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buglife · 3 years

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Bend and Not Break - Ch 4: A Scar

Read here on AO3 :3

Contains 100% more smooches!

Xena stepped lightly as she opened the door to one of the interrogation rooms, narrowing her eyes as she adjusted to the dim light. The room had been quickly converted to a makeshift recovery room, the table that usually sat in the middle of the room had been pushed aside and replaced with a cot. Said cot was loaded with pillows and blankets in an effort to take as much pressure off the occupant's injuries as possible. Resting peacefully on it was Poppy, the scorpion rescued from the basement of a disgraced noble and had her venom forcibly extracted by torture. She seemed to be doing much better, her body was now criss-crossed with bandages and she was no longer twitching. She seemed to be sleeping at the moment.

She took a look at the clipboard left behind on the table where Monomon’s notes were scribbled. Electrical burns, blunt force trauma, eye damage, nerve damage...the list seemed to go uncomfortably long. She was glad she managed to get to her in time, but was disappointing that she and the other knights didn’t find out about the assassination plot sooner. Maybe they could have prevented a lot of suffering, but she couldn’t know for sure.

“Hello?” Poppy blinked awake, most likely from hearing Xena walk around. She was lying on her back and couldn’t twist her head to see who had entered the room. “Who’s there?” She asked, a tinge of worry to her voice.

“I am Xena, one of the Great Knights, I was there when you were rescued.” She pulled up a chair next to the cot and sat down. “Do you remember me?”

Poppy took a moment to breathe and then smiled the best she could through half a bandaged face. “I do.” She sounded coherent, but her speech was slurred and slow.

“You look much better,” Xena smiled in what she hoped was in a comforting way. “You must be on the good stuff, right?”

“Yeah.” Poppy didn’t bother trying to nod. “Nothin’ hurts. It’s great.”

“Well I won’t keep you long, I just need to ask a few questions and then you can go back to resting, okay?”

“Mmhmm.” The scorpion mumbled softly and did her best to focus her one working eye to the ant’s face. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I’m asking for. Do you remember how you were abducted?” Xena had a quill and a tablet ready to take notes. “Take your time and try to remember what you can, okay?”

Poppy mulled over the question for a while, and started speaking. “I was at my flower shop in...in Deepnest. Some Hallownest bug came in...I asked if they wanted flowers...I grow flowers by the way and make them into arrangements. It’s nice.”

Xena nodded, knowing full well that she was on some of those good painkillers, and would probably will go off into tangents. “What kinda bug came in?”

“It was that um….beetle. Yes, that beetle. From...the place.” Poppy swallowed thickly, “Where they were...were...hurting me…”

“Don’t worry about him, he can’t hurt you anymore.” The ant put as much conviction as she could muster into her voice. “He won’t be hurting anyone else, after today.”

“Good,” She wheezed a little, catching her breath.

“What did the beetle want from you?” Xena pressed gently. “I think I could wager a guess but I need to hear it from you.”

“He uh...he asked to buy my venom...and I told him I sell flowers, not venom! It was weird...and creepy , and its against the law cause um...uh...it’s dangerous. You hafta have a license to get some and you get it from the...oh...what do you call it…” The scorpion hrmed to herself. “Oh I can’t remember, it’s the place where you can get dangerous stuff if you are a uh...professional? Scientist?”

“A supplier is what I think you mean. Where controlled substances can be given out dependent on research or medical use.”

“Yes! That! Well he got mad and started saying something about the fate of bug kind and how there was monsters in Hallownest? He said I should work with them to save everyone and I told him to leave cause I’m just a flower bug. And then something hit me on the back of my head.” She reached up with a free arm to touch the back of her bandaged head. It looked like a mess when she was first found and Xena was glad that Poppy couldn’t feel any pain right now.

“Then I woke up all tied up and the beetle was there with some other people. He said that I was going to help them get rid of the monsters and I told them I wouldn’t! Then they...they….” She sniffled, her eye tearing up.

“Then they hurt you and forcibly took your venom.” Xena knew when to stop asking questions. Poppy was starting to get a little upset, and she felt awful that she even had to bring up what happened to her so soon. But, she had to get this down for the record, and it was better to do it now while Poppy wasn’t in physical pain than wait and do it later.

Poppy nodded in response. “Mmhmm. I don’t know how long I was there.”

“That’s okay, Right now what I need from you is to rest and get better, okay? We’ll send word to your Queen and Princess and they’ll probably send someone over to help you home once you are well enough to travel.”

“Okay...thank you.” Poppy sighed. She wasn’t going to be able to stay awake anyway with the meds she was on and was quickly falling back into the realm of dreams. “There'll...be someone outside...right? Watching?”

“There are, I promise.” Xena nodded. “Nobody will let you get hurt again.”

“Mhmm...thanks…” Poppy fell asleep, a combination of reassurance and the ‘good stuff’. Xena took a bit of time to make sure she was comfortable, and then left the room. She glanced at the two guardsmen stationed outside.

“Nobody gets in that isn’t a Knight, the King, or Monomon, got it?”

They both saluted and stayed in place.

“Good...now excuse me, I have someone to see.”

She turned and headed towards the holding cells. The cells were kept underground, and as she descended the stairs she began to hear the annoying sound of metal scraping together. There was the sound of someone loudly complaining before descending into shrieks as the scraping got louder. She took a moment to rub her eyes and sighed, locking the gate behind her and stepping into the corridor.

Tiso was just sitting there, making god awful noises as he happily ran a fork over a metal plate. He was making sure to press extra hard, making terrible squeaking noises that made Xena’s antenna twitch under her helmet. The ex-noble within the cell was close to tears, looking around to Xena as soon as he saw her.

“Oh, oh bless you. Please! Please make him stop!” The jewel beetle was in the dirtiest cell they had, tear tracks marking his face and generally looking disheveled. He crawled to the bars on his knees, gripping the bars with shaky hands. “Please! It hurts!”

“I’m not even doing anything! I’m trying to serenade you with my beautiful music, you uncultured bastard.” Tiso scraped the fork loudly and it set the hairs on her carapace standing up and the beetle to cry out in pain. “It’s not my fault you can’t appreciate artistic talent. Frankly, I’m insulted.”

“That’s enough for now, Tiso.” Xena sighed and dug out her keys. “Monomon needs this guy and she’s going to be pissed if we’re late.”

“Oh?” He casually tossed the dishes to the side. “Going to be testing the antidote then?”

“Testing the what now?” The beetle looked around, confused.

“Most likely, yeah.” Xena ignored the beetle. “Now that she has a pure sample of the poison as well, she thinks she’ll know for sure if the antidote is legit or not after a couple hours.”

“Hours?” Said beetle was rapidly turning pale as he realized what was about to happen.

“Did I fucking stutter?” Xena snarled, opening the cell door. “Get your ass out here or else I’ll drag you out.”

“You can’t do that to me! I’m Lord Maximus Pennington Chrysoch the third!” They tried to dodge her hands, but she was too fast. She seized him by the wrists and began to bodily drag him out.

“I don’t give a fuck who you are! A traitor is a traitor to me.” She looked to Tiso. “Help me drag this sack of shit to Monomon and then you can take a break.”

“Hells yeah!” He jumped up, grabbing the free wrist of the condemned and hauled them to their feet. “Think I’ll have time to head to the museum to see Myla?” The beetle started wibbling and sobbing, but was completely ignored.

“Eh, take Cloth with you and you all can have an hour together. You’ll have to be back at a reasonable time though, we need all hands on deck with this situation.”

“Yeah I got ya. Thanks.” Tiso was noticeably happier, cheerfully dragging the sobbing beetle down the corridor and to their fate. He didn’t care what happened to them, all he could think about now was finally getting to smooch his girlfriends.

---

Monomon arrived outside the door to the royal suite, a capped syringe gripped gently but firmly in her tentacles. As soon as the antidote proved to actually work, and not just be another poison, she rushed as quickly as she could to the top floor. Hollow was standing guard outside of the room and nodded to her. Seeing that there wasn’t time for chit chat, she attempted to open the door.

To her surprise, it was blocked off. She looked at the knob, confused, and tried to push again. “What’s going on here?”

Hollow chirped to get her attention, and signed. <”Father is in there. I think he is sitting in front of the door.”>

“Mato? Of course he would.” She knocked on the door. “Mato! It’s Monomon!”

There was a shuffle from the other side, and the door was pulled open to indeed reveal the Nailmaster. He seemed rather rough looking, he must have booked it from the Howling Cliffs as fast as he could. “Monomon,” he nodded, and stood out of the way.

She floated inside to see what was going on, eyes immediately going to the nest that took up a good portion of the room.

Ghost was cuddled around Quirrel, doing their best to hold him in a way that would hopefully reassure him that someone was watching over him, but not tight enough to harm him. Quirrel was still unconscious, breathing heavily and shivering and once in a while his nerves would shudder, making him twitch and spasm. Ghost was already awake, no doubt hearing the door open. They looked at her, the dark fathomless eyes behind their mask tired and fearful. Their eyes darted from the door to the syringe held in her tentacle.

“Is that…” Their voice was so small and weak, but there was a bloom of hope behind it that Monomon could feel.

“Yes.” She drifted closer and uncapped the syringe. “We have it.”

They sat up quickly. “What do you want me to do?”

“Hold one of his arms still, I don’t want the needle to break if he has a spasm while injecting him.” She checked over the syringe, going over the calculations in her head one more time. She had already triple checked everything, but it wouldn't hurt to check it one more time. Ghost sat up, pulling Quirrel into their lap and used their lower set of arms to cradle him, and the top set to grasp an arm and hold it straight. Quirrel continued to shiver, making a raspy noise of discomfort from being moved.

“Good, like that.” With Ghost holding him, it was easy for her to find the joint in his elbow and sterilize it. Then, she injected the antidote slowly, watching the liquid within disperse into his hemo system.

“There…it should take effect soon.” She deposited the used needle in a box she carried to be sterilized later. “We may not notice a difference at first, but within half an hour he should be more comfortable.”

Ghost kept Quirrel in their embrace, resting their chin on his head and tucking him up close. “Thank you.” They said, moving slightly to adjust themselves. Monomon watched them tilt their head slightly, listening to his breathing as he continued to wheeze.

“How did you get that?” Mato had stayed back to let her do her thing, but now that there wasn’t any needles involved, he approached the nest again.

“A combination of work from the Great Knights, good old science, and some very helpful mandatory volunteers.”

“That’s fucking terrifying.” Mato took a step away from her.

“It’s what they deserved. They at least did something useful with their lives instead of just being executed.”

“How many prisoners are left?” Ghost’s mental voice was whisper quiet, as though they were scared that they were going to disturb Quirrel’s rest.

“I’m not sure. Tiso has the numbers. The ring leader is still alive, he was the lucky one who tested the antidote. What are you going to do about them?”

Ghost was silent for a moment, idly smoothing back Quirrel’s antenna as he lay in their embrace. “I think I will wait for Quirrel to weigh in on it all. He was...the most hurt.”

“He wasn’t the only one hurt,” Monomon drifted down to the floor to sit, curling her tentacles under herself. “There was another victim who is thankfully alive. You’ll have a report on that soon, but you may want to keep her in mind too, as well as yourself and my son.”

“It seems like the best thing to do is to let them stew in their own fear and guilt until you have a chance to deal with them.” Mato also sat, leaning against the wall. “They are not going to have any type of peace as long as they are down there with Tiso at the same time.”

Ghost actually chirped a laugh at that. “That is true.”

As they conversed, Ghost noticed Quirrel subtly shift a little over the course of twenty so odd minutes. His twitching was definitely dying down, leaving him still for the first time since he was poisoned. They could hear his breath change as well, the raspy wheeze was getting smoother and less labored. It would be a while before he was back to normal, but just being able to actually rest was something sorely needed for the pillbug.

“He’s doing better.” The vessel sagged in relief, tears once again welling up in their eyes. “He can breathe now.”

Monomon floated up from her position on the floor and placed a tentacle on the pillbug's forehead. She felt it for a moment before she spoke. “His fever has gone down.”

“He’ll be okay now, right? He’ll be okay?” Ghost shivered, black streaks dripping from their eyes as they pulled Quirrel closer to their chest.

“Yes Ghost, he’ll be okay.”

Ghost broke down into tears, a combination of relief, love, and the bitter fear of loss. Once they started they couldn’t stop, the emotional dam had broken. The sheer stress they had been bundling up for the past two days refused to be ignored any longer. Thick, choking sobs filled the room as they held their husband close. He’ll be okay, they won’t have to say goodbye so soon. They knew one day they would have to, but for now, he’ll be okay. He’ll live and they can continue to share the love that never ran out in their heart. He’ll be okay.

Mato and Monomon both embraced them, and for once, they let their family help them carry the huge amount of stress and emotions swirling around in their void. They kept repeating that simple phrase to themselves, over an over, to keep them grounded in the here and now.

He’ll be okay.

---

Myla hummed to herself as she looked over a crystal in her claws. She turned it around in the light, squinting through a monocular as she studied it’s structure. It was a beautiful fluorite specimen, still rough and unpolished. Broad bands of green, purple, and blues swirled around the stone in a rainbow of colors. She just needed to do a little cleanup on it and then it would be ready for display.

She looked at the basket of rocks on the floor next to her work station, all of them mined and found by her. She was pretty proud that she didn’t lose her knack for finding the beautiful and unusual. The infection left her unable to mine professionally anymore, but she had enough energy to go on little expeditions, following her heart as she explored the corners of the kingdom.

Of course, she didn’t go alone. Either Tiso or Cloth would come with her, keeping her protected as she jumped into holes to hack away at the rocks. She wasn’t very strong, but she can still knee cap people who threaten her, and she keeps her pickaxe nice and sharp. It was fun! Especially when she could spend the time with her partners.

She sighed, she hadn’t seen Tiso and Cloth for several days now. She knew what happened, the whole kingdom knew by now. She knew they had important work to do, but she still missed them.

As if the universe was listening to her thoughts, there was a knock on her office door. She glanced at her clock, it was about time for lunch. Maybe it was a coworker asking if she’d like something?

“Come in!” She called.

The door opened, and to her delight, her two knights tried to squeeze their way inside at the same time. Tiso gasped, smushed up against the door frame as Cloth tried to force her massive bulk through, getting equally wedged in.

“Cloth! Back up!” Tiso kicked his legs that were a good foot of the ground. The force of the attempt to beat Cloth inside had angled his body upwards to get stuck on the frame, one arm free and trying to pull himself free.

“No! You back up!” She retorted, trying to squeeze her shoulders in. “I want to kiss her first!”

“Like hell you -wheeze-” Tiso started going a little blue, a stark contrast to his black shell as he got squashed harder.

Myla never in her whole life, expected that she’d ever be a girl that someone would fight over, let alone two. She knew they were just playing around and joking with their fake little rivalry thing, it was endearing, but sometimes Cloth forgot her own strength. She remembered once when Cloth gave Tiso a ‘gentle’ punch to the arm and accidentally sent him through the window.

“How about both of you back out, and I’ll come to you?”

Cloth and Tiso looked at each other. Cloth nodded and with some effort, pulled herself back and out of the door-frame. Tiso, no longer supported, just fell on the ground and wheezed for breath. Cloth helpfully picked him up and set him on his feet again and dusted off his armor.

Myla giggled, bouncing forward to leap at the two of them and was caught into a three way hug. It was a happy moment of hugs and little smooches that was sorely needed after days of being apart. “I’m so glad you two are here!”

“Unfortunately, we only got a short amount of time, then we have to go back.” Cloth replied, sounding very apologetic.

“Yeah...we still got idiots to process.” Tiso took the time to give them both a nuzzle. “Duty calls and all that.”

“That’s okay, I’m just glad you’re here for now!” Myla wriggled to escape the hug, and promptly headed back inside the office. “I processed some new minerals if you’d like to take a look!”

“Of course we would!” Tiso booked it to the door.. and ended up getting wedged in again when Cloth tried to get in at the same time. This time it was worse, because Cloth didn’t put her club down first, and Myla could hear the wood creaking under the strain of it all. She rubbed the back of her head as she watched them both struggle.

She wondered if she should just have a second door put in.

---

It felt like ages since Grimm started talking, telling Quirrel of fantastical worlds both old and new. It was fascinating, hearing of so many places that were different and unique. For the most part Quirrel listened, asking a question here and there. It seemed like the Nightmare King had visited the places Quirrel had during his wanderings on the surface world, and offered some interesting insight to things he may have missed.

“It seems our time is nearly up.” Grimm folded his claws together under his chin, looking at the pill bug who sat in front of him. He had just finished telling Quirrel about a colorful world with a legend of an eternal sprout that was constantly being searched for. “You will need to wake up soon.”

“Really?” Quirrel leaned back in his chair and poked himself a couple times. “If I’m well enough now to wake up, how come I don’t feel any different?”

“It’s because your mind is protecting itself. You won’t feel pain while in a dream. I can however, change that aspect if it is a nightmare, but I have no reason to do so here.” Grimm gave him a sinister grin, exposing many needle sharp teeth, but Quirrel wasn’t afraid.

“Thanks.” Quirrel sighed, and put down his cup. As soon as it hit the table, it began to dissolve into essence, floating away in motes of white and red. In fact, it seemed like everything that wasn’t Grimm or himself was beginning to look blurry and grainy.

“I am not going to lie. You will most likely be in for a lot of pain once you awaken, but you must wake up.” Grimm looked to the side and off to the distance, watching the walls of the cozy room fade into white. “But you will live.”

“Will we ever get to chat again sometime? Despite the circumstances, I quite enjoyed our conversation. It would be nice to revisit it sometime.”

Grimm smiled softly, hiding his wicked looking teeth once again. “Of course we will.”

“Great!” Quirrel watched the last motes of color leave the dream, leaving nothing but a white, featureless void. Somehow they were still sitting, despite the lack of anything coherent around them. “Hrm...how do I wake up then?”

“Oh, that’s easy.” Grimm laughed, his voice distorting and echoing, as though retreating backwards. “You /[Quirrel]/ just need to /open[ed]/ your /[his] eyes./”

Suddenly, he was awake.... and he hated it.

Quirrel’s first thought was a mess of confusion. He had managed to open his eyes, a jarring jump from the dream world to reality. It was easy, but hard at the same time.

What Quirrel managed to see through his stinging eyes was nothing but a blurry mess of darkness and shapes. As soon as his brain caught up with the rest of his body, a deep sharp ache radiated from within his core, spreading all the way to the tips of his limbs. It felt like he tried to cuddle an ooma and paid the price for it. He had no idea how, but even his mandibles hurt. At least Grimm warned him, but it still sucked.

He could tell he was lying on something soft and warm at least. Wriggling his antenna (with a wince, cause how the fuck is his antenna sore too!?!) slightly gave him the usual smells of his home in the palace. His mind was still a little foggy, so when he detected three other people around him, he wasn’t quite sure who they were at first. It was silent, so he couldn’t identify anyone by voices. He was exhausted. Everything hurt. Breathing hurt. Having his eyes open hurt. It sucked and he resolved to complain about it soon enough. He had no clue what happened other than 1. he got poisoned and 2. he got sick from it.

What he needed right now, was his spouse. They probably knew what the hell happened and could fill him in on what he missed. He didn’t even know how long he was out for. It didn’t seem so long while he conversed with Grimm, but he suspected that time doesn’t really hold all that much meaning in a dream. He moved, at least, he tried to, gasping in pain as his hand squeezed something hard and slender. He nearly jumped out of his chitin when something squeezed back. A shape moved in front of his vision, a blurry mess of white that seemed to shine in the darkness.

“Quirrel?” The voice was tinged with the feeling of hope as it whispered through his head. He knew that voice, and he relaxed.

“Hello, love,” he wheezed. His throat was dry and scratchy and he coughed on his words. He closed his eyes for a moment as the blur moved and tripped his sense of vertigo. He heard a chirp in response before he was being hauled upright and held with four arms. The sudden movement flipped his stomach around and he groaned in response. “Ugh…”

“I’msorryi’msorryi’msorry.” He was being peppered with kisses all over his face as a soft whining noise emitted from a throat that was voiceless. He managed to lift up a shaking hand to rest it on the side of Ghost’s face, happy he didn’t accidentally poke them in the eyes since he couldn't see. He rubbed them as well as he could, struggling with the effort of keeping his arm up.

“It’s alright... dear…” It was difficult to talk, he had to stop and take a breath between each word. As much as he loved kisses, it was starting to overwhelm him, so he tried to soothe his spouse. “I’m fine.”

“You are not fine. I...I…” There was another wheezing sob and he was thankfully nuzzled instead of kissed. “You could have died.”

“Heh...heh...like you could...get rid of me...that easy.” He dropped his arm, no longer able to keep it up. His hand was captured in one of Ghost’s, and they rubbed it gently. “I plan to...be around...for much longer…You couldn’t...keep me away...if you tried…” He was losing his voice and he swallowed with a wince. He opened his eyes again, it was still blurry, but he could see clearer shapes. A blob of green and a blob of red was approaching, mixing together as he struggled to focus.

“Here you are, my dear.” A glass of water was placed in his free hand and encircled with a tentacle. “Sip slowly.”

“Hi mom…” He knew what his mom felt like, how she always had this sort of static energy around her, like you could get a good zap if you pissed her off. The same tentacle that used to rock him to sleep at night when he was a pip helped him drink and he gratefully swallowed down the water. It was absolute bliss. He may be king, but all the finery in the world couldn’t compare to that nice cold glass of water.

“You gave us a hell of a scare, how are you feeling?” Oh, that must have been Mato. It made sense that he would be here. The blurs of red mixed with gray and was certainly big enough to be the Nailmaster. They moved to stand closer to Ghost...at least he thinks they did. It was hard to tell for the moment.

“Hurts.” Quirrel could have lied but his mother was right there and she would have no trouble putting him in the corner for it. “All over. Hard to see.”

“I figured as much,” Monomon was still holding the glass of water for him, and another tentacle bumped against his mandibles. “Open up, I have something for the pain.”

He did just that, letting the pills go down with another few swallows of water. He imagined that he should feel hungry or something too, but he just didn’t feel like it. She must have sensed the question because she continued talking.

"Let’s wait for half an hour and see if you can handle some soup, okay?”

Quirrel nodded with a sigh. He was awake but tired again, it was rather frustrating. He closed his eyes again, letting them rest as he just laid there and breathed. He could feel the medicine begin to work, a numb tingling working down his limbs and into his core. Soon, every movement didn’t result in pain, and he managed to sit up a little. Ghost helped, sitting so that his back could rest against this chest and belly.

“What happened?” It seemed like a sensible question to ask. He was not surprised that Ghost was the one to answer.

“There was an assassination attempt and you were poisoned by the nail that cut you. The Great Knights led an investigation and arrested the ringleader and several members of the group. They are still investigating, but they are confident they caught most to all of them. You were unconscious for almost three days.”

“Three days?!” Quirrel raised his voice at that. Three whole days? As in seventy two hours?

“Yes, three days.” Monomon piped up. “If it makes you feel any better, half the kingdom has been keeping vigil outside, hoping that you would get better.”

Quirrel blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“She isn’t lying.” Mato was the next to say something, his voice moving around the room. “I nearly had to fight my way inside, there were so many people out there.”

Quirrel...didn’t know how to feel about that. On one hand, he didn’t feel like he was a person who would warrant a three day vigil, and on the other, he was touched and humbled. He had always been a bug who was fairly social and had a lot of friends, but to have that many bugs sitting around and waiting for news about him...it was astonishing. It must mean that he is doing something right.

“You two need rest,” Mato continued. “Ghost? There’s a pot of soup in the icebox, just warm it up. I’ll go out and tell the masses that things are okay so they can go home.”

“That is a good idea.” Ghost leaned their head down to nuzzle Quirrel some more. “Thank you.”

“And you, my little scholar, are going to stay in bed.” Monomon added. “Strict bed rest until further notice, got it? I will know if you get out of bed, trust me.”

“Yes mom.” Quirrel believed her.

Soon, both parents departed, and once again the room was quiet, save for a soft rumbling. Quirrel realized that Ghost was purring as they cuddled against them. “Stay with me...for a little?” He asked. Now that their parents were gone, it felt strange, like he was a small thing in a sea of uncertainty. Most likely, it’s trauma from the experience, but he didn’t think he could stand being alone for very long now. Now that he was awake, he wanted to stay awake, but he doubts that his body will let him for long.

“I would never leave you,” came the reply. “Everything is on hold for now and will be for a little while.”

“You can’t just... shut down the government...love.” Quirrel chuckled. “Even though...I think most would...enjoy the vacation.”

“I am a king, I can do what I want. And if I want everyone to fuck off so I can care for my beloved husband who survived an attack on his life, I will make it so.” There was a hint of amusement in their voice as they gave him a nuzzle.

“What about...the assassins?” He would not be surprised if they were all dead by now, but he still wanted to know.

“The knights have them. We can talk about it later. I would rather kiss you and talk about how much I love you, if that’s okay.”

Quirrel managed a laugh as he relaxed against his spouse, feeling happy and full of love. “You know what? I would...like that very much.”

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chichirichick · 3 years

Text

SoMa Week Day 2: Healing

Hey, again! First off, I want to actually be proud of myself for a second since I'm posting two consecutive entries for @soulxmakaweek! I never expected my brain would actually allow this, but here's Day 2! Read it on ff.net, ao3, or after the cut!

I have a scar. Hard not to notice since it's hip to armpit, a line that practically killed me. While maybe some guys would love it for the braggin' rights, I think I'd prefer forgettin' it exists. It healed- so why do I have to give it another thought?

…

Shit.

OK, I know I do. I know there's somethin' there, but I'll be damned if I actually want to scratch anywhere past the surface of it.

I have a scar.

Easy to notice.

Hip to armpit.

Didn't kill me, but…

Maybe it sorta did. Or-- man, do I feel stupid saying this, but-- maybe it killed a part of me. Puttin' the rest of that explanation into words sounds as promisin' as havin' my teeth pulled but… here goes:

Maka Albarn is a giant pain in my ass. Has been from day one and has succeeded in doin' nothin' but improvin' on that skill each day of our partnership. 'Cept… at the same time, she is the only reason I'm alive.

That doesn't make any sense- mostly 'cause the reason for that scar is Maka Albarn needin' my protection, needin' me to take a death blow for her and not hesitatin' to do it.

Well, it makes some sense since she was the one that kept me together after. A guy who practically loses his guts doesn't exactly have the mental or physical oomph to feed, clothe, wash, and all-around take care of himself. Maka did that. Stein may have stitched me up, but eatin', drinkin', sleepin', even showerin' was all thanks to Maka. And, for the first time in our entire lives, none of it came with even a breath of complaint or a look other than somethin' close to pitiful from those green eyes.

So I lived because Maka did the heavy liftin'.

But part of me died because Maka did the heavy liftin'.

See, if you look back at that fourteen-year-old Soul who came to DWMA, my general hope is that you'd see a cool guy, but I know the truth. I wasn't anywhere near cool in my own head. Sure, I had the look-- still do-- but if you cracked me open you'd hear the racket. Even before that annoyin' lil' gremlin, I had voices foggin' up my inner workin's. My mom, my dad, my brother- just to name a few. I hated it. I lived with it every step I took and there didn't seem like a way to escape it.

But she killed it.

Guess I should say somethin' nice like "she healed me with her love," but goddamnit is that ever corny, and I'd rather complete that teeth pullin' I mentioned than have her actually hear those words from my mouth.

'Cause it's really fuckin' hard to hate yourself when you got someone who'll drag your ass into the bath if you can't do it yourself or someone who'll sleep with you every night until the nightmares settle. It's even harder to doubt yourself when they're always there tellin' you that you'll make it through, tellin' you that you're more than enough.

That old Soul died with that slash.

The new Soul… guess he just heals a lil' more every day that I'm he's with her.

Maka barely glanced over the composition before she ticked her eyes to him in annoyance. "What is this?"

"Tol' you- it's that stupid paper Marie wanted us to write about 'where we find our strength,'" Soul tried to deliver that with the same enthusiasm he had for laundry day. "You said you'd proofread mine because, and I quote: 'You always mess up your grammar and you're lazy with your main ideas so you always get the same grade.' And heaven forbid lil' Ms. Perfect's weapon get anything other than-"

"I can already tell you that your structure is terrible." She glanced again at the page, not absorbing the words just the awful penmanship and the truncated lines. "You know what paragraphs are, right?"

Soul rolled his eyes. "Maka, just read it."

She only dared another quick peek before leveling a grimace at him. "And are you serious with all those apostrophes?"

"It's how I talk," Soul offered with a shrug.

Maka released an all-suffering sigh before she centered her glare on the first line of the page.

Soul watched her eyebrows wrinkle.

Her mouth gaped and snapped shut again.

Her eyes flicked only a second's worth of attention to him before hitting the paper again.

He tried to relax, slipping his hands into his pockets to keep himself from drumming unsteady beats on his thighs to echo the ones in his heart.

Pink and then red started to drift to the top of her ears.

"Well?" He was eternally grateful that he managed that with impatience rather than one of those boyish, nervous squeaks that were threatening in this throat.

"Y-you-" she was stammering off the word, her eyes still glued to the paper. "You can't use an expletive in a school essay, Soul!"

He sucked his teeth. "Maka Albarn, that's all you got to say to me?"

She waved the paper at him, less a white flag of defeat and more a banner for her cause. "One- fix the apostrophes. I don't care if it's the way you talk- no one writes like that! Two- take out the curses. They seriously have no place in academic responses. And three-" She heaved a breath as she pulled the paper taut, making it hide her face from him. "Three- if you thought this was romantic, you shouldn't have prefaced it with the idea that first and foremost I'm a pain in the ass!"

"A giant pain in the ass," he corrected.

"Soul!" That was a tumultuous mix of tones from the refusal of defeat to the outright embarrassment of having her feelings written so perfectly yet entirely not eloquently.

"You're ruinin' my paper." He moved towards her, hands coming over hers to relax the strain in the page and uncover her face. "So you said you'd correct my mistakes, right? So correct me if I'm wrong, Maka…" His cool was fizzling as he needed to stop to take a swallow in hopes of easing his voice. "I sorta… I'd sorta like to know if I'm wrong about the love part. Like… do I have to fix it to say partners- friends- or…"

"You have to fix it to say you love me too," Maka snapped bluntly.

In vain he tried to catch the giddy little laugh that escaped his mouth, but there was no snatching it from taking flight. "Guess I did forget the main idea."

Maka's face burned while her fingers crinkled the edges, but a wonderful fluttering was starting in her heart. "But that is the main idea, right?"

"Yeah, sorta the whole point of the essay." He tried to shrug it off but the glow on her cheeks was being amplified by the smile that was starting to break through the worry. "So, uh, I guess I'll fix it. I'll just- I should probably just say it plain, right? That I-" Maybe this was the moment his point was proved, looking down at her, holding her hands in his, killing the last little bit of that scared boy who no longer existed. The real wound finally healed. "I love you, Maka."

#soulxmakaweek #SoMaweek2021 #SoMa #Soul Eater

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marshmallowprotection · 3 years

Text

Cereus

Pairing: Choi Saeran/Reader

Description: You never knew what you wanted to do with your life from day one. It just seemed like there were too many things to pick from and all you knew was that you didn’t want to be bound by the expectations of your parents. So, you decide to head west like the rest of those that are seeking new lives and changes without knowing what to expect or your plan. You just never thought that you would find yourself ensnared in the rope of fate on your journey to find yourself.

Word Count: 9271

Cowboy Saeran x Reader

[Read On AO3]

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Chapter Eleven

The scream that escaped you didn’t sound like it was your voice.

It was your voice crying out in response to the scene in front of you as Saejoong pointed the stolen gun at Saeran and pressed his finger right against the trigger.

He looked as though he was about to pull the trigger and let it kill one of his sons, only for Saeyoung to brandish his pistol in recording time to shoot Saejoong’s hand, causing his hand to recoil and lose his grip on the weapon.

The bullet that he’d nearly discharged would’ve been squarely in Saeran’s head if it hadn’t been for his brother’s quick thinking. You could hear the desperate air that he breathed into his lungs next to you as if he didn’t know if he had stopped the bullet from hurting his twin.

He muttered something in relief underneath his breath that sounded like a prayer.

Everything happened so quickly that you didn’t fully process it as it was happening.

Saejoong had been knocked away as he clutched his wounded hand and stumbled back a few steps in pain to keep himself from falling into the river. The gun knocked from his hands that had belonged to Saeran, fully changing the position they had been when you had arrived at the scene. Saeran wasn’t moving.

His eyes were still wide and he looked shocked, shocked that he had come so close to his death right in front of you… right in front of his brother. It had nearly happened and he just… almost let it take him down.

You had just been saved from dying yourself so you were quite of sorts and your legs wouldn’t be able to carry you to him as much as he wanted.

You wanted to rush to his side but you knew your body would stop you. No matter how much you wanted to be there by his side. You slid down from Big Dipper and clutched your hand against the horse, breathing deeply as you strained to stay upright on your feet, desperate to run to his side, and worried for his safety.

Saeyoung was faster than you were, dismounting his horse and hurrying to his brother’s side as quickly as his feet could take him. He pressed his hand against Saeran’s shoulder and shook him a bit to get his attention, his body screaming at him to seek retribution for what had nearly happened to his twin in the time that he left him to handle this part of the plan.

You could see the tension in his body from where you were. He had told you how he wanted to protect his little brother from harm. When you were rushing back to this area as fast as you could before it was too late, you could still hear the determination in his voice as he told you everything. His heart simply and truly heavy at the truth in his veins.

—

You clutched tightly around Seven’s waist, “I saw all of it. Our mother kept us locked away our entire lives and kept that truth of his infidelity over his head to get money to pay for her drinkin’ habits. We didn’t mean shit to that woman. She just had to get her fix and we had to stay alive ‘nough to let her have it. She kept Saeran tied up for most of the day, tying the knots so tight that I couldn’t even loosen ‘em.”

The wind whipped against your face as the faint chill of the water still clung to you like a silent whisper reminding you how close you had come to losing your life. You didn’t want to think about it. You just wanted to see Saeran. “That’s…”

“Horrible, I know. Y’ain’t gotta say sorry about it. Y’ain’t the one that mistreated us. If anythin’, you’ve done everythin’ for me and Saeran,' ' His grip was firm on the reins of his horse. You looked up at the back of his head, seeing that familiar red color looking back at you. “And don’t say ya’ didn’t do nothin’ for me, you did everythin’ for me. You saved my brother from bein’ isolated and afraid. I ain’t seen him as happy as he is now before.”

You shut your eyes to ward off some of the lulls from the heat of the sun.

You weren’t sure that you had changed anything.

You were just a fleeting moment in Saeran’s life. You believed in him more than any other person and you did… want to think that he believed in you, too, but it was hard to know when he always kept you on your toes and dancing to try and find your answers.

He made you feel like you were alive, and at the same time, he made you feel like you were deep in the heat of the moment. He was everything. He was everything to you and you wanted to see him smile in the sunshine.

You wanted to see him be himself without fearing getting killed or hurt because he wasn’t fast enough to protect himself.

Or, the people that he cared about.

You wanted to see that man that claimed to be fighting for the greater good of everyone around him smile. You wanted to see him stand tall and prove that he wasn’t the villain that everyone made him out to be. Most of all, you just wanted Saeran to see that you saw him as more than just Unknown, so that he may see himself as who he truly was for the first time.

“Ya’ may not see it, but I do. I see the way that he’s looked at ya’... and I’ve never seen him look at anybody like that. You make him smile again and… that’s all I ever wanted for him. I’ve been fightin’ for so damn long for my brother to be happy since I was born and everyone has tried to stop me from doin’ it. But I won’t stop fightin’ for him. I know he’s strong, and I know that he’s capable.”

“But, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s my baby brother n’ I want to protect him. Saejoong killed our mother in front of me. I knew that if we stayed there, he was going to do the same to us. The only reason that we’re alive is that I promised I’d take Saeran out that day. That’s the only reason we weren’t killed is ‘cause I wanted to give him a day under the sun.”

“We ran for miles n’ miles until Jihyun found us and helped. It wasn’t pretty. I was covered in her blood and Saeran was exhausted… there was no water for… I don’t like to think about that time, to be honest with you. We spent years livin’ and hidin’ as he tried to shield us from him. It wasn’t easy, but it was something. It was a reason to keep living and keep getting back up on the ground when we got hit. I did everything I could, but it wasn’t enough to protect him.”

“And that’s why he let himself believe in the notion that he was this criminal, and that he had to push himself into becomin’ someone twisted to survive. He’s felt so lost, and I was too, but y’ain’t gotta be smart to know that a kid who people can take advantage of could be pushed until hit back. Saeran ain’t no monster, he’s got a kind heart, but he wants everybody to believe he’d kill if they crossed them. We did a lot we ain’t proud of to survive, but…”

“You, little Cereus, I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but you pulled the Saeran I know out of Unknown and brought him back to believin’ in something,” Saeyoung’s voice was strained and you could tell that he was choking back his tears as he spoke. “There’s no denyin’ the light in his eyes, and that’s why I had to save ya’. I had to ensure that his happiness was protected.”

He told you everything, every little detail that had happened to him and his brother over the years from start to finish.

How Jihyun had to make a deal with Vanderwood to hide them even more because Saejoong had nearly caught them a second time, how he and Saeran dismantled that criminal group because they planned on killing the boys and lying to Jihyun to keep getting money, how he and Saeran had been working hard to find every trace of documentation that could prove Saejoong’s crime to the people—

So not only they could stop living in fear of the devil in the shadows so that the people of the west could finally see the light of day. Saejoong had been manipulating the lives of countless people for a very long time. Nobody knew the extent.

Nobody knew just how much he was trying to control and break down from the start.

They deserved to know they were being played for fools.

The people couldn’t live without knowing the weight of lies being fed to them.

You couldn’t believe how much these boys had suffered over their lives, but you were proud of them for fighting back. You were proud of them for standing their ground.

Though, being proud wasn’t a means to say that they were pity words. It was the fact that you sincerely couldn’t imagine living like that. You may not have always seen eye to eye with your parents but you’d never know what to do if they did that to you.

To treat someone as if they were nothing more than a toy to be used and thrown away.

How could people be so needlessly cruel to children?

When you had thought about Saeran and those scars on his wrists, it suddenly started to all come together all at once; To be trapped over and over again knowing that you could do nothing to stop it… you thought of that time when you held his hands in your own.

You could see the abrasions and deep scars that marred his skin, and you understood where they came from.

You thought that they came from his working as a criminal, but as it turned out, they had come from being an innocent child in the wrong place at the wrong time. It burned you. It made you angry. It had made you want to stand your ground even harder to protect him from ever facing pain in his life ever again. You understood why Seven was so hellbent on protecting Saeran.

It wasn’t that you didn’t believe in Saeran. It was the same reason that Seven said, you cared about him too much to see him subjected to facing the pain that he never deserved in the first place. It wasn’t okay to subject children to such torture. It burned you but you were scared for him because of where he was and how likely it was that he was alone.

He didn’t need to be alone.

He needed to have the world on his side, once and for all.

“He’s alone, isn’t he?”

“Ya’ believe in Saeran, right?”

“Always.”

“Then ya’ can believe in me, too. I am him and he is me, that’s what twins are for. I’m not gonna let either of ya’ down. Today is the last day Saejoong holds a gun over our heads, So, hold on tight, little Cereus, Big Dipper’s gonna increase our speed.”

—

“Saeran! Snap out of it!”

“Saeran, Saeran, c’mon, get up,” his voice was pained and quick. Saeran was still in his daze as he looked at his brother with wide eyes. He needed to move him before it got worse. They needed to work on this plan he was telling you about. “He’s going to recover from that fast, get to Cereus right now, I’m going to take care of this.”

“He… he just...”

“I know, it’s okay, it’s okay, lil’ brother, I got you. I won’t let anyone hurt ya’.”

“...”

Saeyoung’s arms wrapped tightly around Saeran’s shoulders as he held him for a moment. You could see that he needed that, they both needed that, but it wasn’t time to rejoice. This man was still alive and kicking in this world. He needed to be taken down. By the time you realized that you needed to look for Saejoong, it was too late.

Saejoong seemed to have other plans in mind for everyone in this situation. He didn’t seem to think that three against one was anything that could stop him. He might have been just pushed back for a moment but he wasn’t giving up, his hand was bleeding from the wound but he’d gotten back to his feet.

While Saeyoung was trying to speak sense into his brother to get moving, that man had gotten to his feet and stormed over to you. You tried to get out of the way but you didn’t have the energy to stop him now.

You let out a loud yelp when he yanked you by the hand and held his handgun against your head. “Let go of me!”

“Quiet, Cereus! Unless ya’ want me to kill you for good this time,” his hiss echoed in your ears and made your body come to a standstill. This wasn’t like the man that had thrown you into the river, it sounded like he was fully prepared to make you pay for coming back. “I fuckin’ mean it. Make one move and I’ll shoot.”

He had watched you nearly drown and he seemed prepared to finish the job this time.

“Aggh!”

There was a wild look in his eyes, and it seemed like he had been pushed to the edge. You tried to strain against him but there was nothing that you could do with how weak you felt from falling into the river. Your vision had come back but Saejoong jutted the gun against your skull further, hissing and barking at you to shut up.

He had come out to this small area without backup and he thought that he was going to stand his ground against the twins when they’d come for him, but it appeared as though his plans had been snuffed with the boys came packing with no fear in their hearts.

You didn’t know what he was thinking or why he hadn’t prepared better for the twins to arrive with his team. You knew that he had people with him and you knew that they were out there, but why they had not expected something like this and stayed with their boss was beyond you. You had seen who was out here with him. You knew that they were out there.

You knew that they could be anywhere.

But… where were they?

Saejoong didn’t know what was happening with that, either. There was that sense that he was on edge and that he expected someone to arrive sooner, rather than later. Had someone turned against him at the last minute? You had no way of knowing what was going on because Saeyoung hadn’t had the time to tell you about everything that had happened while you were gone.

Two days.

It had been two days, nearly three days, since you had seen anyone.

You didn’t know what they had been doing or what they had been trying to do on their side of things because you spent two days alone and isolated underneath the sun as you prayed for the burn to wash away from your skin. You didn’t know what to think. They had a plan but whatever it was, it wasn’t moving fast enough.

This was getting out of control and fast.

There was no telling what had been going on, and once again, you found yourself at the end of a barrel of a pistol. This wasn’t where you wanted to be. You didn’t want to be used against them, not again, no one would want to be the bargaining chip for the lives of the people that they cared about. Nobody. It had happened to Vanderwood and you saw the weight on their shoulders.

You saw the pain they carried as they left you.

It was the weight of holding the world on your shoulders but not being happy for it. Nobody wanted to control the fate of everyone. It wasn’t a good choice to have. Your lungs felt hot as a breath escaped you. You had just barely saved yourself at the last second and now you were being pushed down once again.

No amount of struggling was getting Saejoong to let go of you.

This man had shown you time and time again that he was someone who would act without mercy in his heart. He had intended to kill you already and now he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Even though he only had one gun in his hand, that was more than no gun.

What did this man think that he was going to prove?

Even if you died, even if you breathed your last breath—

“Stop it,” you strained, and knew that he would just tap the gun against your head deeper. “There’s no point to any of this! You could’ve just let them live freely! The only reason they fought against you was that you tried to kill them in the first place! You gave them no choice but to fight back or die! You never had to do any of this!”

“Their lives are the very problem, Cereus,” he hissed with a growl. “Their mother thought she was being clever and she paid the ultimate price for it. I ain’t about to deal with another mistake twice cause’ of ‘em. They would’ve saved all of us a lot of trouble if they’d just died alongside their mother, point-blank. It never had to be painful or complicated, they’re the ones that dragged needless conflict.”

“Get your filthy fuckin’ hands off of my Cereus,” Saeran’s voice cut through you like relief, though the acid in his voice was something that you hadn’t heard since that first night you met him and he scared off the crook that had a gun pointed at you. “I’m not goin’ to repeat myself. It’s the end of the fuckin’ road, Saejoong. If this is all you have, then this is a waste of your time. Shoot ‘em, and we’ll shoot you dead right after.”

“He’s ain’t fuckin’ around, and neither I am, Saejoong,” Saeyoung’s voice was just as firm. These two meant business and they weren’t going to turn things around nor were they going to allow you to get hurt again because of their father and his selfish wishes. “Ain’t nobody comin’ for ya’ and ain’t nobody gonna back ya’ up. Give up. End of the fuckin’ line, ya’ bastard. You’re just delaying the inevitable from happenin’.”

Looking back at the brothers, you were looking right at the two of them as they stood together, guns pointedly at Saejoong without hesitation. Seeing the stand together united was something that pulled at your heart for some reason. You’d seen how strained they were at times but to see them working in harmony?

It was a testament to their bond.

Even if they didn’t always see eye to eye.

Seeing them together was more powerful than anything that you’d ever known. Knowing where they came from and how hard they fought their entire lives to stand their ground against this man had to come to an end one of these days and no matter what happened here, this was the last minute for one of these sides to fall.

With hope, it was meant to be Saejoong. However, Saejoong wasn’t backing down. You had expected as much, but you never thought that you would be in the middle of a potential shoot-out. This wasn’t where you wanted to be today. Though, you doubted anyone wanted to be in this position. Shivering, you looked back at Saeran.

He was looking at you, wordlessly. Even though he wasn’t saying anything, you felt like he was speaking everything just from his eyes. Those eyes that you loved so dearly. He was pained and relieved, just as a set of tears began to flood to your eyes. You thought that they all dried up and left you behind, but just the sight of seeing him brought the tears back.

You never wanted to put him in this position. You never wanted to make him choose between being himself and being who he didn’t want to be. He wasn’t a monster but he was faced against a real one and you knew, you knew in your heart that he didn’t want to hurt others.

You knew it. He didn’t have to say it. The world never gave him another chance to survive. He had no choice in what his life was or how it played out.

Until you.

He chose to keep talking to you and he chose to get close to you. That was all of his own accord and for a man that tried to shove everyone around and work in isolation, it said a lot about what he could have thought of someone like you. You wanted to believe that the feeling of his lips nearly brushing against yours had been the fruit on top of the cake.

It wasn’t the whole of his affection, but it had been the piece that you had wanted to taste first.

You wanted to kiss him, to embrace him, and to say that hell was over and that judgment day had come to a close and he had won, but that’s not where you found yourselves. Those faded scars and those old memories flooding your mind, wishing to be blind to everything but your love for him.

If just for a moment.

If just for a minute.

If just for a second.

Saejoong was gripping your arm so tightly, so tightly that it was likely to become a bruise soon, but against the big rope burns and marring from being bound for so long, it would only be another injury to add to the ones that you already had. What was another bruise to the pile that you had already been given by this man?

“You’ve lost, Saejoong, fuckin’ simple,” Saeran repeated himself once again. “Yer’ wastin’ your time tryin’ to kill them when no matter what ya’ pick, yer’ going’ to be dead regardless of the choice. Let… them… go… now, and trust me, I ain’t got the patience for yer’ ass anymore. Neither does Saeyoung. This is fuckin’ pitiful if anythin’.”

He laughed, “You think ya’ beat me? Haha… hahaha…. Haha… do you hear that, Cereus? My sons think they got me beat. It’s only a matter of time til’ the sheriff comes ‘round and handles this little problem. Ya’ think ya’ have numbers on me? We can stand here all day till they get here. Ain’t nothin’ gonna change the fact I ain’t lost yet.”

“If all ya’ got is holding Cereus hostage to prove you’ve got control, then yer’ not the so-called boss ya’ think you are,” Saeyoung said, coldly. You saw his finger nudge against the trigger of his gun, his grip so close to taking the shot. He had hit him once before, you knew that he wouldn’t hesitate again. That look in his golden eyes wasn’t lying.

Neither was the one in Saeran’s eyes.

But, the air grew tense and it seemed like this standoff was going to last quite a while. Neither Saeran, Saeyoung, nor Saejoong was letting go of the grip on their guns. Nobody made a move, nobody made a sound, and nobody dared to challenge what had been created. This was going to end one way, and one way only.

Someone was going to meet their end.

You knew that something was going to happen, but the dread pooling in your gut told you to stay calm, to stay quiet, to not make things harder for the boys.

It was already strained enough. There was no need in making it worse. They were doing everything they could at that moment to make sure that nobody got hurt that didn’t need to be. You wanted to believe in your gut from what you were seeing that Saejoong had nobody coming. You hadn’t seen Vanderwood since the night prior, nor the sheriff. So, something felt off.

You couldn’t ask them.

You cursed yourself for not asking Seven what was going on, but he was in his own state of disarray now. Sucking a breath, you tried not to think about the gun pressed against your temple. Nor the way that it could end your life in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes. Even if someone came, it would do nothing to stop where you were standing.

“They’re right, Saejoong,” you winced at the way that your voice trembled. You probably looked like a drowned rat to everyone. Even if the sun was drying out the water, you still looked like you had been run ragged as something dropped in the laundry barrel. “There’s no point in this. What do you get if you’re dead? Your legacy? What’s a legacy to a dead man? What’s a pile of gold to a dead man? What do you get if you’re dead?”

“Everything,” the man’s grip felt like it was digging down deep to the bone. His hiss made you wince and shudder. “A man’s name is everything he has, no matter if he lives or dies. Names have power, as do status, n’ I’m not about to lose mine to a couple of bastard children! I told ya’ what’d happen if ya’ tried to fight me, lemme guess, ya’ wanna die today?!”

You felt the gun click in his hand, and automatically you clenched your eyes shut and prayed for him to spare the trigger.

But, it never came for you. When you opened your eyes again, you realized why you never had to hear the gun. That was because the area was now surrounded by people. The sounds of horses and footsteps on the dirt gave way to a crowd of people coming from the direction of the town. The RFA was among the sea of townspeople, and you almost cried in relief.

Gasps and surprise rang out from the people as they realized that their mayor was holding one of the townspeople at gunpoint, someone who looked like they had been beaten for days. There was no way to paint this in a different light. There was no way to talk your way out of this one. That unhinged look in his eyes and the blood seeping from his hand was telling.

There was no way he could explain this to the people.

And, they weren’t happy to see that their mayor, the man that convinced all of them that he was kind and compassionate. He was standing there holding someone who had been nothing but kind to every single person in town ever since they arrived at gunpoint. No matter the fact that Unknown and Seven were disheveled and holding their guns across from him, this situation was obvious to even the people who blindly agreed with the mayor at every turn without questioning him or a moment in the past. It was over.

And, Saejoong didn’t like that.

He didn’t like that.

“I said it was over,” Saeran said. That look in his eyes was filled with relief. Though, his grip on his gun was tight. It was likely a reflex. He looked like the world had returned to his eyes, and Seven stood right by his side, letting out a breath that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding in this entire time. The crowd wanted answers.

“This ain’t what it looks like,” Saejoong said, his hand immediately removed the gun from your head as he tried to do damage control for what he thought that he could fix. “Y’all don’t understand what this looks like. I can explain everythin’ yer’ thinkin’ about right now. [Y/N] is a liar and has been workin’ in the background with the outlaws, Unknown n’ Seven.”

That’s when Zen spoke up from the crowd, stepping forward with an undaunted expression on his face. “Oh? Is that why you had a gun to their head? What happened to leaving everything to the sheriff when it came to criminals? You’ve claimed you would never raise a hand against anyone yourself to make it fair for everyone involved until proven guilty. What threat does [Y/N] pose to someone like you, mayor?”

“If they’re in league with the outlaws—”

Zen scoffed at that. His eyes rested on you, and you knew that he was here to protect you. That man was your best friend. He would do anything to make sure that you were okay. He glanced back at the crowd. “And, better yet, [Y/N] has been missing for two days and we all know that it couldn’t have been Unknown and Seven who took them. And, get that fucking look off your face, Saejoong, your sheriff sang like a canary to the town. We know what you’ve done.”

“You’ve been stealing from people for years,” Jumin cut in from Zen’s side. The man rested his arms against his chest. He nodded along. “It seems like your partners decided that you weren’t as powerful as you believe yourself to be. We caught your bumbling idiots trying to burn down my father’s home with him and his fiancé inside last night. They sold you out to save their own skin today. You’ve got no one to blame but yourself.”

Saejoong was glowering and as he tried to open his mouth to combat what they were saying, to try and defend himself from the truth, but the rest of the RFA just kept cutting him off before he could try to speak his mind. He had said enough and there was no way that they were going to let him try and trick anyone again.

“You’ve been manipulating crime so the wrong people are imprisoned just because they know too much about you, and we’ve corroborated their accounts thanks to Jihyun’s proof. You should know that if you’re going to commit grand theft and manipulate people, you shouldn’t have documentation about these accounts hidden in your office, Mayor,” Jaehee’s narrowed eyes were on him like a knife, sharp and ready to strike.

There was no hiding the fact that she’d been prepared to shoot that gun out of Saejoong’s hand. If the rumors you’d heard were true, she could’ve taken him out from a mile away if she wanted. That gave you a sense of relief knowing that she could’ve helped you alongside the twins if something went out of control.

It gave you a sense of strength in a sea where you had been robbed of that.

Seeing your chance to move, you rushed to Saeran’s side as far away as you could get from Saejoong to save yourself from the impending disaster that was going to fall on his lap now that the truth was just pouring out from all sides. He didn’t stop you when you wrapped your arms around him, lungs hot with that relieved sigh that you inhaled.

It was him.

This was Unknown.

It was truly Saeran.

His arms were stiff at first, but the grip that he had on the gun loosened as he returned the weapon to his belt. He let himself hold you and you felt the ragged breath that escaped his lungs as if he had been holding in since the last time that he saw you. It didn’t matter that the world could see the two of you, you didn’t care what anyone thought.

You just wanted to be with Saeran again.

“Sorry I ain’t come to save ya’ faster, little Cereus,” he whispered. His fingers clutching tight to the back of your shirt. His voice was so soft and so tender. It was unlike any tone that you’d heard from him before and it made your heart swell. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him even though your heart was begging you to look and never let go.

“You idiot,” the soft whimpers that escaped your throat were pitiful but relieved all the same. Just knowing that he was there with you, safe and sound, made everything better tenfold. “You weren’t supposed to come back for me. You were supposed to get away from all of this.”

There was a chuckle in response, “Don’t ya’ remember what I told ya’? You shouldn’t underestimate me. I ain’t gonna leave ya’ to die like that. Besides, y’ain’t paid me back for that life debt, yet. I can’t be losin’ my Cereus suddenly without a warnin’. I’d never get any work done if’n it was just me n’ this idiot over here.”

Saeran nudged his twin that was standing next to him with a sigh. You could tell that he was cooling down now. Though, there was still the smallest tremble in his body that told you that all of this had affected him as much as it affected you. You could see Seven in the corner of your eye letting his shoulders sink but his grip on his gun was still firm out of sheer necessity.

Saejoong wasn’t taken down yet, he was still standing there, unscathed in a crowd of people. It was at that point that you elected to lift your head and gaze up at Saeran. He looked back at you and offered a small glimmer of a smirk. It was his way of smiling, but you missed that. You also noticed that Jihyun had arrived at the scene, as he was standing behind the three of you.

His hands resting against their shoulders and they both stilled. Jihyun glanced at you, the apologetic look in his eyes was there. “I apologize that we were almost too late, [Y/N.] That rests on my shoulders, and my shoulders alone. But, this is never going to happen again, I won’t allow it. My cowardice was what stopped me from doing this sooner, but thank you for giving me the chance to make things right.”

You opened your mouth to respond, to say something, to say that you understood that he had been trying his best and that hearing everything that Vanderwood said just implied that while he made a few mistakes, he had only wanted to protect them. But, Saeran decidedly cuts you off before you can say a word to reassure him.

“Really, dad? We already had this fuckin’ talk, so go on n’ stop kickin’ ya’self in the ass when we’ve already talked this out,” the scowl on his face was fairly light-hearted in comparison to the way that you’d seen him stare at other criminals. There was a story there that you didn’t know. Even Seven seemed to be surprised by that comment.

“Ya’ heard him,'' Seven offered with a chuckle. His golden eyes returned to Saejoong, who was now cornered by the RFA and the crowd at all sides. He wasn’t going to be able to run away. “There’s no arguin’ with that. Did you bring it here, then? The paperwork n’ everything? Not that I think we’ll have ta’ use it at this point.”

“Better safe than sorry, son,” Jihyun offered with a nod.

The crowd had grown quiet as Jihyun stepped up to the plate with his hands in front of him and a nod on his head as he crossed the paths of the townsfolk that he knew very well.

He stopped in front of the man and held his head high. It was a surprise to see him different from that man weighed by guilt the last night that you spoke to him.

Jihyun was a well-known man in this town and he did his best to make that bar everything for the people here that needed a haven and no single person would dare to think that he would step out of line to hurt anyone. People trusted him because he respected them.

“This is just a misunderstandin’,'' Saejoong was doing his damnedest to fight the claims but nobody was believing a single word he was saying. You didn’t know but you had this feeling that the two days that they spent away from you were spent turning everything they knew against this man out into the open to destroy his hold on the world.

“It’s ridiculous! Surely none of ya’ think that I would ever do something to endanger any of our citizens unless something had to be done to protect them! Those three criminals are planning on using all of us! Ya’ don’t understand what I was trying to do for all of you! Who are you going to trust? Some miscreants from a floozy bar or your mayor?!”

“That’s enough, Saejoong Choi.”

You had known that the three of them had been working for years to take this man down, searching for proof, papers, and all kinds of things to show the people substantial proof that they were being lied to and mistreated by a criminal from the start. You didn't know the extent of how deep things ran, but to see all of these people angry and against him—

After having spent years trusting him to take care of them?

This feeling didn’t fall on you.

The weight of this was years in the making.

Jihyun stood his ground, “Stop digging your grave deeper. We’ve proven everything to the townsfolk that you've been hidin’ from all of us, the gold, the manipulation, stealing documentation, coercing and bribing people, the murders, the lying, and the list goes on. The town knows everything and we’ve shared everything with them because they deserve to know what ya’ve done.”

“The gold that you’ve stolen from the residents of this town has been uncovered. Vanderwood sold you out after Seven freed their family from the well you’d trapped them in to get rid of them. Everyone had no choice but to believe the facts presented when we caught the sheriff red-handed in the act of trying to move the gold from your household. The sheriff gave you up after he realized that he’d been had, and told everyone the truth. You made everyone believe that you could control them through fear and manipulation by holding the sheriff and a few crooks in your pockets, but not anymore.”

“No longer will anyone in this town fear what you’ve done to us since you came here all those years ago. You killed countless people with your own hands, or through others to get your control. You are a man that came from nothing back east, who conned his way to this area by lying and tricking others from day one. You were never an honest man. I followed your trail back east and found the paperwork and warrants for your arrest that were set decades ago.”

“You came here to evade the law, only to continue to live the life of a criminal instead of turning your ways around and trying to do the right thing. You killed countless, my mother included, and worst of all, you killed the mother of your sons right in front of them, in cold blood, because you didn’t want them to exist. These crimes span decades of your life and they never seem to end. But no more. We’re putting a stop to it, now.”

With bated breath, Jihyun laid down the price of absolution as he flashed the wanted papers in front of the crowd of people with unmistakable features of this old man. “Saejoong Choi is a wanted criminal, through and through. It’s time to pay back for all that you’ve done. You’re lucky that the people here in this town are good, otherwise, you wouldn’t be standin’ here alive right now for all that you’ve done. No excuse you say will save you, nor can you run away anymore.”

Saejoong didn’t like that. Oh, no, he didn’t like that at all. This was his livelihood. The color had drained from his face as he realized just how deep the grave that he had dug for himself was. He opened his mouth and shut it again. It seemed as though for the first time in his life he had nothing to say and nothing to wiggle his way out of.

There was no else to blame, no one else to scream at, and no one else to cover for him.

He was the one stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Everything that he had built for himself, the empire, the money, and more, was ripped away from him in a matter of seconds. All because the RFA had banded together to take everything apart piece by piece as fast as humanly possible. From Jihyun’s statement, you were able to put together what happened. It seemed as though the boys discerned who had turned you into Saejoong.

Meaning Vanderwood, the person that had worked with the twins for a very long time. Seven had known how Vanderwood acted and knew that they wouldn’t have turned the boys in if they had a say in the matter. So, he did what he was known for, figuring out and solving a problem in seven seconds and fixing it.

Their family was being held against their will and that’s why Vanderwood had no choice but to work for Saejoong. Seven was able to locate where their family was being held and sprang them from the spot, giving Vanderwood the chance to make amends with what they’d do. You had made a huge impression on Vanderwood and were to thank for part of that.

Vanderwood headed back into town not long after they’d left you that night and was able to meet up with the RFA thanks to your encouragement to make peace with their choices. Once their family was free, they had the chance to fix things for the twins as well. With someone with just as many collections as the twins, they now had what they didn’t before.

Meaning that they had a lot more manpower on their side to fight back.

Vanderwood was just as connected with the underbelly of criminals as the twins were, and working with them, it seemed as though they were able to make a front just large enough to back them up as they dismantled everything that this mayor had put together to try to stop them from harming the Han family, which had been the second problem.

That plan that you had overheard with Saeran was nearly set into motion in tandem with your kidnapping.

They planned on getting Chairman Han out of the way and getting rid of the twins in the same motion, and then they were going to pin Jumin Han down with a deal that he couldn’t refuse as the town began to fall apart due to Saejoong’s plan.

Jumin and the others managed to catch them in the act of trying to burn the house down, with both Chairman Han and Madam Choi inside. Once the richest man in town was essentially saved because of the criminals and not by the sheriff and his men, there was no hope for them.

Which led to the next part of their plan.

All because the sheriff had been strangely quiet lately and the lack of response to a crime against someone like Chairman Han couldn’t be ignored.

Most of the town’s people were perplexed by all of this. But, Chairman Han was beloved for how fair he was to everyone that he tended to and provided work for. Seeing that criminals had come to his rescue far sooner than the sheriff had set a poor taste in the mouths of some people.

Suspicion had been growing out of control lately about who was pocketing all of the gold and forcing people to get out of town.

The sheriff not being there to do his job to allow for vigilante justice just fanned those flames.

A simple comment from Yoosung as a crowd gathered at the site of Chairman Han’s household: “I have seen the sheriff sneaking off to the mines late at night. I saw him carrying a bag of gold, filled to the brim. If the mines are drying up, how would he have that much gold?”

Which led to them convincing everyone with the proof to go and see where the gold was being taken, catching the sheriff in the act of trying to transfer everything that was hidden in the mines to a secure location on Saejoong’s property. In the process of trying to speed away from the mines to avoid the angry mob, everyone had seen him drop gold into the dirt.

By the time everyone caught up to him, he had been stupid enough to go right to the scene of the crime of all places. They wound up on Saejoong Choi’s property. His wife seemingly had no idea who her husband was, and upon seeing everything as proof that was placed in front of her—

She allowed everyone to search the property and the household because she needed answers. They didn’t just need answers, she needed to know why her husband had been so busy lately and finding more and more excuses to stay out of the house when they had a young child to take care of. It was found in a matter of an hour as everyone searched the grounds of his household.

So much of the gold was just sitting on his property, tucked away in a small plot he had dug to hide much of it. It couldn’t have been planted there, either. That was proven when the documentation in Saejoong’s office was acquired. His notes about this situation were just sitting there at his desk for anyone to find.

From that point, this man was damned from the second that he decided to try and hurt his sons in the first place. His downfall was his undoing because he didn’t think hard enough to hide more of what he was doing. This information was only compounded with the realization and proof of his sons, the murder of their mother, and well as countless others as—

Not to mention that he was a wanted man on the other side of the country for countless crimes.

He masked himself as an honest man.

He had never been an honest man.

His empire and his legacy that he wouldn’t stop talking about were now ripped from his hands. There was no coming back from this and Saejoong knew that. That look in his eyes as he realized that he had been defeated was the most spiteful and angriest look that you’d ever seen. The mask that he had worn was now broken and the people could see Saejoong for who he was.

The monster, not the man, that they had come to know.

And just like that, Saejoong was caught and bound so that he could be taken in to face justice.

“It’s over, it’s really over now,” Seven said from your side once again. His voice felt lighter and like he was breathing for the first time. You could hear a sigh of relief, and almost a breathless laugh because the day had finally come where the boys were free. They were finally no longer bound by the fate they were born into.

He embraced his brother and you both, for the longest time. The weight of the world sliding off his shoulders and his brother’s. To think that everyone had come so close to death and now it was finally over once and for all. No words could be used to describe that feeling. The feeling of being as free as a bird in the blue sky.

“We’re really free,” Saeran echoed that thought. His grip around you was still just as firm. He didn’t want to let go of you at this moment. You lifted your head to catch his gaze and that soft look in his bright eyes made your heart melt. You smiled at him and he returned it. A breathless laugh escaped his lips and yours as well.

No matter how exhausted your bodies felt, this was a moment to live and to thrive. In this unforgiving desert, you had found hope and you wanted to cling to it as tightly as you could.

Saeran glanced at his brother and scoffed. The tone of his voice was a little dry as if he was trying to get him to step away so that he could have a moment with you, “Do ya’ mind, Saeyoung? I ain’t seen my little Cereus in days.”

Saeyoung chuckled and took a step back with his hands raised in his defense. There was a bit of surprise in his eyes as he heard his brother use his true name. He hadn’t done that in a very long time, as far as you knew. He smiled and tucked his hands into his coat, politely glancing away so that the two of you could have a moment.

He said, “Alright, Alright, have yer’ fun, loverboy. I know how to take a hint when you slap me with it. I’ll look away, Saeranie.”

With that aside, Saeran kept his gaze focused on you. “Now, where were we last time we were together, then?”

“I believe you were going to kiss me, Saeran,” you countered. You didn’t miss the way that the warmth spread across his face as you mentioned that. “You were going to let me decide for myself what was or what wasn’t dangerous for me. So, what do you think? Are you still going to challenge that kiss or are we going to keep bickering about it?”

It seemed as though you had caught him off guard with that. He chuckled, though, as you tipped his hat back to reveal the dusty red hair that felt as warm as your heart. Leaning over, you brushed your lips against his and he melted into your touch. It felt like sparks flying... like you were meant to be together in this windy desert like nothing else could. This was everything that you wanted.

And, quite honestly?

It was everything that he wanted.

By the time that you pulled away, your forehead still rested against his. Breaths melting together as you finally at peace with yourself and your choices. As hard as it got sometimes, this was what you felt like you had been missing all along. The adventure that you wanted wasn’t going to be found just by going places and traveling, it could be found where your heart was, forever.

Saeran was the journey that you wanted to explore the world with and without saying it, you could sense that he could say the same. It was all in his eyes. The eyes that you loved so very dearly and so very strongly. You could hear his whisper against the wind, as his words that were only meant for you were spoken so gently.

“I love ya’,” he said with a murmur. “I love ya’ more than I’ve ever cared about anythin’. I thought that I’d never get the chance to tell ya’. I should’ve done that so you wouldn’t have left that night. I wanted ta’ kiss ya’, I wanted ta’ kiss ya’ more than anything… I just… I never wanted ya’ to get involved so much that somethin’ like this happened. You’re my Cereus, my sweet little Cereus, and I don’t know what I’d a’ done if I lost ya’ forever.”

“Cereus is… Cereus is a lot of things for a lot of people. But, to me, it’s hope. It’s finding somethin’ in the desert that lets ya’ feel alive. It’s when ya’ hit ya’ lowest point, the darkest day, and somethin’ just shines so brightly that ya’ can’t help but ta’ get up and try n’ live for it. You’re my Cereus, you’re my hope, you’re my light in the darkness. Ever since I saw ya’, all I could see was the Cereus that made me want to live when I thought I was gonna die.”

“You saw what everyone thinks is a monster, and ya’ gave me a chance when nobody else would. That’s why you’re my Cereus. That’s why I love ya’, and I never want to let ya’ go. If it ain’t too much trouble, would you consider staying with me? Despite everythin’ that’s happened? I get it’s askin’ a lot but I just can’t imagine life without ya’ anymore. I ain’t the softest man, nor am I the kindest, but you make me want to believe again.”

Cupping his hands in your hands, you quietly kissed him again to seal the deal. He didn’t know it, but his eyes were flooded with tears. As were yours. The world had tried to rip away everything from Saeran since the moment that he was born, but Cereus had given him the faith to stay alive. It had told him to survive.

Because if something so full of life could survive in hell, why couldn’t he?

“If that’s what Cereus means, then I should be calling you that,” you said, breathless.

“Actually,” he said. Those eyes of his opened and watched you carefully as the lull of the world around you grew to a standstill. It was nothing else that mattered and nobody else existed. “I want you to use my name. I don’t have to be Unknown anymore. I want to be Saeran Choi. I want to finally be free of these chains, and even though I’m a mess, I want to be Saeran with you. Because you saw him and gave him a chance when I thought he was gone forever.”

You smiled, thumbs wiping away the few tears that had escaped him.

“You’ll keep calling me Cereus, though, right?”

“As long as it infuriates you the entire time.”

“That’s too bad, Saeran, I happen to like it, now.”

“Is that so?”

Cereus was Saeran’s hope. To Saeran, Cereus was his everything, and by calling you Cereus, he was saying that you were his hope when all else had abandoned him and left him for dead.

That’s what Cereus meant all this time. Knowing that... you knew that you weren’t going to be able to stop blubbering like a baby about it. To think that he meant so much of you from the first night that he named you after something so palpable and true. No matter what happened, that name was so very important to him.

To be gifted that name was something that you would never let pass you by. Saejoong was wrong about the Night-Blooming Cereus.

You didn’t bloom in a night only to wither away just as fast as it blossomed. Cereus was the hope that better days could come and that the dark journey was coming to a close. If Saeran saw you as his Cereus, then you saw him as your Cereus. It just happened to work out that way.

You gave him hope and he gave you hope.

Cereus brought you together and it would bind your fates forever.

[Read The Epilogue.]

11 notes · View notes

funkyhanji · 3 years

Text

Nuvole Bianche [English | BNHA]

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia (@Horikoshi Kohei) Character(s): Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku Pairing(s): BakuDeku Rating: E Word count: 3298 CWs: Fantasy AU, Established Relationship, Snowed In, Fluff and Smut, Sex, Quirks as Magic, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Barebacking, Dorks in Love, Bottom Izuku

Summary: - «Can't help it, Deku,» Katsuki says. There's the hint of a teasing tone in his voice, as if to prove the statement. «You're stupidly cute.» His spouse-to-be blushes yet his lips give way to the small grin he'd been fighting back. «… And you're stupidly handsome, Kacchan,» he whispers like it's a secret he's kept hidden all this time. -

Katsuki wills a shiver down as he steps past the cave's open entrance, tracking snow at his heels. The magic barrier they put up is thankfully holding steady to keep the cold outside; it's a flimsy solace though. His boots, socks and heavy breeches are completely soaked through; his double wool-lined, crimson cloak drags at his shoulders with the added weight of melting water. His hair sags, the blond spikes limp and frosted over.

He fucking hates winter.

He throws a glare at the inky darkness that's crept upon the mountainside in the last hour; it's barely sunset, technically, but it might as well be the dead of night already with how pitch black the world outside is. If only the weather hadn't gotten so bad so quickly, they would've been home by now. In front of a nice hearth — but alas, after so many months away from Musutafu, it seems Katsuki had forgotten how swiftly a cold but pleasant winter day could turn into a nightmarish snowstorm.

Why did we even decide to come up here?! Katsuki gripes internally, fumbling to take off his frozen leather gloves with numb hands. Right. To get away from annoying people.

He shouldn't have sent Zero up ahead to the castle in favor of hiking back down the mountain by foot. He sighs, curses as his grip on the gloves slips. Then again, the cave isn't big enough for a full grown dragon and two people, so maybe it's better this way.

A faint giggle reaches his ears, compelling Katsuki to look up and pause his struggle.

Green eyes, bright with flames gently dancing in their depths, meet his from across the stone floor. Izuku's covering his mouth with his fist, but Katsuki knows he's smiling by the way his cheeks are raised. The smattering of freckles decorating Izuku's face appear and disappear with the flickering of the fire, almost as if they're playing hide and seek — they'd never win: Katsuki has memorized each and every one —.

«How's it looking out there, Kacchan?» Izuku asks, lowering his hand so Katsuki can see the curve of his lips. He waves Katsuki over; a silent offer to help him remove his uncomfortable gear. «The wind is really strong. I can hear it through the barrier...»

Katsuki scoffs. «No shit,» he says, nearing the fire. «A gust of that motherfucking wind almost threw me off the cliff-side.» Izuku gasps, immediately launching into a worried rant; wide-eyed stare flying over Katsuki's form for any possible injury. «'M fine, Deku. Takes more than this to do me in.»

«Oh, I know, Kacchan,» Izuku laughs, at ease when Katsuki smirks his way.

Katsuki takes a seat next to Izuku, their shoulders and knees brushing as they stare into the flames in silence for a heartbeat. Then Izuku shifts, reaching out to take a hold of his hands and carefully pulling on the iced-over gloves. Katsuki turns to face him, letting the other slip the leather off one finger at a time, ever-so mindful of not using too much strength, as though Katsuki would care if he ripped the gloves.

«Whatever,» he mutters under his breath. He doesn't miss the grin on Izuku's face at that. «And the snow blocked the pass, so we're stuck in here 'till tomorrow anyway.»

«That's too bad.» Izuku looks up at him after removing the gloves and placing them near the fire to defrost. «Everyone was so excited about the pre-wedding feast! We're going to miss it...»

«That was the whole point of hiking the mountain, Deku.»

«Oh, come on, Kacchan! They're here for us, you know…!»

Katsuki rolls his eyes, idly rubbing his stiff hands together to rid them of the chill. «Doesn't mean I have to suffer through it-» he flexes his fingers, cringing when his knuckles pop with a loud crack- «not tonight at least. Tomorrow I'll have no goddamn choice.»

Wordlessly, Izuku grasps his left hand in his. He caresses his thumbs along the cold skin, slow and meticulous. He kneads the pads of his fingers into Katsuki's palm, then moves to Katsuki's own digits, massaging them from knuckle to nail; he does it once, twice, three times, over and over, until the numbness is replaced by pins and needles. Until feeling returns and Katsuki's hand is warm again. Izuku repeats the same process with his right hand.

«How's that? Better?» Izuku asks with a smile which looks even softer than usual. It makes Katsuki's heart speed up.

With the regained sensitivity, Katsuki switches now to grasp the wrist of his consort-to-be, tugging him forward. The surprised sound Izuku makes is cut off as their mouths meet in a kiss; the touch is firm but chaste, purely motivated by a simple need, a subconscious call resonating deep within Katsuki's bones telling him to be closer to Izuku. He feels a hand glide up his other arm, up, up to his neck and his jaw before it buries itself into his hair.

Or tries to.

Green eyes blink open, and in the next second Izuku's pulling back with a crease between his brows. His hand flexes a little, where it rests near Katsuki's ear, and a faint crunching can be heard coming from the hair.

«Storm froze it,» Katsuki supplies with a shrug.

«Oh...»

Izuku takes a better look at him then.

Katsuki can see that attentive gaze picking up on the slight tremble in his frame; the hunch to his shoulders and the way he's leaning toward the fire more than he would usually do — with Katsuki's temperature always running higher than most people's due to his fire-related magic, he's not one to crowd in front of direct heat sources —. He can see the furrow deepen when shining emeralds take notice of the layer of frost whitening and weighing down his clothes.

«Oh, Kacchan, sorry!» Izuku says, now concerned. Katsuki's about to retort that he's fine, but the other keeps going. «You walked around in the snow longer than me, you must be freezing! And here I was, warming up in front of the fire…! I should've went with you after all... we need to, ah, get you out of these icy clothes! Yeah!»

Izuku is fussing over Katsuki as soon as he stops talking.

He makes quick work of taking off the soaked boots and socks, placing them behind him in front of the fire pit. He hovers in Katsuki's personal space, un-clasping his cloak and sliding it off, casting a spell to have it float near the flames to dry — it's a simple incantation he'd been taught by his friend, Ochako, a gravity-specialized mage —. Izuku's scarred hands move from Katsuki's shoulders to his arms, struggling to tug the stiff leather braces down. He almost falls back on his ass when the first one dislodges from his elbow; the squeak he makes too endearing for Katsuki to repress a chuckle.

«Mean,» Izuku mutters, retaking his previous position just within the circle of Katsuki's legs.

There's a wee frown wrinkling his dark green eyebrows.

Katsuki lets Izuku take off his heavy woolen shirt, complying to the silent request to lift his arms. He waits for the other to lay it down on the stone next to the boots; he waits for Izuku to face him again. He's stubbornly trying to keep up his upset demeanor, but it's obvious he's failing from the twitch in the corner of his mouth.

«Can't help it, Deku,» Katsuki says. There's the hint of a teasing tone in his voice, as if to prove the statement. «You're stupidly cute.»

His spouse-to-be blushes yet his lips give way to the small grin he'd been fighting back. «… And you're stupidly handsome, Kacchan,» he whispers like it's a secret he's kept hidden all this time.

Katsuki finds warmth creeping onto his ears and high cheekbones. He's by no means unused to such compliments — he's been showered in praise since a young age, whether he worked hard to deserve it or not —, though he's discovered, with the passing of the years, that receiving them from Izuku never stopped his stomach from somersaulting.

He wonders if the Paladin-in-training is aware of the effect he has on him.

Izuku's palm comes to rest on his chest, above his heart, and Katsuki thinks, maybe he does know.

There's a certain reverence in the way Izuku brushes his hand over his skin, in the way he leans forward to place a kiss in that same spot. Soft, gentle. Katsuki pretends for a moment that the shiver running up his spine is the cold seeped into his limbs from his soaked clothes.

He blinks, and it feels like he's five again.

The first time he lay eyes on Izuku, his whole world had tilted on its axis the second those forest-green irises met his, full of wonder and awe. Katsuki remembers the wide-eyed stare and the cautious steps the shorter boy had taken, getting closer to him with a trembling hand extended toward his newly-pierced ears.

«Do they hurt…?» Izuku had asked, not quite touching him but hovering near one of the ruby studs.

Katsuki had been taken aback by the ethereal beauty of the creature before him; had been rendered speechless, forgetting every lecture on etiquette his parents had been trying to drill into his skull.

He'd shaken his head, grumbling. «Of course not, stupid! I'm the future King, this 's nothin'!»

Izuku had «oooh»ed and smiled, bright and full of admiration. «You're really amazing!» he'd said, cheeks flushed. «I'm Izuku! My mom and I will be living here from now on, I hope we'll be friends!»

Katsuki blinks again, coming back to the present to Izuku moving to press a peck a little higher—his green curls tickling Katsuki's chin—and higher still, one over his jaw, one below his ear.

«Kacchan,» he whispers, no more than a breath exhaled by unconscious reflex. «Kacchan.»

He doesn't have to repeat it a third time.

Katsuki's cups Izuku's face in his hands, brushes their noses together, their lips. The contact is lighter than before yet the sparks it creates are stronger, the intent behind it clear. He bridges the non-existent gap a second time, their mouths parting at the same time; tongues sliding together, slow and passionate, the kiss gaining a more intense quality.

The heat between them gradually growing with it.

Katsuki's free arm wraps around Izuku's waist, bringing him flush to his body. His palm skims the warm skin under his consort-to-be's shirt, settling at the hip and starting up a leisurely rocking. Izuku gasps into his mouth, a short moan breathed in and licked up by Katsuki's tongue. Green eyes crack open a slit to stare into crimson ones, the embers of desire coming to life inside both of them.

«Deku,» Katsuki grunts, husky and hungry.

Izuku racks his blunt nails over his nipples, breaking the kiss to bow his head and run his tongue over them, one at a time; he nips and suckles at them, teases the hardened nubs with his teeth. Izuku spurs himself on with his own whines. His hands squeeze and grope Katsuki's biceps, his shoulders, his nape; they successfully bury in blond hair. Izuku's neck bares for Katsuki — a clear invite to claim —, his jugular jumping with the wild rhythm of his heartbeat under Katsuki's kiss-swollen lips. Izuku's sighs reverberating deep within his bones as Katsuki licks a wet strip up the unblemished skin to his ears.

Izuku's hips jerk sharply when he bites the lobe, the movement slotting their erections together just right, both groaning at the friction. The flimsy barrier of their undergarments and breeches doing little to hide the growing need between them.

«Wanna fuck you so bad, Deku,» Katsuki says, voice gravely and fingers digging into the meat of his consort-to-be's rear. He knows they can't; not right now, without the necessary equipment. It doesn't stop him from craving though. «Wanna feel you around my cock.»

«Yes, Kacchan,» Izuku answers. He arches against his broader chest, his scarred hands quiver slightly as they snake down Katsuki's stomach, fumbling blindingly to undo the belt and string of the damp cotton bottoms. «Please.»

Katsuki's about to tell him it won't be doable tonight, then he notices Izuku gesturing vaguely, feels the faint hum of his innate magic at work. From the corner of his vision, he sees a small terracotta vase teetering in the air toward them. A blond eyebrow quirks in question; his stare lifts from where he's been busy playfully gnawing at a collarbone, until it meets Izuku's blushing face and hazy eyes.

He laughs, delighted and cocky.

«Someone was expecting something ta happen tonight, mh?» he teases, slapping an ass-cheek and enjoying the squeak he gets in return. «Didn't look too sad to be snowed-in-» he snatches the pot before Izuku's control slips and makes it crash on the stone floor- «this why?»

Izuku mumbles, embarrassed and unintelligible.

«Hey, I'm not complaining Deku,» Katsuki reassures, planting a chaste kiss on the other's pouting lips.

«Kacchan, please...»

«Yeah...»

Together, they shift, raising on their knees so both Katsuki's breeches and Izuku's shirt can be discarded. Katsuki then guides Izuku backward, to lay onto the dried, forgotten, forest-green cape — a match to his own crimson one, the Bakugou family crest emblazoned on it in gold; a gift he'd given the other two years prior, when he'd officially proposed to him —. He takes care to cushion Izuku's head against the fur collar and crawls into his space.

He kisses him again, tongue slipping past willing lips to wetly glide alongside Izuku's own. Katsuki moves down the pliant body beneath him, nipping and sucking marks into creamy skin dotted with dark chocolate-brown freckles; tugging and flicking dusky-pink nipples.

Izuku's undergarments are slipped off with deft fingers while Katsuki distracts him with his mouth, blowing raspberries into his stomach and grinning as his breathless pants turn into breathless laughter. A shiver runs up Izuku's spine as the colder air hits his heated skin, and Katsuki's warm hands are there to chase it away. He smooths his palms down along toned legs as far as he can reach without moving from his spot, kneads his fingers into Izuku's thighs and sides, and up his torso.

Only when the bewitching body underneath him is quaking in need, does Katsuki finally pay attention to Izuku's cock. He's hard, flushed an inviting shade of dark pink and already leaking.

«Ya look delicious Deku,» he says, smirking as he lowers himself to lewdly lick a strip of saliva over the underside of Izuku's cock. One hand around the base, the other cupping his balls gently.

«Ka— Kacch… aahn…!»

Katsuki hums, lips enclosing the head, the tip of his tongue pressing into the slit and under the foreskin. He sucks lightly, pleased to hear the choked off gasp from Izuku. Katsuki swallows him down painstakingly slow, with almost-lazy bobs of his head and flicks of his tongue, barely-there strokes and caresses with his hands — he loves torturing the other like this, the sounds he can pry out of Izuku music to his ears —. He loves feeling him squirm and cry out.

Katsuki pulls off to take a breath, snatching the vase with the lotion in the meantime, popping the cork off and settling it next to them.

«H-hurry, Kacchan…» Izuku says, staring up at him with glazed eyes, the green overshadowed by dilated pupils.

Katsuki huffs, pretending to be irritated. «Impatient, are we?» He can't blame him though, his own dick is stiff and throbbing in his undergarments, longing to feel the other's heat surround him.

He dips two fingers into the pot; the transparent, viscous lotion coats his hand when he takes them out and spreads it over his palm. Soon after, he's teasing a circle around Izuku's entrance with a slick finger. Izuku whines, writhing on the cape as he tries to make the digit slip inside; when it does, he sighs such a delighted «yesss», it resounds even inside Katsuki's chest.

«Fuck, Izuku...» he groans, leaning in to sloppily kiss him while he works his finger deeper. «'S been a while, huh.»

«Yeah… ah!» Izuku nods, his hips rocking onto the hand between his thighs.

The wedding preparations have kept them both busy for the better part of last month — the constant ebb and flow of people coming in, to teach Izuku to dance; to choose decorations and food and music. Court meetings for foreign dignitaries, training —, leaving too little time and energy to enjoy their hard-earned intimacy with nothing but cuddling and simply sleeping together.

This snowstorm has been a nice opportunity to… catch up on that.

Katsuki is as quick yet thorough as he dares. Neither of them wants to cum without being connected, but they're also coiled too tight after so long; this round isn't going to last.

He's scissoring and spreading and curling three fingers inside Izuku for what feels like hours, rubbing grounding circles on his hip with his free hand. He kisses, sucks and nips at the expanse of skin at his disposal to add sensations at odd times. He brings Izuku to a dry orgasm; he's sobbing and quaking, straining to stroke his dripping cock but Katsuki restrains his wrists with his hand.

Only then does he take out his fingers.

«Ah… haa, Ka… Kacchan— shit, please— need you in-inside...»

Katsuki's answer is a low groan. His undergarments are tossed to the side hastily; he slicks up his cock, lotion mixing with his copious precum, and lines up to Izuku's ass. He drapes the other's legs around his waist, Izuku understanding the implicit prompt to link his ankles behind his back.

Katsuki pushes in, the glide easy and painless after the generous preparation and the slackness from Izuku's previous orgasm. He bottoms out with a rasping breath, his nerves aflame.

«F-fuck,» he stutters, biting his lower lip and scrunching eyes closed in concentration. «Won't last… long, De-Deku… Fuck— ya feel so good...»

«Y-you t-too Ka— nnh!— Kacchan!»

«Shit— 'm movin'...»

Katsuki takes a breath, bracing himself as he pulls out halfway before pressing back in. The pace he sets is swift; thrusts inelegant but precise, the angle good enough for him to brush Izuku's sweet spot just right. His hips snap back and forth. Izuku arches under him, meets his thrusts with his own wild ones, bucking onto the cock pounding into him with shudders and moans and calls of Katsuki's name.

The wet slap of skin on skin is loud and lewd, a perfect counterpoint to their mingled sounds and the crackling of the fire.

«S-shit— Izu… ku— nngh!»

Katsuki's movements falter. He throws his head back with a groan, eyes squeezed tight as he buries himself deep inside Izuku, filling him up spurt after spurt. In the haze of his climax, Katsuki languidly strokes Izuku to orgasm. He grins smugly through the rush of endorphin when the other cums without even trying to take matters into his own hand.

«Kacchan...» Izuku says a minute later, breath almost back to normal and snuggled into Katsuki's chest.

«Mmh?»

«You were really pent up, a lot came out… how am I going to clean up? We don't have enough water for a bath and-and you know it gets, uhm, uncomfortable to have se-semen up there for too long so— waah!»

Katsuki cuts him off by abruptly flipping him over, hands grabbing Izuku's sides and bending down to bite at a round ass cheek.

«I'll just eat my cum and your ass out then.»

«Wha— Kacchan, no! Wait a— ah!— Kacch… oh! Oh!»

Katsuki laughs a little meanly. «You're gonna walk up the throne room and get married with a fucking limp tomorrow, Deku— 'm gonna fuck you so good.»

#bakudeku #katsudeku #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bnha #this was written for the bkdk secret santa 2018 #funkys fics

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ragewerthers · 4 years

Text

Pond Memories

Summary: Gladio talks Ignis into being a bit rebellious and joining him for a bit of skinny dipping. However, there may be more than a handsome Shield in the waters of this unassuming pond.

A/n: This is another fun prompt for my friend @bgn846!

She asked for:'Skinny dipping -- “Something just brushed up against my leg!” '

I instantly had dialogue in my head, but I'll admit that the ending was something I hadn't planned XD

Hopefully it's not too silly an something that will get a good laugh!

You can also read on AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25596553

Enjoy, my friends! :D

Word Count: 2303

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

Ignis couldn’t believe what they had decided to do. This was ridiculous, juvenile, possibly a bit unsanitary and… thrilling.

“Come on, Iggy, there’s nothin’ to worry about,” Gladio had offered only about an hour earlier as Ignis tidied up his cook station from lunch. “Prompto and Noct are out fishing and taking pictures and we still have plenty of daylight left. We’re allowed to have a little fun as well aren’t we?” As he spoke he moved to stand behind Ignis, his arms wrapping around the lithe Adviser, resting his chin on his shoulder. “It’ll add a little danger to our day!”

Ignis couldn’t help snorting at the ridiculous comment, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth and hide his smile. “Darling, our days are literally filled with danger or have you forgotten in your old ag-ah! Stahpit!” Ignis squeaked as Gladio wriggled his fingers against his sides where they rested, interrupting his teasing with a bout of hysterical giggles.

The attack didn’t last long though and Gladio couldn’t help smiling as Ignis relaxed back in his arms. “But it’s not the fun sort of danger! This is… rebellious. Don’t you ever want to be a wild man? Live life on the edge? Go against the norm?”

“I kiss you after you eat garula steak and beans… if that’s not living life on the edge I don’t know wha-ahahaht ihihihis! S-stop! I yeheheheild!” Ignis frantically apologized as those teasing fingers found his sides once more and honestly, trapped in the bearhug of his partners arms there was no way he could get free easily.

“You’re just full of piss and vinegar today, aren’t ya?” Gladio chuckled, stopping once more and pressing a few kisses against Ignis’s shoulder as the Adviser caught his breath. “Come on, Iggy. Let loose a little!”

And so that was how Ignis found himself standing on the edge of a small pond, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and wondering just how he’d become so easy to sway.

However, as he glanced over to the side and watched Gladio tossing his grey tank top over a low hanging branch and showing off every inch of his well muscled and tattooed torso the answer became abundantly clear.

It didn’t take long for Gladio to notice that he was being watched, however, and as he turned around Ignis felt his cheeks instantly heat up. Quickly he looked away, taking off his glasses and putting them on top of his shirt which he had folded and set nearby.

“Enjoying the show, Iggy?” Gladio murmured, walking closer and making Ignis feel butterflies bloom in his stomach.

“Don’t be smug. Smugness doesn’t suit you,” Ignis lied because oh how it suited the man.

Gladio’s wicked smile proved that he knew it as well and he gave a little chuckle before turning back around. “Uh huh. Your blush says different,” he teased and Ignis could feel his cheeks growing redder. “But you better hurry up before the terror twins show back up and wonder where we went.” Ignis gave a little snort at the nickname he had for the two and shook his head. “We literally left them a note saying that we were going for a swim. They’ll know to come down here regardless,” he said, taking off his belt and shoes.

Glancing over he saw Gladio scowling at him as he stood as brazen as ever in just his moogle print boxers. “Yeah, but they don’t know that this little dip is extra rebellious… and what would the kids think if they saw mama Ignis in all his glory?” he teased, making Ignis growl and throw one of his socks at the man who ducked with a laugh.

“First of all, do not refer to me as mama Ignis. That is for Prompto and Prompto alone. He is exempt,” Ignis warned before tucking his other sock into one of his shoes. “And they wouldn’t think anything. We’ve all had to bathe at least once out here as we’ve roughed it and honestly, if they can look at your hairy arse and not be scarred for li-IFE!”

Ignis had only just stepped out of his trousers and boxers when he felt himself hoisted into the air and unceremoniously tossed into the less then warm waters of their little pond.

Upon resurfacing with a splutter, Ignis only had a moment to try and right himself before he found his rather large and immature partner rushing toward the water. With a manic grin, moogle print boxers fluttering in the breeze as he tossed them behind himself, Gladio lept toward the water.

“Cannonball!!!” he shouted, launching himself in Ignis direction. The man couldn’t suppress a shout of surprise as his darling's ridiculousness sent a massive tidal wave crashing over him.

After resurfacing for a second time, Ignis spat out whatever water had made its way into his windpipe when he’d shouted and wiped the water from his eyes. Blinking blearily he found Gladio’s smug and smiling face a few inches from his own, a lily pad resting atop his head.

“You were sayin’?” he asked and Ignis reacted on pure, feral instinct and adrenaline.

With a growl and shout he launched himself at Gladio, trying to push the behemoth of a man under water though Gladio was absolutely unphased.

“You are a terrible human being! How could you just toss me in!?” Ignis growled, still attempting to push Gladio under, but only managing to make the Shield wobble slightly as all he was really accomplishing was climbing him.

“I’m terrible?” Gladio chuckled, wrapping his arms around Ignis and hugging him close as the man struggled half-heartedly to get away. “You said I had a hairy butt. That is being terrible.”

“Then use your words to tell me that… don’t toss me into a pond!” Ignis grumbled, attempting to pout before finding his cheeks under a barrage of soft pecks and kisses. His lips instantly started to quirk up into a smile and he brought his hands up, gently pushing at Gladio’s stubbly face. “St-stahpit! I’m… I’m trying to be dihihifficult!”

“Yeah well… this is me apologizing so deal with it,” Gladio chuckled, continuing to pepper kisses against Ignis cheeks until the poor Adviser could barely utter a word through his ridiculous giggles and snorts.

“So… do you forgive me?” Gladio asked as he finally stopped the barrage of kisses, giving Ignis his best puppy dog eyes as the retainer slowly calmed down from the loving attention.

“Astrals save me… yes. I forgive you. Now unhand me you lovable brute,” Ignis chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to Gladio’s brow and reaching up to remove the lily pad from his partners head. After tossing it aside like a frisbee he looked back to his partner, a light smile on his lips. “So… I’m afraid I’m not sure what a true rebellious skinny dipping experience should entail.”

Gladio chuckled at that, leaning back slightly and doing a little backstroke away from Ignis. “The rebellious part is that we aren’t wearing swim trunks. Apart from that it’s just… enjoying a little swim and a little naked solitude away from the other two,” he said lightly, closing his eyes and floating on his back.

Ignis felt his cheeks heating up again, but decided to follow his partner’s example and try to enjoy their ‘naked solitude’ as Gladio had so eloquently put it.

However, as he was debating whether to swim toward the low hanging branches of a nearby willow or toward some black rocks near the edge of the pond he felt something slimy touch or rather slither against his leg…

… and the normally stoic man lost it.

Ignis shouted, instantly kicking his legs and swimming quickly away from the spot, turning back to stare at it with a look of abject horror.

“Something just brushed up against my leg!” he rasped, reaching down to touch said leg to see if there were any traces left of what it might have been. Glancing up he saw Gladio seven feet away from him, smirking and giving a little quirk of his eyebrow.

Ignis glared daggers at him.

“Don’t flatter yourself, darling…. I love you, but I wouldn’t let you near me with a ten foot pole if that were the case.”

Gladio’s shit eating grin only grew at that. “I mean…”

“I heard it as soon as I said it! Don’t you dare say anything else!” Ignis amended quickly, knowing that keeping up with this line of banter would only lead to Gladio becoming insufferable. “But I’m being serious, Gladiolus! Something… something is in here and it touched me.”

Gladio lost the smugness when he heard his full name being used, his expression softening as he made his way closer. “Could it have been a fish? Some reeds or stems from the lily pads?” he offered, looking down into the water, trying to pinpoint what it was that would have made his normally unflappable partner react like that.

Ignis felt his cheeks heating up as he heard that, wondering if perhaps it had been in his imagination that something slithered against him when it could’ve been as simple as a reed.

At least that’s what he had started to try and tell himself until Gladio turned his back toward him… and Ignis saw the man’s tattoo move.

Ignis stood stock still for a moment, eyes unblinking as he stared at the expanse of Gladio’s back. He knew every plain of muscle and had traced every feather imprinted on his skin. There was nothing there that would ever or should ever surprise him. Blinking rapidly he ran a hand over his face and as he focused on Gladio’s shoulder he saw it again, a little wobble… and then all hell broke loose.

“LEECHES! IT’S FUCKING LEECHES, GLADIO!” Ignis bellowed, making a mad swim for the edge of the pond as Gladio looked at an Ignis shaped streak race toward shore.

“What?!” Gladio called back, bringing his arm out of the water and finding three of the mother suckers attached to his forearm.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”

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

“I can’t believe mama Ignis and Gladio would just leave us to fend for ourselves!” Prompto gasped dramatically, fighting a smile as he and Noct looked over the note the Adviser had left at his cook station.

“Right? How will we ever survive?” Noct deadpanned, rolling his eyes and laughing as Prompto nudged his shoulder lightly.

“No, but honestly. It’s cool that Gladio got Ignis to go and have a little fun,” Prompto said as he moved away, setting aside his camera on a small table near their camp chairs.

“What makes you think it was Gla-... nevermind, I heard it as soon as I sa-...,” Noct instantly stopped talking. His eyes turned toward the treeline of their haven as blood curdling screams could be heard echoing in the distance.

Prompto was by Nocts side in an instant, his pistols already drawn as Noct called forth his sword from the armiger. Both men braced themselves as the sounds of snapping twigs and underbrush could be heard getting louder and closer.

“W-was that…?” Prompto stammered, as Nocts hands tightened on his sword, fear taking over his heart in an icy grip.

“Get ready, Prompto… it’s almost here,” Noct grit out, knowing that whatever was hurtling toward them at breakneck speed had to be dealt with first before they could get into the words and search for their missing friends.

However, nothing could’ve prepared him for what came out into the clearing.

“I CAN FEEL THEM IN MY HAIR!” Gladio shouted, dropping to the ground as he and Ignis burst from the trees, naked as the day they were born. The Shield instantly began rolling around like a man possessed as Ignis ruffled his own hair like a maniac, kicking his legs and swatting at them in turn.

“YOU DESERVE IT! YOU TERRIBLE MAN!” Ignis shouted back, picking something off of himself and throwing it at Gladio with all the accuracy his years of daggers training allowed. Even in the midst of madness his aim was perfect.

“IT WASN’T MY FAULT!”

“YOU FOUND THE LOCATION!?”

“AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW SWIMMING VAMPIRES LIVED THERE?!”

Prompto and Noct watched the chaos unfolding before them, their weapons now held limply at their sides.

“Uh… Prom?” Noct whispered, watching as Ignis swatted at his back, picking off another little something and sending it flying toward the Shield. The larger man still doing an impeccable job of imitating a floundering garula.

“On it!” Prompto shouted, dismissing his pistols and rushing behind Noct. He returned only a few moments later, camera in hand and snapping as many pictures as his trigger finger could manage.

Noct dismissed his sword as well, watching as Gladio and Ignis continued to shout and rave like crazy swamp people.

“So,” Prompto asked, pausing in his pictures to look over at Noct, his voice strained in an effort to not laugh outright at the sight. “Do you think we should go and help them?”

Noct glanced from Prompto back to his two retainers.

“HOLD STILL, GLADIOLUS!”

“I CAN’T!”

“YOU HAVE TO IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WALK AROUND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITH A LEECH ATTACHED TO YOUR ARSE!”

Looking back at Prompto with a quirked eyebrow, Prompto finally couldn’t stop himself from falling into a giggle fit and nodded. “Good point,” he giggled, turning his camera lens back on the mayhem.

“We’ll at least wait for them to sort out Gladio’s butt. Then we’ll go help,” the young Prince said, taking a seat on the edge of the haven and listening to the shutter of Prompto’s camera capturing this magical moment. “I think once Ignis decides not to kill Gladio they’ll appreciate what we’re doing. It’ll be some… ‘pond’ memories for them.”

#ffxv #my fics #some tickles #f3s #gladnis #gladiolus amicitia #ignis scientia #prompto argentum #Noctis Lucis Caelum

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the-star-named-dowoon · 4 years

Text

Cross Road

Title- Cross road (one Shot)

Genre- Demon Au & Best friends to lovers

Pairing- Demon best friend Hoshi x human reader

words- 6600+

warnings- Lots of talk about sex and baby making, virgin sacrifice, hoshi being the best, and yah

Plot- You and Soonyoung have been best friends since you were kids. You thought you knew everything there was to know about him,but little did you know your childhood crush had a surprising secret.

Masterlist

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

Kwon Soonyoung.

He’s a sweet man, a funny man, and even a smart man. Well… is man really the right word? Sort of. You wouldn’t really know how to describe him. Other than being the best person you know and love.

He’s special to say the least.

But to tell that story we have to go back.

Way back.

———————————-

You were sitting on the playground during recess. It was the first day of kindergarten and kids ran around, already making new friends as the day progressed. You didn’t really pay much attention to it at the time, you just sat there. Not that you were shy or anything, but no one really came to you. You sit with your legs dangling off the edge of the playground watching other kids play tag. The boys provoke the girls to chase them around with the risk of getting cooties. As you watch , a finger taps your shoulder lightly.

“Hey you look like a sad lonely person.” You turned your head around to see a boy. He had chubby cheeks and a bright welcoming smile. You mean to say something back but you didn’t really know how to take being called a sad lonely person. “Hello? Anyone in there?” He questions and knocks his knuckles against the side of your head playfully.

“Huh?” Was your only response. The boy nudged himself next to you.

“I’ll make sure you’re not sad and lonely anymore.” He stated as he dragged you towards the slide. He ushered you to sit down first then excitedly sat behind you. After giving a count off, he pushes you both. The weight of two kids proved to be a little much and caused you to go past the end of the slide. Both of your butts land with a thump onto the sand. Rubbing his behind, The boy helps you up before you both burst into a fit of giggles.

“My name is kwon soonyoung.” He holds out his chubby hand. You return the gesture with a high five after not really knowing that he was asking for a hand shake.

“I’m ___”

Middle school came around quickly and Again you found yourself sitting by yourself. It’s lunchtime and you sit patiently, sipping on your water bottle. Middle school was a weird time in your life, usually with growing up... comes changes. Whether that be physically or mentally. But one thing for sure that hasn’t changed is...

“Why do you look like a sad loner?” A smile made its way on your face and you turned to see your best friend already by your side. He settles in the seat next to yours at the long table.

“Can’t I be a loner for 5 minutes Soonyoung? You’re by my side all the time.” You tease. He puts his hand on his heart dramatically and pretends to be hurt. He wrapped his arms around you playfully as he fake sniffled.

“I thought you loved me!” He yells and catches the attention of the other students. You didn’t pay much attention to them because being friends with Soonyoung comes with the attention that he gets.

He’s loud to say the least. Not to mention a little heart throb to all the hormonal preteens.

“I do love you.” He grins and hops off of you and begins to dig into his lunch. As he’s turned away you couldn’t help yourself but be giddy. It’s true, you do love Soonyoung...well love but not love- love. Not yet at least. But you definitely did like-like him. He’s your best friend so you thought that he really wouldn’t like you back. Not to mention with all the attention he gets from other girls you decided it would be best to be friends.

But When you realized you had a crush on soonyoung, you never looked at him the same.

And when you both sat through sex Ed that day…

“Oh my god…” you both say I’m unison after watching the very in depth documentary on puberty.When you found out where babies come from. You were scarred enough to not even want to look at Soonyoung for a few weeks.

High school came along and this was the time when everything really changed.

Well, only because during this time is when you knew you love-loved Soonyoung. Still, you both were close and even added a few new friends to your bunch. Jun,Chan and Minghao are a few guys that wiggled into your close circle. Soonyoung met Jun and Minghao in dance class his freshman year and Chan a year later when he entered high school. They were like brothers ever since. And they definitely knew about your giant crush on Soonyoung.

“I swear she was like the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen! It’s like every girl is nothing but a sack of potatoes compared to her. ” Jun says excitedly with a bite of his sandwich still in his mouth, causing chunks of food to fly towards the other Chinese boy. Minghao blocks his face with his hand and nudges his friend harshly, glancing over to you. Jun clears his throat. “Except for ___ of course!” He explains and swallows his food,you just roll your eyes and continue to eat your slice of pizza.

“But we met at a party last night and to say we hit it off is an understatement.” He wiggles his eyebrows at the rest of the group.

“Really? She slept with you? No way.” Chan argues as he takes a bite of his apple.

“I swear! And when I say she has a nice-“

“Ok ok no need to go into details.” You cut him off. Minghao just huffs at your response.

“Really? You can’t handle this? Your best friend has the highest sex drive in the entire school.” Minghao states while shoving a napkin towards Jun’s face. He’s right, this kind of talk was normal between guys and you just so happen to be the only girl here. But Soonyoung has no shame whatsoever when I comes to talking about sex.

“Hey, we cant talk about that in front of her. She probably can stand the fact that the love her life sleeps around like it’s his job.” Jun says and results in another nudge from Minghao. “Hey you brought it up first!” Jun hisses at Minghao.

“I get your concern boys but Soonyoung can do whatever he wants. If he wants to sleep around then that’s something I have to deal with in a one sided love story. Plus, I’m his best friend, I have to handle it.” You sulk a little. The boys catch on and comfort you.

“Listen. He might be a horn dog but he still has never been in a relationship. Those girls mean nothing to him.” Chan wraps his arm around my shoulder and rubs the side of my arms.

“Ya, all those girls have is being hot. You’re nothing like that” Jun blurts and it results in you and the two others looking up at him with furrowed brows. He’s quick to put his hands up. “I mean you are hot! Wait I mean pretty? You're just not their kind of hot. You’re one of the guys-“

“Shut up.” Minghao now has his palm slapped on to Jun’s mouth. “Ignore Jun. In Soonyoung’s defense,he only sleeps around with girls he doesn’t give a shit about. Those girls mean nothin.” Minghao says and jerks his hand away from Jun as jun licks his hand. “Sicko” he hisses.

“It’s ok you guys, no need to put other girls down just because you guys have a bias towards me. Who knows, maybe they’re cool..” you suggest.

“Or Maybe he just takes a while to notice what he has in front of him. I mean, he doesn’t have a father figure around to teach him this stuff. His dad lives on the other side of the world from what we know. He needs to learn things himself.” Chan reassures. You just shrug and shovel in the salad you have on your tray.

“I see what you’re saying and I really appreciate it. But it’s ok if he doesn’t like me. I’m still his best friend and always be around. Just as long as I have him in my life I don’t care what we are.” The rest of the table is quiet and continues eating in silence until a loud slap on the table is heard. You flinch your head up and see the devil himself, Soonyoung.

“Sorry I’m late guys. I had a dentist appointment and just barely got to school for the rest of the day. I had a test I couldn’t miss.Hope you didn’t miss me too much.” He says and pinches your cheek. While he’s doing that you notice his long sweater sleeve glide down his arm a bit. Smeared black lines run up the rest of his arm. Before you could ask about it, Jun goes on to tell his story about the girl he met at the party. while he tells the story again you notice that a Smokey scent emerges.

“Do you guys smell that?” You ask, cutting off Jun.

“Smell what?” Soonyoung says warily.

“It smells like something burnt, like ash or something.” You state and sniff around some more. Even sniffing Chan’s shirt. You were about to sniff Soonyoung but he shot up from his seat before you could get a whiff.

“I mean we are in the lunchroom. They probably burnt something in the kitchen. But I’m gonna go get a soda, I’ll be back.” He rushes. Thinking that he was acting weird, you chose to go check on him.

Soonyoung rushes to the vending machine outside of the cafeteria. He lifts up the neck of his shirt and gives a good sniff. He goes to lift up his arms to smell his armpits but you come out from the side of the vending machine taking him by surprise in his mid sniff.

“What are you doing?” You ask and he pretends to stretch his limbs.

“Stretching. Sitting in the dentist chair did a number on my back. You seem a little tense, maybe you should do it too.” He tries evade but you see right through him unfortunately. Lifting up his sweater you see something you didn’t really expect.

Black ink runs up all the way up to his shoulders. Symbols and pictures drawn all over his arms, a lot of them smeared away. Some parts of his arms were covered in black powder, almost like charcoal.

“Have a little art project?” You ask suspiciously and let his shirt fall down. “What is this.” You question pointing to his arm.

“It’s nothing really. Just like you said, an art project I did for fun when I was bored last night.” He says a little unnerved. “Nothing to hide.”

“Then why were you hiding it? You didn’t even think to shower?” Soonyoung seems a little stumped at the questions. So you decide to back down at his discomfort. “Never mind. I should expect weird stuff from you. Never a dull day with my Soonyoung.” You tease and walk away from the scene.

Soonyoung lets out a harsh breath and pulls out his dollar before putting it into the vending machine. Looking up at your figure walking away he smiles to himself.

“My Soonyoung?” He whispers to himself gently. “I think I like the sound of that.”

You unfortunately decided to let his strange behavior go that day, and you soon regretted it.

Ever since that day you haven’t seen Soonyoung. It’s been two weeks and not a word from him. No phone call, no texts, not even an email. It’s like he jumped off the face of the earth. Even the boys couldn’t get any word from him. You started getting worried because this had been the longest you have gone without seeing him. Not to mention you don’t know if he’s ok or not.

Something just felt wrong.

“I’m going crazy.” You say and grip your hair harshly. Letting the frustration take over.

“We get it. This is the longest you’ve gone without your boyfriend.” Minghao sasses slightly and scrolls through his messages just in case any message would appear. You almost react to his sass but you just sit back on the bench.Since you guys have been so worried you all decided to head out to the park to ease our minds. But it’s been everything but easy. You couldn’t blame Minghao for being harsh because he was going through the same thing. You were all scared.

“Im sorry,but I can’t really help but feel this horrible feeling, Hao.” He just pushed his head back and slouched on the park bench.

“Join the club sister. We all have a bad feeling. I mean we all haven’t heard from him in weeks. You think this could feel anything other than bad?” He growls. You decide to not say anything back in consideration of how he’s feeling. You knew he didn’t mean to bite like that.

The two other boys walked back from the convenient store that was a short distance away, and heard what Minghao had said.

“Easy Minghao. We’re all anxious but let’s not take it out on each other. ___ has a right to speak about how she feels, I mean, she has known Soonyoung the longest.” Chan hands you a Popsicle and sits next to you and Minghao.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I know you're worried, I shouldn’t have been rude.” Minghao apologies and brings you into a side hug. You let your head rest on his shoulder as he rugs the side of your shoulder.

“It’s ok. I know you didn’t mean it. All we can do now is try our best in this situation.” You say and hug minghao tighter.

“Well, there’s not much we can do. We’ve gone to his house everyday but no answer every time. Not even his mom answered. We call and message him every hour of the day and nothing. It’s like they dropped off the face of the earth.” Jun plops down on the sidewalk in front of the bench.

“Do you think he moved?”

“No way. He would have told us. Unless...”

“That could explain why he was acting so strange.”

You just sat and listened to the boys sit and squabble. You knew that something wasn’t right. He wouldn’t hide like this, it’s not like him.

“While you guys sit and argue, I’m going to go check his house again.” You gather your things and stand from the bench. Giving Chan the half eaten Popsicle.

“Wait what? It’s getting late.” Chan says. “We know you’re worried. We all are. But maybe you should just go home and rest, it’s been stressful for you.” He argues.

“I just… I just want to check again. I have to. I care about him too much to just rest, it’s worth a shot.” The boys kept trying to get you home but you were persistent.

“Chan is right. It’s getting late. Let us walk you home.” Jun offers again but they all know it’s no use.

“Love you guys. I’ll see you later.” Those words were your goodbye as you walked towards Soonyoung’s house. Leaving the boys as they shook their heads.

The Kwon’s house was an easy house to remember. The house sat at a crossroads with no other houses around it. No one really built any houses there because of the tales of old crossroads and their associations with demons and such. There were many stories of deals being made at that very crossroad. Even a story about a woman who fell in love with a demon there. You never really believed in stuff like that anyway. Soonyoung would often tell you those crazy stories and you just chose to listen.

As you got closer to the house a chill ran up your spine. A chill strong enough to go from your head straight to your toes. Although, you never thought to be scared of his house before, today seemed a little more ominous. Various street lights towards your friends house flickered and even went out completely as you made your way down the street. The wind felt especially strong as it felt like it was almost pushing you in the opposite direction.

Determined to find your best friend, you went against your gut.

Finally, you made it to Soonyoung's house. The wood flooring on his doorstep creaked way more than usual. The porch light was on but no bugs surrounded it and the porch light barely lit the area with a faded yellow light. Almost hesitant, I knocked on the door, no answer. You knock one more time, still no answer.

“Soonyoung. It’s me ___. I came to check on you… we’re worried. Me and the boys. We’re all worried and I just thought it wasn’t like you to just leave. Please…” I rest my forehead on his front door.

“I just really want to see you.”

Then it was like the temperature in your body shot down to zero degrees. The shiver up your spine was almost painful as the hairs on the back of your neck rise. Your heart nearly drops as the porch light shatters into a million pieces. Bringing the front door to complete darkness. You turn around to see that all of the lights in the neighborhood flicker off, all except one. The one street light only lights up the crossroad in front of his house. you rest your back against his door and try to calm your breathing.

The door your resting on starts to open slowly with an ear splitting creak. Opening the door to a black hole of an entrance. Thinking this was too creepy to stick around you go to rush home but something grabs onto your wrist. A large hand holds firmly on your arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?” They whisper and drag you into the house. Feet skidding on the smooth hard floor as you try to scream but nothing comes out. Your throat felt dry and your body felt ice cold. You couldn’t see anything but pitch darkness. But soon candle light comes to you when you’re thrown on the floor. The floor from what you assumed is the living room was lit by multiple candles in a circle. The candles surrounded a giant drawing carved into the hardwood flooring. The symbols resemble some of the symbols on Soonyoung’s arm you saw before.

“I can sense a very innocent energy from you.” The voice from earlier surrounds the room. Stepping out from the darkness is a tall figure. His robe is long and dragged on the floor as he walked. He steps into the circle but not with feet but with hooves of a goat. Raising his arms, the baggy fabric of his robe falls down his forearms, exposing the scales running up his arms to his hands. His face is covered by a hood but sticking out are two long horns covered in rings of gold. “A good virgin energy.” He praises.

“W-what?” And like a ghost, he’s in front of you before you could blink. Kneeling down to where you are on the floor.

“My son. My offspring has brought me the final step of becoming what he truly is. He was hesitant at first but now since you’re here, in front of me, I know he’s ready.” He explains.

“Where’s Soonyoung?” You ask hesitantly. The creature just gives a low chuckle.

“He’ll come. And when he does and finally makes his sacrifice, he’ll be the new king of the underworld like he's supposed to!” He chants. “After all these years of collecting virgin energy and gathering up enough power to be able to withstand the demon power, I will finally be able to spend time with my love.”The demon declared, and It’s like all the air was taken out of your lungs.

Soonyoung. Your Soonyoung. Some kind of demon prince? He would never do this to you, would he? All these years, were they nothing but a trick to use you someday? No. This can’t be true.

“This can’t be true…” the tears run down your cheeks as his father's hands rests on your face gently.

“It’ll be over soon.” He says gently and gets up to walk in the center of the circle.

“I summon you, my son.” He puts his hands together and the carving lights up a bright red. Gusts of wind push out from the floorboards and blow out the candles around. “Come to me…” he chants in this demonic language as the light grows brighter and brighter. The wind is strong enough to lift the creature's robes and your hair to fly up. Loud booms sound across the room like thunder as the furniture moves with the current from the wind.

A cloud of black smoke rises from the symbols and gathers up In the middle. A twirl of black slowly taking form, making the shape of a body. Red lines and symbols traced up the figure, they shined as bright as the floor. Soon, the smoke disappears and what’s left is the boy you knew.

Soonyoung stands in the middle of the circle in front of his father. “Why did you call?” His voice was deep and Demonic. Almost like it was put through a voice modifier. He’s wearing something similar to his father and like him, he has the long horns sticking through his hair.

“You have proved to me that you are ready my son.” His father states proudly. “The virgin has been offered.” Soonyoung looks behind him. You nearly passed out as his pitch black eyes landed on you. Soonyoung’s heart stops.

“___?” He whispered surprised. Taking a step towards you, he nearly stumbles. You push yourself back in response. This wasn’t what he wanted, this was what he was trying to hide this whole time. Turning back towards his father he steps away from the circle.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not going through with your stupid ritual. I couldn't care less about taking over the throne. She isn’t the virgin sacrifice, she’s my friend!” Soonyoung hisses. You glance up at him, relieved at what you just heard.

“Friend?” His father questions. But when he’s about to say something the light to the living room turns on. Soonyoung’s mother by the light switch in her bathrobe looks at the scene before her.

“Honey? What’s going on here?” She questions the demon and runs over to you. “___, I’m so sorry this happened! Please come sit down, let me get you some water.” She rambles. You did nothing but nod and accept the help from Soonyoung and his mother at the table.

“___? Oh! I’ve heard so much about you!” The demon says joyfully. You're surprised at the change of demeanor. “I’m sorry. I’m nothing without my glasses.” he explains while taking off his hood to reveal a human-like face. With the exception of scales in certain patches of his face and the horns. He had Hints of Soonyoung indeed.

“Here, my love” Soonyoung's mother hands him his glasses. He looks in your direction, his serpent like pupils focus on you.

“Oh well, would you look at that. You really are ___. My apologies.” He apologizes with a short bow. Heading over to his wife he takes a seat at the table and props his hooves up. You couldn’t make out words, just strings of mumbles. A ding from across the kitchen makes you flinch. Soonyoung’s father gleefully got up and towards the oven. “Well would you look at that! My Blood butter cookies are done.” He bubbles and pulls out the tray with his bare hands. You couldn’t comprehend this situation even if you tried.

“Ughh…” you try to speak but nothing.A pair of hands rest On your shoulders. Soonyoung grabs your attention.

“Come with me upstairs. We’ll talk in my room.” You just go along with it and head upstairs with Soonyoung and away from what you hope Is a fever dream.

You enter his room, it looks like a normal and definitely not like a hell hole.

He gently closes the door behind you. “I know you have a lot of questions.” He starts, petting the horn on his head nervously. “I’m sorry about my dad… I told him I wouldn’t sacrifice a virgin any time soon, so I guess he jumped to conclusions when he saw you.” He tried to explain. But you stand there as you try to comprehend but all that’s in your brain is white noise.

“I’m sorry I left… I just didn’t know how to deal with this whole thing. My father just shows up out of nowhere expecting me to become this prince of the underworld. I didn’t know how to break it to you that I’m a half demon spawn of the underworld. I thought you would think I’m some kind of weirdo-“

“That’s why you didn’t tell me?” You bring up. It catches him by surprise.

“Huh?”

“You didn’t tell me because you thought I would think you're weird?” You say dumbfounded.

“Ya, why else?”

“I dunno, from all the movies I’ve seen, it’s because demons are this dangerous thing, then people go out of their way to protect people from demons.” You try to explain but he just looks confused.

“Protect you? Why? I would never hurt you nor did I think I would. The underworld isn’t that crazy. I mean did you see my dad? He isn’t really the most fearsome creature. And he needs new prescription glasses.”

“He was telling me you need a sacrifice, Soonyoung!”

“Well I didn’t say all of the underworld wasn’t that crazy. Plus, did you really think I would sacrifice you? You’re my best friend.” Your shoulders slouch a bit. Feeling bad about your accusations and thoughts about him. Of course he wouldn’t.

Soonyoung notices your change in demeanor and pats the bed, signaling for you to sit down next to him. You plop yourself on his bed. “ I’m sorry. I was just surprised. I didn’t mean to think of you that way.”

“Hey. I don’t blame you. You're doing pretty well for someone who thought they were gonna be a virgin sacrifice to a demon king.” He laughs and brings you into a side hug.

“The visual effects didn’t seem to help either. You emerging from the ground was a sight to see. Must be from all the virgin energy you’ve gathered.” You tease lightly and a blush makes its way into his pale face.

“Thanks? I’ve been practicing my summoning, I was playing video games when he called me..” he explains “And He Had to tell you about virgin energy?” He sighs.

“Well I didn’t fuck anybody for energy, that’s for sure. I just so happen to gain energy from virgins. It’s a weird demon thing.” He mumbles at the end even having pink tint on his cheeks. “But there’s no need to talk about that..”

“Why you so shy to talk about sex now? Didn’t have a problem before.” You state blatantly. He seems to have caught it because he looks at you Nervously.

“You ok? If I offended you, I’m sorry. Who cares if you’re a virgin-“

“It’s not that..” You say with slight frustration. “It’s the fact that you sleep… with girls.” You struggle to get the last part out.

“Would you rather I slept with women?” He asks, even more confused than he was before. “ I mean, it’s a little illegal since we’re still in high school-“

“No! That’s not what I meant!” You groan and flop the rest of your body on the bed. “That’s not what I meant…” Soonyoung gently lays down beside you.

“What do you mean? Tell me.” He takes your hand into his. Red markings cover every finger.

“I… I “

“You what?” He pushes.

“I...like you, Soonyoung. I like you a lot. No, I’ve been in love with you for years. And I’ve always been afraid to tell you-“ you’re sentence is cut off by Soonyoung's lips on yours. Your eyes widen but you kiss back anyway. Fluttering your eyes closed at what felt like pure bliss. He ends the kiss and pushes your hair out of your face.

“And why would you ever be afraid to tell me that?” He smirks. “ I fell in love with you the moment I saw you on the playground being a sad lonely person.” He confesses.

“ I just thought because you never showed any signs of liking me. And you had all these beautiful girls to be with and I was just the friend…”

“Never showed any signs?” He Scoffs. “How about wanting to be with you everyday?Wanting to have you talk to me? Wanting to have you be a part of my life forever? Are those not signs?” He asks.

“I’m sorry I never noticed…” you say shyly with a slight smile of embarrassment. He just playfully nods and brings me close.

“Also, all those girls. Sure, I fucked around. But I’ve never wanted a relationship with any of those people, and ya, they were pretty. But they weren’t you. That’s because you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve laid my eyes on, and I mean to sound cheesy.” You couldn't help but throw yourself on top of your best friend. Landing in his stomach he lets out a small “oof”.

“Although cheesy, I love it.” You confess.

“You wanna be my girlfriend? I promise you won’t regret it.” He tried to persuade but you just pretend to think for a bit before answering.

“Fine, since you asked-“

“Great! Now that you’re my girlfriend, you wanna make out?” He eagerly brings your face closer to his. You just chuckle and brush your hands through his hair slowly.

“ How about after I formally meet your dad. I don’t think we got off on the right foot- or hoof, earlier.” You say shyly. Soonyoung gets off the bed and pulls you up.

“Ya, the hooves are a shocker to everyone. I guess my mom likes them freaky. But luckily you don’t have to worry about hooves. Only the horns, but you probably dig them anyway- ouch!” He rubs his shoulder after a rough smack from you.

“Maybe a little.” You giggle. “But that was for leaving me for two weeks.” Soonyoung feels guilty but you send away that feeling with a quick kiss. “And that was for being with me for this long. I love you, Soonyoung.” You confess again.

“No, thank you for being in my life and accepting me. I love you too.”

“Good, now let's go try those cookies.”

Things did get better after that. Soonyoung officially introduced you to his father, he’s a very nice demon when he’s not trying to have you as a human sacrifice. Though he is bummed that he’ll have to stay in the underworld for a little longer until someone could take his place as king. But luckily Soonyoung’s mom finally agreed to going down with her husband finally now that their son is 18.

Soonyoung decided to finally go back to school after he learned to hide his horns and markings. So he graduated with you and the rest of the boys. Except Chan who’s a year younger.

Let’s just say the graduation party with the 5 of you ended with Soonyoung getting drunk enough to where he exposed himself to the rest of the group.

Welp, nothing else to hide.

But as the year went on, you decided to stay and study in your home town. While Soonyoung and the rest of the boys decided to open a dance studio, called Dancing with Demons. Which would become the best in the city. If only people knew they were dancing with an actual demon. Still a cute name though.

Now that you’ve graduated and have a path, you decided to move in together for college,Along with the three other boys, thinking that it was better for your college budgets. You spent even more time with your best friends and the love of your life.

And the rest is history

—————

“And the rest is history…” you whisper to yourself as you look over at your now sleeping husband of 3 years, 5 years in overall relationship. Sleeping on his stomach and his arms under the pillow propping his face up slightly. His big horns prevent him from sleeping on his side comfortably.

Often you would wake up in the mornings just to think about what happened 5 years ago. You would just sit and remember all the beautiful moments that lead to this. This perfect person who you plan to spend your whole life with.

“What are you thinking about?” A soft voice takes you by surprise. Your husband pats the spot next him, you scoot closer to his side and run your hand down his back. The red marking showing perfectly due to him not wearing a shirt.

“Just thinking about how I was able to get a life like this.” Soonyoung pops his head up.

“Well it only took a whole childhood and a false virgin sacrifice…” he states blatantly. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I still got you in the end anyway.” He kisses the side of your head.

“Well at least I don’t have to deal with the potential of being a virgin sacrifice anymore.” You laugh. Soonyoung rests his chin on his arms and gives a low hum.

“Ya, got that situated only a few months after we got together. Now you just have to deal with the thought of having a demon baby.” He says smugly. “Which if you asked, I wouldn’t have any hesitation of giving you one.” He winks. You just slap his chest gently and rise to get out of bed.

“Five years and you think you're ready to have my baby, huh?” You tease as you step out of bed and ease your way out of your pajamas. You couldn’t even get your top off before you’re squished between the wall and the demon. Your front is pressed on to the cold wall as Soonyoung’s warm chest pushes on your back. Craning his head between your neck he kisses slowly on your skin.

“Excited isn’t enough to describe, baby. If you give me the green light I would gladly give you a baby,right here, right now.” He whispers as he lifts his head to press a kiss to the side of your head. “You know how much I love you. But if you forgot then I can spend all morning showing you how much I would want to start a family with you. Hell, I could spend days showing you how much I love you.” At this point he knows he had you almost convinced to let him have you, but as much as you love the thought of entering the baby making factory, there are other plans to attend to.

You grip his hands gently as you peel them off your body they were just roaming. Having the most effort to remove the one on your butt. “As much as I would love to let you give me a family, we have plans today. We have lunch with your parents in the underworld today…” Soonyoung groans and practically throws himself back in the bed. Having a child-like tantrum as he huffed and puffed.

“Are you kidding me. Cock blocked by my own parents. Don’t they know I’m a busy demon?” He complains as he gets up and strips his clothing with a pout. “And for what reason? Because my dad made his famous demon lasagna?!” He blurts and grabs his towel, almost stomping towards the shower. You just laugh to yourself and shortly join him in the shower.

Stepping onto the steaming water, you hug his back tightly as he lets the water fall on his head. He turns around only to press you against his chest, pulling you closer so the water runs down both of your bodies. Though showering together seemed like a sexy scenario, you showered together often, sexy or not. You found it a relaxing time to spend together.

Soonyoung gently grabs your chin, bringing your lips to his. The kiss is soft, no urgency. As you both part your husband peers down at you with a loving gaze. Taking the shampoo you begin to wash his hair, going around his long horns as you do so. Soonyoung hums softly at your touch.

“You’re not mad at me are you?” You ask teasingly. The demon pouts and leans into your touch. Rinsing out his hair you let him scrub your hair and let him wash your back to his request.

“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. You still choosing my dad's underworld lasagna over me Making love to you all day, and a whole bunch of cuddles and kisses?” You couldn’t help but burst out laughing, he joins along and rinses you both off. Ending the shower, he wraps you up in a towel before him. As he’s drying your hair with a towel, you take this as a chance to capture his lips in a sweet kiss.

“How about a deal?” You waver. This catches the demon's attention.

“You’re making a deal with a demon? Aren’t you ballsy.” He smirks. “What are you offering?” He asks. You take a moment to look like you’re pondering.

“I was just suggesting that if you make it through a whole day of being with your parents, then I would reward you.” You slide your hands up his torso, making sure to travel along his markings, making your arms wrap around his neck at the end.

“Keep talking.” With that, You just realized that you have this demon of the underworld wrapped around your finger.

“If you make it through today without complaining and have a good time, then I’ll let you do whatever you want with me. Maybe even try for a baby-“ you couldn’t even finish your sentence before you’re pushed roughly against the wall. Your legs instinctively wrap around his hips as he kisses you passionately. Gripping your face roughly as he kisses you. You grip his hair and his horns roughly as his kisses don’t let up. After what seems like forever, he finally lets you go. Your feet come back to the wet floor but he still holds you. Having a sinister smile etched into his face.

“You seal a deal with a kiss baby. Thanks for doing business.” He plants one more kiss on your lips and walks out the bathroom as if nothing happened. You would be lying if you said you weren’t disappointed being left alone after that, but you know he was ready to give you what you wanted in due time. But for now, you can’t just think about how you couldn’t stop falling more in love with this man. Just thinking about a family with him makes you almost teary eyed. You didn’t want a family with anyone else. You’re set for life with Soonyoung.

“___! Hurry up! My parents are just getting older. We can’t keep them waiting. Or take your time, because I found a site of baby names that I can comfortably read as you get ready!” He beams from the other room.

Yup, you fell in love with a demon from the underworld.

But, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

A/N - Hope you enjoyed!

#Seventeen #seventeen scenarios #seventeen fanfic #seventeen x reader #seventeen oneshot #seventeen hoshi #seventeen hoshi x reader #demon au #seventeen au

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sergeant-donny-donowitz · 4 years

Text

The Home That War Built (Parental!Aldo Raine)

Not an AldoxReader fic. Aldo becomes a parental figure to fem!reader, totally platonic

Crush between reader & Hirschberg is implied

Reader has a twin sister

Reader is Hans Landa's daughter

If any of these things make you uncomfortable, please do not read! ______________________

@owba-chan @war-obsessed @inglourious-imagines @tealaquinn @struggling-bee @frozenhuntress67 @kwyloz @sodapop182

Let me know if you wanna be added to the IB or OUATIH taglists! :)

Requested by @svonschroeder _____________________________

***1943*** The basterds stood in a line, somewhere in the middle of absolutely nowhere, in nazi-occupied France. They had a new mission. "Her name is Y/n Landa." Aldo stood with his hands at his hips, "The kid's German, Double agent, working secretly for the French Resistance." Aldo sighed, and looked at the basterds. Every once in a while, he'd be struck by the reminder that a few of them were young enough to still be in school. Hirschberg somehow tricked his way into the army at 16. Here they were... Aldo sometimes wondered how many kids like that were fighting in a world they couldn't even call home anymore. Sometimes it broke his heart... Still, he was Aldo the Apache. No one could know that. The only one who even knew that side of him was his wife, Maggie... He didn't even have the luxury of getting a letter from her, given the absolute secrecy of the basterds. "The French say the kid's gone missing. General says it's our job to find her. Nazis are definitely involved, you boys know what that means, dont'cha?" A few of the basterds started to smirk, ready to begin loading their guns and sharpening their knives. Donny was already eyeing his bat.

It took some spying, some threatening, and a whole lot of nazi scalps to do it, but they did it. Another mission accomplished. "Holy shit...She's alive right?" Wicki muttered as he took your pulse, "If you could call it that." From the blood and the bruises, you had obviously escaped someone that had no intention of letting you escape. You mumbled, as you drifted in and out of consciousness. You saw the basterds standing over you. You didn't recognize them. And the fact that half of them were wearing nazi disguises... You gave up, looked past the faces and pleaded softly, "Tu ihr nicht weh ..." Hugo frowned a little, and he crouched by you, as Aldo asked, "What she say, boys?" Hugo ignored Aldo for a second, and asked, "Wer verletzt?" Wicki looked back at the basterds, "She said 'don't hurt her.' Hugo's asking who..." Your voice broke into a whisper as a tear streamed down your face, streaking through drying blood, "Emmeline." The basterds looked to Aldo, and he shook his head, "General didn't say nothin' 'bout no Emmeline..." He crouched down by Hugo and Wicki, and shook his head, wondering "What's the world done to you, kid?" Wicki looked over, "I don't think any bones are broken. I'm not sure about internal bleeding." Donny spoke up, "We left a fucking trail of dead nazis here. And a big one. We gotta move, lieutenant." Hirschberg peered out from behind Donny and Omar's shoulders and looked at you. Beneath the blood, there was a face, just about as young as him. A double agent, working on the side of justice, and there you were, half past death's door. A day passed, and when you woke up, you were in what appeared to be an abandoned hostel. You didn't remember anything after the moment you stumbled away from the nazis' grasp. When you saw unfamiliar faces, you tried to get up, but you just couldn't. "No, no, it's ok, kid! We ain't nazis." The man had a scar around his neck, and after hearing that accent, you had no doubt he was telling the truth. He said, "You might know us as the basterds. My name's Aldo." "The Apache?" You murmured, as the weary blurriness in your eyes gave way, and you looked at the rest of the faces. One by one, their names were etched into your memory. "Now," Aldo pulled a rusting, dusty chair by your side, "Tell us what you can. Who you was runnin' from, where they are, where you needa be goin'." "Please...They have my sister." Hirschberg set his gun down, and asked, "Emmeline?" 'Emmeline.' Now you remembered the moment the basterds found you. You nodded, "She's my twin." Donny looked to Aldo, "You sure general didn't say anything about a sister?" You shook your head, "She's not in France. Father keeps her locked up in Germany. She's been outspoken against everything father is from the moment we knew who he really was." "Your father, does he know about...this?" "That I'm a traitor? Undoubtedly by now." You grinned slightly with satisfaction, wondering what his reaction could have been. Aldo couldn't wrap his head around it. "Why did they hurt you? How did they find out?" "Well.... They still don't know I'm working with the resistance. They think it was an isolated incident." "What incident?" Donny asked what everyone was thinking. "I work in a science lab..." That was an understatement. You were a genius, and you were being exploited in the nazis' attempts to build a nuclear weapon. "I sabotaged a very important project, and destroyed the plans and data." You had a chemical burn on your forearm to prove it. "What kinda plan?" Aldo asked, genuinely curious. Whatever it was would definitely be of interest to the OSS. "A nuclear bomb." There was a heavy silence blanketing the room, and you said, "I set them back at least a year. Two or three if they don't find me. Even if they do, I'll do it again, even if it kills me." "What do you mean two or three if they don't find you?" Aldo asked, and Utivich nodded, "Yeah...what's so special they got to find you for that?" You sighed, and explained, "I don't just work there. I am the project... Everything that was in those plans, it's here." You raised your throbbing, bruised arm to your temple, "I sabotaged every step of the way, but this time, they were too close to solving the puzzle. I had to destroy all of it." "So they tried to kill you?" You nodded, "They didn't even report me to anyone. They got the guards to do it. But I got away..." "What happens if they find you?" "Nothing anymore. My father probably has worse things in store." "Father?" That struck Aldo, "You don't even call him...whatever the German word for dad is?" You scoffed, "Hans Landa is the last thing a father could ever be like." You shook your head, "The only reason why I pretended to go along with all this was because if I didn't, he would murder my sister," Your eyes lowered to the ground, and your voice shook with rage and sorrow, "He would murder Emmeline." In that moment, the basterds were outraged. Aldo, however, was speechless. His blood was boiling. His heart broke, wondering how a man could even think of killing his own child. How could a man blackmail one daughter for the life of the other? The answer was simple. That man had to be a nazi. These were some of the things that made Aldo wonder how cruel life could really be. For years and years, he and his wife would have given anything for even a chance of having a little one running around. And to see someone so horribly mistreat their own children? Aldo reckoned the only solution to that would be to have that man's scalp. Wicki changed some of your bandages, and checked again for signs of internal injuries. You answered a few more questions, and managed to eat a few bites, and then fell back asleep. The basterds filed out, and Hirschberg asked, "So what now?" Aldo shook his head, "Wait till we hear from the general again." And they did. It took a few days, but in that time, you softened the basterds' hearts. Even Hugo's. He shushed Smitty and Omar when they were being too loud and you were resting. Out of the basterds, Aldo was the most worried about you. Especially after he finally heard back from the general. "We gotta hand Y/n over to the resistance." Hirschberg, who had spent the most time with you, was the most intrigued with you. It was nice to talk to someone just about his age, who wasn't a total basterd. Besides, it wasn't everyday he met a bonafide genius. He just liked talking with you. And he was going to miss you... Which prompted him to answer with a more agressive tone than he meant, "What do they want with her?!" Aldo sighed, "They're sending Y/n back to the nazis." Donny didn't even bat an eyelash, "Oh so it's a suicide mission. Isn't that just dandy?" Hugo nodded, being fully acquainted with the ways that nazis met traitors, he wasted no time in telling the truth. "He's right. They'll kill her." Aldo shook his head. If he knew the nazis would kill you, he would never have agreed to the terms. "The resistance has a man on the inside. He says the nazis that hurt y/n were executed on her father's orders. Says her old man's got some power," He looked around, then said, " 'parently he's called in favors, and got Y/n off the hook. Passing it all off as some teenage rebellion. Resistance needs Y/n to stay as an informant, and are gon’ give her back to the nazis. Her father's sending for her, back to Germany." You were standing by the doorway. It was the first time you managed to get up. "He will lock me up. Away from Emmeline. Away from anyone and everything that I truly know or care for." You sighed, and said, "That is, until the scientists start falling too far behind in their plans. They will send for me again in time. And I will do all over again."

Aldo looked at you, and his heart stopped thinking about all the things they would do if you were caught again. Would they sentence you to die by a firing squad? Would they just torture you and hide you away until there was nothing left to do? Would your father actually kill Emmeline just to get to you? "Look kid...when you get home. Deny it. Deny everything your dad says he knows. You don't tell 'em you were with no resistance, and you ain't gon' tell 'em 'bout us. Even if he knows everything that you know, don't say nothin'." You smirked, "I know." Something about that smirk was heartbreaking. It was a telltale sign that you'd played these games before.

**** Days passed, and you all waited in the hideout until someone from the French resistance contacted the basterds. You were leaving the next morning. Hirschberg was sitting with you as you both talked about nothing. Aldo walked in, and you and Hirschberg smiled at each other, and then looked away. Aldo came to say goodbye. His heart hurt because every step was decided by the resistance, There was no mother worrying about you, and no father to know best. Different governments were using you, a kid, as a pawn against each other. Aldo wouldn't be surprised if it got you killed some day... But there was nothing more he could do.

Hirschberg left, after hearing Omar and Donny beginning to argue about baseball again. Aldo stayed with you. He was more of a boxing type of guy anyway. You were both silent for a while, then you shook your head, "What if I crack...What if I am just a coward..." "No you ain't. You're just a kid goddamnit." He looked at you, and you saw something in his eyes you never saw in those of your father: Worry. "When you go tomorrow, you promise me you gon' stay safe." He handed something over to you. It was his knife. He wrapped your fingers around the knife's handle, "You gon' stay safe..." "They won't kill me, Aldo. I know too much." That was what Aldo was worried about... But he smiled softly, and started heading to the door. "Get some sleep, kid."

"Goodnight!" He smiled again, "Goodnight, kid..." You didn't sleep. You looked at the ceiling, wondering what would happen... Before you knew it, it was morning. The basterds and double agents were hiding around as the exchange was made. Resistance fighters posing as nazis handed you over to real nazis, one of which you recognized as Dieter Hellstrom. He gripped you by the back of your shirt, and muttered "Du warst zum letzten Mal ein Schmerz im Arsch, Y/n." "You've been a pain in my ass for the last time Y/n." You looked at the car window, and saw a face that could have been your reflection looking back. "Emmeline..." Your voice almost broke in tears and laughter of joy, but she did not reciprocate. She shook her head softly. Her cheeks were stained with tears. Dieter swung the door open. You felt the cool press of his luger behind your neck as her shoved you into the car, "Keine Spiele." "No games." Before Dieter climbed in, Emmeline whispered in desparation and guilt, "Du hättest nicht zurückkommen sollen. Du warst frei..." "You shouldn't have come back. You were free." ***ONE YEAR LATER***

That car drive was the last time you saw Emmeline for a year. She was locked again in the empty old house surrounded by cold loneliness, deprived of ink, and any lose pieces of paper.

Her ideas and her words were too dangerous to find their way to the allies. You were sent away to a laboratory in Munich, where you did your best to set them back, though you did not have any reliable contacts to pass all the information on to. One year passed, and you were brought back to France. You were put in an empty room, with two evening gowns you could only have imagined seeing on the likes of someone like Bridget von Hammersmarck. There was a box of jewelry that belong to the mother you never knew. And there was Emmeline. You threw your arms around each other, sobbing, and trying to find words to even begin, but a guard beat his gun against the door, and barked orders for you to be silent and get dressed. Your father had appearances to keep up. What for, you wouldn't know until you arrived at a small cinema named Le Gamaar. You understood now, recognizing all the biggest faces in the high command. Of course they'd be expecting to see Hans Landa's brilliant daughters: The ever profound writer Emmeline, and the mathematical prodigy Y/n. An unstoppable duo... Your father knew that, so the moment you arrived at the cinema, he made sure you were separated. The more seconds passed, and the more nazis you recognized, the more hope you lost. With every moment that passed, the end of the war seemed further and further away. The outcome appeared bleaker and bleaker with every poster of Stolz der Nation that you saw. It was then that you spotted something that made your heart beat again. Sergeant Donny Donowitz and Private Omar Ulmer were heading into the theater. You quickly looked around, and saw Lieutenant Aldo Raine in a flashy white suit. You couldn't help but grin, knowing he was definitely up to something... And... Apparently so was Frau von Hammersmarck? You were shocked, but...then who wouldn't be? Still, you knew there had to be a bigger meaning behind it all, and bounded down the steps. Suddenly you saw your father speaking to Aldo, and pulling Bridget von Hammersmarck away. Your heart stopped...you knew the look in your father's cold, cruel eyes. It was the same look when he solved any case he was given, or when he learned the truth about you or your sister. It was that look: Impressed that you'd made it so far, and somehow, so accusive. He knew everything. He'd known all along. The moment he disappeared with Frau von Hammersmarck, you rushed to Aldo as quickly as you could without kicking up any unecessary attention. You spoke in a long thread of words, wihtout taking a breath, trying to explain it all at once. Aldo raised his eyebrow, trying to keep it all underwraps, "Hey, hey it's alright kid. It's all gonna be alright." "You don't understand! Y-" He was afraid if anyone heard either of you spoeaking in English, the plan would be ruined. "Come on," He led you outside, to an alley, where Smitty and Hirschberg were hiding out. "I need you to go, Y/n. Take your sister, and go. Run away." Smitty shook his head, "They won't get far, Aldo. Someone's going to notice." "I'm not letting Y/n and Emmeline stay in there. They deserve a chance to get away." "Even if they ran away, and a nazi saw them, he'd bring them back here to their dad." Hirschberg spoke up, "I'll go with them." Aldo looked at Hirschberg, his youngest soldier, and a damn good basterd. So much so, he not only lied about his age to join the military, but he was so good at it, he even convinced the OSS years ago, If any of the basterds could keep you safe, it was Hirschberg. Aldo looked at you, and knew you and Emmeline deserved a chance. "I'm goin' back inside before Landa realizes I'm gone. Utivich, stick to the plan, and cover for Hirschberg. Son, you and Y/n find Emmeline, and get the hell outta here, you understand?" Hirschberg saluted Aldo, understanding the implications of Operation Kino, and knowing it may be the last time he saw any of the basterds, "Yes, sir." He and Utivich hugged, after being the closest thing to brothers they had, and went their ways. You looked at Aldo, and spoke softly, "Thank you, Aldo." He chuckled, and told you what he told you a year ago, "You promise me you gon' stay safe." Last time, you had leverage, and could not be killed. Now, there was a kill on sight order if you were spotted anywhere but in Le Gamaar. You lied to Aldo, to keep him assured, "They won't kill me, Aldo. I know too much." He smiled softly, and looked at the sky. For a moment, he wasn't in France, he was back in Maynardville, Tennessee, looking back up at that same sky with his wife, Maggie. Aldo would've killed to have a daughter like you and Emmeline, and spend his life with that kid and his wife back in Tennessee, but life was cruel and absurd that way... He shook his head, and for a moment, you could have sworn you saw a glimmer in his eyes, like that of a tear as he said, "Goodnight, kid." You all went you ways, and you snuck Hirschberg into the theater. As the two of you glided through the crowds that were heading into the theater, he slipped his hand into yours. You glanced back, and saw that a guard was looking at you. You smiled at the guard, and he smiled back, and quickly looked away. Hirschberg smirked at you, and the two of you rushed up the stairs. He blushed as he quickly tried to explain himself, "....It's more convincing this way." You smiled, "I suppose so..." You looked at each other for a moment, smiling as if you'd just fooled the world. Just then you spotted your father leaving a room that was off to the side. "There!" As soon as the coast was clear, you and Hirschberg hurried to the room. You froze for a moment, seeing Bridget von Hammersmarck laying dead, in the middle of the floor. What's more, there was a nazi, aiming a gun at Emmeline. Emmeline was looking right at him, not even fazed. Just waiting. Landa wouldn't even do his own dirty work. You knew he wouldn't. But you wouldn't let anyone else hurt her. You disarmed the nazi, and shot him dead on the spot before Hirschberg could even get a step in. "Who taught you that?" You smirked, "A lady never tells." Emmeline looked up at you, as you pulled her out of the room. She smiled, "Better late than never, is that what people say?" Hirschberg glanced at you, though you didn't notice, as he smiled and nodded, "Yeah, better late than never..." ***Meanwhile*** Hans landa was sitting across from Aldo and Utivich "Well, let's just say she got what she deserved. And when you purchase friends like Bridget von Hammersmarck...you get what you pay for." "What'd you to to 'em kids, huh?" Aldo was glaring at Landa. He cackled, "Kids these days..." He held up a framed photograph that was on the edge of his desk. He was quite a few years younger in the picture, and standing with a woman, presumably his wife. There were two baby girls about a year old, wearing identical clothes, and bows in their hair, held by their mother. Landa smiled out of cynicism as he showed them the picture, "Just like their mother, those girls." He shook his head with a sigh, "If only they'd taken after me." He looked up with a grin, "It's not so easy to get rid of two of them... Especially when they're so well known." "What do you mean..." Smitty fell into the web of intrigue that Landa was weaving. Landa shrugged, "Well...Marie... My beautiful Marie," He sighed, as if in longing, as his fingertips traced the portrait of the woman. "She was brilliant," His expression changed. He gritted his teeth, and practically spat, "Too brilliant. And too empathetic." He shook his head, "I suppose, that's where Emmeline and Y/n get it from." He cackled again, "It's not so difficult to convince the world that an emotional, sweet, kind-hearted, lovely little thing like my dear Marie would just..." He snapped his fingers harshly, "Under the pressure of two babies, and after some post-partum depression? It wasn't so hard to convince everyone she fell into a pit of psychosis, and delusion as I was away, working long hours for a revolutionary political campaign." Aldo and Utivich could not believe what they were hearing. Hans Landa murdered his own wife because she knew of his early involvement with the nazi party. He sighed in lament, his thumb grazing over the old photograph, "And when she ran away with meine kleinen Lieblinge, my two little girls...She jumped into the Rhine in a delusional episode." He shook his head, and tsked “Tragic, really,” He looked up at the two basterds with a sly, telling smirk, "You drowned her?" Smitty shook his head, spoke quietly in disbelief. Hans smiled in acknowledgment, but went on with the tale that convinced even the most astute at the time of the murder, "She jumped...I couldn't stop her, my Marie." He sighed as he tapped his finger lightly over the two babies in the picture, "Fortunately, I was able to swim out and save meine kleinen Lieblinge..." He sighed, "But they choose not to save their poor papa's heart now." Even with his charade, his hands shook in fury, and he slammed the frame down on the desk. The glass shattered, and he went on, "So you see, Aldo. It is far more difficult to convince the world that two young, brilliant girls like Emmeline and Y/n have simply gone mad, and drowned in the Rhine. All these years, I've had to fabricate plans to keep them in line." He scoffed, "I suppose that's the price of being a single father, isn't it?" He stood up, and shrugged "But I know when I'm beat, lieutenant. And if I come to stand before a tribunal, the first thing they would have been told was that I murdered my daughters. Instant death sentence. Even if I did come to make a deal with your general. Correct?" Aldo didn't know exactly how to play the game, so he just followed along, "I suppose so..." "But! If...per se...Emmeline and Y/n burned with al the other nazis, that's how they will be remembered by the world. As nazis. Killed in the OSS' plot against the nazi regime, without an ounce of guilt in my conscience." Utivich spat, "You're a monster." "Oh please, Private Utivich. We all have appearances to keep." All the while, you, Emmeline, and young private Hirschberg were lurking around outside of the building. "We can get access into the building, just play along." Emmeline pulled you and Hirschberg in through the front doors. "Isn't Y/n like...your dad's number one enemy?" You rolled your eyes, "Oh please, he's had me reduced to a bratty teen with a rebellious streak in order for him to save face." "Sh," Emmeline turned and you were both silent. She greeted a few guards. The guards, like every other nazi stationed in Paris, were ordered to kill you and Emmeline if you were spotted outside of the cinema, but...you both carried yourselves with such confidence, and looked so innocent, the guards wondered if there was a change in orders, and let you on your way. She ordered the guards to clear away, citing a need to speak to her father urgently. The three of you stood outside the door, listening in as Landa and Aldo struck a deal with the brass. You all heard Aldo conclude the deal, "Yes sir..." Then, he, Utivich, and Landa were uncomfortably silent for a moment. Aldo played dumb, "So you're really willing to let the whole high command burn?" "I've made the deal, haven't I, Aldo?" Aldo really couldn't believe it. The will power that man needed to not strangle Landa in that moment was immeasurable. "That includes your own daughters?" Landa shrugged, "Sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Besides, they were always troublemakers." Utivich shook his head, "They're fucking heroes! Emmeline's been writing speeches and documents exposing Hitler, you, and everyone else in that theater! Y/n's been sabotaging scientists and-" "None of that matters, private Utivich." Landa smirked, knowing his plans had all come into place. "The world will know them only as former nazi's daughters, who burned at the premier of Nation's Pride. A writer and a scientist, burning along with the nazi high command. Now, how do you think history books will read that?" You and Emmeline glanced at each other outside the door, and nodded without a word. You both started to head back outside. Hirschberg shook his head, and whispered, "Hey! I'm not a twin, I don't know what you're fucking thinking!" You looked at Emmeline, "To the allied lines?" She nodded with a smirk, "To the allied lines." Hirschberg frowned, and looked between you and Emmeline a few times, "To the allied lines?!" *** Aldo was standing face to face with Hans Landa. Utivich was scalping Herman. "But I do have one question. When you get to your little place on Nantucket Island, I imagine you gon' taken off that handsome-lookin' SS uniform. Aint'cha?" Hans Landa, for once in his life, looked absolutely terrified.

"That's what I thought...Now that I can't abide." Aldo didn't realize Landa wasn't just terrified about what was to happen. "How about you Utivich? Can you abide it?" Utivich didn't look up, "Not one damn bit, sir." "I mean...if I had my way, you'd wear that uniform for the rest of your pecker-suckin' life..." It as then, that Aldo realize Landa wasn't looking at him. He was shaking, and sweating, and looked as though he'd seen a ghost. Two, in fact. Aldo looked back, and jumped a little, though...he was relieved, as he chuckled "Well I'll be damned..." Landa whispered, "Meine kleinen Lieblinge..." "Talk. Now." Emmeline muttered, standing by your side. He tilted his head, in disbelief, and tried to find some words. All he could say was "P-please...." Hirschberg leaned against a tree and chuckled, "You gonna have to try harder than that, colonel." Landa stuttered, "Ich bin dein Vater, nicht wahr?" "I'm your dad, aren't I?" You shook your head, as you raised a gun, "You are not." Landa shook his head in desparation, "No...no! Please!" He looked back at Aldo, begging, "I made a deal. You said so yourself! The OSS wants me alive." Emmeline tugged at your arm, "Y/n...put the gun down." You shook your head. She begged, "You are many things, Y/n...but you will not stoop down to his level. If you kill him, the OSS will go after you. That's what he wants..." You looked to Emmeline, and her face was stained with tears again, like the day she asked why you came back, when you were free. You looked at Landa, the man that could never be a true father. There were other ways to be free. You looked at Emmeline...You couldn't let anyone separate you from her again, even if it meant Landa got to walk away. "You wanted us to burn, and be remembered as something we are not." The gun clicked Emmeline turned to you, whispered a desparate "No!" But you were a step ahead of the game this time. You put the gun away, and stepped toward Aldo. You handed him his knife, which he'd given to you a year before. "But you will be known for what you really are." Landa looked at you, with wide, terrified eyes, "Y/n...liebling, no...don't do this..." Aldo smirked, "Thank you, kid..." He looked back at Landa, "I'm gon' give you a little sum' you can't take off."

You and Emmeline watched as Aldo and Smitty peered over his final, writhing, screaming, blood-stained masterpiece. Somewhere along the line, Hirschberg slipped his hand into yours... Both of you looked at each other, blushed, and turned away. ***ONE YEAR LATER*** The basterds were meeting up at Aldo's cabin, up in the Smoky Mountains. When they went their ways at the end of the war, they promised to meet up at least once a year. Wicki moved around a lot, but he made it. Hugo moved to a quiet, small town in the Pacific Northwest. Donny went back to Boston. The rest of the boys were scattered around the east coast...except for Hirschberg who moved to California for college, and was teasingly called a traitor. It had been a year, and Aldo and Maggie Raine were setting up for the party. Aldo insisted on having a big barbecue, as a call back to Le Gamaar. You and Emmeline helped set up. After the war, after everything you and Emmeline went through, Aldo took you both under his wing. Maggie was smiling, and Aldo asked, "Now what's all this 'bout darlin'?" She smiled, "Y/n is thinkin' of goin' back to school." "Back? Ain't much else they can teach the kid!" Aldo chuckled as he set up the grill, and Maggie shook her head, "No, she wants to be a science teacher." Aldo grinned, "Really?" He sighed, "That ain't so bad. She gon' get to go down to town every day, maybe get to know the people more. It'll be good for her." Maggie nodded, with a soft sigh and a smile. She loved you and Emmeline as if you were her own daughters, just as Aldo did. She worried about you two in the beginning, seeing how much you had gone through just to survive, and worried you wouldn't be able to adjust. But, time was beginning to help. Maggie saw you and Emmeline laughing together in the distance, as you arrived from the butcher shop in the town. "Lord knows they was scared half to death. Them babies deserve every moment of sunshine life has to offer 'em." Aldo nodded with a sigh, "I know darlin'. I know..." Maggie cleared her throat, "Y'know...Emmeline's been goin' down to Mr. Kronberg's malt shop a lot." "Well shit, Maggie. They got some damn good vanilla shakes there, I don't blame her. She likes the jukebox, too." He chuckled, remembering that was the first place he and Maggie showed you and Emmeline. Maggie nodded, "Uh-huh, well...she also likes Mr. Kronberg's boy, David." Aldo sighed, "They grow up so fast, don't they, Maggie?" She sighed, "I suppose they do..." He chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Well, I better take 'em beers in to the ice box." He picked up a case, and started to walk inside, but slipped on a step. You called out, "Dad look out!" You and Emmeline ran over to help him up, while Maggie stood by with a teary smile. Aldo looked up at you and Emmeline. He didn't mind the broken bottles, "You called me dad..." He got up, smiling wider than you'd ever seen before, "You called me dad!" Just then, you heard a car pulling up in the front of the house, and familiar arguing encompassing slamming doors. Donny and Omar were still fighting about baseball. ‘Some things don't change,’ Aldo sighed, and he looked at you and Emmeline, 'But some things do...' That was life. Things changed, before, during, and after the war. Now that it was all over, and he was back up his Smoky Mountains, back with the wife he loved so much, his cabin didn't change much while he was gone. But now, they had you and Emmeline. It was a little louder than it used to be, but life was beautiful again. Aldo smirked, "That Hirschberg I see?" "Where?!" Aldo chuckled,"A-ha! I knew it!" You were clearly flustered, after having denied there was anything between you and Hirschberg for a year. Aldo chuckled, "Well, now, kid...As your dad, now I have to embarass you." "You really don't." He smiled, as he opened the door, "Well...Them’s the rules." and he watched Hirschberg basically run the rest of the basterds down as he raced to the door. Aldo looked back at you, "You gon' tell me to look at that boy's face, and tell me I'm wrong?" Maggie rolled her eyes as she and Aldo wrapped their arms around each other. "Don't you go snoopin' around them kid's lives, now." "I won't, I won't! Not all the time..." You and Emmeline laughed, and you all went outside to meet with the basterds. As you and Hirschberg looked at each other with quiet smiles, and blushes, you knew that didn't change. But when you looked back at Aldo, you smiled, knowing sometimes, change was good. You looked at him, at Maggie, and at Emmeline. You had a home now, and nothing could change that.

#parental!aldo raine #aldo raine #aldo the apache #Inglourious Basterds #inglourious basterds imagine

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thiswasinevitableid · 4 years

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7 with indruck?

7: I’m assigned to write a piece rounding up all the bad press that you, a famous celebrity, have been getting and you show up in my office and demand me to write a retraction and get the ‘real’ story”. I went SFW

“Dude! You can’t go in there! Hey, wait, dude, hold on!”

Jake’s voice jars Indrid from staring miserably at his computer screen. But it does nothing to prepare him for the stack of papers that slams into his desk.

“Where the fuck do you get off man?”

Staring him down is a man with dark hair, mis-matched eyes, a scar down his right cheek, and an extremely pissed-off expression. Indrid recognizes him instantly, both from T.V and his last assignment.

“Mr. Newton?”

“Yeah, that’s me, the guy you been draggin through the goddam mud!”

“I-”

“Where are you even gettin this stuff? Substance abuse, bad break-ups, the split between me and my team, who the fuck told you that bullshit?”

“I am not going to reveal my sources.”

“Oh now you get some fuckin ethics?”

“I was just reporting what people told me. I was assigned to round up the press around you now that you’re relaunching your show, and this is what I got. I’m sorry if that upsets you.”

“Upsets me?” Mr. Newton plants his hands on the desk, leaning into Indrid’s space, “buddy, I ain’t even on the same planet as upset right now. I’m actually feelin pretty damn calm, because I know who the fuck is to blame.”

“It’s not my fault” Inrid snaps back, “I got assigned it at random, so if you have issues kindly take them up with Woodbridge.”

“Sir, if you insist on raising a fuss in my office-”

“This him?” Mr. Newton points to Woodbridge as the editor appears from his office.

“Yes.” Indrid glares at Woodbridge through his glasses; he told him these kind of stories would lead to trouble, and it wasn’t even his usual beat.

He braces for Mr. Newton continuing to escalate, but instead the stocky man takes a deep breath , holding his hands up apologetically.

“Look, I’m real sorry, shouldn’t have come in guns blazin like that, and I know you fellas gotta make a livin same as anyone but this kind of stuff-” he whacks the papers into Indrid’s lap, “y’all gotta remember there’s a human on the other end of it.”

“That’s a very fair point, Mr. Newton-” Woodbridge gestures towards the door.

“A human with a damn good lawyer.”

“Mr.Newton, free speech”

“Protects you from the government, not from the Duck. I don’t mind the break-up nonsense, that happened plenty during the first show. Leo, Minerva, and I have been through every relationship configuration known to man, accordin to papers like yours. But the shit about me drinkin? That could damage my career. So could the reasons your ‘sources’ gave for why the show ended. You tellin me you’d hire a fella who apparently yelled at his co-hosts day in and day out and ‘couldn't hack’ bein’ outdoors?” This last question he directs at Indrid, who shakes his head.

“Mr. Newton, retracting the story would look very bad for us. However, we’d be more than willing to publish your side of the story.”

“Close, but my word ain’t enough to counter those claims about me bein’ incompetent. I’m goin’ on a month and a half tour to location scout and shoot the first two episodes. I want one of your writers to come with. Specifically, I want him.” He points to Indrid.

“Wait, why me? I’m not a travel writer, and I have a photography assignment due next week.”

“Because you’re the one who caused this mess, slim.”

Indrid starts to protest when Woodbridge turns to with a smirk.

“Start transferring your assignments, Indrid; you’re going on a roadtrip.”

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

Indrid grumbles to himself as he waits on the curb with his bag. Duck, as Mr. Newton has said to call him, told him to pack only one bag, and to bring his camera (“saw your shots when I was researchin you; you might like shootin out on the road”).

A motorcycle pulls up to the curb as he checks the time on this phone. He doesn’t give the vehicle a second look until the rider speaks to him.

“Glad you’re on time.” The helmet comes off, revealing Duck looking much calmer than the last time he saw him, “let’s get your gear on the bike and get goin’.”

Indrid stares at him in disbelief, “were you at any point going to warm me that I’d be doing this whole trip on a death machine?”

“Didn’t think I had to. Figured you knew this was how I traveled now, given all your, uh, thorough research.” Duck fixes him with a shit-eating grin as he straps his bag onto the bike, then hands him a helmet.

Indrid groans, jams the helmet on and awkwardly climbs onto the back of the bike.

“Gonna have to hang onto me, slim.” Duck’s voice crackles through his helmet, “don’t worry, I ain’t gonna bite you, even if I still kinda feel like it.”

“How encouraging.” He loops his arms around the T.V star, winces as the bike pulls out into traffic. There’s a laugh as he tightens his grip in fear, Duck’s body suddenly the only safe thing in the world.

They zoom onto the freeway, and promptly come to a dead stop in traffic.

“Truly invigorating.” Indrid mutters.

“Ain’t gonna be much fun until we’re outta the city. And I ain’t about to go zippin’ between lanes to cut ahead; great way to get us both killed.”

As they inch along, Indrid starting to sweat from the heat of the pavement, Duck asks, “did you ever watch the show?”

“Is there anyone who didn’t? Wild World was on every day. I’m fairly certain it’s still all Animal Planet plays some days.”

“Yeah but, uh, did you actually watch it on purpose?”

“I did, now and then. I found Minerva’s tendency to try more extreme forms of exploration stressful, but I generally enjoyed what I saw. I’m not surprised you’re the one who picked the show back up; you were always oddly compelling on camera, and it was clear it was a passion project for you.”

“Yeah, it really was. Is. Feels weird to be doin’ it without them. Can’t blame ‘em for havin’ their own lives and goals though. Leo was ready to retire after the Gila Monster incident, and Minerva’s wanted to run an adventure bootcamp for years.”

“You know, if you hurry and explain everything in the next ten minutes, you can just pull off there and drop me at the edge of town.”

A chuckle, “Nice try, Indrid. You ain’t gettin outta roughin’ it that easy.”

“It was worth a try. Alaska was the last episode run, right?”

Duck’s posture shifts so subtly that, were he not holding him, Indrid wouldn’t have noticed it.

“Yeah. Yeah it was. Nothin’ like gettin attacked by a wolf and takin a bunch of rabies shots to the gut to put you off filmin’.”

“It really was a wolf? Everything I read said-”

“I’d misidentified what attacked us? Yeah, I know. American wolves never really go after humans, that’s why we were so fuckin’ screwed when this one did. Poor fella. He was sick. We coulda proved what happened except I told Leo to destroy the footage and we had a knock down, drag out fight over it until he did.”

“Why on earth would you do that?”

“Because I didn’t want my pain, Minerva’s pain, and the wolf’s pain to become some goddamn viral sensation!” Duck snaps.

Indrid decides to drop it, feels Duck sag in the drivers seat. In spite of dragging him out into the wilderness, Indrid doesn’t bear Duck any bad feeling. And he doesn’t like seeing him sad.

“I, ah, I always liked the episodes where you showcased moths and butterflies. Moths are my favorite creatures, they’re so varied but so overlooked.”

Nothing but the traffic around them, then, “I once saw a Luna Moth bigger’n my hand. Didn’t get it on camera but damn was it a stunner.”

“Where did you see it?”

“Now there’s a story…”

By the time Duck finishes the cars are finally moving, and Duck changes them into the lane leading towards the exit for a single lane, county highway.

“Fuckin’ finally. Alright Indrid, hold tight.”

What follows is simultaneously the most thrilling and most terrifying four hours of Indrid’s life as Duck speeds down the road, win whipping around them and the world going by in a blur that’s much more alarming when not behind metal and glass. They find a rest stop, where Indrid shotguns an entire bag of skittles under Duck’s amused gaze, and get back on the road for an only slightly less terrifying four hours more.

They stop for the night at a KOA (“you’re lucky, slim, I got us a cabin to ease you into things”). Whereupon Indrid is treated to the sight of Duck stripping off his road gear, back muscular and sporting several scars.

“How are you likin’ life on the road?” Duck asks, not turning but starting to undo his pants. Indrid doesn’t look away until he’s down to his boxers.

“You know, it’s growing on me.”

They make their first shooting destination the next afternoon, setting up camp in a mostly-empty campground before hiking off into the woods. Duck shoots B-roll while Indrid photographs, the pair working in near total silence before meeting up with their contact near a jumble of boulders.

“Nice to see you again, Thacker.” Duck shakes the man’s hand, and gets a pat on the back.

“Good to you too, sport. Who’s the new fella?”

“My biographer.” Duck deadpans.

Duck spends the rest of the day filming as Thacker helps him find nest and burrows and creatures to shoot and narrate over. In spite of the show being done on a single camera, Duck is compelling as always when he talks about the natural world.

Indrid just wishes he’d sprung for better hiking boots.

“Ooof.” He mutters, face down on his sleeping bag.

“Not surprised, we did about ten miles all told today.”

“I repeat. Oof.”

A kind, sympathetic laugh, “C’mon, you’ll feel better after some dinner.”

Later that night, as he’s climbing into his sleeping bag, Duck pokes his head into the tent.

“Psst, Indrid, come look.”

Indrid follows him out, kneels by a clump of flowers when he waves him down.

“See, look, riiight there” Duck points, “it’s a Hummingbird Moth.”

Indrid gasps, delighted, and watches the pollinator flit from blossom to blossom. Duck sits beside him, answering his questions when he asks them, until it’s too dark for either of them to see.

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

Duck never thought he’d have a travel companion again. Not after Alaska, not after the attack and what came in the nights to follow.

He certainly never assumed the wiry, silvery haired writer who’d nearl fucked everything up would turn out to be that person. But Indrid, for all his initial skepticism, has become an excellent partner. He’s easy going, eccentric enough that Duck’s own quirks don’t phase him, quiet;y awkward, and a damn good photographer. The fact his alienly handsome face has become a bit windburnt and his pale hair a little longer only adds to his charm.

Christ, Duck wants to rip those red glasses off and kiss him until he’s breathless.

Currently, he’s missing the feeling of long arms around his waist, as he left Indrid back with a family whose jeep had run out of gas. They’re in one of the long, monotonous stretches of desert highway where passersby are few and cell phone service is unreliable, so Duck volunteered to ride ahead to the next gas station and bring some back. As the Jeep comes into view, he sees the family waving. Indrid is leaning against the car, smiling as if Duck is the greatest thing he’s ever seen.

That settles it; when they make Santa Fe, he’s calling The Weekly Rounds and asking Woodbridge to extend Indrid’s assignment. And if the old man refuses, well, Animal Planet is thrilled to have him back, and made it clear they’d be happy to pay for an additional camera man.

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

This time they’re the only ones in the campground, and Indrid suspects it might technically be closed. Indrid could do this forever. He wants to stay like this, with Duck, day in and day out, have their evenings be like this. Duck makes a fire, keeping it small to be safe, and the evening progresses like normal, the two of them swapping stories and munching on the dinner they whipped up from leftovers from the last gas station. Then the moon rises, two days from full, and Duck doubles over with a groan.

“Fuck, fuckfuckfuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Indrid moves to help him, but Duck raises his hand to stop him.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry, ‘Drid, fuck, I thought I had another day, thought we could make it somewhere I could keep you safe.”

“Safe from what? Duck, please, you’re hurt, I can call for help, just hold on.”

“No” Duck snarls, still hunched over, “you ain’t callin anyone. What you’re gonna do is run, far and as fast as you can, away from me. Find a tree, find a cave, flag down a car if you can find one. Go, please, fuck.” He falls off the stump he’s sitting on, and in spite of his instructions Indrid tries to help him up.

“Go!” It’s a growl now, and when Duck looks up at him his face is changing shape. Duck drags himself away from the fire, into the shadows, and Indrid turns, starting to run. There’s howl of pain and he stops. He can’t leave Duck like this. He won’t.

Resolute, he turns back to the camp and immediately regrets his decisions. Whatever is in the shadows isn’t human, not anymore. It’s growling low and labored, as it rises onto two feet and howls.

“Oh fuck me.” Indrid doesn’t dare turn his back, tries to slowly creep away and trips on a stray piece of firewood. The monster lowers to all fours, padding into the firelight across from him. It’s fur is dark and shaggy, it’s hands sport claws and when it opens it’s mouth to grin at him it’s teeth glitter like rows of knives.

He has to keep the fire between him and it, even if he has to spend his night running in some Scooby-Doo style circle around the fire pit. It’s his only chance.

In one, large leap, the werewolf clears the fire and lands in front of him, front paws bracketing his body when he tries to crawl back.

“Told you to run, slim.”

“I, I can’t.”

“Didn’t think you were stubborn to the point of dyin’.”

“Y-you told me not to run from predators, and I c-cannot drive the bike. And, and I didn’t, I couldn’t leave you.”

“Ain’t that sweet.” Duck grins again, “but why do you think I told Leo and Minerva I wasn’t safe to be around no more? Because a werewolf don’t know friend from foe.”

“That’s, that’s a lie. Y-you clearly know me, you know your past, you’re not some mindless killer ahgod.” He whimpers as a muzzle finds the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply before sending hot, hungry breath across his skin.

“Mmmmm, you smell good, sugar.”

“You’re not going to eat me.” Indrid says, eyes shut.

“You seem real sure about that.” Another snuffle, tongue dragging along his throat.

“You’re not because you are still Duck, just very large and covered with fur and with a mouth full of unnecessarily sharp teeth, and even though you seem convinced you’ve become bloodthirsty you are still you.” It comes out in a rush and he holds his breath as a clawed hand cups the back of his head. Duck tugs his head back, nosing along his exposed neck. He stares at the stares, praying they’re not the last thing he sees.

“I could rip your goddamn throat out.” Duck says matter-of-factly.

“Do you want to?” He whispers, hands coming up instinctively to protect his vital organs.

A long growl, and then Duck’s face blots out the night sky, “No. I don’t.”

“Ohthankgoodness.”

Duck rumbles out a laugh, “that’s puttin it mildly, slim. No one ever stuck around long enough to see what I’d do because I always hid myself or they had the goddamn good sense to run when I said too. Always assumed as soon as I was all the way changed, I’d wanna hurt people, even if they were people I loved.” He plucks Indrid’s glasses off, setting them carefully on the picnic table before using the pad of his thumb to wipe away a tear he hadn’t realized was there.

“What do you want to do instead?”

“In general, or to you?”

“Both?” Indrid is puzzled by his phrasing.

“Kinda amped up, like I wanna go for a run. Transformin’ basically releases a shit ton of adrenaline so your body just doesn’t collapse from the pain. But as far as you’re concerned…” the muzzle his back, snuffling at his face and chest, “dunno, mostly just wanna keep you close. Protect you. Some part of the wolf-brain is kinda just screamin ‘mine’ over and over again.”

“Oh. Ah. That’s, that’s good.” It’s also painfully arousing, but he’s not quite ready to admit that aloud yet.

“Probably helps that you’re wearing my shirt, since it means my scent is all over you already.”

“You let me borrow it AHHEY, gahthattickles” Indrid cackles as licks and nuzzles his face.

“Aww, didn’t know you were ticklish, sugar.” Duck grabs him, begins mercilessly rubbing his face on any exposed skin he can find.

“I’m not you are just very AHhehe hairy!” In retaliation Indrid reaches between them and scritches his fingers against Ducks chest and belly.

ThwupThwup

They both look at Duck’s tail with surprise. Indrid rubs his belly again.

ThwupThwup

“Didn’t know it did that. I mean, guess makes sense on account of bein’ kinda canine, but I guess I ain’t ever been really happy when I been like this before.”

“Should I keep doing that?”

“Fuck yeah. Hold on, here.” Duck adjusts so he’s on his back with Indrid more or less on top of him. Indrid resumes petting him, Duck making little happy whines as he does.

“Damn, that feels good sugar, ooh right.”

“Why do you keep calling me that? It’s a pet name.”

“I, uh, fuck, um, fuck, I didn’t, meant to say, uh, fuck.” A deep breath as Indrid sits up to meet his eyes, “I’m real fuckin into you, ‘Drid. I, I didn’t wanna say nothin until we were somewhere you could bail out easily if you needed to. But I ain’t felt this way about anyone in years.”

“Is that wolf-you talking or you-you talking?” Indrid asks, toying with a patch of fur.

“Both. I wanna be with you, and wanna keep travelin with you as my partner, as my, uh, my boyfriend. As my mate. Okay, that last bit was definitely the wolf talking.”

“I...I would like that as well, Duck. I didn’t know how to say it, I was afraid that what happened with your friends meant you didn’t want to be close to anyone. Including me.”

Duck sighs, “I wish I’d known then what we figured out tonight. Maybe things woulda ended a little better between us three. I just, I couldn’t face the idea of bein’ out on a shoot with ‘em and havin this exact thing happen.”

“I must admit, the lack of a full moon is rather confusing.”

“It ain’t just the full moon. It’s a few days after and before too, and I thought I had one more before it hit. Plan was to sneak out of the hotel in Santa Fe and hole myself up in a cave somewhere.”

Indrid strokes his cheek, the fur a little coarser there, “That was what attacked you three, I take it.”

“Uh huh. We were trackin it, thinkin’ it was some kind of huge predator we might be able to film. It jumped Minerva first, but she’s a tough one, managed to hold her own and only got scratched up. I pulled it off her and it bit me. I, uh, I shot it point blank while it was doin’ that. Turned into a man as it fell in the dirt. Leo and Minerva said I did what I had to but I...well, let’s just say I still see that fellas face a lot in my dreams.”

“No wonder you wanted the footage destroyed.” Indrid murmurs.

Duck nods, waves one hand in front of his face, “damn skeeters, c’mon, let’s get in the tent.”

The tent is a tight fit, but Indrid couldn’t be happier. He crawls onto Duck’s chest, nestling against his fur with a sigh.

“Now if you have bad dreams when you’re like this, you have someone to to hold.”

Duck kisses the top of his head, “Thanks, sugar.”

Indrid falls asleep atop a giant wolfman, and wakes up to the morning sun and much smaller, human man sprawled beneath him, who he wakes with a flurry of kisses.

They make Santa Fe by noon, riding in feeling freer then either of them has in a long time. When they ride out the next morning, Indrid has a new job and Duck has a new cameraman. But all either can think about at the moment is his new boyfriend, and the future spreading out ahead of them beneath the rising sun.

#Indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #celebrity au #werewolf AU #meet ugly #prompt fills

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funtimebunnyblog · 4 years

Text

Diamante d’Italia: Chapter 6

(Chapter 6: Fools fly where Angels fear to tread...)

Narancia rather liked solo missions.

Sure, a mission with Mista or with Fugo was always a wild time too, most espescially when they got to kick the shit out of someone, then laugh about it, before blasting the shit out of them if the target didn't cooperate.

Those missions were ALWAYS chaotic, VERY explosive, PACKED with action and punctuated by the voices of six shrieking bullets but most of all, they were the most memorable.

Missions with Bucciarati could be a treat, a little on the more rare side however as the man almost always paired himself with Abbacchio when not flying solo (he and the others swore those two were a thing but lacked any evidence to prove that just yet).

Just watching how many times the man could unzip someone to pieces and make unusual objects spill out of their mouth before they finally cracked was just always funny to Narancia. Not to mention, listening to Bruno talk and stir up a plan so easily on the spot was something akin to dazzling in the boys eyes.

It always made him feel like he was invincible and he could feel himself glowing from the inside out when the man praised him for doing a good job, Bucciarati was his hero afterall.

Sometimes he'd even get treated to some gelato afterwards.

Missions with Abbacchio could be fun, being also on the rare side and only sometimes chaotic. Watching Abba beat the absolute shit out of a dirtbag (whether it was their actual target or just some chump who made the mistake of telling the Mafioso that makeup was for Women) was always entertaining, but the mission itself really depended on the Goths mood and their target.

His favorite memories with the stone-faced man however would be when they drove down the highway, blasting some sort of loud and unholy music from a strange screaming punk-rock band Abbacchio liked while sipping on fizzy sodas, whether to or from said mission.

Yes, going on missions with his friends were fun and all.... but he absolutely loved going solo once in a while.

Aerosmith circled overhead, high above the buildings of the street and trailing behind Narancia like a tamed hawk would with its master. Narancia walked the streets casually, keeping his eyes out as he compared the man in the picture he had been given to the other bystanders on the street around him making their morning commute.

Today would be simple enough; find the asshole, get the info out of him where a recent traitor to the Boss was and if he refused to cooperate, use "gentle persuasion".

He hoped it wouldn't come to that of course, he didn't quite like to torture-... er.... "persuade" people himself and hopefully the idiot would be smart enough to know that if he fought and perhaps even got away he'd be hunted down by someone else much, much more powerful than Narancia or even Bucciarati for that matter and be given a more unmerciful and much crueler demise than just being shot by a small bombing plane.

There was an entire organization above their little team afterall. A big, BIG organization of thieves, thugs, hitmen, dealers and Mafiosi alike all working under one Man.

Narancia was quite literally just a snowflake resting on the very tip of an iceberg.

Still, being out on his own was always exciting. It always made him feel important when Bucciarati trusted him with these things.

He could go about things how he wanted it, put his own mind to the test and then proudly brag about his skills when reporting back.

Bucciarati always treated him very well after a successful solo mission of course.

He could hardly contain his excitement when he finally spotted the bastardo ducking into an alley off the street ahead, he couldn't have chose a better place to go in behind because it was right behind the spindly teens favorite Gelato spot.

The stronzo matched the picture alright; olive skin (check), strange yellowish hair thats texture sort of reminded him of rice (double check), scar on the cheek (checkaroo), wonky looking left eye (checkity-checkcheck).

"Bingo." He grinned, casually stuffing his hands in his pockets, tucking away the picture along with one, as he shuffled down the street. That intel was already as good as his.

The only thing he had to worry about now was what flavor Gelato he was in the mood for when this was all over.

☆☆☆

Once in his life Josuke believed that there was absolutely nothing better in this world than treating yourself to some Icecream on a warm sunny day.

Now however, he knew better.

Because if there was anything better than that, it was treating yourself to some Gelato on a warm sunny day in Italy.

Christ, he never knew how rich and smooth this frozen dairy treat could be.

All this time, he and Okuyasu had been scammed into being sold the now seemingly regular-old-not-at-all-exciting Icecream when he could've been tasting this absolute delicacy all along?!

He felt like he had been robbed, cheated even, dare he say betrayed, his whole life and didn't realize it until now!

The place he had stopped at wasn't quite like the shop he frequented back in Morioh before school on Monday either, not a cheep little stand on the sidewalk where you grabbed your cone and had no choice but to keep walking for fear of the guy running the place shoving you along with a broom for "loitering", this place was a store in itself and right out in the open too!

A sea of flavors and colours coating the entire counter, all scrumptious frozen dairy treats that absolutely dazzled the eye.

It was like finding an Oasis out in the scorching desert to someone who was dying for something sweet and cold on such a hot day like today.

They even had an area out front of the counter to sit and enjoy everything. The tasty treat, the sights and sounds and smells of the streets and all.

Italy just kept getting better and better by the second.

'Why on earth would someone ever leave here? Or even want to leave here?' The teenager couldn't help but wonder as he finished the last delectable lick of his Vanilla Gelato.

Tonio was always very vague on the topic of his move from Naples to Morioh and usually didn't say more than a simple "I wanted to fulfill my dream!" Or "I needed to see the world!" Before quickly changing the subject to his food and the art of his cooking.

None of them ever pressed the man for the details but now that he was experiencing this place and all its wonders himself, Josuke found himself wishing that he did know why Tonio left.

Maybe one day he'd be lucky enough, or perhaps close enough to the man at least, to find out....

A low hum rang in his ears, coming from right overhead.

His metaphorical thought-bubble was promptly popped with the sharpness of the noise and his attention was ripped away from his reminiscing of Home.

It sort of sounded like-

"A plane?" He muttered to himself, bringing a hand over his eyes and squinting to block out the bright golden sunshine of the late morning.

A tiny little red spot circled overhead, for something so small it puttered really loudly. No one else around seemed to notice it however.

It flew closer into his sights, it was a plane alright with wings a propeller and everything.

It swerved through the air, rolling over once as it sharply turned and disappeared behind the building suddenly with an almost obnoxious whirr.

Was it a toy? He had seen some pretty sweet remote control toy cars and helicopters much like that plane before when passing toy shops or flicking through store magazines that came with the loads of junkmail every week.

He glanced around, hoping to spot the kid who might be holding the remote control (he wouldn't admit aloud that he wanted a turn with it if you perhaps asked him).

'Not a toy.' Came a voice from the corner of his mind, he could feel the phantom of Crazy Diamond standing by his side, though not manifested. 'That was a stand, I could feel its energy.'

In an instant, Josuke was out of his seat, his eyes growing more and more huge by the second as he remembered Moody Blues and all their glory from yesterday.

Another stand? And a special one at that! Non-Humanoid stands were even cooler than the normal ones. And this one was a PLANE!

He looked around, no obvious signs of a user from what he could see, the streets held a few passerby's but nobody seemed focused on the stand like he was, so presumably the plane was following them into the alley?

"Oh wow!" Josuke whispered in excitement. "I gotta take a closer look!"

He would never forgive himself if he never saw the little plane again without finding the wielder of it. He started off down the street, turning into the alley, keeping his ears open and his eyes on the sky.

☆☆☆

"I'm tellin' ya kiddo, I don't know nothin'!" Osso Bucco, a much taller and more built man in size than Narancia, said putting his hands up with a helpless smile. "I don't even know what you're askin' about."

Narancia rolled his eyes, folding his arms as he glared down the man. They had been going back and forth for a few minutes and this was just getting tiring.

"Yeah sure, you don't dipshit." He snapped. "So I'm gonna help you jog your memory."

Osso was always a man of keeping himself in check, keeping your cool was a sure fire way to getting out of a mess like this.

He knew this spindly little shit was a stand user under that damned Passione but as long as he kept himself calm, he would be walking away without a worry and could get back to helping his new Boss organize some things.

Starting a rival Organization was tough under the threat of the one already in motion but as long as he stuck to the plan, his Boss assured him everything would work out in the end.

Osso liked to follow a stronger side afterall, it was just the way you survived out on these streets.

The beefy man barely even twitched when a deep puttering whirr came just inches about his head, clenching his hands into fists when a little plane hovered at Narancia's side, the teenager already had his radar out over his eye.

"I'm gonna ask you again, cazzone. What. Is. His. Name?" Narancia growled out, giving it his all to seem like a brooding threat (all his time watching Abbacchio being his bitter self really helped with that) as Aerosmiths gun turrets appeared, locking right onto its target.

It seemed like a neat trick, having a working plane at your own whim and all, but Osso knew he had an even better one up his sleeve.

Or rather... set in stone.

The corner of his lip twitched as the unmistakable vibrations of oncoming footsteps passed through the stone beneath his feet, someone was headed this way, a street rando was now at his disposal.

This was going to be easy for him to give the runt a slip. Chances were this little stronzo probably didn't even know shit about Earth Angel, the stand of his own possession.

His Boss ensured the discreet nature of all his workers, most especially their abilities.

"Y'know kid. You shouldn't be playin' with guns." The big man said as casually as he could, keeping his hands raised as he waited with all the patience in the world to feel the footsteps come within his range. "You could end up hurtin' someone."

Narancias brow twitched, he had him now.

Ossos lips curled up, it was time.

☆☆☆

Josuke had barely rounded the corner before suddenly, his foot caught on something.

Or rather... something caught his foot.

The teenager fell forward, right down into the hard stone pavement, skinning his hands in the process as he yelped.

For a split second he thought he had tripped over his own feet in his hurry (he knew he was clumsy afterall), but nothing could prepare him for when he rolled over to see a hand made of stone stretching out of the very ground, fingers wrapped tightly around his ankle.

He tried to scream but it barely came out, turning into more of a loud inarticulate grunt, and frantically tried to pull his leg from the hand in blind panic.

The fingers crackled as they tightened into even more of a vice-like grip, they were hard like any rock but undeniably humanoid and mobile.

The hand pulled and Josuke clawed at the ground in a momentary desperate attempt to fight back.

He realized that the pavement was swallowing him up suddenly, not like he was falling down a hole but akin to being dragged into water, the hand pulling him further and further down.

His final cry was drowned out as he was swallowed whole by the stone, along with the last bit of sunlight he could see.

His hand was the last thing in sight to the world around him before he vanished completely.

☆☆☆

Narancias head snapped in the direction of the sound of someones voice coming down from towards the end of the alley, leading out to the street.

Someone had screamed, almost as if crying out for help but it had cut off suddenly. Narancia blanched at the feeling of a shiver creeping up his spine, the deafening silence that followed was absolutely haunting.

His focus faltered for a moment, alarm bells ringing in his head as he realized someone was in danger.

His focus snapped onto place again as Osso began to laugh. Narancia opened his mouth to yell for his stand to fire at will before jumping back, the command dying in his throat as a figure shot straight up from the ground between them, effectively blocking Osso.

Two figures that was.

Josuke had no absolutely idea what in the Hell was happening once again. One second he was running, next he was on the ground, then he was underground and now he was here?!

He squirmed, the realization his arms were pinned tightly at his sides hitting him as he tried to scream again, only to have a hand made of stone clamp tightly over his mouth.

Narancia gaped, staring in shock at the squirming teenager trapped in the vice-like embrace of a tall Angelic statue.

Earth Angels expression was stoic, somehow bearing that sweet sadness feeling of nostalgia when looking upon a carved memory of an ancient one in the soft, yet chiseling, features of its stone face and body.

The way it moved was almost mesmerizing, so mobile and unstiff as if it were completely human but carried that hard and undeniable look of stone, the sound of rock grating and clicking as it moved.

"Now, ya'wouldn't want to be shootin' a kid now, would ya?" Osso grinned, peering around the neatly tucked concrete wings of his stand to take a look at the helpless Josuke, whose eyes were darting around frantically in wide sockets.

"You BASTARD!" Narancia roared, clenching his fist as his chest started to burn with rage.

He hated this cheep fucking move, it was nothing but cowardness to have to threaten the life of an innocent and unaffiliated person just to make a quick getaway.

It happened only a few times to him on a mission, but only when he had been with one or two of the others, and they barely succeeded each time.

Once there had been a VERY close call, where their target threatened to throw a lady he held hostage off a bridge. Thank goodness for zippers and the portals it opened that day.

But that was then and this was now.

And Narancia was all alone.

The young Mafioso tried to move, ready to pounce on the fucker himself so he could get out of that poor confused teenagers way and get a clear shot at his ugly mug, but stumbled slightly.

His violet eyes went wide as he looked down at his own legs.

They were becoming one with the ground, rooted to the very spot he stood but worst of all, turning to stone.

It was almost up to his knees now, his legs looking very much like he had gotten the great Michelangelo himself to carve him a set of ampute limbs.

He whimpered unconsciously as the stone started to creep higher, he could feel a horrible stiffness in his knees and thighbones already, worse than any arthritis he may ever experience in his later years.

That spindly boy, the weilder of the little plane, was in trouble. Josuke knew this and his heart screamed for him to do something, however Earth Angels grip was powerful and unrelenting.

The soft grating of stone clicked close to his ear as the statue turned its head to look at him with its pupiless half-lidded eyes, their soft carved expression never changing.

If he wasn't being attacked by it, he might've actually been comforted by the ethereal beauty perfectly captured in marble they radiated.

Josuke knew he had to stay calm and focused. Whoever this big guy controlling the statue was, he seemed like bad news.

He now fully knew how that poor lady being held hostage felt that time he and Okuyasu witnessed that convince store being robbed.

The plane started to circle by Narancias command, looking for a place to open fire on Osso.

However, the alley was very narrow and there was no open space for the stand to make a full circle, forcing Aerosmith to have to fly up one end and round back quickly.

Josuke almost screamed again as it came barreling back down the alley, gun turrets ready, before the statue moved (dragging Josuke along with it) to block the man from his exposed side once more.

If Narancia hadn't reacted half a second before he did, Josuke would've been packed full of bullets.

"Nice try, kiddo." Osso grinned. "You don't give up, but you ain't gonna win today."

The teenage Mafioso now started to scream as stone crept up his body more and more, faster by the second. It was up to his hips now and starting at the tips of his fingers as well.

Josuke watched in silent terror of it all, his heart wrenching a little as Narancia actually started to cry.

Josuke wracked his brain, trying to formulate a plan, readying to summon Crazy Diamond at his side. Maybe he could break the statue and then get a good shot at the asshole pulling the strings for torturing this other kid.

Narancia Ghirga was sure he was going to die and he didn't want to die, he really REALLY didn't! There was so much stuff he still wanted to do with Fugo and Mista and Abba and Bucciarati!

A thousand things flooded his head as he stared in utter terror down at his marble legs.

Mista still owed him a soda. He had tutoring with Fugo at 3:00 today. Abbacchio had promised him he'd teach him how to properly do make-up. He was going to show Bucciarati the Sailor Moon series this weekend.

He wished Bruno had paired him up with someone, he really did, because he couldn't do this on his own.

He needed help.

He desperately needed his Family!

And worst of all, this other kid was gonna die too! Narancia bit back a sob as the very thought of it came to mind.

"You're gonna be one hell of a statue kiddo." Osso laughed cruelly, indulging in Narancias loud reactions almost as much as he enjoyed watching him continue to try and shoot him. "Ya got no choice now, if you keep tryin' shit, it'll just go faster. Or worse, the freak with the mop gets it."

Josuke froze solid, the plan he had been trying to scrap up his head suddenly getting wiped clean from the slate.

The world around him seemed to slow and the sounds of the lean teenager crying out in fear deafened as his ears rang.

His heart started to pound, thumping so hard in his chest you could see it rattling his collarbone.

What did he just say?

What did that fucking piece of shit just say?

Josuke was unaware of his teeth grinding painfully in his mouth, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles shined white, his own face burning hot red like a knife that had been thrust into fire.

'He called your hair a mop.' Came the bitter answer, whispered in his head.

The soft grating of stone in his ear as Earth Angel turned its head to stare at him again wasn't heard to Josuke.

Osso had even stopped laughing, tilting his head to listen closely to the low growl the kid was emitting, that animalistic look in his unfocused blue eyes made him raise his eyebrows in question.

What the fuck was wrong with this weirdo?

Narancia had even stopped screaming, the dread he felt now forgotten as he watched with apprehension and interest.

Oh shit... he had definitely seen this before.

This guy was MAJORLY pissed off.

Far, FAR too many times had be been on the receiving end of this look with Fugo before to know what exactly was happening.

There was practically steam coming out of his ears, this stranger was going to blow! The sight of a bright fire emitting off the pompadour sporting teen almost didn't phase him because it fit how fucking pissed he looked.

'He called my hair a fucking mop...' came the only thought and it rang in his head over and over. 'HE CALLED MY HAIR A FUCKING MOP!!!'

Josuke didn't see. He didn't hear. He didn't think.

He didn't even feel it when his own fists tore through stone.

[To be continued ...》

(Like what you're reading? Find the rest on Archive of our own! 🙂)

#Diamante d'Italia #josuke higashitaka

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unikornu · 4 years

Photo

Page 9, The Right Rythm

-Slow down there Boss, we are just halfway through the evening. Gage snapped the beer from Lucy's hand and took a sip himself. They were sitting at the corner table in Cappy's Cafe while the pack was drinking themselves dead after getting the news about taking Safari park. Keith was almost running around them trying to keep up with delivering the drinks to the thirsty savages and not to slip on blood that he still didn't manage to clean after last fool that tried to push on alpha crap against Mason. Meanwhile Lauren was just happy to squeeze more caps and making sure no one is disturbing the business couple, having her shotgun ready under the bar.

- Hey, cmon i deserve a break after dealing with that rampage zoo crocodiles... she rolled her eyes and sighted deeply.

-Gators, Boss...they are gators. Not crocodiles, jezz. Have a bit of respect since they almost tore us apart. Gage shook a finger in her face and passed the bottle back. -And, hey that is actually my beer, get your own booze woman. Gage protested but she turned away and gulped down everything that was left.

-You mean that "was" your beer. Ye...sorry, i forgot my "purse" at home. She hiccupped and smiled with one corner of her lips. He scratched the back of his head and looked away trying to stay serious.

It has been a completely crazy turn around in her life, from being lost and lonely, squeezed between what is right and not, almost giving up on herself. Now she is the leader to the people for which rules exist only to not kill each other and in the name of profit. Nisha was damn right about it at least. The rules..they stopped existing at the moment people started dropping bombs on each other officially.

Lucy kissed goodbye her pre-war memories and moral backbone once again in Far Harbor, the night that Nucleus threw away its last radioactive breath in the air. She wasn't saint back then, before the bombs either, having a loving partner, living good, almost luxurious life while working with one of the most crooked figures in the crime society as personal assistant and agent. Once it was all gone within one explosion she missed mostly the warm and calm feeling, landing up in the bed, feeling safe with someone who she trusts and trusts her back. Now, passing each week in Nuka World it feels again like she has that warm spot again but this time it's better because no lies were included, to anyone, not even herself. Crime life was luring her from the very beginning to its bloody and thirsty claws but she wanted to be smart about it, not getting caught guaranteed that wheels and cogs kept moving forward into the direction they wanted, not the one they are told to pick. And justice was always served blindly and flat, rules were rules and no one cared about flipping the coin to the other side or treating each case in its own light. And she never dared to question her pre-war boss who trainer her and shaped into the sharpest tool he could ever have.

Lucy muttered under her nose being lost in her philosophical thoughts and past, staring at the raiders in the background but she snapped out when the cold wet glass touched her shoulder.

-Lets have another round and then head back, taking another park doesn't mean that the job is done for us eh? She took a beer he handed her opening slightly her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

-You okay, Boss? You seemed very interested into the void you've been staring at the last five minutes while i was trying to get us beer without punching anyone on the way. Raider sat back across the table and raised a bottle to give it a gentle hit with hers before taking a long sip.

-Gage...what made you the person you are now? I would like to hear your part of the past since we seem to be stuck together a while now.

-How i became a foul mouthed one eyed son of a bitch? He pushed his chair closer and crossed his both hands on the table. -Ye...well, fair enough but that will cost us yet another beer.

Lucy managed to scrape few more caps from the pocket and pushed them towards him. - I'm all ears then.

- I grew up in a typical settlement like many out there, being an ordinary kid but i realized fast that my parents were just a couple of pushovers, cowards, same as the rest of dem folks...no one there would stand up for himself and as a kid i couldn't understand why. Was pretty much rebellious from the start, rules were not to my liking too much...so one day i see them kneeling down again because of some stupid fuck with a gun and i just realized i won't end up like them, not like this. Gage poped a cigarette from the pack and light it up while continuing his story on how he was also lost, looking for a place that would make his guts feel right while trying to get by day by day doing various jobs and assisting in caravans.

-They always took what they wanted and were on their way, no talking, no deals, just pure will to do what you want, take what you want to survive. Those were the only rules that made sense and stick to my head back then so when i met a gang again i joined up and worked my way up, all the way here. The only reason i ain't dead yet tho is that i knew how to put a barrier between doing what ya want and losing control. He popped open a lighter and put a fire under a cigarette that Lucy gently placed between her lips.

-What about you, Boss? We all know your famous story of being the living human ice cube but...what was before exactly, that gal like you wants to nest with a bunch of dirty bastards like us even after war, hm? He scanned her smooth face ignoring the scar across her eye as he saw enough of them in his life and smashed the cigarette in the ashtray.

-Well, back then being the one against the rules would put you very fast out of the game, in jail or worse and i didn't want that to happen. Seeing the world out of system and its underground opened my eyes too. I thought that becoming a lawyer i would be de one serving the right justice but i realized my hands were always tied by someone above...the system so i...took the other path and did what i think was right. Secretly turned to a crime part of life, saw all of it. Fell deeper and deeper and became liking it, living it, maybe a bit too much at times. And now this world...? No laws, no jail, everyone with his own life and gun, it just feels...right, for me at least. I don't have to lie anymore to anyone. She puffed a cloud of smoke into Gage's face and finished her beer.

As the time passed half of the raiders were dead drunk lying down all over the cafe. Gage and Lucy decided its a good moment to leave so they stood up from the table and walked over the drunks while heading to the exit.

They strolled back to Fizztop in silence, side by side, she knew her right hand man wasn't much of a talker so he had his well deserved break of silence, all the way to the top. It didn't last any longer tho. She turned on the radio and took her metal chest piece down, throwing it to the side.

- I have a gift for you...but i will want something in return. She kneeled next to bed pulling something round and white from under it, hiding it in her arms as she approached him at the couch.

-What kind of gift it is then that ya want something back for it eh? Gage was sitting on the couch like a true raider, with his arms crossed and legs spread awaiting for the reveal of surprise.

-Well, we are raiders after all huh, nothin ain't free like that? Anyway...i noticed you seem to be fond of certain...creatures while they were trying to eat us alive and i stumbled upon this in the pool in the reptile house. Gage relaxed his arms slowly and stood up with a surprised look in his eyes as she reveled her gift. It was...shiny and round, barely damaged.

-Boss...is it... a goddamnfucking gator egg? I...ayee.. dunno wut to say, shit. Will it actually...you know, pop out at some point? He asked and took it gently with his both hands running the fingers across the smooth shell and then putting it carefully on the pillow at the couch. - It might actually. Would be a decent addition once Mason or you train it properly. She nodded at him, her arms crossed this time, tapping a finger against her upper arm awaiting to hear the magic words that for Gage felt almost like grinding a sand paper against his tongue.

-Fuck...thank you, Boss. I will try not to break it i swear. There it was, finally. He smiled at her but this time it was a truly honest smile, the one that very few had occasion to see.

-Now my part of the deal big guy, dance with me. Gage smile turned fast into a half opened mouthed expression.

-Pardon...wut? Dance? Hell no. He shook his head and watched her snatching two shots of whiskey and coming back right at him.

-Cmoooon, this will help to loose that tension both in your legs and your head, and we are alone. Cmoon Gage, just one dance, i wouldn't trust anyone else with it after all those years... Her words, the trust, felt honest and warm in his ears.

-Shit...fine. But just that one time, Boss. I'm embarrassing myself here. He sighted and took down a shot in one gulp. They threw the empty shots away, the glass shattering into small pieces on the floor. He untied his rusty gold armor and threw it to the side letting it slide away.

-Let me show ya, and no back stabbing okay? Lucy joked and gently took his right hand and placed it on her back while putting her left hand right under back of his shoulder. Then she raised her right hand and ordered him to do the same.

-Stabbing...with this kind of dancing they were almost asking for it.

He tried not to look directly in her amber shiny eyes reflecting the night lights of Grillie's bar but it was proving difficult with so little free space left between them. As she started to guide him slowly after few stiff steps he finally gave in and relaxed. Did he felt embarrassed swinging around like that? Yeah. But deal is a deal and after so much effort and blood and bullets put together into taking the Nuka World he could let himself be embarrassed like that for a few minutes in exchange. Beside both of them could finally admit that they trust each other at this point, a bit at least.

#fallout 4 #fo4 #nuka world #lucy's diary #lucy feit #porter gage #screenshot #thrax's action poses

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waynedunlaptheorgandonor · 5 years

Text

caryl fic; oneshot, hurt/comfort, vague s10 spoilers

title: how you go

rating: teen

word count: ~2k

They stumble inside a rundown building. It’s somewhere between a shed and a barn; a single room, with remnants of hay on the floor and cobwebs in the rafters, but it’s small enough that one good look around is enough to tell Daryl there are no walkers around, at least not in here. Outside is a different story, and already he can hear the scritch-scratching of nails on wood; the tap-tapping of hands on glass. Daryl helps Carol to the ground, and then shoves a dusty, old shelf in front of the door and prays that it holds.

He doesn’t have time to dwell on it—no walkers are breaking in this second, and he has other things to attend to. Like the fact that the love of his life is currently bleeding out on a filthy, hay-covered floor.

Daryl kneels beside her and scoops up some dirt and hay into a pile for her to lay her head on. He turns on his flashlight—the batteries are running low, but he’s lucky he has any at all—and gingerly lifts up her shirt to examine her wound.

“It’s bad,” Carol says. Her voice is strained from the pain, but she’s calm.

“You’ll be alright,” Daryl says, trying to keep a neutral expression even as he’s wracked with fear. She’s right. It’s bad.

“I think I’m dying,” Carol says matter-of-factly.

“Shut up,” Daryl says. “No you aren’t.”

The wound is really bad.

He’s not sure how deep the knife went in.

If she’s got internal bleeding and the others don’t find them soon, she might—

“I’m gonna put pressure on this; try an’ stop the bleedin’. Might hurt a lil’.” Daryl derails his own thought train, focusing instead on slipping off his vest and unbuttoning his shirt.

“Is this really the time to be coming onto me?” Carol asks. Daryl’s hands pause for a split second. He casts her an unamused glare before finishing up on the buttons and sliding his shirt off his shoulders.

“Stop,” he mutters. “Don’t got nothin’ else to use as a bandage.”

She laughs, and usually he’d be delighted to hear that particular sound—it’s been an age since she last teased him like this—but that’s precisely why it worries him. She’s been free-falling ever since the pikes, and he’s worried she’s feeling more playful now because she thinks it’s finally all gonna end. Well there’s no way in hell he’s standing for that. He bunches up his shirt and presses it against her wound. She takes a sharp intake of breath and he cringes.

“Sorry,” he mutters. “Sorry, I know it hurts.”

“Told you there were Whisperers on our side of the border,” she says, and even though she doesn’t sound mad—if anything, she’s teasing him again—he still feels like a gigantic, record-breaking, steaming pile of shit. If he had gotten his head out of his ass he would have seen that she knew what she was talking about. But she hadn’t been sleeping; had been popping pills and referencing conversations they’d never had. He had wanted to believe her—his gut protested every second that he didn't—but the evidence had been stacked up against her. In short, he had doubted her, and now it’ll be his fault if she—

“How are you feelin’? Cold? Dizzy? Anythin’ like that?”

“No, just feeling stabbed so far,” she says. Daryl sighs, and she adds, a little more seriously, “I’m kind of cold.”

Daryl shines the flashlight at her face. She’s pale. He presses the back of his hand against her cheek. Her skin is clammy.

“Keep talkin’ to me, alright? Even if you get tired. Especially if you get tired. I wanna make sure you’re not goin’ into shock.”

“Yes, Dr. Dixon,” she says with a cheeky grin he can’t bring himself to return. God, she sounds so weak .

“They’ll find us,” he tells her. “Michonne and the others. They’ll take care of the walkers outside and we’ll get you home and get you patched up and good as new, alright?”

“Alright,” she says, in the same tone he’d used when he’d told her he believed her about the Whisperers.

“Don’t,” he says.

“Don’t what?”

“Act like you’re already givin’ up.”

“Wound’s deep, Daryl,” she says. The shirt he has pressed against her is already bled through.

“You’ve had worse.”

“Lucky me.”

“You know what I mean. You’ve gotten through worse. This is just another thing.”

“What if I’m tired of getting through things?” she asks. Daryl squints at her.

“The hell’s that s’posed to mean?”

“It means, what if you took your hands off my stomach and just let whatever's gonna happen, happen?”

Daryl presses harder against her abdomen.

“You can fuck right off with that shit,” he says.

“I’m tired, Daryl.”

“Keep talkin’ to me.”

“That’s not the kind of tired I mean.”

He knows. He knows she’s talking about how her body’s been through so much trauma, even pre-apocalypse, that it’s a miracle it’s made it this far, and she’s tired of it still getting beat down even after all of that. She’s talking about how this is another goddamn wound she has to heal, and she doesn’t only mean like the scar on her arm where the glass impaled her a few weeks ago. She means the gaping wounds in her heart from all her dead children; the gashes in her conscience from every life she’s ever taken; the constant ache of forcing herself to survive every goddamn day in a world like this. She’s tired, Daryl knows this, but she’s not allowed to go to sleep. Not yet. He says,

“This ain’t the way you go.”

“Yeah?” she asks, and her voice is losing all its edge with every drop of blood that leaks out of her body and into Daryl’s makeshift bandage. “How do I go then?”

Daryl frowns at where the white of her stomach is stained crimson. She has a whole litany of battle wounds from times where it wasn’t her time to go.

He doesn’t think she’s expecting an answer, and truth be told, it’s not a question he’d usually reply to, but he decides she needs to know that today is not the day.

“It’ll be your heart,” he tells her. “Not an attack or somethin’, it won’t be nothin’ that hurts. There won’t be pain.”

She doesn’t say anything or a moment, and Daryl checks to make sure she’s still conscious. Her eyes are glassy and groggy, but they’re fixed on his.

“Will it be in a fight?” she asks quietly, and Daryl shakes his head.

“Nah. There won’t be no more fights to fight by the time you go. Uh-uh, you’ll be in bed, all warm and comfy and shit. Nice sheets. You know like them rich people ones with the billion thread count or whatever? That’s what you’ll be layin’ on.”

“What about a fluffy pillow? One of those big memory foam ones? Always loved those.”

“Oh, hell yeah, baby,” Daryl says, the term of endearment slipping out before his brain has a chance to catch up with his mouth. If she’s bothered by it she doesn’t show it on her face, but he wonders if it prompts her to ask her next question. She asks,

“Will you be with me?” For a second he wonders if she’s ribbing him again, but her expression is earnest and shy.

“‘Course,” he says softly. “‘Course I will. I’ll be right there. Hell, I’ll even hold your hand. If you want, I mean.”

“What if...will the bed be big enough for you to hold all of me and not just my hand?”

Daryl swallows, even though his mouth is dry.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be next to you, and I’ll hold all’a you, and when you go I’ll still be there. Right ‘til the very end I’ll be there.”

“Will I be afraid?”

“Nah. Neither of us will, ‘cause we’ll know it’s time, you know? We both seen death so much already, it won’t scare us none. Might be a little sad, though. I’ll be sad. Won’t be able to say goodbye easily, warnin’ you now, but I gotta let you go first, ‘cause there ain’t no way you’re goin’ out without someone who loves the hell outta you seein’ you off.”

Carol’s eyes are glistening, and he doesn’t think it’s from the shock. He turns his attention back to her abdomen. It’s still bleeding, but it’s slowing. From outside, the walkers groan, and the old wooden building groans right along with them. It’s an oddly peaceful cadence.

“Daryl?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you go?”

“Always thought it’d be cool to go out in an explosion. You know, action movie style?” He grins at Carol’s laugh and then shrugs. “I dunno. They’ll pro’ly say it’s somethin’ like natural causes or some shit.”

“But it won’t be?”

“Nah. It’ll be more complicated than that.”

“How so?”

He ducks his head.

“Think eventually missin’ someone too much can be fatal. Not right away, and only when you don’t got no one else, you know? When you’re old and grey and seen enough of the world and you’re ready to go see ‘em again, hopin’ beyond hope that you will—that’s when it takes you.”

“Who will you miss so much that you’ll decide it’s your time to go?”

“That’s a stupid question.”

“Answer it anyway.”

Daryl forces himself to raise his head. She’s ashen, with hay in her hair. She’s watching him, uneasy, as if she really isn’t sure what his answer’s gonna be.

Careful to keep the pressure on her wound with one hand, Daryl sits up on his knees and hovers above her. He waits a beat to see if he’s met with any resistance, and when he’s not he leans down and presses his lips to hers. It’s chaste and polite—it’s to prove a point—but even still, his nerve endings spark, sending a shiver down his spine, and he realizes then that he’s been waiting for the better part of a decade for this.

“You,” he whispers, pulling a breath’s distance away. “I’ll miss you.”

Sitting back on his heels, he uses his free hand to brush tears off her cheeks. She leans into his touch, eyes fluttering closed.

“I’ll be there,” she says.

“What, sweetheart?”

“Beside you. When you go, I’ll be there. You won’t see me, but you’ll know. And when you do go, I’ll be waiting, and it’ll be so good to see you again. The best.”

From outside comes the unmistakable sound of a katana slicing into a walker. Muffled voices can be heard through the walls. Daryl smiles at Carol.

“The best,” he repeats in agreement. “But we ain’t there yet. This ain’t how you go. You hear me? It ain’t.”

“I hear you,” she says, like she believes him now. “I’m not going anywhere. Not today.”

Daryl cups her face, just as the barn door swings open. He nods, saying with conviction,

“Damn straight, baby. Not today.”

#caryl #caryl fic #caryl fanfiction #dunlap writes shit

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