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skyward-floored · 11 months

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Different, Yet Similar

I woke up a few days ago with this fic in my head and for some reason I was able to write it out really quick, I don’t know how that happened XD I also decided it was the perfect opportunity to try out a slightly different writing style, and while I don’t think I’ll stick with it, it was an interesting experiment anyways :)

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“So... how did you guys all meet your Zeldas?”

Wind is the one to pose the question, said while looking around with curious eyes at the rest of the Links. Most of who now have varying expressions of surprise on their faces, the question unexpected.

“Why do you ask, sailor?” Time asks, his single eye watching him curiously. Wind shrugs, fiddling with one of the power bracelets that has taken permanent residence on his wrists. They’re good for fidgeting with, he’s found.

“I’m just curious if any of us met ours similarly or not.” His mouth turns up into a grin. “I mean, I met Tetra after she got dropped by a giant bird and got stuck in a tree. I’d bet none of you guys met yours quite like that.”

Snickers ring through the camp, though a few of the Links give the sailor mildly concerned looks as well. The nonchalance with which Wind speaks of the antics he and his princess get up to sometimes worries them.

“Was she okay?” Hyrule asks in concern, and Wind nods, waving him off with a small flick of his wrist.

“Totally fine. Tetra’s tough, it would take more than a fall from a giant bird to rattle her.”

“A giant bird?” Sky asks eagerly, perking up a little. Wind doesn’t perk up in return though, rather he cringes at the excitement in Sky’s voice.

This isn’t a giant bird like the kind Sky is used to.

“Not a nice one,” he replies, thinking back to the crimson bird that was Sky’s best friend. “Ganondorf was using the bird to kidnap girls he thought might’ve been Zelda. Tetra had been grabbed, but she got dropped because her pirate crew managed to score a hit on the bird... the Helmarok king. He wasn’t nice,” Wind finishes more quietly, an unusual dark thread of anger in his voice.

Then he sighs, and shakes off the memories, looking around at the other Links in curiosity.

“So? How’d you guys meet your Zeldas?”

“Um... which one?” Hyrule asks hesitantly, scratching his neck. He’s in the rather unique position of knowing two princesses by the name of Zelda, a fact which often confuses his traveling companions. “I kinda have two...”

“Do both,” Wild says from where he’s seated nearby, and Hyrule nods.

“Okay. Well... there’s not really much to tell, honestly. For the first Zelda, I just met her after I defeated Ganon. He’d captured her, and after I defeated him I got her out and took her back to the castle.”

Hyrule laughs a little then, and looks up at the sky, constellations just starting to come into view.

“We were both a mess when I got into the place where he’d been keeping her; I was dirty and bleeding in multiple places, and Zelda had basically been living in a dungeon for a few weeks. It wasn’t exactly polite company,” he chuckles.

The others laugh a little at Hyrule’s story, though some of them wince in sympathy at the mention of his wounds. Fights with Ganon were never easy.

They’re all aware of how powerful their greatest foe is.

“How about your other Zelda? How did you meet her?” Sky asks, and Hyrule suddenly blushes for some reason, fidgeting with his bracers.

“Well um, she’d been cursed into a long sleep by an evil wizard, so when I first saw her she wasn’t even awake,” he admits. “But after I woke her up, that’s when I actually met her.”

“And what happened then?” Legend asks with a teasing smirk, having noticed Hyrule was still blushing.

The traveler’s cheeks darken a little, but he admits to nothing. “She said thank you for waking her up.”

“And how did she say thank you?” Wind asks with a mischievous look in his storm-tossed eyes.

Hyrule blushes even darker, but still admits to nothing— though the face he’s making says an awful lot. The others really don’t need to know about the kiss he received in thanks for waking the second Zelda: he knows he’ll never hear the end of it if they do.

Hyrule manages to meet Wind’s gaze without faltering, crossing his arms with a firm look.

“With her mouth, of course. How else would she say thanks?” he says a bit haughtily, and Time decides to intervene before poor Hyrule’s face turns any redder.

“I met my Zelda in a fairly simple way,” he says, and the other Links turn to look at him, abandoning their pursuit of getting an answer out of Hyrule in favor of listening to what Time has to say. Their unofficial leader rarely gives them details of his adventures, no less his version of the princess they’re all so familiar with. “I was... about nine, I believe, maybe ten.”

He sighs, shaking his head as he thinks back to when so much of his life had abruptly changed.

“I was instructed to go see her, but they didn’t want to let a mere child in at the gate. So I snuck into the castle to talk to her, and succeeded, more than once. The guards hated that a ten-year-old could get past them without being seen,” he says with a chuckle. “They weren’t terribly good at their jobs.”

“That’s a little like how I met my version of the princess,” Twilight says thoughtfully, a hand on his chin. “‘Course I didn’t sneak into the castle, I was trying to sneak out.”

“Why, were you in the dungeon?” Legend scoffs, and Twilight smirks.

“That’s exactly it, actually.”

Legend’s face turns to one of surprise, and more laughter rings out from the Links, especially from Wild.

“I was wondering when you were gonna tell them you’re an escaped convict,” he grins at his mentor, and Twilight swats at him with a look both fond and annoyed.

“I’m not an escaped convict,” he says with an eye roll. “The enemy had overtaken the castle, they’re the ones who threw me in there. I committed no crime.”

“Mmm, I’m pretty sure some of the stuff you’ve done counts as crime,” Wild cuts in again, a grin twitching at his lips. “What about the time you blew up that old—”

“Somebody else’s turn,” Twilight interrupts, putting a hand over Wild’s mouth, much to his annoyance. He’d rather wanted to be the one to tell the others about that particular incident.

“Smithy? How about you? You’re pretty good friends with your Zelda, right?” Twilight asks, ignoring the clamor of the others to elaborate.

Four nods, and a bright smile stretches across his face at the reminder of his closest friend.

“You’re right, I’ve known Zelda as long as I can remember,” Four begins as he sets aside the dagger he’d been sharpening, eyes warm. They suddenly dim a little though, and he clears his throat. “I think the first true memory I have of her was at my... a family member’s funeral.”

The other Links still as the smithy speaks, Twilight relinquishing his hold on Wild so they can both better hear. Four looks down at his hands as he thinks back to that day, but then a bit of a smile returns to his lips.

“She came because the family member knew the crown fairly well. We were the only kids there, so we ended up talking a lot... That’s when I really got to know her, and we’ve been close ever since,” he finishes quietly.

“That was similarly to how I met mine,” Sky says after a moment of silence, his voice soft. Four nods at him to continue, and Sky returns it with a bit of a smile. “I knew Zelda a little before, it was impossible not to on Skyloft. There’s not all that much space... but that was the problem when the sickness went through...”

He trails off, then shakes his head as if to clear it, hair falling in his face as he takes a steadying breath.

The memory of the death of his parents isn’t one he likes to linger on, even if it inadvertently led to him becoming friends with Zelda.

“Anyways,” Sky continues, clearing his throat, “I ended up living in the Knight’s academy before I was old enough to attend, and since Zelda lived there with her father as well, we played together all the time. It was inevitable we’d at least become friends.”

“You became a bit more than just friends though, or so I’ve heard,” Warriors says slyly, and Sky blushes as the laughter returns. The captain’s attempt at lightening the mood has succeeded.

“We... haven’t officially become anything,” Sky says simply, and the rest of them shoot each other knowing looks. It’s no secret that Sky is head-over-heels for his Zelda. It’s only a matter of time before something becomes official.

Sky looks back at Warriors then, the captain still chuckling a little over the reaction to his comment.

“You haven’t told us how you met your Zelda, captain,” he points out, and Warriors’ laughter peters off, a fond look replacing the mirth in his eyes.

“Ah, you caught me. Mine is complicated though,” he says with a slightly distant tone in his voice, and the others settle in to listen again. Warriors has mentioned more of his Zelda than some of the others, but not everything they’ve done or been through.

And while he speaks of her with nothing but professionalism, there’s a fondness in his eyes that a few of the Links have picked up on, one that speaks of a deeper bond.

One that nobody’s called him out on yet, but it’ll only be a matter of time.

“I only sort of met her the first time,” Warriors begins, leaning back on the log where he’s seated. “The war had just started, and things were... complicated, to say the least. Messy. She disguised herself to keep her identity safe, so I didn’t truly meet Zelda for quite some time.”

“But when you did?” Wind asks eagerly, and Warriors chuckles.

“It was worth the wait. But I got to know her while she was disguised, so in a way... I already knew her,” he says with a bit of mystery, and Time smiles from the opposite side of the fire.

Time still remembers the day Sheik shed her disguise and revealed herself to be the princess. Warriors was so shocked he’d said something rather idiotic, and Artemis had laughed at him a bit nervously, and then the two of them had gone off to have a long overdue conversation about her true identitiy.

Time won’t bring it up though. He’ll let Warriors keep a few of his secrets yet.

“That leaves... Wild and Legend left who haven’t said anything,” Wind says after a moment, counting off on his fingers.

The two look up at their nicknames, but Wild has a slightly uncertain look in his eyes, and Legend seems oddly stone-faced. Wind looks between the two, and debates for a moment which one to ask first.

Hyrule beats him to it.

“Champion, do you... remember meeting your Zelda the first time?” Hyrule asks a bit hesitantly. The others quiet at the question, and look as one over at Wild.

They’re all aware of Wild’s memory problems, but nobody except for maybe Twilight is truly aware of the extent they reach their blank grip into the champion’s mind. He still doesn’t remember much of his old life, merely a handful of memories recovered here and there that snatch him out of the life he’s currently living, then return him just as abruptly.

But meeting Princess Zelda is not one of these.

“Nope,” Wild says lightly, somewhat in opposition to the serious mood that has fallen over the heroes. “Not at all. I have no clue how we first met... knowing what she thought of me, I probably accidentally insulted her.”

The heroes chuckle good-naturedly, and Wild waits for the sound of their laughter to fade before continuing.

“No, I don’t remember how we originally met. My first true memory of Zelda isn’t when I met her... whenever that must have been.”

A soft smile parts his lips.

“It... was her voice. Back when I was still asleep. Calling to me, urging me awake once the shrine had finally finished healing me. She guided me when there was nobody else, told me my name, and though I didn’t even remember hers... that was when I first met Zelda.”

Twilight gives his shoulder a squeeze, and Wild lets him, a look full of several conflicting emotions settling on his face.

Warmth is the one that shows itself the most though, and a ghost of a smile flits across Twilight’s face when he sees it.

“How about you, Legend? You’ve been pretty quiet,” Four asks, changing the focus to give Wild some privacy. The prickly veteran tugs his cap tighter over his hair in response, hiding a few more strands of the pink that’s still fading away.

“She called to me too,” he says, voice oddly emotionless. “Woke me up in the dead of night and asked for help, with nothing but her voice.”

Something flickers in his gaze, but it’s gone so quickly nobody can quite catch what it is.

“She guided me to the castle, and I managed to find my way to where she’d been imprisoned in her own dungeon by the forces of darkness. I freed her, and that’s where I met her,” he finishes.

“That’s it?” Wind asks in confusion, a slight tilt to his head, and Legend nods.

“That’s it.”

It’s short and to the point, and while some of the heroes nod, the others that are more aware of how their veteran works pick up on the holes in the story.

The Hero of Legend may seem sharp and fearless, but even he has weak points, moments where he has felt neither like a hero nor strong enough to ever be one. These moments he’s purposefully left out of this story, important though they may be.

These are not moments he shares freely. And especially not during what’s supposed to be a lighthearted answer to the boundless curiosity of the youngest member of their group.

“See sailor? None of us met our Zeldas the same way you did,” Legend says with a smirk, easily changing the subject, and Wind hums, looking around at the heroes as he fidgets with his bracelets again.

“That’s true. But there’s similarities between all of them,” he points out, “and some of them are really similar, like yours and Wild’s.”

“Hyrule’s second one was a bit like Wild’s too,” Twilight points out. “Just reversed.”

“And Twilight’s was kind of like the old man’s,” Hyrule mentions with a bit of wonder to his voice, and that sends the group into a flurry of comparing and contrasting the differences, debating the finer points and wondering if the similarities mean anything.

Four though, hangs back from the conversation, not as willing to discuss things. As he looks around the clearing, he notices he’s not the only one either, and he slips around the fire to where the veteran has retreated, watching the others in silence.

Sky sees him go, but doesn’t comment. He knows what the smithy is doing.

“Hey,” Four greets as he settles down, and Legend doesn’t look at him.

“You need something?” the veteran asks with a sharpness in his voice that threatens to slice Four into pieces. The smithy ignores it, well used to Legend’s prickliness, and continues to sit, watching the others keep on with their loud discussion.

“No. I just didn’t want to keep listening to... all of that,” Four says with a slight smile, watching as Wind lunges across Warriors’ lap to grab at Wild for some reason.

Legend doesn’t reply, face still stony.

Four doesn’t directly look at him, but he watches the veteran from the corner of his eyes, seeing how tightly he’s wound, how his expression is set in a way that seems to be solely for the purpose of keeping it from cracking into something vulnerable.

It’s a familiar look, one that Four’s seen on his own face. There’s a part of him that’s like that, sometimes, but that just means he knows somewhat of how to deal with it... whether Legend wants him to or not.

“It was my mother,” Four says suddenly, breaking the silence.

Legend looks over at him, a flicker of surprise joining the crease on his brow. He appears rather taken aback, and Four waits for his reply.

“What was?” the veteran asks. Four looks up at the sky for what feels like a long, long time before replying, and Legend almost wonders if he’s ever going to speak.

“The funeral where I met Zelda,” Four continues, voice full of a bittersweet pain. “It was my mother’s.”

Legend stares at him a moment, unsure of how to reply.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Four continues, still looking up. His eyes are a reddish color, hints of green and blue peeking through that allude to the emotions he’s keeping a steady control of. “I just wanted you to know... you’re not the only one who didn’t meet Zelda under the... best circumstances.”

Four continues to watch the stars, and Legend swallows, his stony indifference cracking despite his best efforts.

Legend doesn’t like to admit it, but despite how carefully he closes himself off, sometimes he’s just as expressive as Wind— what he doesn’t say actually saying more than anything he admits to. And it looks like Four, dealing with a similar pain, has seen right through him.

The veteran is silent for a long time, listening to the others laugh and carry on, and Four sits beside him in equal silence, waiting for as long as Legend needs.

“My uncle,” he whispers finally, and Four squeezes his shoulder.

He doesn’t say anything more. And he doesn’t need to.

#weird ending but everything else I tried was worse XD #linkeduniverse #linked universe #all the links #lu legend #lu four #linked universe fanfic #lu fic #writing from the floor #hurt/comfort #I hate naming fics YEECH #legend angst snuck in here it wasn’t originally about him

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amidnightjen · 11 months

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Ramon had been prepared for a lot of things when his mother moved back to El Paso to live with them. He’d been prepared for the occasional tension over the kitchen with Helena, the reluctance to accept help when she needed it, he’d even been prepared to feel like a scolded teenager again on occasion.

He had not been prepared to learn that his mother had a new hobby of staring at half naked white men on the internet.

The first time he’d glimpsed the screen of her phone over her shoulder it had been in passing and he’d only caught a glimpse that was gone almost before he’d finished his double-take. The second time had been much the same, the image there and gone before he could really take it in. Times three, four and five, something or someone else had caught her attention and she’d put her phone down before he’d really got a look at what she was looking at.

And it kept happening. Ramon knew, of course, that his mother was an adult who had lived a life and certainly had sex but this new - was it new? - habit of looking at young naked white boys was something else altogether. He just had no idea how to broach the topic with her because it wasn’t any of his business. But you heard things about strange men on the internet praying on older people and he was concerned.

He made the mistake of asking Pepa if she knew anything.

“It’s not funny!” Ramon sputtered over Pepa’s near hysterical laughter.

Clutching at her sides, whole body shaking - there were honest-to-God tears streaming down her cheeks! - Pepa was positively beside herself.

“Oh, Ramon,” Pepa wheezed. “Hold on, hold on.” She disappeared from view for a moment and Ramon was left staring out at her kitchen from where she’d propped her iPad on the table. When she came back she was still chuckling but she was holding her phone, scrolling through something. She found what she was looking for and then held it up for him to see. “Is this the half naked white man?”

Ramon squinted at the picture. He hadn’t taken that much notice of the detail but he thought one of those tattoos looked familiar. “Yes?”

Pepa started chuckling again. “It’s Buck,” she giggled. “Mama is looking at Buck’s instagram.”

“Buck?” Ramon said, trying to place the name. “Eddie’s coworker?”

Pepa made a noise and a seesawing motion with her hand. “He’s more than that but it you want to see lots of pictures of Christopher, Buck’s instagram is the best way.”

Ramon didn’t understand what she meant until he borrowed Helena’s phone and her instagram account to look up this Buck person.

The half naked gym photos were worth putting up with for the ability to better keep up to date with Eddie and Christopher’s lives in LA.

#may writing challenge #911 fanfic #implied buddie #buddie #ramon diaz #pepa diaz #isabel diaz

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imagine-knowing-a-name · 1 year

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Stormy Weather

Summary: While you’re struggling to get home from a month-long mission, Jeff and Natasha seek comfort from missing you.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Word Count: 1408

Warnings: None

A/N: Hiii, sorry I know I haven’t been posting much lately. I’ve had so many ideas, but I can’t seem to get them written in a way I actually like. Plus, my motivation to write only ever seems to come when I’m at work and can’t write 😭 I’ll try my best to start posting more regularly again but no promises, thank you all for sticking around :) comments and reblogs are much appreciated :)

This was also based on an ao3 comment from a fic MONTHS ago, that I just got round to actually writing 😭

Part of The Jeff Fictional Universe (you don’t need to read the others to understand)

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Natasha rubbed her eyes harshly. Staring at the screen day after day was taking its toll. 30 days this would be; 30 days since you had gone on a mission that should have only been two weeks.

There were complications, and she knew you didn't have the time or the means to contact her directly. But she was exhausted, barely sleeping, needing to be there in case you *did* manage to get in contact.

Natasha knew she couldn't have gone with you. No matter how much it would have alleviated her worries, she had other priorities. Working on the desk side of the same mission would be enough for her.

Patters of rain made Natasha jerk her head up. No light came through the window, but the circles of water indicated that the predicted storm was on its way. Natasha sighed; she'd been far too engrossed in work to even notice nightfall. She hoped Jeff had been okay with her absence.

After a sigh and a stretch, the door to the home office opened, and Natasha stepped out. A break was necessary, and some company would do her and Jeff some good.

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Natasha reached the living room entrance before she paused, staying quiet to see a scene of innocence play out.

Jeff had padded right past her; the Blahaj he carried acted as blinders for his peripheral and even blocked some of his front-facing vision. Natasha watched as Jeff shuffled and hopped to see over his stuffed shark, before the sofa blocked her view.

Natasha watched Blahaj’s tail slowly disappear before she followed. Jeff had been working longer than she’d seen, as pillows and blankets lined the sofa, along with a few stuffed animals you had bought for him.

Jeff froze when he noticed Natasha was watching. The two stared, unblinking, for seconds that seemed to stretch. Then Jeff flopped, his back legs dropping into a seated position and his head bowing.

“Is that Y/N’s t-shirt?” Natasha asked gently, pointing at the white shirt half pulled over the Blahaj’s head.

Jeff followed his nod with a dejected “mrrr”. Natasha knelt in front of him; she noticed tears beginning to form in his eyes. “Miss,” Jeff signed.

The rain was getting heavier against the window, and Natasha knew the thunder and lightning were soon to begin. Jeff would need her comfort.

“I miss Y/N too; it’s been just us for a while, huh?”

“Mrrr.” Jeff nodded again.

“Let me help you with this then,” Natasha stated, finally catching Jeff’s attention when she pulled Blahaj between them. Jeff pushed under Natasha’s outstretched arms to take a position on her lap, reaching out to pull the shirt on properly.

Natasha’s expression softened; she could see how much Jeff missed you, yet all she could do was sit and wait with him. She hardly knew more about your whereabouts than the land shark, but at least he had the bliss that came with ignorance, lacking knowledge that you would ever be in danger.

“Mrrr,” Jeff hummed, grabbing and stretching to wrap his arms around more than just the shirt. It pulled Natasha out of her thoughts, her focus returning to the room. A stuffed toy in her hands, the weight of the land shark on her lap, the sound of the rain and a distant rumble of thunder outside-

Jeff repeated his whine. Natasha bent her arms until Jeff could cling onto his plushie, wrapping his limbs around it as much as he could and squeezing it tight.

In turn, Natasha drew Jeff closer. Her hidden hand kept Blåhaj upright, knowing Jeff would reject the help but tumble off her lap without it.

Their peace was interrupted by the first - sudden - rumble of thunder. Natasha and Jeff reacted immediately; the Black Widow startled at the sound but reflexively pulled Jeff closer. Meanwhile, the land shark squeezed Blahaj tight and buried himself in Natasha’s lap.

“That was loud.”

“Mrrr.”

“Are you okay, Jeff?”

“Mrrr.” He shook his head, face still pressed firmly into the soft plushie.

“The thunder is scary, I know-”

“Mrrr!”

“-but it can’t hurt you here. I’m with you. Why don’t we finish what you started? Turn all these pillows and blankets into the best fort we can make. How does that sound?”

“Mrrr.”

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One month away from this warmth. One month away from your fiancee and your land shark. The need to find them filled your mind; there was nothing you wanted more, to finally be able to while the evening away, to do nothing but bask in their companionship. As suddenly as quiet settled in your surroundings, so too did the thoughts in your mind, trailing away until you felt at peace. The mission report could wait.

Flashes of the mission ran through your mind, of mess-ups, mistakes, twists and turns, of constantly battling to just get home. You hardly even noticed the pouring rain, too caught up in your thought; even on your way back, the weather revolted against you. A long sigh left you when the door clicked shut.

A cosy quiet came with it. Appliances and radiators hummed throughout the house, while the noises of the thunder and rain diminished the second the door shut. With the quiet, even your brain began to relax, focusing on the warmth and safety you had spent a long month missing.

One month away from this, away from your land shark. Away from your fiancée. Did they know you were returning? Natasha would be greeting you if she'd seen the mission success, but then again, data had been patchy on the field, and you weren't even sure it had been sent.

And Jeff would be barrelling in to greet you if he'd heard the door shut.

It seemed, for once, you had the element of surprise upon your return.

As quietly as you could manage, you shed your outer layer of clothes and hung them up to dry. Jeff would always be excited to see you, but you doubted Natasha’s enthusiasm if you traipsed dripping garments through the house.

Through the pattering rain, you made out the faint noises of the TV, soft voices that guided your search to the living room.

You’d missed home. Even a perfectly created mission left an absent feeling, a creeping loneliness you struggled to put your finger on. But it was this; missing the small captures of life: a scene too spontaneous to be planned and small enough to oft be overlooked.

A dazzling fort of cushions and blankets adorned your sofa. You wouldn’t be surprised if Tony Stark himself had built it; it was a feat of engineering. However, the actual creators hadn’t strayed far. In the middle of it all lay your two loves; Natasha dozed with her arms loosely wrapped around Jeff. The pair of them held Blahaj tight against Jeff’s stomach.

They still faced the TV, but from the look of the channel, sleep had taken hold of them far before you arrived. Orange chickens flooded the screen, seeming to be the focus of the program – Jeff’s worst nightmare. The land shark had been much more cautious around them since his encounter with Susan, the farm chicken who looked identical to those on TV. Jeff couldn’t have slept knowing his feathered foes were just a screen away.

You switched it off; just in time. Another wave of thunder rumbled, and you saw Natasha tremble in her sleep, her grip on Jeff and Blahaj tightening. Tight enough to wake the land shark.

Jeff awoke slowly; he sought comfort and warmth in Natasha’s arms while he blinked his way into full awareness. The moment he saw you was clear; his eyes and mouth widened, and his tail thumped up and down repeatedly. That is…until he remembered his situation. Very quickly, Jeff stilled, then moved a finger to his lips.

“You don’t want me to wake her?” you whispered, an estimated translation of his actions. It took a few more signs from Jeff for you to understand.

“Mother. Didn’t sleep. Tired. And scared.”

"And you're not scared?" you signed back.

"Jeff brave."

"You’re the bravest, Jeff.” As you spoke, the thunder rumbled once again. Jeff’s fingers dug into his stuffed toy, with a slight whimper escaping that you pretended you didn’t notice. “Thank you for looking after Nat for me; you’ve done it so well.”

“Now… is there room for three in that fort? I think it’s time we napped.”

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Jeff taglist: @unexpected-character @wolferine

#jeff the landshark #jeff the land shark #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff x y/n #marvel #mcu

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sequinsmile-x · 1 year

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Alacrity - May 14th

The second of two Mother's Days in the life of the Hotchner family.

-x-

Happy Mother's Day to my friends in the places that celebrate it today! Here is part 2 to this fic!

It is almost entirely fluff, with a little Elizabeth thrown in because I can never help myself.

Words: 2.1k

Warnings: Pregnancy, morning sickness

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

When Emily first realised they’d brought more from London than the gaudy souvenirs Jack had insisted on, she laughed.

Her joy bursting out of her as she stood in their ensuite bathroom, Aaron by her side as the pregnancy test came back positive. Another baby had always been part of her plan, something she hoped for, but they’d been trying for close to a year and as every month passed she’d felt that hope fading. She knew when she next spoke to Clyde he’d take credit for it because he had brought Aaron to London to surprise her, a smirk on his face as he inevitably made a joke about how she should name her baby in his honour.

The nausea was almost immediate. It was worse than when she’d been pregnant with Olivia. A constant churning in her stomach that stopped her from even keeping water down at times. It meant they’d already told the kids and the team that she was pregnant, even though she was only 8 weeks along, because her sudden aversion to everything was obvious enough even Oliva had picked up on it, the 2-year-old looking at her mother with concern written all over her sweet face more than once.

Emily groans as she sits on the bathroom floor just a couple of feet away from where she’d found out she was pregnant, her head between her knees as she made sure not to move too far away from the toilet.

“Fuck,” she grumbles, “You’d better be the cutest fucking baby I’ve ever seen,” she complains, pressing her hand into her belly.

The door to the ensuite opens and Aaron walks in already talking, “The kids are both up. I had to talk them out of the usual Mother’s Day breakfast.”

It was part of the tradition they’d started once she moved in with them. Aaron would make breakfast in the morning, pancakes and whatever else she wanted, followed by gifts and handmade cards from Jack and Olivia. Then, if she was in the country, Elizabeth would come over for a little while, something that Emily knew was more for the kid's sake than hers. The day would end with Aaron running her a bath and pouring her a glass of wine so she could relax as he put the kids to bed.

Her stomach lurches at the mere thought of breakfast and she lifts her head just enough to look up at him, “Thank you for that.”

Aaron smiles sympathetically at her and crouches down in front of her so they were eye level, “We can always cancel on your mother, Em,” he says, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, “Having her here is rough on you at the best of times.”

“No, it’s ok,” she says, grimacing as she shakes her head, “It’s just easier to have her come over,” she smiles at him, “I wonder how long she’ll be here before she finds out I’m pregnant.”

He chuckles and leans forward to kiss her cheek before he stands up, offering her his hand and then helping her to her feet as she takes it. He gathers her into his arms and kisses the top of her head.

“Well, given how her perfume made you nauseous last time, I give it 2 minutes.”

___

Her mother is in the house for all of 30 seconds before she finds out about the baby, thanks to Olivia proudly announcing she was going to be a big sister the moment she saw her grandmother. Elizabeth had congratulated them, her smile genuine at the thought of having another grandchild. Emily always viewed the relationship her mother had with her children with a mix of joy and envy, something she hated herself for. She loved that Olivia and Jack had a soft version of Elizabeth in their lives, but she couldn’t escape the fact it was the version of her mother that she’d craved when she was young.

They’ve only just given Elizabeth her gifts for Mother's Day when Emily feels an all too familiar roll in her belly, causing her to blow out a steady breath before she swallows thickly, pushing the nausea down.

Aaron, as hyper-aware of his wife’s needs as ever, leans in and kisses her temple, “Want me to get your meds for you?”

She nods, regretting it immediately when she feels somehow more nauseous, “Yes please.”

He kisses her once more before standing up and heading to the kitchen, leaving Emily with her mother and the kids. Jack was sitting on the living room floor with Olivia, keeping his little sister entertained with her toys.

“What is the medication for?” Elizabeth asks, looking at her daughter curiously.

“The baby is making Emily sick,” Jack says, looking up from his sister, his hand out in front of him as he passes Olivia a stuffed animal, “But it’s not the baby’s fault. It just happens sometimes.”

Emily smiles as Jack repeats her and Aaron’s words from the week before almost as if he was reading from a script. She looks at her mother and sighs, not missing how the curiosity was slowly morphing into judgement.

“My nausea has been pretty extreme this time,” she says, carefully choosing her words, “It’s much worse than when I was having Livvie. My doctor was concerned so she put me on medication to help.”

Elizabeth shakes her head at her, and Emily feels familiar shame tinge her cheeks pink, like a visitor from her childhood she’d rather not see.

“You always have been dramatic,” Elizabeth says, “When I was pregnant with you mints were just fine.”

It takes everything in her not to react, and her stomach rolls. Her now usual nausea mixing in with the fury that only her mother seemed to be able to draw out of her.

“Excuse me,” she says, standing and walking out of the room, her teeth clenched tight. She looks at her children and blows out a breath, “Jack, can you keep an eye on your sister for a couple of minutes?”

He nods in response and she walks into the kitchen, almost walking straight into her husband, a glass of water in his hand and his other hand in a fist, her pill presumably held securely in there.

“Are you ok, sweetheart?”

“I just need a minute,” she grumbles, moving past him into the kitchen, placing both palms on the kitchen counter as she blows out a steady breath.

“Do you feel sick?” He asks, placing his hand on her lower back as the glass he’d been holding clinks against the marble countertop.

“No,” she says, grimacing as her stomach rolls, “Well, yes. Because I always do because our child hates me-”

“The baby doesn’t hate you-”

“But I’m actually hiding from my mother for a minute,” she carries on, as if he hadn’t cut over her, and any playfulness she’d sensed in him fades away, his body tensing as he places his hands on her hips, turning her to face him.

“What did she say?”

She sighs, reaching out to pick a small piece of lint from his shirt before she rests her hand on his chest.

“She made a comment about me being dramatic about morning sickness.” She says, watching as fury flashes across his face, his jaw tight as his hand on her hip gets a little firmer. She knew he’d been more scared the last couple of weeks than he had let on.

“Did you tell her that you’ve lost weight? That you damn near had to be hospitalised-”

“Honey, no I didn’t,” she says, cupping his cheek, “Jack and Livvie are in there, and they don’t know how bad it got. And I didn’t want to scare them.”

He sighs, leaning forward so his forehead is against hers. It had been something they’d fought about before. He wanted to defend her, to stand up to Elizabeth for her when things like this happened, but she didn’t want, or need, him to. She was used to her mother’s digs. The comments that still hurt even though they’d been part of their relationship for as long as she could remember. She didn’t need Aaron to protect her, she wanted him to help her afterwards. To stitch up the wounds left behind that only he could see, pulling her back together with nothing but his love and affection, the most precious thread on earth.

“If she-”

“I know,” she says, cutting off what she knew would be another promise to say something, to look after her, “Now give me my pill and hopefully I’ll get through the rest of the day without either shouting at or throwing up on my mother.”

He smiles as he pulls back and hands her the medication, “I know which has one my vote.”

___

“Did you manage to eat something?”

Emily turns to look at her husband, smiling at him as he walks into the kitchen and wraps his arms around her, “Yes, I had some plain toast. Very exciting,” she replies sarcastically before she leans in to kiss him, “The kids went down ok?”

Aaron nods, “Jack is playing his video games in his room well aware it needs to be switched off in 20 minutes, and Livvie fell asleep halfway through Goodnight Moon.”

She smiles and rests her head against his chest, “Good.”

He rubs his hand up and down her back, “I’ve got something to show you.”

She hums, sinking further into his embrace, “If you’re talking about your dick I might kill you, I’m already in enough trouble as it is because of it.”

Aaron barks out a laugh and shakes his head at his wife before he pulls back to look at her, “No, sweetheart, it’s not that I promise,” he kisses her forehead and then reaches for her hand, linking their fingers together as he leads her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs, “Come with me.”

She lets him lead her up the stairs, past the kid's rooms and towards their bedroom. He pushes the door to the ensuite open and she is immediately hit by a mild floral smell, filling her lungs in a way that felt comforting. She scans the room and smiles at the sight of the filled bath and a wine glass filled with a citrus yellow-coloured drink.

She turns to her husband and smiles as she points at the glass, “Is that-”

“Ginger ale,” he confirms for her, “And I made sure the bath water is body temperature, since you can’t have it hot enough to burn your skin off this year,” he says, his hand low on her stomach.

She beams at him and shifts to her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, “What’s that smell?”

“Lavender and Chamomile, Reid told me that both of them are good for nausea,” he explains, looking at the ground as if he was embarrassed, as if the relentless, all-consuming way he loved her and their family was something he should feel nothing but pride about. She’d spend the rest of her life trying to live up to the impossible standard he had set, to love him in the way he taught her was possible, the way she still wasn’t entirely convinced she deserved.

She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him in for a kiss, her hands buried in his hair as she holds him close, hoping that she can get across everything she’s sure she’ll never have the words for.

“I love you,” she says, stamping another kiss against his lips, “And you are the best man I have ever met.”

Aaron flushes, clearing his throat as he half-heartedly shrugs, “Well I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” she says, kissing him once more before she pulls away, starting to get undressed for her bath, “There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with, or have as the father of my children” she leans down to pull off her jeans and groans, her stomach rolling with nausea, “Even if those children seem intent on making sure I never enjoy food again.”

He smiles as she climbs into the bath, her displeasure at the cooler temperature clear on her face, “Enjoy your bath, Em.”

She hums as she picks up the wine glass and sips the ginger ale, “Oh I will.”

He smiles as he watches her close her eyes, as if she was attempting to pretend the ginger ale tasted like her favourite wine, “Happy Mother’s Day, sweetheart.”

-x-

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#hotchniss #hotchniss fanfiction #hotchniss fanfic #aaron x emily #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #aaron hotchner fanfiction #emily prentiss fanfiction #hotch x prentiss

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tumblingxelian · 2 years

Text

A Stephanie Brown operating outside the ‘jurisdiction’ of Batman or Oracle, or any other Hero would be a terrifying force to behold, so I claim.

Mostly, cos I don’t think she’d like, or trust cops (This is Pre Batgirl Steph obviously) and at best view them as a tool, and most often as an obstacle.

In this context she operates more like a vigilante than a ‘super hero’. In the sense that she’s doling out what she deems to be justice or otherwise necessary within her moral framework and lived experience.

Thus, if you’re sent to rough up a store or the like, she’ll chase you off but that’s it.

On the other hand, if you’re an abusive pimp she’ll break both your arms, legs & jaw.

If she comes across someone’s drug shipment she’ll just destroy it over handing it to cops.

If you’re sorting cash as mobster then she’ll bludgeon you and your guards senseless, take the money & donate it.

Corrupt politicians, that stuff is going straight to ever gossip rag in town and then to the internet, possibly accompanied by some mandatory violence.

If you’re a cop abusing your position, oh boy, enjoy being blindsided in your own home and knocked senseless. Plus if the department tries to act up, hello sabotaged cars, & systems.

She also knows the difference between people just doing crime out of desperation or cos its all they can do, Vs the people pulling the strings, VS people who relish even their miniscule power over others and acts accordingly.

Stephanie Brown is here to break exploitative enterprises over her knee, not do police work, or support the status quo, fuck the status quo.

#Stephanie Brown #Spoiler #Stephanie Brown (Spoiler)#Batfam #Headcanon #My very correct opinions

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serasvictoria · 2 years

Text

First time writing for Stranger Things, because like so many others have found out before me, this guy just kinda grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. I simply had to get it out of my system. This is the result.

Title: Spellbound

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Female Reader

Summary: Your relationship with Eddie is very new and still very much a secret. You want to make it known that the two of you are an item, but Eddie doesn’t want you to get targeted simply because of your attachment to him. Will you be able to change his mind?

Word Count: 7233

Content Warnings: Smut, smut, smut? Plenty of teasing (not gonna lie, but the poor boy suffers). Fingering. P in V (unprotected but I promise that there’s a reason for that). That’s about it.

Notes: I use italics to emphasise certain words, but, I also use it for flashbacks or thoughts. I tried my best to make it clear so people could tell which is which. Hopefully.

Beta read by the lovely @adrille88. Any remaining mistakes are all my own.

Tagging @quantumlocked310 @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie

***** The sound of music only got louder the closer you got to your house.

Drowning it out would have been preferable when the kid that lived next door to you had first joined the band, but they had improved over the years. You actually quite liked listening to them play these days, but you’d only admit to that under threat of death.

Or so you liked to claim.

Stepping off the sidewalk, you walked through the grass, straight ahead in the direction of your house. Your new path brought you a few feet from the open garage doors and you could already see the first band member with his back turned to you. A few steps more and you could see that all of them were facing that all too familiar face that was sitting behind his drum kit.

Gareth - kid next door, brother from another mother, drummer of Corroded Coffin - raised his hand in greeting the second that he spotted you. You waved back and then the three other members turned around to face you, two of which gave a nod of acknowledgement, whereas the last guy winked so quickly that it was almost imperceptible.

“Sounds better than yesterday,” you called out to Gareth, who looked thoroughly impressed that you had even noticed. “Don’t make it too late though. It’s a school night.”

“Yes, mom.” Gareth put a lot of emphasis on the last word and you flipped him off in reply. “Promise.”

“Good. You don’t want me to come back over here and kick all of your asses. Have fun, gents.” You gave them a quick mock salute and continued on your way.

Since you had already moved out of view, your back turned to them now, you were unaware that one of the guys had walked out of the garage so he could watch take the last remaining steps to your house.

“She’s out of your league, Eddie.”

“What?” Eddie kept looking straight at your retreating form, saw you take the house key out of your jacket pocket and open the front door. He blinked once when you had disappeared, like some spell had just been broken. “I’m allowed to look.”

“Yeah, but not for too long,” Gareth answered. “She’d rip your head off if she knew.”

“I’d probably thank her for it too,” Eddie mused to the sniggering of his friends. “Fuck all of you,” he countered. “We should probably finish this up soon anyway.”

“We were going to, but you were too busy staring at my neighbor’s ass.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your contribution, Gareth.” Eddie took a couple of strides back until he had taken up his position in the middle again. “Anyone else got anything to say? No? Then let’s play.”

*****

Most of your evening went by fairly quickly.

You had fixed yourself something to eat (yesterday’s meatloaf with tomato sauce on a piece of bread), watched some tv and promptly switched it off because nothing of interest was on before retreating to your bedroom.

As promised the music next door had stopped about an hour ago and you were currently sitting cross-legged on your bed, absentmindedly leafing through an old magazine as you listened to music.

“Sorry I’m late.”

There had been a time where the sudden voice through your open window might have scared the shit out of you, but this had been going on for so long that you didn’t even bat an eyelid anymore.

Looking up from an article that wasn’t holding your attention, you watched as a scuffed white sneaker appeared, shortly followed by one black trouser leg as more of your visitor became visible. Eventually his head came into view, his lips flashing you his customary grin.

“How much longer are you going to do this?“

“Do what?” Eddie closed the curtains behind him so no one would even know that he was in your bedroom at all. “What did I do?”

“This.” You gestured from yourself to him with a hand, but he just stared at you and waited for you to elaborate. “U- This.” You corrected yourself before you could utter what you had initially wanted to say. “This thing. You sneaking into my house like some creep after band practice.”

“You think I’m a creep?”

“What? No!” When he started laughing, you threw the magazine in front of you at his head. Sadly, he dodged it. “This isn’t funny, Eddie.”

“I thought that it was.” He walked up to the bed and sat down next to you. “What do you want this to be?” You turned your head away, determined not to look at him. “Oh, come on.” Eddie threw an arm around your shoulder and pulled you against him. “Are you mad at me?”

“Yes.”

“Must be that shitty music that you like listening to.” He pointed at the cover of Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain that was propped up against a stack of books, next to your brother’s old record player. “It’s messing with your brain.”

“Fuck you.”

“Such a foul mouth, too.” He poked a finger into your cheek to make you smile. It only half worked. “You know you’re my girl, right?”

“Oh? Since when?”

“Dunno.” He leaned in to kiss your temple briefly. “A while.”

“Yet you don’t want anyone to know about it.”

It was a subject that you thought about often. Your relationship, if it could even be called that, was still relatively new, but it wasn’t something that you or Eddie had shared with your friends yet.

“I never said-“

“Did you tell anyone?” You spoke over him quickly, not granting him the time to explain himself to you, which was quite possibly unfair on your behalf, but you had to get this off of your chest. “Hm?”

He bit his lower lip and replied by saying, “No.”

“You’ve proven my point then.”

“Aw, baby.” He pressed closer into your side and you felt his fingers moving up and down your arm. “Let me make it up to you.”

“I’ve got homework.”

“I know that you usually finish that shit about an hour before school.”

“I need to study,” you blurted out quickly, the first alternative that you could come up with.

“Really? You think that crap works on me?”

Eddie knew exactly what you always did when you had a test.

You would half heartedly read the textbooks the evening before. You’d repeat that the morning of said test, but in a slightly more stressed manner because you “hadn’t studied” and then you’d still get good grades regardless of your horrible study routine.

“Fuck,” you said under your breath.

“Now?”

“Shut up.” You shoved at his side with a laugh, but he grabbed your hand so he could twine his fingers through yours. “Why don’t you want anyone to know?”

“Fuck’s sake.” He fell back on your bed and pulled you along with him. “I’m used to all the shit that they throw at me, but I don’t want you to be subjected to it.”

“This is my last year. I don’t care about that shit.”

“You should.”

“Well, I don’t.”

It wasn’t that you wanted to do the boyfriend-girlfriend stuff like walking around school holding hands or making out next to the lockers, but you’d at least like to be able to tell someone that you were seeing Eddie.

That wasn’t too much to ask now, was it?

“Why is this a problem?” he asked you suddenly. “Thought we were having fun.”

“We are. I just want to tell somebody, Eddie. Just one person.”

“Who?”

A frown appeared on your brow since you hadn’t exactly thought that far ahead, but when you thought about it for a bit, the answer was pretty obvious.

“Gareth.”

You had lived next door to Gareth for as long as you could remember. He idolized your older brother until he went to college a couple of years ago and left the town of Hawkins behind him completely in favor of the big city.

Eddie had been the one that had filled the void that your brother had left behind for Gareth in a way.

Everyone in town knew about Eddie Munson. The long hair, leather jacket and devil may care attitude hadn’t exactly worked in his favor. Add to that the fact that he was running the Hellfire Club, which was nothing more than a bunch of nerds playing D&D, and more people became convinced that he was the leader of some kind of cult.

An admittedly small one, but everyone had to start somewhere. That was the way a lot of the residents of Hawkins seemed to look at him.

The real Eddie was almost disappointingly average in comparison to whatever outlandish ideas other people had about him.

He wasn’t exactly sacrificing animals to the Devil in his off-time (chances were that he would be completely unable to hurt any animal), but when you had once told him that people thought that he did that, he was mightily impressed. His smile had grown and he had simply asked “Really?” You swore that he was seconds away from dancing on the spot over his infamy.

The only thing that he did that was against the law was sell drugs. That was about it.

The rest of his time was filled with planning D&D campaigns, playing guitar and getting high. Sometimes he’d even do all of those things at once.

But no, Eddie Munson was not a cult leader that made his loyal subjects sacrifice innocent virgins in the woods. Just an all round nice guy that had hobbies that made him stand out like a sore thumb in a small town like Hawkins.

He was also the one who had been sneaking into your bedroom for the last couple of weeks.

“Gareth?” You nodded enthusiastically in reply. “Why him?”

Because I’ve known him all my life, you thought to yourself. Because he’s like a brother to me and he’d be supportive of us getting together.

Given enough time, you would have been able to come up with loads of reasons as to why Gareth should be the first one to know.

“Because.”

Shame that your brain decided to blurt out only one word however.

Eddie snorted with laughter and squeezed your side. “Why are you like this again?”

“Maybe you should have asked yourself that question before you kissed me.”

“Should have.”

Even if you couldn’t see his face from your current position, you just knew that he was smiling. Both of you still remembered what had happened on that particular evening as if it had happened only yesterday…

*****

It had been a fairly normal evening.

On your way back home from the cinema, you had been a little bit too engrossed with thinking that you definitely would have picked Duckie over Blane at the time. So you had not noticed that Eddie’s van was still parked in front of Gareth’s house. It was pretty damn hard to miss, but you hadn't noticed that it was there until you were about to pass by Gareth's front door. You actually ended up being slightly startled when the door opened and Eddie happened to step outside into the night.

Your eyes met the same way that they did in those cheesy romance movies that you liked, and you swore that in your head you could hear the swell of music that picked up as you watched him light a cigarette right before he started walking in your direction.

Looking down at your feet suddenly, you started to walk again, but when you almost tripped, Eddie called out to you to ask if you were alright.

“Yeah sure,” you replied with a nervous laugh. “My shoelace got untied, that’s all.”

His big brown eyes went down to your feet and when you saw him grin, you looked down as well… only to realize that you were wearing a pair of slip-on sneakers… that didn't have shoelaces.

“Let me walk you home.”

“I live right next door.”

“So?" he said with a casual shrug. "We’ll walk slowly.”

And you did.

Your heart was in your throat as you attempted to make small talk and you got the distinct impression that Eddie was simply humoring you, but he still replied to every dumb question that you shot his way. Part of you hoped that he wouldn’t notice why you kept blurting out every inane thing that came to mind.

After all, no one knew about your little crush on him.

You had long since considered it doomed to never go anywhere and had begrudgingly accepted it. And it wasn’t like you had any contact with Eddie anyway.

Sure, you had a couple of classes together and he regularly hung out in the house next door, but that was it.

He would never find out.

“So,” you began as you reached the corner of your house. “This is me. I mean, my house. So you know, thanks? I guess?”

“No problem,” he said with a grin. “Didn’t want you to fall over and hurt yourself.”

“I would have been fine! Honest!” You pulled on your sweater, rubbing the fabric together in your hands nervously. Then you blurted out, “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Eddie took one final drag of his cigarette and flicked it away into the darkness. You watched him produce a packet of gum from his jacket pocket and take one for himself before offering it to you. When you shook your head, he shrugged and put it away again.

“Wait. Forgot something.”

“What did y-“

You never got a chance to finish your sentence, because the next thing you knew Eddie had cupped your face and had pressed his lips down on yours. He tasted like cigarettes and cinnamon gum. Your hands quickly found the back of his head, your fingers pulling on his long strands as his tongue slipped into your mouth.

It might have quite possibly been the best night of your life at the time, but Eddie kept finding ways afterwards to make every single other evening that you spent in his company even better.

*****

Eddie had blamed his sudden actions on being high and simply “going for it” later, but after that one night, it had turned into a fairly regular occurrence. Though every other kiss or touch had always been preceded by a question.

Can I kiss you?

Can I touch you?

Mind if I…? while he pointedly looked at the hem of the old shirt that you’d been wearing at the time.

Can I please touch your tits?

It was nice. Being asked for permission. Eddie never mentioned his parents so you had no idea how much of a fixture they had been in his life, but his uncle had tried to bring him up right, that much was obvious.

When you really thought about it, it made you laugh sometimes.

How almost everyone in town seemed to have decided that Eddie Munson was the Devil in disguise, yet he would be in your bed and asking you for permission to eat you out because he didn’t want you to feel like you had no say in the matter. Because he didn’t want to presume that you’d be as into it as he was.

Didn’t matter if you were half naked and gagging for it.

He still asked.

Whenever he’d been over at Gareth’s place, he would always end up at yours afterwards. One evening he had just sort of appeared in your bedroom (for which he had apologized profusely) and it had steadily progressed from there. He was over so frequently that you left the window open just so he could get into your bedroom whenever he felt like it.

Your mom usually worked until it was pretty late so there wasn’t any danger of her finding out that you had a gentleman caller over pretty much every single evening.

“When’s your mom coming home?”

“Not for a while,” you answered. He rolled you over onto your back and got on top of you. Your thighs fell open so he could nestle his hips between them. “You know that.”

“Just checking.”

“Just in case?”

“Hmm.” His hands slid underneath your shirt so he could palm your breasts. “Don’t want her to catch us in a compromising position.”

“Big word.”

“I’m not just a pretty face.” He flashed you an amused grin and then squeezed your tits once. “I know some big words.”

“Do you now?” His fingers teased your nipples into peaks with a practiced ease and you could see him open his mouth again, getting ready to speak. “Don’t.” You pressed your index finger against his lips. “Please don’t tell me all the big words that you know.”

“Just wanted to impress my girl.”

“I’m already impressed.” You could see the corners of his mouth curl up into a self-satisfied smirk. “Don’t get too full of yourself.”

Before he could think up a witty comeback, you curled your arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss to shut him up. He hummed against your mouth, trying to make it seem like he still had plenty to say, even though he was properly distracted now.

He pushed your shirt up and the cups of your bra followed shortly after. You moaned against his lips when he pinched your aching nipples lightly.

“Baby.” Eddie pulled away slightly so he could press his forehead against yours. “What did I tell you about making noises like that?”

“That I shouldn’t?” He chuckled in reply and shook his head. “That you hate it?” He did the same thing as before and waited for you to try again. “Oh yeah, now I remember. It makes you hard.”

“You know it.” He ground his hips against yours so you could feel his erection pressing against you through his jeans. You moaned a little louder this time, just to torture the poor guy a bit more. “Such a fucking tease.”

“A little bit.” When he rolled his hips against yours again, you tilted yours up to meet him. “That feels so good,” you breathed against his lips.

“Know what would feel even better?”

“Why don’t you show me?”

“Deal.”

There was a sudden shift as he practically leapt off the bed and pulled on your clothes, a quick flurry of activity, until you were wearing nothing but your panties. You leaned back on your arms and pressed your thighs together, trying to position yourself in a way that looked alluring and sexy.

“Fuck, baby,” he said in a low voice that was drenched with arousal. “You’re so fucking pretty.”

Seconds later, his denim vest and leather jacket hit the floor and he sat down next to you again. Even though he didn’t need to, he still patted his lap with his hand, silently telling you where he wanted you to sit.

Swinging a leg over him, you straddled his lap, making sure to grind your hips against his, adding enough pressure so that his growing bulge provided enough friction. Yet again, you let out an unnecessarily loud moan and you heard him inhale in a sharp intake of air through his teeth.

“Don’t.” One of his hands connected with your ass, which only made you rise up from his lap so that your tits were now level with his face. “Fuckin’ hell.”

Eddie buried his face between your tits, his lips and tongue everywhere, because he didn’t know what to focus on, as usual, but naturally you weren’t complaining. He sucked on your skin underneath one of your nipples, leaving a hickey in a place that was for his eyes only.

Wrapping his arms around your back suddenly, he pulled you back with him as he lay down. You managed to bring your hands up just in time, planting them next to his head, so you could hover over him.

“I’ll just-“ He chuckled suddenly and lay back. “Don’t move.” You waited for him to make a move, but he didn’t. When you looked at him quizzically, he admitted, “Just admiring the view.”

“So that’s what you were doing.”

“Can you blame me?”

“Wait.” When his arm moved, you pulled back suddenly and he groaned in disappointment, but you merely laughed when you heard it. “Don’t worry. You’ll love this.”

Getting off the bed completely, you walked over to your record player, removed the record that was currently playing and grabbed a new one.

Juju by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Even though Eddie had claimed many times that he couldn’t stand them, you’d also seen his leg bounce whenever you were playing this particular record, so you knew that he appreciated this one at least.

As soon as the first song started, he laughed and shook his head. He probably would have voiced his dislike for them yet again, but his eyes grew big when you started moving your hips from side to side in time with the music.

“I love this song,” you said as Spellbound played in the background.

“I know you do.” He looked up at you eagerly when you were standing in front of him again, wondering what you had planned. “Still don’t know what you’re planning to do, but I’m not complaining.”

“I was just about to get started.” You tapped his knee with your hand and said, “Move back a little.”

Eddie kicked his sneakers off and moved back on the bed, his eyes never leaving you for one second. He positioned himself against the headboard with your pillow against his back. He looked so damn comfortable that you couldn’t stop yourself from giggling.

“You joining me?” He patted his lap once more to tell you exactly where he wanted you. “Or are you just going to stand there?”

Not needing to be asked that twice, you got on the bed and crawled over to where he was sitting. When you were close enough, he reached out and snapped the elastic of your panties playfully, making it obvious that he’d rather see them removed.

“Not yet,” you chided, but you didn’t sound particularly convincing. Truth be told, you would have much rather taken them off as well, but you wanted to make him work for it a little first.

Straddling his lap once more, his hand tried to move up your side, his fingers lightly tickling, but you brushed his hand away immediately. Not being easily deterred, he tried again, but you grabbed it and moved it until it was resting on your hip, a move that you mirrored with his other hand.

“What do you have planned, huh?”

“You’ll see,” you replied with a wink. “Now don’t move your hands.” He didn’t reply, so you repeated yourself a bit more sternly. “Eddie. Keep them there.”

“Okay, okay.” He briefly released you and slapped your hips once for emphasis. “Like that?”

“Just like that.” You leaned forward, ghosted your lips over his and murmured, “Good boy.”

Hearing him groan in response over being called that, you made a vow to yourself to remember his response. You would definitely be using that one again.

Moving your hands up, you started by running your fingers through your hair. You started grinding your hips against his and set a slow, torturous pace.

When you looked at his face, it was plain to see that he was already struggling. His pupils were blown out and his lips parted whenever you dragged your pelvis over the front of his jeans. You really tried to get as much friction out of this as was humanly possible, which wasn’t exactly helping his current predicament. His fingers wouldn’t stop twitching, digging into your skin a little bit harder with each passing second.

His curiosity over what you were going to do next won out over his deep desire of throwing you on your back on the mattress and fucking your brains out.

You slid your fingers from your scalp down your jaw to your chin and then back up to your cheeks. Circling the tips of your fingers over your flushed skin once, they followed the path down again. The pads dragged down your neck briefly and then your mouth turned upward into a teasing smirk.

Eddie never saw it coming.

One hand clamped down on his shoulder suddenly and his eyes darted from that hand back to the one that was currently covering your mouth. You muffled an exaggerated moan which made him laugh softly at first, but he was silenced over what you did next. His focus was on your index finger, which was following the outline of your lips, only to watch the digit slip past your lips and into your mouth.

Swallowing hard, his eyes wouldn’t stop following your finger.

In, out. In, out.

You sighed deeply, momentarily squeezed your eyes shut, trying to make your features look as blissed out as you could. Your hips trembled when you found a particularly good angle and it temporarily made colors explode behind your eyelids.

“Baby.” Your eyes snapped open because your pet name came out of his throat sounding all strangled. His pupils were even more dilated than before, the warm browns of his irises almost entirely gone now. “I don’t think that I can han-“

Two fingers slid into your mouth when he tried to talk and Eddie swallowed his words immediately. You hummed loudly and slid them in deeper still, until you were starting to gag. You made absolutely sure that he heard that, for he had once confessed that hearing you choke was one of the hottest things ever, especially when you had his dick stuffed down your throat. Apparently it was a struggle for him every single time that it happened, because he always wanted to grab your face and fuck up into your warm mouth.

"But, you know," he had added with a grin at the time. "Don't want you to actually choke on it."

There was no danger of him pushing himself in deeper this time. This was all you and you could control it quite easily. You repeated it a few times, hitting the back of your tongue with the pads of your fingers each time until you gagged, giving yourself a moment of reprieve and then starting all over again.

All the while, Eddie's breathing grew more labored. Poor guy looked like he was in danger of fainting if you kept this up so a moment's pause was probably in order.

"You okay?" Your grin was quite possibly a little bit too wide, but everything about Eddie's features right now was a little bit too amusing to you. His cheeks had begun to color and a thin sheen of sweat was covering his brow, hinting at his discomfort. "You want me to stop?"

"No." He answered you quickly and you weren't sure if he wanted to prove that he could take whatever you could throw at him or if something else was at play here. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Looks like you're in trouble."

"Not." He choked out the word at first and cleared his throat so he could repeat himself in clearer terms. "Not in trouble. Fine. 'M fine."

"Such a good boy," you said in a singsong voice. "Still not letting you touch me though. But." Leaning forward, you decided that you could reward his patience in a different way. "How about a kiss instead?"

Tilting his chin up, Eddie caught your lips with his and gave you a hungry kiss. You moved your hand from his shoulder to the back of his head, to keep him there even if he wasn't pulling away, threading your fingers through his long hair.

“Why are you so fucking hot?” The question was murmured against your lips and he managed to sound genuinely bemused, too. “Hm? I can’t get enough of you.”

“Lucky me,” you reply. “But you’ll get sick of me eventually.”

“Never.” His hands tightened on your hips and then he forced you to move again, making you rub your dripping panties all over his still clothed erection. “That’s never gonna happen, baby.”

“If it’s never gonna happen, can I tell someone that we’re seeing each other?” You pulled away so you could look at him directly in his beautiful brown eyes. You tilted your head to the side questioningly, eyebrows raised as you continued. “You can’t keep hiding me forever.”

“Is that what this is about?” His hands stilled their movements completely and you let out a disappointed whine. “We’ll graduate soon. Can’t you just-“

“I’ll graduate,” you interrupted. “I don’t fancy your chances.”

“Now that was uncalled for.” One of his hands moved to your ass so he could pinch your pliant flesh in retaliation. “This is my year.”

“Is it?”

“I got you this time, ain’t I?” Eddie said with a wink. “You’re my lucky charm.”

“A lucky charm that you want to keep to yourself.” You pouted your lips in the same manner as a disappointed child might have done. “Who cares what anyone else thinks anyway?”

“You shouldn’t have to-“

“I. Don’t. Care.” You enunciated every single word clearly, in another effort to make it obvious that it was not a problem for you. “My friends wouldn’t care. Your friends wouldn’t care either.”

“Do we have to have this conversation now?”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t get it, that’s all.” You shook your head and settled your hands on your stomach. You weren't sure if Eddie was buying your sudden change of heart, so you threw in a quick, “I wanna make it up to you.”

You’d get him to change his mind about this, if it was the last thing you did. You just needed to push him a little harder.

“Still not done with the foreplay then?”

“Nope.” You popped the 'p' for emphasis and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “So just sit back and enjoy.”

“Just don’t take too long, okay?”

“I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything.”

Sliding your hands up, you cupped your breasts from below, moving them up until the palms of your hands were hiding your nipples from view. It got Eddie to stop looking at your face for a bit, all his attention now directed at your chest.

With a deep sigh, you started playing with your tits. Your hands squeezed and massaged while your fingers plucked, pinched, stroked and twisted. There was no telling how long you kept it up, but you were enjoying yourself to Eddie’s detriment.

“You gotta let me touch you, babe,” he eventually managed to say. “Please.”

“No.” Your reply was concise. You didn’t need to waste more words on it.

One hand left your chest and slid down your stomach, your fingers eventually dipping underneath the elastic waistband of your panties. Pushing yourself up on your knees, you tried to get better access and slid a single finger through your folds.

“God, Eddie,” you groaned loudly as you added another finger. “I’m soaked.”

If the music hadn’t been playing, he would have been able to hear exactly how wet you were, but Siouxsie Sioux was drowning out the sounds. You vaguely registered that Arabian Knights was currently playing, but the only thing that was on your mind was what you were doing right now and how Eddie was gripping you so tightly that you’d surely have bruises in the morning.

It was like a constant reminder that he was still there, even though you could never forget about him. You were impressed that he was even sticking to the rule that you had set and felt that a reward for his obedience was in order.

Removing your hand from your panties, you held up two fingers that were glistening with your juices. “Open wide.”

There was no hesitation on his behalf.

Doing as he was told, Eddie opened his mouth and you pressed your fingers inside. His lips closed around your digits and his tongue swirled around them, trying to suck every single drop from your skin.

You had been squeezing your breast with your other hand, but it snaked down your body quickly to replace the fingers that were now in Eddie’s possession.

“Fuck,” you moaned out. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” You plunged two fingers into yourself easily, pushing them in as deep as you could. “Eddie.” You keened out his name, your pitch going up when you hit the last two vowels. “Feels so good.”

His hands slid up your waist, but you were too far gone to tell him to keep them stationary. His thumbs were pressing into the swell of your breasts and he kept them there. At least he still remembered your dumb stipulation.

He released your fingers with a pop and muttered. “Babe. Please-“

“N-no.” You still had enough control over yourself to tell him not to, but you were sure hoping that he’d just read all the damn signs and go for it anyway. You knew that he wouldn’t, but still. “Not u-until I-“

“Not until what?” Eddie was slack jawed as he watched your hips twitch against your hand, one of those tell-tale signs that you were close. “Talk to me.”

“Can’t,” you gasped out. “I’m too-“

“Too what?” You were convinced that he was teasing you now, because there was no other explanation as to why he kept dragging you back from the brink, as payback for not letting him grab your tits or replace your fingers with his own. “You close, baby?“

“Yeah.” You were seconds away from sobbing. The white hot heat was steadily building, ready to explode any second now, and incinerate you completely. “So fucking close.”

Rolling your head forward, you pressed your forehead against his, only barely managing to keep your eyes open so he could see them glaze over the exact moment that you reached your peak.

You managed to choke out the first syllable of his name before you were silenced.

Eddie grabbed the back of your head, closed the distance and smashed his lips into yours as you climaxed. He swallowed up every single one of your moans hungrily, as if they belonged to him and only him.

Your moans and cries were muffled and he allowed you brief moments of respite, the ability to take deep breaths of air into your burning lungs. Your vision was swimming, filled with tears, and you were practically screaming into his mouth over the intensity of your orgasm.

Every muscle in your body eventually went limp, your fingers still pressed against your throbbing pussy, covered in your arousal.

Eddie was the one that peeled your hand away and let you sag against his chest as you tried to catch your breath. He brought your hand up to his mouth and hummed against your fingers as he licked them clean.

“That was so fucking hot,” he husked out against the top of your head. “I’ll do whatever you want. Ask me now. I’ll agree to anything.”

“Y-you know what I-“

“Yes.” The word was out of his mouth before you could finish your sentence. “Yes,” he repeated again. “Whatever you want.”

“Thank you.” The corners of your mouth curled up into a smile and then you added, “You can fuck me now.”

“Thought you’d never let me.”

Mere seconds later, you found yourself on your back staring up at the ceiling with Eddie on his knees between your open thighs. He yanked his shirt up over his head so quickly that you had been surprised that you hadn’t heard the fabric tear.

Pushing yourself up into a sitting position, you started helping him undo his belt buckle and then pulled his jeans open. One of his hands disappeared into his back pocket as he dug out his wallet. When your hand disappeared underneath the waistline of his boxers, Eddie hissed through his teeth.

“Ah, fuck.” His hips pushed forward into your hand when you wrapped your fingers around his length. “Keep doing that.”

“I wasn’t going to stop.”

“I know,” he replied with a groan. “I know.”

For a second there, you considered pulling his cock out of his pants entirely so you could suck on it, but when you heard him swear under his breath, your reverie was suddenly broken.

“What?”

“I don’t- fucking shit.” He was still going through his wallet, searching for something, before he put it back in his pocket with a look of defeat on his face. “Out of rubbers.”

Now you understood why he was so disappointed. He knew that you didn’t have any condoms, because you constantly feared that your parents would find them. Trying to convince them that you needed to be on the pill to regulate your cycle had been a huge hassle already so if they found condoms in your bedroom?

Your parents would have grounded you for life.

“It’s okay.” You never once removed your hand from his boxers. If anything, you only sped up your movements. “How about… you come on me instead.”

Eddie’s head snapped up immediately. “The fuck,” he muttered. “Are you serious?“

“Dead serious.”

“Where?” His eyes were already focused on your chest, unwittingly answering his own question, so you pushed your tits together for him. “Fuck. Really?”

“Really.” You bit your lower lip playfully and looked to the side. “Unless, you know, you don’t want to…”

“Fuck, baby. I want to so bad.” He grabbed your face between both hands and gave you a forceful kiss. “Damn, that’s so fucking hot.”

Poking a finger into one of his dimples, you cracked a smile and asked, “Is it?”

“Fuck yeah.” Pushing you back down on the bed again, he got on top of you and hovered over you so he could stare at you. “How’d I get this lucky again?”

“Well, it’s easy really,” you said with a grin as you tapped the tip of his nose with your index finger. “You were high as fuck when you walked me all the way back to my front door a couple of weeks ago.”

“I was not ‘high as fuck’.”

“High as fuck,” you repeated. “Then you made out with me right before leaving and here we are.”

“Here we are.” He repeated your words now and a satisfied smile was tugging on his lips. “I also remember telling you that I thought that you were hot.”

“Oh yeah, you admitted to having a crush on me,” you giggled. “It’s okay though cause I had one too.”

“So you told me.” He rolled his hips against yours, nice and slow, which earned him a moan in reply. “What started it again?”

“Your ass in those tight jeans.”

“Oh yeah,” he chuckled. “Never knew that it worked for anyone.”

“Trust me, it fucking works.” Pushing yourself up a little, you caught his bottom lip between your teeth and gave a gentle tug. “But how about you stop the small talk and fuck me already, huh?”

“Alright, alright.” Eddie sat back and tugged your panties off. Then he pushed his jeans and boxers down just far enough for his cock to spring free. “You in a hurry or something?”

“Kinda,” you replied. You gasped when he reached down to rub his fingers over your wet pussy. “Not like you can spend the night, doofus.”

“Well shit,” he joked back. “I thought for sure that this night-“

“My mother would have a goddamn heart attack if she found you in my room.” Eddie positioned himself in front of your entrance and you could feel the head of his cock pressing against you. It didn’t help much that he didn’t appear to be moving. “What are you waiting for?”

“I just-“

“Eddie.”

“Christ, fine.” He tried to sound annoyed with your impatience, but he didn’t quite manage to make it sound convincing. “I kinda wanted to-“

Raising your leg, you pressed the heel of your foot into his ass. Thankfully that had the desired effect.

Finally pushing his hips forward, he slid into you, a gentle push until he was sheathed inside of you all the way. He waited a moment, to let you get used to him, like he always did, before he started moving in earnest.

One hand was placed next to your head to hold himself up while the other gripped your hip tightly. His thrusts were deep and firm, your bodies undulating together, perfectly in sync.

That was only part of it though.

For throughout it all, Eddie kept holding your gaze, his chocolate brown eyes peering deeply into yours. Always silently demanding that you keep looking straight at him as well, always wanting to see the exact moment when you came apart at the seams.

“Eddie…”

“I know,” he groaned back. “Feels good, huh?”

“Y-yeah.” You grabbed onto his shoulders when he started pounding into you and you wrapped your legs around his waist, your thighs gripping him tightly. “Real good.”

“You feel good around me too.” The sound of skin against skin started reverberating through the room, interspersed with grunts and moans. “You’re so fucking tight.”

“I’m so close…”

“I can tell.” Eddie’s breath was hot against your face and his long hair was clinging to your face in places. “I can fucking feel you.” You mewled his name which made him drop his forehead against yours and say, “Come for me, baby.”

That was what did it.

His voice, laced with desire, sent you careening into another orgasm. You clutched him tight, your fingernails creating red marks on his shoulder blades as they dug into his skin.

Eddie kept thrusting into you through the height of your climax, but his smooth strokes soon became sloppy and uneven. He swore under his breath, stringing all kinds of expletives together the closer he got to the edge. At the last minute, he pulled out hurriedly and unloaded himself all over your stomach with a roar.

Letting out a breathless growl, he collapsed on the bed next to you. His breathing was heavy, the high of the moment fading quickly.

“You missed.”

“What?” Eddie turned his head and looked at the streaks of his cum on your stomach. None of them had managed to hit your chest. “Next time?”

“Sure thing,” you replied with a giggle. “There’s just something else that we need to do first.”

“I’ll clean you up in a minute, baby.” His hand connected with your shoulder and he gave you a comforting squeeze. “Just let me catch my breath first.“

“That’s not what I was talking about.” Eddie raised his eyebrows in reply, not sure what you were talking about. Since he was looking adorably confused, you added, “Gareth?”

“What about him?”

“What about-“ You let out an annoyed sigh. “You promised.”

“Oh.” It finally dawned on him what you meant. “Do we have to do that now?”

“Yes. He’s probably still awake anyway.” Your fist connected with Eddie’s arm, giving him a playful nudge. “I’m not going to give you a chance to chicken out of this.”

“I wasn’t. Just figured we could tell him tomorrow.”

“Nope. We’re doing this tonight.”

"Okay, I give. Just give me a moment." His gaze turned almost surprisingly loving then, a warm smile lighting up his face. “You are such a piece of work."

“And you love me for it.”

#stranger things #stranger things fic #eddie munson #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #mar writes #mar moodboards #eddie munson smut

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bridgyrose · 17 days

Note

Instead of asking for a new prompt, I'd like to request for a continuation of one of my previous requests this time.

Specifically, the Soul of a Weapon AU.

(Havent thought of this one in a while. But... lets make things interesting)

“I’m sorry, but this is the best I could do,” Luna said as she handed over the chained sickles to Veil. Her eyes lingered on the black metal and the way the white handles almost seemed to shine in the light with the gold accents, enjoying the way the weapon looked even though she knew exactly who it had been just the night before. And yet, it felt wrong to hold in her hands. “I-I think Veil should take it.”

Martyn rolled his eyes as he watched Veil move the weapon around. “You were supposed to keep to the plan.”

“I panicked!” Luna said in a harsh whisper. “It wasnt my plan to use it on Blake.”

“We’ll have to discuss this after class. I dont want to draw any more attention that we have.”

Luna gave a small nod as she watched Ruby, Weiss, and Yang file into class and sit down, almost overshadowed by the fact that Blake was missing. Her heart ached at the thought of what she’d done the night before, almost dreading the fact that she was going to have to do the same to Ruby. “Yes, Martyn.”

Martyn smirked a bit. “Though, that doesnt mean we cant have a little fun. Ember?”

Ember looked up from her books. “Yeah?”

“If Yang is called to fight, I want you to volunteer to be her opponent.”

“What for?”

“I want to see how she handles fighting without a weapon. And maybe to give you an idea on what she’ll become.”

Luna felt her stomach turn at the idea of turning the rest of team RWBY. If it hadnt been for Nocturne, none of them would be in this position to begin with. Awakened and hungry for what humanity had to offer, unfulfilled as her true calling seemed so far away, almost like a faded dream.

“Everything okay, Luna?” Veil asked. “You look lost.”

“I might be a little lost on the classwork,” Luna lied as she looked away from Ruby and her team. A sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed the necklace that hung from Veil’s pocket and tucked it away into her own as quietly as she could. “I think I need to step out for a moment though.”

“But class is about to start.”

Luna didnt answer back and stepped out of class and into the hallway. Once she was sure she was alone, she slipped the necklace she swiped from Veil out of her pocket and sighed as she looked it over. It was nothing more than a plain necklace, small fake jewels inserted into the metal.

“Are you okay, Luna?”

Luna nearly jumped as she turned around to face Ruby, hand behind her back to keep the necklace out of sight. “W-what uh… what are you doing out here? Shouldnt you be in class?”

“I was worried about you,” Ruby answered. “You might now be my weapon right now, but seeing you rush out of class like that makes me worried.”

Luna paused as she clutched the necklace behind her back, her eyes fell to Ruby’s chest as she thought about how easy it’d be to turn her into a weapon. All she’d have to do is press the necklace up against her. Though, as much as she had wanted to, she couldnt seem to move her arm to do it.

“Are you okay?”

Luna froze as she felt Ruby’s hand on her shoulder, her breath hitched as she stared into Ruby’s silver eyes. She wasn't at all like Nocturne had described her, much more kind than destructive. And yet, the words Nocturne had told her stuck in her mind almost like a curse.

“*Team RWBY needs to be removed if you’re to live your life.*”

Luna took a breath and moved the necklace into view, her words left her lips softly. “I’m… sorry.”

“Sorry about-”

Luna closed her eyes as she heard Ruby’s words cut out followed by a clatter on the ground. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a scythe where Ruby once stood, almost accurate to how she had been as Crescent Rose. Her heart raced as she picked up her new weapon, fingers shook as she ran them across the hilt before she folded it up.

With another breath, she started to make her way to Ruby’s dorm. “I-I can fix this, but I need to be you for a bit. I hope you can understand once you’re back to normal.”

#ruby rose #rwby ruby rose #luna rose #ember celica #veil frolic #martyn aster #drabbles #soul of a weapon au #soul of a weapon

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scarfacemarston · 6 months

Text

Yelena Fluff Alphabet

This can be read as x reader or with Kate Bishop. It can be viewed as queer platonic.I headcanon her as asexual as she is in the comics.

A - Affection (how do they show affection to their s/o) She loves playing with hair or gussying up that matches with your gender identity. It doesn’t matter if it’s casual or something more formal, she’d love to dress you up and do make-up if you wear it. Quick kisses on the cheek, the largest of smiles that light up her eyes, hand holding - sometimes in public, letting you win in Mario Kart or giving you the fruit you need in Animal Crossing, hiding at least one treat and one drink to make an emergency pack if you ever have a “hangry” moment. She also likes to buy little trinkets she finds on her travels.

B - Best Friend (what are they like as a best friend?) She makes for a great friend. She’s very extroverted, and while she does have a bit of a wall, she is happy to make friends if it feels natural to her.. She knows when to joke around and when it’s time to be more serious. She knows when to lift you up, but when to bring you (or Kate) to Earth. She’ll show up at your workplace/university with a cup of coffee or tea just because she can. Did your partner break up with you? Well, do you want him dead or eat ice cream in our PJs, or both? (Then she remembers she can’t kill people like that anymore.). Expect shopping trips and walks with Fanny. She’s fine to veg out or have a fun night out.

C - Cuddling (do they like to cuddle? And how would they do it?) It takes some time for Yelena to become accustomed to positive touch again. As a child, she was clingy and cuddly, which was stamped out in the widow training. She loves cuddling with her dog on the couch, and while she’s not supposed to be on the bed, she sometimes ends up there. She’s not used to cuddling with people so she’d have to be introduced to it. It takes some time to warm up, but far quicker than Natasha. She likes to wrap her arms around someone’s waist and lay her chin on their head or shoulder.

D - Domestic (do they want to settle down? How good are they at cooking and cleaning) Yelena never thought domesticity for the sake of it was something in her cards, but she fell back into it quickly upon reuniting with Melina and Alexei, and it’s something she craves. It’s stabilizing and a great comfort. Black Widows are taught how to care for a household, as seen in Agent Carter. Yelena lived more off of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and protein bars, but again, she’d branch out to whatever she could find. She’s not the most tidy of people, but more so than Kate. She enjoys her Mac n Cheese but also comforts from home. She thinks chicken nuggets are the oddest things. Taco Bell is also odd to her.

E - Ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) She’d be brisk and professional as though she was breaking up with a business partner. She doesn’t want to think about the emotional aspect. However, she would be heartbroken inside.

#yelena belova #black widow #yelena belova x reader #yelena belova x you #kate bishop #kate x yelena #yelena belova x kate bishop #kate bishop x yelena belova

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genevievemd · 1 year

Text

A New Era

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Genevieve McClure), Bryce Lahela x F!OC (Natalie Michaels) Word Count: 1306 Rating: G Category: family Trope(s):

Summary: Gen and Natalie head to the ERA's tour, then make a startling discovery.

Warnings: pregnancy

A/N: For @choicesficwriterscreations You Go Girls event. A little sisterly moment for G and Nat.

May 20, 2023

They arrive at their seats in the stadium, closer to the stage than either sister could have ever dreamed of, after a quick food break after the opening acts. They weren’t floor seats, but they were guaranteed to have the best view of their favorite artist since the age of 14 – Taylor Swift.

Thanks to Ethan giving Gen his Capital One card, and Tobias letting her spend hours in the queue while going over patient files.

Both Genevieve and Natalie had gone all out for the concert. Dressing in outfits related to their favorite albums. Lover for Genevieve and Reputation for Natalie. One with a glitter heart around one eye and the other with a black glitter snake on her cheek.

“I’m gonna cry. I can feel it.” Gen gives a weepy smile, watching the countdown clock on the stage tick away.

“Honestly, me, too.” Natalie takes a sip of her water, holding back her own set of tears.

“We’re at the fucking Era’s Tour. We’re about to see Taylor Freakin Swift in person! For the first time!” Genevieve turns to her sister, “I told mom we’d record Marjorie for her, and Bejeweled.”

“Oh that’s right, that’s her new anthem.” Natalie laughs, then quickly sobers up.

She’d been feeling nauseous all week, and at first she thought it was simply the anticipation of the show, her new leadership position at the salon. But now…

“Are you okay?” Gen asks, concern on her face. “You’re drinking water and you never do that at something like this, and you’re weirdly emotional. Which is my thing.”

“Yeah. Just been off all week.”

Gen narrows her eyes, looking over her sister. “You’re pregnant.”

“What?! Psh, no. No way.”

“You are. Have you taken a test?”

After a beat, Natalie sinks back in her chair, setting her water down on the ground. “No. I’m scared. Bryce and I got married a month ago.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier!? We could have done it when we were getting ready?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted to focus on the concert and not think about more impending responsibilities.”

“Okay, that’s fair.” Gen smiles, resting a comforting hand on her sister’s arm. “How about on the way home, we stop and get a test and take it when we get back to your place? You’ll have an answer before bed and then you can talk to Bryce in the morning when I go home and he gets back from his shift.”

“Yeah, okay. That’s a good idea.” Natalie lets out a sigh of relief, feeling a little more at ease.

She kicks herself a little bit, for not talking to her sister about it earlier. Genevieve has always been her biggest support, since they met in their kindergarten class 25 years ago. Through every boyfriend they had, every obstacle and problem in their lives, college for Gen and cosmetology school for Natalie; they had been there for each other through it all.

They may not be sisters by blood, but they were sisters in their hearts.

“I’m gonna send Ethan a video of you crying as Taylor comes on stage.” Natalie snickers.

“If you think my husband doesn’t already know that I’m about to cry for 3 and a half hours, you’d be wrong. He knows what he got himself into.”

Suddenly, the lighting changes and the clock stops ticking. The opening notes ringing through the stadium, both women taking deep breaths and leaping from their seats.

“Oh my god.” Gen grabs Natalie’s arm, holding it tightly as the tears begin to form.

“I’m gonna have no voice tomorrow.”

It’s been a long time coming…

They stumbled into the Lahela apartment well past midnight, with tired feet, a bag full of concert merch and a smaller bag from the convenience store down the street. Both still on a high from the concert, and both eager to see if Natalie is pregnant.

“You know, if that comes back positive, my niece or nephew’s first concert was Taylor Swift. As a fetus.” Gen laughs as she sits down on the couch, taking off her shoes. Her makeup is no doubt smudged from the ridiculous amount of crying she’d done, and the pink glitter heart on her face now looked more like a glitter circle.

It was by far the best night of her life.

Aside from her wedding, of course.

Though, Gen was sure Ethan would understand if she placed tonight just slightly above their wedding.

“You are ridiculous.” Natalie laughs from the kitchen, grabbing them two bottles of water from the fridge then taking the pregnancy test out of the plastic bag. “So, I’m just chugging this bottle and then peeing on this stick?”

“Yes. That’s how it works.”

“Don’t be sassy, Mrs Ramsey.”

“It’s at the core of who I am, Mrs. Lahela.”

Natalie blushes, and smiles, walking over to meet her sister on the couch. “That still sounds wild to me. Like, I’m a wife.”

“Yeah, took me a bit, too.”

They sit in silence for a moment, both knowing Natalie is delaying the inevitable.

“Go.”

“Fine.” Natalie gets up, walking over the the en suite in her bedroom. There’s some rustling then her voice echoes from the other side of the closed door. “I think my anxiety just shot to the moon.”

“Yeah. It’s a lot.” Gen takes another sip from her water bottle, texting Ethan then looking through the hundreds of photos she took that night. She sends her husband a couple different ones, smiling when he responds with three hearts and an I miss you, my love. I’m glad you had a good time.

“Okay,” Natalie comes out of the bedroom, pregnancy test in hand. She drops it on the coffee table and plops down on the couch beside her sister. “Gonna be the longest two minutes of my life.”

“Yeah, when Ethan and I had that scare over the summer it was nerve racking.”

“How did,” Natalie pauses, searching for the right words. “How did you guys handle that? The possibility of being pregnant before you had planned. Bryce and I wanted to wait a little longer, but…”

Gen reaches for her sister's hand, squeezing it. “It was scary, especially because he was ready and I wasn’t. But we just had an honest conversation. I told him I was scared and he reminded me that no matter the outcome he supported my decision.”

“Would you have… you know?”

“No.” She shakes her head, a soft smile on her face. “If the test had come back positive instead of negative I would have kept it. Because at the end of the day, I want to have kids with him, and maybe that may not have been exactly when I wanted it but I knew that no matter what Ethan was by my side. We’re a team, like you and Bryce.”

“That’s true.”

“So, no matter what this test is about to say, I’m sure Bryce will be supportive.”

“He’s the best.” A dreamy look comes across Natalie’s face, the same look that she’s pointed out that Gen has had from time to time.

The face of someone thinking of their love and knowing it’s the greatest thing in the world.

The timer on Natalie’s phone goes off, and they both take a deep breath.

“Here we go.” Nat reaches for the test, and her eyes immediately become flooded with tears. “Oh my god,” her voice is no more than a whisper. Her hands shaking as she stares down at the piece of blue and white plastic.

“Let me see,” Gen takes the test from her sister’s hand, a soft giggle coming from her lips. “Sissy…”

“I hope fetus Lahela liked the concert.” She jokes through happy tears before both scream in excitement.

It was the beginning of a new era.

A/N: Kaili Marie Lahela is born January 2024 (I have the actual date somewhere but I'm too lazy to find it). And 8 months later, Lizzie Ramsey is born!

Thanks for reading friends.

(tagging separately)

#ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x mc #open heart #open heart fanfiction #bryce x oc #bryce x nat #ethan x gen #cfwc you go girls

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phoeeling · 2 years

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those posts about Azula and Zuko’s relationship by @zuko-always-lies and @wingsfreedom respectively got me thinking about the fire hazards. one pointed out what makes Zuko seem like he doesn’t care about Azula, and one pointed out what does. And it brought me to a conclusion.

Zuko parrots what other people’s opinions on Azula are. (Almost all of the time)

When we see Zuko’s first flashback in Zuko Alone, he’s hanging out with his mom by the pond. He says “Hey, mom, wanna see how Azula feeds Turtleducks?”

Zuko says this like he finds it genuinely funny and interesting. He views it positively. Now, Zuko immediately fails at mimicking her— as soon as the bread hits the Turtleduck, Zuko’s expression is shocked and horrified. That wasn’t supposed to happen, and he’s scolded by Ursa for it.

“Zuko, why would you do that?”

Ursa doesn’t assume it’s an accident. Ursa— and I’m trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, really— has a low opinion of Azula. She isn’t able to separate her trauma regarding Ozai (even if we ignore the comics, absolutely nothing isn’t traumatic about being married to a man willing to kill your children) from Azula very effectively.

Ursa has outright questioned “what is wrong with that child” in earshot of Zuko and Azula, to the point that the former actually remembers her saying it, and her Nickelodeon bio confirmed Zuko as her favourite.

While Zuko is processing, Turtleduck resurfaces and it’s mother attacks him. The rest of that part isn’t particularly relevant, what’s relevant is what comes after. It transitions to Azula “playing” with her friends.

“Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game.”

Zuko, who previously seemed to have a more positive opinion on Azula earlier that day, responds kind of aggressively with “I am not cartwheeling.

Azula points out cartwheeling isn’t a game, especially one that wouldn’t need teams.

“I don’t care. I don’t want to play with you.”

Zuko, just that morning, had no problem with Azula and no reason to, and is now acting needlessly aggressive toward her. Zuko internalized Ursa’s opinion of Azula even without Ursa outwardly expressing her negative feelings, and it further paints what we see of those flashbacks. He even joins Ursa in scolding Azula for her comment about if Iroh died.

The next flashback is awhile after, and Zuko’s personal opinion doesn’t seem to be altered to fit the bias of anyone else around him: Zuko is playing a tag-like game with Azula, and the two are laughing and smiling.

The scene after that, it’s unclear when it takes place. How much longer after. It appears to be late in the day, like sunset-ish. Zuko is fine hanging out with Azula until she insults him, and then he gets defensive. (Also note: when the two of them are spying on the meeting, as Zuko runs away, Azula actually turns to check on him as he runs away.)

Next scene when Zuko is lying in bed. Azula is sing-songy and mocks him about what she heard. Now, despite this— and I note— Azula suggests Zuko to flee the country.

“I’m only telling you for your own good. I know! Maybe you can find a good Earth Kingdom family to adopt you.”

In all technicality, what Azula is suggesting is treason and I think that might make her treasonous by suggesting it. She’s telling him to go against the Fire Lord’s orders— that would potentially further Ozai in gaining the crown, which is what really matters here— and telling him to live. All she’d have to do is say nothing and Zuko would be gone and she’d be heir.

(Not only that, but when Ursa asks Azula what was going on, Azula tells her everything.)

The next notable scene: when Azula tells Zuko no one knows where [Ursa] is and that Azulon is dead, Zuko says it’s not funny and she’s sick, which is probably the best instance of him parroting Ursa’s opinions.

Zuko also later ends up parroting Iroh’s opinion of Azula. We know Iroh doesn’t have a very high opinion of Azula— despite the fact Iroh isn’t looking at her during the Agni Kai, he remembers her as smiling. She also looks no different than her current appearance, which suggests Iroh doesn’t really see her as a child.

Iroh is immediately hostile towards Azula when all she’s said is hello, screwing up his expression. (Zuko’s screws up his expression too, but he’s made angrier expressions at Iroh.)

After the guard slips that it was a lie, then Zuko gets angry at Azula for an actual reason— and during the Chase, he wants to fight her. But when he’s talking to Iroh, he seems genuinely unsure on how to feel about Azula. “I know, she’s my sister and I should try to get along with her.”

Now, one thing to note— Ursa doesn’t directly say this from what we see. The closet she does is agree with Azula that it’s important for brothers and sisters to spend time together. Which means that he’s likely either parroting that sentiment from Azula, or that’s an original thought.

Iroh reinforces that Zuko should feel negatively towards Azula. “She’s crazy and she needs to go down.”

(Iroh should be in the right by saying that, should being the key word. She shot fire at him. But she only had to do that because he prevented her from fleeing the scene in the first place, meaning she had to come up with an alternate escape plan. She had already attempted to flee from battle semi-peacefully because she was outnumbered, meaning he outright risked his niece’s safety for no reason.)

When Zuko’s in the Fire Nation, he’s mostly neutral-positive on Azula. There’s no negative outside opinions altering his view on Azula, and that’s when they get along the most. Despite the fact Zuko is incredibly grumpy throughout all of S3. He’s still very Zuko about it, but he doesn’t hate her.

When he joins the Gaang, his opinion on Azula gets negative again. He seems neutral-sad when she nearly falls to her death and resigned when she survives, and says to Katara in Sozin’s Comet: “How would you like to help me put Azula in her place?”

When Sokka asks if he left behind anyone he cares about, he doesn’t say Azula: because Zuko can’t tell if he cares about Azula.

When Suki says “This is a rematch I’ve been waiting for”, Zuko literally parrots her. Suki has a reason to want a rematch— Zuko doesn’t. He hasn’t lost a battle to Azula, because he hasn’t been in a battle with Azula that actually resulted with either of them winning.

To summarize: Azula knows her and Zuko’s sibling relationship is wrong and wants to repair it. Zuko knows his and Azula’s sibling relationship is wrong and doesn’t know what the right is, so he mimics what everyone else thinks [about Azula].

And everyone is getting in-between them reconciling and building a health relationship. Ozai intentionally, Ursa unintentionally and Iroh somehow both intentional and unintentionally.

#atla #avatar #azula #Zuko #fire hazards #analysis #the only reason Zuko says that Azula isn’t sorry about the way things turned out is because everyone else #has made him believe that to be the case #Zuko has a hard time making up his own mind and forming his own opinions.#it’s why he struggled with morality and it’s why he struggles with Azula #because I do think Zuko wants them to be on the same side #that’s why he sounds so offended she lied to him in S2 EP1 #he doesn’t realize that for the most part they *are* on the same side bc everyone else is telling him they’re not #the comics aren’t canon btw those suck #originally wrote 99% of this on a reblog of a post #thought it’d be better as a separate post

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petri808 · 9 months

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Sorry it's late ;-; For day 7 of Nalu Week 2023 @allaboutnalu

What now? Lucy ponders as she sat on the beach. They chose to camp next to it for the night because the cool ocean breeze felt great during this summer heat. Of course, the view is another selling point. It’s short stretch of white sand is speckled with the typical ocean debris of shells in various shape or sizes. The waves are mellow and lap at the shore while their ripples sparkle when hit by the light.

Another mission is complete, and they’ll return home, to what? For what? Hanging out at the guild? Going on another mission? And repeat? Is that all life has become? Will her life be like this sun slowly setting along the horizon only to rise in the morning, repeating the cycle forever? Sure, her life is a lot of fun and she’s rarely bored… but is she truly content?

These ‘feelings’ started not long after finding out her best friend Levy is pregnant. Lucy’s ecstatic to become an auntie! A new member being born into Fairytail after many, many years, and the start of a new generation. The quest from Elefseria gave her little time to explore these feelings, but now that it’s over, having time on her hands means time to think... or more like feel. This nagging feeling of emptiness… no, maybe that’s not the right word. Maybe longing? Something just felt missing, but for the life of her, Lucy couldn’t figure out what.

She closes her eyes and takes with it the vision of the sunset before her, picturing the cinematography against her lidded screen. In this reel, the missing feeling is the sun, and the ocean is her, while the sky… the sky and all its colors are her life blending together to create a picture-perfect kaleidoscope worthy of capturing on film. Almost perfect. That sun which stands apart, blinds with light to demand attention, and yet is hazy and hard to look at directly. Maybe it’s not that Lucy can’t figure it out, but more like is afraid to figure out what this feeling really means.

She sighs as she lets out a shallow exhale, her shoulders slumping, and chin dropping low enough to touch her knees. Having already had her knees bent up and arms wrapped around them, Lucy tightens the hug. Everything since meeting Natsu and joining Fairytail has made her happy. Even the bad times are still filled with precious moments with her friends that she would never trade for the world. She had friends, she had her spirits, and she’d even made peace with her father. She had a roof over her head, enough to live on, and a place where she belonged with the guild. It’s the truth; everything since meeting Natsu and joining Fairytail has made her happy.

“So why do I feel like this?” Lucy mumbles. Ugh, it feels like she’s at some invisible precipice in her life. Like middle school just ended and now it’s time to move onto high school. She’s already an adult, so isn’t old age the next stage? Is there something else to do?

Lucy hears sandy footsteps behind her and twists around a bit to see who is coming. It’s just Natsu. She puts on a standard smile. “Hey, what’s up?” She asks.

“Gray said dinners almost ready,” Natsu responds while dropping into a crouching position. His brows furrow slightly as he looks Lucy dead straight in the face. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“Me?” Lucy acts fine. “It’s nothing, just tired probably.”

Natsu moves into a cross-legged position, signaling to her that he’s not leaving this alone. With his hands bracing on his thighs, he leans forward. “You’re lying.”

Lucy again straightens up ready to argue, but his intense stare told her it won’t work. “Okay, okay,” she deflates. “Yes, something is bothering me, but I don’t know what it is.”

“Why, because it’s like a ghost?”

That makes Lucy snort a small laugh. “No, not a ghost.”

“Um, did somebody put a spell on you?”

“I don’t think so. I guess it’s possible too… but I don’t think so.”

Natsu taps his chin. “Just talk about whatever you’re thinking out loud, maybe that’ll help? When I do it, someone usually makes a comment that helps me.”

Lucy laughs, she knows it’s true. Since he thinks out loud, she often has a chance to stop whatever hair-brained idea he’s thinking of. “You’re probably right,” she smiles.

“See!” His grin flashes wide, “It works!” He relaxes into a comfortable position. “So, talk.”

“Okay, okay!” she laughs again and leans back, propping herself up with her arms and looks up to the now dark sky. “Well, I started feeling odd shortly after Levy told us she’s pregnant.”

“Odd like worried about something or like confused?” He asks.

“Mm, no,” Lucy shakes her head, “nothing like that. More like, when I look at her, I get this weird feeling in my chest like…”

Natsu cuts in. “Pain?”

“… someth— what? Pain? No, it’s not painful so I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with me. It’s like I’m missing something or that I want something that I don’t have or maybe I can’t have… Oh, I don’t know…” Lucy groans, pulling herself forward to wrap her arms around her legs again. “I love Levy. She’s my best friend and I can’t wait to spoil the baby rotten! Yet every time I look at her, I feel bad, and I wish it would just stop.”

Natsu sits up straight. “It’s only when you look at her, right? Sure, sounds like you want something Levy has.”

“What? Something Levy has?” Lucy scoffs. “Pfft. That’s absurd. There’s nothing that Levy owns that I want or can’t just buy myself. So that makes no sense.”

“But there is something,” Natsu tips his head slightly in confusion. “Levy’s got the baby. That’s not something you can buy, I don’t think,” he shrugs, “I don’t quite understand where babies come from, but I remember Macao sayin something about exercising.”

Stunned into silence, Lucy jaw practically hits the floor. Just the nonchalant way Natsu spoke about such an intimate topic or the fact he even came up with all that himself! “Whoa! No, no, I am not ready to be a mother!” Her laughter is hesitant. “I respect her decision, but I am not ready to do the same.”

Natsu cringes. “Then the only other thing would be Gajeel and I don’t think Levy would like that.”

Again, Lucy’s jaw drops. “Yeah… that’s an even bigger no.” Plus, to suggest such a thing, ‘how could he ever think I’d want to be with someone other than him?!’ Damn. Lucy freezes in realization. It’s not that she hasn’t known for a long time that she loves Natsu, she just didn’t realize how painful the waiting for him to reciprocate has become.

“Well, I’m out of ideas,” Natsu states. “Let’s try again after dinner.”

Before he can stand up, Lucy places a hand on his arm to stop him. “Wait.” She says in a soft tone. “I think you’re onto something. No, I don’t want a baby or Gajeel,” she shivers at that thought. “But I do want something that Levy has and I know what that something is.”

“Awesome!” Natsu practically bounces in place. “What is it? I’ll get it for you if it’ll make you happy.”

Lucy’s face grew hotter than the sun. This is not how she’d pictured revealing her feelings if she ever revealed her feelings. “W-Well… good news is I’m sure you’ll be able to make me happy, but my worry is you won’t understand what it is that I want.”

“Why,” Natsu almost looks forlorn. “Is it big words I won’t understand?”

If it isn’t for the stress she is under, that comment should have made her laugh. “No… it’s not big words…. It’s just in the past this topic has come up and I don’t think you understood what it meant.” Lucy takes in a deep breath. “Okay, I’m just gonna blurt it out. Natsu I’ve loved you for a long time and I’ve always hoped you’d ask me to be your girlfriend, but you haven’t all these years and I guess seeing Levy and Gajeel so happy, it made me jealous. So, if you really wanna make me happy, you’d have to become my boyfriend and do the things that couples do like hold hands and other stuff.” Lucy lets out a winded exhale and slumps from the mental exhaustion. “There. That’s what I want.”

Without taking anytime to process, Natsu looks Lucy straight in the eyes with a serious expression. “But I already thought you were my girlfriend and I’m your boyfriend.”

Her eyes flare open. “When did you—”

“The day we left on the quest,” he responds, “remember, when I told you we’d be together forever? Isn’t that like saying we’ll be a couple forever? I thought it did and you looked happy, so I figured it was right.”

“Oh my—” Lucy palms her face unsure if she should laugh or cry. For once, she’s the one who’d misunderstood. In all fairness, that’s a subjective phase that didn’t imply romance… but this is Natsu we’re talking about. “I didn’t make the connection…”

Natsu rubs the back of his head nervously. “I know I’m not very good with this stuff, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to act either. It’s scary too… I don’t wanna touch you wrong and make you mad.”

Lucy sighs with a smile that expresses how amusingly foolish and happy she felt. Now that the truth has come out and the weight is lifted, her body feels incredibly relaxed and sleepy. Without saying a word, she simply crawls over to Natsu and climbs into his lap, sitting sideways to rest her cheek against his chest. When he doesn’t move after the first few seconds, she directs him. “Put your arms around me.”

He does as told, wrapping his arms around her upper body and pressing her in even closer. “Like this?” He queries as he also rests his chin on top of her head.

“Mm, hmm.” Lucy simply murmurs and snuggles against the warm chest. She could just fall asleep right now, finally in his arms…

Natsu breaks the mood. “Hey Lucy?”

“Yeah?” She whines without lifting her head.

In a hesitant tone, he questions her. “Since you’ll probably want a baby someday too like Levy, should I figure out how to make one?”

Too tired to deal with this now, Lucy sits up briefly to look Natsu in the face. She pats his chest, leaving her palm against his skin. “Let’s leave this topic for another day,” she smiles. “Okay?” When he smiles and nods back, Lucy resumes her snuggling. This is going to be a whole new experience for the couple and she’s sure they’ll have a lot of fun in this venture. But as Natsu said in his first proposal, there’s no rush to take the next step when they’ve got forever.

#nalu #nalu week 2023 #nalu fan fiction #fairy tail

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notstinky · 1 month

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TIMING: Late 2023 FEATURING: Luci (@luci-in-the-stars) & Thea (@notstinky) LOCATION: A hill somewhere SUMMARY: Thea is looking at stars when she's joined by Luci, who was hoping to do the same. The two get along well, but Thea's HAIR has other ideas...

Thea adjusted the knob on the side of her telescope, bringing Neptune in all its bright glory into focus. She’d never been more pleased with a birthday purchase before; it had been a little treat to herself considering the rest of her birthday went a little bad, to say the least. Eating an entire camping family was pretty bad but, hey, at least she had the telescope! Thea always thought it was important to look at the positives. Other than a few bumpy nights out of the month, she was a totally normal girl. And now, with her bald hair fixed via a strange hair tonic, there was nothing stopping her from enjoying the night sky and all its splendor. With Neptune at its annual opposition, it was the best time to view the planet—the summer triangle still hung high in the sky, Jupiter was bright as always, and Pleiades was getting ready to illuminate winter skies.

The crunching of grass behind her, shrill in her ears, caused her to snap around. Thea’s vision easily adjusted to the dark, observing the figure that approached with their own telescope. Thea wondered if she should have felt more alarmed at a stranger invading her carefully thought out stargazing spot (she’d run her own research, running around town to find just the right altitude) but the sight of the telescope both instantly calmed her and endeared her to this stranger. “Hello!” She waved, her words tumbling from her mouth at a rapid pace. “Come to see the sky too? I’ve got Neptune locked in on mine and I think I can get Triton too, if you wanna take a peek.” She paused. “Oh, sorry.” Thea stuck out her hand, “I’m Thea. Sorry, I get excited.”

—

Luci had wanted to figure out the star maps here before she asked potential friends to come with her. After all, it would probably be embarrassing if she wasn’t able to name the stars over here. It was just so much brighter then where she had lived, where only the brightest of the stars could get through - even with her telescope. So she had asked around where a good stargazing location was, and had carefully packed up the telescope she’d gotten for her fifteenth birthday and set off.

Although she hadn’t expected someone else, Luci wasn’t at all frightened seeing a scope set up. After all, it was a beautiful night to stargaze and as nervous as she was to do it in front of friends and get things wrong, others weren’t a bother at all. Especially when they seemed friendly. With a smile that reached her eyes she said, “Hi - yeah I did. It’s a lot brighter here than where I’m from. - Oh you can see Neptune here? I hadn’t realized it would be bright enough.”

Without thinking Luci nodded her head excited at the idea of seeing Neptune with her own eyes on a screen - only stopping as the other remembered normal customs. “Oh - no worries. I got excited too. I was going to look at your scope before even getting your name. You see -I’m trying to make some star maps and - well you know,” Luci said with a blush starting on her face. At the hand Luci took it and shook it gently and said, “Oh I’m Luci - It’s nice to meet you Thea.”

—

“Yes!” Thea perked up. “It’s in opposition right now, which means it’s opposite the sun and—“ Thea shook her head. “What am I saying? You probably know this, you’re trying to make a star map. Anyway, it’s right in front of Pisces, so the trick is making sure you’re not actually looking at Bélénos or something.” To anyone else, it probably sounded like gibberish but Thea trusted that to her new friend Luci, who was definitely now her friend, it was comprehensible. “And by my angle, if I’m right…” Which she usually was, she’d been stargazing since she learned how to speak and ask about the bright dots that populated the night. “…I should have Neptune.”

Thea grinned, asking, “where are you from, Luci?” She gestured to her scope to allow her friend Luci—she was going to force them to be friends if she had to—to look through it. “They’re a lot brighter here than where I’m from too. I grew up in the city and you probably know, city stars are…” Thea sighed. “…hard to see. Toronto has never been known as a great astronomy location. There’s a dark sky preserve like two hours away from the city but that’s like, two hours away.” Not that she didn’t regularly make the trip anyway.

The hair did not like this conversation; it was not about hair. The hair had awoken with the sound of another flesh sack sloshing around and that was particularly tantalizing. How easily did Luci bleed, it wondered. Maybe they could make a star map out of that.

—

Luci’s eyes glittered in excitement as she followed what the other was saying “Oh! That would make Neptune a lot easier to see. Oh to be fair I may not have known it. So you’re absolutely fine.” After all, Luci herself had a habit of over-explaining herself, and if she was honest she loved hearing people talking about things that they were passionate about. It didn’t bother her at all. Nodding along she continued, “I bet you are.”

Going closer to the telescope and looking into it just confirmed that her new friend was. For a moment Luci was more concentrated on Neptune, taken with how bright it was here before going away from the telescope, “Yes that’s got to be Neptune! Wow, it's pretty.”

Looking at Thea now she said, “Oh I’m from the Bronx. - Oh New York City.” She quickly corrected herself, knowing that she shouldn’t just assume that people knew what the Burrough was even if it was a habit of hers to lead with it. “I could see some of the stars, but - not like all of this. I bet in the winter it’s even clearer I can’t wait to see them. - Oh you’re from Toronto?” Luci said liking to know new facts about people and gave a smile and nod. “Oh wow I’d never heard of that! It must be so nice to see the stars without any light pollution.”

She wondered idly how the stars must have looked like, and wondered how she’d feel seeing them all bright in the sky. Would Luci feel small, or in awe of what the universe could produce just outside of her reach? Part of her wanted to ask Thea what she thought, but figured that was too much of a conversation for first meeting and instead stuck with, “I know it’s a bit of a lame question, but what’s the coolest astrological body you’ve been able to see? - Oh I am kind of assuming you got to go to the dark sky preserve, but if you did you know?” She said smiling at Thea, hoping that there was an answer.

—

Thea brightened, at her own emotional height—if she could be seen through a telescope, she probably glowed. “Yeah! Isn’t it just?” A lot of people had a passing or romantic interest in the stars; they might look up and think it was pretty and learn a few names but few people were scientifically fascinated. Finding celestial bodies in the sky wasn’t just as easy as pointing some lens at the sky; there was measuring, finding the ecliptic, charting a course though other known bodies, adjusting and fine, yes sometimes looking at an app. Did anyone ever appreciate that she was using an apochromatic doublet refractor telescope? Sure, it wasn’t the same as the Sky-Watcher Evostar 150DX that she had in Toronto, after she’d saved up all five thousand dollars for it, and sure it couldn’t look at deep space objects but at least it wasn’t a Powerseeker 70EQ, or something.

“New York City…” Thea repeated. She’d always thought of New York as the sort of place people wanted to escape to, not escape from. How much of a right did she have to judge when the same could be said about Toronto? Which was as Thea saw it, the New York City of Canada. She decided not to comment on it. “Oh god,” she grinned, memories tumbling into her head, “like, so many things: a couple of nebulas standout, Dumbbell and Crab; clusters like Hercules and then you get to the shit that doesn’t even have proper names like M5, M12; and every planet in our solar system, every bump on the moon, comets, asteroids…” Thea’s eyes swelled with water. She gestured up at the inky sky, jumping in place. “How can I pick? It’s all so cool, it’s all so beautiful: there are billions and billions of things out there, and they’re billions and billions of miles apart and when you stare up at them all you see is the little dots but far off, far away, farther than we’ll ever go, they’re burning beautifully and brilliantly and for this moment--this cosmically small grain of time--I get to see it. Me. The universe is so grand, so big, so unfathomable and I get to see it.” Thea sighed, clutching herself as tears streamed from her face, emotions of existential wonder. “I don’t think you pick a favorite. It’d be like picking your favorite drop in the ocean, or something. I don’t think you do that. I think the first time you look up at the sky, like really look at it, like the first time you see a celestial body, you accept that that’s the greatest fucking thing you’ve ever seen and there’s a billion of those. More than a billion. A stupid, unthinkable, infinite number of beautiful things. The first time I saw Jupiter, I had nightmares for months.”

And like that, with Thea holding herself against the cosmic beauty of the universe, The Hair lunged, darting out of the darkness. It aimed to slice Luci’s skin and spill the red nectar of her body.

—

Luci was easily in awe of the sky. She often felt small, and it was no different now but there was something comforting when it was the cosmos telling you. Her notebooks and star charts couldn’t match the feeling of peering up and knowing that the stars flickered on no matter what you did. There were rules and laws that guided them into their place and they were wholly unfazed by her. It should make her feel lonely, Luci thought lightly but her eyes grew instead thinking about how they flickered and she wondered what secrets they could tell her. Just because they didn’t know her didn’t mean she couldn’t know them. “Your telescope is amazing, wow the winter up here’s going to be phenomenal.”

“Yeah,” Luci said at her home wondering if she was connected to it. She certainly thought she was connected to her family but the place itself wasn’t all that important to her. No place really felt all that special, but right now the stars twinkling at her did. At the others' explanation she nodded slightly, listening carefully, and trying to find a way to write it down. It was beautiful, in a way that Luci couldn’t articulate and she liked Thea - and she wanted to remember what she said. It made her pause though as she saw the other get emotional at the stars and for a moment Luz wondered what that felt like. She was in awe a lot of the time and she felt the emotion and the amazement that you could see all the stars and planets in their own universe but - Luz was always a little outside. She always felt like an observer and not a participant but that might be too much to express to someone she just met. How you were in awe of something but couldn’t feel the emotions of it as easily. Instead she turned to show Thea her notebook to ask if she wanted to see the list of elements related to the different stars to share some of her knowledge as a thank you - when suddenly there was a flash of something coming at Luci.

Without thinking, Luci tried to move away her hopeful smile turning neutral as she felt her arm suddenly in pain and wet. Looking at her friend her eyes grew wide and she said, “Thea - not to alarm you but I think - You have something on your head. Oh -” Without room to finish her statement Luci side stepped again trying to avoid whatever it was moving to her bag instinctually.

—

Curiosity built up on the edge of Thea’s tongue; questions dug into her mouth. She wanted to ask Luci what celestial body was her favorite, if she agreed with her take, if it was totally lame that she was crying about Jupiter, if they could be best friends for real because she’d never met anyone else that got it like this. Then her hair streaked across the sky and for the first time since it’s started attacking people, Thea was sad about it. She probably should have felt sad about it sooner, considering all the damage it had done, but this time was more personal; she was desperate to be Luci’s friend. “No!” she shrieked, but her hair had never listened to her before and wasn’t going to start now.

The Hair stabbed the earth, thousands of strands of dark hair woven together into large spikes. It was slow, always going where Luci had just been rather than where she was, but slowly it was learning. Each piercing blow, safely nestled into the earth, gained momentum, chugging along like the starting engine of a train. Soon, its speed rendered it a blur in the air, stabbing wildly in the direction of Luci.

“Um, it’s just hair!” Thea called out, dancing from foot to foot. She tried tugging her hair back, but it tugged back on her and she hissed as it ripped at her scalp. “I mean, It’s pointy! And it wants to eat you! But like, if you have scissors…it’s just hair!” If her new friend died before they could officially be friends, she was going to cry.

—

Luci wasn’t exactly scared, now curious about why her new friend’s hair was - trying to eat her? Maybe this was something Milo was worried about as she moved again to miss the hair again, her arm stinging where it had gotten to her. She was bleeding now, and she should be concerned about it. It did seem to want her blood. While not ideal, it wasn’t something that was going to make her abandon Thea who seemed rather distressed.

“Fascinating - how long has it been doing this?” Luci said moving again to get out of the way, almost dancing dodging as she tried to think of what was happening. Her tone was more relaxed than her movements as her brain whirled with the possibilities. She had a pair of clippers in her bag, and a lot of her wanted to take a bit if only to see what the hair was made of. Still, that couldn’t have been the solution right? “It’s just hair? - Did you put something on it or does it have a mind of its own? Oh sorry that’s probably rude of me I just meant has it always been like this or is it new?”

Luci probably couldn’t dodge the hair forever, but she wanted to at least see it closer. If only because Thea looked like she was in pain too. It wouldn’t be good to leave her upset, and besides she wanted to ask her more about the stars. Still, it was getting faster and faster and while Luci had been on the track team she was still a human. “This might sound weird - but did you use something magical on it? Or get an object or something?” Holding her bag in front of her she heard a thud, where the case of her telescope stopped the hair still pushing Luci back. She might have to fix that later too - wouldn’t be the first time.

—

“Fascinating? Fascinating!?” Thea screeched, digging her heels into the dirt. The Hair didn’t relent in its volley, charging after Luci with fury. “It’s trying to kill you and this is fascinating?” At least Luci wasn’t running away screaming; that boded well for the potential friendship Thea was aiming for. Eventually, when she realized Luci’s questions wouldn’t stop, Thea decided to answer them. She did so all at once, whimpering into her violent strands of hair. “Yeah! I put something on it. A hair serum? From the internet? It said it was totally safe!” It had actually said ‘100% sock’ but Thea took that to mean safe. Although, she had noticed her hair had a strange love for socks. “Um, I guess it was magical? I mean, magic doesn’t exist but…I guess?”

The Hair recoiled off the crunch of the telescope case, disoriented. It returned to Luci with an animated hunger; the strands pooled together to form thicker missiles, plummeting the ground. The Hair throbbed with its hunger. With each moment, it only grew more desperate.

“Can you do anything?” Thea called out, desperate. “Anything at all? I don’t want you to die!”

—

Luci was a bit put off on why the other thought it wasn’t fascinating, but she still huffed out, “Yes I’ve never seen hair that can do that. I would love to study it - once it’s not trying to kill me.” She managed to stun the hair for at the moment letting her get a little father away from the hair and to her bag to pull out the bag.

Pulling out a notebook she grinned,“ Just stay there for a minute Thea! I’m not leaving but I think your hair will take a second to get back up. I think I can help if it’s magic. If it’s a hair oil it can only have so many compounds. I’m just going to change one of the compounds okay?” Luci knew it probably wouldn’t make much sense but she flipped through the pages she had already filled out. Vera had wanted a hair oil before and - bingo.

“Okay I’m coming back! When I do I’m sorry but I’m going to have to give you a hug okay? It might be scary but your hair won’t hurt anyone,” She said getting up and ripping the page out. She’d need to touch Thea’s hair to the paper, but she figured it would be easier if she gave a hug to do so. That, and it kinda seemed like Thea needed a hug with how upset she was. Milo often gave people hugs when they were upset, especially to Luci so it shouldn’t be so wild right? “Ready?”

—

“Study it? My hair?” Thea wasn’t sure if she should feel complimented or worried; either her new friend Luci was weird or she was the weird one. She hoped it wasn’t her; she’d gone her whole life trying not to be weird. Sure, she was a weird child but everyone was a weird child, right? “I guess you can? I mean, you can have it!” But not, like, all of it. Thea hoped that part was implied; she didn’t want to be bald again. Then Luci started talking about compounds and Thea grabbed wildly at errant strands, trying to hold them back. “Like chemistry?” she asked. “You’re going to do chemistry on my hair?” But she couldn’t wrap her head (and hair) around what that meant. Sure, everything was chemistry, technically. Everything had compounds; everything was made up of something else. But what could Luci possibly do?

“A hug?” Thea blinked and the offer startled The Hair as well, which slackened just enough for Thea to close the distance between them, arms outstretched. Hugging Luci wasn’t at all like what she thought it would be like—not that she’d been thinking of hugging Luci. It was precisely her not thinking that this could happen that was surprising about it. Luci was soft, warm, and she smelt nice. She felt like a friend. Thea’s eyes started to fill with tears. It had been so long since she’d been hugged, really. Her throat tightened. And what if her hair ate Luci? What if she did? Here was this nice young girl who shared so many of her interests and there she would be, impaled by hair or—as was more likely—having to be picked out of Thea’s teeth. Maybe she didn’t deserve nice things like friends or hair.

Maybe it would be okay if she was bald after all.

The Hair didn’t agree. Unlike the wet meat body it was attached to, it had a hungry desire to live and thrive and it was going to eat. It was going to—

—

Luci nodded a little, “Like chemistry.” It was the thing that she knew best after all next to magic which - in all fairness was linked in her mind. Alchemy and Chemistry twisted and folded together that while they were separate fields it was only just barely. She liked that about her kind of magic though, to be so close to what regular humans could do if only just a little twist.

Running up to Thea wasn’t hard wrapping her arms around the other girl she thought that it was - not unpleasant to hug people. She wasn’t a hugger normally, that was usually Milo’s job - but it wasn’t bad either. Pressing the page into the hair Luci felt the now purple sparks flowing from her hand into the page dodging the hair that seemed hungry for flesh and blood for some reason. There was time to answer questions later, but there seemed to be a shuttering stop of hair as the sparks flew.

For a moment everything was still, the page disappearing as the compound changed subtly - just one off to what the structure had been before and Luci waited still holding her new friend cautiously as if worried the hair would start up again. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to do anything if it did hit her.

“Um - How does it feel? Murdery?” Luz said moving back just a little.

—

The ends of The Hair lit up, and the mass recoiled, tightening into a hardened lump. Slowly, the strands burnt up, fizzling into particles of non-magical dust. In the end, there was no more hunger, no more desire to murder either. There was no more hair.

Thea opened her eyes; she felt lighter. She felt cleaner. She felt…colder. Cool air traced the top of her scalp and without raising her hand to her head to check, Thea knew; she’d been bald long enough to remember how it felt. What she didn’t know was how Luci had done it. All she’d taken from her bag was some paper, as far as Thea could remember. Did she paper-cut her hair into non-existence? But then what was all that she was saying about compounds and chemistry? Questions swirled in Thea’s head, followed by the swamp of bald-sadness. Above, the stars continued their flaming luminescence. It was chemistry too: a series of compounds smashed together that would eventually burst and float away and reform into new stars. Thea reminded herself of the expanse of the universe, and how tiny she must have seemed to any star. Her baldness felt trivial.

But Luci didn’t. “Not murdery.” Thea shook her head, forcing a small smile. “Oh, but I think I’m getting a special transmission…” Thea rubbed her bald head, which sprouted a small field of fuzzy, new hair. “Hmm, I think Neptune is saying we should look at it some more.” She gestured at her telescope, which miraculously hadn’t moved. Slowly, her smile grew. “If you want to say Luci, I think the universe is waiting for our eyes. And I think we should be friends.” And she wasn’t going to think about how her new friend just made her bald. Again.

There were an infinite number of beautiful things out there, somewhere. Down there, with them, Thea thought they possessed a perfect fraction of it: a new friendship and the stink of burnt hair.

#c: luci #a hairy situation #writing #s2 #// i love luci #like the tv show #but for the character #if you read this and you dont also love luci....idk what 2 say... she is loveable #nerds being nerds #hair being hair

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qyuoza · 2 years

Text

The Ditz with a Credit Card (KTH)

“She’s just a ditz with a credit card dude, give her daddy’s money and she’d do better in shopping than biology”

Genre: Fluff, (Slight!) Angst, Crack

Pairings: Kang Taehyun x afab!reader (Enemies to lovers?)

AU: Highschool!au, Clueless!au

Warnings: Mentions of a divorce, reader really isn’t the brightest star in the sky

Synopsis: You were the school’s most popular girl, constantly up to date with the latest fashion trends and someone who had it all because of daddy’s money. Though you weren’t the brightest, you definitely were a charmer, because it led the school’s smartest student to have his sights set on you.

Disclaimer! This fic does not represent Kang Taehyun or any of the Tomorrow X Together members in any way, and only a few parts are linked to the movie Clueless! Happy reading! (btw this took me 4 days to write and I’m so unsatisfied and this is VERY unedited but I hope u guys like it!)

It girl.

It was what everyone at school called you. You were always consistent with your style, and had the latest clothes for the season all the time. You lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills, which costs a pretty penny too, only proving your impeccable wealth. I mean, it’s not everyday that you’d see a sixteen year old that has a computer to pick her outfits, and a matching walk in closet that revolves.

You truly had everything in your grasp, as someone who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. The only problem was, you weren’t the brightest star either. Sure you have good grades, but you pretty much lacked a bit in the common knowledge department. Needless to say, you were kind of an airhead at that too.

“It’s barely eight in the morning and he’s already paging me. Can you believe him?” Ningning, your best friend, whines. You giggle and roll your eyes at her playfully. “He’s so possessive” you reply. Her pager beeps again and she can’t help but sigh.

“I honestly don’t understand why you would put up with that Ning. I mean come on, you could do way better” you tell her again.

It was a line you memorized at this point, just because your best friend and her boyfriend were in this dramatic highschool relationship with each other.

As you both continue to walk towards the school building, Jaeyun (otherwise known as Jake), comes into view. He was Ningning’s boyfriend, the clingy one that constantly pages her. “Woman why haven’t you answered my pages?” He asks her.

Ningning looks at you and then up at him with a awkward smile. “You know I hate it when you call me woman, Jake” but before she could continue, she was interrupted by the male again.

“Well, where were you all weekend then? Don’t tell me you were out with someone else” he eyes her.

“Now don’t get me started—“ within secounds a small crowd started to gather around the couple, so you immediately started to excuse yourself before things could get worse. “Ning I’m audi!” You grin, and she waves you goodbye.

You never understood why your best friend would date a highschool boy, to you, they were basically like dogs. Always so filthy, hard to take care of and you needed to feed them. You would rather die honestly than be seen in a highschool relationship. It just didn’t seem worth it after all, you needed someone mature who could make your life more interesting.

Suddenly, your train of thought was cut off when a boy jokingly put his arm around you. That was until you shoved him aside. “Get off of me! Ugh, as if!” You huffed, before you started to get annoyed.

“Should all oppressed people be allowed refuge in America?” Your teacher speaks loudly, before walking to the front of the class. “Taehyun will take the con position, Y/n will be pro. Y/n, two minutes” he continues. You take your gum out your mouth and grin bashfully.

“So ok, like right now for example, the Haiti-ans need to come to America, but some people are on about ‘what about the strain on our resources?’” You say confidently, before continuing.

“Then it’s like, when I had this garden party for my father’s birthday right. I said RSVP because it was a sit down dinner, but people came that, like, did not RSVP. So I was like totally buggin’”

The class didn’t seem to be listening, but you could hear the male beside you stifling a laugh, which made you glare at him before you continued to state your argument.

“So, as I was saying, I had to haul ass into the kitchen, redistribute the food, and squish in extra place settings. By the end of the day though, it was like, the more the merrier, and so if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some things, we could certainly accommodate the Haiti-ans” this had Taehyun keening, but he wouldn’t ever say it out loud that he was amused by you.

“In conclusion, may I remind you that it does not say RSVP on the statue of liberty” you end. The whole class erupts into cheers, and some laughed, including Taehyun, but you didn’t care. You gave your argument and that’s all that mattered.

Your teacher and Taehyun give you both a look, before he asks your opponent for a reply. “Mr. Hall, how could I answer that? The topic was oppression and she’s gonna talk about some garden party? This is ridiculous, I think we, of all people, would understand the oppression those people face, which is why we came to take refuge in America no?” Taehyun chuckles.

Mr. Hall couldn’t disagree, but you still had to say something. “Hello? It was his fiftieth birthday?” You interject. Taehyun rolls his eyes and waves a hand at you dismissively, before you both leave for your seats.

“Does anyone else have any other comments or concerns to bring up?” Mr. Hall asks the class. Hueningkai then raises a hand. “I have an insight Mr. Hall!” He chirps. “I’m all ears Kai” Mr. Hall replies.

“Ok like, the way I feel about the Rolling Stones, is the way my kids are going to feel about nine inch nails, so I really shouldn’t torment my mom anymore, huh?” Hueningkai says. “Yes well, it’s a bit off from our subject of Haiti but tolerance is always a good lesson” Mr. Hall smiles.

Soon enough, Mr. Hall was distributing the report cards and you grimanced as you looked at your grades. “A ‘C’ in debate? Are you kidding?” You muttered to yourself. You could hear someone chuckle from behind you, and lo and behold, it was Kang Taehyun. “Better luck next time since you can’t argue your way out of this one doll face” he smirks.

The bell rings and class is dismissed, so you immediately ring up Ningning to ask her how she did. “Ning, did you get your report card?” You ask. “Yeah I’m toast, how’d you do?” She replies from the other line.

“I totally choked! My father’s going to go ballistic on me” you say, completely distraught. “Mr. Hall was way harsh” she sympathizes.

“He gave me a C and it’ll drag down my entire average!” You whine, before running into her in the school hallway. “Bye” she says, and you nod in reply. “I’ll call you!” You call after her.

At home, you run into your step brother, well former step brother, Lee Heeseung. He’s the son of your dad’s last ex wife whom he divorced about five years back. “Heeseung, what is it with college students and your sad music every time you’re over” you whine, walking into the kitchen.

You watch him rummage through the frige and scoff, did his mom not teach him any manners? “So your flannel shirt, are you nudging towards the crispy Seattle weather or are you trying to keep warm in front of the refrigerator?” you snort.

“I came by dad’s office—“ “you mean MY dad, Lee” you cut him off and roll your eyes. Heeseung frowns and steps in front of you, a piece of carrot in his mouth.

“Hey now, just because my mother married someone else doesn’t make him any less of a father figure to me. My new step dad is horrible” he replies gruffly.

You couldn’t retort knowing he was right and you felt bad, so instead, you made your way past him and towards the living room to watch tv. Heeseung hops on the spot beside you on the sofa a second later while giving you a look. You notice and give him a similar look, wondering what was up with him.

“What?” You frown. Heeseung chuckles and continues to chew on his carrot. “Did something happen at school today? You seem moodier than usual” he points out.

“Nothing, just some stupid boy in my debate class! So full of himself, he laughed at what I had to say” Heeseung laughs and you hit his shoulder, causing the boy to yelp. “Oh come on Y/n, I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal” he replies, changing the channel.

“Hey! I was watching that! God, you just got back and you’re already acting like you own the place” you whine, stealing the remote from him. Heeseung rolls his eyes but chuckles at your behavior.

Sure, your parents weren’t on the best of terms, but you were still like a little sister to him after all, and he didn’t want that chance to pass since he’s always been the youngest in his own family. Suddenly, your dad calls you both into the dining room to eat with him.

“How was school today Y/n?” Your dad asks. You sigh and Heeseung stifles a laugh from beside you. “A total bust daddy, I got a C in debate and some snobby nerd made fun of me in class” you pout.

“You couldn’t argue your way out of this one? It’s ok Y/n, you’ll get it next time” your dad smiles at you. Even if you weren’t the brightest, your dad always saw through you and knew you were trying your best in everything.

The next day at school, you saw that guy again and only rolled your eyes at him. That was until you noticed his friends.

“Ning, psst, who’s that? Why is he hanging out with Hueningkai and Choi Beomgyu?” You nudge your best friend.

Ningning narrowed her eyes and looked in the same direction you were looking in. “What? The guy with black hair? That’s Taehyun remember. He’s like the top student and is usually cold to everyone. A lot of girls like him though because of his looks, but trust me, he’s not the person you’re looking for” she fills you in.

You nod and try to push every thought of the boy to the back of your head. Meanwhile, on Taehyun’s end, he could only smirk as he noticed you staring. He found you interesting that’s for sure, and he wanted to get to know you better, but who doesn’t know you though. You were constantly a hot topic at school with guys constantly pining after you, but Taehyun decided to take a different approach.

“HUH? What do you mean I have to be tutored by Kang Taehyun?! Are you insane Mr. Hall?” You exclaimed after class. Mr. Hall furrows his brows before continuing.

“Seeing as you got a low grade in debate, I wanted to at least pair you up with someone who’s done well in this class. If you want that C to turn into an A, you either get tutored or stick with that C and I know how much you care about your average, Ms. Choi” he finishes.

Taehyun could only smile next to you while you reluctantly nodded. You had to get a better grade in his class or else your entire average would plummet and you’d never get a shot at college.

“Alright then, it’s settled! Taehyun, you both can discuss the details, and please update me on anything as you both go on” Mr. Hall then dismisses you both.

Outside the classroom, Taehyun stops you. “What?” You spit at him. You didn’t mean to be so rude, but you were too mad to think straight right now. This boy made fun of you and your teacher had the audacity to make him your tutor at that?

“Woah calm down there princess, I wanted to discuss our sessions with you. I’m available at seven from Monday to Friday if that’s alright” Taehyun says. You nod at him and shove a paper with your number and address on it towards him.

“Here, daddy says I can’t be going anywhere while he’s on his trip so here’s my address. Just call me once you’re there I guess” before Taehyun could utter out a reply, you were gone.

That night, you didn’t expect Taehyun to turn up so early or to even turn up at all. He even ran into Heeseung at the door, and you wondered how on earth the two knew each other because they were chatting like old friends.

“What? He’s your tutor? Y/n, I’m sure you’re in great hands, this guy’s a genius” Heeseung chirps.

You could only roll your eyes as you lead Taehyun over to the living room to start your tutoring session. The faster you move, the quicker you could get this over with. Who was this guy anyway? And why does everyone think of him so highly?

“Here, sit down. I’ll get us some snacks before we start” you calmly say. The least you could do was be nice, it wouldn’t be fair on him if you stayed petty forever.

“Alright, thanks. Don’t worry, I won’t be too long. I’ll just go over what we missed and what you can improve on, does that sound like a plan?” Taehyun looks into your eyes, and you nodded, releasing a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

In the kitchen, as you were setting snacks on the tray, Heeseung walks in and grins at you widely. “Snobby boy huh? I noticed you making heart eyes at him just a second ago, don’t tell me you’re all talk Y/n” he chuckles.

You throw him a glare and click your tongue, you did not like this boy! Sure he was cute, but you’d rather be dead than be caught with someone like him. He just seemed so, uptight and that was not someone you were willing to deal with.

“Me with him? As if! He’s just my tutor, once I ace this class and do better it’ll be like nothing ever happened between us” you smirk and walk into the living room. Heeseung could only sigh and roll his eyes playfully, he knew this would lead to something else, but he wouldn’t ever tell you. At least, not in the mean time that is.

“Oh you’re back! Put that over here so we can start” you place the tray over at a spot on the table and settle in next to Taehyun.

“About your argument the day before, see the problem was, you couldn’t stick to the topic but somehow related it towards the argument somehow? I found that good, but I think it would be better to relate it to the discussion” he smiles gently.

You admired Taehyun for his brutal honesty, but at the same time his compliment towards you. He didn’t make you feel a single bit bad about it, and you liked that about him.

“Alright, should we do a practice run then?” You suddenly quipped. Taehyun’s eyes lit up and he nodded gently, he was eager to see what you were going to prepare after he gave you some advice, and he was happy that things were going along quite smoothly.

“Should all oppressed people be allowed refuge in America? Y/n, you take the pro position again” he says.

“I think, all oppressed people should be allowed refuge in America. Even though people say it might strain our resources, we could still make it happen. This is a country of freedom is it not? And when the people that take refuge in this country can finally make something of themselves, they can help our economy” you say, matter of factly.

Taehyun’s face broke a bit, but he got over his confusion quickly and gave you a few more pointers. “That was better than the one before, but it still needs a bit of improvement. Good job though, and here, you can read off this topic until our next session” he highlights a page in the book and you smile. Baby steps.

Weeks passed by with Taehyun tutoring you to the best of his abilities, and although you wanted to say you hated it, you kind of grew to love the boy. He was so gentle with his words and never made you feel bad, you were even shocked that you were doing better in answering questions for a debate.

“Wow good job Y/n! Absolutely aced it! I’m insanely proud of you” he claps. You look away bashfully and saunter into the seat beside him on the floor.

This was your favorite part about your tutoring sessions with Taehyun, the part where you got to stare at him as he summarized all the topics you had gone through for the day. You loved the curve of his nose, the shape of his eyes, the way he would smile—

“Y/n? Hello? Are you alright? You were spacing out a bit there” Taehyun’s voice cuts you out of your daydream and you shake your head in embarrassment.

“I’m fine! Just a bit out of it, you were saying?” You grin, trying to mask your shame. Taehyun was definitely eye candy, and he was a sight for sore eyes.

“You did really well, I think you’ll finally get that A you deserve in debate. I’ve been updating Mr Hall on our progress, and it’s safe to say, you’ll be getting it sooner than you think” he beams proudly.

Taehyun felt his heart leap, and as much as he was feeling super proud of you, he also felt really sad. This meant everything would go back to normal, and you’d both grow into strangers again.

“Thanks for everything Taehyun! Sorry I was so rough on you in the beginning. Get home safe! I’d consider us friends now, so don’t hesitate to approach me if you need anything” you say softly.

You didn’t want to send the boy off, but you were afraid of getting your feelings hurt, so you masked it inside and bid him a goodnight, wishing you both had something more. That’s when you called Ningning.

“Y/n I’m telling you, you both probably have the hots for each other! Taehyun seems so into you, but I’d take it slow for awhile. You know, kind of being friends and seeing where things go from there” she squeals excitedly. You frown on your end, why didn’t he just ask you out though, was there something wrong with you?

“Be careful though best friend, he’s known for breaking a few hearts, but this time it seems like he’s genuinely into you. I say give it a shot” Ningning continues.

“I’ll try my best then Ning! Thanks for calling, see you at school tomorrow! Mwah” you end the call and lay on your bed, sighing dreamily. Taehyun treated you so sweetly, you couldn’t wait to make him yours, and knowing he was someone who was serious about relationships, it only made your heart beat even faster.

Though, you weren’t prepared for what was about to happen the next day. Your love for the boy was going to be tested.

You walk into school with a huge grin on your face. You were so ready to tell Taehyun that you liked him, and you could only hope that he felt the same. That was until you saw him talk to his friends, and you may or may not have overheard their conversation.

“Taehyun what’s up with you? If I was with that girl I’d leave. Like yeah she’s hot, but she isn’t the brightest up there you know” Beomgyu laughed wildly. Hueningkai chuckled next to him and put a hand on Taehyun’s shoulder.

“She’s just a ditz with a credit card dude, give her daddy’s money and she’d do better in shopping than biology” he jokes. Taehyun didn’t let out a single word when your eyes suddenly met. His grew wide upon noticing your glassy ones.

You run away and Taehyun immediately follows you, yelling your name and bumping into students as he tries to get your attention. Ningning was walking into school with Jake when she sees you, and when she sees Taehyun right behind, she immediately understood.

“Let’s get you out of here Y/n—“ Ningning was cut off by an out of breath Taehyun coming up to the three of you. You turn and hide behind your best friend and her boyfriend.

“Don’t even try Kang, I don’t know what you did but it seems like you visibly hurt my best friend and I will not stand for it” she growls. Taehyun looks away shamefully before looking straight at you.

“Y/n, can we deal with this in private? It’s not what you think and if you could just give me a few minutes to talk, I swear I’ll leave you alone” he practically begs. Ningning turns to you and you nod at her, gripping Taehyun’s wrist as you both walk to a more secluded area.

After finding an area far enough out where no one would be at, you look at the boy with a frown. “Look, what you heard is not what you think. It’s Beomgyu and Hueningkai being stupid” Taehyun starts. You scoff and wait for him to continue.

“Listen Y/n, I know I haven’t been the most transparent towards you, but to me, you’re more than a girl with a credit card and daddy’s money. You’re someone I look forward to seeing after school, because although I usually go home exhausted and grumpy, I remember that I get to see you during our tutoring sessions and I get to see your smile and hear your laugh for a few hours” he continues to pour out.

You were shll shocked. No one has ever been this honest about their feelings towards you, and someone who’s always been seen as just a girl freeloading off her dad and probably one of the dumbest people out there, you were touched by his words. Taehyun has always been sweet, but he never sugarcoated his words and was constantly straightforward with how he felt.

“I thought you were some dumb chick who likes shopping at first, but after getting to know you, I admired your beautiful personality. Y/n, you’re everything and more. You’re so caring, so genuine, and when I observe how you act around others, I see you doing your best no matter what” Taehyun takes a step closer before pulling you in by the waist.

“And I wanna take this chance to call you mine, because no one has ever made me feel this way” he kisses you deeply, and you kiss him back with just as much love.

“Are you still mad at me?” Taehyun grins when you both pull away. “Nope, but thank you really. I have never heard words as sweet as yours, no one has ever said such things to me” you admit shyly.

Taehyun frowns and pulls you in for another kiss. “Well, get used to it because I’ll give you more than that soon” he pecks your lips after and you hit his shoulder slightly. “Stop kissing me! We’re gonna be late” you whined.

It was safe to say, you got that A in debate, and a little something special after all. You wanted to prove that you weren’t the ditz with a credit card that everyone thought you were.

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declinlalune · 1 year

Text

St(ranger) Danger || Andy & Zane

TIMING: Current PARTIES: @rn-zane @declinlalune SUMMARY: Andy gets stopped by another ranger. Zane intervenes. CONTENT WARNING: Parental & sibling death mentions, a creepy guy who is harassing Andy.

Andy knew that going to a hunter infested shop would one day have consequences. She noticed the man’s recognition almost immediately, and though she thought that maybe it’d been because they’d seen each other around town, she was proven wrong. As she was checking out, the man approached her, explaining that she looked just like a woman he knew sixteen years ago– same red hair, same freckles. She politely skirted around the conversation, explaining that she’d been new to Wicked’s Rest and that she couldn’t possibly be the person he remembered– or the daughter of her.

Then he mentioned Tennessee. Andy felt her skin alight as she pushed her way through the shop and out onto the street. Why she continued to park away from Hollow Point Armory, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was to keep her license plate off their radar. She could hear his footsteps, but she didn’t want to focus on them. She wanted to focus on getting the hell out of there. Really sad, what happened to them. Rumor had it the kids died, too, but you seem to be just fine. Andy felt sick. This was the first time somebody from their past had come back to haunt them, not including Kaden. Though, was he really haunting them if he were a ghost with them, too?

“I’m not who you think I am, sorry.” Andy took her keys out of her bag and held them tightly, ready to throw herself in her jeep, need be. You sure about that? Where’s the other one? Andy winced. So they knew about Alex. Had there really been rumors circulating in the community? People had been suspicious that Alex lacked the ability of a ranger, even then– she’d heard the conversations, but there’d never been any proof. “Positive, dude.” She continued walking, and she could finally see her jeep in full view. Would it be smart to pull away with it? With her luck, this guy knew how to run plates and would figure out where they lived. So she veered in another direction before she felt him grab her arm, twisting her around.

“What do you want? I said I’m not the person you’re thinking of.” Andy watched the man, her expression darkening as she noticed the sick, twisted smile that formed over his features. You’re lying to me, and you know we don’t lie to our own. Andy scoffed. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about dude, you’re creeping me out, leave me alone.” She tried her best to keep steady, to not just rip her arm out of his grip for the sake of not showing off her innate strength he knew she had. Another voice joined their collective, and Andy looked over to see a man she did not recognize heading their way. He seemed concerned, which hopefully meant he was not on this man’s side.

—

It wasn’t too crowded out now, most people either home or heading there for dinner. It was nicer to walk the streets at this time, without the loud chatter and traffic, not to mention the fact that his nose seemed even more intent on picking up every faint whiff of blood it could after the… encounter at Dance Macabre. Zane was fine, and full, so work shouldn’t be a problem but it was still good that he decided to walk, burning off some of that nervous energy he’d rarely experienced heading into work before.

The music in his ears didn’t prevent him from taking notice of the couple walking briskly across the street, the tension in their exchange drawing his attention. Maybe not a couple, Zane thought as he drew closer, noticing that the man seemed much older than the young woman trying to ignore him. His daughter? He didn’t hope so as he caught the glint in the man’s eyes, knowing that there existed parents who would regard their children with that look but praying the situation was something else. Picking up the pace slightly, headphones pulled out as he walked, Zane came close enough to start to pick up on the words being exchanged.

She didn’t know the man, it sounded like, and that was enough incentive for Zane to veer straight towards the two of them. As soon as the arm was grabbed, he knew he’d made the right decision. “Hey!”

Closing the distance between them, eyes focused on the man who looked even angrier up close, Zane gave a curt nod towards the offending hand that still held the young woman tightly. With a huff, the man loosened his grip, still standing uncomfortably close to the woman. “Everything okay here?” It sounded very cliched and Zane was reminded of the last time he stepped into a precarious situation like this, the fact that he’d maybe broken someone’s arm. Didn’t matter, he would just stand by and use the few inches he had on this guy to hopefully scare him off. A glance over at the young woman showed the worry in her eyes and his own softened for a moment before turning back, narrowed, to the man.

—

Andy didn’t normally feel grateful towards other people for intervening; it usually meant trouble, but in this case? Sure, she’d take the distraction. The man opposite her loosened his grip and she lightly yanked her arm away, still cautious to show any true strength.

At the stranger’s question, Andy cut her gaze to him. He was much taller than herself, but if he had no actual strength to him, something told her that the hunter across from her– who she could only assume to be a ranger, would level him easily. She swallowed thickly before nodding, rubbing her arm to rid herself of the drowning feeling that’d begun to lay flatly overtop of her. As long as she didn’t mention Alex, and as long as she didn’t give in to the pressure of admitting that she was who he thought she was, things would be fine. And now she had somebody she could rely on. Hopefully.

“This guy thinks I’m somebody and I’m not.” Andy realized it was a weak argument, that people probably said that all the time when they were exactly who the aggressor thought they were, but she didn’t have time to pull some story out of her ass. “I’m from Fresno, not what– where did you say? Kentucky?” As a means to play stupid, she desperately laid in on the fact that she hadn’t even remembered where he suggested she was from.

The incredulous expression that rose over the ranger’s features reminded her of her father and she felt something stir in the pit of her stomach– guilt, maybe. Now, you know, and I know, that that’s bullshit. But if you don’t wanna connect to your people, then so be it. Was that really it? Andy waited for him to say something more, but instead he turned, and started off in the way they’d both come from. She let out a breath, but it caught in her throat as he turned back around, that same sly, smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Gotta watch out for each other here, you know it ain’t safe, and I know your skin is just crawlin, with all those monsters roaming about.

She fought to keep a neutral expression and waited until he finally turned back around to let out the breath that felt lodged in her throat. Andy had almost forgotten had company. When she finally looked over at him, she gave him a meek smile. “No idea what the hell that guy was talking about. Uh, thank you, for you know, not letting him grab me or whatever.”

—

Zane watched the exchange warily, careful not to butt in more than he had to but the look in this man’s eyes was unnerving. Even though he’d let go, the vampire didn’t feel comfortable walking away yet. Preferably, he wanted the guy far, far away before he’d feel right about leaving the young woman. He knew it was intrusive, stepping in to help, but he’d seen enough in the ER to know how situations like this could go. Didn’t matter whether it was a young woman or not, that tension was unmistakable and if injuries could be avoided, his interrupting self was going to make an attempt.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the man relented. Zane’s breath of relief had barely escaped his lips when the last shot was fired, thrown over the guy’s shoulder and sending a shiver down the vampire’s spine. Was she… one of them? Was the man? No, if they could somehow know whether or not somebody was undead, the way slayers seemed to, they would have reacted differently to a vampire joining their conversation. Wouldn’t they?

The tension in Zane’s body had to be obvious, feet pushing into the ground, ready to make a run for it. Seeing the meek smile on the woman’s face as he thanked him was reassuring but maybe she was just a good actress? Waiting for him to let his guard down so she could strike? He spared a glance over at the retreating man, wondering if he too would simply walk into hiding and appear at the first chance.

“I… yeah. Weird.” Zane’s voice was halting, eyes still looking for a sign that the woman was about to attack. There were people about so maybe not but after the few encounters he’d had, trust wasn’t exactly rich. “Almost like he was hinting at you being a monster hunter.”

–

It’d been silly to hear of a supernatural hub and not think that there might be hunters who would recognize her. Maybe she should dye her hair, or chop it off. Use makeup to cover her freckles; really go into hiding like she and Alex did when they first got back from Lyon. There’d maybe been people looking for them then, but they’d gotten good at evading. The last four years in Wicked’s Rest had provided a comfort that Andy hadn’t felt since the night she watched her parents get mauled, and maybe that had been where her naivety began– to believe that she, or Alex would ever be free from the past that was written into them before they had even been born. Alex had a shot away from it all, especially considering she never carried the gene in the first place, but her? She was stuck.

She knew that if she ever expressed those feelings, Alex wouldn’t understand, because at the end of the day, Andy knew her sister still thought of herself as a monster, even though Andy did everything in her power to dissuade her from that way of thinking.

Andy did her best to pull herself from the what if’s as they saturated her thoughts. Instead, she focused on the man as he spoke, taking note of the suspicious gleam in his eyes. So did he believe her to be one? Was he one, too? Had she walked herself into another trap? Forcing neutrality in both expression and in tone, she shook her head. “He got confused, mixed me up with some other ginger. Do you know how many of us there are?” The one he was thinking of is dead, anyway. “Besides, I don’t believe in monsters.”

Whether that was loaded to enforce the idea that the supernatural didn’t exist– a hunter’s pastime in protecting innocent civilians, or the fact that she didn’t believe things were inherently monstrous, she didn’t bother to clarify. Andy felt the firm groove of her keys in her palm and the way the metal felt hot and sticky against her skin now. She let them go, dropping them into her bag. Why the stranger looked concerned at the idea that Andy could be a hunter bit at the back of her mind. He was no shifter, so maybe something else? It didn’t matter, and it wasn’t Andy’s problem, because he existed within these same confines as her, and he was not a monster, even if she had no clue who he actually was.

—

She was sticking to her guns, still claiming that the angry and quite frankly, disturbing man that had approached her, had been barking up the wrong tree. It was a possibility, of course, but he’d been so pissed. Zane had never experienced a case of mistaken identity this bad but would he have been as genuinely shocked and put off by it as this stranger was? The vibe she gave off had been closer to fear than confusion. Even if she wasn’t the person the man suspected her to be, did she know who his anger was directed at? A family member or just a completely random redhead? They weren’t that rare but still, they didn’t exactly all bear a striking resemblance to one another.

“Not believing in monsters is definitely a choice when you live here.” Quite hypocritical of him, since he’d rolled his eyes at the people claiming they’d been attacked by vampires, giant humanoid bears or horned creatures in the ER only a few short months ago. Zane wondered how many of Wicked’s Rest inhabitants got away with never seeing the truth or if all of them knew it and pretended not to for someone else’s benefit. Even so, the stranger seemed to relax a bit and Zane did the same in return. Whatever she was or wasn’t, she didn’t seem intent on hurting him at the moment, which only made her a stranger that had been startled by an uncomfortable encounter.

“Are you alright? He seemed really pissed off,” Zane asked, genuine concern in his voice no matter the circumstances. At the question, he looked around once again to make sure the man was definitely gone, eyes stopping on a passerby exiting a store. A store that looked to be selling weapons. His gaze lingered for a moment too long on the sign, discomfort creeping up his spine, before he turned back to the stranger. “I’m heading this way if you want to walk away from here with some company.” Pointing down the road, he pondered why exactly he’d offered. Force of habit or morbid curiosity? Either way, it was out there.

—

“What does that mean?” Andy asked, deciding to feign innocence. She could pull off the poor, misunderstanding girl. She’d done it plenty of times. It was how she and Alex had survived on the road for so long– use the doe eyes her mother had given her, and hope for the best. Andy repositioned the strap of her bag over her shoulder, smoothing down the fabric with her fingers. She wanted to go home now, but with the stranger radiating suspicion, she wasn’t sure how soon that would be. Did he intend to get the answer out, too? Was he on that man’s side? Good cop vs bad cop?

After a moment, he asked if she was alright and her brows pulled together. Andy looked in the direction that the man had left in. She couldn’t hear asphalt beneath boots, or even his labored breathing that’d been present when he’d been in their faces. Maybe he really was gone, and maybe the person standing next to her now truly was just a concerned citizen. “I’m fine. First case of mistaken identity, especially with somebody who was so sure. Guy was super creepy, but I’m glad you stepped in. I think my mace might be almost out.” Maybe not the smartest thing to tell a stranger, despite the fact that it had been a lie.

At his offer, she thought for a moment before nodding slowly. “Yeah, sure. I parked my jeep up that way.. didn’t want to get into it and have him know my car or something.” She started off slowly next to him, the only sound for a brief few seconds being that of their footfalls, before she piped up. “I appreciate you hanging back, by the way.” She hadn’t forgotten the way he looked at her by the assumption of her being a hunter, but she chose to dislodge it for now.

—

The lack of knowledge (or elaborate ruse, Zane really couldn’t tell) continued and he decided to drop the subject, shaking his head with a muttered ‘nevermind’. At least the two of them seemed to have one thing in common, wanting to be absolutely certain that the strange man was gone. It did definitely seem that way, easing up some of the vampire’s tension. Not all, but some. A start, given that odds still pointed towards this person being exactly who she said she was. Not that she’d said much, just that she wasn’t the supposed monster hunter that guy had been searching for. Even if she was, who was Zane to judge her solely on that? Being a vampire clearly seemed to come with its own baggage and rumors, it had to be the same for the other side… right?

“Hey, good on you for carrying mace, at least. I don’t mind stopping to check on people but it’s becoming much more of a regular thing than I’d like to admit. Kinda thought there’d be less of this nonsense in a town of this size but guess that was wishful thinking.” Something about the stranger gave Zane the distinct impression that she hadn’t really needed his help but that was never a bet to take spur of the moment. She seemed thankful so he’d take it that his presence hadn’t been a complete mess.

They started walking, the strange and quite heavy air of suspicion both ways still hanging between them. “It’s nothing, really. Just glad he backed off.” Silence fell again, the air growing heavier with every step - doubtless that Zane was the only one who felt it, but it grew until he couldn’t take it anymore. “I’ve met some, y’know. Hunters, I mean. Just in case you do know what he was talking about. If you don’t, then I probably sound crazy. Or maybe you do and don’t want to talk about it, which is also totally valid.”

—-

As the stranger spoke, Andy grimaced. She didn’t like the sound of that. Random people being accosted on the street… what if something like that were to happen to Alex? What if she had been with Alex during the argument? What would she have done? How would she have gotten her sister away? Anxiety found its roots once more, despite the man no longer being within their vicinity. “That sounds.. shady. Shitty, too.” She would need to tell both Alex and Kaden to keep their eye out for anything strange. Kaden could hold his own, and Alex could too, maybe– but hopefully she wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Andy didn’t falter, expression remaining neutral as the man explained that he had met hunters. “I already told you, and him, what was up.” Her jeep was in view now. She didn’t see a reason to explain herself to him. He was a stranger. One that, if she stepped one foot out of line, could cost her everything she had built. Then she and Alex would have to leave again. She didn’t want to give up what they created in the last four years, especially because Kaden had only just arrived.

What if this guy was some bounty hunter? She didn’t think that her aunt cared enough to send somebody after either her or Alex, not when she had her own shit to worry about– after all, neither herself or her sister were that important, but the fear that they would find out what had happened with Alex lived in the darkest depths of Andy’s mind and she was terrified that something would happen. She just needed to relax. This man was clearly not somebody sent after her, and he seemed genuinely concerned.

“I don’t believe in monsters, like I said. You can take that however you want.” Andy was tired and really, she just wanted to go home. “I exist, you exist– that’s it, that’s the bottom line. There are creeps and weirdos, and that guy was one of them. That’s what I think. Okay?”

—

All odds were pointing towards this girl either carrying a real dislike for hunters or having literally no clue what Zane was going on about. Either way, the likelihood of her being a threat to him specifically was close to nothing. No matter the reason, she was shaky and uncomfortable and getting barraged with weirdness from the vampire probably wasn’t helping. “Got it, sorry. Just… nevermind, totally dropping it now.” Her focus seemed to be drawn towards a car just a short distance away and Zane slowed his walk.

“In the spirit of not being a creep, I think I’ll let you manage the rest of the way on your own.” Just in case she worried about him looking at her plates or anything like that. The circumstances were strange, for sure, but Zane couldn’t let his newfound paranoia of vampire hunters turn him into someone who made other people uncomfortable. “Really hope that guy doesn’t bother you again.” Coming to a stop, he offered his hand. “I’m Zane, by the way. If you ever need help from a total stranger again, I spend most of my time at the ER. Obviously hope you won’t need it but…”

—

The stranger apologized and Andy felt guilt burrow in the pit of her stomach. He had helped her. Why couldn’t she just accept it for the value it was? Why couldn’t she just relax! “No, sorry. I’m just…” She looked back over to where the man had gone, still nervous that he would turn back around and accost them both. “It’s been a long day already and that added so much more shit to it.”

Andy stopped just short of her jeep and let out a laugh– though it was strained, it was light. “Yeah, me either.” She hitched her tote higher up on her shoulder as it began to slide down with the weight of its contents. Zane offered his hand and Andy didn’t allow her hesitation to show as she took it. She smiled at him. “Andy. And uh– hope that’s because you work there and not because you’re in a constant state of broken toes or something.” The joke fell flat and she cleared her throat. This was a normal person. A normal person named Zane who had his own questions– the kinds that Andy couldn’t answer, but he was normal. “Sorry to have bothered you with all of that… but um, appreciate your help all the same. Have a nice night, Zane.”

She jiggled her keys, creating a chime effect, before getting into her jeep.

#para: st(ranger) danger #para: zane #sibling death tw #parental death tw #wickedswriting

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