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bvbygrl-writes · 5 months

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Wrong House

Pairing: Stu Macher x Nerdy!Reader x Billy Loomis

Word Count: 3.2k

Summary: A step into wrong house leads to a night of the right fun.

A/N: I was not supposed to upload this tonight but I'm too excited about it. I'm not proof reading this long ass shit either so if something is spelled wrong use your imagination to fix it, mwuah! <3

Warnings: reader has afab anatomy breaking and entering, knife play, homoerotic themes (they kiss but nothing more than that), mentions of murder, eiffel towering, loss of virginity, coercion and ultimatums, rope bandage, panty kink, and panty sniffing.

THIS FIC IS 18+!!! MINORS / ACCOUNTS WITHOUT AGE DNI YOU WILL BE BLOCKED WITH NO WARNING BUT THIS ONE.

(Y/n) was naturally an anxious girl but, with her parents out of town and the string of murders happening, she was on edge. She had every single light on in the house, the downstairs tv on, anything to make it seem as though the house was full of life. The reporters on the radio had told people to stay together and while most of the students in school had that option, she didn’t. Nobody wanted to be friends with the quiet girl who still wore Care Bear sweaters and could recite Star Trek lines from memory.

Nibbling the end of her pencil, she let out an exasperated sigh. She had been staring at the same math problem in her textbook for a good 45 minutes. “Focus, (Y/n/n), focus. If you do end up living through all of this, you’ll want to get into a good college.If you fail, mom and dad will make you wish you were dead.” she said out loud to herself, a sad laugh falling from her lips. At that same moment, her stomach began to grumble. When was the last time she ate? Reaching for the phone, she dialed the number to her favorite chinese food place. She loved it because the food was cheap and they were one of the only places that delivered something other than pizza after 10PM.

“Alright, thank you!” she said, placing the phone back on the receiver. It’d be about a 20 minute wait, giving her time to focus more on her work. Sighing she sat back down in front of her textbook, staring at the page until the numbers started to blur together. “Well, that’s enough of that! I should get the money for the delivery driver seeing as it’ll be here in…” glancing at the clock on her wall she sighed, “Twenty minutes.” ignoring that face, she stood up, bunny slippers stomping over the carpeted floor to the piggy bank on her dresser. She pulled out a 10 dollar bill along with a 5 for the tip. But before (Y/n) could even get to her door, she heard a noise at the front door.

“Th-that’s weird. There’s still nineteen minutes an-” she shrieked at the sound of the door bursting open. Every anxiety filled thought she had had since being home by herself was coming true. The blood drained from her face, her body growing light at the sound of the voices coming from the living room. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she turned off the lights and closed her bedroom door. The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs put in perspective just how real this all was. She silently cursed her dad for never fixing the damn lock on her window. She might’ve broken a few bones from jumping, but that’d be better than being completely dead! Looking around her room she made the decision to jump in her closet, closing the accordion door.

She became aware of how loudly she was breathing, clamping her hands over her mouth. Her body trembled with terror. ‘Is this how I die? Alone, never experiencing friendship or love?’ Was this really the time to be feeling sorry for her lack of social and love life? ‘Well to be fair, this may be one of the last times I’m able to feel anything whatsoever.’ The sound of her bedroom door opening instantly made her mind go blank. The girl felt as though she was having a heart attack and honestly? She would have preferred that to whatever death she was about to experience.

“Are you sure this is the right house? This doesn’t look like Chelsea’s room.” A male’s voice remarked, the lights flicking on. She could see through the small slots on the folding door that there were two men. One had dark hair and a knife in his hand. The other one was taller with blonde hair and a backpack with god knows what inside of it.

“Yeah, dude! This is 345 Avalee Lane.” the other one exclaimed, an almost sinister grin on his face. The dark hair one made a sound that was a mix of a growl and a sigh.

“You fucking idiot! Chelsea lives in 348, we’re in the wrong house!” he pinched the bridge of his nose, kicking over the little trash can near her desk across the room. (Y/n) relaxed a bit. Maybe since they weren’t looking for her they’d just leave?

“Well at least no one’s home, we can just get out of here.” The blonde one rasped out, eating a piece of candy off of her dresser before tossing the wrapper on the ground. ‘Rude’ she thought.

“The lights and the tv were on. Someone’s definitely in this house. I’m going to go check the other rooms and you look around this one a bit better. We can’t take any chances.” The brunette exited the room and in the distance he heard the sound of different doors being opened.

The blonde one began to hum, snooping around her room. He walked over to her dresser, opening up her panty drawer. A smile grew on his face as he held up a pair of white ones with a pink lace trim, shoving them in the back pocket of his baggy jeans. “Cute.” he said to himself (or so he thought). Walking over to her bed, he tossed the covers back before bending down to check under the bed as well. Next, he walked over to the cupboard of her collectable figurines, opening up the door. “Hm.” he shrugged before beginning to exit the room. She removed her hands from her mouth, placing them on the floor beside her as she let her body relax. However, before he could leave, she could see a lightbulb go off in his brain as he turned around walking towards the closet. The girl’s eyes went wide as she shook her head. As he opened the closet door, she couldn’t even manage to make a sound. A look of surprise made its way onto his face before he began to grin. “You’ve got cute little undies. Hey Billy!”

All (Y/n) could do was sit there in shock. She recognized this boy, he was in her art classes although he rarely showed up. Now that she could really see his face, he was quite attractive. Before she could delve into why she was letting herself think that, the other one (who she assumed was Billy) appeared right next to him. Although he had a scowl on his face, he was just as attractive. ‘Well, you always said you wanted a cute guy to notice you. There’s two! But you should’ve been more specific, huh (Y/n/n)?’

“She’s kind of cute in a dorky little way, ain’t she?” Stu commented as Billy used his knife to lift her chin. She didn’t dare stop making eye contact with Billy for fear of what he might do with that knife the second she did. He tilted her face around, examining it from all sorts of angles before he chuckled.

“She is. (Y/n), right? You’re the girl that’s always winning those sciences awards at school. We have AP English together.” he said in a calm tone. This was the strangest thing she had ever experienced. Why were they dragging this on so much when they could just kill her and get it over with?

“M-mmm-mhm!” she stuttered out, nodding her head ever so slightly so she didn’t cut herself on the blade.

“Although I agree with my friend here, you still find yourself to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. See, I’ve got a plan and if I let you live, there’s a big chance you’re going to blab and ruin it for me.” he said, his words coming out through gritted teeth towards the end. “So unfortunately, your time’s up.”

“No, no please! I-I-I won’t blab and tell! I don’t have any friends or anyone to tell I won’t tell please! I promise!” she sobbed, begging for her life as he pressed the knife against her neck harder. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, which would also explain the sensation happening between her legs. Fat tears continued to stream down her face. “I promise please there’s gotta be a way!” she continued to plead for her life, waiting for something, just anything to happen. Whatever it’d take for this situation to be over. However, she was surprised when the knife suddenly was no longer pressed to her neck. Looking up, she saw the blonde one’s hand had moved it away and he was whispering something into Billy’s ear. Their eyes kept flickering to parts of the room and then back to her before Billy gave a singular nod.

“It seems my friend Stu here has taken quite a liking to you so here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to have a bit of fun with you and if we enjoy it, you live and we’ll be back to get you after we finish some…business. And if not, I’ll slit your throat right after we finish. Does that sound fair?” Billy said, tugging her from her sitting position to be in between the both of them. She nodded frantically, happy to have even a small chance of living. She knew they were probably going to kill her when they were done, but at least that moment was suspended for a bit longer.

“Wh-what do I need t-to do?” she asked, her heart racing as she looked up at the two of them. They were completely dwarfing her with their size, it was like being trapped between two incredibly hot trees. Stu grinned at her once again before stepping back a bit.

“Well you can start by stripping!” he instructed, phrasing it like a suggestion even though she knew it wasn’t. She nodded, taking off her cream colored sweater, sliding her Power Rangers pajama pants down right after. She began to hesitate slightly as now she was just in her slippers and underwear.

“Allow me.” Billy said, using his knife to snip off her bra. He started at the shoulder straps, taking a moment to stare at her breast before tearing the backband as well. She didn’t try to cover up, knowing her chances of survival would dwindle to none. He went to pull down her panties but Stu stopped him, shaking his head.

“Leave those on her.” he said, before getting down on his knees in front of her. Billy held her arms behind her back with one of his, peeking over the girl’s shoulders to see what his moronic friend had planned. What she didn’t expect was for him to bury his face into her underwear-clad pussy and sniff. Stu let out a low moan as he did, eyes rolling back in pleasure. He continued to sniff at her front, his nose nudging her clit through the fabric. “God that’s amazing. Looks like she’s enjoying it too.” he said, rubbing his finger on the wet spot forming on her panties. He gently pressed his fingers against the fabric causing (Y/n) to squirm a bit, a gentle moan falling from her mouth.

“Oh, that’s such a pretty noise.” Billy purrs lowly in her ear. Standing from the floor, Stu lifts his fingers up to Billy’s mouth and without thinking, he opens it. The girl watches in awe, her clit beginning to throb at the way the two men were interacting with one another. Stu slowly pulls his fingers from the man’s mouth, biting his lip as the other man licks his. “Did you want a taste?” he asks in a deep tone. At the same time, they both lean over and begin to share a passionate and heated open mouth kiss. Little moans and grunts fall from them, a gasp falling from her own lips as Stu grips at her waist, beginning to grind against her front, his bulge slotted between her slit. Billy mimics his actions, grinding his cock against her ass. She was glad the two were holding her up, because at the current moment she wasn’t sure if her legs would work. This was a whole new world for her. She had never been kissed or even touched by one man let alone two. The noises falling from her mouth were completely out of her control, the sensation of their rhythmic rubbing along with the scene of them kissing above her was all too much for her to handle.

As though they could hear her thoughts, they pulled away from their kiss, turning their attention back to her. She hadn’t even realized that the knife was completely gone now. If she wanted to, she could’ve ran and gotten away. If she wanted to. Billy gripped her arms once more, beginning to walk her over to the bed. She felt her face grow warm at the collection of stuffed animals, causing her to look at the ground. “They keep me warm at night.” she defended weakly. Stu laughed, cooing at her before picking one up and turning it to face the wall, repeating the action several times with the other one.

Billy groaned, annoyed. “Seriously?”

“What? I know how the girls get about that sort of thing.” As Stu continued with his antics, the brunette reached for his friend’s bag. (Y/n) eyed him curiously, thinking he had changed his mind on their deal but was relieved when all he pulled out was a bit of rope. Wait, rope? He tossed it up and down smirking at her before positioning himself behind her as he began to tie her hands together. ‘This is better than whatever they usually probably use this for.’ She tugged at the rope, the friction causing a mild irritation from the action. He pushed her a bit, causing her to fall forward onto the bed. Her ass was in the air while the upper part of her body fell down due to having no support. She listened to the sound of belts and pants clambering before feeling the bed dip down behind her. At that same time, a pair of legs kneeled in front of her as well. She felt as a hand carded it’s way through her hair before tightening, lifting her face to be eye level with a cock. Peering up, she saw that it was Billy.

“Are you gonna open up or am I going to have to do it for you?” he asked, causing a bit of panic to flash through the girl’s (e/c) eyes.

“S-sorry. I’ve never done any of this before.” she muttered, causing a whistle from behind her. She could imagine the grin on Stu's face.

“A cute virgin?! How lucky are we tonight? Oh this is going to be fun. I haven’t popped a cherry in quite a long time.” Stu gushed, rubbing his hands together. “I can barely contain myself!” her panties were then pulled to the side, long fingers beginning to rub all along her slick covered folds. She let out a whimper, her knees trembling as he began to rub circles on her clit. As he slid a finger in, her mouth fell open which Billy saw as the perfect opportunity. Gripping her hair a bit tighter, he began to slide his cock into her mouth slowly. He stared down at her face, watching as her mouth began to struggle with the girth of him, tears falling down her face.

“You better stop with all those tears, I really don’t wanna cum this early.” Billy teased, beginning to rock his hips back and forth. He hissed in pleasure at her tight and warm little mouth, tossing his head back as he let out a guttural moan. Behind her, Stu had managed to work the third finger in, stretching and scissoring them around.Gripping her hip with one hand, he used his other to glide his cock along her lips causing them to both moan. “Hurry up, I wanna pick up the pace but I’m trying to make it easier for you.”

“I’m going!” and with that, Stu slid his cock in with one swift motion. His grip on her hips tightened at the same time her walls did as he fell forward for a bit, head resting against the small of her back. “G-god, oh fuck! You’ve got a tight little pussy, huh?” he said through gritted teeth, beginning to pound into her at an almost animalistic pace. Her pussy drooled around his cock as she continued to moan around Billy, choking as he also picked up his pace. Their thrust were alternating. As Stu would pull his cock out some, Billy’s would enter her throat deep, barely giving her a chance to get used to anything. She had already came around his cock twice, the feeling being overwhelmingly pleasurable.

They were using her like a doll, holding her up and angling her just right. All she could do was sob and take it, the only thing on her mind was their cocks and her life. She didn’t even care if she was going to die after this, this was the best thing she had ever experienced in her life.

“You look so helpless when you cry. God, Stu I wish you could see her right now.” Billy moaned out, staring down into those wet (e/c) eyes. Picking up his pace, he gripped at her scalp, full on skull fucking her now. His thrust had grown sloppy and so had his counterpart’s.

“Tr-trust me, my view is just as good. I’m cl-close!” he whined out, reaching a finger down to rub at the girl's sensitive and swollen clit. (Y/n) screamed around Billy’s cock sending him over the edge. Pulling out, he coated her face and hair in a load of sticky white cum. Watching Billy stroke his cock over her face pushed Stu over the edge as well, causing him to bounce her back on his dick, whimpering as he came deep inside of her.

The room fell silent and as (Y/n) came to her senses, the question of the hour came back to haunt her. Was she going to live?

“Are you satisfied, Stu?”

“More than, man.”

“Well..” Billy trailed off, stepping off of the bed. As Stu pulled out, she felt cold and exposed. Both men stood behind her, staring as the load of cum began to roll down the back of her legs. The brunette reached forward, grabbing her wrist rather roughly before untying her. “I guess you live. We’ll be back. In the meantime, get cleaned up.” the sound of the doorbell ringing caused the two men to look out the window, thinking she had somehow managed to get in contact with help. However, they both relaxed at the sight of the delivery truck on the outside of the house.

“Make sure you save me some chow mein!” Stu said. The girl rolled over on her back, letting out a breathless laugh watching as the two quickly got dressed. Before they headed for the bedroom door, Stu took her panties off of her, sticking them in the front pocket of his jeans.

“For good luck!”

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ghstzzn · 25 days

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entombed | jeong yunho

pairing: jeong yunho x f!reader wc: 3.3k

summary: a demon of your past casually takes what's his, which is you.

warnings/tags: smut, porn with almost zero plot, demon yunho, unprotected sex, oral (f) rec., rough sex, public sex (in an office during after hours), pet names (baby, angel) multiple orgasms, can't think of anything else.

note: this is a re-upload from my deleted account, yunho-mp3, so if it seems very familiar - that is why lol. this is still one of the few things i've written that i loveeeee so much.

The rain pours, cracks of thunder here and there, never startling you though. In fact, it brought some sort of comfort to you, it gave you a sense of realness, as if everything around you were fake. Like if living and breathing were but a chore. Yes, that was the only way you could describe it.

You felt like a weed in a beautiful garden. Poisoned, ripped out - but never at the root, and stomped on. But here you were, sitting straight up as you finished your report for work. Your glasses nearly slipping off the tip of your nose as you type away on your computer, like you were on autopilot. You entrust the workload to your hands as they abuse every letter on the keyboard.

Not a soul remained in the quiet office. They’ve gone home to their families - their children, their loved ones, or maybe out with their friends while they try to digest ungodly amounts of alcohol. You could be doing the same, yes, you had friends and family, but your feet stayed planted to the floor of the office building.

You were happy with life, beyond happy. It felt as if you had everything. He was in your life then too, but it was different then. He hadn’t had as much of an impact as he does now. Your escapades with the man never haunted you as much as they did now. They were harmless, they were innocent one (or multiple) one night stands, you knew almost nothing about him. All you knew was that he “traveled” and little things, like how he liked his coffee & eggs, or how he loved deep conversations with you that lasted hours before you fucked until the sun rose, or how he would never be there when you woke up again. No note. No text. Nothing. As if he were never there. Only the smell of cigarettes and liquor remained in your cold, empty bed.

Jeong Yunho, the man you once felt safe with despite knowing it was but casual sex after bar meetups. You had your suspicions about him. They were mostly him having an affair with you, but you knew something was wrong and this would end horribly.

And it did. Or so you thought.

You brought it up after a lustful night, trying your best to keep your eyes open. You questioned where he went, why he was so secretive, why he refused to give you a number and why he spoke in poems. You asked why you had to rely on coincidental bar meetups, in which he showed up with a group of people and why the customers in the bar didn’t spare him a single glance. In the midst of it all, you confessed your love for him. Maybe that's where it snapped.

He laughed at you. Said you were perfect, adorable even. Tears welled up in his eyes as he laughed at you. It took five minutes for him to compose himself before he confessed. Not love. Not anything you’d expect, no, he confessed his sins to you.

Yunho confessed the number of people he’s slaughtered, the people he's tortured. He confessed ripping families apart for the hell of it, just because he can, and because of his purpose. The sacrifices, the blood, the worship. Hell, he called himself the devil and wore the title proudly. The man you confessed your love to ran a fucking cult and the worst part about it is that your feelings didn’t fade, you had just wished you didn’t ask.

Ignorance is bliss.

He disappeared that night. You haven’t seen Yunho since that night. Honestly, you couldn’t sleep for weeks as you were convinced he would come back just to kill you. It would only make sense, as he did confess to horrid crimes you never once assumed he was capable of doing. But still, you were at war with yourself and your morals. How could you still love him? To yearn for him every night before bed? You question your sanity. The man left you to rot in fear, watching your own back constantly. Jolting awake to every noise you heard in your apartment.

Yet, you still missed the sweet scent he left on your pillows the months before now. Missing the soft scent of alcohol and cigarettes mixed with honey and sandalwood. You missed his voice, his accent and the way his voice lowered through the night whether it was sweet nothings he whispered into your ears or when he told you about the passions no one knew of as you stargazed.

You weren’t the only one at battle with yourself either. Yunho condemned himself. He hated himself for going back to you for a second night at the bar. Absolutely despised himself for letting his rotting heart open up to you during those nights. But most importantly, he despised you. He hated you, he wanted to wrap his hands around your throat and end your life right then and there. But it wasn’t because of who he was, and what you knew he was. It was because he loved you, because he let himself become addicted to you. He let himself feel things for you he was never supposed to feel and he could only hate you for that. Even on nights like this, all he can think about is you.

The rain never let up - a perfect metaphor for you. You continue to let your fingers work their magic on the computer in front of you. Ruining your eyes in the dark room. Your teeth abused your bottom lip while a certain man abused your mind. You hear a beep at the entrance of your office, you think nothing of it as it could be another overtime victim or the security guard making his rounds (though the old man was sure to scold you if so). When you don’t hear any footsteps to follow the sound of the door slamming shut, you look up from your computer screen.

You shoot up from your desk chair, it rolls back, hitting the desk behind you with a thud. Your heart pounds as Yunho stands just feet away from you. The moonlight, along with the light from a few stray computers left on open documents lit up his body just enough for you to take in the man standing before you. It would be wrong to call him beautiful in such a moment as this. But he was. You couldn’t deny it, it’s what drew your heart towards him anyway. You couldn’t decipher if your heart was pounding in fear or if it were pounding in yearning for Yunho.

“Angel.” Your body flinches. Air caught in your throat as he speaks the pet name for you in his deep voice. You wonder where he was before this. Ending lives? Taking souls for himself if he were the devil he claims to be? Even so, you wonder why he left you, and why didn’t stay in your arms all these past nights.

He steps towards you and you take a step back. He only smirks at the reaction your body gave. You fight off every instinct to run into his arms. Your mind and body are at war with each other as you continue to step backwards with every step he takes towards you.

“Why do you run, angel?” Yunho questions, he still advances towards you. You start to run out of room behind you, but you don’t know that.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” You try your best to ask the question with a sturdy voice, not letting emotions take over. He cannot win. Yet. “How did you find me, Yunho?”

Your upper thighs are met with the hard desk behind you and Yunho is a mere foot from you, closing the distance between you at a painfully slow pace. You want to run, but stupidly enough you choose to stay.

“My heart follows only you, of course I know where you are.” He replies, a wide smile planted on his face. “I always know where you are.”

Yunho stands in front of you know, his breath hitting your forehead as he speaks. He lifts a hand, twirling your hair through his fingers as he admires every inch of your face.

“I've missed you dearly.” His voice barely above a whisper. Your words get caught in your throat. Missed you? The same man that left you empty, alone and confused missed you?

“You don’t get to say that, Yunho. Where were you?” You match his tone as you speak. “You left me..”

His hand falls on your cheek, cupping it with enough strength to force your head up at him but not enough to hurt you. You unwillingly fall into his touch, your body yearning for his comfort once again.

“My sweet girl has missed me too,” Yunho starts, “stupidly enough, you miss me just as much. I’m here now, that means something, right?”

“It.. it doesn’t.” You reply, a loss of words as you try to come up with what to say to the man in front of you.

The man that left you for months, making you feel inhumane, questioning your own soul. You should be screaming at him, running away from him. You could at least tell him to get the fuck away from you, but you stay planted in the same spot, melting into his touch.

Yunho's eyes battle on what to focus on, going back and forth from your eyes to your lips. His body subconsciously leaning into yours, breath fanning your face. He watches your eyes share the same struggle as his. You want him just as badly, and he knows it. It makes him smile. The way you so easily submit to him, it's endearing, really. Yunho adores you, and you give him every single reason to keep adoring you.

He can now. There’s nothing stopping him, and he won't let anything stop him again.

“Please.” You breathe out. And with just that one word from you, his lips are connected to yours.

The kiss burns with passion, your lips dance a fiery dance as they melt into each other. It’s not long before he’s biting your lip, making you gasp so he can slip his tongue in yours. A fight of dominance, one that he wins again. Maybe one day he could let you take the reins on him, but for now, he needed you in any way he could have you. It wasn’t in his plans to take you in your office, but it doesn’t matter. It will be your last night stepping foot in this building. Maybe it was better you ended up here, the security cameras pointed at your breathless bodies tearing at each other's clothing as he claimed you for himself.

Your mind is foggy as Yunho rips open your blouse, buttons landing in various places as he attacks your neck and chest. Biting and sucking on the most sensitive parts of your skin. Your hands find themselves gripping at his hair for stability. The moans of his name only encourage him to go deeper. He lowers himself, planting kisses on your stomach, looking into your eyes and he bites and tugs at your skin, soaking in your yelps and whines.

Yunho drops to his knees, hands gripping the backs of your thighs as he searches your eyes for anything. When he finds the answer he needs, he's tugging your slacks down with such force that you almost fall on top of him, only saved by him slamming you back against the desk. One hand flys on top of the desk behind you and the other on top of Yunho's head, raking your fingers through his hair before grabbing a handful to keep your body stable.

His breath fans your clothed core, which is dripping in sweet arousal that Yunho can so clearly smell from a mile away. The scent that started his addiction with you. He yanks your underwear down in one brief movement, not wasting a single second in between before diving himself into your folds. Tongue attacking your clit with force that almost folds your body in half, practically screaming his name. He spreads your legs enough to slip two fingers inside of you, not bothering to start small. Yunho's goal was to pleasure you and prepare you, as he has always done, but this time more desperately.

He needed you badly, skin aching to touch you once more. His fingers pump and curl inside you at a fast pace that has your knees shaking while his tongue darts and swirls at your sensitive nub. If your vision hadn’t gone foggy and you were paying close attention, you could see Yunho's eyes turn black, with no life behind them.

“Fuck- Yunho, please.” You moan out. His fingers remain inside you, pumping at a pace that only makes you roll your eyes back, he pulls his mouth away.

“God, how I’ve missed your sweet taste.” Yunho kisses your inner thighs, you only yearn for his touch where you need him the most. “You haven’t fucked anyone else, I can tell. You belong to me, huh? This sweet cunt of yours is all mine for the taking?”

Your body heats up and you clench at his words. His fingers stop, urging you to answer. Yunho has always liked when you responded to his filthy words in bed.

“Y-yes! All for you, Yunho. Please.. M-more.”

He smirks against your skin, returning the brutal pace of his fingers. He throws one of your legs over his shoulder, reaching new spots in your core. He dives back into your wetness, the force of his tongue has you leaning back onto the messy desk behind you. Not caring of the mess you were making in the owner's area. Both hands are now in Yunho's hair as he eats you out like a starved man.

A familiar warmth pools in your lower half as he continues to abuse your clit and hole. You pull on his hair, making him groan right into you. He leaves a harsh slap to your ass, snapping that rope leading to your orgasm. Your body trembles as you come on to his fingers and tongue, but his pace never relents. He continues until he's satisfied.

“Yunho- fuck, it’s t-too much. Oh my god- too much!” You almost scream. The warmth pooling back into your stomach already, not even being minutes since your first orgasm. He adds a third finger and you scream out his name.

Your thighs close around his head as he brings forth another orgasm, you pull his hair, trying your hardest to push him away from your overstimulated area. He pulls back, a smile so wide you could only assume he achieved his goal.

Yunho pulls his fingers out of you, you pant as he stands to his full height. Grabbing the back of your neck to pull you closer to him, he sticks his fingers into your mouth, and you suck.

“Taste yourself, pretty angel of mine? That’s all you.” He coos. You stare into his eyes, his black eyes. Lost in the pleasure, you couldn’t possibly bring yourself to be concerned over it. Technically, he did warn you.

He replaces his fingers with his lips once more. He quickly unbuckled his jeans, yanking them down with his underwear to free his aching cock. Yunho hooks his arms under your thighs, rubbing his length against your soaked core. Making your body shutter at the action.

“Fuck. Y/N, you don’t know how badly I’ve needed to be inside you.” He groans into your ear. “How bad I’ve needed you these past few months. Just wanna fuck you and never stop.”

“Please, please just- need you inside, Yunho.” You whine, bucking your hips for any friction his cock can give.

“Mmh, I’m not the only one who’s been needy, huh?”

Yunho tucks your hair out of your face. “So fucked out and I haven’t even properly fucked you.”

You throw your head into his shoulder as he slides into you. Not sparing you a second before he's already pulling out and slamming back into you. Yunho suddenly lifts you into his arms, bringing you to a different table, an emptier table that he can lay you down on. He takes your hands and pins them above your head before ramming into you once more.

He speeds his pace up, fucking into you with enough force that the table below you creaks. Yunho lets go of your hands to grip your waist, bringing your body to meet his as he fucks you. He grunts and groans, throwing his head back in pleasure. You didn’t even notice when he got rid of his shirt.

“S’fucking perfect. Like you were made to take my cock.” Yunho grunts out. “Wanna fuck you so full.”

You only scream and moan his name. His pace only quickens and you can feel your third orgasm approach you.

“Cum on my cock, angel.”

You tighten around him before releasing over him once more. Your body shakes and you can barely catch your breath. He pulls out suddenly, flipping you over, giving you a second to recover as he rubs your ass cheeks before giving them a smack.

“Just one more, baby.” He pleads from behind.

“Yunho- I, so much-”

“One more, I promise. Then we can leave forever. Together.”

You don’t push on that, you only nod and he enters you again. Returning his brutal thrusts from before but this time as a new angle. You wonder how he could have so much restraint from cumming, but he is inhuman afterall. Or so it seems.

Your body flattens against the table top as he fucks into you with so much strength that the table rocks back and forth. You yelp and moan his name loudly as he does so. The office room is silent other than the cries from both you and Yunho and skin slapping. Yunho continues the brutal pace but soon his thrusts turn sloppier by the second.

“Fuck- baby, I’m close.” He chokes out, leaning forwards to catch himself on the table. “Cum with me again, angel, I know you can.”

He reaches a hand around, rubbing circles in your already sensitive clit. It doesn’t take long for your final orgasm to reach you.

“Yes, just like that. Cum for me, show me one more time how good I’m fucking you.”

The band inside you snaps once more as you come, with so much force that your body falls limp as you pant against the table. Within a few more thrusts, Yunho comes inside of you. White ropes of cum filling your walls for what it seems like a full minute. He pulls out and rests against your body, both catching your breaths and trying to regain your stamina.

Moments pass before he’s helping you turn over, wiping up your legs with spare tissues left on one of the nearby desks.

“You think you can walk?” He asks as he pulls your slacks back up over your legs. You nod.

“I think so, maybe with a bit of help.” You reply. “By the way, your eyes.. They are-”

“Black? Baby, I told you what I was months ago, don’t act so ignorant.”

Yunho straightens out, already fully dressed, as he covers your chest with your torn blouse. He stares into your eyes, with what you could only hope is with love.

“Let’s go,” He takes your hand in his, “We have a car waiting.”

“Where are we going?” You ask, leaning into his hold.

“Away. Won't you come with? We’ll be together forever.” He questions, but he knows the answer already. He knows you would follow him to the ends of the Earth if he asked.

“Of course, Yunho. Until the end.” He smiles, almost sadistically. You were his, forever.

Yunho takes your hand up to his mouth, planting a kiss on the back of it.

“Oh, you will. You’re nothing but mine, for eternity.”

#interlude-ateez 🎬#yunho x reader #interlude-yunho ☆#ateez fanfic #ateez fic #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez x female reader #ateez smut #ateez scenarios #yunho smut #yunho scenarios #yunho fanfic #yunho x y/n

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bruhstories · 6 months

Text

in heat

summary: zeke works from home. pairing: zeke x fembodied!reader warnings & content: reader is tied up, bdsm dynamics if you squint, vaginal fingering, unprotected p in v (don't be silly wrap your willy), dirty talking, terms of endearment (love, sweetheart, honey) w/c: 1.3k

a/n: just a quickie with zeke, nothing more, nothing less. unedited as per usual

"You need to keep that filthy mouth of yours quiet, yeah?" Zeke picked up his phone and answered the call. "Oh, Mr. Magath, to what do I owe the pleasure?'

He spoke so casually, as if you didn't have your hands tied up behind your back, drooling over the ballgag in your mouth and Zeke's fingers deep in your cunt. After all, it was just a typical work from home day for him.

"The meeting went well. No, Galliard behaved, surprisingly." Zeke shrugged, although his boss couldn't see him. He dragged his thumb lazily up and down your clit, and you closed your eyes, bucking your hips against his hand.

This has been ongoing for the past twenty, twenty-five minutes. You weren’t exactly sure. It felt like more than that. All you wanted was for him to fuck you relentlessly, but Zeke enjoyed taking his time with you. It wasn't for your pleasure, but for his. He needed to see you wriggle and writhe under his touch, to know how much control he had over your body, to hear you beg for his cock.

Your body violently twitched on his desk when he practically ripped a growl from your throat with his skilled fingers. With wide eyes, you watched him frown, eyes fixed on yours.

"Mr. Magath, if you'll excuse me just a minute..." Zeke muted his phone. "What did I tell you? Well?" He asked, knowing full well that you couldn't reply back.

Instead, you tried to squeeze your thighs together in a futile attempt to stop him. He was on the phone with his boss, for fuck's sake. But Zeke paid Magath no mind, using his elbow to keep your legs spread open.

"Sorry, chief. Everything's fine, it's just my dog." He spoke, and you whined when he removed his fingers from your cunt, opting to let your blood boil. "She's been acting strange, lately. Think she might be in heat."

Zeke's words were cruel, but all they did was turn you on more. It was incredible how this man could admire and love you so much, yet he could also degrade you like you were dirt on his shoes. He knew exactly what buttons to push to switch you from respectable and clever to needy and hungry for his cock.

Your blood indeed boiled in your veins, because you were unable to get the much-desired friction that you ached for. Oh, and Zeke loved it. He loved watching your eyes fill to the brim with tears and your hips roll on his desk wanting more. He eventually indulged you, pinching one of your sensitive nipples before dragging his fingers down your abdomen.

"The reports are done, I have emailed them to Mr. Smith already." Zeke nonchalantly chatted with Magath while his index and middle finger brushed up and down your slit.

You were soaked, absolutely dying to feel him inside of you, but you knew he wouldn't give it to you just yet. When his fingers finally pushed past your slick folds, you arched your back and moaned, and Zeke's lips twitched in anger.

"I'm afraid I need to take the dog out, Mr. Magath. I'll let the files upload while I do that." He curled his fingers and you wanted to scream, tell him to hurry up and fuck you, but the damned ballgag stopped you from saying anything. Instead, all that came out of you was a series of guttural growls that echoed in Zeke's study.

"Oh, she's getting impatient. Have a nice day, chief." He hung up and tossed the phone on the sofa next to his desk.

Your eyes were filled with both tears of pleasure, and terror, because you knew how mean Zeke could be when you disobeyed him. He used his free hand to pull the ballgag out of your mouth and untie your arms, and a string of apologies spilled from your lips.

"Are you really that desperate for my cock that you couldn't wait five minutes?" His voice was low and threatening, and you shook your head.

"Sorry, 'm sorry-"

"Sorry isn't gonna help you, love." Zeke picked up the pace, thrusting his fingers deeper into your aching cunt, his other hand unbuckling his belt.

"Please fuck me, please, please!" You cried out, feeling your climax bubbling inside of you.

"Oh, I'll fuck you, alright. But first, you're gonna have to fuck yourself with my fingers. You need to earn my cock, sweetheart." He palmed the bulge in his trousers, a groan escaping his lips when he felt you clench around his fingers.

Shamelessly, you pushed your hips against his hand, trying your best to do as you were told. It would've helped ti have your hands untied so you could prop yourself against them, but nonetheless, you managed to come on his fingers, body shuddering from the ecstasy.

"Atta girl." Zeke removed his fingers from your sloppy cunt, giving your thigh a firm slap. "You did well." He said, unzipping his trousers.

"Wait, I can't-"

"You can, and you will." Zeke pulled his cock out, and your eyes darted to it, instinctively licking your lips when you saw it. "Weren’t you the one so desperate for me to fuck you?"

You said nothing, because he was right, so you spread your legs wider, earning a 'good girl' from him. Zeke dragged his cock up and down your slit, coating it in your slick before pushing it in. Even after so much time, you couldn't get used to the size of it, and you whimpered when he bottomed out.

"Fuck, you're so tight." He growled, eyes rolling back as you took him so well. Wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his back, you braced yourself for the feral thrusts, and Zeke delivered. He needed you just as much as you needed him, and he didn't hold back, fucking you with aggression and passion.

"Oh, God! Feels good, so-oh good!" You buried your face in the crook of his neck, taking in his scent. You hated the smell of cigarettes, but whenever you felt it on Zeke, you just couldn't help but be aroused.

"Yeah, you like that, don't you? Filthy little slut." His cock brushed over your cervix, buried so deep inside of you that your abdomen hurt.

It was painfully good, and you wouldn't have it any other way. You loved the dynamic you had, and you loved him. It was the perfect balance of love and hate.

"Zeke!" You cried out, feeling yourself close again. "Shit, I'm gonna cum!"

"Again? Aren't you desperate today?" He mocked you. "How pathetic."

"'m pathetic-" You choked on your words, mumbling incoherent sentences while he fucked you deeper and harder. "Gonna cum!"

"Go on, cum on my cock. Show me how much you love me."

"Love you, I love you, I lo-oh! Oh, fuck!" Your dignity left your body when you trembled in Zeke's arms, limbs quivering and your mind cloudy. You were certain you were going to faint from exhaustion.

Zeke slowly pulled out of you, cock still hard. But he wasn't about to fuck you to death, although he was sure you wanted that.

"Let's clean you up." He said and you shook your head.

"Need to... help you finish." You mumbled in your dazed state, but Zeke didn't listen.

"Honey, you're tired. You've already done so much today." He helped you down from his desk and untied your hands.

"What about you?"

"I've got hands, don't I?" Zeke chuckled, dragging you to the bathroom. "Come, I'll order us some food for dinner."

"Sushi?" You yawned, turning the tap on.

"Sushi." He checked the temperature to make sure you wouldn't faint in the shower.

"You know, if anyone saw how we have sex they'd think you're one of those shitty alpha male influencers." You laughed, getting in the shower.

"It's not my fault I've got a freaky girlfriend." He rolled his eyes. "Oh, speaking of." Zeke stripped and got in the shower with you, because the internet was so bad, he knew those files haven't uploaded yet. "Will you marry me? The ring's in my study, I got carried away-"

"Yes. Fuck yes."

#zeke jeager #zeke yeager #zeke x reader #zeke yeager x reader #zeke yeager smut #zeke jaeger #attack on titan #attack on titan smut #attack on titan fanfiction #attack on titan x reader #fem!reader #fembodied!reader

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hanihazeljade · 18 days

Text

TikTok Tim

TikTok has been a blast and of course, Richard has been bothering Tim to make an account for siblings bonding. But Tim got himself a newfound confidence and a new way to irritate Lex.

(CW: thirst traps, TikTok, possible femboy content, swearing)

"Can we just talk about Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne?" A TikToker with million followers said, "Like this dude is seventeen turning eighteen in like 3 months and what he done in his almost 18 years of existence?" It showed a screenshot of a headline way back when he was attending grade school that he skipped two grades, "He skipped 2 years in school and even though he dropped for two years, because some tragedy happen in his life, he still managed to graduate high school the same year in his age range." Which is true, but with all hacking the school systems, he graduated.

"And I also discovered that he is emancipated from his foster parent, Bruce Wayne. Like at first it was insane because you got the Wayne to finance you but look at him, he is one of the biggest shareholder in the Wayne Enterprise and he already got so many praise especially from Lex Luthor," and then screen showed a clip of Lex saying, "I commend the young Drake-Wayne, even he doesn't have any degree in business, he knows how to handle one unlike some people that I know that have bachelors degree. But if you think about it, it must be in his blood after all his mother is Janet Drake, that woman is the scariest socialite in Gotham." And the screen turned back to the TikToker, "Dude doesn't have any degree yet get a praise from Lex Luthor? He is a genius I tell you." and with that the TikTok video ended.

It all started with that one video on how perfect and genius Timothy Jackson Drake. And it snowballed to edits, a thirst trap if you will, of Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne. One TikTok video and the whole internet has been sleuthing every single picture, video of the new most eligible bachelor of Gotham City. And with that, #tim drake on TikTok have millions of views in span of 2 days. And it also doesn't help that Tim's life has been exposed in the different tabloids since he was a kid, being a member of a elite society especially in Gotham. He doesn't really know and care but with so many people doing a deep dives in his life, it kind of unsettling.

He scrolled again and it was a thirst trap edit. And he decided to exit the app, enough internet for the day.

"Timmmyy." Dick whined as he was begging Tim to make a TikTok account for 1, he can do those trends with Tim and two, he wants Tim to see those thirst traps edit of himself and it has been seven days straight. And Tim's patience has been wearing thin.

"I will, once I finished these reports." he said with no intention of doing it and gonna said that he forgot about it.

"No, do it now. I know your schemes, Timmy." Tim sighed with the insistence, "Then come back here later for you to remind me then."

++++++

"So, my brother Richard has been keep bothering me to make one of this account and apparently, many people tried to make a little clout so I am going to make one to gather all the clout." Tim said with a blank stare but let out a snort at the last part. "I will probably never upload anything again but yep, hope you are happy, Richard." and with that the video ended. 2 hours later after that video got uploaded, his account boomed to 2.3 million and his first video got featured in some internet forums and articles were being published online.

++++++

"And he finally succumbed to the Tiktok." Jason said as soon as he walked to his penthouse and Tim rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here, oh mighty Jason?" Tim rolled his eyes, sarcasm is dripping to those words.

"I thought you are better than Dick but it seems like I was mistaken."

"Pot. Kettle. Just because I was on the side of edit Tiktok and you are in booktok doesn't make you the top. You are giving pick-me vibes, ngl."

"Did you really just said ngl instead of not gonna lie?"

"Did I stutter?"

++++++

Tim thought it will be cool if he just upload another Tiktok video after months of abandoning his account. He look at the trends and some old trends and he particularly got stuck in the transition videos and he took liking on the one audio edit of Jade West saying, "What's the prob, dog?", and he is a gremlin for a reason.

So, he was there chuckling at himself with the thought of the internet will never know what's gonna hit them.

+++++++

Tim likes to do a little bit of thirst traps in his content but he also like just to gave his audience what he does in his free time whenever he is done reading and signing the needed papers, like typing in his computer or solving a rubiks cube. And he keeps getting millions of views every time and it is such a ego boost for him.

But he also likes the videos with prominent people in United States, most is just him and Lex Luthor doing stupid shits and every time it will happen, both the stocks of WE and Lex Corp is going up and somehow that made both Tim and Lex being close yet hating each other so much.

The Justice League, specifically Superman, is very much annoyed and not happy about Tim's association to one of the prominent villains in the existence. But all Tim does is send them a lip sync video of him with the audio of, "Do I give a fuck? No, not one. How many fucks do I give? Zero. Exactly, so therefore your comment is irrelevant." And he called it a day. He is still fucking salty of about his worst year of his fucking life. He will not going to forgive those assholes when they didn't even apologise.

But somehow the limit of his TikTok freedom is having him doing a thirst trap in a form of being a femboy. Listen. Tim knows he will never be a brickhouse like Jason and Bruce but god forbid his BMI doesn't go up to 20 even in his peak body mass. He was always has been a twink and he also doesn't like that but apparently, that type of body is a perfect "bottom/submissive" material based on the different manhuas he having been indulge himself the past month.

++++++++

Dick was scrolling at his fyp page that was full of animals, gymnastics and Justice League edits - because, and he got in a video of a guy sitting on a red couch doing a simple transition of throwing his black shoe and then changing his casual fit to a more formal attire and it was a smooth transition on Dick's observation and he subconsciously goes to the comments because he wants a laugh at the thirsty comments.

Did anyone notice how smooth that transition is?

Lol, that is a big ass shoes

He is a mighty fine fella

WHY DOES NOBODY IS COMMENTING THAT THE ACCOUNT IS TIMOTHY JACKSON DRAKE-WAYNE?

Dick blinked once at that comment. And he blinked again. He closed the comments and swipe left. And the comment is right, it take him on Tim's verified account with now two videos.

When did Tim had a 5.6 million followers?!

Tim already on the same following count as him and he was still definitely gonna get more. Dick is now kind off regretting his decision if putting Tim in TikTok.

+++++++

The next month was shown that Tim doesn't have any schedule that follows his uploading, it seems like he upload wether he like. But the ones that broke the internet is the one thirst trap that Tim posted.

Ashley, look at me

Tim made the hand movements for the transition and from the Saint Laurent sweater, it is Jason's, Dick knows because he just saw Jason wear it like two days ago and it was paired with a black slacks and it turns into a oversized silk dress shirt and it looks like nothing underneath and Dick hopes that there is a boxers underneath because God forbids, he will delete Tim's TikTok account. In that video, it showcases Tim's long, pale, scarless legs, which is a fucking lie, he doesn't how Tim did it but that is a fucking lie. And oh boy was the comments are wild.

He is a sugar baby with the money of a sugar daddy

I'm straight but damn

yeah that's it, I'm bi now

I can hit that any time if he hit me up

Wait! I AM CONFUSED

Am I.. into this?

bottom vibes ngl

Dick stops reading the comments. TIM IS HIS LITTLE BROTHER! Sure he's nineteen but Dick felt uncomfortable looking at his brother's thirst trap, that he made himself. He immediately message Tim to stop posting thirst traps and Tim just reply with, 'Well, you have to face the consequences of forcing me to this damn app'.

He will be damned, he thought.

#tim drake #fanfic #chaotic tim drake #unhinged tim drake #dcu #jason todd #dick grayson #tiktok #batman #ceo tim drake #femboy #thirst traps

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olderthannetfic · 3 months

Note

i read an old fic that was tagged no archive warnings, but it had what i would call a fairly non-con scene. however, the author seemed to think that the character being assaulted consented because he was aroused (yikes, someone flunked sex ed!) even though he's in pain during the sex, but he just takes it and is ultimately ok with it in retrospect. it was a very violent scene - he was thrown up against the wall - and i felt really blindsided in an otherwise romantic fic. is this reportable? there were other comments seeming to be disturbed by the scene, and suggesting adding a non-con or chose not to warn tag, and other commenters who were disturbed. i'm not triggered by rape but it's not my cup of tea, the fact that the author seemed to frame it as the assaulter just being unable to help himself because his love was so strong threw off the rest of the fic for me. i could very easily see it being triggering for someone. there's nothing else in tags or rest of the fic that would indicate that was coming.

Hmm... Well, anything is reportable. Whether PAC will agree with you and force the author to pick between tagging CNTW and noncon is another story.

This sounds like a clear-cut case of mislabeling, especially if there's no dubcon tag on it.

Short answer: Yes, I would report.

Long answer:

It does not sound like this fic is actually that old if the author is responding to comments and disagreeing with people's interpretations as is sort of vaguely implied here.

People being potentially triggered is irrelevant: people are often triggered by things they project onto a fic or by things that don't require archive warnings. But if it's tagged inaccurately, then yes, PAC will take action.

Without reading the fic myself, I have no idea whether I'd agree it needs a tag.

My own perspective as a writer who loves dubcon and dislikes sad noncon is that readers very frequently project hard. There's nothing about the sex being painful or the character being thrown against a wall that necessarily suggests the fic is noncon. I've had painful sex on purpose because it was hot.

For me, a "very violent" written sex scene would generally involve blood or physical damage from sex. I'm talking vaginal/anal tearing or something, not finger-shaped bruises on arms from being shoved against a wall. (The fic doesn't have to be violent to be noncon. My point is more that wall shoving strikes me as small potatoes, so it makes me wonder if I'd share the rest of your interpretation or not.)

I've written plenty of things where the kink is clearly telegraphed and anyone who finds it hot gets what was supposed to be happening, but some readers interpret this as the "victim" being traumatized and in denial because they don't share this kink and find it hard to believe that anyone could be like that.

I've also written things where the "victim" is super into it but is genuinely trying to stop the proceedings for other reasons and the aggressor has zero reason to think it's consensual. I do generally think those need a noncon rather than a dubcon warning since there's an active no as opposed to just a lack of a clear yes. I've written things where the "victim" is fully consenting, but the aggressor isn't for various reasons. The most relevant tag really depends on exactly how something is played.

I've also had fic imported from old archives or uploaded my old fic and barely remembered it. I was just reviewing my old tags and thinking "Why on earth is this one CNTW... Oh my!", having entirely forgotten a rape scene in something that's considerably darker than what I usually write (but where there aren't really any emotional consequences, hence me having forgotten). If the fic is old old and the author isn't responding to comments, they may genuinely just not remember what the content is. (Granted, if this is actually what happened, they ought to have imported it with CNTW to cover their ass till they could review the work.)

A bunch of readers agreeing with you suggests that your interpretation is probably accurate in this case. The situation you outline is not unusual. It's just that I have plenty of experience with the other option.

If you think it's this clear cut, it's worth reporting. Hell, even if you think it's somewhat ambiguous, it's worth reporting.

The worst that will happen is that PAC will agree with you and the author will be angry or that PAC won't agree with you and you'll have wasted a little bit of staff time.

If the author isn't around, PAC has the ability to add the CNTW warning themselves (but not the noncon one).

Honestly, there's very little downside in reporting on AO3, regardless of what you're reporting or why. The consequences for the reported author are minimal, and cases are reviewed by actual humans, none of this nonsense where some platforms delete accounts that get reported too often.

Unless you're reporting 100 things a day or reporting things without reading the rules, you should never feel guilty about using that option on AO3.

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apenitentialprayer · 1 year

Text

May 11, 2023

Earlier today, Pope Francis declared that 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians, who were beheaded by Islamic militants in Libya in 2015, would be added to the Roman Martyrology. Francis made the announcement during an audience with Pope Tawadros II, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The “21 Coptic New Martyrs of Libya,” as they are called, were martyred on February 15, 2015. Less than a week later, they were declared saints in the Coptic Orthodox Church by Pope Tawadros. The Copts celebrate their feast on the anniversary of their death, February 15, and it appears that this will also be their feast day on the Roman calendar.

The world was shocked in February 2015, when a 5-minute video was uploaded to the internet by ISIS militants. The video showed the 21 kidnapped men in orange jumpsuits being beheaded on a beach near the Libyan city of Sirte. 20 of these martyrs were Egyptian Copts who had gone to Libya to do construction work. The last member of the group, Matthew Ayariga, was a fellow worker from Ghana. It is said that he told the executioners, “Their God is my God. I will go with them.” There has been some question over whether he was already Christian or whether the witness of his 20 coworkers led to his conversion, but nevertheless, his Christian witness and solidarity are inspiring. It was reported that as they died, they chanted hymns and prayed aloud.

The deaths of these men as Christian martyrs is undeniable. The extraordinary photos of Blessed Miguel Pro, a Catholic priest who was executed by the Mexican government in 1927 during the Cristero War — taken just moments before the he was shot by the firing squad — are perhaps the only other photographic images recording a Christian martyrdom as it happened. And yet the recognition of the 21 martyrs as Catholic saints is unprecedented for several reasons.

The primary reason, of course, is that the Coptic Orthodox Church is not in full communion with Rome. The Copts are Oriental Orthodox (as opposed to Eastern Orthodox), because they split from the other Christian churches in the year 451 at the Council of Chalcedon due to differences over the nature of Christ. They are also referred to as “Non-Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches.” This means that they recognize the first three ecumenical councils, whereas the Eastern Orthodox recognize seven, and the Catholic Church recognizes 21 ecumenical councils.

After more than 15 centuries, our hope of reunion may seem remote. After all these years, the two Churches have independently developed their own traditions, theologies, forms of worship, and prayers. Yet some things have remained the same. Both Churches have maintained apostolic succession and the sacraments: Pope Francis is the successor of St. Peter and Pope Tawadros is the successor of St. Mark. In recent decades, the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church has become closer. For example, in 2017, Popes Francis and Tawadros made a joint statement indicating mutual acceptance of the validity of baptism in both Churches.

Pope Francis has praised the Martyrs of Libya many times, and today he recalled our shared baptism, as well as the blood of martyrs that enriches the Church. He said, “These martyrs were baptized not only in the water and Spirit, but also in blood, a blood that is the seed of unity for all of Christ’s followers.” In the past, the pope has discussed how we must realize that we, the baptized, have much more in common than what divides us. This shared recognition of sainthood between the two Churches is a significant step towards Christian unity.

This sets a new precedent. In 1964, when the Ugandan Martyrs were canonized by Pope Paul VI, St. Charles Lwanga and the other 21 Catholics among his companions were declared saints. The 23 Anglicans who were martyred alongside them were mentioned briefly in the pope’s homily, when he said, “And we do not wish to forget, the others who, belonging to the Anglican confession, met death for the name of Christ.”

Another reason why today’s announcement is unique was that Pope Francis did this by an official act. The Roman Martyrology is the official list of saints officially recognized by the Latin Church. Many Eastern Catholic Churches have their own processes for canonizing saints according to their traditions. Historically, when groups of Eastern Catholics have come into full communion with Rome, they will bring along their saints and prayers and traditions. Many of these saints aren’t officially canonized by Rome, and they are usually only venerated in their own tradition. By inscribing the names of these martyrs in the Roman Martyrology, Pope Francis has made it clear that these martyrs are to be venerated by Roman Catholics as saints.

Finally, in declaring them saints today, Pope Francis sidestepped the typical canonization process. They are saints, without having passed through the usual stages of Servant of God, Venerable, and Blessed. This “skipping” of steps is commonly referred to as “equipollent canonization.” Essentially, when a pope declares someone a saint by an official act, that person is recognized as a saint in the Church. This is not the first time Francis has moved a case along in this way. For example, when he canonized Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in 2014, he waived the requirement of a second miracle for John XXIII so that the two popes would be canonized on the same day. In 2013, he elevated the Jesuit Peter Faber, whose status had lingered at “Blessed” since 1872.

Perhaps the most interesting case is that of St. Gregory of Narek, an Armenian monk venerated as a saint in the Armenian Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Unexpectedly, Pope Francis named him the 36th Doctor of the Church in 2015. Living from in the mid-10th century through the early 11th, St. Gregory lived at a time when the Armenian Church was not in communion with Rome. After several failed attempts at reunion, the Armenian Catholic Church was officially recognized as an Eastern Catholic Church in 1742. Interestingly, the Armenian Catholic eparchy of Buenos Aires (established in 1989 by Pope John Paul II) is called the Eparchy of Saint Gregory of Narek. Perhaps this is how Pope Francis became familiar with the saint.

We Christians are blessed with a wide variety of saints from all sorts of backgrounds. They help make up the beautiful tapestry of the people of God — praying for us, interceding for us, and inspiring us. This is something worth celebrating.

21 Coptic New Martyrs of Libya, Pray for Us!

Mike Lewis. Bolded emphases added.

#Catholicism #Oriental Orthodox Christianity #Christianity #saints #martyrs #Libyan Martyrs #My Pope #Pope Tawadros II #Ugandan Martyrs #Miguel Pro

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ownedbythescribe · 1 year

Text

Sumeru | Lost In You (Part 1)

ıllı Synopsis: Lost in your eyes, in your voice, and in your touch. Even with a simple turn, these men are captivated. For them, there is only you.

ıllı Genre: Fluff, Romance

ıllı Notes: Gender Neutral Reader

ıllı Part 2: Sumeru | Lost In You (Part 2)

ıllı A/N: A re-edit of Lost In You (Sumeru Edition)! I had to separate the two because of some uploading error.

🍁 ALHAITHAM — VULTUR VOLANS

Writing papers could take days to finish, and sometimes, people would spend doing them without an ounce of sleep. Others found this righteously wrong, while some wished to accomplish it immediately to gain free time. The Akademiya worked their students to the bone, but with the recent changes, things had slowed down a little bit.

“Input the findings on elemental sights, and we’re done.” You muttered, placing your quill back in its place. A tired sigh escaped your lips, eyes beginning to close from the exhaustion catching up with your body.

A knock on the door jolted you awake. With a weak ‘Come in’, the infamous Scribe let himself in. He was not one to interrupt people with their work, but you had been holed up in your room for hours now. The smell of breakfast signaled you that it was already morning.

“You’re finally done?” He asked. You nodded the wobbled over to him. He noticed your tired self and carried you to the couch. When times like this, he knew that you rather energized yourself in his lap while he read than take the bed. It was strange at first, but he got used to it.

Without question, he sat you in his lap and read his book. His left hand rested on your hip as you doze off, shutting down after squeezing your brain of ideas. Soon, solace found your mind which made Alhaitham smile. He continued his morning with you in his arms.

“Alhaitham! How dare you report to Lesser Lord that—“ The door was slammed open which made you whimper at the sound, eyes remaining closed. Alhaitham silenced Kaveh by throwing a barrage of pillows and using his vision to chase him out. Nobody was allowed to interrupt his time with you, not even his annoying roommate.

“Sleep well, Flower.”

🍁 KAVEH — PARADISAEA

“That’s why I told you not to touch it! I can’t believe we barely made it out of that.” You huffed, looking back at the temple that had already closed. Whirring sounds could be heard inside, and you feared that this was another case similar to that of the Court of Desolation.

“Sorry! I thought nothing would come out of that. By the way, did you get pictures of the walls and columns? I only got a few.” Kaveh inquired. You took out the device and nodded. The intricate designs lent to each portion of the temple amazed you, not to mention the technology the desert hid. It was simply what made your blood excited.

Kaveh could see the excited look on your face and lightly chuckled. It was adorable. Discoveries like these often make you irrational, but the pure joy in your eyes was something that drew him in. He loved how you babble about the desert’s technology, culture, and even history. People in the Akademiya might deem you a weirdo, but isn’t that institution full of them? Take Alhaitham for example. He admitted that the man was smart, but he had yet to recognize true humility. Not to mention, his radical ways made people question his sanity.

‘Ugh… Why am I thinking of that idiot?’ The blonde huffed. With a shake of his head, he asked that you two find an oasis to rest. You nodded.

It took about an hour to find the nearest one in the area. Luckily, there were no Eremites to handle and only a few monsters were in sight. After settling down and eating dinner, you took out the pictures as well as your thesis paper. He could see your excitement as you drafted your findings, and he was pulled in.

‘I must have used my whole year's luck just to have you be with me.’ He joked to himself. You turned to him, talking about the energy amplifier you found inside but stopped when he stared at you so intently. Tender crimson eyes illuminated by the soft glow of the moon.

“Why must my boyfriend look this ethereal?” You pouted. Kaveh’s eyes widened before he laughed out loud. You huffed then pulled him down for a kiss.

“I love you.” You whispered, adornment donning your face.

🍁 TIGHNARI — VULPES ZERDA

The crisp scent of morning air in the Avidya Forest was nothing new to the residents of Gandharva Ville. However, they embraced the tranquility it brought. A new day meant another chance to continue the tasks that were unfinished the day before, while for some, it was their awaited day off. This was the case for you and Tighnari.

With how busy the forest rangers had been last month, you basically forced Tighnari to rearrange his schedule and take one day off after checking that this week’s patrols were going to be light. It was not easy trying to coax the Forest Watcher, but he gave in after a few puppy eyes from you and Collei. He could not let sadness and disappointment ever coat your bright eyes. He promised that when he courted you after all.

The smell of freshly cooked mushroom hodgepodge and pita pockets wafted through the air. Tighnari opened his eyes and saw you plating the breakfast. His eyes twinkled in amusement at how adorable you looked, humming a soft tune that would surely bring him back to dreamland should you sing it and run your hand through his hair.

With a yawn, Tighnari rose from his sleep and trotted towards you. The warm hug startled you, but you lightly laughed at how clingy your boyfriend had been. He was holding on to you that you ended up dragging him around your shared home while you finish setting the table. Once you were done, you gently placed him in his chair and went to yours to eat.

“I added new mushrooms in the fray after your recent research. I can’t believe it went well with this dish! It’s so good! Ah! This sauce too!” You grinned. Tighnari could not help but stare. You looked so divine, enjoying your food to your heart’s content.

‘Ah, I love her so much.’ He thought to himself. He may not express his affection in normal ways couples would do, but he knew that he had his own ways to tell you that he cared. In his eyes, there was only you.

“Here, try this one, Love.” You reached out for a piece of the meal you made for him. Tighnari wasted no effort and bit on it.

“It’s delicious. You should make this more often.” He stated, making you smile even more. Times like these were rare, and you will treasure them.

Please do not copy or repost my stories, but notes and reblogs are always appreciated!

#genshin impact #alhaitham #kaveh #tighnari #cyno #wanderer #sumeru #genshin x reader

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archiveikemen · 11 months

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"Black Wedding" Story Event: Premium END

William's Route

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by playing their games and buying stories. Not 100% accurate, expect mistakes.

read this before interacting with my posts

This story is in William's POV

William • Kate: I don't.

The air in the church instantly turned ice cold.

(... I expected her to hesitate a little.)

(Such a firm declaration. As expected of Kate.)

I gazed lovingly at my partner in her black dress, then turned my eyes to the man who was to be judged for his sins.

William: Founder — I mean, Mister Amor.

William: You've killing the couples who vowed their love here, haven't you?

Amor's shoulders trembled and he tried to argue, but I had no intention to accept any of his excuses.

William: Ah, save your breath. We have already ascertained that you're hiding the bodies in the basement of his church.

William: Your motive for committing those crimes is...

William: Before you started this organisation, you were betrayed by your fiancee whom you loved so much...

William: You lost all your money and honour, you were at the brink of death.

Amor: H-How did you know that...!?

Cultist: What does that mean, Father*?

*I chose this word because in a church, the pastor is addressed as "Father", right? Feel free to let me know if there is a better alternative.

Cultist: Didn't you receive the divine relevation to become a messenger of love...?

William: Did you do it out of good faith to prevent others from suffering the same fate as you, or was it out of jealousy?

William: Honestly, I'm not so interested in whatever motives you may have.

Amor: All of that is untrue! Silence this man!

William: You brainwashed all your believers into becoming your obedient servants and killed those couples who were free to love each other.

William: That's a fact that will not change.

The blood drained from Amor's face upon being confronted with his sins.

However, no amount of fear, crying, or begging for mercy meant anything.

William: It's up to the individual to decide their form of love and how they wish to prove it.

William: We won't just watch from the sidelines as you take the lives of innocent people because of your selfish ideals.

William: Therefore, my verdict is — you're guilty.

Amor: *gasp*...

William: "Stay there and don't move".

After stopping Amor from fleeing, I turned to look behind me.

His believers who stood there dumbfounded were also victims of having their freedom stolen.

William: "Get in a single file and leave this place quietly. Follow the man waiting outside who identifies himself as Victor."

At my command, the believers left the church like puppets.

Amor trembled at the sight of that bizzare spectacle.

Amor: ... Wha... what was that...

Amor: Why!? All of you are supposed to only obey me!

Amor: Obey me! I... I'm the only one who's right! I will never forgive you for your betrayal!!

William: "A domesticated animal"...

William: "Docile, as a man tamed it"...

William: Very tasteless of you to decorate the beautiful garden with anagrams of sheep and your believers.

William: Nothing bad about creating an ideal place, but you should do it alone.

I placed a knife in Amor's trembling hand.

Standing next to me, Kate silently watched the scene unfold.

The villain who was to be punished for his sins — and the villain who will punish him by committing the same sin.

(Make sure to properly burn this moment into your memory.)

(And write my sins down in your reports.)

William: "Stab your heart, and sleep forever".

...

I went outside after condemning Amor for his sins, and saw Victor leaving with the believers in a carriage.

Kate: What's going to happen to them...?

William: They'll be put in the Royal Hospital for some time.

William: Some of them will wake up from this nightmare and return to their original lives...

William: While the rest will search for something else to rely on.

Kate: ... Is that so?

Kate watched as the carriage left, perhaps wishing that there would be hope for their future.

(... How beautiful.)

Kate was dressed in black, like she were attending a funeral possession.

Her eyes didn't look like she was bidding farewell to the dead, but instead looked like they held a light that believed in rebirth.

(Even when you're shrouded in darkness, your radiance never disappeared.)

She was willing to become evil for the sake of others, and yet wished that there would be a day evil would vanish from this world.

How could I possibly not love a woman this foolish and kind?

(She seems to agree that marriage vows are unnecessary.)

(Being addressed as the "bride", choosing a wedding dress, and putting it on...)

(She found the wedding process itself enjoyable.)

Formalities weren't important to her, she was instead open to having color in her life and enjoying herself.

William: Kate.

Kate: What's the ma— mmph.

I pulled her close and stole her lips in a kiss.

Kate's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before closing to receive the kiss.

Standing in front of the church with blood on my hands, I unreservedly cherished my bride who was raptured by the kiss.

Kate: Mm... haah... what's the matter, all of a sudden?

William: We haven't had a "memorable, blood-stained promise kiss" yet.

Kate blinked in surprise and chuckled.

Kate: Fufu... that would be a great memory.

William: Wonderful.

William: While we're at it, shall we go on a honeymoon, my bride?

Kate: ... Huh?

...

I left the church with Kate still in her wedding dress, and we were now seated in a carriage that swayed lightly and rhythmically.

Kate: It's so dark outside.

She looked stunning in her black dress, like a single black rose.

Kate: But I was surprised by your sudden suggestion to go on a honeymoon...

William: Looking at you made me want to whisk you away.

William: I wanted to enjoy the sight of you in your wedding dress a little longer.

Kate's cheeks turned red.

(Ah, I want to see her wearing a red dress as well.)

I had a sudden whimsical thought.

Kate: ... Hey, Will.

William: Hm?

Kate: I've always thought that wedding vows were a very serious thing, it was the goal of two people deeply in love.

Kate: But when it was our turn to say our vows... it felt so trivial.

William: ... Fufu.

Kate: Why are you laughing?

William: Pardon me. It's because of how serious is the look you have on your face right now.

William: Everything is trivial compared to what you've sworn to me, Kate.

There was nothing that could be greater than Kate putting her life at risk by swearing her love to me.

Kate: I mean...

Her slightly pouty lips were adorable, she looked like she was feeling embarrassed from being laughed at.

(I could stare at her like this forever.)

Kate: Regardless of whether we're married or not...

Kate: We have a special relationship whereby we've both sworn our love to each other.

Kate: Today's mission... it made me really happy.

William: ...

The sight of her carefree smile made my heart ache.

I knew that when I lost her one day, that pain would eat me alive.

William: ... So, have you lost interest in having a real wedding?

Kate: … Huh?

William: I just thought it’d be enjoyable to have a real wedding with you.

Kate: …

(This face she makes is adorable too.)

William: You looked so happy to be in a wedding dress.

William: Being called my bride, choosing your dress… and of course, you look happy right now too.

I touched her cheek and looked into her face.

William: Ah, I won’t tie you down with marriage.

William: But if it means I can see your happy face, I don’t think having a “ceremony” is a bad idea.

Kate: … Will…

William: We can have multiple wedding ceremonies if you wish.

William: Next time, we’ll have you wear a dress of your choice.

William: When you wear a red wedding dress, let’s have a wedding with just the two of us. No one else will be there to see it.

(Someday, her smile, warmth, and flame of life would disappear forever.)

(Until that moment comes, let’s make many happy memories together.)

Kate innocently blinked and then narrowed her eyes.

Kate: … Alright, then let’s hold 10 ceremonies.

Kate: I, too, want to see you in both black and white tuxedos.

William: ... Fufu, 10 times, huh?

William: You’re such a greedy bride.

Kate: … My bad, that was false. Actually, let’s have 100 ceremonies.

William: Ahahaha!

I burst out laughing, and Kate joined in the laughter.

Hearing her laughter in the darkness brought me more joy than any sacred vow could.

William: If we have 100 ceremonies, that means we’ll have 100 promise kisses.

William: But for now…

William: I want to give my one and only bride a kiss filled with my love.

(We’ll vow to each other as many times as we want.)

(Until the very end, when this happiness turns into a poison that will kill me.)

#ikemen villains #ikemen series #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #otome #ikevil story event #niki translates

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shoko-komi · 4 days

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The Komi Report - Communication 455

This week in Komi Can't Communicate:

A little crime...

...and a little date.

Read It: Mangareader Mangakakalot Viz Media (Now open to the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia!) Mangadex

Lily Sukida was here only a moment ago, how could she miss the yuri date?

We're already on the last day of the culture festival... U_U it's not over yet so there may be more to come, but it seems to be a very short and quiet one for Year 3. Even the traditional Tadano force-fem had to be slipped in quickly without much fanfare... still, if the Sukida emoi surprise attack is the climax of the fun, then that's a damn good high to hit.

This chapter is cute! Some Najimi mischief is always welcome. And the TadaKomi date is sweet. It's more of the same from them, but I don't mind that. I like more of the same, if it's something I like. I've already talked a bunch of times about how much Komi has grown, so I'll skim over that even though I love to see it. I'll also skim over the date since all I have to say is "cute!!!". I'm also ignoring the appearance of a certain individual. I am the ignorer.

In my mind palace, Tadano goes girlmode permanently. I think it would improve the manga (the bias opinion of a himejoshi). I daydream of a fanfic about Tadano coming out as a trans girl - he helped Komi break out of her shell and become the person she wanted to be, so it would be narratively beautiful for her to turn around and help Tadano do the same. That would be the major arc of the third year if I was writing this

Komi is with me on this. She'd love it

Dastardly creature...

Isagi hype!!! And I forget the name of Isagi's student council subordinate but I'm glad to see her too. Actually, Isagi's term as President ended, right? I guess she moved on to organising paramilitaries. Good for her.

Tadano always cops it when Najimi causes trouble asjkldbnaljsdnalsdjasdnalskd

Anytime Komi talks with a different font than her usual soft cursive I go crazy for it.

Komi should kill. I want her to kill. The girls are out for blood (I'm girls)

Michita hype!!!!!! You and me both, Michita.

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

Some good news!! You may have noticed up above in the links section, but Viz Media has made their manga available to a handful of countries outside North America. No longer will I have to connect my VPN to servers in Miami to read new Komi as quickly as possible. Weh heh heh (satisfied laugh)

They also uploaded a few chapters to Mangadex. I don't know what's going on there or if it will continue.

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

A nice chapter (～￣▽￣)～

It looks like next week is a rest week for Oda, so I'll see you in a fortnight! Until then, stay safe 💞

#komi #komi can't communicate #komi san wa komyushou desu #komi report #the komi report

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medugo · 1 month

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Track and share your health vitals, medical reports, health records to your doctor. Download the Medugo App. Easy way to store your family health records, vitals, blood report, Scan Report, vaccination Report and menstrual cycle.

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lookwhatyoumademedohaha · 1 year

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Bad Blood - Morpheus x Reader

'Cause baby, now we got bad blood You know it used to be mad love So take a look what you've done 'Cause baby, now we got bad blood (hey!)

Now we got problems And I don't think we can solve 'em You made a really deep cut And baby, now we got bad blood (hey!)

Did you have to do this? I was thinking that you could be trusted Did you have to ruin What was shining? Now it's all rusted Did you have to hit me Where I'm weak? Baby, I couldn't breathe And rub it in so deep Salt in the wound like you're laughing right at me

Oh, it's so sad to think about the good times You and I

Summary: An insane and maniacal enemy visits you reminding you of your past and taunting you with your present. Morpheus and you find new and surprising revelations for your feelings for each other lingering in your hearts.

Pairing: Morpheus x Goddess of Hope Reader

Warnings: Pure fluff, angst and comfort, humor, toxic family, slight violence.

A/N: Hi everyone! First of all, let me start with a huge thank you to everyone who has given so much love and support for Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 , Part 4 and Part 5 of this fic.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE - I have taken down Part 1 and Part 2 of it’s time to go because I felt it needed some reconstruction and rebuilding for the story. So don’t worry if the links aren’t working. I plan on finishing the first two parts and uploading them again to this work! But this work can be read without the first two parts as well, so keep on reading!

Thank you so much for the overwhelming love and support you had given to this fic. Your support and love means so much to me and encourages me to keep going. I apologize for taking such a long time to come up with Part 6 but between work and studies and working on my mental health, I wanted to create a really good and beautiful story for myself and you all as well. So I really hope you like it even though it is slightly long because there are new revelations in Morpheus’ and Hope’s feelings for each other and highlights Hope’s past a little bit more better.

So here’s Part 6 of it’s time to go ! It’s a bit long but I promise you it’s worth reading until the very end! Please do read it until the end and let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for your love, encouragement and support. You are the best! You are all so sweet, kind and amazing and make me believe that the world is full of nice and good people! Please let me know if you like this story that I worked hard on because your feedback means so much to me!

I love you all! This is me to all who encourage, love and support me!

Part 1 - it’s time to go

Part 2 - Meet Me in the Afterglow

Part 3 - Forever Winter

Part 4 - Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

Part 5 - Sweet Nothing

You rose when the sky was still dark. You would see to your morning’s business of your respective Realms as you dressed and walked into the gardens where you looked over your papers. You looked at the red box with the seal of the Queen full of reports and papers regarding important matters of the Realm, ready for you to tackle as you took a deep breath and opened it and began to read, process, sign and tackle each one carefully.

“I need coffee.” you muttered as you tackled a problem with Desire’s realm because how could the world be full of problems before dawn? It simply was not civilized.

When you finished, you realized it was dawn. You passed through the bushes of beautiful flowers that bloomed in pretty shy pink, lush passionate red, pure white, as she reached the manor with its terraces and white statues that was clouded with mist filtered with the first rays of golden sunlight that made it look like a beautiful bride. You felt reminiscence and adoration for this home that had been full of happiness for a certain amount of time until you had felt loss and grief once again. This hour should have felt peaceful and yet all you saw were figures of your past dancing around you, a tall gentleman with a bright and shy smile offering a bouquet of pink roses as he walked beside you talking kindly and listening to you. Laughter echoed around you, shy smiles were all you saw, playful bickering and banter was all you heard until you felt nothing but painful reminiscence and wistfulness.

But you had watched them all fall. You had watched him fall. You had been there among them. You vowed after that never to let anyone into your heart because people only left and for that pleasant fantasy to be a reality, you had to be strong against the Dream Lord who was insistent on winning you over.

You strode through the halls of the manor into the kitchen where the morning light had turned bright and rosy, as you conjured up breakfast. As you finished sending your solved reports and signed papers to your Realm, you closed your eyes as you understood that today you would not start the day alone. You snapped your fingers and your mansion was spruced and sparkling, beautiful flowers bloomed, the scent of fresh tea and sweet orange blossoms filled the air as the table was laid with a lavish spread of breakfast.

The strong scent of false promises and sweet chocolate filled the air as you heard light footsteps of high heels out by the door and you tensed as you called out “I know you are out there.”

“I know you know I’m out here.” replied the silky and soft voice as the clicking of the heels stopped as the door quietly closed behind the familiar stranger.

“Then why are you playing hide and seek in my home with those ridiculous high heels?” you called out confidently as you thought of how the this stranger was too over confident about their ability to outsmart and outmaneuver you in your home.

“Because I’m hurt that you didn’t see the forty three missed calls I left you. Why didn’t you answer?” replied the silky and soft voice teasingly and playfully echoing from another part of the room, as you listened carefully preparing yourself.

You snorted in disdain as you rolled your eyes, still cautious and careful as you stepped toward the direction of the voice, replying with disdain and sarcasm “Do you think I��m your fiancé?”

The twinkling amused laugh echoed from the living room as you held your breath, your eyes glowing hazel golden as you scanned through the walls and saw the flash of blonde hair, cunning eyes of the stranger skulking in the room with weapons in their hands. You had expected to see them but you didn’t think that they would visit you today, so quickly with a death wish in their heart. You were always prepared for their visits because they always appeared without invitation but this visit felt different because they had lost the right to step into this particular house, to speak to you as if they knew you better than anyone.

As if they could read your mind, the voice spoke what you were thinking, with a hint of anxiety present in the voice as they tested the waters “And because I distinctly remember you saying that if you ever saw me again, you would kill me.”

You reached for your weapons as you stepped cautiously and quietly “Oh, I remember.”

The silky and seductive voice grew steady and solemn calling out to you “So are we going to talk like proper grown up sisters?”

You transported into the living room to see the tall graceful figure of a flash of beautiful angelic blonde hair, ocean blue eyes gleaming with cunning and resourcefulness as she whirled around to looked in surprise at you who replied “Funny. Is that what we are?”

There was a tense silence between both of you as you eyed the beautiful and charming lady in a red silk dress and black high heels, her sapphire ocean blue eyes gleaming with sweet promises and dangerous heartbreak, her cheeks dabbed with blush of first love, her angelic golden hair curled around her in flawless waves, her lips rouge and red as the bloodied bodies and red roses.

You stared at the gorgeous visage of stormy heartbreak and cruel passion, your sister Love.

“Leave now.” you warned in a steady voice as you stepped backwards and Love took a few steps forward. “Before I make you.”

“Watch your step.” retorted Love playfully but there was a hint of smugness as you nearly slipped but you just chuckled because you were infuriated with your sister’s smug superiority.

Both of you stood still and silent, the moment between you lasting for eternal seconds that ticked slowly as both of you looked at each other with the memories and emotions that time couldn’t erase as they both glared at each other in distrust and disdain, scanning each other wondering what lay beneath the surface.

The frozen moment of analyzing and scanning each other’s weaknesses broke as you seized her hand from reaching her wand and twisted it and she seized your hand from reaching your special dagger reserved for occasions just like this. You kicked her fiercely in the chest making Love gasp in sharp pain and yelled as you held her tightly and slammed her on the posts of the door with your strength and brutality, feeling twisted satisfaction at hearing her yells of pain.

Love glared at you with a brutal gleam in her ocean blue eyes as she curled her hands around your neck, her sharp polished nails clawing into your skin as she choked you mercilessly. As you spluttered and gasped for air, Love shoved you onto the cabinet, the precious trinkets and pictures crashing and falling as she slammed you hard, her grip growing stronger on you while you struggled and thrashed against her infuriated by her smirk.

Elder sister and younger sister. Once two sisters who understood each other. Defined by their choices. Separated by the paths they took.

Elder sister always tried her best to gain attention and shine in the spotlight. But the younger sister who knew she would be of interest did not know she would naturally attract such an overwhelming amount of attention from the universe just because she was herself.

The big sister was trained to fight. The little sister was trained to kill.

Love was equally as good as you, though you would never admit it. It was something that filled you with rage and shame. Everything you did, you always tried to be better than her. All those tests where Love would pass with flying colors and you would miss by a mark as you watched her being showered with praise. All those duels where your father who had trained you both, pitted you against each other, Love and you fought each other with perfect technique and sharp desire to win resulting in Love winning many times but it was you who had learned new lessons from each loss and won as time went on by using your wit and cleverness against Love.

Love smirked smugly with superiority as she pinned you down, as you choked and struggled against her “I always knew I was the best in the family.”

Oh hell no. No way in hell were you losing this duel to this cocky, arrogant little shit.

You screamed in frustration and anger as you bit her hand fiercely and slammed a precious vase on Love’s head making her scream and bleed in pain as she stumbled a few steps back in shock. You were quick to stand up as you whipped out your whip but Love caught it as she wrapped it around your neck as she held you tightly in her arms but you lifted your leg and pushed your weight against her freeing yourself from her grasp and threw her across the living room making the glass on a mirror shatter.

You wasted no time as you caught your breath and unsheathed a knife from your weapons belt as you flung it across at Love with fierce determination because you were seriously angered. Love’s eyes widened with terror and horror as she took a few trembling steps back and conjured a shield. In the moment you flung your knife at your sister with brutal intentions, Love ducked it as she protected herself with the shield. You kicked away the shield as your sharp knife grazed the torso of your sister’s body.

Love screamed with tears in her eyes as she grabbed your arm and tossed you to the floor but you were quick to get up on your knees as you swung your knife again, swiping it across her chest as another nasty wound appeared. Love kicked the knife away from you as she screamed in terror and pain and jumped on you as she gripped you tightly with her arms to try and contain you.

But you were persistent, fierce and spiteful as you gasped for air and kicked your sister in the crotch and pushed her fiercely against the wall and through the French windows as both of you crashed into the gardens outside. She wrapped her legs around your neck and tossed you to the ground as she took your whip and wrapped it around your neck tightly. But you seized it, and did the same to your sister, wrapping it around her neck tightly until she gasped for air and slammed her hard and fiercely to the ground.

You tightened your grip around the whip never letting go, stubborn and persistent to choke your sister because you would rather die than lose a battle with Love as you glared fiercely and stubbornly at her when her ocean blue eyes glimmering with tears stared into yours and gasped with a cough “You win.”

You tightened your grip again because you wanted to hear those word once more and Love coughed in pain, letting go of her hold of the whip on you “You win!”

You grinned maniacally as you gasped for the sweet morning air that your lungs were deprived of and retrieved your whip and Love looked over at you “I forgot how much I really hate you, you little murderous cockroach.”

“The feeling is mutual, Love.”

“Come on. Let’s have a cup of tea.”

You brushed away the glass and the dirt as you marched into the nearly destroyed house with your sister. You had just fought your sister with all the anger and pain in your being, in a situation of life and death and now here you were, handing a cup of tea to your sister who you had nearly killed and who had almost destroyed your property.

Yeah, sounded like a pretty normal day.

You both sat in tense silence as you handed your sister a cup of tea made in the way she hated, and Love’s eyes flickered with irritation when she realized that you had placed the teacup handle precisely away from the hand she normally used but turned it around. You poured yourself a cup of coffee with hidden amusement at seeing the little trick that annoyed your sister and watched in delight at seeing the revolted look on her face the moment she took a sip of tea.

“All these centuries and you still don’t know how to serve a decent cup of tea.” stated Love mockingly as she shook her head at you in disappointment.

“Oh, I reserve my best tea for my honored guests and people I care about.” you replied lightly and carelessly with a smile that infuriated Love who hid her pain in her eyes “The tea I served you is for cunning tricksters and cruel villains.”

“I’m honored. Every fairytale needs a good cruel monstrous villain. You need me.” said Love with a dark twinkle in her stormy ocean blue eyes as she looked at you with apathy and emptiness “Because we’re very much alike... you and I. Otherwise, without me... you’d be bored. You always were bored.”

“You are getting married, I hear.” you replied calmly and steadily, unshaken by Love as you sipped your coffee slowly.

“I’m the all - powerful Goddess of Love, the Deity who every creature needs every single day... you think I can’t seduce a simple idiot who craves love and affection?” crooned Love in amusement, her voice dripping with delight and humor. “I assume you are going to attend and keep your promise.”

“I owe you.” you replied coldly, your voice full of sharp edges of steel and danger. “I will be collecting as promised.”

“If after all these centuries, you are still feeling sentimental about your friend -” Love started laughing in amusement. “You should let bygones be bygones. Be a Goddess, not a sentimental human being.”

“Don’t you dare walk in here - and speak to me about sentiment!” you snapped in fury and anger as memories flooded into your mind.

Love grinned maniacally in amusement but there was a glimmer of nervousness in her eyes “Are you still upset about what happened to your friend?”

“What do you think?” you snapped in quiet anger as you gripped the handle of your cup very tightly.

Love smirked knowingly with no remorse and regret as she took a sip of her tea “I think you blame me for what happened when you knew it was your fault all along. You knew it was inevitable but you let yourself believe that you could be an ordinary girl who could have a happily ever after.

“All of it... his blood is on your hands. He was a good man who had many days ahead of him that he could have lived happily. He should have lived his life, should have had the chance to make a difference.” you said quietly in heartbreak and sadness at the remembrance of your good friend who had been ridiculous and kind, always wearing a bright smile and a heart full of goodness and energy to help those who were powerless. Not only was he a talented and powerful man, he was an uncommonly kind man who had the sweet disposition of seeing wonder in a world full of cruelty and brutality.

Your dark anger and unforgiving fury blazed in your dark eyes as you remembered the piercing screams, the gasps for life and the blood on your hands as you tried to stop Death itself and glared at Love with centuries of unforgiven and unforgettable emotions “Your twisted and sick games and schemes led him to his death. You murdered him.”

“I murdered him? He was just another unimportant casualty in the long game.” replied Love smoothly with a huff of amused laughter with no trace of remorse and shame in her face that made you so angry that you wanted to kill her slowly and painfully “Although, it was touching the way he snuffed out. Casting himself in front of you to protect you... sacrificing himself to protect an almighty Goddess because his love for you was powerful than his love for his own pathetic life! Mortals are quite foolishly funny like that but his death was so beautiful-”

You had enough as you seized her with white hot rage that clouded your senses, your mind only filled with ideas of murder and torture to make your sister suffer slowly and painfully until she begged for mercy “How dare you mention him! His death - his death was not beautiful! It was horrifying, wrong and -”

“Oh dear, but it was beautiful!” Love laughed maniacally, unafraid and unregretful even though her own sister was almost one step away from murdering her with true outrage as you felt red hot burning outrage run through you and you shook her as she laughed “Your dear friend died for who he loved and for what he stood for. Like it or not, it was beautiful.”

“You’re insane.” you spat angrily as you shook her nearly on the verge of murdering her but his loving and smiling face flashed in your mind. You felt the outrage grow but there was something that whispered he would disapprove of your actions. “He died!”

“BUT THAT’S WHAT MORTALS DO! THEY WITHER AND DECAY AND DIE BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR PATHETIC PURPOSE IN LIFE!” snapped Love loudly and sharply in frustration and anger making you release her in shock as she glared at you fiercely and inhaled a sharp breath “You are Goddess above all of them who knows this universal truth and yet you hide from it. I’m so sick of you pretending to be one of them... ordinary and normal!”

“Face it, the universe calling you for help is what really gets you excited. Not a normal life of groceries and... complicated little emotions.” retorted Love in amusement and honesty as she grinned widely at you. “Imagine that. You would go mad and die of boredom.”

You rolled your eyes at Love as you replied sassily in a cruel and cutting tone of knowing arrogance “Oh yeah? Well, you’re not exactly cut out for domestic bliss yourself either.”

Love was taken aback in shock and after a moment’s pause, she scowled fiercely at you who seemed to settle into an air of carelessness and indifference as she replied in annoyance and irritation “Maybe it’s like a tone thing... but you could really work on the way you speak. It’s very... maddeningly, infuriatingly, irritating and annoying.”

“I don’t care. How are you feeling?” you asked controlling your anger and pain with great determination.

“Never better. Do you have to collect your debt now?” questioned Love calmly and steadily but her voice cracked slightly in fright, her ocean blue eyes betrayed fear “Collecting your debt will not return what you lost.”

“No. But I’m bored and I promised you.”

“Well, you can’t because my fiancé believes that we are absolutely two loving sisters who care for each other.” replied Love with a cunning and triumphant grin surprising you as she took a sip of her tea “I’ve told him that you have promised to be my maid of honor and give the toast at my wedding.”

You could not believe what you were hearing because you were angry at yourself for not seeing this coming “You little, conniving, fucked up -”

“Hey dearest sister, mind your language. He’s really looking forward to meeting my sweet sister who loves me very much.” replied Love sweetly, delighted and happy at your spluttering outrage and hatred direct toward her because it was amazing to have the upperhand over you. “He will be puzzled when you attend the wedding with the intention of destroying me.”

“I am not going to be your maid of honor or give a toast at your wedding.” you said steadily in a non - negotiable voice wearing a stubborn expression

“But I’ve told all my guests you’ll be there for me. They are so delighted when they heard the Goddess of Hope has promised to be there for her sister on the big day.” replied Love lightly and innocently with cruel delight sparkling in her shimmering blue eyes “I can’t believe you would let me down. Let all of them down and break your promise to me.”

You glared at Love feeling absolutely struck in shock and outraged that you didn’t see it coming and feeling the urge to slap her in the face, but your eyes gleamed with cold fury and quiet calculation as you voiced the one question that echoed throughout all the betrayals and games between you both “Why are you doing this? What do you want? You don’t want power or glory... not really. What is it that you really want?”

“That’s been the question I want the answer to all along. The foundation of our Great Game. Have you found the answer to it?” asked Love sweetly in a sing - song melodious voice that taunted and irritated you as she looked at you knowingly “I did tell you but did you listen?”

You remained quiet as you rested your chin on your intertwined fingers, irritated and annoyed by your sister’s troublesome presence, the knowing and cruel glint in her ocean blue eyes as she smirked at you “How hard do you find it? To say I don’t know?”

“I don’t know.” you quipped swiftly and smartly with a smirk as you rolled your eyes at Love.

Love chuckled irritating you as she twirled a strand of her shining golden hair between her fingers, looking at you in mocking admiration and amusement “Oh that’s clever. That’s very smart. Speaking of clever... will you tell our family and the everyone else?”

You raised your brow “Tell them what?”

“Tell them why I am hosting my wedding at our home realm? Tell them why I am suddenly bezzie mates with my dear sister?” replied Love smoothly and silkily as she took a sinfully delicious red apple and reached into her pockets to take a knife to carve and cut it up.

You scoffed in ridicule “No.”

Your sister nodded in delight and understanding as she looked at you with an expression almost close to respect and amusement “But you understand?”

Your eyes glimmered with understanding “Obviously.”

Love grinned in satisfaction as she laid back on the armchair, popping a piece of apple in her mouth as she looked at you with twisted encouragement and cruel delight “Off you go then. Indulge me, little sister.”

“You want me to tell you what you already know?” you retorted in exasperation and irritation because every time you met your sister, this was the kind of twisted mischievous game she would play with you, trying to be cleverer than you and test you.

“No. I want you to prove to me that you know what I already know.” replied Love calmly and smoothly, her voice dripping with cruel amusement and cold encouragement.

This is what she did to you. She knew you could never resist the chance to pass her little tests and prove that you were clever. That was who you were. You remembered how long ago when you were children with flowers in your hair, running through the corridors of the endless palace where they hid behind the curtains planning how to sneak out of the palace but when you had suggested to scrap the plan in the last minute out of fear, she had stared at you with a curious smile and whispered...

“What’s the point of being clever if you can’t prove it? You’d do anything, anything to stop being bored. You’re not bored now, are you?”

You hated that memory, those words that fired in your head when the war of memories with your sister clashed in your head. Was she right? Perhaps, yes, you did hate being bored and you liked a good game. But you also wanted peace and rest and hated this betrayal and games that you played with Love. You disliked that you never moved first against her but she always initiated games to hurt you and cause you sadness and heartbreak and headaches.

So you were truly fed up with her.

“You lied to everyone because it was necessary. Your need everyone in the family to love and support your fiancé. You lied to everyone about us because you need them to believe the lie is the truth.” you began with a deep breath as your mind analyzed the thoughts that had formed in your mind the moment you had heard of your sister’s engagement and her news of you becoming her maid of honor. “You need stability and support.”

Love smirked approvingly as she ate another piece of the apple “Good. And?”

“You lied because you need stability and support of a marriage and a powerful Goddess and family member in order to seize what you’ve always wanted.” you replied seriously and solemnly, feeling absolute disdain and dislike for your sister wishing you could erase her out of existence.

Love nodded in approval as she carved on the apple with a cruel smirk “Very good. Because?”

“Because you know the value of my support and a good marriage in the eyes of our father and his kingdom. Because nothing in this universe matters more to you than ensuring that you are the one our home realm supports and father chooses as the Crown Heir to the Kingdom of Chaos between you and Wisdom.” you finished easily and intelligently because Love’s intentions had been transparent and clear from the start. It was quite predictable and boring but also startling and alarming because you knew Love was insane and with that kind of power, there was no telling what she could do.

“I can open new doors anywhere in the universe and create madness with just the power of the Crown of Chaos. No such thing as restraint and control... I will control and dominate the entire universe once I’m the official heir and Monarch of Chaos.” stated Love smoothly and coldly with terrifying cruelty and dark ambition written all over her face, shining wildly in her eyes “I could blow up this pathetic little planet, attack any kingdom that challenges me or bring doomsday destroying everything in my dislike for them. In this universe, chaos ultimately reigns supreme and the one who has access to it rules the universe.... and you should see me in a crown.”

“You don’t want the Crown. You just want to show the universe what you can do.”

“And your reputation... the fact I’ve told them you’re my sweet big sister is helping. Big client list. Rogue criminals, monstrous monarchs, intelligent scholars, terror communities... suddenly they all want me.” replied Love smugly in satisfaction and delight, her ocean blue eyes gleaming with dark cruelty and twisted amusement, chuckling happily as she watched your face grow pale in understanding and realization at the terrifying situation that was unfolding.

“You could do anything. See the universe. Create something beautiful. What do you care about a client list?” you snapped in unrestrained anger and hurt that Love had used your hard earned name and good reputation for her own twisted dark deeds and cruel plans.

“I don’t. I just like to watch all of them competing for my attention. Mommy loves me the best!” mocked Love in cruel amusement, her eyes gleaming with superiority and darkness, the very antithesis of what humans thought what Love was supposed to be “Isn’t the universe filled with such gullible, stupid, adorable creatures? Well, you know all about adorable pets. You have that troublemaker. How is he by the way?”

You stiffened at the mention of another heartbreak from the past that you were slowly trying to heal from as you inquired with a bite in your voice “You know I will stop you.”

Your sister didn’t look intimidated and threatened but amused and nonchalant as she bit into a piece of her apple casually “How’s your newly returned dear husband... the Dream Lord... Lord Morpheus? You’ve been around him a great deal since he returned, I hear. Did you have a pleasant evening with your dearly beloved last night?”

Love’s eyes darted upwards towards the floor where Morpheus was sleeping as she smirked cruelly and you stiffened in tension because you suddenly felt a fearful urgency and protective tendency unleash in you hoping that you expressed no feelings in your face but Love continued “Love. It’s so sickeningly sweet and utterly pathetic what idiots do for love. Adam and Eve. Achilles and Patroclus. Hades and Persephone. Orpheus and Eurydice. Paris and Helen of Troy. Diana and Charles. All of them absolutely tragically wonderfully amusing. Do you know my favorite story out of all my years of experience in my duty?”

You rolled your eyes at her “I don’t care.”

“Once upon a time, there was a fair and beautiful young princess loved by all and she fell madly in love with a handsome dashing powerful King. Unfortunately the King was already lost in his grief of a broken heart over someone else.” began Love with as a cruel smile twisted on her beautiful face, her voice dripping with sweet honey and deadly poison as she watched in pleasure when you stiffened in pain and tension, your knuckles gripping the chair so tightly that they turned white “The King and Princess married each other but the minute the vows were spoken and duty was done, their marriage was effectively over and the King started to find comfort in the arms of others. They did remarkably well considering how unhappily they were living ever after.”

You were furious, your rage blazing beyond understanding as it grew white hot at the insult paid to you as you listened to your sister speak about with such casual amusement. It was a crushing weight of insult and cruelty to be subjected to the miserable story you had lived throughout the centuries unhappily and feel your sister, the Goddess of Love herself rejoice in your suffering as she enjoyed playing her sick twisted games with you.

Your sister paused, her face falling into an expression of sympathy and understanding, her voice softening and yet you glimpsed the hints of cruelty dancing in her eyes “But... there comes a point in any failing marriage - and I here I truly understand the princess who realized that there was no point trying any more and it was easier to let the hatred take her away.”

“After years of neglect and absence, the King had a change of heart, understood that the princess was the only one for him and runs to prove that she is the love of his endless life. Unfortunately for the King, the princess has nursed grudges and unforgiving hatred against him. And now the poor unfortunate soul’s afraid that the saintly princess will never love him the way she did once upon a time and is willing to sacrifice and do anything just to see her laugh, ensure her happiness and earn her heart.” finished Love with a maniacal grin, unfeeling darkness gleaming in her eyes as cold cruelty and unpredictable amusement written all over her, the very picture of her foreign to the image the mortals painted of her.

You had scoffed when you read, heard, listened and seen mortals describe Love as kind, patient, sweet, and understanding.

Clearly, none of them had experienced having Love as a sister and enemy.

Little Miss Perfect, the Goddess of Love was not wonderful. Love was a storm of manipulation and cruelty, finding sick amusement in pain of others, unfeeling and heartless and very dangerous.

But there was something about Love who narrated the story, that felt almost comforting today. Generally, you would be wary and throw yourself at her with the intention of killing her if she started to mock you but today though she had started with the intention of mocking your marriage, it had ended with a quiet sisterly comfort and understanding that was very rare in your relationship. You knew when Love was being genuine and when she was insane. Although she was always insane, there were moments you glimpsed a glimmer of goodness that made you hope that the sister you had cared about was still in there. Today as both of you sat with your cups of coffee and tea on opposite sides as you stared at Love, you felt welcome comfort and quiet understanding.

“If there was a prize for rotten judgement, I guess the princess has already won that.” you replied sassily and smartly as you ran your hand through your hair in exasperation and amusement as you both chuckled feeling comfortable “No man is worth the aggravation... that’s ancient history, been there, done that!”

Love’s eyes gleamed in surprise “Are you quoting Disney?”

“It’s a classic. You know it’s my favorite Disney song?” you replied enthusiastically as you looked at Love who was listening in amusement and surprise.

Love was carving an apple as she laughed in good humor “Isn’t it like a sappy song?”

“Okay, the lyrics are incredibly beautiful. The voices are just heavenly. I listen to it all the time and I will fight you if you hate on it.” you retorted defensively as you glared at Love fiercely and ferociously at Love who was chuckling at you muttering something about what a child you were for a Goddess.

Love smiled warmly and genuinely after a few moments of silence as her ocean blue eyes met yours and you saw the glimmer of the genuine good - hearted sister you used to know as she replied “I like Hercules too. I love the Muses. And Meg... she’s an absolute badass! And Hades’ characterization... it’s absolutely just so funny.”

“I know right! I mean, literally when I see Hades on screen, I start laughing when I think of our Hades! And Meg and the Muses, they’re so cool, right!” you exclaimed happily, amazed that Love and you had something awesome in common and you forgot momentarily your anger and fury toward your sister.

“Totally awesome.” said Love with a warm grin and teased playfully as she kicked one leg over the other “You know your favorite song is about Meg’s conflict of new feelings of genuine love and holding herself back because she fears heartbreak and grief if she lets herself be loved and love again.”

You shot your sister a sharp look knowing where this was going to go as you pointed your knife at her “Shut up. Don’t even start -”

“Who do you think you’re kidding? He’s the earth and heaven to you. Try to keep it hidden. Honey, I can see right through. Girl, you can’t conceal it. I know how you feel and who you’re thinking of.” Love began singing beautifully and playfully with a teasing smirk, her ocean blue eyes shimmering in delight, creating humorous and knowing expressions at you making you feel exasperated and shy.

That knowing expression on your sister’s face irked you because she knew you were thinking of a certain ethereal Dream Lord who was slowly beginning to crawl his way into your head. And yet as you watched your sister singing carefree and loudly, you were reminded of the long past good times where you both shared laughter and fondness for each other instead of desire to betray and destroy one another. These kind of moments were incredibly rare in your relationship with your sister, and very precious to your heart so when it happened, you cherished it and lived in it.

“I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out! My head is screaming ‘Get a grip, girl!’” you joined in singing dramatically and divinely, exaggerating playfully as you grinned brightly in amusement at Love who was swooning, sighing, gasping and fanning herself and you pretended to stab yourself in the chest “Unless you’re dying to cry your heart out!”

Love laughed warmly at your dramatic exaggerations as she shook her head at you and gestured at you in an equally dramatic manner as she waggled her eyebrows “You keep on denying, who you are and how you’re feeling. Darling I’m not buying.”

You stuck out your tongue at Love glaring at her teasing and playful expression that liked irritating you as you sang “No chance, no way, I won’t say it, no, no.”

Love winked in playful knowing as she wore an expression of disbelief “You’re doing flips, read my lips, you’re in love again!”

You rolled your eyes at Love with an expression of exasperation and annoyance as you sang “You’re way off base, that’s not the case. Get off the my case, I won’t say it.”

“Alright, don’t be proud, it’s okay if you are falling in love.” replied Love suavely and smoothly with a smirk as she looked at your annoyed and exasperated expression. “It’s quite sweet... Lord Morpheus and you... if you’re thinking of moving on from him, then think again because that idiot may actually love you. But what about you?”

Your face hardened, your eyes darkened with quiet protectiveness, feelings of - what exactly? You remembered last night, the quiet blissful intimacy between them that has blossomed. The soft smiles and the sorrowful tears shed, the guarded memories shared and their hearts opening to each other without reservation. It felt new, intimate, beautiful and fragile... an unexplored territory as you remembered the Dream Lord’s intense eyes full of adoration and affection for you throughout the evening.

“None of your business. You have interfered in my life with the intentions of making me unhappy and you have succeeded a thousand times over.” you said in a steely and cold voice, the warmth and affection of sisterhood vanishing in an instant, forgotten and replaced with the deadliness and danger of an enemy “I will keep my promise to collect. And I will stop you.”

“No, you won’t.” said Love sweetly and lightly, cruelty and poison heavily dripping in her voice, her eyes devoid of kindness “Shall I tell you what will happen if you try to stop me?”

“Oh let me guess. Ruin my life.”

“Ruin your life? No, no, don’t be boring. No, if you stop me, I will break Lord Morpheus, the unfortunate soul weakened by the captivity at the hands of pathetic humans.” replied Love coolly and kindly but there was undying cruelty and hardened hatred in her as she looked at you who had stiffened in tension “I’m going to burn down his pathetic and vulnerable Dream Realm. I’ll kill each of his subjects and make him watch as everything and everyone he loves dies and fades away in front of him. And you will be helpless as he sees you for who you truly are and rips your heart out again.”

“I can reliably inform you that I do not care for Lord Morpheus in any way at all.” you replied coldly and quietly, silent rage and protectiveness simmering and burning within you at the thought of Morpheus’ fall from grace once again.

You had never been certain of much regarding Morpheus but you were certain that Morpheus adored and loved the Realm of Dream and Nightmares more than his endless life. It was his pride and joy. To see it burnt down would be his greatest suffering. You hated his pride and arrogance but you did not want someone else, especially your cunning and cruel sister to take a blow at his pride and strip him of it.

Love smiled knowingly with a soft and sweet smile full of cruelty and cunning as her eyes darted upstairs for a few moments and then met yours with a twinkle “But we both know that isn’t quite true.”

You felt something in you squirm and burn as you shot a deep glare at your sister who chuckled easily “Two conditions and I will tell you the name of the captor of your husband and promise to stop all the games with you.”

You froze slightly at the words of your sister “State your conditions and I will take them into consideration and you will do my conditions accordingly.”

“Alright. My first condition, do not collect your debt as until death does him apart from me. My second condition, do not reveal my plan to our family.” stated Love coolly and calmly with a smug smirk because she thought she had you at her mercy.

But Love was unaware that you were feeling rather smug because Love had just revealed her cards to you. Love had revealed her weaknesses to you, the things that she cared the most about. Love generally didn’t care about anyone or anything, lacked empathy and kindness so it satisfied you that she finally found a fiancé who she loved with all her heart that she couldn’t bear to lose and had a great desire to achieve the throne at any cost.

“Well... it’s quite hard to say yes to. I mean, I did make you this promise. And even I was to state my conditions, you’re a deceitful creature who won’t fulfill my conditions. How do I even know how far you’ll go to make my conditions happen?” you replied calmly and carelessly, rolling your eyes at your sister with disbelief chuckling in amusement.

Your sister was stripped of her arrogance and cruelty she wore but now looked pale and vulnerable, every inch pathetically mortal and weak as you laughed in cruel and twisted amusement as you playfully taunted “Come, come, dear Love... you didn’t expect me to keep all your secrets and forget your betrayals for nothing? What would our father say if he heard of your side venture to double cross him?”

Love’s expression turned dark and cruel but she smirked “You always were a thorn in my side. But there is nothing stopping me from cutting you from my life.”

“Because you know that before you can take another breath, I’d have slit your throat and ruined those very expensive cushions you are sitting on.” you replied coolly with a dark and amused gleam in your dark eyes as you twirled your knife lazily in your hand.

Love inhaled a sharp breath as she felt intimidated by her sister but shot back fiercely “You forget I was trained by father too. Come on big talker, let’s see whose blood spills on the floor.”

“Father may have trained you but you forget I was raised by Lucifer Morningstar and Mazikeen.” you replied elegantly and majestically as you lifted your chin proudly looking at Love daring her to challenge you but you were satisfied when you saw a flicker of fear in her ocean blue eyes.

You were glad to see fear dominate Love because although she considered herself powerful, she certainly did not have the support of Lucifer Morningstar, the second most powerful creature in this universe and if anything happened to you, you knew Lucifer Morningstar would seek vengeance in your name.

Ah, there were perks of being the Devil Regent, second in command to Lucifer Morningstar.

Your sister was resigned finding no way out because she did not want to risk the wrath of Lucifer Morningstar “Very well. Name your conditions and I promise to honor them as long as you honor my two conditions.”

“My first condition is that from now on, you will not interfere in the personal and professional matters of the Realm of Hope and Realm of Dreaming. Leave them out of your nefarious plans for the universe.” you stated calmly with a hint of danger and warning in your voice as you observed your sister’s face fall slightly and you took note of your sister’s beautiful fair face falling in disappointment. You realized that these Realms were part of her nefarious and monstrous schemes to bring hell into the universe.

“Very well. Your second condition?”

“My second condition is that I will collect my the debts that owe me and you must pay me your debt. You cannot negotiate it.” you replied smoothly and calmly with a twinkle in your eyes seeing your sister infuriated.

“You can’t do that. I do not owe you.” laughed Love as she tucked a blonde strand of hair behind her ear but she was nervous and scared.

“Yes, you do. You owe me for agreeing to your two conditions. You owe me for keeping you breathing for so long. You owe me for keeping your secrets. You have long list of debts, Love... and I will begin collecting them very soon.” you said with a superior smirk, confident and calm in yourself as you stared at Love daring her to challenge you.

“You can’t kill my fiancé! You promised not to collect that debt!” snapped Love furiously and darkly but nervousness and fright were flickering in her dark ocean blue eyes.

“You don’t listen, do you? I won’t kill your fiancé even though you deserve it, even though I promised you a long time ago. So you owe me a debt for not collecting that debt from you. So... I will be collecting all your debts from you and you will pay without excuse. Write that down.” you retorted casually and nonchalantly with a smirk as you tilted your head smugly at Love. “Finally... I will agree to your conditions but you must... beg for it.”

“I will not beg from you!”

“Fine, consider your conditions disagreed to. I will collect my debt and ruin your plans of taking over the Kingdom of Chaos.” you said with a happy smirk as you slung your leg carelessly and indifferently with grace and superiority.

Love was desperate, too desperate because she had seen the careless and vengeful gleam in your dark brown eyes that signified you would go above and beyond everything to destroy everything Love held dear to her heart and ruin her in disgrace and Love found herself pleading in a childlike, vulnerable voice “Y/N! My sister! Please... please don’t do this! Please don’t take him away from me! Please don’t ruin this chance for me to rule! Just please - I’ll do anything - I beg you, don’t do this!”

You were more of an evil queen reigning gracefully on her throne of bloodied bones as you lounged lazily on your armchair, eyeing your sister with pleasurable indifference and careless nonchalance as you smirked ruthlessly with delighted amusement and replied dangerously “I like you begging... Do it again.”

Your eyes glowed a dangerous golden green as you eyed your sister with dangerous ruthlessness that would not spare her unless you were given what you wanted. Love remembered all the times you had begged for her mercy and support but Love had turned you away with mocking laughter and cruel taunts that made you burst into tears and scream in fear and pain as she took away what you held dear to you in the twisted schemes and games she played with you. Now, Love could see clearly that her sweet sister who had patiently tolerated her games was not so kind anymore, she was full of darkness and vengeance that would be unleashed on Love if she crossed the line.

Love felt frightened and scared of you, fear rattling deep in her bones as she bowed down to you deeply, begging for mercy for she could not live without the love of her life “I beg you... please spare us. I beg you... please don’t ruin me. I’m begging you, Your Highness... please.”

You tilted your head slightly considering her words as you took pleasure in savoring the helplessness and powerlessness of it all and stared at Love cruelly for what felt like an eternal moment and you twisted your fingers with a dark smirk “Alright. I suppose I could be merciful.

Love exhaled a breath of relief but felt unsettled when she met your eyes gleaming with darkness and cruelty, your voice burning with danger and rage “I agree to your conditions as long as you agree and honor my conditions. So... do we have a trade?”

Love looked as if she had swallowed a poisonous toad as she looked at you darkly and nervously and finally took a deep breath and slit the palm of her hand, blood dripping “Yes, Your Highness. Will you, Y/N, Goddess of Hope, to the best of your ability, fulfill my wishes and conditions, with honor, nobility, truth and justice?”

You slit the palm of your hand, blood dripping in rivulets as you grasped your sister’s bleeding hand “I will.”

You squeezed your sister’s bleeding hand as a silver chain began to form from the beads of your blood that mingled with hers “Will you Love, the Goddess of Love, honor, fulfill and satisfy each element of all my wishes and conditions agreed upon by both of us through honor, nobility, truth, loyalty and justice devoid of trickery, deceit, disloyalty and hatred?”

Love’s eyes were true and dark “I will. And will we both accept the consequences of breaking the deed through our willing actions and carry out what is necessary to mend the fracture?”

Love’s dark ocean blue eyes met your steady dark brown eyes as you both nodded “We will.”

Their hands were bound by several silver chains formed by both of their blood, that roped around their hands and sealed the deal every time they promised to each other and finally, the silver chains glowed and blazed brightly around their hands as they both felt the strength and gravity of the promises they had made to each other.

“Well, I better be off.” said Love rising from her seat and dusting off invisible dust from her dress, directing a cheery and lovely smile at you though she looked slightly shaken “Well, it’s so nice to have had a proper chat with you after ages. I see you are still sentimental about your pets. Speaking of your little pet... where is the creature you seem awfully fond of and hate at the same time? Has he been causing any trouble lately? Well, he wouldn’t have a way to do it...”

“What do you mean? What have you done?” you questioned feeling worried and anxious, a sinking feeling began to form in your heart as you thought of your troublesome friend who was a bit of a troublemaker who you were trying to help out but he was out having his own adventures. You hadn’t heard from him for a long time and even though your friendship wasn’t what it used to be, you were still worried about him. You had a bad feeling that Love had something to do with why your troublemaker was missing for so long.

“Oh, you are still so protective over him after everything you’ve been through. Isn’t that sweet? People do get sentimental over their pets.” replied Love with an amused and delighted smile as she made her way toward the door with a twinkle in her ocean blue eyes and when she caught the dark gleam in your eyes, she put her arms in surrender “Honestly, I didn’t do anything. This time the blame is not mine.”

You made up your mind to check up on your troublesome frenemy when Love called out with a honeyed voice “I look forward to seeing you at my wedding, dear sister. I hope you prepare that speech nicely.”

“Who knows I might start a war just to miss your wedding.” you retorted sarcastically and sassily infuriated by Love.

“You know, I want you to be my maid of honor and prepare a speech in my honor because I want to torment you.” replied Love with a grin of amusement as she looked at you with delight and slight hesitation.

You weren’t surprised at all as you rolled your eyes at your sister “Why am I not surprised?”

“And because you’re the sibling, perhaps the person in this universe who is the closest to me and means the most to me in a twisted and odd manner.” stated Love honestly in a thoughtful and matter - of - fact voice, her ocean blue eyes gleaming with truth and sincerity as her lips curved into a small sad smile “No lover, no friend has ever been so fun, so constant in my life except you... my best enemy, my oldest friend, always so brilliant from the first day we met.”

“I would love to have my oldest friend... my greatest enemy at my wedding.” said Love quietly and softly with a wistful and reminiscent gleam in her ocean blue eyes full of sadness and pain as her lips curved into a smile of a sister who was on opposite end of the spectrum and yet had a special place in her heart for Hope.

There was a pause that seemed to last an eternity because this was a confession of undying love from a sister who you grew up with, an enemy who loved chaos and wanted you to love it too and it felt rare, beautiful, tragic and deceiving all at once shocking you to your core, leaving you speechless.

You looked at your sister who was vulnerable and quiet waiting for you response and you exclaimed finally recovering from your speechlessness “What the hell am I supposed to say to that?”

“Congratulations?” suggested Love with a small smile, her ocean blue eyes softening with hopefulness and quiet pain. “I love you, dearest sister?”

“I hate you, you pain in the ass.” you replied hiding a grin as you shoved your sister out of the door but there was an amused twinkle in your eyes as you nodded at Love whose lips curved into a small smile as you shut the door in her face.

At that very moment, Morpheus strode down the stairs, every inch a king, his face looking considerably rested and hair slightly mussed. Morpheus’ who had woken up in an empty bed came down to see you standing in the middle of broken glass and destroyed antiques, bruises forming on your face and blood dripping as you wore a thoughtful and troubled expression on your face.

His gorgeous blue eyes widened in alarm as he took in your tousled wild hair, the blood dripping in rivulets and the sweat on your brow, the shards of glass and broken edges on your clothes that were messed up and he caught you in his arms before you fell onto the floor, your strength giving away “Y/N! Y/N, are you alright? Who did this to you?”

“I’m fine.” you replied slightly unsteady and pale as you took a deep breath and cracked a smile at Morpheus whose eyes were filled with an unfamiliar emotion that you had never seen directed toward you. Fear of losing you. “I’m fine.”

Seeing him feel fear of losing you terrified and unanchored you with uncertainty because you were beginning to feel the treacherous spark of hope in your heart as his beautiful eyes skimmed along every little detail in your face.

“You’re hurt.” stated Morpheus, with seething sharp rage and quiet gentle concern burning within him as he brushed the shards of glass away from you and his shaking fingers touched the bruise blooming on your cheek “Who did this to you?”

You were touched by the beautiful gentleness that he gave you because he had never quite being so kind to you in your marriage but goosebumps rose on your skin as you heard the undertones of a sharp storm of oncoming rage and anger toward the person who had done this to you.

You opened your mouth to lie because you had handled it on your own but Morpheus sensed it “Please share your burden with me, Y/N. Who did this to you?”

You wouldn’t ask him to promise not to get mad. It was not in your nature to ask him to make promises he would not keep.

You could have lied to him and guarded yourself but the words slipped easily from your lips as his fingers danced softly on your cheek “Love. My sister, Love unexpectedly turned up today to invite me to her wedding and have a chat. And we greeted each other in our usual way.”

Morpheus looked at the broken French doors, torn curtains, shattered glass and vases, messed up trinkets and his dark blue eyes darted towards the bleeding cuts and bruises you had “And do you generally greet each other with such... murderous hatred?”

“There you go. You finally understand my relationship with Love. I’m fine, honestly. This is nothing. You should have seen Love when I finally won and beat her.” you replied with a weak chuckle, a proud glint in your eyes but Morpheus did not look amused as you began to heal yourself while he still held you as if you would vanish if he let you go “What is sisterly love if not the desire to slit each other’s throats?”

Despite all the bad blood that used to be happy affection and strong sisterhood that had turned into problems that couldn’t be solved, the trust that had burned into ashes and bruises and deep cuts, you had a flicker of hope that Love was still the good person who had once known and shared good times with and you could still save the bond of sisterhood sabotaged in their war.

“Touching. But your sister has crossed a line in harming you.” replied Morpheus coldly and darkly as his grip around you tightened in protectiveness surprising you, your heart skipping a beat as you felt breathless at how much Morpheus cared about you “She shall not do so any longer. She will be punished.”

Morpheus had thought the rivalry between these two sisters were not as deep as you had felt. Morpheus had thought last night it was merely two sisters who had deep misunderstandings and scars of pain lashed across their hearts from each other but there was a possibility of reconciliation. Morpheus had even given thought to gently persuading you to consider reconciliation and understanding with your sister because he knew what it was like to lose a sibling to hatred and he did not want the same fate to befall you.

But you seemed to take this deep, hateful rivalry and encourage it further with deeper anger and darkness. Morpheus gripped onto you tightly as he looked at you with protective concern knowing that this kind of rivalry would not end until one of you were dead. Morpheus saw the damage inflicted on you and felt an a storm of seething rage and anger toward your sister for even daring to think about hurting you. You were never to be hurt again. No one would ever dare think of touching a hair on your beautiful head.

Morpheus would ensure your sister Love would regret her actions and not escape the consequences of hurting you.

Panic swelled in your chest as you remembered Love’s quiet insane threat toward the Dreaming as you snapped “No! Do not harm her in anyway!”

Morpheus’ eyes were alit in fury and pain “Why do you care? She was going to kill you!”

You were deeply moved and shocked at how much Morpheus cared for your life that you thought did not matter to him as you replied with a mischievous gleam in your dark eyes with a bright and cheerful laugh “I’m not dead.”

“How can you laugh at this?” murmured Morpheus softly, his voice full of pained concern as his eyes flickered with gentleness and concern and noticed the red strangling mark left on your neck by your sister as his fingers hesitantly touched your reddened skin gently making you gasp at his soft touch “Your sister has hurt you. I cannot let this pass.”

“Why do you care? Because I’m your wife? Because you’re intent on showing me your chivalrous side so that I can easily be won over?” you snapped as your cheeks burned red at Morpheus simple touch, feeling something hurt and pained in you that Morpheus was finally caring about you far too late when he should have been so sweet, tender and gentle with you from the beginning.

This Morpheus who was with you was different to the one who you had been married to... here he was holding you making you feel that this was too good, too lovely and too good to be real as you held back a gasp at how much you craved his gentle and silk soft touch “I am not fragile and in need of protection. I can protect myself and if I require assistance I will ask for it!”

“You belong to yourself. Not to me nor anyone else. But I cannot let this pass because seeing you hurt is...” whispered Morpheus taking a sharp intake of breath as he looked at you earnestly and tenderly, lost for words and grasping to find them “...is terrifying me.”

You felt heat rise in your cheeks and your heart pound loudly in your ribcage so loudly you were certain the whole universe could hear it as you stared at Morpheus in disbelief and speechlessness because it felt strange to have him care about you. It just felt strange to have anyone care about you, about your life at all.

All your life you felt your very existence ruined Morpheus’ life and yet here he was staring at you with earnest tenderness and genuine fear of seeing you hurt because you were infinitely precious to him and you finally found your tongue “I - thank you for your concern. You - um - but - I want you to know you shouldn’t worry over me too much.”

What were you doing? Why on earth were you stuttering like a foolish girl with hopes of love as you felt Morpheus’ tender stare burn you? Why were you suddenly blushing in shyness averting Morpheus’ tender eyes? Why were you shy in the first place? You didn’t like him!

Dearest sister, you can't conceal it, I know how you’re feeling and who you’re thinking of.

No chance. No way.

You swoon, you sigh, why deny it?

Please shut up and leave me alone.

“I believe someone needs to worry about and take care of you. You seem to have the tendency to land yourself into trouble and fight in it all alone.” replied Morpheus softly and tenderly as he stared at you as if you were the universe, vast and infinite, beautiful and precious.

You were frozen and breathless as you blushed but you retorted charmingly and cheekily “It’s not my fault trouble is attracted to me. And I’m too charming to get into trouble.”

Morpheus snorted in disbelief and amusement and you smacked him in his chest in exasperation as he chuckled “Perhaps your charm attracts dangerous trouble and bloodthirsty murderers.”

“Well, if not for my charm, you wouldn’t be alive. Or in love with me.” you replied casually and calmly with a cheeky wink that made Morpheus blush to your amusement as you finished healing yourself “Dangerous trouble and bloodthirsty murderers? Sounds like my kind of a good time.”

Morpheus cocked his head slightly as he looked at you in confusion and puzzlement “Sometimes when I think I have you figured out, you puzzle me even further. You are an unfathomable riddle I cannot understand.”

“Very good. Just the way I like it.” you replied as you snapped your fingers and everything in the house mended and had fixed as if there had never been a bloodthirsty fight in the first place. You were glad he was confused because you didn’t want him to figure you out yet. “Alright, I have a very busy day ahead of me but I’ve made breakfast for you... you can eat and then continue your quest with Matthew.”

Morpheus felt a pit of disappointment and despair form in his stomach as he realized you had left his arms and stood up away from him as if the intimate and sweet moments between you and him yesterday and today had never happened. Morpheus felt you were trying to guard yourself and distance yourself from him. Morpheus wanted the easy companionship, playful friendship and intimate moments they shared yesterday and today to grow and continue but today you had changed from a girl who blushed at his touch to a goddess who was guarded and calm, distant from him.

And Morpheus realized he had to find the ruby. It was of utmost importance to find it as soon as possible because in the wrong hands it would cause chaos and disaster. The sooner he found the ruby, the sooner he could rebuild the Dreaming and make it stronger, gather and unite all Dreams and Nightmares and restore their faith in him as the King of Dreams and Nightmares.

But as he looked at you finish stuffing a muffin and gulping down coffee, Morpheus realized that he could not let go of you easily. The Realm of Dreaming could wait for a few hours but the bond between the both of you were still fragile and vulnerable. You didn’t know how lovely you were but Morpheus wanted to show you how much he needed you and loved you. Morpheus wanted to fight for what they had shared yesterday, the intimate moments and domestic bliss of sharing secrets, companionable silence, playful friendship and blossoming affection and tenderness. The affection and tenderness between them was there buried deep within the damage of their relationship but Morpheus wanted to root it out, and plant it, nourish it and water it and make his relationship with you stronger and intimate and get to know you better.

Morpheus found himself wanting to be with you today and share his day with you, wanting to see how you spent the day as he burst out “Actually, I was thinking of spending the day with you. Me. You. Us. Together.”

You dropped your dagger that you were tucking into your belt as your eyes widened in amazement and shock at Morpheus’ words. Your shock was justified because Morpheus never cared about your duties and your Realm of Hope. In the beginning of your marriage, you had encouraged and tried to persuade him to accompany you in your duties and let you accompany him on his. But Morpheus had been cold and heartless letting you know that you were lesser than him in every way and he had no interest in your duties that he believed to be trivial and unimportant that came in the form of cruel remarks and hateful arguments. In time you had given up trying, and resigned to ruling your Realm alone and doing your duty with dedication.

You never expected to face the day where Morpheus himself suggested that he should accompany you on your duties.

You realized he was serious and as you picked up the dagger, you shook your head “It’s not a good idea. You have a quest to restore the Dreaming to its strength, My Lord. And I believe you should attend to such important duties instead of wasting time accompanying me performing my trivial and meaningless duties.”

Your voice was full of loathing and bitterness as you gripped another one of your knives tightly, tucking them into your belt remembering all those cruel and cold days of humiliation and loneliness “I shall be fine on my own.”

Morpheus’ jaw was clenched and his eyes were full of shame and remembrance at how he degraded and humiliated your very role and existence in this universe.

He looked hopelessly and helplessly at you holding yourself full of defiance and guarded composure knowing that he wanted to make amends with you “I am sorry.”

You stopped mid step as you heard him apologize sincerely and took a deep breath to see Morpheus state sincerely and honestly “All the time in our marriage, I disrespected and humiliated the importance of your role, your duties, your purpose and very existence in this universe. I thought of your duty as trivial and meaningless because I was ignorant to the very meaning of what you stood for. But in that cage... years and years... I understood then exactly what you stand for and how important you are. In those dark years... I learned exactly what humiliation and hope felt like. How important you are to everyone in the universe who feels that tomorrow may never be better, to everyone who believes there is no light at the end of the tunnel and believe that they are alone.”

“You are important. You are powerful. You save everyone in the universe. You have saved me.” said Morpheus quietly and sincerely, with genuine and passionate glint in his eyes stunning you with his passionate outpouring of words “I was an arrogant fool to think that you were nothing when you are the most powerful in this universe. Spending time with you is not a waste of time. I want to know what I should have known from the beginning... I want to know how your day is, I want to learn how you fulfill your duties as the Goddess of Hope.”

You remained silent. You were stunned. Your brain was still processing the surprise of receiving an apology from Morpheus for humiliating your very existence and purpose as the Goddess of Hope as tears sprung into your eyes.

“Please.” pleaded Morpheus softly in determination and kindness, his beautiful starlit eyes gleaming with tenderness and affection as he stared at you with a small soft smile. “I’ll do everything you say. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

You opened your mouth to protest, a warm and tender feeling blooming in your chest “I appreciate your apology but no, you can’t just bat your pretty blue eyes and get what you want from me! No, no - you are not doing this! You are not coming with me!”

“Well, it is my sacred duty as your husband and the Dream Lord to ensure that you do your duty uninterrupted by bloodthirsty demons and crazy family members who want you dead.” replied Morpheus smoothly and calmly, stubborn and unfazed by your exasperated gaze as he shot you a smug smirk as he relished the small compliment you had given him.

You processed his words and the warmth in your heart made you feel special and shy as you smiled shyly in amazement and disbelief at Morpheus “Are you guarding me?”

Morpheus nodded in steady unwavering tenderness and gentleness “Yes, yes, I am.”

You couldn’t help it, you burst into a bright and amazed smile as your dark eyes twinkled in wonder and shyness at the beauty and simplicity of this moment you thought was a fairytale and Morpheus’ lips curved into a tender and happy smile as he stared at the joy and shyness glowing in your face that he cherished with all his heart.

You laughed in disbelieving amusement and heart skipping wonder as you stared at Morpheus who was smiling at you “You’re seriously going to accompany me all day while I’m doing my duties?”

“Yes, I promise. I won’t leave your side.” replied Morpheus honestly and sincerely with a soft and tender smile, his universe blue eyes full of joy and hope that was blooming within him as he stared at you with unhidden affection and adoration. “I’ll be by your side until the very end.”

You wanted to argue but you liked this feeling of daylight and hope that was treacherous and traitorous but for once you dared to let it bloom as you smiled at him “Well then, let’s get a move on, Lord Morpheus.”

Morpheus smiled brightly as if you had granted him all of the universe and you grinned at him widely feeling butterflies flutter in your stomach as you made your way with him to the world that awaited your touch of hope.

Morpheus and you shared hopeful glances feeling that what laid ahead today for the both of you was going to be a special adventure for both of you.

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100 notes · View notes

mrhowells · 10 months

Text

Smallville 4x22

Can't say I feel sorry for Genevieve bc that woman was nasty but Lana just got another thing added to the huge pile of trauma she already had😬

oh hey Lex, so what happened here was-

bunnyyyyy💕

"I had this one last week, really scary. This... guy wearing a red cape." "Wow, that sounds horrible Lois."

I can't do this they're so?????

STOP HAVING EYE SEX IN FRONT OF THE PARENTS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

I'mskSJkslKSL Jonathan's face kills me

Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I just wanted to say thanks for everything. You guys are like the Mom and Dad I've always wanted to have.

Lois bby🥺😭😭

"Lois, we want you to know that you are welcome back here any time."

"Actually-" "We'll all miss you, Lois."

SHUSH Clark, we're having a moment here😭

blushing kicking my feet

"Oh, come on Clark, your future is laid out right in front of you. You're gonna go to community college, major in agriculture, probably minor in law enforcement. And then you and Lana are gonna have a nice little church wedding."

I can't😭

He's such a menace around her it's EVERYTHING

"Even if I could spell, the last thing I'd wanna do is spend my time in a newsroom. With my luck, I'd probably end up across the desk from the most bumbling reporter on the masthead."

OMFGSAHSAJDKHA

so much eye contact I'm going insane

If you hear faint screaming in the distance, that's me I'm losing it

CLARK YOU CAN'T LOOK AT HER LIKE THAT AND EXPECT ME TO BE NORMAL ABOUT IT I'M FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE HERE

i already know I'm going to hit the media upload limit and have to delete stuff, ugh😭

this episode is feeding me so well

my beautiful family😭😭😭 they raised me actually, true story

"Because you have a way of getting things in half the time a normal person gets things done." "And I'm not normal?"

Chloe really didn't do this one on purpose but OUCH😬

Lois with her "the general said/ taught me..."🥹

now tell me why this interaction fills me with so much joy😭

I love them so much it makes me look stupid

CLARK WILL U STOP BLAMING YOURSELF JESUS STOOOOP

✨and then I paused the episode and didn't continue until over a month later, my brain is wired like that I fear✨

Jor El is so unserious I'm sorry, if he wasn't so vague and cryptic all the time a lot of messes could've been avoided🤡

I just imagine the actual Jor El watching this go down in the afterlife and facepalming so hard

Clark is sad = I'm sad, it's the law

Lana giving Clark the stone without even removing the blood first lol

I feel so bad for her😭 I swear whoever made the plot decisions on this show got off on Lana being in pain and I'm getting more and more angry on her behalf.

and that's on good instincts

(I've seen people say that Lana going to Lex instead of Clark after killing Genevieve is further proof that she doesn't trust Clark at all and it's like... how tf was Clark going to help her in this situation???😭 I agree that Lana and Clark have trust issues ad infinitum but in this case she just did the logical thing, come on now)

I have to respect this man for the level of unhinged he's reached, truly

Lois is so cool😩 Once again I am free on Saturday-

"Before you leave this earth I want you to know... you did create the son you always wanted."

Lionel when I get my hands on you

NUH UH JASON YOU TOUCH MARTHA ALL BETS ARE OFF

I need Lex to chill and stop manhandling Lana & Chloe please and thank you💀 He's joining the unhinged club

Martha & Jonathan against Jason?? Yes please I love fights between people without powers or martial arts training

🎶somebody save meeeeeee🎶

the way Chloe pushed Lex against the cave wall was hilarious I'm sorry

Fortress bestie we're almost hereee🥳

:(((((

Lois is sad = I'm sad, again, those are the rules

seeing the only place she ever considered a permanent home getting completely destroyed, IT'S A LOT. This whole episode was a lot.

And let's not even get started on Lana JESUS CHRIST. Smallville writers I think we need to sit down and have a conversation about her because WTF?

I don't even care that the witch plot was wacky and Jason's character arc was really badly executed, this season was so much fun.

#ellie's smallville thoughts #smallville #4x22 #clark kent #lois lane #jonathan kent #martha kent #clois #lex luthor #lana lang #chloe sullivan #jason teague

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grippingbeskar · 2 years

Text

salt, ice and fire | frank castle

chapter eight - learning the basics

[series masterlist] [previous chapter]

word count: 5.6k

warnings: canon typical violence, description of blood, death, torture, injuries/cuts/, mentions of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, graphic description of violence and fighting it’s the PUNISHER PEOPLE we be killing left right and mf centre.

a/n: okay first thx for all the sweetness on this series. i am having such a good time writing it and i’m glad someone’s reading it!’ these next few chapters might take a little longer to upload but i will try my best!!! enjoy okay bye!

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Hey.” A gentle voice streams through your sleep addled brain, and you feel the warmth of a hand over your own. Skin, touching your skin. You almost don’t move, just to keep the sensation. “Wake up.”

The hand leaves you, and your eyes open to darkness. After blinking a few times, your eyes adjust to the tinted film of the sunglasses, and you sit up in the car seat, sliding the sunnies on top of your head. Looking out the windscreen, you don’t recognise where you are. A whole lot of old style buildings like the street, as well as a few small houses in a shared drive way and a motel with a diner attached to the side.

“Where are we?”

“Just outside the city. Figured we’d stop. Eat some real food.” Your stomach grumbled at the thought, the only thing in your system from the past few days being chips and half a sandwich. “Get a hotel room. Madani should call soon, after the reports of the last of the Colonel’s hits go through.”

You don’t miss how he says the Colonel’s hits. Not yours.

“Where’d you get the money for all this stuff?” You ask Frank who nearly disappears in the darkness, the sun setting a lot quicker than you thought. He moves around your side of the car before answering.

“Military pay is good. Plus Madani pays me off for some jobs when I’m around. It’s enough.”

“So I wasn’t entirely wrong when I said you worked for her?”

“Alright, smart ass.” He walks past you, heading straight up to the flashing red and blue signs of the diner.

Once you both slid into a booth, a nice lady hands you a menu, and lingers on the sight of Frank.

“It’s been a while.” She says, smiling fondly at him.

“Don’t get out here as much as I used to. Couldn’t miss a chance for that bacon you got, though.” She ruffled his hair like a kid, and you wanted to hide your face when she turned her attention to you.

“You’ve finally brought a girl around! Good for you. You want the same as him, sweet thing?” It took you a second to realise she was actually talking to you. She was being kind, she called you sweet. Blinking up at her, you nodded, a small please managing to squeak from your mouth as she took the menu. “Hope he’s treating a pretty thing like you right. I know Pete seems rough round the edges, but he’s a real softie when you get to know him.”

“I don’t doubt it.” You feel a little more comfortable as she grabs your hand and squeezes it, before disappearing behind the counter. “Pete?”

“Better than Frank.” His expression is unreadable, his eyes busy staring somewhere behind you.

“Hm. Well let’s hope Pete has better taste in cars than I do. I’m getting tired of driving around in that thing.” You can still see the car out side, looking like it’s one day away from spontaneously combusting.

“My van might still be around. We can do a drive by when Madani gives us a direction.” You drop your chin in your hands, staring at him. Something about the way he’s looking back at you makes you want to know what’s going on in that giant head of his, pretty as it is to look at.

“Alright. I have to ask. What’s with the skull?”

“Huh?”

“On your vest. The skull.”

“What? You don’t like it?” The lady brings your food over, sliding two plates of bacon and eggs in front of you. Despite it nearly being 7pm, you have never wanted breakfast so bad.

“I didn’t say that. Maybe a bit cheesy, but why that?”

“It’s bad-ass.” You drop the bacon on your fork, sudden laughter taking over at his stupid comment.

“Seriously!” You say between breaths, and he was fighting his own smile as he replied.

“Mostly for targets. If I come out at people in the dark, they see the white skull and it’s practically a bullseye.”

“So, you want them to shoot you?”

“They’re gonna shoot me anyways. Better they hit my vest than my head.” You nod, stuffing your face full of food. “Slow down. You’ll choke.”

“God-“ You ignore him, shoving another mouthful of food in. “-I haven’t had a real, hot meal in… fucking years. This is incredible.”

“You didn’t eat? Down there?” This food is so damn good, you hardly realise he’s prying.

“Not like this. All frozen shit. Pretty sure the dogs ate better than I did. This, though. Tastes like heaven.” He nods, watching you as he eats.

Apart from the occasional quip at each other’s eating habits, you scarf down the rest of the food without another word. Your body almost immediately digests it, already feeling ten times stronger just from the one meal. When the lady from before comes back to take your plates, she laughs down at the two of you.

“Like peas in a goddamn pod, you two are! Just the sweetest couple.” She begins to stack your plates, and both you and Frank talk at the same time.

“Oh, we aren’t-“

“She isn’t my-“

“Oh, haven’t had that conversation yet? Petey, you better stop playing around. Hard to find a good woman at all, let alone one who looks this cute.” You find yourself heating up, not so much at the woman’s compliment, but at the way Frank looks at you after she says it.

He squints, his head tilting just slightly, as if he’s considering it. Like he’s only just noticed that you were in fact, a woman, and what that might look like to someone else. You want to sink into the chair, and your grateful when Frank takes his eyes off you to get up and pay.

You head out into the cool of the night, standing near the parked car. Frank comes out not a minute later, and you hardly get a second to recover before he’s right next to you, leaning over to pop the boot. The boot full of weapons and clothes. He grabs one bag, presumably not full of guns because of how small it looked compared to the others, but not before he straps himself with a hand gun, and shoved one towards you.

“I don’t need it.” You say, trying to shove it away, but he resists.

“Didn’t ask that. If you’re staying with me for now, you’ll have one on you. Always.”

“You said it yourself, I don’t even know how to use it. Besides, I seem to remember I got yours off you fairly quick last time. If the moment comes, I’ll just-“

“I don’t take chances, and I don’t do ifs. You stay? Means you take this, and you keep it on you. I’ll teach you the basics.” He starts walking towards the staircase leading up to the rooms of the hotel, and you’re left standing there with a hand gun in your palms, shuffling after him.

You weren’t particularly against guns. You had seen enough of what they could do, pretty much a less violent version of what you can do. You just never needed them, never wanted to take a life with one. You figured if you had chased them down, tortured them, you at least owed it to them to look them in the eye and kill them with your hands.

Also, no one had ever bothered to teach you. And now Frank was offering, so flippantly, like the offer didn’t mean anything to him. If anything, it was an inconvenience for you not to know, or maybe he just wanted to make sure he always had a back up gun when you were around. Either way, here you were, fumbling with the barrel of it, trying to make sure you didn’t accidentally set it off.

As you turned into the room, you were so distracted you hardly noticed the layout. Frank went straight into the bathroom, though, and when you looked up, you saw there was only one bed. Sure, there was a tiny couch in the corner and a chair at the desk, but the double bed was the only other piece of furniture in the room.

“Only room left.” Frank comes out of the bathroom, chucking the bags on the couch, reading your expression clearly. “There’s some clothes in there that should fit. There’s a shop downstairs, too. If you need anything else.”

“Ah.” You look through the bag, seeing shirts, jeans and jumpers that look about your size, or close enough that it wouldn’t matter, but it was missing some pretty important pieces. He just nods to his wallet on the couch, and goes back into the bathroom, locking the door and starting the shower.

Part of you was embarrassed about the idea of having to go downstairs and buy underwear, but most of you was a weird kind of sated that Frank didn’t have a bunch of woman’s underwear lying around for rotation. That like of thinking only dragged you down a mental rabbit hole. Did he do that? Was he turning down women left and right because he was stuck with you? You couldn’t deny he was attractive, and with that smile…

Fuck. You need to focus. Walking out of the room, you gripped the wallet right and headed to the store downstairs. You’d never bought your own clothes, let alone underwear. You weren’t even sure you knew what size you were in them.

The experience was uneventful, and certainly not a fulfilling as you thought. In the end, you grabbed the first things you could find and avoided eye contact with the old man at the counter. Running back up to the room, you didn’t even think before you opened the door, and there must be something about you and hotel rooms, because for the second night in a row you were greeted with a shirtless Frank Castle, standing in only a pair of sweats and a towel around his left shoulder.

You don’t know how the sight makes you feel, but you do know the physical reaction. Your mouth goes dry, and you feel like your legs are about to drop any second. Instead of acting like everything’s normal, though, you just chuck the wallet at him, grab a pile of clothes, and wordlessly shut yourself in the shower, hoping the scalding hot water will sweat out whatever the hell is wrong with you.

You open the new underwear. It was plain, white and clean, but it was yours, and you had bought it. Knowing that, you felt better than you ever had when you put them on. Sliding on another pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that said NYPD, you come out of the bathroom, and you catch Franks face reading the shirt, smirking to himself. You don’t have the concentration to say anything, because as much as he was now wearing a shirt, the sight of him still made you a little air headed.

“Where’s the gun?” Frank asks, and you point to the table on the opposite side of the room. Frank swears under his breath and grabs it, half shoving it into your chest. “When I said ‘keep it on you’, I meant on you.”

“You want me to shower with it? Coddle it, tuck it in at night? What about-“

“Christ. Okay, t’s too late for this shit. Just stand over here.” He points to a spot right in front of the door. You do it, admittedly with a whole lot of resistance. “Take the clip out.”

“The - oh, okay. Like-“ You go to switch someone on the side, and Franks hand stops your movement, warmth enveloping the backs of your hands as he grabs you.

“You just loaded it. Clip release is back here.” With one flick of his finger the clip releases onto the floor. “Safety is here. If you ain’t shooting, this is on. Try it.”

Remembering the way his hands moved on top of yours, you flick the switch off, then on, then back twice more just to be sure. Then you turn your head to look up at him, and he’s hanging right over your shoulder, arms still half outstretched ready to stop you - no, help you.

“Good. Think you can figure out which ones the trigger?”

“Funny.” You feel the hot air of his exhale on the back of your neck, and your shoulders tighten.

“Alright. Now-“ He bends down, picking up the released clip. “Reload it. Slides in here. Just like that.”

“Is that it?” You hear a satisfying ‘click’, and you check the safety again to make sure it’s on.

“Atta girl. Now you keep it loaded, and keep it on you.” He walks away from behind you, and you are still standing there, watching the door like he told you until you hear the groan of the bed, and spin just in time to see Frank chuck his shirt off and start getting in.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Going to be. We’re almost in New York. Could of been followed today.” He says in short, tired sentences as if that was answer enough. No one was tracking you. No one even knew who you were, let alone that you were working together. If that was what you were doing.

“Is that really necessary?”

“Probably not.”

“How come you get to sleep first?”

“You slept all day. I drove.”

“Well, you didn’t let me drive.” His eyes were already closed, but it was probably true. It was only the third time you had seen him sleep, and he needed it a lot more than you did. You sat down on the floor, shuffling back so that your back was leaning against the bed, gun still trained on the door.

“Wake me up in 5 hours.” Franks voice was low, and you managed a nod. It wasn’t long before you could tell he was asleep, his breathing slow and even.

The next few hours pass uneventfully, and you can’t stop your head from dropping back, eyes closing as tiredness overtakes you. He was right, you should probably be keeping an eye out, or practising using this gun, but before long it was long forgotten on the floor, and you were pretty sure you had passed out when Frank started moving behind you.

“Just get in.” Again, his voice was low, and it made your entire body wake up. You turn, the darkness of the room obscuring the view of most of him, but you can see he had shuffled back, giving you just enough room to slide in beside him.

“What about-“

“Get in.” He shifts again. You don’t waste anymore time, inching yourself under the covers. You tried not to think about how warm it was, how close he was to you, or how he hadn’t rolled over, and his face was inches from your back.

“I thought you said we had to sleep in shifts.” Your voice comes out as a whisper, almost lost in the sound of passing traffic outside.

“Not like you could hit anything with that gun anyways.” You turn around, facing him in the darkness. “Neither of us have slept. Once we get to the city, we’ll figure it out.”

“But you-“

“Shh.” God - you really were losing your mind out here. You squeeze your eyes shut, blocking out the way the simple sound made your entire body zap with electricity, and attempt to get some sleep.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next few days pass faster than Frank wanted. Eventually you make your way back into the city, and both of you are antsy to get this shit on the road. He’s called Madani three time since you left that hotel, and she still has nothing. The last time he spoke to her, he nearly threw his phone into the wall.

Since then, he’s been trying to figure it out himself. The Colonel couldn’t have gone far, not when you were still on the run, but he would have gone into hiding considering who was after him. He still had a decent army of men behind him, so he’d need space and resources. Using a laptop he grabbed from the storage house, he was currently pulling up every place in a ten mile radius that could manage holding the organisation, while he had you pulling up any mention online of ‘New America’.

He’d been watching you for the past couple days. Not that he had much choice, a flash of shitty hotel rooms and days crammed in a car swamped his memory. It’s usually this part that he hated, finding himself itching to get back out there, make a real dent. He was, and you were too, but he didn’t think he hated it as much this time.

You had been occupying his time. You, and your side comments that pissed him off to all hell, your laugh when he said something that was apparently funny to you, even when he was being dead serious. You were everywhere, in everything he did, and he thought he would of hated it. He was so used to doing this alone, so used to being on his own that he’d made a routine, and he thought he would have hated that being fucked up.

He didn’t. He could hardly remember what it had been like before, now you where here. He think he liked the company, not that he’d tell you that. You’d be cocky as shit.

“So, these guys are fucking awful.” You were sipping on some bright pink drink in the opposite booth of the bar, your face screwed up and eyebrows nearly crossed. “I’m pretty sure I just read a thread about how Hitler ‘did have some strong points’. Tell me you’ve had more luck?”

“Might have something. Reports of a break in down at the docks, near the shipping stations.” He spins the laptop around to you, and watches as you squint, trying to read.

“I think I’ve seen that guy before.” Frank leans over, your hair brushing against his forehead as he moves. “Yeah, Joey or Sam or something.”

“Not Sam.” Frank knows it’s not Sam, because Sam was dead in a garage, probably half decomposed.

“Right, it was Joey. He was one of the guys who carried me out that day. He works with the Colonel.” Eyes wide, you stare up at him. “This could be it, right? It’s big enough, only from two days ago?”

“Only one way to find out.” He shuts the laptop and chucks a few bills on the counter, hearing your feet hit the pavement after him.

“We can go tonight?” He can hear the desperation in your voice, and it hasn’t left his mind that you are on borrowed time. Your brother was out there somewhere, and he knows you’ve only waited this long because you have no other choice than to wait for him.

“Yeah, but- hold on.” You were about to fly past him, but he grabs your arm and hauls you back. He knew you both might only have one shot at this, and as soon as you draw attention to their hide out, they will either scatter or the FBI will move in before he can get to the Colonel. “You can’t pull the same stuff you did back at the safe house. We do this my way, or we don’t do it at all.”

“What - if you are suggesting I sit at home and wait-”

“No, but you don’t go tearing limbs off as soon as you see someone. We play it slow, and you’ll do it when I say.” You stop him on the street, arm coming out and whacking against his chest like he knew you hated.

“Who the hell do you think you are? I get that you’re some one man army type, but you have no right telling me how to do this.”

“How long’s it been, huh? Since you fought someone who knew you were coming? Not counting your stunt on the drive way, you tell me how long it’s been since you fought people who were prepared.” You were breathing through your nose, eyes bright and fiery like they always did when you were pissed. “These guys are on edge. They’re waiting for a fight.”

“Didn’t have a problem taking you down on the first go.”

“You broke into my house. You said it yourself, the past two months you been taking down one man hits who had no idea you were coming. Before that, you’re a good three years out of the game.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“You know I’m right. That’s why you’re so fuckin’ pissed off.” You shove him into the wall and start up the stairs to the room you had for the night. He knew he won, then, because you would have stayed and yelled at him till you proved your point. If you had one to make. He didn’t know why he gave a shit. If you wanted to walk in and get yourself shot to pieces, he shouldn’t care.

Still, he was racing up the stairs to make sure you were still there. The door slams behind him, and you were already packing your shit. You were losing sunlight, and the docks were a good thirty minutes away.

“Just listen for one goddamn second!” He shouted, and every part of you froze, spine straightening as you dropped the gun he gave you. “I’ve done this for years. Guys like this, they’re backed into a corner. Waiting. We need to thin them out from the outside, then you do whatever you wanna do after that. I’m just askin’ you to think.”

“My brother is...” He knows that’s why you’re on edge. He walks around in front of you, bending down and picking up the gun next to you.

“I know. This gets us closer, but he’s gonna need you to keep your head.” You swallow and nod, blinking away a tear he knows you don’t want him to see. He pretends he doesn’t. “C’mon. You can learn on the job.” He shoves the gun into your chest, and you both silently pack everything into a bag and leave the room.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“You see him?”

“I see a bird. It’s eating something.”

“Shift the scope.”

“I think it’s a hot cheeto.”

“Move.” Frank shoves your shoulder with his own and takes his place behind the scope. You were both laying flat on the roof top, watching the storage unit from the police report.

“I don’t need that thing to see. No one’s come in or out. We’re wasting time. Just let me go down there-“

“And get your ass shot, then I’ll have to cover you.” He’s still got one eye down the sniper, the other shut tight. It’s dark out, but the moonlight is reflecting off the water, almost giving the illusion of a spotlight.

“You don’t know that.”

“There. You see ‘im?” Frank says quietly, and you focus, your eyes staring straight down at the exit door near the wharf. If you blinked you would of missed it, but a head ducks straight down, and you catch a eye full of blonde hair before he disappears out of sight again.

“Okay, so there’s people.” Frank takes his face off the sniper to look at you.

“Like I said.”

“We don’t know their ‘New America’.”

“I got a feeling. Plus, that’s the guy from the photo.” Okay, he had you there. “Not just a pretty face, huh?”

You resist the urge to smack him over the head, only because it would be too hard to reach with the angle your both laying at, and settle for rolling your eyes.

“I regret ever complimenting you.” He smiles and then looks back down the scope, a calm focus coming over him as soon as he zooms in.

“Military uniforms. You see anyone else you recognise?” You try to block out some of the reflective moonlight, squinting and searching for a face you can put to a name.

“I can’t see anyone.”

“C’mere.” Frank shuffles over, and a hand pulls your arm across the roof so you were at the exact angle Frank was just looking down. He was laying on his side, and every time he breathed in you could feel his chest brush your arm. It was increasingly hard to focus, but you tried, closing your eye like Frank did and looking down the scope. He puts his arm over your back, and before you can register how he was almost on top of you, you see something.

“There. That guy.”

“Who is it?”

“God, they’ve beaten him to shit.” You take your eye off the scope, not wanting to look anymore. As if you couldn’t hate these guys more. “The doctor who used to sew me up when I was with the Colonel. They have him inside.”

“Alright. You got the ear-piece?” You tap your right ear, the small communication device playing a little song as it connects. “You draw ‘em out, I’ll pick ‘em off. Then you wait.”

“Okay - Jesus, you’ve only said it 300 times.”

“And I’d bet you still didn’t get it.”

“Stick to your sniper, marine. I’ll show you how it’s really done.” With that, you jump up and swing yourself off the rooftop, landing as soft as you can onto the concrete below.

You stick to the shadows, and for the first time since you broke away from the Colonel, you feel somewhat in your element. All this time with Frank you’ve been learning new shit, figuring out how much you really don’t know about the real world, but here? Here, you know what you’re doing, and it was almost too easy to fall back into.

The first step is to draw them out. In your pocket, you pull the pin on a smoke grenade Frank instructed you how to use and roll it towards the door, swiftly climbing up the side of the building, holding out of sight when the four men waltz out to investigate.

In the next second, Frank has blitzed through all four, using only three bullets.

“Show-off.” You hear his laugh cut off over the receiver, and it makes you feel warm despite the cold air blowing around the docks.

“Thought you were gonna show me how it’s done?” As if he called them out, another two guards start coming out from the other side. With a planted look up at the roof top you know only he would see, you drop down right in front of the two men.

“Evening, boys.” You give them a second. You want to see the recognition on their faces - you want them to have time to figure it out. To know who would be their end. You remember these two. One day, they brought you dinner and kicked it under your cell instead of sliding it, and you had to eat off the floor.

Their faces drop, and just as they go to cry out, your hands grab around both of their throats. With one quick snap of your arms, you rip their throats out and their bodies flop and sink lifelessly into the water behind you. You bend down and wash the blood off your hands, and jump back up onto the roof.

“Can you see inside?” Moving on your hands and knees, you crane your neck over the side of the building to catch a look.

“30 or 40 of them. Not all are armed.”

“Must be a skeleton crew. More might come. You see the Colonel?”

“No.” Damn it. He should be here. As much as he was an asshole, he was loyal to his men. Frank was thinking the same thing.

“He’ll be close.” You sit back up straight. “Alright, we need to do this with no alarms. You got your gun?”

“Yes. It’s digging into my thigh.” You try to shift it to a better angle, but it’s better strapped to your leg than stuffed half down your pants like Frank had his.

“Alright. I’m gonna hit the lights.” You lift your head to the fuse box sitting halfway up a lamp post. “When it goes dark, I’ll come in. You stay up there and pick off any that come out. If someone bolts, you tell me and hold your position. I’ll swing around and clean up.”

“Sir, yes sir!” You whisper, and you can hear Franks expression through the silence. The next thing you know, the dock is plunged into real darkness, a few of the men inside murmuring and the doors open.

Staying true to your word, you sit up the top of the building like a hawk. Two men come out, and you waste five bullets to take them out. The silencer on your pistol was working wonders, none of the men inside alerted in the slightest, but your aim needed serious work.

You knew when Frank arrived, because he most definitely wasn’t silent. He was holding two automatic rifles, and emptied the clips shooting into darkness. You think this must be what he looked like that day you got out from underground. Unhinged and bat-shit insane, that stupid skull like a bullseye on his chest.

You kept one eye on the outside, and four more men made a run for it out the back. You hit two, but had to reload, so you only had time to get one other before they were out of range. You could catch him - Frank said no alarms.

“Frank, I’m going for one. I’ll be back in a second.” Through the gun fire and screams, he manages out a reply.

“DONT FUCKIN’ MOVE!” It was too late - if that guy got away all of your effort would be for nothing. If the Colonel knew you were alive, if he thought he was being chased -

“Stay back!” The man raises a gun at you as you reach him, and you walk slow, backing him into a wall. The man shakes in his grip, but holds his stance firm. “You.”

“No need for introductions, then.”

“The Colonels pet.” He spits, and the name makes you recoil. You move fast, snatching the gun off him and pinning him to the wall by his throat. “He knew you would come.”

“Where is he.” You squeeze tighter, his eyes starting to bulge out of his head. If he knew where the Colonel was, where your brother was… you didn’t have time to drag it out of him. You could hear Frank thinning them out from here.

“You only know how to obey. That’s why you found The Punisher.” He growls under your grip.

“You don’t know shit.” Fucking hell. Don’t let him get in your head. Don’t let him get in your head.

“We knew you would come. The Colonel. The Gnucci’s. They knew you would come back for him. They said we just had to wait, and you would return on your knees, begging for retribution. Bobby Gnucci said he always wanted you on your knee-“ He never finished the sentence, because you snap his neck, watching as his jaw hangs open and swings before he crumples to the floor.

“OUTSIDE!” Frank yells through your ear, and you sprint back before you can think too long on the dead man’s words. You see them - four more uniforms running for a boat on the wharf. You shoot two of them, but two make it to the water, so you aim for the engine. With enough bullets it drops off the back, and you launch yourself into the boat. You make quick work of the remaining men, forgoing the gun to work off your anger.

“Done.” You say to Frank, who doesn’t reply. You say his name, and nothing again. A surge of panic comes through you and you sprint inside, seeing no one for a second. You aren’t prepared for how quickly the panic turns to fear.

Then, you turn and see Frank bending down, untying the ropes in the dim overhead of a nearly burnt out flame, the doctor still sitting in the chair the men tied him to.

“You.” The doctor breathes, and he begins to shake his head. “Please. Please I have- he has my-“

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Your voice comes out softer than you thought possible, and it wavers a little. As soon as he saw you, he thought you were here to kill him. You know why. It’s all he ever saw you do. All you ever do.

“You are with him?” Frank stands and chucks the ropes to the side. You try not to look at him as you nod once.

“Is he gonna be okay?” You subtly ask to Frank, who nods once. His face was bruised and leaking blood from somewhere, but he stood on his own. It looked like you had gotten here just at the beginning of whatever they had planned.

“You saved me.” The doctor grabs your arm, fisting the material of your shirt and Frank flinches, bracing and ready to rip him off you.

“He saved you.” You tilt your head to Frank, and the doctor looks back to you.

“I knew you were not one of them.” His thick Russian accent is full of sincerity, and you swallow harshly. “You were never like them.”

“What?” The words knock the wind out of you.

“All those months, and you never became what they wanted. You were never like them.” There was a look on his face, something like sincerity under the black and blue covering his face. “I hope you are able to return to your brother.”

“You - why would you say that? I was-“

“You were never cruel. They wanted you to be one of them, to think like they would. You had the opportunity to do to me as you pleased, as they did, and you didn’t.” You think back, all the times you were left alone with the doctor while he poked and prodded at the Colonel’s command. You only ever directed your anger at the man in the army uniform, because you knew the doctor was just like you.

You stare at him, small, sharp breaths cracking through your lungs. You felt everything start to get smaller, and you took two steps back. Frank grabs onto your arm.

“Hey.”

“Need air.” You rip your arm away despite Frank calling for you, and step outside onto the docks, where three dead bodies lay on top of each other. You see the two in the boat as well, their necks bent at inhuman angles.

How could he say that, when this was what you just did? You were one of them - are one of them. You are no better than any of these men. The only person with any kind of moral code was the one inside, wrapping up the ropes the doctor was tied into. Frank was so good - not just as what he did. At who he was. He was so sure, and he was right. You were grateful for the guns. You’d be dead without him. Without him, you would of died, either by the Colonels hand, the Gnuccis, or maybe even your own.

Frank filled your thoughts as you practised your breathing, and he was the last thing you thought about as the bullet ripped through your stomach, and you fell face first into the freezing water.

[next chapter]

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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