#okay…..I may be watching Legally Blonde for the fist time and now I’m going on a full on Barbie Girl Boss Binge | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tenthgrove · 3 years

Text

L'inizio- A La Squadra Backstory Collection

Chapter 3: Due Cuori (Sorbet & Gelato Part 1)

Word Count: ~3800

Warnings: parental abandonment, homelessness, mildly-suggestive behaviour

The young boy sobs into the bag he’s carrying as he flees down the dark, damp street. The quick-paced footsteps of his pursuer sound loudly as they smack against the wet concrete. The boy prays for some rain to cover the sounds of his panting and running, but he knows such luck will not be afforded to him.

He is out of his depth in this part of Naples. Not yet 14, he’s one of many such young fools who thought it would be easy to snatch a little money from one of the smaller street gangs that roam this part of the town, making the crucial mistake of thinking ‘smaller’ was synonymous with less relentless. The boy has barely a moment to comprehend the dead end ahead of him before he is knocked sharply around the back of his head and sent reeling to the floor.

“Where the hell is my money, you shit?!” the angered man interrogates him sharply. He rears a clenched fist ready to strike him again, and the boy cowers against the wall.

“It’s there! Right there!” he shrieks desperately, pointing at the back dropped at his side. The man spits. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gun. “I swear Signor! The money’s there!” the boy pleads, his voice hitching in mortal terror. The man scoffs venomously.

“Yeah, I heard.”

Two shots ring out, but they aren’t aimed at the boy. The man’s blood splashes over him as he chokes on it, falling to the ground without a word. The boy counts two wounds on the man’s back.

The figure at the end of the alleyway lowers his gun and begins to approach. He is somewhere on the boundary between boyhood and manhood, perhaps about 18, at a first guess. He is darkly dressed, with hair to match, and he returns his weapon to his pocket with a detached smoothness that suggests great experience with the murderous act. He leans over the boy and picks up his bag, smiling in satisfaction at the wad of cash crudely jammed inside. He zips the bag up and hauls it over his shoulder.

“Grazie,” he thanks him, turning away and beginning his journey back down the alleyway.

He does not walk far before he reaches his destination- a small house in a densely packed row just a street away. He knocks calmly, and the door soon opens.

“Ah, Sorbet,” the responder answers. “I thought I’d heard gunfire.”

“’Evening Gabriele,” he greets him, sorting off some of the money in his hands. “20,000 lire says I can stay the night.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Gabriele agrees with a small chuckle. “Come right in, friend.”

Sorbet removes his jacket and seats himself down on the sofa, shuffling the bag protectively behind his legs. He takes off his own bag as well and pilfers through to find the chewing gum he’s been saving for this evening.

“May I ask how you still haven’t found a place of your own? Surely you must be rolling in it from all that blood money you’ve got lately. Hell,” he remarks, eyeing the money poking out from behind Sorbet’s lap. “You could probably sort yourself out for a couple months on that alone.”

“You can certainly ask,” Sorbet answers apathetically.

“Well?”

Sorbet looks at him contemplatively before deciding he’s in the mood for compliance tonight. He leans back.

“To put it simply I’ve just been out of it too long. ‘Don’t have my birth certificate, ‘don’t have any documents of that sort. I left home at 14 and frankly I’d be shocked if I wasn’t legally dead by now. Well, assuming my mum was ever lucid enough to do the paperwork, that is.”

“You could rent a flat from the gang. They’d hardly say no to you,” Gabriele suggests.

“Not really a fan of that sort of obligation, Gabe,” Sorbet refutes him. “Besides, the quote on quote ‘buildings’ the gang owns get busted by the cops all the time. I hardly wanna deal with that at 1 in the morning.”

“True,” Gabriele snorts. A knock sounds at the door. “Who the fuck at this time of night?” he gripes.

“No idea, but have fun with them,” Sorbet says, getting to his feet. “I’m off to help myself to your shower,” he announces, departing up the stairs. Gabriele answers the door.

“H-Hello,” the newcomer greets. It’s another teenager, with messy blond hair and a sky of freckles. He shivers into his thin jacket, hand red-raw from clutching his heavy bag. “Are you Gabriele?” he asks.

“Who’s asking?” Gabriele says with scrutiny.

“My name is Gelato, sir. You don’t know me, but I know a friend of yours from Florence, well, small village outside of Florence, I’m sure you know which one I mean. I heard from him you wanted to get someone to do errands for you and well, I was wondering if I could do that for you,” the boy offers. There’s a wild look in his desperate green eyes, and Gabriele knows this won’t end quickly for him.

“Kid, that was weeks ago! What the hell took you so long?” he asks.

“It’s not my fault I had to walk here!” Gelato protests. “Look, I got kicked out by my parents, I’m only 17 and if you don’t help me I’ll have nowhere to go!” he pleads.

“That’s rough and all, but the job’s closed. Go find a shelter or something.”

“PLEASE!” Gelato begs. He’s trembling, but there’s a touch of anger in his eyes as he glares at him that makes Gabriele mildly scared to turn him down.

“Look, I have neither the need nor the money for another errand boy right now. But, now I think of it I do know a guy who needs someone to manage a bar for him. Make no mistake, it’s nothing more than a meet-up spot for the gang so don’t expect anything fancy, but I think it has a flat upstairs. Maybe you can ask to move into the place as your pay.”

“A bar? That’s perfect!” Gelato enthuses. “Thank you thank you so much!”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I’m happy for you. Now If I go give the guy a call will you please piss off?” Gabriele entreats him.

“Anything you say sir! Thank you!” Gelato agrees. Gabriele heads for his phone with a sigh.

::::::::::::

An hour later, Gelato finds himself in the staff-only section of what was once a fully functioning bar.

“Look kid, it’s not hard stuff,” his guide tells him. “Just keep ‘em drunk enough they can’t kill each other and ring me up if you hear any talk the boss ought to here,” he explains.

“Yes sir, I will,” Gelato answers dutifully. The man opens a rickety door leading to a thin, steep staircase. Gelato follows him up.

“And, this is the flat you were so eager about,” the man announces, looking over the dark, dust-filled space of the bare-bones apartment. There’s a frightful stain on the sofa, and one of the kitchen cabinet doors is hanging on one hinge. “Consider yourself lucky I’m letting you have it when I could be giving it to someone who pays. Don’t expect a penny more from me, this is your full payment,” he continues.

“But how will I eat?” Gelato protests.

“I guess you better hope they tip you good,” the man answers apathetically. “Look, if you do a good job and don’t piss me off, maybe I can spare a few thousand lire a night later on, but until then, you’re getting no more help from me,” he maintains. “Maybe you should learn to pickpocket. ‘Useful skill to have around here.”

Gelato growls inwardly. Of course he knows how to pickpocket! Well- how to pickpocket 13 year olds outside a school gate. Grown men might be a different matter, but he’ll figure it out. Getting caught can’t be much worse than what happened when his parents found out.

“Alright. Thanks,” Gelato forces himself to say. The man gives a satisfied nod and exits.

“Make sure you know where everything is before you open at 9,” he says.

Gelato seeks out the bedroom and lies down, not caring how musty the frayed sheets smell. He grabs the pillow and hugs it close to him like a stuffed toy. It occurs to him that he’s scared.

::::::::::::

It takes him a month to accept his parents aren’t taking him back, two to stop fucking up every day of his life and three to feel some sense of normalcy in his new life at the bar. That’s not to say he’s happy, by any means, simply that he holds onto his current existence with a vice-grip, for fear that things could only get worse if he shook the boat too much.

He sleeps until noon, usually, leaves the house as soon as he’s awake enough to do so and just walks. Anywhere. Sometimes he tries to pickpocket but ever since that beating he earned from a poorly chosen victim, he saves it for his most desperate days. After lunch, if he has any, he sometimes goes to the library. He was never much of a scholar and rarely reads, but he finds the place more pleasant to dissociate in than his apartment.

Should he feel like treating himself, he occasionally visits the arcade when he has the change to spare. After it became clear letting him waste away was not in the landlord’s best interests if he wanted his bar to stay running, he began to help a little with food costs but nowhere near enough for such frivolous outings to be frequently affordable.

Around 3pm, Gelato goes home and sleeps until his hunger forces him to get up and eat. He likes to make a start early on setting up the bar, and cleaning it from the messes of its previous nights patrons, so he tries to begin by 7. It opens at 9 and closes at 2, after which Gelato will shower, and spend a short stretch of time watching the old, boxy TV he pulled out of the attic in bed, before sleeping.

As he exits the cellar, he receives a few apathetic glances from some of the patrons but ultimately nothing much. His eyes are on the far corner of the bar where, to perhaps less of his concern than it should be, two men are engaged in a heated argument. It’s a sight he’s well used to now, but he keeps a keen watch on the men, since the landlord insisted he de-escalate anything that looks like it may prove fatal.

“I don’t care what your excuses are! We had a deal and you’re going to fucking pay me!” The first man shouts. He is one of the younger ones, probably little older than Gelato but with an air of authority more akin to some of the older individuals in the mob. He has heard whispers about this man- his name is Sorbet and he is an enforcer. The mobsters are cautious about the word ‘assassin’, it makes them sound like a more ambitious group than they truly are, one that could be deemed a threat by the larger syndicates that truly control this city. Yet, Gelato reads between the lines when they talk about the things Sorbet has done. As Gelato approaches Sorbet’s eyes flick towards him momentarily. Gelato shies away from the eye contact and feels an odd feeling inside him. Seeing Sorbet always makes him feel odd. He doesn’t dare speak to him directly.

“Whatever. It ain’t on me if you misread what we were talking about. You did me a favour, nothing more,” the second man retorts. He’s another regular, as familiar to Gelato, if not more, than Sorbet is, even if he doesn’t know him by name. He is a cruel man, impatient and aggressive whenever he visits. Gelato always tremors a little when he comes through the door.

Still, he scares him less than Sorbet.

Gelato forces a smile as he approaches the second man.

“Pardon me, could I get you any more-” he inhales sharply as the half-full bottle of wine is chucked over him.

“Yes, one more of these,” the man orders coldly. Gelato wipes his eyes.

“Right away,” he nods, turning back towards the cellar and fighting every fibre of his being telling him not to let this slide.

Gelato descends into the cellar, shaking from the cold of his wet clothes and anger. As he pulls a new bottle off the shelf he wonders briefly if he ought to piss in it, but decides the best result that could come of that is having it thrown over him again. He pats down his shirt and takes the bottle back up to the bar.

He knows what has happened before the door is even open. The sound of shouting is familiar to him, and if the past few minutes is anything to go by, it’s Sorbet and that petulant man’s feud which has turned violent. Opening the door proves his theory, as a small crowd has formed around Sorbet and his opponent as they engage in a relentless match of fists.

Gelato debates to himself. He could put down the bottle and run, he could try and calm the men down and risk one or both of them turning their anger on him, or he could use this opportunity to finally get back at that bastard’s disrespect. Gelato’s never been much of a thinking sort. His mind doesn’t take long to settle on the third option. He rears the bottle above his head and charges.

There’s a collective gasp of shock as Gelato suddenly crashes into the man, smashing the bottle over the back of his skull with full strength. It shatters, and the man falls to the floor with a groan. Gelato looks up at Sorbet, briefly fearing his interference may have provoked anger but, Sorbet only smiles.

Gelato rushes to his feet just in time to join his new ally in kicking the man, again and again until he starts to spit blood. Gelato picks up the remains of the bottle’s base and pours out the remaining liquid onto his enemy’s face in one, final insult. The crowd cheers. Evidently this man was not so popular with the gang after all.

Gelato sits down, whoozy from exhaustion and adrenaline. He finds himself laughing. He cannot recall the last time he’s done that. Sorbet leans down and pulls a stack of cash from the unconscious man’s pocket.

“Lying bastard,” he scoffs. “He did have the money. Probably a lot more than I asked for, but I can hardly complain about that.” Sorbet turns to Gelato with a look of deliberation. He pulls out one of the 50,000 lire bills and hands it to him with a smile.

“For your trouble,” he declares. He withdraws his hand with a slow deliberateness, their fingertips touching for just the briefest of seconds. The odd feeling Gelato has felt since laying eyes on Sorbet returns with a vengeance, and yet, Gelato can feel nothing but awe as it begins to eat his heart.

Oh dear. Gelato might have a crush.

::::::::::::

It is three days later to the hour, that Gelato finds himself hauled into the cellar and pinned against the wall, mouth agape in shock as Sorbet digs his fingers into his neck. It occurs to Gelato he might have gone about this the wrong way.

“Alright, spit it out,” Sorbet demands. “What the hell was that up there?”

“Pardon?” Gelato pleads fearfully.

“Did you think I would let you get away with mocking me like that?” Sorbet asks through gritted teeth. Gelato’s mind turns to the myriad of weapons no doubt hidden in Sorbet’s clothes. That thought shouldn’t endear him as much as it does.

“Mocking?”

“Oh? Is there another explanation for why you would behave like that around me? Humiliate me in front of half my gang? Well?!” Sorbet entreats him. His grip around his neck tightens

“Flirting! It was flirting!” Gelato confesses desperately. Sorbet’s grip lessens.

“What?”

“Look. I think I like guys, you like guys or at least everyone says you do. And- I think I might like you a lot so- I wanted your attention. I wanted to talk to you again,” Gelato admits sheepishly. His cheeks start to burn, and it isn’t from the lack of oxygen any more.

Sorbet looks like something in his brain must have just blown a fuse. Perhaps Gelato should take this opportunity to run, since this half-assed attempt at seduction is clearly a resounding failure.

But then Sorbet starts to laugh. It’s a low, quiet laugh but nonetheless genuine as he fixes his eyes warmly on the floor.

“Oh you dear thing. That isnot how this works,” he says. Gelato breathes out in relief, as well as a little disappointment.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. This was stupid I should- probably just go back to my work,” he apologises. His body goes still as Sorbet touches a hand to his cheek.

“Though if you ever want my attention again,” he leans in and presses his lips lightly against Gelato’s. “You should just ask.”

Sorbet lets out a little hum of amusement at the sight of Gelato’s shock. He caresses his face once more, touching his finger to a little curl of hair as he does so, before finally freeing Gelato from his hold.

“See you later,” he promises, before leaving him alone in the cellar. Above him, Gelato hears Sorbet walk out in the direction of the front door. Gelato collects himself, and calmly wanders over to the sink, waiting patiently for it to fill with water.

He sticks his head in and screams.

::::::::::::

Sorbet visits the bar twice weekly, no different from before. But he starts visiting Gelato more often. Barely a week from their first kiss, they are in bed together, Gelato clinging onto his new love tightly as he reads. This touch is alien to him and in spite of his joy, he cannot help but quiver as Sorbet pets his hair. He wonders how he ever lived his life without knowing joy this strong.

Their second week is easier. They both start to become accustomed to this newfound love and no longer think of each other as strangers. Gelato knows Sorbet’s full name now, he knows which street he grew up on and the names and ages of each of his siblings. Sorbet knows what Gelato’s parents did for a living. He knows the name of the boy he had his first real fight with, and the therapist who tried and failed to relieve him of the ‘learning disabilities’ that made his parents despise him so deeply. Sorbet tries to at least drop in on most days, but when he can’t, he calls Gelato to tell him where he’s staying for the night. Gelato thinks of him as he falls asleep, hugging his pillow close.

By week three, the pair have found a new normal together. Sorbet sleeps over more often than not, and the bar patrons now know full well not to cause Gelato trouble when Sorbet is in the building. Sorbet has made every aspect of Gelato’s life more enjoyable, and he can see in Sorbet’s eyes that the feeling goes both ways. Gelato knows why Sorbet left home four years ago, and Sorbet knows how Gelato really wants to get revenge of his parents for abandoning him. On precisely day 19 of their affair, Gelato asked Sorbet if he planned to keep doing this with him forever. Sorbet did not hesitate in saying yes.

It’s a few days later that Sorbet comes to the bar with an especially warm smile on his usually cold face. Gelato thought little of putting down his current orders to rush over and greet him at the door.

“Sorbet, you’re here early!” Gelato enthuses. Sorbet pecks his cheek.

“I thought we might spend a night to ourselves. I think you need it, Caro.”

“But Sorbet, the bar doesn’t close for three more hours yet!” Gelato reminds him.

“Not if I can help it.”

Sorbet raises his gun and fires it twice at the ceiling. The patrons look up in fear. “Alright, everyone out. Bar’s closed,” he announces. The patrons sheepishly get to their feet and file out.

“But, the landlord!” Gelato protests.

“Fuck the landlord. If he has a problem with this, he goes through me,” Sorbet maintains. Gelato’s breath escapes him with a laugh and he follows him upstairs.

“Really, tell me,” Gelato insists light-heartedly. “What’s brought this on?” He turns around and his face falls to see that Sorbet is looking saddened.

“I- saw my siblings today,” he announces.

“Are they… okay?” Gelato asks worriedly.

“Oh, they’re fine. I saw them down at the cafe, they didn’t notice me. Taking a look at the other ones, I’m assuming the older ones are getting better at taking care of them. It makes sense, given the ages they’re getting to. The issue is… there was another baby, this time, who wasn’t there before,” Sorbet reveals. “Probably just a month or so old, from the looks of her.”

“Sorbet…”

“My sister,” Sorbet says, bringing his head into his hands. “And I don’t even know her name!”

“Sorbet,” Gelato says, taking his head in his own hands. “It isn’t your fault the way your mother is. Looking after them isn’t your responsibility.”

“It was,” Sorbet reminds him. “Then I left.”

“Look, I’m sure they’re fine,” Gelato reiterates. “Believe me when I say there are many worse things older siblings can do than just not look after you. Now,” he begins. “How about that night we were going to have together,” he smiles.

“Right,” Sorbet recalls, pecking him on the nose. “It’s you I came to see.”

Sorbet leans forward and kisses him deeply. Gelato, so recently a stranger to the sensation, leans in further to the kiss, pawing teasingly at Sorbet’s chest to urge him on. Sorbet groans to the kiss, hooking a hand around Gelato’s collar. Downstairs, something crashes loudly.

Sorbet pulls back. He sees Gelato’s eyes widen in fear as a parade of footsteps stumble into the building. Sorbet presses a kiss to his cheek reassuringly.

“Stay calm,” he urges him. “Not a sound.”

Sorbet stands up and, watching his feet on the old floorboards, moves over to the window to peer outside.

“Shit!” he exclaims, ducking away out of view.

“What is it?” Gelato whispers.

“The police. Two cars.”

“Are they here for us?” Gelato asks, voice hitching in fear. Sorbet shakes his head quickly.

“Unlikely. They most likely thought the place was empty. If we are quick, we can still leave without them seeing us,” he promises. Gelato shrinks back.

“I’m scared,” he admits. Sorbet takes his hand in his.

“Just stay with me okay? I’ll protect you.”

#la squadra #la squadra di esecuzione #Sorbet and Gelato #sorbet jojo #gelato jojo #l'inizio

13 notes · View notes

lesbian-fabray · 3 years

Text

lit through the darkness at 1:58 (you told me you loved me) - part 6

Playlist Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five

Hey! This is the last part of the story! It’s a little on the longer side, but there wasn’t really a good time for a chapter break. I’m really proud of this story, and I’ll be making a post that just has all the parts in one place that’s easy to navigate.

Summary: Toni and Shelby were best friends in high school, and the relationship turned romantic, but it ended poorly. Now, after years of feeling like the Shelby she sees now is not the Shelby she knows, Toni goes to talk to her.

The title comes from “Last Kiss” by Taylor Swift.

Anything italicized takes place in the past. :)

It’s around 4:30 when Toni reaches Shelby’s house for the second time that day. This time, instead of staring at the door like it will come alive and swallow her whole, like she thought it might the first time she was here, she quickly rapped her knuckles on the door. She was full of so much hope that, if she were a spectator of some sort, she may call herself foolish and naïve. But she was no spectator.

She felt like she was seventeen again and being kissed by Shelby for that first time, all full of hope for what may be and worry that it might fall apart.

On top of all of that, however, there was concern for Shelby. The girl potentially just lost everything by telling that truth.

That combination of hope and concern was quickly twisting into guilt and eating at Toni’s insides. She felt selfish and wrong for being so hopeful and for thinking about herself when Shelby was, without a doubt, hurting.

When Shelby opened the door, her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet, She looked small and broken in the dim light of the early morning.

Without thinking, Toni wrapped her arms around her, feeling the blonde shake and sob in her arms. Part of her wanted to tell her it would be okay, but she didn’t even really know what happened, so that could end up being an outright lie. Instead, she just held her and stroked her hair.

When Shelby pulls out of the hug, she just stares at Toni for a while, like she’s frozen in place.

“How about we go inside and talk? Okay, Shelby?”

- - - - - - - - -

Nothing changes.

Shelby continues to keep her distance from Toni and it doesn’t matter if it’s intentional or not anymore. Toni is constantly just filled with rage, ready to be ignited the moment someone mentions her blonde best friend.

But she keeps pretending to Shelby’s face and hopes it will make her come back.

As time goes on, it only gets worse. Toni spends the entirety of her lunch on Valentine’s Day sobbing into Martha’s shoulder because, as much as she hates the holiday, Shelby loves it.

Even more embarrassing than that is when the school does a production of Legally Blonde, in which Shelby plays Elle, and Toni spends the whole time silently crying next to Martha and Rachel because Shelby looks so happy to be performing.

Then, Andrew moves back to town after being gone less that a year, and him and Shelby pick up where they left off. Everyone just kind of watches in bewilderment as they walk the halls like nothing happened in the time they were broken up.

It gets harder for Toni to keep up the appearance of being even remotely okay. She starts lashing out at people and getting panicky when she sees blonde hair, because there’s no way she could handle a spontaneous encounter at this point.

One day, on her way to class, she sees Andrew kiss Shelby and she feels like she can’t breathe. When she finally sits at her desk, she’s shaking and hyperventilating slightly. She’s angry to the point of feeling guilty. She knows she should be happy for her friend, but she can’t be, no matter how hard she tries.

Shelby catches her crying a few times, but doesn’t say anything about it. She just watches with a look of concern in her eyes. That’s what hurts Toni the most, if she’s honest. The fact that Shelby can’t ever bring herself to say something.

She’s spiraling, and she knows that Shelby knows.

- - - - - - - - -

“Did you want to talk about it, or did you just want comfort?” Toni sets a mug of hot chocolate down in front of Shelby and gently sits down next to her.

Shelby exhales shakily. “I’m... I’m okay with talking about it.”

Toni nods and a brief silence falls between them. “What even happened, Shelby?”

The blonde sniffles and runs a hand through her hair.

“After you left, I was kind of panicking. I was thinking about everything you said and about my whole life. Like, how everything is empty and conditional and meaningless. So, I just kinda paced and panicked until Andrew got homes, and, uh... when he got home... I broke up with him. I told him the truth, because, even though he was never honest about all those girls he was with,” Toni mutters something about him being a motherfucker and how she never liked him, “he deserved the truth from me, considering we were engaged and all. I told him a l- that I’m gay and he gathered some of his things and left.” She laughs bitterly before continuing. “And I guess he called my parents, because they, uh, showed up, and that went basically exactly how I expected.”

Toni wraps her arms around the now crying girl and, once again, just holds her. “I’m so sorry. Shelby.” Shelby sniffles and pulls her head up from Toni’s chest. “It’s okay. I mean, it isn’t right now, and it probably won’t be for a while, but it will be eventually. And I’m going to get to start actually being me, and I figure that what really matters, y’know?”

Toni just gives her a small smile and a kiss on the forehead.

“I’m so proud of you, Shelbs. You should probably head to bed. You’ve had a long night. I’m going to stay down here on the couch. We can talk more when you wake up.”

- - - - - - - - -

It’s late on a Saturday night when Nora mentions that Shelby is moving away for college.

She drops the information casually while her and Toni are in Fatin’s backyard, at a party neither of them really wanted to attend.

“So what are you going to do when Shelby’s gone next year?”

Toni furrows her eyebrows. She has no clue what Nora’s talking about. And Shelby’s basically gone anyway.

“What?”

Nora tilts her head to the side and looks at Toni curiously. “Next year, when Shelby goes back to Texas for school? What are you going to do?”

Toni feels her heart drop to her stomach. Yeah, it already feels like Shelby’s gone, but she’s physically here, and if she’s physically here, Toni can see her. Even though it makes her feel like she’s being torn into pieces, seeing the blonde is the thing that makes her get out of bed most days. It’s becoming borderline obsessive on Toni’s part, if she’s being honest. She knows it’s not healthy, but she can’t ever think of anything else. It’s like her brain had been submerged in Shelby. Like the blonde had covered every surface and filled every hole and seeped into the very tissue her brain’s made of.

“Shelby’s moving?”

Nora’s eyes go wide. “Yeah. I thought you knew. I figured she would have told you.”

She can feel herself beginning to panic.

“Yeah, you’d think. I have to go, Nora.”

As she gets up and begins frantically making her way through Fatin’s packed house, in search of Shelby, she feels like she’s locked in a tiny room that’s slowly closing in on her.

No matter where she looks, there’s no sign of the blonde. She stumbles into Fatin and quickly stops the taller girl.

“Fatin, where’s Shelby? I need tp talk to her.” Fatin looks at her quizzically. “Dude, she left like twenty minutes ago.” Toni just nods and heads for the door.

It’s about half an hour later when she finds herself in the Goodkind backyard, throwing rocks at Shelby’s window like some jackass in a romcom.

The window opens and the blonde pops her head out. “Toni? What in the world are you doing? It’s two in the morning!”

Toni’s hands are shaking and her eyes are frantic. “Please let me in, I need to talk to you right now.”

Shelby sighs and closes her window, coming downstairs to let Toni in.

When they get into Shelby’s room and close the door, Toni cuts to the chase. “You’re moving?” Shelby sighs and fixes her eyes to the ground. “Yes.”

Toni grabs her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me? I had to find out through Nora.” She’s trying to keep her voice calm, but she’s worried it isn’t going to plan. Shelby finally looks into her eyes. “I knew it was going to upset you, so I wanted to leave it for as long as possible. I didn’t want to upset you.” Toni balls her hands up into fists. “So you were just going to wait until you were about to leave to tell me.” Shelby’s eyes return to the ground. “I guess, yeah.”

Toni moves away from Shelby, feeling tears in her eyes. “Jesus Christ, Shelbs.”

“Look, I’m sorry Toni. I was trying not to hurt you again, but that clearly didn’t work.”

Toni sighs. “I get it, it’s just... I’m not ready to fully lose you. I’m not ready to lose you more than I already have. I don’t think I could handle it, Shelb-”

She’s cut off by Shelby crashing her lips into hers. When the blonde pulls away, she makes direct eye contact with Toni. “You will never lose me. I promise.”

It’s the night before Shelby leaves that they see each other in person for the last time for years.

After weeks of Toni crying quietly anytime she thought of her, Shelby comes over to say goodbye.

She hugs Toni tight against her chest. “I will never not love you. I can promise you that. I know I haven’t always kept my promises, but this one? I absolutely will.”

When she pulls out of the hug, Toni just stares at her with wide eyes, asking a silent question. Asking if Shelby means it like Toni hopes she does.

Shelby understands and just gives her a nod. Toni stares back at her, frozen.

The blonde steps back. “Well, this is ‘see you later,’ I suppose.” She turns to walk away and Toni grabs her arm.

“I love you too.”

Shelby smiles fondly and genuinely. “I know.”

She walks back to her car and drives away.

- - - - - - - - -

When Toni wakes up, Shelby is cooking in the kitchen. The blonde turns around and smiles. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

Toni smiles back just as big.

They eat breakfast, just making small talk, but it’s not forced like it was the day before.

Shelby sets down her fork. “We should probably talk about yesterday.” Toni nods. “Yeah, we probably should. How are you feeling about everything?”

The Texan sighs. “Not great. I feel... alone, if I’m honest. I kinda am alone now, I guess. But the fact that I don’t have tp keep pretending and lying and working so damn hard is freeing in a way.”

Toni nods. “I can understand that. I’ve never been through it personally, but, like, that makes sense to me.”

It feels like it’s not enough, but it seems to put Shelby at ease a little.

She grabs the brunette’s hand. “Thank you for being here, Toni. I know it can’t be easy, considering, y’know, everything.”

“We’ve had our ups and downs for sure. And it’s kinda been years of downs. But there’s no world where I wouldn’t be here for you, Shelbs.”

Shelby smiles a big genuine smile. “I don’t know that I’m ready to jump into anything right now, because everything’s new to me, but I need you to know that I love you, and that, as soon as I’m ready, I’m yours. If you want me.”

Toni smiles back even bigger. “I will always want you, Shelby. I always have.”

#it's finished!!!#shoni #goodfoe #the wilds #shelby goodkind #toni shalifoe

3 notes · View notes

phebia · 4 years

Text

Making Family, Prologue

So, I can’t really write for shit but I love to do it. Normally, I just write for myself and don’t publish any of my fics but I figured posting a few couldn’t hurt. I’m almost done watching On My Block (I know I’m late to the party ya’ll) and I’ve had this fic idea bouncing around my head for a while now. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it hehe.

People like to pretend that family is all about blood. The DNA in your core is what decides who your family is, and that's just how it is. Few people know the truth behind that rule. Know that it's a blatant lie. Blood doesn't mean shit. The people I shared my blood line with were far from what family should be. My parents were never physically abusive. A hand never struck me and I never had a bruise courtesy of them. That didn't mean that they were good, though. Words can hit just as hard as fists. Every syllable knocked me to the ground and it got harder to get to my feet each time. Neglect wasn't a word I liked to use, but it was exactly what the lawyer explained it as in court. My parents were mean when they were present but most of the time they were gone. Their presence in my life wasn't strong or positive. I wasn't quite sure how it started. If I had to guess, I'd say that Ruth and Arthur Connelly- the elderly couple next door, finally decided to speak up. They didn't know anything for certain. Not that they had to. It wasn't hard to notice the empty driveway and hear the screaming echoes. It had been a Thursday when she showed up. Caroline Jennings was a fresh-out-of-college social worker. I would eventually learn that I was just her third case. She had blown into my life like a storm, her blonde hair looking more like sunshine. The first thing I noticed about her were her straight teeth, shining as she smiled sweetly at me. I didn't know that taking a few minutes to talk to her would change my life. Dragging an almost 18 year old from a group home to court and back again was harder than Caroline had thought it would be. Her past two cases had been a 5 year old and 2 year old respectively. They hadn't known what was going on. I did. I knew exactly what was happening at every point in time. Caroline had shown up in late April and the judges gavel slammed down for the last time in the end of August. I spent my 18th birthday in a group home full of strangers. Katrina was a kind hearted Latina woman with stern eyes who ran a relatively recent group home all on her own. She didn't ask for help from anyone and she surely didn't need it. I had been there for months but that didn't mean living in a home that wasn't really yours was easy. I wasn't close to the other girls that called the old farm house home. Teenagers were filled with mean comments that would leave a mark if they chose to say them out loud, and they always chose to say them out loud. Apparently mean things were okay as long as it wasn't your parents saying them. I kept out of their way. Minded my own business. Tried to make my plush form as small as possible no matter how fruitless my efforts were, all in an attempt to be ignored. It was funny that after so many years of being alone, I became comfortable in the isolation. In the months it took for the lawyers and social workers in charge of my case to find someone willing to take me in I had legally become an adult, but Caroline had kept my case open as a favour to me. I may have been legal, but it would've been nearly impossible for me to survive on the streets of Waterdown alone. I didn't know much about my extended family and it was impossible to blame anyone for not wanting to take in an 18 year old stranger, but that didn't make the ache of being unwanted any less painful. It was on a late May day that I first heard the name Geny Martinez. Caroline had sat me down and did her best to explain how exactly we were related but all I caught was that it was through my mom's side and she could be referred to as a distant aunt of mine. That also seemed to be the only Caroline understood herself. The tremor of surprise that first hit me when I learned I had family in California looking to take me in lingered for days on end. It still clung to my nerves during the first week of summer when I first met Geny and her husband Ruben. Caroline had told me they were being flown out but it didn't make looking into her brown eyes any easier. Behind her beautiful face there was stress and concern, Ruben on the other hand seemed much more relaxed. Leading them through town was awkward, but sitting down in the local Starbucks and actually having a conversation was much worse. Geny had confessed she didn't know who my mother was or how we were related (a trend that seemed popular) but she was still willing to take me in. I couldn't help but laugh when she had warned me about Freeridge and told me she wouldn't blame if I refused their offer. The thought of living with strangers pulled my stomach into knots of anxiety but it was a much better option than fending for myself on the streets of Waterdown, which I undoubtedly knew I'd have to do soon if the Martinez family didn't work. The next day the couple was gone, but they had taken my phone number with them. I didn't hear from Ruben very often, Geny on the other hand texted me multiple times a day and slowly filled me in on her family and Freeridge. The first time I visited Freeridge was in the early days of June and I visited once more over the summer. My last visit had ended in the early weeks of July and I left feeling decently comfortable with my new... I wasn't sure what to call them, but family seemed to be the easiest word to use. I was set to return in a month, this time for good.

My first introduction to California had been a blast of hot air to the face. A part of me had been hoping that Los Angeles would've cooled down in the time that I was away, but Ruby had drilled the weather patterns of Freeridge into my head and I should've listened to him. He even suggested I get my hands on an entirely new wardrobe if possible. According to the young Latino all of Canada was frigid year round and no clothing suitable for my hometown would be fitting for my new one. I had laughed at the harebrained boy but my tie dye hoodie and black leggings earned me some looks from strangers in the airport and I quickly decided I probably should've listened to him. My slight familiarity of LAX made grabbing my luggage a less anxious process than it was the first time I had done it, despite the fact that I now had a few more bags with me. My life may not have been grand, but I needed more than a single suitcase to move it to a new country. With a small grunt I heaved my final suitcase off of the baggage claim belt, and after a brief scan of my belongings I turned, starting to look around for Geny or Ruben. However, I quickly froze in place when my eyes landed on a small familiar form marching towards me. My sunglasses gave Ruby a green tint but he and his scowl were unmistakable. "Hey..." My hopeful greeting faded off as my distant cousin stopped before me and gave me a judgemental once over, then turned his attention to my luggage without a word. "I told you not to wear your cold weather clothes. No one listens to me!" All I could do was stare as he shook his head to himself and struggled to get a good grip on a couple of my bags. "I knew that you'd mess up. You're lucky I brought these for you." With a large flounce of his arms he had dropped the bags and turned to hold a pair of simple, two strap, white sandals in my face. I quickly snatched the shoes from him with an unimpressed grimace and uncomfortable slouch in my shoulders due to the attention he had gained us. Ruby ignored my displeasure and went back to my belongings with a dramatic roll of his eyes, now muttering to himself in Spanish. "Easy on the Spanish, bro. She's a gringo, remember?" A new voice took my attention off of Ruby and it only took me a second to recognise Mario, who had wandered up to us at some point during his brother's rambling. A relieved smile pulled at my lips at the sight of him. Mario was my age and his laid back demeanour had made him much more approachable than his younger brother, or anyone else in Freeridge really. His mom had coerced him into showing me around Freeridge during my first visit and our time spent together had turned us into surprisingly close companions. He was undeniably my first, and best, friend in town, and he'd be damned if anyone tried to take the title from him. And although his words were true, I couldn't help but scowl at the term while I moved to embrace him. "Teach me Spanish, then." It was a discussion we had often, ever since I had expressed a desire to learn the language after quickly feeling out of place in the Martinez household. Mario had always laughed at that and claimed that I would be a terrible student, whomst he would never waste his precious time on. "I have no time." He shook his head and smiled at me as we both pulled away from the hug. This time though, his words were true. He was headed off to Berkeley tomorrow and although it was a huge accomplishment, a part of me couldn't help but wish he wouldn't go. With Mario gone I'd likely be stuck hanging out with Ruby and his friends. There was nothing wrong with the soon to be freshman's, other than the fact that I was a good four years older than them. But that was something I'd have to get over. Ruby was mature for his age and I was in no position to be selfish. Mario already put off his departure by a full day just so he could take a few hours to help me unpack and, in his words give me, "A real welcoming home." I rolled my eyes at his ever persistent refusal, shaking my head and turning away so that he wouldn't be able to see the smile on my face. "I'll teach you Spanish, Selina." Ruby had joined my side, looking up at me with my black and white backpack slung over his shoulders, seemingly over his earlier fashion fury. "You already have the name for it. Selina." The thick Spanish accent he accentuated my name with and tilt of his head brought a loud burst of laughter out of me. "Ah, so you're over my wardrobe." I placed a hand on his head and gestured at my hoodie, managing to grind my knuckles against his head and mess his hair up before he escaped my reach. "You know what? You can find a new teacher." He sassed, spinning around and marching way without hesitation, leaving me to grab a suitcase and catch up with him, both of us leaving Mario behind to take care of the rest of the bags. In a few long strides I caught up to his short form, wrapping my arm around his neck from behind and pressing my cheek firmly against his temple. "I missed you, Ruby." I smiled softly, tilting my head to press a swift kiss to his forehead, remaining quiet about the goofy smile I spotted forming on his face. Together we walked in silence, the constant noise of the airport drowning out the way my black vans scuffed against the linoleum floors. "Hey, do you think we should help your brother?" My sudden remembrance of Mario caused me to stop and glance back. My brown eyes scanned the crowds around us, the younger boy also turning to look for his brother. Eventually Mario walked into our sights, scowling harshly and dragging more bags behind him than both Ruby and I both had combined. "Nah." Ruby decided, shaking his head and beginning to walk once more, dragging my plush form along with him. "I still can't believe your mom let you two come pick me up, alone." I had been talking about my surprise airport escorts for the majority of the ride back to Freeridge, and I was sure both boys were overly irritated with me. But, knowing Geny meant knowing how protective she was of her children, even if one of them was an adult about to move away. Things just weren't making sense. Ruby had interrupted my constant musing with stories about what had went down while I was gone, but the distraction didn't last nearly as long as he had hoped. After his brother's failed attempt at silencing me, Mario resorted to steadily cranking the radio up until it drowned out my voice. But all that did was give us all a slight headache and I was still talking as we pulled up to the house. "What? Why? I'm responsible." My eyebrows raised at Mario's offended voice crack, choosing to share a silent look with Ruby instead of doing my teasing aloud. Despite my effort, the older Latino caught the exchange and scoffed loudly, practically shoving me out of the car. "Get out of my sight." I lingered, watching him and Ruby move to the trunk, hesitant to leave the brothers to lug all my things inside themselves. "We got this." Mario caught me looking and waved his hands at me, shooing me away from them once more. "Let the muscle handle it, Selina." Ruby nodded at me and flexed his arms, and that was all the encouragement I needed to leave them be. With a grin and shake of my head I shuffled up the walkway, and debated knocking on the door for a moment but Geny had scolded me whenever I did that so I ending up opting to walk in unannounced. "Surprise!" Confetti was popped in my face and a loud gasp burst out of me at the sudden shock. My heart raced in my chest as my shoulders heaved with uneven breath, my eyes wide and looking over the group of people smiling widely at me. I recognised most of them within a second prompting a laugh of relief to spill past my lips, my laughter causing everyone else to cheer once more. "Welcome home, mija." Geny was the first person to move, rushing towards me with her arms open wide and a glowing smile on her face. "Hi, Aunt Geny." I groaned into the hug but forced a grin onto my face, nearly sighing in relief when she released me from her iron grip. She continued to coo over me, her hands holding my face and squishing my cheeks together until Ruben arrived to greet and save me. I watched the couple walk away with soft eyes until the sound of someone tsking reached my ears. Turning my head to the right revealed Ruby's friend Jamal shaking his head at me, his lanky arms crossed over his chest. "A hoodie? Girl, in this weather? You must be crazy." I sighed and looked to the popcorn ceiling, pushing the sleeves of my sweater to my elbows. Maybe I was starting to sweat a bit, but I'd never admit it to any of the California natives who were just waiting for my admission of defeat with baited breath. "Save it. I already got the lecture from, Ruby." I held my hand out to silence him before he could get another word out, a tiny grin warming my features. "I bet you did." He shook his head but a moment later he was smiling back at me. "Welcome to Freeridge, Selina. Permanently this time!" I thanked him sweetly and promised to come back later with my review of his dad's barbecue. I weaved my way through the house, greeting neighbours with varying levels of enthusiasm depending on my familiarity with them. At some point the twins had stolen me away to play with them, but I was sent right back into the fray when Geny walked in on me being forced to help build a block castle. Not long after leaving the youngest Martinez's behind I collapsed onto the couch next to the oldest one. My head lazily rested against the back of the couch, tilting so that I could look at the woman beside me. Her brown eyes were already fixed on me and she reached out to squeeze my cheek, much like her daughter had. The two of us looked at each other in silence for a minute, Abuelita eventually breaking it. "You want a hit? My stuff's in the basement." I laughed at her offer, nodding my head and promising her that we were on for tonight. The silence between us was a welcome break from the surprise party and there was no need to interrupt it. We were both more than content to watch the people milling about, her hand gently resting over my own which was sat in my lap. I had been focused on watching Ruby and Jamal do their best to ditch one of the neighbourhood girls around their age, who was very obviously invading their personal bubble, when I was distracted by the woman to my right once again. "I think you're going to like it here, mija." Abuelita's voice was quiet and soft but it rang out in my head clearly, a reminder that there was no more going back to my old life. "I hope so."

#spooky x reader #oscar diaz x reader #spooky imagine #oscar diaz imagine #on my block #on my block imagine #plus size reader #plus size fic #plus size imagine

38 notes · View notes

spacesuitsforemergency · 4 years

Text

I Got You, Duchess

Word Count: 3.2k

Pairing: Luke Cage x Frost! Fem!Reader

Summary: You join S.H.I.E.L.D thanks to your mother, and meet Power Man. He gives you an annoying nickname, which you definetly hate

A/N: literally no one asked but I love Emma Frost to death and I totally ship a Frost! Fem! Reader with Luke. Also I know people with the X-Gene gets passed down by the dad but Y’know. This is fiction for a reason

‘This’= speaking telepathically

“This”= speaking verbally

You were a desired woman. You were from a wealthy, dangerous, very powerful family. Your mother had built a business empire, after being Headmistress of Xavier Institute and Massachusetts Academy, a therapist, CEO of Frost International, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, she had become one of the richest mutants in the world.

You were Y/N Frost, and unfortunately, that meant you were in danger nearly 24/7. Your mother had made many enemies over the years, business and X-Men wise, which resulted criminals sought after you to get revenge.

You somehow found yourself in trouble all the time. If you walked anywhere by yourself you were guaranteed to get robbed, stalked or threatened. You inherited the X-Gene from your mother, and her exact powers. You were just as skilled and precise with your powers as she was, but still, thank god for Luke Cage.

•

The first time you met, you had been on your way to a dinner with your mother and some board executives or something. You honestly didn’t care about your mothers work, your goals were more centered around developing your powers and becoming an X-Woman.

You had been running down the sidewalks of the busy streets of Manhattan, trying to get to the restaurant on time.

Some villain noticed your designer wear, and quickly snatched your bag from you. You chased after him, trying to use your telepathy to force him to stop. Of course, you couldn’t focus enough on it, and he quickly got away from you.

All of your daily essentials were in that bag. Your wallet, your phone, your homework, makeup, etc. You were pissed, you were tired of having to replace everything so many times just because you were wearing high end clothing. Sure, it may sound like rich people problems but...okay, so it is a rich people problem.

“This yours, miss?” A voice said behind you.

You turn around, seeing a guy your age, but much bigger than you. He had dark chocolate skin, plump lips, and he was at least a whole foot taller than you. The gaudy yellow actually worked for him, and his shades added a ‘disguise’ apparently. He had a nice yet confident smile on his face as he held out your stolen bag.

“Um...yes, how’d you know?” You asked as he handed it to you, your fingertips brushing.

“It’s a white Chanel. I assumed this could only belong to the pretty girl in the white Chanel.” He chuckled.

“Well, thank you...?” You raise an eyebrow in question.

“Power Man.” He held a hand out to you.

“Power Man?” You giggle as you shake his soft hand. “What’s your power, then?”

“Intangible skin, miss.” He grinned proudly.

“Impressive.” You smile. “Well, thank you, Power Man.”

“I got you, duchess.” He nodded.

“Don’t call me that.” You narrow your eyes.

“Whatever you say...duchess.” He winked before rushing off.

The whole time at dinner that night, you couldn’t stop thinking about Power Man. He was attractive, charming, and also had powers like you did.

Sure he had called you duchess, and that annoyed you. You didn’t like being seen as just a little rich girl, but when you dressed like you did that’s all people saw.

You weren’t a spoiled brat in any way. You and your mother donated tons of money to charities and she funded the X-Men. Yes you liked extravagant clothing and accessories, and you paid a lot to get luxurious spa treatments, but that’s what you liked.

‘Dear, what’s on your mind?’ Your mother raised an eyebrow at you from across the table.

‘Why don’t you just read it?’ You quipped.

‘I already did. Just thought I should ask. I know this Power Man, I could do something for you.’

‘Mother you better not.’

Mother didn’t listen. Like usual.

Not even 24 hours later, you were picked up by the white Frost limo after school, and it didn’t go the usual route. At first you thought maybe the driver was kidnapping you, but then you read his mind and realized that your mother had told him to take you to the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier.

You weren’t surprised your mother hadn’t listened to you, but this time you were glad she hadn’t. Being a hero one day was your dream, and you knew S.H.I.E.L.D had hero programs. Sure you could always become an X-Woman, but that was too easy. They’d let you right in, you wanted to be wanted for your capabilities, not your mother.

You arrived at a small helicopter pad, where they flew you up to the Helicarrier. Nick Fury himself was there to greet you, another man with a very rectangular hairline next to him.

“Director Fury, pleasure to meet you.” You greeted him, then read the other mans mind. “Agent Coulson, you as well.”

“So, your mother tells us you’re interested in joining the hero program?” Agent Coulson asks you.

“Yes.” You nod simply as they lead you inside.

“You’ll be on a team, other kids your age.” Fury clears his throat, then goes on about the program and such.

You don’t pay attention much, since you already know plenty about their programs. You quickly scan agents’ minds as they pass you in the halls, just for basic information like how to navigate the Helicarrier and who the important people here were.

You finally arrive at your destination, a meeting room of sorts. You see a long table in front of a floor ceiling window, and a control panel on the other side. You see 5 teenagers your age, and your eyes widen when you recognize one of them.

“Duchess! What’s up?” Power Man beamed at you.

“That’s ‘duchess’?!” A shorter Hispanic boy exclaims, jaw nearly dropping. You read his mind, this was Sam Alexander.

“Power Man!” You turn back to your acquaintance. “So you talk about me, I see?”

“How could I not?” He winked, shades off so you can tell better this time.

“That’s enough of that.” Fury narrowed his eye at him. “Everyone, please welcome your new member.”

“Wait duchess, you have powers?” Power Mans eyes widened.

“I didn’t say I was officially joining.” You turn to Fury, ignoring the question for now. “My mother arranged this, there has to be repercussions of some form.”

“No ma’am, there aren’t. She only told us that you wanted to join and I’m not passing you up.” Fury said sternly. “As much power as she has on the world, she doesn’t have any here, I promise you that.”

You read his mind to make sure he was telling the truth, since you never really believed my mother would do something 100% out of the kindness of her heart. She was a lovely mother, but still a business woman. Who knows what kinds of deals she could’ve made. Once you were satisfied with your ‘research’, if you will, you sighed.

“Fine. I believe you.” You give in.

“Great. So who are you?” A boy in hideous red and blue spandex asked. Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, AKA Webhead, nicknamed by the Sam Alexander guy.

“I am Y/N Frost.” You introduce yourself. “Don’t bother giving introductions, I’ve already checked.”

“Checked?” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“She’s a telepath.” A guy with chin length blonde hair and the Iron Fist symbol across his chest answered for you.

“And you know this how?” Sam crossed his arms.

“You would also know if you read any S.H.I.E.L.D files.” He responded.

“Again, you’ve got powers?” Power Man, or Luke Cage, repeated.

“Yes, and this is being brought to my attention once again because?” You put you hands on your hips.

“Uh, cause you could’ve saved your purse yourself? Right?” He asked.

“First of all, I couldn’t focus then. I don’t have training. Second of all, I’m not a licensed hero so there could’ve been legal trouble.” You justify.

“Isn’t your family, like, super rich?” The girl in the white catsuit, Ava Ayala, inquired. “You could afford any lawyer.”

“Yes but I am a mutant.” You explain. “Doesn’t matter how rich I am, mutants are discriminated worse than if I acquired the powers from, for example, a mystical amulet like you.”

“Oh.” She shut up.

“Yeesh, what’s with all the big words?” Sam scoffed.

“Acquired isn’t a big word, stupid.” Ava swat him across the head.

“Now. Miss Frost, will you be joining your teams training session?” Agent Coulson asked, after glaring at them. According to his thoughts, he wanted to make a good impression with you. How cute.

“Yes, I most certainly will.” You offer a small smile.

“Great. If you need anything, ask somebody else.” Fury grumbled before leaving.

“Alright team, let’s show Miss Frost what you’ve got.” Agent Coulson ordered.

“You need a codename!” Spider-Man shouted.

“How about Duchess?” Luke snickered

“Absolutely not.”

•

Over the next few weeks, you had grown pretty close to Luke. You two were basically best friends now, you were almost never seen without the other anymore.

You two went on spa days together, and you paid for the luxurious treatments. He resisted at first, but you eventually wore him down and he gave in. You even convinced him to get his nails done with you one time.

He would come over to the Frost Mansion to do homework or watch sports games. You usually had the house to yourself and maybe a housekeeper or two, since your mother was always working. You were grateful for that now, so she wouldn’t pester you or intimidate him.

You were close to the rest of your team too of course, but Luke was different. You had already thought he was attractive, but now had started to develop a crush on him. He was alluring, considerate, selfless, diligent, valiant, reliable, you could go on.

You wanted to read his mind to see if he felt the same, but you couldn’t abuse your powers like that to invade his privacy. You two had built up trust in one another, he trusted you not to pry in his mind and you trusted him enough to not do so. Still, you were curious and it took a lot of will power to not do so.

•

Luke didn’t really get crushes on people, but when he did, he made sure not even Danny could tell. Or so he thought.

Of course Danny knew, he wasn’t blind or stupid. He knew his best friend definitely had a thing for you. He understood of course, you were attractive, intelligent, and disciplined. So what to do with this information? Confrontation of course.

“So Luke...” Danny approached his best friend during a lunch break during weekend training. “What do you think of Y/N so far?”

“What do you mean?” Luke raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the short blonde.

“Y’know, what do you think of her as a teammate so far?” He asked casually, not fazed by Luke already catching onto his plan.

“I mean...she has a better handle on her powers now. And I guess she’s very...useful?”

“I agree.” Danny nodded, grinning, then took a sip of his tea.

Luke narrowed his eyes at him. Danny never asked these questions when Spider-Man joined the team. He was sneaky and smart, Luke will have him that. It seemed like a casual conversation so far, maybe that’s all it was.

“She’s pretty, huh?”

There it was.

“I mean, uh...I mean, sure.” Luke cleared his throat nervously.

“You two spend a lot of time together. Saw you guys go to the spa.” Danny chuckled, amused at his friends reaction.

“What do you want, Daniel?” Luke set down his food and fully turned to face his friend.

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “I’m just wondering-“

“Cut the crap. What are you up to?”

“Hey, I am not one to pull shenanigans.” Danny raised a finger at him as he set down his tea. “But. You obviously have a thing for her.”

“What?!” Luke laughed. “No I-no. No I don’t! You are-You’re crazy! You sir. Are crazy in the head. No! No I don’t.”

Danny smiled, almost laughing as Luke stumbled over his words. He wasn’t as slick as he thought.

“Okay.” Danny went back to his food.

Luke sharply inhaled, also turning back to his lunch. He saw you across the room, chatting with Ava about...whatever it is you two talk about. You were drinking soda with your pinky sticking out, which he figured out was just one of your mannerisms. You were wearing your pure white X-Suit, your legs crossed and head held high.

Danny was clearly right, he definitely had a crush on you. How could he not? You were clever, generous, passionate, honest, resourceful, elegant, and hands down the most gorgeous girl he’s ever see in his life.

“Fine, you’re right. What do I do?” Luke sighed, giving in to the tense silence that finally broke him.

“Leave it to me, my friend.” Danny pat his shoulder.

“Oh no, you are not playing matchmaker.” Luke snapped. “Remember how that went last time?”

Danny thought back to their first year of high school, when Luke had a crush on this cheerleader. Danny only interfered a little, and by a little, he outright told her about the crush. Then she went onto expose it to the whole school and even went as far to make fun of him.

“Okay...so that was my fault.” Danny nodded slowly. “But this is Y/N.”

“Exactly. She’s way outta my league.” Luke shook his head as he glanced back to you and Ava, who were now arguing over whatever you had been talking about.

“She’s not out of your league.” Danny reassured him.

“How is she in my league, exactly?” Luke crossed his arms. “She’s rich, beautiful, powerful, popular.”

“Dude, you don’t have to be rich to be liked. You’re great, man. What’s not to like?”

“Aww, are you saying you have a crush on me?” Luke said sarcastically.

“Yes yes, I’ve hidden it for years but now that I have competition, I confess my love for you.” Danny laughed. “But seriously dude, you’re cool. You’re really nice, you’re a superhero, you’re dependable, you’re not half bad to look at.”

“I know I’m hot stuff, you don’t gotta feed into that one.” Luke chuckled. “Thanks, man. Maybe I’ll tell her.”

“You should.”

“I will. So no meddling.” Luke said sternly.

“Alright, alright.” Danny agreed.

•

“He is so out of my league though.” You told Ava as you sipped on your soda.

“Y/N, are you dumb, blind, stupid, or a complete ditz?” She stared at you as if you’d just said the most idiotic thing in the universe.

“First, you just used basically the same word 3 times. Second, I am not!” You said, actually kind of offended.

“But you are stupid!”

“Thanks.”

“I mean-!” She sighed. “I mean, you’re stupid, because it’s so obvious he likes you.”

“What? He likes me?” You gawked at her.

“You can literally read minds, why are you surprised?” She asked, dumbfounded by your cluelessness.

“I don’t want to invade his privacy like that. Besides, we’re just friends.” You insisted.

“Okay sure.” She scoffed. You raise an eyebrow at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked, loudly setting down your soda, making it slosh and nearly stain your white gloves.

“Y/N, come on. He goes out of his way for you. He cancels plans with us to go shopping with you or something. You think he likes baseball? He thinks it’s a boring sport, but he comes over to your place to watch them, right?” She asked.

You realized he came over everyday there was a sports game on. You never really paid attention to what the sport was, but you do remember seeing baseball a few times.

“Well, yeah.” You nod.

“People don’t do that unless they like you.” She explained, as if you were some empty headed ding dong.

“He’s...just being nice.”

“For someone claiming to be smarter than me, you are truly an idiot.” She facepalmed.

You glared at her, but only because you completely agreed. Now that you thought about it, Luke did do all of those things. He went out of his way to do things like open doors for you, he would use any excuse to come over, he accompanied you on your spa or shopping trips.

You looked over and made eye contact with him. You smile and wave, and he simply grins back. Maybe you would make your move.

•

“Nova, behind you!” You shout to your teammate, just before he gets knocked down.

You and the team had been ordered by Fury to go take down the remainder of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which currently only consisted of Avalanche, Pyro and Toad. They had robbed another bank in downtown Manhattan, and were now escaping along the rooftops of skyscrapers.

You were familiar with them, since you grew up watching the X-Men go off on missions while you stayed back. You gave the team a run down on how to beat them before you left, but you were somehow still getting your asses handed to you.

Spider Man and White Tiger were fighting Toad, Avalanche was shaking the ground so that Iron Fist and Power Man couldn’t even stand, and Nova had been taken down by Pyro, who was now charging at you.

You quickly focus your attention on him, taking over his mind to make him stop in his tracks. You force him to turn and use his powers on Avalanche, causing him to loose focus on his powers.

Iron Fist and Power Man quickly pursue him, now able to walk properly. You kept control over Pyro, so that he wouldn’t attack again.

You cry out in shock when the ground shakes, making the building you were on sway. You look over and see Avalanche glaring at you, probably mad that you made Pyro burn him. You didn’t have time to mind control him, the building crumbling where you stood and making you fall. You quickly shift into your diamond form, hoping it was enough protection.

“Y/N!” You heard Luke cry.

You saw as he jumped from the building, not thinking of the consequences.

‘What are you doing?!’ You shout at him telepathically. ‘You could get hurt!’

‘Don’t worry about me, I’ve got unbreakable skin for a reason!’

You call out to Sam, and thankfully he’s back up. He barrels down and catches Luke, then uses his weight to go faster.

Luke grabs you and holds you to him, as Sam gently sets you both on the ground. You hug onto Luke, shaken up about how close you were to impacting the ground.

“Thank you.” You pull back to face him.

“Yeah.” He nods, out of breath as well.

You both look into each other’s eyes with deep adoration. You didn’t need telepathy to know you were both thinking the same thing.

You both crash your lips together in a desperate, hungry kiss. His arms tighten around your waist, and you grab the sides of his face. Your lips fit perfectly against his, and they taste like the orange chapstick he used on the daily.

You both slowly pull away, your noses brushing as you stare into the others eyes.

“Thank you.” You pant out, heart racing partly from falling 900 ft in the air and partly from the breathtaking kiss.

“Um, you’re welcome?” Sam speaks up from behind you two.

“Shut up, Sam!” You both snap.

He scoffs, then flies back up. You notice people staring at you and Luke, but you don’t really care at the moment. You turn back to Luke, smiling before kissing him again.

“Thank you.” You emphasize by kissing him on the forehead.

“I told you, I got you, duchess.”

43 notes · View notes

nessabear05 · 3 years

Text

Ice Shards and Hockey Cards - OC x Susie

This is a one shot commission I did for someone who wanted their OC shipped with Susie! Hope you enjoy!))

The loud cheering and the sound of skates against the ice sticks smacking against one another, and the voice of the announcer over the speakers was all that could be heard throughout the arena. It was the third and final quarter and everyone was on the edge of their seats as the clock counted down. The three seemingly most anxious ones were a small group in the midst of the much larger crowd. One had short brown hair, buzzed on one side with brown eyes. He was short, sported in a red and white varsity jacket with '1993' printed on the back. His name was Frank. Beside him, sat a much taller African-American man, wearing a black hoodie and black pants, black hair buzzed and brown eyes slit in concentration as he looked down at the ice, his name was Joey. And the final member of the group, the only female with them at the moment, with shining blue eyes and cotton candy pink hair, was cheering the loudest. She had on a black t-shirt, sporting a pair of black leggings and a black checkered skirt, her name was Susie.

They had been invited by their friend Julie, a hotheaded female with the attitude only certain people could come up to par with, to watch her play in her final match of the season for her college team, the Corvid Crows. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, as the two teams were tied, had been for most of the game. Julie had the puck, one of her teammates seemingly parallel to her as she skated down the length of the ice, waiting for the blonde to make a move. There were three other girls, hot on her heels, trying to maybe trip her up or take the puck, something to run out the time of the game or maybe even get them a shot on net, anything to keep Julie from scoring, as she and another girl, Anastasia Woodland, had made a majority of the shots for their team.

As Julie got closer to the net, she seemed to notice she really didn't have a great angle and didn't want to make the shot and possibly miss. She wanted to make sure it was a sure shot. She noticed Ana in her peripheral vision, keeping her eyes forward as she made a pass, a little bit in front of the other blonde, who immediately picked up on what Julie was trying for. The fact that they were able to pass so effortlessly, with not much communication, was what threw the other team off, and before they knew it, Anna had a basically clear shot on the net, pelting the little black puck forward with all the strength and speed she could manage, and as the puck flew into the back of the net, the buzzer sounded, ending the game with a win for the Corvid Crows. The sound of loud yelling and cheers from their team was basically deafening as they swarmed the two blondes, patting them on the back and giving them fist-bumps, knowing the two weren't big on hugging. And with that...their season was over.

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

After the game came to a close, the small group of friends from before was standing by the entrance of the arena, the pink-haired girl, Susie, was anxiously bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for her best friend, and as soon as she saw the blonde come out she ran over, throwing her arms around her in a hug as she congratulated her on the wind. And though Julie was never one for physical contact, she made a constant exception for Susie, who seemed to never care about personal space all that much. But she was just too nice to say no to.

It was only when Susie pulled away from the hug, she noticed the taller blonde girl beside Julie, an awkward smile on her face as she looked at the two of them, the pink-haired girl felt awful for not noticing her at first, too caught up in her own excitement for Julie," I-I'm so sorry! I didn't notice you there! I was uh...a little too excited I guess," she apologized, a small giggle escaping her as she ran a hand through her long hair nervously.

All she got was a small laugh in response to her apology, the girl beside Julie shaking her head and waving her hand dismissively," Oh no, it's fine! I can get the same way sometimes when I'm excited, I'm sure everyone can," she told her. Susie had to admit...the girl talking with her was pretty. She had long blonde hair, tied back with a baby blue bow, along with a matching blue jacket, with Corvid printed on the front of it, a college sweater if she had to guess. She had these pretty blue eyes....and she noticed little white studs in her ears. She....really pulled the color blue off well.

Little did the smaller girl know, the blonde was having similar thoughts about Susie. She didn't know her name.....but she looked adorable. Her pink hair complimented her pretty blue eyes well....her pale skin complimenting the black and dark red she was wearing. But...she couldn't fathom why she wasn't wearing a jacket of some sort. She must have been freezing," Hey...it's cold in here. Where's your jacket?" she asked, head tilting to the side in confusion.

It was then Susie realized how cold she really was, the excitement and adrenaline having distracted her, and she just let out a nervous laugh," I uh....may have forgotten it in the car when we came. It's okay though, I'm sure I can just borrow one, maybe joey will give me his," she told her, but she was cut off from turning to ask Joey for his hoodie when the blue cloth was thrown over her head, looking over at the blonde as she took the garment off of her face. And...she realized that the blonde girl had taken off her college jumper, and had given it to Susie to wear, her cheeks flushing red at the realization, "O-Oh! Uhm...th-thank you! But you really didn't have to uh..." she trailed off, realizing she didn't even know this girl's name.

The blonde seemed to pick up on this, grinning at Susie as she replied with her name, "Anastasia, Anastasia Woodland, but everyone just calls me Anna," she said with a small shrug as she watched Susie pull the jumper over her head. It looked cute on her...since it was big compared to her small body, and the jumper matched her blue eyes.

It was then that Frank interrupted their conversation, slinging an arm over Susie's shoulder, "Hey Susie, we were gonna go out for drinks to celebrate if you wanna come! Julie said Ana was gonna come song," he told her, motioning over to the said female, who seemed to have no say in the matter. But it's not like Ana would have said no if they had asked her to go. She was always down for a celebration party, especially if it meant free alcohol from others, and if it meant she could get to know Susie a bit more.

Susie was apparently the one that had driven them there, not entirely trusting Frank or Joey to not drink at the game. Guess that's what happened when you made the legal drinking age in Canada nineteen. And the little group had all agreed Ana could sit in the passenger's seat, not wanting her to have to sit in between Frank and Joey, who were going to be sitting in the back with Julie.

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

In the end, while in the car, the five of them had decided that instead of just going for drinks, they would get food as well. Everyone was hungry, especially the two that had just finished their game. It was around nine at night by now, and they had decided to just grab some beer or something from a liquor store and grab some fast food. No one was in the mood to go sit inside of some sort of restaurant.

So, they had first gone and grabbed a couple of cases of beer, Susie deciding not to drink since she had to drive. And after they had gotten their drinks, she had driven them to McDonald's, cheap and lots of food for a somewhat small price. Instead of just sitting in the car to eat and drink, she made her way towards a little trail, that would lead them up to an old ski lodge that Susie and her friends used to hang out in their teenage years. They hadn't been back in a while...but she figured it would be a fun and nostalgic experience.

The lodge had been fixed up a little...well, correction. The four of them had decided to try and fix it up before they all had to go off to college and had ditched the project when they were almost done with it, all always being way too busy, and it's not like anyone else besides them hung out there as far as they knew.

And when they arrived at the fixed up lodge, the three in the back immediately hopped out, taking the food and the drinks inside as they trudged through the snow. There was no electricity, but they had lanterns and a fireplace for heat and light, which was enough for the small group. Living in Canada would make you somewhat used to the cold.

Susie followed after them, Ana by her side, Susie thinking the blonde was only staying beside her and talking to her since Julie was busy talking with the guys. "I'm gonna drive everyone home when you all are done drinking. Wanna give me your address so I can write it down before you get too drunk to remember?" Susie asked with a small giggle, running a manicured hand through her hair once more. It was something she did when she was nervous, much better than when she used to bite her nails out of nervousness.

Ana seemed a little surprised when Susie asked her the question, but responded with a nod and asked for a pen and paper to write it down. But surprisingly, Susie had reached a hand into her skirt pocket, pulling out a pen and holding out her free hand for Ana to write it down. It was kind of cheesy, but Susie didn't have any paper on hand at the moment. This was a reason the skirt was her favorite, it had pockets. Which was something you didn't really get all too often when it came to girl's clothing.

The blonde blushed and took Susie's hand in hers as she held the pen up to her palm, willing the color to leave her face as she quickly wrote her address, handing the pen back to the smaller girl when she was finished. She was about to say something when the others told them to 'Hurry the fuck up before we eat your food', and it made the two girls rush into the house to try and get to their food before the others could.

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

By the end of the night, it seemed as though Joey, Frank, and Julie had all passed out on the couch. Julie was curled up on one side of the couch, while Joey and Frank were on the other side of the couch. Susie and Anna were still up....and they had no idea what time it was at the moment. But based on how dark it was, Susie could only guess that it was somewhere towards the middle of the night. She and Anna had been up for hours, talking and giggling about god knows what by this point.

Both of them had been having the time of their lives talking with one another, and Susie had let it slip one of the reasons besides Julie being her friend, she went to the hockey game because she was a huge hockey fan and that she even collected hockey cards. And that seemed to capture Ana's attention and had told Susie she just HAD to show her. And considering she wasn't even driving anyone home tonight, since they had all fallen asleep, she decided there was no harm in it.

She had recently moved into her dorm apartment at her college, her binders full of hockey cards were still in her car. So, she went out to get them quickly, Ana waiting patiently for her to get back. If Ana had known this was how the night would end up, she would have brought her own hockey cards to maybe see if they could trade some of them.

When Susie got back, she led Ana over to the coffee table in the middle of the floor, grabbing a pillow and seating herself on it so she wasn't sitting fully on the cold, hard ground. Ana followed suit, grabbing another pillow and setting herself down beside the pink-haired girl, leaning close to her side to look down at the book full of hockey cards on the table.

And well...after a few minutes, Susie felt herself begin to grow tired, letting a yawn slip from her as her head rested in her hand. She was still wearing Ana's sweater, and honestly, the soft fabric and the warmth it gave her made her sleepy, rubbing at her eyes with her fist as she looked over at the couch. There wasn't any room to go lay down..as the other three were taking up the length of it.

Ana seemed to notice this and seemed to hesitate for a second before grabbing the pink-haired girl by the waist, pulling her to sit in her lap. It may seem a bit weird, but she didn't seem to care in her slightly drunken haze, and Susie in her sleep-induced mind, didn't find anything wrong with it, leaning back into the taller woman's chest, "Thank you...." was all she said as she slowly drifted off to sleep, curled in the lap of Ana as the blonde rested her chin on Susie's shoulder.

"Goodnight Susie..." she muttered softly, squeezing the girl a little bit tighter as she shut her own eyes, leaning back against the foot of the couch. The fireplace provided enough warmth, combined with the smaller girl in her lap, Ana was out like a light within minutes.

She really hoped hanging out with Susie...falling asleep like this, wouldn't just be a one time thing.

#susie dbd #original female character #lesbian #dbd #dbd ships #oc x canon #dead by daylight #commission #hockey #frank morrison #joey dbd #julie kostenko #writing

4 notes · View notes

mikauzoran · 4 years

Text

LuXY/Lukadrien/Lukadrienette: Welcome to La-La Land: Chapter Five

@luxyweek

Welcome to La-La Land: Chapter Five: Style Swap Part One

Adrien was still used to getting up at an ungodly hour from his modeling days, so he woke before Luka and hopped in the shower.

He’d brought his own clothes for the weekend in his overnight bag, but he raided Luka’s closet for a hoodie just for fun. He missed Marinette—currently in Milan on business—and the comforting scent of Luka’s clothes did wonders to calm his separation anxiety.

Adrien stopped to poke his head into the guestroom on his way to the kitchen. Technically, it was Luka’s music room, but they’d put a bed for Hugo in between the harp and the drum set so that their son could easily sleep over without advanced planning.

Hugo was sound asleep, his deep breaths audible from Adrien’s position in the doorway.

Satisfied that all was well, Adrien continued to the kitchen where he cut up some of the fruit that they’d bought together at the market they’d taken Hugo to the day before. Next, he set about preparing four slices of egg in the basket like he’d learned years ago from Anarka.

He divided the slices between two plates and partitioned the fruit salad into two bowls. He loaded it all up onto a tray along with cups of water and juice as well as a generous chunk of Edam for Plagg before carrying it all back to Luka’s bedroom to serve his lover breakfast in bed.

“You’re amazing,” Luka chuckled, running a hand through his already thoroughly tussled hair.

“I know,” Adrien snickered, leaning in for a kiss. “When I’m not busy being a heartthrob actor, I’m a good little househusband.”

“I wish you were my househusband,” Luka sighed.

“I could be,” Adrien hummed as he snuggled up next to Luka. “…if you would just move in with us already.”

Luka shook his head. “Marinette’s too worried about her public image. She thinks openly being in a polyamorous relationship would damage her career, and, honestly, I can’t say that she’s wrong.”

Adrien clicked his tongue. “She’s not right either. There are plenty of queer people in fashion. Maybe a little scandal would even help get her name out there more. I just…I want my family under the same roof. Whatever the media makes of it, we’ll deal with it together. It’ll be fine.”

“Maybe,” Luka agreed halfheartedly, imagining the simultaneous paradise and hell of being with Marinette and Adrien all the time.

Yes, he’d be with the two people he loved most, but he’d also be reminded of how much more they loved each other than they loved him all the more too, and he’d have nowhere to go to escape.

That wasn’t even taking into account the XY situation. Luka had been making out with the pop star with increasing frequency for three months, and he was afraid that he’d somehow caught serious feelings for XY.

Adrien deflated, seeing that he wasn’t going to win the war that day. “Think about it,” he pleaded softly. “I really want this, and if you think that it’s something you want too, I’ll talk Marinette into it.”

Luka didn’t respond right away, and Adrien took that as a rejection of the idea.

He sighed.

Luka leaned in, depositing a feather-light kiss on Adrien’s lips and nuzzling his hair. “I’ll think about it,” he promised, already knowing what the answer would be.

After breakfast, they got Hugo up and fed, and then Luka headed for the shower while Hugo and Adrien watched Les Aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir in the front room.

Hugo was curled up on the seat of the couch next to Adrien, asleep again before they’d gotten five minutes into the episode, but Adrien let the show keep playing for background noise in the otherwise quiet flat.

They’d just gotten to the part where legally-distinct-Nino got akumatized over legally-distinct-Gabriel not allowing legally-distinct-Adrienne to have a quinceañera (…because apparently Adrienne’s mother was from Mexico, so that was a thing…because artistic license? Adrien didn’t really mind. He looked gorgeous as a girl, and a quinceañera was just the kind of quirky thing Émilie would have done. She adored learning about other cultures and celebrating holidays Adrien had never heard of until she’d taught him) when there was a knock at the door.

Adrien frowned, pausing the TV and carefully getting up so as not to disturb Hugo. He peeked through the peephole and had to stifle a groan.

The other man was out in the hallway.

Adrien took a deep breath, pasted on his most agreeable smile, and opened the door.

“Good Morning. It’s Xavier-Yves, isn’t it? I’ve heard so much about you from Luka. I’m Adrien Agreste-Dupain-Cheng. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

XY stared at the other blonde dumbly, not taking the proffered hand to shake.

“It’s XY. What the hell are you doing here?” he finally growled.

Adrien contemplated slamming the door in XY’s stupid face, but ultimately decided to play nice for Luka and the children’s sake. “Marinette—my wife—is working out of town for the weekend, so Hugo and I—Hugo is my son—are staying with Luka.”

XY’s fingers curled into trembling fists, and his lips drew back to expose snarling teeth. “I know who Hugo is, and he’s not your son,” he snapped savagely, catching Adrien by surprise and momentarily knocking the pleasant smile off of his face.

Adrien quickly recovered, slapping his friendly expression back on. “I think I’ve changed enough diapers and cleaned up enough vomit and kissed enough boo-boos to consider myself a father, but thank you very much for your opinion,” he replied with false joviality through gritted teeth. “Would you like to come in?”

“This isn’t your house,” XY retorted indignantly.

Adrien almost said, “Is it not? Oh, gosh. How silly of me. I guess I can’t invite you in, then. Have fun waiting in the hall” before gleefully shutting the door with a vengeance.

But he controlled his temper and held his tongue, feeling very much like he had all those years dealing with his father’s moratorium on showing negative emotions.

“No, but Luka’s in the shower right now, so he won’t be coming to the door anytime soon,” he informed saccharinely, repeating, “Would you like to come in?”

XY pushed past Adrien, storming into the living room without a reply.

Adrien took a moment locking up behind him to regain his composure and wonder what on earth Luka saw in this brutish buffoon.

He turned around to find XY staring at Hugo, still asleep on the seat of the couch. There was a soft, gentle expression on XY’s face, a tender warmth and affection in his eyes as he looked at Adrien’s son…Luka’s son.

Adrien took a deep inhale and slowly let it out.

Okay.

If Xavier-Yves looked at Luka with even half that much love, maybe there was something there after all.

“May I get you something to drink?” Adrien offered quietly so as not to disturb Hugo.

“I can get it myself,” XY shot back in a hiss of a whisper.

Adrien put his hands up in surrender, going back to sit next to Hugo. “Go right ahead.”

XY did so, just to spite Adrien. He came back from the kitchen a minute later with a glass of water and slumped into the armchair cattycorner from the couch.

“Great. Now what?” Adrien wondered, mentally willing Luka to shower and dress quickly.

“Your son doesn’t look much like you,” XY remarked icily.

Adrien forced himself to keep his amiable façade in place. “He has my smile, my charisma. Other than that, no, but I view that as a good thing. I’d much rather my child resemble the two people I love most.”

XY snorted rudely, setting down his glass of water on a coaster on the side table and crossing his arms with a grunt.

Adrien sighed, letting the act drop. “You know, I’m trying really hard to like you, but you’re not making this easy.”

XY gave an amused bark of laughter. “I don’t give a rat’s—” He looked to Hugo and then back to Adrien. “—behind if you like me or not. You’re just some pretty rich boy. I don’t care what the—” He glanced at Hugo again. “—hell you think.”

Adrien’s mouth pulled into a tight, serpentine smile. “Awesome. Well, since we have some time while Luka’s in the shower, why don’t we chat and get to know one another? Let’s start with how we met Luka,” Adrien suggested, tone chipper and buoyant. “I was classmates with his sisters Rose and Juleka, and I came over to the Liberty for the annual music festival. I tripped on some wires and totally faceplanted. Luka helped me up, and our hands touched, our eyes met, and it was just like something out of a fairytale. Luka told me a few years later that it was love at first sight for him,” Adrien added cheerfully.

XY’s face was red with fury, and Adrien couldn’t help but think that if this had been five years prior, he would have been dealing with an akuma by this point.

Still, he pressed, fed up with XY’s attitude. “How did you and Luka meet?—Oh wait! I remember,” he laughed in a “silly me” sort of way. “You and your father ripped off his music, threatened my wife, and got Luka akumatized. Wow. What an interesting story to tell the kids, right?”

XY gave a soft growl. “You think you’re so great, Agreste, but you’re really not.”

Adrien was taken aback at the vehemence of the anger and bitterness in XY’s voice.

“You have no idea,” XY continued, “how often you and Marinette make Luka feel alone and unloved. You two don’t truly appreciate him, and I’m sick of it. I’m sick of watching you break his heart. News flash, Agreste: he doesn’t need you anymore. He’s with me now, and I’m going to treat him how he deserves to be treated. He’s not even going to miss you.”

Adrien’s expression went glacial, and, suddenly, XY could tell without a doubt that Adrien was Gabriel Agreste’s son.

A cruel frost settled into Adrien’s eyes as he replied coolly, “Listen here, you homewrecking clown. I am not going anywhere. Luka and I have been together for eight years. Years. You’ve been making out with him for, what? A couple months? And you think you have this great bond with him, that you’re the one who understands him?”

XY had gone into the confrontation feeling confident, but now he felt very small and very squishable.

Adrien laughed, the noise raking XY’s self-esteem like a jaguar’s claws. “Luka and I have a child together,” Adrien rubbed it in. “Which of us do you think really knows him? Because Luka and I spent our adolescence together. We supported each other and helped each other to grow into adults. I’ve been there for him during some of his darkest times just like he’s been there for me. You think you know Luka? You don’t know anything. You can’t take Luka away from me; I’m a part of who Luka is.”

Adrien waited a beat, letting that sink in. “…Now…if Luka really were seeking you out to fill some kind of void in his relationship with Marinette and me…wouldn’t that mean you were just a stand-in for someone else?”

XY paled, looking down at the arm of the chair, unable to respond.

“Hm,” Adrien patronized. “I wonder…. I’m willing to share, XY, if that truly makes Luka happy, but you are never going to steal Luka from me. It’s better if you get that through your head now. Marinette, Luka, Hugo, and I are a family, and decent people don’t just go around breaking families up. If Luka wants you to join us, fine, but drop the attitude, you uncouth swine.”

XY didn’t respond. He couldn’t respond.

It was like Adrien had taken a scalpel and cut out his larynx, taking away his power to defend himself. It was just like when XY’s father yelled at him, harsh words cutting through him as if he were made of paper, leaving him helpless.

Adrien’s words flooded XY with doubt.

“Daddy, you paused Ladybug,” Hugo noted sleepily, waking to find the show was no longer playing.

“Because you fell asleep, My Sweet One,” Adrien cooed, voice warm and kind once more as he ruffled his son’s hair.

“Daddy, who’s dat?”

XY looked up to see familiar blue eyes gazing at him with curiosity. Hugo wasn’t an exact copy of Luka by any stretch, but the shade of the eyes, some of the gently angular facial features, and the feathery hair were there.

Adrien got up and shepherded Hugo over to XY, saying, “Come meet Papa’s friend.”

XY stood, whispering, “I’m not your friend.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and hissed back, “I’m not ‘Papa’. What do you want him to call you?”

“Uh…XY is fine,” XY replied, a little thrown.

Adrien crouched down to Hugo’s level. “Gogo, this is Papa’s best friend, XY. What do you say?”

Hugo stared the long way up at XY and looked slightly intimidated.

XY copied Adrien, crouching down to be at eye-level with the two-year-old.

Hugo took a deep breath and recited, “Hello. My name is Hugo Agreste-Dupain-Cheng. Enchanted to meet you, Monsieur XY.”

“Awesome job, Gogo,” Adrien whispered, giving his son an encouraging pat on the back. “That was perfect.”

XY took Hugo’s outstretched hand and shook it carefully. “Hello, Hugo. It’s nice to meet you. You can just call me XY. My real name is Xavier-Yves. I’m…uh…I’m a friend of your papa.”

Hugo’s face lit up. “Xavier-Yves? Papa talked about you,” he announced proudly, happy to feel like he was in the loop.

XY’s mouth dropped open. “O-Oh? He did? Really?”

Hugo nodded. “You like cars! Wanna pway cars with me?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure,” XY agreed with a shrug, not yet certain what to make of the fact that Luka had told his son about XY. Surely that was a good thing, right?

Hugo ran over to the corner where a child-sized backpack sat on top of the large plastic tub that usually occupied that spot. Hugo wrapped both arms around the backpack and toddled back over to XY.

XY wondered if he should offer to help the little guy, but Adrien didn’t seem concerned as he got up and took a seat back on the couch, watching the scene play out.

Hugo set the backpack down and carefully emptied the contents onto the floor.

Out spilled nearly thirty little toy cars in all different makes and models.

XY’s eyes went wide.

Hugo grinned. “Papa and Daddy don’t know about cars, but Papa said you did. He said you could pwobably tell me about my cars. Like this one.” Hugo held up a red racecar, a Ford GT40 with the number fifty-five stamped on its sides and hood. “This one’s my favourite because it’s got my name on it.” He pointed to the fifty-five. “In Japanese, ‘five’ is ‘go’, so you can write my name as ‘five-five’. Gogo.”

XY nodded slowly. “You’re gonna be scary smart like your papa, aren’t you?” he chuckled.

“Mmhm!” Hugo beamed, glowing with pride. “I’m pwecocious.”

XY shifted from his crouch to take a seat on the floor by the pile of cars. “And you want me to tell you about the cars while we play?”

Hugo nodded enthusiastically, eyes going wide and hopeful. “Pwease!”

“Okay,” XY acquiesced. “Sounds like fun.”

Adrien watched as his son and his partner’s boyfriend wheeled the cars around the floor, making appropriate sound effects. Periodically, XY would mention some fact about one of the cars they were playing with, its name, its year, something about the way it was built or the parts, what made it special.

Every other minute, Hugo would stop playing to ask XY a question, holding up a car and asking his new friend to, “Tell me about dis one!”

Adrien was legitimately impressed. It was obvious that XY knew a lot about cars on a very technical level, but the vocabulary he used was very age-appropriate, his explanations simple, and Adrien could tell that Hugo was actually absorbing much of what XY said.

Maybe the “other man” wasn’t all bad after all.

Adrien could forgive many personal slights if a guy was patient and kind to Hugo. Adrien could tell it wasn’t just for show either. XY genuinely seemed to be having fun pushing cars around and making them do somersaults in the air while sharing facts about the cars and producing silly car noises.

They just needed to do something about XY’s jealousy and poor attitude. Adrien didn’t have the mental energy to deal with a repeat of their conversation prior to Hugo waking up and redeeming XY.

…Maybe Adrien needed to do something about his own jealousy and poor attitude as well…but XY had definitely started it.

…They obviously had some work to do if this was going to be a long-term thing.

“Hey, Adrien,” Luka called as he walked into the living room with a towel slung around his hips. “Have you seen my—Xavier-Yves! Uhhh…”

Luka stared in horror at his lover, son, and the guy he was making out with all in the same room.

XY raised a hand unenthusiastically in greeting. “Surprised? I was too.”

Luka sucked in a breath and let out a whispered curse in what XY assumed was Russian.

“I’m not supposed to repeat dat,” Hugo reported conspiratorially to XY.

Despite himself, XY laughed, though, it came out sounding a little miserable.

“Orpheus, you should probably go put some clothes on,” Adrien advised, and XY bristled at the nickname.

He’d forgotten for almost fifteen minutes that Adrien was even there, but, then, of course, Adrien had to find some way to rub in how close he was with Luka, how much history there was between the two of them.

“Right,” Luka sighed, spinning on his heel. “Sorry. Back in five.”

Luka had never dressed so fast in his life. He came back two minutes later and was greeted by Adrien saying something in Russian that XY couldn’t understand.

Where did pretty boy learn Russian? Did all smart people know Russian? XY obviously needed to learn if Luka and Adrien were going to be having secret conversations that should be held behind XY’s back in front of his face like this.

Luka replied to whatever Adrien had said tiredly, sounding like he was lightly scolding.

XY felt like a pane of glass had been lowered between them, firmly placing Luka and Adrien on one side and XY on the other.

He looked at Hugo and whispered, “You don’t know what they’re saying, do you?”

Hugo shook his head. “Daddy said something mean, and Papa told him to be nice.”

XY quirked an eyebrow at the incredibly sharp young boy. “How do you know that?”

In the background, Adrien was shooting off a long, indignant string of Russian at Luka, pointing accusatorily at XY, and then crossing his arms.

Luka paled, muttering a disjointed apology.

Hugo shrugged. “Papa and Daddy talk Russian when they don’t want people to understand. I hear them talk Russian, and I ask what they said. Uncle Victor teaches me too.”

XY nodded slowly. “Cool. So…what did your daddy say? More mean things?”

Hugo shook his head. “He said you were mean to him. Why were you mean to Daddy?”

XY winced, searching for some kind of answer that a two-year-old could understand. “We both want the same thing, but only one of us can have it.”

Hugo frowned at this. “You can’t share?”

“Gogo,” Adrien called gently, distracting the boy. “Let’s get your toys cleaned up. You and I are going for a walk.”

Hugo stuck out his bottom lip. “But Xavier-Yves and I are pwaying.”

“You can play some more when we get back from our walk. We’ll only be gone thirty minutes,” Adrien cajoled, kneeling down on the floor and starting to return the cars to the backpack.

Hugo pursed his lips and looked like he might protest or cry but then seemed to decide against it. Reluctantly, he started to help his father put away the cars. “Are we going to the Bois de Bouwogne?”

“That’s right,” Adrien confirmed.

“Can Papa and Xavier-Yves and Pwagg come with us?” Hugo inquired, looking up at Adrien hopefully.

“Plagg can come, but Papa and XY are staying here. They have to take care of some adult business,” Adrien explained.

Hugo did not look satisfied with this answer. “Do you have any cheese for Pwagg? Pwagg will get hungry if we’re gone a long time.”

“I’ll go get some out of the fridge,” Adrien assured, zipping up the bookbag and taking it back over to the corner. “You go get your shoes on, okay?”

Hugo nodded, pushing himself to his feet and toddler-running over to the door to get his shoes.

XY stood as well, looking to Luka and whispering, “Who’s Plagg?”

Luka smiled sheepishly. “Uh…Plagg is a flying, talking, magical entity who looks like a black cat. He was Adrien’s friend growing up, and now Plagg and Hugo are friends. Plagg likes cheese. A lot.”

XY nodded, taking this in stride. “I had imaginary friends growing up too, but all of mine were people.”

Luka nodded agreeably, thanking his lucky stars that he didn’t actually have to explain Plagg.

“Okay. I got some Cheddar for Plagg to snack on,” Adrien reported as he came back into the living room. “Ready to go, Gogo?”

Hugo frowned. “Cheddar isn’t his favourite. He thinks it’s boring.”

Adrien grimaced. “I know, Sweetie, but sometimes he just has to make do. He can’t have Camembert all the time.” He held out his hands to Hugo, and Hugo obediently came over to be picked up.

Adrien turned back to Luka, eyes bypassing XY. “We’ll be back in thirty.”

Luka nodded and gave a little wave.

The door closed behind Adrien and Hugo, leaving the flat in a state of intense silence.

#LuXY #luxyweek2k20 #Lukadrien #Lukadrienette #Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction #Luka Couffaine/XY Roth #Luka Couffaine #XY #Xavier-Yves Roth #Mikau's Writings #Welcome to La-La Land

10 notes · View notes

grither55 · 3 years

Text

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 42 - Mochi, Friendship and History

Team Azula waited patiently while their young friend now knelt putting several small belongings back in her bag that had spilled when the princess noticed her bottle of anti-depressants.

The acrobat smiled while she sat gazing at their chipper companion with fond brown-gray eyes.

While the markswoman also stared after the strange girl with softened tawny eyes.

And the power-hungry princess gazed down at the smaller girl's back once more with her golden eyes conveying her obvious interest in her handmaid.

"What was the point of that list Azula? We all know that you don't need Elle's signature to do as you please with her." Mai pondered in a mildly curious voice while Azula smiled with a finger beneath her chin.

"True. With but one word I could legally render her a slave. Her signature bears no legal meaning. It's just too adorable that she knowingly signed her freedom away. Even if it was all just a game." Azula answered with her arms folded over her breasts while the other woman gazed at her warily.

"Elle's not a slave. Please…don't talk about her like that Azula." Ty Lee scolded with a slight drop in cheer while her spoiled friend sighed once more.

And even though Azula was too proud to admit it.

She knew that the princess was starting to worry about what would happen when Elle discovered that the Royal Family dealt in slaves.

A known fact that unsettled her greatly.

But she was also well aware that not even she could convince Azula to free their slaves after she becomes Fire Lord.

But Elle on the other hand.

The acrobat couldn't help but smile thoughtfully while she gazed between the young girl and the princess's callous face.

If anyone can convince Azula to show mercy it would was Elle and Elle alone.

That was when their collective attentions were gained by a joyful shout from their young friend.

"Azula-sama! I found another bag of sour patch kids!" Elle announced in an innocently victorious voice unaware that Azula was now stiffening with an expression of disgust on her regal face.

The two noblewomen stared at their leader in amusement while they watched the princess's lips curl into a repulsed frown.

'No! I am not eating anymore of that revolting peasant chow!' The princess thought with a disgusted hiss just when her belly rumbled loudly once more.

An ever so slight twinge of pink appeared on her cheeks when her doting pet spun around with an ever-attentive smile.

The other two women sweatdropped when they say their adopted little sister spring to her feet as soon as she heard Azula's stomach growl.

The fact that Azula had trained the poor girl to stand whenever she heard her stomach growl was not lost on either of them.

"Have you now?" Azula questioned with her arms crossed over her breasts while she scowled when the grudgingly adorable girl waved the infernal bag at her.

"Mhm! Your stomachs growling really loud! You should eat it!" The blonde-haired girl offered with a worshipful smile while the princess stared down at her with her lips curling in disgust.

"Be the sour patch lord Azula." The markswoman taunted with the acrobat giggling beside her while their leader tensed up in her anger.

"I couldn't live with myself if I ate your last bag of…vegetarian food." The princess assured with a wave of her hand while her subordinates snickered at her back.

"Oh no! Don't worry about it. It's yours now! You own me." Elle exclaimed with a bright smile while Azula shifted on her booted feet in annoyance.

"I do own you. Still you are much weaker than me…you need it more than me. Take it from me as a gift for your loyal service." Azula ordered with her palm gently pushing her pouting pet backwards while Elle stared down at her rumbling belly.

"B-but your bellies growling the loudest of all of us…" The blonde-haired girl trailed off in a lovably worried voice while her master grunted above her.

"Aww…she really likes you Azula." The brown-haired woman gushed with a gentle grin while her friend pushed her little sister back once more.

"Even so…your health is much more important to me than my own growling belly. Really my pet. It's all yours." The princess spoke with a shrug while she smiled down at her handmaid's tracing her shoe in the dirt.

"Okay…if you say so princess." Elle muttered in a bashful voice only to find herself smiling brightly when a strong hand patted her golden hair.

"Check with Mai and Ty Lee. I hear they love sour food." Azula purred with a cruel smirk on her red lips while the two noblewomen smiled despite their discomfort.

"Okay! Do you want some more candy oneesans?" The blonde-haired girl queried in a happy voice while she dashed over to the two seated women.

"That's so sweet of you Elle! It's so nice of you to look after your big sister's! Isn't it Mai?" Ty Lee shouted with a joyful grin while they sat gazing up at their excited little sister.

"Yeah. It is…" Mai replied with a fond sigh while Elle peered between them with a radiant countenance.

"Would you some more? You're both injured so I bet you could use the sugary energy!" Elle explained with a loyal smile while the two women sweatdropped in fond amusement.

"Of course, we would! But only if you give Azula five more." The brown-haired woman declared with wide smile while the princess rounded around to glare over her shoulder.

"Alright! I'll distribute it evenly among all of us. Five for you Ty Lee…and five for Mai. And five for Azula-sama…and five for me!" The blonde-haired girl cried out while dropped the candy in their open hands.

The two noblewomen eyed the candy in unease before making sure that they were smiling kindly.

"Thanks again kid." The markswoman answered with genuine affection in her voice while she stared at the younger girl in gratitude.

Not just for the candy.

But for how Elle stood up for her twice, once against Zoe and the second time against Azula.

On top of that if not for Elle she may be spending the rest of her life in prison.

"Yeah! Thanks Elle!" Ty Lee assured before reaching out to ruffle Elle's while the younger girl blushed beneath her hand.

"N-no problem. Anything for my oneesans." Elle stammered with a happy smile before joyfully popping a candy in her before she turned to rush back over to her master's side.

The two women stared at the young girl with shared fondness before watching in amusement when their young friend rushed back over to their spoiled friend.

Only to soon find themselves eating the candy with their eyes and mouths showing slight signs of an attempt to conceal their discomfort.

All the while the princess stood with her fists on her hips while her golden eyes shone with aggravation when her young girlfriend dashed back over.

"Take at least five of them Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl chirped with a friendly smile while the princess pursed her lovely lips in disgust.

"I said that I…. whatever. I'll eat your…sour peasant chow." Azula grumbled with a cold scowl on her lips while she glared down at the candies being dropped into her open palm.

The mere fact that Azula was willing to eat something that she detested a second time over just to make Elle happy spoke volumes about the princess's bond with the young girl.

"It's a shame that this may be the last time I eat this good stuff!" Elle commented with exuberance lining her voice while she ate a piece with an animated smile.

All the while her three friends stared at her oddly while they swallowed the candy with a shudder.

"Yes. So very sad." The princess snorted with a roll of her eyes before gulping down a piece.

How this girl could enjoy such a disgustingly sour treat was beyond her!

"It's sour then sweet!" The blonde-haired girl called out with an innocent grin while her three highborn friends sweatdropped in amusement.

"Such a strange peasant." Azula commented with a shake of her head while she eyed the candy in her hand in disgust.

"That's so. But I'm Her Highness's pet peasant!" Elle piped with infectious cheer while Azula finally managed to smirk down at her in approval.

"So, you are servant. Look behind you!" The princess advised with a feigned look of amazement in her golden eyes while her pet spun around to peer behind her.

"What is it Azula-sama! Is there something that I am supposed to see?" The blonde-haired girl queried in a warmly naïve voice while she blinked at the thick foliage of trees.

The two noblewomen turned to Azula in disapproval when a small blue flame promptly incinerated the sour candy remaining in her hand.

Even though they knew that Elle's feelings would be hurt if she found out.

They knew that if it was anyone else Azula would have just spat out the candy in contemptuous revulsion.

"You were too slow. That beautiful bird already flew away." Azula remarked with a smile on her lips while she licked her lips when Elle turned around to face her once more.

"Oh…I missed it…" Elle mumbled in an innocently disappointed voice while the acrobat smiled at her fondly.

"What am I ever to do with you peasant? I can see that I will have to look after you closely." The princess sighed with a shake of her head while her handmaid traced her shoe in the dirt once more.

"You'll get to see plenty of beautiful animals out her little sister! Don't worry!" The brown-haired woman assured with a knowing nod while the younger girl smiled shyly.

"If you see any more cool animals will you be sure to point it out to me princess?" The blonde-haired girl requested in a gentle voice while she peered up at her smiling master.

"I suppose I could. Speaking of that. Let's go find dinner." Azula stated with her fingers brushing her bangs from her eyes when her stomach growled once more.

"You ate that candy fast Azula-sama. You must be super hungry. Do you want that ball of mochi now?" Elle conversed with a sly smile on her lips while her big sister's sweatdropped when Azula spun around to murderously glare down at her.

"What? Ball of mochi?" The princess hissed with fire nearly spewing from her lips while her young girlfriend gulped under her glare.

"T-that's so master. I found a ball of mochi in my bag that I packed for us so we could share a picnic together." Elle explained with a radiant smile while Azula golden glare sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine.

"Why didn't you give me the mochi before your peasant food?" Azula demanded after taking an intimidating step forward while she stood towering over her intimidated handmaid.

"W-well I have a lot of stuff in my bag. It was difficult to find it." The blonde-haired girl answered speedily only to find herself being knocked aside by the princess's shapely hip.

"I want my mochi now!" The princess barked in a spoiled voice while she stomped towards the girl's bag only for her servant to chase after her in a panic.

"Please let me get it for you Azula-sama! I have a lot of stuff that I value in that bag! N-no!" Elle cried out in appalment when Azula began to rifle through her bag in search of the mochi.

"Do you have to be so rude Azula? Just let the girl get it for you. Her mother's belongings are in that bag." Mai reminded with a frown while Azula's hand paused in her digging.

"Show me the mochi! Now!" Azula ordered with an entitled scowl on her regal lips while she watched in delight when her pet began to frantically bow before her.

"Y-yes princess!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with her face pressing into the grass while the domineering princess glared down at her prostrated form.

"You should have showed me the mochi first." The princess growled in a controlling voice before she seated herself in the grass while her submissive girl rapidly dropped to the ground before her boots.

"S-sumimasen Azula-sama! Sumimasen! I-I just wanted to share my candy with you!" Elle stammered with her eyes closing against the grass while her princess released a heavy sigh above her.

"You are a sentimental little thing. But not one that I dislike. Now get me that mochi now or I will imprison you for all time! Never to rise above the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" Azula commanded with a stern finger pointing down at the small girl's bowing from while Elle smiled brightly up at her.

"Wakarimashita Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl shouted in an overly cheerful voice before diving to retrieve her girlfriend's favorite treat.

"You should really try to be more grateful Azula. Elle is the only one with any sort of food on her person. I for one think that she's a resourceful girl!" Ty Lee remarked with a fond grin on her lips while Azula rolled her eyes down at Elle comically searching in her pack in a frenzy.

"Mochi…mochi…mochi. Nope. It's not here. Those are my books…no it's not that. That's my Azula-sama diary. No…that's my sanitizer and that's my travel blanket…" The blonde-haired girl mumbled with a finger pressing against her lip while her three highborn friends watched in amusement.

"Yes Ty Lee. Very resourceful." The princess snorted haughtily yet even so she smiled down at her young friend's small back.

"Where's your backpack Azula? Oh, that's right. You don't have one." The markswoman teased lightly while the monarch turned around to glare at her.

"No…that's my music player! Oh! My lucky coin! Do you want to see my lucky coin princess!" Elle chirped with her head turning around to peer up at Azula's annoyed face.

The two noblewomen chuckled at their leader's expense while the princess released a furious growl.

"For your sake Elle there had better be mochi in that bag!" Azula snarled with her stomach growling thunderously once more while she scowled down at her naïve admirer's smiling face.

"Aha! Here it is! You can count on me Azula-sama! I'm your loyal girl!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with an innocently victorious grin while she held up a wrapped ball of mochi before the princess's surprised golden eyes.

She had been begun to think that her handmaid did not truly possess her favorite food.

"My…my…you truly are my loyal girl. I am very pleased by your foresight Elle." The princess spoke with a finger underneath her chin while her handmaid held up the offering before her hungry eyes.

"T-those words make this day worthwhile. I am so honored that you think so…perhaps now would be a good time to have that picnic…" Elle trailed off in a bashful voice only to blink her eyes when Azula greedily snatched the treat from her open palm.

And then the two-noblewomen watched with deadpan eyes when the selfish woman unraveled the treat without even considering sharing it with the person who gave it to her.

"I shall reward you later servant. But right now, your master must silence her growling belly." Azula announced with a spoiled smile on her regal lips before taking a greedy bite out of the mochi while she sat on her backside moaning in approval.

"Azula are you going to share any of that with Elle?" The brown-haired woman inquired in a scolding voice while she mildly glared at her spoiled friend greedily gulping down her mouthful.

And then the princess turned her callous golden eyes to peer back down at her little handmaid almost begging for a bite with a laughably pathetic puppy dog pout.

Only to shatter the poor girl's hopes when she took another large bite with a smug smirk on her red lips.

"As much as I would love to do that. A princess needs to eat. I must have…my energy to lead my people to safety." The princess responded in mid mouthful while she chewed her food with a content smile on her lips.

"Right…Azula. Sure, you do." Ty Lee scoffed with a trace of anger in her eyes while she observed poor Elle's shoulders slump in disappointment.

"What happened to feeling too remorseful to eat more than Elle?" Mai questioned with a roll of her eyes while Azula noisily gulped down another bite before feigning a heavy sigh.

"I assure you…that it grieves me to do so. But such is the burden that I must bear. My apologies tiger monkey. Perhaps next time." Azula commented with a gratified smile before taking another bite out of her treat only for her golden eyes to catch Elle's pitifully saddened face.

"O-okay…" The blonde-haired girl murmured lamely with her bummed eyes averting from her master's cold gaze while the acrobat growled at the monarch is disapproval.

"It's alright Elle. The next time Mai and I have any treats we'll share them with you. And not princess greedypants." The brown-haired woman replied with her boot tapping on the ground while she leveled her now scowling leader with a reproachful stare.

"Fine! I'll share my mochi with my pet if it will make you shut up Ty Lee!" The princess bellowed with an uncaring wave of her hand while the acrobat now smiled back at her.

"It will Azula. It will." Ty Lee assured with a moved smile while she watched Elle peer back upward with childish delight in her adorable amber eyes.

"Arigatou gozaimasu best buddy!" Elle cheered with innocent laughter lacing her voice only to gulp when Azula snapped her finger before her quivering face.

"Bow!" Azula commanded in a beyond smug voice while she watched Elle drop down before her pointed boots only for Ty Lee to sigh heavily once more.

"Azula…" The brown-haired woman muttered with a shake of her head while the poor girl bowed until her face was kissing the grass.

"If you say bow princess! Your girlfriend bows!" The blonde-haired girl answered in a worshipful voice while she blushed when two elegant boots relaxed in her line of vision.

"Sit girlfriend." The princess purred with an arrogant smile while she observed her petite handmaid drop even lower into the greenery.

"S-she's not a dog Azula." Ty Lee protested in a bothered voice while Mai snorted beside her.

"Waste of breath Ty Lee." Mai stated dryly in an annoyed voice.

"Open your mouth…and catch!" Azula instructed in a sadistic voice before dropping a tiny bite into Elle's open mouth.

"Nom!" Elle exclaimed in an adorably cheerful voice before gulping down the tasty treat.

The two noblewomen sweatdropped once more before sighing over their adopted little sister's endless eagerness to please.

"That's it? That's all she gets for all of that?" The brown-haired woman nagged while the monarch rolled her eyes before teasing the girl with another bite.

"Do you want another treat peasant?" The princess cooed in an irresistible voice while her handmaid beamed up at her.

"Yes princess! C-can I please have more mochi?" The blonde-haired girl asked in a subservient voice while she listened to her older girlfriend hum thoughtfully above her.

"Well trained, isn't she?" Azula boasted to her stunned friends before dropping a larger bite into Elle's excited mouth.

"A-arigatou gozaimasu." Elle mumbled with a happy smile while she swallowed her bite only for an overjoyed blush to appear on her cheeks when Azula patted her golden hair.

"Good girl Elle." The princess sighed in a fond voice before she took another bite out of her treat with a contented smile while she continued to pet her kneeling girlfriend's soft hair.

"Like I said Elle…if you ever want to date someone more sensible…" The markswoman said in her usual monotone voice while the acrobat sweatdropped beside her.

Somehow the girl enjoyed everything about Azula.

Anyone else would feel rightfully demeaned and offended by Azula's behavior.

But not Elle.

Somehow this young girl adored the princess so deeply that she would endure anything and everything to stand beside Azula.

And that truly was nothing short of astonishing.

"A-Azula-sama." The blonde-haired girl swooned in a lovestruck voice that had the much taller princess smiling down at her with an unusually affectionate smile on her regal lips.

"Mine." Azula spoke in a beyond possessive voice before bending over with her strong palm greedily sweeping through Elle's golden locks.

Elle laughed sweetly when Azula continued to pet her while she peered up at her powerful girlfriend in admiration.

And over the next few minutes she received several more bites while the princess's palm never ceased gently patting her head.

Until finally the small girl was pushed up by the royal woman's strict hand while Azula gracefully wiped her lips free of any foods.

"Come. We've wasted enough of our time in this clearing. Let's get back to Zoe before she starts to think that the Great Princess Azula coddles her handmaid." The princess declared with a spoiled sigh before pushing herself to her feet while her childhood friends eyed her pointedly.

"But Azula you always coddle Elle." Ty Lee replied with a giggle while Azula turned to pridefully scowl back at her.

"Wonderful. And I was almost beginning to enjoy my day." Mai muttered hatefully while Ty Lee patted her back sympathetically.

"I can't wait to explore the forest! There must be so many lovely sights to see." Elle exclaimed before dashing over to pick up her backpack.

The three highborn women eyed her with a shared fondness in their eyes while they observed their young friend sling her bag over her shoulders.

"What about Ty Lee's broken ankle? She can't walk on it. Not if you want her to be up and moving before Sozin's Comet." The markswoman suggested with her tawny eyes gazing back at the acrobat in concern.

Azula's lips pursed into a thin line while Ty Lee waved a reassuring hand in the air.

"I can walk just fine! Really Azula. I will be okay." The brown-haired woman assured before standing up on her good foot only to wince when she inadvertently put pressure on the bad one.

And before either of them could so much as speak another word they were all taken aback when a blonde blur rushed over to assist the surprised acrobat.

"I'll help you walk oneesan! You can lean on me." The blonde-haired girl announced in a helpful voice while the acrobat stared down at her with a moved appreciation in her eyes.

"Elle…you…don't have to do that." Ty Lee spoke in a compassionate voice only to find herself smiling when Elle put her head underneath her arm.

"I want to. For as long as we're on this island. I am going to help you walk." Elle insisted with a sunny smile while she began to support Ty Lee's taller body.

Once more the whole of Team Azula stood speechless by their strange young friends unwavering loyalty to all three of them.

Even Azula herself felt pause.

"I…don't know what to say Elle. That is…so sweet of you." The brown-haired woman muttered with a tear sliding down her cheek while the smaller girl continued to brace her body.

"It's okay oneesan. Just say that you'll use me to walk whenever you need to go anywhere." The blonde-haired girl offered with a devoted smile while the acrobat smiled down at her in gratitude.

"You're such a sweetie. Thank you, little sister." Ty Lee cooed with a warm smile before she began to walk slowly with her weight leaning onto her petite adopted sister.

"Hm. I suppose that could work. The tiger monkey is the perfect height for a pair of human crutches. Very well Elle. You can be Ty Lee's crutches for the time being." The princess remarked with a finger under her chin while she began to walk beside the two.

Only for her thoughtless words to incur a glare from the acrobat.

"Why do you have to demean an act of kindness into something lowly? I don't like it when you do that Azula. I…don't like it at all." The brown-haired woman complained with her arm around the blonde's neck while the small girl helped her move forward.

Azula just sighed with a finger brushing her bangs from her eyes while she walked alongside Mai.

"I don't mind Ty Lee. It's just Azula-sama's way of saying she loves me." Elle spoke in a seemingly carefree voice while Azula rolled her eyes down at her.

The markswoman walked closely beside the two before turning to smile softly down at her young friend.

"Thank you…Elle." Mai commented with a nod while Elle smiled just as brightly up at her.

And Ty Lee couldn't help but smile with her arm pulling Elle into a side snuggle while Azula turned to cast her a callous glare.

"It was a pleasure to share my food! You don't have to thank me Mai." The blonde-haired girl answered warmly with a blush when her face was pressed into the acrobat's bosom.

"Not just for that. For standing up for me two times now. I appreciate it kid." The markswoman responded softly with a hand affectionately patting the blushing teenager's back.

"O-oh well I would do anything for my family." Elle declared in a gentle voice with her words taking all three of her highborn friends aback.

Mai just smiled fondly in response before she watched in amusement when Ty Lee began to love on the adorable girl.

"Aww! This calls for snuggle time! You're so cute that I just have to snuggle you for the entire walk!" Ty Lee yelled out with a warm grin while pushed Elle's face into pink blouse.

The small girl comically blushed against the acrobat's breast only for the princess to stomp her boot thunderously in display of possessive jealously.

The two noblewomen sighed before turning to face Azula's terrifyingly imposing glare that sent shivers down their spines.

Even if it was all over a snuggle.

"That's my pet! Not your pet! She is not yours to dominate Ty Lee! Only I…may subjugate her!" Azula snapped with her arms folded over her breasts while she tapped her boot angrily.

The other two members of Team Azula couldn't help but groan in returning announce.

"I don't want to dominate her Azula! I just want to snuggle her!" The brown-haired woman protested with a smile while the small girl smiled against her bosom.

"Snuggle me means dominate me. Now cease that at once or I will destroy you!" The princess roared in a furious voice with her finger pointing at the other woman's sweatdropping face.

Mai and Ty Lee could only gaze at their insane leader in comedic bafflement that she thought they were one and the same.

"Azula…a snuggle has nothing to do with domination!" Ty Lee attempted to reason only for Azula to narrow her callous eyes in disagreement.

"Wrong Ty Lee. A snuggle is an act of soft domination. It's about brutally crushing your victim in your arms until they submit to you in your arms. Like…you are doing now." Azula hissed with a puff of fire escaping her lips while the two women gazed back in complete bewilderment.

"That's…not what a snuggle is about Azula. It's about affection and love!" The brown-haired woman explained with an unwavering grin while the other woman glared a hole through her skull.

"Waste of breath." The markswoman advised in a sigh while the acrobat continued to sweat under the princess's possessive stare.

"Remove my girlfriend's face from your breasts now. Or prepare to duel me for ownership over Elle!" The princess ordered with her golden eyes forming a penetrating death glare that had her childhood friend shivering.

"Snuggle hog." Ty Lee grumbled before she shifted Elle's head away from her bosom while the younger girl walked underneath her arm.

And it never failed to escape the notice of the three highborn women when obvious disappointment flashed in innocent amber eyes.

"Good. And you see to it that it stays that way." Azula scoffed before striding on with a pleased smile on her controlling lips.

"So, tell me Elle. It's obvious that Azula's your first love. But did you have anyone catch your eye before you met Azula?" Mai questioned with a curious smile while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.

"Hm…did anyone catch my eye before Azula-sama…" Elle trailed off in a contemplative voice with a finger underneath her chin while Ty Lee smiled down at her fondly.

"She's so cute Azula." The brown-haired woman stated in a voice of approval before ruffling the bashful girl's hair.

"The tiger monkey has her merits I won't deny that." The princess sighed with a prideful shake of her head while she continued to eye her young handmaid's grudgingly adorable thinking face.

"I don't know! I once tried to say hello to a boy when I was seven years old. But then he pulled his wiener out…" The blonde-haired girl explained with her fingertip nudging her lip while her three friends sweatdropped over her tale.

"Wiener?" Azula snorted with a roll of her golden eyes while she strode beside her three subordinates.

Once more she was reminded that she needed to get Elle up to speed on her education.

Which she will do just as soon as they get off this wretched island.

"Like I said Azula. She sure is innocent." Ty Lee commented with a soft giggle while Elle blushed under her patting hand.

"Mhm! I left when he tried to touch me with it. And that was the last I saw of him!" Elle exclaimed with an ever-cheerful smile while the older girl's gaze at her in amusement.

"I'll take that as a no." The markswoman replied with a small smile on her lips.

"I once had one of Zuzu's friends try to show me his goods when I was little." The princess recollected with a smug smirk on her lips while all but her young girlfriend shuddered.

"Really Azula-sama? How did you handle it?" The blonde-haired girl pondered naively with admiration in her eyes while the acrobat sighed heavily.

"I heated up a stick with firebending and then I hit him with it as hard as I could. It seemed to cure him of the habit. I recall Zuzu being angry when his friend never spoke to him again." Azula admitted with a violent smile while she scanned her fingernails before her prideful golden eyes.

"I wonder why." Mai stated with a trace of disgust in her voice.

It was just like Azula to never consider another person's feelings and that the boy had simply been too young and immature to know better.

He likely did not grow up to have much success at relationships after Azula scarred his manhood.

"Oh wow! If anyone ever pulls their wiener out on me again, I'll just leave it to you to handle it." Elle quipped with Ty Lee sweatdropping over her shoulder.

"That's right Elle. Just leave it to me. I'll just set it on fire." The princess declared with a cruel chuckle while her childhood friends shivered once more.

"Did you ever think about other girls…instead of boys before you met Azula?" The markswoman inquired with her words provoking a stern glance from her leader in question.

"Think about?" The blonde-haired girl queried in a pure hearted voice while the three women stared at her fondly.

"Yes…did you ever think of someone romantically…even if they were just a construct of your mind. A fantasy." Mai clarified in a sisterly voice while Ty Lee's cheeks turned beet red.

"Mai! She's…she's thirteen." The brown-haired woman protested with her adopted sister listening in curiosity.

"So? Most girls touch themselves long before they turn thirteen." The markswoman scoffed with a composed face while the princess now glared at her.

"Touch myself? I touch myself every day when I brush my hair and eat." Elle answered innocently only for her friends to nearly trip on their feet in complete bafflement.

"Mai." Azula hissed with a hand over her face while Mai gazed down at Elle with astonished tawny eyes.

"No…touch yourself…here." Mai spoke with a cough while she gestured between her legs with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Oh. No. I've never done that." The blonde-haired girl piped in a breezy voice while her three older friends gazed at her in disbelief.

"Not…even once?" The markswoman queried with shock in her voice only for her young friend to shake her head.

"Nope!" Elle exclaimed with a shrug of her shoulders while Ty Lee gaped down at her.

Only to find herself soon smiling widely once more while she walked with her little sister supporting her weight.

"She…really is pure of heart. Just give her time. Just let her finish growing up on her own…in a safe environment." Ty Lee remarked with a trace of concern in her eyes while Azula still stared down at the girl in bewilderment.

The fact that her admirer has never even tried to pleasure herself before was a truly jarring thought to behold.

But also…so pleasing at the same time.

It just meant that Elle was all the more hers and hers alone.

Hers to shape and hers to mold.

'I suppose…that I will just have to teach her…in time' The princess thought with a fond smirk on her red lips.

Only to find herself glaring at her subordinate when she persisted once more.

"Did…you ever think of boys and girls…in a non-romantic manner. You know…just as friends? Maybe one more than the other?" The markswoman pondered in a still helpful voice while they all watched the young girl hold a palm to her chin once more.

It was clear to all that Mai was trying to assist Elle in helping her find out if she was bi-sexual or otherwise.

"I-I never really thought of boys. Boys…have always seemed so gross to me. But…the only boy I have ever known is Felix. I…still see him in the faces of other boys. So…I don't like to talk to boys. Out of fear that they'll be…like him. I know that they won't…he's just an anomaly. But even so. I think of it." The blonde-haired girl lamented with a frown on her lips while her friends listened in understanding.

After all that they have heard of Felix they couldn't blame Elle for being fearful of boys.

"You don't have to talk about him Elle. I don't want to see you get sad again." The brown-haired woman suggested with her arm wrapping around her smaller friend while the younger girl pulled her along.

"But I was locked in my house ever since I turned ten…so I never really got to get out and talk to people." Elle mumbled with her words causing all three of her friends to stare at her in horror.

"You…spent almost four years locked in a room…and then the first person that you got to know was Azula?" Mai asked in an evidently unnerved voice while Azula pursed her lips in a wrathful scowl.

"Yep! I mean I spoke to Naoki and Rachel briefly but Azula-sama is my first friend that I have ever had!" Elle announced in a childishly prideful voice with all three of her companion's gazing at her in a speechless silence.

The acrobat was already tearing up when she turned to the princess's puzzled face with her eyes silently pleading her to always treat the girl well.

'After all of that…the first face that provided comfort…was Azula. It's no wonder why Elle adores Azula so much!' Ty Lee thought with her finger wiping at her eye while she enveloped Elle in another hug.

"I am your first friend…am I Elle?" Azula questioned in a still taken aback voice while Elle happily nodded her head.

"That's so! And that's why you're my best buddy!" The blonde-haired girl cried out while the acrobat ruffled her hair.

"Right…best buddy." The princess sighed with her sarcasm soaring over her naïve handmaid's head.

Although once more she filed down the possible importance of those two names.

She keenly recalled her servant first mentioning this Naoki several weeks ago as someone that she didn't fear.

And now she knows that this girl has some sort of connection to Elle's childhood trauma.

And she also knows that they met once more upon leaving her brother's estate.

Interesting…

There was obviously more to the tale that she has not been told.

"All the more reason why we have to look after you." The markswoman commented gently while the younger girl smiled over at her.

"But…but I guess I have thought of girls before…" The blonde-haired girl admitted with a hand under her chin while her friends listened in curiosity.

The princess turned to her handmaid with an inquisitive look in her eyes when the teenager spoke once more.

"When I used to read books as a little girl…I always found the female characters especially compelling. Heroes…princesses and warriors. I…used to ponder what it would be like to have someone like that to protect me." Elle spoke in a soft voice with appreciation in her amber eyes that hit Azula hard in the gut.

Not one of the three women spoke a word while they stood in a state of perplexed shock.

It was even clearer than before just why Azula amazed Elle so deeply.

She was…something akin to a twisted version of what the girl was longing for when she read her childhood stories.

"And…and that's why Azula-sama is my dream come true." The blonde-haired girl mumbled with a deep blush on her fair cheeks.

Azula stared at Elle with a strangely pleased gleam in her golden eyes before she found a gratified smile climbing onto her lips.

"Of course, I am. And I am a thousand times better than any princess from your books. If you think otherwise…I will punish you!" The princess warned with her finger snapping in her gulping handmaid's direction.

"N-no Azula-sama. You are the greatest there is…the only princess for me…" Elle assured in a lovesick voice with a hand over her chest while Azula smirked in approval.

"Aww! That's so romantic!" Ty Lee exclaimed with her brown-gray eyes practically sparkling over the touching confession.

"I…don't know about that Elle. Those princess's in your children's stories probably were a good deal less sadistic." Mai sighed with a shake of her head while Azula smiled all the while.

"No. Azula-sama is perfect…all three of you are. If…I could change one thing. I wish that we could have met five or so years ago. Child I was…but it would have only meant that we would have that many more happy years to share together." The blonde-haired girl confided in a sentimental voice while she smiled at her three taken aback friends.

"Elle…" The brown-haired woman trailed off tenderly with her arm still wrapping around the younger girl's shoulder.

The thought of a seven-year-old Elle following after all three of them while they prepared to depart to hunt the Avatar for the first time was a provoking thought to all of Team Azula.

And just as jarring was the fact that a younger Azula would have most likely just left Elle to die on the street.

'Yes. Having you follow me around like a little turtle duckling is just what I needed when I was fourteen.' Azula thought with a finger rubbing the bridge of her nose before sighing softly.

How strange was it that she was actually thinking about how it would have meant that Elle would have been under her protection for all those years?

This one is truly making her go soft.

"But that doesn't matter now. I have you all now." Elle concluded with an ever-present smile before returning Ty Lee's embrace while the acrobat affectionately patted her back.

"And we're not ever going to let you go!" Ty Lee giggled with her arm pulling Elle closer while Azula smirked in agreement.

"Most certainly not. We might even collar and leash you." The princess purred in a devious voice that had her two-childhood friends shuddering in revived pity for the young girl.

"Sure! If that's what you-" The blonde-haired girl answered only to be cut off by the acrobat's palm.

But was already too late.

Azula was smiling at Elle with an unnerving gleam in her golden eyes while Mai sighed once more.

"Kid. When are you ever going to learn to watch what you say in Azula's presence?" Mai scolded lightly with her tawny eyes surveying Elle's chipper face.

"Hm. It is good to know your feelings on the matter." Azula stated with a refined smirk while she walked at a slower pace to accommodate her injured friend.

"Please. No leashes and collars Azula." The brown-haired woman pleaded in a sigh while her sadistic friend just smirked back at her.

"Azula-sama?" Elle began in a young voice in need of guidance while Azula turned to grace her with a sophisticated smile.

"Yes Elle?" The princess purred in a silken voice while her young girlfriend smiled from ear to ear.

"Do you want to see something cool?" The blonde-haired girl asked in an innocently excited voice while her big sister's listened in amusement while the monarch sighed once more.

It did not escape Ty Lee's notice that Elle always sought to impress Azula with her gadgets from her homeland.

And if you asked her it was truly adorable!

"Is it more mochi?" Azula questioned with a finger underneath her chin only to sigh once more when the girl shook her head no.

"No! It's my lucky coin!" Elle declared in a prideful voice with her chest puffing out proudly while Azula eyed her with a bored golden gaze.

"Lucky coin? You have a lucky coin?" The princess snorted in a voice of slight mockery while she turned to survey her beaming pet.

"Show us your lucky coin Elle! We would be happy to look at it!" Ty Lee assured with a sisterly nod while Elle paused in her walk to pull her backpack out.

And so, the acrobat stood patiently while she leaned on her young friends' shoulder.

All the while watching with fond brown-gray eyes when the young handmaid began to dig through her backpack once more.

Mai stopped beside a tree while she turned to observe Elle in mutual amusement.

Only for Azula to groan with her hand massaging her face once more.

"Ty Lee…if you haven't noticed. Every time the girl digs through her backpack, we end up standing here for a half hour longer." Azula complained with her fists on her hips only to quirk a brow when Elle cried out in delight.

There was something about that joyous shout that she has come to grow fond of.

"I found it! I keep it in a secret pocket so it won't be found so easily if a thief should take my bag." The blonde-haired girl commented with the acrobat smiling over her shoulder.

The concept of a 'secret' pocket in a backpack was laughable if you asked Azula.

Considering that all the thief had to do was dump the contents of the infernal bag onto the ground and then all pockets will be visible.

"How kind of you to tell us…in case we wish to steal your…'lucky' coin." The princess scoffed with a hand waving in the air.

"Azula! It's okay Elle. We wouldn't steal from you." The brown-haired woman stated while her little sister beamed up at her.

"Of course, we wouldn't. The rich don't steal from the poor." Azula taunted with a cold smile only for both noblewomen to frown in disapproval.

"Why do you keep demeaning her? She does everything you want. Things that most people wouldn't do. Myself included." Mai remarked with her arms folded over her breasts while Azula turned to stare icily at her once more.

She knew very well that she had to watch what she said to Azula.

But it seemed like it was safe to speak out as long as she was sticking up for Elle.

If only because Azula most likely knew that she often had a valid point. She was just too damn prideful to admit it.

"The rich steal from the poor all the time. It's called taxes!" Elle chirped with a happy nod while Ty Lee giggled once more.

"She's got you there Azula! By that logic you're the biggest thief there is." Ty Lee agreed with a finger pointing at the other woman who just rolled her eyes in response.

"Here it is! Prepare to be amazed Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl cheered in a purposefully delayed manner while the princess scanned her fingernails in boredom.

"Hm. The excitement is killing me. I assure you." The princess responded in a still subdued voice only to blink in curiosity when her handmaid held out a small clear case.

With a small silver coin proudly housed inside protecting by a sheet of casing.

"It's my Julius Caesar denarius! It's a coin from the Roman Republic!" Elle declared with a proud smile while she held up the item for all three of her bewildered friends to see.

"Woah. It looks…old." The brown-haired woman muttered with a hand under her chin while she eyed the coin in fascination.

"It is old. Over two thousand years old." The blonde-haired girl answered with a nod while her princess grudgingly found herself stepping closing to view the denarius in greater detail.

"Two thousand…this was that empire that you told us about that collapsed." The markswoman stated with a flicker of amazement in her eyes while she bent over to inspect the coin.

"Yeah. It dissolved into nothing over five hundred years ago. In modern day it is just a lone city. The city of Rome." Elle explained while Azula stooped over to eye the coin with a hand under her chin.

"You said you had no coin for food…why didn't you sell it for food? Or better yet…to buy me a gift?" Azula inquired in a spoiled voice while the noblewomen rolled their eyes over her reasoning.

"Its value is based on location. In the Fire Nation this would be worth about the same as a regular silver. They wouldn't know what it was…so they wouldn't factor in its age. But back home. I was going to sell it to help start over on my own." The blonde-haired girl spoke while her three highborn friends listened in wonderment.

"She has a point. That would be like trying to sell a Fire Nation antique in a land that knew nothing of our culture. She may as well keep it now…. Elle will never have any shortage of coin." Mai replied while Azula shrugged her shoulders in a lazy show of agreement.

"I suppose so. Who is…this Julius Caesar?" The princess questioned in a voice that was hungry for as much knowledge as she could absorb.

The small girl's face brightened up while she beamed up at her as if it was the question that she had been waiting to hear.

"Julius Caesar is one of the most famous historical figures of all time! He was a big deal Azula-sama!" Elle began in an enthralled voice while the princess listened in amusement.

"Was he now?" Azula purred with a fond smirk on her red lips while Elle nodded her little head once more.

"Yes. He rose to power during the final stages of the Republic. In the Republic power was balanced out amongst the Senate. Only men of course! There were no women in power." The blonde-haired girl revealed with her words causing the two noblewomen to gaze tauntingly at the princess's scrunched up countenance.

"Men." Ty Lee scoffed while Azula offered a rare nod of agreement.

"How archaic." The princess snorted with a disgusted expression while she still eyed the coin closely.

"From what I've read…over time the Senate became corrupt. And that is where Caesar came in. After ending a great war with the Celtic tribes, he returned home to Rome. And he decided to try to take the power of dictator for either his own selfish whims…or to save the Republic. It all depends on who you ask. He started a Civil War when he crossed the Rubicon with his legions and he marched on his own country." Elle stated in an animated voice while her three highborn friends listened in a spellbound silence.

They couldn't help but notice that Elle was rather skilled with history.

Given that she only had a home library to read from it must have been of a sufficient size.

"Crossed the Rubicon?" The princess pondered with a grudgingly intrigued countenance while she watched her handmaid slip the coin back into her bag.

"Mhm. It's a river. But it's a term that's used to describe crossing a point of no return." The blonde-haired girl responded while she zipped her pocket back up.

"What happened after he crossed the Rubicon?" The brown-haired woman queried with an interested smile.

"Caesar marched on Rome, and he went to war with Pompey the Great. One of the famous generals that put down Spartacus's rebellion. They were once friends but now enemies. They are both legendary figures. Pompey is probably more similar to Azula-sama than Caesar. He adhered to the laws of the Republic whereas Caesar wanted to change it. Ultimately Pompey lost the war. And he was killed by a treasonous soldier." Elle continued while she closed up her backpack while Azula released an offended scoff.

"You compare me to the loser? I should punish you for that." Azula growled in a playful voice with her fingers tapping along her bicep.

"W-well Caesar was a people's person. He…won the war…because he fought for reforms that gave more power to commoners. Pompey did not. As a result, Caesar had the support of the people and Pompey did not." The blonde-haired girl clarified while the princess's golden eyes flickered with increased curiosity.

It had not escaped her notice that her handmaid and Zoe both have been trying to push her towards such a similar stance.

"What happened after Caesar defeated Pompey?" The markswoman asked in a still piqued voice while the younger girl slipped her backpack over her shoulders.

"Caesar was named dictator of the Roman Republic. And he started a process of changing reforms for his supporters. But sadly, the rich senators he was reducing in power did not appreciate this." Elle answered while Ty Lee peered over her shoulder in fascination.

"Ah. They killed him?" The princess questioned with an almost amused smile on her cold lips.

"Yeah. He was stabbed to death about twenty-three times by almost sixty senators. That marked the death of the Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire." The blonde-haired girl spoke while she began to walk with the acrobat holding onto her shoulder.

The two noblewomen flinched over the clearly slow and torturous assassination that Caesar endured.

It had to be to be stabbed that many times.

"Assassins and traitors lurk everywhere." Azula hissed with her golden eyes peering about in an almost maddened manner while Mai sighed.

They had no doubt that Azula would only grow more paranoid with Elle innocently telling her stories of other murdered dictators.

"But even though he was killed. He is still one of the most famous people to ever live. Because his adopted son continued in his footsteps. Augustus was much more ruthless to his enemies but still good to the common people. And he lived on to be crowned as the first Emperor of the new Roman Empire." Elle concluded with her three friends staring at her in amazement.

As soon as the princess heard that Caesar's adopted son succeeded where his father failed, she couldn't help but consider the man's legacy in a more favorable light.

At least now, it made sense how the man became so famous.

"I confess that you're piquing my interest with these stories Elle. We will incorporate this into our routine as well." The princess announced in a stern voice while her handmaid peered back at her in delight.

"Yes Azula-sama! Maybe you can gleam something useful from the people of the past?" The blonde-haired girl suggested in a bashful voice while the acrobat nodded in agreement.

"That's a great idea Azula!" The brown-haired woman exclaimed only for the princess to release a prideful scoff.

"Like what Elle? So, I can learn how to not get murdered by sixty of my own followers?" Azula sneered with her cold golden eyes remaining locked on Elle's cheery face.

"That's so! You could probably benefit from taking after Augustus! He treated his people well but he was utterly ruthless to his enemies. They say that his eyes were unusually intelligent. Just like you! He learned not to be merciful to his enemies…as his father was. But at the same time, he understood that he needed the support of the people." Elle insisted with an enthusiastic smile while Azula listened with grudging interest.

"Mhm. I know. Sometimes my brilliance amazes even myself." The princess sighed with a haughty smile while the weapons expert rolled her eyes.

"You could really stand to learn how to get the common people to like you. Most of them detest you. Rightfully so. In their eyes you are an abusive tyrant." Mai quipped with her words causing Ty Lee to shiver when Azula's shoulders tensed in renewed rage.

"Watch yourself Mai. Remember that my mercy is…dwindling." Azula snarled with two fingers clasped together to show the other woman just how flimsy her protection was.

"It's true and you know it Azula. The commoners resent you and your father." The markswoman answered while her leader now stared a hole through her skull.

Only for the acrobat to come to her aid once more.

The princess turned to her friend when the other woman gently grasped ahold of her sleeve.

"You have to choose Azula. You can't be cruel to your own people and then act angry when you hear that they despise you. You know this is true. You can either choose to ignore history and become the ruler that the people hate. Or you can choose to become the one they will adore." Ty Lee almost begged in an urgent voice while Azula glared back at her with angered golden eyes.

"It is not your place…to tell me what to do Ty Lee. Nor you Mai and most certainly not my servant." The princess retorted in an icy voice while the acrobat's hand began to slip off of her.

"I-I mean no offense Azula. Look…if it makes you feel any better. I think…that you are doing much better! Just look at Nako! You treated her justly and she…she saved your life. Now. Are you going to tell me that she would have jumped to your aid had you backhanded her instead of promoting her?" The brown-haired woman advised while the monarch grudgingly mulled over her words.

And Azula damn well knew that the answer to that question was a resounding no.

"Fine. I will consider this counsel. Just don't forget that I am the monarch of this nation. Not you." Azula agreed at long last while Ty Lee finally began to smile once more.

It was so strange.

She felt the urge to reassure Ty Lee so that her smile did not falter.

And it did not go unnoticed by her that it seemed to please Elle and Mai both.

"So, what did you think of my coin! It's super rare to have a coin that old! It's my most valuable possession. I could feed myself for a whole year with it back in my world." The blonde-haired girl cried out with the acrobat leaning on her once more while she patted her back.

"It certainly was fascinating! Wasn't it Mai?" Ty Lee responded in a sisterly voice while Elle blushed underneath her arm.

"Yeah. It sure is Elle." Mai stated gently while she walked on the other side of her adopted sister.

"I admit that you surprised me. I expected something…more mundane from a peasant…even though it is just silver. Ancient silver…but still silver. But even so. The Fire Nation Palace holds thousands of artifacts of that age and much more." The princess spoke with a wave of her hand only to realize her mistake posthaste.

Her eyes twitched in aggravation when she already sensed her two-childhood friends staring at her in disbelief.

And the two of them even looked a good bit angry.

"You just did it again. You cut her down again. If you want to cut someone down…then cut us down. Cut Zoe down. Cut anyone else down. But Azula don't you belittle her!" The brown-haired woman called out with her fist balling up in her anger while the small girl stood staring down at the grass in a downcast manner.

Azula's lips curved into a tight scowl while she glared ahead at her subordinates with her fist tightening alongside her sheathed blade.

If anyone else were to dare to attempt to give her an order she would have them swiftly killed.

And if it were about anything else, she would do the same.

But not…when it came to this little peasant of hers.

"S-sumimasen." Elle mumbled in a sullen voice only to find herself being guided away by a pissed off Ty Lee.

"What's wrong with you Azula? Why do you pick Elle of all people to insult? Your most loyal follower…and the only one too emotionally fragile to take it." Mai declared with a scowl on her face while Azula gritted her teeth in her anger.

"It was just a comment in passing!" Azula defended with a dry sensation in her throat while Mai gazed at her in astonishment.

"Well she can't handle it. She's sensitive. She's been abused. When you do that you hurt her. You make her cry. And with each insult you push her back into the same corner that she's been trapped in her entire life." The markswoman argued with her dark hair hanging in her livid face while the princess's golden eyes shimmered in her own fury.

"I…already know that!" The princess barked with her teeth clenched together while she watched the acrobat walk ahead with her young girlfriend.

"Then why do you continue to do it? What are you trying to do? Pick up where they left off and finish breaking her?" Mai demanded with a moody frown before walking past her frustrated friend.

"It's not my fault…that she is so weak." Azula muttered with an angered scowl she stomped ahead.

Only for her foul temper to continue to escalate when she heard her handmaid mumbling to her acrobatic friend.

"T-that… was my father's most prized coin." The blonde-haired girl murmured with her words prompting her two big sisters to turn around to glare at the princess once more as she glared back with a cold scowl.

"It's…okay Elle. Azula's just an ass." Ty Lee comforted with a patting hand while Azula stomped behind her with her golden eyes glaring off to the side.

"I-I…wasn't born in a palace. I…was born in a modest home in poverty. Not everyone can be born with riches. M-most people aren't. I-I don't understand why people who were born lucky look down on those who weren't." Elle confessed with her amber eyes staring down in a glum manner while Ty Lee stared down at her in pity.

And Azula continued to stare off into the tree line with something akin to a spark of remorse in her eyes.

If it was any other peasant, she wouldn't give a damn.

But she did consider the girl her most loyal servant as well as her closest friend.

And a subject of growing romantic intrigue to boot.

"D-does that make me a lesser person Ty Lee?" The blonde-haired girl questioned in a worried voice only for the acrobat to glance down at her just appalled by the query.

And once more the princess walked with her arms stubbornly crossed over her breasts while she ground her teeth together under Mai's judgmental stare.

"What! No! Of course not! You're just the same as us!" The brown-haired woman assured with her bicep protectively pulling the younger girl into her chest.

Azula's eyes sparked with fury while she followed after the two.

All the while attempting to muster the words of apology on her tongue only to find that they died just as soon as she tried conjuring them.

"I-if you say so oneesan." Elle spoke timidly only for a hint of blush to appear on her cheeks when Ty Lee hugged her close.

"I know so! Now don't be sad little sister. We don't like it when you're sad." Ty Lee commented gently with Elle finally managing to crack a smile while crushed the girl in a strong embrace.

"O-okay…I won't." The blonde-haired girl answered with her amber eyes turning to peer over her shoulder at her master's prideful scowl.

Golden eyes momentarily met her gaze while she bit her lip only for her smile to return when she saw a trace of regret in Azula's eyes.

The princess released a proud growl with her fists clenching on her toned biceps while she stared at her handmaid with stern eyes while her admirer began to melt under her strict stare.

All the while she strangely longed to have the girl back beside her.

And curiously enough…the urge to put her arm back around the smaller girl's shoulder.

Just like…Ty Lee was doing.

Elle continued to smile shyly while Azula narrowed her eyes back at her before yelling out at an order at long last.

"Quit being such a cry baby Elle! If you shed one tear, I will send you to prison for the rest of your life!" Azula bellowed with a snobbish scoff while her dominant golden eyes never ceased staring at her pet's brightening smile.

The two noblewomen just gazed at their leader dryly before sighing once more.

"Some apology." Mai snorted with Azula glaring between her and Elle while she watched the monarch stomp closer to the timid girl.

"Although it may not seem like it Elle…that was Azula's way of telling you that she's sorry." The brown-haired woman advised with the petite girl under her arm while she smiled down at the blonde's adorably thoughtful face.

While the princess stormed over with blue fire escaping her nostrils.

"I…know." Elle replied with a bright smile once more when her hair was ruffled by the acrobat's loving hand.

"You see Elle. While Azula may seem cold…and cruel…well she is. But when it comes to you…she's a…" Ty Lee whispered in Elle's ear while Azula stomped up behind her with her callous eyes glaring down at her servant's lovably beaming face.

"She is?" The blonde-haired girl pondered in a naïve voice while the acrobat spoke into her ear with a playful grin on her lips.

"Ty Lee! What are you telling my handmaid?" Azula demanded in a possessive voice with emphasis on 'my' only for her eyes to narrow when Elle laughed sweetly.

"Uh-huh? Oh! I'll keep that in mind!" Elle chatted with a chipper smile while Ty Lee continued to speak to her with a grin while Azula loomed ominously behind them.

And then just like that the princess's boot halted in mid stomp when a look of indignation overtook her cheeks after she heard what her childhood friend was saying.

"A big softie! Just think of her as a big fiery teddy bear!" The brown-haired woman informed with a snicker while the weapons expert also failed to suppress her amused laughter.

A look of rage began to overtake Azula's features while she stared at her giggling friend with utterly murderous golden eyes.

"Ty Lee! I will destroy you! You dare to compare my likeness to a teddy bear!" The princess bellowed with fire bursting aflame at her fingertips while she stared hard at the acrobat's laughing face.

But it was already too late to stop her favorite handmaid from announcing the humiliating words out to the treetops.

"Azula-sama is a tall, angry teddy bear!" The blonde-haired girl cried out with a joyful smile while her words caused the princess to turn a slight shade of pink in embarrassment.

"She is Elle…for you and only you. You see Elle…Azula is the best there is at waging war…and she is also without doubt the best firebender there is. She's flawless at everything…. except dating." Ty Lee explained with a hand waving in the air while Azula's eyes continued to pierce her skull.

"I suggest you proceed carefully Ty Lee." Azula ordered in a foul tempered voice that was only in part abated by the acrobat's praise of her talent.

All the while young Elle listened intently to Ty Lee with a look of deep admiration in her sweet amber eyes.

It was obvious to all of Team Azula that the young girl was quite taken to the acrobat's loving persona.

"When it comes to dating…you and Azula are on a leveled playing field. Actually…she is just as new to this as you are." The brown-haired woman commented in an instructive voice while the smaller girl peered up at her with an attentive countenance.

Once more the monarch stiffed with a sliver of pink on her regal cheeks while she growled at her childhood friend's back.

"I don't think I quite like the way you are depicting me Ty Lee." The princess hissed in a deeply aggravated fashion only for the weapons expert to gesture for her to listen.

"If you haven't noticed Ty Lee's saving your insensitive ass." The markswoman stated with a roll of her eyes while her leader's ruthless eyes glared back at her.

But before Azula could protest even further she furrowed her brows when she turned back to Ty Lee and her young love interest.

"Really?" Elle asked in an innocently curious voice while her big sister nodded with a warm grin still adorning her features.

"Really. What I am trying to say is that…Azula's social skills…are the only area where she is lacking. In all the time that I've known her…I have never seen her like anyone as much as she likes you. She's…just not very good at expressing it. When Azula says that your coin isn't special…what she really means to say is that she likes it very much!" Ty Lee conversed with Elle's brightened face underneath her arm while Azula listened in grudging interest.

The foursome walked while Elle turned her head to peer back at Azula's prideful scowl once more only for her sunny smile to grow even larger.

And even though no one spoke it aloud.

All three members of Team Azula thought their young friends love for the princess was one of the most adorable things that they have ever seen.

Even Azula thought as much herself.

"It's like I said oneesan. It's all about translation!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with a happy grin while she continued to beam at her princess's moody face.

"It is! The point I'm getting at…is that you just need to be patient with Azula." The brown-haired woman spoke gently while the proud princess stared at her with her eyes twitching in her anger.

"Just what are you trying to insinuate Ty Lee!" Azula snapped with her fists on her hips while she fixed her subordinate with a terrifying glower.

Yet even so the acrobat had the gall to ignore her ire while she continued her little lesson with her young handmaid.

"It's going to take Azula a long while to learn how to express herself to you. She's…probably going to be an ass to you more times than you can count. But…I think if you're patient…and if you can endure being called a whole host of demeaning names. By the time you reach sixteen…she'll grow into a real gentlewoman for you. Just…give your princess charming some time and I think you two will be very happy together." Ty Lee lectured with a soft smile while Elle now gazed up with her amber eyes agape in boundless joy.

Azula stood with her fists pressing into her hips while she turned away to glare off into the tree line once more.

There was a rare sliver of humiliation in her golden eyes.

And yet…at the same time.

An odd sense of gratitude for her friends' efforts to secure her admirer's interest in her.

Mai walked with her eyes closing for a brief moment while she sighed with a small smile on her lips.

Ty Lee was right.

Elle was a good thing.

For all of them.

"Be patient with me! Please! Elle should be honored to even breath the same air as me!" The princess scoffed with a flip of her hair while her childhood friends gazed at her dryly.

"That's precisely the sort of behavior that Ty Lee was just talking about." The markswoman muttered in a deadpan voice that earned her another glare from the foul tempered monarch.

Only to open her eyes to find herself smiling even wider when she noticed Elle's positively radiant expression.

"Yes! We'll marry when I turn sixteen! I'll be patient for you Azula-sama!" Elle announced with a cheerful nod while Ty Lee patted her back only for Azula to finally stomp up beside them.

"That's enough Ty Lee! Get my girlfriend's face out of your breasts right now! Only I may dominate her!" Azula ordered with a ruthless snap of her finger that had Ty Lee sighing heavily once more while Elle smiled back at her.

"Azula…" The brown-haired woman groaned only for her spoiled friend to rudely shove her aside with her hip.

Despite Azula's extremely possessive behavior she couldn't help but find it just too cute that only ten or so minutes have passed and now she already wanted Elle back beside her!

"That's my princess! She's so authoritative!" The blonde-haired girl chirped with reverence lacing her voice while the princess smirked down at her.

"Indeed I am. Let it be known that you will give her back to me as soon as we make camp! I have need of her services Ty Lee and if I am going to be stranded on this barbaric island then I will at least have my handmaid wait on me hand and food! I demand that my girlfriend pamper my every need! Is that understood?" The princess spoke in a beyond entitled voice while the acrobat just nodded in exasperation.

"Whatever you say Azula. Just try not to overwork her too terribly." Ty Lee agreed in a defeated voice while Elle continued to smile shyly at Azula before lovably averting her eyes from the stern woman's gaze.

"W-whatever I can do to please you Azula-sama…I'll do…" Elle mumbled with a hand grasping at her blouse while Ty Lee smiled as they resumed walking together.

And even though Azula didn't show it.

The merciless princess was now gazing at her young intended with a margin of appreciation in her cold golden eyes.

"Aren't you going to apologize for insulting her late father's coin?" The markswoman questioned in a pointed voice while her leader glared ahead with a proud frown on her red lips.

Before turning to peer down at her shorter companion with her hardened eyes observing her loyal handmaid's bashfully blushing face.

"Yeah Azula. Just because Elle wasn't born into wealth like we were doesn't mean that she's less than us. I bet if Elle had been born in a palace, she wouldn't insult you if you weren't." The brown-haired woman scolded in a disapproving voice while her friend tapped an angry finger along her bicep only to scowl down at the girl once more.

The monarch gazed off into the thick trees before wordlessly planting a hand in the now smiling girl's hair while her childhood friends observed in an amazed silence once more.

No matter how many times they see Azula show kindness to Elle it will never cease to astound them.

Even if the princess had a bad habit of hurting the innocent girl's feelings several times a day.

"You are a fine companion Elle…you…are worthy…of standing beside me." Azula grumbled in a supremely proud voice while she glared off to the side with Elle breaking out into an overjoyed smile beneath her petting hand.

The two noblewomen managed to smile as well when the gentle hearted girl began to laugh sweetly while the princess's palm continued to pat her head.

"Aww…now that's how you should treat her Azula. She's so loyal to us. She deserves to be treated well. It's our responsibility to give her a place where she belongs. She's more than earned it." Ty Lee remarked in a tender voice while the teenager gazed up at her leader with grateful amber eyes.

The princess said nothing while her palm dug into the younger girl's hair all the while staring down at her handmaid's simply delighted countenance.

"I-it is my life's greatest honor to have a place beside you Azula-sama…beside all of you." The blonde-haired girl admitted with her finger wiping at her eye while her lips curved into a truly jubilant smile.

All three highborn women gazed at their young friend with a shared fondness in their eyes while she peered around at all three of them with a beyond appreciation look in her eyes.

That was when Mai stepped forward before offering Elle a gentle pat to the back while she smiled down at the happy girl in approval.

"You're one of us Elle." Mai stated with affection in her tawny eyes while Elle's emotional eyes shimmed in joy.

"A-arigatou gozaimasu mina-san." Elle stuttered with an ever-present smile before turning to peer up at Azula's stoic face while her caretaker released a soft sigh over her.

"You are most welcome Elle. Now then. Let's go make camp." Azula sighed with a refined smile on her lips before withdrawing her hand from her handmaid's golden head.

"What did I tell you Azula? She's as sweet as candy!" The brown-haired woman cooed with her arm reeling Elle in while the younger girl blushed only for her two friends to stare at her oddly over her gushing.

"I am glad you think so oneesan!" The blonde-haired girl cried out while she laughed with her face against the acrobat's elbow.

Only to receive another pat to the head from the protective acrobat who was smiling just as brightly as her.

"Yes Ty Lee. The girl is candy…that only I may taste." The princess purred with a smug smirk that instantly had both of her friends blushing uncomfortably.

"By Agni Azula…" The markswoman trailed off with a shake of her head while the teenager blinked in puzzlement.

"But…I thought that you weren't going to eat me Azula-sama." Elle quipped with a finger under her lip while her three friends' now sweatdropped in puzzlement over her naivety.

"Eat you? No! What I meant was…ugh. Just forget it Elle." Azula answered in a sigh while Elle smiled widely at her once more.

"As you say Azula-sama. Always as you command." The blonde-haired girl hummed with her words earning her a pleased smirk from her master.

"Uh…well! Like I said Azula. She's a sweetheart." Ty Lee spoke with another giggle while Azula rolled her golden eyes at her.

All the while Elle continued to help the acrobat to walk.

While she never ceased gazing between all three of her older friends with an intense smile of admiration on her youthful face.

It was plain as day to all of Team Azula that their young companion greatly admired all three of them.

"I am well aware Ty Lee. You only say it every other minute. Even so. Should there ever be a repeat of you comparing my image to a stuffed animal then I will…silence or I will destroy the both of you!" The princess roared with her face contorting into furious snarl while she glared at the two snickering noblewomen.

"Right Azula. You'll destroy me." The brown-haired woman responded in a chuckle while the princess now glared a hole through her forehead.

"Better watch out oneesan. Her Highness's wrath is nothing to scoff at!" Elle cheered with a fist pumping in the air while Azula's lips curled into a smile once more.

"Humph. At least someone here understands." Azula commented with a proud smirk gracing her royal features before she began to walk ahead of her companions.

As she did so Elle continued to gaze after her with Ty Lee leaning over her shoulder.

The younger girl smiled after her greatest friend while her amber eyes shone with undying love for her powerful caretaker.

Just as the princess glanced back at her for a brief moment with a fond smile of approval still on her red lips before gazing ahead once more.

This one was a fine companion indeed.

The finest in all the world.

#Azula #avatar the last airbender fanfiction #yuri #ty lee avatar #mai avatar

2 notes · View notes

stellar-imagines · 5 years

Text

SCENARIO REQUEST: ❝quirkless vigilante.❞

[ Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia ] [ Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou ]

「Scenario for Bakugou and Kirishima in which Class 1-A has a new student who's a quirkless vigilante. They're shy and quiet but tries to be optimistic, living by the quote "One doesn't need a license to be a hero, a hero isn't a career rather someone who is willing to go all the way for someone." Despite being quirkless, they're really good in a fight.」

BAKUGOU KATSUKI

"This is the new student who'll be joining you starting from today." Aizawa mumbled before gesturing you to introduce yourself to your new classmates. You have seen everyone from the Sports Festival already but seeing them in real life is completely different. Each and every one of them have their own quirks that are suitable for hero work unlike you who happened to be a part of the unlucky bunch to be born without a quirk. Lucky for you, being quirkless didn't really bother you that much. Nothing beats the nervousness of meeting new people, at least in your opinion.

"[L-Last Name] [First Name], nice to meet you all." you bowed quickly, keeping your gaze on your feet as you were too afraid to face your new classmates.

Bakugou thought you were probably just one of those overpowered kids who transferred in late and merely scoffed. No matter who it was, he will still become number one. So what if you're a new student who might be more powerful than him? All he had to do is surpass you. He kept his gaze on you as you tried to finish off your introduction. Someone as meek and shy like you would be hard to work with. The blonde certainly wouldn't want to pair up with someone like you during training because you'd drag him down. Well, he can't see himself being friends with you anyway. Then again, he had never made the effort to befriend his current classmates to begin with so it wouldn't be any different with you.

"I'm quirkless and a former vigilante!"

Surely after that bold announcement, everyone started to ask questions. Bakugou who swore to himself that you wouldn't be given any thought, started to get interested. But of course, it didn't show on his face. Aizawa explained your situation when you began to stutter and incapable of forming proper sentences. Apparently you had been doing hero work illegally and UA had to take the matter into their hands. After a long discussion, they decided to make you get a proper license and education. Bakugou was starting to question how a quirkless person like you manage to become someone capable of doing hero work. His classmates accepted you as one of them a bit too quickly and he could actually see how relieved you were, not that he cared or anything.

His questions were answered one day during Hero Class. It was one of his favorite lessons because he gets to utilize his quirk and show off a bit. Aizawa had gone through the importance of hand-to-hand combat is because there will be a day you might be unable to use your quirk to fight and have to rely on your fists. When he was paired up with you, he didn't have that much expectations actually. It was your first time in Hero Class and honestly, everything overwhelmed you. All the other classes were what you had been going through in your previous school so you had no problem with them. It did feel a bit awkward to be the only one standing in your gym uniform but you tried to be optimistic.

"[Last Name] and Bakugou. Step forward and do not use your quirks."

Fuck. All his hits were countered and you moved too fluently that it could rival a professional hero. He had to admit that it was pretty fucking cool. He felt like the bad guy in an action movie getting beaten up by the protagonist. It wasn't long until you were announced the winner.

"Amazing, [Last Name]-chan! You beat Bakugou-kun!" Uraraka chirped when you joined the other students who were waiting for their turn.

"You're totally qualified to be a student at UA! Why didn't you apply and decide to become a vigilante?" Ashido questioned.

"Honestly, I don't think that one needs a license to become a hero. After all, what drives people into becoming heroes is the desire to help the ones who're unfortunate to be born without a quirk." you mumbled. Everyone stopped to look at you after hearing you state your reason behind your actions.

"It can be admiration or even kindness, maybe fame. Everyone probably has different reasons but in the end, they choose to be a hero. I may be quirkless but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. Being a hero doesn't require you to have a quirk. Anyone can be one. What matters is their will." you finished your mini speech, you realized that everyone is looking at you now.

Okay, you were a fucking badass.

"You....." Bakugou had stepped closer to you and you instinctively moved back, feeling as though you had offended him somehow. Then again Bakugou was always mad about something. He still couldn't grasp how you could shift from your confident and optimistic side to your usual meek and shy demeanour.

"A-Ah, well, um, I didn't mean to sound so high and mighty. It's just what I personally think! I wasn't trying to piss you off or anything―"

"I'll beat you next time." Bakugou cut you off and walked away. You watched him with confusion written all over your face. Its been less than a day since you knew Bakugou and you has unconsciously stepped into a zone no one has treaded before.

"Did I survive?"

"I think Bakugou is interested in you." Kirishima smiled, nudging you a bit.

"I think he wants to beat my ass....."

KIRISHIMA EIJIROU

"I have an announcement to make." Aizawa had his hands shoved into his pockets as he stood in front of the class.

Class 1-A were all mixed, standing in a scattered manner. Some were standing on the side, some were seated while the rest were doing some warm ups. It was in the middle of training with All Might and Cementoss supervising your class that Aizawa came in. He entered at the right moment, just minutes into their break they were all told to gather around because he had some sort of announcement. However, it was hard to tell what kind of announcement he would make. Nonetheless, Kirishima felt a bit of excitement running through his veins.

"We're gonna introduce a new student who will be joining from you all. Don't cause any trouble and make her feel uncomfortable."

"It's a she!? Do you have a picture of her, sensei!?" Mineta raised his hand enthusiastically. Jirou effectively shut him up by using her quirk and Aizawa took this opportunity to continue where he left off.

"So this is a bit sudden, she will be joining you today. Right now."

Seriously? How can he drop such an announcement with a straight face like that? They all turned their heads towards the unfamiliar figure who stepped into the gym, clad in UA's gym uniform. You couldn't help but feel like you stood out a bit too much and gulped nervously. All eyes were on you and the feeling of wanting to crawl into a hole and never come―in other words, die. You tried to be optimistic though. These were the people who shared the same dream as you, albeit being different in some ways.

"I'm [L-Last Name] [First Name]! I've been transferred to UA because of breaking the rules, using my quirk without a license to help people!" you stammered. You could hear a few murmurs from the crowd but you weren't done with your speech.

"Also! I-I-I'm quirkless!" you finished your introduction.

Thankfully, Aizawa ushered you to the group of students and forced you to get to know them. The girls were quite accepting, curious about your background and capabilities. It was almost rare to see a quirkless student in UA being in the Hero Course. Much to your relief, everyone was very friendly minus Bakugou and a few others. Most were asking questions about your former life as a vigilante, what was disturbing was the fact Midoriya was jotting down notes, immersed with the idea of writing an entire page about you. Even though it was a bit overwhelming to have everyone right in front of your face, you felt welcomed despite being quirkless. Many have picked on and pitied you for being part of the unfortunate.

Aizawa quickly ordered everyone to resumed their training while you were dragged to the sidelines. Kirishima couldn't help but glance at you every now and then, watching as Aizawa and All Might talked to you about something that he couldn't hear from where he stood. He was never the type to judge quirkless people and believed that everyone is equal. But the fact that you had managed to do hero work―although illegally―was amazing! His eyes sparkled a bit from admiration, he couldn't wait to get to know about you even more. As you slowly approached the training ground, you couldn't help but flinch at every single sound.

There were explosions, yelling, ice breaking and many other things going on in one place. Seeing future heroes using their quirks mesmerized you. For a second, you felt envious but dismissed those thoughts in an instant. Carefully avoiding the debris from Bakugou's explosion and Todoroki's ice, you made your way to a more empty part of the field where Kirishima happened to be at.

"Hey! Wanna train together?"

As soon as he said that, the two of you started to spar. Oh boy, he was so shocked. You were hella good. Kirishima didn't even have the chance to retaliate, you were so swift and elegant, flexible and careful! As he laid on the ground, defeated, you walked over and helped him up while apologizing for throwing him.

"Woah! Amazing! You're so good! Why didn't you apply for UA and try for a license so you can work legally!?" the red haired male asked.

"Ah, um.....I don't really think a mere license should determine you're a hero or not. I mean, what matters is the will. If you're willing to put your life on the life for those who are unable to protect themselves.....I think its enough to be a hero." you told him.

"That's what I said to myself when I decided to become a vigilante. I wanted to help those in need." you smiled softly.

Kirishima stared at you, blinking owlishly before breaking out into a grin. Your cheeks grew red in an instant after realizing what you had just said.

"That's so manly, [Last Name]!"

"I was just speaking my mind!"

"Still, very manly!"

Total: 1734 words Published: 31.08.2019

Still unware of how vigilantes work in the BNHA universe. But we tried our best to type this request. A reminder to anon-san that we don't write for Sero, but we made do with Bakugou and Kirishima! Hope you don't mind! ― author Hibiki/Lou

We have a ton of requests that we have finished typing but there's just so much typos? The rest don't really specify if they wanted headcanons or scenarios, so we're debating on what we should type for those Thank you for requesting!― author Natsuki

Please do not mind the grammar mistakes and typos.

163 notes · View notes

ladyseaheart1668 · 4 years

Text

Endless Summer Book 4 : Daughter of Vaanu (Chapter 46)

Description: The captive Catalysts struggle to keep it together. Tahira fights a battle of her own. Meanwhile, Zahra receives a break in the case.

Tagging: @endlesshero1122 @mysteli @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @feartheendlesssummer @whatmcsaid @tigerbryn11

Jake

I don't know exactly what to expect after I feel the wheels touch down and the plane slows to a halt. I guess I'm not surprised when the armored goons who stomp into the bathroom gag us and shove our heads into dark flannel pillowcases before dragging us upright. Makes sense that they don't want us to know where we are—or call out to anyone who might be passing. But that doesn't mean I'm not keeping alert. The landing was rough. Rougher than I would have expected on a sky-worthy private jet. The angle we landed at was steeper than expected, too.

The staircase getting us down is narrow. So narrow that my armored escorts have to move into file ahead and behind me, and I can feel the handrails on either side if I just lean one way or the other a couple inches. The goon ahead of me must be taking the steps backward, because there's something sharp pressed to the soft flesh just under my sternum, just hard enough for me to feel its point. There's also what's unmistakeably the barrel of a pistol at the nape of my neck. They don't say anything. They don't have to. The warning is clear: don't try any shit.

After the bottom step, I set my food down on a surface that doesn't feel like tarmac or asphalt. It's soft. Dirt. Or grass. Explains the steep-angled landing—and it tells me that the plane transporting us has to be smaller than I was originally imagining. The air on my exposed skin is warm. Humid. Unfortunately, I can't notice any distinct smell to it. There's not much penetrating whatever fruit-scented detergent this pillowcase was washed in before my head was jammed into it. ...Which is either coincidence, and whatever pillowcases they grabbed before starting just happened to come straight from the wash...or there's actually a distinctive smell to this place that they're purposely hiding.

Wherever the plane landed, it isn't far from where they plan to hold us. It's only about ten minutes of being shoved along before I hear a door creak and the heat and humidity is replaced by the sudden icy chill of air conditioning turned on full-blast. I lose track of myself for a moment, but before long, I'm shoved hard from behind. My knees buckle under the assault and connect sharply with a cold concrete floor.

I'm almost surprised when I hear a key click, and the cuffs fall from my wrists. I immediately yank the pillowcase off my head and go for the gag at my mouth, but by the time I've gotten both off and oriented myself, I realize that Sean, Michelle, and I have been locked inside what appears to be an industrial tool cage in a warehouse somewhere, lit by a single lightbulb directly above us—and the goons who dragged us in here are all on the other side of the bars. They don't seem to be leaving immediately, so I stand and turn slowly to face them, glaring.

“Where is your boss?” I growl. “I have a couple questions for him.”

“Yeah, Wolf. Kinda figured you would.” Lundgren's voice hits me like a fist in my gut. He appears first as the cherry-red tip of his cigar gleaming in the dim light beyond the cage before emerging where I can see him. He pulls the cigar from between his teeth and blows a pungent cloud in my direction. I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to cough.

“Where are Mike and my wife, you piece of shit?”

“Darwin's around. Behave yourself, and maybe I'll let him say goodbye before I beat your brains out.”

“What the fuck is this, Lundgren?”

“What the fuck do you think it is? It's revenge. Everything you boys did to me, you think I haven't been dreaming of this moment for the last five years?”

“You got what you deserved, you rat bastard!” I snarl.

“And you'll get yours soon enough, Wolf. I can guarantee that.”

I step up to the barrier between us, the fence of thick wire. I grip at the links, locking eyes with Lundgren.

“I know you aren't in this alone, Lundgren. You died and left a body behind same as Rourke, but that wasn't you. That wasn't the you that's here right now. You're not nearly smart enough to pull that stunt on your own. I know Jeanine was the one who took my wife. So I gotta figure you're both back in Rourke's pocket.” I lean forward slightly, my voice low. “Where is she, Lundgren? Where is my wife?”

“Ahh, right. Alodia. Cute little blonde cunt. Pretty face hides a goddamn superweapon living in a devious bitch. Rourke's beautiful 'mystery,' the key to everything. I'm impressed you managed to knock her up. She looks human enough, but I wouldn't have been surprised to find her kind had crystal teeth down there.” He takes a long drag on his cigar and exhales luxuriously before grinning at me. “Don't worry, Wolf. You'll see her again. I want you to have a front row seat when Rourke cuts the brat out of her. ...I want to watch you watch her die.”

The rage that surges through me is white-hot and blinding, and it swallows my conscious self. I can hear myself screaming, an animalistic howl as I rattle the bars with all my strength, beating the sides of my fists against the metal frame of the locked door. I throw my whole weight into the door again and again until something drags me off, holds me back, pins my arms to my side.

“Easy!” Sean hisses in my ear, holding me firmly. “You're gonna hurt yourself more than him like that!”

I slowly settle, my breath quivering. He's right. As my rage cools to a controlled simmer, I can feel the throbbing at various points where I connected with a metal support pole or the door frame. When he's satisfied that I'm in control, Sean releases me, though he keeps his hands steadyingly on my shoulders. I raise my head to find Lundgren grinning like a kid who's found the cookie jar.

“Thing is...you and Mouse are the only ones Rourke promised me. He might have plans for the lovebirds in there, but I doubt they're gonna be anything but leverage to keep your baby mama in line. And he might not need 'em at all. Maybe I should check. ...Maybe he'll let me kill 'em in front of you as a warm up.”

“You put us in a room together, asshat,” I snarl. “That means you'll have to fight me to get to my friends.”

He shrugs. “That sounds like it could be fun.” Without another word, he turns and marches out of the room, leaving four armored goons standing guard with rifles ready.

There are tears coming to my eyes. I scrub at them furiously with my forearm as I pull away from Sean and look around desperately for something to kick or punch in this room. The only thing here is a metal bucket. Probably our piss bucket, but it's empty at the moment, so I kick it viciously into the wire wall, making the cage rattle. Then I sink to my knees.

“...Rourke isn't going to kill Alodia,” Michelle says softly.

“Damn straight, he's not!” I growl through my tears. “I won't let him. I'll find a way to get to her. I'll protect her.”

“Of course. But I actually meant that I don't think killing her is in his plans.”

“You don't?” Sean asks.

“Think about it. Sure, Lundgren's out for revenge, but from everything we know, isn't it more likely that Rourke's going to try to restart Project Janus? We don't know exactly what kind of power Alodia has in her current incarnation, but I find it hard to believe he's just going to kill her when she's probably more useful to him alive.”

“That doesn't exactly make it all better,” I mutter. “Alive is better than dead, but it doesn't mean she's not suffering right now. And River...and Mike...”

Sean kneels to put a hand on my shoulder. “...Jake's right, Michelle. We gotta find a way out of here, ASAP.”

Bernadette McKenzie

The local time is about 5:30am when the plane from Louisiana touches down in California. The flight is virtually empty. Frank and I meet our daughter at the baggage carousel with fierce hugs, collect our meager luggage, and pile into her car to make the trip to Laguna Beach.

“How was the flight?” Rebecca asks.

“Smooth,” I reply softly. “No troubles.”

“What's the latest news on your brother?” Frank asks.

“They've got various coast guard ships scouring the Caribbean for the yacht he took off on. Apparently, he made it to La Huerta and he and his friends set sail from there okay, but then the signal got lost about an hour north of there.”

“...What about Alodia and her friend?”

“...Everyone's looking into ambulances that have been reported missing in California in recent weeks. There are a couple promising VINs, but there's always a possibility that the license plates were switched.” Rebecca shakes her head. “...I think we're dealing with pros here, Mom. ...No one really looks at an ambulance speeding by with its lights on. No one wants to delay them in case there's a real medical emergency they're dealing with. Procuring one wouldn't have been easy, but once they had one, it was the perfect way to transport captives.”

“I don't understand,” Frank murmurs. “I don't understand why. Why Jake? Why his partner? Why their friends? And why all at once like this? Did they really think none of them would be missed? Or are they trying to send some kind of message?”

“I don't think the why matters, Frank,” I say softly. “...I just want my boy back. I want him back, and his partner, and our little granddaughter, and all their friends.”

“That's all I want, too,” Frank assures me. “...But I also want to know why.”

* * *

The house in Laguna Beach is unlike anything I've ever seen in person before. Under normal circumstances, I would be intimidated—even put off—by the obvious wealth put into such a place. But not today. Today, I don't see the house as containing folks with millions of dollars more than me. Today, I see it as the house containing scared parents—or legal guardians as the case may be, but the point stands. In this gleaming mansion are the frightened family of the woman my son loves—the people who raised the mother of my unborn granddaughter.

Rebecca lets us in. Apparently, they gave her a key, at least while she's staying here with them. The house is quiet, though there are faint sounds coming from a room near the back. We drop our bags in the front hall and Rebecca shows us where to hang our jackets before we make our way through the lower level of the house, following the sounds to a rec room. The light from a massive, wall-mounted television flickers across the floor as a news channel with a droning newscaster plays at a volume I would consider slightly too loud. A woman in a bathrobe lies motionless on the pristine French-style sofa, the screen reflecting in her sapphire-blue eyes. I know immediately who she is. She looks so very much like her niece.

“...Molly Fisher?” I venture, hoping I remembered her name correctly. She looks up at me with weary eyes. I think I can see her summoning the will to greet us. I hold up a hand. “...No need to get up. We're all in the same boat here. ...I'm Bernadette MacKenzie. This is my husband, Frank. ...We're Jake's parents.”

“...And grandparents to my niece's child,” Molly murmurs with a sigh. “...The only living grandparents that little girl has.”

“--Next up, an unusual and alarming string of suspected kidnappings involving a pregnant woman, a best-selling author, two former Navy pilots, an NFL quarterback, and his new wife.” The news segment captures everyone's attention as it starts up. “28-year-old Alodia Chandler of Laguna Beach, California; as well as her housemate and long-time friend Diego Soto, also 28, both went missing yesterday afternoon within hours of each other. Mr. Soto and Ms. Chandler—who is currently 36 weeks pregnant—intended to meet for lunch in Riverside, where they both grew up, and where Ms. Chandler is working as a dance teacher, but they never made it to their rendezvous. Around the same time, Ms. Chandler's partner, 33-year-old Jacob MacKenzie, as well as their three friends, Michael Darwin, aged 32; Sean Gayle, aged 28; and Michelle Nguyen Gayle, aged 28, were all reported missing in the vicinity of the Caribbean islands. Now, details are still emerging on all of these disappearances, but it does appear that Mr. Darwin and Mr. MacKenzie were escorting Mr. and Mrs. Gayle off the island of La Huerta, where they had spent part of their honeymoon. All six victims were part of the infamous Vacation Gone Wrong in 2017, involving La Huerta and the island's owner at the time, Everett Rourke Senior. Police have stated that the close connection between the victims does suggest a personal motive. They have also stated that the disappearances were almost certainly orchestrated by a large, and very organized group. They are asking for the public's help in locating the victims. Any information anyone can provide will be greatly appreci--”

“I hate the language they use,” Molly whispers. “'Suggest a personal motive'. As if it isn't obvious to anyone with half a damn brain.”

She slowly sits up, letting her slippered feet meet the floor. She makes a vague gesture towards the armchairs with one hand, nodding. No one needs a translation. Frank and I both sit down.

“...I'm glad you're letting us stay here while this is sorted out,” I tell her. “It's so much easier to have support at a time like this. People outside of yourselves who understand what you're going through. ...I wish we had known each other five years ago.”

Molly's lips quiver just a little before she draws them tightly together, but I can't help seeing the sparkle of tears in her eyes, even as she ducks her head.

“...I'm scared it will be like last time,” she confesses hoarsely. “...That everyone will come back except Alodia. Everyone will get their kids back except me. ...I never even wanted kids. But she was my little sister's baby. Cassie was gone so damn fast and I...I couldn't just...”

“...Of course you couldn't.”

Molly looks up at me. “...She was a good kid. High-spirited. Rob and I just weren't ready, no matter how much I wanted to keep that piece of my sister. I thought if we hired a nanny, I could have my cake and eat it, too. Keep Cassie's kid around without having to really parent her. In so many ways it worked. ...I never really had to answer the hard questions about who her parents were, because she mostly didn't ask them. I don't think she trusted me enough. I got to spoil and indulge her and dress her up like a little doll and feel proud of her accomplishments when I knew what they were...but she figured it all out. She's smart. She knew we weren't great parents. She knew we couldn't really handle her. She got to be a teenager...she got rebellious...by the time she went to college, it was like she was just a tenant in a boarding house who came to stay with us over summer, Christmas, and sometimes a week or two in the spring...”

“No one's teenage years are easy to parent through,” Frank says soothingly. Molly gives a short, bitter bark of laughter.

“But we didn't parent! That's my point! We punished when she broke our rules and ignored her when she wasn't making trouble. ...We lost her for five years, and we swore we'd do better with our second chance, but it's all been the same shit! We throw our money at her, buy her expensive gifts, but we don't know what's really going on! We've never asked her about how her pregnancy is going. We only know she's having a girl because Jake told Rob at work after they found out! We didn't think to ask. We've never thought to tell how proud she's made us or how much of a wonderful person we think she is or how much we lo-love her...!” She gulps and lets out a sob, covering her face with her hands. “...I'm sorry. I shouldn't be pouring my regrets out onto complete strangers who are guests here...”

“Oh, shah!” I can't help myself. I go over to the couch and sit down beside Molly, drawing her into my arms. “We're not strangers here. We're mothers. Mothers and fathers. Now, don't argue. You're that girl's mother, no matter who gave birth to her. Every mother has regrets. I'm not here to judge you for what you could have done better. I'm here because right now, we don't know where our kids are, and we're scared out of our heads.”

It takes a moment, but Molly melts into my embrace, winding her arms around me like a child with a teddy bear.

“I can't do this again!” she sobs piteously. “God, how can I do this again?!”

Alodia

The small portion of the sky that I can see from the bed is still dusky when I'm wrenched from my sleep by a loud noise. Vague images from my dreams—a plastic doll swaddled in my arms, a brightly lit stage wooden stage, the darkness beyond the polished lip, and the dark, narrow staircase that impeded my path up to the stage where I was supposed to be dancing--linger in a cloud on top of my brain, the fog pierced by footsteps, and finally by hands that yank the blankets back and drag me upright by my arms. My baby twists in my womb, no doubt agitated about being suddenly jostled. When Diego yelps, I finally come fully awake.

Arachnid goons have us both by the arms, and we're being dragged to opposite sides of the room while Fiddler stands in the center of the bare wooden floor, looking between us with a smug, predatory smile.

“Wh-what are you doing?” I manage to croak.

“I intend to make sure you remember who is in charge here, my little blonde brat. Don't think no one noticed that you puked on one of my friends last night.”

“I was motion-sick,” I protest. Even as I do, I realize that she probably doesn't really care. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that what's happening right now is a power play, nothing more or less. The problem is that I have a sinking feeling that I know how she plans to assert her authority. “It wasn't something I did on purpose.”

“You're probably telling the truth,” she concedes. “But, it was still nasty and smelly. And in the event that you're lying and you did do it on purpose...”

Before I can react, she whips around and drives her closed fist into Diego's gut. His knees buckle as he doubles over in pain, coughing. The Arachnid goons hold him upright as I struggle against my own captors, crying out angrily. Fiddler crosses the room and grabs my chin, pressing the walls of my cheeks into my teeth.

“That's me going easy on you,” she hisses, bringing her face close to mine. “If you don't do everything I tell you to do, I'll go harder. Understand?”

I can't really talk with her fingers squeezing my face, but I nod as much as I can. This seems to satisfy her, because she releases my jaw.

“Good girl. Now, you and me are gonna go downstairs. You try fighting me on it, I'll give your buddy a beating he won't forget.”

I'm not going to fight her. I don't have it in me to test her right now. The Arachnid soldiers holding Diego let go of him and he sinks to his knees, clearly trying to swallow a grimace as he looks up to meet my eyes. I can't think of anything reassuring to say. My vision blurs with tears as I turn and move dazedly toward the door.

I'm quiet on the stairs, concentrating on taking each step without falling. I'm not blindfolded this time, but late pregnancy has me prone to weakness and dizzy spells, even without the added stress of being goddamn kidnapped by someone I watched die five years ago.

The downstairs of this cottage or cabin or whatever is just as sparse as the room at the top of the stairs. The curtains over all the windows are heavy and drawn, no doubt to keep us from seeing out—and possibly to keep anyone else from looking in. But what I find myself really fixating on is how clean everything is. Like someone swept and scrubbed in anticipation of our arrival. That feeling is only compounded when it turns out that Fiddler is leading me into a rustic but pristine bathroom where hot, clear water is flowing out of a polished tap and crashing into a clawfoot tub. Steam rises off the surface of the water, nearly halfway up the tub. A washcloth and towel hang on the bar beside the vanity. A pair of gray sweatpants and sweatshirt sit neatly folded on the closed lid of the toilet, along with a pair of cotton panties and plain white socks.

I can't stop a faint, “What the fuck...?” from passing my lips. Fiddler snorts.

“Are you blind? It's a bath, blodie. A healthy fucking bath, heated to 98 degress.” She goes to turn off the tap. “And a change of clothes. I told you my employer wants you and your parasite healthy.”

“...You can say 'Rourke',” I mutter. “We all know who's greasing your palm. ...Am I going to be permitted some privacy?”

Fiddler snorts. “And risk you trying something stupid? I don't think so.”

I roll my eyes. “What exactly do you expect me to do? Climb out the window with this belly? You think I'm just going to abandon Diego?”

She shrugs, but she doesn't move, nor does she attempt to argue her point. She doesn't have to. She's got the power here, and she knows it. I sigh and start to undress. I'm still wearing the sweat jacket and unitard that I left the studio in yesterday. I peel them off and fold everything neatly and deliberately before stepping carefully into the tub and lowering myself into the water.

I can't deny that the water feels amazing. But the fact that it feels good only serves to upset me more when I remember that I'm a prisoner here. I find the soap in a dish beside the tub and start to scrub resentfully.

“...This isn't going to end how you want it to end,” I inform her flatly.

“Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better,” she replies, which I might have expected.

“My baby will not be born in captivity. ...This isn't La Huerta, Fiddler. This isn't Rourke's territory. We're not isolated on an island while the rest of the world is burning.” I turn a sidelong gaze on her. “And my husband is still out there. Do you really think he's going to rest before I'm home safe?”

The slow way she smiles makes my blood freeze. When she speaks, her voice is a purr. “Oh, I was so hoping you would bring him up. I absolutely wanted you to find out this way.”

My heart drops like a stone, splashing into something icy in my stomach. “...Wh-what are you talking about...?” I ask, my voice thin and breathless.

“Rex Lundgren's got Wolf now. Oh, don't panic. I can pretty well guarantee he's not dead yet. No, it's too soon. And I'm pretty sure he and Rourke want to make sure you see it when he does die. But he probably isn't having a whole lot of fun right now.”

The soap slips from my numb hands as I grip the edges of the bathtub, struggling to breathe. I stare into the rippling water between my bended knees. On the edges of my vision, my submerged thighs are a strange shade of gray, starkly contrasting the pink kneecaps that peak up above the surface like islands. My panicked thoughts chase each other through the storm in my head, tackling, wrestling each other for dominance.

Jake...oh, god, Jake...He isn't dead! He can't be dead. Even Fiddler says he isn't dead...Yet'! Not dead 'yet'!...And he might be suffering...he might be in pain...

“...Why...?” I whisper. Fiddler rolls her eyes.

“Jesus, do you really have to ask?” she sneers. “You said it yourself. He'd only be getting in our way if we left him to his own devices.”

I glare at her, feeling my expression twist into something ugly with sorrow and anger. “Why do you hate him so much?” I snarl. “Did he dump you or something?”

Fiddler raises an eyebrow. “Now why would you assume that?” she sounds irritated.

Her question actually catches me off guard, but only for an instant. Just enough that I can get the tears under control. I fish the soap from the water and rub it between my palms. “Your hatred is clearly more than professional. It's personal. You were glad to turn him and Mike in all those years ago.”

“I was thrilled,” she agrees. “But why do you assume it's because we were lovers? Because I'm a woman, any hatred I have for a man has to be because he scorned me?”

That actually gives me pause for a moment. “...I just can't imagine Jake doing anything else that could possibly explain why you hate him so much.”

“Of course not,” she scoffs. “You're his perfect 'princess', and he's your dashing goddamn rogue hero. You're a fucking fairy tale, and neither of you will ever be anything except perfect in the other's eyes. I could tell you why I hate him, but it won't make sense to you because he'll always be a paragon to you!”

“...So what did he do to you?”

“He showed me up!” She practically spits the words. “Five years I had been fighting and clawing my way into the elite ranks, and then suddenly this scrawny kid from the fucking swamp just comes in and is immediately the best pilot in the whole goddamn Navy?! Everything I worked for was just snatched away and handed to someone else?!”

“...That's the way life goes sometimes,” I reply softly. “There's always someone better, Fiddler.”

“Yeah, well. Sometimes you get the chance to tip the scales back in your favor. You know the only reason I don't just kill you right now is I'm sure whatever Rourke is planning for you is worse. And whatever it is, I hope Wolf lives long enough to see it.”

* * *

When my bath is finished and I'm dressed in the unflattering gray sweatsuit provided to me, I'm hustled back to the attic room. Diego isn't there when I get back, and I almost panic. But within a few minutes, he reappears with damp hair and wearing the same plain gray sweatsuit that I am. He smiles mirthlessly when he sees me.

“...Guess this is the uniform for prisoners here. Gray is the new black, anyone? ...Doesn't really have the same ring to it as 'orange,' but it also goes with more...”

I don't answer. I'm crying again, and all I can do is run to him and throw my arms around him. I press my face into his shoulder as he winds his arms around me.

“I'm sorry...” I whimper. “I'm so sorry...”

“Oh, Allie...this isn't your fault. None of it is your fault.”

I pull back to look at him. “Are you okay? It looked like she got you pretty bad before.”

He winces a little. “Well, I won't say it didn't hurt. But I'm undamaged. I'll be okay.” He puts an arm over my shoulders, leading me over to the bed. “C'mere. Come sit down.”

I go where he leads me, sinking down onto the bed. I scrub at my eyes with the sleeve of my sweatshirt, sniffling.

“...Do you remember back on the island, when we found the game room in The Celestial?”

“You mean when we still thought the Vaanti were trying to kill us?” he says wryly.

“Yeah. And we found the dossier with my name on it?”

“Right. The one with like, zero information on it, except your birthday and your birthplace.”

“...I didn't understand it. At that point, I still had this whole timeline in my head. The one where you and I grew up together. The one we're living now. I couldn't understand why I was the one with the highest threat rating, the one no one could figure out. I thought I was simple. Nothing special. And if I didn't know what I am now, I still wouldn't understand.”

“...What do you mean?”

“...The people I love most in the world are all smart and successful. Geniuses, athletes, revolutionaries. You write books that make the best-sellers list. My husband was an ace pilot in his day. Raj is a world-famous chef. Michelle is a doctor. Quinn is changing lives. ...I'm a dance teacher who didn't even finish college. To the casual observer, I don't really seem to fit in with the rest of the family.”

“...But you know none of us would be where we are without you, don't you?”

I know. Of course I know. It's the whole reason I was born, and it's the cause of all the existential angst I've been experiencing for the last ten months. But I'm not up for rehashing all my insecurities right now. Not even to Diego. In any case, my mind is only leaping to them in an attempt to distract me from much more pressing fears. ...It isn't working. I look up at Diego.

“...Lundgren is alive, Diego. He has Jake.”

Diego's expression crumbles as the color drains from his face. “...Oh, god...Oh, Allie...” He pulls me into his arms and holds me hard against himself, rocking me just a little forcefully. I didn't think I had tears left, but here I am, soaking Diego's gray sweatshirt with them. His hand trembles at it strokes my hair.

“...Fiddler says he's probably alive. ...But just because Lundgren wants him to suffer.”

I feel his grip on me tighten. “...We're getting out of here. I don't know how yet, but we're getting out. Either we get ourselves out, or someone will come for us. All I know for sure is that we have the best family anyone could ask for, and they have never let us down.”

In spite of myself, I feel the weakest smile tug at my lips. “...Aren't the inspirational speeches my thing?” I mumble.

“Yeah, usually. But it kinda seemed like I needed to step up here.”

A sound escapes me that might be a mix of a cough, a whimper, and a half-hearted laugh. I feel like I'm back on the mountain pass leading to the La Huerta Observatory, helplessly dangling miles above the rainforest with the rope knotted around my waist and a failing grip above me as the only things keeping me from plunging into the arms of the open air and oblivion. I grip Diego more tightly.

“...Stay with me, Diego. Whatever happens, just promise me you won't let me be alone.”

“...I promise, Allie.”

I don't know if it's a promise he'll be able to keep. But I appreciate him making it.

Kenji

I get to the hospital early the morning after the attack. I didn't sleep very much, but I don't feel tired. I'm anxious and agitated and a single cup of black coffee doesn't really help matters. I have to stuff my hands in my pockets to hide how much they're shaking.

Eva is waiting in the hall outside Tahira's room when I arrive. Seeing me approach, she pushes herself off the wall she was leaning on and comes to meet me. Her expression is one of grim determination that makes my heart twist painfully. That's not a good news expression.

“...How is she?”

“Stable. But still unconscious.”

“Is that normal?”

“For anyone else? I don't know. Doctors are being kinda vague about that. All I know is that it's not normal for her.”

“What are the doctors saying?”

“Very little, according to Rochelle and Grayson. Just that the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been and her vitals are strong.”

I sigh, and pull my hands out of my pockets without thinking to rub them over my face. When I pull them down again, Eva is frowning at me.

“You okay?” she asks. “You're...kinda shaking like a leaf.”

I shake my head, stuffing my hands back into my pockets. “It's fine. Coffee jitters. Plus I didn't really sleep last night.”

“Yeah, me neither,” she admits. After a moment, she reaches out to put a comradely hand on my shoulder. “...She's gotta be okay. They can't just...they can't just take her down...”

“No,” I agree, my voice grim. “They can't.”

I feel the tingling on my fingertips a moment before it registers that my phone is going off in my pocket. I groan, pulling it out to glance at the screen. I don't recognize the number, and I tap to ignore, stuffing my phone back in my pocket.

“Who's calling?” Eva asks.

“No one I know, and no one I care to talk to.” I lean back against the wall. “...So, can we see Tahira?”

“Yeah, I think so. I was in there for awhile before you got h--” She cuts herself off when my phone starts to buzz again. I groan, pulling it out of my pocket to read the screen.

“Same number.”

“You should answer.”

“Probably some over-enthusiastic telemarketer,” I grunt, tapping ignore again.

“...You sure about that?” Almost before she's finished her sentence, the buzzing starts again. I swear under my breath and finally raise the phone to my ear.

“Hello, who is this?” I snap.

“Katsaros,” a familiar voice grumbles back. “About time you answered, you shiny bastard.”

“...Caleb?! What the fuck?! Where the hell are you?!”

“Never mind that.”

“How did you even get this number? Did Tahira give it to you?”

“No. Never mind how I got it. ...How is Tahira?”

“Stable,” I answer flatly. After a brief hesitation, I add. “But...still unconscious.”

“...I gotta tell you something. Something she said when she was in my van. It didn't register at the time, but it might be important. ...She said, 'I think there was something on the knife'.”

“...What does that mean?”

“The fuck do I know?! Maybe it means she was poisoned somehow!”

I feel the blood rush out of my head. It makes sense. Too much sense. “...Shit...” I whisper, my voice weak and hoarse. “...If you're right...”

“...Look, I'm gonna do what I can to track down her attacker. Or at least the weapon. If I can get that back to your brainiacs, maybe they can do something with it.”

I don't mention that the only medical doctor we could actually trust with the secret side of Tahira's biology has been kidnapped from her honeymoon. I guess Dax's biologist friend at Prescott Industries could be trusted with a sample of Tahira's blood...but that would mean acquiring it...

“Caleb, be careful,” I murmur, lowering my voice. “The...person that attacked her...they aren't human.”

“Aww, you worried about me, Katsaros?”

“Fuck you!” I snarl. “I don't give a shit about you! I just care about getting hold of whoever hurt Tahira!”

“Okay, okay. Calm your tits. Seriously, relax. Remember I can conjure fire. ...But you mind telling me what this thing is, if it ain't human?”

“They're...like a hyper-evolved human. Superior strength, speed, and super senses.”

“...So it's like us.”

I sigh. “...Superficially, yes. ...You get your hands on them, or on the weapon, I'll explain in more detail.”

“...You saying that'll make you trust me?”

“I'm saying that if you help us save Tahira, it will be a huge step in the right direction.”

Tahira

I'm not conscious. I'm sure that I'm not conscious. The last thing I remember was the bright florescent light in the operating room and a face in a surgical mask hovering over me. I was cold. But the right side of my torso felt like it was on fire. Neither of those two sensations have altered, even as I open my eyes to a familiar fuschia sky. I roll my head carefully from one side to the other. The world takes a moment to catch up and slide into focus, almost like I'm drunk. But I see what I was expecting. Crystals. Giant crystals sprouting from the landscape. I'm back in the crystal dimension. The planet where I was born.

I roll carefully onto my uninjured side. The pain remains suspiciously steady. The motion doesn't cause it to flare. There's no tugging sensation to warn me that I might be about to tear whatever stitches they put in me. I sit up slowly and lift my shirt to examine the wound. But there is no wound. Just a red glow, as if there's a flashlight lodged in my torso. It burns. But the rest of me is cold. But I'm not shivering. I press a hand to my chest, and feel the steady throb of my heart under my palm. I raise my hand to hover under my nose and deliberately push out a hard breath. The rush of air tickles my skin. I'm breathing. My heart is beating. I hurt. I don't think I'm dead.

Tahira...!

The voice fills my head and spills out into the air around me. I look up sharply to see a shimmering figure floating among the crystals. I squint. Only three beings I would expect to appear to me this way. Its shape is vaguely masculine, which narrows it down to two.

“...Dad?” I venture to guess. But immediately I realize that isn't right. “No...Vaanu. Uncle. What's happening? What am I doing here?”

Wake up, Tahira. There is desperation in the voice in my head. You must wake up. I cannot reach my daughter.

“Alodia? What's wrong? Is she in trouble?”

Your enemies are moving against you. I cannot reach her. You must wake up.

“Of course. Right away...” But even as I say it, I am aware that I can't. “...Wait...I don't think it's gonna be that simple...”

Wake up, Tahira.

“I swear I'm trying! ...I think they poisoned me, Uncle. I felt so strange before I slipped off. Like I could feel a fog filling my head...” It had all come on too fast, I remember thinking. With my enhanced strength, I shouldn't have collapsed so quickly. I shouldn't have gone into shock. I should have been able to hold out longer.“...Am I dying?”

Though the thought does bring on a twinge of anxiety, I'm not nearly as scared as I probably should be. Still, Vaanu's next words are comforting.

You will not die. But you must fight.

“Right. Fight. ...Um...how?”

...Wake up, Tahira! WAKE UP!...

I grit my teeth as I struggle to my feet. The pain doesn't change with the motion of my body, but it still hurts enough to be hindering. Still, Vaanu has told me what I need to know. I'm alive. But I'm trapped. Trapped in my mind. And I am not going to escape lying in the dirt. I gather my strength and take a step. My bare foot sinks into soft purple dust. It supports my weight, and I raise my other foot to place it in front, leaving behind a neat impression in the dust behind. That's the hardest part over. I don't know where I'm going, but I've taken the first step. I'm coming, Alodia. Wherever you are, I'm coming.

Zahra

I spent the night on the floor of the office. Iris has been plugged into our systems since the news broke. Her hologram has mostly stayed off, but the lights flickering on the surface of her drone assure me she's staying vigilant. Craig came by sometime after midnight to bring me food and coffee—and an extra-large sleeping bag and pillow for us to share. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but that's par for the course. And it was nice to have Craig spooning me all night, feeling his breath against my neck. I catch a little sleep around four in the morning, waking up a couple hours later to find him gone, the heat fading from his spot in the sleeping bag. I check my phone and find a text alert:

P2: Gone to get breakfast! BBS! <3

I smirk, tapping out a reply: Better b donuts

P2: So many donuts!!! I R best bf evar!

An email alert scrolls down at the top of my phone screen. At the same time, Iris' drone chimes, her hologram flickering to life.

“Zahra, an email message has come through, marked high priority.”

“Thanks, Iris. I got it.” I double-tap the alert with my thumb and my email opens. I don't recognize the address—a string of apparently random numbers and letters—and there's an attachment. I would brush it off as a phishing scam or a virus attack, except for the message that accompanies it:

To find Cassandra Sullivan's daughter, consult her first baby. Everett Rourke was never above buying what was useful to him, no matter how ill-gotten.

“...Cassandra Sullivan. That was Alodia's mom's maiden name,” I murmur aloud.

“What about Alodia's mom?” I turn to see Craig pushing through the door, balancing a box of donuts in one hand and a dangerously sagging cardboard tray of two coffee cups in the other. I leap up to grab the tray of cups before our precious caffeine fix ends up all over the carpet.

“Jesus, Craig! Put the cups kitty-corner when there's two of them! It's too heavy when you put them both on one edge!”

“Sorry. So, what about Alodia's mom?” I show him the email pulled up on my phone. He frowns. “...What does that mean? And who sent it?”

“No idea. Iris, can you trace the IP address?”

Iris' holographic eyes flicker for a moment. “Email was sent from an internet café in Barcelona, Spain.”

“Internet café?” Craig repeats. “Those still exist?”

“...'ProjectGalatea'...”

“Huh?”

“That's what the attachment is called. ...How's our antivirus software, Iris?”

I swear Iris's smile looks smug. “Useless compared to me, Zahra. That is why you always take me with you when you go hacking.”

“Touché. Well, I'll let you take care of opening that attachment, then.”

“Of course, Zahra. I...oh, dear...” She trails off, frowning.

“What? What's wrong?”

“Observe the screen, Zahra. I believe there is something you ought to be aware of.”

I move to sit in front of the computer, where Iris has displayed a readout of security data. It takes a few times going over it to realize what I'm looking at. When it finally sinks in, I feel the blood drain out of my head. My hands start to shake on the desk in front of me.

“...Shit...oh, shit...how...?!”

“Z? What is it? What's wrong?” Craig comes to grip my shoulders. “Hey, P1, take a couple breaths.”

“...Security breaches on the island. Three of them. They weren't there when I originally went through the data logs. Iris, are these time stamps accurate?”

“I am afraid so, Zahra. These files came from the back-up archives. I was only just alerted to the discrepancy. I don't know why I didn't catch it sooner.”

“I think I know why,” I reply grimly. “Whoever is responsible, they had access to the latest codes or they would have tripped the alarm. And they were able to delete the records from the primary logs, so they have access to the security system. ...The first breech is about an hour after we lost contact with Jake, Sean, and Michelle.” I feel Craig's grip tighten at the mention of Sean.

“So...what's that mean?”

“...We won't know for sure until we look. But I have a hunch that those three at least are still on the island.”

10 notes · View notes

this-is-freeridge · 4 years

Text

The Air Between Us

Chapter Sixteen: Mari escapes with Oscar.

Warning: this fic deals with dark themes, including but not limited to teen pregnancy, rape, drug abuse, murder, abortion, underage drinking and underage sex. Read at your own risk.

Find all other chapters here.

Read the better version here.

Mari didn’t know how long she stood there, paralysed with fear, feet rooted to the floor, but it was long enough for Mallory to force the door open at the exact moment Mari tried to slam it shut. She stumbled back a little from the force but recovered in time to take two large steps back away from them.

“Now,” Mallory growled as she stepped over the threshold and into the Martinez house, “is that any way to treat your mother?”

Mallory was in better condition than when Mari last saw her, though that wasn’t saying much. Her blonde hair had been washed, her clothes too. Her bangs, usually choppy and uneven as she had cut them herself, were straight and fell almost gracefully over her blue eyes.

To the untrained eye, Mallory looked healthy. So did Doyle, with an evenly trimmed five-o’clock shadow and a crisp blue button-down. To an outsider, they looked like a normal family, and that scared Mari more than anything; their ability to blend, to lie, so well.

Mari glanced around, past Mallory’s cold blue eyes and thin but towering frame, desperately searching for some way to escape. There was no way out though, she knew better than that. The only way to go from here was deeper into the house and she wasn’t about to corner herself, nor was she about to lead these people further into her last safe space.

“What are you doing here?” Mari asked weakly, though she was barely able to hear herself over the pounding of her heart and the blood rushing in her ears.

Mallory’s boyfriend, Doyle, pushed past her as he made his way to Mari.

“We missed you,” he smiled the kind of smile that, to someone who didn’t know better, looked genuine and kind. But Mari knew better, and his lecherous gaze betrayed any innocence his words may have held. “But this game of yours has gone on long enough. Your mother and I think it’s time you come home,”

He lunged forward and reached out for Mari but she jumped back before she could be caught in his grasp. The thought of his skin on hers was enough to bring the bile back up to her throat. He would never touch her again, she wouldn’t let him.

A sharp pain shot through her as she collided with a table in her attempt to evade his grip. The framed photos on the table clattered and fell. A crystal vase filled with red and orange flowers toppled over the edge and hit the floor, shattering upon impact.

“I’m not coming back,” she said, remembering she wasn’t alone and feeling a little bolder (as though Ruby or Olivia would be able to stop either of them were they to try anything). “You need to leave,”

They couldn’t hurt her here. This was her territory, her home, her family. They didn’t belong here but she did. She wouldn’t let them make her think otherwise.

“Mari?” Ruby’s voice called. She glanced over her shoulder toward the source of his voice, only to find him stopped at the end of the hall, eyes wide and hands balled into fists at his sides. He was scared.

This was his home and he was scared, because of her. What had she been thinking? Of course, she didn’t belong here. The Martinezes were a family, hell, Freeridge was a family; dysfunctional at times but ultimately ready to protect its own.

Ruben and Geny were amazing parents, protective and caring and Ruby got those traits from them. This home was safe for him, had always been safe for him. Now Mari had let these people invade that safe space, not just her own but Ruby’s too. She had put them all in danger just by coming here, and she had been stupid to think they wouldn’t follow.

“What was that noise?” Ruby asked, not daring take another step forward. “Who are these people?”

“It’s nothing, Ruby,” she said, shooting him a desperate look. Doyle took a step closer to her. “Please just go back to your room,”

Ruby shook his head.

“I’ll call the cops,” Ruby glanced at Mari, and then at the man making his way slowly but surely towards her. Despite being four years younger than his sister, Ruby felt some sort of instinct to protect her rise up inside him - though he was barely five-foot, what could he do? Nothing. But he knew who could. “I’ll call Spooky!”

“Ruby, no!” Mari shot back. She didn’t want to involve Oscar, not yet. When all was said and done (and Mallory and Doyle were gone) she would tell him, but if he knew what was happening right now, well...Mari didn’t think it would end well for Doyle or Oscar, and he couldn’t afford a third strike.

“Mallory?” Another voice chimed in.

Doyle stopped in his tracks.

Mari breathed a sigh of relief; shad never been so happy to hear Geny’s voice.

“What are you doing here?” Geny continued, her words filled with a genuine concern that made Mari feel just a little bit safer, a little bit more at home.

“I’m here for my daughter,” Mallory spat with a bitterness that Mari was sure had been festering for almost twenty years. “She’s been here long enough. It’s time she comes home,”

Like a lioness protecting its cub, brow furrowed, lips pursed, Geny stepped to Mallory. For the first time in maybe forever, Mari thought that Mallory looked small. For the first time, she didn’t look indestructible; she looked human.

“Was that Mari’s choice, or yours?”

“I’m her mother; all her choices are mine to make,”

Geny’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Oh, no they aren’t. Mari is eighteen; she doesn’t need a legal guardian. I understand that you are her mother and I can’t stop you from being in her life, but I can stop you from being in this house. Now, get out before I call the police,”

With visible reluctance, Mallory huffed and grabbed at Doyle.

“Come on,” she said to him before her piercing gaze landed on Mari, “we’ll come back when she’s alone,”

Doyle shot her an almost amused smirk, his beady eyes darkening as he whispered, “You got lucky today, but I’ll be seeing you again soon, sweetheart,”

Dread filled her entire being. Her blood turned to ice as she watched them leave, knowing that this wasn’t the end. After all this time, they had found her; she doubted they would leave without a fight.

The door shut with a slam and the invisible hand that had been wrapped around her throat loosened just enough to let her gasp for air. And then, Geny rushed forward and took Mari into her arms.

It was the first time Geny had held Mari like this; like they were family. It was a good, warm feeling that Mari didn’t want to let go of just yet so she let herself be held, let herself be small and protected.

“Mija,” Geny said with the softest tone as she pulled away, “are you alright?”

To her surprise, Mari nodded, despite her racing heart. Maybe she was still in shock, or maybe her mind was just taking its time catching up to her body, but she felt okay; her eyes burned but no tears fell, her chest heaved but breathing came easy. Right now, Mari was in a blissful state of comfortably numb, and that’s what scared her most.

Shouldn’t she be terrified? Shouldn’t she feel violated and fear for her safety? Probably, but she felt none of that, only tired. Nothing they did could be worse than anything they’d already done to her; there was no point being afraid and there was nowhere left to run.

All she knew was that she was desperate to feel something, to remember that she was alive and she wasn’t alone, but she also knew she wouldn’t find that here. There was only one person who had ever made her feel like that.

Itching to at least speak to Oscar, Mari did her best to pacify Geny’s worries.

“I’m okay,” she said, offering as much of a smile as she could muster, “I mean, I knew Trey called them when I was in hospital. When they turned up, it...it just caught me off guard, that’s all,”

Geny’s face hardened, almost as though she didn’t quite believe her. “I’m calling the police,”

“And tell them what?” She asked, part curiosity and part cynicism, “That my mother is here to get me because I ran away when I was seventeen and came to live with people I’d never met?”

Geny said nothing and Mari almost felt bad for discouraging her. Still, she continued. “They won’t help me, Geny,”

It was a waste of time, Mari knew that better than anyone. She had called the cops on Mallory more times than she could count, for worse things than this, and yet here they were. Her mother and Doyle, they were smart - never left visible bruises, always made sure there was food in the house (even if Mari was never allowed to eat any of it), always had an alibi.

It scared Mari every time she saw it, but Mallory knew exactly how to turn it on, knew exactly how to play the caring parent as easy as flipping a switch in her brain. To the adults of the outside world, Mari was nothing but a delusional kid.

“We’ll talk about this more when your father gets home,” Geny conceded and Mari knew the conversation was over.

As Geny marched past into the kitchen, Mari shuffled on shaky legs over to the sofa. Pulling her phone out of her pocket as she collapsed into the welcoming cushions, she opened her contacts and immediately settled on one; Oscar.

Her thumb hovered over the message icon, but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to tap it. He had just been here, surely it was too soon to ask him to come back and see her. She didn’t want to be desperate and she didn’t want to be annoying, but she didn’t really want to be here right now either, and she definitely didn’t want to be with anyone but him.

Stopping her from overthinking it any longer, the couch dipped beside her as Ruby took a seat.

“Hey,” he said, “I know you told mom you’re okay but…I mean, are you? That guy didn’t look like he was playing around, Mari,”

“I am,” Mari smiled at him and offered a small shake of her head, “I’m sorry you had to see that, but Ruby, please, if they ever come here again don’t try to protect me. They’re dangerous. I won’t risk this family getting hurt,”

This time, Ruby shook his head. “You know we all want you to be safe; that includes mom. This family is your family, Mari. Don’t forget that,”

And then, as if that unlocked whatever it was inside of her that’d been closed off, tears flooded her eyes and she swooped down to wrap her arms around her little brother. He was right; this is her family and Freeridge is where she belonged, where she always should’ve been.

When tears slowly started to fall, that’s when Mari let go. If she started crying now she knew she wouldn’t stop, not for a while, and she wasn’t ready to deal with that emotional tidal wave just yet. So instead, she let go of Ruby, wiped her eyes and leaned back as she toyed with the idea of texting Oscar.

“And,” Ruby suddenly continued, glancing between the phone in her hand and the conflicted look in her eye, “as your family, you know I only want the best for you, so I gotta ask; is there something going on between you and Spooky?”

The phone tumbled out of Mari’s grip and fell to the floor as she gaped at his words.

“I- what?” She stammered; hadn’t they been careful? Hadn’t she been sure not to let anything slip since Mario found out? Though she supposed it didn’t matter now, not since they had agreed that they were together.

Ruby picked the phone up off the floor and gestured to the screen. “I mean, it’s kinda obvious. You’re always with him and when you aren’t with him, you’re texting him,”

“Spooky and I are…” her sentence trailed off. What were they? A couple? An item? There was something about calling Oscar her boyfriend that seemed so juvenile and so basic when Mari knew that their relationship was much more than that. Besides, she didn’t want the lecture she was sure to get when she told him, so instead, she settled on something a little less definitive. “We’re a…thing, it’s still pretty new. I’d really appreciate it if you could keep this between us, at least for now. I want Ruben and Geny to hear it from me when the time is right,”

Ruby nodded, but Mari could tell that wasn’t the end of it.

“As bad as I’m sure your mom is, Mari you gotta remember that Spooky’s a cholo, okay? He runs a gang, that shits dangerous too. You have to be careful or this thing is only gonna end in blood and heartbreak. For now,” Ruby looked down at the phone and tapped the little green icon beneath Oscar’s name before handing it back to Mari, “you should just talk to him,”

Mari went to protest, but it was already dialling so she sucked in a deep breath and pressed the phone to her ear.

He answered on the second ring. “Yo mami, qué pasa?“

A shaky breath escaped Mari’s lips at the sound of his voice.

“Oscar, hi. I’m sorry, this is gonna sound so stupid,” on the other end of the phone, Oscar shook his head to himself - he wanted to say that she was never stupid for calling him, but he couldn’t will the words to come out so he stayed silent as she continued. “I know you were just here, and I know you’re busy, but do you think you could give me a call when you’re free?”

His brow furrowed a little in concern. “I’m almost done here. Are you good?”

“Yeah,” she lied through her teeth, “I just kinda need you right now,"

For just a second, although he’d never admit it, Oscar’s heart stopped at the sound of Mari’s small, pleading voice. It was a dangerous thought to have, but if she asked, he would drop everything and go to her.

Over the past few months, they had spent a lot of time together; he had not only watched her grow but encouraged her to do so. Despite what anyone may have thought about them, Oscar knew her better than, well, anyone; she was strong and she was resilient, almost to a fault. That girl would bottle up all the trauma in the world if it meant she wouldn’t have to bother someone else - so if she was calling to say that she needed him, then Oscar knew something was wrong.

“I’ll be there as soon as I’m done here,” he said, “give me thirty,”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to-”

“Mariana,” his deep voice boomed, soft but firm. “I’ll be there,”

The line disconnected before she could protest further.

. : ♱ : .

He arrived in twenty, pulling up in his red Impala, the sound of the car door creaking open and slamming shut alerting Mari to his presence.

Ruben hadn’t come home yet, but she made sure to let Geny know that she was going out and would be home late. Geny wanted to argue, wanted her to stay home, but she didn’t. Maybe she decided that Mari deserved a bit of a break, just this once.

Unable to resist the smile that spread across her face as she saw Spooky, leaning against the hood of his car, arms crossed, she ran to him and let him take her in his arms. All of the tension she had been feeling, all of the pain and fear and anger all dissipated as his strong arms squeezed just that little bit tighter around her waist. She could do this all day.

But the sound of Ruby’s voice wouldn’t let her.

“Hey!” He called and Mari turned to see him storming out of the house, she hadn’t even noticed him follow her out. Oscar dropped his hold on her. Mari stepped forward, folding her arms across her chest.

“Ruby?”

“I won’t be long, I just have something to say to Spooky,” there was a determination in Ruby’s eye that was only diluted by the sheer terror that was there as well. Still, he marched to the cholo until he was just before Mari, smartly keeping some distance between them. “I may be scared of you, but Mario isn’t, and I know you got some respect for him. She’s his sister too, so you treat her right. You gotta be ride or die, okay?”

Although she was touched at the sentiment, Mari’s face burned bright red at his words. She spared a glance over her shoulder at Spooky; his eyebrow was raised and he wore a tight-lipped smirk as though he was trying not to laugh (something Mari appreciated). Though he may not have been taking Ruby very seriously, Spooky got the message: don’t fuck this up.

The teen stood before them, chest heaving (from fear, the heat or just talking so much, Mari wasn’t sure of) and waiting for a response.

So Mari nodded and answered for both of them with a quick, “Okay,”

That seemed to appease Ruby as he nodded once and then away, back into the security of the house and away from the gangbanger. The moment he was gone, Spooky threw his head back with a barking laugh.

Mari spun on her heel and stood on her toes so she was just tall enough to throw her arms around his neck. Hands settled on her hips and she leaned into him, her lips spreading into a wide smile as she teased, “Ride or die, right baby?”

Spooky rolled his eyes and he shook his head, but his hand came to rest on the nape of her neck and he pulled her in for a kiss. It was quick, over far too soon for both of them, but they’d have plenty of time to make up for it.

"Just get in the car, mami,” he opened up the door for her and she stepped into the passenger’s seat (and pretended she didn’t notice the light smack on her ass as she passed him).

Mari didn’t say much as they drove, and Oscar knew better than to push her to speak. Instead, he turned up the stereo and rolled down the windows, letting the warm November air run through her hair and carry her voice in the dust behind them as she sang, wildly out of tune but happy, or as close to it as she had been in a while.

The car slowed when they hit a straight stretch of road, just enough so that he could look at her a second longer every now and then. Oscar loved seeing her like this; wild and carefree, exactly how she belonged. Dark curls whipped around her face, occasionally catching on her cherry lip gloss, and she was singing, loud and beautiful, in broken Spanish - a language, she had told him, she’d only learned in high school (and that he had been helping her perfect ever since).

The girl in question didn’t know how long they had been driving, and she didn’t know where they were going but she trusted Oscar enough to get them there. All she focused on was the autumn wind whipping past her face as she leaned out of the car window, watching as the scenery changed with each passing mile. Freeridge’s rundown houses turned into tall buildings; tall buildings dwindled to grass and trees and, if she looked far enough ahead, the ocean, as far as the eye could see.

Oscar parked the car between a small diner and the vast shores of the beach. Mari hadn’t been to the beach in years. As she got out of the car, the smell of saltwater filled her with a certain longing for a time when she was younger, much younger, and the world felt so much kinder. But she knew the truth now, she knew that the world was a dark and cruel place and so she pushed that nostalgia deep, deep down.

“Come on,” Spooky’s voice pulled her from her thoughts as he came up beside her and grabbed her hand, pulling her along before she had a chance to oppose, “let’s eat,”

They sat at a booth by the window and Spooky didn’t comment when Mari would start to disassociate and stare blankly at the expanse of sand and water before them. She had a lot going on, he knew that, but there was more that she hadn’t told him so he would give her some space before asking.

Although it took some time, Mari managed to convince Oscar that she wasn’t very hungry (she argued it was the pregnancy, he argued that’s exactly why she should be eating) and they settled on sharing a boat of fries, though Spooky got a burger and onion rings on the side.

It wasn’t until Spooky left to go to the bathroom and Mari was once more alone with her thoughts that everything came crashing down on her.

How did she get to this point? Matter of fact, how had this day even been real - from finding out she was pregnant, to Oscar finally confessing his feelings and then to Mallory and Doyle showing up? It was all too much. She couldn’t keep going like this, something had to give.

“Hey, ma,” a soft, smooth voice called. Her heart sank. She couldn’t deal with this right now and she silently pleaded for Oscar to come back soon, “What’s a pretty girl like you doin’ here all alone, huh?”

From the corner of her eye, Mari glanced up at him. If he wasn’t coming onto her like this, she may have thought him pretty; dark skin, perfectly groomed beard and short hair in tight curls atop his head. But if his line wasn’t enough to give her bad vibes, then the shade of green on his hoody sure was.

“I’m not alone,” she said, refusing to make eye contact or speak any louder than necessary.

The guy looked around the otherwise deserted diner. “You sure? ‘Cause I ain’t see anyone else here but you and me,”

“And me,” Mari breathed a sigh of relief as Oscar approached the man, ever her saviour. “You wanna back off my girl, Easy?”

“Alright, my bad,” the guy, Easy, said (despite the smirk on his face saying he didn’t at all think it was his bad). He shot Mari a wink and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Hit me up when you’re single, or when you get bored with this fool,”

And then the Prophet turned his back and he left, without a fight. Oscar slid back into the booth, reclaiming his seat before Mari, but he didn’t say anything. His nostrils flared and his lips pressed into a tight frown, Mari could see he was pissed.

All of a sudden he raised his fist and slammed it hard onto the tabletop and, although it wasn’t the first time Mari had experienced one of his outbursts, this one seemed to be the thing that shocked her out of the stupor she had been in all afternoon. Everything she had been feeling - and everything she had been desperate not to - came crashing into her like a tidal wave.

The tears started almost immediately, hot and heavy and too fast for her to stop it. Across from her, Oscar’s face softened and he rushed around to sit beside her. Without any hesitation, he scooped her up into his arms and cradled her to his chest. This may not be what she wanted, but she needed it.

“I can’t,” she sobbed into his chest. It hurt him to hear her like this, her voice so small and broken, each breath sounding like it hurt to take as she gasped in air and struggled to exhale. “I can’t, Oscar, I can’t breathe!”

Winding an arm around her waist, he hoisted her from the seat and let her use him as a crutch for her shaking body as he led them outside.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered, more to herself, as they reached the edge of the sand. “I can’t be a mother, I can’t even be a daughter!”

“Whatever you need to do Mariana, you know I’ll be there with you,” he offered, hoping to soothe at least some of her worries.

Mari shook her head. “They’re here, Oscar. Mallory and Doyle, they just came into the house,”

Oscar was seeing red as he asked, “when?”

“Right after you left,”

“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” he was marching back toward his car before Mari could even respond. She chased after him, reaching out to catch his arm.

“Oscar, wait!” She cried, “I don’t even know where they are now!”

He stopped and turned, a deep scowl tarnishing his features. He shook his head. “I won’t let him get away with what he did to you. Either of them, you know that,”

Heaving a sigh, she toed at the ground and wiped her face, gathering her strength before looking at him again.

“I just don’t want any more violence in my life,” she confessed, and when she looked so beaten down and helpless, who was Oscar to argue with her?

Oscar took a step closer and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He leaned into her, close enough that she could kiss him if she were to stand on the tips of her toes and reach just that extra bit further. And then, as the smell of Corona hit her face, he whispered against her lips, “You know I just wanna keep you safe, mami,”

Mari nodded but she found herself unable to formulate a response. He wanted to keep her safe, Ruby wanted to keep her safe - she couldn’t keep putting everyone at risk just to save her own ass. One of these days she was going to have to figure out how to save herself.

With a heavy sigh and one final whimper, Mari dropped to her knees, falling into the sand as though her body no longer knew how to support itself. Oscar followed, pulling her in so that her legs were crossed over his and she was leaning into him once again.

Mari said softly, "I never asked for any of this. I never wanted you caught up in my mess.”

“I don’t mind being caught,”

She turned to look at him and offered the most genuine smile she could muster.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, and then looked back out into the ocean. “I haven’t been to the beach since I was a kid, before things got really bad with my mom,”

“When did things get really bad?” He asked and maybe it was none of his business (and she had every right to tell him that) but he wanted to know her, every bit.

Mari hummed in thought, a quirk Spooky just discovered but definitely loved. “Around when I was fourteen. I mean she was never great, but that’s when she started using the hard stuff, you know? I remember getting on the bus and waiting...I think hours, for her to pick me up from the bus stop. When she didn’t come, I walked.

“It took even longer than it should’ve because I got lost a few times, but I finally made it back. And so I walked into the living room and there was Mallory, getting rawed by our neighbour while he injected something into her arm, right in front of me. That was the lowest point in our relationship, until she let her boyfriend rape me,”

“Mari, I’m sorry,” Oscar whispered, his hatred for that woman only growing but he controlled his rage; he asked, after all.

She shrugged. “It is what it is, and it just solidified in my mind exactly how much I never want to be like her,”

Eyes trained on Mari, Oscar couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked basking in the orange and pink sky as the sun set over the horizon - her skin glowed, her cheeks held a rosier tint and the dim sunlight reflected brightly in her dark hair.

His hands came up to cup her face before tangling in the back of her hair as he pulled her closer to capture her lips in a languid kiss. She kissed him back without hesitation, so he closed his eyes and sighed contentedly into her mouth. His muscles relaxed as he let her take over him; the way her hair felt as it fell between his fingers, the way her lips always tasted like cherries, even without the gloss, the way the curves of her body felt as she pressed against him. This woman was his escape, his saviour as much as he was hers and as she moaned into his mouth and kissed him a little harder, he only thought one thing: he never wanted to lose this.

Taglist: @robinsdolan @lostgirl219@kseniainneverland @ravengreystone@weediskindabad @moistdollerbills @javoqetal@kenzie44469 @goddessate@blackdepressoexpresso @classyputa @babygirl-htx @wonderlandlovelove @cacapoodlepoo @agent-femmefatale @elliesshitofablog@daydreamer0307 @lucyfuh @harduy @elizabeth-santana-98 @lonelyyblues

#on my block #on my block fanfiction #Oscar diaz #Oscar diaz imagine #spooky #spooky diaz

6 notes · View notes

prdsmyg · 4 years

Text

BTS Drabble Game

↳ AO3 Link (coming soon) ↳ Wattpad Link (coming soon) ↳ Masterlist Link (coming soon)

☐ “The skirt is supposed to be this short.

☐ “How long have you been standing there?”

↳ Min Yoongi - BF!au

☐ “I may be an idiot, but I’m not stupid.”

↳ Jung Hoseok - FWB!au

☐ “Who gave you that black eye?”

☐ “You haven’t even touched your food.

☐ What’s going on?”

☐ “I just like proving you wrong.”

☐ “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.”

☐ “Forget it. You fucking suck.”

↳ Min Yoongi - College!au

☐ “Quit it or I’ll bite.”

☐ “If you use up all the hot water again, I swear to god! You’re on the couch for a month!!”

☐ “If I die, I’m going to haunt your ass.”

☐ “I’m pregnant.”

☐ “Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for while.”

↳ Kim Taehyung - Office Worker!au

☐ “Take. It. Off.”

☐ “Well, you’re coming home with me whether you like it or not.”

☐ “I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”

☐ “Stop it! It tickles!”

☐ “It’s okay to cry…”

☐ “And that’s how you ruin a life. Congratulations.”

☐ “D..did you just make that noise?”

☐ “He’s a bad kisser.”

☐ “You can scream if you want.”

☐ “I didn’t know we were keeping track.”

☐ “We’re playing checkers. If you don’t like it, leave.”

☐ “One of them’s missing.”

↳ Min Yoongi - College!au

☐ “Save some for me.”

☐ “Oh, fuck off.”

☐ “You’re still mad?”

☐ “Come over here and make me.”

☐ “You better watch yourself.”

☐ “Eat your lunch and you wouldn’t be hungry.”

☐ “Why did we have to have kids?”

☐ “Call on Line 1”

☐ “He creeped me out. I’m not gonna lie.”

☐ “I’m done! You can fix it!”

☐ “Can we just watch a movie and fall asleep on the couch?”

☐ “Where did he go?”

☐ “You leave whenever you feel like it.”

☐ “I forgot I was a single parent.”

☐ “Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it.”

☐ “You’re going out dressed like that?”

☐ “For the hundredth time, I’m not your babysitter.”

☐ “Frost the damn cupcakes.”

☐ “Well that’s the second biggest news I’ve heard all day.”

☐ “You look pretty hot in plaid.”

☐ “I thought you were dead!”

☐ “I thought it was a one-night-stand…and now we’re married…”

☐ “We’ve become the clingy couple that you used to complain about.”

☐ “Quit touching me. Your feet are cold.”

☐ “You know you want it, sweetheart.”

☐ “I’m your husband. It’s my job.”

☐ “You just wanted them because the light up.”

☐ “That wasn’t very subtle.”

☐ “He thinks he’s a mind reader.”

☐ “It’s just you and me tonight. I was thinking we could have a little fun.”

☐ “I don’t do hugs.”

☐ “Don’t talk anymore.”

☐ “I’m just a guy with a wife, two kids, and a Harley.”

☐ “How do I even put up with you?”

☐ “I said get rid of it.”

☐ “They didn’t just find out. They already knew!”

☐ “You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

☐ “Can you just man up and change his diaper?”

☐ “Just don’t buy a goat. I don’t care what you do, just no goats.”

☐ “I have a secret.”

☐ “I won’t let you get hurt.”

☐ “You’re strong, baby. You have to be.”

☐ “He’s four years old!!”

☐ “I’ve had enough! I want to be alone!”

☐ “I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

☐ “Me and the boys will handle it.”

☐ “You’re competitive and so am I, and it’s going to lead to a fight.”

☐ “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

☐ “You’re a dork, just like your father.”

☐ “Mind if I join you?”

☐ “Daddy!”

☐ “I lost our child.”

☐ “That’s my shirt. So is that..wait?”

☐ “My name isn’t Leslie…who’s Leslie?”

☐ “There’s a surprise upstairs for you.”

☐ “I’ll take care of it.”

☐ “I’m not your boss? Well then who is?”

☐ “You can’t eat solids, only liquids until Thursday.”

☐ “Come on, baby, up to bed.”

☐ “They got you a present. Isn’t it sweet?”

☐ “Am I scaring you?”

☐ “Run! You said you’d work out with me!”

☐ “After everything…I’d still choose you.”

☐ “And when did you plan on telling me about this?”

☐ “Trust me.”

☐ “Scoot over a little bit, please.”

☐ “You’re so clingy, I love it.”

☐ “You didn’t just wake me up at 2am because you were ‘in the mood’.”

☐ “Did they hurt you?”

☐ “You’re cute when you’re all worried.”

☐ “Stop being grumpy. It’s lame.”

☐ “I don’t need a hero, I need a husband.”

☐ “Don’t shut me out.”

☐ “You got a cute butt.”

☐ “I just got out of the shower, I can’t dance. What if my towel falls off?”

☐ “Don’t be an asshole. Asshole.”

☐ “Do you really think I could ever replace you?”

☐ “Sharing is caring. Now give me your fries.”

☐ “…or we can chill in our underwear.”

☐ “You can’t make up for it by giving me a tic-tac.”

☐ “Keep pedalling and don’t stop, okay?”

☐ “You, me, popcorn, two liter Dr. Pepper, and a movie. You in?”

☐ “Have you seen my contacts?”

☐ “Life is a highway, and I’m always drunk. So I’m not driving.”

☐ “Quit stalling. Where’s your father?”

☐ “You can’t just hug me and think everything’s okay.”

☐ “Is he coming home?”

☐ “I prefer blondes.”

☐ “No more dogs. How hard it it to understand?”

☐ “I let you win.”

☐ “I broke your nose, and I’m sorry for that. But what you’re doing isn’t fair.”

☐ “Can I do your hair?”

☐ “Your favourite superhero can’t be a villain.”

☐ “I told you not to jump on the bed!”

☐ “He’s pampering me, let him be.”

☐ “Ready or not, here I come.”

☐ “I’m worried about losing my job!”

☐ “Oh, did I scare you, big boy?”

☐ “Happy new year!”

☐ “Quit moving, I’m trying to sleep. Wait…are you…what?!”

☐ “You nap, I’ll stay awake.”

☐ “It’s turbulence. It’s normal.”

☐ “Don’t touch me. We’re fighting.”

☐ “I’ll give you a massage.”

☐ “You fell asleep in the tub?!”

☐ “Are you doodling?”

☐ “We’re not playing strip poker. I don’t care what I said when I was drunk.”

☐ “Gummy bears aren’t just for kids, fuck society.”

☐ “Are you scared…Then why won’t you look at the screen?”

☐ “Enough with the pillow talk, I’m tired.”

☐ “You had a nightmare, tell me what it was about so I can fix it.”

☐ “We need groceries, not just junk food. You’re worse than the kids.”

☐ “Is this our closet? Or your closet?”

☐ “If I win, you do dishes for a week.”

☐ “Fist bumps are cooler than high-fives…”

☐ “Use your words.”

☐ “Hold my hand so he gets jealous.” “Ew, your hand is sweaty.”

☐ “Get out of my face before I hit you.”

☐ “I don’t care if you’re 4 or 40, you don’t hit people.”

☐ “You only care about football, beer, and raking leaves.”

☐ “Look! Fireflies!”

☐ “Why do you only kiss me when I’m sleeping?

☐ “I just need ten minutes.”

Under no circumstances are these creative and original works to be republished in physical or electronic formats. Translations, reposts and reformatting are not allowed and will be reported with legal actions.

12 notes · View notes

video-killed-the-radio-host · 5 years

Text

Dignus Es, (reuploaded because Tumblr was being dumb)

@acealex-blueiguana and I wrote this lovely piece of angst(with a happy ending of course!) I'm honored to be able to have Michael in my writing, along with the amazing writting of Alex. After a three day(give or take) game of writer tag and 8k words later, here it is.

Cecil didn't think anything of it when Michael started coughing. Michael was always coughing. Of course he wanted to put an end to it. Cecil would lay his life down for Michael. But there wasn't anything he could do to help. Legally anyway. So he forced himself to settle for doing his best during office hours.Thanks to his third eye, he saw everything. The third eye was both a blessing and a curse. He used it during the shows to get the most accurate facts. Cecil was also plagued with visions of things he didn’t want to see. He saw everytime Michael was hit. Everytime he was starved. Everytime he was attacked. It kept him up at night and shook him to his very core.

He knew he could never say anything to Michael about it because he knew Michael would shut himself away even more or maybe stop coming to work at all. Cecil didn’t know if he could handle that. He would get the visions at random times; talking to Carlos, on the air once or twice, in the shower, at the market, or the dead of night.

At the moment, Cecil sprawled shirtless across the bed, his shirt tossed to the side. His face and chest were flushed a bright lavender color and his eyes-all three- were screwed shut as Carlos peppers kisses down his neck, leaving gentle bites in his wake. He scrapes his teeth over the collar bone, making Cecil gasp and squirm.

“Carlos! Don’t tease.” He wines.

Carlos just made a humming noises and kisses down his torso. Just as he reaches the belly button, Cecil’s eyes snap open and his body goes rigid. His skin lost its warmth as a brilliant violet light shone from Cecil’s forehead. Carlos sits up with concern on his face.

“Cecil?”

Cecil was staring up at the ceiling, his eyes unseeing. Carlos carefully climbs back up to the head of the bed, all thoughts of sex gone from his mind as he cradles Cecil’s head and rubs slow, small circles into the taller man’s temples. He learned the hard way that it’s dangerous to try and pull Cecil out of a vision. The only thing he could do was wait them out. Then he would take care of him. He felt hot tears hit his palm and knew instantly that this was a vision that had to do with Michael. Those tended to be the worst. Cecil started to shake and tightens his fists in the sheets. Carlos knew that Cecil wanted nothing more than to go down to that house and tear the ‘parents’ apart. Carlos didn’t blame him. He felt the same way. But they couldn’t. Not now.

It wasn’t long before Cecil jerked upright with a hoarse scream.

He looked around blindly, his eyes still wide. Carlos reaches over and carefully puts the purple frames on Cecil’s face.

“Hey. You’re okay. Are you with me?” Carlos asks. He knew it was very much not okay but he needed to calm Cecil down at the moment.

“Carlos…” Cecil breaths softly. His face crumpled the way it did just before he broke down.

“I know love.” Carlos reaches out and brushes his knuckle down Cecil’s cheek, catching the tears.

“He-and-and t-they-” He takes a deep shuddering breath. He couldn’t bring himself to go on, but the images were burned into his mind. Instead, he draws his knees up and wraps his arms around himself. “I feel so dirty.” He whispers. He then looks up at Carlos. “I hate them.”

Being hated by Cecil was a heavy sentence. He truly hated very few people. When Cecil Palmer hated you, you knew it.

“More than Steve?” Carlos asked, not even sure why.

“More than Lauren.”

Damn. Carlos should have expected that answer, but that answer held a lot held a lot of weight.

“Carlos?” The soft question brought Carlos out of his head. He turned his attention back to Cecil, who’s eyes were puffy and red but dry now.

“Yes?”

“Will you make me a bath? And then hold me?”

“Of course.” He starts to lean over but stops himself, knowing Cecil was sensitive like this. “May I?”

Cecil inclines his head with a small grateful smile. “Yes.”

Carlos presses a gentle kiss to Cecil’s forehead before standing. “I’ll be right back to get you. Don’t go anywhere.”

He steps out of the room and into the bathroom. He starts the water after chanting at the faucet. He pulls down the lavender, ylang-ylang, frankincense and chamomile oils, mixing them together before adding them to the bath. Once the tub was full, Carlos turns the water off and stands, his knees groaning in protest. He returns to the bedroom to find Cecil curled up on his side, lazily tracing patterns in the blanket with his index finger.

“I got your bath all set up.” Carlos says, unable to help the small smile on his face. He offers his hand when Cecil looks up at him. Cecil takes his hand and Carlos lets out a soft yelp at how cold he is. Cecil gives a sheepish smile in return.

“Sorry.”

“Come on. Let's get you warmed up.”

He slowly leads Cecil to the bathroom, helps him finish stripping and eases him into the bathtub, situation his long limbs. Cecil lets out a long sigh and he relaxes. Carlos sits in the floor facing Cecil, who had his closed again. But this time it wasn’t in fear. Just in relaxation.

“Carlos?”

“Yes?”

“Will you sing to me?”

“Which song?”

Cecil is quiet for a moment. “The one you were singing earlier?”

Carlos smiles a little. He taps his foot on the floor to keep a beat. “I swear you got me acting crazy

Half the time I don't know what my name is

I'm the kind that like to take it slow and lazy

And girl you got me running hot and haziest

Oh, I love you like I never

Oh, I love you like I never loved before

Boy you got me burning like a rocket

You stole my heart and stuck it in your pocket

Now I got your face inside my locket

I've really tried but I don't think I can stop it baby

Oh, I love you like I never

Oh, I love you like I never loved before.” Carlos reaches out and takes Cecil’s hand. “You sat beside me last night on the sofa

I took your hand and pulled you a little closer

You kiss my lips and then you let me hold you

That feels the way that love supposed to baby

Oh, I love you like I never

Oh, I love you like I never loved before

You held the door when we went to the movies

I like your quirky sneaky sense of humor

You're strong and sweet and all the things I needed

You're the one that keeps my heart beating baby

Oh, I love you like I never

Oh, I love you like I never loved before

Oh, my heart stops beating

When it's time for you to leave me

Yeah, and my head starts spinning

Every time that you are near me

Oh, I love you like I never

Oh, I love you like I never loved before.” Carlos drags the last note out, noting the light blush starting to spread across Cecil’s cheeks. He brings his free hand up to move brush his thumb over Cecil’s cheekbones. “You are something else, you know that?”

“Well that is what I’ve been told.” Cecil answers. His eyes flutter closed.

Cecil looked so different when he was relaxed. He looked older than he was, and he had bags under his eyes. His long eyelashes curl against his cheeks. The man is exhausted. Of course he is. With all he goes through on a daily basis. Cecil made a noise and shifts in the water, making some overflow the lip of the tub and splash on Carlos’ pants.

“I can feel you watching me.” Cecil says without opening his eyes.

“I’m a scientist. Observing is part of what I do.” Came the soft answer.

Cecil opens his eyes a little. “Want to wash my hair?”

“You’re okay for me to touch you?”

“Your touch keeps me grounded. I need that right now.” Cecil looks up at him, his expression soft, open, vulnerable.

“Yeah.” Carlos smiles just a little. “Okay.” He reaches over and picks up the bottle, shifting to his knees. He pours the soap onto his palm, rubbing it between his fingers before starting to wash Cecil's long, soft hair. Cecil's hair always made Carlos jealous, no matter how perfect Cecil claimed his own was. Cecil's was always soft and tangle free no matter how many days he goes without brushing it or how he twisted it around his heard. His own hair was always a mess of tangled curls that he just pulled into a ponytail and that was that. Carlos slides his fingers through the blonde silk before putting his hands in the water to rinse his hands off.

“Close your eyes.” He says, reaching over to tilt Cecil's chin up. Cecil makes a noise to show he understood and closed his eyes. Carlos picked on the cup sitting on the floor, dipping it into the water and pouring it over Cecil's head. The soap suds run down into the water. Cecil makes a humming noise, arching his back. Carlos chuckles. He finishes rinsing out the soap.

“All done.”

Cecil looks up at him. “Thank you.”

Carlos kisses his forehead, over the third eye. “Let's get you to bed. You look dead on your feet.”

“I feel it.”

Carlos reaches over and picks up the fluffy towel, offering his hand to help Cecil stand. Cecil wraps the goal around his waist and looks around.

“Sit.” Carlos says gently. He eases Cecil onto the toilet and grabs the hair dryer. He clicks it on and starts to dry Cecil's hair.

“You know I can do it right?” Cecil asked, having to raise his voice to be heard.

Carlos clicks the hair dryer off. “I know. But I'm taking care of you tonight.”

Cecil opens his mouth to protest but Carlos turns the hair dryer back on and finishing the task at hand. He then picks up a hair brush and after brushing out the mess before putting it up into a well practiced French braid that looked good despite Cecil's constant wiggling.

“Come on. Let's get you to bed.”

Cecil shivers, as if he just remembered he was naked. “Can I wear your shirt? The red one?”

Carlos gives a little smile. He expected the question. “Of course.” He holds out his hands, which Cecil took and stands, letting himself be lead to the bedroom. Cecil sits on the bed after pulling on a pair of boxers and watches as Carlos digs in the dresser, pulling out the flannel. It was the flannel he was wearing when he met Cecil all those years ago. He hands it over and Cecil puts it on. It hung on the thin man’s frame and the sleeves were to long. Cecil hurriedly buttons it, not seeming to care if it was crooked. Carlos found it absolutely adorable. He sits on the edge of the bed and pulls his hair down and set his glasses on the nightstand. He carefully takes Cecil’s from his face and sets them beside his own before laying down and opening his arms in invitation. Cecil lays down, snuggling close. His head over Carlos’ heart. Carlos left the light on until Cecil was asleep, which didn’t take long at all. Once the other man’s breath evened out and deepened, Carlos reaches over and turned the lamp off.

-----.-----

Cecil arrived at the station early the next day, per Management's request. He makes his way to the breakroom to make coffee, rubbing the side of his face to wake up, though he isn’t truly awake until after his second cup of coffee. The coffee pot was being espically honery today and skidded across the table.

“Don’t make me bolt you to the counter again.” Cecil threatens. “Don’t think I won’t.”

The coffee pot went still and Cecil got his coffee. He sips it with a soft moan but that’s when the flash of white caught his eye. Crouching down to instcpt, Cecil dropped his mug. It hit the tile and shattered, making coffee spill across the floor. He picked up the white petals, feeling his breath catch in his throat. He knew exactly what that meant. He brings his hand up to touch the base of his throat where the bloom sat six years ago. He swallows thickly and upon closer inspection, he realizes the petals are that of the morning glory. Cecil feels his blood run cold. He didn’t want to be the reason someone died. That on top of trying to save Michael and the horrors of the day to day might be enough to actually break his mind. He cleans up the flowers and the broken glass and coffee before leaving the breakroom. The petals were fresh, as they were still wet. That meant whomever they belonged to was in the station. He was pretty sure if wasn’t Station Management so that left the interns and the Scotts.

Cecil makes his way through the station, starting with the bathroom. The bathroom was empty save for Khoshekh. The cat blinks slowly at Cecil when he entered and made a noise that resembled a purr.

“Hey Khoshekh. Did you see someone in here?” Cecil asks, petting the cat’s ear carefully.

Khoshekh hovers quietly.

“Hm. Thanks anyway.” Cecil gives one last pay before leaving the cat to do whatever it is he does during the day. Just down the hall was the intern breakroom. Cecil didn’t particularly like going in that room. The ever growing intern shrine always made guilt clench his heart. Taking a breath, Cecil steps into the room. He pointedly didn’t look at the shrine as he walks further into the room. More petals near the couch. Cecil’s heart sank. It was an intern. Yet again, Cecil would be the cause of a child’s death. Then he hears it. The faint coughing. Springing to his feet, Cecil runs from the intern break room. The sound was coming from the recording booth. He pushes the door open and looked around the desk. The sight made him stumble back with a gasp. Then he rushed forward, dropping to his knees amongst the flowers, petals and blood spatters.

“Michael?” He could hear the panic in his own voice. “Can you hear me?”

Michael doesn’t respond to Cecil’s frantic question. It’s not like he could if he wanted to. His vision is full of dark spots and everything sounds muffled as he continues to hack up his lungs. Petals upon petals spill onto the floor in front of him and most bear his blood. He’s doubled over on the ground as he keeps coughing.

After a long minute of struggling around the flowers in his throat, Michael is finally able to breathe again. Gasping for air, his entire body shakes, but eventually he opens his eyes. His hands are speckled with his blood as they rest on the petals in front of him. That’s when he notices he’s no longer alone.

“I-I’m sorry, Ceec…’ll-’ll clean it up… m s-sorry…” The choking boy wheezes as he tries to pick up all the flowers.

Cecil nearly passed out from relief. “Oh thank god. You're alive.” He breathed. He put his hand on Michael's. “Stop. You don't need to do that. Michael, when did this start?” He asks softly. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Why didn't I see?

The kid stalls when Cecil rests his hand on his. “Have t clean the- the booth...s my job…” his voice is merely a hoarse whisper. “I-I dunno...few weeks? Maybe- maybe a month or- or two?” Michael’s cut off as he painfully coughs up a bloody morning glory. “s- s not your problem...Mother and-and Father said-” He can’t finish his sentence as he doubles over again, cupping his hands to his mouth to catch the petals and blood.

It very much is my problem. Cecil feels his heart hurt watching the scene in front of him.

“You should have told me. I wish I had known.” He reaches over and brushes away a petal that had gotten stuck to Michael's bottom lip. He blamed himself for not noticing. He knew the signs. Hell, he had them himself. He should have seen. Should have helped. “I-i should have known.”

Michael tenses at Cecil's words and tries not to flinch when he brushes the stuck petal away. He instinctively holds his breath, but the lump of flowers in his lungs says differently and causes him to choke even more. His thin frame was trembling as he forced another blossom out of his lungs. He winced at the amount of blood on them. But what really worried him was the purple dahlia petals. He quickly pushed the pile together to hide the few purple ones among the morning glories.

"m-m s-sorry... didnt want- I didn't want you to be mad... or- or laugh at it..." He draws in a shuddering breath that causes a whistling noise. "Was scared you'd react like Mother and Father...tried to- tried to keep it hidden... didn't want you t be mad at me for- for making a mess...m s-sorry..."

Cecil's expression softens. “I'm not mad and this is no laughing matter.” He felt that he was a bit of a hypocrite in this situation. He did hide his own suffering for a year. “I care about you too much to watch you be hurt. Or suffering.” He leans forward on his hands a bit. “I'm not mad. About the mess or otherwise. But I can't help you if I don't know.”

Cecil was concerned at the number of full blossoms that were being coughed up, and the amount of blood that came with them.

"Classmates laugh...more fuel for them...find it funny t kick til petals cover the ground..." Michael's voice is hardly above a whisper. He's scared of how Cecil will react, but based on what he knows he won't have to live with the consequences for that long. "You-you know now?" He tries to joke. Tries to make Cecil feel better, but he knows it likely won't work.

His lips are slick with his own blood, but he still tries to give the radio host a reassuring smile. It disappears quickly as he begins to cough again. Three full morning glories, stained red, and a fistful of dahlia petals. He tries to cover them, but he knows it's likely too late. If Cecil wasn't mad before, then he will be now.

Cecil opened his mouth to stop the jokes as none of this was funny but the purple petals caught his eye as soon they left Michael's mouth. He knew exactly what those petals meant and who they were for.

“Oh dear.” He says, voice shaking despite him trying to remain calm. Truthfully he was on the verge of flipping out. “This is worse than we thought.” Pulling his sleeve over his hand, he gently wipes Michael's face. “I think you've grown a second bud. I've never heard of that before.” The last part was whispered, barely audible.

He always knew he would never live to see himself turn 18. Michael had accepted that long ago. He always knew he was unlovable; his parents reminded him every day. They were happy the day he spit up the first petal all those weeks ago. They knew he would finally be out of their hair. They made snide remarks when he choked and yelled when he got blood or petals on anything.

That was when he decided to hide it from Cecil. He loved Cecil and Carlos. He knew it wasn't a good idea the first time he started feeling it. Cecil and Carlos were good people. They were good people who decided to take in a broken thing, and this is how he would die. Most would likely cry at dying this way, but to Michael it was the best way he could go. It was extremely painful, but then again what part of his life wasn't? He was happy to know that for once in his life he felt love towards not one but two people. In another life Michael wished they were his parents and not the Richardsons. But that was impossible. He was trapped in that house, and he was certain it would be his grave.

The morning glories were more developed than the dahlias. To Michael it was obvious why. He had known Cecil far longer than Carlos, and he spent more time with the radio host than the scientist. That being said, Michael still coughs blooming dahlias among the morning glories. The entire first month was full of white petals, and come the next month it was white and purple.

The boy closed his eyes as he focuses on breathing. "Its okay, Ceec-y...m-m ready...ve been ready for- for years now..." His voice strained. More purple petals spill from his mouth as he coughs again. A single bloody morning glory landing on top of the purple dahlias.

Cecil balls his fists against his pant legs and shakes his head. “I refuse to believe that.” His voice is surprisingly steady. “I can't- I'm not-” He takes a deep breath, trying to get his thoughts in order. “You don't deserve to die like this. Not when-” His voice cracks at the end. “You have so much life left to live and experience.” He ducks his head as his tears start to overflow his eyes, hitting his hands. “I don't care if-if it's selfish of me, but I don't want you to die. I want you to live. I need you in my life. I want-” he pauses again to take a deep breath. “I know what they do to you. I mean I didn't see….this, for some reason….but everything else. I saw it. And it isn't right. And I love you too much to let you die without doing something-anything- to help you. Please.” He drops to a whisper. “Just live long enough to let me help you.”

Michael tries to wipe away Cecil's tears, but his fingers are stained with his own blood and accidentally smears onto the host’s face. He pulls back as he chokes on the flowers again. Spitting more purple than white, but they were strangling him nonetheless. He's seeing spots again when he finally stops coughing.

The dying boy shakes his head. "Dont- dont lie...please dont lie...not now...you'll get a- a better intern...one that doesn't make you miss or-or late..." Michael wheezes and groans. "H-hurts...it-it hurts...m-m sorry..." His vision does not clear. Then he remembers his binder, and he cant get enough air into his lungs. His arms shake as they try to keep him from falling into the bloody petals. His entire world is dimming and spinning. “m s-sorry, Mr. Ce-Cecil”

“I don't want a better intern! I want you!” Cecil cries out. He digs in his pocket and pulls out his phone, hitting the first number on the speed dial. It rang once before the line was picked up.

“Hello beautiful.”

“How far from the station are you?” Cecil asks, his voice wet again.

“I'm just leaving the house…..what's wrong? Are you hurt? Did something happen?”

“Just….get here as fast as you can. Please. I need you.” That's all he manages to get out before breaking down again. He sets the phone aside and cradles Michael's face. “Stay with me. Look at me. Carlos is coming. We can stop this.” He is begging now. “Please don't leave me.” He takes Michael's hand in his own. “Please. Stay. I love you.”

Michael hardly reacts when Cecil yells, only flinching a tad bit. He's trying to use the last of his energy to stay awake. He wants to say goodbye to Carlos before he never sees them again. Michael slumps into Cecil as he chokes on blood and flowers. The boys eyes are foggy as he fights to keep them open and focused on the radio host.

"m unlovable...always have been...m s-sorry..." His eyes flutter close as he gasps and suffocates.

“No. Nononono. No no no.” Cecil growls out. “You are not taking him from me in this way.” He is sending the threat to no one in particular but that doesn't matter. Cecil lays Michael flat on the floor. He presses his hands onto the boy's chest, and that's when he felt the binder. He whispers a quick apology, not that it mattered at this point, before reaching under Michael's shirt and pulling the binder off. He then starts chest compressions and reciting every prayer and incantation that he can recall. He does his best to keep the movement steady before leaning down and blowing. He came up with a mouthful of purple petals, spitting them into the floor and continuing. The more he pushed, the more petals came up. It was like an endless river. He refused to just give up though, no matter how long this took. Then he heard running footsteps. His pressing faltered slightly when he looked up.

“Oh my god.” Carlos says, his face going pale. “Did you know?”

“No!” Cecil snaps, counting under his breath. Carlos can see his arms shaking as he struggled. He watches Cecil lean over and press his lips to Michael, only to come up with a mouthful of purple petals. Purple dahlia petals. Carlos felt his heart clench.

“Cecil.” Carlos says softly, crossing the room and sitting down beside them. “He isn't breathing. I think-”

“Don't you dare finish that sentence Carlos Fernando Mendez-Palmer.” Cecil growls, though his resolve is cracking. “I refuse to let him die here. Now you can either help me or go get me someone who can.”

Carlos knows he can't do anything to stop this, short of restraining Cecil and making the man hate him. “Here. Let me. You can't keep a steady rhythm when you're shaking so much.” He shifts to his knees and puts his hands over Cecil's, starting compressions once again. He can feel Cecil trembling beneath his hands like a wet chihuahua. “Look at me.” He says softly.

Showing obvious hesitance, Cecil does so.

“Do you really think we have a chance of saving him?”

The scientist side of Carlos is telling him that it isn't possible, but this was Night Vale after all. This was Cecil of all people.

“I do.” It was whispered, scared, but honest. “I really do. He deserves for us to try. We owe him that.”

With that, Cecil leans back down, extracting yet another mouthful of purple petals. The ever growing pile beside him was alarmingly large. Carlos kept their hands pushing, in hopes of finding even the slightest heartbeat.

“Come on Michael.” Carlos says. “Come back to us pez pequeño. I need you to come back. I'll fight your parents myself if I have to.”

He's not sure how much time has passed, but Michael was growing colder by the minute.

Michael's floating in a void. But the first thing he notes is his ability to breathe. His airways are clear, and hes can actually take deep breaths. Its peaceful. Its painless. And he's been here before, though this one seems to have changed. The last time he wasn't able to feel anything at all, but now he can feel something. He's not quite sure if it's a good thing yet.

Regardless, he has to make a decision soon. To go back to the world of pain and suffering or to accept the void and continue onward. If Michael's being honest, he's scared to go forward. He's always gone back home. It's not safe, but it is familiar.

He thinks for only a moment of leaving the world behind, but then he remembers the people he loves. He never got to say goodbye to them. Not properly anyway.

That's when he feels pressure on his chest. A constant steady beat. Hes felt this before. Then the feeling of air being forced into his lungs. They're fighting for him? But why? Likely because he didn't clean up his mess before being rude and dying there. So Michael fights back. Trying to latch onto the sensations to slowly drag himself back to his body. Back to Cecil and Carlos.

Carlos keeps pushing, looking up to find Cecil pulling a full blossom out of his mouth. He makes a face and sets it aside.

“Just so you know,” Cecil says, wiping his mouth before laying his hands over Carlos’. “Your flowers taste terrible.”

Carlos gives a dry chuckle. “I do apologize. I'll keep that in mind.”

Cecil looks up and meets Carlos’ eyes. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Cecil, you are crazy.” Carlos holds up his hand when Cecil opens his mouth to protest. “ But I know that when you truly believe in something, you are unstoppable. A force that can't be moved. I made a vow to stick by you and I intend to keep that promise.”

Michael's fighting like hell to escape the void. He knows he will be back here again, but he has to say goodbye. He has to. So he keeps clawing and kicking to get back to his body. He's not fully there yet, but he's making progress.

Michael's fingers twitch slightly.

Cecil gives a fond little smile before he felt something twitch against his leg. He gives a soft gasp. “Carlos.” He breathes.

“Hm?”

“He moved! It's working. Oh god.” Cecil babbles. “Its working. Michael? Michael? Can you hear me?”

'Vaguely. It's all muffled, Mr. Radio Host.' Michael says to himself. He's still stuck in the void, but he can feel himself getting closer to coming back.

But just as he almost gets there, he feels trapped in a vacuum. He can't breathe. His body isn't strong enough yet. The flowers in his lungs are still making it near impossible to breathe. 'Don't stop! Please! I cant breathe on my own!'

The boy's fingers twitch again before stilling. His chest not rising or falling on his own. His blood stained lips still tinted blue.

“Cecil, you have to keep going. He isn’t breathing yet.” Carlos says, pressing his hands down harder. He watches Cecil lean back down. More petals were pulled out then whole flowers. They were still bloody at this point. At this point, Cecil’s lips were as red as Michael’s, due to being pressed against the boy’s lips. Cecil was still whispering under his breath, but what, Carlos couldn’t make out. It likely wasn’t in English.

Cecil keeps pulling the petals, his tongue raw from the soft, bloody petals. He didn’t care.

“Quod si non lux lucet in Penitus,

SAECULA extra fluxus et non abscondam.

Quod lucet in anima,

Curaret facere decrevi.

Sic luceat lux vestra hoc mirabilis,

Auxilium meum dolorem miserere mei: sana ut-nocte.

Memoria mea lux vestra introrsus

Adducere pax et caritas, neque plures in sempiternum". He prays desperately. It was rare that he used this level of desperation, but it was necessary now. Leaning down, Cecil draws out yet another mouthful. He spits them out and sits up, catching his breath. He takes a deep breath and then leans back down.

Agony. Michael was in absolute agony. In the void he couldn't die. He was already dead or, well, dying, so not being able to breathe was excruciating. Relief came with more pain. The pressure on his chest tripled, but then air was filling his lungs. Pressure was removed from his lungs everytime his body was made to exhale. It ached, but luckily he couldn't feel it that much. All he knew was that they were still fighting, so he would too. So he dragged himself closer to the door. Closer to Cecil and Carlos.

Cecil watches Michael's face closely for any sign over movement. Carlos kept the compressions going but Cecil was concerned. He knows he felt the movement and it wasn't just in his head. It couldn't be. He used his sleeve to clean the blood away from Michael's mouth, seeing that they were still blue tinted but not near as bad.

“I know you can do this.” He whispers. “Come back to me.” He blows again, forcing more air into the child's lungs.

‘I'm trying, Ceec.’ Michael whispers. Hes so close now, but it's like the void has changed its mind. It doesn't want him to leave anymore. There's a heavy force pushing against him.

It takes everything in him to get to the door frame. Hes clinging to it as the force tries to pull him back. It wants to keep him forever, but Michael has to go back. ‘I have to say goodbye.’

Michael's fingers twitch again and there's brief movement beneath his eyelids.

Cecil doesn't notice the movement. His own eyes are closed as he pushed more air in. Less petals and flowers were coming up, which Cecil assumed was a good thing. He pulls up, looking down again. He stared down and bites his lip in worry. “Come on…”

“Again.” Carlos says. “I saw his finger twitch. We're closer.” He felt the hope bubbling up in his chest. Is this really happening? He asked, feeling a slight tingle in his fingertips.

Michael barely manages to reach the door knob, but he twists as soon as he can. The door pushes open, and Michael falls through.

Michael jerks up as he gasps for air. Wheezing around the flowers, he spits petals and blood. His memory is fuzzy, but it felt a lot less than before he died. Regardless, the boy trembles as he coughs and gasps for air.

Cecil falls back, spitting the last of the petals out. He gives a strangled cry of relief. “Oh thank the gods.”

Carlos jerked his hands back as Michael sits up. He nearly gets smacked in the head. “Woah. Easy. Deep breaths. Slowly.” He instructs. He gives a wairy smile. “You gave us quite a scare there.”

“Had to- had to come back.” Michael rasps. “Didn't- I didn't get to say goodbye.”

The young boy squeezes his eyes closed as he whimpers in pain and coughs up more flowers. The morning glories are completely red now, and the dahlias are a deep maroon.

“I needed to say ‘I love you’ and ‘goodbye.’” he whispers.

“What? No. No.” Cecil shakes his head. “No.” He reaches out and takes Michael’s hand. “Please don’t.” He begs. His feeling of relief was instantly replaced with cold dread.

Carlos reaches over and touches Michael’s arm. “I love you Michael. But I don’t want to say goodbye. Not yet. Not here.” His voice was surprisingly steady as he talked.

Michael weakly shakes his head before coughing up more bloody petals. “Don't- don't lie...p-plea-” he's cut off by another painful coughing fit. “m n-not able to be loved...accepted it years ago…” The dying boy pauses. He tries to give Cecil a reassuring smile, but his teeth are stained with his blood. The lopsided smile that took so much time for the couple to earn was now matching the morning glories on the floor around them. “s-s okay, Ceec. m ready...don't- don't need t lie, Carlos.” He doubles over again, but this time even more blood came with the flowers.

“You're wrong.” Cecil chokes out. “You are loved. I love you.” His heart broke at the scene in front of him. If Michael dies here, he would never set foot in this booth again. He couldn't.

“Michael, I never lie about who I love. And I love you. Please….” Carlos meets his eyes best he could. “Don't let this end here. Don't let their lies keep you from being happy. Don't” He takes a deep breath and pushes his hair back. “Don't die.”

The boy shakes his head as he coughs. More blood and petals pooled on the floor but it was less than the coughing fit before. Whether or not he recognized or admitted it, hearing them say those words were keeping him alive.

"I'm not...I don't deserve-" Michael chokes on more petals and after he can breathe again he doesn't finish his sentence. 'I don't deserve love. Or happiness. Or life...'

“You do. Michael you deserve so much more than we can give you, so so much more.”

“That being said, we want to try. Help. Get you out of that hell hole. Because that's what you do for the people you love.”

'I deserve what happens at home...it's my fault." Michael shakes his thoughts out. "Never suppose to live this long...it hurts...but m glad I got t feel love towards you..." Michael spits more flowers up. His throat is shot from all the stress on it. "Th-thank you...you made it better...made it worth the pain...don't regret it..." he weakly whispers.

Cecil can't speak any more. He covers his mouth with his hand and sobbing softly. He keeps shaking his head to deny what was happening. Nononono no. Was this his punishment? For not doing anything when he first found out what was happening to Michael? Looks like you really do break everything you touch.

Carlos reaches over and pulls Cecil to him, shaking his head. “No. It's not your time yet.”

Fresh blood shines on Michael's lips. His eyes are losing their brightness again, and he curls into himself in pain as he throws up more flowers.

"Dont- dont cry...please...s not- s not worth it..." Michael wheezes. "Maybe ll join the- the lights above the Arby's...always thought they were neat..."

He feels like his lungs are ripping apart. Its immensely painful, but he tries to keep a brave face. He has to for Cecil. Carlos is a scientist, and he knows how to look after the host. But Cecil- he cant see the spark in the radio host's eyes go out. Not because of him.

Cecil takes a breath in, coughing on exhale. “It is worth it. You aren't listening to me.” He has to pause before he can go on. “You're a good listener so listen when I tell you that you are worth it. You are. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you when you needed it. And I'm sorry I didn't notice you suffering right in front of me all this time and-and I just watched them hurt you instead of figuring out some way some way to help you. I should have been better. Give me the chance to be better.”

Michael's heart aches at Cecil's words, and if he wasn't suffocating he would've tensed at the tone of his voice and word choices. He can't save himself. He's dying because hes unlovable. He knew he would likely die in this station. And he knew there was nothing he could do. He was dying now, and he can't do anything to stop it. He doesn't know how to stop it. So he makes a decision.

"I-I promise ll always love you. Both of you. Even when m gone, ll love you...the first people ve ever got t love." Michael holds his pinkie out towards the couple. It's the last thing he might ever do, but he never breaks a promise.

Carlos reaches over first to seal the promise. Cecil is still shaking and murmuring to himself. “Promise.” He says, swallowing thickly.

Slowly, Cecil uncurls himself and reaches out to join. “Promise.” It was a hoarse whisper, but there nonetheless.

Blood and petals pour from the dying kid's mouth. "I never break a promise… It's forever… They're everlasting." He rasps. Tears fall from his tide pod eyes as he curls into himself and coughs more bloody flowers. "It-it hurts...m s-sorry...it hurts..."

“Actually no.” It's Carlos that speaks. He pulls his hand away. Cecil makes a noise of surprise and confusion. “I'm not making this promise if it means that you die. I'm not letting you off that easily.”

“Carlos-”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Michael, you know we love you. I know for a fact you love us. You need to believe us. Because this…..this isn't something that gets used lightly and without meaning. Please.”

"Hngh" Michael wraps his arms around himself as the flowers grow and shift inside him. He chokes up three blood soaked purple dahlias and a single morning glory. 'Hes mad. He's mad and m dying and I can't fix it. Hes bound to hate me. I'm ruining the booth and breaking his husband.'

"m s-sorry...p-please dont- dont hate me...m tryi-" Michael's struggling to get air in his lungs. Dark spots begin to dance in his vision again. Hes fading fast.

Cecil is shocked at the roll reversal between them. “Michael, we don't hate you.”

“Do you want to die?” Carlos asks. “I don't think you do. I could be wrong but the saying is 'a scientist is never wrong’. Michael, I would do anything for you. Give up everything to see you happy. I-” he stops talking when Michael starts to struggle. “Shit.” He presses his hands to the side of his face. Think. Think. “On your side.” He instructs. “Your lungs are filling up and being on your side could give you more time. I'm not ready to let you go yet. I just met you after all.”

Michael let's himself fall to his side as he chokes on more flowers and blood. They seem never ending. The air he manages to take in is small and causes a pained whistle sound as he breathes. He focuses more on air then talking. He said what he needed, and now he's dying again. He was destined to die when the disease required love. He's never truly been loved. People have said it but never meant it. He has no reason to believe this is any different.

“I-i c-cant. I can't Carlos. I did this. This is my fault.” Cecil squeezes his eyes shut. “I can't watch him die. Michael, I can't-i can't watch you die. I love you too much to watch this. I can't. I can't.” He puts his hands over his head. Cecil had experienced plenty heartbreak in his long life but nothing like this. It never hurt like this.

“Don't leave.” Carlos says. “He needs you to much.” He isn't sure who he was talking to but is desperate to get his point across.

Michael's vision is mainly all black now. His hearing is muffled. 'He said he loves me...' It takes all the air in Michael's lungs but he's set on trying. His body wasn't able to move his own hand off the ground, so he curled the fingers to only have his pinkie out.

"Promise- pinkie promise that you lov-" Michaels hoarse plea is cut off by more flowers and blood. He cant get enough air to finish.

Cecil stared at the pinkie for a moment, loathing pinkie promises. They seemed to lead to bad things. But he found himself reaching out to seal the promise.

“I promise. For the rest of all time.”

Carlos moves, leaning over and gently pulling the bloody blossom from Michael's mouth. “Promise.”

Michael squeezes his pinkie that's locked with Cecils. Immediately his chest spasms and he wretches more flowers and blood up. Blooming and blossoming purple dahlias, and a single dead and bloody morning glory. Michael's lungs are clear of one of the infecting flowers, and he's gasping for air amongst the purple ones. Where the morning glories were, the dahlias seem to immediately try to fill. The boy is still dying, but he's been given precious air and time.

“Progress.” Carlos says softly. “That's good at least.” He leans down on onto his folded arm so he was eye level with Michael. “Hey.” He says softly. “I want you to know that I am so proud of you for hanging on. No matter what life threw at you.” He pushed aside the flowers that were in front of them and reaches his hand out to brush Michael's hair behind his ear. “You are so….important to so many people. You just don't know it yet.”

Cecil listens to Carlos talk, running his fingers over Carlos’ hair. He looks at Michael and nods mutely. “He's right.”

Michael shakes his head as he wheezes. "Needed t say goodbye..." his body is wracked with another long coughing fit. Only deep maroon dahlias came up, dyed from Michael's blood. No more spare petals were to be seen. Only full blossoms of Carlos's flower. Only Cecil completed the pinkie promise, so only Cecil's flowers have died. Now with the dahlias completely filling his lungs, Michael cant breathe and this time it's because of Carlos. The scientist never finished, and that was the only promise Michael could trust.

“I love you.” Carlos whispers. “I promise.” He reaches out his hand and takes Michael's. “I mean it this time.”

The next fit is full of petals. Progress it would seem. Except it didn't stay for long. Michael is suffocating on the flowers, and Carlos's empty words don't stick. The dying boy closes his eyes as he begins to give up the fight.

He knows Cecil meant his words when he sealed the pinkie promise. Carlos hadn't done that. He tried to seal his words with more words. Empty things that can be filled with lies.

Blood dribbles out the corner of Michael's mouth as another pedal sticks to his bottom lip. His body goes slack. Only a slight rise and fall to show he's not yet dead.

“I'm going to be honest with you. I wasn't at all surprised when Cecil got attached to you rather quickly. I didn't know if it was the best idea, but then I met you and…..i understood. I saw what he got so taken to. You are unlike anyone I've ever met. Now, I've never been any good with kids. At all. But….i don't know. You make me feel…...protective?” Carlos pauses and bites his bottom lip before continuing. “I bet you think this is all empty words, don't you? But...its not. I'm terrible at talking about my feelings, you know this. I meant every word. I do love you and I know that you don't believe me. I would do anything for you to believe me.” His voice grows softer as he speaks.

Michael doesn't open his eyes as his eyelids are too heavy now. Besides his vision was full of spots, so what did it matter? His chest wasn't rising as much anymore, but it fell all the same. Not enough air anymore. No more time left. The "unlovable" boy is dying.

"Pin...kie...pro...mise?" Blood and petals fell out of his mouth as Michael used the last air he had. He couldn't do anything else, so he figured it'd be worth a shot. His chest stills. No more air gets it; the clock is ticking.

“Pinkie promise.” Carlos agrees. He shifts his hold on Michael's hand and wraps his pinkie around the smaller one. It was both a promise and a plea. A plea to stay. A plea to hold on..

Michael's pinkie twitches as it tries to lock the promise. Nothing happens. The boy is near unconsciousness. The kid is almost gone again. Lost forever to join the intern shrine.

But then he feels something shift in his lungs. Michael barely manages to suck in a breath, but it's enough. His grip on Carlos's pinkie tightens, and then he's coughing again.

Blood and a dead purple dahlia blossom.

Carlos finds himself holding his breath, his eyes searching Michael's face. He feels a wave of defeat when the boy's breath shallows. Not yet. Please. He begs whatever gods were listening. Or not listening. He slowly lets his breath out but when Michael starts to cough again, Carlos gasped softy. He reaches over and picks up the flower, feeling the dead petals under his calloused fingers. He looks back at Michael.

“Michael?”

Michael coughs again, no flowers and only a little blood. He's swallowing air as his lungs burned for more. It takes him a minute before he's able to open his eyes. A weak, lopsided smile.

"Guess you're stuck with me?" Michael didn't think he'd survive that, but seeing Carlos and Cecil is a pleasant surprise. They promised to love him, so he knew they wouldn't leave him.

Cecil lets out a wet laugh of relief and climbs over Carlos to pull Michael carefully into a hug.

“I wouldn't have it any other way.” He pulls back just enough to wipe the fresh blood from his face. The dried blood would have to be washed off.

Carlos pulls himself up off of the floor. “A promise is a promise, is it not?” He smiles a little.

“I'll get someone to clean this up and then you probably need something to drink. I know I did.” Cecil looks around the room and his eyes fell on the discarded binder. He picks it up and hands it to Michael with a sheepish look. “I had to take it off to get you breathing again. I didn't see anything I swear!”

Michael tightens the hug, simply holding the binder in his hand. He definitely felt uncomfortable not having it on, but right now isn't the time to worry about that. He buries his head into Cecil's chest.

"Thank you." Michael's voice is rough from all the strain that his throat had, but somehow it still holds the gentleness it normally does. "I love you both."

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

#wtnv #welcome to night vale #wtnv carlos #cecil palmer #carlos the scientist #wtnv cecil #cecilos #au #micheal palmer #hanahaki #angst with a happy ending #angst #collab

54 notes · View notes