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therealvalkyrie · 3 years

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Painter’s Hands and Guatemalan Coffee: Part 1

on the inevitability of dating a frat bro

Pairing/setting: Levi Ackerman x Female!Reader, modern!college!AU

Summary: When you catch your idiot boyfriend cheating, your grumpy roommate is there to pick up the pieces and watch your back as you toe a carefully drawn line in the metaphorical sand

Word Count: 5.0k

Warnings: light angst, fluff, cheating, alcohol, swearing, minor injury

AN: So!! I am REALLY excited about this fic, but it’s the first AOT piece I’ve ever written and the first piece I’ve posted at all in a WHILE. As of now, it can stand on its own as a mainly platonic/unrequited Levi x reader, but I have big ideas for potential expansion in the future! Please don’t hesitate to reblog/comment/send in an ask with any suggestions, questions, or feedback!! ~valkyrie

Palms slap flat against the door of your apartment as you stumble the last few steps, barely catching yourself before your right ankle twists out from under you. Sharp pain shoots up your leg, and you know it’s gonna hurt like a motherfucker in the morning.

“Shitshitfuck ow,” you slur as you slide to the ground, back to the wall, short skirt bunching dangerously high on your thigh. Fumbling fingers go to the ankle strap of your right stiletto and pull fruitlessly on the ties. With a whine, you curse the forethought you had to double knot the thin cord when you were getting ready to go out earlier in the evening. Your tongue sits heavy and dry in your mouth as you lean your head back against the wall and press palms against your eyes until stars swim into your vision.

How the fuck did I end up here? you think with a soft hiccup, and all of a sudden you’re crying again.

As you sit in your apartment hallway, drunk and distraught and slowly freezing from the outside in, you recall the events of the night. Getting ready with Hange for girls’ night, meeting up with Sasha and Hitch at the new bar across town. Downing shots and cocktails until the worries of the week melted away, dancing until your feet ached and your eyes stung. Seeing your boyfriend across the dance floor making out with another woman. Correction, seeing your boyfriend making out with your best friend. Correction, seeing your ex-boyfriend practically fucking your former best friend in the middle of the goddamned club-

With that image freshly burned into your mind, you let out a gut-wrenching sob followed by a tremendous sniffle just as the apartment door opens.

A soft thump echoing through the apartment jerks Levi out of his light sleep. It takes him a second to remember you went out to your girls’ night, glancing over at his alarm clock. 2:17 am, sounds about right.

He rolls over and readjusts his sheets around him, determined to go back to sleep. It’s not uncommon for you to spend your weekend out with friends all night, and he learned a while ago that you’re perfectly capable of getting yourself showered and into bed after a night out. That’s one of the things Levi likes about living with you: you generally know how to stay out of his hair, and he doesn’t find himself caught up in yours.

When Hange had introduced you to him at the end of last semester as a potential roommate, he had been hesitant. In his book, anyone Hange approved of was bound to be at least slightly off their rocker, but he had been hoping to sign a lease for the next school year before leaving town, and after meeting you he felt willing to take a chance. He told himself it was because of your stellar recommendations from former roommates and respectable credit score, but the smallest part of his mind admitted it was also because of your pretty hands and intelligent eyes.

That day at his favorite tea shop when you had met up to sign the lease, he had asked you about your major and you had practically lit up with the way you spoke about the architecture degree you were pursuing. The pair of you had chatted all afternoon, discussing books and comparing experiences with professors in the art department. When you learned he was in the painting program at your university, you had grabbed one of his hands off the table in both of yours and examined it closely.

“You have painter’s hands,” you had proclaimed after a moment, turning his hand in yours and tracing the cracks in his palm lightly. “Just like my mom’s.”

Levi had simply sat there, stunned at how such a small gesture made his heart race and neck grow warm.

With a groan, Levi rolls back over in an effort to shake himself out of his turbulent thoughts. 2:19 glows green at him from his bedside table, and suddenly he’s struck with the realization that he hasn’t heard you actually come into the apartment, let alone close your bedroom door with your habitual sharp snap.

“Damn it to hell,” he mutters as he flicks on a beside lamp and stuffs feet into slippers. Careful to avoid knocking over the painting set to dry on the easel by his desk, he opens his bedroom door and hears the muffled sound of sobbing from the front door.

Levi stands in the doorframe in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, poking his head out into the hall. For a moment, he can only stare. He’s never seen you like this before, utterly dejected, scatter-brained, small, so unlike the confident woman in the tea shop.

“You look like shit,” he says plainly, the barest hint of concern in his voice.

You keep your eyes downcast and weakly flip him off, continuing to sob gently. At the lack of your usual backtalk, his expression slips from his usual impassivity to a sharp frown.

A delicate hand encircles your upheld wrist and you let it go limp in Levi’s grip as he crouches down next to you.

“Hey, hey, what happened? Are you hurt? Why are you crying?” His calm tone helps you focus your mind, and you manage to hiccup a response.

“G-god I’m an idiot,” you sniffle, and raise your eyes to barely meet his. His head is ducked to your level, and he’s crouching on the balls of his feet, one hand gripping your limp wrist and the other hesitantly reaching for your shoulder. “Just leave me out here to w-wallow, or better yet take me out with the t-trash, that’s obviously all I-I am,” you gesture vaguely at yourself.

“Did someone tell you that? That you’re trash?” Levi asks sharply, dipping his head with yours in an effort to maintain eye contact.

Your bottom lip trembles and you sniffle again. Just under the delicate white noise of life, Levi can hear his heart break cleanly in two.

“It was more implied,” you supply weakly.

Levi sighs, then drops his hands and straightens up.

“Alright, up you get.” He extends his hand, and you stare at it for a second before adjusting your bag on your shoulder and gripping his warm hand with your freezing one. A solid pull later, you find yourself balancing in your heels, Levi’s hand gripping your elbow and the other around your waist. You mumble a thanks, and attempt a step on your right foot towards the door. The traitorous ankle buckles again and you cry out as you stumble once more. But this time Levi’s there to catch you against his chest, now fully supporting you at the waist.

“Ah, I forgot,” you mutter into his shoulder.

“Tch,” he clicks, gently chastising, and in a second he’s scooped an arm under your knees to carry you into the apartment. Vaguely, you wonder at how coordinated he is as he kicks the door shut and nudges the light switch with his elbow. Pretty buff for an art major, you muse, with your head laying against his chest and arms looped around his neck. How pathetic is this, can’t even walk into my own home.

He nudges his way into your room and casts his gaze around in the ambient glow of your desk lamp. You can tell he’s holding himself back from commenting on the clothes strewn across the extra chair by your closet and the lipstick-stained coffee cup sat atop a pile of textbooks on your desk, and you look down in embarrassment. There’s a reason you keep your door closed most of the time. Despite the mess, he successfully navigates across to your bed and gently puts you down, arranging your pillows behind you to support your back before disappearing into the living room again.

You take a moment to wipe at your eyes, sigh self-pityingly, and slouch down into your soft bed, not caring that you’re still fully dressed. Not only did you catch your boyfriend cheating, but you managed to wake up your (usually grumpy) roommate, reveal to him how messy you actually were, and injure yourself in the space of half an hour. Just about a record.

The shrill ringing of your phone breaks into the silence. As you’re digging through your purse to pull it out, you remember with a sinking feeling that you didn’t even tell the girls you were leaving the club, let alone what happened. You slide a shaky finger across the screen to accept the call and put it to your ear.

“Hello?”

“Uhm, hello? Where the fuck are you?” Hange’s loud voice makes you wince and hold the phone slightly away from your face.

“Oh god, I’m sorry Hange, I went home. S-something happened and I, well I just called an Uber and didn’t even think,” you finish lamely.

“What happened? Did you get home safe? Did someone hurt you? I swear to god-”

“Hange, I-”

“-rat bastard bartender was eyeing you all night I could’ve guessed he’d try something-”

“Hange!” She stops short and allows you to speak. “I got home safe. Levi’s here. I’m not hurt, the bartender didn’t try anything, I… I’ll tell you everything tomorrow, okay?” You inject your tone with some bright optimism in an effort to assuage her panic. “Tell Sasha and Hitch not to worry, okay?”

Over her momentary silence on the other end of the line, you can hear traffic sounds and faint club music, as though she had stepped outside to call you. A strained sigh, then: “Okay. I’m glad you’re okay, but I’m still mad at you for not checking in before you left. Had me worried sick.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I’d be mad too. Can you swing by tomorrow? And I’ll explain everything?” Your hand rubs down your face and you close your eyes in a guilty grimace.

“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” The call ends and you drop your phone down onto your bed where it bounces gently away from you.

When you open your eyes again, Levi is standing in the door holding a cup of tea, his other hand cupped around something, studying you with uncertainty. You sit up hesitantly against your headboard, surprised. You’d figured he went back to bed and left you to put yourself to bed as you usually did.

He crosses the room with his smooth gait, and in a moment, you feel two ibuprofen pressed into your palm and the mug of tea nudged into your other hand, your roommate gently prompting you to drink. He watches as you pop the pills and take a slow sip of the tea, smiling faintly when you recognize that it’s chamomile.

“Good.” He takes the mug and sets it aside on your bedside table. Pulling your desk chair up to the side of your bed, he sits, and leans over towards your feet.

His light fingers start to work on the knots in the ties of your shoes, and you can feel his voice rumble lightly as he says, “What happened, kid?”

You huff a laugh at the pet name, then consider where to begin. You decide straightforward is the best approach with someone like Levi.

“I saw Reiner and Annie at the club, sucking face in the middle of the dance floor. I thought he was at some quote unquote frat thing and she insisted she couldn’t come out to girls’ night because of some stupid group project. They didn’t even see me, I just turned around and left before I knew what I was doing. And poor Bertholdt, he probably has no clue what Annie’s been up to.” You take a shuddering breath and let out a choked sob, trying to stop the waterworks and unable to keep them at bay. “God, I’m such a spineless coward.”

“Hey.” Levi’s sharp tone startles your teary gaze to meet his eyes, which look practically murderous. He leans over to grasp your shoulders, warm hands scorching cool skin. “You are not a spineless coward. He is the goddamned spineless foolish bastard, and if I ever see his ugly mug I will wreck it so bad his own mother won’t be able to identify the body. As a matter of fact, that goes for Annie, too. Are we clear?”

You blink in shock before fully registering his words and nodding slowly. “Crystal.” Levi looks the most angry you’ve ever seen him, brow furrowed and mouth set determinedly.

“Good.” He returns his attention to your ankle. While you were talking, he had successfully untied and slipped your shoes off your swollen feet. “Now, let’s see what’s going on with your weak-ass foot.”

He spends a good minute poking and prodding and turning your ankle every which way in his grasp. “Does this hurt?” and “What about this way?” are answered with soft “no”s or a wince and a “yes”. His hands are practiced and intentional, and you briefly wonder how much experience he has with treating injuries. After a last gentle prod, he sets your foot back down on the bed.

“Well, it’s definitely not broken. It is swelling, though, and probably sprained. I’ll go see if we have an ace bandage or something.” He stands and moves to leave, but before he can get too far you gently grasp his forearm.

“Thank you, Levi.” Your voice is soft and sincere as you look up at him through curled and mascaraed eyelashes. “Thanks for picking me up off the floor and listening and taking care of me.”

Levi studies your tired face for a moment. The trails of mascara down your cheeks, a stray piece of glitter sitting on your cheekbone, lipgloss smudged on the left side. It seems as though his hand moves on its own, reaching out to stroke your cheek lightly, thumb gently brushing away the escaped glitter. He doesn’t miss the way your lashes flutter as you subconsciously lean into his touch. Finally, he tousles your hair with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

“Tch. Don’t worry about it, kid.”

“I’m barely younger than you!”

“Whatever, brat.”

Levi is sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea and hunched over his laptop when you step out of your room late the next morning. Freshly showered, your hair curls delicately over your shoulders and the scent of peppermint body wash reaches his nose. He studies you for a moment. You’re wearing a loose sleep shirt, cotton shorts, and an oversized cardigan, and he can see where the ace bandage he found last night pokes out from under your fuzzy socks. Clearly, you’re planning to stay in today.

“G’morning,” you murmur, passing behind him to get to the kitchen. Your roommate grunts a greeting in response and takes a sip of tea in his odd overhanded way. You start your coffee routine, reaching for the French press and coffee grounds from a shelf and setting the kettle to boil on the stove. It’s grounding to go through the motions of a daily ritual after the emotional turmoil of last night. Or rather, the emotional turmoil of this morning. It had been hard to drag yourself out of bed before noon, and harder still not to crawl back into your warm sheets after a scalding shower. You steel yourself for the inevitable conversation as you measure out grounds, then finally turn and hop up to sit on the counter facing Levi when the only thing left to do is to wait for the coffee to brew.

“Sooooo,” you start in a long, drawn out syllable, leaning back on your hands.

His hands still on the keyboard and a quiet tension fills Levi’s shoulders before he turns his body fully towards you, resting a hand on the back of his chair. He doesn’t say a word, but his eyes are softer than they usually are when you interrupt his studying.

You take a deep breath.

“So, uh, last night I was kind of a wreck and you were really sweet, and I just wanted to say thank you again and I’m sorry you had to witness that.” It’s said in a rush, and by some miracle you manage to maintain eye contact.

“Like I said, don’t worry about it. That’s what friends are for.”

“I know, I know, I just-- it felt really nice to have someone, y’know, there after what, uhm, after what happened and I really was a mess I mean I must’ve looked so gross and I woke you up at like what? Two am? And you were just so steady and kind and I mean you even tucked me into bed for God’s sake--” you ramble on, the words falling over each other in your awkwardness. God, you idiot don’t you know when to shut the fuck up?? “--and I know how much you like it to be quiet at night and I really do try to--”

Levi cuts you off when he stands fluidly from his seat and crosses the kitchen in two strides, entering your space and placing his hand over your mouth in the same motion. You look at him with wide eyes, suddenly breathing very oddly. The clean smell of paint thinner and black tea simultaneously clouds and calms your mind.

A beat, then: “Brat. Stop rambling, you’re welcome.” You study each others’ faces. Levi’s eyes are stern and steady as he looks up at you through elegantly disheveled bangs. To Levi, you look like a deer caught in headlights, all surprised eyes and warm cheeks. After a charged moment, he lets his hand drop and takes the smallest step backwards.

It takes your brain a second to reboot, then you’re fumbling over your words again. “Okay. Well, uhmm. Okay.”

“How’s your foot?” He glances down at the foot in question as if to check it’s still there, then back at you.

“It’s okay. Still hurts to walk on but I can handle it,” you manage to breathe out with the air left in your lungs.

“Good.” He nods once, then turns and sits back down at his laptop. He hears you huff half an incredulous laugh and slide down from the counter to pour your coffee. A shake of the head and a sip of tea later, his mind slips back into essay mode and away from the woman drilling holes in the back of his head with curious eyes.

“Hey baby!” You hear Reiner’s voice from the door as he pushes through it with his usual boisterousness. From your position at the kitchen table in front of your laptop, your back is to him and you allow yourself a moment to press your nails into the palm of your hand and steel your nerves before plastering a smile on your face. You stand up and turn to greet him, limping to meet him halfway from the door.

“Hey babe, come on in!”

He winds an arm around your waist and pulls you in to peck you on the lips as usual, but you manage to subtly turn your head so it lands on your cheek instead. With the flash of an innocent smile as a coverup, you step out of his arms and make your way into the kitchen to set the kettle for coffee. “So, uh, how was your frat thing?”

He follows close behind you, completely oblivious, and cages you in with your back against the counter after you’re done at the stove. “Eh, it was alright. Got some new pledges, you know how it is.” He grins in the cocky way you fell for and leans farther into your space. You give a giggle and rest gentle hands on his chest, keeping him at a distance while feigning affection.

“Oh, sure. Busy night of fun, I’m sure.” Your tone is sickly sweet and you mentally grimace at yourself to take it down a notch.

Fiddling absentmindedly with the collar of his shirt, you take a moment to mourn your relationship. While it’s about to end swiftly and brutally, you know that you will miss the security and warmth you had with Reiner in the beginning. You finally lean in to lay your head on his chest one last time, and your heart aches at the way he tenderly rests his chin on top of your head. The moment is broken by the kettle beginning to whistle and you gently push him away to go turn it off.

“How’re Hange and the girls?” He leans himself against the counter and watches as you bustle around the kitchen, preparing coffee as you usually do when he comes over. It’s one of the things the pair of you had initially bonded over, trying new beans and methods of brewing nearly every week. Recently, you had been using Guatemalan beans with notes of peach and candied almonds, a birthday gift from the cheating boyfriend himself.

As you measure out grounds into the French press, you maintain a cheerful disposition. This is it, you think. Don’t back down now.

“They’re doing great, we had so much fun! We went to that new bar on Oakland Street, I think it’s called like Stevie’s?” Of course it’s called Stevie’s, it had been all anyone could talk about since the new bar opened earlier in the semester.

“Oh, yeah, uhm I’ve heard good things, good things….” His voice has a nervous edge to it, and a glance in his direction confirms that he’s awkwardly rubbing his neck as he usually does when he has something to hide.

You push on: “Yeah! I think you would totally love it! Very much your vibe. Anyway, we got absolutely plastered, to be honest I’m not even sure I remember how much I had to drink.” A pause for dramatic effect accompanied by a ditzy laugh. “But y’know, I do remember seeing one thing.” You carefully bloom the grounds before pouring the rest of the water in, focusing your gaze away from Reiner in order to keep your cool.

“Oh?”

You casually set the chicken shaped kitchen timer on the fridge to four minutes and adopt a thoughtful tone. “Yeah, I saw Annie there. Which was odd, because she told me that she had this huge group project to be working on. Guess she finished early. Oh, and you know what else I saw?”

“W-what?” A sharp turn away from the fridge reveals his increasingly nervous face to you

“I saw you there, too! Maybe you got so drunk at the “frat thing” you just don’t remember going, how funny is that?” You keep your voice light but find yourself unable to maintain a smile, your expression slipping into somewhere in between hurt and determined.

He shifts awkwardly on his feet and looks anywhere but your face, hand still rubbing the back of his neck. “Ahaha, really? Are you sure it was me, becau--”

“Oh, it was you. And do you know what you were doing?” This time, your voice is icier than the sidewalk in February after a week of sleet, causing his body to still and face to fall.

“N-no…” It’s almost pitiful how quiet he is now that his usually confident demeanor is shaken.

“You were kissing Annie. Which is funny, considering you both are in relationships.” The statement hangs in the air and you stare steadily into his eyes. You make it a point to regulate your breathing and blink back the first tears beginning to pool.

After another charged split second, your idiot ex-boyfriend decides on the worst path: badly gaslighting you into thinking it wasn’t him.

“I uhm, I was uh, are you sure? It couldn’t have been A-Annie-- I mean uhm, me, uh, ahaha, if it was, that’s so funny…” He stumbles over his words, only trailing off in defeat when you hold up a hand to silence him.

“Save it, Reiner. I already had a breakdown last night, I’m not particularly in the mood to deal with yours.” You limp over to the table and pull out a chair to reveal the cardboard box of his things you had packed up that morning. “Here’s your stuff, now get the hell out and stay the fuck away from me. Maybe go grovel to Bertholdt and see if you can salvage that relationship.” Your hand trembles as you point at the box and then the door and your lip quivers with the effort of not crying.

Reiner evidently sees the vulnerability in your eyes and decides to grasp at a few last straws, adopting a pleading mien, complete with sad smile and innocent eyes. He moves towards you slowly, as though approaching a wounded animal, and reaches out to lay a hand on your shoulder. “Aww, come on, baby, it wasn’t like that, it was just a heat of the moment thing, I didn’t mean--”

“Didn’t mean what?” Facade finally breaking, all you can muster up is a furious, cracked whisper and angry tears. “Didn’t mean to stick your tongue down my best friend’s throat? Didn’t mean to practically fuck your best friend’s girlfriend in public?”

“No, I mean, yes, but I, aw, c’mon sweetheart,” he admonishes, cautiously reaching out to wipe away your tears. You cringe away, but before he can touch you his arm is ripped away and he’s stumbling back with a shocked expression.

“I believe the lady told you to get the fuck out.” Levi’s standing in front of you out of nowhere, hands eerily still at his side. Evidently, he had come back from the store smack in the middle of The Dumpening, and a glance towards the entryway confirms there are grocery bags discarded haphazardly on the floor. Turning your attention back to the men in your kitchen, you see Reiner’s face has rapidly shifted from surprised to angry. He’s caught himself against the counter, breathing hard, eyes flicking from your teary eyes to Levi.

“Hey, this isn’t any of your fuckin’ business, buddy,” Reiner drawls, confident as he straightens up to his full height. He practically towers over Levi, the shortest of the three of you, and you can tell he’s already estimating your roommate to be an easy fight should it come down to that. Sharp panic enters your chest at the thought of a fight breaking out, and your hand flinches out to grasp Levi’s jacket sleeve desperately. You’ve seen Reiner in a couple bar fights, and even drunk he’s a force to be reckoned with.

He doesn’t acknowledge your touch, instead injecting a quiet venom into his usually dispassionate tone. “You made it my fuckin’ business when you touched my roommate without her permission in my home.”

The taller man opens his mouth to retort, but you beat him to the punch: “Reiner, just go. I want you to leave.” Some mettle has returned to your voice and you force obstinate lungs to take a deep breath. “Please take your stuff and go.”

Eye contact with Reiner usually makes you feel warm and safe and in love, both of you prone to wearing your heart on your sleeve. This time the experience is sullied by conflicting anger and hurt and guilt written across his face, filling your already aching heart with an unshakeable leaden weight.

He inhales sharply, then speaks in a much more uncertain voice. “Is this really what you want?”

Your mouth quirks to the side in an effort to quell more tears. “Yes, this is really what I want.”

The fight slumps out of his body, shoulders rounding imperceptibly, and he holds up his hands in defeat. He crosses to the cardboard box of his things sitting on the kitchen chair. You don’t miss the way Levi casually keeps his body between you and Reiner, staring him down as he moves towards the pair of you. Your grip hasn’t slackened on Levi’s jacket, and at this point you can’t distinguish if it’s to stop him from doing something stupid or simply to have something to hold onto.

Reiner hoists the box into his arms and turns his head towards you once more.

“Goodbye,” his voice cracks on your name and you tear your eyes away in favor of staring at the linoleum kitchen floor.

The front door clicks shut.

You finally drop your hand from Levi’s sleeve, sink slowly into the chair behind you, and bury your face in your hands. The dull aching of your heart seems to seep through the rest of your body until your limbs are heavy, ankle throbbing from standing on it for too long.

You hear Levi’s retreating footsteps towards the door, the shunk of the lock slipping into place, and the crinkle of plastic grocery bags as he picks them up off the floor. He works in silence putting the food away, giving you space to collect your scattered self. When his task is complete, he joins you at the table, sitting in the chair which had previously been occupied by Reiner’s box.

When the chicken timer rings, he calmly shuts it off and returns to sit by you.

When his cell phone dings with a text notification, he deftly sets it to “Do Not Disturb” and returns to keeping you company.

When you finally meet his eyes, it looks like you’ve aged a year.

“You all right?”

“Been better.”

“At least this time you’re sober.”

“Pfft,” you scoff. “Wish I wasn’t.”

“On that note, I got wine and cheese at the store. The “perfect break up cure”, in your own words.” His tone is dry, but his mouth is slightly quirked at the side. “And I saw that Pride and Prejudice is streaming on Netflix.”

His thoughtfulness chips into your melancholy, and you hazard a watery smile. “Aw Levi, you didn’t have to do that.” With that, you lean over and pull him into a warm hug, arms around his neck and chin hooked over his shoulder. He hesitantly puts his own arms around you and pats your back awkwardly.

“Really, it’s no--”

“Oh, shut up and let me be grateful for you.”

(read Part 1.5 here)

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyoujin #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #reiner braun #annie leonhart #hange zoe #sasha braus #hitch dreyse #bertholdt hoover #swearing #alcohol #painter's hands and guatemalan coffee #valkyrie writes

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neutron-stars-collision · 3 years

Text

The Art of Inversion

Neil x Reader

Chapter 19 - Holy Ground

Masterlist; Chapter 18

Summary: In the days before the mission in Tallinn, you and Neil have a few conversations to clear the air of doubts. Only, the mission itself proves to be a disruption...

Warnings: Swearing; mild violence.

Author’s Notes: Here we go, my favourite mission (and favourite Neil outfit too). This is only part one of the Tallinn action because so much happens... as you’ll see. I’m sorry. I really am. Hope you enjoy and please leave me feedback if you feel like it!

Song mentioned is: ‘Holy Ground’ by Within Temptation (I’ll share it in a post later but basically listen to it after reading and you’ll know why I’m obsessed)

Edit is courtesy of my amazing friend @sh3tani once again (ilysm and thanks for everything 💕)

The upcoming days were busy. You have been assigned the task of getting hold of some of the vehicles and artillery TP wanted for the heist in Tallinn. It was difficult, not only because it is actually rather hard to acquire a fire truck with no records left from the transaction, but also because you barely had any clue what you were actually doing. And so, most of the time, you were sat at the dining table in the flat, calling various shady people Neil gave you contacts to. Sometimes, a tea would appear in front of you, courtesy of the other team members thoroughly apologizing for how they handled the ‘alley situation’.

It seemed like your late-night walk and the cold treatment you gave everyone (including Neil) for the next 24 hours afterward worked. The jokes have ended, and contrition took their place, usually in the form of extreme helpfulness, random acts of kindness, and, in Neil’s case, a break from teasing. At least for a short while.

The only development you were not so sure of was the fact that the whole team decided to label your relationship. Not just any label but dating, verging on a couple. And that was rather terrifying. It struck you especially the night before when you have minded your own business in the kitchen. Watching over the pasta boiling on the stove, you listened to the plans made by Ives. He was trying to settle on the best way to track Neil during the heist when he suddenly turned to you with a question:

“Has your boyfriend told you what kind of car they are going for in the end?” the neutral tone made you skim over the term at first.

But then your brain caught up. What?! You almost toppled over the whole pot of pasta onto the floor when trying to drain it. Fuck. Ives was staring at you quizzically, as though confused about your current state.

“I… Who?” you stammered out the question, knowing it will only make everything worse.

“Neil” Ives grinned, “Unless you’ve gone for an open relationship and there’s another boyfriend involved”

“Christ, please stop” sighing, you tried to calm down just enough to function “I believe he’s going for a BMW, don’t know what series but something fast enough just in case there was a chase” triumphantly, you poured the sauce over the noodles.

“I’ll need to give him a call about it” Ives smacked his tongue thoughtfully.

“Feel free” using the opportunity, you grabbed the cutlery and escaped into your room.

Boyfriend? Now that was something to cause anxiety. Because despite everything that happened, all the things you have told Neil and got in return, you had no clue what you were supposed to be. Not really. Yes, sometimes you let yourself entertain the idea that maybe you were together, maybe he was your lover. But… was he? Could he ever be that?

With those thoughts occupying your mind, you only managed to last until afternoon the next day before giving in. After failing to contact a car dealer for the fifth time and realising that you have completely messed up the route plan due to forgetting about important details, you closed the laptop. It was hard to think when all your brain did was give reasons for why Neil would never actually want to be with you. To summarise: you were not enough, naïve, hopeless, and dumb enough to think that someone this incredible could think about you seriously. Stifling the sudden desire to breakdown and give up on everything, you dialed his number. He picked up almost instantly.

“Yes, my love?” your heart clenched at the nickname.

“Hi… um… Do you have a moment?” you cringed at the awkwardness.

“For you? Always”

Maybe, on another day, that would have made you smile. But that was not that kind of a day.

“Neil, I’m serious,” sighing, you rested your head on the cold wall behind your bed.

“What’s wrong?” his tone switched from playful to concerned.

Okay… now there’s no turning back.

“I’ve just been thinking...” you started, debating on the best way to breach the topic.

“Oh no”

Damn him. You cracked a small smile, knowing that was the intention. You could almost picture him at this moment, sat in some absolutely strange position in the armchair, nothing but long legs and ruffled hair. You did have it pretty bad.

“Shut up” you took a deep breath and blurted out “It’s probably stupid, and feel free to ignore this but... what even are we?”

There it is. Your whole existence hanged on his reply. But, of course, Neil needed more clarification than that…

“How do you mean?” his careful tone made your heart rate elevate.

The result was a string of sentences you shot out with the speed of a machine gun.

“Because everyone here assumes we’re dating. And Ives called you my boyfriend last night, and I don’t... I don’t know if that’s what’s going on and-”

“Okay, calm down,” he interrupted your rant “Take a deep breath” he waited until he could hear you exhale to continue “What do you want this to be? Because we’re the only people who have a say about it” the diplomatic tone made you frown.

But then maybe he just wanted to get your point of view before saying anything substantial… Trouble was you had no clue. Picking on a loose thread on your sweater, you sighed:

“I don’t know” maybe this was the right time to give him another piece of mind? “I always hated labels because when you name something, it becomes real” you admitted, letting yourself slide down onto the pillows.

Nothing could hurt you there. Apart from potential rejection from the likely love of your life. Basically, fml, as the kids say.

“What about good things?” his question caught you off guard.

“Well, yeah, but… once there’s a couple, then there can be a break-up” the insecurity had an answer for that too.

Your cheeks heated up upon saying the word. Because even that felt like a step too far. Like maybe you were clingy. Obnoxious. Someone he could want to get rid of as quickly as possible. Before you decided to back out of the conversation, he replied:

“That’s a rather bleak way of looking at things” it was still that thoughtful tone.

A burden then.

“I know” you groaned, frustrated with yourself.

But the next thing he said was rather surprising…

“I’ll need to work on making you more optimistic. Not because I don’t like you the way you are, but because I want you to realise how wrong you are sometimes” the conviction and practical implications of the statement made you speechless.

The future tense. The admission that he did like you, with your countless issues and overbearing anxiety. It couldn’t be, could it? Neil took your stunned silence as permission to say more:

“From my side, let me say that dating doesn’t quite cut it because it implies not being sure... And…” despite yourself, your ears perked up, wanting to know what he meant.

“Yeah?” you prodded, trying to toe that precarious line between curiosity and fear of rejection.

“I’m not really in the trial stages anymore. Don’t think I’ve ever been” he clearly wanted to tell you more but was holding back.

Maybe it was for the better. Before you could think about a response to that, Neil added:

“Basically, we don’t have to use any labels. We’re just us” the simplicity of that statement broke through your resolve, making tears well up “Me and you. We know best what that implies and no one else matters” quietly, you sobbed, and he laughed before choosing to put that final nail in the metaphorical coffin “You’re my love, and that’s the only nickname I need” Neil sounded happy, as though despite your worries, he wanted to say that “I can be your idiot, as long as I’m yours” the punchline came with an audible smug smile.

Oh my god. You laughed, with tears still silently falling down your cheeks and heart hammering in your chest. He was impossible. Absolutely impossible. Suddenly asking that crucial question was not that scary. Because maybe today was the day when would tell you, without alcohol or worries prompting the confession. Taking the plunge, you spoke:

“Neil, do you-”

“Yes, I do,” he interrupted you with an answer.

“I haven’t even asked the question” you frowned, unsure whether that kind of an answer was better than a confession.

Because, yes, he already said it once (almost twice), but both those have been anything but thoughtful. And your ever doubting brain was quick to use that fact against you.

“But I know the answer” he sounded certain.

Perhaps too certain.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to tell you over the phone” Neil sighed heavily on the other end “Listen, I have to go… but call me or text if you need to talk” he hesitated before adding, “No matter what I want you to remember what I said that night in London”

Oh… It was the first time any of you brought it up. You just assumed it was one of the things that just slipped out in an unguarded moment. You wanted it to be true, but then that was too risky. But maybe not…?

“I heard you” you whispered despite being alone in the room.

“I know” you could picture the soft smile he sometimes gave you “Goodbye, my love. Good luck with work” at the reminder of the piles of papers still waiting, you groaned, causing him to laugh.

“Will be needed since what you’ve assigned me is close to impossible” the change of the topic was dearly welcomed.

Grabbing the laptop again, you opened it up and felt all the motivation dissolve upon the sight of the route waiting to be planned. Coffee will be needed. And maybe whiskey too.

“I believe in you,” Neil broke your brooding with a comment, “And it’s not really me who assigned it” you rolled your eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. Bye, idiot” unable to stop the grin on your face, you ended the call.

So maybe it was worth calling… Even if only to learn that he was in fact yours. And that he did not mind your insecurity or moments of anxiety. Maybe all this had some more potential than heartbreak and tragedy? Ignoring all the thoughts, you focused on the workload. After all, someone had to get all those bloody vehicles on time for the boys to play with.

*** The closer it got to the day, you could feel the tensions rising within the team. Partially it was your own fault and the fact that you were nervous. The plan was vague enough. What you and Ives’ squad knew was that TP intended to take over the plutonium 241 on the move, specifically on the highway leading out of the city. For some reason, he needed a fire truck and a firefighter suit for that. You had no clue why, but you blamed it on the boyish dreams of being a firefighter. Sure they all had those.

Neil was simply the designated driver and mission coordinator, and you hoped that meant he would stay out of harm. As much as that was possible for an idiot like him. You were not allowed to meet to stop TP from getting suspicious, and so all you could do was rely on texts and daily phone calls to keep you from going insane. The downside of the situation was that you could not slap Neil when he said questionable things. Examples being referring to the heist car as sexy (“And what if I told that it’s not the BMW that’s sexy?” “I’d be flattered”) and calling you his girlfriend on the call with Ives. That second incident resulted in the squad leader acting all smug because he apparently ‘figured it all out’. He did not, but who were you to prove him wrong.

And so, you perfected the plan, finished all the assigned tasks, and waited on instructions concerning the day of the mission. When they came, the message was simple – sit on your assess and wait, just in case the Cavalry was needed. You did not specifically like that ‘waiting’ part. Especially since Ives began insisting that you do not actually join them in the field. In his mind, the safest place for you was the flat. Not being a part of the squad and not having enough experience were the main factors acting against you. And you hated the fact that he was right. That is until the evening before the mission when an unexpected text from TP came. You were busy trying to understand the rules of a strange competition show on the television when your phone buzzed. Expecting something nonsensical from Neil, you picked it up instantly. Only to get shocked by the number on display. The message was straightforward:

“Join the squad in the field in Tallinn. You must be there”

Right… When you were asking the universe for help, you did not expect that. But it was better than nothing.

Without a further ado, you got up and wandered over to Ives, who was sat with Wheeler and Michael at the table. Upon your approach, the Brit looked up:

“Don’t tell me you’ve got some last-minute changes from Neil” his blue eyes were hazed with concern.

“No, I’ve got something better” you passed him the phone and waited for a response.

The widened stare and arched eyebrow was the initial reaction.

“He wouldn’t have sent if it wasn’t important” you added, hoping to win the case.

“I don’t get it” Ives sighed heavily, leaning back in the chair.

He glanced at Michael, who nodded and left the room. You just assumed that the discussion was not meant for any ordinary squad member.

“Apologies for my language, but you’re not a bloody soldier, and it might get rough out there” Ives spoke up again after a beat “And I don’t want to fucking worry about your safety amidst all the other mess” he met your gaze warily.

It was a little embarrassing to be considered a burden. You flinched internally before trying another approach.

“I know, but Neil might need me” as soon as you said the words, Ives scowled.

Of course, that just sounded like a lovesick teenager fighting for a hopeless case. And you hated that. But his very next words triggered the remains of resolve.

“Frankly, darling-”

You broke into a laugh, knowing the quotation well.

“I swear, if you quote Gone with the Wind right now, I’ll do something stupid” as a warning, you grabbed hold of the knife lying on the table, making Wheeler snicker quietly “Please, let me go out there. I can track his GPS signal or something. And well, you know that I’ve got a good aim. It might count for something” pleading was not your forte either but at the end of the speech, Ives’ gaze softened.

Maybe? He sighed once again before leaning his forehead on the folded forearms on the table.

“If you get hurt, he’ll kill me” he muttered gloomily.

“You’re exaggerating” you bit back a dry chuckle.

“No, he’s not” your head snapped up at the sound of Wheeler’s voice “But I’ve got to back you here if TP sent that text, then it’s probably important” she looked at you with a small smile.

“Thank you” you grinned back, grateful for the support.

With the days spent among men almost exclusively, Wheeler’s company meant a lot. Soon she became the only person you were willing to discuss your worries with. Because she was not keen on cracking dumb jokes about your relationship and asked questions that did not only concern Neil. And that was a welcomed change.

“You really need to be careful though, because Neil cares about you. Which probably makes you the most important person on this squad” her voice broke through your thoughts.

You knew she meant well, but the statement still made your cheeks heat up. Because did he really care?

“Don’t. You’re making me all flustered” deciding you’ve had enough of the awkwardness you got up to fix a tea.

“Well, I’m only speaking the truth here” turning back to the table, you saw Wheeler shrug “The physics boy took his fancy upon you, and that’s no funny business” she grinned at your perplexed expression.

Briefly, you glanced at Ives, who seemed to have given up on fighting with you and instead was listening in to the conversation with a neutral facial expression. The kettle boiling was your cue to respond:

“Great” semi-aggressively, you threw the tea bag into the mug poured the water “Did he though?” you asked, not even looking at them or expecting an answer.

“Yep,” Wheeler stood up and gave you a quick reassuring shoulder squeeze.

“I’ve never seen him like this before” Ives added once you turned to face him again.

That tea could not brew any longer…

“Not even with…” you hesitated before adding quietly, “Alex?”

“Not quite,” the man gave you an enigmatic smile, only increasing your frustration “You’ve convinced me though. You’re coming with us. Just please, for the sake of my sanity, be careful out there” you resisted the urge to jump up in relief “Because I’d rather not deal with an angry Neil. He’s a pain in the ass enough” Ives added darkly before getting up and joining you by the kitchen counter.

Smiling, you finished the tea.

“Thanks. I’ll do my best” playfully, you nudged his shoulder with yours “You can always blame me though” picking up the mug, you turned towards the corridor.

“As though he’d care” Ives muttered at your back.

The sudden surge of confidence was surprising yet also inspiring:

“I’d make him care. There are some things even he can’t say no to”

The last thing you heard upon closing the door to the bedroom was Ives choking on water.

*** The Tallinn mission for you began with an early morning phone call from Neil. You got as far as getting out of bed after having been staring at the ceiling anxiously for the past three hours when the phone rang.

“Morning,” you muttered, stifling a yawn.

Espresso was certainly needed. Maybe two, before you would have to head out.

“Hey,” the soft tone felt like a mild punch “I’m glad you’re up already” Neil’s sleepy voice made you wish you could wake up together again.

There was always that slightly husky tinge to it, the way he lazily pronounced some words just because it was early still. So different from the enthusiastic overenunciation when he was preaching another messed up plan of his. Or the cheeky inflections he tended to use with you during banter. It was terrifyingly easy to get to know him that well because of how open he was with you.

“I couldn’t sleep. But it’s okay I’ll manage” you admitted, distracting yourself from the sudden thoughts “I didn’t tell you last night, but I got another text from TP… he wants me to join the squad today”

From the moment you have shut the bedroom door the previous night, you have debated calling Neil about it. But then he initiated another rather amusing texting exchange focusing on his fashion choices, and you felt bad disrupting the peace. It could wait. Not anymore. You held your breath until Neil responded with a simple question:

“Why?” he was careful, and you could not blame him for it.

You perched on the windowsill and looked out at the quiet cityscape. The streets were strangely empty for a weekday morning. Sighing, you answered in the best way possible:

“I don’t know, but Ives said yes after some coaxing, so I might see you out there” smiling despite yourself, you waited for his response.

Since recently you had to rely on phone calls, it became increasingly easy to determine his mood based on the tone of the reply. Or on the various nonverbal noises he sometimes made. Now there was a quiet hum proceeding the sentence. A surprise, mild confusion, and worry. Brilliant.

“As much as I’m happy we might meet… and that you can see me in that sexy car,” you rolled your eyes awaiting the point “Please, be careful. I need you safe”

It was not disappointing. You knew he did not intend it that way, and yet the anxiety fuelled brain was onto it instantly. I need you… safe. Unable to stop the comment, you muttered:

“Just safe, then”

“What?” any hope that he might have missed it dissolved with that single question.

Could he for once not listen to what you say? You know, like men tended to do. But then Neil was by no means an ordinary man.

“Nothing. Don’t mind me” the attempt at saving your dignity failed too.

“I thought it goes without saying that I do need you. And that I want you”

Oh god. At once, you wanted to smash your head into the wall and to kiss the bastard for being the way he was. Adding to that sentence, the mental image of his sheepish smile was enough to make your heart speed up. When the silence stretched, becoming awkward, you whispered a reply.

“It’s good to hear it sometimes” the coldness of the window glass cooled off your blazed cheeks, “Especially when I don’t actually believe it” he knew that by now, undoubtedly.

Here the nonverbal cue was a half-choked sigh. Annoyance. Frustration.

“You should. I don’t go around telling everyone that” Neil’s confident voice was trying to pull you back “And I certainly don’t have moments as we do with anyone else” at the implication, you felt flustered again.

Because there did not an hour go by without you thinking about what happened. The pull between you was startling at times. The absolute desire you felt. The way Neil knew exactly how to make you remember every second of every moment. With the memories flooding your brain, you could only utter a single question:

“Why me?”

It was curiosity. Because apart from that evening months ago when you first tried to make sense of your budding relationship, he never said why he cared about you. And you would never dare ask. But now, with everything that happened, it was worth trying. And Neil was willing to deliver:

“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because you’re the bravest, kindest, most beautiful person I know” you could only keep on listening with your mouth agape “You fascinate me, and I want to discover all that you’re willing to give me” he finished in a reverent whisper.

That was not what you expected to hear. Not now. Not ever. Speechless, you wondered whether maybe this time it was not a mistake to give your heart away. It was too late. He had everything but your body; that was just a matter of time.

“Neil, I…” this was all you could manage, afraid you would give away another confession.

“Well, you’ve asked,” he chuckled lightly and then asked, “Are you okay?” you could picture that crease between furrowed eyebrows.

“I suppose-” a loud knock on your door interrupted the sentence; it was time, “I think I should probably join them for the final briefing…” hesitantly, you jumped off the sill.

Only two of you could be interrupted during such an important conversation.

“Go, I won’t keep you. Believe me, though, when I say that I want nothing but to be with you. In every way possible” your breath hitched at the connotation behind the sentiment.

Jesus, this man…

“That’s rather mutual,” like a secret you passed it to him on a sigh “But only when you’re not an ass” that was a much-needed distraction for you both.

There was work to be done, after all. You could hear the commotion in the apartment rise in volume and strength.

“I’ll do my best then. Good luck, darling” you grinned at the nickname he was determined to use.

Darling, you could do with. It was better than the ‘love’ that always made you feel like you were just another one among many.

“Don’t do anything stupid I still owe you a few slaps… and a payback” you added the necessary suggestive tone to the last word.

The rest was up to him to figure out. Which he did, if the pleased laughed was anything to go by.

“I’m very much looking forward to all of those” you missed that smirk.

“You should. Bye, my idiot,” you debated saving his number as that in your phone.

Maybe it was the way forwards.

“My love,” laughing, you ended the call when he uttered the words just for the sake of it.

But then that was Neil’s essence – doing things just because. Or to get a reaction from you. And you would not have it any other way.

*** Only when sitting in that bloody SUV, you learned the true meaning of waiting. And how much you hated to do that. There was nothing to do apart from sweating in the protective gear and avoiding the awkward small talk others were susceptible to. The squad has cramped into two non-descript vehicles, and you being the so-called precious cargo, ended up in the same car with Ives who have sworn to protect you. Only, for the first half-hour, there was nothing to protect you from. Apart from anxiety, boredom, and frustration.

Your role was rather simple – follow Neil’s signal on the map to know where you might be needed should he call for backup. As much as you did enjoy the possibility of tracking his movements somehow, you did not appreciate the cheeky smile Ives had on his face when he gave you the job. Or the comment combined with it: “Well, he’s your boyfriend, it’s only fair you keep him on the metaphorical leash here”. That is how the small blinking dot on the map of Tallinn became your sole focus for the past hour. Just before everything kicked off, Neil radioed you with a simple message: The mission is about to start. Wait for further instructions.

Ever since your morning phone call and the revelations that came out, you only exchanged a few texts concerning the practicalities of the action. Despite the nerves, you did hope to see him in near future. Even if just to check whether what he said was true. Looking for a distraction from the sudden thoughts, you glanced at the screen again. They were near, on the main junction of the highway, heading towards the port. Your SUVs were parked underneath a small overpass, five minutes away in the current traffic conditions. Which proved to be convenient, as it turned out.

“Is he still following the set route?” Ives’s question brought you to the present moment.

“Yeah, they’re-” you glanced to double-check the exact location when you realised that something has changed.

The dot was not moving. It was still blinking, but clearly, they have stopped at a crossing. Traffic lights? Your brain somehow knew that it could not be that simple. You opened your mouth to voice the thoughts when the comm came alive on the dashboard with static crackling:

“We need back up here. ASAP”

“Roger that” Ives tossed you the radio “Ask him about the details”

Without waiting for more information, Michael fired up the SUV engine as Ives contacted the second vehicle.

“Neil” you spoke into the receiver “What happened?” you flinched at the louder noise from the radio.

Gunshots?

“We’ve been ambushed by Sator’s people. TP’s status unknown”

Bloody brilliant. Swallowing down the rising worries, you asked another question:

“How many people?” another gunshot pierced the silence.

“Not sure. They’ve gotten clean up orders” a strained breath from Neil told you how bad the situation was.

“Okay. We’ll be there soon” you glanced at the road ahead.

Still, 2 mins to go. Anxiety was threatening to overpower you at any moment. But now was not the time.

“Hurry up” Neil closed the channel with a final dose of static.

Fuck… Forcing a deeper breath, you could only watch as you got closer to him. The sheer thought of something happening to Neil was unimaginable. That was enough to trigger panic. So you pushed the idea to the back of your head, focusing on the distance disappearing.

There was no mistaking the fact that you have been led to the right place. Crashed cars, asphalt littered with glass shards and broken parts, gunshots piercing the air. The destination looked like a car pile-up from an action sequence. Frantically looking through the windows, you tried to spot that blonde head. To no avail. The SUV came to a sharp halt as the squad members began jumping out of the vehicle. Once everyone else disembarked, you moved to follow them, only to be stopped by Ives:

“You’re staying here. I can’t have you out in the shoot-out” his blue gaze was stern, hand blocking exit out of the car.

The idea that you were so close to Neil and could not see him was enough to make you angry.

“I can handle myself. And he’s-” you spit out the words in the face of the squad leader while trying to push him away.

“I said no. The conversation’s over” with a final glare, he stepped away and scanned the horizon for immediate danger “If someone approaches the car, you know what to do,” he threw as a parting remark and disarmed the rifle.

Fucking hell! Groaning in frustration, you kicked one of the seats. He was so close. You glanced at the device in your hand. He could not be further than behind the first line of crashed cars. Biting on your lip harshly, you quickly went over the options. One was to obey Ives and stay inside the bloody SUV like a well-behaved child everyone apparently took you for. No one seemed to care about the vehicles you parked on the outskirts of the action. Flinching at the further salve from the heavy artillery, you knew that the squad had joined the fray. You could be safe here… but… Taking a deep breath you knew there was no possibility you could stay away from the action. Not when Neil was there, potentially in danger. It was not possible to give up on someone that important just because you were told to. Christ…

Glancing through the windows again, you could see Sator’s people attempting to clear the place. The squad evidently attempted to push at them from one side, hoping to get a clean sweep that way. Then, just as you were about to go back to the internal crisis overwhelming your thoughts, you did a double-take. Surely not? You would recognize that hair colour everywhere. There he was attempting what was looking like a skirting manoeuvre to circle the mercenaries with the Cavalry on the opposite side. Only that left him completely uncovered, in the direct line of fire. Bloody idiot. The instinct to jump out and run to him kicked in. The only thing holding you back was the fact that you would disobey the orders. And leave the car unguarded. All the hesitation disappeared once the comm in the car crackled with static:

“Emergency assistance needed. ASAP” the tension in his voice made your pulse quicken.

The lack of response from the team made all the blood drain from your face. You could see him trying to hide behind some overturned car. The henchmen were near enough to get him with no problem.

That thought was all the convincing you needed. Swearing, you quickly pocketed the tracking device, adjusted your protective gear, and grabbed the gun. You have been offered a rifle (just in case), but you preferred the classic. At least it was something right?

In two leaps, you have covered the distance. With the team trying to get through the attack line on the other side, it was just you and Neil. You shot a round in the direction of the approaching merc, missing the target yet earning attention from the main object of your focus. His eyes met yours across the plane. You could see shock, worry, and something else there. Suddenly a salve whizzed past you. The bullets cutting through the air all around, shooting past your head and piercing the car behind. A strangled yell from Neil was a surprising reaction, yet you did not blink twice. He was all you could see. With a final surge through the field, you reached him. The pure fury and anguish in his eyes took you aback. Have you missed something? But there was no time to ask questions.

“Go, I’ll cover you” you whispered, looking at the approaching group of mercs.

Neil took an additional moment to stare at you as though he could not quite believe you were there. But then he jumped up, aiming the gun at the man closest to you. The same that undoubtedly attempted to take you out seconds prior. When the mercenary fell with a bullet in the head, you stared in shock. There was no time to recover as Neil pushed through, barely looking behind at you. It was surprisingly easy to tune out the emotions, taking out anyone who could threaten him or halt your advances. You worked well together, movements in sync enough to stun the opponents on a few occasions. For a second, you wondered whether it was only bound to get better the closer you get to each other. That was certainly an interesting idea… In no time you have met with the line of the squad, watching on as Ives dealt with the last man standing. You have won. The adrenaline started to leave your body, resulting in tremors and shaking hands. Clutching the gun to prevent it from cluttering to the ground, you met the exasperated gaze of the squad leader. Your only response was a shrug. You did not regret the decision, seeing as you have evidently helped them in the field.

“Neil? Do you know where TP is?” Ives took his attention off you and looked at the blonde man.

You followed his gaze, for the first time actually looking at Neil since you spotted him across the plane. At the moment, you were struck by what a sight he was. Navy shirt with sleeves rolled up to expose the forearms covered with veins. The same tie he had on during your walk. Your pulse quickened. The vest drawing attention to the ratio between his broad shoulders and narrow hips, accentuated with a belt. Brown loose-cut trousers and scrapped leather shoes adding a classy touch. You were aware that you were staring yet unable to look away. Not knowing whether to blame it on the adrenaline rush, you wanted nothing but to touch him. Take off those driving gloves that piqued your interest at the first sight. Or have them be wrapped around your throat with just enough pressure. Get rid of the tie again. And…

“Think Sator took him” Neil’s response broke through your increasingly hazy thoughts.

Shaking off the images that started appearing, you looked up at his face again. The ruffled hair and flushed cheeks were not helpful. Fuck’s sake. It had to be stress. Because what else?

“Their place in the port?” Ives asked, his tone nothing but strict business.

“That’s my bet” Neil shrugged, looking around with something dark in his eyes.

He was tense, like a feral animal that could lash out any moment. You were not wrong. The cold blue gaze settled on you almost remorsefully, but before you could open your mouth, he snapped:

“What the fuck were you thinking?” the hostile edge to his voice was new.

You flinched as though you have been hit. The lack of physical impact did not matter. Your heart stammered. He need not explain what it was about. Please no.

“You needed a cover. They weren’t responding, so I did the obvious” you shrugged, feeling the anger grow “And I could ask you the same question” spitting the sentence into his face, you took a step closer.

You have never seen him that furious. Not even in Oslo after your little fuck-up. The sight was both terrifying and alluring. The dark blue eyes blazed with fury. Jaw clenched. Slight pink tint on the cheeks. And yet, still, you had no idea why he reacted like this.

“I knew what I was doing. That’s the difference” the coldness of his voice threw you off.

So it was real. He did mean it. You tried to save him, and here he was, pissed off at you. Making you almost regret it. Almost, because the love was there too. Not giving away no matter what.

“That’s bullshit” it felt good to admit, “You were reckless, as always, and expecting me to-” your rant got interrupted by a strangled yell.

Nothing prepared you for the revelation then. Or the sudden anguish on his face.

“You were almost shot!” Neil’s eyes glistened as though he was close to tears.

Suddenly it made sense. The rain of bullets you were hit with just before getting to him. The way he reacted. But you made it. Nothing happened. So why was he acting like that?

“Almost” ignoring the growing pain in your chest, you pointed out the obvious.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Ives and the rest of the squad observing you. You would rather not have an audience, but then Neil seemed determined to drive his point forward. His face scrunched into a pained scowl.

“Fucking hell,” turning away from your gaze, his back tensed even more “You can’t do shit like that just because I’m involved” the defensive tone took you aback.

What? It was getting worse. You could feel the confidence leaving your body as you struggled for a response. You would never think Neil would do something like that. Not after everything you have told him. Figuring out the only way you that could work, you took your own line of attack.

“Who says I did it only because it was you?” the implication hurt because it was partially correct “Quite an ego you’ve got there” his back was still turned to you.

That angered you even more. Crossing the distance, you placed your hand on his shoulder, making him turn to you. He flinched upon the contact as though your touch burned him. Oh my god. The tears welled up in your eyes. It could not be real. But the emotionless look in the eyes you thought you knew was very much real. It was as though before you realised Neil has built up a wall, guarding himself against you. And there was nothing you could do to get through. You got shocked by the cruel smirk that split his face.

“I can see the way you look at me. As though you wanted to-” you interrupted him sharply.

“Neil”

It was too much. Perhaps because it was true. But he was not done. Persistent to keep going.

“Admit it. It’s because you said some things, and now you can’t bear the thought of losing the object of your affection” the careless tone and the words pierced your heart with gut-wrenching pain “Well, you see, sometimes feelings need to be put aside” he added, almost casually.

Fuck. You gasped, unable to keep a straight face. He might as well see what he has done. Some things. So this is how much your confession meant to him. Good to know. You wanted to slap him, but you felt like that could turn back on you. So instead, you made sure to straighten your back, putting on the familiar mask of neutrality. You have done this before. Probably should have expected it. Only why did it hurt ten times more?

“Can we leave the bloody lovers quarrel till later?” Ives’s voice pierced through the tension.

But you were not ready. Raising your hand in a stopping motion, you turned back to Neil. His face was terrifyingly indifferent. Maybe it was all an act. Or maybe it was just that easy for him to get over whatever you thought you had. A lie. Gathering the smithereens of confidence, you forced a levelled tone:

“Says you. As though you’re acting out of reason right now” you gave him your best impression of the sneer visible on his face.

You could crumble at any moment now. Only the pounding in your ears and the wounded pride were keeping you upwards. But Neil wanted to destroy everything.

“More than you” he glanced at the team waiting impatiently “I really thought you’d know better than this” the punchline was more than you could take.

No. Please no. Your knees buckled, and you swayed. But then you caught the flash of concern in his eyes. Just for a split of a second. So it was not all cold and hatred? You heard Ives huff out a string of curses. There was no time for this. Whatever it even was. Honesty it was then.

“Better than to give away my heart to someone like you? Evidently not” you met his eyes for the final time before walking away in the direction of the SUVs.

The shock you saw in Neil’s face was enough to fuel the survival instincts. With the heart broken or not, the mission was still on. And the rest was silence.

#tenet #neil tenet #neil tenet x reader #neil x reader #neil tenet imagine #neil tenet fanfic #tenet fanfic #robert pattinson #the art of inversion

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ttylfedora · 3 years

Text

The Rookiest Rookie that ever Rookied- Part Two

Oh god I feel so bad for Cole!!

Characters belong to the completely wonderful @lumosinlove

Cw, food

Enjoy!! 💚

“Right, mon fils, you remember the plan?” Pascal had sat Louis and Marc down at the dining room table and had his serious dad face on. The boys knew this face meant business and sat up straighter, as though they were in a proper business meeting.

“Oui, papa.” Louis answered. Marc nodded in agreement, both of them determined not to let their father down. After all, this was the difference between whether or not they could go out for ice cream at the weekend. All of the shots were riding on this!

“Repeat it back to me.” Dumo instructed.

“Which part?” Marc questioned, still getting his little brain around all of the instructions his father had given him.

“All of it, this is serious business. The two of you are embarking on a journey that can only be ruled as the greatest journey known to man. You two have a legacy to fill, mon fils, a legacy!” Dumo exclaimed dramatically, his arms out as though he was introducing a show on the West End.

“Ce n'est pas si dramatique, papa.” Louis rolled his eyes, and his father gasped.

“Say that again and you are grounded.” Pascal locked his eyes on Louis’. The famous Dumais pranks were a serious business and should be treated as such.

“There is a lot riding on this,” Dumo reasoned, “do you want ice cream or not?”

“I guess.” Louis huffed. “Alright, so we only answer to each other’s names.”

“Make sure all the clocks show a different time.” Marc continued “Can you help us get the higher clocks?” he asked his dad. Dumo nodded.

“Make sure the robot spider is under the couch.” Louis chimed in.

“Ask him where babies come from.” Marc giggled. “Where do they come from papa?” he asked curiously.

“Non, non, ask Cole. He’ll tell you.” Dumo wiggled his finger in front of his younger son's face.

“Okay, okay.”

“Parfait, right, he’ll be back in,” he checked his watch,”half an hour from hanging out with Leo. Let’s get this started, shall we mes fils?” Dumo rubbed his hands together and giggled, leading his children into the kitchen to get started on the clocks.

“Right, we shouldn’t be gone for long but if anything goes wrong, just call us straight away. We’ll be back by dinner time.” Celeste fussed. Her husband was already out in the car with Adele and Katie, ready to take them both to basketball practice.

“I will, promise.” Cole smiled. It was the first time they trusted him to look after any of their kids so he can understand why they were airing on the side of caution. “We’ll have lots of fun.” He smiled over to the two boys who were currently sat watching something on the television. Celeste thanked him again and left, shutting the door softly behind her.

Babysitting was a piece of cake. He could do this.

“Right boys, what’s the plan for today.” He clapped his hands and rubbed them together, sitting down on the couch that was adjacent to the two brothers. Marc’s eyes lit up.

“Can we make a cake?” he asked, practically jumping up from his spot on the couch.

“We certainly can, what flavour?”

Marc thought for a moment. “Chocolate.” he smiled.

“Sounds good to me, buddy, lead the way.” He reached over and grabbed the remote off of the coffee table in the centre of the room and switched the television off, following them into the kitchen.

“Right, let me see what we have here,” Cole started, going through all of the cupboards to round up the ingredients for the cake.

“Louis, can you grab me the eggs please.” He said over his shoulder as he went to retrieve the milk and butter from the fridge.

“No, no, no, Marc wait-“ Cole was cut off by the eggs Marc was attempting to hold in one hand dropping to the floor and smashing everywhere. He froze with his arms out mid step, and just sighed, laughing slightly. “Oh dear.” Marc looked up at him.

“Sorry Cole.”

“It’s okay buddy, how about you go and change your trousers and socks so that you’re not walking around all day with egg on them and we’ll throw them in the wash. It’s no big deal.” he smiled, grabbing a wet paper towel to start to clean the egg yolk off of the floor. Marc nodded and ran to his room. As he cleaned up, Louis gathered all of the ingredients onto the side, and grabbed more eggs from the basket.

By the time the floor was clean, Marc had come back down in a fresh pair of jeans and socks and popped his dirty ones into the washing machine for his mother to deal with later.

“Perfect, right, Marc, you’re in charge of weighing things, okay?” He looked at Marc but Louis nodded, sitting up on the bar stool in front of the weighing scales.

“Okay.” Louis smiled. Cole widened his eyes slightly but shook it off. Maybe he misspoke?

“Marc, you’re going to help me mix everything up, okay?”

“But I thought I was weighing the ingredients?” Louis asked, confused.

“Yeah, I was talking to your brother?” Cole said, though it came out more of a question. He placed his hand on his hip and scratched his head.

The boys just shrug and carry on anyway, allowing Cole to guide them through the recipe, one his mother swears by back at home. He was hoping it lived up to Celeste’s baking but he doubted his skills were that good. It was the least he could offer her for all the amazing meals she had cooked for him so far. She insisted that it was nothing but when one is so far away from home, having another mother cook a full homemade meal brought immense amounts of comfort to him.

They carried on working around each other, occasionally turning up the radio when a good song comes on, laughing and throwing flour and sugar over each other. Cole was an only child, but if he wasn’t, this is how he would want to spend his weekends with them. He supposed he wasn’t any more; his chosen family adding to the numbers ten-fold and he was beyond grateful for it.

Once all of the ingredients had been mixed, he asked Louis, well who he was sure was Louis, to help him pour the cake mix into the cake moulds. He started doubting himself as Marc, well who he was sure was Marc, came to help him. Once he had placed the moulds into the oven, which he noted had the wrong time displayed, he sent the kids through to the sitting room as he set the timer on his phone. His thumb hovered over the message app icon, wondering whether or not admitting defeat was wise. He quickly changed his mind as he thought up a better idea, opened the app and clocked on Leo’s name instead.

‘Hey man, I have a really embarrassing question but you CANNOT tell Dumo, okay?’

‘Oh god, this is gonna be good.’

‘Leo, PROMISE ME.’

‘Jeez man, okay, i promise!!’

‘Which of Dumo’s boys are older? Louis or Marc? Because i think ive been calling them by the wrong names.’

‘OH MY GOD HAHAHAHAHAHA COLE!!!!!!!!! PLEASE TELL ME YOURE JOKING’

‘Leo…’

‘Oh my god you arent joking.’

‘Please?’

‘Marc is the older one. Oh my god that is actually hilarious. Logan’s wetting himself.’

‘I’m never hearing the end of this.’

Cole put his phone away in his pocket, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Had he been calling these kids by the wrong name for the past month? It would seem so. He filled himself a glass of water and walked into the sitting room, sitting down on the couch next to Marc, no, Louis, the younger one.

“How long until the cake’s ready?” the older one asked.

“About twenty minutes now buddy. What are we watching?” he asked, gesturing to the television.

“Minecraft videos,” the youngest answered, smiling. Cole shook his head, clearly realising he had lost his touch with kids. Wasn’t Minecraft big, what, four years ago now? He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started aimlessly scrolling through Instagram, liking and commenting on a few of the posts until the youngest sibling piped up again.

“Cole?” he asked, an inquisitive look on his face.

“Mhm?” Cole replied, taking a sip of his water.

“Where do babies come from?”

Cole promptly spat his water back out looking at the youngest with wide eyes, stuttering slightly in shock. How was he meant to answer that?!

“I- well- have you not asked your dad this?” he stuttered, this was not what he expected to be answering today, to a nine year old nonetheless.

“Non, I just thought of it” the younger one shook his head.

“Oh, well, I mean, when two adults want to have a baby, they do a special hug, I guess?” Cole replied cautiously.

“So maman, and papa did a special hug for me, Louis, Katie and Adele?”

Cole just stared at him, mouth trying and failing to come up with a response to that. The last thing he even wanted to think about was Dumo’s sex life, no matter how many times the Lions’ sex lives were brought up in the locker room.

Thankfully, the timer for the cake went off, giving him the perfect excuse to exit the conversation. He set the cake on the side to cool, making a start on the icing. The boys decided to stay in the sitting room, engrossed in the video they were watching. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. Surely it wasn’t still early afternoon? He checked the time on the oven and it matched, as did the one on the radio, and the fridge, and everything else in the kitchen apart from his phone.

“Boys, what time is it?” he shouted through to them.

“The tv says it’s 3pm!” Marc, Louis, the older one shouted back. He ran his hands over his face and checked his phone, noting that the time read ‘17:30’. He just rested his head in his hands with his elbows against the counter; he evidently did not get enough sleep last night. He quickly decorated the cake to return his thought process to something concrete and set it aside, joining the boys in front of the television quickly after.

He couldn’t have been sat down for more than five minutes when the biggest fuck off spider he had ever seen crawled out from under the couch, right next to his foot. Like any normal, self-respecting 19 year old man, he screamed and jumped up onto the couch.

Both boys were in hysterics.

“Cole, we got you so good!” The younger of the two was currently beside himself on the other couch, tears streaming from his eyes as he held up a little remote; evidently the remote for the spider.

“You two are taking after your father it seems.” Cole laughed nervously. He was well aware of the notorious Pascal Dumais prank streak and it seemed. They pressed play on the tv until Celeste, Dumo, Adele and Katie came home. He was grateful only in the sense that he was completely and utterly exhausted from today.

“Aaahhhh, you boys made a cake!” Celeste mused, walking into the kitchen to have a look at it, “it will be perfect for after dinner.”

“Did you have a good day, mes garçons?” he asked. Both boys nodded, understanding that their father was asking if they did everything he asked of them.

“It seems your boys take after you, Dumo. Got me pretty good with a spider under the couch there.” Cole laughed from his position on the couch.

Dumo let out one of the biggest dad laughs known to man. “Incroyable! I’m proud of you both!” Both of his sons looked at him and began laughing with him, but followed their mother and sisters into the kitchen.

“I hope they weren’t too much trouble?” Dumo asked, hanging his coat up and turning to Cole.

“No, not at all. It was a fun day, a long day but a fun one. Really set me through my paces there. For a hot second i thought it was one of your tasks.” he laughed as he stood up.

Dumo froze.

“My children are a task to you?” he looked Cole straight in the eyes and cocked an eyebrow. Cole stared at him wide eyed and started stuttering, attempting to form and answer. Pascal laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m only joking, kid. You should have seen your face!”

“Haha, yeah, I’m just going to run to the toilet real quick and I’ll join you for dinner. Won’t be long!” He left, looking quite flustered as PAscal made his way into the kitchen. His wife was leant against the counter with her arms crossed and a slightly amused expression on her face.

“You are a cruel man, mon roi. A cruel cruel man.” she shook her head and turned back around as she continued to prepare dinner.

He stalked over and placed a kiss on her head.

“It’s called character building, ma reine.” he smiled. “And I am nowhere near done just yet.”

#coast to coast lumosinlove #sweater weather lumosinlove #lumosinlove #pascal dumais #Pascal Dumais Prank Series #Cole Reyes

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austarus · 4 years

Text

HR Wells x Reader Hidden Among The Fairy Lights (Part 3 of 3)

**A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me. It belongs to @countlesswells

*Oops, my hand slipped again, now to work on MCAT Prep and Crisis of Infinite Wells

Word Count: 3844

Part 1 Part 2

You took in one slow breath as your mind registered the pesky sunlight. Morning already? Cracking your neck, your eyes gradually fluttered open as your arms reached across the bed only for you to realize the cold emptiness of the other side. HR? Where did he go? You sat up and looked around, sleepy confusion written all over your face. Did I do something weird in my sleep? Oh my god, did I accidentally slap him? …Do I even move much in my sleep? Ridiculous thoughts flew in and out of your brain before you were hit with the face that YOU HAD SLEPT NEXT TO THE ONE GUY YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR (i.e. HR, your crush and possibly the unrequited love of your life, duh). Was it necessary? Yes, very. It should be noted that you’re very much of a cuddler when you’re asleep. Maybe that’s why he got up? I bothered him, didn’t I? Oh, he probably didn’t sleep much because of me and-.

The collar of HR’s shirt slid slightly over one shoulder. Hm, it seems my girls are still free. You automatically placed your hands over your cheeks at all the thoughts hitting you at once, feeling how hot they’ve become that you literally slept with HR, but you didn’t sleep with HR. Caitlin and Cisco must never know. But that didn’t stop your heart from beating just a little bit faster at the thought. Before your mind and heart can go into full meltdown mode, your stomach grumbled, interrupting the countdown to melting down. I’m hungry, what time is it? You fished around for your phone only to realize that it’s still dead. Maybe there’s a spare charger around here? Your stomach grumbled again in protest after the thought. Or I guess food can come first.

***

A tiny tune left HR’s lips as he entered the Labs again, bag in hand with the notion of heading to the breakroom’s kitchen to make some breakfast for you and himself, obviously with the accompaniment of his special blend of coffee. He assumed you’d still be asleep at this hour since it was only 7:22 AM. The fantasy author ran a hand over the back of his neck as he strode to the breakroom. Upon arriving at the doorway, HR’s eyes widened slightly, and an amused smirk teased his lips as he watched the scene unfold across the kitchen area. He leaned against the metal frame of the door soundlessly. The cabinet had been open wide, cups settled on the top shelf as well as the bags of Jitters coffee. The Wells doppelganger noted that you still had his clothes on, which allowed his heart to thrum warmly in his chest, and your hair had been pulled into a messy bun. Yes, the sight did please him greatly.

A frustrated puff of air had left your lips as you climbed the counter in one fluid motion. HR silently snickered as you stabled yourself on your knees, reaching up for a bag of coffee beans. Looking through each shelf level, you couldn’t find your mug as you moved some over to find yours. Quietly, the novelist padded over to you while you clinked around with the cups. How did my mug get all the way over there? You spotted your ceramic mug on the other side of the big cabinet in the farthest corner. You set down the coffee bag beside you on the counter. I swear Barry and Cisco are going to get an earful for this. Shuffling your knees over, you stretched an arm to move some mugs while successfully grabbing your mug only for your knee to slip under the weight and pressure of your body at this particular angle. The world slowed until you felt yourself hit something firm, but definitely not the cold and hard ground.

“You know,” HR started, his arms around you held you tightly to himself as he set you down. Your cheeks had flared up. “You could always ask for assistance. If you truly desire it.”

“I didn’t need your help, I had everything perfectly under control,” you retorted in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. HR quirked a knowing eyebrow at you.

“And I assume the wobbling backwards to almost falling onto the floor was also part of your brilliant plan.”

“Of course.” It wasn’t, I could have almost split my head open if I landed on the ground oddly, but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. You set down your mug beside the coffee maker.

“You never fail to entertain me, little birdy.” He chuckled at your little pout, reaching for the bag he had dropped. You quizzically looked at him as he handed it over to you. “I… went out to buy you somethings so that you’d be able to freshen up in the morning since-” HR proceeded to ramble on about what had happened yesterday. A bashful smile made its place on your face at his generous thought. Why are you so sweet? You opened the bag to find a toothbrush and toothpaste along with other things like facewash and such. Is that why he got up early in the morning? You thought, going back to the bathroom to fully freshen up. You wanted to ask, but you did not want to use up your third question even though this one might just be killing you on the inside to know. Meanwhile HR raked through the refrigerator for a decent breakfast to make for the two of you while looking over the ingredients you had pulled out already.

Once you were back to the kitchen, heavenly scents wafted towards you as well as the sounds of low whistling had greeted your ears. The balcony door had been cracked open to let a little air into the breakroom, allowing the heat to dissociate.

“What are you doing?” You obviously knew what he was doing but felt the need to ask as he flipped scrambled eggs on one pan to switch to another for pancake-making. Did I really take that long to freshen up? In truth, no, because HR’s quite capable in the kitchen when it comes to breakfast foods seeing as that is what he’d lived on when he lived alone on Earth-19.

“Making breakfast?”

“But I was going to make you breakfast to repay you for your kindness.”

“But you don’t need to repay me, little birdy.” Well, I mean you can repay me by giving me a kiss. HR felt the tips of his ears warm up at the intruding thought.

“But I want to,” you poked his upper arm, giving him an innocent-ish look and grin.

“Nope.”

“Please?”

HR took one look at you. “Non.”

You huffed at him before sneaking behind him as he went back to handling the eggs. “Then I guess, I’ll just have to take this.” You grabbed his special coffee bag off the counter and dashed off as if you had super speed. A mockingly evil-ish laugh left your lips as you ran away.

“Hey!” HR quickly turned the stove off and hurried after you. “My special blend! That’s my baby!”

Your messy bun bounced a bit with each quick step you took, the cool ground against your bare feet. Taking one look back, you caught HR glide around the corner and semi-crash into the concrete wall. Giggles left your mouth as your brain directed your feet subconsciously to the direction of his room. Right as you entered the room, you took a few steps forward feeling caged that you had no other exits other than the bathroom. Long arms wrapped around you before you could turn to an exit or duck away from the taller man as you held the coffee bag close to you. You squealed at being caught, a huge grin refusing to leave you face. Your limbs had entangled with his at one point as you struggled against him, causing the both of you to tip backwards instantaneously only to land with a plop on his plush bed.

“I gotcha,” HR breathed out, a smile on his face matching your own. You noted the odd look behind his eyes, a different emotion held in the depths of them. But your heart had leaped at being caught.

Of course, he caught me eventually, he literally goes out for a run every morning. And works out like a freaking champ… Not that I- He’s told me- Come on (Y/N), don’t be a thirsty hoe.

“Oh boo,” you whispered, handing the novelist the coffee beans bag to which he set it aside somewhere to be forgotten on the bed. You watched him prop himself up on an arm, his muscle flexing automatically as he gazed down to you. HR reached up to the top of your head. You felt his hands weave through your tresses to gently tug out the hair tie. Perfection, he mused to himself as he raked his eyes over every detail of your face as your hair fell into place. HR blinked, realizing that he had said his thought out loud to which you blushed at his comment. The bashfulness returning to your person. But the novelist made no effort to apologize, because he truly did think you were the definition of perfection even with all your flaws and quirks. He wasn’t going to take back the truth in his words.

You pursed your lips, feeling yourself get lost in his eyes as you became conscious of your slow breaths. HR couldn’t help himself but after setting your hair free and tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear, he had gingerly cupped your face.

“Would you let me ask you a question to fulfill?”

“I thought I was the one to ask the questions.”

“Humor me, would you?” You did with a sly-ish grin and rolled your eyes. “Close your eyes?” he whispered, and you did as you were told. Jitters weaved through your body as butterflies fluttered about as you anticipated what he would do. HR leaned in close, gently planting a kiss to your cheek. It’s not what I really wanted, but it’s close. I’m not hers to just spontaneously kiss out of nowhere and whenever I please. He didn’t want to be ambitious in case you wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings. Your eyes snapped open, disappointment jabbing at you a bit. HR watched your eyebrows knit together a bit and panic grasped at his heart. He swallowed thickly as you opened your mouth.

“HR.”

“Yeah?”

“You missed.” HR blinked at you a few times, his brain short-circuiting because he thought you were going to tell him off. Your heartbeat echoed throughout your body, feeling a bit heavy as you boldly spoke once more. “W-well?”

Your words finally sunk in. “I won’t miss this time,” a wry smirk formed on his lips as he snapped out of his mind space, HR leaned close once more with half-lidded eyes, but this time you met him halfway out of sheer curiosity of what his lips would feel like against your own. He kissed you sweetly and slowly, your mouths melding together before pulling away for air. You ran your teeth over your bottom lip, the small action urging HR to go in for more. You met his mouth with the same amount of passion again and again, revitalized from your air break. Intoxicating, the novelist thought as he nibbled on your lip, earning him a little gasp from you. He smirked against you, his limbs entangling with yours. Simple kisses becoming longer and longer, and soon your tongues had joined in the mix as they explored together. You had rested your hands on his chest, one hand slightly clutching his shirt as if to bring him impossibly closer to you. HR gently threaded his fingers through your hair which caused a shudder to go down your spine as he held you. His other hand moved to lie on your hip.

When you both finally pulled away, you noted how pink his cheeks and ears were as you were a bit breathless from the kisses. HR noticed the dazed gleam in your eyes, of course he did. Pride and joy swelled inside of him as he watched you with haziness in his own eyes, knowing that he could render you in such a state. You gently grasped his face with both hands after a few seconds, truly examining him with clearer eyes now as you had caught your breath. The pads of your thumbs lightly ran over the slight bags under his eyes. “You didn’t sleep well.”

HR snapped out of his trance, losing the hazy stardust that had resided in his eyes. He quizzically looked at you. “I slept fine.”

“No, HR, I can see the bags. You didn’t sleep well.” HR avoided your gaze, but you held him gingerly in your hands. “What’s wrong?”

“I- It’s nothing, I’m ok. I promise,” you watched him plaster a fake smile onto his face. It hurt your heart that he did that to you. That he wouldn’t want to confide in you about his dreams or nightmares.

“I heard you whimpering in the middle of the night.” Your hands slowly left his face as you moved to sit up against the headboard of the bed. HR gazed up at your from where he laid, electric blues observing you. You looked to your lap before folding your legs to your chest. “You- you were muttering, and you looked like you were in so much pain. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn’t. So… I tried to calm you down and you eventually did.” You rested your chin on your knees as your arm wrapped around your legs. “I just wanted to help.”

HR moved his eyes from you then to the ceiling of his room. He shut his eyes slowly, guilt biting at him at how sad you sounded, how you saw his pain and tried what you could. Even if he did try to push you away in this instance. “I’ve been having nightmares.” You moved your gaze to see him adjusting himself to sit beside you. You held out a hand for him. He placed his into your own, fingers automatically intertwining together. His eyes met yours and you couldn’t help the small and sympathetic smile on your face. HR sent you a sort of solemn smile as if to say that ‘it is what it is’. He never talked about his nightmares. He’s been told too many times in life that his problems, thoughts, and ideas weren’t really essential in conversations for others to know or care about. He just didn’t want to burden you.

“For my third question before I set you free,” you stammered out, wondering if… “What did you see in your nightmares?”

“Why do you care?” His retaliation took you off guard. You blinked at him. “Why do you care so much? Why do you have such trust in me? I’m just… me.”

“Because you matter, you’re a person too, HR. You deserve to be able to confide in someone. To have someone to breakdown to.” You wanted to hug him. You wanted to scream that you love him, that you’d do anything for him and that he deserves so much better. Bile rose to your throat as words fell out of your mouth. “Why can’t you see that you deserve happiness?” You wanted to go after all the people who’s told him otherwise. All those cruel and cold-hearted individuals who have completely broken this man to the point where he questions his worth. But you remained frozen in your spot, wondering if HR could be as volatile as Harry when pushed to a certain point.

HR’s eyes locked onto yours once more, analyzing the intentions behind your words, the emotions behind your eyes. Searching for ill intent to him as others have. But time after time, you had proven no malicious motive. No sign to want to damage him any further. HR sighed harshly, narrowing his eyes at his lap and squeezing your hand. The silence killed you, but you waited. If not now, then maybe he’d open up later. You didn’t know. You didn’t know if you’d shattered everything that had happened either.

“At first,” HR spoke up before you’d come to a decision to leave him to his space, “my nightmares were mild.” He glanced at you before continuing. “The popular theme of my cowardice, always running away from problem to problem. And then, before I knew it, I would be reliving my mother’s death. Traumatizing as a child, my mind echoing each harsh word that my father had spoken to me.” You pursed your lips, moving your gaze down. You despised his dead father. “The toxic relations that people had forced onto me on Earth-19 in attempts to discredit my father and the family name, especially after I was outed. Everyone just wanted something from me. And they took it, disregarding the collateral damage that they had done to me.”

“And last night?”

“I- I- You-” You furrowed your eyebrows at him. “I was in a sea of blood and carcasses; the acrid smell was stinging and foul.” Like the author he is, he painted the scene of his nightmare vividly, goosebumps running over your skin. “I was the reason you would die.” He whispered softly, not daring to look at you. You scooted closer to him, patting a free hand on his shoulder while he held onto the other as if he was holding on for dear life. He couldn’t tell you about who Gypsy really was. He couldn’t risk jinxing what little he’s built here on his own. “They all ended the same, with a gaping hole in my heart. I was empty and alone.” HR looked helplessly at you with glistening eyes. You wrapped your arms around him tightly, he slowly returned it as he hid face in your chest. “I’m not a coward.”

“I know,” your voice shook as you swallowed thickly. “You’re not alone. You’re not empty.” His breath hiked up at your words. “You don’t need to be smart or a genius physicist to have the heart and courage to protect the ones you love.” HR pulled away with red eyes. You cupped his face and wiped his tears away, unknowingly seating yourself in his lap. “You’re a good man, HR. Don’t let anyone ever take that heart of gold away from you.” His eyes widened a fraction, those words sounding similar to what his mother had told him before she passed away right before his eyes. “I’ll always be here for you. Right by your side, no matter what happens.”

“Thank you,” he sniffled, smiling genuinely at you.

You smiled at him, kissing his cheek before reaching over to pet his floofy hair. He perked up at the adoring affection. Sorta like a puppy. The two of you found yourselves cuddled up in each other’s arms on the bed, exchanging little kisses and small, goofy stories to one another in hopes to lighten up the mood. HR thought back to his conversation with Wallace as you giggled at his pun before resting your head against his chest and shutting your eyes.

(Flashback)

“You like (Y/N), don’t you?” Wally has asked the Wells doppelganger as he had seen all the lingering glances and longing looks, he had thrown you since his time here on Earth-1. HR had almost dropped his drumsticks at the Wally’s sudden voice. He had moved his gaze to Wally form watching you work on the other side of the Cortex, fully invested in your coding and algorithms to track

“What? What? No, I- No.”

Wally took a seat beside his unusual friend as he spoke, “Mm, so then care to explain why you’ve been staring at her for the past 15 minutes?” HR looked sheepishly at the young speedster.

“She doesn’t see me like that. I’m a nobody and she’s-” HR took a glimpse at you before looking back to Wally. “Smart, kind, goofy. That cute smile of hers. Devotion and work-ethic. A heart of true gold that I could never compare her to any heavenly being ever.”

“Can’t forget oblivious.” They’re both oblivious.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Wally patted HR’s shoulder, an amused smirk on his face. “Just shoot your shot, man. You never know what’ll happen.” The speedster stood up; HR looked at him quizzically with furrowed eyebrows. “And you never know who’ll capture her heart first. You know, if you haven’t already.” Wally had left HR with more to think about than discovering his worth on the team.

(End Flashback)

“Will you be my one one one?” Your eyes snapped open as HR started. He decided now would be the best time to head the young speedster’s advice. Are we really that oblivious… to each other? To all the signs? You tilted your head a bit and knitted your eyebrows. Clear confusion written on your face.

“You’re ‘one one one’?”

“It’s when one soul, mine, plus one soul, yours, equals one soul. Us.”

The way he softly said ‘Us’, made your mind almost go blank. You swore your heart did a thing and then stopped. “If this is your way of asking me to be your girlfriend, I’ve got to say it’s pretty cute,” you pecked his lips, “and it works.”

“Is that a yes?”

You kissed him once more before nipping back at his lips for earlier, your face happily flushing coral-pink, “Does that answer your third question, oh noble writer?”

“… I may need a reminder or two… maybe more,” HR smiled sheepishly, already leaning in for some more smooches. Before you two can smooch, your stomach grumbled one last time, the bite of hunger hitting you again for the third time that morning. “But first, we need to get some food into you.”

You stuck your tongue out at this teasing, “But I’m cooking this time.”

“Mm, but I’m semi-done so. Checkmate, little birdy.”

“I’ll just have to make you something else then.”

“Is that so? Lead the way, my little songbird.”

***

Wally opened the door to HR’s room, hoping to find HR for today’s secret training session while Barry deals with Savitar. You were apparently MIA, who Wally was also tasked with finding today. A proud smile had crossed the speedster’s face as his eyes landed on you cuddled up to HR in the bed with the covers pulled around you two. You two were sound asleep, your back against HR’s chest whiles his arms held you comfortably. See, HR had muted his phone when the two of you had started your cuddle session so that no one would interrupt the two of you. Just for today, at least.

“That’s my man,” Wally snickered to himself as he turned off the fairy lights and quietly shut the door, leaving the two of you to sleep. Dorks, I’ll make sure the others don’t bother them too much.

#harrison wells x reader #harrison wells #hr wells x reader #hr x reader #hr wells #The Flash #the flash cw #the flash fanfiction #the flash x reader #the flash imagine #team flash x reader #team flash #team flash imagine #dc #DC comics #DCTV #dctv fanfic #harrison wells imagine #hr wells imagine

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whatarubberchicken · 5 years

Text

Marichat May 19

(The Lost Episodes continue! This one I stopped writing because I wasn’t sure if it counted. I’ve decided it counts.)

I Made You a Mask

Chat Noir landed on Marinette’s bed and looked around quickly.

Deserted. Perfect.

His ring gave another frantic beep. He took a deep breath and allowed the transformation to drop. Plagg flew up to his face, unamused.

“Your house is literally a block away,” the kwami reminded him.

Adrien looked away. “It’s a big block,” he reasoned. “I didn’t know if I’d make it on time.”

“Uh huh. And the idea of seeing your girlfriend again—”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“—instead of being chewed out by your father for not practicing your piano again… was just a happy coincidence?” Plagg said, giving him a sideways stare.

“You got it!” Adrien said cheerfully, shooting his kwami some finger guns. He flopped back onto the bed, relaxing for a moment and letting the familiar scent of this place wash over him. His eyes happened to fall on the pictures Marinette had. “I don’t know why he even bothers to have me play anymore,” he muttered, frowning at the Gabriel ads. “It’s not like he ever comes to my recitals.”

There was a bang down below, and Adrien sat up straight, looking down in horror as Marinette came up into her room.

He dove under the blankets.

“Plagg,” he hissed, “claws—”

“Cheese, kid,” Plagg deadpanned, reminding Adrien that they’d used Cataclysm in the battle they’d just gotten back from. Adrien dug around in his jacket. Blast. He was all out of his emergency supply!

“Chat, is that you?” Marinette called.

Adrien winced. “Um, yeah!”

“You sound weird. Is everything okay?”

Crap. Crap. Crap! Her voice was getting closer! “Everything’s fine!”

“You’d better not have my yarn collection under there with you,” she warned. Judging from her voice, she was on the stairs to her bed, if not closer.

“Nope! Just me!” he said, trying to laugh. He felt the blanket move. “No, don’t!” he yelped, pulling the covers tighter around himself.

“I knew it!” Marinette cried, exasperation running through her voice as she pulled on the blanket again. “You do have something you’re not supposed to! What is it? My yarn? My diary? I swear to God, if you’re trying to read my diary, Chat—"

“I’m not!” he yowled, perfectly aware that his bad track record was not working in his favor as she tugged harder. “I’m—”

His throat closed on the words. His mind spun. If he told her he wasn’t transformed right now, what would she do?! Would she still pull the covers off?! Her best friend was Alya; surely she’d want to know who he was too, right?!

And when she found out who he really was… ohhhh, she’d hate him!!

Panicked, he could only squeak and growl as they continued to fight over the blankets. It was turning into an all-out wrestling match! He had to think of something! Something to distract her! Something! ANYTHING!

Marinette, realizing that she wasn’t going to be able to pull the blankets up, suddenly switched tactics and dove underneath them.

With him.

“Gotcha, kit—!”

Adrien panicked and pounced, throwing her down onto the bed. Then, before she could look up at him, one of his hands quickly covered her eyes while the other pinned her hands above her head.

Crap! She was still trying to fight him!!

“Don’t you dare tickle me, you—!"

With one part of his brain in full panic mode (DISTRACT HER! DISTRACT HER! DISTRACT HER!!) and the other trying to find a way to keep her immobile (HOLY CRAP, SHE’S STRONG! WHY IS FIGHTING SO HARD?!) he did the first thing that came to mind.

He covered her lips with his.

Marinette froze beneath him.

And he froze above her. Knowing perfectly well how bad this looked.

Here he was—without his catsuit—pinning his classmate to her bed—kissing her on the mouth—both of them breathing heavily—please nobody come through that door, this looks really bad—and… OH MAN, HOW LONG HAD HE BEEN KISSING HER NOW?!

He quickly broke the kiss, shifting his weight so he could get up off her. He still didn’t dare take his hand away from her eyes.

“You,” Marinette gasped, freeing one arm and trying to force his hand away from her face, “have about two seconds to explain yourself before I knee you below the belt, buster!”

“Sorry,” he panted, his face now brighter than Ladybug’s costume. “I just—”

“Chat,” she said, her voice suddenly calm. “Are your hands touching me?” Her own fingers were tracing the skin of his hand as he continued to pin her down.

“I can explain—”

“Not your gloves?”

“Umm…”

“Oh my God,” she groaned, going limp beneath him. “You’re not transformed right now, are you.”

“Please don’t peek,” he begged. “I just… kinda panicked.”

“I’ll say,” she muttered. “Let me go, please. I promise I won’t peek.” He hesitated, wondering if Plagg would be able to suddenly, miraculously transform him right now. “Chat, I’m serious. I don’t want to know your identity. I even made you a mask for this very situation.”

He blinked. “Really?!” he asked incredulously, finally sitting up.

True to her word, Marinette’s eyes remained closed.

“Yes, really, you silly cat,” she teased, still not moving. “Now, go hide under my blankets again so I can grab it for you.”

He obeyed, feeling a bit foolish. And now that his mind was clear, he wanted to kick himself. Of course he could trust Marinette! Why had he ever doubted her?! He’d even offered to reveal himself before, and she’d turned him down! Geez, he got stupid when he panicked! A few moments later, he heard, “Hand out, kitty!” and stuck his hand out to feel her press a small mask into it.

Relief washed over him as he put it on. She truly was super-amazing. He poked his head out of the blanket, but kept it wrapped around himself.

“Thanks, princess,” he chirped, trying to get some the Chat Noir swagger back into his voice. She’d said he sounded funny earlier… it was probably the lack of magic.

“What are you still doing in that blanket?” she asked, looking amused.

“I’m a purrito.”

“Chat…”

“You might recognize my clothes,” he explained with a wry grin. Gabriel exclusives… he’d be surprised if she didn’t recognize them, actually. Especially with her attention to detail.

To his surprise, she groaned and hit her head with her hand. “Did you basically just tell me I know you as a civilian?” she asked, sounding exasperated again.

He swallowed. Oops.

“I umm… I can neither confirm nor deny that you and I could have, but maybe haven’t, though it’s not for certain, possibly have not seen each other sometime throughout the day,” he said, giving her an innocent grin.

She gave him a deadpan stare. “So… yes, then.”

He licked his lips nervously. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, princess,” he reminded her.

She shook her head at him and turned away to go back down the stairs. “Where’s your kwami? Let’s fill him up so you can get your dirty shoes off my bed.”

“My shoes aren’t—! Wait,” Adrien said, staring at her. “How do you know what a kwami is?”

She went pale.

“Ah-Alya?!” she laughed nervously. “She—uh, posted an exclusive interview about Rena Rouge last month!”

“Really?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t see that one. And I have the Ladyblog as my homepage.”

“Oh? Really? Maybe she forgot to post it, silly girl!” Marinette said, smiling a bit too widely to be believable. “She sometimes lets me look at stuff before she posts it, so that must be where I saw it, yeah!” She laughed again. Adrien scowled. While it was (sorta) believable… why was she acting so nervous?

“Well, I’ll go get you some cheese!” she said, taking off downstairs again.

And how had she known Plagg liked cheese?? His kwami floated up beside him, grinning. Adrien narrowed his eyes. Before he could say anything, Plagg made a motion like he was zipping his lips shut and dove after Marinette.

“Hey, Princess! You got any camembert?!”

And Adrien was left alone with his spinning thoughts.

...WaRC

#marichat may 2018 #marichat may #marichat #chat noir #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste

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rifleshotsandflowerpots-blog · 5 years

Text

In which Jade n Jake meet and both the similarities and differences are striking between them. @tallyhothere

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)Last Thursday at 8:36 PM

Your name is JAKE ENGLISH and you are currently galavanting around the not countryside at all. Is cityside a word? It is now! You are galavanting around the cityside as you explore the concrete jungle you find yourself in.

It's been exciting! It's been new! It's been thrilling! But most of all...its been COLD AS THE DICKENS. So you have found a sneaky technique to beat the chill is to step into random shops and browse around a bit. Marvel at all the knick-knacks, chat with the clerk a bit. Then skidoo out for another block or two.

At this juncture, you find yourself jingling the small shop bell and are greeted with perhaps the best shop you've seen yet! Plants! Flowers! A bona-fide jungle inside a box! Wonderful! And warm....very warm.

You step inside, coat a flashing eyesore blinking as you start to look over the various flora. @🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)Last Thursday at 9:05 PM

Your name is JADE HARLEY and you're in your flower shop again. You are.... well, not fine but you will. In time. For now you felt like taking care of your plants!

You just need to keep your hands busy and well, you think you've done enough murders for the next couple of days. Also you still got orders to finish! Not a lot mind you, but you like to keep on top of things.

You're finishing up another bouquet when you hear the bell ring. Another customer maybe? Or a friend perhaps? You do love to chat when it's a dear friend!~

"Just a minute!!" You say, tying the final bow for the flowers. Aw, this arrangement is rather pretty actually. Blue's a calming colour.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)Last Thursday at 9:20 PM

Oh! A voice! Sounds like a lady, but who knows. "Alright!" you call back. "Take your time, don't rush?" You aren't really sure what you are supposed to be saying in this situation.

Walking among the flowers, for the first time since you've arrived you actually feel a pang of homesickness. The snow is a marvel, the city is fascinating, but...also so unfamiliar. Being surrounded by greenery feels comforting in a way, even if it is an artificial jungle.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh! That's an odd accent; maybe a newcomer to the city? How fun!

You set the lovely arrangement to the side and dust off your hands before walking over to where you heard the voice come--what on Derse is that weird light show coming from among your plant???

"Hello??? Sir??"

No raves in your flower shop! Well at least there's no obnoxious music.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

Your attention is turned to the voice as you try to make your way towards it.

"Hello! Sorry! Was distracted! Quite a lovely shop you have heeeeee...."

Your words taper off as you round the corner and for a moment you are confused by the lady in front of you. She looks like the old photos of your grandmother, down to the hair. Age her up some and she'd be a spitting likeness.

You blink, shake your head, blink again. Hwah...wow. Weird. Maybe she's related to the Jude Harley fellow? It suddenly dawns on you that this is another realm alltogether...she could in fact be a daughter or a granddaughter in this time to your grandmother? The sudden concept that you could have very well a timeline of family who never had to deal with the batterwitch's terrible undertakings leaves you a bit speechless.

So you just stand there flabbergasted.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You blink at him. And then blink again just as astonished.

You have absolutely no idea who his guy is before you, but he reminds you alarmingly quickly of your Grandpa. You don't have much in the way of photos, but you remember his eyes, and his voice and it just... leaves you speechless.

Almost choked up even. He looks like a young version of Grandpa--!

Actually the longer you stare the more you kinda see Jude in him. A cousin to him then?? Maybe you and Jude might be more related than you thought.

"Ah.... w-well... you're new!"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The vintage memory standing before you speaks, and you are reminded she is in fact a person and not just a surreal memory. Right, she's....likely someone else entirely. And you're here staring at her like a buffon.

You look away at the plants and give a laugh that is uncharicterisically shaken.

"Ahaha! I am! Right you are on that! Bit of a newcomer to this city of Midnight! Can sort of say I just dropped in really!" Another laugh, a bit more comfortable sounding this time.

"I must say, been in and out quite a few shops but this one so far gets the egg! Think I've seen more plants here than I have the entire time I've been here so far!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You pick up on that; his nervous laugh reminds you that this guy can't be your Grandpa. He's dead after all. But the way he responded to you... well. You definitely don't think he knows you but maybe someone similar?

"Well it is a flower shop." You smile brightly, gesturing around you. "There's not quite a flower shop like mine in Midnight City! It's my way of bringing a bit of colour to this city~"

You eye his rave coat. "Though I must say, I think you've gotten me beat! I'm surprised that the Fashion Police hasn't stopped you yet."

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Well I'd have to say you've done a right good job of it. Bang up to the elephant even!"

Some of the plants are not anything like you've seen, but there's a few that make you think of home. You lean over to smell one of the more tropical flowers.

The comment about the coat gets a chuckle. "You aren't the first person to say that...what even is a fashion police? I've met one policeman so far and he seemed rather friendly. I didn't think the coat is that bad...though I guess not being able to turn it off really does make it a bit rough on the totsies."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh god he kinda talked like your Grandpa that's so weird!!!

"Why thank you Good Sir!~" You giggle, hands clasped behind your back as you observe him. "The Fashion Police are exactly what they sound like; they're a whole division devoted to making sure we Derse citizens stick to wearing clothes of the 1920s."

You tip your head as you step a little closer to the Grandpa double. "An off switch would have been smart yes!~ Really, I can't imagine that you came to Derse the legal methods; not that I'd tell anyone of course! Promise!~"

You really do. He's only in his odd coat and short shorts! And it's winter!!! Just how the heck did he get to Derse???

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Huh....quite the oddity! Wait....is it the 1920's?" You suddenly look a bit confused. You thought this was just another planet. "I swear this whole thing gets more and more tomfuddled the more I hear about it..."

Rubbing the back of your head, you think a moment. "True. Granted at this point not even sure if it does turn off. Been going for as long as I remember...but sheesh. I've yet to figure out what the legal methods are so not sure if I am or not? I suppose portal in sky meets ground is on the backlist of no-go. I appreciate that though, last thing I came here to do was get arrested. Specially for coming here!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh. Oh dear. He doesn't seem to have noticed much since he got here! When did this guy even arrive to the city?

"Wait wait; first! Not actually the 1920s but because of Prospit winning the war against Derse, they implemented the Technology ban and thus life on Derse has been stuck in the world of Earth's 1920s; yes that does include the alcohol ban too."

"Secondly..." You narrow your eyes, and place you hands on your hips. "You came here via portal in sky???" That sounded very much like Dirk, but more on purpose. "Where did you come from exactly?"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

Prospit? War? You read about the ban in Arq's files but huh...this all just sounded utterly silly. Then again did you really have room to speak mister wearing shorts in the middle of winter? Nope! So you don't speak up on that bit at all.

At her gesture, you make a visible yerk as you are temporarily transported to a time when you were a child and your grandmother made that exact pose. The James Hamilton English what are you doing mister pose that causes the reptile part of your brain to immediately feel guilty over everything you have ever did in life.

"OH! Well! Ah." You find yourself a bit more tongue-tied than you've been in years. "It's a bit of a humdinger of a tale, probably going to make me sound more like I'm zozzled out of my gourd trying to sell you a dog."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You arch a brow, completely dissatisfied with that answer. He's kind of a dork, this double, but quite open about his expressions. Makes him pretty easy to read! Poor sod; you hope he has friends that'll keep him from being manipulated then.

"Well, good thing I already have a dog." Bec was the best boy hands down. "Now spill! If you came via portal, I'm guessing it had to be a very powerful portal to bridge you here from Earth. And since there wasn't any rips in the sky or blinding flashes of light, this portal had to be more discreet to not be spotted."

All assumptions you make, but you say them to gauge.... this guy's expression.

....you should ask a name soon though.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

Well, she certainly seems sharp enough to know a bit about portals and things...so maybe this would be more believable. If anything, worst case she'll think you're a nutter and that's that.

"I think it was discreet? Hoo. Granted from my perspective I just felt like I was hurtling down from space itself for a bit, so not sure how big or small it was from the other end. The portal my friends and I hopped through was about uhh....yey big. Maybe the size of your shop window?"

You gesture as you speak, as if you're incable of speaking and standing still at the same time.

"As for where I came from! Well! From another planet it seems, in a whole other dimension! Earth, though a different Earth. My friends and I came across time and space to find and rescue one of our dearest friends who vanished when we tried to transportalize him over!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

If you hadn't experienced Candy Hell and Horror Town you honestly would have thought him nuts! And yet you have and thus you believe him. He is also being openly honest about it too; there's nary a lie that you can see.

He's so innocent; untouched by the city and its own set of poisons and pain. He hasn't experienced what it's like to live in Midnight City, a world blacker than it's name suggests.

You have a desire to protect that, but push it away. This wasn't like how it wa with Jay. You're both couldn't possibly be related!

"So... you came here. To my dimension. With other people. Just to find a friend??" You admire his loyalty.

Wait the only guy that he could be possibly referring to was--!

"You're here for Dirk!"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The idea that it seems odd or perhaps suspicious that a random flower shopkeeper would know Dirk and catch on so quick is completely overshadowed by how excited you are to talk about all of this to someone.

"I am! I am indeed! You're sharper than a tack!" You smile wide. "Days....I guess now months back? Hoo time stuff. Time stuff I must say is the worst stuff. Some time back Dirk vanished in our attempt to bring us all together at long last, and so the rest of us put our collective noggins together to find out he fell into some rift or wormhole that had unexpectedly shown up!"

You give a slight spin, coat flowing around behind you as you do.

"So we found a way to get here to find him! And I have! Which is good, because hoo-diddy did I get very lost for a bit there. But he's currently having a bit of a trouble spot with one of our other friends so I'm just...hm. Well I'm giving them some time and space to sort that barrel of figs out. Gives me a chance to explore this whole city thing in all its delights and marvels!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You smile back. My god this boy is too precious and he's probably the same age as you. You might be that sharp but him? Duller than a butter knife. Or maybe you're just jaded and you hide it smoothly with your bubbly personality. One or the other.

You mean, he just told his whole story to you, a complete stranger! You sincerely hope he only did that because you remind him of someone, or that his friends are smarter street-wise; this city will gobble him up otherwise!

"Well, I'm glad you found Dirk then. He's a lovely friend." Good kisser too. "Though I'm worried about this trouble he has..." You figure it has to do with the Felt and Arquius. You do hope they both will be alright, all things considered.

"Though if you were going to go explore, I have to ask why you didn't put on something a little warmer??" You question, eyeing those booty shorts. If you didn't like wearing pants on principle, you could probably pull off a pair of those too.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"I'm glad too. I was expecting to have to search high and low for him in who knows what wilderness. It didn't even dawn on me that he'd end up in a city, but perhaps for the best! It's quite a nice place...full of people!" you smile brightly. "Did you know there are friendly trolls here? Wait why am I asking that, of course you would. Ahaha...sorry! It's just been such a plum novelty since I arrived. Everything is so different, magical even! Street lights, crowds of people, SO MANY PEOPLE, shops of just...things! And snow!"

You look down at your outfit and chuckle.

"Yeah that was a bit of a blind-shot for me there, really should have thought of that one before I jumped. It actually skipped my mind that of all the places to go, one may be a place that has more than one season that isn't tropical island. Hahahah...I mean I'm not sure I'll be here long enough to worry about getting pants."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh no he's ridiculous you want to protect this idiot child so much he rambles!!! You can't help but giggle in delight at his antics!

"So I guess you were raised on an island then? A quiet one?" You tease just a little bit. "That sounds lovely; I think I used to live on one myself a very long time ago. I think that's partially why I have this flower shop. The city's not quite as colourful as an island!" Minus the red, black and pale light district of course.

"There's troll, humans and carapaces all living in Midnight City. Some are lovely people but others not so much. You best be careful when exploring; not everyone may take kind to you and your shorts~"

"....you know what? I don't think we ever exchanged names!" You can't keep calling him Dork in your head. "So sorry about that! I'm Jade! Jade Harley!~"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"A bit yes. Though that's likely another long tale in and of itself. " You grin. It's just so...novel to be able to talk to another person face to face. Is this what it's like to have a normal world and normal life? Is this...small talk? "It's true...this city does seem to be a bit low on color. But the lights are remarkable! Just everywhere sparkling like the stars came down to nest!"

The caution is noted...you did expect sooner or later someone was going to get a bit irate at the strange man running around in shorts and flashing lights. Dirk had offered you some of his clothes but...that felt a bit odd. Besides, may as well enjoy this chilling cold while you can.

Your smile goes wider at the mention of name exchange, but you can't quite hide the surprise when she introduces her name and you feel yourself once again thrown for a loop. Ooh heavens to murgatroy, this just got weird again.

Maybe she's an alternate younger version of your grandmother...or maybe she just was named after HER grandmother who would have been your grandmother. Oh god, what if she's an alternate YOU. There is a bit of resemblence there.

"Ah! Right right. I'm Jake. Jake English. Please do m-meet you G-Miss Harley! Don't suppose you are related to the Jude Harley fellow I met a bit ago?"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

"That's Midnight City for you! The city that never sleeps~"

Jake English; well not quite your grandpa's name but close! You're pretty sure his name could've been Jake too. Though you vaguely remember calling him Grandpa Harley.

"Please! Just call be Jade! Less I call you Mister English in turn!~" Oh he's met Jude?? He come to think of it, he kinda looks like Jude too! Hmm maybe in his dimension that Jude could've been an adult relative??

"So you've met him?? No, no relation of any kind! We just happen to share a last name. I don't have any blood ties."

A small white lie, but you're not about to tell your possibly alternate younger grandpa about your illegally experimented dog gal sister when you've barely told anyone else.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Righto! Jade it is! Pleasure to meet you Jade." You give a good proper bow this time, realizing you should have done that earlier. Human interraction is difficult.

"I have! I well, ran into the poor gent headlong when I shot into the brown on my landing here. Still feel a bit bad for that really. Should make an apology proper before I leave. Quite and alright chap!"

You listen to her speak and nod solemnly. "The Harley name is quite the prolific one I daresay. Was my grandmother's, though since she passed I think...well shoot maybe it's not that prolific at all now. Well that's a bit of a humdinger....SO! What do people here do for fun?"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh he's bowing; you let out a giggle and curtsy back. He doesn't have to actually but hey, you've always been a go-with-the-flow kind of gal~

"Oh! Yeah I think so; Jude's a sweet guy if a little shy." You like Jude a lot; you might not be related but he's a darling! Especially after learning he's not a stalker.

Ah; how odd! His grandma's dead, yours is too.... or maybe you're grasping at straws with that tidbit. "Well we are stuck in the 1920s so there's a lot of swing clubs and we still have movie theatres and casinos and the like! There's also bars if you know where to go; technically it's illegal to be drinking, but people love their drinks too much to really give it up."

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The giggle she gives sounds so much like your grandmothers, it's uncanny. If anything, there was a strange surreal comfort at the idea that perhaps this is another time and place where your grandmother is alive and gets to have a happy life running a flowershop versus well...what all happened in your time and place.

Your eyes light up at the concept of clubs, and theatres! Casinos...eh not so much cause it isn't like you have any money to gain or lose. "Fair fair. Not much for the gigglewater myself what with the whole island thing....though Roxy is quite fond of it. She'll be glad to hear there's that."

You chuckle, not showing any opinion on the legality of things. Not like that kind of thing is really your concern. "A theatre sounds nice though! I don't think I've ever been to one before so I should definitely try to get to do that!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

"Roxy? Is she another friend of yours that came to find Dirk??" You wonder how many that makes; currently that's four people from the same different universe. How are they going to go home? Would they even make it back successfully...?

"There's are a lot of fun! I don't go often but sometimes it's nice to go watch a movie with some friends and popcorn. I very much recommend the theatre on Main and Bayview; they always get the newest movies first~"

Honestly that sounds fun; you should probably go see a movie when you get a chance.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"She is! She's the smartest most talented church-bell I've ever met! One of my best friends!" One of your only friends, but you aren't going to let that detail get you down. "Her, Hal and myself all jumped through and here we are. Though I guess Hal is now Arq? I have noticed people sure love their name changes when coming over here. "

You laugh and then listen, nodding enthusiastically.

"That sounds perfect! I'll get to try popcorn for the first time! I've read about it, it sounds delightful! Thank you for all these suggestions."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Awww she sounds wonderful. Maybe with your luck, you might run into this Roxy lady too. She sounds very pretty! And sweet~ "I think that's because there exists in this world a Hal? He's... he's very neat all things considered, but he was here first before your Hal~"

You laugh and smile back. "It's not any trouble Jake! Just be safe! The city is wonderful but it can be dangerous; not everyone is a sweetheart like you!~"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"True true. I've noticed there seems to be a bit of a double up. Wonder if there is another of me out there on adventures. Maybe I'll get lucky and run into him before I have to go." You like to assume that he is somewhere out there...doing some grand escapade. Probably is really cool.

"Well if this city is half as pleasant as you are, I can't imagine it being anything but a paradise! But I shall do my best to stay safe. I hope I can meet you again before I go though, this has been the most delightful of meetings." It's true, and admittedly you'd like to see this place once more before you stop off and away. It feels so much like home, and she looks so much like her that it kind of recalls old feelings you wouldn't mind having at least once before you lose any chance again.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

"Maybe!" You doubt it, if his counterpart was indeed your grandpa. Who is very much dead. Definitely not alive anymore.

You give another bright smile and before you know it, you're giving him a warm, patented Jade hug. "I concur! You have been the most interesting person to enter my shop today! You're welcome back any time! You can bring your friends too it would be nice!~"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The hug is a surprise, but a welcome one. Goodness, it's been so long since you've been around people in general. But then you got hugs from Roxy, and Dirk, and Arq, and sort of one from the little green fellow, and now this! Hands down, this is your best city experience ever.

You are already starting to miss it.

But for now, you smile bright! "Oh! Definitely! I'll make sure to bring them as well! I expect they'd love this place, and be glad to meet you too! Thank you so much Jade. You've been the jammiest bits of jam!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You give the best hugs! You've been told this many times so it must be true.

"You're very welcome Jake!" You let go after a few moments, hands clasped behind you once more. "You are also quite the darling! I hope you all get home safely. And uh," You eye his coat and shorts, amusement all over your face. "Try to find something warmer okay? City winters can be harsh, too harsh to wait it out."

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Can do!" You give her a salute and a smile. No sense bringing up the whole what is money and how you have none of it, the last thing you want is to come across as a nose bagger.

"Until next time! Tally ho!"

And with that, you turn and make your exit.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You smile and wave him off, watching as he steps out of your shop and braves the cold once more. What a curious individual! And so very, very trusting. Too trusting even.

You pull out your phone and stare at it a little. Telling the bosses about people apparently dimension-hopping into yours would be pretty important you feel. You'd rather not give those Felt bastards any more potential help if possible. Hmm.... yeah, you should let others know.

Though you do hope Jake goes home. He would be safer that way.

#logs #backlog #tallyhothere

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stareiiez · 6 years

Text

Fate’s Funny

Soulmate Prompt Fics

#3 First Words

Pairing:Maine x Male Reader

I swear to god I’d imagine his words to be written as “ ASGHSFTHVA” like keyboard smashing on his male s/o’s wrists.

At the age of twelve did that small burning sensation ride high up upon your wrist. It shed a small golden light that scrawled messily and blocky on your skin. You had gotten your soulmate’s words just at the time everyone else did in your grade, except what stood out was not the black style of writing but what was written. At first, you thought it was some foreign language that your soulmate spoke, but your teacher had denied that it wasn’t any specific language that no one in the world spoke. Although among the jumbled up words there stood out amongst the blocky lettering. ‘Watch’,’back’, ‘no!’ and ‘wow’ were the only words you could understand,The whole dialogue nearly moves up to the inside of your elbow but it didn’t bother you much because that overjoyed thought of having a soulmate was too much overwhelming that it nearly sent you into a laughing mess.

While you were nearly trying to calm down your nerves, a certain bald-headed boy was wincing ever so slightly from the burning sensation on his bare arm He quickly drew back the sleeve of his long sleeve white shirt and peered at the words that were scrawled magically on his skin, the blinding golden light that was emitted off his skin caused him to squint and bling rapidly once the light died down. Once it did the words sent his heart to scatter in a new rhythmic beat “You don’t always do this sort of thing, do you?” What could that possibly mean? Was he asking his soulmate out? Try and do something new? Shaking his head his gaze never wavered from his pale skin, his eyes dancing over the words with silent glee before he fist pumped the air. A shout of pure happiness emitted from him, a few people walking down the street cast the boy weird looks but they always did. By the way, he looked and how he was always dirt. He wasn’t homeless but he never claimed himself a home, he ran away from adopting ever since he could remember and he never knew his parents but that never stopped him. Nor would it cast any darkness on his life, not now since he just acquired his first soulmate. His life was going to be good and perfect from now on.

Fast forward a few years down the timeline. Puberty has gone and hit both of you like a red hot speeding bullet and now you’re both full grown. Late teen years of 18 or 19 were something that was fast-paced and filled with chasing after girls and college scholarships right? Wrong. Your life was on the fast track to 4 am, or 5 am, boot camp drills by your superior. Learning how to fight to survive and fight in order to live another day. Dodging bullets and taking routine visits to the medical center when you got the absolute shit beat out of you every time you had slowed down your team. Now those hell filled years of your stupid decision to join the army, instead of college, landed you on a one-way ride to space. You, the one person that could have stayed on earth and switch to the Navy Seals or the Airforce, was chosen to get your army life its finishing ‘polish’ by being a space marine. As crazy as it sounded in your head, and the images of you fighting aliens didn’t help much either, you decided to throw fate to the oxygenless heavens and got on the next pelican off of Earth. Of course, you weren’t the only idiot that took a trip up into space to never see Earth again. There on your ride, you met your soon to be teammates York, North and South Dakota. Each had their own story of why they came here, York’s was the cheesiest of it all. He came here because of some girl that charmed him into being recruited to be a hacker for the Project. You? You had no story, none whatsoever, but what you did manage to give up some excuse as to why you joined was that you felt like some God, or your soulmate, was drawing you up into the stars. Little did you know that your story was no lie.

Your other half had been recruited to the Project for a few months that almost bled into a year now. Him, Carolina, and CT were the first freelancers aboard the ship and they were close to the director until that leaderboard came around. He felt no magnetic pull to Earth like you did to space. Once the pelican had boarded in Mother of Invention, all three agents decked out in armor went to the boarding bay to greet their new soldiers. It was after you walked off the ramp after York and caught sight of the three agents standing to the side that the words on your arm tingled. Maybe it was your imagination but you quickly shook that good feeling tingle off. You absently tugged your long sleeve so it could cover your soulmate mark, there was time for that later.It was time to buckle down and show the world what your years of hell really could pay off for. Pulling up your ‘big boy boxers’ you walked up to the three agents with Noth, South, and York at your heels. Sticking out your hand for a handshake you eyes made contact with the golden and white visor of Agent Maine, yet you stood in front of Carolina. Your gaze broke once she grasped your hand firmly.

“Hi, I’m (Y/N) I look forward to fighting with you.”

That no longer nervous rookie you were has shed its skin and in you stood as a dedicated agent to the Project. Your rookie spot was filled by a new friendly face, Agent Washington, a spunky little teen who was given all the shit that was once intended for you but was never given. Teammates weren’t teammates but family, although you and Maine weren’t brothers. You were distant and cold to each other. Neither of you talked to each other but nodded in recognition, it didn’t bother you much. After all, Wash had told you that Maine was mute, or selective mute, which meant he couldn’t talk much anyway. Whatever it meant it seemed to draw the words you wanted to say to him back in your throat and stuff them back into the pit of your belly/

The blare of the alarm had you scrambling for armor pieces and your helmet in your room before you were making a beeline out of your room and into the mission room. You weren’t the last one there since the director and the counselor and yet to arrive but the glare you knew Carolina sent you was enough to show that you were indeed tardy. Shrugging off her look you turned to take a stand next to Maine and Wash. The mission briefing was simple once the Director and Counselor had finally shown their faces to their agents. Of course, it involved that sketchy A.I sarcophagous the whole mission nearly made your eyes rolls and your senses wary about the situation, but the excitement Maine got for fighting was enough to bring a grin to your face.

“Then its settled, Team A will consist of me, York, Wash, Maine, and Agent (your state). North, Wyoming and C.T will be on Team B.” Carolina spoke up loud enough to grab your attention and help you ground back to reality. Right, the mission.

Nodding along you cast a look at the smug looking director and his long lost puppy like Counselor. Their attitudes brought down your mood into bitterness, you never liked them. Not after this whole race for ‘the holographic little men’. as Wash called it, had turned the two into something different Then again you never trusted them in the first place. The ship and the missions reeked with something fishy and it definitely wasn’t the mess hall food that was for sure. “Bastards.” You muttered under your breath before Wash nudged you gently.

“What?” He tilted his head while your group turned to leave and start the mission.

“It was nothing, let’s just get this over with.” You mumbled under your breath once again, as your retreating form was followed by a confused Washington. Your name repeated off his lips as a beckoning call for you to slow down.

The ride there in the pelican wasn’t silent but not loud either. The only one talking was Carolina up in the front with 479er as she was going over the plan with North. Where their drop off and extraction points would be, it was all the usual chatter to you. Eyes closed behind your golden colored visor you were gathering your nerves and holding them at bay. You hummed as you counted the number of inhales and exhales you took. Maine was sitting across from you, his grey eyes were trained on her still form that was nestled in your seat against the safety bar. It looked like you were asleep, but in reality, you were preparing yourself for battle. Preparing yourself to fight for survival and make it in time for a ride home. His fingers itched with the need to unlock his bar and move over to sit next to you instead of between North and York. His shoulders hunched in defeat before his head rested on the cold black bar of his safety bar.

“Thanks, Team B we won’t need it.”

Carolina said before 479er swerved her pelican away from the other’s and went towards the towering skyscraper. Its windows glinting a richer shade of gold with orange mixed in, it nearly outmatched York’s golden dull armor. The rear pelican doors open as the safety bars opened, just at the same time, your eyes flashed open. You stretched, bones popping lazily as a content sigh slipped past your lips. Carolina descended off the ramp and landed flat-footed outside the parking garage. It was going to be one hell of a run to get up to the roof, or even to the room where the sarcophagus would be. Grabbing your SMG that was hanging on your armor clips, your team had started to start its hell of a sprint up flights of stairs. The occasional sound of guns firing until silence followed could be heard every three minutes.

“This should be it if it’s not I’m going to blow my brains out.” You chuckled as Wash whined huskily. His breathing winded while he finally took the last steps into the room.

Your hand snapped up to hush him, while your eyes scanned every kind of weapon that was laying about on the table. Weapons you’ve never even seen yet looked all the more deadly. Your head tilted to the side to signal him to look over at Maine, right now he was looking at every kind of weapon on the table. His weight shifting from his toes to heels until his hand lashed out to pick up an unusually shaped weapon. One that could be described as a ‘knifle’ but instead it was a brute shot.

“That’s a good look,” Wash commented once he saw how Maine posed with it at his weight, his eyes trained on his new toy.His head tilted over to you and a string of noises that sounded like gibberish left his mouth.

You held up a hand in a thumbs up before a smirk curled on your lips. Your confirmation nearly brought a smile on Maine’s face while he strutted off.

The entire mission had passed by in a blur. From Maine being kicked out the window by Carolina in order for the sarcophagus to head up to Yor, who was poised on the roof. Diving off the roof with the wind screaming in your ears seemed to go by slower, than the high-speed chase in a warthog that Maine stole. You were clinging on to the gun turret while Carolina had managed to land perfectly on York’s lap, it was an awkward moment between the two until she managed to move off of him and instead take the option of running beside the warthog.

Nothing was ever calm in your life not even for a moment as the skyscraper blew up behind your shoulders and enticed the chase of Insurrectionists. They followed once your group had captured the briefcase after Maine had beheaded the man who possessed it. Gunshots rang out, which only got answered by your own red-hot bullets that struck semi-trucks and cars. Many blew up and some hit the soldiers that flew around on jetpacks. Your heart nearly dropped with Maine getting shot once by a sniper, but the huge brute could never fall easily.

“(Y/N)! Get up there and help Maine, Carolina and I will ward these guys off.” York yelled as the warthog slammed hard on to the truck bed of the semi Maine stood upon.

A loud growl and an outstretched hand pulled you on to the flatbed of the vehicle only for you to be nearly struck off once a boot came in contact with the side of your head.

“Watch.. back-” was the first words you heard from your teammate. A chord in your heart strung with recognition. Soulmate words nearly caused you to jump to conclusions, way too fast. Maybe it was a coincidence. Two Insurrectionists were accompanying you both as York stomped on the brake and faded from your sight along with Carolina. Two on two was easy, you and Maine could handle this. Although being shot once and thrown off a building took a lot out of a soldier of Maine’s caliber.

“Come on you asshole.” You growled while a knife twirled in your fingers and sank past muscle and bone on the Insurrectionist’s chest. “Die already!” You growled out past clenched teeth that nearly ached as much as your side.

Breathing hurt since the soldier managed to kick you in the side once you were knocked down on your knees from the blow to the head. Your knife twisted deeper into his chest before a grunt erupted from Maine. A bullet rang out and sunk hard between your shoulder blades and thigh. Pain caused your grip to falter and slip from the one you were fighting.”No!” A split of a second later and more bullets rang out, yet instead of hitting you it sunk into Maine. Blood rained down from his throat and stained his white armor a dark bloody crimson. You reacted quickly and kicked the male with the knife in the chest off the truck, while your hand pulled off Maine’s knifle from his back. One strong throw and the blade ended up stuck in the man’s stomach. Bullseye.

You breathed out a side of relief before York’s warthog crashed back into the side of the semi-truck with the intention to throw the Insurrectionist off. You and Maine were sent scrambling to the highway, but your reflexes were quick enough to cling to the brute and slide him out of the way from any oncoming traffic. The briefcase was long ago snatched from Maine’s grip by Carolina while in you four were in the warthog. Sparks flew past your dented helmet visor as you went under vehicles and miraculously didn’t get killed by pitch black tires. When you stopped skidding, you didn’t know. The kick to the head and the bullets must have done a number to your thought process because it felt like your body was floating off the ground and shielded in a bright light and dim voices.

Heaven was supposed to be white and full of angels with some God looking at you with a smile on his/her face. Then why were you laying on a steel bed with white blankets draped over your body? Machines beeped and a body stirred beside you. Maine. You tilted your head and your gaze widened at the sight of his tree trunk-like neck wrapped heavily in gaze while his silver-hued eyes flashed open. His mouth opened and tried to utter out your name, except it came out broken and fast.

“You don’t do this sort of thing do you?” Waving to the situation you were in with IVs feeding into your arms and bandaged peppered on your back and thigh. Saving someone wasn’t one thing you saw Maine ever do, he must be new to this. He did it without hesitation, yet it felt like he was brushing off the gesture with a roll of his eyes.

Then they flew open wider and he glanced at his arm. The words that were scrawled on his forearm burned with a sign that you just said for your first time of ever speaking. His gaze was directed to his bare arm before they bounced over to your own. Blankets couldn’t hide the black ink scrawled on your forearm with an IV nearly hiding his last word.

“Wow.” Maine sighed out airly before his gaze was directed onto your face. Your jaw set before your adam’s apple bobbed up and down from your nerves.Soulmates. He was your soulmate.

Before you knew it a smile curled up on your lips before you pushed yourself into a sitting position. His eyes never left your form, but they held a new light to watch your posture. Pure amazement, interest, and maybe love. God, he always admired your hard work as a soldier but he never knew he admired you that much to have fate set him up with someone this close in person.

You let out a laugh, eyes crinkling as your smile spread in that medbay room. Fate was funny with fucking up your life, but maybe it did one good thing after all. You laughed so hard with relief and a new found of emotion that it nearly hurt your stomach. The laughter that turned Maine’s face to hold a grin even if moving an inch hurt, he would still move enough to smile or watch you in that bed.

“Yeah, wow is right… Soulmate.”

“Sou- ma-” Maine responded before a hiss left his lips. It sounded like a chuckle and it must have been the way Maine’s demeanor changed.

Fate was funny, but it sure as hell was on your side now. Hopefully from now on too.

#red vs blue #red vs blue fanfic #red vs blue x reader #red vs blue x male reader #rvb x reader #rvb x male reader #red vs blue agent maine #red vs blue agent maine x reader #red vs blue agent maine x male reader #red vs blue male reader insert fanfic #agent maine x male reader #agent maine x reader #soulmate dialogue prompt fic

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agreementtale · 3 years

Text

Chapter 19: What do you call a frozen dog?

“Get up already!”

“Hm?” they tried to balance themselves into an upright position, body still heavy from dizziness they propped themselves on the ground “Did I sleep?” they didn’t remember going to bed.

“How many fingers am I holding?” the blurred mess before them sounded like Flowey.

“God, I hope none” Their tongue was kinda numb, it was weird, imagining Flowey with a human hand. Human shaped fingers were weirder.

“Why do I still bother?” He asked while face palmed, witch it was funny because… palm…

They had to remember this one.

Flowey with a huge green palm covering his face, like a coconut leaf… or a…

A green…

Green was so nice…

It was warm and told them to ‘take a better care of themselves’, called them ‘sibling’, called them ‘stupid’ and… wait, what?

“Why are you calling me stupid?” they opened their eyes, white snow on the ground, Flowey emanating a green light, the absence of a maze “And where are they?” no skeleton in sight.

“I didn’t call you stupid” they looked at him suspiciously “You still are stupid, I just didn’t call you one this time…” they felt there was something more to it, he just kept healing them with green magic… unusually quiet…

“I could swear I heard you calling me stupid”

“Maybe you found your conscience, was about time” ha ha, very funny.

“No, seriously” he stopped, admiring his work instead of paying attention to them “Am I hearing voices now? ‘Cause that can be problematic. Are you sure you didn’t say it?” He seemed thoughtful for a while before answering.

“What did you hear?” Suspicion was clear in his voice, but after their body being so carefully healed, they didn’t find in them to be annoyed with him.

“Well… it was your voice, but…” not quite? “it wasn’t…” corporeal? “a voice, I mean… more like a thought?” but they heard it either way “and it said I should take better care of myself” they looked at their hands, fidgeting, the inability to speak properly again plaguing their mind “and that I was your stupid sibling” they weren’t stupid, they just struggled sometimes.

A noise they weren’t expecting caught their attention.

He laughed…

Laughed!

“You are, aren’t you?” Asked, amused for some reason, they glared, squinting their eyes at him, they were not an idiot.

“So you said it?” by the way he was laughing they should assume this, but there was something more… genuine about his whole demeanor.

“No” he denied “But apparently my magic said it to yours”

“I didn’t know you could do that” they had seen this kind of communication before, what was the name again?

“I can’t” the admittance didn’t allow them to be lost in thought, focusing on him instead “I mean… every monster can project, some better than others”

Oh, that it was, the word they were looking for was ‘Projection’.

“Magic come from a monster’s soul, so every time they use magic, other parts of their soul, like feelings and thoughts, also go out with it”

“Like their intent?” That made sense, no matter how good you were at separating things, magic always carried a signature, color, intent and feelings, among several other things.

“Yes” but the surprised way he was looking at his leaves was concerning “I just didn’t know I could…”

“Project?” He had magic, why would he think he couldn’t project?

“Yeah… project…” by the way he looked to the side he was not completely honest, they thought about questioning more “Whatever” he said batting his leaves, like dismissing his own thoughts as stupidity “You passed out on the snow after we won, Papyrus said you could have the honor to see the next puzzle before you die”

“Well, how nice of him” Maybe he was putting up a front “For someone you said was angry all the time, he is being pretty tame” not letting the world to see how he still was the same Papyrus on the inside.

“Tame?” He mocked the word “He just killed you what? Five times?”

“He didn’t kill me though, the traps did”

“Why is this not a big deal for you?”

“I’m alive, aren’t I?”

“You’re weird”

“You have no idea”

The last battle may have been too much excitement for a day, and they had no intention of facing another trap so soon.

In fact they slowed the walking to a sluggish pace, and as incredible as it sounded, Flowey didn’t complained about that, he even seemed to enjoy the break.

“Ball game!” they yelled throwing their hands on the air, victorious.

Flowey read loudly the message displayed near the red flag “Bravery. Justice. Integrity. Kindness. Perseverance. Patience. Using these, you were able to win at Ball Game, you won 50G”

“Seriously?” they could use that kind of money “Why does this one still works?”

“The others are easy, they ran out of money fast, but no one is so stupid to lose an entire afternoon playing enough to discover that there is yet another level to this thing”

“Well, I did” They said, watching the cash disappear with magic as they touched it, a quick unfocused blink and they could see the money added on the black screen that displayed their status. A menu, as they liked to call it.

“And you are my favorite idiot” Maybe they could use the money to buy something for him.

“You know what, that was kind of nice” something to eat perhaps “I’ll take it as a compliment” Oh, oh! They knew just the thing!

“Whatever, but we should find some place to sleep in, is getting dark”

“I wish we had some Nice Cream though” They remembered faintly how they used to ask for a single milkshake and two straws. He would get brain freeze every time, but refuse to drink it any slower. They would both end up in a race drinking as fast as they could, just for the right to eat more of the dessert, despite Mom’s insistence to buy them one milkshake each, they always–/

“A what?”

“A Nice Cream?”

His face remained blank, they felt scared and anxious.

“Don’t you tell me you don’t have Nice Cream?!” The universe couldn’t be cruel enough to deny them of ice cream! “Delicious frozen treat?” What dessert would they share on their ‘sibling bonding’ moments? Pie was too common to be a treat, and chocolate always ended up in fights.

“Sweet, creamy, makes your head hurt when you eat it too fast?”

“Yes!” Pure relief washed over them. ‘Sibling bonding dessert time’ was still a viable option.

“You mean Vice Cream”

“I guess” the name was unimportant, but they had to make sure the taste would be the same “Why vice, though?”

“The treat so delicious it will get you addicted”

“Sounds about right”

“That is just the slogan, idiot, you won’t actually get addicted” his voice dropped to a whisper “Mom’s pie is way better” he was silent for a moment, maybe he missed her already? “Anyway, you won’t find it here, the guy is in Hotlands, Waterfall at most, he never gets here”

By Flowey’s advice, once it was dark, they headed North to find two empty guard stations, they slept on ‘Hers’ station, as it was far down on the road and, to their delight had a comfortable mattress underneath the balcony.

Next morning Flowey woke them up before it got bright, which made sense, they had to avoid the guards after all. Still they thanked Flowey profusely for the information, sleeping in a bed again had been so comfortable and relaxing they even got 10 more HP from the ‘well-rested’ bonus.

But even with the status improved, they couldn’t help but notice the beginning of frostbites, they wished they could take a bath on mom’s house, it was only the fifth night sleeping on the forest and they were already smelling like dirt and snow.

Determined on hitting the red flag on Ball game, they spent the morning playing and got quite the amount of G! They also were lucky enough to find the same Snowdrake, that didn’t attack them this time, instead they gave him some tips about the ball game.

At first Flowey was against telling the monster his life hacks, but relented when they argued that he needed to eat too and that make money in a game was better than getting into fights.

And getting killed, it passed unspoken between them.

The drake wasn’t in stripes anymore, so it was a very likely possibility.

Flowey as very useful on that, telling him the best spots to hide and to get food, Snowdrake listened attentive, dropping a few puns here and there. They tried a few too but they were equally bad at it.

They had to improve their pun game, they were terrible out of practice, maybe they could think of a few before reaching the city, but after talking with Snowdrake so much all they could think were ice puns.

At the afternoon their stomach grumbled, so Flowey told them to pull off the main road and go eat near the trees covering the hidden switch, while he stood behind a tree and looked out for possible troubles. They begrudgingly left him there and had Relish as lunch, they turned their nose, but ate it anyway.

“You are lucky I’m here with you” he said while they picked the boot of the ground.

“Yep, I’m lucky you are here” their stomach wasn’t complaining anymore, apparently pacified with being ‘not empty’. Their mouth on the other hand, was asking for better food for a few days now.

“Lesser was just here, but he went down the road for his patrol, we won’t have to worry about seeing him till tomorrow” Oh, bummer, they wanted to pet him “You are lucky I know the guard routine. Now we just have to wait here a bit until the Dogi go to their post and we can keep walking”

“Very lucky” he was so proud of himself, with his little leaves puffed out, like he was trying to imitate a hero’s pose, they couldn’t disagree “Anything else happened while I was eating?”

“Papyrus stopped by to know why were you taking so long to walk a one way road”

“Really?” Was he worried about them? “And what did you say?”

“I told him you were an idiot”

They sighed, it was such a Flowey thing to do, they didn’t know what else they expected “Right… and what did he said?”

“To hurry”

“Ok” straight to the point, somehow it sounded like Papyrus.

For the way he presented himself he seemed to be very straightforward, and maybe a little bit difficult to handle?

Or that was the way he wanted to be seen at least, they were sure he was as sweet as before below all the front he put.

“I told him how you wasted your time rebuilding the Snowman” It took a few seconds to process what Flowey had interrupted their thoughts with, but when the words made sense, they were definitely not happy.

“Why did you tell him that?” Why would he? How would they even get to this subject?

“What? Was it a secret?” He didn’t seem to see what the big deal was.

“No, but… I didn’t do anything!” In truth, they didn’t know what the big deal was either, they only knew that it bothered them.

“Yes you did!” Why did that bothered them?

“I know, but…” they tried to figure out why they were feeling like this “You don’t just tell people you helped someone” but this was the best explanation they got, he eyed them confusedly, they probably were making no sense.

“Everyone does it” He was right. They had to elaborate it better if they wanted to make any sense.

“Ok” they breathed in and out, to help them put their thoughts together “Sometimes you may do this, but not when helping was the only decent thing to do! You don’t brag about doing the bare minimum!” they said exasperated, but he still didn’t look like he saw the problem “Besides, it was your idea, I’m not taking credit for it”

He seemed to understand, or at least drop the subject for now.

They were silently sitting by the tree, why couldn’t they just keep going again? He had said something, but they weren’t exactly paying attention then.

“…and how you taught the Snowdrake how to get money” he said after a minute of silence.

Ok… why?

Why was he telling him that?

“You did that one”

“It was your idea”

“Yes, but why would you tell him that?”

“He asked”

“And you what? Gave him a full report?” They were pissed now, he wasn’t even seeing what was wrong with talking about them behind their back.

“Why do you care? Is not like I’m telling him something bad, I’m not even lying!”

“Exactly! You are only telling him the ‘good things’, now he will think I’m some kind and selfless saint, and then he will meet me and be disappointed, because I’m very much not just good things!”

“Fine! next time I will also tell him how stupid you are” His face morphed to his twisted smile “Oh Golly, I already did that!”

“Coming from you, is not like it means anything, you use ‘idiot’ like a period in every sentence”

“Well, then I will tell him how stubborn and annoying you are”

“As if you were any better!”

“I’ll tell him how much of a crybaby you are!”

“I’m not a crybaby”

He morphed his face to something human like, it was bizarre “~Mom! Please Mom!~” Not just any human… that was their face.

His voice was both mocking and in tune of what they sounded like when too sleepy.

“~I’m sorry”

He was mocking their nightmares.

“~I don’t hate you!~”

“Stop” they murmured, he didn’t know what that meant, if he had known, he wouldn’t be bringing it up so lightly.

“~Please don’t leave!~” Their eyes watered at the cruel display.

“Stop.” They gritted their teeth, they wanted to punch him.

“~Sorry, so sorry, please~” he kept going, they took a deep breath and waited until he ended the theatrics with a gut wrenching scream “and that’s my every other night” said smugly.

*--------------------*

They had little droplets of water on their eyes, but were avoiding to cry in front of him, it was so funny, how a dumb nightmare made them cry like this even when they were awake.

She was right there on the ruins, if they wanted her so badly they could have stayed there!

But nooo…

They had to get out of the safety of her home and go to an adventure in a world full of monsters trying to kill them, and him by proxy.

And now he was basically a traitor, and they didn’t even appreciated his efforts to keep them alive.

‘Why did you tell him that?’

To convince him not to kill you on sight, duh?

At least now they were as annoyed as he was with all this.

And almost crying…

Such a baby…

“I’m telling mom!”

What?

They grabbed their phone and started to push buttons.

“Hey, wait!” he tried to take the phone of their ear, but they started to spin around to dodge his vines.

“Too late, you had your – Hi, mom” they cut in chirpily.

“Don’t say it” He pleaded still trying to take the phone away or at least mimic an apology before they said anything.

“Not really” They were ignoring him, he couldn’t let her know “Flowey just made me cry”

… no…

“Yes, hm, the nightmares, okay” he panics as they put one hand on the speaker and turn to him to say “she wants to talk to you” she was going to kill him.

He grabbed the phone quickly on shaky leaves “They started it!” he yelled, waiting for his mother disappointed reply… but there was nothing…

Just their muffled laughter.

His confusion lasted only for a second, he looked at the phone, discharged since the night with the Snowman, and remembered the lack of outlets on their path.

…

Really?

They wanted to make fun of him?

They wanted to make him feel scared?

After all the trouble he went for them, they wanted to make him think SHE was disappointed in him?

“Serves you right” they showed the tip of the tongue, like this was just a common prank.

You know what?

Whatever!

They think they are clever?

They can freeze for all he care!

“Put me down”

“Aw Flowey, you got mad?” they teased, he was done.

“Put me down!” with his vines he started to undo the laces of the boot, but they quickly kneeled, putting the boot on the ground.

“I didn’t think you would actually get mad”

“Shut up, stupid!” he got out of the boot and into the ground, it was so cold he almost thought of going back to the boot.

But no. They messed up, so he would get back at them. And he would do that by proving a point.

“You think you are so clever! That just because you have this power you can do anything” that was what he had thought, and boy was he wrong, at least if they learnt this tiny lesson now, maybe they could avoid learning the big one the hard way “Well, you can’t, you know why?”

“Because actions have consequences?” The mirth was not on their voice anymore, and they were almost somber, like that single sentence aged them a decade.

But he could find out what that was all about another time, now he had a point to make “Because you are too weak to hold your ground”

Surprisingly they were listening, like they actually cared… fat chance, they probably were just lost in thoughts like usual.

“You did something I could kill you for” any ally would turn on them if they made fun of them like this, they were lucky he was incapable of feelings or he too might want to attack them for it “And you have no intention of attacking me even if I called you to an encounter. You are stupid if you think you can survive like this and still keep your friends around”

“I…”

“In this world” he continued, not letting them talk, and they let him get away with it... they had a lot to learn “you are punished for every mistake, for every encounter you don’t fight, for every EXP you don’t take, you will lose something”

They frowned, hand moving likely to signal they were trying to speak, but still too polite to speak over him.

“I’m done losing things” he ignored their look “A real monster would kill you for what you just did. But I know I can’t kill you so, I’ll do the next best thing” he made sure to have a playful and carefree voice just to put them on edge “After all someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do”

He winked and disappeared under the ground. Speaking just loud enough so they could hear.

“You are on your own”

______________________

First

Last

#AgreementTale #undertale #AGF!Flowey #AGF!Human #fanfiction #archieve of our own #long fic

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energonalucard · 6 years

Text

Killer Kyoudai AU

Kyoudai= Brothers

Wait? What do you mean? You just said their names?

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:12 PM

… Hey. Would the Killer Kyoudai been more interesting as Magnum’s brothers in the main series than his actual brothers?

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:13 PM

…huh

AU: The Killer Brothers are Magnum Ace's brothers and the Silver/Fighter Brothers were made just to counter the murder sprees they go on as detectives. They also adopt Magnum at one point.

This is the wonderful trip on Discord that happened to the AU... Also, I'm "Minion tO WHO?" and yes, I wanna change my name too. It's bugging my brain. :P

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:13 PM

Magnum having no brothers, then suddenly the KK or the KK always being his bros?

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:14 PM

I never said good. Just interesting. Like, if applied, it might say a lot of Magnum as an Iron Soldier. Latter.

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:16 PM

The Killer Kyoudai being the brothers that would seduce and kill as they please, and being soldiers isn't any better. Magnum being the heavy arms kinda bro.

Just musing...

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:16 PM

that would actually be kind of interesting, though

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:16 PM

Killer Kyoudai trying to get him back into the old days

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:19 PM

"Come on Nii-san~" Killer Q would say as he puts his leg up on the Leaguer they'd nearly beat to death. "Oh kick wouldn't hurt! For old time sake~!"

"Yes! It would!" Magnum cries, "Get off him! And I don't do that anymore!"

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:21 PM

heck, they'd be the ones who engineered GZ's kidnapping, probably

they might even remember him and feel like messing with him for old times' sake

…………yo imagien this applied to hero au, holy smokes

(( Hero AU is a Iron Leaguer AU based on super powered human Silver Castle taking on the world! It's really good! ))

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:25 PM

"Nii-chan!" Killer Q attaching himself to Magnum's side.

Magnum trying to pry away. "No!"

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:25 PM

OAO OH MY GOD

And just when we’re making Spirits and Arrow the most lovingly good brothers in Hero AU too!

Like, they were so close as the Silver San Kyoudai. Inseparable

Chaoit-Yesterday at 6:27 PM

whhhy

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:27 PM

A big part of Spirits' character arc is actually him learning that he needs to stop blaming himself for Magnum's 'disappearance'.

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:28 PM

It's like a Spanish soap opera stereotype!

*joking narrator voice* Who's parents had three kids? Who has the paperwork for Magnum's birth?

Chaoit-Yesterday at 6:28 PM

oh my god that'd be crazy

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:29 PM

I just think it would be interesting if Magnum was forced to become a villain, and then in the killer brothers au, they ended up willingly doing some villain stuff

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:30 PM

The Silver Kyoudai, in the Killer Brother AU, are Girochi's counter to these murderous brothers.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:30 PM

…oooh

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:30 PM

Nothing too special, just them being suspicious of Magnum as well.

"You have the same coding, and the same ferocity as them! Who's to say you won't kill for pleasure as well?"

"I'm not my brothers! I've changed!"

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:32 PM

and silver castle stands by him against the killer brothers

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:33 PM

"The words of few, don't counter the names of the dead." Arrow would say as they back down. They don't wanna start a fight.

!!!

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:40 PM

But you know what would be awesome? Magnum proving himself and then the fighter brothers just end up adopting him

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:40 PM

The Silver Kyoudai being like detectives because we don't fully understand their origins.That would make the FK's already cold shoulder to Magnum make sense. And they actually hug him at the end.

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:43 PM

YES

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:45 PM

I'm not salty I swear

Them actually treating Magnum good when they get videos and tapes of the old brothers antics and seeing Frontier grow traumatised.

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:46 PM

Again. All up for loving Fighter Brothers

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:46 PM

What would the KK's old names be???

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 6:47 PM

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:49 PM

Could they be the Silver's or should they be Platinum or Bronze...

Chrome actually seems nice! It's just like silver, but it's blended with steel and is usually higher quality then gold.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 6:57 PM

Chrome Frontier for magnum. Then Chrome Harpoon for Q, maybe? And Chrome Intrepid for B. or switch as needed

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 6:58 PM

Intrepid is more humerous, so Q fits better.

B as Harpoon actually sounds cool!Birth order?

I feel...

B, Magnum, Q?

Or Magnum, B, Q?

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:00 PM

middle, maybe?

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:00 PM

Chrome Harpoon, Chrome Frontier, Chrome Intrepid.

Sounds awesome!

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 7:01 PM

Q missed his big brother so much

And seeing him turn into such a goodie good?

utter betrayal in his eyes

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:02 PM

Magnum was probably always the more morally upstanding one. like, he might have done some rough play, but he always kind of hated it

Still No Puffins-Yesterday at 7:03 PM

Killer B always had arguments with him

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:07 PM

Killer B being the kinda older brother you'd hate to get angry. Girochi gave Harpoon responsibility over Frontier and Intrepid and he takes Harpoin's word for everything.

Shock circuit lv 1 almost every time you don't kill someone must be traumatizing.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:10 PM

When they were retired, Frontier tried to run away. When his brother s found him, he ran to them, thinking they had escaped too and now they could run away. Imagine his horror when he realizes that they have upgrades, but they're willing to go and kill, and they grab him and cart him off to be reformatted.

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:11 PM

His screams of terror still rock Richard, and he promises to make the G3 better then this. More loving then this.

Girochi separating VZ for one mission only and the absence of BV and QV at his side makes a small spark in his head say, 'Is Harpoon making you...?'

His old life flashes before his eyes and he drops the Leaguer head he had crushed.

Fleeing to Earth is the same, recruiting is the same except...Magnum has no tolerance for breaking Silver Castle's pacifist streak. NO TOLERANCE AT ALL.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:22 PM

and when he sees the way the GSK stick together, he feels a pang of longing

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:22 PM

Top Joy getting a hand ball? Okay, fine. Top Joy kicking it in their own goal? Fine. Top Joy attacking another mech in Soccer? No way! TOP JOY WITH A BOMB?! They're having a talk.

Longing, yes. Forgiving, not really.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:24 PM

well, yes. but like… he kind of wishes that he'd had that

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:27 PM

Definitely! He wishes they'd have their relationship, but he knows it's too good to be true. Doesn't keep him from staring at the stars wanting his brothers arms around him as they celebrate finding him safe.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:28 PM

When they actually show up, he gets their arms around him. And he wants them to let go.

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:30 PM

He can feel death clinging to them. He knows they missed him, but he's beyond the cute "Nii-san!" act. His team has taught him about health relationships by now, and the clawing paws of these too are filled with blood.

Death and satisfaction are hard to breathe in. And Magnum is overheating.

Magnum shrugging them off and looking at them. Was... Was Dark f!ching kidding? Silver Castle was so well off they... stooped so low to beat them!

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:35 PM

…yo. Imagine the Killer Brothers specifically targeting Windy to beat the sh!t out of him because how dare their brother find someone else?

(( Torture Warning ))

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:37 PM

Beating the hell out of the Gold Brothers too because aren't they just cute! Killer B holding up Gold Arm's head as Killer Q takes pictures after beating them all up because they have a say on if they get on the team or not.

Magnum x4 trauma when he receives pictures of all four being beaten. Even Windy, on field. How had he missed that?

Them finding Gold Foot adorable. He wanted to protect everyone, and his fire and defiance was similar to Magnum's~!

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:41 PM

I wasn't even thinking on field. i was thinking they jumped windy while he was taking a walk and took their sweet time torturing him physically and psychologically

…oh man. maybe they even see how the gold brothers are like them. also, imagine them (this is gory) mentioning how Arm has firey eyes, and Q rips one out to take a look at it

maybe not but still

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:42 PM

Yes! It's an AU, so it doesn't matter how gory! All the gore!

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:42 PM

i can write some good gore. i like writing the occasional gory fic

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:42 PM

Arm's eye, Foot's leg(s), and Mask's teeth.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:43 PM

maybe not teeth. maybe those finials. heck, maybe foot/arm p!sses them off and so they take it out on mask

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:45 PM

Mask losing more then his finals after Foot tries to tear B's face off. Mask looses his finals, everything attached to the finals, loses all his spikes violently (feet and shoulders), his chest armor as they mess with his none lethal innards.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:47 PM

and they punch and kick him, they mess up his face, too. their cleats cut him up, and Q stomps on his hand, shattering some of the mechanisms

the wrorst part: Foot knew there'd be consequences for that. He was paranoid, expecting them at every turn.

he wasn't expecting mask to show up at his door after dragging himself up to their quarters

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:49 PM

The only thing working in Mask's bodies are his legs, and he just falls on Foot's floor and doesn't wanna move.Him screaming for Arm, for Foot, and still softly crying for them on Foot's own floor. Arm pulling out his IV's as he takes off when Foot calls him about this.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:53 PM

I mean, I bet they're fine with doing a lot of things b/c the mechanics can fix it

…yo. thunder bolt captures GZ. someone attacks him, and GZ breathes a sigh of relief…

…until he sees who it is

Chaoit-Yesterday at 7:54 PM

yep, then it's like 'I think I preferred my attacker'

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:54 PM

They rip into Thunder Bolt like paper, GZ seeing what the battlefield can do to psychopaths. And the oil that freezes on the ice stains him as well.

Robot Harem Animes-Yesterday at 7:55 PM

and then they turn to him

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 7:56 PM

Them being vicious and just circling him like predators as they skate slowly.

"Nii-san chooses the weirdest friends!" Q would say happily.

"Thicker armor, war grade, 1000 year stare. He is a strange one." B would chuckle, "But he's not all that tough. He fell in a trap with lions."

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 8:02 PM

Q coming closer to GZ's face and taking in his eyes as he goes back to circling. "His eyes are pretty, but not as pretty as Gold Arm's! It's still in my chassis pocket, Nii-san!"

GZ just has the biggest heart attack ever, and that's saying something. Gold Arm's... eye? What did they do to them?

B taking Q's place in GZ's face. "Don't tell him anything, commander. This is an officers meeting and very coincidental."

"Nii-san... Someone entered the building and is heading this way." Q pipes up as Magnum and all Silver Castle bursts into the building. "We need to vanish."

They frame GZ. They knock him out, untie him, and put their murder weapons on GZ's person and make him hold it. They slink out a back entrance.

Chaoit-Yesterday at 8:19 PM

((well shit

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 8:20 PM

Remember what I said about Magnum taking no shit from rough play? Oh boy!

Be doesn't know what to believe. He knows GZ couldn't have done it but all the paper's were talking about the autopsy of Thunder Bolt. It's a hockey weapon, it's very strong, and it looks to have been one assailant because the murder weapon was left on the ice.

"It was the Killer Kyoudai, you have to believe me, Magnum!" GZ would beg as the team didn't know what to do here.

"GZ... I believe you." Magnum will say as he startles GZ a bit. "But the news articles... They won't see it like us... If only we had proof. Like if they stashed something away..."

Stashed? On their person...? Gold Arm's eye!

"Magnum, I have an idea!" GZ would look at Magnum with determination here.

Chaoit-Yesterday at 8:26 PM

risky risky))

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 8:27 PM

Since the G3 are being fixed in secret orders, and no one is the wiser about their condition. The KK can be free reined on the rink next week. Oh wait, those Silver Brothers were in the way...

The Silver Brothers are introduced here on the rinks as it's their big entrance. They are ace detectives, and Girochi is confident with them here, and incident like Thunder Bolts either won't happen or won't stay a mystery for long.

The Silver Brothers suspect Magnum Ace, Killer Q, Killer B, GZ, and Flash Kid. All have a motive to kill Thunder Bolt in cold blood for practise on a rink.They try to keep Silver Castle in their pacifist circle but Flash Kid and the Killer Brothers seem to always overwhelm the the underdogs.

They also might have history with Chrome Frontier...

In one episode, they clash and have a memory surge...

Turns out...

(( This is where Chronological Order becomes shit, so bear with me here. We were hyped up on ideas and everything went to shit. But you know where everything goes, hopefully. 😅 ))

After the Chrome Kyoudai killed a whole team of underdogs who tarnished their Dark name by winning, and Silver Justice and Silver Gallant were on the case back then. They had many restless nights as the CK kept killing while they accidentally fussed over paperwork.

Silver Gallant and Silver Justice are threatened with retirement from their sports if they don't find the murderers and they are like 1000% stressing until... Chrome Frontier knocks on their door with a broken and oil stained bat. He confesses everything and he rats out his brothers as he cries out he didn't wanna kill them.

That's how the Chrome Kyoudai were pulled in the Iron Soldier Program and Frontier tried to run away. But his brothers dragged him kicking and screaming into the underground as they wanted to kill kill kill and Frontier wasn't ruining this for them.

The Silver Kyoudai were retired because they knew too much about everything, and they made good looking war products.

Back to present day, Magnum gets access to their system by accident and wins the match that leads them into the championships.

GZ calling everyone into a meeting after the game. Once everyone gathers, he whips out a Leaguer's eye and holds it out. "I got Gold Arm's eye."

Chaoit-Yesterday at 8:46 PM

((GZ what the hell boy?

((tact is a thing you need to practice

Minion tO WHO?-Yesterday at 8:47 PM

Top Joy gagging, Ryuuken being disgusted, and Windy being angry on why he had it.

Magnum explains, "The Gold Brothers must be in danger, GZ got the eye off of Killer Q's person. The Gold Brothers, as reported by Juurouta, had to fight to Killer Kyoudai to get back in Dark... They could be dead."

GZ nods as he hands it to Bull Armor, the only one with medical knowledge of any kind here. "They told me as they slaughtered Thunder Bolt that my eyes were as cute as the one they had on them. Gold Arm's."

Bull examines it and cringes. "The line that connects it to the cortex is strained and stretched. It was ripped out..."

Top Joy might have fainted.

Windy might have punched a hole somewhere.

And Ryuuken might have swore a bad one.

Juurouta pipes up. "How do we catch them. Even their own ace detectives can't track the two they bunk with."

It's starting to slow down on me, I'm going to make a part 2 and I'll see if it helps! Read more if you dare! 😈

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kaleenjackson · 6 years

Text

Advent 19: Snowman

Oh My Gods! I am so sorry that these are so late. I did finish them and they are going up tonight. Enjoy your late Shipmas gifts. Also there will eventually be a bunch more to go with this.

Pairings: Bucky/Loki, Steve/Tony

warnings: Cursing and a Make out scene

Dec 19

Snowman

“Hey, McBucky!” Tony hollered across the training room. Sam stopped mid kick.

“McBucky? Oh my God! Really? I love it. Ooof!” Bucky flipped him on to his back.

“Tony, Manchurian Candidate is bad enough but shortening it to McBucky is just terrible.” Bucky shook his head as he helped Sam back to his feet. “Where did it even come from?”

“Clint said you were ‘Grade A Frozen Beef’. I figure people would buy a McBucky at a restaurant.”

“I think I hate you Stark. What did you interrupt me givin’ Punk 2.0 a beating for?”

“Have you seen the Horned One this afternoon?”

“No. I haven’t seen Loki since this morning. He said he was going to have some fun. I didn’t ask.” Bucky gathered up his gear.

“No one has. You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on him. Supervising him. You need to find him now Barnes. If he isn’t on the property, I swear…”

“He is outside Mr. Stark. You could have just asked me instead of harassin’ Mr. Barnes.” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice came over the P.A. system. Bucky gave him a hard look.

“Really Stark? You didn’t check with the omniscient computer. God, you’re like a Christmas tree. Very, very bright but low wattage.”

“A Christmas tree? Well, still will you go see what your boyfriend is up too. He might be batting for us but I still don't trust him.” Tony stated as he walked away.

Shaking his head Bucky threw on some winter gear and headed into the snowy field surrounding them. He expected Loki would be practicing with that amazing ice sword, all red eyes and blue skin.

The platoon of snowmen was the last thing he had thought the former military ruler would be making. With a dagger between his teeth, Loki was rolling the base for yet another.

“Should us Earthlings be afraid Mischief?” Bucky said over his shoulder.

“Yes. I have built my own army of winter soldiers. Now, if I only had a fearless Sergeant to help me whip them into shape.” Loki turned and beamed at Bucky before kissing him.

“You brat.” Bucky scolded playfully. “Are you plotting an invasion?”

“No. Defense of a strategic position.” Loki smiled before turning to the snow soldier he was working on, carving details into it with his blade.

“Why, is this your new base of operations?”

“Maybe?” He smirked.

Tony finally dragged most of the team out to find them a few hours later. Standing in the snow they stared at the hundred or so snowmen.

“Tony. This is a joke right? There is no way Loki would attack us with snowmen.” Clint looked at the surprisingly well ordered troop.

“This seems too… I don't know, just plain weird, like he got bored. I mean look at the detail on the chariots.” Steve was kneeling in front them admiring the artistry when he heard a soft moan.

“Mischief, shush. They're gonna hear us.” Bucky whispered.

“Do it again Bucky. It feels so good. Please.” Loki seemed to almost be whimpering and he moaned again.

“Bucky? Loki?” Steve faked confusion as he stood. He leaned over the chariot and was both unsurprised and mortified by what he saw.

Loki and Bucky had clearly been making out. The fact that they had been doing that wasn't the shocking part. Loki has half naked laying on his back in the snow with strange blue trails down his skin. As Steve watched Bucky dragged his left hand down Loki's chest causing more of the blue streaks to appear. He moaned as Bucky shifted against him slightly. The green eyed god tipped his head back and then kneed Bucky.

“I think we may be in trouble James.”

Bucky looked up.

“Hey Punk. Either stop staring and speak or go away.”

“Why… why is Loki not wearing a shirt?”

To the embarrassment of the other two men the entire team was crowded around Steve in no time. All talking and staring.

“Gods Bucky. This is a right predicament we have gotten ourselves into.” They were still in the snow, Bucky now kneeling over him. “Yes Steven, what can I do to make you stop staring like I have three heads?”

“Were the heck is your shirt? It's fucking cold out and you’re half naked Loki. What the hell?”

Both men laughed and stood, Loki shaking snow out of his hair. “I'm a frost giant. I literally come from a world of snow and ice. It's really not cold out to me at all.” Now everyone was gapping at him.

Tony muttered, “Frost giant? What?”

Bucky could feel Loki getting anxious. He presses his hand firmly on Loki's chest as he whispered, “It might just be easier to show them then explaining it Mischief. They may freak but they won't hurt you, I swear.” They stood up.

Loki swallowed and closed his eyes. Concentrating on his cryokinesis, he heard everyone gasp as the change became clear.

“What the actual fuck?” Tony exclaimed.

Loki turned and pressed is face into his boyfriend's shoulder. Bucky held him tight as he shuddered.

“Is this why you have blue patches Loki?” Steve spoke softly. Loki only nodded in response.

“Asgard kinda treated Jotunns like you were Steve. You remember what that was like.”

Loki felt a warm hand on his shoulder. “Oh my God. Loki.”

“You mean like growing up here, knowing you’re gay or something. Shit.” Clint muttered.

“More like being raised with such a twisted thought process that I once tried to commit genocide against my own people and murdered their king thinking it would win the favour of the man I was told was my father, when in reality it may have been the man I killed.” Loki sighed turned and opened his eyes.

“So other than being the God of Mischief does this mean you can do other cool things?” Tony grinned.

“Well.” Loki half smiled and quickly created ice dagger. “I can do that and like I said, cold doesn't matter but heat can get to be too much for me quickly.”

Everyone had questions and they all began to ask them. Loki grumbled a bit but answered them as he continued to build snowmen. In fact they all started to build them as they talked.

“So do we need to worry about you using these snowy fella to attack us?” Tony finally asked as he watched Steve literally painting one of the chariots. Loki had allowed the glamour to reestablish itself.

“Do you have any idea how much energy animating even one of these things would take? If and only if I had the stone of power, which is in the possession of the Nova Corps. according to my sources, would I be able to do it. Without it, I could maybe animate a dozen or so for any sort of maintainable attack. And with you lot I have to play both the long and short game because you might just do something right.”

“Hey!” Tony whipped a snowball at Loki. “We beat you twice already.”

“Once, I let you win the first time.” Loki laughed as he brushed the snow off and threw one that hit Clint. Then pointed at Sam when he turned around. “He did it.”

The snowball fight that followed probably broke a couple of international laws and those stupid accords that had been the start of so many problems a few years prior. It went for a couple hours with Loki, Natasha and Bucky all switching sides several times. Steve started against Tony but was soon fighting against Loki side by side with his boyfriend. Clint finally scored a perfect hit on Loki, hitting him in the left eye.

“That's for fucking with my brain, you skinny bastard!”

Bucky and Nat were quickly between them before things could get violent. Nat dragged Clint away scolding him, while Loki pulled Bucky back towards the chariots, holding his hand over his eye.

“That sounded like it hurt Mischief. You okay?” Bucky gently removed Loki's hand from his eye. It had turned red again and the skin blue. “Shit.”

“It's changed back didn't?” Loki looked unimpressed.

“Yeah, sorry Mischief.” Bucky kissed his cheek near the snowball stain and then his lips. “I still think your fuckin' gorgeous.”

“Thank you my sweet, but I don't know.” Loki sulked. Bucky pulled out his phone and took a picture.

“See not so bad.”

“I will still cast a glamour over it.” Loki made a face. “Though, by keeping it secret to everyone but those I trust it would be an easy way for them to ensure my identity.”

“Well, I don't think that's a concern right now.” Bucky smirked and pushed his boyfriend against a rather convenient tree. “I know it's you, Mischief.” He slid his hand through Loki's hair and then began to kiss him.