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dreary-rain · 3 years

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The Storm Protects (Ch.1)

Continuation of this post

Venti/Aether

Warnings: angst, violence, injuries (full tags on AO3)

Find the full story here

The sky was cloudless as Aether strolled through Mondstadt, Paimon floating at his side. He stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild and chatted with Katheryne about upcoming commissions. After waving hello to Donna, Aether slipped inside Angel’s Share. It was a bit too early for the regular crowd, but there were a few people scattered around.

“Diluc!” Aether greeted with a smile. The redhead glanced up from where he was cleaning a glass.

“Aether, good to see you. How are you?” Diluc asked and set the glass down.

“No greeting for Paimon?” Paimon asked and crossed her arms. Aether shook his head with a smile and sat down at the bar.

“I didn’t forget about you,” Diluc said with a smile. “How are you, Paimon?”

“Paimon is doing great! But it would be better if you had something to eat.”

“Of course,” Diluc said and reached under the bar, pulling out a plate of food. Paimon’s eyes lit up, and she turned her attention to eating.

“Thank you,” Aether glanced back at Diluc. “I’m feeling better. It’s been a rough few weeks.”

“I can imagine. What brings you here?”

“I just wanted to see you. Well, I did have a question and a request, but that can wait.”

“By all means, go ahead. I’ll listen.”

“Well, in that case…” Aether cleared his throat and looked down. “Do you know what happened to… to the… to the Fatui who…”

“Ah, them.” Diluc saved Aether from having to spell it out. Aether had faced a dragon, fought a Harbinger, and fallen from the Jade Chamber, but nothing had brought him closer to death than his slip-up with the Fatui agents. Even now, he had trouble believing he had almost been killed by mere Fatui. But there had been plenty of strange occurrences that day. Battle after battle in a relatively peaceful area in Liyue was rather unusual. It was almost like his day had been planned by someone else so that Aether would be too exhausted to fend off the Fatui.

But why? Aether didn’t want to consider the possibility that not only the attack itself, but the entire day was planned just to kidnap him.

“I’m surprised you aren’t already aware. They were found dead at the Stone Gate.”

“Dead?” Aether looked up in shock. “That’s the first I’ve heard. And right where I was ambushed…”

“Well, it’s been two weeks since it happened, but you were still on bed rest. We didn’t want to alarm you while you were healing.”

“I understand. But who…” Aether stopped. “Diluc, did you—?”

“No. It wasn’t me. Someone got to the bastards before I could,” Diluc said bitterly. “Don’t look so surprised. Half of Mondstadt would kill for you.”

Aether looked down and clasped his hands in his lap. He stole a glance at Paimon, but she was too engrossed in her food to be paying attention. Aether knew what Diluc said was true, but it was still unnerving. Why would they go to such lengths for Aether? He wasn’t from Teyvat. He was an outsider, an outlander, someone who didn’t belong. He didn’t deserve the kindness and protection of so many.

“You don’t need to go to such lengths.”

“There’s no necessity of it. We want to protect you, and anyone who lays a hand on you will suffer.” Diluc rested his palms on the bar and leaned forward. “Let’s say it were Venti who was almost killed. To what lengths would you go to keep him safe and hurt those who dared harm him?”

Unconsciously, Aether tensed. If someone harmed Venti… Aether would kill them. Morals aside, no one would touch Venti and live. In his mind’s eye, Aether saw La Signora plunging her hand into Venti’s chest, stealing his Gnosis and then kicking him aside like trash.

Aether didn’t trust himself to speak, but Diluc saw the murderous expression on his face. If Aether ever saw La Signora again, he would end her with his own two hands.

“Do you understand now?” Diluc asked, and Aether nodded, taking a breath to relax. He was safe, Venti was safe, and La Signora was nowhere near either of them.

Uncurling his hands, he rubbed his palms to soothe the crescents his nails had left. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make the mood so sullen.”

“No worries. Now, I hate to cut this short, but business will be picking up soon,” Diluc said with a glance at the door. Aether quickly stood.

“I won’t bother you much longer. But I did have a request. I’d like to purchase a bottle of dandelion wine.”

Diluc raised a brow. “You’re underage.”

Aether resisted the urge to facepalm. If only Diluc knew that he and his twin were older than everyone in Mondstadt combined.

“It’s not for me. I have a guest coming over tonight and I’d like to treat him.”

“That’s what they all say,” Diluc shook his head, but there was a smile on his lips as he opened the cabinet behind him.

“Come on, Paimon. Time to go.” Aether slid enough mora to Diluc and took the bottle of wine. Paimon thanked Diluc for the food, and then they went to leave.

“Say hello to Venti for me,” Diluc said as goodbye. “And tell him to pay his tab or I’ll stop serving him.”

“He’ll weasel free drinks from your patrons if that does occur,” Aether laughed. “But I’ll remind him.”

“Take care, Aether.”

The sun was nearing the horizon as Aether walked home. The shadows were long, but Aether made a point of avoiding them. He always made sure to make it home before dark.

In worlds past, it had always been Lumine who was afraid of the dark. Aether would tease her about it, but he’d always make sure to leave a light on at night. Now, the roles were reversed. Aether couldn’t stand the dark, not without being reminded of his near death experience. He wouldn’t travel at night anymore, making sure to be in a safe place before falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Lumine was at home in the darkness of the Abyss. Aether wondered if she ever thought of him, or if she was so dead set on her goals that he was an afterthought. Would Aether have ever seen her if he hadn’t traveled with Dain? Aether was tempted to track down the Abyss Herald just to see her again. He would brave the terror-inducing energy of the domain housing the inverted statue just to see her again. He would fall into the darkness of the Abyss just to find her again, to beg that she come home with him.

But if their roles were reversed, would Lumine do the same? Aether didn’t want to know the answer. The bitter sadness that was left from her abrupt departure was too much to sort through.

“Aether, cheer up! Paimon knows you’re thinking about your sister again, but it’ll be okay. We’ll find her again, don’t you worry,” Paimon broke Aether out of his thoughts.

“You’re right. It may take some time, but we’ll find her,” Aether said with a small smile. There was no use dwelling on Lumine now, not when Aether needed to get ready for his guest.

Ever since the incident three weeks ago, Aether had been staying in an apartment in Mondstadt. Even though he had his teapot, Aether felt safer in Mondstadt, surrounded by people he loved. He didn’t want to burden anyone by asking them to join him in his teapot realm, but he was too lonely by himself. He couldn’t bear being alone. What if something happened and he was all by himself again?

Diluc had offered Aether his city apartment for as long as he needed to recover, but Aether had initially turned down the offer. It wasn’t until he’d been cooking in his teapot mansion and accidentally cut himself chopping vegetables that he reconsidered the offer. The sudden sting of pain and the blood welling on his fingers had sent Aether into such a panic that Paimon had found him huddled on the ground in the kitchen minutes later. It was at Paimon’s firm suggestion that Aether moved into Diluc’s apartment.

Aether made it to the apartment, walking up the stairs to his door. To his surprise, the door was unlocked. That was cause for alarm. Aether always locked the door when he left.

But he was in the middle of Mondstadt, and it wasn’t even night yet. Besides, there were two others who had keys to the apartment. One being its owner, Diluc, and the other being…

“Ehe, hello Aether. I may have let myself in,” Venti said from beside the stove. He was cooking dinner. Aether heaved a sigh of relief. It was just Venti. While hanging up his cape and scarf, Aether noticed Venti’s hat on the coat rack and his shoes at the base.

“It’s no problem. I’m going to change into something more comfortable. I wasn’t expecting you this early,” Aether said while pulling his gloves off.

“I know, but I wanted to treat you with dinner tonight. My food is quite tasty when I cook it right.”

“Well, thank you. I brought you dandelion wine. Diluc says hello, but wants you to pay your tab or he’ll cut you off.” Aether placed the wine on the table while Paimon floated over to Venti to help with the food. Well, she probably just wanted to sneak some food from the bard.

“That Mister Diluc always threatens me, but he always serves me reluctantly.” Venti stirred the contents of the pot. “Thank you for the gift. Which reminds me, I brought you something, though it’s a bit makeshift. I’ll bring something adequate next time.”

“Don’t stress yourself out. I’ll appreciate anything you give me. Now, I’ll be back. Don’t burn the house down in the meantime.”

Venti clutched his shirt in mock hurt. “Aether, you wound me.”

Aether just smiled and closed his bedroom door. He summoned his sword and hung it on the wall, then rummaged through his dresser for more casual clothes. When he was done, he joined Venti at the table.

“One Archon special coming right up!” Venti placed a plate full of food in front of Aether and Paimon.

“Is it just Paimon or does this look like a Sweet Madame?”

“Ehe.” Venti rubbed the back of his head and sat across from Aether. “It’s one of the few recipes I can make myself.”

“Well, it’s better than Zhongli. I’m not sure he even knows how to cook rice,” Aether pointed out. “He’ll lecture you all day long on the proper way to prepare rice for different meals, but I bet he wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“He’d be stuck the moment he needs to buy ingredients. That blockhead never changes,” Venti agrees.

“For being the god of Mora, Zhongli never seems to have any. Ironic, isn’t it?” Paimon said, eliciting laughs from Aether and Venti.

“Jokes aside, this tastes really good, Venti,” Aether complimented sincerely.

“Why, thank you. I try.”

Aether washed their plates when they were done. The sun had gone down, the sky painted in shades of red and pink fading into blue.

“Paimon, could you make sure all of the candles are lit?”

“No need to fret. I lit them before we met,” Venti assured while pouring himself wine. “Come sit back down and I’ll give you your gift.”

Aether sat beside Venti, who placed a flower pot on the table.

“Flowers?”

“Dandelions!” Venti said, gesturing to the Anemo-colored puffs. “They grow where there is gentle wind, and in Mondstadt they grow without end. While freedom is our creed, I think these little ones will love it here.”

Aether stared at the dandelions, drawing the clay pot a bit closer to him.

“And, uh, also,” Venti said a bit nervously, “I thought they’d remind you of me, so that even when alone, I’ll be with you in memory.”

It was such a thoughtful gift, given the circumstances, that Aether felt unbearably happy. In lieu of a response, Aether leaned over and hugged Venti.

“Thank you,” he whispered, smiling as Venti’s arms wrapped snugly around Aether’s waist. After a moment, Aether leaned back, relishing in the way Venti’s hands lingered a moment longer than necessary.

“I’ll put them on my bedside table by the window. That way I’ll see the dandelions every time I wake up.”

Aether stood, grabbing the dandelion pot, and gestured for Venti to follow. Paimon stayed in the kitchen, munching on cookies Aether had bought earlier in the day.

After placing the dandelions beside his bed, Aether sat down and pulled the elaborate hair tie off and set it aside.

“Help me with my hair?”

“Of course!” Venti climbed onto the bed behind Aether, crossing his legs and grabbing the end of Aether’s braid. “Do you have a brush?”

“Behind you.”

Venti deftly sifted his fingers through Aether’s long, blond hair, carefully untangling any snarls. Aether swallowed, closing his eyes at the pleasant sensation.

It was moments like this that reminded Aether of his feelings for Venti. The care and kindness the god gave him made Aether feel special. Out of anyone in the world, Venti chose to spend his time with Aether. Before Aether had arrived in Teyvat, Venti hadn’t stayed in one place for too long. He had gone where the wind wanted to go, but after meeting Aether, the Archon was never out of reach.

“You like that, hmm?” Venti hummed as he combed through Aether’s hair.

“Mmhmm. You’re gentle. Lumine used to braid my hair, but she’d always pull too hard on the tangles.”

“I braid my own hair enough to know how to be gentle,” Venti said softly. Aether couldn’t see him, but he sounded like he was smiling. Fingers ran down the length of his hair. “Your hair is much longer. And softer.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were back there petting my hair,” Aether teased.

“Maybe I am. It’d be a waste not to.”

Aether opened one eye and turned his head slightly to look at Venti. He was surprised to see a serious look on Venti’s face. It was one full of contemplation.

“Venti?”

“Tell me, Aether, what do you think of me?”

Aether considered the question. The obvious answer was that he loved Venti, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. What if Venti didn’t love him back? It would ruin the friendship they’d built.

Except, when Aether thought about it, Venti didn’t treat Aether like another one of his friends. A mere friend wouldn’t come by Aether’s apartment every night, wouldn’t cook dinner and bring presents for no reason, and wouldn’t help Aether with his hair. An Archon wouldn’t abandon centuries of wandering to stay with Aether unless Aether meant something more to him. Venti hadn’t left his side since the incident with the Fatui, always checking in on him, protecting him.

Suddenly, Aether remembered his conversation with Diluc. The answer was obvious now.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” Aether mumbled. He looked at Venti, at his gaze so full of love and kindness, and realized he’d been a fool. This whole time, Venti had harbored feelings beyond friendship. Aether had been too oblivious to see it until now.

“Venti, I…” Venti perked up. Aether fought the rising blush. “I love you.”

Venti’s eyes widened, but then his lips curled into a soft smile. Venti leaned forward, eyes flicking down to Aether’s lips. Aether’s face flushed red, but he closed his eyes. Less than a moment later, Venti’s lips met his.

It was a chaste, simple kiss, but it sent tingles down Aether’s spine. Venti brought his hand up to Aether’s cheek, pulling back enough to speak.

“If the kiss didn’t convey the sentiment, I love you, Aether,” Venti said, his breath hot against Aether’s lips. “This is a bit of an awkward position, with you twisting around like that.”

As soon as he’d said it, Venti shuffled around, swinging a leg over Aether’s hips. Venti settled on his knees over Aether’s lap, forcing Aether to tilt his head up to see him.

“That’s better,” Venti said with a satisfied hum, then captured Aether’s lips in another kiss. Venti cupped Aether’s face with his hands, his lips plump against Aether’s. Venti kissed with a passion, fervent and controlled at the same time.

His right hand trailed to the nape of Aether’s neck, then tangled into his hair. With a sharp tug, Venti pulled on Aether’s hair, tilting Aether’s head at an even sharper angle. A soft gasp escaped Aether’s throat, his hands flying to steady himself on Venti’s waist.

“It’s been so long,” Venti murmured against Aether’s skin as he trailed his kisses along Aether’s jaw, “since someone has made me feel this way.”

Venti mouthed over Aether’s exposed neck, tightening the hand in his hair.

“Venti…” Aether breathed as Venti nipped at the base of his throat. His fingers curled around Venti’s waist at the sensation. He vaguely noted how small Venti’s waist was, how well it fit into Aether’s hands.

Venti’s hand fell away from Aether’s face to rest on the topmost button of Aether’s shirt. Quickly, Aether grabbed his wrist.

“Kisses are enough for now,” Aether said breathlessly. He didn’t think he could handle much more. Venti nodded, removing his hand and pressing a kiss to Aether’s cheek.

“We’ll stop here, then.” Venti brushed a strand of hair from Aether’s face. Aether noted smugly that Venti’s lips were red and slick. He looked a mess, but Aether was sure he looked worse.

“I never said no more kisses,” Aether whined as Venti slipped off of his lap.

“I know, but I don’t think it would be easy to stop if we got ourselves too worked up,” Venti explained. “But, I’ll give you all the kisses you want when I visit tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Aether agreed with a blush and looked down. A finger tilted his chin upward.

“I love you,” Venti said with a wide smile. He giggled, kissing Aether on the forehead before walking to the bedroom door. “I’ve been waiting forever to say that.”

Aether stood to follow, a giddy smile on his own face. Venti loved him. It was as simple as that, and yet it made Aether’s heart swell with joy.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Aether promised as they walked through the kitchen. Paimon looked up from where she was sitting at the table, taking a break from floating.

She took one look at them before huffing, “Finally. Pining idiots.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Aether asked incredulously. Paimon just shook her head and took a bite out of her chocolate chip cookie.

“Goodnight, Aether,” Venti said and adjusted his hat after slipping on his shoes. “I love you.”

“You’re going to say that every time you see me, aren’t you?” Aether joked, leaving against the door frame.

“I’m a bard. I’ll come up with poetic ways to express my love once my head clears up.” Venti stood outside on the stairs. “Thank you for tonight. I left the dandelion wine. I’ll drink more next time.”

“See you tomorrow, Venti.”

“Until tomorrow.” Venti started down the stairs, then paused. “Aether, you should wear your hair down more. You look beautiful in a braid, but in the presence of your unbound hair, the beauty of the heavens fades.”

Aether blushed, pressing his lips together in embarrassment. He absentmindedly twirled his hair.

“Too much?” Venti asked sheepishly.

“I’m flattered,” Aether said. “A little embarrassed, but very flattered.”

“Hmm…” Venti‘s eyes flicked up and down Aether, then settled on his eyes. “I’ll have to make a point of flattering you. That blush suits you.”

“Venti,” Aether whined. “My heart can’t take it.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll take my leave now before I give you a heart attack.”

“See you!” Aether waved as Venti left. Then he shut the door, locking both of the deadbolts. When he entered the kitchen, Paimon was asleep at the table.

“How does someone who floats and eats all day get tired so easily?” Aether shook his head, then picked Paimon up and laid her down on her bed. She had insisted on having her own bed in the apartment, so Aether had found a child sized bed for her and placed it in the corner of his bedroom.

“Goodnight, Paimon,” Aether said. He fumbled with his shirt, hand pausing on the top button with a blush. All in due time, he thought as he changed into sleep clothes.

Aether climbed into bed, glancing at the dandelions on the bedside, and put his finger to his lips. He could still taste the dandelion wine from Venti’s lips. With a smile, Aether fell into a peaceful sleep.

“Aether!” Paimon’s high pitched scream startled Aether awake. His eyes snapped open and he shot out of the bed. It took a moment to gather his bearings, but that was enough time to recognize the danger he was in.

A hulking silhouette stood in the doorway, holding a struggling Paimon by the throat.

“Aether,” she whimpered, and Aether shot forward, reaching for his sword on the wall. He didn’t make it.

The window shattered as a man leapt inside and collided with Aether. He fell backwards from the force, his head slamming against the bedside table. The pot of dandelions toppled over with a crash. Black spots danced across Aether’s vision, but he struggled to his feet.

In such close quarters, using his Palm Vortex wasn’t the best idea, but without a sword it was his only option. Before he could use it, a gust of Anemo snuffed out the candles in the room. In the sudden darkness, Aether could make out the purple glow of the electrohammer vanguard holding Paimon, and the green of the anemoboxer in front of Aether.

Fatui. A spike of fear shot through Aether.

That moment of hesitation was all the anemoboxer needed to rush Aether, knocking him to the ground. A hand pinned him to the ground, wrapping around his throat and crushing his windpipe. Aether scrabbled at the hand, kicking to no avail.

With one hand trying to alleviate the pressure on his throat, the other lifted toward the anemoboxer in an attempt to summon his Palm Vortex. Anticipating this, the anemoboxer grabbed Aether’s wrist and twisted.

A sickening crack echoed in the room. Aether screamed and dropped his hand to the side. Despite the pain, he weakly raised his other hand, but the anemoboxer brought something out of his pocket. There was a sharp pinch on Aether’s neck, and he watched as the anemoboxer pulled an empty syringe away.

Aether tried to summon his Anemo, but nothing happened. The hand on his neck was finally gone, but his body felt lethargic. He gasped, coughing from being strangled.

“Aether,” Paimon sobbed.

“Leave the pixie. La Signora just wants the boy,” the anemoboxer told his companion. Aether heard Paimon’s scream followed by a thud. It was quiet.

Aether couldn’t fight the drowsiness forcing his eyes closed. He couldn’t move despite the panic coursing through him at the mention of La Signora. The electrohammer vanguard picked up Aether’s limp body, and he couldn’t fight back.

Aether thought Mondstadt was safe. He caught a glimpse of the soil spilled around the broken pot, the dandelions standing tall despite it.

Aether’s last waking thought was of Venti.

#venti #aether #aether x venti #genshin impact #genshin #genshin fanfic #genshin angst

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genesisrose74 · 4 years

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A/n: This idea just popped into my head this morning and I needed to write it out, guess who finished in one day instead of focusing on summer school aha ha...so here’s the next edition of Class 1-A quarantine hc’s! I think I’ll include a bit of background for all of these, just for future reference if anyone likes them lmao. Today we have everyone’s favorite nitroglycerin king, Bakugo Katsuki! Hope y’all enjoy cause I’m honestly so soft for this one okay BYE-

Surprisingly, you’re initially part of the Dekusquad, but you’ve always been close with Kirishima and Mina and feel comfortable hanging out with their group as well so you start gravitating to the Bakusquad

At first, Bakugo is really standoffish because, “You’re seriously friends with that damn nerd Deku” - wow everyone be hating on our cinnamon roll smh

But then he sees how much the rest of Bakusquad likes you and he starts warming up

It starts with small little things like not hogging all the space on the couches in the dorms and having you sit beside him

Then he notices that you’re very forgetful of your jacket and he ends up keeping a spare in his bag just in case the weather gets really bad

“I mistakenly grabbed two this morning, so lighten my load and carry the jacket—I don’t give a shit if you put it on, just hold it will you!”

He’s acts all aggressive whenever he tries to be subtle and someone calls him out on it pffft-

“What the hell are you talking about? You trying to get punched in the face?”

And his feelings are emphasized when the whole class is allowed to use the pool one afternoon and you’re pulling up with Mina and Momo

You’ve got a cute swimsuit and a sun hat on, and King Explosion Murder starts sweating a dangerous amount of nitroglycerin

Bakugo Katsuki has a thing for soft girls who can pull a one-eighty and kick ass no I do not take criticism

The class wants to play chicken and everyone is choosing partners, but in the corner of his eye Bakugo sees you getting cornered by Mineta

You’re usually able to handle the horny tornado but you’re feeling a bit too exposed in a bathing suit and start losing your cool

When I tell you the whole Bakusquad BOLTS to come rescue you-

Mineta is literally launched out of the pool by Sero like a rocket ship in orbit and the rest of the group is in this protective barrier formation around you (yes the squad has protocols for this kind of thing don’t even deny it)

Bakugo is beside you in a second with his hands secured on your waist because no one is coming near you like that when he’s around

“Why don’t you be my partner, yeah?”

And that's the story of how y’all destroyed everyone at chicken with absolutely no mercy and Bakugo finds your competitiveness that entire day attractive as hell

Walking back to the dorms afterwards, he pulls you away from the group and the look he gives you is s e a r i n g

“For the love of God, go out with me” and he does not have to tell you twice

Literally the entire class is SHOOK because you’re actually pretty mellow and Mr. My Only Vocabulary Word Is Die is...ya know...✨volatile✨

But let’s be honest he’s actually a softie if you’re close enough to him (sorry Deku you’re the exception but we still luv u) and everyone ends up adoring y’all being together

When quarantine rolls around and you both have to live back at your respective houses, everything is decently calm for about two days and then you both start getting bored as hell

Honestly longer than you expected

Bakugo hates social distancing with a passion but he agrees to abide by the rules and ends up asking you to Facetime at least twice a day

His bedroom is actually very tidy ‘cause Bakugo hates clutter, especially when he’s doing schoolwork

I wholeheartedly believe that Bakugo is a beast in the kitchen and y’all can fight me about it because his knife skills are canon and you best believe he learned it to be more independent

He’s been experimenting with new cooking recipes and is a master at making something out of practically nothing in his fridge, which is really handy when a trip to the grocery store is long overdue

He sends you pictures of his dishes and your responses are all praise and none of it’s exaggerated either; this boy can COOK

Netflix Parties with the Bakusquad — the chat gets loaded with Denki and Kiri spamming and Bakugo yelling at them in all caps to shut up

Your lock screen is a picture of the group on Facetime and you all have filters on (somehow you got Bakugo to use one don’t ask how); literal friendship goals

And then it’s been about a whole month since quarantine started and Bakugo wants to come visit you, but his mom shuts that down quicker than Barry Allen in the Speed Force

He’s pissed because he and his family feel perfectly healthy but his mother will not let him leave under any circumstances

So when his parents go to visit some relatives who were more susceptible to the virus and needed help with a couple basic tasks you decide to sneak out to see him (in good health of course)

Imagine his surprise when his typically rule-following girlfriend calls and is already standing in his backyard, bags of groceries in your possession

***

Bakugo shot you an incredulous look as you sat at the kitchen table. “You know I could have just opened the front door for you.”

“Yeah, but going through the window was way more fun,” you defended. “It’s not like I’m very rebellious at any other time, so might as well live it up while I have the courage.”

The blond snorted, sifting through the numerous bags you brought along to his house. They were filled with an assortment of foods: vegetables, meat, rice, sauces and the like.

“What’s all this for?” he inquired, pulling out a bottle of teriyaki sauce.

You couldn’t help the small smile that grew on your face as your boyfriend curiously examined the items. “It’s for you to cook with, duh.”

“And how am I supposed to explain the new abundance of food in the fridge to my parents?”

“Say that I had it sent over through Postmates or something. Even I thought of that, Katsuki.”

He rolled his eyes as he placed down the last bag of items. “I can’t believe you snuck out and brought all this stuff,” he murmured, leaning over to kiss the top of your head. “Thank you, babe.”

A faint blush rises to your cheeks, despite the fact you’ve been dating the first year student for a few months now. Girlfriend or not, verbal thanks from the King Explosion Murder was rare. “You’re welcome.”

Bakugo turned to the stove and started organizing a number of ingredients on the counter beside it, pulling out kitchenware from cabinets as he went.

“Since you’re here and all, I suppose I could make your dumb ass something,” he remarked.

Your eyes practically sparkled with excitement at the offer; you were hoping the blond would make you one of his iconic dishes eventually. A ghost of a grin was present on Bakugo’s face at the cheer that left your mouth, his back facing you as he got started.

You were quick to situate yourself on top of the kitchen counter, Bakugo lifting you by the waist to place you farther away from the flaming stove but still allowing you to watch as he worked. His knife skills were almost scary when chopping up the vegetables, the pace at which he was cutting them astonishing you, and the overall aroma of the space had your mouth watering before he was even close to finishing the meal.

“I feel like a judge on Master Chef,” you giggled, and the boy shook his head at the comment as he eyed a timer he had set for the pork he put on the stove.

“I’m pretty sure my girlfriend of a judge would be a bit biased over the contestants,” he pointed out.

You hummed thoughtfully. “I mean, if he keeps looking this attractive while making food I think my bias is justified.”

He glanced at you perched on the counter top, and took a few steps in your direction, cupping your cheek in one hand to kiss you quickly.

“You’re distracting me,” the first year mumbled, running a thumb over your jaw. “Quit being so cute, dummy.”

You saluted playfully. “Yes, chef.”

He let out a soft laugh before moving back to silence the timer that had started beeping, alerting him that the pork on the stove was ready to go. The blond shooed you away and had you sit at the dining table as he took the skillet and turned off the stove flames.

As you waited patiently for Bakugo to finish up, you sang under your breath and set two spots at the table directly across from each other. By the time he was done, two plates of steaming food in hand, you were already sitting down and twirling a fork between your fingers.

“What did you end up making?” You asked as he set a plate of rice and pork in front of you.

“Tonkatsu,” he replied nonchalantly.

It smelled like absolute heaven, and your hunger was only emphasized in the midst of the fast food you had been surviving off of during quarantine. This boy was even good at presentation, and you began to wonder if he was just talented at everything he tried.

Bakugo took the spot across from you and watched as you took the first bite. He wouldn’t admit it, but he felt a bit nervous that you wouldn’t like what he made. But that thought dissipated as quickly as it came once your fork flew into the meal for a second time, and you shot him a wide-eyed look.

“So good!” you exclaimed with a stuffed face, a few grains of rice falling from your mouth and back onto the plate.

“Don’t speak with your mouth full or you’ll choke, stupid,” he reprimanded, but your praise had an evident effect on the male as a smug smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“I expect gourmet lunches from you at least once a week when school starts again.”

“Not a chance in hell that I’m doing extra work in the mornings.”

“I’ll buy you all the ingredients you want~”

“...I’ll think about it.”

Next thing you knew, all the food on your plate was gone, gladly relocated to your stomach. Rounding the table, you wrapped your arms around Bakugo’s shoulders as he also finished eating.

“Thank you for dinner, Katsuki,” you hummed contentedly, resting your chin on his head. “It was seriously masterclass, especially after all the takeout I’ve been eating.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome,” he waved it off. “I think a movie of my choosing is in order.”

“After we clean up, hot shot. Your mom would kill you if she realized someone was over.”

“Why wouldn’t she kill you too?”

“Please. Your mom loves me.”

The blond barked out a laugh before standing up and holding your waist, ushering you back to the kitchen. “True.”

Cleaning up was quick and easy with the both of you working together, stocking away dishes and remaining groceries. The evening sky, visible through a large window in the living room, glittered with stars as you sidled next to your boyfriend on the couch, the kitchen and dining room returned to its normal prestige.

“Katsuki?” you murmured, voice laced with a touch of contented sleepiness.

He turned his head from the television screen to face you. “Hm?”

“I missed you, silly.”

An arm was thrown around your shoulder and you were pulled closer to the male, who gently kissed your temple.

“I missed you too, dummy.”

#bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugo #mha #mha headcanons #bnha imagines #bnha #katsuki bakugo headcanons #bakugo headcanons #bakugo imagine #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou #bakugou imagine #bnha fluff #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #fluff #imagines #boku no hero headcanons

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angst-fairygodmother · 3 years

Text

Feelings an’ Shit Ep1: Fall (Misfits; Nathan Young x Reader)

A/N: I’m not going to follow the whole continuity of the show, and most things are going to be in between/canon divergent but there’s a handful of episodes I want to do stuff with, including the first, since it only makes sense. Word Count: 2185 Rating: T - canon-typical violence, canon-typical swearing

You watched as the curly-haired kid bounced around, taunting the other one and couldn’t resist a snort of amusement. He turned back to you, flashing you a dramatic wink and waggling his eyebrows. You rolled your eyes, nodding back to Hat Guy who was still foaming at the mouth for a fight. Curly continued to antagonize, playing it up for the attention, and eventually Hat Guy had enough and went after him. After that, things became a bit of a blur of shouts and the probation worker pulling them apart. You made eye-contact briefly with the girl who’d been on her cell phone and you both rolled your eyes, laughing.

If only you’d known then that this moment was the last normal one you’d have.

“So what about you?” the curly-haired kid, Nate or whatever it was, asked, turning his paintbrush on you. “What’d you do gorgeous?”

You liked the sound of his lilt. But he needed to learn to shut up if you were ever going to get along with him, and you wanted to, if only because you were all stuck here.

You shrugged. “I think the official labels were disturbing the peace and intimidation. And maybe something about rioting which seems unfair. It was just a little bar brawl, and it definitely wasn’t my fault. Although I did glass that guy. So maybe it was.”

You tried to keep your voice nonchalant, painting away at the bench across from the quiet one, without looking up to see how the others reacted. If you were being honest, the crime you got stuck with wasn’t even the worst thing you had done, just the one that got attention. But these people, with their minor infractions and their ‘I shouldn’t be here’ attitudes (or maybe it was just the one guy) didn’t need to know that.

“What about you Weird Kid,” Curly continued, apparently choosing not to comment on your offense as he had the others. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like a panty sniffer.”

You grimaced, offering him a sympathetic roll of your eyes. “Ignore him, he’s a moron.” you mouthed across the bench. The boy offered you a faint smile in return.

Curly continued his antics, trying to provoke your new friend who finally snapped, “I tried to burn someone’s house down.”

Your eyebrows shot up, impressed, as Curly whined uncomfortably, instantly backing off. You didn’t have time to comment on his own excuse for getting picked up, eating pick-n-mix, before the probation worker came back, annoyed with you all for Hat Guy’s paint spill.

Then a massive hailstone crashed into a car, and you were too scared to worry about much else. Several more fell as you all stared up at the unnatural stormcloud moving overhead, and you all took off running for the relative shelter of the building, panicked and doing your best to shield your faces and heads from the shrapnel. Some instinct made you lag behind, bringing up the rear to make sure that everyone stayed together, no one got left behind.

You were just coming up on the rest of the group, the probation worker unhelpfully taking the time to lecture them about their language, when there was a flash of light and you felt yourself get thrown backwards.

You came back to your senses a moment later, sprawled on the concrete, entire body aching like the worst hangover you’d ever had, times ten. Smaller but still massive hail smashed on the ground around you as you and the others slowly sat up or climbed to your feet.

The probation worker seemed to be having some sort of fit as you all discussed what had just happened and whether everyone was alright.

“We just almost got killed by freak lightning and hail. Fuck what anybody says, I’m outta here,” you snapped, dusting yourself off with some attempt at dignity.

“She’s right,” the probation worker groaned, making you turn to gape at him. “Maybe we should call it a day.”

The next day passed in a blur: finding Hat Guy dead, the probation worker going berserk and nearly killing you all, super powers? It was all too much. By the time you were all out digging holes under the overpass, you found the activity strangely calming.

You tried not to think too hard about that fact, since apparently Kelly could hear you. You debated offering a (metaphorical) hand of friendship to Alisha, maybe suggest some self-defense classes to help counter her fucked up powers, but seeing the way she snapped at Curtis you decided against it, for now. Then you were startled out of your thoughts by Nathan draping an arm around your shoulders.

“So it looks like just the two of us that haven’t figured out our powers yet,” he observed, leaning on you.

You side-stepped out of his grasp, causing him to stumble, nearly ending up in Tony’s grave with him, and hid your smirk behind your hand.

“What’s your point?” you asked, tired and irritated and not wanting to put up with his shit.

“Maybe we should spend some extra time together, figure it out.” He waggled his eyebrows, a behavior you were starting to notice was a habit of his.

‘This arrogant sod,’ you thought. ‘He’s really got the nerve to be standing there, not doing any work, hitting on me, while we are burying bodies. Who the hell does he think he is?’

You were furious, the more you thought about it.

Suddenly, a wave roiled up from the river, crashing over Nathan, knocking him to the ground in a sopping puddle.

“What the hell?” Alisha shrieked, jumping back from the splash zone.

“Y/N. I think you did that,” Kelly pointed out.

You stared, wide-eyed. “No way.”

“Ya were gettin’ pissed at Nathan, I heard it. Then he gets dunked on.”

“No. That’s...that would be...not fair.”

“You think having some sort of water control power isn’t fair?” Alisha looked like she was going to start something and you backed away, trying not to cry or vomit from the fear. “It’s a million times better than my shit power.”

“No. You don’t understand…” you felt like your throat was closing up. “It would be...sick. A sick joke. The universe can’t have that kinda humor.” You looked wildly around at them, five pairs of eyes fixed on you, trying to breathe and not think.

“Let’s just finish burying the bodies,” you said shakily, “forget this ever happened, and get out of here, yeah?”

The next morning you dragged yourself up out of bed, forcing yourself to dress in some ratty jeans and a tank top, braiding your hair with trembling fingers as you got ready for day three of community service. Even if there wasn’t going to be a probation worker there, even if you just went and then left, you had to make everything look as normal as possible.

“So, if anyone asks,” you heard Nathan say softly as you, Alisha, and Kelly all passed the guys on their way out of the locker room and your way in to change. “It was just a completely normal day.”

“Actually…” you caught their attention, holding them back a moment. “The new probation worker’s in there right now, digging around the office. They’re going to ask us questions, and we need to have our stories straight.”

“What story?” he protested, a little too loudly, earning a glare from Kelly and Curtis. “We saw nothing, we did nothing.”

“They’re not going to buy it. We were the last people to see either of them, and now they’re missing with no sign of where they went.”

“So what do you suggest, if you’re the mastermind with all the answers?”

You glared at him, then licked your lips nervously. “Look, I’m not going to volunteer it outright, but if we have to, I’ll tell them it was me.”

“Wot?!” Kelly asked, staring at you like you had just sprouted a new head.

“It’ll suck but better one of us goes down than all of us. I’m the one it’s most believable from.”

“No! No way!” You were surprised that Alisha was fighting you on it, expecting her to be the first to throw you under a bus in order to get away from it herself. “You’ll go to prison!”

“Or we all will. I’m just being practical. If we’re lucky, they think we don’t know shit and we all walk away. But if they start asking questions, real questions,” you set your jaw, steeling yourself for the story you were going to spin. “Tony and I got in a fight over the shit he said while we were takin’ shelter from the storm. I got pissed, and I hit him until he stopped moving. Made you help me move the body. Then Hat Guy, what’s his name, was gonna snitch so I killed him too.”

“I don’t like this,” Curtis cut in. Nathan nodded slowly in agreement, eyebrows furrowed and far more serious than you had seen him so far.

“What happens to you if we do this?” Alisha asked.

“They slap me in cuffs,” you wiggled your eyebrows suggestively, trying and failing to cut the tension. “Drag me down to the station, ask me a bunch more shit. Then I go away for a long time for murder, or they don’t believe me and I’m back on Monday.”

“Even if they don’t believe her,” Simon offered hesitantly. “They’ll be less likely to look at the rest of us. She has no reason to cover for us. We’re practically strangers.”

“Exactly.” You snapped your fingers, pointing at Simon. “See, he gets it.”

“Why would ya take the fall for us?” Kelly asked.

You considered her question for a while, not really sure of the answer yourself. Then you sighed and shrugged, shoving your hands in the pockets of your jeans.

“I’m real good at screwin’ up, and lucky I’m not already jailed for it. Least now I can use that fact for a good cause.”

Nathan watched as the girl walked over to her locker in the back, casual as can be as if she hadn’t just offered to go down for a double murder. He tried not to show on his face how impressed, or turned on, he was.

He considered staying, trying to catch a glimpse of her and see if her body was as dangerous and sexy as her mind seemed to be.

“Yer disgusting,” Kelly scoffed, glaring at him until he left behind the other guys.

The six of you stood in a line, uncomfortable and awkward as you faced your new probation worker. She introduced herself as Sally, and said she’d been sent to take over your supervision.

“Gary and my colleague, Tony, have both been reported missing,” she continued, staring at each of you in turn, as if a little eye contact could drive her point home. “Their families are really worried about them.”

You rolled your eyes, not believing for a second that either of those two assholes had anyone out there looking for them. You tried, slightly, to hide your boredom.

“Did any of you see anything unusual? Anything at all?”

Everyone glanced at each other uncomfortably out of the corners of eyes, shifting weight from foot to foot.

‘They’ve got nothing,’ you found yourself thinking with relief. ‘Everyone keeps their mouth shut and it might actually work.’

Suddenly Nathan raised a finger in the air, looking nervous and uncomfortable, one might even call it scared, and you swore under your breath. Were you really so wrong to trust them, him? Was he about to snitch? Of course an idiot like him couldn’t stick to a cover story. Your mind raced, debating if you should start running and try for a lead on the cops.

“A few days ago, I go into the toilets, Tony and Gary are in there - they’re butt naked. Tony’s got Gary by his hair - like this. He’s doing him - doggie-style,” you gaped as Nathan carried on.

“Or...we could go with that,” you muttered watching Nathan’s antics and rubbing your forehead to stave off the growing headache (a headache you suspected was going to be semi-permanent and named Nathan Young).

“I ask you - in a world of prejudice and intolerance - who are we, who are we to condemn them?”

Sally scoffed, rolling her eyes and storming off to the office.

“Who wants a smoke?” Kelly asked, nodding her head toward the stairs, and you all followed, headed for the roof.

“What the fuck was that down there?” you shouted at Nathan, gesturing angrily.

“It was me, improvisin, actin. I think I did a pretty good job, don’t ye?” he grinned smugly at you.

“I think you’re an idiot, and almost ruined the whole thing. Now even if I do try to take the fall, at the very least, your goose is cooked too.”

“So don’t try. I think we got away with it.”

“D’you actually believe that?” Curtis asked, staring dumbfounded at Nathan. “Or are you just really dumb?”

#aka the Sarah Tucker Timeline #same shit. new continuity #Nathan Young x reader #Misfits fic #(see I feel like me trying to cover/tweak the events of the episode is...not that good #I should stick to hopping about claiming bits and wedging myself in gaps)

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 3 years

Text

The Killing Cure (Part 6)

Sleep takes her regardless of whether or not she welcomes it and her waking comes as a very unpleasant surprise. She is only tolerant of her awakening as far as her daughters go, even then she is no more able to protect them than her rotting corpse could.

“Mother?” Cassandra murmurs sleepily.

Alcina weakly strokes her hair, “I’m still...here dear.” She isn’t sure for how long. She needs to get up but her body ails her unceasingly and without mercy. She tries to stand, her muscles are all so weak and the pain in her abdomen is still so sharp. She gets to her feet anyhow, she is going to have to endure. Endure until her last breath.

“Lay back down mother.” Cassandra mumbles.

Alcina shakes her head. “I have to do things for myself.” She makes her way across the room, somehow she has to make herself useful. She loathes to think of what Hiesenberg will say to her when he sees her again, the mockery and the endless taunting. And she would deserve it getting bested like that by a human man.

She braces herself against the wall.

“Don’t hurt yourself, mother.” Cassandra frowns.

“Where are your sisters?”

“Daniela thought that it would be nice to make you some new dresses. Bela is better at sewing though.”

“When did Bela learn…?”

“She watched the maiden do it before we turned her into fine wine!” Cassandra replies joyfully.

Alcina chuckles. It is the first prickle of genuine humor she has had in a while. At the very least it is the first moment that the pain had subsided even just a little. She attempts to heave herself away from the wall and stand on her own. It is still dizzying to look upon her furniture from this vantage point. It is one thing to get adjusted to it from the semi-comforts of her mattress and another thing entirely to walk by the towering room decor.

She inhales deeply--at least she doesn’t have to put thought into breathing anymore. And she takes her first few steps, slow and meek. Cassandra holds out her hand and Alcina takes it, privately pretending that she has done so for the girl’s comfort and not her own.

“Where are we going, mother?”

“Let’s check on your sisters and perhaps I can find myself something to eat…”

.oOo.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Ethan shouts. Lady Dimitrescu is not tucked safely into her bed when he arrives in her bedroom. He runs his hands through his hair, he can’t imagine that she could get very far.

Most likely, she is somewhere in the castle, lurking as she always had. But what if she has gotten herself further hurt than she is already? He imagines that she is the exact sort of woman who would push herself well beyond her limits just to prove something to herself, to impress an audience that isn’t even in attendance.

Or maybe she has assumed that he wasn’t coming back for her. Maybe she has left the castle in search of something to fix her up. But she wouldn’t leave those little demon flies, would she? He rubs his hands over his face and curses again.

He tells himself that he is only frustrated that he had gone all of that way and endured all of the Duke’s chatter and taunting for nothing.

“Got yourself in a really tight situation this time, didn’t you, Mr. Winters?” He’d chuckled. A fool he was to think that that would be the end of the Duke’s commentary.

“I thought up an assortment of scenarios about you and Lady Dimitrescu but this one never crossed my mind…” He had trailed off. “A small human. You might have four daughters to take care of now.”

“Absolutely not, Duke. She’s ill, not a child.”

The Duke had chuckled. “You’ve never overheard one of their family meetings, boy! The woman can cavil and grouse like the most petulant teenagers I’ve come across.” He took a swig of ale. “And that Hiesenberg, what a mouth that one has!”

“Duke…”

“Just how small is she now? I’ve heard hearsay that she was a tiny thing.”

“She’s...she’s small. Yeah.”

At that he had given his heartiest, most bellowing laugh yet. “Oh! What a treat. You’ll have to bring your new missus by when she’s all healed up!”

“She’s not...she won’t be...just sell me my goods, Duke!” He had waved the coins at him. Even a bribe--double the usual charge--hadn’t been able to deter him from his jesting. And so he’d resigned himself to several hours of jokes, gossip, and idle conversation. None of it of any particular importance. And now Dimitrescu is gone.

“Son of a fuck!” He shouts, noting that Heisenberg would probably appreciate that one. He slams his fists against her nightstand, knocking a glass to the floor. It shatters at his feet.

“Haven’t you ruined enough, Winters?” The woman, looking more thoroughly exhausted than before, stands in the doorway pinching her nose.

“I’m sure that you have a lot more glasses.”

“It’s the sentiment, Winters.” She, accompanied and assisted by her daughters, finds her way back to her bed. She falls heavily upon the mattress and just about curls in on herself. “What kept you?”

“Have you talked to the Duke?” He groans.

The look on her face and that deep sigh tells him everything that he needs to know.

“Now, you might want to start treating me better because I didn’t have to do this…”

“You didn’t have to put me in this condition either, Winters. I won’t thank you for fixing what you broke…”

Broke. He looks her over. Does she really see herself as broken? Really he thinks with the proper treatments she could probably function relatively well. “Well, look, I didn’t just get you medication, I also got some new clothes for you and some food that’s more...suitable for a human.”

She seems none to pleased about this.

“Look, I even got you a new hat, just like your other one.” He tries.

This seems to lift her mood, if only a little. She reaches for it and fixes it onto her head. It is only when he hands her the pile of clothes that he realizes she is already dressed in something new. Rather, aged but different than what she had been wearing.

“Bela and Daniela made it for me.” She notes.

He doesn’t want to be touched by it but, by God, he is. To think that those beasts have flickers of humanity. “There are two types of drugs here.” He holds them out, “one for diet and nutrition and one to suppress the immune system. Believe it or not, the Duke said that he got a supply just in case something like this happened.”

Lady Dimitrescu takes the pills and supplements.

“He was going to charge me extra too! He said that he was planning on getting extra riches from this, I told him that I put up with enough chatter to get a discount!”

She rolls her eyes. “That man is a character.” She takes a glass of water and swallows a pill. He can’t imagine that someone so small would need any more than one. She seems to stare sadly at her hands. But when she looks upon him it isn’t with as much hatred as it has been prior.

.oOo.

Alcina picks her way through the pile of clothing and, to her relief, finds a pair of gloves. She stuffs her rashed and blistered hands into the gloves, glad to be rid of the sight of them. She hates the sight of them, hates the sight of herself in general. She doesn’t just hate the sight of herself, she thinks that she hates herself entirely.

“Do you want something to eat?” Winters breaks her from her daze.

“Yes!” Daniela declares.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” He mumbles.

“A meal would be ideal.” She replies quietly.

The man seems to bite at his cheek before asking, “what would you like?”

“I don’t know, Winters. I haven’t had a taste for human dishes since making dishes of humans.”

For some reason, he chortles at this.

“Surprise me, you’re aggravatingly good at that.”

Ethan nods. “Alright, I’ll cook some potato salad, Mia used to love potato salad especially when I added cider vinegar…” He trails off in thought.

She thinks that the memory is painful for him, it must be with his wife so newly dead. She tries her best to fight off the sympathy but doesn’t quite succeed. She has enough success to not reassure him but not enough to stop herself from pulling him out of his own head. “My girls need food too.”

“They can have some of the salad.”

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “You need to go hunting. They prefer raw human, but deer or wolf will suffice.”

He sighs and says exactly what she hadn’t expected. “Alright, I’ll show you how to make a good potato salad and then I’ll go on a hunting trip. I’ve already shot dozens of lycans, how hard can one deer be?”

#Resident Evil #Alcina Dimitrescu #Lady Dimitrescu #Ethan Winters #Alcina/Ethan #Fanfiction

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taizi · 3 years

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the ship sways but the heart is steady

chapter two: how the light gets in

the untamed pairing: jiang cheng & wei ying, lan zhan/wei ying word count: 3713 summary: Wei Ying’s friends are at rock-bottom, and Wei Ying puts his life on hold to help them put theirs back together. To absolutely no one’s surprise except Wei Ying’s, his family goes with him. read on ao3

“We’re here,” Wen Qing says, bringing Jiang Cheng out of an involuntary doze. He realizes that the car has stopped.

He can’t see much of the estate through the glare on the windshield, so he glances into the backseat. Wei Ying is still very much dead to the world, and still sprawled against Lan Zhan, who is playing what sounds like Candy Crush on Wei Ying’s phone. Wen Ning is fast asleep on Lan Zhan’s opposite shoulder with the rabbit crate nestled safely in the loose loop of his arms.

It can’t possibly be comfortable for any of them, except maybe the rabbits.

“I’ll extract you in a sec,” Wen Qing says.

“Take your time,” Lan Zhan replies peacefully.

Rolling his eyes, Jiang Cheng drags himself out of the car. The dry heat smacks into him like a solid wall. Stretching stiff muscles, he gazes across the overgrown yard. It’s—alright, it’s a lot.

The whole property is clearly old farmland gone to seed. There’s some rusted equipment all choked through with weeds sitting off to one side of a dirt road, which wings around to a distant structure that must have once been a barn. Goldenrod is growing all over the place, and with the late afternoon sun baking overheard, it really adds to the illusion that everything has been bathed yellow.

The villa itself is both better and worse than Jiang Cheng was expecting. It has exterior walls, at least. And most of a roof. Maybe once, it might have been someone’s pride and joy.

Wen Qing leaves the engine running, circling around the front of the car to stand next to Jiang Cheng. Her eyes look ancient with fear.

“I don’t know if we can do this,” she says. She’ll only say it now, where her brother and her best friend can’t hear. She’ll be strong all the rest of the time.

Jiang Cheng can’t begrudge her this important, much-needed moment of weakness. He bumps their shoulders together. He lets her lean on him for a bit. Jiang Cheng isn’t either of his siblings—he doesn’t know how to be a voice of comfort. The best he can do is just be here.

“What’s that stupid thing you and your siblings always say before you do something that almost gets you killed?” Wen Qing asks suddenly.

Immediately defensive, because he’s the one who started it back when he was like seven and Yanli and Wei Ying thought it was adorable and wouldn’t let it die, Jiang Cheng snaps, “It’s not stupid. It’s fucking—motivational.”

“It can be both. You’re living proof.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

She sighs, that familiar laughing sound that defangs Jiang Cheng in one fell swoop.

“‘Attempt the impossible,’” he recites grudgingly.

The sun is steadily sinking lower through the sky. All the daytime color is deep and rich now with the promise of evening, everything on the brink of shadow. A breeze rolls through the yard, catching Jiang Cheng’s hair and tossing it into his eyes. It carries smells he can’t recognize, smokey and woodsy, a little floral, clean.

There’s no smog, no oppressive diesel or baked garbage smell, no heavy industry works bleeding its fumes all over the place. It smells the way summer smelled in the books A-Li used to read to him.

He’ll get used to the heat, Jiang Cheng thinks. Summer has always been his favorite season. He doesn’t know if he’ll get used to the smell.

“Did you ever manage it?” Wen Qing asks quietly. “The impossible?”

Jiang Cheng can’t help but smile, half a dozen memories crowding forward in the space of a heartbeat. Him, and his brother, and his sister, always together. Never apart. Keeping each other safe, and even more importantly, keeping each other happy.

“All the time,” he says.

It must be the right thing to say. Wen Qing stands a little taller. Her expression goes so firm with resolve that Jiang Cheng would never have believed that she’d wavered if he hadn’t seen it for himself.

This was right, he realizes. It finally quiets the uncertain voice still loitering around in the back of his mind. Coming here for her was right.

Wei Ying is much more enthusiastic about the decrepit property than Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing combined, and for the life of him, Jiang Cheng can’t decide how much of it is an act to make the Wens feel better about their circumstances. It seems largely genuine.

“Can you believe how huge this house is?” Wei Ying says gleefully, somewhere in the middle of his third lap around the property. “Babe, the dining room is as big as our entire apartment!”

Lan Zhan smiles at him, likely just because he called him ‘babe’. Jiang Cheng is going to throw up on both of them at least once.

The inside is not actually quite as depressing as they feared. There’s old furniture stacked up in most of the rooms, each individual piece moldy and cobwebbed and not likely to support anyone’s weight without breaking in half, and collections of miscellaneous things, like ten-thousand stacks of newspapers in the study, and just as many empty wine bottles out on the back porch.

But there’s something to it, Jiang Cheng can’t deny that. Some sort of presence to it. A history, maybe, that haunts all these empty spaces that used to be full and busy and lived-in. It makes him linger over an old console table at the end of the second floor hallway, with a dusty jewelry box sitting on top. There are someone’s ruined treasures inside. This was someone’s home.

Maybe it could be that again.

“We’ll have to drive into town for dinner,” Wen Qing says, surveying their progress in the living room. They’ve set up camp there, since they’re losing too much light to do much else. “And flashlights. The electric company promised they’d have an inspector out here in the morning.”

Wei Ying collapses onto a dusty sofa, which is probably actively infested with something, or at the very least was at some point, and pats at the cushion next to him until Lan Zhan unfolds himself from his seat on a wine crate and joins him there.

“This place really isn’t that bad, A-Qing,” Wei Ying says. “You made it sound like they’d gutted it down to the studs.”

“That’s how it was described to me,” she says. She seems a lot firmer on her feet, now that she’s walked the length of the place and knows firsthand that it probably isn’t going to collapse on top of their heads at a moment’s notice. “What was it our cousin called it, A-Ning?”

“A rathole,” Wen Ning says helpfully, feeding the rabbits bits of dried rosemary out of his hands. “He said he was glad it was our problem and not his.”

“He’s probably just angry it wasn’t left to him in nainai’s will,” Wen Qing says.

“Is this your cousin who got kicked out of school for driving his professor’s car off a bridge or the one who was arrested for breaking and entering?” Wei Ying asks.

“Same cousin,” Wen Ning says. “He’s not very nice.”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to asshole relatives, so he stands up and says, “Let’s get a move on. We’re already gonna be coming back in the dark. A-Ning, put the rabbits away. Lan Zhan, stop mooning over my brother.”

“If it’s gonna be dark by the time we get back anyway, there’s time for mooning,” Wei Ying grumbles.

He squeaks and scrambles over the back of the sofa when Jiang Cheng advances on him, and Wen Qing berates them for trying to break what little furniture they have three minutes after they fucking got here, and for a few minutes the old house is packed to the rafters with shouting and laughter as they jostle each other out the door.

It already feels a little fuller than it did when they arrived, in a way that has nothing to do with the suitcases stacked in the hall.

Jiang Cheng gets up the morning feeling unfairly jet-lagged. Everyone else is awake already, sitting on the floor of the kitchen, eating dry cereal because the fridge isn’t running yet and things like milk are still only a distant dream. They greet him with a round of sleepy but sincere hellos and Wei Ying passes him a box of Lucky Charms.

Lan Zhan, who bought a camping generator and a power strip when they went to town the night before, holds his hand out for Jiang Cheng’s phone. Jiang Cheng surrenders it so it can be charged and refuses to admit out loud that he’s glad that Lan Zhan is marrying into his family.

By the time the inspector arrives, they’re picking their way through the junk in the kitchen. “Start with one room,” Wei Ying says, likely repeating the helpful Youtuber whose DIY videos he paid an obscene amount of his fiance’s money on the in-flight WiFi to watch. “Make it ours.”

So they’re clearing out cabinets and removing ancient rodent carcasses and sorting dusty glassware into possibly-salvageable and definitely-garbage piles when a loud knock draws their attention down the hall to the foyer where a friendly-looking, if bemused, man in a hard hat is standing on the threshold of the open front door.

Wen Qing shoves a blender into Jiang Cheng’s hands that probably hasn’t blended a damn thing in thirty years and pats as much dust off of her person as she can.

“You’ve got this,” Wei Ying says with enough belief to power a small aircraft. “And if you need me to flirt with him for any reason, just say the word. Lan Zhan will understand.”

Lan Zhan won’t understand, if Jiang Cheng is as good at reading his mico-expressions as he thinks he is. The inspector, who could clearly hear Wei Ying’s voice from like ten feet away, is already grinning when Wen Qing introduces herself.

Ultimately, after a walk around the house, the inspector has good news and bad news. He starts with the bad news.

“It could be a lot worse,” he says frankly. “But this building is practically an antique, and it hasn’t been upgraded in two decades, at least. We might be able to get away with a partial wiring, but anything less than a full one would leave you at a real risk of an electrical fire.”

Wen Qing’s whole body goes stiff. Wen Ning steps up beside her, taking her hand in one of his bandaged ones.

“A full rewiring then,” he says, firm in the way he only is when someone else needs him to be. “We’ll figure it out.”

Apparently sympathetic, the man nods. He imparts the good news. “We’ll get started on the repairs right away. I can probably get some guys out as early as this afternoon, and it shouldn’t take longer than a week.” After a beat, he adds, “We can arrange a payment plan when all’s said and done. I’m not going to hound you about a lump sum up front. We’re a pretty close-knit community out here, pretty neighborly. Don’t be surprised if you’ve got people poking their heads in at you soon.”

Wen Qing, who grew up in LA, seems to need a minute to digest that. Wen Ning seems automatically delighted.

“Hey, thanks for everything,” Wei Ying says when the inspector starts to head back to his truck.

The inspector grins and taps his hard hat in reply, looking amused. Jiang Cheng doesn’t have to search farther than two inches past Wei Ying’s shoulder to find out why.

“Jesus Christ, Lan Zhan, they’re not going to elope,” Jiang Cheng says, shoving him back towards the kitchen. “Wei Ying has literally never looked at another human being since the first time he looked at you.”

“Aww,” Wen Ning says.

“Shut up, that wasn’t—it’s annoying! Not cute!”

“It can be both things,” Wen Qing says dryly. She’s smiling.

Through some grace of god, the plumbing is sound. Unlike the wiring, the pipes were replaced recently enough that they’re not made of lead or polybutylene or anything else that will make them violently sick from bathing or drinking out of the tap.

This leads Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying on an expedition to the basement in search of the hot water heater. Jiang Cheng could fucking cry when they find out it’s one of those huge gas-powered tanks. Wei Ying looks up how to turn the gas on without exploding the place into tiny pieces, because of course he has data out here even though no one else does, and it’s as simple as turning a valve they find in the middle of some big fuck-off spiderwebs.

“Hot showers tonight!” Wei Ying sings when they make it back upstairs, significantly more dusty than they were when they descended. Wen Ning gazes at them with such open admiration that Jiang Cheng doesn’t want to admit there was literally no skill involved in the process at all.

The electricity inspector is proven right about curious visitors exactly four hours after he said it, as a warbling little voice calls, “Hello?” from the front porch.

The kitchen is in the middle of a thorough scrubbing, and Wen Ning isn’t allowed to put his hands anywhere near chemicals or heat or anything, really, aside from the lazy rabbits, so he pops up to his feet and scurries to the front of the house in a desperate bid to do something productive.

“A-jie,” he calls a moment later, in a tone that gets Wen Qing’s attention faster than a fucking lightning bolt from the sky probably would have. Her urgency is distracting. The rest of them don’t want to keep cleaning cabinets while Something Is Happening, so Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan get up and follow after a minute of pretending to work.

There’s a little old woman, probably well into her seventies, holding one of each of the Wen siblings’ hands and talking warmly. A little boy is clinging to her leg, peering up at them with wide eyes.

Granny, as she insists they call her, has lived in this town her whole life, and was a close friend of Wen Qing and Wen Ning’s grandparents.

“I heard about the fire,” she says, clutching their hands, “and I want you to know that I’ll help you however I can. There’s not much heavy lifting I can do, really, but—cooking and cleaning, I am more than capable of!”

Jiang Cheng, who had respect for his elders literally beaten into him growing up, would sooner walk into traffic than he would let this kind old woman clean for him. The sentiment is clearly echoed on all of his friends’ faces, and his brother steps forward to look at her with big, liquid eyes.

“Granny, you’ll stay and keep us company even if we don’t have any interesting stuff for you to do, won’t you? Even if all you do is sit here in the shade and chat with us for a bit? It’ll break my heart if you don’t, it really will.”

This earns Wei Ying a fond pat on the cheek, as he’s adopted by Granny on the spot. She does stay for a few hours, and they make a meal out of some day-old donuts and chips and sunflower seeds. Jiang Cheng watches Granny visibly come to the conclusion that they’re all incapable of feeding themselves, and something needs to be done about it, even if she politely declines to say it out loud.

Her grandson, A-Yuan, has picked his way cautiously to the little makeshift enclosure they’ve constructed for the rabbits, and crouches next to it to look in at them with wide, wanting eyes.

“Do you want to pet them?” Wei Ying says. The answer is obviously yes, no matter that A-Yuan shyly ducks his head and doesn’t answer, so Wei Ying lifts the white rabbit out and places it carefully in the child’s lap. “This is Bao. She’s my favorite. Don’t tell Pidan.”

A-Yuan giggles, carefully petting Bao’s velvety ears with the tips of his fingers. Bao is content to just sit there and soak up the affection until the end of days, the most laid-back creature on the planet.

“Pidan?” A-Yuan asks, glancing inquisitively at the black rabbit, who is chewing noisily on a piece of cardboard.

“Her sister,” Wei Ying says, lifting the black rabbit out and putting it next to Bao. A-Yuan is laughing fully, now, gifted with too much rabbit for his tiny arms to contain. “She’s silly and annoying and a trouble-maker. For some reason, she’s Lan Zhan’s favorite. Don’t tell Bao.”

“For some reason,” Lan Zhan intones solemnly. He’s looking at Wei Ying the way he’s always looking at him.

“I can’t stand this,” Jiang Cheng says to Wen Qing. “There has to be something else for me to clean, far away from them.”

“Have you seen where you are? There’s a million things for you to clean.”

But she gets up when he does, and they wander through the mostly-clean kitchen and into the pantry, where the shelves are nearly fully-stocked with foods at least ten years past their expiration. Sighing, Wen Qing ties back her hair. The curve of her neck is disarmingly delicate.

Jiang Cheng glances away quickly and refuses to think about why.

There’s a spigot in the conservatory that refuses to work. There’s a wall dividing the dining room and the living room that just doesn’t make sense. There’s broken windows and holes in the roof. Wen Ning walks across the second floor balcony to release an angry squirrel that they found in a wardrobe and nearly falls over the edge when the wrought iron railing bends beneath his weight. The yard and the grounds are an outright disaster.

The plot on the west side of the house was once home to a small vineyard, which explains some of the tubing and big gallon buckets they found in the conservatory. The original owners must have made their own fruit wine. The land by the barn is fenced off in a way that suggests a vegetable garden, and the rest of the considerable acreage is eaten up by the edge of a big lake, the remains of a dock leaning out over the water.

It’s all neglected, overgrown, untamed.

But, Jiang Cheng thinks, almost a month after they arrived, it’s getting there.

The last time it rained, he and Wei Ying and Wen Ning ran through the house looking for leaks, and couldn’t find a single one. For some reason it was so fucking exciting to have a roof without holes that they called people about it.

Yanli was ecstatic. Lan Huan, who, Jiang Cheng thinks, still doesn’t fully understand why his brother and future brother-in-law disappeared to California to begin with, was bemused but very happy for them. Granny brought over a strawberry sponge cake in celebration.

She’s been spending more time at the villa, anyway. One of the guest rooms has become hers, for those nights that dinner runs late and Wei Ying employs his wide gray eyes and convinces her not to drive home in the dark. All of them are more than okay with it, because otherwise she would go home to an empty house with no one for company but a four-year-old, and that makes Jiang Cheng’s stomach feel sour.

Granny says that A-Yuan has gotten attached, but she doesn’t specify what he’s attached to. It could be the bunnies, it could be all the wide open space to run around in, and it could just as well could be Jiang Cheng’s idiot brother, who carries A-Yuan around on his shoulders or under his arm tirelessly and threatens to plant him with the radishes every time he misbehaves.

They returned the rental car because someone in town had an old truck they didn’t mind parting with. There’s no A/C, but it’s not exactly a hardship to crank the windows down and drive really fast instead. Jiang Cheng usually volunteers Wei Ying for trips into town with him, because, even though he would die before he’d admit it out loud, it’s nice to have his brother to himself for a change.

If Yanli were here, he thinks, trudging through the little grocery store and deflecting most of Wei Ying’s attempts to sneak stupid shit into their shopping cart, it would actually be perfect.

They’re piled on the new second-hand sofa and a couple salvaged leather armchairs in the living room, watching a Dreamworks movie with A-Yuan on the satellite TV that Lan Zhan’s fuck-off bank account secured for them, when Wei Ying’s phone rings.

Wei Ying is sharing one of the recliners with Lan Zhan, tucked into his fiance’s lap with his legs draped over the arm of the chair and his head tucked into Lan Zhan’s shoulder, and it looks as though it would take an act of god to move him.

“Here,” Wen Qing says, amused, and leans over to pass the phone to Jiang Cheng.

“What are you good for if you won’t even answer your own phone?” Jiang Cheng grumbles without heat.

“Eye-candy,” Wei Ying says shamelessly.

“Hello?” he says loudly into the phone so he won’t have to spend a second thinking about what his own brother just fucking said to him.

“A-Cheng,” Yanli says.

“Oh, A-Li,” Jiang Cheng says, smiling automatically. “You didn’t call this morning. I meant to call you after dinner, but my phone died, because someone hogged the charger to play Candy Crush all day.”

Lan Zhan gazes at him serenely.

“A-Cheng,” Yanli says again, very gently. “Are you with A-Ying?”

“Yeah, of course,” Jiang Cheng says. His smile is fading. After a life spent reading verbal cues from his siblings, something about Yanli’s tone has his stomach doing somersaults. “He’s right here. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Wei Ying sitting up. A-Yuan’s bright little voice is asking what’s wrong, and Wen Ning is shushing him. Wen Qing’s hand covers Jiang Cheng’s free one, as light and insubstantial as a bird landing on a telephone wire, until the second he needs a firmer hold.

“Of course I am, I’m okay.”

“A-Li,” he says, feeling light-headed. “What’s wrong?”

With a deep, shuddering breath, she tells him.

#the untamed #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #yunmeng shuangjie #wangxian #jiang cheng #wei ying #lan zhan #wen qing #wen ning #wen yuan #jiang yanli #my writing #mdzs fic #the ship sways #surprise i have this weekend off so i wrote the next chapter just for the hell of it :^)

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ask-ethari-anything · 3 years

Note

Ooooh!! I need to know more about that first time where Runaan fell asleep before you started courting, because he was hurt and all.

Please? 🥺

It’s my pleasure, love.

Young assassins are often given guard duty for little trips outside the Silvergrove, to give them practice with awareness and responding to relatively safe situations--compared to taking humans, anyway. Runaan really seemed to enjoy those trips before he was cleared for assassin missions--he really embraced the idea of protecting people by standing between them and danger, and by sorting out tense situations to keep others safe. He has a knack for that, as much as he does for um, harder things.

He was often assigned to guard me while I went on a gem-finding trip. I loved those trips! Pulling rough gemstones from the earth, from caves, from riverbeds, seeing them sparkle in their first light of day, it warms my soul. If Runaan loved his guard duty, then these were the trips I loved. I always asked for them, whenever the village needed more rough stones, and I was good at finding them and bringing them back as intact as possible. Glow crystals are easy to find since they give off light, but it’s almost as if I can hear the gemstones pinging in the earth, and I love that first moment of discovery like nothing else.

But I do get overly focused on my work, and that’s why I need someone watching my back. *sassy grin* So Runaan and I made a great team even when we were younger, and he trekked out with me many times before we had romantic inclinations for each other.

One time, I insisted on traveling out during a rainstorm because the cache of opals I was after lay beneath an overhang that had been undercut by craftsmen so much over the centuries that I worried for its stability. I wanted to get out to it and retrieve my opals before the overhang got too soaked and became dangerous--and the storm was going to be a big one. Runaan advised that we wait a few days, but I was impatient and insisted. So he dutifully traveled out into the drenched forest with me. I could read his judgy silence, though. He didn’t say a word for hours, and I knew he was grumpy with me for being rash.

We reached the overhang, a muddy slit just big enough to crawl back into, beneath a large chunk of dark gray rock. The vein of opals extended quite a ways, and there was plenty of space beneath it--as long as you were sitting down. Runaan handed me a padded hat. I glared at him, and he glared right back. So I put the stupid thing on to protect my horns and crawled under the overhang through the mud until I reached the back of the rock wall. I began unearthing them as quickly as I could and stashing them carefully in my bag.

After only a few minutes, a massive bolt of lightning struck a tree nearby, and the thunderclap that followed literally shook the earth. And then it kept shaking.

Runaan called my name and scrambled in under the overhanging rock. He began dragging me out, but before we reached safety, the overhang started to tip and collapse. He seized me in a fierce hug, rolled me over top of him, and then thrust me past him out into the rainstorm!

And the overhang collapsed on top of him.

A few very important things became instantly clear to me as I sprawled in the wet grass, then. I’d been a fool. Runaan had been right to worry. And he might just have died trying to save me from my own stupidity. I had to make it right.

I was on my knees at the edge of the overhang in an instant, chucking big rocks aside and crying his name. Surely he’d be just under this rock, or this one, or this one...

Well, he’d nearly made it to the edge before he was buried, so I did find him soon, although it felt like a million years. I found his hand first, and I squeezed it tight, trying to get a response from him. I nearly cried with relief when he faintly squeezed me back! I unearthed him even faster than I’d been working--and when I found his head, I had to laugh.

He’d stolen my padded hat when he booted me out into the rain, and it protected his horns under all the rocks--and I had been so worried, I never noticed that he’d taken it!

“Thief,” I blurted, grinning. “You took my hat.”

Runaan looked up at me from the rocks, bearing scratches and bruises on every part of him that I could see, and utterly slathered in fresh mud. But his wide turquoise eyes still managed to look shocked. “Sorry...” he began.

“Moon and shadow, I’m joking! I’m just glad to see you alive. Let me get you out of there, hold on.” And I unearthed him the rest of the way, and helped him up. But he’d been squished pretty thoroughly, and he couldn’t walk well. One of his feet had gotten a bit twisted among the falling rock.

We stared at each other in dismay for a moment, as the rain started to wash the mud off of him.

“I guess we’re camping out here tonight,” I said, at the exact moment that he said, “You should head back without me.”

Then we chorused, “Don’t be stupid.”

Runaan glared at me, and I snorted and started laughing. His glares had a lot less weight when he was two whole inches shorter than me and also covered in mud!

“Come on, I know a place we can dry off. And when we get there, I’ll need that medkit of yours, the one you always bring in case I’m, er, stupid.”

I wasn’t completely sure, but it seemed for a second that he blushed under all his mud.

It was cute, I’ll admit, even way back then. Silly overachieving assassin trainee, striving so hard to be perfect. He tried to limp along ahead of me to scout the way, but his foot was in bad shape, so I insisted on carrying him on my back. “That way, you can still see ahead and let me know if there’s trouble,” I told him.

“I’ll get you muddy,” he protested.

“Yes. And?” I pointed out that I was muddy from the knees down after having crawled in after my opals.

Well, he still thought it was unseemly for an assassin to show so much weakness that he had to be carried. Poor elf was in quite a quandary! So I said, “Listen, I won’t tell anyone if you won’t. But we can’t stay out here in the rain, and you need to rest. You just had a whole boulder collapse all over you!”

Runaan struggled mightily for enough justification to let me carry him. It was written all over his cute little face! But eventually he gave in and nodded. I backed up and bent down, and he leaned against me and wrapped his muddy arms around my neck, and I scooped him up under his knees, and away we went.

He didn’t say a word the whole time, and his hands were flexing like mad. I didn’t understand what that meant back then, not really, but it was clear that he was pretty tense.

I hiked to the nearest dry cave and set Runaan down in a safe corner. He was mostly mud-free at that point, except for where we’d been pressed together. He didn’t want me to check him over for injuries yet, so I told him I’d scout around for some supplies. He immediately gave me a list! Luckily for both of us, I’m very good with lists. I made him swear that he’d be alright when I returned, and he did so, readily. So I headed back into the rain to gather berries and leaves and stones and roots and moss, and a few flower petals, if I could find them. He’d added them to the list with another blush, so I was determined!

Well, I found everything he asked for and brought the damp lot back in my opal bag. He seemed surprised at my competence, but I told him, “Craftsmen know their way around the same forest assassins do.” That seemed to make him think for a moment.

Then I asked him what all the supplies were for, and he started spouting assassin knowledge at me. I could barely keep up! Moss and stones to give off a radiant heat with only a little light, berries and leaves for pain and wound cleansing... but he didn’t want to tell me what the flower petals were for.

“Runaan. Just tell me. Is it for a tea? Do you eat them? Here, you take them and do what you want with them,” I offered, holding them out.

But he blushed again and looked away. So stubborn! I pretended like I was going to crumple them up and toss them away, and he reached out and grasped my wrist tightly.

“Wait. They’re... healing petals. For the scratches on my face. I... it’s easier if someone else...”

I grinned so widely, I thought my face would split! “Runaan. Are you telling me you’re worried about your pretty face?”

He blushed again and glared at me.

“Because you’re still pretty, but now you look like the badass who saved my life,” I added seriously. “Did you think I wouldn’t tell everyone how brave you were? How you selflessly saved me first and risked yourself? How you did exactly what you’ve been trained to do? So what if you took a few scrapes? That just proves how dangerous your work is, and how strong you are to survive it. Doesn’t it?”

He stared at me dubiously for a long, long moment, and then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully and he looked aside. He let out a slow sigh, and then he glanced at me and offered his cheek toward me for a petal bandage.

I scooted forward and used my softest craftsman touch to press the first one over a scrape along his cheekbone. “There we go. I’ll have you looking pretty as a lunabloom in no time,” I murmured.

He glared up at me for implying that he wasn’t already that pretty, and I winked at him. “A lunabloom who didn’t just save my life in spectacular fashion,” I amended. Another petal pressed against his forehead, and another beside it, covering a large abraded area. He winced slightly, and I paused. “Did I hurt you?” I asked. But he shook his head and looked down.

I turned his chin lightly, looking for more scrapes to cover, and found a pair along his jaw. I softly pressed more petals over them and then looked his face over thoroughly. “Alright. I think your legendary beauty will recover now,” I pronounced.

Runaan rolled his eyes and looked away again, but I saw a little smile on his lips.

We snacked on a few moonberries, and I tended his foot under his sharp-eyed instruction, patching and binding it for him. He propped it on a stone and lay by the warming moss, and I lay nearby with my head next to his, in case he ever decided to talk again.

He went still, and then he huffed suddenly as if waking. A few minutes later, he did it again. I realized he was trying not to doze off.

“Runaan, you just got buried in rocks, and you need to rest. Don’t worry. I’ll stay awake and keep watch for you.”

“Do you even know what to watch for?” he asked sleepily.

Sassy assassin. “I imagine anything that darkens the cave entrance will be worth waking you for,” I sassed back.

He rolled his eyes again, but then he nodded, as if in agreement with my very general assessment of his watch duties. I sat up then, facing the entrance of the cave with Runaan stretched out beside me.

He tapped my knee with something, and I looked down to see him offering me his sword. I blinked in shock, and then I took it, slowly and reverently, and held it across my lap. As if I knew what to do with the thing aside from admire its craftsmanship.

But he nodded seriously, having successfully passed watch duty to me, and soon enough, his eyes slid shut and he relaxed into sleep.

I’d never seen an assassin sleep before. That’s like seeing a shark sleep. They just don’t sleep around other elves. They don’t sleep much at all, I’ve since come to realize. But there he was, a young, earnest injured assassin, soft and slumberous at my side. And he’d given me his sword.

The amount of trust in those two gestures astounded me, even though we both knew he had no other choice due to our circumstances. He was taking a chance on me. And as I sat there in the dimness, with an assassin’s sword in my hands, I began to feel... something amazing.

I wanted to keep him safe. From everything. He was so tense, so worried, about me as his charge, that he’d neglected to worry over himself. But Runaan was definitely worth worrying over! He’d trained so hard and so earnestly, and he truly enjoyed helping keep others safe. I wanted to make that as easy as possible for him. Because he was overdoing it by a fair bit and he needed to relax!

While he slept, I contemplated that sword. I wondered who had made it for him, and if a better one would serve him more efficiently. I wondered about enchantments and secrets and maybe even moon opals. And so I hauled out my damp notebook and started writing down ideas.

“What are you doing?” Runaan’s voice startled me some hours later.

“Making notes. On swords.”

“Swords?”

“You need a better sword.”

“My sword is perfectly functional, Ethari.” He held out his hand, and I returned it to him.

“But what if it could be better?” I asked eagerly. “Listen. You’re an assassin. You performed your duty today and saved my life. Let me return the favor by making you a better sword, so you can be even more efficient.”

“But you’re a jeweler.”

“I’m a craftsman,” I said, a little too forcefully. “I can make anything I like. And I want to make you a better sword. It’ll take time, because I’ll need to change my training focus, but... if you’ll be patient with me, Runaan, I want to pay you back for saving my life. And this is how I want to do it. I want to make you a better sword.”

He lay in the dimness and stared up at me with those blazing turquoise eyes I’ve come to adore, and he simply said, “Thank you.”

#ask ethari #story time #runaan #ethari #young runaan #young ethari #just a couple of soft young boys changing their lives for each other #hurt/comfort

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daydreaming-away-reality · 4 years

Text

Hearing Your Voice

Zen x Reader | ☁️ | 2.6k | Soulmate AU

You tapped your fingers on the desk, doing your best to stay quiet while in the study room. With the beautiful melody playing within your head, it was hard. Especially when the singer sounded like he had the voice of an angel.

Doing your best in trying to study, you couldn’t help but breaking into a smile and pause when you recognized a tune of the song.

I heard him sing this yesterday too.

Trying to study was hard. Not because the content was hard to grasp - no, you could have all the material down with a bit of reading and some flashcards - it was hard because you were always conflicted. Part of your brain would tell you school is important and as a university student, you had to work hard towards your future. The other part of your brain however, would be loudly screaming, hey, that song sounded familiar! We’ve heard that somewhere before, but where?!

Most of the time, you were fine. You would just study with the music playing in your head. There were moments when your heart would chime in and remind you, we’re still looking for our soulmate, (Y/N). Then studying was a challenge.

The song you could hear in your head? That was your soulmate singing. Even though you grew up hearing the voice of your soulmate singing, you were never able to find them.

Every few weeks, or months, your soulmate would have a couple of songs that he would be constantly singing. Kind of like the most popular songs of the season caught on loop by the radio stations. However, whatever songs your soulmate was singing was never these pop songs.

You were a lucky one, you knew that much.

You had friends who would be complaining about their soulmate’s choice in singing because it would be the overplayed pop songs. There was only so much one could take of the same song all the time after all.

On the other hand, shower singing stories were hilarious to hear about.

Moving back to your story...

Personally, you didn’t sing too much. Not unless you were certain no one but your soulmate was listening. Your soulmate probably heard you humming most of the time though. It was hard not to hum along to his beautiful singing.

Staring at your study notes, you shook your head.

This was going no where.

Just as you closed your notebook, someone tapped on your shoulder. Startling, you turned around and pulled down your - not plugged in - headphones.

“I had a feeling you weren’t studying,” Yoosung said, looking at you with an amused smile. “Listening to your soulmate again?”

You gave him your oops, you caught me smile. “Yeah. He’s always singing.”

Yoosung’s eyes darted around the room, then he leaned forward and asked, “You want to get out of here? Grab some food?”

You flashed him as thumbs up and packed up your stuff. Tailing after the blonde haired boy, you were greeted with actual sunlight for the first time in a few hours.

“It’s so bright out,” you whined, shading your eyes as they adjusted.

Yoosung laughed. “Vitamin D is good for you! You’re going to be a troll like in LOLOL if you don’t see the light of day, (Y/N).”

You huffed, faking indignation. “I am not a troll! I’ll show you how a troll would beat you up if you call me that again.”

The boy shook his head quickly. Although he was ranked 2nd in game, he didn’t want the risk of losing his loot by being beat up. He worked hard to earn those super rare weapons.

Way back during first year courses, you had met and became friends with Yoosung through LOLOL. You weren’t obsessed with the game as much as he was, but you did well enough to rank within top ten with a bit of effort. Nowadays, getting through your courses was your priority. LOLOL was a fun break though, when you found the odd break.

“That’s what I thought.”

“You still play LOLOL?”

“Not as much as you - but yeah.”

“We should team up sometime!”

You laughed. “Do you even study at all, Yoosung?”

“Sometimes!”

As the two of you stepped into the cafe near campus, Yoosung paused and turned to look at you.

“You said your soulmate is always singing right?” he asked.

You nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

“Maybe he works in the music industry,” Yoosung mused. “Like, behind the scenes? As a producer?”

Hearing this, you paused and thought about it. Could that be a possibility?

“Maybe,” you murmured. “I’ll look into it.”

Yoosung gave you an encouraging smile. “You’ll find him one of these days, (Y/N). Don’t worry about it.”

You hoped Yoosung was right about this.

As you were walking back to your own apartment, a poster caught your eye.

Daydream: The Musical

Tickets now on sale!

The poster showed a shadowy figure surrounded by colourful nature and city scenes. Your eyes skimmed through the cast absentmindedly, as you didn’t recognize any names.

Starring: Julie Kim, Zen, Soobin Park...

Lingering in front of the poster, you decided that, it looked interesting. Pulling out your phone, you hastily took a picture so you could look further into the details of the musical later.

“Dinner,” you recalled suddenly. You needed to eat but you also needed to study still. Well, can’t study on an empty stomach. Deciding to grab something light to snack on now and throw together some leftovers later tonight, you went in search of the local bread stand in your neighborhood.

Your eyes lit up when you spotted the vendor.

Excitedly moving towards them, you missed nearly colliding with the tall man in a hat walking the same way. Stumbling, you felt a strong, steady hand on your back, helping you regain your balance.

“Oh, sorry,” you squeaked out. “And thank you!”

How did you miss this guy? He was pretty tall and stood out - his features were really handsome too. Could he be a celebrity or something? He definitely had the looks for it. You were definitely not staring.

“Oh no, I’m sorry,” he replied. “Go ahead, ladies first.”

“T-thank you!”

You stepped up in front of the stall, knowing exactly what you were going to get. Hearing the man’s footsteps behind you, you decided to thank the kind stranger from saving you from an embarrassing fall.

“Two goldfish bread - separately wrapped, please!”

“Coming right up! Done classes for the day?” the owner asked.

You bobbed your head as you handed over the payment. “Yeah. Not done studying though.”

“Ah, must be rough. Good luck on that.”

“Thank you,” you chimed back. as you accepted the bread. Turning around, you held out one bag for the handsome stranger behind you. “And thank you for saving me from tripping earlier.”

“No, no, I couldn’t -”

“I insist!”

He accepted with a grateful smile. You swear, he sparkled in the light of the sunset.

“Thank you then.”

You returned his smile with your own before heading off.

Time to prepare for the upcoming exam.

Your week had flew by rather quickly. With exams and some other assignments being all crammed into such a short amount of time made you feel like you lost a few years on your life.

Sometimes you wondered why anyone would choose to suffer.

Yet, here you were. And all you had to do was attend post secondary.

Your soulmate seemed to be busy all week as well. The sound of his voice singing the same melodies over and over were in the back of your head the entire time. He had such a soothing voice that you were certain that he was the one who was keeping you sane.

Finally gifted with free time, you decided to make the most of it.

Browsing around on your phone, the picture of the musical poster caught your eye once more. Noticing the showings aligned with your newfound freedom, you decided - why not?

Searching up the link for the theater, you looked around the website and then bought a ticket.

A sense of excitement and anticipation filled you. It’s been a while since you did anything fun. This would be a worthwhile experience.

Settling down into your seat at the theater, you couldn’t help but glance around. The place was relatively busy despite it being a weekday evening. Looking over the pamphlet that was given to you at the entrance, all the cast and crew were listed.

Your eyes skimmed over it, not recognizing any of the names except for the few you’ve seen on the promotional poster. Perhaps it would take a more theater experience before you would become familiar with any of them.

The lights began to dim and the chatter died down as music became to play. Ensuring your phone was silent, you made yourself comfortable. The moment the musical started, you were swept away in awe of the performance.

Experiencing a musical live felt different from watching a movie. It was so much more... uplifting. You were absolutely enchanted by the musical.

When the male lead became to sing his part however, that was when things felt strange to you. It felt like you were hearing an echo of their singing. None of the other actors and actresses had that effect. It took a moment, but then it dawned on you. You’ve heard this before, nights before.

It was your soulmate.

They must be singing this song too.

But when every note, pitch and pause matched the ones on stage, you had your suspicions.

After intently watching the male lead sing though, you soon drew to a new conclusion.

That was your soulmate on stage.

You continued to watch in silent surprise as your soulmate danced and sung their way across the stage. His red eyes had swept over you briefly in passing, but you could see the passion blazing. It was clear he loved his career.

Once the musical ended with thunderous applause, you immediately pulled out your phone to do some research. Since you had chosen a seat near the middle front, you knew it would take a while before you’d be able to get out.

Doing a search for ‘Zen’, with the words ‘musical actor’ hastily typed afterwards, you soon found a plethora of information about your soulmate. Zen had a dedicated fan base that loved his every production - there was even a section about his unknown soulmate. An interview caught your eye. It was dated for a few months back, but a quote from your soulmate made you pause.

“I’m really focused on my career right now - it took a lot of work to get to where I am today, but I’m happy to be here.”

He was good looking, hard working and dedicated. You knew your soulmate would be perfect, but you never expected this. Zen was basically the ideal guy.

Seeing the theater emptying out, you stood and walked out.

Sure, you had been super excited to meet your soulmate after spending late nights listening to singing, but after seeing this article, you had a feeling that he might need more time.

Zen was a busy person with a lot going on in his life. With how popular he was now, you didn’t was to disrupt anything at the moment. You would give him the opportunity to seek you out when he was ready.

Zen had nearly faltered in his singing the first time when he had heard his soulmate humming along the tune he was singing. Listening to the tune and timing of the song, they were definitely doing it alongside with him.

He remembered his eyes searching the audience hopefully. Wondering who might his soulmate be. That first night... he wasn’t able to identify her.

Nor the second, third or fourth.

When he had heard her humming the second time he was performing, he was certain that his soulmate was in the audience and made the effort to come see him perform. She must have known who he was.

Zen had lingered around after shows, hoping to see his soulmate. Hoping that she would reach out to introduce herself and he could become her knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet. It never happened though.

Regardless, it made him happy to hear her humming alongside him when he performed. She was supporting him.

He knew he was a busy person. Perhaps his soulmate knew that and kept her distance. What she didn’t know though, was Zen was dying to meet her.

He always wanted to make the effort to go find her, but never had much to go off on. His soulmate was a rare singer, so he never knew where to start.

Now that he knew though, he was constantly searching.

He noticed someone over the past few times with (H/C) hair that sat near the middle of the theater. The girl’s smile seemed to brighten when he showed up on stage. It was possible that she was another one of his fans, but at the last showing, she had tried very hard to step out of room quietly and his soulmate had stopped her soft humming at that moment too.

Zen felt certain about this.

She had to be the one.

Having finished another showing for the day, Zen tried to slip out quickly to catch up to his soulmate. Making sure not to be rude, he thanked his co-stars, staff and director before taking off. She tended to linger around a little longer, being almost the last person out. There was a chance Zen could catch up to her and he was going to take it.

Catching a glimpse of (H/C) hair, he instinctively moved towards it.

The figure seemed to have sensed him coming, because they turned around and (E/C) eyes met his.

Stopping only a few feet away from her, Zen could see the glimmer and recognition in her eyes as she looked up in awe at the musical actor.

“Great performance again tonight,” you said softly.

Finally hearing your voice in real life washed away any doubts Zen might have had.

It was you.

“Thank you,” he breathed out. He could feel his heart pounding with excitement. “It’s... really you.”

Seeing how lost for words he was, you decided to speak up.

“Hyun Ryu, right?” you asked. When he nodded, you broke into a smile. “I’m (Y/N) (L/N). Nice to finally meet you, soulmate.”

The biggest smile broke out on his face as he engulfed you into a hug. His tall stature didn’t bother him as he nuzzled into your neck. While you should have been startled, you weren’t. Knowing this was your soulmate, you felt safe being held in his arms. You relaxed and returned his hug.

“(Y/N)... I’ve been waiting for you,” Zen murmured. He pulled back a bit to look at you. “I want to get to know you better. Would you like to grab something to eat together?”

“Sure!”

“Okay, I know this great goldfish bread place -”

The two of you stopped, a distant memory resurfacing. Zen grinned fondly at you.

“ - I’ll treat you this time, though, princess.”

With all the lost time between the two of you, finally being together felt natural. Like finding an old friend and being able to catch up without any awkward moments.

Your soulmate was your perfect match and with Zen you knew that you couldn’t be happier. Just as much as you loved to listen to him inside your head, hearing his voice in real life and getting to be by his side made life all the more wonderful.

The two of you finally found you happily ever after.

#mystic messenger #mystic messenger imagine #zen imagine #zen imagines #zen x reader #zen #hyun ryu #x reader #reader insert #imagine #imagines #hearing your voice

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jawnjendes · 4 years

Text

i’ve loved you for all of my life | shawn mendes

forevermore 3/?

shawn x goth oc

AN: i started a discord for shawnblr. blease message me if u wanna join.

masterlist | playlist coming soon

Even in a hat and sunglasses, Shawn still felt like he was being watched. He sat outside the main hospital entrance, smoking a cigarette. Everytime anyone walked past him to enter or exit, he turned away or put his head down. He was especially paranoid today, and needed to be on the lookout for, well, anything. People staring back at him, Ann’s parents, people with cameras. It was very important that Shawn didn’t get spotted today. The anxiety of it all is what made him step out for a smoke in the first place.

Normally, his security team would have a hand in making sure he was in a private waiting room, but given that his head of PR was not interested in Shawn unless he was doing PR things, he practically had to fend for himself. His main priority was getting to see Ann, but he didn’t want any unnecessary party seeing her.

The last three days were spent getting updates from Ann’s phone, sent by her cousin Jimena. Apparently Jimena was the only family member who did not have any unnecessary animosity towards Shawn, and politely kept him posted. And once Shawn knew what had caused Ann’s internal pain and bleeding, he had to see her as soon as he could.

Neither he nor Ann thought it was possible, and that was still technically true. It didn’t exactly happen the normal, conventional way, but hearing the word “pregnancy” was still worthy of a double take. There wasn’t any hint of joy or celebration when Jimena explained it to Shawn over the phone, that’s how he knew it was bad. No amount of Googling the terms was all that comforting either.

He took another drag.

“Hey, cheater!” called a loud, female voice from behind him. Clearly her habit of projecting her voice in public spaces hadn’t died down.

Shawn rolled his eyes to himself before getting to his feet. He turned to the woman as he blew the smoke out. “Hi, Jimena. How’ve you been?”

She adjusted her backwards cap with a grin on her face. “Oh you know. Was doing well til I found out my cousin was harboring a dead fetus.”

“Mm, you’re as blunt as you’ve always been.” Shawn attempted to sound amused, despite how awful that visual was. He dropped the last bit of his cigarette and stepped on it to put it out.

“It’s how I deal with this crap. So, you ready?” Without waiting for an answer, Jimena turned on her heel and headed back inside the building.

Shawn was quick to fall in step next to her. “No one else is there?”

“Nope! Her parents went home to shower, and then they’re going to get some things from Ann’s place. Should be good for at least an hour.”

She had a bounce in her step as she entered the empty elevator. She was particularly peppy given the circumstances. That had to be a sign that things hadn’t gotten worse with Ann, right?

“How’s she been doing?” he asked once the doors were closed.

“Well, it’s like I told you over the phone,” Jimena said. “Her tube was ruptured, but other than that, the surgery was successful. She just has to recover for the next month or so.”

“But, emotionally? Is she lashing out? Still talking and eating?”

The shorter girl gave him a look. But then it was like a lightbulb went off in her head. “Right. I forget good boyfriends worry about the mental wellbeing of their significant others.”

His eyes widened underneath the sunglasses. “Uh-”

“She didn’t tell me, I figured it out,” Jimena casually said. “For one thing, I know my cousin isn’t dumb enough to date someone that she knows is cheating on her. And another thing - no offense - but you and Camila is the fakest circus act I’ve ever seen. And a third thing, Annalise was really adamant on getting you to visit when no one else was here. And-”

“Okay, okay.” Shawn put his hands up in surrender. “Yeah, you guessed it. You just can’t tell anyone else, not even your family.”

“Hey, I gotchu. You’re cool with me. Why do you think I’m helping you?”

He smiled at the sentiment. At least one person was in the Shawnnalise corner.

Finally, the elevator doors opened on the second floor. It wasn’t too busy, some nurses were running around as per usual. Visitors walked around with their ill loved ones.

Shawn felt his heart beat a little faster as he stepped out into the hall.

“She’s at the end of the corridor,” Jimena told him. “Last room on the right. Have fun.”

“You’re not coming?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m the lookout. I’ll send Annalise a text when I see her parents or anyone else.” And she pushed the button to close the elevator doors.

Then, Shawn took a deep breath. The last time he saw Ann in the hospital was back during college. The nerves were quite the same, just radiating all over his body. He just wanted his girl to be okay.

His girl was in fact being looked at by a nurse when he walked in. Ann looked very sleepy, staring off to the side as a needle was put into her arm. However, her eyes lit up upon seeing Shawn at the doorway.

“You’re here,” she weakly said.

“I am,” he replied, taking the empty chair at her bedside. “How you doing, honey?”

She sighed. “You would not believe the shit I’ve been through.”

“Aww,” said the elderly nurse. “You’ve been a trooper! Strong lady, you are!”

“It’s true.” Shawn grinned. “I wasn’t even here for it, but I know it’s true.”

“Are you a friend? Boyfriend?” the nurse asked him.

“Best friend,” Ann replied for him. “Known him forever.”

It feels that way sometimes.

As soon as the nurse left, Shawn took Ann’s hand and kissed the knuckles. Then he leaned forward (somewhat awkwardly moving from the chair to the bed) to kiss her forehead and cup her cheek. It was hard enough that she was in the hospital; Not being able to see her at all was torture. Shawn couldn’t even focus on anything else, not even as a distraction. Now that he was here, able to see for himself that his girl was functioning, he could breathe again.

“I missed you.” Those words couldn’t even do it justice.

“I missed you too,” Ann replied.

Now that she was there in person, Shawn noticed the differences in her features. Apart from just looking tired and weak, her skin had paled, her eyes were a little sunken in, and her hands were pretty cold. Still Ann, just a little frail at the moment.

“So what’s this about an ectopic pregnancy?” Shawn asked, holding her hand in both of his. “Were you actually pregnant?”

Ann shrugged. “Not technically. It’s dead if it doesn’t implant in the right place, and it planted right on the tube and ruptured it. Things like this are common for people with PCOS so… I guess I should have seen this coming.”

“There’s no way you could have known,” Shawn reassured. “You didn’t think you could get pregnant at all to begin with.”

“Yeah. The really bad news is, my mom’s asking questions now.”

“Questions like…?”

“Like who was trying to get me pregnant? Why didn’t I tell her I was seeing someone? Why am I so inconsiderate? You know, questions of a parent who has an innate need to know every little thing about their child.”

Shawn moved a strand of hair behind her ear. “She asks because she worries.”

Ann shot him a look. “So tell me what I should say to her then. Note: she nor my dad like when I ask them to respect my privacy and will not take it for an answer.”

“Uh…” He took a moment. “They should respect your privacy? You’re your own person?”

“Ahh…” Ann patted his hand. “My parents aren’t white.”

“Well, unless you wanna hire an actor…”

“Sounds like a bad fanfic.”

Shawn sighed and squeezed her hand. “I promise I’ll get out of this contract soon. Then we won’t have to hide anymore.”

“Getting married sounds cool too,” Ann added.

“Oh, a hundred percent.” And he stood again, bent to an awkward ankle and pecked her lips.

Ann inhaled when they pulled apart. She tilted her head. “Were you smoking?”

Shawn couldn’t stop the guilt from appearing on his face. It was a habit that was not particularly liked by many people around him. “I’m sorry…”

“Mm, I’ll let it slide this time. I’m too tired to do armchair psych.”

“Okay.”

Silence fell between them as they watched the TV hung on the wall. Shawn tried to watch the cartoon, but his eyes trailed to his hand holding Ann’s. The situation she was in would be heartbreaking for those who want kids, or were trying for kids. Ann seemed relatively unbothered. No she hasn’t had an ectopic pregnancy before, but she already knew she wouldn’t be able to properly bear children. She knew her body wasn’t able to do things normally.

It’s fine. She couldn’t control that, and Shawn always tried to help her as best he could. He and Ann haven’t had the children talk yet, although she usually leaned more towards “no” if the topic was brought up. Shawn was okay with that.

Looking at his hand around hers made him imagine… what if it was a small hand? A much smaller hand? Pink and held tight into a fist, resting on the palm of Shawn’s hand.

The idea made his chest get warm, his heart melted a little. But the fact that it would only stay an idea abruptly brought him out of that five second daydream.

“What would have happened if you were actually pregnant?” The words came out of his mouth before the thought completed itself in his mind.

Ann didn’t say anything at first. She met his gaze, the mild surprise on her face speaking for itself. Then she merely shrugged. “I haven’t thought about what ifs like that since my PCOS diagnosis.”

“And when was that?”

“I was seventeen. I never really thought about having kids before that either. It just never… I didn’t really care, despite the inherent pressure that’s placed on women and even young girls to have kids, like it’s their only purpose or something.” She spoke quickly and then took a breath, getting back to the main topic. “My mom was mostly worried that I had cancer when we realized things weren’t working the way they’re supposed to. Both my parents were sad when we found out I would most likely end up infertile, and I... I just never thought about it since. It’s just how my body works: unable to bear children.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“I can’t really miss something I never had. Besides, you know me. I have better things to do than be reduced down to my biological functions, or lack of.”

“Right,” Shawn said in thought. “Well… have you thought about it now that this happened? You know… us having kids of our own?”

Ann sighed and then squeezed his hand. “I might ask you the same question.”

The two silently looked at each other. Shawn felt a little sheepish now that he heard Ann’s perspective of this particular realm. But he couldn’t lie to her.

“I see a little toddler with your eyes and my hair, running around in a black onesie,” he admitted. Okay, so maybe he’s thought about it more than once. More than he liked to admit. “Or a blue onesie. Or a pink one. I know it’s not realistic, it’s just… just a thought.”

“Thoughts are allowed. It’s a nice thought. I just think we should worry about this contract of yours, and then telling my family and yours that it was you and me all along, and then getting married…”

“Right…” He nodded, pushing the parenthood feelings to the backburner. “Still a lot to worry about first.”

“We’ll come back to it,” Ann promised.

At least she wasn’t saying no altogether.

_______

making a new taglist so lmk if u wanna be added!

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes smut #shawn x goth gf #it started as one thing and led to that conversation lmao #wtf is wrong w me i h8 the having kids trope lmao #henny ways pls enjoy

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love-the-purple-cat · 3 years

Text

Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me - Chapter 1 Part 5

“Yer hair again?” She asks, idly kicking one of the men when they try to get up.

“Not quite. They got mad I beat up their men who made fun of my hair and decided that I needed to be taught a lesson.”

She snorts unattractively. “Do ya even like yer hair colour?”

Once again, Ichigo pauses in though. “...Why do you ask that?”

“Cause, no offence, but yer hair keeps gettin' ya inta trouble, and ya don’t even seem ta’ appreciate it. If it’s too much then just dye it sumthin' borin'.”

...It’s not that he hadn’t thought about it, it’s just that it was one of the few connections he had still with his mother. Dyeing it seemed like a betrayal, and felt like giving up and admitting defeat after fighting others about it for so long.

“Ah, that does sound like a good reason not ta' dye it,” She says when he unintentionally thinks aloud. “But yer missin' ma' point: Are ya happy wit' yer hair? The colour will still appear when ya grow it out, it’ll just be temporarily hidden.”

He lightly fingers a strand. It was getting longer.

“I'll think about it.”

She nods. Neither pleased nor displeased.

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

“Come over this weekend.”

They are eating lunch in her classroom, in a way celebrating becoming friends after knowing each other for a month. Her classmates occasionally throw them looks that they ignore.

“Sure. What are we goin' ta' do?”

He thinks of the box of black hair dye that he got on his last shopping trip with Yuzu two days ago. Yuzu had looked at him questionably but hadn’t said a thing to their family. “I need help with my hair.”

Cherī raises a brow, not getting the hint.

“I’m...” He swallows, eyes flickering to the other people in the room. “I’m thinking of trying something new. That thing you talked about a few days ago.”

It takes a moment longer for her eyes to light up in recognition and understanding. “Sure, where will we meet up?”

The corner of his lip twitches up.

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

“Yer mom famous or sumthin'?”

He looks to where she is examining his mother’s poster. “No, my dad got it after she died.”

She appears to be contemplating something before looking away. “So, where’s yer bathroom? Ah’m not gonna lie, da dye will stain yer bathtub/tiles like a bitch when ya wash it out. Best ya put on some old clothes too.”

Ichigo nods and leads the way, feeling nervous and calm at the same time.

Cherī orders him to sit on the edge of the bath, or bring a chair but then there’s a chance that it would be stained so he doesn’t. She starts by brushing his hair and parting it before beginning. “Ya sure ‘bout this, Ichigo?”

“Yeah.” His tone is breathless, heart thumping hard in his ribcage and something is lodged in his throat.

“Okay.” Her voice is soft and quiet, though not in comfort. It just is.

His eyes close, a foreign calmness taking over him as she works on his hair. It isn’t as short as it used to be, but it isn’t as long as he would have guessed it would be after not seeing a hairdresser for nearly a year.

“An’ now we leave it fer 25mins.” Her voice arouses him from the half-asleep state he had been in. He turns to look at himself in the mirror, but she blocks his view. “Let’s leave that fer later, okay?” Her voice is soft again.

He swallows thickly and nods. “Okay.”

They go to his room. They don’t talk, not really, but the silence doesn’t feel suffocating. She looks around the small space, and the though of how empty his room looks strikes him. There is only the essentials of a bed, a desk with a corkboard over it, and a chair. It doesn’t have any personality.

But, why does he care what his room looks like to an outsider?

“Ya got any favourite books?” Cherī asks, done looking around the bare room.

“Shakespeare.” He answers automatically.

“He’s good. Don’t know much ‘bout his works, only Romeo an' Juliet an’ that’s just a general idea. Ah like Dracula, an' Dr.Jekyl an' Mr.Hyde. Ya know, books wit' what could be considered a homoerotic undertone nowadays.” She looks at the notes stuck on the board. Most of them are related to school or past commitments so he doesn’t see a problem with her looking.

“Ya got any relatives? Ah got at least two first cousins an' a bunch of other great aunts an' uncles that ma' parents want me ta know ‘bout even though Ah only meet ‘em once every five years. Kinda pisses me off when they get annoyed that Ah don’t know any of their names, but that’s what happens when ya barely see someone.”

He blinks. This was the first time since the first day that she is mentioning family. “Not on my mom’s side, I think. But on my dad's...”

Did he have relatives in Soul Society? There were quite a few similarities between him and Kūkaku, and Ukitake-taichō had mentioned that he looks like his former lieutenant Shiba Kaien.

“’s okay ta' not know.” Cherī says. “Family’s confusin' sumtimes, an' it doesn’t help when they keep secrets, or don't bother mentionin' important stuff.”

She was right. His father had kept the fact that he was a shinigami from him, what’s one more secret?

“Time ta' wash yer hair. Ya need help wit' that?”

“No.”

She doesn’t smile, nor does she frown. “Okay.”

-------------‐-----------------

He doesn’t like how he looks.

No...

He hates how he looks. He looks way too similar to Kūkaku, with his sharp chin and eyes.

He looks way too similar to them.

What was one more secret?

-The past is never dead. It’s just buried underneath soil and concrete-

“Ichigo,” Cherī calls, brown brows furrowed in concern. “Are ya okay?”

No. “Yeah.” He croaks. He clears his throat and tries again. “Yeah, just getting used to the new look.” He tries to smile but it must have come out as a grimace with the way she frowns.

“Okay. Ya got a dark hat or sumthin'?”

“Why?”

“’Cuz we're goin' ta' da store an' we're gonna buy ya a new dye.”

“This one is fine.”

“No, it ain't.” Her voice is a touch harder. “It’s makin' ya sad an' that’s da opposite of what we were aimin’ fer.”

“Cherī-“ He tries but is cut off.

“There's nothin’ wrong wit’ not likin' how ya look. Nothin' wrong wit' not likin’ black.” She says, and for a single moment, it feels as though she is talking about something else, like she knows what his inner tumour is about. “Let’s go get ya a new colour, Ichi.”

He nods, and chokes out an “Okay.”

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

They're at one of the shops on the main street.

The first thing that greets them when they enter is hair dyes on one side of the aisle and deodorants on the other. Ichigo browses through the ‘natural’ colours first before going to the more ‘fun' – as Cherī calls them – ones.

All the colours of the rainbow were here: red, green, blue, purple, yellow and orange, along with a couple of other colours, each having different shades from lighter to darker.

“When Ah first started dyeing ma' hair,” Cherī says, picking up a box and examining it. “Ah did it in ma' favourite colour – purple. Months later, Ah found out that if Ah planned on continuin' ta' dye ma’ hair fun colours, da colours would need ta' be ones that can easily be turned inta the next. Fer example: Ya dye yer hair blue, few months pass and ya want a new colour, yer either gonna havta bleach it or yer gettin' it done in green. Understand?” She places two bleaching kits in the basket.

Ichigo nods, examining the colours. His eyes stray towards the blue dyes, specifically the one that reminds him of Grimmjow.

He swallows.

Several months have passed since he had last seen the Espada; how would he react if he were to see him now – powerless and alone?

Well, he glances at Cherī as she compares two different shades of pink, not quite alone.

“Do ya like blue?” She asks, both boxes securely placed in the basket.

“Yeah,” He wets his lips. “I do.” It feels like he is confessing a sin by saying those words and thinking about his enemy. Were they even enemies now?

“Then get it.” She doesn’t reach for the box, preferring to wait for him to do it.

“It will clash with my complexion.” He argues weakly. Raising two girls since he was nine forced him to dive into fashion and learn the rules: body types, complexions, colour schemes and such. There were many other things he had to learn and do while his father was in mourning to survive but now was not the time to think about the past.

“So? This ain’t a fashion statement, Ichi. It's about makin' ya feel good and happy. But... if ya want a more autumn colour we can get red.” She reaches for the box and he grabs her wrist.

“No, not red.” Red reminds him of Renji, who reminds him of Rukia. Neither has bothered to visit him the months following Aizen's defeat. The excuse of him being unable to see them wouldn’t fly, not when he knew Urahara keeps gigais in his shop.

-There are bodies in the soil-

“Okay.” She says, slowly pulling her hand away. “Not red then. Bad memories?”

He winces, releasing her wrist to rub at his neck. “It’s... complicated.”

The girl huffs, “What does it remind ya of?”

He meant to say, “Nothing”. He wanted to say, “Renji”.Hell, he could have said nothing and she would have accepted his silence as an answer. Which is why he is so surprised when the word leaves his mouth without his permission.

“Blood.”

And it is true. The shade she was reaching for also reminds him of blood. It makes him remember the wound he had been inflicted in Hueco Mundo, where he quite literally died and was dead for a while, long enough for his inner Hollow to take control and battle the cuatro Espada Ulquiorra and win, before he managed to wrestle back control of his body. It also reminds him of the markings on his hollow mask.

Cherī looks surprised - not mortified, just... surprised. “Okay,” She repeats. “Not red.”

She’s examining the colours, searching for one that would fit his complexion, when he reaches forward and plucks the blue, Baby Blue, one and puts it in the basket. She doesn’t question him, doesn’t even indicate to have seen him do it but he knows she saw him and he appreciates her silence.

“What ‘bout green?”

His first though is Ulquiorra with his acid green eyes, marble skin, and black black bat wings that carry him over the sands of Hueco Mundo.

His second is Nelliel.

“I like it.” He picks a turquoise shade called Mermaid.

“Pink?”

He likes pink, he's worn it often enough when he was younger and his sisters wanted to dress him up, but...

“No, not today.”

“Bad memories?”

He thinks of Yachiru, the girl with what he would describe bubblegum pink – even if that shade is called Cupcake here – hair and the man whose shoulder she would ride on.

“Not really.”

She nods, then juts her chin violently towards a reddish-pink colour named Love Letter. “What ‘bout that?”

The colour is nice so he gets it.

They continue on like that for a while, choosing and comparing colours - some of which repeat since Cherī also likes them - until the basket is overflowing. As a final colour Cherī chooses Snow – a pure white colour that reminded him of his inner Hollow's hair.

There's so much hair dye that he wonders whether he would ever be able to use each at least once.

The cashier is baffled by the amount but remains silent while she rings them up. It's as the numbers climb higher and higher that he begins to worry, given that he hadn’t brought that much money. But before he can open his mouth Cherī is already handing her credit card with a, “Could you also add one strawberry and one cherry flavoured chapstick? Thank you.”

He turns to look at her in bafflement. This was the first time he hears her speak ‘properly’ and it honestly unnerves him.

“Not ev'ryone can understan’ me, Ichi.” She says, handing him one of the bags.

They make their way to his house, talking about which colour they should do first. Cherī wants to see him in Love Letter or Milan – a light yellow colour that reminds him of an éclair's filling – but he says that he wants to try Baby Blue. She nods and gives him the strawberry chapstick.

“Yer lips are chapped.” She says and he accepts it.

#bleach #bleach au #ichigo kurosaki #kurosaki ichigo #cherī akao #akao cherī #Protector and Cherry AU #The Past is Never Dead AU

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bindi-the-skunk · 3 years

Text

Night is day and day is night in a world that’s lost it’s mind chapter six

"How on EARTH could this happen!? Thank goodness no one was on that end of the house! Someone could have been killed!" Henry really tried not to shout but what else could he do when part of his house BLEW UP!? Seems there was a gas leak someplace in the east end of the house and it finally let itself be known via blasting a hole in the wall.

"At least this is fixable, and no one was hurt, chemical leaks are nothing to sneeze at as you know," Robert said, glad his mate and baby had not been harmed by the gas leak or the blast "Mr. Bryson is coming to pick us up and we can stay at the society till it's fixed, no harm was done and when your nesting period hits you can bribe Rachel for cookies with the baby's kicks"

"That will serve me well when I'm knicking everyone's things to put in said nest..." Henry groaned, knowing many a story of pregnant omegas taking their relatives blankets, hats, shirts, and even their other children's forgotten plushies to pad their makeshift den with and nothing but the need to tend to bath, bladder, and other babies would move them from it till the time came and some chose to just give birth in their nests.

Even if he did borrow things for his own little space, he refused to soil them with birthing fluids!

"They will know it's a compliment, who knows? They might put things IN the nest themselves!" Robert smiled, hoping that their ride would not choose to show up in his hot air balloon and would keep the theatrics to a minimum.

But the alpha was not going to be too picky, he would settle for just one.

He would take the theatrics over the hot air balloon though.

---

Thankfully Bryson showed up in a car proper and even had the mind to find one with seatbelts, though Robert insisted on driving the way back and Nicholas seemed perfectly fine with chilling in the backseat.

"Has everything been going alright with the society?" Henry asked curiously, he had not heard any news of anything bad (present events excluded).

"Fine, just fine, Miss Rachel kissed Jasper now that your asking! And Frankenstein has stopped throwing up blood and cussed at a chair when she ran her foot into it" Nicholas reported, trying not to laugh at remembering the creative swears the once lady of her house had managed to piece together as if she was a grizzled sailor at sea!

"Sounds like good progress" Henry tried to smile, he truly was happy his once-idol was recovering from her self-inflicted illness, but that also meant once she got up and moving she was out of the society, with several of his lodgers at her heels no doubt, if she did not choose to bother him by staying around and picking at every single thing he did during his pregnancy, no doubts about she would have her opinion about THAT... ---

He hated being right sometimes...

"I do not need another scarf THANK YOU-"

"You need to keep warm! And stop wearing those tacky shoes! You are going to slip and slide in those like an elephant on skates!"

"I will put on my slippers-"

"Great! Trip on those clown shoes!"

"I WILL ONLY WEAR SOCKS!!!"

Robert was not sure how he could stop this argument...he just hoped it ended before his mate had to go into the delivery room! Perhaps once Henry found his desired nesting spot he could get him one of those BB guns...last time the freckled man bumped into her he thought he was ramming into a wall, he knew female alpha's tended to be more muscled, but there was a difference between well-built and concrete! A BB would not harm her any, though there was the risk of it ricocheting...

---

5TH MONTH: "Hey there little one! I'm your auntie Rachel! I will have lots of goodies for you when you are able to eat them, and lots of hugs and kisses too!" the alpha day manager gushed over the now showing bump, delighted her bosses instincts did not label her a threat when she was sitting inside his nest, which he had made inside his office, a suitable spot, the chemicals had all been cleared out and put into storage and the desk had been moved to make room for the mass of blankets and other comforts, several lodgers did indeed offer items for the nest and Henry was grateful for the extras that smelled familiar and kept him calm despite his family's silliness.

Rachel was honestly surprised no one up to this point had gotten hissed at! Even Frankenstein had only gotten a mild grumble, thankfully she knew better than to actually step into the nest or attempt to touch the hormonal omega, doing that without permission if you were not in that specific omega's 'pack' was a good way to lose a finger or a whole hand! Especially at the nesting stage, some omega's got so protective of their nests and growing babies they attacked their own mates!

Though those omegas did tend to be the ones with ...not so supportive mates anyway so ... no one could honestly blame them there.

But everything was going well and everyone was going to make sure it stayed that way... --- Bark bark!! whine!

"Zosimos?" Jekyll said groggily as he got out of his nest despite how much his instincts said to lay back down, his beloved dog sounded upset and he was going to find out what had done it.

Walking out into the hallway the doctor looked around to find he could hear Zosimoses' whines but could not see the church grim anywhere!

Then he looked up

The poor pup was perched on one of the rafters! How had he gotten up there!? Oh good a ladder...

Grabbing it the split man prepared to climb up to get to his dog when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Henry! What are you doing?!" Robert exclaimed "I'll get Zosi, you stay here and catch him if you need to"

Right...what was he thinking? He was off-balance as it was just walking now...Robert would get Zosi down safe and sound a lot quicker and easier.

The church grim happily barked and wandered over to where the ladder had been set at seeing his other daddy climbing up to get him, it was so scary up here! Why had that other man put him up here anyway? This was not fun! He had enough of scary! He had already been buried when he was alive, he did not want to fall now that he was dead!

The alpha's strong hand grabbed the grims scruff before tucking the pup under his arm and started his way down with the pup in his safekeeping.

CRAAACK

Zosimos went flying through the air as the ladder broke apart as if it was made of tissue and was lucky enough to land in his master's arms.

And so did Robert, who was not so lucky to land in such a loving embrace.

SMASH

The splintering and shifting of glass were all that was heard after that.

"ROBERT!!!!"

#TGS #tgs jekyll #Tgs Hyde #glass scientists #the glass scientists #The glass scientists AU #TGS Serial!killer AU #tgs lanyon #Robert Lanyon X Henry Jekyll #Jekyon

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bangtan-sonyeonddaeng · 4 years

Text

|Jungkook Scenario| He comforts you when you’re homesick

So this wasn’t a request or anything. I actually wrote this for my soulmate @skecjj2019

I hope this brings you some comfort and happiness 💜 and never forget that I love you and I miss you and I am so proud of you can’t wait to see you in August!

You had been living in Korea now for just a short while, but already you were homesick. You had never lived on your own before, not only that but you were now in a foreign country where you didn’t speak much of the language. It was hard to be away from your family and friends. You talked to them daily but sometimes that wasn’t enough.

You were having a particularly hard morning, really missing home when Jungkook called you. He seemed to always have a way of knowing when you were upset and needed his company the most. You sniffled and wiped away your tears, trying to make yourself sound normal and not wanting to worry him.

“Hey, Jungkook.”

“Hello beautiful! What are you doing right now?”

“Eh, still laying in bed.”

“It’s noon! Why are you still in bed? Are you sick?”

“No, no not physically sick anyway.”

“What do you mean, is everything okay?”

“Yes.. no… not really.” Your voice cracks at the end giving away the fact you had been crying.

“Aw love, don’t cry please! Hey listen I called you because I am on my way too see you right now okay? We’re gonna spend the day together and I’m going to take you out and we’re just going to forget about whatever is bothering you okay?”

“Okay. That sounds really nice actually, thank you.”

“I’ll see you soon! I love you!”

“I love you too.”

You got out of bed and finished getting ready for the day. Shortly after there was a knock on your door and Jungkook used his spare key to enter.

“Y/n?”

“In here.” He walks into the room and finds you sat on the bed, looking up at him with a smile on your face but he can tell there is still something bothering you. He stops in front of you and lifts you off the bed and into his arms, holding you tightly and hoping his hug helps comfort you. It must because you immediately relax. He kisses the top of your head and pulls away, giving you his wide bunny smile complete with his adorable nose scrunch that always seems to completely melt your worries away.

“So where are we going today?”

“It’s a surprise! We’ll I’m sure you’ll figure it out when we get back to the car anyway but… I will keep it a surprise for a few more minutes.” You chuckle and nod. “Bring your gloves and a hat and a warm jacket though!” You go to your closet and collect these things. Jungkook insists on putting them on for you because “he’s here to spoil you today” but you know it’s just because he has always been an affectionate person and enjoys your touches. You don’t question him on it. He takes your hand in his and you walk out the door, feeling the cold air on your face causes you to shiver slightly so he pulls you a little closer, as you make your way over to the car. You glance in the back seat and see blankets, pillows, and a basket.

“Are we having a picnic?”

“Sheesh you couldn’t have just let me keep the surprise going a little bit longer could you?” He laughs.

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright. Yes we’re going on a picnic in the mountains! I was worried it might be cold up there but I found a spot a while ago with a really pretty view that I’ve always wanted to take my future girlfriend to and now that I have you, well.. I figured it’s a good time.” He turns to you and smiles and you answer with one of your own. You rest your head against the window watching the sights of the city go by until it gradually becomes more wooded. Jungkook puts on some music and rests his hand over your own where it’s sitting in your lap. It comforts you and bring a small smile to your face. He starts humming under his breath and then starts singing along with his song.

“And you gonna be happy

Turn this all around

Everything is new at

Zero O’Clock”

You smile and listen to his angelic voice filling the car. You feel like you could fall asleep but shortly after the song ends you arrive at a car park near a trail. You help him gather some of the items and start your hike through the woods. You two talk about everything, mostly he wants to know what you thought of their most recent comeback and of course you loved it. You tell him how proud you are of him and how much the words to their songs help comfort you when you were feeling sad. He still hasn’t asked you what was bothering you which surprises you, but you figure he’s waiting until you arrive and he can focus his full attention on you. You continue the walk up for another half hour before you finally reach the top. And the view is truly breath taking. You see countless snow topped mountains in the background, trees, fluffy white clouds. And down at the bottom you can still see the city below.

“Wow! How did you find this place?!”

“Namjoon. He loves going on his nature walks and I went with him once and we found this place. It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

“Yes it is. It’s so peaceful up here too, I love it.” You lay out the blankets and pillows and sit down, Jungkook sits right next to you so his leg is brushing up against yours. Another thing you’ve noticed about him, he always has to be touching you when he’s with you, even if it’s just something as small as this. You two eat for a short while and then he lays down on one of the pillows, patting his chest for you to lay down on him. You do so and he drapes a blanket over the two of you, holding you tightly against him.

“So um.. I don’t want to bring up a bad subject but what was getting you so down earlier?” You take a deep breath, already having known he was going to ask.

“I’m just really homesick. It’s my first time living on my own and you’re really the only person I know here. It’s weird for me to be by myself most of the time when I’m not used to it. I miss my family and my friends and it’s just… hard.” He squeezes you a little bit tighter and kisses the top of your head.

“I’m so sorry my angel. I had no idea you were so upset about it. You should have told me.”

“Well I wanted to be strong and I didn’t want to burden you with my problems when you already have your own.”

“You would never be a burden to me. I will always be here for you whenever you need me. Just call me and I’ll come over. It doesn’t matter what time it is.”

“Don’t be silly. You have dance practices and rehearsals and you’re right in the middle of a comeback. You shouldn’t sacrifice your sleep for me.”

“I shouldn’t, but I will. I am more than willing to. I don’t like it when you’re sad so whenever you’re feeling down, you tell me. And I will do everything in my power to make you smile and make you feel better.” You lift your head up and smile at him, kissing him and hoping your love and appreciation for him and his comforting words will be shown through it. Judging by the way he is beaming at you when you pull away you figure it must have. You rest your head back on him and you lay together enjoying the relative silence save for the rustling of wind through the trees and twigs snapping from small forest critters running along the ground.

“Hey, y/n?”

“Hmm?”

“You know I am really proud of you right? Like, you moved here to a foreign country not knowing much of the language, and never having lived on your own before. You took a risk to follow your dreams and passions in life and I admire you so much for that.”

“Well you all kind of did the same thing. Left your home towns and your family behind to pursue your dreams. And you were still in high school!” He chuckles at the memory.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It just didn’t really feel like I was alone because I had all the other members though you know?”

“I understand. You all had each other and were there for support because you all knew what the other was going through because they were dealing with the same things.”

“And I understand what you’re going through too. It’s hard when we spend all this time away from home for our tour and overseas schedules. I miss my family and friends too. You know you can always come to me right? I want to be a support for you and someone you can rely on. Anytime you need me just let me know and I’ll be there. And If I can’t be there physically, I’ll be a comforting voice through your phone or through your headphones when you listen to our music. You’re a strong and resilient person and I know you’re going to do amazing things here.” You feel yourself get choked up, suddenly filled with so many different emotions all at once. You bury your face in his chest and take a few calming breaths before you speak.

“Thank you, Jungkook. That means a lot to me. you have no idea how much I needed to hear that.” He smiles.

“You’re welcome. I love you so much and just know I’m here, always.”

#bts reaction #bts scenario #bts imagine #bts #jungkook reaction #jungkook scenario #jungkook imagine #jungkook x reader #reader x jungkook #jeon jeongguk #jeon jungkook

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flappypineapples · 4 years

Text

Escapism

"I need to get out". Cordelia burst through the doors of Anna's flat in a fury of red and emerald. Her hair had come undone and was now heavy with rain, sticking to the edges of her face. Infact all of Cordelia was soaked through to the bone. She had come through the building like thunder. Likely Anna's neighbors thought nothing of it; just another girl caught up in the storm of Anna's courtship. She rushed across the room and began to pace by the window, dragging in the cold air and rain after her.

"I know it may be too much to ask and I'm not even sure it's a day they're - er - you know holding it but I truly wish to just get out a little bit and oh-."

Cordelia had stopped pacing and came nose to nose with Matthew Fairchild. He was looking quite startled. Cordelia started.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you were...where is Anna?" She turnned away from Matthew, confused, and scanned the room.

"She's out on an errand", Matthew said still a bit blown back, "she should be home any time now. Cordelia what's happened?" Matthew stepped up to stand beside her, putting his hand on the crook of her arm. She shuddered and shrugged him off, clearly starting to shut herself away from him.

"Nothing's happened I just - I just wished to speak with Anna. She called on me for tea and and- oh god I can't lie to you Matthew it's James." A jolt of fear went through Matthew like an icicle, freezing him in place.

"He's not-"

"He's not hurt", she interupts "it's about him and I- no. It's about him and Grace actually". Cordelia takes a distracted seat on the loveseat closest to her.

"I found him and her in a...compromising position. I was coming home from training with Lucie and I just -". Once again the room is interupted by another presence at the door. Anna Lightwood walked in rather confidently, shaking rain from her hat.

"Matthew I do say it's pouring buckets out there, I feel as if God is crying for London. 'London, my greatest sin'. Matthew do you think- Cordelia?" Anna stopped mid thought as her head raised from removing her boots. Her long black eyelashes were still lightly dusted in rain drops as she blinked lazily from across the room.

"Cordelia my dear I beg your pardon I hadn't realized you were coming by. Though may I say it's not a wholey unwelcome surprise it is a surprise none the less. Would you like some rum cake? The most wonderful debutante dropped it off for me." Anna spoke as if a dripping wet and distressed girl in her flat living room was as common to her as putting on socks for the day, and perhaps Cordelia thought, it might be. She strode across the room loosening her necktie and disappearing into the kitchen.

"No actually, I came to ask a favor of you", Cordelia spoke surprisingly levely for having just worked herself up not moments before Anna walked in.

"Oh?" Anna poked her head out and raised a pointed brow at Cordelia.

"I'd like to visit the Hell Ruelle". It was stupidity simple statement to say out loud but Cordelia wanted to be clear in her intentions. She cursed herself for saying "visit" she thought it made her sound like a young girl wishing to see an extended relative in the country. But she stepped forward with her chin held high and repeated herself.

"I'd like to go to the Hell Ruelle and I'd like to go now". The directness of Cordelia's request seemed to peak Anna's interest. She emerged from the tiny kitchen with no rum cake and a kitchen rag. She handed the towel to Cordelia and smiled.

"That's quite a request, Matthew?" Matthew, almost completely forgotten, looked up inquisitively at Anna from behind Cordelia, "do you have any plans for the rest of the evening?"

"I was going to go home, get fantastically drunk and see if I could use my new pomade to make Oscar look like a Gibson girl but this sounds like it may be even more entertaining". Matthew replied with devilish intrest. Cordelia began to rummage through her hair for her remaining pins. She plucked them out hastily and started drying her hair with the kitchen towel.

Anna's eyes grazed over Cordelia's soaked attire, "Forgive me for asking but there isn't some noble alternative reason for this request? You're not seeking some information or making an arrest?"

Cordelia struggled for a second to come up with a convincing reason as to why she would desire to go to an art salon in the middle of the week out of no where.

"No, I simply wish to get out of the house. The last two trips I've made with you to the Hell Ruelle I have not fully been able to appreciate the experience." Cordelia shuddered thinking of her last trip and the whispering room... James's hands on the nape of Cordelia's neck and the way he kissed her. James's arms around her petit figure, his hands coming up to run through her silver hair-

"I just need to get out". It's what she had said when she first walked in to Matthew. Anna turned around again, waltzing through the kitchen to her bedroom and rummaged around. Cordelia wasn't sure what she fully meant by the statement herself. Did she simply want the escapsim of sensation or to get out of her emgamemt to James or get out of her own skin completly.

Anna emerged moments later with a velvet wine colored evening gown with black satin panels adorning the breast and waist.

"I never let a lady stay in wet clothes long." With a wink Anna wisked her away to her bedroom in a flurry of black and red, closing the door from the outside.

Cordelia layed the dress out on Anna's bed examining it. It was soft with a simple but flattering figure. She ran her hand over the silk and velvet feeling down and then up against the grain. She dressed with haste. Unclear on where to put to wet clothes she folded them up and placed them at the feet of Anna's bed on a large brown trunk. The dress was a little large around the waist and Cordelia took it as a blessing to loosen her corset a bit. Considering the atomosphere of the place she was aiming to attend and her distict lack of pins she decided against pinning her hair all the way up and settled for pinning the front of her hair in a crown around her head. Lastly she reached down and securely sheethed Cortana under her dress in it's back harness.

Cordelia opened the door of the bedroom to find Matthew seated on Anna's counter eating a slice of the afformentioned rum cake.

"Whoaht?" Matthew responded with a mouthful of cake. Cordelia couldn't help but chuckle and Matthew had to force is eyes away from the sight.

"Beautiful, Cordelia", Anna responded clapping her hands together and giving her a long glance over. "Now if you'll excuse me I think I'll change out of my own wet clothes. Matthew do keep Cordelia entertained while I find the right silk to go with tonight's hat." And with that she shut the door leaving her and Matthew once again alone in her tiny flat kitchen.

"Do you often waltz into into people's flats sopping with rain and demanding light debauchery? Because I think that's the kind of attitude I could get used to around here." Matthew had abandoned his now empty plate to the counter top beside him and was uncapping his metal flask.

"No this is a new trait of mine, and I'd like to point out that much like books no exciting things happen in the sunshine." Cordelia walked over to the small window over the dining table and thumbed a well groomed bonsai tree sitting in the window sill, another romantic gift from a lady she guessed. "Mr. Darcy didn't confess love in the sunshine, Jo March ran after Professor Bhaer in the pouring rain."

Matthew raised his eyes lazily over the rim of his flask and lowered it. "If I'm not mistaken it was raining when Dorian dumped Basil's body in the river as well."

"Well", Cordelia quipped back, "one would be hard pressed to find someone who would describe 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' as dull."

A catlike smile crawled across Matthew's lips and up his face crinkling his eyes, "I suppose you're right about that".

The door to Anna's room opened suddenly and with a flurry of silver and blue pinstripes. "Alright, let's go". She started forward with Matthew hopping down from the counter to follow suit.

Cordelia caught up quickly as they neared the front door. "So you decided to take me?"

Anna turned her head slightly to peer over her right shoulder, hand still on the doorknob. "Cordelia I decided the moment I walked in and saw that look in your eyes. Whatever you're battling you need not battle it alone and certainly not in its own domain. Now come on, the night grows darker and I long for a drink more with every passing incessant word out of Matthew's mouth".

"Hey! I've hardly even said anything!" Matthew interjected good naturedly.

"Yes Matthew but your thoughts are so loud and obnoxious I feel as if I'm thinking them for the both of us, now do seize those speedy thoughts and help me show Cordelia a good time. She looks as if she needs an escape and who am I to deny someone in such a radient dress a night out". Anna smiled smugly and opened the door.

And with that they were out into the damp cold night.

Notes: I haven't written anything outside of school in like 6 years and I haven't written a fanfiction since I was like 12 or 13 so forgive me for being a bit naive to the writing side of this website. I hope you enjoy :-). More to come soon.

#cassandra clare #chain of gold spoilers #anna lightwood #alastair carstairs #cassie clare #james and cordelia #cordelia carstairs #matthew and cordelia #jordelia #matthew fairchild #james herondale #grace blackthorn #chain of gold fanfic #chog #chog spoilers #chain of gold

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pengychan · 4 years

Text

[Coco - Gravity Falls] Three Part Harmony

I wrote this for @perlogannwyl in exchange for her donation to BLM. Her prompt was Miguel interacting with Dipper and Mabel from Gravity Falls, discussing the weirdness around them. It took me... much longer than planned to write this, so I made it into a longer fic to make up for the delay. Sorry for the wait, hope you like it!

If you’d like to request a flash fic in exchange of a charity donation, here’s how.

It took Miguel roughly half a day to realize that primo Jésus - “Soos, dude, call me Soos. Unless I have the fez on, then I’m Mr. Mystery. Want some pizza? I’ve got this slice that never ends!” - was not the oddest person he could possibly meet in that town. Not by a long shot.

“The locals are not odd, Miguel,” his father had told him, bouncing Socorro in his arms while his mamá caught up with her tía. Or at least tried to, because she had her attention split in three different directions: a third on her grand-niece, a third on the telenovela playing on the TV screen in the corner, and another third on cleaning every surface within reach as visitors walked through that… Mystery Shack his cousin apparently ran.

Miguel didn’t answer as much as he gestured wildly at their surroundings. Somewhere on his left, a man wearing a tinfoil hat was taking a selfie next to a fur-covered trout mounted to the wall. His papá opened his mouth, hesitated, closed it again, and cleared his throat.

“They’re Americans,” was all he could finally say in their defense as Socorro tried to get back his undivided attention by attempting to rip off his mustache.

Miguel had expected Americans to be kind of weird, just not that kind of weird. Still, as he wandered around the Mystery Shack - previously named Murder Hut, a plaque read, which made him… slightly uncomfortable - he had to admit that stuff was actually kind of cool. Also, Soos’ girlfriend was nice and had shown him how to get snacks for free from the distributor.

“Are you sure it’s not a problem?” Miguel had asked, causing Melody - nice name, that - to shrug while she gave a customer change with one hand and made notes for the table disposition at the upcoming wedding. It was the reason why they were there, but as Miguel’s mamá hadn’t seen her tía since she married herself, she had wanted them to arrive a few days before the ceremony to meet properly.

“Of course not, don’t worry about it. Soos shows how to do it to everyone who walks in.”

“Ah.” Miguel had taken a snack, and wandered out to eat it without being chased with a vacuum cleaner, walking past a group of people holding up cameras and trying to figure out whether what was before their eyes was a rock that looked like a face or a face that looked like a rock.

And then he’d seen it, just as it disappeared behind the trees. Something tiny, with a white beard and a pointed hat and… and…

Miguel blinked, and looked again; nothing but trees, now. But he was… fairly sure he had seen something. As per what that something was-- ay, he must be hallucinating. Was the snack he was eating past the expiry date?

He’d just turned it around to check when a truck screeched to a half right beside him, tires leaving marks in the grass and giving Miguel a mini heart attack. The driver’s door was thrown open, revealing primo Jes-- Soos at the wheel, grinning widely.

“Back from the bus stop! Dudes, this is my second-something cousin Miguel!”

The very first impression wasn’t stellar, mostly because most people he met didn’t greet him by smacking a hand on his forehead to put a sticker on it. Or trying to ask him if he was single. Trying to, because her brother very quickly and very loudly began introducing himself before things got awkward, moving the chat to more normal grounds.

Well. Relatively normal.

“... And I’m going to be a bridesmaid and - they still don’t know it, but I’ll throw glitter everywhere,” Mabel announced, spreading her arms. “It will be a huge surprise! I mean, if you tell no one, it will be a huge surprise. But you won’t tell anyone,” she added, her smile huge.

Miguel wasn’t entirely sure if she meant to come across as slightly threatening or if he was letting past bad experiences give him the wrong impression, but either way he responded with a smile that he hoped was convincing.

“I’ll be silent as--” a grave? “... As, uh, someone really silent.”

“Soos’ abuelita will probably vacuum it all up immediately,” Dipper pointed out, causing his sister to frown.

“Right,” she muttered, rubbing her chin like a general devising an attack plan. “We need to find a way to keep the vacuum away from her.”

“... You don’t really think she’d bring it to the church during the wedding, do you?” Miguel asked, only for both Dipper and Mabel to nod.

“You have met her, right?” Dipper asked, and Miguel had to concede that they had a point.

“Fair.”

“We should sabotage it,” Mabel declared, and suddenly snapped her fingers. “Oh! I know! When our Grunkles get here tomorrow--”

“Our great uncles,” Dipper supplied helpfully before Miguel could voice his confusion.

“-- We’re going to ask them to help us turn the vacuum into a leaf blower! So that if she tries to clean up, she’ll only spread glitter even more! A double surprise!”

To Miguel’s worry, Dipper - who’d struck him as the most sensible of the two - began pacing, giving the matter some serious thought. “We would need to do it right before we head to church, if she tries to use it before we head off she’ll know. Someone will need to distract her.”

“Miguel volunteers!” Mabel exclaimed, grabbing Miguel’s arm and lifting it with a surprising amount of strength, almost lifting him off his feet. “He’ll distract her!”

“... Are you sure this is a good idea?” Miguel asked cautiously. It seemed pretty nonsensical, but then again, his own solution to a problem a couple of years prior had been grave robbing, so maybe he wasn’t precisely on a much higher ground.

“It’s a great idea! Leaf blowers always worked well for us. We used it to blow away some gnomes once.”

Miguel blinked. With the mind’s eye he saw it again, something really small with a pointy hat running over some bushes. But he’d just hallucinated that… right? “... Qué?”

“Nothing!” Dipper exclaimed suddenly, trying to elbow his sister in a way that couldn’t have been more obvious if he’d tried. Mabel waved a hand.

“Come on, Dip Dop, it took us… days to realize this place was weird. I’m going to be surprised if he didn’t notice--”

“... Was that a… gnome?”

Mabel gave her brother a classic Told You So grin. “Did you see a very small guy with a beard and a red pointy hat, or a brooding mysterious stranger?”

“Uh… the first one you said. About over there, running back into the forest.”

“Then it was a gnome! If you'd seen the brooding mysterious stranger, then it would still be gnomes but, like, five of them stacked on top of each other. If you see a giant creature of unimaginable horror, that is still gnomes. Just a lot more than five.”

Miguel’s gaze shifted to Dipper, half-hoping he’d laugh and admit it was a joke. Instead, he shrugged.

“Don’t worry, they don’t do that anymore,” he informed him.

“Ah,” Miguel said, faintly wondering if they were making fun of him or were just insane. But then again, he had seen a tiny man running off into the woods. Plus something even more incredible, too, a couple of years ago.

Unaware of his thoughts, Mabel was frowning. “Come to think of it, the giant Gnominator would have been useful during Weirdmageddon.”

Miguel, whose English classes had never included terms like Gnominator and Weirdmageddon, settled to just nod as though what she was saying made sense. “... Right.”

“Or when Dipper raised the dead.”

“Of cou-- wait, what?”

“It was an accident, Mabel,” Dipper protested, crossing his arms. “You know it won’t happen again.”

“I know, I know. Oh, don’t worry, Miguel! We know how to beat them! A perfect three part harmony, and they’re dead again. Soos told us you like music, so you can sing, no?”

“I said I won’t raise them again, we don’t need Soos to turn into a zombie again right before his wed--”

“You met the dead, too?” Miguel blurted out, causing both siblings to trail off and turn to look at him. Suddenly it was Dipper step right in his face, taking a notebook and a pen out of… seemingly nowhere.

“You met the Undead, too?”

Miguel blinked. Undead? “They were all… pretty definitely dead.”

“Yes, yes, but like-- zombies?”

“Uh, no. Just… skeletons.”

Mabel nodded, extremely serious. “Thin zombies,” she declared.

“What-- no, they were not zombies at all.”

“No eating brains?”

“... They seemed to prefer Pan de Muerto.”

Dipper wrote that down. “No biting?”

“N… no?”

“Trying to drag you in your grave?”

“No, they just all kind of… really wanted me to go back home.”

"So they didn’t try to kill you?"

"N--" Miguel paused. "... Well, one did. But most of them wanted me to go home. They were my family.”

Mabel sighed. “Aww, you raised your family from the dead!”

“No, I was just robbing a grave and--” he paused, and rubbed his temples. “I really think we’re talking about two entirely different things here.”

“Yeah, sounds like-- wait. Grave robbing?”

Miguel shifted. “Not my best decision,” he muttered. Only that it had been, in the end, if anything for how things had worked out. Had he not been in the Land of the Dead that night, then…

Dipper lifted the notebook again, clicking his pen with a slightly manic look in his eyes. “We have a lot to talk about,” he said, and they did.

That place was weird, the people were weird, but Miguel found that talking about what had happened in the Land of the Dead, with someone who believed him, wasn’t too bad at all.

#pixar coco #gravity falls #dipper pines #mabel pines #miguel rivera #coco #fic

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banditthewriter · 5 years

Text

Go Good Together - Tommy Shelby

Okay, so this is over eleven thousand words and I am incredibly nervous about posting... but here goes!

Title from Forever by Billy Raffoul which was a big inspiration for parts of this fic.

Warning: Smut! And violence! Not at the same time though.

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists!

*gif not mine*

Enjoy!

*****

The restaurant was packed when you got there with Charlotte. She grinned and giggled in an attractive manner as you were led to a vacant table.

Somehow going out with Lottie always got you at the front of the line. She just had a way about her.

Drinks were brought first. You were an avid people watcher so while Lottie told you a story about something that had happened in the office this morning, you looked at the other people in the restaurant.

More than a few couples. There were some men off to the side that seemed to have a rough edge to them. A group of women you vaguely recognized from town. There was another group of men who looked like bankers or lawyers, men who thought they ran the world.

"And you're not even listening to me."

You snapped your attention back to your friend and gave her a light smile.

"Sorry Lottie, you know how I get in large groups. You said that Fredrick asked you to dinner?"

Satisfied that you hadn't been completely ignoring her, Lottie went into her turning down her boss. You sipped at your drink and focused on her a little more this time.

Food was brought rather quickly. While you ate, you noticed that your friend's attention was to the side of the room. You followed her grinning gaze and found what had caught her focus. It was the group of rather rough looking men.

But there was one in particular that was looking in the direction of the two of you. From the distance you couldn't make out much. His hair was longer on top but shaved on the sides. He had a look about him that reminded you of a razor blade; sharp and dangerous at any moment.

"Jesus that is one fine man," Lottie said as she sipped at her drink.

You shook your head fondly as you looked down at your food.

"Your taste in men astounds me," you teased as you speared some lettuce from her salad and wrinkled your nose at the dressing she had used.

"Not even you could look at that man and say he isn't worth a few rough edges," she shot back as she started to dig into her own meal.

You would admit that besides that sharp look, there was something attractive and appealing about him. You had never been one for the dangerous types, but you couldn't keep your eyes from going back to his table.

Tall, dark, and handsome. It wasn't fair that he had it all. But you weren't looking for the kind of fun Lottie was interested in. While you never judged her for going home with men that she just met, you preferred to only sleep with someone you were romantic with.

The last date you had gone on had ended with the man calling you a prude and never calling on you again. It was upsetting.

"Well damn," Lottie complained when she looked up a little while later, "they've gone."

You followed her gaze to the now empty table and felt an unfamiliar hollowness. It wasn't like you would have introduced yourself. The man had obviously been taken with Lottie, like most men were.

"You should have introduced yourself while you still could," you told her as you grabbed your drink, somehow at ease and still tense without him in the restaurant anymore.

"We will have to eat here more often," your friend teased as she knocked her drink into yours.

You didn't have a complaint. You'd quite like to see him again, even if it was from afar.

------

Lottie was dancing around you in circles and you were laughing fondly at her antics. She had finally convinced you to join her at a pub or club for the night. There wasn't much of a nightlife in Birmingham but you didn't mind.

The two of you made your way down the walkway towards one of the few clubs that she had frequented before. Two doors up at a gentlemen's club, the door opened and you didn't have enough time to stop Lottie before she ran smack into someone.

The man helped her steady herself, keeping his body close to hers. At first you thought to pull her away, but you could see the interest from where you stood.

She was intrigued by this rough looking lad. He had a hat pulled down a little low, a toothpick sticking from between his teeth, and eyes that were flitting over Lottie's form like had had just been handed the keys to the kingdom.

"My bad," he apologized as he looked her over, his eyes only barely noticing you, "wasn't watching where I was going. Let me make it up to you."

And there was your Lottie, giggling and twirling her short hair as she lowered her eyelids. She didn't have to flirt to get what she wanted but when she did, it was damn near devastating.

And this man was lost.

At some point, you all exchanged names. He was John Shelby, said as if the name should ring a bell. Maybe it didn't for Lottie because she had sat up straighter while she continued to flirt. He got both of your names and then offered for the two of you to join him at some place called the Garrison.

Lottie agreed for the two of you. He wrapped his arm around Lottie's waist and then offered his arm to you. You did appreciate that he didn't take any liberties with you. In fact you would consider his interactions with you as almost gentlemanly.

And considering the things he whispered to Lottie on your walk, you were surprised he had it in him. Perhaps he could tell that you were not interested in that, but it was very obvious that Lottie wasn't going anywhere without you.

The Garrison was a loud and raucous pub. The man behind the bar greeted John with a familiarity that made you think they must be good friends. There was some resemblance so maybe even relatives.

John brought the two of you to a little room near the front door. It had a private window that opened up straight into the bar where alcohol could be passed back and forth. He settled into one of the plush benches with Lottie on his arm.

You felt ignored, but you didn't mind. There had been a few other men with John but you didn't catch their names. None of them stuck around when it became apparent that you weren't looking for a good time like your friend.

As you pondered heading out and leaving Lottie to her gentleman, the door opened up. In walked a man that took your breath away. And not just because he was dreadfully handsome.

It was the man from the restaurant a few days before.

Lottie recognized him, but beside a sharp breath, she didn't react. John was nuzzling her neck so that might have had something to do with it.

"Tommy," John greeted, "this is Lottie and her friend Y/N. Girls, this is my brother Tommy Shelby."

Lottie's eyes grew wide as she looked up at the man, but he didn't notice. Couldn't have because he hadn't looked away from you since he walked in.

"Charmed," you offered in a soft voice, hoping to melt into the scenery.

Tommy nodded to you and then settled into a seat across the table from you. It was mostly quiet except the hushed whispers from John and Lottie's breathless giggles. That and the noise from the main part of the pub.

At some point Tommy had lit a cigarette, his eyes finally moving from you to his brother for a long moment.

"John, why don't you show Lottie where we store all the liquor."

John seemed to enjoy that idea and Lottie did too. She gave you a wide eyed excited look before John tugged her out of the room. You couldn't understand her interest in seeing barrels or bottles, but you wouldn't judge her for it.

You glanced from the door and found yourself getting lost in a pair of ice blue eyes. With a little struggle, you looked down to where your hands were clamped on your knee.

"Smoke?"

His voice was smooth and low. You looked up at him once more and saw that he was holding out a cigarette to you.

Gingerly you took it from him and leaned in so he could light it for you.

Thinking that perhaps he didn't want to keep you company, you took a long drag on the cigarette and blew the smoke out.

"I'm sure Lottie won't be long," you said quietly as you looked back at the door.

"Wouldn't surprise me, except she’ll be fucking my brother in the storage room. I don't have much opinion on his prowess."

Well. That was a surprise. Your eyes wide, you looked at Tommy. It took a moment for you to school your features, but not quick enough. You'd seen the smirk on his lips at your surprise.

"I'm sorry for you then."

That wiped his smirk away. He raised an eyebrow and raised his own cigarette to his lips.

"Why are you sorry for me?"

How awkward this was. You swallowed and tried to find a tactful way to put it to words.

"I know that you were looking at Lottie at the restaurant a few days ago. It must smart that she's with your brother right now since you were interested in her first."

Tommy blew out a thick puff of smoke, shaking his head as his eyes met yours through the haze.

"I wasn't looking at your friend that day." At your confused look, he explained, "I was looking at you."

Oh. You felt a spread of warmth through you at the thought. This man had been looking at you, not the beautiful Lottie?

You opened your mouth to respond, although you had no idea what you would say, but the door opened. Lottie's dress was rumbled, her hair nearly ruined, but she was grinning wide. John had his arm around her shoulders and looked much the same.

"Arthur didn't appreciate catching us," he explained to Tommy, earning a grin. "I'm taking Lottie to the house for a night cap."

You doubted that was all they'd have. She looked at you and you saw her smile waver a bit.

"Don't worry about me," you said quickly as you grabbed your hat and gloves, "I'll find my own way home. You have a good time Lottie."

She looked like she wanted to complain even as John's hands started to tug on her.

"I'll walk her home," Tommy offered in an even tone. He looked from you to the couple in the doorway. "I'll make sure she gets home safe."

Lottie looked as surprised as you felt. She looked to you to make sure you were okay with the change of plans and gave you a quick nod.

"I'll see you for breakfast," she said with a smile. And then with a high pitched giggle as John whispered something to her, "Make that lunch!"

And in a flurry of hands and laughter, the two were gone. You looked across to Tommy and found him already looking at you.

"I can find my own way home," you promised, not sure why you didn't want to be alone with him.

"I gave your friend my word. You don't want to make a liar out of me, do you?"

It was said as a tease, but there was an underlying strength to his words.

He helped you back into your coat. You tugged on your gloves and hat, tucking your bag under your arm securely as Tommy guided you to the door. Outside you were both met with a thin sheet of rain.

"Shit. I can see if I can borrow an umbrella," he said as he looked around.

He wore a hat and a thick jacket with the collar up. The rain wasn't so bad at the moment.

"I only live a few streets away actually. I don't mind the rain."

With that between the two of you, you headed into the night air. The rain kept you alert, the skin of your face growing cold and a little damp. You kept your body hunched in. And Tommy stayed nearby, his arm brushing yours more than once. He made sure you didn't trip on the uneven ground as you guided him down various streets to your flat.

At the door, you let him in to the front lobby of the building. There was only one flat on the first floor besides the landlord. Instead you pointed to the stairs.

"I live on the second floor. Would you, uh, would you like to come up for something to drink? Get a little warmth in you as a thank you for walking me home."

He tilted his head as he looked you over, his eyes lingering on a bead of rain water that made its way down your temple and cheek, disappearing down your jaw.

"Are you asking me up for a fuck or do you really just want to give me something to drink?"

His bluntness took you by surprise, but you shook it off.

"Just a drink," you stressed as you tugged your jacket a little tighter to you.

He eyed you for a long moment before he gave a quick nod.

"Lead the way."

You hurried up the stairs, your heart pounding louder than your combined steps. Now you weren't sure you should invite him in, but it would be rude to rescind the invitation.

And you didn't want to take it away. While you weren't sure you should he alone with him, you were very sure you didn't want him to leave yet.

On the landing, you went to your door. With one hand using the keys to let you in, you gestured your other hand over your shoulder at another door.

"That's Lottie's place," you told him as you struggled with the lock. "It's how we met, being neighbors."

Most people asked how the two of you had become friends since you were so different. This way they could know for sure that it was because of your environment.

His hand closed over yours as you continued to struggle with the keys. You stepped away so that he could unlock the door and push it open. You let out a quick breath before you stepped through the doorway.

Had you even had a man in this flat besides the landlord's son when he helped you move? You really doubted it. You'd been on two dates since you came to Birmingham and neither of them had gotten that far.

You shrugged out of your damp jacket, putting your hat and gloves next to the radiator. In hostess mode, you grabbed at Tommy's jacket to lay it on the radiator to dry. There was a harness of some sort under his suit jacket that held something heavy. You'd seen them on officers before, so finding one on him made you pause.

When your hand went to his hat to do the same, he grabbed your wrist.

"Careful sweetheart, unless you're not interested in keeping your fingers."

You weren't sure what he meant by that until he removed the hat himself. You saw a glint of metal under the brim at the front. A razor blade.

The Peaky Blinders. You'd heard stories, of course, but you hadn't met any of the members yourself. And if Tommy was one, you were sure John was too.

You'd been in Birmingham for almost two years without meeting one of the gangsters and now you've met two in one night.

After he laid his hat on the radiator to dry, you made your way to the kitchen.

"I have tea or coffee. I probably have some whisky if you'd prefer."

He requested coffee so you put on a pot. While you did that, you tried to ignore the man in your flat. You could feel him moving around behind you, inspecting your living space. When you heard his footsteps disappear, you turned to see that he was leaning in the doorway of your bedroom.

You tried to remember if you had made your bed that morning. Your dressing gown was probably thrown over the chest at the foot of the bed. Thankfully you had gathered your dirty laundry to be cleaned so there wasn't anything scandalous lying out for him to see.

Except he was looking at your bed and your private space. Surely that was too intimate to be proper.

This was a gangster. What did he know about being proper?

When you told him the coffee was ready, he came to the kitchen. After he made it to his preference, he carried it back to the living room. He hovered for a moment before he sat down in your favorite chair. It had a view of the window which looked down into the alley, but during the day it had a lot of natural light.

He fingered the cover of the book next to the chair but didn't pick it up.

It was strange. He had made himself completely at home in your place, but you hovered uncertainly in the outskirts of your own living space.

"Have you lived in Birmingham long?"

You cleared your throat as you forced yourself to join him. As you sat on the couch, you shook your head.

"Two years or so. Moved this way for a job and decided to settle in."

He nodded, taking a long gulp from the coffee.

"No family here? Nearby?"

You swallowed a mouthful of coffee and were grateful for the burn on your tongue.

"Lost my parents in an accident a few years ago, so it was just me. I have an aunt and uncle who cared for me afterwards, but I've been independent for a while."

It was only becoming more common for women to be independent of their families, especially without a husband, so you were curious how Tommy would react to that news.

"So no husband or intended will be coming home and wonder why I'm drinking coffee in your living room at this hour?"

Ah, that's why he asked.

"None to speak of," you said with another dainty sip of the coffee, your throat feeling tight.

"Y/N, are you scared of me?"

Were you? You looked up from your cup and met those endless blue eyes. For a moment, you thought the answer might be yes. He wore guns under his suit, had a razor blade hidden in his hat, and even you could sense the violence under the surface with him.

But you didn't think that you were in any danger with him. Somehow you knew that and were calmed by it.

"No, I'm not," you answered honestly as you put your cup on the table next to you. "I think perhaps I should be, but for some reason I'm not."

He nodded as if that was the answer he had hoped for. He took one last sip from his cup and put it next to yours. Then he stood up and held out his hands to you.

You let him pull you to your feet. Then he stepped in a little closer to you until you could smell the coffee and cigarettes on his breath, feel the heat of it brush against your skin.

"I'm not a danger to you. I want you to trust that."

You did. Heaven above, you did trust him. It didn't make any sense but that's what it was.

With a lump in your throat, you pulled away and moved over to the radiator to check if his jacket was dry. Before your hands could touch the fabric, you were gently spun around and pushed against the wall.

"I'm going to kiss you," he informed you as he leaned in, his mouth hovering next to yours. "Will you let me?"

He was asking permission? You stared into those eyes and found yourself nodding, needing the feel of his lips against yours.

And whatever you had imagined, it was nothing compared to reality. His lips crashed into yours as if he wanted to devour you before you could change your mind. He kissed with his whole body, bowing in towards you. His hands moved over your cheeks and neck, sliding into your hair. One hand went down your side until he could start to bunch up the fabric of your skirt.

You hesitated at that, but all he did was use it to lift your leg around his hips. It brought him closer to you. Through the bunched up fabric of your skirt and his pants, you could feel him getting harder against you. That made you pull away from the kiss, your hand against his chest to gently push him away.

"I–" you began, swallowing your nerves and meeting his eyes, "I'm not going that far with you tonight."

Tonight. Without your permission, your mouth offered the chance of this happening some other time.

Either way Tommy nodded, letting your leg fall. He stayed close enough to touch, but he didn't push you. To thank him for his willingness to pull away, you leaned in for a soft kiss.

"I'm sorry," you muttered thinking about Lottie and John going off to the storage room together.

He was probably used to women with looser morals.

"Don't apologize," he mumbled against your lips. "I don't mind waiting."

If only you could believe him.

When he finally pulled away, he reached down for his things. First he pulled on his jacket and then his hat, smoothing down the wrinkles.

"Thanks for the coffee," he said as he leaned in to kiss your cheek, rubbing his cheek against yours. "I'll see you soon?"

He wanted to see you again? Without thinking, you nodded and saw him to the door.

He cast one last look at you before he went down the stairs, disappearing into the night.

And the only proof you had that he had been there was a second cup on your table and the taste of him on your lips.

------

"It was a long night," Lottie bragged as she stretched out at the table.

Lunch was your choice this time and you picked a little cafe you hadn't been to in a while. It was nice so the two of you sat outside at one of the tables. There was a group of women at a table nearby, but other than that, you were alone.

"You look exhausted Lottie," you said with a smile as you reached out and tugged on one of her limp curls. "Have you even been home yet?"

She giggled and stretched again.

"He barely let me leave to come here. I think if his brother Arthur hadn't threatened to bust the door down, he might not have."

Another brother? But at least it wasn't Tommy. You weren’t ready to explain that to Lottie.

"Speaking of brothers," she began and you rolled your eyes.

"Nothing happened Lot, I mean it. Please just drop it."

Lottie stirred her drink with her finger and narrowed her eyes at you.

"If I believed that nothing had happened, I would happily drop it, but I can tell when you're lying to me."

Despite being so different from you, Lottie really was your closest friend. And times like these, you hated it. You missed having secrets.

"I'll leave it for now, how about that?" She nodded as if that was settled and stood up. "I'm getting a scone. Do you want one?"

She disappeared into the cafe before you had time to answer her. With a chuckle, you leaned back in your chair and thought about the night before.

That kiss had set your body on fire. You couldn't remember ever being kissed like that before. It felt like he wanted to climb inside of you right then and there. And if that kiss had continued, you might have let him.

A tingle broke out over your skin just at the thought. It felt like you were being haunted by Tommy.

"I'm meeting Tommy," one of the women at the next table said, bringing to life the name you had just imagined.

"Again? Still can't believe that man pays for sex," one of the others said with a laugh.

It was just a coincidence. Thomas wasn't an uncommon name.

"None of those Shelby men should ever pay for sex," a third woman said with a leer, making her friends giggle with her.

The first woman stood up and primped her hair a bit, grinning as her friends told her she looked good.

"Maybe Tommy Shelby won't be paying for it much longer," she boasted before she slipped from her group and headed down the walk way.

You were at a loss. Obviously she meant the same Tommy you had kissed the night before. And whatever agreement they'd had before was apparently still active.

Was that why he was so nonchalant about you turning him down the night before? Of course it was. Why would he worry about you not sleeping with him when he knew that someone else would.

You felt sick to your stomach. When Lottie brought out a scone for each of you, you could barely look at it.

You would have to tell her at some point, but she was still so besotted after her night with John. You didn't want to ruin that for her.

It wasn't like you expected to see Tommy anytime soon.

------

The office had been a mess today. Your mind was stuck on the things you'd heard at lunch days before, so you knew you were partially at fault for the problems.

Thankfully you weren't the only secretary and the other ones were happy to cover for you. It was the first time since you started to work there that you'd had an off day so it could be excused.

As you trudged up the stairs to your flat, you thought about slipping over to Lottie's and curling up with her. You'd finally told her the truth and she had instantly gone to coddle you.

Normally it would frustrate you, but you had gotten attached to Tommy rather quickly. It made sense that this hit you hard.

At the landing, you looked up and nearly dropped your purse. Leaning against the door with some flowers in hand was Tommy Shelby.

"Wasn't sure when you would be home," he said with a bit of a smile at you.

You pressed your fingers to your lips for a brief moment before you made your way to the door.

"I'm late for an engagement," you lied as you struggled with your keys, trying to get them into the lock without shaking.

"Here," he said softly as he took the keys from you to unlock the door. "I won't keep you then. Just wanted to see you."

You thanked him for unlocking your door and then you thanked him for the flowers. After a long moment he nodded. You almost blanched when he leaned in to kiss you. His lips on yours made you feel like you were flying and all to soon he was pulling away to leave.

Once he was out of sight, you shut the door and leaned against it. The flowers in your hand were beautiful and you wanted to cry just to look at them.

A knock on the door made you tense. Thinking it might be Tommy, you opened the door slowly. On the other side was Lottie smiling sadly at you with a bottle of what looked like whisky in her hand.

"Want to talk? Or cry? Or drink?"

You gave her a watery smile and opened the door wider for her to come in.

"I'll take all three tonight," you said before you shut the door behind her.

------

It wasn’t the only time that Tommy came to your flat. He brought you flowers or candies and never did more than frown when you made excuses for why you couldn’t invite him in or go with him for a meal. You told yourself that he would get tired of the chase, would find someone that would be better suited for him and his lifestyle, but it didn’t make you feel better.

The emotion that built in your chest at the thought of him with that tall, beautiful woman the day after he kissed you like that wasn't nameless, but you hated to think that you were jealous. You didn’t want to be jealous because that would mean that you were more invested than you told yourself you were.

Lottie was a life saver because she kept you distracted on the nights when he didn’t stop by but she was also always available on the times you did see him.

After work one evening, you stepped out of the office and found yourself face to face with Tommy. One of the other ladies had seen him and had started to flirt, but he hadn’t looked up from his cigarette until she greeted you. Then he didn’t take his eyes off of you.

“Can I walk you home?”

Mary realized he wasn’t talking to her and she quickly excused herself, shooting looks over her shoulder as she did so. You knew that this would be around your work place the next morning.

“I can walk myself,” you said lowly, not wanting to offend him.

Tommy looked at you and shook his head, giving a short laugh as he stubbed his cigarette out on the side of the building.

“I had told myself it was in my head. You seemed interested in me enough that first night, but since then I can’t get you to look at me.” He gestured between the two of you with his hand before he started to pull out another cigarette. “You should’ve just told me to fuck off.”

You didn’t want to tell him to fuck off, but you didn’t need to lead him on like this. Without telling him why you were so cold to him, he wouldn’t know to leave you alone. And if you were to get over him, you needed to start now.

Asking now felt wrong, but you needed to know.

"Did you sleep with that woman? The day after we met, I overheard a woman talking about sleeping with you and… you paying for it."

He looked tense, but not guilty. Though what would make a man like Tommy Shelby feel guilt, you weren’t entirely sure. He held the cigarette out to you and after a moment, you took it from him.

"I've paid for it before, for simple release. Me asking to see Lizzie that day was just because I was offering her a job. A legitimate job with my company. I didn't fuck her."

His words felt like the truth. And something told you that he didn’t have it in him to lie, not to you. Not about this. You weren’t sure if that was naive or just misguided, but you knew it had to be true.

Now you knew that your hesitance to get closer to Tommy was all for nothing. Not only were you steadily becoming infatuated with the man, but he hadn’t slept with another woman the night after the two of you had been together.

You took a long drag from the cigarette before you handed it back to him.

“Would you walk me home?”

He put the cigarette to his lips and then held his arm out to you, giving you a short bow that made you want to laugh at him.

And you realized that you were allowed to do that. You were allowed to tease him, to joke with him. He had made his intentions clear with his courting attempts. The least you could do is repay him in kind.

------

It was impossible that you had fallen in love with Tommy Shelby after only a short time, but you couldn't shake that there was something there. You had locked away your heart and vulnerability and he had found the key after only a few times in your presence.

As much as you felt that the two of you were getting closer, you still felt a distance that came in the shape of the Peaky Blinders. Each time he had to leave in a hurry or he came to you with something dark in his eyes, you were reminded of a simple fact.

Tommy Shelby didn't belong to you.

You tugged your coat tighter around you as you made your way down the alley. It was the quickest route home from where you had just had dinner with some people from work. If you had known that your fellow secretaries were going to spring a date on you, you never would have gone.

Richard was a sweet man and had been a gentleman the whole meal, but you didn't feel that spark. And maybe that wasn't fair to him. It wasn't like you'd been able to sleep without seeing ice blue eyes for the last week.

"Y/N Y/L/N?"

You froze for a second at your name being called from a dark, grimy alleyway. It was a second too long as a hand wrapped around your throat with a blade pressed against your cheek.

"So you're the skirt that's caught Tommy Shelby's eye. Well, we have a message we want you to deliver to him for us."

You weren't sure who 'we' were until you noticed there were three other men in the alley way. Something was shoved into your mouth and you were dragged backwards and through a side door to an abandoned building.

A place where your screams wouldn't matter. Somewhere your pleas and promises that you meant nothing to Tommy Shelby fell on deaf ears.

They had a message to deliver and you were the messenger.

------

The door wasn't familiar to you, but you knew you were in the right place. You climbed the stairs with difficulty, swallowing against the pain as you reached up to use the knocker.

The sound echoed in your head and you wanted to cry.

Seconds felt like hours, but soon the door opened to reveal an older woman with a face that was neither kind nor cruel. The moment she saw you and the pain you were in, kindness took over her features as she ushered you into the house.

"Jesus Christ, what happened to you? Come in by the fire here. What's your name child?"

You opened your mouth and winced as it tugged on the split lip you had. The woman handed you a glass of water and a bowl for you to clean your mouth with.

"Thank you. I'm Y/N Y/L/N, and I–"

"Jesus Christ," she swore again, this time with more emphasis, "of course you are. Come on, follow me."

She led you up a flight of stairs to a door that she didn't even hesitate at. Inside was a small bedroom which she immediately instructed you to make yourself at home in.

"This is Tommy's room. I'll be back in a moment."

You didn't even have a moment to ask her how she knew that you knew Tommy. She went back out of the room and rushed down the stairs, calling for someone named Finn as she did.

You looked around the bedroom and found yourself slowly becoming soothed. There wasn't much in there that was personal, but it still felt very much like Tommy. And there was a smell in the air that seemed to call out for you.

"Here Y/N," the woman called as she came into the room once more with a tin bucket of first aid supplies.

She started to work first on your face but shook her head.

"You need to get out of that dress," she explained as she started to help you out of your jacket.

"I'd rather leave it on," you pleaded but the woman shook her head.

"If Tommy sees that much blood on you, even I will have a hard time getting through to him. Come now, let me work."

You gave a timid nod and let her help you remove your stained dress.

"I didn't catch your name," you said quietly as you tried to steady your breathing.

She urged you to sit on the edge of the bed, her fingers pulling your shift away from your skin and swearing when she saw the damage there.

"Polly. Polly Gray, I'm Tommy's aunt. Your back…"

You nodded, closing your eyes as you tried not to relive the pain. She rested a hand on your shoulder for a brief moment. Just as she started to clean your face again, you heard the sound of thundering steps up the stairs. You had a moment to lift the towel and cover yourself in your shift before the door was thrown open.

Tommy looked like an avenging angel with the light behind him. He stormed into the room, his mouth set in a frown as he looked you over.

"Leave us," he said to Polly.

The woman was obviously his elder but she left after squeezing your shoulder. When the door shut, Tommy came over to where you were sitting.

"Are you…"

You weren't sure what the rest of that question was going to be, but you didn't think it mattered. It was obvious what you were.

"They wanted me to deliver a message to you," you explained with a wince as Tommy worked on cleaning the cuts on your cheek.

"What message?"

Tears started to slip from your eyes as you looked up at Tommy, your chest hurting with the effort not to cry.

"They said you should know they can get to anyone, that no one is safe."

Anger was broiling through Tommy but he was so gentle as he cleaned your cuts. Carefully he sat down beside you and moved the shift away to see what other damage there was.

He swore just as fully as Polly had.

"Boot prints," he said as he ran his fingers gently down your spine. "Doesn't look like anything is broken."

He went to work on your arms and legs, checking that you were only bruised. As he saw more bruises and scrapes leading under the hem of your shift, his frown became black as coal.

"Did they…"

You shook your head, your shaking hand moving to cover his hand on your knee.

"They took pleasure in threatening to, but they didn't do that."

They had said so many cruel things, but none of it seemed to come to your tongue. You didn't want to repeat those words.

He reached up and touched the cut on your temple that he had already cleaned.

"This shouldn't have happened to you."

You were at least in agreement about that.

"They thought that you and I… that we're involved," you said in such a small voice that you winced at the sound.

"They must have seen us together." He brushed his fingers against your cheek and shook his head. "They'll never lay a finger on you again. I promise you that."

It was like the night in your flat when he said that he wasn't a danger to you. Without a doubt, you believed him.

After you were cleaned up and in one of his shirts, your undergarments still on, he made sure you were tucked comfortably in his bed. He kissed your temple before he left the room.

In your haze of pain, as sleep pulled you into its grasp, you couldn't help but think that the devil followed with him.

------

A hand was on your hip. You remembered being held down as you were stepped on and kicked. As you tried to curl up to protect yourself, the body behind you moved with you.

It wasn't hurting you. It was spooned around you as if to protect you.

As you came out of your half asleep state, you realized you were still in Tommy's room. Still in his bed. And the body pressed up against you, behind you, must belong to Tommy.

"Sleep," he murmured into the back of your neck, "I won't let anything happen to you."

You closed your eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. Behind your lids, all you could see were the men that had done this to you. He must have noticed because he soothed his hand up and down your arm.

“They thought we were involved because they’ve seen us together. Or because it’s become quite clear how taken I am with you. I know I’m not a good man, not the kind of man you should be with; tonight has made me see it clearer than I did before. I don’t want to be the reason you’re hurt.”

The words were softly spoken, his breath brushing against the back of your neck. Slowly you turned to face him, wincing every now and then. He didn’t move away from you, merely helped you roll over with the least amount of pain possible.

On this side, you could face him and look into his eyes. There was a bruise on his jaw that hadn’t been there earlier, as well as one near his temple. You raised your hand and brushed his hair back so that you could see the bruise a little clearer.

He had handled it. Whoever had hurt you, he had found them and taken care of the situation. You wondered idly if there were bodies to be disposed of or if perhaps he had left them alive. The reputation of the Peaky Blinders was there for a reason; perhaps he had blinded one more more of them as a way to make a statement.

Anyone who messed with him, or you, would meet the same fate.

You should be scared and part of you was, but not of him. And not of the danger that Tommy represented.

“It doesn’t make sense, does it? This thing between us. We barely know each other,” you said as your fingers drifted down his cheek and down his jaw, resting against his neck where you could feel his steady pulse.

“Then we’ll figure it out together,” he promised as he leaned in, his lips meeting yours in a soft touch, careful of your split lip. “What we feel for each other, it will just grow as we learn more about each other.”

Yes, you knew it would. And you couldn’t wait.

------

Lottie leaned against the doorway as you moved around stiffly. You sighed when the silence got to be too much and whirled around to face her.

“How did you go from crying into your whisky that he was sleeping with whores to coming home in his arms and kissing him for twenty minutes on the doorstep and having an armed guard watch over you?”

You laughed, holding your ribs as you did. She knew about what happened to you, had been fetched by someone the next morning, but she still didn’t understand how you and Tommy had seemed to slot together like missing pieces of the same puzzle. She had noticed it over the few weeks since you had accepted him in your life and the attack, but you could tell she was still apprehensive for you.

“Do you remember when I first moved here? You and I had seen each other in the hall I think once before and you invited me to come over for tea?”

Lottie sighed but sat down on the couch next to you.

“Yes, of course I remember. It’s when we became friends.”

You smiled and reached out for her hand.

“It’s like that, only… well, different,” you added with a giggle, earning one from Lottie as well. “I don’t know how to explain it Lot, I just know that I couldn’t shake him and now I don’t want to. It’s like he got under my skin.”

Lottie sighed and crossed her ankles, turning to face you a little more. You knew that her and John had gone their separate ways, although it was completely amiable. She was on the prowl for her next slice of fun, but maybe she was ready for something a little more serious.

“But he’s dangerous,” she whispered, as if you had somehow missed it.

“I know,” you said as you touched your mouth where the cut still burned when you smiled too much. Which was hard not to do with how happy you were. “I know he’s dangerous, but I don’t mind. We sat up and talked for hours that night and one of the things we talked about was that he wants to take the company legitimate. And I think he can do it. He’s smart and focused and driven–”

“Alright, alright, stop before you start to drool,” she joked as she knocked her shoulder into yours gently. “Just promise me that you’ll be careful, alright? It’d kill me if something happened to you.”

You wrapped your arms around her shoulders and gently tugged her into your embrace.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise.”

And just like Tommy’s promise to you, you meant it.

------

The other secretaries were walking on eggshells around you. You tried not to notice it, but it was fairly obvious. You weren’t sure if it was because you had a Peaky Blinder escort or if it was because your face looked like you had tripped head first into a wall, but they were treating you differently.

After a long day of work, you pulled on your coat to get ready to go home. Lottie had a date tonight and she promised to stop by your place in the morning to tell you all about it, so you wanted to stop by the shops on the way home and get some more tea. Plus you needed a few other things as well.

When you stepped out of the office, you noticed someone coming towards you. You opened your mouth, ready to scream if necessary, when you noticed who it was.

“Richard?”

“Y/N,” he breathed in relief as he came up to you, his eyes darting around the street as if looking for something, “I heard what happened and needed to see you for myself.”

You let him take your hand, expecting it to be a quick squeeze, but he held on. You cast a glance around the street, thinking that your escort should have made themselves visible by now, but there was nothing. Maybe something had happened and your escort had to go back? But wouldn’t they have told you?

You couldn’t remember who it was this morning. Tommy had said something about this afternoon, but you had been half asleep when he had muttered it into your ear before he had to leave.

“I’m quite well, thank you though,” you said as you subtly tried to pull your hand back. “I hate to run, but I do have some errands I need to get to before I can go home.”

He didn’t seem to take that as a hint, but he didn’t have much choice as a hulking figure came out of the shadows from behind you.

“I can take it from here,” Tommy said as he slid his arm around your waist, tugging you to him in a completely proprietary way.

You fought the urge to elbow him for that. Instead you successfully pulled your hand from Richard’s grasp and covered Tommy’s hand with yours. Richard looked between the two of you, his eyes narrowing as he looked at you.

“Did he do that to you? Be honest with me Y/N, I won’t let him scare me off,” he explained in a rush as Tommy advanced on him.

“If you think I could do that to her, then what makes you think I won’t do worse to you?”

“Tommy! Stop it,” you said as you tugged on his arm, pushing between the two men and turning to face Richard. “You should leave. I promise you, I’m quite safe with Tommy. Now go.”

He didn’t want to go, but he scattered when Tommy’s hand brushed the edge of his hat. You had caught the gesture and you slapped his hand down.

“That wasn’t necessary,” you scolded as you pulled away from Tommy and started down the road towards your apartment. “He was worried about me and that isn’t something that should be threatened.”

Hands grabbed your waist and you were spun around, your back pushed into the wall. Your heart raced, memories of your attack fresh on your mind, but it was quieted as Tommy leaned in to claim your lips in a kiss that filled you with heat.

“He doesn’t need to worry about something that isn’t his. I don’t like him touching you.”

You wanted to scold him for his barbaric behavior, but you were ridiculously endeared. Instead you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and tugged him in for a deeper kiss.

You wouldn’t mind his territorial nature if it got you this each time.

------

Your jacket hit the floor of your living room as the door to your flat was shut—slammed, actually—and locked before you were pushed into it. Tommy’s lips marked a heated path down your neck to your collarbone and then back to your lips.

“I want you,” he whispered hotly against your lips, his eyes pinned to yours as he judged how ready you were for this step.

Without a doubt, you knew he’d back down if you said no. As much as he wanted you, he wasn’t going to force himself on you. If you said no, he’d back away and the two of you would simply curl up in bed together as you had for the past few nights.

But you were done waiting. You hadn’t wanted to sleep with someone unless there was romantic feelings there, and you definitely had that for Tommy. Most days you were pretty sure you were half in love with him.

“I’m yours,” you promised as your hand went to the front of his shirt, starting on the buttons.

He took that as his sign. The two of you started to shed clothes there in the middle of your living room, neither of you willing to stop touching or kissing long enough to do it gracefully. The last of your clothes were shed in your bedroom, your legs hitting the edge of the bed. As you tipped backwards onto it, Tommy shed the last of his clothes and stood before you proud.

And he had a lot of reasons to be proud.

He came down onto the bed, kneeling over you. Your heart was thundering in your chest as you grabbed his arm and dragged him down for a kiss. His body molded to yours as if it was a perfect fit, his hips fitting comfortably in the junction of your thighs.

Every brush of his fingers or his lips were making you come undone. He kissed every lingering mark from your attack as well as every inch of your skin he could reach. As he kissed down your stomach, your breath caught in your chest. A lewd grin was on his lips as he spread your thighs a little more before he dove between them.

He went to work on you, licking between your folds before he reached a hand to hold you open for him. His tongue pushed inside of you before he licked up, circling your clit. He sucked it into his mouth and flicked his tongue over it, earning a breathless gasp from you as your body bowed from the bed. You curled around his head, your fingers finding his hair as you panted with the feelings he was drawing out of you.

Then his fingers were added into the mix as his mouth focused on your clit. You felt the first one being pushed in slowly, getting you used to him, and then there was a second finger. Your hips worked in tandem with his hand, thrusting against him almost desperately. His third finger pushed inside to work you open and ready for him.

On the edge of your climax, he pulled back to watch your face as you came. You let out a loud moan as you flopped down onto the bed, your body quivering under him. And if you thought that was intense, you had nothing to prepare you for what came next.

He moved his body up the length of yours, kissing you soundly as he guided his cock inside you. The first thrust was slow and gentle, but each one after took up speed. You clutched onto his shoulders and you moved with him, feeling his lips trail over the length of your neck. Every inch of you was desperate for more, never wanted to part from him.

At some point he rolled the two of you over so that you could sit on his thighs. You kissed him as you continued to ride him, thighs shaking as you grew nearer and nearer to your next orgasm. He took your breath away as he thrust up into you, his hands all over your body and taking you to new heights.

He came a few thrusts after you, dropping you onto your back so that he could give a few more thrusts before he was spent. Once he was done, he fell down next to you so that you wouldn’t be pinned under his chest.

Throughout it all—and afterwards as the two of you stayed curled together—his only words were how beautiful you were, how amazing you felt, and how he could stay like this for the rest of his life.

Those words rumbled in your mind as you stared at a scar on his chest, your mind slipping away as you fell asleep.

------

Lottie was absolutely beside herself. Your news that you and Tommy had finally consummated the relationship had been met with gleeful happiness for you.

His reputation for violence aside, she knew that you were crazy for the man. And while she could have wished for a better lover for her best friend, she didn't begrudge your affection. Especially since you never would have met the man if it hadn't been for her wanting to sleep with John.

"Do you think the two of you will be married?"

You started to choke on the tea you had just sipped. She grinned as if that had been her intention, but then she was serious once more.

"I mean it Y/N, do you think he might propose?"

You put the cup down and tried not to shake as you put your hands in your lap.

"We've only been together for a few weeks," you reminded her pointedly.

"Sure, but I've never seen you like this. You light up when he's in the room. And John said he's never seen his brother like that before in his life."

That give you pause. You hadn't known that the two of them had kept in touch after the split.

"When did John say that?"

"Right after your attack."

You thought about how Tommy looked when he left his room that night to hunt down your assailants. He would have had help and it made sense that he'd go to his brothers for that. They would have seen him in all his dark fury.

You didn't have anything to say to that, but Lottie wasn't looking for you to say anything. You knew that she was just letting you know the lay of the land. For all your closeness, Tommy did play things close to the chest.

And you weren't exactly easy to read.

Perhaps it was a conversation that needed to be had. Not about marriage, that was still a bit too soon for you, but about the seriousness of your relationship.

------

The Garrison was mostly devoid of patrons in the middle of the day. You hadn't been sure it was even open when you pushed the doors open, but the barkeep told you to come in.

Tommy had asked you to meet him there. You hadn't been since the night the two of you met. As best you could tell, the Shelby brothers owned the establishment. Perhaps it was part of Tommy's plan to go legitimate.

The doors swung open and you turned expectantly. Instead of seeing Tommy or any familiar face, you saw five men that looked angry and ready for vengeance. They were also armed.

"Where is Tommy Shelby?" The man in front asked the few of you in the room, his eyes wide and crazed as he scanned the room. "I want Tommy Shelby!"

You could feel bile rising in your stomach. The bartender stepped forward, drawing their eyes to him.

"He isn't here."

The man who had addresses the room raised his gun at the bartender.

"We'll just see about that, won't we?"

He barked an order out to his men and they spread out through the building. You could hear the crash of crates and bottles from the back storage room, mirrors and windows being shattered.

When it became apparent that Tommy wasn't hiding somewhere, all of the men gathered in the main bar once more. The four other patrons, yourself, and the bartender were forced to stand together with your hands in the air.

"Someone knows where to find Tommy Shelby. Barkeep, you're going to go and find him and bring him to me."

The bartender's eyes darted to you before he looked back at the man.

"Let the lady go and find him," he said, his plea for civility audible in his tone. "She doesn't need to be involved in this. She can tell him to come."

The backend of the pistol was whipped across the bartender's face, causing him to stagger backwards. You jerked in surprise and fear, covering your mouth with one hand.

"It'll be you, barkeep. The lady will stay and entertain us while you're gone." One of the man grabbed the bartender and dragged him to the door. "And don't take too long or we will start shooting your customers."

Once the bartender was gone, the men all seemed to turn their attention on you. The other customers cowered away, none of them wanting to meet the business end of one of the guns the men were holding.

"Now what is a nice lady like you doing in a slum like this?"

You had started to ask yourself the same question. There wasn't a chance of you telling them that you were waiting for Tommy. Instead you lied.

"I'm new to the area. I was just checking out the local establishments to find a place to frequent."

You felt like there was an appropriate amount of quivering in your voice as you told the lie. As it was, you were shaking like a leaf and it wasn't just for show.

These men wanted to hurt Tommy. Your own experiences with men who had a grudge against Tommy made you aware of the fact that this was a very serious situation. And the danger wasn't just limited to Tommy.

What were the odds of these men letting any of the rest of you free?

"You picked the wrong place then," one of the men said with a laugh.

The man in front, who seemed to be in charge, took a step towards you. The barrel of his pistol was stroked down your cheek in a twisted version of a caress. Then he went lower until he could tap it against your neck.

"Be a waste of a pretty thing like you getting mixed up with Blinder business," he said in a faraway tone, his eyes not leaving the path the gun was making against your skin. "I wonder if we shouldn't steal you away, show you how a woman should be treated."

The lewd laughter and gestures from some of the men made you realize that the danger for you was not just the danger of death. These men had something else in mind for you.

Fear barely began to explain how you felt at that knowledge. You opened your mouth, prepared to beg, but the doors flew open before you could make your voice work.

"You were looking for me?"

Tommy came in like the avenging angel you remembered from your attack. His eyes were twin blue pools of rage, his mouth pulled back into an animalistic snarl that got worse as he saw you. And the moment he did, the man with the gun to your throat realized you had lied to him.

You were yanked forward, the gun digging into your chin so that you were forced to tilt your head to relieve the pain. It meant you were unable to see Tommy anymore.

"Let her go," he demanded, his voice clear despite the fury in his words.

"I think we got ourselves a nice bargaining chip here," the man said as he tugged you forward with him. "You're here, alone and unarmed, and I have what I can only assume is your woman."

You fought the urge to claw at the man's wrist or eyes. Whatever Tommy's plan was, you needed to trust him. You could almost hear him telling you to trust him.

"She's not a bargaining chip," Tommy replied in a cool tone, his voice level, "and I'm not alone. Now!"

There was a cacophony of sound at that point. Doors were kicked in, shots were fired. The man holding you spun around, but it made him lose his grip on you. You were yanked from his arms in an instant, a shot fired as you tumbled to the ground.

John and Arthur as well as a few Peaky Blinders that you didn't recognize came through the back of the bar, shooting the other men where they stood. And Tommy? You turned to find him, because you knew he was the one that had pulled you free. A short distance away you saw him pummeling the man who had held you captive.

You watched as blow after blow was delivered to the man on the floor. And when you thought that Tommy was done, you watched him remove his hat.

As he pressed it into the face of the man, you looked away. The screams seemed to echo in the now quiet bar.

Hands fell to your shoulder and you looked up to see Arthur. He nodded to you and helped you off the floor, moving you through the bar and out into the street.

"You don't need to see any of that," he explained as he wiped his bloody hand on a handkerchief before he balled it up and shoved it into his pocket. "Tommy wouldn't want you to see that."

Tommy. It was like he had forgotten you were there, so intent on maiming the man.

"Who were they?"

"That's not for you to worry about," Arthur said as he looked over his shoulder. "We've got to clean this up. I'm going to get Henry to walk you home."

He left you alone in the street, but only for a moment. Then the bartender was coming out and heading straight for you.

"Let's go Y/N," he offered in a low voice, his hands out but not touching you.

Without hesitation, you gave the man a hug.

"You tried to get them to release me. Thank you."

He gave you an awkward pat on the back before he started to lead you away from the door.

"Come on, let's get you home."

Home. You thought about the flat you'd just left with your things scattered around, the bedspread your aunt had sewn for you, the portrait of your grandmother.

With a deep breath, you turned to look at Henry.

"Can you take me to Tommy's place instead?"

------

Polly wasn't at the house but Tommy's sister Ada was. She had seemed surprised to see you, but after a mumbled explanation from Henry, she let you in. You remembered the way to Tommy's room so you went there without stopping.

The darkness in the room comforted you as much as the familiar scent. You toed off your shoes and laid your jacket over the chair in the corner before you curled up on the bed.

Not long after you got comfortable, the door was pushed open slightly. On the other side was a curious young man. He hesitated before he stepped in more fully.

For all his height and the clothes he wore, you could tell he was young. It must have been Finn, Tommy's youngest brother.

"Are you going to be my sister?"

You sat up and peered at Finn in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?"

He shrugged his shoulder as he explained, "Arthur says you'll be our new sister. Said that Tommy would be an idiot not to make you a Shelby."

You thought about how Arthur had carefully led you from the Garrison and made sure Henry would take you home. For a man with such rough edges, there was something undeniably kind about him.

"I don't know," you admitted.

Finn nodded his acceptance of that, even if there seemed to be some surprise in his eyes. Perhaps he wasn't used to hearing someone admit they didn't know something.

"I think you should. You seem nicer than Ada."

"Heard that," the woman in question said as she came into the room. "Get out and let Y/N rest Finn. Make sure you finish your chores before Polly gets back."

The youngest Shelby scooted off out of the room at a speed you envied. Then you were left with Ada. She observed you critically before she gave you a nod.

"I can see what my brother likes about you."

You gave her a smile, feeling so far away from your element.

"You don't even know me."

She shrugged a shoulder, tossing her hair back as she turned back to the door.

"Call it women's intuition. My brother is transfixed by you. I think you could be good for him."

And with that she shut the door and left you alone. You curled back onto the bed, pressing your nose against the pillow and inhaling the familiar scent of Tommy.

Could you be good for Tommy? After that scene in the bar, how could you be so sure?

At some point, as you danced between sleep and reality, you felt fingers gently brushing against your cheek.

"Wake up," a soft voice pleaded.

You found yourself staring up at Tommy. His eyes were soft as he looked you over. He looked a little worse for wear, a cut on his temple and a bruise at the corner of his mouth, but he was there.

Your hand went to his cheek and you guided him down and into a kiss. He seemed surprised, but he melted into the touch.

He moved into the bed with you, his body easily folding around yours.

"Your sister likes me," you said with a smile as you curled into his chest, feeling his warmth under your cheek, "and Finn thinks I should be his sister."

Tommy laughed, a sound the rumbled from deep in his chest. You placed your hand over the sound as if you could hold into there.

"After what you saw…"

There wasn't anything like fear on your face as you leaned up to look at Tommy. His eyes met yours easily.

"I knew who you were the night I let you kiss me. I knew who you were when I let you walk me home. I knew who you were when I invited you into my bed and into my body. I knew who you were when I asked Henry to bring me here instead of to my flat."

You brushed your lips against his jaw, close to where the bruise was. He looked stunned, mouth pressed into a thin line as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I know who you are, Tommy Shelby, and I accept you for that. I'm here with you because I want to be. And because the thought of being apart from you makes my heart hurt."

It wasn't a declaration of love, but it was as close as you were willing to get right then. Another time, when he didn't have blood on his cuffs and you didn't have adrenaline racing through your veins, you'd tell him the simple fact that you loved him. And he'd say the words back because you could see it, even now as he stared at you in wonder.

For now you simply pressed your lips back to his and then rested your head on his shoulder.

"I told you the night we made love, Tommy. I'm yours."

He tugged his arm around your waist and held you close. One day soon, he'd ask you to come to a family meeting with the rest of the Shelby clan. There he'd tell his family, you included, about his plans for the future. He'd give it to them all as he held your hand in his, a beautiful ring on your finger. He could see it all so clearly now, a true beginning for the Shelby family.

It would begin with you at his side.

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