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roosterforme · 4 months

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The Younger Kind Part 44 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley swallows his pride and seeks out a conversation with Admiral Simpson, but he's surprised by the response he gets. You keep everyone on their toes, and you do it so effortlessly, Bradley knows it's time to go shopping. And he uses Skittles as the perfect cover.

Warnings: Swearing, angst, fluff, smut, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4000 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

When Bradley parked at work a little early on Monday, he sat in the Bronco for a few extra minutes. He had just witnessed you and Noah making breakfast together, and it was making it really hard to be away from you right now. When he walked into the kitchen, you were brewing coffee and singing the dinosaur song with his son while the two of you spread that weird avocado stuff that you liked so much on some toast. He had started to love it, too, and Noah would eat anything you made.

He removed his aviators and pinched the bridge of his nose. There was so much he wanted to get done this week, including looking at a few engagement rings, but he knew better than to make any sort of excuses to get some time alone. That had nearly backfired on him when he went to get Skittles. He was going to have to get creative somehow.

When he pulled out his phone to call the animal shelter about getting Skittles' cast removed, he froze. Across the parking lot, Nat and Javy were both getting out of his car. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as he watched his best friend groping their coworker, and he grimaced. He'd already seen too much.

"Hello, this is the San Diego shelter. How can I help you?"

Bradley nearly dropped his phone; he'd forgotten he was making the call. "Yeah, hi. I need to schedule an appointment to have my dog's cast removed?"

"Oh! Are you talking about the Yorkie?"

He smiled as he climbed out onto the already hot pavement. "Yeah. Skittles. I'm hoping she has sufficiently healed."

"Why don't you stop in on Wednesday and we can check her out."

"Sounds good, thanks," he replied, following Nat and Javy at a very conservative distance. But apparently he wasn't cautious enough.

"So," Nat sighed once Bradley joined her in the hangar, "you saw Javy and I in the parking lot." It wasn't a question, so he decided to just nod and roll his eyes in response. "Oh, come on, Rooster. I'm just having some fun."

"Look at him," Bradley muttered, glancing to where the man in question was smiling at Nat. "Are you serious right now? You want to make him cry or something?"

Now she was the one rolling her eyes. "I'm not taking advice from you. You're historically terrible at dating."

"I'm doing a pretty good job now," he said, smiling as he thought about you.

"You can't even get Cyclone off your girl."

Bradley covered his face with one big palm. "You noticed that?"

Nat laughed. "Everyone at the botanic gardens on Saturday night noticed that."

"Fuck," he groaned. "If she wasn't so young and so fucking hot, I wouldn't be about to embarrass myself by trying to get him to let me fly in the air show."

She just shook her head as she reached for her helmet and muttered, "Oh, cry me a river."

"Hey." Bradley turned just in time to see Javy greeting the two of them like a puppy looking for Nat's attention. He was honestly worse than Skittles at the moment. "The guys are talking about a beach day this weekend. You know, since the summer is ending."

"We don't need to do another beach day. We live in San Diego," Nat replied as she sipped the coffee she wasn't supposed to have inside the hangar. "It's the same season all year round."

Javy laughed like she was a comedian, and Bradley looked back and forth between the two of them, completely baffled by this dynamic. There's no way you and he made a couple this wild.

"Yeah, but it's still the end of August," Javy said, now smiling at Nat as if she was the most adorable thing in the world. "Rooster, you can bring your girl and your kid. It'll be fun."

"You know what," he replied, "I think I'll go if Nat goes."

Then Bradley strolled away as they started arguing, because he saw Admiral Simpson on his way to the tower. He just needed to get Cyclone alone for a few minutes, swallow his pride, and try to head Jake off for the air show. The opportunity arose after lunch when Bradley caught him checking his phone outside the rec room door.

"Admiral Simpson, sir," he greeted before grinding his back teeth while he thought about you. "May I have a word?"

Cyclone glanced up before pocketing his phone, a look of vague amusement on his face. "Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

"It's about the upcoming air show. Sir. I was hoping you could tell me if you'd made selections regarding who would be flying in it."

His look of amusement grew. "I have not. I believe that was on my agenda for today or tomorrow." He paused before adding, "I've been meaning to thank you for that glass of bourbon on Saturday night. Woodford Reserve is one of my favorites."

Bradley remained unflinching. Although he had no idea what Admiral Simpson was talking about, he thought it better to simply agree with him. "Yes. The Woodford Reserve."

He nearly took a step backwards when the other man started laughing. "You'll have to thank your girlfriend for me, too. And I'm assuming the reason you're here is because you want to fly in the air show?"

"Yes...sir," Bradley replied slowly, feeling very off balance now that Cyclone was being so agreeable.

Still chuckling, he said, "I'll see what I can do," before turning and walking away.

Once he was out of earshot, Bradley pushed through the door to the rec room as he muttered, "What the fuck was that?"

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It was almost fun for you to pick Noah up from daycare now. Not that you would ever admit that out loud. But the enjoyment you found in the way Casey pouted at you was a bit of a guilty pleasure, and besides, you got to have Noah greet you like you were the most exciting and interesting person in the world.

"Mommy!" he called out as he ran across the lobby and into your arms. "Guess what my craft is!"

"A dinosaur?" you asked as you shot an extremely fake smile at Casey before heading outside.

"Nope."

"A... dog? Did you make Skittles?" you asked as you put him in your car.

"Nope."

"The solar system?"

"Nope."

"Hmm. Will you give me a hint?" you asked, brushing his soft curls away from his forehead and giving him a kiss. But he was already unzipping his bag and pulling out his newest painting. There was a big, light blue shape that looked like it could have been Bradley's Bronco along with a man who appeared to be sporting a mustache. "Is that Daddy?"

"Yes!"

Then you noticed a little brown blob. "Is that Skittles?"

"Yes! She's his best friend!"

You laughed, because Noah wasn't wrong. Skittles seemed to love Bradley the most, and as much as he tried to fight it, the dog won him over. "She is," you agreed before buckling him in. "She's his best friend besides Aunt Natasha."

Noah shook his head. "She doesn't count, because she's an Aunt."

"Right, right," you said, not wanting to fight his childhood logic when Skittles wasn't even a human. "You're completely right. Should we go home?"

You started singing the dinosaur song as you drove, and because of a detour, you had to drive past the park where Meredith had chased you down. A shiver rippled through your body as you remembered falling and scraping up your arm in your haste to get Noah safely in your car. You hated coming home this way. There was a reason you never did it.

"Mommy, why did you stop singing?"

You glanced in the mirror at Noah's face. "Sorry! Where were we? The part about how the dinosaur stomp, stomp, stomps?"

Bradley was already home when you pulled into the driveway, and you found him dozed off on the couch with Skittles curled up on his chest. Two seconds later, he was jolting awake with the dog in his hand as Noah ran for him. "Daddy! I made you! Out of paint!"

"Cool," Bradley told him, pulling Noah onto his broad chest as well. "And how's Mommy?" he asked, his voice a little raspier just for you. "How was your day, Princess?"

You shook off the last remaining thoughts of Casey and Meredith as you leaned down to kiss him. "Pretty good." He chased your lips for more, but his arms were too full of Noah and Skittles for him to be able to reach for you. "Looks like you're still tired from the weekend," you said with a wink.

"I had a nice conversation with Cyclone today."

"Oh? About what?" you asked as you started to head to the kitchen to make dinner.

His expression remained completely neutral as he told you, "Bourbon. Woodford Reserve, to be specific." When you said nothing, he added, "We can chat about it later."

So you made spaghetti, knowing you'd been found out. You had been tipsy on Saturday night at the retirement party, but you were pretty sure you remembered what you did. Probably. You hoped Bradley wasn't mad at you over it, but he seemed to be in a good mood as he ate dinner and offered to give Noah a bath while you walked Skittles.

She was stubborn for you at first, plopping down on the front porch and whimpering for Bradley while you tugged gently on her leash. "Come on. You're making me look bad! You were my idea. Mine and Noah's." When she remained in her spot, you had to reach into your pocket and say, "Treat?" That did the trick, and you got her to take a slow lap around the block with you while you broke a milkbone into little bites and gave it to her.

When you returned home, Skittles bounded into the house to get to Bradley where he was sitting on the bathroom floor, looking comically enormous with Noah's rubber duck in his hand. You stood in the doorway and watched him automatically reach down to pet the little pup, taking caution with her casted leg while he rinsed the shampoo out of Noah's hair.

"You want to go to the beach this weekend, Bub?" he asked softly. "With Aunt Natasha?"

"Can Skittles come?" Noah asked, and you watched Bradley place a soft kiss on his wet forehead that left you reeling. Suddenly you couldn't wait for Noah to be in bed so you could have him all to yourself.

"Maybe. If she gets her cast off on Wednesday," he replied softly as the dog fully plopped down with her head on his thigh.

"Daddy?" you asked from your spot in the doorway. It was almost a whine, and when he looked up at you, you were certain he knew what you were thinking about by the little smirk on his lips.

He reached into the tub to drain the water as he asked, "Do you need some attention?"

You just nodded, still in your scrubs from work, but you felt too warm now as you pressed your thighs together. "Yes."

"Fifteen minutes, and then you can have it," he replied with an edge to his voice. "Can you wait that long?"

"I can try," you murmured before you turned to go into Noah's room and get his dinosaur pajamas ready. Anything to expedite bedtime. You listened while Bradley took his time reading three stories, and then you kissed Noah's forehead before you tried to pull Bradley toward the hallway.

He chuckled and whispered, "I'll meet you on the couch."

"Oooh, the couch," you said before running from the room. Before you could even decide what you wanted to do, Bradley was behind you wrapping his arms around your waist and tickling your neck with his mustache.

"I kind of miss those nights when I would help you study."

You moaned softly. "Anatomy really is your specialty."

You felt him pull his right hand away from your body, but before you could complain, it reappeared in front of you with a bag of Skittles on his palm. When you spun in his arms and kissed him, you whispered, "You're so sweet."

Bradley lifted you up and took you the few steps to the couch where you settled in straddling his lap while you opened your candy. "If you're this excited about something I picked up at the gas station, I wonder what you'll do if I buy you something a little more expensive."

You met his soft eyes and leaned in to kiss him. "How much more expensive are we talking?" you asked, treating him to the orange Skittle you pulled out of the bag. He parted his lips and you slipped it between them, watching his jaw work as he chewed it up.

"A lot more expensive," he replied as you ate three candies. "Hey, this is a 50/50 relationship here, Princess."

You shoved a small handful into his mouth and kissed his cheeks as he sputtered and chewed. "I'll share everything I have with you. Too bad I don't have much."

Bradley swallowed down the treat and reached for your free hand. "You give me everything I need. Everything I want, too."

You basked in the warmth of his words as your eyes closed, and a welcome heat crept into your cheeks. "I love you."

"Then I think you'll love what I'm planning on buying for you," he whispered as his mustache grazed your chin and jaw.

You grinned, hoping you already knew what he was talking about, but too afraid to say it out loud. So you pushed the thought from your mind and scooted a little closer toward him on his lap. "What's this I'm hearing about a beach day? And Skittles getting her cast off? This is all news to me."

He didn't miss a beat as he wrapped his big hands around your hips and said, "What's this I'm hearing about some bourbon at the retirement party? It's all news to me."

"Oh," you whispered softly before eating more Skittles, buying yourself a little time to think. "Well, you see... I wasn't exactly sober."

"You're joking," he deadpanned.

You rolled your eyes and shoved more candy into his mouth. "I may have had a glass of bourbon sent over to Admiral Simpson, courtesy of Lieutenant Bradshaw and his girlfriend..."

After a few quiet blinks, Bradley's head tipped back in laughter so loud that Skittles the pup came running into the room. "You didn't!" Bradley said. "I have to work with that man!"

"Somebody had to make the big move, Daddy! It cleared the tension!"

He met your eyes, still shaking his head and smirking. "It also made you look like Daddy's good little girl."

Your heart skipped around in your chest at his words, and you set your candy aside in favor of wrapping your arms around his neck. "Am I not? Daddy's good little girl?"

"Oh, you absolutely are," he replied as he lifted your top inch by inch. "I just never thought my boss's boss would see it that way."

You raised your hands up in the air, eager to lose your shirt, but he took his sweet time about it. "Daddy."

"You can be patient," he whispered, smiling when he saw your purple bra. "Pretty." Your top dropped to the floor as he cupped you through the lace, finding your nipples right away. "You feel like going to the beach on Saturday?"

Bradley's lips found the tops of your breasts, and you could no longer formulate real words. You just hummed in response already knowing he was going to take expert care of you right now and on Saturday as well.

"You could wear your purple bikini and tell all the other guys to fuck off," he said as he ran his nose softly along your skin while he unhooked your bra and let it fall next to your top.

"Would you like that?" you asked as your fingers tangled up in his hair. He answered you by nodding as he took your nipple between his lips. Bradley was all big hands on your bare skin and just the perfect amount of roughness. "Oh god," you whined.

And then he had you on your back in the middle of the area rug with his body over yours. His thigh was rubbing you through your thin pants, and you bucked up gently against him as his heavy weight pressed deliciously against your body. "I love you," he grunted as you tugged at his hair.

"I love you so much, Daddy," you gasped as he yanked your pants and underwear down and off, leaving you in only your socks. He fumbled with the front of his pants for just a few seconds before pulling his length free, and you spread your legs wide for him.

His lips and tongue were wet on your neck as you held him close, lost in the domesticity of having sex here now. Just like your first time with him. Right next to the snag in the rug. But this time you could hear Skittles' claws tapping across the kitchen floor, and you could see some of Noah's crayons that had rolled under the couch while Bradley fucked you. You could smell the lingering scent of the pasta sauce from the dinner you made. You could taste Bradley's now familiar tongue as it met yours. And you could feel his rough hands on your hips and belly where he'd now touched you hundreds of times.

You fell in love with the flood of familiarity he brought to your senses, and it left you smiling up at him when he broke the kiss. "Jesus," he grunted, cupping one cheek in his hand. You kissed the side of his thumb as he stroked your skin, and you watched him slowly come undone for you. "I'll get you there," he promised, changing his angle so he rubbed your clit with each movement.

Just like the first time, he filled you up as soon as you came, and your name was all over his lips as you smiled at the lost crayons before closing your eyes. Bradley collected you against his body as he eased himself down onto his side, and you sighed contentedly. You held onto his wrist as he ran his hand along your hair and kissed you. In that moment you would have agreed to anything he said.

"Baby, I'll be a little late on Wednesday night. I have to take Skittles to get her cast off, and then I need to stop at the store."

You hummed softly in response, pressing your lips to his. "Sounds good."

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The only time Bradley heard from you on Wednesday was when you told him that one of your patients came in with an emergency, and you wanted to let him know you'd be helping Dr. Kelly with a minor surgical procedure. He was excited for you, but he didn't want to bother you. Even though he had good news.

"Congrats," Jake drawled in the locker room after a very long day of flying. "Don't know how you managed to pull this one off, but I heard you're flying in the air show."

Bradley ran his towel over his chest before tossing it into his locker. "Thanks," he grunted, trying not to smile. He'd be able to take you on the tour of the hospital with him, and then you and Noah could watch him fly. His son had never seen him in the air before, and it gave Bradley goosebumps knowing that the two of you would be able to do that together.

Jake gave him one last appraising look before he got dressed. Honestly, it was probably the fact that you upped the ante with Cyclone that Bradley was chosen over the others. Perhaps now things could be called even. You managed to keep everyone on their toes in the best way, and it made him smile even now.

You were in rare form this week, luring him in for living room floor sex when there was a perfectly new bed in the bedroom. And then last night, you got him to watch a Disney princess movie with you, even after Noah was in bed, and Bradley had begrudgingly enjoyed it. You were laying across his lap on your back when the end credits rolled, and you said, "If you're a good boy, I'll make you beignets just like Princess Tiana."

Bradley had smirked. "Do those have cream filling?"

"No," you whispered as he eased your shirt up so his palm was flat on your belly.

"Do you want some?"

He had been thinking about getting you pregnant as he made you bury your face in the couch pillows to keep you quiet.

And that was just one of the many reasons he was about to leave work and head home to grab Skittles before stopping at the jewelry store across town. If Casey managed to bump into there and ruin this surprise as well, he would probably lose his mind. But the jeweler near the animal shelter was one of the best in the city, so that was where he would go.

Bradley awkwardly held Skittles while he drove, and eventually she curled up with her head on his thigh while he sat in traffic. She seemed to be doing great, so he hoped that was a good sign that the cast could come off. You and Noah were delighted with her, and she somehow made Bradley fall in love, too.

"Yeah, you're sweet," he told her, scratching her behind the ears while he drove. He parallel parked the Bronco with one hand while he continued to pet her, and when he took her inside the shelter, he held onto her a little tighter. It was hard to believe she'd been here just a few weeks ago, completely unwanted.

Bradley pressed kisses to the top of her head as he waited for the receptionist to finish her phone call. When she hung up, she asked, "And who do we have here?"

"Skittles Bradshaw," he replied, nuzzling his nose against her fur and wondering how on earth he had gotten so attached to this little pup. "Hopefully she can get her cast off today."

He only had to wait a few minutes, and then he watched as they examined her before cutting into the cast plaster. Once she was free, Skittles took a few tentative steps across the exam table, and then she jumped right back into Bradley's arms.

After he paid the monstrous bill for such a small creature, he carried her down the sidewalk, enjoying the cooling temperature as the sun set. When he checked his phone, he saw that you'd finally texted him again.

My Princess: Noah and I are going to play at the park near the beach. Leftovers when you get home?

He typed out a quick message letting you know that sounded perfect. Thoughts of you and Noah together filled his mind as he entered the jewelry store, and two women looked up at him and Skittles. "Is it okay if I have her in here?" he asked, but they both immediately rushed over, practically screeching about how cute his dog was. Honestly, the pet would have probably worked out better than the dating app had for him.

"What are you looking for?" the first woman asked as she petted Skittles on her head.

A soft smile made its way to his lips as he said, "An engagement ring."

"Oh! Of course, let's just head over here to see what you like best. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

Bradley followed behind her as he nodded and said, "A princess cut diamond."

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A princess for a Princess. Also, there is no way Skittles wouldn't be a magnet for all the ladies. A big man with a small dog... just fuck. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 45

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jpmarvel90 · 6 months

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Sacrifice

Masterlist Natasha Masterlist

Word Count: 5148

Relationship: Sister Nat & Sister Yelena x Reader Wanda x Reader

Summary: Y/n has been haunted since she watched Natasha fall to her death on Vormir. Her own grief is only intensified when Yelena finds out and shifts blame to the one person that wished it was her who had made the ultimate sacrifce.

Y/n's POV:

Coming home from Vormir without Nat was the most heartbreaking moment of my life. Seeing our sister Yelena's reaction added to the pain that I was already feeling. When Clint, Nat and I arrived at Vormir, none of us thought we'd be leaving as a duo. As soon as the realisation hit, I knew it had to be me. Clint had a family and the world needed Natasha. I was the obvious choice.

But Nat had other ideas. She had to be the hero. Whilst her and Clint were fighting, I took the opportunity to go myself. But Nat stopped me at the last minute. My feet were off the ground as I jumped, I was content with my decision. But my stubborn sister had to be the hero. She was able to grab me at the last minute and use her strength to switch our position.

I still had a hold on her hand, but she was out of reach from Clint, so it was reliant on me to be able to pull her up. That was made even more difficult by the fact that Nat didn't even try. My eyes were filled with tears when I realised that I wouldn't be able to save her. "You can't leave us. Yelena needs you. I need you!" I begged her, a sob getting caught in my throat. "It's ok. You'll be ok." She tells me but I shake my head, tears continuing to fall. I try once again with all my strength to pull her back up. "Let me go." She whispers before kicking off the wall. I can still see her body falling as I failed to save her. The world lost a hero that day and Yelena and I lost our sister.

It never should have been Nat. She was the true hero that carried on fighting when so many gave up after the snap. She gave her life to rectifying the wrongs she was forced to do whilst in the Red Room. Her ledger was already clean, and she deserved the chance to be able to have a normal life. To not have to fight any more.

After the battle was over, we were reunited with our family and friends that we had lost five years ago. I hadn't only lost Yelena, but my girlfriend Wanda too. It had been hell, and it was the reason I stuck by Natasha and worked tirelessly with her to find a way to bring everyone back.

However, telling them both the news was almost as devastating as the moment I saw Nat die. Yelena was angry and couldn't understand it. Wanda was devastated too. Nat had been like a sister to her when she first joined the Avengers. She was hurting too. I tried to be there for them as best I could. I was still grieving myself, but I knew I had to be there for my sister and girlfriend.

It was hard as they both started to withdraw, spending more time together. They had a shared experience and found comfort in each other. I started to feel like an outsider and my relationship with Wanda was slowly becoming more distanced. Yelena rarely spoke to me. Until she uttered the most devastating words at Nat's funeral. "It should have been you." There was a venom to her words and I could see that Wanda agreed. It made everything more painful as they were true. It should have been me. No one needed me. But Natasha Romanoff, everyone needed her.

Life at the compound become more difficult by the day. Those of us left signed to work with the government to keep the world safe from another situation like Thanos. There were rumblings that Hydra had resurrected, so most of our missions focused on wiping out anyone who posed a threat.

During this, my relationship with Yelena became non-existent. Any words said in my direction were said with hate. It got so bad that Fury could no longer put us on the same missions as he couldn't guarantee my safety from my own teammate, my own sister.

Wanda never officially broke up with me, but she moved out of our shared room and no longer spared any time for me. If I walked into a room, she was quick to leave. The love we once had seemed to have vanished when Nat died. Each day, it just reiterated why it should have been me.

So, I decided that I had to find a way that I could bring Nat back. No matter what the consequences might be. I spend a lot of time in the library working out if there was anything I could do that might be able to make everything right again. Though one phrase keeps coming up. "A soul for a soul." It's what's the Red Skull had told us when we were on Vormir, could that be a replacement for a soul already sacrificed.

I decide that's where I need to start. A trip back to Vormir and a conversation with the Red Skull will hopefully set me off on the way to bringing Nat back. I just need a distraction for everyone here so I can "borrow" a quinjet and make the journey. "Hey Y/n, we're going to have a team evening together. Maybe go for a couple of drinks, want to join us?" Bucky calls out after knocking on my door.

"Are Yelena and Wanda going?" I ask as I open the door. He looks at me sympathetically and nods. The rest of the team have been a little distant with me too. Not that I blame them. They're closer to Yelena and Wanda so I don't expect them to insert themselves into the middle of whatever shit show of a relationship we have.

"I'll give it a miss tonight. Thanks, though Buck. Have a great time." I tell him with a tight lipped smile. "You ok Y/n?" He asks me, taking me by surprise. "Oh yeah. I'm good. Thanks for checking in. I appreciate it." I respond. He nods and goes to turn before stopping and looking back. "How about on Friday, you me and Sam all go out together. Make a night of it. I know you've been a little isolated recently. I'm sorry for that." He suggests. "Oh uh. Thanks Bucky, sure that would great." I agree and I see him smile. "Great, we'll sort something out." He smiles and heads off.

This gives me the perfect opportunity. If they're all out, I can start to bring my sister back. I take a bit of time getting everything in order just in case I don't come back. I leave a message for Nat, hopeful that she might be able to see it one day. I considered leaving one for Yelena and Wanda, but they won't care. They'll be happy that the right person is with them.

I hear them all leave about 6pm so I gather a few of my things and head out. One of the few skills I'm grateful for from the red room is my hacking ability. Hopefully, by the time Shield realise the jet is missing, I'll be long gone. I'm weirdly not nervous as I board the quinjet. I feel a sense of hope. I know this is the right thing to do and I just pray that I'll be able to pull this off.

When I finally reach my destination, I take the familiar walk up to the top of the cliff. I get flashbacks of the last time I was here. The last time I was with my sister. I can still hear the conversations we had as I reach the top. I familiar figure waiting for me.

I take a deep breath and make my way forward as the figure turns to face me. "Ah, Y/n Y/l/n, I wondered when I would see you again."

Wanda's POV:

This night out with the team was much needed. Since everything with Thanos, it's been difficult to find the light. We lost a lot and we're still healing. I was surprised when I felt a pang of disappointment when Bucky came to us without Y/n in tow. Not that I'm surprised, we've not exactly made a welcoming space.

I especially have been bad with her. She's my girlfriend after all, but I just let my grief consume me. Add on the confusion of missing out on five years of life, it's just been difficult to make sense of it all. Yelena was the only one who knew how I felt and it was easier to be with her than Y/n.

But now I realise what I'm missing. The support and comfort of the woman that I love. I was stupid to let myself become influenced by Yelena. I started to feel her anger, but mine wasn't directed at Y/n. It was the situation. It just became my outlet as I had nowhere else to direct it. Which is completely unfair on Y/n. She was grieving herself and lost Yelena and me on top of it.

"I'm going to check on Y/n." Bucky tells us when we arrive home, earning a huff from Yelena. "Why do you care?" She snaps. "Because she has become isolated and it's not fair. I shouldn't have let it go on for so long." He defends. "Maybe she deserves it! If it wasn't for her, Natasha would be here." Yelena bites back. "ENOUGH!" Clint shouts, stepping in front of Yelena.

"I promised Y/n I wouldn't get involved, but I can't stand here anymore and let you talk like this. Y/n tried everything to save Nat. She had to watch as she slipped from her fingers after doing everything for it to be her. Y/n had wanted to make the sacrifice herself. So please just stop. If you don't want to be around her or have her in your life, fine. But this bitching needs to stop." He scolds the young Russian. Yelena doesn't respond but lets her head hang low for a moment. "I'll join you Bucky." Clint responds, following behind Bucky.

I should go with them. But when I take a step, Yelena looks to me. "I need more vodka." She huffs, taking my arm and moving us into the kitchen to get a drink. But before she's able to drink the shot she's poured, FRIDAY makes an announcement. "Director Fury has request everyone's attention in the conference room immediately."

"Cyka." Yelena huffs, quickly taking the shot and making her way to the meeting room. I follow behind and see Bucky and Clint return but without Y/n. I don't question it, instead I take a seat next to Yelena. "Would one of you like to explain where the quinjet is?" He asks, his tone flat. "No idea. We've all been out for a team meal." Sam explains. "Was Y/l/n at this meal?" Fury asks after noticing her absence.

The silence provides his answer. "That would explain the encryption on the tracking." Fury sighs. "Wait, you think Y/n has taken the jet?" Clint asks, giving Bucky a worrying look. "Well, considering she's the only one not here and only two people in this team have that ability to hack the quinjet like that." He responds and we all know the other is Yelena.

"This is not good. Do you think she's actually done it? That she found away?" Clint whispers to Bucky who matches his concerned look. "Do you know where the jet was heading?" Clint directs to Fury who shakes his head. "No, she's hidden the location." He replies. "Shit." Clint mumbles. "Something you'd like to share?" Fury questions him. Clint doesn't respond but pushes a piece of paper towards him.

Fury takes it and I see a sadness flash across his face. My heart rate picks up a little and the regret of how I have treated Y/n these last week's grows tenfold. I selfishly thought she would always be there waiting for me for when I was able to get passed this grief.

"Ok, let's go. Hopefully we can catch her before she does something stupid." Fury moves to leave with no explanation. "Would someone like to explain what is going on?" Yelena asks angrily. "Considering you haven't cared about Y/n's wellbeing recently, I'm sure you don't care now." Clint snaps and I see a flash of hurt on Yelena's face. "We don't have time for this." Bucky steps in, bringing the focus back to the situation at hand.

Mindlessly, I follow behind the others towards the quinjet. I have no idea what's going on, but from the panic in both Clint and Bucky's eyes, I know it can't be good. "You're going?" Yelena reaches out to grab my arm and spin me around. "You're not? She's your sister Yelena. I know you're angry at her, but it seems like you might lose her too. It's a loss I know that I won't cope with." I respond, snatching my arm from her and running to the jet.

"Co-ordinates set to Vormir." Clint tells Fury as the jet takes off. Hearing those words sends fear through my body. Why would she be going there? This fear and sickening feeling just grows as we get closer to our destination. The rest of the journey is in silence before the jet touches down.

Cautiously we all disembark and my eyes instantly land on the quinjet a few metres away. "This way." Clint instructs, directing us towards a worn path up to the top of a cliff. As quickly as we can, we start off to reach our destination. Though I don't think any of us expected the sight that was waiting for us.

In this moment, I feel like my heart is in my mouth. My emotions overwhelm me as I see the person that I had been grieving for. "Natasha?" Yelena whispers in shock as our eyes land on a familiar red head in front of us. I wipe at my own eyes, not believing what I'm seeing in front of us. Nat turns around with a confused look on her face as she looks over us. "You're really here?" Yelena says as she rushes forward and wraps her arms around her sister.

My own gaze then moves around trying to find Y/n. She has to be around here somewhere. "What happened? How am I here?" Nat asks once we've all greeted her, plenty of tears shed between us. That's when I notice the sadness in Clint and Bucky's eyes. "Clint?" I ask, panic building within. All he can muster is a whisperer sentence. "A soul for a soul."

Natasha's POV:

The last thing I remember was being in this odd space between reality and wherever I was due to move onto next. I was aware I was dead, and it seemed like I was just waiting. For what, I'm not sure. But I certainly hadn't expected that I would find myself back on Vormir. I knew time had passed. I just don't know how much time.

I look over the edge of the cliff as flashbacks from that day replay in my mind. I jumped. I stopped Y/n from doing it and I jumped in her place. I died, making the sacrifice so we could get the soul stone and beat Thanos. Had we beat Thanos?

I don't get time to really take it all in as I hear footsteps behind me. I quickly turn, getting in my fighting stance ready for whatever might be coming my way. However, my question is soon answered when I see two faces that I've not see in five years. Within seconds Yelena has wrapped her arms around me and is holding me close. I take comfort in her arms and look around for our other sister, desperate to hold her too.

After greeting everyone, I ask what had happened and that seems to bring a sadness to Fury, Bucky and Clint. When Wanda pushes Clint, he simply states, "A soul for a soul." I don't understand what he means, we already did that to get the soul stone in the first place. "What do you mean? Where's Y/n? Is she back at the compound?" I ask, not getting a good feeling about my sister not being here for this reunion.

"Let's get back home and we can share what we know." Clint suggests, guiding us back towards the path. Yelena and Wanda both stick close to me. Yelena seems delighted, but Wanda has a darkness around her. A worry that I don't understand. But I fear it is related to Y/n. "How long has it been?" I ask, wanting to get some sense of the time that has passed. "Three months." Yelena responds. "It felt like we had only been gone for seconds but in that time, I had lost you." She adds on, turning to me and pulling me into a hug once again. I've never seen Yelena this vulnerable before, so I just hold her that bit tighter.

When we reach the quinjet, I notice that there are two which takes me by surprise. "I'll take this one back. Then we'll meet to discuss moving forward." Fury explains, to which Bucky nods. "Not that I'm complaining, but is anyone going to explain how I'm back?" I ask, getting a little frustrated. They all look at each other until Clint speaks up. "We actually have no idea, but we think it has something to do with Y/n." He responds, before turning to enter the jet, preventing me from questioning him further.

My mind is so confused right now. It still feels a little hazy as we fly back to the compound. I have so many questions and I can't quite make sense of what is happening right now. As grateful as I am to be with my family again, I want to understand why. Is this temporary? Will I end up back in the middle place again?

When we arrive back home, I aimlessly follow the others to the conference room. "You go and rest Natasha, we'll give you any updates as needed." Yelena instructs me but I shake my head. "I want to know how this has all happened, especially if it's got something to do with Y/n." I reply, continuing on my journey with the others. I hear Yelena mumble something under her breath and she doesn't look too happy, but ultimately doesn't stop me.

I take my usual seat in the conference room, and I realise that the others are in a state of shock. They are all staring at me as if I'm going to disappear at any moment. "Where's Steve and Tony?" I ask, noticing two very empty spaces in the room. They take the time to talk me through what happened after they returned with all the stones. Knowing that Tony sacrificed himself for the greater good brought a tear to my eye. But I'm grateful that Steve was able to get his second chance with Peggy.

Now we come on to the more difficult conversation of how I happen to be back on earth, very much alive. "Bucky and I went to check on Y/n but she didn't answer. FRIDAY notified us she had left the compound but that she had blocked her location. With the door unlocked we went in and that's when we found that note." Clint explains as Fury nods along. "That would work with the timeline of the quinjet going missing. She obviously waited for you all to be out of the compound so she could do what she needed uninterrupted." Fury responds.

"What note?" I jump in, still confused about what is going on. Did Y/n really steal a quinjet? Why would she do that? Fury moved his hand into his inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a note before handing it to me. I open it up and I feel both Wanda and Yelena peer over my shoulder.

Maybe this time I can make things right. I'll make sure it was me. Take care of Nat.

I look up from the note to the others. Wanda is full on crying when she sees the words on the paper. Yelena won't make eye contact whilst both Bucky, Clint and Sam look like they're grieving. "What does this mean? What does she mean by making sure it was her." I question, wanting to get some semblance of what is going on. This looks like a suicide note.

I start to get frustrated when no one answers me. In fact, they all make the effort to not meet my eyes. "Someone tell me!" I shout, banging my hand to the table making them flinch. "Yelena?" Clint speaks, raising an eyebrow at her. I turn to face my sister who looks as white as a ghost. "Lena, what is going on?" I ask calmly, but again she doesn't respond.

"Her and Wanda have spent the last three months telling Y/n that it should have been her and not you. I guess she finally found a way to make that true" Bucky finally breaks the silence and my heart with it. "What?" I gasp, turning to look between the two of them. "Did you really say that to her?" I ask, shocked that Yelena could do something so horrible to Y/n. They've always been so close.

When both of them fail to respond, I stand up ready to leave. I can't believe this. "Natasha wait." Fury tries to stop me. "No! From what I can work out, these two pushed Y/n so far that she has killed herself to bring me back. That's what you're telling me without actually telling me isn't it." I snap, tears filling my eyes. "We don't know exactly what happened." Fury responds but I just scoff. "She stole a quinjet and flew to Vormir. You found me and Y/n was nowhere to be seen. I think we all know what happened." I retort.

Quickly turning to face Yelena and Wanda, I feel my anger build. "I'm so angry at you. It was my choice! I decided it had to be me. I had my chance at living and making things right. Y/n still had so much of her life ahead of her. She was in there longer than us Yelena. She had you, Wanda and she was happy. I couldn't take that away from her or you! I made the decision to jump because I thought that if it was Y/n, you'd be left without a girlfriend and you your favourite sister." I yell, jabbing my finger in the direction of Wanda and Yelena.

"Fuck! It was my choice! It was meant to be me. But now I hear that she's spent the last three months without anyone whilst she went through grief, being told it was her fault and she should have died. Her last three months were probably miserable, and you can't change that. She's gone. Y/n is dead. Do you realise that? She's not going to magically rematerialize. And it's all your fault!" I rant, anger and an overwhelming sadness taking over me.

At my words, I see the realisation hit Yelena and Wanda. Tears start to fall down their cheeks. "I jumped so she could have the life you promised me she would have. A life where she would be loved and protected. A life where you would never hurt her. But it couldn't be any further from the truth!" I spit at Wanda, venom lacing my tone.

"And you. How can you even treat our sister like that. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to forgive you." I turn to Yelena, my heart aching knowing I've lost two sisters today. Not allowing them time to respond, I storm off to what used to be my room. Ignoring the calls from behind me.

When I reach the accommodation floor, I find myself stuck outside Y/n's door. My hand hovering over the handle. There is a part of me that is wishing this is some sick joke and I'll open this door to see her sat on her bed, drawing, or listening to music. That she'll actually be alive, and I won't have to face living in this world without my sister. The sister that gave me my humanity.

Slowly I push the door open, and I instantly get enveloped by her scent. Tears once again prickle at my eyes when I see the cold room is empty. Wanting to feel closer to her, I move further into the room and towards her desk where I spot a USB sat on an otherwise spotless desk.

Pulling her desk chair out, I sit and turn on her laptop. Letting out a teary laugh when I see the photo of her, Yelena, and I when we were drunk on a night out. We look the happiest we've ever been. It was one of the first times we'd been able to just forget about life all together and this photo represented that. I reach out and rest my fingers over her face. "Oh, moya malen'kaya sestra. (My little sister) I'm sorry I failed you." I cry as the thought of not seeing her again hits me.

Composing myself, I plug in the USB and open it to see there is only one file on it. A video file entitled "For Natasha." Hesitantly, I click on the file and let out a sob when I see Y/n's face appear on the screen. Straight away I notice that she's barely slept and there is a pain in her eyes I have not seen since we saved her from the red room.

Video message

Hey Nat. I really hope that you are watching this. If you are, it means that I finally did something right and managed to rectify the mistake that I made that day on Vormir. I never should have let you jump.

You see, the thing is about you Natasha, is you don't see your worth. You believe the trauma that you went through as a child is something that you must atone for, for the rest of your life. Despite telling Yelena, me and countless other widows how our actions were not our fault, you failed to allow yourself the same courtesy.

Since joining Shield and then the Avengers, you have done far more good than you ever did bad. Not that you had anything to make up for in life. You had every right to live a normal life, to try and move on from the horrors of your past. But instead, you set your mind to saving others who couldn't save themselves.

Don't tell the others, but you were the true hero of the Avengers. Your intentions were the purest. You were not blinded by money, fame, or righteousness. You were doing everything you could to try and drive out evil from this world. To stop others having to experience a pain like you did.

It's why I decided to jump. Why it should have been me that made that sacrifice. You had already given enough. It was your time to live your life in peace. If you had chosen to carry on your life as an Avenger, then so be it. But it would have been your choice.

The world needs Natasha Romanoff. Yelena, Clint, Shield, hell even my girlfriend, needed you more than me. It's why you never should have given your life that day. It's why I was the logical choice. The only choice.

Yes, hearing that being reiterated by people I love has been hard to hear these last few months. But it's the truth. It's why I tried so hard to find away that I could rectify that mistake and make the world right again. I think I finally have that answer now. A way that I might be able to bring you back. I pray that this works and maybe Yelena and Wanda can stop hating me. Not that I'll know, I guess.

I know that everyone will be able to move one without me in their lives. But you, well we know the world deserves and needs Natasha Romanoff. I just hope that I'm able to give it to them.

If you are sat watching this Nat. Please know how much I love you. You are the reason that I experienced freedom and free will for the first time. You gave me a family, a chance at love. All things that I thought I would never experience. You saved me in more ways than one and I will always be eternally grateful for that.

Being able to call you my sister has been the greatest honour Nat. I love you with everything I have, and I hope that one day, we may see each other again. In a life where there are no expectations of us. A life where we're free to live as we want. But before that time, live your life to the fullest. Enjoy it and have a vodka for me. Ya tebya lyublyu, moya sestra. Do svidaniya. (I love you, my sister. Goodbye.)

I feel the sobs wrack over me as the screen goes black. I feel grief wash over me in waves. It physically hurts to know that she sacrificed herself for me. For her to believe that this world needs me more than it needed her. She is a light that shone brighter than anyone I had ever met. But now that light is extinguished.

With my grief overwhelming me, I feel the sudden need to leave her room. Being surrounded by her things, knowing she'll never be here again is just adding to the pain. As I stand and turn around, I spot Wanda and Yelena crying in the doorway, clearly having overheard the video.

"Natash..." "Don't." I hold my hand up to stop Wanda straight away. "She needed you. Both of you. But you were selfish and put your own grief above hers. You could have supported each other. Grieved together, moved on together and had a life together. But instead, everything is ruined." I express, pain lacing my voice.

"Natasha please." Yelena practically begs, reaching out to take my hand but I'm quick to snatch it away. "No. As far as I'm concerned, I lost two sisters today." I state before barging past them both and to my own room. Quickly locking the door behind me.

I fall onto the bed, the whole day becoming overwhelming. I don't know where to go from here. How do I live a life that doesn't have her in it. How am I supposed to live like she told me to, when I can't share it with her. I feel at a complete loss. Of all the things I have sacrificed, my own life included, this was one I was too selfish to give. But have ended up losing anyway.

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x y/n #avengers fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #marvel #avengers #romanoff #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #yelena belova #yelena belova x reader

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minarisplaything · 9 months

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On the Dance Floor ft. NaMo

pairing: Nayeon x Male Reader x Momo rating: T to M-ish range wc: 1.5k warnings: infidelity prompt:

A night out with your girlfriend's "sister" and her friend takes an unexpected turn.

There were certain lines you didn't cross in life. Lines that, even if not legally wrong, were morally pretty fucking bad. And you were sure that sleeping with your girlfriend's older sister was one of them.

In your defense, you hadn't exactly planned on it happening. It was more the culmination of a series of events that had ultimately led you to this point. To crossing the one line you should have never crossed.

It started with your girlfriend Hwang Yeji going out on a world tour with her idol group. From the time it was announced you knew it would mean a lot of time apart from each other. In fact, because of the nature her job you hadn’t even been able to see her off at the airport. Initially you hadn’t thought anything of it. After all, there was facetime and other long-distance ways to stay in contact during the months that she would be gone. However, you soon realized that her absence would be much harder on you then you realized. It also didn’t help that you were operating in completely different timezones.

It was in this downtrodden state that you received a message from Nayeon. An invitation to join her and Momo for a night at the club. It was an invitation that she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Oh come onnn, you’ve been moody and couped up inside ever since Yeji left,” Nayeon had whined over the phone.

“Hey, hey, I have not been moody. Plus, I go out still. I go to work, don’t I?”

Nayeon rolled her eyes in response to my answer. Something that I could usually hear in her voice but since we were video calling, I could see the expression for myself. Funny enough, it was through Nayeon and Momo that you had been able to meet Yeji. It had been something of a friend of a friend situation. And while you referred to them as Yeji’s older sisters they weren’t actually. It was just a clever way of referring to them as being in the same company as your girlfriend but having worked there longer.

“That’s not healthy,” Nayeon replied before adding, “Plus you’re going to make Momo sad. I already told her you were coming.”

“Why did you do that?!”

Nayeon merely giggled and shrugged in that mischievous way she did. “So, are you coming then?”

You weighed your options for a moment before finally sighing in defeat, “Alright, alright. I’ll come out with you guys.” You really did need a night out to socialize and unwind after all. If nothing else to take your mind off your longing. Besides, a drink or two wouldn’t hurt.

At least that was what you had thought.

As it would turn out one or two quickly became a few. And a few quickly became lost track of. It seemed you had underestimated just how moody – as Nayeon had put it – you had been lately and how much you desperately needed a night out. It helped that Nayeon and Momo were some of the best company you could go out with; together they were like an unstoppable duo that guaranteed a good time no matter what you were doing. In hindsight, though, it was a recipe for disaster.

“I don’t know how she dances like that,” you commented over the music. More to yourself than to the strawberry blonde sitting across from you.

Your eyes were currently locked on Momo as she danced to the music, seemingly in a zone all her own. Make no mistake about it, your girlfriend was also an extremely talented dancer. But something about the way Momo moved was just more mature, even sensual when she rocked her hips a certain way. It was mesmerizing. Well, that and you had reached the sort of mellowed out stage of night in your drinking. What you didn’t notice was that Nayeon had taken note and was already making plans of her own.

“Dance with me!” her voice snapped you from your trance.

Before you could even begin to protest her hand had grabbed yours and was dragging you to the dance floor, stumbling behind her but managing to hold your balance and not embarrass yourself.

“You know I’m not much of a dancer.”

“Oh, I know. I’ve seen the video!”

You could feel your face growing red at that answer. Knowing that the video of you dancing was out there on someone’s phone and was making the rounds – actually it was better not to think about it. Fortunately, as bad as that video was tonight you had Nayeon’s lead to follow. And while Momo was a dancing goddess, Nayeon was no slouch either.

What started as simply vibing with the music, slowly begin to escalate into something more intimate. A body roll here, taking your hand and placing on her hips there. What finally caused your blood pressure to rise was when her arms looped around your neck and she leaned in. So close that you could feel her hot breath against the skin neck. Was this still dancing?

“Nayeon…”

“Are you guys having all the fun without me?”

Momo’s voice at the shell of your ear caused you to snap out of it. However, while you didn’t know it yet, she wasn’t the savior you thought she was.

“We wouldn’t dream of it,” Nayeon replied, pulling back slightly.

At first you were grateful, you didn’t trust your ability to talk without fumbling your words. Had you been of sound mind you might've questioned what exactly having fun without her and Nayeon’s response implied. But truth be told, none of you were exactly acting responsibly.

You soon felt Momo press up against you from behind while Nayeon turned herself around, her back pressed into your chest. Nayeon’s arms reached back, her hands finding Momo’s body. Similarly, Momo’s hands moved around you, settling on Nayeon’s hips. You were effectively trapped and yet you couldn’t help but feel torn about whether that was a bad thing.

“Is this what it’s like to be the meat in a sandwich?”

You only realized that you had spoken your thoughts out loud when you heard laughter fall from the girl’s lips. A flush of embarrassment colored your checks, doing your best to look anywhere but at them.

“Is that your fantasy?” Nayeon teased.

In that moment she arched her back, pressing her ass right into your groin. To make matters worse, you couldn’t stop a moan from leaving your lips when she did. You didn’t want to admit it but between the close proximity, the alcohol, and the three of you dancing; you were undoubtedly horny.

“I think it’s more of a dream,” Momo piled on, her hands still gripping Nayeon’s waist.

“I don’t know what you two are talking about,” you insisted.

“Hmm, is that you’re final answer?” Nayeon asked, a teasing lint in her tone. “Are you sure you haven’t thought about it?”

As Nayeon dragged out her words she rotated her ass deliberately slow, practically torturous, against your crotch. You managed to bite down on your lip this time, subduing the pleasured moan to just a strong hum that was masked by the sound of the music. [Nayeon turns around and wraps arms around neck]

“You know I don’t think it’s fair that Yeji gets to keep you all to herself,” Nayeon pouted. “Siblings are supposed to share, right?”

You should have said something, disagreeing preferably, but instead your mind was just focused on the feeling of Momo’s hands running over your chest and Nayeon’s eyes staring at you. You had never noticed it before, but she had a piercing gaze. One that had seemed so innocent before, but now you weren’t so sure.

While you froze up, Nayeon took advantage of the silence; pushing up on her toes and pressing a kiss to your lips. At first you were stunned but soon you began to respond. It crossed your inebriated mind that Nayeon’s lips were softer than you had imagined. You felt Momo’s hands softly stroking your back but other than that your surroundings had become a blur. The music of the club became nothing but a distant thumping as Nayeon cupped your face and deepened the kiss.

Her tongue slipped inside your mouth, dancing with your own tentative at first before delving deeper. There should have been some part of you screaming at how wrong this was. Even stopped you from making a mistake you might regret. Instead, your hands were finding their way around her waist; finally caving to the temptation.

When Nayeon pulled back her cheeks were a rosy color, looking at you with a lustful gaze. You were sure you looked equally disheveled and lost at that moment, but you didn’t have much time to reflect on it. Momo’s hands briefly ran down your chest before Nayeon took your hand in hers.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said, holding your gaze before she began to pull you towards the exit.

You didn’t fully know what awaited you for the rest of the night, but you knew you weren’t turning back now.

A/N: Not sure why I never got around to porting my Twice x Male Reader series over here. Probably laziness. Anyway I need some Nayeon and Momo content on my blog so here it is. It was short but hope you enjoyed! Also available on AO3 if you don't want to wait for me to post here. This was originally meant to contain a longer threesome scene at the time of posting but I got writers block. Re-reading it now and after Misamo I might have to re-visit it and give a part two...

#twice smut #twice imagines #twice x reader #momo x reader #nayeon x reader #twice x male reader #male reader #kpop smut #kpop imagines

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wnobin · 3 months

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NO BUNNY BUT YOU! 🐰

petsitter! wonbin x fem! reader

series synopsis: your friends refuse to look after your bunnies, tokki and dokki, while you’re on an overseas programme for a week. luckily, winter knows the right person for the job.

series masterlist

part nine: wonnie and binnie

wonbin had rushed over to your dorm as fast as he could after hanging up the phone. you had called him with urgency in your voice, not even needing to specify what was wrong and wonbin was already putting his shoes on. it took him less than five minutes to reach your dorm, which was only a few floors above his. your door swung open with just one knock from wonbin, as if you were waiting at your door for him. before he could even ask what was wrong, you were pulling him in and dragging him into your living room, showing him the scene that made you call him panicking.

“what the fuck am i seeing.”

on your sofa was your bunny, tokki, surrounded by two other baby bunnies and wrapped up in a small blanket. wonbin blinked at the sight, mind going blank. you on the other hand, was panicking. you don’t even know how it happened, you had always been so careful to separate tokki and dokki and you even brought dokki to get neutered last week. wonbin was smiling at the sight of the newborn bunnies curled up next to their mom while dokki was kept in his cage, making soft noises.

“i don’t know how this happened, i always kept them separate until i could bring dokki to get neutered.”

wonbin’s smile dropped. he remembered that night where he slept over at your dorm and he never kept them in their cages. he didn’t think much of it when he woke up, separating them before he left in the morning. he scratched his head, unsure if he should start apologising profusely and begging for forgiveness or if he should pretend he didn’t know how it happened.

“um… do you remember that night when i fell asleep here? i think i probably, definitely, passed out before separating them.”

“oh.”

your expression softened as you nodded your head, getting down to sit next to the litter of bunnies, urging wonbin to sit next to you. a string of apologies flew out his mouth but you reassured him with a small smile. “it’s okay, it was my fault for not bringing dokki to get neutered sooner. what do you think i should do with them?” wonbin racked his brain, trying to remember what his zoology professor said about newborn bunnies but he couldn’t remember anything, having fallen asleep in almost all the lecturers. he scrambled to pull his phone out of his pocket, hastily googling “what to do with baby bunnies?”

you couldn’t help but to giggle at the sight of a panicked wonbin clicking on the first link he saw. “i called you here because i thought a vet student could help me but you’re just googling it? i could’ve done that myself!” you teased him, gently nudging his side as his face turned red from embarrassment. he read out the article to you as you rested your chin on the couch and stared at the bunnies, careful to keep your distance and not touch them.

“it says to let the mom take care of the babies and do her job for the first eight weeks and you can start to separate them after that. next is to separate the male bunnies from the females when you find out their gender at six weeks.”

“mm, okay. that one looks like a boy.” you pointed to the bunny that was mostly brown with a little bit of white on the tips of its ears, resembling dokki. the newborn bunnies resembled their parents, with the other being a mix of white and a dark brown. “what are you gonna name them?”

“i don’t know yet… what do you think?” you turned to look at wonbin, waiting to hear his thoughts. he didn’t expect you to want his input in naming your new bunnies and he couldn’t help but think how domestic this situation was, the both of you being together and coming up with names for your new pets. wonbin sat in thought for awhile before playfully suggesting that you should name the two babies after him. “okay, i’ll name this one wonnie and this one binnie!”

“what? no, i was kidding—”

“so do you want me to name them after someone else?”

“no.”

you giggled at how fast wonbin shut down the idea of you naming them after someone who isn’t him. in most of these cases, bunnies usually give birth to different genders and you weren’t sure if you could take care of both of them. “you like bunnies, don’t you? do you wanna keep one when they’re ready?” you were looking at him so adoringly, and you looked so pretty with the lights from opposite dorms reflecting in your eyes, and you were asking him so nicely that he didn’t even consider sungchan’s opinion. “yes. i would love to.”

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#riize x reader #riize #riize fluff #riize imagines #park wonbin #riize smau #riize wonbin #riize wonbin x reader #wonbin fluff #wonbin imagines #wonbin smau #wonbin x reader #wonbin

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kirislovelygf · 3 months

Text

haunted pt. 1 (ronal x metkayina fem! reader)

content: you and ronal have been married for about 14 years and have lived with the metkayina happily ever since you left the forest. now imagine your surprise when your ex appears out of nowhere with the man she cheated on you with and the family they built together.

content also: ronal x reader, a bit of neytiri x reader, flirting, arguing, secrets, fluff, angst, and uhmmm ronal being the best wife

wrd count: 3.2k

a/n: this might be a two-three parter but i saw this idea floating around here somewhere and thought i’d make my own version without tonowari being part of it bc why. (can you tell i hate men)

꒰ 🥥 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

it was a perfect morning so far. ronal and i were at home, i was taking care of her. the kids were out and about.

tonowari was somewhere, i didn’t really care.

the sun was out and we were happy. until the outsiders came.

i was sitting in our shared marui, styling ronal’s hair while she sat in front of me. i hummed to myself while gently combing through her wavy hair.

“i have to train some of the children today. on the ilu.” i informed her.

“how fun.” she muttered.

i slapped her shoulder. “children respond easier when you don’t yell at them, my love.”

“if you don’t yell, they don’t listen. look at ao’nung.” she said, gesturing to her son playing in the water with his best friend.

one of them tackled the other info the water and was keeping them under the surface.

“that’s strange. when i ask him to do things, he does it the first time i say.” i said.

“yes, with you. i feel like i repeat myself 10 times everyday just to get that boy to listen.” she sighed out. i laughed slightly.

“he’s a teenager. he will grow out of that disobedience phase soon.” i put a finishing charm on the back of her head and then reached for the shell that ronal put on her forehead everyday.

i handed it to her to put on and i looked through my things for a mirror.

once i found it, i held it up to her face so she could look at her reflection. she held it and she started to touch her cheeks.

where her wrinkles were, her birthmarks. any sign of aging she could find.

“i’m getting old, my love.” she sighed out, putting the mirror down. she stands up and turns to help me up as well.

“no, you’re just growing wiser.” i smiled. she laughed and put my arms around her neck.

she hugged my waist closer to her body and kissed me. she pulled away and examined my face.

“you’re not getting any younger either, you know.” she muttered.

“wow. all you know is how to insult, don’t you?”

“i thought it was funny.”

“no.”

“i’m sorry! you know i love you.”

“no, too late.” i tried to get myself off her, but she pulled me back into her embrace. she held my face up to hers and kissed me again.

i laughed against her lips and pulled away when a horn began to sound in the distance.

i turned my head to see the opening of our marui. na’vi we’re running past, diving into the water, rushing all into one direction.

“what’s happening..” i muttered to myself. ronal and i walked toward the tarp that covered the entrance and i pulled it to the side.

i asked one of the villagers why everyone was running.

“apparently other na’vi have landed on the beach.” he said simply.

i looked at ronal all excited to greet the newcomers. but she looked.. worried. and unpleasant.

“let’s go meet them. maybe they’re nice.” i shrugged.

“hmph.” she huffed. she walked past me and onto the woven pathways.

we walked together to the growing cluster of green villagers gathering on the beach.

tonowari, ronal’s ex-husband, had already approached them and was greeting them.

my heart raced when i saw ikrans. my ikran passed away from old age years ago and i hadn’t seen one since then.

“ronal, they’re from the forest! i wonder if they’re omaticaya like me. maybe we’re from the same clan.” i smiled excitedly, grabbing her hand.

“even if they are, they’re still outsiders.” she mumbled.

“ronal. please.” i sighed.

she rolled her eyes. i tugged on her hand to make her look at me.

“i was an outsider too. and you accepted me into the clan.” i said.

she stared with more sympathy. “that’s different.”

“how? you didn’t know me when i arrived. i could’ve been a threat. but you took the time to get to know me, and ended up loving me and who i am.” i said. her gaze softened as i spoke to her.

“please be kind to them, whoever they are. for me.” i nodded.

she stared and kept quiet for a moment. i just kept a smile on my face until she gave in.

“fine.”

i smiled and kissed her cheek. excitedly, i guided her by the hand through the group until we were at tonowari’s side.

in front of me was a na’vi man with long locs, a strong build, and a tired face and a woman beside him with a slim build and the same fatigue.

something about her looked familiar.

her face was mature, like mine.

she looked at me and her eyes struck something in my memory. the way she eyed me curiously, the way her entire family eyed me curiously.

“you.. you’re omaticaya?” the man asked me.

“yes! you come all the way from the forest to here?” i asked. i was astonished that this whole family came here in one piece.

i looked at the wife again and her gaze changed from curiosity to fear.

“y/n.” she spoke.

i tilted my head when she said my name. then i remembered.

i remembered the heartache and the anger i felt when i left home. all of it caused by them. my smile faded away as i spoke her name.

“neytiri..”

she sighed out. i look up at the man. the man who took her from me. he changes so much. he was bigger, stronger.

“jake sully.” i said.

“yeah, uh..” he looked at his wife and she was looking down at the sand, one hand attached to her small daughter.

her family was beautiful. two sons and two daughters. neytiri aged so gracefully. she looked happy. but right now..

“you can’t even look at me?” i said to her.

she said nothing.

ronal put her hand on my shoulder and i looked at her.

she asked if i was alright. i gave her a simple nod, excused myself, and walked away from the group.

i hadn’t seen neytiri in 14 years. i almost forgot what she looked like. she was regal now.

i stepped into the marui and started pacing the floor.

why in the world would she come here? why did she, of all the people in that clan, have to be here?

and oh course, she had to bring that stupid sky person with her. as if her leaving me for him wasn’t enough.

someone walked into the marui, bringing me out of my thoughts. tsireya looked worried and walked toward me.

“mama, what happened? i thought you would be excited for these people, they’re just like you.” she said.

“i’m sorry, tsireya. uhm..”

“what is it?” she asked kindly.

“i know these people. and i’m just a little shocked, i haven’t seen them since i left the forest maybe 14 or 15 years ago. but don't worry about me, i’ll be fine.” i explained.

“are you sure? because mother’s hissing at them.” she said.

“i’m sure she is. don’t worry, i bet your father is going to let them stay anyway.” i chuckled.

tsireya sighed out and i plastered a smile on my face so she wouldn’t worry.

“i’m okay.” i chuckled. i hugged her tightly. she looks up at me and i tuck a few stray strands of hair back into place.

“my little flower. always worried.” i muttered. i held her face in my hands before kissing her forehead.

“my father’s making us teach their children.” she said. i pulled away and held her hands in mine.

“oh, fun! how did ao’nung react?”

“he tried to argue and now he’s being

forced.” she laughed softly.

“aw, poor boy. well, at least you’ll make some new friends.” i said to her.

ronal pulled the tarp aside and walked inside.

“tsireya, go find your brother. i need to speak to mama.” she said kindly.

tsireya nodded and walked out without another word. she let the tarp down and walked toward me.

“what happened? you were so excited a moment ago and then you ran off.” she said.

“i’m sorry, ronal. i shouldn’t have left the way i did.” i sighed.

“is there something i should know about this family? i already know they’re half-demon. whatever you have to tell me can’t be worse than that.” she continued.

“well, i knew them. the mother and the father.” i said.

i never told her the full story of why i left the forest. it hurt to even think about it, so i always gave her the brunt of it whenever she asked.

i always said “i was in a relationship, it ended badly, and i left for a fresh start.” i never gave names or specifics.

“i would have suspected you did. you come from the same clan. that woman, neytiri, knew your name. and you knew hers.” she continued.

“she’s my ex girlfriend. except, she wasn’t a very good one. and it took me by surprise to see her here. i never thought i’d see her again.” i said to her.

ronal sighs softly. she picks up my hand and holds it.

“i wish you would tell me what was so bad about the forest that made you leave. i hate when you leave me in the dark like this.” she said.

i still didn’t want to tell her. i didn’t know how she’d react. ronal is a passionate woman. and her emotions can be a lot.

especially when she’s angry.

“i’m sorry, my love.” i pulled her close and hugged her.

i pull back and hold her hands. “you’ll have to tell me sooner or later. tonowari let them stay.”

“stay for how long…?” i asked.

she winced and hummed, hesitating to give me an answer.

“ronal.” i laughed out.

“well… they’re not leaving any time soon.” she shrugged.

“ugh, i’m going to kill that idiot.” i huffed, letting her hands go. i covered my face and groaned as she chuckled lightly.

“tonowari was being nice.”

“he’s always been too nice.” i grumbled.

i removed the hands from my face and sighed.

“oh right, i need to go. the kids with the ilu, uhm..”

“go. it’s fine. we’ll discuss this later, alright?” she smiled.

i smiled back and gave her a hug before tonowari walked in.

he held his arms out, looking all confused. “what happened?”

“ugghh.” i groaned loudly before walking past him.

“what-“

“don’t speak to me. big-headed idiot.” i grumbled, holding my hand up to his face.

i did what i needed to do for the afternoon and made my way home in the evening as the sun started to go away for the night.

i walked past the marui that neytiri and her family were in. the tarp was pulled to the side so i imagine someone in there saw me walk by.

i confirmed this when i heard her voice call for me.

i looked back and saw her, one foot inside the hut and the other stepped outside.

i sighed out. i knew i’d have to face her sooner or later. i just didn’t think it’d be the day she got here.

“hi, neytiri.” i muttered.

she smiled weakly. she stepped out and pulled the tarp down, walking a bit closer. “i didn’t expect to see you here.”

“i could say the same.” i said as i crossed my arms.

“i know. so this is where you ran off to all those years ago.”

“mhm. thankfully, ronal didn’t threaten me when i arrived.” i said.

“oh.. you heard about that.”

“yes, i did. i also heard that tonowari let your family stay. i didn’t hear for how long though.”

her small smile faded away slightly. “oh.. well the forest isn’t safe for my family. i think we’re staying here for a long time. forever, even.” she winced.

i nodded. i kept my cool, but trust me, i was fuming.

“look, i know what you must think of me after what i did. but i felt really awful for how i treated you, and i still do. the fact that i couldn’t ask for your forgiveness had haunted me these past 14 years.”

“yeah. you hurt me terribly and i just couldn’t stand to be around either of you.” i shrugged.

“i get it.”

i glanced at the open window inside her hut and saw her children inside.

her son was holding her youngest daughter in his lap, both of them smiling and laughing.

“my kids asked about you. they were surprised to see another omaticaya here. of all places.” she said.

the young daughter spotted me and gave me a shy wave. the son said something to her making her look up at him before they both stood and walked away.

“you have a beautiful family.” i smiled.

“thank you.” she muttered.

“i’m sorry i couldn’t give you that.”

she raised her head to look up at me. she was confused and took a step toward me.

“oh, y/n-“

“that’s what you always wanted right? a family. obviously you couldn’t have that being with me.”

“that’s not why i left.” she said loudly. she looked like she said it louder than she should have and glanced at the window of he hit to see if she had caught anyone’s attention.

i just glared at her. i know i didn’t tell my family what happened but the reason she hadn’t told her was because she knew what she did was wrong.

“i didn’t mean to fall in love with him.” she said in a more hushed tone.

“what kind of excuse is that, neytiri?” i laughed out.

“i know how it sounds. i know i lied to you about jake and how i felt about him. and i’m so sorry.” she reached for my hand but i took it away.

“you didn’t just lie. you tried to convince me you two weren’t in love. told me i was crazy and jealous and how you couldn’t possibly love a dreamwalker.”

she sighed out and glanced at the hut.

“what? you don’t want your kids to find out you’re a liar-“ she grew terrified and grabbed my head, one hand holding it in place and the other covering my mouth.

“and a cheater!” i yelled into her palm.

“stopstopstop! please, i’m sorry. please don’t say it so loud.” she hissed.

i glared up at her. she removed her hand and winced.

“i’m really sorry.”

“oh you’re really sorry?”

“are you going to behave this way the entire time i’m here?” she snapped.

i shrugged. she sighed out and looked at her hut. “you’re still the same.”

“what is that supposed to mean?”

“you’re sassy and argumentative.. and getting on my nerves.” she snapped.

i laughed at how irritated she was getting.

“i’m going inside. will i have to see you tomorrow for training?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“no.”

she sighed out.

“you’ll see my wife, though. have fun with that.” i smiled.

i left her there before she could respond to me.

the next day comes and everyone splits off to train with the new family.

tsireya and ao’nung were out by the ilu pen with neytiri’s children, tonowari and a few of his friends were training jake sully.

and ronal was getting ready to go with neytiri.

“are you sure you will be okay by yourself?” she asked me as she looked in a mirror, fixing her headpiece.

“i’ll be okay. i have friends besides you and wari.” i chuckled.

“that’s funny.” she said with a blank stare.

“i’d honestly rather have you help her than me.” she said as she stood up.

“why? we would just bicker and get nothing done. all neytiri likes to do is argue.” i grumbled.

“i know, but it’s awkward for us. your ex girlfriend being trained by her ex’s new wife. it’s just too much.” she groaned. i laughed.

“i know this must be so hard for you.” i dragged on dramatically.

“stay strong for me, my love. you’ll get through this.” i kissed the tip of her nose, making her deadly stare fade into a laugh.

“if you need me, i’ll be on the other side of the island.” i walked past her and left the marui, smiling at the sound of her laughter.

i had to walk past the sully hut to get to where i was going and i just did my hair, so i couldn’t dive in the water to just swim there.

i sighed out and walked past really quickly, trying my best not to look inside.

i turned a corner and a little girl was staring up at me and standing in my path.

“oh!” i muttered. it’s neytiri’s youngest daughter. wow, she looks exactly like neytiri when she was that age.

“hi, little one. are you lost?” i asked.

“oh… no. i’m not.” she answered.

“uhm.. okay.” i nodded. i hesitantly walked past her but her stare never let up. i start walking away when she calls for me. “wait!”

“yes?” i looked back at her.

she starts nervously fidgeting with her hands.

“are you.. omaticaya?” she asks.

i smiled softly. “yes, i am.”

“really?! i knew it! i told my mom but she didn’t believe me!” she exclaimed.

“aw, well.. now you know.” i shrugged.

“i’m tuk! how long have you been here?” she continued.

“uh.. hi, tuk. i’ve been here a long time.”

“wow.. dk you like it here? i like it here a lot, but i miss home. do you miss home?” she spoke super quickly and it made me laugh.

“uhm.. yes i love it here. and i miss home sometimes, but it’s okay.” i told her.

“you’re very pretty.” she smiled.

“aw thank you! so are you, little one.” i said, putting a bright smile on her face.

“tuk? tuk!” her mother called. i grew horrified but quickly changed my face when i remembered her daughter was standing in front of me.

“your mother’s looking for you.” i said.

and just in perfect time, neytiri turned the corner to find her daughter and i. her eyes grew wide before looking down at tuk.

“tuk, come.” she held her hand out.

“okay..” tuk takes her moms hand but looks back at me.

“bye.. uhm, what was your name?” she asks.

“oh..” i glanced up at neytiri who avoided my eye contact like the plague.

“it’s y/n. i’ll see you both around.” i bowed my head slightly before quickly walking away.

“don’t look back, don’t look back, just keep walking,-“ i muttered quickly as i sped up.

-neytiri’s pov-

“tuk, come.” i said to her.

i watched y/n nervously and tried to get tuk away as quickly as i could but i know she can’t help her curiosity.

“okay.. bye, uh.. what was your name?” she asked y/n.

shit.

y/n glanced at me and i tried so hard not to look at her.

she told tuk her name before leaving and we walked back to our marui.

“mama, you should be friends with y/n. you will enjoy having someone like us here.” she said sweetly.

she smiled back at me before jumping back into the marui. i sighed out.

“i think you’re right, tuk.” i smiled at her.

i looked up at the sky before muttering. “i’m sorry for lying to her. i’ll tell her when she’s older.” i prayed.

eywa might strike me with lightning.

꒰ 🥥 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

#writing blog #atwow fluff #avatar the way of water #atwow x reader #writers #avatar #atwow angst #ronal atwow #ronal avatar the way of water #wlw writing #neytiri atwow

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loving-barnes · 6 months

Text

Bucky Barnes - My past, my mission

A/N: I was watching Marvel movies and this just popped into my head. It's not good, there are mistakes but I tried. Please, beware that there are heavy topics discussed in this one shot. Now, I can take another break for a decade.

Pairing: Avenger!Bucky Barnes x Avenger!enhanced!female reader

Warning: angst, dark themes (mention of abuse and sexual abuse, torture, children), death, fluff

Please, do not read if you are under 18. This story contains darker themes/topics.

Words: 10 000+

FULL MASTERLIST

The team was worried. They had been watching Y/N distance from them and they didn’t know why. Everything seemed fine. That changed almost two weeks ago. She started to hide in her room, attend the gym when no one was there and kept silent when they had a meeting. No one knew what happened. The only person she talked to was Nick Fury. More than once they saw her in a small conference room with him, where they were talking.

“You need to tell them what is happening,” said Nick when they were once again sitting together, talking. “The team is here for you.”

“No,” she said stubbornly. “I’m going to deal with it myself.”

He sighed. “You need backup. It’s dangerous. You won’t be able to handle it on your own.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want them to know this part of my life,” she whispered. A tear was trying to escape her eye but she managed to control her emotions.

“Listen, they already noticed that you are not being yourself,” he said. “Since you’ve found out the location of the Youth Center, you are acting differently. It took a toll on you. I know how hard your childhood and teenage years were. But I am telling you, if you want to end this, you need a backup for this mission.”

“I can handle it on my own,” she raised her voice. “They made me who I am today. I know how they operate. I’m going to do it alone. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. And if I die, so be it.”

“Come on,” he was getting irritated. “Take at least Barnes. You two have a similar history and work well together.”

“I said no,” she smashed her hand against the table. “You won’t change my mind. I’m doing it alone and I am leaving tonight.” She stood up with a loud noise. The chair creaked. “If I don’t make it back, tell them I just left. Tell them I was relocated. My only wish is you won’t tell them the truth.”

Nick shook his head. “You are making a mistake.”

“I told you the same when you took me in and made me part of the team.” She reached her hand to his. He hesitated but took it and they shook hands. “I am thankful.”

“I am not saying goodbye to you, Y/L/N,” he said. “At least think about it.”

She left the conference room and headed back to her bedroom. It was time to pack and leave. This was her moment, the perfect opportunity to destroy the place that used children to experiment on them. It was a dark place. They were kidnapping them, abusing them and testing on them as if they were lab rats. Successful tests resulted in children with different abilities. Those that obliged were spared and kept as weapons. Others were killed.

When she escaped, they moved places and she couldn’t find them since - until now. Oh, how she’s been waiting for this opportunity.

The Centre got bigger, hidden in the woods in Northern Canada. There was nothing but wild nature. The weather would be cold and unpleasant. Fury was right when he told her to bring backup, but she didn’t want to risk the lives of people whom she considered family. What if it didn’t seem as bad as it was presented? The truth was, they didn’t have a lot of information.

“Hey, Y/N,” she heard Natasha say her name.

“Hi,” she replied, not looking at her, not stopping to chat.

“Come on, talk to me. We are friends,” she ran to her, trying to walk her pace. “Everyone is worried about you.”

Y/n rolled her eyes. “Everything’s fine,” she said. “I have a lot on my plate these days.”

“You are a bad liar, Y/N. We all can see that it’s not fine and something is bothering you. You’ve been keeping your distance, you barely talk to us. What happened?”

“Nothing,” she was annoyed. “I’ll deal with it myself.”

That answer made Natasha stop and let her leave alone. She was immediately thinking about what she said. What did she mean by “deal with it myself”? She could already put two and two together.

She turned around and briskly walked to the other side of the building where the rest of the team was hanging out. It was a Saturday evening. That meant beer time and chat. When she arrived in the lounge room, all eyes were on her. “Did you find out anything?” Steve was the first to ask.

She sat down on an armchair, frowning. “No and yes,” she said. “She didn’t want to talk at all. She barely looked at me.”

“And what is the “yes” for?” Sam asked, confused.

“She said, she will deal with it herself,” Natasha said. “Which indicates she was not talking about mental or emotional things. This means she was talking about something bigger.”

Bucky was silently sitting next to Sam, watching his friend think out loud. He was holding a beer in his metal hand. No one knew how hard this time had been on him. No one knew how much his heart ached when Y/N stopped talking to him - to everyone.

“Do you think she could be going on a solo mission?” Tony asked.

“Maybe that’s it,” she nodded.

“What the fuck? I thought Fury would discuss it with us,” said Stark angrily. “I’m not saying she can’t handle it alone, but we should know about the mission and discuss it.”

“I have to agree,” Steve nodded. “She works well with us, but I’m not sure she was ready for a solo mission.”

“This whole thing stinks,” Sam said. “Think about it - she’s been talking to Fury for the last few days. Her whole demeanour changed with a snap of fingers.”

“FRIDAY, do we know anything on Y/N?” Tony asked his AI. “What’s her status?”

“She’s currently in her room, not accepting visitors,” said FRIDAY.

“What if she asked for transition?” Clint asked.

“What?” Bucky’s eyes widened. That thought made his heart sink. Why would she want to do that? Was she not happy here? He thought they were friends. He thought that maybe…

Tony made a face. “I don’t think so. We would already know if she was that unhappy.”

“I think we saw a lot of that for the last few days,” said Sam.

“Let’s give her a day and we will try to talk to her tomorrow,” Steve suggested. “We don’t know what is going on and we don’t want to jump to conclusions.”

The team relaxed - except for Bucky and Natasha. They both were thinking about her. They were trying to figure out what was going on.

“We should ask Fury,” said Bucky out of nowhere.

“No,” Natasha shook her head. “If they made a deal, he would keep his lips sealed.”

Y/N didn’t waste her time. She put on her custom tactical suit that would keep her warm even in the cold weather. She packed the most important stuff, but mostly geared up. She would be using her special abilities that she got unwillingly.

She checked her watch. It was time. The sooner she’d leave the better. She wouldn’t be able to say goodbyes to anyone. It was better this way. She put on a long black leather jacket, and a backpack and left her room. She was about to pilot a jet for about six hours. It would be a long night.

Tony was awoken by a beeping sound. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He finally got some sleep after a week and he was rudely awakened by his AI.

“Boss,” FRIDAY sounded urgent. “The Jet 05 was taken five hours ago,” she informed him.

He quickly sat up, rubbing his eyes. “What? Who authorised it? Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”

“Nick Fury,” FRIDAY answered. “The jet was taken by Agent Y/L/N. I tried to wake you, but you were deep asleep.”

“What the fuck?” he said to himself. “Call the team immediately and I want Nick Fury here as soon as possible.”

The team gathered in the biggest conference room they had. Tony was waiting for them, with a hologram of Y/N’s information presented in the middle of the table. He seemed nervous, even pissed and the team saw it.

“Where did she go?” Natasha was the first one to ask. That’s when a map of the jet's route was shown to them.

“North Canada. She’s still in the air,” said Tony. “The autopilot was turned off and she’s not using FRIDAY. But there is one tracking device she didn’t turn off. That’s why we know her location.”

Bucky was silently sitting in a chair, looking directly at her photo. He should have gone to her, talked to her and convinced her to take him with her.

“You okay?” Steve asked him silently when he noticed his friend struggling.

“No,” he admitted.

Steve sighed and leaned closer to him. “I know how much she means to you, but we need more information before we proceed.”

When Nick stepped into the room, he was met with stern glares and upset people. He expected that. He knew what the reaction would be and he was prepared for everything. “You only figured it out because I arranged it,” he said. “And, also, because Natasha listens.”

“Why don’t we know more about this?” Natasha asked him. “She’s part of the team, part of this family and you two have decided to leave us out of it.”

Fury took a chair next to Stark. He was calm. “There’s a lot of things you still don’t know about her. When we decided to bring her here, we had long discussions about her, the abilities she has and her past. We made a deal: she would tell you her story once she’s ready.”

“Why?” Clint asked.

“It’s not my story to tell,” said Fury. “You cannot expect someone to tell you about other people’s lives. Same here - she wanted trust, she wanted to feel safe before she’d let you in.”

“So, she doesn’t trust us?” Natasha asked.

“She does. It was only a matter of time before she’d tell you everything. This, however, is something bigger than you can imagine. I know all of you had a rough past. Y/N’s the newest member of the Avengers initiative and I gave her my promise not to tell you a word.”

“You are not going to tell us what her mission is?” Steve glared at the director. “We should just wait and see if she comes back?”

Fury nodded. “That’s what she wants.”

Bucky thought back to the moments when they talked together. He recalled one night when they were both sitting on the rooftop of the building when neither of them could sleep. They talked about their nightmares, but she wasn’t specific. There was one thing he could remember her saying.

“I wasn’t born with these powers. They were given to me,” she said sadly, looking at the little purple lights swirling between her fingers.

They were given to her, which meant she was on her way to a place that gave her the powers. His eyes widened. “Holy shit,” he gasped and that brought everyone’s attention.

“What?”

“Two months back, we were sitting on the roof talking and she said to me that she wasn’t born with the power. It was given to her,” Bucky explained.

Natasha caught up. “She’s going to the place where she was given her power.”

Fury nodded. “She didn’t want any backup. She wants to do it alone. I believe she’s ready but I suggested she took someone from the team.”

Barnes abruptly stood up from the chair, letting it fall on the floor and ran out of the conference room. He was ready to find her and be her backup. All he needed was to change, armour up and take a jet.

“Bucky, wait,” Natasha shouted his name.

“I have to find her,” he shouted back, not stopping.

“I’m coming with you. We’ll meet at the hangar.”

Y/N had no idea that the team had figured it all up - sort of. She arrived in the province of Nunavut, Canada. She landed with the jet in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by deep forest. Once the jet was secured, she left her coat in the jet and grabbed some weapons for the mission. All the details she memorised while on her way to this place.

The building was three times bigger than the last complex she was raised in. Many children of various ages were held captive in this Youth Centre. The number was still unknown. That’s what it was called. To the public, it was known as a young offender’s institution - a place where they taught children to be better and do better. Y/N knew the truth. She saw the truth. it was a place where they tortured, killed and experimented on kids. All of the memories came rushing back.

They were as painful as the torture she experienced. For a moment she felt as if she travelled back in time and saw her arms covered in IVs. They were bruised from the needles and burst veins. No wonder she had a problem withdrawing blood or vaccinations.

Her breath became shaky. Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the painful feeling crawling through her body.

Using her power, she lifted from the ground and flew through the forest to her final destination. This was her opportunity for revenge - destroy this evil facility and the people who worked there.

What about the children? What about those who were not corrupted and wanted to live freely? She didn’t know. All she wanted was to destroy this place, even if it meant losing her own life. Was it wrong of her to kill everyone? Maybe.

There it was, a castle-like building in the middle of nowhere. When she was young, the Youth Centre was located in the States. Once she freed herself, they relocated here.

She landed in a tree where she had a great vangate point. First, she needed a plan. By looking at the perimeter, she could see at least a dozen soldiers walking around the place, keeping an eye on intruders. From the files Fury gave her, there were potentially at least over a hundred men walking around the building. That was the last thing she feared.

If there were any enhanced children, that would be a problem. It was hard to predict whether they were compelled to obey their orders or if they were still able to think for themselves. The first thing she should do was to infiltrate the building and try to find any children who were still human and try to get them out. Afterwards, it was time to destroy this place.

“If only Wanda and Vision were with us,” Natasha said while piloting the jet.

Bucky was checking his guns and ammo in the back, wanting to be as prepared as possible. They had four hours to go. Y/N’s jet was located in the middle of a forest, in Canada. From the satellite that belonged to Stark, they found a building there too. It made sense that’s where she was going.

“They wanted some time off,” Steve commented. “We will have to do it without them.”

The Captain wanted to join Natasha and Bucky. So did Sam and Tony. Bruce and Clint stayed at the HQ where they monitored the situation from there.

“I will have a serious talk with Y/N once we are on our way home,” said Tony.

“Everyone calm down,” said Natasha. “She’s doing what she thought was the best.”

“I don’t get it,” Sam thought out loud. “How bad could it be?”

Bucky kept his eyes lowered on the gun he had in his hand. He kept replaying all the conversations he had with her. He thought of one moment when they were at Stark’s party.

She was sitting at the bar, drinking wine when he approached her. She looked stunning that night. They joked, commented on the snobby people around them and laughed at the event. “In the end, I’m enjoying this,” she said with a smile.

“Really?” Bucky was surprised. “I thought parties weren’t your thing.”

“That’s true. But I like to enjoy life as it is now. You never know how bad a person had it in the past,” she shrugged and drank the rest of the wine in one go. He could relate to that. If only he knew what her past was.

“How are you doing?” a hand appeared on his shoulder. It was Steve checking up on him.

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t know. I keep thinking back at our conversations, trying to find a clue, but I have nothing,” he admitted. “I want her to be safe, Steve. I care about her. I should have told her that a long time ago.”

“We’ll find her and bring her back home,” said Steve reassuringly. “Then you can tell her.”

“I fucking love her, Steve,” he finally admitted to his friend. “I never thought I would after everything that happened. I fear that we’ll be late.”

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat out of nowhere. She frowned. That was odd. She thought it was the adrenaline, but she wasn’t sure.

She was running out of time. The sun would set in less than four hours and she wanted to finish this mission before dark. The plan was simple - attack, use her abilities to kill every man that was there, get inside, look around and find those assholes that started this twisted institute. If they were able to destroy Hydra and the Red Room, she would be able to end this.

She could manipulate objects and create force fields. She had both offensive and defensive abilities. She and Wanda were almost alike. However, Wanda was a witch and was able to do more than Y/N. Wanda said to her, that she’s powerful too.

With a deep breath, she jumped off the tree. Y/N was ready to end it all once and forever.

With her powers, she captured each man who was outside, throwing their bodies to the wall and breaking their bones. Some of them died, some of them were unconscious from the pain. She cleared her path into the building. Once she approached the courtyard, she was met with more men, heavily armed. It seemed as if they were expecting her.

All those emotions, rage, anger, and sadness caused her power to intensify. She was able to cover herself with a forcefield while she disarmed them and destroyed their weapons. That’s when an alarm was turned on.

Focus on the power running through your veins, she heard Wanda say. That’s what she told her all the time when they trained together.

She was powerful, she could do it. She could end it all.

Once all the men were down, she walked to the entrance door. Her adrenaline was high. Somewhere deep, she was thrilled. A smile appeared on her face as she walked further inside. For a brief second, she lost focus and a bullet scratched her shoulder, making her bleed. She groaned from the pain.

Her eyes turned purple as she gathered her strength, surrounded the soldier in her powerful magical grip and threw him out of the nearest window. Fucker.

First, she wandered the hallways of one sector, checking each room. They were empty. She turned to another hallway and checked there - nothing. There were classrooms and offices. It was all empty.

When she met more soldiers, she swiftly defeated them. She took out her gun, ready to use it. She spent a lot of time at the shooting range. When an opportunity came, she shot a man straight into his head. Headshot, she heard a low male voice inside her head.

Weird, there were no children to be found. Was it a trap? It was all too easy. That was until she stepped into a hall where she was met with those who made her the way she was.

Adam Lewinski, the head of the Youth Centre, was staring at her like a hawk. By his side was his wife Greta. He had a right hand, Vladimir Vanko. They were standing at the very end of the hall.

“What a pleasant surprise,” said Adam with a broad smile on his lips. “Did you miss your home?”

They hadn’t aged a lot since she escaped. The woman had grey hair and Vladimir gained weight. Their presence made Y/N nauseous. She wanted to scream from all the pain but nothing came out. Her brain was fogged. She heard a loud ringing sound in her ears.

She registered laughter. “Not so powerful, are you? And you call yourself an Avenger?”

Y/N tried to open her eyes and looked at the cause of her pain. There was a boy, maybe eight years old, using his power on her. How come they were able to modify them to possess such ability?

You know what to do, she heard herself say. There was no other way. She had to do it. Kill him before he kills you. He’s lost.

Gathering her strength, she twisted her hand and sent a purple mist at the child, wrapping it around its neck. With a pull, she heard a loud crack and simultaneously the pain was gone. Taking a deep breath, she fell to her knees. Finally, she could breathe. However, it took its toll on her.

Y/N just killed a child.

Tears flooded her eyes as she tried to breathe through her nose. “Fuck you,” she said with a shaky voice. “How can you use children like this?” She stood up on her feet, glaring at the trio in front of her.

“Haven’t we made you special?” asked Greta and took a step toward Y/N. “Our program gave you the abilities. We made you who you are now. You are an Avenger thanks to us. And yet you are an ungrateful brat,” she laughed.

“You destroyed families. You took children from their parents and killed them. You used us against each other, making us kill one another. Do you think that is normal?” Y/N asked. “Do you think this is a good thing?”

“You don’t understand it, do you?” Vladimir approached her without any fear. His voice was deep and cold. “Without us, you would be nothing. All of those children were meant to be doomed - raised by abusive parents, in the streets. We gave you a new home, we gave you a purpose.”

“No, you didn’t,” Y/N opposed.

Adam whistled. It was a high-pitched sound that echoed around the hall. That’s when more than twenty children entered the hall. Y/N’s eyes widened. Some of them were teenagers, and some of them were literal children. The youngest must have been five years old.

“There are our greatest creations,” Greta said. “They are more powerful than you think - some have superstrength, one is fast, other can cause you pain with a simple touch. You killed our beloved Lucas. He was such an extraordinary boy. Can you imagine harming someone with a simple look?”

“You are nothing compared to them,” Vladimir said. “Just because you can manipulate some objects… as if that was something special,” he laughed.

“We control them,” Vladimir continued. “They would do anything we say - protect us, die for us. They are programmed differently. We didn’t want to allow them to think as a free person.”

“Weapons of mass destruction,” Adam added. “That’s what they are. That’s what they were meant to be.”

Y/N took a good look at those children. They seemed normal, human. Inside, they were modified, and powerful. How powerful? She was about to find out.

“Children, it’s playtime,” Adam clapped his hands.

That was their cue. Slowly, one after another they started to walk towards her. This was the moment she realised how stupid she was to not bring a backup. If she had to die, she’d die trying to stop the potential threat.

“By the way,” she heard Adam say, “some of the children are waiting for their death, others were moved to our buyers. There is a group that will be given the serum once we are done with you.”

You have to kill them, she said to herself. End it all. These are not children anymore, she reminded herself.

That’s when a first child threw a fireball directly at her. She protected herself with a force field. Another hit came right afterwards. Shit. There was a girl that had superstrength. She was able to get close to Y/N and hit her on the right shoulder. Y/N immediately fought back, throwing her against the farther wall. Once she fell to the ground, the wall was covered in her blood.

Luckily, these children were not immortal.

The team landed the jet right next to the one that Y/N took. Bucky was the first one to run out of the jet, running to the other one to check it. He didn’t find her. “Fuck,” he mumbled, holding her leather jacket tightly in his fists.

“We’ve got to move,” Steve ordered the team. “We don’t know how much time we got.”

The newest nano-tech suit covered Tony’s body. He was ready for some action. “FRIDAY, talk to me. What do we have?”

“I have analysed the building. There are many dead people. I have captured activity inside the building. It looks like Miss Y/L/N is there,” she informed them. “Boss, if the scanning is correct, she’s fighting children.”

Natasha’s eyes widened, not believing what she heard. “What?” she gasped. “What do you mean children?”

“The place is holding captive more than 80 children. A group of them are now in an active battle with Miss Y/L/N,” said the AI.

“Children?” Sam said to himself.

“I can capture levels of power coming from the place.”

“Enhanced,” said Steve. Slowly, they were putting the pieces together. “This must be the place where she gained her abilities.”

“This must be the place where she grew up,” Natasha whispered.

Bucky’s heart ached. She went to fight her demons alone. He was the first one to move, leaving the team standing there. “Wait,” Natasha called after him. “We need a plan.”

“No, we need to move, now, before it’s too late.”

“He’s right,” Steve nodded. “Tony, Sam, get in the sky and secure the perimeter. Keep us updated.”

The time was ticking.

Y/N was bleeding from her nose. Her body ached as the children took turns, trying to kill her. So far, she was able to eliminate five of them. It was becoming more difficult. They were stronger than her. They didn’t have any emotions. All they wanted to do was finish her off. Y/N’s energy was low. It was hard to keep up with them.

Before she knew it, they captured her and brought her down on her knees. The girl with superstrength punched her in the face, making her bleed from her mouth. She tore her skin under the right eye. Another hit was on her stomach. Y/N groaned from all the pain and spit out some blood.

Her vision was blurred. Her ears were ringing and it was hard to breathe. This was it. She was too weak to defeat a bunch of enhanced children. Their experiments were different than back in the day. They had no mercy.

You need to kill them all, she heard a voice in her head. They are not children anymore.

Out of nowhere, she could see the faces of people she loved the most. Natasha was smiling at her. Steve had a proud look on his face, and Sam laughed as if she said the funniest joke ever. And then there was Bucky who kept lovingly staring at her, holding his hand stretched out to her. You are stronger than you think.

Oh, how she loved him. She would never be able to tell him. She was too scared to do so and now, she wouldn’t have the chance. The love she had for her family and for that man brought a warm feeling to her chest. It was beautiful and pleasant. It made her want to fight more.

“Any last words?” she heard Adam’s voice echo around her.

“Burn in hell,” she mumbled.

Y/N gathered all the energy she had left. She never did this before. As if her body was telling her what to do, guiding her through the unknown and making her release it all for the whole world to see - her full potential.

With a painful scream erupting from her throat, she released the power from her entire body. Each child was thrown away into the cracking walls of the building that started to shake from its core. The ceiling started to fall and the stability of the building weakened.

“You are going to kill us all,” she heard Greta scream.

Y/N’s purple mist changed into purple-blue electricity, surrounding her body. The ground under her started to shake. It reminded her of an earthquake. She closed her eyes and let it all consume her. Everyone dead meant no more potential threat to the world. And then, she threw her hands up in the air.

“What the hell is happening?” Sam asked once he flew over the building. “Something’s not right.”

“The building is about to collapse,” FRIDAY informed them. “There is a high amount of energy surrounding the place. It belongs to Miss Y/L/N.”

“No!” Bucky screamed.

When the Captain, the Widow and the Soldier arrived at the border of the estate, they watched as the whole building started to fall before their eyes. Blue and purple cracks appeared on the walls. They were watching it without breath until the rays of Y/N’s power got out of the building. There was a sound that reminded them of an explosion. And then the building collapsed.

Everyone got covered in dust and the place got silent. The team kept staring at the ruins of the building. It was unrecognizable. No one could have survived it.

“Holy shit,” someone said.

Bucky fell on his knees, not believing that he had lost her. He couldn’t breathe. All he could feel was pain. His heart shattered. There was no way she could have survived it.

“FRIDAY,” Tony mumbled the AI’s name. “Any signs of life?”

“Scanning.”

“Holy shit,” Sam said once he landed next to Steve. “What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know,” Steve replied. Once he could see better, he moved forward.

“No signs of life, boss,” said FRIDAY after a minute.

“Shit,” he sighed.

They all started to walk on the remains, trying to find Y/N’s body. Natasha could see tiny hands sticking out of the bricks and wood. It was a horrifying look. So far, she counted six dead children. When she noticed an adult hand, she quickly ran to it, trying to lift any boulder covering the body. Unfortunately, it wasn’t her. It belonged to an unknown woman. “More people were present,” she said into her comm so the rest of the team could hear her. “I have a woman, mid-fifties, without signs of life.”

They kept walking around, counting the people who died. No one could find Y/N’s body.

“I’ve called Fury,” Tony informed them. “He’ll be sending a team of people here to get out the bodies and identify the children. Agent Hill and her team that is in Canada will be here in two hours.”

Steve had his eyes locked on the ground. He kept searching the ruins until he found another hand. This one was familiar. The nails were covered in dust and dark red nail polish. His heart skipped a beat. He prepared himself and uncovered the body.

It was her. Y/N’s body was covered in dirt. Her forehead was torn and bleeding. Her face had bruises. The suit was torn in many places. “I found her,” he informed the team, swallowing the grief.

He squatted down, his fingers gently brushed her cheek. A tear escaped his eye. Why didn’t she call them? They would have helped. This should have ended differently.

Natasha was the first to arrive, gasping when she saw her friend lying there, dead. A sob escaped her lips. Then Sam arrived, not believing his eyes. It was difficult for them to see her like this - lifeless, beaten and dead.

Steve was about to lift her body into his arms when he heard a heavy intake of breath. Quickly, he put two fingers on her neck, trying to find a pulse. “Shit,” he gasped when he felt it under his two fingers. “She’s still alive!”

Tony flew to them, letting FRIDAY take a complete scan. “Vital signs critical.”

Natasha and Sam helped him take her out of the ruins. Steve held her tightly in his arms as he quickly, yet carefully, walked over the bricks, food and stones. One of her arms was lifelessly hanging down.

“Let me take her,” Sam suggested. “I can fly her to the jet and get her to the nearest hospital. I know some people from the military.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Tony.

Steve nodded and handed her body to Sam. Before Bucky could approach them and see with both eyes she was indeed alive, both Tony and Sam flew away from them to the jets.

“No, wait,” Bucky shouted at them. “I wanted to…”

“She’s on the verge of life and death,” Steve stopped Bucky by putting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. “She needs immediate medical attention. We will get to her, all right?”

“But Steve-”

“I know, Buck. I know you are worried. We all are. We can only hope that they will make it on time.” Steve could see the fear in Bucky’s eyes. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do for her.

She was in and out of consciousness. Her ears registered the rumbling sound of a jet engine. Was she in the jet? She wasn’t sure. Was that the sound of the falling building? All she felt was pain and her brain brought her back to the moments she’d like to erase from her memory forever.

All of a sudden, she was sitting on a rustic chair with her hands tied behind her back. She was so small, still a child, maybe ten years old. The cold brought goosebumps to her skin. The window in the room was open. It was early winter. They left her sitting there in her underwear as a punishment. Suddenly, someone was holding her cheeks, screaming into her face. It was one of the guards. He pulled her hair, smacked her face and kept yelling. She felt as if she was suffocating.

Y/N, she heard her name somewhere in the distance. Hold on. We are almost there.

“Hi,” she heard Bucky greet her. When she turned around, he was sitting on the couch in the lounge room. It was that time when she couldn’t sleep because her past was still haunting her. “Are you okay?”

“Can’t sleep,” she walked to the couch and sat down next to him. “Bad dreams.”

“I get that. Sometimes it is hard to rest after a difficult mission. Nightmares invade your mind and won’t let you sleep,” he said.

She looked at him, memorizing every detail on his handsome face. “Do you… Do you ever wish that you were killed?”

He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. “I used to,” he replied. “Now, I don’t.”

They kept staring into each other’s eyes. “Yeah, same,” she smiled at him.

That’s when she was pulled into the darkness. She felt more vibrations. What was it? Where was the jet taking her? Was it the jet? Please, stay with us, she heard someone’s voice.

I’m right here.

There was a big white room where she was lying on a cold metal table. Her body was tied to it. All she could see were the IVs coming out of her body. So far she counted six. Four on her arms, one on her neck and another one on her right leg. Her mouth was closed shut with a mask. She wanted to cry but deep down she knew it was to no avail. They would punish her and make her suffer more. Just be a good girl and do as we say.

They made everyone suffer. It didn’t matter that some of the children were maybe three years old. Nothing mattered, only the next mission, the next experiment.

Will life get better?

Again, darkness. This time, she was swimming in it for a long time. It seemed that there was nothing more to show. Or maybe this was the end - darkness, nothingness. There was no heaven or hell, only darkness.

Y/N, I’m right here with you. Please wake up. That voice was familiar. It brought a warm feeling to her chest. She tried to swim to it, as fast as it let her. Wake up for me. Was it Bucky?

Y/N opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a white light. It hurt her eyes and she blinked a few times. Her ears registered the sound of beeping machines. It was a steady beep, the one that monitored someone's heart. Slowly, turning her head from side to side, she noticed an unknown woman standing by her bed, checking up on her.

“What happened?” Y/N whispered. Her throat was dry and her voice was raspy.

The nurse gasped and quickly found a device that called any doctor. “You are awake,” she seemed surprised. “Oh my god,” she seemed surprised.

“What?”

The door to the hospital room opened and a doctor with another nurse came in. He was immediately standing next to Y/N, checking her eyes with a tiny light. “Everything seems fine so far,” said the doctor. His voice was echo-y. He showed his index fingers to her. “Squeeze them as tightly as possible.”

Very slowly, Y/N wrapped her hands around his fingers, trying to squeeze them with all her strength. It wasn’t much but it was enough. The doctor seemed satisfied.

“That’s great,” he said. “We were waiting for you to wake up, Miss Y/L/N.”

“How long was I out?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Over three weeks,” he replied. “You had a ruptured spleen that we had to take out. There’s been some internal bleeding that we stopped. You also had a concussion which led you into a coma for a few weeks,” he explained. “We stitched some of your wounds, you also have bruised ribs. Surprisingly, nothing was broken.”

She remained silent, thinking about what happened. “Where am I?”

The doctor frowned. “Do you remember anything?”

“Yes,” she sighed, tired from all those questions. “I was supposed to die. Am I back in the US or am I still in Canada?”

“You are back in the States,” he said, relieved that she knew what was going on around her. “Currently, you are still in New York, Langone Hospital.”

“Has,” she dryly gulped. She wanted water. “Has anyone been here?”

“You had several visitors. The last one we sent home because the visiting hours had ended. But, now, we need to inform Director Fury about your current state. I’ll let the nurses bring you water and we will give you another IV with antibiotics.”

“IV?” she panicked. Her eyes widened when he said that. Immediately, she looked at her arm, scanning the needle. Her heart started to beat fast. She needed to overcome her fear. Quickly, she shut her eyes, trying to rest before any potential visitors.

The doctor saw it. “Do not worry. We are giving you antibiotics, nothing else,” he reassured her. “We won’t hurt you, Miss Y/L/N. I need you to stay calm and we will call Director Fury as soon as possible.”

With a simple nod, she released a loud exhale. No one knew about her fear of needles. They never witnessed her getting one and she avoided any at all costs. The less they knew, the better, right?

She fell asleep for another hour when she heard the door open. She stirred and gently opened her eyes, looking directly at Nick Fury. “I’m glad you are alive,” he said.

Y/N huffed. “I should have listened, I guess,” she whispered.

“Yes, you should,” he nodded and pulled a chair closer to her bed. “Do you remember it?”

“I remember it all,” she said. “I had to do it, sir. It needed to stop them. Some of the children were already sold,” he cleared her throat. Fury brought a cup of water with a straw to her lips and helped her drink from it. He didn’t let her take much. “Thank you.”

“Not bringing any backup was stupid, Y/N.”

“I know. I know. Will I,” she stopped, not daring to finish the sentence.

He sighed. “There won’t be any repercussions,” he answered. “We were dealing with a global threat,” he explained. “The Youth Centre was as bad as Hydra. Unfortunately, they used children, experimented on them and killed them. We gathered a lot of information during these past few weeks and have enough evidence that even though the children died, it was for the better.”

“I am so sorry,” Y/N started to cry softly. “I looked. I couldn’t find anyone once I killed a lot of guards. They were hidden somewhere.”

“Here is the good thing,” he stopped her. “Once we cleared the debris, we managed to uncover an underground place where there were around fifty children hidden in a cellar.” When he said that her eyes widened. “You didn’t kill all those children. You saved them. These children were not enhanced yet. They were abused a lot. Fortunately, no serum was given to them.”

“They are fine?”

“With a lot of therapy, they will be fine,” he nodded.

Y/N wanted to say something. When she noticed how he was staring at her, she forgot what she had on her mind. “What?”

“How did you do it?” he had to ask. “How did you destroy the building?”

She opened her mouth. How did she do it? It never happened before. She knew what her abilities were. This thing came out of nowhere. She thought back to the moment it happened. There was this feeling inside her that intensified and she released it out. “I have no idea,” she said honestly. “I wish I knew.”

Fury simply patted her shoulder and stood up. “We will discuss it once you are out of here. The doctor said that if your condition remains the same until tomorrow, they will transport you into the HQ to the hospital wing.”

That’s when she remembered the rest of the team. “Are- Are they angry at me?” she lowered her gaze.

“Confused,” he said. “They don’t understand why you did it. Thanks to Romanoff and Barnes, they slowly figured things out.”

Bucky. Her heart dropped. She knew he would hate her the most. “How did I get here?”

“Because they figured out where you went, and I left one of the tracking devices online, they came to help. However, before they were able to do anything, the building was destroyed and they thought you died,” Fury explained. “Relax. Nothing is as bad as it seems.”

“So you broke the promise,” she said.

“No,” he shrugged, keeping his voice on a funnier tone. “I didn’t say a word. I simply left some clues.”

He was about to leave the room when she stopped him. “What am I supposed to do now?” she asked.

“Rest,” he turned to her one more time. “And talk to the team. I believe they would like to see you. The last person that was here was Barnes. He looked terrible. No wonder. That man spent most of his days here. ”

She couldn’t believe it. Did Bucky keep visiting her while she was in a coma? Why would he do that?

Y/N was left alone. Another round of sleep came to her. She didn’t have much energy and another cat nap would only do her good. This time, her mind was not invaded by any bad dreams. Maybe it was the drugs?

She was awakened by something soft and warm pressed against the back of her hand. When she opened her eyes, she found Bucky pressing his lips to her hand, whispering something. He was sad and tired. Y/N squeezed his hand and he quickly looked up at her.

“Y/N,” he whispered her name. “You are awake.”

“Hi,” she greeted him. “I woke up today,” she whispered. “It was time.”

“We thought we lost you,” his voice broke. “I thought I lost you,” and he pressed another kiss to her hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Weak. A bit confused,” she admitted. “If all goes well, I’ll be relocated to the HQ tomorrow. Uh, can you bring me water, please?” Bucky was quick to take the glass with a straw and brought it closer to her lips. When she started to drink it, their eyes locked. “Thank you,” she said when she finished.

He opened his mouth, ready to tell her something. However, Natasha, Steve and Sam entered the room before he could make a sound. The redhead was first by her side, carefully hugging her. Steve and Sam stood behind Bucky, smiling.

“You scared the shit out of us,” said Natasha when she pulled out of the hug.

“I’m sorry,” said Y/N.

“Why didn’t you ask us to come with you?” Nat asked. “You know we would have helped you.”

Y/N’s eyes slowly moved to Bucky who kept looking at her. She wished they could be alone. It was hard to come up with a relevant answer and, in all honestly, she’d rather sit in silence with him. She thought he’d hate her. So far, it has nothing to do with hate.

Sam started to talk about… something. Y/N wasn’t listening. It was something about a game of darts. Steve told her how the rest of the team thought highly of her and that Wanda and Vision would be back in two days.

Her eyes were slowly closing while she kept listening to their stories. No one wanted to mention the mission. They kept her mind occupied with something else.

A nurse came to the room with a new IV and a bag. “It’s time to let her rest,” she informed them. “I suggest you come tomorrow.”

Natasha gently hugged her and the rest of them said their goodbyes. Bucky was the last one to leave. He noticed how Y/N was panicking when the nurse was about to take out her IV. Y/N turned her head, trying to breathe deeply. That’s when she found out he was still there. Tears welled up in her eyes.

He took a few big steps and was immediately by her side. “Hey, it’s okay,” he tried to calm her. “I’m right here, Y/N. Keep looking at me.”

She only nodded and pursed her lips only to keep her sobs hidden. Bucky found her free hand and took it into his, holding it tightly. He didn’t question it.

“I’m sorry, but you should-”

“I’m staying,” said Bucky to the nurse harshly, not giving her a single look. The woman kept her mouth shut and took out the needle of Y/N’s arm.

“It’s going to be a minute, alright? Focus on me,” he kept talking to Y/N. “You are doing so well.”

Bucky knew not to ask, not now. He stayed there until the nurse was done and Y/N had a new IV ready. “All done,” said the nurse.

“It’s all done,” Bucky repeated for her. She snuggled her head into his chest and silently cried. She hated every moment of it. Nothing scared her more than IVs. She hated them with her whole being.

He kept stroking her slightly greasy hair, trying to calm her down. Five minutes later, he realised that she had fallen asleep while being snuggled to him. Bucky kissed the top of her head and gently pushed her away. He fixed her body on the bed and stroked her cheek. Once again, he remained sitting next to the bed. This time, his body was relaxed because he knew she was conscious and well.

Y/N was confused when she woke up the next day and she was alone in the room. She knew Bucky was the last one with her, helping her get through her fear of IVs. Now, no one was present. She sighed sadly.

For the next few hours, she kept taking naps and watching TV that was installed in the room. That was until it was time to transfer her to the HQ as promised. She couldn’t be more thrilled.

Everything went smoothly. They helped her take a shower after weeks and prepared her for transfer. Before she knew it, they wheeled her into the medical wing of the compound. The first thing she noticed was the bouquet of red roses standing next to her bed. There was her phone and a book she didn’t finish. The bed was way more comfortable than the one in the regular hospital. And, as if it wasn’t enough, there were snacks in the drawer next to the bed.

“Do you like it?” said a voice from the door to her room.

When she turned her head and saw Bucky standing at the door, smiling. Instantly, there was a smile on her face. “You did this?”

He walked to her. “Yes. I wanted you to feel good, homely.”

“That is so sweet,” she said and yawned. It was time to lie down and gain more energy. She stretched her arm to him and signed him to take it. “I love roses.”

Bucky couldn’t do it faster. They held hands for a good minute, staring at each other silently.

This was his moment. He couldn’t wait any longer. He leaned to her and pressed his lips to her. The first good sign was, she didn’t pull away. The kiss was sweet, just as he imagined it would be, if not better. He could stay like this forever.

Bucky smelled like a menthol shower gel. She could breathe his scent until her very last day. How glad she was they made her take a shower before transfer.

When he pulled away, he kept his forehead pressed against her. “I love you,” he whispered, finally admitting his feelings. “I’ve loved you for some time now.”

Y/N smiled. “I love you too, Buck.” She couldn’t be any happier. “I was worried you’d hate me.”

He looked into her eyes. “I could never do that. I was upset that you didn’t want me there. I thought my life ended when they found you without any sign of life.” His gorgeous blue eyes filled with tears. “I really thought I lost you.”

She put both hands on his cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t be. You are alive, here with us, with me. That’s all that matters.”

She kissed him again, this time deepening the kiss. Bucky’s metal hand travelled to her neck and pulled her to him as much as it was possible. The cold made her gasp and that was the moment he used and explored her mouth with his tongue.

Someone cleared their throat. Slowly, they both turned their head to the sound and disconnected their lips. Steve and Sam were standing at the door, smiling like school girls.

“Sorry to interrupt, love birds,” said Sam, giggling.

“You are ruining the moment,” Bucky snarled at him. “Can you come later?”

“You know what?” Y/N interrupted, patting Bucky’s hand. “Stay. Please. I need to talk to you. Could you also call the rest of the team? I- I need to tell you everything. Please.”

“Okay,” Bucky nodded and before he left, he kissed the top of her hair.

Steve and Sam were still grinning at her. They sat down on a small sofa that was next to the bed. “So, you two, huh?” said Sam, winking at her.

“Sam,” Steve nudged his shoulder. “How are you feeling?” he turned his head to Y/N, genuinely concerned.

“I’m getting better by the minute,” she admitted with a smile. “Still tired though. The doctor said I need to rest here for another few days. Afterwards, I can leave this place and rest back home - or in my room.”

“Or in Bucky’s arms,” Sam teased. Steve smacked his shoulder.

“And no active missions until we are sure you are healthy and strong. We can use you from here,” said Steve.

“Yes, Captain,” she winked at him. “And I am really sorry for what happened.”

Natasha was the first to run into the room. Before Y/N knew it, the woman was hugging her again and taking a seat next to her. “I’m glad you are here with us,” she said with a smile. “The rest of the team will be here any minute. You okay?”

“Yeah,” Y/N nodded with a smile. She fidgeted a little. “Just nervous.”

“Why are you nervous?” she asked. “You don’t have to be. We’ve been through a lot together. It’s going to be fine.”

Clint, Tony and Bruce entered the room. They greeted Y/N with gentle hugs. While they were chatting, Wanda and Vision unexpectedly walked into the room. Y/N’s eyes almost popped out. “Holy shit,” she gasped.

Wanda was quick enough to come to her and pulled her into a tight loving embrace. “Don’t ever scare me like that,” was the first thing the woman whispered into her ear.

“I’m sorry.” Wanda and Y/N had a special bond. There was something a little more special than she had with Natasha. But all three women were very close.

With a kiss on her forehead, she sat by her other side which was not occupied by anyone. Both friends were by her side. And yet she wished Bucky was the one sitting with her. He was the last one to return. His eyes noticed that he wouldn’t be able to sit next to the woman he loved.

Without stalling, Y/N started to talk about her past - how her childhood was taken away from her.

“I remember playing outside. My mother was there with me. It was a beautiful warm day. I don’t remember the city I was born in or her name. What I do remember is the sound of her painful cry. It happened so quickly. The next thing I knew, I was in a place that became my new home.”

Everyone listened and didn’t ask questions or intervene.

“There’s been always at least 20 to 40 children - all ages. We were raised there. They taught us everything that they considered important as well as basic skills such as reading, writing and math. I guess it was similar to Red Room,” she looked at Natasha. “They started to experiment on us very early, as well as they started to kill us. There was this older girl, about seventeen and she was on her way to becoming enhanced. Unfortunately, the last experiment changed her personality and she turned into a psychopath. Because of that, they killed her and everyone who was undergoing the same treatments as her. Of course, they did it in front of us.

“The first time it happened, I vomited as well as other kids. They punished us and we stayed without food for a week. The only thing we had was water. They kept us between four cold walls. One time,” she put a grimace on her face, “one of the soldiers tried to drown me because I refused to pleasure him. I was eleven.”

Y/N noticed how Wanda’s eyes closed. She tried to remain stoic. When her eyes scanned each person, no one could look at her, even Bucky’s eyes were on the floor.

“It happened at least once a week,” she continued. “Unfortunately, when they break you, they’ll get what they want. And they’ll find a way to do it again and again.” Her voice started to shake. “Then comes a turn and once the time is right, you make them suffer.”

She thought about that particular moment and told them about it. She was sixteen when the experiment was successful and she gained abilities. The guards, who loved to play with her, were met with her rage. She killed them all.

“Thus, my plan to escape started a few days after that. I managed to leave the place that tortured me for years. A place where even though I gained something powerful, broke me in many ways. They took me away from my mother and destroyed my childhood and teenage years.”

This time, a tear escaped her eye and gently caressed her cheek. “I never thought things would get better. I was hiding around the States and in Europe. I became a mercenary only to have some money. Now, here we are… After all that death and torture, I am still alive. That’s why I wanted to, no, needed to do this alone. I needed to finish this and kill them because they were a threat to everyone. I didn’t want to risk your lives for my pain, my past.”

The team was silent. No one knew what to say. What could a person say after everything they’ve heard?

“Don’t look at me like that,” Y/N shook her head. “You’ve all had traumatic pasts.”

Natasha was the one who said it out loud. “No one was raped when they were a child.”

“Well, there are other things that did not happen to me, but did happen to you,” said Y/N. “We live in a fucked up world. Now we have the ability to make it better.”

. . .

Bucky had his normal hand on the steering wheel while his metal hand held Y/N’s. He proposed a trip - a few days off, without the team somewhere outside of New York. Just the two of them, enjoying their time together. It was nice of him to take her out.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Where are you taking me?” she asked, giggling. “Come on, Buck, just give me a hint.”

“We’ll be there in a minute. Please, wait and you’ll see,” he said with a smile.

At first, they flew to Colorado and spent a nice day walking around Denver and enjoying the food and entertainment. Today, he took her for a ride. They were slowly driving through a peaceful neighbourhood. There was nothing special about it - houses, families walking around and enjoying the day.

Y/N took a deep breath through her nose. She became nervous. “Did you buy us a house?” she had to ask.

That’s when he parked the car and looked at her. “No,” he shook his head. “I know I should have asked you about this, but after everything, I figured this would be something you’d want to do,” he started. “I’ve been searching for several days until I found what I wanted and that’s why I brought you here.”

She frowned at him, not liking how cryptic he was. Bucky quickly kissed her lips and then got out of the car. Because he was a gentleman, he went to Y/N’s door and opened it for her. “I’m nervous,” she said when she stepped out.

He grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. He slowly took her to one of the houses. It was of smaller size, but it was a nice place to live. Once they were at the front door, he loudly knocked on them. “I figured that maybe you’d want to…”

The door opened. A woman in her mid-fifties was standing there, dressed in casual comfortable clothes. From her face, she seemed shocked. “Oh my god,” she whispered.

Bucky didn’t need to say a word. Y/N figured it all out. She could feel it inside her soul that she knew this person. “Mum?”

“It’s you,” the woman started to sob. “You are alive.” She pulled Y/N into a tight embrace, crying into her shoulder. “Oh my god, my sweet angel, you are alive.” When she pulled away, she grabbed Y/N’s face into her hands, scanning every detail to memorize it. “Your wonderful friend came to me a week ago, saying that he knows you. He told me, that my beautiful baby is alive.”

Y/N looked at Bucky, her eyes filled with tears. “Yeah, he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

#Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes x female reader #Bucky Barnes x you #Bucky Barnes Y/N #Avenger Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes fanfiction #Marvel fanfiction #James Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes

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yourejinx · 1 year

Text

Undeniable Bonds.

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Genre: angst.

Warnings: mostly language.

Words: 3k or so.

Summary: Y/N and Azriel can't stand each other, despite the centuries working together they just don't seem to understand one another. Too many secrets are being kept. But that bond between them keeps pushing, demanding, making it impossible to ignore.

Author note: the summary sucks, I should work on it later.

Chapter One?

I could hardly see anything past the blinding white rage in my vision as I stalked through the streets of Velaris on my way back to the House of Wind. How dare he?!

“Is it business or pleasure?” Azriel purred maliciously, a dark smirk tugging at his lips.

Rhys’s face went pale with stupor but he snapped out of it fast enough to stop me from snatching the Shadow singer’s eyeballs with my bare hands.

He should have let me land that blow. Violet eyes turned soft on my face even as he commanded in all his Mighty High Lord voice for Azriel to get the fuck out.

Fucking miserable Illyrian bastard. Breathing deeply through my nose I measured the distance between myself and the steps of the stairs up to the House, and then started sprinting for it. Maybe the aching of my lungs would numb the rising anger that occupied my thoughts.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky by the time I reached the training zone. Cassian was already at it with a punching bag, hair loose, shirt already discarded and sweat dripping from his forehead. He kept shoving strands of hair that fell into his eyes out of the way in between punches, an exasperated huff leaving his parted lips. A prominent vein popped into his neck as a result of the effort and strength with which he was landing hit after hit, wings tucked in tight, he looked stressed. Tough night for the both of us then.

I approached him as silently as a wraith, not wanting to disturb his session and starting my stretchings.

“You’re late.” He greeted me. He’d probably been up since before dawn.

“You can thank your brother for that.” I replied shifting my weight from one leg to the other. He stopped punching and grinned at me, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Which one?”

I rolled my eyes. “Which one do you think?”.

“Az is giving you a hard time again, huh?”

“Isn’t he always? You know it was supposed to be a quick meeting, we had to report to Rhys about last week, take the new mission and leave. But of course Azriel had to be a huge pain in the ass again by pleading to leave me behind because I “complicate things”, which only means I do put to use my critical thinking and not just blindly follow his every command.”

Cass chuckled at my evident irritation with the Shadowsinger. “You know, Az can be entitled sometimes but he knows what he’s doing…listening to him from time to time can’t be that bad now, can it?”

“I know Cass, he’s Spy Master for a reason, I know he’s a great spy, but so am I. And he doesn’t seem to want to see it. I too have some good ideas, I’ve saved both our asses several times now, but he just won't acknowledge it. It is his way or the hard way every single time, I’m just tired of trying to prove myself to him.”

The rich brown surrounding Cassian’s irises looks like molten chocolate in the late morning as his gaze softens on me. I hate to look vulnerable but I guess if it’s going to be in front of anyone, who better than Cass? This huge scary looking warrior that was actually just a big loving teddy bear. Cassian was my best friend, the one who knows my secrets and fears and desires and has never judged me or pitied me for it. Not once.

"You don't need to prove anything. You've done more than enough time and time again, if he doesn't see it then he's a giant fool."

“Thank gods I’ve got you, who would burst my ego like that if not you, huh?.”

He flashed one of his radiant smiles at me and I motioned for him to come closer. Once he stood in front of me I made him turn and sit at my feet, quickly grabbing hold of his locks and braiding his hair back.

Cassian was one of the first ones to warm up to me and make me feel welcome besides Rhys. It was easy with him, always ready to make me laugh and help ease my process of adjusting to life in Velaris. He quickly became my best friend.

When I first got here I was stuck in the mountains for six whole years with Amren before I could even interact with the rest of the Inner Circle. A safety measure for all, of course, I was unstable in many ways after escaping that hideous place they call the Court of Nightmares. I needed space to heal, and to learn how to control my powers. Rhys came and went very often, he took the time to actually teach me how to put a leash on my power –being quite similar to his– and to bend it to my will, but it wasn’t until years later that I officially met everyone. It was awkward at first, I didn’t know much about socializing given that my only interactions were with the stoic Amren and even before that I’ve only ever met the cruelness of my family; but Mor was excited to see me again when Rhys brought me to Velaris and Cassian greeted me with a big fat grin and open arms. Azriel on the other hand…the spymaster had intrigued me since the very first moment we’d met, lurking in a corner, his shadows hovering over his shoulders and curling up to his head, hiding the lines of his beautiful face. Mesmerizing. He seemed intrigued as well at first, hazel eyes assessing me with intensity. I honestly don’t know when everything went downhill with him, but now we just can’t stand each other.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” I said after a couple of heartbeats had passed in silence between us.

“About what?”

“Uh-uh, not playing dumb with me.”

“Is this what we do now? braid each other’s hair and talk about our problems?” He tried to dismiss the subject by playing funny.

“Well, you’re always pestering me to talk about my problems, so I figured I should do the same” I grinned down at him.

“There was a time when we fixed our issues in other ways,” he said suggestively, waving his eyebrows.

“If you want to get absolutely hammered at Rita’s I may be down to it, but not tonight. If I show up completely pissed tomorrow Azriel’s gonna lose it, and honestly I don’t want to deal with his bullshit for even a minute longer than necessary.” I hissed the last words as a sharp twinge of pain shot through my head.

Cassian’s eyes fixed on my face, worry staining his golden orbs as he stood towering over me. He cupped my chin so that I was looking up at him now, his gaze falling to the dark circles under my eyes.

“The nightmares again,” he stated more than questioned. “They can’t reach you here, dove.” His tone was softer.

“I know, Cass. It wasn’t the nightmares this time, I’ve been…having these dreams of places that I don’t recognize, people that I don’t know and there’s always so much suffering. I wake up feeling drained of energy and totally confused. I don’t know what it means.”

Weird, blurry images of last night’s dream came flooding into my mind. Darkness and smoke, the ashy taste of fire filled my senses and made me dizzy. All I could see were the outlines of white hair and twirling swoops of black ink very similar to the tattoos on Cassian’s chest. An ancient language that I didn’t understand.

“Maybe you should stop reading so many of those weird books of yours,” he smirked, easing the crease of my eyebrows “Have you been eating well?”

I shook out of my trance and stepped back out of his hold, adopting a fighting stance in the middle of the ring. “Enough of me anyways. What 's up with you? you seem stressed, did something happen with Nesta?” I said throwing the first punch, he dodged it.

“No. I got into a fight with Devlon yesterday, he’s been playing us for fools and the females have not been training at all.”

“You went to the Illyrian camps? I thought you were gonna wait for me, you know I love to spook the shit out of that misogynistic pig.” I grinned at him.

“I was but then you had that mission with Az and then the meetings and reports, I just didn’t want to burden you any further. Besides, you’re rarely around these days. You know, for two people who supposedly can’t stand each other you spent an awful amount of time together.” He smirked.

“Yeah well, we work together, it’s not like we have a choice. Though Azriel really puts in the effort to try and get rid of me.”

“What did Rhys say?”

“That I was going on the mission and that was final.”

Cass chuckled and some of the tension was lifted from my shoulders, his mere presence was comforting enough for me to relax a bit. I have had a massive headache all morning, I was barely able to concentrate on what Rhys was saying above the urging desire to bang my head against the nearest wall.

"I can tell when you're not telling me something, you know? It's not just the weird dreams is it?"

I sighed tiredly and dropped my arms to the side, clearly we weren't going to any further in training lest I spilled it all out for him.

"Azriel suggested that I was having an affair with someone from the Hewn City, and while he was at it he also kind of accused me of treason."

The General 's jaw tensed. He knew the Hewn City and anything remotely involved to that nightmare of a place has always been a touchy subject for me, being born as I was — a female with the power of a High Lord — meant an open invitation for challenge and dominance. It had cost me almost everything at a very young age. The mere suggestion that I may hold a secret agenda with the snakes that prowl around the power of the crown made my ire burn like a thousand suns. It also made me nauseous, I sure wasn't as horrible as Azriel made me out to be.

"Someone clearly needs to knock some sense into him." He gave me a look that promised trouble, rolling his toned shoulders and spreading his huge wings wide.

"Forget it Cass, you said it yourself, I don't need to prove anything. Besides, Rhys knows the truth so I'm clear."

He didn’t say anything else and just followed me back to the ring. Good. I have had enough of Azriel anyways.

—----------------------------------------------------------

“I have a lead!” I said bursting through Rhysand’s office at the River House, arms full of maps with annotations. Lucien hot on my heels.

The High Lord turned in his seat to take a look at me, then at Lucien and back at me, one dark eyebrow arched high in question. Mere seconds later I felt a talon slide gently across my mental shield, asking for permission. I granted him access.

“Does Lucien know what this is all about?” his voice sounded in my head.

“Just that I’ve been hunting down a group of slavers. He offered some insight when he saw me looking for connections between Spring and Night Courts.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, we have been investigating the disappearance of fae females for the past year now, I had first noticed it one night when I was sneaking some of them out of the Hewn City to a Shelter in the outskirts of Velaris. Only Rhys and I knew about it. I just couldn’t leave those poor women to suffer as I had in that horrible place, but it was too risky, and as much as Rhys has been doing some political changes concerning the Night Court, it still was a very complex matter. So we investigated thoroughly about whom we would be bringing to our home. Just a few at a time, Rhys had said, we can’t risk bringing spying eyes here, and a large group of females vanishing into the night will certainly attract Kier’s attention back to us.

A couple of months ago, the group I was supposed to escort out went missing. There wasn’t a whisper of them in the entirety of the Court of Nightmares, and the female servants were too afraid to speak. I just knew someone had been watching me, it had been a warning and a message. Stay out of our business.

He nodded, then spoke out loud. “What did you find?”

“Well I think they may be using the remnants of the Spring Court as some sort of Warehouse or… storage.”

The thought alone of what those faeries may be enduring down there had my hands curling into fists, knuckles going white. “Since Tamlin’s left there aren't really many rules standing, his people have been barely subsisting; it is not that uncommon that in times of need people tend to turn against their own.”

Lucien’s face was grim, probably remembering what had happened and his role in it. He blinked twice, then said, “they could be using the rivers and the caves to get in and out without being noticed” he offered; “just like I used to do to get out of Autumn. I marked the rivers that flow closest to the caves and the closest villages. People may know something, maybe they'll turn their eyes from it if it’s convenient for them.”

Rhysand leaned forward, studying the maps and annotations closely. “Good work, Y/N, Lucien. This is a start. We need to investigate this further and put a stop to it before more fae are taken.”

I nodded, feeling a sense of determination settle within me. We couldn't let this go on any longer. No more innocent lives taken or families torn apart.

I knew I was taking some risks with this, but I also knew that we couldn't let fear stop us from doing what was right. I would do whatever it takes to end this.

“We need to find out everything we can about this operation and shut it down. I can gain some time and winnow there tonight, for some ground recognition.”

Rhysand stood up from his desk, tired and with a look of wariness written on his face, “ I would wait until Azriel returns from his meeting, then you can go together.”

“I can very well do this on my own, Rhys. I’m not stupid and I’m very capable of taking care of myself.” I argued back.

He looked reluctant at first, but he loosened a breath and said “I know you can. Lay low, gather whatever information you can but do not engage until Azriel arrives, understood? I’ll be sending him tomorrow morning.”

“Fine” I said, rolling my eyes. But he went on, in that brotherly voice that always got me following his commands.

“And be careful, we don't know what kind of forces we're dealing with here.”

I nodded and gave him a small smile. As we left the office, I couldn't help but think about Azriel. He would be on this mission with me, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. But, for the sake of the mission and the fae that had been taken, we had to put our differences aside and work together.

“Thank you, Lucien” I said, fully facing the Autumn male, “I know you wouldn’t reveal information that could be used against your friend or his court. So thank you, for trusting me with this.”

He seemed rather surprised for a second, eyes shining in the dim light, but then a smirk cut on his lips. “I trust you, little raven, I thought I’ve made that clear.”

I smiled back at him. “Well yeah, but thank you anyways, I know you don’t get to hear those words around here very often.” I teared my gaze away from him into the open night beyond. I should leave soon.

“I won’t keep you from your duties much longer” He said, shoving back a few strands of that auburn hair that had loosened from where he had pinned them to the side. “Stay safe Y/N, and if you thank me again you better start bowing next time” Lucien flashed a foxy grin as he started walking towards the house.

I couldn’t help the chuckle from leaving my lips. “As you wish, good night Prince Charming.”

I heard his breathy laugh even as I winnowed out of the city.

—----------------------------------------------------------

The morning sun was rising over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the lush greenery of the Spring Court border. I was standing just outside the small inn I booked for the night, waiting for Azriel to arrive. I hadn’t found anything particularly shady last night, yet I couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. The whole village felt out of place.

Azriel arrived on his shadow wings, landing gracefully in front of me. His black wings contrasted sharply with the bright blue sky, making him look even more intimidating than usual. "Let's go," he said curtly, motioning for me to follow him.

“Good morning to you too” I murmured under my breath; if he heard it or not he didn’t tell.

We flew over the sprawling countryside, searching for any sign of the illegal trade. After hours of fruitless searching, we landed in a small village. The villagers looked tired and scared, their faces etched with worry lines. I made to approach one of the villagers and ask if they knew anything about people going missing these days.

The villager shook his head. "We don't know anything about it. Our High Lord abandoned us a few months ago, and we've been struggling to survive ever since. Some have left for other courts, it is not unusual to find this place so quiet."

That was a fact, I had spotted caravans moving across Prythian as I traveled through the courts. Entire families leaving their homeland behind in search of a better chance at survival. This place once full of life was really starting to look like an abandoned graveyard, drying lands and growing thorn bushes taking place. Where the hell had Tamlin gone?

Azriel's face darkened with anger. "This was a waste of time," he muttered. "We should never have come here."

A twinge of guilt crept up my spine. I knew it was a blind shot to try and find them here, but other than the utter state of abandonment of this court, I still had the feeling that something was off. There was this wrongness in the air.

I dared another look in the direction of the villager but he was already gone. Weird. If Azriel wanted to leave then fine, I’ll investigate further on my own.

Hours later as I walked through the village, I noticed a pair of eyes staring at me, following me around in the shadows. At first I thought Azriel had sent his shadows after me but…it didn’t feel like him. I neared the edge of a dense wood and turned to approach those watching cold eyes, my right hand flying to the hilt of the dagger strapped to my thigh. They seemed to narrow in silent mockery and as I stepped through the bushes I was met with nothing but a lingering darkness. What in hell had that been?

I returned to the village, searching for Azriel, to tell him what I had seen. "There's definitely something going on here."

Azriel sighed, “I’ll tell you what’s going on here” he started coolly, “Their fucking coward of a High Lord bailed on his own people and now they’re trying to survive with the little they have left still standing, there are probably shadow markets functioning across the court for those who still remain and try to sell their goods for food. They don’t need two Night Court scouts snooping around their business so no one here is going to talk. That's what is happening here. No signs of your supposed “group of slavers”. People leave on their own accord to avoid starvation.”

He stared down his nose at me “Are you done playing your stupid game here? I told you we should have headed for Autumn. Now let’s go, we need to report back to Rhysand; I’ll love to hear how you will explain to him that you wasted both our time and his resources on a hunch.”

I didn’t want to show him that his words had sting, that it still affected me how little trust he had in me, in my capability, but my mouth went faster than my gathering thoughts:

"Why do you have to be such an asshole to me all the time?", my temper quickly rising to the surface, undoubtedly twisting my face in anger, sliping past my usual mask of boredness.

“Someone has to tell you the truth to your face at last.”

“What does that mean?” I said almost snarling at his cocky face.

“It means you’re not as good as you think you are, and no one seems to want to acknowledge it. I think Rhys spoils you too much. He handles everything on a silver platter for you and you rejoice in the riches of it like you’ve earned it. You're not his fucking sister! No one can ever replace her, what you're doing it's just awful. And he's so damn blind to it.”

Every word felt like a dagger to my heart. I've rather had him skin me alive than to hear those words again. Of course I wasn't Rhys's sister, although I do love him like a brother, but I hadn't meant in any way to come off as a replacement for her. It just felt right, to be a part of a family for once that I hadn't thought twice about my relationship with Rhysand. Does he feel like he needs to cover my needs just because he couldn’t do it with her before? Because he feels guilty? Has he been giving tasks just to excuse the amount of money he pays me?

I stumbled one step, two steps back away from him. From his space, so dense and thick with loathing it was suffocating. I leashed my anger, spiraling down into that pit of numbness I was so familiar with as I said, with a face as blank and unreadable as his own, “I’ll give him the full report. And don’t worry, I’ll pay him back every last copper that I know I owe to him if it means I’ll never have to see you again.”

It was the venom laced in her voice that had Azriel backing off this time, a twinge of pain and guilt flashing in his eyes but she had already winnowed away.

#azriel shadowsinger #azriel x reader #azriel fanfic #azriel acotar #acotar #acotar fandom #acotar series #acotar fanfiction #fantasy #acomaf

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from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras · 6 months

Text

Turning Points

Pairing: Éomer x reader (who doesn’t want to imagine themselves hanging out with Éomer??). Plus an Elfhelm cameo because I love that dude.

Summary: Éomer’s lifelong best friend reckons with how much and how quickly his life has changed as a result of the war and wonders what that means for the life she had hoped to have with him.

************

The clear, deep sound of horns rang out in the distance and alerted all of Edoras to the imminent arrival of the army, home for the first time since that urgent, panicked ride to Helm’s Deep more than two months ago. Although word of their subsequent deeds and victories in Gondor had already reached the city, many details were yet unknown, and the mood of those who gathered in the streets was celebratory but tinged with anxiety as hopeful eyes prepared to scan the returning éoreds for a first glimpse of deeply missed loved ones.

The terrace in front of Meduseld quickly filled with people, and you slipped easily into the crowd as the first few companies of horsemen began to climb the hill. The riders smiled broadly at the cheers and flowers that rained down on them, though some still bore clear evidence of painful wounds and fractures. Others led behind them riderless horses, the mounts of those soldiers who would never return. You whispered a quiet prayer of gratitude, knowing from the messengers who had gone back and forth from Minas Tirith that both of those most precious to you were safely in the host.

No sooner had you finished your prayer than a cry went up from the crowd–“Hail, Elfhelm, Marshal of Edoras!”—and your father came into view. As gregarious as he was popular, he played shamelessly to the crowd, doffing his stallion-crested helmet and waving a shield that had clearly been confiscated from some defeated Haradrim commander. When his eyes finally landed on you, he gave a joyful whoop and sprang from the saddle. Throwing the helmet and shield aside, he ran to you with the speed of a much younger man, and the strength of his embrace forced the breath from your lungs. He spun you around several times as you kissed his sunburned cheeks, and when he placed you on your feet again he grasped your shoulders and gazed for a long moment at your face.

“Many nights have I dreamed of just this view,” he said. “There is no finer one in all of Middle Earth.”

You gave his hands a squeeze. “I have not known a moment’s peace since you left. Now that you are back, I may never let you leave again.”

“I am at your command, my lady,” he said with a smile and an exaggerated bow. “But I do not flatter myself so much as to think that I am the only one you have been missing. The royal household will be arriving soon, and I am certain you are as eager to see the new king as he must be to see you.”

Your heart leaped in your chest at the mention of Éomer, but this was not the time or the place to open the gate that held back those feelings. “For my part, I shall certainly be glad to see him home and safe. But a man such as Éomer has many friends, and no doubt he desires to see them all.”

He burst into laughter. “Do you speak such nonsense on purpose, or have I really raised you to be so naive? I know that you do not admit it to others, and perhaps not even between yourselves, but I have watched the two of you for many years now and I know love when I see it. Let us not pretend you are just one friend among many, a single star in a crowded sky. You are his sun, just as he is yours. I may be old, but I am certainly not blind.”

Your face flushed in pain and embarrassment. If your father had perceived all of this, likely others had, too. It was true that you loved Éomer, and you had always believed he loved you back. You felt his devotion in the way he trusted you and watched out for you, in the look on his face when you walked into a room. But neither of you had ever stated it outright. Perhaps you had been wrong all along, reading a great deal too much into a cherished friendship. Or perhaps what he felt was no longer relevant given his new responsibilities and duties. Either way, when Éomer married another in a few months' time, your crushed hopes would be on display for the whole city to see and discuss.

“Things have changed, father. You know that. The Éomer that I have known all my life was Éomund’s son. He was not heir to the throne of Rohan and certainly not its king. His life is very different now from the one we might have expected just months ago when Théodred was still alive.”

He sighed. “Much has happened, I concede. He has gone from nephew to heir to king. He nearly lost his sister. He comes home with much to reflect on. But his heart itself has not changed.”

“Has it not?” Despite your best efforts, your voice broke and tears began to slide down your cheeks. “Then what of the news that has already made its way back here in advance of your return? Amongst word of your victories and the death of poor Théoden, it also said that Éomer is to marry the princess of Dol Amroth. They say she is considered a proper match for a king of the Mark, and that none less than the new king of Gondor himself proposed it. If I have heard this, surely you have, too.”

Your father reached up to gently brush a tear aside. “Anyone who would claim that you–the finest woman in all of Rohan–are not a proper match for our own king does not have sense enough to offer an opinion on the subject. I have heard this talk of Dol Amroth, it is true, but I have not heard any of it from Éomer’s own lips. And I will not believe it unless I do. His choice was made long ago. You will see.” He put a finger under your chin and tipped your face up to him. “Now, I would stay here and debate this with you all day if your mother were not surely waiting for me at home. And if she thinks I have not hurried there with sufficient speed, she will soon accomplish what all the swordsmen of Harad could not!”

You smiled in spite of yourself and kissed him one last time before he remounted his horse. He gave you a wink as he rode on, and you dried your eyes before turning back to the procession of riders making their way forward.

Before long, the king’s banner appeared at the bottom of the hill. Even at that distance, it was easy to identify Éomer among the many men of his household–you would always recognize his frame and the way he carried himself even if he were not wearing his distinctive horse-tailed helmet and sitting astride Firefoot, who had now been arrayed with a saddle and bridle that sparkled with the gold of a monarch.

As he came into closer view, you could begin to discern the new trappings of royalty–the beautiful green cloak trimmed with shining gold embroidery, the neatly braided hair, the fur-lined boots. But underneath these superficial changes, he still looked like your Éomer. The same man who shared with you a lifetime of confidences and mischief and private jokes. The one who cried in your arms when he missed his parents. Who doted on you whenever you were sick and angrily confronted anyone he thought had hurt your feelings. Who stole your breath every time he turned his hazel eyes and dimpled smile in your direction.

His company dismounted near the bottom of the terrace, and he moved toward the stairs, trailed by attendants, guards and throngs of well-wishers eager to greet their new king. The clamor presented a perfect opportunity to slip away now that you had confirmed with your own eyes that he was safe and unharmed. It was the coward’s way out, but even one more day before you had to directly confront your new reality would be a gift. Just as you began to turn away, however, the sound of his voice carried over the tumult, calling your name.

You froze in place as he approached, feeling immediately uncertain of everything–how to stand, where to look, what to do. A lifetime of affectionate greetings and easy companionship had not prepared you to meet under these circumstances, not as intimate friends but as ruler and subject. Beloved and left behind. Hearing nothing but the sound of your own blood pulsing in your veins, you bowed and looked down.

“Hail, Éomer King.” When you finally raised your eyes, you could see uncertainty written on his face as well. He took another step toward you but stopped, and tentatively reached out a hand before dropping it back to his side. He looked in both directions, where dozens of attentive faces observed his every move.

“I am glad to see you,” he said quietly. His eyes sought yours, and when you allowed them to meet he gave you a soft smile. “I have missed you.”

“I…I am much relieved to see you home. These have been long and anxious months.”

Before either of you could speak again, an armored man at Éomer’s side cleared his throat and nodded in the direction of Meduseld. “You are expected in the hall, my lord. There is much business awaiting your attention, including messages due both to Minas Tirith and Dol Amroth.”

The mention of Dol Amroth sent an icy stab of pain into your chest, and you shrank back several steps, seeking a swift retreat. “Go ahead, my lord,” you managed to say. “A king’s duties must come first.”

His thick brows drew together and he frowned slightly, but eventually he nodded his assent. Your feet carried you away and down a maze of small streets and back alleys, picking up speed as you got further from the crowd, until at last you reached the edge of the city and disappeared into the surrounding fields and paddocks. You cast yourself down in the tall, sweet-smelling grass, shedding tears until you had none left and then staring up dolefully at the flat, blank sky. No matter how you considered and reconsidered your position, only two excruciating choices seemed to lay before you–either to find a new way to love Éomer, shorn of all romantic possibility and content to exist on the terms available to you, or to lose him entirely from your life. The first option felt beyond your strength, but the second was utterly unthinkable.

Uncounted hours passed until it began to darken and torches and candles sparked to life in the distance. Miserable and cold but not yet ready to join the revelry of your family, you wandered back to the city and found yourself headed to the old tack room at the marshal’s stables. Ever since childhood, the abandoned little storage space had served as a private spot to meet your friends, talk or simply to think, and during the war you had spent many hours there alone ruthlessly poring over your fears and concerns.

Throwing open the door and expecting to find it empty as always, you instead walked straight into Éomer, practically bouncing off his chest as he stood just past the threshold. Gone were the outward adornments of royalty, and he looked as you were accustomed to seeing him—simple clothing, well-used boots, hair in loose waves on his shoulders. “Éomer! I mean….I’m sorry. Excuse me, my lord.”

He grimaced a little. “Please, that is not necessary here. Not when it is us. I would like one piece of my old life that is familiar, someone who will still treat me not as king but as myself. I thought you might be here and hoped we could talk as we always have.”

He sat on an old saddle trunk and looked up at you expectantly. Here now was the first opportunity to test your strength—to be there for him simply as a friend and see if you could endure it—and so you nodded and sat next to him.

He was quiet at first, looking around the room and seeming lost in thought. The issue of his pending marriage felt to you like a heavy, palpable presence in the room, but you did not have the heart to raise the subject yet. Instead, you clasped your arms around yourself and waited for him to speak, to give some indication of what he was thinking.

“Do you remember my fifteenth birthday?” he asked suddenly.

“Your…fifteenth birthday? Yes, I think so.” Fragments of distant memories quickly reassembled in your mind. “That was the night you dragged a stolen cask of ale in here, wasn’t it? And then you drank more than half of it all on your own.”

“Which meant you had to spend the rest of the night holding back my hair while I experienced the consequences.”

You smiled. “Yes. Though I experienced some of your consequences, too, if I recall. Those shoes were never the same again.”

He snorted a laugh, and for just a moment things felt almost normal again. Easy and light, as they had been when you were just those two coltish teenagers, having fun and testing the limits of your adolescent independence. But as the laughter faded, the awkwardness returned and his face turned serious.

“I am sorry about this morning.” He shook his head slowly. “That was not how I imagined our reunion, but everything has become so difficult and formal now. I have few moments to myself or chances to do as I once would.”

You could hear in his voice the strain of this adjustment to always being the focus of attention, to being one who is honored and deferred to instead of one who is engaged with. No wonder he was thinking of earlier, simpler days. You longed to comfort him, to take his hand or sit with your head against his shoulder. “Do not apologize,” you said instead. “I understand that you have new demands on you. I regret only that I was not able to tell you how sorry I am about your uncle. I will miss his kind heart.”

He nodded. “Thank you. I take comfort in knowing that he would be proud of what his death achieved.”

Another small silence ensued before he looked up and smiled at you. “But now I must apologize again,” he said, “for I have not yet asked after you. Please, tell me how you have been since we last saw each other.”

You gave a dismissive wave of your hand. “There is not much to tell, at least nothing to stand alongside the great tales we have already heard of your heroic deeds.”

“I do not ask for great tales,” he insisted. “I want only to hear about you and what I have missed, great or small.”

“Well, what you missed were endless hours of inventories and supplies and checklists and stockpiles. Many of the men who typically see to those basic concerns were injured or killed at Helm’s Deep, or they were called away to your muster. So I filled my days with work that they would have done…tracking stores of food and medicine and equipment, ensuring they were sent where they were most needed, planning for replenishments when stocks ran low. It was nothing I have ever done before, obviously, but I am careful with numbers and can keep good records, which is most of what was required.”

He chuckled. “Old Elfhelm has always been so proud that his daughter is one of the few in Rohan to read and write. I heard him bragging as much to one of Lord Elrond’s sons back in Gondor.”

You smiled and shrugged. “That certainly sounds like him. He has never lacked paternal enthusiasm. Or the confidence to share his enthusiasm with literally anyone.”

“That is true, but he is right to be proud. You should be proud as well. Hunger and disease often follow in war’s footsteps, even for the victors, and that has not been allowed to happen here despite the destruction of so many villages and farms and the absence of so many of the normal laborers. That is a service any king would value.”

Your cheeks bloomed a bright red, and he smiled at your discomfort with praise. In truth, though, you were quite proud of what you had accomplished, and it was only hearing the praise from his lips that sent waves of warm color to your face. “Thank you,” you mumbled at last.

He seemed on the verge of speaking again, but instead he leaned back against the wall and contemplated the floor for several long moments. His knee jogged quickly up and down, a nervous tic he’d had ever since boyhood. Before you could ask what was troubling him, however, he looked up with an unsettling intensity.

“May I ask you something? And you will respond to me honestly, no matter what?”

His earnest tone sparked a flare of anxiety in your chest. Was this the moment when he intended to tell you of his engagement? When you would have to somehow react to this news with the graciousness and dignity you knew were required? “I will certainly try.”

He took a deep breath and winced slightly in anticipation of speaking. “I have spent many hours now reflecting on things that Éowyn related to me before I left Gondor. How she did not feel that she was able to live the life she wanted when she was here. That she could not be who she was meant to be simply because she was born a woman. I am ashamed that I was blind to the causes of her unhappiness and that she did not feel that she could confide her true feelings to me earlier. But having failed her then, I worry now that I may have failed others in my life as well. Others who are equally important to me.”

He suddenly turned and grasped your forearms, repositioning you both so that you now sat face to face rather than side by side.

“If you have ever felt that same unhappiness or believed that I was not willing or able to understand your feelings, will you now forgive me? I would not want anyone else to suffer as Éowyn did, and least of all you.”

Your heart broke a little at his words. It broke for Éomer, who would sooner give his life than intentionally hurt someone he cared for, and it broke for Éowyn, whose full feelings had never before been revealed to you. But, hearing now how she had felt, something in her words resonated with a deep part of you, reverberating off a chord you had not always been consciously aware of. You thought carefully for several moments before responding.

“If you ask me whether I ever resented you or the life that I led, the answer is no. I have always trusted in you above all others, and my life never felt anything but normal to me. But I, too, have reflected on these last months, and perhaps I can now better understand Éowyn’s mind.”

He nodded, encouraging you to continue.

“Amid the tragedy of these days, I found some purpose and meaning in the work I did. It was gratifying to feel truly useful for the first time. I did not know it before, as you do not know to miss something you never had, but once that instinct is awakened it is difficult to ignore. It seems it was awakened in Éowyn long ago. But, for myself, I cannot deny that I will now be deeply saddened to lose my sense of purpose once the men are all returned to their old duties and the help of a woman is no longer accepted.”

“Maybe that is not what has to happen,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I would not come to a new understanding of the world, to learn a necessary lesson at a steep cost, only to ignore that lesson and rule my kingdom as though I do not know any better. This will not be a land that I want to rule if half the people must always limit their talents and hopes to fit within the meager bounds afforded to them by the other half.”

His words hung in the air as you struggled to make sense of what you had heard. A chance to share in the great works and deeds of the kingdom, just as the elven women had always done in their own lands? To learn and achieve and stretch yourself in ways that had never before been possible, and not just when dictated by the necessity of war but as a part of everyday life? You had scarcely the courage to even dream of such a thing, but now it was being offered to you. And you knew you wanted it. “I will be the first to stand behind you in any such effort,” you say at last. “But what you suggest is a radical departure from the way that things have been for all the years of our history, indeed from the way that they have always been in all the lands of men. There may be strong opposition to change.”

“I do not fear a difficult task if I know it to be necessary. I will see it done.” He paused and gently picked up your hand to hold it between both of his. “Though I would be aided by the help of a capable queen. One who will rule with me, not as a token or a symbol, but as a true partner.”

His touch sent a jolt of lightning through your arm, and you looked down at your hand to watch his thumb run lightly back and forth over your wrist. It left a trail of fire on your skin. “I…Well, I do not think I understand. Surely you mean Prince Imrahil’s daughter?”

“Imrahil’s daughter?” He looked startled. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“Because news of a royal engagement travels quickly, perhaps faster than you realize. Half of Edoras has already heard about you and the princess of Dol Amroth.”

“Then half of Edoras has heard wrong.”

A small gasp escaped your lips before you could act to hold it back. You looked up into his eyes and drew a shallow breath. “Then…then you have changed your mind?”

“I have not, but only because it never needed changing. I am certain that any daughter of Imrahil is a good and worthy woman, but I declined that match when it was suggested. Any report to the contrary is the result of confusion or rumor. It is true that I am ready for marriage, but I do not wish to bind myself forever to someone I barely know. To someone whose heart and mind I do not yet fully understand. Not when my own heart has long been reserved for one who I already know to be the best of women.” He drew your hand up and pressed it tightly to his chest, where you could feel the steady, strong beat of that heart against your fingertips. “If she will have me.”

All the world seemed suddenly still, as though you were balanced precariously on the crest of a hill, waiting for the last tip forward that would send you rushing headlong down into a new and joyous life. You opened your mouth to respond but found that no words would come. Instead, you raised a hand to his face, lightly tracing your fingers along his jaw before sinking them into his dark golden hair and pulling him toward you for a kiss that had been decades in the making.

It was worth the wait.

#lotr #lord of the rings #fan fiction #lotr fanfic #eomer #eomer x reader #hail eomer king #and Elfhelm too #i do apologize to the lothiriel fans #i’ve just always wanted to see him pick someone from the home team!

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ladykailitha · 1 year

Text

Can Anybody See Me Part 4

Yeah...I’m sorry for the long wait on this one. I’m like a crow, I see a shiny, I go after said shiny. But I’m back to working on this one. Just a heads up tag limit is 50 and it’s been reached, so I haven’t replied to you about being on the list, that’s why. I’m sorry. I don’t know how people can do lists of 100 or more. I just can’t.

But because it took forever, this part is longer than usual. And you get Max AND Wayne.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

It was the last day before winter break and Steve still sat by himself. It wasn’t that Eddie hadn’t asked him to sit with him and his friends but Steve was resolute in keeping his distance from the Corroded Coffin boys. His reasoning was he was trying to protect them from the popular kids.

Eddie rolled his eyes, but respected his wishes. After all he had the rest of the year to wear him down.

But not today. Eddie immediately sat down when Steve did.

Steve looked around him in fear. “You can’t keep doing this, man. I don’t them to pick on you, too.” Billy had hip checked him into his locker just that morning.

Eddie grinned. “I’m immune.”

Steve’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. “No one is immune, Eds.”

Eddie leaned forward. “Their drug dealer is, especially if they want to keep buying weed.”

Steve blinked. “Oh shit. You’re the one Tommy would buy from.”

Eddie’s grin turned feral. “And if I wanted to make their lives miserable, I could get up on this table and declare you off limits and all the bullying would come to a complete standstill.”

Steve’s mouth worked but no words came. He settled for blushing and going back to digging at his food.

“But that’s not why I’m here, Harrington,” he continued, gleefully. “I was wondering what you were doing for Christmas.”

Steve’s brain went off line and it took a bit to come back on. “Um...I don’t know. My parents didn’t come home last year, just sent me a check to buy myself presents.”

Eddie winced. “Ouch.”

“If they weren’t expecting to see piles of loot around the house, I would have blown the whole thing on booze and weed.”

Eddie scoffed. “How much did they send you?”

Steve looked down at his tray, poking at his food. He licked his lips and coughed, “$375.”

Eddie’s eyebrows went up. “That’s a lot.”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t want fancy cars or piles of clothes I’m only going to wear once. Instruments I’ll never play. The latest movies and the biggest TV. I don’t want any of that.” He stabbed at his food again, this time with more force.

“You want them to care enough to come home,” Eddie reasoned. “When was the last time they were home?”

Steve scratched his cheek in thought. “Before Thanksgiving.”

“But not for Thanksgiving?” Eddie asked. The picture Steve was painting was starting to look pretty fucking grim.

“I think I ordered in,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, okay, dude,” Eddie growled. “If they don’t come home, you are coming over to my place.”

Steve put down his fork. “No, man. Please. I’ll be fine.”

Eddie jumped up on the table and slid across it. He planted both feet on the bench next to Steve and clasped his hands. “It’s not okay, dude. I know.”

Steve looked up at him in shock. “I didn’t‒I mean.” He looked down at his tray again. “That sucks.”

Eddie nudged him with his foot. “So you’ll come over if they don’t come home?”

Steve nodded. “I’ll give you my phone number, if you’ll give me yours.”

Eddie grinned. “And if you pretend that they came home, I will find out. I promise that.”

Steve laughed. “Whatever you say, man.”

“Munson!” the lunch lady screamed. “Get off the table!”

Eddie grinned. “And that’s my cue.” He jumped up.

“Exit stage left?” Steve asked.

Eddie laughed. “Drama’s already got it’s hooks into you, hasn’t it?”

Steve shrugged. “It’s been fun.”

“I’ll put my number in your locker later,” Eddie said.

“And I’ll get you mine after school,” Steve replied.

Eddie walked back to his table with his friends waiting for him.

“So what did he say?” Jeff asked.

Gareth huffed. “Let me guess, skiing in Aspen or even the Alps.”

Eddie shook his head. “His parents haven’t been home since before Thanksgiving.”

“But they’ll just send him a plane ticket to wherever they are, right?” Brian asked.

Again Eddie shook his head. “Last year they sent him a check to buy his own presents.”

The three other boys looked at each other in shock.

“What? Jeff squeaked.

“That’s what he said,” Eddie huffed. “I don’t think he’d lie. Not about that.”

“That is so messed up,” Gareth grumbled. “He loses his friends to fucking Bill Hargrove, his girlfriend to Byers, and now his parents aren’t coming home for Christmas? What the hell did this dude do in a past life to get fucked up so hard in this one?”

“I don’t know,” Brian said softly.

They all looked over at Steve who was pushing his food around his tray morosely.

“We’ve got do something for him,” Jeff said. “Eddie you know him the best.”

Eddie munched on a pretzel. “I guess. It’s not very well.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Brian pleaded.

Eddie dropped the pretzel he was holding. “Actually, I think I might have an idea on how to get more information on him without letting him know we’re doing it.”

The other three shared glances.

“Watcha got?” Gareth asked leaning forward.

“I’ve got a Max.”

They all looked confused as Eddie grinned.

Eddie had called Steve a couple of times over the weekend, but he was biding his time until his opportunity opened up.

It came that Sunday when Max slipped in front of her trailer while Eddie was cleaning off Wayne’s truck so that he could get to work.

“Whoa!” Eddie called out and jogged over to her. “Hey, you okay?”

She looked down at jeans and cursed when she saw a rip in the knee. “No. Those were my favorite jeans.”

Eddie winced. “I know how that goes.” He pointed to a rip in the knee of his own jeans.

“Yeah, but you make them look cool,” she grumbled. “I’m Max.”

Eddie grinned. “Well, Max, I’m Eddie.” He jutted his head over to the trailer behind him. “I live just over there.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know.”

“Which part?” he asked with a wink.

“All of it.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Fair enough.”

“Billy buys from you,” Max muttered.

Eddie grimaced. “Ah.”

She shrugged. “I get it, really. No judgment here.”

He stood up and held out his hand to her. She looked at it as if it would turn into a serpent, but sighed, taking it anyway. She slid a couple of times but he held her steady until she was firm on her feet.

“Want some hot chocolate?” he asked jutting his thumb behind him.

She looked at her trailer and then nodded. He opened the door and let her in. “I just need to finish the truck and I’ll be right in. And don’t worry about Uncle Wayne. He doesn’t bite.”

Uncle Wayne burst out laughing from inside the trailer. “Not hard anyway.”

Max smiled and went inside.

Eddie finished clearing off the truck of snow and went inside. He found Max at the counter with a mug in front of her. She had chosen the “Fuck Off Before I’ve Had My Coffee” mug. Eddie liked her already.

He picked the Garfield mug and went to cupboard, getting out the can of cocoa mix.

“How rich do you like it?” he asked, digging out a couple of spoons from the drawer.

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I like mine super rich, like half the cup is mix rich,” he said.

Max grimaced. “Not that rich.”

Eddie laughed. “About half that, then. You can always add more if you want.”

“Sure.”

He filled their mugs and went to the fridge. He pulled out milk and added some to his mug.

“That’s weird,” she said.

“Can’t afford to buy whip cream all the time,” he explained with a shrug. “So it adds a little creaminess to it.”

She scoffed. “Still weird.”

“Don’t knock until you try it.”

Just then the kettle went off and he filled their mugs with hot water.

“What grade are you in?” he asked after taking a sip.

She leaned over the counter. “How come yours is frothy and mine isn’t?”

Eddie grinned. “Should have had that milk, kid.”

Max thumped back into her seat. “I didn’t know it could do that.”

“Next cup,” he promised.

“You’re on,” she murmured.

“Still haven’t answered the question,” he said smiling over his mug.

“What are you the cops?” Max grumbled.

“I think it’s pretty obvious I’m not,” Eddie said with a chuckle.

She cocked her head to the side. “Yeah, I guess. Eighth.”

“You like it here?” he asked.

She scoffed. “No.”

Eddie laughed. “I hear that.”

Max frowned. “Weren’t you like, born here?”

“Oh hell, no,” Eddie said after drinking from his mug. “Moved out here when I nine or ten.”

Wayne came out of the bathroom, tucking his shirt into his pants. “You were nine. It was just before your birthday.”

Eddie grinned. “There you go. I can never remember if it was before or after.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Wayne said with a chuckle. “You came to me with a concussion.”

Eddie cocked his head to the side. “Best day ever, though.”

Wayne just shook his head. He grabbed his coat and gave Eddie a kiss on the cheek. “Be sure to lock up if you go anywhere.”

“Waaaayyynnne,” Eddie whined. “I’m nineteen! I’ve got this figured out.”

Wayne just raised an eyebrow before waving goodbye to them both.

Eddie looked over at Max who was glaring at him. “I thought you were in Steve’s class.”

Eddie grimaced. “Yeah...about that.”

She raised both her eyebrows.

“I didn’t graduate last year when I was supposed to,” he explained. “So they’re making me do a do-over.”

“You suck,” she said and went back to her cocoa.

“How do you know Steve?” Eddie asked leaning on the counter. “Like you said, he’s in my classes. You, however are an enigma.”

She shrugged. “He saved my life from a pack of rabid junkyard dogs.”

Eddie blinked. “Come again?”

Again she shrugged. “I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

Eddie raised his hands. “Okay then.”

She wrapped both hands around the cooling mug. “He talks about you a lot.”

Eddie frowned. “Yeah, what’s he say?” He wrapped his arms around his waist.

“That you’re too good for your own good,” she said.

“That was not what I was expecting, I was honest,” he murmured, shoving his hair into mouth.

Max reared her head back. “Why?”

“You’re new so you probably haven’t heard,” Eddie said through gritted teeth, “but they call me ‘The Freak’. I’ve tried to turn it into a positive, but it still stings.”

Again she shrugged. “I’ve heard Steve used to be an asshole. But I have yet to see it, so...”

Eddie set his mug down and hopped up on the counter. “He keeps trying to protect me, it’s a little disconcerting to be honest.”

Max laughed. “That’s Steve for you. It’s like an honest to god superhero.”

Eddie hunched his shoulders up around his ears. “I’m older than he is. I really don’t need his protection.”

She huffed out a breath. “You’re going to just have to deal with it.”

“I’m starting to get that,” he said. “But I’m going to wear him down and befriend the asshole if it takes until graduation.”

She shook her head. “Good luck. Usually it takes trauma for people to break to down his unusually high walls.”

“And you know all about those high walls, wouldn’t you?” Eddie said with a sly smile.

“It’s safer.” She paused for a moment. “But it would be good for Steve to have friends his own age that don’t include his ex and her new boyfriend.”

He winced. “Tell me about it. He spends time with them, but I can tell it hurts to do so.”

“I could help,” she murmured. “I could tell you what his interests and hobbies are.”

“You’re on.”

Eddie grinned. That worked better than planned.

Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21

Tag List: @the-redthread @howincrediblysapphicofyou @lovelyscot @dangdirtydemons @jaywhohasthegay @whimsicalwitchm @xjessicafaithx @cr0w-culture @kohlraedirectioner @jinxjinn @be-the-spark-bitch @chasinggeese @reportinglivefromsoda @bookbinderbitch @awkwardgravity1 @shucks-yuckyuck @stevesbipanic @phantypurple @huniibee @ashwinmeird @justforthedead89 @emly03 @evix-syne666 @renaissan-vvitch @deadlydodos @scarletzgo @messrs-weasley @kodaik97 @thedragonsaunt @butterflysandpeppermint @gregre369 @nelotegreitic @sundead @artiststarme @fandemonium-takes-its-toll @thing-a-ling @anaibis @garden-of-gay @matchingbatbites @spectrum-spectre @winterbuckwild @steve-the-hairrington @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @babyblender @cursedfoxteeth @novelnovella @throwbackthrowaway @strangersteddierthings @shrimply-a-menace

#My writing #stranger things #steddie #canon divergence #the boy with the bat #ladykailtiha writes

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imisskacchan · 9 months

Text

Mouse

Summary: You were an assassin sent to kill him. What happens when your cover is blown?

TW: Non-con, Kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome, Mob Boss Karma

Words: 4k

“Can you handle this task Y/N? If not we will find someone more capable” Lovro asked.

That made my blood boil, as if there’s anyone more capable of killing that bastard than me.

“I can handle it” I say, collecting my gear and walking out with only one goal in mind, Kill Karma Akabane.

I’ve been waiting for a chance to get revenge all these years. It’s only fitting he dies by my hand.

Karma and I grew up together, however we were never friends. He was a self assured asshole who used everyone for his own personal gain. I couldn’t stand him. With both of us being in E-class it was hard to avoid him.

Somehow we always got paired up no matter how many times I asked Koro sensei to not assign him as my partner. Our differences were made apparent every single time he put me on my ass. It was like he was showing me that I was nothing compared to him. I couldn’t even begin to compare. With grades or skill. But besides training he always kept his distance from me. Like he was too good to even be in my presence.

I hated him, but only because I didn’t. He was everything I wanted to be, everything I wanted for myself always ended up falling into his lap somehow.

I Just wanted to prove to him, to everyone, that I was just as good as he was. I never was though. I was a ‘little mouse’ and he was the big bad cat. No matter how hard I trained or studied, I could never reach his level. Well until now.

Now nothing’s going to stop me from completing this mission and proving how much better I am. He wasn’t going to leave me in the dust this time, I'm not going to let him. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I'm the last thing he sees.

I had already gone shopping and chosen the outfits and accessories I needed to ‘play’ his new secretary. It has been so long there’s no way he’ll recognize me.

He’d forget someone as plain and useless as me and that will be his downfall. Like he said he would, he is now the highest ranked politician in Tokyo, however he is also the leader of the Yakuza which puts bounties on his head. Bounties that I'll soon collect.

I text Lovro and let him know everything’s in place for my first day at his office. It’s going to be hard keeping my cool around him but oh so worth it in the end.

He has a hard time keeping assistants because of his sadistic tendencies. I know them all too well from our time in junior high.

His strength will cause his demise. I walk into the building and fight the urge to puke. It’s huge and luxurious, he doesn’t deserve it, he doesn’t deserve anything.

He’s gotten his power from stepping on others and using them as pawns. I’m going to put an end to it.

I keep my head down as I walk to the elevator, there’s no need to cause unnecessary attention to myself. This is a stealth mission, I have to keep a low profile. Once I reached the elevator I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Here goes everything I've ever worked for.

I press the button to the 50th floor and will myself to calm down. For now I'm just another assistant. I won’t make any moves till I collect intel on the target.

I reach my designated floor and head to your desk. The stand in receptionist eyes me with caution till I introduce myself. A look of sadness crosses her face. She gathers her things from my desk and wishes me luck because ‘i’ll need it’ she says.

She has no idea.

I quickly take my seat and set my things where they belong. I pull out my pen that’s equipped with a wire and set it with the other ones so it doesn’t stand out. I have to memorize his schedule and find the perfect opportunity to strike.

Easy enough right?

I take a look at his appointment book and fuck...this is going to take longer than I thought. He doesn’t have a set schedule, he basically does whatever he wants and everyone else works around him. Hah nothing new there. I place the appointment book back in the drawer and sigh. I don’t want to have to be around him for longer than I need to. I’ll just have to make do with what I have though. Right now Karma was in a meeting so I have a few hours to myself.

I walk over to his office door and wiggle the handle but it’s locked. There’s nothing else for me to really do till he gets back. I sit back down at my desk and go over the plan in my head, I tweak any details that have changed and try to stay optimistic. I just have to get close enough to him so he lets his guard down, even if it’s just for a second, and take my shot.

Easier said than done I suppose. It’s about two hours later when Karma arrives back at the office. He passes me without sparing you a glance as he heads into his office. So far so good, staying under the radar like I'm supposed to. I make sure to get my work done on top of planning how to kill Akabane. The last thing I need is to be fired and lose my chance to end him. It's nearing the end of my shift, the sun has already set and mostly everyone else has gone home for the day. I stand up from my desk and stretch before making my way to Karma’s office. I knock twice before letting myself in.

He’s sitting at his desk scrolling through his phone.

“I was going to head home for the day sir I wanted to make sure there was nothing else you needed.” It pains me to act so submissive for him. He doesn’t look up from his device to answer you.

“There’s nothing else, you’re free to leave” he dismisses me and I nod before taking my leave. If only I could’ve killed him right there.

I’ve been working for him for a week now. Everything has been running smoothly but there still hasn’t been an opening. Somehow I have to get closer to him but I doubt that can happen in a few weeks. I feel like I'm going crazy. I wasn’t cut out for desk work, at all.

Most of Karma’s meetings are private so I can’t attend, when I am allowed to accompany him it’s mostly to political conferences. I do my job, take notes and schedule the next meetings, nothing more nothing less. Karma has barely said 3 words to me since I arrived. It’s perplexing because all of his previous assistants I've interviewed said that he becomes a tyrant after the first day. Maybe his work has picked up and he doesn’t have time? All I know is I'm glad to stay out of the limelight.

It’s nearing the end of my shift again. I was just going to go home without notifying Karma like I’ve done the past few days. I trust if he needs something he’ll ask. I’m gathering my things to go home when I hear his office door open.

“Ah Ms. Blake I'm glad I caught you before you left, could we speak for a moment?” He didn’t give me time to answer before walking back into his office and taking a seat at his desk. I place my bag on my chair and figure I'll come back for it later. I walk in after him, closing the door and taking the seat in front of him.

He doesn’t speak, for a moment he just stares at me. It’s me who breaks the silence first.

“There was something you wanted to speak about sir?” I asked softly. A smirk graced his face as he held his chin in his palms.

“I didn’t think you were stupid enough to take the hit on me Y/N.” My breath hitched at the sound of your real name, how did he know? Do I have a rat? That has to be it.

“E-excuse me?” I say feigning confusion. “Drop the act Y/N, I caught you. I was always the better assassin.” He leered.

“Fuck you Akabane” I say standing up and leaping at him over the desk. Fuck... my other weapons are in my bag I left.

I reach for my hidden knife holstered on my thigh but before I can reach it Karma places a cloth over my mouth. I hold my breath till I become dizzy and he flips me over straddling my legs as he watches me lose consciousness. “I missed you, my little mouse,” he whispers as I close my eyes.

I open my eyes and immediately regret it. My head pounds and my mouth is unbelievably dry. How long have I been out? I sit up slowly wincing as I grab my head. That asshole really chloroformed me. I look around and my heart drops. I’m in a fucking cell... A 6 inch thick clear acrylic wall which leads to a hallway which goes to who knows where is the only exit I see.

The room is bare except for the bed, a small bathroom area with a small shower, and a desk with a chair. There’s no doubt there’s a camera in here somewhere. I’m not in my clothes anymore, instead I'm dressed in gray sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt. That psycho changed me while I was asleep. Fuck... fuck... fuck This is bad, this is really bad. I have to get out. And when I do I'm gonna kill that bastard.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts as I hear footsteps. It’s him.

“Ah so you’re finally awake, good I was beginning to think you would let a little chloroform take you out.” He sneered.

“How long have you kept me here you fucking psycho?” I spat, banging on the glass.

“Now, is that any way to talk to your boss?” He said, smiling eerily.

“When I get out of here I'm gonna make you regret this Akabane.”

“Then I suppose I'm just gonna have to keep you locked in there huh? Little mouse.”

I scream as he walks away, leaving me alone again. ‘Ok Y/N don’t panic, I'm gonna get out of here and wipe that smirk off his face’ I thought. I make my way back over the bed and sit with my knees to my chest laying my head on them. I can’t do anything right now. It felt like someone was stepping on my head and I know I haven’t eaten or drank in days. I’ll have to wait till I gather my strength till I can try and escape. But even if I do, where will I go? I have no clue where I am or how to get out. I have to find a way to get him to let me out of this damn cage. I sob gently as I clutch my knees harder. How did things turn out like this?

I must’ve fallen asleep from crying. I open my eyes and sigh. I’m still here in this hellhole. “I take it you had a nice nap?” Karma says from the other side of the glass. I roll my eyes as I sit up.

“I brought you dinner” he continues, gesturing to the bowl of ramen he’s holding.

“Is it poisoned so I can put myself out of my misery?” you deadpanned. His smile drops into something darker.

“I guess you don’t need to eat if you’re going to say something so horrible, princess.” He says turning to walk away. What is his problem? It’s not like I said I wanted to poison him. My stomach grumbles and I swallow my pride. “W-wait... please don’t go.” I call after him and he halts.

He walks back to the glass and glares at me, tapping his foot like he’s waiting for something. I take a deep breath before I speak. “I’m sorry... for what I said. Please let me eat.” I croaked. That must’ve pleased him because his smile returned.

“Sit on the bed Y/N.” He ordered. Afraid of angering him again I did as asked. He moved to the side of the glass and typed in what I assumed was a code. The glass lifted up like a window would. He walked in and it closed behind him. He sets the bowl on the desk and sets a bottle of water next to it. I look at him, silently asking permission to move and he motions for me to come and sit.

I slowly walk over and pull out the chair, sitting down. I break the chopsticks he brought and slowly begin to eat. I flinch when he moves his hand toward my head. It doesn’t stop him from placing it in my hair and softly petting. I ignore him as I continue eating. I savor the taste of the perfectly cooked noodles and rich broth.

He’s standing behind me now with a hand placed on each of my shoulders rubbing soothing circles.

“It’s still your favorite, right?” He asked. My heartbeat increased as his fingers trail across my collarbone. I silently nod, not trusting my voice to not give away how nervous I am. With my strength diminished it would be significantly easier to kill me right now, I probably couldn’t put up much of a fight. He just hums and continues to explore my form with his hands. I set my chopsticks down as I finish and grab the water bottle. I open it and take a couple sips before I cough lightly.

“Slow down princess.” he says, patting my back. Why is he acting so weird?

“I’m fine.” I say trying to get him to take the hint to stop touching me but he doesn’t. I put down the empty water bottle and stand up, I back away from him and sit back on the bed. I feel a little better now that I’ve eaten.

“I want to leave Karma, let me out.” I say in a stern voice.

“And why would I do that mouse?” He comes to stand in front of me and I scoot back till I reach the wall.

“I’m having so much fun with you here.” He answered.

“You can’t just keep me prisoner, someone will come for me when they realize I'm missing.” I remarked.

“Oh? And is this someone you’re referring to, Lovro?” He asks shrewdly. I open my mouth to say something but decide not to.

“You know Y/N, I couldn’t have gotten you here if it wasn’t for him.” He sighs.

“W-what?” I ask shakily.

“You’re so naive, that’s why I have to protect you from the dangerous world outside.” He grabs my hands and when I try to pull them away I can’t. It feels like I can’t move, my body won’t listen to me. He drugged me...

“What did you give me Akabane?” I’m seething and I hope it shows on my face as I glare at him.

“Don’t look so morose darling, I just needed you to be relaxed.” He sits next to me pulling me on his lap bridal style. I’m trying my hardest to punch, kick, do something, anything. It’s no use, whatever he gave me must’ve been a paralytic of some kind.

Ugh i’m so stupid, how could I let this happen? He holds me so my head is resting on his shoulder with an arm over my legs and the other one is behind me holding my waist.

“I’ve been trying to get Lovro to send you to me for a while. He has been on my payroll ever since I took office.” He brings the hand over my legs to rub my thighs softly.

“You were never cut out for this life Y/N, I needed to protect you, so I finally offered him something he couldn’t turn down.” He whispered and kissed my head.

“He sold you out. All for a place at my table with the Yakuza.” I can’t hold in my tears. I actually thought Lovro cared about me, he was the father I never had. This whole mission was rigged. All I can do is cry against my captor.

“Shhh, it’s ok princess he’ll die for that, but you’re safe with me now. No one’s ever going to hurt you again.” For some reason that made me sob harder.

Sure he was a rat but that didn’t mean I wanted Lovro to die. Everyone has a price, I know that but I guess I didn’t expect this. How long had he known Karma was planning this? Why didn’t he say anything to me? I never even stood a chance against the monster before me.

“You’ll stay here until I can trust you enough to join me in our room upstairs.”

Our room…? This man is crazy. His hands get close to my clothed core and I let out a scared whine.

“I was going to wait till you were settled before I indulged in your presence, but I don’t think I can.” He said, setting me down on the bed and getting on top of me.

“All that time learning about weak spots and mine was you all along.”

“Please... d-don’t.” I hiccup trying to fight with my body to move. I feel his hands trail under my sweatshirt, they feel rough against my skin.

“Don’t worry mouse, I'm gonna make you feel real good yeah? Just sit back and look pretty for me.” His hands come to my hips, tugging down my sweatpants and panties discarding them somewhere in the room. No no no… this can’t be happening.

“Karma wait… I- I’m not-“ He cut me off with a kiss. It was rough and hard to keep up with his pace. He swipes his tongue across my bottom lip and bit down hard. I cry out from the pain and he chuckles lightly, lapping at the blood he drew.

He pushes my thighs apart and situates himself on his stomach between them. I close my eyes trying to imagine being literally anywhere else at this moment.

“All that time in junior high and you were so oblivious… I thought staying away from you was necessary… that if I couldn’t control myself around you you’d end up getting hurt. But now… now I understand you need me to protect you, to look out for you.” I want to scream as I feel his fingers slide inside of me.

“Karma please just… just let me out ok? I’m sorry for trying to kill you but please don’t do this.” I plead.

“Oh baby you are not remotely close to being sorry.” He says curling his fingers and finding my g-spot.

“But you will be when I'm finished.” I gasp as I feel his tongue come down on my clit. Me and my lady parts are about to go to WAR. This shouldn’t feel good… I know it’s the biological response or whatever but still.

“That’s it princess, lose yourself for me.” I try to tune him out but nothing’s working. I clench my teeth trying desperately to hold back my moans.

“I hate you Akabane, and I'll never forgive you for this.” I mutter and he stills. He pulls his digits out of me and brings his hand to my throat.

“Take that back Y/N.” He screams. “Say you don’t mean it.” His voice drops to a whisper as his grip tightens. He almost sounds… hurt? I close my eyes trying to focus on getting as much air in my lungs as possible.

“Okay… have it your way then.” He says before releasing my throat and getting off me. He grabs my clothes from the floor and slides them back on me without a word before he turns to the door. I hear the sounds of the keypad buttons as he types them and I wish I knew the code. When the door shuts behind him and I no longer hear his footsteps as he walks away, I finally give in and let more tears fall. He was willing to go that far… No. I have to stop thinking about it or I’m gonna drive myself insane. I’ve always known he was a monster, he just proved it today.

Despite everything though, why do I feel lonely? Why do I want him to come back to hold me again, to tell me everything’s gonna be ok? It has to be some sort of trauma response right? It’s just my hormones going wild because of this whole situation. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

When Karma comes the next day he doesn’t speak to me. I try to get him to say something, anything but he doesn’t. He just sets the food and water he brought me on the desk and waits for me to finish eating. This goes on for days until I just can’t take it anymore. “Would you just fucking speak to me? You’re literally holding me captive, it's like the least you could do.” I say.

He ignores me. I step closer to him and try again. “You’re lucky I even want you to talk to me, after everything you’ve done I should be giving you the silent treatment.” I spat.

Still nothing.

“Did I hurt your feelings Akabane? What, me saying I hate you ruined your little fantasy?” I push him against the glass with my hands on his shoulders. “Y/N… I’m warning you.” he says slowly through clenched teeth.

“What are you gonna do this time huh? You gonna drug me again? Go ahead, it's not like I have any dignity left after the first time. You took away my choices, my life, and I… hate… you.” I whisper into his ear.

Before I can stop it he flips me around so my back is to the wall and his hand is around my throat. My eyes go wide and I try to push him off of me but he gathers both my hands in one of his and holds them over my head. His knee pushes between my thighs and I will myself to not move.

“You love me Y/N, say it.” He demanded. “You’re delusional Akabane, I’ll never love you.” His hand moves across my face hard. The motherfucker smacked me.

“I’ll make you love me, I have nothing but time, mouse.” He pushes his knee against my clothed core and a needy moan escapes me. Fuck… I didn’t mean to do that.

“You might not want me but your body is honest with its desires.” He places kisses on my neck as he rubs his knee against my clit.

“Fuck… Fuck you.” I say struggling against him, it only adds to the friction against my clit and I bite my lip stifling a moan.

“That’s the plan, princess.” He says sticking his hand down my pants and feeling my arousal I knew was there.

“Fuck baby… so wet for me already.” He growls and my cheeks heat up. I swear me and my pussy are gonna have a heart to heart cuz what… and I can’t stress this enough… the FUCK?

I continue to struggle against him and he must get impatient because he pulls me with him by my hair. He pushes me so I’m bent over the desk and my hands are behind my back held in his. I squirm as I hear him remove his belt before a ‘fwip’ rings in my ears. I cry out as I feel the belt hit my ass.

“Stay. Still.” He says threateningly as he binds my hands together and tugging on them to make sure they’re tight enough. He moves to pull my sweats down and my breath speeds up as I feel the cold air on my wet core.

“Karma wait please… you’re right ok I love you just please stop, you proved your point already.” I pleaded.

“See, I knew you’d come around mouse, now let me reward you.” He said pulling out his length and rubbing it between my folds. All that comes to mind is I hope he pulls out because he’s not using protection. I open my mouth to express my concerns but fail. I gasp as I feel him enter me at an agonizingly slow pace.

“Fuck… so tight… ‘s like your sucking me in.” He slurs as he bottoms out. I bite my bottom lip trying to hold in my moans. Akabane seems too preoccupied to notice as he pulls all the way out of me before slamming back in. One of his hands finds my hips and the other tangles in my hair before he starts pistoning into me.

“K-karm… nngh fuck… please.” I don’t even know what I’m begging for as I feel his cock hit all the right places.

“That’s it baby...shit… so perfect for me.” He groans as he feels me clench around his length. A hand moves in front of me to rub my clit and I see white as my orgasm hits me.

“Yes… fuck, cum all over my cock, such a good girl.” He praises as he chases his own release. I feel his hips stutter and I try to pull off him.

“Wait Karma, not inside.” I beg but it’s useless as he rams into me and I feel him paint my insides white. Tears start to fall again.

“Shh, it’s ok… you’re all mine. I’ll take care of you.” He whispers and I cry harder as I feel his length harden again inside me.

#assassination classroom #Yandere Karma #yandere assassination classroom #karma smut #karma akabane #minors dni

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ambcass · 7 months

Text

Betrayed.

“I can’t stand him!” Y/N exclaimed, throwing a fit while walking with her best friend, Jaime Reyes. Her anger made her walk faster, making Jaime chase after her. It all started when Jaime noticed Y/N distancing herself from him and he asked why, she said it was nothing and just to mind his own business. During their gym class, Jaime noticed how violet Y/N was when playing a dodgeball match but he couldn’t help to notice how her arm was bruised. He also wondered how she was able to throw and dodge a ball like that. That bruise made him realize that it was the same spot where he hit a specific villain last night. The thought of his best friend being a villain hurts him. He tried removing the thought but it just came back every time he tried to shake it off. After school and on his way home, he spotted Y/N and decided to walk up to her.

“I know you probably don’t wanna talk about your problems right now but ya’know I’m here for you…” Jaime suggested with a soft smile. Y/N turned to him with a dull expression and kept moving forward. Jaime once again followed up in front of her, “Can I at least walk with you? I do feel bad and I can’t stand to see you like this” Jaime pleaded, making Y/N give in. She nodded and the two started walking to the local 7-11 store. On their way, Y/N randomly blurted out “I can’t stand him!” and started marching towards the store angrily. Jaime followed up, hoping to hear more about this mystery guy. “Who? Who’s bothering you?” Jaime asked. Y/N scoffed as she opened the store door.

“You don’t know him…” She said, trying to keep her cool. She couldn’t expose herself to a guy who would most likely betray him to the heroes. “At least you can describe him. I’ll get a better idea of who the hell the guy is. If he is that much of a bother to you then I’ll make sure he gets it coming.” Y/N started chuckling, “And what the hell are you gonna do to this guy? But fine. He’s annoying, always on my ass, and doesn’t stop until he gets his way. Which annoys me because he went way too far yesterday.” Jaime stop to think too far? What does she mean too far? She was the one causing harm and trying to poison the water supply. Is it her? Please... Please… tell me that (villain name) isn’t you, Y/N. Jaime then felt Y/N nudge him. She mouthed you okay? and Jaime nodded. They went inside the store and went to the chip aisle. When reaching for a bag of Takis, the sides of their hands touched each other. The two retracted immediately and looked away embarrassed.

“So…What did he do that was too far?” Jaime asked, trying to change the subject. Y/N grabbed that bag of Takis and walked off to a different aisle. “He- uh… I-I can’t say. Sorry.” Y/N tried to explain but she knew that Jaime wouldn’t believe her. Jaime gave a sympathetic nod. When the two finished paying for their food, they said goodbye and left.

Y/N’s POV

It was very late at night. Almost 4 AM. I had to wait for the perfect time to cause any harm to anyone. Two nights ago, stupid Blue Beetle roundhouse kicked the shit out of me. I thought to myself when I find this bug, I swear I’m going to fucking smash and kill it. As I aggressively put on my suit, a shadowy reflection flew past my window and they left a sticky note on the outside of my window saying “Meet me on top of the xxx building. Rooftop –BB.” I rushed to my window, opened it, and snatched the sticky note. The writing was in all blue ink. I knew who this was. My heart started beating fast, I felt nauseous and anxious. How was he able to find where I live? Was one of the many questions racing in my mind. I crushed the paper and tossed it over my bed as I finished changing into my suit. I flew out the window and headed towards the address. As I was flying there, I tried to retract where I went wrong and how I blew my cover so easily. Nothing came to mind and while trying to come up with another explanation, I had already arrived. There was a figure lurking in the shadows, eyeing me down as I landed on the rooftop of the building.

“Come out, Beetle. I see you in the shadows. Hey, if you were a Shadow then you wouldn’t even make it out of Santa Prisca alive. Your dumb blue armor gives you away” I teased, crossing my arms as Blue Beetle slowly came into the light. I glared into his eyes and stepped closer. Pulling out (some type of weapon) out and pointing towards him. “How did you find me? How did you find where I live?” Blue Beetle didn’t answer but he simply just stepped forward. “Y/n…” Beetle murmured. Y/n? What the fuck? How did he know? I stood there in silence. He walked closer, closer, and closer, but I didn’t move a muscle. Now he was in front of me. I looked down at the rooftop floor while feeling Blue Beetle’s hand reach for my arm. I looked up at him and snarled.“Don’t touch me.” He immediately let go and sighed.

“Why Y/n? Why would you go through this path? You know better than this.” He said, trying to get an answer from me. I knew better than to answer. After all, anything I say can and will go against me. As I was still glaring into his eyes, his face armor started to retract back to his suit. I broke eye contact and turned my head away, refusing to lock eyes with him. No, no, no…not him. Not him! My head started to get foggy and blank. I felt nauseous and took a few steps back. I couldn’t believe that the boy that I cared for, my best friend, Jaime Reyes, is a fucking traitor and gave me that awful beating two nights ago. “Look Y/n, can we please talk about this? Please just hear me out.” I ignored his suggestion. Still not looking at him. I was angry, betrayed, and sad. Tears wanted to come out of my eyes but I held back. With a sour look on my face, I gazed into Jaime’s eyes and mouthed “I’m sorry” He looked at me with confusion. “I’m sorry? Sorry for what?” he asked, looking at me like a pathetic pleasing bitch. I shook my head repetitively and walked towards the edge of the rooftop. I leaped off of it, disappearing and never to be seen again.

Jaime’s POV:

I rushed after Y/N when I saw her leap off the edge of the rooftop but when I tried looking for her, she was nowhere to be seen. I attached my face armor back and flew back home. As I was flying back, I kept thinking to myself What does she mean when she said she’s sorry? What was she sorry for? Days went on and I haven’t seen Y/N attack since. Which is probably a good thing but she wasn’t at school either. It’s like she disappeared from the face of Earth. A few months went by and I still haven’t seen Y/N at all! I asked around at school such as Paco, Brenda, and the staff but they haven’t seen her. I talked to the principal but I didn’t get much from him. The only thing I got from him was that Y/N is no longer in their school system.

When I was dismissed from school, Brenda and Paco both offered to walk me home but I declined. Once I got home, I didn’t even think of patrolling for the night. I just wanted to rest. I can’t help the feeling but I miss Y/N.

I woke up to a crowd outside of my house screaming and yelling but I couldn’t hear anything. My mom rushed into my room screaming into my ear but I couldn’t understand what she was saying for I was still half asleep. She dragged my arm into the living room and turned my attention to the TV. The news reporter was saying something but for some reason, I couldn’t understand what it was that he was saying until I started reading the words that were displayed on the screen. My face froze, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Local High School Teenager Jaime Reyes Is the Superhero Blue Beetle.

a/n: AHHH THIS TOOK SO LONGGGGGGGG. IM SORRY MY GRAMAR IS SO DOOKIEEE :((

Word count: 1,483

Character Count: 7,572

literally ty @miguelnation bc idk if this is even angst or not

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spicywhenspeaking · 4 months

Text

For @madomens !

Noah smut & giggles so 18+ nerds (affectionately)

unedited b/c lazyyy

🤪✌️

You haven’t seen Noah and the guys in over a two months since he went on tour. Your last year of grad school has been kicking your butt! Thankfully it’s finally over and as a graduation present Noah rented out a lake house for all of you to enjoy for a week of fun in the sun, swimming, jet skis and hours of lounging by the pool. You were so excited! About relaxing and having fun of course, but mostly excited to see Noah again. You missed him so much and even though you call and text constantly nothing can compare to being together.

The plan was to meet at the lake house since they where and heading strait there from the airport and my apartment is only an hour and a half away from the house they rented. I spend the drive listening to a mix of my boyfriend screaming and early 2000’s club hits making it a head banging and hip swinging car dance party.

The boys got to the house a few hours before me, I had a late start to the trip. In other words I woke up and had a flat tire and it took me 3 hours to get a new one on, no way I was driving long distance on a donut.

Pulling up to the house I’m shocked at the size, it’s massive with a long paved drive way. Noah must have been following my location because as I’m driving up he runs out the front door with a huge smile oh his face that I know I’m returning and looking like a love sick goof. I park the car and quickly unbuckle and he’s already half way there because of his long legs.

I’m out of the car soon and within a few steps in throwing myself up into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist. “Oh baby I missed you so much” he says with his face buried in my neck. “I missed you too” I tell him back and begin peppering his face with kisses until our lips meet in a searing kiss. I’m not sure how long we’re lost in each other but at some point the other guys come out the door and see us. “Alright you two! Reel it in! You’ll have all week to suck face!” Nicholas yells and the two other laugh. Noah places me back on the ground and tousles my hair slightly. “Hey!” I call out and jump to mess up his hair in retaliation. He giggles and lunges out of the way towards my car to unload my bag. I sigh happily and head towards my friends to say hello.

Folio and Jolly both wrap me up in big hugs and congratulate me on my graduation. “Thanks guys!” I say to them returning their hugs with love. Nicholas come and puts his arm around my shoulder, ushering me inside. “Congrats dude, I brought my tattoo gun if you wanted some celebratory ink ?” I wrap my arms around him and thank him profusely. “Amazing! But maybe later in the week so I can go swimming,” he nods and we walk the rest of the way into the house.

It’s huge! With a huge front entrance and a double staircase that leads upstairs. We keep walking forward into the large living room. It has a big could couch that we all pile onto. Noah is following behind with my bag and leans behind where I’m seated. “Hey” he kisses my forehead and gestures his head back towards the stairs. “Let me show you our room” he sets my bag down, reaches over and picks me up off the couch and puts me next to him. Picking the bag back up and grabbing my hand he leads us to the stairs, “be right back guys!” I call towards the group that’s settled onto the couch.

Noah leads us up to our room, he picked the corner bedroom that has a en-suite bathroom and a small balcony. “Wow, this room is beautiful Noah! I can’t believe you rented this whole house just for me” I say in awe. He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. Humming a quiet “I’d do anything for you baby” he nuzzles into my neck and leaves hot open mouth kisses and then sucks lightly at my pulse point.

“Ah, Noah what are you doing?” I ask surprised but leaning into his touch. It’s by no means unwelcome. His hands wander under the hem of my shirt, his fingers gently toying with the skin above my jeans. “I’m saying hi to my girlfriend.” He spins me around so we’re face to face. “Properly” he kisses me passionately and everything else fades away.

He hoists me up so I can wrap my legs around him again, this time we thankfully have privacy. He holds me close and walks us back towards the end and once we’re there he throws me back towards the pillows. He strips off his shirt and crawls up the bed until my let’s are on either side of him and his hips are flushed with my own. I drag my hands up his torso towards his broad shoulders and then down to feel the muscles in his arms. “You’re getting so strong, it’s hot” I wink and he grins, “yeah, pumping some serious iron” he jokes.

“You’re such a dork!” I respond and he laughs before moving to pull off my shirt. “Yeah well, you’re into it so just be a good girl and take the rest of your clothes off so I can finally fuck you. I’m dying over there”

My mouth hands open slightly, taking a moment to recover from both the pet name and the sexy demand. I scramble to unbutton and shimmy out of my jeans. He expertly unhooks my bra with one hand. Leaning down he places a tender kiss against my lips as his hands squeeze my breasts and tweak my hardening nipples. He kisses down my cheek and neck and down further biting and sucking onto my skin, taking my nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the tight nub and I moan at the sensation.

Noah continues his path down my body until he reaches the top of my panties. Hooking his fingers down the sides be drags him slowly down my legs and tosses them aside. Pulling my legs apart his eyes darken, “oh I missed this” he says before diving in. “Fuck ! Noah” I yelp as his tongue flattens against my core, dipping in slightly. He starts sucking gently on my clit and my body bucks off of the bed. He adds a finger and pumps it in and out, angling to hit that perfect spot. “Ah! Noah, yes. Right there,” I moan and tangle my finger in his hair. He hums into me and adds another finger, stretching me and getting me ready to take his thick cock.

“Fuck, Noah. It feels so good. Need more.” I moan. “I need you inside me.”

He sits up and takes his finger out with a wet pop. Standing up he pulls off his pants and underwear and his cock springs up, slapping his skin. “Fuck, I missed you so much baby, can’t wait to feel you taking my cock” he says as he climbs back up and pulls my hips forward towards his own until they’re flush. He slaps his cock against my pussy and it makes an obscene sound.

He pushes in slowly and my wet core takes him in greedily. “Fuck” we both moan out in unison and he settles in when he’s fully inside.

He starts with an even pace and gradually picks up, he folds my legs up as he snaps his hips against mine with a carnal slap as he hits the spot inside me again and I see white.

Suddenly our door flys open and my orgasm is raking through me so I don’t have the ability to stop the low moan that leaves my mouth.

“Hey- pizzas her- OH FUCK!” Folio screeches and his hands fly to his eyes as he scrambles to exit. “She’s been here for like ten minutes man!! Have you no control” he continues to yell from the other side of the door.

Noah just rolls his eyes, his hips not slowing down for a second despite the interruption. “Are you okay?” He checks in mid thrust.

I nod and he readjusts my legs so he can circle my clit, he leans back slightly and spits down adding more wetness to our joined bodies. Soon I’m cleaning down on him again and calling out in pleasure as another orgasm rips through me.

“Okay, now you on top.” He says and swings us around to switch positions. Settling back onto his cock it feels even bigger and fuller inside of me. “Oh, Noah. It’s so good, fuck.” I rock up and down, bouncing and feeling him hit the deepest parts of me and it’s perfect.

“You feel so good baby” Noah says and pushes his hips up to meet mine, fucking me from below. The new angle is everything. I feel overcome with pleasure and third orgasm shatters me as I fall onto Noah’s chest trying to catch my breath. As my walls clench and pulse around Noah’s hard member, he gently pulls out and flips us back over moan as he spills his hot cum over my stomach and breasts.

“That was fucking amazing.” Noah says as he collapses next to me on the bed. “Fucking amazing babe.” He kisses my shoulder lightly and try’s to even put his breathes before getting up to run and grab a towel to clean off my stomach and chest.

After cleaning up and showering quickly, I throw on a clean outfit and we head back downstairs to join the others. We are welcomed with chorus of wolf whistles and hoots, “damn! You two can’t keep your hands off each other for ten damn minutes before getting nasty!” Jolly says. “Yeah, the pizza got delivered and I bet Folio fifty bucks he wouldn’t go up to tell you guys” Nicholas laughs and I throw a pillow at them. “You pervs, I can’t wait until y’all being girls around. I can tell them all about your fart contests and horrible taste in candy” I send a glare towards Jolly at the end. “Hey! Lots of people like licorice!” He contests. I roll my eyes, “yeah! A lot of old people, people in their nineties! Sorry grandpa” I joke and we all fall into a fit of laughter.

We flop onto the couch together and cuddle close.

“Put on a movie!” I say excitedly as I reach for the pizza and open the box.

“Alright, what’s your usually post coital movie choice” Folio asks with a shit eating girl.

“Hmmm” I tap my chin. “Let me think, what about the 40 year old virgin? Maybe then I’ll finally understand you guys” I joke and then I feel a pillow hit the side of my face.

Hope this is what you where looking for!!! 🫶🏻

#noah sebastian #noahsebastian #noah sebastian fic #noah sebastian fanfiction #Noah Sebastian fanfic #noah sebastian smut #bad omens fanfiction #bad omens smut #bad omens fic #my fic #smut #smutty #smutty fic #author : spicywhenspeaking

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buckyownsmylife · 1 month

Text

Crash & Burn - Chapter 3

The one where Bucky is your father best friend, and the man you want to take your virginity.

Bucky is losing everything: his wife, his business, his house. And when his best friend is too busy to offer him the support he needs, you offer him your ear and shoulder. He wouldn't find it too bad that getting closer to you made him see you with new eyes, if it wasn't for the one thing you asked in return: you want him to be the first man to ever fuck you.

For general warnings and author’s notes, please go to the fic’s masterlist.

Bucky’s P.O.V.

“Bucky? Oh, thank God?” Eyebrows furrowed, I immediately sat up straighter on the bed, instinctively reaching for my car keys once I detected the panic in her voice. “I… I hate to disturb you, I know it’s pretty late but…”

“Text me the address,” I interrupted her, scrambling off the bed and almost falling on my face in the process. I made a mental note - don’t try to put on sweatpants while on the phone with someone, but for now, this would have to do. “Do you want me to stay in line with you while I drive?”

My heart was pounding as I waited for her answer. I could hear the sounds of the party she’d gone to in the distance, but it was muffled - like she was hiding from it behind a door or something.

“I’d like that.” Silently thanking the heavens for her answer, I rushed to get to the house she was in as quickly as possible. I would have trusted her safety if she’d chosen to hang up, but that didn’t mean my mind wouldn’t race. I was used to jumping to the worst conclusions, and this particular situation didn’t exactly help me reason with my anxieties.

A loud crash came from the other line, startling me as I put on my seatbelt. “Are you okay?” It took her a little while and the most adorable giggle preceded her answer.

“Yeah… I just stumbled and fell over a plant. But she’s okay, I guess.” I could just picture her, petting the leaves of the greenery she’d accidentally disturbed. God, she was adorable.

“Are you drunk?” It suddenly occurred to me, and I was already chuckling by the time her “Please, don’t tell my dad” came. “Honey, you’re in grad school. Your dad won’t care if you had a couple of drinks on a Friday night.”

“Oh, right!” Shaking my head, I focused on the intersection I was about to cross while making a mental note to talk to her about how much she drank tomorrow. I really didn’t care about her consuming alcohol - she was a grown-up, after all - but she should never get drunk near people she didn’t trust, and it seemed like this had been precisely what had happened tonight.

“Are you close?” I considered the route the app was showing me.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon.” She seemed to calm down at my answer, but that was only until someone started to bang on the door I assumed behind which she was hiding.

“C’mon, baby! I know you’re in there. Come out, let’s have some fun together.” My palms were sweaty as I gripped the stirring wheel tighter, grinding my teeth at her sharp inhale of breath. I hated that she was scared because of some dumb boy and there was nothing I could do about it…

Yet.

“Hold on…” I muttered under my breath, knowing she’d never heard me over the ruckus he was causing. If only this car could move faster…

Y/N’s P.O.V.

I tried to make myself smaller, hoping the wall would somehow swallow me and hide me from the guy on the other side of the door. If I’d known this is what Peter would become with a few beers in him, I’d never have agreed to come to this party in the first place.

I could already feel a headache forming and I wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow morning. I knew I would wake up hungover and most definitely regretful of every decision that led to this moment, but for now, all I could care about was that Bucky was coming and he’d take me far, far away from this evening and everything that had happened.

“Please, be quick…” I whispered, clutching my phone against my chest as I watched Peter fumble with the knob until suddenly, he stopped.

It all stopped, actually. His yells, the sounds of the music from outside, it all came to a screeching halt and my heart sped up in anticipation as I approached the door with careful steps.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Yep, that was James. Feeling safe enough to open the door now, I unlocked it and spied the outside, finding the party had stopped to watch the much older gentleman who’d suddenly appeared give the owner of the house his ass on a silver platter. “No means fucking no, haven’t you ever learned that?”

He turned around and his eyes met mine, almost as if he’d noticed me staring. But if I was hoping for my presence to ease his anger somewhat, it seemed to have the opposite effect, completely.

“What did he do?” It took a minute for my inebriated mind to make sense of what he was asking, but once I did, I didn’t know how to answer it.

“I can’t repeat the kind of stuff he said.” I shook my head emphatically, refusing to relive the haunting things Peter had whispered in my ear once he’d cornered me into a room. I watched as he had the guts to try to defend himself, only to shut his mouth with a glance from the man in the room.

“I’m not talking to you.” It was all he said, and Peter immediately cowered. A shudder ran down my spine at the roughness in his tone of voice, but I wasn’t scared. “Was it dirty?” Again, it took me a few seconds.

“There’s dirty and then there’s just straight down nasty.” I shrugged, trying to fake nonchalance even though the mere memory of what Peter had said made me want to hide my face behind my hands. But I was an adult - Bucky had said so himself.

I shouldn’t be hiding, so I didn’t.

Bucky leaned closer to Peter, taking advantage of the grip he still had on his shirt. I hadn’t even noticed it until their noses were all but touching. “If I ever even imagine she’s had to put up with any shit from you anymore, I’ll make you wish you were never even born. Got it?”

Oh, wow. That was hot.

I didn’t even notice the giggles all around us - or the frown on Bucky’s face. All I could focus on was how warm his hand felt when it clasped around my wrist, right before he started tugging me towards the exit.

“Let’s go.”

#my series #crash & burn #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes #bucky barnes fluff #fluff #bucky barnes x reader #father's best friend au #dad's best friend

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awearywritersworld · 2 years

Text

If All Else Perished: IX

Daemon Targaryen x Hightower!Reader

Summary: In part four, Daemon takes the reader far from the confines of King’s Landing to a place of his youth and feelings can no longer be kept hidden.

Word Count: ~2950

Warning: super light smut

a/n: enjoy the fluff now, my friends, for the next chapter will be angsty as hell

masterlist

______________________________________________________________

“Are you sure he would not mind a stranger for a rider?” you asked, taking a hesitant step toward Caraxes.

“In your case, I have no doubt. Just as I know he would bring you no harm.”

You approached the dragon and took hold of the saddle, in spite of the apprehension you were feeling. Looking toward his head, you wanted to catch a glimpse of his eye once more.

“What makes you so certain?”

“He knows that you are precious to me.”

You bowed your head at his seemingly unfettered charm, though it was enough to make you start pulling yourself up the saddle. You settled into it as best you could, unfamiliar with riding horses, much less being on dragon back.

The saddle was spacious enough that Daemon fit behind you, but he was pressed against you so closely you could feel the warmth of his body on your back. His arms reached around you to grab the reigns and you clutched the leather beneath you tightly as Caraxes began to move.

The ascent was the most frightening part, as you were almost certain you were going to fall to your death. As King’s Landing grew to be further beneath you, your grip moved to Daemon’s forearm and became tighter and tighter with each passing second.

Eventually, Caraxes began to fly forward instead of upward and you were finally able to take in your surroundings, which did not disappoint. The sea looked so immensely vast, while the city below you appeared smaller than ever.

“How do you fare?” Daemon checked up on you now that your death grip had loosened.

“Well enough,” you answered, “though I am still toiling to convince myself of the reality of this all.”

His chest vibrated behind you as he laughed, “I can understand why that would be necessary.”

You glided high above the water for a long while, spotting boats and little islands here and there. You could hardly believe how far the water spanned and it brought to mind stories you’d heard about what lies beyond it in Essos.

Time seemed to pass differently from the top of the world, but you figured an hour or so had gone by when Daemon finally pointed out an island in the distance. As it grew nearer, Caraxes began to circle it, giving you the chance to see how sizable and rich with greenery it was. The creature seemed to have its sights set on a large field in the eastern part of the island.

You braced yourself for the landing, but Caraxes met the ground more nimbly than you’d expected. Daemon climbed down first and the loss of contact was almost chilling after being so close to one another for such a period. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you inspected the surrounding area.

Lush vegetation with blooms of lilac and indigo gave way to a small beach, while a densely wooded area occupied the space on the other side of the field. The trill of a bug you’d never heard before filled your ears and you considered how few people had probably visited this island before. You found delight in the feeling of ease that settled into your bones as you reflected on that thought.

The only places you’d ever been--- Oldtown, King’s Landing, Lannisport ---others always surround you, never leaving you too far from reach. This was the only time in your life you’d ever questioned how far the nearest person was, save for the one who had brought you here. Such freedom was a circumstance fully unfamiliar to you.

When you looked down at Daemon from atop Caraxes, you found that he was already looking up at you. “Won’t you join me?”

His hand reached up in your direction, letting you know he was there to assist if you needed it. You made your way down slowly, careful of each step. As you approached the ground, his hands ghosted over your body, ready to steady you if necessary. Your feet managed to find the grass without help, but the soreness in your thighs made your legs buckle.

Daemon quickly grasped your waist, worry evident in his voice. “Do you feel unwell?”

He knew that nausea was not an uncommon reaction to one’s first time on a dragon, especially for those who did not have the blood of Valyria.

“No, I fear my legs are not accustomed to riding on dragon back,” you informed, turning to face him.

His eyes widened ever so slightly and he hoped his brief, yet sinful thoughts were not obvious. Pushing them from his mind, he held out his arm to you. “Perhaps stretching them a bit would help?”

You accepted with a nod and began your stroll, eyes scanning the tree line. “So tell me, what is this place?”

“My brother and I used to fly here together when we were younger. It lies not far from Dragonstone.”

You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, but he was looking intently toward the beach as your steps carried both of you in its direction.

“Then I imagine it is a place dear to your heart. I feel very fortunate in having the chance to see it.”

Your earnestness caused a pleasant feeling to wash over Daemon’s body and the conversation ceased, giving you the opportunity to admire all the new sights. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore grew louder as you approached a shady spot situated just before the grass transitioned into sand.

“Does this spot prove acceptable, my lady?”

“The entirety of the island is acceptable,” you returned, giggling at his formality, “I’m happy to rest in any spot you choose.”

You could taste the saltiness in the air as a breeze carried the mist of the sea inland. Caraxes, now a little ways away, had taken to bathing in the sun while the pair of you made yourselves comfortable. You sat so close to one another that your arms brushed together with the slightest movement.

“I’ve never even dreamed of being in such a place. I struggle to think of a time in which I saw a view even half as beautiful.”

He hummed in agreement, his eyes focused on your face rather than the scenery, “me as well.” He pulled his gaze away from you before continuing, “I haven’t been here in ages.”

“You’ve not had the time?”

“Not exactly. As my brother and I grew older, our relationship shifted. It’s more... distant now than it used to be.” He let out a sigh, shoulders falling as he exhaled, “it felt odd to come here alone.”

Daemon was the type of man to disdain his own vulnerability, so he shut it out as often as possible. Nevertheless, here alone with you, the way your face softened in response to his openness made him wonder if he’d been mistaken in his beliefs.

“I can understand that. As moons pass, the ways in which we differ from our siblings seem starker,” you paused for a moment, thinking of your own sister. “But perhaps he thinks about coming back here with you, too. Did you explore the whole island together?”

Daemon’s answer came quickly and you knew he was eager to reminisce about the time they shared here, back when their relationship was less complicated. The sun moved through the sky as he told you their stories and you listened intently to each of them, adding your own interjections here and there. The memories he recounted were some of his most valuable.

He loved how your laugh rang out over the field, making his heart beat out of rhythm, while the tales of his youth distracted both of you from your father’s intentions regarding your hand. You never once seemed uninterested in what he had to say and he happily returned the favor.

He had just finished telling you the story of his name day of four and ten, in which he and Viserys skipped out on festivities to come to the island instead. Their father had been furious, though the two couldn’t help but snicker together as soon as he turned his back.

Being with you always made him feel different than being with anyone else. There was an untold peace he derived from your unquestioning acceptance, from the space you provided him with to be himself. He pondered how long it would take the King and the Hand to find you both were you to remain here in the serenity of each other’s presence.

Alas, wanting to return before the sky shifted to the black of night, Daemon stood and offered you his hand, looking in Caraxes’ direction. You took it and allowed him to pull you up, but kept your fingers interlocked longer than necessary.

“How long did it take Viserys to realize he’d left his sword behind?” you questioned, still curious to learn more. It felt odd to imagine such a young version of the Prince.

“Entirely too long, of course, but it was waiting for him when we came back.”

The soft smile on his face as he looked down at you and the sounds of the island made your heart feel more content than it ever had.

“It gladdens me to hear you speak of such fond memories. Thank you for bringing me here, Daemon.”

“For you, my love, I would do most anything.”

Heat rushed to your cheeks as the meaning of his words set in, "as would I for you."

The past few weeks had been strange in that, you closed yourself off to almost everyone following your mother’s death. Yet with Daemon, there existed a comfort that should have taken years to build, even in the beginning. He never made light of your troubles and he trusted you enough to seek your counsel, just as you had with him.

Despite your father’s looming proposition, you felt safe here in Daemon’s company. In a place so far removed from your father, it seemed without point to deny how badly you wanted the man before you.

Your proximity to one another seemed more apparent now than it had prior in the day. You did not miss how his eyes flickered down to your lips, so you looked at his too, imagining how they might feel against your own.

Tilting your head to the side, you leaned up toward him almost imperceptibly. His brows furrowed together, your actions tormenting both him and his dwindling resolve. He had told himself over and over he couldn’t get involved with you in this way because it would only end in him failing you. Even so, he neglected to pull away as your noses brushed together.

“I’m not a good man, (Y/N),” he whispered.

"You've always been good to me," you answered so assuredly that he almost forgot the anger he'd thrown at you undeservedly when he stormed into your chambers just hours ago. Not only had you offered him absolution, but you’d also assigned yourself some of the blame.

You reached up and ran the back of two fingers down his jawline before you laid your palm against his chest. He let out a shaky breath and his forehead came to rest against yours. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment and the waves seemed even louder when they were accompanied only by your breathing.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t be selfish with you, not like this.”

“That decision is yours and I could never scorn you for it,” you told him honestly, wanting his choice to be genuine. “But I will not be misunderstood. It would be your decision alone, for I know what I desire.”

His hair was carried by the wind, tickling your skin as it grazed the side of your face. As moments ticked by, your chest threatened to deflated with the rejection you’d attempted to prepare yourself for in past weeks.

Suddenly though, his hands were on either side of your face, pulling your lips to his. Your eyes closed as you leaned into the kiss, his tenderness making your heart weep. His left hand crept to the back of your neck, as the right came to hold your hip and pull you closer.

As your body molded itself against his and he found that your kiss was just as desperate as his own, he felt an intense sense of relief. It elicited a moan from his throat so faint, it almost escaped your ears and you considered yourself lucky it hadn’t. Your mouth parted as his tongue swiped across your bottom lip, then his kiss moved to the side of your mouth and up your jaw.

There was an aching, warm sensation in the pit of your stomach that was unfamiliar to you and you subconsciously pressed your thighs together in an attempt to alleviate it. A gasp left your mouth as his lips reached the place just below your ear, but relentlessly, they made their way downward.

Your heart was beating so viciously, you wondered if he could feel it as his lips devoured your throat. Your fingers tugged at the hair at the base of his head and when he took the skin of your collarbone between his teeth, he savored how the rise and fall of your chest deepened.

Regardless of how badly he may have wanted to, he was mindful of leaving you without any marks. He pulled back and looked down at you, examining your countenance carefully for any sign of regret, but all he found were plumped lips and a look of affection he doubted he would ever be worthy of.

He loved you. It was no longer something he could push from his mind because this moment had made it real, for you and him alike. His lips captured yours again, but the heat of the moment had passed, replaced by lips that brushed against yours gently. Then, he grabbed you by the chin, lifting your head so that your eyes found his.

“What is it?” you asked nervously after he had spent a few too many seconds staring.

“Am I not allowed to simply look upon you, little one?” he retorted playfully.

“Of course you can,” you replied sheepishly, “I only m-”

“Good, because you are perhaps the most sublime person in all the Seven Kingdoms.”

His interruption left you in complete silence and he truly did try to stifle the chuckle that resulted from it. Despite his efforts, he failed, causing you to roll your eyes before walking toward Caraxes and leaving him behind.

“I spoke not in jest!” he called out to you, taking quick strides until he was by your side again.

“I know,” you said simply, grabbing his hand in a way he might have described as aggressive had he been in a mood to tease you.

The journey back to King’s Landing had felt too short, but this time, his hand occasionally rested on your thigh as Caraxes soared across a darkening sky. Making your way through the city felt strange too, as you’d only ever traversed through its streets when the sun was still high in the sky. Now, torches lit the way through alleys and crowds that felt eerier than before.

You were all but glued to Daemon’s side, not that he would have preferred it any other way, until the two of you reached the Keep’s tunnels. You came to a passageway that was known to you, as it was one near your chambers. Before you were able to step through, Daemon's fingertips reached out for yours and caused you to stop.

“This is where we part ways for the evening.”

He stepped toward you and delicately cupped your cheek. You blinked up at him, the castle feeling so incredibly removed from the safety of the island. It reminded you both that carrying on like this was dangerous, even if it was a shared desire.

“May I?” he murmured, his head dipping closer to yours.

You nodded and he gave you one long, lingering kiss after which he pulled away only an inch or so.

“I am entirely undeserving of even your slightest attention, so it seems only fair that you should have my heart.” He said it as if he were talking about something as inconsequential as the weather, then brought your palm to his lips and pressed a kiss there. “I leave it here, in your hand. Good night, my lady.”

You stared as he disappeared down the stairs, leaving without so much as awaiting your reply. Your fingers reach up to touch your lips as you stood unmoving. The events of the day left you with a whirlpool of emotions, each fighting for dominance of your heart in their own right.

Unsure of how long passed, you finally crept out into the hallway and toward your chambers. You hoped to find yourself in Daemon’s company again before long, missing his presence even though you’d only been without it for so short a time.

To your surprise, you heard a group of footsteps heading in your direction. You planned to offer them a brief nod of your head before continuing on your way, but then the person was revealed to you.

“Your Grace,” you greeted, eyebrows raised as you took in the Queen’s intricate gown and the guard on either side of her.

“Lady Hightower, it is good to see you, as always. Are you well?”

“Very, your Grace. I hope the same for you.”

“You have my thanks, sweet girl. Good evening,” she smiled warmly at you before making her exit.

As she passed you, however, she picked up a smell that made her glance back at your retreating figure. Dragon.

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