-san! What sort of gifts did you ask for!?” Ortho chirped enthusiastically, flying a little off his seat. For Idias birthday the three of them had hidden away and played a few board games, what she wouldn’t give to be repeating that experience right now.

“Ummm… nothing. I usually just get whatever I need throughout the year myself… I don’t really know what I would ask for”... She trailed off looking around the room once more, were they going to expect her to open presents? Was there even presents to open? Generally the teachers gave her new notebooks or reference books, but they’d always just leave them for her on the table without ever having wrapped them. Yoru wasn’t sure what else to say, and was worried she’d be further interrogated about gifts; she started filling her plate, hoping that the food would at least act as a buffer for the pressure that was slowly spreading through the room. As she was piling her plate to tottering she noticed an unfamiliar face in the corner near professor Yule, she paused and stared at the girl wondering if they’d met before and she’d just forgotten. The girl smiled shyly at her and waved, Yoru was certain they’d never actually met before, there weren't any other girls at NRC, and there wasn’t any reason for a random girl from the village to be here…

“Yoru, this is my daughter Kore” Theo said to her with a slight nod “She’s come to stay at NRC with me, though she’ll be living in Ramshackle dorm with Yuu for the time being. I’m sure you’ll get along” He smiled at her, knowing that it was unlikely. Yoru was, afterall, prickly and not very open to new friends and Kore herself could be difficult. Yoru grimaced and gave the girl a quick nod before turning back to the table, hoping that there weren’t any more surprises planned for the evening. Theo let out a sigh of relief “honestly I thought that was going to go way worse” he chuckled a little looking at Kore. She had her face set and was looking towards Yoru’s back, fists tightened into balls, daring Yoru to say something about her lack of magic.

The night carried on, conversation flowing more easily once everyone started eating. Azul was trying to worm the recipes out of Crowley so he could co-opt them for the lounge, while Crowley was giving every excuse he could to not have to admit that it was the ghosts that had cooked and not him. As dinner wound down, Yoru started getting anxious again as she wasn’t certain what was supposed to come next. Why did Crowley think it was a good idea to have her entertain a room full of people? Luckily everyone was entertaining themselves for the most part, so she’d been able to have a muttered conversation with Idias tablet, making escape plans for as soon as she was able to sneak away.

“Yoru-san! Me and Ni-san made you this, he said that it would help you out a lot!” Ortho cheered suddenly from the table. “N-Not so loud, Ortho” The tablet groaned “Sorry Ni-san! Look Yoru! It’s a tablet like the one Ni-san has! He set it to easy mode cause he knows you suck!” Ortho beamed at her “Wow Idia, real nice.” She said sarcastically “You know what I meant! You suck with computers! I made this one idiot proof, just for you hehehehe, there’s no way you can mess this one up!” Ortho thrust the tablet at her, where it floated near her head “Oh this is weird” she said, looking sideways at it as it beeped quietly at her, even if it was set to be user friendly, she knew she’d have to get Idias help setting it up later.

“Yoru! My girl! You’re 18 now! Congratulations!” Vargas boasted, throwing an arm around her shoulder. She suspected him and Theo may have had a few too many drinks, he was being more affectionate than normal, and Theo was actually smiling. She didn’t blame him, having to deal with Crowley out of a professional setting could be draining. “You can’t turn 18 without a proper gift though! I brought you something!” He beamed at her, pulling the largest container of protein powder she’d ever seen from out behind his back. She couldn’t help but laugh a little, of course he would think protein powder was a good gift- not that he was wrong. Protein powder would be really useful for her to get back into shape, she’d ended up losing a lot of weight over the winter and needed to gain it back... It had been a while since the two of them had done any training, she made a mental note to ask him to get back to sparring once her wings had fully grown back in and her mobility was back to 100%.

“Vargas, isn’t that a little… hmmmm” Crewel had started, before sighing and shaking his head a little “Nevermind, Yoru, I think this book of antidotes to rare poisons will come in handy” He said, glaring at her. She knew that look too well, there would be hell to pay if she poisoned herself and needed his help recovering again. She’d hoped that maybe her New Years accident wouldn’t have made it to Crewel’s ears, but Crowley was always a loudmouth so she suspected everyone in the room knew that she’d almost died a mere 4 weeks before. “Thanks Crewel” she muttered, rifling through the pages.

“A book of antidotes, Crewel? How disappointing” Theo scoffed, cutting Crewel off before he could respond to Yoru. They’d had a long standing rivalry and no way he’d let Crewel get another word in. “here Yoru, this may be of some help. I found it on one of my expeditions.” He handed her a small compass with the needle spinning wildly “It’ll point you to what you need most at any given time” He smiled at her, chuckling a little at the needle spinning dizzyingly fast. Yoru grinned, Theo always had the neatest stuff, she was glad to be given an artifact of her own, even if this one seemed to be broken. If it wasn’t, it should be pointing towards the Ignihyde dorm, since at that moment she wanted nothing more than to be hiding away in Idias room in silence. She slid the compass in her pocket and glanced to the side toward Kore who was there holding out a cabbage. “I didn’t know what to get you since we’ve never met, but I think everyone has a use for cabbage so here!” she thrust it at yoru who grabbed it with both hands, a grin growing across her face. Cabbage. As a gift. “This is great, I love cabbage” She smiled, thinking it was probably all downhill from here, food was really hard to top as a gift, good job girl she had never met. As she turned to put the cabbage down, Azul cleared his throat gently from the table.

“Ahhh Yoru-san! While we’re on gifts, we’re pleased to say we’ve brought one for you as well!” He smiled at her and Floyd handed her a box. All three of the Octavinelle boys were smiling at her as she opened it, it was quite unnerving to be watched so closely by them. Inside was what she realized was her Mostro Lounge uniform. Azuls smile widened “I’m glad Professor Crewel was able to lend a hand to assist in the tailoring of it, it should fit perfectly for you to start work with us in the Lounge tomorrow”. Yoru rolled her eyes at him. “Oh yay, can’t wait. What if it doesn’t fit?” she asked. Crewel scoffed at her. “I tailored it, of course it will fit, there is no question.” She sighed, knowing he was right. He’d been able to alter her high school uniform for her perfectly before she realized that Walpurga Nacht Academy had a strict “no alterations of any kind” policy.

“Here Yoru-chan! You can use this to take orders in the Lounge!” Scarlet interrupted, beaming at her. She’d been the nurse at NRC longer than Yoru had been alive and was excited to be here celebrating her 18th birthday with everyone. She handed Yoru a shocking pink notebook with cartoon unicorns all over it, complete with a neon-holographic sticker sheet of cute and cuddly creatures. “You can use it to take notes too! I know how much you write down, so I knew a notebook would be handy!” Her smile was shining so brightly Yoru had a hard time looking at her, she felt guilty knowing she’d only ever use this particular notebook if every other object that could be written on disappeared from existence. She took the notebook and placed it on top of the box containing her Mostro Lounge uniform, ready to be carried upstairs back to her bedroom. She felt her chance to escape the party was approaching, the pile of gifts needing to be carted away a blessing in disguise

“Hmmmm my favourite demon-chan has so many gifts!” Sam exclaimed, looking around at all of them, “Perhaps she doesn’t need another...” he teased, smiling widely at her. “Hmmm, but if she didn’t need any other gifts, then what would I do with this vial of Dragon blood?” Yorus eyes widened. She’d asked Sam if he could try and find her some more than six months ago but he’d never gotten back to her. “Sam! You found some! This is amazing!!!” She was ecstatic, holding the vial in her hands, an entire new world of potion making opportunities opening up to her. Crewel and Crowley gave each other a short glance, it wasn’t a good idea for her to have something so dangerous, especially if she was going to continue experimenting on herself. “Hmmm Sam, perhaps that isn’t a good gift for a young woman?” Crowley tried to protest, the glare Yoru shot him quieted him down immediately. “Thank you Sam, this will be really useful”.

“Ahhh Sam, again with the dangerous gifts” Trein sighed handing Yoru a small book bound in a strange leather. “Here Yoru, you had asked me before about Harpies but I wasn’t able to tell you much. I’ve found a history of them, as brief as it is, hopefully this will answer some your questions” He gave her a small smile, she accepted the book with a small nod. She had been beginning to wonder more about her mother and the Strophrades Isle, but there was nothing in the library on the topic, which she had found strange. She’d meant to ask Crowley the best way to get there and information on her mother, but had forgotten . Even if she had, she assumed he’d talk her ear off, having been starved for conversation with his daughter for the last month. She had vowed to never speak with him again after he’d given Azul permission to drug her, and so far had been able to keep the promise to herself.

She placed the book on top of the others and grabbed the pile of gifts to carry up to her room, the cabbage and protein powder balanced precariously on top. “I uhhh.. Don’t know how birthday parties are supposed to end so thanks everyone…” she muttered, walking out of the room to start climbing the stairs to her room. “Just a minute, Nugget!” Crowley called after her “You never got my gift!” he called up the stairs behind her, she ignored him.

“How embarrassing, headmaster, your own Nugget ignoring you” Jade said quietly, staring at Crowleys back. “Jade, if I ever hear you call me Nugget I swear I will rip your tongue out” Yoru yelled down the stairs. “Fufufu, than I shall make sure you never hear me” he grinned. “Neee Fugu-chan! What if I call you Nugget-Chan?” Floyd yelled after her, Azul, Jade, Ortho, and Idias tablet laughing quietly. “The same goes for you Floyd! I will eat your tongue for dinner!” She threatened. Everyone remaining in the room grinned, trying to think of ways to work the word Nugget into their everyday vocabulary.

“Oh!” Crowley cried out suddenly “We forgot the cake!” He rushed into the kitchen, returning moments later with a two-tiered white cake with a large 18 drawn on the top in green icing. “Yoru! Come back and get some cake!” Crowley's face fell when there was no response, he knew she’d likely left out the window already, the promise of cake not enough to bring her back. “Well, it would be a waste to not eat it…” he mused to himself before looking at the room at large “Okay! Who wants cake!” He smiled at everyone raising their hands.

***

“Hey, where’s the cake?” Idia asked when Yoru pushed her way into his room.

“Cake?” She questioned, holding the tablet he’d made for her out to him. “I need help setting this up” He sighed and grabbed the tablet from her hand, easily tapping through the screens to set it up for her.

“You come and ask me for favours and don’t even bring any cake, what kind of friend are you!?” he complained.

“We didn’t even have cake, what are you talking about?” She sat down on his bed, watching him tinkering with the tablet.

“Crowley said there was cake, and you didn’t bring any with you!”

“Oh. I must have left before then. Ortho is still there, get him to bring some back and we can eat it here”

“Oooh! Good idea!” He whispered to Ortho from his tablet, a childish grin creeping across his face at the promise of cake.

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jmnjmnjmn · 3 years

Text

Eternal beings | Chapter 3

Pairing: Vampire!Jungkook x Human!Reader

Key words: supernatural, vampire.

Word count: less than 3,000

Warnings: swearing, sadness, jealousy, mentions of murder

Inspo board

Masterlist

On Sunday morning you woke up panting from a horrible nightmare featuring the two men you saw just days ago. “If that guy really murdered (Victim’s name) wouldn’t he go after me now?” You thought and clutched your bedsheets. “He saw me and spoke to me. If he remembers my face he’ll probably find me and finish me off so I don’t blow his cover.” You curled up into a ball under the covers trying to not think about all of this. “But it’s too late for that.” You thought and sat up. “I already talked to the police and described his looks to the sketch artist so it’s too late to shut me up. All he could do now is kill me just for kicks.”

As soon as you thought that you wished you hadn’t. Your tiny apartment didn’t seem so safe anymore. There was a murder in the neighbourhood for god’s sake. You started nervously pacing around the place looking out of the dirty window every now and then, but there was nothing to see. No one passed by your building, the pouring rain scared all the pedestrians away, there weren’t many cars on the street either. Suddenly you felt like you couldn’t stay at your apartment anymore. For some reason it seemed to you as if the murderer had followed you there even though you knew it would be impossible. You were looking over your shoulder every two seconds when you were running home two nights ago. He couldn't possibly know where you lived. You repeat that thought in your head a couple of times before reaching for the phone.

“Hello?” You heard a familiar deep voice answer on the other end.

“Hey, Taehyung. Sorry… Did I wake you up?” You asked your friend and looked at the clock. It was ten in the morning.

“It’s fine. What’s going on? You okay?” He asked, sounding both sleepy and concerned as if he sensed that something wasn’t right with you. You screamed a loud “Hell no!” in your head before answering him.

“Yeah, I’m good. It’s just that… Well, I was wondering if I could stay at your place for a couple of days… ” You didn’t plan on lying to Taehyung, but telling him the truth didn’t seem like an appealing thing to do right now.

“Sure. You’re always welcome at my house.” He reminded you. “But… Did something happen or-?” You cut him off before he could finish the question.

“I’m fine. It’s just my building. There’s going to be renovations… Done to the… Interior and it’s going to be noisy.” You said making everything up on the spot.

“Alright…” He didn’t sound convinced by your story. You could swear he knew you were lying or at least twisting the truth hidden behind your sudden want to change houses. “Come over whenever, I’m home all day.”

“Thanks Tae.” You said with relief. “I’m finishing my shift at two so I’ll be at your place around three. Can you leave me the keys somewhere?”

“I’ll drop them off at your shop in the evening. Okay?” He sounded sleepy again. You agreed and thanked him once again before ending the call and falling back onto your bed tired, but less afraid.

You had no doubt that Taehyung will question you later on, and you’ll come clean. You sighed once again trying to make the anxiety leave your body, didn’t work, but instead of laying there and worrying about what was going to happen you decided to pick yourself up and pack for a stay at Taehyung’s.

Taehyung’s house was further away from your work than your own place. The sun was long gone and the moon was up as you got on a train at the Central Station. You sat down on the empty train and looked out the window.

As the distance from the city center increased the sizes of houses you saw on the way to Taehyung’s also did. His family was always well off and, thanks to his parents setting up a trust fund for him when he was just a baby, so was he now when he moved out of their home.

When you got off the train the moon was shining bright, casting a sinister shadow on the neighbourhood. Taehyung’s house was just a five minute walk away from the station and usually you thought of it as just a quick short stroll. Tonight, for obvious reasons, was different. You clutched your huge bag tighter and started walking fast through the well lit streets of Taehyung’s boujee neighbourhood and though you knew you were alone you still felt as if someone was following you.

It was almost three when you arrived at your friend’s house. You got the keys from your jacket’s pocket and unlocked the door with shaking hands. Standing out in the open with your back to the street made you very nervous. You shut the door behind you and locked it quickly and quietly not to wake up your host.

“Woof!” You jumped up at the sound and turned around from the door to be faced with a small fluffy dog.

“Since when does he have a dog?” You whispered to yourself. “Hey, who are you?” You asked the dog and reached your hand out to pet it. After a moment you felt the tiredness come over you. “Sorry, pup. I have to sleep.” You whispered to the dog and stood up. You took out your phone and read the text Taehyung had sent you a couple of hours earlier. “Take the guest bedroom upstairs.” You took your shoes off, grabbed your bag and got upstairs with the dog following your every footstep. Not wanting to waste any precious time you could spend sleeping you quickly washed up and went to sleep.

You woke up to sounds of barking and laughter. Taehyung must have woken up already. You decided not to stay far behind and got out of bed as well.

“Hey!” He greeted you as you walked down the stairs in your sweatpants.”You made it!” He cheered.

“Hey. Since when do you have a dog?” You asked, mimicking his bright smile. “He scared me last night.” You joked.

“Uh… Since three days ago? I'm dog sitting for a coworker.” He explained. “Come on, I was just about to make breakfast for us.” He spoke more to the dog than to you and petted it’s head before delivering a small kiss to the top of it.

After what seemed like eternity to your empty stomach you sat down together at the huge dinner table with an omelette each. You honestly couldn’t remember the last time you had anyone cook for you and suddenly you felt really happy at the thought of living with Taehyung for the next couple of days.

“This smells delicious. I’m so hungry. I haven’t eaten since the beginning of my shift last night.” You said and started eating. Taehyung’s eyes widened at your words and you laughed thinking it was about your bad diet habits, but you quickly found out it was something different.

“That reminds me! Did you hear about that guy that was found dead in your area?” You felt your stomach turn and it wasn’t because of Taehyung’s poor cooking skills. “It was like ten minutes from your apartment, right?” He asked and you sighed deeply before answering.

“Yeah, I’m a witness in that case.” You almost whispered.

“What?!” Taehyung called in shock. “How is that- What?!” He couldn’t compose a full sentence. “It was on TV this morning! He was a lawyer or something like that… (Y/N), this is… Insane.” He said and kept describing what he saw on the news about it this morning. “He was found in some alleway with his throat torn apart, like an animal attacked him. Terrible.” His words echoed in your head while you tried to keep the omelette down in your stomach. “Completely drained of blood. Can you imagine?” He shook his head in disbelief. “It really made me feel bad. They said he had a family and all… (Y/N)? Are you okay?” He asked, patting you on the arm.

“Yeah.” You breathed out. “It’s just all a lot, you know?” You said looking up at him with somber in your eyes.

“Yeah. And on top of that you have renovations done at your apartment, right?” He asked cheekily.

“Yeah…” You said looking away. “He knows.” You thought, but you knew there was nothing to worry about. He saw through your weak story about renovations when you first called.

“You have to be extremely careful walking home from now on.” He said with a seriousness in his voice.

“Why do you think I’m here?” You said with laughter lining your tone. “So I don’t have to walk home in that sketchy neighbourhood.” You both laughed and cleaned your plates talking about different happier things.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I invited Jimin over for dinner tonight.” You smiled lightly not to let Taehyung see you weren’t especially fond of the idea of seeing your coworker tonight. “He’ll probably bring Yoongi with him.” That made your small smile fade away quickly. You only met Yoongi a couple of times and all of them he was painfully awkward and silent. “We’ll all watch a movie or something later, you’re welcome to join us!” Taehyung exclaimed.

“Thanks. I have some online classes for college tonight so we’ll see how that goes.” You said and started planning your day in your head. Working all throughout the week and studying online was taking up most of your time right now, but you really wanted to skip today's lectures and just chill out with Taehyung, even if Jimin and Yoongi were going to be there too. You got along really well with Taehyung ever since you met in high school and it’s thanks to him you got that job at the convenience store and met Jimin, his childhood friend from way back. At first you found it a little awkward working with him, but you quickly found common ground and became somewhat friendly. You weren’t as close as you and Taehyung were. You only knew each other for a couple of months now and were about as close as co-workers could be.

“Come one, (Y/N). Ditch the lectures, it'll be fun to hang out together.” He said smiling at you so even though you found his announcement a little disheartening you decided to try. For Taehyung’s sake.

“Okay.” You answered after a moment earning yourself a pleased grin from Taehyung who was more than happy that you were open to the idea of hanging out with them, despite knowing that you would rather stay in your room tonight.

Dinner time rolled up quicker than ever today. One moment you were studying for your exam in a few weeks and the next you heard the doorbell ring signaling Jimin’s and Yoongi’s arrival. When you looked out the window you saw the street lamps were already lit up. The evening seemed darker tonight for some reason and you didn’t like that one bit. You could hear everyone’s voices from downstairs and a heavy feeling went over you. You felt on edge, as if something bad was coming your way, but you couldn't quite put the finger on what it was, and sitting in Taehyung’s guest room with all the lights off and only your laptop screen giving off a faint blue light wasn’t helping. Your lecture had just started so you clicked the check mark in the app on your laptop to signal your presence to the professor. Looked at your screen once again to make sure that the microphone was turned off and sighed loudly kicking your feet up on the desk. You felt overwhelmed, tired and scared. The sight of the sun setting behind the city skyline made you nervous.

“No more of that.” You said quietly meaning both the boring lecture and the worrying sick about the uncertainties of the night. You got up from the chair you were lounging in and muted your computer. You decided to leave it open on the desk leaving the professor and the rest of the class unaware of your absence, but still getting the points for attendance. As you opened the door you were greeted with a loud bark from the small dog Taehyung was taking care of for one of his coworkers. You walked down stairs into the living room with the dog following your every step to greet Jimin and his boyfriend.

“Oh, finally you decided to join us.” Taehyung said teasingly as you entered the room and patted his leg to get the dog to come to him. “I forgot to tell you guys!” He exclaimed, turning back towards Jimin and Yoongi. “(Y/N)’s staying with me for a while.” You noticed Yoongi’s surprised expression and immediately felt embarrassed.

“Great! He’s probably thinking I’m sleeping with Taehyung and he’s gonna tell Jimin all about it once they’re left alone!” You yelled in your head. “They didn’t even know I was here… I could’ve stayed in my room unnoticed.” You growled to yourself. “Well, it’s too late to go back now.” You thought with resignation. Hanging out with the three of them, at least for a while, was the least you could do to both keep your mind off the gloomy thoughts and make Taehyung happy. “Surely he won’t be mad if I split after the dinner is finished.” You thought to yourself and a smug smile made an appearance on your face as you noticed the guests have brought beer.

You didn’t expect time to fly by so fast, especially in this company, but within the first moments of hanging out it turned out you have way more in common with both Jimin and Yoongi than you thought. You noticed so many similarities between yourself and Jimin from your likes and dislikes to the way you think when you’re under pressure. Yoongi on the other hand reminded you a lot of your highschool self. He was more shy and withdrawn than Taehyung or Jimin, but you could see he still cared about them, Jimin for the most part. You were bickering about what movie to put on when the doorbell rang.

“Are any of you expecting someone?” You asked in confusion eying the group.

“Yeah, Yoongi’s friend was supposed to join us.” Jimin said. “That’s probably him.” He added.

“I’ll let him in.” You volunteered. “I can’t stand your argumentation behind playing Holiday.” You joked while giving Taehyung a smirk, got up from the couch and went to get the door. You grabbed the cold metal door handle and twisted the key in the lock opening the door with ease. With the street lights behind him you couldn't see Yoongi’s friend’s face clearly, but you noticed his tall and lean figure. “Hi. Come on in.” You said to him and stepped to the side to let him through the doorway.

“Thanks.” His voice gave you shivers.

“Do I know you?” You asked, begging in your head to hear a different answer than the one you were thinking of right now.

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k7l4d4 · 3 years

Text

Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 6 Part 4

Hello, and let me once again introduce you to the whimsical world of Midnight Striga! Everybody Clap Your Hands!!

As Luz glanced back between Amity’s pale face, and Willow’s nearly bursting rage, the pieces started coming together. With widened eyes, she said, “Wow. She didn’t remember you at all? That is cold.” She shook her head, her cautious respect for the ambitious woman having taken a hit. She bit her lip. “Are you two going to be okay?” She hesitantly asked, her and Gus looking concerned at the reactions of the two girls.

“I-!” Willow started, before pausing, the anger draining out of her face. “I’ll be fine. They aren’t worth the effort.” She said, sounding exhausted and drained. She sighed, smoothing out her dress. “Let’s just get this night over with.”

“Indeed, let’s.” Amity stated, face regaining some hints of color. With that awkward moment finally passing, the group headed into what they assumed was the room Amity had staked out to host the Moonlight Conjuring in. Before too long, the rest of the guests had started coming in: Amelia, Cat, Selena, Bo, and Skara. There weren't many, but they came all the same.

The girls froze upon seeing Luz, Amelia audibly gulping at the sight of her. The group frantically glanced back and forth between Luz in front of them, and Skara, situated at the back. Luz resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing it wouldn’t help any. She sighed, “Okay, look, I’m not going to assume I know why you’re all freaked out over me being here, though I do have a guess. I’m the security you were promised, and as long as I’m here, I’ll keep you all safe. Okay?” She finished, a note of hesitance in her voice.

“During the attack, someone I cared about was killed.”

The group turned towards Skara, staring straight at Luz, a blank, empty look in her eyes. Bo reached out, only for her arm to be gently pushed away. She stepped forward. “His name was Batthew. He wasn’t the smartest guy in the world, and he always went overboard. And now he’s dead.” Her voice sounded hollow, like she had no hope, no joy inside of her at all.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Luz said softly. If Skara was going to blame her for her friend’s death, she wouldn’t fight it.

Skara lightly shook her head. “Don’t be, it wasn’t your fault those maniacs killed him.” She stated, getting bewildered looks from all. Tears started to prick at the corners of Skara’s eyes. “All I want to say is thank you for avenging him. Even if you didn’t fight his killer, you helped stop those sickos, and prevented any more people from feeling the hurt I felt.”

Luz blinked, feeling some measure of relief that she didn’t hate her. That relief quickly shifted to guilt when she reminded herself Skara was grateful for stopping the people who had killed her crush/boyfriend. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve seen the kind of things the Black Dogs get up to when allowed to rampage.” She shuddered at the mental image. “I was more than glad to stop them.” She said gravely. She and Skara shared a solemn nod at her words.

With that, the tension seemed to bleed out of the room. Amity’s friends were still noticeably nervous around Luz, but it wasn’t anything too bad, and a few, such as Bo, even made an active effort to talk and interact with her.

“No way! Humans don’t have healing magic!?” Bo exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.

“Well, sorta,” Luz said sheepishly, scratching her head in embarrassment. “Back in the old days, it was a pretty common tactic of warring groups to attack enemy healers to deprive the opposition of their skills, as well as destroying information sources when capturing them wasn’t an option. Because of that, a lot of forms of magic and magical arts were all but lost, including Healing.” She finished, a soft frown on her face.

“Oh my Titan, that must be horrible!” Bo said, heart aching in sympathy of those whose lives were lost because they didn’t have access to healing magic.

“Yeah, I was honestly a little shocked when I learned that the Isles had healing magic.” Luz chuckled, arms crossed over her chest. “Still, efforts have been made to bring back Healing Magic, with assistance from those practitioners still alive in the world. Last I heard, Fiore, my home country, had actually established a school exclusively for the study and research of Healing Magic!”

“Well that’s a relief,” Bo sighed. “It might’ve come late, but at least it’s there now, and people can go get treatment when they need it, right?” She inquired.

“Yeah.” Luz said, cracking a sad grin. “Just wish it had come a little sooner.” She muttered.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing!”

Willow and Amelia were currently having a discussion about Plants. By all accounts, Willow was giving Amelia some pointers for upcoming assignments, particularly those dealing with more aggressive breeds of plants. Amelia frantically scribbled down the tips and suggestions Willow offered.

“Good, good, I can work with this!” Amelia excitedly exclaimed, relief and joy shining in her eyes. She turned to Willow, an embarrassed smile on her face. “You are seriously amazing at this!”

“It’s just some stuff I’ve pieced together in my free time.” Willow shrugged noncommittally. “I’m happy to share it if people think they need it, I just don’t see anything really special about it.”

Amelia gave a rueful grin, shaking her head. “And that’s why it’s so incredible! You figured all this stuff out on your own, when it took actual, fully-trained adults years to discover this stuff!” She gave Willow a sad smile. “You really are amazing.”

Willow averted her eyes, uncomfortable. Amelia may not have been as… aggressive as Boscha was at even her best, but she was still part of the group that made her school life difficult. But… Willow couldn’t find it in her to stay mad at the girl. She certainly didn’t like her, but she didn’t dislike her either. “Thanks, I guess?” She ultimately mumbled out.

Amelia briefly searched Willow’s face in confusion, before sighing in realization. “Look, Willow? About the whole ‘Half-a-Witch’ thing…” She started, proceeding carefully at Willow’s sharp look.

“Yeah?” Willow drawled, hackles raised.

Amelia bit her lip slightly, before continuing. “I’m sorry. It was a seriously lame thing to do, and to let Boscha and Amity get away with. Even if we weren’t friends, we could’ve done something to try and make things easier for you, but we just went along with it because it was easier.” She turned clear eyes towards Willow’s suspicious gaze. “It may not mean much now, but I will try and make things up to you. If that’s okay with you?” She gave a hopeful smile.

Willow mulled it over… but she didn’t feel any suspicions rousing at Amelia’s words. Sighing, she finally said, “I’m willing to give you a chance. I really don’t know how to feel about you and the others here.” She glanced over at Luz and Bo. “I honestly only came because my parents insisted, and because Gus and Luz were going to be here. But, if you really are serious about being sorry,” She gave a hesitant grin. “I’m willing to let bygones be bygones.” The two shared a nervous laugh. A thought came to Willow. “Hey, do you know why Boscha isn’t here?” She asked.

Amelia gave a snort. “Amity didn’t invite her, and considering how she’s been acting, that’s probably for the best.” She explained, getting a look of mixed confusion and concern from Willow. She elaborated, “Boscha basically screamed her head off at Skara and sent her into tears after she burned her, and she’s been avoiding everyone ever since. And between her and Skara, every one of us chose to stick by Skara.” She finished. Willow pondered the topic. As much as Boscha had caused her grief and some heartache over the years, she didn’t wish that kind of loneliness on anyone. She’d probably talk about it with Luz later.

Gus was surprisingly hitting it off rather well with Cat and Skara. Cat had basically volunteered to be Skara’s backup nurse for when Bo wasn’t around or when Bo just needed to take a break for herself. Skara frankly thought Gus was hilarious, even if she wasn’t really in a laughing mood, as his energy and nervousness gave him a unique air to him.

“-And so yeah, Bo’s a member of the HAS!” Gus finished explaining, getting a look of shared amusement from his conversation partners. “I mean, I guess with everything that’s happened, our group and the Human Roleplay Society is gonna get a lot of dirty looks after the attack.” He concluded, a look of bashfulness and sadness filling his features.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to join the HAS to send a message.” Skara remarked, getting an incredulous look from Gus, and a snort of amusement from Cat. “I’m serious! You shouldn’t be getting harassed because of what someone else did. Plus,” She gave a nervous smile, “It’ll let me hang out with Bo more often.”

“Well, I’m never one to turn away new members!” Gus excitedly cheered.

“I’ll bet.” Cat remarked sardonically, giving a loose shrug.

Unbeknownst to any of the guests, Amity had slipped away, stalking through her home on the search for her parents. The scowl on her face would’ve sent even the toughest of the Isles’ residents backpedalling. She roughly shoved her way past the assorted Abomination servants, utterly unwilling to deal with even the slightest of delays. Eventually, she made it to her father’s workshop, him STILL tinkering over his pet project, her mother calmly sipping her tea next to him while going over some of the paperwork from the family business. “Mother, Father.” She said with tightly controlled politeness.

“Ah, Mittens! How is the party going?” Her mother cordially asked, while her father gave a grunt of acknowledgement as to her presence. Odalia stood up, moving closer, pulling Amity to her side. “I must say, I am most impressed, sweety! Cultivating new relationships for the future with exceptional individuals, a stroke of brilliance!” She said, a proud smile across her face.

“Thank you.” Amity bit out, before continuing, “But what I actually came to talk to you about is-”

“MITTENS!!” Emira’s voice rang out, accompanied by frantic pounding. “GET ME AND ED OUT OF HERE!!!”

Amity turned a confused glance towards Odalia. “Emira was rather adamant about supervising your Conjuring, and when I tried to put my foot down, she… objected, rather aggressively. I had to seal her and Edric in the panic room so they wouldn’t get up to any mischief.” Her mother sheepishly explained, looking both pleased and annoyed at the ferocity her eldest daughter had displayed.

“I can understand locking up Emira,” Amity stated, quirking an eyebrow. “But why Edric?”

“Mittens, we both know he would free her in a heartbeat, if for no other reason than because it is Emira.” Odalia drolly stated, causing a brief moment of solidarity to pass between the two. Yes, they were both very familiar with Edric’s peculiarities and the sheer depth of his loyalty to his twin. “Now, what is it you wished to speak with me about, Mittens?” Odalia finally asked, getting back on track.

Amity breathed in deep, forcibly holding back her anger. “When you spoke with Willow, you implied that you only knew her through our confrontation at school, would that be accurate?” She tersely asked, getting a look of baffled surprise from Odalia, and a raised brow from Alador.

“Well, yes! Where else would I know her from?” Odalia rhetorically asked, a note of borderline condescension coloring her voice.

“Hmm… I must say, that name does seem familiar, but I can’t recall from where.” Alador muttered.

Amity’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Here’s a hint. My fifth birthday.”

“What does that have to do with anything!?” Odalia demanded in bewilderment, even as Alador mulled the hint over.

Alador snapped his fingers in realization. “Ah yes! Now I remember! Willow was the name of one of Amity’s playmates when she was little. When we noticed that she wasn’t developing as fast as her peers, we had Amity sever ties at her… fifth… birthday- oh.” He said, his usual tired expression widening into pale realization, even as Odalia’s own face shifted into horrified realization as the implications sunk in.

“Yes, oh.” Amity echoed, a look of bitter amusement on her face. She turned on her heel. “That was all the confirmation I needed. I believe that I will spend the remainder of the evening seeing to my guests. Mother, father.” And with that, she power-walked away, ignoring her mother’s cries to come back, to talk things over, as if she would. Amity ripped her necklace off, shoving it into her pocket, in no mood to hear her mother’s voice in her head tonight. Yet another blotch had appeared in her mental image of her parents. It was honestly mostly a black smear at this point anyway.

Eda glanced out at the sky, seeing that the Night Market was about to open, if the encroaching darkness was a solid indicator. She called over her shoulder, “Come on, King! We’ve got a shady seller to see about some potions!”

“Weh! I’m ready to go!” King cried, running up to her side, putting on a look of fierce (adorable) determination. She cracked a smirk at that. The two headed out, giving Hooty permission to use any and all means to defend the house in their absence, prompting a delighted shout of excitement from the friendly, if annoying, House Demon. Neither noticed, the heavy figure moving through the branches of the trees, stalking them on their approach to town, nor its bloodthirsty grin.

Luz glanced up from her discussion with Skara at Amity’s arrival to the room. “Hey Blight!” She cheerfully called out, only for her expression to shift into concern at Amity’s gloomy demeanor. “Something wrong?”

Amity sighed, waving off her concern. “It’s nothing, just an unpleasant talk with my parents.”

“Oh no, are they kicking us out!?” Gus exclaimed, a look of panicked despair crossing his face. He turned to Willow, clinging to her dress. “This is it! The moment of hopelessness as our dreams are dashed to pieces! Willow my friend, it was fun while it lasted!” He cried, sobbing into her dress, much to Willow’s exhaustion.

“What!?” Amity asked, baffled, before shaking it off. “No, you’re not getting kicked out, I just had something unpleasant confirmed. Please, you’re free to stay.” She said, bemused at the cheer of relief Gus let out, even as Luz and Willow shook their heads in amusement at his antics.

“Well, I guess it’s about time for me to start doing the job you recruited me for.” Luz said with a joking tone, heading for the door. She flicked a finger gun towards the group. “Save me some snacks for when I get back, okay?”

“Will do!” Willow called back.

Snorting in amusement, Luz made her way to the front door, planning on crawling up to the top of the roof for a vantage point against any attackers. Plus, she thought standing on a roof by moonlight was badass. Chuckling to herself at her inner geek rearing its head, Luz pulled the door open, only to go still at what she saw. Seven humans, all standing outside the door, staring her down. However, what really drew her gaze was the figure in the center, someone she hadn’t seen in quite some time. “Neon!?” Luz exclaimed in shock.

“LuLu!” The girl exclaimed, jumping towards Luz in a flying hug. The blue-haired girl eagerly buried her face into Luz’s side, a look of childish excitement covering her face. “Oh I just knew it was you!!” She pulled back, her face puffing out in a pout. “And here you are, having a fun-time slumber party without me!” She whined, flailing her arms. Luz felt her face go deadpan, even as the others, guards she figured, sighed in exhaustion at the antics of their charge. Yup, this was definitely Neon. Neon crossed her arms, a look of defiance covering her, admittedly adorable, features. “And since I’m here, I’m gonna be joining this party, whether you like it or not!”

“There is absolutely no way I’m talking you out of this, is there?” Luz droned, already resigned to the excitable girl’s antics.

“Nope!”

Amity busied herself with the setup for the Conjuring, intently ignoring the glances the others sent her way. She wasn’t distracting herself from the confirmation that, yes, her parents were callous enough to completely disregard one of the most bitter memories in her life, not in the slightest.

“Hey, guys?” Luz’s voice called out, drawing the attention of the group to the door. “We might have a situation!” Everyone was instantly on guard; Bo, Cat, and Amelia were nervous, seriously wondering if they were in danger, while Skara and Gus grew nervous but steeled themselves, even as Willow and Amity braced themselves for an attack. “Now, don’t be alarmed, but we’ve got some… surprise guests is all!”

With that said, Luz walked into the room. Everyone instantly took note of the girl tightly clinging to Luz’s side, a thin girl, roughly around their age, with messy blue hair held up in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon, a long-sleeved purple striped shirt under a vest, a long skirt going to her calves. She was beautiful, with delicate features that screamed innocence and gentleness, with brilliant blue eyes shining outward. Following behind them were six other humans, all varying in appearance, the only commonality being the immaculate black suits they wore.

“Um, Luz?” Willow tentatively asked. “Who’s this?” She asked, gesturing to the girl tightly hugging Luz’s side.

“Ugh, everyone, this is Neon Nostrade. She’s a friend of mine from the Human Realm. Neon, these are my friends and acquaintances from the Demon Realm.” Luz intoned, introducing the girl to the group and vice versa.

“Oooh!! It’s so amazing to meet you all! I am Neon, heiress of the Nostrade family, and these are my guards!” She cheerfully announced, wildly gesturing to the group behind her. “Basho,” She pointed to the tallest, a muscular man with a cleft chin, pompadour, mustache and sideburns, who gave a friendly wave, “Piper,” a round, short figure with prominently pointed front teeth, long hair with a significant bald spot on top who gave a small nod, “Baise,” a beautiful woman whose hair was done up in an intricate braided top-knot offered a short wave, “Tocino,” A gangly fellow with bright orange hair offered a smile, “Squala,” a darker skinned man with tightly pinned back hair gave a two-fingered salute, “and Kurapika!” The last guard, a handsome young man with rich blond hair, gave a bow, a polite smile on his face. Neon turned a sweet grin to the group. “They keep me safe from meanies who wanna steal my predictions!”

The assembled witches numbly waved in greeting. They all turned to Luz, who groaned.

“Look, I have no idea how they got here, but I can vouch for Neon, and I know her dad screens her guards to an insane degree. They won’t be a risk to us.” She stated, nodding to the group.

“Oh LuLu, you say the nicest things!” Neon cheered, eagerly hugging Luz’s arm.

“LuLu?” Amity questioned.

“Uh huh, LuLu!” Neon eagerly agreed. “LuLu was my very first bodyguard! Originally, papa kept me tucked away so my future husband would be the first person outside the family to see me!” The Witches paled. “But then I figured out fun magic, and papa made a bunch more money than usual, and he said I wasn’t gonna have a husband anymore, and he had his business buddies give him LuLu to protect me!” She cheerfully explained. “After that, LuLu took me into town a bunch and I had lots of fun! I got to shop for my own clothes, and didn’t have to wear dolly dresses anymore, and got to eat yummy food that wasn’t just veggies and water, and I even met a nice man who was getting money for his sick momma’s medicine and I gave him a bunch of money, but LuLu took him into an Alley and gave him her money and got mine back!” She just kept rambling away, even as her guards slumped over in exhausted resignation, a matching expression on Luz’s face.

“Hey, Neon? We’ve got some snacks set up, if you want any.” Luz said, pointing to the tray of goodies.

“Ooh! Yummy!” Neon cheered, rushing for the treats, eagerly stuffing them into her mouth.

The blond guard, Kurapika, spoke up. “Please excuse the Young Miss. She means well, but… she doesn’t have the most experience with the real world, I’m afraid.” He formally stated, giving a deep bow to the Witches. As he pulled up, he added, “I believe it is accurate of me to say that we are very grateful for you allowing us in. When the Young Miss overheard that her friend,” he gestured to Luz, who was currently staring at a wall, dead to the world, “was going to be attending a gathering at night with a group of youths, she insisted we come.” He sighed.

“By all means, this is no trouble.” Amity stated diplomatically, compartmentalizing the barrage of information Neon had blurted out, focusing on the gentlemen before her. Noticing the nervousness of the others, she asked, “Forgive me, but our Isles have recently been attacked by a group known as Oroboros, and everyone is on edge when it comes to humans, and while I mean no offense, I have to ask, do you have any association with them?”

The guards gained matching looks of dark loathing. “No, we do not.” Kurapika stated, his voice a mask of tightly controlled cool politeness. He relaxed slightly as he explained, “We were hired to guard Miss Neon so as to keep her predictive magic from being taken, along with her. While her father is, unfortunately, a high-ranking financier for Oroboros, we fortunately exist outside of that nest of darkness’ command structure.”

Amity nodded, filing away the information. “While I’m not sure how much you can actually say, would you care to explain how you all got to the Isles?”

As Kurapika opened his mouth to reply, he was cut off by Neon’s shout. “We passed through a big gate filled with water, and then Zoop! We were on the Isles!” She cheerfully called over, before resuming stuffing her face. Her guards just sighed, nodding at her words.

“What Miss Neon says is true.” Kurapika stated with a rueful grin. “While we don’t know its precise nature, we entered this Realm through the use of a Water Magic based portal. It was… quite the experience.” He finished, a look of embarrassment crossing his features at some memory.

“Thank you.” Amity said, moving over to Luz, who was still staring a whole into the wall. She pulled in close, harshly whispering into her ear. “That girl mentioned she had been kept in seclusion until her marriage. How old was she to be during it?”

“Thirteen.” Luz growled out. “The fact creep was one of the few people I’ve killed and not regretted, at least not outside the abstract regret of killing at all. I honestly would’ve preferred to expose the corrupt monster, but I had to settle for putting him out of people’s misery.” She turned a burning glare towards Amity. “And Neon’s dad is even worse.”

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nose-bandaid · 4 years

Text

bloom ✿ pt.7 — lily of the valley

Kino (Hyunggu) x (female) Reader | flower shop AU

march 8 lily of the valleys - sweetness, humility, trust, a return to happiness

taglist: @yunwoo <3

=====

“Lillies of the Valley~”

You smiled softly at the small dainty flowers sitting in the vase in front of you. It was a beautifully simple bouquet meant for a wedding that was happening tomorrow. All that was left to do was to write down the couple’s names on the card, one of your favourite parts of completing orders. It just allowed you to give that personal touch to it. Something to claim the work as yours.

The last week had gone pretty well for you, much to your surprise. When you went out for coffee with Seungkwan, you ended up spilling about everything that had been happening for the past few weeks. And honestly, you felt much better now that you had a friend to talk to. Getting all your messy feelings out let you clear your head and having some time away from Hyunggu let you sort out your thoughts. Or at least try to. Your heart hadn’t seem to understand the idea of letting go yet, and your thoughts kept on drifting to him.

The stock of daisies that came in yesterday? All you could think of was how he always coordinated his outfits to fit his sweet aesthetic so perfectly. When someone asked you about the lilacs over the phone? It reminded you of the fact that the small (now dried up) flower still sat at the bottom of the pocket on your bag, all alone.

It felt a little dumb to still like him, but did your heart care? It clearly didn’t.

Today was good though, it was just you and Joshua managing the store and you worked on the orders at a comfortable pace. Now that the traffic in the shop had died down since Valentine’s Day, you were happy to have more time to yourself at work. It also meant that you could play some of your own choice of music while working, which was another plus. One can only take so much mainstream music on a daily basis.

“Hey y/n, your man is here.”

You almost dropped the flowers to the ground at Joshua’s words. “I’m sorry, who is?”

“Not really sure, but he came in a couple days ago looking for you and then left when I told him you didn’t have any shifts.”

That really got your attention. “What does he look like?”

“Uh,” He stuck his head out the door to take another look. “Average height, high cheekbones, damn that jawline, very flowery looking—ooh I like his bag.” He returned to the room. “You should tell him to work here, he fits right in.”

“Oh my god, is it Hyunggu?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know his name, but you should probably go out and talk to him, he seems worried.”

You didn’t really want to go. Just when things were going so well, why did he suddenly decide to visit? Shoving your work aside, you got up with a sigh. Joshua already exposed the fact that you were working today, so you didn’t really have a choice but to go out. While you could just continue on with your work, you weren’t mean enough to simply refuse to see him.

When you walked into the front, you easily spotted Hyunggu standing at the counter, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He didn’t seem to notice you until you were standing right in front of him, and you tapped the table twice to grab his attention.

“Oh! H-hi.” He mustered a smile.

“Hello.”

You stood there awkwardly, waiting for him to speak.

“Uh... I guess it’s kinda weird for me to just show up randomly, but I wanted to talk to you about...” His words trailed off as he eyed the other customers watching him from afar. When he brought his attention back to you, he caught you staring at him expectantly and his composure crumbled. Letting out a sigh, he leaned on the table and rested his head on his hands.

“Haha, fuck.”

His sudden profanity shocked you a little. You never really expected such a sharp turn from his usual sunny, innocent disposition.

“Hey, calm down. Are you okay?”

You wanted to pat him comfortingly, but your hands hesitated and your brought them back to your side.

He raised his head and looked at you with pleading eyes. “Can we talk somewhere in private?”

You looked around the shop, as a public place, there really wasn’t anywhere for you be hidden from the curious glances in your direction. And bringing him to the back wouldn’t be the best idea out there.

“Josh?” You called out.

Your co-worker looked up from the papers he was writing on. “Yeah?”

“Will you be alright if I took my break right now? It’ll be like 20 minutes max.”

He gave a reassuring look and waved for you to go. “Yeah, no problem, go ahead.”

Turning to Hyunggu you nodded your head towards the door. “Let’s go grab a cup of coffee.”

You didn’t say a word to each other on the way to the cafe, and he was consistent in staying a few steps behind you. When you arrived, you let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t so crowded and compared to the flower shop, at least everyone was more focused on minding their own business. Going up to the counter, you approached a familiar face.

“Hey Jun.” You grinned.

The boy shrugged his shoulders as he waved with sheepish smile, an endearing habit of his that you’ve come to notice.

“Y/n I don’t usually see you here at this time. The usual?”

“Yep, plus a green tea latte for Josh.”

“Sure thing. Oh, and speaking of Joshua, could you relay a message to him for me?” He asked after writing down your orders onto their respective cups.

“Which is?”

Putting the cup down, Jun pulled down his eyelid and stuck out a tongue, letting out a small mleghh sound. “That’s it, thank you very much.” He looked over at Hyunggu. “And what can I get you, sir?”

“Uh, I’ll just have a mocha. Small.” He held his hand out to stop you from paying for the drinks. “I’ll pay for this, don’t worry.” He said timidly.

Taking a step, you nodded a little. “Thanks.”

You waited for the drinks in silence, and then sat in your seats, only to stare into your drinks for a while.

“I guess I should probably apologize for the past few weeks first.” He finally spoke up, his eyes hesitantly leaving the comfort of his cup to stare into yours.

“I mean, if I were in your position, I’m not really sure what I would do either.” You tried, but he shook his head.

“But still, it was wrong for me to just disappear like that. And I didn’t mean to act that way the last time I saw you, I just got really nervous because of what Hongseok said to you on the phone and I was also supposed to, uh...” He opted to take a sip of his mocha instead of finishing his sentence.

“Supposed to what?” You gently pressed.

Hyunggu ran his hand through his hair profusely before speaking. “I wanted to ask you out on a date, but what I gathered on that day was that you’re already taken so I ended up chickening out for the second time and things just didn’t—”

“Woah, woah, wait. Taken? What made you think that?”

He blinked and looked at you owlishly. “O-oh I just thought that you, you know, your co-worker, you called him ‘boo’ and all, and the way you acted I just thought—”

Now it was your turn to interrupt him. “You mean Seungkwan? As in like, Boo Seungkwan?”

“Boo... Boo Seungkwan?” He repeated, a little lost.

“Hyunggu,” You let out a small giggle. “His last name is Boo, that’s my nickname for him, we’re just friends.”

He buried his face in his hands. “Oh my god that’s kinda embarrassing, I’m so sorry. To both you and him, that’s such a stupid misunderstanding.”

As disappointing as it was to learn that you were both let such little worries get into your way, you were glad that it wasn’t something terrible like how you anticipated. Maybe you guys still had a chance. You decided to take that risk.

“It’s alright, I guess it’s pretty easy to have that misunderstanding, I never really thought about it that way. But let me ask you a question of my own.”

He sat straight up, shifting in his seat a little. “Yes?”

“The rose. It was more than just a kind gift right?”

“Ah... yeah I can’t really deny it. The guy who texted you—that’s who I meant when I said Hongseok by the way—probably made everything obvious right?”

“I mean, you were kind of obvious too, but also not...” You shook your head. “I don’t know, I just can’t read you. You’re naturally such a friendly person and sometimes the intentions of your actions are a little too ambiguous. Or at least, for me they are.” You sat back in your seat. It took a while for him to respond.

“Yeah, I was supposed to ask you out, but I didn’t. And I guess, I’m also asking you out now? Give me a chance to take you on a date at least?”

You tiled your head out of amusement at that.

“If you’re still up to that after everything.” He quickly added. “I’d like to get to know you better, without, er, lots of things getting in our way.”

“Sure, I’m still up to that.” You smiled when you saw his elated expression and glanced at your phone. “I should probably go now, but I do appreciate you coming to talk with me.”

“No, no, no.” He shook his head. “I should be the one thanking you. For everything.

“It’s all good, let’s talk later okay? Give me the details, and I’ll be expecting a reply this time.” You added playfully.

“Yes,” He smiled softly into his hands before looking up at you. “You will get all the replies from me.”

After exchanging your goodbyes and telling Hyunggu that no, he did not have to thank you again for everything, your parted ways at the intersection. He insisted that he walk you back, but you went against it—he was going in the opposite direction, and the trip back wasn’t that long at all.

You walked with a little bounce in your steps as your mind drifted back to the lilies of the valley. A return to happiness, that’s what they’re most known for, and to be honest, you thought that was pretty accurate. Opening the door, you thought to yourself that maybe the bouquet was a sign. A sign that things would — and they did — get better.

“You have that face again.”

You stopped in your tracks and saw Joshua smirking. He was probably trying to look cool while he said that but you thought he looked pretty stupid holding the bright yellow children’s watering can.

“Care to elaborate?” You asked, as you handed him his latte.

“You know, the one that says ‘AAAAA I got a date!’ I’m certain this time.”

You folded your arms. “Well, I can’t say you’re wrong.”

“Y/n’s got a date?”

You both turned towards the new voice to see Seungkwan entering the shop, some grocery bags held loosely in his hands.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” Joshua stated as he checked the schedule on the wall next to him.

Seungkwan dismissed his comment. “I know, I just had to pick something up, but don’t ignore me.” He looked at you. “You got a date?”

Suddenly feeling the embarrassment of all the attention creeping up to you, you nodded your head meekly. “Yep! Haha.”

“Was it that guy, uh, his name was Hyunggu right?”

You nodded again.

“Well, okay, one. I am very happy for you.” He accentuated his point with a finger. “Two, if this guy ever hurts you in some way ever again, I swear I’m going to come after his ass so don’t hesitate to tell me okay?”

Both you and Joshua laughed at his protective proclamation “He’s sweet, I promise. There was just some misunderstanding along with some... very unfortunate timing. But he’s a good person.”

“Alright then...” Walking over to snatch his small pouch on the counter, he backed out into the door. “But my point still stands.” He kept eye contact with you for as long as he could, before finally disappearing.

As you watched him leave, you shook out head and let out a happy sigh.

“Ah, I love him.”

“Who? Boo or Hyunggu?”

“Shut up, you know what I mean.”

“How am I supposed to know what you mean? I’m not a mind reader. I am simply a florist, all I do is wake up and water flowers and pretend like I know what I’m doing.”

“Please you’re not even good at pretending like you know what you’re doing.” You scoffed back.

“Glad you’ve caught onto that y/n!”

When your laughs finally died down, you pulled yourself together to get back to your abandoned work. As you headed towards the bouquet, you heard Joshua take off the lid for his drink, and you suddenly remembered your promise.

“Oh yeah, and Josh?”

“Mhm?”

You placed a finger underneath your eye and stuck out your tongue as far as you could. “Jun says mleghh.”

=====

AKHFSDKJ AY THAT WAS THE LAST PART:D

thanks for sticking all throughout this series i acc love you guys sm and i hope you enjoyed it;)

there will be an epilogue hehe! that i started writing before even writing these last few parts uh

so please look forward to one last update on this series!

~ tiny

19 notes · View notes

selfproducingfanfictionauthor · 4 years

Text

to be treated this way - chapter i

pair: shownu x reader

summary: When your alpha - sort-of - found his true mate, you’re stuck dealing with the aftermath and the coming of your next heat. So when your friend suggested a “dating service” to aid you, signing up seemed like a no-brainer. So, you’ve prepared yourself for the dominance, the adrenaline-fueled by fear and arousal and the constant out-of-this-world sex but when you meet Shownu, everything you know about Alphas is challenged. He’s soft - for the lack of better word. He cooks you meals, he takes you out on dates… all of which are not really necessary for an Alpha - Omega relationship… right? Whatever. You’d just really, really, wish he’d touch you now warning: this story may be slow-paced at the start, no other warnings for now - also, boo seungkwan’s appearance! a/b/o dynamics!

Many poets and writers have tried, failed and came close to describing what true heartbreak is. Such fundamental human experience is so universal that many men and women across history have drawn inspiration from it and created amazing works of art - sculptures, plays, books and songs. At the back of your mind, you remember reading something like - “If nothing saves us from death, at least love should save us from life” and although it’s beautiful and you certainly want to be saved, you feel like it’s too dramatic to apply to your own situation.

Even though you certainly feel like dying right now.

Mouth dry and head pounding, you blearily open your eyes to the sight of your blinking alarm clock. The numbers 1:03 pm mocks you in all its inherent cheeriness. Underneath the cocoon of your warm bed, you squirm, sweating and uncomfortable – feeling like you just want to crawl out of your skin just to reach the itch between your skin and bones. Fists closing and unfurling, you try to resist the urge to scratch, knowing that there’s nothing to find beneath, nothing to offer you relief.

Kicking off your sheets, you try to reign in the uneasiness. At the back of your ears, you feel the itch worsen, crawling down your nape burning down its path. Rubbing yourself against the scratchy texture of your bedsheets feels like heaven and hell alternating between five seconds – the brief relief only highlighting the torment of your hormones tenfold.

Time seem to pass too slowly as you try to muster the strength to get up. But your body refuses to cooperate, your limbs heavy and your mind foggy. This is what you hate the most about suppressants, the side-effects feels like punishment for being born an omega. Your head feels like it’s submerged underwater, and you don’t hear your apartment door opening with a bang.

“I’m here!” Seungkwan sings, grocery bags hanging from his arms. His eyes roam your kitchen before landing on you through your open bedroom door. At the sight of you, his mood drops. ”Oh my god, what are you doing!”

Your best friend rushes over to you and grasps your wrists, quickly pulling it away from your arms.

Streaks of scratches marred your neck and arms while you tremble. He notes with a small amount of relief, that at least, you didn’t break skin.

Aish, this girl.

Relief flood you at the familiar smell of your friend and his cool hands, drawing away from the heat marked by your nails. You let him drag you up to your couch. Sitting down, he grasps your wrists with one hand and reaches for one of the grocery bags with his other.

“Next time I see him, I’m gonna kick him in the nuts.” Seungkwan swears, agitated. Between the two of you, there’s only one person he could be referring to. You wince at the thought of Geun-woo, the alpha who had once frequented your bed. Pulling you out of your thoughts, Seungkwan fishes out a sheet of tablets and pops one open for you.

Trusting you to control yourself, he lets go of your wrists and hands you a bottle of water from the same bag.

“It’s not his fault he found his true mate, Seungkwanie.” You sigh, after swallowing the pill. You don’t know if it’s placebo or not, but immediately, the irritating itch and heat under your skin recedes.

The beta rolls his eyes. True mates, bah – people throw it around like a free pass. “True mate or not, it doesn’t mean he gets to drop you like a hot sweet potato – which you are, sweet and you look like a potato, woman, get yourself together! – and ride off into the sunset. Any decent alpha knows that omegas need weaning –”

Seungkwan goes off on a rant that you’ve heard on loop for the past week.

Geun-woo was a friend from the university. As alphas tend to be, he was popular and well-liked by your peers. His designation spurred him to be in the best shape he could be, drove him to win championship after championship for your university football team. After graduation, he went on to train for the national team and was – is – on his way to being a national athlete.

You could talk on and on about who Oh Geun-woo is to many people, but you could summarize what he was to you in three words: not your boyfriend.

The arrangement between the two of you was simple. You were adults, busy people living busy lives interrupted almost monthly by your heats and ruts. It was a logical and practical way to ensure that neither of you spend your vulnerable biological ~events~ alone. It was a good arrangement and after two years of it, you could honestly call Geun-woo a good friend.

However, the downside with spending such time so often with someone you’re not bonded with is you develop what experts call, a quasi-bond. It has all the effects of being bonded but dialed down by almost a hundred. You think it’s an exaggeration but you, an unbonded omega, really isn’t in the position to do so.

So when, Geun-woo found his true mate at some meet abroad, he dropped you faster than you could blink.

You don’t blame him, but man, it sucks.

Seungkwan glanced at you, sighing at your silence. Sending a prayer above, he fishes his wallet and takes out a card. “I have a suggestion.”

With your heat coming at you, barreling in the next two weeks, you’re just about open to any suggestion so, you hum behind your coffee mug, “The floor’s yours.” Well, at least the little of it that’s still visible under your clothes and knick-knacks.

“Before you say anything, know that I am suggesting this out of the goodness of my heart. But why don’t you consider this?” Seungkwan implored, handing you the card.

The black and purple card reads; “SS Matching Services” and under it, their company motto; “We’ve got the match for you.” With their office address and contact number.

“A pimping service?”

“Ya,” Seungkwan protested, red-faced, “Take your 19th century standards out of the gutter.”

His adamant protest startles a laugh out of you. For the guy who used to glare at anyone holding hands in public, your best friend has grown well. “Actually, it was worse in the 19th century but go off, I guess.”

Seungkwan leveled you with a flat look that had you raising your hands in surrender. No good can come from antagonizing the guy who just quite literally saved your life. “I’m listening.”

“Look, it’s just an option and it’s legit. Tough screening process too.” He takes out his phone and shows you the company’s website. Briefly, you glance at it before taking the card. Physically, it weighs like nothing but in your mind, it weighs like something amazing.

“How’d you know that?”

“My sunbaenim, uses this from time to time. It helps with his ruts. Win-win.” Seungkwan shrugs. You wonder which sunbae he’s referring to, given his many hobbies.

The website doesn’t look like it’ll give your laptop a virus, you’ll give it that. It’s classy and clean, and no random photos of just naked torsos. Good sign.

“You’re surprisingly blasé about this.” You laugh, eyes warm and surprised at how maturely Seungkwan delivers, only to laugh out loud at the sight of his burning ears.

You promised Seungkwan that you’ll check out the site but as soon as you got back to work, everything just swept you away.

That’s what happens when you work with kids.

Eyes warm with fondness, you quietly pat the bottom of one of your snoozing students. It’s nap time and your classroom has turned into some sort of sleepover area with all your students wrapped up with their soft blankets, nuzzling into their softer pillows. The early afternoon light filters into the room through the curtains, painting over the children with a soft glow.

Across you, another teacher takes the opportunity to get some of her own sleep in, curling herself protectively around two kids. Your classroom smells like baby powder and sweet treats, littered with small pastel chairs and tables. Its walls decorated with your students artworks and colorful cartoon characters.

This, this is one of the many moments that remind you why you became a pre-school teacher.

Many of your peers assumed it’s because of your designation. Omegas are naturally more inclined to take positions that require caretaking, given the innate desire to give care to others. Just like alphas are more likely to take positions that require leadership.

However, you muse, cooing as the young beta in front of you snuggle closer to your lap, many tend to gloss over the many manifestations of one’s designation. It’s true that by virtue of being an omega, you’re naturally more inclined to take care of your peers. Your so-called softness being the defining quality of your group.

But your omega manifestation is… a bit different. Sometimes, it makes you wonder how you got hired as a preschool teacher in the first place.

“Teach’r, sleepy time?”

Glancing down, you see the young beta pout at you. Waving away your thoughts, you slide down to her side and let the afternoon light lull you to sleep. All thoughts about your heat fading away quietly.

Soon, naptime was over and so is the day. Parents slowly trickle in, one after another, to pick up their children. Most of them harried from work, but still smiling at you and your co-teachers in gratitude.

“See you tomorrow, Rahui!” You call, as the last student leaves.

The little girl in her puffy sweater turns and smiles at you sweetly. “Bye, bye, teacher! Sleepy time!”

You flush at your student’s comment much to her mother’s confusion. After falling asleep earlier, you’d woken up to a clean classroom and several of your students hovering over you. Your pre-heat symptoms felt like they’re coming too fast for your taste.

Waving her off with a smile, you untie your apron and walk to the staff room where the others are. It’s almost 6 pm, and your daily staff meeting’s in session. In front of the room is your superior, an older bonded omega, with deep dimples on her cheek.

“Good job today, everyone.” She starts off, smiling at the soft cheers from everyone. “As you know…”

Your superior continues on to talk about the children’s upcoming activities. Vaguely, you hear her talk about a field trip, or is it a field demo? Shaking your head, you try to clear your thoughts but it seem like everything’s underwater, and no sound is escaping from her lips.

“… right, y/n?”

Blinking, you focus, and sent her a sheepish smile. “Sorry, you were saying?”

Your superior smiles forgivingly, “I was asking about that self-defense class you’ve been wanting to teach. When would you like to schedule it? Of course, pending approval with everyone’s schedule.”

Immediately, a large smile appears on your cheek. It’s approved?? You’ve been proposing that seminar for months. Most of the omega teachers were wary of the thought but warmed up to it recently. Especially when you mentioned how it’ll help them protect their kids – their students – more.

“How about two weeks from now?”

“Anytime!” You offer. The enthusiasm isn’t lost on your co-workers, some of them shaking their heads in amusement.

Your superior looks over your office board and hums at the chart. It contains all your schedules, including leaves, conferences to attend and heat cycles. With one look, your heart drops.

“Actually…” you start off, wincing at the thought of inconveniencing everyone because of your biology. “My heat is coming up in two weeks…”

Surprisingly, or not, omegas are actually quite liberal in discussing things like this. It’s simply part of the biology you live with. So your mortification is unfounded as your co-workers nod in understanding, quickly suggesting different dates.

Your superior nods, and glances at your work log book. “Well, we could schedule maybe four weeks from now to get you time to recover? Don’t forget to file your leave.”

Right.

“I still can’t believe she flew you in for her rut.” Jooheon’s laugh and disbelief reaches Shownu’s ears before he even steps inside. Smiling to himself, he finds his friends lounging in his living room, completely comfortable and completely unexpected.

Jooheon looks up at his arrival, “Hi, hyung! We let ourselves in!”

“I can see that.” Shownu nods in greeting, trying to remember who he gave his spare keys to. He’s pretty sure he didn’t make six copies of his set. Shrugging off his coat, he look on, realizing how his living room looks smaller with a bunch of guys occupying it. Jooheon and Minhyuk are on his couch, Changkyun’s on his stomach on the floor, playing with his phone and, Hyunwoo and Kihyun are by the window drinking a can of beer each.

That’s one, two, three… four, five…

“Hey, you’re home! And – are those protein bars?” The paper bag is snatched from his hand, before Shownu registers, blinking slowly as Wonho disappears once again into the kitchen.

The smell of jajjangmyeon invades his senses. Ah, yes, guys’ night.

Shortly after his arrival, everyone gathers in the dining room. With the two youngest improvising chairs out of the boxes Shownu hasn’t had the chance to unpack, having just moved into his new home a month ago.

To the eldest’s surprise, everyone pitched in with dinner, bringing different dishes and filling the dining table. Assorted cuts of meat are sizzling over the portable electric grill Wonho brought, several small plates of side-dishes and… are those buttered crabs he’s seeing? “What’s this?”

Minhyuk shoots him an amused glance over his beer, “You don’t really think we’ll let you off without a house warming, right?”

Shownu blinks, a small bashful smile forming on his lips, “But I’ve been here a month.”

An arm wraps around his shoulder and a weight shakes him back and forth. Kihyun rolls his eyes, getting into his personal space. “This is the first time we’ve been complete for a month! Just enjoy it!”

Jooheon hums, his cheeks filled with lettuce and meat from the grill. “Yeah, I mean, though it’s only Minhyuk-hyung that hasn’t been around, too busy getting his dick wet.”

“Oi!” their youngest protests, ears burning and nearly spitting out his drink. “We are eating.”

Wonho heartily “taps” Changkyun’s back, laughing. “We’re all adults here. It’s not as if you haven’t heard or said anything worse, Kyunie.”

“Yeah, daddy~” Hyungwon hits, reminding everyone of one very particular incident in college that featured a younger Changkyun and a girl from the bar, and the very thin walls of their shared apartment.

Changkyun flushes before rolling his eyes, “At least I get some. Can’t say the same to you.”

Scoffing, Minhyuk raises his hands, “Excuse me, I have no problem with that.”

Before Minhyuk starts to dive into his sexual exploits, Kihyun saves the day and shoves a piece of meat into his mouth and diverts the conversation to work.

Over food and drinks, Shownu and his friends catch up on their personal lives – not having as much time to get together as before. Not with Wonho’s celebrity coaching taking off, Jooheon and Changkyun’s new artist, Kihyun’s voice academy and Hyungwon’s and Minhyuk’s modelling.

Sometimes, Shownu feels left behind by the big dreams his friends are living but every day, he wakes up and goes home happy as a chef and food blogger. His appetite thanking him for the career path he chose. Besides, as Changkyun said, he could go big time if he wants, it’s just a matter of self-promotion which he’s terrible at given his shy personality.

Dinner passes by with a blur and they find themselves nursing their last beers when Jooheon circles back to Minhyuk’s vacation.

“So, hyung. How does it feel to fulfill your sugar baby dreams?” The young alpha jokes, his dimples appearing on his cheeks as he elbows Minhyuk.

Stars appear in the latter’s eyes and with a dreamy sigh, he responds jokingly, “Just as I’ve always dreamed.”

The one of the only two omegas of their group has never shied away from talking about his exploits, his looks and all the advantages he gets from it. Often, he jokes that’s why he became a model – to be admired and to fulfill his duties to the world and bless them with his godly looks.

“She flew me to her family’s island, and we spent her rut and my heat underneath the blanket of stars.” Minhyuk recounts, all dreamy-eyed, “I felt really spoiled.”

“I bet.” Kihyun remarked, smirking. “Is this the girl you’ve been telling us about?”

Ignoring Hyungwon’s cough of which one, Minhyuk nods, “Yes!” and turns to Shownu, “She’s actually friends with Nayeon – who, by the way, is asking me about you, hyung.”

Shownu blinks, before handing a can of beer to Wonho across him. “Me?”

“Yeah, she asked why you never called her.”

A chorus of ooh’s echoes in the room followed by a few gruff laughter. Shownu ducks his head and nurses his drink. Nayeon’s a nice girl, a model that he met when Minhyuk called in a favor for him to substitute as one of their shoot’s models after the original model called in sick. She gave him his number on a piece of paper before departing with a sultry look and a flying kiss.

Contrary to popular belief, Shownu is not dense – or, more like, he’s not that dense.

“Ah,” Shownu starts, “Um. I don’t think we’re looking for the same thing.”

Wonho pauses and eyes him, before levelling the younger guys with a look that has them catching their teasing remarks and keeping it to themselves. Wonho has known Shownu the longest and knows that though his friend’s an alpha, physically, through and through, his disposition often throws people off.

He’s soft when others are hard. Soft-spoken, patient like a saint and very careful with his actions and words. Wonho doesn’t even remember if he’s ever seen his friend get angry or aggressive in the span of their long friendship.

A romantic at heart, through and through.

“Well,” Kihyun claps, breaking the quiet, “You know, no point in pursuing something that you know’s a dead end, right?”

Minhyuk pouts, sometimes a little bit insensitive in his enthusiasm, “But she’s cute! And she’s an omega too! Besides – wait—how do you even deal with your ruts?”

Shownu’s face lights up like a lantern, the drinks doing nothing about the flush crawling up his neck. It’s not like he’s never spent it with someone, but every time, after the week of his rut, he always feel tired and empty. So for the past ruts, he’s been dealing with it - “Alone, with suppressants.”

“Yah, I thought you’d stopped taking those!”

Constant use of suppressants for an alpha fucks up their cycle and even their moods. Wonho knows this the best because he was on it for several months back in college, before he started becoming confident enough in his newfound muscles and height.

“I did.” Shownu nods, assuring his friends. “I don’t use them anymore. Just when I’m… you know. It’s just easier to deal with.”

All the alphas in the room scoff under their breaths. Yeah, it’s easy if easy felt like walking and dancing on hot coal in the middle of the hottest summer day. It’s not as if their eldest can’t get a woman just by standing by the bar, being his awkward self.

At their little corner, Jooheon and Changkyun glance at each other, years of friendship evident in their wordless communication. Changkyun tilts his head, eyes widening and jaw clenched, “Go”, he mouths.

Jooheon pouts, “Do you know how hard it is to get into their mixers, punk?”

Shrinking at Changkyun’s flat stare, Jooheon rolls his eyes and sends a prayer to the universe asking for good karma.

“Hyung, what do you think about dating services?”

Notes: The stage is set for our two protagonists! I tried to incorporate as much world-building and character backgrounds as I can without it being over the top. Please leave comments and asks! :) I’m trying to stick to weekly updates. Also, support Monsta X’s next comeback!

#shownu x reader #monsta x shownu #monsta x imagines #monsta x fanfiction #abo dynamics #seungkwan cameo appearance #because im a moncarat #seungkwan's a pimp #sort of #alpha shownu #omega reader #quite the lore for abo #monsta x comeback #monsta x x reader #monsta x #son hyunwoo fanfiction

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kylorengarbagedump · 4 years

Text

Little Bird: Chapter 17 (NSFW)

Read on AO3. Part 16 here. Part 18 here.

Summary: Hold on to that feeling.

Words: 7700

Warnings: dubcon, graphic depictions of violence, Ren literally cocks his gun

Characters: Kylo Ren x Handmaid!Reader A/N: Hi! I really, really hope you enjoyed this massive installment! Haha. Firstly, I need to thank @faestae who essentially co-wrote this chapter--the car scene was her brainchild, and her edits truly helped me feel confident in producing this. It's out of my comfort zone--I've never written ANYTHING like this before, so, hey! I hope it went okay.

Also: hey! Finally, some fucking SMUT, bitch! Hallelujah.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me. I'd love to hear your feedback on this chapter, given that it's so new for me! I love y'all. <3

Darkness melted into shadowed forests, leaking into the windows, pouring over the black dashboard. Moon and stars offered the only reprieve from the cast of night that enshrouded your line of sight. Street lights in Gilead had crumbled into obscurity. After all, when so few were permitted on the roads after sunset, what did it matter?

In the windshield, your reflection stared back at you. She was a stranger, with her hair rinsing over her shoulders, her wrists exposed by the shrunken sleeves of her sweatshirt. Plain clothes made it more believable that you’d escaped. It also made it more difficult to swallow that you hadn’t.

You glanced out of the passenger-side window of the BMW, hands pinned between your thighs. Wiggling your fingers into the loose denim, you relished the scrub of it on your skin. After all, you wouldn’t have these jeans on for long. Once you made it to the Red Center, you’d be covered in crimson once more. Swathed in slavery. A strangled sigh left your nostrils.

Poe grinned. “Relax. It’s my job to drive with the headlights off. We do it all the time.”

The car’s motor made a muffled whine as it coasted through a deep loop into the woods. “I know.” It wasn’t him you were worried about.

“Is the contact at the Red Center?” he asked. “She’s an Aunt. She’s not warm, but she is Resistance, I promise.” He shrugged. “She has to keep up appearances, you know.”

“No, that’s not it.” You chewed your lip. “Just nervous about the plan. I’ve never done this before.”

He nodded. “We’ve got it taken care of. Our contact reports that they’ve located you from the missing report we’ve filed with the Eyes. You’re taken into the Red Center for a short re-education. It’s likely that Ren will find you around that time and pull you out. Then, we all keep in contact.” Grinning wider, he slapped the side of the wheel. “Easy as that!”

You were silent. His continued reassurance did nothing to quell the panic in your heart.

An uneasy silence settled between you. You peeked over at him, hands pushing further into the leather seats. Poe was, by all measures, devastatingly handsome--an honest, classic man, chiseled jaw and strong brow, the kind of eyes that said I’ll fuck you hard and cuddle you to sleep--yet you felt nothing for him. Not a single spark in any region of your body for this attractive person who had rescued you from certain hell and was now guiding you safely back into it. To think of Kylo Ren, however, blood zipped through your veins in a race to see which it could flood faster: your face or your cunt.

You shook your head. What the fuck was wrong with you? The frustrating reactions of your flesh only steeled your resolve to cripple his reign over it.

“Would be nice if we could listen to music.” He turned the radio on, spinning the dial. Static. “Did you grow up around here? Did you have a favorite station?”

“Um, yeah, I did.” A slight smile crept onto your face. “I actually… didn’t really listen to radio.”

He gasped in mock-shock. “Really? What did you listen to?”

“I liked records,” you said. “Queen. Bon Jovi. Guns N’ Roses.”

“Guns N’ Roses!” Poe laughed. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting that.”

You couldn’t believe a man was interested in your music taste. “Well, what can I say,” you said. “I’m apparently full of surprises.”

“You really are.” He rapped his fingers along the steering wheel. “It’s a brave thing you’re doing. Don’t forget that.”

“I’m trying to forget that, honestly.”

“Why?” he asked. “It’s the truth.”

You sighed, tugging at the sleeves of your sweatshirt. “I don’t want to think about it. I’m not a brave person, you know. I’m not like, a rebel, or… I don’t know. Someone with conviction.” The past few months had proven that. “I’m like. Selfish. A coward.”

“You’re a survivor.” He paused, letting the word hang in the air. “We need survivors to prove there’s hope for the rest of us. Don’t doubt those instincts. They’re the ones that get us out of this hell.”

A survivor. Sure, if the model of venerable survivor could be fulfilled by a desperate, naked woman choking on her Commander’s cock.

“I just… I don’t think there’s really much admiration or honor in anything I’ve done.”

Poe sighed. “You know that saying, there are no atheists in foxholes?”

You nodded.

“I have a new one,” he said. “There are no saints in Gilead.”

“Ha.” You rolled your eyes. “I don’t know about that one.”

“There’s not a single one of us without some sort of dirt on our hands.” He turned the wheel, taking another long, winding turn. “Or blood.”

You cocked your head, trying to seek his gaze in the pitch-dark. “Even you and Finn?” you asked. “Even Rey?”

He nodded. “Even us.” Tapping the steering wheel again, he waved off your hesitation. “Whatever you’ve done, it’s gotten you here. With us. Everything you do next is trying to help. That’s all that matters.”

Heat sank into your bones. Perhaps he was right. At least you were trying.

“Now!” Poe threw his hand up in a sweeping gesture. “Let’s get some music going. What’s your favorite song?”

You blinked, laughing in confusion. “What?”

“We still have a little drive to go,” he said. “Might as well make it fun.” He stole a glance at you--you swore you saw a shadow of a smirk. “I bet you know this one--”

“Poe--”

“Just a small town girl!”

Embarrassment rushed your cheeks, and you groaned. “Poe!”

“Come on now--livin’ in a lonely wuh-urld!”

“No!” You were laughing, face buried in your hands. “I don’t sing!”

“She took the midnight train, goin’ eh-nee-where!” He cackled. “You next!” When you sealed your lips, he nudged you. “Come on!’

You sighed, mumbling, “Just a city boy…”

“There we go--born and raised in south De-troy-eet!”

“He took the--” A distant, low rumble hit your ears, you stopped. “What was that?”

Poe shook his head. “Just the car. We modified the muffler, but it still doesn’t silence the engine all the way.” He cleared his throat. “He took the midnight train going eh-nee-where!”

“Okay...” His dismissal hadn’t quieted your nerves. Your heart lodged in your throat, thrumming in your skull, eyes scanning the endless tunnel in front of you.

“Next line!” He looked at you, brows raised, but when you were silent, he continued, shaking you softly by your shoulder. “A singer in a smokey room! The smell of wine and cheap per-fyu-oom!”

A loud crack from behind you. “Poe!” You whipped around, straining to see through the curtain of black air.

His head spun and he tapped the brakes, face severe--but after a moment, he shrugged. “Just a tree snapping.” There was relief in his expression, too. “The forest is noisy at night. We hear it a lot.” He cleared his throat again. “Where were we?”

Peering over your shoulder again, you could see only emptiness, no matter how hard you looked. The car rocked as he turned the wheel, easing out of a winding turn. You wiped your palms on your jeans, opening your mouth to sing. But only a creak of anxious noise would leave.

“You know the rest, right? For a smile they can share the night--”

You couldn’t breathe. Your skin itched.

“It goes on, and on, and on and on!”

Behind you, headlights burst to life.

The earth evaporated. Terror wrung you. You screamed.

Ren.

Poe slammed the gas, engine rousing to life. You pitched forward, seatbelt catching and slinging you into the chair, and you twisted against the restraint, watching the lights shrink.

“What are you doing?” You grasped the folds of Poe’s jacket, shaking him. “It’s him. I know it’s him. Pull over. Pull over!” He wasn’t slowing down. “Let me out! I’ll just go to him!”

“We can’t.” Poe’s eyes darted between the road and the rearview mirror. “We’re dropping you off anonymously. He can’t know I was with you. It’ll lead the Eyes right back to Finn and Rey.”

“How did he find us, then?” you asked. “He might already know it’s you!”

Poe frowned. “Can’t take that chance.”

You shook your head. If Ren was here to get you, then fine. You’d leap out of the fire yourself. It wasn’t as if you were unfamiliar with the frying pan. Grumbling, you jiggled the door handle--but it wouldn’t budge. You fumbled with the frame in the dark, fingers searching for the lock.

“Are you crazy?” Poe hissed, yanking your wrists. “These roads are lined with trees. We’re going sixty miles an hour and counting. You’ll be mincemeat.”

“He wants me,” you said, “just let me go to him.”

A roar of a motor behind you. Two lights, swelling, petrifying you.

“It’s too late for that.”

The lights drew closer. The engine screamed.

You sought out solace his gaze, helpless. “Then what do we do?”

Poe grimaced. “We lose him.”

He rammed the gearshift back, then forth, and the engine wailed, the seatbelt throwing you back as he cut the wheel and hit the gas, darting between the trunks of two gigantic pines. You gripped the frame and screamed, jaw clacking, limbs akimbo as the tires smacked the uneven forest floor, suspension jarring under the strain. Poe grunted, throwing the stick back, zooming between the columns of trees, somehow navigating in near-complete darkness.

“Fuck!” you shouted, unsure if you wanted to look or to close your eyes. “Fuck! We’re going to crash!”

“We’re not.”

He veered along an embankment, the wheels spinning out, and he snatched into an even higher gear, tugging on the emergency brake to right the car. You were plastered to your seat, seeking connection with anything solid, ribcage ready to fly straight through your skin. Sweat dampened your neck. The car whined when he revved it again, weaving like a needle through the forest--you hit a hump, heaving with an iron clash, tossing you and Poe toward the ceiling.

“Damn!” He snapped the wheel, gunning the gas. In seconds, the car hit pavement again, and he righted the tires, zooming down the road. “There’s no way he’ll be able to follow me. Once we lose him, we’ll make a detour to the safehouse right outside these woods and switch vehicles.”

“Safehouse?”

“Of course.” A cocky smile split his face. “You think we went into this without a back-up plan?”

Rays of light twinkled in the distance, followed by the echo of a raring engine.

“Poe--”

“Shit.” Poe forced the stick forward and accelerated, tires squealing as he skated through the next sharp turn. “How did he do that…”

A brief reprieve, and then another bright flare, the growl of a rough downshift. Ren launched into your line of sight, and you screamed again, hiding behind the seat while he surged forward.

A furnace of terror erupted in your chest. If Ren caught you now, what would happen to you? To Poe? You imagined him, one large hand on the wheel, the other on the gearshift, eyes threaded toward the BMW, locked with a singular purpose: finding you.

Poe had been right. The only option was to escape.

Within seconds, light blinded you, blazing through the back window. Your attention was trained on Poe, who tracked his mirrors, brow drawn low in frustration. Ren had come so close you could feel the furious vibration of the engine in your fingers. As you banked through another wide turn, Poe cursed.

“Is he seriously going to--”

Ren smacked you, the front end of his passenger side colliding with the back end of the BMW, throwing it into a violent wobble. You, for some reason, ducked, as if this would prevent the car from crashing. With a growl, Poe righted the vehicle, strangling the wheel and the stick with his grip.

“You’re kidding me,” Poe snarled. “He’s trying to pit us.”

An angry whine of Ren’s engine, and you both flung to the right as he struck again, tires screeching as Poe ground the brakes and yanked the gearshift down. The vehicle quaked, reeling side to side while he struggled to keep it steady, another turn curling in front of you.

“Reckless bastard!” He tossed a quick look over his shoulder, squinting in the light. “He’ll get us all killed on these roads!” Eyes jumping from the mirrors to the streets, he squared his shoulders. “You wanna play?” he muttered. “Let’s play.”

He tugged the emergency brake, drifting through the next swerve, the velocity compressing you into the door. With a sharp cut of the wheel, he smashed into the forest again, your crown hitting the ceiling as the car flew over the uneven terrain. You shrieked, folding over, head between your knees to try and prevent your skull from cracking. Mind spinning, you held your breath, willing the world to stop, damning your own hubris for ever believing you’d be capable of getting out of Gilead alive.

And then, the car coasted, the wheels aligned, motor humming happily. It wasn’t until your stomach settled that you raised up and, under the stars, saw the road rolling out straight in front of you.

“This is the highway!” Your neck was a swivel, looking between him and the empty lanes in your wake. “What are you doing?”

“We’re going to beat him at his own game.”

“What?”

A black sedan broke from the line of trees behind you, skidding across the asphalt. Those headlights again, bearing down like the eyes of a predator, hunting you, the rage of the howling engine stalling your pulse. You went to swallow, but your throat was dry. Poe followed Ren’s approach, his acceleration steady. Ren bore down on you, pulling to the side with the intent to pit you again.

“Hang on!”

You watched, chest frozen, as Ren’s car dipped--at the same time, Poe slammed the brakes, tossing it into a low gear, motor reeling, car snatched from speed as if it’d been leashed. Seatbelt bruising your chest, you retched, and Poe jerked the wheel to the left, the front end of the BMW rattling as it scuffed Ren’s rear bumper.

“Dammit!” His jaw stiffened as Ren sped ahead. “We’ll have to try again.” He clicked the headlamps on, apparently acknowledging assistance was needed.

White beams framed Kylo Ren’s vehicle--an Audi, you thought--and it slowed its pace, dropping until he was only feet in front of you. The driver’s side window descended.

You first saw his eyes, ghoulish with rage, immune to the glaring light, his thick hair whipping around his head in a mass of inky tendrils. Your heart seized in that moment, seeing not your Commander, but a man consumed with desperation, possessed by what you could only identify as fear; and then you heard it--the explosion of the left headlight--before you realized Ren had twisted out of his car with a gun.

“Fuck!” Poe jerked the car to the right, but Ren followed, somehow maintaining his pace while lining up another shot. “He’s fucking insane!” He reached over, scrambling at the glove compartment. “Open it, open it!”

“What?” Hands shaking, you fumbled over the latch, snapping it open. A pistol tumbled out, hitting your feet. “Poe, what?”

He wove left, hoping to interrupt Ren’s aim. “Have you ever shot a gun?”

You sputtered. “What?”

“Have you ever shot a gun!”

“No--”

The rearview mirror shattered, glass spraying in a brilliant fan across the dash.

“Shit!”

“Just pull over, it’s not worth it!” you cried.

“If he catches us, then Rey, Finn, and all those other women are dead!” Poe dusted bits of the mirror from his arm. “It’s us or him, now, I’ll get close, you shoot!”

You grabbed the gun, metal slipping over your palms. It was heavy, vibrating with your trembling grip. “I don’t know how!”

Poe snatched it from you, pulling back on the slide and tossing it back in your lap before darting back to the right. “Use both hands, aim for the tires, and pull the trigger.”

Blood careening, you swallowed, rolling down the window. Wind buffeted you, burning your eyes, but you stilled your lungs, convulsing with terror as you inched to the edge of your seat. Gathering the gun in your hands, you bent forward, tucking your head into your shoulder, arms flailing while you tried to steady them. Poe revved the engine, and you screamed, firing a shot. The force of it blew your wrists back, elbows buckling, and you collapsed.

You’d missed--but when you glanced out of the window, you met Ren’s gaze. A pang of guilt stirred in your belly. Shadows sharpened his face, registering something between shock and fury--and he turned. Too afraid to give him the chance, you threw your arms forward, closing your lids and pulling the trigger. Another bang, and another, each shot going wide. Poe cursed, downshifting. The car rocked as he swayed to dodge Ren, and you clenched your jaw, locked your joints.

“Again!”

Pointing the gun toward the street, you fired.

Though you’d doubted in recent years, the existence of God could be the only explanation for how your bullet lodged itself into the Audi’s rear driver tire. The car squealed, floundering on the road, and as Ren struggled to gain control, you tore past him, feet turning to yards to entire football fields, the headlights now tiny flames in your dust.

Poe cheered, thrusting his fist in the air. “Yes! That was incredible!”

Breath rushed you in heaving gasps, gun plopping into your lap, hands flapping with fear. You blinked, craning your neck to look at him, gaping in disbelief. Wind tossed hair into your mouth, and you coughed, raising the window, focus shifting between the gun, your hands, Poe’s elation.

“We’ve got this.” He turned off the headlights. “Just a little bit further,” he said, “we’ll lose him at this next ex--”

A pop, the car leaned--Poe wrested the wheel to the right as you skidded left, metal grating pavement. You spun to see waves of yellow sparks spouting from the rear driver’s side tire. The same tire you’d hit.

“The tire!” You shook Poe’s arm, as if this would help him understand. “He shot the tire!”

“Dammit!” He glanced in his driver’s side mirror. The headlights glowed, pulsed with Ren’s advance. “Just hold on!”

Before you could breathe, another pop. The driver’s side tilted into the pavement, and Poe seethed, hitting the brakes, car jolting like it’d been tossed into a storm. You keened, covering your head, air catching in your throat and failing to leave. The gun hit your feet, you hissed in pain. With two rims gnashing the highway, you couldn’t even hear yourself think, and smoke billowed into your nostrils, suffocating you, tears biting at your eyes. All of this, every second of it, because of you--because you had been foolish enough to leave Ren, because you had been even more foolish to believe you could deceive him. All of it, your fault.

“Poe!” you shouted. “Please! Just pull over!”

He met your eyes. “Don’t stop believin’, kid--”

Pop.

The BMW spun like a top across the highway, and you shrieked, clinging to the door. Naked wheels hit the lip of asphalt, the front end vaulted, thrown by momentum, colliding into the ground with a crunch, your head smacking the dash. Pain ricocheted through your skull, and you groaned, vision fuzzy, a shrill ring deafening your ears.

Your senses trickled in, raindrops gliding across the window of your brain. First were smell and taste--ash, rubber, a lingering throat-burn. Then came your nerves, with the thump of what was likely a concussion at your hairline, the swelter of sweat at your back and nape. Your ears were next, filtering out the trill in your mind, catching instead the wisps of someone’s gasping. Finally, your sight. Grey smog belched from the hood of the vehicle, the front end crumpled. You were half-on, half off the road, facing the barren highway, its endless possibility mocking you.

To your left, Poe was coughing, sucking in air. It was his breathing you’d heard--and as if you were someone else, you now heard your own. Slow, shuddering. But present. Behind him, a bright, dazzling light, a halo silhouetting his frame. You unlatched your seatbelt, wanting to head toward it. A massive shadow eclipsed it, coming closer. The depths of your mind, still dizzy from the crash, screamed at you.

The door flung open. Pop.

Something hot spattered in tight spurts on your face, the windshield. Poe flopped, draped over his seatbelt, limp. Copper lit up your nose.

Mind finally meeting matter, you drew in a breath and wailed.

You reached for him, but his body was torn from the car, tugged through his seatbelt like paper, tossed onto the pavement with a careless thud. Vomit rolled in your stomach, and you groped for the gun, bungling it into your grip and aiming it, a sentient shiver, at your target.

But Ren was fast--by the time you’d raised the pistol, he’d already lunged. He ripped the gun from your hand, his thick fingers snarling your hair and wrenching you out of your seat. You hollered in pain, writhing as he dragged you over the console and through the door by your scalp.

He shoved you to the ground, too, and you crumbled to a heap. Before you could even blink, he pounced, his hips pinning you to the pavement. Straddling you, he cranked your head to the sky, his nails sinking into your skin, a cool muzzle slamming against your chin. Vines of furor screwed through his face, breath wracking him like thunder. His weight on your stomach froze your lungs, your eyes seeking to look anywhere but into his. Ren consumed you, invaded you, shook you in his grip as if you were his prey.

“A gun.” His voice scraped his throat. “You mean to kill me with this.”

The roll of a live engine rippled through the road, into your flesh. From the corner of your gaze, you could make out a contorted mass of limbs, a wet nest of curls spreading into a dark puddle on the road. Vomit again--you gagged. Ren snapped you back to his stare, his pupils pinpoints in the light.

“I should kill you, too.” Words pushed through clenched teeth. “Leave you here.”

He held you, tethered by the throes of wrath, flattening you along the asphalt. Your heart thrashed in your throat, head pounding. If he was going to kill you, he would have done it by now. The memory of his terror when he’d seen you on the road emboldened you. You swallowed.

“You’re not going to shoot me, Ren.”

His lip furled, and he jammed the gun into your mouth, the barrel clacking your teeth. You winced, and his hand tightened in your hair, like he could pry it from your scalp. A growl rumbled in his chest, and he leaned forward, hair dangling over his reddened face. His eyes leapt over you, cataloging his responses to the defiance in your gaze, the flush in your cheeks. He paused on your mouth, wandering around the ridge of your lips, studying the way they wrapped around the gun, the way drool collected at their corners. A slow, quiet breath leaked into his lungs, his jaw clenching--and he exhaled, swallowing.

He yanked out the gun and extended his arm to the side, unflinching while he unloaded the entire clip into the air. You recoiled, face scrunching, lids shut until he had blown through all nine remaining shots. Under the shrieking peal in your ears, you caught a clatter when he tossed the weapon to the ground.

“Maybe not,” he said. “There are other ways to break you.”

Ren stood and fisted your hair again, jerking you to your feet, and you whined, fruitlessly trying to peel his fingers off. He snapped his wrist in reprimand, pain popping you. Cold metal seared the base of your skull. You’d forgotten that he had a gun, too.

“Move.”

Swallowing, you stepped with him, his body flush to yours as he walked you toward his car. Every step brought another wave of regret, of grief. Your brain whirled, fighting to process how badly you’d fucked up this time. Ren had you now, sure, but God, at what cost? Poe was dead, dead at the will of this monster. Gone was the tenderness that you’d sworn you’d glimpsed just a few days ago--there was only boiling urgency now, pulsing through his hands. The heat of his power had you trembling, perspiration dotting your forehead. He edged you toward the back of the Audi.

“Open the door.”

You hesitated, and he snapped his wrist again, another shot of pain hitting your scalp. Whimpering, you leaned forward as far as he allowed, quaking fingers pulling the handle and prying it open. Trying to anticipate his instruction, you moved to climb into the car, but he yanked you back, tugging you against his solid frame. His mouth hovered over your ear.

“Do you think I want you touching my seats while you’re dressed like a whore?” Ren murmured. He released you, shouldering you forward, and you stumbled. “Strip.”

Streaks of mortification rocketed through you, fire in your veins. “What?”

Click-click. His gun. “Now.”

Nausea once more. He hadn’t shot you--yet. You inhaled, chin quivering. A wad of resentment stuck in your throat, and you swallowed it. This was it, now; you were working for the Resistance. You just didn’t imagine your first mission would be to strip for Kylo Ren in the middle of an abandoned highway at midnight. Compliance would be important, even if the thought of his hands--the same ones that had just ended Poe’s life--coming anywhere near you inspired bile at the back of your throat. Steeling your jaw, you tugged off your sweatshirt, shivering with gooseflesh when the wind hit your skin.

“Good girl.” The scratch of shifting shoes behind you. “Keep going.”

Hot shame burned in your belly, scorched your face. Compliance be damned, the thought of exposing yourself outside felt no less repugnant, no less terrifying with a moral justification. In this moment, the only one on Earth who knew where you were and that you were even alive was your Commander--how could you pretend you were being heroic? Biting your lip, you kicked off your too-big sneakers and unbuttoned your jeans, shimmying them down your hips, embarrassment glowing at your cheeks when you exposed your ass.

“Much better.” Ren drew closer. “Look at you, stripping for me like the little slut you are.” He sniffed, amused. “You wanted to kill me.”

“You shot first.”

A hard thwack to your ass, and you yelped. The pleasant sting of it, the humiliation, stoked something extremely fucking unwelcome between your legs. Water welled in your eyes.

“I don’t remember asking you to speak.” He stepped back. “The rest.”

The fact that your thighs whispered in need at his demand spilled the tears down your cheeks. Even at gunpoint, even after witnessing him murder one of your saviors, your body responded to him. You wanted to vomit, to rip your stupid fucking uterus out of your belly and bleed out into the street.

That option not currently available, you stifled the sob in your throat and reached behind you. Longline bras had approximately 20 tedious hooks, and you took your time releasing each one of them. You shuffled the straps from your shoulders, and the bra fell, nipples peaking with the brush of fabric. A shudder betrayed you.

“You’re pathetic.” He stepped close again, warmth radiating from him. “You pretend to have conviction. You play at revolution.”

“No, I--” you began, but he spanked you again. “--fuck.”

“Quiet,” he said. “Take them off.”

His proximity brought sweat to your palms and churned your stomach with fear--and, disappointingly, arousal. Just one more article of clothing to go. Throat tight, you pushed your panties down with as little motion as possible, the thought of Ren staring at your cunt too horrific to bear. Finally exposed, you stood, head hung, heart knocking in your ears.

A large, warm palm skated over your side, and you squeezed your lids shut, suppressing a whimper. “You ache for me.”

“You’re disgusting,” you sniffled. “You’re a murderer, a criminal--”

Ren snarled, tangling a hand in your hair, snapping you to his body as his gun jammed against your temple. He hissed in your ear, “You are the one who deceived me, who betrayed me.” His hips rolled into you, his concealed length grinding into your backside. “If we discuss criminality, let me remind you who makes the law in this land.”

You squirmed in his grip, cunt almost clenching at the memory of his cock. “Legality doesn’t equal morality.”

“In Gilead,” he said, “it does.”

He loosed the hold in your hair, gun still to your head. Fingers grazed your neck, ghosting over your pulse, and fell lower, tracing over the line of your shoulder, the swell of your ribcage, gooseflesh following in his wake. You whined, but he tapped the muzzle against your skull, drawing slow air into his chest while his hand washed over your belly and then back up. In a moment of reverence, he cupped your breasts, his breath hitching as the flesh gave way to his grip.

This was wrong. Under Gilead, under God, if he existed, it was wrong. More tears brimmed. At the same time, there was the gentle knead of his hand, caressing naked skin after having been denied it so long--you couldn’t help it. You sighed in pleasure, tears falling, stinging you.

“Filthy bitch,” he purred. “What do you know of morality? Your friend is dead, and you moan for me.” He nipped your ear. “Do it again.”

“I hate you,” you gasped, jerking away from him. “You’re a demon.”

“Then what does that make you?” He squeezed your tit, thumb petting the nipple--you quivered, a gentle breath escaping. Ren grunted, his pelvis rocking into you. “My thrall?”

Another gasp--your pussy finally throbbed. “Fuck you.”

His hand cracked your ass, so hard the flesh jiggled and burned. Desperate air fled your lungs. You cursed yourself for crumbling, your body for breaking, your heart for beating. Yes, you needed to do this, you needed to convince him of your loyalty. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was your cunt, pulsing with honest, unabashed need. It cared little for your mind’s protests--it wanted Kylo Ren.

“Your mouth is becoming a problem.” He shifted, forcing the barrel of his gun past your lips. Icy metal coated your tongue, and you whined. “Quiet. Unless you’re anxious to join him.”

Warm fingers crept around your hip, your muscles tensing when he crossed them, inching closer to your sex. With a soft sweep, he teased your folds, and you groaned onto his gun, spit seeping from your mouth. Ren’s insistent bulge jabbed into the small of your back, air catching in his throat. He slid a finger into your slick slit, and exhaled.

“So wet...” His lips fluttered along your pulse, and you pressed your thighs together, seeking friction. Ren hummed in satisfaction. “You’re absolutely repulsive...”

Heat drenched you, and you wept, nodding. How could you argue? By any measure, he was right.

“That’s right, whore.” A thick digit skimmed your clit, and you moaned, noise muffled by the weapon. “Imagine if the Resistance could see you now, so eager, so impatient,” he said. “You can never go back.” He jammed the gun deeper, it scrubbed your teeth. “I’m going to ruin you.”

Ren pushed a finger into your pussy, pulling you close while he spread you, not even the car’s engine loud enough to hide the wet noise of his disappearing digit. You were dripping already. The knowledge weakened your knees out of sheer indignance--but he held you up, hand sneaking between your thighs, thumb brushing your clit as he thrust his finger in and out.

“I feel that little cunt gripping me.” He huffed, pleased. “You like that, don’t you?”

Sparks of pleasure crackled at your nerves, and you whinged, resenting the pulsing between your legs that only clamored louder with each nudge of your clit. Ren sucked softly at your neck, slipping in a second finger--your hips bucked, grinding onto his hand, and he snickered. Two digits thrust in, now, curling inside of you, stretching you wider. The sensation hijacked your rationality, replacing it with a ravenous void that hungered for more. You fought it, straining against his hold, unwilling to submit like this.

“Disgusting,” he hissed. “That’s what you called me.” A third finger pushed inside of you, thumb working your nub, and you moaned, spittle dripping down your chin as you resisted the urge to bounce on his digits, to fuck yourself on his hand. “But I think it describes you perfectly.”

Ren drove into your pussy, and you squeezed him, reveling in how full you felt from three of his fingers. They slid in and out with lewd, slick thrusts, his lips still suckling at your throat. The strain of the gun had numbed your jaw, but you didn’t care--desperation had you hostage. Another tease of your clit, another deep jab, and he pulled out, your cunt clamping on emptiness, frustration winding through you. An irritated sigh fizzled in your chest.

“Dirty thing…” He removed the gun, strings of drool hanging like garland from the barrel; before you could relieve the tension from your mouth, he stuffed his fingers in. “Tell me how your traitorous cunt tastes.”

The bitter, sticky tang of your cum coated your palate, and you whimpered, cleaning his digits, sealing your lips around them to suck them clean. You were revolted. You were intoxicated. A moan rumbled in his throat, he popped his hand free. Gasping, you wagged your jaw.

“Good girl.” His teeth worried the skin on your neck. “And?”

You exhaled shakily, the words on your tongue equal parts performance and authentic. “It tasted so good, sir.”

Ren growled, tugging your mouth open and leaning over you. He spit into it. “Swallow.”

You did, shuddering, a raging bolt of lust electrifying your limbs.

“Very good.” His lips met yours in a brief, hard kiss. “Do you think you deserve my cock?”

Between your legs, your pussy screamed yes. You followed its lead. “Yes, yes, sir.”

He snorted. “Get in the car. Face me.”

Trembling with anticipation, you perched on the backseat, leather squelching as your bare ass scooted across it. You eased yourself to the edge, knees together, arms crossed over your chest. Ren stood, soaking you in, stroking himself through his pants. The sight of his erection made you twinge, your own desire inspiring a foul taste on your tongue. How, after this, could any part of you still want him?

“Desperate slut,” he murmured. “Drop your arms and spread your legs.”

Your thighs pushed together before sliding apart, hands falling to your sides--you were open, wet and needy and waiting for him.

“I can see your cunt throb from here.” His eyes lingered between your legs before they drifted to meet your gaze. “You’re shameless.”

Another clench. Fuck. You couldn’t stop it.

He smirked. “Beg me to fuck you.”

Blood festering in your face, you stared at the ground. Half of you was convinced you were saying what needed to be said. The other half was all too glad to let the words fly out unchaperoned.

“Please, Commander,” you breathed, emphasis on his title. “Please, fuck me.”

Kylo Ren removed his gun from its holster at his waist, spinning it on his finger before firing toward the ground, gravel spitting your ankles. You squealed, jumping back, and he chased you, shoving your face into his chest. Holding you tight, he pressed his gun against your pussy, the warm barrel pushing your folds apart--you quailed, trying to worm out of his grip.

“What the--what the fuck--” you cried. “What are you doing!”

“Shh,” he said. “I never said you earned it.” He teased your entrance with the muzzle, and you wailed, a reluctant, anxious noise. “Quiet.” The gun pushed a centimeter inside of you, your greedy cunt drawing it in, aching for something to fill it. “Mm. If you do well enough taking this, I might let you cum on my cock.” Another centimeter, his hold crushing your head to his breast. “Do you understand?”

Panting, you nodded.

“Say it.”

“Yes, Commander, I understand.”

Loathing, absolute revulsion engulfed you, tears flooding your eyes again. As he worked his gun in another inch--and you clenched--they poured over your cheeks, body trembling while you wept. Is this what Poe had been picturing when he’d called you a survivor? A pathetic, spineless lout, so eager for cock that she’d beg her would-be owner to debase her with the same gun that had killed her comrade? Practicality urged you to see reason--this is what he wanted, and you needed to appease that in order to meet your goal.

But carnality had an alternative take--this is what you wanted, too, your agreement to play spy mere coincidence, and that given any other circumstance, you’d be in this exact same position. And you’d be loving it.

You weren’t sure which was more true.

“Yes…” Ren slid the barrel in deep, and you shivered, pulsing around the unforgiving length, its harsh, hard edges stirring pleasure through your thighs. “You know how vile you are. This is what you deserve--to be destroyed with my weapon.” He slammed it into you, and you groaned, bucking your hips to meet it. “Fuck... I’d forgotten how insatiable that filthy little pussy is.”

His hand released your head, groping at your tits before drifting between your legs, thumb swiping your swollen clit. You gasped, lids shutting with immediate bliss, melting into his frame. He huffed in approval, rolling the pad of his thumb around your nub, plunging the gun in and out of your cunt, your walls gripping and clenching around it.

“You’re no rebel.” Ren pounded you with the barrel, driving it into your squirming body with loud, sloppy sounds. “You’re only good for collecting my cum--” His thumb flicked fast over your clit, earning a moan. “--and getting fucked like a whore.”

Pleasure was a whirlpool in your belly, threatening to drown you. Your breath cycled rapidly in your chest, muscles locking and twitching with the prelude to your climax. You whimpered, moaned, buried your face in Ren’s chest as you withstood the urge to cum on his gun.

“Is this what a revolutionary does?” he sneered. “Is this how you’ll overthrow Gilead?”

“Commander, please--”

He tore the barrel from your core, withdrawing from your clit, and you sobbed in protest--but before a coherent complaint formed in your mind, he knocked you back, laying you out on the seat. Leaning into the car, he kept the gun trained on you while his other hand wrenched apart his belt and freed his long, thick cock. He fisted it, fucking into his fist while he basked in the sight of your figure, flush and quivering for him. He met your eyes. Lust clouded his pupils, shortened his breath.

"Stupid bitch.* His teeth were bared. "Look at what you've made me do. Leave my post. Kill a Guardian. Strip my own Handmaid and defile her." He spat into your spread cunt. "I was wrong. You're barely worthy of disposing of my cum." Climbing over you, he dug the muzzle into your temple. You could almost taste yourself on it. Ren nudged your swollen pussy, painting it with pre-cum. "Beg for what you need."

Your near-orgasm had you far gone. Satisfaction was your singular priority.

"Fuck me, please, please, Commander, I need your--"

Before you'd even finished, Ren sank into your wet heat, sucking in air through his teeth as it swallowed his heavy, hard length. He adjusted, settling over you, and pistoned his hips, skewering you with his dick. You howled in ecstasy, keened in pain, body crackling with something otherworldly--whether its origins were in heaven or hell, you didn't know. He slammed you, savaging your cunt, leaning to your ear as he kept his gun to your head.

“How could you think to leave...” he muttered, “when you love being filled with this cock?”

Delight resonated at his words--you were so drunk on the euphoria of being fucked that you could only moan, could only let your eyes roll in your skull.

“How could you think to leave,” he said again, voice cracking. “How could you think to leave me…” He sucked in a broken breath, shifting over you so he was propped on a single elbow, working his dick deep into your cunt. “Fucking whore--”

The sounds from his chest snapped you to reality. He sounded pained. “Commander--”

“Say my name.” Ren gasped, throttling a cry in his throat. “Say my name, slut.”

Blinking in shock, you nodded, testing it in a sigh. “Ky--Kylo…”

A tormented wheeze shredded him, and he burrowed his face in your neck, barrel boring into your skull. He heaved with splintered sobs, pumping into you, filling you whole. His hand snaked between you, teasing your neglected clit, and you cried out, too, wrapping your arms around him, clinging to the promise of orgasm.

“Say it again…”

“Kylo,” you groaned. “Oh--Kylo…”

“How could you leave me,” he mumbled again. “I own you--fuck--” A harsh thrust, ramming you deep, and you yelped. “You’re mine!”

His fingers swirled faster on your twitching clit, and you jerked with ecstasy, climax simmering in your bones, growing closer with every punishing thrust of his cock. You weren’t sure how much longer you could hold out.

“Say my name.” The words escaped between his uneven breath. The gun jabbed your skull as his hips moved faster. “Tell me who you belong to.”

“Kylo--oh--I belong to you--”

Ren’s lips smothered your ear. “Then who does that make you?”

You whimpered. Your reality. “Ofkylo...”

“Fuck--” He seethed, pelvis stuttering while he snuffed another sob. “That’s right…” A moan, low and soft, left his chest, enveloped you. His digits assaulted your clit. “Cum for me, bitch. Cum for your Commander.”

Fervid pleasure broke you, back arcing off the seat as it overwhelmed your nerves, sending you to what could only be paradise, if you hadn’t known how you’d gotten there. The clenching of your cunt sent Ren into a frenzy, a gnarled wail grinding in his throat when he came. Thrusting through his orgasm, he seemed unwilling to pull out, cum spilling in your pussy and leaking onto the leather.

Both of you succumbed to exhaustion, breath traded through panting pairs of lips, brains and bodies sorting through their orientation. After a moment, Ren swallowed and eased himself onto his palm, stowing the gun in its holster, avoiding your eyes as he slipped out of you. His face was crimson, streaked with tears--the realization made your insides scramble.

He left the car, adjusting himself to decency, re-buckling his belt. Your head lolled while you struggled to identify your next step. The coals of euphoria still burned your skin.

“Up,” came his voice. You cleared your throat, nodded. You needed to get dressed anyway.

As you gathered yourself to sitting, Ren presented you with his gun, gazing at you with a brow raised. Meeting his stare, your focus flickered between him and weapon before you sighed, inching forward and leading your tongue up the barrel, locking with his eyes. Your juices were dry, now--still salty. He hummed, taking it from you before you could finish. Drilling you with a smug glare, he glided his tongue along the final remnants of your cum before swallowing.

“You’re not as stupid as you seem.” He holstered his gun again, moving toward the driver’s seat. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.”

You cast your attention around the street, stomach sinking when you saw the destruction of Poe’s vehicle. Of Poe. Guilt asphyxiated you. A survivor. You. Sure.

“But…” Cheeks red, you reached for your underwear, pulling it on. “Where are we going? Your tire…”

“I have three tires,” he said, as if one didn’t typically need four to drive. “We’re going home.”

“Oh.”

Your mouth twisted in confusion. You’d managed to get your pants and bra on, and you slid out of the car and shut the door, searching for your sweatshirt. By the time you’d slipped into it, Ren was already seated, waiting for you. You vacillated on where to sit--he threw the front side open. A tingle of anxiety hit your neck, and you sat, closing yourself in. He shifted into gear and cut the wheel, driving off, the drag of his rim on the road jostling the car. Poe’s body disappeared into the darkness. You wanted to vomit again.

You looked at him, shaking off the nausea. “Won’t they, um, want to take me to the Red Center for re-education?”

Ren’s face was stone. “You’ve had plenty of re-education already.” A pause, and he glanced at you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “You belong with me.”

Staring into your hands, they seemed to morph, knitting together, growing roots, now a clump of weeds in your lap, a collection of feelings, all connected, all inseparable. Your guilt, your disgust, your hatred, your need, your affection--they were vessels, feeding each other, each destined to die without the others. You wanted to sever them all, watch them wriggle like maggots as they withered to husks, become free of all of their complicated consequences.

Sneaking a glimpse of Ren, you tightened your jaw. You couldn’t sever them. And a small, awful part of you didn’t even want to.

#kylo ren smut #kylo ren x reader #kylo x reader #kylo ren imagine #kylo ren #kylo trash #handmaid au #little bird #fanfiction problems #tw: violence #dubcon #god this took forever

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mollymauk-teafleak · 4 years

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Hi! I love your blog and your writing! That last Juno and Ben fic you wrote was so beautiful and heartbreaking, and 'I will love you if I never see you again' was INCREDIBLE, I've read it like three times! I was wondering if I could request some Ben/Mick fluff or angst? Thanks and I hope you take care!

Thank you so, so much for your lovely words about my work, I’m so glad you like it!

And I am very sorry that this is how I’m repaying you...

---

“I think I’m going to move out.”

Mick was half asleep already, he wasn’t sure what he’d heard for a moment. He wasn’t even sure Ben had spoken, his voice was so soft and small, like he was half a world away rather than lying in his arms, their noses practically touching on the pillow.

“Huh?” he mumbled in response, forcing one eye to open even with how leaden his eyelids felt. Mick had always been a heavy sleeper.

But the sight of Benzaiten Steel was worth it. He looked so different when he was tired, without the make-up and the smiles he put on for the rest of the world. Mick always felt like he was seeing a version of Ben that no one else got to see, making him feel like the luckiest guy on Mars. So much about Ben made him feel like that. Right now he was staring at him with wide eyes, still slightly glazed, it couldn’t have been more than five minutes since he finished. His face was soft, unmanaged, vulnerable. He looked like how Mick remembered from their first night together, the night they hadn’t even needed to have sex because just being in the same bed, nothing between them, had been more than enough. He looked sixteen again.

“I think I’m going to move out,” Ben repeated, voice still small like he was worried someone would hear, “Out of mom’s house.”

Mick stopped, both eyes snapping open now. He sat up, wanting to focus, wanting to force his mind that wandered so easily to stay still and really listen because he could see now how important this evening had suddenly become. And he’d thought tonight would have been the same as any other Saturday; movies on his dad’s ratty old sofa, ones they didn’t really listen to because they were so wrapped up in each other. Sex that was amazing, sleeping in each others arms that was somehow even better and Ben waking him up as he tried to leave quietly for his early class the next morning. Mick liked predictability, he liked knowing what was coming. And he hadn’t known this was coming, not at all.

“Oh…” Mick mumbled, wishing he had something better to say, as Ben followed him in sitting up, “You...you sure?”

Ben sighed, not in frustration at Mick, he was pretty much the only person on Mars who had never and would never do that. He just sighed like he was deeply exhausted, leaning back against the headboard, curls falling in his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling.

“I just...I don’t think I’m doing any good, Mick,” he mumbled, “I thought she needed me around but...lately, more and more, it feels like me being there is making her worse?”

Mick chewed on his lip unhappily. He didn’t like to comment on Ben’s ma. He didn’t know a lot about her, honestly, for someone who’d known the Steel twins as long as he could remember. There had been the odd conversation, sure, where she’d handed them juice when they were little kids and asked about school in the way adults did, like they all read from the same script. But that was all he knew, even after nearly five years dating Ben and more than a decade of friendship with them both.

And most of that was their doing, Jay and Ben had always kept her at arm’s length from their friends. Mick more saw the periphery, he saw the impressions that were left. He saw how Jay’s jaw would tighten when the subject of parents came up in school, like when they’d read a story about a happy family or the teacher would mention taking something home to mom and dad. He saw how Ben would get uncomfortable when Mick was at his house, not like he didn’t want him there but like he was expecting something bad to happen at any moment, something where he’d need to throw himself in front of Mick to protect him. He’d seen the signs on both of them, the signs of missed meals and sleepless nights. He’d had them both turn up on his doorstep on a school night before, asking meekly, shamefaced, if they could sleep on his floor. He knew Sasha had, too.

And he’d heard the arguments since Jay had split and joined the academy. He’d seen Ben coming back from dinners with his brother, red eyed and tense. He heard his boyfriend angrily slam his comms down on a conversation halfway through.

Mick knew enough. Enough to make his stomach churn when he would drop Ben off at home and watch him walk through the door, feeling like somehow he had failed him.

But Ben had stayed, even after Jay left before the candles were even blown out on his eighteenth birthday cake. And Mick trusted Ben’s reasons for doing that, for them still not having moved in together, for there having been no word of moving beyond what they had right now, still a high school relationship with more frequent sleepovers. He trusted his boyfriend’s big heart.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t scared for it, each and every day.

“How do you mean worse?” he asked, striving for delicacy even when he knew it was so far from his strong suit.

Ben hadn’t looked at him since he’d spoken but now Mick got the sense he was deliberately doing it, “I mean...she...it’s complicated but...the pills…”

Mick reached over and took his hand, where it was lying limply on the bed. After a moment, those fingers responded, holding Mick’s tightly in return.

“She keeps thinking I’m Juno,” he admitted, voice shrunk right down, “She’s seeing things, she’s losing things when they’re right in front of her. It feels like the medication isn’t doing it’s job any more. And sometimes...she says things. To me. When she thinks I’m Juno.”

Mick felt his shoulders square, “What kind of things? Ben?”

“Nothing she means,” he said quickly, shaking his head, “It’s her...troubles talking. But I don’t think I’m helping any more. I...I think she needs to move somewhere. A facility. Where they can keep her safe when I can’t.”

Ben actually flinched, like he was expecting some divine retribution, like he was waiting for the universe to rail against him for even daring to say that about his own mother.

But there were only the two of them, lying side by side in the darkness. And honestly, Mick was doing everything he could to keep the relief out of his voice.

“Ben, you’ve done everything you can for her, more than you ever had to,” he spoke haltingly, trying so hard to find the right words to match what was going on inside him, “And deep down, she knows that. If this is what's right for her, then it’s what’s right. And...it’s not your fault.”

Ben looked up at him and Mick realised in that moment that his boyfriend had been holding back tears for a while now. He folded him into his arms and let him sob against his chest, stroking his tight curls and rocking him, just like he’d always wanted someone to do for him when he cracked like this. When he was little, anyway. Now he had Benzaiten.

Mick always hated this, he hated that there were hurts inside the man he loved that he couldn’t fix. But Ben had taught him that he could at least be there.

“Hey, hey,” he murmured, when he felt Ben’s tears start to slow, “It’s alright, sunshine. It’s okay.”

“Thanks,” Ben gasped, moving to rub his eyes but Mick got there first, gently dabbing at them with the edge of his shirt, “It’s just hard. I love her and...and she’s going to hate me…”

“She’s your ma, Ben. She loves you,” Mick tried to reassure him though, truthfully, he had no idea, “Sometimes you have to make decisions that are hard but...they’re what’s best in the end.”

“I know...I just feel so selfish.”

“Selfish is the last thing you are, Benzaiten Steel,” Mick’s voice firmed now he knew he was saying something absolutely true and he held onto his boyfriend tightly, “Believe me, I’m an idiot, but even I know that.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Ben shouldered him lightly, barely even moving his boyfriend who was much bigger than him, “Don’t say that.”

“Well don’t say you’re selfish,” Mick returned, chuckling, bringing them back to lying down, back to being nose to nose, “You just...you love so much, Ben. Everything you do is motivated by that. And it’s so nice.”

Ben sighed gently and kissed him lightly on the lips, “See? How can you say you’re an idiot when you say such lovely things?”

Mick laughed, kissing him back just because he could and because it felt so good, before murmuring, “So...if you’re moving out...do you need a place to stay? Cos I know a not-idiot who has room in his bed…”

Ben’s eyes shone and hope dawned in them, “Really? You’d be okay with that?”

“Sure!” Mick grinned, “Or, hell, we don’t even have to live here. I’ll sell my bike and we can move somewhere new, get out of Oldtown, off of Mars itself if you want. Somewhere fun and exciting and you can dance and I can write and we’ll have a million pets and a million kids and we’ll get married and love each other for the rest of our lives…”

Ben was giggling and squirming before he’d even finished, blushing beautifully and burying his face against Mick’s neck, “You’d need to sell more than your bike...but that sounds nice.”

“Sure does,” Mick held him close, able to breathe again now the smile was back on Ben’s face.

“It’ll take a bit of time I guess, finding her a place, somewhere nice where they’ll take good care of her and help her feel safe…” Ben murmured, “Somewhere away from all the noise and stress...but then I can sell the house to pay for it, Juno will help...and then…”

“And then?” Mick murmured, kissing the top of his head.

He felt him smile against his skin, a smile of pure hope.

“Then I can get on with loving you for the rest of my life.”

#tpp #fic #the penumbra podcast #mick mercury #benzaiten steel #ben/mick #angst #pre bens death #canon compliant #blame my girlfriend for this

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