#if nothing else I need their friendship to be more fleshed out!!!

[cassieroo]

As someone who heavily relates to Quinni and is a little bit in love with Harper and her fucked-up bad-bitch mystique, I think they should have an incredibly intense and fucked up gay relationship that leaves them both irreversibly wrecked as people. They could make each other worse and better in equal measure and I want it sooo bad

#and that is my contribution to the fandom thank u for your time #never underestimate an autistic girl’s ability to see through the tough-girl’s bullshit #and never underestimate the tough-girl’s ability to inspire confidence in her friends! #Harper would teach Quinni how to win the idgaf war and Quinni would teach Harper how to lose the idgaf war #do you see the vision???? #Harper would be like: omg fuck everybody do what you want!! go crazy go stupid!!! #and Quinni would be like: …you know you don’t have to pretend like you’re okay all the time right? #if nothing else I need their friendship to be more fleshed out!!! #heartbreak high #quinni gallagher jones #harper mclean #cass actually talks! #omg they’re also the goth + pastel (ish) stereotype!!! #it just gets better guys like get on my level kdbdjdk

[unluckyhoneybee]

All the pretty girls (Pyotr Kochetkov)

Where Pyotr never cared when girls preferred Andrei until it was you.

Note: I thought it would be easier to do and understand if I did it like this, so this means they are speaking Russian.

Our Samuel here is Andrei. Andrei is handsome, charming, talented,... In this fic, from Pyotr's view, all the girls like Andrei. He doesn't care. Andrei is his best friend and he is happy for him. Until it comes to you, a mutual friend. Inspired in All the pretty girls by Kaleo.

Pyotr was sitting in the stool, in a VIPvfar from the dance floor. He had been sitting in that exact point for two hours. He wasn't tired nor drunk. He had stopped drinking a while ago. He didn't feel like it.

His bad mood had started a few days ago. At first he played it cool, he simply tried to think he was overreacting and he shouldn't be that angry. But tthen things got more serious and he became truly bothered.

When Pyotr arrived to the states, his English was more than worse. He wouldn't even say he had an English. Andrei had been his saviour in multiple times, so many that there weren't more fingers to count with. They bonded pretty quickly and soon they were great friends. Pyotr was so attached to his friend, they were flesh and bone. When they started going out with the rest of the team, Pyotr could barely communicate with anyone. So he was stuck next to Andrei and used his friend as a translator. The thing was, girls usually approached them. Both men were attractive and they both caught their eye. Some come to talk to Pyotr, but many (almost all of them) ended up going with Andrei. Pyotr didn't care. He didn't know them, it was just sex. He wouldn't ruin the best friendship he had in the states for a hook up, he was better than that. But then he met you.

You were friends with many of the guys. You were usually with them when they went out. Pyotr met you in a party, at someone's birthday. You were so nice and had a huge smile when Andrei introduced you. The goalie just all heart eyes since then. You were so kind and had so much patience with him. It was so surprising because the language barrier had been a huge issue for him when meeting people. No one wanted to try. But you did, you quickly assured Andrei that he could leave you with Pyotr, that you would manage well. Pyotr had never gotten a crush so fast.

Then he told Andrei and everything went wrong. The man who he believed to be his best friend, started to flirt and got closer than ever with the woman he had confessed to have feelings for. And Pyotr had never felt so broken and alone. He got some time away when he was sent to Chicago, he tried to get over you, to think of something else. But nothing worked because there were you, being as nice as always. There wasn't a day that passed without your text and to be honest, he needed them a lot. But when he came back and Andrei and you were even more closer, he brought you everytime he was with him and was always talking around you. All the pretty girls liked Andrei and he hadn't drawn the line with you, the one he knew his friend was in love with. He had to ask you to dance, to make you laugh, to flirt with you, all of it when Pyotr was right in front of him. It made him feel insecure in ways he had never felt.

But it couldn't be further from reality.

An older and way too drunk man had been watching you while you and Andrei danced. So when you had gone to the bar for a refill, Andrei had shielded you with his body. Pyotr didn't want to look, but he had seen Andre's arm around your waist and such a rage had filled him.

"I don't think he is okay, Andrei" You said to his ear.

Andrei sighed and caressed your back in a reassuring way.

"There is something off today" He agreed.

"Maybe I should go with him" You said and while pinching your lip. "Is everything right at home? Or with the team?"

"Yes, I mean, nothing happened." Andrei said trying to remember. "He tells me everything" But Pyotr had been dry and more distant recently.

"I'll go with him" You walked under Andrei's arm, who called your name and quickly followed you.

"All good, man?" Martin asked.

Pyotr looked at him and nodded. "Good"

"Are you sure? You look sad"

"No, good"

Martin patted him in the shoulder and walked away. When Pyotr turned his eyes back to the dance floor, you weren't there anymore.

"Hey, Pyotr" You appeared on his other side, taking him by surprise. You hand was on his shoulder and you had left a drink in front of his empty glass.

He was out of words, he couldn't speak, just look at you with big puppy eyes.

Andrei was there too, right behind you. It only made Pyotr's blood boil.

You sat and grabbed his hand and electricity ran through his skin.

"Is everything okay? Are you good?" As always, you spoke slow, loud and clear so he could understand.

Pyotr nodded and looked down.

"I brought you a drink, Andrei paid, but it's on me" You tried to joke.

You hated to see him so down. He was your fun and cheerful guy, he was the one who could always put a smile in your lips. He was the one you wanted to always be happy. But today, unlike other days, he had rejected your invitation to dance (or pull those silly moves of his that always made you laugh). He had been in that stool alone and you couldn't think about anything else. Luckily, Andrei had tried to distract you a bit.

Pyotr's eyes moved to Andrei.

"I thought you were different" He spat.

It took Andrei by surprise. He frowned and open his lips to speak, but he was too confused to say anything. When you saw his reaction, you knew that the goalie wasn't looking for a translation.

"Different? What do you mean?" Andrei tried to get closer, but Pyotr got up harshly. Some guys standing close turned to look, some of them got ready to jump if needed. The sudden tension could be cut with a knife and Pyotr was know for be quick when jumping into a fight.

"Different. My friend. A friend doesn't do this" Pyotr told him.

You were standing between them, your hand had fallen to your side and you couldn't be more puzzled. You didn't understand a single world, but you could see how angry Pyotr was.

"Man, I haven't done a thing"

"That's not what I see"

"Maybe you should look better"

"Maybe you should stop flirting with someone that is not yours"

"Who the fuck am I flirting with?"

"YN. I tell you and the first you do is go for her! You can have all the girls you want, but no! You go for-"

"Okay, I don't know what is going on between you two but it's over for now." you said pressing a hand to Pyotr's chest. You couldn't see them fight like this. "I don't know what is wrong with you but you are coming with me"

Pyotr looked down confused. He couldn't ask Andrei for a translation now, could he?

"You, me, out now" You said and grabbed his hand. "And you... I'll tell you once I've cleared everything"

You left hand in hand with Pyotr, pulling him out of the club and leaving Andrei with the others, who were curious about what had happened.

Outside, your ears rang for seconds because of the loud music. Pyotr moved his hand until it slipped form yours and started to walk. He needed a breath, he needed a minute alone.

"Hey, no" You said. Your heart was racing. This wasn't supposed to happen. You had gone out to have fun, to enjoy with your friends and maybe get to spend more time with the guy you liked. And now that guy was walking away from you after fighting his best friend. You saw him kick a pebble in the pavement and then he lifted his hand. "Stop!"

Pyotr froze.

"You will break your hand, stupid" You ran to him and stood between him an the traffic sign he was going to hit. He looked down at you and his hand fell. He felt so weak, he just wanted to go home and sleep until everything was forgotten. "What's wrong?" You gently grabbed his hand.

"Nothing"

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. "Pyotr"

He shook his head and tried to walk again, but you didn't let go of his hand so he just had to accept you were following to his car.

"I want home" He told you.

"I'm going with you"

"Alone"

"No way"

You were already on the passanger seat, so he could only nod and start driving home.

"What did-" You started.

You didn't need to finish. Pyotr couldn't keep everything on his chest any longer.

"Me speak now."

"O-okay"

"Andrei knows" He started. His breath was quick and he couldn't find the correct words. "And he- you- I tell him-"

"Shh. Slow, okay?"

It was so frustrating, he had never feel more trapped in his whole life. There were so many things to tell you but he didn't know how. His heart end up breaking completely.

"You better with Andrei. It better. I'm fine. You speak with him. No with me. You better with Andrei" He managed to say. His knuckles were white on the wheel and his lip was trembling.

You blinked slowly. "Better? How? When?" What did he mean?

"Girlfriend" He choked out.

You gasped and covered your mouth. It was all clicking in your mind. Oh no...

"I'm an idiot. I'm the worse, shit" You told to yourself.

He shot a quick glance and saw you brushing your eyes hard.

"Do you think Andrei and I are together? A couple?"

He shrugged. Maybe not yet, but probably soon.

"He- and you-" Pyotr took a deep breath. "Good couple"

How bad luck was if the guy you were in love with thought that you were dating someone else?

He stopped the car and you looked around. His flat.

"Should we go... Can I?" You pointed to the building and he nodded.

When he opened the door, you sat in the sofa and crossed your legs. You should tell him, he was so upset about it. You fully believed Andrei now.

"Pyotr?"

"mhn"

"Sit with me"

He had taken his shoes and hoodie off and was wearing now only the jeans and t-shirt.

When he sat, you opened your hand and he grabbed it, interlocking your fingers and sighing at the comfort they offered

"Listen carefully, yeah?"

He nodded.

"Andrei and I are not together" You had never felt more nervous in your life. "We haven't been and we won't be"

Pyotr blinked slowly. "No?"

"No. You understand, right?"

He nodded. You weren't daring and he was a prick.

"Andrei and you, not together"

"That's right. I don't like Andrei"

Pyotr frowned.

"Andrei like you"

You shook your head. Now that he was calmer, his puppy eyes and pout were actually cute.

"Andrei doesn't like me" You said. "Andrei is my friend. Just my friend"

His chest was moving slowly with deep breaths. He had fucked up big this time.

"I think Andrei like you when I-"

You moved a bit closer and he looked at you.

"I told Andrei I like you and he- now you and him together all time. You better with him. His English better"

You laughed loudly. "Oh shit"

"What?"

"I like you, Pyotr. Not Andrei. You." You said cupping his cheeks. "You. I'm in love with you"

Again, he was loss of words.

"Andrei and I have been together a lot recently because he was helping me"

He frowned.

"I wanted you to like me. And Andrei made me tag along to all the plans you made"

Pyotr was stunned. He was probably understanding wrong. Every word you said? No way he was right.

"Andrei and I got close because I like you, not because I like him"

Pyotr blinked slowly. "Me"

"Yes, you"

"Not Svech"

"Mhm" You affirmed.

Pyotr took a deep breath. "I fight Svech"

"Yeah, you will have to apologize for that"

"I'm stupid"

"A bit."

"You like me"

"I like you"

"Thanks"

You giggle.

"Thanks"

He nodded and laughed. "Nervous"

"Oh sweetheart, come here"

When you pulled him close, Pyotr felt light. The anger and fear was gone. His best friend wasn't awful and the woman he loved loved him back.

"Me- I thought you like Andrei more because all girls like Andrei more and my English is not good and you can speak to Andrei more-"

With a smile, you kissed his lips. It took him by surprise, yes, but he leaned in and kissed you back. It was a sign for you to climb on his lap. Pyotr groaned a bit and let his hands wander from your back to your waist, hips, back,... He wanted to feel you. He needed to feel you. And you were more than happy with it. Your kisses turned deeper and deeper and soon your hands were tangled on his hair and his under your clothes.

"I always liked you" You said pulling back. "A lot"

"Me too"

You smiled so sweetly and he pecked your lips.

"Pretty?"

"Me?"

"Yes, really pretty"

You kissed his cheek and Pyotr hugged you. Both of his arms wrapped around you so tightly. Then, he laughed and shook you a bit.

"Happy"

"Are you happy?"

You said while setting on his chest.

"the most happy"

"Happiest"

"What?"

You looked at him and brush his hair behind his ear. "You say happiest."

"Okay, I'm the happiest... Because... I am with you?"

"Yes" You nodded.

"And... Wait. One more. Sorry if not right"

"You know that is fine, Pyotr" You kissed him again.

He looked at you not believing completely that you were sitting on his lap and kissing him.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Ah!" You shouted and lifted your arms. "That was perfect!"

He threw his head back laughing.

"Want? Yes or no?"

"Of course I want, silly" You said kissing all over his face. "But you better call Andrei and say you are sorry"

He nodded and pulled his phone.

"Then you and me fuck?"

"Oh shit, Pyotr. Of course you know how to say that" You slapped his chest and got up. "Call Andrei" You told him with a smile.

Pyotr watched you walking to the kitchen and sighed. He was so lucky.

"YN" He called. You loved how your name sounded in that accent of his.

"Mhm"

"Love you"

All the pretty girls, Pt2.

#pyotr kochetkov #Pk #Angst to fluff #Fic #Nhl #Spotify

[americana-antihero]

Long post, but TLDR: Lois is allowed to be flawed.

Everyone and their mother is talking about how Lois responded to Clark's secret. It seems like many are on the side of Lois, believing she did nothing wrong. And then there are many who are on the side of Clark, believing he did nothing wrong.

Before I say what I believe, let me make this point: it seems that any time a female character does something wrong, fans immediately dislike the character from that point onward. And before anyone thinks I am referring only to male fans, nope! It's actually all of my female friends who grow immediately disgusted with the female character and refuse to redeem her.

And honestly, it's hard to blame them. Because often, when a female character does something that is morally wrong, it's not written as a character flaw that she will learn to work through. It's written as an Epic Girl Power Moment! Look at this Strong Indepedent Woman! She'll jump off a building to prove she's right - that's so cool and edgy and not a sign of emotional instability at all!

What Lois did came from a place of emotional instability, and that's not a bad thing. The writers need to lean into that to flesh her out as a character, and I think they will.

Someone else mentioned how Lois's issues with her father have led to this moment. Her father concealed everything from her, and growing up, Lois probably had to learn how to get the truth out of him, even if she had to use manipulation. It was kind of a survival skill. She can't stand not knowing something, and that's why she's at a job where she gets to learn EVERYTHING.

So now she's got this good friendship with Clark in which she has tried to be more open with him than their first story together. They have built trust. When Lois finds out that he is Superman, she gives him the chance to open up to her. Judging by her playful attitude, if Clark told her that he is Superman, Lois would have probably reacted positively.

And then things take a turn. Lois is so desparate for the truth that she handcuffs herself to Superman. And then he leaves her at the Daily Planet so she won't get hurt.

That's probably when Lois was at her most unstable. Because that whole time, she waited for him, wondering if he would get hurt. And when she saw the scratches on Clark, it probably reminded her of how she felt when she found out her mom was sicker than her dad would admit. That was the nail in the coffin for her.

By taking a step off that building, Lois is acting out of unresolved grief.

Yes, what Lois did was wrong. But that doesn't make her a bad character. It makes her a real one. By trying to defend her actions as "good," "right," "just," and "morally sound," it would do a disservice to where the writers are going with her character. Or at least, where I hope they go. I really hope this isn't a case of "Epic Girl Power Moment."

As for Clark, he did nothing wrong. People (albeit few) are trying to say he should have told Lois the truth...but he already tried. His fear about her publishing his secrets was valid, because that's what she said in Episode 1 - "We'll make him tell us his secrets - AND THEN WE'LL PUBLISH THEM!" Clark has no reason to believe that Lois wouldn't do that.

I also think Clark struggles to see what people actually think of him. Because maybe if he could see how much Lois cares about him, he wouldn't have been scared to tell her the truth about his identity. Instead, he believes that she "hates" Superman...which she never said she did, that I can remember. Clark just assumed that.

So I think maybe Clark had an experience growing up that made him think that everyone would hate or disrespect him. Probably something to do with why he couldn't play sports, or how his connection with Lana ended up. It's seen in how desperate he is to be a "normal man with a normal life." He's afraid that people won't accept him for who he is.

If Clark and Lois talk through it, it could be the most touching moment in Clois history.

#my adventures with superman #my adventures with superman episode 5 #clark kent #lois lane #clois

[welcomingdisaster]

Full Scene Friday! tagged by @zealouswerewolfcollector to share a little bit of a random WIP. here's the beginning part of a WiP i'm kicking around. I have realized that I have absolutely no idea where it will go. It's tonally all over the place and I'm splitting it into two different fics. SOO probably won't get finished any time soon unless I have an epiphany, but have this bit.

Maedhros wakes, and no one is there. 

He learns the news in the disconnected, half-alive state that seems to accompany one’s return from the Halls. 

Maglor never came, dead or alive—they say perhaps he’s wandering, in spirit or flesh, along the coasts of Middle-Earth or beneath the depths of the sea, where the Gap has fallen, or maybe he’s faded and there’s nothing left of him but his voice, which sings out laments of great sorrow, or maybe he’s settled down somewhere in a little cottage and taken a Sindar wife and had three beautiful daughters who speak only in riddles or maybe he’s setting himself up to be the next dark lord, terrible and beautiful to behold, or maybe he laid down in a ditch somewhere and didn’t get up the next morning. 

And Fingon had been here, returned from the halls. Some three or four hundred years ago. Just missed him, really. He waited around some while; maybe three dozen years or so. Couldn’t Maedhros have gotten reembodied sooner? 

His mother has gone to seek solitude in the mountains, and does not wish to be disturbed. Out of his close kin only his nephew—whose death he had not lived to witness—has returned, and taken on an apprenticeship with Aulë. He has no words for Maedhros, nor Maedhros for him. 

Of his remaining cousins only Ar-Feiniel will see him, at first, remembering something of their friendship, and Felagund, who has ever had more pity than sense. His uncle, too, will speak to him, bound by old ties of loyalty and favor, though his face is drawn. 

Aredhel offers him honeyed wine speaks not of the past; Finrod swears by the justice of the halls and the Valar and laughs his sad bell-like laugh and talks so much Maedhros need not. 

tagging! @eilinelsghost @polutrope @melestasflight @outofangband @meadowlarkx @theghostinthemargins @grey-gazania & anyone else who wishes!

#lena speaks

[wttcsms]

based off of this concept! this fic will feature (besides the obvious romance + smut all my ghost fics feature) a plot centered on dealing with grief, ptsd, his reluctant return to civilian life, a look into his friendship/bond with soap + more! a lot of deeper content and more plot heavy and ghost-centric than any of my other projects, but i am very happy to start working on this <3 the fic will span from his first meeting with you all the way to him starting a family with you, and how he still deals with his trauma and baggage from his time in the army + the effects it has. this fic is all about the healing journey & how it's not a linear progress; there will be days where you feel yourself getting better, and there will be incredibly hard days.

please enjoy this sneak peek of the opening scene & let me know your thoughts 🤍 very excited to give my cod girlies some content

“Tell me a joke,” 

His words come out in pants — anxious, soft, desperate. There’s something in our brains that tells our bodies to hold on ‘til the end of the line. Ghost doesn’t want to tell him a joke. He wants to say keep holding on. 

“C’mon, mate.” He’s trying to crack a smile, but his breathing is getting more erratic. Ghost looks into his eyes, sees that he’s pleading with him. Ghost’s hand is pressed against Soap’s, but there’s so much blood — just a gunshot, just a flesh wound, still too much fucking blood — that it’s hard to hang on. His hand almost slips a few times, but Ghost is nothing if not stubborn. 

It’s important to keep pressure on the wound. He told this to Soap, ignoring the severity of the situation when the pack of gauze he pressed against Soap’s abdomen immediately turned red and damp with his comrade’s — his friend’s — blood.

Now, he repeats it like a mantra. At this rate, Soap’s not going to have any more blood to try to keep inside of him. 

“Now's not the time for jokes.” Ghost mutters, but he pauses when Soap takes his other hand and puts it over his. 

“No more army humor for a friend? Don’t be selfish.” 

“You’ll get your damn joke when we get out of this bloody mess.” 

Soap laughs, but immediately stops, wincing in pain. “‘Bloody’, I see what you did there.” 

“We need to get you out of here—”

“You know I can’t move.”

“I’ll carry you.” Ghost pretends like they didn’t already attempt this, like moving Soap didn’t put him in an excruciating amount of pain. 

There’s something in our brains that tells our heart we have to keep attempting to achieve the impossible. We won’t be able to move on otherwise. 

Soap doesn’t remind him what a failure that idea was. Soap doesn’t tell him to just leave him behind, because he’s already tried that, and the look of disgust that flashed through Ghost’s eyes told him enough. No fucking way. 

“I’m glad we got to be on the same team—”

“Don’t get sentimental. Save that shit for someone else.” Ghost continues to apply pressure to his wound, but his brain — worthless piece of shit, it is — tells him that it’ll be all for naught. He’s lost too much blood already. It’s not a trick of the light when Ghost realizes that Soap’s skin is turning a sickly pallor. Ghost thinks he tastes blood in his mouth, and he releases the grip his teeth has on his tongue. What he should have told Soap was I’m glad we got to be on the same team, too. 

“Didn’t quite get a chance to grow better than you, did I, Lt.?” 

Simon wakes up, breathing heavily, eyes adjusting easily to the darkness of his bedroom. The bed’s too soft, his pillow’s too soft, the cotton feels foreign underneath his sweaty skin. He shuts his eyes once more, willing the dream to come back to his mind before it slips away from his consciousness, like most dreams have a tendency to do. Even if this dream features a dying Soap, it’s still a chance to see his friend’s face again. 

The dream doesn’t come back to him; he’s slipped from his grasp once again.

The dream will come back to him, like it always does. Sometimes the dream shifts; the scenery is different, or the words Ghost wants to say get caught up in his throat, or sometimes, he does manage to spit it out. It’s getting to the point where he can’t determine what’s memory and what’s wishful thinking. All he’s certain of is that he lets his mask slip; lets the last thing his friend sees be the face of the man who’s with him ‘til the end of the line. 

You’re the best of us all, Johnny.

#obviously some creative liberties were taken with soap's death #pay attention to the changes between 'ghost' and 'simon' and his reluctance to call him johnny unless it's a v sentimental moment <3 #ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #oooh I'm genuinely so excited for this

[itsrheasgirl]

AN UNEXPECTED GUEST - PART 8

Chapter 2 for Forbidden Love series. The Forbidden Love series follows a relationship between Rhea x Reader.

•

The Reader has a strong friendship with Liv Morgan.

•

Liv is in love with The Reader but hasn’t told them.

•

fem!reader - rhea x reader.

•

@elsholic @riverscyberwife @you-got-me-star-lost-16 @innagnv @bittersweetastoria @chillinbri @call-me-a-simp @sithfar @rooskaya-yelena @half-of-a-gay @teenagedramaqueenlisa @hit-the-dirt-and-get-back-on @bl0w-m3 @l0v3e1i

•

You could sit on the beach forever, the ocean breeze blowing through Rhea’s hair as she nuzzled into your neck. Her arms tightly wrapped around you as you looked out at the rise and fall of the crashing waves.

Being in her arms was so comforting, even in the calmest of situations it felt like she was protecting you. Keeping you safe from anything that could harm you. Inhaling a shallow breath, you let you lids flutter closed as your words left your lips in a soft utter.

“You don’t have to stay with me, you still have Monday to rest up for.”

You felt Rhea’s chest vibrate as she laughed softly. The draft selections were set to go into effect upon everyone’s return from San Juan and of course The Judgement Day had to make an appearance at Monday night raw. Rhea’s career kept her very busy and you didn’t want to be responsible for her tiredness.

“I don’t want you getting hurt because I kept you awake all weekend.”

A soft chuckle parted Rhea’s lips before she pressed them gently against your jugular, your own lips curling into a warm grin as you gave her palms a soft squeeze.

“I’m not leaving you.”

She uttered against your skin, returning the soft squeeze of your palms.

“If this is where you need to be, then this is where we will stay.”

It made you smile that Rhea seemed to do whatever it was you needed. She constantly took care of your needs over her own and it tugged at your heartstrings. Why would someone care for someone else so much when all they were to each other was friends.

Tilting you head slightly to rest it upon her shoulder, you look up at her with glistening hues.

She must care for you— at least a little. This weekend had been proof of that. She’d stood against one of her closest friends for you.

Inhaling a small breath, you release one of her palms to cup it around Rhea’s cheek and tilt her features down to look upon you.

“You fought Liv for me.”

Rhea leant into your touch for a few moments before shaking her head gently, a soft bubble of laughter parting her lips as she brought her free hand up to tap the tip of your nose with her finger.

“Let’s not talk about the past, pretty girl.”

Her lips curved into an impish simper as she leant in to press a soft kiss against the shell of your ear, her pearly white gently nipping at the soft flesh before whispering in a sweet nothings tone.

“I’d much rather talk about the future.”

Rhea’s future was lit with neon lights, with roaring crowds, with triumph after triumph and every single part of that made you proud. She was a superstar and the world was finally seeing what she was worth.

A warm simper claimed your lips as you gave her palm another gentle squeeze, leaning your head back against her shoulder once more as you looked up at the stars that glistened across the moon lit sky.

“Your future shines so bright, Dems. You’re an idol for so many people. An inspiration to so many more. Your future couldn’t be better if you tried.”

A small chortle echoed from Rhea’s chest as she returned her gaze to the open ocean, her lips twitching into an almost childlike grin as she almost whispered the words.

“I can think of one way it could be better.”

A soft hum vibrated behind your smile as you shifted your gaze to peek over at her through thick lashes.

“Is that so? And what might that be?”

Rhea didn’t remove her gaze from the ocean— her full lashes not once blinking as she spoke, the tone in her voice as casual as they come.

“Seeing you more.”

Did she expect you to not react to that? Take her words as if it was a simple statement and not something as overwhelming as her wanting to spend more time with you. To actually see you again.

You had come to San Juan terrified that Rhea wouldn’t even want to see you and now here you were, at the end of your trip with her telling you she wanted to see you more.

Your lips twitch into an impish grin as you place one of your palms down against Rhea’s chest, your shimmering gaze dropped to meet her sapphire hues.

“— Really?”

You stammered slightly, removing your hand from Rhea’s chest and using your arms to lift yourself off the sand enough to rotate your entire frame round to face her head on.

Rhea couldn’t help the small laugh that broke through her lips as she watched you struggling to turn around before her, both her palms finding comfort on your shoulders as she tilts her head slightly.

“Yes really.”

Your heart rate increased slightly as Rhea’s words started to settle in, you’d dreamt of the day that you could be with her in a way that actually meant something. Having her in your life as a friend was acceptable, it meant you got to see her every now and then. But having her in your life permanently— it warmed your soul.

Rhea pressed her lips into a thin line as she gave your shoulders a tentative squeeze, unable to control the eat shit grin that forced itself across her features.

“What?”

You scoffed through a delicate laugh, twisting your head to press a kiss to the top of her hand as she held onto your shoulders. Your gaze returning to hers as you waited for her to speak.

The shimmering sapphire of Rhea’s gaze glistened in the moon light as you sat looking deep into each others eyes, your palm sliding over her thigh as you encouraged her to say something.

“Dems..”

You whispered, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze.

“Y/N, I like you. I like you a lot.”

She chortled softly, her palms moving from your shoulders to gently cup around your cheeks.

“You being here this weekend. It just— it feels like it was just meant to be. I’ve spent the last few weeks driving Dominik and Damian insane talking about you. Every conversation, I found a way to make about you.”

Rhea’s glimmering ocean hues stayed fixated on your features, the corners of your lips twitching into a warm smile as you leant into the comfort of her palm as she spoke.

“Having to leave LA.”

She exhaled softly, tracing the apple of your cheek with her thumb over and over.

“Without even getting to say goodbye. I just—”

Rhea’s words trailed off into silence as she exhaled another shallow breath and released her hold on your cheeks, her gaze dropping slightly before you slipped a singular finger under her chin to tilt it back up.

Rhea needed to know she wasn’t alone in this, that her feelings were reciprocated. Even though the idea terrified you— finally admitting to the feelings that you’d felt for so long, she deserved to know.

“I came here not knowing if you would even want to see me. I didn’t know what LA meant, or how you felt about it. For all I knew..”

Your gaze dropped, a shallow sign falling from your lips as you felt the softness of Rhea’s fingers cradle your chin and lift it back upward so she could look upon your features once more. Her head shaking gently before she cupped one of your cheeks again.

“For all you knew what? For all you knew it was just a booty call, that I was just using you to get some action.”

A small chortled vibrated in Rhea’s chest as she leant forward to place her forehead against your own, her lids fluttering closed as she inhaled a breath.

“I’m crazy about you, Y/N. I have been for a long time, but I though you just saw me as one of Liv’s colleagues.”

Your heart began to flutter as she spoke. Overwhelming excitement and instant panic battling in your subconscious as you focused on keeping your breathing level.

“Are you insane.”

You scoffed, a harmonious laugh following quickly after.

“From the moment I met you, it’s like you had this invisible hold on me. Like a string that tied us together, even when we were far apart. When ever I got to see Liv, she would always tell me stories about you. About the funny things you’d do and the mischief you’d start together. It often left me unable to stop thinking about you and that terrified me.”

Your heartbeat was beginning to pound in your ears, Rhea’s brow furrowing slightly against your own before she pulled back with concern.

“Terrified you?”

There was clear question in her tone, her glistening hues remaining locked with yours as you spoke.

“You’re Rhea Bloody Ripley, you’re terrifying.”

The soft bubble of laughter that parted Rhea’s lips echoed in your ears as she cupped both palms round your cheeks, her plush lips finding yours with a passion filled kiss. Her fingertips finding their way into you hair, gently pulling the electric that held your bun free from the mess of tendrils as they fell delicately to your shoulders.

Pulling back with heavy breath, Rhea beamed with happiness as she pressed another quick kiss to your lips.

“Do I still terrify you?”

Pushing the strands of hair back over your shoulders to let them fall down your back, Rhea kept a watchful eye on you.

“Yes.”

You state, quickly continuing before Rhea can comment.

“Yes you do, but in a whole new way.”

You could see the concern on Rhea’s features, her brow furrowing slightly as she dropped her hands into her lap.

“Demi Bennett, I’m terrified about you. About hurting you, about doing something that will break your heart. I’m terrified about making this real.”

You stop abruptly, pressing your lips into a flat line. You hadn’t actually confirmed anything and here you were assuming Rhea was yours.

Taking both Rhea’s palms in yours, you slowly trace your thumb over the tattooed lines on the top of her hand. Not meeting her gaze, but letting her know you were there.

“We don’t have to label this, we don’t have to rush into anything.”

Rhea exhaled a soft breath as she leant her forehead down against your own, her lids dropping closed as she released your hands to wrap her forearms around the back of your neck.

“I just know I need to keep seeing you. I can’t let you out of my life now that I’ve finally found out how happy you make me.”

- - - - - - - - - -

You’d found comfort laying back against Rhea’s chest as the two of you continued to watch the waves crash and fall against the sand, her muscular arms wrapped tightly around you to keep the soft ocean air from chilling your exposed skin.

You still couldn’t believe that she’d expressed an eager desire to see you after this weekend— it’s what you’d hoped for, but of course she didn’t know that. The thought of Rhea being in your life more was still so daunting, it wasn’t often you got to spend time with her and repeatedly found yourself wishing she would end up in New York so you had an excuse to see her. But now.. now she would be finding excuses to see you.

You tilted your cheek to rest it against Rhea’s chest, peeking up through thick lashes as she looked down at you with a warm smirk.

“Can I help you?”

Rhea questioned before pressing a soft kiss against your forehead, her arms giving you a gentle squeeze as you inhale a breath.

“Are you tired?”

Your brow arched slightly as you attempted to hide the impish smirk that tugged at your lips, a sinful idea for some fun flashing through your mind.

“Not really.”

Rhea stated with questioning in her tone.

“Why, are you? We can go back to bed.”

Spinning yourself around to position yourself sat back on your legs, you peck a swift kiss against Rhea’s lips before placing a singular palm onto her chest and begin to push her back into the sand.

“Ooooor.”

The smirk upon your lips turns devilish as you hover yourself inches from Rhea’s features, pressing a gentle kiss upon her lips before trailing gentle nips along her jawline and slowly down the length of her neck.

A small hum vibrated in Rhea’s chest as her lids fell closed and her head rested back upon the towel you’d been sitting on, her palm sliding over your lower back to stop you from moving yourself away from her.

Rested on all fours, you continue to place heated kisses and gentle nips at the soft flesh of Rhea’s jugular. One of your palms slipping beneath the fabric of the small top that clung to her torso, your fingers cup around the perfect mound of her breast.

You’d spent the passing weeks thinking of your first time with Rhea. How euphoric she’d made you feel and how you’d hope to get a chance at making her feel the same way.

“Feeling a little wild, pretty girl?”

Rhea uttered, shifting her torso to rest up on her elbows. The tips of her fingers slowly began to dance up and down your spine as she exhaled a stammered breath, the sound of her swallowing causing a small smirk to tug at your lips as you whispered huskily against her ear.

“It’s my turn, Mami.”

Rhea’s lower lip rolled between her pearly whites as the heat of your breath warmed the shell of her ear, her fingertips dancing higher up your spine before slowly descending back down to cup her palm around the mound of your ass.

“Oh?”

She purred, nipping at the angle of your jawline as her palm shifting from your ass cheek to slide between your thighs. The tips of her fingers circling against the fabric of your shorts to tease at your core.

“So you think you’re in charge?”

You couldn’t help the soft whimper that claimed your lips as you pressed a few scattered kisses across the line of Rhea’s jaw, the palm that held her bare breast sliding under her torso to arch her closer to you.

There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that Rhea would keep the control in this current situation, but you didn’t care— as long as you got to please her just like she had for you.

You hadn’t drawn your lips far from her ear, keeping your tone husky and seductive as you uttered against her skin

“I guess we’ll have to find out.”

#rhea ripley #demi bennett #wwe #wwe womens wrestling #wwe smackdown #rhea #ripley #rhea x reader #fem!reader #forbidden love series #an unexpected guest #backlash #herwwegirl #wwe fanfiction #my fanfiction #wwe backlash #peurto rico #san juan #forbidden love

[wh0refornikolailantsov]

Prompt: "I'm not going anywhere."

Song: Anchor - Novo Amor

For Tolya x Reader please!

Maybe He Was All Blessings - Tolya Yul Bataar

You know I got you doll.

Content Warnings: Canon Compliance Violence and Threat. The Fear of Loss And Abandonment. Not Proof/Beta Read.

Hurt/Comfort? Hurt/Comfort.

Things were not going to plan. Between The Darkling's advances and now the heist going so very wrong as the poison fills the room and your lungs.

You stumble against the wall hard, and your eyes dart across the room, Kaz is still attempting to find a way to break through the containment, but you know it's futile. Durast enforced there is no time to try this fight, it's wasted energy.

"Tolya?" You call out, but he has already fallen to the ground, consciousness. You want to reach him. You want to use all the energy you have left to be closer. You need to, but your head is spinning and everything feels heavy.

You drag in a laboured breath and the spinning doesn't stop. "Tolya?" You try again. But everything is moving too fast now, the room is a blur and your heartbeat is pounding.

You can hear him though, in the back of your mind. "If you don't slow that down, your heart will run away from you lapushka," his voice whispers.

He only said it once, when the sea was quiet and the night long and dark. He said it without thinking, and did not linger on it. Tolya was true in that way, honest and truly himself, but there is a way in which he gently holds the world back sometimes. Never out of anything less than patience. Boundlessly kind and endlessly hopeful.

You wished yourself wiser than to let your mind linger on such a passing endearment. You are so sure it could have no deeper meaning, nothing more than a moment in the quiet where the word from a poem felt like the right thing to calm your nerves.

Tolya's friendship had always been the thing above all else that grounded you. For no matter how badly things were going, or how much you filled with doubt, he stood strong and steady. Sometimes his strength had you convinced he was made of more than flesh and bone and blessings. Maybe he was all blessings. Or maybe he was truly made like all the trees that stand even through the storms, through the wars, consistent, ever growing, ever nurturing, never failing.

Your feelings for Tolya were your own, and you cared not to make them any one else's matter, especially Tolya's as you'd convinced yourself long ago there would be no world in which he could feel the same. But that didn't matter. Not truly.

For what you had with Tolya, the understanding, the companionship, the comradery, it meant more to you than a romance ever could. What the both of you have runs deeper than any bond you've ever known. And you could swear, Tolya made you understand what it mean to be seen, truly seen. You hadn't thought that possible of anyone who stayed. But Tolya has seen your lowest and his dedication never faltered.

That meant more to you than anything you could ask of him, want from him. He already is everything you didn't know you needed before him.

You open your eyes after fighting to do so and you're somewhere else, somewhere familiar. You are in the port by Os Kervo, right where you first met Tolya and Tamar.

You remember hearing Tamar's laughter moments before setting eyes on the two of them for the first time. Tamar was several drinks deep, talking loud and proud of getting kicked out of another tavern on the walk to the dock. And even more proud of the redhead Inferni she'd had the company of in the process. Tolya had smiled at his sister, his eyes focused on a book that you later learned he had picked up that morning and between his duty and his twin had yet to get many pages into.

But it wasn't a memory you are in. Even if the location brings them back in drowning waves. No, the sky was so clear that night, you could name all the stars you'd ever read about, read them in the expanse. The sky is clouded now, storming, it feels nowhere as welcoming as it did that night. The kind of storm clouds that make you want to run for cover, to close everything that could lead to the weather outside and wait it out.

But you cannot move, and it isn't until you see what is coming around the corner and toward the ship that you know why.

Tolya, his eyes more lightless than you believed possible, and Tamar who cannot meet your gaze, walk in silence, side by side, matching strides as they move towards The Volkvolny.

"Yu yeh sesh," Tamar whispers. From the little Shu you know, that sentence feels like it might split you down the middle. Despise your heart. Tamar steps out of eyeline and you cannot take your eyes off Tolya.

He looks cold, not in heat but in the way in which someone looks devoid when they've had something torn from them. You aren't even sure it's Tolya anymore.

"Where are you going?" You ask as he turns away from you, silent and unfeeling.

"Nowhere you can follow," he replies. You laugh out of nervousness.

"That's not true, there is no place you go where I cannot follow," you d not say it, but the sentence ends with a silent request for him to remember. That promise they both made in the quiet of that evening on deck, the one when he called you something you doubt he ever will again.

"You cannot come with me," he states. "And I cannot stay."

"When will you return?" The question is barely more than a whisper.

The fear of being alone is powerful and you learned that a long time ago, but this fear, this pain that threatens to break out of your ribcage and crawl out of your broken body to stand on it's own two legs, it's more than that. The fear of being left never hurts as much as this. The idea that something you knew to be true, one of the few things you could let yourself believe in fully, would be a lie.

"I won't," he says.

"Tolya," your voice breaks, "you're leaving me?"

The world starts shaking. You cannot breathe and it could be from the poison, and if it is all you can hope it is takes you faster, that it gives you that kindness at least.

You have never been as sure of anything in your life as you are of Tolya. His faith, his loyalty, his devotion, never once having wavered. When he said that you two shall not go where the other cannot follow without any hope of return, you believed him.

"I was never staying, I never could," he says, turning away.

"Does this not hurt you at all, do you not want to stay?" You call out.

"Wanting is not enough," the words are Tamar's, Tolya not even turning to acknowledge you. "What he wants or does not is no matter, he must leave you. If he cares or does not, he will leave you, it is what he needs to do."

"Do you want to stay?" You ask, the pain searing in your throat, your head thundering like it might burst.

"Not enough to do so."

You choke on a powder substance that coats your tongue, eyes opening to see Jesper, looking down over you, in a mix of concern and mild disgust. "You're alive," he tells you.

"Good?" you ask. You stick your tongue out, trying to shake the taste that is coating your throat, it's clinging and unpleasant but it's better than the stinging pain of the sobs you refused to break out in moment before. "Not good," you mutter about the taste but it makes Wylan sigh.

"I never claimed the butterflies would taste pleasant but they saved your lives," he remarks. You don't have the opportunity to voice the levels of discomfort the word butterflies brings to you, before Jesper is asking a question that feels so out of place.

"Did anyone else get lulled into a comforting sense of joy?" Jesper asks. You feel yourself turn cold, and your heart must give you away because the concern that immediately covers Tolya's expression is palpable.

"I didn't see anything," Kaz is quick to comment before being eager to move on.

But Tolya, he cannot move past it so fast, eyes searching you with such intensity you think you might combust. "Tolya, please don't ask," you say quiet enough to not bring attention from the others.

And, for all the gravity of the task at hand, and what is yet to come, he doesn't, but you know you're biding time.

You were hoping once all the fighting was done you might have been able to shake off the nightmare, but your nerves are still rigid, heart still aching. Your throat feels tight and everything feels weighted.

You watch Jesper pull Wylan in close and you can feel Tolya's smile as you pass them. Tolya's smile would normally be enough to sway any storm cloud in your mind but this is different. This fear. This pain. It's bone deep and soul crushing.

"Do I need to ask again?" Tolya inquires.

"I do not want to talk about it," you say.

"Your scared," Tolya says. "I don't see you scared often."

"Did your nightmare not leave you scared?" You ask.

"It scared me, and then I woke, and saw it for what it was, and I know I shall not allow that fear to be truth," he says, "I protect those who I care for, and who care for me. I will not hurt them."

You respond in silence and he stops his walking. "You do not owe me your nightmare but I do want to help-,"

"Where would you go that you would not allow me to come with you?" You ask finally. The question catches his off guard.

"Nowhere short of the bright lands," he says, "and even then I know I would meet you eventually." You look away, and he sees it, the core of the fear. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I believe that you mean that," you say.

"And yet you fear it not to be true," he says.

"I fear that went it comes down to it, there could always be a reason that takes you from me," you admit. "And that scares me more than anything I have ever known."

"Before I met you, my faith, my books and Tamar, were all that I needed," Tolya says. "But now I would not feel the same." Your smile on your lips has such a sadness that comes with the relief, you feel your body giving into it, and you shake gently. Tolya pulls you close, wrapping his arms tightly around you, keeping you steady. "You have left an indelible mark within me that I did not believe I would ever know." He rests his chin on your head as he holds you tighter, now more for comfort than for support. "And war, or duty, or even Saints could not make me leave you behind."

#tolya #tolya yul bataar #tolya x reader #tolya and tamar #shadow and bone #six of crows #grishaverse #hurt/comfort

[rpstartersinc]

* 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐔𝐍.

feel free to change pronouns / wording!

“ don't be merciful, don't come back like snow white and the huntsman. ”

“ i've never been to a funeral, i wouldn't have come to this one if i'd known there'd be a dead person. ”

“ i know how emotional occasions like this can be. ”

“ i think we'll manage. ”

“ as soon as he clicks his fingers, you come running. ”

“ is this actually your car? ”

“ i don't make the rules. ”

“ what do you remember? ”

“ i really thought she was my soulmate. ”

“ he might've tied her up and now he's using us as bait. ”

“ we're hansel and fucking gretel. ”

“ i told you not to come in here. ”

“ i've been lied to all my life. ”

“ a jellyfish has no heart and no brain, yet it lives. what could be scarier than that? ”

“ i told you, you can't smoke it straight from the plants! ”

“ women seem to keep drifting away from me. ”

“ you look very cold. ”

“ driving slow in this kind of car is more suspicious. ”

“ who is sitting next to me right now? who, fucking... pablo escobar? ”

“ if you're going to do something ridiculous, i don't want to miss it. ”

“ you saw the blood on the laptop, right? ”

“ why do i have to wait in the car? ”

“ two types of people wear sunglasses in the dark, blind musicians, and cunts. ”

“ not who you were expecting? ”

“ if that sequence of events does not transpire exactly as described, i will murder you, slowly. ”

“ this is your fault. ”

“ if we stay here, we're fucked. ”

“ i can't leave him there, looks like... i killed him. ”

“ don't be sorry, just be helpful. ”

“ why did they do that? why did they shoot him? ”

“ i don't let personal matters get in the way of business. ”

“ did i say to stop? ”

“ can you just... can you stop disappointing me? ”

“ don't shoot anyone until i tell you to. ”

“ i just like it. what's that called? when you can't stop picturing bullets ripping through human flesh. ”

“ i don't wanna kill anyone. ”

“ none of that's secret, it's private. ”

“ what tracker? there's no tracker, this isn't james bond! ”

“ i'm keeping us alive. ”

“ you are the reason that we are running for our lives right now! ”

“ excuse me for taking an opportunity when i saw one. ”

“ no one's ever given me shit. ”

“ we're supposed to be keeping a low profile! ”

“ i used to have a terrible appetite for destruction on me. ”

“ do you think we're safe? ”

“ a great artist knows when to stop. ”

“ i should have known it was you. ”

“ you love a grand entrance. ”

“ your body count shouldn't define you. ”

“ can we just stop talking about death? ”

“ how is love going to make you strong? ”

“ i just fucking killed someone! ”

“ i hear nothing but empty words from everyone. please, i need you to say something real. ”

“ people have died. it just needs to stop, doesn't it? ”

“ breaking and entering is a crime, you know. ”

“ i know you're withholding information. ”

“ i bet they're fucking terrified of you. ”

“ there's no one who will help you out there. ”

“ people respect me, they listen to me. ”

“ you're ruthless, i like that. ”

“ what do you do on a day like this? ”

“ i don't think i can handle prison. ”

“ you shot my fucking phone! ”

“ you don't shoot friends! ”

“ you better not have broken my nose. ”

“ will you shut the fuck up! i'm trying to hear a bird. ”

“ i have a code. ”

“ bit of fun, never mind the consequences to yourself or anybody else. ”

“ you're gonna lecture me? you murder people for money! ”

“ i put up barriers between myself and the world, and there is, there's an isolation. ”

“ for the first time in my life, i'm making an actual choice. ”

“ i am not your friend. ”

“ could i come with you? ”

“ that wasn't part of the arrangement. ”

“ you have no idea what i'm capable of. ”

“ you shouldn't mess with friendship. ”

“ everywhere the awe-inspiring landscapes, i like to be the one inspiring awe. ”

“ you can be driven to do extraordinary things, things you didn't even know were inside of you, that no one understands.. ”

“ some of the things i've done... it's like i'm infected. ”

“ you can act tough all you want... ”

“ there's no reason for violence. ”

“ you're just making it worse. ”

“ i'm sorry i disappointed you, but you disappointed me too. ”

“ i'm sick of pretending i'm something i'm not. ”

“ get away from me, get back! ”

“ you tried to fucking kill me! ”

“ you said you wanted us to get to know each other. ”

“ it's me, i'm getting you out of here. ”

“ that's my fucking sore leg! ”

“ because i said to, now do it and shut up. ”

“ people like me don't get to be in that world. ”

“ my body, my do-whatever-the-fuck-i-feel-like. ”

“ friends for life? fucking bollocks. ”

“ you think i would join you? ”

“ do not sit there waiting for him to find you! ”

“ people get hallucinations, there's like treatment for that shit. ”

“ people see death, they all have the same thought. don't be next, be the survivor. ”

“ you don't just get something because you say you want it. ”

“ be someone people want to be around. ”

“ why is there dead bodies everywhere? ”

“ you came back. ”

“ we look out for each other, that's the rule. ”

#( sentence. ) #sentence starters #sentence meme #rp starters #rp meme #then you run #tv series #crime #drama

[fairy-writes]

Vampire!Viktor x Female!Reader  03

part one of vampire!viktor HERE

part two of vampire!viktor HERE

all parts of this series are tagged under cryptid!viktor

cryptid!viktor also includes my pieces with merman!viktor

taglist (let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @aikoiya​

lemme know how long you guys think this miniseries should be cuz i have absolutely no clue :)

(catch my doctor who quotes, lol)

Trigger Warning(s): strangulation, blood, and mentions of suicide

viktor scares you six months into what you could call a tentative friendship.

the mansion is immaculate when you enter that night. courtesy of your constant hard work. viktor does little for the upkeep, leaving it to you to clean and keep the estate in a better condition than you found it. 

because like you had told him before—no one deserved to live like he did. 

little did you know that those words had a profound effect on the vampire. 

you heave the large front door open, listening to the silence of the hinges that squeal no more. viktor isn’t waiting for you at the top of the stairs as he normally is. waiting for you to talk to him while he simply doesn’t reply. he never really did unless it was about his work. so you made it a habit to ask him about it. 

if nothing else, to make sure he didn’t feel lonely.

viktor is in his study when you find him. he’s hunched over one of his two desks, his head in his hands, and he’s shaking. that in and of itself makes you frown. is he okay?

“viktor?” you ask, and he winces,

“leave now,” he says—almost growls—and you flinch at the dark tone in his voice. 

what was going on? you try asking him as much, and he just reiterates what he said before.

“leave now. before i hurt you.” he snaps, whirling to look at you, and you take a step back.

his eyes are black. 

sclera, iris, and all. 

it’s a pit of despair that is filled with fear, and anger, and hunger. 

“viktor…?” you whisper, and things go terribly wrong. 

there’s a flash of brown, and you’re flung against the wall with a hand at your throat and a vision filled with those hungry black eyes. his mouth is twisted in a snarl, and his sharpened incisors are your main focus in the dim candlelight. 

was he finally going to kill you? 

had he broken down and decided you were a nuisance that he needed to get rid of?

were you going to die here?

your hands scramble to get in between his hand and your throat to give you some air as you were choking. your vision was going dark, swimming in circles in a mix of brown and gold and warm tones from the candles and lamps. 

that was when you notice the sunken hollows of his cheeks, the bony vertebrae of his spine poking through the back of his vest and shirt, and the knobbiness of his elbows. his slim fingers still grip the column of your throat with supernatural strength… but his fingers are trembling.

a thought dawns on you as you spot the darkened veins coming through his pallid skin.

“you’re hungry,” you choke out, and he stiffens, something coming through the darkness of starvation. 

realization. 

abruptly, he lets go, and you slide to your knees, skirts billowing around you as you cough and gasp for deep lungfuls of air. you know for a fact that you’ll have bruises. you can already feel it swelling when you touch the tender skin. 

but that doesn’t matter. you’re worried about viktor. 

you look to the vampire to see him clutching the sides of his head, teeth grinding back and forth as he lets out a quiet whine. 

and that sound broke your heart. 

“how can i help?” you say, voice rough from the strangulation. he scoots away as you get closer, falling onto his side in his haste.

“stay away.” he tries, and you shake your head, making it to his side and gently prying his hands away from his hair. 

they come away bloody, bits of flesh stuck underneath his nails from how hard he was digging them into his skull. 

“i’ll hurt you. i already have.” he whimpers, and you offer him what you hope is a warm smile. 

“you’d never hurt me. i trust you with that,” you whisper and make up your mind. 

he was your friend. you didn’t want to see him in pain. 

you hold out your wrist and roll up the sleeve of your dress. his black eyes latch onto the sight of the exposed skin, and you can practically see him drooling before he wrenches his eyes away and shoves his hand over his mouth. it only succeeds in smearing blood all over his lips. 

“drink.” you implore, and he shakes his head,

“i can’t.” he croaks, but you can see the gears in his head turning. 

how much could he take to help himself? 

would he hurt you if he did?

could he have this?

“you can have this. don’t torture yourself. i consent to let you drink my blood. please, viktor. i don’t want you to die.” you beg, getting desperate as you don’t want what was your only friend to waste away.

those words turn out to be a mistake. 

viktor bared his fangs; blood smudged his teeth from his hand. 

“death would be a gift,” he growled, and you flinched away.

did he want to die?

he wasn’t going to starve himself to death as a way of suicide, was he?

“viktor, please, just drink,” you say, ignoring his comment, and practically shove your forearm under his nose. he turns to look at you one last time before taking your arm in his hands. 

they’re inexplicably gentle. not at all like his grip from earlier. 

his incisors don’t hurt as they pierce your skin. was there some kind of venom to numb the pain? you sit patiently, a bit dazed, as your blood leaves your body. all the while, viktor is silent, no slurping or gulping. just the gentle caress of his mouth on your skin. 

eventually, the sucking feeling stops, and he lets go with a gasp. he had told you once that he didn’t need to breathe and only did so to keep some semblance of humanity. 

you watch in astonishment as his body changes. his skin turns to its regular tone, and his shoulders visibly fill out before your eyes. soon, he looks healthy. he looks good, handsome even. not sickly and deathly pale as he normally did. 

had he been starving all this time?

viktor hunches over his knees for a moment, breathing heavily as he swallows the blood. then, he speaks. 

“thank you,” he says softly, and you place a hand on his shoulder. he still flinches away but then leans into the touch. as if not used to the feeling but craving it nonetheless. 

was he touch-starved?

most likely, especially after living alone for who knows how long. 

“are you okay?” you say, and he pauses before nodding,

“i am now.” is all he says before getting to his feet. he wobbles once, twice, before righting himself and hobbling to his desk where his cane was leaning against the table. he grips it with steady hands and leans his full weight against it. 

you get to your feet and approach the man. he shies away briefly, but he lets you touch his hand when you persist. it’s warm, not cold as it usually was, as a result of your blood coursing through his system. it was a strange feeling. you were used to being the only warm creature in the entire estate, save for the vermin and other small animals. 

it felt… nice.

#viktor arcane x reader #viktor arcane x you #viktor arcane x y/n #arcane viktor x reader #arcane viktor x you #arcane viktor x y/n #arcane viktor #viktor arcane #arcane x reader #viktor x reader #arcane league of legends #arcane: league of legends #cryptid!viktor #fairy writes

[kanansdume]

So the show is going for this message of "Ahsoka is more than a legacy of death and destruction" but they do this by having her.... just not kill a fake vision version of Anakin? Cool, she's more than a warrior, more than just death and destruction and war. So then WHO IS SHE?

And this show doesn't have an answer. Who IS Ahsoka without the death and destruction? Who does she WANT to be? What traits would she rather focus on than the ones Anakin chose to instill in her that she knows are going to lead her down a bad path?

Like I get that they wanna focus on the master/padawan relationship thing and so they ONLY want to focus on Anakin, but personally, I think this is where it would've been really great to see Ahsoka's OTHER relationships in order to explore the other influences Ahsoka has had on her life that make her MORE than just "death and destruction."

This is where it would've been nice to see more of Rex and their friendship, or fleshing out the friendship with Barriss that was implied in TCW but never explored, or even more of Ezra or Hera from back in Rebels era, or Plo Koon with her as a very young child. Obi-Wan would've been nice, but Ewan's busy and that's an unrealistic expectation (however the narrative parallels of Obi-Wan to Anakin and how Obi-Wan represents the Jedi and the GOOD that is in Ahsoka from the THIRTEEN YEARS she spent growing up with the Jedi before she ever even MET Anakin, coupled with the fact that Obi-Wan considered her at least partly his Padawan as well, would've been really great). This allows you to showcase who Ahsoka actually IS outside of her relationship to Anakin and the legacy he forced upon her as his apprentice. She is more than Darth Vader's apprentice, she is more than an Order 66 survivor, she is more than a failed Jedi Padawan. She was someone who loved her men and joked around with them, she was someone who could cry on her friend's shoulder, she was someone who enjoyed being a mischievous kid, etc etc. Literally ANYTHING.

Because Ahsoka can't be a good master to ANYBODY if she doesn't know who she is. Anakin fails as a Master because he doesn't understand or accept who HE is and so all he passes on to Ahsoka are some basic Jedi platitudes and a lot of Sith manipulation along with pieces of his own trauma, none of which do her any good. If Ahsoka can't discover and accept who she ACTUALLY is, how is she ever supposed to guide someone else on that journey?

This is why I feel like this show should've been TWO shows: one to explore Ahsoka and who she is and letting go of that connection to Anakin and the ways it's weighing her down, and one to follow up on the Rebels finale that actually allows the Rebels characters the focus they deserved. One episode to explore this for Ahsoka was NOT enough because we got to the end of it and.... we still don't know who she was any more than we did before this. She chooses to live? Cool, was she choosing to die before this? Was she just wandering around waiting to die? Was it a metaphorical death of falling to her own darkness? There's not enough in the four episodes leading up to this to tell us any of that and this episode didn't have NEARLY enough time to actually get into it as deeply as they needed to. Ahsoka is a cardboard cutout just throwing out one-liners that sound deep and meaningful but when put back in context and analyzed for like... 60 seconds, there's nothing there.

#star wars #ahsoka tano #ahsoka show #ahsoka series #sw ahsoka #ahsoka 2023 #star wars ahsoka #ahsoka spoilers

[theanimekid]

Heavenly Scent

Lu Bu x Warrior! fem reader

Synopsis: You have known Lu Bu since childhood, and you were always there thick and thin, and now your friendship is to be tested by the scent of the heavens itself.

Warnings⚠️🖤❤️: Smut ahead, biting, getting steamy in the hot spring.

A/n: we need more Lu bu Smut. So I did one.

No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting in the scent of spring flowers.

The smell.

It was the smell that made him so drawn to you. Of his childhood when it was just the two of you. Exploring the roots of your home and beyond. Until the day you were sold off to a wealthy family. He went looking for you on that day with a bouquet, wisteria, peach flower, blue marigold, and some cherry blossoms. Only to find himself in a devastating situation, you were being dragged to the ground into a cart by an older adult. Shackled in chains. His bouquet dropped to the hard ground. Shattered.

It was the smell that made him so drawn to you. Of his childhood when it was just the two of you. Exploring the roots of your home and beyond. Until the day you were sold off to a wealthy family. He went looking for you on that day with a bouquet, wisteria, peach flower, blue marigold, and some cherry blossoms. Only to find himself in a devastating situation, You was dragged to the ground into a cart by an older adult, wrapped in chains. His bouquet dropped to the hard ground.

He felt his heart race like a beating drum as he ran towards you, running, running, and running. But it was already too late as the horses ran out into the distance.

That day he swore an oath that he'd get strong and bring you back to him. Into his arms once more. But he will forever remember the smell.

But those were years ago, and he had gotten strong. If not the strongest of all men. He fought countless armies that no one couldn't even match his power. His army grew with every passing day.

But this day, he had finally met his match.

Another kingdom was about to meet its end, his soldiers were ready and waiting for their lord's command. With A swing of his halberd, he and his army began their campaign. 

Among his enemies was a woman. Who was brave enough to take Lu Bu head-on with her gauntlets armed and ready to smash whoever was in front of her. Their battle was fierce, neither side backing down before the enemy. Lu Bu couldn't control his excitement for finally. Finally, he has found a worthy opponent. Their weapons clashed while the world trembled around them. Only one will make it out alive.

After an incredible battle between who is stronger than the other, Lu Bu came victorious with his prize on his shoulders. Her. 

Months passed since he fought that woman and brought her to join his army. The first female he'd let join his army. It reminds him of someone else he knew a long time ago. As his army and Lu bu (who is not a big fan of parties) celebrated another raid, the woman stood out from the party. Her arms crossed along with bandages on her thighs, Hugging her flesh plump skin, and metallic thigh-high boots.

She felt exhausted, but she'd never shown it. She spun around and left the crowd to continue their celebration, not knowing that Th general's eyes followed her out of his army and into the forest. Later then, he started following you. She traveled deep into the forest grounds for quite some time, all the way to her secret hiding spot. Not much of a hiding spot but her place of peace and serenity. Wher only the cherry blossoms and wisteria trees grow, lanterns swing into the wind's soft embrace. She felt the memories wash over her as she continued her descent into the dort road. The memory of how she was sold off and forced to her only friend behind.

She stopped suddenly and turned her head, only to see nothing behind her. I could've sworn someone was following me not long ago, she thought as she turned her head again. Lu Bu hid behind a giant wisteria tree. He felt an ache in his chest. The tingle in his crotch. He wants to see, he needs to see, Just what lies behind that armor and steel, behind the mask she covers. He heard her footsteps walking away and took it as his cue to continue following her from a distance.

His mind snapped to reality as he watched the woman take off her armor. Each piece of metal revealed more of her tender skin, To the softness of her breasts that carry her chest. To the curves of her hips sway so delicately that she'll tease a man with them, especially a general. She finally reached the back of her mask and unbuckled the straps behind her, showing her soft and young face as her long hair fell behind her, touching the ground. Your lower stomach revealed your slight six-pack poking out in the skin. A body well built for a warrior like her.

 Primal desires were about to flood over him. He always thought about the type of woman you would become. But a warrior. With an intoxicating scent, with a body built on the battlefield. And with a beautiful face of that of all the Three Kingdoms. There's no distinction... he has to claim you before anyone else dares to think so.

He watched you rise and fall into the hot spring, your soft length fingers caressing your chest, your breathing while giving a sigh of relief as you stood above the water.

"I know you are watching, so can come out," you spoke softly, as you'd turned around with those innocent eyes sparkling like teardrops. Lu Bu steeped from behind the trees, his halberd in one hand and his other clenched at his side. Along with a smug smile on his face. And, eyes staring down at you like a quarry. And if you're his prey, that makes him a predator. 

he couldn't waste any more of this, he impaled the halberd into the dirt, the clothing came afterwards and marched his way to you. You were the first to make a move and slowly guiding your fingers across his giant chest while standing on your tippy toes to. Exploring every inch of flesh and tattoo on his giant form, The giant felt your fascination through your fingers, he felt a prideful smile on his face. HE grabbed our hands and picked you up from the helm of your ass, and gave it a nice squeeze.

You gasped as he shoved his lips to yours, a rough yet passionate kiss. He sat in the water, his lips still locked with yours as he felt something at your entrance. He unlocked the kiss to hear the beautiful sounds of your voice as he thrust into you repeatedly. Hitting your g-spot every time, you felt as though he'll split you into two. As he pounded into you, his fangs marked the valley of your breasts, his h iron grips at your hips to keep up with his pace

The hot spring shook as he still continued to drill into you without rest, the sound of your voice chanting his name over a thousand times. You felt your body completely come undone as you reached your climax, now seeing stars. A couple of thrusts and grunts later it was his turn to come undone. Both panting, as he fell on his back and you with it. The flying general smiled as you laid on his chest, exhausted, and still impaled on his manhood. You looked at your general who was smiling at you.

"Something amusing, general?", you asked regaining your composure.

" Thinking about I should've done this sooner after we fought". He added.

You scoffed, " Still a cocky asshole I came to be friends with".

"Yet you slept with this cocky asshole".

You rolled your eyes and laid on his chest. flustered, "Shut up".

He took his large hand and caressed your back as he looked to the sky, the stars shining above the two of you. He'll thank the heavens for reuniting with his no longer friend, but a lover and future wife.

A/n: Who shall I write next?

#lu bu #ror x reader #record of ragnarok smut #snv lu bu #shuumatsu no valkyrie smut #lu bu x fem reader #snv fanfiction #ror lu bu #record of ragnarok x reader #female reader #x reader #reader insert #shuumatsu no valkyrie #shuumastu no valkyrie x reader #record of ragnarok #lu bu smut #snv lu bu x reader

[twst-drabbles]

Vil 19

Summary: Vil is convinced he is cursed, and yet, nothing can be done. He has to rely on others to tell if his face was normal.

(Eldritch AU, featuring Vil suffering! And, uuuuuh, yeah we’re dealing with some nasty decay here. Like, Vil’s face is rotting off, at least to his eyes.)

Everything was melting under his finger tips. The flesh slothing down, sagging not with age but as though the blood beneath was nothing more than acid eating away at his face. At first, Vil has screamed, tossing the mirror away as though it was the cause of this curse.

He even clawed at Rook when he came running in, claiming that his face was as beautiful as always. Who wouldn’t? How can you believe anyone that what you saw was just an illusion? That even his very sense of touch was fooled? Vil wasn’t called a liar, he knows Rook too well, but the implication was still there.

Nothing, I’m afraid. I can’t find any signature or curse that would induce hallucinations.

Vil was never one to ignore when he clearly needed help, especially in regards to matters of health. But nothing was found. No magic, no cruel prank, not even a gas leak. All of this, a product of his own mind.

His own, failing mind.

Nobody can know. Nobody will know, save for the chosen few. You, especially, cannot know.

Today, Vil loses vision on his right eye. It popped out of his socket, dangled over his cheek as it spreads its rot through a hole in his face, infecting his teeth.

“How do I look?” Muscle memory was all he had to use as he put on his make up. Even when revulsion throbbed and jutted low in his stomach, Vil ignored the loose flaps of peeling skin as dug his fingers in.

“Nervous, mostly” You replied.

Vil jumped and banged his knee under the dresser. He knocked his seven personal mirrors right onto the floor. All of them shattered. Fragile, fragile things, the shards reflecting everything he does not want to see.

You approached, and as though the shards were eyes of their own, they all shifted to you.

You’re not Rook. Where’s Rook? How can he trust the words of anyone if Rook’s not there to tell him?

“Whe—” The breath he took was too deep, but it was one he can hide simply by grabbing his throbbing knee. “Why are you here? Where’s Rook?”

“Running an errand. I’m here to take his place, as he requested.” You reached into your own pocket as pulled out a mirror. “I am to be your appraiser for the day. I trust my words will hold the same weight as Rook’s or should I look for someone else?”

“I—” You and Rook. To deny that the both of you are gaining a friendship would be idiotic. As much as Vil knows how Rook sings the praises of anything he sees, he also knows that he keeps a measured distance for the sake of just being an admirer. Rook isn’t careless and so Vil knows you’re telling the truth. “Then, continue on. How do I look?”

“As I said, nervous, on edge,” you popped open the compact mirror. And for the first time in days, Vil sees his clear, if slightly stressed skin. A heavy haze lifted from his head and spine, and suddenly he was able to see from both eyes. “Your mascara is off, but I trust you’ll be able to fix it. You can have this mirror.”

Vil drew in a shuddering breath. He glanced down, the shards still reflecting your face, eyes steady and clear of any doubts and suspicion. The same as always. Never faltering, never stopping, always going at a pace that suited you best.

No wonder Rook has taken to being around you. Everyone needs an anchor. Perhaps Vil can find one in you?

“I’ll clean up the shards after this,” Vil gently wiped away the mess on his face, voice stern in such a way that left no room for negotiations. These mirrors are his. It’s his fault to bear. “Leave the broom by my door.”

“Of course.”

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst-drabbles #twst-drabbles exclusive #drabble #pomefiore #vil #vil schoenheit #eldritch au #reader insert

[faithfullyfound]

The Power of the Lord

God will use anyone, and I mean anyone to spread His message. I often wonder why God allowed me to find Him, allowed me to accept Him, I often wonder why I am so blessed to belong to this kingdom.

But then I fear that by following Him I am missing out on the world. I fear I'm missing out on experiences that I will never be able to have if I continue walking in faith.

But this is so ridiculously stupid. Sure I might miss out on parties, drinking, etc. but that is nothing compared to the light, joy, and patience God's goodness and grace give me. I also remember what my life looked like when I was a lukewarm Christian. I practiced witchcraft (convincing myself that this was ok), I affirmed sin, I was depressed, I was anxious, but most notably I was so confused. I questioned my existence and if I even mattered. I felt confused in my own body and I did not truly care about myself.

But after I found God, and truly grew with Jesus I felt loved, and accepted. I still struggle with anxiety and intrusive thoughts at times but I am NOT CONFUSED. I have eyes to see the evil present in our world. I have eyes to see TRUE CHRISTIANITY and most notably I have a tongue to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and He's my Savior. Not only has He saved me from my inevitable death but He's saved me from dying right now. Every time I sin I am digging my own grave but Jesus picks me up when I stumble and He truly loves me.

It is so hard for me to listen to the Lord's voice because I fear I am becoming a "crazy Christian" someone who is doing too much and could potentially push people away from the Gospel. But at the end of the day, I need to remember that my hope is found in Jesus. He is my Savior no one else.

For Luke 14:33 ESV says, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." We are called to give everything up. I will be very transparent and say there are habits, shows, and friendships that I haven't given up to the Lord. But I pray that through the power of conviction in the Holy Spirit the Lord leads me and anyone else reading this to live a life where we can renounce everything for our Lord.

Isaiah 42:16-19 CSB says, "I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will turn darkness to light in front of them and fought places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not abandon them." If the creator of the universe can do this much for me I can give up my fears and worries to Him.

For while my flesh has led me astray and gives me doubt and death and destruction. Following God gives me peace and clarity which I value more than any happiness that things of the world have given me. I remember praying for people to like me, my crushes to be my Valentine, etc. and then feeling betrayed by God when that did not happen. But God sees the bigger picture and He's looking out for me. I do not need to know God's exact plans for me I just need to trust in Him. Even amid my struggles, temptations, etc. I will trust in Him.

*Also side-note but I literally was wondering how to get closer to God and I wanted to feel His presence so I opened my Bible just randomly and turned to Isaiah 42 which in my bible is titled The Servants Mission & A Song of Praise, which both perfectly told me who I am in Christ. Trust me Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are always with you.

#following God is needed in everything #I still sin but I am trying to be more righteous #faith in jesus #bible study #christian faith #christianity #christian girl #christian blog #jesus saves #christian art #jesus

[eroseas]

ellie williams angst drabble

pairing: ellie/reader or ellie/you

cw: cursing, angsty, misunderstandings, yelling.

an: listen i am a very sad individual and i just need u to understand that before we move on.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

It's fucking stupid, and you know it. There's really nothing else to it. You knew what you were getting yourself into. Dina and Ellie had that weird on-again off-again relationship, and at first, that turned you way off. It turned you so off you wouldn't even hang out with Ellie alone. This infatuation is a sickness; you'd succumb to it so long ago that it's started to actually feel good. That ache in your shoulders, the dread in your ribs. It's a painful reminder. You are alone. Alone, again.

When you two first started hanging out, it was innocent. A music recommendation, then a song or two, then an album, then the whole fucking discography. What else were you supposed to do? She actually seemed to like you. The hand on your shoulder, that look of support, those soft eyes staring deep into your being. It all added up to something that you longed for. To a friendship, maybe a kind of love you knew only Tommy and Maria had. The lucky ones, you'd call them. The ones who found a love in this life and treasured it so deeply, with every cell in their body. The ones who had found their person, their purpose.

What a joke.

Coming over before dinner turned into coming over for dinner. Then after dinner. Then the whole night. It seemed simple enough; you'd hang out, talk about this life you two live, and you'd laugh. You'd smile. It was such a nice change of pace that you almost forgot: nothing lasts forever.

You can't remember who leaned in first. You can't remember if it was you who broke your own heart; doing the one thing you'd swore not to. You swore you wouldn't get your hopes up. But her lips, and her touch, and her voice just— it just did things to you. You couldn't control that, no matter how much you tried. You think, distantly, that this was supposed to happen. That you were supposed to kiss her, and you were supposed to let her kiss you back. It was a Friday, and your infatuation had turned into something more. If you remember anything, it was that.

"Fuck," Ellie mutters, her face pushed into your neck, her lips brushing against your throat. You shudder, one of her hands gripping your hips and the other on your ass. Her hips knock into your own, and you moan involuntarily, feeling her strap-on against your thigh. You can barely register the concept; the notion that she came here thinking about it, about you, pretty and wet on her dick.

She bites suddenly, a gentle thing, but you grip her arm, tugging, a quiet plea. She sinks her teeth into your flesh, just a tad bit harder, and you hum, content. She sucks a hickey while she's there, and it makes you dizzy; the thought of being marked by her, the thought that you're hers, even for a fleeting moment, you want to believe it. You pray for it to be true, you'll do anything to prove it. She's pushing your shirt up before you can even blink, and she does the same, too.

It makes your mouth fill with sand once you finally notice it. The hickeys on her chest, near her collarbone. From Dina, no doubt. They're fading, though, turning yellow as if they're a couple weeks old. It makes sense; Ellie had told you a couple days ago that they stopped seeing each other again, and while you wanted to believe the finality in her tone, the way she seemed so determined to make it true, you just— couldn't. It was the same story, every time. You're very still, now, still enough that Ellie falters. She tries to catch your eye, and it takes you out of your trance. You manage a tight-lipped smile, but she looks at you in disbelief.

"Seriously?" She asks, her tone sharper than you'd anticipated and you freeze. Your eyebrows furrow, and you stare back.

"What?"

She chuckles, a dry, mean sound. Nothing's funny. You're not sure why she's chuckling like that, can barely comprehend that she's putting her shirt back on. You cover your chest, ice cold humiliation washing down your spine.

"You know, I really thought you understood me," she says, her voice louder than before, "That you saw me for who I am, that you— I don't know, fucking saw how in love I am with you."

You stare. Nothing more you could do than stare. In love? Are you kidding? You shake your head, memories coming back to you like fucking flies in the summer. Ellie and the songs she'd play on the guitar for you, Ellie and the flowers she had planted with you in your backyard, Ellie and the sweets she'd save for you. You scoff, because yeah, she did all those things, with her fucking tongue shoved down Dina's throat.

"Fuck you, Ellie," you spit, tears welling up in your eyes, and she halts her movements, looking over at you, "You have no idea what being in love even fucking means."

She scoffs, her eyes like swords. But you don't give her a chance to interrupt— no, of course not. This isn't about her and what she did. This is about you, and what you didn't do, because you knew it wouldn't work out.

"Being in love means watching that person— the person you love so much it makes you ache— you watch them fuck other girls without a second thought," you stand, snatching your shirt from the couch and tugging it on quickly, "You watch and you support them and you fucking—"

You cut yourself off, the look on Ellie's face too sad for you to bear, and you shake your head. Tears slip down your face. You don't bother wiping them.

"I thought the world of you," you say, quiet, like a secret, "I've loved you for far too long. I saw you with Dina, and you know what I always wondered this whole time?" You ask, pausing for Ellie to say anything, do anything. She shakes her head, shame clouding her green eyes.

"I wondered how fucking stupid Dina had to be to let you go," you admit, stepping closer just to shove at her shoulder. She barely budges, but takes a step back anyway, her head hanging. You cry, maybe for the first time in a while, but you just don't care to remember.

"I watched you, and I waited, and I didn't do anything, no," you say, pushing her back more til her back hits the door, "But that's only because I saw you happy, and loved, and maybe I love you more, but I let you be."

You sigh, shaky, and Ellie looks up at you, regret written on her pretty face.

"But it's your turn, Ellie." You murmur, the ache and the dread and the pain weighing you down. Her eyebrows furrow, and she starts shaking her head, a protest on her lips.

"You need to leave me be now. 'Cause I'm not fuckin' doing this."

"Baby—" She starts, her voice laced in pain, and you shake your head.

"Get the fuck out, please," you say softly, defeated. It takes a while, but she does, eventually. She leaves, and you stand there, with that dread in your ribs, the ache in your shoulders, and now, a sharpness in your heart.

You're alone. Again.

#ellie x y/n #ellie x reader #ellie x fem reader #ellie williams #ellie williams x you #ellie williams fanfic #ellie williams x y/n #ellie williams smut #ellie williams angst #ellie tlou #ellie the last of us #ೃ⁀➷; eroseas writes #ellie williams drabble

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Danger Force Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 1

Episode 7: Return Of The Kid

Season 1 Masterlist

Click for vibes

The kids had never seen her move so quick. 

Seriously, (y/n) was like a cheetah. Or whippet. Or rocket. Or anything else that could cross the Man's Nest floor in the blink of an eye, becoming nothing but a blur as she flung herself at Henry Hart. 

The Henry Hart. In the flesh. All fuzzy-haired, slightly scruffy, and lanky, but he was there. He was real--for the first time in weeks. And she squealed right in his ear as she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. 

The poor kid barely had time to react before his arms were pinned and chest crushed, laughing breathlessly as she squeezed his torso. Was it her, or had he gotten taller? Perhaps it was her imagination, but she barely peaked above his shoulders, and he felt skinnier, too. 

Remind her to cook him something good, however long he stayed. 

But, to Henry's happiness and possible regret, she wasn't the only one who wanted to latch on and never let go. Ray lumbered up behind his sweet girl, throwing those humongous tree trunks around her and his old friend to pull both of them against him. 

Okay, now, neither of them could breathe, not that (y/n) cared. Oxygen meant nothing when she had her doofus and her precious baby under one roof. Nothing could ruin her mood, laughing and holding them without ever wanting to leave their little human sandwich. How sweet. 

"My baby!" She cried, reaching up to stroke Henry's cheek as Ray rocked them back and forth. Maybe it was a bit of an overreaction, but they missed him. At least he'd come home in one piece. 

"Ah, welcome back, buddy!" Ray sighed, too, thinking a hug had never felt so good as the boy patted his old boss awkwardly on the back. It was getting harder to breathe. 

"Yeah..." he replied tightly, returning the pets to (y/n) 's head, who at least had stopped deafening him with her screeching. "Kinda tight there, guys..."

"Oh, Hen, we've missed you so much!" The heroine said with a beaming grin, pulling back to cup his cheek, studying his face. Despite his boyish smile, He looked more gaunt and drawn around his cheeks. "You look like you need some cookies! And pie! You said you wanted pie!"

"That was, like, two months ago, (y/n/n)--and oh, I think I heard a rib crack..." the boy groaned when Ray squeezed them again, ignorant of his heroic strength as he nuzzled past her hair to rest his forehead against him. Seriously...five years of friendship, and he'd never been this touchy.

"Oh, my baby..." But at least she was as thoughtful as ever, pulling back to give him a little space, slipping out from between them. Finally, he could breathe a little, flashing his not-sister a thankful smile, only for Ray to close the gap.

While (y/n) merely stood back and sighed at the image he made as one would admire a beautiful, majestic painting, the man refused to let go, hugging him even harder now that he didn't have to worry about smothering his sweet girl. By God, he'd missed this kid...

"It's gonna be more than one by the time I'm done with you!"

"Doofus, remember what we said about personal space?" (y/n) winced when her husband squeezed Henry's waist - kinda like a reverse Heimlich manoeuvre, only he was the reason for the boy's choked gasps. 

Like a snapping turtle, he refused to let go, so she had no choice but to get the others involved, signalling for Danger Force to circle the two. They tried to prise the doofus off, tugging at those beefy arms as the poor kid struggled, but Ray was relentless, even when his beloved wife wrapped her arms around his shoulders and yanked. 

"Do not make me get the crowbar!" Chapa growled as she took the opposite arm to Mika, trying to give Hen a little wiggle room.

"It's so nice to see a dude hug another dude..." 

"Right?! Bring it in, man!" Miles sighed dreamily, and Bose nodded, pulling his friend into a tight hug with a huge grin, patting each other's back amicably. It was sweet and not life-threatening like Ray's, who wouldn't budge despite the girls' best efforts. Their attempts were useless, but luckily, old Kid Danger had a trick up his sleeve. 

"It's okay--it's okay..." he panted, giving his old friends a reassuring smile, even as the hero nuzzled into his chest. "I got this, but you might wanna stand back."

Whilst she was a little confused, (y/n) nodded and guided Mika and Chapa to a safe distance beside the boys, leaving her lanky baby with enough room to push the hero away. The kids cried in amazement when a green force field burst from the young man's body, creating a barrier between him and Ray and sending the idiot flying backwards. 

That was one way to get personal space. 

"Hah! You hate to see it!" Miles cackled when he watched the dazed superhero land on his butt, clearly having forgotten about the gift his old sidekick received from the Omega Weapon. His force fields were the only reason why (y/n) allowed him to wander off to Dystopia alone. 

Still, the kid had the good grace to offer a hand and help his old boss to his feet, holding nothing against him when Ray flashed a nervous smile. 

"Sorry....got a little emotional there," he said awkwardly, straightening his jacket as his pretty girl wandered over and excitedly took his hand. She needed its anchoring weight - anything to remind her this wasn't a dream. 

"Just, you know, you've been gone a long time, and... we've been so alone."

"Speak for yourself, Raymond," Miss Danger retorted dryly, noticing how the children gathered on the couch cleared their throats - a little offended. He was such a drama queen, giving his first sidekick the big goo-goo eyes like he hung the stars in the sky, making Henry chuckle. Oh, how he'd missed the guy's craziness...

"Quiet! We're talking to Henry!" Ray snapped to Danger Force as they coughed, making everyone roll their eyes. 

"You big doofus..." (y/n) shook her head, squeezing his hand lightly before Ray wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Henry could tell that nothing was new there, seeing the same old lovebirds as he used to, only now they were settled into married life. Prepare for the grossness...

"Anyway, what are you doing back in Swellview? Not that we don't want you here, of course! You know you're always welcome!"

"I know, (y/n/n). I know..." Henry replied with a breathy laugh as she ranted hurriedly, glad she hadn't changed in the last few months. "My dad is graduating from Juilliard...dot com."

"No way, your dad's a moron! He couldn't graduate from online Harberd!" Ray scoffed, remembering Mr Hart with disdain and all the times his idiocy caused a disaster. 

"Yeah, dude! He's so dumb!" The boy agreed without hesitation, laughing with the couple like old times before growing serious again. "No, I'm actually here to see you guys!"

That had (y/n) tearing up, Ray smiling fondly when her bottom lip trembled. She clutched at her chest, giving the bashful kid a wobbly smile as she tried not to burst into tears, but he made it so hard. She didn't realise how much she missed him until he stood before her, talking so sweetly. 

"My little baby came right back to The Nest!" She exclaimed, sniffing a little before throwing her arm around his shoulders. "Give Mama Bird a big hug!"

"Just because it's you, (y/n/n)..." he sighed, never one to refuse her innocent requests, and besides, she was much gentler than Ray. He savoured the warm snuggliness, wrapping his long, gangly limbs around her body as she squeezed him softly, knowing he'd missed her, too. 

"Best hugs in Swellview, am I right?" He remarked to Ray and Danger Force, who smiled and nodded gently, knowing he was right. No one could say no to (y/n) 's hugs, not even Chapa, and Ray petted his wife's hair as she relaxed in her dearest friend's arms. 

"So, how's my old job?" He asked the kids, hoping to make small talk while she got the hugs out of her system. "You guys go on any sick missions?"

"Oh, man! Tons of missions!"

"So many!" Chapa and Mika exclaimed, much to the older boy's excitement. He wouldn't lie; he missed the old days, fighting crime without any true responsibility, so he couldn't wait to hear about how they'd continued his legacy. 

"Yeah? Cool! Like what? Anything...dangerous?"

"We once caught a guy who was stealing books from the library!" The girl said happily, but out loud, it sounded lame, not precisely the thrilling, daring adventures Kid Danger had in mind. Like how he fought a bloodthirsty, living virus or went to space--that was cool. 

"Okay, but I was kinda looking for some sick fights, though..."

"Ooh!" Miles gasped, his eyes lighting up like he had a great idea. "We once battled every bad guy in Swellview at the same time!" Now, that was more like it. 

"Noice! What happened?!" Henry asked, liking the sound of an epic brawl between light and dark, much like he'd done when he was younger. Had he ever told them about the train fight debacle? 

"Mika let them all out of prison!" Only when the kid responded was it like a punch to the gut. 

"Wow...I kinda spent my whole childhood locking those guys up, so I can't wait to hear how you all caught 'em," he said nervously, patting (y/n) on the back and when shuffled a little close. She was milking this hug for all she could get, but he was more concerned about the rampaging villains on the loose. 

"We didn't!"

"Sick twist! They're all still out there!" Bose announced happily, ignorant of how his predecessor's eye began twitching, frozen in place, and not because of the woman hugging the living daylights out of him. 

"I imagine that some of them are out there committing crimes right now!" Chapa added, equally joyful at the utter shambles they made of their first mission. 

Ray took that as his cue to jump in, not wanting to revisit that humiliating defeat. (y/n) pulled away from her baby as he brushed past them, smiling sourly at the clamouring children as they nattered away. 

"All right! That ends your visit with Henry--he's ours now!" He said, batting his eyelashes at what he thought couldn't be a better sight - his beautiful girl and precious best friend. 

"I enjoyed our time together!"

"Hey, so, uh, how's Dystopia? Do you need us to come help you?" Ray asked quietly, ignoring Bose's innocent comment, who returned to nibbling on his now-cold Nacho Ball. He was desperate to know, or rather, desperate to be needed, still smarting from how they parted on bittersweet terms. 

"'Cause I will burn this whole thing to the ground, take my wife, and leave right now."

"Raymond!" (y/n) warned lowly as Danger Force loudly cleared their throats again, much to the man's anger. He'd never snap at her so causally, but those little maggots? He had no qualms...

"Keep it down! God, they're always here, it's like--"

"--Like we're their teachers, and they're our students?" His sweet girl butted in with a teasing smile, and this time, she put her arms around his waist in a light embrace. Ray sighed, never staying mad for long when she was in his arms, returning the enamoured look while the kids watched on. 

"Little demons, more like..." Much to their wrinkled noses, the man dropped his head and kissed her gently, holding the back of her neck so it wasn't just a peck. They were goddamn shameless, smiling against each other's lips for at least ten seconds while they all grimaced. 

"Oh, there it is...wondered how long it would take," Henry retorted, eyeing the age-old scene with a judgy stare, knowing it had been hopeless to think they would've found some decency. 

No, they were as touchy as always, and when Ray finally pulled away, he smiled at his precious girl like she was the only one in the world. 

"Can't help it, kid..." he said gently, kissing her briefly and gently a final time as the heroine hugged his lithe waist, her cheeks and ears pleasantly warm. "I'm in love with my wife."

"Gross..." he grumbled, having war flashbacks about all those times as a kid when he saw them canoodling...or worse. Technically, it was his fault; he'd brought them together, but they'd always felt the need to kiss anywhere and everywhere, only saved when a loud, blaring beeping noise and red flashing light filled the Man's Nest. 

"Emergency call!" (y/n) gasped, and suddenly, it was go, go, go. Slipping out of Ray's clutches, much to his disappointment, she dashed over to the supercomputer with Mika and Chapa, eager to see what was going down. 

"Oh, hey, hey, this is perfect!" The hero gasped once he got over the disappointment of losing his sweet girl's warmth, but only because he'd come up with a brilliant idea. "We can go on a mission! Huh?! Let's pop some gum and have some...fum!"

"You know I'm all about that fum, big dog..." his old sidekick replied with a nostalgic chuckle, fondly remembering their old antics in the Man Cave, but something wavered in his eye... "but, you know, everyone thinks Kid Danger is kinda--"

"Hot?"

"Dead?" Bose and Miles suggested, and their ideas were wildly different and alarming in their own unique ways. 

"Exactly!" He nodded at Miles, much to Ray's disappointment. He'd hoped to relive their glory days...

"What's the emergency?" Chapa asked impatiently, as always, peering at the computer monitors as (y/n) tapped on the PearPads for more information. 

"It looks like there's a brawl at the nail salon," she replied once she finally found it, and honestly, it didn't sound too terrible. Merely a light workout for the more experienced crime fighters on the team, and that gave her a bright idea. 

"Oh, Hen, we could go kick some ass and then get our nails done! Just like old times! Remember? I used to take you there all the time when that doofus was busy."

"I didn't mean to..." Ray mumbled shyly, staring at his shoes as Henry laughed nervously. He'd never forget all those hours as they bonded over the smell of acetone and acrylic, laughing until their bellies hurt. 

He recalled how he'd comfort the young woman when her idiotic best friend went on a date with another woman. Still, most of all, he remembered the pain of biting his tongue when she cried, thinking Ray would never love her. It felt like a lifetime ago, and part of him wanted to regain that happiness, but...

"I know, doofus... Tell you what, you can tag along and pick my colour," she replied kindly, fluttering her lashes at her husband before turning to the kid. "What'd you say, Hen?"

"Y-yeah, you know I'd love to watch Ray pick your colour, (y/n/n), but..." he replied, and she frowned at how fervently he shook his head. It was like he'd seen a ghost or the slightest thing would make him jump like a skittish deer. Strange...

"I've been dropping so many fools in Dystopia, I was thinking I could just, you know...kick it here for a while. Maybe eat some of your famous oatmeal-raisin cookies?"

"Yeah--yeah! Coolcoolocoolcoolcool! We'll just kick it here, right, sweet girl? I was thinking the same thing!"

"I guess I'll get baking..." the woman said hesitantly, her Tummy Tingle telling her something wasn't right. She sensed danger, or at the very least, lies...but she couldn't quite pin them yet. 

"That's my girl! Guys, why don't you handle this one yourselves?" Ray suggested, creating an excited buzz throughout the room, but it only deepened (y/n) 's frown. Looking at her students - her fresh-faced babies - she swore they weren't ready to go solo, at least not without some supervision. 

"Yes!"

"Can I pee first?!" Exhibit A from Professor Bose. 

"Doofus, are you sure that's a good idea? They've only been doing this for, like...two months!" She hissed, walking over to chat privately with her husband, not that he was apprehensive. Slinging an arm around her waist, he pulled her close, flashing a confident smile before kissing her temple - like nothing would go wrong at all. 

"It'll be fine, darlin'! Why don't you pee on the way?" Ray grinned before reaching for one of the drool glasses and passing it to the boy as a receptacle. "There you go!"

"Maybe I should go with them..." (y/n) told her doofus nervously, and she moved to follow the team up to the tube. However, when she tried to leave the hero's side, he grabbed her hip and pulled her back into his chest, whining like a puppy to keep his soulmate close. 

"No, don't leave me, sweet girl!" He grumbled, holding her back to his chest as Henry rolled his eyes, wondering how needy one guy could be as Ray rubbed his nose into the spot below her ear. "They know what to do--they'll be fine!"

"But what if they need help?"

"They won't! Death is very unlikely!" Ray exclaimed a little too cheerfully for (y/n) 's liking, but judging from the tight grip on her waist, her fate was sealed. 

She offered a regretful smile to the kids, not that they minded. It was nice to have some freedom and get away from The Love Nest, practically buzzing as they assembled at the platform's top. A nail salon couldn't be that bad, and Ray had complete faith in them...and a burning desire for quality time. 

"Okay, guys... Don't end anybody, and try not to let anybody end you, okay?!"

"Good luck!" The heroine shouted, waving her babies goodbye as they disappeared down the tube - just as Henry's phone pinged. He glanced at the notification, his eyes indiscernibly darkening as he read it. Still, when the lovebirds wandered over, he quickly shoved it in his pocket again. 

"That nail salon's going up in flames!"

"Raymond! Don't say that!" (y/n) scolded her doofus, swearing she felt another tummy tingle at the boy's paling cheeks. Something was off about him...

"Oh, lighten up, sweet girl! Come on, pal! I'll give you a tour of the Man's Nest!" Ray exclaimed, lightly slapping the kid's arm before dragging his wife toward the metal door. She shook her head mirthfully but followed him, knowing she'd have to bake the cookies and prepare their guest room anyway. 

"All right, yeah, cool! I'm right behind you, big dog!" Henry called after them yet stopped to read the slew of messages clogging his PearPhone's notifications. 

All of them were from Charlotte and Jasper, begging to know if he was okay and where he was. One even said he couldn't escape his problems, but the boy ignored it, pressing the delete button without another thought. Out of sight, out of mind, and he really didn't want to ruin his time in Swellview. Not if it was the only time he had left...

"Are you okay?" A voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Henry looked up, surprised and alarmed to see (y/n) staring at him suspiciously. Oh, no; he couldn't escape her omniscient mind, gulping as she watched his every move. 

"I'm fine..." he replied, carefully tucking his phone away before she saw any of the messages. 

"Henry Prudence Hart, don't you lie to me..." she said sternly, stepping closer with one of her sternest gazes because her tummy knew something was off - she just didn't know what. 

"Who says I'm lying, (y/n/n)?" The kid broke their held gazes to glance at the floor before giving her a wonky smile. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he tried to look as relaxed as possible, even if he was oddly defensive with his surrogate big sister. "I'm fine..."

"If you say so..." (y/n) said slowly, folding her arms, dissatisfied with his answer, but she'd work it out eventually. She always did, especially when her tummy tingled like that. Only the investigation would have to wait as she heard clumsy, ground-shaking footsteps coming back up the hall. 

"Just know, I'm watching you, Hart--"

"Dude, don't you want to see my axe-throwing room?!" Ray asked excitedly when he reappeared in the doorway, seeing his precious wife and sidekick chatting quietly - a weird tension between them, not that he picked up on it. 

"Hmm?" The kid hummed, snapping out of the staring contest to see the man's innocently wide-eyed expression. 

"Dude, don't you want to see my axe-throwing room?!"

"Do you even have to axe?" Henry joked, plastering a grin on his face while ignoring how (y/n) planted her hands on her hips. She was onto him, but he played it off well, giggling with his old boss like nothing was wrong. 

"God, I've missed this..." Ray sighed, taking his wife's hand in his, squeezing it from the elation of having the old trio back together. 

"Me too, doof..." she agreed, hugging his arm before giving the kid one last suspicious glance. "You guys go enjoy yourselves. I need to make up the guest room and bake some cookies, apparently."

"You sure you don't want to join in, sweet girl?" Her husband offered, pouting slightly when she reached onto her tiniest toes to kiss his cheek softly. "You love it when I throw axes..."

"No, you love it when you throw axes, so spend some time with Henry, and I'll see you later, doofus."

"Okay--let's go have some fum!" 

She didn't need to tell them twice, wincing through her giggles when those little boys yelled at the top of their voices, slapped each other on the butt, and ran off down the hall. They were as crazy as the other, laughing and screaming the Man's Nest down as she chuckled to herself - only to feel her smile drop when a dark thought crossed her mind. 

Something was wrong - she could just feel it, murmuring to herself when she remembered the look on that boy's face when he got that text. 

"What is up with you, Henry Hart?"

~The next morning~

"Hey, guys. Here's your fourth cookie batch."

Ray and Henry grinned as they watched their beloved Miss Danger enter the main room, a steaming plate of oatmeal-raisin cookies in her hand. She placed them on the table, rolling her eyes since they couldn't get enough of them; it was flattering to know her tried and tested recipe was so well-loved, but she'd barely been out of the kitchen. 

She'd literally been slaving away over a hot stove while they, the chuckle brothers, played, pranked, and paraded to their hearts' content. After checking out every room in the Man's Nest in the evening, Ray and Henry played video games until the early hours and, after grabbing a few winks in between, were back at it at nine am. 

And they demanded cookies for breakfast. 

"Thank you!" They chanted happily as the warm, honeyed smell tickled their noses, knowing they could never get enough. She promised to make them some brownies, too, but first, they needed to beat this level, dancing their feet off on some computer game. 

"Are they still not back yet?" (y/n) muttered after leaving the baked goods to cool, ignoring the annoying music from the holographic computer screens. Whilst they were having fun, crisscrossing their feet to the beat, she was biting her fingernails in worry. 

Twelve hours later, Danger Force still hadn't returned from their mission at the nail salon. Ray told his sweet girl not to worry, arguing that they were probably just taking their time and having fun, but (y/n) wasn't so sure. Maybe she should've gone with them or at least told Ray to get off his butt when he showed the kid their sauna room. 

"Relax, darlin'! This is great!" Ray exclaimed happily, throwing his wife and ex-sidekick a grin as he copied the movements of his giraffe avatar. 

"I love this!" Henry nodded, bopping left and right, ignorant of his worried friend behind him. All he knew was the safety and comfort he'd learned in the Man Cave, and he didn't want to stop. 

"I love you!"

"What?!" He yelled over the music, not quite hearing his old boss as (y/n) raised an eyebrow at their antics. Honestly, it was surprising that she'd not gone insane yet. 

"I said I'd get ready for round two!" The hero quickly replied, saving himself from explaining something embarrassing as the game changed. As they entered the second round, the dance style changed, lowering the lights and switching to a soft, sexy tune as they took a minute to breathe. 

"Round two! Tango! Time to get close!"

"Seriously? You two are gonna tango?" (y/n) asked amusedly as she plonked herself on the computer's chair. She would've thought it was a bit girly for them, something her doofus would've wanted to do with her since it involved shared space, air, and sensuality. 

"Sure are, pretty girl, and if you're lucky, we can practice later, too," Ray told her with a wink, which left his wife to imagine what he meant by that. She hoped it would be a private lesson, but when she glanced back up, his attention had returned to Henry. 

"Shall we?"

"I didn't travel halfway around the world to not beat the tango level on Prance, Prance, Revolution with you," the kid replied confidently, ignoring their flirtation to give his friend a grave stare. He offered Ray his hand, who took it without hesitation before they coupled up into a somewhat intimate embrace.

With both arms around their backs, clasping each others' hands, the boys stepped in time to the Argentine music, navels pressed together with every movement. They weren't bad, creeping along and wiggling their butts as Henry led the dance, meaning Ray had to girlishly flick his leg out before twirling. 

Still, at least (y/n) could admire her doofus, thinking he looked ridiculously hot in his tight red shirt and jeans. His muscles rippled under the thin material with every move, making her sigh dreamily as she propped her chin up on her palm as that thick waist twisted and rolled. And don't get her started on those smooth, exposed biceps...

But suddenly, the tell-tale sound of the tube broke her out of the reverie, drawing her attention as the boys continued dancing. And to her relief, four tired, dirty, and unhappy kids arrived, looking like they'd lost a fight with Bob Geldof. 

"Oh, my God, you guys!" (y/n) exclaimed in horror, hurrying to her feet when her poor students plodded down the stairs, utterly defeated and groaning with every step. 

"How'd it go?" Ray was infinitely more casual, never breaking form as his sweet girl tittered over the children, guiding them to the steps near the front door. The tango was better than seeing if they were okay, despite how they groaned with every step, sticky with nail polish. 

"It went great..."

"We broke up the fight..."

"With our faces!" The kids grumbled. Chapa sounded as grumpy as usual, shuffling to her locker with a huff and glare while Mika tried to keep up her optimism. They'd done as they were asked, and that was great, but Miles just wished it didn't hurt so much. 

"Wasn't all bad. Got my nails did and had time to squeeze in a pedi..." Bose replied, and (y/n) wondered why he was walking so strangely until she looked down. His feet were beautifully smooth with moisturised skin and freshly painted nails, spreading his toes with those little foam dividers. 

Although he was the only one who'd had time to relax - the fight was brutal. 

"Pretty!"

"Nice!" The dancing duo complimented when they waddled closer, dipped, and twirled, admiring the soft blue colour - it matched his uniform, and smudging them would be a crime. It almost made (y/n) jealous that she didn't follow them. 

"That call wrecked me. I'mma go throw up and lay down." Or maybe not. She winced as Chapa shuffled the steps with her friends, appearing utterly worn out as she tried to sit down, only to flop onto the floor instead. 

All they wanted to do was sleep for the next fifty years, feeling like death had punched them in the face, but Ray had news for them - and they weren't going to like it. 

"Nah, nah, nah, another call came in while you were out," he told them to a chorus of groans and furious curse words. "Bunch of firebees are attacking a honey store. Caller said some murder bears are headin' up there, too, so hustle up!"

"We just got our cheese steamed! Can't you and (y/n) settle a honey fight between firebees and murder bears?" Mika complained on behalf of her friend, given that one of them was practically unconscious and the others were bleary-eyed and exhausted. 

She'd never heard of such a ridiculous emergency but gave (y/n) her best puppy eyes, fluttering her eyelashes as the woman bit her lip. 

"Maybe we should take this one, doofus. Let them have a break..." she suggested hopefully, hovering by the boys as their dance continued. If anyone could sway Ray, it was her. 

"Ooh, whaddaya say, partner?" He asked Henry, knowing he couldn't run off to fight crime and leave his old friend in the Man's Nest alone, not when he'd come specially. 

(y/n)'s unease only worsened when her baby shook his head gently and refused, saying some crap about the video game when, really, she knew the old Henry would never shy away from a fight. What was up with him?

"Hard pass, my guy. We got a big lift coming up."

"Oh, my God. This is ridiculous..." the heroine muttered as they separated, teetering on their tiptoes in preparation for their big finale, which apparently was so much more important than saving lives.

"Sorry, kids. Buzz off!" But, with the grouchy hero's order, Danger Force had no choice but to trudge to the tube again, dragging their feet and grumbling as they called on their final energy reserves. They could barely walk, let alone take down bad guys, but that was fine - as long as Ray got to leap toward Henry for the lift. 

He swooped above the boy's head, straightening his legs and spreading his arms like an angel as Henry held his hipbones high above his head with impressive strength. Seriously--how did he lift that much doofus?

"Okay, now that the lift is over, are you sure you guys don't wanna come help us?" Mika questioned as she and the others hovered on the tube pad, hoping with all hope that the man might change his mind. 

Given his look of pure joy at being so far above the ground, it was unlikely, but they could dream. 

"You're superheroes! Quit your bellyaching!" And a dream was all that would remain, Ray's harsh, biting tone making them pout when he refused to come down. 

"This is what you get paid for!" Henry added, thinking he was being helpful. He couldn't count on both hands how many times he was sent to deal with the most dangerous situations, but that was what he'd signed up for. That was the job, and it was worth it for nine dollars an hour. 

"You got paid?!"

"Down the tube!" Ray couldn't shout quick enough, sending his baffled students downstairs before he heard anything about unions and unfair employment tribunals. 

The looks on their faces, knowing they'd been duped when Kid Danger raked in hundreds over the years... That was a problem for another, or at least, a problem for when (y/n) didn't have a migraine. 

"Doofus....how long are you gonna stay up there?" She wondered with an exasperated expression when the kid's arms began to shake from the extortion. Holding a hundred-and-eighty-pound man wasn't easy when he barely had muscles on those chicken wings, yet Ray showed no inkling of wanting to be put down. 

He'd always wanted to be a swan. 

"Long as I can, sweet girl. Long as I can..."

Something told her that Henry's stay would be trouble - and her tummy tingle went again. 

~A few days later~

To say Henry and Ray made the most of their little bro-buddy vacation was an understatement. 

With Danger Force taking every call, emergency, or other predicament, the boys had plenty of time to hang out, relax, and mess about for four very long days. (y/n) loved having Henry home, of course, enjoying the quality time she spent with him for just under a week, but dear God, she felt like she was in Groundhog Day. 

They had cookies for breakfast every morning, followed by some practice on Prance-Prance Revolution. Then, after playing lasted tag with actual lasers, she made them pancakes for lunch, followed by takeout for dinner. And in between, their activities were loud, brash, and guaranteed to nearly shake the house down. Not so good for her poor nerves. 

The bachelor pad life was quickly wearing her and poor Schwoz out, so Ray and Henry promised to try something different, which was well-received--until they found the hero's old band kit. 

"Who gave them the electric guitar again?!" (y/n) shouted to Schwoz as her doofus and precious baby rocked out on their raucous instruments. When she said she wanted to see them break their routine, she didn't mean to shatter her eardrums. 

"WHAT?!" The genius yelled back, hardly hearing her soft voice as the boys created the awful racket. Schwoz was sure they thought they were God's gift to the music world - Bon Jovi rising again - but it made their ears bleed outside their little fantasy. 

"I SAID--WHERE DID THE GUITAR COME FROM?!"

"RAY FOUND IT IN THE GARAGE. IN A LOCKED BOX. UNDER SOME TRASH BAGS," he explained to the heroine as she clamped one hand over her ear whilst the other waved a lighter on his phone. They were part of the illusion, allowing the musical morons to believe they were at some concert playing to millions of adoring fans. But they weren't - just them, alone in the Man's Nest. 

"OH, GOODIE. I THOUGHT HE'D NEVER FIND IT AGAIN." (y/n) winced as her doofus came down the steps from the tube, her fingers clumsily dancing up the fretboard of his guitar - the one she'd carefully stashed away after he deafened them the last time. 

She had to smile through the pain, remembering how he said Captain Man didn't need lessons--he was a naturally gifted player. And, most importantly, all ladies loved a man in a band, waggling his eyebrows at her - the groupie - as he twanged a few notes. 

"YOU SHOULD'VE PUT IT IN THE INCINERATOR!"

"WOULD'VE, COULD'VE, SHOULD'VE, SCHWOZ," she replied at the top of her voice before giving her husband and friend a tentative thumbs-up.

They thought they were rocking out, hearing nothing but a sweet soundtrack, but it was terrible as Henry tapped his cymbals like a little drummer boy. It truly hurt her poor little ears, and that was before Ray prodded his strings, wiggling his tongue like Paul Stanley.

"MY GOD, THIS IS PAINFUL!"

"I GOT THIS!" The small man said before hopping off the back of the sofa, leaving her waving her PearPhone through the air, smiling through the pain. 

(y/n) watched curiously as Schwoz scuttled over to the amp that fed the infernal noise from Ray's guitar. He couldn't do much about the drumkit, but he sure as hell could rip the wire out, killing the music without a second thought. Just like they killed their eardrums.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" 

"What happened?!" Ray and Henry exclaimed disappointedly, so distracted in their performance that they didn't notice a thing. They just saw Schwoz standing beside the amp innocently and (y/n) batting her eyelashes at her doofus with that sweet girl smile. 

"You must have blown a fuse, doof," the woman told her husband, hoping to capture his attention by crossing her legs and sticking her chest out, and it worked. Like the needy puppy he was, Ray drooled at his pretty girl and her...finer features, smiling and nodding at her every word, no matter how improbable it was. 

"Because you were rocking so hard and looking so hot while doing it."

"You bet I was, sweet girl..." he grumbled lowly, waltzing over to stand between her legs and cup her jaw. He smiled cockily as he pulled her lips to his, his ego definitely stroked and ignorant of how Schwoz twiddled his thumbs innocently. 

Her arms slid around his neck as their friends rolled their eyes, but at least the genius was thankful for the distraction. He didn't care if Ray did make those sounds or where his hands wandered or whatever she whispered in his ear that made him smirk like that, but Henry... He was suspicious. 

"Right, sure..." he muttered, not entirely buying it when (y/n) lifted the guitar over her lover's head so she could hold him closer without damaging it. Not that Ray was interested in music now. 

"Can you believe we've never even practised before?" The doofus said when they finally came up for air, pecking his wife's forehead. His smile shone as he squished her cheeks together and gazed into her eyes, entirely in the palm of her hand, after wowing her with his talent. 

"Don't need to practice when you're already perfect, dude!" Henry retorted, making his old boss glance over his shoulder with a smug expression. That's all they needed - the ego inflation. 

"Wow...I've missed you."

"And I've missed Nacho Ball! Get outta my way." Before Schwoz could even joke about giving the old hero and sidekick their own room, the kid pushed past Ray and made for the couch, where (y/n) had left their fast food while rocking out. 

It would be their fifth in four days, but whatever - he was living la dolce vita. The old man's sentiments didn't matter, not when he had a fried, cheesy ball of goodness waiting to be devoured. Henry hopped over the couch and quickly grabbed his sack, leaving the adults to do whatever they wanted. 

"I do enjoy your little visits..." the woman joked as she went around the couch like a normal person, even if her doofus leapt over the back like a child. 

They bought food, too, even though the thought of more French fries made (y/n) want to die. At least she got to share with her beloved idiot, splitting a jumbo Nacho Ball meal and extra-large soda because it always tasted better when she sipped from his. Weird. 

"Ho-kay, well...if your little concert is over, I'm going to go back to work now," Schwoz told them tentatively once they'd backed away from the instruments of death, but by then, with food in front of their faces, Ray and Henry weren't interested. Not when they hadn't eaten in three hours--and one of them got to feed little snacky things to his sweet girl. 

"Bye-bye, Schwozie!" (y/n) waved sweetly, which was more than the boys did as they immediately buried their noses in their plates. They didn't care what Schwoz did or where he went - a sore relief for the exhausted genius with a pounding headache. 

He wandered off in a foul mood, complaining about their childishness, when Henry's phone pinged in his pocket, distracting him from how Ray snuggled into his wife's side. 

She was interested in a polite, quiet dinner, nibbling a fry. Yet, her doofus laid his arm on the back of the couch, around her shoulders, leaning into her space to nuzzle his nose under her jaw. He whispered sweet nothings into her neck, practically laying in her lap more with every scrap of attention she gave him. 

"Who texted?" (y/n) asked casually while trying to work around her needy husband's advances. 

"Uh--"

"You're so pretty, sweet girl..." Ray muttered in a honey-like voice as his hand slid up her thigh, ignoring the food on the table and whatever Henry wanted to say. "What'd you say me and you take this to go and rendezvous in our bedroom?"

"Ooooh! I did not miss that!" The kid exclaimed when he noticed the hand under the table moving further north. That, and his mentor's smoochy mood, made him freak out, not wanting to know what he planned to do if he dragged her off behind closed doors. 

"Doofus!"

"What?! Can't a man love his wife?" The hero said moodily, loudly kissing his bashful girl's cheeks as the boy shook his head, grimacing. It was enough to put him off his Nacho Ball, watching how the grown man became a simping, crawling, goo-goo-eyed idiot just because (y/n) smiled at his affection. 

"Dude..." he muttered moodily, tapping his phone in exasperation when Ray kissed his wife again, "I'm trying to save these texts to The Cloud."

"Why?" (y/n) asked with a slight frown as she held her doofus in her arms, feeling how he nuzzled into her chest when the boy's phone did something annoying and unexpected. He really needed to turn off dictation, making one of Ray's classic mistakes when his virtual assistant began reading everything he wanted gone. 

"Reading messages out loud."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no---" All the colour drained from Henry's face as the voice dictated his texts, which ranged from weird to downright concerning, catching (y/n) and even Ray's attention amidst their kissing. 

"You can't run from this thing. It will find you--"

"Henry--what the hell are you doing?!" The woman asked gravely, her expression turning from serious and concerned to utterly baffled when the kid jumped up from the couch to stamp on his PearPhone - anything to get the damn thing to shut up. 

But they'd heard enough, even after he'd smashed the device, satisfying her gut in the worst way when it revealed that he'd been keeping secrets, just like she'd suspected. Sometimes, she hated it when her tummy tingle was right. 

"That didn't sound good..." Ray muttered, swallowing a fry as he pulled away from his sweet girl to look at his ex-sidekick blankly. He didn't know what was happening, but he still snuggled up with her, just from how jumpy Henry was...he wasn't that stupid. 

"Right?!" The boy asked nervously, shuffling around the couch on his tiptoes as he looked out of the windows and over his shoulder. "Hey, uh, totally unrelated question, but I'm, like, totally untrackable in the Man's Nest, right?"

"Oh, yeah, dude. Schwoz installed these macro-electron scramblers. Trying to find you here would be like trying to find a grey hair on my head," the man replied confidently, earning himself a whack on the arm from his wife since he could be so dense at times - so full of himself ever since she said he was hot. 

"There's one right there." And Henry knew just how to distract him, being the cunning kid he was. 

"What?! It's not true! Tell me it's not true, sweet girl!"

"Oh, Raymond!" (y/n) grumbled when her husband grabbed her by the shoulders, frantically shaking her shoulders at the thought of growing old. Some said he dyed his hair, others would disagree, but his floof was perfectly chocolatey - not that Ray knew that as he frantically combed his fingers through it. 

"Now, Henry, you better start telling us what the hell is going on--" She turned to Henry with one of the angriest, sternest faces he'd ever seen on her - which could've been infinitely scarier than whatever had him so worried. 

But her threat fell on its face when she was interrupted, dealing with both stressed-out doofus and a gaggle of children shooting up from SWAG in their chairs, and they did not look happy. Welcome to the club. 

"Hey!" Mika shouted, closely followed by Chapa, Bose, and her brother. They'd been doing all the leg work for Captain Man and Miss Danger for days, keenly aware that their golden boy kept them preoccupied with his little visit, and that pissed them off. 

"What? What? I don't have any grey hairs--you're old--what?!" Ray rambled, turning around to peek out from behind his sweet girl, who had just rolled her eyes and looked at Danger Force. 

She wasn't in the mood for more angry, lying children, waiting for one of them to say the wrong thing before she exploded.

"We all have something to say to you!" Mika, the spokeswoman of the quartet, announced, giving her teachers a confident face as her friends rallied behind her. 

"Well, I would sorely love to hear it. Just know that I am not in a cookie-baking mood anymore..." (y/n) smiled sweetly at them, folding her arms as she ignored the lanky, no-good, secretive boy behind her and focused on her other troublemakers. They didn't seem as confident as they were before. 

"Chapa, tell them!" The girl quickly pulled her friend before her, her strength and argument failing under the woman's stern gaze. Chapa would be much better at shouting back, her grumpy frown matching (y/n)'s, although even she was anxious to take her on fully. After all, they were all friends here...

"We've been taking all of the calls for, like, three or four days now!" She started, the others yelling in agreement as the couple glanced at each other. 

"We think you guys should take the next call!"

"Okay..." (y/n) saw nothing wrong with that, shrugging even as the children ganged up on her and Ray. If anything, she was getting cabin fever, hoping to get out into the action with her doofus, and now, she wanted to get Henry out, too. What was that he said about untrackable?

"We also think we should be able to vaporise one person a year for no reason at all!"

"Yeah!--Wait..." The others frowned at the little addition Chapa tagged onto the end of their demands, having not discussed anything about vaporising people when meeting in Mika's bedroom the previous night. They wanted fair treatment and a break, but maiming innocent people? It made the pause and quickly back-track. 

Sure, we'll take the next call..." Ray told them as he looked at his precious wife, who nodded calmly and sipped his--their soda. She was ready to go, but the kid - he looked like he'd seen a ghost. "It's been a half-minute, my fists are getting thirsty, and crime is a tall glass of water."

"Please, don't punch my glass--" Henry asked the hero while the children celebrated their negotiations, but it was too late. Fired up and eager to fight, Ray smacked his thankfully empty glass off the table, happy to see it roll under the table since it meant he got a glimpse of his sweet girl's butt when she had to pick it up. 

"Raymond!"

"What, sweet girl? Next call that comes in is gonna go home in a body bag," he whispered dramatically, clenching his fists before swiftly yanking her into his embrace. She could tell he'd not been outside in a few days, acting all hyper and needy even as everyone's brows flew up at the...overkill. 

"Doofus, what have we said about saying murdery things?" (y/n) murmured in his ear as she patted down his chest. To say he was being so jumpy, his muscles looked good in that shirt. 

"That's how lawyers get involved?" 

"Exactly, so let's remain calm and take the next call."

"Yeah, but I mean, who even knows when the next call is gonna come in?" Henry said nervously, wrinkling his nose when they kissed again, but it was a small price to pay since it distracted them from the whole going-out thing. 

The mere thought made his heart pound, palms growing clammy at the idea of venturing outside the safe Nest walls. But the emergency alert began to sound before the heroine could even give him one of her suspicious stares. Red light and the loud siren filled the room, and if he was scared before, he was practically bricking it now. 

"Oh, would ya look at that?" Chapa said nonchalantly, an evilly sweet smile as she looked at the anxious kid. "An emergency call."

"How convenient..." Ray said poignantly, anything beyond coincidence going over his floofy head as Mika walked to the supercomputer to see what was happening. 

"Exactly. Someone's trying to rob that corner store - How Convenient," the girl told them, making Ray smile at the map on the holographic screen. It was in Downtown Swellview, not too far from their hideout, but definitely in a grungier part of town. Just the sort of place filled with the scum the hero wanted to wipe the floor with. 

"Oh! So, you, me, and my sweet girl are going to Pound Town, buddy!"

"Doesn't look too difficult, but we should get going..." (y/n) noted as she and her doofus pulled out their gum tubes. Admittedly, a little flutter of excitement ran through her veins at the thought of the old team working together - the thrill of being in the trio again, even though she played it cool. 

She was more than ready to become Miss Danger again, but when Henry hesitated, she got that funny feeling again...

"Pound Town is nice this time of year, but, uh, I really just wanna finish my Nacho Ball," the blond boy told them shakily, all but looking like he could bolt at any minute, making the couple frown as they chewed their gum.

Yet, when he returned to the table, hoping for a refried, golden, crispy distraction, he found Bose sitting on the steps with his plate and cheese smeared across his lips - chowing down. Leaving that Nacho Ball unattended was a mistake. 

"Chapa ate it..." he mumbled guiltily, despite being caught cheese-handed. 

"Come on, man. Pop one of those Dystopian gumballs. I wanna see that swet 'stume," Ray excitedly said to his old friend, who undoubtedly fought in something other than his old uniform now. They'd never seen it, leaving him to fight alone with Jasper and Charlotte in the other city. Still, they only got a wobbly smile and lying eyes. 

"Aw, God--I--I didn't bring any."

"Say what now?" (y/n) quirked an eyebrow at him, not buying it for a second when the boy nervously rubbed his hands together, barely able to stand still. She was a skittish person by nature; she knew anxiety when she saw it, especially in a boy who'd tried to blindside her a dozen times in the past. 

"You're telling us that somehow, miraculously, you forgot to bring your gum, even though it's the one thing you keep on you at all times?"

"Yeah, (y/n/n). I must've forgotten to turn on the gum reminder app on my phone." He gulped, seeing the amusement in her eye the second the lie passed through his teeth, hands on her hips, as Ray frowned at both of them. He was dense, but even he sensed something weird was happening. 

"Yeah, well, the BS-detection app on my phone is telling me you're making that up," she replied sternly, holding the gum against her inner cheek as she stepped closer--until she was nearly toe-to-toe with the boy. He said nothing, bravely holding her gaze to deny everything she accused him of, but Miles didn't care. 

He was a guy of action, thrusting his arm in the air and suddenly appearing beside the ex-sidekick because there was something in his pocket... He pinched a tin from Henry's back pocket in a flash of light, hearing the unmistakable rattle of gum inside. Busted. 

"What are these, then?"

"Funny that..." (y/n) said dryly as everyone watched the lanky kid scramble for an answer. Of course, Ray said nothing - he never did to his favourite child; he was just happy that there was gum, even if it came out of thin air. 

"Guess I did bring some! Thanks, buddy." Henry plucked the tin from Miles' hand, smiling tightly at him, his voice strained and almost hoarse with his bubbling anger. 

It didn't deter the younger boy, who mirrored Chapa's infamous saccharine grin as he patted his learned friend on the shoulder, only to have his hand abruptly pushed away. For someone who said he wasn't bothered - chill in the words of the modern youth - Henry looked pissed off. 

"Something wrong, Hen?" (y/n) asked innocently, blinking when her baby looked at him in annoyance, almost crushing the case in his palm. 

"No..."

"Come on! It's right down the street--we'll be back in five minutes," Ray told him, despite having every intention of dragging the fight out for everything it had. Anything to fight side-by-side like they did in the good old days.

"Five minutes?" Kid Danger echoed nervously as he unscrewed his gum, hands shaking as they wore down his resolve. It looked like he didn't have much choice, but the mere thought of stepping outside made him feel sick - five minutes would feel like forever. Five minutes was all it would take. 

"Yeah! Have I ever lied to you?" The man replied brightly, only to get several dry looks in return. 

"You once told me you were born in nineteen-ninety-eight..." Henry recalled, much to the sniggers around the room - even from (y/n). Would that make her a cougar? Dating a guy ten years her junior? 

Everyone giggled at the flustered hero, who immediately snarled at the children as he grabbed her waist and pulled her into his chest. He didn't want her to see his pink cheeks from the minor fibs he told. 

"I was! I was! Ninety-eight! Year of the...fist!"

"Technically, it was the year of the tiger," (y/n) said, giggling as she gently hugged her doofus' waist, hoping he'd stop pouting when she snuggled closer. She didn't care about his age; if anything, it was hot - the hand of experience. "And, you big doofus, if you're secretly twenty-three, I'm the next pope."

"Your holiness..." Ray smiled, glancing down to make the mistake of getting lost in her eyes. She made him feel young - full of butterflies, warmth, and endless energy - enough to quell his current worries. That, and the kiss they shared. 

"All right..." Henry muttered, swearing under his breath from his internal anxiety and their canoodling. He never understood how they could kiss and chew gum simultaneously. Still, Ray made it work, somehow cradling her jaw and patting her ass together, too. "Let's blow and go."

"Finally!" The woman grinned, excitedly rubbing her hands together as she hurriedly pulled away from her doofus, pecking his lips a final time. She stood between him and the moody teen, feeling her husband slip his hand into hers and squeeze, grounding them in a surreal moment. 

At one point, they thought they'd never see Henry again, let alone fight crime with him. But, as they transformed into their super-suits, becoming Captain Man and Miss Danger for the millionth time, they saw a new, grungier side of their old friend. 

His uniform was...different. Kinda like he took everything about the Kid Danger costume and fucked it off. Instead of bright colours and protective equipment, the couple were shocked and concerned to see him wearing dark skinny jeans, a crusty, frayed t-shirt, and a thick, leather jacket shrugged over the top. The only way of safety they saw was his gloves, but even so, there was no padding, no layers, and certainly no mask. 

It was Henry Hart - emo edition. 

"Dude, where's your mask?" Ray asked concernedly. He could look over the dingy, dark outfit, seeing why it might be cool on some people, but nothing protected his identity. That was just stupid. 

"Oh, we don't actually wear masks in Dystopia."

"What?!" (y/n)'s eyes nearly fell out of her head at the revelation. All she heard was that three of her beloved babies were running around the most dangerous city in the world, allowing every villain to know who they were. Were they trying to get themselves pulverised?

"Yeah, I don't know, we're just kinda beyond that," the boy replied coolly--as if it wasn't a big deal. He looked at the adults like they were stupid and boring. Still, even Danger Force could see the perilous risks he took by not wearing one, awkwardly fidgeting around the room. 

"Actually, that's extremely irresponsible."

"Mask-wearing saves lives..."

"(y/n/n), come on. It's fine," Henry said to his strongest ally as the traitors around the room pandered to their teacher. He didn't care what his replacements had to say, defiantly staring at the heroine with pleading eyes, not that she cared. 

"It's not fine, picklehead," (y/n) told him firmly, wandering over to the drawer beside the supercomputer to find something suitable. She was sure they didn't have a mask to hand, but since it was dark, as long as they covered his face, the kid would be okay--if she didn't whip his butt for being so difficult before. 

"While in Swellview, you're gonna put something on your face."

"Nah, nah, nah, nah. You always do this, (y/n)!" He complained, batting away the woman's hands when she tried to put a pair of dark glasses over his eyes. They would just make him look stupid - what idiot wore sunglasses at night?

"No one likes a whiner, Henry. Put them on!" He could try to push her away, but that only made the woman more determined. 

They argued back and forth, shouting over each other as he attempted to dodge the glasses. He didn't win, of course, eventually giving up when she kicked his shin and told him to suck it up. Finally, she shoved them up the bridge of his nose, smiling with satisfaction when he sighed, arms falling to his side. 

"You look great!"

"I look stupid!" The kid grumbled, moodily stomping to the tube as Ray took his sweet girl by the hand. He said it, not her. 

"Well, it's a fight, not a fashion parade, so let's go!" (y/n) hurried after her doofus, waving to Danger Force as they cheerfully yelled their goodbyes, relieved to see the backs of them since it meant they could finally rest. Ray could barely contain himself, excitedly buzzing beside her as they waited on the tube pad, clutching at each other's hands as the hero hit his belt buckle. 

"You wanna call it?" He asked his old friend, smiling at him for old times' sake, and even in his cranky mood with the demon butterflies terrorising his belly, the kid couldn't say no. Not when he felt so nostalgic. 

"Up the tube!" Henry shouted, only for the machine to buzz lowly at him. The lovebirds beside him gasped and cooed, saying something about him being adorable and just a baby because he was still stuck in the Man Cave. A sore spot that tugged on (y/n)'s heartstrings. 

"Oh, baby boy, we go down the tube now..." She said softly, stroking the boy's arm as he stared blankly at his surroundings. She practically whimpered at her doofus, wondering if it had been that long since they lost their own home since this was normal now - them in the Man's Nest. 

"...Down the tube!"

With that, they were off, hurtling toward the garage and whatever new vehicle Ray wanted to show off. Everything was the same but different, which didn't help Henry's nerves as he stepped out from under the protective shield into the big, bad world. 

If the couple knew what danger he was in, would they have let him out? Probably not. This kid couldn't handle danger for all the big talk he used to make. Sometimes, he wished he could return to when things were simpler--when he chased diaper-wearing villains and the criminally stupid. 

But it was a little late for that. By the time they reached the convenience store, it was too late for anything. 

~The How Convenient Store~

"This place is disgusting..."

(y/n) wrinkled her nose as she followed her doofus and Henry along a dark, dirty street at the foot of Mount Swellview. 

She didn't like how all the streetlights seemed blinky, how many trash bags piled up on the curb, or how she swore she heard rats squeaking in the shadows. The smell made her want to retch, sticking close to Ray's side as he confidently strutted to the lonely store covered in a thick layer of grime and graffiti. 

"Oh, come on, sweet girl! It's gonna be fun!" The hero replied cheerfully, practically skipping along the road since he was riding a massive nostalgia wave. 

He had his beautiful wife on his arm, and beside her, Henry traipsed with them. It didn't matter how skittish he seemed - the kid was there, which was enough to make his old boss giddy as a schoolboy. 

"You mean, we're going to need a tetanus shot after this?" (y/n) said sarcastically, glancing at the reticent boy when he didn't snort at her joke. It was strange; he didn't even fake vomit when they kissed and cuddled in the Man Van, and that made her suspicious--more so than she already was. "Right, kid?"

"Huh?--Oh, yeah, ha...ha." The kid's voice was flat and distracted, probably because he constantly glanced over his shoulder, too busy frantically scanning their surroundings through those thick glasses to laugh at anything they said. 

And the strangest thing had to be how he nearly ducked under the heroine's arm when he heard a shout off in the distance, clinging to her uniform's skirt like a terrified child, not a hardened crime fighter. 

"Man, this is like the good old days! Come on! Come on!" Still, Ray hurried them off, quickly crossing the road with his usual arrogance, squeezing his wife's hand as they burst into How Convenient to see a familiar face. 

"Can you pay attention to me, please?"

"You're always in the middle of a game!" The young woman, named Shasta, behind the counter, whined to whoever she was talking to on the phone - her girlfriend or boyfriend at home, (y/n) assumed. 

She didn't give a damn about the fact that her store was being robbed, more concerned about her troublesome relationship than the criminal begging for some attention. It was challenging to rob a place when the staff refused to hand over the goods. Still, even so, Ray grinned when he recognised the scumbag - for the first time in nearly a decade of dealing with him. 

"Part of the reason I rob people is for the connection, and I feel like you're not here with me right now!" The scruffy, greasy, moronic thug whined as he squeezed his weapon of choice - a skunk for some reason, but then again, he always thought he was clever. 

"Oh, God, not him..."

"Hey, look! It's your old pal, Jeff!" Ray nudged Henry as they huddled near the door. (y/n) couldn't say she was thrilled to see that the idiot had returned after the jailbreak, but for once, her doofus wanted to chase his flabby ass. Anything to relive the glory days with the kid. 

"Yeah, yeah, cool. Let's just hurry this up," Henry replied, feeling as jumpy as ever now that they were out in the open, wearing his Dystopian costume - for anyone to see. 

"Aw, man. I'm so excited!"

"You're adorable, doofus..." the woman giggled when her husband squeezed her body against his in a spur-of-the-moment hug. Yet, she gave Henry a knowing, side-eyed glance whilst the hero couldn't see. 

"Well, I don't even know what we are! What does vibing even mean?" The shop assistant ranted to her friend on the phone, making the heroes feel slightly awkward after hearing something they shouldn't. 

"Do we vibe, sweet girl?" Ray asked his sweet girl quietly as Jeff chased after the woman, who disappeared into the break room with the PearPhone glued to her ear. The silly hero looked so confused, not knowing if it was good or bad or if he'd missed that lesson on youth slang. 

"Oh, yeah, we vibe so hard, doof," (y/n) replied with an enamoured smile despite not entirely understanding what it meant. "But we vibe so much better than that girl and her...companion."

"Where are you going? I'm not done crime-ing!" Jeff whined after Shasta, only for Captain Man to clear his throat to catch the moron's attention. The incompetent villain practically jumped out of his skin when he saw the hero, Miss Danger, and that scrawny, emo-y kid standing there, wondering when they got there. 

"Robbing a store with a skunk?" (y/n) asked with an unimpressed, quirked eyebrow. She folded her arms as Ray turned to her with a silly grin. 

"That plan stinks!" He was so happy with the little pun that he patted the boy's chest to join in the fun after he earned an amused smile from his wife. Now you go—you go—you go!"

"Uh..." Henry stuttered, not knowing what to say since he was riddled with nerves, desperately wanting to go home. "What the smell are you doing? Now, come on--you're going to jail..."

With a stony, tight-lipped face, he marched over to the criminal with a hefty sigh. He grabbed him by the elbow and, with no messing around, yanked him toward the exit without any of the usual flare or dramatics. It was baffling to the couple, who frowned and quickly dragged him back to their sides for being so goddamn dull. 

"Hey, hey, man! Take your time!"

"What are you talking about?" Their old sidekick asked tiredly, wondering what childish, ridiculous drivel his ex-boss was yammering about when he just wanted everything over and done with. It wasn't like him, and all Henry could do was avoid the simmering anger and disappointment in (y/n)'s eyes. 

"Let's slow-fight this crime..." The hero answered softly, hoping to drag out every sweet second of his nostalgia trip to make up for how they parted ways. 

"I just wanna get back to my Nacho Ball!"

"Not gonna lie, we left it with BrainStorm. That Nacho Ball will be long gone..." (y/n) replied, seeing straight through the kid's lie, but it was still true. To the boy's disappointment, Bose always stole anyone's takeout if they unwisely left it unguarded. He wouldn't be able to use that excuse now.

"Hey, is this your news sidekick?" Jeff interrupted, staring at Henry with an untypically curious expression as he tried to size him up. Luckily, he couldn't see through his minimal disguise, not seeing Kid Danger at all, but still, they didn't like how he giggled. 

"Maybe..."

"No!" The kid quickly shut down Ray's high hopes, dimming that pearly grin, but that didn't stop her merciless big sister poking his rubs with her elbow - a mischievous glint in her eye. 

"I'd say we're vibing right now," (y/n) joked, giggling with her husband as he wound his arms around her waist and plonked his chin on the top of her head. 

"You guys don't even know what that means!"

"Sure I do," she retorted when the boy gave her that dry, exasperated look, but how could she be truly cranky when she was in her soulmate's arms? 

Resting her weight against Ray, she flashed him a cunning smile, her eyes sparkling, when the besotted hero pecked her temple—much to Jeff's disgust. He'd always thought she was a pretty girl, but why did she have to choose him?

"It means we're, like, together, but not really."

"But we vibe extra hard 'cause we're actually together, right, precious girl?" Ray asked softly, lowering his mouth next to her ear. He squeezed her gently, hoping he hadn't misinterpreted something because he didn't want any of that situationship shit; she was his, and he was hers. 

"Oh, definitely, Captain. I love you..."

"Aw, sweet girl. I love you, too!"

"I can't even talk to you guys..." Henry rolled his eyes as they cooed and fawned over each other, swearing they were doing it just to wind him up. Either way, it pissed Jeff off, given that it was infuriating to see his favourite pin-up, Miss Danger, in the arms of his mortal enemy, Captain Man. 

As the kid rolled his eyes and grimaced, the crook pointed the skunk at them - an odd choice of weapon that had to be a first for the hero in all his crime-fighting years. Glaring at the happy couple and all their lovey-dovey romance, he lifted the creature's tail and pointed it at the trio; such was his genius. 

"Well, spray hello to my little friend!" Cried Jeff, and a jet of stinky skunk spray blasted at the heroes. 

Ray instantly pulled his sweet girl away and out of harm, hating to think that the foul stench would overcome her sweet perfume. Meanwhile, Henry, despite being semi-abandoned, could handle himself, instantly raising his green, glowing force field around himself. The stink ricocheted back to the criminal, hitting the back of his throat so he tasted it.

"Ahhhhh! It burns!" He screamed, seeing nothing but tears as he turned and fled to escape the foul smell. 

"Classic Jeff!" Ray exclaimed with a hearty laugh, untangling himself from his beloved wife once he'd run off. They had no need to annoy him now, and the best part of the night would be the chase, nudging Henry and congratulating him on a job well done. 

"Yeah, all right. We stopped the robbery, so let's get back to the Man's Nest!" But once again, the kid showed no interest in reliving their former fun, smiling weakly as he made for the door. 

"Hey, kid, hang on!" (y/n) called out, getting a funny feeling in her tummy again as her hand zipped out and caught him by the arm. If only he had told her what was so obviously terrifying him, maybe she could have helped... "We've got to go chase after Jeff! You know, put him in jail!"

"No, no, no, no. Let's get back to the Man's Nest," Henry insisted, slowly edging toward the door, even as they ached to run after their enemy, who was quickly gaining ground. 

"Come on, it'll be fun! Like old times! Punchin', quippin', takin' selfies!" Ray added, jabbing and kicking out at thin air to try and inspire a little action in the boy, but he didn't succeed, either. 

"I don't want to take selfies!" 

He glanced at his wife, looking to her for advice, but she was equally frustrated and slowly losing patience with the boy when he took her wrist and tried to yank her back to the Man Van. 

"Ooh, you know what we can do? We can steal some of these bubblegum burner phones and blame it on Jeff!"

"That's just stealing, doofus, and not the point right now!" (y/n) told her husband firmly when he got a little silly and desperate, but her main focus was the stubborn kid still gripping her arm. 

She looked at him with a hand on her hip, trying to work out what was up with him as her tummy tingle worsened, but it was difficult when he anxiously hopped from foot to foot. 

"It's kind of a grey area, darlin'. Who's gonna know?" Ray replied jokingly, not sensing the tension in the store until his wife gave him the look. A stern, cold glance that had him buttoning his lip and looking at his shoes because he wanted to live. Henry, however, might not see another day as he avoided her firm gaze. 

"I will, you big doofus, but come on!" The heroine answered curtly before yanking her hand from Henry, giving him a tired yet serious stare. "Look, kid, will you just tell us what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Henry asked quietly, trying to act all innocent and cute, hoping it would get her to leave him alone. 

He was little Henry Hart, the boy she had known since he was thirteen. He tried to channel that when his big, wide eyes met hers, only to be met with a harsh scoff and incredulous expression. 

"Oh, cut the crap. We both know you've been lying for the last few days!"

"I have not!" he argued fervently, trying to tap Ray's bicep to get him on his side. 

Still, if there was one thing he'd missed during his time in Dystopia, Ray Manchester did not argue with his wife. Hardly ever, and certainly not on stuff like this. She was the boss, and he didn't mess with her—mainly because she was smoking hot when she was girlbossing it. 

"You're lying right now!" The woman snapped, clutching her tummy when the tingle became painful, tugging her toward the back door like something wanted her to flee, but she wasn't done arguing yet. 

"Sweet cheese, Henry, what are you so afraid of?" 

The kid never got a chance to reply, and she didn't know when to run, not when shit hit the fan. 

A flash of blinding light filled the store, and an explosion threw the trio off their feet. They barely had time to react when the cool, nighttime air hit their faces, telling (y/n)'s dazed brain that the door had burst open, but most importantly, they were under attack. 

It couldn't be Jeff; that idiot was long gone and couldn't find his ass in the dark with both hands, so Captain Man wasn't worried about him, just the unknown. He did not know what he was up against with his vision so blurry, but his instincts told him to move--fight--kick--punch--do something to get to his sweet girl. And Henry, of course. 

As their backs hit a cold, hard surface where racks of chips and candy used to hang, the hero tried to move his bulky arms, reaching for the pretty girl beside him, but it was futile. 

"What the..." (y/n) muttered in a daze, but not enough to miss the bizarre contraption fixing her wrists and lower body to the wall. They were like futuristic handcuffs, glowing with powerful, blue energy that snaked around their tummies before locking their hands by their sides. 

"Miss Danger!" Her doofus exclaimed, panicking slightly when he tugged on the weird restraints with his super-strength, but they didn't break. He couldn't get to her. They were side by side, yet so far and completely powerless, and that made them afraid. 

Yet, the feeling of not being able to reach each other was nothing compared to the terror that ran down their spines when a sinister-looking remote-control drone flew toward them, honing in on Henry as the boy slumped against the wall, petrified and panting. 

It scanned Captain Man and did nothing. It scanned Miss Danger and did nothing. They weren't its target, but Henry? It analysed his face and beeped, talking in a monotone, robotic voice that put the fear of God in the kid. 

"Henry Hart located...Sending bounty hunter."

"What the actual fuck?" (y/n) spat, heart pounding and staring wide-eyed at the drone before she and Ray snapped their heads right in their friend's direction. 

"I can explain..." he said slowly, not daring to look them in the eye because he knew he was screwed. It was just a matter of time before they all met horrific, excruciating ends, and it was all his fault. They were gonna die, and that was on him, but he couldn't tell them that...

"Can you?!" His beloved (y/n/n) gasped, frantically glancing between him and the drone as Ray tried to wrench free, but it was useless. "Oh, Henry, what have you done?"

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean for this to happen," the boy whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut, praying it was some sick, twisted nightmare. But no, the drone was still there, and his closest friends...well, they looked ready to throw hands. 

"For what to happen? What's going on?!" Ray gasped, tugging with all his might to bust out. He wasn't the brightest, refusing to give up, but he didn't need to be a genius to realise how much shit they were in - how he couldn't reach his sweet girl to keep her safe, even if he tried.

"We need to get out of here!"

"Yes, thank you for that capital idea, Sherlock," (y/n) retorted dryly, feeling her wrists chafe as she wiggled them. "Don't suppose you have a freaky techno-key for these freakier cuffs, do you?"

"Just--just call Danger Force and tell them to get here ASAP!" Henry told her shakily, whipping his head at every entrance like he was waiting for someone to arrive, and by the looks of it, he was petrified. 

She scoffed at that. She was seriously not in the mood to take orders from him. Also, what made him think they'd want to help? Those poor kids were exhausted, and this was his mess - if only he'd tell them...

"They won't come. It's their time off, Hen," she replied, but that only made the kid's eyes widen more than she thought humanly possible. 

"They have to!"

"Why? Are we gonna die?" Captain Man asked causally, a light, airy, joking edge to his voice as he tried a smile - anything to lighten the situation. But, his stomach dropped when Henry glanced away awkwardly and pulled a nervous face. Did he even want to know?

"Um...no?" He tried, but it was a pretty poor attempt to say he had all those lessons on lying all those years ago in the Man Cave. 

"One more lie from you, Henry Prudence Hart, and I swear to God--" (y/n) snapped, seeing straight through his anxious disposition, mainly because she was the queen of nerves. The Nervous Queen. 

She invented lying through one's teeth, and her raised eyebrow and penetrating glare made Henry feel worse. He hoped the tears in the corners of his eyes helped his case, although judging by how she shook her head, it didn't. 

"Call them!" He begged, using his best puppy dog eyes and shrillest voice before looking at his old boss. They winced at his volume, thinking he'd gone so high-pitched and whiny that only dogs could hear him. "Please!"

"All right, all right. Jeez..." Ray muttered, wishing to put his hands over his wife's precious little ears. He hated how she leaned away from the kid, who had really become a wimp in his time away from them. "No need to yell at my sweet girl."

Shaking his head, the hero gave his ex-sidekick a stern look—as if he hadn't had enough of those. Still, Henry couldn't complain when Ray fumbled for his PearPhone. Thanks to the freaky restraints, he was the only person with room to manoeuvre. 

It took some work, but he managed it, slipping the cell out from his utility belt before calling Danger Force. They'd undoubtedly be in a foul mood when they saw it was him, but to save his sweet girl? He'd do anything. 

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

It was safe to say that Chapa wasn't happy. Her piercing tone shattered their eardrums despite coming through the phone's speaker, and Miles didn't shy away, either. 

"You're interrupting screen time!" he bellowed, which was weird for the kid, who was usually so chill. 

"Oh, my bad, D-Force!" Ray said in his usual lighthearted tone, smirking at his sweet girl and the perturbed kid, "Just, uh, that me, my incredibly hot wife, are in a little jammy jam, but don't worry about it! We'll find another way outta this!"

"No, no, no, no! We need them to help us get out of here ASA-NOW!" Henry argued, sounding even more panicked and jittery than before, earning puzzled looks from the couple. "Please, come help us!"

"Sorry! Captain Man said you guys would handle this call," replied Chapa, who had no plans to leave her snuggly blanket or the sacred sanctuary of Mika's bedroom. 

"She's right, kid. This doofus did promise we'd take this call," (y/n) added, frowning when the boy ignored her soothing voice and tugged frantically on his cuffs. 

"We gotta honour it. Even if it kills you," Ray joked, although he would never let a thing hurt his beloved wife, flashing her a blindingly charming smile. 

"Please, come help us!" the kid pleaded again, feeling like throwing up as he got desperate. He bribed Danger Force with anything he could think of. He was shameless, promising them anything their little hearts desired as the drone's red eye focused solely on him. 

"What--what do you want? Captain Man and Miss Danger will give it to you!"

"What?" The couple murmured, glancing at each other with deeper frowns as the boy shouted into the speaker, giving away privileges he didn't have. 

"You want to fly the Man Copter? You want a bunch of puppies?! We'll give it to you!" He offered, neither of which sounded pleasant to Ray. 

The hero could see it now; his beloved helicopter spiralling to the ground or a bunch of mammals doing their doo-doos all over his Man's Nest, and the latter seemed worse. Of course, he had the best luck, and the children chose puppies - because who doesn't like puppies?

Hell, (y/n) knew which one she would pick, already imagining a little friend for Colin. She could already picture them setting bolt right up, eyes sparkling at the thought of cuddling with adorable doggies - a lovely image only ruined by Henry's snivelling. 

"Just, please, come! Please, come help us!"

"PUPPIES!" The kids cried in pure joy. Despite their morals and grand ideas about screen time, they'd do anything for puppies. 

"We're on our way!" With that, they ended the call, leaving the trio alone to await rescue. 

Henry's tummy was undoubtedly less choppy and churning, but his expression didn't change. He was pale and pasty as his knees shook, his back pressed to the wall in pure terror. He looked like a wimp, and giving away the Man Copter like a pound of tea? That was downright disgraceful. 

"Jeez, kid. What's got your brisket in a basket?" Ray asked frostily, glancing at his old friend as he squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered. 

The boy glanced at the man and then at (y/n), whose piercing gaze never left him; she was clearly waiting for an answer, and if anything, Henry was more scared of upsetting her than the monster coming for them. 

But, no matter how deep he was already in, he couldn't lie to her anymore, not when she searched his face and gazed at him with those kind eyes. And when she spoke? He crumbled. 

"Henry? What's wrong?"

"Okay, I gotta level with you guys," he gulped, nervously buzzing in place as Ray casually glanced around the store, ignorant of the situation's severity like usual. 

"Dystopia is really scary, and I kinda messed with some things that are so evil that I can't even explain, including this bounty hunter named Blackout that literally eats people's souls."

"Bounty...hunter?" (y/n) echoed as she felt the blood drain from her face and her heart stop. Now, she partially understood his terror, having thought hunters were legends relegated to old cowboy movies and sci-fi series. What the hell had the boy gotten himself into?

"...And he's hungry for mine, so I came to Swellview because I thought I'd be safe in the Man's Nest, but he clearly found me, and he's gonna eat our souls!"

"...So, you didn't come to Swellview to see us?" Was the first thing Ray asked, his eyebrows pulled upwards to make him look all wounded and pouty. 

Perhaps he missed the mark a little, but he'd never let this asshole suck out his sweet girl's soul - she was too precious for that. So, he wasn't overly worried, but he was undoubtedly hurt that his ex-sidekick ran away from his problems under the cover of a friendly visit. 

"Not really the time or place, doofus," (y/n) told him quietly, still remarkably holding her nerve as she processed everything. 

It was a lot to take in; death, danger, bounty hunters, and soul-sucking, but she silently agreed - it was a kick in the teeth to be an excuse. However, she'd prefer not to be in mortal danger when they were scolding the kid. 

"That's what I'm hearing, sweet girl," answered Ray, giving her a look akin to a kicked puppy, even as Henry tried to smooth everything over. 

"No, no, no, I did! I did!" He argued, trying to make the man-child feel better. "But I also don't want my soul to get eaten! And I needed to do some laundry...and I wanted (y/n)'s cookies..."

"Oh, well, it's nice to be wanted..." the woman retorted dryly, rolling her eyes at being reduced to a bakery and laundromat. Henry gave her a sheepish look, smiling awkwardly as he stared at his feet. 

"Are you mad?" He asked quietly, knowing he'd kept a lot from her, not to mention lying to her face and demanding cookies by the dozen. 

"Oh, I'm not mad, Henry..." (y/n) replied, resting her head against the wall while Ray tapped his foot against hers—he'd get what he could when they couldn't hold hands. She looked tired as her head lolled to look at the kid, firmly believing they could have worked something out to avoid this mess. 

"I'm just disappointed." 

Henry winced at that. He'd heard it a million times from his parents, but coming from his surrogate sister, (y/n) Manchester? It was like death by a thousand cuts to his quivering heart. He could take her being angry as a punishment, but knowing he'd gone down in her eyes? He felt like crying. 

"Ooh, ouch..." Ray muttered, having been there and heard that. He felt for the kid, although perhaps not as seriously as he should've done. 

"I'm sorry..." Henry whispered, not daring to look at her as his gut ached, feeling all low and nervous like he was gonna throw up. He'd never betrayed their trust like this before, and knowing what he did, he knew Ray would never forgive him for putting his wife in harm's way. 

"Don't apologise now, Hen..." said the woman lowly, knowing she'd cry if he cried, and she was trying to be firm. "It's too late."

"I know... I messed up."

"Yeah, you did." She nodded, an exasperated smile as she shook her head. 

Part of her wanted him to feel bad; if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have a peg digging into her spine, but he was as human as her--and she would've been a nervous wreck if she knew he was being hunted. And who hadn't told a lie before to spare someone's worry? 

So, she showed a little leniency. Perhaps she was tender-hearted, but she saw no benefit in chewing him out now, not when Ray had already given him a tough time for not visiting. That could wait for when they weren't about to be murdered. 

"But we've got Danger Force coming to get these things off, and when they do, I'm going slap your silly head for telling lies, young man."

"So, you don't hate me?" the kid asked as he raised his head, giving her the same wobbly smile as when they first met—full of nerves and hope like a little kid. 

"I don't think we could ever hate you, Henry Hart--" Just as (y/n) gave him her warmest smile, everything went black.

The lights fizzled out like there'd been a power cut, and that's when any temporarily good feelings in Henry's tummy vanished. A childish squeak passed through his lips, glancing around their dim surroundings with wide eyes to catch any movement. 

"What?" Ray asked with a slight chuckle, thinking his old sidekick looked ridiculous as he cowered like a frightened little lamb - not the almighty hero he was. 

"It's Blackout, dude!" Henry gasped, suddenly wishing he could run to his mommy as the couple calmly stood beside him. But that was only because ignorance was bliss. 

"Yeah, it looks like someone forgot to pay the power bill. Right, darlin'?" The hero joked, nudging his wife's elbow as she smiled and curiously looked around.

"No, no, no. It always goes dark before Blackout shows up!" The boy explained frantically, looking a bit manic as he tugged on his restraints. 

"Oh, this guy can turn off lights? Oh, I'm so scared!" Ray exclaimed sarcastically - as arrogant and cocksure as usual. 

"Why are you laughing?!"

"What else can he do? Unplug your amp while you're playing guitar?" He scoffed with a bright smile, which only dimmed when his dense brain suddenly realised something, making (y/n) glance away awkwardly. 

"And as I say that, I realise Schwoz might have done that on purpose, that little piece of sh--" 

Ray would have to take up that fight with the genius later and grill him on killing the groove. First, he would have to deal with their interrupting guest, who made his presence very well known when he kicked the door open and stomped into the store. 

A heavy breath left Henry's body as his nemesis stood before him, draped in all-black robes and an imposing steel mask. He looked like Death himself, and the kid would honestly say he was petrified. 

Even (y/n) gulped, not liking how this Blackout guy stood at least head and shoulders taller than her with huge hands that could snap her in two. Still, she tried to be brave, glaring at the villain as Ray confidently snorted at him, thinking he looked like a bug in that stupid helmet. 

"I should never have come here," Henry murmured, a foreboding sense telling him that the fiend would leave no witnesses behind, "I'm sorry for putting you guys in danger."

"Relax, if this guy puts one finger on my sweet girl, I'll kick his ass into next week," Ray replied, puffing his chest out at the bounty hunter as he flashed a cocky grin at his precious wife. 

He didn't look like much, standing there like a lemon--and his muscles weren't as big as his, and he wasn't handsome with that mask. "And this loser doesn't even have a weapon."

As usual, he spoke too soon on that one. With the press of a button on a small doohickey, Blackout summoned one of the bloodiest, craziest, and biggest weapons (y/n) had ever seen. 

It was like an axe from hell, spawning blades and spikes on either end of a long, steel pole, meaning he had double the opportunity to chop heads and limbs off. And she didn't doubt that he'd use it without a spare thought. 

"Okay, I'm taking that home after we're done with this guy!" Ray gasped, thinking it looked as sick as it was sinister. 

"We're gonna die, dude!" But Henry just shook his head, sniffing weakly as he presumed the worst. 

Unlike Ray, who imagined nothing but a sweet victory. Then, he'd move on to adoration and glory, followed by a peaceful retirement with his beloved wife and the family they would undoubtedly have. He definitely had no plans to give that up for something as stupid as dying. 

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm trying to think of an opening quip..."

"Is now really the time, Captain?" Miss Danger asked quietly, eyeing Blackout, who didn't seem as idle as before now that he had his big stick axe thing. 

"Sure, pretty girl. Okay, how about..." he said calmly, channelling his inner wit and doofy humour, "Knock-knock--"

"Doofus, look out!" Her warning came too late, and even if he noticed the bounty hunter owing, there wasn't much Ray could've done.

Blackout charged at him without a second thought, twirling and slamming the butt of his lethal axe into the hero's toned stomach to the sound of (y/n)'s shriek. The impact was so powerful that her doofus blasted through the wall, leaving a colossal hole beside her as Henry gulped, his mouth propped open. 

"Typically, you'd say, who's there?" The hero's weak voice came, strained and squeaky, from the back room where he lay. He'd be okay, of course, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch. 

"Holy shit..." (y/n) gulped as the hunter ignored his victim's cries. Instead, he expertly twirled his weapon and glanced between her and the kid, seemingly picking between his prey. 

"Look..." Henry said pleadingly, despite knowing it was futile, "I'm the one you want, okay? Eat my soul, do you whatever you want to my body--just don't hurt my friends!"

"Hell, no, if Nightlight or whatever his name is wants a fight, he can have one!" The heroine argued, glowering at the villain, who she thought was such a coward. 

He didn't give his enemies a fighting chance, and she tugged at her cuffs to at least try and get a swipe at him before her doom. Yet, she didn't have the opportunity because, out of nowhere, a herd of children fell from the sky. 

It sounded ridiculous, but that's actually what happened. Before her and Henry's eyes, four bodies tackled Blackout from above, leaving him in a groaning heap. They blinked in surprise as Miles, Mika, Chapa, and Bose lay on the ground, wearing their uniforms, slightly winded but otherwise okay. 

"You guys!" (y/n) grinned, having never been so happy to see them, even if they were slightly grumpy from the rough landing. 

"Too high!" Miles groaned, having misjudged his teleportation, not that it mattered too much. 

"How did you miss the floor, AWOL?" Chapa hissed as she glared and clutched her bruised ribs. 

"At least we're here! We could have been in another country! Ungrateful!" The boy argued indignantly, thinking some people were unbelievably rude. 

Regardless, they marched over to their fellow sidekicks and quickly freed them, ripping away the freaky handcuffs. 

"Oh, my sweet baby boy, Bose!" (y/n) grinned at the boy as he gently freed her. She rubbed at her chafed wrists and hugged him before greeting her other babies, knowing she'd end up baking some thank-you cookies once they made it home. 

"Hey, why are the lights out?" Asked Chapa when she didn't see the warm, snuggly hug coming, which she would never admit to enjoying. The darkness hid her rosy cheeks, but they couldn't fight blindly.

"It's Blackout! He's a bounty hunter from Dystopia--" Henry answered as they worked at uncuffing him, too, only the girl quickly turned her back on him. 

"I've already stopped listening," she murmured, too busy searching for the convenience store's fuse box so she could jump the lights. 

Meanwhile, Ray emerged from the back room, still bolted to the wall he'd been thrown through. He waddled into the front with a massive chunk of plasterboard on his back, looking a little stunned but otherwise okay. 

"Doofus!" (y/n) exclaimed happily when she saw him standing there, his stature slightly shortened by the wall's weight. Still, he was a sight for sore eyes when the light returned, and she didn't hesitate to throw her arms around his neck. 

"Are you okay?"

"Always when I'm with you, darlin'," Ray replied charmingly, wishing he could hold her in his arms and kiss those pretty lips. But he'd have to wait for when he was free, sort of a sitting duck with his wrists restrained as Blackout got back on his feet. 

"Captain Man...what are you doing? Be careful!" The heroine gasped when Ray boldly toddled past her, having to walk on his tiptoes since the plasterboard threatened his balance. 

Still, he wasn't about to have some emo bounty hunter dictate stuff to him or endanger his wife, so he tapped him on the shoulder. Blackout turned around, mildly impressed to see the blue and red moron still alive and glaring at him, but Ray never went down without a fight. 

"Wasn't done with my quip. I said, knock, knock--" That being said, he was still an idiot. 

(y/n) winced when he took another blow to the gut from that spiky axe, stumbling backwards across the room until he fell onto his ass. 

"Stay away from him..." She told the villain coldly as she put herself between him and her vulnerable husband, clearly intending to fight. It was a little reckless, but she didn't care, drawing a quiet chuckle from the otherwise silent hunter. 

"Sweet girl, don't!" Ray called out to her, happy to say that if he were cut down now, the last thing he'd see was her perfect butt in that skirt, but he didn't want to see her hurt. 

In his mind, he wasn't worth it. He shouted at the kids to help her as Henry shook off his bonds, but the latter didn't jump into action. 

"Thanks, I owe you one," the kid said to Bose and Mika with a fleeting grin before running for the door. He really was a wimp...

"What?! Dude!"

"Henry!"

"Where are you going?!" Danger Force and (y/n) shouted after him, shocked to see the formerly fearless sidekick flee. 

Luckily, Chapa, having zapped the fuse box, was stationed near the door and blocked his exit, meaning he could not escape his problems this time. 

"The scary guy's that way, and he's about to peel Miss Danger like a satsuma," Mika told him, pointing at where (y/n) stood with Blackout. She looked a tad overwhelmed.

Maybe it was the fact she foresaw one punch and dodged it, only to receive a sneaky uppercut, or perhaps it was how he then grabbed her by the throat and lifted the woman off her feet that gave it away. Who knows?

"Looks like she's takin' care of him..." Henry gulped, knowing he was lying to himself again when his friend was mercilessly tossed to the side like a ragdoll. 

That gave the villain access to Captain Man, who quickly had to endure an excruciating beating from the axe as Blackout tried to chop him in half. Still, to look at him, Ray looked like he was merely being tickled, taking the swings and making jokes like a champ, albeit through gritted teeth. 

"After I say knock-knock, you say, who's there? And I say, my fist! And then, before you can say, my fist who, that's when I say, ah!"

"Captain Man!" (y/n) exclaimed, staring through woozy eyes as Blackout tried to cleave her husband's chest again, drawing a pained grunt from him. She tried to get to her feet, a little wobbly after her little scuffle, but she was more worried about him. 

"All right, I'll see you guys later. Tell Schwoz he can keep my dirty laundry..." Henry said, giving them a little wave before tiptoeing toward the door - as if he'd ever make a clean getaway. 

He made it about five steps, with Danger Force running after him, before (y/n) spotted him, and her visage darkened. The kid could practically pinpoint the moment her glare pierced him, but her booming voice put the fear of God in him. 

"Henry Prudence Hart! Stay right where you are!" The heroine shouted, and as she commanded, he froze. Henry shakily turned around, flanked by Danger Force's members as they shoved him away from the door and toward their boss. Their real boss - Ray could never be this scary. 

She didn't have to say anything, merely crooking her finger towards herself to beckon him over. Henry's feet moved independently, slapping on the tiled floor with encouragement from Chapa's elbow. He stood before his friend, who stared at him menacingly with her hands on her hips, not knowing where to start. 

"Just where do you think you're going?" she asked sternly, feeling like she'd called a child up for a telling-off in front of the entire school. 

"Home..." Henry replied, barely audible as he mumbled his words. 

"Louder."

"Home," he repeated, clearing his throat so she could hear him. This time, she sighed through her teeth, shaking her head. The disappointment was bitterly wounding. 

"Right..." (y/n) nodded in understanding, and for a quick minute, she seemed remarkably calm. But only for a few seconds. 

In the blink of an eye, she had her hand in the air before bringing it down on the nape of the kid's neck, slapping him on the back of his head as she'd promised. Each hissed word was punctuated with a slap, making him grimace as the sharp smacks rained down. 

"You're. Such. An. Idiot. Henry!"

"Ow!" 

"You better say ow! How could you leave us to fight this guy alone?!" The heroine said sharply, blowing on her fingers to cool them off, and she had no sympathy for his little whines. 

"I don't know! I--" he tripped over his words, nervous from having so many little eyes on him. He didn't need the children's judgment. They had zero idea what it was like, so he stared at his hands, the floor, and even Ray as he received another pummelling. 

"You what?! Huh? What, Henry?" But that merely made (y/n) angrier, and she glared at the boy as he failed to provide a coherent answer. 

"What could be so important that you leave me, Captain Man, and Danger Force here to die? Huh?! 'Cause you said, this guy wouldn't blink twice at murdering us!"

"Dude..." Chapa muttered dryly, giving the older kid a judgy stare as he shook. She despised cowards, especially the ones who knowingly allowed kids to do his dirty work. Still, Henry just ignored her, wrapping his arms around himself like a comforting blanket. 

"I can't, (y/n/n)! I just can't!"

"Why?" The woman demanded to know and stepped close to him until Henry couldn't take it anymore. His hands flew to his hair, tugging it in exasperation as his teary, bloodshot gaze met hers. 

"I'm scared! Okay?! I'm scared to fight Blackout!" He cried, and they all froze. It was an unexpected outburst, and not a word (y/n) often associated with the kid, seeing him as courageous and daring, but he was just a kid. 

Sometimes, it was easy to forget that - he was so young. 

"He's really tough and evil and...I'm just...scared."

"Henry..." (y/n) sighed, placing her hands on his shoulders so he had no choice but to look her in the eye. 

She was mildly surprised when she saw the little boy he used to be staring back at despite being so much taller now; he was still thirteen-year-old Henry Hart, and she knew him. And he knew her. "What's my number one rule?"

"Ooh, ooh! No capes!" Bose piped up, his hand in the air, as if they were back in the classroom. 

"Good, but no..." She smiled at his antics, liking his enthusiasm, but shook her head. She kindly looked at the tall boy, putting her hands on his smooth, boyish cheeks and squishing them together. 

"Even superheroes are allowed to be scared."

"Wow...you're really bringing that one back?" A grin broke out on his face as the simple utterance shot him back in time five years prior. 

He remembered every wobble he and Ray ever had and how she was always the one to soothe their worries with the right words. 

"It's true," she replied, pulling him into a tight hug and whispering... "It's normal to be afraid, but we don't just run away from the problem! So, stay here and help us fight this guy!"

"Yeah! Captain Man says you're the best superhero he's ever seen," Miles interjected, giving his predecessor a reassuring smile and bump on the arm. He was trying to be encouraging, but Henry was ever the pessimist. 

"That does not sound like him," he answered, knowing Ray and his constant ridicule. 

"He also says you have a surprisingly good singing voice," Bose added, making the kid smile coyly. He looked a little sheepish, his ears tinged pink, but if there was one thing his ex-boss loved, it was a sing-song, and Henry had been there for a few.

"I guess I'm all right..." he crooned, just as Blackout took another hit at Ray, slamming the electrified axe into his chest. (y/n) was anxious to go and help, turning to the boy with pleading eyes. 

"Captain Man says that we're garbage, and the four of us will never measure up to one of you."

"I disagree with that, but whatever..." the heroine muttered to herself when Chapa grumbled, staring jealously at Henry because they would never be him. They would never replace Kid Danger or what he meant to the superheroes, but they didn't want to. They just wanted to make it on their own. 

"I'm sure you guys are pretty tough...." replied Henry, thinking they had to have some talent - Ray wouldn't tolerate utter losers. And they had superpowers, right?

"Well, why don't you stay here, and we can show you?" Mika said, challenging the boy with a flash of her determined gaze, backed up by her twin. Even Henry couldn't help but feel fired up, knowing their support was behind him. 

"Yeah, let's take this guy down together." Everyone fell silent for a minute, half-smiling at the nice sentiment and half-cringing at how sappy it was. Chapa had to stop herself from puking, (y/n) gritted her teeth, and the others winced. 

"Was that cheesy? That felt really cheesy..."

"Eh...maybe a bit. Lil' bit of cheese," the woman told him kindly, trying to spare his feelings whilst Chapa didn't hold back. She shivered at the grossness of friends helping friends for the greater good and all that crap. 

But the small jokes and quiet laughs soon died down when the all-too-familiar bang of Blackout's axe coming down cut through the air. 

Everyone glanced back at Ray, who had sweat clinging to his temple as he endured another savage whack, and even the bounty hunter grew tired of the never-ending attack. 

"Why won't you die?" He growled, hunched over to catch his breath. Obviously, the hero hadn't let slip his indestructibility. 

"You ready?" (y/n) murmured to Henry, knowing she'd go for round two with that guy, whether he wanted to fight or not. 

But when he turned to her, the kid had a fiery glint in his eye and a cocksure grin that she knew too well. He nodded at her firmly and rolled his shoulders, loosening everything up to take on his greatest enemy - which he should've done in the first place rather than leaving Charlotte and Jasper in danger. 

"Let's ride on this fool..." Henry told her and the children, who all readied themselves for a fight. 

They lined up, fists clenched and feet firmly planted on the floor; the kid and (y/n) stood hip-to-hip with two kids on either side of them, hoping their powers would actually work for once. 

Immediately, AWOL thrust his fist into the air, disappearing in a flash of warm light before reappearing beside the winded villain. Before Blackout could even look up, he kicked out at his weapon, knocking it from his hand across the floor.

He backed off once he wasn't dangerous, and Volt went in, rolling across the floor as Henry and (y/n) dashed forward. The kid punched him first, and Chapa sneakily blasted him in the face with a bolt of lightning, stunning him long enough for the heroine to land a blow on his face.

"That's for hurting my husband!" (y/n) growled, hoping her rough slug stung like a bitch since he tried to slice her doofus. They went back and forth like that, punching and zapping him until ShoutOut yelled at them...

"All of you, move!" She ordered, giving the three enough time to hit the floor before she super-screamed. 

The violent sound waves knocked the villain to the ground with a grunt. BrainStorm finished him off, using his telekinesis to lift him into the air and drag him across the room into Henry's force field. It was like hitting a brick wall, leaving the bounty hunter firmly incapacitated. 

High-fives, giggles, and fist-bumps passed around the room as the heroes grinned, celebrating a job well done. Why the kid couldn't handle that guy in the first place was beyond them, but they didn't say anything, too proud to feel anything but pure joy. 

At last, Ray broke free of the handcuffs, having used Blackout's repeated assaults to weaken them. With a final tug of his super-strength, they shattered, and he was finally freed from the damn things - including the plasterboard. 

"Dooooooofus!" (y/n) exclaimed, leaving the kids by the door to run into his embrace once the man was on his feet. She threw her arms around his neck, and Ray grinned, easily lifting her up as he pecked her cheek. 

"There's my girl..." he whispered, spinning around before planting her on her feet again. Their lips met gently, earning a few whistles and groans from the kids, but the couple didn't listen.

"You looked so hot when you punched that guy..." Ray muttered into her ear, grinning from ear to ear as he squeezed her waist. 

"Yeah? You were watching?" She replied quietly, knowing the kids would see them whispering and make all those puking noises, but it felt like an age since she'd been in his arms--even though it was only an hour or two. 

She was pleased to have emphasised her hip movements during the fight when he was watching. She could tell which asset had captured her doofus' gaze simply by how he needily nuzzled into her neck. 

"Couldn't help it..." the hero answered, kissing down her neck before glancing at the crumpled villain behind her. Part of him was disappointed in himself that he hadn't protected her--left her to be thrown around by that asshole, and it fuelled his need for revenge. 

"Watch this..." 

(y/n) followed her hulking lover as he plodded toward Blackout, a little unsteady on his feet since he'd endured a few too many hits. Still, he loomed over the pile of black robes, glaring down at the hunter who dared to hurt his precious wife. 

"Hey, Blackout..." he called to him, only to get no reply from the snoozing criminal. "What'd you get when you cross a duck with a Shih Tzu? Blackout?"

"I think he's a bit...unconscious, doof," said his wife, who hovered by his side and grabbed onto his beefy arm, loving how muscly it felt under her hands. But that wasn't good enough for the man-child, who'd missed out on his excellent quip and lost his hilarious joke. 

That made him mad - furious, even - so he did the normal thing. He kicked him in the spine as if it would be a wake-up call. 

"Blackout!" He hissed, booting him again, but he didn't even squeak in pain. There wasn't even a flicker of life in the guy, making (y/n) look at the kids with a panicked expression. 

"You don't think he's...do you?" she asked, looking at them wide-eyed before turning to Ray. He blew out his cheeks at her, just knowing that he'd have to be the one to scrape him up off the floor and dump the body...somewhere. 

"Okay, that's your one for the year," he told Danger Force, who pouted that they'd lost their privilege so quickly - and Chapa didn't even get to savour it.

Ray got his weird, spiky, axey thing, which he quickly retrieved from Blackout's fingertips. Why couldn't she mildly maim a guy?

~The Man's Nest~

The following day was a sad one. 

With his fears about Blackout and instant death, Henry's brief but glorious visit to his surrogate parents was over, even if he didn't want it to be. Despite everything - the lies, secrecy and trickery - he enjoyed seeing them again, bonding with Ray like old times and eating too much of (y/n)'s food. 

He felt safe, loved, and wanted again, but with age came responsibility, and that was in Dystopia - he knew that now. He knew skipping town because of a few butterflies wasn't right, so it was time to put it right. And that would undoubtedly break the old man's heart. 

"Ho-kay, laundry all done," Schwoz said as he finished folding the last of the kid's freshly washed and pressed clothing. He'd nearly killed himself trying to clean the small mountain, but it was worth seeing that cheeky smile again, putting it all into a big sack for the journey home. 

"Thanks, Schwoz," Henry replied, tucking his PearPhone into his back pocket after finally responding to Charlotte. She'd give him hell when he returned, but he deserved it--and she was much scarier than Blackout. 

"I left a little present in the pocket of one of your pairs of jeans."

"Aw, thanks..." the kid grinned, a faint blush painting his cheeks since he wasn't used to such affection. "What is it? Like, a little piece of candy?"

"All I can say is...it's alive," said the genius, making the boy pause and give him a suspicious, concerned look. Typical Shwoz...

"What? Seriously?!"

"It was nice to see you! I love your wig!" The bald weirdo exclaimed before scurrying off, greeting Ray and (y/n) as they passed through the metal door. 

The kid frowned at what he said, touching his very real hair, but he ignored it, smiling sadly at them. He hauled the laundry bag over his shoulder and tried not to appear gloomy, knowing he'd never make it to the tube if the woman cried. 

"Don't forget your Nacho Ball!" Ray told him as he handed over a sack full of greasy deliciousness. Anyone could see he was smiling bravely, showing the kid his most charming smile as (y/n) reassuringly squeezed his hand. 

"Whoever sits next to me on the plane is gonna hate me..." the kid joked - anything to try and lighten the mood. 

"Because of the farts?" Ray sniggered, giggling with his old sidekick like children as (y/n) shook her head and sniffed. She promised herself she wouldn't cry...

"I keep telling you not to eat dairy," she scolded him, clutching the Tupperware box in her free hand like a lifeline, which she needed when an awkward silence fell over them. 

Over six years together, and she couldn't remember a time when no one had something to say...

"Oh, I made you some oatmeal-raisin cookies...for the flight," she said, quickly giving him the box, and her arms fell by her sides again, watching the kid try to juggle everything. "I would say save some for Charlotte and Jasper, but I doubt they'll last that long."

"No way..." Henry laughed, tucking the precious baked goods into his bag so he could nibble on them after the Nacho Ball. A final, familiar taste of home... "Thanks, (y/n/n)."

"Y'know...you don't have to go back to Dystopia," Ray told him slowly, hoping his last-ditch attempt would change the boy's mind. 

It was almost impossible and a little late to stop now, but he could at least try as he curled his arm around his wife's waist and tucked his hand into her back pocket. He needed an old, squishy friend to pat to settle his nerves. 

"No, I do..." Henry replied, glancing at the floor before giving his old friend a sad half-smile, "Running to Swellview just put you guys in danger."

"Yeah, but they took care of it, right?" The hero sniffed, gesturing to the children across the room, who barely knew what day it was, thanks to the adorable distractions he'd organised. 

(y/n) was unbelievably jealous. She stared longingly at the four puppies nestled in each kid's arms and wished he'd let her have one. She helped save the day...why couldn't she cuddle one?

"They sure did, dude. That's a tough group of kids you guys have there."

"It always surprises us how much grit and determination each of them has," the heroine replied, trying not to sound all babyish and pouty as she fondly watched Danger Force by their lockers. 

"Right, sweet girl..." Ray muttered, wiggling his fingers in the pocket against her butt, earning a light smack on the arm before his mischievous grin fell. "...Oh my God, they're baby-talking the puppies..."

"This was so worth it!" They overheard Miles exclaim as he petted his little French Bulldog, and the heroes couldn't help but smile. 

"Later, Dangers!" The kid called out to them, and Miles, Mika, Chapa, and Bose looked up from the cute creatures and grinned. 

"A-buh-bye, Henwy!"

"Byeeeee!"

"Have a safe trip!" They exclaimed in silly, squeaky voices, and to Ray's exasperation, they used the puppies' paws to wave goodbye, acting as if they were talking.

So, at last, the moment had come. Henry's flight was scheduled to leave a couple of hours, and he'd stretched his time in the Nest until the last second. Now, he had to go, turning to his tearful friends with a bittersweet smile. 

"Wanna hug it out?" He offered, knowing (y/n/n) wouldn't let him go without one. 

"Nah..." Ray shook his head stubbornly, hating the aching feeling in his chest like someone had clawed it out. He didn't want anyone to see him cry - especially Chapa - but his sweet girl didn't care, stepping forward and pulling the boy toward her in the blink of an eye. 

"Well, I do!" She cried, tightly looping her arms around the kid's waist and burying her face into his chest. "My baby's not leaving without his goodbye hug..."

"Best hugs in Swellview..." Henry whispered, savouring the warm snuggliness for a few seconds as she clung to him, nuzzling his plaid shirt. 

Glancing up, he saw the moody hero staring at them, a twinkle of jealousy in his blue eyes. When Henry beckoned him with two fingers, knowing he knew more about the woman's hugs than most, it wasn't surprising that Ray's stubbornness melted. 

"...Maybe just one hug." He conceded and quickly joined his wife, wrapping his arms around her and the kid so she was sandwiched between them. 

Henry patted the man's back as best he could, feeling the weight of both of them leaning on his body, and whilst it was immense, he wasn't mad. If anything, he savoured it, knowing he wouldn't have it again for many months; on the other side of the world where no one cared about him the way they did. 

"I'll call you when I get home," he muttered to the heroine, grunting slightly when Ray's arms tightened - keeping his two favourite people in the world right where he wanted them. 

"Don't forget..." (y/n) said in a joking, warning tone, having never felt so content in a hug before, running her hands up and down the boy's back. "And when you get home, you make sure to tell Charlotte and Jasper that I'm thinking about them..."

"I will..." he nodded, imagining his friends' grins when they received her love - even if he'd undoubtedly have eaten the cookies.

"And keep yourself safe," she added, stretching the moment for every it was worth. "And if you need anything, don't hesitate to call us. Not for a second..."

"Okay, (y/n/n). Don't worry..."

"I will worry..." She sniffed, feeling the tears pricking at her eyes, even as her husband's huge chest curled around her body. "I'll always worry when my babies aren't at home."

"I'll call..." Henry promised, squeezing her and Ray one final time before when his phone dinged. "Oh--that's my Goober."

"Yeah..." He was a bit stuck, trapped by her hug and Ray's immovable, muscly arms, and even though she loosened up, the man had no intention of letting go. 

"I gotta go, guys..."

"Okay..." (y/n) said quietly, trying to save her sobs for once he'd gone, but even after her arms released him, Ray remained. He was lost in the moment, his hand locked on his wrist as the kid tried to push him away. 

"Ray, I gotta go!"

"Doofus!" The woman groaned, feeling his hug grow a little tighter to the point where she felt like she was being steam-rolled. "Doofus, I can't breathe..."

"Ray, I gotta go!" 

Henry took drastic measures when he didn't respond again, pushing the couple away with a small, light force field. It wasn't too strong, knowing he wouldn't live another day if he hurt her, but it broke the guy out of his daydream, leaving them all tangled up. 

"Yeah, yeah..." Ray mumbled, draping himself over his pretty girl as Henry shook his head mirthfully. "Get outta here! Protect that Goober rating!"

"Yeah..." He nodded sadly, looking over his shoulder one last time as his PearPhone pinged - the sign of an irate taxi driver. 

The air was heavy and stagnant as he shuffled to the tube, feeling like he'd hardly been in Nest for two seconds, and now, he was leaving. But, there was one little surprise left...

"Ow!" 

To his horror, when he reached into his back pocket for his phone, something bit his fingertip, latching on and not letting go. When he pulled it out, he discovered Schwoz's little present—a delightfully tiny snapping turtle, much to everyone's confusion. 

"Gotcha!" An evil chuckle came across the room when the metal door rose to reveal the genius lurking behind them, kneeling on the floor in his stupid pinafore. 

"Schwoz!" Ray exclaimed angrily, but the little weirdo disappeared again, giggling manically as the kid flicked the little critter away and rubbed his sore finger. 

"That really hurt..." he muttered, stepping onto the tube pad with all his baggage as the hero stared at him longingly, wishing 

Who knew when his next visit would be? 

"Wait!" 

#ray manchester #ray manchester x reader #captain man x reader #dangerverse #reader insert #danger force #chapa de silva #henry danger #fanfiction #x reader #henry danger smut #henry hart #miss danger #danger force season 3 #kid danger #captain man smut #captain man #ray manchester smut #ray manchester fanfiction #x ray #fanfic #my writing #writing #writeblr #writers #creative writing #writers on tumblr #on writing

[hadescabin]

as much as i love the series, one thing that sorta frustrates me about tbhk is how little fleshed out some characters feel even though they're in the spotlight. someone else brought it up on here but i wanted to expand out on it a little bit, where it feels like yeah, characters like aoi, akane, and even nene, don't seem to be seeing much developments. akane can be chalked up for the fact that he's sorta meant to be comic relief, and his relationship with aoi is by extension mostly exaggerated as a result of this. while we've SEEN some development happen between the two because of past chapters, it's not really anything substantial? same thing with nene, it seems like she hasn't really budged much since her confession to hanako. she's back to the same (or at least a similar) problem and seems to have made little to no progress since then. we spend the last few chapters seeing her trying to figure out a way to have a discussion with hanako about the state of their relationship, even though it makes little to no sense on why she'd be this way when they've both made it abundantly clear that they liked each other and even went as far as to kiss. like there is little to no room on how both sides confessing their romantic feelings for one another before kissing should warrant this b plot conflict confusion, or at least a conflict that spans for a good several chapter. especially when that scene was meant to be representative of them both opening up to each other. if anything, that discussion should've happened there or the chapter after it because it's like come on girl, how are you STILL doubting that he likes you.

akane is also a big victim of this, where his character isn't that fleshed out. it doesnt make sense to me since he's been playing a big role in the past 30 chapters or so, and had chapters dedicated to his and aoi's relationship with one another. yet we're just supposed to accept that yep, akane is hopelessly obsessed with her for no reason and it just happened out of the blue ever since he saw her as a kid. dont get me wrong, it made sense back when he was a gag character, but now that he's taking a much more serious role in the story, has a spotlight, and covered some serious topics with aoi about the nature of their friendship and how horrifically complex and messy it is, it just feels out of place? i know that this comes primarily from the fact that tbhk is pretty silly, especially in the early chapters, but i feel that the author is talented enough to work around this, as they've done so already several times within the series. i wish we got more of an explanation of akane's character outside of him being obsessed with aoi, why he dislikes supernaturals so much outside of a few comments, and why he ended up seeing the clockkeepers in the first place when spirits cant make themselves present to anyone who isnt close to death or have exorcism blood. we know its neither because without his glasses he cant see them so its not a nene situation.

now its just back to akane saving aoi when shes in danger, and them having their weird dynamic (albeit toned down, so thats where the development comes from). we dont really get to see them address more outside of being like "oh aoi's hand is a little fucked, we need to take care of that!" we dont really get to see aoi reacting much with the fact that she LITERALLY DIED and came back from the dead and had that whole horrible conflict with her best friends. we dont really get to see her address this with nene and how she really felt about her and their friendship, even though that was a major plot point back during the mirai escaping arc and her being kidnapped. we dont see much of a shift in her dynamic with others and trying to open up and be her true self in front of others. shes just like there i guess and acts like nothing changed. i guess tbf they've been having their festival, and the stuff at the minomoto household was meant to be focused on kou + teru and mitsoukou (both of which were excellently done) but idk, it just feels like we're given all of these plotlines and developments and nothing is being done with them.

its why i sorta have an ooc version of akane and aoi in my head that i really like and is a lot more fleshed out, but i dont really talk about it much here or anywhere really.

#tbhk #akane aoi #aoi akane #nene yashiro #hanako #yugi amane #i'd tag minomoto brothers and mitsuba but this isnt really about them #maybe ill talk more about this one day im tired #toilet bound hanako kun #jshk #tbhk spoilers #☕.txt #txt