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cyn-write · 2 months

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"Waited All Night..."

Prompt - NRC is in upheaval. A video of Yuu singing a song has been circling around the school about her being "bewitched," and everyone is trying to figure out by who. Yuu is embarrassed and upset about her private song being the subject of gossip, so she decides to hide from everyone only for her crush to find her and reveal he has been "bewitched," by her...

Pairings - Savannaclaw x F!Yuu (Separate)

Warnings - FLUFFF; Incredibly shy Yuu; stagefright (Yuu again); swearing (mainly by Leona); Spoilers for book 3 (Jack's part)

Song Prompt - "Bewitched" by Laufey

Prologue - Heartsyble - Savannaclaw (Here) - Octavinelle - Scarabia - Pomefiore - Ignanhyde - Diasmonia

Leona hated the fact that he couldn't get to Yuu. He tried calling her but she didn't answer, he tried going to Ramshackle but the ghost kept him out, and when she didn't show to any of her classes or to clubs that is when his patience broke. He knew the Yuu had feelings for him and was waiting for the right time. When the song came out, he knew the time was now and he had to get her out of the stampped of gossip.

He was in an irritable mood for most of the day and by the end of it, Ruggie was ready to snap Leona's neck. Anytime Leona heard her name or the song or head and tail of the betting pot, he would snap at the closes person to him... which was often Ruggie. The last straw was the absolutely grueling Spelldrive Practice. He worked them harder than Vargas ever would and by the time it was over, half the team was crawling back to their dorms. Ruggie stayed to "help" clean up, but he had anterior motives. Leona was toweling off after showering, still scowling from hearing the guys discussing "the pot." apparently there was a lot of money on names that weren't his... but also the sum on his name was hefty. "Go." Ruggie said, done with the grumbling mess. "What?" Leona spat back. "Go. To Yuu. I'm done with this- whatever this is." Ruggie gestured to Leona, "You've been in an awful mood all day and taking it out on everyone around you. Namely ME. So Go. Talk to her. and PICK SOME DAISES. I don't care what it takes. But if you keep acting like this, I promise to make your life a living Hell if you keep all this bottled up." Leona knew Ruggie meant and could keep that promise. And that is what he needed to hear. "Fine." Leona threw his shirt on and grabbed his bag before leaving. "But If I hear your name anywhere near winning 'the pot', You're a deadman." "Wouldn't dream of it!" Ruggie chuckled as Leona made his way to Ramshackle. He had no clue what he was going to say. but he had to say something. By the time he made it to her door, Leona debated just barging in... but he knew if he did that it would make her even more scared than she already was. He knocked and called for her, when she didn't answer, decided to say what came to his heart; "Herbavior... let me it... I wanted to tell you this sooner or later but... I've been bewitched by you for a while now."

Leona was growing tired of waiting. He had to see her, he had to know how she felt, he had to fight for the one thing he was not going to let pass him by. As he reached his hand out to the know, the door opened.

On the other side, Yuu looked completely exhausted and relieved. She looked into his eyes and asked him, "You mean it? Truely?"

Leona sighed and said, "I won't repeat myself again. So listen." He placed his outstretched hand on her cheek. "I like you. Herbavior. A lot. You're my favorite pillow and one of the few people I can stand being around. But you drive me crazy at the same time." He looked into her doe eyes and closed the gap between him. "So I need to know. Your song. Do you mean it?"

Yuu placed her small hand on top of his and her eyes pricked with tears, "I wrote that song to work out my feelings... for you."

Leona never felt more relieved. He gave Yuu a smug smile and caressed her cheek with his thumb, "I knew it."

He leaned down and claimed her lips. After waiting around patiently, listening to the chatter of his classmates, and getting radio silence for a day, he finally had her in his arms. She wanted him. No one else.

When they parted he placed his forehead on hers. He finally saw her smiling and she had a blush on her cheeks that boosted Leona's ego. "I'm guessing you liked the song?"

"What do you think?" Leona chuckled, "I was hoping to hear it in person..."

That made Yuu divert her gaze and turn around, facing her back to Leona. "I-I... I would love to but... n-not yet..."

He could smell how nervous she was. Ever the smooth prince, Leona wrapped his arms around her mid-section and nestled his head into the crook of her neck. "I'm a patient lion. I'll wait as long as you need me to, herbivore."

Leona walked her to the bed and plopped down with her in his arms. And for the first time today, Leona and Yuu were able to nap.

Leona knew it would take time for her to become comfortable enough to share her voice, and thankfully he was a very patient man. The two spent a lot of time together, and after seeing Leona's arm around Yuu's shoulders all the vultures flew away and Ruggie became very happy. Leona was a lot easier to find, and Spelldrive practices became bearable again! In his opinion, Leona and Yuu getting together made Ruggie a very happy Hyena.

Over time, Yuu began to show Leona some of her songs and hum them, but nothing more. Until one evening after Spelldrive practice, Leona was lying in bed using Yuu like a pillow while she mindlessly played with his hair. The moment was peaceful, and Yuu was mindlessly humming. Leona was about to drift to sleep when he got a pleasant surprise, Yuu began to sing, "While You Were Sleeping,"

Ruggie has an uneasy feeling in his gut all day. He was doing laundry when he heard some of his dormmates talking about Yuu's song, and his heart sunk. He knew Yuu had terrible stagefright, she told him this when directly when they were both doing chores the other day. He tried to call her and text her to see if she was alright but she left him unread. He listened to her song before bed the night before, and his gut began to twist.

He wanted to check on her, but she never showed up to class or clubs. What was worse was hearing the debates. Everyone was taking their bets and at times he would hear his name in the midst:

"It HAS to be Ruggie. They are always together! I saw them doing laundry like an old married couple the other day!" One of the Savannaclaw Underclassman pointed out. This made Ruggie start to blush and his stomach feel light.

Then, a scarbia student pointed out big wall in his way that has kept him from pursuing anything beyond a friendship with Yuu: "Why would she pick Ruggie when she has Kalim asking for her hand? Why choose a pauper when she could have a prince?"

That comment has been haunting him for weeks. Ever since he realized he liked Yuu as more than a friend. He had been able to brush off the feelings for a long time, but Yuu's song and the debate around it made him confront these feelings. He spent the day in a daze and out of it. He got his work done, but he nearly ran into a pillar twice that day and almost walked square into Jack.

During Club, it got dangerous as he nearly got hit in the head with a disk if not for Leona. Leona pulled Ruggie aside and called him out. He knew Ruggie has been crushing on Yuu, it was plane to see, but he also knew Ruggie's dilemma and was sick of it.

Leona dragged Ruggie into the locker room and threw him his duffle bag, "Go."

"What?" Ruggie thought he was being thrown off the team for a second.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Leona was incredibly annoyed and shook his head, "G. O. to HER." Ruggie just looked flabbergasted at his dorm leader. "B-but-" "If you give me that 'I'm too poor' bullshit again, I will knock your head in." Leona pinched his brow before grabbing his wallet and throwing a bundle of cash at his friend, "You work to the bone. You deserve to be happy. She makes you happy and she is happy with you. I can smell the attraction between the two of you and if I have to hear you whine about it or make dopey eyes at her one more hades-damned time. I will lock you two in a room and make you work it out." Leona sounded threatening, but Ruggie knew this was Leona's way of 'encouragement'. The lion-beastman walked past Ruggie and opened the locker room door before looking back at him. "If you are here by the time I get back and not taking Yuu out to a nice dinner. I swear you will be doing all of the teams laundry until you do." Then stormed out. Ruggie just sat there shocked before looking down at the cash in his lap. He could only smile. Leona may not show it often, but he does care. He decided to shower really quick before leaving for Ramshackle. On his way, he tried to think of what to say, and still even after stopping by Sam to get dinner, he had no idea by the time he got to her door. He hesitated to knock but just spoke what came to him in the moment. "Yuu. I know I'm not the... best choice. I don't have anything in the prospects of money or career besides Leona's runner, but... you've bewitched me and I don't want to get out from your spell..."

Everything was still, and Ruggies heart was teetering on the edge of breaking. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe the fleeting moments were just made up in his head. Maybe Leona was lying. Maybe she loved someone else...

He was about to walk away when he heard her move towards the door and twist the handle. As the door opened, he saw Yuu look at him with tear-stained eyes and a slightly agape mouth. "Do you mean it?" Yuu asked holding the door tightly, "You... feel the same?"

Ruggie nodded. His heart was beating out of his chest, his stomach was twisting in knots, but he pushed through those things and was able to give her a small smile, "I do. Every word." He scratched the back of his head and looked at himself then at her, "I know I don't have much, but I will work hard to give you the life you deserve." He looked her in the eyes and took a deep breath before professing his feelings, "I will work hard to be with you because you make me forget my situation for a moment. When we... when we walk together, do chores together, or even just hang out, I feel like a normal student for once instead of the hyena at the end of the food chain... So please," He reaches out and takes her hand in his, squeezing it gently and smiling sweetly, "please give me a chance?"

Yuu stared at him for a moment. She looked like she was about to cry again and Ruggie was readying an apology when she surprised him. She stepped forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Ruggie tensed for a second before melting into the kiss. He dropped the bag of food in his one hand and used it to gently hold the small of her back while the other still held her hand. She adjusted the position of her hand to lace her fingers with his and deepen the kiss.

They eventually parted and she was finally smiling. "Is that a good enough answer for you?" She asked with a coy grin.

Ruggie's signature smile returned to his face for the first time today. "Shishishi, I don't know, maybe I need to hear it one more time?~" This time he leaned in and kissed her deeply. She let go of the door and looped her arms around his shoulders this time.

It didn't last as long since Yuu's stomach interrupted the kiss.

Ruggie leaned back and chuckled again, "Someone hungry? Guess I made the right call." He crouched down, picked up the bag, and held it up, "Chicken sound good?"

Yuu nodded and giggled, "Sounds delicious!"

The rest of the evening, Ruggie felt like he was dreaming. Between a nice dinner, snuggling on the couch, and her falling asleep on him as they watched some TV, he didn't want to wake up.

Ruggie has never been happier. He and Yuu spent as much time as they could together between school, work, and chores. The gossip halted quickly as Ruggie made it clear the SHE chose HIM. Leona was also a smug ass for the week after and would throw smug comments at the two in the vain of "finally," and "You're welcome," that even though they annoyed Ruggie, he was grateful to his friend.

It took a while for Yuu to feel comfortable enough to show Ruggie her notebook, and it was even longer for her to start humming. Sometimes, when they are doing laundry, dishes, or some other chores alone together, Ruggie and Yuu would hum or softly sing together to pass the time. Until one night, after a particularly rough week, Ruggies was enjoying a rare night in with Yuu. They were snuggled together on Yuu's bed, just enjoying eachothers embrace. He was enjoying the peace, and Yuu's humming turned into singing, "Dandelions"

Jack was on edge all day. From the the gossip that surrounded him to his friend (who he has had a crush on since the octanvinelle situation) disappearing and ignoring all attempts at contact, Jack felt cornered all day. Anytime someone brought up Yuu's song or the bet going on, Jack's hair would stand on end and he would get tense. Epel, Ruggie, and Leona all knew Jack had a huge crush on Yuu for a while and the former two would ask him if he was alright and check in on him all day which only proceeded to annoy him. When Jack saw Grim, he had to contain himself from punching the cat. He betrayed Yuu's trust and privacy, he hurt Yuu, and Jack wanted to protect her but he had no clue how. Due to this energy and rage being pent up for most of the day, Jack was like a cornered canine all day. He snapped at his classmates, his friends, and what got him was snapping at VIL. Jack was jogging around the school and down the main street where the Film Club was shooting a scene. They were packing up for the day and Vil was talking to an Ignanhyde student about something or other. Jack was distracted trying to think about anything other than Yuu and ran into Vil accidentally. Due to Jack's size, he knocked Vil into the Fairest Queen Statue behind him. "JACK!" Vil called and dusted himself off with grace. Jack stopped and bowed, his ears flattening, "Vil, I-I am sorry." The Ignanhyde student was frozen in place and looked Jack up and down. Vil looked at the student and gestured for him to leave, which his clubmate appreciated. "I didn't see you there. I'm so sorry." Vil looked at his childhood friend and sharpened his gaze, "It's alright." He nods for the underclassman to follow him behind the statue. Once out of sight, Vil crossed his arms and asked, "What is going on? According to Epel, you have been on edge all day. It isn't like you to not keep an eye on your surroundings." Jack shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I'm fine." Vil stepped closer and tilted his head, "It's Yuu isn't it?" Jack's cheeks went red and he looked away. "No." Vil kept pushing Jack as he knew the freshman was lying. He knew he pushed the right button when he said, "You're in love with her aren't you?" "WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE IT!" Jack snapped at the upperclassman and immediately regretted it. Vil wasn't phased but had a stern look on his face, "Jack. Because you are a good friend of mine I am going to let that go. But listen to what I say and take it to heart." Vil's tone was sharp and the beastman listened intently, "Go find her and tell her how you feel before it is too late." His eyes softened and he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Yuu is a shy person and you obviously have very strong feelings for her and a desire to protect her. She is probably scared right now and needs someone to lean on. Go to her and do what you do best. Make her feel safe." Jack rubbed the back of his neck and felt small, "But what if... what if she doesn't feel the same?" Vil sighs and says, "You don't know she doesn't until you try." Jack nodded and released some of the tension in his body. "Thanks, Vil." The Pomefiore Dorm leader nodded and released the freshman in the direction of Ramshackle. Jack jogged over to the dilapidated building and was finally able to get inside. He stood in front of Yuu's door, took a deep breath, and let his heart speak. "Yuu... I'm here for you and always will be... I don't want you to feel any pressure, but I need to get this off my chest... I-I... ever since you saved everyone from Azul's contracts, you... I've been bewitched... by you."

Jack's tail never stopped wagging for the next few weeks. Anytime Yuu's scent was in the air or they were sitting together, his tail would give away his joy at having her near. The other first years did point this out (Ace), but he didn't care, and Yuu found it endearing. Vil smiled when he saw the two and Jack thanked him personally saying that he always knew they were meant for each other (Rook and Vil had known about the two's mutual feelings for a long time now, but it wasn't their place to tell).

Jack felt incredibly self-concise about his size, his hair, his smell... everything. He had no clue how to stand, where to put his hands, and his heart was beating out of his chest. He felt like he was standing there for hours and debated leaving when he heard footsteps on the other side. He looked up in time for Yuu to open the door. He looked directly in her beautiful doe eyes and saw a glint of hope.

She stood there silent for a moment, both of them searching for words. When words failed to come, Yuu hugged him. Her small frame fit snug against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and the back of her head. He held her with such gentleness as if he was scared to break her.

Jack needed no words to express his feelings, he expressed them in the way he held her close. His large hand cradled her head and stroked it with such love. His lips barely grazed the top of her head, but that is all that was needed. He loved her. He wanted to protect her. And no words could express how much he felt for her, and no words were needed. She knew how he felt.

"... I love you too Jack ..." Yuu said softly and it made Jack's heart jump again.

His tail began to wag and a smile graced his lips. His large hand moved to her cheek and gently guided her to look at him. He stroked her soft cheek with his calloused hand and leaned his forehead against hers, "I know I am not much for words but... I promise, I'll protect you, no matter what comes our way. And I will love you with all my being."

"I know," Yuu smiled, "and so will I,"

With that, the two leaned in and sealed their promise of devotion with a tender kiss.

Eventually, Yuu had gotten comfortable enough with Jack to work on her songs while he was in the room. It was a random Thursday night, Jack was working on homework and Yuu was working on her songs. She caught Jack by surprise when she asked him his opinion on a song. He put down his homework and agreed to listen. He curled up behind her and listened as she sang the song she had been working on the past couple of weeks, all while Jack's tail lightly wagged on the side of the bed; "Lovesick"

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yuyu1024 · 3 months

Text

Fate

Pairings: Yoongi × y/n

Genre/tags: Arranged marriage

Warning: 🔞🔞🔞 mention of blood/violence/drugs/trafficing, trauma, mention of killing, kidnapping, gun, mention of food/eating/weight, cursing, sensual touching, making out smoking, smut (but not this chapter)

~~~~[lmk if i miss anything]

Words: 5.2k

Disclaimer:

- this story is just made up

- english is not my first language, please be nice 😊

Note:

Part 1 - Prisoner

Part 2 - Escape

Part 3 - Twilight

Part 4 - Fate

A/N: again... im really sorry for being a slow writer/update for this mini series🙏🏻 i can't help it. 😭 I do get msgs asking for updates & i feel bad... so sorry 🥹 I try my best to have time to get into the story/characters whenever i have free time. I work full time and have a 2nd job too so it takes all my energy. I'm really... really sorry.😭

But yeaah, thank you for everyone liking my yoongi fanfic. 🖤🫶🏻 thank you for the patience😭

I hope this chapter is okay ♥️

****

(Prologue/Flashback)

"Sshh..." she covers your mouth for you to stay quiet and not make any noise. She reminds you constantly to keep it together or else they will find you. "Just a little bit more, Yoongi." She whispers. "Calm down..."

You try your best to do what she says because you want you guys to survive this. To escape. However you are a kid and you are terrified. And you can't stop yourself from shaking like a twig. Also you are rapidly breathing through your nose. Tears even start to fill your eyes as you look into her eyes.

"You'll be fine..." she says to you. "Noona, will protect you."

"I'm scared..." You whisper grabbing onto her long braided hair.

You two are a few inches apart. If she could only embrace you, she will. However there are metal bars between you two and she is.... injured.

"Me too." She wants to cry to as she must be as scared as you or maybe, more. But since she's the eldest between the two of you she have to be brave for you. "Just go to sleep... I promise... the moment you wake up...when the sun is shining after the storm tonight... we'll be safe... we'll already be at home..."

"P-promise?"

She tries her best to not break down because she knows that she's promising something that's very unrealistic in your situation right now. Both of you are held captives, kidnapped and waiting to be saved.

"I promise." She sniffs "Just hold onto this for now..." she meant her hair and then reaches her hand to you slowly even it's causing too much pain for her. "Go to sleep... Noona will be right here..." the tip of her fingers barely touched your cheek. "I will protect you..." she adds

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

[Present]

The silence between you two is very deafening. Even the staffs at the mansion notices how both of you are very distant to each other.

Odd right? They should be used to this situation since Yoongi is the silent type or the one who does not talk that much especially to you.

However for you, maybe this is out of character as every one is not used to you being like this. Well THIS silent anyway.

You usually talk and greet them or make small talks with them or Yoongi even if it's just a random question to make him just...talk. You do anything to make him speak to you. You make small efforts to chase his attention just to get him look back at you per say. Like a dog.

But now, since he made sure to leave you the moment you got vulnerable with him during sex and mentioned a feeling you have, which in the first place you had no idea you have, really hurt you this time. Big time. It is a rejection that you never thought would bother you this much.

"You two are awfully quiet." Mrs. Min says as soon as she puts down her cup of coffee on the table. "You two are both quiet originally... I know... but..." she looks at you and Yoongi back and forth twice. "Did you guys had a fight?"

No one answers.

"Guessing...silence means yes?" Mrs. Min looks at us again, hoping someone will speak up. "What did you do?" She asks Yoongi.

But he didn't open his mouth to speak. He just continued on chewing on his breakfast while his eyes are glued to you.

He has been eyeing you since the two of you left the mansion. He have been silently watching you move along, react and walk from your back. You don't notice it as you are trying to achieve to ignore him completely today. And so far, you are a gold medalist at it. You don't even bat an eye on him.

"Fine... not gonna ask anymore questions..." Mrs. Min gives up. "Anyways, after this lunch... I'll have a meeting with Hannah."

Yoongi flinches, finally reacting and gets interested to whatever his mother is saying. "What for?"

"About the private resort project that she is building... she wants my opinion about what brands to use for the decorations. She have a final lists of candidates of brands and she wants to know my say to it."

"Really...."

"Yes... and as soon as it opens... she says you two can go there... and celebrate... as her gift. Since she missed going to your wedding."

"Celebrate?" You finally spoke after how many years. Even Yoongi whip his head to look at you.

"Yes dear," Mrs. Min smiles so brightly and holds your hand. "You're 2nd anniversary... next month... right?"

"Ah, yes... right." You try to smile it away. But deep inside, you are not looking forward to it.

Why would you? Last year Yoongi didn't even greeted you Happy Anniversary. He probably didn't care back then so why would he care now and celebrate this year? This marriage is nothing to him.

"Is she coming here?" Yoongi asks his mother, changing back the subject to Hannah

"No... I am meeting her at her office."

You are holding on for dear life on your gold medal for 'Ignoring my husband award'. You are so curious to look at him. To see his beautiful face, how he reacts when they talk about her. Hannah. The girl you saw more than a year ago. The girl you saw on the driveway, talking to your husband while she hooked her arms on his'. The girl that Yoongi seems interested about. The girl he seems to.... like.

"How about you guys? What are your plans today after our brunch?" Mrs. Min asks

"Hmm.." he sighs heavily and then takes his phone from the table. "Probably fuck my wife " Yoongi answers nonchalantly making you and Mrs. Min almost choke on nothing. That sentence made you even look at him with wide eyes and red cheeks.

"Omo..." Mrs. Min is too stunned to even comprehend what she just heard. "Well... okay... too much information but..." she then takes a sip of her coffee. "You do you."

"I'm sorry..." you apologize to your mother-in-law.

You are embarassed. This topic should be a private matter. Everyone in the mansion already seem to have the idea what you two do on a regular basis but you do hope that outside, no one has to know.

It's not that you are embarassed of having a sex life. It's normal. Yes. But to have to talk about it to his parents, oh dear god, no.

"Why are you apologizing?" Yoongi's face looks so damn serious. "We are husband and wife right?"

You scowl at Him. You don't like how he acts or portrays like sex is just a hobby for him and it's nothing to be embarassed about. Especially in front of his mother while you are present. He really does not treat you like you have any feelings. He is evil.

"Okay... children...children... don't fight about this... it's okay. You already have issues before we got here so... it's fine." Mrs. Min tries to sooth the situation up.

She's so nice to try. Though she does not know the real reason why there is a huge distance between you two today. It's not that simple. You don't even know if she knows how his son treats you.

***

"Sir." Mr. Kim bows as both Yoongi and you arrives at the driveway, about to leave Mrs. Min's property.

"Get in." He orders you

You glare at him then roll your eyes away. You are in no mood now. You have scowled at him earlier already so why not do it more now that he is irritating you.

"Hold on..." he suddenly grabs you by the arm, stopping you from getting in the car. "Did you just fucking roll your eyes at me?" He scoffs

You try your best to pull your arms from his grip but he is stronger than you. "Let me go." You grunt

"What are you doing?" He asks, "You've been.... acting up lately..."

"I don't know...what you're talking about..." you finally freed yourself from his grip.

"Don't act innocent on me... I know you."

"Know me?" You snap. "How? We barely talked these past two years... You only look for me when you want something done and someone to fuck...besides that, I am nothing to you. So how the fuck will you know me?"

Finally! You've said something. However you can't lie to yourself how terrified you are right now. Your legs are shaking. You have never risen your voice like this before. Not with him. Plus Yoongi is so freaking silent. There was no reaction from him not like Mr. Kim who just coughed because of the sudden tension.

Is he in shock? He must be surprised to hear you speak out after all this time. He had never heard you talk like this before. You can't even read his expression. He is just looking down at you, straight on.

"Ahm... Sir... Miss... I'll leave you two... alone." Mr. Kim finally broke the awkward silence. "Just message me if... we're going home."

You glance at him and bow. Also giving an apologetic look since the situation got a bit serious.

And as soon as Mr. Kim is gone from our sight, Yoongi takes a step forward closer to you, making you back up and your behind bumping on the car. "Is that... what you think?"

You glare up at him. "Yes."

"You think... I don't know you?"

"Yes."

He chuckles. "I know you more than you know..."

You frown. "You only see me when you are horny... you don't even talk to me unless to I ask you... unless you tell me what to do and what not to do... so, how would you know anything about me...?"

He scrunches his face. He looks irritated "I see you more than you think." He mumbles. And then he took a step back and looks at you and watch you tremble,"Do you regret it?" He asks

"W-what? Regret what?"

"The sex... do you regret it?"

"W-what? What do you mean...?"

He then puts both his hands on the car, trapping you between. "Just answer the question... do you hate and regret the sex?"

You look away. "No...."

"Do you want us to stop fucking?"

You sigh heavily. "Why are you focusing on the sex?!?" Your brows are furrowed. You are really showing your frustration. "It's not about the sex, Yoongi! There is nothing wrong with the sex... what I just want is... I just..." you look back at his face and you see an empty expression from him. Does he not get what you are saying or is he ignoring the other parts of what you told him. That the only thing he thinks about is your sex life. "Never mind..." you lower your gaze. "It's not like my opinion matter..."

"Y/N..." Yoongi begins. You look back st him waiting for whatever he's about to say. You think he was about to response to you or maybe say what is on his mind as well. (Maybe.) However, both of you got suddenly distracted by the honk of a black sedan car entering the property.

You have seen that car before. It is familiar. And then when it stops and someone steps out of the car...

"Yoongi?" The woman that came out of the passenger seat, is Hannah. "What are you doing here?"

She is smiling ear to ear. Her smile is as bright as her tear drop pear earrings that is perfectly shown under her tucked bob hair. She's... so pretty.

"Oh... Hi..." she waves at you when she finally notices you

"Hi." You try to smile as brightly as you can.

"You must be Yoongi's beautiful wife." She is sweet. She looks like a friendly and easy going person. "I'm Hannah by the way... I'm Yoongi's friend since we're... toddlers..."

"Nice to meet you." You bow

"What are you doing here? Mother said..."

"Ah... yes... we we're supposed to meet at my office but I just came from another meeting and since we will pass by the house I decided to just meet her now..." she explains

"She must be in her room now.. preparing to meet you."

"Oh. I see... well, I guess I'll just surprise her." She grins. "Are you guys leaving?"

"Yeah... we just had brunch with her..."

Fuck. What is going on?

Just a second ago, you're having a serious confrontation with your husband. You guys are about to talk about the situation between you two. Yes, it may not be the ideal 'talk' but it is a start. But then, here you are. Hannah arrived and stole his full attention. Literally, she have all his eyes and ears. You suddenly became a shadow.

Then you are also hearing Yoongi converse. You are hearing how is he when he's not alone with you. You are hearing a side of him that you are not familiar with. 'Fuck Y/N, stop it.' You say yourself

Maybe, you just need to stop. Just stop complaining about his attention and him not liking you. Maybe he is not the problem. Maybe.. it's you? They forced him to marry and got stucked with you. YOU are the problem. You are NOT the person he wanted to marry. You just got selected just because.

You are the problem. As always. Like what everybody says to you.

"I'll just email you my thoughts after..." Hannah says

"Why not discuss it now?" Yoongi suggests

"Hmm...but you're about to leave..." she glances at you

"It's okay." Yoongi then pulls out his phone and messages someone. "I asked Mr. Kim to come... wait for him... I'll be quick." He says to you

You look at him for a second before you turn your back on him. "Sure." You sound lifeless. You sounded like you've given up already.

"Y-yoongi... you're going to make her wait?" She whispers to him but you care definitely hear it

"Let's make it quick. I don't want to work over the weekend."

He's more worried of working on the weekend but not making you stay and wait all alone.

They start to walk away. You could see their reflection through the windows of the car.

They left you alone.

He left you alone.

Then as you are standing there, waiting for Mr. Kim to come back, you slightly bend over your torso, holding onto the yourself as soon as you felt a little uncomfortable feeling on your lower abdomen. It's not painful but it is a bit of discomfort.

"Fuck..." you hiss under your breathe.

You should be careful now. Atleast until it's fully confirmed. Yes, you are pregnant. Well, that's what the PT told you a few days ago.

You took the test, in your bathroom, scared and shaking like a twig. You have never felt this terrified in your life. Ever. And the freaking 3mins of waiting felt like forever whilst you are in there, sitting on the floor.

But yeah, after the torture of waiting, the test did show two lines. It was a faint but it is positive. And during that moment, your world suddenly stopped spinning. You had to gather your thoughts and emotion within the span of 30mins that you have. (Because your maid will enter your bathroom to help you get ready after 30mins). That was one other toture you had to endure. And to add more spice on this never ending problem is that you were all ALONE. You had no one to hold hands or hug for moral support.

You are, all by yourself.

After testing, you did processed the result in your mind and managed to get back right to reality and decide by yourself to be... okay. To take it as another good day. Because this is not something bad. It is a miracle. It's a life.

Though, you can't lie. It was a whirlwind of emotion. And you don't know what to feel yet about it. You are not even sure if you are able to share it with anyone, even Yoongi since you still need to see a doctor to really confirm it.

Confirmation.

You fucking need that final 'yes you are pregnant'. Because your further decisions in life will revovle around that one thing. Decisions that might affect this marriage and basically affect your whole life. So, you really have to find a way to get a doctor's appointment in secret. For now...

"Miss?" Mr. Kim arrives and sees you slouching, "Is everything alright?"

You turn around, stands up straight and smile. "Yes..."

"Are you hurt?" He asks

"I'm fine... but I just think... my stomach feels heavy a bit from eating... I did ate quite a bit." You lie.

"Okay, let me bring you home quick so you could rest." He says

"Thank you."

****

[Yoongi's side]

Yoongi can't sleep. He got home earlier just an hour after Y/N got home. He asked the maids to call her, to have dinner with him, but unfortunately Y/N was already fast asleep.

He waited for her to wake up from what he thinks is just a quick nap. But whenever he asks the maid if she's up, they just shake their head and say sorry.

They fought. He thinks. It felt like they fought. It's his first time hearing her talk to him like that. She have been always timid and her patience with him is very long. However, she finally have had it.

How can you make your wife, who is clearly showing you that she's falling in love with you, start to hate you?

Well, Yoongi knows what he did and is doing to her. He is very controlling, cold and distant. And these are the traits that can't be part of your life especially of you are married. However, this is how he is. As a child no, but ever since the incident happen fifteen years ago, the trauma and the life he had to put through made him, This.

Outsiders might call him as the devil or the punisher of the Min Family because of all the work he is doing inside the office and outside. He is a fighter and his hands are always covered with blood. Though what he's doing is not a crime. The Min's business is not illegal. They control everything that they can do end everything that is illegal in the most legal way possible. If that makes sense.

They were just a business before. A typical rich family. But yeah, since what had happened to them years ago, they changed their rules and how they do it now.

And that's why Yoongi have this cold exterior. He needs to show to everyone who's watching him that he can't falter. That no one could try to even break him like how those monsters break his father. How those monster took them and made them hostages.

10 million. That's all it takes, for some uneducated humans do the most horrendous thing in this world. To hurt and kill an innocent child. A 16yrs old girl and a 14yr old boy.

Their parents were willing to give the money and even more, just for them to surrender their children. However, the fear in them when they know that the children saw their faces, made them decide to end it all.

Yuna, his older sister, sacrificed her life to save Yoongi. She is one brave young lady. She managed to push his brother just in time to fall on the edge, to roll down small hill and get away through the woods. She got shot and died on the spot. Yoongi saw everything but didn't had the time to grieve then and there because he had to survive yet. To run.

It took two more days before he was found. How he survived? No one knows. But since that day, the happy and cheerful little boy grew up and became the cold Yoongi everyone knows now.

He knows that what he have been through is not an excuse to treat his wife so coldy like this. She was only forced the marry him. She didn't even know him. Which is his fault as well because he didn't allow her to enter his bubble. Up to now...

However, through all the times that he have been with her little by little, as per his therapist's words, 'You are slowly breaking.' She said.

She said that before, whenever she asks him about his wife. He is usually nonchalant or indifferent. Like he's just talking about someone he randomly met. But then one day, the therapists said, she saw a glimpse of change in his eyes the moment she asks about his wife. His expression is the same but his eyes started to shift like he's thinking about it more before he speaks.

'You care. You just don't know how to show it' she said to him.

At first, When Yoongi heard that from his therapist, he got worried. Not because He is starting to have this feeling for his wife. No. His wife is never and will never be a bad thing that happened to his life. He is worried because, what if he breaks his cold exterious and somewhere out there in the world takes advantage of it and what happened years ago will happen again?

That is his only concern. That is why, he added more men. That's why Y/N can't leavr a house alone. That's why he always tracks her phone wherever she is. That's why he can't sleep without know if she is fine or not.

If only... he never had these issues, these traumas from the past, maybe... it's easier.

"Please... don't quit on me..." he says out loud as he closes his eyes, imagining the smiling face of his wife. "Don't... leave me..." he mutters

****

After what it seems like a very, very long day for you you're finally home. You are so tired that the first thing you did after getting changed is sleep. It feels like this is the longest you've slept in like forever.

You keep turning and waking up every now and then but your body kept forcing you to not wake up. It's like its telling you that you needed this. After all of the worrying you have been having these past few days. This sleep is for you.

But then maybe after hour five of sleeping, you felt something cold touch your skin. It didn't sting. It oddly felt good.

Slowly opening your eyes, you see a blurred figure in front of you. He's so close that you could actually smell his scent. The smell of baby powder.

"Yoongi?" You ask softly as your eyes slowly adjusted to the little light of your lamp shade. But no one answered back. You then rub your eyes to wake yourself up a bit more. Just to be surez you saw what you saw.

No one. There's no one there.

"Did I... just dream about him?" You ask, looking at the ceiling. "But I swear..." you trail off. "How funny... even in my dream... I see him..."

But you swear you smelled his scent. Your imagination of him is getting stronger. Your memory of him is getting move vivid. Even the smell now. That's how longing you are of him.

You miss him. Even though he is there you miss him. Oddly, you miss the time that both of you are just sitting down together in his home office and just reading. You miss casually asking him questions. You miss hearing him talk even though he's talking about his work and not to you. You miss him even though you just saw him earlier. Even though... he hurt you.

His scent. The scent you really, really like. His smell whenever you two have sex. It's not strong but it's there. Whenever you close your eyes and drift away from the high, you know you are okay as long as you could smell and hear him.

Fuck. Is this how being in love is?

Just thinking about him makes you want to cry. You are frustrated at him but at the same time frustrated to yourself as well. Why is communicating is so hard? You know that's the issue. Both of you are not good with talking nor expressing yourselves. Well, that's what Taehyun told you earlier.

Yeah, you went on a side trip earlier before going home, to meet your friend at his work. You needed someone to talk to and you know Taehyung is always there ready to listen to you.

You poured your heart out earlier, crying and all. You were sorry for disturbing him at work but you needed that cry and that hug. You had to told him your feelings about Yoongi. You have to say it out loud for you to truely understand the situation and yourself.

You needed someone's opinion to point out the obvious so it could stick in to your brain.

Growing up to a family where your opinion does not matter took a toll on you as well. Especially to an adoptive family. A family that only needed you for money.

To them, you always feel left out and does not deserve a voice. They always tell you that they only gave you a roof above your head and food to eat because you are what they needed. A piggy bank.

Your parents died in an accident years ago, when you are just 12yrs old. There was a police chase in the highway that rainy day. Every one is on high alert and giving way. But well, the criminals weren't exactly running away and trying to avoid cars. They hit quite a few vehicles during the chase and one of them was your parent's. The crash caused an explosion, killing them in an instant.

And like any drama stories on TV, yout aunt took you in because of your parent's insurance. They are not big but it is a decent amount. However, they could not actually touch it since it is saved for your education that's why the first month of you staying with them was torture. They beat you, make you work and starve you from time to time because they said, 'you don't deserve to eat unless you work for it'.

One reason why starving yourself was easy for you when you need to.

But then things changed a bit when someone knocked on the door one day and gave your adoptive parents a good amount of money. You remember the man saying 'this is for the trouble and lost we caused your family during our battle for saving our children.' You do remember you aunt, being a good actress that day, crying and all. You even saw them be in a good mood. Everyday because of that money. So since then, whenever you have a part time job or one good seasonal job, you save up and give it to them.

You do this not because you want them to be happy. You do this because you wanted peace for yourself. They will not hurt you if you give them what they need.

This is one reason too why you accepted this marriage. Even though, you know you will have trials too. But atleast you know, no one is going to hurt you physically anymore.

Though, you are having troubles now too.... it is still different. Like you said, it is the communication.

Is it all Yoongi's fault? No. Taehyung said that maybe, since I'm very submissive and him being very dominant, grew up giving orders or not listening to anyone because he is who he is, it affected the talking part in the relationship. Though he cannot say that it is a hundred percent fact. Because he explain, everyone have different stories of growing up and these affects every facet of their whole being when they get old.

Well, that's what you got from all his talk. Half of it, you are numb from all the crying and can't hear properly.

Though that talk with Taehyung,you needed that. Now all you have to do is talk to Yoongi.

If.... you have the courage too.

It is so hard to start a conversation not knowing how he feels about you. It is scary and a risk. But you are hoping it will turn out good especially now that you are expecting.

"Oh, right! The result!" You got up immediately and grab your phone.

You visited Taehyung in the hospital and he got to help you get a blood test to confirm. You forgot to talk to him about the result because you two are busy with doing friend therapy. He said, he'll just email you the result.

But then as you were scrolling scrolling through your emails your stomach growls. "I'm hungry..." you mumble and pause. "Taehyung said that if I am really pregnant... I need to eat properly now..."

And you haven't eaten dinner since you just slept since you came home. You need to eat.

Looking at the time it's pass 10pm already. Everyone must be asleep now or getting to bed so you must go and make yourself food yourself.

"Just one toast." You say as you push your blanket away. "Or two..."

You walk along the hallways as quietly as you can and then take the stairs instead of the elevator, going to the upper ground, so you could not disturb anyone.

There is still minimal light coming from the kitchen area. 'Maybe someone is still there?' You thought to yourself and hoping it is one of the maids so they could help you grab the things in the pantry. Since you don't really know how they organize it.

But then the second you turn to the corner, to enter the doorway

"Ah!" You hit your head first at something. Or at someone

Then after collecting yourself from bumping on someone, you look up to see who it was. "Sorry, I wasn't looking at--"

Fuck! It's not Yoongi nor anyone of the staff.

You tried to run back and scream but it was too late. He was quick to cover your mouth with a cloth. A scented cloth. The smell quickly pierced your nostrils and immediately made you feel dizzy and sleepy.

You are barely awake but you know he carried you over his shoulder. You could see the floor and the lights slowly to flicker. You are about to loose it.

'Help... Someone.... Yoongi... please...' You say to yourself before totally loosing consciousness.

-----

Taglist based on the replies last post 🖤

@gaby-93 @goodbyetwenty @baechugff

@amyz78 @qeen123 @armystay89 @bangtannie7 @daisies-and-dandelionpuffs @corruptedmistress @ot72025 @cheezwiz

@xkh0 @eli-deville

#yuyu1024 #bts min yoongi #bts yoongi #min yoongi #yoongi fanfic #yoongi smut #yoongi x reader #yoongi angst #yoongi fluff #mafia yoongi #bts fanfiction #bts imagines #bts x fem!reader #bts x y/n #bts x reader #kpop fanfic #kpop au #mafia au

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multifandomgirl08 · 10 months

Text

Prologue [Mini Verstappen Series]

Max Verstappen x Daniel Ricciardo (Platonic)

Summary: Max finds out that he had a son. And it changes his world.

Warning(s): Mention of adoption, Jos Verstappen

A/N: This is set before the first part of Mini Verstappen.

Words: 1.1k

→ Next Part Mini Verstappen Masterlist

Max’s life had been completely turned upside down. It had only been an hour since he had gotten the news.

He was a father.

Daniel had been over at his apartment when his agent had called him and told him that a woman had dropped off a baby with a note for Max Verstappen. Max didn’t want to believe it, he couldn’t be a father at the age of 22. That wasn't possible. His ex had ended the relationship, and while he hadn't been in love, he had cared for her. He never thought that she ended it because she was pregnant.

"Maxy, you okay?" Daniel asked as he dropped his phone on the couch.

"No." He said staring off into the distance, his eyes unfocused in front of him.

"What did Raymond call you about?"

"I... I..." He tried to get out. "I have... a son."

Max looked right at Daniel. He saw his eyes go wide in disbelief. It's nice to know that his former teammate felt the same way about his news.

“What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” Max answered honestly. “But I’m sure my father will have some ideas.”

Max wasn’t sure he would enjoy hearing those ideas.

"We go through all of the channels. Have people sign NDAs, get a DNA test, make sure the media never finds out, and then put the child up for adoption." He heard his father say.

As Max was sitting on the sofa in Raymond's office looking at the child, all he could think was how much he looked like him. The chubby cheeks, blue eyes, their hair color was almost the same given how little the baby had.

"That's not your decision to make," Raymond said. This was one of the few times he was glad his manager said something to his father.

He rocked the baby in his arms as he slept.

"Tell him you want to give the baby up," Jos told him. Max looked up from the bundle of blankets. "You give him up, and the problem goes away."

"He's not a problem, he's a baby." Max heard Daniel say.

As Max watched on, his father seemed like he already had this all planned out in his head. Like he knew that this would happen.

Max didn't want to let go of him, his son.

"I'm not giving him up," Max said.

Raymond's shoulders deflated at his words. Yes, having a child would cause problems, but it would cause more problems if people found out he had a child by someone he used to date and then didn't acknowledge them.

"You don't even know if he's yours." His father spewed quickly switching to Dutch so no one else would understand.

"He looks like me. Who else's child could he be?" He rhetorically asked.

"After everything that I did to prevent this..." He heard his father mutter under his breath. He knew?

"Prevent this? Are you telling me that you knew about this and didn't want me to find out that I would be a father?" Max was quick to hand the bundle of blankets over to Daniel before getting into his father's face.

"It would fuck up your career. You winning a championship is the most important thing right now." There was a high pitch wailing from the baby.

Max wanted to yell at him. Winning a championship could wait. Who knew what was going to happen this coming season with the car? It could be horrible once the season starts. But the child that Daniel was holding couldn't wait. It was going to depend on him every day.

"Tell me you didn't know about this. That you didn't do something so that I wouldn't find out about him." All Max was hoping for was his father's honesty. Not that he got it before, but just this once he wanted his father to treat him like a human being.

"I gave her money so that she would go away. She was a distraction." His father was an asshole, this just confirmed it. "I didn't think she would want to have the baby."

"Get out," Max said as calmly as he could. "Leave, and don't come back."

"Max." His father started to say.

"I want you to leave me with my son and never show your face at another race ever again." He looked him dead in the eyes so his father knew that he was serious. Jos Verstappen was dead to him.

Max couldn't deal with him. He shook his head watching as his father left them alone. His father had tried to pay off his ex because she was pregnant. What was wrong with him?

Max walked closer to Daniel seeing him cradle the baby. Shit. He was a father. He lightly reached over and stroked the baby's cheek.

"I guess your father's plan is not how you want to deal with this?" His manager asked.

"No, but we do need to call Christian and Helmut and tell them. This was a surprise to me, imagine how it will be for them." He hoped he didn’t lose his Red Bull seat over this.

"You don't have to do it today Max," Daniel said. "Worry about it tomorrow, just spend the day with your son."

Daniel was a great friend to Max, more than he deserves at times.

"Okay, we can call them tomorrow." He said. Max moved back to the sofa before Daniel put the baby back in his arms.

"Does he have a name?" Daniel asked.

Raymond was quick to reach for a small stack of papers and then held up what he assumed was the birth certificate.

"It says Nico, Nico Verstappen."

Even though his ex had given Nico up, Max was grateful that she had chosen a good name for his son.

“Nico,” Max muttered to himself as Nico’s fussing seemed to dissipate.

“There are two letters that were left for you with him. One addressed to you and another to Nico.” His ex wrote him a letter? Probably explaining her choices, but the one for Nico he would leave. That wasn’t meant for him.

As Max’s eyes met Nico’s, he finally understood why his mother did the things that she did when he was growing up. Max wanted to do right by Nico and that meant giving him a life with a parent who loved him with everything that he had.

“How do you want to deal with your father?” Raymond asked.

“I don’t care, blacklist him from everything if you have to.” His father didn’t deserve to be in his life. Jos gave no consideration to how he would feel about being a father. So he would give him just the same.

From now on he was going to worry about his son.

taglist: @karmabyfernando, @barcagirly, @sachaa-ff, @iamahallucinationnn

#max verstappen imagine #max verstappen x reader #mini verstappen series #mv1 imagine #mv33 imagine #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula one imagine

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ao3cassandraic · 10 months

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What does Aziraphale know and when does he know it? Part 4: The Aftermath

Prologue, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, for those who need them.

After Crowley strides out, Aziraphale has a lot going on in his head still, and it shows on his poor devastated angry (he is angry, just a bit) face.

Then the Metatron comes back in, and Zira has to turn sharply away to pull himself back into some kind of kayfabe. "How did he take it?" the Metatron asks cheerfully, despite already knowing because he was watching. Jehoshaphat, y'all, I thought s1!Gabriel was punchable -- I want to drop the Metatron into Earth-core magma like Gollum at this point!

Aziraphale's heroic efforts at kayfabe are pretty successful, on the whole, but it hurts to see him stiff as a board, arms at his sides, letting the Metatron (argh, so punchable) insult Crowley and laughing nervously. Then the Metatron starts forcing him out the door again with "Right, ready to start?" The presumptuous wretch doesn't even wait for a yes -- just assumes it!

Aziraphale, however, knows he never said yes, so he tries playing for -- anything, really, more information or some kind of choice (arc word! arc! word!) or anything at all. No dice; the Metatron highhandedly gives his bookshop (his. BOOK. SHOP.) to Muriel. Aziraphale now knows why the Metatron wanted Muriel to stay behind on Earth, and he also knows that the Metatron will stop at nothing and trample anyone to get what he wants. Not comforting knowledge, that.

And Aziraphale, having essentially no more choice (I repeat: arc word!), but still horribly torn because he never got to make a decision about the job offer, still doesn't have a Metatron-thwarting plan, and wants Crowley with all his mind and heart, blurts "I think I --" Then he drops back into kayfabe, following the extremely punchable Metatron out the door.

Crowley's still there, standing by the Bentley. All our hearts shatter. But the extremely punchable Metatron (have I mentioned that he is extremely punchable?) keeps Aziraphale moving along by dropping hints at answers to his continuing questions: whatever the Metatron's up to, it's something to do with the Great Plan.

Aziraphale asks. And now that he's firmly in the Metatron's clutches, the Metatron answers: it's the Second Coming.

Watch Aziraphale drop kayfabe (fortunately, the Metatron isn't looking at him) for a look of helpless dismay. A.Z. "entire collection of Bibles, wicked and otherwise" Fell knows what that means! Watch him re-establish kayfabe when the Metatron looks at him from the elevator. Watch him turn back toward Crowley to tell him (unnecessary -- Crowley knows from his visit Upstairs -- but Aziraphale doesn't know Crowley knows), then decide (with another of those pulling-himself-together deep breaths) that he must instead play along. Watch him kayfabe-smile at the Metatron and enter the elevator.

And watch kayfabe warring with devastation and guardianly determination in Aziraphale's face over the credits. My read -- you may have a different one -- is that determination wins, and the eventual smile is an "okay, now I have a plan" smile.

Watch out, Metatron. Aziraphale's gonna wreck you and I'm gonna enjoy it.

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

This interpretation of the Final Fifteen Minutes is parsimonious. It works with what's there onscreen, not assuming much beyond that -- the only Caveat About Offscreen Shenanigans I left in was to note that we don't necessarily see the entire chinwag. Exactly zero of the twistier, more elaborate fan theories, you may have noticed, made it into this meta -- heck, we don't even have to assume we didn't see the entire chinwag! We might have! What we did see was enough to lead to these outcomes!

The Gaiman-Pratchett-Finnemore brain trust likes jigsaw-puzzle plots where everything has its place and little or nothing is wasted. That's a big reason I think a parsimonious interpretation is likely to be close to a true interpretation. It's all there; why get wild if there's no need to?

This also aligns with what Michael Sheen has said (do please read this not-mine meta, it's lovely) about angels and goodness and making choices. I, too, want Aziraphale to have made the hard, hurting, noble choice at last, even if he was partly railroaded into it.

(Anyone who doesn't care for fan theories should stop reading now, with my effusive gratitude for making it this far.)

That said, the explosion of fan theories about the Final Fifteen Minutes also demonstrates that this interpretation is narratively accommodating. It doesn't have to assume poisoned or drugged coffee, but it doesn't preclude that. It doesn't require a body swap, but it allows it -- all that really has to change is the estimation of who's doing how much kayfabe when. It doesn't need some massive season-spanning conspiracy arc, but if there is one, it can make that work.

Neil knows fandom, none better. He knows we love our meta and our theories. So I have no trouble believing he wrote us a narratively accommodating finale so we could get our book-length Tumblr posts on. Appreciate it, and you, Neil.

#gos2spoilers #gos2 spoilers #good omens season 2 spoilers #the fucking metatron #the final fifteen minutes #good omens meta #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #the EXTREMELY PUNCHABLE metatron #seriously is there a bafta for playing the most punchable character #because I want to give it to Derek Jacobi

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trinitvii-r · 2 months

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VP Squared - First Class Impressions

prologue | part i

(ffvii x reader

Genesis should’ve known anyone who got on well with Rufus Shinra would be a load of trouble. Sephiroth thinks it’s a funny turn of events that his friend is the one experiencing stress, rather than causing it.

Angeal’s just happy to be there, really.)

“Dibs,” is the first thing out of Genesis’ mouth as he walks into the conference room.

You know he was referring to you, but you don’t even spare him a glance before returning to your conversation with Rufus… to make it clear to everyone in the room that your VP is and will remain your main priority.

Behind the silly little red-coat-wearing-in-the-middle-of-damn-July man, Angeal looks rightfully embarrassed and is trying to drag the man away. Sephiroth chooses to ignore them both, and makes for his usual seat.

Undeterred, Genesis walks closer to you and stretches out his arm, pointer finger raised straight at you. “Dibs,” he repeats.

You and Rufus share a look for no longer than a second, and your VP immediately understands. He has an amused look on his face as he says, “Go ahead.”

You no longer mask the annoyance you feel as you spit out the words, “Piss off.”

Genesis squeaks out, “I— beg your pardon?!”

You turn away from him, and focus your attention to Rufus once more.

The blonde flicks you on the nose, and laughs at the pinched expression you make. “I would’ve thought you’d say the more colorful word.” Translation: I was hoping you’d say the more colorful word.

You fiddle with your cup of coffee, making a point to keep Genesis hanging, knowing damn well he’s still hovering. “I thought it may offend his delicate sensibilities.” Translation: You know what I mean.

Rufus snorts. As you drink your coffee, Rufus looks up at Genesis, and explains, “They just called you a little bitch.”

You may not have SOLDIER senses, but you swear you hear Sephiroth choke on his spit.

With a mild tone, you reprimand Rufus. “I said I think he’s a wuss.”

“Creative license.”

In unison, the two of you couldn’t resist to snicker. A sight that oddly further aggravates Genesis.

The Commander bites, “That’s it! Newbie, I’m gonna have a lot of fun breaking you in.”

Excuse me?

As you rake your eyes over Genesis’s form, you hear a voice somewhere else in the room ask, “Should I call Human Resources?”

Genesis looks half-murderous, and half-flirtatious as he smirks down at you.

You give him a cheshire grin and say, “Do your worst, Carrot-top.”

Sephiroth absolutely loses it.

Or at least by Sephiroth standards. The man is chuckling, and you could see his shoulders shake as he tries to rein in his mirth.

You pop him a finger gun à la Reno, and cheekily say, “Excited to work with you, General.”

Both Genesis and Angeal drop their mouths open in shock when Sephiroth gives a lazy mock salute, and says, “The feeling is mutual, rookie.”

You turn to Angeal, and give him a wink. “Same goes for you, Commander Hewley.”

A flustered Angeal murmurs, “Thanks. I’ll do my best.”

Genesis should have known you’d have no nice sentiments to spare for him. And he’s proven right when all he gets is a lousy, “You can drop dead for all I care, Red.”

Sephiroth excuses himself, and you could vaguely hear a deep laughter resounding in the hallway.

This is the scene President Shinra walks into, and he looks completely defeated. A triumphant grin forms on Rufus’ face.

All your posturing from earlier morning seems to have faded away, and now Genesis finds himself the sole subject of your attention. He gulps as you stare up at him with wide eyes, an almost enamored expression just for him… or at least his fireballs.

“That was so sick.”

Turning his nose up at you, and in a pathetic effort to hide the red dusting his cheeks, he answers, “What a crude way to address my talent.”

He’s surprised when you don’t respond with some quip. Instead, you whine, “C’mon, man. I’ve never even said that about Rufus with his guns.”

Filing away that tidbit about the Shinra brat, Genesis couldn’t help the giddiness he feels at your words. Not the words he would have preferred, but the sentiment certainly was there. Close enough. If throwing fireballs at dummies was what earned him your respect and admiration, then that’s what he’d do.

A part of him is terrified at his outright sense of urgency to impress you. He brushes the thought away when you grab onto his coat sleeve, and beg, “Please teach me, dude.”

Again, not his choice of words, but for now, dude will have to do.

“Rhapsodos, move! You’re blocking the view.”

The mood is instantly killed by the Shinra brat.

It starts off like this.

News gets passed around that you were assigned the Rufus babysitting gig.

Hand in hand with that, news gets passed around that you somehow made it into the SOLDIER program.

Along with that, the fact you threatened Heidegger with a knife. (A velocity edit of the security feed of the moment is the top retweeted and liked tweet of the day. A bubbly filter AMV of Rufus lowering your knife for you is second.)

It only gets weirder from there.

Sephiroth’s, Angeal’s, and Genesis’s fanclubs have wildly varying takes on what happened in the meeting. Ranging from funny — You apparently had some top secret Turks-esque information that Genesis’ beautiful auburn hair was actually dyed from a bright orange that he had always been self-conscious of, and that you had called him by a mean nickname (Carrot-top) that kids in his village used to bully him with, and ended with Genesis bursting into tears. — to oddly conspiratorial — You were investigating reactors with the Turks when you fell into a vat of pure mako, and that President Shinra had decided to officially make you SOLDIER as a coverup for the fuck-up. You apparently became so powerful that you were named Sephiroth’s Lieutenant General, and that had made Genesis cry.

Genesis being reduced to tears seems to be the thread holding all these rumors together.

By lunchtime, everyone and their mother had their own theories on The Situation.

Which was why Cadet Cloud Strife had to do a double take when he saw you following after Genesis Rhapsodos, followed by Rufus Shinra following after you, and Sephiroth following after Rufus Shinra.

What.

Cloud nearly dropped his soup in surprise.

As you passed, he could barely make out the words, “again” and “just one more.”

And if Cloud knew anything about the Shinra rumor mill, it’s that they would take those words and lewdly misinterpret them. He could already hear Janice from Accounting typing loudly on her phone. Great. He wouldn’t need to open his inbox to know he’d see yet another wildly smutty Genesis fan fiction disguised as a newsletter.

Screw Zack for signing him up for those fanclubs.

Even before you leave the canteen, the winning theory is that you and Genesis enter into a whirlwind romance burning hot like the fireballs he flings onto unsuspecting targets, but alas you are a free spirit who refuses to be tied down. This theory also ends with Genesis in tears.

Cloud notes with a hint of amusement that the sight of you stacking up your and Rufus’s plates and neatly disposing of the trash is the most babysitter-like thing you’ve done all day. You even clean up for Sephiroth who reacts with a slack jaw and the most bewildered expression, and Genesis who stares at you as though you’ve just told him the secrets of the universe. The redhead could almost be described as swooning when he thanks you profusely.

You simply look at the man as if he had grown two heads. After a beat, you smirk. “Alright, hot stuff. Take it easy for the rest of the day, yeah?” You nod subtly at Rufus, who takes it as his cue to stand up, and says his farewells to the other two.

As the two of you make your way out the canteen, this bit of conversation once again throws everyone into a frenzy:

“Still think he’s a wuss?”

“Yeah, but not when he’s swinging that thing around.”

That thing in question was fireballs, but the rest of Shinra didn’t know that.

Definitely not it.

Anything but that.

When Lazard the Bastard told you you’d have to pay your dues as the newest SOLDIER, you did not expect it to be that.

“Well, what did you expect? The rest of them were cadets first. I can’t just hand everything to you.”

You tried the Rufus excuse, but Lazard brushes off your concerns. “I can assign a First on him for a couple hours.”

Like he heard you, Rufus looks up from his phone, and gives you a nod and a smile.

Gods. Right when you wanted Rufus to be a brat and demand his way, suddenly now he’s all goody.

With a scowl, you tell Lazard, “Let’s get this over with.”

Blood everywhere.

Gross.

Oh, and Angeal’s here too.

Nice.

“What’s up?”

Angeal had to admit. For someone who’s elbows deep into cleaning bloody blades, you sure had a draw to you as you hum some kind of melody. He wordlessly sits next to you, and wipes down the first weapon he could get his hands on.

A half hour later, he gets the feeling that you’ve got quite the mouth on you. Though, he’s seen you behave more casually with the other Turks plenty of times, and sometimes with Rufus himself, it’s a bit jarring to be on the receiving end of it.

“—Not gonna lie — but don’t you dare tell anyone else — if Rufus didn’t have those photos on him, and he had to get an actual SOLDIER babysitter, I would have preferred you.”

‘Wait. What.’ Clearly, Angeal was a bit distracted by how efficiently you can clean blood that he had neglected to hear some damning information on how you may have gotten this new gig. Oh well. He can try chatting with you another time. Besides, your new position would only make you more accessible to him.

Heaving a sigh, and resting your bloody knuckles on your hips, you give Angeal a grin. “Wanna hide these rags under Genesis’ bed?”

As if you even need to ask.

When Rufus drags you by the back of your collar like a cat out of Genesis’ private quarters, he can already tell this scene is only going to cause more chaos.

A wide grin fights its way to his face.

He had made the right call for his personal SOLDIER.

#final fantasy x reader #final fantasy vii #sephiroth x reader #genesis rhapsodos x reader #angeal hewley x reader #rufus shinra x reader #we are working our way thru the characters babes #as a sapphic i am distraught that i am still not able to write the women in just yet

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marauders-peace · 9 months

Text

Unveiling Loyalties

Summary: As you spend more time with your new friends, you slowly realize how toxic your ex-best friend was. And now when you are fake-dating her ex the past years of 'friendship' begin to haunt you...

Pairing: Sirius black x hufflepuff!reader

Warnings: past toxic friendship, past toxic relationship (not with the reader), insecurities, self conscious, fake dating

Thanks for all the love <333 Wc:+4800

Masterlist

Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

I rushed down the halls trying to ignore the stares, but failing miserably. I was getting overwhelmed by the attention. How did I shut it all down? How did I ignore seraphs deathstare?

Her words were clouding my mind. I felt guilty towards Sirius because I left him alone in the library, but I was just so scared. I was scared that this fake relationship will fuck me up. That it's all just a game. Because for me it's so much more.

"He's just passing the time with you."

Every minute I spend with Sirius I want to make it 2 more. But I don't know if he feels the same. The fear that I am pretending more into his actions is following me.

"You're so naive, whisky. You just think to much about it." the little girl felt embarrassed as her best friend told her the hurtful truth. "But don't worry. I will help you fit in."

And I did fit in. I went with her to the meetings with her slytherin friends and didn't stand out. I kept quiet and just did what she wanted. But I neber felt like an equal. I was just decoration to make them look better. But that wasn't important right now.

It was late afternoon, so there were still many people outside. However, I went to our dorm to avoid them. I ran up the stairs to our room and finally stood in front of the door. I sighed and wanted to go in, but then I heard it.

Crying.

Carefully, I pushed down the handle and entered. The crying stopped. "Who's there?" Lydia's voice trembled.

"It's me," I whispered and walked slowly towards her. She looked surprised and turned away. "Did something happen? Why aren't you with Sirius?"

"We finished earlier," I said and sat down next to her on the bed. "That's not important now. What's wrong?"

She still looked into the distance. "Nothing," she said. Her eyes were red and swollen. Yes, that definitely didn't look like nothing. We were silent for a while, and I didn't know what to say.

"Where is Maya?" I finally asked to lighten the mood. But it seemed to have the opposite effect as she hunched even more.

At first, she didn't say anything, but eventually, she answered, "She's on a date."

"Oh." I was confused. Why hadn't Maya said anything about it? "She didn't say anything about it."

Lydia snorted and looked at me with a sad smile. "No, she probably wanted to keep it a secret. I saw her with Luke today; he's from Ravenclaw, and we're good friends. But apparently, I didn't know how good of friends they were because I saw them together in Hogsmeade today."

Her voice was trembling again, and I slowly took her into my arms. "Maybe you misunderstood something?" I tried to help her.

"Yeah, maybe…" she mumbled into my shoulder and hugged me back slowly. She was shaking and i heard a small muffled sob.

"Do you like him?" I asked her. Somehow, she reminded me of myself when Seraph started dating Sirius. The devastation after you realize that you will never have a chance. I'll probably never forget that feeling.

She was quiet for a moment. Then she gently pulled away from my shoulder and looked into my eyes. Her red swollen eyes were trying hard to not let another tear escape, but that seemed impossible. She seemed to struggle to maintain her composure. Then she took a deep breath. "I like Maya."

"Oh, Lydia…" She looked into my eyes, and I could see new tears forming. Then she cried, not holding back. She buried her head in my shoulder again and sobbed while I stroked her back.

"For how long?" I asked her gently, and she sobbed again. "Since the third year." she whispered. "And she's been going on dates with other guys. It's just hopeless." Another sob escaped from her.

"Have you talked to her about it?" I asked her, and she laughed briefly without joy.

"About what? Hi, I'm actually completely in love with you, and I hope you like me too, even though I know you actually like boys!" she snorted, and I felt her cry even harder.

"I'm just so afraid that she doesn't love me as I love her. I don't even know why I am bothering you with it, we don't know each other that well... " she whispered to me, and I felt the words deep in my bones.

"I'm here for you, okay? I'll listen to you." I whispered to her. It felt wrong to give her advice when I couldn't really understand her situation. I wanted to show her that she could talk to me, that was the best thing I could do. "We are friends, right?"

"From today on, we're all friends, okay??"

I felt a little smile from her, but it quickly faltered from another sob.

"I know I should get over it, but I can't. I can't forget her; I can't even be mad at her. It's not even her fault!" another sob. "That's the curse of Hufflepuffs. We stay even when the other person is long gone."

Eventually, she fell asleep from exhaustion. I had put her in bed, covered her up, and left some water beside her so that she had something to drink when she woke up since she had lost so much water.

I thought about her words for a long time. She couldn't let go of her feelings for Maya because she was trapped in a complex sense of loyalty to her. I felt guilty. How could I not have noticed her suffering all these years?

She must have cried alone here many times before. How did I never notice that?

Because I was with Seraph. I was always out with her or doing things for her in the library. Was it really always like that? Was I really so blind?

Lydia probably hadn't gotten used to the fact that I would be spending more time here now. Or she had expected me to spend more time with Sirius.

Slowly, the door opened, and a tired Maya looked at me. She was holding something, but as she saw me, she quickly hid her it behind her back. "Oh, hi (y/n)!" she said, almost nervously.

She looked behind me, and when she didn't see anyone, she looked at me with tension. "Is Lydia still awake?"

I shook my head and looked at her questioningly. "Why?"

She first looked at me assessingly. Then she sighed and stopped hiding what was in her hands. It was a small yellow teddy bear.

"I was looking for a birthday present for her and bought it today. I don't want her to find out, that's why I didn't tell you, sorry." She carefully passed by me and hid the bear in a box under her bed.

"That's why you were in Hogsmeade today with Luke?" I asked and immediately regretted it. Lydia had confided in me about the situation under distress, I shouldn't tell Maya anything about it.

Maya looked at me questioningly. "How do you know that?"

"I… saw you guys going." I finally said and hoped my lie would come off convincingly.

It didn't.

"Okay… But yes, that's why I went with Luke. We searched also for a present for his brother Luis. He got heartbroken and even though he is stubborn to say that he is happy for her, he is really suffering. But Luke also wanted to help me pick out the gift since Lydia had apparently told him what she wished for."

Maya tiptoed over to Lydia's bed and looked at her for a while. "Why didn't you just tell me?" she whispered so softly that I could hardly hear it. She looked at Lydia for a long time. She wiped a little hair strand out of Lydia's face. She seemed almost... Debilitated.

As she turned to me, she quickly hid that impression behind a mask and smiled. "Let's look together tomorrow at what you want to give her. Let's sleep now before we wake the dorm up even more."

And I went to bed feeling very confused.

I woke up very early from loimpresud noise coming from outside. I looked out the window and saw brooms flying and balls swirling around. The training for the game must have already started. Today, classes were canceled to fully enjoy the match.

"Do you see him from here?"

Lydia was sitting awake on her bed. The cup I had placed here was empty. Maya was fast asleep.

"No?" I knew she was talking about Sirius, but I didn't understand why she was asking me.

She gave me a crooked smile. She would have giggled softly, but she still seemed exhausted. "Then you'll have to go out."

"What? Why?" I was confused.

"You like him. He likes you. So go out and cheer for him so he can play for you!" she said and stood up. She went to the mirror and combed her hair.

"I don't know if…"

She still looked at me with a smile. "What don't you know?"

"I don't know if he wants to see me now." I confessed finally, and she looked at me puzzled.

"Did you guys fight?" "No…" "Then why wouldn't he want to see you? You're together, aren't you?" Now she looked at me with concern.

I looked away and didn't know what to say. Somehow I was ashamed of worrying. I was ashamed of even ending up in this situation. I hadn't even wanted to make Seraph mad, but I couldn't resist Sirius's smile.

I was ashamed of my feelings.

"You're scared. What are you scared of?" Lydia's voice was soft.

I stayed silent and looked at the flowers on my table. Their shine was much fainter than yesterday morning. Was that just my imagination?

"You know… you don't have to tell me anything if you feel uncomfortable. I just want to say that you can talk to me as well as I talked to you yesterday."

She got up and sat down next to me on the bed. Maya was still sleeping. "I trust you. I would also hope that you trust me. Of course, I can't force that, it takes time. But I hope you know that I value you and would never exploit anything you say here. You're my friend, little mouse. I'm not Seraph."

She smiled encouragingly at me now.

"She wasn't on a date." I whispered back. I somehow felt guilty and wanted to help both of them. I didn't want to see miscommunication between them.

Lydia's shoulders relaxed, and it seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off them. But then she shook her head.

"That's not important right now. It's about you, not me. How do you feel?"

Inside me, a little girl cried as her best friend told her she had no chance with her crush. The little girl believed her. Still believes her.

"I'm unsure. I'm afraid of getting false hopes. That everything I'm doing right now is a mistake and she's right."

"He's just passing the time with you." The little girl burst into tears again because of the words of her former best friend.

Lydia looked at me with concern and put a hand on my shoulder. "What false hopes? He's with you." she whispered to me encouragingly, and tears welled up.

Her eyes widened as she saw the tears. "What's wrong?"

"It's not like that…" I tried to calm myself down, as it was pathetic how much of a fuss I was making.

But Lydia just gently stroked my back.

"We're not really together." I finally confessed, and then the tears flowed. All the emotions I kept with myself seemed to flow out of me.

"What? What do you mean?" Lydia was confused, looking at me as if I had said the Earth was square.

"He wanted to pretend to be with me to make Seraph angry. And to divert attention from my hair and the prank." I paused between the statements to catch my breath.

Lydia stayed silent for a moment. Then she hugged me.

We sat there for a while, and eventually she broke the silence. "Go to him. Because I believe he really likes you. He hasn't looked at Seraph or given her any attention in ages. I don't think it's about her anymore."

I looked at her skeptically, and she smiled at me. "Plus, you didn't see how he looked at you yesterday. That can't all be fake. Unless he is a proffer actor."

I let go of her and gave her an uncertain smile. "He's also nice and understanding towards me, I just don't think he likes me that way…"

"If you don't hurry up, the practice will be over! Come on, go to him. How would you know if you don't even try?" we stared at each other for a while.

Finally, I stood up and prepared to go out. Lydia looked at me questioningly before I left.

"Can I explain this to Maya? Otherwise, we won't tell anyone, I promise!" she said, and I smiled. I nodded, and as I walked out, a warmth spread within me. I wasn't alone. I could entrust my feelings to them.

I trusted them.

I walked through the corridors of the castle and felt tons lighter. It felt good to be able to tell friends how I felt. Seraph had never cared about that.

The corridors were empty since it was still very early. The only ones awake were probably outside watching the players warm up.

Excitement slowly rose within me. Maybe Sirius would really be happy to see me. I looked forward to watching them and wishing them luck before they played this afternoon.

I went outside, and you could already see the large Quidditch field from a distance. I approached the spectator stands. There were a few people from Gryffindor in the stands as well. I approached the stands when suddenly someone behind me laughed.

I wanted to just keep going, but I stopped when I heard the voice behind me.

"Ahhh, Whisky! I haven't seen you with us in a long time." I turned around and saw Leander grinning at me. The Slytherin boy and his best friend Damien were on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Why did you bring her? I thought it would only be us..." the boy in green told her best friend. But the little girl was used to this words. She was used to not being wanted.

He was standing with his broom and uniform. The team was on the other side from the Gryffindor people and seemed to be waiting to start practicing themselves.

"You should be in Slytherin right now. Especially since you're acting like a snake!" Leander continued grinning at me, and Damien burst out laughing. "Yeah, I have no idea how you ended up in Hufflepuff! Loyalty isn't a word I associate with you."

I wanted to keep going, but Leander shook his head behind me. "You're a real slut, you know that? Seraph took you in, and how did you thank her? You betrayed her." His voice was venomous.

Damien grinned at me. "Yeah, I mean abandon your friends to be with a boy that is so obviously a self obsessed asshole is really a move. If you needed dick that hard you could have just asked me!"

I felt ashamed and disgusted, but anger was rising within me. "Last time I checked, Leander wanted her to get over Sirius so badly?"

Damien stopped laughing and became quiet. I turned to Leander. "I thought you wanted her to finally stop chasing after him? I thought you wanted her to turn to you, why are you so angry?" I didn't know where these words were coming from, but it felt good to defend myself.

Leander looked at me with narrowed eyes. He approached menacingly, and I wanted to step back, but I stayed in place. "Listen to me carefully…" he whispered as he stood right in front of me. "Just because you're with Mister Playboy doesn't mean you're better than before. You're still the same embarrassing Whisky who can't do anything for herself. Soon you'll come crawling to Seraph and beg her for forgiveness. And she'll have to clean up your mess like always."

He stood dangerously close, and I tried to back away, but he grabbed my arms and held me tightly. "You're just incapable of doing things yourself. Not one decision was made by yourself."

"What's going on down there?" a shout came from above.

"Hey, man, let her go, she's not worth it." Damien tried to convince Leander, but he continued to hold me tightly. His grip was so tight that my arms hurt. I wanted to scream and everything inside of me was alarming me, but my voice didn't spoke up.

"And I thought you would appreciate her. You know, I liked you. You were good to Seraph. I didn't expect such disgusting behavior from YOU." he continued talking.

I tried to free myself from his grasp, but he tightened his hold, and his fingernails broke the surface of my skin.

"Let me go!" I finally shouted. For the first time, my voice did what it was supposed to.

Then he pushed me hard against the wall of the stands. My head hit hard, and it throbbed.

"Here, I let you go."

I tried to get up and run away, but my head hurt terribly. I looked at Leander, who was giving me an disgusted look. Then he was lifted into the air. In an instant, Sirius rushed down on his broom and seemed ready to pounce on him, but was a moment to late.

"LEANDER!" Damien reached out to him but couldn't reach him in time.

Leander looked around frantically and screamed. I looked for the person responsible and saw someone on the stands with a raised wand.

"Marlene, you bitch!" Leander shouted at her, but Marlene just looked at him critically.

"Be glad I brought you to safety." she said.

Sirius in front of me looked like he could kill someone. But then he turned to me and looked at me with concern. "Are you okay?" he sat down in front of me and examined my face and arms.

He saw the blood streaks on my arms and looked furious. "It's all right, it doesn't hurt. My head is already feeling much better." I tried to reassure him, but he shook his head.

"Now Selwyn, you have really messed up!" he turned to his broom, but Marlene held him and looked at him critically. She had let Leander fall to the ground. He seemed to be in pain, but nothing serious.

"You won't start a fight before the game, Black. We need you for the game."

Sirius glared at her. "I'm glad you think that, but I couldn't care less about the game right now."

Instead of running away, Leander came in our direction. "Come on, Black!" he shouted from a distance. He had a look that could rival Sirius'. He was searching for a fight with Sirius like he wanted one for ages.

"Sirius, it doesn't matter. I provoked him too." I said, trying to calm him down, but he didn't calm down in the least.

"If you're too scared, then listen to your slut! I could always beat you up!" Leander spread his arms wide.

Sirius seemed to shake of anger. "He didn't call you that." he said through clenched teeth.

Leander smiled at him. "But isn't that what she is?"

Sirius wanted to rush at him, but James, who had been flying in the air until then, landed in front of him. "Don't let him provoke you, mate." he said to him, but Sirius didn't listen to him.

He tried to push past him, but James held him back.

"Let me through." Sirius hissed, but James shook his head. "Sirius, I'm not going to lose you right before the game. After the game, you can beat him up, and I'll be happy to help, but please be patient!"

"What? No!" I cried to them, but they didn't listen to me. I felt terribly helpless as I watched them. I was fine, so why was Sirius so angry? I had never seen that murderous look on him before.

Finally, Sirius turned around. "You're lucky, Selwyn. I'll finish you off in the game."

"I can't wait, Black." this one hissed back.

James clapped loudly afterward, signaling the other Gryffindor players to listen to him. "Guys, we're clearing the field now anyway so Slytherin can prepare to be demolished."

The Slytherin team glared at them until they finally got ready to start practicing.

The Gryffindor team went to the locker room, but Sirius approached me before that. As he was standing before me, he seemed to struggle to find the right words.

He was still looking in the direction of the slytherin team and his eyes were narrowed. He took my arms and gently pulled me with him. When they were out of sight he looked at me with this look that made me feel safe. He was still full of anger, I saw that in his eyes, but it soothed me that this anger wasn't directed at me.

"Will you wait for me?"

I just nodded, and he even managed to smile at me.

I didn't even get a chance to watch him play.

After Sirius went into locker room Marlene approached me and seemed delighted to see me. "When Selwyn bothers you again tell me, okay? I can deal with him." she said with a completely different attitude than the one on the field.

I remembered her words in the bathroom and managed to smile back. "Thank you."

She grinned at that. "That also applies for black. Just say if he gets annoying." She winked at me and went to the other Gryffindor girls that were going back to their dorms. The girls that were standing there smiled at me and I didn't feel judged for once.

I had to smile when they walked away, towards the castle.

While I was alone I looked around and took in the nature. The wind blew through the grass and made it dance in waves. The trees rustled and seemed to sing a beautiful melody. The great lake, which wasn't so far away, was babbling. They all seemed excited for the game that was coming up.

Or was that just my interpretation?

"Can I come with you?" The little girl asked her new best friend. This one didn't seemed to be very happy about it. "Why do you want to watch it? It's not even your house?" The naive girl smiled. "I want to cheer with you!"

I tried to shake the memory away but it didn't really get out of my mind. My excitement for the game wavered and my mind rotated around seraph. Why were her words always on my mind?

"Are you coming or not? If you are so scared than perhaps you should find new friends you can be boring with!"

I heard voices that seemed to be from little girls. I looked around for them and eventually found them on the wide green field of grass. There were two girls, seemingly first graders. One was from Gryffindor the other from ravenclaw. The voice was coming from the girl with the red tie and her face was frowning.

"I'm just... Not sure if that would really be worth it. The forest isn't really inviting and when it comes out we would be in massive trouble!" the other girl was shaking and she had to take a couple of breaths between her words.

"You are just a coward!" the other girl glared at her. "I'm not being friends with a whiny coward!" then she turned around.

The others girls eyes widened and there was something glimmering in them. "No, don't leave, please!!"

Slowly I approached them. Something about them triggered something inside of me. I wanted to do something. I wanted to help the ravenclaw girl that was gripping her rope for dear help.

"Is something wrong here?" I asked to make myself noticed. Four big eyes looked at me. Two were glaring the other two were desperate.

"Come on do it! If you drink the whole bottle, you can finally be accepted as an equal in the group!" But the girl was scared to drink a whole bottle of whiskey. "But I don't know if I manage that much alcohol." Her friend rolled the eyes. "Well, if you are such a stuck up, then I guess I have to find a new best friend." The little girl was scared and did drink the whole bottle in front of the slytherin students.

And she vomited on her test the next day.

"No, there is nothing wrong." the Gryffindor girl said and smiled at me. The ravenclaw looked at the ground and was still shaking.

"Is everything okay with you?" I asked the little girl that tried to hide from my gaze.

"She is great!" the other girl said.

"Are you okay?" the boy with the black hair asked the little girl. He probably didn't know her but it meant so much to her. But like always her friend answered instead of ber. "She is great!"

One hour later she was carried to the hospital wing because of very high blood alcohol levels.

"I didn't ask you, I asked her." I said to the girl with the red tie. I looked at the little girl before me and smiled softly at her. "You are right the forest is dangerous. You shouldn't go."

The Gryffindor girl looked at me furious. "Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?!" she yelled at me.

"Don't you know it's called the forbidden forest because it's forbidden to go in?"I asked back and her face went red. She looked at her friend and stomped her foot on the floor.

"This is all your fault! I hate you!" she screamed and ran away in direction castle.

The little girl before me looked after her and quivered. In her eyes was something glistening and water flowed down her cheeks.

"It's not your fault."

Big eyes catched mine and looked uncertain. A hiccup escaped her and she tried to muffle it with her hands. After a while she said something.

"But it feels like I am always ruining her fun."

I sat down on my knees in front of her to be on one level with her. I wiped her tears away and gave her a small knowing smile.

"You know what friendship is?" I asked and she looked at me questioning.

"When you can do anything with each other." she said after a while and her sobs became calmer.

"Not quite. Friendship is not that you have to do everything she wants. Friendship is when you can trust each other with everything and don't have to pretend. Friendship is when you understand and accept each other's feelings. If this understanding is not there, then you are not really friends."

She looked at me with wide eyey.

"Your feelings matter just as much as hers. And if she doesn't understand those then she isn't your real friend."

She began to cry again and hugged me. I was taken back a moment but then hugged her back.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Nera." she softly said.

"Well nera, I am (y/n). If you need help with anything you can always come to me, okay? I am here for you."

She smiled at me and nodded. Her cheeks started to dry and her eyes didn't shine because of the tears anymore.

"Thank you, (y/n)." she shyly said and waved at me as she walked in direction castle. I looked after her and smiled to myself.

A whistle came from behind me. I turned to Sirius who smiled at me. "You should be a prefect, love. You handled that so well."

I laughed softly. "I wouldn't go that far. I just helped the little girl a bit."

He came closer to me and I could feel his warmth as he stood before me. I noticed his wet hair and the one earring he wore. He shaked his head. "You were amazing, love. Not just helping, you comforted her. You have taken care of her. That's one of the tasks of a prefect, love."

I softly smiled at him and for a second I let myself admire him. His eyes and their depth. His hair and their shine. His lips.

"We should go to lunch now, love. I am almost certain you haven't eaten enough today." he teased me and tapped on my nose.

"You have to eat enough too! You have a big game before you." I teased back and he softly laughed. He took my hand and we went to lunch.

The little girl was called whisky after that. At first she didn't mind, but after a while it became like a reminder of that evening. Now she hates the name.

Taglist: @theofficialmadman@fanboyluvr@fjdjsiskcjfj@starsval@olkathedestroyer@helloitsmeeeeeee@xamapolax@maripositanoctruna @ancientimes @cloudlst @marina468

#marauders era #marauders #the marauders #remus lupin #dead gay wizards #harry potter #sirius black #james potter #sirius x reader #sirius black angst #sirius black x reader #sirius black fic #marlene mckinnon

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lilghostiequinni · 6 days

Text

Before

Main Masterlist Lando Masterlist

Pairing: Verstappen!female oc x Lando Norris

Warnings: None really, Fluffy(to me)

Part Summary: Before the people suspect anything, it was really what they wanted more than anything else. Wanted when life wasn't busy for either of them. Because when they first met their lives were hectic, but at least they had gotten each other out of it.

Prologue of the Wasn't Always series; prev. part & next part

Requested: NO / yes

A/N: This is essentially the prologue to the actual series and can be read as a stand-alone. There is no need to read this to understand the series.

2019 Australian Grand Prix

"Oscar, I can't be here. I'm supposed to be getting ready to leave." Kaarina said to her best friend as he basically begged her to go with him to the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.

"Come on. Please, Mom says if you go, I can." Oscar tries to convince her.

"No, she didn't. Your mom wouldn't care 'cause she knows where you are if you did go and if anything, she would be worried about you getting in the suitcase of a driver." Kaarina says with a look of suspicion on her face as she analyzes the younger boy.

"Please, you don't have to leave until Monday; it's only Friday," Oscar begged even more, and for the first showing her the passes he had gotten.

Kaarina looked at the passes and then at the excited Aussie, "Max put you up to this, didn't he?"

Oscar froze and that was all the answer that Kaarina needed as she nodded.

"Of course, he gave you passes on the condition of getting me there." It wasn't a question, but Oscar nodded.

"Fine, which team are you supporting? I'll play fake girlfriend for your real girlfriend because Max definitely only gave you two passes." Kaarina told as Lily walked into the room.

Oscar's eyes got wide as he realized the truth of the matter: he only had two passes, and Max didn't give him a third.

Lily chuckled, just hearing the end of what Kaarina said and then the look in her boyfriend's eyes and the apologetic look he got when he saw her.

"It's okay; Kaarina will take care of you; she does it any other time. I don't want to go, but you do." Lily says as she kisses Oscar's cheek and lets out a relieved sigh.

Kaarina chuckles at the two; while she is a couple years older than both of them, she is still really good friends with the two as she and Oscar met when she lived in Australia because their parents knew each other.

"You know, sometimes, I feel that it's not my best friend and my girlfriend, but my girlfriend and my girlfriend's girlfriend," Oscar says as he looks at the two in front of him.

The two just chuckle at him, making Oscar roll his eyes.

"Which team are we supporting, you teit?" Kaarina asks between the chuckles and giggles.

"McLaren." Oscar dead-pans as he looks between the two, and Kaarina nods.

Kaarina went to change out of the comfy clothes she had on just as Lily started speaking, "You know that is basically your girlfriend when I'm not around, to make sure everyone knows you're taken and mine."

"I am, but there is no need for that." Oscar points out.

"Nope, you can't convince me otherwise. Rina is the stand-in girlfriend when I'm not around. Just know that it's the same when you aren't around when we go shopping." Lily tells him before following Kaarina, and Oscar just looks after his girlfriend in confusion.

"So what was it my brother told you that you agreed to force me along to the race? Because I know it wasn't just the passes," Kaarina says as she walks next to Oscar in the paddock area, making their way around.

"He told me I could support any team; it didn't have to be Red Bull," Oscar said, then he looked over to his best friend, who had a very unimpressed look on her face, knowing that it was more than just that. "He also said he would get me to the next three races I was at, no matter how short the notice."

Kaarina just rolled her eyes.

"I still think you should have changed before we left," Oscar states.

"Why? What's wrong with my outfit? You said, McLaren," Kaarina says as she looks down at her outfit.

"Yes, but did you really have to put on the Max Verstappen Air Forces?" Oscar points out, looking at her shoes.

"Hey, I will support McLaren, but also my brother," Kaarina says as she pokes Oscar in the arm.

"Isn't Carlos McLaren?" Oscar asks her, even though he knows the answer.

"Yes, my cousin is in McLaren, and he understands; also, I am supporting him," Kaarina pulls up her sleeve and shows the beaded bracelets that she has either stolen or gotten from her brother and cousins to hold and just never given them back.

"Did you steal all of those?" Oscar accuses as they get nearer to the McLaren paddock which has the Red Bull paddock rather close.

"No, the three gave me a couple and just never asked for them back. Also, I bought like three," Kaarina answers a little defensively.

Oscar just shakes his head at her as he sees Max waiting rather close to McLaren for what is assumed as his sister.

"Wait here?" Kaarina asks as she sees her brother; Oscar nods and waits for Kaarina to get done talking to her brother.

"How come he can get you to come but not me?" Max questions as he catches his sister in a hug.

"Because he was bribed and really wanted to come, and no one else really did. Also, he can be very convincing when he wants to be," Kaarina says to her brother as she pulls away from him.

Max nods and then looks at his sister's outfit.

"You told him any team, and he chose McLaren. But I am supporting you," Kaarina said when she saw the expression that briefly crossed his face and then showed him her shoes.

Max chuckled at her again and just kissed her forehead as he saw his engineer wave him over, "See you later?"

"Yeah, I'll be here," Kaarina said, wishing he brother luck with a kiss on the cheek before returning to Oscar, who was joined by Carlos.

"Carlos," Kaarina acknowledges him and gives him a hug.

"Ah, McLaren today, yes?" He says, seeing the outfit she was wearing.

"Don't let the sweater fool you, Carlos; she has 33 Verstappen shoes on," Oscar points out to the Spaniard.

"That is okay, no one really looks at shoes," Carlos counters, making the blonde chuckle at her cousin.

Oscar rolls his eyes as he sees something making the Australian walk away from the two with a little pat on the shoulder to Kaarina as he walks that way.

"So, how's the new teammate?" Kaarina asks her cousin as she watches the Piastri boy walk off.

"So far, he has potential," Carlos says with a thoughtful expression.

Kaarina nods, she sees Carlos being waved to and points it out to him.

"Come," Carlos simply says as he makes his way over to the waving person.

"Lando, this is Kaarina Verstappen, Kaarina this is Lando Norris, the new driver," Carlos introduces the two.

"Like Max Verstappen?" Is all Lando can come up with and is cursing himself out in his head, 'That's it "like Max" really Norris.'

"Exactly, I'm his half-sister. We have different mothers," Kaarina tells him, as she holds her hand out to the newest driver.

Lando takes her hand and shakes it as Carlos starts talking again. After the two let go, Lando still doesn't let go of her hand.

"Don't you two share a birthday?" Carlos asked, but it was as though he just randomly, as the quiet settled in between the three, breaking the eye contract which was held by the younger two.

"We do?" Kaarina questioned, a puzzled look crossing her face as she looked away from Lando to her cousin.

Lando also looked away from the woman to Carlos, "What do you mean?"

"You were both born on November 13th, no?" Carlos asks, looking at the two, having no idea that they were not paying attention to what he was previously saying to them as they walked to and partially through the McLaren garage.

"Really? You were born on November 13th?" Kaarina asked with a smile spreading across her face as she watched Lando.

"Yeah, 1999," Lando says as Kaarina's smile gets bigger, making the British man smile, too, as he blushes at seeing the woman smile.

"Me too! Birthday buddies," Kaarina smiles even wider.

Lando smiles at her smiling face as Carlos closely watches to two who seem to have a staring problem.

"Oh, um... Carlos, Lando, I have to go. Time to see the other cousin, but I will be back," Kaarina kisses Carlos's cheek and gives Lando a side hug as she walks out of the McLaren paddock to the Ferrari one.

"You know she didn't have a boyfriend last I knew, but I would check with her friend, Oscar, or her brother, Max. But I guess you just have to ask," Carlos pats Lando on the back before going over to some fans he saw.

Leaving Lando alone to his thoughts.

Kaarina sat with Oscar as she watched the race, as always rooting for her brother or cousins, but now also rooting for the newcomer Lando Norris.

Her mind was distracted by the color of his eyes and the beauty of his smile. He just wouldn't leave her brain or thoughts.

A classic, he fell first and she fell harder.

Again, this, too, was mostly done before I accidentally posted it, twice. I'm just going to accept that I don't like how I end my posts because I'm not entirely happy with it, but I also think it makes sense for how I wanted it to go and how I want the series to go, but this doesn't need to be read to understand the full relationship in the series.

Tags: @samantha-chicago @hellothere9597

If you want to be removed from a tag list, let me know, so I don't keep tagging you.

#wasn't always #ln4 #lando norris #formula 1 #f1 #mclaren #mclaren f1 #lando norris x reader #lando imagine #lando norris fanfic #lando norris imagine #lando x reader #f1 2024

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lovebittenbyevans · 1 month

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The Wrong Sister | Prologue

Summary: You and your sister Jasmine don’t always see eye to eye. When she starts to bring her husband Andy Barber around more, you kept a distance from him until things began to change between you two.

Pairing: Andy Barber x Female Reader

Warnings: slight slow burn, cursed words

Author note: I missed writing this series. This series will be a short series and different. Enjoy reading!

Prologue

One missed call from Andy Barber (brother-in law)

You grabbed your phone after you put on your my hero academia t-shirt. You heard your phone buzzing again in your hand as you finally checked to see who kept hitting you up like this.

Andy Barber: I’m outside! Open the door, please

You reread his text message one more time like it was a joke or not. You placed your phone on the nightstand and walked out of your bedroom. You didn’t expect to see him anytime soon since your sister made plans for them tonight.

When you opened the door of your apartment, you saw Andy standing there in the pouring rain holding a duffel bag. “Hi.”

“Hey, can I stay here tonight?” He asked you.

You quickly moved to the side of the door to let him in. “Uh, you and my sister got into it again?” He walked inside taking his shoes off as you closed the door.

He sighed. “Um, kind of.”

You honestly were not expecting to see him tonight most of all. Your heart began to pick up fast as you walked past him. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

It has been a long time since you had anyone staying with you. You can’t even remember the last time you had a guy stay over at your place.

Andy has been to your apartment more than once but only when your family wanted to have parties or get together at someone's house. You needed your heart to calm the fuck down right about now.

You led him to the guest room and opened the door. “Let me know if you need anything.” You thank god you were able to get rid of the yellow wallpaper and paint the guest room wall a nice light green color.

He clears his throat and walks past you inside the guest room. “Just water.” You nod and head directly to the kitchen.

You filled an empty glass cup with water and made your way back to the guest room. A skull mixed with a lion tattoo on his back caught your attention as you were about to hand him the cup with water.

Shit!

“Here you go.” You said making sure you spoke clearly.

Andy turned around with a smile and took the cup from you. “Thanks.”

You nod. “Well, let me know if you need anything else.” You were about to walk out the door when he called out to you. “Y/N.”

“Yes?” You responded while glancing at him.

Sometimes you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him. There was something about Andy that had your heart racing fast and you can not see yourself being around him for long especially when Jasmine always tried to be in you two conversations.

His blue eyes locked with yours. “Why have you been avoiding me? I’ve been calling you and texting you for the past week.”

And there it is…..fuck!

For the past week you have not been answering his calls and text messages. He was not stupid. A part of him missed hearing your voice. He wanted to make sure his sister in law was doing okay.

“Uh.” You paused for a second. “What did my sister and you argue about this time?” You tried to change the subject.

You would be lying to yourself that he shouldn’t be on your mind. He was your brother in law for god sake. Your heart shouldn’t be beating fast for a married man. You should not feel butterflies in your stomach.

“Y/N.” He studied you as he tapped the spot on the bed next to him. He missed having real honest conversations with you. He missed seeing you as well.

You sigh and sit on the edge of the bed leaving space between you two. “Did Jasmine say something to you? I know we follow her rules.” He continues to talk.

You rolled your eyes and scoffs. Your sister and her stupid rules she always made up every time she dates or married someone which you have to follow regardless.

“No.” You shake your head.

Confusion showed on his face. “Is it about that day what happened between–” You cut him off immediately. “No, No, No.”

There you go lying again

Andy brows raise. “Y/N, Don’t do that.” He can tell when you aren’t telling him the truth. You were sometimes easy to read.

“Andy.” You said quietly.

That day should have never happened but it did. He reaches toward you and tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. “It’s ok.”

You didn’t realize how close he was to you. You were pretty sure he could hear the way your heart was pounding.

Exhaling a shaky breath, he leans in close, nose brushing and whispers against your lips. “I want you to have me.” You move your head away before he could kiss you.

“Time to get some sleep.” You got up from the bed and let out a yawn. “Goodnight, Andy.” He was almost hard to resist but you was not going to give in. You walked out the door feeling butterflies in your stomach and your cheeks flustered.

#chris evans #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans series #chris evans x female reader #chris evans x y/n #chris evans x black reader #chris evans fanfiction #andy barber #andy barber x reader #andy barber x you #andy barber x female reader #andy barber x y/n #andy barber fanfiction

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vivalas-vega · 2 months

Text

new perspectives // part ten // jake 'hangman' seresin x reader

howdy !! I think this is the shortest chapter in this series yet, but kind of a heavy one nonetheless. I'm getting back into the swing of writing and am hoping to bring this series to it's close within the next 3-5 parts! as always, please let me know what you think!

new perspectives // part ten // jake 'hangman' seresin x reader

prologue - one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine

add yourself to my taglist

word count: 2.5k

warnings: we are diving into jupiter's deployment so mentions of warzones and guns but nothing too graphic or in depth

The Hard Deck was thrumming just as it always was on a Friday night but lately Jake had lost the desire for after-work hangouts at the bar… darts and pool didn’t feel the same anymore, and he was having a hard time enjoying anything because he knew wherever you were you weren’t having fun. He tried to tell himself that maybe in the quiet moments, when the sky wasn’t falling and people weren’t relying on you to save their life, you and your team were able to unwind. Maybe kick around a soccer ball or play card games to pass the time and provide some sense of normalcy but he knew even if that was the case it didn’t change anything. You were in a warzone, and he was here at the bar.

But, that didn’t stop him from trying. Your deployment was hard on everyone, not just him, and he knew that if he pulled away it would only make your friends feel it more deeply, he was the only tether to you and he also knew he needed to be here. If he wasn’t he’d be at home staring off into space and making himself sick with worry. It was better for him to be preoccupied, which was why he had taken on more responsibility at Top Gun, and why he was currently engaged in a game of darts with Coyote, trying to distract himself from the fact that he hadn’t heard from you in a month.

You two had discussed this going into it, and he knew communication would be infrequent. You had real life or death problems on your hands day in and day out, in a foreign country in the middle of an active warzone. Just because you didn’t call, or didn’t answer any of his, didn’t mean that something had happened to you, or that you didn’t want to. It just meant you were doing your job, and trying to stay safe in the process… but knowing that didn’t make it any easier of a pill to swallow.

He also knew there was an order, and it wasn’t his turn. You two were no strangers to infrequent communication and you were adamant that your marriage could handle it. His turn had been first, and then your parents, and the next time you had the opportunity to call home it would be Rooster’s. He wasn’t angry about that, not at all… Rooster had quickly become your closest friend and confidant outside of him and he knew that you missed him just as much as everyone else, that in your darkest moments he would be one of the people you needed to see. He was grateful for it, to know that you had multiple people in your life you loved so deeply, trusted so implicitly… but that didn’t make it fun to know that the next time someone heard from you it would be the goofy guy across the bar laughing loudly with his arm slung around his new girlfriend’s waist and not him, that the next time he got an update on you it would come from him.

He was endlessly proud of you, for how strong you had been and how devoted you were to your life’s calling. Putting yourself into such imminent danger to help others was just about the most you think he could think of, and he knew you could handle yourself. When you left you were off to a very condensed boot camp where you learned basic survival skills outside of medicine, you received a crash course in all the things you would need to know, and received training if god forbid you ever found yourself in the position of needing to defend yourself. He knew you were well equipped to take care of yourself, but he also knew that you likely had seen things and done things that would leave a lasting mark… but that was all he knew.

That was the hardest part for him… not knowing what you were going through. Even in your spottiest bouts of communication over the course of school and deployments he always knew what was going on with you, and his worst case scenarios he’d concoct when he worried were you stressing yourself into exhaustion. Now, his worst case scenarios were something he couldn’t even dare to verbalize, something if he thought about even a second too long would send him careening towards a ledge.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” he heard from beside him suddenly, jumping slightly as he turned to see Coyote and he gave him a soft smile.

“I know,” he replied and Coyote just nodded.

“She’s tough. Like, scary tough, my shoulder still makes a weird creaking sound from when she tackled me during dogfight football,” he said and this made Jake laugh, something that was pretty infrequent now.

“I still can’t believe she took you down like that,” he replied.

“Yeah, that one fights dirty, man… so I’m sure she’s holding her own just fine.” This provided Jake just enough reassurance in the moment that he was able to shift his focus somewhere else entirely, so much so that he didn’t notice the way Rooster pulled out his phone and quickly ran out of the bar.

“J?” he asked, the video on his phone taking its sweet time connecting and he heard his second-favorite laugh on the other end.

“Hey Roo, sorry, the video is super spotty here,” you said just as it fully connected and he finally got to see you for the first time since your wedding night. His first thought was that you looked different, almost unrecognizable if it weren’t for those few characteristics that were so completely you. You were thinner, primarily in your face and he couldn’t ignore the way your eyes lacked their usual warmth, it sent an ache through his chest to see you look so… hollow.

“How are you? Are you okay? What’s going on over there?” he fired off in rapid succession and this pulled another soft laugh from your lips. You hadn’t realized how much you needed to see that stupid porn stache until it was staring back at you through the screen of a tablet.

“Don’t worry about me, I don’t have long so tell me everything… what have I missed?” you asked and briefly he wanted to press, try to get you to open up about what you were going through over there but he realized that probably wasn’t what you needed right now. You needed a distraction, reminders of home, and you didn’t have much time to get it.

“Well, Eliza and I made things official a few days ago,” he said and you smiled, a real one that almost fully reached your eyes.

“Oh my god, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you, Roo. Where did you take her for your first date?”

“Well, our unofficial first date was your wedding, but the real first date was mini golf… where she completely smoked me by the way,” he said and you chuckled. “She’s… incredible, JJ, I’ve never met a woman like her before.”

“Well I’ll be damned, Bradley Bradshaw is serious about someone? I leave for two months and suddenly the world turns upside down.”

“Shut up, I’ll have you know I’ve been serious about people before,” he protested before adding, “but not like this. I think this is it, J.”

“You keep that to yourself for a while longer, don’t spook her too soon,” you teased. “How is he?” you asked suddenly, getting serious and he knew what you meant without further clarification.

“He’s… good,” he replied and you furrowed your brows. “He’s just worried, is all. Just wants to know if you’re okay, we all do.”

You nodded, “I don’t know if I am, Roo… and you can’t tell that to him, okay? I just… I don’t want him worrying anymore than he already is.”

“I won’t, but… talk to me? What’s going on over there?”

You sighed, “I don’t have enough hands, or supplies, or time… I’m picking and choosing who lives and who dies based on a twenty second evaluation and I just… never know if I’m making the right choices, never know if I’m actually making a damn difference out here.”

“Hey, you are. If I know you like I think I do, I know you are.”

You nodded but it didn’t really do anything to make you feel better. “I know this is our turn, but-”

“I texted him a few minutes ago, he should be out any second,” Rooster cut you off and you just smiled softly.

“Thank you. I miss you way more than I thought I would, Roo,” you said and he let out a shocked laugh.

“What the hell does that mean?” he asked but he was interrupted by the door to the patio opening.

“Come outside in two minutes, alone? What kind of cryptic bullshit is that, Chicken?” you heard distantly and couldn’t help but laugh, warmth filling your chest at hearing your husband's voice after so long. “Is that- give me that,” he said, snatching the phone from Rooster’s hand and confirming for himself it was really you.

“Hey you,” you said and you thought his face might split open from how wide he was grinning. “Might want to not be so hard on Rooster, seeing as he gave up some of his phone time for you.”

“God, I miss you, are you okay?”

You nodded, forcing yourself to smile and Jake saw right through it, saw the way it didn’t fully reach your eyes. “I’m okay.”

“I’ll give you guys space,” Rooster said from beside Jake, “I love you, JJ, stay safe, okay?”

“Love you too, Roo,” you replied and suddenly there was a commotion from outside your tent that made him stop in his tracks as Jake’s eyes widened in concern.

“Jupiter, what’s going on?” he asked, trying to pinpoint the sounds he was hearing. The visual was blocked by you pressing the tablet against your chest as you poked your head outside the tent and the sound became clear as day on their end. Gunfire.

“I have to go.”

“Jupiter, talk to me,” Jake tried but you’d barely heard it, barely registered.

“I can’t- I’m sorry, I love you,” was all you said before the call disconnected and Jake stood there frozen, staring at a black screen as he tried to process what had just happened.

“Was that…?” Rooster started, not entirely sure of what to say. He knew whatever he was feeling was magnified in Jake tenfold, but that didn’t make it any easier to push through to try and be there for him.

“I think so,” Jake said after clearing his throat. Logically he knew you’d face situations like this, it was the biggest thing he was struggling to come to terms with, but actually hearing it was a completely different beast. Right now he was standing here with your best friend on the patio overlooking the ocean at sunset… it was peaceful, yet somewhere halfway across the world you were under fire, undoubtedly under stress as you were probably assessing wounded soldiers and civilians, trying to do your job the best you could.

Rooster noticed the slight tremble in Jake’s hands, noticed the way he was currently retreating into himself and trying to not spin out and he gently pulled the phone away and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey man, come on, let’s go sit for a minute,” he said, and Jake followed him almost mindlessly out onto the beach where they both sat down. “I know this might not sound helpful, but she’s been out there two months already, I’m sure this isn’t the first time… she knows how to handle herself.”

Jake let out a humorless laugh, “you’re right, it’s not.” He knew what Rooster’s intentions were behind the sentiment, you’d gone through this before and made it out the other side, and you’d do it again now, but all it served as was a reminder that this was your life right now. He was focused on the fact that you didn’t sound worried at all, you’d said you had to go and that you loved him as simply as you used to when you’d call him in between patients. He was sitting here, mind spinning with the possibilities of what could be happening and you’d sounded as calm as ever. That should have proved reassuring, in some small way, you weren’t fazed… you weren’t scared, but it wasn’t. If anything, it made his chest ache more.

“She’s gonna be okay, man. It’s Jupiter, she can handle anything,” Rooster said, even though he might not have fully meant it. He saw you, heard the unsure tone as you spoke to him and saw those hollow eyes, you were different. You weren’t the Jupiter you left as, weren’t the Jupiter they knew like the back of their hands… and Rooster knew it would happen, had told you as much sitting right here in this same spot just a few months ago.

“I don’t know… I should have told her no, told her not to do it, anything to get her to stay put,” Jake sighed and Rooster chuckled.

“We are talking about Jupiter right?” he asked and Jake couldn’t help but laugh too. “She knew what she was signing up for. We talked about it, you know... what she'd see, what she'd do, briefly, but she knew. She never bites off more than she can chew.”

“Yeah, I think this time is different,” Jake said and Rooster nodded.

“Maybe… but she’s got you, and she’s got the rest of us. We’ve all got her, no matter how she is when she comes home.”

“If she comes home,” Jake nearly whispered and this took Rooster aback. It felt like a weight off his back to finally say his biggest fear out loud, but only seconds later that weight came crashing down as he fully realized it was a genuine possibility. It wasn’t some hypothetical worst case scenario he’d concocted, hearing that gunfire proved that, it was simply how things were. If you came home.

“You can’t think like that right now. Her tour is over in just a few weeks, she’ll pull through.”

Jake sighed again, “I just need to know that she’s safe.”

“She’ll call when she can. That much I know for certain, I’m sure she didn’t want to leave things like that. She’ll call, or she’ll email just as soon as she’s able.”

“I think I get it now,” Jake said and Rooster gave him a confused look, “why she likes you so much,” he practically mumbled and Rooster laughed.

“Come on, man. There’s nothing either of us can do except wait, and she wouldn’t want you spinning out over this. Let’s go back inside,” he said as he stood and dusted the sand from his pants, and Jake followed reluctantly. He was right after all, he couldn’t do anything right now except go back inside, nurse his beer and hope you were okay.

taglist: @mamaskillerqueen @clancycucumber230 @the-romanian-is-bae @alldaysdreamers @zzsloth @emma8895eb @novagreen04 @classyunknownlover @purplevortexx @mamachasesmayhem @ohgodnotagainn @smoothdogsgirl @swiftsgirlfriend @memoriesat30 @the-fandom-ness @midnightmagpiemama @shanimallina87 @charles11700 @angelbabyange @wildxwidow @sp1rit-realm @alluringshawn @taytaylala12 @starcatcher48 @buck-nasty @misshoneypaper @4evinlovewithfictionalmen @devil-angel-winchester @callsignspirit @thegodessc @failuretothrivestuff @olliepig @cruelmissdior @underaveragefangirl @grxcieluvr @amatswimming @camilaricci @nolita-fairytale @dempy @pinkpantheris @aviatorobsessed @tiredqueen73 @pono-pura-vida @binnieslove @nik2blog @waklman @abaker74 @halstead-severide-fan @percysaidnever @memeorydotcom @eli2447 @dumb-fawkin-bitch @toobouquet @a-v-a123 @rae-you-gotta-be-kidding-me @86laura11 @justenoughmadnesss @yoonbutterfly @djs8891 @mamamaystbr

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auroraborealyss · 2 years

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐋 | 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢.

⊹ pairing: morpheus x reader

⊹ summary: you're missing, and morpheus nearly goes insane in longing and desperation in his search for you

⊹ tags: angst, morpheus copes (he doesn't) with you gone, established relationship

⊹ warnings: spoilers for 1.06, 1.07, & 1.08

⊹ word count: 3039

⊹ previous part: prologue/teaser

⊹ up next: part ii

⊹ now playing: everything i wanted by billie eilish

𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚒 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚞𝚙, 𝚒 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚎

The first person Morpheus swallows his pride and asks for helping regarding your whereabouts, is his sister.

After enduring an earful from her not of not trusting her and being too prideful to ask for help when you were concerned, Death reassures him that she did not reap you in the years you were gone.

"I kept my word to you, brother. I did not touch Y/N. But I have reaped many who came across her," Death says.

"Y/N killed them?" Morpheus asks, surprised. Though the laws that keep an Endless from hurting mortals does not apply to you, you tried not to take their lives anyway.

"No. At least, not directly." Death drops her voice to a whisper. "The humans call her the Lady of the Whispers. She's a notorious serial killer, Dream!"

"Have you talked to her?"

Death shakes her head. "She hasn't allowed me to get close to her. I sometimes see her when I reap the humans she leaves behind, but she never says anything to me. She just runs away."

They are silent for a while. Morpheus aggressively throws a chunk of bread at a pigeon, hitting it on the head, while Death makes small conversation with a man playing soccer.

"I think she's using her powers," she says finally.

"She would never abuse it," he says immediately. He might not know what you were doing or why you were doing it, but his trust in your remains unwavering. There was a reason you possessed the power you did.

"You need to find her, brother," Death says. "Before someone finds her first."

She faces the street as a car collides with the man playing soccer. Unbeknownst to the man in question, he jogs over with the ball, whistling at how the car had missed him. Death gives him a warm smile and links their arms as she proceeds to explain while they walk away.

Morpheus' gaze darkens at her back, and for a moment, his eyes look like hot, twin white stars. "I know," he says quietly.

Hob Gadling is the second person he swallows his pride for you for.

"I haven't seen her since the last time I saw the two of you together a few centuries back," Hob says.

'A few centuries back' was when he and Hob had a fight after Hob accused him of being in need of companionship. In Morpheus' defence, he was more prideful then. More than that, to suggest he was lonely despite having you, his wife, was an insult to you that he would not stand for. It had been you who demanded he apologize, but by the time he followed you to the pub (his punishment had been your refusal to hold his arm) Hob was gone.

"You better show up here in a hundred years," you told him firmly.

"For you, my love, I will. Now give me your hand before someone mistakes you for not being taken for."

You lightly hit his arm. "Not for me, Morpheus! For Hob! He's your friend, whether you like it or not. And you need someone apart from me. Who will you have if something happens to me and we are apart?"

He hadn't glorified that question with an answer. He simply grabbed your hand himself and refused to let go.

His capture led him to missing his and Hob's next appointment and being late to fulfilling his promise to you. But here he was, fulfilling it, and you weren't here to see it or to finally offer your hand.

Morpheus sighs heavily as he straightens in his seat.

"Just because I haven't seen Y/N, doesn't mean I haven't heard about her," Hob says. Though the New Inn is boisterously loud, Hob drops his voice to a hush and leans forward. "I hear there's a bounty on her head."

Morpheus looks at him warningly. "Have you tried to claim it?"

"What? No! Of course not! The opposite. She's more my friend than you are. I tried to offer her refuge, but she never replied to my attempts at contacting her. I did manage to see her once by pure coincidence."

Morpheus doesn't bother trying to contain his eagerness. "How did she look? Did she say anything about me?"

"She looked terrible," Hob admits. "Exhausted and always looking over her shoulder. And no, she didn't say anything about you. She didn't say anything at all, actually. It was quite odd. Maybe her tongue got cut off—"

"I'll cut your tongue off, Hob Gadling, if you dare voice such insolent thoughts again about my wife."

Hob chugs the rest of his drink in apology. But Hob's words aren't the first time Morpheus heard you refusing to talk to anyone. The few dreams and nightmares who also caught a fleeting glimpse at you also reported that although you recognized them, you didn't utter a single word to them. A normal person would have taken this as confirmation that you had turned your back on your duties as his wife and Lady of the Dreaming. But Morpheus knew you. He had loved you for more years than you were official his. That, plus the murders associated in your wake, causes the suspicions in Morpheus to grow.

He needs to find you.

Sooner rather than later, if not for his sanity, then for the good of the waking world.

Morpheus enters his throne room, exhaustion and longing for you nearly bringing him to his knees.

He doesn't have the strength to walk all the way up his staircase, so he settles for sitting on the fourth step—your step—and drapes his coat around him.

His throne room is large and barren—a sign that your touch was missing. When you were by his side, you had conjured ivies to scale the walls and flowers to drip from the ceiling. The multi-coloured lights from the stained glass windows would blend nicely with the streaks of gold from the candlelights and chandeliers you had placed throughout. The mere presence of you brought him warmth.

Morpheus doesn't think he'd ever felt as cold as he does now.

Outside, he hears hushed whispers between Mervyn, Matthew, and Lucienne. They are debating whether not is the right time or not to ask him about you, or if that'll earn them a front row seat to being unmade.

Truthfully, Morpheus doesn't know what he'll do either. All he knows is that he's so tired and misses you, like a starving man longs for food or a drowning man desperate for air. The pain of missing you makes it hard to move, but it's the thoughts of you that threatens to drive him insane—neither is a good state to be in for the Endless responsible for everyone's dreams.

If they were drawing sticks, Lucienne must have pulled the short end.

She sticks her head past the door, not daring to take another step. "May I disturb you, lord?" she says, attempting to hide the fear in her voice by sounding cool and formal as she normally does.

Though he barely had two seconds to rest, he pushes himself up. "Speak, Lucienne."

She takes a deep breath before crossing the room to him. She talks about menial things first, like how Cain and Abel seem to have accepted his apology with Goldie and how the dream folk are planning to throw a celebration for his return, which they have invited him to come.

He says no. It was always you who dragged him to these things, and you are not there.

"What is it you really want to ask, Lucienne?"

"It's not only from me," she says slowly, "but your other subjects as well."

Morpheus already knows what she's going to say, and at the thought of your name, his exhaustion grows heavier against his limbs, threatening to send him to the floor.

"Now that your tools have been returned to you, and many of your subjects are back in the Dreaming, the dream folk are wondering where Lady Y/N is and why you have not come for her yet."

"I do hope that question is not from lack of faith that I have abandoned my wife," Morpheus says sourly, although he knows that is not the case. Lucienne had already been by his side when he met you. She witnessed the years he pined after you, counselled him into acting on his emotions and courting you, and it was she who officiated your wedding and watched the blissful years after. While he appreciated Lucienne's loyalty to him as his librarian, he also knows Lucienne and you had become close enough to be friends, to the point that she would sometimes let go of formalities and call you by her name. If anyone was to know how much you meant to him, it would be her.

"Of course not, lord," Lucienne says, as expected, "but it has been days since you have returned to full strength. How can you bear to be away from her any more than you have to?"

"I cannot."

Lucienne pauses. "My lord?"

"I cannot bear being from her for so long," Morpheus admits, and he lets his tiredness show by taking his seat on your step once more. He sighs heavily as he looks up at her. "She is my wife, Lucienne."

"Perhaps you can ask your siblings—"

"No." Morpheus scowls at the idea. He had already done enough by asking Death and a human. If any of his other siblings found out he was incapable of finding you—Desire, especially—then there would be real cause to fear for your safety.

"I can still feel her," Morpheus murmurs. "She is somewhere out there, alive. I will find her, Lucienne. You can tell my subjects that their lady will be back."

"You know," Lucienne says after a pause. "That was the last thing Y/N said about you."

Morpheus tries not to recoil from what her words imply. According to Lucienne, you had not entered the Dreaming since your last attempt at rescuing him, which was also the day Jessamy died. As heartbroken as he was witnessing the death of his beloved raven, he was even more terrified at what could have happened to you that prevented you from protecting Jessamy. You never would have let her go down to that basement unguarded and unprotected. You cared for the bird more than Morpheus did. Whatever happened that day, whatever stopped you from going downstairs, must be linked to whatever you were running from.

But what? What could you possibly be running from?

Was it him? Had the century of being apart taught you that you didn't love him as much as you thought you did, and like his other dreams and nightmares, you took your shot at freedom and left? Was he the threat you were running from?

"I will find her," Morpheus repeats. "But wherever she is, she must be safe." Lucienne frowns but he continues. "No one knows who she truly is to me, and she would not have told others. She has to be safe—"

"She is not safe, lord Morpheus."

He looks up at her immediately. Suddenly, he's standing before her and Lucienne takes a step back in surprise.

"What did you say?" he asks lowly, the words scratching his throat.

"Forgive me, lord. I thought you were aware."

He shoots her a look, as if to remind her where he had been the past century. "Aware of what, Lucienne?"

"There is a bounty on lady Y/N's head."

Morpheus struggles not to stagger back. Was this another one of Desire's games? Perhaps Desire had looped Despair into one of their ploys? Though Desire had not been invited to the wedding, Delirium had been, and he had no doubt Desire's had intimidated their youngest sibling into telling them everything.

"For what?" he manages. "Because she's my wife?"

"For being your wife," Lucienne answers, "and for being one of your tools."

For a few seconds, he is unable to speak. He simply stares at Lucienne, waiting for her to say she was joking or mistaken, but she does neither. The secrecy of you being one of his tools was the only thing Morpheus had to reassure himself that you were safe. But if that was out, then...

Lucienne meets his gaze, reaffirming the truth behind her words.

"That's not possible," he finally says. "Few people knew of that ceremony. Fewer still attended and can confirm it happened."

"It was the Corinthian, sir."

The Corinthian. His pride and joy. His greatest masterpiece and the first nightmare you helped him with.

His rogue nightmare left a bitter taste in Morpheus' mouth. The Corinthian had been at the power transference ceremony—a sign that Morpheus truly loved his nightmare the most. His defiance was already heartbreaking enough, but now this? You? This was unforgivable.

Morpheus didn’t even want to imagine what sort of prize could be promised for the wife of an Endless, let alone for being one of his tools. Was that what he left you? Loneliness and enemies? Did you resent him for that? Was that why you had not returned or called to him for help? He had no reason for falling out of love with you in the century you were apart, but it seems that you had plenty of reasons to fall out of love with him.

"My theory is that something happened between him and her the day she ran away. What, I do not know. But Matthew reported the same thing: he heard whispers of a bounty placed on the wife of the Dream King by the Corinthian."

Rage simmered in Morpheus, and the Dreaming responded as such. Across his realm, the land trembled. Volcanoes bloomed and exploded, lava rapidly surging forth as a message to the Dreaming’s inhabitants that all was at the mercy of their king and his rapidly declining patience at his missing wife.

But in the library, Morpheus remains eerily still. "You may go conduct that census now, Lucienne," he says.

She stands there for a few more moments, as if wondering whether she should press the problem that was you. Thankfully, her years of servitude has taught her of his limits, and she departs with a dip of the head.

Morpheus waves his hand, locking the doors behind her. Only then does he released a long, exhausted breath as he sinks to his back on your step. A hot tear spills over his cheek as he touches the step, remember the days you and him have spent on it. Talking sometimes, kissing on others. He can feel your lips on him still, but it's starting to fade like a dream.

He is drowning in his grief for you. If missing you had not been enough, now he is plagued with fear that perhaps you did not want to be found. Did you blame him for your predicament? Did you hate him? Morpheus doesn't think he'd be able to handle not seeing love in your eyes if you look at him? And if he sees resentment, he thinks that might just break him.

How painful it is, he thinks, to grieve for the living. How unbearably painful it is.

It takes Lucienne a few days to conduct the census.

When she finishes, Morpheus is in a slightly better mood. She talks about the census first, then the three major missing arcana: Gault, the Corinthian, and Fiddler's Green. One was unsurprising, the second expected, but Fiddler's Green was hurtful. It was in Fiddler's Green he had married you, after all. Now he had lost another part of you.

When Lucienne brings up the vortex, Morpheus is smiling as he corrects her on the vortex not being an 'it' but a 'she'.

Lucienne eyes him suspiciously. "You don't seem worried."

"Rose Walker will be my answer and solution," Morpheus declares.

"But she is a vortex. She is not a solution. She is one of our problems!"

"You said it yourself, Lucienne. She is a vortex. Sooner or later, she will bring them all to her: Gault, the Corinthian, Fiddler's Green. My wife."

Lucienne is struck silent for a few moments, and he can see that is she is torn between listening to her duty as the Dreaming’s librarian and her loyalty to you as her friend. In the end, she picks duty, and Morpheus does not blame her for that. Neither would you, if you heard her. After all, you would have said the same thing.

"But she could destroy the realm first," Lucienne says nervously.

"I will take that risk if it means finding her. I've built my realm once and rebuilt it another time. With my wife back at my wise, both will be easier to accomplish."

"But sir—"

"I will hear none of this any longer. You may go tell my subjects that the Lady of the Dreaming will be returning son." Morpheus smiles towards the ceiling at his conjured image of Rose Walker. "I will ensure it."

When Rose Walker dreams her way to his throne room, uninvited but welcomed, Morpheus' worry about the vortex' growing powers is superseded by the hope that you will find your way to her soon enough.

"She shouldn't be here," Lucienne says agitatedly.

"No," Morpheus says, eyeing his solution with fascination, "but I should like her to stay."

As he explains to her what and where she is, he thinks of you. "I need you to look for someone for me, Rose Walker," Morpheus says as he finishes circling her. "Y/N. She is neither a dream or a nightmare. She is my wife. When you find her, you must tell me. But first, I need you to tell her something."

Morpheus bends close and Rose and whispers the words into her ear. he waits for her to nod in understanding before straightening.

"But how will I know who she is?" Rose asks. "Do you have a picture?"

Morpheus turns towards the painting on the wall of you. He points to the marble statue in the midst of the water fountain that is of your body, which he had carved with his own bare hands from memory. Then he summons a flower to spiral down from the ceiling and land in Rose's palm. All mementos of you.

"Believe me," Morpheus says with a smile. "You'll know it's her. My wife is...unmistakeable."

"Can I have her name, at least?"

"Y/N," Morpheus says tenderly. He always says your name that way. Borderline a reverent whisper like you are the goddess he's praying to. "Her name is Y/N."

ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ…

Your throat is throbbing. You touch your throat gingerly, and you don't need a mirror to know that the handprints of that man are visible against your skin. But even as you cough, the motion raw against your raw throat, you don't stop running.

You catch sight of a hotel, and you feel relief as you turn away from the road and bolt up the hill to the building. It'll be easier to hide in one of the many rooms, but the guarantee of people in the hotel was cause for concern. But as long as you keep your mouth shut, all should be fine.

You slow into a walk as you pass a trio of people in the parking lot. Name tags dangle from their chest, one of who is named, The Music Teacher. In the centuries you've been alive, you've never heard such an in-depth and seriously spoken topic about their favourite methods of cooking barbecue and collecting grills.

As you hurry inside, you pass by a sign that reads: CEREAL CONVENTION.

ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ…

09/03/22 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 24 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗈𝗎𝗍, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝗒𝗑 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗃𝖺𝗒. 𝗂'𝗆 𝗈𝖿𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌, 𝗌𝗈 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝗒𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌!

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖿𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝖼𝖾? 𝖺𝗆 𝗂 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗉𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍? 𝗈𝗋 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝗂 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗌𝗇𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗒 𝗌𝗆𝗎𝗍𝗍𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝖾?

𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗌𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀? 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗐𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗊𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗎𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋𝗇. 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝗂 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝖽𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗎𝖼𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗎𝗆𝖻𝗅𝗋, 𝗂 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒𝖾𝖽!

𝖿𝗒𝗂 𝗂 𝗀𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗎𝗇𝖻𝗎𝗋𝗇𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗉 𝗎𝗉 𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝖾𝗀 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗂 𝗉𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗌𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗇. 𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗄 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗎𝗀𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝖺𝗇 𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋. 𝗍𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗁𝗈𝗍 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅 𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒. 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝖺𝗒𝖾𝗋𝗌.

╰┈➤ 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵!

╰┈➤ 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘧!

𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩: @justviktormlolm, @aurorarevenclaw1927, @amirahroronoa, @sunna-fangirls, @mrs-captainsteverogers, @absbdbshhs, @urbanbts, @theamuz, @ac-procrastinator-13, @thegreatestsandwich, @julegrav009-blog, @harrypotter55, @blossomedfloweroflove, @lestaikkeullsokka, @thetrashypanda423, @ponyboys-sunsets, @izzicle, @dilfsandtherapy, @mischiefmanaged71, @grippleback-galaxy, @cynic-spirit, @thecrazytealady, @violet-19999, @junobutbored, @avanisbored, @redskull199987, @bilesxbilinskixlahey, @ladymoon666, @celestialceremonials, @mm2305, @ttae-yong

#the sandman imagine #morpheus imagine #morpheus x reader #dream of the endless fanfiction #sandman imagine #the sandman x reader #sandman x reader #dream x reader #the sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus #the fourth tool

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m1ckeyb3rry · 22 days

Text

── PEREGRINE // ONE

Series Synopsis: The ways that you and Seishiro Nagi fall together and fall apart over the years.

Chapter Synopsis: You wrap up your affairs before flying over to your hometown, where your best friend will soon have his wedding.

Series Masterlist

Pairing(s): Nagi x Reader, Kira x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.2k

Content Warnings: unhealthy relationships, cheating, non-linear narrative, probably ooc, angst, nagi is endgame, kira sucks, alternate universe, original characters

A/N: you know it’s a m1ckeyb3rry fic when the main love interest doesn’t even show up for the first few chapters…also please note this is NOT THE FIRST CHAPTER of the story there is a prologue before it!! which gives a lot of necessary background so you’re not (as) confused by the plot

divider credits: @/benkeibear

“Sora,” you cooed at your cat, your torso jammed beneath the bed as you tried to pull her out. “Dearest Sora, please don’t make this so difficult.”

“I told you you should’ve gotten rid of her when you had the chance,” Ryosuke said from where he was folding clothes to put in his suitcase. “Honestly, I don’t get why you insist on keeping her around. All she does is shit in the house and make problems.”

“She uses her litter box like a good girl, and she doesn’t cause trouble on purpose,” you said. “She’s an animal, not a person. She’s not capable of malicious intent.”

“Whatever. All I’m saying is that things would be a lot easier if you had just left her at the shelter when you moved in with me,” he said.

“I’ve had her for years,” you said, finally getting a grasp on her body and yanking her out in one swift move. “She’s a part of my family. I don’t know why you’re so determined to hate her.”

“She hates me, too!” he said. True to form, Sora hissed at him as you walked past, her ears flattening to show the disdain she had always held for him. “And you always take her side. It’s like you like her more than me!”

You rolled your eyes. “She’s a cat. You’re jealous of a cat.”

And you’re the one who’s cheating, anyways. You left this second part unsaid, because it wasn’t really relevant to the conversation, and besides, you had done such a good job at maintaining the facade of normalcy in your relationship that it would be a waste to break it just because he was annoying you.

That didn’t stop you from scowling at him when his back was turned, pressing a kiss atop Sora’s head and smiling when she purred at the show of affection — or was it because you were in the kitchen and near to her container of treats on the counter that she was so pleased?

“I’m not sure what to do with you,” you admitted, scratching under her chin with one hand and opening the jar with the other, offering her half of a treat as a consolation for having ripped her so uncaringly from her hiding place. She accepted it daintily, which meant that all was forgiven, and you stroked her in appreciation.

She was an enormous, fluffy white cat, closer in size to a small dog than anything. Her eyes were a wide, endless blue, hence why you had named her Sora, and her fur felt like cotton when you ran your hands through it. You had had her for almost as long as you had been in America, and you thought that there was almost no one in the entire vapid country who you loved more.

Normally, if you and Ryosuke had to go somewhere, you’d drop Sora off at Chigiri’s. She liked him well enough, and he was typically glad for the company, so it was a mutually beneficial deal. But of course, this time, Chigiri would also be away, as he was attending the same wedding that you and Ryosuke were, which meant that you were somewhat out of luck.

Sora dangled limply in your arms like a heap of rags as you paced about the kitchen, trying and failing to come up with someone who could take care of her while you were gone. Finally giving up when you realized that Chigiri had been right, you really did need more friends, you picked up your phone and called the man in question.

“Yo,” he said, answering almost immediately, though you could hear the shower running in the background, which meant he was either about to get into the bath or had gotten out for the express purpose of answering you. Either way, you decided not to hold him up with useless pleasantries.

“Hey, Chigiri,” you said. “I heard you’re going to Reo and May’s wedding?”

“Yeah, I’m between jobs again, so it’s not like I need to take off work or anything,” he said.

“Again?” you said, your resolve to have a quick conversation shattering almost immediately. The sound of water stopped, which meant that he, too, sensed the call was probably not going to be a short one.

“Tell me about it. I can only land short-term gigs at the moment,” he said.

“Maybe you should just move away from trying to coach entirely,” you suggested. “You were a marketing major, right? You could probably go corporate.”

“I know, but I don’t think I’m that desperate yet. I’m sure something or another will come along. The issue is that no high-level team wants a coach who hasn’t played in years, but those high-level gigs are the ones that are much steadier in terms of pay and schedule,” he said.

“I’d want you as a coach,” you said loyally. “If I was a soccer player.”

“You’d be a shitty soccer player. I don’t even think my coaching could change that fact,” he said.

“You’re so mean to me,” you said.

“Someone has to do it,” he said.

“And there I was, trying to support you,” you said. “On a more serious note, though, any team that doesn’t hire you just because of what happened back then is stupid.”

“Oh, I agree completely, but try telling them that. It’s all ‘sorry, but we want a coach that has a little more experience.’ I have experience! The only reason our school ever won games was because of me, even after I stopped being able to play myself. It’s not like that dumbass coach ever did anything for us beyond praising your peacock bastard fiancé,” he said

“Exactly,” you said, though you had no idea how true this was, as according to Ryosuke, he had been the one to carry the team to victory. The roles Chigiri might’ve had to play in their victories, if any, had always been omitted.

“Ugh, it’s fine. Like I said, I’m sure there’s some youth league that’ll take me on next season, so it’s okay. I’ll work it out, like I always do,”he said.

“Let me know if you need help at any point,” you said.

“Always,” he said.

“In the meantime, uh, I actually need your help,” you said.

“Right, I was wondering why you had called,” he said.

“The thing is that I don’t have anyone else I can leave Sora with, so I was going to pay one of my company’s interns to watch her while we’re gone,” you said.

“Aw, make sure you pick someone gentle. She’s very particular,” he said.

“You know, she is my cat,” you said.

“Just reminding you!” he said.

“I think I know who I’m going to ask already, so as long as he agrees to it, it’ll be fine,” you said.

“Okay, so what’s my place in all of this?” he said.

“Ryosuke and I have to go over a little earlier, since I’m the maid of honor, so I was wondering if you’d be alright with watching her until you have to leave?” you said.

“Why, because you don’t have to pay me?” he said.

“I can, if you want,” you said. “It’s just so she can be somewhere she’s comfortable, since she’s never met this kid before.”

“I was just joking, don’t worry about it. Drop her off whenever,” he said.

“You’re the best,” you said.

“Yup,” he agreed. “Now, I was kind of in the middle of something, so…”

“Oops, right, go enjoy your shower,” you said.

“Wait, how’d you know I was showering?”

Although there were several interns working for your company at any given time, you generally paid little attention to most of them. You were too busy with your own work and life to care about their struggles, so beyond giving them advice when they asked and helping them out when you didn’t have to go out of your way to, you didn’t interact with them much.

There was one boy, though, who had caught your eye. Something about his aloof personality and quiet demeanor reminded you of a person you had known back in high school, and you had unofficially adopted him, though you weren’t sure if he was exactly aware of this fact.

Actually, he was definitely unaware, considering the way he all but jumped out of his skin when you sat across from him in the lunchroom.

“Hey, Niko,” you said brightly. His dark hair covered his eyes, so you couldn’t read his reaction, but if you had to guess, it was probably panic. If you were in his place, that was what you’d be feeling, considering it wasn’t exactly typical of the regular employees to hang out with the students.

“Um, hello, Miss L/N,” he said, somehow managing to keep his voice level. “Am I in trouble or something?”

“No,” you said. “I just need you to do me a favor.”

He got out of his seat immediately, pulling out his phone from his pocket and opening the notes app. You furrowed your brow as he tapped his foot expectantly.

“Well? What’s your coffee order? And which shop do you want me to get it from? I accidentally went to Starbucks the other day to get a latte for the director and he freaked out about it,” he said.

“Oh! He thinks Starbucks makes their coffee too sweet, that’s probably why,” you said.

“I learned that the hard way,” he said.

“Yikes, I’m sure that was not a fun conversation,” you said. “But that’s unimportant. I don’t need coffee, and you don’t have to say yes to this or anything. I guess you can consider it to be more of a request from a friend — although I promise I will pay you!”

“Okay,” Niko said hesitantly.

“I’ll just lay it on you,” you said.

“Go ahead,” he said.

“I’m going abroad for a wedding soon, and I need someone to watch my cat,” you said. “She’s very well-behaved and friendly! Honestly, she’ll just sit with you on the couch the whole time, I’m sure. I’ll give you her food and everything, and like I said, I’ll pay you, so how about it?”

For the first time, he looked up at you, his hair falling out of his face and revealing bright, shimmering eyes. He clasped his hands together, a smile threatening to dawn upon his face, and then it was your turn to grow bewildered by the sudden switch in his personality.

“Yes!” he said. “I’d even do it for free, Miss L/N.”

“Woah, are you a cat enthusiast or something? And none of that; of course I’m going to pay, or else it’d just feel like I’m taking advantage of some poor intern,” you said.

“I really like them,” he said. “I’ve had one my whole life, but my house is a three hour drive from campus, so I haven’t gotten to see her much since graduating high school. I really miss hanging out with her, though, so it’ll be nice to have a cat around, even if it’s only for a little while.”

“Perfect!” you said, cheering internally at how well things had worked out. “She’ll be staying with a friend of mine, so if you’ll give me your number, I’ll send it to him so you can coordinate picking her up at some point.”

“Sure,” he said, giving you his phone so you could type his number into your own. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“Hyoma Chigiri,” you said. Niko’s jaw dropped.

“Hyoma Chigiri?” he whispered. “You’re friends with him?”

“Do you know him or something?” you said, handing him his phone back. Niko shook his head.

“Not personally, but I remember reading about what happened to him,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons my parents convinced me to stop playing soccer.”

“Ah, maybe don’t mention it around him,” you said. “He’s doing fine now, but he still doesn’t like talking about it.”

“That’s understandable,” Niko said. “My lips are sealed. I just can’t believe I’m going to have Hyoma Chigiri’s number in my phone!”

“Feel free to act like a fan all you want,” you said, after the initial strangeness of meeting someone still so obsessed with Chigiri had passed. “He really appreciates it when people praise him. Though, you probably shouldn’t spam him or anything.”

“I’ll be just as responsible with his phone number as I will with your cat. Thank you for entrusting me with this, Miss L/N! I promise I won’t let you down,” he said.

“I know you won’t,” you said. “And, to be fair, it’s not really a difficult task. Just sit at home and watch TV a lot and be kind with her; if you can do that, then Sora will be perfectly content.”

“That’s what I’d do anyways,” he said.

“Great,” you said. “Now I can feel even less like I’m taking advantage of some poor intern.”

“Thank you again for your faith in me!” he said when you reached your office, bowing at you as if you were some kind of sage master that had offered him a great opportunity for personal growth.

At least he was taking it seriously. You thanked whatever deity had intervened on your behalf that you had found the one person within a ten-mile radius who would care for Sora as well as you or Chigiri would.

Unlike Ryosuke, you barely packed anything but the most basic of items. This was because you knew full well that the minute you stepped foot on Japanese soil, you would be dragged into Reo’s arms, whereupon he would force you into his car and take you shopping at the closest luxury mall — on his card, of course. He was prone to such acts when it came to you, mostly because you were one of the first true friends he had ever had, and so he tended to spoil you as if you were his baby sister or something.

“How can you be sure that Reo’s going to get you everything you need?” Ryosuke said, eyeing the suitcase you lifted into the trunk of the car. “It’s been a pretty long time since you saw him last. He’s probably matured a ton since then — I mean, he’s getting married! What kind of wife would be okay with her husband doting on some random girl?”

“For one, I’m not some random girl; I’ve known May longer than Reo has, and I’m also the one who introduced them to one another. She knows there’s nothing between us, so there would be no reason for her to not be okay with it. Secondly, I’ve been friends with Reo for so long that he’s more like a weird cousin of mine than anything. The Mikages look after their own, and it just so happens that I am, by proxy, one of them. So I can be reasonably confident that it’ll work out in that way,” you said.

“Don’t you feel bad, then?” he said. “You’re using your best friend for his money.”

“You’re so determined to find fault with our relationship,” you said. “It’s not like that. Everyone has different ways to show affection for the people they care about. It just so happens that Reo’s so wealthy that that kind of thing is his own personal manner.”

Ryosuke scoffed, pressing the button to turn on the ignition and starting the car without another word, prompting a worried mewl from Sora, whose carrier was currently on your lap. You tapped the side to remind her that you were still there with her, and she quieted at that.

“Don’t forget that we have to go to Chigiri’s first,” you said.

“Yes, yes, we’ll stop by your lover’s house,” Ryosuke said. At your surprised expression, he laughed. “What? You’re always with him or at his place. Any normal person would suspect it.”

There were a million things you could say in response, but the least-inflammatory was a repetition of the same thing you had been telling him since the day the two of you got together.

“You know I’ve never been with anyone but you,” you said.

“Of course,” he said. “I guess that’s true. No matter how many people you sleep with now, you can never change the fact that I was the first.”

“Hm,” you said, staring out of the window and speaking to his reflection instead of facing him properly. “Don’t be crude.”

“Come on, it’s just us two. When else can we make these kinds of jokes?” he said.

“You didn’t seem like you were joking,” you noted.

“Y/N, I’m hurt. You thought I was being serious? I mean, did you really think that I believed for a second that anyone preferred that washed up princess’s company to mine?” he said, stalling the car in the driveway and grinning. “Tell him I said hi.”

“You and I both know that’ll accomplish nothing,” you said, slinging the bag of Sora’s things over your shoulder and gripping the handle of her carrier so tightly that your knuckles whitened. “I’ll be back soon. No point in missing our flight.”

“I’ll be here,” Ryosuke said, waving at you as he began to fiddle with the knobs on the car’s dashboard, evidently trying to decide whether he wanted the radio to play classical music or the latest episode of some talk show.

You rang the doorbell and then stepped back, knowing it might take Chigiri a second to get to the door depending on where in the house he was located. Luckily, he had been expecting your arrival, so by the time your arm began to grow numb from holding Sora’s carrier, he was opening the door and inviting you in.

“Thank you again for doing this,” you said, setting the carrier down with a thump and massaging your shoulder. Chigiri crouched gingerly, unzipping the opening to the carrier and allowing Sora to peek her head out. When she realized where she was, she bounded out, rubbing her head against Chigiri’s legs as he breathed out a laugh and rubbed her face with his hands.

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “It’s nice having someone else in the house. Less lonely.”

Your face softened, and if it weren’t for Ryosuke’s presence looming in the driveway, you’d have leaned over and hugged him. But as it was, your fiancé was waiting, and if you lingered for much longer, you risked missing your flight.

“You have Niko’s number?” you said.

“Yeah. He’s kind of a weird kid,” Chigiri said.

“What do you mean?” you said.

“He keeps telling me that he thinks I’m cool and that he can’t believe he’s texting me,” Chigiri said, a faint pink dusting his cheeks. “So strange.”

At this, you smiled, vowing to text Niko and thank him later. His admiration was exactly the boost Chigiri needed when he was so down on his luck, and though he was pretending like he found it odd, it was obvious he was pleased by the attention.

“As long as he can take care of Sora,” you said. Chigiri nodded in determination.

“I’m sure he can. He obviously has good taste in other things, so it stands to reason that he’d be the kind of person who could really look out for her in the way she’s used to,” he said.

“You would be the first to die in a horror movie,” you said. “Did you know that?”

“What? Why would you say such a thing?” he said.

“Never mind,” you said. “I should go. Ryosuke’s in the car, and our flight is soon.”

Chigiri wrinkled his nose, his whole delicate face crumpling at the mention of your fiancé.

“I thought something felt off about the property,” he said.

“You are so dramatic,” you said. “He says hi.”

“Tell him I said fuck off,” Chigiri said.

“I don’t think — actually, sure,” you said. “I’ll do that. See you at the wedding. And Sora, please be a good girl for Chigiri and Niko alike.”

“She will be,” Chigiri said affectionately. Sora had wriggled her way into his arms, and he stood while hugging her to his chest, ready to shut the door behind you. “See you, Y/N.”

You were reluctant to leave, because it would be so easy to stay and talk with Chigiri while playing with Sora, but you knew you had to. Even that knowledge, though, was hardly enough — it was simply the thought of seeing Reo and May again that made you take the next step, and the next, all of the way until you were back in the passenger seat of the car and Ryosuke was reversing the car down the driveway.

“So, how is my beloved teammate?” Ryosuke said. “Did he leave you with a message for me?”

“Yes,” you said. “He told me to tell you to fuck off.”

Ryosuke chuckled. “Sounds about right. He’s always been a petty son of a—”

“Ryosuke,” you sighed. “Do you really get any gain out of insulting the only friend I have left in this country?”

“It’s the same gain he gets out of insulting your fiancé!” he said.

“Which I always reprimand him for,” you said. “And also, he at least has something resembling a reason to resent you. When you do it, it just feels excessive.”

“You defend me to him?” he said.

“Obviously?” you said. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“I suddenly feel very cheerful and optimistic,” he observed.

“What are you talking about?” you said. He waved you off.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It was a personal musing. Think of it like an interjection from the narrator, except that in this case, the narrator and the protagonist are the same.”

“Okay,” you said. “Sure. If that’s what makes sense to you.”

The two of you spent the rest of the drive to the airport in relative silence. Ryosuke hummed along to whatever pop song came on the radio, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove, and you texted your friends — mostly Reo and May, who had been anxiously waiting for your arrival since you had agreed to come at all.

When you had first started dating, you used to go on aimless drives for hours, talking about whatever crossed your mind. Not a second would go by without one of you speaking, but that kind of constant conversation wasn’t sustainable. Eventually, you both ran out of things to say, and so you began to spend more and more of your time together in silence. That was around the time that Ryosuke began to seek outside assistance in quelling the fire which was constantly blazing within him; whether it was a coincidence or a cause, you could not tell, but it remained that everything had happened at once and led to your relationship now being like this.

You always forgot how long the flight back to Japan was. It was the second reason you never visited, beyond the fact that there was hardly anything worth visiting in the first place — it was a day-long ordeal composed of arguing with the TSA agents, waiting in security lines, and of course the flight itself, which was only marginally bearable because Reo insisted on buying you first-class tickets.

You spent most of it dozing, the armrest between you and Ryosuke pushed up so you could lean your head against his chest as he watched a movie. In the haze of your sleep, you could feel his arm wrapping around your shoulders, his fingers idly stroking your cheek as if that were the natural outcome, as if there was no other place that they could come to rest. It was the easiest that things had ever been between you in some time, and subconsciously, you relished in it, in the soft scent of his cologne, in the warmth of pretending like you were loved by someone again.

Reo had told you, in no uncertain terms, to not even attempt going to the baggage claim. He had contacts in the airport who would take care of it, because of course he did, and so the only thing you and Ryosuke had to do was meet him and May at the gate. You stopped in the bathroom, mostly at your insistence, so that you could freshen yourself after the long flight, which had sapped you of most of your energy despite how much of it you had spent sleeping.

“Are you nervous?” Ryosuke said as you reached the door. He held both of your carry-on bags in his hands, an amused grin on his face as you all but vibrated with every step you took.

“Of course,” you said. “I haven’t seen them in so long, and I haven’t been back home in that same amount of time. I don’t know how it’s all changed. And what if it hasn’t? What if the only one who’s changed is me?”

“Only one way to find out,” he said, nudging you in the side. “Look who it is.”

Standing awkwardly by the metal barrier separating the airport from the street in front of it, surrounded by security guards that kept the rest of the crowds at bay, was Reo Mikage. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a polo, sunglasses perched on his head as he checked the time on the — likely expensive — watch which he wore on his left wrist.

A grin split your face, your spirit rejuvenated as surely as if you had never been exhausted in the first place. Cupping your hands around your mouth to amplify your voice, you shouted out his name with glee.

“Reo!”

The boredom dropped from his expression immediately as his head snapped up, trying to determine the source of the noise. When he locked eyes with you, he beamed so brightly that you were all but blinded by it, and then you were both racing towards the opening in the barricade where you could finally meet.

You tossed your arms around his neck as soon as you could reach him, clinging onto him tightly, suddenly and unreasonably weepy at the fact that the two of you had finally been reunited. He did the same, squeezing you to the point that you thought you might burst from the pressure.

“I can’t believe you’re finally back,” he said, letting you go and holding you at an arm’s length so that he could look you over with a critical eye. “How have you been?”

“Good,” you said. “Where’s May?”

“She had to go to the bathroom,” he said. “She should be back in a couple of seconds, and she’ll probably be furious, too, considering she was really hoping she’d spot you first. I convinced her that it would be fine for her to take a moment to herself, and that it’d probably still be a bit of time before you arrived, but, uh, I guess it ended up being kind of an unfortunate coincidence in that sense.”

“What’s up, man? Congrats on the wedding,” Ryosuke said, finally catching up to you and offering Reo his hand. Reo glanced at it, and anyone who didn’t know him as well as you did wouldn’t have even noticed the way he hesitated before taking it and shaking it with the firm conviction of a businessman.

“Thanks, Kira,” he said. “You’ve been taking care of my best friend?”

“’Course I have been,” Ryosuke said, ruffling your hair. You did your best to force a laugh, not wanting Reo to have to concern himself with your wellbeing when he was about to be married. “You’ll be the one coming back to America for our wedding soon.”

“That so?” Reo said, raising an eyebrow at you. “I expect to be the first one invited to the wedding, then.”

“Was I the first one invited to yours?” you shot back.

“Er, I mean, not exactly…” Reo said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I had to tell Nagi first, since I wanted him to be my best man and had to give him adequate time to prepare for the hassle of the role.”

“Then I’ll invite May first, since she’ll naturally be my maid of honor,” you said, your stomach twisting at the mention of Nagi. “But you can be second, Reo.”

“That’s right!” a new voice said. “He had better be second, considering he sent me to the bathroom so that he could win our bet!”

And then there she was in front of you: Reo’s soon-to-be wife and your former roommate, May Ducat. Her thick brown hair was loose and wavy around her shoulders, and her peacock-feather eyes gleamed as she embraced you tightly.

“May,” you said. “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you!” she said. “I miss you every day. Mostly because you were a much better roommate than this one. He snores.”

“Hey!” Reo said, gasping in offense. “I do not.”

You dug around in your pocket before solemnly presenting her with a box of breathe-right strips.

“I know,” you said. May clapped in delight, accepting them and then turning to hand them to Reo, who took them even as he protested that he definitely didn’t need them and how would Y/N even know if I snore, anyways?

“Congratulations, May,” Ryosuke said, offering her his hand as well. May glanced at but did not accept it, opting to smile frigidly instead.

“Thank you for coming,” she said. After a discomfiting pause, Ryosuke lowered his hand, brushing it off against his pants and clearing his throat.

“I couldn’t let Y/N come alone,” he said.

“Of course not,” she said.

“It’ll be my first time meeting her parents,” he said. At this, May gave you a sad look. Though you had never told her much, she had always harbored her suspicions, always been less fond of Ryosuke than she really ought to be, considering he was typically polite to her.

“I hope it goes well,” she said. Ever the diplomat, Reo was the first to break the ensuing silence, clearing his throat.

“Alright, then! I’ll have one of my drivers take you two to your hotel room, where your things will be waiting, and then tonight, we can show you around. Y/N, they just built a new mall where that park used to be, so we can go shopping there,” he said.

“They built a mall over the park?” you said, your eyes widening at the prospect. Reo nodded.

“Isn’t it great? It’s so much more convenient than the one we used to go to,” he said. You disguised your frown with a yawn.

“Right,” you said.

“Try not to sleep,” May advised. “It’ll help you break your jet lag if you just stay up for as long as you can.”

“We’ll do our best,” Ryosuke said. May gave him a measured look before nodding slightly, turning away to continue her conversation with Reo instead of risking further discussion with your fiancé.

The hotel you were staying in was only a few streets down from your childhood home, and as with all things Reo, it was excessively opulent. The shower itself was large enough to fit at least ten people, and you spent far longer in it than was really necessary, rinsing the grime of your journey off of yourself.

“Going to sleep already?” Ryosuke said when you crawled under the covers of the bed beside him. “May recommended we wait.”

“I know,” you said with a yawn. “I’m just going to lie down and close my eyes. I’m not actually going to sleep or anything.”

“Whatever you say,” he said, patting you on the head. “I’ll do the same, then.”

Before long, the both of you had passed out.

#nagi x reader #nagi x y/n #nagi x you #nagi seishiro #bllk x reader #bllk #blue lock #reader insert #modern au #peregrine #m1ckeyb3rry writes

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and-claudia · 9 months

Text

Against All Odds pt.6 (Joel Miller x fem! reader)

Warnings: more angst

General Warnings for later on: The main story will have an age gap between Joel and the reader (Reader will be 25 once we get to the main storyline), this will also be your warning that it will eventually be an x pregnant reader (if that's not your jam, I'm sorry) there is also going to be more graphic/trigger parts later on so please always to be sure to read the warnings BEFORE reading. This story will also be 18+ and TO BE ON THE TAGLIST YOU CAN NOT BE AN AGELESS BLOG (i do actually check that) also there first hand full of parts are all prologue so Joel won't actually be in it for a bit

word count: 4000+ (sorry this one wasn't as long, this ep is more about Bill and Frank so there wasn't a whole lot to work with and I wasn't sure what to add either)

Taglist Sign-Up (read my rules carefully before filling it out)

gif not mine

We walked along in a deafening silence for about two hours, no one daring to say anything. We stopped to eat, but none of us seemed to actually have an appetite. It wasn’t until after our short break that someone finally spoke up.

“So how much further do we have to go?” Ellie asked.

“We’ll try to go another hour then finish the trip tomorrow.” Joel said, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

“Get to the river and stay there for the night?” I asked and he only nodded.

He began walking without another word leaving me and Ellie to follow him. Once again, we were thrown into silence. We made it to a clearing beside the river as the sun began to set, making the shadows of the trees around cast us into darkness.

“We’ll stay here.” Joel declared.

“There’s no Infected here, is there?”

“No.” I tried to reassure the younger girl.

“Sometimes.” Joel said gruffly, contradicting what I had just told her.

“Rarely. Joel has only ever come across one way out here. We’re ten miles from the outskirts of the city. We will be safe, I promise. Joel and I will switch off keeping watch throughout the night.” I said.

“I’ll keep watch.” Joel said, leaning against a tree with his back to us.

I walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, “Joel, you need to get some rest. You stayed up last night on watch. I can help watch.”

“No, Tess and I kept watch.” He snapped as he corrected me.

I sighed, “Joel, I know you’re hurting, but please don’t take it out on me. I had nothing to do with that. I’m sorry, I really am but we need to keep going. That’s what she wanted.”

“You’ve realized when she got bitten, don’t you?” He asked, looking forward still.

“No…” I hadn’t really thought too much about it.

“I’ve been trying to figure it out this whole time and I think I got it. The only time it could have happened was in that damn museum. And it got me thinkin’... maybe if I wasn’t so focussed on protecting you, then maybe we wouldn’t have gotten separated. Maybe that clicker wouldn’t have gotten her.”

I dropped my hand, “You- You’re not seriously trying to blame me for Tess getting bitten? Are you?”

He didn’t answer my question just turned around and squatted down to get his canteen.

“I am going to go fill my canteen. You and Ellie should probably do so soon or you’ll have to wait until the morning.” He said as I stood there stunned.

After he walked off I walked over to where Ellie was sitting and sat down near her.

“Dude, are you okay?”

I only raised an eyebrow in response to her.

“You look pale… oh please tell me you’re not gonna hurl again.”

I shook my head.

“Wait, what were you two talking about?” She asked realizing this had something to do with the conversation I just had with Joel.

“He’s blaming me.” I said quietly.

“For?” She asked clearly confused.

“Tess.”

“How?! It’s not like you’re the Infected who bit her.”

I just shrugged.

“Do you need to refill your water or can you wait till morning?” I asked wanting to change the subject.

“I can wait.”

I nodded, “Get some rest, we’ll get you to Bill and Franks tomorrow.”

What I didn’t mention though was that I had just made the decision to stay with them as well and let Joel go back to Boston alone.

After a while of trying to find a semi-comfortable, or more so tolerable, position to sleep against the tree I was leaning against I fell asleep. Despite what he had said earlier I had set a two-hour timer on my watch and had gotten up when it started going off, ready to take over watching out for our little group. But when I offered, Joel gave no answer and after a few attempts, I just gave up and walked back over to my spot to go back to sleep.

The next time I woke up, it was just after dawn and Joel was nowhere to be seen. I panicked for a second thinking he just left us, but I knew he would never actually do that, no matter how pissed off he was with me. I figured he probably went off somewhere to go to the bathroom or something so I decided to be productive and go ahead and refill our waters down at the river. I grabbed all three of our canteens and began to walk down to where the water was deeper so I wouldn’t get dirt in them.

When I got there I was surprised to find Joel there. I didn’t say a word or get too close. My plan was to refill the waters and that is what I was going to do.

“You’re up early.” Joel commented upon seeing me.

I only hummed in response.

“Did morning sickness wake you up?” He asked.

“Nope. I feel fine, Joel. Just refilling the water.” I said, closing one of them and grabbing the next.

“Let me get the last one.” He said reaching for it.

“I got it. I don’t need your help.” I snapped.

“Is the girl awake?” He asked after sighing.

“Ellie,” I emphasized her name, “is still asleep.”

He just sighed again before standing up and walking back to where Ellie was at. I finished up filling the last of the canteens before collecting them all and heading back as well.

3rd person PoV

Joel got back to where Ellie was now sitting against a tree, awake. He didn’t say anything to her just went over to his bag to grab a small piece of jerky to eat before they left for Bill and Franks.

“Do you want your jacket back?” Ellie asked, Joel had given it to her to cover up last night.

He shook his “no” before tossing her the pouch of jerky for her to take a piece as well.

“It’s not her fault.” Ellie said after a few beats of silence.

Joel gave her a weird look.

“Yn, she told me you blamed her for what happened to Tess. You can’t blame her for that. I don’t what exactly you two have going on, but you need to figure it out, and that means you need to realize that she didn’t get Tess killed, I get that you’re hurt but you can’t let that keep you from what you know you gotta do. I mean come on, man she’s having a baby, don’t you want to be there for her? For your kid?”

“You’re right, you don’t know what we have goin’ on, so don’t pretend to.” Joel said as he threw his backpack onto his back.

By the time Yn got back the other two had already gotten ready to go.

Yn’s PoV

“You ready for a five-hour hike?” Ellie asked.

“I don’t exactly have a choice do I?” I joked as I handed her her water.

“Let’s get going.” Joel said, taking his from me as well.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Ellie finally broke the silence we had been walking in since we left.

“I thought you said there weren’t any infected out here?” She asked.

“Rarely, why?” I answered her.

“What is he looking out for then?” She asked, referring to Joel.

“People.” He answered for me.

“Oh,” The younger girl nodded, “Are Bill and Frank nice guys?”

I could tell she was just as tired of the silence as I was.

“Frank is.” Joel replied causing me to crack a small smile to myself.

“How’d you get that scar on your head?”

That question made me cringe as I waited to see what Joel would answer. But when he gave no response, Ellie decided to press the matter.

“What? Is it something lame? Did you like fall down the stairs or something?”

“I didn’t fall down any stairs.” Joel snapped.

But that didn’t stop Ellie, “Okay, so what then?... ew don’t tell me y’all were doing some weird sex thing and it went totally wrong.” She said, cringing.

“It wasn’t a sex thing.” I said to her.

“Okay, well if you won’t tell me, I’m sure I can get Yn to. She clearly knows.” Ellied said.

Joel sighed, “Fine, someone shot at me and missed.” He said, which wasn’t a total lie.

“See, that’s cool. You shoot back?” Ellie asked.

“Yeah.”

“You get him?”

“No, I missed too. It happens more often than you think.” Joel said.

At this point, I reached up and gently grabbed Ellie to pull her back in step with me so she wouldn’t ask any more about what had happened.

We continued to walk along the path until we came to an old convenient store gas station on the side of the road. I remembered the palace. It was used to stash supplies on runs.

“Wait here. I gotta grab some stuff I stashed.” Joel said, walking closer to the entrance.

Neither Ellie nor I listened and continued to follow him.

“Why do you have stuff stashed here?” Ellie asked Joel.

“You ask a lot of goddamn questions.” Joel grumbled.

“Yes, yes I do.” Ellied replied causing me to bite back a laugh, “But you didn’t answer the question.”

“We leave supplies on routes so if we’re running low on something, we can-” I began explaining but was cut off.

“No way!” The younger girl exclaimed.

I turned to see what has caught her eye. It was a Mortal Kombat arcade game.

“You ever play this one?” She asked as she messed around with joysticks and buttons on it.

“I never did, but my brothers would sometimes.” I said, stepping up beside her.

“I had a friend who knew everything about this game.” She said.

“Really?”

“Yeah! There’s this one character, Mileena, who takes off her mask and she has monster teeth and then she swallows you whole and barfs out your bones!” She exclaimed.

“Well, that’s a lovely mental image.” I teased before turning around to see what Joel was getting into.

“Do you remember where you put it last time?” I asked genuinely since he seemed a bit confused.

“Yes, give me a minute. I’m just zeroing in on it. It’s been a while.” He said.

I putmy hands up in surrender.

“Well then while you zero in on it, Ellie and are gonna look around.” I said.

“It’s all been picked over already. You know that.” He said.

“You never know.” I said as me and Ellie began to look around.

We came up to an open doorway and she hesitated before looking up at me.

“You think there’s anything bad in there?” She asked.

“Not besides grumpy butt behind us.” I said referring to Joel and his attitude.

That made her laugh before she walked through. We walked into a smaller room that just had more debris on the ground. Ellie kicked a piece of cardboard out of the way to reveal a hatch on the ground. We both eyed each other before squatting down to open it.

We got it open but before we could investigate Joel was calling out to us.

“You two good?”

“Yeah!”

“We’re fine!”

We yelled back. Then we turned back to the opening we had just found. It was pitch black and we couldn’t see anything inside of it.

“How deep do you think it is?” She asked.

I shrugged before grabbing a piece of debris and dropping it in. It quickly hit the ground so it wasn’t too deep.

“I’m going to go down there.” Ellie said, already taking off her bag.

“No, you’re not. I’ll go. You stay here.”

“You have precious cargo. I’ll go. Look I’ll flip that trash can over and give myself an escape route.” She said.

“Joel is going to be pissed if I let you go.” I said.

“Then you didn’t let me. I bluntly ignored you and went anyways. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Before I could react she had jumped down into the floor. It was only about a minute later I heard the gasps of an infected.

“Ellie, get out now.” I said quietly but loud enough for her to hear.

“It’s stuck. It’s fine.”

“I don’t care, get the fuck back up here.” I said sternly but she ignored me.

By the time I was able to stand up, drop my bag, get my gun ready, and jump down, Ellie was already crouching in front of it. Sure enough the infected was stuck under rubble. I watched as Ellie stabbed it in the head with her knife.

“Okay, if you’re done playing with that thing, can we go? Joel is going to freak if he finds out you got that close to one.” I said.

She sighed and stood up before walking back over to me. I could hear Joel calling our names as we climbed out using the trashcan. Ellie went first and just as I climbed out Joel stepped into the doorway of the small room.

“What the hell were you two doing down there?” He asked.

“Looking.” I said, before standing up and grabbing my bag.

“Picked over, my ass.” Ellie said as she stepped passed Joel, proudly showing off the box of tampons she had managed to find down there.

“You find the stash?” I asked.

He nodded, “Left the rifle there too. It’s almost out of ammo and I don’t think they’ll have any for it. Practically useless now.” He said.

I nodded.

Then without another word, he turned around to walk out. I followed behind him. Soon we were walking again. The silence took over.

There wasn’t really much to see this far from a QZ. It was now mainly just land. There was an occasional abandoned car or building but other than that it was just nature. It was nice to listen to, but it was also boring. The last time I had walked through here Joel and I were talking the whole time practically now he had barely said anything to me the whole time since we left the QZ.

Up ahead there was a pretty big hill, I remembered it from last time. There was a plane crashed on top of it. I didn’t particularly like looking at it. Although you couldn’t see anything, you just knew everyone died on that plane. It was eerie to see it.

“You ever fly in one of those?” Ellie asked.

“I never did, no.” I said.

“A few times.” Joel said.

“So lucky.” Ellie said in awe.

“Didn’t feel like it at the time. Get shoved into a little seat, pay $12 bucks for a sandwich.” He said.

“Dude, you got to go up in the sky.” Ellie said, cutting him off.

I had to admit that she was right. It was pretty cool. You never see planes like that flying around anywhere anymore.

“Yeah, well so did they.” Joel said, nodding to the crash, before truing and walking down the path.

“Way to be an ass about it.” I mumbled.

As we continued walking, Ellie continued to ask questions. I answered when I could and listened when Joel would speak.

“So, everything came crashing down in a single day?” The young girl asked.

“Pretty much.”

“Basically.”

Joel and I said at the same time.

“How? I mean no one was infected with Cordyceps, everybody’s fine, eating in restaurants and flying in planes. And then all at once? How did it even start? You have to get bit to be infected, then who bit the first person? Was it a monkey? I bet it was a monkey.”

Her last comment made me laugh a little.

“It wasn’t a monkey. I thought you went to school.” Joel said

“FEDRA school. They don’t teach us how their shitty government failed to prevent a pandemic.” She explained.

“To answer your question, no really knows. There are theories but no one knows with 100% certainty that it came from this or that.” I explained.

“The best guess is that the Cordyceps mutated,” Joel began, “Then some of it got into the food supply. Probably a basic ingredient like flour or sugar. There were certain brands of food that were sold everywhere, all across the country, across the world. Bread, cereal,... pancake mix…”

I caught the way his face dropped at the mention of that last one.

“You eat enough of it, it’ll get you infected. So the tainted food all hits the store shelves, around the same time Thursday. People bought it, ate some Thursday night or Friday morning. Day goes on… they started to get sick. Afternoon, evening, they got worse. Then they started bitin’.”

“By that night, everything had fallen to shit.” I added as the memories came flooding back.

Joel nodded before continuing, “Friday night, September 26th, 2003. By Monday everything was gone.”

I wiped the few tears that had slipped out off my cheeks as we continued to walk.

“Makes a lot more sense than monkeys, I guess…” Ellied said, clearly unsure of what to say to all the information she just received.

We continued to walk and I knew what was coming up.

“We’ll cut across the woods here.” Joel said painting to the tree line.

“Why? Isn’t the road easier?” Ellied questioned.

“Yeah, it’s just… there’s stuff up there you shouldn’t see.” Joel said.

“Well, now I have to see.” She countered.

“I don’t want you to.”

“Too bad let’s go.” She said walking out ahead of us.

“Ellie!” Joel called to get her to stop.

“Joel, just let her. She’ll have to learn at some point.” I said gently grabbing his arm only for him to pull it away from me as he followed Ellie down the path.

She was a few yards ahead of us as we walked along quietly. I kept my eyes glued straight ahead not wanting to see what was coming up beside us.

“Well, whatever it is, I think it’s gone!” Ellied called back to us. She stopped short and turned to her side to see what was in the ditch there. The pit was filled with human bones. Ellie turned to us for answers.

“About a week after Outbreak Day, soldiers went through the country sides, evacuated small towns. Told you you were goin’ to a QZ and you were… if there was room. If there wasn’t.”

This time I was the one to walk away without a word. I walked down the path trying to get away from the sight before us. Although I wasn’t from a super small town, my town wasn’t huge. I couldn’t help but think about if we hadn’t of ran that night would me and my family met the same fate as all of them.

The rest of the walk was spent lost in my own thoughts. Finally, what snapped me out of it was seeing the fence to Bill and Frank’s appear in the distance. I smiled knowing I would be able to sit down and rest my feet soon. When we got to the gate, Joel punched in the code and it unlocked for us. We walked down the road and up to their house. The first thing I noticed was the flowers out front were wilting, Frank would never let that happen.

It was quiet… too quiet. Joel called out both of their names but there was no reply. My heart began to race.

“Wait here Ellie.” I said as Joel and I both went to look for them.

As we walked around I knew what was going on. There was a thick layer of dust covering everything, food in the kitchen was rotting, their garden was being overrun with weeds.

“Joel…” I said, voice cracking.

He turned to me and shook his head, “No. They are here somewhere. Let’s just check their room.” He said, stepping away to try their bedroom door. It was locked.

“Joel… look around, they’re not here. They haven’t been for a while.” Saying it out loud made my heart break.

Before any of us could say anything we heard something at the front of the house. We both rushed up there to find Ellie sitting at a chair reading a letter.

“It’s from Bill.” She said, grabbing the envelope and reading off who it was addressed to, “To whomever… but probably Joel.”

Joel took the letter and scanned over it. I watched anxiously as Joel read the letter. His face was unreadable. He didn’t say a word when he was finished, he just held it out for me to take.

My eyes scanned over the words over and over as if they would somehow magically change. They didn’t. Bill and Frank were gone. I let that set in and read the rest of the letter. The was a “P.S.” at the very bottom.

“I know you know where the keys to my truck are. Take it.”

I laughed sadly as I read it causing Joel to give me a weird look.

“He wants us to take the truck.” I said showing him what I was talking about in the letter.

I saw the faintest of smiles appear on his face. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, and so was he. He turned on his heel and walked out of the house. I sighed and dropped my head.

“Hey, why don’t I walk you down to the old shops, there might be some salvageable clothes down there. We can grab some, bring them here, wash them, take a shower and get cleaned up before Joel and I figure out the next move.”

“Yeah, sure.” Ellie said.

“Alright, come on.” I said as I stood.

We walked out of the house and I could see Joel just standing at the edge of the yard, thinking. I let him be. He needed time to process, the least I could do was give that to him. It didn’t take long to get down there. Frank had fixed them up pretty damn well and there was actually a decent amount of stuff left behind. I told Ellie to pick out two sets of clothes to bring with us as I did the same. I tried to find leggings that would stretch hopefully once I began showing as well as shirts that would be big on me. Hopefully, we’d be done traveling before it got too bitter cold out. I also grabbed a handful of clothes for Joel to look through as well.

“You were gonna stay too, weren’t you?” Ellie asked, suddenly appearing beside me causing me to jump slightly.

I sighed, “Yeah. For the baby. It would’ve just been easier.” I admitted.

She nodded, “I think he’ll come around eventually.”

I gave her a grateful smile, “Are you ready to head back?” I asked.

“Almost, I wanted to show you something I found, just in case you wanted any of it. Come on.” She said, turning and walking away to a different area.

She led me over to a cardboard box. I gave her a weird look but opened it. Inside there little baby onesies. I felt my eyes begin to water a little. This was really happening, I was going to have a baby.

“Shit, you okay?” Ellie asked clearly worried she had done something to upset me.

“Yeah, I’m fine… it’s just kinda hitting me that I am having a baby… like there’s going to be a small human here in a few months… that’s insane.” I laughed, “You pick out 3, I’ll pick out 3, they’re small enough to fold down pretty small in my bag.” I said.

Ellie nodded excitedly. We both stuck to fairly neutral ones. Once we had those we gathered up everything and walked back to the house. When we got there Joel was sitting at the table, letter in one hand and a glass of some type of alcohol on the table beside him.

“What’s all that?” He asked upon seeing our small haul.

“Extra clothes. I am going to wash them, then I figured we could shower, regroup and figure out our game plan.” I said.

“Sure.” He gruffed, reaching for the glass.

“Let me go start these, then I’ll show you where the bathroom is.” I said to Ellie.

Once Ellie was in the shower I went back to where Joel was.

“I grabbed a few things that I thought might fit you as well.” I said as I took a seat beside him.

He nodded.

“What do we do with the kid now?” Joel asked.

“We take her with us.”

taglist: (if you filled out a form and aren't on this list that means either a) your blog is not coming up in the searches so I am unable to confirm that you are 18+, or b) you did not follow my rules for being tagged in this fic)

@sexyvixen7

@joelmillerslays

@elliaze

@little-lovely-darling

@swimmjacket

@watercolorskyy

@mserynlarsen

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@taz-97

#joel the last of us #joel miller x reader #joel x reader #joel miller smut #joel miller x pregnant reader #joel tlou #joel miller x reader fluff #joel miller #hbo the last of us #the last of us hbo #the last of us #hbo tlou

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quiwilove · 5 months

Text

Like a Tattoo - Prologue

Pairing: Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan x Omatikaya!Reader.

Synopsis: Neteyam’s backstory.

Genre: Angst.

Warnings: Depiction of violence, Mentions of blood, Death, War, Arranged betrothal, Grief, ED, Nightmares. MDNI.

Word-count: 3.1k

Author’s note: This will be a multi-chapter series and I thing having a backstory gives the readers(you!) a better understanding of the characters. If you don’t want to read the prologue it’s totally fine! Also this is my first time publishing a work of mine on tumblr, so be patient with me, please! Write to me if you have any suggestions or advice regarding the story.

Combatants

- At the age of fifteen he had already learned silence.

It was his fourth time at a raid. Everything was planned, calculated to the very last drop.

Jake Sully, the great Olo'eyktan and his father, had stayed till late hours perfecting the plan of their raid. The tent in which they were staying was mostly used for gatherings of all the skilled warriors within the clan including Toruk Makto. The meetings consisted of strategic planning of their upcoming attacks, they would draw on a makeshift map of the area that surrounded the tracks made by their oppressors. The tent was large enough to hold a dozen, it had a lengthy table in the middle making the space feel confined. Air felt thick, hard to breathe in.

Jake Sully had his hands pressed against the rough wood, eyebrows furrowed and eyes searching for an answer that could not be seen. Neteyam wondered if his father’s muscles were always so tense, almost as if they were about to snap.

“The RDA has taken a huge blow on their equipment. They won’t be willing to sacrifice more. I presume they’ll bring reinforcement, Sir.”

“That’s for sure, the question is from where they will hit us.” Toruk Makto’s hand went to trace over the previously drawn lines of the movement they were planning. Ink smudged beneath his fingertips slightly staining them with black. Everyone had left the gathering hours ago, pleased with their work. But to Jake it felt like nothing was finished, nothing felt right.

“It could be from anywhere, Sir. We should be prepared for the worse. Gathering a larger group of warriors on the ground would be our best option.” Neteyam felt confident in his answer, or rather tried to.

“Why so?”

“It would be easier for us to not be seen. Sky people have a pattern to their attacks. They have no ground force, only air force, so-” His fingers traced next to the lining of the tracks on the map. “-if we move here where the trees keep us cover. We would have a greater plane to move across, they wouldn’t know where to hit.” Neteyam’s eyes glanced up to his father’s, searching for validation. But Jake Sully’s face remained stoic thinking over what his son stated.

“Spotters will still be vital for us but only a few are necessary. The less we are seen in the sky the better.” He continued. His father hadn’t uttered a word. The tent's walls painfully closed around, making it hard to inhale. The confidence he once felt had drained from him. An apology for his futile comment was about to slip off his tongue as he took his last sharp breath.

“Come on, we’ll need to get a good night’s sleep.” He patted his son’s shoulder and walked out of the tent. Yes, sir, it was a whisper, almost like he had said it to himself. He leaned against the table folding the scruffy piece of paper, placing it where all the other maps and plans were situated. They smelled like poison. Once you touch them you would be marked with the blood of the ones that died during the raids. You would be part of the reason for their death.

The fifteen-year-old tried to wholly blame their invaders, the men who shot their bullets at them. But after the names of the warriors who laid deceased on the battlefield were announced, guilt consumed his mind. The blood on his hands couldn’t be washed.

Morning had come. Everyone rushed from place to place picking up weapons. Their faces were painted in different colours, masking their fear. No one was sure whether they would live throughout the day. It was a gamble, each of their raids was a gamble with death. All members of the gatherings knew of this - an unspoken truth. A truth that was too hard to swallow. Felt taboo to even think about it, so it was never spoken of aloud.

The young boy’s footsteps matched the ones of all the skilled warriors, the sense of confidence radiating off of them - they were fast and controlled, each step very well calculated. He was marching off to the tent that had been occupied by him and his father many hours ago, knowing that Jake Sully would be there. He needed to apologize for his previous outburst. He felt compunction clawing at him, he needed to learn to be silent - to keep all fruitless comments to himself. Neteyam was consumed by his own thoughts, each yell or noise was blurred only making a slight vibration passing through his skin. Then he heard it. Her voice.

“Neteyam, yawne!” The voice of his soon-to-be mate. She jogged through the crowd, a smile on her plump lips. Her face was decorated with warrior's paint complimenting her seraphic features. Her eyes were big, having so much life in them.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with Kiri and Mo’at helping them?” His eyes narrowed.

“I won’t be needed there.” She took his larger hands into her own, squeezing them lightly. The smile on her face remained. ”I’ll be joining you, fighting with you.”

The scowl plastered across his face deepened. A sudden premonition came over him. He had been terrified of the thought of other na’vi, unknown to him putting their life on the line. But his future mate? He could not let such a thing happen. The mere idea of losing her left him petrified.

“No. You won’t be. You’ll be staying with Mo’at, where I know you’ll be safe.” The Olo'eyktan’s son tried to keep his voice soft.

“Your father told me I can come.” Her hands moved up to his shoulders then to his face, gently caressing his freckled skin. ”I am a warrior, Neteyam. I know how to keep myself safe and… I have you to protect me.” His gaze softened, grasping her hands in his rough ones. ‘How could my father permit such a delicate girl on the filthy field?’ He thought displeased.

Neteyam and Syay had met a year ago, not by fate but their parents. Her family being a respected household in the clan, it was no wonder they would soon cross paths. At first their interactions were forced, neither of them wanted to be betrothed to the other but they knew this was their duty. They had to get along for the clan, for the people. Months went by and the hours they spent together seemed less painful and felt less like a chore.

“Promise me you will stay by my side at all times.” It was a demand. Leaning forward Syay touched her forehead to his. She could sensor the cold sweat clinging to the boy’s skin, his muscles taut

“I will, yawne.”

The brown cloth that was used as an entry was moved to the side revealing several combatants gathered around his father. On the table beneath their palms was placed the worn out map. Their gazes shot like arrows in his way, ready to pierce through the thickest flesh. Agitation was written on their faces, mortality blooming under their skin. Toruk Makto had gathered them once again due to his own fear of failure. The Olo'eyktan was the last to pick up his head.

Neteyam’s posture was awkward, out of place, his fingers still gripping the cloth. Their predatorily stare made him feel weak as If he were to be hunted. Cautiously he took a step forward, the tent’s entrance sliding closed, then a few more steps until he was at the base of the table.

“Sir, may I speak with you?” The young boy spoke with pseudo confidence, all eyes on him but his own bore through his father’s.

“Go on.”

“Privately, if possible.”

Jake Sully dismissed his comrades with a hand gesture. They all exited the tent without questioning. Authority radiated off his father. A thing he admired about him. He often wished to be more like his father - a true leader with no fear.

“I-I want to apologize for yesterday. I was creating some stupid war plan in my head and I thought it sounded smart but after saying it out loud, it lost all sense. I should have-” He was quickly cut off by his father.

“No, you are too quick to blame yourself. You are still learning Neteyam, yes but what you stated previously was quite an idea.” He licked his chapped lips, pausing for a moment “I talked with the other warriors about it. Perhaps you were right about their lack of ground force. What I am saying is that we’ll try out your plan. With that you need to know that you and some of my men will be the only spotters.”

The boy’s yellow eyes widened at the thought. Recognised by Jake, validated. He was proud of himself. The embarrassment he had felt was draining from him but then he remembered. ‘What about Syay?’ His mind raced.

“Father, Syay told me she will be coming with us. She will be with me, a spotter, right?” He leaned over the table with his hands on the edge. The size of the wooden surface seemed to shorten as his father remained silent.

“Look, Syay’s father will be on the ground and she will be with him. We both know he is capable of keeping his own daughter safe so you shouldn’t worry.” Neteyam did the opposite. He began to worry. Even if the best known soldier to Pandora was with his beloved, he would still fear for her wellbeing. He needed her to be next to him, eyes to be locked on her. The boy was painfully aware that on the ground death was promised and mercy was granted to the strongest.

“I want her with me. Switch her with one of your men, the sky is safer and you can easily dodge bullets. I can’t allow her to get hurt. Please understand me, Sir.”

Jake Sully shook his head. Contemplating whether his decision will be fatal later on. He knew his son was responsible but still a child.

“It will be for the best this way. It’s too late to change plans.” Jake spoke and hoped his boy would accept this and move on.

“Sir, I can protect her, she'll be better off with me.”

“No.”

“I won’t let her out of my sight!” The young na’vi was beginning to bargain. Desperate to be with his Syay.

“Neteyam.”

“Father, please…” There was a pregnant pause.

“A-a-a-h, you must take full responsibility. No playing around, understand me?”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir!” Neteyam let out a small sigh of relief, a breath that was caught up in him from the first steps he took into the tent.

“Now get outta my face.” With that the child warrior left the tent almost too quickly and eagerly.

Ikrans soar through the sky as their riders inspect the air nervously. Before take off all na’vi gathered listening to the words spoken from their mighty Olo’eyktan. His words were like a soothing song to the mothers, wives and children. The ones afraid their family would not return this moon. Neytiri, Jake’s mate and Neteyam’s mother was there, standing close, cradling her youngest in her arms. Prior to going on raids she felt the need to ease her children, hold them close to herself as if they were to perish. She was never too scared of a war, she knew the necessity of it and the sacrifices to be made but as her children grew they joined the war. Their safety was at risk and that is when the fear blossomed within her.

Neytiri’s gaze fell on Neteyam. Many said he inherited the strong features of his mother. The eyes, the nose, the lips all resembled her’s, but she could only see Jake in her son. He had a face stoic but gentle and pure as Jake’s. Her eyes quickly moved to the ikran’s rider gliding next to the young boy. Syay, a girl tough for her age. She was a talented warrior, her bow like an extension of her arm. She never was the type to mess around the other young na’vi girls, to weave baskets with them, to make bracelets together, to even gossip. But this was not looked down upon as her hunting skills out maneuvered the need of acquiring other expertises. Once, Neytiri tried to teach the child how to thread a piece of clothing but soon she understood it was impossible. The child couldn’t even slide a bead on the thread without it disappearing in the ground. Too sloppy with her hands to make a simple cloth but skilled enough with the knife to kill in seconds. ‘Such a strange thing.’ Neytiri would often think.

Before her thoughts could wander any further Jake’s voice boomed through her ear piece. The noise piercing her ear drums.

“We are approaching the target. Be ready.”

Bullets hit their target, fire spread on the ground, na’vi screamed and cheered. If a painter had the chance to portray the scene that absorbed the battle ground, it would have been a grotesque depiction of the colour red, splashed all over the canvas. Another shipment vehicle had been taken down. Quickly, the soldiers started searching through the containers with the intention of finding valuable weapons. In spite of that, a thud of empty boxes could be heard. It didn’t even take long for Jake Sully to realize that he had been tricked. He took the bait. Shock was what he felt, which was swiftly outlived as many dark and gruesome thoughts absorbed his consciousness. Depictions of everything in their plan going wrong.

“Sawtute!” Humans.

Jake cursed under his breath. He looked around and saw all the combatants looking in his direction, ready to take action, to listen to his command. At once it went silent. A painful silence. And so he began to scream and yell. But he couldn’t hear his own voice. Deafening ring went all around the plaine. The humans have begun their maschere. Their firearms pierced the air and then the flesh of the na’vi.

“Fall back!” The Olo’eyktan yelled. Some soldiers ran, others shot at the helicopters soaring in the wind. Several fell and the other remained. He, himself, fought however he could, but their opponents were too strong. The fight wasn’t fair and they were greatly outnumbered. An ignoble fight, a bloody and messy war.

“Dad!” Neteyam called though the throat mic distressed.

“Are you okay, son?” A premonition came over Jake.

“Dad, I don’t know w-what happened. I-I was on the ground with Syay, she-“ Neteyam’s voice broke and a pained cry erupted from his throat. “She wanted to help her dad with the cargo and-“ Jake’s patience was thin.

“What happened?!” The Oly’ektan screamed.

“Syay is dead, dad!”

The silence. Present again. A helicopter crashed 10 metres away from Jake Sully. But the silence continued. Neteyam shook with every breath he took. Stream of tears and snot went down his chin onto the burning ground, as he held his soon-to-be mate. He held her tightly, close to his chest. The hot blood that stained his skin and clothes didn’t bother him. He thought that if he held her for long enough she would come back to life, and her chest would start to rise and fall. But she was still, awfully still. The young boy wailed, unable to accept the inevitable. ‘At least her father was next to her. At least in her final moments she was next to the people she loves.’ He thought. Lucky.

With eyes red and hands trembling, Neteyam was found embracing Syay by his father. The battle was ongoing around them, but it didn’t seem as if the boy cared.

“Let me see you.” His father ordered him. The boy-soldier looked at his father with desperation. Jake brought his hands to touch his son’s scraped face and then observed his body for any fatal injuries. Relieved, the man then turned his attention towards Syay who laid next to his son. A sense of bitterness went through him as many memories of the sweet girl were brought back into his mind.

“Your mother will be here soon, she’ll take you home.”

“But-“ Neteyam didn’t want to leave his precious girl, however war comes with its many sacrifices and heartbreaks.

“Learn to be silent.” His voice was sharp. Neytiri soon landed with her ikran.

The following hours after the battle ended, the usually turquoise sky was gray. The na’vi mourned and grieved their losses. After Neteyam’s family understood of the death of his ‘soon-to-be’ mate and her father, they were all devastated. Misery loomed over them because of the major loss. However they couldn’t sulk for days to no end, because they had duties - the people were waiting for them.

Months went by, the funerals passed. Neteyam still blamed himself for everything that went on during the infamous battle. He continued to think that if he were more assertive and stern, he and Syay wouldn’t have gone to the ground where all hell broke loose. He thought that maybe… he should have been the one shot. Neteyam couldn’t sleep for days without having nightmares. Food for him seemed almost unpleasant. He was carrying the burden of death with himself. …But as many say, time heals. The said words would often cross his mind, a simple reminder that life continues. Thus, he devoted himself to work. Every chance he received, he would occupy his time with chores and training, no time for rest as it brough unwanted thoughts. The Omatikaya clan was looking up to him as the next Olo’eyktan in line and the expectations were high.

Five years later…

The Sullys had to take a leave. They had to depart from their people, their clan. The RDA hadn’t backed down and only grew stronger with time. Recently, Colonel Quarich came back from the dead in search of his target - Jake Sully. Not long ago, Neteyam’s siblings were under grave danger when they were captured by the dream walkers. In result, Jake took the hard decision of leaving their home for the good of the people and themselves. He was soon stripped of his title of Olo’eyktan and there was no turning back. The younger Sullys were distraught by the unexpected news, but it wasn't up to them to decide, so their pleas and bargains didn’t affect anything. Neteyam, already an adult, 20 years of age, was rather objective about the choice as he understood the vital nature of the resolution and he didn’t say a word.

#avatar the way of water #avatar #neteyam #neteyam x reader #neteyam fanfiction #jake sully #neytiri #neteyam angst #angst #multi chapter #avatar series #avatar way of water #fanfic

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noisynaia · 1 year

Text

Tomorrow Never Came

[Pre-outbreak Joel x Reader]

word count: 2.8k

rating: E

pairing: Joel Miller x afab!reader

note: Unprotected P in V (with use of contraception). Cunnilingus. Love confessions. No use of (y/n). This has not been beta nor proof-read and English is not my native language. This work as the prologue of Yesterday’s Love but can be read as a stand-alone story.

18+ minors, please don't interact

You are always a little nervous when you knock on his door. There is always that fear of Sarah waking up and catching the two of you, but the reward of Joel’s sweet kisses when he opens the door for you is always so worth it. It’s not like it would be the end of the world if his daughter found out. She would, in fact, probably be happy to know that her dad has someone, but you want the introduction to be done the right way. You have heard so much about her and you just know that you are going to love her, she is Joel’s daughter after all.

A few seconds pass before the door is opened. A smiling, but also a little tired-looking Joel is greeting you in the doorway.

“Hello, darling.” His smooth voice is like music to your ears.

You quickly step inside, meeting his lips in a loving kiss, kicking off your shoes and taking Joel’s hand to be led up the stairs to his bedroom, the two of you being extra careful as you sneak past Sarah’s room. You sit down on the edge of his bed as he closes and locks the bedroom door.

“Come here.” You whisper as he turns around, stretching your arms out towards him. You’re making grabby hands at him as you spread your thighs wider to make room for him to step into the space between your legs. You place your hands on his hips, looking up at him with a smile

“I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too, darling.” He confesses, placing a big calloused hand over yours, taking it away from his hip and up to his mouth to plant a sweet kiss at the palm of it.

“I’m so glad I met you.” He whispers into your skin, leaving another light kiss on your wrist.

“So am I.” You smile up at him, the honesty and vulnerability in his eyes has your stomach doing flips. You love him, it has been clear to you for a while now, but seeing him like this, in the dim room looking at you like that… You have never been more sure about anything, you are in love with Joel Miller, and you have a feeling that he might be in love with you too. It is both so wonderful and so terrifying at the same time.

“I have been thinking...” His low voice sends a shiver down your spine. He sounds a little unsure, and the gaze in his eyes, almost searching, like he is getting ready to decipher your thoughts about what he is about to say.

“Yeah?” You say with a reassuring squeeze of your other hand that is still on his hip, encouraging him to go on. He has lowered your other hand from his lips but is still holding on to it, brushing his thumb over your wrist in comforting strokes.

He takes a steadying breath before continuing. “I thought that it might be about time that I tell Sarah about you. Well, about us.”

“Really?” You couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on your face even if you tried.

“Yeah, if that is something that you want, of course.” He is quick to add.

“Of course I do.” You say, your cheeks are already hurting from how wide you’re smiling.

Joel clearly feels relief by your answer, smiling back down at you as he lets go of your hand to cup your face before reaching down to kiss your lips. The kiss is sweet and gentle at first, but it soon turns heated. You scoot back on the bed, lowering your back down on the mattress and Joel follows you, placing an arm on each side of your face without letting his lips part from yours.

He grins down at you when you finally part from each other to get a breath of air. “What about I tell her tomorrow?”

“On your birthday?”

“My two favorite people finally getting to know each other? Best birthday present ever.” He says with a cheeky grin on his face.

“I’m among your two favourite people? What about your brother?” You ask with a raised brow and a little laugh.

“Tommy? He can get third place.” Joel says with a laugh and a shake of his head.

You doubt that is the case if it actually got down to it, you know how much Joel loves his younger brother, but if you, in fact are Joel’s third favorite person in the world, only beat by his daughter and brother then you’re the happiest girl in the world.

“But seriously, you feel ready to tell her?” You steer the conversation back to the more serious topic. You and Joel have been seeing each other for half a year now, but you had both agreed to take things slow, you kind of have to with the lives you’re living. With Joel working so much and taking care of Sarah, and you having your job and stuff too. You mostly meet late at night like this, Joel sneaking you into the house after Sarah has fallen asleep. Joel telling her about you is kind of a big deal to you, not only does it mean that you don’t have to be so sneaky any more and that you will be able to spend more time with Joel, but you also know how serious Joel is about you if he feels ready to introduce the idea of you to his daughter. He would never bring you into her life if he didn’t plan for you to stay there, and that makes you so happy you want to cry. You also can’t wait to get to know Sarah, she sounds like such a great kid and the idea of getting to spend time with both her and her father more is so dreamy.

You remember how, a few weeks ago, Joel had casually mentioned how nice it will be when you can come along to Sarah’s soccer matches. You don’t think he had even registered what implications laid within his comment, but it made you feel warm and giddy, it had also made you realize how badly you’re yearning for a future with them someday. The realization had been a little overwhelming, but you can’t deny that it is there.

“I feel more than ready, darling. She is going to love you.” His deep voice is laced with affection as he presses his lips on yours.

“I have a strong feeling that I’m gonna love her too.” You whisper into the kiss with a soft smile, meaning every word you say.

“You could come over and have dinner on Sunday? If telling her goes okay tomorrow.”

“That would be lovely.” You agree. “That also gives her all of Saturday to get used to the idea.” You add with a little laugh.

“Yeah, finding out that her old man has a girlfriend must be a big mouthful.”

“A girlfriend, huh?” That the two of you have been taking things slow also means that you never have had a conversation about ‘what the two of you are’. Joel referring to you as his girlfriend is almost euphoric.

“Yeah, a girlfriend.” His deep brown eyes look directly into yours, a glimpse of uncertainty is back in them. “If you want to be my girlfriend, of course.”

“I most certainly would want that.” You tell him, before leaning upwards to catch his lips in a deep kiss.

You can’t remember the last time you felt this complete and overwhelming joy. It doesn’t mean that you’re not nervous, though. You can’t help but worry if Sarah is going to like you or not, and how she is going to react, but you try not to worry about that now. Tonight you just want to enjoy Joel’s company.

Joel finally breaks the kiss so the two of you can catch your breath. You take this opportunity to sneak your hands under his t-shirt, guiding the fabric up his torso until he leans back to pull the shirt over his head and discharge it on the floor. It quickly turns into a frantic push and pull of clothing until you both are left in only your underwear.

You are still laying under him, his strong thighs pining you to the mattress. You can feel his hard cock through the thin fabric of his boxers and it makes your cunt throb with anticipation. You want to taste him. tapping his thigh as you grin up at him.

“Now get off me so I can give you an early birthday bj.”

“Oh, no-no, honey.” He says with a sly look on his face. “It’s my birthday so I get to choose what I want to do. And right now all I want is to have a taste of that pretty pussy of yours.”

“Who am I to deny you that?” You croak out. He laughs warmly at that, hooking his fingers into the waistband of your panties, pulling the delicate fabric down your legs

“Would you look at that?” He sighs as your wet cunt is being presented in front of him. “You’re so damn gorgeous, darling.”

He lowers his head down between your thighs, kissing and licking up your inner thigh until he reaches your pussy. He presses a soft teasing kiss to the bud of your clit before he slides his tongue through your wet folds, starting out slowly but quickly beginning to lap into you hungrily.

“Fuck, Joel…” You pant out, biting down on your lip to keep yourself from being too loud. You bury your hands in the sheets, grabbing fistfuls of the soft fabric.

“You taste so fucking good, darling.” He pants against your cunt before getting back to lapping into you. His beard tickles in the best way ever, his nose gliding over your clit as he keeps licking into you and you feel how your body gets filled with ecstasy.

“Shit, Joel… I-I’m gonna.” You moan out.

He hums with encouragement. Picking up his pace even more by your warning and you soon drench his face as you come undone on his skilful tongue. Joel keeps fucking you with his mouth through your climax.

Joel takes a heavy breath as his mouth finally parts from your cunt.

“You always taste so good, I can’t get enough of you.” His pupils are blown wide, high on your juices.

He climbs up over your body, kissing your lips roughly, making you have a taste of yourself. You press your tongue into his mouth to deepen the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms around you. You kiss him until your lungs are empty and you don’t have a choice but to part for air.

“Baby, I need you inside me.” You whisper as you look deeply into his eyes.

“Fuck.” He moans out “And I need to be inside of you, Darling.”

He gets up to sit on his knees, sliding down his boxers, freeing his hard throbbing cock, the tip red and glistening with precum. You feel like your body is on fire, you have never been more turned on by a man than you are when you are with Joel. You fumble with the clasp of your bra, flinging the garment off you to leave you completely exposed in front of him.

“You are so fucking perfect…” He sights at the view. “Darling, you have no idea what you do to me. How often I think about you, dream about having you near.” He adds before lowering himself over you again. He positions himself at your entrance, looking into your eyes before going any further.

“Are you sure you don’t need some more prep?” He asks.

Joel is big, the biggest you have ever had, but you don’t have the patience for it, you need his cock inside you now.

“I’m good, just need you.” You reassure him.

“Okay.” he nods before kissing you. Moving his lips in a sloppy kiss as he slowly slides inside you until he finally is all the way in. The sting of his size is both a little painful and a feeling of absolute bliss.

“You are so perfect… Fuck, you always take me so fucking well.” He sights into your lips.

The two of you lie still like this for a little while, just enjoying the feeling of each other until you can’t take it anymore, you need him to move.

“Need you to move, Joel.”

He is happy to oblige. You gasp as he starts to fuck himself into you. He starts out with a slow rhythm, but he quickly picks up his speed. Slamming into you at a faster and faster pace. You’re being pushed into the soft mattress by Joel’s strong hips that masterfully thrust into that perfect spot inside you that makes your vision blur and your body feel light as a feather.

You want to scream, but you know you can’t. You’re still sensitive from your prior orgasm. The evidence of it is still on his handsome face, his beard slightly glistening with your slickness, in the moonlight that seeps through his window. He is hitting you deep and hard and the sensation is almost unbearable, yet feeling so fucking perfect. You’re moaning through half-parted lips, as he is splitting you open. He is whispering praises into your skin as you desperately cling your arms around his strong broad back, needing to feel you have some sort of grip.

“Fuck, Joel, I’m so close.”

“I know, honey… I know, me too.” He hisses through gritted teeth.

You wrap your arms around his neck as your cunt clench around him. Your name is falling from his lips with desperation as your climax is sucking him into you. He keeps thrusting into you, fucking you through your orgasm, pulling his arms tighter around you, lifting you up slightly as his own climax washes over him, grinding into you as he fills you up. He keeps holding you tight even when his hips come to a halt. Both of you are panting heavily.

You stay like this for a good while, Joel holding you close as your fingertips draw patterns on his warm skin. He squeezes you tightly before beginning to move, laying down on his back. He is still holding you, taking you down with him so you lay on top of him. You let out a content sigh as he plants a kiss on the top of your head. You lay like this for a good while, a comfortable silence filling the room, the only sound to be heard is the low hum of the fan on Joel’s desk. You know you have to leave soon, but you want to enjoy this moment for as long as you can. You smile when you remember that you might not have to sneak away under the cover of darkness for that much longer, being able to stay overnight when Sarah knows about you and Joel’s relationship and has gotten comfortable with you. You can’t wait, the idea of the three of you having breakfast together in the mornings and watching movies together in the evening. You know that your imagination is running a little too wild, but you can’t help but imagine the three of you being a little family someday in the future.

It is like Joel can feel what you’re thinking about, squeezing you tightly into his chest as he takes a big breath.

“I love you.” He confesses, his word filling the dark room.

His words make a shiver run through your entire body. You bolt up, straddling him so that you can look directly into his eyes.

“You do..?” You can almost not recognize your own voice.

“Yes, darling, I do.” His voice is so tender and sincere, it makes your heart clench in your chest.

“I love you too.” You croak, feeling your vision grow blurry with happy tears.

Another long moment goes by with the two of you holding each other close, many I love you’s being uttered between sweet kisses before you finally get up from the bed to collect your clothes and get ready to leave.

“Would you look at that?” You say with an amused lilt to your voice, glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand. The blue digits glowing in the dark, 12:00. It’s officially Friday the 26th.

“Happy birthday, handsome.” You say with a smile on your lips, pressing a light kiss to the tip of his nose.

He smiles as you part, bringing his hand up to brush a light thumb over your cheekbone.

You smile warmly up at him. “Enjoy, tomorrow. And don’t work too late, okay.”

He promises that he won’t, but you are not completely sure that he will keep it.

“I’ll call you tomorrow after I have talked to Sarah, okay.”

You nod. Leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

Neither of you knowing that his call will never get through…

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller tlou #joel miller #joel miller pedro pascal #joel miller x f!reader #tlou #the last of us #the last of us fic #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fic #tlou fanfiction #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal characters

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taranida · 18 days

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The loops and spiral of the first game

Airight, I’ve written extensively about Thomas Zane the Poet, 70’s and what happened, to my belief, at the time. All of it accessible through this post with links on every expanding theory. I will not even try to claim that I was consistent with my conclusions and views, since with each dive I was finding new things, rethinking everything and looking at what’s presented in the games and extras from a different perspective. Some theories (like who wrote the eruption) never changed, some (like is Thomas Zane this benign man, who cared about the future and the world) did — a lot. But that’s alright, I’ve created this blog to make sense of everything meself in the first place; theories will evolve, change and grow as I sink deeper into madness.

Now I want to talk about loops. Without making sense of them I can’t even start to talk about the Bright Presence (who literally scratches on my brain), since his actions cannot — in my opinion — be explained without explaining the loops of the first game. I’m not sure there is even one moment when the Bright Presence acted on his own volition, but we’ll see how this belief will change later.

Let’s start with the in-your-face evidence:

just like in the second game we have things that change on your “final draft 0.1” playthrough on nightmare, that you can unlock only by finishing the game on any other difficulty — nightmare only manuscripts.

at the end of the game, right after the famous line “it’s not a lake, it’s an ocean” we hear Alice’s voiceline “Alan! Wake up!” from the moment on the ferry.

in the Well-Lit Room Alan claims “the last page is still in the typewriter. I need to read it first. Everything needs to be just right. Zane tried to cut some corners, and it didn’t end well.” Yet the page in the typewriter is about the last fight between Alan and Alice, right before she was dragged into the lake.

the cutscene that follows Alan writing the ending to Departure, repeats what happened after his fight with Alice in the Bird Leg Cabin.

although little bit less obvious, but the nightmare in the prologue and the monologue of the Hitchhiker also points on Alan already being in the loop: “you’re in this story now”.

I’m going to unpack those points a bit.

The nightmare manuscripts pages might be written off as a game mechanic, of course, a reward to the player for tackling the highest difficulty in the game, but they simply do not appear on your first playthrough. The first loop doesn’t have those pages. On the nightmare difficulty, however, they appear on their own places, not replacing anything, and given that the Bright Presence outright spells that he’s delivering the right pages in the right time, they are as crucial part of the last loop as the simple ones. The guide explains that the Nightmares might be particularly difficult:

This little thing in the guide, presented as in-universe book, also hints that those so-called Nightmares are not one and done occurrence. Each of them is yet another loop and not all of them are “particularly difficult”.

Other question is: do those pages even matter? Well, for the most of them the answer will be — no, not really; they expand on the story and characters, give you lyrics of both songs by the boys of OGoA and Thomas’ poem, but it’s just flavour text. There is one, however, that affects the story in much more significant way; it changes or defines the Dark Presence’s power and intentions at the start (of the loop):

It also so happens to hint that the writer is already in the Dark Presence’s web, jerking and kicking, although the incentive is still needed. When exactly Alan was in this situation? His “jerking and kicking” starts after the Dark Presence kidnaps Alice, as it’s shown in the game. So, does this page point to the dream Alan had on the ferry or is it another confirmation of the loops?

The Alice’s voiceline, I believe, is self-explanatory. What’s interesting in it is that it sends us to a point in time where this particular loop starts. The loop, not the struggle against the Dark Presence; after all, Alan’s main objective is to save Alice, and to do it perfectly, how he put it:

“Everything needs to be just right. Zane tried to cut some corners, and it didn’t end well.”

The Dark Presence or Place might’ve been involved way before the ferry. Here I will jump to the Hitchhiker point. His monologue is sus. He states that Alan is being trapped in the story, talks about Alan playing god and killing people off for the sake of drama, all of which is actually true. And he’s the first Taken that we encounter.

Now let me return to the previous points. Alan claims that the last page of the Departure is in the typewriter, and there is a page, alright:

The page that reads:

…by Wake and Alice, Barbara Jagger stands in the shadows in the cabin. As soon as it began, the flickering stops and Jagger is gone. Alice is startled by the flickering lights. Wake is too angry to stay. He needs to cool off, to clear his head. Wake storms out of the cabin. He is certain that…

Looks familiar, isn’t it? When Alan sits to write the camera shows us the clock, they move properly to 12 am/pm and then start to go back rapidly and we’re thrown to the cutscene where Alan returns to the cabin, following Alice’s cries for help — direct continuation of what was written on the page. He jumps and the scene ends. Just like in the beginning.

That’s quite in-your-face, let’s add a bit more subtle things into the mix. Alice in the second game says about her time in the Dark Place “the same events and images, looping again and again”, whole second game hammers down the point that this is exactly how the Dark Place operates. And the cutscene, that follows Alan’s jump after Alice, now shows us how from that moment the time moves on again to the morning when Alice is resurfacing from the lake — another loop ends there; ultimate or penultimate, depends — if you completed the game on nightmare or not.

Back to the dream. Here was a huge chunk of text, that was growing and growing, as I wanted to touch on everything in there, and I’ve decided to move it into another post. But for the sake of this theory we need to know that Clay Steward, the man we encounter, in his in-universe book The Alan Wake Files, claims that dreams like that started two years prior to the events of the game and were loops in which both him and Alan died to the darkness or men consumed by it over and over again. Alan, how it comes out in the game, forgot all others, except for the one that was invaded by the Bright Presence.

So, when exactly did this dream happen? Contrary to the game, I would say: we don’t really know. You see, aside from Alan’s lack of recollection about other dreams like that, there is an interesting detail, that comes with one of the extras. In the game Alan is awakened by Alice on the ferry and she also lets us on the details of how the vacation was arranged:

“Come on, slowpoke. You get the full service here. I’ve made all the arrangements. I drive the car, I’ll even carry the bags. All you have to do is drag your cute butt into the car and enjoy the ride.”

But in the Bright Falls mini-series, prequel to Alan Wake, the final scene shows Alan driving the car to Bright Falls with Alice on the passenger seat and no ferry involved:

In the second game in the song Herald of Darkness we have the part, that is a bit questionable. The ferry is there, but we see Alan being prepared with flowers and a bottle as if this vacation was not Alice’s idea, which is also hinted in the first game’s second flashback, when Alan says “once this is over, let’s go away together — a vacation, just you and me. Some peace and quiet”. Taken together with the words of the song, the clear picture of how the Wakes ended up in Bright Falls starts to blur.

Just one shot, one more chance For him to save their marriage Away from the city A romantic getaway

Whose idea was it? Alice was sure set on Bright Falls because of Dr. Hartman, but was it her desperate attempt to fix their marriage or was it Alan’s? And how did they get into the town? On the ferry or drove the car? Given the loops, I’d say all of those things. Therefore, we have no way of knowing when exactly the dream occurred. Alan was looping and looping, trying to fix Alice’s disappearance, he might’ve written dozens of stories of how exactly they got to Bright Falls and how nothing happened to her in the first place, only to fail over and over again.

And that’s when Thomas Zane comes in. I’ve taken apart everything I could (remember) on what happened in the 70’s and I think that the true story is simple. Barbara drowned, Thomas wrote her back, after some time realised that it was not his Barbara and took her for a last dive, creating a private island in the Dark Place, where they are living their happy ever after. The meat on those simple bare bones — the eruption, the shoeboxes, even Cynthia’s ruined life — was added by Alan. He needed a guide, someone, who already ventured this path and broke some rules here and there for Alan to learn those rules when he will forget. And those tools worked splendidly; even the Clicker, that was in Alice’s possession (let’s not mistake Zane’s Light Switch for Alan’s Clicker, we have pictures of both of them and they could not be more dissimilar), was now safely tucked away in the Well-Lit Room with clear instructions on what to do next, while the shoebox in the cabin filled Alan on the gaps in his knowledge and understanding of the Dark Place and Presence. Cynthia’s articles pushed him in the right direction, not mentioning how helpful were her stashes. Everything fell into place, we got the final loop, that perfectly served Alan’s purpose: Alice is safe and well, the Dark Presence is no more, collateral damage such as people who died in the hero’s journey Alan had to complete or Mr. Scratch going out to play — all could be the lesser evil than what Alan witnessed in his previous attempts (we can count the dream where the darkness took over the world with the last safe place being the Light House as a clairvoyance or a fading memory of another failed loop).

Fist game is not at all unlike the second or AWAN, where loops and spirals play a major role. If the player goes into the Bird Leg Cabin before turning the generator on, in the writer’s room Alan has a vision of the Dark Presence and says “for a moment, the oppressive feel of the nightmare I had seen on the ferry returned”, he senses the danger, recognises it, yet cannot escape it. As I said before, despite all Alan’s ramblings about threading on reality, he writes pretty unreal events right and left — honestly, his own reaction to what he encounters during the first game can be summarised in his go-to phrase: “what the fuck?” — but he believes in it while writing, so it comes true. He cannot simply “cut some corners” and write that he and Alice were never in Bright Falls, because he won’t believe in it, it’s a paradox; as well as he won’t believe in nothing happening to Alice and them just having a nice vacation together. He might’ve tried that at first, but ultimately failed, until the story became how we know it from the game (yet, there are still things that hint on the story being a bit different). But how the Wakes got in Bright Falls, what were Alan’s previous attempts and how many of them he went through will remain a mystery. Time means nothing in the Dark Place and Alan’s memory — even less.

The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it’s what we’ll remember in the end.

#alan wake #alan wake 2 #alan wake game #alan wake ii #alan wake remastered #rcu theory #remedy connected universe #remedy entertainment #remedy games #thomas zane #it's not a loop it's a spiral

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