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alpacaparkaseok · 3 years

Text

Ivy

➣ Pairing: apprentice!Jungkook x reader, art curator!Hoseok x reader

➣ Premise: You’ve been promised to Jung Hoseok for twelve years. You’ve never wanted anything else. Until now. (inspired by the song “Ivy” by Taylor Swift)

➣ Genre: arranged marriage au, angsty with some fluff, SFW

➣ warnings/tags: it’s a bit angsty, the reader is technically promised to someone else so it’s a little messy, general EmOTioNS, a bit intense/stalkerish but not too bad?? some fun fluff and banter as well, but Hoseok might kill a man and Jungkook will go down fighting

➣ word count: 12.2k *yeah, I know. this sucker is like 3 times longer than it was meant to be*

➣ a/n: this was a commission by @delacyrose224 for Army for AAPI! Thank you so much for requesting this awesome prompt, I literally had too much fun writing this. I swear, I could’ve made a whole series out of this. You guys, check out ways to get involved in this awesome cause by clicking the link!

The person staring back at you in the mirror is not you. Of that, you are certain. There’s no way you could ever pull this off – the silken layers, ivory making your skin glow with a dew-like complexion…

You voice as much. “I don’t even recognize myself.”

“Isn’t that kind of the point?”

Whirling around in a flurry of skirts and soft-to-the-touch fabric, you spot your betrothed lingering in the doorway.

“Hoseok!”

He chuckles, the sound making the corners of your lips tug upward. Taking in the sight before him, you can’t help but notice the way he chews on the inside of his cheek. Hoseok takes one hesitant step forward, crossing his arms.

“You should’ve seen me earlier,” he croons, voice always sounding like he’s a breath away from laughter. “I thought my dad had somehow teleported into the mirror.”

You wince. “Does this mean we’ve grown up?”

“Unfortunately.”

Twelve years of waiting for this. How have they already passed?

“You know,” Hoseok begins, dropping your gaze in favor of stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I haven’t even properly proposed to you, yet.”

“You should probably get on it.”

“Mmm.”

“Aren’t we getting married in April?”

He frowns. “Yeah, mid-April I think. It’s barely November, though. So there’s no pressure, right?”

You almost burst out laughing at his simple question. No pressure? Pressure has been your constant companion these past twelve years.

What else were you supposed to feel? Trying telling a thirteen year old that they’re already promised to somebody and then tell them “Oh, but no pressure.” Of course, they made sure to drop that little piece of pointless comfort after they mentioned who you had been promised to.

Jung Hoseok.

Three years your senior, he had seemed larger-than-life when you first met less than a year after learning of your pre-determined commitment to him. He’d been kind, that was your first thought. A little strange, a little loud at times. For your teenage self, that was fine.

Then things began to change. It was a rare occasion that you ever saw Hoseok; the two of you lived in different cities. However you distinctly remember one occasion in which you had unintentionally bumped into him while in search of your parents at their giant headquarters located in Busan.

It was easy to get lost in that building – you still can picture all the different nooks and crannies where different works of art were stored. The more valuable ones were of course under lock and key, however there were plenty of show rooms that you managed to get lost in.

You had done just that, taking a detour through the preservation room where several workers could be seen on the other side of the glass cleaning a timeless piece that had just been flown in from Austria. Once you realized where you were, you turned to leave. However, something caught your eye that made you hesitate.

There was Hoseok, perched on the edge of a stool as he leaned over the artwork. There was nothing particularly flashy about him that day, something you weren’t used to. In all your time of knowing him (four years at that point), you had never seen him in something other than formal wear. If it wasn’t some sort of suit or dress shirt, it was a sweater vest that he somehow managed to pull off.

This time, he was disguised in a white lab coat, holding a Loup to his eye in an effort to analyze the fine details of the painting. His brown hair was a little mussed, his knee bouncing up and down in the only outward show of excitement he portrayed.

One of the workers began speaking, the details of their conversation muted to your ears due to the glass separating you from them. However, you watched as Hoseok listened with almost terrifying focus before turning back to the painting and delicately taking a brush to the frame. No doubt dusting off some invisible smudge.

You had been frozen for a long moment, completely unfamiliar with this man. The Hoseok you knew was jovial and quick to laughter. He made you smile and roll your eyes. He put you at ease.

This man, with his precise flicks of the wrist and unwavering focus, was a force of nature.

You realized then, at the age of seventeen that while you were promised to this man, you did not know him at all. There was so much more hiding behind that heart-shaped smile.

And now, at twenty-five, you are no closer to knowing him than you were before. You’ve never known anyone else quite so talented at wielding smiles with the same deftness as a sniper hiding on a rooftop.

“No pressure?” You scoff, wiggling an eyebrow at your intended sniper. “That means I can’t gain any weight from here to April! That’s impossible with the holidays coming up!”

Hoseok bursts out laughing, clapping at your comment as though you’ve just completed a stand-up routine. “That’s a good point,” he sighs, making a contented sound. “I’ll have to ask my tailor to let out my suit a bit in the spring.”

You fidget on the pedestal, glancing back at the mirror over your shoulder. Your gown is breathtaking, there’s no denying it. It’s just…overwhelming.

“Well,” Hoseok begins to back out of the room, “You look beautiful. Sorry for snooping around, but I couldn’t resist.”

You straighten up at his comment, preening a bit. Over the years, you’ve come to realize that Hoseok’s compliments are not given lightly.

“Thank you.”

He shrugs. “It’s true.” He turns on his heel and strides out the door, calling over his shoulder, “We’ll fly out first thing in the morning.”

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, from Beethoven’s Opera 58 echoes off the domed ceiling, bouncing through the air and enveloping you in a cocoon of music. Without your realizing, your right foot bounces out the rhythm as you crane your neck to get a better look at your work.

“C’mon, David,” you groan, sparing the renowned sculpture a glare. “You’re not making this easy on me.”

“I wasn’t aware that sculptures got vasectomies.”

You jolt, nearly tipping off of your step stool before two warm hands grasp your shoulders. Sputtering and spewing, you spin around to see just who you need to direct your cursing at.

“Who are you?” You fume as the person in question removes their hands from you and takes a timid step back.

“Jeon Jungkook, m-ma’am.”

“Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

Jungkook’s eyes widen even more, something you didn’t think he was capable of doing. Chowing down on his bottom lip, he gives you a small shake of his head.

“Then tell me who you are to me, not your name.” You inwardly grimace at your snappy tone, but you’ll apologize later.

“Oh, I…uh, I’m the apprentice?” When you don’t immediately get a look of understanding on your face, Jungkook presses on. “Mr. Jung’s apprentice, ma’am.”

Ah, that checks out.

Hoseok’s father would be stepping down as the East-Asia representative on the international board of Art and Artifacts (basically the equivalent of the U.N. in art terms), leaving a spot open for Hoseok to ascend the ranks.

“Why haven’t I met you before? Haven’t you been around for a while?”

In order to complete the apprenticeship, Jungkook would need at least three years of working alongside Hoseok. Learning the ins and outs of being the curator of some of the biggest art collections and galleries in the world.

“Yes ma’am, I have.”

“Ok, Jungkook,” you stand up and stretch, gaining some sort of sick satisfaction from the way he scampers back a bit more to give you space. “Two things. First, I’m not ‘ma’am’. Just speak to me casually, ok?”

There’s a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he nods. “And the second thing?”

Turning point to the David in all his glory, you smirk over your shoulder. “Don’t sneak up on me when I’m working. David here nearly lost his balls because you startled me.”

Cheeks flushed pink, Jungkook sputters out something resembling a “y-yes, I won’t do it again” before dropping his gaze to the floor. Chuckling to yourself, you resume your position before the sculpture, meticulously layering on a protective substance to the David’s nether regions.

You and Hoseok had been called over to Italy in order to make preparations for the upcoming art show. It was to be the first of its kind --- never before had these timeless artworks been on display like this. Royalty, presidents, dignitaries of every kind mixed with world-class celebrities would be present.

As a precaution you were going through and applying a protective but clear substance to more fragile parts of the artworks. Today, the David was the lucky one.

“So, Jungkook,” you hum, completely undeterred by the strange position you were in at the moment. “What brings you over to my side of the museum today? Shouldn’t you be off with Hoseok, planning for the event?”

“Ah, well…Mr. Jung said you might need a hand. I volunteered to assist you with whatever you need.”

You blink. Hoseok had always been completely content to leave you to your work. It was a silent agreement you have: you let him do his thing, and he doesn’t interfere with your stuff.

“Huh.” You smooth out the final touches, leaning back a bit. “Interesting. So what, you’re just hanging out with me for the rest of the day?”

“Yep. For the rest of the week, actually.”

David stares off into the distance, ever stoic. You swear you can see a bit of a confused glint in his eye as the sculpture listens in on your conversation. It’s always just been you and the artwork. So what’s this with Hoseok sending Jungkook over? Is he just trying to be kind and help you out?

Probably. There’s no need to assume anything else. You just think…

Well, despite trusting you, you would think he’d send someone less attractive to help you with your work. Is this some sort of trust exercise he’s pulling on you before he proposes? Or does he just not care enough to think about the possible repercussions of his actions?

“Doesn’t he care at least a little bit?” You think aloud, frowning up at David.

“What was that?”

“Oh,” you swivel around to give Jungkook an apologetic smile. “Nothing. Do me a favor?” Jungkook nods. “Take a look at this for me, see if the extra layer is noticeable at all.”

Getting up to move out of his way, you can’t help the grin that breaks out as Jungkook flushes a bit when he gets up close and personal with the David. Despite his obvious embarrassment though, he meticulously checks ever angle.

“I can’t tell at all,” he finally responds, straightening up. “You’re amazing.”

You blink. “Oh. Er…thanks.”

“So, where to next?”

“We look like those ancient plague doctors,” Jungkook jokes, hanging you a bottle of clear liquid before you can even ask for it. “You know, like with the big beaks and stuff?”

You snort, which in turn fogs up the inside of your suit. Waiting a moment for it to clear up, you glance back at Hoseok’s apprentice.

He has a point. The two of you look slightly ridiculous, in your full body Hazmat suits that are necessary to inspect these ancient papyrus scrolls. They’re falling apart already, no need for you to contaminate them with something as feeble as a sigh. Once you’re finished working on them, they’ll be placed in thick Plexiglas cases which will keep them safe from the outside world.

“We’re missing the beaks, though.”

Jungkook hums, watching you carefully as you smooth out the scroll. “I bet we could roll these up and use them as beaks.”

“Not funny.”

“Worth a shot.”

Rolling your eyes again; something you’ve become prone to doing in the past 24 hours you’ve known Jungkook, you set to work.

It’s only quiet for so long before Jungkook speaks up again. He does so quietly, making good on his promise not to startle you anymore. “No Beethoven today?”

You give a slight shake of your head, hardly daring to blink while applying the syrupy liquid to the bottom corner of the document. The slightest mess up would result in having to scrape it off before it dries, which is something you don’t want to have to try. Not when a single nick to the papyrus equals game over.

Letting out a sigh of relief once you’ve completed that section, you sit back and stretch. “No,” you groan out mid-yawn. “It felt like a Tchaikovsky kind of day. Don’t know why.”

“Hmm.”

“Ok, we need to wait…” you glance at the clock on the wall. “About an hour to let that completely set in before flipping it and working on the other side.”

“Great, let’s grab some lunch.”

You blink, watching Jungkook as he shoots to his feet and heads toward the door. “I was going to suggest we get started on the next exhibit-”

“Food first,” Jungkook chimes, leaving no room for argument as your stomach rumbles at the thought of lunch. “We’re literally in Italy, food always comes first.”

Well, he has a point.

You make a point of locating Hoseok before heading out for food, eventually finding him in a grand corridor surrounded by staff. Wherever Hoseok is, there’s constant motion. People flitting about, running errands and trying to keep everything moving in a timely fashion.

As the two of you became closer work partners over the past few years, it’s become a familiar sight. It helps, finding Hoseok is usually fairly easy. Today proves no different.

“Hoseok!” You wave him down, offering a smile to the surrounding staff that recognize you. The man in question is nudged by his assistant, Joshua.

“Hey!” Hoseok breaks away from the group and jogs over to where you stand beside a column. He nods at Jungkook, smiling warmly. “What’re you two up to? I thought you were working the papyrus today.”

“We have an hour before we can move on to the next thing, so we’re grabbing lunch. Wanna come?”

“Oh,” the look of surprise on his face gives you cause to wonder when the last time you invited him to do something with you was. “That sounds…really nice, actually. Give me a minute?”

Your heart stumbles as it pick up in speed, something you weren’t anticipating. “Yeah, sure. We’ll wait right here.”

“Great, thanks.”

With that, he scurries back over to the throng. Jungkook leans over to you, elbow nudging your arm.

“What?”

“How long do you think they’ll last before calling him?” Jungkook muses, an amused smile on his face.

You can’t help but laugh, knowing full well that it won’t be long. “I’d say…thirty minutes?”

“Really? I’ll give them forty.”

“You’re too generous.”

“Aren’t you being too hard on them?”

Your eyes slide over to Jungkook, arching a brow. “No. So what are we betting?”

Jungkook breathes through his teeth, taking in your determined expression. “Hmmm…money or something else?”

“Not money, that’s too boring.”

“Ok, ok.” Crossing his arms, Jungkook sways from side to side as he thinks. Slowly, his eyes drag across your face, trying to see something that’s beneath the surface. “If you lose, you have to be my date to the gala.”

“W-what?!” You choke on your spit, staring up at Jungkook like he just grew a second head. “I can’t- why would you-”

He tilts his head to one side, clearly enjoying your shock. “Hurry, make your bet. What happens if you win?”

“Jungkook, I’m literally marrying Hoseok in a few months, I can’t just go as someone else’s date!”

“Don’t worry,” he winks, only furthering your embarrassment, “I’ve it all planned out. Now, hurry up. He’s heading back.”

Indeed, Hoseok is clapping Joshua on the shoulder and turning this way. Chewing furiously on the inside of your cheek, you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. “Ok, well if I win then you have to leave me alone for the rest of the week!”

There’s a hint of worry that streaks across Jungkook’s features, but it’s covered up a few seconds later as he thrusts out his hand to shake on it. “Deal.”

With the way he grins down at you, you can’t help but feel like this was a stupid thing to bet on.

You’re wedged into a booth not long after, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Hoseok. Jungkook takes the spot across from you two, never missing a beat in his conversation with your betrothed.

“The guest list has been finalized,” Hoseok is saying, smiling warmly at the server that drops off some menus. You don’t miss the way she ogles your companions, shrugging it off. It’s become a common occurrence. You’re not blind to their looks.

“It wasn’t finished before?” You ask, frowning. Hoseok passes a menu to you, leaning in a bit closer. It’s unnecessary, but the way he lets his leg rest against yours has a rush shooting through you.

So…this is a new development.

“No,” Jungkook answers for him. “Well, we thought it was, but then the curator here wanted to invite some more political officials. Has it been a mess trying to rearrange?”

“Yeah, but everyone pulled their weight.”

“That’s good to hear.”

It’s relatively quiet as you all look over your menus, bouncing ideas off of each other for what they should get. After you’ve placed your orders, Hoseok nudges you.

“Your mother called me last night.”

Your eyes widen. “She did?”

Both men chuckle at your obvious worry. “Yes, she did. We had a nice chat. Why do you look so concerned?”

Perhaps it has something to do with the last conversation you had with your mother. It took place about three weeks ago, when she’d come up to Seoul for a visit. The visit had been pleasant enough; you’d gone to dinner and talked about things back home. She’d actually approved of your apartment, despite the eclectic feel to it.

It has almost been too normal. You should’ve known that it was only a matter of time before something happened.

You were busy putting your leftovers from the restaurant in the fridge, your mother hovering in the doorway to the kitchen with a pensive look on her face.

“Have you ever had…doubts?”

“Doubts?” Your voice was muffled from the odd angle, but you peeked out around the door of the fridge with a questioning look. “About what?”

Your mother shrugged, keeping her eyes trained on the door of the fridge and its decorative magnets. “About Hoseok.”

You immediately stood, closing the door with a dull thud. “What?”

“I just…your wedding is coming up, he’s probably going to propose within the next couple of months – for heaven’s sake, you have your dress fitting coming up in just a couple of weeks, isn’t that right?”

“Mom,” you voice was stern. “What is this about? You’re scaring me.”

At your confession your mother finally met your eyes. “Oh, sweetie, I didn’t mean to worry you so much. But I can’t help but wonder, you know? We’ve never really talked about it-”

“There was never anything to talk about!” You sigh, exasperated. “All I’ve known is that I’m going to end up with Hoseok, and that’s that! He’s a nice man, hardworking, and we make a good team.”

“I know, darling. I know.” She hesitated before stepping forward, coming to place a loving hand on your cheek. “I just want you to know that you get to make this decision. Even though it may not have always felt like it. There is…more. Out there, for you.”

More?

“Just, uh…” you shake your head, trying to clear your mind of those thoughts rolling around your head. “Wanted to make sure she didn’t share any embarrassing information about me.”

This makes both men chuckle, Jungkook leaning forward with eager eyes. “Like what? Do tell.”

You blush at his undivided attention, groaning and slipping down further in your seat. Hopefully neither of them notice your pink cheeks, something tells you that Jungkook would never let you live it down.

The fact that you don’t know how Hoseok would react has you even more on edge.

Hoseok grins at you as you sit up again, reaching around your shoulders to pull you close. “Aw, you probably don’t have any embarrassing stories. We all already know that you’re perfect.”

You blink, staring up at your betrothed as his smile softens. He’s never spoken to you like this. First sending extra help in the form of Jungkook, then dropping everything to go to lunch, now this?

Before your mind can run with the idea blooming in your chest, your server appears with your food. Her eyes instantly zone in on you and Hoseok, something registering in her eyes as she offers you a warm smile. Then, she turns her full attention on Jungkook. Practically eating him alive as she sets his food down in front of him.

“Your hair is so long,” she muses. “I’ve never seen anyone able to pull off hair like that…what’s your secret?”

Jungkook, who you assumed would preen in the attention, hardly glances the girl’s way. His eyes rest on where Hoseok’s hand ghosts over your shoulder, slow in its retreat. Jungkook keeps a neutral expression, although his eyes shoot up to yours in a way that has you pinned to the back of the booth.

It’s over just as quickly as it began, Jungkook grinning down at his food and mumbling, “No secret. Just good genes.” He doesn’t wait another second before diving into his food. You snort at his reply, Hoseok just shaking his head before beginning to eat in a more meticulous manner. If he noticed the strange exchange that just passed between you and Jungkook, he doesn’t say anything.

Or maybe it was all in your head. Maybe that protective coating you applied to the papyrus earlier today has gone straight to your head, addling your brain.

The food is delicious, as expected. The three of you fall into an easy conversation, revolving mainly around work. You notice that Jungkook keeps checking his phone, but you ignore it.

That is, until he offers you a smug smile before focusing his attention on Hoseok.

“So, for this gala…we’re meant to bring a plus one, right?”

Hoseok nods. “Yep.”

��“Who’re you taking?”

Hoseok laughs, taking a long sip of his drink. “Who? I don’t know, I feel like I should maybe take the woman I’m marrying in a few months.” He shoots you a friendly wink, but you can’t completely return his light-hearted nature. Has it already been forty minutes? But still, there’s been no call…

“Oh,” a familiar ringtone cuts through the air, and Hoseok grabs his phone from his pocket, frowning at the screen. “It’s Joshua. I’ll just step outside for a moment.”

Hoseok is too busy sliding out of the booth to notice the way your jaw drops. The second he’s out of sight, you turn an accusatory glare toward Jungkook. “What was that? Did you seriously tell them to call-”

“Before you castrate me, I’d like to defend myself. Can I do that?”

“And then I can castrate you?”

Jungkook visibly swallows. “I only meant it hypothetically, but…just listen.” When you angrily wave for him to continue, the smug smile from earlier reappears on his face. “I have this all under control. But, from where I’m sitting, I won our little bet. So I have a question for you.”

“I’m not going with you, Hoseok is taking me!”

Pushing his tongue against his cheek, Jungkook sits back and observes you for a moment. “Don’t be so sure about that, sweetheart. Now, what color of dress are you wearing to this thing?”

You do your best to ignore Jungkook for the rest of the day. Hoseok chats happily with you on the walk back to the museum, occasionally finding a way to let his hand graze yours. It’s enough to keep you distracted from Jungkook’s complacent expression which is usually directed in your direction.

Parting from Hoseok is like parting with a security blanket, and he looks to be particularly pleased with the way you run your hand down his arm before bidding him goodbye. Jungkook huffs a breath, which goes unnoticed by your betrothed as he heads into the building where countless workers wait for him.

“I’m still waiting on an answer,” Jungkook chides a few moments later. You’re desperately trying to outpace him, annoyed when he easily keeps up.

“You’re not getting one and we’re not going together.”

“Didn’t I tell you that I’d take care of it? Everything. Even Hoseok.” You stop in your tracks when Jungkook jumps in front of the doors, opening one up with a flourish.

“Jungkook.”

“Yes, darling?” It’s infuriating how much you react to the pet name, your reddening cheeks giving you away instantly.

“Stop.”

Jungkook blinks, straightening up a bit as you sweep past him and head inside. When he’s silent the entire walk to the papyrus lab, you let out a sigh of relief. Never mind the fact that there’s a dull disappointment blooming in your chest. For a moment, it was nice to think of what a night at Jungkook’s side could be like.

It would certainly be different than what you’re used to with Hoseok. Not that you two often spend occasions like this together, it’s more of a formality than anything. The first few minutes are always a dream: Hoseok can’t take his eyes off of you and gets flustered. He’s a perfect gentleman, and even goes so far as to hold you close to him when entering the event.

However, it only takes a few minutes before he’s swept off in one direction and you the other. Collogues, board members, and possible buyers of the rare artwork on display keep you two busy and apart for the entirety of the night.

You make to step into the prep room, ready to get back into your hazmat suit and start on the other side of the papyrus scrolls. The moment you step in, however, the thought of being stuck in such a small space with Jungkook nearly makes your lightheaded. Focus is paramount in your line of work, and Jungkook counts as a distraction.

“Would you go around to the sculptures we worked on yesterday and make sure they’re doing ok?” You glance over your shoulder to see Jungkook freeze in the doorway. “I, uh…I never know how they’re going to respond to the added layer.”

Jungkook has lost all of his previous swagger, simply giving you a curt nod before turning to walk away. You can’t help but watch as he briskly heads down the hallways, running his hands through his hair before fisting them at the nape.

You jump a little as the door closes, lost in your thoughts. Rushing back to you are your mother’s words.

“There is…more. Out there, for you.”

The words settle for a moment before you snort, chuckling to yourself before putting one leg in the hazmat suit. “They’re both hot. So what?”

Two more days pass in a similar fashion. Jungkook is always waiting for you at the entrance to the museum, resembling an eager puppy before you shut him down with a stern look.

Last night you spent a ridiculous amount of time coming up with errands you could send him on that wouldn’t seem too suspicious. For the most part it’s worked; you’ve been working alone for most of the day, and Jungkook hasn’t seemed too keen to intrude.

A part of you feels a bit bad for shutting him out so much, but you really have no reason to let him in. Especially not when he was so set on taking you to the gala when you’re very clearly promised to another.

“Does he have something against Hoseok?”

Your question is directed to your current project, The Incoronation of the Virgin, by Jacopo di Cione. Of course, the virgin humbly sitting with a crown on her head pays you no mind, but you carry on anyway.

“But then again, why would he? He’s getting his job, isn’t he?” You sit back, lightly dusting at the finer details of the mural. “Oh, maybe he’s angry at me.”

“Why would I be angry at you?”

You gasp as you stumble back, losing your footing from where you were on a stepping stool. You gasp louder (if that’s possible) when two sturdy hands grab your waist, firmly keeping you in place.

“Steady?”

“Why do you keep sneaking up on me?” You seethe, stepping down and out of Jungkook’s grasp. “Did I ask you to finish cleaning the bottles we used yesterday?”

“I finished that.”

“And what about sweeping the work area?”

“Done.”

“What about-”

“Done,” Jungkook looks like he’s considering taking another step, but stays put. “I finished everything. Now would you quit sending me away?”

You give him a long look, noting the way his cheeks burn under your gaze. After a moment you sigh. “Yeah, fine.”

Jungkook perks up instantly, and a second later you find him glued to your side. He gazes up at the panel you’ve been working on, his mouth dropping of its own accord.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.”

“Mmhm.” You head back up the step stool, getting back to work while Jungkook holds it steady. He admires the artwork, leaving you in relative peace.

“How did you get into this stuff?” He asks from the other end of the painting. You arch a brow before furrowing it, trying to come up with a reasonable answer.

“I…well, this is what my family does.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, I guess they tend to lean more toward the buying and selling of artwork. From my teen years I’ve always gravitated more toward the conservation of artwork.”

“Why’s that?” The fact that he sounds genuinely interested throws you off, making you pause as you meet his curious gaze. There’s no malice in his eyes, not a hint of the annoying pride from two days prior. Just genuine interest.

It gives you a falling sensation, which has you clinging to the stool until it passes.

“It’s quiet. Peaceful, for the most part.”

“But it’s stressful, too?”

The beginnings of a smile curl at your lips. “Yes, that too.”

A companionable silence falls between the two of you after that, allowing for you to work quickly and efficiently. Once you’re satisfied with the panel, you find Jungkook ready to hold the stool steady while you get down.

“What about you?” The question falls from your lips before you really understand what you’re asking.

“Me?”

“Yeah. Why did you decide to become an apprentice? It’s a long apprenticeship. And last I checked, curating isn’t exactly a hot trend.”

Jungkook scrunches his nose in a way that has you wondering if what you just said was somehow absolutely adorable. He certainly thinks it was.

“Well, there are a number of reasons.” He glances sidelong at you as you gather your things to head back to the storage space. “But mainly because it felt right.”

You frown. “That’s your reason?” Jungkook nods, amusement glittering in his eyes. “What happens when you wake up and it doesn’t feel right anymore?”

“Why? Do you know the feeling?”

Suddenly you know that you’re no longer talking about career choices. It’s only confirmed when Jungkook slows to a stop, hoisting up the bucket of supplies and facing you.

“I- no, I love my job-”

“Haven’t you ever wondered, though?” Now it’s practically impossible to decipher what exactly is going on behind Jungkook’s bright eyes, his long brown hair falling into his face. “There’s more out there, you know. Why do you stay?”

For some reason, you’re frozen in place. A deer in the headlights, probably reading way too much into this conversation.

“S-stay?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook takes a small step forward, as though afraid of scaring you off. “After all this time, you’re still here. Why?”

Your breath is caught in your throat. “I…” The world stops spinning as Jungkook tilts his head to one side, eyes swallowing you whole as they trace the outline of your lips. Despite not laying a single finger on you, your skin blazes as though he were physically reaching out.

With a step back, you glare at the floor before taking a steeling breath. “The retirement plan’s great. Hard to pass up on.”

The sound of your footsteps echo off the walls, listening for Jungkook to follow after you.

He doesn’t.

“So, about the gala.” Hoseok stands in the doorway to your hotel room, tie long gone and top button loosed. It’s a rare sight, and yet it never fails to be one of your favorites. “I have a weird proposition for you.”

You kick off your shoes, not bothering with decency as you fall back on your bed with a groan. “Shoot.”

“Jungkook has this really prestigious cousin that’s connected to the royal family-”

“Royal family?” You sit up, frowning at Hoseok.

“Yeah, like the British one? I think so, at least. Anyway, I don’t remember how she’s connected but it’s a big deal. And apparently she asked for me to escort her at the gala.”

If blood could run cold, yours is pushing freezing. “Huh. Is that so.”

Hoseok gives you an apologetic smile. “I know it’s weird and that’s why I came to you, I don’t want to hurt you-”

“I’ll just go by myself, it’s fine.”

“No, no. You’re not going alone. Jungkook already offered to take you.”

You chew on the inside of your cheek, resolve withering at the sight of Hoseok’s tentative hope. You wonder if he would really back down if you asked to go with him. To let Jungkook’s schmoozing cousin find a different date.

“Just say the word,” Hoseok offers with a fading smile. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

For some reason, your ears expect to hear the word darling at the end of that sentence. But they don’t, and you know exactly where you can go for that.

More, huh?

“That’s fine, Hoseok. Really. What’s one night?”

Hoseok rushes forward with glee, wrapping you in his arms for a second before backing away and heading toward the door. “You’re amazing, you know that? Absolutely amazing. The guests are going to be in awe of your work.”

The guests are, unsurprisingly, oblivious to your meticulous work.

You’re not complaining, they’re not meant to notice it. Your work is behind the scenes, whereas Hoseok’s work is visible everywhere.

His handywork acts as a constant reminder of him, keeping you on edge as you trail up the flower-studded stairs that are already overflowing with guests. A few give you odd looks as you walk alone, but most are too preoccupied with their own problems to care much for yours.

You don’t know how he did it, but Jungkook managed to get you all to himself after all. The thought had left an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach all day yesterday at work, hardly bothering to exchange more than a few words with the man in question. It seemed like he had almost anticipated this, content to leave you be. It was when he asked what time he should pick you up that you looked at him, angry at the fact that you immediately admired his outfit of choice. It suited him, which shouldn’t have come as such a surprise.

“I’ll meet you there,” you had responded firmly, hopefully leaving no room for argument. “Wait for me beside the entrance.”

It was bad enough that you were going without your betrothed; that another woman was going to be hanging off his arm all night. The last thing you wanted was to create an equally flashy arrival with his apprentice. You were by no means the most popular guests in attendance tonight, but the guarantee of countless cameras had you refraining from taking any chances.

Now, as you make your way to the entrance, you try to not look too eager. Jungkook is nowhere to be found yet, making you frown, but movement catches your attention in the corner of your eye.

Stepping from the shadows is Jungkook, looking like he was made for this event. The first thing you notice about him is the wistful smile he gives you, which you return before your mind catches up with what’s going on.

He looks…immaculate. Not over-the-top, he’s wearing a fairly standard black suit with a thin black tie. Nothing too flashy, but it might as well be an original piece with the way he wears it. His hair has been carefully styled, so unlike the careless mop you’ve seen throughout this week.

Jungkook moves toward you like a man on a mission while you remain at the top of the stairs, hardly daring to breathe.

“Hello,” he mutters, coming to a stop before you. “You look…stunning. Absolutely stunning.”

He doesn’t wait for a response, perhaps already knowing that your tongue has turned leaden in his presence. Jungkook offers you his arm, which you graciously take. Hopefully he doesn’t pay too much attention to the way you’re gripping his forearm for dear life.

The two of you sweep inside, gaining easy access as you’re well acquainted with the staff. As you pass a long, tall mirror that’s flanked by sphinxes, you can’t help but glance over.

You do look stunning.

The red gown you wear isn’t too revealing, not too flashy, but calls attention to you just the same. No matter where you are tonight, Hoseok will be able to find you with ease. The thought fills you with a sick sort of satisfaction. He’ll see you, but he’ll see who’s arm you’re on, as well.

With Jungkook by your side, you’re a force of nature. The two of you are no longer walking, rather prowling the premises as you make your way toward the ballroom. A few stragglers that are trying to get a peek at the closed off exhibits notice your keen eye and scamper off.

It’s a new sensation to you, watching those people flee from before you as though you were an enemy soldier on a mission. Perhaps it has something to do with the way Jungkook appears to be smoldering beside you, emitting a dangerous aura that you never realized he could give off. For a brief moment, the silly boy you’ve been actively avoiding this week has vanished. In his wake stands a man with a purpose, the successor to the famed Jung Hoseok, and a legitimate contender amongst art dealers.

“I’m not used to this,” you mutter as Jungkook continues in his path. His steps are timed perfectly to your own, and you wonder if that’s a mere coincidence or if he’s currently keeping count in his head.

“Used to what?” Even his voice has turned to a dangerous rasp, smoky eyes sliding over to observe you.

“People respecting personal space. Usual they all flock to Hoseok the second he walks in the door.”

The corner of his lips pull up in a smirk. “And which do you prefer?”

You sigh. “Are you seriously turning this into a competition?”

You’re almost to the ballroom, but you let out a surprised sound when you veer off course into a deserted corridor just above the stairs that lead down into the ballroom. You realize that he’s taking you across a small overlook which shows the ballroom, a flurry of suits and dresses writhing before you on the level below. It’s a mesmerizing sight, and upon instinct you seek out Hoseok.

Jungkook notices your search, pausing to allow you to look around a bit more. He studies your side profile carefully. “Is that such a bad thing?” It takes you a moment to realize that he’s referring to the competition.

There’s Hoseok, sure enough he’s weaving in and out of the crowd. People smile and clap him on the back, making space for him and his companion to get through.

Jungkook’s cousin, Margaret, stays close behind your betrothed. She even goes so far as to hold onto his hand, offering him a shy smile when he looks back at her questioningly. However, he does nothing to shake her off.

“Yes,” you answer. Then, “He never took me along with him.”

“You mean at events like these?” Jungkook stands beside you at the railing, eyes instantly finding the “he” you’re referring to. “I know. You two usually go your separate ways.”

The nonchalant manner with which he comments this has you turning to face him, confusion clear on your face. “How could you know that?”

Jungkook frowns, popping his knuckles as he refuses to look at you. “Isn’t it pretty common knowledge? You two are both prominent members of the art community that hardly have time for each other. The rest is fairly simple to figure out.”

You step to the side, granting yourself enough space to glare up at the man.

“Fairly simple? Jungkook, I don’t know why you think you can make assumptions about my relationship with Hoseok, but there’s no need to do so. You’re right, we’re both busy. But we’re happy. Why do you seem so intent on making me second guess that? Why is everything a competition with you?”

You’re surprised when Jungkook doesn’t step down like he usually does. Instead he straightens up, leaning in a bit closer while his eyes bore into your own. You swallow, pressing your nails into the palm of your hand when his gaze tracks the movement of your throat.

“Calling it a competition might be a bit crass,” Jungkook mutters, voice coming out much softer than you anticipated. “But I guess you can say that. Sure, it’s a competition. As of right now, there are no clear winners.”

“But what are you two competing for?” You ask, exasperated. “There’s no need to go after Hoseok, Jungkook. You’re getting his position in just a few months, you’ll have the same influence he does now. I don’t understand. Why go to such great lengths? Are you trying to usurp him or something?”

Jungkook finds a way to step impossibly closer, one hand gripping the railing while the other finds your hand. “Which would you deem more valuable: your hand in marriage or your heart?”

Dangerous, this is dangerous, your heart chides. Despite the warning, you can’t help but sneer and step impossibly closer. There’s a spark of anger deep within you, and if it wasn’t for your current predicament you would stop for a moment and wonder when the last time you felt such an intense emotion was, but you press on.

“I wasn’t aware that I had to choose,” you seethe. You swallow a gasp as Jungkook leans in, nose nearly bumping against yours.

You can see whole galaxies in those eyes of his. Glinting and shining under the light of the chandelier, stars begging for you to come dance. What would happen if you danced under his stars? Something tells you that you don’t want to find out.

“That’s not an answer,” Jungkook breathes out.

“I’m sorry, what that not good enough for you?”

He blinks, an amused smirk painting his features. “You’re angry. Good.”

“Good?” You sputter out, taking a small step back and finding it infinitely easier to breathe now that there’s some distance between you two. “You wanted me to be angry?”

Shrugging, Jungkook rolls his neck from side to side, looking casual as ever. As though you weren’t just about to bite his nose off if he were to say one more stupid thing.

“Anger is an emotion. I count that as a win. Now,” he extends his hand out with a flourish, “shall we dance?”

“No.”

“I’d rethink that answer if I were you, darling.” Jungkook makes a point of looking out over the railing, and your eyes unwillingly follow his line of sight.

There’s Hoseok, spinning Margaret around and around. His smile is wide, and you can hear his laughter from up here.

He has no idea that you’re up here fighting for your marriage, does he?

Again, that anger is stoked until it’s steadily consuming you. With a huff that sounds more akin to a grown, you take Jungkook’s hand.

“One. Dance.”

One turns into two, and two turns to four. The music lilts and does almost all the work, Jungkook picking up the slack as he moves your through the songs. You can hardly tell where one ends and another begins, all you know is two things.

1. You’re still angry, however it’s being steadily replaced by confusion.

2. Hoseok and Margaret stopped dancing a while ago, and they currently stand off to the side trying to make it look like they’re not watching you.

“Your cousin appears to be very concerned about you,” you pant, the dancing finally taking its toll. Jungkook glances sidelong, chuckling darkly.

“That’s probably because she’s not my cousin and I told her she would only have to stay for an hour or so.”

If Jungkook’s hand at your back wasn’t propelling you forward, you’re sure you would’ve stopped dead in your tracks.

“What?”

There’s a twinkle of amusement in those galaxy-filled eyes of his. “She is connected to the royal family; I’ll give her that much. But she’s not my cousin. Just an old friend helping out with a favor.”

You’re not sure if you should laugh or cry.

After a moment, you settle for easing out of Jungkook’s grasp with the excuse to use the restroom. The sound of your heels on the marble floor is drowned out as the live band pick up a lively tune, causing a new rush of people to the dance floor. Somehow you manage to weave your way toward the hallway where you think you remember seeing a restroom sign, unaware of someone hot on your heels.

You’re reaching out for the door when you feel a hand at your elbow. It stops you mid-step, pulling you in an entirely different direction. Gasping, you whirl about to see Hoseok with a grim expression. He doesn’t utter a word, marching the two of you toward a dark corner.

“Hoseok, you scared me!” You whisper-shout, entirely unsure of why you’re whispering in the first place. Perhaps it has something to do with the secluded area he’s led you to, not a single soul in sight.

Once you’ve turned the corner, Hoseok presses your back against the wall, peeking around the corner toward the faint light of the festivities. The sound of trombones and cellos echo around the corridor, making you feel like you’re experiencing a memory rather than living this moment in real time.

When Hoseok turns back to face you, you note the way his hair is mussed. You immediately begin to smooth it out with a frown. He’s usually so meticulous about his hair during events like this.

His eyes soften a bit at your ministrations, but his face is still flushed. “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?”

“I- no…?”

“That’s odd,” Hoseok tilts his head to one side, eyes pinning you to the wall better than his hands. “You certainly look like you are.”

You blink. “I do?”

He lets out a choked laugh, the sound seeming so at odds with his typical demeanor. “Are you that oblivious? The way you’ve been staring at him all night certainly makes it seem like you’re drinking in every moment.”

“S-staring? At who?”

“Jungkook!” You flinch a little when Hoseok raises his voice, but he doesn’t notice as he pinches his eyes shut. “Just…be a little more cautious, ok?”

“I…”

When you’re silent, Hoseok opens his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath, head bobbing to one side in a habit which you’d always found endearing. Now, though, it’s as good as a death sentence as he steps a little closer. Slowly, so slowly you want to scream, his eyes dip down to your lips.

“No,” he mutters to himself, so quietly that you wonder if he doesn’t realize that he’s speaking his thoughts aloud. “Not here.”

Pushing back from the wall, Hoseok steps away and leaves you with a lingering stare before he’s disappearing around the corner. Your ears strain to listen to his retreating steps, but they’re quickly overtaken by the music and chatter of the crowd.

“What just happened?” You whisper to yourself. After a moment, you ease out of the corridor, scurrying toward the bathroom. Flinging open the stall, you stare down at the toilet wondering if you’re about to retch. With the way your stomach is churning, it’s definitely a possibility.

You emerge from the stall a moment later, feeling no better than when you went in. If only you could splash some water on your face, that would probably help clear up your head. However, you’ve still got a few hours ahead of you. The event is nowhere near ending.

The door swings open as you brace yourself against the sink, and you look up in the mirror to see who just walked in behind you. Margaret pauses for a second as she meets your eyes, the door drifting shut at her back.

“I was hoping you were still in here,” she drawls, her posh accent instantly making you want to stand up straight.

“Well, here I am.”

You wince; your voice sounds horrible. Like you’ve been screaming for hours, when you haven’t hardly said a word in the past hour. No, according to Hoseok you’ve been too busy staring.

Margaret chuckles, coming to the sink beside you and running the faucet. “Look, I’ll make this quick. Jungkook has been waiting around for you for long enough, and to be frank I’m sick of hearing about it. If I were you, I’d make up my mind sooner rather than later.”

You’re sick of asking questions, but it appears that that’s all you have for tonight. “What?” You stare at Margaret, who looks almost other-worldly in her deep blue gown. “I just met Jungkook this week, I think you’re mistaken.”

“You just- what?”

It’s nice to see that someone else looks a little confused for once. You thought you were the only one out of the loop, but judging by the look on Margaret’s face, she’s just joined the club.

“Like I said,” you say, leaning one hip against the sink. “I just met Jungkook a few days ago. Hoseok sent him over to assist me in getting everything ready for the gala.”

“But he said…” Margaret shakes her head, focusing in on you once again. “Don’t tell him I said anything to you, alright?”

Before you even have a chance to answer, Margaret is sweeping out the door and leaving you behind in a stunned stupor. Slowly, you turn to face the mirror again. Then, to your eternal horror, a toilet flushes.

Out ambles Scarlett Johansson, who shoots you a grin before promptly washing her hands. “Trouble in paradise?”

You snort, in disbelief. “Yeah. Yeah, you could say that.”

It takes a while to find Jungkook, but then again that may be because you aren’t actually looking for him. No, you’re just floating around the venue in a daze when you hear his voice coming from a parlor to your right. Only a couple of dim lamps illuminate the interior, but you don’t bother to get a closer look as you recognize the other voice.

Margaret.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Jungkook? You just met her this week? You made it sound like you’ve been pining over her for years-”

“That’s because I have!” Jungkook hisses, the sound slithering out into the hallway. “I have, but she’s always just out of reach…”

“And what, you thought tonight would do the trick? Kook…look, you know I love you, but this is idiocy. She’s practically engaged to Jung Hoseok-”

“Jung Hoseok doesn’t know what he has, he’s never understood! I am the only one that really gets it, Margaret.”

“Yeah, well just because you get it Jungkook doesn’t mean you get her.”

There’s shuffling inside the room, causing you to back away into a dark corner to remain unseen. After a moment, Jungkook’s voice rings out again. This time, it’s a bit ragged, almost letting you taste the desperation in his tone.

“Margaret, please. I just- I just need time. Please, just give me more time.”

A pause, followed by a heavy sigh. “Fine. I hate you.”

“Love you, too.”

You’ve just managed to scamper around the corner when the door open and a little light floods out into the dim hallway. The sound of heels walking in the opposite direction of your hiding spot alerts you to Margaret’s retreat, making you wonder what exactly she has planned in order to allot Jungkook more time.

Once a couple of minutes that feel like eternity pass, you sneak out around the corner. Heart pounding and palms sweaty, you stare up at the ceiling as though you’ll find an answer there.

What are you even doing?

Before the answer comes you’re schooling your features into cool indifference and walking slowly toward the open door. It’s easy enough to spot Jungkook in the parlor, sitting with his head in his hands on the chaise.

You rap on the door, leaning against the doorframe as Jungkook’s head shoots up. The panic at your appearance doesn’t go unnoticed by you, but you pretend you haven’t noticed.

“I leave for two seconds and suddenly you’re sulking in an abandoned room?” You chide. “You much be more attached to me than I thought.”

Jungkook’s smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. I was just taking a breather. We danced a lot, didn’t we?”

“True.” You stare at him from across the room, thinking back on Margaret’s words. Jungkook has been waiting around for you for long enough. “Tell me, Jungkook,” you stride inside, taking up the seat opposite him. “How come I never ran into you before this week? You’ve been around Hoseok for nearly three years at this point, haven’t you?”

Jungkook nods, his wide eyes completely disintegrating the dangerous persona he radiated earlier. “Yeah, almost three years. We’ve…crossed paths a few times, I think.”

You frown. “We have?”

“Only a handful of times,” Jungkook quickly reassures you, and the fact that he doesn’t want you to feel bad about not remembering him has you only growing more confused. Didn’t you just hate him half an hour ago? “We never spoke much.”

“Oh.”

Words – none of which amount to full sentences – rattle around your brain as you strive to come up with something more to say. Your brain is breaking down, information overload finally getting the best of you.

“Should we go back?” Jungkook asks in a small voice. Who even is the man, to change demeanors so quickly? “There’s still a lot of dancing left to do.” He adds a wink in at the end, regaining a bit of his swagger with every word.

Suddenly the memory of Hoseok’s conflicted face comes back to you, and you scramble to your feet. “No! Uh, I mean…” you look around the room but find nothing to help you. “I need to be more careful. I’ve been careless enough tonight.”

Jungkook frowns, almost getting on his feet. “What’s wrong? Did…did Hoseok say something to you?” When you don’t respond, Jungkook lets out a dry laugh. “Of course he did. Let me guess, he grabbed you as soon as you left my side, right? Jealous little-”

“Jungkook!” You gasp, stalking out of the room as he follows close behind. “He just wanted to protect our image, that’s all.”

“Ha! Really, that’s all? Sweetheart, has anyone ever told you just how oblivious you can be?”

“Ugh, just when I was starting to hate you less.”

“I’m serious! Sure, he might have said something about being careful, for your reputations. But that’s all just a cover-up! Can’t you see?”

The ballroom is just up ahead, and you make a beeline for it. “I see just fine, thank you very much. However, I wish I could’ve seen just how horrible tonight would be with you! I would have never agreed to that stupid bet!”

Speeding up, Jungkook jogs up in front of you to block your path. You step to your right, which he mimics. To the left, and again, he’s there to stop you.

“Let me through!”

Jungkook glares down at you, a fire blazing in his eyes. It reminds you of a dying star, some sort of supernova exploding in those galaxy irises. “No.”

“No?” You push against his chest, scowling when he doesn’t budge. “Jungkook, I’m too tired to play this game. Move aside.”

“Dance with me.”

He says it with such seriousness that you almost agree. “I already said that I can’t.”

“Please.” Bottom lip disappearing between his teeth, Jungkook’s shoulders slump. “C’mon, we’ll go where no one can see us.”

“That sounds like a terrible idea.”

Chuckling half-heartedly, Jungkook extends a hand. “I have plenty of them, trust me.”

What started as one bad idea has turned into multiple.

Jungkook took you outside to some lonely balcony that wraps around the building. The doors are thrust open, allowing for some light as he takes you in his arms.

The music drifts up to where you sway, and you wonder how Jungkook even found this spot. It’s not far from the ballroom, but certainly not a common spot for people to wander off to. You ask him as much.

“I stumbled upon it when you sent me on all those dumb errands,” he explains, smiling lazily at you.

You chuckle, stifling a gasp as Jungkook spins you around. Once you’re nestled safely in his arms, you grin up at him. “I knew those would come in handy.”

It feels like whiplash, going through so many emotions tonight. You were set on loathing Jungkook for the rest of eternity until he managed to snag one of the chocolate fountains from the kitchens and bring it out here. A platter of strawberries sits off to the side, begging to be dipped and eaten.

“Strawberry?” Jungkook questions quietly, already reaching for one. You hum in confirmation.

A second later Jungkook is dipping it with an absurd amount of chocolate and bringing it to your lips. Your cheeks flush, but you tentatively open your mouth, awaiting the delicious-

“Hey!” You swat at Jungkook when he bops your nose with the strawberry, covering you in chocolate. He laughs merrily, throwing his head back at the stars before focusing on you.

“You look adorable,” he coos. “Here, eat.” Again he prods the strawberry at your lips, catching your hand in his as you go to clean off your nose. “Eat, I’ll get the chocolate off your nose in just a second. Patience.”

You roll your eyes, but allow him to feed the strawberry to you. At the first crunch and flood of sweet flavor, you close your eyes and ball up your fists into his suit jacket.

“Ah, so good.”

When you open your eyes again, Jungkook is frozen before you. His eyes alight on your lips, tongue wetting his own, following the way you lick up the extra chocolate. Then he looks at your nose, a forgotten smile on his face.

“Here,” he mumbles, reaching out to swipe the bit of chocolate from your nose. Without a second’s hesitation he brings it to his lips and devours it.

All is quiet. The music sounds more distant that ever, the dull chatter of tonight’s guests hardly registering in your brain as Jungkook’s eyes never leave your own.

Something stirs deep within you, something that goes much deeper than attraction or desire. Something stronger than the anger you felt earlier sparks in the pit of your chest, making you shiver.

The spot where Jungkook touched your nose tingles, and you wonder for a moment if it somehow looks different now. His touch lingers, the feeling sprouting something entirely new.

Jungkook continues to sway with you, the movement as singular as breathing. When he opens his mouth to whisper something to you, you can’t help but listen to every syllable that falls from his lips.

“I…I want you to feel when you’re with me,” he whispers. “I’m not picky. It can be any emotion. But I’ve seen you, how you are with him.” You flinch at the mention of Hoseok, but Jungkook holds you tighter and pushes through. “You’re empty around him. You play the game easily enough, but there’s nothing behind those words. I want you to feel.”

“Jungkook…”

“I know. I know how I sound. But this is all I have to give you, and I thought that if I could just get you to feel something again, it might be worth it.”

You find yourself drawing closer to him, some sort of unknown gravity pulling you together like a moon caught in his orbit. That’s what you are, aren’t you? Completely helpless, thrown into someone’s orbit and hoping that they notice you. Hasn’t that the way it’s always been, ever since you first laid eyes on Hoseok?

But Jungkook notices you. You know, just from the way his eyes widen as though trying to take more of you in, you know that you’re all he sees. He’s blinded, for some reason or another. Blinded by you, enthralled by your silent suffering and digging ceaselessly for a way out. There’s no doubt in your mind at this moment that he’d carry you far away from here if you just said the word.

How your hands wound up clinging to the nape of his neck, you’re not sure. Just as surprising is the painful tone of your voice as you cry out, "Jungkook, this is no way to live."

His hands are at your back, pressing you closer and closer. "I will live like this for as long as you want, darling.”

“Like what?” Are those tears rushing to your eyes? Too many emotions in such a short amount of time, you can’t keep up. It’s been so long since you’ve felt anything so intense. When was the last time? Perhaps there never was a time such as this. “Hiding away from everyone? Looking over your shoulder every second of every day, wondering when it’ll all fall apart?”

“I can live off of these stolen moments,” Jungkook whispers in awe, gently wiping away your tears. “I’ve been doing that for years. But I don’t know what you want, darling. Tell me what you want.”

“Jungkook,” you wriggle in his grasp, suddenly needing to get away, to breathe, “Jungkook, he’ll find out- we can’t do this. What even is this? I can’t…I don’t even know you!”

He lets you go, allowing you walk toward the edge of the balcony as you greedily gulp down air. After a moment, he speaks up.

“You’re feeling again, aren’t you?”

It’s a silly question. It sounds like he’s addressing a child, but it hits a little too close to home.

Feelings, thoughts, desperation and something deep and exciting courses through you. Yes. Yes, you’re feeling. “Yes. But who says I can’t feel with him?”

Jungkook is silent for a moment. “Who says it can’t be me, instead?” He strides toward you, your heart hammering as he gently cups your cheeks. Stars must cry because his eyes are shiny with tears. Gently, so gently your knees nearly buckle, he caresses your cheek with his thumb.

Smiling sadly, Jungkook whispers, “I love you.” He takes a shaky breath. “I always have. From afar, so I don’t know if that counts in your book. I loved you before we shared a conversation. I loved you the second I first overheard you talking to that unnamed painting on the third floor of the gallery back home. You know the one, don’t you?”

You’re not sure he fully expects an answer as he leans closer, which is all the better as you’re completely unable to provide him with one.

“I love you,” he repeats, wide eyes dropping to your lips. “I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I wake up to you every morning.”

As his lips first graze your own, you remember him.

Countless times, that how often you’ve seen him. Passed him in the hallway of the gallery, trailing behind a busy Hoseok. Offering you a shy, sweet smile which you immediately assumed was meant for someone else.

He seemed to good, too kind for you.

But here he is, lips pressed gently to yours with a promise hanging in the air.

He asks for nothing in return.

When he finally pulls away, you gaze up at him with teary eyes. “Why?”

He knows what you’re asking. Why would he bare his heart and soul to you when he knows you’re promised to another? When you’ve never acknowledged his existence before?

Jungkook shrugs, then leans in for a short peck. He pulls back, allowing you to see the stars in his eyes.

“You deserved to hear it, at least once.”

Two Months Later

You have not heard those three words since, and you wonder if you ever will again. Glancing at Hoseok who peers down into the glass case, you don’t think you will. Hoseok will never love you.

He has you. He always has, you’ve been a constant in his life. What’s there to love about convenience?

He’s saying something to the jeweler, but the words are muffled. That’s how it’s been recently. People talk so much, but you hardly hear a thing. They so rarely say anything that matters.

Jungkook has been gone, still working to replace Hoseok, but off on business trips that you know aren’t necessary. Last you heard, Hoseok had sent him off to Mongolia on a wild goose chase for some long-lost painting. Chances are he wouldn’t be back for months.

Staring at the rings below you, you know that by then, it’ll be too late.

Hoseok is planning on proposing soon. You’re not exactly sure when, but it’ll be within a few weeks now. Perhaps sooner, you can’t tell.

When you leave the jeweler’s, Hoseok’s hand finds yours. He gives it a soft squeeze, but you can’t find quite enough strength to reciprocate the feeling.

He doesn’t comment on it.

In fact, the two of you hardly exchange two words until much later that evening when you dine together. It’s in his parent’s mansion, one of several. This is the one you’re meant to inherit upon getting married. The dining room is a bit too dark for your liking, but under the current circumstances, you bask in the shadows.

Hoseok is late to dinner. An uncommon thing, but you brush it off, quietly greeting him as he takes up his place across from you. When he doesn’t respond, you look up.

He’s already staring at you, but that’s not what sends a chill through your bones.

He’s looking at you with that sniper-like concentration that you only saw once before. It’s terrifying to be on the other side of that gaze; something you had hoped to never encounter.

“What’s wrong?” You mean to sound more caring, but the question comes out flat. Hoseok chews on his lip before releasing it.

He’s kissed you since the gala. He did as soon as the two of you boarded the plane, away from prying eyes.

It had been rushed and desperate, and you’d been shocked into stepping back, breaking the kiss sooner than he intended.

You’d stepped back and bumped into Jungkook, who gently caught you. Hoseok merely smiled warmly and explained that he thought you two were alone. Jungkook didn’t say a word.

Hoseok holds up a letter, unfolding it. “You received a letter today,” he responds. “Would you like me to read it to you?”

You frown, reaching out a hand but he’s too far away. “No, I’ll read it later-”

“My darling, I only just now found a post office that sends international letters. I apologize from the bottom of my heart, I hope you didn’t think I’d forgotten you.” Hoseok peeks at you from over the letter, arching an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell me you enjoyed pet names. Let’s see what else my apprentice has to say, shall we?”

“Hoseok-”

“Hold that thought,” Hoseok pulls a candle that burns in the center of the table closer to him, hovering the letter just above the flame. “Let’s continue. Something tells me that we’re just getting to the good part.”

“I hope this letter finds you before the wedding, although I can’t be sure. This post office looks a little sketchy, but it’s my best bet. Love, I told you once that I could live off of stolen moments. I can, I do. But I’m tired of begged and borrowed time at your side. Once was not enough.”

“How sweet. I never realized he had such a way with words.” Hoseok sighs wistfully, making you shudder.

“Run away with me, darling. Meet me in Italy, at the gallery. Come up with any excuse you possibly can – just find me. I’ll try to do my best to find a way out of this place, and I’ll wait for you every day. From open to close, I’ll be there. If you don’t come by the end of April, I’ll know that you decided to go forward with the marriage and I wish you all the happiness in the world. Just don’t forget: I love you. Wow, that was beautiful, wasn’t it? Who knew Jungkook was such a poet?”

Hoseok sighs again, meeting your horrified gaze. In one swift movement, he lets the bottom corner of the letter catch the flame. Smoke curls into the air, and you scramble to your feet.

“Hoseok!” You lunge for the letter, knocking over the candle in the process. With a shriek, you watch as the candle drops to the rug and catches fire. Rushing over, you begin to stomp out the flames.

“Let it burn,” Hoseok mumbles, still staring at the burning letter in his hands. “I always wanted to burn this house to the ground. It seems fitting to do so now.”

“You’ve lost your mind!” You shout, turning toward him once the rug is extinguished and snapping the letter from his hands. The flames bite as your fingertips, the letter unsalvageable. Hissing, you throw it into the fireplace.

“You know what?” Hoseok rises to his feet. “I think I will burn it down. Maybe move into one of those cramped apartments in the city. What do you think?”

“Hoseok, you’re not thinking straight. Let’s talk about this.”

His smile is melancholy, but for a moment his eyes clear up and you catch a glimpse of the Hoseok you’ve known for twelve years.

“Don’t you have packing to do?” With a shrug he adds, “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“I-“ you stop mid-step. A series of choices flash before your eyes, but all you can see if Hoseok and the out he’s offering you.

Perhaps he wants to get out of this as much as you do.

As you pound up the stairs and begin to throw anything you can find into your bag, you realize that you may never know. You never did get to know the real Hoseok. His thoughts and inner feelings have remained a mystery to you.

When you rush out the door a few minutes later, Hoseok is already leaning against his car. There’s another car parked beside it, and he tosses you the keys. There are no parting words, no longing stares as he marches forward and strikes a match against the side of the house. Without fanfare, he tosses the flame inside the mansion. You watch with unabashed awe as he strides back to his car and hops in. There’s a small bag in the back, certainly not enough to hold his precious belongings.

Hoseok gives you a curt nod, tearing out of the driveway.

You’re gone before the sound of sirens cuts through the air.

The Accademia Gallery is packed today, more so than you’ve ever seen it before. Of course, the main attraction is The David. Tourists crowd around, trying to find the best angle to take a photo, grinning widely.

All of them except for one, who stares up at the sculpture with a keen eye. His dark brown hair is shorter than it was a few months ago when he stood in a similar position.

“Jungkook!”

Somehow, amidst the din of the crowd, he hears you. The stars in his eyes are bright as he turns around, acting as a beacon as you push through the crowd. They gleam and sparkle, rivaled only by the wide smile that overtakes his features. Those eyes, so dangerous yet so lovely. They invite you to get lost in them, to dance under Jungkook’s galaxy.

This time, you think you will.

main masterlist || Help support me? ko-fi

this was a wild ride, lemme tell ya

taglist: @baepsaetay @dreamcatcherjiah @kookie-vuitton @thecaffeinatedscribbles @moon-write @fangirl125reader @heishichoulevi @knjkitten @sacha-cff @vik7797 @eusticenatalie @hesmyphenominiall @miriamxsworld @kayahay @secretlycrazyhummingbird @marianeamine @hqtetsurou @protontippens @beginwithamin @limiworld @jeonyoongi-jimin @buttvi

#bts arranged marriage au #jungkook arranged marriage au #Hoseok arranged marriage au #jungkook x reader #hobi x reader #bts angst #bts fluff #bts oneshot #jungkook oneshot #hobi oneshot #hyunglinenetwork #armywriterssupport #armyadvocatesaapi #bts x y/n #jungkook x y/n #hobi x y/n

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justkending · 3 years

Text

Is that seriously your password? (Birthday One-shots)

Prompt: Is that seriously your password?

Challenge: justkending Birthday drabbles and one-shots

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2100+

A/N: This was asked for a by anon, so thank you to whoever you may be! I thought this was cute little one-shot once it came to me! Also, coming up with the password took me a seconds, but then I heard Sebastian's voice in my head and well... Here we are;)

“Hey FRIDAY? Who all from the team is in the compound?” Y/N shouted from Tony’s lab where she was working on a new piece of equipment for her uniform.

“Everyone is out either on a mission or off the compound premises for personal business,” the AI responded. “However, Sergeant Barnes is in the living room reading.”

“He works. Can you ask him to come down here?” she continued, never breaking from her computer screen she was typing away on in front of her.

“Of course,” FRIDAY responded before going quiet for a minute and speaking back up. “He seemed rather confused by the request, but he’s on his way.”

“Always paranoid that one,” Y/N mumbled before shouting a thank you and going back to typing a storm.

A few minutes later, Bucky cautiously peaked through the glass doors to the lab and saw Y/N completely entranced in whatever she was working on in front of her. She was typing and scanning the screen quickly and then immediately turning to a notebook beside her to write whatever it was down.

“Why are you calling me down here out of all people?” he said almost concerned.

“Because everyone else is either fighting bad guys or off away from the compound doing their own thing,” she responded, finally breaking away from her computer screen upon hearing his voice.

“Oh,” he nodded before looking around and hesitantly coming in more.

He didn’t care to come down to Stark’s personal man cave much. Tony still threw sarcastic insults and passive jokes at him every once in a while even though they had made up and moved on. But it was Tony. He was kinda that way with everyone. Either way, they only really crossed paths if they absolutely needed too.

“Here, come here for a second,” she waved him over, pushing back her chair as she stood up and stretched some.

Bucky listened even though his face showed he was confused and hesitant about it all. It wasn’t Y/N either. They were actually good friends after all the missions and team dinner and movie nights of getting to know each other. They shared a lot in common. She was an old soul for a pretty young member of the crew and Bucky admired that. Because of her mannerisms and interest, they got a long rather quick. It made it easy for them to instantly click.

“What are you doing?” he asked when he saw her raise her hands and projections of pieces of her suit for missions popped up in pieces in the air with what looked like notes and statistics floating around them. The blueprints for it all lit up in front of them without a screen to stay on. He may never get used to the advancement of technology because anytime he saw something new, something crazier would pop up soon after.

“I came up with some new little tricks for my suit. It’s not not a bad outfit, but there’s always something new that can be better and improved,” she shrugged, moving the pieces around in the air with her fingers.

Oh yeah, and next to Tony and Banner, the woman could maneuver through almost any form of technology as if it was as easy as learning how to count to 10 on your fingers.

“I only have the metal on the bottom of my boots, and it’s worked for this long. But, I feel like there’s ways I can discreetly add more throughout the suit without weighing it down, making it easier to maneuver when I’m airborne.”

Another note to know, Y/N was an enhanced. She had the ability to bend and manipulate any form of metal. So the metal that Tony had built into her shoes made it to where she could lift herself off ground level and fly. However, through trial and error, they noticed that they couldn’t really add it to many other places as it weighed her down and made fighting a lot less agile. Don’t get it wrong though. She made it work. She just preferred it to be better.

“Sounds like a smart idea.” He paused in the silence as she continued to analyze the layout in front of her silently. “Did you just want company to show off that big brain of yours, or am I supposed to give you an opinion?”

He was sassy with her. She was sassy back. It was the way of their friendship for the most part.

“No, Barnes. I need you to give me your password,” she said, wrinkling her nose at him with a stink face before moving back to the computer. He chuckled at her facial expression and followed her to her setup.

“Why do you need my password? You have your own account,” he questioned, watching as she went to log into the files under SHIELD's confidentials.

“No, actually. Mine went caput last night,” she huffed. “Some weird glitch happened, don’t ask me how because you would think Stark tech is more advanced, but whatever caused it made my account go haywire. In saying that...” She clicked a few more things moving faster than Bucky could keep up with on the screen. Then she turned to him and leaned back on the counter. “Tony was supposed to make me a new one or fix it, but he bailed on me today for brunch with Pepper... In Capri.” She let out a big breath. “So until he gets back, I’m at a standstill getting the information I need to fix this.” The smile on her face showed she was done telling her story.

“So you need my password to get confidential information?” he asked, crossing his arms and putting his weight onto one leg. “What kind of confidential stuff are we talking here because I don’t need Tony going through my history and asking me questions I can’t answer,” he pointed with raised eyebrows.

“Highly doubt he cares or has the time to go through your history, Buck,” she laughed, turning back around and raising her hand with a swift motion bringing the chair to her without actually touching it.

Bucky looked down at it as it moved and noticed the metal base of it. He was always shocked anytime she used her powers. For one, she was rather graceful with her own for the most part, so the act of watching her do it, was somewhat mesmerizing. But also, he was still trying to wrap his head around people born with abilities like that. Wanda really threw him for a loop the first time he met her.

Shaking out his head and following to stand by where she was sitting, he argued with her statement.

“Yeah, I’d think about that again,” he winced. “Out of all the people Tony is going to keep an extra eye on, who do you think it is?”

Y/N paused and turned to him scrunching her nose.

“Ok, yeah you’re right,” she nodded. Bucky sent her a look in agreement. “But I promise it’s not for anything crazy. I just want to find a resource for the lightest metal we can get our hands on. I think if I can get some of that, I can place it throughout my suit to not weigh it down as much and make any hand to hand combat about 100x easier and more fluent.”

“Sounds like a solid plan. What file do you think is going to hold something like that?” he nodded, crossing his arms again and leaning his backside on the table facing her in her chair.

“The same one that talks about vibranium,” she sassed some. “I just want to run some analytics to see my options on what will be most malleable for the suite. Some metals may be lighter, but that doesn’t always mean suitable for tons of kinesthetic motions.”

“You’re too smart for your own good,” he shook his head, smiling at her.

“I know. I got the beauty and brains,” she smiled with a shrug, but she was playing around. Y/N was never one to boast about herself. She was as humble as Tony was egotistical. “Ok, enough small talk. What’s your password, Barnes?”

All that was left to do on the page she had pulled up was type in said password and she was in.

“Uh, I don’t really want to say it outloud,” he said, becoming bashful all of a sudden. His arms tightening around him self consciously.

“Why?” Y/N asked with a tilt of her head. “Scared I’ll remember it and hack your account? May just search for some things that Tony would love to tease you about.”

“Haha,” he said flatly. “And no. I know for a fact you would never do that. You’re too nice for that,” he responded. “It’s just. It’s an embarrassing password.”

“It can’t be that bad. Come on, just say it Mister so I can get my research done!” she persisted, poking his flesh arm.

“Here, let me just type it,” he said, moving to the keyboard.

“Nuh-uh,” she said moving the keyboard with a flick of her wrist out of his reach. Damn practically everything for having some form of metal in it. “I’m too intrigued now. I want to know what it is…” The mischievous gleam in her eye showed Bucky he probably wasn’t going to win this.

“What happened to your sweet innocent self?” he said slightly shocked by her antics, but not able to hold back a chuckled.

“It’s her off day today. She needed a break… And a little fun,” she smiled wider. “Come on. Just tell me. I promise I won’t make fun of you.”

“I don’t think you can keep that promise.”

“Have I ever not?”

“I mean that one time when you promised to make chocolate chip pancakes because I was having a bad day, and then ditched me for a mission,” he noted. The fake hurt was exaggerated in his eyes.

“Hey! I have no control over when something like that comes up,” she pointed at him. “You know that too on a personal level.”

“Still never got those pancakes though,” he said, letting out a disappointed sigh as he shook his head.

“Ugh, fine. How about this?” she started, leaning back in her chair. “You tell me your password, and if I laugh then I go make you those famous pancakes now. If I don’t laugh, you have to drop that whole thing and not bring it up again.”

He weighed his options watching her. The two staring into each others eyes bargaining in silence. Sure Bucky didn’t want to say his password, but worse case scenario she laughed, maybe teased him a litt, but he got pancakes. And he knew she would laugh…

“Fine. But just know, I like my pancakes with extra chocolate,” he sighed, relaxing his muscles some. “And whip cream.”

“Won’t need to. I’m tough enough to not react to whatever it is,” she smiled, bringing the keyboard back over. “Ok, so what is it?”

He stayed silent for a minute. God, he hated saying it outloud. Not that he really ever had to, but still. It was embarrassing.

“It’s… It’s WienerSoldier1917,” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry, what?” Y/N said with wider eyes. She heard him, but she was wondering if she heard him right.

“The W and S are capitalized…” he practically whispered looking down. When he didn’t hear a response but insead deafening silence, he looked over seeing her biting her lip and trying her best to suppress a laugh. Her face became slightly red and her eyes started blinking fast as she tried to pull herself together. “Yeah, I’m definitely getting those pancakes,” he sighed with a shake of his head, not being able to hold back his own soft smile.

Not even two seconds later, Y/N was in a laughing fit. Practically falling out of the chair. If Bucky hadn’t caught her when he did, she would have gone over the side and brought the chair down with her, but he casually kept the chair from tipping with one arm.

“Oh, that’s just too good,” she finally got out after a few minutes of full on, stomach aching laughing. She wiped her eyes at the few tears that had come down and shook her head. “Is that seriously your password?”

“You know Tony came up with it! And he knows I don’t know how to change it!” Bucky defended.

“Oh, Tony. What a comedian…” Y/N sighed, catching her breath. “Ok, back to business.” She typed in the password not being able to hold back yet another round of laughs as she typed it out. Bucky just rubbed his temple as she went about her research and giggled.

After pulling up a few things, she turned to him.

“Ok, I own you a batch of pancakes now,” she smiled, standing and organizing the desktop. “I’ll come back and finish up down here later.”

“You’re not even upset you laughed, are you?” Bucky said following her in step to the door.

“Oh, I knew I was going to already with how you were acting. I also knew I was hungry and up for something sweet anyway,” she shrugged. “Win, win for me.”

“You’re a punk,” Bucky faked shock, nudging her shoulder with his own before opening the door for her.

“Eh, like I said. Sweet-innocent Y/N, as you called her, has a day off,” she smiled up at him before wrapping her arm through his. “Hey, and after breakfast? I’ll show you how to change your password,” she looked up at him with a wink.

The two chuckling and talking as they walked upstairs arm and arm to the kitchen.

My Lovelies forever:

@natura1phenomenon @lauravicente @kakakatey @traceyaudette @notyourtypicalrose @laneygthememequeen @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @sandlee44 @thorne93 @thefaithfulwriter @marvelfansworld @essie1876 @greyeyedsmile14 @capsiclehan @xostephanie @averyrogers83 @awesomenursingstudent @gh0stgurl @cs-please @carls1022 @jjlevin @rainbowkisses31 @carls1022 @anise-d-castle6 @deannotmoose @their-bibliophile @kitkatd7 @willowbleedsonpaper @mariaenchanted @snffbeebee @couldabeenamermaid @rebekahdawkins @alyispunk

Bucky Barnes Tags:

@chloe-skywalker @charmedbysarge @jbarness

@bellamy-barnes

Marvel Tags:

@thejourneyneverendsx @death-unbecomes-you @heyiamthatbitch @lizzymacy555 @srrymydood @xa-dia @redhairedfeistynerd @morganclaire4 @connie326 @captain-asguard @mollygetssherlockcoffee @teenagedreams-bucky @shower-me-with-roses

#bucky barnes one shot #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #marvel bucky barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes drabble #bucky barnes x y/n

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shirophantomvox · 3 years

Text

Analyzing Illumi Zoldyck's Character

Chrollo Analysis | Hisoka Analysis | Killua Analysis

What’s up y’all! Sorry for being away for the last few days. I needed a break from social media because I am so tired of seeing toxic, self-righteous people on my TL. Anyway, quite a lot of you liked my posts about analyzing HxH characters and somehow comparing them to VLD characters. Today, I’ll be talking about Illumi Zoldyck and I’ll try to compare him to a Voltron character. I know many people have already analyzed this character before, but it wouldn’t hurt to add to the discussion some years later. If you want me to write about anything else, send me an ask! The formatting of this post may be different than the one I wrote about Hisoka Morrow (click his name to view that post).

HERE WE GO!

In the first season, all of the characters are contestants for the Hunter’s Exam. I say contestants because this is a contest to see who can win without any injuries and can keep up with each host. I forget what number stage they were at, but I do know they were at the stage where each opponent has to fight each other. They are declared the winner if their opponent forfeits or gives up mid-match. (Off-topic, but) I am going, to be honest; Gon was my favorite character but his flaws began to show, annoyed me, and later led to his horrific downfall (based from YouTube clips). He didn’t know when to stop and kept pushing himself over the limit. Anyway, Killua and Gittarackur are set to fight. This is when things take a turn for the worse.

Gittarackur is a form of a disguise for Illumi to mask his identity. His face is long; nearly (and reminds me of) in the shape of a Tiki. His face also reminds me of the Witch Doctor mask from Scooby-Doo and Hell-raiser. He has several pins stuck in his face to maintain the facial features of Gittarackur. On the flip side, if he removes the pins, his biological form is revealed. Once he does this, Killua is nearly paralyzed; he cannot believe his eyes and I’m sure the trauma he endured at home hit him like a sack of rocks. Illumi then tells Killua that he wants him to return home, that he cannot maintain a friendship with Gon, stated that he was going to kill Gon, but realizes that if he does so he will be disqualified and will not obtain his Hunter’s license.

I’m assuming the cops aren’t a thing in this reality and the only way for them to “destroy” under the law is by obtaining the license. What do you think? I rarely see police officers; all I see are the Mafia and every they suck compared to the Zoldyck's and the Phantom Troupe. Shit, it seems like they’re the police but have twisted motives.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fictional character or not, first impressions matter and he bombed this one...even for a villain.

But you did this for what?

How can you hypnotize (by using Nen) your own brother into killing another opponent because he doesn’t want to become an emotionless zombie like you? At least, that’s my perception. Telling your brother to run every time he faces an opponent that he knows he cannot win against is the sickest shit I’ve ever seen. I know I’m jumping around but another thought popped into my head. As the seasons go on, Illumi expresses an odd way of loving his younger brother and to him, that means to make him suffer in the same way he had to. It seems like Illumi is jealous of Gon in a way. (I’ve seen clips on YouTube) Killua takes Alluka to the hospital to heal Gon. Illumi has stated several times to Hisoka that Killua was hiding rules from him and that he still wanted to get rid of Alluka. Although it is clearly stated why he wanted Alluka gone, I still think that Illumi was jealous of Gon simply because his younger brother preferred to be with a friend instead of him. This is why he emphasizes “You cannot have friends. Either they will betray you or you’ll betray them.”

As I read and watched as the seasons went on, I noticed something about Illumi and his family. We all know that the children were raised by their parents. Specifically, their dad is a trained assassin. I can’t remember but I think Zeno is their grandfather who is also an assassin.

I view him as a character that has suffered from abuse and trauma in order to mold him into an assassin. He is emotionless, doesn’t really care for others, has an odd relationship with Killua that he doesn’t have for his other siblings, and is a hypocrite. Killua can’t be friends with Gon but every time the show cuts to him, he’s with Hisoka? Something is fishy there. Are they more than friends? OK, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. Here's the physical analysis below.

Face

When masquerading as Gittarackur, his face has several pins in them and his hair is in a rock star form of Mohawk that is purple. I’ll give him 10/10 for uniqueness, yet it still reminded me of Hell Raiser.

I’ve noticed that when he is in public he is in costume. Why doesn’t he reveal himself in public? I’ve researched this and no one could answer this question. My guess is that he is a verified hunter and assassin. How can you carry out your missions if everyone knows what you look like? Without the pins in his face, it reverts back to his natural state. To me, his large eyes and long, shiny black hair are his distinguished features. Although he may be my least favorite character, he does have pretty eyes. Haven’t you all heard of “I got lost in his/her eyes”?

Yeah, that can be said about him. Most definitely. He rarely smiles and when he does, something BAD is going to happen. I saw him laugh crazily once Alluka began the healing process, the Nen (I guess) rose from the hospital and got on him. This scene reminds me of how Haggar reacted once the Komar’s quintessence bounced from Voltron and bounced onto her. Wow, these supernatural abilities make y’all feel that good?

Clothes

Gittarackur and Illumi wear the same clothes, which should be a clear giveaway that they are the same. Illumi wears a neural green short jacket that has yellow pins in them, a light green shirt underneath, and green pants. His shoes remind me of loafers with a heel on them, something my grandmother would wear.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say again, these bad-ass men in this show are very stylish and seem to be in shape more than I am. Although Illumi irks me, his fashion is great and this is why people prefer him to be their favorite character. Shows should always produce characters that are memorable; that is the key to a long-lasting fan base.

In conclusion, this anime (for the most part) has well-rounded characters that make the plot interesting and wanting more.

Illumi and Lotor are somewhat similar. They both grew up in abusive households and lost some sense of sensitivity, common sense, and were often “misguided” by their own selfishness. Illumi wants a better life for Killua by constantly brainwashing him into thinking that he cannot have friends and his can only find happiness through killing. Zarkon raises Lotor to be a prince that shouldn't work with planets and should destroy them. This explains why he used deceased Alteans from the colony, drained their quintessence, and didn't give them a proper burial. Lotor IS just like his father but Killua IS NOT like Illumi. Ironic, huh? As we all know by now, Lotor is the son of Honerva (Haggar) and Zarkon. After the rift accident, he became an emotionless, ruthless monster that colonized and destroyed planets just to gain their quintessence. He taught this to his son and once he was old enough to think for himself, he refused to act in such a way. Although he was exiled and said he wasn’t like Zarkon, he was; but worse. Lotor studied and gained knowledge about Altea and its people while using Allura to gain the secrets of Oriande. I say he used her because he knew from the moment he met her that he was harvesting Altean quintessence. While fighting the white lion, he yelled “Victory or Death” which is a common catchphrase the Galra use when they are in battle. In fact, the Galra have been victims of trauma from Zarkon. Zarkon’s ruthless ways of ruling had no other motive except for obtaining quintessence so he could live forever. Silva’s way of raising his children was done to mold them into assassins. Since he was taught this way he did the same thing to his children. Zarkon, Silva, and Zeno think that their ways of parenting are necessary for survive in life when it doesn’t have to be that way. Illumi and Lotor have experienced this horrific parenting and deal with it in different ways. Illumi is oddly obsessive of his younger brother and Lotor is a fucking liar.

This analysis was fun! Next, I’ll be analyzing Killua and Keith Kogane.

If you’d like to see more posts like this, send me an ASK!

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i-am-a-bad-influence-writes · 3 years

Text

False alarm

Steve Masterlist - Full Masterlist

Summary: You ran away from the Avengers years ago, not knowing how to deal with feelings for a certain someone. But when you find out about a threat to humanity, you have to deliver it to the tower. You planned on dying there but your old friends refused to let you go.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Word count: 2848

Broken and bruised, you sit down on a couch in the common room. You know Stark’s systems are mere seconds from rebooting and detecting you as an intruder but you couldn’t care less. Right now, you need a place to bleed out in peace, and what better place than your former employer’s couch. And there it goes. You know Friday is too advanced to just turn on lights and sirens but you hear a scuffling and the opening and closing of doors as well as guns getting readied. And still, you couldn’t care less. Because, if it really comes down to it, there are two scenarios that could happen. Best case: They realize it’s you, listen to what you have to say, and patch you up. Worst case: They shoot you on accident or on purpose and put you out of your misery. Either is fine with you. Though with the pain you are experiencing, you’d rather die than have to go through recovery. ‘Y/n?‘ You pull your head up with the last bits of strength you still possess and look at a few familiar faces. Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanoff. ‘Hi,‘ you say weakly, ‘I’m sorry to intrude but I just wanted to bleed out peacefully.‘ Tony rushes towards you and sits down beside you. ‘Why’d have to you pick the couch?‘ His words were supposed to come out as joking and sarcastic but there’s hurt in them. And it could be delusion from losing a lot of blood, but you would’ve sworn you saw a tear fall onto his cheek. ‘The floor was uncomfortable,‘ you explain to him with a grin that looks crooked. You had intended to sound cocky, like the grin you always wore when you had sass wars with Stark. Instead, your words came out desperate. ‘I have a black rug right there,‘ his voice sounds shaky. Steve and Natasha walk over and the lights turn on. They kneel down next to you. ‘What happened to you, y/n,‘ Steve asks you, worried as always. He had always been a great guy. You’re not quite sure why you decided you didn’t like him anymore. ‘I- shit,‘ you cuss at the pain as you try to move yourself to sit up a bit more. Both Steve and Tony jump towards you to support you, but you brush their hands away. The only reason they’re not rushing you to a doctor right now is because they know how stubborn you can be. You take a deep breath. ‘I found something,’ you tell them and point at the bag you dropped a few steps into the common room, ‘it’s in my bag. They came after me.’ Your breathing becomes heavier and suddenly you realize you might actually die today. ‘What’s going on?‘ Bruce comes strolling into the room looking tired more than anything until he notices you on the couch. That man doesn’t ever run, but he damn near sprints towards you. ‘Oh shit. We need to get her medical help.‘ ‘No, you need to get my bag,‘ you tell them sternly, ‘it’s more important than my life.‘ Natasha is the only one who does as you say, although she does it with tears in her eyes. ‘Everything is on the USB,‘ you tell her. She nods and runs off to the lab. It is only then that you take a relaxed breath. ‘Ok, now you can help me.‘ None of the men waste any time getting you to the med bay. While they get things ready, you tell them a self-evaluation as well as your blood type to get them ready faster. It is only then that they realize where most of the bleeding is coming from. ‘Jesus Christ woman,‘ Tony looks at you in awe, ‘you lost half an arm and you still managed to come here?‘ ‘Just patch me up,‘ you snap at him. He nods. ‘On it.‘ He takes off the rag that you clumsily wrapped around it in an attempt to lessen the bleeding. ‘God, that’s nasty,‘ Tony gags but continues on while Steve works on some smaller cuts and Bruce gets some blood ready. ‘Hey Tony,‘ you try to speak but your voice sounds shaky and weak. You feel your consciousness fade away more and more with every breath you take. ‘Yes, dear?‘ ‘If I make it, will you get me a cool metal arm like Bucky’s?‘ ‘Of course. You want the metal metal or the black metal?‘ ‘Metal metal,‘ you smile, ‘that one was way cooler.‘ And suddenly you’re slipping. It’s like one of those dreams where you feel like you’re falling, only you’re not landing. You keep falling and falling and falling and falling and...

. ‘How is she doing?‘ Tony walks into the med bay with three cups of coffee. One for him, one for Bruce who came to do a checkup, and one for Steve who has been here for the last few days without moving. ‘Stable,‘ Bruce says shortly, ‘but Steve told me her heartbeat increased a few times during the night as well as her brain activity.‘ ‘That’s good, right?‘ ‘Better than we could’ve expected.‘ Tony smiles meekly. ‘I guess I better get working on that arm for her.‘ The door slams open and Natasha rushes in. She looks just as exhausted as Steve and both Bruce and Tony doubt she has had any sleep the past days. ‘It’s a weaponized gas,‘ she tells the three, ‘she found out that Hydra is working on a damn weaponized gas. A biological weapon.‘ She takes over one of the screens in the med bay that wasn’t used and projects her findings. ‘I think we all know how zombies work,‘ she starts her explanation, ‘well, Hydra is planning on making the whole world zombies. Not to bend them to their will, but to make them compliant so they can analyze everyone and make the useless kill themselves. The gas dies down after only a week and will be untraceable after.‘ ‘Let’s get to work.‘ . Bruised, tired, and broken Steve sits down at the side of your bed again. The man hasn’t even taken the time to take off his suit or take a shower. Right when the jet landed, he rushed back to you with Bucky following shortly behind to check on him. He smiles at the sight of you while Bucky leans against the doorpost. He’s worried for his friend, as anyone would be. He had known you for a little bit before you left. No one really knows why you left or how you left without a trace. All they knew is what you left on a note and the note really didn’t say much. Just that it was all too much for you. And yet here you are. You just helped save the world from great misery and you don’t even know it. How did all this happen? Steve lets his head hang. ‘Y/n, I don’t know if you can hear me but I need you to know that we did it,’ he tells your unconscious body, ‘we stopped them and no one died except for some Hydra scum. And Stark promised to start working on your arm tomorrow, so you better wake up so his work doesn’t go to waste.’ He looks up at Bucky for a second who seems to have teary eyes as well. Slowly, more Avengers come walking in. Bruce takes a seat at a desk, Tony sits down on top of the desk, Natasha sits down next to Steve, even Sam decided to come to support you even though he doesn’t really know you so he just leans against the doorframe with Bucky, Peter doesn’t know you either but stands behind Bucky and Sam to silently support everyone in the room. ‘I think I speak for all of us when I say we missed you,‘ Steve continues, ‘work has been different without you around. And though we all wanted you back, I don’t think any of us would’ve wanted to see you like this. We miss you.‘ ‘Speak for yourself,‘ Tony comments through tears, ‘she bled on my couch.‘ . Your USB had more information on it than just the gas. Peter and Bruce have been trying to decipher it for a week or two when Peter takes another look at you through the glass walls of the lab. ‘Doctor Bruce, I know it’s a bit strange to ask this late, but who is she?‘ Bruce peeks up from his work and walks over to the kid. He looks through the glass and sees her steady heartbeat and active brain. Your brain had been active for some time now and yet you still weren’t waking up. ‘Y/n Y/l/n,‘ he smiles, ‘think Natasha, but more motherly. In fact, there was this running joke that she would be a great mother but she’d always say she already has too many kids to take care of here. She was a great agent, but one day she just up and left. None of us knew where she went or how she disappeared without a trace but she did. We hadn’t seen her in years when she turned up.‘ Peter nods at his explanation but continues to stare. Lost in thoughts, he starts twiddling with his fingers while Bruce turns back to work. Peter sees Steve come into the med bay like he had done many times this week. Most times he’d stay for an hour or so to talk to her about anything and everything. Some others tried to talk to her too but most got too emotional. Not Steve. If they’d let him, he’d sit there the whole damn day. He’d sleep by her side if the bed was big enough. He was there whenever there was a change in her activities. ‘Why is Steve so fond of her?‘ ‘They were friends. She’s known him from the start and she’s always trusted him,‘ Bruce tells the kid, ‘she trusted him when he found out Hydra was infiltrating Shield, she trusted him when he told her Bucky had saved him, and she trusted him when he said they could trust Bucky. She’s been there for him every step of the way. I think there was something more there but I’m not sure.‘ Peter nods and gets back to work. Steve deserves some privacy with her. So he and Bruce continue to decode Hydra files. . ‘Steve Rogers, the alarm has been set off. There is activity in the kitchen. The activity seems harmless.‘ Steve groans at the sound of Friday’s voice. ‘Why are you waking me?‘ ‘Tony has already been alerted. He asked to wake the others as this might have to do with the USB agent Y/n brought in.‘ That’s all it takes to get Steve on his feet. He quickly puts on the first clothes he finds which are joggers and a T-shirt. He sneaks into the hallway, meeting with Natasha who is already wielding a gun. The two stalk slowly towards the kitchen where it seems someone has put on the lights. They go into high alert. Either this is a very cocky Hydra agent or someone who doesn’t have clearance to be here at night. As they go around the corner they find- ‘Oh, hi,‘ you say casually. They look at you with their jaws on the ground. To be fair, it must be a funny scene. You’re not used to eating with one hand and your bowl keeps slipping away from you every time you dig your spoon a little too deep into the ice cream you found. So you’re sitting hunched over, holding back the bowl with your stump and your elbow on your other arm while instantaneously trying to eat the ice cream. It’s a mess. Or it could be the fact that you’re awake. Who knows? You surely don’t. You honestly feel like you’ve just had a very good night’s rest. ‘What are- Why- How-‘ Steve stutters his words, not really sure how to react to you. ‘It’s ice cream,‘ you tell him, ‘I was hungry, and I’m not quite sure how I’m managing this but it’s going.‘ He looks at you like you’ve just told him you’re a flat earther. He doesn’t understand a thing coming out of your mouth while you’re just answering his questions. Natasha finally lowers her gun. ‘What he means to say is: why the hell are you out of bed and how are you acting so casual when you’ve been in a coma for weeks?’ ‘Weeks? I thought I just slept through the day. I had a really nice dream,‘ you smile, ‘Steve and I were sitting on the rooftop and we were just talking about everything that has been going on these past years. Though I’m sure I imagined most of it.‘ A small smile appears on Steve’s face. You heard him in your sleep. He pulls you into a tight hug and doesn’t let go until Bruce and Tony come running into the kitchen. ‘Y/n is go- oh,‘ Tony looks surprised to see you sitting at the table with a bowl of ice cream. Just as confuses as Steve had looked, if not more. ‘We though you- oh well, that’s fine I guess.‘ ‘Say, Tony, am I still getting that arm because this is terrible,‘ you joke as you attempt to eat the ice cream again. ‘I-‘ he stops himself for a second to reevaluate what he was going to say, ‘no, why the hell are you ok? You’ve been in a coma for weeks.‘ ‘I know. Steve told me,‘ you sigh, ‘honestly, thank you for telling me that. I thought I had lost my strength overnight. I had such a hard time walking.‘ ‘You should rest,‘ Natasha states. ‘Why? You just told me I’ve been in a coma for weeks. I’ve had enough rest,‘ you stubbornly try to cross your arms only to realize you only have 1.5 arms. They watch the smile on your face falter for a second before a yawn leaves your lips. ‘Ok, sure, that’s on me. Where do I sleep? Because I’m not taking the couch if that thing still has dried blood on it.‘ ‘It’s your blood,‘ Tony snaps at you. ‘I know, that doesn’t make it less disgusting.‘ Tony rubs his forehead. Ah, that’s where all his headaches went. You took them with you when you left. ‘You can stay with me,’ Steve offers. You smile. ‘I’d like that.’ . ‘There you go. Try to move your fingers.‘ You marvel at the shiny vibranium arm that is now attached to the remainder of your arm. You don’t try to move quite yet, scared that it might not work and you’ll be excited about nothing. It’s already a strange feeling though. You can see your metal limb, but your body is not understanding that it’s a part of your body. You look at Steve, who is sat next to you, for a second, hoping to get some encouragement from him. He grabs your normal hand and squeezes it gently as he smiles at you. ‘You can do it,’ he tells you but it sounds like a promise. Carefully, you focus on moving a finger. Tony watches hopefully when your index finger starts to move a little bit. You try to move your thumb and watch it move. It still doesn’t register in your head that that is your limb, but it is doing it. Then you try to turn your hand and it works too. And then comes the big thing. Actually lifting your arm. You focus on trying to lift it as hard as you can. It comes off the table just a little bit and suddenly it clicks. ‘Holy shit,‘ you cuss excitedly, ‘Steve, are you seeing this?‘ Steve has tears in his eyes as he watches the excitement double in your face. ‘I am.‘ ‘This is insane. Wow,‘ you awe, moving around more and more, ‘Tony, this is amazing. You are the best.‘ ‘Don’t praise me yet. Try picking something up.‘ Steve puts his cup of coffee down in front of you and you move the metal arm to pick it up. The whole thing looks a bit clumsy, like a baby giraffe walking for the first time, but you’re doing it. You’re actually picking up the cup. ‘Stark, you did it,‘ Steve praises with a huge grin on his face. ‘This is so fucking cool,‘ you look amazed at your arm. ‘Language.‘ ‘Yes cap,‘ you turn to Tony, ‘so what’s next?’ ‘I don’t know, you tell me,’ he says. You look at Steve and frown for a second. He nods. ‘I think I’ve left some loose ends here,’ you tell Tony while continuing to look at Steve, ‘I’d like to get a chance to tie them up.’ ‘Sure, but if Morgan can’t be the flower girl, you’re out.’ Your lips pull into a loving smile, your eyes still glued to Steve. He looks hopeful and that’s all you need. ‘Deal.’

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warlockfemale · 3 years

Text

Happy Birthday @jovialjuggernaut-draws I am so sorry that this is so late!

Bruce’s colors have always been muted.

He knows because he was told by a doctor after one of many tests. His parents had both smiled widely and told him just what an exciting thing it was. How he had a soulmate out there someplace and waxed poetry about just the sort of things Bruce would notice once he’d found them. He is one of the 30% of the world with someone made just for him that would be found out once his skin touched theirs.

What they hadn’t told him was how only 6% of the world consisted of people with soulmates that had one one another. What would have devastated Bruce once became a relief because he wasn’t destroying another’s life by making them step into the darkness with him. He was happy to date around and allow whoever had been burdened with him to go on with their own life.

And now he was staring in shock into eyes greener than anything Bruce had ever seen before in his life.

“Shit.”

“Shit!” Edward Nygma agreed. He stepped back, cleared his throat, and swiveled around. “Girls! I’ve changed my mind!” Bruce’s mind had frozen into a blue screen so all he could do was stare at the green clad (god is this how so many people usually saw the world?) trio stride out. As if Edward had an important dinner date he was almost late to while Bruce’s entire worldview was trying to stop tilting. He was sure the entire gala was staring at him or Edward at that point, wondering just what Gotham’s most popular billionaire had done to put the robbery to an end so fast.

“Bruce? You doing ok?” Hands started patting him all over. “Bruce? You’re looking really pale here.”

Shit.

* * * *

Bruce wasn’t brooding. He was analyzing the situation from all angles after debriefing it in the batcave to all persons that might get affected. Dick still refused to answer his phone so Bruce asked Wally to tell his son to check the text. Jason apparently thought there was nothing to worry about (and started laughing) and Alfred seemed less concerned about Bruce’s soulmate being a criminal and more worried about how Bruce was reacting.

Bruce wasn’t brooding and to prove it he went to answer the door soon as the bell rang.

“Delivery for a Mr. Wayne!” Nina Damfino grunted as she shoved a heavy green wrapped box into Bruce’s arms. Unlikely to be an explosive since she’d delivered it and Bruce doubted he could get away with chucking the thing away onto the lawn. So he regrettably started unwrapping the thing; hoping that Edward was watching and wincing at the unnecessary mess made of the custom paper. Taking a deep breath (and hoping that Riddler hadn’t somehow bribed Ivy into giving up some pollen) Bruce opened the box.

What. The. Fuck.

Those were Bruce’s statues. The ones depleting Zal and Rudabeh, stolen from the museum they had been on loan to years ago.

Bruce slammed the door shut in Nina’s face.

* * * *

Of course someone had noticed what was going on. Bruce hadn’t been able to stop himself from gawking at just how many different colors the world had now. Or maybe Riddler had bragged to the entire city about it. Either way Bruce was suddenly bombarded with reporters from the society page. One of them had the gall to ask when the wedding was.

“I have a preteen son,” had been Bruce’s statement hoping that could clear things up. “He is my first priority.”

In hindsight that might have been the wrong thing to say.

* * * *

“So I’ve changed the rules a little. My riddles will lead you to criminals and this time they won’t be me!” Jason was practically vibrating in place from mirth as Bruce stared fixedly at the letter laying on the table. Gordon was giving Bruce A Look.

“Word on the street is something happened at the Wayne gala.”

“Hrrn.”

“Riddler donated back some of the art he stole. Wrapped with a bow.” And with a two sheeted riddle that pretty much translated into one giant insult that the museum’s director was still trying to puzzle out. Jason had thought the entire thing was great after the director’s snub at the “newest Wayne charity case”.

“I heard.” The wall really needed to be repainted.

“Batman I need to know if this is going to explode into something I’ll need to worry about.” That had been Dick’s exact words when he’d come into the cave last night.

“I’m looking into it.” Alfred had already started to make pointed remarks about manners and facing life’s problems. “Now ‘You don’t have to look for a night on the lawn’-”

* * * *

“You know Riddler tried to bribe me into sharing information about you today at the library.” Jason tilted his chair back onto the back legs as if he had not just nearly given Bruce a heart attack with his words. “Don’t worry, I held out for a triple scoop sundae before letting him know your favorite color.”

“Jason, he's a dangerous criminal!”

“Eh I grew up with worse.” Bruce breathed in deep trying not to let Jason see just how troubled that fact always made him. Jason usually said things like that off hand, just another fact about the world. The sky was blue, Selina liked to steal things, and Jason’s childhood until now had consisted of trying to survive. “His eyes aren’t mean. And you’re soulmates.”

“I cannot tell you how little that reassures me,” Jason grinned and tipped his chair back into place the little brat. Bruce ruffled the boy’s hair as punishment earning a fake glare and slap at his hands. “But really Jason, you need to stay safe.”

“Uh huh. Think I could take on the Riddler.” Not reassuring. “I also made sure to be in sight of Barbie at all times.” Much more reassuring since Bruce had personally seen Barbra flip two grown men over her head at once. Another grin, bigger this time. More of a smirk that had Bruce raising an eyebrow. “I also told him that you liked flowers.”

“Jay lad please tell me-”

“Sir there seems to have been a delivery for you.” Alfred’s face was carefully blank, a sure sign of just what Bruce was going to find at the door. “If you do not mind.”

“Don’t worry!” Jason called out happily as Bruce stared in disbelief at the sudden garden now growing on his steps. “I made sure Ivy wouldn’t be out for blood!”

* * * *

“Ah detective!” Edward’s green suit might as well been the only spark of color in the diner as Bruce entered it. As pressed and clean as always while the man himself gave a small toast with his coffee cup. “Glad you could make it! And you solved my riddle! Very good!”

“Riddler.” Bruce sat down at the diner bar taking in Edward’s appearance. “What is it now?”

“Is that any way to talk to your new partner?”

“If you think this game-”

“Oh please,” Edward waved his hand like a magician retrieving their rabbit. “You might think Bruce’s secret is safe but I am a genius. He’s helped fund the Justice League.” Edward leaned in, eyes darting around the near empty diner as his voice lowered. “He’s funding you. I have to play on the side of angels for the only one in the universe that can understand me?” He stood up, throwing cash upon the bar and a grim smile on his face. “Now let’s get to chasing down those criminals. Quick crime question. Who was the biggest thief in history?”

Bruce stared at him, then the newspaper resting under Edward’s coffee cup. “Atlas News? Where is this going?” Edward’s face lit up, eyes gleaming as he didn’t even bother trying to hide his utter delight.

“The game, my dear Watson, is afoot!”

“Awwww.” Nightwing cooed into the communicator from his perch as Edward stumbled out the door. It was not adorable, Bruce reminded himself sternly, for a grown man to go scampering out the way that Edward did with such a look of utter pride on his face for having “bested” Batman. They both had a job to do and he was yet convinced that Edward wasn’t just trying to play another game. “Just for the record. Batgirl says you’re an emotionally repressed coward.”

Batman never sighed. In public.

* * * *

“Why hello there Mr. Wayne. Fancy seeing you um… here. At home. Working in your study.” Sometimes it was easy to forget that Riddler’s over extravagant self praise and mocking towards others covered up a socially awkward man. Alfred’s rather pointed eyebrow raise before the butler closed the door let Bruce know just how little the household held his own social skills. Perfect match Jason had cackled madly last night. One never shuts up and the other just grunts.

“I have a secret.” Bruce managed to grind out as he stared at the area above Edward’s ear. He could do this, he’d managed to disarm a bomb with Firefly setting things on fire last month. He has given this speech several times into the mirror and once to Alfred. “It is a rather large one and will affect any… relationship that I may have.” Bruce chanced a look at Edward’s face and was slightly alarmed to see the man’s lip’s twitching. “You deserve to know and if this makes you decide that a-”

“Unless your secret is that you’re Batman I don’t expect-” Edward trailed off as he stared at Bruce’s face. The green clad man’s face went blank as Bruce went through all the contingency plans for when this went bad. “You’re Batman?” Edward burst out laughing, hands flying to the desk to keep himself upright as his body shook hard. Bruce’s hand flew up to sturdy the man just to be swatted away. “I knew it!”

“You couldn’t have known I was-”

“No, no. Not that. Well, somewhat.” Edward’s eyes really were a bright green, brighter than any other color as he bent forward to give a quick peck to Bruce’s lips, one thumb rising up to trace the small scar on the corner. “I always knew you were the only one who got me.”

#riddlebat #riddler #batman #bruce wayne #edward nygma #batman fanfiction

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jann-the-bean · 3 years

Text

Busy Days

A oneshot of fluffnightkiller! What happens when a barista is too busy with work?

Ccino rubbed his sockets as he stared at the bright screen in front of him. It wasn’t easy being a full time student, a full-time worker, and parent of his multiple fuzzy kids. As he glanced at the clock, it marked 5:00 am. The cream sweatered barista huffed in frustration. He’d hardly been able to get any sleep these past few nights, as his professors decided to assign heavy work assignments due by the end of the week.

To his dismay Ccino reluctantly requested to have the day off today. If he was lucky, he would be able to complete his assignments, look after his cats, have enough time to spend with his boyfriends, and maybe get some sleep tonight.

He gently smacked his cheeks with the palm of his hands trying to focus on his work again. With a determined like and few self encouraging words the barista continued working on his assignments.

~~~

At the studio Nightmare and Killer glanced at the now closed coffee bar. Everyone had to get their coffee from the nearest coffee shop and though it wasn’t bad it was on par with Ccino’s delicious blends.

“I’ve texted Ccino a few times already, he hasn’t responded. I hope he’s ok.” Killer stated as he continued to star at his phone. On a typical day Ccino was quick to response or texted back within minutes. Except this time, it had been over an hour and they’ve yet to get a response from their smallest loved one.

“I’m sure he’s fine, but I am worried too..” The violet skeleton pursed his lips as he thought of his previous encounter with Ccino. The shy skeleton had recently been voicing his concerns over school and the workload he’s received. When questioning him, the barista would brush it off, saying something like ‘It’s not a big deal’ or ‘I have it under control.’

Nightmare brought a finger to his chin, pensive he wondered if Ccino had gotten proper sleep recently. “Maybe we should check on him.” Voiced Nightmare concern laced in every word.

Killer nodded in agreement. “Well, I’m done with my scenes. I’ll go ahead and see if he’s alright.” Killer nuzzled their noses together smiling as Nightmare had a faint blush appear on his cheek bones. “I love you, Nighty.”

Nightmare smiled a bit flustered from Killer’s unexpected action. “I love you too, Kills. Be careful and take care of Ccino until I get there.”

“Of course, see you soon.” Killer waved the violet skeleton goodbye after placing his sweater on.

~~~

Ccino had become so engrossed with his work he hardly noticed the faint knock coming from the door. After processing what the sound was he stared at the door almost as if he forgot what he was supposed to do. Blinking a couple of times he gasped finally realizing someone was knocking on his door.

Scrambling to his feet he carefully walked towards the door, trying to not step on his beloved cats.

His eyes slightly widened surprised to see Killer at the other end of the door. “K-Killer? What are you doing here..? It’s a bit early?” Ccino rubbed his eyes, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Killer. However, he decided to dismiss it for now.

“Awe I’m hurt, Ccino. I thought you’d be happy to see me.” Killer clutched his chest trying to mimic being heartbroken.

“Ah! N-no that’s not what I meant! I just wasn’t expecting company so soon!” That small barista tried to correct his previous statement. “U-uhm it’s a bit messy... but you can come in.”

As Killer took a step inside he quietly analyzed the room. Usually Ccino was good about keeping his apartment organized, unless he was battling his depression. It wasn’t too messy to suggest he was depressed, but it wasn’t as organized either. Ccino quickly scrambled to tidy up his apartment, he continued to rub his eyes and yawn every couple of minutes.

Killer took a quick opportunity to message Nightmare that a Ccino was ok but appeared to be busy. “Don’t worry about cleaning, fluffybuns. I’ll help ya clean. Still busy with school?”

Ccino nodded as he carefully placed several items where they belonged. His face flushing a light peach as he heard his nickname “Th-thank you, Killer. Uhm, yeah a little. Do you want something to drink, maybe some tea?”

Killer raised a brow it was a rather tempting offer but he didn’t want to add to Ccino’s stress. “Don’t worry about it love. Have you had a chance to take a break?”

“Uhm...” There was hesitance in the small skeleton’s voice. He didn’t want to lie to Killer that he’d been up all night and hadn’t taken a proper break. But, he knew I’d he told him the truth it would worry Killer. “This... is my first break?”

Killer frowned and furrowed his brow bones together. Knowing Ccino he wasn’t being fully honest. He always worried about others before himself. Something that Killer admired but sometimes Ccino didn’t take care of himself properly. “Well, better something than nothing I guess.”

After a few minutes of assisting Ccino tidy up the apartment and feed the kittens, the barista resumed his work activities.

Killer sat in the living room watching whatever appeared interesting on his screen, and played with several of the kittens that approached him. After an hour had passed he glanced over to Ccino he was intently focused on the screen in front of him. Killer smiled at Ccino’s serious expression, it was rather endearing actually. Still, he’d gone another hour without a break he should probably try convincing him to take one.

“Hey, Ccino shouldn’t you take a break?”

“Mhm.” Ccino responded without breaking contact with the screen.

Killer tilted his head wondering if his boyfriend had even heard him. “What’s two plus two.”

“Four.” Ccino stated almost in a monotone voice, still not looking up from his screen. His body and mind where on an automatic setting. Almost when you’re driving and zone out until you reach your destination. Then you sit there wondering how you even managed to get home with no recollection of the journey.

A bit amused Killer wondered how far he could take this before Ccino realized what was happening.

“You know you’re really hot right?”

“Mhm.” Killer giggled, maybe he should record this so Nightmare could see.

“Who’s sexier, me or Nightmare?” Killer raised a brow wondering what his response would be.

“Both.”

Killer had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. After a few minutes he settled down and sighed. As amusing as this was he was concerned for Ccino’s wellbeing. He should really get him to take a break. As he looked down at his clothes he realized he should probably shower. He had a few extra clothes he kept here in case they ever decided to spend the night.

“Ccino, I’m gonna shower,” A sly smile formed on his lips as an idea popped in his head. “Would you like to join me?”

“Sure.” Ccino automatically responded causing Killer to choke and start coughing. The noise tore Ccino’s gaze from the screen onto Killer. After a few minutes and realization, Ccino’s entire face brightened with a dark blush. “A-ah!” He buried his face within his hands trying to mask his embarrassment.

Killer had a light blush form on his cheeks. he honestly wasn’t expecting that to be Ccino’s response. Smiling, he approached the small skeleton leaning in close to his face. “Well, do you?”

Ccino squeaked as his blush deepened in hue. Just the idea and image of showering together with Killer was enough to fluster the barista. He pressed his face against his desk further trying to conceal how mortified he was.

The door clicked open, and Nightmare stepped inside with a puzzled look. “Uhm, you guys ok? I was knocking for a while but no one... Killer what did you do?” Nightmare stated almost in a scolding manner as he saw Ccino’s buried face.

“Nothing, all I asked was if he wanted to join me in the shower. Which, you could too.” Killer winked at Nightmare whose face turned a violet shade.

Hue this idea came to mind after reading @fio-violet’s fanfiction fluffy help part 2 and bouncing ideas with @help-im-a-gay-fish also tagging @kotikaleo and @yuriyuruandyuraart

So poor Killer after this still ended up showering alone after an intense scolding session from Nightmare.

Nightmare belong to @jokublog

Killer!Sans belongs to @rahofy-sketch

Ccino!Sans belongs to @black-nyanko

Studio au/ studioverse by @zu-is-here

#fanfiction #my writing #nightmare #killer!sans #ccino!sans #fluffynightkiller #ccillermare #oneshot #pfft don’t worry Ccino got all his work done #poor Ccino #but you know he probably would’ve said yes ;)#I mean who wouldn’t ;)

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wrenhyperfixates · 4 years

Text

Of All the Places

Chapter 4

Pairing: Loki x reader Series Summary: Washing up in a small town in Oklahoma was definitely not part of Loki’s plan when he came to conquer Midgard. There is one good thing about it, though: No one recognizes him as the one who just wreaked havoc in New York. So, Loki plans to recover from the battle and move on with his life. The only problem? He’s not sure he can leave you. Chapter Summary: Loki continues to struggle with his emotions as he tries to figure out his bond with you. On top of all that stress, he finally learns what the rest of the world is hearing about New York. Chapter Warnings: long, angsty, and fluffy A/N: Woohoo! Fourth chapter is here! Totaling almost 5,000 words, the longest thing I have written to date. Any comments, questions, or predictions? I’d love to hear them and chat with you! Well, guys, gals, and non-binary pals, hope you enjoy :) Updates every Friday.

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiantfavs @lunarmoon8 @twhiddlestonsstuff

✥ Start at Beginning ✥ | ← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

Loki hadn’t slept well in days. Between nightmares and dreams of you, his mind was a constant hub of activity. He didn’t need as much sleep as you mortals did, but after the whole ordeal with Thanos, the lack of rest was taking a toll on him. You were the first to notice, and started hovering even more than normal, something Loki was reluctant to admit he liked. In his final days on Asgard, he’d made himself a complete loner, going so far as to isolate himself from Frigga. It was nice to have some companionship again. That was as far as Loki ever let his mind wander, though, cutting himself off before he could deeper analyze the constant pull he felt toward you. Certainly there wasn’t even anything else to analyze anyway, he convinced himself. You were, after all, only human.

Before he could get lost in thought again, Loki refocused on Matt’s caramel blonde hair as he chased him between the barn and the house. The boy’s light curls were the only thing he’d inherited from his father and looked almost exactly like Ana otherwise. It made Loki wonder how he never guessed he was adopted, seeing as he looked nothing like either of his parents. This fresh air was really starting to get to him, he decided, because he was continuously going down these deep contemplative paths in his mind. It was a constant loop of his feelings for you, his true heritage, and how he was taking advantage of your family. Then again, it may have been the traumatic, near-death experiences and hours of torture that was doing this to him. That was the one thing he always liked to forget about.

“Tag, you’re it!” Loki cheered as he tapped Matt.

The challenge in this game, for Loki at least, was not to overtake Matt’s strides too quickly. It was the perfect balance of fake chasing and finding just the right moment to execute the tagging. Still, he was having almost as much fun as the child was.

“Now you’re it!” Matt declared a few minutes later when Loki let the boy catch up to him.

If there was anything to admire about the kid, it was his tireless energy. Loki was glad to have found someone to keep pace with him as far as that went. His mind, too, was kept plenty stimulated by late-night talks with you. Ever since you’d showed him the creek a few days ago, you seemed to talk into the wee hours of the morning. He’d never noticed before just how deep and intelligent mortals could be. It was quite the accomplishment that you were changing so many of his opinions in such a short time. Then he realized he was thinking of you yet again and cut off the train of thought before it could persist.

“Loki. Matt,” Ana called, waving at them from the front porch.

After scooping the boy up in his arms, Loki jogged over to where she was standing. Matt was happily transferred to his mother’s arms as he was carried into the kitchen for snack time. The God of Mischief looked out over your land, trying to give in to the feeling of contentment he was so close to achieving. If only he didn’t constantly have that voice in his head telling him he was a monster, he didn’t belong here. Maybe then he could be happy. A part of him wished he’d lost his memory for real.

“Oh, there you are,” you said, walking out of the house. “I’m heading into town if you want to come with me and see if anything jogs your memory.”

“Yes. I would like that very much.”

As the two of you made your way to the car, you repeatedly tossed and caught your keys in a nervous pattern. Loki held the door open for you as you got in and quickly hurried around to the other side. He stared at a weird strap by his seat as he sat down. You saw his look of befuddlement and couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

“Do you not remember how to use a seatbelt?” you asked kindly as he nodded his head yes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you came from an alien planet.”

Then you reached across his seat to buckle him in. Unfortunately, it was a bit farther than you realized, and you fell into Loki, hand splayed on his chest, his hands immediately reaching out to steady you. For a minute, the only sound in the vehicle was your pounding hearts. You cleared your throat in embarrassment as you finished your task. The air between you held a distinct awkwardness, and Loki realized that this was the first time you’d been truly alone since the creek. It sent a thrill down his spine, even as he tried to ignore his racing thoughts. Determined to look anywhere but in your direction, his eyes landed on Mama, scowling in the window. She’d made it clear that she wasn’t keen on him spending so much time with you and Matt. If he was any smarter, any braver, he would listen to her and just leave already.

“So,” you began, clearing your throat again and driving off, “how are you feeling today?”

“I am quite well, thank you. I do believe I am fully healed.”

“Promise to still take it easy, ok?”

“Alright.”

You lapsed into silence as you cruised along the road. Loki stared out the window, hoping to find some clarity in the scenery streaking by. You were a mortal, he should not have felt any sort of attachment to you. Then again, he hadn’t spent time with one since the Middle Ages. It had all been so dreadfully dull back then, but things had changed. You and your family were so exuberant, so captivating. But he was a god, and he should not concern himself with that. In fact, he should be on his way of this planet, which was maybe not so miserable, after all.

Before long, you reached town and pulled into a small parking lot of a building with a sign that said “24 Hour Convenience Store” and had many light-up neon signs, declaring they were open. You got out and Loki followed suit.

“Anything look familiar yet?” you asked. “I know you don’t live here, but maybe you passed through.”

Lying was his specialty, and it’s what he should have done now. He could hear himself in his head, his silver tongue weaving a tale about how things were coming back to him. Then he could pretend to contact someone and create an illusion, so you believed he had a happy reunion with his family. It would be prefect; he would leave and you wouldn’t worry about him. He truly wanted to believe it would perfect, anyway, but it wasn’t. Not if he never saw you again. There must be something special about you, he decided, and the Tesseract brought him here so he could figure it out. That was it. That had to be it.

“I am afraid not,” he replied. “Perhaps I came from the other way.”

“Yeah, maybe. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out,” you comforted him with a hug, mistaking the reason for his sadness.

His body went stiff in your embrace. He hadn’t been hugged in centuries. Granted, that was in part his fault because he was afraid receiving hugs from his mother would hurt his carefully crafted image. Now here you were, holding his body against your warm frame. Once his mind cleared a bit, he awkwardly hugged you, too, and gave your back a few uncertain pats. He should not have been encouraging this behavior, but he was. Maybe if he caused some mischief he’d feel more like his old self. Or maybe he didn’t want to be that person anymore. It was all too much. He was exhausted by the incessant back and forth of his thoughts. He untangled himself from you and gestured to the store.

“After you,” he said.

You pushed open the glass doors and were greeted by the cashier as you walked in. Loki followed you to the back where the refrigerator section was, and he chivalrously held the milk that you’d come to pick up. You also grabbed some coffee grounds and then proceeded to checkout. After setting down the items on the counter, Loki turned over a chocolate bar in his hands, feeling like a child as you took it out of his hands and put it down with the other items. You grabbed a few other bars too, flashing a smile at Loki and keeping up a conversation with the clerk all the while.

“And who’s your new friend?” the cashier, whose name tag said Mr. Berkeley, asked you.

“This is Loki. He’s staying with me until... Well for a while,” you finished, not sure how much Loki felt comfortable revealing.

“Where’re you from, sonny?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot remember. It seems I had some kind of horrid accident,” Loki explained before you could fret anymore. He was very tired of being called son by people when he was a thousand years their senior, though. “I was very lucky to have found my way onto their farm.”

“Well, that’s quite a story. You should talk to the newspaper, get the word out.”

You shot an “I told you so” look at Loki to which he responded with one that said, “We’ll talk about this later.” Before either of you could say anything, though, the news came on the TV which Loki hadn’t realized was on.

“Do you have cable back?” you inquired as Loki began to panic. “It’s still out on the farm.”

“Nah. I got a satellite on the roof. Just got it set up again this morning.

You nodded along as the anchors began the next story. “New York is still reeling from damage, but the group of superheroes, going by the name of the Avengers, is leading clean-up efforts. The perpetrator has still not been caught-”

Loki discreetly turned the TV off with his powers before you could hear any more. He’d have to make sure the satellite took significant damage before leaving.

“Dang it. I just fixed that damned thing,” the cashier said.

“What was that all about?” you asked, completely bewildered by the sudden influx of information. “What happened in New York?”

“I guess you missed it in the paper last week,” Mr. Berkeley explained. “Some crazy group of aliens attacked, led by some power hungry god. Supposedly it was Thor’s brother, but they haven’t disclosed that information yet. Reckon they want to wait until he’s caught, avoid a panic.”

“Oh my god. That’s terrible! Gosh, you miss one paper,” you laughed, trying to keep the mood light.

A dark cloud passed over Loki’s features, even as Mr. Berkeley laughed along. Despite those SHIELD agents covering this up, word had still gotten out in some capacity. He had to be careful, or else he was going to get caught, and then you’d be in danger. He cursed under his breath. Your safety should be the last thing he was worrying about, and yet it was the first thought to come into his mind. A little kindness thrown his way should not make him into the mess he was. Of course, there were so many other things to like about you, too, and he kept finding more. He didn’t want to, he didn’t want any of this, but the Norns were punishing him for something. What would have happened, he wondered, if he’d listened to Thor and just held on that fateful day? If he hadn’t let go of the staff and fallen to what should have been his ultimate demise?

“Sonny, are you alright?” Mr. Berkeley asked as you laid a hand on his arm.

“Fine, but I think we should be going. I’ll meet you outside.”

He jerked away from your touch before you could do anything else and stalked outside. At least the satellite was hanging half off the roof with a huge dent in its side. He opened his door and got into the car as you unlocked it and raced over to him.

“Loki! Loki!” you called as you hurried over. “What was that? Are you ok?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all. Can’t you see I’m fine?” he snapped, struggling with the seatbelt. “I’m fine,” he whispered again.

“Hey, look at me,” you soothed, filled with compassion and placing a hand on his cheek. “Whatever it is, just let me know. I’m here for you. Talk to me.”

Loki’s eyes fluttered shut as he enjoyed the warmth from your palm. He let go of the seatbelt and took a few deep breaths, just like his mother had taught him. A part of him wanted to hang onto this anger, knowing that it might finally drive him to leave. He knew from experience, though, that acting in moments of blind rage would never lead to anything good.

“Is it New York? Did you remember something?” you gasped. “You had felt it was important in some way.”

“Perhaps,” he said after one last steadying breath. “It may have triggered something. But really, I am just a little tired. Maybe I am not as healed as I thought.”

He turned his head away and rested it against the window as your hand dejectedly fell into your lap. It’s not that he wanted to pull away, but he knew it’s what was safest for you.

“Ok then. We’ll go home.”

Loki whispered his thanks and succeeded in buckling up. He closed his eyes as the car started and a wave of emotions crashed over him. When you said home, he immediately pictured the farm. He knew he shouldn’t, but he did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loki holed himself up in his room for the rest of the day, working through the new information he’d learned. He pretended to be asleep when Ana came to bring him some dinner. Notably, you had not been the one taking care of him, and he cursed himself for pushing you away. He didn’t even bother trying to convince himself it was for the best; he knew it wasn’t. After so many years on his own, he finally had a friend, and he drove you away. Why he expected anything less from himself, he didn’t know.

At some point, he fell into a restless sleep. The food from last night was still on the bedside table, but it was now joined with the Snickers bar you’d bought for him yesterday. Someone had also come and tucked him in. Maybe he hadn’t lost his friend, after all. He opened the chocolate and took a bite, delighting in the sweet and nutty flavor. He polished it off, then waved a hand over the rest of the food, causing it to disappear. He wasn’t much in the mood for eating it, but didn’t want you to worry. He nearly ran into John as he walked into the hallway with the empty tray.

“There you are!” John exclaimed. “We were getting worried. Do you need the doctor?”

“No, I am quite alright, thank you. I think I just needed some good sleep,” Loki lied.

“Only if you’re sure. Take it easy today, though, ok?”

“That’s an order,” you said, appearing behind your brother-in-law and taking the tray from Loki. “Are you hungry? You missed breakfast, but I can heat up some leftovers from you.”

“I am fine,” Loki began, but noticed you frown. “Though, I suppose I could do with a small breakfast.”

“Great!” you said a little too brightly. “I’ll meet you down there.”

“Loki, can I talk to you for a minute?” John asked, pulling him aside. “What exactly happened yesterday? We heard about New York, but it seemed like there was something else bothering them.”

Loki felt a pang in his chest at the man’s words. As if the news weren’t upsetting enough, he’d been rude to you. He could only imagine how you would feel if you knew he was the one who had caused the mayhem. He wanted to pin the blame on someone else, but the blood was on his hands and he knew he had to take some responsibility. Doing that would help him change, which he recognized was absolutely necessary after all that had happened.

“I fear I may have upset them,” Loki started, shedding his old ways by telling the truth. “I was not feeling quite right, and I turned them away. Now they clearly blame themself for it. I deeply regret it, but I am not sure there is anything I can do.”

“Just talk to them. Apologize.”

Loki did his best not to look shocked, but the last time he said sorry was when his parents caught him playing tricks on Thor, and even then it was done begrudgingly. He wasn’t even sure he could make it sound sincere.

“Listen, I’ve got an idea,” John said. “We’re heading to the city today if you want to tag along. They’re off to get some gifts for Ana while I’ve got a few potential distributors to meet with. I’m sure they would be thrilled to have your company. Unless you’re not feeling well, of course.”

“No, I’m feeling fine. That is a great idea. You have my thanks, John.”

“No problem. Now, you’d better head down for breakfast before we both get in trouble,” he laughed.

With a final nod of gratitude, Loki took off down the stairs. His light footsteps went undetected as he neared the table, once again giving him the opportunity to eavesdrop on Mama’s suspicions.

“I know something else must’ve happened yesterday. You weren’t upset over nothing.”

“It’s just the New York thing,” you replied. “I’m fine. Really.”

“You tell me what that boy did right now or so help me I’ll kick him out of this house myself!”

“Mama! He didn’t do anything wrong. I get that what happened with James hurts, believe me I do, but you can’t let it run your life. You have to be able to trust others, to trust me,” you pleaded.

“How dare you drag your brother into this,” Mama shot back, her voice cracking. “How ’bout you trust my gut when it tells me that boy is trouble. I swear-”

She was cut off by Loki doubling back and thudding down the stairs, making his presence known. He’d heard more than enough of that conversation and wouldn’t allow you to feel any more hurt than you already were.

“Good morning,” he coldly said to Mama as he walked in, nostrils flaring slightly before he regained some composure. “I am not interrupting anything, am I.”

“Only our entire lives. Why don’t you go to the police, huh? And what about the missing person ad? Why haven’t we gotten that out yet? I don’t know what game your playing, but when I figure it out, believe me you’ll be sorry.”

“Fine! You want to know what I am doing here? I do not know. I have no idea why I ended up here or why I have stayed as long as I have. So when you ‘figure it out,’ by all means, please let me know.”

“Fine!” Mama shouted as she stormed off.

Loki was comforted by the fact that in his little outburst, he hadn’t technically told any lies to you. Half-truths? Most certainly, but no outright lies. Now that he was left alone with you, though, he felt embarrassed he lost his temper. He cleared his throat before speaking.

“I am sorry,” he said, not looking at you.

“Loki, you don’t have to say sorry for defending yourself. I understand.”

“That’s not what I’m apologizing for,” he confessed, now looking into your eyes. “Yesterday I was not feeling quite right, but I should not have snapped at you nor pushed you away like that. For that, you have my sincerest apologies.

“It’s really ok, it happens to everyone. I just care that you’re feeling alright.”

You stayed where you were standing, still hesitant to move toward Loki out of fear of being rejected again. So, it fell upon Loki to close the distance between you. He took your hand in his and placed a kiss to your knuckles as a light blush coated his cheeks.

“Thank you, darling. I assure you, I am feeling more than alright now.”

Whatever was about to happen between you next was cut off by the beeping of the microwave. You finished putting together his breakfast before sitting with him at the island. Though your relationship had been repaired, the conversation was still a bit choppy and awkward as you found your footing in the friendship again. John walked in just as you were cleaning up, whistling a happy tune.

“Ready to go whenever you guys are,” he said as he leaned against the doorframe.

“You’re coming?” you asked Loki, feeling worried for his health. “Are you sure you’re up for that? I can even stay behind with you if u want.”

“Please, do not change your plans on my account. I am in a great condition to go.”

You still seemed reluctant, but agreed he could come as long as he let you know the second he started feeling unwell. He conceded, and you went to fetch your jacket with the promise you’d be back in a minute. John gave Loki a thumbs up, to which he replied with a very self-assured smile, bolstered with confidence by your latest exchange.

A few minutes later you were all piling into the car, with Loki insisting you took the passenger seat and that he’d ride in the back. He was very pleased to get the seatbelt buckled on the first try, and the two of you shared a laugh at the little inside joke. His cheeks burned slightly, remembering how you’d fallen against him. Over the next few hours, you passed time by talking, laughing, and singing along to the radio. Just as you were entering the city, a troubling thought occurred to Loki; the people here had heard the news. Even if it hadn’t been officially announced that he was responsible for New York, those rumors about him had to have included a description. Sudden inspiration struck as John parked the car.

“You don’t happen to have a hair tie in here, do you?” he inquired.

“Yeah,” you replied, reaching into the glove compartment. “Ana keeps some in here for emergencies.”

Loki thanked you as you passed it to him and quickly put his hair up in a low bun. When he turned his attention back to you, you were staring at him, and he gave you a charming, lopsided grin that had you ducking your head in embarrassment.

“Ok,” John said with a clap of his hands once you were all on the sidewalk. “We’ll meet here in, say, about 5 hours.”

“Sounds like a plan,” you agreed, before waving goodbye.

Now it was just you and Loki again as you took off towards some stores to look at some baby gifts for Ana. It would still be half a year before the baby arrived, but you were always indecisive when it came to purchasing gifts. On the way, Loki ducked into a small shop and bought a pair of sunglasses, furthering his disguise. Between that, the new clothes, and the different hairstyle, he felt pretty confident in his ability to blend in.

After two-and-a-half hours of shopping, you’d found a bunch of things to maybe get, but hadn’t decided on anything. You would go back and look some more, but you were bone tired after all the walking around. The fact that you were so exhausted made you concerned for Loki’s condition, too, not entirely trusting that he would tell you if he was feeling ill, despite his promise to.

“How are you holding up?” you cautiously asked, afraid of a repeat of yesterday if you pushed too hard.

“I am doing quite well. You, however, seem to need to stop for a spell. Come, let us rest for a minute.”

He led you over to the food court of the mall you were at and pulled out a chair for you to sit in. He glanced around at the options and, though there was nothing there that appealed to him, there was certainly something that you liked. Besides, he didn’t need to eat, but your frail mortal body would need some sustenance sooner rather than later.

“Can I get something for you to eat?” he offered.

“How about we go see a movie instead?” you proposed, eyeing up the nearby theater.

“Only if you eat something.”

“Wow. Look at how the tables have turned,” you laughed. “Fine, but you have to also.”

After a minute’s debate, you and Loki agreed on a comedy starring your favorite actor. It wouldn’t have been Loki’d first pick, but after all the stress and angst of the last 24 hours, he figured he could use a laugh. You also convinced him to try some popcorn and Pepsi. He wasn’t much a fan of the soda, but the snack was tasty enough. Though, you did end up stealing half of his after finishing your own, which was fine with him. The best part of the whole experience, though, was getting to hear your laugh over and over again. Loki thought it might be the most beautiful sound he ever heard. Well, perhaps the best part was actually when your arms brushed each other as you both went to put them on the armrest at the same time. Loki filed away all these little mental notes to dwell on at a later date. Or, if he were lucky enough to rein in his hurricane of thoughts, never again.

“Well, that killed a lot of time,” you said after the movie ended and you were stretching out, aching from having sat for so long. “We’ve still got some left though. What do you want to do?”

“I believe there was a library over by where we parked. Let us go there,” he said, quickly thinking up a plan.

By the time you walked over, there was only about twenty minutes left for him to complete what he needed to do. He hurried over to where the computers were, and though he wasn’t particularly adept with modern Midgardian technology, the directions taped to the wall were clear enough that he was able to look up a book. He sent you off to get it, claiming that the title had just popped into his head and that he was certain he used to love it, and that he wanted to check on the status of a few others. You obliged, hoping that seeing the book would bring back some more of his supposedly lost memories.

Once you were gone Loki quickly searched for information on what he learned was being referred to as the Battle of New York. Thankfully, there was as little information about him circulating as Mr. Berkeley had said. Mostly, it was just speculation and stories from people claiming they’d been there. A great number of posts and photos had been deleted, too, and Loki assumed that they were ones with more valid claims and information. Knowing how SHIELD is, Loki was sure it was all removed almost immediately, so he felt relatively safe but decided he couldn’t be too careful.

“I found it!” you said, setting the book down as Loki closed out the tab he was on.

“Wonderful! Thank you,” he replied, flipping through it. “Most unfortunately, the other books were checked out.”

You leaned over shoulder to look at the book in his hands. “That’s too bad. What about this one, though? Triggering any memories?”

“Well, I think I enjoyed reading. Other than that, I am afraid not.”

“That’s ok. We’ll keep trying.”

Your hand slowly drifted over to rest on his, and he gave you a brilliant smile. It made him wish he’d found a friend in the universe far sooner than he had. Then maybe he wouldn’t have ended up in the hands of Thanos, committing atrocities against his family and strangers alike. Then again, if none of that happened, he never would have met you. He was torn over which he preferred.

“There you guys are,” John said, walking up to where you were. “Ready to head back whenever you are.”

After putting the book back on the shelf, you were ready to leave. Loki hung back with John as you exited.

“Your plan has worked miracles, my good man. You have my sincerest gratitude,” he said.

“No problem, dude,” John said, patting Loki on the back. “Glad to bring a happy couple back together again.”

Loki’s steps faltered. Between his companion’s smirk and teasing tone, Loki knew it was meant as a joke. Mainly, anyway. John really was very off the mark, though. He and you were merely friends, nothing more. And surely that was just barely so, seeing as you were a human. There was no way you meant anything else to Loki. Right?

It wasn’t until you were back on the road, and Loki couldn’t stop looking at the back of your head, that he even began to realize just how much trouble he was in.

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twoidiotwriters1 · 4 years

Text

Never give up (Diego Hargreeves x Fem! Reader)

A/N: This is the second and final part of the previous one shot: Just One Chance , I hope you like it -Val

The requests are still open!

Words: 2,853

"How could you betray me? I thought we were best friends," says Allison from her phone. I roll my eyes.

"It's not treason, it's just a date" I say walking towards my closet. "It's not a big deal, Al."

"Sure, because it's a good idea to date the guy who practically used you as a punching bag."

"Al, Diego has never hurt me physically, at least not on purpose ... not that way."

"Right, if he did, all my brothers would kill him," I nod, even though she can't see me.

I reach out my arm to take two dresses and put them on my bed.

“Hey, which dress should I wear? Blue or red?"

"It seems that you do have a lot of interest in your date..."

"I thought you were against it."

“Hey, it's not my fault. I remember when you were crying when Diego made fun of you, then you got over it and now you ask me for fashion advice for a date with him-"

I sigh as I sit back on the mattress.

"Do you think I should cancel?" I ask nervously.

Allison is right, although all of our fights were childish, I really thought Diego hated me, but when he explained everything –I don't know-

"I can't help you with that."

"Come on, Allison. Now I feel the betrayal."

“You're going out with my brother and even if I don't want to admit it, if he gets hurt, I'm also hurt. I love you, you know, but I also love my brother, Y/N."

“Okay, let's forget for a moment that we had those problems when we were kids. What if I'm wrong to give it a try? You know that I don't have luck with my relationships..."

"Hey, no, no, no, don't start with that. We've talked, they were the idiots, you're great and it's their lost. Enough doubts and insecurity, forget what I told you!" She remains silent for a few seconds. "I could say that red would highlights everything, but I know that blue dress you mentioned and I'm sure that you'll leave my brother breathless. I vote for blue." I smile a little. “Listen, like you said, it's just a date. And I know you very well, if you don't go, you will regret it."

I sigh.

"Thanks."

“It's nothing, sweetie. Don't forget to tell me how it went!" She says and then hangs up.

I stare at the blue dress.

"Please don't be a disaster" I implore.

***

Diego

"Do you want to review?"

I nod unable to stand still.

"Well, I hear you," says Vanya sitting from her bed.

"First I'll go for her and I must give compliments, avoiding mentioning her breasts or butt," I say quickly. "I'll take her to the restaurant that is two blocks from her house, we'll have dinner, we'll talk… I'll confess everything and hopefully she won't yell at me or kill me."

"Diego!" says Vanya scolding me.

"Can I say something?" Sissy asks sitting down next to my sister. "I don't think it's a good idea to plan a date like that."

"What?" I snap looking at the blonde.

"I'm not saying that you're doing things wrong," She says, trying to calm me down. "It's just that, I think it's better when you don't plan it and you're just yourself..."

The three of us remain silent for a few seconds.

"Honey," says Vanya, taking her hand. "We already tried that."

"That doesn't help me at all," I growl.

“Diego, relax. If she sees you tense or calculating, she'll think it's just a game," adds Sissy.

"It's not."

"Then just think that you're going to date a cute girl, if you want things to go well, you both have to be comfortable with each other."

I analyze her words.

"And breathe, please," Vanya adds.

"Ok," I stretch my arms, walk up to the mirror and adjust my jacket, making sure everything is in order. “I-I'm going out with a beautiful girl. A d-date,” I nod in front of my reflection.

"You can do it, Kraken," says Vanya in a mocking tone making me laugh.

***

I ring the doorbell of her house, I wait a few minutes until I hear a "I'm coming" from inside. I step away from the door and breathe calmly again.

Don't rush, let everything flow.

She's the boss, keep an eye on the signs of affection.

Just relax.

The door opens and my breath catches at the sight of the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my damn life.

"Hey," She says with a shy smile. I shake my head and smile at her too.

"Hey," I look at her blue dress -which looks spectacular- without stopping in some inappropriate place... for now. "You're beautiful, Angel." I say without thinking much about the little nickname, but I know it was the best decision since I see a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you, you don't look bad either, Hargreeves," She closes the door, we both go down the stairs. "What's the plan, Knife boy?" I smile at the mention of the nickname from when I was a child.

“There's a good restaurant two blocks from here. We can go walking.”

"Sounds good."

We both walk in silence for a few seconds, until she giggles.

"What?" I ask with a nervous smile.

"Oh, it's just that... I'm so used to it– I thought you were going to make fun of my outfit or something."

"Well, sorry, I don't have material. You look beautiful and it's not that I'm an expert, but blue looks good on you,” I say scratching the back of my neck.

We soon reached the restaurant, where Vanya made reservations. Truth be told, I appreciate my sister's suggestion, this place is great for a first date.

After ordering our food I can see her in more detail while she's distracted, my heart races when I notice her playing with her hands, she constantly takes a strand of her loose hair and looks at all the decorations to avoid locking eyes with me. Is she as nervous as I am?

"You're good?" I ask.

She looks up at me.

"Yes, I am, it's just that ..." She shakes her head. "Forget it, it doesn't matter."

"Hey," I lean in and put my hand over hers. "If you feel uncomfortable, we can go somewhere else, no problem."

She tilts her head and frowns slightly.

"No, it's not that," She says moving her hand away. I also take away mine and fix my jacket. "This place is beautiful..." She looks at me. "Everything has turned out well in a short time, I don't know, I'm waiting for you to say nonsense, just... something hurtful."

Her words make me grimace. I can't blame her, I felt like an idiot for so many years, but even so, I'm trying my best, I haven't done anything wrong and she still thinks I'll hurt her.

"I won't," I say seriously. "But, if you expect something like that even after what I told you the other night, I don't understand why you agreed to this."

Maybe I'm willing to make a fool of myself in front of the girl I like, but I can't let my efforts be in vain. She tenses and leans in the chair.

"No, no! I didn't mean I- uhm" She stutters. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, you're right."

I sigh.

“Ok, let's promise something,” She looks at me carefully. “From now on, we will both be honest with each other. Let's forget tonight how stupid I was. I promise there will be no more games, or anything like that."

Y/N relaxes instead.

"Unless you want it," I add with a smile and she laughs.

"I promise to be honest with you, too."

The food arrives interrupting the conversation, but as soon as the waiter leaves, the tension is long gone.

"I can't believe I'm actually on a date with you," I say shyly.

“Trust me, me neither. My twelve-year-old self is over the moon,” She says.

I raise my eyebrows ."And what does your today self say about now?"

"She's still thinking things through."

The rest of the night we talk about what we've been up to lately. I told her about my boxing, some stories I had from when I help people -omitting some violent parts - the stupidest times I got arrested and she tells me about her life. She just finished law school and now works with a friend of hers, she tells me some funny cases, some sad cases, she also tells me the story of when her friend found out that she knew the guys from Umbrella Academy.

“I swear, she has all the action figures and some posters in her room. At first it was kind of adorable, but she's always asking me to introduce her."

"Is she hot?" I ask mockingly and she throws a grape at me, making me laugh. "Just kidding, just kidding!" I raise my hands in surrender.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," I say nodding.

"Why did you wait until now to ask me out?"

I stir in my place, a little uncomfortable.

"It's ridiculous," I clear my throat. "But, since my break up with Eudora, I uh-" I look down until I feel her delicate hand on mine.

"You can tell me, Diego." I look at her and I feel the warmth of her hand, sighing.

“I see my brothers, Allison with Raymond, Vanya with Sissy, even Klaus has Dave. I uh- I've been thinking, lately, about my relationships, all a mess. Not that I'm comparing myself to my siblings -we both know I'm amazing- but, I-I don't know. I see them with their partners and I can't help but want something like that,” I scratch my face, right where I have a scar. “With Eudora, we had a lot of problems, we wanted different things. Then I met a girl, Lila..."

Y/N looks at me confused. My relationship with Lila is not known with my family, I think only Five knew her.

“It didn't work either, but the point is that, when I give myself moments to think about a future next to someone," I take courage to see her in the eyes. "You are always there."

I pray to God that it doesn't scare her away.

“When we were children, I didn't know how to act next to you,” She says shyly, “if someone said your name, I would get nervous and was afraid of making a fool of myself in front of you. So my best solution was to evade you. Then you started with the jokes and I thought you hated me, but to be honest, my feelings for you didn't change overnight. I remember when Allison comforted me, while I was crying thinking that I could never be with you."

Maybe if I can convince Five to travel back in time and tell my twelve-year-old self that he's being a jerk, everything would be better.

"I'm very sorry, the least I wanted or want is to hurt you, Y/N".

“I know,” She laughs slightly. “Now that I think about it, we were just kids, Diego. None of us knew how to handle our feelings. With time I gave up." She bites her lower lip and then smiles. "But apparently, you didn't."

"I don't give up so easily, Angel," She nods.

"I'm glad you didn't."

Quite cheesy, but I feel like there's a lot of movement in my stomach and it's not the food.

We decided to take a walk through a park close to the place.

"Diego," She says, and I stand in front of her. She looks away. "You have to know something, before anything happens..."

"You're married?" I try to joke, but her words actually scare me to death. Her laughter reassures me. I'm proud to be the cause of those.

"No, you idiot," She sighs. "You were honest when you told me about your relationships. I suppose I must be too," She fidgets. "I haven't had much luck either, my last boyfriends haven't been the best, they ended up... badly," She says with teary eyes. "I'm afraid that something like that will happen again."

My heart clenches and I just want to hug her, but I stop. I take her chin and slowly lift it.

"I don't know the whole story, but I can assure you that they're assholes," I whisper as I wipe a tear from her cheek. "Although, I'm glad they're not in my way."

"Diego-"

I cup her cheek.

“Y/N, I'd do anything to be by your side, to even hold your hand, listen to your day, kiss you... I've waited for years. I'm sorry, but if you agree to be with me, it'll be difficult to get rid of me later, no matter how many stories of ex-boyfriends you tell me."

"What if we end badly?"

"My brothers will be in charge of kicking my ass," is no joke and we know it.

"What if I'm the one who hurts you?"

"I guess Allison and Vanya can take care of your ass."

She laughs again and I join her.

"You really don't plan on giving up, do you?" Our faces are very close.

"No, ma'am," I say leaning down, about to kiss her.

"Not even if I tell you not to kiss me on the first date?" She walks away.

I freeze in my place and hear her laugh. I shake my head and look at her a little dazed.

"Is it a type of revenge?" I ask.

"Well, you once left me in the same spot when we were children."

I curse under my breath.

"Hey! In my defense that was Ben, he challenged me, trying to help me to confess what I felt for you, but in the end I chickened out," I say making a face.

She stands on her tiptoes and quickly kisses my cheek. I smile at her.

I'm sure my face is now that of an idiot in love and I don't care.

"What about kisses on the second date?"

She raises her eyebrows.

"I could consider it, but this time I choose what to do."

"Deal. Do you have something in mind?

"Maybe go to the gym where you can teach me some things about self defense..."

"Are you sure?"

"You offered yourself the night of the party!"

I nod.

"Whatever the lady wants."

"It's a date…"

___________________

2 years later

"Klaus! You're already drunk and we haven't even started the game!” I complain.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Dieguito," He drawled as he sat in the opposite chair.

I roll my eyes and wait for my other siblings to arrive. This 'one night with board games' has become a tradition. At the beginning everything started well, but some don't know how to lose or even win, it always ends differently.

Luther arrives and sits next to Klaus to scold him again for being drunk, then Ben arrives along with Vanya and Sissy. After a few minutes, Raymond and Allison arrive.

"I hope you don't cry about losing this time, Y/N," says Five, Y/N walks in behind him.

“I've never cried. You're the one who always cheats!” She complains as she puts a bowl of chips on the table. She turns to see me pouting. "Right, D?"

She asks me sitting on my lap. I put my arm around her waist.

"He always does," I agree kissing her cheek. My brother looks at us with a sneer.

"Obviously your boyfriend's going to be on your side, brotherhood my ass," He complains.

"Don't be jealous, Five," I joke and he snorts.

"Well, we have to go over the rules," says Luther, drawing attention. "Five you can't flip the board again- Klaus put your glass away, the cards from the last time are still sticky..."

While he continues speaking, Y/N leans against my chest, I look down to see her.

"How do you think this will end?" She whispers.

"I say Ben will win, but Five will want to play again until he wins."

"Hmm..." She says, putting her hand on my shoulder. "I say Five will fight with Allison and it'll all be over before anyone can win."

"It's a bet?" She smiles and nods. "What does the winner get?"

"If I win, you should take me and Allison shopping," I groan. "But, if you win..." She leans close to my ear. "We won't leave the bedroom for a whole day."

I frown.

"Why wouldn't we go out?" She gives me one stern look and that's when I understand. “Oh! Yeah, okay." I smirk. "Deal, Angel," I say and then kiss her lips.

"Hey, you two!" shouts Ben in amusement. "We're going to start, so split up!"

We laugh. She turns a little to pay attention when Luther rolls the dice, I move close to her ear.

"I love you, Y/N."

She smiles at me and gives me a short kiss.

"I love you too, Diego."

Taglist (or somthing like that)

@gerim-1995 @aymiron @white-wolf-buckaroo @irenne-stans @manchuria @lindatreb @alonewolfsblog

#Diego Hargreeves #Number two #Umbrella Academy #Umbrella Academy fanfic #Diego x reader #Diego Hargreeves x reader #twoidiots writing

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ordinaryschmuck · 4 years

Text

What I thought about “Agony of a Witch” from The Owl House

...Well crap. I guess I am reviewing every episode of The Owl House from now on...ARE YOU HAPPY WRITERS?! ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELVES?! ARE YOU SATISFIED?!

...

Anyways, salutations random people on the internet who probably won't read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons. And today, I'm reviewing the penultimate episode of The Owl House’s first season: "Agony of a Witch." It goes without saying at this point, but there are going to be HUGE spoilers for both not only the episode but the entire series as a whole. So if you haven't checked out The Owl House yet, I highly recommend you do so. It's an incredible show, and the next episode is the season finale. So now's your last chance to get all caught up. With that done and over with, let's get started, shall we?

WHAT I LIKE

That opening scene: These first few minutes perfectly sets the tone for the episode. The best example of how the tone is set is with the music. Or rather, lack thereof. The establishing shots of Belos' castle could have had grand and imposing music that gives "The Imperial March" a run for its money. But honestly, the pure silence says so much more about how serious this scene than any background motif could. Because while music does an excellent job of telling us how we should feel, no music means that the right feelings are already met. And in this case, the feelings are dread and terror.

But another thing that perfectly sets the tone is the fact that there aren't any jokes in this scene. If you had to ask me, I'd say that The Owl House is a comedy series with drama and story on the side. This is because the opening scene of every episode begins with trying to make the audience laugh with one or two jokes. That is every episode except for this one. Because "Agony of a Witch" does not open with any jokes leaving the audience with laughter. It begins with an ominous threat and leaving the audience in fear. All of which perfectly sets up how gutwrenching this episode is going to be.

Hooty’s an actual security system: But luckily, it doesn't take too long for the laughs to come right on back.

When it was implied that Hooty was the security system that Eda had set for her house, I never understood how or why. But now I do! Because it turns out that Hooty acts as a force of chaos that just annoys his enemies into submission. And I'm gonna level with you for a second: This scene helps make Hooty a fantastic character. For the most part, I find Hooty an annoying character. And it's partially due to his voice...mostly due to his voice...it's because of his voice. But, I'm sorry, a character wins points for me by accidentally beating an army without even knowing they're fighting.

I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

“It’s because he’s got the hots for you, isn’t it?”: I like the fact that I pointed this out as a joke in my last review, only for this episode to not only address it but almost immediately dismiss it.

Plus, Eda winking with finger guns is always a win. Again, I don't make the rules.

Eda joking about the curse being a fate worse than death: Some people might make the audacious claim that joking about a fate worse than death soils the mood. And I would agree with that if this was actually a joke. Instead, it feels more like Eda is brushing off the tension by trying to laugh at it. That is something that many people-myself included-do to make people we care about feel better. To me, it feels pretty clear that Eda laughs about her situation so that Luz doesn't worry about her mentor. This shows how much Luz means to Eda, and we see something similar/more impactful near the end that cements that fact. For now, this "joke" is actually a great character moment when you take a second to analyze it.

Luz’s plan to steal the Healing Hat: Staying on track of development, let's talk about how much this scene reflects growth with Luz and Eda's relationship. Luz's willingness to steal from the emperor, and break who knows how many laws in the process, shows how much Luz cares about Eda. It's sweet to think about, even though it comes by Luz making the dumbest decision in her life. And while Luz's plan would ordinarily be a dislike, what turns things around is the fact that there are immediate consequences to Luz's actions. Eda's curse being permanent? Eda getting captured? Luz nearly dying?! All of this would have been avoided if Luz just stuck with the group instead of working on impulse. And there's not a doubt in my mind that's what she was thinking during her long trek home (more on that later). So, yeah. While Luz's plan was misguided, it still has the sweetest of intentions while also showing kids that bad stuff happens when you don't think things through.

Amity staying at home: Narratively speaking, this was a great decision. Amity acts as the voice of reason to Luz's antics. So if she went on the trip too, then she would have talked Luz out of the heist. And the writers found a brilliant workaround by having Amity break her leg in the last episode, to work as an excuse for why she isn't in this one. In fact, let's add more points to "Wing it Like Witches" for planning ahead. That alone makes it more clear about how that episode isn't filler.

Eda knits the cape for Luz: While Luz stealing the Healing Hat shows how much Eda means to her, Eda knitting the cape shows the feelings are very much mutual. It's made pretty evident in the beginning that Eda's planning to use the magic silk to protect herself. So having her instantly make the cape for Luz without a second thought is just the sweetest thing. And you know what? Who's to say that Eda wasn't planning to make the cape anyway? And Eda saying that the silk was for her was just a diversion to throw Luz off? Because if that's the case, then boy does that ending break my heart even more.

(Also, this acts as a fantastic setup for why Luz has a cape that makes her invulnerable to the Emperor's magic in the next episode. At least, I think that's the case going off of what Eda says in the beginning.)

The picture of Luz: Ok, am I the only one who would absolutely love an explanation for this picture? Yeah, it's obvious that Luz got into an eating contest to the death, but how did she even get stuck in this contest? Why was she even in this contest? And why was Eda so proud of this moment that she decided to frame it?

Screw the fanfictions of angst and/or Lumity fluff. Someone write a fanfic about THAT!

The tour of the castle: I talked about in my "Wing it Like Witches" review that I like how the show uses teaching the students as a way to give lore to the audience. And that's what Kikimora's tour does. It uses the student's willingness to learn as a way for the fans to learn more about the lore of the show. However, while these bits of background information is nice and all, there's one question I want to bring up:

How honest is this little history lesson about Emperor Belos? Because do you know who’s the one that can make sure history remembers Belos as a kind and just ruler who united the Boiling Isles? My guess is it's the same person who appointed himself as emperor.

Just a little thing to think about, if you ask me.

The Room of Relics: Gonna tell ya the truth: Seeing all of those relics made the inner child in me go, "Oooh. Shiney."

I'm not kidding when I say that I would love to learn more about each of those relics we see in this episode. I want to learn more about each relic's origins, which track they belong to, and what the hell they even do. And it's not often that I feel this way. Hell, I'm mostly the guy who never gives a crap about lore. But you better believe that if Dana Terrace ever writes a book explaining all of these relics, that I'll be the first to buy it.

Emperor Belos: ...Eep…

I'm not kidding when I say that "Eep" is the best way for me to describe Emperor Belos. The reason that makes Belos feel like a terrifying and opposing character is the same way Darth Vader and Thanos are terrifying and opposing. He's a character that feels like a force of nature that is so powerful, he could probably kill you just by blinking. And it's no wonder why Lilith was so terrified to fail him in the last episode. I'd be terrified just to look at the man without his permission! And that was before it was implied that he sacrifices witches who are covenless!

But, Belos frightening the crap out of me isn't the only reason why he's an excellent villain. What makes him great is that in his debut scene, we learn so much about him...and yet have so many more questions. Like, how can he talk to the titan? What's up with the giant beating heart on top of his throne? Why is he sacrificing witches and discarded palisman to give him power? What the f**k is up with the giant beating heart on top of his throne? Why are there pipes littered throughout his castle? AND WHAT! THE F**K! IS UP! WITH THE GIANT! BEATING! HEART! ON! TOP! OF! HIS! THRONE?!?!

Questions like these help make Belos more interesting of a character that I would love to learn more about. Even though seeing him makes me physically shrink in my chair.

Gus being told that he’s already his best self: I mean, this is just sweet. My man Gus needs more love, dang it!

Eda vs. Lilith: It's like the animators saw the first fight between Eda and Lilith and asked, "How can we make this more awesome?" Turns out, the answer is to make the fight more like an anime than the first one. And MAN, was it successful! However, being epic is not the main reason why it's a captivating fight scene. Because as excellent as it was to see Eda and Lilith fight for the first time, their battle lacked one crucial element that’s in their second fight: Tension. Eda's curse getting worse with each spell and Luz being in constant danger adds so much more tension to this fight. And as a result, it becomes more entertaining to watch Eda fight knowing the odds are highly stacked against her. Because even though Eda was destined to lose, you still hope for the best that she'll somehow win. Which makes her ultimate defeat all the more heartbreaking.

LILITH CURSED EDA?!: What?! WHAT?!

I mean, I expected Eda to lose and get captured. That was something I saw a mile away since watching the promo a few months ago. But revealing that Lilith is the one who cursed Eda?! I could have never predicted that! It was such a shocking revelation that I cannot wait to see how the show handles this going forward. Because, the way I see it, Eda is cutting ties with Lilith after this episode. Even if Lilith has some sort of logical explanation, none of it will matter to Eda. Hell, it already doesn't matter to the fans, who are already jumping on the "Kick Lilith's teeth in" train. As for me, I'm going to wait for the actual explanation before I make any judgments. It is made pretty clear that Lilith regrets what she's done in not only in this episode but through small interactions with Eda in the past. It might not justify her actions, but I am still willing to hear the full story before I come to the conclusion that Lilith must burn in hell. Unless her reasoning was petty revenge or jealousy. In which case, I would like to introduce Lilith to my good friend Frederick Ulisinsburg.

*Lifts up middle finger*

You can call him F.U. for short.

Eda’s goodbye to Luz: Everything about this moment is gutwrenching perfection. I want to start off by talking about the fact that Eda smiles as she's saying goodbye. Earlier I touched upon that Eda joked about having a fate worse than death was an attempt to relieve tension off of Luz. And it's the same thing here. Eda smiling is the only way she can convey to Luz that everything's going to be ok so that her protege won't be upset about their situation. There are just two things that betray Eda during this sentiment. The first is her voice. You can tell that Eda is trying her best to stay emotionally stable for Luz, but it's clear how she's really feeling through each crack in her voice. And credit goes to Wendie Malick for giving such a marvelous performance in this scene. The second thing that betrays Eda is her eyes. Every ounce of pain and sadness that Eda is feeling at this moment can be seen through her eyes. Don't believe me? Then watch this scene again, cover Eda's mouth, and focus on the eyes. You'll see what I'll mean.

And her last word to Luz being "Thank you for being in my life." That cuts deep man...IT CUTS DEEP...GAH!

Luz walks home: It's the moments that you don't experience that can have the most weight to them. We, as the audience, have no idea what happened with Luz as she walked all the way back to the Owl House. But the things we can imagine are much worse. The guilt Luz must be feeling during this walk, as every awful thing that she experienced replays in her mind, like a broken record. The idea of Luz going through something like that just...It just breaks the heart.

“Where’s Eda?”: It's the innocent way that King asks this question is what makes it sad. It shows the childlike naivety in King's character, and imagining what his reaction would be to the truth, makes it even more tear jerking.

Luz cries: Nope. Nope! NOPE!

I will accept a lot of things from this episode. Eda getting captured? Sure. Luz having a literal guilt trip? Why not? King getting to learn the hard way about what happened to Eda? Go for it! But you know what I won't accept? LUZ F**KING CRYING! I'm being one-hundred percent serious when I say that it physically hurts to look at that one single image. Even just thinking about it is enough to make me misty-eyed. And I HATE IT! I mean, I love it because the show successfully made me feel the exact emotions that I should feel. BUT I HATE IT!

WHAT I DISLIKED

I honestly wish I could say that there is nothing that I dislike about this episode. I really do. But there is one small thing that-very briefly-took enjoyment out of the episode. And that’s-

The Kids easily sneaking past the guards: Don't get me wrong, the funny antics that our trio pull off are very entertaining. But it shines a bad light on the Emperor's coven, when the best of the best witches get outsmarted by three children. Plus, this is the penultimate episode of the season. I'm not sure goofy hijinks are the way you want to go. Because while The Owl House is a comedy series, even the funniest of comedies know when to make jokes and when to be serious.

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

But despite that one complaint, I still give this episode an A+. It was emotionally draining, and it makes both more excited and incredibly terrified for the season finale. Because we now know the stakes for the next episode. The question is, how will Luz survive.

Now, I'm sure there are people out there who probably hate this episode, and probably the whole series if you want to get into it. And to those people: I feel bad for you. And I'm not saying that as a joke or as a snarky remark. I legitimately feel bad for you. Because I felt a whole range of emotions not just with one episode, not just with one scene, but with one single frame of animation. That image of Luz crying was more effective in getting a reaction out of me than anything else that came out this year. And the idea that some of you won't feel the same way fills me with even more Agony.

#the owl house #the owl house review #what i thought about

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alpacaparkaseok · 3 years

Text

Mine - The Epilogue

Genre: Yoongi x oc, Jimin x oc

Warnings: so much fluff, and I got so far back into my freaking feelings, remembering how much I love this series.

Word Count: 5k

a/n: guys, it’s here!! Thank you to those of you that read and loved ‘Mine’, that series seriously is one of my favorites ever. I’m just so soft for these characters. So thank you guys for even wanting an epilogue. I hope you enjoy, I know I did!

If you haven’t had a chance to read ‘Mine’...I would really love you to. it’s a good time, I promise. ⇨ Mine Masterlist

🌙

When Bong-cha heard from Jimin about Yoongi’s plan to fly to Paris and meet Cara there, she couldn’t decide if she wanted to hate him for being so cheesy, or cry because it was perfect.

In the end she did a little bit of both.

The day that Cara called her as she was about to fly out, Bong-cha was at home, working in her makeshift studio. Jimin had invited her a million times to come out and use the studio at the company building, but she always felt like somehow she was intruding. When she woke up that morning and couldn’t make it out of bed without feeling dizzy, she decided that today was a perfect day to do her work from home.

There wasn’t too much to be done; they were all rather routine things that she did often, however it was difficult to get even the most mundane task finished when every time she moved too quickly she had to close her eyes and lay down for fifteen minutes before even thinking about trying again.

Bong-cha has just opened her eyes and is in the process of slowly sitting up when her phone rings. She’s half-tempted to just ignore it, but once she sees who it is, she’s quick to grab it.

This should be exciting.

“I was wondering if you were ever going to call me. You made it to the airport?” Bong-cha squeezes her eyes shut as she does her best to not sound absolutely miserable.

“Just got to my terminal.” The nervousness is evident in Cara’s voice.

“And how are you feeling?”

“Like this is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever done and I’m scared something will go wrong.”

Bong-cha eases back down onto the pillows, stifling a groan as the room spins. “Sounds about right.”

“Has…he left?”

Bong-cha laughs on the other side of the phone, knowing Cara all too well. “Yeah, he left a while ago.”

“Did he say anything to you before he left?”

“No, Chim told me.”

“Ooooh, of course.”

Now Bong-cha does groan, feigning annoyance. “Yah. You know you have to tell me absolutely everything that happens, right?”

“I know, I know. Will you come to my funeral if this turns out to be some grand scheme to murder me?”

“Bold of you to assume that I wasn’t the mastermind behind your murder.”

“Not helping,” Cara chides in a singsong voice.

“Joking. Everything will go great, I promise. Just trust Yoongi, ok? Or rather, trust my judgement.”

“I’m trying. Anyway, how’s Jimin?”

Bong-cha’s heart rate picks up at the mere mention of the boy that can never get out of her head. She’s got too much work to do today to start analyzing over every little side-long glance she’s received from him, so she’s quick to cut the conversation. “Oh, would you look at the time. I’ve some work to-”

“I hate you.”

Bong-cha croaks out a laugh, hoping that at least Cara is feeling better now. “Love you too, Cara. Text me when you get there.”

The call ends, leaving Bong-cha staring up at the ceiling that is swimming in stars. She hopes that everything works out with this crazy scheme - Yoongi’s hair is going to start turning gray if things don’t start looking up soon.

It was late in the evening in Seoul when Beth called, so Bong-cha ends up calling it a day and turning in for the evening. Falling into a deep sleep, she just hopes that tomorrow is a better day.

🌙

Bong-cha’s dreams, as per usual, are haunted by Jimin.

It’s something that’s gone on for much too long, if she were to admit it. In her waking hours, she does her best to forget it. However, once sleep overtakes her, her subconscious allows for moments of weakness.

Tonight she’s dreaming that Jimin has found her, and he’s ever so delicately tracing the lines of her cheeks and brows. She’s feverish, that’s what he keeps saying. Bong-cha wants to tell him that she’s perfectly healthy; she’s just always a bit warm when he’s around. However, just like conscious Bong-cha, she’s unable to voice her feelings.

Raising an arm; which is difficult to do in her dreamlike, hazy state, she rests her hand on Jimin’s knee. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, giving her a look that she can only describe as concerned adoration.

“Chim,” Bong-cha croaks out, wondering why everything seems so difficult in this particular dream. “I don’t d...don’t deserve you.”

Jimin freezes where he was trying to gauge just how bad of a fever Bong-cha has, his hand slowly retreating from her forehead.

“What do you mean?” He asks incredulously.

Jimin is never one to get out of bed a single second before he has to. It’s a defining characteristic, and one that he’s grown quite proud of. However, when Bong-cha failed to show up for dinner like she’d promised last night and didn’t answer any of his texts or calls, he grew worried.

The other boys just told him not to worry about it, that she was probably fine. They were all too busy hoping that Yoongi wasn’t about to make a complete fool of himself to worry about Bong-cha.

Jimin almost left last night to check on the woman in question, however he was convinced not to. There was too much work he had to do. Bong-cha was a big girl, and she would most likely never let him live it down if he appeared at her doorstep late at night just to check on her.

Fear of embarrassment is what had him settling for checking her location for the sixteenth time and going to bed.

It wasn’t until Jimin awoke at 4:30 am with a feeling of uneasiness that he snuck out of the apartment and drove out to Bong-cha’s. Not even thinking about the early hour, Jimin rustled through the shrubs outside of Bong-cha’s apartment for the spare key he helped her hide, and let himself in.

He’d let out a sigh of relief when he saw Bong-cha laying on her bed, completely passed out.

Then he noticed the way she was shivering.

Now here he was, heart pounding out of his chest as he stares down at Bong-cha’s hand on his knee, listening to her dazed self proclaim that she doesn’t deserve him.

“What do you mean?”

Bong-cha sighs, clearly annoyed that Jimin didn’t automatically understand what she meant. Jimin stifles a laugh, waiting patiently for an answer.

Grasping blindly for her blankets, Jimin helps to bring the covers up to Bong-cha’s chin as she continues to shiver.

“Dream Jimin is usually smarter than this,” Bong-cha grumbles. “He knows that he can never be mine.”

Jimin blinks down at the woman he’s come to fall completely head over heels with, his heart betraying him as it skips a beat and begins to hope.

“Do you want me to be yours?”

It’s an innocent enough question, although Jimin finds that he's bracing himself for the answer. The closest him and Bong-cha have ever gotten to discussing any sort of feelings is when they fight to sit beside each other for a meal.

Truthfully Jimin has come to love mealtimes because of it.

Bong-cha’s eyes are closed, but she keeps one hand extended out toward Jimin, clinging to this supposed dream for as long as she can.

“Chiminie,” Bong-cha mumbles out quietly, making Jimin turn a little red at the endearing nickname, “You are mine.” She says it with such firmness that Jimin practically melts, believing her every word.

“Really?” He breathes out.

Bong-cha grunts in confirmation. “But only dream Jimin is mine.”

Jimin furrows his brows, daring to brush a strand of hair from Bong-cha’s face. “Why isn’t real Jimin yours?”

Bong-cha looks a little angry, furrowing her eyebrows as though he just asked the most ridiculous question known to man. “I don’t deserve real Jimin.”

Sighing, Jimin gingerly gets off the bed to begin his search for medicine and a cool cloth. “That’s silly, Bong-cha. I’ll prove it to you.”

Bong-cha doesn’t reply, lost to her feverish sleep again. Backing out of the room, Jimin pauses to lean against the wall in the hallway and catch his breath. He’s caught between melting through the floor and his heart shattering at Bong-cha hopeless confession.

His hands are shaking as he brings a bowl of cold water in, a cloth soaking in it. He rushes back to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some pills, carrying a chair in to sit beside the bed.

Unsure of how to best go about this, Jimin wrings the cloth out and presses it gently to Bong-cha’s forehead, holding his breath.

Bong-cha stirs, frowning at the unexpected drops of water seeping into her hair. Eyes fluttering open, she looks more coherent than a few minutes ago. She gives a little gasp as she sees Jimin sitting beside the bed.

“Hi,” Jimin says a little helplessly. He even gives her a small wave for emphasis.

Bong-cha blinks heavily, reaching up to rub the sleep from her eyes. Does this mean her fever-dream was...real?

Deciding to pretend that that was really just a dream in order to save face, Bong-cha returns the awkward wave.

“What are you doing here?” Bong-cha winces at how raw her throat sounds, Jimin turning in a hurry to grab the glass of water. Easing her into an upright position, Jimin hands her a pill and the water. Jimin waits until she’s finished the glass before speaking, tapping his fingers against the cup.

“...you have a fever.”

Bong-cha stares. “Ok?”

Scratching the back of his neck, Jimin realizing that conversing with conscious Bong-cha after a confession is more difficult than he thought it would be.

“I was worried about you. And I want to make sure you feel better. It-it’s really early still,” Jimin winces as he sees that it’s not even 6 am yet. “But...when’s the last time you ate? I think you need to eat and drink and get lots of rest.”

At a complete loss for words, Bong-cha rests her head back against the pillow. “Hmph.”

Deeming the conversation temporarily finished, Jimin rushes back into the kitchen to refill the glass. When he re-enters Bong-cha room, he notices her shivering again.

“I’ll get you another blanket,” Jimin murmurs, heading into the front room.

The next half-hour follows a similar pattern: Jimin rushing from room to room, grabbing blankets, water bottles, and eventually ending up in the kitchen heating up some soup before the sun has even risen. It’s a little strange, but he figures that Bong-cha needs to eat, seeing as she couldn’t remember even getting out of bed the day before.

When Jimin returns with a bowl of steaming soup, he can’t help but smile a little at the sight before him.

Bong-cha is curled up under several fluffy blankets, her cheeks red from the fever as she snoozes. Despite feeling horrible, Jimin can’t help but take a mental picture.

She's always been the most beautiful person in the room.

Hating to wake her up after she’s just fallen back asleep, Jimin decides to wait until the soup has cooled down a bit. Perching on his chair and watching every little movement, Jimin nearly jumps out of his skin when his phone dings.

He quickly pulls it out, making sure it’s silenced and internally groaning when he sees a text from Jin asking where he is. Shooting back a reply and consigning himself to the fact that he will be endlessly teased, Jimin puts his phone away as Bong-cha begins to stir.

“Sorry,” Jimin whispers, mentally cursing Jin. “Can you eat?”

Bong-cha’s eyelashes flutter as she focuses in on Jimin, the events of the strange morning flooding her mind as she wakes back up. Giving a small nod of her head, she manages to sit up, pulling a blanket over her shoulders.

Blowing on the soup for good measure, Jimin extends the spoon to Bong-cha, his cheeks turning a shade of red to match Bong-cha’s.

Overcome with emotion as a result of the kind action and exhaustion, Bong-cha keeps her eyes down as she carefully eats. The only sound is the spoon scraping against the bowl, the silence weighing down heavily upon the pair. It’s so quiet that Bong-cha’s quiet sniffle is obvious.

Jimin pauses where he was deathly concentrated on making sure not a single drop spilled, looking to see Bong-cha hastily brushing a tear from her eye.

“What’s wrong?” Jimin asks, carefully placing the bowl on the nightstand and whirling around to face Bong-cha again. “What’s wrong, Bong-cha?”

She shakes her head, keeping her eyes trained on the ground and clenching her jaw as she fights the onslaught of tears that are begging to be released. Suddenly the weight of all the stress she’s been hiding and the fact that the man she’s been desperately been trying not to fall in love with is here and being so sweet and kind to her all convenes and crashes into her at full speed. Streams of tears rush down Bong-cha’s cheeks while she desperately tries to stop the flow.

Jimin jumps into action, leaping off the chair and coming to sit beside her on the bed. “Come here,” he mumbles, letting out a sigh of relief when Bong-cha goes willingly into his arms. Her tears are soaking his shirt where she’s resting her head against his chest, but Jimin doesn’t mind one bit.

“I-I’m so s-sorry,” Bong-cha hiccups, turning into a shaking, shivering mess. Cooing over her, Jimin grabs a fistful of blanket, hauling it over the two of them.

“It’s ok,” he whispers, resting his cheek atop her head. “You’re exhausted and sick, I would be crying too.”

Bong-cha chuckles in between hiccups, burrowing in deeper. Jimin tightens his grip, locking her in place and momentarily giving silent thanks for fevers.

Eventually Bong-cha calms down, her hiccups subsiding as she leans against Jimin and lets out a long sigh. “I’m sorry,” Bong-cha apologizes again.

Jimin shakes his head, furrowing his brow as he straightens up. “Don’t apologize.”

Bong-cha tries to refute him. “No, I-”

Gently cupping her chin, Jimin turns her face up to look at him. His words are caught in his throat as Bong-cha looks up at him with wide eyes, her lashes wet from her tears. Her cheeks are still an impressive shade of red, the tip of her nose matching it as she sniffles.

Bong-cha watches in disbelief as Jimin freezes, his mouth ajar as his eyes graze over her face. They start at her eyes, but gradually glide down to her lips.

It’s so quiet as Jimin leans down, eyes focused on those lips as he looks almost confused. Like this wasn’t his original plan.

Bong-cha’s eyes are half-closed as Jimin leans down, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip before his lips replace it.

A part of Bong-cha wonders if this is just another cruel dream, but she knows better. This feels real. The way Jimin’s lips feel so cool against her fever-warm ones, their pillow-like softness pulling her in as she involuntarily sighs in contentment.

When Jimin pulls away, he almost looks like he’s the one with a fever. His eyes are a little dazed and he wears a shy smile as he glances at Bong-cha, who’s eyes are still half-closed.

It’s quiet still.

Jimin comes to his senses, deciding that he’s all in now. Placing a gentle kiss to the back of Bong-cha’s hand which almost makes her blush harder than when he kissed her lips, Jimin rises from the bed.

“I think I need to reheat your soup,” Jimin mumbles, grabbing the bowl. “I’ll let you rest now.”

Before he can walk out the door, Bong-cha’s small voice calls out to him. Turning to face her from the doorway, Jimin can’t help but feel like he’s flying.

“Jimin-ah?”

“Yes?”

Bong-cha fiddles with the blankets, not daring to look up at him. She’s burning up with embarrassment, she’s sure of it. “Was...this isn’t a dream, right?”

Jimin chuckles, leaning head head against the door frame. “No. This is very real.”

“Oh.”

He decides to press the matter a bit further. “Why, do you like dream Jimin better?”

Bong-cha flashes his a mortified glance, clinging to the blankets for dear life. “Don’t you have soup to reheat?”

Jimin’s laugh reverberates around the house as he heads into the kitchen, and Bong-cha quickly grabs her phone from the bedside table, sending off four hurried texts to Cara.

ME: I KNOW YOU’RE BUSY BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT

ME: THE HEAVENS HAVE OPENED AT LAST

ME: AND BY HEAVENS I MEAN PARK JIMIN FINALLY MADE A MOVE

ME: AND BY MOVE I MEAN KISS

🌙

8 Months Later

“Should we leave the rice in the pan a little longer?” Bong-cha muses aloud as she stares down at the rice. “Or do you think they’re close?”

Jimin appears at her side, maneuvering around the kitchen where Yoongi and Cara made mandu nearly a year ago. “I think they’re close. Yoongi said they were leaving the airport thirty minutes ago.”

The boys’ shared apartment is a hub of activity tonight, everyone pulling together to get everything prepared in time for Beth’s arrival.

The last time Beth was in Seoul was nearly a year ago, her and Yoongi meeting up in Paris a mere eight months ago.

The stars have finally aligned, and Beth is going to be staying with Bong-cha for the next month. It wasn’t easy for her to schedule out a complete month of vacation, but they did it.

Although Bong-cha has a sneaking suspicion that Yoongi might have pulled some strings.

Carrying the dish filled to the brim with rice into the dining room, Bong-cha chuckles at the wide assortment of food that they’ve both ordered and made. In the middle of the table sits a humble plate filled to the brim with dumplings. Yoongi had insisted on making them this morning, recruiting the help of Bong-cha and Jimin.

They’d helped for a little while before sneaking out when Yoongi had his back turned.

“Is that them?” Jin asks, craning his neck to watch a car driving up. Soon enough everyone is stumbling over each other, trying to see.

Everyone starts shouting and celebrating as the car doors open to reveal Cara and Yoongi, Jin opening the window to yell down to them.

“Finally!”

Cara laughs as she looks up at the window, waving and turning to say something to Yoongi. He laughs at whatever it is she says, wasting no time in grabbing her hand in his.

“Look at that smile,” Namjoon coos. “He’s been waiting for this for so long.”

Everyone is lined up around the table when Cara and Yoongi enter, Cara’s eyes immediately finding Bong-cha. The two friends are a mixture of laughter and yelling incoherent things as they embrace.

“Come sit down before the food gets cold,” Taehyung invites, making sure to leave a couple of empty spaces at the table for the couple to sit together. Yoongi moves toward the chair to take a seat, turning when Cara doesn’t immediately sit by him.

“Chim, why don’t you sit by Yoongi tonight?” Bong-cha chimes, dragging Cara behind her. Both men feign offense, Yoongi looking a bit like a lost puppy as his girlfriend is taken to sit across from him. When Bong-cha sees him, she rolls her eyes. “What? You two will spend a lot of time together. I’m taking her while I can.”

“But she’s staying at your house!” Yoongi protests, Jimin laughing as he eases into the chair beside him.

Bong-cha raises her brows at him. “Knowing you, she’ll be home after I’ve fallen asleep and gone again before I wake up.”

Yoongi mumbles something about ‘not true’ under his breath, shooting a glare at Jimin beside him. Jimin raises his hands up in innocence.

“Hey, I didn’t get to sit by my girlfriend either. Don’t look at me like it’s my fault.”

Cara stares out at the food with wide eyes, looking surprisingly awake despite just coming off of a long flight. “So...you two are dating?”

Everyone around the table groans, Jimin and Bong-cha exchanging guilty glances. “Well...” Jimin starts, looking to his girlfriend for help.

“We are, it’s just-”

“They’re like awkward school children,” Namjoon drawls, watching with a bit of fear as Jungkook shovels unnaturally large amounts of food into his mouth. “They’re dating, but the second anyone brings it up they can hardly look at each other in the eye.”

Jimin slides down in his seat. “That’s not fair, hyung. How could you do this to me?”

Cara chuckles, observing the chaos she unleashed. “You two are freaking slow.”

Bong-cha gasps. “As opposed to you two?” She gestures angrily between Yoongi and Cara. “The two of you took all of a week to confess! And what, two months to go official?!”

Yoongi looks unfazed, piling some food onto his plate as though he hadn’t heard anything. Jimin laughs, elbowing his friend.

“What?” Yoongi asks, looking innocent.

“You know what,” Bong-cha quips. Cara laughs, the sound making Yoongi break his solemn expression as he grins.

“Oh.” He shrugs. “We kind of had a strange situation, there wasn’t really any time to take our time.”

Jimin snaps his fingers. “Ha! So we’re fine! We’re...we’re enjoying our lives!”

it’s quiet for a moment before everyone bursts out into laughter. Cara rests her chin on her hand, her nose crinkling as she laughs. Looking over at Bong-cha, she winks.

“Welcome back, Cara,” Hobi says from the end of the table.

Cara takes a deep breath, looking around the table until her eyes land on Yoongi. The two of them share a knowing look.

“Thanks.”

Months of just seeing each other through a screen, that’s what they’ve been through. They’ve taken to sending each other hand-written letters once a week, the boys have often seen Yoongi sitting at the kitchen table reading through the latest letter with a soft smile on his face.

The rumors surrounding the pair have died down quite a bit, however there are still a few circulating. Word has yet to get out about Cara’s vacation in Seoul, and Bong-cha just hopes that nobody finds out at least until it’s over. Heaven knows that the second people find out that Cara’s back in Seoul without a work reason, they’ll start freaking out.

Bong-cha watches the couple throughout the night, a little in awe of the two of them. They look at each other like they’re so sure. A part of her knows that when Cara is looking at Yoongi, she’s looking at her future.

Yoongi looks at Cara like the first flower of spring. Like he’s so excited that he found her, and like he knows that the best is yet to come.

Despite having been apart for months, the two fall into an easy pattern together. Bong-cha giggles a little at how giddy Yoongi looks when they settle down to watch a movie later that night, Cara coming to snuggle in beside him.

The end of the evening finds Bong-cha groaning and complaining as Yoongi takes his sweet time bidding Cara goodnight.

“Let’s goooo,” Bong-cha says, jingling her keys. “Cara needs to sleep if she doesn’t want to be a zombie.”

Yoongi waves her on. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

Jimin opens up the door for Bong-cha, heading down to the garage with her. “That was fun tonight,” he comments.

“It was nice, wasn’t it?” Bong-cha looks a little distracted as she fumbles to find the right key.

Jimin chews on the inside of his cheek, the words from earlier echoing around his mind. Was he really being too slow with Bong-cha?

It had been eight months since he appeared to help Bong-cha when she was sick. What followed had been a bit of fumbling and uncertainty, both of them unsure at times if they were really doing this right. However, they had never stopped to discuss it.

Bong-cha opens up the car door, sitting in the driver’s seat and dangling her legs out the side. She’s looking down at her lap, her mind still a bit flooded with the way Yoongi and Cara seem to fit so well together.

Taking a deep breath, Jimin dares to ask what’s been bothering him for longer than he cares to admit.

“Are we doing this right?”

Bong-cha’s eyes are wide as she looks up at her boyfriend, heart softening as she sees his hesitant worry.

“I...” she shrugs, chewing on her lip. “I don’t know.”

Jimin nods, not looking comforted at all. “That’s...you know I love you, right?”

The thoughts in Bong-cha’s head go silent as she stares up at Jimin. “...I didn’t know that.”

Jimin falls to his knees, laughing in disbelief as he takes Bong-cha’s hands in his. “I do. I’m an idiot for not telling you sooner. I have since I met you, I think. It’s hard to tell where it began, because I feel like where you’re concerned, I’ve always been in love.”

Letting out a startled laugh, Bong-cha smiles wide. “We’re slow, but we’re steady.” She runs a hand through Jimin’s hair, practically glowing. “I love you.”

Jimin leans up, Bong-cha meeting him halfway as they melt into each other. Jimin does his best to pour all of his emotions into the kiss. He tries to follow Bong-cha as she pulls away, making her laugh and give in, wrapping her hands around his neck as their lips crash together again.

The sound of a car door shutting has the pair jumping apart, Jimin and Bong-cha turning bright red as Yoongi walks around to the front of the car. Cara sits in the passenger seat, buckling in and pretending like she didn’t see anything.

“And you told us to make it quick,” Yoongi quips, giving the couple a disapproving glare.

Jimin laughs, waiting for Bong-cha to pull her legs into the car before closing the door. “See you tomorrow,” he says, watching as the pair back out of the garage and wave goodbye.

🌙

Cara laughs in the passenger seat as they pull out of the garage, her heart aching a little as she watches Yoongi disappear from sight. She tries her best to remind herself that she’ll see him again tomorrow. It’s just been so long.

“Looks like you two were having fun,” Cara says to a very embarrassed Bong-cha. “I can’t believe you didn’t believe me when I first told you that he liked you.”

Bong-cha rolls her eyes. “Can you really blame me?”

“Definitely.”

It’s quiet for a bit in the car as Bong-cha maneuvers out of the neighborhood. Once they’re out onto the streets of Seoul, she breaks the comfortable silence.

“How do you two do it?”

Cara’s head swivels to look at her friend. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Bong-cha frowns a little as she watches the road, “Just watching you two tonight - not even just tonight. Over the past few months, observing your relationship...”

“You’ve been observing?” Cara teases.

“Shut up. It’s just, you two seem so...I don’t know, at ease? No, that’s not it. Just solid. You seem really solid and in love and like everything is going according to plan, which I know it doesn’t always go the way you want it to. But somehow you two take every curveball and hit it out of the park.”

Cara blinks, looking a little surprised by the observation. “Really?” She chuckles. “I was nervous out of my mind tonight.”

Bong-cha nearly slams on the brakes. “What?!”

“Yes!” The two laugh a little in disbelief. “I mean, we haven’t been in the same room together for eight months! But more than nervous, I was excited. You’re right, we’re in love. I think that’s what makes everything seem so perfect to everyone else.”

“So are things not perfect?”

Cara shrugs. “No, of course not. We have moments of doubt, or days where it feels like we’ll never get through this.”

“But you two seem so great together.”

“That’s because I think we are,” Cara says with a smile. “And I think half of that is just believing it. If you believe that you can make it, then you’re halfway there.”

“Hmm.” Bong-cha sighs, thinking over the past few months with Jimin. They’ve been, in a word, wonderful. They’re just both so new to relationships and falling in love.

Cara seems to read her best friend’s mind. “Enjoy every stage. Whether you’re new and awkward, or old and annoyed. There’s something to learn and love through it all.”

“What stage are you in?”

“We’re definitely still new and awkward.”

“No way.”

“Yes! We’ve been dating for a few months now, but you should’ve seen me when I got out to the car at the airport!” Cara laughs, embarrassed at the memory of earlier tonight. “I seriously forgot how to speak Korean for like a solid two minutes.”

“Wow.”

“I know.”

Bong-cha reviews the advice that Cara gave her, feeling more and more calm. “Since when did you become so wise?”

Cara snorts. “It’s all Yoongi. He tells me that stuff when I’m freaking out.”

“That’s...wow. Smart guy.”

“Yeah, just don’t tell him I told you. It’ll go straight to his head.”

The two chuckle knowingly, watching the city fly by as they speed down the road. Cara lets out a content sigh, feeling like she could close her eyes and travel back to the night she drove down these same streets with Yoongi. Nervous, half in love, and completely oblivious to all that the future held.

Pulling up the email on her phone she received a few weeks ago, Cara can’t help but smile. Being contracted into a film series that’s going to be based in Seoul was what she was working toward for the past few months. When Sebastian mentioned this particular series, Cara couldn’t wait to audition.

It was a few weeks ago that she got the call and accompanying email that she had been chosen for the role. For the foreseeable future, she’d be here.

When she told Yoongi in the car driving back from the airport, she didn��t mean to cry. Cara blamed her tears on the jet-lag, but Yoongi and her both knew that this was what they so desperately had been hoping for.

It wasn’t permanent, but it was enough. For now.

“Hey Bong-cha,” Cara says quietly, smiling softly out at the city she’s come to love more than she ever anticipated. “Have you seen any apartments for sale around here?”

masterlist

taglist: @eusticenatalie @agustneeds @prdshobi @oceandeep @baepsaetay @dreamcatcherjiah

#bts fluff #Yoongi fluff #jimin fluff #Yoongi x oc #jimin x oc #yoonmin #bts cute #bts x actress #idol!bts #mine #b:writes #feels #bts feels #idol au bts #suga x oc #suga fluff #chim

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dabisrightnipple · 3 years

Text

HYGGE

Tooru Oikawa x Reader

!!PLEASE DO NOT REPOST AND/OR ADD ONTO!!

TW: sh

Word Count: 2.1k

Links

hyg·ge /ˈh(y)o͞oɡə,ˈho͝oɡə/ noun a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

a/n: Make sure to support my other platforms and leave requests in my google forum!!! I ALSO JUST RE-DOWNLOADED TUMBLR AFTER 5+ YEARS AND OMFG THIS IS ADORABLE

The red blood slowly oozed down your shaking legs onto the previously white tiles. You looked into the mirror at the marks you had just etched onto your already scar-ridden thighs, regret instantly pooling at your stomach. Looking into the mirror more, you analyzed your now, red puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks as you slowly backed up to the white-colored walls and slid down onto the floor to give your worn-out shaken legs a break.

The pain was overtaking your body as you squeezed your eyes as tight as you could to try and ease the pain in some way, which didn't work as you hoped it would. Slowly, you came to your senses as you looked around the bathroom, seeing all the blood on the counters and discarded tissues and towels made you shiver as you thought about what would happen if he saw.

well speak of the devil... you thought as you recognized his footsteps down the hallway of the apartment complex.

You shot up and began to frantically clean up the bathroom while mumbling incoherent curses to yourself. You began by throwing all the towels and tissues into the bathtub, making a mental note to secretly wash them tonight once he falls asleep. You then proceeded to grab your razor and throw it in your long-forgotten Better Than Sex eyeshadow palette and hide it in the back of your drawer.

Then you heard it…

It was him.

Eventually, you heard the door push open causing you to go into a panic throwing stuff around in the cabinets trying to find your pack of band-aids for occasions like this.

His footsteps became louder and louder as you continued to fumble around and panic

Silence

"Y/n?" ...shit you thought to yourself as you realized there was no getting out of this.

"uhh.. yes? Do you need something?" you replied coyly

"Open up please..." He said in a melancholy voice, scared he knows what he's gonna see when you open the door.

"Okay, One second, lemme finish peeing." You replied in a hushed tone as you swiftly tried to open and put the band-aids over your cuts as quietly as possible.

"I know what you're doing Y/n, Please stop and let me in. I won't get mad I promise."

"I- yea...Plea-please don't be mad, I'm sorry I-I just-"

"I'm not mad sweetie, I just wanna make sure you're ok so I can fix you all up," Oikawa reassured with the most soothing voice he could muster.

You slowly unlocked the door handle, relishing the last few milliseconds you had before the guilt came flushing in. Not even a second after your hand left the door handle Oikawa thrust it open, careful not to hit you as he engulfed you with the most calming and welcoming hug he could give. Being careful to not hit any cuts, he maneuvered you onto his lap while leaning against the wall cradling you in his chest.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn’t mean to, I just saw the razor and it kinda- kinda happened and I-I just couldn’t stop-” you choked out trying to keep your sobs to a minimum not wanting to hurt him anymore.

"Shhhh, Princess everything's gonna be ok, I forgive you I just hate seeing you like this. I understand this helps you feel better but trust me, princess, there are so many other great things that can take the pain away." Oikawa whispered in your ear, peppering kisses all around your ears, neck, and cheeks and finally a longer sweet kiss on your lips.

“Let's get you cleaned up, m’k! Then we can watch Area 51 and I'll make whatever you want. Deal?”

“Deal,” you whispered as your smile grew, slowly forgetting about the strenuous mental breakdown you were just experiencing moments ago.

Oikawa slowly got up, once again being cautious as to not touch any injured spots. He set you on a clean area on the counter before grabbing out the supplies he had purchased in the past for this particular situation. As Oikawa prepped the gauges and ointments you glanced over in shame, staring at the bloody tissues you failed to pick up previously as you self-reflected on your mental state and what caused you to get into this situation again. You were finally pulled out of your little world when you jolted after feeling a sharp stinging pain on your thigh. Oikawa gave you his hand to squeeze to help subside the pain.

"I'm sorry beauty I know this hurts, I just don't want it to get infected. Please let me put a little more on?" You nodded and sucked in through your teeth as you received another wave of pain while grabbing onto Oikawa's hand.

"You're doing so good princess, just a little longer."

Although you appreciated the praise you had just received from him you couldn't help but get lost in his features. you admired his deep brown locks and how they complimented his equally dark chocolate eyes, which were hyper-fixated on trying to doctor up the cuts littering your upper thighs.

Even though the wounds did hurt you, you would've gladly loved it if this day could last forever. Oikawa had always done a great deed when it came to spoiling you and treating you quite literally like a 'princess' as per his nickname. Today was different though, He's being softer, and as much as you loved his dominant side, his soft side was awfully refreshing.

"Hey, Tooru?"

"Yea?"

"I love you." Oikawa looked a bit taken back with the random use of such strong words but quickly replaced his astoundment with confidence.

"Are you sure about that Y/n~channn? Because I think I love you more~" He purred as you rolled your eyes, a smile igniting on your face while you ruffled his hair.

---------

Once Oikawa was done bandaging your cuts, he insisted on giving you a much-needed bath which definetly was something else...

"Mmmm" you moaned out as Oikawa was lathering shampoo into your h/c locks, moving his fingers around in circular motions, trying to release as much stress and tension as he could. Once he was done he hopped over to the little makeup mirror and held it up to your face revealing bunny ears on top of your head held together by the shampoo.

"Mmmm my little bunny princess~ how do you like your new ears?"

"They're lovely! I love what you did with this one Tooru." you said pointing to the left 'bunny ear' that was now deforming.

"oh shut up Y/n~chan as if you could do any better," Oikawa said as he folded his arms and looked away.

"Oh but I can," you said making a devious face.

"You wouldn't!"

"I WOULD BAHAHA!" You snorted as you smacked the bunny ears downwards, causing them both to deform.

"NOOOO Y/N~CHANNN HOW COULD YOU. MY LITTLE BUNNY PRINCESS~" he wailed as he started to wash out the shampoo as you were still laughing your ass off in the tub.

After repeating the same steps with the conditioner and about 30 minutes of you and Oikawa arguing about soapy titty pictures being better than soapy ab pictures. Oikawa finally unclogged the drain allowing you to get out while he dried you off using your favorite fluffy towel he bought for you a while back on your birthday when he turned your living room into a spa. Once you were fully dried Oikawa bundled you up into a burrito and carried you back to your guys' shared room and lightly tossed you on the California king bed as he started walking to your shared closet.

"Sit here and stay pretty for me while I get you some sexy clothes~." Oikawa purred as he entered the closet, pulling out a cream hoodie and digging through his underwear drawer to reveal old alien boxers. He loved seeing you in his clothes, especially the alien boxers that seemed to compliment your butt perfectly.

When he came back he easily slipped the cream-colored hoodie over your head and put on the boxers for you as well, making sure you didn't move a muscle. He felt the need to spoil the hell out of you tonight, especially because he believes it's his fault for not being home early enough.

If only I came home sooner...

He thought as he adjusted the boxers and stared longingly into your eyes with regret.

If only I declined Iwaizumis’ request to get food. This would have never happened...

Slowly, he got back up and leisurely walked back into the closet to change, after all, he was still in his sweaty volleyball uniform that was a bit damp from your wet hair sticking to him when he previously carried you.

He changed into an old ICS volleyball hoodie and grey sweats. He walked over to where you were on the bed ogling him as he smirked lightly before picking you up once again, guiding your legs to wrap around his waist. Being careful as to not touch any tender areas, while putting a hand under your bottom and taking long, slow strides to the living room. Setting you down with the same care, Oikawa grabbed the remote and put on Area 51 which was previously recorded from the last movie night you two shared.

"Here princess, sit tight while I get blankets and food." He muttered while walking to the kitchen.

"oh I wanna get the blankets!" you said deviously while scheming to take the best ones for yourself. But before you could even put a toe on the floor strong arms pinned you back down.

You slowly looked up only to be met with Oikawa's stern chocolate brown eyes.

"What?"

"No Princess, just stay here. I'll get the fluffy one and you can have it all to yourself." He reassured knowing exactly what was going through your head.

"But-"

"No buts, please Y/n I don't want you walking around right now." His previous loving look turned into a gloomy gaze as he looked down. Eyes meeting with the numerous white patches that littered your legs.

"Hey" you put your hand on his cheek caressing it while pulling it up to meet your now bittersweet gaze.

"I'm fine," you said as you got up only to be met with sharp pains shooting through your legs and up your spine.

"...see" You reassured, trying your best to mask your face from showing any pain.

"No" Oikawa stated sternly as he laid you down once again onto the couch.

"Please Y/n?"

"..." You gave him the silent treatment, looking away pretending to be hurt. Little did he know you were enjoying this so much. Soaking in each and every one of his sweet words, though they came off a bit harsh, he only wanted the best for you.

Damn, I'm really being spoiled... You thought as a shiver went up to your spine.

--------

The sweet aroma of popcorn and other snacks filled your senses as you looked over to see your very sexy boyfriend struggling to carry all the blankets, pillows, and food.

"Tooru! here lemme help-"

"Sit princess, I got it." He chuckled while tossing the blankets over your head and setting down the sweets on the counter, dashing back to the kitchen to grab the two monsters he purchased with Iwaizumi.

After struggling to get the blanket off, a strong hand came out and grabbed the blanket and pulled it over your head.

"Here silly," Oikawa said as your eyes met with the caffeinated drink.

"YOU DIDN'T!"

"oh, but I did." Oikawa purred with the sexiest but stupidest smile.

Your eyes glistened as you popped the tab in, drinking almost half of it in a swig.

"Sweetie, chilllll~ your gonna be up all night if you drink it that fast." He hummed, popping his open and taking a sip as well before setting both monsters onto the coffee table.

You shifted around a bit trying to get comfy in your blanket before Oikawa pulled you on top of him while grabbing the remote and pressing play. There you were, head laying on Oikawa's chest, hands wrapped around his neck. His hands were placed onto your waist fitting perfectly in the divet of your lower back. Legs intertwining with each other.

This truly was heaven.

----------

"I love you, Princess."

Oikawa muttered, lazily stroking your head. He looked at your resting body tenderly, thinking about all the little quirks he loves about you. In that very moment the world seemed to stop as the sound of the end credits became drowned out as sleep overtook you both.

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satsuki2406 · 4 years

Text

OPEN SKY Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

"...And never, ever forget that, your dreams are the wings that'll help you fly."

(L/N)(Y/N) has always been forced to live according to others' expectations. As a member of the powerful and influential (L/N) Family, she has had to live with the heavy weight of seeing others write her destiny with no choice but just obey. But when (Y/N) finally decides to risk it all to take the only opportunity to regain the control of her own life, everything ends up going horribly wrong. Surrendered and disappointed, she receives one last chance to prove to herself and to U.A, along with some unexpected help that this was not a crazy and meaningless waste of time.

Maybe this plan could work after all...

PAIRING: (Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

GENRE/WARNINGS: Romance, Fluff, Angst, Mentions of sex, My poor attempt of comedy, family dysfunctionality, Strong language (Courtesy of Lord Explosion Murder 💥), Manga Spoilers.

STATUS: On going

Chapter 1: Failure

Chapter 2: Sometimes the Greatest Hero of All is a Good Friend

Masterlist \(￣︶￣*\))

3-Her Start

The weekend you spent with your best friend was full of good memories and laughter. You recovered your self-trust and conviction to keep going. But as blissful as it was it quickly came to an end. Before you knew it, it was Monday again, which means school, fortunately, this was the last week before graduation, even if you mom forced you to go to that insipid private academy in Tokyo, you'll keep chasing your aspirations no matter what. It was still I little bit cold but the weather was slowly changing as the spring got closer. Over your school uniform, you were wearing the school uniform’s coat that had their logo embroidered and your fluffy (f/c) scarf to keep you warm on your way to the school door.

In the blink of an eye, you and Momo already got to the shoe lockers to change into your respective uwabaki.* While changing your shoes a thought came to your mind, you wanted to touch the matter but didn't know how without making things awkward. "Hey Momo, your test, for the recommended students, you already had it right?"

A little taken aback by your comment Momo hesitated a little before answering unsure. "Y-Yeah, that's correct, I wasn't sure if I could tell you, you know..."

"Please don't feel bad about sharing your successes with me, I would be more than happy to hear how it went for you, you're my friend and I feel happy that you're one step closer to your dream, after all, you also want to be a hero, just like me. You were nice enough to spend the last weekend with me to make me feel better I didn't even ask you once how was it for you, I'm a pampered brat, aren’t I?"

Momo smiled sweetly at you in understanding. "What about if I fill you out on the details of my day at U.A during lunch?"

"Sounds like a plan."

🍱🍱🍱

"Alright ladies this is all for today, there are another 5 minutes before the bell rings. So, you're allowed to socialize in the meantime, please let's keep things calm and low volume please."

"Hey, Momo!~ I've got an idea! They are showing a really good movie right now! Do you want to see it with me?"

"I'll love to, but my mother requested my presence at home as soon as school is finished, my chauffeur is already waiting for me outside, so, unfortunately, I see myself unable to go. But aren't you still grounded?"

"Oh, right, I forgot it..." You puffed off your cheeks in annoyance.

Just in cue, a small vibration came from your skirt pocket adverting you of an incoming message.

'Oh, is Nobu-san, I wonder what happened?'

Good afternoon (Y/N)-sama, I wanted to notify you beforehand that this morning you received two letters; one of them is from the Tokyo's Science Academy, probably respecting your upcoming enrollment.

'Ugh, of course...'

Regarding the second letter, the U.A’s crew is way competent and faster than we thought, I made sure to put the envelope under one of your bed pillows, please make sure to check it out as soon as you arrive home so Xiù-sama won't notice it. I already sent the chauffeur to pick you up as soon as possible.

"."

".."

"..."

"...."

"....."

"WhAaAt?!"

"(L/N)-san! I strongly urge you to refrain from shouting in class!"

"S-sorry, Tanaka-sensei" The slight giggles of your classmates could be heard, but it was short-lived thanks to the shrill sound of the school bell announcing the end of the school day.

"(Y/N) are you ok? You look a bit pale. Something happened at home?" Momo asked, but unfortunately for your friend the last of your worries was explain yourself. Without giving it too much of a thought you took your school bag and burst out the class."SorryMomonotimetoexplainseeyoutomorrowbyeeee!!"

Before she could even understand what you just said, Momo couldn't do anything more than see you disappear among the crowd flooding the halls.

"What in heaven just happened?"

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️💨

After sprinting to the school gate, you could spot in the distance a black limo, Sasaki-san, the same chauffeur that brought your mom to U.A that fateful afternoon one week ago, was waiting outside the car, straight as a lamppost with a serious almost bored look on his face. After you finally approached him, he lightly bowed his head and greeted you. "Good afternoon, (Y/N)-sama, I hope you had a pleasant day" His tome was monotone and robotic, almost like he just repeated a script that had learned out of habit at this point. "Good afternoon Sasaki-san, I did thank you, and yourself?"

“Lovely indeed” he said almost sarcastically and opened the car's door for you. You quickly made your way in and he closed the door behind you.

Lost in your thoughts time passed faster than you imagined. Before you could notice a glimpse of your house appeared among the trees. The imposing structure made its way through the vast gardens that adorned its surroundings.

You wanted to just get there and finally get the closure you needed about this whole situation, leave your guilt and disappointment behind so you could start over again and move forward to your goal in a more positive note. Up to your room was a blur, you think that maybe a couple of maids greeted you on your way but you were too busy to notice or care, did you even take your shoes off at the genkan*? Who knows, who cares.

You opened your door desperately, closing and locking it to avoid being interrupted. Fixing your eyes on the exact place your fate laid made your heart race like never before, you started walking there slowly, almost cautiously, to sprint with all your might, throwing yourself at the bed and tossing the soft obstacles in your way to find in the middle, a crisp white envelope with a red wax seal, with the iconic logo printed on it. Dread and uncertainty invaded you, were you ready for this? What if they think you were not hero material after all? ‘No! let's just rip the bandit off at once and get over this already’. With a surge of newfound courage, you opened the envelope, tearing the seal apart in the process. Once it was open you could find a letter and a round metal object inside, you took it in your hand to analyze it closer but suddenly a bright light was shooted from its center, startling you and letting it fall obstreperously on the floor.

"Ahhh!"

The light then elongated and shaped itself into some kind of screen, showing what looks to be some kind of small white animal. "Greetings, young lady! My name is Nezu, the one who could be a mouse or a dog or a bear but the only important thing is...I'm the Principal!"

"T-The Principal?!"

"Very well then, I assume that you would prefer me to go right to the point, you must be anxious right now" You gulped nervously and nodded your head as he could see you. "In your written exam you got an outstanding score of 87! Well done!"

'At least I did something right' You thought melancholically.

"But..."

'Here it comes'

"...Unfortunately, you weren't that successful during your practical exam, in the end, you only earned 31 points, that, as you must know, is not enough to approve this test, since the minimal score is 45"

'I knew it...'

Your vision started to get blurred due to the fat tears that started to accumulate in your eyes. You knew this would happen, but that didn't make it less frustrating.

“However, there’s something that especially caught my attention, and although I’m not a doctor or any medicine specialist by any means I noticed you looked a little off, sick perhaps.Your movements looked sluggish, your breathing seem even more labored than it would have been in the situation you were in not to mention you passed out in the middle of the exam.”

“You’ll see, here at U.A we take special care of the whole process involved in our admission trials, not only to make sure that every single step is performed correctly, the rules are followed and the safety measures compiled but also to prevent the usual improper practices like fraud and cheating, reason why we had installed thousands of cameras with the propose to keep a close eye on all of you.”

'Wow, U.A really goes over the top about everything' You sweatdropped.

"That's the reason why after analyzing your performance carefully, the teaching staff and myself were awed when we notice that indeed you were straining yourself and even managed to save one of the applicants of the attack of a three-pointer, with the last of your strength you pushed him far away from danger knowing the little time you had and your deteriorated condition, you sacrificed yourself for the wellbeing of a stranger, without hesitation"

"Save? But I thought I could do anything at all!-"

"There's a phrase that says that we rise by lifting others, thanks to your selfless help, this young man you saved could complete his test and also had the time and strength enough to get your back after you blacked out. He was also nice enough to handle you to Recovery Girl's capable hands. As you could see, you received some extra points in your final score, these were Rescue Points, a panel of judges conformed by the teachers watch closely these battles and award this kind of heroic gestures, which boosted your original score of 14 points."

"And is because of your heroic spirit that I'm here, in front of you, to make you an offer.” Your breathing hitched, your eyes opened like saucers and you could swear that your heart stopped for a second.

“We of course never do this kind of exceptions, a once in a lifetime opportunity per se, but I, the Principal, had decided to give you a chance to start again, it may be more competitive than the first test you took but, what is the life of a hero without a good challenge?"

"A-A second chance?!" Your teary eyes widened at this revelation. Was U.A, the U.A High School, not only seeing the potential in you but also wanting to give you another chance?!

'This is so crazy!' You thought tearing up.

"Usually some students, as a precautionary measure apply for both the Hero Course and the General Studies Course, in case they fail to get in the first one, if they meet the necessary requirements could hit a spot in the latter one, with the hopes of competing internally for one of the coveted positions in our prestigious Heroism Department...."

"God! What I didn't think of that?! Like a security net that will catch you in case you fall, clever..." You pondered

"As you well know you did not opt for this, but we had decided unanimously to make a space for you in the General Studies Course as your second chance and a fresh start here, at U.A."

"As I mentioned before, the competition is more ferocious internally because of the really small quantity positions, sometimes there's only one transferred student or not transfers at all, so you must work hard because you need at least 85% of approval from the teachers to get into the Hero course."

"So, I need to make merits to get in, I wonder how though-"

"You must be wondering, how to get that approval and enter the world of your dreamed career?! Let me enlighten you then! There are several ways to do this but the most common and effective is..."

"...Is?!"

"Is...!"

"The U.A Sports Festival! The annual competition that Japan is so crazy about that forgot about the Olympic Games and where everybody can take a look at the future and witness the rising of their future heroes! And of course the perfect place for you to show what you're made of! The U.A Sports Festival not only is a great chance for the Hero Course pupils to show their abilities, but for the ones who were left behind, that they also have a lot to offer, and a chance that I'm sure you won't waste at all."

"I won't!"

"So please, let us know what you think, We already see inmense potential on you, we think-no, we believe that you will not disappoint. All the important information, forms and consent letters are attached and listed inside the envelope, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us at our website www.uahigh.com.jp/newstudentexperience to chat live with one of our representatives or call us at 1-800-UAHIGHJ (1-800-824-4445) or drop by at our headquarters in U.A. Remember that the due date to send the forms with your parents' authorization and uniform measurements and specifications is March 25th!"

"Oh my God, I got in... I GOT IN!!! Yes, I did it!" You then started to jump on your bed carried by the excitement, then a little detail crossed your mind. "Crap! My mom would never sign the authorization form! She'll rather take off her own eyes than do that! I don't want to involve dad in this, he's been receiving mom's colder shoulder lately and he looks kinda depressed, just remember the fight hey had that night give me the hives. What can I do? How can I-"

"This device will self-destruct in 10 seconds!"

"...What."

"10!"

"9!"

"Oh God, Oh God No! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!"

"8!"

As best as you could you quickly jumped off your bed and hid inside your walk-in closet closing and locking the door behind you. "Was it that necessary to make it explode?!" You closed your eyes and covered your ears as waiting for some kind of impact.

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"..."

"Just kidding! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"..."

"WHAAAAT?!"

"Excuse me (Y/N)-sama? Are you ok?" One of the maids asked while knocking your door. You ran out of the closet and threw all evidence of your recent conversation with the fury Principal under your bed.

"Y-Yes! I'm fine! P-Perfectly fine!"

"I heard some screams and voices inside; do you have any guest? Do you want me to bring some refreshments?" Immediately you opened the door and were faced with the maid that you liked the least, she was a middle-aged woman who always drove herself in a hypocritical and double-face kind of way.

You could see from pretty far away that she didn't like you the least, looking her in the eyes was enough to know, the resentment and indifference were palpable. For her, you were nothing more than a spoiled filthy rich brat and that was more than enough to hate you. She also was a notable gossipmonger and was of general knowledge among the service crew that she could not keep a secret for dear life, which your mother took advantage of to monitor you and the house in general when she was absent. All in exchange of a juicy bonus in her weekly check.

"There's nobody with me Uwasaki-san, I was watching some YouTube videos, and an ad came out, a really loud one." You opened your door a little more to show her, she peeked into your room a little to look closer, everything was in order, except for the dropped pillows and a panda plush, it was just like you said, all she could find was a flat screen with a paused video showing in it.

She gave you a skeptical look first before convincing herself you were saying the truth and gave you one of her infamous fake smiles. "I see, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know, I'll be close by fixing one of the guest's rooms."

"Oh, who's coming?" You asked, half trying to diffuse the awkwardness, half out of truly curiosity.

"Kaguya-sama, she asked Xiù-sama for advice in one of her university projects, Chemistry I think"

'It makes sense, with the kind of quirk she has, chemistry was always one of her strengths'

"I see."

"Alright, if you excuse me, I'll be taking my leaving."

After this, she turned and walk in the direction of the guest's rooms mumbling complains about how slow this day has been so far, with nothing interesting to report, not juicy scandal to uncover and how she hoped that the rest of the week could deliver something better. As you heard her steps get lost in the immensity of the hallway, checking she was gone for sure, you closed your door leaning your back on it while you slowly slide to the floor.

'That was close!, I've never been happier to forget to turn the tv off before going to school, I must be careful, I have to find a way to convince them to let me go, after the second chance I received, I can't back up, I don't want to. It's decided then! I’ll go to U.A no matter what.'

"Hmm... So, U.A? Maybe get you out of my way would be easier than I thought, dear cousin."

*Uwabaki (上履き): They are a type of Japanese shoes worn indoors at home, school or certain companies and public buildings where street shoes are prohibited.

*Genkan (玄関): are traditional areas for houses, apartments or buildings. It is usually located inside the building directly in front of the door. The primary function of the genkan is to leave your shoes before entering the main part of a house or building.

-The word 'Uwasa' (噂) means gossip combined with the kanji 'Ki' (機) or machine forms the word Rumor or Gossip Machine (噂機) Uwasaki.

-I'm learning Japanese on my own, so I thought it could be interesting and fun to try to construct some (Last)names inspired in the oc’s quirks and personality just like Horikoshi does. As I said I'm a beginner and all the feedback is welcome! If you have suggestions or corrections let me know! I'm open to learning! 😊

🏷Taglist

@alex-sulli Hope you like it ~\(≧▽≦)/~

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tsipasce · 4 years

Text

Same Difference, Ch.08

A/N: [ insert “Growth” gif]

Chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07

AO3 | Fanfic

The weekend flew by, mostly thanks to the great time she had with Hitomi. Though after Saturday night’s events, Nanami’s only thoughts were on her friend’s suggestion to get self-defense training. Well, that and the cute doodles on a now-bookmarked page in her planner. She smiled to herself remembering that night and the unexpectedly pleasant company. The image of him sitting next to her as they joked brought a warmth to her face she was very reluctant to accept. Snap out of it and focus. She chastised herself as she quickly remembered what had happened earlier that night when she felt she couldn’t defend herself.

Sure it turned out fine, but what if he’d been more aggressive and I was alone? Or what if he had a quirk or got training to use it against people… Nanami didn’t finish the thought but she knew where it led and she was honest enough to admit it scared her. Sunday night she made a list of classes to check out. Usually being a thoughtful shopper, she figured it would be smarter to vet the classes by observing before diving in. She had an hour or so after work before she went to the lab, so why not squeeze in an errand?

Packing up her things, she headed out of the office, pulling up the directions on her phone. After a couple blocks, she arrived in front of a studio with large, glass windows and a dozen or so occupants inside. It wasn’t very long before she realized this wouldn’t be a class where she’d learn much. The “assailant” was really just some poor guy in a thick layer of padding, standing still as the students formed a line to shyly “punch” or “kick” him with all the brutality of a raucous pillow fight. Everyone moved at their own pace, but pragmatic as she was, Nanami knew whatever she learned from this class wouldn’t be enough to repel someone who really meant trouble. After checking out two other classes yielding similar results, she decided to give it a rest for the day and head to the lab. They had a lot of data to analyze from the most recent round of tests, and she wanted to get a leg up on preparations.

Parking in her regular spot, she walked up to the front gates and knocked. She cocked her brow in confusion after waiting for a minute. Where the heck is Kurono… Usually if she was due to arrive at 6:00pm, he’d be in the front room waiting with an extra cup of tea he’d just so happened to have made at 5:45pm. Despite their initial meetings, they’d gotten closer over the past couple months, trading looks when Overhaul was in one of his “moods” and taking breaks together. No one was as meticulous and punctual as Overhaul, but Kurono would definitely be a close second, so seeing him late was surprising. This is odd. Nanami began to think as the door opened and she was greeted by another man she’d seen in passing.

“Good evening, doc. This way, please.”

“Oh, good evening. Lead the way,” she said, brushing off the concern from earlier. It wasn’t unreasonable to think they’d changed schedule every now and then.

The man escorted her to the lab and shut the door, leaving her to some work she was happy to do alone. After Saturday night, she wasn’t completely sure how to interact with her lab partner. Sure they hadn’t necessarily done anything untoward, but it would be a lie to say it was nothing.

Five minutes passed by, then ten… once minute number fifteen rolled around she began to get Worried? Nope. We’re not going there today. It’s probably just “business” or something else shady. If he doesn’t think this research is important, that’s his loss. She convinced herself, a little irritated he’d blown her off without even one of his curt “I’m busy. We’ll speak later” texts. Just as she was about to mentally practice the argument she’d have with him when he finally decided to come in, the door burst open, startling her as she almost dropped the samples she was moving.

Turning towards the door, she saw the angry little Muppet, already preparing to hear some kind of smart remark. Thought everyone else had warmed to her in one way or another, Mimic made it clear the only person worth any courtesy was Overhaul. “Well how can I help you Mimi—”

“Please—please just come with me right now. I don’t have time to explain, just hurry and follow me!” the small creature shrieked. Well, in a way, he always shrieked, but this time Nanami could hear a desperation she’d only heard during her E.R. days. Switching gears, she knew to drop what she was doing and follow him. Whatever he needed, it was serious.

Racing down the long, winding hallways behind him, she was grateful to have kept in some semblance of shape. Just before she reached her limit, they stopped at a familiar door. Her heart sank, Isn’t this his office? She realized before Mimic quickly opened the door and promptly closed it once they entered. She looked confused as she saw Overhaul lying face down on one of the couches in the office. Kurono was blocking most of her line of sight to him as he was kneeling by his side. Hearing the door close, he looked back, moving out of the way, a grave look on his face. As she took in the scene, she heard a voice croak out “I… I can’t reach...”. She was confused for a moment before she saw there was a sizeable, deep gash across Overhaul’s back and hives, Probably from being touched and carried in here she guessed. By the look of it, she knew even breathing had to be excruciating and even a contortionist would find it challenging to bend their arm behind their back to touch it. Traditional medicine would be a gamble…she thought, as she took off her gloves, resigning herself to the obvious option.

“Alright, lift him up, very gently.” Nanami commanded firmly, noticing the significant blood loss.

“Touch me again and I’ll kill the lot of you.” He seethed as his subordinates backed away, knowing better than to take the threat lightly.

She tried to think quickly as she needed to see if there were any other injuries before acting. Remembering all the times he’d touched her yet hadn’t broken out, she decided to give it a shot. “Then I’ll do it.” She said resolutely. He mustered up enough strength to turn his head and glare in warning. She cautiously moved forward and knelt beside him to whisper. “You’ve touched me before without breaking out, remember? You and I both know there’s a time limit and the longer your wound is open, the harder it will be to repair. I promise I won’t let anyone else make contact, just let me help you.”

He seemed to accept she was right and that he had no other choice. The warning was still in his eyes, but he nodded reluctantly. Though moving him was a two person job, she knew she’d have to make due. With one of her hands at his head and another along his side she tried to keep his head, neck and back aligned while rolling him onto one side. She tried her best to be careful, but it was hard moving him at all without earning a wince and hiss. Good, it’s just the back. She confirmed noting the lack of blood underneath him as she quickly looked over him before her arms gave out.

Letting him down, she knelt down beside him, assessing the situation. His weak, but at least he’s conscious. I can do this. She reassured herself, not used to having such a captivated audience watching behind her. Usually when she’d used her quirk to fix something so drastic, she’d make sure she was alone with the patient and they were sedated. The Eight Bullets knew about her quirk, but it was still nerve-racking having to perform in front of so many eyes.

“Just do it” he exasperated from behind gritted teeth. He seemed to be bracing himself, but she was confused as to why.

Brushing it off, she took a deep breath, disassembling his shirt to get a better view of the wound. It was as bad, if not worse, than she thought. Within seconds she reconstructed the damaged bones, sinew and then skin until the wound vanished, earning her a sigh of relief from her patient and the onlookers.

“There you go, good as new.” She piped, almost slapping him on the back like a fixed car before stopping herself short and gently patting instead. “Who did this to you?” a note of genuine concern in her voice.

“It doesn’t matter, it was a cheap shot. None of them exist anymore.” He replied too simply for someone who’d probably just murdered multiple someones. Nanami never forgot what he was, but it didn’t make the regular confirmation any easier. “Kurono, Mimic: Leave us.” He added, now moving himself to rise from the couch.

They filed out of the room, Kurono looking back, giving her a small nod and thankful glance before closing the door behind them. Turning her attention back to him, Overhaul was already at the closet in his office, putting on another, identical shirt. Knew it. She thought remembering her theory about his wardrobe.

He continued buttoning it up, his back turned to her as he began,” How did you do that?”

“Um… the same way you do?” She replied, perplexed as to what he meant. She’d disclosed most of what she was able to do with their shared quirk already, and he’d shown that he knew how to heal himself. She’d become leagues more cooperative and transparent during their research, so the question caught her off guard.

“No, you don’t. It’s been a long day, and I’d greatly appreciate it if you gave up this little act and just explained it to me.”

“I... I don’t know what you mean…” Ok now I’m really confused…

He turned around, an obvious look of suspicion in his eyes, “I won’t ask again.”

Nanami was taken aback, insulted,” So I save your ass and in return I get an interrogation?”

“First of all, it was my back, not my ass. Secondly, I only interrogate uncooperative parties, so cooperate and explain how you healed me like that?” he intoned, now stalking towards her, an accusatory look still in his eyes.

“Like how? I have literally no idea what you mean!” Genuinely confused at why he was so angry with her all the sudden, she was really hoping he’d throw her a bone here.

“Without the pain!”

“…the what?” She looked at him searchingly before realizing what he meant, a pained and slightly embarrassed look on his face. Her tense stance relaxed before continuing, “Have you… just been feeling it all the entire time?”

“You haven’t?”

“Hell no,” she shot back before continuing, thinking out loud, “To feel every singular cell being ripped apart and put back together every time? That would be…” His eyes were no longer meeting hers, his jaw tightening, “…unbearable.”

Clinically, she knew they utilized their quirk differently, but seeing the real-world effects was another thing entirely. Of course, someone who’d grown up only weaponizing their quirk wouldn’t think about minimizing pain, and conversely someone who’d used it almost exclusively for healing would prioritize comfort. If it had just been a theory she’d concocted in a vacuum, she’d probably think it was fascinating, but now it just seemed… Sad. Knowing he’d been in that kind of pain for so long caused an aching in her chest.

“Do not pity me.” He seethed, misjudging the look on her face.

“What? No. Look, I know this may be a novel concept for you, but there is such a thing as empathy.”

“I have no use for that either.”

“You sure did a couple minutes ago when you were bleeding out.”

“Yes, and you were useful, as most tools are, but for now I need nothing else from you.”

She couldn’t help the look of hurt that flashed across her face, his hard stare unwavering. Looking him up and down with disgust, she knew it wasn’t worth the effort to continue the discussion. He was lashing out at her because he was embarrassed, and she wouldn’t tolerate it.

“This… was a mistake. Fuck you.”

She turned on her heel out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

Fuck that guy. Fuck that guy. Fuuuuccckkk that guy. She cursed to herself as she stormed down the hallway and back to the lab. The nerve of him to be bleeding all over me, begging for MY help one second, just to turn around and humiliate me the next. Fuck him.

Bursting through the doors to the lab, Nanami saw Kurono redrawing one of her diagrams in their notes, “I’m sorry Dr. Watanabe, it’s nothing against you it’s just—Wait, what are you doing?” he asked, noticing she was angrily shoving her things into her bag.

“I’m leaving.”

Kurono sighed, confident that Overhaul had to have said something cruel. “I’m not sure what he said to you, but I do know he’s been lighter than he has been in a long time since you started working together.” He confessed, hoping it would strike a chord with her. She paused, a sad look crossing her face before it reverted to anger and she began packing again. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?”

“Help me kick Overhaul’s ass and make him apologize.”

“… it has been a pleasure working with you.”

Pausing for a minute, her fists clenched in frustration, she realized what she’d be losing by leaving. “Just this morning I had one of the most exciting research projects of my career and felt like maybe we’d become just a little bit closer to… whatever counts as forward in this weirdass partnership thing. But he just had to piss it away.” It was upsetting to say the least, months of work would now come to a halt and collect dust, all because of his ego, “It’s not fair.”

Her eyes were trained on the ground, too angry and hurt to move when she heard him get up from his chair and walk over. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Care for one last cup of tea before you go?”

Sighing heavily, trying to release the tension from her shoulders, she nodded solemnly attempting to give a small smile, “Yeah, one more for the road.”

“Ok, I’ll leave you to your things. Come to the front room upstairs when you’re ready.” Kurono patted her shoulder as he walked past her, leaving her alone to finish packing up.

The anger was still present, but soon enough the sadness of loss came washing over her. No. We’ll feel all the feels later, let’s just get out of here she thought sniffling and recomposing herself. She was going through some papers when she heard the door open behind her.

“Sorry, Kurono, I’ll be done in just a minute,” she said, still focused on her task. When there was no response, she looked to see who came in, a grimace instantly plastered across her face. He walked over to the workbench across from her and stood quietly, his arms folded. She scoffed before turning back to her task, ignoring him. Packing up the last of her things, she glanced around briefly before her eyes landed on her planner that laid on the workbench he was in front of. Rolling her eyes, she marched over, standing only inches away from him before reaching past to grab the booklet behind him. As she turned to walk away, she thought she heard something.

“Excuse me?” she looked back at him, a tinge of irritation in his eyes. She rolled hers before turning again. “Why do I even ask...”

“I said, I’d like our partnership to continue.”

She was sure she was going to get whiplash from dealing with him, but responded anyway, unable to let this slide. “You have a real funny way of showing it.”

“But I am showing it, right now by asking you to continue.”

“You do not get to humiliate me and then just pretend like saying that will be good enough. You’re calling it a partnership right now, but a couple minutes ago I was a tool.”

“So, you’d give up all of this work because your feelings were hurt?” his tone cold and almost annoyed.

“Because my feelings were hurt? No, you disrespected me. I helped you—which I was glad to do—and you spit in my face. No thank you, no nothing. Partners don’t do that, at least not any I’d consider working with.”

“We may be partners, but our standing is not the same. My mastery of overhaul exceeds yours, thus you need direction.”

“You have a mastery of violence. Just because I don’t use it to fight or kill people whenever my ego isn’t stroked just the right way… that doesn’t make me lesser than you, and it certainly doesn’t make you better than me.”

“You agreed to come into this world knowing exactly what it was. This is not about ego, this is about the natural order of things here. You admit you couldn’t hold your own in combat, so where does that leave you in a world that bases order on the violence you’re abstaining from?”

“I’d say right next to you.” She stepped forward, solidifying the confrontation. “For all your power, you still had to be saved, by me. As far as I’m concerned, whatever fight you were in tonight would have been a draw without me, so who really decided the ‘natural order’? My value is the same, whether I’m inside or outside this world, and I will not stay where people refuse to see it just because it doesn’t conform to their narrow definition of it.”

He stared at her a beat searchingly as she stared back in complete defiance. She knew logically she’d have little recourse if he made the snap decision to disassemble her, but she wouldn’t want to live with herself if she let him think this was ok. As much as she lectured about ego, her pride never ceased to get the best of her.

“You…have a point.” He managed to get out, the words sounding like they were causing him physical pain. He couldn’t deny respect was paramount in the world of the underground and her demand for it was not unreasonable, not to mention how useful she could be in the future. However, for that to be true, he’d have to acknowledge the possibility that he was in the wrong, something he’d only ever done for his father, the only other person to save him. He knew what had to be done. He closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, unintentionally inhaling what he knew was a light smell of lavender. She was standing much closer to him than anyone he wasn’t planning on fighting, but he found himself not loathing it. Savoring it for a moment, he turned to walk around to her side creating some much-needed distance between them. Clearing his throat by swallowing what could best be described as his own pride, he locked eyes with her. She was still royally pissed, but also watching intently, reluctantly curious.

“I…I do find you valuable. To compare you to a tool was… unfair.” By his tone and furrowed brows, she could tell this was difficult for him, but she needed to hear him say it. Her expression softened slightly, but she stood firm, waiting to hear the rest. She didn’t want to leave, but their arrangement couldn’t continue if he was going to treat her like he had earlier, and she needed to know he knew that. “You have my gratitude. I would like for you to reconsider your decision and to move forward… with me… on this project.”

It was a relief to hear, but he’d left out one important word. “… is this your way of saying sorry?” she asked, knowing the answer. His arrogance might not let him say it outright, but judging by how worked up he’d gotten, she was sure it was as close to an apology as anyone had heard from him.

“Think what you want,” he replied turning his gaze from her to stare at a cabinet that was suddenly very interesting. “… I won’t refute your assumption.”

Close enough. For now.

Her gaze dropped from his face as her hand massaged the back of her neck, resigning herself to this curve ball fate had thrown her. She sighed, walking back to the workbench, placing the notes down as they had been earlier. She went into her bag and retrieved a small box and began walking towards the lab doors.

“… Where are you going?” He asked, the slightest tinge of worry in his voice.

“Tea break and snacks.” She said waving the small box,” I’ll be back in 30. We can go over notes then.” She replied simply.

“… I see. I’ll be waiting then.” The subtle sound of relief in his voice did not go unnoticed. She paused, with her back still turned to him and spoke over her shoulder.

“Overhaul?”

“Yes?”

“To answer your question, I disassemble the nerve fibers connected to the tissue I’m repairing until I’m finished. I’d usually just rely on the anesthesia since most of the patients I work with have to go into surgery anyway, but in cases like tonight, that is how I do it without pain.” She explained before leaving the lab.

“…I see. Thank you.” He intoned with a level of sincerity that felt foreign to him. Though he’d never admit it, the sight of her lab coat hanging next to his brought a strange sense of comfort.

#overhaul x oc #overhaul fanfiction #overhaul #mha overhaul #mha fanfic #mha oc #chisaki kai #kai chisaki #overhaul fanfic #mha #bnha fanfic #incorrect bnha quotes

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gustafsnightangel · 4 years

Text

Shattered Lives Ch 18 Pt 1

He woke with a start as Sildie’s alarm screeched on the nightstand. Watched as her arm reached out, a hand hitting it hard to shut it up, Lily’s faint cry as it had woken her too.

“It’s ok Lily.” He murmured pulling Sildie closer to him.

“Morning love.” He said sleepily and kissed the nape of her neck as he nuzzled her awake.

“Morning.” She sighed and stretched out like a cat ready to curl up in the sun for a nap. She turned in his arms to face him and smiled at Lily’s dad dad as she kissed him sweetly. She loved waking up to him.

“I’ll get Lily.” He said softly and kissed her deeply. “You hop in the shower and lawyer up.” He grinned and kissed her with all the love he couldn’t put into those three little words.

“Are you sure?” She asked softly, a finger tracing the line of his jaw.

“All part of the package deal.” He kissed her again. “It’s why I’m here after all, to help out. Get in the shower.” He kissed her tenderly and pulled the covers back dragging her out of bed with him.

“Bubble had to burst sometime.” She mumbled as he picked Lily up and held her close. Kissing the tiny child on the cheek she made her way to a hot shower. His hand caught her gently and tugged her to him.

“It did, but I’ll be here when you get home tonight.” He said toying with her hair and chuckled at Lily’s chattering at both of them. “At least I can get your Monday off to a good start.”

She kissed him longingly. “Thank you. For being you, for being here.”

“Wouldn’t be anywhere else love.” He kissed her brow and she squeezed his hand before dropping it and heading to the bathroom.

Gustaf was sitting with the boys all showered and partly dressed by the time Sildie was lawyered up and out of the bedroom. She didn’t have to rush today as he was taking care of Lily and it was amazing how that alone made the morning easier. They sat as a family for breakfast and life seemed more settled today she thought as she watched them, still hectic but settled. Maybe having him here all the time would keep that streak going. Gustaf wasn’t though she noticed, he was still on edge about something. Talk to me love she said silently, at some point please talk to me.

He helped get Lily and the boys ready and soon they were standing on her threshold. The morning was so normal he grinned, he wanted this as a permanent thing so badly. He had his own grief and baggage to take care of first though.

“I’ll see you guys tonight ok?” He said to the boys and the twins hugged him tightly.

“Bye love.” He murmured and kissed her sweetly, that glacier blue looking back. “I’ll probably be next door when you get back, send a messenger if I’m still over there ok?” He smiled.

“Will do.” She kissed him and lingered. She sighed, she had to get her ass in the elevator even though she wanted to stay with him. It was going to be a long day and she groaned as he closed her door. The weekend was just too damn short.

He didn’t bother taking a shower yet, he had work to do, physical and emotional. Collecting his clothes he dumped them by the door ready to take home, tidied up from breakfast, and set the dishwasher to run. Padding home in bare feet he threw a load of laundry on and stood facing the bag ready to work.

Sildies words from the weekend stuck with him. You are enough, you are everything to me.

“How can I be enough when I can’t tell you I love you?” He whispered and wrapped his hands. “When I can’t get past it, past her.” He pulled the gloves on with an anger and frustration that was ready to explode out of him. “How do I get past her?” He spat and slammed his fist into the bag. “I’m not what she tried to make me.” He voiced with authority and started to pound out his frustration.

Chest heaving, arms and legs lethargic he sank to his knees and rested his head against the bag a good hour and a half later. The answers weren’t coming, he was just angry and bitter pounding nothing but self loathing and regret into a bag full of sand. He ripped the gloves off and threw them into the corner of the room, disgusted with himself. “Can’t even answer my own fucking questions.” He roared, sweat pouring off him.

He stomped out of his home gym and took a shower, it didn’t ease his smoldering temper or internal frustration. He angrily made tea, the teapot and cup taking a beating and had it not been a favorite of his bought in Ireland it would have been smashed against the wall.

He sat in sweats and a t shirt with his tea and pulled his notebook out of his messenger bag. There was too much to process, too much crowding his mind to think clearly, and he needed to clear all the crap out and analyze it a piece at a time. His relationship with Sildie and the kids far too important for him not to fix himself, not to find those answers.

He started by listing everything Ana put him through. The manipulation, the way she twisted every truth from his lips into something that only benefited her own cause. Used lies to push everyone he loved away from him, alienated him until he was begging for her to give him something. The negativity, the emotional blackmail, the vindictiveness.

His pen paused and he took a shuddered breath as all those emotions started flooding into him, memories and anger he’d much rather bury and ignore, much rather forget. Let’s face it, he thought, that’s what I have been doing for the past year, ignoring it in the hopes it would just go away. He let the tears come as he continued to write, with no one there to see him crumble it was easier to let it go. No one to be judgemental, no one to see how weak she’d made him. He would get it out of his head, out of his soul and he would deal with it. Head on, no excuses, no holding back. Enough was enough.

The way she’d chipped away at his self worth eventually making him feel as if he was worthless, useless. Destroying him until he was a shadow of himself. Nothing but a husk of his former self staring back at him in the mirror. That line of thinking had to stop, it had to end.

He kept writing through it all, the tears, the anger, the pain, the regret, his own shitty choices. He let it well up, the soul destroying pain of self doubt, trust, or rather, lack there of, he didn’t trust himself. Pages and pages flowed from him until he dropped his pen and stretched his hand hours later.

He pushed the notebook across the table away from him as if it was poison and let out a careful breath. He sat there staring at it as he reached out a hand to pick up his cold tea and it shook. Snatching it back he swore and breathed. “Just breathe.” He whispered, it was more a shudder than anything. “Breathe.” He let himself settle enough to take a mouthful of cold tea to wash away the bitter taste of the memories he was plowing through before he looked at the notebook again.

He slapped a palm down on it and pulled it to him, bracing to release more of her venom, to deal with the toxic waste of what she left behind. Opening it he grabbed the pen and continued. He wasn’t fucking done with her shit, and had to keep going. He was going to lance this wound and dig it out of himself if it took all fucking day, all week.

“You are not what you made me Ana. I’m so much more than that.” He mumbled as he scratched those words deep into the paper.

“I’m done with your lies and how they still make me feel. I’m done with your doubt in me, you don’t matter anymore.” He choked on the last four words and scratched them down.

“You don’t matter anymore because I’m worth more than what you turned me into.” He let the tears come again freely and continued, words his only antidote, facing his fears head on the only way to say those three words he longed to say to Sildie. She deserved them.

He stared at his phone as it vibrated and ignored it for the moment. Getting this out was priority.

“You’re not going to make me feel worthless because I’m not. I’m not going to let you fucking win. You destroyed me once, you’re not taking me down a second time.” The rage seeped in now, the mind numbing all consuming rage at what he’d let her do to him, what he’d let happen to himself. “You’re not coming between what me and Sildie have.”

He channeled it into his words. Words that he’d say to Ana if she was sitting across from him. Pushing the grief and guilt outward toward the person it needed to be aimed at instead of inward at himself.

Sure, he fucked up, plenty of times he was human after all, but he didn’t deserve it to be thrown back at him time and time again until she got her own way. Every minor thing, every conversation, every word, every action. And he’d let it happen, he’d let her scream at him, throw shit, chip away at his resolve, his self worth, his self respect. In the end it was easier than fighting her and eventually turned into self loathing. He hated himself, he started to hate his job, hated what he was becoming but unable to get her claws out of his skin.

The way she’d bitched and complained about his job, him being away for long periods of time. It was his career, he was good at it and he loved it and she’d made it unbearable for him. The way she manipulated him, came between him and Alex nearly destroying their bond, hurting his sister Eija. He’d never forgive her for that. Her and her boyfriend at the time were happy until Ana had got him drunk, lied to him, and slept with him. Their relationship didn’t last after that and Eija was heartbroken, she didn’t speak to Gustaf for months. Alex had brushed it off with his usual bravado but under it he knew he’d hurt him too.

Tears streamed down his face and he let them fall, the memories painful and deep, shattering him all over again. He’d hurt his baby sister, indirectly, but hurt her all the same. The cheating hadn’t stopped there either. He knew there were more but couldn’t prove it. He tried to be understanding, tried to make it work, be better for her.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and kept at it, pulling memory after memory from his mind and tattooing it onto the page. The emotions he felt, the anger he felt, the necessary steps to make it right with the people he loved. He’d already apologized to his brother and sister but he felt he needed them to hear him out, work through it again.

He flipped to a new page, rested the pen in the spine and pushed it forward. He knew he wasn’t done but he needed food and a break. Remembering his phone vibrating earlier he picked it up to see a message from Sildie.

To me you are enough.

She knew, the woman just knew he was struggling, knew just what he needed. He sat there sobbing until he cursed himself and pulled it together. He was a fucking wreck.

“I’m so in love with you.” He murmured, the words didn’t come easy as he poured the boiling water over the tea leaves. “I’m working on being able to say that to you love.” He breathed out looking to the heavens. His statement went unanswered as he sat and ate. “Even if it tears me apart to get to it.”

He thought about Sildie, how different she was from Ana. He wasn’t comparing the two but he needed to take note of their differences for his own sanity not all women were like Ana and he needed to get that straight in his head. He pulled the notebook toward him and hesitated.

“No, no stopping, no going back.” He growled, shaking his head, and put pen to paper. “All of it.”

He found writing about Sildie made him feel lighter. His true feelings why he loved her. Her kindness of putting those kids before herself. Not just occasionally, every second of every day. The way she’d drop everything for him if he called her right now and said he needed her. How she listened to him, listening not judging, cared about what he was saying, how he was feeling. The little things like flowers to lift his spirits in a hotel room when he was freaking out. He smiled at that memory.

He flipped to the back of the notebook and found the daisy he’d pressed between the pages from her gift in his hotel room. He placed it gently on the table and went in search for another notebook, he found this current book to be suddenly too toxic for something so heartfelt. Opening the new leather bound book he slipped the flower into the back cover pocket, the boudoir shots in the front and smiled.

“Much better.” He muttered closing the new book and placing it in his messenger bag. A new book for happier thoughts. He wrote about how Sildie made him feel, how he wanted to say those words to her. His dreams for them. His pen jerked to a stop as his mind went to a future with her. Would he ask her to marry him, have children, move in with him? Did he want kids with her, a life with her? Was she his forever?

“Yes.” He breathed out and sat there stunned. “Shit.” He choked. “Fucking shit.” He’d never thought it would be possible after Ana to even contemplate marriage and family. She had turned him off the whole ideology of it.

His hand hesitated on the page before he wrote it down. Seeing those words staring back at him suddenly flooded him with emotion. For him to even think about a real future with Sildie he had to get Ana out of his life for good. There was no room for both and be damned if he was giving up Sildie without a fight even when that fight was with his own fucking mind.

And there it was, the crux of the problem. Ana. Ana and all her shit, all her baggage, all her memories had to go. He’d learned from the lessons she had been put in his path for, the hard unyielding lessons she taught. Holding onto them now was pointless and toxic. Sildie was right, Ana was winning all over again if he let this continue.

Maybe if he told Sildie everything? Not that he wanted to, he didn’t want to relive that shit and force it into her head. Having it in his was bad enough, writing it out was reliving it, but maybe it was his way of moving forward? He left that to simmer in his mind as he looked at the time, she’d be home soon and he needed to pull it together. He’d spent the entire day on this but felt marginally better, even though he had more work to do, and it was exhausting, physically exhausting and mentally draining. He was an emotional wreck.

He tidied up, both the mess on the table and in his mind, he had to put it away now and go next door for the kids, for Sildie. He wouldn’t drag this amount of baggage through her front door. He had to cull it first section it into manageable pieces.

“Until tomorrow.” He murmured at the notebook on the table and headed out the door.

She was tired, he could tell just by the slump of her shoulders as she walked through the door. Whether from the emotional upheaval last week, this past weekend or her work, probably all three he decided. The twins wrapped themselves around his thighs in hello as he took Lily from Sildie so she could get in the door with her bag.

“Hi.” He said softly and kissed her with tenderness.

“Hi back.” Her smile, although tired, was one of relief. He was here she thought, he’d come back and she was happy he was here. “I could get used to this.” She smiled. “Having you to come home to.”

“Me too.” His grin was wide as he carried Lily and removed her bag from her shoulder.

He snuggled Lily against him and talked and laughed with the kids while Sildie kicked off her shoes, shucked her jacket, and went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Knowing about their day was just as important as knowing about Sildie’s. She was tired but not overly stressed by last week which was a welcome relief, her grief had settled slightly for the moment. He knew it would surface again soon for her birthday and Christmas.

“Thank you for your text.” He murmured and slipped a hand around her hip pulling her close to him as she stood waiting for the kettle to boil.

She turned to face him kissing those lips she’d craved all day. “You’re not alone love.” She smiled at him and kissed him again. She’d remind him every day what he meant to her to get him through whatever demon he was facing. Let me in she silently pleaded.

“I know.” But he was, he thought. He was so alone facing it because he never wanted it to touch her, inflict all that toxic shit on her, he just wouldn’t allow it. “Your day go ok?” He asked wanting to change the topic.

“It was fine, I have a lighter caseload at the moment but that’s about to change. Big case coming up. High profile company, lots of long nights ahead.”

“Good thing I’m staying over then.” He smiled.

“Yeah, I could use your help with the kids on this when it hits in a few weeks.” He stroked a finger down his jaw.

“Late nights?”

“There’ll be a few I’m sure and some weekends at the office.” She didn’t want to lay it all on him but she’d need to lean on him for this. “I know it’ll be a lot but I...”

He kissed her softly and leaned his forehead against hers. “Together remember.” Her slight smile the brightest thing in his world. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll make it work.” He kissed her and heard the ewww from Brendan as he passed which made him grin.

“You know B the more you do that the more I’m gonna do this.” He quipped grinning, cupping a hand behind her neck he kissed her so her toes curled. His throaty chuckle against her lips only made Sildie’s pussy tingle, damn the man knew how to kiss a girl.

“Gross.” Brendan grinned.

“Yeah well, wait until your hormones kick in kid, you’re going to feel the same way about a special girl and want to kiss her just like that.” Gustaf was having a ball ribbing the kid in good fun. “So you may want to pay attention instead of gagging.”

Sildie laughed at them while she poured the water over the tea leaves. It was a guy thing and she was so happy that Brendan had a guy he could talk to and joke with even though the spike of guilt still hit her sharply. She watched Gustaf as the two continued their banter.

He was trying to hide the pain, she could see the edges of it in the way his body slumped like it was carrying a tremendous weight. Talk to me love, she pleaded silently, let me in, let me help. It hurt that he’d already started shielding her from it.

She cupped his face in her hand and ran a thumb along the crows feet at his eye. She loved it when he smiled like that, pure joy. He turned to look at her and those ocean eyes, she drowned in them, such love in him she thought, such kindness. She kissed him tenderly and felt his grip tighten.

“You’re so good for him.” She said quietly and kissed him again as she could see the blush at the fact he’d let it show. They talked and sipped tea while Sildie got dinner started. Back to routine, normality, although she wanted to stay in the bubble with him it just wasn’t practical. They ate as a family unit, joking, laughing, talking about what happened in their day, what they liked and disliked, plans for the weekend. If every night was going to be like this she hoped he’d stay but knew there would be bad days mixed in with the good at some stage. It couldn’t be roses all the time.

With Lily and the boys to bed she settled down to read. Her case load was light but she was brushing up on certain laws for the case that would soon land in her lap. She’d be living, breathing, sleeping it. It excited her but at the same time she doubted herself. That doubt of whether she could juggle it all, work, kids, boyfriend, life, grief, Ana. She could handle the kids and work, and Gustaf, but Ana, and life was certain to test her.

He watched her from the kitchen and smiled, he was happy with her, the kids. Things seemed lighter when he was with her, less stress, less anxiety. All the more reason to sort out your shit, he cursed silently, you can’t be in her life completely dragging your Ana baggage into it with you. There isn’t enough room and it’s not fair on them, they have enough grief and guilt of their own to live with.

He poured her a tea and sat it beside her, pen furiously taking notes. He sat and brushed a finger along the back of her hand. The pen stuttered before she continued and then stop once she reached the end of her thought. He knew her well enough now to wait. Her mind was an enigma to him.

She took off her reading glasses and scrubbed a hand over her face.

“Come up for air love.” He said and kissed her temple. “Sip your tea.”

“Thanks. Sorry, went down a rabbit hole there.” She chuckled as she leaned back to rest against the back of the chair pulling her glasses off.

“What are you working on?” His fingers grazed hers as she took hold of the teacup.

“Brushing up on certain laws. I know them I just need to refresh them in my head.” She leaned into him and kissed him tenderly. “Back to the grind. I’m sorry.”

“What for?” His brow crinkled at her apology.

“I get caught up with it all sometimes. I don’t mean to ignore you.” She hooked her finger around his. “I zone out into lawyer land.” That had become his favorite term for her when her mind was super focused.

“You’re not. I’m here with you. We’ll find a rhythm love, it’ll just take a bit.” He kissed her tenderly.

“Well just know when I zone out like that it’s not because I’m ignoring you.” She kissed him again sweetly.

“Noted.” He said and nodded. He hesitated and she knew there was more he wanted to say. “I’m not shutting you out.” He said softly and her look had him continue. “Yes it’s about Ana. It’s always about Ana and I’m working on it. Working on not letting her get between us.” He managed to get that out without bursting into flames and it made him feel a little better. “I just need time to work through it, process it. I started doing that today.”

Her kiss was pure love he thought. That deep love that she gave so freely. “She haunts you.” She murmured and he dropped his head into his hands and scrubbed the emotion away. “Will you talk to me? Before it gets too much and pulls you under? I know you’re working through it, processing, but would you talk to me about it all? What eats away at you?”

“I will but I can’t right now.” He choked. “It’s all too raw.” His voice was strangled.

“You’ve buried it for so long love and now it’s wanting to flood out of you stronger than before.” Her words hit him hard and he couldn’t stop the silent tears. “You’re not alone this time love. I’m here and I’ll fight her alongside you if you’ll let me.” She wiped the tears from his cheek with her thumb and kissed his temple lingering, willing her love to heal him. “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

“I’m stronger than what she made me.” He whispered and her heart broke. She closed her eyes and breathed. She wanted to ask so many questions from that statement alone but held off. It wasn’t the right time and there was only so far she could push.

“Much stronger love.” She looked at him and cupped his face in her hands. “Work through it but don’t shut me out ok? Tell me when it’s getting too much, talk to me. I’m here for you, just as you’re here for me.”

He kissed her tenderly. “I’ll try to remember.” He kissed her again sweetly. “I’m sorry, I never wanted any of this to touch you Sildie.”

“Together remember. You’re everything to me Gustaf. Remember that when thoughts of her try to pull you under.” She kissed him with that deep love that always made him feel warm and wanted.

“When is your case done? This big one coming up?” He asked and swiped the tears away annoyed that they fell in the first place. He felt stupid falling apart like this all over again like he’d just kicked Ana out this morning. Well in a way he had, mentally he was reliving it all over again.

“It starts in a few weeks in court for pretrial but it could go on for years it just depends. Why?” She asked softly.

“I’d like to take you away for a long weekend. Just you and me, away and somewhere different.” He said and kissed her.

“Romancing me?” She smiled.

“Trying.” His huffed chuckle made her smile. “I’d like to.”

“Maybe the first or second week of December or something. Let all this calm down with us and the kids and routine?” Normally she’d fight him on it as it would be costly but considering what he was trying to process in his mind, she’d let it go. He probably needed it as much as she did from the last week of pouring her own heart out. They were both a little raw still.

“Sounds good. I’ll start planning. You ok with Alice looking after the kids for that long?” It was also something he could plan, take his mind off Ana after dealing with it all day.

“That’s fine and I’ll pay half.” She said.

“Nope. I asked, I pay. Not only that you just paid for this last weekend so it’s my turn.” He grinned, she wasn’t lawyering him on this one. “That was the deal.” He said holding up his hand as if to say save your breath I don’t want to hear it. All she could do was glare at him, he was right damn it she thought.

His fingers toyed with her hair until it found her clip and he growled. Her chuckle was one of amusement.

“You really don’t like that clip do you?” She smirked.

“No. I don’t.” He whispered and he gently removed it so her hair tumbled down. “I like the feel of it. Sinking my fingers into it before I kiss you.” He whispered and kissed her tenderly doing exactly that. “How much more do you have to do tonight?” He asked and ghosted his lips over hers.

“I can be done, it’s late anyway, and I need sleep.” She kissed him softly. “You wore me out.” She chuckled and he smiled against her lips.

“You had a very busy weekend.” He murmured and slipped a finger down her cleavage to undo a few buttons.

“I love it when you touch me.” She whispered, that soft sigh as his touch sent her body into goo mode.

“Then tidy up and come to bed so I can touch you some more.” He murmured, that low tone making her suddenly warm with pleasure.

“I need to sleep Gustaf.” She chuckled as those fingers deftly aroused her as he undid the buttons of her blouse. “I mean I’d like to fool around but I’m beat and I have the rest of the week to get through.”

“I’ll see that you get it.” He promised. “Go take a shower, relax, get your makeup off and sleep.” He kissed her softly. “I’ll be there in a bit.” He stood and took their cups and the teapot to the kitchen.

She tidied ready for breakfast and he noted again that she needed an office, it suddenly dawned on him and he grinned. He had a spare office, she needed one, problem solved and Christmas or her birthday would be perfect timing. Something else for him to dive into in the coming weeks.

He found her a little while later curled up soft and naked in bed. That halo of copper in a molten pool across the pillow. She was so beautiful, inside and out. That thought stopped him cold. Sildie had said the same thing this past weekend about him, though he felt anything but beautiful. His heart fluttered and ached, she was trying to lead him out of the darkness.

He stripped and crawled in beside her pressing himself against her spine, fingers trailing over her hip to soothe more than arouse. The words still wouldn’t come. Give it time he said to himself, you’ve got to take the trash out first.

She turned to him half asleep and pressed herself against him, warm and soft. She kissed him sweetly as his arm cradled her to him, hand flexing out between her shoulder blades.

“Sleep love.” He murmured as her head relaxed and she breathed him in.

He lay there with her in his arms thinking. Thinking of what it would be like to be married to her, have kids with her, to lose her. He would if he didn’t get his shit in order. He kissed her brow and lingered as he held her tighter, the scent of her calming his mind. He couldn’t lose her, he couldn’t let Ana ruin this.

The following few weeks went much the same. Routine and life kicked in, Sildie was slammed at work, kids soccer and hockey games, reading scripts, interviews, guest appearances, and furiously trying to dig out every last toxic thought and memory of Ana. Sildie was neck deep in her case and it was beginning to wear on her. He could see the stress taking its toll, her tiredness before she finally gave up reading for the night, her slightly on edge tone with him and the kids, his own stress wearing him thin too.

Since their weekend together things had started to spiral downward. It was a slow descent but he knew it was his fault. He was spread too thin focusing his entire emotional efforts on getting Ana out of their lives, but what else could he do? Sildie had tried to get him to open up and he’d wanted to, but he’d also wanted to protect her from it. She had enough on her plate without him adding to it.

He was due to fly out tomorrow and he found the thought of being away from Sildie and the kids daunting, even for the overnight stay. “It’s just the anxiety and self doubt creeping back in and it won’t win this time.” He said sternly as he pounded a fist into the bag. “It’s just overnight and she’s only a phone call away. Just like last time. I am better than that.”

He worked the bag hard and took a shower once his muscles were screaming at him. He read through scripts and poured his heart out onto the pages of his notebook. This had become his routine while Sildie was at work. His hand stopped when Sildie’s text tone chimed quietly. He tapped the pen on the book and hesitated looking at it as he was neck deep in the toxic waste of his mind. When it chimed again he caved and looked.

You are stronger than your demons love.

He choked a sob, how did she know what he needed when they hadn’t even spoken of it he wondered? Because she loves you the little voice in his head muttered. He let the tears come, they needed out of him too. A cleansing of a different sort. Purge and heal had become his mantra over the past weeks, and in all honesty he should have done this long ago.

She was beat to hell by the time she got home. This was much easier when she didn’t have kids and a boyfriend that was spiraling she thought bitterly and then felt the guilt rise at such a thought. She was just tired and cranky and that wasn’t fair.

She watched as he played with Lily and smiled, the highlight of her day. Those crinkles around his eyes showing the love and joy he had for the toddler even though it was another mans child. There was still that soul destroying pain in his eyes though and he wouldn’t talk to her about it.

She understood he needed space and time to sort through it but he’d shut her out. Every time she brought it up or hinted at the subject he shut it down. Let me in she pleaded silently, please love let me in. Each day that passed he seemed a little less bright and drifted further away from her, soon he’d be out of reach and consumed by it all. How did she stop that she wondered? How did she stop the spiral without hurting him further, without throwing it in his face or making that wound deeper?

#gustaf skarsgard #gustaf skarsgard fanfiction #shattered lives

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