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hey-there-juliet · 3 years

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llora por una rosa, dijo el ruiseñor

➤ Written for Day One of Jukebox Appreciation Week: Canonverse @jukebox-week

Summary: Dr Turner said that there was no such thing as a schedule for grief and that everyone dealt with it in their own way, so it was okay if some days were worse than others. Although it helped to have a cute ghost to cuddle with. (Read it on AO3)

Notes: Thank you so much @sunsetcurbed and @felicitysmoaksx for betaing this for me! You guys are amazing, and any remaining mistakes are my own.

Title: El ruiseñor y la rosa, by Oscar Wilde. | Song: A La Nanita Nana, from The Cheetah Girls 2.

Enjoy ♡

llora por una rosa, dijo el ruiseñor

Sometimes, Julie would wake up feeling like her world had turned on its axis as the pain of losing her mother hit her all over again. Dr Turner said it was normal, that there was no such thing as a schedule for grief and that everyone dealt with it in their own way, so it was okay if some days were worse than others.

The problem was that every 'worse' day seemed to get worse.

Reality came crashing down on her on a Thursday morning with absolutely no warning. She still hadn't figured out what triggered the bad days, but she was pretty sure they were intrinsically connected to the good ones.

Ever since the ghosts of three teenagers from the '90s fell into her life, Julie had been having (mostly) good days. Sometimes it all felt like a too vivid daydream, a fantasy she'd come up with to escape her painful reality. Ghosts, the band, music back in her life, stronger than ever, curses and playing the Orpheum; it was crazy. So crazy that it might as well be true.

Five days after the Orpheum, after being able to touch the guys, Julie woke up with the realization that her mom would never meet them. She would never be there for Julie to tell her about how much Reggie enjoyed spending time with her dad. Or how cute Alex looked with his pink-tinted cheeks as he spoke about Willie and museums. Her mom would never be there for Julie to tell her about Luke's passion for music, about his endless energy and encouragement, about his perfect smile and ever-changing eyes and how it felt to finally, finally be able to wrap her arms around him. Her mom would've loved Luke. She would've loved all of them.

Only minutes after Julie turned off her last alarm, her dad knocked on her door, brows furrowed in concern when he peered into the room only to find her still in bed, eyes puffy and red, nose stuffed up and burrowed in her covers.

"Oh, mija," he sighed, making his way into the room. He sat down next to her, and Julie dragged herself into her father's arms, unable to hold back the sobs that were begging to be let out.

"I miss her," she gasped between cries, burying the words into her dad's shoulder.

"Me too, cariño. Me too." He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Your mom would be so proud of you, Julie. Wherever she is, I know she’ll be watching over you and Carlos and cheering you on like she always did.”

Julie nodded, thinking about the three boys who had literally dropped into her life. Her dad had no idea how right he was.

“Why don’t we take the day off? I’ll call the school and empty my schedule.”

“No, no,” she protested, leaning away and wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her sleep t-shirt. “Don’t miss out on work because of me, I’ll be alright. I think I’d just like to be alone today.”

He didn’t seem really convinced, raising an eyebrow in her direction and lowering his head to meet her eyes directly. “You sure?”

“I’m sure, Papi.” Julie sent him the most reassuring smile she could manage, which must have been good enough because he soon relented and pushed himself up.

“I’ll bring you something today after work, how about that?”

She frowned, unable to stop the lighthearted smile from forming on her lips. “Like what?”

Her dad shrugged, stepping backwards toward the door. “I don’t know, something cool. A surprise.”

Julie chuckled, but agreed, “Okay.”

“Don’t stay in bed all day. And eat something.”

“I won’t, and I will. Thanks, Papi.” She threw him a soft smile.

“Te quiero, mija.”

“I love you, too.” With a last worried glance in her direction, her dad stepped out and closed her bedroom door, taking all of Julie’s lightheartedness with him.

Like a dark cloud descended over her, Julie’s mood crashed again. Left alone with her thoughts, she couldn’t keep herself from imagining if anything would’ve been different had her mom still been there. Would Julie even have told her about the boys? After all, she still hadn’t told her dad, and now with her being able to touch the guys, it could be just a matter of time before they became visible to her family.

One thing she knew for sure it’s that she definitely would have never stopped playing, and maybe she wouldn’t have immediately kicked Luke, Reggie and Alex out. And maybe, without needing to earn back her spot in the music program, she never would’ve played with Sunset Curve in the first place. That was a terrifying thought, but she’d like to think that they would’ve found their way to Julie and the Phantoms eventually anyway, and her mom would be cheering for them every step of the way.

Julie sighed, dropping back down into her pillows and burying herself into her covers again. With one hand, she reached over her nightstand for a picture of her mom and her. It wasn’t her favorite one — that one was in her dresser, — but it was definitely a close second. Rose was sitting on the couch with a five-year-old Julie on her lap, fresh out of the shower and rolled up in her towels like a burrito. They’d been watching something on TV when her dad captured the moment. Years later, Julie had no idea what they were watching, but what she did know was that there were several pictures of that day because that was when her parents found out they were having Carlos and so her dad wanted to have the whole day on record.

With a soft laugh at the memory of her mom and dad telling her that story, Julie traced her mother’s smiling face in the photograph, lightly humming her favorite lullaby that Rose used to sing to her.

Julie was startled out of her thoughts by a sudden knock. She dropped the picture down on the bed, body tensing up since her dad and Carlos had left minutes ago, until she remembered they weren’t actually the only residents at the Molina household anymore. She rolled her eyes before calling the knocker in.

Luke’s beanie covered head phased through the door. He had a bright grin on his lips and a bounce on his step as he made his way inside, stopping by the foot of her bed.

“Skipping school? Damn, Jules, I didn’t know you had it in you,” he said, apparently before getting a good look at her and immediately frowning in concern. “What is it, what’s wrong?” Luke came closer, kneeling by the side of her bed and resting his chin at the corner of her mattress.

Julie took a moment to take him in; the way his bottom lip stuck out just a little in a pout, and how his hands fiddled with her sheets, his eyes focused and intense, filled with worry and never leaving hers. She had to look away. “Nothing, I’m just- I’m just missing my mom today, that's all.”

“Oh.” His voice was low, barely a whisper, and it drew Julie’s eyes back to him. This time, he was the one staring down at her bed. He crossed his arms over the mattress and rested his chin on them, only sticking a hand out to tap lightly on the picture that rested between them. “Is this her?”

She looked down at the picture again, tracing the frame with her fingers. “Yeah, that’s mom.”

“You look like her.”

Raising her eyes to meet his again, Julie couldn’t help the soft smile at the sincerity she found in his face. “Yeah? Thanks.”

They were silent for a moment, both lost in thought. Julie was sure that Luke’s mind had gone to his own mom. She knew he still visited his parents, and sometimes she honestly couldn’t say what would be worse: to never be able to see or speak with her parents again, or to see them and talk to them, only to receive no response and have them look right through you.

“Scooch over.” Luke’s voice brought her out of her thoughts abruptly, and Julie could only blink at him in confusion as he got up and started toeing his shoes off.

“What?”

“Move over,” he shooed her with his hands, and Julie was a little too shocked to protest when he grabbed a corner of her blankets and crawled into bed next to her.

For a whole minute, Luke fumbled around, fixing the pillows behind him however he wanted and covering himself with her blankets except for the one leg sticking out of the side. Finally, he opened one arm in invitation and threw her an expectant look.

Julie could do nothing but look at him in bewilderment, on the edge of freaking out about having a boy (a boy she had a big, fat crush on, no less) on her bed. Before she could let herself spiral into nervous laughter, Julie shook her head with a chuckle, and moved closer, fitting herself into his side with the picture of her mom in her lap. She was unable to contain the sigh of relief at actually being able to feel him there — the boys’ solid-state was still new, and she was always afraid that it would suddenly go away.

Luke shuffled around a little more, getting both of them comfortable before tapping the picture in her lap again. “Tell me about her.”

With her brain still struggling to catch up, all she could manage was a “Huh?”

“Well, you got to meet my mom, but since I can’t meet yours, I figured the next best thing is that you tell me about her.”

Julie looked at him then, soft eyes meeting hers, and she felt her breath catch, the familiar butterflies fluttered their wings in her stomach. She couldn’t quite put a name to what she was feeling, she just knew that she had never felt something like it before.

She gave him a smile, and turned forward again, leaning her head on his shoulder to look down at the picture in her lap. There were a million things she could tell Luke about her mother, but the decision was made for her once she caught sight of the dahlias on the cushions next to her mom in the picture.

“My mom loved flowers. All kinds, and plants, and she would make the most beautiful flower crowns you’ve ever seen. Anytime we went to the park, she’d find these pretty, wildflowers and make crowns for me and my friends. Carrie and I used to say we were fairy princesses,” Julie chuckled, losing herself in vague memories of two little girls chasing each other around the swings while her mom sat on the ground nearby, weaving flowers together. Luke laughed softly with her at the image she painted. “Her favorite were dahlias, though. Mom absolutely loved them, they’re everywhere in the house.”

“Dahlias,” he said, and Julie glanced at him over her shoulder to find him lost in his own thoughts. “My mom likes those too.” He sent her a sad smile before motioning for her to go ahead.

“Uh… She loved sparkly things. Every time an outfit wasn’t quite what she wanted, she’d just… bedazzle the hell out of it.” Julie laughed, happy tears forming in her eyes. She sniffed. In the back of her mind, she remembered the latest bedazzled creation of her mom’s she’d found — the Sunset Curve shirt, and made a mental note to ask the guys about it later.

“She, uh, she didn’t like sugar on her tea, but she had the biggest sweet tooth. She loved breakfast for dinner, especially pancakes. She was a great dancer, she’s the one who taught me how to salsa, 'cause dad’s a little useless in that department.” Using the sleeve of her shirt, Julie wiped away the few stray tears that had fallen down her cheeks. If Luke was bothered by her crying, he didn’t say anything.

“She used to leave notes all over the house. Sometimes reminders about Carlos’ games, or where dad had put his keys, but other times just little encouraging messages like 'you got this' and ‘I love you’...” Julie’s voice trailed off, remembering the last note her mom ever left for her at the end of Wake Up; You can do it, Julie. Love, mom.

The few tears multiplied. She sniffed again.

“She sounds amazing,” Luke said softly, brushing his cheek over her hair and using the arm he had around her to reach for her hand.

“She was,” Julie agreed, distracting herself by playing with the rings on his fingers. He was such a rockstar. She chuckled, tilting her head to the side just a little but not looking away from his hand as she traced the calluses on his fingertips. “When she was younger, she was actually in a band. A couple of bands, even.”

Julie felt Luke tense up in excitement, and she imagined he was having a hard time actually staying still.

“Really?” he asked, and she heard the awe in his voice just like the first time he said her mother was a really talented writer.

“Oh, yeah. They never made it big, but… they sounded pretty good. And mom was an amazing singer and writer, and the way she shredded on the piano?” Julie shook her head, no words would ever be able to describe the admiration she had for her mom and her talent.

“Kinda like you, then?” His tone was teasing, but Julie could hear the sincerity in it plain as day, and couldn’t help but tilt her head up to throw him a thankful look.

“She taught me everything. The first song I learned on the piano was the lullaby she used to sing to me. Every night, she sang Carlos and I to sleep, and my dad too, if he happened to be sitting down,” she told him, and they laughed at the image of her dad being lulled to sleep.

As their chuckles faded out, they lapsed into silence. Using Luke’s knuckles as keyboards, Julie practiced the lullaby she hadn’t heard in years. She kind of wished she could go back in time and tell twelve-year-old Julie that she would never be too old to be lulled asleep by her mom’s voice.

A few moments later, Luke’s voice broke the silence. “Will you sing for me?”

“What?” she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right.

“The first song you learned, the lullaby. Will you sing it for me?” he asked again, voice just barely above a whisper, drawing her eyes back toward him, like a siren luring a fisherman into the sea.

For a second or two, Julie got lost in his ocean eyes — the late morning sun that was shining through her open curtains making them look bright blue. Then she cleared her throat, taking the moment to remember some of the lyrics. Julie’s Spanish was never as good as her parents’, but the words for this song she knew by heart.

“A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella,” her voice started out low and slowly built up to the song’s rhythm. Julie didn’t look at him, but she could feel Luke’s warm gaze fixed on her. “Mi niña tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea.” She repeated the first two lines, letting her volume rise just a little. The song felt like an overdue embrace from her mom, and Julie let herself get lost in the memories it brought.

She felt Luke’s fingers tapping against her own hand, and could imagine almost perfectly how the melody would sound coming from his guitar. A part of her wondered why it felt so natural to share this with him, but she also knew that if it wasn’t for Luke, Stand Tall would probably still be sitting unfinished inside her Dreambox. Music flowed through him the same way it did through her, and the same way it had flowed through her mom. It felt right to share this with him too.

Ascending to a major key, Julie started the next verse effortlessly. “Fuentecita que corre, clara y sonora. Ruiseñor que en la selva, cantando y llora. Calla mientras la cuna, se balancea. A la nanita nana, nanita ella...”

Julie sat up a little, leaning her shoulder against Luke’s and finally turning to meet his eyes. The look on his face… she couldn’t describe it, but her heart understood it anyway. Without looking away from him, she continued. “A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella. Mi niña tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea.” Before Julie could start the last verse, Luke started to hum, following the song’s rhythm as if he’d heard it several times before. His fingers were still tapping against her wrist, and she couldn’t help sending him a small smile before continuing.

“Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora. Ruiseñor que en la selva, cantando y llora. Calla mientras la cuna, se balancea. A la nanita nana...” she sang, then drew a deep breath and closed her eyes, remembering her mom’s kind and smiling face. Dragging out the last couple of notes, Julie finished the song, a single tear making its way down her cheek. “... nanita ella.”

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy or even charged. It was peaceful and comfortable, and Julie could have basked in it for a long time, but she couldn’t say she was surprised when Luke ended the peace quite soon.

She felt his hand leaving hers and wiping away the tear from her cheek just as her eyes fluttered open, meeting his awed eyes and impossibly soft smile.

“That was beautiful, Jules.”

She smiled, accepting the compliment with a nod before settling back down against him. Julie burrowed her face against his neck, the lullaby from her childhood had left her feeling light and sleepy.

Luke seemed to have gotten the message because he shuffled around a little more before settling down too. Julie didn’t know if the boys could sleep now; they couldn’t before, but after everything that had happened post-Orpheum, to ask whether they could sleep or not wasn’t exactly high on her priority list.

She felt his fingers lightly run down her braided hair, soothing her further into sleep. Just before she could doze off completely, Luke spoke again.

“You know, you never told me her name.”

Julie yawned, wrapping an arm around his middle and pulling herself closer into his side as she answered. “Rose. Her name was Rose.”

She didn’t see Luke’s frown, or notice the way he looked down at the picture that had fallen from her lap and into his with a dawning sense of realization. All Julie knew was that she felt safe, and loved, and that wherever she was, her mom was still watching over her.

After all, she'd sent her Luke.

#jukeboxweek #fanfic #jatp fic #fic recs #juke #omg they were soulmates #julie and the phantoms #jatp #mine #luke patterson #julie molina #julie x luke

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anbudrky2021 · 3 years

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Ch 5: Three Days

The 𝔇𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔢 Sound of 𝒯𝒽𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 │ 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕆𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕠𝕟

No smut warning in this one. Next one there will be :) Please click here for series description and TWs. 💕

I woke up to the sound of Nat at my door. She let herself in and sat down comfortably on the edge of my bed. “Hey sleepyhead, you missed breakfast..” she handed me a muffin.

“Oh,” I sat up, groggy and confused. “I must have slept through the alarm,” I noted, looking at my phone.

“That’s ok. Wanda is waiting in the lab with Shuri when you’re ready.” She gave me a kind smile. I smiled back. More tests. Like a lab rat.

“You’re not a rat,” Natasha laughed. “You’re a human going through something strange. We’ll figure it out.”

I laughed as well, “Ok. I am going to get up.” I said, finishing my muffin and moving the bedding. I got up and around, brushing my hair and teeth; I changed into some leggings and a t-shirt. I slid on my sneakers and sighed. “Alright. I’m ready.” I noticed Natasha was looking at her phone, confused. “Everything ok?” I asked observantly.

“Yeah, just a message from Tony I don’t understand.” She rolled her eyes and placed her phone in her pocket.

I bet it’s about Thor’s mission to observe Bucky. I scoffed at my own thought.

“No it’s about something else,” Nat replied, smiling softly.

“I really need to get this fixed,” I groaned.

We reached the lab in time to run into Thor wandering out of the wing. “Ladies,” he nodded his head in politeness, but continued walking without stopping. I blushed.

I counted his steps as he walked away, hoping it would keep me from projecting any thought I might have.

We entered the main area and saw Shuri in another room, through the glass. She waved at us to come to her. We walked together to the room and sat down in the chairs provided.

“So I was up...all night,” she began, looking somewhat exhausted but excited at the same time. “I have some ideas and Wanda volunteered to be like...”

“The control group,” Wanda interjected. I jumped at her voice, not realizing she had been in the room.

“So I am the experimental group?” I said, a little nervous.

“Yes, but you knew that already.” Shuri rolled her eyes and continued. “I have some tests I have already started with Wanda and would like to conduct with you, to see the difference in the firing of neurons, etc.”

“Ok...” I stared at her.

“Basically we’re going to compare her brain activity to yours, since she’s the closest example of someone who can use your same powers.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s another place to start..” she sighed.

I don’t want to be compared to Wanda. I do that myself enough. As soon as I thought it, I regretted it; I didn’t need Wanda and Nat to go on their ‘you’re beautiful as you are’ crusade. But nobody responded. Either I was being ignored or I hadn’t projected.

After about 15 minutes of setting up, a few projections, and some frustration, we were ready to start the first test.

Shuri had created a slideshow of different scenes, people, and words. Each of them had a purpose, according to her, and could hopefully help her figure out triggers or stressors within me and Wanda. Wanda had already completed hers.

“Ready?” Shuri asked. “Remember, some of these may be...upsetting or emotionally jarring. So let me or Nat know if we need to stop.”

Nat was beside me in the room, whereas Wanda and Shuri were on the other side of the glass, next to the computer.

“Ready as ever I guess...” I took a deep breath and watched the screen change.

The first few were almost funny; a cow, a dog, basic things.

The next few were more interesting; the compound, a field, the jet, knives

The knives made me uncomfortable but I tried to stay calm.

“The knives set off a different part of your brain,” Wanda said through the glass. Shuri shot her a look. “I wasn’t supposed to say that; sorry!” Her eyes were wide and animated. She was adorable sometimes.

Scott Lang, Tony, Bruce, T’Challa, Shuri scrolled on the screen, one at a time.

Wanda, Natasha, Clint, Thor

My heart was starting to race and I was not comfortable.

Steve, Pietro, Vis, Bucky

I didn’t move, I didn’t think, I didn’t say anything. Bucky wasn’t on the screen; he was in the next room with Wanda and Shuri.

“Can you leave,” I heard Shuri say, “Thor was looking for you anyway. Go find him.” She wafted him away. He made a point to look at me and smile. I didn’t smile back, only turned my head back to the screen.

Peter

“Can I take a break please?” I asked immediately.

“Uh, sure...” Shuri looked at Nat and nodded. Nat helped me remove the different testing measures and I left the room quickly. I took deep breaths but I felt like I was dying.

Wanda came out of her room and walked toward me. “Hey, you did a great job...” she soothed me, taking me into her arms. “You were so good.” She rocked me a little, allowing for me to calm down more. I was able to take a deep breath and collect myself.

“Sorry. I know the point is to identify brain...stuff...but that was a lot for me.” I shook my head with disappointment in myself.

“It’s understandable, Y/N, you’ve been through a lot and you haven’t necessarily had closure...” she rubbed my arm. “Are you ready to come back?” She pointed at the door.

“Yeah.” I took another breath. Ready to leave is more like it.

“Quitting isn’t an option today,” Wanda retorted.

I laughed but knew she was right.

We did some more tests for a few hours. Some emotional, some physical, some logic-based. By noon, Wanda and I were exhausted in every aspect of the word. Shuri let us leave but Nat stayed behind to help her work on the test results to find any patterns or relevance.

Wanda and I chose to take a walk on the Palace grounds to get some fresh air and sunshine.

“That was...a lot...” she said softly. It was hard on her, too. After losing her brother and her mom and dad... “I didn’t realize how much I missed Pietro..” she sniffled, wiping her face on her sleeve.

“Yeah, it was...” I rubbed her back as we walked.

We walked in silence for a while. We got to see some kids playing, a dog wandering around, and Steve down in a field with Bucky, sparring we supposed.

I did not mention the tight feeling in my chest when I saw Bucky fighting; I just walked and counted my steps.

“Y/N, why have you been projecting numbers?” She asked as we reentered the Palace.

“What?”

“Well it’s always a different pace, but it’s always numbers.” She looked at me quizzically.

“Oh, well I am trying to count footsteps instead of letting my thoughts project. I guess I am projecting the counting...” I laughed a little.

She smiled. “You’re so creative, you know that?” I smiled back at her as we parted ways. I headed for my room.

By dinner time, I was starving. I walked out of my room and headed to the dinning area.

“Y/N, wait up!” Steve called after me. I turned and waited for him. “How did today go?” He asked, thoughtfully.

“It was tough but hopefully worth something.” I gave him a forced smile.

“Bucky told me he walked in on you guys working. He felt bad about it, you know...” he looked at me wearily.

“I don’t care,” I smiled at him, pretending to not care even though I wanted to punch him for mentioning Bucky.

“Hey! Please don’t punch me,” he feigned fright by putting his hands up in surrender.

“Steve. I just-” I inhaled deeply. “I think about Bucky every day. I think about what happened all the time. I don’t want to think about him or it any more than I need to...” I trailed off. “Thank you for relaying that, but I don’t have the capacity to care about what Bucky feels.”

Steve nodded with understanding. “I gotcha.”

We walked into the dining room. Where, of course, Bucky was seated.

Goddamn it. This mother fucker.

Everyone looked at me. I blushed. Of course I projected that. I counted my steps as I walked to my seat, between Steve and Wanda.

Natasha sat across from me, next to Thor and Shuri. Bucky was on the other side of Steve, out of my sight at least.

As I ate, I counted my bites of food. I counted the number of rolls on the table. I counted the number of freckles on Steve’s arm. Anything to distract myself.

“Jesus Christ, Y/N. Quit with the counting!” Bucky sat his fork down harshly. “Just tell me what you’re thinking so you don’t have to distract yourself and annoy everyone!” He looked around and past Steve, right at me.

Everyone was staring at us. “Buck, I didn’t hear anything...” Steve whispered to Bucky.

“Neither did I...” Nat interjected.

“So only Bucky heard the projection?” Shuri asked, interested.

“No,” Thor’s voice now echoed above theirs. “I heard it, too. I just assumed everyone did and I’m not as ass.” He glared at Bucky.

I was blushing and completely confused. I stood up and walked off without a word.

I heard large steps behind me but ignored them until my wrist was caught by a large hand.

“Y/N, are you ok? That was futile. Bucky was out of line.” Thor looked concerned.

“I’m fine. Please let me go. I’m just so tired.” I started to tear up. My mind was overwhelmed and my emotions were completely out of sorts. I needed my mommy. Thor let go of my wrist and nodded. “Do you want company? I can sit and talk or-“

“No. Thank you. I just need time. I’m going to go...Um, I’m going visit my mom..” I turned on my heel and left him behind.

I walked for about 30 minutes in one direction before approaching the cemetery. I took a deep breath for calmness and then entered the lot.

I walked among the rows, feeling more and more nauseous the closer I got to her. Finally, I saw her stone.

T’Challa had a special marble figurine commissioned for her. It was on top of her headstone. It was beautiful and exuded her brilliance tenfold. I smiled as I fell to my knees in front of it.

The sobs that left me the moment my knees hit the grass were earth-moving. I could feel my body tensing and writhing as my tears fell. My shoulders heaved with every cry. I slowly drifted closer to the ground until I was laying completely on top of her grave. My tears watered her grass.

I don’t know how much time passed, but I had fallen asleep on my mother’s grave. When I awoke, my head was pounding and my eyes felt like stinging, melting glass shards. I sniffled and sat up, looking around. It was dark. I sighed and looked again at her figurine.

“Mom what do I do? Everything is worse. It’s all getting worse. I’m projecting in the wrong ways or not at all. I feel so exhausted. I’m being triggered by everything. I need you, mom...” I listened to the wind in between the graves and stones. The breeze passing through crevasses.

I laid down on my back and looked up at the sky. It was beautiful. I smiled and remembered a moment with my mom in which we went star grazing in Wakanda. He laughed for hours and had the greatest conversations.

I wish Thor was here. He’d love this. I bet he would say something about the Asgard sky and then horribly describe it. But he’d be smiling and that smile...

I blushed thinking about his smile. But then I caught myself. But what about Peter. I groaned.

I looked more at the stars and continued to fight back and forth between thinking of Thor and Peter. I was so engulfed in my thoughts I didn’t hear the gate to the cemetery open and close.

“Y/n.” Thor voice was soft and respectful.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” I screamed and jolted upright. “You scared me to death!!!” I fell back onto the ground.

He laughed and said “this would be a good place to drop dead..”

I chuckled. “I suppose so...how’d you find me?”

“Earlier you said you were visiting your mom. You’ve been gone for hours...and then...” he looked at me strangely. “I started...seeing what you’re seeing. Like I’m you...” he sat beside me, elbows on his crooked knees.

“And then...Peter called me. He was freaking out asking if you were ok. Because he was seeing the same thing I was...” he looked down at me.

I looked at him, feeling nauseous again. Immediately, without warning I turned my head and vomited just out of moms burial site.

“Woah!” Thor held my hair back and soothed me the best he could. “Are you ok?”

“I-no-I don’t think-“ and I was done. I passed out in Thor’s arms and didn’t wake for three days.

#avengers smut #thor smut #mcu #bucky barnes #thor x y/n #thor #angst #present day au #canon divergent au #modern au

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mylovelyfandoms · 4 years

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Soonyoung’s backstory

The Symbol of the Star

Basic Information

A/N: Haven’t edited again and crappy ending whoop whoop. I feel like I went off topic a lot so sorry.

Warnings: Fire, Arson, an OC, death, depicts of torture, angst ish

(GIF not mine)

- When Soonyoung was born, he took his mother’s life

- It wasn’t exactly his fault, and his father knew that

- After the death of his wife, Soonyoung’s father vowed to take care of his son and make her sacrifice worth it

- So, even when Soonyoung started to show symptoms of being a part of the affected, his father hid him from the soldiers

- He hid him from the world

- Soonyoung’s father didn’t want anyone taking his family away from him

- He cherished and loved his son to the best of his ability

- Soonyoung was born as a fire elemental

- His body temperature was burning right when he was born

- But his father still didn’t care

- One day, when Soonyoung was three, he was laying in his crib

- His father was downstairs, heating up a bottle of milk

- While he was messing around, Soonyoung accidentally shot a fire ball at the curtains next to him

- They started to catch on fire

- Soonyoung started screaming and crying, not liking the sudden light that erupted in his room

- The smoke detector went off and started to sound alarms all throughout the house

- Getting more and more fussy, Soonyoung shot more fireballs around without realizing

- Soonyoung’s father realized what was happening and sprinted up the stairs

- He saw his baby crying in the crib and lunged into the burning room

- Soonyoung didn’t stop shooting out fire

- The feet of his pajamas were burnt completely off and fire came from all four of his hands and feet

- As his father approached him, Soonyoung shot out another fireball, hitting his dad right in the chest

- Soonyoung’s father stumbled back, letting out a loud and pained scream

- Still, he was determined to get his son out of the building

- He trudged forward and held onto the bar of the crib, wheezing in an attempt to catch his breath

- “Papa!”

- Soonyoung’s sobs, triggered something in him

- He stood up from the floor, clutching his chest, and reached down to hold onto his child

- When he laid his hands on the toddler, his skin started to burn

- Soonyoung was terrified

- He had made fire before, and he hated it every single time

- He was used to the heat from the flames, but he hated the way the smoke smelled and the way it burned his eyes since it was so bright

- Though, he had never made a fire that spread this fast

- As Soonyoung was carried out of the room, his father’s steps were staggering

- When they were just at the door, Soonyoung’s father collapsed onto the floor with a coughing fit

- He held Soonyoung close to him, trying to ignore the burning feeling that it caused him

- He knew he wasn’t going to make it

- But Soonyoung didn’t

- “Papa! Why aren’t we going anywhere? I’m scared!”

- “S...Soonyoung”

- His father stopped coughing

- Soonyoung thought that was a good thing, that he was getting better

- But he wasn’t moving

- His chest wasn’t rising and his grip went loose

- Soonyoung pushed himself up and looked down to see burnt skin from where he was laying

- His tears came back as he realized what he had done and he dropped to his knees, shaking his father’s lifeless body

- He barely even heard when the door downstairs was kicked open or when the firemen came running in

- One of the firemen tried to pull Soonyoung off of his father’s body while the rest put out the flames

- Soonyoung screamed and screamed, more fire shooting out with every breath

- Eventually, they managed to pry him off

- Once they dragged him out of the house, they tossed him into the back of a soldier’s truck

- The words that they spoke would forever ring in Soonyoung’s mind

- “The monster killed his father. He should be ashamed of himself”

- And as time went by, he was

- He had nightmares almost every night about what he did, screaming and crying in his cell at the facility

- As the years passed, his fire powers faded and his senses grew

- When he finally took the tests when he turned five, Soonyoung was a senser

- They tattooed him and brought him into a new cell with the rest of the stars

- For a long time, he was depressed

- He was ashamed of what he did to his father and the new senses that he inherited were hard to adjust to

- He sat away from the others in the cell, hands covering his ears in order to keep the noises away

- Until one day, he was approached by one of the older kids

- Soonyoung sensed her from even before she was near him

- She crouched down and gently tugged his wrist away from his ears

- “Hey, kiddo”

- Her voice was soft and gentle, but Soonyoung heard it as if she was screaming at him

- “Try to focus on my voice and my voice only”

- From that day forward, the girl, who told Soonyoung to call her Star, taught him how to deal with his powers

- He clung onto her like a child with their mom

- She basically adopted him

- She was a kind soul and knew almost everyone in the facility

- And since everyone knew her, they knew Soonyoung too

- She helped him learn how to isolate his senses and get adjust to his new powers

- One night, he woke up from a particularly bad nightmare

- He climbed to her bed, where she was already awake, and cried into the shirt of her uniform

- He hadn’t had a nightmare in a long time

- She held him close, the feeling bringing flashes of memories to his mind

- He pushed her away

- She didn’t react or seem hurt like he thought she would be

- Instead, she grabbed his hand and walked over to the door of their cell

- “Why don’t you keep lookout for me, okay?”

- Soonyoung nodded and listened in to see if anyone was near

- “I learned this little trick from one of the brains”

- Star picked at the lock, wiggling it around and around until it clicked open

- She swung the door open as quietly as she could and stepped out

- Soonyoung was hesitant

- “It’s okay, I’ve done this many times”

- Hesitantly, Soonyoung followed her out of the cells

- She took him out of their cell room and up to the roof

- Soonyoung was amazed by the view

- He felt tall for once and for a split second, his nightmare slipped away

- But then, Star pulled him into her lap and started to ask her about it

- She sat with him that night and guided him through his feelings

- She helped him understand why he was feeling so ashamed and taught him how to move on

- “You know my name’s not actually Star, right kid?”

- Soonyoung’s innocent eyes widened

- “It’s not?!”

- “My real name is Lee Chun-ae. I did a couple things that I’m not proud of when I was your age. So, I wanted a new start. That’s why I have people call me Star.”

- She took a look at Soonyoung’s shocked expression and chuckled

- “Not everyone is what they seem to be”

- Soonyoung took her words into consideration and decided for a new name for himself

- From that day on, Star would take Soonyoung up to the roof whenever he felt sad and they would look up at the sky

- All of their cell members were too scared to sneak out, so they knew that the roof would be their spot

- Eventually, a year had passed and it was Star’s birthday

- She spent it in the cell with Soonyoung and a couple more of her friends

- It was the most fun they’ve all had in lifetimes

- Until guards started storming into the cell

- “Look, I know we’re skipping out of work, but I’m 20 now, can’t you make some sort of exception?”

- “That’s not why we’re here”

- Soonyoung will never forget the look that fell onto her face as she realized what they meant

- Immediately, she turned to Soonyoung and gripped onto his shoulders, a look and smell more serious than he had ever witnessed

- “Listen to me, Hoshi. No matter what happens, remember my words. Remember that you have the power to know what others are feeling and help them just like I helped you.”

- “Star? What’s going on?”

- “I’m going to go away for a little, okay? You might not see me again, so I just need you to promise me that you will stay true to who you are”

- With tears in his eyes, Soonyoung nodded

- He watched as the soldiers grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her out of the cell, disappearing out of the room

- Soonyoung never saw her again, but her words stayed in his mind

- As he grew up, he made more and more friends, just like Star had done

- He always used his power to sense who was feeling as bad as he was and tried to help them

- So one day, he was transferred into a different cell

- He did the same thing, using his senses until he was met with a strong scent that he knew was the chemical released from sadness

- Soonyoung saw a kid a little bit younger than him in the corner, a dark aura surrounding him

- He asked a couple other kids about the boy and found out that he was a brain

- Not needing much more information, he approached the kid with a hopeful feeling

- Once he approached the brain, he was met with a glare

- There was nothing threatening that Soonyoung could sense about the boy, so he continued

- “I’m Hoshi, what’s your name?”

- The boy was shocked and Soonyoung realized that people were probably too scared to talk to him

- “Ah, well you don’t have to tell me. But I did want to ask you something.”

- At this point, Soonyoung was just finding an excuse to spend more time with this boy

- He came up with the excuse that he wanted to learn from him

- He wanted to spend more time with the boy, not only to help him but because there was something about his energy and smells that drew Soonyoung to him

- The boy agreed to teach and introduced himself as Woozi

- As time went by, Woozi focused on teaching Soonyoung basics of math and reading and science

- And while Soonyoung was learning more than he thought he would, he also made progress in getting Woozi to open up more

- One day, Woozi asked Soonyoung to help him sneak out of the cell

- Soonyoung stared at the shorter boy in shock

- It was then that he realized why he was so drawn to Woozi

- He reminded him of Star

- Without hesitation, Soonyoung stood by the cell door and listened in for any of the soldiers like he had done so many times before

- He told Woozi when it was safe and the soldiers were lazily dozing off

- Woozi picked the lock of the cell, making Soonyoung look at him with a sense of nostalgia

- The rest of their cellmates hissed at them, telling them it wasn’t safe, but the two didn’t care

- Soonyoung started to see Woozi as more of a friend than just someone he had to fix

- From then on, the two would sneak out almost every night

- Woozi would start to talk about plans of escaping, but Soonyoung never thought of it as anything too serious

- Soonyoung would help Woozi explore the grounds of the facility and humor him with different ideas of how they could get out

- One day, Soonyoung had gotten in trouble for slacking off his work

- He was sent into the south wing to get hit and beat as a punishment

- It was the first time he had gotten punished in a long time, so that night when he went back to his cell, he had a nightmare

- He hadn’t had a nightmare since Star left

- So, when he woke up, he made his way to where Woozi was sleeping and woke him up

- Soonyoung took Woozi up to the roof and laid down, looking up and thinking about Star

- Woozi laid next to Soonyoung and started pointing to all of the constellations that he could find

- Soonyoung nodded along distractedly

- He missed Star

- He wanted to know what happened to her

- Woozi quieted down and Soonyoung pushed the thoughts away

- He tried to distract himself with thoughts of his friend

- But his mind started wandered back to the first conversation that he had with Star up there

- Soonyoung turned to Woozi

- “Is Woozi your real name?”

- Woozi paused for a beat, and Soonyoung could sense that he caught him off guard

- “No. Is Hoshi yours?”

- “No.”

- There was more silence between the two

- “So what’s your story?”

- Soonyoung listened intently as Woozi explained his childhood to him

- Suddenly, Woozi’s attitude made sense. Soonyoung had a better understanding of his friend

- Woozi explained that he chose a different name to give himself a fresh start, having Soonyoung perk up slightly

- He explained that he did the same thing and shakily started explaining his childhood

- Though, he left out the details of Star, wanting to keep their story to himself

- They then decided to say their real names

- Soonyoung swallowed back the dark feeling he had in the beginning of his time at the facility

- “Lee Jihoon”

- “Kwon Soonyoung”

- He hadn’t thought of his name in a long time

- And he didn’t like the way that his chest felt heavy when he finally did

- Woozi seemed to have noticed the way Soonyoung’s breathing became uneven as he stood up and offered a hand

- “Come on now, Hosh. We should get back in before the sun rises”

- One day, Woozi was caught with some things he had collected from teaching

- So Soonyoung had no one to talk to

- Throughout the years, Soonyoung clung onto Woozi and didn’t really talk to anyone else but him

- Woozi became the one person he was truly comfortable around, so Soonyoung’s previous social butterfly state only came out when he was around him

- When he was alone, he fell into a ‘won’t talk until you talk to me’ mood

- So, since Woozi wasn’t around, Soonyoung kept to himself

- Soonyoung only looked up from his tray when he heard someone sitting in front of him

- Their scent signaled that it was someone he had never met before, so he looked up

- He was met with a boy who looked around his age with a muzzle over his mouth

- Soonyoung furrowed his eyebrows as another boy with the same muzzle took a seat next to the first boy

- “Hello”

- The two boys snapped their eyes to Soonyoung and gave little waves

- “I’m Hoshi, a senser”

- He tugged his collar down to show his tattoo

- The one across of Soonyoung turned his hand to show a lightning bolt with the letter ‘S’ next to it

- The one next to him lifted his wrist and showed the same one

- “Oh, so you two are screamers”

- The two nodded

- “Do you know how to spell your names?”

- The two nodded slower this time

- “Okay, how many letters do you have in it?”

- The boy across from him held up two fingers

- “Okay, I’ll sing the alphabet and you can tap the table to stop me at the letter that spells your name”

- Soonyoung sang the alphabet and the first boy stopped him at ‘D’ and ‘K’

- The second boy had eight letters in his name and after many verses of the alphabet, Soonyoung finally spelt out Seungkwan

- “How come I haven’t seen you two out here before?”

- DK and Seungkwan both started to mime out explanations with Soonyoung guessing quite horribly

- Eventually, everyone was called back to work and Soonyoung never saw the two again

- When Woozi got back, Soonyoung’s heart dropped to his stomach

- His friend was covered in purple bruises and bleeding cuts

- No matter how much he fussed and tried to help, Woozi brushed him off with a fake smile

- Soonyoung knew that Woozi wouldn’t want to talk about it, so he decided to give up

- As weeks passed, they went back to normal

- Soonyoung tried keeping an eye out for the two screamers, but still never saw them again

- One day, while the stars were working in construction, one of the guards approached Woozi

- Soonyoung had his back turned to the two, but he could hear every word they exchanged

- All of a sudden, as Soonyoung smelled the fear emitting from Woozi, he turned around

- Woozi was being held up by his shirt and feigned a brave look

- As Woozi scoffed and spoke teasing words, Soonyoung was preparing himself for the beating that he knew the guard would give

- Instead, he heard footsteps going towards the two, making his head turn

- Soonyoung saw the sun on guard approaching Woozi and the guard while tugging his gloves off

- Soonyoung watched as the sun charged forward and stuck his hand out, pulling the guard away from Woozi

- “What is that boy doing?” Soonyoung heard a guard muttering

- “That damned Seungcheol”

- So Seungcheol was his name

- Soonyoung was grateful

- He was grateful that the sun protected his friend when he couldn’t do so himself

- Soonyoung’s thoughts always wandered back to the sun, remembering all the times he and Woozi had made fun of his and regretting it

- He started to think back to Star’s words and realized that perhaps he wasn’t as different as the two originally thought

- He mentioned him to Woozi whenever he got the chance

- Woozi, of course, was never listening since he was too focused on his escape plan

- If he wasn’t tuning him out when Soonyoung spoke about the sun, Woozi emitted a fear chemical

- He was too stubborn to admit that he was scared, of course

- So Soonyoung used it to his advantage

- “You know, if you’re not scared of the sun, you should prove me wrong and thank him the next time we see him”

- “You’re funny”

- Soonyoung was sure that that method would work

- “Fine. Then I’ll stop talking to you for a month”

- Woozi gave in, making Soonyoung very satisfied

- The next time the sun made an appearance, Soonyoung pushed Woozi in his direction

- He chuckled as he heard Woozi cursing him out under hit breath

- Soonyoung listened in to the conversation

- After a one sided conversation, Woozi scoffed and stormed off, giving Soonyoung a window

- “Hello, what do they call you?”

- Soonyoung could smell the sun’s nervousness and discomfort

- “You can just say it, you don’t have to be nervous”

- Right when Soonyoung let the words slip from his mouth, the sun snapped his head towards him in alarm

- Soonyoung chuckled slightly and showed the sun his tattoo

- “I can smell it”

- Standing in front of him, the sun didn’t seem like that much of a threat anymore. He was just a victim like the rest of them

- So Soonyoung was determined to make friends

- He offered a hand

- “They call me Hoshi. I heard your name is Seungcheol, is that true?”

- Soonyoung regretted it right when he said it, smelling the anger that rose from the sun

- The sun looked away and Soonyoung dropped his hand

- “S. Coups”

- Soonyoung smiled at the acceptance and tried out a joke, just to see how he would react

- “What is that, French?”

- S. Coups grunted and Soonyoung could sense the embarrassment washing over him

- “Don’t be embarrassed”

- He spoke almost immediately after with a glare

- “Kwon Soonyoung”

- Soonyoung flinched as if someone just hit him

- The name that he only told to Woozi slipped out of the lips of a stranger

- His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened

- “W-what?”

- “That’s your name isn’t it?”

- Soonyoung was speechless

- His mouth opened and closed as he tried to find the words to say

- Saving him, Woozi stepped in between the two with a hateful glare towards S. Coups

- “His name is Hoshi. Just like yours is S. Coups”

- Soonyoung sensed S. Coups’ emotions turn into regret, snapping him out of his paralyzed state

- “Come on, Hosh, I told you this was a bad idea”

- Woozi dragged Soonyoung away before he could say anything else

- Over time, Soonyoung decided to talk to S. Coups again

- He knew that S. Coups regretted saying his name, so that meant that he was just mean because he was embarrassed

- And he didn’t know that the name would have an affect, so maybe he was just trying to start a conversation

- “Hey, S. Coups!”

- Soonyoung cheerily walked up to S. Coups who greeted him with a smile

- It had been a couple of months already and Soonyoung had talked to S. Coups everyday.

- At first, S. Coups was stubborn and tried not to respond, but he eventually gave in and started conversing

- Soonyoung then convinced Woozi to properly introduce himself, and the three became friends

- “Hey, Hosh. Where’s Woozi?”

- “I told him to start over there without me. I just had a question”

- There was a question that had been gnawing at Soonyooung for the past years, but he never had anyone to ask

- S. Coups nodded to signal Soonyoung to go on

- “What exactly happens when we turn 20?”

- S. Coups’s gaze went dark

- “Why do you want to know?”

- Soonyoung looked at his fingers

- “I uh...I had a friend...”

- “Well, when one of the affected turn twenty, they’re given two options; either they can stay in an underground building in the eastern wing to get experimented or tested, or they’re given the choice of ‘freedom’”

- S. Coups did air quotes

- “But they just say that, knowing that most of the affected will choose it. Then, they kill them. Sometimes, if it isn’t a star, they make their own kind kill them, just for the fun of it.”

- Soonyoung gulped

- “Do you where the underground ones are exactly? I’ve been all over the grounds and I can never smell or hear them”

- “That’s because it’s deep under the ground in some sort of soundproof and odor proof-ish building. I’m not sure where it is, I’ve only heard about it.”

- Soonyoung nodded and thanked S. Coups before walking back to work

- He thought about Star and how there was a possibility that she was still alive

- All day, he was lost in his thoughts until Woozi suddenly started jumping while they were on their nightly walk around the grounds

- “Hosh! I’ve got an idea on how we’re getting out of here!”

- Woozi started telling him all about his plan, only missing one key part; the distraction

- Soonyoung’s mind wandered to his past and he let out a dry laugh

- “Why don’t we light that tree on fire”

- Soonyoung was entirely joking, but Woozi perked up

- “And that’ll make the soldiers think it’s a fire elemental! You’re a genius!”

- Soonyoung’s smile disappeared

- He didn’t think Woozi was actually going to go with it

- But, as much as Soonyoung hated fire, he didn’t want to say anything that took away the light from Woozi’s eyes

- And so, he went with it

- Woozi was so excited that he finally had a full-proof escape plan and Soonyoung knew it

- He just had to wait a couple of days for Woozi to put the plan in motion

- Days turned into weeks

- Soonyoung knew that he needed some sort of push to start it

- And Soonyoung was starting to get sick of the place

- So, he hatched a plan

- One day while they were eating, Soonyoung went up to put his tray away and listened in for any soldiers

- He heard a soldier walk behind him and Soonyoung stepped back onto his foot

- “Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t see you there”

- “Like hell you didn’t”

- The soldier growled and grabbed Soonyoung’s shirt in his fist

- Soonyoung could sense that Woozi was getting worried

- It was all a part of his plan

- He was going to get sent to the south wing, take a couple of hits, and then Woozi will break him out and they’ll be free

- But then, the soldiers started dragging him past the south wing

- “Where are we going? Why aren’t we going to the south wing?”

- “I’m in a bad mood”

- The soldier pushed him into a cell in the west wing

- It had a foul stench that brought tears to Soonyoung’s eyes

- He pinched his nose but the soldier yanked his wrists away

- The soldier pushed him to the corner and shackled him up

- The feeling of the wall behind him and the floor beneath him caused shivers to go up and down his spine in disgust

- “You know what’s next”

- The soldier was smirking, holding onto the band that was supposed to cover his eyes and the headphones that were connected to his phone

- “Please, no”

- The soldier laughed and put the headphones on Soonyoung’s head before tying the band around it and his eyes

- All of a sudden, blasting music played, making Soonyoung scream in agony

- There was a piercing pain in his ear and everything around him just caused more pain

- He could smell the dried blood and all of the dirty deeds that were done in that cell

- He could feel the grime and dirt from the walls and shackles

- He couldn’t see anything, which frustrated him beyond belief

- And with the loud music in his ears, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to hear again afterwards

- Soonyoung cried out everytime the volume got louder

- The bass was enough to make his brain pound

- The feeling was painful and frustrating so he screamed and thrashed around, begging for someone to get him out of there

- He wasn’t sure how much time passed until he felt hands on his shackles

- A hand fell onto his shoulder, and he flinched away, scared of what the soldier would do

- As one of the figures came closer, Soonyoung caught the slight scent of Woozi mixed with the stench of the room

- He stopped thrashing

- The band and headphones were removed from his head, causing his ears to ring and eyes get adjusted to the light

- “W-woozi? Is that you?”

- Woozi’s mouth opened as he spoke, but Soonyoung could only hear ringing

- “Get...get me out of here”

- Soonyoung couldn’t take it anymore, he was so close to tears that he would do anything to get out of that horrid room

- “Come on, we’ve got you”

- The ringing in Soonyoung’s ear started dying down as S. Coups grabbed one of his arms and swung it around his shoulders, helping him up

- When they got out of the building, Soonyoung took in a deep breath of the fresh air, only to smell smoke

- For a second, he was back in his room from when he was a toddler

- But then, he felt the thicker air all over his body and turned to S. Coups

- “I smell smoke, what happened?”

- Woozi gave him a gentle smile.

- “The plan”

- The three got to the gate of the facility and sent S. Coups in to deal with the soldier that worked the controls

- Soonyoung sank down to the floor and put his head in his hands, trying to get all of his senses back to normal

- “Hoshi, why did you do that?” Woozi growled

- Despite the agressive tone, Soonyoung didn’t even need his senses to know that Woozi was only angry because he was worried

- “Why the hell would you do that?”

- Soonyoung looked up to him, plastering on the biggest smile he could

- “You needed the push”

- Before Woozi could say anything else, the gates started to open and S. Coups ran out

- “Come on!”

- The three ran, S. Coups and Woozi laughing

- Soonyoung sent one last look at the facility and couldn’t help but feel as if he were abandoning the people there

- As if he were abandoning the only mother he ever had

- But as time went by, Soonyoung helped S. Coups go back into the facility and break people out

- The three started a clan with S. Coups as the fierce leader and Soonyoung and Woozi as subleaders

- Soonyoung became the lookout for most of the clan, making sure that everything was in order and that no one was near

- He protected the clan like it was his own family, as if to make up for not being able to protect Star

- With the clan, everyone celebrated each other’s tragedies and mistakes, so Soonyoung never had to be ashamed again

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roswelldetails · 4 years

Text

RNM 2x13 - Mr. Jones

EPISODE SUMMARY:

SEASON FINALE — Having realized that a deadly threat has infiltrated CrashCon, the busiest event of the year, Liz (Jeanine Mason) realizes that she can’t save everyone she loves — and with Max (Nathan Dean) facing immediate danger, she and Isobel must make a heart-wrenching choice. Meanwhile, Michael (Michael Vlamis) finds himself caught up in the conflict between Jesse (Trevor St. John) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) once again, even as Maria’s (Heather Hemmens) life hangs in the balance elsewhere, and Kyle (Michael Trevino) faces a moral dilemma when the enemy requires medical attention. Jeffrey Hunt directed the episode written by Christopher Hollier & Carina Adly MacKenzie (#213). Original airdate 6/15/2020.

DETAILS:

The episode opens with Isobel trying to hold back the fire. They don't actually show Rosa convincing Liz to go stop the explosion. But she runs up to Isobel and explains her science:

"I have to activate the ingredients first, but once I introduce my solution to the system it should kill the cellular matrix."

Liz literally squirts the console with her "solution".

Rosa is doing CPR on Max and praying. Max wakes up just as Kyle runs up. Immediately Max directs Kyle to Flint instead of himself. It's interesting. When Max previously killed with his hand, in 1x06, he instantly knew that he killed the drifter. This time he wasn't sure (and he didn't. We eventually learn). Rosa and Kyle take Flint to the hospital.

Meanwhile Helena is saving Charlie's life.

"Jesse Manes was the only one supposed to get hurt."

Which is...not what happened. Jesse, Flint, Max, Maria...even Liz got hurt. She burned her hand on the console.

Maria is being rolled into the hospital. She got there really really fast. Cam is by her side.

Liz is still squirting her solution onto the console. It turns red. Liz asks Isobel to get people away but Isobel refuses to leave Liz alone.

Jesse, Greg, Michael, and Alex are still mid-standoff.

"Gregory, listen. You and I have had our differences in the past, but you should stand with me now."

"You're not well, Dad."

Jesse hits Gregory with the atomizer and appears to knock him out. He tries to shoot Michael, but Alex tackles him.

"Guerin, get the atomizer! Get it away from my brother!"

"Alex, I can't."

Jesse gets the upper hand in the fistfight with Alex and steals Alex's gun. Turns to shoot Michael again.

Liz makes more solution and squirts more of it on the console. This time it starts to crack. Isobel pulls Liz to safety and the console shrivels and dies.

The dying console just doesn't work as well in still form, so @maxortecho giffed it for me! Thank you!! 😘

Max runs up to them.

"You disabled it. You saved everyone."

"Is Flint dead? Did you kill him?"

He looks at Liz with some heavy heart eyes for her being the hero. She looks at him with fear.

Back to the Maneses and Michael. Jesse has a gun on Michael. Michael has the atomizer.

"Drop it, Guerin. Drop it!"

There's a gunshot. Jesse Manes falls and Michael has blood on his face. Gregory shot Jesse from behind.

"I should have defended you from him a long time ago."

"There are no more Manes men left."

Jesse dies.

Indeterminant time jump. Liz is late for work.

"Sorry, Javi. I just...I haven't really been sleeping."

"You've said that every day since CrashCon. You still having nightmares? …Did you read the papers this morning."

"Oh, I've kind of been trying to avoid the papers."

"Did you hear about that veteran who died at the carnival? They're going to have a parade, build a statue. Did you know he was disabled?"

Customers at the counter are discussing CrashCon:

"The CrashCon discourse is saying aliens invaded and killed the guy."

"That should be good for tourism."

"Newspaper said it was smoke inhalation though."

"He was making sure all the kids got out safely and the smoke overwhelmed him."

"We need more people like him."

Soooo much to unpack here. And most of it is addressed by Helena and Rosa's exchange at the end of the episode. But the big question to me is… who is spreading the rumors and covering this up? Is it Flint? Is he even well enough to take the lead on that? Is it someone else with Project Shepherd that we haven't met? The mayor? I mean, Jesse was shot! There was a lot of blood! Plus, remember what happened in 1x11 and 1x12: it's a small town. People notice gunshots.

Liz goes to take a table's order and, surprise! It's Diego. Who had gone back to Denver after CrashCon. He brought Dr. Margot Meyerson to Roswell to meet Liz.

Michael is visiting Maria at the hospital:

"What are you doing?"

"Oh they cut your bracelet off during surgery. How are you? You look better."

"Liz has been dropping by every day to inject me with witch serum."

"Ooh the synthetic nucleotide excision repair genomogenate? We're lucky you're only part alien, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough left of you for her to save."

"Listen, do you think you could use your telekinesis to open this box? Mimi left it when she visited. It's a family heirloom, but she forgot the key."

"Mimi hasn't exactly been leading you in the right direction lately. Her psychic visions led you toward a bomb instead of away from it. Seeing you like that -- all sick and pale and quiet -- I started praying."

Max and Isobel are at Max's house. Isobel is studying the photos of the console and alien symbols.

"I wish I understood why Louise and Nora would spend a year building an alien weapon of mass destruction."

"I don't think it was a bomb. I think it's a communication device. It's like a remote, you know, it just happens to be combustible."

"Are you mad at me, Max? Did I do something wrong? Is it that we're not related, or are you upset about the abortion? Because I…"

"Whoa, hey, God no."

"Because you're not talking to me."

"You're not the only one. I didn't want everyone to worry, you know, 'cause I've been taking some of Liz's antidote. And things are coming back to me. Little flashes, sort of, mostly. Like vague memories."

"Michael said that you kind of zoned out when you touched that alien bomb...remote thing. Did it trigger a memory?"

"When I touched the console, I heard whispers that I could almost understand. All right, it's like the same with those symbols. I mean it's like their meaning is just beyond reach. Except for one word. I took this from Graham Green's display at CrashCon. See that? It's an aerial photo of some crop circles from Roswell in 1948. This farm belonged to a guy called Jones. Pretty sure it says savior... This is my name. Maybe that means you and Michael's parents weren't the only ones that survived the crash. Right, maybe I had a family too. You know, maybe my mom was just across town."

"Max. I really wish that you could just focus on the present. You know, I mean, as a recently deceased man, I really feel like you should be enjoying the simple pleasures in life, you know, like reading nerdy books, the smell of leather, and that feeling when you wake up before your alarm and the person you love is still asleep and they're kind of snoring a little bit. It's like the best thing that ever happened to you. Stuff like that."

"I want all those things too. But I feel like if I only know half of myself, I'm only half living. And I know you understand that, Iz, because I've watched you this year become your entire self. And it is so beautiful. Okay, I am not at all mad at you. Are you kidding me? I am so proud of you. I am so proud that you're my sister."

Michael and Alex in the shed. For all that the shed is such a key location in this show's canon this is the first time we've seen it since 1x06.

"Maria made me bring food over. I gave it to Gregory. Seems to be holding up okay."

"Everything my family touches turns to crap. My dad used to talk about how my Grandpa Harlan built this she'd with his bare hands when he was, like, seventy. For a long time it was my safest space. And the one night my dad destroyed it."

"You're right. This place sucks."

Michael and Alex start destroying the shed. In the next scene Michael breaks a floorboard revealing a skeleton. The skeleton is wearing dog tags, so Alex grabs them. In his shirt pocket Michael spots and grabs the key to Maria's box. The tags say Eugene Manes III. So this is Tripp's body. Which confirms for Alex that his grandfather killed Tripp.

Max and Liz are walking in the plaza.

"I don't understand the violence, Max. Flint could have had brain damage given how long he wasn't breathing. You risked your life to hurt him and he had already thrown the weapon away, Max, so why? I can't get that image out of my head. You trying to kill Alex's brother."

"I know. I snapped. Last year Noah told me that we were energized by killing and not by healing. Even then I knew he was right. I… Obviously I can usually fight that, but I guess this time my better angels just didn't show up."

"We have to stop keeping secrets from each other, Max. There's a scientist in town. She's a supervisor at Genoryx. She has a job for me in California. She's offered to sponsor my dad's citizenship. And it could put me in a position to help Rosa too. I mean, I'd be able to do a lot of good with the grant money they're offering, and I know that all sounds too good to be true, but…"

"It sounds like someone finally realizes how valuable your mind is."

"I think that a change of scenery will be so good for us. I mean, we could get a place by the beach and you could write."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, I mean, I just told you I have this killer instinct, and you want me to come to California with you."

"We'll figure it out. Okay? We'll figure all of it out together. Run away with me, Max Evans?"

"Anywhere."

Max goes to see Cam at work. She picks on him for getting arrested and has his mugshot as her desktop background because friends!

Max asks about Charlie.

"Yeah she texted me from a burner phone that she was all right and then she vanished again."

Max tells her that he has a doctor's appointment and then asks her to do some undercover work for him.

Michael visiting Maria at the hospital.

"So Alex thinks Harlan found out that Tripp was an alien sympathizer all that time and he offed him."

"So Mimi must have known that you would find it. That's why she left the box. Look, I know you don't trust my mom's visions, but I was the only one who could grab that atomizer and run with it. If it had been you, you'd be dead."

Maria takes off the bracelet.

"What are you doing? Maria, that prevents brain damage."

"I'm only part alien, but it is a part of me. Even if it's dangerous I can't just turn off a piece of myself."

"So I'm supposed to sit around helpless as you fade away? Maria, I cannot watch you disappear. I love you."

"I love you too."

"So can we just let this go?"

"You have it wrong. Mimi hasn't disappeared. Yes she can be inconvenient, she can make people uncomfortable, but maybe she's supposed to be an uncomfortable inconvenience that saves lives. And now I need to be inconvenient, and I don't want to be someone that hurts you. I think that we should find out what's next, apart from each other."

"Wait, so you think that if we break up, I'm gonna be able to stop caring about you?"

"I learned so much, being with you. You sacrificed yourself without hesitation when Alex needed you."

"I would have done the same for you."

"I know. I don't doubt your capacity for love, 'cause you made me so happy this year. And I loved being someone that made you happy. I just think that we should leave it be, before I wonder if someone else could make you happier. Open the box, Guerin. Let's see what comes next.

Skip forward to the Crashdown where Michael has the box in a booth with Alex and Isobel. He opens the box and pulled out a journal, which they in turn read aloud.

I did a separate post on the journal's content and the Tripp and Nora flashbacks here:

Kyle visits Steph in the hospital

"What do you think will happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I die, idiot."

"You know, Socrates thought that death was a blessing, because only one of two things could happen. Either consciousness ceases, and it's like falling into a dreamless sleep. Or you go to where all who have died before you have gone. Your loved ones, people you admire. If you lived a good and just life, you will be surrounded by goodness and justice, in a place without fear. Sorry. I thought a lot about this when my dad passed, so I…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I'm putting you through this again."

"No...I want to be here."

Liz interrupts them. She clearly wasn't expecting Kyle to be there and comments on Max's appointment. Kyle gets up to leave.

Diego and Margot are talking in the Wild Pony:

"I was very impressed with her work when we first pursued her, but when I met her today, not so much."

"Why? 'Cause she had a little ketchup on her uniform?"

Undercover!Jenna staggers up to them and spills her drink on them, tells Margot that she's beautiful, and plants a listening device.

"Anyway I think we should move on."

"Okay, wait a sec. Liz has been working on something recently, but she signed this NDA. Although I guess she can't be blamed if we took a peek, you know? Without permission."

The line that will haunt me for the next year. Kyle to Max while showing him what appears to be chest X-rays.

"You know what I'm saying here, right Max?"

Cameron calls:

"You were right. It is too good to be true. Diego just told some woman he can get her access to Liz's lab. He must have followed her there."

"Well, there's a security system."

"The way he's talking, it sounded like Diego's pretty certain he can get access. They just left here, Evans. You need to tell Liz to get anything incriminating out of there - now."

Max arrives at the lab and immediately sees that the security system was manufactured by Genoryx. He uses his powers to break the system and get into the lab. He quickly searches through all of Liz's records and then pours what appears to be gas or lighter fluid or some other flammable substance all over the place and then uses his powers to set a fire.

He listens to the notes on Liz's recorder, which by the way has 22 minutes of recording on it. Some of what we hear:

This is my record of the dissection of specimen NB.

... immunoglobulin harvested from alien DNA can be transferred to a human recipient.

Commence dissection of the dorsal side of the spinal nerve.

I hypothesize that the female specimen's plasma…

Bracken's seminal cells indicate a pH level double that of a human counterpart.

I'm now extracting the grey matter to measure alien voxel signals.

Note that Max doesn't seem to have any chest pain this time when he uses his powers.

Right as Diego and Margot show up the lab explodes.

Max comes home to find Michael and Isobel waiting for him. He's clearly exhausted and upset after the lab.

"Can whatever this is wait until tomorrow?"

"Jones? That's the guy who grew the crop circles in the shape of my name."

"Nope. We spent the day reading Tripp Manes' journal. Caffeinate, Max... Okay, so, when I asked Sanders about this photo of Nora, he said he didn't know whose hand this was. He was all, Mr. Bernhardt, Mr. Jones, Old Man Gibbons. Could've been anybody."

"Ten points to Hufflepuff."

"So in October '48, Nora decided not to finish building the ship with Louise. She decided to go to the reservation with Tripp."

"But then little Walt convinced her to go to the fall festival, where after successfully avoiding him for a year, she finally ran into the alien stowaway who had crashed the ship. He'd been masquerading as a farmer."

"Mr. Jones."

"Tripp saw Jones approach Nora, and he recognized him from the night of the crash, but he didn't have a chance to ask Nora about it before Harlan called for a raid on the farm."

"Yeah. And after the massacre, Jones was never heard from again. Crop circles were all that was left."

"If you were in hiding, why would you grow corn in the shape of an alien symbol?"

"Maybe they just grew that way. It's the same way that this symbol just shows up everywhere, you know?"

Michael reveals his tattoo and it's the first time Max has seen it.

"Wait, when did..?"

"Oh, I got it when we weren't sure if you were coming back. It didn't feel like it was ever gonna be the same again."

"All right. There. Now can we all cowboy up and focus, please? Let's feel our feelings after we've solved the mystery of the unknown alien. After the raid on the farm, Nora was held by Project Shepherd."

Note...not actually accurate. Michael didn't get the tattoo until Max was out of surgery.

See Journal and Flashbacks post for the flashback.

Jenna and Charlie reunite. Relevant quote to remember:

Liz and Rosa find the destroyed lab. Liz sees the fractal burn that indicates that Max is the one that destroyed it.

"I fought so hard to become who I am, and I just trade her in every time I get scared? No. I don't want to be on the run anymore."

Back to Max's house:

"Whatever happened to that thing that she and Louise were building out in the desert? I mean, did she ever tell him where it was or what it was?"

"Nope. And when Tripp asked Louise about it, she was silent."

Liz walks in and interrupts.

"Why'd you do it, Max?"

They go into the bedroom to fight.

"I'd been asking you for weeks to clear out that lab, okay? I knew it wasn't safe."

"Alex installed a military-grade security system."

"A system designed by Genoryx, okay? Diego could have hacked it. He could already know everything."

"And his nefarious plan is to what? Set us up with a condo in L.A.? Give my family a second chance?"

"Okay, I have a family to protect too."

"Yes, and you could have stopped Diego without destroying a year of my work!"

"I had to act fast."

"So your first instinct was to go with the one method that would break my heart?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about your heart when I'm staring at jars with Noah's liver and his brain. I mean, what else did you harvest from us, Liz?"

"Those are just cells. I wasn't hurting anyone. I don't know what you thought love was gonna be like when we were 17, but it isn't just sunsets and horseback rides."

"You can't put this all on me. Okay you were sneaking around behind my back…"

"I apologized. I stopped. Max, you died this year. I was all alone because of a choice that you made, but still every single thing I did was for you and about you and with you. So when you were back, when I could finally touch you. When I could finally breathe. I needed to take just one moment to remember where I end and where you begin. To just be whole in who I am. I am a scientist. I am fighting for something that is bigger than me. I am trying to leave this world a better place. And I am in love with you. And right now, I hate it."

Liz leaves and Max takes another dose of the antidote.

Time jump. No idea how long or what has happened in between. Liz and Rosa on the Crashdown roof saying goodbyes.

"Dad is checking your oil and making sure you have enough chile...also you left this in our room. Mom's been texting."

"Trying to come up with a better response than, go duck yourself… You should come with me. The Ortecho sisters take California."

"I wish. But I can't. I'm going back to rehab tonight. I want to see the program through. Sorry."

"Don't be. It's the best possible thing you could have said."

"You know… Max should be your road trip buddy. You love him. You're gonna forgive him. Besides, we both know if you try to leave town without him again, he's just gonna show up with some big, grand romantic gesture to stop you."

Open mic night at the Pony. Alex and Kyle have a drink together.

"So how does it feel to have your father's murder officially avenged?."

"Feels like my dad's still dead. Flint should be okay. He'll live to become the new Jesse Manes."

"No he won't. I'm not gonna let it happen."

"After everything you still believe in redemption?"

"Well, I have a pretty good example of it right in front of me."

Alex sings his song. Michael, Isobel, Greg, and Forrest are all there listening.

Flash to Kyle going to Steph's hospital room. The bed is empty...because she's up doing her makeup, her hands steady.

"Your hands are better. Did they give you morphine?"

"I woke up this morning feeling incredible. Look at my chart. My numbers are up. It's a miracle."

"Or just really good science."

Liz is preparing to leave, her suitcase beside her in the empty Crashdown as she stands at the juke box one last time. Kyle runs in.

"What you did was reckless. And dangerous. And unethical, Liz. Thank you."

Back at the Wild Pony, Michael watches Forrest listening to Alex sing. He turns to leave. Isobel tries to stop him.

"It's a sad story, me and Alex. I have to walk away so we can start a new one someday. It's not our time right now."

"But it will be."

"I think so."

Rosa walks up to a bar. She hesitates before going in, her hands shaking.

Liz buckles into her car, ready to leave. She looks in the rearview window and waits. She's clearly expecting Max to come. But he's at home studying his alien symbols. She gives in and pulls away, leaving Roswell. Her season ends with her looking out over the ocean.

Alex finishes his song and Greg and Forrest are still there and are proud of him.

"Well, damn. How do you feel?"

"Like I just sang a song about a guy in front of a bunch of cowboys, and...I don't care."

"Oh, lucky guy, with a song like that."

"Yeah it was a long time ago…can I?"

Alex and Forrest kiss.

Rosa walks into the bar. Helena is there.

"If you came to tell me what I did wrong, your sister already texted."

"Did you get what you wanted, Mom? Is your score finally settled?"

"No. I wanted everyone to see Jesse Manes humiliated and weak. I wanted him to die knowing shame. But the papers say it was a tragedy. People like him - bad white men - they die heroes, no matter what they've done. People like us - we die villains."

"Yeah I know. I've done it. But I also got a second chance. So I get to leave a different legacy. The last time that I saw you, I said that I hated you. That's not true. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, mija."

"I also told you to leave and I was right about that. Liz was free and it should have stayed that way. Manes is gone. There is no revenge to be had. No closure and no redemption. Don't come back, mom. Don't bother Liz again. I really hope you get better. Maybe you can have a second chance too."

Another possible time jump. Michael and Isobel pull up to where Max is out in the desert.

"How'd you guys find me?"

"Freaky twin thing. What's going on?"

"I took more of the antidote. Sorry, I should have called you guys."

"Save it. We are sick of being pissed at you for being so obnoxiously yourself. Why you look so scared?"

Pod Squad is investigating a cave. There's a door or opening covered by alien text with the alien symbol on it. It sorta looks like there's something behind it.

"Um, well, when I touched the alien console at the fair, something happened. I heard whispers that I couldn't understand...until now. I think when I touched it I unlocked something... Like a cage? The whispers led me here. I know it sounds crazy, but would you guys help me find a tunnel?"

"It's sealed up."

"I feel like we should learn more before we just busy that door open."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

There's a knocking sound and a voice calls out.

"Help! Is someone there?"

"If Max unlocked something at CrashCon, whoever that is has been down here for days without…"

"I need water. Please."

"There has to be three."

Note that we now know which symbol represents each of them.

The door shatters and they all react (Isobel's face is priceless).

We flash back to the mysterious stowaway/alien hoodie dude/Jones. Louise fighting him. Now we can see that it's Max. Nora kneeling after the crash with the hand on her shoulder. It's Max's face. He attacks/burns the military men/Hector Valenti.

The stowaway/Jones looks exactly like Max. Only with a really bad beard.

"Howdy partner."

MUSIC:

1. Hootie & The Blowfish "Time"

2. Tyler Rich "Leave Her Wild"

3. Clay Rigdon "That Kinda Kiss"

4. Marc Danziesen "See Yourself"

5. Gloria Hart and Art Kassel "Frankie And Johnny"

6. The Score "Legend"

7. Sarah May Byrom "Rhythm Of A Memory"

8. Tyler Blackburn "Would You Come Home"

9. The Well Pennies "The Echo And The Shadow"

10. Valerie Broussard "Dark Side"

#roswell new mexico #rnm season 2 #details #episode details #long post #rnm 213 #mr. jones

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aaronhart93-archive · 4 years

Text

maybe baby || aaron & eden

Discord thread featuring: Aaron & @wtf-eden

When: November 11, 2020

Where: aaron’s pent

mentions: @masondawson @alison-haynes (briefly @romanbeckett )

Description: eden tells aaron that she thinks she is pregnant and talks to aaron about how she is feeling about it, she spends the night in the guest room because she does not want to go back to mason’s

Trigger Warnings: abortion mentions, pregnancy

Eden.

Eden was thankful that Aaron texted back that he was home. She knew she should have gone home, talked to Mason, but really he was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. The pregnancy test that she had taken had read positive and Eden felt a strong sense of deja vu from when she was twenty three and found out she was pregnant. That was a pregnancy that she chose not to go through with, and very few people knew about that -- one included Aaron, another was Mason. Other than that, that was a secret that broke her family, not that it was ever whole to start with. As Eden got up to the penthouse, she pushed the door to the familiar home open. She was trying to hold it together, though all she really wanted was to scream, punch a wall, and cry. She really wanted to cry. Eden walked up down to the living room, "Hey, sorry to just drop in." It wasn't that she had, she texted she was coming, but it was a bit on the late side.

Aaron

Aaron had been agitated all weekend. He was worried about Roman, and annoyed that he wasn’t really even answering his texts. Des was really the only person keeping from from going mad or doing something stupid. Edens text was kind of alarming to say the least, so he was quick to tell her to come over. It was late, and Des was already in bed before he opened the door. He peered down at her and furrowed his brow. She looked...distressed. “It’s okay. You’re welcome here whenever.” He stepped aside to let her in. “It’s nice to have adult company anyway.” He tried to muster a tiny chuckle. “Is everything okay?” He asked, pushing his glasses up his nose as he faced her.

Eden.

Eden wasn’t really sure why she thought going to Aaron’s would make things better. Nothing was going to be better, that was for sure. But either way, seeing her friend gave her a small bit of happiness inside. “Thanks,” the brunette said, setting her purse down on the shelf nearby. As much as Eden wanted to hold it together, and usually she could, the second he asked if she was okay, she felt tears build in her eyes. She shook her head quickly, “No, I’m not okay.” She admitted.

Aaron

Aaron could immediately sense the tension in the room when she squeaked out a tiny thanks. “Okay okay.” He tried to calm her down. What could possibly be making her so upset. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lead her over to the living room and sat her down in the couch. It was scary seeing Eden like this. So many scenarios were swirling around in his head. But mason was the first thing that came to mind. Sitting down next to her, he putt his hand on her shoulder and spoke “Did mason do something?” He asked, honestly terrified of the answer.

Eden.

Eden was damn good at hiding her emotions, and if she was upset usually she showed it through anger, not so much crying. But she wasn’t sure if she was even allowed to be angry over this. Eden took the seat on the couch beside her friend — her best friend. Earlier this year, Aaron would have been the last person Eden wanted to speak to about this- but now she needed the kind of friendship he offered. “Y-Yeah.” She said to his question. But had Mason really done anything? They both consented to the sex that led to this, it wasn’t really his fault. Even if Eden wanted to blame him. “He — I— he— fuck.” Eden said, rubbing her face for just a moment. “I think I’m pregnant, Aaron.”

Aaron

Okay. When Eden told Aaron that mason did do something. His literal first thought was how much he actually wanted to beat the shit out of him. Go to his apartment and just sock him right in the face. He knew, of course, Mason would end up winning that fight just based on the fact that he was so much more athletic and fit than Aaron, but that wasn’t going to stop him. Aaron’s eyes were wide as he waited for Eden to tell Aaron what her boyfriend had done. The words that came out of her mouth were surprising, but his shoulder softened just a little bit. He was expecting far worse. Still, he knew what Eden was thinking. He knew she was thinking back to her abortion, how she wasn’t sure if she’d make a good mom, and probably ten thousand other things that Aaron thought when he found out he was having Des. “Oh shit.” He sighed, starting to rub her shoulder lightly. “Did you take a test?” Dumbass. Of course she took a test. “I mean, how many did you take?” He corrected himself.

Eden.

Eden knew that Mason didn't actually do anything wrong. But, she wanted to give the blame to someone, and not to herself. They were both equally guilty in this, hell it took two to tango afterall. Eden didn't feel like she could be a mom, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be a mother, but now she had to make this decision again for the second time in her life. A small part of her regretted the abortion the first time, but the other part of her knew she hadn't been ready to have a child when she was in her young twenties, hell she wasn't even sure she was ready to have a child now at 26. "I took one," Eden said, with a nod. She knew typically woman should take at least two to confirm they were pregnant, but Eden didn't want to go buy another test. She really just needed to talk to someone. "Only one, but it makes sense. I missed my period, and I was nauseous a lot, I thought I had the flu." Eden reminded him.

Aaron

Aaron slumped back on the couch, hand still resting on her shoulder. He was just digesting everything f that Eden had just told him. It was a lot. For sure. And he wasn’t sure how Eden was taking all of it. He had so many questions for her. What was she gonna do? The baby was mason’s, right? Or did she sleep with someone before they got back together. That was awful of Aaron to think but, of course, it crossed his mind. “Oh.” Aaron mumbled, looking straight ahead toward his humongous tv. After a quick beat, he took a deep breath and turned to her. There were a ton of questions Aaron could have asked, but he knew he needed to check in on her first. “Are you okay?” He asked softly.

Eden.

Eden wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She didn't think she could be a mother, nor did she even know if she ever wanted to have a child. Yet now a child was growing inside of her and she had to make a choice on whether or not to carry that child to term. She knew Mason wanted kids, and he'd probably hate her if she had another abortion. But, Eden didn't feel prepared to take on this challenge, not one bit. She shook her head slowly, "No," she squeaked. "I don't know what the hell I'm going to do, Aaron." Eden brought her hands to her face, hiding her face in shame. "Is it terrible of me to even think of termination without telling Mason?" She asked. She knew it was, he had the right to know about it. But, she couldn't not think it.

Aaron.

Once again, Aaron kind of just sat back and took an exacerbated deep breath. He scratched his head a little, again, racking his brain for the right thing to say. "It wouldn't be terrible, no." He told her. It was her body and she could do whatever she wanted to do. She was still distraught, that was clear. So Aaron wrapped a comforting arm around her and brought her in for a little side hug, rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort her. She was probably absolutely terrified. Then, it hit him. She had told Aaron before she had told Mason about this. Why did that give him a selfish sense of satisfaction? "How far along do you think you are? Should I run out and grab a couple more for you? You didn't get the one from the dollar store did you?" He asked, actually trying to make a little bit of a joke.

Eden.

Eden felt like it would be terrible, Mason wanted kids. She knew that, even if he said he would be fine with never having them if it meant he got to be with her. "But he wants kids. God, what the fuck am I doing? Maybe I should just break up with him, so he can be with someone who can give him what he wants." Eden mentioned. Eden cared about Mason, she did. But when it came to having a family, she was sure the two of them were on completely different wavelengths about it. There also had always been a part of her who regretted terminating her first pregnancy, and maybe the guilt would be bigger this time around, as at least she knew who the father was of this child. Eden shook her head, "I can't be too far. Not even a couple months? Maybe five, six weeks along?" She asked, and a small weak smile appeared at his joke. "No, I got one at CVS." She told him.

Aaron

Aaron sighed. "No one expects you to know what you want right away. You just....have to think about what you want first. Take him out of the equation completely and think about what you want and what you can handle." Lord knows Aaron could barely handle Des at first and he had the support of his mom and his aunt...and millions of dollars at the time. "I can get you another one if you want. Just to make sure. Des is here though so you'd just have to watch her while I'm gone. She's sleeping though so she shouldn't be any trouble. Whatever you want. But...have you talked to Mason about this yet?" He raise a curious brow. "When did you find out?"

Eden.

Aaron was right. Eden had to figure out what she wanted before doing anything else. But, there was so much to think about. Eden wasn’t sure she ever wanted to have kids, and now she had a small amount of time to decide if she wanted this child. “I want to go back to school. I want to have a career. I don’t even know if I ever want kids. I don’t know how to be a parent.” She was sure most people thought that when they were about to have their first child, but she didn’t have the best parents for any sort of guidance or support. “Yeah, maybe I should take a second one.” She agreed. Eden took a deep breath, glancing over at him. “No. I haven’t talked to him yet. I— when I texted you I had just taken the test. I don’t know how to talk to Mason about this.”

Aaron

Aaron frowned, and his heart literally hurt for her. Aaron knew how important going back to school and having a career was to Eden. She was so independent, smart and ambitious. So of course she was going to kick ass in medical school. Aaron pressed his lips together and took a deep breath, nodding when she told him she wanted to take another. He was felt some sort of ugly pride that Eden has told her ex boyfriend before her actually boyfriend. “Okay...” he stood up and put the kettle on to make her some tea. He grabbed several teas from her to pic from and got her out some milk and sugar. “Help yourself. Listen for Des. I’ll be right right.” Before she even had the chance to respond, Aaron was already out the door, walking to the nearest pharmacy, and buy four more pregnancy tests. The man behind counter gave him a sympathetic look. If only he knew. He rushed back in no time and gave her one of the tests. “Okay, pee.”

Eden.

Eden wasn’t sure how to take this information. Maybe it was a false negative, and Eden was overreacting for nothing. Eden hoped that was the case. When Aaron returned, she could pee on another stick and it would be negative. Aaron wasn’t gone for all that long, and Eden sat in his kitchen sipping at the tea. “Thank you,” Eden took the test from him, going down to the bathroom and peeing on yet another stick. Eden pulled the door open while waiting the results, “What were your initial thoughts when you found out Alison was pregnant with Destiny?” She asked. Eden picked the stick up, seeing yet another two pink lines. “Shit”. She mumbled.

Aaron

Aaron made himself some tea of his own while Eden went to go take the test. He was nervous for his friend, but — if she chose to raise the baby — he would be so excited for her. Aaron didn’t ever think he’d understand “the joys of parenthood” until he was actually enjoying them. He leaned with his back against the wall while she peed on the stick and turned to face her when she opened the door. “I was terrified.” He told her honestly. “Then I told her I’d pay for the abortion. Thank god refused or else I wouldn’t have Des today.” He hated even thinking about that but it was true. He peered over at the test and took a sip of his tea. “Are you gonna tell Mason?” He asked quietly. he could feel the tension she was giving off.

Eden.

Eden was a bit relieved upon hearing that Aaron's first thought had also been for Alison to have an abortion. Eden felt like she was the only person in the world, who just didn't want a child. "What was it like?" Eden asked, stepping out of the bathroom to join him in the hallway. "When she told you she wouldn't have the abortion? And then when Destiny was born? Were you still terrified when she was born?" Eden knew this was a decision she didn't have much time to make, and she had to figure it out as soon as possible. Aaron was one of the only people she knew who already had a kid, and a great kid at that. She took a deep breath, "If I tell him, he's going to want to keep the baby. He wants children, and I don't know what I want. But --," Eden bit her lip, "There is still days that I regret terminating my first pregnancy." She admitted. She was sure most of that regret was from her parents disowning her and not so much the abortion though. "Will I feel like the worst person ever if I terminate yet another child?"

Aaron

It made sense that that Eden had so many questions for him. Aaron knew that the best he could do for her right now was to be honest. He leaned his back against the wall to face her abs crossed his arms over his chest. “I mean... it was what it was. I couldn’t force her to have one and I wasn’t going to be an absent parent. I thought about dipping several times while she was pregnant. And... I swear... I know this sound cliche, but I fell in love with her the first time I held her. And I couldn’t even believe I’d thought of termination and running away. She made my life so much better. But it was hard, Eden. Even with nannies, my mom and my aunt around 24/7 to help me.” He told her. He shrugged. “Maybe this is like your second chance. But...no you wouldn’t be terrible if you had another abortion. You could have 100 abortions and you wouldn’t be terrible.” He gave her a tiny smile.

Eden.

Eden was glad to have a friend like Aaron, someone who wasn't afraid to be open and honest with her in a time like this because she needed to hear all of this. "Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if Alison did have an abortion?" She asked. She knew it was a brutal question, but it was something she asked herself all the time. What would her life be like now if she hadn't had an abortion all those years ago. Upon hearing how hard it was, Eden nodded slowly. "Which is what scares me so much. I'm about to go back to school -- and Mason is in the military. He can be deployed at anytime. I don't have a mom or an aunt who can be around 24/7, and I couldn't afford even like -- half a nanny. I feel like if I go through with this pregnancy, that I'll struggle." She admitted to him. Eden took a deep breath, looking to her friend. "Thanks, Aaron. I just -- I never thought I wanted to be a parent. The first time I got pregnant, it was an easy decision to terminate. This time -- I don't know. Part of me is saying to not do it. And Mason -- he'd be a great parent, I'm sure of it. But we're not ready to be parents. I don't think."

Aaron

Aaron nodded slowly. Because yes. He thought all the time about where he’d be, the person he’d be if he didn’t have destiny around to keep him in check. “Yeah. I do. And honestly...my life would be worse. I know it would.” He told her. He hated thinking about it, but he often found himself doing so. Especially during the most precious moments with Destiny. Aaron listened to Eden carefully. “Okay. First of all. You’d be an amazing parent too, Eden.” He told her. “Second of all.” He took a deep breath, almost hesitant to say what he was going to say next. “It kind of sounds like you have your mind made up.” He pressed his lips together after he spoke.

Eden.

Eden nodded at his answer. She had seen it first hand, how Aaron lit up when his daughter was around. No one in their right mind could ever say that Aaron didn't love his kid. And even before she met Destiny, she heard about his daughter all the time. Eden couldn't imagine who Aaron would be without his daughter. Eden looked at him, sadness in her eyes, "I don't know that I would, Aaron. I didn't have the best examples when it comes to my own parents. I don't think I'm very good with kids," Eden hadn't spent a whole ton of time around kids in the past few years. Lately, she had been spending time with Destiny, but she didn't realize that she was really great with her. Eden bit down on her lip, "It does?" She asked, because really Eden had no idea what she wanted. Did she want to be a parent? Part of her did. Did she want to terminate? Another part wanted that too. "Well, can you tell me what my mind has made up then?" She asked.

Aaron

Aaron gave her a friendly pushed on the shoulder and gave her a smirk. “Hey. Are you telling me I’m not a good example of a good parent?” He joked, trying to get a laugh out of her. She was right though. But, Aaron did also have the best influence growing up either. He sighed before answering her question and lead her back to the living room, grabbing them each another cup of tea on the way there. He sat them down and took a deep breath before speaking again. “What I’m hearing is that you’re not ready for kid.” He sighed. “But I wasn’t either. And honestly...you know that I love my dad, but you also know that he wasn’t the greatest dad. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job despite the fact that I didn’t have the best influence either. And you have plenty of good parents here in Kingsboro that will help you that I didn’t have.” He said. “There’s even a secret parents club you can join.” He chuckled, nudging her.

Eden.

A soft smile appeared on Eden's lips, "That is not what I meant and you know that." Eden said. "I think you are an excellent parent." She promised. Eden followed him down to the other room and gratefully accepted the cup of tea he handed her. "You are doing a really good job." Anytime Eden saw Aaron with his daughter she thought that. Was anyone really ever ready for a kid? She wasn't too sure. "A secret parents club?" She asked, a small laugh escaping her lips. The brunette felt hopeful, even just a little bit. "I don't feel ready to have a child. But deep down inside there is something telling me to not give this child up this time." Eden admitted quietly. "I just don't want to fuck up with them, like my parents did with me."

Aaron

“Thank you.” That meant so much to him. Aaron shook his head. “You’re not going to fuck up. And you’re amazing even though your parents fucked up big time. We don’t always turn into our parents. I turned out slightly better than my dad and a lot worse than my mom.” He shrugged, chuckling along with her lightly. He was only half kidding. Aaron honestly believed that Eden would make a great parent. There was no doubt about that. She knew how much Eden would love being a mother, but also knew how great of a doctor Eden would make. She had a lot of thinking to do and Aaron knew that her decision wasn’t going to happy tonight though. “You don’t have to decide now. Soon. But you have a few more weeks to think about it.” He reminded her. Then a Pulled her into her shoulder for another hug.

Eden.

There was still so many thoughts swirling around in Eden's head. There were reasons why Eden would want to terminate the pregnancy, but the pro list for reasons on why Eden should keep the baby was long too. She knew the next few days or weeks were going to be filled with a whole lot of thinking. "It's hard to think I won't. I have very few people to look at that are good examples of being a parent, you're one of them. But, I wouldn't want to do wrong by my child, and I feel as though I'm not a great role model for a child to look up too." Eden admitted. Though she did know, Aaron himself probably thought similar things. Hell, he had just recently gone to rehab for a drinking problem but still was an incredible parent. Eden leaned into the hug, holding Aaron tightly, "Thank you." She said, pulling away slightly. "Do you think -- would it be okay if I crashed here tonight? I just, I don't want to go home and talk to Mason yet."

Aaron

Aaron actually laughed. “Eden. I made an ass of myself on MTV for a year, worked in the porn industry, and have dozens of terrible articles out about me. You think you’re a bad influence. We all do dumb shit, then our kid changes us.” He nodded. “Of course you can stay here tonight. I’ll get the guest room ready.” As he stood up, he heard Des start to cry. He waved Eden to follow him to her room. “She been having nightmares lately.” He informed her before opening the child’s door. “Hi baby. Edens here too. Did you have another nightmare.” He waved Eden to follow him in before he knelt down at Des’ bedside. She describe some of her dream to them before Aaron (badly) sang her back to sleep.

Eden.

Well, that was true. Eden hadn't watched all of Rich Kids, but had seen enough to know that Aaron did surely make a fool of himself on MTV. Something his own kid could watch one day if she chose to do so. "Thank you. I'm not ready to face him tonight." Eden knew once she saw Mason, she'd most likely break down and tell him the truth about what was going on with her. Eden raised an eyebrow when he motioned for her to follow him. Eden quietly moved down the hall, as they got to Destiny's room. She followed him inside, getting down next to Aaron and listening to the small blonde describe her nightmare. Aaron made it look so easy to be a parent, she watched as he sang -- awfully -- to the small girl, but a small smile grew as she got sleepier and drifted back to sleep. If Eden did go through with this pregnancy, she could only hope she'd be the kind of parent that Aaron was.

#discord #eden

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janellelucy · 4 years

Text

too good at goodbyes

TAGGING: Janelle Puckerman & Cameron Weston

LOCATION: Their house & the Hospital

TIME FRAME: Thursday, May 7th; around 2:30pm-ish

WORD COUNT: 5222

NOTES: TRIGGER WARNING: do not read if you are sensitive to any talk about losing a child/miscarrying

Janelle had drooped her phone into the cup holder of her car driving back home, but as she did she could feel cramps even more. The fact something really felt wrong she really tried to push it away, thinking that it was just because she got so mad at his mom that this would just pass. It wasn't long till she was pulling into their driveway, the cramps weren't as bad but they where still there, and she actually was getting worried about them now. Grabbing her bag from the back seat and then her phone from the cup holder and headed inside. She was greeted by Delilah who was happy to see her "hi sweetie, where's daddy?"

cameron had an off day today, and wanted to finish doing some work around the house. he started in the backyard, cutting the grass, trimming the bushes, the typical backyard upkeep. it didn't take him long to do that, an hour or two tops, and then he moved into the house, cleaning up some things, and finishing up hanging some pictures janelle wanted up on the walls. by the time janelle got home, cameron was starting on dinner, being nearly done as the quiet sound of their alarm system went off, signaling that the front door was open. "i'm in the kitchen, baby!" he called out, continuing to stir the pasta.

When she heard Cam's voice she let out a happy sigh, drooping her bag down on the table they had by the front door and kicked off her converse off, walking into the kitchen. "Hi." She said softly, going over kissing his cheek quickly "How was your day?"

cameron smiled at the bit of attention she gave him, turning his head so he could plant a kiss on her lips, "hey," he let the wooden spoon sit on top of the pot, turning fulling so he was facing her, "it was fine, i got almost everything done. the backyard is looking better, got those pictures hung, cleaned everything up." cam reached forward, wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her into his chest, "how was yours?"

Janelle wrapped her arm around him as he kissed her, letting her lips linger on his for a moment. "wow, and i didn't even leave you a honey-do list" She let out a happy sigh, feeling the cramps hit again, having her flinch a little before she could even answer cam

"i know, i'm really doing good, eh?" he laughed, leaning his head down, letting his forehead rest on hers. cameron could sense her tensing up and he pulled his head away, his brows furrowing, "what's wrong, baby? you okay?"

Janelle pulled away, wanting to say she was fine, but she knew she wasn't "no." She said softly. Janelle's voice was never lower than a whisper, and it was getting there as she felt another pain "i think there is something wrong.."

cameron placed both his hands on her upper arms, worried for what was to happen. she didn't look right - he could tell something was off, "what do you - mean wrong, janelle?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet, though there was a hint of urgency.

Janelle didn't know how to say it, her brain only going one way, and it wasn't the way she wanted it to be going. "It hurts.." She looked up at him as she tried to keep her breath steady but it was pretty shaky as she spoke.. "I'll be right back.." She pulled away from him, going to the bathroom down stairs, closing the door behind her. She pulled down her jeans, and underwear in one movement, looking down. it wasn't covered yet, but there was a heavy spotting, as she let out a sob.

cameron was quick to follow her as she pulled away, not understanding how she couldn't just let him in on something so serious. he knocked on the door, "janell -" he started, though he was cut off hearing her sob. without hesitation, he opened the door, not caring if she would have been angry about it or not. it took him a moment to register the scene in front of him, but once he did, he was kneeling down in front of her, "come here," he whispered, opening his arms.

Janelle had her elbows on top of her legs and her head in her hands, the silent tears flowing. Nothing felt off until today, and this was her worst fear. When Cam came in she barely moved, but did her arms going around him tightly crying into his chest. There was no way it wasn't what she thought it was, but she didn't want to be the one to say the word.

as soon as janelle fell into his arms, he held her tightly, and as close to his body as he possibly could. "it's okay, baby, you're okay," he whispered, moving his hand up to rub along the back of her head. cameron knew exactly what was happening, he knew what the bleeding meant, and he knew it was too late for them to fix anything. his heart was shattered, but he was doing his best to remain strong for his girlfriend, knowing that was what she needed.

Janelle just stayed there in his arms, for a good solid five minutes crying, "i..we should probably go to this hospital." She finally said barely above a whisper as she sniffled. She probably really didn't need to, but if she heard herself say the word, or cam say it, she needed to hear it from a doctor, she needed to know there was no baby.

cameron was prepared to stay there for as long as she needed to, holding her as tightly as he could, trying his best to provide her some form of comfort, "alright, yeah, do you want to go now?" he asked quietly, his hand still moving along her hair. "it's going to be okay, sweetheart, you know that, right? it's okay." he tried again, his voice hopeful, though there was a hint of pain, of sadness.

Janelle nodded her head up and down. "i know." She said, her voice kind of monotone. "I'm.. I'm just gonna go up stairs and change really quick, okay?" She dropped her arms from where they had been tightly gripping his sides. As he let her go, she got up and made her way up stairs. She changed out of her black jeans and put on a different pair of underwear along with a pad - not wanting to ruin another pair, and then pulled on a pair of sweat pants before going back down stairs.

cameron nodded his head slowly at her response, not really knowing what else he could say to help her in this situation. he let her leave his embrace, sitting back on the bathroom tile as she walked away. his head fell, a hand immediately moving up to run through his hair, tugging slightly on the ends. cam could feel himself starting to get emotional, he could feel himself starting to break, but he quickly snapped out of it and stood up and off the ground. he put their puppy in her little pen, giving her a quick pet on the top of her head before he stood up, looking to janelle, "you ready?" he asked quietly.

Janelle shook her head "no. but guess i have to be." She forced out a laugh, before going back over to him, her arms wrapped back around him. "I'm sorry." She mumbled into his chest. Though she couldn't control what her body did, she felt like it was her fault she lost the baby still.

"it'll be okay," he spoke quietly, wrapping his arms tightly around her small body. he could practically feel his heart breaking as the words came from her mouth. cameron pulled away from her, cupping her face in both of his hands, "you need to listen to me, right now." he spoke, his words firm, yet still quiet, "i don't ever want to hear you say that again. you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. this is not your fault, this is not my fault, this is not anyone's fault. okay? things just - happen. maybe it - wasn't the right time for us. but - you're not to blame for this." with every word cameron spoke, he could feel his eyes welling up, and though he blinked quickly to keep them from falling, they were still visible.

Janelle let out a sigh as his hands went to her face. She knew he was right, everything he said was true. it wasn't either of their fault. shit just happens. "ok." she reached up though pushing away cam's tears before they spilled over his eyes.

cameron rubbing his thumbs along her cheeks slowly, letting out a soft sigh as he stared at her, "i'm serious, janelle. it's not your fault." he whispered, closing his eyes quickly as she began to wipe at them. he didn't want her to see him like this, so upset and broken, he needed to be strong, now more than ever.

"Okay cam." Janelle repeated herself letting her thumb fall from his face letting out a sigh. "lets just go..okay?" She put her hand on his wrist to slowly pulled them down before she pulled away to grab her bag, and the two of them started outside.

cameron let out a sigh, wishing janelle could just believe his words, but he stopped repeating himself, and let his hands fall to his sides. "yeah - okay," he mumbled, the tone of his voice defeated. he soon walked towards the front door, grabbing his keys and his wallet, sliding both into his pockets and began to make his way outside towards the car.

Janelle let out a soft sigh. she just wanted it confirmed that it was in fact what it was that happened and try and move on. she was already heart broken over it. and she knew cam was too. its not your fault kept ringing in her ears as they sat in the car on the drive to the hospital. She didn't get it, how wasn't it her fault how wasn't it her fault that her own body wanted to reject the baby. She let her head lean on the window watching the outside not saying much on the drive.

cameron made sure janelle got into the car okay before he did the same. a majority of the drive, he kept to himself, and ignored the pressing need to fill up the silence of the car. but after a few minutes, he reached his hand over and grabbed a tight hold of janelle's. cameron needed her to know that he was right here, though all of it. he wasn't going anywhere. the drive wasn't long, but it felt like forever. he pulled into the parking lot, glancing over to her now, "should we go into the er?" he asked, not really knowing how to handle a situation like this.

When Cam had reached over to take her hand, she adjusted them, so her fingers were laced into his, smiling just a tiny bit. "um..i'd assume er? I don't think we'd really be able to go any place else?"

cameron nodded his head, but kept his words to himself, not really knowing what else to say in the moment. he found a parking space, and pulled into it, taking the keys out of the ignition. before she could get out of the car, cameron turned his body, cupping her cheek in his hand, pulling her into him. he placed a kiss to her lips, staying there for a moment before he pulled just an inch away, "i love you. more than anything in this whole world. you know that, right? you're my everything, janelle. despite all the things we've been through, or are going through. nothing will ever make me love you any less than i love you right now."

Janelle shifted a little bit as he stopped the car, ready to get out before he pulled to to him, having her kiss back, almost relaxing a little, as if she actually needed that more than anything right now, though tears filled her eyes again, nodding. "I know. I love you too Cam" She said softly pushing her tears away, shaking her head. "you're my soulmate, there is nothing that the two of us can't do together." She whispered leaning back into him to kiss him softly. cameron let his thumb rub against her cheek softly, hoping that his actions would bring her some form of comfort, "you and me against the world, huh?" he whispered, kissing her back as she leaned in. after a rather long moment, he pulled back, "you ready to go?" cam asked, still keeping his voice rather quiet.

"Always." She smiled her hand reaching for his face as they kissed, but the second he pulled away she dropped it. "As ready as I'll ever be." She nodded, reaching for the car door to get out. Walking inside, the waiting room didn't have many people and that could be a good or bad thing. She kept her hand tightly in Cam's as she went up to the counter. The nurse greeted her and asked her what was the reason for coming in. Janelle explained it, they took her information, as she gave her id, and her insurance car. Getting things handed back and a wrist band on, they told them to have a seat someone would be out shortly to take her vitals before anything else could happen.

cameron wasn't planning on leaving her side even for a moment, even as she went up to the counter, he kept his hand in hers, holding onto her tightly. he waited as the nurse talked to janelle, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand throughout the whole interaction. as the nurse told them to take a seat, cameron nodded his head, and lead janelle over to a group of chairs. he waited for her to sit down before he took the seat next to her, his arm immediately wrapping around her body.

Janelle sat down with him, moving as close to him as she could, as she put her things away back into her wallet, trying to keep busy. there was only so much you could do in a waiting room, so with putting those cards back into her wallet she found it a good time to try and clean it out, staying quiet, as she looked at receipts she had crumpled up in there, and her little bit of cash she did keep in there in four different spots trying to put it all back into one pile.

cameron watched as she dug apart her wallet, chuckling softly as she began to organize everything. he leaned his head in, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek before he let his head rest on her shoulder. after a moment, he began humming softly, the tune to her favorite song, trying again to provide some kind of distraction.

Janelle let out a sigh as he leaned into her as she moved stuff around. "Do you want this?" She asked softly holding out one of those punch cards for a local sub shop that if you got them all punched you got a free thing. she didn't even know how she had it because she couldn't remember the last time she had gone to that sub shop.

cameron couldn't help but chuckle softly, shaking his head at her offer, "i'm good, baby, thank you. do you want me to take it for you so i can throw it out later, though?" he asked, picking his head up just enough for him to be able to look at her.

Janelle looked between him, and the pile of trash that was sitting on top of her bag, shaking her head as she dropped it down into the pile she had for the trash. "No it's fine." She finished up her wallet, putting it in his lap, not wanting to put it on the seat next to her as she started to dig through her bag. She found not one, not two, but three pairs of headphones, two charging cabled, a wall plug, a portable charger, the bag she normally had all her lipsticks in - empty, a half bottle of water, an unopened starbucks frapachino drink, more receipts, all of her lipsticks - putting them right back into her makeup bag, fifteen hair ties, two half packs of gum, gum wrappers, a bunch of pens, a mini notebook, her broken popsocket, her planner, keys, and last but not least, an ulta gift card at the bottom. "I think i need to clean this out more often" she mumbled, grabbing her wallet back from cam to slip the gift card into one of the pockets, before trying to find spots and homes for most of the stuff, as the trash pile kept growing bigger.

cameron sat back in his own seat, watching her pick apart her bag with wide eyes, not understanding how that many things could fit in a bag of that size, "jesus, janelle, it's like the fuckin' marry poppins bag, isn't it?" he asked, his eyebrows raised, letting out a laugh.

Janelle couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I'm sorry there is no hat stand in my bag." She teased playfully elbowing him. she got all the trash together getting up and throwing it away before coming back and sat down with him leaving her head on his shoulder. "Please tell me that took me longer than i think it did?"

"what a damn shame," he chuckled, looking over at her, "i was really hoping for like - a pet elephant or something. 'lilah could use a buddy." it was making cameron happy to see a genuine smile on janelle's face, something that had been foreign for the last few hours, "took you like - ten fifteen minutes, i think?"

"We do not have room for a pet elephant." She shook her head letting out a sigh. "I was hoping you were about to say a half hour." she mumbled, the smile fading quickly knowing where she was again. it was only about five minutes later her name was called. She got up, taking Cam's hand with hers and walked into the little room where they took her temperature, blood pressure, height, weight and everything. When it came to asking more about the pain and the bleeding. "It slides? like right this second it a zero, but back at home it was like a five or a six? and as far as the blood goes it seemed like a very heavy flow." her hand went to her belly and the nurse asked a few more questions before leaving, leaving the pair in that small office. only a minute or two later she was back taking them into the er to a room. "A doctor will be in with you guys in a few minutes."

"dammit, i think we could make room," he teased, offering up another small smile. cameron shook his head at her words, moving to wrap his arm back around her much smaller body. he kept her close until her name was called, and even then, he made sure he kept his hand held tightly in her own. he remained by her side even in the small office, balancing on his toes right next to the chair she was sat in, his hand placed gently on her knee. cam made sure he could stay near her even as the nurse was doing what she needed to do, and as soon as she was out of the room, cameron was leaning in to press a kiss to janelle's forehead, "you doing okay?" he asked in a whisper.

Janelle sat on the bed, her feet dangling off the floor. It was more waiting that she didn't want to do. "I'm fine." She said looking up to him. "are you okay?" She asked. It couldn't be easy on him knowing that they lost the baby, knowing how excited he was for it too.

cameron stood up slowly, letting his arm move to rest behind her, his hand rubbing up and down her back gently, "i'm okay, baby, don't worry about me," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her hair, "is your stomach hurting you? do you want me to rub it?" cameron was nearly scrambling to find ways to bring her some comfort, it being the only thing he could do in this moment, even if it didn't work as well as he would want it to.

"Cameron." She said simply looking back at him. "Don't make me pull what you did to me earlier." She moved to look at him. "And no. not right now." She told him, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Just don't leave." She said softly.

"oh come on, i'm telling you i'm fine, so i'm fine. i promise," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead yet again. cam kept his hand moving along her back, nodding his head when she said that her stomach felt okay, "leave? never, baby. i'm not leaving." he reassured, shaking his head, his words firm, yet still quiet.

"Uh huh sure." She mumbled leaning into him "So just cause im saying I'm fine, you think I'm actually fine too then?" she questioned shaking her head "no even if they ask you to leave, can you just not.. like i don't want you to go anywhere."

cameron let out a sigh, moving so he could sit on the edge of the bed, keeping his hand moving on her back, “can we not focus on me right now, please?” truthfully, he was still getting used to being open about his feelings with people, and right now, he didn’t want to have to think about himself. he wanted to be focused on her, “i told you, baby, i’m not going anywhere. i don’t care if they want me to leave or not, i’m staying right here.”

She dropped it. she didn't want the fight right now, or try and force him to talk about it. Janelle nodded "alright okay thank you." she moved a little bit so she could wrap her arm around him. "I love you." she whispered softly.

cameron nodded his head slowly, letting his forehead rest softly on her shoulder, "i love you too, baby," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her upper arm, "wanna thumb wrestle?" cam spoke up after a moment of silence, holding his hand up in the air.

Janelle let out a laugh, not knowing how to respond to him "Thumb wrestle?" She giggled leaning up and kissed him "I guess so." She put her hand out with her thumb out

"yeah - thumb wrestle. what else are we gonna do?" he shrugged, sitting up slightly. cameron couldn't help but smile as she giggled, despite the situation they were in, her laugh was his favorite sound, and he missed it more than anything. he curled his fingers around her own, moving his thumb back and forth, "alright - ready? one - two - three - four, i declare a thumb - war!" as he finished his last word, he used his thumb to pretend to 'punch' her own, making sound effects to go along with it.

Janelle shook her head pulling her legs up and crossing them. "Ready." she moved her thumb back and forth as he started it. She was never good at this and knew either she was going to lose or he was going to let her win. Moving her thumb around trying to get his to go down

cameron laughed quietly, trying to move his thumb away from hers. he could easily put her thumb down right now, and win the whole game, but where was the fun in any of that? he continued to move around, avoiding her finger, laughing as he did.

There was no use, his thumb was able to move around quicker than hers. "Just go and win, you're going to anyways." She always hated this game it was more likely for her to win rock paper scissors then this.

cameron shrugged at her words, looking away for just a moment when he heard some people shuffling outside their door. it gave her an opportunity, one that he didn't mean for, but still an opportunity to pin his thumb down.

Janelle watched him look away, and she quickly pinned his thumb down "One two three" she said in less than two second "I win!" she giggled just as the door opened and the doctor walked in. "Ms. Puckerman?" The doctor asked, leading Janelle to nod her head up and down. "I'm Doctor Andrews." She looked down at the paper work "So you came in because of some cramping and bleeding. Had you know if you were -" Janelle quickly cut her off. "I was pregnant. I know I was. and I know with pcos that its harder for me to get pregnant, and have the higher chances of a.." She stopped herself she still didn't want to say the word. Dr. Andrews nodded. "We can go get an ultrasound and check then if that is what you want." She nodded "please."

cameron stood up quickly when the doctor came in, yet he kept his hand held tightly in janelle's, wanting to make sure she knew that he was always going to be right there next to her. he listened intently to the doctor, moving his free hand along her back yet again, trying to soothe her, as he knew she would more than likely be anxious. cam stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt either of of the women as they spoke.

As the doctor left Janelle let out a small sigh blinking back tears. "She was gonna tell me without even checking wasn't she." She said somewhat monotone. She let go of his hand running both of her hands over her face, just wishing this wasn't happening.

without hesitation, cameron wrapped both his arms around her small body, bringing her close to his chest, "she would have checked you out, baby, she has to before she can say anything," he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her head, "it's okay, sweetheart, it'll all be okay."

"But.." she sighed turning into his body just so she could hold herself closer to him. "It just seemed that way. that she already knew. I know it is what it is but.. be at least fucking positive yknow?" she mumbled into his chest.

he kept her as close as he possibly could, moving one of his hands to rub along the back of her head, "i don't think she was doing that, elle. she's probably just really busy, and was moving really quickly. it's okay," he whispered, pressing his lips to her head yet again. Janelle just let out a sigh closing her eyes as he rubbed the back of her head.

Maybe..yeah." She mumbled staying there for a moment not wanting to move.

cameron kept placing multiple kisses to the top of her head, beginning to hum the same song he began earlier in the waiting room. he let his hand continue moving along the back of her head, trying yet again to provide her some kind of comfort. he hated more than anything that he couldn't make her feel good, that he couldn't help her at all.

Janelle pulled away after a few minutes hearing something outside the door. When a nurse walked in with Dr. Andrews and an ultrasound machine. They set it up. As they did Janelle took of the hoodie she had on keeping on the tanktop she had on, as she laid down, moving the top up, and letting the doctor do her thing. She didn't even want to look at them, just looking over at cam the whole time waiting for some type of reaction from him.

cameron moved away just slightly, though his hand stayed tightly in hers, only removing it when she needed to take her sweatshirt off, but even then, he put it right back where it was before. as the nurse and doctor did what they needed to do, cameron let his fingertips brush up and down her arm, hoping the action would distract her in some way.

As Dr Andrews moved it along Janelle's belly where there should have been a baby. There was nothing there, no baby, no heart beat. "I'm so sorry Janelle." She started, but everything after that was a a blur, the only other words she heard was the one she had been trying to avoid saying. "..Miscarriages are more common then people realize.." She closed her eyes tightly holding back tears, her hand still in Cams as she sighed. "I'm going to have some blood drawn before you two leave. Once we get that we can discharge you and we can call you and let you know about the blood work. I also want you to go make an appointment with your obgyn for them to do another round of blood work plus see how you're doing and feeling." Janelle nodded, not saying anything. Dr. Andrews and the nurse left, only for the nurse to come back to take her blood a few minutes later. Janelle rubbed at the spot on her arm where the needed had been, always hating getting poked.

cameron could literally feel his heart shattering in his chest, his whole world was crashing down, everything was on fire, and there was not a single thing for him to do about it. he just had to sit back and watch everything fall. he gripped janelle's hand tightly, looking at her with the most hopeful and happy look he could muster up, something he had gotten relatively good at, though it was clear that a part of him was missing. that something had just been ripped out of him. "you did good, baby, i'm proud of you," he whispered, letting his lips curl up into a smile, speaking only after the nurse came back in to draw her blood.

Janelle grabbed the hoodie putting it into her lap. "Thanks?" She tried to laugh but it was so forced out that it was the fakest laugh she had ever heard from herself. "I just wanna go home." she mumbled.

"baby," he mumbled, letting out a sigh, "i - yeah, alright," he nodded his head, not bothering to say much else other than that. cameron had no choice but to let her hurt the way she needed to, and he needed to realize that he couldn't do anything to help her this time. he stood up fully, holding his hand out for her to take if she wanted it.

Janelle got up off of the bed putting the hoodies back on, grabbing her bag and the discharge papers the nurse gave her. She took his hand walking out, she stopped at the front desk and they said she was all good to go. all janelle wanted now was to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

#tw: miscarriage

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artificialqueens · 6 years

Text

Something About Aquaria Ch. 5

Shits getting angsty, Trigger warning for descriptions of gore~ Eliptic

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, OK Cracker just breathe’ Max was pacing rapidly in his hotel room, practically burning a hole in the carpet. ‘This is normal, you should have been expecting this, and why wouldn’t he be curious? Just breathe it’ll be fine.’ sighed heavily throwing himself onto the bed.

“Who am I fucking kidding, when has that ever worked?” he said blurring to the window.

Aquaria’s POV

Giovanni’s head was pounding as he reluctantly sat up at the blaring sound of his alarm, he slammed his hand on the snooze button, wincing as he felt the plastic cut into his palm. “Holy shit.” He whispered looking between the crushed clock and his bleeding hand.

He whipped his head around at the sound of one of the many locks unlocking. In a panic Giovanni pushed over the side table, “Don’t come in I'm… naked.” He shouted quickly as the door started to open, nursing his injured palm.

“Okay?” Sam said confused “Well soups on so come down… preferably when you have clothes on.”

“I will.” Giovanni said as the door shut fully. He gave out a sigh of relief. Going into the tiny bathroom he ran his hand under water clearing away in the blood to assess the damage. To his surprise the small cuts that covered his hand were slowly healing. “Cool.” He whispered.

‘Max!’ he thought suddenly, he quickly threw on some clothes and rushed down to the dining room, searching for the shorter vampire.

“Cracker doesn’t eat, she’s on the bus with Vixen and Blair.” Giovanni nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Dane’s voice. “Sorry.” He apologized smiling shyly.

“I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf.” Giovanni teased.

“Kameron Michaels,” he said dramatically “Cause of death too many dog puns.” They both laughed. “You should grab something before you go.”

“I’m actually not hungry.” He said letting it sink in “At least not for food.” He swallowed heavily looking down.

Dane pulled Giovanni in a tight hug “Four years ago I was where you are now… only with more fur. It was terrifying, still is sometimes, but I got through it. And so will you.”

Giovanni smiled trying to will away the tears stinging his eyes. “Thanks Kam. I should go check on Cracker.”

“She seemed fine when I saw her this morning. Did something happen?”

“I’m not really sure what happened. His eyes…” Giovanni bit his lip, turning on his heel and quickly walked to the bus, he climbed on immediately spotting Vixen and Blair snuggled together, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep, but no Max. As silently as possible he made his way to the back of the bus, finding Max curled up sleeping in the last seat. Smiling Giovanni gently lifted Max and squeezed in next to him, putting Max’s head in his lap. He checked him over, stopping when he spotted two small marks on his forearm, slowly Giovanni lifted Max’s arm to examine the scars, they looked like bug bites. Giovanni unconsciously ran his tongue over his teeth, he froze.

‘I made those. I bit him.’ He panicked ‘Is that why he freaked out? Is that normal? What am I saying none of this is normal!’ Giovanni started breathing heavily.

“Aqua?” Kevin’s voice broke through his panic, it caused him to jump making Max to stir in his lap. “What’s wrong?” Giovanni gestured to the tiny scars on Max’s arm. “Oh, don’t worry they’ll be gone in a few hours.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“You didn’t, the opposite actually,” Kevin winked “So what would you prefer, a ring or a necklace?”

“Are you asking me to go steady with you?” Giovanni asked, relaxing.

“You wish bitch.” Kevin chuckled “Eventually the suns gonna become a problem. I need to enchant something that you can wear so you don’t combust.” He explained. Giovanni’s face went pale. “You two didn’t get to that chapter yet.” Kevin said slowly “Sorry.”

“Max doesn’t wear anything, so I didn’t think it was a thing.”

“That’s because, despite a song saying otherwise, Bob is a show off. He enchanted some ink and gave him a tattoo. I’m not quite on that level…yet, but you don’t strike me a tattoo girl anyway.”

“I have a necklace that my mom gave me. Would that work?” he asked taking off the simple chain.

“Yeah, this’ll do just fine.”

A grumble came from Max as he dug his head into Giovanni’s stomach. “Five more minutes.” Kevin smirked leaning over to flick him on the back of his head. “I hate you.” Max flipped him off stretching as he sat up. “Oh,” a brief look of panic flashed in his eyes “Hi Aquaria, I hope I didn’t drool on you.”

“It’s fine,” Giovanni laughed “I’m glad you’re okay…you are okay right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Kevin and Giovanni looked at Max confused “Well last night you-“ Giovanni was cut off by the other queens getting on board. Max turned away putting headphones on at full volume. Kevin gestured for Giovanni to join him in his seat.

“What happened last night?” he whispered. “Cracker came to my room this morning talking a million miles a minute then left now she’s acting weird .”

“Is it because I… bit him?”

“You’re still a fledging, any venom you have would have just been a slight buzz, not enough to cause a head rush like a full vamp would.”

Giovanni thought for a moment “He told me how he became a… you know.”

Kevin’s face dropped, he glanced back at Max who was lip-syncing his part. “That’s sore subject with him.”

“I didn’t mean to-“

“You have the right to be curious, he didn’t have to tell you but he did cause he trusts you. He didn’t tell you everything though did he?”

“I don’t know. I thought he did.”

“We’ll talk later, now get your skinny ass up with Asia she’s staring daggers into me and I can’t tell if she’s joking anymore.”

Cracker’s POV

Max could still hear Kevin and Giovanni despite the music blaring in his ears.

“-He didn’t tell you everything though did he?” Max went stiff, pausing the music and glaring at the back of Kevin’s head

“I don’t know. I thought he did.”

“We’ll talk later, now get your skinny ass up with Asia she’s staring daggers into me and I can’t tell if she’s joking anymore.”

Giovanni joined the rest of his team and Kevin slid in next to Max, who hit play on the music pretending that he hadn’t been listening in. Kevin rolled his eyes, taking one of Max’s hand in his own squeezing it comfortingly.

September 5th 2009

‘Ow’ Max thought as his brain sluggishly regained consciousness. ‘How much did I have to drink last night.’ His throat was so dry he couldn’t talk, he opened his eyes, only to be blinded by the brightness of his room, immediately he closed them again. ‘Must of left the curtains open.’ He tried to sit up but his muscles ached and refused to move more than a couple inches.

“Isn’t it normal for Cracker to go on these creative binges where she goes AWOL for a bit them comes back with some badass creation.” He heard Kevin’s voice coming from the living room.

“Yeah, but normally Katelyn’s here to make sure he eats and sleeps, and she will kill us if she comes home to a neglected Cracker.” Chris responded “I’ll check the bedroom, you order takeout.”

Max attempted to sit up again but his body screamed at him, heavy footsteps came down the hallway, opening his bedroom.

“Max!” Chris yelled, suddenly Max felt warm hands on his shoulders making him realized how cold he was. “Max!” he yelled again shaking him. Max felt a quiet whimper leave his throat.

“Chris what- Oh my god!” Kevin screamed. “Is he?”

“Not quite. Stay with him while I call Jamin.”

“Why are you calling Betty and not an ambulance?”

“Because this isn’t something humans can fix. Look at his arms and neck.” Chris sounded angry in way Max had never heard before.

‘Hold on… humans?’ Max thought as he felt Kevin’s pull him close, the heat from the others body was suffocating but not in a way that made him uncomfortable, it was actually soothing, ‘How did I not notice how cold it was in here.’

“Ed?” Kevin said coldly.

‘What does my ex have to do with this? What even is this? Why does everything hurt?’

“When I find that son a bitch-“ Kevin started

“Let’s focus on Max right now.” Chris interrupted.

Max heard a weird whooshing noise and felt wind on his face.

“Let me see him.” Jamin said worriedly.

‘How did Betty get here so fast?’

Kevin reluctantly pulled away taking his warmth with him, Max felt his body twitch in an attempt to get it back. He mentally recoiled from the icy hands that seemed to study him.

“I’d say he a about a week into the transition.” Jamin said.

“He’s only been AWOL for a few days, how is that possible?” Kevin asked.

“We’ve only heard from him through text.” Chris said sniffling. “Is there anything you can do?”

“I can give him a pick me up but the rest is up to him.” Jamin sighed.

“Do it.”

The room went silent, then filled with a smell that made his stomach growl loudly, ‘Fuck I’m starving.’ He felt a cold hand open his mouth and a warm, gooey, delicious liquid flowed into it. He heard another growl, but this time it didn’t sound human, his arms moved quickly despite the pain to grip tightly around Jamin’s arm, gulping down the heavenly substance. The pain gradually ebbed away and the need to keep drinking subsided, reluctantly he detached his mouth, he slowly blinked as his vision focused to see Jamin looking at him worriedly and Kevin who was sobbing quietly into Chris’s side, Chris also had tears streaming down his face as he rubbed circles into Kevin’s back.

“Max?” Jamin spoke slowly bringing his attention back to him.

“What?” Max said in croaky voice, feeling spit run down his chin he whipped it with back of a shaky hand, pulling it back to see red, red that also covered Jamin’s arm and the sheets. His eyes started feeling heavy and his head was spinning “B-“ next thing he knew he was submerged in darkness again.

Max groaned pulling his blanket closer to him as he desperately tried to fall back to sleep. He heard muffled talking from the other room, he sat up examining his surroundings. He was in his bed. ‘Weird fucking dr-‘ Max’s thought was cut off as he spotted red staining his light blue bed sheets.

“Chris!” he yelled, his voice coming out louder than he had expected it to. The door flew open and Chris, followed by Kevin and Jamin, rushed in. “It…it wasn’t a dream.” He said softly. Chris quickly got on the bed, pulling Max into the tightest hug he’d ever experienced.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop this, but I promise you it’s going to be okay.” The taller said stroking his hair.

“What the hell is going on?”

An hour later Max sat on his bed, wrapped up in his blanket, a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Chris entered carrying a cup of tea “Max.” he said softly.

“What do you want me to say?” Max said sharply “This is a lot to take in. Vampires, magic, all of this isn’t supposed to be real. And now I'm…I don’t even know what I am.”

“You are the exact same person you were a week ago.”

“No I’m not! Look me in the eye and tell me that everything can go back to normal.”

Chris was silent.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” Max sobbed.

“Don’t say that.” Chris said holding back tears “You’re right everything is changing but you, who you are, the hilarious, creative, kind person that is Maxwell Heller, that doesn’t have to change. You’re still you just as a vampire.”

“I don’t want this.” Max said darkly.

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

“Okay,” Chris whispered sadly.

November 2nd 2009

Kevin groaned as his phone rang beside him “What Bob?” he mumbled sleepily

“Max isn’t answering his phone.”

Kevin’s stomach dropped “He still has a few more weeks.”

“The transition period isn’t exact, Kev I can’t go there by myself…if he is…” Chris broke off with a sob.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there.” Kevin said trying to keep his cool.

Two swirling portals opened up in the tiny apartment. Chris and Kevin shaking as they peered around the empty living room.

“Max?” Kevin shouted. There was a loud thump from the small dark hallway. “Max?” Kevin said going closer, freezing looking at the floor, Chris followed his gaze to the red staining the gray carpet. They followed the trail to the bathroom. They gasped in unison at the sight of a blood soaked Max slumped against the bathtub. “Max!” Kevin cried crouching in front of him, he paused looking at the blood that had smeared on his had from Max’s chest it was bright red and cold. Chris leaned forward looking to the tub, that was filled with bloodied plastic bags. Blood bags.

Max suddenly gasped, seizing up, he eyes were bloodshot, the veins under them prominent, his red stained canines extended, his nails sharpened to a point that tore through Kevin’s hoodie as his body shook violently.

“Max! Hey, hey, hey it’s me, it Kevin.” He said cupping Max’s face as the shaking calmed and Max’s eyes slowly returned to normal.

“What happened?”

“I…I heard something so I went to check it out, but when I got to the hallway there was blood on the floor and I…I…I don’t remember.” Max held up his bloodied hands “Oh God what did I do?” he panicked.

Chris picked up one of the blood bags from the tub, ran it under water in the sink.

Didn’t know your favorite, so I got them all. Love Ed

Was written in sharpie on the bag.

#miz cracker #aquaria #monet x change #kameron michaels #bob the drag queen #craquaria #supernatural au #eliptic #rpdr fanfiction #s10 #something about aquaria #m/m au

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reddieaddict · 6 years

Text

Superhero!Richie and Supervillain!Eddie HC

Author’s Notes: I came up with this idea for a fic, but I am not good at writing action, so if anyone is willing write this . . . you have my blessing. In fact i would be forever grateful. I was thinking of Eddie and Richie having a dynamic similar to Spiderman/Blackcat and Batman/Catwoman, except with two bros. I didn’t come up with their superhero/villain names cause I couldn’t decide on ones. So feel free to name them whatever you want. This is kinda long. Sorry?

Richie’s power set is pretty similar to spiderman (super strength, durability, agility, and speed) but, instead of having spiderwebs or spider-sense, he can produce a supersonic screech (like Black Canary). I think that would pair well with his trashmouth, so he can yell curse words with his supersonic voice.

He was born with his powers, but they didn’t activate/manifest until he was in his teens and had a traumatic event. For him it was when Wentworth had tried to hit him he screamed and discovered he had abilities.

After that is parents didn’t try to abuse him anymore, but they took it to the other extreme and just ignored him all together.

The day he and Bev graduated High School they packed up their shit and moved to New York together.

Bev was the only person, besides his parents, that knew about his abilities. It was actually her idea that Richie start using his power to fight crime.

Bev is a super tech genius bitch (think Barbra Gordon as Oracle) and makes tech for Richie and helps him while he’s out fighting crime. She can see and hear what Richie sees/hears through some goggles she made for him, so she helps him navigate and guides him.

They have been an active crime fighting team for about two years, but they have been keeping a pretty low profile and only defends their neighborhood. Most people aren’t aware of Richie (he’s kinda like an urban legend in his area.)

Eddie’s power set is similar to Black Cat (Super strength, speed, agility, able to leap to great heights and always lands on his feet.) The only difference is that he has a regenerative ability (like Wolverine) so it’s a play off of his “nine lives” and its ironic cause he’s still very much a hypochondriac.

Eddie got his powers through his mom. She was fucking nuts, and fed him real medication and ran experiments on him his entire life. He lived most of his youth as her guinea pig. One night an experiment goes wrong and he develops abilities. She also still emotionally and mentally abused and manipulated him.

As soon as he developed his powers, he used them to escape and run away with his best friends Ben and Mike to NYC. (Coincidentally to Richie’s neighborhood.)

They had already graduated high school, but still were not prepared when they went on the run. They had to resort to a life a burglary to sustain themselves and afford a place to stay. They have a very strict moral code: never hurt anyone, and never steal from the poor or small businesses.

Ben and Mike (now his roommates) play similar roles as Bev. Ben uses his love of architecture to help Eddie plan his heists and is also in his ear/eyes to help him navigate. Mike makes all of Eddie’s tech and trains him in martial arts.

Their first encounter: Eddie was in the middle of a bank heist and accidentally triggered the silent alarm.

Bev picked up on the signal and immediately sent Richie to investigate. As soon as they meet, Richie has an instant attraction and starts to flirt hard.

Bev is like “Okay, focus!!”

Eddie is like WTF? and they start their signature banter and bickering instead of fighting right away.

Ben is like “Okay, you need to get the fuck out of there now!” so Eddie tries to escape, but they are pretty equally matched in speed.

So they start to fight and are also pretty equally matched in strength, but Eddie has combat training and easily bests Richie.

He uses some wire that Mike created to tie up Richie and its made of some super strong metal, so he can’t get out.

Eddie is like “Okay well, it’s gonna look like I’m leaving, but its only cause I’m leaving. I wish I could say I had a good time, but you’re annoying as fuck.”

Richie “Wait, don’t I get a kiss goodbye?”

Eddie “Sorry, I don’t kiss on the first date!”

Richie “First date? Does that mean there’s gonna be a second date?”

Eddie “I sure as fuck hope not!” and with that he gets away.

Ben and Mike are teasing Eddie through their intercom thing and Eddie is like I do NOT like him. He’s annoying! but they know he’s lying.

After that Richie can’t stop thinking about Eddie and every night he goes out he hopes to run into him again.

He’s more shameless with his crush, but Bev is like “You CANNOT have a crush on him! He’s a criminal!”

Richie is conflicted.

Richie and Eddie, as their alter ego, soon start school and end up having some of the same classes at NYU. They don’t recognize each other without their masks on, obviously.

Eddie notices Richie right away and develops a huge crush!

Richie thinks Eddie is cute too, but his heart is with someone else.

Incase you haven’t caught on, Eddie likes pedestrian!Richie, but Richie likes supervillain!Eddie. OOH DRAMA!!!

Richie still flirts with Eddie in class, but doesn’t intend for it to go anywhere.

Eddie doesn’t know this though.

One night out on campus, Eddie is leaving one of his classes and gets attacked by some homophobe. Because of his moral code he doesn’t use his powers to fight back. He just takes it.

He knows it’s not really gonna do anything with his durability and regenerative powers anyways, but it still hurts him emotionally.

That’s when pedestrian!Richie is walking by and catches sight. He runs over and defends Eddie. The homophobe runs away.

Eddie has never had anyone (besides Ben and Mike) defend him and is super touched. He is officially in love.

Richie fells bad and offers to take Eddie out for dinner to cheer him up after getting attacked.

They hit it off and start to hangout outside of class.

Soon after both groups of friends start to hang out and become really good friends.

This is awkward because Eddie and Richie start to run into each other more as their alter egos.(Eddie keeps getting away though.) So they are all fighting each other at night, but also friends during the day. Its all super confusing cause Richie keeps falling harder for supervillain!Eddie and Eddie is falling harder for pedestrian!Richie.

Obviously Ben and Bev are also quickly hitting it off and start a relationship, which only further complicates things. They struggle with deciding whether or not to tell each other about their double lives.

Meanwhile there is a REAL supervillian who is Henry Bowers, but he goes by the name Pennywise. (During the day he looks like Henry, but at night he dresses up as Hennywise, ya feel me?)

His super powers are mind control and telepathy. He can also project illusions and he uses all those powers to make people worst fears come true.

He feed off of other people’s minds, (like Syler from Heroes).

He starts leaving dead people around the city with their brains missing or whatever...and he gets the attention of Richie.

Eddie, on the other hand, got Pennywise/Henry’s attention because of his regenerative abilities. Eddie was like an all you can eat buffet. He could constantly regenerate and feed Pennywise, so he sets out to kidnap him.

The night that Eddie and Richie discover each other’s secret identities is the night that Pennywise succeeds with his plan.

Richie is flirting with Eddie while they are fighting, and says “How do you pack so much rage into such a small body?”

Eddie is like “Funny that’s what a friend asked me once and he has a trashmouth just like you.”

And they freeze when they realize who they really are. Ben and Bev hear the whole thing and are also shocked and upset. (It’s like the Mistletoe scene in Batman Returns with Selina and Bruce)

Before they can say anything to Each other, Pennywise swoops in and takes Eddie.

Richie is like what the hell!?

Ben and Mike lose contact with Eddie, but still have a tracking device on his suit. They know where he is but the can’t do anything to help him, so they decide to ask Richie and Bev for help.

Bev is pissed though and says she is going to report them to the police and REFUSES to help.

Richie on the other hand is really conflicted. He realizes the person that has been in love with him is the same person he has been in love with this whole time. AND HES A CRIMINAL!

He decides to help and goes to rescue Eddie.

When he finds Eddie, he is a mess. Traumatized! He had been forced to live his biggest fears (his mom) and then had his brain/mind eaten over and over.

Richie’s (totally emotional and heartbroken seeing Eddie like this) cups eddie’s face and is like “Eddie look at me! Look at me Eddie!”

He helps Eddie snap out of it and together they defeat Pennywise.

Everything is a mess after that and they decide to take off their masks so they can see each other but also so Ben, Mike, and Bev can no longer spy on them.

They run off on their own for the night to try and figure things out.

Eddie explains his past and why he was stealing. He never wanted to, but had to. He says he wasn’t planning on doing it forever and was trying to get his life back together. That’s why he was going to school full time, and shit.

After seeing Eddie so scared of his mother under Pennywise’s influence, he believes him. He decides to not take Eddie in.

When they return Ben had already explained everything to Bev and they had come to the same conclusion.

They work everything out and become a huge crime fighting team.

Stan and Bill

Don’t think I forgot about these bitches.

They are a partner cops and are totally used as comedic relief. [Like Seth Rogan and Bill Hader in Superbad.]

They are constantly chasing after both Richie and Eddie, but never catch them.

They are also the ones that always discover the crime scenes that Pennywise leaves behind.

They are investigating the case.

But never get anywhere.

One night Eddie protects them from Pennywise.

Thats how Pennywise meets Eddie and learns about his regenerative ability.

That’s also how Stan and Bill realize Eddie isn’t a bad person.

They witness the huge fight with Pennywise, but don’t help. I mean what can they do?

By the end of it all they profess their love for each other and start dating.

They help Eddie and Richie cover their track and start working with them too.

The End, bitches. It turns out this is going to be the actual plot for Chapter 2. Andy brought me on to write and develop it for him. So when 2019 comes around ya’ll better have your laces glued gown cause we’re coming for your wigs.

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fans-of-fiction · 7 years

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F-fuh-Fuck Off, B-Bowers - Bill Denbrough x Reader (IT)

-|| To the anon that requested: tysm ily and I hope you’re having a good day<3 I’m really sorry that the reader walked home from the library in July and not from school in another season. I hope it didn’t tinge your idea. <3 xoxo E ||-

Request: Could you write a bill x reader where she’s walking home from school & the bowers gang shows up and keeps messing with her but bill shows up & just helps her out? I’m a sucker for cliches.

Warnings: Language (haha, oops), Sexual References. Potential bullying triggers (It’s Bowers. I’m sorry)

A/N: Written in both Bill and Y/N’s POV. There are more flashbacks (whoops) but the timeline’s noted. Italics are internal thoughts. ‘Italics with quotes are past quotes.’

Words: 4613

July 1989 - Bill

The warm wind pushed Quarry water across my face as I pedaled home. My hair was plastered to my head, still wet from swimming with the Losers. Silver was kicking up gravel as I rode down Kansas street. As I admired the foliage of the Barrens below I could hear birds chirping in the thick branches. If Stan were there he would’ve told me what bird it was before he could manage to pull out his binoculars. I laughed at the thought as the green street sign for West Broadway appeared on my left. I made a wide curve onto the street and immediately spotted her.

It was Y/N. She was far ahead, nearly at the end of the street, but I could still see the wind sweep through her hair as she made her way south-east, her backpack bobbing with each step. I would have pedaled closer to her, tried to talk maybe, but any conversational topic was water in the desert of my brain, so instead, I rode safely behind her, and with luck she’d turn onto Witcham too. But as I glanced past Y/N, I determined there was no luck on West Broadway street, because where Witcham appeared, so did Henry Bowers.

I could feel anxiety bubbling in my guts like hot, sappy tar. I’d ridden past Bowers before. He–as well as Victor and Belch–had thrown sticks and rocks at Silver’s wheels, trying to get me to fall off. ‘How does it feel to be an ass, you stuttering freak?!’ Henry had yelled. Their laughs echoed in my head as I rode closer to Y/N. A sickening thought emerged from the tar that had made it’s way to my head. What if Bowers does it again? What if he succeeds this time? I thought. What if I eat shit in front of Y/N? The hot tar got hotter. I could feel my feet spinning around Silver’s gears at a slower pace as I subconsciously put off passing him, even if it meant never passing Y/N before she found where she was going.

I was watching the bullies with a concentration I could never muster in class. Y/N was close to them now. Close enough for one of them to reach out and grab her. “You b-better wuh-watch yourself B-Buh-Bowers.” I mumbled to myself, far out of their earshot. I was glad they couldn’t hear me but I was disappointed when I couldn’t hear Henry, who smirked down at Y/N and mumbled something.

It couldn’t have been something nice because Y/N stopped in her tracks and turned to the group. Victor and Belch were giggling to each other, but Henry seemed focused, determined. Like a wild cat studying its next meal. No, I pleaded in my head. No, Y/N don’t stop. Keep moving. God, please. But she didn’t move. She looked up at Henry defiantly as he continued to talk down to her, his eyes dancing over her frame. Something clicked in my head and suddenly I knew what was happening. He must’ve catcalled her. Bowers was trying to get in her pants.

The tar in my stomach was gone. It had bubbled into full-blown fire, fueling my feet which were spinning faster now, around and around the gears. Any trace of fear had vanished, giving way to anger and a longing to protect Y/N. Go ahead, assholes. Touch her, I dare you. I spat in my head. Give me a reason to put you in the hospital. I was surprised by my own courage, but made no effort to stunt it. Y/N was pure, and I’d die before I let those jack-offs tinge her soul.

I was close–within 150 feet at this point–when Henry whipped his arms up and grabbed Y/N by the shoulders. Any confidence that once radiated from her face was gone, leaving behind only fear. She was terrified, and I knew the feeling. She no longer looked like the stunning girl I saw the first day I met her. Instead, she looked like a stunning girl who was afraid. I could remember what she looked like that day. What she felt like. How she made me feel. How she made the world feel right.

May 1989 - Bill

“…and then I said, ‘that’s what your mom said last night,’ and he just wailed on me!”

The Losers burst out laughing at Richie, who was holding the left side of his face. “Well, no wonder he punched you,” Beverly chuckled.

“Hey, don’t trash the trashmouth,” Richie objected before furrowing his eyebrows and looking around. “Where the fuck is Eddie?” Richie turned on the bench in front of Mr.Keene’s pharmacy, still holding his face. With his free hand, he rapped on the glass and yelled inside. “Hey, Eddie Spaghetti! Where’s that ice?!”

Eddie pushed open the glass door and chucked a bag of peas at Richie’s chest. “Hey! It’s cold!” He yelped.

“Of course it’s cold, Einstein. I couldn’t find any bags of ice, but the peas should help. And don’t call me Eddie Spaghetti.”

“You know you love it when I call you that,” Richie chuckled and ripped open the top of the bag. “So how much am I supposed to eat?”

The Losers erupted in laughter again. Eddie threw the palm of his hand against his forehead with a clap. “Dumbass.”

Life felt good as we all laughed at Richie, who was spilling peas all over the sidewalk. The only thing that bothered to interrupt us was the deep rumble of a truck engine making its way down the street. MacPherson Moving Company was printed on the side in big, black letters. We all stared at the truck as it pulled over in front of the pharmacy. It managed to block out almost all of the sun hitting the store window.

None of us knew what to expect in terms of who was going to clamber out of the MacPherson Moving truck, but it wasn’t a young girl, who must’ve been our age, with a dollar bill in one hand and a Walkman in the other. She hopped out of the passenger’s side, gingerly landing on the pavement, then strolled into the pharmacy; and not for a second could I peel my eyes off her.

Ben must’ve noticed because he was giggling. Mike, Stan, and Beverly all joined him. Richie looked over, confused. “What?” He questioned. “What are you dorks giggling at?”

Eddie ducked his head beside Richie’s but didn’t bother to whisper. “Bill’s totally into her.”

Richie’s eyes widened at an alarming speed and he nearly dropped his peas. “Holy fuck!” He turned to me. “Are you into that hottie, Bill?” I could feel my cheeks growing hot. Richie noticed and laughed. “What the shit, dude? Why are you still here? Go in there and talk to her!” The Losers all nodded and mhmm’ed. Anxiety was bubbling in my guts, hot and viscous, like tar, but no matter how much it spat, I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl. She was so elegant. So beautiful. So- “Well, Billy? Are you gonna stand there all day?”

I turned to him. “R-Richie, even if I wuh-w-went in th-there and s-said ‘Hi’, what could I p-puh-possibly talk to her ab-bout?” Richie stood up. The bag of peas was completely empty, tossed on the ground near the bench. Richie put one hand on my back and the other on my chest. He leaned into my shoulder and whispered, “Just go in there, buy her a Dr.Pepper or something, and talk about your massive-”

“Richie!” Eddie yelled, disgusted. “That-That’s enough.”

Richie laughed again but was cut off by Mike. “Just ask her if she’s moving to Derry.”

Ben nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea! You can offer to give her a tour of Derry. You know, the big tourist sights.”

“Ha!” Richie coughed out. “Ladies and gentlemen; On the left: the Derry Public Library, on the right: Bassey Park, and if you look over here you’ll find my tasty shorts.”

Richie was howling. Stan wasn’t impressed. “Eddie, would you control him.”

“Me?!” Eddie Bleated. “You think I don’t try?!”

I may have laughed at Eddie but I was still thinking about the mystery girl. Though I wasn’t excited to admit it, Richie was right. If I didn’t talk to her soon I would drive myself batshit. I shoved my hand in my right pocket and rooted around, pulling out three dollars and twenty-eight… twenty-nine… thirty cents. Richie was still laughing when I turned and opened the door. The AC bit my chest as I stepped into Mr.Keene’s. She was directly ahead, just arriving at the cashier, her Walkman in her back pocket. I had taken several steps forward before the door shut and the jingle rung. She looked back at me, her eyes locking with mine. Suddenly the tar returned. It was roaring and churning so badly I almost turned and left, but looking back I saw Richie, his mouth hanging open, shocked that I wasn’t copping out.

Don’t back out now, Bill. I thought to myself. I looked at the shelf to my right. The minute-rices were looking extra interesting. I was within ten feet of her. It was an acceptable distance for a conversation, but I still couldn’t muster up the courage to talk, until she spoke first.

“I’m sorry,” She said softly. “How much did you say?”

Mr.Keene adjusted his glasses. “It’s fifty-five cents per cone, young lady. Plus taxes. So that puts us at… well, we can call it a dollar sixteen.

I knew she only had a dollar. I knew I had enough to cover her cost. I knew what to do. I grabbed the closest item I could find. She shook her head at the dollar bill in her open hand. “I’m afraid I only have a dollar. I-“

I tossed two chocolate bars on the counter and handed Mr.Keene the change from my pocket. “I’ll cover b-both of us, M-muh-Mr.Keene.” I whispered, suddenly hyper-aware of my stutter. What if she thinks you’re a freak, Bill? I questioned in my head. The tar broiled and bubbled up to my throat.

Mr.Keene looked down at me with a smirk on his face. He knew what I was doing. “Why, that’s very kind of you, Bill,” He said with a crafty tone. I glanced at the girl, but apparently, she didn’t value being stealthy. She was staring at me in disbelief. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Mr.Keene opened the register with a metallic clank and breathed out through his nose, frustrated. “Would you look at that,” He puffed. “Fresh out of nickels.” He closed the register. “Be right back, kids.” And with that, he turned and stepped into a back room.

I looked at the girl again. She was still staring, but her face had adopted a look of guilt. “You really didn’t have to do that for me.” Her voice washed over my ears like melted gold.

I wanted to pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her frame, but instead, I forced a chuckle and shook my head. “It’s f-fuh-fuh-f-” I stopped. The word wouldn’t come out. Brush it off, Bill. Try again. Just try again. “I-it’s f-f-f-fuh-” I could feel the pressure of tears beneath my eyes, threatening to emerge and overflow like a burst pipe beneath the bathroom floor. That’s it, Bill. I was surrendering in my mind. You blew it, you freak.

She put a hand on my arm. It was warm and comforting and very surprising. “Thank you.” She confided. “I really appreciate what you did.” She was being genuine, looking in my eyes and suddenly I was the one staring. The tables had turned so quickly they made my head spin, but looking at her made me feel grounded, like I had found my center of gravity. “Mr.Keene said your name was Bill, right?” I didn’t know what to say–even if I could physically say it–so I just nodded. She chuckled. “It’s very nice to meet you, Bill. I’m Y/N.” Y/N, I repeated. There’s a name to the face. That beautiful, beautiful face.

Her eyes were so captivating that I had a hard time looking away, but I managed to glance off so that she didn’t think I was brain dead. Looking out the door I found Richie–surrounded by the rest of the Losers–gawking in the window. Everyone’s mouth was hanging open except for Richie’s, which only mouthed ‘Holy fuck’.

I chuckled, having found security knowing that the Losers were practically there with me. I looked back at Y/N, who was taking in the sight of the group of dorks. “Your friends?” She laughed.

I laughed too. “Y-yuh-yeah.”

She smiled ever so softly and looked at my lips. The tar had given way to pleasant heat. “How long have you had a stutter?” She asked. Her tone shocked me because it wasn’t demeaning or sarcastic. She was being legitimate.

I never had to answer that question to anyone that wasn’t a doctor, and it was odd, but not unpleasant. “E-ever s-ss-since I w-w-wuh-” I was struggling again. Shit.

I looked at her to see if I should just stop and let her finish the sentence herself–Knowing when to stop was the biggest lesson my stutter had taught me. That, and don’t open your mouth around Bowers–but she just smiled and said “It’s ok. Take your time.” It was as if someone had shone a new light on Y/N. In addition to the warm glow she gave off, being a genuine soul, this new light allowed me to see her in her purest form. A kind, soft, beautiful girl, who truly cared, and I could hear wedding bells.

“S-since I w-was y-yuh-young.” I managed to croak. Despite my struggle, I felt a sense of accomplishment in completing the sentence, and in knowing that Y/N didn’t think I was a freak. She was like my favourite sweater and a good book, a source of absolute comfort. A cozy hiding place. I could feel the struggle wearing off my tongue. “Thanks for l-letting me f-fuh-finish.” I managed. “M-most puh-people just think I’m a-an ass.”

She threw her eyebrows up in surprise, then let them down and chuckled. “Well, if they’re dumb enough to bother to tell you that then they’re the real asses.”

Suddenly Mr.Keene appeared with shiny new coins. He handed me my change and my chocolate bars. “Here you go, Bill.” He gave Y/N her ice cream cones.”Miss.” Then he smiled like he had single-handedly saved the world. “Have a good day you two!” And with that, he walked off again.

Y/N chuckled and shifted both packaged ice cream cones to one hand. With a soft precision you could only find in the most talented artists, she raised both arms, gently wrapping them around the tops of my shoulders. Her hug took me by surprise, so it took a second for me to hug her back, though I had no problem doing so. She radiated warmth, like the sun on a perfect summer day. “Thank you again, Bill. I’ll repay you someday.” She cooed into the crook of my shoulder. Fuck, she smelt like happiness. “And if it means anything,” She said, turning and starting for the storefront. “I like the stutter.” She reached the door and smiled back at me once more. ”I think it’s cute.”

I could feel my heart melting, sending waves of heat up to my cheeks. It stopped me from leaving the pharmacy for a few seconds, but I managed to toss the bars in my pocket and step out, just as the truck was pulling away.

All the Losers were in shock. All except the trashmouth. “So, Billy.” Richie chuckled. “You gonna-” He was laughing so hard at himself that he could hardly finish his sentence, but he managed to spit out “You g… bone… new girl?”

Stan scoffed and Eddie wailed but I couldn’t take my eyes off the truck. I realized that I never actually asked her if she was moving Derry. You may never see her again. I cried to myself briefly, before abolishing the thought. She could live across the world… it wasn’t going to stop me. “No, Richie,” I mumbled. “I’m gonna marry her.”

July 1989 - Y/N

You had walked home from the library using West Broadway countless times, but not once had you ever been faced with Henry Bowers. Not once had you been reduced to getting catcalled by a kid with a mullet. Not once had Bowers ever actually scared you… until today, which you figured just wasn’t your day.

You had seen Bowers parading around school like some hillbilly king but never paid him any mind. You knew the stories of things he did to scrawny little kids, but you figured it was all a show, like expensive clothes on a broke kid, or a brave face on a coward. You knew that’s all Bowers was. A coward, a phony, a paper man.

In all the days you passed him getting shit from the principal, or brushing his ratty hair in the window of Belch Huggins’ Trans-Am, you realized that not once had he ever seen you. This realization dawned when you tried to make your way past the group of guys, not far from the junction of West Broadway and Witcham. You figured they wouldn’t give you trouble. You figured you’d be fine at your current distance of seven feet, but as Henry scanned you up and down while Belch Huggins joined Victor Criss in whistling and cawing beside him, you got anxious. Not fine, You thought to yourself. You felt like hot tar was burning and bubbling in your guts. Just let me make it to Witcham, You pleaded. Just let me make it home.

Bowers had waited for the right moment to make his move, and now that you were directly in front of him, he had found it. He smirked down at you from his height and mumbled, “Hey, babe. Penny for a piece of your shorts?”

Just a paper man, Y/N. You reassured yourself. Give him his own medicine. Stopping in your tracks you looked up at Bowers with defiant eyes smeared on fake confidence. “I’ll give you a nickel if you jump in the barrens and never come back, Bowers.”

Belch’s jaw dropped and Victor made a sound that resembled an injured owl. Both were staring at Henry, neither had any clue how he would react. They viewed Henry like a time-bomb under Derry, waiting to blow a hole in the small town without any warning, but Henry knew himself. He knew he wasn’t about to be stood up. Not by anyone. “What,” he spat. “You don’t think could handle a little work like you?”

You forced a chuckle. Another layer on the canvas of fear that you desperately tried to cover with false confidence and various splotches of bravery. “I don’t think you could handle your own little work, Bowers.” That’s good enough. You babbled to yourself. Now’s the time to leave.

Henry threw his arms up and clamped them down on your shoulders, causing you to squeak out in surprise. You quickly became hyper-aware of your surroundings. You could feel the wind pulling on your hair, you could hear the trees rustling in time with the wind-chimes that hung from the porch of the house across the street, and you could see the hatred buried deep in Henry’s eyes. You knew he was leaving red patches on your shoulders where he refused to let go. “You know what, bitch?” He spat. “You should know not to fuck with me. I think you need a lesson on who you’re messing with.”

You had no motivation to throw on the tough-girl act again. They knew that wall had crumbled, and Henry was feeding on it like a starving animal. You caught a look at Victor, who looked a little pale. He had no idea what Henry was about to drag his ass into and it made him antsy. At that point you figured you had two options; The first was delivering a swift kick to Henry’s little work and bolting for it, praying the whole way home that you could out-run them. The second was staying and getting the shit beaten out of you by Bowers. The first option was surely the better of the two, but Henry was still fixed to your frame, and fear had made your knees weak. You knew you couldn’t outrun them. Please, God. You prayed. Please help me out of this. Send a guardian angel to take me home. Please, God just let me get out of this.

As if he heard your plea, God filled your ears with the sweet sound of rubber scraping gravel. He had sent angel on a bike to rescue you, and craning your neck to the side you found your savior; Bill Denbrough. You could remember the first day you met him. You were short on change and swooping through the cold Air Conditioned pharmacy on his golden wings he had rescued you then too. Bowers didn’t let go but you couldn’t feel him anymore. The memories of Bill flooded over you like a warm shower on a cold December night. You remembered how sweet he was, how selfless. You remembered how red his cheeks got when he stuttered. You remembered how he felt like sunshine and smelt like happiness when you hugged him. You could still feel the regret of leaving him in Mr.Keene’s. You could still feel how he made the world feel right.

Bill skidded up to the group. “Hey Buh-B-Bowers,” He struggled. He was nervous but he hid it well. “How about y-you leave h-her a-a-lone?”

Bowers actually let go at that point so that he could turn to the newest challenger. Mocking Bill, he ragged with a bad fake-stutter. “H-huh-how ab-buh-bout y-you fuck off, freak?”

Bill looked at you with concerned eyes. You could see the purity in his face, the worry. Bill genuinely cared about you, and you loved him for it. You made a mental note to kiss him once you were both safely away from these assholes. Henry looked down at you again. It ignited a black fire in the back of your mind. How dare you demean Bill, you scrub. Your thoughts fumed. I hope he tears you apart.

“F-fuh-fuck off, B-Bowers.” Bill snapped.

Not only did it shock you, but it shocked the bullies too. Both you and Bill saw it. Henry–for the briefest amount of time–let fear shine through his unforgiving exterior. Paper man, meet lighter, Bill seemed to say with his stance. He was off his bike at that point.

Belch and Victor repeatedly exchanged glances. They were worried that Henry would do something beyond his usual raging threshold and that he would drag them into trouble whether they liked it or not, and for the first time ever you agreed with them. You all wanted to leave and let Henry fume on his own. Bill acknowledged them by making and maintaining eye contact. ‘We’re not afraid of you.’ He chided silently. ‘So you can quit pretending you enjoy this and leave us alone.’

Victor, who appeared to get the message, tugged on Henry’s sleeve. “What the fuck do you want, pansy?” Bowers shouted.

Victor was clearly more afraid of the punishments Henry would bring upon them than he was of Henry. “Dude, how ‘bout we just get outta here, huh?” He whispered.

Belch nodded. “Yeah, Henry. We were gonna hit Costello, remember?”

Henry’s anger shifted from you and Bill to Victor and Belch. You and Bill caught this, and you weren’t complaining. “You two are a bunch of fuckers, you know that right?” He scolded, before turning to you and leaning down. Henry wasn’t all that taller than you, but he still managed to make you feel minuscule. Thought taking another look at his face allowed you to see that he was tired. Being a brooding asshole really takes it out of you, huh, Bowers? You chirped. The fight was over, and with Bill at your side, the two of you had won. “This isn’t over, you shitheads. We’ll be seeing you soon.”

“Yeah,” Belch added. He seemed proud. “Real soon.” and with a final ‘Shut the fuck up, Reginald.’ from Henry, the gang walked off. You and Bill were free.

July 1989 - Bill

The bullies scuffed off, heading the way both Y/N and I had walked down West Broadway. We watched them walk away, with Henry occasionally looking back at us, flipping us off only once.

I turned to Y/N. I could see the fear melting from her face as she watched Bowers walk away. It was reassuring to the point where I finally felt the weight of what I had done. I turned Bowers away in front of Y/N. Is this what Spider-Man feels like after saving Gwen? I pondered. Y/N turned her head to me. Her cheeks were rosy. All the fear was gone, leaving behind her usual sunshine.

I smiled at her and she smiled back. “You shouldn’t have done that, Bill.” She joked. “Bowers is going to be after the both of us. I owe you big time now.”

I shook my head, unable to wipe the grin off my face. “Y-you don’t o-owe me a-a-anything, Y/N.” I managed, but the temptation to reach out and kiss Y/N was growing in my chest, making me nervous. I was close enough to do it, but God she was too beautiful for me to handle. I could barely handle myself and my stutter, much less her. “W-we can c-c-call i-i-it e-” I couldn’t form my sentence. My head was tumbling and my lips were on Y/N’s.

Looking down I found her hands gently placed around the back of my neck. She had pulled me in, her soft lips on mine. I couldn’t help but close my eyes and thank God.

She pulled away, glanced at my lips again, then looked me in the eyes. “Thank you, Bill.” She said softly. “You may have just saved my life.” The only thing I could think to say was ‘Ditto.’ She chuckled. “I swear you’re my guardian angel.”

I wanted to hold her close and say ‘I’m not the angel here’ but instead I just laughed. Then I remembered that she was making her way somewhere. I don’t care where you go. I thought. As long as I can take you there. Reaching down I grabbed my bike off the concrete. “Need a ride?”

Y/N beamed. She was exhausted and whether or not she wanted to show it, I knew. “I don’t want to trouble you, Bill. I live up Witcham and-”

“Don’t w-worry.” I assured, smiling. “Me too.” I took her hand gently, leading her to the bike. “I’ll t-take you to your house on one c-condition.” She furrowed her eyebrows a little, confused. “You have to promise me I can take you to Bassey Park tomorrow, too.”

She smiled again, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’d love that, Bill.” She cooed, sliding on the seat behind me before kissing me on the cheek. Thank God she was behind me because I could feel my cheeks heating up again. She wrapped her arms around my stomach and laid her head on my back as we started again down West Broadway, then Witcham. I yelled “Hi-Ho, Silver. Away!” and off we rode, happy and free.

I adore you all with everything i am and I hope you’re having amazing days, nights and/or work breaks. With love and appreciation: E <3

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dyde21 · 7 years

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Seventeen Going on Seven

This is partially dedicated to @solbabydraws who I promised to post this story for a few days ago. Also cause they’re a wonderful, beautiful, supportive person. Enjoy! Fair warning, it’s pretty long.

XxXxXxXxX

Percy ducked as deadly credit cards sped through the air just above his head, sticking out of the concrete like tiny daggers.

“Where are you going? Our sales are to die for!” The womanly snarl came out.

Rolling his eyes, Percy rolled to the left as another set of cards whizzed past him. The jokes had stopped being funny about five minutes into running for his life. “A little help here!” He called out, though he knew the rest of their gang were busy with their own saleswomen.

“A little busy!” Jason called out, deflecting a bronze umbrella, that opened to a fan of knives.

“Next time, we're just ordering online! I'm done shopping!” Leo called out as he ducked behind a trashcan as the woman ran past him.

Spinning in place, Percy swiped another set of cards out of the air. They couldn't keep running, eventually the monsters would catch up. He dashed forward, ducking a swing from her claws as he cut off one of her legs. The monster flailed, but Percy stabbed downwards and finished off the beast. Looking for who else could use help, he spotted a cloud of dust around an invisible figure running away, being chased by another saleswoman holding multiple vials in their hands. Percy figured Annabeth had been hit by something, so even her cap wasn't letting her hide to find an opportunity.

Ripping a trashcan lid off a nearby bin, he hurled it towards the saleswoman.

Before he could celebrate however, the woman just reached up and caught it. “I'm with a customer right now, please wait your turn.” She said in a sickeningly sweet tone, before she flexed her hand and bent the metal like it was paper.

That had been the distraction Annabeth had needed, as she had turned and stabbed the woman in the gut before jumping backwards as the saleswoman flailed with her claws. Quickly making her way to Percy, Annabeth just grinned, removing her hat. “Thanks for the help, Seaweed Brain.”

Smirking, Percy was about to reply when he saw the lady raise her hands with the vials. Throwing one, Percy barely had time to shove Annabeth out of the way as it collided with the pavement, a sickly green ooze appearing and beginning it melt through the ground.

Annabeth staggered, off balance from the sudden shove, but before she could regain her balance she saw another one heading straight towards her. Desperate, she raised her hands but it would be too late. At least until she saw Percy dive in front of her, arms wide, as the vial of liquid exploded across his back.

Annabeth shrieked, expecting to see her boyfriend melting, but nothing was happening.

Even the saleswoman looked stunned. “Oh, wrong vial! Dammit! Now this time I'll...” She never got to finish her sentence as Jason's sword lopped off her head, leaving her dissolving into dust.

The rest of the crew ran over as Percy dropped to his knees.

Kneeling in front of him, Annabeth held his face in her hands gently. “Percy, look at me. Is everything okay? What are you feeling?”

Percy just stared at her, confused. “I don't know. I feel strange... I... I feel fine mostly though. Nothing hurts.”

Hazel frowned. “There's no way that vial was just water. Something... something is on you. Probably a potion, but we have no way of knowing what it could have been.”

Annabeth frowned, her mind racing a million miles a minute. What could it be? Judging by Percy's expression, he felt normal. Which was bad, that meant whatever it was would be subtle. “Take off your shirt Percy.” She ordered.

Percy raised an eyebrow as Hazel flushed, looking away. “Excuse me?” The son of poseidon said after a moment.

Annabeth however was already lifting his hoodie off of him, tugging at his shirt. She ignored the red creeping in her cheeks. “We don't know what potion hit you, but it's still on your shirt and hoodie. You can't leave those on in case it's dangerous. It could be explosive for all we know.”

That did the trick as Percy quickly stripped off his shirt, throwing it in a nearby trash can.

Piper snickered as she saw Annabeth eyeing Percy's chest with a look she was probably unaware she had on. Nudging her boyfriend, she convinced Jason to give Percy his jacket for the trip home. She figured Hazel would be less uncomfortable that way, and Annabeth wouldn't be as distracted.

Annabeth held Percy's hand as they walked back, cautiously studying him, looking for any idea of what effect the potion could have had. “I'm sorry.” She muttered softly to him.

Shaking his head, Percy smiled. “It's not your fault. It's a good thing we stopped them.”

The crew of the Argo II had decided to meet up to get some lunch. Even Reyna had joined them, since the leaders of both the Greek and roman camps had decided to meet up regularly in order to stay in contact, and maintain relationships to avoid future conflict the best they could. On the way, Annabeth had happened to notice some monsters sneaking off down an alley. Annabeth had said they should follow them, since gathering monsters usually meant some sort of problem that would try to kill them eventually. Reyna had agreed, and their course had been decided.

There they had found a backstreet market for monsters. All sorts of knick-knacks, potions, and spare weapons were sold there, along with fresh hot dogs. Everything a monster could need to slay some demi-gods. Figuring they couldn't leave it alone, they had launched a surprise attack on the small stand, destroying it. It turned out the owners weren't too happy with having their shop destroyed, so they had struck back.

Annabeth just stayed quiet, still studying him. “When we get back to camp, you're going straight to Chiron. We need to figure out what hit you. Maybe a hectate kid can help you too.”

Nodding his head, Percy smiled weakly. “Okay, mom.” He said with a small laugh.

Pouting, Annabeth wanted to call him out but she figured that having her boyfriend not freaking out about being splashed with some dangerous liquid was probably better than the alternative.

By the time the crew had managed to make it back to the camp, night was already falling. Percy had gone to Chiron to be checked out, by they hadn't been able to make heads or tails of what had hit Percy. Will had also confirmed that Percy still seemed to be in perfect health. That meant one of two things. Either the potion was harmless, it could have been a dud or just not affected him for some reason. Or that whatever it was had a specific trigger or a time delay.

Annabeth was terrified of the later, and refused to let Percy fall asleep. It had taken him convincing her for an hour that it was safe for him to sleep, that she could check on him in the morning. He had explained that he had absolute faith that Annabeth would have been able to handle any problems that could arise. He trusted her with his life.

They had kissed goodnight, with Annabeth threatening him that if anything happened to him while she slept she would never forgive her boyfriend.

After setting an early alarm, Annabeth finally headed to bed. She would wake up early and check on him. She wanted to stay up, but she knew that she had to get some sleep herself. She was exhausted, and if she didn't properly sleep she could miss something tomorrow if a problem did show itself.

XxXxXxXxX

In the cold morning, Annabeth hugged her arms close to herself as she padded across the camp softly. Her nerves were racing, but she needed to stay calm. She knew not to worry, Percy would be sleeping in his mess of a bed as usual, no big deal. As she crossed the camp, there were only a few campers up by this time. Some getting in some morning training, others looking for an early breakfast.

Annabeth side stepped a little boy who seemed lost. He was wearing a large camp half blood T-shirt a few sizes too big for him, and his shorts drooped past his knees. Annabeth figured he must have been a new camper, someone found young. It reminded her of herself when she first got here. Shaking her head, she pushed those memories from her mind. She could check on the kid later, she had to make sure her boyfriend was okay first.

Approaching his cabin, she knocked on the door but was surprise when it had swung open. His bed was empty, the seats thrown aside like he had gotten up normally. But his cabin was empty. Immediately Annabeth's heart kicked into overdrive. He could NOT be missing again. She would tear down Olympus herself if her boyfriend was missing. She was not going through that ordeal ever again. She began sprinting around the camp, looking for any sign of him. As she crossed back across the cabins, she saw the little boy from earlier crying on the ground. He sat on the ground, wiping away tears as he wailed.

Annabeth paused. She wanted to keep searching for her boyfriend, but the little boy was tugging at her maternal heartstrings. She couldn't just ignore a child's tears, especially if Percy just happened to be safe somewhere else in camp. There was plenty of places she hadn't checked yet.

With a sigh, she plastered on a smile as she stopped and knelt down, getting eye level with the little kid.

“Hey, is everything all right?” She asked gently. “What cabin are you from?” She asked, looking him over to try and find any sign of his parentage. Once she found his cabin, others could take care of him while she looked for her boyfriend.

He just sniffled. “I don't know. I want my mommy.”

Annabeth frowned, but she noticed his necklace and her blood turned to ice. There were far too many beads for a child his age. What was worse was she noticed a charm that only one camper had. A gift she had made herself.

“What's your name?” She asked, dreading the answer.

“P-Percy Jackson.” The boy answered, still wiping away tears.

Annabeth's stomach knotted. This wasn't good. This was not good at all. Her boyfriend was a child. A kid. Her blood had already turned to ice, but another, almost scarier thought crept into her mind.

“D... do you know who I am?” She asked gently.

The boy looked at her , frowning. “I... I don't...” He paused. “Annie?”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. Normally she hated people calling her that, but considering his state she could give him a pass. “Annabeth.” Her heart was soaring at the fact he remembered her. That meant not everything was gone. Whatever had changed him hadn't completely removed who he was.

“Here, let's go see Mr. Chiron, okay?” She said gently, offering a hand. Her hero of a boyfriend was currently a little child. She was in way over her head.

Percy stepped back, pouting and shaking his head. “No! I wanna see my mom!”

“Percy...” Annabeth felt her heart breaking. He looked just like a lost little kid looking for his mom. He was a lost little kid looking for his mom.

“I want my mom!” He said, backing up a little more, looking like he was about to take off into a sprint. “I'm not supposed to talk to strangers... but I know you.” He said, looking confused if he couldn't decide if he remembered her or not.

Annabeth frowned, unsure of how to deal with this. She was never the best with kids, though she had decent practice from her years at the camp. “Okay, let's go see your mom, okay?” She said after a moment, a plan forming in her mind.

Percy nodded, taking the hand Annabeth had offered him.

Gently leading him along, she lead him to one of the fountains. Tossing in a Drachma, she spoke quickly. “Sally Jackson.” She said after her prayer to Iris.

The mist shimmered, before the image of Sally flickered into existence. Luckily she was already up, and was doing some dishes in the morning.

Looking up, Sally smiled at seeing Annabeth. “Well hello there dear. Is everything okay?” She asked, turning off the faucet and drying her hands.

“Hello Sally. Uh... I need you to not freak out. Everything is fine, mostly. But I'm going to need your help here...”

Before she could explain further, Percy had stepped forward, reaching towards the mist. “Mom!” He called out.

Sally's expression turned to surprise, a look of fear crossing her face for just a moment, before Annabeth saw her put on a sweet smile. “Hello Percy, is everything okay?”

Percy just shook his head, balling up his fists. “I want to go home. I don't like it here. I miss you! I want food!” He began to complain, shaking as if he was going to start crying again.

Sally looked like she wanted to take him into her arms. “Shh... honey. It's okay.” Her voice caught in her throat a bit, as she cast a worry glance over to Annabeth. “Percy, mommy is a little far away right now, okay? Now I need you to be a good boy, and listen to Annabeth. She's going to take care of you today. If you behave, I'll even let her give you some cookies, okay?” Sally reasoned.

Percy's eyes widened as a toothy grin formed on his face. “Okay! But they have to be blue!”

Sally smiled, tears threatening the corners of her eyes. “Of course.”

Annabeth stepped forward. “Thank you Sally, I swear to you on the river Styx, we will get him back to normal.”

Sally just nodded her head. “I know you will. Just... keep him safe will you? I know he can be a bit of a handful at that age, but he's a good kid. I promise you.” She said, trying to stay strong after seeing her child forced to such a young age again.

Annabeth smiled softly. “Don't worry, I'm used to dealing with him.”

Sally just laughed. “I know. Keep me updated, okay? Tell him to call me when he is back to normal so I can see it with my own eyes.” Annabeth nodded. “Oh and... take some pictures? I didn't get to take too many while Gabe was around. It's not the same but...” She trailed off, a playful smile on her face.

Laughing, Annabeth nodded. “Okay.”

Sally thought for a moment, noticing the image starting to fade. “If nothing is working try singing!” She called out at the end, just before the image cut out.

Annabeth froze, she wasn't exactly the best singer. Hopefully that wouldn't come up.

“Come on Percy, let's go see Chiron then we can get you some breakfast, okay?” She said, holding out her hand.

Percy stared at her a moment, debating, before he nodded and took her hand, letting her lead him across the camp.

A few minutes later and Chiron was kneeling down on his front legs, looking at Percy who seemed to think Chiron was the coolest thing. He glanced over at Annabeth. “So it seems we found out the effects of the potion.” He said wryly.

Annabeth had her heads in her hands. “Not the worst thing that could have happened, but we need to fix him. I can't be dating a 7 year old.” She said, her tone dripping with concern for Percy. She wanted nothing more than to find a way to cure him.

Chiron offered a small smile. “Certainly not the worst outcome. It seems it was a potion that regressed his age, but his health seems to be perfectly fine. Though his memories seem shaky. He remembered you, but not I nor most of the camp. I fear if we leave him like this for too long he may not regain them all. I'll consult my texts and see what I can come up with to reverse it. For now... supervise him today, will you? You're free from your duties, so just babysit him please. While we have plenty of young campers, I don't feel comfortable treating him like others. Both due to his popularity, and his habit of finding trouble.”

Annabeth nodded. “I'm on it.” She glanced over at Percy, who was currently wandering over towards one of the ornamental spears in the house. Her eyes widened as she rushed over, scooping him up into her arms. Today was going to be a long day, she just knew it.

Chiron just shook his head. “Good luck.”

Percy just looked up at Annabeth, flashing her a spotted grin.

Annabeth nearly squealed with how cute he looked. “Let's go get some food, okay?”

Percy threw his arms up in a cheer. “Yay! I want pancakes!”

Annabeth just laughed, walking out with him in her arms.

About half an hour later, Percy sat happily in Annabeth's lap. The benches were a little low, so he sat on her lap so he could eat comfortably. She just gently played with his hair, watching him with an amused smirk as he made a mess with his blueberry blue pancakes. He also had blue milk to wash it down with. He seemed to be in heaven.

Originally Annabeth had considered trying to hide Percy's... change, but she knew that she wouldn't have been able to keep up the con for long. Too many people knew him and would look for him if he just vanished suddenly. Especially if Annabeth was gone as well. So instead, she decided to weather the storm, though she put up with zero crap from anyone about it. If her boyfriend was stuck as a child, she was going to spoil him until they could fix it.

They had only ate at his table for a little while before the rest of the crew had shown up. Piper had been first, curious as to who the child Annabeth had been eating with was. Her jaw had dropped when she had seen Percy, beginning to freak out before Annabeth could explain. Soon Piper had calmed down as well. She was instantly on board with the idea of spoiling him. At least after being reassured that Percy was in fact okay, and they were working on a way to reverse it. She had taken her seat across from Annabeth, watching Percy with an amused smile.

Jason had been the next to show up, following his girlfriend. Any amusement that may have come with seeing Percy as a kid was drowned out by concern for him at first. Annabeth had assured him as soon Jason was also mildly amused by Percy, at least until Piper started commenting that she wish she could see Jason as a kid.

Not long after, Frank and Hazel had shown up. Frank had been too shocked to properly speak, while Hazel had reacted similarly to Jason. Soon though, she had moved over with a napkin and cleaned up the mess Percy was making with a gentle smile.

Leo had been the last to show up, having slept in late. He took it in stride the best, already getting a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Oh man, I have the best toys for him back in my cabin.” Before Annabeth could protest, Leo had already run off, cackling, leaving Calypso who pretty much reacted like Hazel, beginning to mother Percy.

Piper had taken Percy into her lap so Annabeth could get her own breakfast.

They had all tried to gauge how much of each of them Percy remembered, and were amused by the results.

He called Piper “the pretty lady”, and was rather attached to her. Jason he had quickly announced that he didn't like and called him “Stupid.” This caused Jason to gasp in shock as Piper burst out into uncontrolled laughter.

He called Hazel “Hazy”, and just kept calling Frank cool. He liked them a lot.

When Leo had returned, Percy had remembered his name, but was much more fascinated by the fact he had two new actions figures to play with, ones that would actually beat up each other on their own.

He referred to Calypso as Cally the entire time, and just said she smelled nice and reminded him of his mom.

Eventually Annabeth had finished her breakfast, pouting slightly with all the attention Percy was giving the others while he didn't seem to remember her. “You still remember me, right?” She asked, attempting to hide the hurt in her voice.

Percy had just climbed in her lap, giving her that toothy grin. “You're annabee... annabe... Annabeth! I remember that you're the best of them all.” He said with a snicker.

Annabeth just grinned. “Good answer. Now let's go play.” She said, helping him up as she took his hand and began to lead him towards the beach. She figured she needed to keep him as far away as she could front the archery range, lava wall, and the arena. With his luck, too much could go wrong.

They had decided to take shifts in baby sitting him, letting the others either try to help Chiron come up with a cure, or attend to their various duties throughout the day.

Piper and Jason had decided to take the first shift. Piper was chatting with him in the nearby field, teaching him to make flower crowns while Jason helped. Itching to get some practice in, Jason had moved off to the side to practice his sword play. This of course immediately drew Percy's attention.

Piper glared at her boyfriend as she held Percy's shoulders. They couldn't let him use a real sword, and they were just glad he hadn't realized he had one in his pocket. Eventually after a few tears from Percy, and some quick thinking, Jason had managed to find two wooden practice swords.

Of course Jason just blocked Percy's attack, but apparently losing ten years hadn't done much to curb his enthusiasm. The little boy had been swinging with all his strength, and had no qualms about bruising the hell out of Jason's legs. Eventually Jason had taken the dive and let Percy “defeat” him. Percy stood with one foot on Jason's chest, holding his wooden sword up. Piper of course had taken a picture and clapped her hands. She had made sure to get a camera from Leo right away, there was no way this was going to pass without evidence.

Eventually though their shift ended, and Frank and Hazel had tagged in. Frank had shown him his ability to change into animals, which instantly made him Percy's new favorite boy. Hazel had just laughed, before she had an idea. She quickly made her way across the camp, leaving Percy to continue his piggy back ride on a bear. Normally a poor choice for someone in charge a kid to make, but Frank was responsible.

A few minutes she had returned, a redhead in tow.

“Oh my gods. It's true.” Rachel had said suddenly. Without hesitation she ran over, lifting up Percy and swinging him in a circle. Percy just giggled and cheered, happy.

Setting him down, she giggled as he wandered around dizzy.

Meanwhile Hazel had finished setting up what she had brought. She had gotten some large pads of paper, and a punch of paint from Rachel. Immediately Percy's eyes widened and ran over, eager to start painting. He was about to start, when he paused and set down the brush. He stood up, holding his hands together as he looked up at Rachel and Hazel with large pleading eyes. “Is it okay if I use your colors and paint?” He asked politely. “My mom says I'm supposed to ask first.”

Rachel and Hazel just melted into maternal jellies. “Of course.” Rachel managed to say, laughing as she saw Percy's eyes light up like it was Christmas. He quickly gave both her and Hazel a hug before he settled down and started painting. He was chaotic, but having a blast. He even had Frank change into a few animals for him to paint a portrait of, which Frank was willing to oblige.

Rachel and Hazel settled down, chatting happily about how cute Percy was being while they worked on their own art.

A little while passed, and Leo showed up, dragging a rather large bag behind him. Percy had made an absolute mess, and had spots of paint all over his clothes and cheeks.

At the sight of the bag, Frank had stood up and moved in front of Percy, just to be safe.

Leo waved him off. “Relax, these are safe. I'm dealing with a kid after all.”

Squatting down, he grinned at Percy. “Do you wanna see the coolest toys?”

Once again Percy's eyes widened, nodding eagerly.

Leo just grinned and let out a whistle. The bag opened up and a small army of toys began marching out in a line, one at a time. Percy gasped with each one. “Those are so cool!”

Leo grinned. “I know right?”

Hazel paused. “Did you make all those today? You only found out about Percy being a kid a few hours ago...”

Leo rubbed the back of his neck. “Uhh... I may have been working on these for a while.” Hazel just shook her head with a small smile. Percy knelt down, looking at them. “Can I play with them?” He asked.

Calypso just walked up, smiling. “He's surprisingly well behaved.”

Leo nodded. “Go wild! But check this out. Number 1, kick number 2!” The small figures hummed with life as one of them walked over and planted a kick in the chest of another, knocking it onto the ground.

Percy practically exploded with happiness. Immediately Percy had divide out the figurines between Leo and himself as they started shouting commands, getting the two sets of robots to fight each other.

Joining Hazel and Rachel, Calypso sat down with a smile watching Percy.

“It seemed he was much better behaved back when he still listened to his mom.” Piper remarked with a laugh. Calypso and Hazel both laughed as they watched the boys play. Before long, even Frank had gotten involved, being drawn in at the idea of commanding an army.

They continued to fight, calling out commands. Eventually though, one figure took two many hits and when it was punched, exploded into smaller gears and sprayed some oil around.

Immediately Percy burst out into tears, wailing. In a heart beat, Piper had closed the distance and wrapped him up in a tight hug. “Shh it's okay honey.”

Percy just continued to cry, before looking at Leo. “I-I-I'm S-Sorry!” He choked out between sobs.

Leo was just staring wide eyed. He wasn't the best at dealing with crying kids. “It's fine! I can fix it. They were made to get broken after a while.”

Percy slowly stopped crying, sniffling. “R-Really? You aren't mad?”

Leo nodded, grinning. “This is a battle right? The robots are going to break, don't worry about it. I'll fix them up tonight and they'll be just like new!”

Percy wiped away some tears. He was quiet for a moment, making them all pause. “3! Kick 5 in the face!” Soon the battle had started up again, every once in a while a figurine breaking.

Piper had moved back to Rachel and Calypso. The girls were giggling at Percy's joyous expression once again.

After a few moments though, Piper's smile faded. “They can fix him, right? Like, don't get me wrong. Percy is super cute as a kid, but I miss his normal laugh. Plus I don't think I can handle baby sitting duty for years.”

Rachel and Hazel's faces both turned more somber. “Chiron will find a way. Magic made him younger, that means there's a way to reverse it.” Hazel explained.

Just then Annabeth had walked up. “It's lunch time.” She told everyone, looking over Percy carefully. He still seemed fine, which caused her to let out a sigh of relief. In truth, she didn't want to leave his side at all, but she knew the best thing she could do was to help Chiron with research.

Percy stood up and rushed over. “Annabeth! You missed it! Pipes made me a crown! Then I beat up Jason!” This caused a smirk to play at her lips. Even as a kid, it seemed Percy didn't change much. “Then Frank turned into a massive dog!”

“Bear.” Hazel chimed in helpfully.

“Then Hazy brought back Ra... raa...Red! She brought over Red who let me paint! Then Leo showed his toys! They are SO COOL! They can kick and everything!” He continued to rattle off.

Annabeth just patted his hair. “That sounds like you had fun.”

Percy nodded. “But I missed you.”

Annabeth looked away, blushing slightly as Piper and Calypso burst out into giggles at her expression.

Finally noticing his state, she frowned. “You're all messy.” She said, shooting an accusing look at Rachel and Leo, who both shrunk away slightly.

This time Calypso stood up, walking over and grabbing Percy's hand. “Come on, let's go get cleaned up then we can some lunch, okay?”

“Okay!” He said happily as he followed Calypso back towards camp.

“Any progress?” Piper asked Annabeth carefully, noticing the blonde's worried gaze at Percy's retreating form.

Annabeth nodded. “We found a promising lead. It's out of my understanding so Chiron is trying to follow it. Thanks for watching him, he can't sit still as a teen, I doubt he could sit in a library as a kid.”

She paused, before snapping. “That reminds me.” She quickly made her way over towards Percy's cabin, pulling out a coin. Tossing it into the fountain she offered a prayer to Iris.

“Thalia Grace please.”

After a moment the mist shimmered and revealed a raven haired girl packing up a tent.

Thalia noticed Annabeth and grinned. “Hey Annabeth, what's up?”

Annabeth's shoulders drooped as her gaze fell. A heavy sigh escaped her as she felt the tough facade she had been keeping up starting to crack.

Immediately Thalia's grin shifted to a look of concern as she dropped her pack, focusing solely on Annabeth. “What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Percy? Did he-”

Quickly shaking her head, Annabeth took another breath.

“We didn't have a fight... but it is Percy.” She said. She paused for a moment. “I need your help.”

Thalia nodded. “Of course. Now will you tell me what's going on?”

Annabeth nodded. “Well, you see we kinda ran into these monsters. They were having a garage sale or something...”

Thalia quirked an eyebrow.

“Anyway, one of them threw a potion at me, but Percy just had to be a hero and jumped in front.”

Immediately Thalia tensed. “Is he okay?” She asked quickly. She turned her head, barking an order at some other hunters.

Annabeth's gaze dropped. “Physically... mostly. He's... he's turned into a kid.” She spit out.

Thalia staggered, clearly not expecting that sentence. Her gaze rapidly shifted between amused and concerned, before settling on some mix of the two. “He's a kid?”

Annabeth nodded. “Like 7 years old.”

“So not much changed?” Thalia said with a grin.

Annabeth's eyes snapped to her adoptive sister's, glaring at her. “This isn't funny! I'm so worried. What if we can't fix it? What if he's stuck? All because I was too slow to rea-”

“Annabeth!” Thalia interrupted loudly, snapping her out of her spiral. “I'm sorry, I know this isn't a joke. Trust me, I want to help him too. However I can. What can I do, I know you called for a reason.”

Annabeth nodded, running a hand through her hair. “Chiron has an idea of something that might work. But he needs a certain ingredient, a rare rabbit that is in the area... I remember hearing you guys were close. You are hunters after all... I was hoping maybe...”

Thalia just grinned. “No worries, we got this. Artemis just left off for some important meeting, leaving us on break for a little. I was actually thinking about swinging by so I'm in the area. Now describe this rabbit to me again?”

Annabeth quickly went through the description Chiron had given her.

Thalia nodded. “That's what I thought. I know exactly what you are talking about. I'll snag one over and be there in a few hours.”

Annabeth let out a shaky breath of relief. “Thank you Thalia... seriously. I just...”

Grinning, the punk hunter just offered the blonde a warm smile. “Hey, it's okay. We'll fix this. I'll bring you this rabbit and we'll get whatever else Chiron needs. Now I need to go, have fun baby sitting!” Thalia called out before moving a hand through the message, ending it.

Feeling a new surge of confidence, Annabeth moved back towards the dining hall.

This time she saw Percy sitting on Calypso's lap while chewing on a sandwich. When Annabeth showed up his eyes lit up and he quickly hopped down, running over and giving her a bit hug.

Smirking, Annabeth pat his head gently, unable to return the hug since he was wrapped around her legs. “I missed you too. Now finish your lunch, okay?”

Percy nodded, quickly running back and clambering onto Calypso to eat again.

Annabeth sat down next to him, dropping her head into her arms with a small sigh. She found Percy absolutely adorable as a kid, but the more time that passed, the more she missed his more mature goofy smirk. She just wanted her seaweed brain back.

Gently moving over, Piper rubbed Annabeth's back reassuringly.

Lunch came and went, and soon Percy was running through the camp again, fascinated by all the cool “toys.” Leo had to personally steer him away from the rock wall, explaining that Annabeth would throw him into the lava if he so much as let Percy break a sweat from the heat of it.

Not watching where he was going, a few minutes later the boy crashed into the legs of someone, bouncing off and landing on his butt. He sniffled once, holding up his scratched hands. It was clear he was trying not to cry.

In a moment Annabeth had swooped to his side, gently brushing dirt off his hands.

“Watch it ki- Oh, Percy? I heard what had happened.” Clarisse's voice rang out, a teasing lilt in it.

“Not today, La Rue.” Annabeth warned.

Clarisse just laughed. “What? I heard he's fine. He's just finally acting more like his age. It seems appropriate.”

Annabeth stood up, her fists clenching as her hand inched towards the dagger she had on her belt.

Clarisse stared at him for a moment longer, before sighing. “Just... let me know if I can help, okay? It... wouldn't be fun pulverizing him as a kid.”

This disarmed Annabeth. She nodded, surprised. “Okay.”

Just huffing, the daughter of Ares walked back towards her cabin.

Annabeth watched her, tilting her head. Had she actually come to check on Percy?

“So It's true.” Another voice rang out, causing Annabeth to turn around. “Percy really is a child again.” Reyna said, a curious brow raised.

Annabeth ran a hand through her hair again. “Yeah. We're trying to fix that.”

Reyna frowned, crossing her arms as she looked at Percy. “You shouldn't run around camp, you could get hurt, you know? You should behave yourself and stay quiet so they can help you.”

Percy ducked his head, stepping behind Annabeth and hiding behind her, peaking around her legs.

Annabeth rested a hand on his head, gently playing with his hair. She shot a mild glare at Reyna. “You're scaring him, you don't need to be so strict with him. He doesn't know better.” She defended him.

Reyna raised an eyebrow. “And you're babying him. He should be better behaved than that at least. I saw him running all across camp. There are too many dangers here for a kid to be running around. Even campers his age are better behaved.”

Annabeth's eyes narrowed slightly. “They also have had the opportunity to learn what it's like at this camp. From what I can tell, he's still used to living at home with his mom. This is probably like a normal summer camp to him.”

Reyna just rolled her eyes. “You're too soft with him.” She paused for a moment, glancing down at the boy staring at her terrified behind the blonde. Realizing he was making eye contact with Reyna, he quickly let out a small eek before hiding behind Annabeth again. Reyna frowned, before squatting down.

“Hey, I'm sorry for scaring you. Would you like a lollipop?” She said, producing a sucker she had grabbed from the camp store. Strict or not, Percy was still her friend and she was worried about him in such a state. She did want to help him after all. He had done so much for the world, he didn't deserve this.

Percy paused, looking up at Annabeth confused. Seeing her nod with a smile, Percy quickly stepped out from behind her and walked over to Reyna slowly reaching out and grabbing it. He grinned at the blue color as he took off the wrapper. After a moment he had paused, just before it was in his mouth.

“Thank you Reyna.” He said politely before popping it in his mouth. Reyna grinned, messing up his hair a little before standing up.

Annabeth grinned at her approvingly, before placing her hand on Percy's back and leading him back towards the beach. Looking over her shoulder at Reyna, she grinned. “We're having a picnic on the beach. Join us.” She said, not really leaving room for discussion.

Reyna opened her mouth to protest but found Annabeth already walking away, leading Percy along. Letting out a sigh, she adjusted her hair before following behind Annabeth.

When Reyna caught up with Annabeth after changing, she saw Percy already playing in the surf near the water's edge. Hazel had laid out a large blanket while Frank, Jason, and Piper were all setting out food they had gotten from the pavilion. Annabeth stood on the edge of the surf, fidgeting nervously with the hem of her shirt she wore over her swimsuit. Idly, some part of Reyna's mind registered the fact that shirt was too large to be hers and was probably one of Percy's.

Leo was off to the side, assembling something that was looking suspiciously like an ice cream machine, and she even saw Will and Nico off to the side, resting in the shade of the nearby trees. They were chatting happily, bringing a small smile to Reyna's face. She had come to appreciate any time she could see a smile on the boy's face after all they went through. Opting to take a seat near Frank and Hazel, she watched Piper stand up, an amused smirk shot towards Annabeth.

Piper quickly made her way over to Annabeth with a wry smile. “Indecisive?”

Annabeth jumped slightly, having been too lost in her own thoughts to properly register Piper's approach. “Piper!” She squeaked out, before shaking her head. “I'm just not sure how safe I need to be with him. He has no idea he can control water, but I doubt his father would let him drown. He wants to play in the water, but I'm scared if I let him out of my sight he's going to end up playing at the bottom of the sea and we'd never be able to get him back.” She explained with a frustrated sigh. The only thing that could make her worry about her seaweed brain more, would be if he lost control of his powers. Normally she knew he was powerful enough to find a way out of any situation, but she couldn't even count on that anymore.

Shaking her head, Piper threw an arm over Annabeth's shoulder. “Relax. It's just a kid playing on the beach. I'm sure the water will still behave for him, and the Naiads wouldn't let anything happen to him.”

Annabeth looked at Piper, before slowly nodding. “You're probably right.”

“Of course I am.” Piper said with a snicker. It was amusing that the one thing that could cause the level-headed, always prepared Annabeth to get flustered was her boyfriend. Love truly was a scary thing. “See? They're looking out for hi-” Piper started out gesturing towards the Naiads who were approaching the little Percy with a smile. She was cut off as one of them quickly grabbed Percy, before yanking him deep into the water. Both Piper and Annabeth stood next to each other, jaws dropped.

“Surely they're just playing, right?” Piper asked with a nervous chuckle.

There was the sound of scrambling as Jason stumbled up to them. “Was that Percy? Did he just get pulled to the bottom of the sea? Can he even breathe underwater right now?”

Annabeth's hand fluttered around her body, looking for any sort of knife. “That's it. I'm killing them. I'm killing every Naiad in this entire lake.”

Piper was suddenly grateful bikini's were devoid of many opportunities to stash weapons, as she wasn't sure Annabeth needed a weapon on her until they figured out what was happening with Percy.

“Fra-” Annabeth started, pausing as she saw the large boy sprinting down the beach. Getting as far as he could on two feet, she saw him jump before changing mid air into a dolphin. Just as he was about to dive under, the water in the lake exploded upwards.

Annabeth nearly collapsed in relief as she saw Percy laughing and smiling, holding onto a harness as he rode a sea creature. It was fine. The Naiads had just given him a ride on... a...

“Is he on a shark?” Leo asked, raising his goggles and looking up.

Annabeth felt her blood turn to ice again. “They put a child on a shark.” She stormed over to Leo, holding out her hand. “Give me the sharpest thing you have on you. We're having seafood tonight.” She muttered, expectantly.

Leo backed up, raising his hands. “I'm not sure you should be around anything sharp, and that's coming from me.”

Piper quickly made her way over to Annabeth, resting a hand on her friends shoulder as she let a little charm speak slip into her words. “Relax, Annabeth. They're just playing. Percy is having fun and they aren't putting him in any serious danger.” Piper felt a tad guilty on using her powers on Annabeth, but she knew that Annabeth wasn't thinking clearly due to the day she's been having, and she was also pretty sure Chiron wouldn't appreciate a war between demigods and Naiads. Nor would Percy's father for that matter.

Annabeth glared at Piper for a moment. “It's a shark! And don't charm speak me.” She snapped, before she sighed and dropped her shoulders. “Fine. But we're getting him off a shark. I'm not dealing with that today.”

Piper nodded, turning back to see Frank already letting Percy climb on his back as a dolphin, squeaking happily as he began to drag Percy around the lake.

Placing both her hands on Annabeth's shoulders, Piper shoved her back towards the blanket. “Now you need to sit down, have a sandwich, and just relax.”

Annabeth grumbled a bit, but listened to her friend, finally taking a seat. Percy was in Frank's hands, and he was responsible. The blonde had barely sat for a few seconds before she found a plate with sandwiches and chips being placed with her hands, a reassuring smile from Hazel helping ease her nerves.

Annabeth let herself be distracted by the ebb and flow of the conversation, her eyes still practically scanning Percy every few seconds. She still didn't trust the naiads, but Frank was on duty and Annabeth trusted him. He was too big of a softie to put him in any danger. Plus, he had that whole descendant of the sea god thing going on for him too. The water was his terrain.

Eventually Hazel flagged down Frank, telling him to get some food himself too.

Frank swam one last lap before leading Percy back to the beach. Setting him down, Frank changed back and gratefully took the towel from his girlfriend as he began to dry off.

Annabeth quickly walked over, squatting down and toweling off Percy. It seemed he didn't have perfect control of his powers, considering he was still wet after swimming. Percy just giggled and squirmed as he tried to free himself but Annabeth just laughed and kept up her assault with the fluffy towel.

Eventually satisfied that Percy was dry enough to not soak everything on their blanket, she led him over to the food.

Without hesitation, Percy began to pile food onto his plate, with a little help from the others, before he wandered over and sat in Annabeth's lap and began to happily eat it. Letting her eyes shut, feeling him safe within her grasp, Annabeth tried to relax. This day had been taxing in so many ways, she was ready for it to be over. Last she heard, they were just waiting on the delivery from Thalia for the final ingredient before they could hopefully fix Percy.

Percy would be safe. He would be back to normal soon. She would have her normal seaweed brain back. She missed him so much. It just wasn't the same.

Eventually it was getting darker, so everyone began to pack up their stuff. They would have a bonfire tonight, so they had to get ready for it. Frank had been watching Percy while the rest packed up, until Leo had gotten his help dismantling the ice cream machine he had made for a desert for them all.

Percy was standing in place, obediently. His mom had told him to listen to Annabeth, so he would! He would stay put while they finished putting away their toys. Then Annabeth had promised him something yummy. But that was when he saw it.

He wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was small and furry. Biting his lip, Percy felt a conflict inside him. He knew he should behave and listen to Annabeth, but he was so curious. He couldn't get the little creature out of his mind.

The creature squeaked at him, before turning and running towards the woods.

He HAD to know what that creature was. Turning to Annabeth, who was busy helping out Hazy anyway, he muttered a “I'll be right back.” He told her he would be gone, so it was okay, right? His mom always said she just wanted to know where he was.

Turning, he ran off into the forest, chasing the squeaking creature.

XxXxXxXxX

“Thanks for waiting!” Frank said politely to Percy, turning back around. He dropped the wrench he had been holding, feeling his heart stop. “Percy?” He called quietly, looking around. The kid was gone.

Annabeth was going to be furious. He was dead. This was the end of his life. Not that stupid stick, no, it was losing her child-boyfriend.

“Annabeth?”

“Hmm?” She asked, a smile on her face from Piper's joke.

“I can't find Percy.” Frank admitted.

Instantly the group froze in place. They all looked to Annabeth after a moment.

“What?” Annabeth tried to keep her voice calm and level.

“I turned around for a moment, and he said he was going to stay still, but he's gone...”

Annabeth just dropped her head into her hands. Why couldn't today have gone easy, just for once?

“Percy's in the woods!” Juniper said, suddenly emerging from the forest. She looked a bit out of breath.

“I heard what happened, and I just saw him roaming through there, and I don't think he should be alo-” She trailed off as Annabeth sprinted past her, calling out a combination of thanks, and Greek curses to just about everything.

Annabeth stumbled through the trees. He couldn't have gotten far. He was just a kid, and it wasn't like he was trying to run away. She figured he must have found something that sparked his interest. But why today of all days. They had stocked the woods with creatures for practicing hunting just the other day. The woods were far too dangerous for a kid to be wandering in a lone.

Feeling her heart rate kick into over drive, Annabeth was torn between shouting Percy's name for his attention, and staying quiet to avoid stirring any threats that could be nearby. That was when she heard a loud wail.

XxXxXxXxX

Percy scrambled backwards, staring at the large doggie growling at him. It was utterly massive. It had a muzzle on it, but it's sharp claws were still free.

“Mommy! Annabeth!” He cried out desperately, stumbling over branches away from it.

The beast let out a muffled roar as it lunged, swiping a claw at Percy.

Just before it could have struck him, he felt something wrap him up and tackle him away. He let out a short wail as the forest floor scratched him up, but he was suddenly held tightly against someone. All he could see was a mess of blonde hair in his face.

Clutching Percy close, Annabeth was a bit wide-eyed and frantic. She had just barely made it in time, if she hadn't gotten to Percy...

Shaking her head, she didn't have time to dwell on that. They had nearly died countless times before now. She needed to deal with this beast first. Thankfully it was muzzled, but she was still unarmed.

Another muffled roar, and the beast lunged again.

Riptide sprang to her mind, realizing Percy must still have it on him, but it was too late. She didn't have time to find it as the beast lunged. Turning around, she huddled over Percy to protect him and braced for the impact.

But it never came.

Peaking over her shoulder, she saw 3 silvery arrows sticking out of the neck of the hound. It stumbled around in protest, snarling the best it could.

It raised it claws over Annabeth for one last attack when Annabeth smelt the familiar smell of ozone. A second later and the beast erupted into a flash of electricity, before it crumpled to dust on the ground.

Thalia emerged, looking pissed off. For good measure, she shot one last arrow into the beast.

She immediately ran over to Annabeth, carefully examining her, and the boy for cuts.

“Are you two all right?” She asked, a desperate panic in her voice.

Annabeth nodded. “Don't worry, I'm fine.” Stepping back, she was about to check Percy over when she felt Thalia pull her into her arms for a very tight hug.

“That was too close.” Thalia mumbled softly, running her hand through Annabeth's hair for a moment. Getting her fill of assurance that Annabeth was in fact fine, Thalia pulled back and shifted her gaze to the little boy.

Little Percy was just standing there, sniffling as he cried and wiped away tears with balled up fists. “I just want to go home. I don't like this anymore.”

Thalia felt her heartstrings tug at the scene. The boy she usually found both infuriating and admirable was reduced to a terrified kid. She may have sworn of romantic love, but that didn't mean that her maternal instincts were gone. It reminded her of when she had just found Annabeth with Luke.

The sound of a branch breaking somewhere near by, had all of three of them jump. In a moment, Annabeth had Percy in her arms again, as she fished around his pocket for riptide. Thalia summoned her bow again, spinning around. “Now is not the time.” She snarled, not in the mood for any more monsters.

“Peace.” A girl said, stepping out with her hands raised. It was a young girl, dressed in similar hunting gear to Thalia.

Recognizing one of the other huntresses, Thalia stowed her bow. “Tell them to go set up camp. We'll be staying for a few days. I'll let Artemis know of our plans.” She ordered. Thalia watched the girl nod before she turned and vanished back into the woods.

Turning back, Thalia saw Annabeth had managed to stop Percy from crying. At the moment she held him in her arms, his legs around her waist as he wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his head into her neck.

“I've got the rabbit. Let's go back.” Thalia offered gently, carefully watching Annabeth's expression. It was pretty obvious how stressed and emotionally drained Annabeth was. Thalia was extremely worried about Percy, and she could hardly imagine how Annabeth must be feeling after seeing her boyfriend in that state, then almost losing him moments ago.

Annabeth just nodded meekly before she began to walk back. She held Percy just a little bit closer to her, whispering soft reassurances in his ear. “You're so brave. You can go home soon.” She said quietly.

Before long, Annabeth emerged out of the woods, seeing the rest of their little crew. Immediately they rushed towards her, looking both at her and Percy.

“We were looking for you, then the hunters told us you were safe and leaving. Are both of you okay?” Hazel asked worriedly.

Annabeth nodded. “We're fine. We just... need to fix him soon.” She said gently, hoping no one noticed her voice cracking. Judging by their expressions, they did.

An hour later, and Chiron was preparing the potion while Annabeth sat with Percy around the campfire. She had wanted him to get some sleep, but Chiron insisted that he have the potion before he slept for the night, citing that he didn't know if the spell could be worse if Percy went to sleep again. He doubted it was the case, but Annabeth figured better safe than sorry. She wouldn't gamble with Percy's life.

Plus, the boy had been uncharacteristically quiet since the incident, so she had hoped to raise his spirits. It seemed the campfire had done just that, luckily. Percy was happily dancing in front of her as they all worked through their sing-alongs. His shirt was stained with the remains of the smores he had consumed, and a stain from when he had gotten a bit too eager drinking his blue coke.

Aside from having to herd him away from the fire he kept wandering too close to, Annabeth was glad to see him laughing again. She just desperately wished to hear his normal deeper laugh that she had come to adore.

Piper had an arm around her shoulder, reassuringly rubbing it as she also laughed at the young Percy cheering as he waved his arms, currently getting a piggyback ride from Thalia.

Thankfully, Chiron had approached them with a small cup half way through one of their songs.

“It's done. I've had all the best brewers at the camp double check, this should fix him up swiftly.” She handed Annabeth the cup. “Make sure he drinks all of it, to be safe.”

Annabeth could hardly contain her excitement. She had almost started crying at just finally hearing the good news.

“Percy!” She called out, grabbing the boy's attention as he ran over quickly, stumbling a bit.

“What's up Annabeth?” He asked eagerly, before a yawn escaped him. He rubbed his eyes, swaying slightly.

She had noticed his dancing had slowed down recently, she figured his busy day was finally wearing down even his stamina.

“I need you to do me a favor.” She said gently, kneeling down to be eye level with him.

Yawning again, Percy nodded. “Okay. Mommy told me to listen to you anyway.” He muttered, still rubbing his eyes.

Biting her lip, Annabeth put aside how utterly adorable he looked at the moment. Though, judging by the camera flash that happen to her right, Piper had managed to grab a picture to remember.

“I need you to drink this for me. This will help you feel better.”

Percy nodded, reaching for the cup. He smelled it, before he scrunched up his face and shoved the cup back into Annabeth's hands. “That smells bad! I don't want to!” He muttered defiantly.

Suppressing the frustration, Annabeth tried to stay calm. Screaming at the child that he desperately needed to drink it to get back to normal and give her her seaweed brain back wouldn't help the situation. Desperation called for desperate measures. “If you drink it all, you can have another smore, and on our way back to bed I promise to grab you some blue candy. I won't even tell Sally!” She promised.

His eyes widened. “Do you promise? I don't want to get in trouble.” He said, his eyes slightly more awake, and skeptical now.

Annabeth nodded, holding out her pinky. “I pinky promise.”

Percy stared at her for a moment, before hooking his pinky with hers for the promise. “You promised.” He said, before taking the cup.

Annabeth just let out a sigh of relief. So yeah, she bribed a child with a bunch of sweets right before bed to make her life easier. So sue her.

Percy sniffed it once before grimacing again. But he looked at Annabeth, and then managed to quickly drink all of it. He blanched, very clearly unhappy with the taste.

Annabeth quickly messed with his hair, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Good job! I'm proud of you.”

Percy just grinned. “You promised!” Nodding, Annabeth turned to make another smore when she found Piper handing her a freshly prepared one already. Flashing her a grateful smile, she gave it to the eager child who immediately began making a mess as he tried to eat it too quickly.

Laughing, Annabeth just leaned back and tried to hold back the tears of relief. Percy had drank the potion. He would be fine. He would finally be okay.

A little while later and it was getting late. Normally they would all be up a little longer, but Percy was yawning constantly and sitting patiently at her side.

Turning to her friends, she patted Percy's head. “It's probably well past his bedtime. I'm going to get him in to bed. I'll see you all tomorrow with Percy as good as new hopefully.” They all said goodbye, many of them giving Percy a hug.

Walking back, she was surprised to feel Percy stop walking. “You promised me candy.” He muttered, holding his ground with his tired eyes surprisingly defiant.

Annabeth paused, she had forgotten about that. The camp store would be closed by now. Chewing her lip for a moment, she quickly considered her options.

Scooping up Percy into her arms to save time, she quickly made her way over and found the pair of twins she was looking for. “Connor!” She called out quickly, getting his attention. “I need a favor. I need you to get me some blue candy. I made a promise.” She explained, glancing at Percy who had perked up at the mention of candy.

Connor had a grin on. “You'll owe me.” He said.

Annabeth shivered at the thought. Being in debt to the stolls was usually a bad thing, one that almost always lead to getting in trouble. “Fine.”

Connor saluted, before quickly disappearing into the night. A few minutes later, Connor returned with a bag of candy, amazingly all of it was blue.

Raising it to Annabeth, he smirked. “Your order madam”

Annabeth shifted Percy to rest in one arm as her other one fell to the handle of her dagger. “I swear if there is even one piece of candy that's slightly off in that bag, you will wish you were lucky enough to be forced back into being a kid instead. Do not try me tonight.”

Connor raised his hands in a peace offering. “Hey! This is legit. Didn't even steal it. Tonight, at least. Just trying to get a kid some candy, a noble cause if I've ever heard of one.” He paused, before his smile shifted from mischievous to genuine. “Besides, I do want to see Percy back to normal too. Come on, I'm not heartless.” He offered.

Taken back a bit by his honestly, Annabeth nodded. “Thank you, for real.”

Connor just waved as he went back to join his brother.

Annabeth handed a few pieces to Percy as they made the long trek back to his cabin.

“What now?” Percy asked, as well as he could with his mouth on a lollipop.

“It's past your bedtime. I let you stay up, but you need to sleep.”

Percy's eyes widened as he began to squirm in her arms. She was forced to set him down to avoid dropping him.

“No! I'm having too much fun! I want to go back with Thals and Pipes and all of them! We're having too much fun!” He exclaimed, though his point was weakened by the big yawn he broke into.

“Percy...” Annabeth tried gently, at her wits end.

“No!” He said, stomping his foot.

Annabeth was about to scream. That's when Sally's words popped in her mind. Looking around, she was glad she was alone. “Come on Percy.” Scooping him up, she began to sing softly. She wasn't exactly a good singer, but she hoped it would be enough.

“The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else's lake...” She started to sing softly, swaying him slightly as they walked. Sure the little mermaid wasn't exactly a lullaby, but she knew he knew the song, and it was one of the few songs she knew all the words to from the number of times they cuddled watching the movie while relaxing in his apartment.

Percy's protests gradually grew weaker and weaker, until he was dozing off on her shoulder.

Managing to get him into the cabin, she set him down on the bed and pulled off his shoes and socks to try and get him a little comfier. Tucking him in, she leaned down to kiss his head.

“I love you Percy. Please go back to normal. I miss you, and I need you.” She whispered gently.

Turning back, she moved to go back to her own cabin when she heard his tired, and slightly scared voice. “Annabeth?”

“Yes honey?” She asked, turning around and kneeling next to the bed.

“Can you stay please? I'm... scared. I don't like this cabin. It's too big and dark.” He muttered.

Annabeth paused, looking at his exhausted, yet scared face. Nodding she quickly kicked off her own shoes and rummaged around his cabin for a spare pair of sweatpants. Quickly changing in his bathroom, he climbed into the bed with him.

Percy nestled up against her, and within moments he was fast asleep.

Kissing his forehead one last time, she watched him for a moments, running a hand through his hair. Before long she found herself drifting off to sleep to, praying with all she had that he would be back to normal soon.

Annabeth was more than thrilled to find herself waking up in her favorite pair of strong arms, with a deeper voice gently saying her name.

“Morning Annabeth.” He muttered, a little confused but hardly complaining.

Annabeth just threw her arms around his neck, quickly kissing him.

“Welcome back, Percy.”

XxXxXxXxX

I hope you enjoyed it! I’ve wanted to post this for quite a while, I just never really got around to finishing it. I know the ages in the title aren’t accurate, that Percy would be a little older but I just found it catchy. Also, I’m accepting Percabeth Fluff prompts/suggestions so please send me any ideas, or words, or songs etc if you have any! I’d love to consider your idea and hopefully write something for it!

#percabeth #pjo #percy jackson #annabeth chase #HoO #I love writing stories like this #It was really fun

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littlemisskookie · 7 years

Text

Sound the Alarms: 08

Sound the Alarms: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Ship: Jungkook | Reader ~ Jungkook | Seulgi Description: You were in love with Jeon Jungkook since you were 14, but made the mistake of introducing him to your best friend at 16. Now you’ve slept with him at 19, and it appears that fate isn’t done screwing you over when it comes to your two best friends. Warning: Angst, Self-Harm, Mentions fo Suicide, Oral, Intercourse, Slight Dirty Talk, Cumplay, Orgasm Denial, Overstimulation Word Count: 6,494

Five Years Ago

It was a small and cramped space, and extremely dusty. You were only 14 at the time, and small enough to wiggle between the metal of the vents' walls. You had to complete some stupid dare from one of your friends, and already you wanted out. You never turned down a challenge back then, and somehow they helped hoist you up while the teacher was away.

You were supposed to end up in the boy's bathrooms, where a friend was waiting to catch you as confirmation that you completed the dare. It was for $500, and you definitely needed the money for whatever stupid things you could get at 14. Somehow the large group each pooled in the large sum of money, and you were the first to volunteer to win it, resulting in you accomplishing the first dare at hand.

It was certainly cold here, which you didn't expect. Maybe that's why classrooms were always so frigid. Your knees felt as though they were rubbed raw against the metal, and your skin was sticky and sweaty. You followed the directions of your friends, who told you their best estimates for the way to the men's restroom. This was the last direction, for you to simply turn left, the second vent below you.

Or was it right?

You chose to go right instead, crawling to the second and looking down. You could spot the top of a boy's head, and you automatically assumed you were right and began lifting the gate that both obscured your view and blocked the exit. Once it was out of the way you gripped the ledge, slowly lowering yourself down, hoping that the boy would've noticed and prepared to catch you.

The metal of the gate ends up slipping past, landing right in front of the boy, making a loud clattering noise and alerting him of your presence. It isn't until he looks up, getting a view straight up your uniform skirt, that you realize this was a complete stranger in the hallway. You should've gone left.

Your grip slips, and you fall on top of him, luckily using his very human-type body as a pillow to break your fall. You groan out in pain, rolling off of him and onto the floor, your cheeks burning red. "Oh, crap!" you exclaimed. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry!"

"Ohh, fuck," the boy groaned out, sprawled across the floor as he rubs his head and face. "What on Earth?"

One of the nearby classroom doors swings open, the infuriated face of a middle-aged woman peeking out to see what the ruckus was about. Her eyes landed on the two of you, spotting the metal on the ground, and gasping as her eyes trailed up to the ceiling. Her nose scrunched, eyes blazing as she marched over to the two of you. "Why, I never! You two, trying to get into the vents I see? Detention! You ought to both be expelled!"

It was silent in the detention room, oddly enough only you and Jungkook were the ones in class. The teacher- who just so happened to be the same middle-aged lady- spent most of the time simply glaring at the two of you, who had earned three weeks worth of detention. You were flustered and embarrassed, a switch from the collected, cool image you tried to showcase.

You were so embarrassed, you wanted to grab a gun and shoot yourself with it, pulling the trigger to 'pew pew' your brains out.

You knew who this boy was, now that you recognized him. He was in a few classes of yours, but he was so cute, you never really got the nerve to talk to him. Mainly because he was in a different circle from you. Jeon Jungkook. Little did you know then how much the name would come to mean to you.

You didn't know whether or not he knew who you were, but you were sure that after this he would. You were extremely sorry for dragging him into this mess and considered giving him part of the $500 you earned, since the boy who was supposed to catch you heard the noise and spied the following events from the bathroom, proving that, in a sense, you had accomplished the task you were given. Sure, you got caught, but regardless you did sneak through the vents.

You expected Jungkook to throw you glares the entire time, but instead, you were thrown curious glances, and it made your cheeks glow rosy and your eyes bore intently into your desk, as though it were speaking the country's secrets and if you dared to tear your eyes away it'd blow up on the spot.

The minute the old crone watching you fell asleep, you looked over to Jungkook, beginning to profusely apologize through hushed whispers. "I am so, so, so so sorry!" you apologized. "It was a stupid stunt, and I didn't mean to land on you, I swear. Much less drag you into this."

"It's alright," Jungkook assured you, a warm smile on his face.

"No, it's not," you shook your head. "Now we've got detention for like three weeks. I swear I tried explaining to her you had nothing to do with it, but the old bat refused to listen."

Jungkook snickered at that, his mouth covering his smile. The teacher snorted in her sleep, making the two of you freeze up and stay still, but her snores continued.

"I'm really sorry," you apologized again. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

The boy hummed quietly. "There is one way."

Please don't be one of those perverts who suggests sex.

"What is it?" you asked hesitantly.

"Be friends with me," the boy smiled nervously.

You blinked in response, stunned. "Oh dear God I think I made you hit your head too hard when I landed on you," you murmured.

"It's okay if you don't want to," the boy chuckles sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"No, no, I want to," you say immediately, earning a smile from the boy. "I just mean... I just landed you in a lot of trouble, why would you want to be friends with me?"

The boy shrugged, licking his lips as he grinned to you. "It's not every day a girl falls on you from the ceiling. I'm unashamed to admit I'm intrigued."

You scoffed, a smile stretching on your own lips. "And this is how I'll make it up to you?"

"It's the only way," Jungkook smiled. Your eyes locked with his, and you noted how beautiful his were, trapping the stars and galaxy in the dark spheres, and you were immediately stunned. How could someone keep the night sky behind their irises?

"Then I guess I have to," you grinned.

Four Years Ago

It had been one year since you started being friends with Jungkook, and you had not expected that you'd fall for him hard and quick. He was quickly becoming one of the closest people to you, and at 15, even you realized how often you'd get caught up in his starry eyes and youthful looks.

But loving Jungkook was hard. He had a new girlfriend every other month, and you were the one who more often than not had to whisper in his ear the way to their hearts because Jungkook's love was brief and short. You didn't feel threatened necessarily because you knew it'd end sooner or later, and Jungkook didn't usually stay with the same girl for long. But it hurt, knowing that no matter how many girls he'd quickly look to, he never seemed to look your way.

You were crying about this to your childhood friend, someone who went through hell with you and back, and you were weeping on her shoulder in her bedroom, sobbing to yourself as she rubbed your back comfortingly, the room filling with a song she always played to keep you calm. You were outright sobbing like the school girl you were over a high school crush, but you couldn't help yourself. Your body wracked with sobs, and you were a pathetic mess. Seulgi was patient though, keeping you in her arms and humming along with the music.

You had told her you were in love with a boy who never seemed to look your way, choosing not to reveal his name, for that would perhaps make you cry even harder. He was like a little secret to you, and Seulgi didn't have to know his name to understand your pain.

"Shh, it's alright," she cooed comfortingly, rubbing your arm soothingly. "The boy must be blind not to look your way. What idiot wouldn't? Trust me, he'll turn around eventually. And if he doesn't, who needs him?"

You scoffed, sniffling. "I don't know. I... It's hard, you know? I try but he's always there."

"Maybe you should look in some other directions," Seulgi suggested. "What about that guy from your math class you said asked you out?"

You grimaced. "That guy uses so much gel in his hair, comb your hand through it much and you'll have all the lube you need."

Seulgi laughed hard at that, her joyous laughter filling the room and making you feel slightly better. "Ooh, harsh, Y/N. Real harsh."

"I wish you went to my school," you sighed. "You'd know what to do."

"So do I, but you know how I have to go to private school," Seulgi winced. "Not fun, trust me. But if I could be there with you, I would in a heartbeat, Y/N."

You smiled, wiping away the tears that were starting to dry. "Thanks, Seulgi. You always know just what to say."

"Girls?" a woman called outside the door, following with a few knocks. "Seulgi, it's time to take your medicine."

Seulgi closed her eyes, sighing as she looked to the door. "Come in, Mom."

The woman walked in, handing Seulgi the pills and a glass of water, her eyes looking at your puffy ones. "Oh, dear, are you alright? Did I intrude at a bad time?"

"No, ma'am," you said, rubbing your eyes a bit. "I'm fine now, thank you."

"Well, I'm glad Seulgi could help, and if you need anything dear, I'm always here," the woman smiled, taking the glass from Seulgi. "It's nice you girls are still so close. I hope you stay together for a very long time. They say when you're friends for over 7 years, there's a big chance you could be friends for the rest of your life."

"We already plan on it, Mom," Seulgi grins, turning to you. "Isn't that right, Y/N?"

"Of course," you grin back. "I'll be by your side forever."

Present Day

You thought over the memories, of how you came to be friends with Jungkook, and of all the times Good Seulgi shone through. You were busy swiping through the pictures on your phone, two in particular. The one with Jungkook's swollen cheeks, and your own with the bruise on your jaw.

You thought back to when it all started. To when you first introduced Jungkook to Seulgi, to when you first slept with him, and to all of the disasters that quickly followed. The question was, were you sorry for them? Were you sorry for introducing Jungkook to his future abuser, and yet the woman he loved? Were you sorry for sleeping with him, making his abuse even worse, and yet opening a whole new light? Were you sorry for any of the actions that lead to where you were today?

Had you made one different step, perhaps Jungkook wouldn't even want to be with you. Perhaps he wouldn't even be friends with you still. Perhaps you'd still be with Seulgi, taking snide comments when she was feeling particularly snotty. Perhaps you'd go back to your mundane life, and nothing would really be able to brighten your day. If you hadn't slept with Jungkook, perhaps you'd have never found out about his real relationship.

The what ifs seemed to fill your mind, but you knew it was no use. It wouldn't change the past, it wouldn't affect the future, and it would do nothing for the present. Perhaps it was time for you to stop wondering about scenarios and actually making it happen. For you to stop dwelling on the past and appreciate the present for what it is, all while looking to the future.

The question is, where did you see everyone? Did you see Jungkook with you, despite all you two had experienced? Did you picture yourself still with Seulgi, staying by her side and being her best friend still?

You wondered what Jungkook would think of what you were doing right now. Continuously he went on about how he didn't want to harm her in any way, not to get her in trouble despite how poorly she treated him, all because he loved her. And now he was trapped in a situation he couldn't get out of because she was paranoid and threatening to harm herself.

You remembered how tired he was that night, the star in his eyes dimming down to a dull haze, blurring in the same way that traffic lights would when you take off your glasses. Still there, still bright, but not as clear.

You knew that even if he couldn't forgive you for this, you had to do it. You loved him and wanted to protect him. And ultimately, a part of you that you couldn't deny wanted to protect her too. From herself.

And with that thought echoing into your mind, you walked into the police station.

Your hands were stuffed in your pockets, staring at the police car at the building Seulgi resided in. It had been about fifteen minutes. Where was she?

A car swerved in, rushing close before parking near you, and a figure hopped out. Jungkook ran by your side, his eyes wide and breath heavy. "I got a call from Seulgi, she said policemen were at her door, did you-"

"Yes," you answered immediately. "I'm not sorry for it. They can help her, talk to her. In cases of emergency, they have policemen who will bring you to the station to talk to you about your problems, like suicide. So I told everything."

Jungkook was silent for a few seconds, his eyes boring into the police car. "She's hurt herself," he whispered. "She kept screaming it into the phone how I betrayed her, calling the police, and saying how she'd slit her wrists until she bled out, all over the carpet. She hung up once they entered..."

Your heart was beating fast, feeling distraught as your stomach twisted in pure guilt and uneasiness. "Maybe they got to her in time," you whispered optimistically, praying for the best. "We can't give up hope."

To your horror, you saw an ambulance pulling up, quickly parking behind the police car, and you saw the figures of the paramedics rush into the building. It was absolutely terrifying, and your legs were already shaking, and you began to collapse, though Jungkook caught you before you could hit the floor. He supported you, bringing you to stand and holding onto you firmly, his eyes wide. "Y/N? Y/N!"

"I killed her," you whispered. "I killed my best friend."

"You didn't," Jungkook protested. "Listen to me, you did what was right. We don't know if she's dead, alright? Y/N, stay with me."

You shook your head, tears spilling from the corners of your eyes as you stared at the doors, waiting for the paramedics to carry out a stretcher of the girl's dead body. "What was I thinking? What have I done? I've killed her, Jungkook, what have I done?"

"Y/N, Y/N please," Jungkook pleaded. "Everything's going to be alright, do you hear me? Seulgi's going to survive, and she's going to get the help she needs, and you and I will be alright. We've got each other, don't we? We'll stay by each other's side."

"Yes," you whispered. "We have each other."

You said the same thing to Seulgi. And now look what's happened.

You saw figures come in, bringing out a body on the stretcher, and you whimpered, turning to Jungkook and sobbing into his shirt. It was unbearable, and you couldn't look to see the sight. You squeezed your eyes shut, hot tears flowing down your cheeks to be absorbed in your shirt.

Jungkook rubbed your back, hugging you tightly as he murmured soft nothings in your ear, and you knew he was squeezing his eyes shut as well. You glanced back, lights flashing in your vision, and already you felt yourself beginning to faint, vision fading at the sight as you collapsed in Jungkook's arms.

The last thing you heard was the sirens.

6 Months Later

First and foremost, Seulgi survived.

She had slit her wrists with so many cuts she was starting to bleed out, and she was absolutely hysterical when the police barged in. When they saw what she was doing, they immediately called the ambulance and refrained her. She was losing so much blood, she fainted.

She was put in the hospital for a while and then moved to a mental hospital. From what you knew, she got a new prescription and was going to therapy often, though you hadn't seen her since the incident. You were glad she was doing better though, at least that's what you could assume.

You and Jungkook had healed over time, and though scarred by the events as you were, the two of you helped each other cope through comforting each other and therapy. You took things slow, letting yourselves heal and be there for each other as friends before you finally acted on the simmering romance between you two after three months.

Dating Jungkook was surreal. It was as though it wasn't quite reality, finally having the boy as your own. It was like a hazy dream, and after living the hellish nightmare, it was definitely something that you slipped into with absolute grace, giving your all by wanting to give him the love he didn't get from Seulgi.

It was as though he was still your best friend, joking with you, laughing, hanging out and goofing off. You two already knew each other's secrets, and you'd often hang out in ways that felt like the older days. The difference was how you'd wear his hoodies, sometimes getting matching couples shirts. How you two would kiss each other fondly and how the intimacy and bonds felt stronger than before.

Most of all how the stars in his eyes seemed to shine brighter than ever before when he looked at you.

Once in a while, you two would discuss previous events, though it always put a rather down aura as the memories washed over you two. But you didn't ignore it, or suppress it, but rather accepted what happened and its effects, moving on day by day.

And, of course, the sex was far better than ever before.

After a long day, the two of you decided to go out for a nice, fancy dinner, though frankly, you would've been fine with eating at a fast food restaurant any day. You decided to make things more interesting by playing footsie under the table, teasing him with a devilish smile as you seductively ate your food, making sure to make the small hums and moans provocative enough to give him the message you were turned on, but quiet enough that no one else would notice.

It wasn't until the point your foot went all the way up to rub his crotch that he called over for the check, and within minutes he was quickly ushering you past the tables and to the car.

And here you were now, with your back slamming against the mattress, and his large hands already riding up your skirt, pushing the fabric off of you. It was peeled off within seconds, discarded to the floor to be forgotten for the night.

Jungkook's lips sucked against your neck, nipping harshly at the delicate skin to form bruises you were sure would pop by morning. You groaned at his effort, hips grinding against his. He quickly took off his shirt to reveal his toned chest, though you didn't have much time to marvel at it because he was already unbuckling his belt and slipping off both his trousers and boxers, completely bare as he climbed on top of you again.

Your arms locked around his neck, pulling him in and closing your eyes, letting his tongue dance with yours. He breaks away, his chest panting as his hands come to slip your underwear off, slowly dragging it down your legs. "You think it was funny teasing me?" he questions. "Because I can assure you, there won't be anything to laugh at in a few minutes."

His promise added pressure to your lower stomach, jolts of arousal going to your heat. Jungkook slipped the underwear all the way down your legs, discarding it to the floor before the cold pads of his fingertips made contact with your clit, rubbing it in circles that had your back arch into his touch. He lowered himself, instead letting his mouth suck tenderly on the small nub, and slipping two fingers inside of you, making scissoring motions.

You moaned softly, loving the feeling as his tongue swiped through your folds, lapping up your arousal as it started to coat his chin and mouth. You mewled in delight, and he decided to add a third finger, stretching you out as he began to pump the digits against your walls.

"You can barely take three fingers," he remarked, letting his lips detach from your clit. "What if we try four?"

"Fuck," you let out, his dirty talk making your stomach twist. After sleeping with each other continuous times after you two became official, he seemed to notice how much the dirty talk turned you on. He was much more comfortable with all of the sexual acts, and the fact it was so lewd and dirty made your mind spin.

"I'll be nice," Jungkook laughs, meaning that he wouldn't follow up on the suggestion. Tonight. He sucked at your clit again, pumping his fingers and curling them every so often. The coil in your lower stomach was threatening to snap, and your mewls and cries were getting a bit louder, and you felt your orgasm begin to approach.

Your fingers curled into the bedsheets, and Jungkook took it as a sign that you were close. He pulled away, slipping his fingers out of your heat and looking at you in pride, licking off your arousal from his lips. You felt the orgasm die down, and you gave him a shocked look, glaring at him. "Jungkook!" you exclaimed.

"You know I'll make it up to you," he chuckled.

You had to admit that was true. You rolled your eyes, smiling as you tried to slip off the bed to get on your knees, knowing how much he loved bucking into your mouth, but he stopped you. "I don't want to waste time on that today. I need to be inside of you," he says, climbing onto the bed with you.

You bit your lip, his words turning you on more than you'd typically like to admit. "How do you want me?" you purred.

"Spread your legs and I'll show you," he grinned. You followed his commands, and he hooked your legs around his arms, lifting them up as he got on his knees. Your rear was raised off the bed and into the air, and Jungkook positioned himself where your rear was pressed directly against his erection, the lower half of you off the bed as only your head, upper back, and arms supported you, pressing into the pillows and mattress. Jungkook aligned himself with your entrance, letting the juices coat the head before he pushed into you.

He began pounding into you, the hollow sound of his thighs slamming into your ass as he continuously rammed himself into you. Your hands flew to your clit, vigorously rubbing it and sending jolts of electricity through the nervous system. Jungkook gave quick and rapid thrust, grunts spilling from his lips as he continued to slam himself into you, just the way you like.

It wasn't long before the coil formed again, pressure building up in your lower stomach. With each thrust his hips made you whined, letting out whimpers and moans that were impossible to contain. Jungkook's thrusts were getting harder and harder and had his arms not been holding your legs in place in the air on either side of him, you'd have flown off him by now.

You were surprised when he reached over, grabbing a pillow and tossing it on the floor beside the bed. He grips on tightly to your legs, swinging you around where he was now standing, and you panicked, only to find the top of your head pressing against the pillow on the floor. It had been a while since you tried out this position, but you remember how great it was.

The blood was rushing to your head as Jungkook rocked back into you, and your body was moving rhythmically with his. His cock moving against your walls was a feeling you relished, loving how full he made you feel, and your moans were getting breathy as you started coming close to your orgasm, fingers going faster and harder to add pressure to the small nub. Your other hand was on the floor, helping to stabilize yourself, though you trusted Jungkook not to let go of you.

Jolts of pleasure spread from your core as you reached euphoria, your orgasm washing over you as you let out opened mouthed cries of relief, the tingling sensation making your mind feel blissed-out. Perhaps it was the blood that was flowing to your head, or from how Jungkook continued to slam into you, that made the orgasm so intense.

Jungkook dragged you back up, and you grabbed the pillow as he hoisted you back onto the mattress. It was thrown back on the sheets, and Jungkook flipped you over to where your legs were on either side of it, and Jungkook firmly pressed his hand against your back, pressing you down where your face was in the mattress.

"You can't see me, can you?" Jungkook asks in a breathy voice. "Guess you won't know when I'll slam into you then, huh?"

He spreads your cheeks wide, mesmerized by the view, and you whined, wanting to buck your hips back into his. You felt something poking at your entrance, and let out a gasp as he plunged into your heat, not even hesitating to pick up the fast pace again. His pelvis continuously slammed into your ass, his sweaty thighs slapping against your own. Your body rocked back and forth, and you were humping the pillow, your clit rubbing against the fabric, and you cringed from the delightful overstimulation.

Jungkook's hands kept you pinned down, not allowing you to move as he rocked your body back and forth. The bed shook with his thrusts, the squeaks intertwined with your muffled moans as you felt a delightful high reaching once again.

It was getting near, and now that the overstimulation was dying and your pleasure was starting to take over from your humping the pillow and Jungkook's harsh and aggressive thrusts, the orgasm was definitely building up once again.

"I love you," Jungkook grunted, panting out the words as he thrust repeatedly into you. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

You wanted to stop letting your words and moans drown into the sheets and ask him What? but the high was overtaking you, and your entire body was shaking as you experienced your second orgasm of the night, legs shaking as he pounded you out through your high, chasing his own.

His staccato grunts were speeding up, deep and gravely as they were, and soon enough you knew he was getting close. "I'm coming," he panted out, and shortly after you felt the hot liquid spill into you, and you moaned out at the sensation. Jungkook continued to go through his high, and you knew one of his favorite things was to watch both his and your own fluid coat his cock as he continued using you, and soon he pulled out.

His fingers gathered any of the liquid that was already starting to drip out, scooping it up before pushing them back into your heat. "Keep it there," he says, his voice deep and raspy as he gathers the rest, storing them in your heat.

You roll over once he's done, your chest rising up and down as you tried to catch your breath. You watched as Jungkook put the fingers in his mouth, staring at you darkly as the digits entered his hot cavern.

"Did you mean it?" you question. "That you love me? As in romantically?"

"I do," Jungkook admits. "I love you so much. I'm in love with you Y/N, and it might be too soon in our relationship to say this in some eyes, but I feel like I should've said it long ago."

You smile, grinning as you pulled him in, pressing your lips against his. "I love you, too."

He smiled against your lips, his eyes devilish and twinkling as he traveled down your body again to eat you out for the second time, though this time with his own cum inside.

One Year After Seulgi's Departure

"She wants to see you?" Your eyes were wide. "It's been a year since we've seen her, why now? Are you sure this is a good idea? Is she... healthy right now?"

"She wants to see you too," Jungkook adds. "Though, I think separately. I don't know, you can check the texts if you'd like."

"That's fine, I believe you," you say. You knew he was rather uncomfortable with handing someone his phone to look through, especially because of how often Seulgi used to check it back when they were dating. He wasn't hiding anything, but there was still the unsettling fear that he experienced each time she looked through, and you knew better than to do it. Besides, you trusted him. "But what'd she say?"

"It was just a random text saying she'd like to catch up for coffee, and perhaps have some closure with both of us," Jungkook says, staring down at his phone. "I don't have to if you want. It's okay if you don't want to either, I know it might be difficult."

"I mean, are you going to be okay though?" you ask him softly. "She is your abuser. Are you sure this would be healthy?"

Jungkook pauses for a moment. "I think it'd be nice to get some closure. To make sure she's alright, to fill in the blanks, to answer some unanswered questions. I think I've spent enough time away to heal, especially with you. I think I can handle it, can you?"

"I think I can," you sigh. "I'll wait in the car or something as it happens, and then I'll see her once you're done. She was my best friend, and I'd like to know she's doing better now."

"Then it's settled," Jungkook says. He stares down at the glowing screen on his phone, the words of the text being embedded into his mind. "We'll see her."

"Thanks for agreeing to meet up," Seulgi comments as they sit down, drinks in hand. "I... know it can be difficult, especially considering everything that happened."

"I'll cope," Jungkook says. He wasn't going to lie and say 'it's alright' or 'no trouble' because frankly, it was a lot harder for him than it seemed. "How have you been doing? What happened after you were... escorted?"

Seulgi's mouth goes small, and she takes a small sip of her coffee. "Well, I was put in the hospital to heal and questioned extensively. They said you didn't want to press charges or anything, and considering the situation and the fact you and Y/N apparently didn't want me to go to jail, they decided to send me to the mental hospital instead."

"And did it work out?" he questioned. "Y/N heard something about a new prescription and you going to therapy."

Seulgi nods in confirmation. "Where is Y/N by the way?"

"She'll come after I leave, we both wanted to get separate closure," Jungkook confirms.

"Ah," she says, sipping on her coffee. "I see. That's fine, I understand. I understand you also have some questions?"

"Er, yes," Jungkook admits.

"Ask away."

Jungkook waits a few seconds, hesitant to ask the question. "Was it ever real?"

Seulgi understands what he means. "It was at first. I fell hard for you Jungkook, I'll admit that. But it morphed into a need to always have you choose me first, to be the priority, and for the sense of being in control and idolized. I started depending on keeping you in control to feel as though I was in control of everything else. Once I started losing you, I felt as though I was losing control of everything else. It was no excuse for my actions of course, but that's what happened."

"So you thought of me as your property to boost your ego?" Jungkook questioned.

Seulgi's brows furrow and she licks her lips. "To put it simply... yes. I had the mindset that a girl should keep tabs and control of her boyfriend at all times because otherwise, he'd cheat. And once my fears came true, I became a paranoid mess obsessed with establishing what's mine. I didn't think you belonged with me anymore, but rather to me."

Jungkook nodded in understanding of her twisted previous reasoning. "Do you regret what you did?"

"Every day," Seulgi admits. "I know what I did was wrong, and that there's nothing I can do to change it, but I am truly sorry for my actions back then. I'm sorry."

Jungkook nods, sighing to himself. "You're forgiven," he says. He couldn't say it was okay, or that all was forgotten because it was far from the truth. But forgiving the people who wronged you is a step towards moving on and maturity.

"I wasn't in the right mindset back then," Seulgi murmured quietly. "I let my mental disorder swallow me whole until I was just pure anger and rage. It never suited me well."

"Well, the important thing is that you're okay now," Jungkook says.

"I am," Seulgi smiled, though the smile itself is small and weak. "I've gotten better and accepted who I am while trying to change for the better. I'm glad the therapy and medicine worked, and I think the reason I pushed it away before was because I didn't think I was myself with them, and that I didn't need them to function properly. It really took a toll on me."

"And you're keeping up with them?" he asks.

"Of course," she says. "Have you gotten any help from the incident?"

He nods. "Me and Y/N both go to therapy nowadays. It's helped a lot, frankly, and it's made us a lot happier in the long run."

"Are you two together now?"

Jungkook nods again. "We have been for about three months now."

"That's good," Seugli says, though she doesn't smile. Her voice sounds far away, as though she were murmuring off in the distance instead of to the boy a few feet in front of her. "I'm glad you two are making each other happy."

"Yeah," Jungkook mumbles. "So am I."

You spin the straw around in your cup, trying to avoid her eye. It was weird, seeing her after so long. Last time you saw her was a brief glimpse of her on a stretcher and the last time you two were face to face she had her fingers latched around your neck.

"I thought you always liked black coffee," Seulgi remarks, staring at your cup, which was full of sugar instead of the bitter taste.

"I guess I liked things a bit less bitter," you shrug.

"Y/N, I know it's hard seeing me, but there's a reason you came to talk to me, or agreed to," Seulgi says. "At least ask what you want to ask."

"Why'd you do it?" you blurt out, no hesitation in your voice whatsoever. "Why'd you constantly put me down? Why did you hurt him? Why did you hurt yourself?"

Seulgi's mouth screws into a tiny pout, and she looks down at the table. "Oh. That."

"Yeah, that," you say.

"I was jealous of you," Seulgi admits. "I made it an effort to try to be better than you, because in my mind you were already practically perfect, angelic in the way I could never be. So I blamed my problems on you and convinced myself if I could rise above you, perhaps I'd be perfect too. To put it bluntly, the only way I could climb on top was to push you to the bottom, and that's what I did. I blamed everything on you at my worst moments, and made it a point to have what you couldn't."

That made sense.

"And him?" you questioned. "Why'd you hurt him, when he thought of you as the setting sun?"

"Because he was my only way of establishing and maintaining control," she confessed. "I felt in control when I could control him, and the BPD and overwhelming jealousy took a toll on me that morphed into pure anger and shaped me into a person who was far from what I wanted to be. I was just too blind to realize what I was doing to others, or even myself."

"And why'd you hurt yourself?" you asked, the last part in a whisper. "With the cuts, and the threats?"

Seulgi decides to raise her arm above the table, lifting the sleeve up to her elbow to reveal long white scars scattered across, now faded into white after a year. "I've been clean ever since, but these-" she tapped at them, and your eyes bore into the new skin. "-I thought these were the only ways of keeping him."

"Are you alright now at least?" you asked. "Jungkook said that's what you said, but I want to make sure for myself."

She puts back down her sleeve, nodding. "I'm better than I have been for years, admittedly. Not exactly happy, but I'm in a better place. I'm no longer angry all of the time, so it is a step in the right direction. I'll get there with time, and for now, the medication and therapy can help."

"Good," you remark. "I'm glad to hear that."

She nods, and a few more silent seconds pass between the two of you. She coughs awkwardly, glancing up to you. "Do you have any more questions?"

Did you?

"I... no," you shake your head. "I think I understand now... you put it bluntly."

She licked her lips, nodding. A few more seconds pass, and she gets up to leave, though she pauses. "Y/N, you were my best friend, the one person I really did depend on when times got rough. I thought when we were little we'd grow old together, but I know now life isn't so simple. And I know that my actions have no excuse, but I do care for you, and I always will. But I hurt you, and the boy you love. And for that, I'm sorry."

She says no more, and your eyes trail after her as she exits the coffee shop.

Some apologies are packed with meaning, and others are mumbled dismissively when you so much as bump shoulders with someone in the hallway.

But you were glad to know that hers was the first.

And eventually, for all apologies, there is forgiveness.

#jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungkook smut #smut bts smut #jungkook angst #angst #bts angst #bts jungkook

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Text

Fear is a Knife {*TRIGGER WARNING*}

i used to be afraid of sharp objects. knives, needles and ballpoints. a shot from doctor kalimizoo, steak knifes ridges and the pins on my grandmas brooches. The point of a perfect pencil so powerful to puncture your parts with a potential pressure. yeah i used to be afraid of sharp objects. In school i was extra cautious with my protractor, and i made sure i didn’t run with scissors. and to hold my pink construction paper and blades far enough from my body so that i wouldn’t lose any hair in the tedious process of my awkward left hand trying to grip my privileged right hand scissors. And i changed my earrings that were planted in my ear lobes since the age of six minimally so very minimally that when i did exchange them for the occasional holiday party or first day of school runway, it felt as though i was separating them from the center of my flesh. My sister helped me wrangle out of them each time .Thoughtful, she kept needle on her dresser for when my ears closed up, and a glass for water for when i blacked out. and there used to be a knife block on my kitchen counter. This knife block, was poorly constructed ands exposed part of the blades of cleavers, and saws and daggers of knives and it brought me a barrel of distress having to share that square foot of counter to smear peanut butter onto my burnt toast with an ice cream spoon. And i remember everyday i lurked past it with fear tucked deep into my diaphram screaming into my mind like every morning before school was a rondevou and i was indiana jones on a mission to defeat my hunger and inevitable fear of these knives. But one day as i drearily slinked into the kitchen at sometime around 6:45 am for school, i noticed more than some of the knives were missing. And for a time this instilled a sense of immediate chaos in my brain, an alarm, kind of like when you hit a spider with a newspaper, it falls down and magically disappears forever. the nerves underneath my skin tingled and i feared for the safety of myself and my family. For some time my parents didn’t know where they had gone to either. They told us to look for them, but i left the scavenge up to my siblings because no thanks. Weeks later the knives were still missing and the fear had worn away like a cheap sweater and i once again felt comfortable in my own home and continued to smear my peanut butter with ice cream spoons. My family had their annual Halloween get together. It was one of my favorites times of the year because i could look as ridiculous as i wanted and my mother wouldn’t scorn me. My sister was princess leia, my brother peter pan, and i want a brunette, candy-guzzling, mess of a tinker bell. My mother had bought me these perfectly sparkly earring to go with my perfectly sparkly outfit and my sister agreed to take up the task of aiding with the painful switch. As she widdled the pointed through my ears and kept a warm rag at hand on her dresser, i glanced over the heaps of wondrous assorted objects behind it. Poking out of a cable knit scarf was one of the knifes that i thought was lost forever. Since i was already feeling like a brave pixie that evening , i jumped up and exclaimed “papa i found them!!!” Although i was curious of my sisters safety and how they got to be with her treasures, i figured she was alright because she was always cautious and had a bundle of tissues and scar creams on her night stand. The knife block was restored and although anxiety was not reduced, my family was sound. Months past, it was April now. I still wore my sparkly earring, however their shine was muttled and disfigured by from my hot soapy baths and the fade of the sun. I went down to pantry to grab some oatmeal i had graduated to at the age of 9 and went to the counter to prep it. The knives were gone AGAIN. i resisted as much dry heaving and crying as i ran to my mother to tell her the treacherous happening. She answered with the same disgruntlement and i sank in my assigned chair so furiously agitated asking god what did i ever do to those knives to deserve this. i retaliated to my sly detective operations- but from a distance as i instigated my labrador and looked under every piece of furniture that i could. There were cuts in the floorboards in the foyer. Could this be a counter attack aimed from the rivalry of all the sharp objects out to get me. My mother said it was because the new recliner was dragged to hard across the floor. case a was closed. the dog food case was mysteriously bust open one night. Kibble cascaded down the steps and bon apa teet to all the canines, this was a free all you can buffet, wish i had their insurance. This was later debunked by my dogs anxious newfound behavior of destruction over long periods of time when were were gone. case b was closed. i found puddles of blood on the bathroom floor. I asked around in terror that my family was a victim of their inane cutlery minds and deprived torture. My sister said it was her menstrual blood. I had not factored this in since i was not yet due in age to be graced with shark week 2.0 so i apologized for any mishaps. case c was closed. once again my fears had nodded off lost along with the silver and thankfully went about my days unharmed. my parkly iridescent earring had became a greenish bluish, copper. It was time for the replacements. My mom had surprised me with some pale, silver rimmed butterflies. i was stoked like a bike. i was ready to go from drab to fab, i kicked off my hello kitty backpack and tink sneaks and rushed up to my sister who appeared to be enthroned in the bathroom. without care or first thought, i barged into the bathroom in a dance and nearly slipped in the substances spilled on the ground when i found my sister naked, bent over the toilet. menstrual blood. menstrual blood was everywhere. On one hand i was fearful of myself in a selfish matter- that that was an average secret occurrence in the life of a pubescent teenage girl. But as i looked up her legs i saw her flesh peeling down like a potato, her skin wilted like branches, rushing down her knees and tycoon in between her legs where i caught a gleam of an object. Across further extension in my horror i realized it was the knife, the knives that were missing the same fucking knives balanced on a plank of wood sloppily where sandwiched in her groin piercing all contacted limbs around them. And These knives these knives how stupid am i to let them out of my sight where they prowl and prey upon MY loved ones.

And i looked up into her green eyes in such empty disbelief. but when I looked up into her glassy green eyes and past my own reflection i saw so much pain, but more any pain, fear. her fear spread to her nervous smile where blood trickled down her jowls like a baby drinking poisoned koolaid, like a cannibal caught midfeast. but i realized all the gore on her pallets was composed of pure fear. It was fear highly concentrated and molded down to a trapezoid plate of metal, sharpened to the point of a razor/ a point to puncture her pretty pristine parts and oh allina if i had only realized sooner that it is only fear that is the ultimate demise, so much more malicious and intentional than a knife or a mosquito bite or some height of the edge of a cliff. Our fear is what separates us from safety and harm. Our minds meticulously sculpting scenarios and negativity to split into all the gaps between our flesh and our bones. Until forcibly we try to rip them out on our own with the sharp objects and irrationalities we began with. And i dropped those earring so fast on the ground because nothing could quite compare to the horror of my sister soaked in so much fear. Fear in crimson and red. I could smell the iron in her blood over any height of whatever had brought it to be.

And i can still smell it. I can still see my reflection in the stainless steal, e-z clean, ratchet ray carving knives wedged in her once soft, uncorrupted flesh. and now she wears them on her legs for all the fear she once was force fed to the point where puncturing its praises through her skin was the only release. And she now she wears them as a badge of all of the fear that she overcame- the hell she had no escape from for years.

And i didn’t realize i was trapped inside my own fear, i was using my weaponry on my person. When all i wanted was to change my earring and avoid the points on the ends.

But more than any point on a blade, the sharpest weapon a man can use against himself is him alone.

And the knife block. the knife block on the counter….

After my sister was rushed to the hospital, and then the psych ward for days, and weeks at a time, to the point i didn’t ever know when shed come home-

And while id wait for her return I’d occupy all my time in that square foot of counter shared with that kitchen knife block. restored to its pristine order like it had been entirely untouched. Because the only thing disturbed was me, the only thing disturbed was her, the only thing missing was her flesh, the only thing fucking missing was her hope, the only thing missing was her mind , Her peace the only thing missing was her,

AND AND AND

And i used to be afraid of sharp objects.

But now that i’m older.

I know theres nothing to be feared, but fear itself.

#trigger warning #dark poetry

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an-anaemic-pen · 5 years

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Project Phoenix Chapter 5

The Alternative

The Manifestation || The Power Play || The Green-Eyed Fly || The Middle of The Night

Summary: Kate’s a normal teenage Midgardian girl; except there’s a Loki in her attic, and now S.H.I.E.L.D.’s after her, and also, she has powers. Apparently, she’s meant to save the world. She just wanted to finish school and maybe fall in love—at least she’s accomplishing one of those.

Relationships: Gen, F/M (Loki/Original Female Character)

Rating: M (Graphic Depictions of Violence, Underage if you squint bit—nothing occurs while characters are underage, Sexual Content)

Mood: Wolf King (Orchestral), Battlecry

Kate woke up to the sun shining through her curtains. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, looking at her clock. It was almost 9 o’clock.

She glanced over at her door, which was still shut. "Loki?"

There was no reply. Not even through her thoughts.

Kate blinked. "Well, that’s slightly alarming." She got up, covering Jake back up and putting on her glasses. "Loki?" she whispered again.

Still, there was no sign of the God of Mischief.

Kate ran through everything she had learned in the night as she fixed her hair and washed her face. While she rinsed the soap off, she felt something land on her back and coil around her waist. She froze and reached for her towel, not finding it. She rubbed her eyes, opening them and wiping water off of her face. A snake was coiled around her like a belt, its beady eyes staring at her. "Give me my towel," she said through gritted teeth.

The snake’s tongue flickered in and out of its mouth before it pointing its head down at the space behind the toilet. There sat Kate towel.

"Really?" she grumbled and pulled the snake off of her, staring at it. "What was the point of that?"

To annoy you, the thought whispered through her head.

Kate glared and bent down, picking up her towel and ‘accidentally’ dropping the snake into the toilet. She cringed as the dirty water splashed up on her neck, but soon got over it as she watched Loki writhe in the generally-unclean waters as a snake. Get me out of here, you awful child! he screamed in her brain.

"Fine, fine," Kate sighed. She casually reached down into the toilet and pulled Loki out, immediately dropping him into the tub. "Would you like a shower, Sire?" she asked, washing her hands.

He turned back into the cinematic version of himself magically. He was dripping wet and wore a glare with the fury of all of Asgard. "Never in my life have I felt so vile, you rampallian!"

"Not even when you are covered in blood?" Kate asked earnestly.

His voice sounded threatening. "That would be the blood of my enemies, mortal. One can’t possibly be disgusted when all who defy him are dead."

Was she one of his enemies?

He immediately began to unclothe himself, dropping the clothes onto the tile floor as if it were nothing. Kate’s sleepy head kicked into high-gear and she mentally scrambled. She ripped the curtains shut moments before his pants were off. Loki laughed and she was thankful for the fabric protecting him from seeing her fully-flushed face and her from getting much too personal with him. Overnight, something had changed. She had known him for a little over 12 hours, and yet she felt what she could only describe as a bond. It was like two friends who were meant to travel their lives with arms interlocked had finally met.

Kate was ripped from her thoughts as Loki spoke, annoyance clear in his voice. "How does that water start on this device?"

"Hold on, let me make sure there’s no other water running first." Kate stuck her head out of the door. "Mom! Can I get a shower?!"

There were a few moments of silence. "I guess!"

"Ok, thanks!" Kate turned back around. "Gimme a second." She left the bathroom and pulled a couple of towels and a washcloth from the linen closet. She came back inside of the bathroom and hung the larger navy towel on the rack, closing the toilet and putting the still-folded, smaller pink towel on the lid as a seat. She threw the washcloth inside and sighed. "Okay, the dial on the left is for hot water and the dial on the right is cold water. You don’t need to mess with the middle dial. Just turn the dials until the water is to your pleasing. Also, warning: you’ll only get about 20 minutes of showering if you use just hot water."

"Child, I am a Frost Giant. I do not care about cold," his voice echoed the slightest bit, his condescending tone biting her. Kate didn’t like it, but sometimes words got to her. Over years of never being good enough compared to her siblings and being the "gifted" idiot who got C’s and B’s in her honors classes that were two grades above her actual freshman-ship, and yet being told to work harder despite her fatigue, it had thickened her skin. And yet the words of strangers hurt most.

Kate shook her head. She needed to stay out of her mind.

The water started, and the slightest bit of steam filled the room. "Save some water for me, I’ll need to wet my hair when you’re done." Kate picked up her phone and began mindlessly swiping through various social media as she always did in the morning.

She wanted to question as to how she got to the position of sitting, waiting for a "god" to finish cleansing himself of toilet bowl water, which she had dropped him in. Where did he come from? Why did he need her help? Why did he care about her of all people?

She had to admit, he was most certainly Asgardian, with the magic and the muscle she had seen while he had casually derobed. Was it commonplace on Asgard or something? Kate doubted it had been a joke (she assumed his rage would prevent him from teasing), but he was the God of Mischief.

Time was moving too fast. She already had a connection, and she didn’t like it. When he said he could make her someone, a little spark had flown from the dead embers of her hope of happiness. Recognition was something she never received, but being someone—having her name in shining lights, even if only for a moment, that would mean the world to her.

Kate felt something brush against her thoughts. It felt like a feather against sandpaper, dainty and soft, almost unnoticed, but Kate had noticed it, and she instantly thought of cows & cows & cows again, and a thud from behind the shower curtain told her Loki had been caught.

She held the barrier at the front of her forehead, thinking towards the back of her mind and multitasking between the trains of two thought. Why won’t he just leave me alone?

The sudden urge to cry swept over her. Why had a simple thought of wanting to be alone triggered waterworks? She blinked a few times, swallowing back the tears. He must be doing something to her brain. Her emotions were never this fragile.

The headache that had begun to form spiked as Loki forced his way past her barrier of cows, pushing it back and squeezing her brain until she was forced to break. Do not shut me out, illr kveisu-nagli! It was a yell, despite having no actual volume.

Kate’s mind receded in pure confusion. She did not necessarily block Loki out, she merely curled herself into a small corner. If he went near her, he could not pry her face from her bent knees and wrapped arms. Yet, she was ripped free of her safe-haven. She was a washcloth, and Loki was wringing out any privacy she still felt she had.

Do not shut me out, he said again. This time, it was quieter, calmer—maybe even sweeter.

Kate’s face crumpled in pain and anger. Her chin quivered, but she refused to believe she was on the verge of tears. Why not? I don’t know you! Tears dripped out of her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She buried her face in her knees. She hated wet anger, it always made her feel weak for crying when she was angry. You turned up and scared me! You hurt me! Then you expect to say sorry, which you didn’t even do might I add, then have me just forgive you?

You committed suicide!

All she could hear was her now-racing heart. It was as if a song had ended on an audio program, and the lines showing the beats and noise just cut off for the straight line of silence. Dull, pure silence. Her tears ceased and she wiped them away with her sleeve. They were gone as fast as they had come. What? She imagined herself, maybe a little prettier and a little less flat, facing Loki, who was thankfully still clothed, standing in a grassy field. His breath was quick in anger and her eyes were empty and red.

I’ve gone back in time five times now. Each time other than the first, I’m here for a few years, and I go along with you through your life. In the last two timelines, you committed suicide at age 17.

The only word to exit her imaginary mouth was: Why?

The first two timelines, your powers surfaced in front of cameras, and S.H.I.E.L.D took you captive. I don’t know what happens when they have you, you stay in a locked room that not even I can break into. Eventually, you reemerged a new person. You were like the winter soldier, reprogrammed to act as they wanted you to. You went on to be on part of the television program for S.H.I.E.L.D agents. You and I met one day by chance, during one of your missions Thor was visiting is wretched mortal girlfriend, and he insisted I come along. He practically dragged me with him and while the two of us were out in some cafe, a terrorist attack occurred. Of course, the bomb did no harm to me, but a concrete pillar was going to fall on me. I would have been marginally unaffected, but you ran at us and tackled us both anyway. We landed on the floor and you froze the pillar moments before it would have hit us. Then, you shattered into dust. You saved not only us, but four other civilians.

Why’d you go back in time?

Thor ended up forcing me into a date. Even when I asked to go back via Bifröst, Heimdall didn’t allow me to return. The Agent named Coulson got you to agree somehow, and Thor and Jane joined us on a “double date” in an attempt to make things less awkward. It didn’t work since all they really did was make out like some common folk, and the only thing we seemed to have in common was our mutual complaining about them. Apparently, you thought I was funny. S.H.I.E.L.D arrived to pick you up, you couldn’t stay out for too long unsupervised apparently, and just as you were about to leave, you kissed me.

Seriously? I made the first move?

Well, I certainly wasn’t going to kiss you, especially with how bad you were at it.

Hey!

Well, it true. You were horrid.

In her mind, she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. Her hip stuck out as she shifted her weight. Says the one who screwed a horse.

That makes you worse than a stallion.

Kate’s lips pursed. She couldn’t think of a comeback. No u, she thought, her mental words even saying ‘u’ rather than ‘you.’ Before Loki could question her, she continued. By the way, are you showering and talking to me here at the same time? Cause all my focus is here and I’m just sitting still.

She wanted to tune out and focus on the outside world, but she was worried as to where Loki would mentally pry without her permission. Yes, she was a mainly-clean good child of God, but her brain made some very... odd images while she dreamt whether she wanted them or not. Besides, she had her secrets like every other person.

Yes, girl, I’m above you in all ways, remember?

Kate stuck her tongue out at the shower curtain, switching back to her conversation too quickly for him to have found anything within her memories. Look, why don’t we have a Q and A? I’ll ask a question, you answer it, with no off-topic conversation? There’s too much I don’t know.

I don’t see as to why not. If anything, it will keep you from running your mouth.

Kate mentally snarled. He was the only person she had ever met that could match her snark. Question one: why do you need my help? Aren’t you like the most powerful sorcerer?

In all the Nine Realms.

Then why do you need my help?

Loki’s shifted his weight hesitantly. Kate sighed, causing a breeze to blow through the field in her mind and lift his hair the slightest bit.

You assume it to be a physical need.

What’s that supposed to mean?

The thing I need your help with is not physical. It is not a goal that can be reached from killing certain being or destroying a certain item. It is internal.

Well, then stop avoiding it and explain what it is.

Very well. Magically, Loki waved his hand and summoned a device, most likely Asgardian, that presented a main, thick line, with two branches at the end. More lines began to branch off to create a weird sideways tree of sorts. He pointed at the main line, which was red. This is the original timeline, where you and I first met.

Mentally, Kate walked up to the device. Her eyes flickered around. I’m assuming the other lines are different timelines?

Correct, mortal, I colored it in the order of your Midgardian rainbow, so you hopefully know which timeline is which.

Kate smiled. Honestly, that was really thoughtful of him. People didn’t usually go out of their way to make her life easier. In fact, she was the one bending over backwards just to account for people’s needs. That was the joy of having a mental disorder that came and went, while others’ were always around. Are we the purple line?

Well, I don’t recall there being a color after purple, is there?

I was just making sure. Kate carefully lifted her hand up, touching the red line where it abruptly ended.

She felt like she was falling while her feet were planted on the ground. Cold electricity zipped through her, and she opened her eyes. She was no longer surrounded by her bathroom, and the sound of the shower was a thing of the past.

Surrounding her was heat. She had never felt so hot before, it was like she was burning from the inside out as the smoke filled her lungs. She coughed and tried to move, but found herself unable.

Black hair fell into her field of vision. That was wrong.

Kate blinked as she ran as fast as she could away from the fire. “Loki!” She heard the tell-tale sound of Thor call Loki’s name and she spun. He spun his hammer and flew into the air, grabbed her across the chest, and flew away from the lava consuming the place she was in–wherever that was.

Thor narrowly carried her out of the building, the giant golden doors melting moments after her escape. Her mouth opened without her intent and words exited her throat. “Where is Kate?”

Her voice was low and hoarse.

“She was with Frigga in the gardens.”

She nodded and began navigating the burning ruins as best as she could. The fire had not yet spread to this part of the golden castle but it most certainly would. She only had a few moments.

She climbed up a balcony and was running across the marble and around furniture when she saw it out of the corner of her eyes. Someone was freezing the lava, or at least attempting to, in order to allow the people to escape across the Bifröst and to most likely Earth, where safety lay.

Kate stopped and jumped off the balcony and ran towards the Bifröst. As she grew closer, she saw herself, older, yelling at the Asgardians to “get their asses into high gear unless they want to die a fiery death of pain and suffering.”

“I am your reckoning, Asgardians!” A voice boomed above her head.

Kate’s eyes went wide as a giant sword of fire and magma swept across the land. How she–well, Loki–had escaped the castle was a miracle, but getting everyone out would be even more of one.

An entire wave of lava the size of one of the now-melted doors was frozen in place, the rock rapidly cooling in an arc. It was only useful to an extent, however, as the lava heated the rock below it and melted the ice. It began to drip as Kate continued to freeze it. Icy sweat dripped down her forehead as she gritted her teeth. If this giant wave broke, no matter how slow the lava moved, people would meet their demise.

From the aerial angle, Kate could see a giant crack break through one of the top layers. She narrowly avoided a burning tree and reached herself. She tackled herself and narrowly saved her from a giant chunk of ice that would have fallen on top of both of them. Lava spilled from the hole and cracks echoed through the thick ice.

“Loki! Get them out!” the Kate below her barked.

The crowd was beginning to thin into safety, some people escaping on spaceships most likely from the castle.

“No unless you’re coming with me!” she said, scrambling off of herself to get away from the hot lava. It burned her even from the distance they were at.

Kate wanted to puke. It sounded like something from a dystopian novel where the world was coming to an end.

Oh, wait.

Kate was ripped from her thoughts as herself kicked her in the gut and pushed her towards the people fleeing. “If I come with you, that flaming sword is going to kill all of us! Stop being selfish and go!”

There were tears in the eyes of the women in front of her, and her own vision was a little blurry.

“Go!”

Kate turned and ran off. Her throat felt thick. She reached the people and helped lead everyone into the Bifröst and ships. Once everyone was safe, she turned to get herself. Where was she?

Her eyes flickered across the fiery world that used to be her home. A small dot was running from the sword of magma, no, running along it.

What the Hel was she doing?

“Thor!” she called, her hair flying in her face and getting caught in the sweat on her forehead. Thor ran off the ship, following Kate’s gaze until he found her target.

Thor spun his hammer, flying off into the air to get her to safety. In the distance, Kate saw herself running along and jumping to and from the rocks that weren’t burning. The humid air was being sucked into her hands and transformed into ice on her fingertips, allowing her safe travel through the heat.

The sword swung through the air and just as Thor was about to catch Kate, a fiery hand slapped her like a mere fly.

Squish.

The hand of magma rose. Kate was gone.

Pain spiked through her chest, and her chin shook. She didn’t know whether the tears were from the pain in her chest or the immediate and strong sensation of loss in her heart. It was like Jake had just died and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. She was completely powerless and so… small. The feeling was going to consume her, just as the giant wave of lava above her head would have if not for Thor, who scooped her up and took her through the Bifröst too fast for her to resist.

Kate opened her eyes to find tears streaming down her cheeks. She could barely breathe through the snot clogging her nose and throat. She hiccuped and sniffled, wiping away the salty droplets from her chin. She stared at the wall in front of her. What was she supposed to say?

Kate decided his name would be good enough and whispered: “Loki?”

#fanfic #fanfiction #loki #loki fanfic #loki fic #Loki Laufeyson #loki (marvel)#marvel #marvel agents of shield #marvel fanfiction #S.H.I.E.L.D.#Project Phoenix #Project Phoenix Chapter 5 #The Alternative

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jeichanhaka · 7 years

Text

And Carried Me Away: Ch. 10

Chapter 1|| Chapter 2|| Chapter 3|| Chapter 4|| Chapter 5|| Chapter 6||

Chapter 7|| Chapter 8|| Chapter 9|| Chapter 10|| Chapter 11|| Chapter 12||

Chapter 13|| Chapter 14|| Chapter 15||

Chapter 10: Spencer hissed in pain as he hit the floor, his elbows taking most of the impact. Though it stopped his head from hitting the floor, his left elbow hit the floor in just the right spot for the impact to be excruciating. He grimaced and cursed, distracted by the pain just long enough for Alsie to straddle him. Feeling her weight on top of him, his cheeks immediately flushed, his eyes widening and locking on Alsie. "Al..."

His sister's burnt sienna eyes stared down at him, familiar yet the gleam in them wasn't. It was cold, calculating. Not at all like Alsie, nor like her alter Ana. He swallowed, wondering if he'd triggered Emmie and thinking up how he could de-escalate things so Alsie could regain control.

"Um, Al...Emmie? I'm not a threat to Alsie. All right?" Spencer spoke softly, not moving anything but his eyes and lips. He glanced towards the bed, feeling relieved that Jemma was still sleeping. "I'm not going to do anything, Emmie. Alsie is safe, she is safe."

"...hm..heh." His sister smirked, her eyes narrowing. An uneasy feeling welled up in Spencer's gut, fighting against his certainty. It wasn't until Alsie's hand was wrapped around his throat that he realized it might not be Emmie staring down at him.

"A..." Spencer instinctively grabbed for the hand at his throat, alarmed though its owner hadn't started squeezing yet. She just held it there, threateningly.

"I thought you said you wouldn't move." His sister chided, leering down at him. Her thin lips pulled into a wry smile. It was evident, based on the tone, that this personality was testing him and his word.

Spencer paused, confused and fearful. His hand stopped midway on its way to grabbing the hand around his throat. He blinked, his brain whirling as he thought of who this alter was. Not Emmie, not Ana, certainly not Alsie herself. "I...Leigh? Are you Leigh?"

"Hm." The thin lips twitched, and a dry chuckle escaped them. "Yes. I am. And you...are a liar." Leigh glanced at Spencer's hand, her own still at his neck. Her lips twitched again as Spencer dropped his hand back to the floor.

"No. I'm not. I'm not a liar. You can trust me. I won't...I won't move." Spencer replied, his heart thumping. He tensed as Leigh tightened her grip slightly around his neck, not enough to be dangerous but enough that he questioned his resolve. If Leigh tightened her grip any further, he knew he'd break his promise and grab her arm. He also knew, going by the sinking feeling in his gut, that doing so would make things much worse. "Leigh, I...Let me talk to Alsie. Please. I'm not a threat. I..."

"Of course not. You're terrified." Leigh scoffed, her eyes recognizing the fear in Spencer's eyes. She frowned, removing her hand from his throat. "...you're nothing like James. Or Peter." Leigh muttered, shifting herself so that she was sitting on Spencer's stomach, her legs still straddling him.

"Wh..." Spencer took in a breath, relieved that Leigh hadn't decided to test his resolve. It wasn't himself getting hurt that had frightened him, but rather concern for Jemma's safety. As well as a reluctance to hurt Alsie. He took another deep breath, Leigh's mumble echoing in his thoughts. His eyes widened. "...What?"

Leigh stared down at Spencer, not bothering to respond to the single word question.

"You...James? Did you...do this to James? You..." Spencer asked, his brain running through a gauntlet of implications and likelihoods dependent on Leigh's answer. He didn't know much about James, but he couldn't imagine the older man to allow Leigh to choke him with impunity. Or to threaten him. Both which could only have meant terrible things for Alsie, things she may not remember.

"...heh. Don't worry." Leigh mumbled, touching Spencer's cheek. "He didn't mind it. At least, not enough that he'd hurt Alsie. Though..." She paused, moving a few stray strands of hair from Spencer's face. "...that has as much to do with his fear of Emmie." Another pause. "She broke his wrist once. And his fingers a few other times. Despite that, he just kept coming back. Almost like it was a sort of game. Or competition. Or maybe he just liked that Ana always appeared afterward."

"Leigh..." Spencer interrupted, not wanting to hear anything more especially not about what went on between Ana and James. "I..."

"Do you want Ana?"

"No. No." Spencer shook his head, grimacing at the thought and implication. "No. Leigh, I...I want to talk to Alsie. I need to talk to Alsie. About taking Jemma out for icecream and to the park today. She's been looking forward to today, and spending time together with her mom. Please."

"A...um. Hm." Leigh mulled over Spencer's words, her piercing eyes staring down at him. She licked her lip, considering him. Before she could say anything in response, the sound of the bed creaking drew their attention.

"Mahma? Unc' 'encer?" Jemma mumbled, staring down at the two, a loud and adorable yawn escaping her mouth. "Mah...awh. Icce ice...wan' icce c'eam."

"Jemma, hey." Spencer smiled at his niece, hiding his concern about her mother as he started signing. His eyes flitted to Alsie's face, hoping that seeing Jemma awake would trigger Leigh to switch back to Alsie. His stomach somersaulted when he saw his sister's face, the look in her eyes. "...Jem, why don't you go find auntie Joy?" Spencer signed his question, his gaze locked on his sister except for a few brief glances at Jemma to make sure his niece understood him. "Your cousin Kai would love to play with you."

"Buht..." Jemma pouted, almost whining when her uncle repeated his request. The expression on his face stopped her - and she crawled of the bed and toddled into the hallway, searching for her auntie Joy.

She completely missed the way Spencer suddenly grabbed her mother's hands, and the serious glare he gave his sister.

"Leigh." Spencer scowled at his sister, searching her face at the same moment he pushed her off of him. He squeezed her hands, his stomach twisting. The coldness - the loathing he saw in his sister's eyes as her alter Leigh stared at Jemma, horrified him. It had sent a chill through him. "...I need you to let me speak to Alsie. Leigh..."

Leigh simply glowered at him, attempting to wrest her hands out of his. His grip, however, was too firm.

"Leigh."

0Prison:

"All right. Thank you." Hotch said to one of the correctional officers as he entered the next room. His expression remained stoic even as William Reid noticed him and approached. The door shut behind him.

"Agent Hotchner...I..."

Hotch shook his head. "I understand your reason for wanting to talk with James, Mr. Reid. You needed to know about his relationship with Alsie. About..." The agent paused, deciding to move on to his next sentence. "It doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is how you convinced the warden to let you."

He didn't elaborate, though the other man understood what he meant. Pretending to be representing James as a lawyer just to get to question him was dangerous. If the prison or law board found out, it was likely to have ramifications for William.

William Reid simply gave Hotch a look that said that he didn't and wouldn't regret his decision despite whatever consequence. It was an expression Hotch quickly and quietly profiled, meshing it with what else he realized about the man over the past couple of months. How doting and protective he was of his daughter.

"...Alsie asked you to visit him." Hotch stated, not needing nor looking for a response. Instead he glanced around the room, his expression shifting a bit. It was slight surprise and slight confusion. "Where's James? Didn't you manage to convince him to agree to answering my questions?"

"Yes. He just needed a bathroom break. The guard should be bringing him back soon." William replied, his thoughts on James. He grimaced and sighed, irritated. "...just so you know, James agreed to this interview only if I sit in as his lawyer."

"But...that..." Hotch started to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of the prison door opening.

"...oh." James smirked as he entered the room, his attention shifting from the guard escorting him to the agent. His eyes gleamed as he recognized Hotch. "Hello. I didn't think you'd get here this quick."

"James, if you'd sit so we can start..." Hotch replied. His eyes narrowed as he noticed James shake his head while smirking.

"I want something first. Then I'll answer whatever you ask." James demanded, his dark eyes lingering on the agent's face. He practically ignored William, though the man studied him curiously. "...Deal? No deal?"

"This isn't a game, James." Hotch said, irritated by the thirty-six year old's smirk.

"...No. It's not." James replied after mulling silently a moment. He moved towards the table to sit, his foot hitting the leg of the table on the way. "...uck!"

"James, are you..."

"...I'm fine." James spat, sitting down quickly after recovering. He scowled at the two men, his glare especially livid when alighted on William.

Hotch paused before sitting down himself, not from hesitance but from curiosity. His profiler eyes hadn't missed the glare the younger man gave William. It was different than the one James gave him. The one he received was simply anger while the one William had received was more of a warning. Or an unspoken demand. More baffling was the curious and concerned look William returned.

The unit chief made note of both, then sat down. "All right. First..."

"...I want to see my daughter." James interrupted, glancing at his hands before shifting his gaze to Hotch. "I want to see Jemma."

0Elsewhere:

The first thing Melissa Joyce noticed was the damp scent emanating from somewhere towards her right. It slowly expanded throughout the room but it was stronger in that direction. She swallowed, noticing then how dry her lips were; though she could smell a damp scent entering the room, the room itself felt so dry. Her head pounded, and she instinctively reached out to search for her walking stick.

She froze when a metallic rattling sound filled her ears and her reach was hindered by something wrapped around her wrists.

"No. No. Please no." She gasped, her lips trembling as she tried to wake herself up. It felt so real, this nightmare, so like the others she'd suffered through. Yet...her nightmares never had such a stench in them and the room was usually cold. And she could see in them...

Melissa trembled, becoming more worried the longer her blindness remained - evidence that it wasn't a nightmare. She was, somehow, trapped again with the psycho. He must've gotten out and come to finish her. He was supposed to be in prison for life, but somehow he'd to have escaped or...

"Where are you? Please...just let me go. Please!" She cried, and reflectively moved her arms what little way she could to block her stomach. The sound of a scuffling foot or bag could be heard across the room. "Please just let us go..."

The scuffling stopped, replaced by the sound of a sure footstep approaching. She realized the truth from the stranger's step even before he spoke, the voice not the same one as the man's who assaulted her in Western New York.

"...us?" The unknown voice asked, and Melissa tried to cover her stomach even more protectively. Her heart thumped terribly beneath her ribcage, fear enveloping her more firmly than before. "Us?"

The man repeated, what he was doing unknown to Melissa, though she sensed he was staring at her closely. She tried to squirm away, an useless endeavor because of the chains binding her ankles as well as her arms.

"Please..." She cried as strong, furious arms pulled hers away from her abdomen. "Don't...don't hurt..."

"...you..." The man growled, his glare on the just noticeable baby bump.

#Criminal Minds #fanfiction #spencer reid #david rossi #OC #and carried me away #crime drama #case fic #aaron hotchner

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