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#i almost had a breakdown just from seeing them type
serverusslaype · 3 days
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Shameless, pt. 15
Severus Snape x professor!reader fic
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Shameless Masterpost
hey guys.................. dont kill me. i'm so sorry for the incredibly lengthy hiatus.... i had no motivation, each time i opened the file to type i'd type a couple words, maybe a paragraph and close it. i finally found the motivation to finish this chapter recently, i'm hoping it stays. it's been a rough couple months, so hoping this can help me feel a bit better!!
i felt really guilty for sort of abandoning the fic where it was, but i couldn't force myself to write anything, there was no creative juice, i think i sort of burnt myself out. and for the previous posts saying i was back, i thought i was, but i'd have the smallest spark of inspiration and try to write, but then nothing happened, and i felt bad so i didn't want to say something like, sorry, i lied. :(
hopefully this chapter is okay, i know most of you won't like it, but i'm so glad i finally finished it, it was one of the hardest to write because i had so many ideas on how it'd end and effect the whole story itself, so i had to make sure it made sense.
i can't believe you guys are still here after so long, it made me emotional to see all of your asks and comments and likes, i was just floored to be honest, so thank you so much for your unwavering support. i love you all so so much. honestly. holy shit. this has been a journey. <3 i hope you guys are all doing brilliantly.
warnings: lack of snape, swearing, mentions of adultery, slight domestic violence, verbal abuse at the end
You didn't know where to go. You felt... lost. You couldn't exactly go back to your quarters, not with Ben there, you didn't need more questions about why you were crying your eyes out at this time of night. It's not like you could tell him the truth.
So, you did what anyone would: go for a midnight walk. Well, at least that's what you thought anyone would do when they had nowhere to go. You'd hoped that the fresh, cold air would soothe your burning lungs, and the gentle breeze would dry your teary eyes. In an even deeper, darker part of your mind, you also hoped that Black would find you. Perhaps that would make everything... easier.
With tears still streaming freely from your eyes and heavy feet, you padded towards the large, magnificent doors that led to the outside with your arms wrapped around your body tightly; trying your best not to breakdown until you were alone. Your hands were still shaking as you pushed them against the doors, opening it a tad as the cool wind blew through the crack and into your face. You gasped a little at the sharp breeze, but nonetheless you slipped out, and made your way into the courtyard. The temperature was a little more biting than you had anticipated, and so you squeezed your arms around yourself a little tighter, walking towards the infamous wooden, crooked bridge.
As you sauntered through the courtyard, the only noises you heard were the owls hooting in the distance, the gentle breeze brushing through the burnt-amber leaved trees and the faint clack of your heels against the cobblestoned ground. In all honesty, it did feel a little eerie to the say the least, but at this very moment that was the least of your worries. All you wanted was a little time alone to cry, or grieve what could have been with ...Severus.
Gods, it hurt to even think his name, let alone speak it.
You reached the wooden bridge, and you stopped in the middle of it; leaning against the intricately carved columns to gaze out at the highlands. The moonlight casted a gorgeous glaze-like reflection upon the Black Lake, and it twinkled beautifully, almost hypnotising you like an illusion. Your eyes flicked up to the moon and glanced around it, staring at the glittering stars surrounding it like a perfect painting. Only times like this did you miss teaching Astronomy. As your mind reeled back to your first year teaching at Hogwarts, you relished in the time where you did not know the man named Severus Snape, and suddenly your heart sank in your chest like an anchor dropped at sea. You were so naive back then, unknowing of what was to come.
As the memories of you and Severus flooded your mind like a dam breaking, you let yourself cry. You could still feel his lips on yours, his fingertips gently tracing the curves and grooves of your skin, the words he'd whispered into your ear - it was all there, stained on your skin, like a tattoo - or perhaps a branding. And now you had to live with it. You weren't sure if you'd survive this time, especially not with how deeply you felt for him. You were torn between pretending he didn't exist and trying to talk to him, perhaps even telling him how you felt, but truth be told you were petrified of how he'd react. Would he even look at you again with those glittering black eyes you'd come to adore so hopelessly? Would he dare speak to you again, knowing that he'd charmed you? Maybe he'd relish in the fact that he'd done so, take pride in bewitching you, and make you hurt for it. You knew Snape could be rather cruel, your school days here with him as your teacher was enough for you to know that.
All these unanswered questions swam through your head and you felt yourself becoming suffocated from them, and it suddenly felt as if your lungs had filled with water, drowning you. You sobbed helplessly as you slid down the wooden wall behind you with your hands against your face, the rough edges scratching your back through your clothes rather uncomfortably.
"Y/N?" A voice came from beside you, and you froze. You turned your head away from them and quickly used your sleeve to wipe your eyes, drying the tears that had fallen from them. Only one person has a voice as soft as the one you had just heard.
You gave yourself a moment to gather yourself before even attempting to use your voice.
"Hello, Remus." You croaked quietly, sniffling.
"What on Earth are you doing out here so late?" He questioned gently, and you heard him take a step towards you. "Are you alright?"
"Quite dandy," you sarcastically quipped, sighing deeply, "I'm brilliant..." You turned your head to face him, and immediately, his face softened at the sight of your own. You were sat up against the side of the bridge, knees up against your chest and your arms wrapped around them; nose and eyes red, wet with tears. Remus quickly dropped down to his knees beside you, placing a soothing hand upon your forearm.
"What happened?" Remus asked, careful to keep his voice quiet and soft. With empty eyes, you stared into his worried ones, and instantly you felt terrible. The last thing you wanted was people worrying over you.
You looked away, down at the ground. "I..." you mumbled, sighing, "it's a... long... story." You spoke slowly. From the corner of your eye, you saw a small smile quirk up on Remus's lips.
"I've got time, my dear." He replied as his thumb brushed your forearm, silently encouraging you to talk. You felt at ease in Remus's presence, it was almost like he had a calm aura around him, and naturally your body relaxed beside his. You took a deep breath.
"Erm," you choked, sniffling again, "it's Se... Snape." You couldn't bring yourself to say his first name without crumbling into a million pieces.
Remus let out a gentle breath. "Snape, of course," He tutted, glancing between you and the ground. "What's he done?" The fact that Remus reacted like he had expected Snape to have hurt you, further broke your heart. Were you the only one to have seen through his icy exterior?
"Broken my heart," You laughed dryly, and you had to fight back another bout of tears. Remus's brows furrowed in confusion at you. "We... I... Look, I'm not sure how to explain this to you. But... I fell..." You trailed off, unable to finish your sentence. Your heart hurt too much. You only hoped that Remus knew what you were about to say.
Remus blinked and stared at you, shocked. Clearly, the two of you had hidden your 'relationship' well - so well that everyone was oblivious to it. "You fell...?" He frowned.
"In love... with him..." You almost whispered, avoiding Remus's eyes. You weren't sure if you'd be able to handle the look in them.
"You're in love with... Severus?" Remus repeated, and you squeezed your eyes shut at his words. They were like daggers, stabbing your bleeding heart. It was almost like you could feel it trembling inside of your chest, begging you to free it from this cycle of torment. "But... Aren't you with... Ben? And... Severus... he's..."
"I know," you sighed, noticing his confusion, "I had feelings for Severus before I met Ben. And it sort of just, like, spiralled out of control, and now, erm, here I am- Gods, I should have just listened to Minerva, I wouldn't be here right now, hurting like this." You ranted, another strangled sob leaving your throat. Remus watched you, and his eyes softened. He felt terrible for you. "She warned me, Remus, why didn't I just listen to her?!" You cried, letting your head fall into your hands.
"Y/N," Remus whispered, reaching out a cautious hand to pry your face from your hands. With a soft gasp, you looked up with teary eyes, and he wiped a stray tear from your cheek. "We don't get to choose who we do and don't fall in love with. We follow our hearts blindly, most of the time, unknowingly." He said, and moved his hand from your wet cheek to your shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. "It's beyond our control who we love."
There was a moment of silence.
"...What do I do, Remus?" You sobbed softly, sniffling, looking at your knees.
"Have you told him?"
"No."
"I think you should."
"But what about Ben? Shouldn't I... deal with... that first?" You sniffled again. "And what if Severus doesn't feel the same way about me? Then what?"
Remus paused for a moment, thinking. You looked up at him. "What if he does?" He said, a small, comforting smile tickling his lips as he stared at you.
"Well- from the way he treated me earlier... I truly doubt it, Remus." You scoffed, glancing away from his pitying brown eyes.
Remus sighed, and you clenched your jaw. "Regret is a terrible thing, Y/N," he said, "it's such a short word, yet it stretches on forever." Your eyes were glued on the ground and your body was still, but your mind was running a million miles an hour.
You sat there in silence for a short moment, thinking deeply. Remus was right. You'd regret it for the rest of your life if you didn't tell Severus how you felt. That chance of him reciprocating your feelings was small, but it was still there. If he didn't feel the same, fine, you'd move on. Eventually. And if he did?...
"...Alright," You nodded sheepishly. "I'll tell him. I just... need to, erm, work out when and more specifically, how. Like, do I just straight up blurt it out? Work my way up to it? H-how do you know it's the right time?" You rambled with tears still falling from your eyes, glancing through them at Remus who sat beside you with a soft expression upon his features.
"You'll know." Was all he said before slowly standing and holding out a hand for you to take. Graciously, you took it, and Remus pulled you to your feet. "Feel better?" He hummed, casting a glance out at the moon, then a worried look suddenly struck his eyes. You noticed and frowned slightly at his behaviour.
The moon?
"A little." You forced a smile upon your lips, and lifted up a hand to wipe the remaining stray tears upon your red cheeks. Remus looked back at you, and returned your smile. "How come you were out so late?" You asked curiously, brushing off his odd reaction to seeing a moon.
"A walk in the night does me good," Remus shrugged, and began to walk back towards the castle with you beside him. "Clears my head."
"Ah, well, I suppose I'm glad you found me, then." You chuckled awkwardly, folding your arms against your chest.
Remus smiled at you and placed an arm around your shoulders, giving you a squeeze. "Let's get you back to your quarters, Y/N, you look like an ice block." He hummed and lead you back to the castle, but not before throwing another glance over his shoulder to the almost-full-moon.
Faint, footsteps trailed down an empty corridor, and a billowing black cape followed with it. As Severus marched, his chest felt horribly heavy, almost like there was a boulder chained to it, weighing him down. He couldn't figure out why he felt like this, and it was starting to make him a little irate. He knew it was something to do with you since it had started after you'd stormed out of his office.
As Severus was about to round a corner, the sound of familiar, sweet laughter rattled through his bones, and immediately he froze. Without a doubt, he knew it was you. Only you could have laughter that sounded like the sweet songs that birds chirped in the summer mornings. The breath in his lungs suddenly vanished and he quickly swooped himself behind a bookcase, poking his head out from the side of it to see who you were with.
The moment you appeared, that boulder chained to his chest became heavier, and he felt himself lean against the bookcase he hid behind. Severus's eyes widened as they glued themselves to the man beside you - Remus Lupin. His blood boiled at the sight.
What could have Lupin have said to make you laugh like that? He'd only heard you laugh like that when you were with him, not Lupin.
From a distance, he couldn't make out what the two of you were talking about, but it was obviously hilarious. Severus's jaw clenched as he watched Lupin place a hand upon the small of your back, guiding you.
Guiding you... inside your quarters?
Snape hissed silently to himself as he stared, his sharp and hardened eyes welded to the back of Lupin's head like molten metal. As your door shut, Snape could only huff in disgust with bared teeth. What were the two of you doing in there? It was past midnight and you and Lupin seemed happy as Larry to go into your quarters. Snape couldn't bear the idea of you and Lupin alone together - let alone the fact that Lupin had had his damned, grubby paws on you. Severus clenched his jaw in a violent fashion, very clearly upset at how you'd moved on so quickly, especially with another professor at Hogwarts. Was this your thing? Bewitch every lonely professor that you laid your wretched eyes upon and then move onto the next? Did it make you feel better about yourself in some fucked up way?
An uneasy, bitter feeling twisted inside of his chest as he pictured the two of you alone and he whipped around out of spite; the swoosh of his long, black cloak filling the silent hallway. How could you move on so quickly, so... easily? 
"Never did I think I'd see the day that someone told me they fell in love with a man like Severus Snape." Remus laughed softly as he waddled to your sofa, glancing at you as if to ask if it was alright to sit. You nodded at him.
"And yet here we are." You hummed with a flat mouth, clearly not as amused as your friend was. "Sometimes I wish I was as emotionally guarded as he was, but then I remember how bloody miserable that would be." You mumbled, earning an abrupt laugh from Lupin who'd settled on the couch with a soft sigh.
Ben was nowhere to be seen, so you assumed he was asleep in the bedroom.
"Severus is an interesting character, most definitely," Lupin nodded and you turned around, walking towards him to join him on the sofa. "And I applaud you for being able to tame him. If it's any consolation, only one other woman had been able to, though I think it was... unintentional, if you will."
"Unintentional?" You questioned, your tone curious. Though almost instantly, that curiosity was killed as the thought of Severus with another woman stabbed at your fragile heart. "Actually, I'm not sure if I want to hear this right now." A dry laugh slipped from your lips and you exhaled sharply as another wave of tears prickled at your waterline.
"Alright." Lupin said softly, taking notice of your quivering voice. He stood up with a breathy groan and shuffled towards you, slinking an arm around your shoulders to pull you into his chest. It was calming, and the way he hugged you reminded you of all the times your parents would comfort you as a child. As Lupin gave you a supportive squeeze, it was as if he'd accidently pushed the button for the waterworks - hot tears began to stream down your cheeks once again, and you sobbed quietly into his wrinkled shirt.
"Hey," Lupin sighed as he watched your shoulders shake with sorrow. His hand sat on the top of your arm, squeezing it gently: a dire attempt at consoling you. "Don't cry, Y/N, it'll pass."
"Idon'twantitto-" You mumbled into his shirt, sniffling loudly. Lupin's brows furrowed together in confusion as he paused for a brief moment, silently trying to decipher what you'd just said.
"What?" He asked gently, leaning his head down so he could hear you a little better. You lifted your head from him, sighing, another heartbreaking sniffle sneaking out of your reddened nose.
"I don't want it to." You repeated yourself, lifting a hand up to wipe your wet eyes lazily.
"I know. But it will." Lupin sighed too. "Severus is... a very... damaged man," He cringed slightly at his choice of words, but he continued, "I'm not even sure that you could help him- or fix him."
At this point, you were staring soullessly at the floor, and the only thing you could feel was Lupin's chest against your shoulders. Were you and Severus really a lost case? You felt like you'd made so much progress, he'd opened up to you, he'd... he also ran away again. Perhaps your friend Remus is right.
"I think I want to be alone." You suddenly blurted out, slowly glancing up at the professor with glossy, red eyes. Lupin blinked at you, confused for a moment, though he quickly came to. He didn't blame you for saying such a thing - you'd just had your heart ripped out, to put it simply.
Remus didn't say anything, he only nodded, offering you a kind, yet pitiful smile - and that hurt you slightly. You didn't want his pity, in fact, you didn't want anyone's pity. "If you need anything, you know where to find me." He muttered, brushing a hand through your hair softly. You shut your eyes for a moment and sighed, a small gush of guilt filling your body. Here Lupin was, trying to console you, and you're kicking him out. You hoped he didn't take it personally.
"I'm sorry, I... I just need to be alone." You quickly offered. Remus shook his head and frowned at you.
"No, I understand. See you in the morning, Y/N. Feel better soon." The professor smiled at you and this time it wasn't rich with pity, but kindness. He tipped his head at you and began to shuffle his way towards the door, opening it with a quiet creak from the oak. Before he disappeared out of your chambers, Remus turned around and smiled at you once more, slipping away.
Seconds after the door shut, a drowsy-looking Ben opened your bedroom door, popping his head out. He squinted at the bright light, clearly having just woken up. That settled your nerves slightly, since you'd just spoken about Severus with Remus, only a few metres away from Ben.
"Are you crying?" Ben yawned, his bushy brows furrowed in either confusion or annoyance - at this point you couldn't tell.
"No," You coughed and turned around to pretend to do something else as you wiped at your eyes. "I'm fine, go back to bed, Ben." A curt sigh fell from your lips, and almost immediately you heard footsteps padding closer to you. "I'm fine." You repeated, listening as his feet stopped behind you.
"What happened?" Ben asked, the tiniest hint of sympathy in his voice made you shiver slightly.
"Nothing, it was just a rough day at work, honestly. I'd rather not talk about it." Your brows shot together as you tried to keep the tears at bay, but you couldn't help but think about Severus as Ben placed a hand on your waist in an attempt to pry you away from the countertop and towards him. You didn't want anyone else's hands on you but his.
"Hey," Ben said softly, though it felt heavy in your chest. "It's work. It won't matter in a day or two." You were silent. "Y/N?"
"I need a drink." You muttered and forced yourself to look at Ben, cringing slightly as you walked past him and towards a glossy wooden cabinet in the corner of your chambers. You rarely drank, and if you did, it was to either celebrate something, or forget something.
Another uncomfortable silence fell on top of the pair of you.
"Want one?" You asked with no emotion in your voice.
Ben hesitated for a moment, his groggy eyes staring at the back of your figure, silently trying to deduce you. "...Sure."
You were going to regret this.
You'd changed into comfier clothes, more specifically a pair of forest green silk shorts and a matching camisole top. Sitting on the edge of your bed, you faced Ben as he was sat on the windowsill opposite you, nursing his glass of wine. After a few strong sips, the pair of you were chatting and reminiscing like old pals. "Remember that time when I turned Peter Kipling into a weasel in McGonagall's class?" Ben giggled drunkenly, elbowing you gently as you nodded with tears in your eyes, an amused grin spread across your face.
"Oh my- I forgot about that!" You wheezed, smacking your lips together. "Didn't you get... like... at least- like a month's detention for that?" You laughed, slurring, taking another sip of your glass of Elven wine. You winced slightly at the strong aftertaste as it burned your throat. That was to be your last drink, you couldn't take much more.
"Ohh, yeah, I d-id," Ben hiccuped, his laughter dying out as he sighed; his tired eyes falling onto you. Shuffling under his gaze, you felt slightly uncomfortable. A brief yet thick silence suddenly engulfed the two of you like a slow-burning fire. Ben stood from where he'd been sat, stumbling over to where you were, stopping just in front of your knees.
"I miss talkin' to you, Y/N." He sighed, taking his hand and placing it upon your cheek; carressing the apple of it with his rough thumb. The strong scent of alcohol on his breath made you gag a tad - you were drunk as well, but the smell of it wasn't pleasant, especially from his mouth.
Your breath hitched slightly at the sudden contact.
"..Yeah." You answered quietly albeit awkwardly as you stared up at Ben. Though, all the wine you'd consumed was making him look like someone... else - the darkness wasn't helping either, in fact it was fueling your hallucinations. The dark cast of a shadow from the lit candles behind him made his nose appear larger, and his cheekbones a little more pronounced.
Slowly, he crouched down until you two were eye-level, his hands slipping to your ankles. Your body stiffened slightly at the feeling. "Ben.." You warned, sighing as the drunk buzz and pleasurable tingle from the pads of his fingers was starting to cloud your mind.
"Whaat?" He whispered, heavy-lidded eyes still glued to yours as his fingers began to trail up your calves. Ben began to stand up slightly, pushing his face dangerously close to yours, and so you leant backwards to avoid him, your back gradually making contact with the bed. He shuffled forwards slightly, pressing a knee against the edge of the bed to balance himself.
You shouldn't be doing this, you knew that, but Gods, the alcohol was truly fucking with your morals and mind.
Would it hurt?
Just a little... taste...?
You shut your eyes as you became lost in the feeling; his fingers reaching the backs of your soft thighs, a breathy sigh falling from your lips. Slowly, you opened your eyes again as Ben's smalelr nose pressed into your neck, followed by his wet lips. You gasped as his hands found your torso, his fingers pressing a little too harshly into your flesh. 
Severus.
Memories of him suddenly flooded your mind like a reservoir breaking a dam, flushing out anything that didn't embody him. All the times Severus had attacked your supple flesh beautifully; pulling gorgeous moans from those pink lips of yours. Your brows furrowed together as your body silently yearned for his touch. It hurt.
You were stuck between stopping this and just shamelessly indulging in the dark, twisted fantasy of pretending that Ben was Severus. You were being so selfish. And yet, you didn't care, all of the emotional turmoil that you'd been through tonight was pushing you to the edge - all you wanted was the man who didn't love you, who only saw you as a quick fuck, maybe some midnight company. 
You shut your eyes again and tried your best to imagine him. With a sigh, you ran your hand up Ben's neck and into his hair, though it wasn't the same. You missed the way you'd tangle your fingers in his raven-black locks, gripping on it as he'd ravish your neck and breasts like some mad professional. Sighing frustratedly, you moved your hands down to his shoulders, expecting the rough, black fabric of Severus's robes, and yet you were met with the flimsy, thin fabric of Ben's white cotton t-shirt.
You felt so fucking pathetic.
Knock, knock.
You froze, eyes snapping open as quick as lightning. Was there someone at the door?
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Ben groaned drunkenly as he continued to kiss your neck. Unfortunately for him, the feeling had worn off the second you heard those knocks.
"The knocks at the door."
"You're.. imag-ining things, baby." Ben sighed and hiccuped once more, his uncomfortably hot breath on your neck made you shiver. At this point, Ben was much more drunk than you, and so with your remaining energy, you rolled him off of you. "Whoa- heey-!" He groaned as you slipped from underneath him, padding to the door. You didn't bother to check if he was alright, the only thing on your mind was who was at your door at this time of night.
Was it him? Did you want it to be him?
Reluctantly, you reached out your hand to open the door.
Nobody was there.
You frowned and leaned forwards, poking your head out to glance around. The corridor was empty, completely empty. That was incredibly weird, did you imagine those knocks? You sighed softly - perhaps you were a little disapppointed. Turning around, you shut the door, only to be faced with Ben sat sloppily in a chair with a face like thunder.
"Waitin' for someone?" He asked with a flat tone, his head lazily cocked to one side, still clearly drunk.
"What?"
"You know what I'm talkin' abou', Y/N." Ben said with the same tone, standing up, albeit unsteadily. You swallowed as he inched closer towards you, dragging his feet, your toes burying themselves against the hard wooden floor beneath your feet. "I know about the notes you kept. From him." He spat, pointing his finger at your face. Your heart instantly began to gallop; the pounding of its beats echoed in your ears like a harrowing scream in the night.
The notes...
"Excuse me?" You choked out, brows furrowing together in complete shock.
This was not how you wanted this to go down.
"I went through yer little drawers. In yer greenhouse," Ben scowled, his nose turning upwards in what you could only describe as disgust. "All of his little notes were perfectly preserved, and mine? Well-" Your mind was running so quickly that you could barely even listen to what he was saying - the fact that he went behind your back and invaded your privacy was the only thing sticking out to you as of right now. Your skin felt like it was on fire as the anger began to flood your veins.
"You went through my drawers, Ben?!" You yelled, shoving a finger in his face.
"That's the only thing you care abou'?! Not the fact that you secretly- obviously, have some sort of fucked up... thing for a man who treats people like they're the tiniest bit of shit on 'is shoe?!" Ben screamed back drunkenly as he bared his teeth, stomping towards you and smacking your finger away. "The fuck is wrong withya?"
You knew this could get ugly quite quickly, especially as Ben was drunk - a lot drunker than you. But at this moment, your anger was far too hot to even think about cooling things down.
You scoffed at him, your lips twitching upwards into a disgusted sneer. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Going through my stuff?!" You shouted at him, taking a step backwards as he began to get a little too close for comfort. "That's not okay, Ben!"
"How long has it been going on?" Ben asked, his tone suddenly calm. That put you on edge.
You paused for a moment, pondering on his question. It was probably best that you didn't answer that. "We're done here, Ben." You clenched your jaw, silently readying yourself for some sort of explosion.
"How long, Y/N?!" Ben yelled. The way the whites of his eyes were basically screaming at you made you feel terrified. In this current moment, there was only one pair of arms that you wish you were being held in. The man in front of you backed you up to the door, and you could only stare at him, for your wand was foolishly placed inside the pockets of your robes hung in your bedroom. Tears burned in your eyes as the guilt you'd tucked away was finally waking up and holding your body hostage with it's incredibly heavy weight. "Did you fuck 'im? Is that why ya never slept wit'me for months? Because you were too ...busy being his fucktoy?" Ben slurred, his face red and lips wet with saliva from how he'd been shouting.
"Shut up!" You cried at Ben as the tears began to break free from you and run down your cheeks like melting diamonds. This was so not the way you wanted this to go. "Please, just stop!" You were sobbing at this point as his words pierced your heart, quickly reminding you of what Severus truly thought of you.
"Oh, fuck sake, stop with the cryin'," Ben growled, drunkenly shoving a hand into your shoulder, sending you barreling backwards and into the door. You winced slightly as the bone of your shoulder blade made contact with the metal bar on your door. "Whiny bitch, yer the one in the wrong, not me!" He grumbled with a heavy sigh, turning away from you.
"Shit, Ben-" You gasped as you leaned forwards and pushed yourself off of the door, however, a sharp and excruciating pain shot across your shoulder as you tried to move it. "What the hell were you thinking?!" You whined, stumbling to the countertops of your kitchenette to lean on it. Your shoulder was fucking killing you.
"Me? What was I fuckin' thinkin'?!" A sarcastic, manic laugh fell from his lips and immediately you regretted your choice of words. The man spun on his heel, and suddenly he donned a wand in his hand. Now, you were scared for your life. "You're one to talk... you know what... I'm going to have you fired... yeah... blacklisted. From every job in this fuckin' area! That'll teach you to be a whore!" Ben screamed the last word so loudly that you were sure every sleeping student and teacher heard it. Your jaw ticked, and you had to look away, your face painted an embarrassed shade of scarlet.
Your heart dropped at his words. No way was this happening.
"You can't do that." You whispered, tears still streaming from your eyes as you stared at the ground.
"I work at the Ministry, darlin', anything is possible."
"Fuck you."
"What did you just say t'me?"
"Fuck you!" You cried out hoarsely with one hand on your shoulder and the other gripping the countertop. An animalistic like growl fell from your ex-boyfriend as he stormed towards you, fury burning bright in his eyes. He raised his wand, and you squeezed your eyes shut, bracing yourself for some sort of spell to hit you.
"Stupefy!" A familiar voice commanded, the swish of a spell following it suit. Then, a loud thud.
Reluctantly, you opened your eyes to see Ben laying on the floor, unconscious in a pool of his own saliva. Your chest heaved with fear, and you were incredibly scared to look up to see who had come to your rescue. Frozen, you stood still in your place, though you could feel your knees beginning to buckle. Within seconds you were on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, your lungs on fire from how harshly you were breathing. Merlin, you could've just died.
uh oh.. who saved her?
i'm sorry if you weren't tagged, i went through the majority of my notes and tried to find you all!! pls forgive me :( there was a lot due to my absence <3
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123 notes · View notes
yandere-sins · 12 days
Note
i have read all of your genshin yandere works and just mwah, beautiful. is diluc the type of yandere to break his darling, do you think? like intentionally, unintentionally? or would he ever give up and let his darling go free under like very specific circumstances or agreements? sorry if you were already asked this and i somehow accidentally missed it!
That's such a good question! Honestly, I feel like for Diluc, it's more of an unintentional breaking, but let's be honest: the psyche can only endure so much, and after being locked away and robbed of their autonomy, I don't see much hope for a darling. He thinks he's making the best choice for them, but living like he invisions just... isn't.
I don't see him intentionally letting them go either... especially not if they have a breakdown. But, I got some idea for this so I hope you enjoy it just as much!
»»———————— ♡ ————————««
"I... I just can't."
With your wrist still locked in his grip, having been caught in motion to avoid your punch, Diluc felt your body sag before he even understood what was happening. Your voice, booming and screaming, had been so prevalent in his mind, the insults shooting directly into his heart like piercing sharp arrows, causing havoc to every inch of his being, that your feeble, foreboding words didn't register as fast.
And yet, before your knees could hit the floor, before you could inflict more pain to yourself—the only pain he couldn't save you from—he caught you. His arms, as strong and steady as his resolve to save you from the cruelty of the world, wrapped around your waist, interrupting your descend to the ground. However, Diluc realized quickly he could not prevent it from happening as your strength just seemed to vanish as the seconds passed by.
Together, you two sunk, his knees the only ones getting bruised as he cushioned the fall for you, one more plea of devotion that went unnoticed. And yet, when he let go of your wrist, it didn't collapse to your side, but to his shoulder, fingers burying into his coat, making him regret not changing his attire to something cleaner, more comfortable for you.
There was no sound accompanying the end of the war you had been waging with him, although he was a passive bystander in the chaos you created. It was so quiet; even the candle burning on your nightstand was louder than your shallow breaths of defeat. It almost made him nervous. Diluc had heard enough dying breaths to know the signs, but your fingers were so strongly interwoven with the fabric around his body that he knew it couldn't be. You were holding on to him as you were losing yourself.
Just to be sure, he wrapped his arms tighter around you.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice breaking between the words as the situation finally realized in his mind. It was strange. You never faltered when you were angry, never stopped ignoring him, no matter how painful it was for him. And yet, you stopped abruptly, the mood snapping like a weak twig beneath his feet, touched him and held on for dear life. As if it was his fault, and yet, you let him reap the rewards.
It was everything he ever wanted.
Having you clutch to him, whatever the reason may be, and being able to hold you back without your palms shoved into his chest, your eyes filled with hatred as you told him to "back off". Have you rely on him, use him for comfort, and let him give you all the remnants of love he could still harbor in his heart that his past had burnt into a crisp. Something terrible was happening, and yet, as Diluc watched you deflate, resting on his lap like a lover rather than a prisoner, he was smiling for the first time in a long while.
"I can't," you whispered, your voice hoarse and damaged from yelling, too weak to speak up. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep living like this, I'm... I'm tired."
For a moment, no one said anything, the silence so much more telling than any explanation could be. Yet, like an idiot, Diluc wished you'd speak up. Give him a verbal sign of what was going on—any, really.
And you did. Your head lowered to his chest as if it was too heavy to hold, your body sagging a bit more on his lap. Luckily, his arms were already there to catch you, his palms coming to rest across your back, steading you, the touch searing. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of burning off his own fingertips, and yet, he didn't move them away from you, unable to waste this moment. You might never let him touch you like this again. Hold you. Comfort you.
That's when it finally hit him.
It took him long enough, but perhaps you needed the time to come to terms with it, too. His heart lept while yours seemed to settle. Diluc was overcome with love and adoration while you banished the last forces of fight from your mind, sinking into exhaustion. It's been years and you only realized now that you lost a war that was never one to begin with. You've used up all your resources and burned through all your motivation. All that was left was an ashen battlefield, you and him.
It wasn't until many hours later that Diluc put you to bed, having held you through most of the night while you slept. The irking feeling that maybe it would be back to normal tomorrow didn't deter him from enjoying the peace he was starting to get addicted to. Brushing your hair out of your face and leaving a few kisses on your forehead, cheeks, and a brazen one on your lips, he admired your sleeping face, your brows furrowed but otherwise peaceful visage. 
Even if things were to change the next day, he was thankful for this wonderful night, wishing for it to never end, and yet he couldn't wait to see what more there was to come. Every day with you was just that special. Diluc didn't realize the loss that had happened. Unable to feel anything but gratitude for your change of attitude. 
And in a spur-of-the-moment decision, he shrugged off his coat and pushed off his boots, joining you by your side in the bed, something he never allowed himself to do. It felt right. Like the place he belonged. Resting his arms around you, he now knew how it could be, already getting addicted to the feeling of being close to you. 
Maybe you'd soon wake him up with another screaming and crying outburst, but that night had fueled him with enough love for you to keep going, even more sure now that what he did was the right thing. 
Diluc won that night, and his fire continued to burn through everything you held dear. Your pride, your freedom, your whole essence of being. Yet his fire just kept on spreading, rising, devouring everything, fueled by love that only seemed to keep coming the more you gave up.
Until you were completely engulfed in his flames, unable to ever distinguish them.
289 notes · View notes
girasollake · 1 year
Text
˚♡ ⋆two of cupsੈ♡˳
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pairing: neteyam x fem!mangkwan!reader
!disclaimer! there is pretty much nothing we know about this clan but since i saw they are like ‚spiritual masters’ or something i thought i would use their name because it fits the story!
requested: no
type: angst/fluff
summary: (i am so bad at writing these) the reader is part of the clan you mostly hear about in legends, they are spiritually connected to eywa, more than any other tribe. she has to run away after the sky people destroyed her village and she meets a boy. his energy calls to her and she doesnt know why. both of them are children of clan leaders and both of them need to find a mate due to their age (both are around 18-20), they feel the pull towards each other and dont know that their fate was already written in the stars (its me, im the stars)
warnings: death of a loved one, injuries, mentions of blood and wounds, breakdown, grief, a happy ending
a/n: i hope you guys will like this one because i came up with the whole clan for the sake of the story lmao, but even if you wont like it i still hope you enjoy reading it!// gif is from pinterest, all credits to the owner!
word count: 5,818 
[there may be some errors, because i’m too lazy to check it lol]
╰┈➤ a little glossary:
*Faysawtute! Wiya! - These sky people! Dammit!
** Oel ngati kameie, Olo’eyktan, Tsahik - I see you, Olo’eyktan, Tsahik
***evi - kid(in an affecionate way kinda)
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You weren’t sure how you ended up in that place. The last thing you remember is running away from the sky people who had somehow found your village, the screams of your people started echoing in your brain. You sat up and analyzed your surroundings carefully - the forest around you was vast and mysterious, you have never went into this part of Pandora before. You needed to find your friends, your parents, your ikran, but the only things you could see were trees and bioluminescent plants. A hiss escaped your lips when you stood up, blood was running down your leg and you noticed a big wound it was coming out of, a stab wound. All of this wasn’t unfamiliar, you have fought against the sky people before, but this time they were hungrier for blood than ever, targeting your tribe and searching for you. Your clan had knowledge others didn’t, your people had a special connection to Eywa which presented itself in the fact that your hair was white. You were hiding in the shadows, often migrating and avoiding direct contacts with others, to other tribes yours was just a legend. You almost never engaged, only when it was necessary, and even though you should have gotten rid of the strange enemies from the other planet – your father decided to keep moving and put the fighting behind you. You didn’t blame him, there has been enough bloodshed and there were only 87 of you left, well, now probably less than that.
‘Faysawtute! Wiya!*’ You cursed and pressed on your wound as you walked over to the nearest plant with long leaves.
You tore one of them out of the plant and used it as a bandage, as well as some small vines you found nearby. A faint sound of an animal could be heard in the distance and you were thankful you still had your bow and arrows; your knife however was nowhere in sight. You sat down on the ground, closed your eyes and pressed your palm to the ground, you needed to feel her so that she could lead you to one of the sacred places. A few deep breaths calmed your body down and you opened your eyes rapidly, your ears going down – you felt her. After standing up you started following your gut, you had learned to trust it as much as possible. You tried to stay focused on the energy flowing through your body as well as the one flowing through the forest, but those beautiful plants had caught your eye way too many times for your liking, causing you to lose that focus.  With each step you felt weaker and even more tired, the journey was taking too long, you felt as if you had been walking for eternity. The sun started showing up, soft light reflected in your sleepy eyes and something in the horizon suddenly caught your attention, you stopped in your tracks. A big tree, with white long vines and a strong aura you could see from far away - the source of power. You smiled to yourself and resumed your walk, you couldn’t give up now, she would heal you at last. When you finally reached the tree, you collapsed at the bottom of its trunk. Your hands took one of the vines and connected it to your queue making a tsaheylu. Your pupils dilated as the purest energy of all flowed slowly through your weak body. Next thing you remember was darkness.
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
A sound of flapping wings caused you to open your eyes. You quickly disconnected from the tree and ran behind one of the larger roots to hide. As you were putting one of your arrows on the bow you heard the stranger approaching you. You stood up and pointed your weapon at them, but this wasn’t an enemy - it was a young Na’vi boy, probably close to your age. His bow was also ready to fire an arrow at you and you could tell he was confused too, because his eyes were scanning your body in a rapid pace. When you finally locked eyes, you lowered your weapon. However, he was still holding his up, cautious of you and your actions. But you knew better, you knew he wouldn’t hurt you; it was visible in his eyes that he was not a killer.
‘Who are you?’ He finally asked. ‘Are you an avatar?’
You tilted your head, confused about the new word he used, ‘What’s an avatar?’
He lowered his bow and hung it on his body, ‘Come.’
You didn’t move.
‘You’re Omaticaya, right?’ A question left your lips.
He nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but he shut it just as quickly.
‘What’s your name, boy?’
He grimaced at the last word, ‘Neteyam.’
‘(y/n)’ You replied.
For a moment you were standing there in silence, contemplating if you should ask for help. After all, you had nowhere to go to.
‘What are you doing here?’ He asked suddenly and stepped closer, which made you take a step back.
‘I got lost.’ You sighed. ‘The sky people found my village and the last thing I can remember is running away.’ You looked up at the tree. ‘I woke up in the forest and followed Eywa’s energy to find one of the sacred places to heal myself.’
‘Heal?’ He tilted his head in confusion once again.
You nodded, ‘I need your help.’ This time it was you who stepped closer. ‘I have to find my parents.’
He nodded, ‘I’ll take you to my grandmother, she’s Tsahik.’
Your ears perked up as you started following him to his ikran, ‘Who is the Olo’eyktan in your clan? Your grandfather?’
‘No, he died before I was born.’ He got on his ikran and offered you his hand. ‘My father is the leader.’
‘Hm.’ You quietly said and wrapped your arms around his chest gently.
You started wondering if you should tell him that you have that in common – being future clan leaders, that is. You knew the pressure, the responsibilities, the expectations and you could talk to him about that, but you wanted to keep that a secret for just a little longer. You could feel his strong energy, there was a certain feeling of calmness radiating from him and you swore it called to you. You have just met him, but he felt like an old friend, someone you never forget.
The ride was pleasant, you were curiously looking around and admiring the view. You thought he would take you to his home, somewhere in the forest, because after all the Omaticaya were a forest clan. It was surprising to say the least, when you landed inside a huge cave in one of the mountains.
‘I thought you were supposed to be tree people?’ You furrowed your eyebrows as you were looking around the village.
Neteyam helped you get down from the animal and softly laughed, ‘We are, but our home was destroyed.’ He looked down. ‘I never got to see it.’
You rested your hand on his arm and rubbed it softly, ‘I’m sorry, Neteyam. I am sure it was very beautiful.’
He sent you a soft smile which you reciprocated. Your eyes were locked with his, but he broke the eye contact due to something or rather someone coming from behind you. You turned around, a man was slowly approaching you, an elderly woman following after him.
‘That is father and grandmother.’ Neteyam stated from behind you.
‘Oel ngati kameie, Olo’eyktan, Tsahik.**’ You made the proper gesture and felt their tough gaze on you.
They greeted you in the same way and then looked at Neteyam. You knew exactly why they were confused just like he had been. It was because of your hair.
‘I come from the Mangkwan People.’ You announced in order to avoid unnecessary questions.
The Tsahik walked over to you and inspected your whole body, especially one part of it.
‘It’s been a while since I saw one of you.’ She said calmly. ‘Where is the rest of your clan?’
‘I don’t know.’ You sighed. ‘That’s why I’m here, I need to find them and I need help.’
She looked at Neteyam’s father who gave her a firm nod.
‘You can stay with us child.’ She informed you. ‘What are you called?’
‘(y/n) te Magte Leta’ite.’ You whispered your full name and the woman gasped softly, but didn’t say anything.
Neteyam exchanged a look with his father, both uncertain about the Tsahik’s reaction. The Olo’eyktan made a gesture towards his son to come closer and he whispered something into his ear. The young heir nodded and turned his attention to you.
‘Come, I’ll show you around.’
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
After a brief walk through the village, which mostly consisted of you trying not to pay attention to the people whispering as you walked by, you arrived at what you figured would be Neteyam’s home.
‘This is where we sleep. There is not a lot of space but I can give you my own area if you want to rest, I’ll just share with my brother.’
‘Oh, no, it’s okay. I can sleep on the floor, I don’t mind it.’ You chuckled. ‘No, but really, you don’t have to give up your space for me, I’ll be good with anything.’
He smiled at you and his eyes followed your movements as you were admiring the inside.
‘Forgive me for staring at you so much before.’ You turned around to face him. ‘I’ve heard legends about your clan and I was surprised that..’
‘I’m real?’ You softly laughed. ‘It’s okay, I know you don’t see people like me every day.’ Your happy expression faded away.
‘What’s wrong?’ He approached you.
You sat down without looking at him and he did the same, ‘There isn’t many of us left.’ You turned your head to look into his eyes. ‘That’s why you don’t see us often. We always run away, hide in the shadows, we don’t engage in anything… I’m sure your grandmother remembers the times when my clan would happily help others when in need, but times have changed. All I know how to do is run away.’
‘You don’t have to do that anymore, I’m sure your clan would be welcome here. To stay with us.’
You lifted one corner of your mouth, ‘Thanks, tree boy.’
‘Who is that, brother?’ Your focus shifted from the boy sitting next to you to the girls standing in the entrance.
‘(y/n).’ You answered before he could open his mouth. ‘May I know your names?’
‘I’m Kiri and this is Tuk.’ She replied and looked down at the smaller girl hiding behind her leg.
‘Come here, I don’t bite.’ You smiled at them.
They carefully came closer and sat in front of you. Their reaction was similar to everybody else, their eyes weren’t looking into yours, but above. You curiously looked Kiri up and down, there was something in this girl you couldn’t quite put into words, a powerful energy illuminated from her body.
‘Dad wanted to talk to you.’ She said to Neteyam.
‘Oh, okay.’ He quickly stood up. ‘I’ll be right back, treat her nicely, she’s our guest.’
He left their home, your gaze followed him as he got lost in the sea of other Omaticaya people. Meanwhile, Tuk was still taking in your strange looks, a confused frown was on her face.
‘You want to touch it?’ You asked her and she nodded eagerly.
She crawled closer to you and started playing with your hair, ‘It looks like it glows! Does it glow in the dark?’
‘Sometimes.’ You replied with a funny expression on your face.
‘Can you show me? Please!’
‘Maybe one day, okay?’ She nodded in reply.
‘Do you need someone to patch you up?’ Kiri asked.
‘Sorry, what?’ You gave her a confused reply to which she gave a nod towards your bandaged thigh. ‘Oh! I forgot about that. It’s okay, it’s fully healed.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because Eywa healed me.’ You replied while taking off the leaves and vines, Tuk was still playing with your hair.
‘What?’ Her ears perked up and she sat up straighter. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘When I connect to the source, such as your big sacred tree, I can transfer Eywa’s power into my body to heal myself.’ You explained like it was nothing. ‘See? All good.’ You showed her your thigh which  now only had a small, faint scar in the place you were stabbed.
You looked up to see her puzzled expression and it took everything in you to not laugh.
‘You need to teach me how to do it.’ She finally whispered.
‘I can try, but it’s a difficult craft. It requires patience, meditation, and strength, spiritual strength. My people start training the moment they connect with Eywa for the first time and it takes years to master it.’ You told her. ‘But I feel that you have all that is needed. I’ll teach you when the time comes.’
‘Really?’ She covered her mouth in shock. ‘Thank you!’
‘It’s nothing.’ You smiled and looked over at Tuk. ‘Are you having fun?’
‘Mhm!’ She exclaimed. ‘Can I braid some of it?’
‘Of course.’ Her smile warmed up your heart.
It’s been a while since you sat down and had your hair done by anyone, so why not let the little kid do it? You shifted your gaze to look outside and saw Neteyam talking to a girl. A light clench could be felt in your heart, why was your body doing that?
‘Is that your brother’s mate?’ You asked and gave a nod towards them.
Kiri turned around to see who you were referring to, ‘He hasn’t chosen yet. Mother is expecting him to do that soon but he keeps postponing it, he says he has to be sure.’ She explained and you felt a relief inside. ‘And that is Nelao, mother thinks she would be the perfect Tsahik, but I disagree.’
‘Why?’ Your curiosity won. ‘She looks nice.’
‘She does, but I just don’t feel like she’s the right fit for my brother.’ She murmured. ‘Nelao overheard my mother talking about her being the new Tsahik. Because of that she’s so certain he will chose her that she doesn’t even leave his side.’
‘You would be a better Tsahik, (y/n).’ Tuk peeped in.
You tilted your head and giggled, ‘I would be, indeed.’ You paused. ‘And I will. Perks of being the daughter of the clan leaders.’
‘Your parents are Tsahik and Olo’eyktan?’ Kiri gasped. ‘Why didn’t you say it before?!’
‘I like being secretive.’ You smiled. ‘Revealing too much information at once isn’t a good idea, trust me.’
‘You can be our Tsahik if you want to.’ Tuk added.
‘Tuk! You can’t say things like that!’ Kiri scolded her sister.
‘Why not?’
‘Well, for once, she may already have someone betrothed to her.’ Kiri explained and turned her attention to you. ‘Do you have someone promised to you?’
You shook your head, ‘No.’
You wanted to add more, but you bit your tongue. Your parents have shown you a few young men to marry, but none of them felt right. You had to feel it inside and you couldn’t choose just because they expected that, it was your decision after all. And it’s not like you didn’t try, you hung out with some of them, talked with them, laughed with them, and yet none of them matched your energy in a way you longed for.
‘See? She can be our Tsahik.’ The little girl muttered and Kiri just rolled her eyes.
‘I’m sorry for my sister.’
‘It’s okay.’ You giggled. ‘Don’t be sorry for her, be grateful that she’s here to make your day more interesting.’
She smiled at you, ‘She sure is.’
‘All done! Do you like it?’ Tuk asked and showed you a few braids she had done.
‘They are perfect! Thank you ‘evi.***’ You gave her a quick hug to show your gratitude.
‘Kiri can you show me where you clean yourselves? I think I need to wash away the dirt.’ You turned to the older sister.
‘Oh my, of course! I’m sorry I should have asked you if you needed anything! Can I offer you some new clothes?’
‘If you’d be so kind.’ You smiled.
The three of you got up and you followed them hastily. On your way out you locked eyes with Neteyam who was still talking to Nelao, he shot you a quick smirk which made you look down and break the eye contact.
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
After changing and cleaning yourself up you sat down on the edge of the cave. You were taking in the view unfolding in front of your eyes.
‘Where are you mom?’ You whispered and felt someone approach you from behind.
‘We have not had a chance to meet. My name is Neytiri, I am Neteyam’s mother.’ The beautiful woman spoke up.
‘(y/n).’ You smiled and bowed your head to greet her.
‘Can I join you?’ You nodded in approval.
She sat down next to you, ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it’s extraordinary. I love looking at Pandora from above.’ You replied.
‘You have your own ikran?’
‘Yes, but I don’t know where she is. I was hoping to go search for her in the morning with Neteyam if that’s possible?’ You asked and quickly looked down. ‘Or any warrior for that matter, it doesn’t have to be him.’
Neytiri smiled sweetly, ‘I’m sure he would love to help you.’
You shyly raised your head and while looking into her eyes reciprocated the smile. For a moment both of you were sitting there quietly, enjoying the darkness with some glowing plants in the distance. Your ears perked up when you remembered a strange word Neteyam had said to you before.
‘What’s an avatar?’ You asked your companion out of the blue.
She looked at you confused, ‘You don’t know?’
‘No, I am not familiar with that word.’ You answered. ‘Neteyam asked me if I was one and I didn’t know what it meant.’
Neytiri roughly explained to you the concept of the word, she also used the term dream walkers. You also found out that her husband was an avatar before, which surprised you, it’s weird you haven’t noticed his additional fingers.
‘Your husband has a strong spirit, strong heart. I could feel it.’
‘He does.’ She whispered. ‘It’s late, we should head inside.’
You nodded and stood up to follow the woman inside their family home.
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
When you woke up there was nobody in the tent with you. While you were stretching a big yawn escaped your lips. There was some water left next to you in a small pot, you picked it up and took a few big sips. You wiped your mouth and stood up to go outside and search for any of the familiar faces. You approached Neteyam who was giving some food to his ikran.
‘Hi.’
‘Hi, did you sleep well?’ He looked at you.
‘Um, yeah, it was a good night.’ You mumbled. ‘Are you going to help me today? With finding my ikran and my people?’
‘Oh! Yes, right, I have this thing here for you.’ He pulled out some sort of device. ‘This goes around your neck and this into your ear. Those are comms we use for communicating. ‘He pointed to the one he was wearing. ‘I’ll show you how they work.’
He installed everything on you and explained step by step to you how to use it. The whole time you tried to stay composed and steady, but his fingers brushing your skin were not helping. After that you both got on his ikran, the first place you wanted to check was the one you woke up at and that’s where you navigated him. You were using your memory and it was hard doing it from above since you were inside the forest while looking for a way out. Neteyam was patient with you, he landed a few times in the wrong places because you thought each could be the right one, thankfully one of them was. You got off the ikran and immediately noticed your blood on the grass. It was faint but because of daylight you could see the trail you were running through that night. You followed the blood with Neteyam by your side.
‘Mom! Dad!’ You shouted into the forest but received no response.
Suddenly a faint ikran roar erupted through the trees. Your ears perked up and you quickly ran towards the sound while making noises to lure in the animal.
‘Wait for me!’ You heard the man shout behind you, but you didn’t stop.
Soon you noticed something blue moving between two trees and you slowly approached it.
‘Ra’ia.’ You whispered and came closer to your ikran.
You noticed she was covered with a net and that was the thing disallowing her to move. You spotted your knife next to her and grabbed it to free the animal. Now everything made sense, they must’ve shot that net at you which caused both of you to fall down, you somehow freed yourself and dropped your knife while running away.
‘I’m sorry I left you Ra’ia.’ You whispered while you were hugging her neck and stroking her skin with one of your hands. ‘Thank you Great Mother for keeping her safe.’
‘Is that your ikran?’ You heard Neteyam’s voice.
‘Yes.’ You nodded. ‘Her name is Ra’ia.’
‘It’s suits her.’
‘Thanks.’ You chuckled. ‘We should check my village now.’
He gave you a nod and started calling for his own animal.
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
The place was a mess. Your started to feel heavy when you noticed limp bodies of your people laying on the ground. You took a deep breath and wiped away the tears already falling down from your eyes. With each person you examined you felt your heart break even more. However it broke down completely when you noticed your father’s  broken bow, his hand wrapped around the weapon. You swallowed a big lump and took cautious steps towards him.
This can’t be real. He’s okay, he has to be okay.
‘Dad?’ You whispered when you finally reached his side you moved his body, he didn’t move. ‘Dad, come on.’ You cried. ‘Wake up! You can’t do this to me!’ You shouted and started shaking his body.
A pair of arms wrapped around you and started pulling you away.
‘No!’ You shouted. ‘NO!’
Neteyam embraced you in a hug which you were trying to break out of, ‘Let me go! He’s okay! We have to get him help!’
‘I’m sorry, (y/n).’He whispered and held you tighter. ‘There is nothing we can do for him, we need to go.’
You were crying your eyes out, your screams were stopping in your throat along with the tears you were choking on. You don’t know how long Neteyam was trying to calm you down, it could’ve been 20 minutes or 3 hours, you had no idea. His palm was stroking your hair and his chest was wet from your tears, but it was working, he finally managed to help you steady your breath and stop crying.
‘Can you help me bury him?’ You looked up at him with glossy eyes. ‘Please, Neteyam.’
‘Of course.’ He replied and kissed the top of your head gently.
There was a sacred place, a small tree close to your village where you would bury the dead. Neteyam helped you carry your father’s body there, you whispered a quick prayer to him and to Eywa. You connected your queue to the sacred tree and experienced a vision. Instead of seeing your father you saw your mother in some kind of metal home, perhaps a capsule? It was strange and covered in various plants. You gasped and collapsed right into Neteyam’s arms. You looked at him and explained where you think your mother may be.
He widened his eyes, ‘I think I know where that is.’
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
‘Mom?’ You called out. ‘Mom are you there!?’
You moved closer to the entrance of the shack and looked through the broken window. Your mother was nowhere in sight.
‘She’s not inside, do you know if there is anywhere she could-‘
‘(y/n)?’ You heard your mother’s voice coming from the bushes.
You moved closer to the sound, ‘Mom? Yes, yes mom, it’s me.’
Her fragile silhouette emerged from the plants and she instantly collapsed into your arms, crying.
‘Your father..‘ She cried. ‘He..’
‘I know, ma, I know…’ You started caressing her tangled hair. ‘It’s going to be okay, ma.’
‘You need to find someone to lead the clan, you need to find a mate, daughter. We have to find the others as soon as we can, it is the only way.’ She explained and looked up to rest her sad eyes on Neteyam. ‘Who’s that?’
‘That’s my friend. We’re going to take you to a safe place.’ You explained. ‘The Omaticaya will take care of you, of us.’
‘No, no, we can’t. They are going to be hunting us. They know what we can do and they don’t like it.’ She stammered.
‘They are hunting my people too.’ Neteyam finally spoke up. ‘I can’t guarantee you will be safe in our hideout, but going there is the best thing I can offer you right now.’
‘We have to go, ma.’ You helped her stand up. ‘It’s okay, come on.’
The flight to the Omaticaya camp was peaceful, with no surprises from the enemy, but you felt your mother’s broken energy the whole time and it was draining you. You felt her pain, it was mixing with yours and creating a dreadful combination. There was also her unwillingness to go with you so she complained for most of the ride. When you finally arrived you were greeted by Mo’at, who immediately recognised your mother. She took her away from everyone and they both disappeared in her tent. You sighed and turned around to face Neteyam.
‘Thank you.’ You said. ‘For helping me. With finding my mother, Ra’ia and my..’ You paused, tears were starting to form in your eyes.
‘Hey, hey, you don’t have to thank me for this.’ He took your hand into his, caressing your knuckles softly with his fingers. ‘I’ll help you anytime you need me.’
You smiled up at him, ‘Do you-‘
‘Neteyam!’ A voice called out which made him drop your hand. ‘Is that this new friend of yours everyone is talking about? My name is Nelao.’
She grabbed Neteyam’s arm and hugged it to her body. The sight made your heart feel like a needle was going straight through it. You told her your name and complemented her own.
‘Thank you. Yours is quite unique as well.’ She looked up at Neteyam. ‘Shall we go? You must be hungry!’ She turned to you. ‘You’re welcome to join us, of course.’
You shook your head, ‘Maybe later, but thank you for invitation.’
You started walking away and looked at the man one more time, to your surprise you locked eyes with him once again. Then Nelao pulled him away as they headed to feast with the others. You approached Mo’at’s tent in hopes to find out how your mother was doing.
‘We have to find the rest. My daughter needs a mate, we need a new leader, Mo’at. I cannot believe all of this is happening.’ You heard your mother’s broken voice through the thin tent material. ‘I lost him, it hurts so much.’
‘I know what it feels like. I lost my husband because of these demons too. Your clan is welcome to stay with us when they are found.’ Mo’at spoke up. ‘Accept our help, Leta.’
‘It’s not nice to eavesdrop, you know?’ Neteyam’s voice startled you.
‘And why are you not participating in the feast?’ You tilted your head to the side.
‘I just..’ He paused. ‘Can we talk?’
You nodded, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you are the next Tsahik?’
‘What?’ You asked confused. ‘How-‘
‘I overheard your mother saying it to you before, she wasn’t particularly quiet so it’s not my fault.’
‘Right.’ You gave him a nod and smirked. ‘Do you want to go for a ride?’
‘If I do, will you answer my question?’ He tilted his head.
You shrugged, ‘Come and find out.’
You giggled and started running away to get on your ikran. Neteyam shook his head and followed your steps.
‘Where are we even going?’
‘You’ll see.’ You replied and took off, the man right behind you.
Throughout the flight you were constantly messing with him, whether that would be shoving him from the side or disappearing behind a mountain to scare him. He was pretending to be mad, but you knew he liked it. When you saw your destination you increased your speed. He tried chasing you trying to outrun your ikran, but to no avail.
‘It’s even more beautiful at night.’ You whispered when you landed.
‘It is.’ He replied, but he wasn’t looking at The Spirit Tree.
He was looking at something else or rather someone.
‘Come on, let’s go sit under it.’ You grabbed his hand and ran towards the tree.
For a moment you were just enjoying each other’s presence and looking around at the bioluminescent grass, leaves and vines. Well, you were the one looking around when his gaze was mostly lingering on your form.
‘So?’ He broke the silence which made you sigh.
‘I didn’t want to be defined by that. You out of all people should know the burden this role carries.’ You paused. ‘All the responsibilities, risks, duties… I just… I sometimes wish I wasn’t next in line.’ You looked at your hands. ‘Especially now when my mother urges me to find a mate immediately. Someone to step in for… You know.’
He nodded, ‘Yeah, I know what all of that feels like.’
‘But I can’t just take anyone and I think she doesn’t understand it. I have to feel it inside, it has to feel-‘
‘Right.’ He interrupted you.
‘Exactly!’ You exclaimed. ‘At least you already have someone to mate with.’ You whispered.
‘Huh?’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Are you talking about Nelao?’
You nodded, ‘She seems really nice. You should be grateful your mom chose someone like that for you.’
‘She is nice, but at the end of the day it is not my mother’s decision.’ He responded. ‘It is mine.’
He raised his palm and rested it on your cheek.
‘And I don’t want Nelao.’
You felt heat going up to your cheeks and his face was slowly getting closer to yours. The kiss was slow and passionate, but most importantly – it felt right.
You were the first to break the kiss, ‘Are you sure about this?’
‘Are you?’ He asked.
You nodded your head eagerly, ‘You know, from the moment I saw you, your energy has called out to me.’
‘My energy?’ He chuckled.
You softly punched his arm, ‘Do not laugh at me! Last time I checked, I was the one seeing and feeling what you don’t.’
‘Oh, and that makes me worse than you?’ He tilted his head playfully.
‘Yes.’ You giggled and connected your lips with his eagerly.
After a while both of you pulled out your queues and observed how they connected with each other. The feeling was almost euphoric, something you have never felt before. You felt Neteyam’s energy, you saw it so vividly in your mind, all of his good and bad sides, everything about him was in front of you like an open book. All of it melted into your own body, your own energy mixed with his as you became one. There was no denying that all of this felt right.
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
You woke up in the morning only because someone towered over you and their presence was enough to awaken you. You slowly opened your eyes and you felt Neteyam’s arm on your stomach, your back pressed to his chest. When your vision cleared up you looked up and saw your mother’s angry face.
‘Did you mate with this boy!?’ She screamed, which made Neteyam and you quickly sit up.
Jake was standing behind her and guided her to take a step back. Neytiri was also present, but she was behind the two, a small smirk spread out on her face.
‘Answer me, daughter.’
You stood up, your fingers intertwined with Neteyam’s, ‘Yes, mother.’
She scoffed, ‘You were supposed to find someone from our clan!’
‘It is my fault.’ Neteyam spoke up. ‘I was the one to-‘
‘No, it isn’t.’ You shook your head.’ It was all because of Eywa. We met before her and we mated before her.’ You told your mother. ‘From the moment I saw him I knew we were meant to be together, his energy called me, it lured me in and I could not resist. The feeling was stronger than anything else.’
Your mother shook her head, but deep down she knew exactly what you were talking about. She had felt the same thing when she first laid her eyes on your father. She looked up at Jake who just shrugged his arms.
‘There is nothing we can do about it.’ He told her. ‘It is done.’
‘There is nothing wrong with uniting our clans.’ Neytiri spoke up. ‘I must say, I think it’s necessary. Especially in those dark times.’
You smiled at her and she reciprocated the gesture. You turned to your mother with pleading eyes.
‘Please, ma.’
She was looking between the two of you quickly and her gaze finally rested on your mate.
‘Fine.’ She closed her eyes and sighed. ‘At least it’s done now. All we have to do is find the rest of the clan, but I must say, the boy I chose for you will not be very pleased about this.’
‘Ma!’ You scolded her.
‘The boy she chose for you?’ Neteyam asked.
‘She chose like 5 boys for me.’ You chuckled. ‘But they don’t matter anymore, do they?’
‘I guess they don’t.’ He smiled at you.
‘We should head back to the camp.’ Jake said. ‘And please, don’t sneak out in the night, I don’t want your siblings to follow your footsteps.’
‘Yes sir.’ Netayam nodded.
Everyone turned around and started walking towards their ikrans, you and Neteyam following after them.
‘I knew this would happen.’ You heard Neytiri whisper to her husband.
‘Who didn’t?’ He quietly replied.
You chuckled and turned your head to Neteyam. You gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
‘Want to race to the camp?’ You asked and started running to your animal before the man had a chance to process your question.
He shook his head and ran after you. He would always run after you.
© girasollake, 2023
likes and reblogs are appreciated, thank you!! xx
taglist:  @hockeyboysarehot​ @esposadomd​ @astr1dblogs​ @greengarsstuff @black-and-white1​ @softpia​ @writingsbybirdie​ @slythermania​ @mariiyoushi​ @rakwunz​ @hirokosoul​ @goldenchunkycat​ @margoniezniez​ @bluesprings18​ @decaffeinatedmom01​ @swords4mob​  @quietshyashlyn19​ ( if you liked/commented on my post about this fic and you are not here, please check your settings because i couldn’t tag you <3)
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joonipertree · 8 months
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Tags: college au, awkward mikey, flustered mikey, mikey has a crush on you. skateboarder!mikey.
[I wrote this Feb 2022. THIS WAS BEFORE I WATCHED THE SHOW OR READ THE MANGA. I JUST SAW A PIC AND THOUGHT HE WAS CUTE???]
You weren’t sure what you were watching but you were pretty sure it was akin to a circus.
“Mikey, you have to.” A pretty girl said with a bored expression on her face.
“No.”
Mikey, your classmate, was simply circling around her with an equally bored expression. He was the definition of carefree, skateboard under his feet and hands in his pocket with his long blonde hair in a ponytail.
“You were fine five minutes ago.”
“That was before I had two mental breakdowns about it.”
“In the span of five minutes?”
“You don’t know my life.”
“I’m your sister.”
“No.”
“Mikey, just fucking go up to them and kiss already, it’s exhausting watching you pine.” Ryuguji, another classmate of yours, spoke from the bench he was sitting on.
“Shut your fucking mouth before I punch you, Kenchin.” Mikey deadpanned, skating a little wobbly for a second before righting himself.
“That’s not the point of this, you need a partner for the assignment.” The blonde girl spoke sternly.
“I’d rather fail than ask them.”
“I’ll tell big brother on you.”
“Oh no, I’m so scared. What horrible things will he do?” Mikey had a very sarcastic tone in his voice as he shivered exaggeratedly.
“Ass.”
“Emma, I’m still not convinced. There’s nothing that can possibly happen that will make me go and talk to them.”
“Oh hey _____, didn’t see you there.” Ryuguji all but shouted out.
Mikey promptly fell off his skateboard and stumbled two feet forward before stabilizing himself.
“Hey, sorry for just standing there, I needed to use the vending machine.” you said with a giggle.
Mikey all but skipped to the side which made you giggle as you walked towards it.
It was silent for a while and when you turned around, you saw the three of them having some kind of conversation with their eyes. It mostly consisted of Mikey shaking his head vehemently.
Emma looked at you a second later and smiled a saccharine sweet smile at you before saying, “I love that shirt on you, it’s very cute.”
You thanked her and looked to your right to see Ryuguji keeping Mikey in a headlock as the other tried to escape his clutches.
“So, I heard about that project that’s coming up. Do you have a partner yet?”
“Sadly, no.” You sighed. Your friends had paired off already and you were the only one left.
“Mikey doesn’t have a partner either.” Emma said just as Mikey broke himself free.
“Oh, if you want to be my partner then you can.” You said as nonchalantly as possible. To be honest, Mikey was very cute and you always wanted to talk to him but never had the courage.
“i’m-well-no-I mean-I-” Mikey stuttered the worst you’ve ever heard anyone stutter.
“This means yes in Mikey.” Emma informed and for your own sanity, you believed her.
With a drink in your hand, you walked towards him and handed him your phone.
“Add your number in, I’ll text you.”
The boy just stood there in silence, eyes almost out of his sockets as he held the pastel blue covered phone in his hand. You noticed how big his hands were and it made you blush a bit. You wondered what it would feel like to hold them.
“Oh my god, you fucking coward.” Emma muttered but before she could take your phone from his hand, he cradled it against his chest while glaring at her. He then very carefully typed in his digits.
You tried opening your bottle of juice but were very clearly failing to, grunting softly at the effort you were putting in.
He took the bottle from you and gave your phone back before very easily unscrewing the cap.
Why the fuck was that attractive?
He handed it back and you squeaked out a thanks before saying a quick goodbye.
You were too far to hear or see him but the boy melted against his best friend and whined over how cute you were.
“Did you see how cool I was opening that bottle for them? I was so fuckling calm, what the fuck.”
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lover-of-mine · 11 months
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Okay, this is a very random framing meta that started as an "it's interesting that even though Oliver is a pretty big guy they pretty much never use Buck's size for intimidation" and it evolved to something buddie from there. It actually started because the one instance I could think of where they highlight Buck's size, that being the "what's your problem, man" conversation.
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Because here's the thing, Ryan is what? 2 inches shorter than Oliver? But they really made a point of making Buck look bigger in this scene because Buck is mad and he's trying to be intimidating, and it makes Eddie looks smaller even if he's not small by any definition. So I went to the other fight they had, the grocery store scene, they actually frame it so Eddie looks bigger even though he's not because Eddie is the one whos mad. And even though we can see Eddie when the focus is on Buck, we can't see Buck when the focus is on Eddie. It's all very Buck is seeing Eddie, Eddie is not seeing Buck.
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So I went looking for all the Big Conversations to look at the framing choices and I'm gonna type out thoughts I guess.
I separated this into categories, the first one being Conversations About Christopher. The thing with the talks about Chris is that they are always sitting down for them. They're on the same level.
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When Shannon comes back and Eddie is confused about what to do about it, the close-ups actually don't try to make it seem like either of them is bigger, but the wider angle puts Eddie in the center and Buck angled in a way where Buck looks smaller, obviously because even though Buck has a place on Eddie's life, his space on Christopher's isn't that established.
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Then we have the skateboard discussion. At this point, we know that Buck loves Christopher and that he is a established as part of Chris' life. And it's interesting that they are talking here where none of them is highlighted and Buck actually comes up with a solution for a parenting problem while Eddie is spiraling.
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Then we have everyone's favorite conversation about Christopher. Yes the discussion of the will is very layered but it is about Chris, and again, they are on the same level, none of them is highlighted and even the close-ups leave them about the same size and showing roughly the same amount of the other at all times. This is Eddie making it clear that he also understands Buck's space on Christopher's life.
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There's also when Eddie is struggling with the fact that Chris is scared and missing Shannon, again, they are always shown at the same level while Buck tries to help Eddie and we are always seeing both of them while working the problem.
Then we have the Buck Needs Reassurance talks. During this type of conversation, Eddie is always standing up and Buck is sitting down, making a point of having Buck look up at Eddie. Those scenes being when Maddie leaves and Chim punches Buck and the conversation after Buck's death.
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I think it's interesting here too that they made a point of having Buck in comfortable clothes because he's in a vulnerable place and but he is comfortable enough in looking up at Eddie (literally and figuratively).
Then we have the Eddie Needs Reassurance talks. Those are very interesting because they usually start with them being at different levels, but equalizing once they start talking.
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The most intense example of this is the talk about the panic attacks, Buck approaches Eddie when he's laying down and Buck's standing up, but once the conversation actually becomes a conversation not just Eddie avoiding the topic, they are both sitting down and being shown as the same size as they work it out.
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Same with the aftermath of Eddie's breakdown, they start with Buck standing up but once they start talking, they are both sitting down and on the same level.
Then there are the Intense Conversations That Feel Somewhat Unresolved. (I'm not sure how to categorize this one, coincidentally they are talking about Buck almost dying in both)
It starts with Eddie dropping Christopher off at the loft before the tsunami.
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They're on the same level but they are not seeing eye to eye, Eddie is trying but Buck refuses to look at him. Something that's interesting about this one is that Buck is usually in very tight shirts and Eddie's are usually looser, but since we are supposed to think that Buck is wasting away, Eddie's shirt is very well fitted, even the seam on the shoulders are in the exact right spot but Buck's is on the looser side (seriously, most of Buck's shirt look like they will rip off his arm if he flexes a little, the fact that there's space in that sleeve is crazy lol). Something important here I think is the way they are on the same side of the screen during close-ups, so they never try to make it seem like they are looking at each other and the other one is not shown, and the wider angle they are facing different directions, so they really aren't on the same page here.
I think the grocery store scene kinda fits into this category, but it's a bigger blowout and there's more at stake since it's in a very public setting with an audience. But they are facing each other, they are just not on the same side of the conflict.
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And there's the cemetery scene, where even though they are talking and on the same level, they are NOT seeing eye to eye, and it's interesting because they pretty much never look at each other at the same time in this scene. They are having an important conversation, but there's tension and they are not agreeing on what's going on here. Even the close-ups make a point of cutting the other one from the frame.
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Something else I think it's interesting about this particular scene is that when they do show us them looking at each other when the focus is supposed to be on Eddie, they show us Buck's face, but when the focus is supposed to be on Buck, we don't see Eddie's.
Then we have Conflict Resolution Talks.
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In contrast with the talk they have before the tsunami, the talk they have after, they are finally looking at each other. And even though both of them are centered on both scenes, they are finally facing each other, so, they are finally getting on the same page.
Then we have them making up after the lawsuit.
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The framing of this scene fascinates me. There's a literal obstacle between them. They put something physical between them to show how much this conflict was in their way and they put them both on the edges of the frame. But the way the scene progresses is also interesting because we see a lot more of Buck when the focus is on Eddie than we see of Eddie when the focus is on Buck.
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They go as far as to make Eddie look smaller, making more of a show of the distance between them when the focus is on Eddie and it shows that Eddie sees Buck's side but Buck is not really seeing his. But that equalizes as they talk, Buck being the one that starts closing the distance between them, coming to be resolved when they both meet in the middle. In a quite literal representation of the way this gets resolved (It started because Buck didn't reach out leaving Eddie unsure of his space, Buck reaches out to close the gap, they meet in the middle because they're a team <3)
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And there's our favorite kitchen scene.
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Something interesting here is that we see Eddie when the focus is on Buck but we don't see Buck when the focus is on Eddie. Even in the wider angle, Eddie is closer to the edge of the frame and Buck is pretty centered. Buck is doing all the moving in this scene, Eddie leans into the sink when he starts drinking and Buck is the one closing the space between considering Eddie is still in the same spot he started when the scene ends. It kinda shows that while Eddie is willing to talk, Buck is gonna have to put in some work. Eddie is also in a headspace that might need some more reaching out and it shows.
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I don't really have a category for this scene, the point here is Buck giving Eddie hope. What I think it's interesting here is that even though they are facing different directions, they are always on the same side of the screen in the close-ups. Buck's in Eddie's space and Eddie is letting him and in the context of this scene is the first time in a while. Even the wider angle has them to the side. Buck is trying to step into the mess with Eddie, and Eddie is finally letting him. (Hoping we get a mirror of this scene in the future tbh)
This is all for now.
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liulith · 2 months
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Why Vox’ one-sided psychosexual obsession with Alastor is PERFECT for a #radiostatic QPR
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This fanwork is an edited version of a comment I wrote for a fic from the 666: Live on Air! Series by @prince-liest You don’t need to know the fic to understand it, though! Just keep in mind that those are headcanons based on a hypothetical established relationship between Alastor and Vox, in which Vox’s obsession for Alastor has changed flavors from hatred to love, and Alastor doesn’t return his feelings but finds his pathetic obsession entertaining, flattering and somewhat cute. (Also, this doesn’t address the past friendship (?) between them that is being hinted at by the photo in S1 finale, since we have zero context for that at the moment)
Why Vox is Like That
My headcanon is that Vox has always been the type to strive for power and recognition, always reaching for the top of the heap. The problem is that he’s too good at it.
Once he gets into whatever position of power he wanted, he gets bored because what he truly likes is fighting his way to the top. Whatever comes after can be enjoyable but it never compares to the “fight” itself – and thus Vox is always left unsatisfied, setting new goals to become even more powerful because *surely*, that’s what will finally bring him the sense of fulfillment he wants.
(We can kinda see it in his introduction. The man looks bored to tears before Alastor waltzes back into his life and turns him into a manic mess! Here’s a tumblr post about it)
This is precisely why I think Hell gave Vox hypnosis powers: the same reason it gave Alastor the body of a prey animal. It’s torture! With those powers, Vox can get almost anything he wants and he hates it. On Earth, people were a challenge; not everyone can be bought, and he had to rely on his skills.
Sure, he still has those skills in Hell; but in Hell, where every sinner is a potential enemy and the exorcists come down once a year, power is key to his survival and he has to take any victory he can get; meaning, he’ll never be able to *not* use his hypnosis powers, not as long as he wants to survive, even if that makes the fight to the top lose its appeal.
[Insert non-existent tangent on how Val not being affected by the hypnosis – because he’s half blind – is a key factor in Vox’ attraction to him]
Why Vox can’t NOT be obsessed with Alastor:
Alastor is powerful enough to resist his mind-control powers. Alastor can’t be swayed by Vox’ influence, his connections, his power, his money. In short, he’s a challenge. Vox needs to earn his attention, needs to work for it.
Thankfully for him, there *is* something Alastor is interested in: his genuine, unguarded, desperate self: the one that has a full manic episode/mental breakdown when he learns Alastor is back in town. The side of him he always hides under layers and layers of confidence, bravado and corporate talk!
And, deep down, that desperate side of him is exactly why he strives for power so hard in the first place. This man is full of insecurities and he NEEDS to be the biggest fish (shark) in the tank.
This means that Alastor is the embodiment of his deepest fears! He sees through all his bullshit, makes him lose all his composure, and is able to destroy him in EVERY WAY that matters. And yet, he doesn’t. Because, he tolerates (likes) him (in the context of this AU) just as he is, patheticness and all :3  I think there’s something very liberating about that.
Plus, Vox is a simp. He’s a manic sado-masochist who gets off on seeing Alastor humiliated and being humiliated himself, he wants Alastor helpless under his claws, wants Alastor to step on him and tear his heart out if that’s the only way Alastor would touch him, wants to have a cutesy dance-off with and make him laugh until his face hurts.
Oh Vox, we’re really in it now
He’s obsessed with Alastor and wants him in any way he can have him – and I think he’d be ready to give himself over to Alastor in any way Alastor wants to have him as well, because as long as it means Alastor wants something *from him*, it’s worth it. Even if it destroys him.
So, in a context where he has experienced Alastor being on friendly terms with him, where Alastor he has seen Alastor’s genuinely smiling at him and handing him the smallest crumb of affection, there’s just no turning back. Yes, he *could* still get off on seeing Alastor hurt because he’s deranged like that, but he doesn’t want it anymore.
or, well. the vicious, demonic part of him does still want to hurt him, but not exactly for the same reasons as before. It’s more of his caged beast of a heart wanting to make its predator pay for ruining it, in a desperate attempt to reduce his pain (at Alastor’s perceived “indifference”), to force Alastor to SEE him (not that he can. Lol).
BUT! he doesn’t need to do that now! Not when there is so much he would have to give up! So many other emotions, reactions he can get out of Alastor, knowing that HE did that!! To Alastor!! Him!! He cares so, so much. He’s the biggest shark in the tank but Alastor is the water around him. I suck at metaphors.
FML: Alastor edition
Hell turned Alastor into a prey animal because he has always felt like one. I think that at his core, he’s never going to get rid of his instinctual mistrust of others and fear of having any exposed vulnerability turned against him, because it’s part of a defense mechanism he developed since childhood.
He grew in Louisiana as a mixed-race* boy (*it's a bit more complicated than that since "Louisiana Creole" is not a racial designation but let's say Alastor is 100% mixed-race with a POC mom in this context), in an era of widespread lynching and racial segregation, at a time where millions of Black Americans migrated to the North because of the horrible socio-economic conditions of the South. Hell, he was alive during the great Mississippi flood of 1927 – the most destructive river flood of the entire history of the US – and he SAW the government refuse to prioritize the safety of the POC who were 75% of the population (literally; “The refugee camps also dealt with extreme racial inequality, as supplies and means of evacuation after flooding were given strictly to white citizens, with Blacks receiving only leftovers. African Americans also did not receive supplies without providing the name of their white employer or voucher from a white person. In order to fully exploit black labor, Blacks were frequently forced to work against their will, and were not permitted to leave the camps.”)
We don’t know if he was white-passing or visibly mixed, or if his white dad was in the picture, but since he only mentions his mother in canon I’m gonna run with the idea that she raised him alone. He seems to have had a positive relationship with her, which may have impacted his relationships with women in general. However, as a Creole woman, his mom couldn’t guarantee his safety in a society that was rigged against her.
So, he grew up learning the world was out to get him, that no one had his back, and that *performance* was key to his continued safety and survival. By performance, I mean learning how to act around white people to appear non-threatening/avoid being reduced to his ancestry/manage to “pass” well enough. But passing too well would also exclude him from his own community, as mixed people often are.
He also learned that despite his best efforts, no matter how competent he could become, some things would always be unfairly inaccessible to him for reasons outside of his control, and he couldn’t stand for it. The quiet rage, the humiliation, he took out on people by becoming a serial killer: permanently excluding “unworthy” people from society, and consuming them to assert his absolute dominance over them.
FML: Alastor edition. Why he would like Vox:
As the Radio Demon, Alastor has more power than he ever craved in his human life. He’s also vulnerable to the exorcists (Adam), to higher demonic powers (Lucifer, etc.) and was put on a leash by a mysterious character (Lilith? Eve? Roo?).
He’s more desperate for control than ever. It’s not that hard in his daily life, since most people (besides Husk and..? idk) don’t know he made a deal, and he can act like his usual confident self. However, it’s a control that is not unconditional, never absolute nor freely given.
And Vox? He’s hopelessly devoted to Alastor. Alastor has the upper hand on him in terms of raw power, but he also has the absolute psychological and emotional upper hand here. Vox is putting his heart and everything he has on the line in a way Alastor would never do in his worst nightmares. Vox is probably the only person who ever *let* Alastor have this much power over them, and Alastor loves to see it.
This, in turn, makes Alastor more willing to show his more vulnerable side, in a way he would never do if he were also in love with Vox imo. Because Vox is “only Vox” to him, and losing Vox wouldn’t destroy him the way it would if he returned Vox’ feelings, he’s paradoxically more likely to get closer to him. Being in love with Vox would make him too vulnerable and I honestly think that if he became that desperately attached, he would kill him in a fit of panicked narcissistic self-preservatory rage, to prove he’s stronger than this. He’d be too scared to have his feelings taken advantage of, and his brained is wired to kill anything that gets in his way.
Having Vox as a friend, however, is just perfect for him! Just the right amount of closeness and connection that enables him to give him his trust, without fearing he’s being blinded by feelings outside of his control. And knowing that Vox wants him *that* desperately but accepts Alastor’s inability and unwillingness to return this love, and is content to be given anything Alastor allows… Well, that’s heartwarming in its own right, isn’t it?
And THIS is why RadioStatic as a qpr/fucked up friendship with benefits has so much potential, to me! <3
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moralesmilesanhour · 5 months
Text
'cold turkey' but i rewrote it - part two!
summary: the festivities have begun! but you forgot the drinks. whoops. wc: 2k+ a/n: I almost cut this short at like a thousand words but I knew in my SPIRIIITT that I wanted to add more twists and turns to this thing. It's a bit rushed but let's just say I'm very glad I did! if you feel like it: comment your favorite holiday-related dishes :) part one part two
“Traffic was nuts today,” your older sister Alanna sighed as she hauled a carton full of cans of soda over to the kitchen. She looked up and saw Miles, who smiled and gave her a quick wave. “Oh my god, Miles?”
“One and only,” he replied. “Been a minute, ain’t it?”
The woman set the carton down on the floor. “When did you get so big? You're taller than me!”
Miles shrugged. “Growth spurt.”
“Alright then, nice seeing you,” Alanna turned and joined you on the couch with that glint in her eye and smirk that appeared only when she was scheming. “He’s mad cute now, right?”
You rolled your eyes and sighed, “ ‘Lana, no. Not happening.”
“Come on, I’ve seen the niggas you been with and he’s literally your type–”
“Can you lower your voice? He’s right there!” you yell-whispered. 
You craned your neck to see if Miles was listening. His head was down, all focus seemingly directed towards cooking beans. 
You turned back towards Alanna. “Anyway, he’s Jeff’s kid. I don’t want beef with Jeff or his mama if we break up. They literally live around the corner, do you know how awkward that’s gonna be?”
“So pessimistic,” Alanna’s lips were upturned into a pout. “How you just met him and you already imagining the breakup?”
“I’m being realisti–”
“The beans are done!” Miles’ voice interrupted. 
You called out, “That’s great, thank you so much! I’ll see you later this evening?”
He emerged from the kitchen and began to put on his sneakers. “Yup, lookin’ forward to it,” he stood up and made direct eye contact with you as he smiled. “Good luck with med school.”
With that, Miles grabbed his jacket off of the hook by the entrance, and left.
Your sister watched the door shut behind him with a satisfied grin. “He likes you.”
“No he don’t,” you retorted, keeping your eyes glued to your socks. “You want him to like me.”
The image of fluttering lashes and the scar on his cheek returned to you. How Alanna could tell even without her knowing about that little encounter was a mystery.
“Well, either way, do what you want,” she rose from the couch with a sigh of resignation. “I’m just saying he seems sweet. Now, help me decorate, and I’ll let you make the playlist after.”
You perked up at the thought of having DJ privileges and hopped to your feet. “You got it!”
-
Only half an hour had passed since relatives and family friends began trickling in, but you were already exhausted. One more inescapable hug and barrage of questioning, and you swore you’d have a breakdown. 
Ding dong!
“I’ll get it!” you announced, narrowly escaping being accosted by one of your aunts as you made a beeline for the door.
It was Miles again, this time with company.
“Welcome back,” you greeted Miles and stepped back to open the door wider. “Hey Mr. and Mrs. Morales!”
“Y/N! It’s been so long, tú eres tan guapa!” Rio Morales briefly took both of your hands in hers before entering, tugging Miles along with her.
Jefferson Morales was the last to go inside. His warm smile was a stark contrast to his wide, imposing frame. “I see Miles didn’t burn your kitchen down,” he laughed heartily. “He wasn’t too much trouble?”
Not in the way you were expecting.
You shook her head politely, “No, not at all! He even helped me finish dinner.”
Jefferson’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, that’s good to hear. We really appreciate the invite.”
“No problem,” you nodded as you shut the door.
“Y/N!” Alanna rushed up to you not a moment later, looking mildly panicked. “Do you remember where you put the drinks? The alcoholic ones, I mean.”
Your eyes widened. “Fuck, I think I forgot to buy them.”
“...Now, your mother was going to nursing school at the time, so she had to…”
Jefferson’s deep voice carried over the music, catching Alanna’s attention. He stood near the tin of mac and cheese telling a story that–judging by the look on Miles’ face–he had told several times before.
That same smirk from before spread across her lips. ‘Do what you want’, sure, but a little helpful push wouldn’t hurt.
“Miles, do you wanna help out Y/N again? She forgot to go out and buy drinks.”
He perked up, relief written all over his face. “Yeah, it’s no problem! I’ll drive her.”
You narrowed your eyes at your sister, but didn’t push back. “That’s cool with me. I’ll go get my sweater.”
-
You squeezed your fingers nervously as Miles turned the key and brought the car roaring to life. 
What could you possibly say to him? ‘Hey, so we almost kissed earlier. Thoughts on that?’ 
“What kinda drinks y’all need?” his voice ripped you away from your thoughts as he pulled onto the road. 
You didn’t answer, your eyes fixated on the motion of his hands spinning the wheel.
“Y/N?”
You blinked.
“Huh?”
“What kind of drinks are we looking for?”
“Oh, um, wine and cider and shit,” you waved a hand in the air, “Stuff that goes with turkey.”
“Cool.”
The ride was quiet, largely because you were busy racking your brain trying to think of something–anything–to fill the silence with. You’d already asked about school, and you knew Miles’ parents. But what about him?
He stopped at a red light, drumming his fingers on the wheel.
“So what do you do, like, outside of school?”
You winced. Small talk was not your forte.
Miles didn’t seem to mind though, appearing deep in thought before he answered, “I draw, when I got the time. Sing a little on the side.”
“I believe you. You look like you have a nice voice.”
An impish smile played on his lips. “Is that your way of saying I’m cute?”
“I…” the words were trapped in your throat. Part of you didn’t want to tell him the truth outright, but he was smiling at you and the sparkle in his eyes made you feel funny. 
“Maybe. Don’t get your hopes up, though.”
He raised an eyebrow. “So there’s a low, but non-zero chance.”
You snorted, “Alright, physics major. The light’s green.”
“Oh, shit. Thanks.” Miles focused his attention back onto the road and continued driving.
You didn’t say anything more for the remainder of the ride, but he caught you staring at him every now and then through the rear view mirror, curiosity written on your face.
Soon enough, he pulled over in front of the supermarket.
“Think you’ll find ‘stuff that goes with turkey’ in here?”
“I hope so,” you laughed, unbuckling your seat belt, “My sister’s gonna put me in the dirt if I don’t.”
“Well, good luck!”
Miles unlocked the door, and you set out on your mission.
Luckily, it only took you about twenty minutes to locate a bottle of moscato and some hard apple cider. Just as he saw you emerge from the double doors, though, a familiar buzzing in the back of his head tipped him off.
Really? On Thanksgiving?
A man wearing an inconspicuous black ski mask and hoodie stood waiting by the entrance, ready to strike. 
“Yo, empty your pocke–”
Miles swung into action the moment he spotted the gleam of a firearm.
You yelped as a string of white web shot out from seemingly nowhere and yanked the gun from your assailant’s hands. 
“It’s the holidays! C’mon, man!” 
“Spider-Man?” Your jaw dropped at the sight of the masked hero. 
He was perched on top of a low building right next to the supermarket, only his white eyes and the bright red streaks lining his suit visible in the pitch-black of night.
“At your service, ma’am!” 
With a quick salute, he was gone as suddenly as he’d appeared. Like, literally gone. You didn’t see him leave.
You let out a deep exhale and made your way back to Miles’ car, but you couldn’t see him in the window. A pit began to form in your stomach, until a voice made you jump.
“Hey, you alright?”
It was Miles, who had somehow appeared at your side without a sound. He was out of breath, leaning his elbow on the side of the vehicle for support.
Your eyes narrowed. “I’m…fine. Are you okay? Where’d you go?”
“Bathroom,” he lied. He pointed towards the bags you were holding. “Need help with those?”
You handed them over without a second thought. “Definitely. You know this nigga almost robbed me outside the store just now? Then, right as he’s about to pull a gun on me, guess who shows up?”
Miles grinned knowingly. “Spider-Man?”
“Showed up quick as hell! Even on Thanksgiving, can you imagine?”
“Crazy.”
He opened the door to the passenger’s side for you to get in. 
“Thanks.”
Miles did a slight bow, allowing you to catch a flash of red and black peeking out from beneath his jacket. You had assumed that he was wearing a turtleneck at first, but upon closer inspection–
“At your service,” he said with a grin before making his way over to the driver’s seat.
As you shut the door, Spider-Man’s voice returned to you.
At your service, ma’am.
The rest of the way home, you replayed both sentences in your head, alternating between the two and replaying the night’s events.
Miles had just so happened to reappear mere seconds after Spider-Man had said the words. They even shared an accent. You considered the absurd possibility for a moment; the police chief’s son being the masked vigilante would make quite the headline, almost poetic in its irony. 
Too poetic.
But just as you were about to let it go, Miles went over a speedbump, causing a jolt that made something begin to slip out from his jacket’s right pocket.
Black, red and white.
You pondered how to broach the subject once he pulled up in front of your house, when a lightbulb went off in your head.
Reaching over to the red button that released your seatbelt, you pressed it halfway, over and over again.
“Miles, I think my seatbelt’s stuck. Help me out?”
Miles removed his own with a click. “Sure, lemme see.”
He leaned over and reached the passenger’s seat with ease. His breath hit the side of your neck as he moved closer, making your heart rate quicken, but you maintained focus.
What mattered was that he was in close quarters. You had to see the suit.
“Got it,” Miles said once he released your not-actually-stuck seatbelt. “You’re free–”
Before he could move any further, you grabbed the collar of his jacket and unzipped it halfway.
“I knew it!”
The look of sheer terror on Miles’ face sealed the deal. Here was Spider-Man, in all of his glory.
“Are you…gonna…tell anyone?” 
His voice was hushed as he spoke. Almost small. You looked into those round, glassy eyes and felt a wave of guilt. 
“I–no, of course not,” you shook your head. “I just…I needed to be sure.”
He relaxed, some of the humor returning to his face. “And now that you’re sure?”
A cheeky grin spread across your lips.
“I guess I should thank you.”
You tugged at his collar one more time and brought his lips crashing against yours.
After getting over the initial surprise, Miles brought a hand up to caress one side of your face and deepen the kiss. Your other hand reached up and brushed the cold metal of one of his stud earrings before you snaked your arm around his neck.
Miles was the first to pull away, zipping his jacket back up.
“I don’t think I can stay in this position for that long,” he smiled. “We gotta get back inside with these drinks.”
You sighed, head still pounding with adrenaline. “You’re right, let’s get outta here.”
By the time you made it up the steps, Alanna was already holding the door open. She gave your face a good once-over and stifled a laugh.
“Did you two have fun on your little adventure?”
You took one of the bags from Miles and held it up like a trophy. “Yup, mission accomplished.”
“That’s not what I meant, baby,” she gestured towards her lips and mouthed “your lip gloss.”
Your eyes widened as she snickered, and let the two of you in. 
“Don’t worry, we’ll fix it in the bathroom. Hurry up!”
A few makeup wipes and a liner touch-up later, you emerged from the bathroom just in time for dinner.
Out of all the chairs strewn about the living room, you ended up seated between Miles and Jefferson. The former kept quiet, save for the occasional joke or wink thrown in your direction. Jefferson kept inquiring about your studies, which would then bounce back to Miles’ studies, which Miles then would somehow deflect back to you. Any and all conversation with Jeff became awkward, considering you had just made out with his son.
The party ending felt like a weight lifted off of your shoulders.
You stood at the entrance, waving goodbye to the steady stream of guests as their conversations stretched on, even from their cars. The Morales family were the last to leave.
After his parents went down the steps, Miles stopped in front of the door.
“Hey,” he smiled and tilted his head.
“Hey. You ready to go? I’m not letting you stay the night,” you teased.
“Wasn’t planning to, I promise. I just wanted to ask…” 
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “When are you goin’ back to campus?”
“Monday.”
Miles winced, “Damn.”
“I know, I literally gotta start packing to-night! It’s a nightmare!”
“In that case,” he took out his phone, and held it out to you gingerly. “Can we keep in touch?”
You accepted the offer, rapidly entering your digits and saving them under your name. “Worried about me spilling your secret identity?”
“Absolutely. I gotta keep an eye on you from now on. Like witness protection, but backwards–”
“Miles, vamos!” Rio called out from a distance.
“I’m coming, mami!” he replied before turning back to you. “See you winter break?”
You planted a kiss on his cheek. “Maybe. Non-zero chance.”
"I'll take it."
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hobie-enthusiast · 9 months
Note
I really love how you write!! I was wondering if you could so smth with hobie x autistic + sunshine!reader? I'm autistic, and i've constantly been belittled for it so it'd mean a lot to see my biggest cc with an autistic reader!! If you're worried about how to approach it maybe you could do smth like reader using noise canceling headphones? or like comforting when reader had an autistic meltdown?? Ofc these are just ideas, whatever you wna do!! Also don't fret if you don't want to do this request, just wanted to ask !!! ^w^
Oh and gender neutral with they/them pronouns please!! 🫶
- 🎀 anonymous
(Emoji signoffs are so cute!! hoping you don't mind me adding one !!!)
QUIET AND EASE !
— hobie brown x energetic!autistic!gn!reader
— fluff and comfort, autistic meltdown, noise canceling headphones, petnames (sweetheart, love), hobie’s worried and nervous, sensory overload, breakdowns due to loud noises, almost panic attacks
— time with your friends was always nice, but sometimes it got to be too much, and hobie is always there to help
— ill do u one better anon how about incorporating both 🫶 also ofc you can have an emoji! thank u for ur support!
— official disclaimer: the following fic and reader experience is based on my experience and also other aspects i have read up on. every autistic person is different, and they won’t all have this exact reaction when it comes to a meltdown. so pls keep that in mind when reading :) if anything seems wrong please feel free to tell me!
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Everything was so so loud.
The two of you agreed two have friends over, a small hangout. It had been a while since everyone had hung out, so Hobie suggested hosting them. You agreed, wanting to see everyone again after a while.
You welcomed everyone excitedly, wanting to show off your place. “Hey guys! Come on in, let me give you a tour!”
You dragged them all around the apartment, pointing out various things that maybe they didn’t notice. Your favourites; some hanging pictures, pieces, and collectables.
The other owner of the place, Hobie, couldn’t help but smile a bit at your excited nature. That’s just how you were, naturally excited about your interests. He encouraged that, loving the way you seem to know so much about these types of things.
After a tour and explanations you so graciously provided, you ushered everyone to grab some dinner or snacks. You had some entertainment planned out, so you and Hobie let everyone decide what they wanted to do. It was a nice time, and you enjoyed your friend’s company.
But soon, they just got too rowdy for your liking. It was about a couple hours into get-together and Miles and Pavitr decided it would be a great idea to play some board and card games. Of course, the competitive nature led to some yelling between the teens.
You tapped out of the game a while ago, feeling an anxious nerve tapping at the back of your head. You hoped it was nothing. That you could continue enjoying your friend’s company.
Definitely not the case.
“Oh come on! I had it that round!” Miles groaned loudly, nudging Gwen. “I would have won!”
“But you didn’t! I remain the victor!” Pavitr declares loudly, collecting all the cards.
Hobie laughs lowly, finding amusement in the banter among the younger ones. It was nice hearing everyone just able to relax and not worry about their duties. Well, there was one person he hadn’t heard from in a minute.
The older turned to you, noticing the way you seemed to just be.. staring out. Your hands were messing with one another, and your leg was bouncing crazily. Your eyes were glassy, almost as if..
Oh. Oh no.
Subtly, Hobie scoots closer to you, minding himself to not touch you. “Doin’ okay, love?”
The words go into your head, you hear them. But it’s difficult to process. Were you okay? Was this okay? No, it wasn’t, but can you even say that? Should you tell him? Will you tell him? So many overwhelming questions.
“I-”
“Oh come on! You have to be cheating!”
A particularly loud yell from Miles causes you to flinch, head dropping to your knees. No, you weren’t okay. Not one bit. Tears sprang to your eyes quickly as your body rocks, hands harshly pushing against your ears.
This is when Hobie knew he had to spring into action. “Guys, c’mon, ‘s time t’ get goin’.”
Everyone looks up at Hobie, confused, with Gwen being first to speak up. “What? Hobie, we just got here?”
“‘m sorry, but you can come back ‘nother time. Please.” He requests, ushering everyone to stand up.
As Hobie tries to get everyone out and away, you’re off in your own world. Your head was spinning, all your sense coming at you at full force. Everything was crashing down on you, and you couldn’t stop it.
Once he managed to get everyone out, his feet were moving him to your shared room. He needed the essentials; your blanket, your headphones, and your phone. He’d get more once you asked, certainly. Rushing back to you, he kneels down, hands glued to his thighs.
“Hey swee’heart..” He says in a really quiet whisper, not wanting to upset you further. “‘m gonna put these on ya, okay? Jus’ real quick, then ‘m done.. I’ll be right over here for ya.”
He knew these types of things could be harmful, you told him that before. The last thing you wanted was to accidentally hurt him. But letting you know what he’s doing helped a small part of your brain, one trying to gain regulation.
Carefully, Hobie moves to put your headphones on your head, the noise from the outside world coming to a halt. He moves back after, hands in your view as he backs up. That’s how he shows that he’s away, letting you have your space.
Next, he mimics your position, drawing his knees to his chest. Hobie’s nervous, he couldn’t deny, but all he could do was sit and wait. You needed your space, and he would be here to help you with the aftermath.
And then he just.. waits.
Once the sound is blocked out, that’s one less worry on your mind. You focus next on the tears streaming down your face. Everything felt sore, your mind was hurting. That made you want to cry.
You bit your lip as you shake your hands, trying to get some sort of stability. You focus on the movement of your hand, watching the rings Hobie let you steal jangle together. No doubt they make a nice sound, Hobie probably hears it.
Your brain waves start to slow down, you can tell. Without the overwhelming sense, you start to feel at ease. Some thoughts are able to run through.
‘Breathe. Think. Safe.’
You try your hardest to repeat these words in your head, continuously stimming as the tears finally stop. Without the horrible feeling of crying, it’s somewhat easier to understand what’s happening. The loud sounds were gone. You were okay.
By the time you managed to gain more of yourself, your head was hurting badly. Glancing up, you notice the way Hobie was looking at you. He had a worried expression. He didn’t wear it often, but he was now. He was nervous for you.
He gives a small wave, gaining a small laugh from you as you wave back. Then, he holds out his hand, giving you the option to take it. He wants nothing more than to hold and comfort you, he wants to help make you feel secure.
You cautiously take his hand, allowing him to wrap his arms around you. This instantly made you melt in his embrace. Exhaustion was catching up with you.
But things could be okay now. You were alone with Hobie, someone you trusted immensely.
Hobie was relieved when you allowed yourself to be embraced by him. He felt better knowing he could give you this sense of comfort. It was better than being able to do nothing.
Gently, he kisses your forehead when he feels your body slumping. “Mhm.. rest, swee’heart.. ‘m here..”
He knew his words were blocked by your headphones, but he still whispered them anyways. Almost like assuring himself. Everything was okay. You were okay.
Hobie decided that tonight was a good night for a sleep on the floor. He grabs your blanket, putting it over both of your bodies while lying back. He lets you adjust your body so you can sleep comfortably with the headphones on, which happens to be on his side with hands intertwined.
He was comfortable. You were comfortable. And he could easily fall asleep knowing that you would wake up and hopefully feel as good as you did earlier that day.
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dyns33 · 6 months
Text
Halloween
Here a little rz Michael Myers x reader for Halloween !
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Of course Y/N had heard of Michael Myers.
Not because she was a fan of sordid news stories, but because his had appeared in the middle of all the search results associated with that name when she had typed it online, after receiving the name of her soulmate.
Y/N had read the story. She had seen the photos of a young Michael, ten years old, who had killed his stepfather, his sister and her boyfriend.
But there were other Michael Myers in the world. It wasn't a very common name, but there were several.
So she considered it possible that he wasn't her Michael.
Why would fate have linked her to a killer ? According to his psychiatrist, he was evil. He had killed a nurse at the asylum, for no reason. He was very dangerous, he had no soul, no consideration for others, no love to give.
Y/N hadn’t read Doctor Loomis’ book. She had read enough, and she didn't want to think about this story anymore, moving on with her life and waiting to meet her soulmate.
The name of the asylum should have been familiar to her when her friend Daryl told her about it, but she wasn't really listening to that part. A childhood friend had suffered a violent breakdown, attacking his neighbors, and now he was locked up there.
"His family isn't going to see him from what I've heard. No one is going to see him. I thought… I thought it would be nice to visit him ? If you want to come ?"
She wasn't as close to Ben as she was to Daryl, but Y/N agreed, because it was indeed a charitable act, and if something similar happened to her, she hoped someone would do the same for her, not leaving her alone in such a place
. Everything was going pretty normally. Ben was calm, helped by his treatment and visibly happy to see them. Sitting together in a sort of drab canteen, they were chatting, while other patients were outside, tied to pedestals in the middle of a courtyard.
Y/N didn’t pay attention to them at first. Then a doctor rushed into the room, going towards the windows until he reached the one next to their table. He then turned towards them, then back towards the window, before settling his gaze on Y/N.
"It's you."
"… What ?"
“It’s you he’s looking at.” the doctor murmured as if fascinated.
Not understanding what he was talking about, Y/N looked at him for a long time, then at the window. No one seemed as agitated as the doctor. Everything seemed normal.
There was only this giant man, with long dirty blonde hair and an orange mask, who was turned in her direction. He actually seemed to be looking at her, but Y/N didn’t see why. She wasn't even sure if he could really see her from where he was.
The doctor had started talking again as she looked at the huge patient, but she wasn't listening. She only came back into the room when he placed a hand on her shoulder, which made her jump. Very slightly, almost imperceptibly, this also seemed to irritate the patient on the other side of the window.
"I know he's very impressive, don't look at him. Look at me. What's your name ?"
“Uh… Y/N, but I…”
"Y/N ? Y/N Y/L/N ?"
"Yes, why ?"
The doctor seemed crazy. As crazy as the patients. He looked at her like she was one of them, while Ben and Daryl were completely lost.
Not Y/N. She didn't need to read the doctor's name to understand his reaction, nor to guess how he knew hers. Even if he had never given it in his interviews or in his book, Doctor Loomis must have known the name of his favorite patient's soulmate.
The patient was still in the courtyard, watching them intently, his fists clenched.
But that didn't make sense, because he had no way of knowing who she was. They had never seen each other before, and she hadn't given her name at the door, just following Daryl. It was unlikely that Ben would have talked about her.
"He knows a lot of things. Would you like to talk to him ?" asked the doctor.
Y/N decided in that moment that he was really crazy. He could have reassured her, apologized, given her explanations, but his first instinct was to want to organize a meeting, to study Michael's reactions. Nothing else mattered.
She wanted to refuse. This didn't seem like a good idea. She could still leave and pretend she didn't understand what was happening and run away from here, never to return. But even without looking at him, she felt the eyes hidden behind the orange mask on her.
She had the feeling that his eyes would follow her everywhere from now on.
It was after she had given her consent that Doctor Loomis seemed to consider that he should promise her that she would not risk anything. Michael hadn't had an accident in years, he would be tied up, and several guards would be in the room, he wouldn't hurt her.
Very reassuring.
Michael Myers was already chained to a chair when she entered. The doctor invited her to sit opposite him.
It was hard to watch him. Not because he was huge, and scary, and weird with his mask. No, it was hard to think that her soulmate was right there, and that this would be the only interaction they would ever have, her tetanized on one side of the table, and him tied up on the other.
“Michael, do you know who this person is ?” the doctor began with a soft voice, too soft, as if he were speaking to a child.
"He knows." Y/N answered for him, still feeling his eyes on her.
She didn't turn to Loomis when he looked at her in surprise, wanting to know why she said that, how she could know. It was hard to escape those eyes.
"Good. So Michael, we often talked about Y/N when you were a kid. You couldn't wait to meet her. How do you feel today ?"
The scene was as sad as it was painful. It was obvious that Michael wouldn't speak. He hadn't spoken in years. But the doctor insisted, again and again, asking him lots of questions, making stupid remarks.
Then he wanted Y/N to speak. She didn't know what to say. She had often imagined this moment, but the meeting never happened like this. What could she say to Michael ?
"I'm sorry." was the only thing that came to her mind.
Michael didn't move, but she thought she saw something in his eyes. Loomis was not pleased, putting a hand on her shoulder to shake her and force her to say more.
As soon as his fingers touched her, Michael was on his feet, his chair falling behind him and his chains making a dangerous noise, indicating that they could break at any moment if he pulled on them a little more. The guards pointed their weapons at him, but the doctor ordered them not to move, immediately withdrawing his hand.
"Sorry, Michael. I didn't mean to make you angry. But it's very good. You reacted, it's very good. We'll do it again another day."
Y/N had no intention of doing it again another day. She didn't tell the doctor even though he asked her to leave the room.
As she passed him, Michael grabbed her hand. The guards were tense again, and the doctor became a bit more panicked, asking his patient to remain calm and not do anything stupid.
He could have hurt her badly. Y/N knew it, and that was why she had the intelligence to b afraid. But he didn't squeeze hard, just holding her hand so she would stay a bit longer, breathing hard and movingas close as possible to her despite his chains.
"… I'm sorry." she repeated, freeing herself and leaving quickly.
She hadn't given Loomis her number or address. Ben had understood that she did not want to be contacted by the doctor, promising not to give any information about her. He didn't like the doctor anyway. He had no way of finding her.
There was only one thing Y/N had forgotten. If the doctor couldn't, Michael could. He knew a lot of things, even though it seemed impossible.
He had known right away who she was, and now that his eyes had landed on her, he wouldn't leave her.
As she could not be contacted, no one called to tell her he had escaped. The media had not yet been alerted, so that the population would not panic for nothing.
Maybe Y/N could have had a doubt, noting that it was Halloween. Michael Myers was killing on Halloween night.
However, she wasn't as surprised as she might have been when she found a man in her living room. Huge, with a white mask and a mechanic's outfit. Staying in a dark corner, breathing hard and staring at her.
It was harder to see his eyes with this mask, but she could feel them. It had been over a month since they met, but she hadn't forgotten that feeling. She had often dreamed of him, waking up with a start, because these dreams often turned into nightmares.
Y/N had no idea if that would be the case now.
"… Good evening Michael." she said slowly, staying near the door.
He didn't answer. She didn't expect him to answer, so she didn't ask questions, even though she wanted to know what he wanted, if he was going to hurt her, kill her, or worse.
He didn't have a knife. It didn't mean anything, his huge hands were like weapons.
A sob escaped her without her realizing it, and Michael tilted his head to the side, watching the tear that ran down her cheek.
Then he approached with a slow step, a deceptive step, because Y/N knew very well that she couldn't escape him and that if she tried to flee, he would catch her without difficulty.
Trembling, she watched him stand in front of her, his hand touching her face to wipe away the tear. The gesture was almost gentle, like when he had stopped her in the asylum.
Maybe Loomis wasn't entirely wrong, maybe he wouldn't hurt her. The only person in the world he didn't want to hurt.
“Sorry…” she said again stupidly, continuing to tremble.
In response, he gently patted her head in a reassuring gesture, indicating that he was not angry. He must have known the effect he had on people.
He then put his hand in the pocket of his suit and took out something which he handed to her. A candy. Michael only seemed satisfied when she accepted it and put it in her mouth.
Then he left through the back door, without a word.
It was Halloween night. He had things to do.
Then maybe he would come back for her.
Y/N didn’t know. She didn't know whether to call the asylum or the police. He was a killer, a dangerous madman, the devil, the boogeyman you couldn't escape, but also her soulmate. The one she had waited for her whole life.
So she remained motionless in the living room, crying until she was exhausted, and heard the sound of the door opening again.
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thornybubbles · 1 year
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JJBA Yandere Scenario: Jealousy (The JoJos: Josuke, Giorno, and Johnny)
Josuke
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Jealous Josuke is an emotional wreck. He’s rage and paranoia personified.  He wants to be a good boyfriend. He really does, but every time he sees you with that guy, he feels like he’s going to lose his mind. He’s in constant flux between flying into a rage and having a full on panic attack. You love him, right? So why hang all over that guy so much? Are you cheating on him? You wouldn’t do that to him, would you? He sure hopes not because he doesn’t know what he’d do if that was true. He’s pretty sure he’d go insane though. Every moment you two aren’t together he’s wondering if you’re with that guy or not. His imagination goes wild, taking his thoughts to places he doesn’t want them to go. 
Are you in love with that guy? 
Are you going to leave him? 
Are you cheating on him? 
Are you cheating on him right now? 
Are you cheating? 
Are you cheating? 
Are you cheating on him?!!!
It was lunch break. Josuke had left the classroom to roam the mostly empty halls. He couldn’t sit in the classroom with Okuyasu constantly asking him what was wrong. He needed to be alone to think. He needed to decide what to do. He just needed to calm down first. It was proving very difficult to do so, though, as thoughts of you in the track star’s arms kept popping into his thoughts. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the headache that was forming. HIs hair was a mess and for once, he didn’t even care. 
He was startled by the feeling of a hand touching his shoulder. He whirled around and his bloodshot eyes locked onto the form of Yukako. 
“Koichi is worried about you.” She said with a stern tone, almost as if she was accusing him of something. 
It took a few moments for her words to sink in for Josuke. 
“Huh? Worried? Why?” Josuke asked. 
Yukako ran her fingers through her long black locks in a casual manner before she answered. 
“You’ve been acting like you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown for days now. I’ve noticed it as well.” she said. “What’s going on, Josuke?” 
Josuke sighed. First Okuyasu, now both Koichi and Yukako? He guessed he wasn’t really hiding his feelings very well. Well, he wasn’t really trying to.
“I think she might be cheating on me.” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He gritted his teeth and his hands began to tremble. Just saying it out loud made him want to go on a rampage. 
Yukako noticed the way his fingers twitched and the way his jaw tightened. She knew that level of fury all too well. She sighed and crossed her arms across her chest. 
“You mean your girlfriend? Cheating with who? With that muscle head from the track team? The one with the terrible bleached hair? The one I always see her talking with when you aren’t around?” she said, bracing herself for what she suspected would come next. 
Sure enough at the mention of the hated rival, Josuke’s rage exploded like a volcano. He slammed a fist into a nearby locker, caving the door in to the point that it popped off of the hinges. He stood there panting heavily for a moment before summoning Crazy Diamond to fix the door. He didn’t know whose locker it belonged to, but he figured that a random student shouldn’t have to pay for his tantrum. 
Yukako felt a drop of cold sweat run down the back of her neck. She wondered if her own tantrums had that same effect on those around her. Poor Koichi. She waited for Josuke to look calm enough for it to be safe to speak to him again. 
“I’m not the type to interfere in the problems of other couples, but seeing you like this upsets my Koichi, so I’ll give you some advice…” she began. 
Josuke thought Yukako was the last person to have any business giving anyone advice on romance, but he listened to what she had to say anyway. It wasn’t like he was coming up with any solutions on his own. 
“Kick his ass.” she said simply.
Well, he should’ve seen that coming. 
“Let me rephrase that… Give him a warning. One warning. Tell him to stay away from what’s yours, and if he can’t follow that one, simple request… kick his ass.” she said, her eyes and voice taking on a steely edge.
Josuke mulled over what she said. It was such a simple answer, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it. Of course he couldn’t just beat some dude up for no reason… but he did have a reason, didn’t he? That lowlife spent way too much time with his babe for his liking. Always stealing her time from him… giving him a warning first made things fair… Surprisingly, Yukako’s advice made perfect sense.
“Don’t just think about it, Josuke. You need to confront him. Tell him to back off and enforce it if you need to.” 
Yukako turned and started to walk back to the classroom before turning back to him and adding, 
“And then you need to talk to her. Remind her of who she belongs to. If you don’t set her straight… you’ll lose her.” 
Those last three words chilled Josuke to his very core. He stared after Yukako as she walked away from him. Putting the jock in his place made sense, but was Yukako implying that he needed to… “get rough” with you? Josuke wasn’t sure that he would, or could, take things that far. He did plan to talk to you about it though. He was going to have to explain to you how you made him feel whenever you spent too much time around other guys. More than that, he had to make sure that all these fears of you cheating on him were just in his head and not a terrible reality. 
Josuke made up his mind. He was going to take Yukako’s advice. He’d find out where that bleach tipped jock hung out and confront him after school. He’d have to be careful, though. If he ended up having to pulverize him, he didn’t want word of that getting back to you. You were understanding, kind, and open minded, but he didn’t think you’d be happy to hear that he’d beaten one of your friends to a pulp. Why were you friends with that guy anyway? Wasn’t he enough? 
Josuke shook his head furiously. No, he couldn’t go thinking like that again. He’d work himself back into a frenzy. He needed to think clearly. He was going to have to be patient and wait. He’d feel a lot better once he’d made sure that scumbag left you alone for good. He was going to hate it, but he needed to avoid you until then. As much as he needed to bury himself into your embrace, he wouldn’t be able to control himself around you. He was still angry and the last thing he wanted to do was blow up in your face, blaming you for doing something he still wasn’t sure you were guilty of yet. He just didn’t know what he’d do if he found out anything funny went on between you and that piece of shit. He would go insane. He’d go insane and it would be all your fault. 
He spent the rest of the school day twitching with barely restrained fury. 
Finally the end of the school day came and Josuke couldn’t get out of the classroom fast enough. He spotted you briefly but was careful enough to stay out of your range of sight. He spotted his true target talking to a group of boys coming out of the gym. That was him! The guy you were (might) be leaving him for. There wasn’t anything special about him. Sure he was a bit on the buff side, but Josuke’s muscles were just as good! Besides, it didn’t matter whose muscles were bigger, Josuke could still win in a real fight. All this guy could do was run. What could a mere high school athlete do against someone who fought with the most dangerous people in the world on a daily basis? What could he do against someone with a Stand like Crazy Diamond? Nothing! That’s what! And Josuke was going to prove it! Tonight! He waited for the other boys to leave before he made his move. 
“Hey, you!” Josuke called to the track star. 
The boy cast a confused look at Josuke, not understanding the cause of the hostile tone he was being given. Josuke told him to meet him at sunset out in the rice fields, describing the same one where Jotaro had taken him to hunt the rats, explaining that he had something important to talk about. Those fields were far from prying eyes. No one ever went out there except the farmers during harvest and planting season. There wouldn’t be any witnesses to what Josuke was going to do to the chump… if he had to. (He really hoped he would have to.) The boy agreed to meet Josuke, already feeling that the delinquent was challenging him to a fight for some unknown reason. The boy rose to the challenge eagerly, refusing to be intimidated by Josuke. 
Josuke stood in the middle of the field, staring out at the horizon as the sky changed colors. The sun had fully dipped behind the treetops, but its light still hung in the sky, not wanting to give up the fight against the nighttime so easily. Just like him. He wasn’t about to let some lunkhead steal you away from him. And he wasn’t letting you go for anyone else either. He wouldn’t give up. He wouldn’t give you up to anyone!
“What’s this about, Higashikata?” 
Josuke looked over his shoulder at the boy, his expression a cold look of contempt. 
“I want you to stay away from my girl. Don’t hang around her. Don’t talk to her. Don’t even look at her.” Josuke said simply.
What he did next would depend on how the boy responded. If he agreed, there wouldn’t be any problem. If he didn’t, well…
The boy gave Josuke a confused, disgusted look before letting out a sharp bark of a laugh. 
“Oh my God.” He said. “I never pegged you to be one of those types of boyfriends!” 
Josuke turned to face the boy fully. 
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, his anger starting to simmer to a boil. 
“It means that you’re an asshole, obviously.” the boy scoffed with an obnoxious roll of his eyes. 
“What kind of boyfriend I am isn’t any of your concern. I told you to stay away from her. So what’s it gonna be? Are you gonna leave her alone, or am I gonna have to get my point across in a different way?” Josuke said in a warning tone. 
“I won’t have to leave her alone.” the boy said with another scoff. “If you’re this pathetic and clingy, she’ll end up leaving you anyway.” 
Josuke felt something inside of his mind give way and a flood of the most horrible thoughts and feelings rushed forth like a tidal wave. None of it showed on his face though. Only a slight look of disdain as he raised his chin slightly to look down his nose at the subhuman pile of dogshit in front of him. 
The boy fell to his side as his right leg snapped like a dry twig. The lower shin bone jutted out of the flesh of his leg gruesomely. The boy screamed, clutching his ruined leg and writhing in pain. Crazy Diamond hovered over the boy waiting for the mental order to break his other leg. 
Josuke sighed, closing his eyes in mock frustration. 
“Man, you really know how to say the wrong thing, don’t you?” he said, ignoring the boy’s screams. 
He was answered with more screaming. Josuke just stared at the boy, his blue eyes empty and cold. Normally, he wouldn’t be able to handle the sight or sounds before him. He didn’t like watching people suffer. This was different though. This wasn’t a person in front of him. It was a thing. A nasty, squealing thing that was trying to take his happiness away from him. It was a worthless speck of filth that wanted to dirty up his world. He wanted it to hurt and scream and bleed and DIE!!
“All you had to do was say that you’d leave my girl alone. That’s it. I don’t think that was really too much to ask, was it?” Josuke said, his voice as expressionless as his face. 
“But I’m feeling a little bit lenient today, so I’ll give you a chance. I’ll let you go if you can outrun me, but the trick is that you have to do it on that broken leg. I’ll even give you two chances, but only two, because you don’t really deserve three. If you fall over, or I catch up to you, then you lose and I punish you. Strike one, I break your other leg. Strike two, though, I break your spine. So you better be able to get away from me or you’re gonna permanently lose your title of track star.” 
The boy stared up at Josuke through terrified, tear-filled eyes, unable to process the madness of what he’d just been told. 
“On your mark…” Josuke said. 
The boy braced himself in a stance as best he could on his shattered leg. This was insane! He knew he couldn’t get away, but he had to try. 
“Get set…” 
The boy wobbled dangerously, his leg throbbing with pain and bleeding everywhere. He felt like he would throw up any moment.
“GO!” 
The boy flopped over, unable to even stand on his ruined leg. 
Josuke shook his head. 
“Didn’t even make it past the starting line. I thought you were supposed to be good at this.” He mocked. 
The boy tried to crawl away as Josuke loomed over him. His left leg arched upward in a grisly way as Crazy Diamond stomped down on his kneecap, reducing it to powder. Another round of tortured screaming issued forth from the boy. Josuke just looked on with an uninterested gaze. 
“Ready for round two?” Josuke asked. 
The boy stopped screaming and began to shout at Josuke. 
“You insane fuck!” He cried. “You psychopathic piece of shit!” 
The boy didn’t have any clue just how Josuke was putting him through this torment. He was just standing there! How could he hurt him without even touching him? 
Josuke raised an eyebrow. 
“Hey, I’m giving you a chance here and now you’re gonna swear at me? Not sure if you deserve a second chance. Maybe I should just break your spine anyway?” 
“Go ahead if you think it will do anything!” the boy screamed at him in a moment of defiance. “Paralyze me if you think it matters, but when I’m lying on a hospital bed, I’ll make sure everybody knows that it was you that did this to me! Everybody will know what a fucked up monster you are, including that girl of yours. She’ll hate you! She’ll be so sick of you for what you did that she’ll leave you and--” 
He was cut off by Josuke’s fist slamming into his jaw, cracking it. 
“YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN TO SHUT THE HELL UP, DO YOU?” Josuke thundered, his face contorted with so much rage that he looked downright demonic. “LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN KEEP RUNNING YOUR MOUTH THROUGH A BROKEN JAW! HUH?! YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY NOW?! YOU SACK OF SHIT!!!” 
What did this guy know? You weren’t going to leave him! You wouldn’t! You couldn’t! This loser didn’t know what he was talking about!!
He wanted to keep hitting him. He wanted to pummel his stupid face until there was nothing left of it but scraps of meat and bits of bone. He wanted to splatter his brains all over the ground and soak the dirt with his blood. But he didn’t. Somehow he managed to reign in his anger. He knew that if he kept hitting him, he would kill him. Not that he cared about the punk’s worthless life, but his reputation (especially with you) would be in shambles. His friends would never forgive him. His mother… he didn’t even want to think about how she’d react. You, though. You would hate him and fear him. He couldn’t live with that. 
So instead, Josuke had Crazy Diamond methodically torture his rival. His spine was broken, as promised, but so were his ribs, his arms, the tiny bones in his hands and feet, his fingers, his toes… each bone was slowly and methodically shattered, until the boy was begging for it to end. That’s all Josuke needed to hear. 
He allowed Crazy Diamond to heal the boy and the Stand did so, though reluctantly. The boy was stunned. Taking full advantage of his now healed legs, the boy clamored to his feet and started to run. He was grabbed by Crazy Diamond. 
“Ah! What is this?” He cried. “What’s happening?! Something’s got me!” 
He struggled to break free from the invisible hold, but it was too strong. He shrank in on himself as Josuke approached him. 
“Y-You were breaking my bones without touching me… Then suddenly I’m healed and now I feel like I’ve been grabbed by something I can’t see! How are you doing this? W-what the hell are you?” he said with a whimper of terror. 
Josuke glared at him. He was afraid. Good. Maybe now he’ll finally listen to reason. 
“Doesn’t matter.” Josuke answered. “All that matters is whether or not you plan to keep pressing your luck. Are you going to leave my girl alone or do I have to give you another round of pain?” 
“I-I’ll l-leave her alone. I’ll do what y-you say. Just… please… l-let me g-go…” he stammered, exhaustion evident in his voice. 
Crazy Diamond released the boy, and he dropped to his knees. He looked up as Josuke stood in front of him. 
“Now, you’re gonna go about your life pretending that this little encounter didn’t happen.” Josuke warned. “If word of what happened today gets out, I’m not gonna be happy with you. Especially if my girl finds out about it. If I find out that you talked, I’ll find you. And you won’t like what happens when I do. Do I make myself clear?” 
The boy nodded. 
“I won’t tell. I w-won’t tell anyone.” he stammered. 
Josuke’s expression suddenly brightened. His lips stretched into a deceptively friendly smile. 
“Good! Now run home, and forget all about this.” 
The track star did just that, putting his well trained (and now unbroken) legs to good use. He ran the entire way home.  
-----
Things had been very strange for you for the last few days. First of all, Josuke seemed as though he was actively avoiding you lately. When you spoke to him, he always seemed to have a manic look in his eyes, as well as a need to rush through the conversation in order to get away from you as soon as possible. Okuyasu told you that Josuke was acting like that around him and Koichi, too. Today was really strange, though. You hadn’t seen Josuke all day and for the last half of the day, Yukako kept giving you suspicious looks. You had no idea what you had done to have her keep looking at you that way, but you made it a point to stay out of her way for the rest of the day. For all you knew, you probably accidentally gave Koichi too many compliments or something. You were more worried about your boyfriend and what you could have done to make him act like he wanted nothing to do with you. You were going to have to talk to him about it. You had a terrible feeling that he might be planning to break up with you. 
Imagine your surprise, when Josuke showed up at your window later that night. He looked disheveled and had a wild look in his eye. His precious pompadour was in a disarray, long, loose, strands had broken free and dangled in his face. Curious, you let him into your room. Once he climbed all the way into your room, he was all over you. He grabbed you up in a tight embrace and planted a desperate, needy kiss on your lips. When that kiss ended, he kissed you again, and again, and again. 
“I missed you.” he whispered. 
“I can tell.” You quipped. “Here I was, thinking you were sick of me.” 
Josuke let go of you. 
“You thought I was sick of you?” he asked, sounding surprised. 
“You’ve been avoiding me for days now.” You explained to him. “Every time I talked to you, you acted like you wanted to be anywhere else but near me. You stopped calling me and you wouldn’t pick up the phone when I tried to call you. Your Mom would answer and tell me you were busy. Then, today I didn’t see you at all. Is there something going on, Josuke?” 
Josuke gave you such a desperate look just then. He grabbed you by the shoulders and led you to the bed where he made you sit. He sat down next to you and grasped your hands. 
“I need you to be honest with me.” Josuke said. 
You gave him a concerned look but nodded your head. 
“Sure, Josuke.” You said, growing worried. 
“Would you ever leave me for someone else?” He blurted out, not even hesitating to confess his worst fear to you. “Would you cheat on me?” 
You stared at him in disbelief. That was why he’d been avoiding you? Did he suspect you’d found someone else? Had he truly lost his ability to trust you? What on earth had happened to make him feel this way?
“Josuke…” you began.
“Just tell me the truth!” He shouted, a frightened, anguished tone to his voice. “Please, babe! I need to hear you say the words!!” 
You sighed. He needed confirmation of your loyalty. It hurt your heart to think that he felt that you would do something so deplorable as cheat on him, but that miserable look on his face made it impossible to hold it against him. For someone that seemed to be as tough as diamond, his heart could shatter so easily. 
“Josuke, I love you to pieces.” You say plainly. “I don’t know what I could have done to make you lose your trust in me, but I’m sorry. I would never do something like that to you. I’d never even dream of it.” 
Josuke seemed to deflate like a balloon and collapsed against you. You almost fell over from the sudden weight. You put your arms around him and held him close. His chest was heaving and you could hear his breath hitch. He was crying. 
“Jojo?” You asked, using his nickname for once. Sensitive as Josuke was, he hardly ever cried. It took something really bad to make him like this. It must have been bothering him a lot. 
“Thank God.” he sobbed. “I thought… I just don’t want to lose you. You’re the only thing in the world that makes me feel sane anymore. When I’m with you, I can feel normal. I don’t have to think about how it feels like my life’s gone to shit. I get so tired of how crazy everything is now. I just want to feel like a normal human being again!” 
His words caused a thrill of discomfort to shoot through your very soul. That sounded… well… not very healthy. You opened your mouth to say something to him but you found yourself suddenly staring up into his tear streaked face. He wore a manic expression that chilled you to the bone. 
“Promise me that you’ll stay with me forever!” he said. It was a demand. There was no option to deny him. 
“I-I promise, Josuke.” You stammered, shocked at how unhinged he was behaving and beginning to fear for your safety. 
“You’ll promise what?” Josuke ground out, his voice taking on a threatening tone that caused goosebumps to break out across your skin. 
“I-I promise to s-stay with you forever, Josuke!” You said. 
He sighed in relief and closed his eyes tightly, before crushing you to his chest. 
“I knew. I knew you wouldn’t betray me like that.” he said. “I just had to hear you say it. I had to be sure. I knew you’d tell me the truth. I knew you’d never lie to me, would you, babe?” 
“Of c-course not…” you said, terrified of what he’d do if he didn’t like your response. 
“Of course you wouldn’t.” He said, holding you so close that it was starting to hurt. 
“If you did… if you lied to me… or tried to leave me… I’d lose my damn mind.” he said, his voice shaking and sounding completely unhinged. 
“Then… I just don’t know what I’d do.” 
Giorno
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Jealous Giorno is going to do anything he can to bring your attention back to him. He’ll be like a peacock spreading his feathers in a not-so-subtle attempt to earn your affections. He’s had his eye on you since he became Don, and seeing you always hanging around that lowly con man set his blood on fire. He made it a point to use whatever methods were at his disposal to find out exactly what kind of men you found attractive. You liked men with long hair? He stopped wearing his hair in a braid, letting the long, blonde locks flow over his shoulders. When he found out what your favorite color was, he had all of his new suits tailored to be in various shades of that color. After a while, he noticed, to his delight, that his efforts were having an effect on you. 
“I see you started wearing your hair down, sir.” you said, feeling awkward about starting a casual conversation with the most powerful man in Italy. 
Giorno turned to you with soft eyes and a gentle smile. You were actually speaking to him! Though, he didn’t care for your formal tone. 
“You may call me Giorno, if you like.” He said. “Do you like it? My hair, I mean.” 
“Uh, yes… it looks very nice.” You stammered, trying to keep your composure but failing miserably. Your cheeks felt like they were on fire. You were embarrassing yourself in front of a very dangerous man and you hated yourself for it. 
Giorno felt like his heart had sprouted wings. Your shyness was very unbecoming of someone in your profession, but to him, it was the most precious thing he’d ever seen. 
“No need to be so shy.” He said, teasingly. “You don’t have to be so stiff and formal when you speak to me.” 
He motioned for you to sit, waving to the ornate chair in front of his desk. 
“Here, sit. Would you like some tea?” 
You timidly took a seat as you were told. 
“Yes. Thank you.” You answered. 
This went on for a while, with Giorno making subtle changes to himself in order to gain your favor. But he was becoming frustrated. No matter what he did, you still stubbornly stayed by the con man’s side. Why? What was he missing? What else did he need to do? You couldn’t actually be in love with that low life, could you? What could a man like that possibly give you that he couldn’t? What could possibly be keeping you by his side?
A little more research into your life and he found the answer. Ah. So you were the con man’s bodyguard. And… you were a Stand user. How interesting. Once he found that out, GER seemed very interested in meeting your Stand. Giorno realized he wasn’t the only one with a crush. 
Giorno decided to get in touch with your current employer to see about discussing an exchange. Money solved most problems, didn’t it? It shouldn’t be too hard to convince your boss to relinquish your services to him. 
Once Giorno had the con man in front of him, it took so much effort and all of his sense of professionalism to keep from scowling at him. He was a wormy, greasy snotball of a human being with a cowardly disposition. His nervous eyes flicked around the room to where Mista and a few other gangsters in Giorno’s employ stood up against the walls, staring back at him menacingly. 
A suitcase was placed on Giorno’s desk in front of the con man. He eyed it suspiciously but made no move to open it. He looked up at Giorno with worry in his eyes. 
“If I give you my bodyguard, then I won’t have anyone watching my back” the con man whined “I’ve scammed a lot of people in my day and some of those guys are dangerous. Dangerous and pissed off at me. I can’t afford…” 
“Why don’t you actually look at what I’m offering you before you complain about what you can’t afford?” Giorno interrupted, trying his best to quell his growing irritation. 
The con man glanced from Giorno down to the suitcase. Timidly, warily, he loosened the latches and slowly opened the suitcase. His eyes lit up like the New York skyline. 
“You can have her.” he said, digging his hands into the cash. He pulled out stacks of bills and looked at them like they were rare works of art. Giorno’s eyes darkened at how easily swayed the man was. He was just another greed driven criminal that viewed human lives as nothing more than tools or products to be bought and sold. Of course, Giorno was no better. He was the one buying you after all. Still, to think of you working under such a man made his skin crawl. 
“Then I suppose we have no more business together. You may take your leave.” Giorno said, wanting the speck of living filth out of his sight as soon as possible.
The con man put the bills back in the suitcase and slammed it closed. He snatched it up and grinned at Giorno.
“With this much cash I won’t need a bodyguard anyway! I’ve got enough money to buy my own personal army now! It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Giovanna!” he chirped happily.
“The pleasure is all yours, I assure you.” Giorno muttered under his breath. 
If the con man heard him, he didn’t acknowledge it. He held the suitcase under his arm and started for the door. 
“Don’t know why you want to spend so much money on her anyway. She’s a great bodyguard, but not good for much else.” the con man said over his shoulder.
“What do you mean by that?” Giorno said. His eyes narrowed dangerously. 
“Bit of a prude. Not interested in having any fun, if you know what I mean.” Said the con man while making a lewd gesture with his hands. 
Girono felt his teeth grind against each other. 
“Yes I think I know exactly what you mean.” he growled. “I believe you were on your way out.” 
The con man cast him another grin and left. 
Giorno snapped his head in the direction of his second in command. 
“Mista,” he said. 
The gunman gave a nod and headed for the door. 
“What? Really?!” came a cry of surprise by one of the other gangsters. “But he took the money!” 
He was a rookie in the group, but he should still know better than to speak out of turn. Giorno affixed him with a glare that had him snapping his jaw closed and staring at the floor. The two thugs on either side of him sidled a few inches away from him. The rookie seemed like he was trying to become one with the wall, but he didn’t say anymore. 
Giorno turned away from him. He would discipline that fool later. 
A day passes, and you get the word that your boss has been murdered. It’s assumed that one of his past victims finally caught up with him. It wasn’t long after that that you were contacted by Giorno. Now, you found yourself sitting in front of Giorno as he offered you a small smile. His eyes were alight with something that resembled glee. You couldn’t imagine why he seemed so happy and you weren’t about to ask. 
“It’s come to my attention that you are in need of a job,” he said. “I’ve decided to offer you a place by my side… as my bodyguard!” he said, adding the last part rather quickly. 
You looked up at him and he had such a calm, placid look on his face. His eyes though, had a strange urgent look to them. It was almost as if he was trying to mentally will you to say yes. You thought for a moment, weighing your options. The thing was, you really didn’t have any options. Your original boss was out of the picture, and as much as you didn’t like the man, he paid well. And strangely, nobody else had been willing to hire you within the organization. They kept saying things like, “You don’t have the credentials” or “You don’t have enough experience”. Lies. Not only that, but they all seemed very nervous about your presence. They all seemed like they just wanted to get rid of you. You don’t know what could have happened to cause your reputation to plummet so severely that no one would hire you, but it put you in a very bad position. You owed people money. You owed very dangerous people a lot of money. You looked back up at Giorno. 
“When do you want me to start, Mr. Giovana?” you asked. 
It seemed like the entire room sighed with relief, even though only you and Giorno were in the room. 
“I’m very glad to hear it, though I believe I told you to call me Giorno,” he said. His smile was friendly enough, but there was a slight edge to his voice that made you feel that the request was actually an order. 
“I’m sorry, Giorno.” You said, correcting yourself. 
His smile brightened. 
Once you were actually in his employ, your life suddenly took a turn for the better. Everyone you owed money to, suddenly dropped any obligations you had to them. Your bills were paid, and even your groceries were bought for you and delivered to your door. You were provided with expensive and opulent jewelry, clothing, and anything else you could possibly want or need. No one else that you worked for ever went this far for you. And as much as you appreciated what he was doing for you, you were starting to feel a little suffocated. 
There was another problem with your new job. As time passed, you could feel yourself developing feelings for Giorno that went well past what was professional. You stifled it as best as you could but with every moment you spent by Giorno’s side, it became more and more difficult. Developing feelings in a job like this was dangerous. Love dulled a person’s sense of reasoning, and you couldn’t afford to lose focus. It could cost you your life. Not only that, but there was always the risk of losing the one you loved. You didn’t think you could handle losing someone you were really in love with. Furthermore, you didn’t want to die and leave a grieving loved one behind.
Giorno seemed adamant about developing a friendship with you though. You thought it odd. He wasn’t like anyone you’d ever worked for. When he asked your opinion on something he seemed genuinely interested in your thoughts. Sometimes he would even make changes based on your opinions alone. 
Giorno seemed to have three sides to him. One was the cold, business like persona he presented to his underlings. The second was the persona of the old friend that he showed only to his closest and most trusted allies. The third was the persona he showed only to you. This side of him was the strangest. He would only reveal this side of himself when it was just the two of you and on days where there were no pressing matters to deal with. He would talk with you for hours about all kinds of things. Eventually, these conversations between the two of you began to get more revealing. 
One night, when the two of you were alone, Giorno opened up to you about something he had never shared with anyone. He told you about his neglectful mother and his abusive stepfather. He told you about wanting to find out who his real father was and even showed you the picture he had in his wallet. The image of the mysterious man gave you shuddering chills that resembled the one you got whenever Giorno gave someone that certain glare that he had. After being told something so intimately private, you found yourself opening up to him as well. You told him about your own lack of a father and your drug addicted mother. You told him about how as a small child you would scream and beg for her to feed you only for her to stare you dead in the eyes while she wordlessly jabbed another needle in her arm. You told him about how you came close to starving to death many times. You told him about how you found your mother dead from an overdose one day and had to live on the streets. Then one day, you got so sick you thought you were going to die, only to miraculously recover and find that you had developed your Stand. From there, you began using your Stand to do odd jobs to keep yourself fed and rent an apartment. You eventually got swept up into mob business and the rest is history. 
You never told anyone else that story, not because you didn’t want anyone to know about your past, but because you didn’t think anyone else would care. Giorno cared. He told you about how he got involved with the mafia in the first place. He told you of how he met Bruno Bucciarati, and how he planned to rid the streets of illegal drugs. He vowed to you then and there that he would make sure that no other child would have to endure what you went through due to your mother’s addiction. 
From there, the relationship you had with Giorno became less and less professional. Of course the two of you maintained a respectable distance from each other when around others that weren’t a part of Girono’s inner circle but, behind closed doors, when it was only the two of you, Giorno seemed to revert to being a needy child. He started making more and more physical contact with you, and for once, you allowed it. It wasn’t the first time a boss of yours tried to get physical with you, but their touches disgusted you and you refused them everytime. Giorno’s touches were so innocent and timid. It was almost as if he was afraid you would strike him if he got too close. He never did anything to make you uncomfortable and his touches were always gentle. He would only ever touch your hand, or hug onto your arm in the beginning. Eventually he got bolder and would embrace you in full hugs or lean up against you, resting his head on your shoulder where he would end up falling asleep. The level of trust he put into you if he was willing to fall asleep in your presence was touching. In this line of work, trust was something you didn’t sneeze at. 
Giorno never attempted to cross the line with you. So when he ever felt the need to initiate physical contact, you would freeze up and let him do so at his own pace. You treated it as if you were being sniffed by a deer or rabbit or any other skittish and easily frightened animal. Giorno was certainly frightened. He feared rejection. Your rejection. So you made it a point to never push him away. And for his part, he never gave you a reason to. It was safe to say that your feelings for him had fully developed past a simple crush. 
Apparently you weren’t the only one who felt that way. One night, you entered Giorno’s office to find that the lights had been dimmed and there were candles everywhere. Giorno’s desk and the other furniture  had been rearranged to make room for a table and chairs. On the table was a lavish meal with wine and even dessert. Giorno sat in one of the chairs, looking at you expectantly. He wore an opulent version of his usual suit (in your favorite color) and his hair was impeccable. It framed his face beautifully. The ringlets that usually adorned his forehead had been loosened and hung in curly strands against his face. You blushed at the sight of him. 
He proposed to you that night. You were surprised, but you didn’t hesitate to say yes. That’s how you found yourself on a yacht headed out to a private island with him for your honeymoon. Little did you know that once you got to the beautiful and sprawling villa he had set up there, you would not be leaving. Now that Giorno finally had you, he decided that he no longer wanted you putting yourself in harm’s way for him. You were his bodyguard no longer. You were his wife and he wanted you to live in luxury and safety. So he would clip your wings and put you in your gilded cage. You would be cared for and provided for and have nothing but the best of everything at your fingertips… but you would never know freedom again. 
Johnny
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Jealous Johnny is hostile and passive aggressive. 
“What the hell is he doing here?” Johnny spits as you bring your friend to the camp. 
Since you joined up with Johnny and Gyro in the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny’s mood has improved greatly. You’ve given him a new lease on life and make him feel like he’s actually got something to live for again. It helps that you talk to him as a person and not just treat him like a helpless invalid. 
So when that rancher starts showing up at all the races and taking all your attention, it gives him such an uncomfortable, sour feeling in his belly. Don’t you know that guy isn’t just a fan? His crush on you is so painfully obvious it’s sickening! Why can’t you see how he’s manipulating you? Always buying you expensive dinners and clothes and things! You’re in a race through wilderness and rugged plains, for Christ’s sake! What do you need a velvet shawl for? All that jewelry will make you a target for bandits! It’s so obvious to Johnny that the rancher is trying to steal you away from him!
Johnny doesn’t know how to handle his jealousy. He becomes moody whenever you aren’t around and Gyro worries that he’ll go back into a depressive state. Johnny’s demeanor always brightens when you’re back with them though. Of course, when you keep talking about your fancy fanboy, Johnny starts getting snappy. 
“Do you ever stop talking about that guy?” He grumbles. “Why don’t you marry him already, since you like him so much?” 
“He’s already asked me to.” You say. Johnny almost falls off of Slow Dancer, while you and Gyro laugh your asses off. 
Johnny doesn’t think it’s so funny. Once he gets himself back in the saddle correctly, he sends a glare your way. 
“Tell him no!” He all but screams at you.
Both you and Gyro stop laughing to give him looks of shock. Johnny takes a few minutes to compose himself before he explains. 
“At least… at least wait until the race is over…” he said, not making eye contact with either of you. 
“Well… that was the plan.” you responded, giving Gyro a confused look. The Italian just shrugged and returned your expression. 
“Besides, I don’t even know what I’m going to tell him. I’m not even sure I feel that way about him.” 
Johnny didn’t respond. He stared straight ahead at the road over the top of Slow Dancer’s head. Her ears flicked nervously, as if she could sense her rider’s feelings. Johnny’s mind was churning with all manner of unpleasant things. The thought of what you would do after the race was always on the forethought of his mind. Gyro would go back to Italy, that much he knew. There was always that part of him that didn’t want Gyro to go, but Johnny didn’t really feel it was his place to keep his mentor away from his previous obligations. You were a different story. You were in the same boat as Johnny, disowned by your parents and all alone. You didn’t have a reason to leave once the race was over. Where would you even go anyway? 
The rancher was a problem. If you decided to marry him, you’d have a reason to leave. You’d run off with your rich fanboy… and he’d never see you again. He’d be all alone… just like always. Johnny felt his heart clench. For the rest of the day he’s unable to even look at you. 
When you had the gall to bring your rancher friend to the camp, Johnny was not happy. When you suggested that the rancher join up with the group for the duration of the race, it took all of Johnny’s self restraint to keep from shooting both you and your rancher fanboy. Fortunately, Gyro seemed skeptical about the idea as well. The Italian pointed out that they didn’t need an extra party member. Not only that, but they had no reason to trust the rancher. Gyro thought it very suspicious that he was always in every town they went to. He thought that the idea of the rancher being merely a fan of yours was too convenient of an excuse. 
Good ol’ Gyro, always coming through! Johnny thought. 
But the rancher pulled Gyro aside and had a long conversation with the Spin user. The longer Gyro spent talking to the man, the less of a suspicious scowl he bore. By the time they were done talking, Gyro was smiling. In a matter of moments, Gyro was loudly welcoming the newcomer to the group. Johnny made no attempt to protest. He just fumed in silence. 
Dammit, Gyro! He thought. You were supposed to be on my side!
Johnny’s insides felt like they had turned to lava. His stomach and chest burned and this time it wasn’t due to Gyro’s cooking. It had been a few days since the rancher had joined the group and it seemed that both you and Gyro had been won over by his charms. Johnny was forced to watch as you and Gyro trailed along beside the rancher, hanging on his every word. Johnny rolled his eyes at the sight. You both looked so pathetic following him around like puppies. What’s worse is that he seemed to be the only one doing any work anymore. 
“Sure, I’ll put up the tents all by myself!” he yelled, bitterness very clear in his voice. “You guys can just have your little chat. Just let the guy in the wheelchair do all the work. That’s fine.” 
You and Gyro seemed to break out of your trance, realizing just how long you both have been neglecting your chores. Gyro went about setting things up for the nightly meal while you started gathering firewood. Johnny sighed to himself, satisfied that things were starting to go back to normal. That’s when the rancher took it upon himself to walk over and start helping Johnny with the tents. 
“You know, I get the feeling you don’t like me very much, Mr. Joestar.” he said in an irritatingly good natured tone. 
“Oh, you noticed. Here I thought I was hiding it.” Johnny said sarcastically. 
The rancher had the nerve to laugh at his response. Johnny scowled and turned away from him. 
The rancher began to ramble on about things Johnny didn’t care about, but at some point, the conversation turned to you. 
“I guess I haven’t been hiding my crush on your friend too well.” He said. “I know how you must feel, but I assure you I have no ulterior motives.” 
Johnny stopped what he was doing to glare at him. The rancher just beamed at him with the biggest smile he’d ever seen. 
After a moment, Johnny’s glare faded and he sighed. 
“Can you blame me for worrying though?” Johnny said, all hostility gone from his voice. Fine. He’d play along. Just until he knew what this guy really wanted. 
They talked for another hour or so until Gyro called them to come to dinner. Johnny sat, slowly sipping at his stew. The rancher turned out to not be the kind of person he thought he was. His motives were genuine. Wouldn’t you know it? He was actually a decent person. He was probably one of the nicest people Johnny had ever met. He had begun to understand why you and Gyro liked him so much. 
And Johnny still despised him. 
Nice as he was, the rancher still planned to get you to marry him. He still planned to take you away. Johnny would never forgive him for that. If not for that, Johnny may have been willing to forget about his plans to get rid of him. Ever since the rancher joined the group, a dark plan had been forming in Johnny’s mind. He wasn’t sure how he would pull it off without alerting the suspicions of either you or Gyro, but he was sure that by the end of the week, he’d have something figured out. 
His plan came to fruition when you found yourselves traveling down a trail that bordered a rather steep cliff. It wasn’t an especially long fall… but it would do the trick. Johnny had to be careful though. He could use Spin or his Stand and you wouldn’t notice, but Gyro had far more experience in using both. He would notice… well he would if it weren’t for the fact that Johnny had been practicing and perfecting his own Spin technique and testing it to see if Gyro would detect it. At first Gyro noticed every single time and wanted to know what Johnny was trying to do, but Johnny would always have a convincing excuse. Eventually Gyro stopped noticing. Even when Johnny was trying to get him to see, Gyro never did. The technique was subtle. Just a slight tipping that would cause whatever was affected by it to go slightly off balance. All it took was to affect the hooves of the rancher’s horse. The man was a decent rider, but not to the level of the three of you. His horse wasn’t as disciplined as a race horse normally was, either. It wouldn’t raise any suspicions if his horse suddenly got a little clumsy. 
“Whoa, boy!” The rancher “Steady now!” 
Johnny turned back to look at him, making an effort to feign concern. You and Gyro turn around, too, just in time to see the rancher lose control of his horse as it stumbles over its own feet. Both horse and rider plummet over the side of the cliff. 
You scream. 
Gyro swears. 
Johnny doesn’t make a sound. He doesn’t even blink.
He remembers people would always talk about traumatic events happening in slow motion. That didn’t happen here. One second the rancher and his horse were there, then they weren’t. It happened so fast that no one could have done much to stop it. Exactly how Johnny planned it. 
The three of you ride up to the edge of the cliff. You start crying. Gyro mutters something in Italian. Johnny just stares impassively upon the body of the man he just murdered. He should feel sick and horrified by what he’d done, but he doesn’t. He feels justified. Accomplished. Satisfied. It isn’t until he sees you dismount your horse to run from the scene that he feels anything that could be considered guilt. 
Gyro places a hand on his shoulder. 
“Go to her, Johnny.” He says solemnly. “I’ll… I’ll take care of things here.” 
Johnny looks into his mentor’s face seeing no trace of suspicion or accusation. He only sees the slightest hint of grief. He couldn’t imagine why. Gyro hadn’t even known the rancher that long. He supposed that it was just sadness at the situation that Gyro felt. Regardless, the only thing Johnny cared about was that Gyro didn’t suspect a thing.  
He steers Slow Dancer in the direction you ran to. He finds you sobbing into your hands while leaning against a tree. He rides up on Slow Dancer and slides off of her to plop onto the ground next to you. 
He doesn’t get a chance to say anything before you’ve flung your arms around him and are soaking his shirt with your tears. He pulls you closer, trying his best to not grin. He missed this. You and him being close. 
“I’m sorry,” he says. 
Johnny doesn’t know why he said that. He isn’t at all sorry for what he did, and he isn’t sorry for your loss either. He’s glad your annoying fanboy is gone. Though, “sorry” is what you’re supposed to say in situations like this, right? Though the longer you cry and wail, the more annoyed with it he gets. It isn’t your crying that bothers him so much as the reason you’re crying. Why were you shedding tears over that guy? You’ve known Johnny much longer. He should mean more to you than that guy ever did. Why are you carrying on like this for a guy that was little more than an acquaintance? 
It wasn’t that Johnny didn’t care about your feelings, he just wanted you to remember your feelings for him. You did have feelings for him, didn’t you? Maybe that was the problem? Maybe you needed to be reminded of just how important Johnny was to your life? Maybe he needed to show you just how much you needed him? 
Yes, Johnny knew how selfish and awful he was being, but he didn’t care. He’s always been selfish for as far back as he can remember. It’s probably part of the reason people kept abandoning him. You would never be allowed to leave him though. Even if you didn’t love him… even if you hated him… Johnny would make sure you never abandoned him like everyone else. The dark determination within him had never burned brighter.
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cup1dt3a · 1 year
Note
Well, I had an idea for you, and if besides yandere wally there is another yandere for the reader... The reader before meeting Wally had a Yandere in real life who pursued them and who still pursues him.
How would Yan! Wally react to another yandere? What if that other yandere kidnapped the reader before wally took them?
( this yandere you can choose the characteristics of what type of Yandere they are )
Tysm for the request I’ll make this a little darker than the rest of my fic’s so hope you enjoy 💖
⚠️Warning: Unhealthy relationships
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“ Dearest!” His voice rang in it throughout the empty house.
“ In the kitchen!” You replied knowing your clingy boyfriend would panic if he couldn’t see you.
You learned that the first month after being with him. He was always such a good friend to you you’ve known him since you were born. He was always so kind and anxious but as soon as you got into a relationship he was even more anxious. Always so worried about you always reluctant to leave you home alone. Always just so overbearingly caring. Sure it was sweet how much he cared but you just wanted some space every once in a while. Everytime you tried to get some space he would start having a breakdown.
Stating you must hate him, you nuts not even love him, you just do t want him in your life at all. You didn’t but you hated how much he would cry. And so on to avoid this you just stopped trying to have space. Stopped asking to call or parents, friends, or even anyone you knew. Just to avoid him panicking. Sure this was an oddly normal occasion but you loved him. You loved him right?
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You and him were out in town at the moment. His arm wrapped around your waist in an almost too tight grip. People were even staring at you seeing your discomfort.
“ John, you’re hurting me could you loosen your grip please.” You asked .
“ Oh no! Dear, I would but I don’t want to lose you in this big crowd you’re too precious for me to lose honey.” He said tightening his grip.
You wanted to say something but didn’t. Not wanting to upset him. Throughout the whole way home you just dealt with his right grip sure it bothered you. But as soon as you got home he apologized.
” I’m so sorry honey are you upset? Please don’t be upset with me! I love you. I love you so much my precious dear.” He said constantly kissing you from your wrist to cheek murmuring praises.
With his hot breath fanning your ears you gulped blushing. Even as you indulged into his sweet promises you had failed to notice the peering black pupils glaring at your lover. Almost sneering as you watched you press a kiss to his cheek. Oh how he wished that was him. Kissing you all over worshiping your skin from head to toe as you deserved. God you’re just so perfect and sweet.
After he constantly praised you he finally stopped at the suggestion of watching Tv. You had put on The Notebook. You had cried all night and fallen asleep on the couch. Your lover had decided to go onto bed leaving you on the couch half asleep.
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Rubbing your sore eyes after crying you looked up at the TV while it emptily stared at you. Why not watch something else maybe it’ll help you feel better. As you clicked the on button the screen blinded you with its bright display. While trying to adjust your eyes the first thing they adjusted on was this yellow puppet. He had swirly navy blue hair, red scarf on his neck, a blue sweater, and rainbow pants his color scheme was oddly very pleasing to your eyes making you smile as the character gently spoke. It was a nice thing to hear since the only voice you ever heard screamed at you. It seemed to be a kids show from its childish aesthetic. You sniffed happily at how cute it all seemed. Julie and Frank were your favorite duo so far. The extroverted friend who’s always happy and the introvert who’s obsessed with moths. A trope you never knew you needed but here you are.
As the show continued you couldn’t help but get drawn towards Wally. It was just something about him that made you smile. Could it be the bright colors? Perhaps his gentle voice? You didn’t know but it brought you some joy so it didn’t matter. As the show continued you couldn’t help but get drawn towards Wally. It was just something about him that made you smile. Could it be the bright colors? Perhaps his gentle voice? You didn’t know but it brought you some joy so it didn’t matter.
“_____! Dearest where are you?” His voice rang out.
You hurriedly answered and turned the TV off getting up brushing dust off your clothes. How is it mornings already wasn’t it just midnight? Oh well you must have gotten so infatuated with the show you lost track of time
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It was once again late at night but you were alone again with your computer. It’s been ages but you just had to! Ever since you watched that show you’ve been hooked! There was even a website fully dedicated to the show. And Wally was on there. Wally was most definitely your favorite. The website even had him interact with the viewer. It was adorable little thing. You even found others who enjoyed it too. But whenever you would talk about Wally interactions you had everyone seemed confused. It was odd.
“ So dear what have you been doing?” Your boyfriend asked as you were happily watching an episode of Welcome Home.
“ Oh it’s nothing just this show I found.” You replied eyes glued onto he screen displaying Wally.
“ You’ve been doing obsessing over that show for a while why not give it a break plus it’s for kids isn’t it?” they told you.
“ Yes…but I just got invested in it. You know what I’m tired I’m going to go ahead and get some sleep.” You said yawning as they rolled their eyes.
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“ The hell do they even watch this for it’s a fucking baby’s show.” He angrily nagged while he watched welcome home.
“ You know neighbor I don’t think you’re being very nice.” Wally smiled at him through the screen.
“ Wow I have great timing. Heh… what the fuck is the TV doing.” He arched his browl as it started to glitch out.
If only he knew the horrors of what Wally had planned for him.
“ Oh no no neighbor it isn’t the TV. Ha ha ha! You’re so funny~!” Wally smiled.
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As you went to the living room you first noticed the TV gone. It made you panic seeing that your only comfort was now gone.
“ John! Were’s the TV?” You panicked trying to find him.
“ Oh, don’t worry the TV had decided to start glitching out so I got rid of it. Plus you’ve been watching too much TV either way dear.” He said with a kiss to your cheek.
“ Oh no…it was working fine last night. Do you think you could get us another one. Johnny?” You told him trying to butter him up for a possible new TV as you rubbed circles onto his chest.
“ Well, I was planning on getting a new one either way.” He blushed as you clinged onto him.
As you tried to butter him up you hadn’t noticed the envious eye’s glaring at the man. You then kissed his cheek hugging him out of glee for a new TV.
You waved him goodbye as you bounced with glee knowing that you’ll finally get a new TV. Sure your old one was glitchy and you have been asking him countless times for a new one. And it finally happened! Things have been going so well lately you hope it never ends.
As you were about to fix yourself something to eat a sudden familiar voice. It was a bit muffled but out of curiosity you had decided to go and check it out. It sounded as if it was in your basement. Wow the most basic white move in any horror movie. As you went down the stairs you had soon seen the TV John said was broken and glitching out. But it was still plugged up down here. And Wally was displaying onto it with no glitching.
“ Hello Neighbor how are you?” He asked with a tilt to his head.
You chuckled rolling your eyes as you replied just for some fun since you were alone.
“ I’m doing great how about you?” You giggled.
As time went on Wally seemed to feel as if he was more alive by the moment. As you chatted with the puppet while he mysteriously answered on point. You had begun to wonder where the other characters were. Usually Julie and Frank were to show up by now. As you asked he all the sudden seemed a bit off.
“ Oh, don’t worry about them. Just focus on me for now ok? I have a surprise for you!” He said.
Ok this was weird now. He is actually responding to you not just some scripted shit no he was having a full on conversation with you. How did you not notice this. Everytime you saw him on screen you would just blank out. It was weird how much little awareness you would have.
“ Aren’t you excited?” He asked as you nodded not saying anything.
“…WALLY! I told you to wait!”John screened startling you.
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“ Awww, Jealous? I’m sorry they were just so adorable this morning I couldn’t help myself neighbor.” He sighed looking down onto you through the TV.
“ What…what did you two do?” You voice shook.
They had then explained the occurrence of their first meeting. John had decided to see what you liked about Wally’s show so much. And as he was about to get rid of the TV everything went down hill from there. But they both eventually came to an agreement. It would be so much better if they just shared you. For instance while John wasn’t there you would be able to be accompanied by Wally. And when he was there they could both just have you to themselves. A wonderful idea right?
“ Aww, don’t be scared! It’ll be fun I swear my dear.” John said holding you close to place a kiss on your cheek.
“ But how would-” he then pressed a finger to you shushing you “ We’ll figure it would dear right now all that matters is you.” He sighed.
“ You always smell so goood! God Dear you’re just so perfect aren’t you?” He praised as you shook.
“ Oh don’t brag John!” Wally pouted crossing his arms.
“ Now who’s the jealous one? I mean just look at them so perfect, so just so beautiful, and so cute~. Sometimes I wonder if I could just eat you up. God you’d be such a sweet delectable treat dear.” He mewled almost drooling as he tilted your head up.
“ Oh stop it! You’re teasing the poor thing they can bearly speak.” Wally said.
Oh geez what is happening?!
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Hello and hope you all enjoyed! Writers block is trying to get the best of me I swear but I had so much fun writing this. Hope you’re all having a good day/night or that it gets better!
Tysm for the request hope it was was up to your liking!
Sincerely- Cup1dT3a 💌
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farfromstrange · 3 months
Text
Do No Harm
CHAPTER SEVEN: Downward Spiral
Masterlist | Series Masterlist
Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Summary: After agreeing to go on a date with Matt, you start realizing the weight of your decision, and your thoughts begin spiraling. In a moment of need, you turn to the only close friend you have in Hell's Kitchen, hoping she can pull you away from the edge of the very steep cliff your trauma is trying to throw you into.
Warnings for this chapter: ANGST (the caps feel appropriate here), mentions of domestic violence, suicidal thoughts, allusions to a suicide attempt, allusions to sexual assault, mentions of being taken advantage of by a superior, (I guess you could say) mentions of hypersexuality, self-loathing, PTSD, some foreshadowing, mental breakdown, alcohol, Season 1 related plot (spoilers)
Word Count: 6.4k
A/n: Surprise! I'm posting early because I'm going to see my family this weekend, and after I had an epiphany at two in the morning and spent 3 days writing this, I got it done, and I'm actually quite proud of this (or maybe it's the caffeine). Anyway, heed the warnings because the topics of conversation in this are pretty dark. That's why I highlighted the angst. And if you haven't watched past episode 1 of Season 1, this might spoil some things for you. (Also, I have no idea how this turned into a beast with a word count over 6k. Sorry in advance.)
Read Chapter 7: Downward Spiral here on AO3
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You don’t know what came over you.
You typed in Matt’s number in a moment of weakness, and once you heard his voice through the line, you gave up on being careful. You gave up on denying yourself what you’re so desperately craving, and you abandoned all rational thought.
For him.
You promised not to get attached to someone ever again—let alone a man. You started a new life in Hell’s Kitchen to find your way back to normalcy. You took all the necessary precautions, and even though you look back at the shreds of your old life every day, you are never going back.
Two years. That is the longest you have managed to stay in one place ever since you left California. But you still haven’t found your way back into the real world.
You have been guarding yourself, afraid of having your heart broken, afraid of losing this chance at a new life, and afraid of the man who ruined you. 
Every time you close your eyes, you see his face. You hear his voice in the back of your mind. He’s everywhere, even when you don’t want him to be. 
It’s easier to put a wall between yourself and everyone else. A wall no one can break through, not even yourself. You trapped your soul for the sole purpose of keeping yourself alive after you made the hardest decision of your life. When you ran, you believed your life was over, but you have always been too much of a coward to end your misery. God knows you’ve tried, but even a trained doctor can’t fully understand death, and some things just don’t work out the way we want them to. 
Drunken one-night stands can’t possibly compare to a meaningful emotional connection, but they satisfy the need for physical intimacy. At least for a little while. It killed you; slowly, almost pathetically, but sleeping with strangers in dirty motel rooms did a better job than you ever could. 
For the longest time, you used sex as a coping mechanism. You let strange men use you because that is the only way you know how to be with someone else. You let them hurt you to feel something, anything because pain is better than feeling nothing at all. But when you finally got settled in Hell’s Kitchen, thanks to Claire, you stopped. 
You locked up your heart and threw away the key. You started to shield your body the same way you have shielded your soul. You retreated into a shell of restlessness and constant fear of every little sliver of hope you feel being taken away from you. 
You have nowhere else to run, which is why keeping a low profile is so important to you, but after two years, don’t you deserve to finally live? 
We don’t exist to just survive; we exist to live the life we were given. You are Olivia Clarke now, not the broken girl you left behind, but every time you think about it, his voice returns and backs you into a corner that you can’t escape from. 
Every time you see the scars on your body, all you want to do is rip the skin off your bones and feed it to the dogs. 
The men you slept with while you were running from your past saw you as a mere object, and you are used to being seen that way, but it was isolating nonetheless. They didn’t care about your scars, they only cared about what you could give them. They treated you like he did without lifting a finger. 
Even though you don’t do that anymore, it still weighs heavy on your wounded soul. 
Matt treats you like a person. He can’t physically see, but he still sees you. He sees you in a way no one has ever seen you before. And he is gentle, and patient, and—
You scream into your pillow. Your nose still hurts, but it is nothing compared to how fast your heart is beating. 
To you, Matt is perfect. You know that no one can be perfect, and you should be careful, but he makes you feel things you have long denied yourself. He makes you feel wanted. Desired. Like you can be yourself around him and still be worthy of his attention. Like you matter. And he has a certain way of being around you that makes you feel protected, almost. 
You don’t need protection. You have made it this far without a bodyguard by your side. You know how to fight your own battles better than most, but you can’t deny that you wouldn’t mind being saved by him. 
You wouldn’t mind those hands he always wraps around his cane to wrap around you instead. He can’t see your scars, but he can feel them, and as terrifying as that thought sounds, it also excites you. 
You’re treading dangerous territory, but God, he won’t leave you alone, not even when you’re trying to sleep. He could offer you a sense of normal that you have long missed. He could teach you how to be a person again. And maybe, just maybe, you could let yourself be cared for by him. 
You roll back onto your back when you need to breathe, one of your hairs getting stuck to your lip. You let out an annoyed huff. There won’t be much sleeping tonight, you’re sure. Not when you keep thinking about tomorrow.
“You’re not fifteen anymore,” you mutter to yourself. “What is wrong with you? God!”
It’s almost too surreal to believe that this magnetic force of a man managed to retrieve some of your long-lost hope, and he only had to call you beautiful once for you to be completely smitten. 
When he allowed you to take care of his injuries on the first day you met, you didn’t think a person could be this guarded yet so vulnerable at the same time. He’s breaking under an invisible weight that must have been on his shoulders for years, maybe even decades. You’re painfully aware of other people’s feelings, and it wasn’t hard to tell that Matt carries a lot of unresolved pain with him. Always. He reminds you so much of yourself, it’s like staring into a mirror. Two broken halves of a whole. 
Your thoughts won’t stand still, no matter how hard you try. You’re stuck inside an invisible hourglass. Not even heaven knows what will happen once time runs out. You don’t understand why you’re overthinking this while, at the same time, knowing exactly why. And you hate it. 
There is a part of you that you can never get back. A little girl who grew up too fast. A girl who didn’t know any better. A broken teenager who wanted nothing more than to escape and live a better life than her parents could ever give her, and when she did manage to escape one hell, she found herself in a new quarter of purgatory built just for you.
You used to think that maybe you just bring the worst out in people, but after seeing the worst of humanity outside of your broken relationships, too, you’re not so sure about that anymore.
The fact that you don’t understand why you can’t stop your usually so intelligent brain from spinning out of control makes you want to claw at the walls of your apartment that threaten to cave in on you.
Part of you wants nothing more than to run and never look back, but you can’t run forever. This time, you wouldn’t be running from the Devil; you would be running from a fear of your own feelings. Human feelings. Feelings that have a high likelihood of recurring, and then you will have to run again. 
You can’t run from reality forever. It’s a different reality now, but it’s a better reality. That is a rational thought, but being rational currently has no place in your mind, so you’re spiraling, and all because a nice guy asked you out for coffee. 
You find yourself in a cab a few minutes later, wearing a pair of sweatpants, and an oversized shirt, with an untouched bottle of wine in your bag. Your worn-down sneakers are not the appropriate footwear for today’s weather, but you couldn’t be bothered to pick another pair. 
You’re aware that it’s late and maybe you should have texted, but you’re already here, and Claire told you that you could always come to her, even if it happens to be the middle of the night. If the rule still stands after she suddenly decided to stay at your co-worker’s place without a proper explanation, you’re not quite sure though. 
You knock. At first, no response. You knock again. The floorboards creak on the other side of the door. 
“Claire, it’s Liv,” you call out.
You can hear the exact moment the person inside the apartment starts to panic. The floorboards creak again, more frequent this time, and it sounds almost as if Claire is turning the room upside down. You raise your eyebrows. 
Before you can knock again, the lock finally clicks, and she opens the door. She’s more of a mess than you are, and that is put lightly.
“It’s the middle of the night,” Claire greets you. “What are you doing here?”
You blink a few times. “Hello to you too?”
She sighs. “I didn’t mean—I’m sorry, it’s just been a long night.”
“I can see that,” you answer. “Are you alright?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” She looks you up and down. “What happened to your nose?”
“It’s a long story.”
“No shit.”
“Yeah. Can I, uh, come in?”
She hesitates before stepping aside to let you in. “Sure.”
You take a quick look around the apartment. Nothing seems out of place. A bowl of cat food stands in the corner by the kitchen. The window in the living room is open, but it seems intentional. 
The scent of antiseptic lingers in the air. You’re not sure if your nose is betraying you as you breathe in, but the smell is familiar. Bandages, disinfectant, and salve. You don’t want to question it, but you can’t help it. 
“Did you hurt yourself?” you ask. 
Claire blows her nose behind you. If you didn’t know better, you would think she was actually sick. She shakes her head upon hearing your question, but there is a faint blush on her cheeks. 
“What makes you think that?” she retorts. 
“Oh, no particular reason. It just smells very… hospital-y. That’s why I asked.”
“I, uh, I had to put a bandage on my leg earlier ‘cause this stupid cat decided to scratch me after peeing everywhere.” She sniffs. “Had to clean the wound, that thing—“ she nods toward the cat sitting in the cat tree, “and then the apartment. Maybe that’s why.��� 
You follow her gaze toward the little furball resting on his cat tree. You approach him, but Claire seems less pleased at the prospect. 
“Be careful. He’s pissed.”
“At you,” you correct her. “Also, you’re having an allergic reaction, and—if he really, honest-to-God scratched you—very probably an infection. Why are you even staying here?”
Your voice rises in pitch when you reach the sleeping cat. “Hello, you.” You stroke his fur. He only opens one eye to sniff you, but once he recognizes you, he starts purring. For a moment, you forget the reason why you even came here. 
Claire exhales loudly. She scratches her neck, her skin threatening to break out into hives. “It’s a long story,” she says. 
You glare at her over your shoulder, your hand still stroking up and down the cat’s back as he settles back into a deep sleep. “I’m worried about you."
“That’s sweet of you, but I’m fine.”
“You called out of work and told Shelly you were sick.” You straighten up and turn back to face her. “You’re not sick, Claire.”
She sniffs as if to prove her point.
“Your immune system is overreacting by producing Immunoglobulin E. The antibodies are traveling to the cells responsible for releasing chemicals into your body, causing you to get a stuffy nose and break out into hives. You’re not sick. You’re allergic to cats and sharing an apartment with one. There’s a big difference,” you state. “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but you have to admit that, from where I’m standing, your behavior looks a little suspicious.”
“I’m going through some shit, alright?” she says. “And it’s a lot easier to deal with them here than back at my place. That’s why I called in sick.”
You don’t know what to make of her answer. It’s vague. You don’t like vague answers because they often indicate a bigger problem. It is one thing for you to deal with your demons on your own and refuse to talk about it with your best friend; it’s another thing entirely to keep a dangerous truth from the person you’re closest with, one that could potentially lead to worse consequences. If Claire were a naturally secretive person, maybe you would understand, but she isn’t like that. She isn’t you. 
She’s the only person who knows your entire story. She saved your life. You can’t imagine her keeping secrets from you that might end up hurting her. 
You dare to ask, “Are you in danger?”
She shakes her head a little too fast. “I’m fine, Liv. Really.”
“I’m sorry, but I have a hard time believing that.”
“It’s…personal.”
“Personal? Oh, my. Are you sleeping with Luke again?”
Claire stammers. The look on her face suggests that she didn’t expect you to jump to that conclusion. “What? How did you even–”
“Are you?” you repeat your question. 
The last time she slept with Luke Cage, she lied to you about it. She knew you would worry. It’s only natural for you to come to that conclusion now. Except that Luke is in prison, serving his sentence, and it doesn’t make sense. 
“How would I sleep with an incarcerated man?” Claire deadpans. 
“I’m sure you have your ways,” you say. 
“You’re grasping at straws.”
“That’s… true, but it’s coming from a place of love.”
She responds with a sigh. “I don’t wanna fight.”
You join in. You exhale, slowly lowering yourself down on the couch. “I’m sorry,” you murmur. “Just tell me you’re okay, please.”
She offers you a gentle smile. “I’m okay,” she says. 
“Thank you.” 
You choose to believe her. For the time being, at least. 
The silence tugs at your brain cells. You obsessed over Claire’s situation because you didn’t want to face your own, but now that your thoughts have regained the freedom to roam and cause irreversible destruction, you start spiraling again. 
You reach into your bag. 
“You brought wine,” Claire points out. 
“Yep,” you say. The bottle weighs heavily in your hand.
“You need a glass?”
You unscrew the top. “No.”
She doesn’t listen. Claire makes her way into the kitchen, reaching for the wine glasses in the cupboard. “Does this have anything to do with why your nose is all blue and swollen?” 
You shake your head at her question. “That was a patient I tried to sedate. No, I, uh… I have a date,” your voice falls flat. 
The wine glasses move back into the cupboard. Claire turns around, her eyebrows moving up to her hairline. “Come again?”
“I have a date.”
Saying it out loud makes it real. Something so surreal cannot be real, but it is. You have a date with Matt Murdock. Your heart begins racing again, and you feel the same desperate urge to scream into the nearest pillow again. 
You take a sip of wine straight from the bottle. You have a date with a nice man who, for the first time in two years, made you see some resemblance of light at the end of this endless tunnel of despair, and the thought alone is terrifying. Because how are you supposed to live after just existing for the longest time? After you dedicated your life to the act of survival?
Claire steps out of the kitchen and in front of you. “Liv, that’s… that’s amazing!” she says. She sounds like a proud mother. Maybe she is. 
You want to shake your head, but you can’t find it in yourself to do anything other than put the bottle back against your lips and take another sip. The alcohol burns down your esophagus into your stomach, spreading a warm feeling through your fragile body, and into your broken soul. 
“Or not,” she corrects herself upon seeing the expression you’re carrying. Your eyes are empty. “I’m confused,” She pauses, “Are we not happy about the fact that you’ve finally got a date after two years of being miserable?”
If she puts it like that, you feel even more miserable. Another sip of wine finds its way down your throat. 
“Okay, maybe you should put the bottle down. I’m sorry if I said something wrong–”
“It’s not you, it’s me.” You put the bottle down. 
Claire sits down next to you, but you get up before she can take your hand and look at you with that caring look she always gives you when she’s worried. You’re not even mad that she played your concerns down when you expressed them and now she is expressing concerns about you; you’re mad at yourself. 
She watches you. “You have a date. That’s a good thing. It means you allowed yourself to finally say yes to someone interested in you, right?”
“No,” you shake your head. 
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“That’s not an answer.”
You’re pacing over the creaky floorboards. “The last time I went on a date with someone was after my intern year.”
Her gaze softens. “You told me that,” she murmurs. 
“He took me to a restaurant,” you tell her. Your lip quivers as you speak, and your nails dig into your palms until they draw blood. You can barely feel it. His face is right in front of you. “It was a nice restaurant. He paid for me, even offered me his jacket while we were walking home. It was the best date I ever had. And then he kissed me on the doorstep before wishing me a good night.”
“I know. You told me all of that before. But you couldn’t have known that he would turn out to be who he turned out to be. He was your boss. He had no right—”
“That is precisely the problem, Claire!” your voice breaks. “The guy I met, he’s… his name is Matthew. He’s… he is so nice to me. He cares. He treats me like a human being. He… he’s respectful. He called me beautiful. I don’t even know how he knows that. He just… he was so nice to me, and I feel so comfortable around him. I haven’t felt this comfortable around a man in so long. I… I wanted to go out with him. I flirted with him, for fuck’s sake! And when I’m with him, I finally feel wanted again.”
“But you know who else was nice to me when I first met him?” you say. “Who was respectful? Who said I was the only real thing in this world, the only important thing in his life, and that he loved me? You know who made me feel safe and wanted, and who said he cared about me? John said that I was the most beautiful woman on this planet, and I fell for it because he was nice to me. He–”
“But that guy isn’t John,” Claire cuts you off. She raises her voice only slightly—only enough to make you stop and stare at her, tears streaming down your cheeks. You’re miserable. You’re a mess. It is truly embarrassing. But she doesn’t look at you any differently.
“Don’t you think I know that?” you snap back. 
“Liv–”
“Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. I’m 32, and I can’t sleep without a nightlight most nights because I wake up in a cold sweat. I can’t drop a glass without going into shock. I can’t look in the mirror without feeling his hands on me. Without feeling disgusting and worthless, and…” You can feel the shiver traveling up your spine from the thought alone. “I can’t exist without feeling like he should have killed me when he got the chance.” 
“Liv, I know you’re upset, but please, don’t say that,” Claire says, her voice gentle yet assertive.
“Why? It’s true. I wish he would’ve killed me. He took four years of my life that I can never get back. At least if he’d killed me I wouldn’t have to suffer now.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want you saying things like that.”
“You don’t get it,” you say. “Every time I look in the mirror, I want to vomit because I see what he made of me. I can’t even meet a nice guy and allow myself to like him without seeing his face and hearing his stupid voice in my ear, telling me—telling me that no one will ever love me, that he tainted me, and that I will never be free of him because I can’t exist without him.” You break into a sob. 
“And he was right, you know,” you cry. “I ran from him. I made the hardest decision of my life after years of living in his shadow, and I almost died. Because of him, I can’t trust a kind and respectful man who treats me like a person to actually be kind, and I recoil at the thought of someone being gentle with me. Something is seriously broken inside of me, Claire. Very, very broken.”
Claire opens her mouth, but all she can do is bear your tirade. She knows that if she speaks now, you will find another reason to shut her down. This is your pain talking. It’s a powerful avalanche set out to cause destruction on a global scale.
“With Matt, I—” you exhale. “I was myself around him for the first time since I ran away, and he didn’t shy away. I had hope, Claire. I felt like I could finally step into normal life again after settling down here, and I thought I’d have a chance,” you say. “But I just have to close my eyes, and John is right there to ruin everything for me. He is always right there, and I can’t fucking escape him. That’s the problem. That’s why I can’t be happy about this date because I’m fucking terrified. I can’t go through this again. I—I can’t give myself to someone again because there is hardly anything left of me. He took everything, including my ability to love another man ever again, and that thought is fucking with my head.”
You fall silent. The tears continue running down your cheeks, and you bury your face in your hands. Your knees are so weak. You don’t have it in you to hold yourself up any longer. You drop to the carpet, crying into your hands, but you don’t sob. You stay silent because your pain is so great, you don’t know whether to scream or shut down, so you scream internally and shut down from the world around you because you can’t face it. You can’t face Claire. 
The couch creaks. Her feet brush against the carpet. “He abused you,” her voice borders above a whisper. 
She kneels beside you, her hand reaching out—but not touching you. She knows what lines to cross and which to better leave untouched.
“What he did to you wasn’t your fault. He’s a cruel man with cruel intentions.” When you don’t shy away from her proximity, she finally places her hand on your shoulder. “You did the impossible. You survived. You’re here now because you chose to save yourself, and that is so admirable,” she says. “It’s been two years. You’re safe here, you’re not alone anymore, and I know it hurts and it is terrifying, but it’s a good sign that you want to feel more of what this guy made you feel.”
“But I can’t,” you choke out. 
“I know, and I wish I could help you, but I’m not a professional. The truth is, John may have made you feel like there is nothing left of you, but you’re not Olivia Clarke. You’re still you. You’re still…” Claire takes a deep breath before she utters your name. Your real name. The one you were given when you were born. 
The mention of your name makes you shiver. “She’s gone,” you say. “He killed her, but he left her body alive.”
“She’s not gone, she’s just buried very fucking deep. I mean, you said it yourself. You could be yourself around this other guy, and he took you for who you are. That isn’t Olivia, that’s you. And it’s such a good sign that you want to go out with him. That you like him. John hurt you, but he didn’t break you beyond repair. Please, you have to remember that.”
Your tears slowly subside. Her words finally manage to reach your rebelling mind through your ears. Even though everything feels like it has been wrapped in cotton, she manages to get through to you like no one else. It was a subconscious decision to come to her, but perhaps your soul knew something that you didn’t, and you can’t say that opening up didn’t help. 
The mess slowly subsides. Left behind is nothing but hot air, and the words Claire decided to share with you. 
You look up to meet her eyes. She smiles down at you. “I just… I don’t want to feel like this anymore,” you whisper.
“That’s why I think you should go on that date,” she tells you.
“Yeah, but who wants to sign up for a mess like me?”
“Seems like he does. And if he’s a good guy, he’ll like you regardless of your mess.”
“You know it’s not that easy.”
She shrugs. “I hate to break it to you, but you can’t pretend it never happened. And you can’t give John the satisfaction of putting your life on hold because of him. That’s just giving him what he wants.”
“I don’t want to give him what he wants,” you’re quick to answer.
Claire hands you a tissue, and you take it gratefully, wiping your runny nose and the salty tears stuck to your dry skin.
Her words stir something within you; even though you don’t want her to be right, she is. Matt may not deserve a mess like you, but if he’s truly a good guy, it can’t hurt to see if it would work between you. And when your past comes out eventually, there is a chance that he won’t abandon you. A slight chance, but a chance nonetheless. That’s a positive outlook you still have to learn how to adapt.
“C’mon.” Claire helps you off the floor and onto the couch. 
You reach for the bottle of wine instantly, but she takes it away from you. She screws the top back on and places it aside, far out of your desperate reach.
“This is not the answer,” she says, “talking is.”
“Can’t we talk and have wine?” you counter.
“Not when you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”
You sniff, wiping the remaining tears on your cheeks with the tissue. 
“We need to take care of you, and alcohol won’t fix your problems.”
Once again, she isn’t wrong. You let out a defeated sigh before dropping your head in her lap. 
A long time ago, you used to be an affectionate person. The fear of being hurt again, of someone raising their hand against you, took that away from you. With Claire though, it’s different. You know she won’t hurt you. She’s not that kind of person, and you can say that with complete certainty. 
Claire Temple is not a violent human being, except for when the people she loves are in danger, but only then. 
She gently brushes the hair out of your face and crumbles it into a messy bun at the back of your head. She wipes at your nose and the last of your tears before they can dry out your skin more than it already is. The past couple of days have taken an emotional and physical toll on you. 
You wince slightly when you notice how sore your nose is. It isn’t broken, but you still got hit. You’re not quite healed yet. A shiver rolls down your spine. 
Shaking her head, Claire gently removes her hand. “You always get yourself in trouble when I’m not around,” she mutters. 
You scoff softly. “Maybe that’s a sign.”
“A sign for you to be more careful, yeah,” she says. 
“Now, where would be the fun in that?” You try to joke, but your voice falls flat with the weight of your exhaustion. 
Claire offers you a chuckle, but it’s more of a pity laugh than anything else.
You sigh. You know that you’re not an example when it comes to the significance of making the right decisions. Not at all. 
“Did I ever thank you for saving my life?” you ask her then, breaking the silence between you in two.
She leans back against the cushions. “Once or twice.”
“Not nearly enough then.”
“I don’t know about that. I mean, if you hadn’t come into Metro General with your hand in a man’s chest cavity, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to help you. You chose to stay.”
“Well, I had my hand on his vena cava, so, letting go would have been unfortunate for the poor guy.”
“That’s true.”
“But if you hadn’t disobeyed protocol, risking your job by putting your trust in me, I wouldn’t have had a reason to stay.”
Claire looks down at you, and you meet her eyes. “That sounded a lot like a love confession,” she nudges you.
You roll your eyes playfully. “You wish.”
“Hey, I’d understand it if you were in love with me. I’m hot.”
She never fails to make you laugh, even when you feel like a truck has rolled you over and broken every bone in your body. That is one of the many qualities you value about her. She’s a good person with a good heart, and she is the kind of person you could trust with your life and she would always make sure that you come out on the other side unharmed, mentally and physically. 
If she hadn’t taken you under her wing, you’re not sure where you would be, but it surely wouldn’t be where you are now.
When your laughter quiets down, you nod. “I can’t argue with that. You are hot. If you weren’t my friend,” you say, “I’d ask you out.”
“And if I were into women, I’d say yes,” she says. 
“I appreciate that.”
“Speaking of dates though–” She stops when you sigh a little too loudly. Claire shoots you a stern glare before she continues, “Promise me you won’t cancel.”
It’s not a question, it’s a statement. She wants you to mean it. You won’t lie; canceling your plans with Matt did cross your mind, but after Claire worked her magic on you, you can see a little clearer. The fog that kept your mind clouded has started to lift slowly but steadily. You’re no longer spiraling as fast as you have before. 
If you could wash your hands and wash him off of you, it wouldn’t be as much of a problem as it is, but you’ve tried. You have tried washing all memory of him off of your body, out of your mind, but he’s a resilient son of a bitch. John will always try to drive a wedge between you and a normal, happy life, the question is just if you will allow him to do so without even being near you, or if you will finally allow yourself to crawl out of the dark hole he tossed you into. 
You can’t do it alone, and asking for help is terrifying. You have spent the past two years trying to push through. Unfortunately, your healthy coping mechanisms won’t work forever. 
You sigh again, a little quieter. “I won’t cancel,” you tell her, your voice barely above a whisper, yet still so very certain. As certain as you can be, anyway. 
“Thank you.” Claire reaches for the wine bottle next to the couch. “You deserve to be happy.”
“Hm,” you can only murmur. 
“What?”
“What are you doing with the bottle?” you ask. 
“Drinking,” she says. 
“Now I feel betrayed.”
“You should celebrate the fact that you found a Matt, or whatever his name is, and not another Mike.”
You promptly sit up. “Hold up. Pause. Rewind. Mike, like your ex?”
Claire takes a sip of the bottle. A storm rages behind her hazel eyes. You have never seen her that conflicted before. 
“Is he the personal reason why you’re subjecting yourself to a constant allergic reaction by staying here?” you ask. 
The pieces slowly start falling into place. She nods. “Not Mike Mike, but yeah. It’s always the Mike’s.”
Your jaw drops. “I feel like you skipped some chapters there. You met a guy and you didn’t tell me? What–”
“He met me,” she corrects you. “I didn’t tell you because we’re not a thing. Let’s just say there’s a reason his name is Mike. That’s why I’m here.”
Claire takes another sip. You watch her closely, trying to catch her in a lie, but it seems like she’s telling the truth—or a version of the actual truth, but that still makes it true. She’s giving you as much as she can after you cried your eyes out to her. 
You clear your throat, lowering your voice. “But you’re not in danger?” you ask to clarify. 
She shakes her head. “I just have shitty taste in men, even if it's platonic, apparently. It’s like… I’m trying to exist, and then I find a stray cat in a dumpster, but the stray cat has been stabbed and needs medical attention.”
“But you’re allergic to cats and you’re not a vet?” you try to make sense of her analogy. 
When she lets out a sigh and nods, you figure you came as close as possible. It still doesn’t make sense to you, but when does anything? At least when it comes to romance and people’s love lives.
You decide to push a little more, “Did you actually find an injured guy in a dumpster?” 
She shakes her head. The reaction comes a little fast, but you don’t question it. “No, that–that was just an analogy,” Claire says. 
“And Mike is the stray cat in that analogy? But not your Mike, another Mike?”
“Yeah.”
“Dude, you’re frying my brain cells.”
“The single one you still have, or did you buy new ones?”
You try not to laugh, trying to look like you are genuinely offended, but your lips still curl up into a smile. “Shut up,” you mutter. You reach for the bottle, against better judgment, and take a sip.
Claire shakes her head. “What I’m trying to tell you is that, if he’s a good guy, you can’t let him slip away. You can’t let a good thing slip away and possibly end up with a–a Mike kinda guy for the rest of your life.”
“I know.” You look down at your hands, your broken fingernails, and sore knuckles from the constant scrubbing. “I just wish I could understand what he’s doing to me without questioning my entire existence.”
“Some people are just that enigmatic,” and she sounds as if she knows exactly what she’s talking about. 
You wonder about Mike. Not her ex-boyfriend but the one she mentioned. He sounds like he has no sense of self-preservation, and he may not even be a good influence. He reminds you of yourself, and that’s creepy—you don’t even know him. 
And then there is Matt, who is also so eerily similar to you, but in different ways. It’s more of an emotional connection. His heart is in the right place. And unlike the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, he doesn’t have a savior complex.
Why did he even come to your mind? His existence should not be playing into the equation. You brush the picture of his chiseled chest in that tight shirt away, or the way he looked even more dangerous with that smirk below the the mask. 
You hand the wine bottle back to Claire. If you don’t cut yourself off now, you will melt into a puddle of embarrassment. 
Your focus should be on Matt and Matt alone. You have to try. Claire was right. You can’t sacrifice your happiness because you’re scared—you can’t give the man who dedicated his life to breaking you and your confidence down the satisfaction of cowering in fear every time a man shows an interest in you. A good man. A man who could make you happier than he ever had. 
You won’t run this time. You will face the situation head-on. You owe that much to the little girl who dreamed of a life beyond the hell she grew up in, the same girl who was obsessed with finding her soulmate and still believed in true love. Above everyone, you owe it to yourself. No one else matters quite as much as you do. 
And for the sake of seeing what could be instead of wondering what could have been, you have to try.
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Tag List: @shiorimakibawrites @allllium @siampie @auroraslibrary @roseallisonparker @abucketofweird @thatonegamefish @capylore @kniselle @sumo-b98 @peachstarliight @danzer8705 @kakamixo @littlehappyperson @atemydadforbreakfast @stevenknightmarc @zheezs14 @shouldbestudying41 @kiwwia-wiwwia
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lemonnsss · 3 months
Text
Moral of the Story Chapter 4
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Gif by: @celebritiesandmovies
A/N- I’m so sorry for the late update! I’ve had some issues with my health recently that have led to some related issues in school; but, I’ve been feeling a lot better and tried to edit this up quickly.
It’s not my best work, but I had no idea what to do with this chapter, please forgive the nonsense.
Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4
Taglist: @vicmc624 , @mostlymarvelgirl , @yvonneeeee, @beetlejuicesupremacy , @moonlightreader649 , @whattheduckisupkyle , @chrisevans-realwife, @nekoannie-chan , @mrsbarnes32557038 , @imyourbratzdoll , @weallhaveadestiny
Word Count: 1.2k
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I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The thought that Scott would leave never so much as crossed my mind. How could it? Jean and Scott had been dating since the seventh grade.
I must have reread his email half a million times, each time hung on the words “I’m leaving the mansion too.”
I was pulled from my shock as I heard the door shut behind me. I put my phone away, internally prepared myself for the interview questions, and turned around, standing from the chair. I began to talk before I saw the figure, “Hello, again Ms. Potts. That was quite the situation-” I stopped. I had expected to see Ms. Potts. Instead, there stood Tony, who seemed equally shocked to see me there.
“Why hasn’t Pep sent you out yet?” He moved from the door to the desk, “The last person to make it this long had a mental breakdown a week later.” He passed my side, slipping onto her desk. He kicked his legs slightly before he appeared to remember I was still present.
“Regardless, where is Pepper? She usually never leaves interviewees unattended,” He leans back, bracing himself on one of his arms as he reaches to the top of the shortest stack with the other quickly lifting the top sheet and, while scanning it, says, “and most certainly never leaves them around confidential company information.”
“Technically, the interview hasn’t begun.” An uncomfortable pause fell in the room as he waited for me to elaborate, “Her regular assistant is on maternity leave. Her fill-in accidentally double-booked her- she’s in a meeting right now.”
He let his head fall back dramatically as he scoffed, “Shame, I had wanted to tell her something in private. Do you know who’s all in there with her?” A cocky smirk plastered on his face.
“No? Why, Tony?”
He slipped off the desk, similarly to when he hopped up, “Oh, nothing. Just have a bit of information to share with the class.” he was almost halfway across the room when he turned back to me. His smirk was now a shit-eating grin.
“Wait,” I ran to the man, grabbing his wrist, his expression turning amused, “if the information is so important, would it not be better to share it with her privately as you originally intended.”
I suppose I had a stern expression as I said that as Tony burst out laughing, “What am I? A schoolboy scolded by his teacher?”
“Not far off on the teacher part.” He stopped for a moment before a small smile came across his face.
“Really now? When was that?” He leaned against the table again, his interest shifting to the current topic more and more.
“It was my last job. I taught at a private academy outside Salem for almost three years.”
“Interesting. And what provoked the sudden career change?”
“I don’t believe I owe you that information, Mr. Stark, unless it pertains to a crime.”
A silence passed as he tilted his head one way and then the other. “Fair point. It doesn’t apply to California's laws, but sure, plead the fifth. I won’t judge you.”
“Oh no,” I said sarcastically, “how could I ever go on with the great Tony Stark judging me!”
“Ha-ha, very funny.” He moved his hands in an almost childish manner. Playing to exaggerate his point, “You don’t seem like the type to leave such a luxurious position for any old reason. And given that you didn’t have a job lined up, you left quickly. Why is that?”
“... My long-term partner and fellow teacher at the institution cheated on me with our co-worker.”
I looked up, his face seeming to wander between holding back a chuckle and ‘Oh shit’.
After quickly stiffening his laugh, a voice rang out behind, “Well, that’s quite the loss on their end.” Ms. Potts said from her place, leaning on the doorframe. Noticing her, I stood up, “You were a great help today, and from the small glimpse I’ve seen with you and Tony, well, I think he’ll be in good hands.” 
By the time she finished her sentence, she was standing in front of myself and Tony. He still placed his weight on the desk but now he stood with his back straightened. I couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle, watching how much his demeanor changed when trying to maintain a good image around her.
“Please, Ms.Potts-“
“-Call me, Pepper. Please.”
“Alright… Pepper. Thank you, but you’re too kind. I just did what I could to help. That’s nothing to be hired over.”
I watched as she placed a hand on her hip, looked at Tony, then looked back at me.
“Hun, I mean this in the nicest way I can,” she says as she placed her hand on my shoulder lightly pushing me to sit, “do you want this fucking job?”
"Yes?"
“Great! You’re hired. Tony is scheduled to attend an event in Milan later this week so, I’d recommend you get ready for it. You’ll be at the convention for four days, not including travel days, please keep that in mind while packing. Now, if you don’t mind,” she moved her arm in front of her covered desk, “I have a few rather large stacks of paperwork to get to. Tony will show you to your office, once you’re done you’re free to leave,” she moved around the desk to type something on the computer, “I’ll have the receptionist send the order out for your ID badge, we’ll most likely have it tomorrow, otherwise it will be the day after that.” She moved up to Tony and me pushing him off her desk and casually shooing us to the door, “Congrats on the new secretary, Tony, don’t fuck it up. And to you, good luck.”
And just like that, I was standing outside of Ms. Potts' office with Mr. Stark. He led me over to his office, the room was rather cluttered but, inside and to the left there was a door. He looked over his shoulder, I guess to check to see if I was still there. He then opened the door, which, led to the secretary’s office.
“There’s another door leading in from the hall, so, please, don’t feel required to come through this room every morning. If you have any other questions, you have my number. Otherwise, I have better things to do.”
“I’m good Mr. Stark.”
“Mr. Stark was my father, call me Tony.”
“Okay then, Tony.”
“Well, I’ll be seeing you then.” He gave a slight wave and walked out into his office. The sound of his door closing let me know he was either leaving or heading back to Pepper’s. 
I took another look around the room, it was well-furnished and fairly clean. There was nothing I could see that needed repair either. I wouldn't need to bring anything in.
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We boarded the plane about sixteen hours ago and finally reached our destination. We were about five minutes from landing. I got up to wake up Tony, who had been asleep for the past four hours.
I walked over to his chair, slightly nudging his shoulder, “Mr. Stark, wake up. We’re about to land.”
“Fuck you”
“Apologies, sir.” I sat across from him and buckled my seatbelt.
After I had finished the pilot sent the message over the intercom. Tony begrudgingly followed the instructions. The landing was a bit bumpy, but far from the worst I’d felt.
Once we were given the all-clear to start unboarding we started walking down the airplane's staircase. I started walking towards the car that was waiting when I heard a loud bang. The unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang out. I turned around and saw Tony writhing on the ground.
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letsgetrowdy43 · 4 months
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Timeline—
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Au Masterlist!!
Evangeline "Angie" Chandler is from Dallas, Texas. She was raised there by her mother and father, alongside her older and younger sister.
Her mother played hockey alongside Ellen when they were little and remained one of her closest friends up until graduating from college, the two of them lost contact as their lives got busy and they both gained a career and families.
But they got close again when a scout reached out to the Chandler family and offered Angie a position on the USNTDP team, while they were searching for a suitable Billet family they saw Ellen and Jim's names on the list of available rooms and knew that Angie would be in good hands.
Ellen had quite the house full, Quinn was at Umich, Luke and Jack were still at home, and Angie and Alex Turcotte moved into the remaining spare bedrooms as Billet kids. It was hectic, but was so much fun.
Angie loved living with the Hughes, and Ellen quickly became her idol as the mother helped her through the acclimation to playing on an all-boys team, she helped with the tears and the breakdowns, talking her out of quitting her sport when her actual mother couldn't be there to help her through it all.
Angie finishes out her two years with the program, makes an insane name for herself, and suddenly she gets a call from the NHL inviting her out to the combine
The Combine goes well, she is obviously athletically gifted so she does all of the testing just fine, her interviews with teams were a little disheartening, but her ones with the Devils and the Sabres both felt really promising.
Now that it's known throughout the league that a girl was invited out to participate amongst the boys she's getting a little anxious about how real this all is
People either hate her or love her, her stats were impeccable so many hockey lovers are really rooting for her, whereas some people just absolutely hate her
So it becomes a lot, ESPN does a little documentary on her life and achievements, NHL does one on her impact within the program, its a lot of positive media where she's sharing her struggle to be seen as an equal.
She sat through many sexist interviews and read many disgusting tabloids about her that all lacked the conversation of hockey and focused more on literally anything else
But people still really hate her, her 'softness' is not the type of thing the league is built for blah blah blah, misogynistic bullshit.
Anyways, the draft comes around and she is a part of the League "Welcome to the NHL" video along with Cole, Jack, and a few other draftees.
She wore a lavender suit with a list of Women who pushed and fought to get her where she is in life on the inside of her jacket along with a tiny Ellen Hughes quote that said "Give 'em hell," an homage to the woman who pushed her the most.
She was trending on Twitter the second she stepped on that carpet, she was so obsessed with reading how much people hated her as she sat in the stands, that her dad had to take her phone to calm her nerves.
Jack went first like she knew he would, and she was the first person he went to hug after he went through his whole family, whispering a short "I owe this all to you," as she shook her head and hugged him tightly.
She wasn't drafted in the end, and she was so upset, but she was more upset with herself for even thinking that being in the NHL was a possibility.
She ends up crying in Ellen's arms outside of the arena, realizing that nothing she could do would ever be good enough.
She almost quits hockey that summer, but Quinn calls her outraged when she doesn't show up for the first summer training session.
"So that's it?" he asks over the phone. "I don't know what else I can do Q, I've done everything I can at this point, it's not worth the fight anymore" He let out a bitter laugh, "So you just let them win?" she sat for a second in silence before he spoke up again, "I'm not allowing that Chandler, I better see you tomorrow or I will show up to your house and drag you here myself." It was safe to say that she went the next day, but the real emotional moment was when Jim texted her telling her that he missed her at practice to tell her he was proud of her for pushing past it all
Then she was off to university, much like most of the USNTDP boys, Jack and Quinn are both now in the League playing their rookie years
Her collegiate rookie year was the same year as covid so it's pretty bland, her team and roommate are the only people she gets to be around so she felt very isolated by the end of the year
Before the entire world shut down though she got a chance to visit Jack during her reading week, and this is where she meets Nico for the first time
It was literally just a week of him and her giving each other heart eyes, Jack was over it the second it started, he wanted time with his Angie and Nico was ruining it.
By the end of her trip, Jack had practically locked her in his room and said that she couldn’t leave until it was time to go home cause he wanted to hang out with just her for a few days, with no Nico, and no distractions.
Luke got drafted in 2021, and she was asked to join Quinn and Jack in a video tribute for him and the Hughes for ESPN, she gladly reached out and accepted the interview.
It was at that time that a producer told her that if she ever wanted to give up her pipe dream, she could always have the backup of reporting or journalism. She was not a fan of that comment.
She was also there to witness Jack’s over-the-top reaction, which she still relentlessly bullies him for.
She spoke a little to Pat Brisson that night, and he hinted that shortly, the league is gonna do some growing and he wants to be the one to represent her if there ever comes a time that she needs it. She tells him that she’ll reach out if she ever needs to.
She became an Assistant/Alternate captain in her second year (2021-2022) and she loved it, she really grew into her role as a leader and her team was amazing.
Nothing happened over the summer of ‘22 other than training, and a summer fling that she meets at a bar in Michigan.
Fall semester 2022 starts and she’s back in Minnesota, but around a month in she gets a call from the devs asking to meet with her.
Nico, Lindy, Tom Fitzgerald, and a few other legal and coaching staff representatives are the few people in the room as they go over the terms and conditions of her joining the team.
It was summed up to her that she was being brought in as that “glue” character in their locker room, that she was to bring that close-knit family structure that they were missing. The staff had heard from many sources that she was the girl they were gonna want to bring this feeling to, so the devs were the first to take a chance on her.
Nico asked her out a few weeks later and it was a hard no, she was almost a little offended that he even attempted.
So there starts the heat of awkward tension between them, they have amazing chemistry, they play the same line, and they spend nearly every waking second in each other's presence, but there is still some tension between the two of them that seems a little less than friendly and slightly flirty.
Angie is not looking for romance whatsoever, she has a shot at a career, and to her, it seems like Nico is trying to jeopardize her place on the team, or that he doesn't see her as a teammate so she is not only mad but also really hurt that he would act like he wants her there but also through his actions shows that he doesn't.
He doesn't get that, he's a man, and he worked hard to get where he is but he's never faced the same challenges as her so he doesn't see how the weight of his actions could affect her shot at a professional career.
She attended the 2023 all-star weekend in Florida with Jack, and they had a blast, she's the one who sunk Sidney in the dunk tank which was a “mega slay” as she explained it to the reporter on sight (her media training went right out the window the second she saw Crosby)
Her being a locker room staple on the team obviously worked cause they make playoffs!!
She plays a really good run too, with 12 points in her 10 games, but she gets injured in game 4 against the Canes and she didn't play game 5
She sprained her knee and broke her wrist from a hit to the boards and was actually distraught when she was told she couldn't play for the rest of the run. She thought the boys would back her up, and she wanted to prove that she wasn't soft and could continue, but Nico put his foot down and told them that they had to think about her health first and not the possibility of a win.
She somehow found herself at the Stanley Cup finals a few weeks later, helping with commentary for ESPN, she was on a panel with Biz and Gretzky which was both equally terrifying and hilarious.
Angie also attended her first-ever NHL awards ceremony, she was a finalist for ‘Rookie of the Year’ and she won!!!
Nico saw her in her gown and was literally like 😻😻😻 the entire night, Lindy would not let him live it down either, he was relentlessly bullying the Captain every time he even glanced at the girl who was basically the fan favourite on the carpet.
Her summer is spent with a strict physical therapy regimen, but she still has a lot of fun, even attended the Tkachuck wedding with the Hughes’
She spends a week in Sweden with Jesper cause his mother really wants to meet this girl whom both Nicole and Jesper raved about during the season.
Going into her sophomore year she was so scared of ending up in a slump, and she did absolutely that from stressing about it so much.
Her sophomore year is also the year she realizes just how loved she is by the team, because of this slump all of the boys are doing everything in their power to get her through it.
It's also the year she realizes that she might be in love with her captain, but she definitely pushes that thought far to the back of her mind, not willing to think or reflect on it cause she needs to focus on herself and her career.
At this point, Nico has accepted that she views him as a teammate and nothing more so he is just focused on the betterment of the team, but deep down he knows that he will never meet someone more perfect for him than her.
Luke puts him into perspective during training camp while he's bitching about how he doesn't understand why she just won't let him be happy. And Luke being the basically little brother he is just sits up and rips into Nico for being so blind.
"It's like no one in this locker room realizes how much harder she worked for this than we all did?" he looked at the captain as everyone quieted, "she has a point to prove, you just have to play hockey, she has to show that she is worthy to even ben considered equal" and with that, he headed out to the ice, stunning Nico, his brother, and literally everyone in the room.
So that's why he has dropped any type of advances for her that he was trying to pursue, realizing that he was only harming her by trying to chase whatever feelings he had.
Angie on the other end is dealing with a mental battle, cause she never wants to be known as that girl who gets on this team and starts sleeping with her captain, having a reputation followed by a negative connotation is the last thing she wants.
But it's the holidays, they are in Ohio and are celebrating a win against the Blue Jackets in one of the hotel conference rooms, and Nico and her have not left each other's sides all night. The two of them decide to step out for a second of air, cold air filling their lungs as they just quietly stare at each other. The night had been filled with fleeting glances and quick moments of physical touch as they sat next to each other, thighs brushing against each other and hands momentarily touching. So now they are standing outside with this thick tension between them, and she just kisses him.
It's safe to say that she runs straight to her hotel after profusely apologizing to him, his eyes wide as she steps away from him with shaky hands and then just leaves him in shock.
She calls Quinn immediately, she doesn't know why, but she needs to tell someone, and she can't tell Jack, she sure as shit can't tell Trevor or any of the other USNTDP boys, so she calls her basically older brother.
Quinn assures her that she isn't going to get kicked off the team for a simple kiss, and Nico will surely be fine in the morning
Nico is just absolutely gagged, so he's fine, just shocked.
She literally can't look at him for weeks, and he's going insane from her ignoring him, so he pulls her aside and is like 'This needs to stop'
Nico stops her on her way out of Lindy's office and says he needs to talk, she is literally frozen in fear as they walk to an empty room. "Are we okay?" "I am so sorry," they say at the same time as they just stare at each other. "Why are you sorry?" "I kissed you? and it was weird and unprofessional?" "It's fine, just stop being weird about it, it happened, we move past it," he said, trying not to smother her with the feelings that he's still trying to keep it at bay, "do you regret it?" "Yes," is all she says before sighing and watching him nod and leave the room.
They both know she doesn't actually regret it, she is just doing what is best for her and for her name.
I have no idea how they get together just yet, so if you guys have any ideas lmk!!!
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lover-of-mine · 8 months
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I'm gonna start this off by saying that this has been ping-ponging around my head like that old dvd screensaver, quicking around and getting more unhinged every time it hit a corner since April. And while this is a meta on the cemetery scene in Death and Taxes, I will be going back and forth in the whole show, so I don't know, buckle up, grab your delusional juice, and come with me if you feel like it.
First thing about that scene is that it tries to make you think about the equine therapy conversation in Dumb Luck.
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They are in a location we have never seen before and probably will never see again, the outfits are similar, and even the circumstances of the conversation could be read as close to each other, considering Eddie wasn't doing well after almost dying, Buck is definitely not handling his death well. I made a way too detailed meta about the cinematography of buddie during Eddie's breakdown era (you can read it if you want more details) but the main thing about the dumb luck conversation is that Eddie is finally letting Buck in after continuously shutting him down when he tried to offer help and that's reflected on the way they filmed the scene, the way they are talking, moving, positioned in the frame. It's about Buck reminding Eddie that there's hope after all. Considering the moment Buck's in, with them alluding to that conversation, you would've expected for them to do a similar thing with Buck, right? That this scene going to give Buck the same type of peace the equine therapy talk gave Eddie.
But it doesn't. One thing that's kind of a pattern with Buck, Eddie, and Eddie reassuring Buck (if you could call 2 scenes a pattern) is that they have Buck looking up at Eddie (I also talked about this in more detail here if you're interested) but that's interesting because of Buck's height, he's the tallest person in the room, so he's not usually looking up at people, but something about Buck as character is that he has the tendency to sit in higher places, so he's always higher, and he even picked a place where he can sleep in a high spot.
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But when he's getting reassurance from other people in his life, they are both usually sitting down, at the same eye level.
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But when he goes to Eddie for reassurance, Eddie is standing up and Buck is sitting down, so Buck is literally looking up at Eddie when he goes to Eddie for advice. And Eddie is always focused on Buck, in Home and Away, Eddie is reasoning with him, and in Recovery Eddie is trying to give Buck what Buck is asking while not pushing his boundaries.
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Why is that relevant here? Well, Buck spends the whole conversation in the cemetery trying to get Eddie to look at him and Eddie spends most of the conversation looking forward so he won't have to.
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And that alone is very interesting because Eddie is always looking at Buck. I could legit put 100 screenshots here to prove it. So the fact that Eddie can't look at Buck here, means something. Because Buck wants Eddie to be on his side, he needs Eddie to tell him he's doing the right thing, but the way he's talking is making Eddie shut down.
Buck wants answers, right? He wants the easy way out. He died, he has feelings about it he doesn't want to deal with, so he's looking for whatever answers he can get so he won't have to. But the way he's talking sounds a lot like the way Eddie talks to him in Kids Today when he drops Christopher off with him before the tsunami. Very you're alive, get over it thing Eddie had going that ended with him literally destroying everything he had. So, like, we know that's not the way to go about near-death experiences, it doesn't end well because the pressure has to go somewhere and let's face it, Buck has never dealt with anything that happened to him ever. He can't just keep moving past the shit he's been through, at some point, that's gonna catch up to him.
But the thing about the actual content of the conversation is the way that Eddie tries to do the thing he usually does, reason with Buck, "been down that road, don't recommend it" or "or you don't know her the way he does" or "now am I allowed to ask how you are", because it's how they work, but Buck shuts him down with the "I feel like she sees me, like she really sees me for who I am" because that threw Eddie off balance in their relationship, in their friendship really, considering they way they showed us buddie from in a flash to mixed feelings, Eddie is trying his best to be someone Buck relies on, the way we've seen him rely on Buck through his trauma recovery. And one thing we see Eddie constantly do is back away so he won't get hurt once things get too intense. He puts space between him and whatever is bothering him, he ran to LA to escape his parents' judgment (and to be closer to Shannon but his parents played a part there), he kept Shannon at arm's length through most of the time she was back in his life before she died, he kept pushing Buck away after the lawsuit, he pushes everyone away really before his PTSD took him down. Dude retreats from the fight if he's not sure and Buck throws him off balance. Because up until this moment, Eddie thinks he's helping, but we see him realize he was wrong and shut down in real time.
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He's still trying, but his thing now is agreeing with Buck. This gif has 11 seconds, black and white because I wanted the whole thing in one gif, but Buck is trying to get a reaction out of him, but Eddie already moved to a whatever you say buddy mode. AND EDDIE JUST WON'T LOOK AT BUCK.
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So Buck wants to know if he's doing the right thing, Eddie is agreeing with him not because he agrees with him but because now he thinks that whatever he's doing is not helping so putting distance between them will be what's best because Buck is getting what he needs somewhere else so he needs to minimize the damage to himself.
And the distance thing is something that stays until the end of the season, because during the first half of 6B, they are together the whole time, mixed feelings being obviously the biggest example, but they made a point of highlighting the fact that they were very close outside the firehouse, just to stop. They were chilling at Buck's loft, they were out and about scheming the fire captain, Buck looked more comfortable at Eddie's than he did in his own place. But then we don't even see them together in the hospital after the bridge. Like, there's s p a c e now.
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And I spent a really long time trying to figure out what was going on with this scene that made such an impression on me, and it's that Buck doesn't sound like someone who believes in what they're saying, he sounds like someone who's justifying themselves and hoping they are doing the right thing. And Eddie doesn't really let him get away with this line of thought, not usually, but he does now, so they leave that conversation with different impressions of how it went. Buck thinks he's right and Eddie is just backing the fuck off.
And a while back it downed on me what other scene this made me think of. And that's the fountain scene in merry ex-mas.
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They are even shot in a similar way, the off-center wide angle, the close-up from a side angle where you can see the other one slightly blurry, the focus of the conversation angled toward the front of the frame, everything happening in an outside location we will never probably see again, the way they are not looking at each other. And the conversation is similar too, I mean, sure they are not talking about dying but it is a big decision in Eddie's life that sounds like Eddie is justifying himself and needs Buck to agree with him. And Buck is agreeing with him, and not talking about it even though we KNOW he has opinions because he kept trying to talk about it with Chimney because Buck doesn't think it's his place to have an opinion and offer it to Eddie. Both scenes sound like they are talking and understanding each other but what the scene is showing us is that they are not.
And something about the way they are pretty much never looking at each other is that it is a way to show they are not seeing eye to eye in a situation, the most extreme example I can think of it is when Eddie drags Buck out of bed in Kids Today because they are pretty much never looking at each other there.
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But to have them face the same direction is a really easy way to make you feel like something is wrong, especially if they are not moving, because if they are standing in the same spot for 3 minutes they could've turned to face each other, but they don't, because the message here is that they are not really seeing each other. And that in a conversation where Buck is talking about being seen by someone else????? Like, come on, that's so on purpose.
I also wanna add a take that's not mine, all credit to @anxieteandbiscuits for putting this particular thought in my head with this post, that's basically about how the "dating someone you rescued? that never ends well" line might also be another justification for why Eddie chooses to stay quiet. Because one thing is true, and that is that buddie do be rescuing each other. And it really sounds like something Eddie would do, to justify to himself not doing something that could make him lose Buck any way he could, because romantic relationships are very unstable, no matter how much you want it to work, how much you love each other, there's a very real level of unpredictability in a romantic relationship that doesn't exist in their friendship. So to imagine him going "the friendship is good, the friendship is what I need, I won't do anything to change that because I don't have to and it probably wouldn't end well with our track record anyway" makes a lot of sense too.
If you made it to here, I love you <3
I have more metas here if you feel like reading more of my brand of insanity.
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anyasathenaeum · 1 year
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Vash having a little boy and girl omggggggg so cute i can see it so clearly! If you could write about Vash bonding with his new little kiddos that'd be so cool! Thank you!!!
A/N: I absolutely can write some dad!Vash headcanons!
Warnings: AFAB!Reader, this is an extension of a previous request
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So, as aforementioned, I definitely see Vash as a dad to either twin boys or twins where there's 1 boy, 1 girl
Vash embraces becoming a dad almost immediately, but the poor guy is filled with self-doubt
"What if I can't protect them, (Y/N)? What if... I lose them, too?"
Poor guy has definitely had like a borderline breakdown over having children to protect, but you're always there to comfort him and reassure them that you and him were a team
ONTO DAD!VASH
Absolutely a doting dad
Would be the kind of dad who would wake in the middle of the night when either one of the twins woke up, allowing you to sleep and rest
You'd definitely catch him holding the twins close when they're still babies, tears streaming down his face as he holds them close and comforts them, kissing their small heads
He just loves them so, so much, your family is his driving force in life now
Seriously, Vash takes every opportunity to hold the twins, feed them, cuddle them, burp them, etc. he's constantly involved and helping
As the twins begin to get older, Vash is still protective but he's definitely a fun, loving, and fun-loving dad
Would be the kind of dad who would attend tea parties in full get up (boas, sunglasses, tutus, you name it) if the twins wanted him to
I can literally picture Vash doing the "airplane" thing with both the twins, letting them "fly"
There's definitely been moments where you had to tell not only the twins off, but Vash, too
But all three of them share the same puppy-dog eyes that melt you (curse you, genetics), so you're softer on them all than you wish you were sometimes
Don't get me wrong, though - Vash can be fun, and is definitely a great dad, but he also knows when to put his foot down
He's always kind and understanding, never raising his voice with the twins, instead sitting with them and talking out the situation, whatever it may be
As for the twins themselves, because they're hybrids, they grow up considerably faster than human children, but not nearly as quickly as plants do
I feel like the twins would mostly look like Vash, with only a feature or two being inherited from you
Seriously, all three of them would have the same big, blue, expressive eyes, they'd have the same birthmarks, but maybe their hair colours differ, the hair types differ, the skin colour differs, etc.
(I leave how the twins look like up to you, dear reader)
TLDR: Vash is best dad and the twins would grow up to be wonderful people thanks to him and you :D
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