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#their situation is real bad but hey at least the lighting is atmospheric?
lucascsinclairs · 1 year
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Set Design in Stranger Things 4
Chapter Six: The Dive
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2n2n · 1 year
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ch99 LETS GO WOO--!!! this ruled I love it here at the aidairo!! Man I feel like I have such pretty tame expectations of things often as I don't expect 100% of a work to be to my taste and interests, but I get blown out of the water every single twist and turn.... HOO HOO HOO HOO *running around in a circle*
couldn't be off to a better start.. I feel like Aida loves to draw these first person PoV Tsukasa is leaning down to talk to you direct eye contact panels... and I luv to see them (: babygirllll
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Ah... a lovely, shining example of Tsukasa's ability to peer through people... he struggles always, to understand when, and why, people don't act upon their honest desires. Why not do something, if you want to do it? Why not stop doing something, if you hate it?
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He looks so strikingly like Amane here, it's incredible. A rare Tsukasa with semi-lidded eyes, a more shadowed expression, so his pupils are cast in the amount of shadow we see in Amane's (at least, thats what I see it as!)... situationally the Yugi's eyes resemble one another's purely due to lighting conditions, since their eyes only look different 'cuz of how they hold their gazes on things... Tsukasa's natural wide stare... I just love when we get to see him pulled closer to Amane's sortof glance...
Cutting to the point... ugh. LOVE it. Love Tsukasa's interest in intentions and emotions. The truth of you... LOVE IT. Love Mitsuba really looking so crazy... love him being RIGHT!!! You just HATE that you crave it and it's so delicious to you.... mmmm. Ah its a perfect Tsukasa situation ♥
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anyway, I LOVE this setting, what an absolutely scary and atmospheric space to be in, the goddamn tech and sump and whatall backend of the aquarium.... pipes and tubs and gauges and tubs. Really claustrophobic and perfectly 'trapped'. Feels so yabai. yabai yabai. Perfect little box they're sunken into....
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sorry, incredibly funny mitsuba oogie boogies into a pile of bugs. Extremely laughed out loud.
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love this irrational moment of jealousy lol. Why can't you just be grateful someone out there kept Mitsuba together </3 stupid caveman.... </3
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a perfect reveal... couldn't be a more 'oh... oh, gosh' moment... as this all is, it felt like, "how incredibly crazy to go TO the Minamoto household-- if Teru had bolted out the house and not Kou, Mitsuba would simply be kerplooded...." how miserable that Mitsuba aimed for that outcome. Was relying on it. What an interesting feeling, to see Kou, instead, and have to shift gears... the monumental suicidal vibes of the outings... and frankly I love Mitsuba's impatience and fussiness in light of that... it reminds me of suicidal Rasphard Ambrose from AidaIro's old VN ahaha, telling the tsundere neige "comfort me better." lol. Good on you Mitsuba.. you need to boss and bully Kou right now, it is your right...
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could not be a more perfect situation to test Kou. agog at how artfully wonderful. Hey bitch who wants to be an exorcist soooo bad, I'll give you something to exorcise..... ooo how about you think about your dang profession critically for a moment!
I love the 'beat' where Mitsuba tries to read, judge, very carefully, Kou's response. He doesn't trust him to really understand this request. He's not willing to endure humiliation about this! None of Kou's idiocy. Either willing to 'help' or not.
Freakin' reminds me of Rasphard too, with the 'joking' after saying things that belie the real intent, deflecting fast...!
Kou's response... wuh, lol.
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SO funny that Kou is experiencing this epiphany selfishly, processing it almost as a kind of rejection! You lied to me </3 Extremely AidaIro actually.... (well, again reminds me of how Estelio in Narisokonai Snow White takes his twin brother's suicide as a kind of abandonment/rejection of him... and I have a theory that Amane and Tsukasa, and the shinjuu, also may tie into an emotion like that-- that perhaps Tsukasa attempted to kill himself to alter fate, but Amane perceived it as Tsukasa 'leaving' him, and killed them both to stay together....). Its funny that Kou was so fussy and shitty the whole time, but, he's mad to learn you had an ulterior motive and weren't engaged in the same earnest way. The sweetness of the day's been overwritten by this hidden agenda. He feels betrayed-- but it's not really the time for that, now is it? It's not a very sweet reaction to Mitsuba's confession of being self-destructive.
I really didn't know it mattered so much to Kou that it be an authentic experience, and that this taints it. Really funny its his priority, emotionally, here ... it's genuinely interesting though. He's a very childish/immature person, so this being his reaction fits well.
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detour, Mitsuba looks really nice with his hair unpinned and disheveled! My favorite look for him thus far. Nice and raggedy... I don't really like his groomed up look, this messy one's much better....
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he handles all conflicts with screaming, bullying and bullrushing </3 as expected of Kou.... but I like how awful this all is
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really freaking visceral! fighting fuckin hard! Lol, 'I said no!" ... love the claustrophobic setting coming home to roost. Mitsuba's wobbling, haggard, weak, amputated form up against Kou's real wild gorilla tactics. It's so dreadful lol! Grabbing him by the god damn ankle! Slamming him to the ground!
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we here at the Aidairo love to make panels that look like this lol.... you know all I'm thinking about is that shinjuu and how lit its gonna be!! feel like this sorta stuff is 1/10th of what the shinjuu will be....
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like a caveman. blunt brute strength, force, aggression... it makes Tsukasa feel graceful and friendly.
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insulting his very reasons for being ~suicidal.... you suck sooo bad Kou! Screaming and throttling and berating for being stupid, 'so what'ing his reasons for feeling dehumanized and self-hating, HOO you wonder why Mitsuba tells you nothing? Its just like in Picture Perfect... just hollaring like an ape defensively. But this time it's so incredibly horrible it's more interesting than ever. So obliquely a defensive emotion, brought on by insecurity (you don't rely on me), jealousy (you rely on Tsukasa, you talk to Tsukasa), betrayal (you intentionally mislead me). Taking out his anger and frustration on Mitsuba! Its a panic response, but it speaks to Kou's handle on his impulses.
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absolutely incredibly reveal ♥ VORE MANGA VORE MANGA VORE MANGA!!!!!!!! GET BIT, KOU!!!
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What a PERFECT thing to saddle Kou with-- a kaii that is his friend, that is DANGEROUS. That is a DANGER TO HUMAN BEINGS. Its time to learn some sympathy for complicated beings and situations, the very sorts of things your job exists to exterminate!! But it's also crazy human-centric, that Kou just can't understand the problem up until here. As if killing/eating kaii is no problem and easy-- like, geez, Kou, eating live bugs or mice or something would be ENOUGH to make someone horrified and feel like a monster, plucking apart bloody bodies and digging through viscera in excess would make most people mindbroken after long enough! Never mind the sheer amount and the inhuman sensations of desire and need for it going on here, the deep satisfaction and the grotesque nature feeling like its destroying Mitsuba's entire self-image.
WELL, ANYWAY, KOU BEING AN INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE ASIDE, what a wonderful moment. I find it funny that Kou really needs his own personal little buddy kaii to learn any kind of sympathy for the struggles of being something 'dangerous'. The Minamoto family take it upon themselves to determine 'dangerous' and exterminate it. It's effectively like the friend of a cop revealing they hold criminal intent, lol.... time to see how much destructive possibility YOU will tolerate, how about ;) Nene-chan will put up with quite a lot ♥ is it so simple to determine when someone's 'too far gone' ♥? Mitsuba is trying to tell you he is.... ♥ he's scared of himself.... ahhh its so delicious ♥ decadent situation to put Kou into. We need to put the Minamoto dogma thru tests! YOSH
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jealous that Tsukasa gets access to what he doesn't </3 extremely funny of Kou, and EXACTLY what I wanted to see revealed. All his spite and aggression towards Tsukasa has layers! Ugh, so petty it's funny and delicious. Hoo hoo hoo!
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boohoo </3 you think I'm weak </3 you trust Tsukasa more than me </3 you run to him in danger </3 or maybe its that Tsukasa chases down Mitsuba, has knowledge of what he needs, is willing to do a fat lot of work to assist him, explain things gently and calmly and honestly, while all you ever do is forget he exists, until he shows up in front of you :)? Why wasn't he your first priority after the severence? You want Mitsuba to do all the legwork? You distractible oaf....
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after all that though, I'm glad Kou WASN'T rewarded for the screaming beast tactics! I'm glad that shit got him bitten!! I'm glad that CRYING and whining gets him much farther! I swear to GOD, Mitsuba isn't even so sure you LIKE him! He's really receptive to this...!! But, really, who is ever crying to Mitsuba? Tsukasa, Natsuhiko, Sakura, Nene, Hanako? Who is begging him for attention, who is crying for him? Nobody....! Mitsuba is always sinking fast into a 'victim' schtick and crying and whining, desperate for attention himself... seeing this, its like-- ah!-- it would be so ideal if someone else could be more pathetic than him....
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after all that fuss, I love this for Kou's delayed, final 'crash' response.... his immediate response to it all is just a frenzied high of anger/aggression/violence... I like that finally voicing the root insecurity/inferiority complex (all Kou is composed of....) and upset that Mitsuba relies on Tsukasa (how does it feel to always hear that name from his mouth, time and time again, after a crisis like the Picture Perfect, Severance?), instantly renders him so inert. I like the pathetic crossed legs here lol.
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boy. and I think Hanako is childish with his feelings about Nene-chan. If Hanako is a true blue 13-year-old-boy in his emotional expression and fussiness, Kou is like a freaking 5 year old. Sheesh. He really. Has the lowest maturity. This is the rawest, most vulnerable Kou we've seen!!! He's REALLY been coddled and never challenged for his life! His brother REALLY sheltered him but GOOD. Kou's an absolute mess! It's interesting the extent of it. I mean I'm always here to tell you Kou is The Dumbest One Here, but, awoof. Well I'm satisfied by it all. Its best when things are so extreme (: He makes Mitsuba feel so worldly and respectable lol.... Kou, you kid.... child.. big baby.
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I'm glad Mitsuba can see past the defensive stuff easily at this point... Kou really can't let it go.
I've never really known how the Mitsuba and Kou dynamic could go anywhere-- two tsundere really don't make a match to me, and in every interaction, in the past, they really felt at a standstill with one another's stubbornness, and compulsive rudeness. Both of them don't express vulnerability in a productive way. They both leap to insults and yelling. It often feels like no headway occurs. But I like to see Mitsuba have to interact with someone emotionally wrought over him, even jealous and feeling robbed of a moment/opportunities of closeness. It's really what Mitsuba needs... he needs to see he has an effect on anybody, it's his entire complex. Seeing it all laid out like this, I can see how a guy with an inferiority complex (Kou) and a guy with an attention deficit (Mitsuba) could be interesting and ultimately feed one another, if ONE of them could just take the hit of being vulnerable first. Mitsuba's just so massively socially neglected and feels insignificant. Kou feels insignificant, too. Mitsuba feels nobody seeks him out, or wants him, while Kou also feels nobody seeks him out as someone to rely on. It's pretty fascinating to have one person have such a wealth of attention/coddling, but no sense of value despite it (Kou), and another person with a dearth of attention, with no sense of value due to it (Mitsuba).
I mean, in defense of Kou, Teru has been lying to him so profusely for his entire life, he may as well not know him at all. It's not a meaningfully intimate relationship, despite being his most dominant presense in his mind. It's majorly built on performances and facades on Teru's part, and then Kou meets Teru's undercurrent of pain and suffering with an utter 0 perception stat. Rather than being trusted with being an exorcist, Kou really oughta beg for Teru to trust him with his trauma and the weight of it ... I think Teru tried to in that conversation and, maybe he will continue to. I think Teru realizes how badly he's set up his and Kou's relationship to fail... fail brocon
ahhhhhh all really exciting stuff. I really prefer a Kou chapter like this to the sword-fightan shounen-hero-catchphrase-spoutan ones (: his extremely stunted emotions are an intrigue. Such a busted little idiot. And, I really like how Mitsuba took the first shot with being vulnerable. Proud of him. It's a bit sad Kou met it with a sense of rejection, because it's so beautiful Mitsuba would try to trust Kou point blank with euhrrrr euthanizing him. That really is, in Mitsuba's mind, in this state, begging Kou to help him. It's trusting Kou with his entire existence. It's hoping Kou will be able to understand his pain. Kou,, doesn't,,,, emphatically so, but at least he got somewhere by the end of it all :B and you know. He shouldn't give up yada yada.
Wonder if we'll pop over to a B plot or stick here....
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jisungsmochi · 3 years
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nct dream reaction to you displaying affection infront of the other members
finally back with another reaction! i tried my best to suit each scenario with the member,, i hope you enjoy reading it! 
mark:
i don’t think he would mind
but he’d just be surprised
so when you hug him and pepper him with kisses (after not having seen him in weeks) infront of the dreamies
(you didn’t know they were all watching)
mark’s face washed completely pink
“why are you being weird? kiss me back” you whine, still not realising the others were there
until haechan let out a mischievous chuckle
“oh shit” both you and mark muttered
you quickly pulled away from mark, trying your best to ignore what had just occurred
but that wasn’t easy,, haechan was a menace
the rest of the night was filled with light teasing
“markie! come kiss me” haechan would exaggerate pouted lips
you and mark tried to ignore it, simply opting for mark’s arm to be slung around you as you sat next to him
once you were both able to get some alone time
mark was all over you,, literally,, would not get off you
“i’m sorry about before, here is your kiss now!” he would giggle as he lightly pecked your lips
it was nice to have him in your arms again
renjun:
doesn’t seem like the one to initiate affection in general, unless you are both alone
the dreamies invited you over for lunch, in which you kindly accepted
you sat next to renjun at the table, munching on the delicious food they had set out
everything was going great, the atmosphere was up and everyone was having a great time
you noticed that renjun had some sauce (HOT SAUCE) on the side of his mouth
you quickly pulled his face to meet yours, ignoring the looks of the other boys
“ah let me clean you up” you mumbled to yourself, wiping off the sauce with your napkin before leaning in to peck his lips out of habit
it was a normal thing to do between you and renjun
he would have done the same to you
but definitely NOT infront of the members
you immediately widened your eyes after the kiss, wanting nothing more than to crawl under the table and stay there for the rest of the day
“i want to make a joke but i don’t want renjun to kill me” jeno chimed in
renjun glared at all of them, he knew how flustered you were
so he tried to change the subject, calming you down by gently resting his hand on your thigh
he gave it a small squeeze before leaning over to whisper to you “thankyou for keeping our little ritual, babe. i will make it up to you when we’re alone”
jeno:
it wouldn’t be unusual for the members to see jeno pecking your cheeks or having his arm around your waist
but it was unusual when they saw you quite literally attack jeno with cuddles and kisses when you thought no one else was at the dorms
before jeno could even give you a heads up, you engulfed him in a warm hug, kissing his forehead repeatedly
“i love youuuu” *kiss* “more than anything!” *kiss*
jeno was enjoying it way too much to even notice the other members standing to the side
renjun let out a loud cough, signalling the group’s presence
you literally froze in your place, hiding your face in your boyfriend’s chest
“oh hey guys, care to join us?” jeno snickered, knowing it was only making you more embarrassed
renjun and haechan both pretended to vomit
jaemin took a step towards you guys, mark having to stop him
“please just keep the pda to a level 1 when we’re here, we don’t need to know what happens during lovey dovey time” mark sighed as the rest of the boys joined you on the couch
you still had your head hidden in jeno’s chest, not wanting to face them
jeno only chuckled softly, pulling you to his side, stroking your hair as the boys changed the subject completely, now setting up for a competitive game of mario kart
“you’re so cute, i love you” jeno whispered so the other’s couldn’t hear
“i love you too” you muttered, ears heating up
haechan:
he messaged you that he had just returned from schedules, asking you to keep him company for the night as he wound down from his long day
you didn’t think much of it, rushing to his room once you had arrived
you practically jumped into his bed, giving him smooches left, right and centre
he was basking in all the glory of having you with him
but when chenle and jisung walk into the room, ready to ask haechan to play some games with them
they didn’t expect to see you on top of him
you loudly screeched once you heard them knock on the door
hitting your head on haechan’s headboard
the two boys scurried off, probably already telling jaemin and jeno what they had just witnessed
“oh god i can never show my face here again! those two twats are gonna make it seem like we were...gonna do it!” you cry dramatically
“wait so we aren’t gonna do it?” your boyfriend tried his best to light up the mood
earning a loud slap from you to his shoulder
you weren’t the type to initiate affection in general, so haechan couldn’t help but enjoy how flustered you were
eventually you both forgot about it, cuddling as you caught up on eachother’s days
there was another series of knocks at the door, this time jaemin and jeno entering
“uh y/n, we know you miss haechan a lot these days, but can you please lock the door if you’re gonna have se-“
“WE WEREN’T DOING ANYTHING!” you groan in frustration, hiding your face with a pillow
haechan just sat and giggled, way too entertained with the entire situation
he couldn’t have felt more proud
so this is what you get for showing affection...
jaemin:
adores you so much, even more when you initiate affection
but never pressures you to kiss / hug him or anything, he just lets you do it when you please
you were hanging out with the 00 line, deciding to go on a walk to the pier and have ice cream
all was going well, jaemin held your hand tightly as always
the others trailing behind you both, making comments like:
“we get ittttt, you two are the cutest couple ever, dont need to rub it in!”
“atleast they haven’t kissed yet!”
you smirked to yourself, knowing they were only teasing
jaemin pulled you closer to him, telling you to ignore them
you shook your head, an idea coming to mind
you show your boyfriend a mischievous smile, pulling his face closer to yours as you both stop in the middle of the walkway
“let’s give them a show” you didn’t give jaemin enough time to react before you pressed your lips against his
jaemin’s hands immediately attached to your waist, pulling you into him as he smirked into the kiss
he was just as shocked as the rest but who was he to deny a kiss from you?
he didn’t want to admit it but he was enjoying this way too much
haechan was ready to leave right then and there
renjun just shook his head, wanting nothing more than for you two to stop making out in public
jeno couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight  
you finally pull away from jaemin, sending the boys a shy smile before taking jaemin’s hand and skipping off with him
jaemin couldn’t help but lick his lips after, wanting to kiss you once more
“they are gross, but somehow it’s endearing” jeno shrugged, leading the two grossed out boys to the ice cream parlour
chenle:
i feel like he enjoys affection, but isn’t usually the one to initiate it himself
you’d both be sitting with the other members, playing board games or something
you would lean closer to him, rubbing your shoulders together
or gently pushing loose strands of hair from his face
he enjoyed small touches like that, but when you decide that you want a kiss from him, he freezes
“please, just one?” you whispered, completely ignoring the game at this point
he felt his ears heat up, feeling the eyes of his members on him now
he was having an internal debate 
of course he wanted to kiss you, but he was always the one who would tease his members if they did anything like this 
karma was going to get him real good
“r-right now?” you nod eagerly
he nodded back, leaning closer to you as you finally pressed your lips on his
a choir of moans and groans from the other members erupted
chenle immediately pulled away, feeling slightly embarrassed but also enjoying the feeling of kissing you
he started getting cocky when the other members began expressing their disgust
“you guys are just jealous that i’m getting kissed and you’re not” he huffs
“you wish! you two are disgustingly adorable” jisung rolls his eyes, earning laughter from everyone at the table
the board game resumed, jisung still having a distasteful look on his face
“i hope i didn’t embarrass you too much” you mumble to your boyfriend
“i don’t get embarrassed, love” he cheekily grinned, wrapping an arm around your shoulder as you rolled the die for your turn
jisung:
my shy baby boy
pls he would combust the first time you ever held hands
you knew he felt uncomfortable at times with pda so you refrained from doing too much infront of others
but one day, you were just feeling extra cuddly and loving
and it happened to be the day of the weekly movie night with the members
you sat to jisung, playing with his hands gently as you tuned into the movie
you started to feel yourself drift off to sleep, slowly leaning your head into his shoulder
jisung would immediately freeze up, hoping the others wouldn’t notice
but they did
you subconsciously brought your arm to wrap around his torso, snuggling into his side
jisung’s face was as red as a tomato at this point, he didn’t want to push you off but he also felt the stares of the six other boys on him
“psstt, y/n” jisung whispered to you, gently stroking your hair as you felt your eyes flutter open
you quickly pulled away from jisung, after making eye contact with the rest of the group
“jisung, why did you wake them up? they looked so peaceful!” chenle teased, making jisung even more flustered than he already was
“i’m sorry, sung. it won’t happen again” you felt bad (kind of) since you knew how he didn’t want to be teased
jisung just shook his head, deciding to pull your head back to rest of his shoulder, and your arm to wrap around him once again
it took you by surprise to say the least 
“don’t stress, it’s about time we cuddle like this” he placed a soft kiss to your forehead, smiling softly while ignoring the looks from his members
truth was, they all found it endearing how soft jisung got with you
their little baby was finally growing up!
jisung would feel proud of himself (and you) for finally displaying affection openly
it solidified that your relationship was the real deal!
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y0itsbri · 3 years
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Hi Bri 🥰
C-16 if you'd like to 👀
Coffee dates and disasters
au with college!lip and barista!mandy where ian is a frequent visitor at the campus café and meets mickey under rather unfortunate circumstances. don't cry over spilled milk, buddy.
which also fits under a.u.gust for @gallavichthings
words: 2.4k
"never would have thought you the type to come to one of these places," ian mused, looking around the small café with only lamps and string lights illuminating the space. "can't believe college changed you, man," ian clutched at his heart dramatically.
"don't worry. 'm still the annoying bastard you love so dearly," lip squeezed ian's shoulder before he sauntered up to the counter.
the barista's bored expressed brightened when she saw them. her perky demeanor was matched by a high pitched voice, "hey lip," she smiled, dark lipstick striking. she appraised ian with a somewhat predatory eye, "hello, lip's friend."
"uh, brother," ian coughed.
lip rolled his eyes, "and he's gay so don't even try it, mandy."
she pouted and flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "not that it's any of your business, anyways."
ian chuckled besides him, drawing another smile out of mandy, this one kinder, sweeter.
"what can i get you boys?"
the pink highlights glistened in her dark hair as she whipped up lip's cold brew and ian's caramel macchiato, then proceeded to insist that this one is on the house. neither of them argued, but thanked her before they settled down in some stools by the window.
"fucking the barista privileges?" ian asked, raising his eyebrow at his slut of a brother.
"i think of it more like fellow south sider charity," he rubbed his bottom lip, "but yours works too," lip smirked around the edges of his coffee cup.
"you're an idiot."
"can a man who got us free drinks really be deemed an idiot?" lip philosophized.
ian paused, taking a moment of thorough consideration. he looked lip straight in the eyes as he answered, "if that man is you, then without a doubt."
lip tried to knock ian's cup out of his hand, but failed at his attempt. ian thanked his well-practiced jrotc skills and a lifetime experience of growing up in a house packed with annoying siblings for his victory.
they chatted about the robotics classes lip was taking, how he got full-time access to one of the labs, and his weird ass roommate who may or may not be gay if ian is at all interested. ian scrunched up his face. after hearing so many horror stories about the guy, ian didn't want anywhere near him. he wasn't that desperate yet.
the second that lip was out of his seat and heading to the bathroom, the beautiful mess that was mandy descended.
"hiiii lip's gay brother," she leaned against the table.
"it's ian," he spun his empty cup in his hands. he couldn't help himself from smiling at her charisma.
"well hi, ian, i just wanted to say sorry if i spooked you earlier. i just had no idea lip's brother would be so cute!"
"his ugly mug's not too hard to beat." ian laughed. "he got the short end of the gallagher stick, literally."
"cute and charming. you're funny, ian gallagher, i like you." she placed her hand on his shoulder for a moment, a movement so soft compared to her rather frantic appearance. "come back here anytime and it's on the house, yeah? i work most evenings after three."
"oh. uh- okay," ian scrambled for words, "thanks."
she squeezed his shoulder once before lip returned with a rather obnoxious entrance.
"ayo mands, stop harassing him!"
ian ducked his head in embarrassment.
"oh, shut up! i'm just clearing your cups," she winked at ian as she left.
mandy was something else. but she was kind and good company. ian could get used to the chill atmosphere over the chaos of the gallagher house anytime. he might just take up her offer.
--
"you'd think with all the time you spend here, you'd be offered a scholarship or something by now." mandy sipped on her chocolate frappuccino as she laid her feet across ian's lap. he always made sure to come visit during her breaks at least twice a week during the past couple months.
ian shrugged, "guess they only had room for one gallagher."
mandy hit his arm in a way that hurt. lip was fucked if he ever broke her heart.
"does fiona even know that this is where you sneak off to?"
"yeah." mandy's look said she didn't believe him. "well, kinda. she thinks i'm visiting lip, brotherly duties and all."
"yeah? how are those brotherly duties?"
"fuck if i know."
she laughed.
"i still think you should apply here for next fall," she encouraged, "could take some art classes."
"i suck at art."
"chemistry?"
"failed that."
"business?"
"yeah, no thanks."
mandy flipped him off, "fine. botany?
"ya know what? sure." he had always wanted to grow tomatoes.
"really?!"
"heart wants what it wants, mandy. we can't all be psychology brainiacs."
"brains and beauty, what can i say?" she teased. ian laughed, eyes glistening towards his friend. mandy made things better.
"hey," she continued, "there's this concert on the main campus lawn this weekend, you should totally come!"
"isn't that just for students?"
"they don't card, dummy."
"right, right, i knew that."
"sureeee. you in?"
ian mentally checked his work schedule.
"i'm in."
--
lip and ian strolled into the café a few days later. okay, maybe ian had felt a bit guilty for abandoning his brotherly duties lately, but at least this way he could hang out with both his best friends. well he could have if he remembered the fact that mandy had the day off for her behavioral neuroscience midterm. they had literally spent her previous shift reviewing the terms, he should have known.
ian's couldn't help his face from falling as another blonde barista took their orders, mostly eyeing lip the whole time.
"hi lip," she smiled a little too sincerely, "what can i get for you today?"
ian had ordered something new at the recommendation of the blonde and he was not a fan. and to make matters worse, he had to actually pay for the atrocity that he wouldn't even be able to finish.
"so how's your little coffee dates with mandy?" lip asked over his cup.
ian nearly choked on his god-awful americano. "how'd you know?"
"please. she's obsessed with you. every time i see her, it's 'ian this,' 'ian that,' 'ian might apply here in next year.'"
"oh."
"yeah, oh. when were you gonna tell me?!"
“it’s all mandy’s idea, i’m not even sure i want to,” ian muttered, refusing to make eye contact.
“dude, i’ve literally shared a room with you since the day you popped out of monica’s wretched womb, you think I can’t tell when you’re lying?”
okay maybe ian had been getting increasingly more excited about the idea of attending school and actually learning things that he wants to learn. something that might actually lead him somewhere real since rotc was looking more and more like a poor man's fantasy the more that he thought about it.
“I was gonna tell you, swear on it.” and he was. once he convinced himself that lip wasn't going to straight up laugh in his face. but the look in his eye seemed genuinely supportive.
“mhm, i gotta catch my english lit class," lip stood up, swinging his tattered tan backpack across one shoulder. he patted ian's shoulder in his big brother ways, "don’t be a stranger, yeah?”
“yeah, yeah for sure! have fun learning a language you already know!” lip flipped him off at his smartass remark.
soon after, ian stood up to return his drink to the counter, the anxiety from the conversation making him entirely lose whatever appetite he might have had. plus, it wasn’t the same here without lip or mandy. he just wanted to be wrapped up in a cocoon in his own bed. but that was so far away. maybe he could catch an early ride—
thump.
ian crashed into a guy’s sturdy body.
the remnants of his shitty drink spilled in an americano nightmare over both of them, ceramic pieces shattering on the floor in a truly horrific manner.
ian yipped and the other man let out a grunt of irritation.
they were fucking soaked. well, at least the coffee wasn't hot? ian tried justifying the situation, but, nah, this was bad.
"shit! i'm so sorry, lemme," ian reached out and the shorter man flinched away.
they were now far enough apart that ian got a good look at him. a leather jacket.. now covered in ian's drink -- shit. and shockingly piercing blue eyes that lingered too long on ian's before his cheeks turned a shade of pink that made ian's stomach flutter.
he might have seemed cold if he didn’t make ian feel so warm.
"it’s cool, man. i gotta go, uh," and he walked out of the café without looking back.
fuck.
ian smelled like coffee the entire train ride to the back of the yards. he laid in his bed regretting his entire life.
no mandy. no lip. no dignity.
--
the day of the concert that mandy had invited him to rolled around. ian wouldn’t admit it, but he was nervous to spend a coffee-less evening with mandy, their entire friendship built inside that one room. his little bubble of safety was bursting.
well, to be honest, the bubble had burst the moment that his disaster of a coffee was spilled onto one of the most ridiculously pretty guys that he's ever seen. every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the guy’s face shift from hostile to something else. he was torn between wanting to know the his name and also on never seeing him again in fear that he would simply pass away of embarrassment.
hopefully mandy hadn't heard about it. they may not have been friends for a long time, but he already knew that she would never let him live it down.
"hey ian!" her familiar voice called. that sounded promising.
his face fell with relief as he finally spotted her at the corner. she embraced him in a warm hug before pulling back and giving him a once over.
"huh, could have sworn you'd still have coffee behind your ear or something after the description karen gave me of your little disaster the other day." she smirked, quite literally double checking behind his ears as they turned hot under her gaze.
"ugh, fuck, how much did she tell you?" he itched his forehead and scrunched up his nose.
"oh, calm your tits, it's funny as fuck." she giggled, punching his arm in a way that still unintentionally hurt.
"whatever. are you excited for the concert tonight?"
their reunion conversation lulled eventually, and ian noticed that they weren't necessarily standing alone.
no. fucking. way.
just his luck, if he was being honest. he probably deserved this.
there he stood. the man that has plagued his dreams the past few days. in a light wash jean jacket that was a little tight on the biceps, leaning casually against the wall, kicking the pebbles on the ground with his boot.
"uh, what's he doing here?" ian gestured towards the victim of The Coffee Incident.
“what, you know him?” mandy asked, walking them towards him.
“vaguely.” if that wasn’t the understatement of the year.
"huh. i didn’t think my idiot brother had any friends."
brother? how did ian not realize she had a brother?
"what, did you think i was going to babysit you all night? i can't let everyone here thinking you're my boyfriend, no offense or whatever, but you're in good hands!" she kissed his cheek, clearly not helping her own not-looking-like-her-boyfriend rule.
ian eyed said brother's good hands only to see the faded letters of FUCK U-UP on them. oh.
mandy pushed ian over to her brother, "ian, mickey. mickey, ian," she introduced before pushing and shuffling her way through the crowd of college students to find herself someone’s cheap ass fruity alcohol to mooch off of.
mickey. ian's brain repeated over and over, a chime against the murmuring sea of voices they found themselves enveloped by.
"nice jacket," ian pointed out, an awkward attempt to converse before shoving his hands back in his pockets.
"it's my second favorite." the corners of his mouth lifted like there was more to the statement. ian took the bait, as if he could resist.
"what's your first?"
"first is still airing out the fuckin’ coffee smell," he smirked as ian groaned. "oh c’mon, man, don't go crying over spilled milk."
how could he not? on the bright side, he didn’t seemed to hate ian for it.
“if it was anyone else,” mickey drawled, “they’d have to get a beat down for it.”
“why do I get a free pass?” ian mused.
“well, you’re mandy’s friend, right?”
“yup,” ian tried to suppress his disappointment. he really did. but fiona always told him he wore his heart on his sleeve.
“yeah, that ain’t why, though,” his eyebrows waggled suggestively and ian nearly felt his heart drop out of his ass.
ian blessed whatever coffee god was out there for sending him both mandy and the beautiful man in front of him.
“you wanna go listen to the band?” ian nodded his head towards the stage with passionate players jumping around like they were playing lollapalooza or some shit.
“lead the way, stud, just try to keep your drinks off of me this time,” mickey knocked into ian’s own flannel covered shoulder.
yeah, ian couldn’t believe his luck. maybe karma was finally on his side.
mandy smirked at her brother and best friend not-so-subtly checking each other out over the course of the night, bopping their heads to the music and downing whatever free booze they could get their hands on.
she hoped that adding mickey to the equation would be enough incentive to convince ian to stick around. things were better when he was near.
the way that ian followed mickey around like a lost puppy with that dopey moon-eyed look, it seemed like her hopes would come true.
and when both ian and mickey strolled into the café to come visit her at work the next week, mickey in his worse-for-wear leather jacket and ian in borrowed denim, she thanks the coffee gods for her luck.
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girl-in-the-tower · 3 years
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CHAPTER I
Ramshackle Dorm - Birthday Party Venue
Kore: Woah, to think the ghosts would go all out like this just for today! Even though I told them that they didn't have to bother with it, they wouldn't listen, at all... It's... It's kind of embarrassing to be fussed over like this! If it was Grim I would have understood but this, uh...
Ah! And I'm supposed to have a guest over today as well! Hm, I guess some tea should be in order... maybe some cakes as well... I wonder if there's any sugar left...
Ace: Yo!
Kore: Ah, just a moment- Oh, it's just you, Ace.
Ace: Ha? What's that supposed to mean? 'It's just you'? It's super rude to greet your dear guest like this, you know?
Kore: Is that so? But calling you a guest is...
Ace: What's that?
Kore: Hm...
Ace: Well, doesn't matter because my feelings were hurt either way! So I'll help myself to this krumkake to make myself feel better! Let's dig in~
Kore: Hey, that- Aaah, that was meant to be for Grim. He kept complaining all day yesterday that he should have a cake all to himself too since it's a special day so I woke up extra early just to make it for him. Now he's gonna be mad...
Ace: Haa? A whole cake just for that furball? You've got to be kidding me!
Kore: What are you talking about? You know how much he likes krumkake.
Ace: Nah, I doubt there's really anything that guy won't eat... But that's not the point. You're spoiling him too much. He's gotten really fat, you know?
Kore: It's fine. I still make sure he exercises and he looks cute round like that too, so it's not a problem.
Ace: No, I definitely still think there's something wrong here. Mainly with your head.
Kore: Haaaaaaa, you wanna pick a figh-
Ace: Oh, I almost forgot! Here you go!
Kore: ... What's this?
Ace: Isn't it obvious?
Kore: Well... Huh? Wait a minute- That can't-!
Ace: Ta-da! It's a limited edition Griffons varsity jacket that's been all the rage with Magift meatheads like you~
Kore: No way!! This is- This is-
Ace: Cool, righ- Hey!! Don't jump on me like that! You almost knocked me off the chair!
Kore: Sorry, hahaha! I was so happy I just couldn't contain myself! To think that I would be able to actually get my hands onto something so valuable!
Ace: Yeah, we figured you'd like i-
Kore: This season has really been a blessing from above for them, you know? Everybody is in top shape and playing at their best! I heard their new manager actually made them go through this super difficult training regime that has been working wonders for them. Though it's only speculation so far!
Ace: Uh, Kor-
Kore: If you ask me, it's definitely also thanks to those new brooms that they ordered for the team. The wood is apparently from the Valley of Thorns and super-resistant so they go all out without worrying about breaking them. For the moves that the team is pulling, they really need that propulsion time! Even a second helps when you're in a headlock. I remember back in the vs Mandrakes game that they switched brooms in between-
Ace: Heeeeey! You Magift boar woman! Can you hear me?
Kore: Wh-Why are you yelling like that?! I'm right next to you!
Ace: Haaaa, when you start talking about Magift you might as well be in a completely different world... No wonder they all think of you as the Magift Encyclopedia. I bet you have hundreds of useless pieces of information like that stuck in your head.
Kore: You-! Huh? What's this?
Ace: A-Ah! That!
Kore: It's rice pudding- Ah! It's homemade from the Mountains!
Ace: Hm? Ah, ye-yeah... That came with the jacket...
Kore: Eh? They put pudding in jackets when they sell them?!
Ace: O-Obviously! Don't tell me you didn't know? Bwahaha, man, you sure are clueless...
Kore: ... It's my favourite flavour too...
CHAPTER II
Ace: Alright, next to the first question!
Kore: Eh?! Question?! Is this a quiz of some kind?!
Ace: I guess you could think of it like that, so anyway- Your first question as today's birthday girl issssss: "If you were stuck on a deserted island, who would you take with you?" Hm, here it says that you can't pick members of your own dorm, but given that you guys don't even have a dorm, I'm not sure that the restriction applies. Not that it matters since you wouldn't choose Grim anyway, right?
Kore: Huh? Why not?
Ace: You're serious?! You'd pick that furball?! Hey, we're talking about a deserted island here so think carefully! Don't you want to get off it?!
Kore: Well, obviously I would... But...
Ace: But?
Kore: I can do that on my own.
Ace: Huh?
Kore: Survival is all about securing shelter, food and formulating an escape plan. If it's a deserted island I assume there would be some fauna and animals too, so we could feed ourselves through fruit gathering and hunting. It might be hard if we don't have any tools, however, but I think Grim's claws would be sharp enough to cut through the skin and meat fairly easily. I make sure he takes good care of them after all.
Ace: I-I see...
Kore: If there's no drinkable water then we'll have to boil some from the sea in order to deal with the thirst. Grim's flames, when properly utilized, would be able to do such a thing. Not to mention that he could start fires to keep us warm at night and to cook food to sustain us! Also, it could be a great emergency signal if we end up at sea and need rescuing.
Ace: You want to use him as a flare?!
Kore: That sounds so mean! I would only do that as a last resort, however! Grim's pretty sensitive about having his belly scratched so I wouldn't do anything to make him uncomfortable like that!
Ace: Haaaa, I get it, I get it! So you're saying that the furball has his practical uses too. But I can't help but worry about some flaws...
Kore: Flaws?
Ace: No matter how much you feed that glutton, his stomach will never be full, you know! Whatever provisions you managed to gather, he's sure to inhale them with the first occasion!
Kore: Wah- That's a horrible thing to say! There's no way my Grim is so selfish!
Ace: My Grim?! What is he?! Your child?! And he's totally selfish, you know!!
Kore: HAAAAA?! ARE YOU REALLY PICKING A FIGHT WITH ME?!
Ace: Ca-Calm down!! I take it back, ok?! You can bring the furball with you!
Kore: Hmph.
Ace: Seriously, getting this angry over that cat...
Kore: Isn't that normal? Grim is my special person, after all!
Ace: SPECIAL PERSON?!
Kore: The person you care for a lot, like they're part of you, right? Like Cay-senpai said!
Ace: I-I see, so that's...
Kore: Being on a deserted island isn't ideal, but at the end of the day I know I can be ok on my own. Farmwork, housework - those are things that I'm used to from the Mountains. Life isn't so easy back home, but we all make do with what we can - magic or no magic. Even if I'm stuck in a bad situation, I can manage to get through so I don't need anybody else.
Well, that's what I thought before I came to this place anyway...
Ace: ...
Kore: Besides you're wrong about something!
Ace: Huh?
Kore: In order to survive it's not just physical attributes that are important, but mental ones as well. And in that case, Grim has the real trump card!
Ace: He-He does?!
Kore: Mm! You see, Grim, he... has the cutest paws and the fluffiest fur in the world!
Ace: HUH?!
Kore: Mm! Every time I feel like giving up or am reaching the end of the rope, all I'd have to do is give his paw pads a little squeeze or lay on his tummy and my mood would instantly clear up again! In a situation full of despair like that it would make a world of difference, you know?
Ace: SO HE'S THERE JUST FOR MORAL SUPPORT?!
Kore: Well, that too! It's important after all!
Ah, this pudding is really good actually...
CHAPTER III
Ace: Haaaa, I give up... Your boar mind is way too difficult to understand...
Kore: HUH?!
Ace: Anyway, let's get on with our next question and- Ah.
Kore: Hm? What is it? You suddenly stopped in the middle of the sentence. Did the falcon get your tongue, hehe?
Ace: It's a cat, not a falcon! And I only stopped because- uh...
Kore: What?
Ace: "You're offered the chance to pick another dorm, which one would you choose?"
Kore: ...
Ace: I swear, that Headmaster doesn't even think of these questions at all...
Kore: Yeah, there's no way I can answer that...
Ace: I figured. So instead! "Please share your opinions on the dorms!"
Kore: Ah!
Ace: Nice, right? You can definitely count on me when it comes to quick thinking, you know?
Kore: ... I guess.
Ace: You guess?!
Kore: I'll start with Diasomnia then!
Ace: Hey, don't ignore-
Kore: Hm, I'm not really sure about the atmosphere there but- Don't you think that their interior decor is pretty fancy? I haven't seen stuff like that in magazines for quite a while, so I feel like it's definitely something that must have required a lot of work! It's kinda dreary though, what will the windows not letting enough light and the greenery around it could stand to be looked after better, hm...
Ace: So you're only interested in the decor, huh? Alright, what about Ignihyde?
Kore: It's too technological.
Ace: Huh, I guess that you're right. For somebody like you, it would really be a struggle living there...
Kore: ...
It's even more depressing than Diasomnia, so I feel like I would be stuck in a bad mood without enough sunlight, you know? Though I must admit, it really is super clean inside! That's a very important detail! Clean homes are necessary for good health!
Ace: There you go again, sounding like a mom... Next is Pomefiore!
Kore: IT'S SUPER FLASHY!
Ace: I know~?
Kore: No, no, you don't get it! It's so flashy it actually scares me! All that pomp and glamour! The rugs themselves look like something from the fall collection that sold out about twenty years ago and the chandeliers are bound to be at least four times Theo's salary! Walking through those hallways is like stepping on opulence! A continuous loop of flashiness!
Ace: HEY! Get a hold of yourself! Let's go over to- Ah, Scarabia...
Kore: It's so hot there!!
Ace: Oh, yeah, you're super weak to heat so you'd definitely hate it there. Right?
Kore: Mm, hate is... I think that if it was the old me, I would never have even stepped in there. But now I feel like... Yeah! I definitely think that I can give it another try! Scarabia is pretty rich too, but it feels more homely? There's a lot of people gathered around and there are banquets and feasts pretty often too. It's always lively and warm... In a way, I imagine that's what a home would feel like...
Ace: ...
Kore: I can't say the same for Octavinelle however. Hmph!
Ace: Bwahaha, that's true. It really feels like you'd get scammed in there pretty quick.
Kore: Not even that! But building a dorm underwater? I admit the decor is pretty nice and classy, but the atmosphere is too cold! There's a lot of types that I can't get along with at all so it would definitely be a miserable time for me. No, I definitely don't want to set foot there ever again!
Ace: I totally get it~ All that commotion after the exams was enough for me too. Guess the same goes for Savanaclaw too, then?
Kore: ...
Ace: HA?!
Kore: I-I refuse to believe that anybody who loves Magift is a bad person!
Ace: There's that meathead in you talking again! Are you seriously that obsessed with it?! I feel like there's a sickness that applies in this case!!
Kore: He-Hey!! That's way too- I understand that what they did was bad, and I definitely haven't forgiven Kingscholar-senpai yet, but there are definitely good points to them as well! I think!
Ace: So you're not even sure?!
Kore: A-Anyway, as for Heartslaybyul-
Ace: Don't go changing the subject!
Kore: - if I had to pick that would be my favourite.
Ace: Huh?
Kore: I love Scarabia too, a lot, but at the end of the day all that rich atmosphere is scary. I really don't feel like I would belong there at all. I'd stick out like a sore thumb among everybody else - more than usual at the very least. But in Heartslaybyul, even if Rosehearts-senpai is strict, I feel like everybody is sort of content with the oddness. There's not much that stands out about it, but I think that's what makes it so appealing, you know?
Ace: ... So... what you're saying... Is that we're a shabby dorm full of weirdoes?
Kore: I-I wouldn't go that far...
Ace: But that's the gist of it, isn't it?!
Kore: Ummmmm...
Ace: ... Alright, I get it.
Kore: Huh?
Ace: You know, it just so happens that there's one more thing I have to tell you about.
Kore: One more thing?
Ace: Yup! You see, there's this tradition where the presenter has to give the 'gift of fortune' in order to make sure this ends up being a great birthday! And it just so happens that you're lucky enough to have me here today to deliver the goods~
Kore: Huh? What are you-
[SPLATTER]
Kore: ...
Ace: BWAHAHA, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST STOOD THERE LIKE THAT!
Kore: ...
Ace: Oh man, the look on your face is hilarious! Oh, let me take a quick picture to show the others too!
Kore: ...
Ace: Ok, so then- He-Hey! Don't- AUGH! MY FOREHEAD!
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najatheangel · 3 years
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𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲
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pairing: yoon-oh jaehyun x reader
genre: slightly spicy + angst
author’s note: I’ve meant to say this earlier, but we’ve reached another milestone on Dive in. Happy 111 notes that’s the most notes I’ve ever got!! I’m forever thankful, here’s another one for ya lovelies. 🥺💖💖
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“If you walk out that door one more time, we’re through. Enough is enough!”
Your boyfriend Miles chases walks behind you pissing you off even more. You were just so fed up with the screaming, abuse and drunken arguments every night looking for a chance to escape. You start grabbing your purse trying to head your way out the door hollering back at Miles saying...
“Well then I guess we’re through then. Not like you give a shit about me anyways. Go on and crawl back to that Luna girl.”
Miles tries to block the door one last time grabbing you by the arm with his dark intense eyes. He then proceeds to grab you by the hair and say...
“Where do you think your going? Are you going to cry back to Jaehyun? You know he doesn’t love you like I do.”
You pushed him away from you boiling in anger and slammed the door behind you stomping your way to your car. Before you drive off you throw your middle finger up to Miles mouthing “Peace out” and head your way to find Jaehyun.
Your relationship with Jaehyun was very complicated to say the least. He was always there for you helping you forget about your toxic relationship with Miles. At first you were meeting at the club daily for friendly outings with each other’s friend groups, but then tonight changed everything...
You’ve pulled up at the club where you usually like to meet up with Jaehyun the bartender ready to rant about your problems with him once again. Tonight seemed a little more packed then usual so you pushed your way through the drunk crowd.
“Jaehyun! You already know one Bahama Mama in the house.” You slam your butt down on the chair leaving the biggest sigh of relief.
 His eyes flash when he sees you and he pulls the cutest smirk you’ve seen on his face for awhile. “Coming right up. What happened this time?”
While he’s making your drink you start to break down and whimper while telling him about your months of dealing with your abusive relationship with Miles.
“Guess what happened tonight Jae? He had the nerve to bring another girl over a few hours ago when I came back home from work. I heard them moaning so loud so you know what I did... I slammed the door open, told the girl to get out, packed my shit and I told him we’re done. He even tried to say that I was cheating on him with you like can you believe that guy Uggh the nerve.”
Jaehyun shakes his head getting more frustrated for you on how the situation became worse. He hated Miles ever since you started dating him. He knew he was aggressive, manipulator and abusive to all the women he has dated.
“You know if you want, I’ll beat him up for you.” He slides the drink down to you cracking his knuckles.
“Jaehyun no need I’ve already chewed him up before I left. I even burned his clothes, slit his tires and tore up his shoes which was why he was trying to chase after me.” You chuckle wiping the tears of your face.
Jaehyun loved how brave and outrageous you can be on your own dealing with scumbags like Miles which is why he found you even more attractive. What he didn’t like about you was how you keep dating people that you know is not good for you. He wanted to be the man to change your toxic cycle and move you to the right direction.
Tonight was the night to prove himself of how worthy he can be to become your next and only lover. He sparked this idea in his head and knew how he was going to cheer you up.
“Hey y/n...let’s not talk about that anymore. How about we spent the whole night dancing and forget that any of that shit ever happened? I can show you a good time...”
“Jae where is all this coming from? Of course I will!”
The liquor has already kicked in, but Jaehyun still didn’t hesitate to grasp your hand and take you on the dance floor.
Jaehyun kind of took you by surprise with him dancing along to Kick it. The whole crowd was screaming in cheers, but of course you screamed the loudest. Jaehyun even pulled of the iconic dance break.
Slowly you started to see Jaehyun in a different light. Of course you’ve always thought he was attractive and was very talented. You kept telling him he was much better than making drinks at a nightclub, but he would always brush it off and continue his partying days at the nightclub.
The lights turn pink all of a sudden in the nightclub and the atmosphere turns very hot and heavy real fast. What made it much dirtier was a summer walker song plays very faint in the background.
Jaehyun notices you becoming very bold and starts dancing up on him. You unleash your inner stripper and start grinding on him. He’s already having a hard time concentrating by your two piece skirt out fit. He starts getting closer against your figure and sway with your body to the music.
Jaehyun glances at your body movements from head to toe looking impressed. 
“I didn’t know you can get down like that. You feel so fucking good.”
He turns your body around so you can face him.
You start flirting back at him making him sweat a little. 
“If I knew you wanted this along time ago all you had to do was ask.”
“Of course how could anyone not want you I mean look at you baby.”
He kisses the side of your neck.
You stood there frozen for a second not sure how to react to Jaehyun’s bold response. Normally when you drink your more confident, but he really got you locked around his finger.
He all of a sudden grabs your waist swaying with you along with music and starts teasing you by moving his face super close, but not kissing you. He teases you more by saying 
“It would be pretty bad if I kissed you huh? After all you just got out of a nasty break up.” 
“I don’t care anymore, your the one I’ve always truly wanted. I wish I can just follow my heart sometimes.”
“It’s still not too late we have the night to ourselves. Let me help you change all of that tonight. If you decide not to be with me, you can just toss me to the side and forget all this happened, okay?”
You give him the nod to assure him this is what you wanted and you finally started kissing him. Boy was he an amazing kisser he knew exactly when to bite and slide his tongue in at the perfect time. While you were laughing nervously, you tugged onto his jacket giving him the signal. 
“I think we should go somewhere more private, people seem to be staring a little bit.” 
He made you even more hot and bothered by kissing the side of your neck. They don’t call him the lover boy for no reason. You drag him out the dance floor to finish your business privately.
In the midst of the make out session you start hearing him scream your name and confess his love for you. The DJ announces the club closes in about 15 minutes and you both start panicking.
“Ahh maybe we should do this on the way back home, there’s no way we’ll be able to-”
He cuts you of with another peck on the lips and say...
“Shh you must’ve forgot that I work here. Until everyone leaves we have this place all to ourselves and we can make all the noises we want. Remember just follow your heart.”
He tends to have his way with almost any women and to think that now he’s having you falling for him. Whether this was pure lust or the beginning of a new love sparking you didn’t want to screw this up with Jaehyun.
He’s been there for you not only with your ex boyfriend problems, but even with your family issues. He might’ve just been the one to heal all your wounds and cater to your needs. You smile to yourself highlighting your memories with  Jaehyun and finally give in not afraid of declaring your feelings to him.
“Fine your lucky I like you so much. I’ll follow my heart from now on.”
So you slam the door behind you locking it and proceed to sit on his lap to finish what you both started.
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Hope you enjoyed this story and let me know what you think. The tag list is also open for those who want to join.
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dameronology · 3 years
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the one with the proposal (finn x reader)
i would add a summary, but the title feels fairly explanatory - for @phoenixhalliwell - i hope u enjoy!!
warnings; language
- jazz xx
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Finn had been in love with you since the moment he met you. Maybe he hadn't realised it at the time, but it made sense now.
It was funny, looking back - the first time you'd met, under the thick jungles of Ajan Kloss, both damp in sweat from the heat and hearts racing from the tense atmosphere. Finn had practically tripped and fallen on his ass in front of you; you'd immediately noticed the fact that he hadn't run away in embarrassment. Instead, he burst into fits of laughter and humoured himself, cracking a joke about how clumsy he was. He'd stood out to you since that moment, for his ability to make the best of a bad situation. It had been a saving grace during the war's worst moments, and he'd been the driving force behind the entire Resistance. It was hard to believe that a man who had been through so much, both in his past and present, could keep so positive. It started to make sense when you realised how golden his heart was.
Given his formative years in the First Order, Finn had never been introduced to the idea of soulmates. It was something that his friends spoke about - Rey, when she dreamily gushed about Han and Leia, or Poe on a weekly basis whenever he saw a hot person in the nearby cantina - but he could never quite get his head around the idea. How could there be one person for everyone when there were billions of people in the galaxy? Mathematically speaking, it was impossible that fate would let every person find their soul-mate. It sounded more like a drag than anything, waiting around for the perfect person.
Still, every time Finn saw you across a crowded room, or caught you smiling out the corner of his eye, a little part of him did wonder. Maybe you were soulmates - even if you got annoyed at him for leaving the lid up on the refresher, or if you constantly left your shoes in places that he might trip over them. Or maybe, just maybe, you were two people in love and made an effort. Two people who had worked for your relationship until it felt like you were soul-mates. Because things weren't perfect; sure, there were moments, but you had worked hard for it. You'd both prioritised communication, and tried to iron out your far-and-few arguments in mature ways. It wasn't always easy, and you did test each other's patience at times, but you were always, always sure in your relationship. Maybe your love wasn't perfect, but it was real. And it was strong and constant.
That was how Finn knew he wanted to marry you - because he doubted a lot of things, but he had never doubted you. After the war, you'd been through some of the worst things imaginable, and you'd never strayed from his side, or him from yours. When things had been really bad, and during the moments when it felt like the First Order were creeping towards victory, you'd made giddy promises to one another. That after the war, you would get married and settle down. They'd been day-dreams at the time, really.
But now that you had settled down in Coruscant, with a cozy little apartment and with stable jobs, Finn knew it was time. You were working hard training new pilots and he was dedicating himself to training as a Jedi; things were falling into place, and he felt ready for the next step. It was just a matter of working out how.
Naturally, he went to Poe for advice - which was funny really, because the man fell in love four times a week and had never proposed to a single person in his life.
(Unless you counted the drunk pact he'd once made with Finn about getting married if neither of them were wed by the time they were thirty-five. Ah, what could have been).
"Poe, I don't know what to do," Finn had stressed to him one day over a drink. As usual, they'd met at a cantina in downtown Coruscant on a Tuesday night. It was the one week they always set aside, in what Poe had colloquially christened guy's night.
"I consider myself to be a romantic," Poe began, "but it doesn't need to be anything big. What really matters is what comes after."
"Like our life together and stuff?"
"I was thinking more a wedding with an open bar," he countered, "but sure! After the wedding with an open bar, your life together is what's important."
Finn sighed. "What if they think I'm cheaping out?"
"C'mon," he reached across the table, squeezing his friend's shoulder. "It's you two - you could propose at a dumpsite and they would still say yes."
"You think so?"
"I know so," Poe shot back. "I don't think it'll matter where or when you do it. I think you'll just know."
Finn nodded unsurely - he wanted to believe Poe's larger-than-life spiel about just knowing. Because Finn was smart and intuitive, but even he wasn't sure he was intelligent enough to just know things. Similar to all the old tales of soul-mates and true love, he was just a little too much of a realist to believe it. It wasn't a testament to you or your relationship, because Finn knew with his entire soul that he loved you, and that there was very little that could change that. He just always put it down to sheer dumb luck; luck that you'd found each other, luck that you'd managed to work hard for such a sustaining and comforting relationship.
After downing a few more beers, it was gone 11PM. Finn rarely stayed out late, but his weekly catch-ups with Poe were the exception, and you had never minded. You and Finn trusted each other with your lives, so you it was rare that you ever doubted why he was out after dark. Provided he was there when you woke up the next morning, you didn't all that much mind if he was in the next room or the next planet.
Your apartment wasn't too far from the bar - a few blocks over, tucked away between an old diner and a land-speeder fuel station. When you'd first moved here, the place was just meant to be a go-between until you found yourselves a little more on your feet job and money wise. But, as the last two years had passed, you'd found yourselves becoming more and more settled. It was now filled with memories of the lives you built; it was the opposite of minimalism, crammed to the brim with pictures and blankets and random objects. Not to mention the lightsaber marks on the wall courtesy of Finn, that meant you would never get your deposit back.
The lights in the living area were off, save for a small lamp in the corner. You were curled up on the couch, a knitted blanket thrown over you. A book was cascaded just beside it on the floor - you'd obviously fallen asleep reading and dropped it.
Finn could have stayed in that moment forever; you looked beautiful under the golden glow of the old lamp, peacefully snoozing in the home you'd spent so long building for yourselves. It wasn't perfect - far from it, in fact - but it was yours. It was yours and his, and that was all that mattered.
Apartment aside, you were his home. You were the person who he felt most comfortable with; the person who he always wanted by his side, through thick and thin. Neither of you needed to get engaged or married to prove your love for one another, but those naive, war-time promises were still something he held close to his heart. You were his main support system during that time - you'd helped him adjust to life outside the First Order. Everything had seemed so scary to him then, and you'd guided him through it. Not to mention that you'd constantly encouraged him, nor had you ever once doubted him. Now, Finn wanted to give back to you - even if it was something as simple as fulfilling a simple promise he'd made a few years ago.
That's when the penny dropped for Finn, and Poe's voice rung in his head.
You'll just know.
It hit him like a ton of bricks - not that he just knew know, but he'd known this whole time. Since the moment he'd seen you in the sweaty forests on that cursed jungle planet, he had known. Not in a spiritual, soul-mate way, just in a...him way. In the same way he knew that the sky was blue and trees were green, he knew you were the one for him.
Quietly creeping across the room, Finn picked up your book and placed it on the coffee table. He knelt down beside you and ran a hand across your cheek-bone, gently smiling when you sleepily nuzzled against it.
"Hey, trouble," he whispered.
"Hey," you peeled one eye open, beaming back at him. "I missed you."
"I only left four hours ago."
"Mmm," you murmured. "Four hours too long - how's Poe?"
"He's good," Finn replied. "I think he drank a bit too much."
"Typical Dameron," you quipped.
Propping yourself up on your elbows, you moved over slightly so that there was room for Finn. He kicked off his shoes and took the seat beside you, raising his arm as a signal to lean against him. You took it, flopping against his side and pulling the blanket over both of you. Even though the end of the day was closing in, the smell of his after-shave still lingered, just mixing in with the faint smell of leather from his jacket. It was a comforting scent for you.
"I have a question," Finn quietly said.
"Oh yeah?"
"I..." he faltered for a moment, trailing off. "I haven't really planned this to be honest, but this feels like the right time, and if I don't do it now, I know I won't find the guts to do it for a long time."
Sitting up, Finn shuffled so that he was facing you. He took your hands in his, tightly gripping them as he took a deep breath.
It was only natural that you were panicking a little. His statement had been...ominous to say the least. It could have been a proposal or a break-up. Heck, it could be something a lot simpler than that. That didn't stop your heart picking up in your chest.
"I love you," Finn began. "You know that, but I feel like I should really stress it - I love you, and I love this little life we've built for ourselves. I know it hasn't always been easy and I know life will throw more stuff at us, but I know that as long as we're together, it'll be okay."
He could tell that you were still half-asleep, tired eyes barely taking in his words. At the same time, though, it seemed like you were completely consuming them, hands gripping his even harder with each passing moment. You didn't know where it was going, but you liked the sound of it.
"I guess you know all that, though," he continued. "But I've been thinking lately a lot about all the things we spoke about during the war and we've done most the stuff we said we would, bar one thing. And it feels like an important thing, so...will you marry me?"
You gave him a watery smile. Maybe you'd seen it coming, but maybe it had blind-sided you too. That was the thing with Finn; he was both predictable and extremely surprising at the same time.
"Of course I will," you grinned. "Of course."
"I don't have a ring yet," Finn confessed. "I guess I got a little trigger happy-"
"- I don't care!" you cut him off. "The ring doesn't matter, okay? We'll get one at some point. All that matters is that you're going to be legally tied to me for all of eternity."
"Sure, that's one way of putting it," he gave you another grin.
Leaning across, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a sweet kiss. You stayed like that for a moment, before Finn pulled you closer by the waist and into a tight hug.
It hadn't been the ground-breaking, romantic proposal that he had in mind, but it had been perfect at the same time. It was so quintessentially him; casual and sweet, and filled with love. Even more annoyingly, Poe had been absolutely right about the time and place and mattering - but of course, Finn was never going to admit that to him.
finn tags/everything tags: @crystalized-drumming @karasong @megmeg-chan
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p4nkow · 3 years
Text
After school tutoring
Hey-ho! I don't really know if I can say that I'm back with writing but yeah, I wrote something
I’ve watched OBX as soon as it came out but I’ve struggled with coming up with an innovative idea (so you can easily imagine how excited I was when this one surprisingly popped up in my mind)
Summary: JJ really needs a tutor not to fail his French class, but he doesn’t seem to excited about the idea. Especially when the Tutor he’s been assigned to is a Kook he grew up with, who seems to be friends with the Rafe and the rest of the Scooby Gang. Y’know, the usual with some good ol’ angst and fluff
So, of course, it’s a JJ x reader
Warnings: nothing much, really. Rafe’s a bit of a jerk, but not as much as in the show (I have a soft spot for him). Oh and also some violence (but blink and you’ll miss it, I swear)
hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think :)
gif not mine so credit to the owner
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Your father always told you that you were one of the nicest and most patient little girls that he had ever known. Ever since you were a child, you’ve always been such a Florence Nightingale. You’d always help Mrs. Goode cross the street on her way back home — especially when Rafe and his bloody motorcycle where nearby — or you’d always take care of some abandoned kittens until you could find them a proper and loving home.
Yeah, you were that kind of nice. You were Jamie Sullivan kind-of-nice, straight out of A walk to remember but without your Landon Carter.
No matter how many times your own actions backfired at you, you never regretted them. Not even when Kielce tried to embarrass you in front of everyone at Midsummers, after you trying to hide the fact that he was stoned from his parents. Or when the Pogues kept throwing daggers at you for just being a Kook. Well, half Kook. You were as Kook as Kiara.
Nevertheless, you never regretted anything— until now.
What the hell were you thinking when you volunteered for the after-school program? No, after-school was not the real problem. The real matter was who had been assigned to you.
JJ Maybank.
It wasn’t like you couldn’t stand his sight or anything. No, nothing like that. He just didn’t seem to know you existed. Which was odd, considered that he did nothing but pick up a fight with your best friend every three or four minutes.
Maybe he simply ignored you because you were a Kook. Well, half Kook.
And as he waited for his tutor – for you. As he waited for you, sitting on one of the farthest desks in the classroom, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Both his elbows were on the desk, a grin lit up his face as he texted someone.
Man, this was going to be fun.
A few steps and you were right next to him. The grip on the books you were holding against your chest was so tight that you couldn’t even feel your fingers anymore. There was no reason for you to be that nervous, yet you had to take a deep breath before speaking to him.
“Hey.” As simple as that. It came out more as a squeak than as a word, but whatever.
His blue eyes moved from the screen to you. He held your gaze for a few moments, before letting his eyes slide all over your body.
“Hey”, he replied. His tone was amused as his grin grew wider. His phone was now locked but he didn’t put it away.
His curious gaze followed your movements as you took a seat in front of him, placing your books on the empty space between the two of you. “Looks like I’m stuck with you.”
“Is that a problem?” The smile on his face told you that he wasn’t taking it seriously. He leaned back, bringing both his hands behind his neck as he gave you a careless look.
All you could do was shrug. “I hope not.”
A loud ding interrupted him from whatever he was about to say, as the screen of his phone lit up. His blue eyes, which seemed so amused and interested in you, quickly moved to it. JJ remained silent for a few seconds, his attention now elsewhere.
Trying to camouflage your annoyance caused by his behavior, you said “I spoke to Mrs. Roux. She told me to focus on the basics first, then we can move to the more advanced notions.”
JJ cleared his voice, leaning again towards you. His face was just a few inches away from yours and you took the chance to give a better look at his eyes – even though they seemed carefree and young, deep down you knew they were troubled. Rumors traveled faster than the wind there at the island.
“Look”, he started. “As much as I appreciate your good will, I have no intention of following a single thing you say. I’m only here to score some points with Mrs. Roux so that I don’t fail French.”
His honesty was appreciated. You couldn’t say you were surprised, though. Everybody knew that JJ cared so little of his grades. Not because he couldn’t do better, but because for whatever reason he didn’t want to.
“Then you’ll have to change your tutor”, you replied with a shrug.
After all, you had volunteered to after-school for a reason.
Your words must’ve caught him off guard. His brows narrowed and he slightly tilted his head. “Why’s that?”
“Because I’m here to help. And obviously you don’t want to be helped.”
The rays coming through the window at your left made his blonde eyes look even lighter, giving him an angelic look. If it wasn’t for the devilish grin printed on his face.
“You could score some points, too. And without any effort”, he proposed, a corner of his lips raised in an amused smile.
His words made you giggle, so you slightly shook your head. “That’s not how it works, JJ.”
“Do you know me?” Why did he seem so surprised by that? First, even though you were now in the mainland, you both lived in the island. Back there, everyone knew everyone. So of course you knew who JJ Maybank was.
The real question was, “Do you know me?”
“I know you hang out with the Scooby Gang. That’s enough for me.” He clenched his jaw and for the first time since you had taken your seat in front of him, he looked away from you.
You narrowed your brows, throwing him a confused look. “With who?”
JJ gave you a look that said ‘You already know who I’m talking about’. But to make it sure you’d understood, he said “Y’know, Rafe and the rest of the gang.
“They’re my friends.” Of course you knew that there was some bad blood between JJ’s friends and the now so-called Scooby Gang. Since the very first moment, though, you dissociated yourself from that situation. Mainly because you were friends with both Sarah – who was now hanging with the Pogues – and Rafe.
JJ pressed his lips together in a thin line. “You’ve found yourself some terrible friends, I’m afraid.”
His words hurt you. How dared he?
“You don’t really know them. Neither of you have really tried to know each other, so what do you know? I’m more than capable to pick my own friends, thank you.”
And his words made him smile. Was he making fun of you? His smile grew wider as he stared at you. “I knew you had claws hidden somewhere, kitten.”
“Kitten?”
“You’re bringing out the claws like a kitty.”
“Oh please”, you scoffed, looking away from his intense stare. “Don’t try to buy me by using your pickup lines.”
JJ laughed. It was probably the first time you ever heard him laugh — like, a real laugh — and the reactions it aroused in your stomach caught you off guard.
“I’m not trying to hit on you, Kitten. Trust me. At least not for now.” He winked at you and you could do nothing but give him an eye roll.
“Shut up.”
JJ remained silent for a while, the ghost of a smile still on his face. His gaze fell to his hands, now joined on the desk. Before speaking again, he gave you a mischievous look from under his lashes. “So you really wanna help me, huh?”
“You just said you don’t want my help.”
“That was before knowing the Kitten in you. It might actually be fun.”
You sighed deeply and shook your head. “JJ, you’re gonna fail French. You need me.”
“I don’t really care about failing French, but I’ll think about it.” His phone rang again, and you couldn’t stop yourself from eye-rolling. He gave you a quick look before lowering his gaze to the screen, pressing his lips together in a thin line.
The atmosphere had just changed, and you could feel it. The tension was tangible.
JJ swallowed hard and lowered his gaze. Then he loudly pulled away his chair, meeting your gaze again only once having stood up in front of you. “Gotta go now. Don’t bail on me, Kitten.”
He had to go. He had been there for fifteen minutes only!
While throwing him a confused glance, you replied “You don’t bail on me. You’re the one who needs help.”
His lips curved again as a reaction to your words and he held your gaze for a couple of more seconds before starting to walk away.
“JJ?” You hadn’t really meant to say it out loud, but when he turned towards you there was no going back. “We grew up together. You just never noticed I existed.”
And with his brows narrowed in an expression you couldn’t quite decipher, JJ walked away.
It was a Saturday just like any other, before Rafe started to persuade you to go with him at a kegger some guy was having down at the Boneyard.
“We won’t be long, right?” Yes, he got the best of you. As you sighed, you turned your head towards the window. From where his Jeep was parked, you could see the crowd already gathered around an improvised bonfire.
“Promise.” Rafe nodded as to confirm his words. “As soon as you wanna get out of here, you come tell me.”
The light of the streetlamps gave you the chance to give him a better look – the white shirt he was wearing highlighted his blue eyes, which were now giving you a hopeful look. “Fine”, you gave up. “Please behave.”
The innocent look he gave you made you giggle, so you threw him a condescending look before stepping out of the car.
You landed on the sand with a little jump, and the night breeze immediately caressed your bare legs. The choice of wearing a skirt was turning out to be a terrible decision.
Rafe made sure you were following him as he started to walk towards the heart of the party. “Are the guys already here?”
“They should be”, he murmured while giving a look around him. Kelce and Topper were nowhere to be found yet. “Let me call them.”
He lowered his gaze as he dialed Topper’s number and you took the chance to give a proper look at the situation around you. Many of your classmates were there, half of them already with a drink in their hands. There were many groups scattered around the beach and the air was filled with laughter – apparently everyone was in a good mood.
One of the first thing you noticed, though, was the equal presence of both Kooks and Pogues. Both factions were there, and for the first-time things seemed to be quiet. No daggers being throwed, no threats murmured. The atmosphere seemed to be peaceful, and you found yourself praying that it’d continue that way.
With the phone still pressed against his ear and his bottom lip between his teeth, Rafe met your gaze for a few instants before trying again to spot his friends. He nodded at someone every now and then because, after all, everyone knew Rafe. Everyone wanted to be his friend.
Everyone but the Pogues.
That’s when you noticed him.
Near one of the bungalows that was now being used as a drinks-refill, there was JJ. One of his hands was raised to hold a cup against his lips, while the other was hidden in the pocket of his short cargo pants.
Despite the darkness of the night, you could see the intensity of his blue eyes from where you were standing. His blonde locks were hidden under a red hat that he was wearing backwards.
Sarah was there with him, alongside with the rest of his friends and a couple of strangers. Female strangers. Some Tourons that he’d hit on, probably. The thought made your stomach twirl for various reasons that you weren’t ready to explore yet, so you looked away before he could notice your staring.
“There you are!” Topper’s arm surrounded your shoulders, bringing back to reality. The smile you gave him was spontaneous and warm.
Rafe sighed as he put away his phone. “You could answer my calls sometimes, asshole.”
“Actually”, Topper said, pointing his finger at Rafe’s chest “I’m pretty sure I lost my phone.”
The way he started to stagger next to you made you ask in an amused but worried tone “Are you drunk?”
Kelce giggled and nodded after meeting Topper’s eyes. “No, we aren’t. Do you want something to drink, Y/N?”
Before you could even give him an answer, you were interrupted by a new voice. “Hey Rafe.” A petite blonde was now standing in front of Rafe. His smile grew wider as he looked down at her and you knew that you’d lost his company even before he could reply.
She handed him a drink and Rafe gave you a quick look with the corner of his eyes. A smirk was all you gave him, and he took it as a good sign. “Hey, doll.”
Lame.
The two of them started to chat and Topper and Kelce were caught in the most intense, drunken conversation, so when you said “I’m gonna grab a drink”, you weren’t even sure who you were talking to.
On your way to the bungalow, you made sure to take the long way, trying to avoid JJ’s group. There wasn’t a particular reason for you not wanting to see him – or was there? All you knew was that he made you incredibly nervous, and you didn’t like that feeling. And sure as hell you didn’t like the way you felt when you saw him with those Tourons.
Stop it, Y/N.
Inside the bungalow there were a few people refilling their cups. After a few “Hey” and “How’s it going?” you finally made your way to the counter. It was hard to tell what those drinks were made of, so you opted for a simple beer.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” You were so lost in your thoughts that the cup almost slid off your fingers as JJ’s voice made you jump.
“Jesus!”
JJ laughed. “I know I’m awesome, but it’s just me.” He leaned on the counter next to you, crossing his arms on his chest as he gave you a mischievous smile.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
His blue eyes slowly slid all over your body, down to your bare legs. He clenched his jaw and you found yourself thinking that maybe, after all, wearing a skirt hadn’t been that terrible. The intensity of his stare pushed you to look away from him, so you took a sip of your drink while trying to slow down your heart rate.
“Are you having fun?” His voice was low and deep, almost as deep as the stare he was giving you.
“I just got here”, you shrugged.
He slowly nodded, looking away for a couple of seconds before turning again towards you. “You were with Rafe.”
He noticed? If it wasn’t for his tone — which made you groan — you’d have felt flattered by the fact that he had noticed. “Let’s not go there again, JJ. He’s my friend.”
“Your friend”, he repeated.
What was his problem?
“Yes”, you articulated.
You exhaled sharply and looked away. You were trying so hard not to get mad at him because of his attitude that you didn’t even notice he’d moved.
JJ was now standing right in front of you. His body was just a few inches away from yours and you fought against your first instinct to back up.
His blue eyes scanned your face, but not in a judgmental way. Maybe it was the first time that JJ really saw you. “You look good tonight, Kitten.”
“Stop calling me that”, you said instead of thanking him. His compliment made you blush.
His lips curved into a grin — it was so typical of him that you were starting to hate it. “You see”, he started. “You said something a few days ago.”
“Hm?” Your brows were raised in a confused look.
“I remember your orange beanie.”
Wait, what?
“What?”
His grin grew even wider at your confusion. “You loved it so much that the teacher had to tell your mother. You just wouldn't take it off. You’ve always been headstrong.”
It was true. When you were eight-ish, you owned an orange beanie. It was a gift from your aunt, and you grew so fond of it that you wouldn’t take it off. Not even in class. The teacher scolded you so many times — which, for an eight-year-old like you was the end of the world — that she even had to bring in your parents.
JJ remembered.
The last time you saw him you told him that he never noticed you existed, but he did.
He took another step towards you. “And when you were twelve, you fell off a tree. You told your mom that you were trying to grab a balloon or something, but I saw you. I was working in a house nearby and I know you were trying to save a kitten.”
You remained silent because you were literally speechless.
He took another step forward. You were so close to him that you could feel the warmth of his body. That’s when the people surrounding you started to blur, becoming meaningless to you. There was just him.
The intensity of his blue eyes stopped you from moving. You froze still as he gently cupped your cheek, sending chills down your spine. What the hell was going on?
“And I sure remember the look in your eyes at homecoming. I stayed late that night to give a hand cleaning up and make some money. You came with Topper, but you left alone. At some point he stood you up for Sarah. Even though he'd just he'd just bailed on you, when you asked Kelce a ride home you made up some lame excuse to cover him. And I kept asking myself why the hell you were always so nice to everyone.” His voice was nothing but a whisper. Both his hands were now placed on the counter, trapping you between his arms.
“JJ—”, you started but you weren't even sure what to say.
He'd noticed everything. He'd noticed you.
Instead of replying with words, you leaned towards him. You were now so close that your lips brushed his. It was a gentle touch, almost shy. Closing your eyes, you stood on your tips while placing your hands on his chest. You could feel his muscles from under the grey shirt he was wearing, and your skin burned where his hand was placed, right on your hip.
Just when your mind was starting to go wild and JJ was starting to deepen the kiss — after being taken aback by your initiative —, you were interrupted by a voice calling his name.
Really? Oh c’mon. JJ groaned and closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before turning towards the door.
“JJ?” Kie was standing right out of the bungalow, her brows narrowed in a worried look.
He took a step back from you and turned towards her, slowly letting you go. You already missed the warmth of his hand against your skin. But Kie being there, interrupting like that, could only mean one thing.
Her gaze fell on you for a couple of seconds, looking at you with nothing but disdain, before looking back at the blonde in front of you. “It’s John B. John B and Rafe.”
That's all she said, but you knew that it meant trouble.
The two of you started to move at the same moment, both drawn to where Kie was heading to. Rafe was in trouble and you knew JJ was as worried as you for his friend.
Why things had to be so difficult between them?
“What’s going on?”, you asked loud enough for Sarah to hear.
The worry in her face made you nervous, but your attention quickly shifted to where Rafe and John B were having a row. Topper was now pulling Rafe back, trying to get him off John B.
You shouted his name, but you knew he wouldn't hear you. The atmosphere was becoming loud and messy, and you were worried sick about your friend.
“Rafe, stop!”
As soon as Topper managed to pull him away, you placed yourself between the two of them. “C’mon man”, Topper kept murmuring as he pushed him away from the Pogues.
But Rafe was fuming. He had a split lip, and he was short of breath. A small crowd had gathered around the fight. People were moving around you, but all you could think of was trying to calm Rafe down. Hoping it'd help somehow, you placed a hand on his chest and murmured his name.
"You stay the hell away!”, he shouted at John B, who was now trying to stand up. Held by JJ on one side and Pope on the other, he did nothing but throw daggers at Rafe. He didn’t even reply. His bruises didn’t seem serious though, which was relief.
Your eyes fell to JJ for a couple of seconds, following his movements as he murmured something to John B, but you quickly looked away.
“Rafe, please.” Maybe because of your quiet tone, maybe because of the worry in it, he finally looked down at you. “That’s enough.”
And those words meant more than it looked like. No matter how hard you tried not to mind the distinction between the two factions in the island – the idea wouldn’t leave Rafe’s mind. The same Rafe that was now looking at you with nothing but anger, disappointment and regret in his blue eyes.
“C’mon, let’s go.” Topper interrupted your staring contest. He patted on his shoulder and nodded towards the parking lots.
As the two of them started to make their way through the crowd, you turned towards JJ.
He was standing right in front of John B, murmuring something while looking at him straight in the eye. The hat he was wearing was long forgotten in the sand and the sea breeze pushed his blonde locks on his face. He didn’t seem to care, though.
Pope noticed you first. A nod was all he gave you before elbowing JJ. When he turned towards you, the look on his face was a lot different than the one you were getting used to. He was angry – jaw clenched, lips pressed and all. He had every right to be.
“What?” The sharpness of his tone almost made you step back.
You cleared your voice before asking, alluding to John B “Is he okay?”
He didn’t even look at him. Hell, he wasn’t even looking at you. The JJ standing right in front of you wasn’t the one you knew. And you didn’t like this new version of him.
“He’s fine.” That’s all he said.
His gaze was now fixed in the sea – he was looking at the waves violently hitting the bank without really seeing them.
You felt Kie’s eyes on you, as well as Pope’s. They were following your conversation with curiosity, trying to understand what the hell was going on between the two of you. After all they weren’t used to see JJ having a full conversation with a Kook. You kinda felt in the spotlight and you hated it.
“Is there something I can do?”, you asked as you tried to keep your voice down. Your words were meant to him and him only.
That’s when JJ finally looked at you, his blue eyes fixed on yours. He clenched his jaw once again and then said “Leave.”
The reaction to those words was immediate – you took a step back, almost as if he’d hurt you physically. And you hated the way your voice sounded squeaky when you asked “What?”
There were lots of emotions going through his eyes, but for the first time ever since you’d known him, you had no idea what the hell was JJ thinking.
“Just leave, Y/N.” He sighed and swore under his breath, lowering his gaze. Why was he acting like that?
As he started to turn his back to you, leaving you there on the spot, you asked “But I’ll see you on Monday, right?”
He shook his head even before turning again towards you. “This was a mistake.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” At this point you didn’t even care about the people surrounding you. Most of them had returned to mind their own business, but not the Pogues.
“If you really wanna do something about it, keep your fuckin’ pet away from me – away from us.” Even though he had every right to be pissed at Rafe, you didn’t like his tone nor the way he was referring to him. “He’s nothing but trouble and so are you. He’s got you wrapped around his finger and you’re so naïve that you don’t even notice it!”
“What the hell are you –”, you tried to intervene, but he immediately cut you off.
“I don’t need your help. No, I don’t want your help. You’re a Kook, Y/N – God, I’m not that desperate.”
You didn’t even try to reply to that. He didn’t deserve another minute of your attention, nor the things that you were starting to feel for him. So you took another step back, physically unable to look away from him eyes. How could he be so mean?
JJ knew he had fuck up. He regretted those words the moment they left his mouth. Damn, he regretted hurting you. The look on your face said it all, and he hated himself for it. After all, you had nothing to do with Rafe’s behavior. He was an asshole – a real asshole – and you were too good for him.
And JJ knew sure as hell that you were too good for him, too.
You almost sighed in relief when you heard Kelce’s voice asking you “Y/N, you coming?” He was waiting just a few feet away from you.
JJ tried to take a step towards you, but his legs wouldn’t move. He had screwed it up and he knew it.
When you felt tears watering your eyes, you bit your lower lip till you felt a metallic taste in your mouth. You had no intention of crying in front of him – or his friends, for what matters.
The last look you gave him was full of hurt, regret and disappointment and you found yourself hoping that JJ would remember that look for the rest of his life.
You finally turned your back to him, approaching Kelce with a terrible burden on your heart. There had been moments when you really thought that the stupid distinction between the two factions wouldn’t matter to him. That the distinction between the Cut and Figure Eight wouldn’t influence your friendships.
But you were terribly wrong.
The first thing you did on Monday, was changing your schedule for the afterschool program. In that way, not only you weren’t assigned to JJ, but you wouldn’t even see him around during the afternoon. The plan was of avoiding him as much as you could. Well, that wasn’t much of a problem, considered that he despised you and everything.
The week went by kinda smoothly – no JJ in sight, no troubles, no Rafe. You were trying to blow off some stream, and that plan included avoiding both. Even when Sarah called you or stopped by, she cautiously avoided those subjects.
JJ had tried to reach you once. He’d stopped by your house and found your sister, instead. He never showed up again.
Rafe was a whole another story. He hadn’t stopped calling you or texting you since that night at the kegger. Even though you were still pissed at him, you couldn’t help but forgive him. Kinda. As you already said, you were a Florence Nightingale. That huge part of you just couldn’t let go the idea of talking some sense to him.
The next Friday Sarah had a terrible, terrible idea.
The Pogues were planning to spend the whole day in the HMS Pogue – a hurricane was expected the following week and they wanted to enjoy those last quiet days. So of course, when Sarah asked you to come along, your answer had been a firm no.
The reason was obvious. JJ would’ve been there, and you were more than determined to avoid him all costs.
“It could be fun! Y’know, you could even try to swim this time.”
“I definitely won’t”, you articulated, not being able to repress a chuckle at her hopeful expression.
When she joined her hands in front of her face and leaned towards you, looking at you with her giant dark brown eyes, you slightly shook your head. “Not gonna happen.”
“Please?”, she whispered.
You gave her a quick look from under your lashes, bringing a scoop of ice cream to your lips. Trying to stall, you made sure to finish the entire spoon before shrugging. “Will you keep him away from me?
“Of course!” Her excitement was so contagious that you couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Not gonna happen’, huh?
Later that day, when you were waiting for the rest of the group to come, you were already starting to regret to regret your decision.
“Stop being so nervous”, Sarah murmured, giving you a look with the corner of her eyes.
You narrowed your brows. “I’m not.”
“Your leg is bouncing”, she pointed out and you eye rolled.
Before you could think of a comeback, Kie’s voice was barely audible above the boat noise. “Well, if you hadn’t stopped to buy all those snacks, we wouldn’t have been late!”
“Technically, we’re not late. You’re only used to be early”, Pope then her an amused look, throwing a Cheeto to his mouth.
They were both standing at the front of her boat, the girl’s hand raised to cover her eyes from the sun.
Behind them, maneuvering the boat, there were both JJ and John B. The latter quickly started to disappear to you as you focused on the blonde — he wasn’t wearing a shirt, which was nothing new to you, and his blonde locks were pulled back by a blue bandana. You were mesmerized by that sight — so much that you were almost drooling.
Sarah elbowed you and you cleared your voice, strengthening the grip on your bag as you looked away from him. After all, you still hadn’t forgiven and forgotten all the mean things that he had told you.
JJ saw you even before you could notice him standing next to John B. No one had told him that you’d have come along, but he now wished someone had. He was totally taken aback, mesmerized by your sight. The way the sun was making your hair shine or the way you’d wiggle your nose when talking to Sarah — that shit was driving him crazy.
“You okay?”, Sarah asked to make sure. Carefully avoiding looking at him, you nodded and gave her a fake smile.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
When the boat was close enough for you to hop in, John B didn’t waste any time and quickly approached Sarah. He was firmly holding her hand and said “Come on up.” You felt the urge to look away, almost as if you were witnessing something of extremely private.
When it was your turn to get on the boat, you handed your bag to Pope, who’d kindly offered to help you. Right before you could place your foot on the top of the boat, JJ hurried to get next to you. He offered you a hand and you looked at it, dumbfounded, for a couple of seconds.
Then you pushed it away and murmured “I can make it.”
And you did — even at the cost of breaking your own neck. You got on the boat with a little jump, and you gave Pope a little smile of victory, completely ignoring the blonde standing behind you.
You didn’t even had the courage to look at him in the eyes.
Just when you were about to get away from him and approach Sarah, JJ said “Y/N.”
Your body tensed up and you froze still.
“Y/N, please”. Your eyes shut once again at the sound of his pleading voice.
“Leave me alone, JJ.” And, surprisingly, for the next hour he did.
Contrary to what you thought at first, you were having a good time. Despite the fact that Kie was still throwing daggers at you, trying to read and understand you, the rest of the group was being extremely friendly and funny.
JJ had even stopped trying to talk to you, which was a relief. What he hadn’t stop doing, however, was throwing you looks with the corner of his eyes. He was always looking at you, especially when he thought you weren’t looking.
That until Pope proposed “You guys in for a swim?”
“Hell yeah”, Kie immediately stood up. “This sun is literally killing me.”
It didn’t take long for the rest of the crew to join them and, after some chats and laughter here and there, everyone jumped in the water. Everyone except JJ.
Before joining them John B turned to you and asked, “You coming?”
“Nah, I think I’ll pass”, you replied, giving him a smile. And with that he disappeared, joining his friends in the water.
JJ was sitting not far away from you, his legs dangling out of the boat. There was a weird silence between the two of you, and the tension was almost touchable. You hated that situation.
“Why didn’t you go swimming?”, he suddenly asked you, turning his head towards you.
There was no way you could get out of this, so you’d better have it done with it. When you slowly turned towards him, facing him, your heart skipped a beat. His eyes were a lot different than the last time you saw him and the hurt in them almost made you break.
“Why didn’t you?”, you retorted and he ironically snorted. Then you closed your eyes, trying to calm your nerves. You turned completely towards him, crossing your legs while doing so. “I don’t know how to swim”, you explained in a low voice.
Why the hell were you justifying yourself with him?
He seemed genuinely surprised. His brows narrowed and he placed the beer he was drinking right next to him. “What? You never tried or—”
“No, I’m — I have thalassophobia.”
His brows narrowed even further. “Not following you.”
“It means that I’m scared of open water” you patiently explained, and he remained quiet.
Until he got up and walked towards you, sitting right in front of you.
“What— what are you doing?” You weren’t sure you were able to control your emotions around him. After all, being around him was enough, considered what he’d told you.
“Y/N”, he started, taking a deep breath and lowering his gaze for a couple of seconds before looking back at you. “I’m sorry. I said a lot of things that night and I regret every word I said.”
JJ was apologizing, but that didn’t mean that you weren’t still hurt by the way he treated you.
He frowned when he noticed that you had no intention to reply. “You heard me?”
The guys were shouting and laughing while splashing each other, so you quickly looked away from them and met JJ’s eyes.
“I did”, you immediately said, quickly nodding at his question. “I also heard you when you said you weren’t that desperate to accept a Kook’s help. My help.”
He sighed deeply and shook his head, lot of emotions going through his eyes “A lot of things happened that night. And Rafe’s always in my way, always trying to mess with me, and that night was just the tip of the iceberg.”
The sea breeze pushed some locks of your hair right in front of your face, so when JJ raised a hand to pull them behind your ear, you didn’t move a muscle to stop him.
“This isn’t even about Rafe anymore, JJ. This is about you not accepting the fact that I’m a Kook!” Once again, as it usually happened in his presence, you temper was showing up.
“It isn’t about Rafe, huh?”, he snapped back. “So how come he’s always in the way when it comes to you?”
“Because he’s my friend! I know it’s hard to understand, I know it’s not easy for you, but I care about him. I know he can be mean; I know he’s an asshole most of the times, but I know him better, JJ.”
He scoffed, as if you were saying something that it was unthinkable for him. “Can’t fuckin’ believe it.”
“And if you can’t get over the fact that I’m his friend, that I’m a Kook, then we really shouldn’t see each other anymore. You were right.” You let out a defeated sight and you stood up, trying to walk away and ditch him there, when he immediately stood too. He gently grabbed your arm, meeting your eyes.
“Wait, Y/N. Listen, I don’t care, okay?” When did he get so close to you? You were so involved in your conversation that you hadn’t noticed how close his body was. “I said some mean shit that night, but I didn’t mean any of it. I don’t care if you’re from the Cut or from Figure Eight, Y/N. You could be from Narnia, for what matters, and I’d still like you.”
Wait what?
“You what?” The shock in your voice was evident.
It looked like JJ wanted to say something, so he parted his lips, but he immediately closed them back. Then he took a deep breath and slowly nodded. “Yes, I like you, Y/N. I like how you’re not afraid to step up and speak your mind. I like how kind you are, to everyone – no matter what. And sure as hell I like the way you make me want to be a better person.”
The burden you felt in your heart was slowly dissolving at his words — did he feel that way all this time?
He cupped your cheeks with his warm hands, and you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. To be completely honest, it scared you like hell the way you felt safe in his arms. When you leaned towards his hand, you reopened your eyes only to see him slightly smile.
“Good thing is, I don’t dislike you, either”, you teased him. He chuckled, slightly shaking his head, and once again you leaned towards him and placed your lips on his.
JJ didn’t waste any time. He placed one hand in the back of your neck in the  attempt of pulling you closer to him, as he kissed you back. He immediately deepened the kiss, kissing you as if he was afraid of losing you.
Both your hands slid between his blonde locks, and at that gentle touch a deep groan came up from his throat.
Just when you were starting to be short of breath, you heard a loud voice saying “It’s about fuckin’ time!”
When you — reluctantly — pulled away from him and looked towards your friends, John B had a huge smile on his face as he looked at the two of you. Sarah cupped her hand around her mouth and let out a little “Woo-hoo”, and even Kie seemed sort of relieved that you two finally sorted your problems out.
JJ didn’t let go of you, his arm was still surrounding your waist as he kept you close to him. He paid little attention to his friends, moving his lips to your cheek up till the spot under your ear. You closed your eyes, smiling at the sweetness of his kisses, as he murmured in your ear “I was really hoping to make you mine, Kitten.”
“Je.”
JJ raised his brows. “Je.”
“M’appelle”, you articulated.
The blonde sitting in front of you looked down at the book. “M’appelle”, he repeated.
“JJ.”
He looked up to meet your eyes. “That’s easy. JJ.”
“Now repeat it.” You bit your lip as you tried to repress a little laugh.
JJ leaned towards you, placing both his elbows on the desk as he brought his face closer to yours. “You’re kinda hot when you’re bossy.”
“JJ”, you said in a warning tone.
“Y’know”, he started, and the grin on his face didn’t promise nothing good. “It could be useful. You could talk dirty to me in French.”
You kicked him from under the table, giving a quick look in the room around you to make sure that no one heard. “Stop it”, you hissed, making him chuckle.
“You’re blushing.”
“I should never have accepted tutoring you.” Of course you were lying.
And JJ knew it. “Liar.”
“J, will you focus? Please?”
“Can I have a kiss every time I get it right?”
“Shut up and pay attention to me.” Tutoring JJ turned out to be harder than expected. Especially when he took every chance he had to make you blush or tease you.
JJ cleared his voice and faked a salute “Yes ma’am.”
Oh man, this was gonna be a long, long semester.
228 notes · View notes
pepperpills · 3 years
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The Harvest - RE8 Fanfic
The Harvest
A Resident Evil 8 fan fiction by Joana
Karl Heisenberg x Female Reader
Notes: heey guys, thanks everyone who has been reading this series, it was fun writting this story, but as i said a couple of chapters ago, it has come to an end. I am currently writting a new Heis x Reader story, focusing more on wordbuilding and their relationship. I guess The Harvest, as my first try on this, has been a great experience and I hope the next one turns out better. That being said, please enjoy this piece and I will see you all later on a new begginning, thanks!
Warning: NSFW content
Part I - Destiny (1) Part I - Destiny (2) Part II - The Lord Part III - The Hunt Part IV - Soft Torture Part V - Cry Baby
Part VI - The Encounter
It wasn’t a particular sunny day, but the weather was cooler than usual. It was enough for Karl to decide to work outside, once the heat inside the factory was overwhelming his sweaty body. He was shirtless, but still had his hat and spectacles on to protect him from the sun and the light.
Heisenberg was in the middle of something. Ever since you two inaugurated the new wing, he has been working to the bone on a new project. You understood he was trying a new set of armour to make the Soldats tougher. Unfortunately, for you, this was a task you couldn’t help him with. It was still on project, but he was already trying to find the material and that was why he had been searching the factory’s yard all morning, coming and going, absolutely focused.
You were getting bored, though. Once you couldn’t adventure the factory by your own anymore – neither wanted to, having in mind what happened last time –, you chose to sunbath at the yard in the early hours. It was still kind of chilly, because no matter what, the Village was always like that, and you obviously didn’t have any bikinis, once you really didn’t need a set living where you lived. In that manner, you bathed in your panties, wearing no bra.
You gave Karl a major distraction, because of this. First, he was jealous of your boobs exposed like that, but you managed to convince him no one could see you, once the factory was only accessible by the bridge and it was a considerable walk from the allowed parts of the Village. He chilled, but something in his pants was feeling encaged.
Not long after, you got bored. Then an idea crossed your mind causing you to smile. You quickly went to the bedroom to change, grab a few things and then went to the kitchen. Karl had been so long under the sun that he might as well be thirsty. Considering that, you prepared a juice with lots of ice, leaving the building to meet him outside caring a glass of it.
“Hey, Karl.” You called him, his body half inside one of the tanks. “What about a quick break?” You offered, rising the glass once he looked at you.
His countenance showed interest. His mouth was indeed dry, almost causing him chapped lips. Heisenberg walked towards you, the scene glowing in your eyes. The man’s chest was shiny with the sweat. Without his shirt, you had a great view of his body, enjoying the sight of his strong arms. Karl was a Renascence painting for you and the thought of it made you smile, which only invited him nearer.
“Thank you, buttercup.” He said, taking the glass you offered him.
He drank it almost entirely at once, causing some drops to roll down his bearded chin. When he was done, you came closer, resting your hands on his shoulders, not being able to resist a stupid idea that came through your mind. Heisenberg was a bit confused, but accepted your approach, placing his free hand on your hips. Instead of kissing him, you licked his chin, retracing the juice line. He wasn’t expecting it. You finished with a kiss, looking for his tongue, willing to make yours dance with his inside your mouths.
“You’re full of tricks, aren’t you?” Karl laughed when you let his lips go.
“Just some.” You shrugged, smirking back at him. “But I will let you work for now, I know you’re busy.” Now he had a sorrow expression, your kiss had awakened something in him, but you were right, he needed to find at least one metal piece to try on the model.
“It is okay, I will meet you later.” You comforted him, playing with ones of his rebel hair locks.
“I will make it up to you, Y/N.” Karl promised, pressing you harder against his chest, not wanting to let you go.
“No need to, just be there.” You planted a soft kiss on his lips to which he couldn’t help but smile.
“Ok, I will be, kitten.” Heisenberg kissed you once more, eager to taste you, he was intense.
After a couple more kisses, you managed to soften his grip around your hips and he decided that if he could finish the work earlier, it meant more time with you. With that in mind, he returned to the tank. You excused yourself, telling him you were going out to hunt to try the improvements you made on your bow.
You started walking towards the forest behind the factory. As soon as you reached the firsts trees, you noticed a change in the lighting. Clouds were now hiding the sun, bringing in new winds. You puffed, your plans of a cooler hunt probably spoiled because of this change of weather. Neither way, you were already there.
You took your usual path, going down to the stream. Not long after you noticed the absence of Lycans in the surroundings. You use to listen to their roars and sometimes even footsteps, but this time the only sound heard was the birds chanting. An odd atmosphere took over the forest, making you a bit tense.
Maybe they were occupied somewhere else, you thought that they could be on a hunt of their own, chasing a poor villager. This didn’t relax you, though. You kept looking around, searching for Lycans and other animals.
This happened half way to the stream, so fast you weren’t able to process the entire thing. You got distracted with a noise coming from your right, you looked over a fallen trunk, but saw nothing but a mild movement on a bush. It could be the wind, but you wouldn’t take your chances on a silly thought.
The aura was so tense you were about to make up your mind on coming back to the factory, leaving the hunt for another day, scared again of the creatures of the forest. You didn’t have time to decide, though. On your left, a wet thud caused you to jump. Your attention rapidly turned to the source of it.
A body had just fallen from one of the tree’s highest branches. For all you knew, that was a Moroaica, judging by its clothes and grey skin. This wasn’t the work of a Lycan. They would only eat other creatures when they didn’t have a different flesh and, before opting for this alternative, they would feast on the Village’s cattle. This must be something difference.
Only to confirm your suspicions, the culprit land in front of you. It came out of nowhere. Well, from one of the branches above your body. You instinctively screamed, not even noticing it, even though it was pretty loud. This thing wasn’t like anything you have ever seen in your life, but it resembled a lost tale from the cabins.
The story was about a pale creature, one that inhabits the dark, but would go out of its hiding places to hunt when starving. It was described to have sharp fangs for teeth and a blood thirst. On the folk’s tale, the thing wouldn’t have much reason, it would only know two things: the hunger and the instinct of reproduction.
However, this one, standing in front of you, had a human malice written in its red injected eyes, a beauty in its traces. It smirked at your thunderstruck face, feasting on your fear before feasting on your blood. The creature, which resembled a woman, approached your form elegantly, not rushing, having everything under its control.
She extended a hand full of sharp claws to your cheekbone, putting away a hair lock. She dug one claw into your skin, causing the red liquid to flow. Then she licked the blood from her nail, moaning to your sweet taste.
“You are too pretty to spoil.” She made up her mind, giving you a Cheshire cat smile.
The next movement was a blur to your human perception. You believe the thing attacked you, because you remember feeling your back meeting the soil with a thud. She was on top of you, pressing fangs on your neck. You passed out, regaining a faint consciousness some time later when you were being cared on someone’s shoulder when, before passing out again, your sensitive nostrils perceived a scent of oil.
-x-
Karl was worried out of his mind when he found you. He thought he heard your scream, but it was really the Lycan’s roars responding to it that enlightened the situation to him. He had just found the perfect metal piece when it happened, leaving the factory in a rush, panting already, only thinking of bringing his hammer that flew to his hand as he passed through the grid.
He used the Lycan’s flair to find you. No sign of whatever made that to you, it was only your body lying cold on the dead grass. He almost panicked, imagining you were forever lost. The relief the man felt to feel a weak blow of air on his hand when he placed it close to your nose was indescribable.
Heisenberg didn’t think twice before putting you over his shoulder, his hammer being held by his other hand, and take you back to the factory, cursing himself he let your go earlier, thinking he should have joined you or, at least, sent an escort of dogs with you.
You didn’t wake up for a long time. He laid you on his bed, watching as your chest went up and down with your breathing, this being the only thing that calmed his nerves down a little. But not so much later, he had to leave for a while, afraid he would throw everything metallic on the room.
He put on a real tantrum on a room nearby, not knowing the noises came to you on dreams as much as his enraged screams. Karl almost lost it there, turning himself into a beast on the sight of you hurt. Managing to stop only so he could really analyse your situation.
It was bad, but how bad he wasn’t sure. After being somewhat calmer, Karl quickly noticed the marks on your neck. He wasn’t a moron, specially when being “raised” with Alcina, he knew it was a bloodsucker’s doing. However, Lady Dimitrescu would never do such a messy job and it was even less probable that she would adventure herself on his area. No, it had to be a foreign.
Heisenberg would gladly chase this beast, swearing to tear it apart with his own teeth if it pleased him, but he couldn’t just leave you on your own. He sat on a chair beside the bed, holding your hand on his, focusing on the warmth on your skin. He stood like that for ours, after cleaning your wounds, on the verge of tears. At some point, he rested his head on your shoulder, near your soon-to-be new scar.
“C’mon, buttercup, wake up.” Karl whispered in your ear.
His hot breath was gently calling you out of a paralysis state. Your eyes started to open, your lips unglued, but a fever was commanding your body, making you feel restless. Heisenberg noticed your minor movements, his heart beat accelerating at the sight of your awakening.
“Fuck, Y/N!” He cursed, but a smiled formed on his lips. “Fuck, doll, what a scare you gave me!” Karl held your hand tighter.
“Karl…” You started. “I don’t feel so well.” You told him, seeing that perfect smile faint.
“I know.” He agreed. “I guess I know what it is.” An unpleasant expression formed on his brow. “Wait here.”
Karl didn’t wait until you responded, knowing you wouldn’t let him leave the room, but he had to test something and he really believed it would make you feel better. For fucks sake! It was the only way to make you cure. He went down the factory, to a part of it you didn’t yet know, but was going to get used to soon enough. He grabbed a bag of liquid and left, heading to the kitchen.
He poured the liquid in a glass and came back to you. You were now sat, trembling like crazy, wrapped by the blanket, but even that wasn’t enough to stop the cold. Seeing this, he didn’t mind sitting down on the chair again, extending the glass to you.
“Here, drink it.” He told you.
“What is it?” You asked, but the strong scent didn’t leave any doubts, you were just playing dumb.
“I guess you know what it is, Y/N.” Karl raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you hungry?” In response your stomach rumbled, making the man smirk.
“I-I can’t.” You sounded disgusted.
“You have to, kitten. It will make you feel better.” He took your hand on his, passing you the glass and guiding it to your lips.
You opened up just a little, resisting your new instincts, but as soon as the smell got more intense being that close to your nostrils, you gave up and drank it voraciously. The iron flavour making you salivate as the liquid calmed you down, stopping the trembling, washing away your fever, more potent than any medicine. When you emptied the glass, you proceeded to lick every last drop of blood reminiscent.
“That is a wild kitten.” Karl mocked, relieved at your reaction.
“Karl, what happened to me?” You wondered, not sure if he could answer.
Before telling you, he got into bed, taking off the blanket that was hiding your form. His fingers reached your marks, the sore region aching with the contact, causing him to retreat his digits. He sighed.
“You are not human anymore, Y/N.” Heisenberg told you, heavily.
“What?” You voice was a lot lower than your expected. You looked down to your lap.
“You encountered a thing back in the forest, right?” You only nodded. “Well, that thing bit you and… Well, transformed you.” He clarified.
“I feel… Better.” You moved your hands, stretching the fingers. “I mean, it hurts, but somehow I am more disposed.”
“You know…” Karl started, setting himself against the headboard, pulling you to rest in between his legs, your head resting on his chest as he played with your hair. “It isn’t ideal, but at least, now we can be together for a long time.” He kissed the top of your head and glanced down at you, care written all over his grey abysms.
“Forever?” You softly asked.
“Forever, kitten, forever.” Karl answered.
THE END.
19 notes · View notes
luvlyrv · 3 years
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Our Songs | pt. 6 | Wendy x F!Reader SM!AU
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Word Count: 2.7k
A/N: I hope the word count marginally makes up for the fact this series has been on a three month hiatus lol, don't worry though it'll finish soon!
Date: 6/10/21
Series Masterlist
Ever since you and Wendy exchanged numbers you find your hand unconsciously reaching out to your phone throughout the day. You hope to find a notification from her when you turn it on. Thankfully she always seemed to respond back, but even when she didn't you'd put your phone down to repeat the loop. You tried your best to make sure it didn't interfere with your work, but still, your day was marked by Wendy. Although she wasn't there physically your conversations always carried through day and night.
You've known her to be a warm person, always friendly and comforting. You hope you're not reading into things too much, but sometimes you read her messages and your heart skips a beat. The way she would talk about you would make you flustered. It would force you to put your phone down for a second, unable to comprehend the positivity. Then the thought that maybe she was flirting would creep into your head.
The idea that you're just imagining things always comes back to fight it though.
Shaking your head you decide not to contemplate the idea further. After all she was going to come over soon and you needed to focus on finishing your songs. Thinking about any possible romantic feelings was the last thing you wanted to do. Especially with her in front of you.
Luckily the thoughts dissipate as you zone into the work in front of you, scrutinizing every detail you possibly could. You let yourself sink into the feeling of the songs, letting it help guide your decisions in mixing. As quickly as you get focused though, you're broken out of your zone when you hear knocking on the door. Before answering you run to the mirror and take a quick look while trying to make sure you look presentable. When you rush up to the door to open it you act like nothing happened.
"H-hello! Welcome again to my humble abode!" You say it with a smile, trying to suppress the sudden fluttering feeling in your stomach.
"Hey!" She says while looking up and down at you. "Looks like we're accidentally matching today, huh?" Wendy walks past the door and you close it behind her. You take a moment to look at her outfit and then at yours. The both of you had a very blue color palette.
"Well, way to steal the spotlight. You look way cuter than me." You don't sound as confident as you'd like, your voice bordering on the softer and quieter side. You realize you haven't felt this nervous in a while.
"As if that could ever be possible!" Wendy turns her head back at you as she walks towards your room. She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue at you, only to quickly smile at your remark. "Now stop being silly and let's work."
You follow her into your bedroom and sit down in front of your computer. She sits on a familiar stool and the two of you immediately start working. You share what you have so far, all you do is record some more vocals, including harmonies and adlibs. You polish things with Wendy by your side to help make some stylistic choices. It took a few hours that only felt like mere minutes.
The sun is still out, unlike the first time the two of you had worked together. This leads you to ask Wendy something before she would leave.
"While we're here we should just record the collab video, yeah?" Wendy's eyes light up in recollection of your previous conversation.
"That sounds good, how about we do the Q&A type video today? I can just message Yeri for some questions."
"Sure, I'll ask Seulgi to make up some interesting things for us to answer too."
The two of you didn't have to wait long as both of your friends replied fast, excited to help out and excited to have some questions answered. You situate yourself next to Wendy in a comfortable position and get the camera ready. After getting the camera in position you take the time to fix the lighting in your room, making sure to have a soft and natural feeling with the lights.
Finally, the red light begins to blink on your camera and you wave. Wendy follows along and flashes the camera a friendly look. You give a quick introduction for the video.
"Hey everybody! I'm here with Wendy today to do a little Q&A type video for you guys! We've both gotten some questions from our friends and it's just to share a little about us, how we feel about our collaboration, behind the scenes type of stuff, you know?" Wendy tilts her head and looks at you as you talk, nodding to your words.
"I really can't wait to answer these questions with you." She says with a smile. She looks back at the camera as she pulls her phone out and looks at her messages with Yeri. "Neither of us have prepared any script or anything. We've barely even looked at the questions they've sent us!" You nudge Wendy with your elbow and laugh at a thought.
"What if they sent us something inappropriate?"
"Oh god, Yeri totally would." You both giggle before Wendy prompts you to start reading questions first.
"Alright we'll stop wasting our audience's precious time now. My dear Seulgi's first question is… "what were your first impressions?" Wendy doesn't hesitate to answer the question as soon as it was asked.
"Oh! Whenever Y/N entered the café we were meeting in I was kind of surprised! She doesn't post a lot of pics of herself so to see someone as talented as her in real life was an honor. She's really cute, right?" She reaches out to pinch the cheek of your so-called cute face. You strain a smile of embarrassment at her antics.
"Yeah yeah, I don't record myself a lot." When she stops her assault on your face you follow-up with your opinion. "For Wendy… I was also really surprised… I think I'm really lucky. You guys should know that a camera really doesn't do her justice! When I first met her she certainly gave off a very approachable demeanor too."
"Why do you think that?"
"I don't know? I was really nervous meeting you, yet when I saw you and when we got to talk the atmosphere turned into something really comfortable fast. Let's just move on to the next question." You take a look at your phone again to see Seulgi's question. "What's your favorite thing about the other? Well, Wendy has always been so sweet, it's been wonderful working with her. I appreciate the care and dedication to her work that she has shown me. Her musicality really helped pull everything together, and when I was stuck she was always there to give me a fresh perspective."
"Aww, that's so sweet of you." Wendy says with a blush on her face, her hand covering her face as she laughs a bit. "It's strange to be talking to you like this, I feel like. I think you're a really straightforward person but we haven't really talked about our opinions to this extent! Especially to a camera. Ah… well I think I could really say everything the same for Y/N." Wendy nods a bit in thought before continuing on. "To add to it though, I think Y/N has just always been so considerate to me. Like, beyond being a great musician she has been a good person to me. I think if you've seen some of our interactions on Twitter you'll know that she ended up cooking a wonderful meal for me on our first meeting. I think that if she wasn't as nice as she is, we wouldn't have had this much fun together… wait, this has been fun for you too, right?"
"Oh my god, yes it has. How could you doubt that?" You punch her arm with a fake upset face. You turn back to the camera. "Guys, we've hung out and have talked soooo much outside of our collab. I literally don't understand how she can have a single doubt in her mind about us having fun."
"It doesn't hurt to clarify! Anyways, next question now! And stop punching so hard!"
"Oh hush, it wasn't that hard. Oh hmm, to go along with that Seulgi wonders what our least favorite thing about each other is."
"That's an easy one!" Wendy says all too excitedly. You make a shocked expression, worry flooding your system as Wendy points at you with a smile. "I hate how you're absolutely brimming with talent! Your work is impeccable! Musical genius!"
You groan as your body crumples. "You nearly gave me a heart attack…" Your voice is muffled between your knees.
"It's true though!" Wendy says in a sing-song voice, her face smug in satisfaction to see your scared reaction. "Otherwise there's nothing I can really say."
You gather the strength to get back up and face the camera, then Wendy. Your face is still filled with disappointment but you take your time to stare at Wendy. As you stare at her she seems to come undone as she nervously looks away.
"What are you doing?" A red color subtly creeps up her neck.
"I'm just thinking. I'm thinking that… You also have nothing wrong with you." Wendy can't help but to roll her eyes at your comment. "Except for being awfully cheesy. It makes me wanna go bury myself in a ditch so I won't have to hear your stupid cheesiness again."
"Whatever, whatever. It's my turn to read the questions. Now… this is a good one, "what has the work process been like?"
"Well that's obvious, I do all the work and Wendy leeches off of me like a parasite."
"Hey! Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it to the world!" Her response throws you into a fit of laughter, turning you into a mess.
"Oh my, no no! It's really not like that. I would say we have an equal workload, or a workload that makes sense between our respective positions." Wendy shakes her head in disagreement.
"I don't feel so. I feel like Y/N always does so much work, and she does it so quickly too. It makes me feel kind of bad when I sit beside her and see her work her magic. When she's focused and working so hard it's quite amazing."
"Ah geez." You shyly scratch the back of your neck. "Wendy's always like this, complimenting me. Like I said earlier though, she really helps bring me new perspective when I'm stuck and her musicality is like nothing else. She always takes the time to sit next to me and monitor things too. It's not like she's a third party to the process. Not only that," You take the time to send Wendy a smile in an attempt to reassure her that you're not burdened with work. You want her to know that you appreciate her part of the creative process, "but nothing really feels like hard work when I'm with you."
Wendy has a hard time processing your words, so instead of addressing it she decides to just further elaborate her answer to the question.
"Well, I'll just lay down the process for everyone. Obviously, Y/N produces and I sing. Although after enough convincing from me you'll hear her singing on the tracks as well, so say thank you! It all started when Y/N took the time to reach out to me, which I was really excited about by the way, and then we both agreed to meet up at a local place. We just talked about concepts and our availability. We both ended up writing songs and worked together on what we wanted to keep or change. Everything productive happens here," Wendy opens her arms to gesture to the area around her, "at Y/N's place. Even though I have audio equipment at my place too we just record things here."
"Yeah, everything she said is true. I have a little set-up here in my room. I don't think I've ever really shown you guys it? I mean, I've shown my guitar collection before but not all my other equipment yet. I'll film that another time though. Next question?"
"Oh this is kind of interesting to think about, "what do you think the reception of your mini-album will be?" The both of you take a moment to think about it. Recalling many of the things you've read on social media you decided to speak first.
"Well, I think it'll be extremely beneficial to the both of us in multiple ways. I mean first off, I guess by our genre of music we have a lot of overlap between fans. There's been an overwhelming amount of support from fans who are excited to see the both of us collaborate and interact. I have no doubt that it'll do well since it's so highly anticipated by our fans. It'll be even better if you guys manage to stream and share it!" Throughout your explanation you begin to give Wendy shy glances. "I think that even if we drop our music and it doesn't meet much success, I would've gained a lot. I think working together with Wendy has helped me grow as a musician and anything that I learn here I will utilize in the future."
At your last comment Wendy seemed to get excited and she quickly added on.
"Exactly! If anything the most important part about all of this is the fact that I have gained skills as a musician and gained a friend. That greatly outweighs any potential of success." Wendy has a bright smile on her face, happy to be able to call you a friend.
"That doesn't mean we don't want you guys to go ahead and share our music by the way." You joke light-heartedly. "It would mean a lot if you did."
"Now final question for this video! We've been talking too much." Wendy looks at her phone, unlike before she takes a couple seconds before reading the question aloud. "Uh, I think this should be fun to answer. "What do you want to do in the future together?" I think that obvious answer is to make more music!"
You chuckle at her answer before responding as well. "Going to each other's places to have a jam session doesn't sound bad, but hanging out in general is good. We'll definitely continue being friends, and if the reception for our collab is really good we might do another one? That is, of course, if Wendy is okay with that."
"I would be more than happy to do that. I was also thinking of forcing you to binge watch more shows and movies with me."
"Only if you stop hogging the popcorn. Anyways, I think this should be the end of our video. I highly encourage all of you to check-out Wendy's channel in a couple days. The day right before release we're going to be dropping one more video together! Bye-bye!" You wave a goodbye to the camera with a smile. Wendy joins you in your outro.
"See you guys soon!"
You go to turn your camera off as Wendy goes to gather her things. After turning off your lights you go to sit back down on your seat, importing the recently filmed footage to your computer. Wendy takes this moment to sit down next to you again.
"Again, thank you for your hard work!" She says it with a smile as she brings her hand on your arm. "I'm always amazed with the quality of your work and how quickly you can do it."
"No problem, I'll send the songs to you later for your feedback. We'll be able to post everything soon." You smile back at her and give her hand a comforting squeeze. A part of you wishes you could keep your hand there forever.
"Alright, well see you at my place soon!"
When you finally hear the click of your door closing you let out a sigh. You don't want to think about it. You don't want to face it.
You don't want to face the possibility that you've fallen.
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hufflautia · 3 years
Text
Where it all started [Part 1]
Chapter 1 
Sometimes links don’t appear on posts. if you can’t see the link to “Chapter 1”, my masterlist is pinned to the top of my blog, and you can find it there.
Summary: Slytherin’s parents have another argument, but at this point, no one’s surprised. After all, they’re her parents. It would be abnormal if they didn’t argue. However, this one’s a biggie. The fight ends with the slam of a door and her dad packing his bags into the car and getting ready to leave. Desperate for him to come back, Slytherin’s mom forces her to go to him with a message that will surely make him stay. Buckle up folks, for this is where it all began. 
Slytherin stood on the sidewalk as she watched her dad pack up his things into the van. 
She dug her fingernails into her arm, her heart stinging with ache as her dad turned around with a smile on his face, a failed attempt to reassure her that it was going to be ok. It was all gonna be ok. After all, this was normal, right? It’s not like it was unusual that her dad was leaving again to go back to Florida, where the homewrecker waited for him, her outstretched hands eagerly opened up to him and his credit card. 
However, this was the first time he left abruptly. A spike of sorrow stabbed at Slytherin’s heart as she thought back to the sound of her parents’ door abruptly opening; soon after, she could hear angry stomps that quickly descended down the steps of the staircase. 
She could almost hear the hiss in her ear as she stood in the archway of the living room, watching her dad leave in the far distance. “Tell him that Ravenclaw’s crying,” her mother spat, pushing her towards the front door. “Quickly, before he leaves!” 
Slytherin internally sighed. How typical. Instead of resolving their relationship issues by going to couples therapy, her mom decided to throw all those burdens onto her daughter, who had already grown tragically used to being used as her puppet. 
She decided not to argue against going after her dad and trying to guilt-trip him into staying home as her mom wanted. Otherwise, she would be lectured on how she’s selfish and wouldn’t do this small thing for her mom, how she’s basically ruining this family by letting her dad leave, how family is so fucking important and manipulating her dad into staying would be vital to their happiness as a whole, how family this and family that. 
You get the point. Slytherin certainly did. That’s why she was currently standing awkwardly behind her dad, staring at his back as he lifted boxes into his car. 
“Um, Raven…” She paused. Her throat felt dry and tight. Swallowing with difficulty, she tried again. “Ravenclaw’s crying.” 
It wasn’t the crying itself that mattered. That wasn’t the main reason why her mom rushed her out the door to deliver the message to her dad. It was simply the fact that it was Ravenclaw who was crying. Let’s just say that he and his dad had a complicated relationship. 
Things were never the same between them after Ravenclaw sent an angry message to him via text when he was in Florida a year ago. The contents of the message reeked of disdain for his constant infidelity. When his mom found out, she shoved the phone into Slytherin’s face in the dead of night and asked if she knew about this. The glaring light from the screen nearly blinded her. 
Slytherin read the text messages through squinted eyes and could make out a few curse words here and there. Though she was slightly disoriented from the sudden ambush of information, it was clear to her that her brother resented their dad for what he did.  
That made Ravenclaw’s anguish even more useful in their mom’s opinion. Seeing the tears streak down his face when he heard that his dad was leaving again, she had a glorious idea. Perhaps if her husband knew of their son’s sorrow, he would reconsider his abrupt departure. After all, it was Ravenclaw who was crying. 
If it were Hufflepuff, that would be understandable—she can get quite emotional sometimes. But it was Ravenclaw, who was usually guarded and distant. One might suggest that he was secretly broken inside. But that’s not the point, at least not in his mom’s opinion. The main thing she was concerned about was that she could use his misery to her advantage! Maybe if her husband knew of his sadness, he would feel guilty enough to stay behind. After all, if his son, who despised him, was upset over his departure, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to stay home and endure his wife’s temper for a little while longer. 
Slytherin’s words did produce somewhat of a reaction. Her dad didn’t turn around for a while, but when he did, his eyes were slightly red and puffy. It was evident that he was trying to hold back his tears. One might think that this means that he’ll stay. He seemed distraught over the news that his son was crying because of his leave. Surely, he’ll stay, right? 
It wasn’t enough. Nothing ever seems to be enough.
“I’ll be back soon, okay?” He hugged her briefly and gave a light squeeze as a sign of reassurance. As a silent message that it was going to be ok. Even though everything was most definitely not okay. A thousand hugs and gestures of reassurance wouldn’t change this. 
Slytherin didn’t react angrily to his refusal, the unspoken declaration of No, I will not go back home. In fact, it seemed as if she didn’t react at all. However, if one were paying close attention, they would notice the sparkle in her eyes dim. But maybe there wasn’t a sparkle to begin with. She had been enduring this shit for so long that she forgot what it was like to be normal, to feel like the white kid you see in commercials, the one who seemed to radiate mirth, a type of energy that said, I don’t have a care in the world because life is so fucking great and I can’t stop smiling. She didn’t even bother to smile, a common facial expression when one is in a difficult situation and tries to diffuse the somber atmosphere by slapping a facade on their face, the corners of their lips upturned to form a grimace that resembles some sort of a smile—a twisted kind of smile, that’s for sure. Why should she pretend that everything was okay when it wasn’t? Instead, she merely nodded in response. 
When her dad pulled away to pack the last box into the trunk, she took a deep breath to diminish the familiar sense of abandonment that flooded her senses, to clear the warning signs that flashed in her mind. He’s leaving! Your dad is leaving! He’s abandoning you again. You’re apparently not important enough for him to stay. 
She stared at the ground, only looking up when she heard the sound of a car door slamming shut. The resounding click was all it took for the waterfalls to finally pour from her eyes, for it was at this moment when she realized that this was actually happening. This was no dream—it was reality. Her sad, devastating reality. Tears blurred her vision as she watched the car drive away, leaving her in the dust. 
Slytherin gasped in erratic breaths between her broken sobs as her eyes hung onto the tiny speck that resembled her dad who was driving 
away, 
away, 
and a-w-a-y.
Through the jumble of thoughts that clashed in her head, one thing was clear. Her dad was her dad, but only sometimes. 
Tears streaking down her face, she tried to soothe her pain with the belief that he would be back soon. If only she had known that it would be a while before he returned. If only he hadn’t left. Perhaps things would’ve been different for her if he stayed, for this was where it started. 
This marked the beginning of it all.   
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Comments and reblogs are a writer’s gold!
MASTERLIST ; sometimes links don’t appear on posts. if you can’t see the link to “MASTERLIST”, the masterlist itself is pinned to the top of my blog. check it out if you haven’t already! 
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Author’s note: HI! Were you surprised to see that I posted two fics in a row?? I hope you enjoyed this. Most of it was unfortunately based on what happened to me a year or two ago. I based Ravenclaw on my brother, who did actually cry when my dad was leaving after an argument, and yes, my wack mother did force me to run after my dad to tell him. One of the few differences is that I’m not a drug addict and I’m fine now so dont worry. 
Idk how I feel about this series, it is a lot darker from what I usually write. I know I’m gonna have to write more for creative writing class, so maybe i will continue it. I will try to think of how to turn these fics into something more positive, because this stuff is very heavy and depressing. however, that will be a little difficult because the plot itself is naturally drab. however, i will try to think of a happy ending for Faye/Slytherin. 
Shall we look at some wholesome pictures? 
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lmaoaoa i pasted this picture from the internet and tumblr glitched and pushed the pic all the way to the top. imagine seeing this dog at the beginning of the fic, that would be funny :’) 
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AWWWWWW I THINK THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE
ok hold up i just realized that is probably a stuffed animal 😐 this is so embarassing lmaoaoa when i saw it i was like THAT IS SO FRICKIN CUTE
OK WAIT WTF NOW I THINK ITS AN ACTUAL DOG??? CAN SOMEONE HELP AND TELL ME IF ITS REAL OR NOT?!! at first, i thought it was real, but then i looked at the paws and it looked kinda fake and i was like this dog is too fluffy and wholesome to be real. BUT THEN I LOOKED AGAIN and i think the owners just put the pooh outfit over the dog?? what is going on with my brain.. but at the same time, its 2 am for me rn so maybe i should get some sleep BUT FIRST, LETS LOOK AT MORE DOGS <3 (lmaoaoa i feel like my friend would say “gosh ur such a hufflepuff” (menna im talking about u lmao omg hey gorl)) 
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After seeing this gryffindor pup, i immediately searched up “dog costumes hufflepuff” lmaoooooo
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OK THATS ENOUGH DOGS FOR NOW. Part 2 is coming soon. I already have it ready but I might not post it right away. 
That’s all for now. Be sure to let me know what you think. TOODELOOO!
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whereflowersbloom · 3 years
Text
Father by accident
Richard Grayson had everything any man could want, a stable and well remunerated job at Wayne Enterprises, working with his adoptive father: Bruce Wayne, a deluxe and splendid apartment with a premier location at The Arch building, his black new flying spur Bentley, more money than he could spend. Yes, Dick Grayson had everything, except for a romantic relationship and happiness. Something was missing and he had no idea what it was. When Richard Grayson arrived in the Land of the Thunder Dragon just about four days before, it never crossed his mind, never in his wildest, irrational thoughts it occurred to him, his life would be completely turned around by adopting a baby. A baby, he found during his morning run, let alone while he was in a business trip in a foreign country.
Dick Grayson was in Thimphu, Bhutan for work, closing a deal with NGN Technologies, representing Wayne Enterprises, technically he was accompanying Tim, his adoptive youngest brother, a prodigy gifted with an inherent business sense and unbeatable instinct, who was in charge of handling the negotiations, reaching an agreement. He was only here to supervise the details and clear his mind, after his recent breakup with Barbara Gordon. Dick would always pretend that he’s fine, after his breakup with Barbara, and that he’s moved on already. But of course, Tim knew better than that, not mentioning anything about women or the name Barbara.
There were minor specifications to arrange before signing the contract, though it shouldn’t take more than a day or two, knowing Tim. He wasn’t too strict with the schedule and let Dick have free time to explore the foreign land. Bhutan. Thimphu, it was a rather small city for a capital. It had several great hikes and fertile valleys, with green and tall trees, blue rivers and mountains spread south-north along river Thimphu Chu, offering a breathtaking view.
Dick decided to start his day with his usual morning run, to stretch his aching muscles.
He quickly acclimated to the cold weather of the Bhutanese capital. January may be the coldest month of the year, but the stunning Himalayan scenery and the bright clear days made it worth it. He also learned rapidly the paths and ways of the city so he wouldn’t need to look at a map or his phone while on his run, thanks to Bruce who taught to be prepared for anything. Nonetheless, nothing could have Prepared him for the enormous surprise awaiting him that particular morning. On the fifth day of their stay in Bhutan, he could practically move around the city without looking at street signs or maps. Perks of being a fast learner. He easily acclimated to his route, and he figured it was easy enough to remember anyway.
Dzong Park’s entrance was beautifully decorated, soft-fallen snow graced the walls and the buthan cypress trees, hues of blue and purple which were gently brushing unto white reigned winter tim, atmosphere calm and peaceful, but it was practically empty especially at six in the morning. There was hardly any sound. He’d been running through the park for the past three days though, so it’s not like this surprised him anymore considering the icy winds.
When Richard goes on running, he usually wears earphones, however he has opted to not use them and enjoy the quietude of the park. And he supposed it was lucky he didn’t, because while he was on his run, he was interrupted when he heard a small cry.
The northern wind rustled his hair gently, whispering, trying to tell him something, and that was the moment his life completely.
He stopped, momentarily shocked by the noise, looking around for the source of the sound. The park was undeniably empty. No one was supposed to be there, but the small cries persisted. Then he decided to close his eye and concentrate on the direction of said sound, in order to follow it, because even anywhere, he could recognize that unmistakable sound, and when he finally found the source of the incessant cries, he was both grateful and regretful at the same time that he did. Grateful in a sense of ‘Thank god, this baby wouldn’t have survived another hour on this place’, it was cold and frosty, and regretful in a sense because then, Richard had the responsibility of having to take care of how to go about it.
Richard Grayson had no idea what to do, utterly dumbfounded. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed, when he looked at the source of the small cries that interrupted his morning run. A baby wrapped in a light green blanket was in a woven basket, and the baby was crying loudly. He knelt down and saw a piece of paper sticking out of its blanket, and when he took it to read it, it was in a language he assumed was similar to Chinese.
The air was so cold and damp that the chill reached deep into the young man and clung to his bones. What was he supposed to do? A baby. Oh mighty Lord.
Right then, he had a choice: he could leave, and proceed with his morning run and pretend he never noticed the baby at all. That was a complete lie. He could never leave an abandoned baby on his own. Bruce had taken him in after the unfortunate death of both his parents, how could he give his back to a baby who could possibly be in the same position. His other choice, a more sensible and reasonable option: he could call authorities and risk being late at meeting before signing the contract, because dealing with the officials who will be asking about how he found the baby, he figured would take more than a few hours, or who might have left the baby, and he doesn’t exactly speak Chinese or this strange language they spoke in the land of the Thunder dragon. What had Tim called it, Dzongka? He didn’t speak it. At all.
Not wasting any more time, he pulled his phone out and dialed a familiar number.
“I haven’t had my first cup of coffee yet. This better be important, Dick.” A sleepy voice responded on the line. His earlier anxiety did not fade, contrary, it increased.
Swallowing hard, Dick turned his attention back to the baby in the basket. “Hey Timbo, I need your help.” He began nervously as he ruffled dark locks, the baby’s cries seemed to have quietened down when it saw another human’s presence. He couldn’t decide if it was good or bad. Don’t get attached, Richard. He faltered, worry tightening his features. “Do you speak Chinese or Dzongka? Whatever language they speak in this country.”
“Bold of you to assume Bruce would send me on a business negotiation trip unready.” Tim answered and Dick rolled his eyes at his sarcastic comment. His younger brother took a deep breath before he continued speaking. “I had enough time to get familiar with the language, but I cannot say confidently I speak it fluidly. Why? Please don’t tell me you got into trouble and you need me to speak with Bhutanese officers.”
Silence. Dick remained quiet, obviously at a loss for words.
Weighting the words in his mind, Richard mustered courage to explain the rare situation. “No. I’m in Dzong park, out for a morning run, as usual.” He paused to lick his lips. “But I found an abandoned baby while I was running.”
“You what? ” Tim incredulously asked, not sure he had heard the right word, and Dick heard the sound of liquid spilling on the other end of the line, so he figured the shock must have made Tim spill his precious coffee. “I’m sorry, did you say you found a what?”
“A baby.” Dick repeated.
“That’s what I thought.” Tim said still stupefied and Dick let out a weary sigh, wondering what would get Tim to snap out of it. “Caffeine isn’t damaging my hearing. A baby?” He asked in absolute bewilderment.
Which part of baby was too complicated for Timothy Jackson Drake, the genius Wayne heir, to comprehend.
“Yes. A baby, Tim.” Dick said in as gentle a tone as he can muster, blue eyes glued to the small baby.
“You mean...as in a Homo Sapiens offspring?” Tim faltered on the words as he struggled to calculate the probability of an scenario where his adoptive older brother came across an abandoned baby while running.
Dick snapped, feeling a bit exasperated himself. “Tim, I seriously need your help with this problem. But, yes, a real, breathing tiny human.” He exclaimed impatiently, raising his voice, tone nearly dry as he answered Tim’s question.
“Where are you?” Regaining composure while processing the information, Tim asked for his brother’s whereabouts, feeling the very beginning of a headache brewing, pulsing sharply at his temples. Cursing quietly as he got dressed in a rush.
“Dzong park. Listen, use my tracker to find me. I’m about four miles from the hotel we are staying in.” Bouncing on the tips of his toes, Richard couldn’t seem to stay still, hot Adrenaline rushing through his veins.
A few breathy grunts were all that heralded Tim’s distress at the unexpected event. “I’ll call the authorities. Dick, stay exactly where you are. We are already tangled in this mess, and mess was not in the agenda.” His brother hung up before Dick could assure him he wouldn’t go anywhere without the baby not until the authorities arrived at least.
But Dick took a single look at the small baby, who had opened his almond-shaped eyes, the baby was a boy, with bright green eyes resembling emeralds, open wide and looking at him. Dick was immediately captivated. He adjusted the blanket and found that the baby’s hair was as dark as the night, naturally tanned skin that appeared to have been kissed by the sun itself. He was perfect. This child was the cutest little thing he had ever laid his eyes on.
And something, something he couldn’t put into words tugged in his heart. It would hurt like hell to let go of his child. Let go of something that was not his. It would tear out his heart, his bones if he let anything happen to this baby boy.
Looking at him closely, he would be about two months old, maybe, and he looked healthy and well-fed. Did his mother have a change of heart and left him here alone? He grabbed the note once again and started at it, inspected it, hoped that any English translation would be present below the Strange writing. There was only one word he could find to translate with the help of his smartphone. Damian.
A cold wind passed and the baby shivered slightly, in that moment Richard took the baby in his arms, wrapping the soft blanket around the baby’s body again, protecting his fragile body from the gelid breeze as his cheeks turned lightly pink.
Dick felt a connection, one he couldn’t quite explain, but it was there, and it’s connecting him to the baby. No. Damian. Damian was what was missing.
This is a WIP I comptely forgot about but here’s. Chapter kinda??
Single dad Dick Grayson, raising baby Damian 👀👀
@sofiii @wingedskyes @chromium7sky @deepbreadlover
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Note
Ngl, the Nadia anons and fic have me in a Nadia mood. Can we get a fic where MC and Vivienne aren't dating, but Nadia thought they were and finds out they aren't, so she tries winning over MC, and MC is both wary and slightly charmed, despite the entire Poppy being exasperated, and finally agrees to a date? It could be a follow on from the other fic or it's own thing. (If you receive this ask twice please ignore the 2nd one, tumblr gave a bad request message for the first so idk if you got it)
Pairing with: “Can we have a Nadia stalking mc instead of Vivienne? Getting intrigued by the mc and then wanting her to join her instead“
...
Written by @an-awkward-ghost
“I’m a bit confused.”
The voice is firm, perhaps even a bit harsh, and it has Nadia instantly on edge. Were it not for the small, almost imperceptible hint of playfulness, the blond thief would have already brandished her knife. Instead, she just freezes there, wide eyed, letting the voice wash over her and awaken a torrent of feelings she had buried deep within her. Emotions only brought problems, only made her pick all the wrong options. She couldn’t trust something as fickle as that. She knew that. Well. At least she thought she knew that.
Yet here she is, eagerly spinning around after a moment’s hesitation, seeking the owner of that sweet, sweet, harsh voice.
It had only been a month, but Karina seemed to have changed drastically. Gone was the insecure little girl she had been, wrapped in Vivienne’s shadow. Now she stood strong and unflinching just a few meters away, shoulders thrown back in attempt to look taller, brown eyes calculating Nadia’s every movement like a predator. One wrong move, and it was over.
Nadia didn’t want to underestimate a woman like Karina ever again.
“You said you weren’t after Vivienne anymore… but here you are anyway.” Her eyes flickered up and down, her expression softening with a small, unconcerned smile. It didn’t look cocky, nor did it look happy. It was teasing, meant to irritate Nadia to her very core, but she found she couldn’t quite look at it without feeling butterflies rise. It was unfair. Nadia pursed her lips and looked away, and Karina continued. “What am I supposed to think?”
She felt like she had been put under a microscope, left there to be picked apart by the artist.
“It… was a coincidence?” She finally said, voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil of emotions she was experiencing.
Karina hummed. “Yeah, I don’t really believe in coincidences and that only leaves me with plenty of creepy alternatives. You might want to explain yourself.”
“I didn’t know you would come here next.” Nadia forced herself to meet her gaze, half-wishing she could just burn the butterflies in her stomach so she could actually concentrate, half-berating herself for not realizing where her true affections laid sooner. “I had planned to stay away from you – that’s why I decided to come here in the first place.”
“Sure. Awfully close to our next target, too. How convenient.”
Frustration could not begin to convey what Nadia was feeling right now. Hot-headed indignation, barely held at bay by the cold, murky feeling of rejection. Her hands closed into fists, then opened, then closed again in quick motions, as if she were trying to grasp her conflicting feelings and bury them even deeper.
“I didn’t even know you had a target here.” She spat at last, scowling. “Look, I won’t get in between your relationship with Vivienne anymore. I won’t even stay here, if it bothers you so much. I could probably pick the next flight to–”
“My relationship?”
“Yes, your– why are you looking at me like that?” It takes a few seconds. Nadia has never had so many conflicting feelings in her entire life. There’s the bubbly, blissful hope that lifts her spirits and spreads over her whole body like a blanket of pure joy, warm and fuzzy, but there’s also the sinking, bitter sensation of a misunderstanding. Of not reading the room correctly, despite that being Nadia’s forte. “You aren’t dating Vivienne.”
Karina’s smile seems a little less detached, bordering on genuine. “It’s true I had some interest in her at the beginning, but I quickly realized a relationship wasn’t the best choice. Hey, maybe we should start a club or something! God knows there’s enough people interested in Vivienne to get plenty of members.”
“Then… but she didn’t– you were jealous!”
“Yeah, I can’t deny that.” A sheepish shrug. “But in my defense, who wouldn’t be?”
Nadia takes a deep breath. “You were jealous.” She repeats, more to herself than to Karina. She’s trying to make this whole situation make sense. “Of Vivienne…? Because I was giving attention to her.”
A light blush that might be Nadia’s imagination appears on Karina’s face. “I think we might be getting off topic here. You, uh, you said you were going to leave?”
“I was, but there’s no way I’m doing that after this revelation.” After a month of aimlessly swimming through the situation, Nadia finally thinks she might have found her footing. She smirks. “You are interested in me.”
Karina looks her up and down again, wary. “Was. You know, before I found out you are an obsessive asshole.”
“Believe me, I’ve learnt my lesson. I’ll respect your boundaries.” She takes a few steps closer. Karina seems rooted in place, body angling towards the end of the alleyway they are in, but making no move to leave. “But I can’t let this chance slip me by.”
“Chance? So because you couldn’t get Vivienne, now you are after me?”
“Ah…” Nadia hesitates, all confidence wavering. The other woman narrows her eyes. “No. No, I…” The words were right there. Somehow, they wouldn’t come out.
“You…?
“It’s just. I didn’t– I…” She lets out a small grunt of frustration. “I wasn’t interested in her. I thought I was. Turns out she wasn’t the one that interested me at all.”
“But then… why did you…” A beat, and Karina’s eyes widen. “You were projecting your feelings onto her.”
“Yes. And now that it’s come out into the open that you are also interested-”
“Was. I was interested. Past tense. Nadia, I’m saying no. Can you respect that, please?”
Nadia pursed her lips, feeling her good mood dissipate. This was what had ruined her chances in the past, her near violent approach. She backed the subject of her interest to a corner where they would have no other choice but to pick her, because the alternative was even worse.
That’s not something she wanted for Karina. Whatever this affection was, it felt far more fragile and precious than any of her other obsessions.  Far more real. Worth treasuring. Nadia wasn’t sure she could even call this feeling ‘an obsession’.
She couldn’t force something like this. She didn’t want to.
“I understand.” She said. “And you have every right to say no, but I want you to give me a chance to prove that I’ve changed.” That had been mostly thanks to the sheer number of sleepless nights she had had, just thinking about everything. Her ideology and how it clashed with the Poppy’s, mainly. That was why she had scrapped the video her crew was working on, why she had put on hold the heists they had planned.
She knew she still had a long way to go, but she was willing and raging to go. A change was long overdue.
“Just one chance. I won’t let it go to waste.”
“It was creepy enough when it was Vivienne, but I didn’t expect to endure this type of thing again.” Zoe holds up a gift for everyone to see with a small grimace. Jett takes one look at it and whistles in appreciation.
“Those are some quality paints, alright. You’re going to have a field day with those, Kar.”
“Who said I was going to use them?”
“So I can throw them out or-”
“What? No! Zoe, don’t!”
Vivienne smirks from where she is curled up on the couch, amusement crinkling in her eyes. “Now this is a development, thought I can’t say it was unexpected.” The mirth dies down soon enough. To anyone else she’d look composed, detached, but the members of the Poppy know her well enough to detect the hint of worry clouding her expression. “How do you feel about this, Karina? Would you like us to handle it?”
“I can think of a few ways that might be effective.” Leon adds, from the other side of the room, a frown firmly in place.
“She just can’t give up, can she?” Remy huffs. “First Vivienne, now Karina… When do you think you’ll have your turn, Zoe?”
Zoe gives him a dry look. “Never. Not if I can help it. But seriously Kar, what do we do? If I have to see another gift from that woman, I swear-”
“No, no, it’s okay.”
The living room is always alive with noise when the Poppy gathers in it, sharing laughs, the atmosphere light and welcoming. All of that skids to an abrupt stop as soon as Karina has finished talking. Silence reigns so perfectly it becomes deafening, all eyes on her, searching, prodding, as if they were trying to find out when Karina had been replaced by some kind of impostor.
The artist laughs. “Seriously. Just give me at least a week with her. I want to see something.”
“Something?” Nikolai repeats, one of his eyebrows so far up into his hairline Karina is almost expecting it to fall off. “Not that I don’t trust your judgement, but you must remember who we are talking about. One week is plenty of time for her to kill you.”
“One week.” Karina says again, resolute. “That is all I ask.”
The rest of the Poppy sputters in a chaos of half-shouted reasons why this won’t work, and half-muttered inquiries regarding Karina’s sanity. She takes it all in stride, mostly because they aren’t telling her anything new, something she hadn’t considered before making the decision. Curiosity kills the cat, some say, and Karina is definitely curious to see how much Nadia has allegedly changed.
“I’m definitely surprised this time.”
Nadia gives her a curious look, her smirk firmly in place. The confidence she exudes is something that had interested Karina from the moment she had first seen the blonde woman, an unhinged storm worth admiring from a distance.
She had certainly mellowed out. There was still a dangerous undertone to her every action, but it was more controlled. Karina wasn’t naive, she knew Nadia could still kill people if she wanted to, probably with no remorse whatsoever, but she had the impression she would at least consider other alternatives before rushing in for the kill. Nadia hadn’t been lying – she had changed.
Or she was a really good actress, but Karina was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“I didn’t think you’d have such a drastic change in just one month.”
Blue eyes shimmer with delight. Nadia practically preens.
“I’m full of surprises. You’d better get used to that.”
“Good! That just means I won’t get bored anytime soon.”
“I’ll ensure you don’t.”
The chill of the night makes for an excellent excuse to get closer, not that Nadia really needs it. She moves closer to her in one smooth movement, but Karina catches the look the blonde woman sends her way, making sure she’s not overstepping any boundaries. It’s a sweet gesture, something she wouldn’t have expected from Nadia in the past.
They’re on top of the Eiffel Tower. Leon is somewhere near, out of sight, and Karina can just imagine him staring at them from wherever he is with a concerned frown, ready to intervene at any sign of trouble. But nothing of the sort happens. Instead, Karina stands there, transfixed by the anecdotes Nadia is telling her, eyes tracking her every movement with a shocked wonder she hadn’t felt before. There had been a spark with Vivienne, all those months ago, when the Poppy had recruited her, but nothing like the emotion she feels now. There’s a raging fire somewhere in her soul she had ignored until now, emboldened by Nadia’s smile, by her touch, by her mere presence.
And when the date comes to an end, and she stands inches away, blue eyes searching hers for permission?
Karina can only nod, eyes fluttering shut as Nadia slips one finger under her chin, directing her face up, expression softening as she leans in.
She feels like she is on cloud nine.
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craftypeaceturtle · 3 years
Text
Folk Stories
Summary: Hakoda has been rescued from Boiling Rock and now has joined the little family his children have created. What a better way to warm everyone up than to tell a folk story he heard while he was in the prison?
Note: This is my first ATLA fic so feedback is crucial!!! I tried to get a grasp on the culture presented in the show but I’m not entirely sure I got everything. So please feel free to give feedback!!! A bog standard Gaang finds out about the scar fic!
Slight discussion around child abuse, no depiction but still be careful. 
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Arriving at the Western Air Temple was bizarre. That was the only way to describe it. The air was chilling with a constant gust. It felt somehow both fresh but also deadened. Like it wasn’t a new wind but rather the same old air forever cycling through the walls. The Temple itself was crumbling to pieces. The place felt… haunted. Not that that was a very sensitive thing to say. But despite the eight children running about and claiming it as home for a couple of weeks now, the place just felt wrong. Like it was wrong to even be standing here. He couldn’t imagine what Aang felt. Maybe it only felt so bizarre because it was the exact opposite of the modern spacious war ship with his very hyperactive chatty son who remained glued to his side.
Not that Hakoda could really complain. Sokka walked away once halfway through to relieve himself and he felt like he had lost a limb.
He walked off the ship as casually as he could and stiffly walked forward to the rest of the group. Immediately, he was knocked over with Katara. He tried to laugh it off but he clutched her just as tight. It still felt weird to be able to stand and hug her rather than ducking down. Her hair was wildly wispy over his face. She smelled of the campfire smoke that was cracking nearby. That was what was probably bringing tears to his eyes. After a heartful clinging hug, he finally noticed the rest of them looking at him. Right. Other people. He sat down with a welcoming smile and beckoned them all. They all sat and chatted.
 What was made instantly clear was that all these kids were close. Like family close. Really, he should’ve saw this coming. Like when he tried to subtly ask Sokka on the warship if he was really sure he wanted to hang out with someone like Zuko and he was immediately met with a stern lecture. It almost made him laugh. His kids had the bad habit of just seeing a potential friend and deciding they would defend them to their deaths. Must have got that from their mother… probably.
 He didn’t really mean to but he was so glad he was taking the time to sit with them all. While it did feel a little awkward, it made his chest glow to finally have the chance to actually know who his kids were hanging out with.  
 Toph seemed a lot, honestly. She was firm and extremely confident in her actions and morals. Which sounds like the exact thing the group needed. A firmer hand to guide them to their goal. Someone to help point Sokka’s genius. Someone to stop Katara and Aang from getting too emotional and getting them out of bad situations. Only problem was that she was a twelve-year-old girl. Her confidence in her actions was her being absolutely certain that punching was definitely an affectionate gesture and that crime should be allowed if it’s fun. But Hakoda found himself laughing along with her so he couldn’t complain much.
Haru seemed the closest thing to an actual responsible adult the group had. But he was very quiet. Very polite. But he seemed content to live his own life and try to get back to some form of normal. He was willing to fight and help the group survive but it was clear he was never going to be involved in helping Aang defeat the Firelord. Maybe that’s a good thing. Destiny wasn’t something he tried to understand but it was obvious that Aang should be the one alone to face him.
The Duke was a child. He was very fun to joke with but then again, every now and then, he would say something make it clear he was a child who had seen the very worse parts of war. He was a child who had never experienced a moment of childhood. His heart hurt for him, but he wasn’t an idiot to say that out loud.
Teo seemed so bright and cheerful compared to the deadened temple. Even compared to his usually bright loud kids. They were so stupidly excited at his arrival, but they still seemed dimmed in comparison to the little boy who was zipping about the place and chattering about potential inventions. He seemed like Sokka but younger.
Zuko… was also a lot. He was biased against him, so it was hard to judge an opinion. Zuko was mostly silent. Sokka would occasionally joke with him and force him into the conversation and Zuko seemed like any other average awkward teenager. But mostly the others let him keep quiet and he focused on what looked like some form of meditating at the campfire.
 It was getting late. But no one dared stated this. Zuko only let the fire burn brighter or occasionally forced Aang to make the fire larger to light the room as a form of practise. Katara stood up at one point, “I’m grabbing my blanket, I’m getting cold. Does anyone else what theirs now I’m up?”
“Ooh! Me!” Aang whipped round with a sleepily excited smile.
“I’m good,” Sokka and everyone else mumbled without even turning, “So, dad, did you hear anything around the prison?”
“Hear anything?” Hakoda chuckled off but everyone turned serious. Sokka sighed and awkwardly fiddled his hands.
“Uh I mean any Fire Nation gossip? Any Firelord plans or propaganda? Anything that could help…”
Hakoda tried chuckling again but Zuko remained completely focused on the campfire. His chest slowly expanding with the flames. He didn’t even flinch. Maybe he could believe that Zuko truly wanted to help them but there was no way he’d appreciate the tiny whispers he heard about his nation. “I didn’t hear anything really useful. I heard some folk stories and a lot of twisted propaganda.”
“Hey, I’m still up for some Fire Nation camp stories!” Toph shrugged. Katara had now returned and flung Aang his blanket and draped another on Zuko’s shoulders. He finally opened his eyes and awkwardly nodded at her. Katara also stiltedly nodded back.
“It’s not a nice story…” Hakoda tried very much to hint as he looked directly at The Duke. Thankfully Haru took his hint.
“That’s fair, we should be heading to bed anyway. I’m exhausted!” He stood and pulled a half sleeping The Duke up as well. They all waved them goodnight. Their footsteps echoed across the empty stone hall as they disappeared into a room.
 “Right. Now the babies are gone. Tell us the Fire Nation horror stories!” Toph chanted way too loudly for how late it was.
“It’s not a very happy story but I guess a story is a story,” Hakoda sighed. Being honest, while it wasn’t nice, it also didn’t sound at all real. But at least it would be a good way to wind down the emotional day.
 “There’s this story about the Firelord and his sons. The younger son had grown jealous of his older sibling learning how to become a rightful heir to the nation.” Hakoda began, despite the fact he couldn’t really recall if it was the older or younger son. It made more sense if it was the younger son. But everyone was immediately clinging to his words. So, he continued, “Eventually he begged his father to attend an important meeting to gain experience and prove he could be responsible. The Firelord, well… the guard who told this story worded it that the Firelord was so gracious and kind to allow his son into the meeting but obviously… That doesn’t seem right.”
“The Firelord let him into the meeting despite knowing his son was not ready. The younger son was very immature and spoiled. He was rude to everyone, even the fellow royals…. That was something that I found odd. The guard worded it as fellow royals rather than family...”
“Hmm,” Zuko spoke, striking lightning through the atmosphere with just that hum. Hakoda now felt awkward. While it was clear the folk story wasn’t talking about his father, how wise was it truly to retell a story based on his family. “The Fire Nation places significance in respecting your elders but there’s also significance in following your own determination.”
“What, so you don’t care for your family,” Katara frowned.
“No… Respecting and bringing pride to your elders is a huge deal but… honestly, I think the Fire Lord wanted to still get people to report any rebelling ideals that family members might have. It’s… complicated.”
“Well, either way the son was a pain in the ass by the sounds of it and he was let into the meeting under the one rule, not to talk out of order. He explained that the councillors were sensitive and easy to anger and wanted to protect his son from harm. Of course, the son then immediately talks over a general in the meeting to suggest his own plan despite having no experience and no idea of the politics.”
 At this, Zuko now frowned. Hakoda spoke slowly, fully expecting to be interrupted (maybe Zuko had heard this as well and he was telling it wrong), but he didn’t say a word. He just merely tensed his shoulders and stayed sat, frowning intensely.
 “The general was furious and the Firelord tried to calm him, but he knew there was no way words would be enough to stop this. A duel was ordered. The son agreed without pausing to think this through. The Firelord tried to explain what would happen but the son brushed him off and interrupted him from explaining what would happen. The day of the duel arrived and the son stood to face his opponent only to find his father, the Firelord, at the other side of the court.”
 Zuko’s eyes opened now. But he was now frozen facing the campfire. Hakoda paused again to let him talk but he said nothing.
 “The son then proceeded to beg for mercy. But the Firelord had enough. The son was greedy, stupid and lazy. And now here he was begging after proposing an aggressive military strategy over an experienced military general. He offered to explain how the duel would work and protect him from it but he ignored him. The Firelord then gave him a chance to fight before declaring that the son was no longer part of the royal family for his disgrace. To try and teach his son one last lesson, the Firelord battled the duel to try and teach him how to fight. But the son didn’t even try, didn’t even stand up to face him. The son walked away that day with a hardy battle scar and no family.”
 The silence in the temple felt like a presence around the campfire as well.
“Well!” Toph leaned back, “You were right. That was kinda a downer.”
“Yeah…” Aang mumbled.
“I think the point of the story is how forgiving and firm the Firelord is and how amazing he must be,” Hakoda grimaced, “But all who overheard it just thought it was more proof that the Firelord and his whole family are evil.”
“Who was it even based off?” Sokka asked.
“Two sons so maybe Firelord Azulon? But didn’t uncle Iroh leave by himself. Like he wasn’t kicked out or anything, was he?” Toph tilted her head to Zuko but he never reacted.
“Zuko?” Aang placed his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. He shot up. Like he was electrocuted.
“I am needing to go to bed.” Zuko scampered backwards. His eyes stuck on the flames. Sokka stood as well but he hovered awkwardly.
“Are you sure? Was it the story-“ Sokka tried to ask but he was immediately ignored. Zuko walked off to his room.
 But he turned just as he was about to disappear from their view, “You should never repeat that story. It’s… not good.”
 The night was just as awkward as the temple after that. A moment silently passed.
 “Maybe we should all call it a night. It’s certainly been an emotional day,” Teo explained, tilting his chair towards the rooms behind where they were all sitting. Everyone agreed and stood as well. Aang was the last to stand and took a couple of breaths before finally manipulating the campfire to fizzle out completely.
“I’ll stand guard first,” Aang said, facing away from them.
“I’ll take over for the morning half,” Sokka volunteered. Hakoda walked away with the others.
 The morning was a little better. If there was one more thing Hakoda could criticise the temple of, it was the fact that there was no way the sun could reach them on the underside of a cliff. He woke up and stretched his back, wincing at the horrible click, and stood and walked out of the room. Toph and Katara were half-heartedly arguing about how to cut some vegetables. He smiled at the quiet normalcy. You never realise how much you miss normal life until you hear people arguing about veg rather than battle strategies. “Morning everyone. The others still sleeping?”
“Hey dad! Aang is practising with Zuko, the others usually all crowd round to watch,” Katara answered, “Feel free to go watch too. It might be another twenty minutes or so for breakfast.”
“I’d go if I was you,” Toph interrupted, “It is so cool to see firebending up close without being in actual danger. And if you ever tell Sparky that then I’ll attack Sokka.”
“Yeah?” Hakoda asked, quietly ignoring the threat to his son.
“Oh yeah. The fire and the colours. It’s just mesmorising. A real sight to behold.”
“Toph,” Katara scolded and now Hakoda felt his face heat up. Right, she was joking. She was blind. “But she is right. It is impressive to see.”
 After bothering Katara by asking if she needs any help, Hakoda followed the sounds of blasts of fires to a courtyard like space. Aang was standing proudly in the middle, his chest puffed out powerfully as he took deep even breaths. His arms twirled around, almost like waterbending, with a solid stance and footing, like earthbending, with powerful flames licking along his movements. Sweeps of orange. Katara really wasn’t joking. He stopped dead in his tracks.
 Zuko was standing to the side with his fingers tapping along his chin. Aang finished whatever exercise he was doing and looked over with the proudest most childish grin ever. Hakoda found himself grinning too. Zuko stood slowly. To Hakoda, it looked flawless.
 “How’d I do Sifu!” Aang chirped.
“Your fire is steady and strong. But I really do think you need to stop puffing out your chest like that and actually breathe normally. You don’t have to puff out like an aggressive pig-chicken. Just… breathe normally! You don’t need to complete the kata strictly chest first.”
“But you said the power should come from my chest!” Aang whined.
“Yes and ever since saying that you only moved chest first! You look stupid! Like a pig-chicken!” Zuko burst out.
“But my firebending is good enough! So it doesn’t even matter!”
“Yeah Zuko, you never know, maybe his stance will throw off the Firelord,” Sokka laughed despite Aang withering glare. Zuko only sighed and approached the middle of the courtyard and quickly snapped to another stance.
“Careful Aang, you’re starting to sound like the son in Hakoda’s story. Zuko knows best. You can’t talk over him!” The Duke yelled over with a point.
 Now it felt like the atmosphere was ruined. Aang snapped to face the boy. Zuko stumbled but stepped back into position hesitatingly.
  “Uh, the Duke, h-how’d you even overhear any of that?”
“Because Haru couldn’t be more obvious if he tried!” The Duke gasped, “It wasn’t even that bad. Like what was the scary part? The scar? He didn’t even explain what it looked like!”
“The story wasn’t even accurate. Let’s move on,” Zuko snapped.
“What? He didn’t tell it properly? Well, what is it actually?” The Duke asked.
“It doesn’t matter!” Zuko shouted, his voice echoed along the walls. Hakoda finally walked forward, approaching Sokka.
“Everything okay here guys?” Hakoda put on his best dad voice and walked forward confidently. Only Sokka looked at him though.
“Why? It’s just some stupid Fire Nation story! What? You offended, Ashmaker!” The Duke screamed.
“Woah, okay now!” Hakoda raised his voice louder.
“Because it’s not some folk story. It was a real thing! You can’t just say shit like that casually!” Zuko didn’t bare Hakoda and his obvious dad attempt at taking control any attention.
“Oh boo hoo! One of your precious Fire Lords once beat up his own son to prove some stupid point! Oh no, your family is filled with abusive dicks!” Haru was now even trying to pull The Duke aside as Hakoda walked to Zuko. He placed his hands firmly on his shoulders and steered him away.
 He didn’t shout anything else but he did unleash a roar of fire before stomping just ahead of him. Sokka and Aang took one moment to swap looks before both running after Zuko. Not that he was paying any attention. Hakoda awkwardly paused, unsure which room to led Zuko to so he could obviously let out some steam, but thankfully Sokka caught up to them and led the way down the hall to the right, into the first room they found.
 It was barren and already had blackened scorches across the walls and ceilings. Hakoda didn’t at all focus on that though. Maybe they were old or maybe it was from some previous Zuko tantrums.
Zuko punched the wall with all the might of his firebending. Sokka and Aang only winced at how obviously painful that was going to be but didn’t seem at all afraid of him. So Hakoda tried to follow their lead despite his racing heart.
 “Everything okay, Sifu Hotman?” Aang joked but he toned himself down. He was only slightly a ball of blinding sunshine of happiness. Zuko tried to match his smile but it was too wobbly and fragile.
“Sorry. That story hit close to home.”
“We figured. If you want to talk about it, do you know what upset you about it?” Sokka knelt down and crossed his legs. They all followed, including Hakoda. One tiny whisper frowned at how much he was following his son’s lead. He remembered trying to convince a baby Sokka not to charge out of the tent completely naked and failing miserably as his son gave an impassioned speech about how it’ll be fun. It was that same boy that he was now following. Zuko fell to the floor deliberately harshly.
“I… I guess I hate- I don’t like what you all took from the story…” He stumbled through. Hakoda went to talk but Sokka placed a hand on his knee. A moment passed and Zuko finally found some more words, “You all took that the Fire Lord was cruel to do that. And you don’t even know the full story. Like, just the Fire Lord fighting his son was enough to mark him cruel. Even if the son was ‘a pain in the ass’?”
“Yeah,” Aang spoke unsurely but he continued saying each word carefully, “I mean, we don’t know a lot of the details about the son but I personally can’t think of any reason where I’d then fight my own son. Especially if he was a child or something!”
“Yeah, like if your son’s dismissive or rude or whatever, then you make more effort to talk to him! What would fighting him even do? It’s just more cruel than what’s needed.” Zuko looked up at Sokka as he spoke.
“It is cruel, isn’t it.”
It wasn’t a question but Hakoda tilted his head and answered, “Of course it’s cruel. I can’t imagine people hearing that and thinking the Fire Lord was in the right. As a certified dad, I don’t think there’s anything that could push me to fight Sokka. I can’t speak for the guards but… I think the reason the folk story didn’t go into any detail about the fight was so it’s easier to agree with the Fire Lord. I’m sure if the injuries were described then the guards would speak differently.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m honestly surprised the story didn’t go into any detail about the fight. That’s the most infamous part…”
“So what’s the actual story?” Sokka asked.
 Zuko looked around nervously and bit harshly on his thumb.
 “There… The son of the Fire Lord wanted to prove himself and attend a war meeting. The Fire Lord’s brother let him in but warned him that he shouldn’t talk. The generals were easy to anger. In the meeting, a general proposed the most… it was an awful plan. I uh… The son got too angry and shouted at the meeting. It was really disrespectful. It was an awful plan but, like, maybe things wouldn’t have been so bad if he just spoke normally. Or maybe his uncle would’ve spoken out anyway. A-anyway, an Agni Kai was ordered. T-that’s like a duel between two firebenders, usually it ends with either one of the people surrendering or getting injured to the point of being unable to fight. The son thought he was to fight the old general who proposed the plan. And really the plan was horrible. It was awful. So he went to fight him as I could so take him in a fight!”
 Sokka and Aang shared an uncertain look. That all seemed to align… But it was clear that this was hitting too close to Zuko. He was refusing to look at them as he spoke. His anger flared again and each word was practically growled out.
 “So the day of the fight came and the boy turned to face his opponent and instead saw father down the court. I… uh… I then fell to my knees and begged. I knew there was no use fighting. I’m not a very talented firebender, even less so at thirteen! So I thought the best thing would be to just… surrender. The Firelord usually prefers if you just surrender and admit your wrong than to fight. He liked when you made him feel… anyway I… well I fell to the floor and begged while crying. I-I can’t imagine what that must’ve looked like to the audience-“
“Wait, there were people watching!” Sokka exclaimed. Hakoda only then remembered the rest of the room. The story was too cold for him to notice anything else. Aang looked just as horrified, shifting on the spot clearly dying to launch himself at Zuko as a comfort. Zuko looked just as caught off.
“Um yeah? Like nobles and the other royal family members.”
“So Uncle was there?” Aang’s timid small voice ripped through the angry shocked words.
“Well yes. Also, he’s not your uncle!”
“He didn’t do anything?”
“No. I don’t think he could’ve.” Zuko fiddled with his hands.
 There was a beat of silence.
 “So your dad beat you up in front of everyone and then banished you? You were upset because we all saw that as cruel while you blamed yourself for that,” Sokka started strong before then realising just how insensitive he was being. Way to rub it in his face.
“He didn’t beat me up. He just burnt me,” Zuko casually motioned his to warped face and perpetually squinting eye to which everyone else in the room stopped breathing, “but yeah he then banished me. I-I… It’s… Three years is a long time to pass. I don’t really remember pretty much anything from that day really. Uncle never talked about it so I don’t know exactly what happened. I thought I got over it by now. I know it was cruel. It was wrong. But… I guess I just thought that was me making excuses… It’s weird to think other people actually think it’s wrong and cruel.”
 The dead air of the temple never felt more gross. Like a panting stranger leaning over your shoulder leering over you. A presence in the room listening in. The room looked empty even with them all sitting there. The story somehow filled the room and now it was finished. Hakoda gulped.
 “I’m so sorry Zuko,” Aang breathed out before gradually reaching over. Zuko blocked his hands from hugging him but did grip his hands instead.
“No dad should ever do that Zuko. And a journey into recovery will never have a nice easy end. But if you already know it was wrong then you’ve already made it so far. You should be proud of yourself,” Hakoda smiled warmly. Zuko still didn’t meet his eyes.
 It would probably be a while before Zuko would truly believe that it was cruel and wrong, and clearly the entire family here was willing to wait and teach that. Hakoda kept his mind from thinking how long it took for Zuko to even convince himself that maybe it was cruel and wrong. Right now, he focused on the warm, forgiving, loving family formed in the ruins of a cold temple.
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sxfterhearts · 4 years
Text
40. [8:59 am]
➳ pairing: mark x reader
➳ genre/warnings: fluff, coffeeshop!au, barista!mark, side!jackson,yugyeom (being silly)
➳ word count: 2,038 words
➳ summary: “I made this for you”
➳ author's note: for @strxwberri-milk​ 💖 i truly truly appreciate you!!! :”) and thank you for indulging me with your story hehe i hope something similar to this happens to you 🤭
➳ inspired by: (no one asked but) the bookstore in hear, here!!
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You were early.
On regular meetups with your friends or even your dreadful 9ams, you would be running at least fifteen minutes behind schedule.
Today, however, you were early.
Therefore it goes without saying that meeting your Chemistry lab partner in the café he worked at to discuss your upcoming report was anything but a regular meetup, especially because said lab partner is none other than Mark Tuan, also known as the intelligent, introverted shooting guard who mostly stuck to and looked after his group of six other basketball jocks. Or your crush for the academic year, for short.
Taking in a nervous breath of air, you reached for your phone and began to type.
[08:59] Me: Hey, I got here early. I’ll go inside first and save us a spot.
Your feet tapped against the pavement as you stood beyond the café doors, your fingers gliding across the screen as you began typing another text to describe your outfit, just in case he couldn’t spot you amongst the sea of café patrons. It’s busy on Saturday mornings anyway, you rationalised your decision to double text, who cares, right?
[09:00] Mark: Yellow jumper and white Converse??
He had beat you to it. Your fingers halted its motions, staring intently at the panic-inducing typing bubble.
[09:00] Mark: I like your outfit :)
[09:00] Mark: And good morning!!!
It took all the self-control you had within yourself to not jump into a little happy dance right in the middle of the street. Calm down, Y/N, your inner voice rang clearly through your fuzzy thoughts, it doesn’t mean anything. Don’t overread his texts. Don’t overthink. Don’t –
“So,” A deep mellifluous voice broke you out of your daydream, its owner’s head poking out of the doors with his signature charming smile as an invitation. “Are you going to come in?” Your ears not failing to pick up the slightly teasing lilt in his tone. “Or are you going to stand there?”
For a few moments, you slowly tilted your head up, staring at Mark with a mildly shocked expression. Mark, with his fluffy permed hair and neat barista outfit, a white button up, black apron and a tiny bowtie around his neck. Mark, holding the door open for you, welcoming you into the humble establishment with a guiding hand. “Ah, Mark. Hi.” The words awkwardly stumbled out of your lips as you stepped inside. “Thank you.”
It felt like you were stepping into another universe, eons away from the quiet neighbourhood beyond the double doors. The café was situated a distance away from your home, hence why you never visited until now, despite many of your classmates’ recommendations of the café for group study sessions. Being more of a library person yourself, you couldn’t imagine being able to focus in a place where customers were constantly entering and leaving, and people were allowed to talk over one another.
This café, you realised, was different. Its white-bricked walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of novels, with colourful volumes of all shapes and sizes on display. Most patrons seemed to be preoccupied with their own reading or chatting quietly amongst themselves, mindful to not disturb or distract others with loud noises. The atmosphere was peaceful; serene. The only audible sounds were the rhythmic whirring of the coffee grinder or the low whistle of the milk steamer, which didn’t bother you at all.
“What can I get you, Y/N?” Mark asked in a practiced manner. You followed him deeper into the café and admired its interior, which strongly resembled a bookstore. While you were busy perusing the selection of CDs behind the counter, you felt a clipboard being thrusted into your hands. It was the menu. “Should I choose instead? It’ll be a surprise.” He offered, noticing how your eyes glanced over the paper repeatedly, never settling on a single item.
“Yes, please.” You were simply spoilt for choice – there were one, two, three, eight choices of coffee beans and over ten varieties of tea! “I’m not picky. I like coffee and sweet things.”
“Breakfast?” Mark asked. You shook your head. “Leave it to the capable hands of the experienced barista. Go take a seat at the table by the window, I’ll join you real soon.”
Heeding his words, you made your way towards the French windows, but not before browsing through a table full of literary classics. As you sat down, you decided that this quaint little book café was not a bad place to study after all.
Which reminded you, you made the thirty-minute commute here to discuss the results from your Chemistry experiment. Pulling out your notebook, your chest was filled with the same pang of disappointment as yesterday when you found out Mark left early for an away game and was unable to join you for the experiment. He sent you a text full of apologies and pleading eyes emojis, the first one you received from him after exchanging numbers. It took you another three or four exchanges to realise that the real Mark was very different to the Mark you thought you knew. Who would’ve thought the boy you had only admired from afar, the one who always seemed to watch over his friends wordlessly, blending seamlessly into the background, would’ve been such an enthusiastic texter? He had thrown in a generous dash of emojis, a sprinkling of GIFs and one too many exclamation marks, which never failed to pull amused smiles out of you.
“Finally decided to change the flowers on that table, hyung?” A male voice questioned mockingly from behind a nearby bookshelf.
“About time he did…” Another voice chimed in.
“Shut up, Jackson, Yugyeom.” You heard footsteps approaching you and looked up from your neatly-drawn results table to catch a glimpse of the playful glare Mark shot at his co-workers-slash-best friends. You began to wonder whether your girl friends frequented this café due to the favourable ambience or the attractive baristas.
You gave him a little wave as Mark stood in front of you and set down the serving tray. Your eyes feasted on the stunning array of goodies it carried – a cappuccino with a stunning Rosetta pattern and heavy dusting of chocolate powder, two slices of chocolate mud cake, a plate full of scones, jam and cream, and a butter croissant. The small jar of fresh, seasonal blooms in the corner – roses, daisies, chrysanthemums, daffodils and buttercups in shades of white and yellow immediately drew your attention. They complemented the shade of your mustard jumper perfectly.
Mark carefully positioned the flowers on the table before offloading the rest of the tray’s contents. “Flowers for you, Miss Y/N.”
The more you were around him, the more he surprised you. You fought hard against the blossoming heat on the apples of your cheeks, reminding yourself again to not overthink his words. Perhaps he’s just like that with every girl he talks to, you figured, there is no way he’s flirting with me.
“Surprise!” Mark exclaimed, moving onto the seat directly opposite yours. “I got a little bit of everything, so I hope you brought your appetite with you. There’s our signature chocolate mud cake, super rich and moist, wonderful scones and homemade strawberry jam, and our flaky butter croissant. Oh! Here,” He pushed the large cup of coffee towards you. “I made this for you. Try it!”
His brown orbs sparkled and twinkled as he eagerly watched you pick up the hot beverage and place your lips on the cup. A strong whiff of fragrant aroma drifted into your nose as you took a sip, your tastebuds instantly flooded with the creamy deliciousness of the coffee. You may be biased, but it was undoubtedly the best coffee you’d ever had. “It’s really good!” You finally said after several long sips. “Why is it so good?” You wondered aloud to yourself.
“Because I made it with care and love.” Mark answered without missing a beat. Upon hearing his bold declaration, you halted all movements and simply stared at him, steadily swallowing your coffee and feeling the warm liquid travel down your throat. “It also helps that we only brew the finest coffee beans and use the highest quality, imported full cream milk. A matchmade in heaven, really, I – ” He paused, noticing your unwavering stare. “Sorry, am I boring you? It’s just that, I really do love my job and I love talking about it and I’ve also been told I talk too much when I’m nervous. Sorry.” Mark cringed, frowning apologetically while visibly shrinking into his chair.
“No! No, not at all. Don’t say sorry. Actually, I like hearing you talk. As in, you sound so passionate just then. It’s just, it’s nice to hear you talk?” You wanted to facepalm yourself. Perhaps you should just dig a hole in the ground and hide in it forever. At least that way you would never have to face him ever again.
“Is that so?” Mark sat up a bit straighter, the corner of his lips pulled into a wide, heart-stopping smile. The tiny pair of adorable canines poking out of his mouth were all too distracting. “Well, why don’t you dig into your breakfast while I run you through what I’ve done so far for the report? Try the croissant first, it’s a good one to start on, fluffy and light. Alright, I stole the titration results from Youngjae’s group and used it for the calculations.” He quickly pulled out a pile of papers from his apron’s pocket while you savoured the sweet pastry. You had to admit, you never expected Mark to get any work done after his game last night. His hardworking attitude and dedication amazed you. “I wrote out the hypothesis and the matching observations for each reaction, pretty straightforward. There’s also the equations at the other side of the page, here, along with the calculations. They were a bit of a pain and I am this close to finishing up but unfortunately there’s still two more left. I can finish it while you’re eating, though, no big – ”
“Mark,” You called amidst a small, polite mouthful of cake and a light giggle, pausing his lengthy monologue. “You’ve done so much already. Leave some work for me too! This is a group project, remember?”
“Ah, right. Sorry.” He apologised sheepishly, a hand coming up to rub against his neck, embarrassed. “I guess I just wanted to make it up to you. I feel really bad about leaving you alone yesterday, Y/N. I wish I was there, with you. I would choose to watch solutions turn purple with you over playing ball any day of the week.” Mark admitted sincerely.
“Why?” You breathed. Your brain had started to get ahead of itself and pieced together the clues he’d left. Apart from his voice and your drumming heartbeats, your ears blocked everything out.
“Because I want to spend time with you.”
“Like… right now?”
“Well – ”
“Hyung! Mark hyung! Hey,” Yugyeom came running towards your table in a hurry. “Sorry to interrupt your date but,”
“It’s not…” You started, your tone shy and your eyes refusing to meet Mark’s.
“Date, study date, whatever it’s called. Sorry, Y/N, but I have to steal Mark hyung for a moment.” Yugyeom turned towards said boy. “It’s an emergency. Jackson dropped an entire crate of teacups, they’re all broken.”
“He what?!”
“There was a bee, apparently! I don’t know, ask him! He got scared and freaked out.”
Mark closed his eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to bust out a string of profanities in front of you. Once he felt reasonably calmer, he faced you. “Forgive me, Y/N. I have to go clean up after a child. I’ll be back, okay? In the meantime, make sure you eat up.”
You nodded vigorously and motioned for him to go, understanding the urgency of the situation.
“I’ll bring you another coffee later!” Mark called over his shoulder, to which you responded with two thumbs up.
A date? You thought to yourself. I guess it is a date, after all… The sweetest of smiles brightened your face as you gazed fondly at the flowers, now viewing them in a new light.
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what-the--curtains · 3 years
Text
Alliance
Chapter 9 – The Hunt
(Mando x f!reader)
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Summary: After recovering you set off to find the man who tried to kill you. Killing him proves to be more difficult than expected when the ones you love are threatened, and on the other side of the choice, your own future.
Authors note: One more chapter to go!! Some angst at the end here! Hope y’all enjoy ❤️❤️❤️! (I also did some very average fan art if y’all haven’t seen it yet!)
Tw: sex is alluded to (not depicted), decapitation, force choke
Word count: 4.9k
Tagged list: @crazycookiecrumbles, @seninjakitey
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The planet proved harder to find than expected, despite Anya's best efforts, something was fogging up her tracking causing your coordinates to be constantly in flux. She’d easily lead you past the outer rim, but since then it had been akin to a wild goose chase.
“Any idea who tried to kill you.” Din asks, he'd been exceptionally patient throughout the journey thus far. Never questioning your methods just typing in the new location coordinates calmly and re aligning the ship on its new course.
“Did kill me” you correct, as your hand moves absentmindedly over the healed wound. “but no, I dont. They had a lightsaber though”
“Was it a Jedi?” he asks earnestly.
“Well based on the context clues, I'd definitely say at least Jedi adjacent” you laugh, for a savvy strategist who knew multiple languages you sometimes found yourself questioning if his brain was in fact functioning.
“Why would a Jedi try and kill you?”
“Your guess is as good as mine”
“How do they decide on colors?” He asks after a somewhat awkward silence
“Hmmm” you hum out in confusion, only half paying attention to what he had said.
“The light swords? Ashoka's are blue, yours is purple and the figures, well there's was red” your heart stops.
“It was red?” you ask, sitting up in your seat giving him your undivided attention.
“Ya does that mean something?” He watches your eyes slowly piecing together what he'd just told you.
“That’s impossible, the Sith were defeated. They died with the emperor.” you affirm, your sure red was a common colour used by Jedi nowadays, sure no one had ever seen one before, but there was a first time for everything right?
“So were the Jedi.” he points out.
“Do you always have to be right?” you ask slightly irritated for a reason you couldn’t quite explain. He doesn't respond; he knows a rhetorical question when he hears one but unsure what he had done to upset you. An uncomfortable silence lingers in the air, a sensation you'd never experienced with the Mandalorian before. Not wanting to stew in the quiet you head down to the lower levels and try and calm your frazzled mind. Sitting down you cross your legs, one over the other, as you close your eyes.
On the best of days meditating was a chore, but under the current situation it had become an impossible task. It wasn’t the threat of being ambushed that had you distracted, no something else was playing heavily on your mind. It was what was causing the punctuated silences, forced conversation and overall awkwardness in the atmosphere. It was your own doing. Seriously, who kisses a man whose face they've never seen! Idiots that's who and now it was stuck on your mind. In your defense you thought you wouldn't have to deal with the fallout so quickly. You should have known he’d have insisted on going with you, but you hadn't thought that far ahead, or at all and now you had to sit with the fact that you’d possibly ruined your comfortable friendship by planting one on him. Technically it wasn’t a real kiss,or maybe it was, how did Mandalorians kiss anyways? There you were down the rabbit hole again, this is why you couldn't focus, you curse yourself. Shaking your head you remind yourself it was only done in an attempt to get around him, a strategic move to protect the group, nothing more, nothing less. Keeping that in mind you manage to focus and you feel the galaxy's pulse emitting throughout the ship, inhaling and exhaling with the undulations around you.
Din, bored and missing the usually witty banter you offered him, decided it was time for him to clear the air in regards to the kiss. He hopes by telling you that he knew it was only done to get around him, you’d become more relaxed. The last thing he wanted was for you to be uncomfortable around him. He knew you'd never want to be with someone like him, at least in that way. As he turns around he sees you cross legged floating in the air, not wanting to interrupt he heads back up. Anya lifts her head as he re-enters, looking at him as if she knew what he was thinking. He’ll clear the air with you later, the two of you had plenty of time to talk.
You curse as your journey gets rerouted for what had to be the twelfth time in the past two days. Whoever was hunting you did not want to be found and no amount of swearing or whacking the console would change that. The closer you got to your destination the more you felt the malevolent presence grow. You found yourself wondering if it had always been with you, finding it hard to remember a time when it wasn't gnawing at your conscience. Each time you feel it scratching at your doors you remember Ashoka's words “be careful who you let into your head.” You'd made that mistake once with devastating consequences. You would not be making it again. Your energy was now primarily being spent keeping the presence at bay, not allowing it to penetrate any deeper than it already had. Sleeping only acted as an open invitation for the figure to torture you so you opted to forgo it altogether. Perhaps not the wisest decision, but what other choice did you have.
“The planet’s still a few days away.” Din says, noting the unraveled look in your eyes as you take your place next to him.
“Anything to do on this ship.” You ask, fidgeting in your seat. “like games or something” he doesn't respond “Hey beskar head! You awake under that helmet?”. You ask partially joking, partially annoyed that he wasn't talking to you.
“Yes.”
“Yes to games or yes to being awake?”
“To games” you smile, you never knew if he was actually making jokes or if you were just reading into it. The finer details of his personality artfully hidden beneath the metal exterior.
“Got Dejarik, you know how to play?” he asks, glad that you were back to yourself for the time being.
“I'm alright” you say smiling, you were better than alright, at least you think. To be fair you'd only ever played against one person and she was family and probably inclined to letting you win.
“You're cheating!” he exclaims, his annoyance apparent even through the modulator. Your skills were better than you expected especially after all those years, well either that or the Mandalorian was just that bad.
“How?” you ask, laughing at how frustrated he was getting. It was funny when you beat him the second time, but by gods it was even funnier when you beat him the seventh time.
“The force!” He says clenching his hand as he stares down at the board.
“I don't think the force bothers itself with helping me beat you at Dejarik.” you point out, as he grumbles something indistinguishable.
“Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are.” You tease pointing your finger at him eyebrows raised and a smirk plastered on your face.
“That’s not what I’ve been told,” he responds.
“About Dejarik or?” he laughs it off, but you seriously wanted to know the answer. After Cara told you he was allowed to have sex it was a question that you’d thought about a lot, more than you probably should have, but hey you were curious. Realizing the Mandalorian was now turning the game board over to see if it was rigged, you decide to change games.
“You still got that indestructible spear. The beskar one?” you ask nonchalantly.
“Yes, not something i'm planning on losing” he nods
“Fancy a match?” you offer you needed to work on your fighting skills, practicing on the air only went so far.
“Only if you promise not to slice through my ship.” He says, standing up.
“Only if you promise not to cry when I beat you.” you return causing him to scoff
“Oh im not going to be the one crying” he assures.
You stand in the ship's far corner across from Din who haphazardly twirls the spear in his hand as you open up your saber, raising it waiting for him to make the first move. He stays his ground, you and him were both defensive fighters and you knew he was far too stubborn to change his routine. Leaping forward you land in front of him, your saber making contact with the spear. After a few seconds spent testing his strength you know there's no feasible way for you to out muscle him. You'd have to out maneuver him. He’d seen you fight stronger opponents before so you’d have to think outside the box on this one. You move out from under the spear the release of your counter force causing Din to stumble forward. You turn aiming for his shin, but his arm reaches back the spear stopping your hit from connecting with his armour. You circle round him so you're once again face to face giving him enough time to stand back up. He turns quickly, swinging the spear as he does, aiming for your waist. You jump over the swipe landing behind him, hitting him in the back.
“Point to me.” you say
“No using the force” he says, turning to look down at you, his presence suddenly looming.
“I wasn't, I can just jump really high!” You lie.
“Likely story” he says brushing past you as he moves back to his starting spot
“What was that I said about crying earlier?” you question.
He's got you talking too long and he sweeps your feet out from under you knocking you on your ass and gently tapping you on the head with the spear.
“Point me” he says, offering you his hand.
“That was dirty” you say as he hoists you up.
“Who says we're playing clean sweetheart?” The term catches both of you off guard, but he's flustered himself more than you, allowing you to land the next two points.
“Hope your ego isn't too hurt darling.” you mock back at him as metal and light collide once again.
“It’s not over yet” he says, using all his strength to march you back towards the wall pinning you against it with his spear.
“You need to work on your attack, you leave a lot open” he says, breathing heavily.
“You need to work on a codpiece, it leaves a lot open” you retort, kneeing him in the groin, hard enough for him to drop you, but not so hard that it kept him down for long.
“Not enough beskar” he murmurs, hoping to get the last word in.
“Oh big brag for a man who just lost several games of Dejarik in a row and” your sentence is cut short as the spear taps the small of your back giving him the winning point
“And what?”
“Oh real classy Din, can’t win a fair fight” you say hand on your hip.
“It was fair considering I wasn't going 100%”
‘Oh you weren't” you mock, the smile telling him you were amused and not upset by his antics, the gentle slap on his arm further verifying this. The moments like this were nice, but as you continue to gain on your target they became fleeting. The Mandalorian watches as your ability to focus waivers, your frustration becoming increasingly evident in your training. Miraculously, you hadn't sliced through anything important, but the ship’s interior was constantly needing to be patched up. At least it kept him occupied and out of your hair. You looked like you were fighting a hidden battle, one he would gladly fight with you, if you'd let him. He didn’t know the full extent of your struggle, but he knew the anger he felt simmering inside you wasn't being aided by your refusal to sleep.
Your irritability, although caused by exerting tremendous energy keeping the figure at bay, was no excuse for the times you had lashed out at the Mandalorian. The most recent outburst occurred when he'd stepped on your foot after you had explicitly told him to watch out. In hindsight, threatening to melt his beskar down and turn it into a hearing aid for him so he could stop being such a nerf herder was a touch harsh. Alright, incredibly harsh especially considering he'd attempted to apologize before you went off on him.
“Sorry I threatened the beskar” you murmur sitting down next to him
“Are you going to tell me what's going on?” he asks
“Going on where” you ask
“Well it can't just be air in your head” he jokes, causing you to laugh for the first time in a few days.
“Seriously though , I'm sorry Ive been out of line, and it's not fair on you, you’ve been so understanding.”
“You know what might help with the outbursts?”
“A lecture?” you remark, your tone harsher than intended
“No, sleep, you should try it sometime”
“I'm fine without it” you say, the yawn escaping your lips contradicting your words.
“You should sleep.”
“ You don’t.” you remark hoping to catch him off guard, but he's obviously rehearsed this conversation a few times.
“ I don’t need to.”
“Neither do I.” You lie, almost a year later and you still had no idea how he slept so little, though your current working theory was that he would just take naps under the helmet when he thought he could get away with it.
“No, you can't sleep, there's a distinct difference.”
Not wanting to lash out at him for the third time that day and knowing he was right, you make a swift exit. You push the button that opens up to the tight sleeping quarters where you'd spent many hours lying awake. You were hoping that you'd reached an exhaustion point where your body would just shut down. You lay back on the bed not bothering with the covers, you weren't expecting to get comfortable. Anya had stopped trying to sleep in the same bed as you, usually getting inadvertently kicked or shoved out the bed by your constant movements. Your eyes can’t have been closed for more than a minute when they snap open. Despite their alertness your body's gone limp. What fresh hell was this? As your eyes adjust to the darkness you can only just make out the hauntingly familiar shape sitting at the edge of your bed. You go to call out for the Mandalorian, but no sound is emitted, nothing comes out at all not even air. You watch helplessly as the figure's arm extends ensnaring you in a choke hold, the yellow iris shining out beneath the hood, confirming your worst fear. A Sith. You scream yourself awake, the force causing items to fly to the ground, no doubt alerting the Mandalorian. You bring your knees to your chest grabbing at your scalp telling yourself it wasn’t real, but it didn't matter what you said. The truth was you couldn’t tell anymore all lines had blurred together. You get up off the bed looking around the room already exhausted at having to clean up yet another mess you had made. You lean over picking up the weapons that had fallen off the armoury hanging them back up when you hear the Mandalorian drop down the sound startling you.
“I'm sorry” you mutter embarrassed, not looking up as you move to grab the few dishes currently lying on the floor.
“What did I say about breaking the ship?” he says, chuckling slightly in an attempt to lighten the mood. He bends down to help you but you grab his arm stopping him.
“I made the mess. I'll clean it up.” You say gathering up the utensil and placing them back on the table absentmindedly stroking your throat as you turn to pick up the rest. As you reach for the chess board he grabs your hands, intertwining his fingers with yours, leading you back over to the bed.
“Get some rest, I'll clean up,” he says softly, sitting you down on the bed.
“Stop telling me what to do Din, besides it's not working.”
“You need to sleep.”
“I can’t and unless you can think up a way to make me then were shit out of luck.”
“I can think of a few ways.” he mumbles hoping it was loud enough for you to hear.
“Like what? Knocking me out with a blaster?” you scoff
“ A less violent way,” The words leave his mouth before he can fully assess the pros and cons of what he was offering to do.
“Reciting the entire code of conduct of the mandalore race to me?” Gods, how were you still not getting this.
“A less boring way.” He prays that you either catch on or he passes away suddenly so as to save him from any further embarrassment.
“Oh” you punctuate, lips parted slightly suddenly realizing exactly what was being offered to you “you think you can tire me out?”
“Only if you want.” he says, more confident now you hadn't outright rejected him
“Well I have been dying to see what’s under that armour”
“ You’ve seen it before”, and you couldn't wait to see it again.
“Not all of it”
“The helmet stays on,” he asserts.
“Not what I was referring to.” He stands there for a moment unsure how to proceed, not wanting to have misread the situation. “Well are you just going to stand there or are you not a man of your word?” That’s all the encouragement he needs.
“You want me to stop at any time, you just say so cyar’ika”
Once again the Mandalorian was right ; he was able to tire you out. Neither of you say anything after both at a loss for words, and not wanting to ruin the moment by saying the wrong thing. You fall asleep with his arm wrapped securely around your waist, as the other runs up and down your back. His heartbeat lulling you into a deep sleep, his presence managing to stay off any nightmares, at least for now.
He stays with you long after you’ve dozed off watching your back rise and fall in time with your breathing, he thanks the gods you were finally resting. He intently studies the faint purple markings covering your body, wondering how long they'd been there. His hand then tracing over the scars on your back, he wants to know how you got them. He wanted to know everything. Once this was all a distant memory he’d ask, if you chose to stick around that is. Knowing you won't want to find him in your bed when you wake up, he slides his arm from your waist and quietly, so as not to wake you, he puts his clothes back on. Re-donning his armour he heads back upstairs to check on the ship.
Your body shivers inadvertently at the loss of heat and your eyes slowly open. The room’s still dark, but the Mandalorian had gone. He must have left sometime in the night presumably his way of telling you it was a one off. Knowing Din to be a man of few words you knew talking about what had just happened was fully off the table. You sit up and stretch out, allowing your elbows to pop and your shoulders to crack as you roll them out, feeling a way that you hadn't felt in months. Well rested. Making your way over to the fresher you allow the water to wash over you removing any remaining scent attributed to the Mandalorian. After dressing you head up to the cockpit, slightly bow legged from the night before. You’d had your fair share of lovers and for a human, he was very well endowed and very eager to please.
“How far” you ask brushing any thoughts about last night from your head as you shoo Anya off your seat.
“You’re up sooner than I thought.” He says looking at you. He’d noticed the slight stagger in your walk causing him to smirk under the helmet, but the smile fades when you don’t look down.
“How far are we?” you ask again, picking up Anya who’s refused to move of her own volition.
“Close. About last night” he starts, wanting to make sure everything was okay, and that you weren’t regretting what had happened.
“ Look, we don’t have to talk about it. I know it wasn’t a big deal.” You say.
“It may not be a big deal for you.” you don't know why, but you take that tone as being pointed, referring specifically to your time spent in the rings.
“Why? because I've slept with half the galaxy? Something I did in order to survive an environment let’s not forget you put me in?” you spit out
“ No, I-I didn’t mean,” he starts. It's the first time you've ever heard him stumble over his words.
“ You never do.” You say, shutting him up for the remainder of the trip.
“Dropping out now.’ He says, 5 days, that's how long it had taken to get to where you were going, whoever was on the planet was committed to not being found, or at least committed to having you as sleep deprived as possible.
You step out with the Mandalorian close behind you, the planet's surface reflecting the ship's underlights back into its metal exterior. The mirrored rock had sprouted out into various forms and sharp geometric shapes, resulting in a beautiful, but sinister skyline.
“You sure this is the place? Doesn't look like any living thing could survive here.”
“Yes, I can sense a disturbance. You stay here with Anya.” you say placing a hand on his chest plate.
“No way.” Din responds
“I have to do this alone. It's too dangerous for you.”
“For me?” he says in disbelief.
“Wait here if i'm not back within the hour, leave.” You state ignoring his last question.
“ I'll give you two for good measure” he offers, holding out a blaster for you to take.
“It won't help.” You say pushing it back towards him before pulling up your hood and setting off into the unknown. Once he's sure you're out of sight, he follows you.
You close your eyes, letting your senses lead you through the sharpened planet careful not to cut yourself on the dark obsidian refelcting blurred images of the stars. A rock snaps under your foot and your eyes open. A voice calls out to you, uttering your name.
“Who are you.” you ask aloud, turning to face the cloaked figure who stands before you.
“ That is not important” he answers, lips not moving. Telepathy. So that’s how he'd gotten into your head.
“You tried to kill me I think it's at least relevant.” You return in thought.
“You came alone.” he asks, yellow eyes darting from side to side, despite the power this figure held you send a nervousness harboured deep within him, perhaps you should have brought the Mandalorian along with you.
“ Yes” you lie, hoping your force was strong enough to shield the bounty hunter.
“Good.” he snarled.
“Why did you kill me.” you ask not wanting to beat around the bush
“To see if I could. I needed to see your abilities, you’re stronger than I thought if you brought yourself back to life. The empire is rebuilding”, he offers not clearing the situation up in the least
“The empire died with Palpatine, they’re nothing but warmongering desolates now” you say shaking your head, not believing you had flown halfway across the galaxy for this.
“That’s what they have told you. We have been growing an army, led by the spirit of the emperor. We are seeking those with your abilities to help us rebuild.”
“You’ve lost your mind. The Sith were defeated long ago, the Jedi with them.” You turn to leave, no longer fearing this man, he holds no power over you.
“No” he shrieks, the sound drawing your gaze back to him, the noise frightening you slightly “You cannot leave. You cannot go. You will join us and rebuild a stronger galaxy.”
“I have no interest in joing a cult of fear and genocide.” you state calmly.
“It is more than a cult I offer you, something much better, power.” he was getting desperate, a few more days without sleep and you may have fallen for it.
“Power to what? Give you all the blood in my body so you can commit futile experiments on innocent people. You cannot create force sensitivity nor can you push it on someone who it has not chosen. Join you? No, I'll have to pass. Death and destruction will not be my path.”
“Not yet, but it will be. I see it in you, the pain, the sadness, the loneliness, that will all disappear once you join us.”
“Over my dead body” You say drawing your sabre. A violent clash of red and purple ricochet off the mirrored rock, lighting up the shadowed planets.
“Your grandmother trained you well.” He exclaims.
“ If you knew her then you should know that i'd never turn” You continue the fight. Managing to back him into a rock wall. Holding saber at his throat the light purple hue gleaning in the yellow irises beneath his hood.
“I understand why you ambushed me, not much of a fighter are you.” you snarl, pushing the saber into the robe, the scent of burning fabric filling the air. Then you feel it, the pulse of the fibers interwoven throughout the galaxy, something’s amiss. Something else appears under the glow of you saber, yellowed teeth, smiling under the light. You release him pushing yourself back, he wants you to kill him.
“ Do not fear it, I have seen this moment. It is what begins your reign”
“No” you say aloud to yourself, “No” you repeat turning off the saber and turning to leave.
“If you let me live, I kill the man with you.”
The Mandalorian whose been watching from afar hasn’t heard a word spoken in a while, watching you move towards him he thinks it must be over, whoever this person was, Sith or not, you must have come to an agreement. He almost walks out from his hiding spot when you stop dead in your tracks. He sees you look up, your eyes meeting his but only for a moment, before you pivot back to face the man.
“There’s…” you start.
“Don’t play me for a fool child, I have been playing this game long before you were even a thought in your mothers pretty little head. I know he is here. I know what you feel for him. You kill me and in time you will betray him, but you’d rather that, than lose him altogether.”
There's no thought process, no decision to make. With a flick of your wrist you throw the saber. You watch as it slices through the Siths neck before returning to your hand. You close it as his head tumbles to the ground. If Ashoka's words were a warning this, this was an omen. You had made a choice and now a path of irredeemably evil was laid before you. A path you were not prepared to drag anyone else down.
“I know you're there” you say after composing yourself. “I told you not to follow me.” You say making your way to the Mandalorians hiding spot.
“Are you alright? What did he say to you?” he asks, reaching a hand out for your arm.
“Nothing.” You say dodging him. The less he knew the safer he'd be. You weighed your options in your head on the walk back, but you knew there was only one way to avoid harming anyone. You had to hide away, become anonymous. Fall back into legend, never to be seen again. It was the only way Grogu would be safe, it was the only way Cara would be safe, it was the only way Din would be safe. As the ship takes off you say three words that would change everything.
“Take me home.”
“We're on route to Hoth now,” he says reassuringly.
“No, take me to my home. Grogu is back and safe. Our deal is done. Our alliance is over” You say, eyes plastered to the windshield.
“What did he say to you?” Din stresses, but you don’t answer. Silence was the only way to stop him from convincing you to stay.
“Don’t shut me out” he says slamming his hand on the panel. You don’t flinch, you don’t even look up. “We can figure this out together.” He says softly, if you hadn’t known any better you would have thought he was pleading with you.
“You’ve done enough. Take me home. If you don’t the force will.” He resets the GPS coordinates before standing up and dropping downstairs. Anya muzzles into you as you let out a sigh blinking back the tears you felt forming.
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