#i may have been petty and sped up a little so she couldn’t pass me in the right lane tho 😌

[fushigurro]

people who ride my ass when i’m already going over the speed limit: perish ❤️

#rambles. #i have never gotten a ticket and i do not plan on that changing soon due to reckless driving ❤️ thank u #i may have been petty and sped up a little so she couldn’t pass me in the right lane tho 😌

[sproutsgcrden]

sentinel of naruhata | chapter two

mr. nice guy

warnings: graphic descriptions of violence, one short scene implying sexual harassment (non-graphic), manga spoilers for my hero academia: vigilantes

word count: 3383

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If someone had told Koichi that he would get jumped, well, he may have believed them. That’s not too uncommon, especially around Naruhata. And it really wouldn’t be odd if it happened to him specifically. He just had that kind of luck. However, if they had also mentioned that a nine-year old would jump in and save him, he’d be a bit skeptical.

He honestly didn’t know if he quite believed what he had witnessed. One moment he was about to get hit by a guy he had managed to piss off earlier in the day, and the next some kid had shown up seemingly out of nowhere, threatening to steal his attacker’s quirk. Koichi didn’t think that was possible. Sure, there had been copying quirks, and erasure quirks were rare, but a quirk that allowed a person to take another quirk? That didn’t seem right, at least, it didn’t seem too entirely possible. A quirk is an integral, unique part of each individual- there’s no way somebody can take that, right? He could be wrong, it wasn’t like he was studying quirk theory.

As soon as the kid hightailed it out of the store with his strange assortment of items, Koichi knew he’d been in for it. He had already been late to work today because of the whole fiasco from earlier. He didn’t mean to run into Spiky Dude- it had just happened! Yeah, maybe he shouldn’t have been using his quirk in public, but he was running late! And then, of course, Spiky Dude just had to show up at the same convenience store Koichi worked at, and had to rough him up on the same day he was late. His manager was already absolutely pissed, and Koichi really didn’t want to stick around any longer than he had to in fear of a lecture, or something worse.

Luckily for him, he was nearing the end of his shift by the time Spiky Dude had entered the store, and the kid had helped him waste a lot of time due to the insane amount of items he was purchasing. All he had to do was clock out and sneak out of the door, which should be fairly easy. After punching out on the system and closing the register, Koichi grabbed his bag and began to get ready to leave.

“Haimiwari.” Koichi closed his eyes in disappointment, sighing before turning around with a fake grin.

“What can I do for you, sir?”

The angry tapping of the shoe really should have been enough warning, in hindsight.

------

The streets of Naruhata were busy for the late hour, not too unusual but it was something that Koichi didn’t want to bother with after the night he had. Of course that stunt had gotten him fired. Perfect. It wasn’t like it was his fault! He was the victim in all of this! What, did his boss really think that he wanted to get dragged into an alleyway and get beat up? Koichi grunted as he walked around a slow-placed couple. He would have to find another job and fast. Rent was coming up, and he still had payments due on his tuition. His left hand adjusted the strap of his backpack while his right passed over his face. This was too stressful to think about right now.

There was something he knew he could to help take his mind off of things for a while. Koichi’s eyes narrowed in determined concentration. Yeah, tonight was a good night for that.

------

The wind rushed through Izuku’s loose hair, tousling it beyond fixing. It felt wonderful, racing across the rooftops of an unknown city in the dead of the night. He was barely let out of his room and the training hall on good days- he could never hope to leave the confines of Kurogiri’s watchful eye. Which, unfortunately, meant that it was a rare opportunity to go outside… ever.

Izuku let out a harsh giggle, letting it echo in the air with a wide smile. He had never felt so free.

Slowing to catch his breath, Izuku pulled a wrinkled, old notebook out of his bag. Skimming through the pages, he stopped on the last entry he made. When researching Eraserhead, it wasn’t that hard to find out that the underground hero mainly patrolled in the Narahata Ward. However, it was a bit more difficult to find out specific times and locations of his daily patrols. He assumed that it changed quite frequently due to Eraserhead’s cryptid-like nature, but it was still frustrating to not know exactly where to find the hero. Especially since he wasn’t aware how much time he had before Tomura caught on to where he was.

However, Izuku did have a few locations that seemed to be promising. Most of them were hidden back alley’s, which made perfect sense. A majority of petty crimes took place during the day- they were a beacon to spotlight heroes, those who lived off the praise and popularity from civilians. But the nasty, evil villains? Oh, Izuku knew from experience that the worst of the worst were always found in the dead of night. Underground heroes always had to be on their toes, and it spoke volumes to Eraserhead’s vigilance that he’s remained pretty much untouchable and unnoticeable to those who wished ill intent.

Pulling up the map on his outdated phone, he inputted the first location he had written in his notebook. The specific alley was only about three blocks away. With a manic grin, Izuku pulled up the hood of his jacket and let Enhance swim through his veins once more.

------

The discs of air underneath Koichi’s palms lit up with a familiar burst of light, making the nineteen gleefully chuckle. The feeling of his signature All Might hoodie snugged tight over his torso provided him with an unexplainable comfort, as did the plain black mask covering the lower half of his face.

Koichi was inexplicably known for his plain nature at college (save for the rumors that said he was some creep that tried to lure girls into abandoned buildings. He really was just trying to make friends!), so it wasn’t like anyone would expect him to be the vigilante that ran around Naruhata at night.

Well, he supposed the word “vigilante” was a bit of an exaggeration. It wasn’t like he sought out and fought criminals, he just used his quirk to get around a bit faster and help out the common man. Koichi lost out on his chance of being a hero a long time ago, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t help people when he had a bit of free time. As Mr. Nice Guy, he was able to get a glimpse of what he had dreamed about being his entire life.

Koichi zoomed through the lit up streets of Naruhata, providing directions to the lost, helping find missing items, and picking up bits of random trash. Everytime he received a “thank you” his eyes lit up- it was nice to be appreciated sometimes. The chorus of grateful civilians echoed within his mind as he continued to do good deeds throughout the night. After a few hours, he found himself moseying down a side road in hopes of heading home.

“All that do-gooding sure does make a guy thirsty.” He slipped down his mask, mumbling mostly to himself as he readjusted the straps of his bag.

A water bottle was thrust in front of him, followed by a peppy voice. “Here ya go!”

Koichi took the water bottle without thanking, shouting a quick “thank you” to whoever handed him the drink. And then, once he realized what had just happened, immediately did a double-take. Wide eyes looked over to the side of the road, only to see a young girl with pink, puffy pigtails staring at him with a bemused smirk.

“Pop Step?!” Koichi straightened his posture. “What are you doing here?!”

Ignoring his question, she began to walk out in front of him, hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket. “So… you’re the guy picking up trash around town?” Her hand went to frame her cheek in wonder. “What’s your name again? Cockroach Guy?”

Wide, admiring eyes became downtrodden in an instant, an annoyed glare taking their place. “It’s Nice Guy!”

“Whatever! You’re the one who alerted me to the fuzz during my show, right? I wanted to say thanks, somehow!”

Koichi was the one who let her know the police were coming when she was performing her illegal street show earlier in the day. He didn’t care much for her music, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her get arrested. Either way, he wasn’t sure why that provided an excuse to essentially stalk him. “So, you’ve been tailing me all day, huh?”

“Yup! I saw you almost get pummeled by those customers while you were working at that convenience store! I probably wouldn’t have stepped in either way, but wow! You were lucky when that little kid showed up, huh? Gotta admit, Cockroach Guy, that was pretty lame!”

“I don’t do well with violence, okay!” Koichi felt his eye twitch in annoyance; it was probably time to get out of this conversation before he lost his temper.

Pop Step’s face twisted with confusion. “Isn’t that dweeby hoodie supposed to be an All Might cosplay? And yet, you suck at fighting? That totally makes sense…”

“Sure, I look up to the guy. I wanna be useful to society however I can, just like he is! It’s got nothing to do with fighting! And the hoodie isn’t dweeby! It’s cool!”

“However you can?” Pop Step giggled, using her quirk to jump ust high enough to appear a little taller than Koichi. “So you know your place, at least!”

Koichi clenched his teeth in frustration, stepping around Pop Step to try and speed around her. “Stop getting hung up on the details! Knowing your place is important! If you keep playing at being some sort of pop idol, the cops will catch you sooner than later.”

Pop’s face scrunched up with a flash of anger, and if Koichi hadn’t had the night he had, he may have even been terrified. “Hey! I’m not ‘playing’ at anything! I’m the real deal!” She sped up, stopping in front of him as she pointed a perfectly manicured finger in his face. “You’ll just have to keep an eye out for the police! Also, I’ll need you to usher in my fans, set up the venues, and sell some merchandise!”

“Are you pissed off or hiring me for a job?!”

“Don’t you need one? Wouldn’t be surprised if you got fired after what happened!” Pop didn’t even take a moment to notice Koichi’s crestfallen glance towards the wall. “Anyways! If anyone can help me, it’s you- Know Your Place Guy!”

“Ugh. It’s Nice Guy!”

“Oh whatever!” Pop Step turned away from Koichi in order to run further down the alley, sparing him a glance backwards as she made her getaway. “I went through all of this trouble to express some gratitude… I didn’t think it’d be such a big deal, asking a ‘Nice Guy’ like you to do a little work to help a girl out!”

Koichi, good mood effectively ruined once again, went to bite back with a response. That was, until a familiar group popped into his view. He flinched as he saw Pop Step run straight into the leader, none other than the Spiky Dude who threatened to pummel Koichi into the ground just hours before. He could do nothing but stare as the group cornered Pop Step up against the wall, no doubt making her uncomfortable. Probably much more so than he was when he was in her position.

Now, if Koichi were a hero, this is when he would pull out all of the stops. He would crouch low to the ground, speeding to the men terrorizing the young girl and knocking them all on their asses. He would make sure he sped Pop Step to a safe location before coming back to make sure those bozos got arrested like they deserved. But, Koichi wasn’t a hero. And he would never be one. What could he do? His quirk was essentially useless in a fight. The only thing he was good at was running away.

But didn’t he have a duty to try and help? After all, if he couldn’t find the strength to help a young girl in this kind of situation, how could he try to help anyone else? With shaky legs and a determined glint in his eyes, Koichi bent low to the ground. The familiar pulse of his quirk activating below him provided little comfort, but he knew he had to push through this fear and go.

Mask pulled up, Koichi flew against the dirty pavement, locking eyes onto one of Spiky Dude’s lackeys. Now, if he could just get by unnoticed this time, he could knock this guy off his game and get Pop out of there. But of course, things never go Koichi’s way. That’s his luck.

The man caught him, large physique towering over him. The small tuft of flame acting as his hair cast an eerie shadow against the ground. “Well, well, well… look who we have here! Hey, boss! It’s the cockroach from earlier!” Still holding onto the back of Koichi’s hoodie, the large criminal threw him against the wall.

The pain of his head hitting against the rough edges of brick didn’t compare to the spikes slashing against his cheek.

“That annoying brat ain’t here to save you this time.” Spiky Dude’s eyes seem to glow in the dark night, and Koichi couldn’t ignore the sinister feeling pooling in his gut. “You ain’t getting away with just a small beating this time. I’m going to crush you. And I’m gonna enjoy it.”

The spiky criminal stalked closer to him; Koichi’s eyes immediately latched onto the blood dripping from the thick barbs protruding from the knuckles of his enemy. Shit. Shit. What could he do?! He really was going to die. Koichi shut his eyes in gruesome anticipation, hoping that at least Pop Step was using this opportunity to get away. A rush of air flew past his nose, and he blinked slowly. Looking up, Koichi locked eyes with Spiky Dude. The skewers had vanished from his knuckles, and the same, pale look of absolute petrification the criminal wore earlier in the night was on his face once more.

“Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t going to warn you next time?” The familiar voice of the kid that had stepped in during Koichi’s earlier encounter with this group echoed through the street, venom and animosity clear as day in his tone. Even Koichi shrunk into himself in fear. His wandering eyes latched onto a figure leaning down from the rooftop above, All Might hoodie bright against the black of night.

“I was looking for Eraserhead, but maybe I can do his job for him tonight and knock you fucker’s out.” Holy shit, what was up with this kid?

Koichi had noticed earlier that the kid had bright green eyes, but they seemed almost electrified, bright green sparks lighting off in his pupils as his glare deepened. He jumped off the roof, floating just above the ground before he hit it at full speed. His hand was held out, and Koichi glanced at the numerous scars stretching against the palored skin.

While Spiky Dude was distracted, Koichi took the opportunity to get back on his hands and feet, and forced himself to crash into the lizard looking man that was still holding onto Pop Step. She used the momentum from Koichi along with her quirk to jump out of the way and out of the alley. In his happiness of the fact that Pop was able to make a getaway, he wasn’t able to stop his momentum. Koichi ended up crashing straight into the other wall, the force of it knocking out the criminal he held tight in his grip.

“There’s no need for that!” A deep, grudd voice echoed from the other side of the street, and before anyone could react, a large fist connected straight into Spiky Dude’s nose. “The name’s Knuckleduster. And it’s my job to take out the trash like you.” Koichi barely even blinked, and the next moment the other tone was conked out right beside the leader.

What the fuck was happening?!

------

Izuku sighed in relief as he felt the rubber band snap against the quirk he held in his grasp, sending it back to its original owner as some random old man knocked him out. He didn’t want to steal a quirk, but that dude really wasn’t going to give him any choice. Luckily some geezer showed up before he could make good on his threat. He watched the man with a careful stare, seeing as he checked each of the criminal’s tongues before standing back up. His red sneakers crunched against the pavement as he lowered himself back to the ground; he walked towards the cashier he met earlier and held his hand out for him to take.

The man sitting across from him scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner, choosing to take Izuku’s hand in order to get back up. “Uh, suppose that’s twice you’ve saved me, huh kid? We really have to stop meeting like this.”

Izuku chuckled, nodding his head in agreement. A cough sounded behind the two of them, and they both turned around to find the old man staring straight into their souls. Knuckleduster’s bandana covered his entire head, including the top half of his face, only leaving holes to see out of. His black trench coat was grimy, not to mention ripped on the hemlines. Everything about this screamed “homeless old man”, even down to the gritty way the man seemed to fight.

Izuku couldn’t help but think the man seemed familiar.

“You take quirks or something, kid?” The man’s eyes narrowed, his already gruff voice deepened.

“No! I don’t take quirks! I was just playing a bluff, really!” Technically, Izuku wasn’t lying. He hadn’t ever willingly taken a quirk before. “I have an erasure quirk! That’s why I’ve been looking for Eraserhead. I’m hoping he’s willing to train me.” Now, there’s the lie.

“Hmph.” Knuckleduster’s eyes stayed on Izuku a little while longer, tense silence following before he shrugged it off. “You both show promise. Gotta admit, when I heard about Naruhata’s newest vigilante, I wasn’t expecting him to have a sidekick.”

Both Izuku and Koichi stared at him in shock, making the old man laugh. It was a hearty laugh, scratchy and sarcastic. “People are gonna make that sort of assumption when you’ve got two kids helping fight crime in the exact same hoodie.” The two boys flushed, causing Koichi to shake his head.

“We just met today.”

“So? Doesn’t mean the two of ya don’t work well together. I almost didn’t need to come down here. If it weren’t for the threat of Trigger I probably wouldn’t have. Don’t know if it’s luck or not, but these thugs didn’t have a trace of the drug on ‘em.”

“Trigger?” Izuku knew what he was talking about. His father was one of the main benefactors of the production and distribution of the drug. Or well, he was before he got forced into a coma. He had originally thought the distribution would slow after the underworld had found out about All for One’s current medical status, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

Knuckleduster waved it away. “I can explain that later. After you two accept my offer.”

Koichi paled, backing away from the crazy old man. “What offer?”

A sinister grin formed its way onto Knuckleduster’s face, making the duo in front of him back away even further. “Let me teach you kids what it takes to do hero work, and how great it feels to pound some villains!”

Koichi thought this man was absolutely insane and would only lead him to more trouble.

Izuku thought that he had enough training from the villains themselves.

They met each other’s gaze before turning back to Knuckleduster.

“We refuse your offer.”

#bnha vigilantes fanfic #bnha vigilantes #koichi haimawari #kazuho haneyama #midoriya izuku #afo is hisashi midoriya #midoriya has a quirk #midoriya has all for one #midoriya fanfic #deku fanfic #deku au #bnha au #bnha fanfic

[venusskies-writing]

Atsumu x reader

(Gender neutral pronouns used)

Title: Just this once...or maybe not

Synopsis: your best friend liked to party, a lot, and each night he was caught making out in a corner with a new girl, but she would always leave him at some point because he got to drunk. It was always your job to take him home, you never kissed him, never took advantage of his drunken state, but tonight, you let it all slip away. And perhaps he liked that kiss a little more than you thought

You sighed as you watched Atsumu take some random girl to the back of this strangers house to probably try and hook up with.

It always bothered you when he did that. You couldn't help but to be envious of the girl with the pretty brown hair and cherry colored lips, and eyelashes a little to long to be considered real, but were.

Turning away, you took another shot of your cheap alcohol and walked outside. You gazed at the stars as people came and went, guys, girls, and they's trying to talk to you.

The moon and stars always seemed so peaceful to look at when your heart raced a little too much, and your lunges started to close in on you, and every thought that you had was to escape and run away.

But that never happened.

You always came back to reality to untangle your friend from whatever petty argument he got himself into with the pretty girl.

Walking back inside, you see Atsumu sitting on the couch with his head thrown back and arms spread out on either side of him. His eyes were closed as he muttered curses to himself.

You stood in front of him and put your hands on your hips. "Hey loser. C'mon, let's get going." He blinked one eye open and sighed.

He ruffled his blonde hair that was obviously dyed and picked up his coat. He glanced at you with his honey colored eyes and looked away.

You rolled yours and lead the way to the front of the house, not bothering to say anything because there was nothing to say.

Atsumu brushed passed you and started walking down the left of the street before hearing your laughter. He turned around and saw you pointing to the right.

"My cars this way dumbass. Or do you need me to carry you because your dumb?" You said mockingly.

He pouted but then smirked. "Can you even carry me with those tiny arms?" I smirked back and crossed my 'tiny arms'.

"No, but I could still get more than you and your drunken ass ever could." It was halfway true. But the only guy you want was him.

He scoffed and walked over to you. He raised his finger to point at you but dropped it afterwards, not finding a witty comeback to that.

You grinned and punched his shoulder lightly. "I'm just playing. Let's get you home before Osamu starts blowing up our phones trying to find you." Atsumu nodded his head and matched your pace.

The two of you quickly found your car, seeing as it was only around the corner of the party, and got in.

Atsumu struggled to get the seat belt on, so you did it for him. "I'm not a baby. I don't need your help." Again, he pouted.

"Mm, that may be true, but you act like one." You flicked his nose and started the car.

The ride to the Miya house was peaceful, except until Atsumu had to throw up on the way.

Y'all pulled into a gas station where he immediately jumped out and started spewing up all the alcohol from that night.

"I'll be right back. Gonna go get you some pain meds and water." He stood up fast and looked at you with wide eyes.

"We getting drugs?" He seemed a little happy at the thought. "Uh, yeah. It's not any of the hard stuff, just some stuff for when your head hurts you in the morning." Once more, he pouted and leaned against the car.

"Your no fun. Back in high school we use to smoke pot all the time with the team. Why'd you change?"

It wasn't a hard question, but definitely not something you like to bring up. You sighed and looked away. "We've gone over this a million times 'Sumu, I stopped because we got caught. And it was a good thing I did to because, I wouldn't have gotten that art scholarship."

You could see the wheels turning in his head before he finally spoke. And it was something you would never thought you would hear from him.

"I was told it was because you were in love with me and wanted to be where I was." All of your breath was knocked out of you as you stood there staring at him.

Inhaling a huge breath of air, you looked away. "I need to get some things real quick." You walked away after that.

You returned 15 minutes later and finally headed your way. It was while you were at a stop light did you look over at Atsumu.

He had fallen asleep and had his mouth hanging open. There was a slight line of drool going down his chin which you smiled at.

You sped away from the light when it turned green, and turned the corner to the two brothers home.

Osamu was out waiting on the porch for the two of you when you pulled up. You turned your car off and looked at the sleeping blonde. You slowly wiped his bangs out of his face and touched the back of your hand to his face.

Pulling away, you opened your door and got out. Walking around, Osamu opened the door and pulled his brother out. You walked the two up to the door and opened it for them.

It went like that as Osamu brought him to his twins room. There, he propped his brother in his bed and looked at you.

"I don't know how you deal with him. He's just a plain mess to me." You smiled and looked at him with a look in your eyes that he couldn't quite place.

"I guess that's what you do when your in love."

That's what's in your eyes. Love.

It made him happy to see someone committed to staying with his brother other than for his looks.

He shook his head and smiled at you. Osamu left the two of you alone as you sat beside Atsumu.

Looking at him, you couldn't help but feel the sudden urge to kiss him. You looked put the door to see if Osamu was still there, then back at 'Sumu.

It's not like anyone would know.

So you leaned down, and lightly grazed your lips against his. You pulled back right afterwards and blushed slightly.

You stood up and wiped your pants down before walking away. Well, almost.

"You just gonna kiss me and leave? Now that's cold, even for you." You froze up for the second time that night.

The light pitter patter of footsteps was heard behind you before they stopped. Atsumu leaned across your shoulder and closed the door quietly, not wanting his brother to disturb you two.

Your breath was held as he cornered you against the door. Both of his arms placed on either side of your head. You looked away with a blush on your face, scared to see what kind of look he had.

He chuckled slightly, his minty breath tainted with the bitter smell of alcohol.

A hand picked your chin up and made you look at him. "When you kiss someone, it's usually 'cause you like 'em. So I'm taken that as your way of saying you-"

You cut him off with your lips against his. He staggered backwards before catching himself and returning the kiss.

It was sloppy, not at all romantic, but you had finally kissed him properly.

When you pulled away, a small blush had settled on both your cheeks. You glanced at your feet and then back at him. Atsumu panted slightly as he prossessed what you had just done.

Suddenly, a smirk that wasn't flirty or mean, just a smirk, was on his face. He leaned his forehead against yours and looked at you. "How long you've been wantin' to do that?"

You smiled and steppes back. "Since I've met you." He smiled at that. His eyes that looked like honey that ran with gold, sparkled brightly.

"Well than, if you wanted to kiss me for so long, I guess we got some makin' up to do."

@penguino666

#anime #reader insert #haikyuu atsumu #gender neutral mc #atsumu x reader #mentions of being high and drunk #college! atsumu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #atsumu miya #osamu miya #inarizaki #@penguino666

[cripplingaddictions]

Bakugo x Reader: Confession

Summary: After Bakugo’s mental breakdown with Midoriya outside the dorms, you take it upon yourself to get him to open up. Of course it isn’t easy, but you two had known each other for years. Bakugo realises how he really feels and claims you as his own.

Rating: SFW

Genre: Fluff, angst, lime

Word Count: 4.7k

A/n: I love comfort fluff and tending to wound tropes... and I also used the headcanon that Bakugo needs hearing aids, so that is included in this fic. I’m also sorry about the slow updates... I’ll have some headcanons out for haikyuu in the new future so stay tuned!

The crisp night air flooded through the open windows as you held a warm drink in your chilly hands. A fluffy blank landed on your shoulders as Mina deposited them off to everyone. You shifted yourself to meet Mina’s extraordinary eyes, nodding in thanks. Mina returned with a cheery smile of her own.

All the girls of 1A populated the couches, basking in the much needed warmth. A few boys sat amongst you, such as Kaminari, Kirishima, Ojiro, and Sero. Mineta desperately cried for help, wrapped in a cocoon of Sero’s tape after a perverted comment directed at Momo. Todoroki did as he always did, awkwardly standing slightly adjacent to the lively group, a keen but kind eye flickering between classmates as they contributed to the conversation.

“Everyone!” Iida marched up to your group, “Leaving the windows open in this weather is incredibly irresponsible! You will all get a cold!” His rapidly chopping hands paused momentarily to hurriedly pull all the windows shut.

“Thanks, emergency exit!” Kirishima waved at the class representative. A satisfied expression washed over Iida’s face.

You rolled your eyes, slightly smiling at them, before taking a prolonged sip of your warm beverage. Without spilling it, you pulled your legs up on the couch to cross them.

The class was happily celebrating a successful hero licensing exam. All but Bakugo and Todoroki. Hagakure and Momo had insisted they could join you too. It didn’t surprise you that Todoroki showed up but Bakugo didn’t, for one of them took it a lot worse than the other.

Bakugo was your childhood friend, knowing him since forever. There wasn’t a time you didn’t know each other, but not quite outdating him knowing Midoriya. You never really announced yourselves as “friends”, per se. It more so happened by consistently interacting, never really introducing yourselves. One of those friendships that “just happened”, neither of you remembering when you really met each other. Turns out, your mothers had been friends for years prior.

As you two grew older, and Bakugo became more and more like... himself, you did not condemn for anything he would say to Midoriya, being quirkless. Luckily, you happened to manifest a fairly powerful quirk, so he never judged you for it. He could never find himself to explode at you whenever you told him to back off. He may yell, but it never went further than petty insults. Of course, Mitsuki would have been appalled with him if he did. She definitely had a soft spot for you.

Once starting at UA, Bakugo’s ego slowly but surely began to deflate. He began to obtain standards, something that surprised you plenty. You noticed how he acted around Kirishima. That was when you realised the difference between how he treated all his peers. He seemed to rank them - most worthy of his friendship and time to least. Upon witnessing Kirishima - someone pretty high in those “ranks” - interact with him, you noticed the outside perspective. How nice he was to you and Kirishima, compared to people like Midoriya.

Eventually, you grew an odd feeling in your chest whenever he showed up to class. Top buttons undone and without a tie. Or when you caught a glimpse of his ember swirling eyes. Not to mention during training, rocking up in that hero costume of his.

You even began to play a little game. Testing him to see how long you could pester, order, or genuinely annoy him before he literally exploded at you. More and more of late, that time stretched. Unfortunately, your little experiment didn’t go unnoticed. All the girls of 1A knew, questioning you about it. You passed it off as something you thought would be funny. Only Mina saw right through you. She knew you liked him and constantly teased you about it to no end. Midoriya and Kirishima were the only others to notice you pushing his buttons more than usual lately.

Uraraka’s voice broke through your elaborate train of thought, “Y/N...”

“Yeah?” You answered.

“Do you have any idea where Deku is?” Her voice trembled slightly, her cheeks going slightly pinker as she rubbed the back of her neck. She couldn’t be more obvious about her crush on Midoriya, so you had nothing to worry about. “He hasn’t come back since Bakugo said he wanted to talk to him. I’m kind of worried about him.”

A huff left your lips, “In all honesty, I am too. There’s no telling what Bakugo wanted to talk to him about.”

“He might be seeking girl advice,” Mina chimed in, sending a sly wink in your direction.

You immediately took a long sip of your drink, hoping the cup hid your slight blush as you furrowed your eyebrows at Mina.

“I highly doubt it,” Tsuyu placed a finger to her chin in thought, “I’m not sure that Bakugo would need that kind of advice. Especially not from Midoriya.” Your gaze fell.

“He probably wants to kill him,” Jirou shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip from her own drink.

Jirou’s comment silenced the group of 1A girls. Only condescending sipping of drinks and the guys chattering filled your ears. Your attention left your drink to the sound of shuffling feet approaching. Bright yellow eyes met yours when the source of the shuffling feet sat beside you.

“Ladies,” Kaminari’s smooth voice wooed as he rested his arms on the back of the couch, “What’re you guys talking about?”

Dyed red hair, held up by a graphic bandana, flashed your peripheral vision as Kirishima took a seat next to you. He pouted slightly when you flashed him an almost sarcastic smile. The pout couldn’t mask that he could see right through you. Worry for Bakugo plagued your mind. There was no doubt Midoriya had improved his ability to use his quirk. If Bakugo had indeed wanted to fight him, he definitely underestimated him.

“I’m sure he’s just in bed, Y/N,” Kirishima placed a hand on your shoulder, “It is way past eight-thirty.”

You stifled a small giggle, nodding at Kirishima’s words and mentally thanked him for his optimistic nature. You continued to sip your drink in silence, occasionally tuning in to Mina and Kaminari’s chaotic conversation. Overall, you felt the homeliness of this family created through 1A. A homeliness soon to be destroyed.

A loud bang caused everyone to close their mouths, the worst case scenario filled your head. Luckily, when you followed it to its source, it came to a slammed door. An easy answer came to your mind; the wind. However, standing before the door stood Bakugo and Midoriya. Both definitely looking a bit rough around the edges. A gauze on each cheek, they looked defeated. They refused to reach each other’s eyes, or any other pair staring them.

You cautiously planted your cup on the coaster before you, as if you were afraid of agitating Bakugo, easily spotting the anger and emotion in his ruby eyes.

“Bakugo and Midoriya!” Iida rushed over to them in a flash, his arms chopping up and down in anger, “Where on earth have you been? Why do you look like you just got into another brawl with some villains?”

“Shut the hell up, four-eyes,” Bakugo snapped, grumbling to himself. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, before storming past the couches.

Before anyone could stop you, you leapt to your feet. Your drink left behind, you rushed after Bakugo. The blanket around your shoulders flowed behind you like a cape, you called out to the angry blond, “Bakugo!”

Bakugo ignored you, continuing up the stairs. Hurriedly, you sped up the stairs and overtook him.

Your body blocked his, “Bakugo, what the hell happened?”

His head continued to hang low, his blond hair falling to obscure his eyes from view as you desperately tried to meet them. Scratches, grazes and cuts littered his face and arms, some covered up with gauze. The two gauzes on his cheeks mirrored each other, lightly stained in blood. Dust and dirt smudged up his arms; his wounds weren’t properly cleaned. His hands stuffed in his baggy sweatpants shook slightly, from both physical and emotional pain.

“Shut up, Y/N,” Bakugo’s wavering voice protested, failing at any attempted aggression, “I don’t need to tell you shit.”

You heaved in a shaky breath, “True, but I want to know. I might be able to help you.”

“You can’t help me,” his voice raised, causing you to step back. You really wished you could see his eyes, to see what kind of pain he was in.

“You won’t know that until you tell me what’s wrong,” you sighed, trying your best to stay calm and not snap back.

“Get out of my way...”

Bakugo harshly barged his shoulder into yours, causing you to stumble to the side slightly. You stepped after him as he continued to his dorm, the most likely place you imagined he would storm off to. You caught up again, flinging an arm out in front of him. His warm, sweaty hand latched onto your forearm. Your heart skipped a beat, relishing the ironically soft touch.

However, the softness of his touch contradicted his tone, “Y/N, move... right now...”

“Bakugo!” You cried, not afraid of the slightly startled boy before you. 

You didn’t budge or flinch as you laced your fingers between the ones he gripped onto your forearm with. With a soft touch, you lifted his chin upwards to get a perfect view of his face. 

His cut up face held the softest expression you had ever seen. No crease sat between his eyebrows, grazes over his forehead. The gauzes taped to his cheeks hid the worst of his face injuries, letting a small amount of blood to seep through it. His eyes glistened with tears, about to be spilt. They stung red, from previous tears.

Katsuki Bakugo stood before you, with tears in his eyes.

The Katsuki Bakugo.

“You can tell me, you know,” You hushed, once his bloodshot eyes met your sympathetic ones, “I’ve always been there for you, like when you got your hearing aids.”

One hand still holding his, you let the other one slip up to expose the small black device in his left ear. It wrapped around the back, resting behind his ear. A soft sympathetic smile graced your features, as Bakugo squeezed his eyes shut. He entered a vulnerable state, allowing you to wrap an arm around his lower neck and pull him into a hug.

“Please...” You whispered, “It’s better if you let it all out.”

Bakugo awkwardly stepped out of the hug, slipping his hand out of your grip. His eyebrows creased again, squinting his eyes to hold back any tears. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and refused to meet your eyes again.

“I’m just fucking pissed!” He raised his voice again, “I’m pissed at myself. At damn Deku! How did he become someone so damn special? And I didn’t!? When I finally get fucking recognised for something... it’s because I ended All Might! Why me?”

Your breath hitched. All of Bakugo’s pain unloaded onto you. All Might’s end happened a small while ago. He held this guilt in for that long? No wonder he was angry. In a way, you felt privileged and relieved Bakugo opened up to you. You always tried to be there for him. You wished you could have been there earlier, to stop him ever feeling like this in the first place.

“Bakugo...” You hushed his uneven breathing. It almost sounded like he was about to have a panic attack, “You couldn’t have prevented it. No one knew that it was going to happen. The last person who should be blaming themselves is you.”

“I could have done something! All I did was stand and watch. I left as soon as I saw you call out to me. Damn it!”

“Look at me, Bakugo,” digging into his pockets, you removed his hands from them and held them in your own, “If you didn’t leave when I called you, not only All Might would have ended. You would have too. And I don’t know what I would ever do if you did.”

A sharp inhale came from Bakugo’s parted lips, before he trailed off, “Da-damn it...”

“I care about you, Baku,” you let your thumbs run small uncoordinated circles on the back of his warm veiny hands. You couldn’t force yourself to look into his eyes, afraid of how he would respond. “I care more than you can ever imagine.”

“I- I-, fuck...” He couldn’t form sentences, let alone words. You, of course, couldn’t blame him. Not only because of his current emotional state, but you knew it would take a little bit more to get something so sincere out of Bakugo.

“It’s okay,” you finally met his red eyes, trying to mask the glossiness of your own, “It’s okay if you don’t return my feelings... I won’t take it too harshly.”

A small cocky grin slid its way onto Bakugo’s disheartened features, “Who said I didn’t, baka.”

Little giggles left your mouth as you wrapped your arms around his neck. A newfound sense of confidence filled you. Not only did you let the burden of your confession lift off your chest, but he reciprocated the feelings. You couldn’t wait to tell Mina all about it.

“Now...” All sadness and sorrow had drained from Bakugo, a sudden huskiness melted off his words, “Let me claim you as mine.”

“Wait, wha-” Without warning, Bakugo cut you off by pushing you forward towards the elevator at the end of the corridor. A small laugh left you again upon witnessing the determination - no matter what it was for - return to Bakugo. The Katsuki Bakugo you knew and loved was back.

Without letting go of your wrist, Bakugo frantically pressed the elevator button, “Hurry up, you damn elevator!”

“Yelling at it want make it come faster, you know.”

“Shut up, Y/N.”

Once the elevator pinged, the doors slid open. Bakugo rushed you inside, turning around to watch as the doors slid shut again. No words were spoken, both of you urgently watching the elevator travel up to the level his dorm stood located in. You adjusted your hand in Bakugo’s grip, only for him to squeeze your hand tighter. The small action caused a tiny smile to tug at your lips in satisfaction. Damn, it felt good to finally have him.

The travelling between the elevator and Bakugo’s dorms happened so quickly it was all a blur. The only thing you knew was the sound of the door slamming behind you, before you were back up against the wall beside it.

Bakugo’s rough, calloused hands pinned your wrists to your side. There was no time to protest before the gap between you two closed. Your lips roughly fought against his a loosing battle. His lips felt chapped but soft at the same time. The taste of nitroglycerin lingered between your lips, the smell of caramel wafting into your nostrils. His hands let go of your wrists, finding a new home firmly on your hips only to press you further against the wall. Hands now free, they rushed into his hair. Silky blond locks weaved in and out of your fingers before you ran them down his neck to grip his shoulders.

The tickling of his tongue on your bottom lip begged your lips open, allowing it to slip inside your mouth. You desperately fought against his rough movements, only to lose. He took complete dominance as he slipped a knee between your thighs and propped you even further up the wall. In retaliation, you wrapped your legs around his waist, so he supported your full weight. Your crotch shamelessly pressed against his lower abdomen.

A gasp left your mouth as his warm hands glided up your curves and beneath your shirt. Bakugo’s skilled fingers ran patterns on the soft skin of your back, sending countless satisfied shivers up your spine. Your mouths continued to move in sink as his fingers slid along the skin just beneath your bra. The moan that escaped your mouth sent a wicked smirk onto Bakugo’s lips. Without warning, Bakugo’s lips left yours and attached to the soft skin of your jaw. You tilted your head to the side to give him more access to trail kisses down the curve of your neck. At the same time, one of his hands ran to the clasp of your bra. He fiddled with it, desperately trying to unclasp it before he gave up and detached his warm mouth from your neck.

“Damn it,” his warm moist breath tickled your neck, “How does this shitty thing work?”

You let a laugh leave your lips as you arched your back for your own hands to slip up your shirt. In an instant, you had detached it. The bra lacked straps, causing it to immediately drop to the floor.

A growl left Bakugo as he began sucking on the soft flesh of your neck. His warm, wet tongue pressed and flicked against it. The occasional sensation of his teeth grazing over your neck made a shiver slide up your spine. Bakugo’s large hands travelled back to the front, fanning over you exposed breasts. They travelled over them until he lightly fondled them in his hand, squeezing gently. Your hands on his shoulders quickly gripped onto the fabric of his black tank top. One of his thumbs flicked over your hardened nipple, causing his name to fall from your mouth in a pleasurable moan.

Bakugo greedily grunted, whispering against your neck, “Yeah, I like that, Y/N...”

His tongue continued to trail over your skin, sucking and flicking until he pulled away. Your eyes fluttered open, leaning down to press your forehead against his. Slowly, Bakugo’s hands trailed back down your sides and pulled out of your shirt. Your feet made it safely back down to the ground. When you attempted to meet Bakugo’s eyes, you found them trailing over purple bruises covering your neck, continuing up to the start of your jaw.

“Now you’re mine,” Bakugo brought you into a safe hug, letting you rest your head into the crevice of his neck. Your eyes squeezed shut again, delving yourself completely into his sent of caramel.

“As far as first kisses go,” you teased, letting a cheeky grin slide onto your face, “that wasn’t half bad.”

“Damn well, it wasn’t half bad!” His voice lifted higher, a familiar angry tone taking over. An even bigger smile came to your face once you realised he had almost completely forgotten the predicament he was in previously. “That better have been the best kiss ever!”

A little string of laughs left you, “Yeah, yeah. It was the best. You got me there.”

The silence continued for a little longer, until Bakugo retreated out of the hug. He cleared his throat before turning away from you. You took the opportunity to rush to his mirror, observing the damage he had done. A dozen or so purple hickies littered across your neck. They travelled all the way to your jaw and almost your ears. It would take a lot of foundation to cover those up, you thought.

“I’m definitely yours, it seems,” you turned to Bakugo, who only grunted, “I almost look as beat up as you.”

“I’m fine,” came his reply.

“You still need to clean those wounds and cover them up.”

“I don’t need Recovery Girl.”

“No, we shouldn’t bother Recovery Girl right now. I’d be happy to do it for you in the girls bathroom. Mr Aizawa is long gone, don’t worry about him catching us.”

“What about your annoying extras?”

“If any of the girls come in, I’m sure they’ll understand and make a pretty quick exit. I promise.”

Bakugo huffed in reply as you tilted your head in the direction of the door. You made your way to the door. As you reached out for the door handle, a bundle of black was thrown at you.

“Cover up, damn it,” Bakugo shoved his hands in his pockets and joined you by the door, “You don’t even have a bra on.”

“Oh, yeah,” you hurriedly unfolded the black clothing item, to find it was one of Bakugo’s plain black hoodies. You slipped it over your head and let it drop down a little further than your hoodies usually would. Caramel scent engulfed you, making it clear it hadn’t been washed since the last wear. Normally, that would disgust you, but it was your boyfriend’s. You plotted how long you were going to hold onto it in your head as you bundled the hood around your neck.

You gestured to yourself, only to receive a shrug from Bakugo. The shrug couldn’t hide the tiny reddish tint on his cheeks from the sight of you in his clothes. A victorious smile made it to your face, and you opened the door.

The journey to the girl’s bathrooms was uninterrupted. You led him there, linking pinkies the whole way. He hesitated to walk through the door, after all it was the female bathroom. The door shut suddenly behind you as you pointed Bakugo to sit on the bathroom counter. Swinging open the cabinet above the sink, you pulled out a small box of first aid supplies. You placed you hands on your hips after allocating the box a spot next to Bakugo.

“Take your shirt off,” you demanded, the authoritative tone desperately hiding the redness of your ears.

“Why?” Bakugo grumbled, mocking you with arms crossed.

“So I can see if you have any further injuries,” You opened the first aid box, pulling out a dry rag. Out of the corner of your eye, you spied Bakugo lifting his tank top over his head to reveal his toned chest and abs as you ran cold water over the rag. Wringing it of excess water, you turned to see him checking himself over for any injuries.

“Nothing,” Bakugo bluntly replied.

“Yes, but your ribs are bruised,” you pointed at the green patches of flesh along his sides. The mirror didn’t indicate any wounds or bruises on his back. Without warning, you dragged the moist rag over the bruises. A few droplets of water rolled down his chiseled stomach as he pulled back.

“That shit is cold!” Bakugo exclaimed, “I’m getting wet now, damn it!”

“It’s a rag with water, what did you expect?” You hummed, continuing to trace the bruised ribs softly with the rag. You leaned over the counter to grab hold of his closest hand, resting your sover it. “Stay still.”

Once you had finished, you gently gripped one of his forearms. The cloth traced his skin, washing it clean. You had to scrub it softly at some points, but avoided any of the open grazes and cuts. You travelled the cloth to run over his biceps, this time lightly dabbing at the largest graze. Your skilled hands couldn’t hide the blush on your face, especially with his fiery eyes watching your every move. They occasionally shifted to your concentrated features.

The cloth quickly passed over his shoulders and chest, before repeating the process on his other arm. This one wasn’t as scratched up as the other, making your job a lot simpler. Once you finished, you took a step back over to the sink.

“You’re probably gonna hate what I’m about to do,” you sighed, wringing out the rag after rinsing it.

“What are you gonna do?” He demanded, less agitated than he usually would be.

You didn’t answer with words but with your actions. Stopping the dripping of the rag, you dragged it around the gauze on his cheek. His hand swiped up, grabbing your wrist and pulling my hand away from his face.

“Die shitty rag! How dare you come near my face!”

A full hearted laugh left your lips, your head tilting back, “I’m trying to help you, baka. Please let me.”

Bakugo studied your face for a short while, until he ripped his eyes away, “Fine.” He left his cheek exposed, letting you place the rag back onto it. All the dust and ash had been scrubbed from his cheeks and nose. You softly dragged the rag over his forehead, softly dabbing it over a shallow graze. Once, your hand pulled away, you leaned up to place a soft kiss on his forehead.

“Are you done?” Bakugo rolled his eyes, pressing his bare back against the mirror.

You shook your head, “Nope. Not even close.” You placed the damp rag in the sink, digging around in the first aid box again. Bakugo groaned in annoyance, causing you to smile and shake your head again.

Cold plastic slipped between your finger tips - a small bottle of antiseptic. Pulling it out, you placed a few cotton balls next to it. Carefully, you dropped a small amount of antiseptic onto the cotton ball. You lifted it towards Bakugo, who grimaced at the sight.

“I can’t promise this won’t hurt,” you hissed in empathy, hesitantly detaching he hand from the counter. Pulling his arm closer, you dabbed the cotton ball onto one of the shallow grazes on his forearm.

Bakugo immediately pulled back, “Antiseptic can die!” You smiled, knowing that was his way of saying that it stung.

“It’s gonna sting a little bit,” you rolled your eyes, “I did tell you that.”

Your hand swiped out to grab his wrist in it again as he constantly ripped it away, “Katsuki Bakugo! It’ll get infected and hurt even more if you don’t let me do this!” You exclaimed in a playful seriousness.

“Say that again,” the grimace on Bakugo!s face dropped, his features now softer.

“It’ll get infected?”

“No, baka. My name.”

“Your name? Katsuki Bakugo?”

The smirk on his face now unmistakable, he placed a hand on your waist, “Yeah, call me Katsuki. I like when you say my name.”

A similar smirk crossed your face as you placed a hand over his on your waist. Without warning him, you took the cotton ball and frantically dabbed it onto the next graze. Katsuki grunted, whipping his arm out of your reach.

His eyes remained glued in the victimised graze, “What the hell? That was a dirty trick!”

“It worked, though,” you replied, drenching a new cotton ball in antiseptic, “That’s all that matters.”

“Whatever.”

Eventually, he gave up fighting against you, allowing you to finish applying antiseptic to grazes and cuts on his arms and shoulders without much fuss. You left the injuries covered by the gauze on his cheeks alone, immediately tending to the largest and most tender graze on his forehead. With your free hand, you pushed back his blond hair that shaded it. You kept that hand lovingly caressing the start of his hairline, while the other hesitantly dabbed at the graze.

Katsuki hissed through his teeth, causing you to slip your hand down the side of his face. You held his cheek in your palm and sent him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry,” you placed the cotton ball down into the small pile of used ones under Katsuki’s observant gaze.

“I think I’m going to leave that one exposed. It needs to dry out to heal properly,” you explained thoroughly. A grunt left Katsuki as you pulled out more gauzes and a roll of bandage.

After a silent moment, you had successfully wrapped up his entire right forearm in a bandage. A large gauze covered a wide but shallow graze on his left shoulder and a couple of smaller ones littered over some small ones on his left bicep.

As you began to quietly pack up the first aid box, you felt a pair of arms slide around your waist. You stood on your tippy-toes to place it back in the cabinet, only for the limbs to wrap around you tighter. Katsuki’s breathtaking red eyes met yours in the reflection of the mirror, where you swayed in his arms in contentment.

“When I’m let off this shitty house arrest,” Katsuki grumbled into your marked neck from your previous activities, “I’m taking you out.”

“Yeah,” you laughed, leaning your head against his, “I’d love to, Katsuki.”

“It wasn’t a choice.”

A giggle left your lips, leaving both of you happy as you stood in each other’s arms.

#bakugo katsuki #bakugo x reader #bakugo imagines #bnha x reader #my hero academia #my hero academia x reader #katsuki bakugo x y/n #katsuki bakugo #bnha imagines #mha x reader #mha imagines #katsuki x reader

[blackcloverdatabase]

English Translation of Novel 3: Chapter 2 – The Man Known as Julius (Part 2 of 2)

Here’s the second half of the last untranslated chapter from Book of Yuno! More Julius, Yuno, Jack, and Charlotte goodness, plus Mereoleona and Marx!

With this, Book of Yuno is now fully translated!

--- The Man Known as Julius (Part 2) ---

And so, in days that followed, they ran into no troubles at all. The days passed by rather smoothly…… Well, that may depend on your definition of “smooth”. As Yuno predicted, Jack and Charlotte frequently dropped by the lake, Graham still didn’t get along with Julius, and each time that happened, Bell would say something insensitive, so Yuno’s training kept getting interrupted. Though their troubles didn’t grow, his worries did.

Nevertheless, Graham’s wounds healed well, and the amount of time he spent near his parents’ tombstone steadily decreased. It would be a little lonely once they do, but, at this rate, they will be able to return Graham to the wild in a few days.

‘I have to find a safe place for him away from humans as soon as possible……’ Yuno thought as he and Bell were shopping in the village of Tonan. It was still early afternoon.

“Oh, aren’t you Yuno-kun?”

Yuno heard a voice call back from behind him as he was walking. When he turned around, he saw a man with his blue hair cut like a mushroom, standing there with a smile.

“Yes. Umm, if I recall, you use communication magic…...”

“Ah, sorry. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Marx Francois. I’m the Wizard King’s aide.”

He said with a gentle smile on his face as he approached Yuno, seemingly wanting to chat with him.

“I sure do meet a lot of Magic Knights when I’m in an area where patrols are emphasized. Why, just yesterday, I met Captain Jack. A ha ha, it’s surprising to see him buying vegetables like any other normal human being!”

‘I’m still surprised he bought them for Graham……,’ of course, Yuno didn’t say this out loud, instead opting to match Marx’s tone of surprise.

“I’m surprised. I guess that means he must cook, too.”

A more suitable reply. He then tilted his head and said,

“So, what are you doing here, Marx-san?”

“Surveying the field and intelligence gathering. I wanted to see the state of affairs of all areas that have been targeted by those bandits, and I was going to convey my findings to the Wizard King, but…… ah, no, sorry. The chain of command a transmission is supposed to go through got messed up.”

Marx paused for a bit as if to reorient himself.

“For various reasons, the notification that was supposed to go out to each squad was delayed, but half a day ago, we successfully quashed the bandits.”

“……Huh?”

Yuno couldn’t help but stutter. It’s true that a few days have passed since the Magic Knights were deployed to suppress the bandits, so it was only a matter of time before they would completely quash them, but……

“That’s rather sudden. Incredibly so.”

“Yeah. Since it was possible that the Original Sin was involved in this case, we were searching more cautiously than usual, but…...”

Marx’s face stiffened.

“……Captain Mereoleona said “How many days does it take you to capture a few petty thieves!” and kicked the knights who were investigating into high-gear. I was also participating in the search, and it wasn’t long before those bandits were completely annihilated. A few bandits may have escaped, but it’s just about over now.”

‘I feel sorry for those bandits……,’ Yuno thought to himself as he quietly put his hands together in prayer for them.

“However, when we confiscated their belongings, we didn’t find any copies of the Original Sin. Maybe those rumors about them having one was fake, but it’s possible that one of the bandits who escaped ran away with it…… there are still many things we are uncertain about, so I came here in the hopes of finding some clues, but I’ve found nothing so far.”

“……I see. Thank you for all your hard work.”

Yuno thanked Marx while he internally let out a sigh of relief. Now that those bandits have been caught, this area should be safer now. Since a few bandits escaped, the patrols will probably continue for a little while longer, but the frequency of those patrols should decrease. That means it will be easier to take care of Graham. Yuno continued to feel more and more relaxed, even faintly considering taking a stroll through town, but then Marx called his attention as he put his hand in his breast pocket.

“Ah, wait a second! I’m sorry to ask you this so suddenly, but do you know anything about this magic tool?”

“………!!”

Yuno’s and Bell’s eyes widened. They couldn’t believe what Marx was showing them. What he held in his hand was a red jewel, the very one which wards evil away.

“……Marx-san, where….did you……?”

Marx felt a little uneasy about how strongly the two reacted, but he answered their question.

“Huh……? Captain Jack gave this to me yesterday. He said he felt ill when this tool was active. He thought it might be dangerous, so he wanted me to investigate it.”

“…….Did he say where he found it?”

“Ummm……. I didn’t ask for the details, but if I recall, it was in some cabin up in the mountains.”

Yuno had a bad feeling about this.

“I’m going to take this to the Magic Tool Research Institute, but you go on a lot of special missions, so I thought you might know something about this…… w-wait!? Where are you going!?”

Yuno ignored Marx’s pleas as he used his wind magic to fly to the lake. Jack found the jewel yesterday. The bandits were captured half a day ago. Yesterday, he was only with Graham in the morning, and Julius said he was only with Graham briefly in the early afternoon. It was probably after that when Jack found the jewel. After that, it was possible that runaways from the bandits’ hideout may have passed by the lake…… If they did, Graham had nothing to protect him. They might have eaten him. They might have taken him so that they could sell him. There were all sorts of things they could have done to him.

Maybe it was too early to start worrying, but that was the place where Graham and his parents were attacked before. It was possible that those bandits have used that cabin as a rest stop before. If the remaining stragglers go there to rest……

Yuno felt his agitation increase as he sped to Graham’s location without care for anything else.

“……Graham!!”

Yuno shouted once he arrived at the lake. Usually, Graham would have emerged from the cabin, squealing cheerfully, but……

“……No way …….There’s no way this is happening! You can’t be serious!!”  

Bell screamed as she trembled in anger. A portion of the fence they built was broken, and the cabin was partly destroyed. Worse yet, the corpses of Graham’s parents were dug up, with about half of their hides skinned off their bodies. In this cruel picture, Graham was nowhere to be found.

……Their worst fears had come to fruition.

“W-what should we do, Yuno!? What happened to Graham!? What do we do!?”

Bell begged Yuno for an answer with tears in her eyes. However, like her, the sight left Yuno in a state of confusion. This was almost certainly the work of the remaining bandits, so the most practical option would be to team up with the Magic Knights that were hunting them. However, it would be difficult to find the others in a forest as wide as this, and there probably weren’t many knights pursuing them in the first place. Finding them would take too much time. There simply wasn’t enough people or time. He couldn’t contact Julius, either. He wasn’t sure what to do……

“………”

After thinking things through, Yuno closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After calming himself down, he reminded himself of why he was here. After a few more seconds, he opened his eyes and said as he calmly observed his surroundings,

“I don’t see any blood, so I think it’s safe to say that Graham hasn’t been killed. Not here, at least. They must have kidnapped him, probably with the goal of eating him later. While it’s true that they might have killed him en route or seriously wounded him to render him immobile, we can’t let negative thoughts like that get to us.”

If you find yourself unable to move because of all your negative thoughts, it’s sometimes necessary to just try doing what you want before thinking about what you should do…….

This was, without a doubt, one of those times……

“First of all, let’s join up with the knights in pursuit of the remaining bandits and find out where they are in their search. After that, we’ll borrow one of their communication devices and contact the Wizard King.”

They were going to do all they can, believing in the possibility that Graham was still alive.

“Let’s go, Bell……. Full power.”

“Y….. yeah…… sniff!”

Upon Yuno’s words, Bell wiped the tears from her face as she looked him in the eyes. Yuno nodded in response with a small smile on his face. He was about to fly off using his wind magic, but……

“Phew, I finally caught up to you…… Why did you do that of a sudden!?”

For the second time that day, he heard a voice call out to him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Marx approaching him with a broom in his hand and sweat on his forehead.

“Marx-san…… You followed me?”

“Well, if you see somebody’s expression change as drastically as yours and then dash off, of course you have to follow…… wait, what is all this!? What happened!?”

He looked around the lakeshore in a panic. Julius had said that Marx was the last person he’d want to find out what he’s been doing, but this situation was different. Even if this was only by chance, Yuno was glad he was here. With Marx here, he’ll be able to contact Julius right away.

“I’ll explain later. For now, I need you to contact the Wizard King for……”

……He realized it mid-sentence. At present, there wasn’t enough people nor enough time. Even if, for argument’s sake, Julius took advantage of his position of authority to send a large number of knights after the bandits, it would take some time to get that many knights together. There was a faster way to get a lot of knights here, and it would leave him with many more knights, too.

“Huh!? That mischievous magic maniac is…… I mean, the Wizard King is involved in this, too!?”

He was a little intrigued when he heard Marx say something rather disrespectful toward Julius, but, anyway, he quickly conveyed his strategy to Marx, who put it into practice.

 ----- Several minutes later, in a forest on the southwest side of Tonan -----

About ten rough-looking men flew through the forest on their brooms.  

“Hurry it up, you idiots! They’re gonna catch up to us at this rate!”

A bald man named Garo lead the group, spitting harsh words toward his minions behind him, which slowed him down even further. They were the remaining bandits. They slipped past the Magic Knights, and they were currently on their way to their second base, which was in the Forsaken Realm. Moreover, he had a hemp bag tied to the end of his broom. Wriggling violently inside that bag was……

“SQUEA- SQUEAL! SQUEAL!!”

A baby boar they caught by the lakeshore.

“Shut up, ya damned pig! We’re gonna eat ya the second we get to the base, so sit quiet until then!”

As if to let off some steam, Garo yelled his threats at Graham. Then, one of his followers asked him,

“Come to think of it, boss. Why’d ya take that little flame boar? Even if we sold its hide, we wouldn’t get a lotta money. If we just took its collar, then…… Eek!”

His follower shrunk back in fear.

“……Because…... the base…... was DESTROYED!”

Garo said with a roar as he turned his bloodshot eyes toward his follower.

“All our money and food were taken from us! You realize that, right!? Even if it doesn’t give us a lot of money, I’m gonna steal what I can steal! We’re in this mess in the first place because you’re all slackers!”

“I-I’m sorry! I’m so sor-GAH!”

As the others watched from behind as their boss seized their teammate by the collar and shook him, they looked at each other anxiously.

“……H-hey. He’s been…… kind of…… off lately, hasn’t he?”

“Y-yeah…… it’s like he’s gotten more brutal, or maybe more greedy……”

“Hey! You all sayin’ something!?”

Garo looked back and threatened them as he tried to find the people who spoke so insolently……. And then, by chance, he realized it. There was one too many shadows projected on the ground. When he noticed, he looked up toward the sky. At that moment,

“Slash Magic: Death Scythe!”

Large blades of magic swung down from the sky.

“UWOAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

The blades of green obstructed the bandits from going forward as they flew before Garo’s eyes with a thunderous roar. The trees around them rumbled loudly as the ground beneath them was cut so deeply that one couldn’t see the bottom. What would’ve become of those bandits if such a thing hit them head-on…..?

“……Kah Kah. Jeez, I told you to live and grow up to be strong, didn’t I?”

Above their heads, the bandits heard a voice filled with a malice and intent to kill that made them shiver. Standing above them on his broom was a tall, thin man with ridiculously large blades extending from his forearms.

“You certainly got yourself kidnapped by a group that doesn’t look all that fun to cut up, eh, brat?”

His mouth upturned into a grotesque smile as he licked his lips and stretched his arms before him.

“Well, whatever. I’ll cut down 80 percent of them, so watch and learn.”

“D…….Disperse! Everyone disperse!!”

To escape the onslaught of attacks that were fired at them, the bandit group broke away from each other like baby spiders escaping their nest. Garo veered to the left with two of his underlings in tow.

“B-boss! That guy, he’s…… the Captain of the Green Mantis! Why is a big wig like him coming after stragglers like us!?”

“Hell if I know!! Just shut up and focus on getting outta……. Huh?”

Before he could finish talking, he noticed another ominous sight. Before his eyes was a woman of peerless beauty clad in armor, standing around as if she was waiting for them. Under normal circumstances, this fact would have made him ecstatic. However, Garo’s face grew grim. Just like with Jack, Garo didn’t know her first-hand, but he has heard terrible rumors. That face, and the way she held herself…… there was little doubt in his mind that this woman was the Captain of the Blue Roses, Charlotte.

“Briar Magic: Corpse-Hunting Briar Tree”

As if to substantiate Garo’s suspicions, thorny briars grew from the ground with unnatural speed to the left and right of him, piling into cone-like structures until they projected into the air like a tower.

“UGAAAAAAAAAH!”

Unable to avoid them, Garo’s two underlings fell victim to her thorns. However, Garo slipped through and escaped. No, he had the feeling that the thorns never aimed for him from the beginning……

“…… Relax. I will not strike you. Graham…… no, a wild boar is in that bag, correct?”

He felt a strange feeling from this beautiful woman who spoke with such a clear, concise voice. Even after only seeing her gorgeous face from a distance, he could tell – this woman was furious.

“Hand that boar over right now. If you do, I’ll have mercy on you and tear your corpse to pieces!!”

“EEEEEEEK!”

His soul practically leapt from his body as he shrieked, trying to get away from her. However, in the direction of his escape stood…...

“Wind Magic: Crescent Kamaitachi”

“Woah!”

Four crescent-shaped blades flew through the air with a howl as they cleanly sliced through the trees around Garo. Past the sounds of one tree after another falling to the ground, he heard voices, both male and female, talking above his head.

“With this, nothing is blocking our view…… we can see this scoundrel’s face more clearly.”

“Not that I wanted to! He’s ugly, dirty, and he has a small-fry kind of vibe! That’s three strikes!”

The two voices he heard came from a handsome black-haired boy and a girl about the size of a doll, who was flying around him.

‘What kind of magic tool is that?’ Garo thought.

Moreover, this became evident once his surroundings were cleared, but…...

“……Hey…… What the hell? …….Why the hell are there so many of you!?”

There was a dozen…… no, there were several dozens of Magic Knights, and they had Garo’s group completely surrounded as they stood by on their broomsticks.

“W-we’re just the remnants of a ruined group of bandits…… why, why are you…..!?”

“……Good question. I wonder about that.”

As Garo groaned, the boy swooped down in front of him with a blank expression and said quietly,

“Maybe you took someone’s kid, or their little brother, or their henchman…… perhaps?”

 Truthfully, even Yuno didn’t expect this many people to come. After all, Yuno only said one thing. He had Marx use his magic to report the situation to Julius, and after that, he had Marx contact the headquarters of the Green Mantis and the Blue Roses. Upon getting in contact with them, the only thing he told them was,

“The remaining bandits have kidnapped a baby boar I was keeping at the lake shore and are now on the run.”

That’s all he said before joining up with the rest of the knights in pursuit of the bandits. While they were searching, an astonishing number of Green Mantis knights and Blue Roses knights had gathered. When he asked why they were all here, they said their Captains ordered them to join the hunt. Even the Captains themselves joined the hunt, and they both looked like they were searching for blood.

Thus, their little hunting team became a large and fierce group, and with no hesitation, they utilized their mobility and self-discipline to find and hunt down the remaining bandits in a flash.

“Kah Kah. You damned brat. You used us. You have guts, I’ll give you that.”

As Yuno approached Garo, Jack poked at Yuno’s shoulder with the tip of his blade.

“I didn’t use you guys, I just couldn’t think of another- Ow. That hurts. It’s bleeding.”

“……W-well, it doesn’t matter to me what happens to some wild boar. There have been reports that the remaining bandits carried the Original Sin, so I came here because I thought we should arrest them as soon as possible.”

Charlotte said with a slightly red face as she approached the two of them.

“I just fed that wild boar on a whim……. Huh?”

Charlotte shuddered as if she just realized something very serious. She then grasped the hilt of her sword tightly, summoning briars from her sword that wrapped around Yuno’s neck.

“…….You bastard, don’t tell me…… y-you saw me…… bringing food to that boar?”

“What are you talking about? I saw you two leaving from the lake shore, so I just thought you might’ve met Graha-Ow. That hurts. Um, this really doesn’t suit my character, so……”

“Shit……. Shit! Just a little further…… and yet I get stopped by this group of idiots…… Shit!!”

As he watched those three talk back and forth, Garo cursed in a low voice.

“Ah, I forgot. You’re here, too.”

Bell said, before continuing in her usual loud voice,

“You’re the idiot here! Now, hurry up and return Graham to us!”

“……Wait, Bell. He’s acting stange.”

Yuno stopped Bell, who looked like she could bite Garo at any moment, and studied Garo. His breathing was rough, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was clenching his teeth so hard that a thin trail of blood oozed from his mouth.

‘This is just like that time with Zable……!’

“Shit……. Shit! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIIIIT!!”

Garo screamed as if he had gone insane. Then, a pure white grimoire emerged from his chest, and from his back spread countless invisible tentacles, which bent and wriggled about. The Original Sin had started going berserk.

“SQUE-SQUEAL! SQUEAL!!”

At that moment, Graham’s voice could be heard from the bag at Garo’s feet. Just being exposed to this much magic must be painful for him. It must be scary.

“Graham!”

Without a moment’s delay, Yuno and Bell activated their mana skin and ran toward Graham.

“H-hey! Don’t be reckless!”

Charlotte called out in an attempt to stop him, but Jack yelled over her.

“No, he has the right idea…… Hey, you all! Stop that bandit’s attacks and support that kid with all you’ve got! Don’t let that bandit lay a single finger on that kid, or the bag at his feet!!”

Under Jack’s command, a massive simultaneous attack from all nearby knights began.

“Shit……Shit, Shit, SHIT!”

Garo’s tentacles repelled every attack that was fired at him as he wreaked havoc on his surroundings. However, each tentacle that tried to reach Yuno and Bell was slashed apart, torn apart by briars, or stopped by some other magic spell. One after another, they vanished before reaching Yuno. Yuno himself used his wind magic to repel any tentacle that made its way toward Graham, but there were too many.

“Graham!!”

Just as he was only a few steps away from Graham, a single tentacle weaved its way through his attacks and swung down toward Graham. At that moment……

“Time Restraining Magic: Chrono Stasis!”

“…… Huh?”

……. Time stopped.

Garo stopped. The tentacles stopped. Yuno and Bell stopped. All the magic knights around them stopped. They were all wrapped in an absurdly large sphere of magic, where all movement ceased. Before Yuno could begin to process what happened, the sphere of magic slowly converged until it surrounded only Garo. The tentacles had stopped moving, but, before long, they lost their power and vanished into the air.  Yuno was released from Julius’s time prison, causing him to fall on his backside, where he continued to stay as he watched.

“……I see. The tentacles disappear if its owner is rendered powerless…… For caution’s sake, I stopped time over a large area, but it looks like that wasn’t necessary.”

The person who created this situation, Julius, said this smoothly as he descended slowly in front of Yuno.

“Sorry I’m late, Yuno-kun, Bell-kun. You did a great job…...”

He said in an incredibly casual tone of voice. With his tranquil smile, Yuno was…… no, surely everyone was overwhelmed by his presence.

As soon as he got here, he cast such powerful magic over such a wide area and, with surgeon-like precision, imprisoned only Garo. Most of all, he did all this in an instant, with no prep work required. Everyone here knew that he was absurdly powerful. However, they didn’t realize what that meant until they saw his power in action before their eyes. He was the Clover Kingdom’s most powerful Magic Knight – The Wizard King. As Yuno thought, the wall he and Asta had to surmount was absurdly high.

……. However,

“Are you hurt?”

Julius turned toward Yuno and held out his hand. By reflex, Yuno almost took his hand, but,

“……….”

He reconsidered, lowering his hand and suppressing the light trembling in his legs as he forced his weight upon them,

“……I’m fine. Thank you for your help.”

And stoop up firmly with his own power on his own two feet.

‘Someday, I’ll climb over that wall.’

He held such thoughts in his heart as he stood with his own strength.

“Ha ha. I guess…… you didn’t need my help, huh…….?”

‘I could have sworn I’ve had a conversation just like this with someone else before…...’

Realizing that this wasn’t the time nor place to think about that, he dropped the idea and started thinking to himself warmly,

‘The next generation after me……. Yami, William, and the others are already actively performing great service as Captains. The generation after them have a strong will, and they are growing steadily but surely.’

Through them – through the power of those who have inherited his will – the Order of Magic Knights, and this country, is gradually being reborn into the form Julius has always wished for. Rather than a few decades, after ten years…… no, less than that. In a few years, the future that Julius has wished for could very well come true.

Faced with such youthful power, these thoughts were renewed within Julius.

“……Well, I don’t plan on giving this seat to anyone just yet~”

“……Huh, what was that?”

“Nothing at all…... This isn’t the time for us to get lost in sentimentality. We have to help Graham.”

Julius said as if to end the subject, grabbing the hemp bag and opening it swiftly. Upon doing so, Graham leaped out in an instant, jumping into Julius’s chest with a happy squeal.

“Graham, are you okay!? Are you hurt!?”

“It looks like…… you’re okay. Thank goodness……”

Once Bell and Yuno came closer, Graham squealed cheerfully once more. It was good that Graham wasn’t hurt physically, but they were also happy that the ordeal didn’t appear to wound him emotionally, too.

……Instead, considering all the aftermath they’ll have to deal with, the reports that will need to be written, and the incoming lecture from Marx, perhaps they’re the ones who are going to come out of this ordeal traumatized……. Well, those are minor problems.

“Graham…… I’m sorry. You must have been so scared. You did a great job getting through this.”

Julius pet Graham’s head with a few tears in his eyes.

“You’re safe now, so let’s go home with Papa and-

“Squeal, squeal!”

CRUNCH

With full force, Graham chomped down on Julius’s fingers.

 “……Jeez, I’ve just about had it with you! So you were raising an unusual pet, huh……? That the kind of thing an extravagant bachelor with too much time and money on his hands would do! Stop playing around and get back to work!”

“……Yes…… Yes……. Yes……. I’m sorry…….”

The others dealt with the aftermath smoothly while Marx continued to lecture Julius. That said, there wasn’t much for Yuno to do. Transporting the bandits they captured, listening to magic tool researchers, he finished all that a while ago, so right now he was chatting with Jack and Charlotte right next to Julius as he was getting lectured.

Specifically…….

“……We plan to release Graham into the wild soon.”

He felt that he should tell them what they were planning to do. As he looked at Yuno holding Graham when he said this, Jack scratched his head and replied,

“I don’t really care, but…… Well, that makes sense. From the start, he’s a wild animal, so he shouldn’t be closed up with humans. Plus, he could get rolled up in some bad news like what just happened today. Once he’s healed up, you should let him go.”

“B-but…….. is there a place where a young boar can live safely without their parents protecting them?”

Charlotte looked a little upset as she said this. Incidentally, a few moments ago, she took Graham away while Yuno wasn’t looking and told him,

“I’m sorry for all the mean things I said earlier. I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t care about you. I love you!”

Bell happened to see this and reported it to Yuno, but……. Back to the main subject. At that moment, Marx finally took a breath in the middle of his lecture, allowing Julius a chance to join the conversation.

“……We both searched extensively, but we couldn’t find a good place for him. Do either of you know of anywhere good?”

Jack and Charlotte glanced at each other before replying simultaneously,

“Well, if that’s what you’re going to ask, there’s someone more suited to answering your question than we are.”

“Moreover, it’s highly likely that she’ll be joining us any moment now……”

“……Huh?”

Just as Julius tilted his head in confusion, he heard a preposterously loud voice resound through the air.

“Wizard King! I thank you for catching the bandits that escaped!”

The one who descended from the sky with such a loud voice was none other than Mereoleona Vermillion. She was a gallant woman who was serving as a substitute Captain of the Crimson Lions for Fuegoleon. However, before she assumed the role of Captain, she……

“……I see! If I recall, she spends over 300 days a year living her life in the forests and fields of the wild. She probably knows a lot about what we’re looking for.”

“Yes. Then, I wonder if you should give Graham to her.”

As Julius and Charlotte spoke to each other, Mereoleona walked toward them as she laughed heartily,

“And you even managed to capture a copy of the Original Sin without destroying it! As I would expect from our Wizard King! With this, we’ll be able to analyze it easily, and…… hm?”

As she was speaking, her eyes sharpened with a piercing gaze when she spotted Graham. She then licked her lips and said,

“Ho hoh, you captured quite the tasty-looking boar. Once we get back, let’s cook him right away!”

…...For now, at least, they all decided that there was no way they were leaving Graham with her.

 After that, Graham was deathly afraid of Mereoleona, so Yuno and Bell picked Graham up and carried him a little further away to put distance between them while Julius explained their circumstances to her.

“I see! If that’s how it is, then there’s plenty of great places I can show you!”  

Mereoleona struck her chest with her fist as she said this.

On a side note, earlier, Jack and Charlotte guided Marx and the other knights home. Before Jack left, he stared at Graham with a profound gaze. At that moment, Bell dubbed over his thoughts with a whisper,

“Well then, boy. Make sure you don’t lose to those humans.”

Back to the present, Mereoleona continued talking as loudly as ever.

“In the natural realm, there are places that are considered “child-rearing spots”! They are considered as such because they have plenty of food and little territorial conflict. I know of several such places!”

At that moment she suddenly went up to Julius’s face, and lowered her voice as she asked,

“By the way, Wizard King. What kind of trick were you trying to pull this time?”

Julius smiled the same as ever as he replied,

“……..Now, what ever could you be talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me…… with the amount of personal connections you have, you could have easily asked plenty of other people to take care of that boar. And yet, you chose that boy.”

Mereoleona glanced at Yuno before giving Julius a smile filled with hidden meaning,

“You created a situation where you would raise that boar with that kid, the genius chosen by one of the great spirits, so that you could see with your own eyes how he trains and what kind of growth he has achieved……. Am I wrong?”

“……You’re half-right, but you’re also half-wrong. It really was a coincidence that I was found by Yuno-kun.”

Julius had a small smile on his face as he gave up on the idea of keeping it a secret. She, too, is probably just asking because of her own personal interest, and he didn’t want to be that secretive, so he figured it was fine to tell her.

“However, to design counter-measures against the Eye of the Midnight Sun……. I wanted to thoroughly understand how he fights with Sylph, Sylph’s own personality, and how friendly she is toward other humans. Since we would be raising Graham together, I just figured I’d use the opportunity to observe him.”

In truth, he would be able to see how Yuno fights at the Royal Knights Selection Exam, and he can create as many opportunities as he likes to talk with Bell. However, that would just be for “work”. Frankly speaking, the quickest way to learn about someone is to do a task together that requires one to rely on the other. It was a little unscrupulous of him to do this, but he took advantage of that accident so that they could work together. Moreover, keeping the fact he was raising a flame boar a secret was never all that important to him in the first place.  His goal was to get closer to Yuno by sharing a secret together. As a result, he was able to watch Yuno train on several different occasions, and he has a better understanding of Bell’s magic and temperament.

Most of all, he thinks that they are on friendlier terms now. Even though this all happened by chance, he gained so much from it.

“So, no tricks from me. I just nudged things in the right direction, just a little bit. I truly did want somebody to help me take care of Graham.

“……I see. Then, what about Jack and Charlotte?”

Mereoleona happily continued hounding Julius for more. It’s not that she wanted to find his weakness or anything, she just wanted to satisfy her intellectual curiosity. After all, she was a woman who put all her energy into everything she did, no matter what it was.

“You said that they just happened to find out, but…… someone of your caliber wouldn’t make a blunder as foolish as letting your magical power get sensed by someone else. Well, even though Jack having an evil soul and taking away your magic tool was a miscalculation on your part, you got them involved on purpose so that you would have personnel who could take action in the event of an emergency like today’s right?”

“……..I wonder about that?”

“Fu fu……….WAH HAHA HAH! You truly are one crafty fellow!”

She slapped Julius’s back and laughed heartily once more…… At that moment.

“Squeal!! Squeal!”

Graham rushed forward with all his strength and tackled Mereoleona’s feet. Over and over. Though he was terrified by her just a short while ago, he continued to crash his tiny body against her.

“W-what’s wrong, Graham? You’re so riled up……”

Julius picked Graham up, but Graham continued trying to threaten Mereoleona.

“I know she’s often called a boorish woman, and I often wonder why I have to be so on guard around one of my own subordinates, but she’s not an enemy.”

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say about me, but…… most likely, when he saw me hitting your back, he thought I was bullying you.”

“What……?”

He said as he looked at Graham, who pressed his face into his chest.

“Squea-squeal……”

“………..”

It was the sound flame boars make when they want their parent’s attention. The fact he was crying out to Julius in this way meant……

“Ha, ha ha…… that can’t be right. Graham, even now, you keep biting me so hard, and yet……”

He turned his face away from Mereoleona, as well as from Yuno and Bell, who were rushing toward them, as he said this. Mereoleona looked a little surprised before saying,

“Oh? If he was biting you, then that means he really loved you…… Biting is one of the attachment behaviors of young flame boars. The fact he was biting you is proof that he thought of you as his parent.”

Everyone was shocked silent when they heard this. Bell represented everyone when she said,

“Huh? Then…… Graham though of the Wizard King as his father from the start?”

“Graham……”

As if in response to Julius calling out his name, Graham made the same cries as before, as if he wanted his parent to dote on him more.

He recalled all the days he has spent with Graham. He recalled watching Graham enjoy his baths, Graham’s sweet face as he slept, Graham devouring his food with delight, Graham energetically rushing up to his feet. Fond memories came rushing forth, one after another…….

‘I want to be with this child forever,’ Julius thought.

……But, even so……

“……We can’t. If a wild animal stays with humans for too long, they’ll remember their time with humans far too well, and they won’t be able to return to the wild……We shouldn’t stay together any longer than we already have.”

Hearing those words, Yuno couldn’t help but clench his fists, and Bell looked down with tears in her eyes. They only started raising Graham halfway through, yet it hurt this much to say goodbye to him. Surely, the pain Julius is feeling right now must be even worse……

“……But, you know, Graham.”

Even so, Julius only wiped his eyes a single time before smiling at Graham the way he always did.

“I’ll never forget the time I spent with you. And, I truly did think of you like my own child…… Even if we are apart, that will never change.”

He hugged Graham tightly but gently, and told him quietly,

“I love you, Graham. Thank you……. For thinking of me as your father.”

“Squea-squeal…...”

“Now then, shall we go!?”

As if to destroy the moving atmosphere between them, Mereoleona declared this as she smashed her fists together. Seeing her behave so warlike, Yuno had a bad feeling about what she was going to say when he asked,

“Go……? Go where? It’s not like we’re planning to release Graham into the wild this very second.”

“You fool! There are several different child-rearing spots! We’re all going to preview each spot together to find out which environment suits him the best!”

She said as she looked at him with cold eyes. Then, her mouth upturned into a ferocious grin,

“All these child-rearing spots lie past strong magic zones and dungeons. Doesn’t that sound fun!? Wah hah hah! Isn’t this splendid!? You can utilize the results of your training while we visit each power spot!”

“Sorry. I just remembered some urgent business I need to attend to, so I need to go home.”

Yuno and Bell ran away with subsonic speed, but it was futile. Mereoleona instantly created fire magic in the shape of two lion’s paws from her head and caught them.

“S-someone save us! We’re being kidnapped! A spirit and human are getting kidnapped by a wild animal!”

“Please say something, your highness! There’s no way this is legal!”

Bell cried out in tears while Yuno, in an act that was very out of character for him, begged Julius to do something. He was the only one in this situation with the power to stop her, but…….

“………Umm, sorry, you two…….”

Julius said with an incredibly awkward expression on his face as he held Graham lovingly.

“I-I think that being suddenly thrust into a strange area would make him anxious, so…… could you come with us?”

“……..Huuuuuuuuuh?”

The Wizard King – Julius Novachrono.

He's the hero of Clover Kingdom, a source of inspiration for all Magic Knights and all the Kingdom’s citizens……

“Hey Graham~ You want everyone to be with you, too, right?”

“Squea-Squeal~”  

…….He’s a huge softie, overindulgent, and he can be a bit of a bother. He had an ordinary side to him that you could find in any ordinary middle-aged man, but……

That's just the sort of person Julius is.

--- The Man Known as Julius: The End ---

W-what am I supposed to say at the end of this chapter? I’m just too sad that they have to say goodbye to Graham ;A;

I’m also sad that this was the last untranslated Book of Yuno chapter. I’m glad to have finished it, because it’s such a good book, but I…… I want more.

#Black Clover #Yuno #julius novachrono #Charlotte Roselei #Jack the Ripper #mereoleona vermillion #marx francois #Book of Yuno #Translations

[fandomflail]

title: Recognition (8/9)

rating: M

summary: Soulmate trope AU. Set in a world where humans and elves coexist.

a/n: i should be wary of promising exact dates as I have a habit of running the edit brush over and over again until i finally reach a point where i can edit no more. and still, the length of this chapter is monstrous. there will be another chapter, as giving myself an additional chapter before the end has allowed me to share more of the world with you. i hope you dont hate me for it. 

also on AO3

_____________________________

CHAPTER 8: Reveal

Killian kissed Emma fiercely, before he, Liam and Elsa sped off. Killian had left Emma with the keys to his home, and it had been hours now since they’d left. She had little word from him and was doing her best to not worry.

Jefferson had regressed, and was now quietly speaking on the communicator to someone she couldn’t see. Belle had taken the opportunity to tutor the kids in History, walking them through the royal lineage.

Emma joined them after she had cleaned the penthouse, thankful for the sore in her muscles as a lot of the anxious energy had been burned off. Despite the fact that Henry kept interrupting Belle with questions, the Head of the B.E.A.S.T was patient and kind in answering them.

She faltered however, when Gracie suddenly asked, “All the kings and queens mentioned have had long lives. And the ones who have died early, like King Brennan, has been a result of foul play. Was he assassinated?”

Belle looked uncomfortable, tossing a glance at Jefferson who paid them no mind. “Well, it’s too early to say, isn’t it? And that’s a rather… well, it could have been mind maladies, an accident, anything. We can’t know for sure. Why jump to that as the first explanation?”

The girl pursed her lips. Emma watched her, the look on her face was so like her father’s it was uncanny. “Papa may have…” her eyes darted to her father who was still in conversation, “he may have alluded that the Queen…” she trailed off, losing her nerve.

“But why?” Emma asked, jumping into the conversation. Her one and only interaction with the Queen Consort had been highly unpleasant, to say the least, but she stood to gain nothing from a dead king, “Liam’s next in line.”

Gracie, Henry and Belle shook their heads in tandem. “That’s not how it works.”

“But he’s the first born son!” She defended.

Her outburst must have caught Jefferson’s attention, because he interjected, “The way the rule works is that, the next ruler must be chosen by the previous.” He clicked off the communicator, joining their side of the room, “Now of course, Kings have long since just ‘chosen’ their children, thus making it a blood lineage, but it doesn’t have to be.”

“That’s right, and precedence was set thousand of years before the Landing of the First Men, during the rule of King Sanfant, who died young and childless. Queen Elligent became the automatic ruler, and re-married. Her daughter would inherit the throne.” Belle recited, as if she could see the book in front of her. “I think there was opposition to automatic inheritance, which led to the formation of the 13,” Belle finished, her tone unsure as she looked to Jefferson, who nodded to confirm her statement.

“But if the ruler was assassinated or died without naming a successor…” Jefferson said, his tone flat, “then the Council would be forced to ascend from their lofty abodes in Irska and decide. Of the 13, most favor Prince William as he spent a long time in Irska. He would most likely take the throne given that he is well liked and has been cultivated as a ruler since he was knee high. However, that appointment won’t come without politics.”  

“You seemed to know this with a certainty…” Emma remarked, watching Jefferson closely. It was imperceptible, but she saw that slight change of expression that told her he hadn’t meant to reveal his depth of knowledge on the matter. Emma realized then that she didn’t actually know what Jefferson did. He kept a remarkably low profile, had little relationships with other elves that she knew of (courtesy of Henry through Gracie) and was really more secretive than was warranted.

Jefferson seemed rigid as he shrugged his shoulder in nonchalance. Emma caught Gracie watching her father critically, validating Emma’s thoughts. “It’s common knowledge,” he said, “just like how one of the barriers for Prince William’s appointment will be whether or not he intends to pass the line to Prince Killian or his own children.”

It may have been an attempt to distract her, but Emma couldn’t help the question, “Why wouldn’t they want Killian to take the throne?”

“I don’t think they like him, mum,” Henry said with an expression that said he severely disagreed with that.

“But why?”

Jefferson sighed, rubbing his neck. “You do remember what I told you all those months ago at the Open Court? That he had eschewed his elven responsibilities and all but left to be human?”

She nodded. Killian had shared with her why he had left, and what he had done in that time.

“It’s a great insult,” Gracie said, nodding sagely.

“There’s 3 books about the incident,” Belle said, squinting her eyes like she was looking through book catalogues in her memory.

“It was big, when it happened. Mostly because of how he did it.The insult to pride has not abated, no matter how nice they play now. I can almost guarantee that one of the conditions of Prince William’s ascension will be that the line will never pass through Prince Killian or any of his progeny.”

Emma felt a wave of rage at the injustice of that, despite the fact that they had not discussed children. Heck, they hadn’t even really discussed their own future! She was also pretty sure Killian had no desire to rule. It was just… the principle of it.

“And Liam will agree to that condition?”

Jefferson scoffed. “Easily. He would not take likely to anyone insulting his family’s honor, but even he would easily agree to such a term. That’s not what will tip the scales.”

“What, then?” Belle asked.

Jefferson sighed, his eyes glancing at them and around the room, as if deciding how much to tell them, and what. His eyes landed on the closed doors, on the eagerly awaiting faces, and when his eyes caught Emma’s, he sighed.

“Understand,” he said in a voice lower than usual, “that what you’re about to hear would be… problematic, to say the least, if repeated elsewhere. Consider perhaps, that some may be hearsay, or completely invalidated.”

“We understand the disclaimer, Papa” Gracie said, sounding impatient.

He sighed again. Emma too, was feeling impatient.

And then, it was like a damn burst.

“The Queen has a rather interesting history, one surprisingly that even escaped the Sukrasa. She’s reinvented herself of sorts. It’s a long story, but she’s from a kingdom far, far, far away. There’s rumored to be a band of elves in the vast desert systems of the Orken, and as no one really knows how to find them or has had much contact with them over literal millennia; most people consider them mythical.”

“They are real?” Belle asks, sounding like someone just told her she’d won a million Glyd. Emma’s sort of glad to see that Henry and Gracie both look as confused as she personally feels.

“It appears so. Her Highness Coraline, though she was nothing but a maiden named Kara then, was… exiled. She was no older than 14 I hear, though I cannot be certain of her age when it happened. It seems she murdered someone, again unverified, or at the least, benefited from the death of some high ranking person in their society. In any case, they sent her to live in a cavern below their systems. Intel implies a deeper level of cave system. In any case, she must have escaped sometime later, though she did so with a baby in her belly.”

“Wait, what? What does this have to do with Liam? How do you know this?” Emma interrupted, incredulous.  

Jefferson held up a hand, as if to say, be patient. He eyed Henry and Gracie, as if regretting that they were hearing this, but must have surmised it was too late now, as he continued, “She made her way to a settlement somewhere on the borders of Snoland and Nysno, where it was said the child passed during birth - that a decision had to be made so she chose to live. Fashioned a completely new identity there, became a key strategist in Snoland, was recommended to serve in Irska, where she met the widowed King Brennan, and is now as we know, Queen Coraline.”

Emma had more questions than ever.

“The child, didn’t in fact pass. In fact, the child has grown up to be a very powerful alchemist. Unfortunately, she has taken after her mother in both ambition and ruthlessness. You see, two months ago, my network, don’t ask who or how, received intel about this elf, about 350 years in age, who had set sights on Irska. Not uncommon, to be fair, except that her brand of alchemy dealt strongly in dangerous arts, poisons and services of revenge, both petty and malicious. This was all hush hush. On the surface, she did plenty of healing art too. But then one of the agents had a hunch, and a good thing too, for he tracked her, got close to her, and found out all that I’ve relayed to you now. Her name is Zelena, beautiful, red haired, and fair skin. She’s already in Irska, and she knows whose daughter she is. What we don’t know is if she’s confronted her mother, or worst, is scheming with Coraline to ingratiate herself for the crown. She’s first born. Then of course, you have Coraline’s own child, Princess Regina, who the crown would most certainly pass to if The 13 instate the Queen as Regent.”

“Oh shit,” said Henry. 

“Henry, language!”

“So if I understand,” Belle said haltingly, “if King Brennan didn’t bequeath the crown to Prince Liam, then The Council of Elders will be called to decide if the crown goes to him or Queen Coraline. If the crown goes to Queen Coraline, then she will later give it to Princess Regina, provided her alleged first born Zelena, doesn’t come in to demand her rights. Did I get it right?”

“Does Regina know about her sister? Or Coraline know about her daughter?”

“Yes,” said Jefferson pointing to Belle, and “No, I don’t think so, and not sure, we don’t know if she’s confronted her,” he said, answering Emma’s questions.

“This is ludicrous, Papa. Is this true?”

“If Zelena is to be believed. But regardless of whether or not Coraline’s past is true - perhaps she herself made up the rumor about Orken for intrigue -  the present remains that the King was, most likely, intentionally disposed. And if so, then it must be because the stars have aligned themselves for some nefarious plan that one, or both of them, are cooking up.”

“Then Killian is in danger. And Liam, and Elsa.” Emma breathed out. “Wait, why the hell haven’t you told anyone this?!?” She demanded, rounding on Jefferson.

He gave her a long hard look. “The ones who have needed to be informed have been. But clearly, they have failed. I don’t know who has been compromised.”

“The Sukrasa?” Belle asked.

“Were aware. It remains to be seen if they failed or were… compromised.”

“But they have a code,” Emma said unthinkingly, remembering that night at the ball.

“Yes, a code,” Jefferson said impatiently, “but morality is separate. It would not be disloyal to follow Queen Coraline’s orders, especially if they didn’t—-“

He stopped, looking like he had just figured something out.

“What?” Emma asked.

“Papa, you’ve lost colour.”

“Belle, I need you to stay here, lock the doors, and keep the children safe. Can I count on you?”

“What is it?” Emma pressed, but he wasn’t looking at her at all.

Henry and Gracie protested immediately, but Belle’s voice was the firmest Emma had ever heard it. “Yes, we won’t move. They will be safe.”

Jefferson turned to her, something blazing in his eyes. “We need to go, now.”

Emma had a million questions, but there was something there that told her she could ask it on the way. She trusted Jefferson, despite the evidence suggesting she shouldn’t. She nodded, and went to Henry, hugging him tightly.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this drama, kid,” she whispered into his hair.

He laughed, despite the worry she felt radiating from him. “Are you kidding, I’m living in a movie. Just,” he inhaled sharply, “just be safe, mum, please.”

“Of course. I love you,” she said, feeling warm when he responded in kind.

She kissed him on the forehead, touched Gracie’s forearm gently, thanked Belle who waved her off, and went with Jefferson.

The dizzying emotions kept her quiet as she warred with the side of her that screamed I told you so!, I told you he’d be nothing but bad news, which she knew objectively was untrue, but also sort of true - getting mixed up in whatever political intrigue was happening was way above Emma’s comprehension and interest. But she also knew that she’d go to the fiery pits of Anbar for him; she loved him, whether or not she was ready to say it.

She had so many questions that figuring what to ask first kept her quiet, and the urge to just show up to the palace and … punch, or kick or just slap the Queen was making her skin itch. This inaction was making her antsy.

Jefferson too, seemed preoccupied. He was fiddling with his communicator, clearly processing a million different things at once. It wasn’t until they were safely tucked in his pod and their harnesses buckled did Emma speak. So did Jefferson.

“I know you must be wondering—“

“What the hell is going on—“

The pod was moving at full speed; Jefferson was masterfully guiding the craft towards the borders of Alamané on the other side of the river.

“There’s too much to tell you, so here’s what you must know. If, if the Sukrasa are executing orders from the Queen, it means that her actions or promised outcomes are likely to be for the better of the realm.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“Maybe so… but she’s smart, and plays the game of politics for more masterfully than the King, or the two princes. One King dying of young age is suspect enough, but two princes? No, they are not in immediate danger - unless they threaten to expose her. How likely is that?”

“If Killian or Liam thinks their father has been murdered—“

“Exactly. Until this moment, the Zelena connection has been tenuous at best. Despite the intel, there was no actual proof, no evidence to suggest the entire story was true. I’ve met both Zelena and Regina; very similar in temperament, both… unpleasant, but  smart. Also quick to anger, and impatient. Where Coraline would play games for centuries, Zelena finds waiting to be strenuous. About 7 minutes ago, confirmation has come through that the King was indeed poisoned.”

“Fuck them,” Emma said, hating the she-elves the more she learned about them. “Of the three, who do we need to worry more about now?”

“Coraline, Zelena, Regina, in that order,” he said, without a moment of hesitation.

“Oh shit,” Jefferson exclaimed suddenly.

“What? What?”

“We’re almost at the border into the Ekilon Forest, where the first checkpoint is.”

Emma had never been there, but she understood.

“Oh,” she said, heat rising to her cheeks unbidden, “I actually… I have right of way.”

“What? How?”

Emma pulled out the chain she never took off, the one that kept Killian’s ring by her skin at all times. She dangled the ring, and the pod swerved slightly to the right as Jefferson reacted to the sight.

The ring Killian had given her was no mere ring. It was delicately crafted, and the official signet ring of Killian Aearinön. At the time, she hadn’t understood the full significance of the gesture, as he’d merely told her that it would allow her to find him, always. Only later had he explained that someone who carried that ring could march right up to the throne room in Irska itself and not be stopped, for it was their right and honor. Each royal had only one to give away, and she had his.

She had wondered if anyone would actually believe that it was a real signet ring. He had licked her cheek, making her laugh and smack him in protest. Then he told her lovingly, that it was made from pure Innenfra which had made her gasp into silence. It was a type of metal that when worn for long periods of time, made elf blood sing, providing harmony to the body. Most elves wore some type of Innenfra, mostly just as a small earring like Jefferson did, as it was rare and terribly expensive. A whole ring was royal indeed.

“Wow,” Jefferson said, “well, that solves one problem at least. Though perhaps not as inconspicuous as I hoped.”

They arrived at the checkpoint, and Emma gave her name, doing her best to remain plain even as she showed them the signet ring. She could see the arch of brow at that, but they did not question her further, allowing their pod to pass through unencumbered. Their mood was not sombre as she thought it would be, they seemed  to be mostly unaffected, as if they hadn’t heard about the death of their king.

“Are these elves loyal to Killian’s family? They don’t seem like they’re mourning.”

“Mourning is what we reserve for the tragic loss, like that of a child. A mother’s death is a warrior’s mourn, for she died in the most noble of battles. And as for King Brennan… no one knows about the murder yet. For that, there shall be anger, and a swift retribution.  But common deaths? Oh, we celebrate.”

“Celebrate?”

“We live longer lives than you, ah I mean to say, humans, and so we do not fear death as much as humans, only a life left unfulfilled.”

“So, Cora?”

“There’s more questions than answers. But I have a theory if you will, and it goes as follows. Once the King is disposed, the sons must be discredited. Of the two, Prince Killian would be the easiest to lay blame on. If he is found somehow responsible for the death of his father, that casts aspersions to the whole lot of them. Prince William will be expected to sentence Prince Killian to death, which he would not do, mostly because he will not believe his brother to be conspirator, no matter who accuses Killian as the mastermind. Queen Coraline however, as broken hearted as she will appear to be, will of course avenge her husband. Once her mother is in position, Zelena will appear suddenly, taking credit for setting the whole thing up, if she hasn’t already.”

A sudden, sinking feeling settled in Emma stomach. One that had been building since  earlier that day, one that had been growing in the pit of her stomach but she had ignored in favor of other pressing matters.

“This is your best theory?”

They were speeding through Ekilon; she could see the next checkpoint into Irska itself, with its glittering castle not too far in the distance. She needed to play this right.

“I told you, I’ve met Zelena. And Regina.”

“Very well met then, to make such accurate predictions?” She asked more sharply than intended. Cool down, Emma, almost there.

She was looking straight ahead, but she could feel the weight of his stare on her as he glanced her way.

“Enough to know that this is the play she’d make, rather than attack directly.”

“How do you suppose she’s getting information?”

She was watching him out of the corner of her eye, his face remained impassive, though his left hand twitched imperceptibly on the control - she would have missed it if she had blinked.

“Her mother, most likely. Otherwise, I don’t know.”

“Right.”

Clearly, she was terrible at subtlety, because Jefferson, for the first time since she’d known him, growled irritated.

“What are you insinuating?”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You’re not being subtle, Emma!”

“Fine! Are you working for the Queen? Zelena? Or Regina?”

“You have a lot of nerve asking that,” Jefferson said, voice turning dangerous. Emma balled her fists, ready to swing if it came to that.

“Answer the question.”

He huffed, and the pod jerked, accelerating forward faster. He swerved off the main path into a smaller one off to the right, and stopped suddenly at an alcove.

“Jefferson!” Her hand jumped to the handle.

“For fuck’s sake,” he said angrily, “I’m not working for them… anymore.”

“WHAT?”

He had his hands in his hair, gripping it tightly. He looked absolutely mad. Emma had no idea how everything had unravelled so quickly, but she had her balisong in her left hand, ready to be flipped out to become a dangerous blade if needed.

“Look, we really don’t have time for this. But here’s the short of it. I worked for Zelena, before I knew all of her connections. I’m the one who basically… connected the dots of her family line, led her to her mother, so to speak.”

“You said you only found out about her a month ago!”

“I didn’t lie, though there might have been omission,” he admitted.

Emma cursed at him, but he ignored her and went on, “I worked with her on something, unrelated, and we found out her heritage almost by chance. In any case, she wanted me to do…more, threatening Gracie, who was a mere babe at the time; I refused. Needless to say, I disappeared, moved to Alamané. When we found out about an unknown alchemist, and Gr—my partner did digging into it. It’s when pieces started to fall into place. My partner has been very close to Zelena, and we’ve had nothing further to act on since then.”

“Jævla deg,” she cursed at him.

Despite looking frazzled, he laughed. “Prince Killian is teaching you the good stuff, I see.”

“Jefferson, I thought we were…” she faltered, the word friend dying on her lips because they weren’t quite that.

“I mean you no harm, Emma. Truly. But we need to get to the place now. One, to make sure in anger that neither prince jeopardizes their claim to the throne by unwise actions, and two, Zelena is on her way to the castle. She knows something, she had some kind of leverage, and my partner believes he knows what it is.”

“Which is?”

With a deep breath, as if he too were wishing this was true, “The last letter of King Brennan Blåoyne, which states indubitably that he intends for the crown to pass to Prince William. It’s not quite the official bequeathing ceremony per say, but it should be enough to convince The 13 of the will of the king. They would lose face and cast aspersions to their character if they went with Queen Coraline after that, unless of course her reward was more enticing than we could imagine.” He begin moving the pod back in the proper direction of Irska.

“I can imagine an awful lot,” Emma said, annoyed.

“Yes,”  Jefferson agreed, saying nothing more.

The rest of the ride was in silence, as Emma, despite her anxiety, irritation and feelings of betrayal, could not help but be awed as the pod moved into Irska. The forest gave way to a valley, with a clear river flowing off to their right. It was the same side where a tall mountain cliff stood strong, and a thick jet of water sprung from its top, rushing down to the river below.

The architecture was so very different from the clean industrial designs of Alamané. Irska was a city built into nature, with buildings carved into the mountain side, wood, stone and marble; and roads paved to curve around the trees. The energy was ancient, and it showed in the intricacies of design; elves of old had plenty of time to dedicate their lives to a small area of mastery, and so the attention to detail was magnificent, even from the little that she could see.

Damn, Emma thought, no wonder elves are so uptight about preserving this.

Ruby would have been pissed to hear her thoughts, but Emma wasn’t thinking of that.

* * *

The security around the castle was heightened, but The Sukrasa gave her no resistance as she showed Killian’s ring. It wasn’t until she was at the front doors itself was her movement given pause.

The tall elf standing straight near the doors wore a bright white uniform, his skin sun-kissed and his arms muscled. He was a person of authority, and wasn’t used to having it questioned.

“You’re the Lady Emma?” The elf asked. He wasn’t eyeing her with distaste, exactly, but it wasn’t friendly either.

“I don’t know about Lady…but I’m Emma, yes.”

“Vi må se prinsen, voktere,” Jefferson said, giving the elf a short bow.

The elf answered in their language, clearly giving Jefferson a set of strict directions. Emma opened her mouth to ask, but the elf turned to her. “My name is Robin, Kjærlighet.”

“Char-lie-et?”

“It’s the title of royal paramours.”

Emma felt her face heating - being labelled a paramour seemed so clandestine.

“His Highness, Prince Killian has been alerted of your presence. He awaits you. Adel Jefferson, you may —“

“I will accompany Kjærlighet Emma.”

Robin’s face soured. He gave Jefferson a severe look before he said, “If she would allow it.”

“Uh,” Emma said, taken off guard. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him exactly. He couldn’t be trusted for one, especially since he seemed to be keeping everyone on an information diet. But she could often tell when someone was lying, and he wasn’t… she didn’t think he was being malicious. But she wasn’t sure, either.

“Okay, yeah, he can come.”

“As you wish,” Robin said, turning heel with the air of someone who expected they would follow.

So they did.

* * *

When she saw him, she rushed into his arms without even thinking about it.

“Killian!”

“Emma,” Killian laughed in surprise, “it’s only been a couple of hours.”

“A hell couple of hours,” she muttered, to which he agreed by kissing her on the side of her head.

“Highness,” Jefferson said, his tone indicating whatever he had to say was going to be about the matter at hand, “I have some news. Is this a safe place to talk?”

“Is anywhere in this place safe from prying ears? But I reckon Liam is going to want to hear whatever you have to say,” Killian said, his body straightening against hers as if preparing to fight.

They gathered in a small room, with Liam looking troubled and Elsa with a frown marring her features.

“You seem to be a little too informed, lytting” Liam said, watching Jefferson suspiciously after the elf had told them what he had told Emma in the pod. Killian had only just avoided decking him in the face.

Jefferson shrugged, “In any case, that’s the start of it. There were traces of Marjaga in his late highness’ blood.”

A sharp intake was heard, and Liam slammed his hand on the table. The name Jefferson mentioned niggled at a memory, but she couldn’t place it. More importantly, it seemed that they hadn’t known about the king’s cause of death.

“I knew it,” Killian hissed. “Damn snake.” He increased his pacing, looking like a scorpion ready to sting. Emma remained perched where she was, looking away from him as his pacing made her queasy.

Elsa stood up suddenly. “I’ve seen her. I’ve seen her.”

“Who? Zelena?”

“Yes! She’s the healer they sent for Voktere Walsh when he was injured from his fall a few weeks ago. Beautiful redhead, he seemed to forget his pain when she was tending to him.”

“Whose security detail is Voktere Walsh on?” Jefferson asked.

Elsa shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. I only saw everything from a distance.” She turned to her husband, asking without words if he did. Liam shook his head.

“Okay, so she’s in the palace. A Sukrara may have a a soft spot for her, making him easily manipulatable. By the time the royal coroner gets the full test, the Marjaga might be undetectable. The 13 should be arriving within the hour to convene.”

“Why should we trust you?” Liam interrupted, his body language reminding Emma of a wild animal about to spring.

“Because I have information, and you have whatever they tell you. And because, it is in my best interests that the throne does not pass to the Queen or her brats.”

Killian and Liam had been looking at each other every time Jefferson let loose another nugget of information, glancing at one another as if able to communicate by eyes alone. Maybe it was a sibling thing.

“I would like to skin her alive. And I’m surprised Killian has shown restraint thus far in not rushing out. But we must not loose our heads or our upper hand. Your partner,” Liam said, getting up and walking to Jefferson, “is he still in position?”

“Yes,” Jefferson confirmed, “though if we want him to… incapacitate Zelena, we would have one shot of it.”

“And what about dear stepmum?” Killian asked, every syllable dripping with venom.

For the first time since Liam had hugged her hello, he smiled. “I took care of that actually. We didn’t want her to be… distraught, see, so I gently suggested to her maiden that she be given strong dose of a magnolia bark, valerian and blue skullcap mixture.”

“What do those do?” Emma asked.

It was Elsa who answered. “Put one in a deep, deep, deep sleep. Oh, and I might have suggested a bit of chloroformius orchids, just to make sure she stays really relaxed.”

Emma stared in Elsa in surprise while Killian let out a whoop and clap. “Well done!”

“So that leaves Zelena and Regina.”

“Regina just left the palace in Snoland about an hour ago, it will take her at least two days to get here.”

“How do you know these things?!” Killian asked Jefferson.

“Can’t you trust that I do?”

“No,” Emma snapped.

“Fine. Your accusation was right, Highness,” he said looking at Liam, “I’m a lytting, though I’m sure when you called me that it was an insult. I served as the second in command to the Master of Whispers in Snoland, before the Snowdrop Wars, under the command of Queen Eva. The networks I built there reached Irska, and many of those relationships are active, even though I no longer serve the house that sits there. As you know, Princess Regina married King Leopold and she’s not who I wished to serve. If she succeeds in bearing him a blood heir since his first daughter’s family was killed in the Snowdrop Wars, and her mother bequeaths her Irska, then they become a powerful line indeed. And I’m not ready for the abuse of power that would follow. There, you now know my motivations, is this enough?”

* * *

As Emma walked to the dais where the dead king lay, she took a moment to reflect the insanity her life had become. She was now dressed in a dark blue dress of Elsa’s that was suitable for the occasion; it was a party after all. Elves left and right were high in spirits, regaling tales of the late king, surely embellishing details about how big the monster was, or how clever the foe.

It seemed Liam and Killian were showing the kind of restraint and strategy she thought went against their very nature, two whirlwinds of emotions now having to temper their anger for the bigger picture. There was a greater plot at play, and Emma wasn’t sure if she wanted to know it all. The Sukrasa Jefferson had warned, the informant in the palace, was no where to be found, suggesting another brand of foul play that may have resulted in the death of the king.

They had sent a trusted maiden to collect all of the Queen’s notes from her study, anything to link her to a plot. Jefferson’s partner was busy collecting and recording indisputable evidence that Zelena was part of it too. Liam had been summoned to The 13’s chambers. It seemed like a great wheel was spinning and the pieces would soon fall, once the blue smoke rose from The 13’s fire which would indicate a chosen ruler.

Emma reached the top of the dais, Killian holding her waist gently.

She stared down at the face of King Brennan, whose face had sunken in from the water loss. He didn’t look like he was sleeping. He looked like he was dead.

“I’m sorry you’ve lost your father,” she said finally.

“I’m more sorry that Liam has to take his throne this way.”

“Killian…”

“He wasn’t much of a father, to be honest. Vengeance will be mine, on his behalf, but I’m more sorry for all the trouble this is causing than anything else. I’m tired, Emma. It’s why I left. The title of a prince means little. We honor it and traditions because without it, elves are little else. Stuck in the past, averse to change. For what? So we can delude ourselves with grandeur and importance? I’ve paid my respects, let’s just go.”

He turned, but Emma stopped. She had just realized something.

“Killian, there’s ink on his hands.”

“What?” He turned back. “That’s not possible, they clean and dress bodies to ensure they keep for the Death Day Celebration.”

“Well, yes, but look at his fingernails. Look at the pad of that finger there.”

King Brennan’s nail bed had ink on them. Dark blue ink that could easily be mistaken as discoloration. There was a tinge of Aurum ink on his right index finger, and on his signet ring. Barely there, but now that she was looking, she could see it.

“You think he was writing the document Jefferson mentioned? The bequeathing letter? A bit much as coincidences go, don’t you think?”

There were whispering to each other, but Emma felt the hair of her neck stand at the implications of this discovery. “But what if it wasn’t? What if that’s the reason he was poisoned?”

“We’ve got to go find Liam and search father’s study, let’s go.”

* * *

Their search turned up nothing, but the whole thing was for naught. Because, too quickly, though a day had since passed, a blue fire rose into the night sky.

It happened just as Emma shut off the communicator, having been assured that Henry and Gracie were fine.

Jefferson moved to stand next to her, as Killian gripped her waist. The late king was to be interred in a few hours. Hhe had professed to her that he wished to just go home after that and lay in bed with her and forget the world for a while. Perhaps his father’s death and the plots surrounding it had affected him more than he care to let on, but he wasn’t talking to Emma about it, and as much as she wanted him to, she knew she had to give him space.

After all, she was aware enough to know that she’d have demanded the same.

The elves of court moved into the hall, with Liam and Elsa leading the front. The air was markedly more solemn than it had been earlier where King Brennan lay, but Emma had since given up understanding elven culture. She’d leave that to Henry.

An ancient elf stood; he looked like he had been left in the sun too long. His skin was weathered, voice deep and coarse. He might have been the oldest elf she’d ever seen.

“Sem Artur Pendrégon in sluzim Svetu starejsih. Var første og helligste plikt er abeskytte alvene, alvenes frihet og var guddommelighet. Felly mae wedi bod. Ac felly y bydd.”

“Felly mae wedi bod. Ac felly y bydd,” the elves repeated.

She looked up at Killian inquiringly. He was holding her so close to his body that every exhalation blew her hair to her cheek.

When he whispered the translation, her body reacted, suddenly very aware of the close proximity of her… of him.

“I am Arthurus Pendrégon, and I serve the Council of Elders. Our first and most sacred duty is to protect the way of life of elves, the liberty of elves, and our divinity. So it has been. And so it will be.”

But Arthurus was already speaking.

“Danes ne bomo stali na hitro ali slovesno. Razmislili smo, kaj je najboljše za irsko kraljestvo in kraljestvo vilinov, kot ga imamo vedno. Krona ni narejena samo iz dragocenih draguljev in kamnov, niti iz auruma in srebra. Krona je narejena iz discipline, pravičnosti, poguma in hrabrosti. Kraljeve linije so izbrane tako, da služijo ljudem, in tega ne smejo pozabiti nikoli tisti, ki služijo, in tisti, ki jim je služeno. Svet starejših se spominja in ohranja tradicije vilinov že od nekdaj, in to bomo storili, dokler ne bo stal zadnji vilin. In zato smo danes sklicali sem, da bi izbrali naslednjo Irska krono.”

“We will not stand on prompt nor ceremony for today. We have considered what is best for the kingdom of Irska, and the realm of elves, as we always have. A crown is not made of just precious gems and stones, nor of aurum and silver. A crown is made of  discipline, justice, courage and valor. The royal lines are chosen to serve the people,    and this should never be forgotten by those who serve and those who are served. The Council of Elders remembers and conserves the elven traditions from time immemorial, and we shall do so until the last elf stands. And for this, today, we have convened here to choose the next crown of Irska,” Killian said, translating to his best ability as Arthurus spoke. The words spoken were solemn, and they made Emma feel like she was now apart of something bigger. It was silly, but the atmosphere in the room of the noble elves, the grandeur of the hall and the way Arthurus voice reverberated made her forget she ever lived on the streets as an unwensket.

“Vi har ogsa mottatt det siste skrevne ordet om Hans Oppstegne Højhet, King Brennan, som overlot sin krone til et valgt individ.”

Killian stiffened, as did Jefferson beside her.

“What?” She asked.

“My father must have… I don’t know how, but they got it. The letter.”

“She’s here,” Jefferson hissed.

“What? Who?”

“Zelena is here, corner of the room to your left, in the dark green hood.”

Arthurus’s voice increased in volume. “Vi fant ingen alver mer egnet for dette. Vi fant ingen alver som ville hedre kronen like mye som Prins William Beriothien. Mine edle alver, jeg presenterer deg, din neste kral, Kral William Beriothien.”

Emma didn’t need a translation for that last bit.

“They chose him! Their plots were in vain!” Jefferson uttered, looking as though someone had slapped him.

Killian let out a giant breath of relief, as Liam, walked up to Arthurus, looking perfectly poised. Emma could see it, the way his eyes scanned the elves in attendance, the fire in his eyes that many would mistake for relief or joy. There would be retribution, but it would come so fast and swift his enemies would have no way to escape it. He was reciting some words of acceptance, looking very kingly indeed, but Emma’s attention was focused on Zelena.

Underneath the green hood there was a shock of red hair, and beside her, a tall elf which chiseled features spoke quietly into her ear. Emma guessed that to be Jefferson’s partner. Before Killian, he’d be exactly her type. His hair was reddish brown and curly. He had broad shoulders and wore a light brown tunic that highlighted it well. He must have felt her gaze, for as he turned to look at her questioningly, his curiosity blossomed into a smirk. Emma looked away quickly, embarrassed at being distracted, and fervently hoping Killian hadn’t noticed.

“That’s Graham,” Jefferson said suddenly, giving her a fright. He was speaking very softly, and while Killian’s attention was devoted to his brother, she knew he was listening.

“The partner?”

“The partner. I’m not sure what happened today. Truly. But perhaps, the His Ascended Highness was more crafty than we thought, more prepared than we anticipated. Perhaps we should never discount basic preparation compared to complicated plots.”

“That’s it?”

“Oh no. Definitely not. But with King William at the helm now, the Queen now Dowager, with significantly less hold, it will be easy to usher her away to Snoland, where she can be their problem. And Zelena will likely follow. And in the mean time, a way for justice to be served can be found.”

“And it will be,” Killian said, though his eyes were still on his brother. His hands however, were secure around her, and his heart in tandem with hers. It was time to go home.  

#cs ff #cs au #cs recognition #recognition #rouhn #kmomof4 #teamhook

[taexual]

HOLIC - 26 | jb x reader

pairing: Im Jaebum x Reader

genre: enemies to lovers au | roommate au

warnings: fluff (i mean it, you’ve been waiting for this for too long)

words: 5.7k

disclaimer: i do not own the gif, please let me know if it belongs to you, so i can give proper credit

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You woke up in your own bed the next morning, your room freezing even though all the windows were closed. And yet, even despite sleeping all by yourself and having to get out of bed and walk across the room to locate your phone, you still couldn’t help the smile on your face. It was two mornings in a row now that you’d woken up feeling almost elated even though it was barely six—

Except it wasn’t.

The phone, once you finally located it, had betrayed you by showing six-fifty instead of six sharp. The alarm hadn’t gone off. Probably because you couldn’t remember setting it last night after you stumbled into your bedroom, hazy and almost intoxicated from your evening of doing laundry with Jaebum.

Waking up with a good mood was fun but you’d lose all chances of still smiling today if you were going to be late to work – which was more than just likely considering the fact that you had to be at the gallery in forty minutes and you were still standing in the middle of your room in pajamas, not having showered or eaten yet.

Naturally, you spent the next half an hour running. You were in the shower before you even finished brushing your teeth, and you were grabbing your wrinkled hoodie from the dryer and pulling it on before you even had enough time to properly dry your hair. You knew you’d get a lecture for not following the dress code – the hoodie could hardly pass off as ‘casual chic’ – but you had no time to waste looking for clean clothes that would be more appropriate. You ate breakfast by the mirror as you applied your make-up and ended up having to pack your handbag while you were unlocking the door of the apartment, desperate not to be late.

Obviously, despite your attempts, you still did not get there on time and Eva – who was friendly with you as long as you did your job right – was forced to take on the role of a strict supervisor. Immediately after she saw you arrive late and disheveled, she gave you a five-minute speech about how unprofessional this was – even though the gallery was empty and you wouldn’t have had much work to do anyway – and then, little to your surprise, she took a moment to point out that your attire was not exactly fit for someone who worked with expensive artwork.

“I’m sorry,” you said hopelessly. “I didn’t have time to look for anything else to wear, I just grabbed the first thing I found in the dryer. I promise I won’t show up here wearing hoodies again, I—”

“No, I hope you won’t,” Eva said. “It’s one thing to show up to the gallery in a hoodie – you know those sexist assholes from above expect all girls to wear skirts here – but it makes it worse if it’s obviously… uh, menswear.”

“It’s not—”

You stopped, looking down at the clothes you were wearing. The long sleeves that you kept accidentally getting wet as you tried to wash the dishes this morning should have indicated that something was wrong and yet you didn’t have a free minute to look at yourself in the mirror and realize that you were not wearing your hoodie. You were wearing your roommate’s hoodie. It was black, too, and the material had felt just like yours – no wonder you mixed them up.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” you tried again but Eva just rolled her eyes. “We were doing laundry last night and I just—”

“Save it,” she said. “You’ll work somewhere away from the clients, yeah? Try to check if the IT team needs any help, they’ve been working on the projectors on the second floor before the exhibition. And make sure this is the last time you show up to work in someone else’s clothes. You’re the only bearable person around here, it’d suck for me if they fired you because of something as trivial as not following the dress code.”

Eva’s words always made it difficult for you to understand if she was actually complimenting you but you nodded and hurried up the stairs to find the IT team she’d mentioned. It was only when you noticed the name on the entrance board of the Photography floor of the gallery that you realized that they were preparing for Jiho’s exhibition that was to take place tomorrow night.

This day had already gone wrong far more times than you thought you could handle and the relief you felt when you took a deep breath and walked down the hall towards the exhibition room only to realize that Jiho actually wasn’t here today was indescribable. Perhaps you’d get through today okay after all. You still had the memories of last night to keep you sane – or to drive you insane, depending on which memories you chose to focus on – and, furthermore, you had Jaebum’s hoodie to remind you whom you’d be coming home to later tonight.

Jaebum started to smirk almost as soon as you unlocked the door of the apartment after you got home from work. It wasn’t cold enough outside for you to wear a coat yet, so he could see his hoodie on you even in the dim lighting of the hallway. You, on the other hand, had no idea he was standing in the kitchen, his eyes following you as you entered the apartment and locked the door behind you so, naturally, once you turned around and caught his look, you flinched, nearly dropping your keys.

“Jesus,” you mumbled, watching his smirk turn into a full-on grin. “Say something, would you? I thought I was alone here.”

“No, you never are,” Jaebum replied, his voice full of teasing and nothing else. “You always, uh, carry a piece of me with you, apparently.”

He was right – he just didn’t really realize it.

“You mean the hoodie?” you asked, your face void of any expression. “I was in a hurry this morning. Forgot to set my alarm last night. I grabbed the first thing I found and because you were smart enough to suggest leaving our clothes in the dryer overnight, I ended up—”

“Hey, I was just trying to make sure you got enough sleep,” he cut you off, the same smile on his face letting you know that despite defending himself, he wasn’t actually mad at you – but you could have guessed that from the way his eyes kept wandering to his piece of clothing on your body. Anger was the last thing he was feeling.

“Oh, I did,” you sighed. “Clearly.”

“Did this get you into trouble?”

“Kind of,” you revealed. “But it’s not your fault. I thought I could sneak around with a hoodie because wearing an actual, presentable shirt meant ironing it first and I had no time for that. Eva did not seem to think so—she’s my—”

“Supervisor,” he finished for you. “I remember.”

“Right. Well, she would have rather seen me show up an hour late than show up in something that violated the dress code,” you explained. “So, don’t worry, you won’t see me accidentally wear your clothes again.”

Jaebum sighed – the same smile still on his face – and walked around the kitchen island, heading towards his room but stopping on the way.

“It’s a shame,” he said, not turning around to face you. “I think my hoodie looks really nice on you.”

You thought it was impossible to feel both extremely hot and extremely cold at the same time and yet there you were, in the middle of a very contradictory whirlpool of emotions that Jaebum didn’t notice because he entered his bedroom without waiting for your response – which was good because the only response he would have gotten from you was your shocked, open-mouthed expression.

You may have been thinking about changing into something that was actually yours as soon as you got home but as you looked down – the material of Jaebum’s baggy hoodie falling around your frame – you figured you weren’t in that big of a rush to change. Even if you couldn’t smell his cologne on the clothes after having washed them last night, you could still feel him, and aside from that being comforting, it was also invigorating in a way. For Jaebum too, apparently – it had somehow cleared his mind and sped up the beating of his heart to know that you’ve been outside, around other people, in clothes that were his, and others have noticed.

You couldn’t really get a chance to have another exchange with Jaebum, however, because shortly after stepping out of his bedroom again, he gave you a quick wave – and, of course, a smirk – and then headed out to see Jackson at his studio, leaving you alone, preparing dinner for yourself in his hoodie, feeling as though this was exactly the kind of domestic life you’ve never even dared to dream of.

Living with Jaebum had proved to be much different from what you’d expected, but, then again, that shouldn’t have surprised you much because you’ve never lived with anyone who wasn’t a member of your family before, so you didn’t really know what to expect in the first place. And yet, obviously, the first few weeks here weren’t ideal – actually, no, they were awful. How you were still living in this apartment with Jaebum after all that had happened was beyond you. Lots of people would have moved out after the very first argument – which, in your case, happened immediately after you saw each other face-to-face for the first time – but you and him just kept going.

At first, you might have wanted to prove a point: you could keep the silent, petty fight with him going for as long as he wanted to. He broke your bed? That’s fine, you’d take his bed instead. He turned the hot water off? That’s fine, too. You’d leave his water bottles out in the sun after he got back from his jog to get back at him in the pettiest way possible.

But then Suji materialized. Or was it Jiho who made her return since Jaebum had said he wouldn’t have texted her if it weren’t for him? Either way, all of a sudden, this fighting no longer involved just you and him, and the battlefield no longer consisted of just your apartment. Now, your life got entangled with Jaebum’s life and no matter how sharp the sword was – or how out-of-line your last conversation with Suji was, or even how heartbreaking Jaebum’s comments about getting his heart ripped out of his chest were – you could not seem to get this knot that tied your lives together to break.

Somewhere along the way, you’d started to fall in love with him and ever since your last fight, you’d been anticipating every moment you’d spend with him because you never knew when you could lose him. You never knew when there’d come a sharper blade – a bigger challenge – that would pose a much more serious threat, and your intertwined lives would slowly start to unravel. It hadn’t happened yet and the chances of it happening now that you were slowly working on your friendship were even slimmer, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t possible.

You and him have both gone through a lot – both, together and separately – and both of you were programmed to be paranoid about something, but, when you were together, it seemed worth it. All of the hours you’d spent drowning in desperation to figure him out seemed to mean nothing now that you’d finally gotten some answers to your questions. All of the nights you’d spent staying awake, dreading the next morning because you never knew what to do or say to your roommate, completely disappeared from your memory when you found yourself waking up in his bed again.  

You liked the idyllic peacefulness of your apartment when both of you were in the kitchen, eating opposite of each other, not saying a word, the silence around you comfortable instead of awkward. You liked the conversations you’ve had even if you ended up yelling at each other later because, at least, you were talking. You liked to catch the sight of his sleeping features when you headed for work in the morning. You liked the smile on his face and the glitter in his eyes when he saw you come home afterwards.

You liked it all. You liked him.

And, all of a sudden, waiting to see Jaebum again – waiting to talk to him again – was like waiting for the sun to rise in the morning. Like waiting for your heart to beat again.

It was inevitable just like it was crucial. You knew it’d happen and you knew you couldn’t live without it if it didn’t.

Unable to resist smiling every time you remembered what Jaebum had said before leaving – “I think my hoodie looks really nice on you” – you were forced to put your headphones on when you sat down in your bedroom to finish editing – or staring at – the pictures you’ve taken in Jackson’s studio. If all you could do was just smile and shake your head each time you thought of him, you’d never finish making up your mind if the pictures really didn’t need altering or if you were so far lost in your feelings that anything that involved Jaebum just seemed perfect to you.

Music did seem to help you feel more objective. You realized that some pictures needed a little more sharpening – just to accentuate the features of the person in them – and others needed the lighting and the saturation reduced – to fully confirm that the theme of the improvised photoshoot was romantic in an overwhelmingly mysterious way; kind of like Jaebum himself.

However, after finishing editing half of the pictures you’d taken – you refused to delete any of them, even if you ended up finding more than a few completely identical ones – you were starting to lose yourself in your emotions again, and not even the music could help you stay focused this time. Suddenly, every song that started to play was a love song. Every line that the singers sang – or whispered – into your ear, reminded you of Jaebum, and while you didn’t mind thinking of him, you did want to keep your sanity for a little while longer.

You moved out of your bed and onto the floor of your room, hoping that this small change of surroundings would help. You changed the music into something that wasn’t as obvious – Jaebum would hate the abstracticism in these lyrics – and carried on with your work.

And then, an hour later, for—probably—the twentieth time since you moved in, you found yourself jumping up in terror when you heard someone clear their throat in your room. Honestly, for someone who constantly had Jaebum on their mind, you truly were never aware of his presence even though you knew very well that he was not the biggest fan of knocking.

Taking your headphones off, you exhaled deeply – not even scolding him for scaring you again, he seemed to know that already based on the way he was grinning – and fixed your hair.

“Home already?” you asked, meaning to find out if coming home was just one stop before he headed out someplace else tonight, or if he was truly home.

“Yeah,” Jaebum replied. “Sorry I burst in here, I just didn’t find you in the kitchen when I returned and I thought you’d left.”

“Ah, yes, because the kitchen is where you’ll always find me,” you replied.

“I mean, usually, that’s where we hang out.”

“It’s not hanging out if it’s just me.”

“Alright, fair enough,” he sat down on the floor next to you, “that completely ruined my excuse for coming into your room.”

Turning away from him when he lowered himself against the wall until he was sitting right next to you, you clicked a few buttons on your laptop, turning Photoshop off.

“There doesn’t, um—you don’t need a reason to enter my room,” you said slowly, your eyes lingering on your desktop wallpaper.

“Yeah?” he asked you, undoubtedly pleased to hear you say that. “So, I’m always welcome here?”

You gave him a look – mustering as much fake-annoyance as you could. “Not with that attitude you’re not.”

He chuckled and, after a moment of silence, lowered his gaze to your neck and shoulders. He didn’t say anything but the sight of you still wearing his hoodie even though, at this point, you were home long enough to change into something that was yours, actually made him excited. Happy, even. It was a weird thing – you haven’t even done anything, let alone attempted to make an excuse why you were still wearing his clothes, and yet, he found it heart-warming to still find you sitting here, a hoodie that was technically his—although, truth be told, it looked ten times better on you—covering your body.

“What are you thinking about?” you asked, unable to endure his burning gaze any longer. You enjoyed having him so close – it was somehow cozy to have him sit on the floor of your bedroom with you – but, at the same time, the attention his eyes were giving you was slowly starting to suffocate you in a way that was both good and bad.

“Me? I’m uh—” Jaebum looked away from you. He was absolutely not going to reveal all the ways he’d imagined exploring the material of his hoodie as he took it off of you. “I’m thinking about tomorrow. It’s Friday.”

“Oh,” you mumbled. “Got any plans?”

“Not really,” he said. “I’ll probably stay at Jackson’s studio the whole night again since he’s leaving on Saturday morning and I won’t get to work with him for a while.”

“Hmm.”

“What about you?” Jaebum asked, already making a mental note to himself to alter his plans if he found out there was a possibility you weren’t going to do anything tomorrow night.

“Well, I was supposed to attend Jiho’s exhibition,” you said, “but there’s no way in hell I’m going there now, so… uh, no. No plans.”

His eyes widened at the mention of Jiho’s name. “Oh, that’s this Friday?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re not going?”

“No,” you said with a sigh. “I mean, I didn’t really think about it much – maybe it’s childish of me not to go, but I just… I figured, if I don’t feel like going, why should I go? I’m done proving points to people I don’t care about and I’ve got nothing to prove to myself, so—”

“I don’t think you should go, either,” Jaebum said, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them or come up with a plausible excuse why he’d said them.

You turned to look at him. “You don’t?

“Y-yeah, I mean—” he hesitated. There was really no right way to explain his urge to keep you away from any guy who might realize he was romantically interested in you, after all. Jaebum didn’t quite understand this urge himself yet as he continued clumsily, “it’s like you said, you don’t want to go. And going just so you’d prove to him and to everyone else there that you’re completely unfazed by the, uh, misunderstanding... That’s just pointless.”

“Stupid, you mean.”

“Yeah, okay. That, too.”

You sighed, putting your laptop on the floor next to you. “Guess I’ll stay home and edit then. That’s what I used to do on most Friday nights of my life, anyway.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Jaebum said. “One day, you’ll spend your Friday nights preparing for your own exhibition and all of the nights that you’d spent editing will seem worth it.”

Surprised by his words, you felt your eyebrows shoot up.

“You think I’ll ever manage to host my own exhibition?” you asked, the genuine insecurity in your voice coming off as a shock to Jaebum – you knew he was insecure about his talent, but he had never really thought how insecure you were about yours.

“Of course,” he said, no hesitation this time. “I bet if you submitted your portfolio to any gallery, you’d get an offer immediately.”

You scoffed, the illusion of a successful future slowly dissolving. “You took it too far.”

“No, I mean it,” Jaebum insisted, feeling a pang of guilt inside his chest for not assuring you about how good you were at what you were doing like you’d been assuring him from, basically, day one. “I think your pictures are amazing and, you saw that Jackson liked them, too. What’s stopping you?”

Slowly, you raised your eyes to his and allowed them to stay there for a moment.

“The same as you, I guess,” you said, looking away. “I’m afraid I won’t achieve anything and will lose motivation to continue. I’m afraid of failing.”

“You’re the epitome of not using your own advice,” he told you.

You smiled slightly. “It’s easy to give advice. The hard part is following it.”

Jaebum considered what to say next but no right words came. If your positions had been reversed – like they had been a hundred times before – and it would have been you trying to convince him that everything was going to be okay, you’d know exactly what to say. Jaebum loved that about you. Actually, he would have loved it even if you had stayed quiet because just your presence alone was reassuring enough already, but he didn’t want to dwell on how much he appreciated having you in his life right now.

“Have you tried to send your pictures to any galleries before?” he asked finally.

“No—well, not exactly,” you replied. “I had to do it when I was still in university, but the galleries accepted every picture from the graduating class. It was their job. I haven’t tried that again since.”

“You should.”

You smiled again. “You say I don’t follow my own advice and there you are, doing the same thing.”

Jaebum frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t played your song on your radio show,” you said, looking at him.

“Ah,” he was the one who looked away this time. “Well, these things are different. I wrote a song about… a person. It’s sort of plain and obvious which person I mean, so, I’d probably have to talk to her before I air the song, and, you and I both know, I’m not a great talker.”

Your heart rate sped up at the thought of him talking to Suji and you almost regretted proposing the idea, but then you took a deep breath and managed to calm yourself down enough to respond to him in a way that seemed rational to you.

“Creative freedom,” you said. “You’re not supposed to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. You don’t mention her by name in the song, and, not to be dismissive, but I think the majority of songwriters write songs from experience. That is, about past relationships.”

“Right,” Jaebum said, swallowing. “And then, let’s say, the song succeeds and I’m actually asked by someone what it’s about. What do I do then?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Whatever you want to do. It’s your life. You don’t have to share it with anyone if you don’t want to. The mystery about you would draw even more people to listen to you, I’m sure.”

“Hmm,” he considered this, a grin forming on his features. “A mysterious look. Is that the concept I’m going for?”

You laughed.

“I hate to break it to you, but you have no say in this,” you said. “You’re naturally a mysterious person.”

“How am I mysterious?”

“Do you seriously have to ask me that?” you raised your eyebrows. “We’ve lived together for a month and, every time I look at you, I feel like there’s still miles and miles of unexplored territory behind your eyes.”

His heart seemed to have skipped a beat or two after you said this – it was either that, or he was having a heart attack.

“I’m not saying that it’s bad—on the contrary, I think it just shows what a deep person you are,” you tried to clarify, the soft tone of your voice putting countless of bulletproof vests on his wounded heart — it did not fix the damage that’s already been done but it made sure to protect him from any further pain. “Even in the pictures that I took in Jackson’s studio;  you’re not even trying and you still look like you’ve lived a thousand lives and have a million stories hiding inside your soul.”

His throat was dry when he tried to speak, “can I—can you show me those pictures?”

“Oh,” his request seemed to wake you up from a trance you’d inflicted upon yourself when you tried to explain your feelings about him to him. “Well, I haven’t really—they’re not finished yet. To be honest, I don’t really know what to do with them.”

Jaebum swallowed before continuing. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I don’t know what to do with them,” you repeated, picking up your laptop and opening your gallery. “Every time I take a picture, I have an idea in mind. And then, when I look at the picture I’ve taken, I start to edit to make sure that idea comes to life, you know what I mean? Like, for example, if I take a picture of the night sky, I think I want the stars to represent—I don’t know—loneliness, or whatever. So, when I open the same picture on Photoshop later, I make sure to adjust the colors, the exposure, the—everything in a way that would accentuate the loneliness I thought I’d seen in the stars when I photographed them.”

“Okay,” he said, mesmerized by your voice as you explained this. “And you don’t have this idea you’d want to accentuate with the pictures you took at Jackson’s studio?”

“No,” you said. “It’s like the idea is already there in the picture. T-that’s never happened before. I don’t have to edit anything because everything I wanted to say with these photographs is sort of obvious already. All I did to these pictures is just… sharpening the edges. Maybe turning the lightness down a little, too.”

Scared that he’d be able to recognize your feelings when he would see himself through your lens, you started him off with the pictures you’d taken while he and Jackson were still in the recording booth. The pieces of equipment looked dull but they had a certain vibe around them – the room in your photographs represented anticipation. Something magical was about to happen there.

You flipped through the pictures, only stopping when you heard Jaebum inhale a little sharper than usual because he saw himself on the screen of your laptop. This picture was—arguably—your favorite one out of the bunch. It was the one that only displayed one side of his face – the twin moles above his eye and the small smile on his lips completing the photograph – and his outstretched hand.

“This is good,” Jaebum spoke up. “I-I don’t mean myself, I’m not the one I’m complimenting, I—wow. You’re good.”

“Thing is, I didn’t do anything,” you said, dragging your cursor down the side of his face in the picture in a mock-caress because you couldn’t exactly touch his face in real life. “It was all you. You made the pictures special.”

Jaebum didn’t reply and you carried on, showing him every single picture that you’ve finished editing before he interrupted you by showing up in your room. You lingered on some longer, repeatedly insisting how he possessed the “unearthly ability to make every photograph look special” – and then cringing at yourself because, God, could you have been more obvious about your feelings for him? – and then moving on again.

Once you reached the final picture – the full body-shot of Jaebum as he read his notes, his features concentrated and eyes glazed over with something that could only be described as passion for all that he was doing in that moment – you took a deep breath and, finally, started to speak.

“There,” you said, “you and your natural glow that makes my pictures look far better than I’ve ever expected them to look.”

“Huh,” Jaebum’s breath was right by your ear – he had scooted closer to you so he could see the pictures better. “I-I don’t—they look good. Really, really good. You’re an amazing photographer, I swear.”

“It’s not me,” you said, looking down. “Honestly, I’ve never taken pictures of real-life people before—aside from the university assignments, anyway—but it’s obvious that photographing you basically means not doing anything because… you do it all for me. You make the pictures look special.”

You wouldn’t have been able to look at him even if you wanted to as your heart refused to cut off your ability to speak because, with every beat inside of your chest, your soul longed to release the pent-up affection inside of you.

“I—I don’t think that’s the case,” Jaebum said, pulling away from you just slightly so he could look at you better. You’ve been avoiding his gaze for most of tonight and that did not change now as you didn’t allow for your gazes to meet.

“You’re just being humble,” you said, your eyes set firmly on the screen of your laptop.

“No,” he insisted. “Do you want to know what’s special about those pictures?”

Looking down so you could see the edges of his face out of the corner of your eye, you chose to give him the benefit of the doubt, “what?”

“You took them.” Jaebum said simply.

“What? No,” you said, shaking your head. “I just told you, I take plenty of pictures. None of them feel or look special like these do.”

“N-no, I mean, you took them,” Jaebum disagreed, “I get that it’s me in the pictures and I might sound like a self-involved ass when I say this, but, if it’d been someone else behind that camera, the pictures wouldn’t have looked this good.”

You gathered enough courage to shoot him a look.

“What are you talking about?” you asked. “You look good through every camera, I’m sure.”

“It’s not about the camera. It’s about who’s behind it.”

Blinking, you remained unsure of what he was trying to say. “W-what?”

“It’s you,” Jaebum said, his eyes locked on yours in a way that stopped you in your tracks. You wanted to look away again – his gaze was far too powerful, you were sure you were going to explode from all of the emotions it made you feel – but, as he kept on talking, you found yourself completely and utterly frozen. “I only have that… “natural glow” or whatever you called it because it’s you in the room. Because I know you’re looking at me through your camera. I only look special in the pictures because it’s you.”

You weren’t breathing and it wasn’t just because of what he’d just said. You found it difficult to inhale when you realized—yet again—just how close to you he was sitting. It was even harder to exhale when his eyes traced your features to your lips.

If you glanced down – and you did – you could see his parted lips and the mere millimeters that separated them from yours.

If you brought your tongue over your lips on instinct – and you did – you could almost taste him, too.  

If he leaned in just a little bit more – and he did – you could smell his cologne, the scent overpowering your mind and completely shutting it off.

If he closed his eyes and leaned in, removing the remaining bits of the distance between you and him – and he did – you could read him in ways you’ve never read him before.

If he pressed his lips to yours – and he did – you’d feel the taste of the mystery you’d been dying to unravel.

Jaebum kissed you and the time seemed to stop.

The ethereal atmosphere in the pictures you’ve taken felt like the most boring storyline in comparison to the feeling of Jaebum’s lips pressed against yours and his hand, entangled in your hair, as he gently pulled you closer to him. What started out as a tentative kiss had turned into a lingering one as the two of you lost the battle against the magnetic pull coming from somewhere deep inside of your chests.

The kiss wasn’t magical; it was completely real, starting from the way he’d tilted your face to get a better angle, and ending with the way your lips fit perfectly between his without any effort. You’ve kissed him before – drunkenly and sloppily – but that felt nowhere near as real as this had.

And the reality of the situation – as well as the refreshing taste of peppermint on his soft lips – was what made you both pull away a moment later. Breathing heavily, you watched each other, letting your eyes do the talking as your minds tried to understand what had happened. They weren’t successful, however, and you didn’t blame them. Understanding where the kiss had come from didn’t seem as important as immediately recalling how good it’d felt was.

“I—” Jaebum spoke up, removing his hand from your hair and clumsily lifting himself up from the floor of your room. Your eyes followed him as your parted lips struggled to get a breath of air in as though Jaebum had been the sole provider of oxygen for you and, by ending the kiss, he’d cut your supply off. “I’m going to go.”

He turned around before you could inspect his expression or say anything, stumbling out of your room while you watched him, wide-eyed and still very much frozen in the same position as if that could have turned back the time and got you to experience the powerful feeling of your bodies connecting through your kiss once again.

      chapter directory

#got7 #got7 reactions #got7 fanfiction #fanfiction #got7 imagines #got7 scenarios #kpop #kpop reactions #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #got7 jb #got7 jaebum #im jaebum #im jaebeom #jaebum #jaebum fanfiction #jaebum fanfic #im jaebum fanfiction #im jaebum fanfic #got7 au #got7 x reader #got7 roommate au #roommate au #got7 e2l au #e2l au #got7 enemies to lovers au #enemies to lovers au

[theprojectatedensgate]

I want some fluffy fem!Dep/John... I know that can be difficult because of his drama queen nature but I’m sure somewhere in there he has a soft side

I can provide. 

 The smell of cooking filled the dining area making her mouth water, she sat at the table, which had been decorated and set by him, head resting on her knuckles awkwardly as she watched John cook. Rook was nervous, though she had been at the ranch for a week now, this was the first time he was cooking for her. She had heard stories of the Seed’s cooking from Nick, the watery Mac’ and Cheese that they brought to his barbecue, the description brought bile to her throat and her stomach bubbled in discomfort. She felt a tinge of guilt for judging his cooking without even trying it yet, but she had every reason to be suspicious, He was still the enemy after all

. “What exactly are you making?” Rook coughed up, anticipating his response. 

“Paella. It’s a Spanish dish, I thought I would make something exotic, you’re probably bored of rations by now.”

 Rook sighed with relief at his reply, she had Paella before, it was delicious and very hard to mess up. Knowing she wasn’t going to have to force feed herself macaroni set at her ease and John heard the reaction, turning to face her and narrowing his eyes.

 “Where you expecting something different Deputy?” 

Rook’s eyes widened as she realised she may of caused offence, John Seed was not the person to criticise, he wouldn’t stand for anyone doubting how competent he was. Rook decided to be honest.

 “I admit I was worried you were cooking Mac’ and Cheese, not that I’m questioning your ability to cook.” John raised a brow at her, scanning over where she sat, as if he was searching for something, searching for deceit. 

“What’s wrong with that?” 

Rook spluttered slightly, she didn’t want to say his family’s cooking was awful and there was still the possibility he made it. But he gazed at her almost demanding an explanation. She didn’t want to tell him what was said about it but she couldn’t lie to him either, he would able to tell and she did not want to incite John’s wrath. 

“Oh nothing really, it’s just that…” John cocked his head to encourage her to finish, Rook picked at her nails with nerves. “I’ve heard some stories about a certain barbecue and watery Mac'n'Cheese.” 

John looked at her perplexed before a smile crept on to his expression and he nodded, turning back around to stir the pan.

 “Ahh, Yes, I know of that well.” He chuckled, wooden spoon scraping at the pan. “That wasn’t me though.”.

 Rook scoffed and John turned around with a surprised expression. She shook her head at him. 

“There’s no way you weren’t involved, it’s so you! It’s too petty to be anyone else.” John placed the spoon in the pan and raised his arms in defence at the accusation.

 “It wasn’t me! It was Jacob’s idea, he cooked it!” 

“So you had no involvement at all? I don’t believe it. You have something against Nick, you two have this weird rivalry going on, I’ve heard about all the tricks you pulled.” 

John smirked and looked down at the floorboards before raising his eyes to meet her sneering look. “Okay so maybe it was my idea but you can blame my Brother for that one. Dinners nearly ready.” 

John dished the Paella out onto two plates, before sweeping over to the table and placing the dishes in front of them both. He took seat opposite her, pulling the chair in with a squeak. Rook looked at the meal in shock, it looked heavenly. 

“John, this looks amazing! I never knew how talented you were.” He looked up at them, glowing at the praise. Rook took a forkful into her mouth, fluttering her eyes at the taste. It was Divine. John watched her intently, grinning at her reaction.

 “Just because we’ve had our disagreements doesn’t mean I can’t cook a decent meal, I did live alone in a penthouse for years.” Rook swallowed and blinked up at him. 

“You had a penthouse?” 

“Of course I did. I sold it to buy the Ranch when I reunited with my Brothers. It’s an improvement if you ask me.” 

Rook nodded, agreeing and eating her food. John spent the meal watching her with anticipation as he ate. He had never cooked for anybody but himself before, not seeing a reason to do something so selfless. With the Deputy it was different, he wanted to impress her and he was arrogant enough to know he could. Had he not been so emotionally stunted, he could of been called a hopeless romantic. But a childhood of abuse and a life time of sorrow had diminished any intimate feelings he had, only allowing him to indulge in a life of drugs and sin. She caught his eye in Joseph’s church and at first he resented her for disturbing preparations for the Collapse but Rook’s resilience in his rigorous crusade of her brought something out in him, a selfless fascination, something he had never felt before and he felt entitled to act on it, regardless of Rook might feel. Thankfully it was reciprocated, even if it did take her some convincing to accept it. She struggled and fought at first but eventually came into light and he managed to sink his hooks into her, She hasn’t left his side since. John finished his plate, tapping a napkin against his mouth before watching Rook finish her meal. She had eaten it all and pride welled up inside of him, she ate his food willingly, she accepted him.

 “Perfect.” John breathed, causing Rook too flutter her lashes up at him. 

“The food or me?”

 “Both.” He smirked at her before standing and piling their plates and taking them into the kitchen. Rook blushed at the remark, uttering a small “Thank you” as he waltzed away. He turned back to face her, placing his hands on to the counter top, leaning his weight back onto it. He eyed her curiously and she flushed under his heavy gaze. “You know, Nick’s only bitter because I’m a much better pilot than he is, you’d do well not to listen to him.” “I can’t comment on that. I’ve flown with Nick before, I’ve never flown with you.” Rook shook her head and Shrugged causing John to frown at her. Sure she hasn’t flown with him yet, but she should know he was better, it was John after all and he got everything he wanted. He hummed. 

“We should then, I’ll open your eyes to what real piloting is. Nothing like Nick’s unbalanced drivel. Perhaps I’ll even teach you to fly.” 

Rook tittered at him. How inexperienced did he think she was?

 “I can fly already.” She huffed, folding her arms. John swept over to her, bracing her head in his tatted hands, his blue eyes flickered over her, taking in every mark and pour, callouses pressing into skin.

 “No. I’ll show you how to really fly. The type of flying that makes you invincible, the type of flying that the sky is your arena and the air bows to your presence. The type of flying that brings you closer to God.” 

Rook gazed up at him with doe eyes, he wanted to be the one teach her. No one else. And she would let him have that power, she belonged to him after all. There was no refusing John, if he wanted it it was done. Simple, he always got his way and when something didn’t go as planned, that brought on his tantrums. “But you have to listen to every word I say. And only me, not Nick, not anyone else. I don’t want other people tainting your mind.” He brush his thumb down her cheek and under her jaw, titling her upwards.

 “Yes John. Please teach my how to fly like you do.” She smirked at him now, flashing her teeth in a grin. John grinned back in approval, his grip on her tensing slightly before letting go. 

“Go get your boots then. And don’t take too long. You are not to be late for my lessons, ever.” 

“What? Now?” 

“Yes now. And bring me my Jacket.” 

Rook stood up and sprinted to her find her boots, heart fluttering with excitement. John watched in amusement as she ran around flustered searching. She came back five minutes later, boots on her feet and John’s jacket in folded over her arms. He stirred when he saw her clutching his jacket, possessiveness nipping at his brain. Maybe he should get her to wear it whenever she went out, everyone would be able to see who she belonged to. No one would dare touch her. He filed the thought away for a later date, reaching his palm out as she passed him the jacket. He shrugged it onto him, straightening it out when he did so. Rook watched him with wonder. 

“So you have a plane of your own?” Rook questioned, blinking at him in curiosity. 

“I certainly do. No one flies her but me. Shes my pride and joy.” 

“Does “she” have a name?“ 

“Affirmation.” John confirmed proudly, blue eyes lighting in pride. Rook rolled her eyes. 

“Of course. I dunno’ what else I was expecting” John led her outside and towards the airstrip, his hangar resting at the back of the Ranch. He pushed the door open and turned on the lights to reveal his plane. “Affirmation” was beautiful. Dark, slick, and powerful. Suited to John Seed’s personality. The cult emblem painted white on the sides of it, Heavy machine guns fixed under the wings. His ego taking on a material form.

 “What do you think? She’s a sight isn’t she?” Rook paced over to the aircraft, running her hand along the wing, feeling the cool metal biting her finger tips. 

“She’s Beautiful John. I can’t wait to pilot.” 

“Hop in then.” Rook clambered onto the wing and into the passenger seat, John pressing the button to open the hangar, leaning up to strap her in and place a headset over her ears, then climbing in in front of her and fixing on his own headset.He waited for the go ahead from Rook and when she flashed him a smile in the mirror he started the plane. The propeller roared to life and sped up with ferocity. Rook felt the power of the plane under her feet and she shot a look of of awe at the mirror. John winked at her, pulling the plane out of the hangar onto the airstrip. The dust of the dirty clouding kicked up by the aircraft. They headed down the airstrip, increasing the speed as John pulled back a the plane took to the air and kept rising. Rook dug her nails into her thighs, the take off wasn’t overly smooth, it was rough and a little violent. But she settled as the plane relaxed into a leisurely speed, she glanced off the side, Fall’s End just a bunch of rooftops. They weren’t too high up and Rook manged to compose herself. She looked back to see John watching her in the mirror. 

“Smooth isn’t she? Don’t get too comfortable, we’ve only just started.” with that, he yanked back on the stick, sending them shooting upwards. Rook gripped the sides of the plane for safety whilst John was in complete control. She analysed him through the mirror, elation sparkling in his eyes. John did this for fun it wasn’t all about flaying people and torturing them, the skies were his respite. Up here, he was above all, racing through his clouded kingdom. And he was sharing it with Rook. John forced the plain straight upwards, Rook’s hair pooling around her as he pulled into a vigorous loop. The air buzzed against the metal of the aircraft as they completed the stunt, ending it with a barrel roll. Adrenaline pumped through Rook’s veins as her heart jumped to her throat, Clinging on to her seat. She exhaled sharply as the plane straightened out, John grinning manically at her reflection. 

“Jesus fucking Christ John.” he snickered at her, leaning his head back. 

“How did it feel?”

 “Fun. Scary but fun.”

 “That, my dear Deputy, is real flying.” 

Rook sighed contently, they were higher now, peeking over the side the rooftops had become a blur of lights. The moon shone onto the plane, illuminating its markings. It was perfect just her and John sharing the space together, nothing getting in the way. The War was temporarily forgotten as they soared through the star studded sky, a distant memory that was left on the ground. John had her exactly where he wanted her, she would be devoted to him now. Taking her flying wasn’t just for her, John had wanted to take her since he fell for her. Yet again, his wish was granted, their relationship sancitfied in the pale moonlight. They stayed like that for most of the night, twisting and twirling in the dark. The sun an orange band on the horizon. Rook bared witness to John’s soul that night, the man he truly was, a man full of emotion and vehemence. The War didn’t matter anymore. All they could see was John, there was nothing and nobody else. He might not mention the date again, fear of showing too much of himself. He might even mock her if she brings it up, but she knew it was real, she knew how he felt. Rook wanted to walk by his side and if that meant marching with him through Eden’s Gate, So be it. 

Thanks for requesting! Enjoy some fluff!

#far cry 5 #fc5 #request #John x Deputy

[llexeh]

Do You Remember Tijuana? - Steve Rogers / Tony Stark

Part 1 of “Steve Is Going to Lose His Damn Mind”

Summary: He had a sudden urge to just go to bed. Maybe he was too old and his age was finally showing. He wasn’t certain he could still blush after the super serum, but it was a blushable situation. So, yeah, he had been in the army and they were all filthy and he wasn’t actually as much of a prude of people made him out to be. But it was still a blushable situation.

He knew he should have just given Natasha her present and maybe a hug. But Steve was many things, and he thought supportive was one of them. He was right in that assumption, but at what cost?

Warnings: edible dicks, deepthroating competition, alcohol consumption 

Rating: explicit

Pairings: Steve Rogers / Tony Stark, Darcy Lewis / Bruce Banner

Tags: pre-slash, crack treated seriously, slowburn, everyone is alive, wild Dr. Foster

Word count: 6087

A/N: This has been on Ao3 for ages, I’m still trying to get the whole series finished and I’m posting it on here in a desperate attempt to kick-start my fanfic productivity. You may have noticed the “crack treated seriously” tag, it’s there for a reason. This is ridiculous and ooc for the most part, but I also love it enough to share it with everyone who will read it. This has not had the loving touch of a beta, so excuse whatever mistakes I’ve missed.

The first time he was left speechless by how attractive Tony was, it felt a lot like being hit by a train. Steve didn’t have the best track record with trains. (Ha! Track record.) When he was young, he watched people get on them and never return. He dropped Bucky from one. He watched helplessly as the one he was on sped wildly through Seoul. So the first time he realised he was attracted to Tony Stark, it felt like he turned his head and all of a sudden he was standing on the railway and headlights were closing in on him, there was no time to move aside, and his breath was stolen from his lungs.

There had been hints, and even half formed thoughts when in between insults and petty arguments, Steve thought Tony was above average. Which, he thought, as he recovered from the train running him over, was complete bullshit. And not only was Tony above average, he was god damn beautiful. Steve just gave up: his mind was a mess, and he figured this was what happened when people survive train trampling. Which was no one. Except for Bucky, but that was falling off a train, and Steve just gave up again. It was pointless.

He needed a stiff drink. It was hardly the first time the need arose, and he was perfectly aware he couldn’t get drunk, but it was more the sharp pinch of the alcohol on his tongue, the soothing way it burned its way down his throat that he wanted. It was anchoring in a way few things were. Fighting was one of those things, but Natasha was terrifying, and this was her birthday party. And on top of that, Steve genuinely cared for the redhead and wanted her to have a good time. And she was terrifying. So unless she instigated some group brawl, that was not an option.

There were plenty of bottles pretty much everywhere around the large common room in the tower, but Steve also needed a dark corner to brood for a little. There was a poignant desire to lament his inability to get drunk. Because maybe if he could, he’d pass out and it would finally get quiet in his head. Like many other things that night, that wasn’t an option. So he sat down and drank scotch straight from the bottle, trying to attract as little attention as possible.

Maybe if he thought of it tactically, as if it were a mission he needed to plan. He took a deep breath and another swig from the bottle. Situation: the reality he found Tony Stark attractive. Extra information: not only did he find his fellow Avenger attractive, he was rendered speechless, mid conversation with… someone because he found him so attractive. Problem: he found Tony Stark attractive. Gosh, Steve was well happy no one could actually read his mind. They’d either pass out with the sheer stupidity that floated around, or pass out from laughing too much.

The problem wasn’t that Tony was a man, or even that he was a fellow Avenger, or that he was Howard’s son, or that he was a dick most of the time, or that even if he was remotely attracted to men, he wouldn’t go for Steve’s righteousness and stubbornness and whatever it was that annoyed him about Steve. Oh, wait. Those were the exact problems. Maybe not the Tony being a man part, because Steve always knew he was a bit not-straight. And coming back into the modern day and age, he quickly adjusted to the fact that he didn’t need to stick a label on himself. It was a stark contrast to going into a battle against the Nazis with the distinct thought that some men wear a uniform better than others.

So, tactically. Problem: Steve was currently speechless halfway through a bottle of scotch that did absolutely nothing to him (while everyone was having a blast) because he found his friend hot and there was no way anything would come of it for various reasons. There, that was the most compact way of putting it. Steve was thankful the babbling in his head didn’t translate into his reports. Solution: drink the entire bottle, put on a smile, and join the party before someone asks questions.

The train metaphor, Steve figured, came from the abruptness of the entire thing. It was all going fine. Natasha’s birthday was coming up and she made a point to not say anything about it. It was all a bit uncertain anyway – her age, her exact date of birth – all of it buried in triple classified files hidden in underground bunkers under a lake in Switzerland; or something. The intel was her birthday was on the 22nd of November, and they accepted it as such.

She didn’t plan anything, didn’t mention it at all, and Steve was fine. He’d bought her a hand carved wooden jewelry box from a thrift shop in Brooklyn months before. It reminded him of her with its intricate edges and vintage finish, and Steve was a sucker for gifting people things he thought they’d like. He was ready to wrap it up and present her with it at midnight if she was around, or for breakfast, and he was absolutely fine with it. In hindsight, he would have preferred it, if only to avoid a metaphorical train. Steve was less and less fond of trains with each passing minute.

Clint approached him at lunch a couple of days before with a smile (first sign of trouble), a notepad (signs two-to-five of trouble), a pen (!), and confetti on his shoulders. Steve nearly turned around and walked away. He might have looked young, but he was starting to think he was essentially an old man – what was that line in the film? Too old for this shit?

The short conversation went along the lines of:

“We’re throwing Tasha a party, tell your friends.”

“All of my friends live here, Clint.”

“You need to get out more, Cap.”

“Okay… Does she want a party?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“She’s gonna shoot all of us, Clint. And some of you are more prone to dying than others.”

“We’ll duck. She can’t shoot all of us at once.”

“She can if she gets a grenade launcher. The rest she’ll thigh-strangle to death.”

“It’ll be fine, Cap, you worry too much. Here, shopping list. Hide everything in your room, we can’t order online, she’ll know. Thanks!”

It turned out everyone was excited about it, so Steve went with it. He volunteered to be in her line of fire, shield up for when she reacted to the surprise. It went as well as expected: she walked into the dim room, shot at his shield, and pretended to be very surprised while wearing a cocktail dress and high heels. Her smile was bright however, and Steve found it endearing.

“Clint,” she started walking towards the marksman, “I know this is on you. Come, we’re doing tequila.”

Clint actually groaned. “Tasha, anything but that! Remember Tijuana?” He shuffled his feet towards the bar where Tony started pouring shots.

“Do you?” Natasha asked with a laugh. She turned to the people gathering at the bar. “Thank you so much for wanting to celebrate with me. Now drink!” She passed shot glasses to everyone and set the tone for her party.

Thor placed a crown on her head, naming her their queen for the night as soon as the bottle of tequila was finished. Someone put some lounge music on, and Steve was pleased to see his friends enjoying themselves as they mingled.

It was all very informal, with just the Avengers and their close friends. Vision trying to be inconspicuous in his white button down, drifting around Wanda as close as possible without clinging to her. Quicksilver speeding around the room smiling at Maria Hill in that downright shameless manner that made Fury cock his head ominously. Pepper and Maria converging to the side to complain about managing what were basically children. Bruce chatting to Jane and pretending not to be dumbstruck by Darcy’s pin-up dress and hair. Sam and Bucky to the side, chatting animatedly about sport, Steve guessed. It looked like a promising night. No trains in sight.  

About two hours in, Rhodey lost to Steve at arm-wrestling for the seventh time. He was about to ask for a rematch, when Natasha asked to replace him. She sat down on the bar stool opposite him, smiling widely. On top of what Steve assumed was an actual crown, she now sported a plastic tiara adorned with large silver stars that bobbed whenever Natasha moved. Her eyes were as focused as always, but there was a subtle flush to her cheeks.

“Think you can win, Tasha?”

“I don’t know, Cap. Will you let me?” She cocked her head to the side, flirty as always. The stars on her head dangled dangerously.

Tony materialised to their side with two more shot glasses. “He’s an honest guy, Natasha. Of course he won’t let you win.” He downed his and gave the other to her.

“Not even if I ask nicely?”

Steve laughed. “I value my life. Wouldn’t want to insult you.”

She nodded. “Let’s make it interesting. I’ll bet my tiara and you can bet…” She looked around trying to find something. Her smile broadened. “Ah! You lose and I get to set you up on a date!”

“Is that still happening? Okay then.” He placed his elbow on the bar and wiggled his fingers. Natasha grabbed it and signaled Tony to count. It was more difficult than with Rhodey, Steve will give her that, but in the end he was victorious.

She graciously admitted defeat. “Fair and square. Well, ignoring the super serum and the days you spend in the gym.” She disentangled the plastic tiara and placed it on Steve’s head. “I still get to set you up on a date cause it’s my birthday and you owe me for the thing in the place,” she told him.

He laughed and gave up trying to dissuade her. He’d just have to find a way out of this one as always. “You’d think there were no more people I can say no to,” he said jokingly.

“Oh, Steve. I’m only on J. We’ve got a long way to go,” she informed him.

Tony poured her another shot and drank his from the bottle. “I’ve got an updated list of Stark employees you can use. And Friday made a folder called Operation Date on the common server to simplify your mission,” he offered.

“Excellent,” Natasha said covering Steve’s groan.

The music changed to something more familiar to Steve; Bucky stopped by his side on his way to the dance floor. “Watch this,” he told them with a shit eating grin. He quickly grabbed Darcy and pulled her close. Steve groaned again.

“I swear to god, if we have a code green I’m getting the largest electromagnet in the tri-state area and I’m hanging him in Times Square,” Tony told them.

They kept an eye on Bruce as Darcy and Bucky eased into a swing dance. He had a small smile on, wiping at his glasses absentmindedly. Without the threat of a Hulk-out (and Steve was certain Bruce had more self-control than to lose his shit over this), it was actually amusing to watch. His eyes swept Darcy’s figure up and down as she moved, looking like he was trying to convince himself of something or the other. Steve grudgingly admired Bucky’s plan, but even if it worked out fine for everyone, he was still going to get punched in the non-metal shoulder for being a dick.

Once their dance was finished, Bucky put on a show of bending over Darcy’s hand and kissing it delicately. He offered his arm and led her to where their little group was gathered. Her fingers shot out towards Tony and she wiggled them in a silent plea for alcohol. Tony indulged her with a laugh.

“Well, that’s the most physical I’ve been in ages,” she told them after a quick succession of straight-from-the-bottle tequila shots.

“That’s because you keep skipping your damn training and I get bored of looking for you,” Natasha said casually. “I’m keeping track, by the way. You owe me twelve miles and four kickboxing sessions.” Darcy just grabbed the closest vodka bottle and started chugging. “And a hundred and fifty push-ups,” the redhead continued unfazed.

Bucky leaned into Darcy in a show of support. “Think how much ass you’ll kick,” he told her.

“Yeah, no, Lover Boy. There’s no motivating me, like, ever.”

“Lover –"

“It’s from a movie,” came the voice from behind them. Bruce was standing there casually, arms crossed over his chest, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.

Steve remembered watching it late one night when he couldn’t sleep. “Isn’t it with the ghost guy?”

Tony snorted and offered Bruce a glass of bourbon. “Yeah, no,” he said, repeating Darcy’s words. “On the right track though, so props.”

Bruce took the drink and sipped it slowly. Steve felt like he was caught in some odd power play between people who had more of a life than he did. He poured a shot of tequila and downed it just to adhere to their standards. Tony poured him another one.

“Imagine betting on Rogers in a drinking competition. You’d make millions!”

“You already have millions,” Darcy told him with a laugh. She pulled away from Bucky and pat his cheek. “Thanks for the dance, Footloose. I better go find Jane before she has too much to drink and decides to strip.”

Bruce choked on his drink. “Dr Foster wouldn’t…?”

“Dr Foster definitely would,” Darcy told him. “College was a weird time. Don’t ever look up her arrest record.”

When she left them Tony was already on his phone. Bruce made a vague noise, gesturing wildly with his half empty glass. After several failed attempts at words, he nodded and followed her general direction. Once he was far enough, Steve turned and punched Bucky as he promised himself he would.

“Ouch, Rogers! I’m wounded!”

“You will be if you keep this up,” Steve replied. “You have no business with these nice people, leave them alone.”

Bucky grinned. “But it’s so much fun, Stevie! Besides she looked great, and who was I going to dance with? You? You have eight left feet. You’re like a clumsy spider whenever you even think of a dance floor.” Steve punched him again in the same spot, really hoping it would bruise, at least for a couple of minutes. “You know, when you were just a scrawny kid in Brooklyn and I fought all your fights –"

“I thought you couldn’t get drunk, Buck. What is this, memory lane? You always did this and I had to listen to you for hours. Hours, Buck.”

The former assassin had the cheek to look offended. “Just because you’d have died if you drank too much…”

Tony choked on tequila and turned his back to Natasha for help. She hit between his shoulder blades a couple of times. “Thank you,” he told her. “I feel I’m watching Grumpy Old Men on cable during a storm when there’s nothing else on.”

Steve was confused and was about to ask what he was on about when drumrolls flooded the large common room. Clint’s voice could be heard over the noise, belting out Happy Birthday horribly off-key. It was Natasha’s turn to groan. Steve felt almost vindicated.

Clint was carrying a huge tray of what looked like reasonably sized jell-o dicks. Steve wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but he had a Bad Feeling about it. Not like when a villain would pop out of nowhere before breakfast and coffee, but close.

“Loaded with vodka, just like you like them” Clint told Natasha. He deposited the tray on the edge of the coffee table, turning to the people sitting on the sofas. “Hurry up, make some room.” Natasha groaned again, louder than before. Steve put on his best patronizing smile and pat her shoulder.

They walked to where Clint was standing proudly admiring his work. Steve counted fifteen identical phalluses in various colours wobbling on the tray. He had a sudden urge to just go to bed. Maybe he was too old and his age was finally showing. He wasn’t certain he could still blush after the super serum, but it was a blushable situation. So, yeah, he had been in the army and they were all filthy and he wasn’t actually as much of a prude of people made him out to be. But it was still a blushable situation. There were things he couldn’t shake despite everything he’d seen. And jelly dicks on a tray was one of them, apparently.

“Clint, why?” Natasha’s voice gave away some annoyance, but mostly humour. So at least she liked it somewhat.

“Remember when I had that bartending thing in Vegas? Well, there were a shit-ton of bachelorette parties and this was popular with the ladies.” He shimmied a little and promptly burst into laughter.

“I’m assuming they weren’t chewing them in front of the strippers,” Sam said casually.

“Not until much later, no,” Clint replied. “Deepthroat competition!” he said and Steve wasn’t even sure who groaned the loudest.

Jane took a step forward, and Darcy’s hand shot out to catch her shoulder. She tried her best withering glance, but it seemed the good Dr. Foster had gone to the dark side. Steve was proud of his reference, even if he had yet to watch Star Wars. That was a new thing he’d started doing, where he privately googled popular references just so he wouldn’t be lost in conversation. He just hadn’t gotten around to watch everything he missed being frozen, and that made the cheating thought a bit less poignant. Jane nodded at Darcy, and Darcy shook her head, so Jane nodded louder, and Darcy just sighed and took a step forward too. Steve recognized it for what it was: solidarity. He’d done enough stupid shit for Bucky to know it intimately.

“What is this deepthroating?” Thor’s voice managed to boom even when he didn’t mean it to.

In the slightly tense (and also curious) atmosphere in the room, his question seemed to make everyone burst into laughter. The god’s confused expression almost made Steve take pity on him, but Pepper was quicker.

“It’s when you suck on – ah, how to – ” Her inability to not be helpful left her stranded halfway through her sentence not really knowing how to go on. “Tony?”The scientist lifted his hands in a clear sign of not-touching-this-one-it’s-hilarious-to-watch-you-struggle. Pepper looked around some more, her cheeks starting to redden.

Maria Hill of all people chose to lean forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Dick sucking, Thor.” She prodded a jelly dick with her finger and then looked up at the god. “But really deep.” The entire room burst into laughter again.

Thor’s face lit up and he brought his hands together as he did before a fist fight. “Ah! Of course, it makes sense now. So, a competition,” he said and Steve knew that look.

Jane giggled, Pepper touched her hand to Maria’s shoulder in a sign of gratitude, and Darcy released another long suffering sigh. Wanda stepped closer, looking like she wanted in. Pietro shuddered somewhere to his right, and said a quick “Wanda, no,” to his sister. She smiled viciously. Steve was certain he would never understand their dynamic, even though there was a part of him that envied the feeling of belonging in a symbiosis of that nature.

“Tony, remember when we –"

“Rhodey…”

“Tony…”

“Rhodey!”

“Tony!”

Natasha stepped forward and knelt by the end of the coffee table. She looked up at Tony with a smirk. “Well, it is my birthday…”

“For the love of god, we don’t even know if you were born or if you hatched from a large egg!” Tony exclaimed.

“Come on, Stark. It’s gonna be like that time we were stranded in Atlantic City. I remember you taking off your shirt and well, are we still banned there?”

“Rhodes, I made that disappear from your record, I can bring it back.”

Clint interrupted their little spat. “Okay, okay, enough. Show of hands if you wanna suck fake dicks for Natasha’s birthday. She’s obviously gonna do it so we might as well show some solidarity…”

Jane put both her hands up, Maria joined her with one. Darcy’s finger lift up. Thor put one of his hands up and the other snaked around Jane’s shoulders. Steve couldn’t even begin to think about their sex life. Mostly because it was wrong to give it that much thought, but also because he wouldn’t even know where to start. To his surprise, Bucky put his hand up.

“What?” he asked. “Remember Jacques bet me I couldn’t stick a bottle of beer down my throat? I won that one.”

Steve rolled his eyes. He didn’t actually remember. His best guess is he was agonizing in a corner about making Peggy like him. He tried not to choke on air when Tony’s hand went up following Rhodes’s. “You are going down. Literally,” he heard the scientist say. Pepper joined them as well, downing her entire champagne flute. Bruce ran his hand down his face.

“Captain?” he heard Sam ask him with a smirk.

“Oh, I’ll pass,” Steve said with a small smile. “The serum removed my gag reflex, it wouldn’t be fair.” He was happy to make his friends laugh, but he was still not going to slobber over some vodka filled jelly dicks. Even though he could. And he would probably win. Still wasn’t doing it.

After a brief rearranging, the contestants sat or kneeled around the table. Everyone moved out of the way, and Clint made sure to put some raunchy music on before getting in position. He dished out the jelly dicks on cake plates and got Vision to count to three. As soon as the word was said, they all bent their heads and went for it.

Steve took a moment to observe without looking like a pervert. Pietro had given up on his disappointment and was cheering on Wanda in typical supporting-my-twin-forever way. Wanda, for her part, kept her eyes down and opened her mouth wide to slide down on the thing. Vision seemed mildly amused by it. Steve wondered briefly how lust worked in his case, but the snort coming from Rhodey’s general direction stopped his thought. The man was trying his best not to choke on both the jelly dick and his laughter, leaning heavily into his palms on the table. Pepper wasn’t faring much better, pulling back and clutching at her chest to try and stop laughing.

Sam sat opposite Bucky, both of them staring at each other. Steve was trying to decide if it was flirting or competing, but he came up short. Fury sat on the side of an armchair, drinking whiskey from the bottle, probably lamenting how much money went into the Avengers Initiative. Steve couldn’t blame the man. His good eye was starting to lose focus, and Steve felt a slight pang of jealousy at the ability.

Thor and Jane were holding hands on the table, both of them trying to accommodate as much as possible down their throats. Jane seemed to be doing better, but it could have been the fact that she wasn’t smiling like an idiot. Thor… not so much. Darcy kept her eyes trained on Bruce. The scientist still had his small smile on, Steve was glad to see. Even if it looked vaguely pained, like he didn’t know what to do with his hands, or how to lean on the sofa better. Darcy pulled back, smirked at him, actually had the audacity to wink, and wiped at the corner of her mouth before taking most of the thing down her throat. For the first time since their competition started, Steve felt some inkling of arousal.

The whole thing was arousing in a way he supposed, but these were people he would be giving coffee to the following day when their hangovers wanted to kill them. They were the people he lived with, worked with, went to die for, trusted, and cherished. And for some reason, watching them try to deepthroat wasn’t exactly touching yourself material. Especially when half of them were at various degrees of hysterics, abandoning their task altogether in favour of laughter. Darcy was… different because Darcy was putting on a show. And Steve was many things, but not made of stone.

For some, it was a bonding experience – see Jane and Thor. For others, it was an excellent story – see Rhodey and Pepper. For others, it was blatant flirting – see Darcy and Bruce (who was cocking his head to the side; and Steve was absolutely certain that Dr. Banner was the only person in the world to watch their love interest perform a lascivious sex act and find it adorable.)

Clint pulled back to cheer on Natasha who was still going strong in the middle of them all, golden bejewelled crown crooked on her head. Steve felt proud of her determination, and also slightly turned on by the way her lips held on to the jelly.

Fury clicked his tongue from Steve’s side and it spoke volumes about how distracted Steve actually was. “Aren’t you glad you’re their leader?”

Steve nodded. “Hey, if all else fails, at least they can suck dick.”

Fury snorted in his glass. “I’m wondering who Clint used for the mould.”

“I don’t think I –”  

Freight train.

Tony leaned on his elbows, bending the jelly dick so he could suck on it and also look straight ahead. His eyes seemed glued to Steve’s thighs. He figured, as a last desperate thought, that the scientist was staring at whatever was in front of him, and at the highest point he could without rolling his eyes. Steve wanted to ignore the way the man’s throat bulged as he relaxed it to accommodate the phallus. He really, really did. But he’d seen the Godfather, and there was a bit there where Michael gets hit by lightning when he falls in love and Steve had no idea why that was where his mind took him, but it damned felt like Thor unleashed his thunder god power right through his spine. Tony swallowed around the thing, and Steve would swear until the end of time that the bottle of tequila he didn’t realise he was holding most definitely didn’t shatter in his fist. He was utterly speechless. And would you look at that, he could blush.

There was a vague sound of Rhodey whooping and Natasha clapping and Bucky cursing softly and Darcy laughing and Clint patting Tony’s shoulder. It all registered in the back of his head, including the proud look Tony threw him, and Maria inviting them all to eat a bunch of dicks. Steve turned away and walked to a bottle of scotch, conversation with Fury forgotten.

He welcomed the relative quiet and solitude while he tried to command his thoughts to re-enter some sort of order. He went to run his hands through his hair and of course he’d forgotten and watched the man he was suddenly aware he was attracted to deepthroating a jell-o dick while wearing a plastic tiara. Because being frozen for seventy years wasn’t ridiculous enough. He uselessly drank some more.

The music had changed by now, and everyone swapped impressions about their competition while swaying to it. Or at least he thought they were, he didn’t care all that much. Tony was showing Natasha his throat, explaining something about it and Steve’s mind brought back the image of the bulge, and what it treacherously decided to paint as heat in Tony’s eyes. Steve really wanted to get drunk. And yes, it wasn’t his party, but he could cry if he wanted to.

Bruce sat next to him, and if Steve were to chose, the man was probably his safest bet. With his kind eyes and gentle demeanour, at least he wouldn’t get chewed for being less than subtle. Steve handed him the bottle and they shared it between them in companionable silence. When Bruce pulled a second one from seemingly nowhere, Steve nodded his thanks.

“At least I can get drunk,” Bruce offered, and Steve found himself laughing. It was useless to think people hadn’t noticed his reaction, but this, this he could deal with.

“Well, I’m not a quitter. At least there’s less for all of you to drink, and that makes me happy.”

“Vicious,” Bruce said. “Not your normal mood, but I like it.”

“She’s really into you,” Steve said, not really caring at this point. “You should ask her out –”

“Yeah, no,” he repeated her earlier words, and Steve couldn’t help but find it endearing. “I tend to kind of break things when I get out.”

“Then ask her in. At least some of us would be home, if it makes you feel better.” Steve drank some more. “Besides, she’s not the type to anger people. Unless you can Hulk out from laughing too much.”

Bruce snorted. “Never happened before. I don’t laugh much.”

“From someone who has absolutely no idea what they’re doing to someone who’s conflicted as all hell: just spend some time with her. She’s probably the second kindest person I’ve ever met.” Bruce was too polite to push. “After you, I mean. Bruce, she’d be good for you.”

The scientist turned to face him. “Okay, are you sure you can’t get drunk? Cause you’re saying some liquor-wise things right now, some of which are complete bullshit,” he laughed.

Steve joined him. “Trust me, you’d know if I were drunk.”

“Well, I’ve got a nice buzz to get me to sleep, so I’m gonna cherish it and maybe improve it.”

“Bruce –"

“Steve, don’t. We can sit here all night with me getting drunker by the minute, and you staying as sober as always, and I could be listing a thousand and one reasons why it wouldn’t work. And honestly, I’d rather have a drink with a kindred spirit and then go to bed.”

Steve was many things, but not made of stone, and not a quitter. And focusing on someone else took his mind off his own shitty thoughts. Steve was many things, and even maybe a bit selfish. “So she’s younger than you.”

Bruce nodded vehemently. “Exactly! A whole life ahead of her!”

“So choosing for her is the way to go?”

There was a pause. “Well, no. But I’m making a conscious decision to not get her caught in this even if she thinks it’s what she wants.”

“So you’re choosing for her.”

“And she’s way out of my league!”

“Right.”

“And she’s funny and kind and perky and I’m not.”

“Okay…”

“And I can’t offer her stability or a family.” Bruce drank, passed the bottle to Steve, waited, took it back, and drank some more. “Or going out clubbing!”

“Of course.”

“Stop agreeing with everything I’m saying, Steve. It’s a low tactic.”

“Absolutely.”

“And she –"

“She’s beautiful,” Steve interrupted.

“So beautiful,” Bruce agreed with shining eyes. “She has this small smile on sometimes and a frown on her left side when something doesn’t make sense. And her face lights up when she talks about something she’s interested in.”

“Mhm.”

“And she knows I prefer almond milk and makes sure to add it to all the cups of coffee she brings me.” Bruce sighed. “And in the afternoon she makes my tea for me and brings me food sometimes when she knows I’ve been to busy and forgot to eat.”

“And of course, you do nothing similar for her,” Steve told him casually. He knew the only reason Bruce was so talkative was a lethal combination of misery and alcohol.

“Well, there was that exhibit I recommended. And I save her dinner every now and then.” Bruce sighed again. “I put away all the mugs in the labs so she doesn’t have to.” There was a long pause before the scientist spoke again. For a while, Steve thought he’d fallen asleep. “Oh, I also named a star after her. I mean she’s never going to know, but it’s just one of those things –"

There was some reward in staying sober when no one else did. Steve was certain to remember the moment Darcy Lewis stepped on the steel ledge at the bottom of the bar, leaned over the tall structure, gripped Bruce’s shirt, and pulled him for a kiss. And Steve was lonely and kind of miserable so he watched them because the warmth in his chest was beautiful, and it was so much better than the loudness in his head.

When she pulled back, Bruce was dazed and very confused. He managed a weak “What?”

“I stood and listened to you go on and on about this and that and maybe I’d have walked away and processed everything and then come up with a plan. But then you mentioned the fucking star, and I swear to god Banner, you’re the worst!” Darcy told him in one breath. She looked at Steve and grabbed the bottle out of his hands with a quiet “thanks,” then poured a glass and downed it.

“I… am?” Bruce asked uncertain.

“Yes! I spent the last six months of my life trying to find a way to be close to you, and you go and do some dumb shit that I can’t even begin to understand.” She turned to Steve. “Like, how do you even name a star after someone?” Steve shrugged helplessly.

“Darcy…”

“Don’t you Darcy me! With your stupid curly hair and your glasses,” she took a deep breath when Bruce unconsciously pushed them back up on his nose, “and your rolled up sleeves, and your kindness, and your smiles! Acting like you can decide what’s best for me.” Bruce had the decency to flinch at her accusation, his face flushed at her aggressive compliments.

“I just don’t think…” he started.

“That’s the thing. For someone so fucking smart, you’re being an idiot.” She turned to Steve. “Now, you. Both this dummy and myself and kinda drunk and I need you to bear witness to all this for when he’s trying to deny it all in typical fashion.” Steve nodded solemnly, trying to hold his laughter in. Everything was surreal. His entire life was a joke. “Now, you’re gonna get up,” she said, pulling at Bruce’s hand, “and walk with me over to that massive armchair. I’m gonna climb in your lap and you’re gonna tell me every reason you have for not wanting me –"

“But I do!”

Darcy was unfazed. “And I’m gonna counter-argue with my vast debate skills – what?”

Bruce sighed and walked around the bar. He rubbed his face with both his hands and pulled Darcy in a hug. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

Steve really wanted to get drunk before he punched someone for being stubborn and impossible. Bruce. Before he punched Bruce and got him to Hulk out and Steve was going to stop that train of thought right there. Trains. God damn it.

“So…?”

“So I think you can do better and I’d rather not waste your time,” he finally admitted defeatedly.

“I swear to god,” Darcy said and lifted her head to kiss Bruce again. The warmth in Steve’s chest was back, and maybe he wasn’t dead inside yet. She broke their kiss again, and stayed glued to Bruce’s side as she walked them away. “Thanks, Steve, you’re the best!” she said loudly, and Steve wanted to duck. Everyone who heard her turned to look at him.

Trying to at least look normal, Steve lifted his hand to salute them and touched plastic. He forgot about the tiara again. No, seriously. His life was a joke. He gave up completely and just let his head fall forward on his forearms. The metal on his back made it clear who it was that came to comfort or confront him – he had no idea.

“So, Stevie. Should I get Stark to dance with me as well? It seems to be working tonight,” he said and Steve could hear the smugness in his voice.

He lifted his head to look his oldest, best friend in the eyes. “Fuck off, Buck.”

Next part

Masterlist

This can also be found on Ao3.

Send me opinions and thoughts and random things, ily all x

#stony #stony fanfic #tony x steve #steve rogers x tony stark #avengers fanfiction #llexeh writes #steve is going to lose his damn mind

[jadewritings]

You're More Than That part 3

Author's Note: OOOOHH MA goodness is it hot in here or what 😩😩

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Reader

Word count: 1, 500

Warnings: Language, SMUT, Masturbation, Fingering, gangs (let me know if there’s anything else)

Summary: An ex of yours drives you away. But, in doing so, you’ve stumbled upon something much more dangerous. You must decide whether to be on the streets and on the run or with the most dangerous of them all.

After Sam left you'd sat on the bed and thought to yourself for a while. What if you didn't make it out alive? What if you did but you had to stay here and be their slave or something? Or even worse, you made it out and had to continue running from Daniel?

At least staying here, they hadn't hurt you (physically) unlike if Daniel had gotten his grubby hands on you.

Standing, you grunted in pain when your spine cracked. Sounds worse than it was but you figured a nice steamy bath would settle your aching body.

You opened the bathroom door and took a good look this time. Black marbled flooring along with white walls painted with flowers that connected by their stems flowed from one side to another. In the far right corner was the bath tub, all on its own with a separate shower on the other end. The toilet was just left to the doorway along with a two sink counter in front of it.

You sighed, ready to feel the hot water around your body as you stripped of your clothes. You turned the bath knob all the way up and noticed the bottle on the counter. You grabbed it, poured it in and shook the water to create bubbles. A bubble bath that smelled like watermelon was perfect.

Carefully and slowly, you put on foot into the tub, letting your skin get used to the scalding water. Soon, your were able to sink down till your neck was just above the water.

For the first time in weeks, you were able to relax. Your eyes fluttered closed and your mind began to wander to things that might not have been so appropriate given your situation.

But that didn't stop the things from getting more... intricate. You thought back to when Sam held the towel up to cover you so you could get changed. Then, your mind began to come up with different senarios. How, he could have thrown you in the car and taken you right then and there instead of politely looking away. How, when just a few minutes ago, his tongue swiped across his bottom lip, you thought that it could be put to use in very pleasurable ways.

Wait - why were you thinking of Sam? You were supposed to be relaxing, taking a soothing bath. Then you thought of the words that Dean had said to you before Sam interrupted, "And maybe even love me."

Thoughts of having both Winchester brothers bend to your beck and call ripped through any other thought and now, you couldn't control anything.

Your hands began to massage your thighs, slipping even lower until they lingered over your cunt. You gasped softly, imagining it was Sam's hand, running through the water and playing with your clit. He would bring his thumb down on it and press hard until you were begging him to fulfill your every need.

He would then take his index and middle finger and slip them inside of you, pumping it slowly while your walls clenched around them. The need to have more beginning to make you moan.

As Sam's finger would work you, you could feel Dean standing behind you, smirking at his little brother. He would grab your breasts and knead then while one hand pinched and pulled on your nipple, making both of them harden.

"Faster, Sam, please. I need more." You moaned. It was said smoothly, laced with the hunger and desire to release.

You were so close and Sam's fingers went faster and faster. And the more Dean played with your breasts, the more you could feel the coil in your stomach come close to snapping.

Finally, your own fingers brought out the fantastic release. You shook and moaned, the water moving with your swaying motions.

"Well, that was better than any other time I've had to masturbate." You spoke to yourself, looking around the bathroom. Your eyes landed at the bottom of the closed door. You saw a shadow pass and your heart almost leaped out of your chest. Had someone been listening? If so, who?

Now that you had taken a bath, granted, you didn't want to ever get out, you got dressed and pulled on a light purple sweater and some blue jeans.

Suddenly, you heard a commotion down stairs. It was obvious that they were arguing and it didn't sound pleasant. You made your way through the halls, passing several rooms guarded by many men, and down some stairs until you stopped in the door way of the living room.

There, you saw Sam, Dean, and Cas as well as some people you didn't recognize, including an old man that had some features similar to Sam and Dean.

"Look, Sam, just hear Crowley out."

"Oh, and you trust this guy more than your own son?!" Sam looked frustrated and angry. Very angry.

Crowley interrupted them, "You may still have Meg's trust but I never trusted you! You hurt my sister and picking up a waitress in the middle of the night isn't helping your cause!"

Crowley pulled out a gun and aimed it at Sam. For some odd reason, you felt the need to protect Sam. You ran forward and stood in front of him.

"You wanna kill him, you'll have to go through me!" Your heart was pounding and the room quieted around you. All you could focus on was the gun pointed at your face.

"Y/N, what the hell are you doing?" Sam whispered into your ear, his hands placed on either side of your hips.

"I don't know to be honest, I just sort of did it." You whispered back.

"Sam, who the fuck is this?" The older man yelled across the room. He'd taken a few steps toward the Crowley man in the process.

"Crowley, get your piece out of Y/N's face." Sam spoke with caution.

"So, this is the famous Y/N?" Crowley lowered his gun. "I don't mind sticking another 'piece' in her face if you know what I mean." Crowley smirked and you grimaced.

Behind you, you heard Sam growl, along with Dean. Sam moved you to the side, now facing Crowley head on. You wanted to say something but he had a gun that he didn't seem to mind using at a moments notice.

"Look I don't want any trouble." You said.

"Neither did I but yet here you are." He smirked once more, eyeing you up and down.

"I-I didn't mean to intrude so I think I'll just take my leave now." You stepped away but Crowley circled you like a vulture.

"I get what you see in her, Moose. She's quite the eye candy."

Your heart sped up a little out of fear. Sam instinctively stepped a bit closer, "That's enough now, Crowley."

Sam was about to grab your arm but Crowley beat him to it and had your back against his chest in an instant, his gun to your temple.

"Ah, ah, ah, Sam. Since you broke my sisters heart, I think you can repay me by letting me keep your little pet. Not so bad a deal, ey? I'll keep the peace pact and we can all go on our merry way."

You were scared to say the least. Crowley roughly sniffed up your neck. It didn't feel right and you wanted to run and vomit but you couldnt. Sam looked conflicted.

"You might want to take him up on his offer son. We need this. We can't have another war between the families again." His father spoke up after staying silent the whole time.

"Pop, do you really want an alliance with this guy?! He's trash, pure and simple!"

Sam's dad's nostrils flared, "Don't you dare disrespect me! How dare you act like this when peace hangs in the balance! You don't get to decide the future of your family out of pettiness!"

Sam's jaw clenched and he looked away. Clearly his dad's words had meaning behind them.

Crowley continued, "It's clear that Sam doesn't want to marry Meg. So in exchange, I'll keep Y/N and we can go on as we were. Peace in tact."

"Are you kidding me?" Sam scoffed.

"It may be worth considering, son." Sam's dad looked at him with determination.

"John ain't wrong boss." Cas spoke up.

John, Sam's dad, added, "Think of all the blood we wouldn't have to spill anymore. Not one drop."

"You might want to go with them, Moose. It's a good deal." Crowley said, he dropped the gun from your temple but kept a tight grip on your arm.

You looked at Sam. He seemed to be considering it. Which worried you.

Sam looked to his father who nodded, "You know what to do son."

You tried to speak, "Sam, look, I -"

"Shut it Y/N! Let the man think!" Cas yelled at you.

Sam looked at you with that familiar sadness and you pleaded with him with your eyes.

"Take her."

•Part 4•

*Let me know if you want to or do not want to be tagged with an ASK, please I do not want to disturb or anger anyone* p.s I'm on mobile so I can't put the keep reading thingy otherwise I would. Also, don't know when the next part is coming out, I'm working on a buncha different things.

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[divisive-rather-than-indecisive]

So I’m always posting stuff about writing (because I write a lot), but I have never actually posted any of my writing. Here’s my solution: I wrote this original short story for a Creative Writing class in 2017. It went through an extensive editing process that lasted 2 weeks and I think it turned out well.  I hope you like it. It’s titled “Drowning in the Deep.”

Emma pushed open the metal gate and placed her bare feet on the blazing concrete.  She tugged at the striped top of her two piece as she scanned the crowded area.  She was supposed to be meeting Walter there, though she hated swimming pools.  Walter did not know that she could not swim, which may have been why he had chosen the country club’s pool as a nice place to meet up.  The last time Emma had been near a pool flashed into her mind and she shuddered at the memory.  She had been young and believed she was a mermaid so she had jumped into her mother’s koi pond.  Her mother had panicked and so had she when she realized that she could not breathe under the water like a mermaid could.  Her cheeks flushed at the memory and she took a deep breath to calm herself.  The scent of chlorine stung her nostrils as she edged closer to the pool, squinting to spot Walter through the sun’s glare on the water.

Emma smiled as she recalled the scene that had led to this date.  Both Emma and Walter had walked down the aisle in cap and gown and Emma knew that this ceremony might be the last chance she had to ask Walter out.  She had liked him since their first conversation when he had made her laugh so hard that she spewed milk from her nose onto the lunch table.  Emma figured that she had nothing to lose because if he rejected her invitation, they would never see each other again after this day; but if he accepted her invitation, they could share the best summer of their lives.  She tucked a stray curl behind her ear as she approached Walter.  He was standing with a group of their friends near the drink table.  He turned to her, a smile spreading across his face.

“Hey, Emma,” he said, waving her over.  “We were just about to split and go find something fun to do as a sort of last hurrah.”

“Wanna come with?” one of their friends invited.

She shook her head.  “Thanks, but I’m going to dinner with my family after this.  I actually wanted to ask Walter a question.”  She looked d at Walter, trying to decipher his expression.

Walter turned to their friends.  “You guys go ahead.  I’ll catch up in my car.  Text me when you figure out where you’re going.”

Emma watched her friends walk towards the door, waving as they went.  She turned to Walter, a little hesitant now that her moment had come.  She had prepared for this with almost the same dedication as the valedictorian had prepared for his speech.

“Walter,” she began, her voice sounding too shaky to continue, “would you like to, um, maybe hang out?”

Walter’s eyebrow raised.  “I thought you had to go somewhere with your family.”

“No, no.”  She released a nervous chuckle.  “I meant like a, well, like a date.”  She glanced up at his face, trying to gauge his reaction.  His smile widened.

“I would love to, Emma.”  He touched her arm gently.  “Got any ideas of where to go?”

She shook her head.

“Why not the pool where I work?  I could get us both in and swimming is the perfect summer activity,” Walter said.

Emma glanced at the floor.  She needed something to do with Walter, but she couldn’t swim.  She was far too embarrassed to admit this fact to him.  She struggled to accept his suggestion.  Surely there were other places to go in this town.  The hopeful look on Walter’s face changed her mind.  She would do anything to spend time with him.

“The pool sounds great.”  Emma smiled as the lie slipped through her lips.

“Hey, Emma.”  Walter’s suave voice broke Emma out of her reverie.  Walter embraced her, pressing her beach bag flush to her bare stomach.  She stepped out of the hug, her heart fluttering and her cheeks brightening.  Emma pushed her brown hair from her face as she ran her eyes down Walter’s slim figure.  His skin held a faint red tint.  His blonde, shaggy hair was dripping and he smelled of chlorine almost as strongly as the pool itself.

“I take it you’ve been waiting for me, then,” she assumed, her eyes already scanning for a nice spot to sunbathe.  Walter flashed her a lopsided grin and shook his hair, water droplets flying in all directions as he did so.  Emma cringed and took a step away from him.  She swiped at her pale shoulders, brushing the water droplets from them.

“Sorry,” he said in the most unsympathetic voice she had ever heard.  Emma shook her head at him, a smile creeping onto her lips.  It was hard to stay mad at that boy.  “I’m gonna take a few more laps around the pool if you want to join,” he invited, gesturing towards the steps.  She gripped the strap of her beach bag tightly as she hurried for an excuse not to join him.

“Actually, I’m gonna work on my tan.  But I’ll watch you,” she blurted.

“Sounds great.”  He nodded, sauntering back to the pool.

She stepped around several pool chairs containing watchful mothers and sleeping sunbathers.  Emma passed the empty lifeguard chair, but did not take note of it.  She finally found a spot large enough to spread out her beach towel.  Fortunately, the spot had a great view of the pool; unfortunately, the great view came from the close proximity to the pool’s edge.  Walter swam closer to the side of the pool where Emma lounged.  She dragged her hand through the water, seeming not to notice his approach.  She drew her hand back and sent a splash straight into his face.  He spluttered, his eyes darting to her.  She fell back against her towel, laughter shaking her body.

“So that’s how you want to play,” he muttered.  Walter drew in a deep breath and dropped below the surface of the pool.  Emma wiped a tear from her eye before noticing his absence.  She sat up, searching the heads bobbing above the waves for his blonde head.  Walter burst from the water directly in front of her face, dousing her with pool water and causing her heart to flutter and her pulse to quicken.  Emma shook her head, giggling, as Walter climbed out of the pool.  He sat on the edge, teetering with his arms crossed.  Before he could react, Emma reached out a hand and firmly shoved him back.

She was still laughing when he grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the pool with him.  She squeezed her eyes shut as the surface came rushing towards her.  Her head hit the water with a splash and the world became muffled as water filled her ears.  She struggled against Walter’s grip on her wrist.  He pulled her farther under the water and released her wrist.  Emma tried to hold her breath as she sank deeper below the surface of the pool, but she had not had enough time to gather a breath in her lungs.  Her chest burned and she could no longer hold what little breath she had.  She tried to reach for something to force her head back out of the water, but everything was out of reach.  Emma’s mouth opened as if of its own accord and her chest expanded as water trickled down her throat.  Her feet could not reach the bottom, but as she inhaled more water the checkered bottom of the pool drew closer.  She could see Walter’s red shorts, but could not seem to reach far enough to grasp them.  Her hair flowed upwards, floating into her mouth with the water.  The chlorine burned her eyes, her throat, her lungs.  Her heart sped up, its loud beats echoing in her ears.  She tried pushing herself off of the floor, but she did not seem to have enough strength.

Emma watched as Walter pressed his face to the water, still grinning at her.  His face slowly changed, the grin disappearing and his eyes widening.  He reached for her, his head bobbing above the surface before he dove towards her.  She could see Walter swimming to her, his eyes wide with panic, his movements fast and frantic.  Emma lifted a hand to touch him, but her hand merely drifted back down.  Her body felt too heavy.  Walter kicked his feet, but he seemed to be getting farther away.  She closed her eyes; she was beginning to feel light headed.  Strong arms wrapped around her chest, pulling her upwards from under her arms.  Her head burst through the surface of the water; her body shook with coughs, her lungs grasping for any available air.  Walter’s firm arms lifted her from the pool and she huddled on her beach towel.  Her lungs and throat burned and she could taste the chlorine that she had swallowed.  She opened her stinging eyes only long enough to see the sheer panic in Walter’s brown eyes.  A crowd had begun to cluster near Emma and Walter, their smartphones drawn and cameras on.  She gagged, her throat and chest constricting as she struggled to breathe.  She coughed again, bile rising in her mouth as she vomited water all over the pavement.  The lifeguard had returned to his post and began to usher people away from the scene despite heavy protesting.

A man in a white shirt pushed his way through the crowd.  He knelt next to Emma as her body continued to shake.  He must have been a paramedic.  He examined her and stayed beside her until her breathing resumed a regular pattern.  Emma drew her beach towel around her shoulders and hugged it close as she shivered.  The sun loomed high over the pool though its oppressive heat did nothing to chase the chill from Emma’s bones.  Pool chairs had been pushed out of the way around her, some tipped onto their sides.

“I’m sorry.”  Walter’s voice cracked and he brushed a hand down his cheek.  “I was just – just playing.  I didn’t –.”  She wanted to move away from him, but she could not summon the strength.  His horseplay had almost cost her life.  She did not want his petty excuses so she cut him off, her voice scratchy and quaking.

“It’s – I’m fine.  I’m okay, I’m okay.”  She tried to sound firm, but she stuttered as she shivered again.  Emma hugged her knees to her chest.  A single tear rolled down Walter’s cheek and slipped to the concrete.

“I could’ve killed you.  Why didn’t you just tell me that you can’t swim?”  Walter turned to her, his eyes scanning hers.

“What would you have thought if I told you that?  We just graduated high school.  It’s a bit embarrassing to be close to leaving for college and not being able to do something as simple as swim,” Emma raised her voice more with each word.  She ran a shaking hand through her dripping hair.

Walter sighed.  “We could have met somewhere else, you know.”  

She tried to interject, but he spoke again, shaking his head.  

“What a crappy first date.”

Emma gave a small smile.  “Maybe we could try again somewhere else?” she almost whispered.  She was still shaking, but she could see now that the incident was not entirely his fault.  She had been the one to splash him first.

He looked at her, a smile creeping onto his lips.  “Anything else you need to tell me before we decide where to go?”

“I really like coffee,” she confessed, grinning widely at him.  He laughed and helped her to her feet.

“Can’t drown in a coffee shop,” Walter remarked.  To Emma the hot sun seemed to soften as it shone down on her and Walter and she laced her fingers through his.

#writing #writer #originalwork #shortstory

[afaye1999]

Endlessly [Noctis Lucis Caelum]

This is the second Noctis fanfic I had written and it was honestly my favorite one to write. It's seriously not the best, but I enjoyed it. Originally posted on Quotev. The song it was inspired by was "Endlessly" by The Cab. (The lyrics in italics)

I hope you guys enjoy it as well. Feedback is always welcomed!❤ -6.7 pages 2414 words-

There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece,

I swear it.

Yeah, I know that it's cheap; Not like gold in your dreams, but I hope that you'll still wear it.

He sat in the booth with his friends. They were all babbling on about something, but the young adult male just fidgeted with a small plastic ring incased in a plastic container a little bigger than the ring that he had gotten from a gumball machine.

He couldn't help but let his mind trail off towards her. She was beautiful. Her hair was long and a trailed down her back. The natural waves of it perfectly in sync with one another. Her skin was flawless and the time he was even lucky enough to brush his fingers against an exposed patch, it felt softer than petals on a fully bloomed rose. Her eyes were hypnotic and her voice was smoother than a fine wine that slid down your throat with ease, leaving you with wanting more until you became completely intoxicated.

She didn't know that he was the prince, but even if she did, she didn't seem like she cared, but Noctis wanted to keep up the masquerade. He shook the piece of 'jewelry' in its plastic tomb.

"Uh, Noct?" Prompto questioned the zoned out ravenette, giving him a curious look.

"Whatcha got there?" Gladiolus said teasingly as he snatched the toy ring from the prince.

"Hey! Give it back!" Noctis yelled as he reached over the table and snatched it back. This time tucking it safely away in his pocket.

"What does the royal highness need with a toy ring?" Ignis said giving the now embarrassed prince a questionable stare.

"No reason.." He muttered back, trying to act like the past minute never happened. He turned his head to gaze out the window trying to hide the fire to his cheeks, but failing miserably.

Even though he could confide in his pals for anything, he didn't want them to know about why he had it, let alone her. He watched as cars passed by, the thought of her still invading his thoughts 

"Yo Noooct! Let's go, I'm tired." Prompto yelled to the unresponsive male. Noctis looked to his friend and exited the booth making their way towards the Regalia after paying.

It was late and Noctis had snuck out. Probably wasn't his best idea to travel alone at night with daemons looming about, but it was the only time he'd get alone.

He uncaged the small plastic ring and let out a long exhale before clentching his fist around it. What was he thinking? Why was he even trying to attempt this? He felt shy and awkward. Anxiety causing his palms to become sweaty and self doubt to settle in. 

Yeah, the ink may stain my skin and my jeans may all be ripped.

I'm not perfect, But I swear I'm perfect for you.

And there's no guarantee that this will be easy. It's not a miracle you need, believe me.

Now I'm no angel; I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly.

Wings aern't what you need, you need me.

He felt like hopping back into the car and heading back to the small hotel they were staying at. It took alot just to get to where he was and now that he was here, it was harder trying to muster up the courage to see her, let alone give her some toy ring.

What was he thinking? This was embarrassing and she would probably laugh in his face for even trying to give her such a petty thing. He might as well have had came clean and bought her something that she deserved. Something that, even though would pale in comparison to her beauty, would complement her and show that he wanted her for himself.

He took a deep breath and forced himself up the stairs to the hotel room she said she was staying at.

When the two first met, she seemed to not recognize who Noctis was. He had bumped into her, making her drop whatever she had in her small arms all over the black top. She had snapped at him rather quickly, causing him to be taken back by her venomous words, but she had apologized mere seconds later.

Noctis just helped her with her things and this was the start of their friendship. She didn't know he was royalty and to be honest she didn't care about what went on in the kingdom or who was in charge. She had better things to do than keep up with someone else's life.

After all, she had her own life to live.

The female laid in the bed staring out the sliding glass doors. She didn't bother shutting the blinds. Nobody in Eos was bad and she was sure that no one would bother being a peeping tom.

Noctis ran through her mind. Images of running her fingers through his soft blue-black hair. Getting lost in his dark eyes. Brushing her plump lips against his. She wanted the male. She wanted to be next to him. For him to help warm her bed. To roll over in the morning and press her body against his. She wanted to feel his fingers graze her cheek before he would steal a kiss.

The fact of the matter was that she is lonely and she wanted to feel complete.

She wanted him.

Him and every problem, flaw, and smile that came along.

She wanted his love.

The young woman ran her fingers over her face and through her semi-wet hair as she huffed out a long, hot breath of air. She climbed out of the comfort of her sheets before stepping out onto the balcony and letting the night air engulf her somewhat bare body.

There's a house on the hill with a view of the town and I know how you adore it.

So I'll work everyday through the sun and thr rain until I can afford it.

Yeah, your friends may think I'm crazy cause they can only see I'm not perfect,

But I swear that I'm perfect for you.

Noctis knocked lightly on the door, shoving the hand that held the small ring in his pocket. Each passing second felt like an eternity waiting for her to answer the door, but before she could make her way back into the room towards the door Noctis ran down the steps into the safety of his car and sped off.

The prince silently cursed to himself, hitting a hand on the steering wheel. He felt idiotic. When he arrived at the hotel he was staying at with his friends he didn't bother going inside. Instead he sat on the steps leading to the front door.

"What is wrong with you...she's just a girl.." He whispered to himself, not noticing that Prompto had made his way outside.

"Who is?" The blond had said to the embarrassed male, startling him.

"No one." Noctis managed to choke out. Prompto was his bestfriend and he had met him in school. He told Prompto more than Ignis and Gladiolus, but for some reason he didn't want to confide into the same age male.

Prompto didn't want to accept that as an answer and Noctis knew that.

"C'mon dude." Prompto whined, being sure to make eye contact with the quiet soon to be king.

Noctis pulled out the fake painted gold ring with a small white pretend diamond placed perfectly in the center. The ring looked real and like it could be used as a wedding band, but Noctis had only paid 25 cents for it.

He gave the ring a slight toss towards Prompto and watched as he caught it and help it up to the moon before handing it back.

"What do you plan on doing with that?" He questioned and watched as Noctis shrugged his shoulders.

Noctis wasn't lying even though he had an idea on what he wanted to do with it. He also knew that if he didn't act quick he would most likely never get to see the female again.

"I want to give it to this girl.." Noctis finally let out. He felt a sense of relief flow through him.

"You couldn't have gotten her one that's , I don't know, real?" Prompto put emphasis on the word real. Noctis shook his head before answering.

"She doesn't know that I'm the 'soon to be king', at least I don't think she does." He stated stealing a quick glance at Prompto who looked as if he was deep in thought.

"Oh.." Prompto managed to get out, "You know, we'll be leaving here soon to Altissa, right? And what about lady Luna?" He looked seriously at the prince.

"I don't know.," Noctis groaned out, "That's why I feel so conflicted and I've been quiet lately. I don't know what I'm doing." He ran his hand down his face. He played with the fake ring with his free hand and looked towards Prompto.

"Go." Prompto said with a smile.

"Huh?" The prince looked to him confused.

"Go to her Noct. She obviously means something to you. I'll cover for you and the missing car. Just try to hurry back." Prompto told him, still smiling but placing a hand on his shoulder. Noctis nodded okay to the childish blond.

Noctis hopped in the Regalia, speeding of towards her once again, this time confidence over flowing out of him.

There's no guarantee that this will be easy.

It's not a miracle you need, believe me.

Now I'm no angel. I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly.

Wings aern't what you need, you need me.

You need me.

Noctis stood outside the hotel, this time facing towards the sliding glass doors. He threw small pebbles at the glass trying to get her attention. When she woke up, she jumped at the sudden sound of rock hitting the glass. She slipped on a small robe and made her way out of the room and onto the balcony.

When ger vision focused, she saw her raven haired friend that she was dreaming about. He stood down on the ground, looking up towards her.

"Hang on, I'll be down!" She yelled and watched as he nodded.

She couldn't believe that he was here, especially with how late it actually was. She slipped on pants and a t-shirt that was thrown to the ground and made her way outside. The early morning night air hit her causing her to shiver, but she didn't mind the cold breeze. She met up with the prince.

"Get in." He said in a rushed tone as he opened the passenger side door for the lady. Once she had obliged, he shut the door and hopped in taking off.

"Where are we going?" She questioned. It wasn't that she didn't trust her new found friend, she was just curious.

"You'll see." He said, confidence oozing out of the smile he flashed at her quickly.

The sun was rising and he was set on heading to towards the ocean. The woman didn't have much, let alone a car and he vaugly remembered that she said she would like to vist the ocean.

Once they arrived he had her close her eyes as he led her towards the water. They had left their shoes in the car and let the cool sand squeeze between their toes until they hit the edge of where the salty water connected. She knew instantly where they were and became a little too excited when Noctis had removed his hands.

"There..." He whispered in satisfaction as he took in the view as well.

"Noct.." The girl gasped, placing a hand over her open mouth then turned to the prince in hiding. "You didn't have to bring me here.." She whispered before throwing her arms around his neck hugging him.

They sat at the beach for about an hour. It was still early, but he knew how bad he would be scolded if Ignis found out.

"Oh..I wanted to give you something.." Noctis stated nervously before digging around in his pocket.

The ink may stain my skin and my jeans may all be ripped. 

I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.

There's no guarantee that this will be easy. It's not a miracle you need, believe me.

Now I'm no angel; I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly.

Wings aern't what you need, you need me.

You need me.

The girl smiled and waited patiently until Noctis pulled out the ring and handed it too her. Careful to hide his face for the fire that was building on his cheeks.

"Now I know its not much.. and It's not real.. But I.." He started out mumbling.

The girl didn't care. She loved it and she would cherish it for eternity. She slipped it on her finger and pulled Noctis's face toward hers. She had a big smile on her face and it got even wider seeing him blush. 

"I love it Prince Noctis." She stated before softly pressing her lips on his.

Noctis didn't hesitate to kiss back or pull her closer, causing her to fall ontop of him while he place his hand at the base of her skull. He entangled his fingers in her hair and broke the kiss, not breaking eye contact with her though.

"I thought.." He started, but she had cut him off.

"I knew the whole time Noct." She said smiling before leaning down for another kiss.

When they got back to the hotel she was staying at she started to climb out of the car. The prince grabbed her wrist quickly making her stop.

"Hey.. I'll be back for you. I promise." After that he let go. She gave him a sad smile and waved goodbye.

Little did the young adults know that he wouldn't be coming back.

There's a shop down the street that sells plastic rings for a quarter a piece

I swear it.

Yeah, I know that its cheap, not like gold in your dreams

But I hope you'll still wear it..

-The End-

#noctis x reader #noctis ffxv #prince noctis #noctis lucis caelum #final fantasy #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #ff15 #ffxv #Noctis #noctis fanfic #fanfiction #endlessly #the cab #music inspired fanfics

[citious]

CHAPTER 2

Characters

Main: Song Jiwon, Yoon Jinmyung, Jung Yeeun, Yoo Eunjae, Jo Eun, Kang Yina, Im Sungmin, Kwon Hochang, Jo Chungwon, Seo Janghoon

Note: If you haven’t read the first chapter, you may do so here –> First Chapter

In a nutshell: It all happens in one day, so it’s gonna be quite a long journey ahead. Follow the Belle Epoque girls’ journey in celebrating their loneliest, to the most memorable Valentine’s Day of their lives.

Rating: M

After dropping Jiwon off at Belle Epoque, Sungmin went back home to rest. 

When he laid himself on the bed, the conversation he had with Chungwoon last year came to his mind.

5th October 2017

Chungwon: Hyung, you like Jiwon-sunbae, right? Then why aren’t you guys dating?

Sungmin: Is being in a relationship better than being friends?

Chungwon: Eeey, Hyung, what happens if Jiwon gets herself a boyfriend? It’s not that you don’t like her, but you’re scared of confessing to her, right?

This statement really made Sungmin’s blood boil, he cursed at Chungwon for lecturing him on his love life. 

Sungmin pretended to sleep, but he was kept awake all night, thinking about the possibility that another guy might really like Jiwon and take her away from him. 

Honestly, some of the things Chungwon said was right, but his pride and ego as a guy refused to agree to it.

Sungmin himself is a motae solo. He doesn’t exactly know how to approach the opposite gender, and he’s THAT awkward when it comes to romance and love.

 He does watch a lot of romantic films, dramas, and even read the most cliché romance novel out there, but theory and practice are two drastically different things. 

So, putting all the things he learnt through watching all those cheesy romance on screen together with his current state of friendship with Jiwon, is challenging.

For the first time, Sungmin actually put much thought on his feelings, even though it stays as a monologue, at least he’s being honest with himself.

Jiwon is my precious friend. I honestly don’t know how she feels about me. I’m afraid that she’ll reject me and we can’t get back together as friends. Even if she accepts me and be in a relationship, what will happen if we breakup? Can we stay as close friends again? I’m so afraid to lose her. More than being selfish, I’d rather have her beside me as a really close friend.

Sungmin paused his monologue as a notification came out on his phone screen. He opened it and saw messages from Jiwon.

‘Is this even real?’ Sungmin thought to himself. Sungmin was startled and he hesitated a lot, but he agreed to go anyway. ‘It’s in a 5 Star restaurant’. The place itself is already suspicious, ‘oh well… Maybe she really wanted to thank me.’

14th February 2018, Morning at Belle Epoque

8.00 a.m.

Yeeun woke up to her morning alarm she set at 8 a.m. She reached out for her phone and swiped the off button to make the alarm stop. She sat down on her bed and stretched her body with a smile on her face. 

She saw Jiwon who’s still fast asleep on her bed and quickly grabbed her towel and clothes she has prepared the night before, and went to the bathroom to get ready. 

Yeeun wanted to doll herself up cause she’s looking forward to her date with Hochang. She doesn’t know where he’s gonna take her, but she does have high hopes.

As Yeeun did her makeup, Hochang messaged her to meet him at the subway station, in which Yeeun replied: Ok ^.^

9:33 a.m.

Back at Belle Epoque, Kang-eonni called Jiwon early in the morning that she has set her up for a blind date with an acquaintance.

Jiwon: Hello?

Yina: Annyeong, good morning!

Jiwon: Why are you calling me so early in the morning?

Yina: I’ve set a blind date for you today with my acquaintance

Jiwon: Is he handsome?

Yina: More than handsome, I think he will suit you perfectly.

Jiwon: Arasseo. Where is it?

Yina: Villa Sortino, 8 p.m.

Jiwon: That 5 star restaurant?!

Yina: Eo, what’s wrong?

Jiwon: Ani, I’m super excited! Kang-eonni, yeokshi… you’re the best!

Yina: Arasseo, have fun! Thank me later. The table is reserved under your name okay?

Jiwon: Hm…

10.00 a.m.

The doorbell rang as Jo Eun who just went out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth, opened the front door without looking at the monitor. 

She almost fainted as she realized who’s standing in front of her. It’s Seo Janghoon in his military uniform and cap.

Before Janghoon could say a word, suddenly the door in front of him was slammed hard and it closed. 

Eun who’s inside didn’t know what to do when she found out her boyfriend is standing just outside. She rubbed her eyes to check if she’s actually dreaming, but she’s not. 

She opened the door again and asked coldly,

Eun: Why are you here?

Janghoon: Is that the first thing you have to say to your boyfriend who’s been gone for 5 months?

Eun: I freaking missed you. You! Why didn’t you call me? I was waiting for your call day and night.

Janghoon who couldn’t stand looking at Eun who was sulking, tip-toed to kiss her lips.

Janghoon: I missed you too. Should we go on a date today?

Eun’s expression instantly brightened when Janghoon said that, showing her excitement for their Valentine’s day date.

Janghoon: I’ll wait for you downstairs. Call me when you’re ready.

Eun: Arasseo. See you later!

Subway Station

11.25 a.m.

Yeeun sped up as she saw Hochang waiting in front of the station, looking more stylish than usual, still with his glasses on, though. 

‘He looks great,’ Yeeun thought silently.

Yeeun wrapped her arms around Hochang’s and asked

Yeeun: So where are you taking me?

Hochang: It’s a secret. Let’s go eat first! What do you want to have?

Yeeun: Anything!

Hochang: Wanna have beef stew? I know a famous place people have been recommending.

Yeeun: Hmm, okay, we can have that

Hochang led Yeeun to go down the subway station as they head for the restaurant.

Restaurant

12.08 p.m.

As it’s a very famous place, all the tables are occupied, but luckily Hochang and Yeeun secured a table.

Hochang: Eat it deliciously, okay? I wanna see you eat a lot today, it’s gonna be a long day.

Yeeun: Since when did my boyfriend become this caring? Arasseo, I’ll eat well!

‘Forget about diet,’ Yeeun thought. ‘When I eat with Hochang, I never had a problem enjoying whatever’s in front of me.’

As Yeeun ate from the bowl of beef stew happily in front of Hochang, he smiled…

After lunch, Yeeun initiated that the two of them watch a movie

Yeeun: Can we go watch a movie? I’ve been wanting to watch this movie.

Hochang: Of course we can, let’s go!

Movie Theater

14.05 p.m.

Hochang: What movie is it?

Yeeun: The new movie of 50 shades.

Hochang: What?! Are you sure? (Hochang asked as he felt awkward watching that kind of movie with his girlfriend)

Yeeun: Eo, I’m sure. You’re an adult already. There’s no need to be so scared

Hochang: (He tried to give in, as all he wanted to do that day is to make Yeeun happy). Arasseo, I’ll buy the tickets and snacks.

Theatre Room

14.30 p.m.

The lights went off as the screen started to play advertisements for a long 15 minutes….

…

The scene in the movie showed the main characters’ passionate lovemaking. Hochang swallowed his saliva and clenched his fist hard, as he’s not used to it (well, actually who doesn’t watch that kind of movies? But Yeeun is beside him, so he’s oddly nervous).

Yeeun who saw what Hochang did, quickly grabbed his right fist and held it to assure him that it’s not a big deal and that he’s gonna be okay. Hochang who realized Yeeun’s gesture loosened his fist.

16.40 p.m.

Yeeun and Hochang walked out of the theater, and when Hochang became aware that it’s still 4.40, he thought, ‘oh shit, it’s only 4.40?! What to do…’

Yeeun: What are we gonna do now?

Hochang: …

Yeeun: Mwoya, I thought you had everything planned?

As Yeeun criticized him, he scratched his head and got a little nervous.

Hochang: Yeeun-ah… Actually…

Before Hochang finished his words, suddenly someone called Yeeun and Hochang from afar.

Yeeun: Eunjae-ya! Eun-ah!

Eunjae: Sunbae! What are you doing here?

Yeeun: We just finished watching a movie

Eunjae: aah, okay…

Yeeun: What is this? Now you guys are having a double date together? Janghoon, how come you’re here? I thought you’re in the army?

Eun: Eo, Yeeun-sunbae, Janghoon received a 5-day off holiday. Isn’t it so cool?

Yeeun: Wah, you’re so lucky!

Janghoon scoffed: Hahahahah, I know. She should be thankful that her boyfriend is working so hard so that he can go home to meet her before the 2 years period.

Eun glared at Janghoon for his petty statement.

Chungwon: anyway, Hochang-hyung and Yeeun-sunbae, do you want to follow us? We’re going to the amusement park.

Hochang: It’s a great idea. Yeeun-ah, do you wanna go with them?

Yeeun: well, alright!

Eunjae: Let’s go!

Maybe God is with Hochang this time. Without meeting the two couples, Yeeun’s mood could’ve gone down in a slope now.

Amusement Park

17.20 p.m.

While the girls walked in front hand-in-hand, being excited with the occasion, the guys walked together behind, staring at their girlfriends’ backs.

Hochang: Hey, what to do… I have a reservation dinner at Namsan Tower today at 8 p.m.

Chungwon: waa Hyung, you prepared a lot for today, huh

Janghoon: Gwaenchana, you can stay here for about 1.5 hours and just take taxi from here. It won’t take long, 30 minutes I guess. Check the map.

Hochang: But isn’t 1.5 hours too fast to spend in here?

Janghoon: don’t worry. We’ve got your back.

Chungwon: Eo, anyway Yeeun-sunbae would be tired already since she already watched a movie with you, no?

Hochang: Arasseo. I’ll rely on you, ok?

The couples rode so many attractions at the theme park, and Yeeun couldn’t believe the awkward Hochang that she knew is actually an extreme-ride maniac. He’s so fun when it comes to amusement park activities.

Chungwon and Eunjae came back wearing couple head bands, those cute ones that could pass a children’s accessories. Eun and Janghoon stared at the sight with total awkwardness, as they both thought those matching things are cheesy and childish. But what to do, they’re inexperienced when it comes to dating, so they don’t know exactly what to do.

By now, the couples have separated from each other and are now doing their own things..

Janghoon grabbed Eun by her hand and said,

Janghoon: Eun-ah, let’s go ride that (while pointing up)

It’s a ferris wheel. 

Eun nodded and held Janghoon’s hand tight as they walked past the sea of couples who seemed to be enjoying themselves at the amusement park too.

The sun has set and the sky has gone darker at 6.30 p.m.

Eun and Janghoon queued in line, waiting for their turn to hop on the ferris wheel. As they reached the front line of the queue the operator told them to be careful as they step onto the capsule, because it’s not gonna stop.

Finally, It’s just the two of them. For the past hours, they’ve been hearing loud noises of people in the amusement park. People screaming, laughing, and talking casually.

Eun: It feels nice, and the night view from here is so pretty.

Janghoon: are you happy?

Eun: hm…

Without them realizing, they’re reaching the top of the ferris wheel, and without notice, Janghoon told Eun earnestly,

Janghoon: Eun-ah…

Eun kept her eyes on Janghoon, waiting for what he’s about to say.

Janghoon: Saranghae.

Janghoon leaned towards Eun who was sitting in front of him, and kissed her as the capsule reached the highest peak of the wheel. 

It was delicate and pure, reminding Eun of their first kiss outside Belle Epoque.

19.00 p.m.

Hochang: Yeeun-ah, are you tired?

Yeeun: A little…

Hochang: Actually, I still have something I wanted to do with you

Yeeun: what is it?

Hochang: Let’s go.

Hochang and Yeeun rode on a taxi outside the amusement park, heading to their last destination of the special day.

19. 45 p.m.

Yeeun: Namsan? (she asked with a big smile on her face)

Hochang: Hm…

Hochang held Yeeun’s hand and headed towards n.Grill, a French restaurant located at the top of Namsan Tower. 

Hochang made a reservation in this restaurant from a month before. That’s how much he put his thought to give Yeeun a nice Valentine’s day experience.

As they reached the restaurant, the waiter showed them to their table. The view was so breathtaking. Yeeun’s face was bright in awe of the night view of Seoul, she couldn’t feel any happier.

Yeeun: Kwon Hochang…

Hochang: ?

Yeeun: I’m delighted. I didn’t expect you had prepared this much for today. I’m sorry if I hurt your feeling today after the movie.

Hochang: Yeeun-ah, no, you don’t have to feel sorry for anything.

The food that has been ordered in advance by Hochang came out not long after they arrived. 

Eating in a fancy restaurant isn’t a rare occasion for Yeeun, but that night was special, because she could be herself in front of Hochang. She doesn’t have to suppress her desire to eat, unlike when she had to do it in from of her mom. 

Moreover, Seoul’s night view and the dots of lights painted the glass window beautifully, as Yeeun and Hochang had their first and most romantic dinner.

19.40 p.m.

Yoon-sunbae was about to head home when she had the time to check her kkaotalk messages.

Jaehwan:

I’m sorry.

I can’t go to Seoul today,

I know it’s a special day

I’ll visit on the weekend.

Love you ❤

Jinmyung understood how difficult it is for Jaehwan to visit her in Seoul. The last time she met him was during New Year’s celebration over a month ago, where they went to a countdown show together in the cold, cold winter. She missed Jaehwan so much, but she knew distance is there to halt them from meeting.

Jinmyung types on her phone before finally sending her reply:

Jinmyung:

Gwaenchana-yo.

See you this weekend ❤

Jinmyung kept her phone back in her blazer pocket and forced a smile, before walking outside the office to go back home.

Villa Sortino, Seoul

19.45 p.m.

Sungmin arrived at the restaurant first. He parked his car on the side of the road and went in.

At the reception

Receptionist: Yes sir, how can I help you?

Sungmin: There’s a reservation under the name Song Jiwon?

Receptionist: Yes, there is… For two people? But you came alone?

Sungmin: Ah, yes… She’ll come later

Receptionist: Okay, let me take you to your table.

Sungmin sat down at the table while waiting for Jiwon. He turned his head left and right to observe the restaurant.

10 minutes later, he saw a figure he couldn’t recognize approaching the table with the receptionist earlier.

As they got closer, Sungmin couldn’t believe his eyes as the girl he’s known for his whole uni life is standing in front of him, probably looking the prettiest in the course of her life. 

Her hair was straight with waves at the bottom, and the dress she was wearing was pink, decorated with delicate floral embroidery. Not to mention, she smelt so damn good.

Sungmin’s zoning out moment stopped as Jiwon exclaimed

Jiwon: Ya! You! Why are you here?!

Sungmin: Me? You’re the one who invited me here. What do you mean?!

Jiwon: What? What are you talking about? I never— Aish! Kang-eonni!

Jiwon grasped that Kang-eonni must’ve set her up with Sungmin. ‘Why?’ Jiwon thought hard to herself.

Sungmin: are you disappointed?

Jiwon: I don’t know.

Sungmin: Just sit down.

Jiwon followed Sungmin’s words as he told her to sit opposite him.

Sungmin: What do you want to eat?… Steak?… Pas-

Sungmin was about to say pasta, when he remembered what Jiwon said about pasta last year when he caught her outside the restaurant, spying on him.

‘Do you think pasta is just a meal? What is pasta? It’s a meal for a couple.’

Jiwon: I’ll just go with Pasta.

Sungmin gulped in nervousness as Jiwon decided on that. But in the end, Sungmin ordered pasta too, for don’t know what reason.

In the middle of eating…

Jiwon: Well, since we’re here already, why don’t the both of us just do what people do during blind dates?

Sungmin, who doesn’t know what people talk about in blind dates (as he never went to one), responded,

Sungmin: What do people do during blind dates?

Jiwon: Well, they ask about each other’s interests, hobbies, what kind of food they like, what countries they’ve been to… Things like that? But for me, I like to make it extra special. Drinks!

Sungmin: Forget about those background checks. Think about this. What do I not know about you? and what do you not know about me? Can you think of any?

Jiwon: (Jiwon hesitated a lot and said), well, we’ve known each other enough to know everything about each other.

Sungmin: Right? Okay, let’s go get some drinks, then.

Jiwon: ooooo, Im Sungmin, did you get striked by a lightning? you’re so lively now.

Sungmin just smirked as Jiwon commented nonchalantly. 

To be honest, he just wanted to spend Valentine’s Day together with Jiwon for a longer time, that’s why he asked her to go have some drinks.

As they both finished eating their pasta, they headed to the cashier to pay the bills. 

Sungmin grabbed his wallet from his pocket and paid their meals in full. Before they left the restaurant, the receptionist commented.

Receptionist: You two look good together. I hope you’ve enjoyed your date on Valentine’s Day. Hope to see you again on your next visit. Thank you!

Jiwon thought, ‘Valentine’s Day?’

Jiwon: Today’s Valentine’s Day?! (Jiwon asked Sungmin as she just realized the date).

Sungmin: eo, why?

Jiwon: Then what am I doing?! I should be doing something romantic with a guy now.

Sungmin’s heart plunged as he heard Jiwon’s statement. But he quickly brushed it off.

Sungmin: Let’s go have some drinks. And what’s with that pout? You look ugly.

Jiwon followed Sungmin as they headed towards the car.

21.58 p.m.

Sungmin parked his car in the basement of a high-end apartment complex. 

Jiwon: Ya, where are we?

Sungmin: It’s my place.

Jiwon: are you rich?

Sungmin: no, my parents are.

Jiwon, who just found out about this, nodded in acceptance. 

She thought she knew everything about him, but no, actually, she doesn’t. It made her realize just how mysterious Sungmin is.

Jiwon: But why are we at your place? Aren’t we supposed to have some drinks?

Sungmin: I have lots of soju and beers at home

Jiwon: You brat, why did you never ask me to come have a drink at your place?

Sungmin: Molla. Let’s go.

Sungmin and Jiwon went inside the apartment building’s lift, and Sungmin pressed the level number ‘25’.

…

Sungmin entered the passcode to his apartment door, and when the door opened, Jiwon was in awe at Sungmin’s luxurious apartment. 

Jiwon: Do you live alone in here?

Sungmin: Hm...

She put her bag in the living room, walked around the open space, and even went inside every room she could find in that enormous apartment.

Jiwon: Ya Im Sungmin, how come you never had a girlfriend? If you told them you live in an apartment like this, girls will line up for you everyday.

Inside Sungmin’s heart, he thought, ‘you dense girl, it’s you that I like. How am I supposed to be with another girl?’ 

Sadly, he couldn’t say it out loud. Yet.

Sungmin left Jiwon to wander around the apartment, and prepared the drinks and glasses from the kitchen counter. Sungmin put the bottles of soju and beer on the coffee table in the living room.

Jiwon came out of one of the rooms and joined Sungmin who was already sitting down on the carpet in the living room.

There was silence between these man and woman as they realized that they’re the only ones in that place now, isolated from any other human beings and disturbances.

Sungmin poured himself a shot of Soju. 

Seeing this, Jiwon gave him a word of critic.

Jiwon: ckckck, how old-fashioned. Here, I’ll make you the best somaek (soju + beer) you’ll ever taste in your life.

Sungmin kept quiet and let Jiwon mix it for him and herself. 

The two hit their refreshing glasses of somaek before gulping it down in one shot. They let go a sigh of satisfaction from the burning sensation.

Sungmin: You’re good, (while smiling).

Jiwon: See? What did I tell you?

Sungmin: hey by the way, how long have we known each other for?

Jiwon: We first met during orientation, so 4 years?… It’s been 4 years already?! Why is it so fast… I feel like I just met you a few months ago.

Sungmin, realizing that they’ve known each other for 4 years, thought about how long it’s been since he literally never landed another woman except Jiwon in his heart.

The two kept drinking and drinking while at the same time sharing so many stories they have yet shared in those 4 years. 

Maybe it’s the magical effect of alcohol, but Sungmin never felt this comfortable in his life. He never shared so much about his experiences with anyone, no one but the beautiful woman who’s sitting next to him now.

For every glass of somaek Sungmin drank, he became more and more honest each time. 

Jiwon, who’s quite a strong drinker, laughed as she witnessed the rare sight of her quiet friend acting funny.

Jiwon: Im Sungmin, I didn’t know you’re capable of making jokes like that, Jiwon complimented Sungmin with laughter.

Sungmin who heard Jiwon, gazed at her eyes. 

‘And it happened yet again…,’ Jiwon thought. Just like the day before.

Flashback

In Sungmin’s car after the trial

Jiwon was thankful towards Sungmin who’s been there to support her in investigating Mr. Han’s case.

Jiwon: Sungmin-ah… Thank you.

The car stopped as the traffic light turned red. Sungmin who was looking at the road now has his eyes on Jiwon’s. 

As they’re both now locking their gaze, Jiwon felt a weird feeling she’s never felt before. She tought, ‘what the hell is this? Why does my stomach feel funny? And why is my heart beating like this?’

Luckily, there were sounds of cars honking at the back, so the two got back to their senses. 

When Sungmin dropped Jiwon off at Belle Epoque, she touched her heart to feel it. She laid herself down on the sofa and murmured to herself.

Jiwon: Do I… like him?, while staring at the ceiling.

Flashforward

Sungmin’s Apartment

The two are still gazing at each other’s eyes. At that moment, both of them totally forgot what’s happening and what they were even doing in the first place.

Sungmin who’s a little tipsy and Jiwon who’s completely awake approached each other’s lips at the same time. 

As their lips touched, Sungmin cupped his right palm on Jiwon’s left cheek and his left palm on Jiwon’s neck. 

He felt their lips and tongue danced in synchronization, as he let his suppressed feelings for Jiwon all out. He couldn’t hold it in any longer, as this long overdue kiss was all he’s been longing for.

Jiwon got more and more immersed in the intimacy, and squeezed Sungmin’s loose shirts around his waist. 

She could feel Sungmin’s soft lips playing with hers gently and full of passion. Honestly, it felt so damn good. It’s as if the world belonged to her and Sungmin.

Sungmin pulled out his warm lips and detached it from Jiwon’s, stood up from his position, and carried Jiwon’s light figure, heading towards his room at the end of the hallway.

While Jiwon was carried by Sungmin, she thought, ‘so this is how a real kiss feels like. I want more.’ 

Sungmin pushed the door to his room with his back, and closed it with his feet as he approached his bed to lay Jiwon down on the mattress, caressing his lips once again on Jiwon’s soft lips that he’s gone familiar with now. 

The burning passion of the two equally lustful man and woman continued. As the rhythm got stable, Sungmin unbuttoned his shirt one by one, with the help of Jiwon who’s in the mood. Sungmin then dragged down Jiwon’s dress zipper in a moderate speed and pulled the dress off her body. 

Jiwon switched her position, and now she’s on top of Sungmin, who has his back on the sheets. 

Jiwon who’s left with her matching lacy black underwear on, kissed Sungwon’s neck and traced her lips down to Sungmin’s hard chest, all the way to his sculpted muscles on his belly part. Both Sungmin and Jiwon could feel the sensuality created by their strong affection for one another.

As Jiwon reached his lower body, Jiwon said.

Jiwon: Wait, where’s my bag?

Sungmin: Outside, why?

Jiwon: Protection.

Sungmin: Thank God. You carry it with you?

Jiwon: Of course. Who knows when I’m ever gonna do it, right?

Sungmin: Ah, sorry I’m so bad at this

Jiwon: ssshhhh. that’s not important now.

Jiwon hurriedly ran towards her bag in the living room, took it with her to Sungmin’s room and reached out a packet of condom. She jumped back to the bed and instructed Sungmin,

Jiwon: Take it off, (while pointing at his pants)

Without further ado, Sungmin removed his pants and tossed it to the side of his bed.

Sungmin: Jiwon-ah, are you sure?

Jiwon: Shut up.

Jiwon who couldn’t resist Sungmin’s charm, pulled his body up such that her legs are now wrapped around Sungmin’s waist. 

As they gazed at each other’s eyes for a moment, they attached their foreheads together, put on a subtle smile and let their lips lock again. The kiss was deeper this time. 

Sungmin’s fingers reached out to Jiwon’s back to unclasp her bra and reached her lower waist, as he removed whatever was left on her, Jiwon did the same to Sungmin as she helped him take off his boxer. 

Jiwon tore open the packet she took earlier with her teeth and gave him the night’s savior, the protection she’s been keeping in her bag for the longest time.

As they’ve reached this state now, there’s no going back. 

Sungmin and Jiwon continued on as the night of privacy and intimacy between them developed into a dangerous yet romantic moment they’ve never experienced in their life before. 

‘So this is how it feels,’ Jiwon thought to herself. It’s so good, and it made her happy. ‘But I’m sure, I can feel it this way only because it’s Sungmin.’

As they reached the peak, they laid themselves facing each other and covered themselves with a warm blanket.

A moment of silence was created as the two locked their gaze, Jiwon’s eyes was shining, and it was focused at Sungmin, whose eyes were full of his affection and love for Jiwon. 

Without them realizing, they both closed their eyes in sync, lips hooked while letting their gut feelings and reflex guide them to the deepest French kiss they’ve only witnessed in those Western movies. 

They weren’t exactly sure how much time has passed, as they both tried to catch their breath from kissing. They stared at each other for a moment with sweet smiles on their faces. 

They gave each other one last goodnight peck before getting into a comfortable cuddle position – Jiwon placing her head on Sungmin’s broad chest, and Sungmin hugging Jiwon tight in his arms, as they both head over to dreamland.

Thank you for reading.

Read the next chapter:

Chapter 2.5

#ssongsungmin #age of youth #age of youth 2 #age of youth season 2 #im sungmin #song jiwon #fanfiction #park eun bin #son seung won #kdrama #korean drama #the beginning of something unexpected

[heavyscottishaccent]

Friends on the Other Side

The Isle had many quirks that most would find pretty disturbing if not outright disgusting. The way the sun never seemed to shine through the dense fog or the fact that the air always tasted slightly of iron; may it be from the exposed pipes or from the "questionable" dark stains that sometimes covered the walls in the small island. On good days, it reeked slightly of sweat and hot garbage. On the bad, well, there's really no point on wasting time talk about literal waste, is there?

All these little details made the Isle an endearing home for those who lived there. Like the fungus that grew on almost every surface, it grew on its inhabitants. Forcefully. With a sledge hammer. Or a wand if you want to be technical.

In the twenty-some years that the Isle had first come to be, no one had managed to escape. Not even the toughest or the scariest of the lot could find a way to stick a single toe across the barrier that kept them trapped inside. It wasn't until six months ago when the new king of the United States of Auradon proclaimed a new "project" of sorts to integrate the children of villains into their high society of pampered poodles. Only after the first four, no word had come back about taking in any more kids. Figures.

Most grew angry, bitter at the small speck of hope they offered before brutally crushing the dreams of the few handful of kids who wanted nothing more than to be chosen next. It was all they showed on tv or played on the radio stations in the Isle. Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos getting everything; all the food and clothes they could want and even a damned education that didn't involve a basic how to on spiking a stranger's drink. They were supposedly the worst of the new generation of villains yet they were the first to be rewarded refuge?

The hate and resentment that laid dormant for so long within the children festered. Gangs regrouped and violence resurfaced tenfold. At first it was a ploy to get attention from the other side to remind them there were still kids here, waiting. But still nothing came out of it. Even after a short outbreak of a terrible illness that swept through the Isle did nothing to hurry them along. But even then, it was the people in the Isle who were called cold hearted and vicious.

And yet, seeing three of the four traitors did nothing but bring a cold smile on Frank's face.

"Well I'll be damned," Frank laughed. The teen leaned against the wall, relishing as the four turned their heads every which way searching for her. Besides the slight tan and a little weight gain, the three seemed to have gained, they looked just about the same as before they left.

They looked good. "Out of all the fun surprises I expected today, this was not one of them! And Carlos, my boy! Did you grow an inch?"

"I'm not your anything," Carlos called out on reflex.

"Show yourself," Jay said at the same time. Frank laughed but did as he asked anyways. She smiled when the four turned in her direction, looking perplexed as the shadows seemed to move with her.

"Frankie," Evie greeted with a hesitant nod.

"Oh none of that sugar, we old friends aren't we?" Frank extended her arms, an invitation for a hug but soon dropped them when no one moved to embrace her. "Well, that's a bit rude. Woulda thought them Auradonians or whatever would have taught you all a speck of kindness."

"Frank," Jay said with an irritated sigh. The teen cocked her head to the side, wondering what has got them so wound up before her attention settled on the one boy she did not completely recognize. His clothing screamed Isle but his stance said something entirely different. At first Frank waved him off as one of Uma's quieter lackys. She seemed to gain a new one every minute so Frank gave up on trying to remember who's with who. It wasn't until the bra shifted closer into the light that it hit Frank why he looked so familiar.

"Hold the phone, boo," Frank said, her tone dropping from her almost warm tilt to an icier one. "This whole time I've been thinking the King would take us little folk to his side of town, not the otha' way around."

"Not by choice, I assure you—" the King tried to say before Frankie lifted one hand to stop him.

"It be nobodies choice to come here, I assure you," she mocked. "What, here to handpick the next little ones for your project? If so, I can point my finger at any direction for you to start looking."

"U-um no, that won't be needed, thank you. We are actually here for—"

"My mistake then, however, if I may ask, when exactly will the next group be chosen. Forgive me but some people have grown… impatient as you could imagine." The King looked pained at her question. The tension between the five thickened as the other four shifted uncomfortably. A moment of silence passed before Frankie nodded in understanding. "I see."

"No, no! I swear I was planning on crossing more kids over! It's just—"

"Your majesty," Frankie sneered, effectively cutting off the boy once again. The other three Isle kids looked about ready to jump to his defense but a quick look from Frank had them backing off. "I knew I shouldn't 'ave gotten excited about yous new decree but I did. Same with plenty a other children down here on this island. You know we got about six working telly and radio channels here and all of them is about you. About yous and Mal going on dates, fining and dining the most luxurious of meals with them heroes we youngins have somehow wronged just by being born. Even planning a fabulous party with every last one of them; we heard all about that too. Well, you can imagine we have grown a little sour at being forgotten."

Frankie relished in the shame that crossed on each of their faces. She had grown with the idea of revenge tasting as sweet as the southern tea her father told her about once. Though as quick as that feeling came, it didn't last long. This particular flavor of tea turned out more bitter than sweet. She shook her head and stepped back away from the King. She didn't even notice herself advance towards him in the first place.

"You should go," Frankie whispered. "Before Uma or one of hers figures out y'all are here."

"We can't leave without Mal," the King bravely said, though Frankie did catch a slight quiver in his voice. Good, he got the message.

"Mal is here too, huh," Frankie mused. "Figures all that commotion would be her."

"What do you mean? Did you see where she went?" Evie asked. Frankie sighed and crossed her arms. She definitely saw where Mal went. She hadn't known or cared much on who the devil on the purple steed was before and she couldn't care less now. She gave them an unimpressed stare before rolling her eyes and turning her back.

"That information is something I cannot give."

"Cannot or will not?" Carlos asked for clarification.

"Either? Both? Take your pick." Frank knew she was being petty but the last thing she wanted to do was help them. The more she heard their voices the more she wanted to shout and scream, however, she wasn't inclined to have the sort of attention that usually attracted after making too much noise.

"That's fine," the King said quickly before calling the former three Isle kids back. "That's fine. Thank you, Frankie." The sincerity in the King's voice made Frank pause. That kind of kindness is something you could not fake plus, Frankie had never had anyone thank her before. Frank inwardly groaned as she turned to the four as the made their way down the alley, carefully sidestepping anything that would make a sound. It's been months since Evie, Carlos, and Jay were on the Isle. They definitely wouldn't know about the new traps that laid around these parts.

On one hand, if they were caught, Frankie knew they wouldn't blab on her for not alerting anyone of their arrival. Which would be bad. They would be out of her hair and none of her concern but even Frankie wasn't mean enough to let a stray puppy get itself killed, especially one with such a sweet face. That and if they, more so the King, left the Isle soon and went back to Auradon, her chances of being chosen may raise if the King owed her a favor or two.

"Wait," she called, her face pulled as though in pain. The four turned to her in confusion and, to Frank's displeasure, slight smugness. Those turds. "Don't go that way."

"Frankie?" The King asked unsurely.

"Yall havent seen the type of things hidden in the darker corners of this rat trap. They built some fancy new do dabs that almost ripped off my pa's leg once. Some bastardized contraptions built from things found in De Vil's tree home." Carlos winced noticeably at that to which Frankie nodded. She gestured towards the opposite direction before walking away. Frank didn't have to turn around to know the others were following her.

Despite the King never living on the Isle like the rest of them, he did a rather good job in staying as incognito as any other thug in training. Though there were a couple of times Frank or Jay had to push and pull him in the right direction. Nonetheless, the King would had made a fine henchman given the chance. That's to say, if he worked a little on his arms. Damn noodles seemed sway in every direction when he moved.

"Your purple demon was lucky," Frankie finally whispered.

"Mal? What do you mean?"

"She sped past here so fast, nothing had a chance to even nip at her ankles. That bike of hers sure is something."

As they made their way towards the center of the Isle, Frank couldn't help but notice how the four other teens moved together in sync. She was impressed with how the King was able to fit in with them as flawlessly as if he were Mal herself. It was no wonder why these guys were quick to warm up to him. Again Frankie stamped down the jealousy that arose in her. She never was one to accept or be accepted quickly. Even on the Isle where friends was a no-no there was still some type of camaraderie within the masses. Frankie, however, didn't have that. Even Dizzy, the friendliest kid in the Isle acted weird around her.

She only had herself and her shadows for company and that was fine with her. Sorta.

"So Frankie," Evie huffed as she hurried over to run beside her. "Anything new happen while we were gone?" Frankie considered the question for a moment. There was a lot she could say. She just didn't know how to say it.

"You bet it did," Frankie muttered. "You three changed the game."

"What do you mean?" Jay asked. Frankie scowled back at him; she hadn't noticed him approach.

"I mean what I say. After yous four gave up the wand, people back home got antsy. Saying they was gonna be the next ones to go and do your jobs. Pa told me if I got picked and did what you four did, he'd find a way to cross that barrier just to throttle me one last time before he got our friends to finish the job." Frankie shuddered. She had no doubt that her pa would figure something out given the chance. "It's a free for all now, people joining any gang just to stay alive."

"That's terrible," the King muttered, horrified. The change of rhythm their feet made as they criss crossed around the dark alleys quickened. No doubt the others, including Frankie herself, wanting to put as much distance from others as fast as possible.

"I heard talk of Yen Sid getting worried too," Frankie said thoughtfully. "He be sending messages every week now instead of once a month. Don't think he be getting any replies either though." Frankie didn't expect for the King to reply to that. Which was the point of mentioning that last bit as the boy had the horrible knack of fraying her nerves. Just because he was cute and nice meant that Frankie was going to forgive the fool so quickly. Or at all for that matter.

"What about our parents?" Carlos hastily asked. That question made Jay and Evie stop in their place, causing the King to run straight into their backs. Frank looked back at the sudden noise and quickly shushed them all before pulling them into a dark corner when she thought she heard someone walk towards them. Frank bit her lip once the coast was officially cleared. She didn't know how to answer that question either.

"Well," Frankie started awkwardly. "With the big bad dragon gone, her goons just kinda linger around, not knowing what to do. I don't see much of Miss De Vil but I heard from others that she doesn't leave Hell Hall much but when she does… well, you could say mister Hook needed a new hook."

"As for Jafar, he and my pa were on not good terms before because Jafar been taking things from his shop and vice versa. A few days after the wand fiasco Jafar comes over like his ass was on fire and destroyed my pa's shop thinkin we took some of his. No one bothers him much nows."

"And the Queen," here Frankie paused for a moment. She glanced at the four kids staring at her intently before looking down at the ground. She hated playing messenger. "She don't do nothing."

"My mom? What do you mean she 'doesn't do anything'?" Evie pressed.

"She don't do nothing," Frankie stressed out. "She won't come out or even talk no more. Like a ghost. No one mess with her either. No fun when there's no fight I hear."

Evie looked close to tears as Jay pulled her into a tight hug. Even Carlos looked upset which was more than a bit shocking as Frank heard stories of Cruella treating her boy like nothing more than a slave. The girl looked away from the three teens. Showing this much emotion was another no no on the Isle but she figured they needed a little time to get a hold of themselves without a judging eye. Instead she looked at the King who merely appeared shocked at the news. Seeing as he wasn't going to say anything to lighten up the frustration, Frankie quickly suggested they move again less they be caught by someone who held a grudge; which, honestly, was pretty much everyone on the island.

"That's why we're going through the back streets," Jay concluded angrily. "So you don't get caught with us. Or maybe you're just leading us straight into the thick of the mob, huh?" Frankie's eyes flashed with vindication. This is what she gets for helping? She snarled and moved to slam her fist in Jay's stupid face but a someone pulled her back.

"Stop," the King yelped. "I'm sure that's not true, Jay."

"You don't know her like we do, Ben," Jay hissed. "She's Facilier's kid. I thought it was weird she'd help us out without making some sort of deal. We shouldn't have trusted her in the first place. She's jealous we made it out and she didn't. She's nothing more than a con with a plan. Just. Like. Her. Dad."

"Fuck you, man," Frankie spat. She jerked her arm out of the King's grip before shoving Jay as hard as she could. Jay didn't look affected as he swung out his arm to catch Frank on the side of her head but the girl merely ducked and body tackled the taller teen onto the ground. Frankie heard the other three yelp and move out of their way as they rolled around the cobblestone ground, landing as many hits as they could before Frankie felt herself being lifted off the thief, or former thief now, entirely.

"That's enough," the King growled at them both. Frankie tried to pull herself out of his hold but the other teen kept a tight grip against her arms. It took both the effort of Evie and Carlos to hold back Jay. Frankie growled but eventually stopped struggling. This wasn't worth the effort. Ben held her for another minute, making sure she was calm enough before letting go. He kept his hands hovered over the smaller teen for a moment just to be sure before stepping back completely.

"This was a mistake," Frankie spat before turning her heel and walking away.

"Yeah," Jay responded just as viciously. "It was."

Frankie shook her head angrily. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she stopped. She wasn't going to let Jay have the last words. She had genuinely tried, but even then it wasn't enough. What made it worse was that Jay, someone who had been in her exact position for the last six months couldn't put past his own prejudices.

"The way you four was heading was directly in the path of Jafar's shop. His regulars hang out around that alley and no doubt would have told your pa for a quick buck. There's also Uma's gang you need to worry about. Her gang has grown, about a quarter of Shan Yu's old troop, all armed with swords. The traps are real and are about the size of the palm of my hand. Tiny things can blow your arm off, I told you. That and not to mention nearly everyone on this island would love to get back at you all for the wand fiasco couple months back," Frankie cast one last angry look at the four before pointing at a dented sign hanging above them. "We're here by the way. I'm sure you remember how to use it."

"Frankie!" The teen stopped mid step and turned her head towards the King, a deep frown still on her face. "Thanks."

A few hours had passed since Frankie had seen the King and the three Isle traitors. Frank could feel bruises blossoming across her body. Luckily most could be hidden under her clothes however she still had to come up with an excuse for the one on her cheek bone. That is, if her father even cared to ask.

The teen huffed as she expertly shuffled a deck of cards in her hands. She glanced around the not too busy street for someone to play a game of cards with. There weren't too many people on the Isle who chose to play with her. Everyone claimed she cheated; which was completely true but so did they, not as good as her obviously but they still did.

Frankie frowned down at her cards. Her deck of fifty-two were compiled from three different decks. She merely covered the backs with a thin layer of duct tape to hide their differences. The edges were frayed and the ink was faint but for the life of her, Frankie could not find good enough replacements. Looking at her shabby cards now and thinking about the group she had helped earlier left a acidic taste in her mouth. Life sucked.

"Hello, Frankie," A voice drawled above her. Frankie glanced up with her eyes before looking back down at her deck. She shuffled the cards before dealing them out; two face up, two face down.

"Harry," she greeted disinterestedly before looking up at the boy with a slight smirk. "Up for a game?" Harry shrugged before lifting the cards slightly with his hook.

"Hit." Frankie placed a card face up. Harry smirked down at the cards before looking straight into Frankie's eyes. "Twenty."

"Natural," Frankie replied immediately as she flipped all the cards face up to show the other the game.

"Cheater."

"Always," she dralwed. "What brings you over to my casino, Hook?"

"Uma want's to see you," Harry replied. He crouched down so he was face to face with the girl, a devilish smirk still playing on his lips. "And I'm afraid this time she won't take no for an answer."

"I ain't interested in joining her crew, Hook."

"We know. This is different and I'm sure you'd love to hear about it. We gained a new friend today. A royal friend." Frankie's mouth twitched into a frown before she could stop herself. Inwardly she screamed at herself for the tell as she saw Hook's smirk grow into a wide grin. She shrugged, hoping for Harry to catch on that she didn't care. If they really had the King and he squealed to them about her, she'd kill him herself. Though she didn't worry too much, the King looked like a smart boy. He'd know better than to talk.

"Harry," Frankie finally said. "You seem to be under the impression that I care."

"Oh, of course not," He practically sang. "Except that you should."

Shit.

"See, we know Mal is back on the island. We also know her crew is here too and guess who Gil saw leaving them in front of Maleficent's old home?"

Double shit. Frankie huffed as Harry used his hook to trace the dark bruise on her cheek, the metal cold against the throbbing heat on her face. The fight must have been loud enough for someone to find them and of all people it had to be Gil to see it. The little shit would do anything to get on Uma and Harry's good side.

"Let's go," Harry ordered as he pulled Frankie up from the old crate she used as a seat, the cards in her hand clattered on the floor. He held her arm at a vice grip as he dragged her down to the wharf, not caring if his hand left a mark or if Frankie was literally tripping over things and people to follow him. Luckily the trip wasn't too far. They had used the main streets to get there after all. Frankie glared at everyone who looked at them; she should have stayed inside the shop today.

The crew laughed and cheered as they climbed onto the deck of the ship, Uma standing proudly in front of them all with her arms crossed against her chest. Frankie rolled her eyes at the power display before quickly glancing around for the King. Seeing him tied up on the ship's mast did little to ease Frankie's anxiety. He would be no help whatsoever in his current predicament.

"Frankie," Uma called, her lips turned down into a little pout. "I thought we were friends."

"Uhh, no," Frankie said playing innocent. "I don't got any of those. Fresh out."

"Obviously, I mean look at you," Uma said with a laugh. "Though to be fair I did offer you a spot on my crew."

"You sure did. I also remember saying no," Frankie leaned her top half towards Uma as though telling her a secret. "To tell you the truth, I get sea sick."

"Well if we are telling each other the truth, how about you tell us another," Uma shouted, hyping up the rest of her crew. The gang laughed and started to tap their swords on the deck. The ominous sound made Frankie inwardly cringe. This was bad. "You can trust us. Do you know him?"

Uma pointed at the King and Frankie begrudgedly turned to look at the teen tied to the mast. The crew were still stabbing their swords against the deck, taunting her to speak but Frankie kept her mouth shut. The King didn't seem to know who to look at; her, Uma, or Harry's hook that rested against her neck.

"Ok," Uma finally said with an understanding nod. "I see you're a shy one. I'll just ask… King Ben." the King looked startled at being named outright and jerked to attention. His eyes were blown wide as he frantically looked back and forth between the two girls.

"Ben, do you know this girl?" Uma asked kindly. "It's ok to tell us. Making friends is a good thing, right?"

"No," Ben finally said, his voice full of determination. "I don't know her." Uma nodded thoughtfully before looking back at Frankie. She stepped forward and gently twirled a piece of Frank's curly hair in her finger.

"Well that wasn't so hard, was it? I heard telling the truth to a group of friends made you feel good," Uma said she yanked her hand away roughly and sneering at Frankie. "And since you don't know her, then you wouldn't be bothered if she went for a little swim! Harry!"

Harry sighed contently before he bellowed out a loud laugh. The hook against her neck was removed but before Frankie could so much move, a pair of arms hugged her from her middle, trapping her own arms against her sides.

"Aye, Aye Captain!"

Frankie's eyes widened, her heart leapt to her chest as she fought against the other's hold. She kicked her legs out and beat her arms against Harry's chest but mourned internally as nothing seemed to affect him. The crew cheered them on, stepping aside as Harry walked towards the plank with her still captive in his arms. The teen grunted in pain as she was unceremoniously dropped on top of the plank, the bruises on her knees throbbing from the sudden collision. She shakily stood on her two feet and carefully turned towards the crew and Uma.

"Uma!" Ben shouted over the noise. "Don't do this!"

"I don't understand, your majesty," Uma responded innocently as she inspected her nails uncaringly. "I thought you said you didn't know her. Why do you care?"

"I do care! She's still a person!"

"She's from the Isle," Uma said, finally looking at the King. Ben turned his focus on Frankie and watched as tears gathered in her eyes however she held them back as she glared hatefully at every one of the crew members jabbing their swords toward her. "People from Auradon don't care about people from the Isle."

"I do! I do care! I messed up! Forget this and I'll fix everything!" Ben shouted. Harry jumped onto the railing of the ship expertly. The sudden movement making the plank and consequently Frankie wobble precariously He pointed his sword at Frank, forcing the girl to take a hesitant step back. "UMA!"

"Can't hear you," Uma sang.

"I know her!" Ben finally shouted. "I know Frankie!" Uma smirked down at her hand before loudly snapping her fingers once. Immediately all the noise the crew was making died down, well all except one.

"Gil!"

"Sorry!"

Harry growled as he sheathed his sword and roughly pulled Frankie off the plank. The girl couldn't catch herself in time from the sudden movement and fell onto the deck with a loud thud. She gave a shuddering breath as she looked back at the King, her face contorted in pain.

"Now was that so hard?" Uma cooed as she looked down at Frankie's falled form. She stared down at her for a moment, ignoring the downright murderous expression the other girl sent her before snapping her fingers twice and pointing at the mast. There was no hesitation in following her silent order as three kids managed to roughly tie Frankie to the mast besides the boy King. Frank didn't bother trying to squirm away this time.

"I'm so sorry," the King whispered to her. Frankie didn't look at him and stared at the barely visible barrier that flickered occasionally in the horizon. "Frankie."

"Stop," she whispered back harshly. "Just stop."

"I didn't mean for this to happen," the King forcefully continued. He leaned his head back, exposing his neck for everyone around him. He didn't try to speak much after that. The two watched as the crew walked around the deck, most impatient for some reason or another. It wasn't until the King had enough of waiting when he finally brought Uma's attention back on himself. Frankie let the two of them speak; She had nothing to say to the sea witch's daughter. The King, however, was a different story.

"She's right, you know," Frankie finally said after Uma had turned her back. "Uma. She has the right to be mad."

"I know," the King replied hoarsely.

"They're all mad. Me too. I didn't think I could hate someone as much as I hate you and everyone else on the other side." Frankie gave a shuddering laugh and shook her head slightly. "I wanted to leave this place so bad. I wanted what Mal and the others had. I was so… excited— for such a long time. Waiting for my invitation. Or for anyones invitation for that matter but nothing ever came. I told myself that I didn't care no more. That I never cared, but who was I kiddin'? You tried to play Pan's shadow and let me tell you, boo, I left my window wide open and nothing came out of it! For all the bad they teach us down here, I don't think anyone here would be able to pull off something as vicious as what you did."

"I-I'm sorry," the King repeated, this time with more emotion. Frankie paused for a moment before finally looking up at the King beside her.

"Ain't no apology gon' fix this, your majesty." The two fell silent once more. Neither wanting to be the first to speak after something like that. Frankie even dozed off for a while but was rudely awakened when the ropes around her began to shift. Her head snapped up and quickly turned toward the King but Harry was already pulling him away. The ropes tightened around her once again, causing her to groan slightly from the force put behind it.

Frankie tried to ignore the crew's boisterous shouts as she looked around for whatever was causing all the commotion. She finally found it at the bridge to the ship in the form of the once all powerful, or at least the daughter of the "all powerful", standing toe to toe with Uma. The two squared off, Mal only sparing a single glance in the King's and, too Frankie's surprise, her direction. Frankie leaned forward as far as the ropes allowed in order to see what Mal was holding in her grasp. She couldn't make out what it was exactly but Frankie couldn't help but feel ridiculous knowing they were squaring off over a fancy stick.

"The wand," Uma said in lieu of greeting.

"Give me Ben first," Mal said. "And Frankie."

"What?" Frankie whispered in shock. No one heard her but no one needed to as almost every head swiveled towards her in surprise.

"That wasn't part of the deal," Uma laughed. "The wand for the King."

"Huh," Mal laughed, though there was no humor behind it. "You know me. I always want more."

"Ain't that the truth," Uma snarled. "Hand over the wand."

"Ben and Frankie first." Uma sighed in annoyance before snapping her fingers. Harry was quick to drag the King over to the two but Gil seemed to have a little trouble figuring out the ropes holding Frankie down.

"Watch it," Frankie yelped when the other teen's blade got too close to her arm.

"Whoops." Once free from the mast, Frankie was dragged forward, the squeaking from her boots as they dragged across the wooden floorboards awkwardly filling the silence that fell upon the whole group. Mal nodded contently once both teens were in her reach. Frankie felt Gil's hands slowly let go of her arms before a sudden shout from Uma made him pull her back once more.

"Wait!" the captain shouted. "Test it first."

"Always was one for dramatics," Mal muttered.

"And nothing big or Ben here gets to swim with the sharks," she warned. Mal didn't look at all worried as she quickly glanced behind her to her gang. Frankie was pleased to note she brought Jay, Evie, and Carlos with her; along with another girl she didn't recognize. However, the spell of relief shattered when she realized Uma's crew still outnumbered them nearly two to one. Frankie caught Jay's gaze and held it for a moment before subtly nodding in his direction. If there was going to be a fight, which she could feel that there was, their current bad blood would not help them in anyway. Luckily, Jay seemed to catch on and returned the gesture. Frankie then turned to Mal and watched as she toyed with the wand in her hand. The purplette turned and leaned on the railing, her eyes trained on some random mutt watching them from the ramp above. Frankie watched in bated breath as the other girl considered him for a second before pointing the wand at the pup.

"I know this sounds absurd, but turn this bark into a word," Mal chanted before flicking the wand in some fancy pattern. Frankie actually recognized her father doing a few times before when he was deep in thought. It must have been a reflex because she was sure he didn't even realize he was doing it. She never dared to ask him about it though. It was better to have some things unspoken in their household. Frankie and the rest of the teen's present watched, simultaneously holding their breaths as they waited for something to happen. After a few seconds of silence, Mal seemed to get agitated as she regarded the dog once more. "Talk, dog."

"Does this vest make me look fat?" Frankie blinked in shock, taken aback by the very human like voice that came out of the dogs mouth, er, muzzle. "Does anyone have any bacon?"

"Ha!" Uma laughed joyously before turning to Mal with a determined look on her face. "Give me the wand!" she demanded.

"Give me Ben!" Mal shouted back immediately afterwards.

"And Frankie!" the King was quick to add. Frankie couldn't hold back a snort at that. It was pretty awkward being involved in so much drama. It would have been funnier too if she hadn't almost been forced to walk the plank earlier; which was why she felt so awkward honestly.

"Cut him lose," Uma ordered, not once looking away from the wand still in Mal's hand.

"I never get to have any fun," Harry muttered as he did what he was told. Frankie held her breath for the second it took for them all to figure out how the trade was going down. Just as Mal thrusted her hand holding the wand forward towards Uma, Frankie felt Gil pushing her from behind her. The teen nearly tripped forward but managed to catch herself on the railing with a little help from Evie's steadying hand.

"Are you alright," she muttered as she quickly pulled Frankie off the ship's ramp.

"Never better," she gasped out. Evie nodded before pulling her towards the stairs quickly. Frankie followed without hesitation and only sped up when she heard Uma's shout of frustration behind her.

"Run now, Ben!" She heard Mal cry out. Unfortunately The teens didn't get too far before Uma's crew managed to escape the bright smoke that erupted in front of them before they were swinging their swords in their faces. Frankie yelped as on pirate swung their blade inches from her face. She would have been killed if not for the sudden instinct to duck her head at the last second.

"Frank!" The girl kicked her attacker in the chest before whipping around to face Jay. A short warning followed by a saber being thrown to her was all she got before she was suddenly stuck in a parry with one of Uma's mates. The teen growled in her face, causing Frankie to lean back in disgust when a bit of spit flew out of his mouth. The teen huffed in agitation as she then ducked under the boy, using his weight to throw him over her shoulder and over the docks railing.

Frankie had no chance to recover from the short fight before another one of Uma's goons was right on top of her. She quirked a quick smirk at the raging teenager, tossing her saber up before catching it in her left hand. Not one to be baited so casually, the new component rushed Frank with her sword extended to the sky. Frankie stood still, her saber posed upwards in front of her, right until the other girl reached her and swung down at Frankie's head. Frank spun around the other girl, landing behind her, before kicking the back of her knees. She didn't waste second after the other girl fell to the ground and slammed the hilt of her sabor on her attackers neck, knocking her out instantly.

"Hey! We gotta go!" Someone shouted from behind her. Frankie spun and gave the girl who came with Mal and the others a thoughtful look. The teen nodded and grabbed her extended hand, gasping in surprise as the other girl easily pulled her up to the next platform. Frank considered asking the girl her name but even she knew it probably wasn't the best time for introductions. Just as the two girls were about to leave the warp via industrial pipe, another mini pirate in training jumped out right in front of them. He growled at the two girls as he pointed a sword at each of them. In return, the girl and Frankie shared a bored look. Sure wielding two swords looked cool but even someone without any experience using them could tell that the weight was seriously throwing the other teen off.

"I got this," the girl muttered to Frankie. Frank only shrugged and took a step back, content with watching the new girl play with the pirate teen. She had to hand it to the princess, though. The way she moved and baited the guy was hilarious. The girl didn't bother using her saber besides blocking once or twice. Instead she stayed an inch out of the pirates swings, easily dodging every move he threw at her.

"Impressive," Frankie laughed.

"Thanks!" the girl said without missing a beat. "I'm Lonnie, by the way!"

"Frankie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Frankie."

"...Same to you, I guess." It didn't take very much conversation for the pirate to listen to before he grew agitated by the seemingly uncaring way Lonnie fought him. He finally abandoned one of his swords in favor of dealing heavier attacks. Now Frankie could see the fight was finally a fair one. Too bad no one cared about "fairness" on the Isle. With the guy's back turned toward her, Frankie used the opportunity to slink behind him and land a surprise blow to the side of his head. The teen dropped like a heavy sack of potatoes, garnering a surprised huff from Lonnie.

"Frankie!" Lonnie gasped in surprise.

"What?" she muttered. "You were taking too long." The two stared at eachother for a moment before laughter broke out between the two. Stepping over the unconscious male, Lonnie pulled Frankie into a side hug before walking stepping into the pipe side by side. Frank had stiffened under the sudden contact but didn't pull away from the embrace. Once they made it to the other end of the tunnel, the two broke away and made quick work with the tarp covering the limo. It wasn't long before the other teens made their way to them and began to move around the car.

"Let's go," Mal shouted at everyone. Frankie stood near the end of the tunnel entrance, her hands fisted in the tarp she helped pulled off, with a frown on her face. She knew the others expected her to go with them. It would have been the smart thing to do but Frankie's gut told her otherwise. A few hours ago she would have done anything to stow away in this car but now Frankie knew this wasn't the right time for her to leave. She had to make things right first.

"Frankie we have to go," the King said. Only instead of moving, the girl shook her head.

"I can't," she said. "Not yet."

"We don't have time for this," Evie cried.

"I'll be fine," Frankie said. The others looked dubious, no one besides the dog moving to get inside the car. Frankie smiled before turning to the King with a slight incline to her head. "Let's make a deal. I'll go when I get a real invitation but only after you take the kids who really deserve to go as well."

"Come with us and make sure it happens!" the Lonnie pleaded.

"No," Frankie shook her head with a miserable laugh. "I don't deserve to go. Not yet, at least. Take the kids who deserve it first then I'll consider it. Until then, I'll do my best around here to help get them ready. And Ben? Don't make us wait too long."

"...I won't," he swore. "I promise."

"Good," Frankie nodded. "Now go! It won't be much longer before Uma and her crew get's here!"

Frankie smiled at the group, waving off their concerned looks with a determined one of her own. Things were going to change around here and she was damned sure she was going to help it along herself; Even if it meant braving a pirate crew on her own. Though thinking about it, Frankie did know a few people who would be more than willing to help her cause if it meant getting off the Isle. Some persuasion would be needed but she was sure she could do it.

"Be careful out there, Frankie," Evie told her from inside the car. "And don't get into too much trouble!"

"No promises."

I’m pretty new to Tumblr but I’m hoping on taking on some requests! (This is cross-posted on fanfiction.net) 

#cross posted on fanfiction #descendants 2 #disney descendants #Disney #one shot #descendants imagine #taking requests #mal descendants #evie descendants #ben descendants #jay descendants #carlos de vil #harry hook #uma descendants #gil descendants #lonnie descendants

[tryingthisfangirlthing]

@viennainspringtime I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t happy I made you feel things. ;D I hope them not being around didn’t feel throwaway, but basically I’m trying to focus on Teslen and the vampires, and, I don’t know, I feel like Helen losing them would have very much fueled a certain single-mindedness about the whole thing (not that she wouldn’t have been single-minded before, but more so now). Also, I’m sorry, this chapter is a bit of an infodump, with a bit more backstory/worldbuilding that’s addressed in part 5 but I didn’t want to spring on readers out of the blue during that scene. I hope it’s not too bad, though. :P

Teslen vampire/hunter AU, Part 4

Contains: guns (that are actually not used for a change), vampires and associated mentions of drinking blood, mentions of deaths of canon characters (Henry and Ashley), mentions of life-threatening situations, possibly slightly obsessive behavior?

---

Six days Nikola lay slumped there, in his locked-down laboratory, half-delirious, adjusting the hastily inserted IV whenever he felt lucid enough to safely do so.

He only ventured out, once, near the end, when he became so hungry he feared he might rip into his own wrist while asleep, and once he had retrieved the blood bag he hooked himself back into his blood matrix scrubber, fed, and slept for another thirty-six hours.

It had been a true Hail Mary pass, and he never wanted to come that close to death again.

 Defensive hadn't worked, and so he grudgingly began to think more offensively, towards actively disabling instead of merely blocking and deterring, enjoying the challenge of a new design paradigm but hating that he had been driven to it. (Her idea of some kind of energy-based weapon wasn't half bad, actually, right up his alley.) He found a place on the top floor of a converted warehouse, and set up his new fortress, and waited.

 He waited a long time, months, in fact, weeks upon restless weeks of looking over his shoulder and perfecting his new systems and very much not wondering what sorts of books or wines she liked. (She just seemed like the type to be able to properly appreciate both.)

A reverse image search with some clear footage from her previous attack turned up one “Abigail Fernley,” M.D., but aside from the standard documentation (birth certificate, driver's license) there was very little, and the entire thing smacked of a façade, the sort he too was intimately acquainted with.

(He really should have turned the images over to the police so they could lock her up if they hadn’t already — his most effective way of getting rid of hunters — but he reminded himself that pressing charges in this case could raise a lot of questions he wasn't very keen on answering, including why he had such an intense security system against someone who was, to their knowledge, a burglar. Her, he much preferred to deal with himself.)

 There were also far too many Henrys and Ashleys in this world for those names to be of much use. There was one boy, whom he thought might be the relevant one — a computer science student, whose body had been found drained in the aftermath of a feeding party. But sources made no mention whatsoever of family, and one or two sites on the deep Abnormal web spoke of him being a werewolf — which ruled out him being her son, at least biologically.

There were simply far too many casualties, even a few unwanted turnings — and it angered him, these arrogant fledglings who thought they could rule the world by force and bend it to their petty whims, these idiots who cast a black mark on them all and flew in the face of all the enlightenment his great race was capable of bringing to the world. Thankfully, most of them also woefully underestimated humans, and sooner or later had their spoiled little asses — or rather, heads — handed to them on a silver platter. Those vampires... once the transformation had taken place there was no way back, and he could understand humans eliminating that threat.

(There was a local takedown, recently, some rich upstarts. Nikola was nearly certain that was her work: careful, quick, and with an abundance of biochemical weaponry.)

 He began to believe she had given up chasing him — he didn’t fear that, no, it would be a good thing if she had, remember? But he couldn't let his guard down, because it would be just like her to take advantage of that moment. (He debated doing it anyways, deliberately. It would be a clever trap.)

 He threw his restless energy into his work in the laboratory, registering several minor patents for efficiency improvements in circuitry, streetcar propulsion, and radio transmission, and into his other work: a book, A History of Vampires, which he aimed to be the premier reference on his species once the world was ready to know the truth. He added a chapter on arrogant spoiled brat fledglings, in the heat of the moment, then revised it, then deleted it, then un-deleted it again.

Their history, though, that was his favorite topic. His race, once the kings and pharaohs of the world, ruling by virtue of their wisdom and bringing peace and enlightenment to their subjects, had been made practically extinct by the Church — sterilized and banished. Until the end of the 19th century, when one doctor, one brilliant woman, had revived them. Helen Magnus had devised a serum from pure vampire blood, and injected a small group of desperate Eastern European patients with it. Whatever her original intentions for that experiment may have been, the great race was reborn, and spread. Nikola himself had been one of the second generation, seeking out these people in the dark corners of 1890s London who were rumored to have become younger, unaging, and nigh-indestructible, and he had practically begged to become one of them, if it were possible. Eternity for his work, and damn any safety precautions.

 He had nearly given up on seeing her again, nearly returned to some semblance of his normal life, when she rang his front doorbell.

“Well, this is a surprise.” He couldn't come up with a better quip on such short notice, when he saw her in the evening twilight on the building's door camera. She was bold, and his heart sped up, as he wondered what she had up her sleeve this time. She carried no bag full of gear, just her usual leather jacket, a scarf over her neck, and a holster at her hip. “Though, if you wanted to try to climb into my bedroom window again, I wouldn't mind that, either.”

“I’d be daft, trying to enter directly into a bedroom.” She tilted her head, briefly. “Though given how little you sleep…” She cleared her throat. “May I come up?”

He stilled, debating it for a split second, but his curiosity won, easily. “You leave your gun by the door.”

She clicked her tongue. “That's hardly fair. You have an entire defense system up there, plus your natural advantages. I should at least be afforded my gun.”

“If I may remind you, you're the one coming to me. My rules.”

“I'm not coming to try to kill you. This time.” She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her expression impassive. “I could suggest a meeting in ‘neutral’ territory, say, a park. A place with so many more possible angles of attack. A restaurant poses its own issues, as well.” She paused, for a moment, to let her words sink in. “I want to speak with you, Nikola, and this is the best place for us both. But I won't surrender my gun. Are you going to let me in?”

He frowned, setting his jaw as he buzzed her into the building. “I'm sure you know which apartment.” His only response was the sound of her boots on the stairs.

It was surreal, letting her into his apartment. She stopped just beyond the door, glancing around, shifting her weight onto one foot, completely unselfconscious.

He swallowed and closed the door, watching her. “Why are you here?”

She folded her arms, staring right back at him. “As strange as it may sound, I do feel obligated to thank you for calling an ambulance. It may very well have saved my life.”

He inhaled. “I hope you don't make me regret that.” Taking a step back, he sized her up, and she did the same.

“Why did you do it?” She held up a hand. “And spare me any platitudes.”

“I hate seeing death. Despite what you may think of me, I don't laugh and watch the world burn.”

She lifted her chin, pursing her lips. “I suppose that's fair enough. For what it's worth: thank you.”

He tilted his head, allowing a half-smile to seep over his face. “You're welcome.” He gestured towards the living room with a flourish. “If I may offer the lovely lady a seat and some wine?”

#teslen vampire/hunter au #rinari's fic #teslen #sanctuary #vampire hunters #vampires #fanfiction

[mistystarshine]

MML Chapter One: Aberrant

Chapter Summary: It’s no use crying over spilled milk - or cruel children and troublesome stands.

Notes: I told you that the first proper chapter would be here soon! Sorry for how long it took to get it up.

Wordcount: 3, 436

Beta’d By: @sentochoryu

An annoyed glance thrown her away made Yoriko notice that she had started tapping her fingers against her desk in the midst of the teacher’s lecture. It was a small noise, just a gentle tap, tap, tap, but apparently enough to be a source of irritation. She pursed her lips before slowly lowering the offending hand into her lap. Her classmate, Ume, gave her an approving smile before looking away to continue listening to the teacher. The smile was not returned.

Chemistry. Her last class of the day, making it the time when the less ambitious students got anxious to leave. That actually wasn’t the reason why she tended to zone out the most often in this class in particular. Chemistry just didn’t click with her, the subject or the type between human beings.

The soft giggling she could hear behind her was a testament to that.

She tried to ignore it. When she heard the faint rustle of someone leaning forward, she realized with a sinking feeling that she might not be able to do that. A voice whispered into her ear, sweet as syrup and melodic as a flute. But if this individual was like a flute, she liked to think that the most accurate comparison was the pied piper. Absolutely fine at a glance, maybe even nice, but one little misstep would reveal someone rotten inside.

“Fidgeting?” The question was kindly voiced, but it made her tense up anyway. The kindness would never last. Sure enough, in that same sweet tone, she continued, “maybe you should tie your hands down. That’s what crazies do, right?”

The boy in the desk next to her began to snicker. That was not a problem by itself - Hirohito was immature, fairly dim, and had a tendency to laugh at anything he found vaguely amusing. The discomfort of others was, apparently, very amusing. Letting the thoughts and opinions of someone like him bother her was a ridiculous notion. Who had made him laugh was the real problem. That boy could never generate the same nagging ache that she could.

Yoriko had never been friends with Yokoyama Azami, but they had been cordial, once. Then she had been shown a car crash that would leave the girl in a wheelchair. Eight years old and horrified by the vision, she told her. The car crash never came and, instead of acknowledging that that future had been set off course, Azami promptly deemed her insane.

She hadn’t been the most social person even before obtaining her stand and children could be cruel. It didn’t help that even after she (quickly) figured out not to let non-stand users know what was going on, ignoring her stand when it manifested along with every ghost was hard. If you looked at nothing every now and then, you were weird. If you struggled to get your emotions across sometimes, you were creepy. If your interests laid on something deemed ‘boring’ or ‘morbid’, you probably weren’t popular. When you were all of those things, you were a very easy target.

Don’t respond, she thought. It was what she was always told to do, as embarrassing that the fact that this happened often enough for her to have received instructions on it was. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath - and was promptly poked in her shoulder for her efforts.

“Hey,” Azami whined, “Yorikookoo. It’s rude to make a racket and not respond when someone’s talking to you.”

Ume, only a few desks away and in possession of superb hearing, had turned around to give Azami a very unimpressed look. She didn’t even acknowledge it. Instead, she poked Yoriko’s shoulder when she failed to respond quickly enough. That forced some of her unbothered facade to drop. Clenching her jaw, she murmured, “hypocrite.”

Finally, she turned her head somewhat toward her classmate, although she didn’t change her expression. “That’s not my name.”

Something flashed in Azami’s expression. It was amused in a way that promised not to be good for anyone but her. “It’s just a nickname. There’s no need to be so sensitive.”

A nickname was a term of endearment generally used among friends. That was inaccurate in two ways. For one thing, it had been made very clear that they weren’t friends over the years. Secondly, she failed to find anything enduring about a nickname which only differed from her given name by adding the English slang term ‘coocoo’. It was tempting to point this all out and make the petty girl look much less intelligent than she must feel, but she was aware of how liable it was to backfire. She would have to go with something much more simple.

“I’ve told you that I do not appreciate it several times. Your memory must be more lacking than I thought.” The emotionlessness of her voice was very much intentional this time.

That terrible amused expression was pushed away by something much darker. She turned away just after she caught a glimpse of an angry and offended spark lighting up in her eyes. If she was honest with herself, she might even admit that she got a bit of contentment from it.

Said theoretical contentment was chased away by the sound of the teacher clearing his throat. The action itself were vague, but the sinking feeling she had was proven correct seconds later. “Miss Kawajiri. Is everything alright?” This was said in the disapproving tone of someone who had already decided that it was not alright.

She didn’t have to look to know that Azami was fighting back a smirk. The tiniest of frowns tugged at the corner of her lips. “Yes, Mr. Ando.” Expression herself was not something she was very good at, but if you listened closely, you could pick up on a hint of dullness in her voice. That happened when you knew that it was pointless to say anything. It had been decided that she was a troublemaker long ago.

Indeed, he looked like he didn’t buy it one bit. “So you were just choosing to ignore the lesson and not arguing with Miss Yokoyama?”

She didn’t need Reaper to know what would happen next. Azami would say that yes, they were arguing, but it was her fault somehow. Mister Ando, knowing his students so well, would believe her wholeheartedly. After all, she wasn’t the only one who had ‘trouble’ with Yoriko. Why on earth would multiple students signal out one girl for no reason? It wasn’t like that was some sort of game. That was exactly what would happen. Except it didn’t.

Yoriko very nearly jumped when a hand that wasn’t Azami’s shot up. When the teacher nodded her way, Ume said, “she’s telling the truth, Sir. I didn’t notice anything wrong.” The teacher wasn’t the only one who ended up staring at her.

She… helped me? Granted, Ume hadn’t actually told the truth, but the little bit she had done was more than she was used to or expected. Confusion all but rolled off of her in palpable waves. Silence only hung over the class for a few seconds, but the air was filled with anticipation in those few moments. Those who weren’t invested in the outcome of the current drama had doubtlessly noticed that the hour had passed and, with that, the school day had ended. It was finally broken by Mr. Ando heaving a heavy sigh and dismissing them.

Most of the time, she hurried out when class was over. Today, she hesitated. She was still staring at Ume, that all-important question on her lips. Why? Even a visibly agitated Azami storming past went unnoticed. However, the moment Ume met her eyes, she turned around and hurried out the door.

It didn’t take too long for her to get out of the building. She then found herself wishing that she had brought her jacket to school with her - and that said jacket had a hood. Something to block her face sounded very nice right about now. Logically, she knew that people had better things to be looking at than her, but she couldn’t shake the gnawing fear that they were staring. No matter how much she tried to blend in with the crowds, no matter how hard she tried to ignore the thing she shouldn’t notice, she was still that too-cold girl with some sort of disconnect.

It wasn’t even Azami’s fault, really. She had already shown plenty of aberrant traits before her stand manifested. That old attempt at a good deed just sped up the progression of her social issues.

She hadn’t noticed just how quickly she had been walking off the school grounds until she heard someone calling out. The noise was that special combination of loud and distant that made the actual words being spoken unintelligible. However, she recognized the voice speaking them well enough to feel inclined to pause. Takuma was panting heavily by the time he made it to her side. Had she been in a better mood, she may have made a comment about how he could stand to get a little more active. Instead, she just resumed walking once his breathing had slowed down enough that she didn’t feel like she had to worry about him keeling over.

Takuma matched her step with a dramatic huff. “Geeeeze, you were practically running away!”

Yoriko had never been very talkative. Therefore, there was no reason for her friend to look at her suspiciously when she shrugged. But he did. She frowned and carefully averted her gaze. Apparently, that was another seemingly-invisible warning sign for him to pick up on. “Are you alright?” He out a hand to place on her shoulder, but reconsidered and pulled back at the last moment.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“Are you sure?” As those words left her friend’s mouth, a flash of purple appeared in the corner of Yoriko’s eye. She took care to keep her expression from fluctuating and tried to keep the movement subtle as she glanced in its direction. “Because, I mean, there’s a difference between you being quiet because you’re you and you being quiet because something happened to keep you from wanting to talk.” Just as she feared, Reaper had manifested to stand beside her. Wisps of fog rose up and churned in lazy circles as they began to gather into something denser.

“And I know-” Takuma was still talking. She could hear him talking, but couldn’t make sense of the words. Too much of her energy was focused on watching her stand while making it look like she wasn’t watching anything at all. It would be easy if she just ignored it, but she couldn’t ignore it, not when it was doing this.

The fog began to darken. The distinct images of dark clouds began to form. Houses then formed beneath them, recognizable as an area about a block away from her house. Shadows crisscrossed the street and oozed between the houses while heavy raindrops hit the pavement. A lightning strike would illuminate the entire area except for a few particularly stubborn shadows clinging to the sides of the houses every few seconds. A thunderstorm. Reaper had decided to manifest while she was around someone who didn’t know about stands to tell her about the freaking weather!? Yoriko held in a groan as she turned her attention back to her friend just in time to give him an encouraging nod when he fell silent for a moment. When he started chatting away again, he found herself hoping that she hadn’t just nodded her consent to something totally ridiculous. Almost as much as she wished she could control what and when her stand predicted.

When the image of the thunderstorm faded away, she expected Reaper to disappear as well. Instead, the stand stayed and the fog began to take shape once more. Before any of the images had even become clear, she noticed that it was a lot more solid than what she had just been shown. That very nearly made her step falter. Don’t Fear the Reaper hardly came with an instruction manual, but she found that the clearer the prediction was, the more likely it was to come true. Whatever she was about to see was very likely.

A picture of herself appeared clearly in the fog. Judging by the clothes and bag being exactly the same, it was going to be very soon. She would take her hair into consideration, but since she wore her hair down with a small section pulled into two buns near constantly, the hairstyle told her absolutely nothing. Takuma wasn’t by her in the picture, which meant that it was after they part ways, so only a block or so from now. The picture was focused too closely on her for her to see more than a few feet away from her in any direction and there was nothing that clearly hinted at the location in that small area. Before she could try and notice anything more, the Yoriko in the image was knocked to the ground. It was too quick for her to get a clear look at what had slammed into her.

She stopped in her tracks and snapped her head to properly face Reaper. Like a songbird startled by a cat, the stand vanished, taking the fortune-telling mist with her. Yoriko couldn’t withhold the frustrated noise within her. What was that? Her heart felt like it was pounding faster than it had been a minute or two ago. Was I in the street? Do I get hit by a car? Sweat began to form on her brow. If she could see her face, she would see that she had paled somewhat. How d-

“Yoriko?”

Her concerns simultaneously seemed to freeze and intensify in that moment. Whatever she just saw, the future could always change. If Takuma decided that she was too much for him as well, there would be no changing that. She hesitantly turned to face him and forced a smile. It looked a lot more awkward than the reassuring expression she was going for. Actually, it was kinda pained. It was a good thing for her that a pained expression went perfectly with the lie she blurted out. “Sorry, stubbed my toe.” Before he could notice that there was nothing for her to stub her toe on and she hadn’t stumbled, she began walking again.

Almost to the end of the block. She was almost alone.

Takuma let out a fond, but frustrated, huff. “So clumsy! You should be more careful, you’ll get hurt one of these days.” The response she was given was the shrugging of a single shoulder and a soft ‘hmm’. It seemed like that fell under his definition of her ‘normal’ sort of quiet, because he kept talking. “Anyway, you’ll remember when I said, right? I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.”

They had reached the end of the block. He had stopped walking and was looking at her imploringly. It made her wish that she had listened to him, but as silly as the storm was, worry over the second prediction haunted her even as guilt burned in her chest. “Yeah,” she lied. “Yeah, I… thanks.” She smiled again, this one easier to produce and much smaller, but also softer.

With her heart hammering away, she stepped onto the corner of the block. “See you tomorrow, Takuma.”

Assuming she wasn’t flattened by a four-wheeler before then.

The next several minutes were spent in a state of hyper-alertness. She turned her head every few minutes and strained her ears in an attempt to notice everything there was to be noticed. A dog barking in someone’s yard. Birds singing in the distance. That old ghost that lingered across this particular block. Nothing that she wouldn’t expect to see in late June. Nothing out of the ordinary.

When she reached the end of the block, she looked down the left side of the road. There was her mistake. While she was looking at the road, something came barreling down the sidewalk from her right, slamming into her side and knocking her to the ground.

It felt like all of the air had been knocked out of her chest by a battering ram. An exaggeration to be sure, but for a few moments, she was sure that the two sensations would be incredibly similar if she were ever in a state to compare. When she had pulled enough air back into her lungs to form a coherent thought, the first one was, so it wasn’t the road, after all. It was quickly followed by, who ran into me? Or, more accurately, who had run into her, was on top of her, and still needed to get off of her?

Yoriko began to squirm in an attempt to get out from under whoever had her pinned. This was followed by that person letting out a breathy English curse and rolling off her. The person who had run her down shakily rose to their legs. “I’m so sorry, I- Yoriko?”

She blinked three times and allowed herself a few more moments for the newly discovered ache in her back to die down before sitting up. She then rubbed her back and peered at the human disaster before her. It had been a few years, so she looked older than when she had last seen her, but she was recognizable all the same. “Shizuka?” Yoriko finally pushed herself back onto her feet while the other smiled and nodded. “What are you doing in Morioh?”

“Oh, just…” Shizuka’s smile faltered. She scuffed one of her shoes against the ground before perking back up with a vague, “family stuff. How about you? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Yoriko almost rolled her eyes. Not as much as Reaper did. Having forewarning was definitely nice, but she could have done without worrying that she might be about to visit the emergency room soon. There were a lot of things she could deal without. However, not only did it not immediately occur to her that this was one person who she could talk about stands with, but you didn’t react to seeing a friend for the first time in years by complaining about your own problems. It was a good thing that problems that said friend had caused in the first place were an entirely different matter. “Not as badly as you did the first time we met,” she dryly said.

Shizuka winced. “As, yes, that.” She rubbed at the back of her neck and laughed awkwardly. “At least I’m not wearing rollerskates this time?”

Mild amusement flickered across Yoriko’s face. The chances that they would meet twice because of Shizuka literally running into her really were low. Low and painful, but also a little funny. Unfortunately, it looked like the hilarity of the subject might not have been clear to everyone. “That was a joke,” she clarified. “I’m alright.” She was a little sore, but also in a better mood than she had been a while ago, not that she was thinking about it. That was precisely why she was in a better mood; because she wasn’t thinking about it and now knew that disaster wasn’t on the horizon.

Shizuka’s face lit up. “Oh, alright then!” She glanced around a few times before looking back at Yoriko, her smile being replaced by a disappointed look. “I have to go, I was supposed to be back at Josuke’s a few minutes ago. That’s why I was running, you see. But I do want to catch up…” She allowed herself to trail off for a moment. “Maybe you could come over tomorrow?”

Yoriko hesitantly bit on the inside of her cheek. She didn’t normally go out and do things with people. Sometimes she would hang out with Takuma, but aside from breaks, he was usually busy outside of school. But on the other hand, she wasn’t behind on homework and didn’t really have anything else to do. “Alright,” she eventually said. “After school?”

Surprise flicked across Shizuka’s expression. She tossed it aside with a shake of her head. “Oh, right, you still have school this time of year in Japan.” A wide grin appeared on her face as she flashed her a thumbs up. “Sounds good! You know where Josuke’s place is, right? Just stop by there!” Before she could do more than nod, Shizuka had waved and taken off down the very street she had just left.

Well. That was… something. Hopefully, not something that would lead to anything regretful.

#make me live #yoriko kawajiri #jjba fanfic #and a super belated chapter one for you all! #I hope you like it <3