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fastlikealambo · 5 months

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Connubium.|| Coriolanus Snow x Black Fem Reader Chapter Eight

table of contents.

Chapter One.

Chapter Two.

Chapter Three.

Chapter Four.

Chapter Five.

Chapter Six.

Chapter Seven.

Summary: Stealing from The Capitol is a deadly offense, yet you’ve done it more times than you can count but when you do something you should not have done, Volumnia Gaul decides a fate for you that might just be worse than death.

Notes: This takes place post The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes and Coryo is in his last year at The University, studying under Dr. Gaul. This will not follow canon, I’m not an expert on all the lore so I apologize if I get things wrong.

Disclaimer: You know Coriolanus is a POS, I know Coriolanus is a POS, please don’t yell at me because this is just a fun little story, something for thee hotties, and if you feel that strongly against President Snow, please let me know if you’d like me to sign you up for tessarae.

18+ only

Thanks for the love and messages on chapter seven! If you want to see chapter nine, comment or reblog, feedback makes me want to continue!

“You heard it here, if you want to find the love of your life, just throw yourself into traffic! If you’re just tuning in at home, I’m Lucky Flickerman and we’re wrapping up here with Coriolanus Snow, our very own candidate for President and his lovely fiancée! Before we go, is there anything you lovebirds want to say to the people watching at home?”

The lights were too hot, your dress felt plastered to your skin, but you gave Panem a big toothy smile and looked right into the camera.

“I just want to thank everyone for their kindness and hard work throughout the campaign so far.” You said, grasping Coryo’s hand, the light catching your engagement ring.

“A brighter future is just beyond the horizon and as long as we come together, we can build a better Panem.” Coryo said, giving your hand a squeeze.

“And we’re clear! I can’t wait for your wedding, I’ll be the one with the mic, have you gotten my dietary restriction brochure?”

The wedding was less than two days away and the election month after and it was all just so much.

How could you be getting married without ma or pa there?

How could you be getting married when your entire courtship was based on one lie after another?

By putting one foot in front of the other because you were not going to turn back.

Too many thoughts dancing around in your head caused you to miss a step on the way off the stage but with a steady hand, Coryo helped you down the remaining step.

“It’s a bit warm here, let’s go outside.” You said with a tired smile, leaning heavily on your fiance as you two made your way out of the studio and back to the waiting car.

“After the wedding we’ll have time to slow things down before the election, I promise.” Coriolanus said, kissing your hand. You put your head on his shoulder, leaning into his touch, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep but you were whisked away into a final fitting of your wedding dress with Tigris, Coriolanus off to a meeting with Strabo.

“ It’s magnificent, Tigris, truly. Thank you for doing this, I’m sure you have more important work to be doing.” You said softly to the blonde who was currently under the gown’s massive skirt, embroidering tiny little roses along the hem. With a happy sigh, she stood up, looking in the mirror at you.

“ I’m happy to help! Are you nervous for tomorrow? They’re calling it the wedding of the century, Fabricia said it’s going to be played throughout Panem.” Tigris said, taking a few pins out of the dress and slowly circling you to make sure everything fit like it should.

“I’m nervous but I’m excited for it to be over. I just wish my mother and father were here.” You said honestly, looking down at the ground. Tigris put her arm around your shoulder and the gentle gesture made you cry harder than you thought you would, shoulders shaking as Tigris placed a pale pink handkerchief into your hand.

“I’ve always wanted a sister, for so long it’s just been Coryo and Grandma’am but now that you’re here I finally get my wish. There was a time when I looked at Coriolanus and all I saw was his father looking back, but from the moment he brought you home, I’ve only ever seen a man in love. You deserve to be happy.”

Tigris Snow must be the best person the Capitol ever produced.

After copious amounts of tea and a few more tears, you bid Tigris goodbye, heading back to your own home, head and heart still heavy.

You had no idea it would have gone like this, hell you thought you wouldn’t last a week in The Capitol but look at you now, the almost wife of a presidential candidate.

You made it.

But at what cost?

“A deal is a deal, little thief. Your precious ma and pa are responding well to the antidote to my poison, I suspect they’ll be breathing fully on their own in a few weeks. Would you like me to wheel them to your reception?” Dr. Gaul said, sipping tea at your counter.

You ignored her, settling into a chair of your own, waiting for the car to pick you up to have dinner with Coriolanus. This gilded cage would be gone after tomorrow and to some extent so would Dr. Gaul’s influence too and that made you want to sprint down the aisle more than anything else.

“Will they be safe now that I’ve given you what you want?”

Dr. Gaul clapped her hands and nodded, stepping down from her stool and heading for the door.

“ You should know by now that no one is truly safe in this world but once they are healthy enough, they can do as they wish, my games with you are coming to an end and I’ll surely miss these little chats. You’re not what I expected, little thief, I told you to steal a boy’s heart and you stole all of Panem. What a marvel you’ve turned out to be.”

A marvel.

You felt like anything but.

You were surprised when Coriolanus asked you to dinner, having thought he would want to spend the night before his wedding going over a new campaign speech in his solitude or doing whatever Capitol bachelors did, but he just wanted to sip wine and hold your hand under candlelight.

It was a quiet affair but it calmed your mind enough to realize that Coryo had brought you the one thing you had craved for quite some time.

Silence.

“Let’s go for a walk, darling.”

The streets of The Capitol were empty this time of night and you couldn’t help but smile when you realized where Coryo was leading you. The street where you first met looked no different at night but you couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder in it.

“This is very romantic but it might be a little late to change the wedding venue. Is getting married in the middle of the street a Capitol wedding tradition I’m unfamiliar with?” You asked playfully, looking up at the stars.

Just one more month.

If Coryo could win the election, there would be nothing Ravinstill could do, Gaul couldn’t change her mind and keep your parents as lab rats.

You would be safe.

“And what are weddings like in District 6?”

You did not move.

This moment had been a long time coming, perhaps too long for someone with his intellect, but here you were. Your turn in his direction was excruciatingly short, head unbowed and eyes clear. You would not beg or weep for forgiveness.

Before you could utter a word, Coriolanus Snow got on his knees before you.

“I know every secret you have kept from me, every lie you have said to my face yet if you asked to burn down The Capitol, I'd fetch a match. What you need to understand is that I will never not want you and only you, by my side.”

He knew.

You met his gaze and stepped forward, placing a hand on his cheek.

“I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry for stealing from the capitol or pretending to get hit by a car so that Dr. Gaul wouldn’t murder my parents. Most of all, I’m not sorry for meeting you, Coriolanus, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

“Do you love me? No lies, just a question. Do you love me?”

“It was easy to lie to you but it was even easier to love you. I have been moving for so long that I’m afraid of what happens if I stop. I love you but what happens now?”

Coriolanus stood up, put his forehead to yours and wrapped his arms around you tight.

“ Don’t move then, all you have to do is stand still. Stand still beside me and I swear to you, no one will harm you again.” He whispered in your ear.

You didn’t have to wait a month.

In the arms of Coriolanus Snow, you were safe.

Morning came quickly and between Tigris and attendants, you looked less like yourself and more like a bride in your extravagant gown, curls on top of your head. From behind the curtain you could see the venue start to fill up with the Capitol’s finest.

“You look so beautiful, oh I can’t believe Grandma’am isn’t here to see this!” Tigris said, fluffing out the back of your gown and you reached over and squeezed her hand. She had been downright giddy when you asked her to walk you down the aisle and you were relieved when she accepted as your only other choice was Dr. Gaul.

“Ma Plinth has your something borrowed, I just have run back to The Corso and then we can get started. The first truly good day in such a long time.” Tigris said softly and pulled you in for a quick embrace before running off.

An attendant brought you a glass of chilled posca and you sipped while you waited, the nerves starting to make you sweat just a little.

The sound of footsteps filled you with relief and you turned from the vanity with a smile.

“Tigris? Are we ready to start?”

The question went unanswered as the person who entered your area was not Tigris but President Ravinstill.

“Well, don't you look stunning, young lady. If I didn’t know better I’d think you were Capitol born and bred but we both know that’s not exactly true.” He said with a dark chuckle.

“Mr. President, the wedding is about to start. I’m sure we can have someone show you to your seat.” You said in a chilled tone but he paid you no mind.

“You were supposed to tame him, dear. You were supposed to curb his political ambition till I got a hold of him so I could mold him in my image. Instead, you had him embarrass me in front of the press with this adorable campaign of his that you both intended to see it through to the bitter end. That just won’t do. Tonight, district whore, you will kill Coriolanus Snow.”

No.

No more.

“No.”

“I don’t think I heard you, young lady.”

You stood to your feet and stood directly in front of the president, calm and collected.

“ I said no, Mr. President. The Capitol no longer gets to make a monster out of me after today so enjoy the wedding and we will see you on election night.” You said simply.

He could kill your parents.

He could destroy District 6.

You both knew that but only you knew that you had simply had enough and there were worse games to play.

“Oh my dear, if only your answer was different.”

The sound of racing footsteps echoed as Coriolanus came racing into the room, concern and confusion on his face.

“The guards said you wanted to talk to me, what’s wrong, what’s going on?” He asked, taking your hand but froze when he saw President Ravinstill.

“Right on time, my boy! I called you in here because I wanted you to see what happens when you attempt to humiliate me, to disgrace Panem. I want you to see that even on your happiest day, you cannot stop snow from falling.” President Ravinstill said.

You were sweating heavily now.

When did it get so hot?

“Coryo? Coriolanus, something’s wrong.”

Coriolanus turned back to you, his features shifting to a picture of horror at the sight of blood gently trickling down your nose. He caught you before you could hit the floor, gasping for breath, your blood coating his fingers.

“ Coryo, what’s happening?” You asked weakly, looking all around but Coriolanus gently placed your head on his lap.

“You’re okay, you’re okay, just look at me, look at me darling.” He said softly, trying to keep the panic from his voice.

This couldn’t be happening.

You risked it all, for what?

“Do you love me?” Coriolanus asked, pressing flat bloody fingers against your pulse, the erratic beat beneath his fingers made him want to sob but he had to stay in control. It would all be over soon.

“I do.” You choked out, tears starting to fall down your cheeks. Everything around you was starting to blur but Coriolanus gently rocked you in his arms.

“Then eyes on me, Mrs. Snow.” Coriolanus said with watery eyes. Through the sleeve of your wedding dress something you could feel something prick your arm but you were too far gone to truly realize what was happening.

“Tell my ma, tell her I’m sorry.” You whispered, eyes slowly closing despite Coriolanus’s cries.

“Don’t worry dear boy, I’ll make the announcement that you’ll be dropping out of the race. Someone should not have drank the posca.” President Ravinstill said, a throaty chuckle that ended with a hacking cough, one that the guard closest to him mimicked.

Enjoy the show.

Outside the bridal area, he could hear others coughing too but with his wife still on his lap, he turned his attention to the president. A wave of calm engulfed him and despite himself, Coriolanus Snow began to laugh.

“And you should not have drank the champagne, Mr. President.”

Coriolanus enjoyed watching Ravinstill crumble to the floor besides his bodyguards, flecks of foam and spittle falling from the former president's now violet lips.

Wedding guests screamed and the sounds of falling bodies echoed throughout the venue but Coriolanus ignored them in favor of breathing for you.

After all, these things happen in war.

That’s chapter 8! Thank you so much for reading, I’m so sorry for the delay! I just wanted to try this ending instead, I really, really hope you don’t hate it. As always, if you want to see the finale, please comment and reblog! Love you all!!!

#coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow x black!reader #coriolanus x you #coriolanus snow x black reader #sorry for the wait

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xxgothbitchfromhellxx · 3 months

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lawlight fic rec list

so i’m gonna do a series of these, starting with my favorite death note ship! make sure to pay attention to all warnings on these fics. enjoy! if you have a ship you’d like me to make a rec list for, please just send me an ask! i don’t want to be obnoxious, and i’m not saying they’re good, but i (slackjawbitch on ao3) have some lawlight fics up!

♡ = a favorite of kitty’s

angst

♡ 1. i’m drowning; please save me: L looks at Yagami Light and drowns. There is no other way to put it. As the days pass and blend into weeks, L looks at Yagami Light sitting next to him, the harsh lines of his face creased and determined, and he swallows water.

L looks at Yagami Light and he cannot breathe.

great characterization, always makes me very emo, and is probably a pretty major influence on my writing. one shot. 1,817 words.

2. always waiting for you just to cut to the bone: And then, breaking through the pounding in his head he hears what would be the last words out of that wretched man’s lips.

“I love you.”

fic for teh death note drama (2016) canon! title is unfortunately from a t*ylor sw*ft song (/silly) but this fic is so good and sad.

3. Our Bodies, Possessed By Light: L. Lawliet is a gifted photographer who believes he has understood the light and its secrets. Light Yagami is a young, unstable and slightly crooked model. Together, they kill time.

modeling and photography au. make sure to read all teh tags and warnings for this one; there’s nothing gross, but some potentially triggering subjects for some people are in here. multi chapter. 81,218 words.

4. Hearts and Spades: Which would you choose? Love or death? RaitoL, slight AU.

short but sweet piece featuring that classic fanfiction dot net era vibe, an emo-ass playing card metaphor (/pos), and a recounting of l’s death scene that made me sad over him all over again (also /pos). and also light being obnoxious, but it’s death note, so that’s usually a given, lol. one shot. 1,801 words.

5. Not Quite Drowning: Sometimes Light ponders happiness. L/Light

a short lawlight and light character study. i like it a lot, and i don’t usually like light, so that should tell you something about how well i think it’s written! one shot. 424 words.

♡ 6. Water, water, water: In the bath, they forget they’re a detective and a suspect; they remove these identities along with their clothes, layer by layer until there are only the handcuffs left. And them; facing the other in the eerie calmness of their bathroom.

At least, it’s how Light sees it.

i really love this one! make sure to read teh tags, as eating disorders and drugs are mentioned, for example. angst with a happy ending! one shot. 3,504 words.

fluff

1. Silver Bells: Silver bells...silver bells...

They’ve made it. Everything is okay now, when they’re dancing in the candlelight.

really, really cute! i recommend it as a palate cleanser to make you feel better after reading a sad one, lol. one shot. 1,255 words.

♡ 2. New Year’s Eve: "I've seen fireworks before," he says. "This is... so much... more."

just a cute little new year’s eve lawlight fireworks show! this one is also from 2009 which is kinda cool to me, haha. i like this author’s descriptive language a lot. one shot. 507 words.

♡ 3. Do Gay Penguins Go to Hell?: Too many New Year snacks bring about a family discussion between L, Raito and their daughter about healthy diet, common sayings and nature of good and evil. And gay penguins, of course. AU

a really darling kid fic, based on teh stupid, homophobic controversy over that adorable kids’ book about teh gay penguin couple. one shot. 3,791 words.

4. A Feeling: It's LxLight fluff! This takes place after Light was confined and lost his memories, chained to L. : D SO YUS. SOME FLUFF FOR YAH D: Hope you leik it :D

very cute “l and light cuddle and kiss” fic, written by a scene kid in 2008, which is extra points with me! one shot. 1,006 words.

alright! i will add to this rec list as i find more fics, and i would love it if people would send in their favorite lawlight fics!

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ladydimitrescuspet · 2 months

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Make Me Feel Better Ch. 5

ao3 link! long time no update, am I right?? a nice, sad little snack because I couldn't sleep. there's a bad dream that happens, but other than that, enjoy! don't mind the grammatical errors :)

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“I gave you that picture for a reason,” Daniela said.

You frowned. “Can we not talk about it right now?” You asked, completely over Daniela and Mother Miranda.

Daniela rolled her eyes. “Fine by me. Just check the back of the picture,” She said before disappearing.

You stared at the picture on your dresser, disgusted by what it was showing you. You had wanted to toss the whole frame in the trash, but you didn’t want to upset anybody with your disdain for the evil crow lady. You sighed as you picked up, turning it over so you can examine the back as per Daniela’s suggestion. You stared at the writing on the back.

Darling Y/N,

Did you really think that you could fully escape me? It’s a shame that I’m going to have to kill you once I get my hands on you, really, it is. You would’ve made for an absolutely splendid vessel for my experiment, but I simply refuse to give you the cadou lest you take your newly acquired abilities and use them against me. No, no, I simply won’t have that happening. Now, make sure our dearest Alcina never sees this or I’ll make your death as painful as possible. Always remember that I have eyes and ears everywhere.

Yours in life and in death,

Mother Miranda

You grimaced as you finished reading the note Mother Miranda had left on the back of her picture. You were torn telling Alcina about it or listening and not telling her about it. You held the photo in your hand for a moment before putting it back in the frame. Even if you didn’t let Alcina know about it, she wouldn’t let anything happen to you, right? Granted she did leave you in the dungeon for two weeks, but only because it was the best way to keep you safe. Or so she said.

You made your way to the library a few moments later, finding Daniela already in there. And she was writing what you assumed to be her letter to you.

She looked up at you as walked over to the table. “Took you long enough,” She mumbled.

You frowned at her words. “She’s going to kill me,”

Daniela stared at you before humming. “I’m well aware of that,” She replied.

“What? How could you po-“ She cut you off.

“I read what she wrote,” She said. “Her threats don’t really sound threatening when they’re written, but she also mentioned it while I was with her. Hence why she wrote it down, so I could relay the message,”

You sat down in the seat next to her. “Does your mother know?” You asked.

Daniela tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. “Know what?” She replied with a question of her own.

“About the…. note?” You tried again with your question.

“Oh. No, she doesn’t,” She answered. “I doubt she’d do anything, even if she could. On the bright side, there’s a good chance Mother Miranda was just being dramatic,” Daniela added before going back to her writing her letter.

You sighed before starting on your own letter. It was almost an hour later before the both of you turned to watch the library door as it squeaked open. You weren’t the least bit surprised to see that it was Alcina coming in to check on the progress the two of you had made.

“I hate to interrupt your…. bonding time,” That was one way to describe it, you guessed. “But I need to speak to Y/N. Alone.” Alcina said giving Daniela a look that told her to get out.

“Good luck,” Daniela muttered to you before she left the room.

You raised an eyebrow at Alcina. “What did you need to speak to me about?” You asked.

“I need to go away for business for a few days after Mother Miranda’s visit,” Alcina said. “I’m afraid you’re not allowed to travel with me; however, I can ask Heisenberg or even Donna to stay here for the time being, if you would like,” She offered.

You nodded your head. “I don’t see why I should get a say in who steps foot into your castle,” You replied as you looked at the paper in front of you.

“Darling, of course you get in a say in a decision like this when it’s in regards to your safety. I want you to feel comfortable as this as much your home as it is mine,” Alcina said. “Is something the matter?” She asked.

You shook your head. “No, everything is fine,” You lied as you tried not to think about what Miranda said.

Alcina kneeled down next to you, turning your chair to face her. “Y/N, I know you’re lying, tell me what’s the matter,”

You couldn’t help yourself as you attached your arm her neck, sobbing into her. “There was a note on the back of the photo and she said she was going to kill me when she got her hands on me,” You choked out. “I don’t wanna die, Al, I don’t wanna die,”

Alcina rubbed your back as she processed what you just told her. “You’re not going to die, I promise,”

“But I am! She told me not to tell you or she’d make my death as painful as possible,” You said. “She said she has eyes and ears everywhere. I’m so scared, Alcina,” You lifted your head from her neck.

Alcina brought her thumbs up to your face to wipe away your tears. “I can’t tell you that you have nothing to be scared of, Y/N, but one thing I can tell you is that Miranda will not lay a finger on you inside of my castle,” Alcina said. “The rules of my castle apply to her as much as they do anyone else who steps a foot in here. Do you understand me?”

You nodded your head. “But sh-“

Alcina pressed her thumb to your lips. “She will not harm you in any way, shape, or form.” She replied in a firm tone. “Now, when she visits, you will stay in your room with one of my daughters and you will not, under any circumstances, leave that room until she is gone. If you need something, they will get it for you. And if you need me, you only need to say my name and I’ll be right there. Is that clear?”

You nodded your head. “Yes, Alcina,” You sniffled.

Alcina gave you a small smile. “Pasărea mea curajoasă, thank you for telling me,” She pressed a kiss to your forehead. “I have a bit more paperwork to get through, but I know you’ve had a long day and I’m sure you’re ready for a proper night’s sleep, yes?”

“In your room,” You replied.

Alcina hummed as she picked you up. “Yes, iubirea mea, in my room,” Alcina said. You hadn’t even made it back to her room before you were out like a light. She watched you sleep peacefully for a moment, before leaving the room to return to her study. Almost as if you felt your security blanket being taken away from you did your dreams take a turn.

You found yourself in the middle of the woods. It was night time and the night was foggy. You crept slowly in the woods, careful not to make a sound as you tried to find your way out.

“Oh, Y/N, where are you?” Miranda’s voiced called out. You looked around you, your heartbeat starting to race. “I promise not to hurt you, Y/N, I only want to keep you safe,” Lies. You didn’t believe her.

“Alcina,” You called out her name, barely audible, hoping that she’d hear you.

“You poor dear, Alcina can’t help you out here,” Miranda laughed. She sounded so close to you that when your turned around you ran into a tree. “Don’t hurt yourself on my account, dear,” Miranda taunted.

You rubbed your head as you sat on the cold ground. You wished it would open up and swallow you, at least then you’d be away from Miranda.

You jumped as you felt something touch your shoulder. “Don’t be scared, Y/N, I’m here to help, remember?” Miranda said into your ear.

You scrambled off the ground as quickly as you could, running off as your head throbbed a bit. “Alcina!” You called out again, this time a bit louder.

“Alcina! Alcina’s gone, Y/N, she left you. She left you to fiend all for yourself,” Miranda said. You shook your head as you ran, tears falling down your cheek. “You can run all you want, but you’ll never escape me,”

You tripped over a root sticking out of the ground, falling flat on your face. Your head had been inches away from hitting a rock. You tried to stand up, but you felt something pressed down on your back, pushing you further into the ground.

“Why don’t you just give up, Y/N?” Miranda asked. “It’s getting exhausting chasing you around,”

“No,” You choked out. “Please,”

Miranda rolled her eyes as she removed her foot and used it to roll you onto your back. You made an attempt to get up, but she pushed you back down, her hand coming up around your throat.

“You’re really annoying, do you know that? I can see why Alcina left you out here,” Miranda said as she squeezed your throat a little tighter. Your hands cane up to her wrist to try to ease the pressure. “If you would stop fighting me then this would be a lot easier, Y/N,”

You scratched at her arm as you felt yourself getting lightheaded and more tears falling down your face. “Please, stop, please,” You said as best as you could.

Miranda sighed, but let your throat go. “Fine,” You laid there on the ground as you calmed yourself down. “Are you done yet? I really would like to get this over with,”

You didn’t say anything. You closed your eyes and thought about how this was your end. Miranda stared at you with a frown, but shook her head, this just made it all the more easier. She pulled out a dagger and plunged it into your chest.

You sat straight up, letting out a loud scream as if you could actually feel Miranda’s dagger. You couldn’t tell if your face was wet from the tears or the sweat. It didn’t matter as you ran to the bathroom, puking into the toilet.

“Y/N, what’s wrong?” Alcina said as she stepped into the bedroom. She didn’t see you on the bed so she made her way to the bathroom. “Iubirea mea, are you in here?”

You let out a sob as you leaned against the toilet and Alcina gathered you into her arms as you sobbed into her for the second time.

“Was it a dream about her?” Alcina asked, you nodded your head. “Do you wish to talk about it?” She asked as she rocked you back and forth. You shook your head. Alcina hummed in acknowledgement. She let you cry for a few minutes before speaking again. “I need you to take deep breaths for me and try to calm down, dearest,”

You tried your best to stop your tears, but they just kept falling. You only felt yourself stopping when Alcina starting humming and lightly singing Moon River to you. Your face ached as you leaned into Alcina and listened to her. When she was sure that you were in a calmer state, she spoke.

“Are you alright, my love?” Alcina asked. You shook your head in response, not trusting your voice. “I won’t ask you what has you so upset yet, but I would like to know when you’re ready to tell me,” She said softly, kissing your temple.

Alcina helped you get cleaned up before she brought you back to the bed, sliding in after you were settled. You clung to her as she wrapped her arms around you tightly. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long before you drifted off to sleep again. She hoped that a happier dream awaited you rather than what had plagued your precious mind earlier in the night. If only she knew what it was about.

#lady dimitrescu x reader #lady dimitrescu #alcina dimitrescu #resident evil village #resident evil 8 #resident evil

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star-girl69 · 1 year

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Ember in Your Hands

Jake Sully x Neytiri x Fem!Reader

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a/n: i hope you all enjoy!!

warnings: swearing, mentions of death, tell me if i missed anything!!

Chapter Five- Family

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“Ow!” Neteyam shouts, and you peek inside the tent. Everyone is gathered around, while Kiri and Mo’at apply and mix pastes for Neteyam’s wounds.

You can faintly hear Spider tease him, Kiri challenge her grandmother. You smile, before the magazine of Jake’s gun clicks back into place, and you’re snapped out of the moment.

Neytiri comes and stands next to you, so her arm runs along yours, her tail winding around your own. The two of you watch them for a few more moments, your children, your family, before Jake lets out a small sigh.

“What?” he asks.

Neytiri stands talker. “Neteyam and Lo’ak try to live up to you.” She breathes in deeply, before turning. “It is very hard on them.”

“I know,” he says, but you are not convinced. Neytiri walks toward him, and you follow, a million speeches in your head, a war. Neytiri kneels in front of him.

“You are very hard on them.” His gun makes another loud snap, and he tilts his head towards the two of you.

“I’m their father. It’s my job.”

“Jake…” you sigh, watching Neytiri bite her lower lip. You sit next to him, and he doesn’t make any move to touch you like he normally would, so you place your hand on his shoulder. “This is a family, my love. This isn’t another squadron for you to command. Being a father is a hard job — you have to blend the tough love with actual love.”

Jake turns away from you.

“I do love them,” he hisses. He clenched his jaw for a moment, before adjusting his gun, and turning to you with wide eyes. “I thought we lost them.”

Neytiri’s face drops, and you can feel yours do the same. She places her hand on his knee, and you lean up to kiss his cheek.

His skin is rough from the dried war paint he’s yet to wipe off.

He stares in between the two of you as you lick your thumb again, and wipe his cheek until your thumb turns turquoise blue.

—-

You tilt your head to the side, press your ear to Neytiri’s shoulder for some relief from the wind. It whips around you, especially since Neytiri’s ikran is much faster than yours.

It’s odd, to be flying like this without your ikran below you. The air is empty without her calls, the leathery skin between your legs different.

But, your ikran is getting over a tear in his wing, one she sustained from the sharp rock walls of High Camp. It’s better to let her rest, especially for such menial things like this.

Instead, you watch Jake as he stares straight ahead, cutting through the wind like a bullet.

You think about what he said last night, about how he thought you had lost them. You never had a father, not even memories, or anything close to it. You don’t know how to help Jake navigate this new part in your life. You know how to be a mother, you learned from Grace and from your own instincts.

You look behind you to Neteyam, making sure he’s still there. His eyes meet yours, and he gives you a small smile, before your earpiece blares with Lo’ak’s voice.

“Devil Dog, this is Eagle Eye, over.”

“Eagle Eye, send your traffic,” Jake responds.

“I’ve got eyes on some guys… they look like Avatars. But they’re in full camo and carrying AR’s. There are six of them, over.”

Your heart jumps up to your throat, and you can hear Neytiri’s breath speed up.

You frown. There is a million possibilities, you tell yourself. You just have to hope it is not the worst one.

“What’s your pos, over?” Jake asks.

“Uh… we’re at the old shack.”

You bite back a hiss. The three of you had been adamant that they should never go there, or anywhere near there.

Then, you realize what he said.

“We?” Jake asks, voice laced with concern. “Who’s we?”

“Me, Spider, Kiri…” Silence for one heartbeat. “And Tuk.”

Neytiri gasps and turns to Jake, and you tighten your arms around her.

Jake turns towards the two of you, his lips pressed together in a tight line. Neytiri swerves around a tower of rock.

“Son, you listen to me very carefully. Pull back right now. Do not make a s sound. Get the hell out of there. Move, copy?”

“Yes, sir, moving out.”

A few harsh wing flaps fill the air.

“Dad!” Neteyam shouts. “I know a quick way!”

Neytiri shouts a bird call and turns swiftly, so all of you make the harsh dive down.

Now, you let the wind run past your ears, staring straight out at the approaching forest, like you can see them.

—-

Your break through the jungle canopy, colliding onto some branches far away from the shack.

Neytiri says a few words to her ikran, scratching her chin as you dismount behind her, fixing your bow on your back.

You take a step towards Jake, and his eyes cut to someone behind you.

“You stay with the ikrans,” he says.

“Dad, I’m a warrior like you. I’m supposed to fight.”

His worry for his siblings is evident. Neteyam has always put everyone else above himself, pushed aside his own feelings in favor of others.

“Neteyam,” Neytiri warns.

“I’m not gonna say it again.”

“Yes, sir,” Neteyam says, bitter.

You place your hand on his cheek quickly, before turning and following your mates.

“We just want to keep you safe,” you call, but when you look over your shoulder — he only stares at the three of you with a fury. Like he wants to be there, like he needs to.

But he is just a child, and his safety comes before his need to prove himself.

—-

taglist:

@eywas-heir @mjesecevo-dijete @ok-boke @tsukicores @neteyamforlife @itsyoboysparkel @tejas-kris @noname2246 @skxawngsworld @itsemy01 @littlexscarletxwitch @ara-a-bird @ghoulbli @ssc7514 @kitkat1690 @hai-kbai @disaster-in-waiting @milf-lover-23 @hot15936 @ssc7514 @ducks118

everything taglist:

@monsterwasstolen @fanboyluvr @artologia-blog1 @tulipatheticee @elvyshiarieko @fluffisalliwant @fluffi19 @jeizllz @myheartfollower @fy-fy-world @minkyungseokie @ivy-plays @blueberryfailureclinic @cryingwhilereading @thatratprincessforever @dumb-fawkin-bitch @sillyblues @buttercup-beeee @smollangrycat @n7cje @eternallyvenus @iwanttogohomeandtakeanap @w3ird11

#jake sully x neytiri #jake sully x reader #neytiri x reader #avatar way of water

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plantboiart · 11 days

Text

Okay i have now finished relistening to all of blood in the bayou and I /didn’t/ cry (got close when rand hugged kian but i stayed strong) but here are some thoughts about the final episode!

The reveal with Rolan is still so fucking good. Like. Charlie did such an amazing job foreshadowing it without ever actually giving it away, which is exactly what you want from a plot twist, it’s phenomenal and makes so much sense in universe as well

Charlie describing the kian monster as “the thing that once was kian stone” numerous times is like… insane to me /pos. Because yeah, it really was. It was kian. It wasnt the original, but it was as much kian as rolan was rolan. And they couldnt forget that even if it would have been easier to

Okay sure focusing on keeperschampion for a second I GUESS (/silly i promise i love them) rolan jumping in front of rand? Rolan at 1 hp risking death to protect rand? He loves him so much and its so obvious and whether that’s platonic or romantic i DONT CARE they’re just so special

Kian’s corpse and coming back and shit… god i just so desperately need to understand how aware the corpses are. Because they’re not fully dead. Charlie makes that very clear, they pulse and move and even if they could never be described as alive anymore, they are not dead either. And him describing the sound kian makes as “pleading”? God fucking ow

Rand giving Kian his jacket… Rand hugging Kian… god ow ow OW /pos

Okay to be. Somewhat salty for a second. It genuinely feels like some bitb fans just did not actually listen to episode four with how they treat kian. Like its insane to me that people are able to reduce his character to just comedic relief rockstar or whatever when he lied to his friends for over a decade so they wouldnt think differently of him and you dont even need to read into that too deeply to see the self hatred and trust issues that clearly implies, and. Listen. Keeperschampion fans. I get you. I get it. But PLEASE give some attention to Kian still??? Like he’s 1. Canonically bisexual and 2. CANONICALLY HAS A THING FOR ROLAN. Like that’s not. How can you write a queer bitb story and ignore those facts? I dont get it. Like i just dont. Okay rant over i swear i love rand and rolan and i think keeperschampion is a wonderful ship im just so tired of kian being constantly overlooked

Anyways yes most of these will focus on kian what did you expect. Kian hoping to find some kind of answers or help from religion when everything is happening. Like yes he turner to brother niles (is that how you spell that name idk) was because he was like more stable than most others but /still/. That guy has NOT gotten over being raised by cultist parents and it absolutely still affects his worldview even if he probably wishes it didn’t

Also i use the above as proof that whatever cult kians parents are in is a christian one. Like. Obviously not very traditional since hippies but still. I also just really want to go with that since i feel like the default assumption for most people is that theyre like wicca or neo-pagan or something similar and im just. Im so tired of paganism being the default cult religion in media. Like. Please. I just want to worship aphrodite and finnish nature spirits in peace without my religion being constantly combined with cults and shit. Well shit i went on another rant. Sorry guys i swear i dont mean to be this negative all the time sometimes shit just happens

I want to write an extremely painful hurt no comfort fic of kian getting caught and killed by the creatures while escaping from the community house.. i want to write it so bad…

Rolan sacrificing himself for rand AGAIN. Like bro we get it youre suicidal and in love with your best friends fucking chill

The encounter with the queen… rand planning to fucking suicide bomb her, it pretending to be rachel (at least thats how I interpreted it) to manipulate rand, the hive just being a hivemind of ecofascists, kian just fucking exploding, Rolan sacrificing himself for rand AGAIN AGAIN, the end god the end rand and rachel “you changed” “you didn’t”… pain

Thats. Probably it. Yeah. Im feeling fine and will now go lie down for an hour to process things (and. Maybe. Afterwards. I will write something because i have way too much inspiration)

#jrwi show #just roll with it #jrwi bitb #blood in the bayou #jrwi bitb spoilers #bitb spoilers #blood in the bayou spoilers

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fyreflys · 6 months

Text

Excuse me as I ramble for a moment but-

When Katniss and Peeta go into their first games, the prep teams practically wax them bare. They go as far as to permanently prevent Peeta from ever growing facial hair (correct me if I’m wrong- I could be misremembering). And I just think that’s a very interesting choice to make. They want Peeta to look young. They want both of them bare, like new born babies. Which is so wicked in such a specific way. They want people to remember that they aren’t making adults fight, they’re forcing vulnerable, naive, full of potential, CHILDREN, (the FUTURE of Panem) to fight to the death.

And yet simultaneously, they also want Katniss to have an Epic Rack™️. Which throws my whole theory of them wanting them to look like children out the window but STILL.

I guess there’s a lot that could be said about the beauty standards and body modifications that the capital people put themselves through. Which could be a whole other rant/analysis in of itself. Anyways I had a point to all of this but then I kind of debunked my own claim so. Uh. Yeah.

But to continue my random ramble - I like to head-cannon Peeta as still being able to grow a beard bc I’ve reached that stage in my life where I think beards are HOT and beard Peeta would kill me /pos

#the hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #prep teams #analysis

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faetaiity · 2 years

Note

Hi! I saw you where trying yandere fics so i was wondering if you’d be interested in writing some platonic yandere headcannons (basically the yandere idea without the romance) with the four rise!brothers (or just raph and/or donnie if all of them are too many), discovering a male human younger than them (like 12-13) and while they’re out on patrol and they all become obsessed with the idea of him becoming their younger brother so much so that they kidnap them and bring them back to the lair

i’m just so curious how they’d act to a younger brother and how they’d treat him- like would they let him out of the house, go on patrol with them, would donnie let him into his lab?

if you want you could also do the bat mutant reader or the dark!au, it’s up to you! sorry for rambling lol

I WILL DO ALL OF THESE???? BAT READER IN THE DARK AU WITH PLATONIC YANDERES??? SIGN ME UP FUCKER(S)!! /POS Also, I (tried) to make the readers age ambiguous for the most part, BUT I did have in mind a reader between 7-9 (Early Adolescents)

CW: Reader ends up getting injured, mild angst(?), Yandere themes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STORY PART (GENERAL HCS AT THE BOTTOM <3)

Mutating for a child is 10x worse

It's almost guaranteed that the kid will be homeless, not necessarily because of their parents (although this DOES happen rarely), but more so because they perceive themselves as monsters as kids, and teens have low self-esteem so they think no one will love them as a mutant

At least with Teens and Adults, they have Mutants in their age range that can help, there are almost NO child mutants, now, Adult Mutants will help Child mutants, but this is a dangerous area.

Cut to a little boy who just mutated into a giant Bat, you, of course, freak out and start crying (Partly because it's canon that Mutating is PAINFUL)

It'll probably be a couple nights or even weeks before the turtles find you, New York IS pretty big.

When they find you, they're curious, they've never seen a super young mutant out by themselves, sure, they were young at some point, but they were always supervised

Raphs the most patient one, even in the canon storyline, Rise! Raph is a sweetheart compared to his brothers, similar concept here, Dark AU! Raph is similar to 2012! Raph, he has his soft moments but mostly comes off as intimidating.

Raph comes over to you and sees you sobbing your eyes out, your fur is matted, you seem to be starving and you have various scrapes and bruises.

Big Brother mode is something Dark AU! Raph experiences very rarely, only towards young animals as his brothers are completely independent from him now, but you managed to trigger that response.

Honey, you got a big storm comin /ref

He picks you up and brings you with him, earning Leo and Donnie's Ire

I'm gonna be honest, he has to beg his brothers not to rat him out to the rat, he HAS to smuggle you into the lair, at least for a little bit for you to be cleaned up and fed.

His brothers taunt him about his sudden "Stupid Emotions", especially considering even though Raph is a decent person in this AU, he's still hardcore af, smashing people's teeth in 'n stuff.

But they cave, Mikey isn't as loose mouthed in the Dark AU, he's actually quite secretive.

Raph ends up taking you to the shower and asking if you know how to take one by yourself (He knows you're young, but he doesn't know your exact age, but he knows you're younger than 10.), if you agree he just gives you some of Mikey's clothes since they would fit you the best, then he leaves.

After showering, you wander around, as nosy kids do, you end up finding the orange one, drawing in what seems to be red paint, he looks over to you with a smile, ew, the paint was leaking from his mouth.

You skittishly wandered into another part of the lair after feeling like you stared death in the face of a turtle.

Going into another part, which had a lot of ripped up dummies, you see the other two that wasn't the red one, one had a midnight blue mask, and the other a Deep Purple, they were screaming at each other, calling each other horrible names, they were both pretty roughed up, knuckles bleeding, blood coming from their nose, bruises, someone brushed by you casually and wandered into that den of Vipers

"MIKEY, GET THE FUCK OUT, WE'RE BUSY" The Blue one yelled at, who you assumed was Mikey, who squinted his eyes and seethed out a "Helloooo~ My Dear and LOVING brother, could you mind NOT fighting so loudly, kid ended up watching y'all fight like raccoons over the last bit of that guy from the police" which made the three look at you

Pinning your ears back you took a step back, the purple one came over to you and coldly said "Raph's in the living room, don't go in there, Splinter will kill you."

You just stood there shaking, tears pricking your eyes before Leo sighed, stood still then giggled "LAST ONE TO SAY NOT IT AND TOUCH THEIR NOSES HAS TO TAKE CARE OF THE KID"

"NOT IT"

The one in front of you whipped around at mach one and stared at his brothers ".... I fucking hate you two, I wish you were used as omelets when we were eggs." the purple one seethed

He whipped back over to you; a giant mechanical arm came out and picked you up, making you screech and writhe

"CALM DOWN!" He shouted, making you stop writhing and start whimpering

He walks out of the Dojo and takes you through some rooms before coming to a door that has steel lock bars to keep people out, he uses a code and a print scanner before wandering in, he strides over to a desk and places you on it.

He taps his desk for a few minutes, deep in thought before looking over to you "My name's Donatello." he states, you carefully responded as if saying one word wrong would make him snap your neck "I'm Y/N"

He huffs a small "Don't touch anything, tell me if you need to go somewhere", before he starts to code on a computer, several minutes pass by before a hurried knock at the Lab's door

Answering it, he lets his three brothers in, all of them approach you, as you start shaking violently the more they got close.

Three of them stopped before you, but the red one got closer, He kneeled down, so you were at eye level, you were scared shitless, these were highly scarred turtle mutants with weapons, any kid with enough marbles would shit themselves.

He sighs before saying "We haven't introduced ourselves, I'm Raphael" he stops for a second before continuing "That's Michelangelo" He points to the shortest one with a deep dark orange mask, "That's Leonardo" the one he pointed to was the most scarred out of all of them, he had a giant bloodstained sword, he didn't seem amused that he was there "And that's-"

"Donnie!!!!" you said, kicking your legs back and forth, giving a giant goofy grin, Donatello was NOT amused "It's Donatello." He coldly said, his face was bright red as his brothers started snickering behind him

Raph pulled out a small hairbrush and some hair conditioner "Can I help you untangle those mats?" he gruffed out, it wasn't intended to be scary, his voice was just naturally rough.

You nodded, He spent about an hour detangling your fur while his brothers did other things in the lab, such as Donatello making upgrades to SHELLDON.

After he was done, you got up from his lap and turned around "Thank you Mr. Raphael!!!!" you squeaked out and hugged him, causing him to freeze

His brothers looked over and saw you hugging him, they saw how at ease their brother was as his massive hands draped around you

Once you were done hugging you ran around like a normal kid would do.

Raphael often mentioned to his younger brothers about the feelings of being a big brother and how he felt as one, they got this feeling from you, despite you only having met them for a few hours.

They see you trip and freak the fuck out, this isn't their normal reaction, they would usually laugh or just ignore it, but they felt more panicky.

But then you got up and gave them the most dumb, goofy, teeth filled smile, giving them a thumbs up and running off to other parts of the lab.

They felt warm, deciding to leave you with Donnie in his lab as you seemed to like him

He had to fake being Inconvenienced and irritated, but even the CIA couldn't get that out of him ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENERAL HCS THAT ARE SET A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE STORY PART!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, you can't go anywhere without them, end of story

Patrols? You are WITH ALL OF THEM. NO QUESTIONS.

Donnie's Lab? Donnie has to be with you and starts rambling about his tech, feels like fainting from happiness when you take an interest.

Splinter ends up finding out about you and for the first time ever, his students rebelled against him violently, his ear became more torn up, he had a tooth knocked out, and some of his nails cracked, needless to say, you were kept.

Raph's the most Overprotective out of all of them, sees you cry and suddenly finds an excuse to fight anyone who comes near you, even if he didn't really care, having someone other than him near you gets him unnaturally angry for no reason

Mikey was the youngest before you, but he has no resentment towards you, you're absolutely ADORABLE! He's the one that takes you to the hidden city to see the cool things there, He's the 'Fun' but cautious big brother, and by that, I mean, he makes you think he gives you the most freedom but really all he does is give you a safety net that traps you, making you believe after that one incident that you need protection, slowly constricting your freedoms until you HAVE to be with him or his brothers.

Donnie would be the carefree one, he doesn't NEED to be by your side, he has tech and hacking abilities, he can just spy on you, His robots are deadly enough to kill any human or mutant that hurts you.

Leo is the second most carefree, he mainly helps Donnie if his tech fucks over and can't be used or the entire PowerGrid is down, He just teleports to find you from your last known location!

They all adore you, calling you their younger sibling, often making you feel overwhelmed or suffocated (Especially if the reader is Autistic.)

I can see them mildly infantilizing the reader, not as if they're actually like a baby, but more like they're helpless and can't do ANYTHING by themselves, you wanna get something off the top shelf? Raph can do it! GO SIT BACK DOWN.

If the reader gets hurt by another mutant all hell breaks loose

They don't even care if they can only get to them in broad daylight, they have disguises, they'll make it work.

Don't expect them to not scold you if you break the rules.

First offense is a verbal warning

Second or more offense is timeout

Third offense is only reserved for trying to leave them permanently more than once. They snap your leg.

You'll learn to NEVER leave again, either that or your legs won't be able to work anymore.

#save rottmnt #dark! rottmnt au #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt #rottmnt x reader #leo x reader #leonardo #donatello #donnie x reader #raphael #raph x reader #michelangelo #mikey x reader #yandere rottmnt #yandere tmnt #platonic x reader

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penmansparadise · 2 years

Text

Steve Harrington ~ The Feelings are Mutual

*I DO NOT OWN THIS GIF* *CREDIT TO GIF OWNER*

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Wheeler Fem!Reader

Word Count: 7.1k

Warnings: S3 SPOILERS. Mentions of blood and violence. Language.

a/n: This was a very long request by @lollipopz .Don't worry. This is only part one lol. Again, I went a little crazy with the word count, so please don't mind that. Anyway, I hope I did this request justice and can't wait to write part two. So, my next post will be *insert dramatic pause* an Eddie Munson smut! I'm sure you are all going to be looking forward to that one lol. Because I've been writing much longer one shots, it has been taking me a little longer to get through the requests. So, I apologize for that. Just hang in there! I'm working as fast as I can lol. As always, thank you for the support, and I hope you all enjoy this one!

The screams emanating from Robin, Dustin, Erica, and yourself bounced off the walls of what you are now learning is actually an elevator and not a room. You were plummeting toward God knows what at God knows what speed. Of course, none of you knew what you were getting into when you decided to enter the room, but you definitely didn’t think you’d be falling to your death.

You looked around at the group. Robin was backed up against the metal shelves, clutching to whatever she could get her hands on. Erica was doing her best to steady herself on the table in the center of the room. Dustin was pressed up against the wall, screeching. And you and Steve were standing next to one another, holding onto the other table that was perched in the center of the room. Your hand subconsciously found Steve’s, and you grabbed ahold of him like your life depended on it.

“We’re going down! We’re going down!” Steve shouted.

Robin turned to face him and yelled, “Yeah, no shit, Harrington!”

The sound of the elevator falling was like something out of a movie. Metal grinding against metal creating a high-pitched squeal. Your ears felt like they were about to bleed from how loud it was. But you didn’t care about that. All you cared about was not getting crushed when the elevator inevitably finished its rapid descent. Your breathing was uneven, and your anxiety started to get the best of you.

“Somebody do something, damn it!” You screamed, looking at everyone in the room.

Dustin started smacking the buttons on the wall.

“Why don’t these buttons work!?” He finally yelled when nothing worked.

You just shook your head and started to groan.

“I knew I shouldn’t have gotten a job at the damn mall. I just knew it. You looked at Steve’s panic-ridden face. “But I let you talk me into it, Steve, and now look where we are. Hurtling straight to hell!”

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but before he got the chance, the elevator came to a violent halt, sending you and Steve to the floor. Your body was half on Steve’s as he was folded up between the table and the wall. He let out a pained moan.

“My groin,” he said, his voice strained, “You’re on my groin.”

You peeled yourself off Steve’s body and gave an embarrassed smile.

“Sorry.”

His breaths were coming out in short puffs as he stood up. You leaned against the wall trying to regain some of your composure as Steve shoved Dustin out of the way and started smacking the buttons.

“Steve,” Robin began, throwing her hands in the air, “I think we’ve clearly established that those buttons don’t work.”

Steve whipped his head around to look at her. The cool, calm, and collected Steve you were so used to seeing was gone. In his place was a frantic and manic Steve, who was desperate to get out of the small room. His eyes were wide, and he heaved out a sigh.

“They’re buttons. They have to do something.”

You rolled your eyes and moved closer to look at the box the buttons were in. After a quick analysis, you realized what the problem was.

“They won’t work,” you said.

Steve’s mouth opened and closed several times before he babbled out, “What do you mean they won’t work?”

You moved across the tiny space and pointed to a smaller box next to where the buttons were.

“We need a keycard. Without the keycard, the buttons won’t work, which means-”

“We’re stuck in here,” Dustin finished for you, and you nodded.

“Exactly.”

Everyone let out a collective sigh of defeat. This was definitely not how any of you expected to spend your evening.

“Just so you nerds are aware,” Erica said, eyeing each of you, “I’m supposed to be spending the night at Tina’s, and Tina always covers for me. But if I’m not home for Uncle Jack’s party tomorrow and my mom finds out you four are responsible, she’s gonna hunt you down, one-by-one, and slit your throat.”

You and Robin exchanged confused looks before Steve snapped.

“I don’t care about Tina!” He shouted. “Or Uncle Jack’s party! Your mom’s not gonna be able to find us if we’re dead in a Russian elevator!”

“Steve.” You said sternly, earning a dumb look from him. You shook your head at him before turning back to the rest of the group.

“Let’s just…relax, okay? We’re clearly not getting out of here anytime soon, so just sit down and…wait.”

You knew that wasn’t what anyone wanted to hear, but it was all you could do. There were no other options for you all. Everyone found a place to sit on the floor, and before you knew it, they were all asleep except you and Steve. You were playing with the fabric on your Scoops Ahoy uniform when Steve got up from his spot as quietly as he could and moved to sit next to you. Neither of you looked at each other, but you were very aware of his presence.

You could recall the exact moment you started to fall for Steve. It was in elementary school. One day, you were sitting at the lunch table empty-handed. You had forgotten to grab your lunch from the kitchen before ushering your sister Nancy and your brother Mike out the door to the bus. Steve took a seat in front of you, and without even asking a question, he started halfling his food with you. You were confused before he nodded toward the food and started talking to you like it was totally normal for him to have done what he did. It was that day in the lunchroom when you knew you were going to be madly in love with that boy. And you weren’t wrong because as the years went by, your feelings for him only grew.

He started to spend more time with you, and soon he was hanging around your house with your brother and his friends. You wouldn’t lie; for a while there, he was a bit of dick. He didn’t have the best choice in friends, and you hated that he pretended to be someone he wasn’t when he was around them. But when everyone discovered the Upside Down, and it came time to fight the Demogorgon, Steve was right there next to you, Nancy, Mike, and the rest of the crew.

By the time you two finally graduated high school, he was a totally different person. He knew about the scary alternate dimension hidden beneath Hawkins, and he also started to embrace his role as a babysitter. You two spent most of your time together at this point, so he begged you to work at Scoops Ahoy with him. He told you that he wouldn’t be able to handle the summer if you weren’t right there suffering with him. You were hesitant, but in the end, you agreed because you never wanted to be away from him anyway. But that decision had proved to be the wrong one as you sat stuck in a secret Russian elevator underneath the Starcourt Mall.

“I never thought I’d ever be stuck in an underground Russian elevator,” you said, peeking up at Steve.

He chuckled softly.

“Yeah, me either.”

The silence fell back over you for a moment before you stopped messing with your uniform and actually looked at Steve.

“Steve, you put on a good front for the kids and Robin, but do you actually have a plan when this door finally opens?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “not at all.”

You let out a little laugh.

“Great,” you said, dropping your gaze down to your lap, “that’s very reassuring.”

Steve’s hand found yours, and your eyes snapped up to meet his. They were more serious than you had ever seen them.

“I may not know what we’re gonna do when that door opens, but I’ll take care of you, Y/N. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

Your heart jumped in your chest, a reaction you had grown accustomed to when Steve was around, and you nodded.

“I know you will.”

He didn’t let go of your hand as you leaned your head back and shut your eyes. Even in a secret elevator, Steve somehow knew exactly how to make you feel safe. Before you knew it, you were dozing off, and sleep was taking you under its spell.

When you woke up, Steve was no longer next to you, and only Erica and Robin were in the room with you. The feeling of panic started to tighten your chest as you looked around the room franticly. You jumped to your feet, and when Robin saw your nervous face, she pointed upward. You noticed a grate that was open and relaxed. Robin continued pressing the buttons, and you made your way over to her side.

“Any luck?”

Robin shook her head.

“Nope. They’re still not working.”

You just slumped against the wall and watched Erica mess with the green liquid that was hidden in the cardboard boxes.

“So,” Robin said, earning your attention again, “you and Steve?”

“What about us?”

She wasn’t looking at you. Instead, she busied her hands with the buttons as if some sort of miracle was going to occur, and they would suddenly work.

“You’re pretty close,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” you began, your eyebrows furrowing, “I’ve known him for a really long time.”

“Hm,” she hummed, causing your back to straighten.

“What?”

Robin shook her head, her wispy hair dancing around her cheeks.

“Nothing. I just heard you two talking last night.”

The butterflies from the night before made their return as you remembered him telling you he’d protect you. Heat started to crawl up your neck, but you did your best to seem composed.

“And?” You asked, crossing your arms.

Robin suddenly stopped messing with the buttons and turned to face you. Her face was accusatory, and you knew she was onto you, but you didn’t want to admit it.

“It’s pretty obvious you two are like madly in love.”

“What?” You said, the word coming out like a squeak, “No, no, we’re not.”

Before Robin could even say anything, Erica slammed the green liquid down, and you both turned in her direction.

“No? I’ll take care of you, Y/N,” she said, her voice going up an octave as she did a terrible impersonation of Steve. “I’ll protect you with my big poofy hair. And then you’re over there like, ‘I know you will, Steve, my knight in shining armor.’ Y/N,” she placed her hands on her hips, “everyone and their mama can tell you two are in love. It’s sick.”

Your jaw was practically at your ankles as you stared at the sassy little girl.

“He didn’t – I didn’t – we were just…that’s not how it is.”

Erica rolled her eyes at you just as Steve jumped back into the room. He looked between you, Robin, and Erica.

“What are you guys talking about?”

Erica let out a dry laugh.

“How you and Y/N are-”

“Erica, wait, shush,” Robin said, pressing her ear against the door. Her eyes grew big, and she looked back.

“We have company.”

Steve didn’t even think twice before pointing to the open grate.

“We can hide up there. Come on, I’ll help you all up.”

You and Steve lifted Erica up first, passing her to Dustin. Then you both boosted Robin up until she could pull herself through the grate. Once they were both up, you grabbed onto Steve’s shoulders to use his hands as a step. But before you could get the chance, the door started to open.

“Oh, fuck,” you whispered, then looked up at the three faces staring at you and Steve.

“Shut the grate,” you said. “When we leave, go get help.”

Robin didn’t argue and shut the grate just as the door opened, exposing two Russian soldiers on a tiny vehicle. They pulled their guns and started shouting at you and Steve in Russian. You both put your hands up before they walked in and grabbed you. They clearly weren’t very fond of intruders. They zip-tied your hands together, tossed you and Steve into the back of the vehicle, and started driving down a long corridor. It felt like hours had passed before the silver tunnels turned into an open room. Hundreds of soldiers bustled around. You took it all in, your jaw dropping in disbelief. There wasn’t just a secret Russian tunnel. There was a whole base under the mall.

The soldiers opened the door and yanked you and Steve out and walked you into an office. Sitting behind a large wooden desk was a man who looked like much higher authority than the two men shaking you and Steve around. Neither of you could understand a thing they were saying as you watched the three men. Their hands were waving around, and here and there, they would point at you and Steve. You looked over to Steve, and he just gave you a small nod and mouthed, “It’s okay.” But it was far from okay. Because when the officer gave the two soldiers their final order, they nodded, exited the room with you and Steve, then started dragging you two in separate directions.

Your heart fell to your feet, and you started to panic.

“Steve!” You shouted as you tried to pry yourself from the soldier’s grip. “Steve!”

You watched Steve start to flail before another soldier grabbed ahold of one of Steve’s arms.

“Hey!” He yelled, still fighting against the soldier’s hold on him, “Where are you taking her? Don’t you hurt her!”

With each step the soldier took, Steve got farther and farther away, but you could hear him shout, “Don’t you dare hurt her, or I swear to God, I’ll kick all of your asses!” Before he was dragged around a corner.

You let out a final “Steve!” before you were thrown into a room. You scrambled to your feet and immediately started taking in your new surroundings. It was a small room with nothing in it but a tiny bench against the farthest wall. You ran up to the door and started banging against it.

“Hey, you stupid bastards! Let me out of here!”

No one opened the door, so you started kicking it.

“Let. Me. Out!” You said with each swing of your leg.

You pulled your leg back again, but before you could kick the door, it swung open, and you stumbled backward. It was the officer from before, and he was accompanied by the lackey who had dragged you into the room. Fear was bubbling in your gut, but you squared your shoulders nonetheless.

“What do you want with us? I swear we’re not a threat. We won’t say anything to anyone if you just let us go.” You were babbling, but you couldn’t help it. You clasped your hands together.

“I’m begging you, please-”

The sharp sting of the officer’s hand connecting with your face stopped you from finishing your sentence.

“Shut up, cyka,” the officer spit. “You will only speak when I ask you to, understand?”

Your cheek burned, and you knew your jaw was going to be sore for a few weeks. Although you were scared, anger started to build up inside of you. The officer took a step toward you, but you didn’t step back that time.

“Who do you work for?”

You looked directly into his eyes and said, “Go to hell.”

The officer reared his arm back and slapped you across the face with more force than before. You let out a little yelp and stumbled back a little.

“Answer the question!” The officer shouted, spittle spraying from his mouth.

“What does it look like!?” You yelled back, motioning to your uniform, “I work for Scoops!”

He slapped you again sending you to the floor with a thud.

“Stop lying to me. Who do you work for?”

Your teeth were gritted, and your vision was starting to blur just slightly.

“I already told you. I work for Scoops. I don’t wear this stupid uniform because I like it.”

The officer pinched the bridge of his nose and started to groan. You let out a huff before pulling yourself back to your feet.

“Listen,” you began, “this is just a huge misunderstanding. I promise you we won’t say anything to anyone.”

The officer didn’t say anything, so you went on.

“Do you want money? Because I’ll find some for you, okay? Just name your price.”

The officer’s groan got louder before he swung his arm, slapping you again. You went flying to the floor again when suddenly a salty metallic taste filled your mouth. You wiped your lip with the back of your hand and noticed a smear of blood streak your skin. Your vision was blurry, and you felt like someone was pounding your head with a hammer. This was the worst pain you had ever experienced, and you wanted to cry, but you weren’t going to give the officer the satisfaction of seeing you break.

The officer started talking in Russian again before you felt two hands yanking you off the ground. The same soldier from before was dragging you out of the room you were in and taking you toward another. You started kicking your legs, but with your vision so impaired, your aim wasn’t the best.

“Get your hands off me, you bastard!” You said, still kicking. “I swear when we get out of here, you’re all dead! You’re all-”

You didn’t finish your statement because, at that moment, the soldier walked you into another room where a bloody and bludgeoned Steve was sitting. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and he looked like he was barely breathing. You could feel your whole body go cold at the sight of him unconscious.

“Oh my God,” you whispered. “What did you do to him!?”

The soldier didn’t answer you. Instead, he threw you into the chair that was backed up against Steve’s.

“Steve!? Can you hear me? Steve?”

You tried to turn and face him, but one of the soldiers held you down while the other started to tie you and Steve up.

“What are you – don’t fucking touch us!” You shouted as you tried to break free from the restraints.

The officer from before entered the room and circled you and Steve once before bending down to be face to face with you. An evil grin spread across his lips.

“Don’t worry, cyka. We’ll bring you two our best doctor to bandage you up.”

Your face scrunched up for a second before you spit your bloody saliva right into his face.

“Go fuck yourself.”

The grin had disappeared and was replaced with a snarl.

“You’re going to regret that,” the officer said before exiting with the two soldiers in tow.

When you and Steve were finally alone, the terror that had been steadily building inside of you finally flooded over. A tiny sob fell from your lips as you tried to wiggle out of the ties that were holding you and Steve down. You sniffled and slumped back against the chair.

“Steve? Can you hear me?”

“Hm?” He hummed in response.

Even that little sound sent a wave of relief over you.

“Oh my God, Steve!” You said, trying to turn your head and see him. “Are you alright?”

He groaned.

“Just peachy. I love getting tortured by Communist Russians.”

“I see your sense of humor is still intact,” you said.

It was quiet for a beat as you looked around. After a few minutes, you dipped your head and started to laugh quietly. Your shoulders shook against Steve’s back, and he sighed.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. It’s okay. I’m fine. Don’t cry, okay?”

Finally, you lifted your head and let out an audible laugh. Tears were collecting in your eyes, but you still couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“Are you laughing?” Steve asked, and you could hear the incredulity lacing his every word.

“Yeah,” you said between breaths, “I am.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because,” you exhaled, “I’m going to die in a secret Russian base under the Starcourt Mall tied up to Steve Harrington.”

“We’re not gonna die,” Steve said, matter of fact. “We’re gonna get out of here, okay? You just gotta let me think for a second.”

You didn’t say anything. Instead, you leaned your head back against Steve’s and shut your eyes. Even after being thrown around and tortured, his hair still felt like a pillow against your head. Your back was pressed against his, and the tears started to come back. This could very well be the last time you get this close to Steve. This could be your final moments, and he doesn’t even know how you feel about him. But you didn’t get the chance to tell him before the door to the room flew open again.

You opened your eyes to see the officer, two soldiers, and a man in a white coat enter. The man in the coat went straight for the counter and pulled out a needle gun and a vile filled with blue liquid. He didn’t waste any time before approaching Steve.

“Wait a second. Wait. What is that thing?”

Steve started to squirm against the restraints, and the anxiety from before started to bubble up again.

“What’s going on?” You asked, turning your head in an attempt to see Steve. “What are you doing?”

Then suddenly, Steve stopped moving, and a loud scream ripped out of him, echoing against the bare walls. Your breathing was erratic when the officer bent down in front of you. That same evil glint in his eye from before was present.

“Don’t worry, cyka. You’re next.”

“What?”

But the officer didn’t have to answer you because you were also being stabbed by a needle and screaming in pain.

The Russians stepped back and watched as you and Steve sat there. You were sure they injected you with some sort of poison. Something that would make your death long and painful so that they could use you and Steve as an example if anyone else ever found themselves in their base. So, you waited. But minutes passed, and it wasn’t a painful writhing death that you started to feel. Instead, you started to get giggly. You looked at the soldiers, and for some reason, just them standing there was the funniest thing you had ever seen. Tiny giggles forced their way out of you until you were full-on cackling. Steve’s boisterous laugh mixed with yours, which only made you giggle even more.

“Steve?”

“Yes, Y/N.”

You snorted a little at what you were thinking.

“I think they drugged us.”

“Yeah,” Steve said with a chuckle, “there’s definitely something wrong.”

You both started laughing again when a loud raucous came from outside the door. The officer and soldiers started talking in Russian again before exiting the room. The loud clamor didn’t stop even after they left, and you and Steve started to roar with laughter.

“Uh-oh,” Steve shouted, “it’s the FBI!”

You stomped your feet, and your stomach started to ache from laughing. You turned toward the man who injected you with the liquid and said, “Better open up, Doc!”

Steve started to chortle at your comment before the door swung open. Dustin, Erica, and Robin ran in, and Dustin went straight to the man, zapping him in the chest with a taser stick.

“Hey! Henderson!” Steve said.

Dustin didn’t acknowledge Steve. Instead, he, Robin, and Erica started working on untying you and Steve.

“Stop talking. Just get ready to run,” Dustin said as the restraints started to loosen.

You tilted your head to the side.

“What?”

“Run!”

You and Steve followed behind the three of them until you reached a little cargo vehicle. Dustin jumped behind the wheel, Erica got in next to him, and Robin shoved you and Steve in the back before getting in behind you.

Dustin slammed the gas pedal, and you all started rolling around. You and Steve were laughing the entire time, even as Dustin continued to toss you around. Robin smacked the metal lattice separating you from the front.

“Hey, dingus! Can you drive a little better? We’re getting tossed around like a salad back here.”

“Yeah,” you said through your giggles, “my grandmother drives better than you.”

Steve threw his head back and guffawed as if that line was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

“That’s a good one,” he said to you before turning toward Dustin and saying, “Yeah, Henderson, her grandmother is a better driver!”

You and Steve leaned into each other, laughing uncontrollably when the vehicle slammed into something. You, Robin, and Steve smacked into the side of the vehicle and started groaning before the door opened. Robin got out first, then helped drag you and Steve out. Dustin ushered you all back into the elevator before using the keycard he stole to shut the door and send the elevator into its ascension. You could barely stay up on your feet which made you laugh even more than before. Steve was jumping around the room, pretending the elevator was a rollercoaster. You joined in his hooting and hollering through your laughter. You grabbed ahold of Steve’s arm, and he turned to you.

“This is fun! Let’s ride this one again when it’s over!”

The smile that was already spread across Steve’s face grew as he shouted “Yes,” at the same time, Dustin, Erica, and Robin shouted “No.” It wasn’t long before the shaking stopped, and the door opened to the loading area of the mall. Robin corralled you and Steve out of the room to follow Dustin and Erica. But as you walked toward the gate to exit toward the parking lot, two guards rounded the corner and saw you all.

“Shit,” Dustin said under his breath. “Run. Run!”

Robin shoved you and Steve in the opposite direction, and suddenly your and his giggles were back in full force. You all ran through a side door and let Dustin guide you through the series of hallways. Your and Steve’s laughter echoed against the empty halls. You could hardly breathe from running and laughing, so you started to lag behind. But Steve quickly took your hand in his and practically dragged you the rest of the way.

Dustin came to an abrupt stop at a door, opened it just slightly, and when he deemed the coast was clear, he walked through. You didn’t have time to realize where you were until Dustin threw open another set of doors and revealed Back to the Future on a screen. Dustin led you all down to the front before Robin pushed you and Steve into two seats.

“You two, sit. And don’t move,” Dustin said, his voice sharp.

Steve threw his hands up and motioned toward the screen.

“But these seats suck, man. We’ve gotta try and find a better spot.”

“Yeah,” you concurred, “and what if I have to pee?”

Dustin heaved a sigh and shut his eyes briefly before saying, “Don’t. Move,” pointing his finger at you both with each word.

You watched the three of them walk to the end of the row and take a seat before turning your attention back to the movie. With the amount of drugs coursing through your system, nothing that was happening on screen was making any sense to you. So, you scooted a little closer to Steve and rested your head on his shoulder, shutting your eyes. He leaned his head onto yours, his hair brushing against your forehead in the process. Then, you felt his hand graze against yours on the armrest. Even when you weren’t sober, the touch sent shivers rushing down your spine. His fingers crawled over your hand, and with each drag, your heart beat just a little faster. You kept your eyes closed, but you were very aware of everything he was doing. He took his time, creeping his hand under yours until you and his were intertwined. This wasn’t the first time you held hands with Steve, but for some reason, sitting in the Starcourt movie theater, high on some random Russian drug, it felt more intimate than before.

You stayed like that for a while, listening to Marty and Doc bicker on screen until Steve’s head turned, and his lips brushed against your ear.

“Do you want to go get something to eat from the food court?”

You sat upright and looked at Steve, the shadows of the movie playing on his bruised face. A smile pulled at your lips, and you whispered, “Yes,” before you and Steve stood up and snuck out of the theater.

Once you were in the lobby, neither of you could control the bout of giggles that was fighting to get out while you were walking up the stairs. Your hand was still firmly in Steve’s, and you leaned into Steve and let out a loud laugh. Steve was giggling like a little girl, but when he threw his head back, he stopped moving. You looked at him, eyes still glazed over from the drugs.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, bringing your other hand up to hold onto his arm.

But Steve didn’t say anything, so you looked up too. Your mouth fell open as you stared at the lights that were dangling from the ceiling. It was like nothing you had ever seen before. They were twinkling and incandescent. It was like someone had plucked all the brightest stars and hung them from the ceiling. You were almost positive they didn’t look like that on a day-to-day basis. You knew it was probably the drugs, but you didn’t care. It was beautiful.

“Woah,” you breathed out.

Steve nodded.

“Yeah.”

You weren’t sure how long you stayed that way, watching the lights dance over the top of you. But you didn’t move until the lights started to swirl into one another, creating a mirage. Suddenly, the ground felt like it was moving, and the whole room started to spin faster and faster. You swallowed the bile that was creeping up your throat, but then nausea hit you like a punch to the gut. You let go of Steve and brought one hand to your mouth and the other to your stomach.

“Steve,” you gagged, “I-I think I’m gonna be sick.”

You didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. Instead, you ran into the nearest bathroom and into the first stall. You fell to your knees just before your stomach started to rid itself of everything you had eaten that day. It was only moments after you started to vomit that you heard someone in the stall next to you also vomiting. When you had completely emptied your stomach, you wiped your mouth, flushed the toilet, and leaned against the wall. Your head was still pounding, and you were shivering a little from getting sick. You could feel sweat beading on your forehead and trailing down your back. You were sure you looked and now smelled like a dump, but that was the least of your worries as you listened to Steve heaving in the stall next to you. It felt like forever before he stopped, and the toilet flushed, sending the bathroom into total silence. Minutes passed before you finally decided to say anything.

“Are you still alive in there?”

“Yeah,” Steve mumbled, “I’m still alive.”

You leaned your head back against the wall again and let out a dry laugh.

“Hey, I don’t feel like the room is spinning anymore. What about you?”

A beat of silence passed.

“Holy shit,” Steve finally said. “It’s not spinning. You think we puked it all up?”

You sat upright again and looked at the red stall.

“I don’t know. Ask me something.”

You could hear Steve shuffle around.

“Okay, um,” he paused, “where is the weirdest place you, uh, have gone to the bathroom?”

“In a secret underground Russian base,” you said without hesitation.

“What?”

“When they took me to that room alone. I may have peed my pants.”

Steve’s low chuckle bounced off the bathroom walls.

“Oh, my God.”

You started to fall into a fit of giggles as you dropped your head into your hands.

“It was only a little, though. Just a tiny bit.”

“Yeah,” Steve said through his laughter, “it’s definitely still in your system.”

The two of you shared a chuckle, but once your breathing was back to normal, you shook your head.

“Okay, okay, it’s my turn.”

“Alright. Hit me.”

You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth for a brief second before asking, “Have you ever been in love?”

The question came out before you could stop yourself, and you immediately regretted it. The silence from before fell over the room. The only sound was your quiet breathing. You wanted to slap yourself for asking such a personal question. Sure, you two were friends, but your love lives were something that neither of you really discussed. You dropped your head for a second, waiting for Steve to reply, but he didn’t.

“Steve?” You asked, worry thick in your voice. “Did you just die on me?”

You could hear him blow a rush of air through his nose.

“No, no. I’m still breathing.”

You started fidgeting with your uniform.

“Well? Have you ever been in love?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, “I have.”

It went quiet before he added, “I am.”

Your head shot up at his last statement.

“Oh. You are?”

A dull ache found a home in your chest as you waited for him to go on.

“Yeah,” he began, “she’s, uh, she’s pretty great. This girl she’s beautiful and funny. She’s so smart, like way smarter than me, and I’ve known her a really long time. But I’ve never said anything to her.”

Your mind was racing as you tried to think of all the girls you and Steve went to school with. You thought of which girls he spent most of his time with and the ones he flirted with, but you couldn’t focus. Your heart felt like it was breaking, piece by piece, the longer you sat there wallowing in the thought that Steve, your Steve, was in love with someone else. But you didn’t want to expose how hurt you were, so you swallowed down your feelings and asked him, “Why not?”

“I’m afraid that she doesn’t feel the same way,” he said, and you could almost hear him shrug his shoulders. “But after almost dying in a Russian base, I’m starting to think I should just tell her, you know? Because she makes me happy. Like I’m happiest when I’m with her. And I think she deserves to know that I feel that way about her, you know?”

There was silence before Steve quietly added, “That I love her.”

You felt like you were dying as you sat there listening to the admiration drip from Steve’s every word as he described this girl. Tears that you didn’t want to shed began to pool in your eyes, but you wiped them away as quickly as they appeared. All these years and Steve had been pining after someone else while you fell harder and harder for him. You wanted to get up and run away. There was no way you’d be able to face him now that he confessed his love for someone else. But you didn’t get a chance to act on your rash thoughts because the quietest tap came from Steve’s stall.

“Y/N? You alright?”

You nodded, trying to convince yourself that you were fine and not falling apart at the seams.

“Yeah,” you said, making your voice as cheery as you could manage, “I’m fine.”

A hush fell over the bathroom. You sat with your head pressed against the wall, willing yourself to keep it together, when you heard Steve moving. When you looked up, Steve was sliding into your stall, feet first, until he was sitting in front of you.

“That floor is disgusting,” you said softly, and Steve just shrugged.

“Yeah, well, I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so…”

You let out a little laugh, then started fidgeting with your uniform again. You could feel Steve’s eyes on you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, afraid that if you did, all the tears you had been suppressing would flood out. You were fiddling with a loose string when Steve’s foot nudged your hip. Finally, you brought your eyes to meet Steve’s.

“What about you?” He asked.

You knitted your brow, and he asked, “Have you ever been in love?”

Your throat clenched, and your stomach began to roll again, but you nodded anyway.

“Yeah,” you said, voice a little shaky, “but he doesn’t love me.”

“Why do you say that?”

You wanted to scream at him, but it wasn’t his fault. Steve had no idea how you really felt about him. And you weren’t going to admit to your feelings now. So, you just looked at him and said, “Because he told me.”

Steve’s adam’s apple bobbed, and he dropped your stare. The tears from before burned in your throat, but you refused to let them fall. You sat up a little straighter and sucked in a deep breath.

“He described this amazing girl to me, and he said he’s in love with her,” you stated before throwing your arms in the air. “And it makes sense, you know? She sounds amazing. He deserves someone like her because he’s one of the best people I know.”

You dropped your head and began to think of everything you loved about Steve.

“He’s sweet, and he’s protective. He cares so much, and he makes me laugh. And he’s adorable. Like the way he just seems so,” you tilted your head back and forth, “oblivious all the time.”

You lifted your stare to meet Steve’s again.

“But I don’t care because I love him, and I would do just about anything to be with him.”

Steve stared at you, wordless, and you took him in. Everything was out of sorts. His hair was flattened from being thrown around by the Russians. His face was swollen and bruised. But one thing that was the same was his eyes. Those deep brown eyes, like the strongest honey from a bee, never changed. They felt warm and safe. They felt like home. Steve’s eyes finally met yours again, and he ran his hand through his hair.

“Does this guy have a name?”

You nodded.

“Does your girl have a name?”

“She does.”

You took in a slow deep breath and exhaled.

“Are you going to tell me who it is?”

Steve licked his lips and looked away. His foot started to tap next to you, and his hands clasped together in his lap. You never took your eyes off him as you watched his brain contemplate his next words. But when he finally looked at you again, the emotion in his eyes nearly knocked the wind out of you.

“It’s you, Y/N. I love you.”

Your lips parted as your jaw went slack. The euphoria that you were feeling was something you had never felt before. It was like you were floating, being carried away by the butterflies that were attacking your insides. And your heart was so full of joy you believed that at any second it was going to burst. You went to speak, but before you could say anything, Steve was already talking.

“But it’s okay,” he said, his head dipping, “Um, it’s pretty evident that the feelings aren’t mutual, so,” he trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders.

A tiny laugh fell from your lips, and Steve looked at you. The pain he was feeling was written all over his face. You shook your head.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bit of an airhead?”

“No. Why?”

Another laugh spilled out of you, and you said, “Because you are.”

Steve’s pain quickly turned to offense at your statement, and his once slumped shoulders straightened.

“Hey! Okay, that’s not-”

You shushed him as you leaned forward and, with the utmost caution, cupped his cheeks and planted the smallest kiss on Steve’s lips. When you pulled away, Steve’s eyes were like saucers.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because,” you said, “the feelings are very much mutual.”

You pressed your forehead against his.

“I love you too, Steve.”

You brushed his hair away, moved your hands to the back of his head, and kissed him on the forehead. Your lips stayed there for a minute before you pulled him into a tight embrace. Your legs were straddling his waist, and his head was pressed up against your chest. You were sure he could hear how erratic your heart was beating, but you didn’t care at the moment. Steve’s arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you even tighter against him. You let out a light chuckle.

“You smell like vomit.”

Steve began to laugh and pushed you back enough to look at you.

“Thanks. So do you.”

A smile spread across your face as your chuckles slowly turned into full-blown laughter. You would have stayed in Steve’s lap for the rest of the evening had time permitted. But the bathroom door swinging open had those plans going straight down the drain. Dustin, Erica, and Robin stomped in, and you all looked at each other in silence for a beat before Dustin motioned toward the door.

“What are you two doing? Get off the floor, and let’s go. We’re meeting everyone at Hopper’s cabin.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed.

“How do you plan on getting there?”

Dustin dangled a set of keys in front of himself, and you recognized them immediately.

“My keys. How did you-”

“We made a pit stop while we were trying to find you two dinguses,” Robin said, pulling you and Steve to your feet. “Now, let’s go.”

You all exited the bathroom and started to make your way toward the parking lot. Steve took your hand in his and gave a squeeze. You smiled up at him. You had no clue what was waiting for you all at Hopper’s cabin. All you knew was that you had Steve right there by your side throughout all of it. But the night wasn’t over. Sure, you survived the secret Russian base. Now all you had to do was survive the Mindflayer.

Tag List: @violetrainbow412-blog @pastel-abyss-x @lilliandanelle @ilovereadingfanfics

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x fem!reader #stranger things #stranger things imagines #stranger things imagine #stranger things fandom #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fanfic

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simonespeaks · 2 years

Text

lemme drag letitia again

she really had the audacity to tell them they could become british, that they could sever their ties to their motherlands like it wouldn’t leave them completely adrift. i’m gonna come at this from a different angle than loss of identity.

letitia was at babel when anthony faked his death. she saw how little anthony, a whole fucking babel professor, was mourned. she is also the same person who get fucking yelled at for sitting in evie’s seat even though she’d been in the ground for years. clearly between the two someone was considered british and it wasn’t anthony.

so tell me again how victoire, ramy, and robin are supposed to become british?

let’s say that wasn’t the case and proving themselves with their labor was valid. guess what, they’re still not british. letitia could’ve stayed at her father’s estate instead of coming to babel and she’d still be considered british without her productivity being measured. should victoire have to wear a badge saying how many match pairs she’s come up with so people treat her with basic human decency? no, but that’s the best chance she’d have. what about that screams acceptance?

and to go back to the evie bit, that’s part of why letitia’s interlude had me hot. yes patriarchy gives robin and ramy some benefits, but at the end of the day they could never become evie to babel. letita, however, did when she succeeded where evie failed and brought hermes down.

in conclusion, letitia is an unempathetic delusional self-righteous pos who couldn’t just stop being a white women™ for 2 seconds and simply look at what was right in front of her.

#babel or the necessity of violence #babel an arcane history #letitia price #victoire desgraves #ramiz rafi mirza #robin swift #letitia said 1 (my friends aren’t white) + 1(british ppl are racist) = 7(these coloreds just need to work hard so ppl see them as human)

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nerdyenby · 9 months

Text

Orange time :D I’m watching Jojo

TOASTER!!!!!! :DD

Jojo wanting to get Pearl her first win <33

Watching people study ace race is such an experience

Owen be well rested, well fed, and well moisturized and Jojo just being… fine… lol

Jojo’s comms are so iconic and for what

Wait I didn’t realize Owen was pg lmao

This team’s sot is going to be legendary

“I will do anything for everyone” my streamer’s a team player <33

Stupid bodies trying to keep us alive, smh

AIMSEY!!!!! :D

Nooooo Olliegamerz D:

This team top three EASILY come on guys

“Jojo, how would you describe me as a sandkeeper” best in the business baby!!!!

Pocket sand???? Omg genloss reference 👀 /hj

Nooooo purpled D:

It’s so fun seeing so many contestants just coincidentally fighting to the death in water fight

“Turns out all you had to do to make skybattle my favorite game is remove fall damage, remove armor, and remove swords” “-and give everyone guns” “and give everyone guns!!”

“Orange is my name, orange is my game. Get your daily dose of vitamin C”

WHERE ARE YOUR PRONOUNS AIMSEY /j /lh

“Say that I’m giving birth because I am pushing” AIMEEEEE 😭😭😭

“They ‘said what are you wearing’” “Do you want me to kill them?” Jojo that one meme fr

Jojo being ready and willing to kill transphobes is so ally of her

Did Jojo just get two aces back to back??????? And not even bat an eye???? Queen shit

Pearl accidental igl arc, everyone listening to everyone she says as gospel, as they should

This team is so <33333

Aimsey being so excited that they still have their crown is so <3

“I’ve just won, I’ve had one glass on wine, I’m with Pearl, I’m having a beautiful time today” Aimsey’s living xeir best life!!

It’s the smallest thing, but Owen using “they” for Aimsey when he’s not in the call can be something so personal

They’re so funny and for what

“MCC reminds me that time is always passing” SAME

Rocket Spleef

The vocal stimming is strong with this one

Freinds who lose together stay together ig 😂

Owen popping off!!!

False appreciation hour :))

Hole in the Wall

Their comms are so good!!!

These walls do feel trickier but it might just be the map, idk

Aimsey’s popping off!! 4th!!!!!!

This team is so well balanced, they’re wild

Skybattle

I love this team so much, they’re simultaneously chill and stressed but like in a fun way

That border is so fast what

JOJO OH MY GOSH!!!!! /pos

Aimsey is such a good hypeman :))

TWELVE KILLLLLLLSSSSSSS

Can’t believe she’s the only person ever <333

Jojo and Ran <333

Meltdown

Pearl taking charge my beloved :))

“Pearl, you’re my hero” so true Jojo!!!

Aimsey going absolutely wild!!!!

I figured it out!!!! This team is super good at listening to each other, they keep comms clear while having good banter. The respect they have for each other both as players and as people is so evident in how they talk to and treat each other and it’s just so <333

Omg that was so silly of them

“That was kinda funny” “It was kinda funny” so true!!!

Aimsey is so freaking funny and for what, their humor is so under appreciated

THATS MY TEAM!!!!! LOOK AT THEM GO!!!!!!!

“I feel very safe in Pearl’s guidance” Owen’s so real for that, honestly

Jojo’s screams when Aimsey fell were so /pos

Them shouting at Jojo to go in without them

“All my friends are dead 😢” lol

OWEN AND PEARL!!!!!!

Them hyping each other up and being so happy for each other up means everything

“I’m gonna go kiss my girlfriend, be right back” “okay, alright, go brag about it” they’re everything, actually

Jojo thanking Pearl for being igl and telling her how good a job she did <333

This team is just so soft and encouraging and trusting, I love them so much you guys

Aimsey truly is the swiftie of all time

Battle Box

Strategy time :))

Jojo getting hard targeted rip

Good round against purple there!!!

This map is very rough, even when watching teams that are doing well it still feels bad a lot of the time

Double trouble is over now, it can’t hurt you anymore

“I’m so close to writing a twitlonger about that map” Aimsey my beloved lmao

“If we skip sands of time I’m babyraging, I’m saying this now” “Babyraging? I’m full on raging, I don’t even care” my streamers are so based

Ace Race

I love Aimsey so much you guys

Jojo and Owen top 3 and 4?!?!!!!!

First and second?!!??!!! Orange 33 supremacy!!!!!!!

Pearl’s little giggle at Owen’s pun killed me actually /pos

Pete appreciation hour <333

“ASSHOL- I mean… butthole” nice save

That exact tie is wild tho

“Bottom ten” “or: top thirty” Owen my beloved

Aimsey popping off!!! Don’t be hard on yourself king, you’re killing it <33

“The M in MCC stands for misogynist” Aimsey is the funniest person on the planet actually

Grid Runners

Best game time :))

Owen being so excited to learn new minecraft mechanics is so /pos

They’re so smooth with it!!!!

This run is a piece of art holy crap

That redstone room kinda got them but they figured it out really well considering I don’t think any of them are super familiar with redstone

Oh my gosh their running commentary of the score breakdown was so freaking funny

Punctuation matters lmao

“Hold on, I’m just gonna- dear Taylor Swift, please may we play sands of time today, amen” AIMSEY

Sands of Time

Owen, hon, it’s eleven and it does not matter /lh

Aimsey is such a good sandkeeper you guys

Incredible comms, amazing vibes, I love them so much

“No worries… a little bit worried, but it’s ok” I love Owen

NOOOOOOOOO SO CLOSEEEEEE

They did so good tho ;-;

Pearl 21st individual!!! That’s my girl!!!!

Owen and Pearl synchronized reassurance <333

Dodgebolt

“All the glory, none of the pressure” so true Owen

“We consistently defied expectations” MCC Reddit is sexist as hell, I predicted y’all third because I’m always right and have never been wrong ever /hj

“I don’t know who I need to bribe to get Aimsey as a sandkeeper again but I would- I would sell my house” OWEN BASED

Aimsey getting the appreciation they deserve 💗💕💗💗💕💕💗💕💗💗💕💗💗

I entirely thought Aimsey said captain crunch lmao

Ok I don’t like Sapnap for several reasons (rancid vibes, toxic as hell, bffs with a racist and a groomer) and I’m not a fan of Punz either but Ponk being the first Black player to win MCC is huge and also disgusting that it’s taken 33 events, so happy for them and Gumi too <3

This team was amazing, I love them so much

Pearl I love you so much, please be kind to yourself, you’re incredible and don’t be hard on yourself <333

Oli and Jojo are everything, actually

“I want proof of one person who put you guys low” “Callum put us in 8th!!” “Callum is stupid, bro!!!!” Cpk slander is never not funny to me, I love that guy but he’s a fool /pos

#mc championship #mcc 33 #jojosolos #aimseytv #owengejuicetv #pearlescentmoon #nerdy’s mcc reactions #cw caps #cw swearing

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lavalampstealer · 9 months

Note

but do you have solaris hcs?

(your hcs are 💥/pos)

Another opportunity to gush? Absolutely!! :) I will admit I have not thought much about Solaris because I have yet to make a design for her, but a few come to mind

Hcs below cut bc game spoilers and length

- She and Fabby? Wives. Proof? We find out that Fabby had a dinner reservation to a fancy sounding place during Eaves Drop. Mm, dinner alone sounds pathetic and we know that Fabby is anything but. So, date night it is. Also, they must work together often enough because Solaris is a laser specialist and Fabricator makes death traps, so it’s fair to say that they built the laser trap in Safe and Sound (even tho Fabricator took the credit). Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure Fabricator has a note in her office that says something like “She’s so annoying” in reference to Solaris, so my take on it is that Solaris being like that on purpose because it’s funny

- Also tell me. tell me that canonical 6’2 Solaris and canonical 5’4 Fabricator wouldn’t be funny. Solaris putting a pair of wire cutters on a high shelf to annoy Fabby. Fabricator explaining in detail how she plans to kill Solaris for making fun of her (she’s just joking.. right? she’s not serious is she? ohp, nope, she’s dead serious). finally getting inspo to draw them bc of this and this alone

- some incorrect Fabby/Solaris quotes:

S: “I poisoned one of our glasses. But I forgot which one.”

F: “The way this dinner is going, I hope it’s mine.”

——————

S: “I hate to disagree with you.”

F: “Please. You love to disagree with me more than anything, it’s your favorite thing in the world.”

——————

F: “How tall are you?”

S: “Extremely. Thank you for noticing.”

——————

F: “I am at a loss for words!”

S: “Despite being at a loss for words, Fabricator yelled at me for the next 45 minutes.”

——————

S: “You’re smiling, did something good happen?”

F: “I can’t smile just because I feel like it?”

Hivemind: “Juniper tripped and fell in the parking lot.”

——————

- I’m assuming she survived the Death Engine because of an emergency escape pod or something similar and that she ejected right as/before it blew up. She didn’t sustain nearly as many injuries as Phoenix, she got away with just a few nicks and scratches.

- She’s not working for Zoraxis because she agrees with their views, she’s there because they’re funding her work and making her designs real. Sure it may be a ginormous deadly weapon, but you have to admit, being able to make and be in charge of a functional mini-Death Star is an extraordinary scientific achievement. Who else can say that they’ve made a laser capable of destroying whole buildings?

- For some reason in my mind her default outfit is similar to Chell’s in Portal, like white shirt/tank top with a jumpsuit tied around her waist and black boots. The jumpsuit would be orange with dark grey accents, the boots would be like. combat boots? I think? some kind of heavy-duty boots

If I think of more, I’ll add them, but yeah! Silly laser scientist!!

#anyone can be silly and gay if you headcanon hard enough #also sorry for taking forever to answer this it took a while to make the list :’)#gonna go think of tall Solaris/short Fabricator shenanigans ping me if you need me #ieytd #I expect you to die #solaris #commander solaris #the fabricator #fabricator ieytd #small hivemind and juniper cameos (they all hate juniper)#lava’s asks

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centaurianthropology · 2 years

Text

What ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Did for this Older Queer Fan

I’ve been trying to articulate what feels special about ‘Our Flag Means Death’ to me for a while. I’ve been active in fandoms since the ‘90s, back when webrings were your best bet for good fan content. I have seen a lot of shows come and go. And I got very used to my fandom experience going something like this: find a new show or movie or book or other thing, write a lot of meta about character motivation and plot structure and costume choices, and often find a pairing I found appealing. The chemistry was usually good, with variations on antagonistic, friendly, or other chemistry. And if I was lucky, the show would drop a few hints that there was something there. You learned very quickly to be grateful for scraps, and to never expect too much. There was never, NEVER an expectation that a queer pairing would be ‘endgame’, or would ever be manifested in anything more than a few lingering glances and the actors and maybe a writer or two being all for the relationship EXCEPT.

Except the producers, the studios, the audience. It would never be accepted. So it was confined to glances. And that I understood. I could appreciate that. I knew that, if they could, those writers and those actors would have gone there, but gay marriage being legalized seemed like an impossibility, queer cinema was treated as niche or arthouse, and the only queer characters allowed on network shows had to be sidekicks who never had sex.

After that came the era of the queerbait. Showrunners were more aware of fandom in the mid-2000s, and really wanted that sweet sweet audience retention. So some shows started to lean into the possibilities of queer relationships. They played up that things might happen between characters on screen. It was no longer “we want to, but the network/producer won’t let us”; it was “maybe there is something there! *wink* *wink*”, only to turn around and inevitably claim that the audience misinterpreted, that there was nothing there and never had been. It was somehow less than what we had in the ‘90s, because then at least we knew we were never getting anything, we knew that the writers had pushed something as hard as they could and they felt as shitty as we did that it wasn’t going to happen. This was, well, bait.

And yet I don’t really think I understood that feeling of being baited, because I never got the canon queer ship on screen. Whenever I saw the bait, as a fan who had been around and seen the talks in the ‘90s about queer rep on network TV, I knew that it was bait. I knew that they would never follow through because everyone was convinced that two men kissing would end their television show. So no matter how much they teased the audience, I knew it was lies, and I didn’t feel like it hit me as hard. I told myself it didn’t hurt.

Now we’re in a new era where queer relationships are directly confirmed by creators, but there’s always still this halting before the final hurdle. “These two men are in love,” they’ll say, but then turn around and say, “but it’s so elevated and pure and perfect that they would never sully it by smashing their faces together. So they’re definitely in love guys! Just don’t expect them ever to show that physically.” Because gay love is now in vogue, but gay kissing and God forbid gay sex are still that bridge too far. Even shows with great queer rep that aren’t explicitly billed as queer romances will stop before the kiss.

And this doesn’t feel like asexual rep or an embracing of queerplatonic relationships, because it definitely doesn’t feel like they deliberately set out to write that. No, it always feels like they wanted to have their cake and eat it. They want the queer fans that will come to see a queer relationship, but they don’t want to lose those fans that they are still convinced will stop watching when two mens’ lips touch (it’s different for women, because straight men love lesbians, and so they get a pass for ogling reasons, which ... is a whole different story, and a whole different long post, frankly).

And then comes David fucking Jenkins, who seems like an impossibility. He is an apparently straight white cis man in his forties. He is the exact sort of demographic that you would never expect to deliver a meaningful queer story, or a story with explicitly anti-racist or anti-colonialist beats. On first glance, he’s every other showrunner who’s tried to pull a fast one on queer audiences before.

But as this article shows, there was something different ticking away in his head. He watched Star Wars and came away with the impression that Finn and Poe were the couple with chemistry. He saw how fans treated Kelly Marie Tran and John Boyega and wanted to do better. He’s almost blissfully unaware of the long history of queer fans getting ignored, then baited, then told that gay sex or kissing would ‘lessen’ such a wonderful relationship.

So he set out to write a queer sitcom about pirates. And since it was a romcom, of course the two leads were going to kiss, because that was the point of a romcom. That’s what the audience signed up for, and to turn around and give some bullshit line about how their mouths touching would lessen what they had was inherently ridiculous. A romcom has specific beats, sure. They were inevitably going to be separated by misunderstanding, but there was also an agreement with the audience that it wouldn’t be forever.

And the kiss sealed that deal. It showed that he had none of those weird hang-ups or beliefs that if he showed two men kissing, his show would be over. And you know what? He was more right than he could have ever imagined. What he was doing was, in his head, simply following through with the agreement established by all romcoms. It wasn’t remarkable or revolutionary. It wasn’t until he was surprised that more people weren’t believing it was a romcom by the moonlit scene in episode 5 that he started to understand something was happening that he hadn’t been privy to before. I think it was only after that that David Jenkins did a deep dive on queerbaiting, and realized how pervasive it was, how even the queer audiences weren’t willing to believe what was obvious on screen. That, in the words of Lucius: “This is happening.”

And they didn’t believe it until the kiss, because that’s always the line that shows aren’t willing to cross. When he stepped over that boundary he didn’t even know existed, he had an audience ready to go to war for him. Because he had delivered. There was no waffling, no bullshit. He just delivered. And after that, well ...

The audience flocked to him. They campaigned, made cakes and Twitter storms and were unrelenting. They were a groundswell for a show that had gotten no advertising, no buzz, no press before its airing. It’s clear that HBO Max had the same old attitude that he had crossed the line with that kiss, and that the show would flop. But it was the opposite, and instead of tanking his show, it got him a renewal.

And I myself felt such a lightness in my heart after seeing that. Even with the darker end the season had, I knew that this was a romcom, that our lovers would be reunited, get over their miscommunications, and would be together in a meaningful way. David Jenkins had the idea, and then he filled his writers room with people to bring that idea to life, to push back and buy in. Queer people, people of color, people of different cultures. This is the move of a man who has a dream to write a diverse, queer story, and knows that he has a good idea for it, but also knows that he needs people who have lived those lives to help him avoid stumbling blocks that he never could have seen.

Seeing this leads to the extraordinary result of writing that is well aware of how queer characters and characters of color have been treated by the media, and how queer fans and fans of color have been treated too. It also led to him going on his own journey of discovering, realizing why people reacted the way they did, why they were hesitant to believe he would deliver, and why they would fight so hard for his show when they did. It was effervescent, like drinking champagne, to finally just ... have this. For it to happen both with the writers knowing it was something special, and the showrunner not understanding why it wasn’t always so easy just to deliver these stories. Just to see the chemistry and go for it. Just to treat characters with respect and still let them be silly and ridiculous. To have an entire world that feels queer friendly, beyond the queerness of the lead characters.

It only really hit me recently, when I heard that tired old excuse of “they love one another, but kissing or sex would cheapen that relationship, so they’re in love, but not in a sexual way”, and I was finally sick of it. Because David Jenkins and his silly gay pirate show showed that it’s bullshit. He showed that your audience booms when you finally set aside the fear of two men kissing, and just pay off the relationship. When you embrace queerness not just in words, but in deeds. It took OFMD to finally rip those tolerant blinders off me and for me to think, “Oh, just say that you don’t want to show two men kissing because you think whatever audience you have will think it’s gross.” Just say it. Just be honest instead of trying to parade this as a better form of queer representation. I wouldn’t like you any more, but I would respect the honesty.

Finally getting what I always secretly wanted from a show--but would never admit that I wanted because I knew I would always be disappointed--has taken away my ability to tolerate whatever excuse showrunners trot out for not taking that final step. OFMD opened my eyes. It woke me up to realizing that I had spent twenty years pretending I wasn’t hurt when a show teased a relationship they never intended to pay off. I haven’t felt so giddy about a show in years, and I have *never* felt so giddy about a queer genre show (because I’ve never seen one before that delivered so well on both being queer and on being genre)! This was not a show billed as a romance, but a show about pirates, but it delivered such a lovely romance and such a lot of silly pirates!

So thank you, David Jenkins. As you went on your journey of discovery about queerbaiting and how it made you feel, I have been on a similar journey. And you helped me get there. You and your silly gay pirate show.

#Our Flag Means Death #David Jenkins #whoof #this was a long one #and maybe not as coherent as some of my meta #but I wanted to try to put my thoughts in order regarding what this show means to me as an older queer fan #and what it did for me in regards to my own relationships with how television has historically treated queer pairings an queer fans #anyway #thank you David Jenkins #you will likely never read this #but you helped me a lot with your show

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fluentmoviequoter · 3 months

Text

to being ghosts.

Chapter 2 - Ghosts of the Night

Chapter Warnings: angst with a tiny sliver of fluff, fem!reader getting to know Victor & crew, mentions of death and executions, incorrect depictions of hacking, more world-building (this is additional story foundation, the plot picks up in ch. 3). 5.8k+ words.

The plane lands in San Francisco in the middle of the night. As the witching hour approaches, you remember what Daniels said a few hours ago.

“Vale is mine.”

Your entire plan relies on Victor, and though you doubt Daniels would be able to kill him or harm Victor in any way, you still prefer to operate with caution. Moving slowly and quietly through the dark, you feel like a ghost as you slip by unannounced, leaving the plane and your partner behind. You must find Victor first, or the world falls to men like Daniels, and the New World Charter gets precisely what they want.

Victor Vale won’t be easy to find, that you know. Even with one of his companions telling you which city they’re in, you don't know where to look first. With only a few hours until sunrise, you skirt around San Francisco, the dark metropolis symbolizing what once was and a harbinger of what is to come.

✯✯✯✯✯

“I’m leaving,” Victor announces, though Mitch is the only one awake to hear him.

“Call if you need help,” Mitch replies.

“The absence of functioning cell towers should make that easy.”

“You’re smart, find a carrier pigeon or something.”

Victor rolls his eyes, stopping with his hand on the doorknob.

“If I don’t come back-“

“You will,” Mitch interjects.

“If I don’t come back, take care of Sydney and Dol.”

Mitch turns slowly, his face somber as he nods. “I will, Vic. But don’t make me prove it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

The door closes behind Victor’s trench coat, and Mitch swears California has never been so cold.

✯✯✯✯✯

San Francisco is huge, and though you know what you’re looking for, it’s not easy to find a ghost town in the middle of the woods in the dead of night. With each passing minute, your hope dwindles; the question of what will happen if you fail to find Victor has numerous answers, and none of them are good. Stopping behind a thick tree line, you take a few deep breaths.

East.

The idea isn’t your own, like a ghost directing you towards fellow ghosts. You go east, even though you know that if you are wrong, you are running straight toward the danger you are trying to eradicate. Maybe, just maybe, things get better from here.

Your chuckle at the overly hopeful thought breaks through the darkness.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Where’s Vic?” Sydney asks, rubbing her eyes.

“He went out for a few minutes. What are you doing awake?” Mitch replies.

Sydney shrugs, her fingers grazing Dol’s head as she looks away. Mitch knows she’s avoiding answering the question for some reason but also knows Victor has a better chance of convincing her to talk.

“Is he coming back?”

Mitch remembers Victor’s words about what to tell Sydney: Not a word more than we have to.

“Of course he is,” Mitch answers. “He made a promise to protect you, right? Then he’ll be back.”

“Did you tell him what he wanted to know, about the agent you talked to?”

“We didn’t talk. But, no, I didn’t.”

“What if Victor finds them, and- and hurts them before they can help us?”

Mitch sighs, turning back toward the window. “It’s a risk we have to take. I can tell Victor everything about her but trusting her is his decision.”

“Her?” Sydney asks, a smile growing on her face. “We’re doomed.”

✯✯✯✯✯

You approach a suburb of San Francisco after a long night of walking, and it looks like it was abandoned long before the riots. Walking down the small area previously called “Main Street,” though it’s more of a main building, you doubt anyone else would choose to wait here.

A small collection of houses is barely visible in the distance, and the minutes tick by, closer to sunrise than you realize. Maybe you could rest for a bit before starting your search anew. As you move toward the first house, you pull your NWA badge from your pocket, staring at it and wishing it was different. With your focus on the badge, you don’t notice anything in your path until you run into something.

Or someone you realize as you look up.

“Don’t move,” he says darkly, his pale eyes and blond hair contrasting his dark clothing. “You’re NWA?”

“You’re Victor Vale,” you breathe out.

Furrowing your brows, you wonder how you know that and then ask yourself if you’re right.

“You know my name. What’s yours?”

“I- how do I know your name?”

“Tell me how you found me. You have less than a minute before you can’t say anything.”

“I am just trying to help.”

“That’s not an answer,” Victor says through his teeth. “Why are you here?”

You say your name with your hands raised, your badge still in your right hand. Victor sees it, and combined with your name, he remembers something he was never supposed to know.

2 Days Ago

If Mitch isn’t willing to give him the answers and information he needs, Victor will find it himself. Mitch’s unchanging insistence that this NWA agent he communicated with is trustworthy and can help them makes Victor curious. There is no surefire way to know if someone is good, but if Mitch is convinced, there has to be evidence. Or so Victor hopes.

Pulling Mitch’s laptop from the counter, Victor sits in the dark and types in the password. He scoffs at Mitch’s failure to maintain decent cyber security as the documents on the desktop load.

Opening the NWA file, Victor narrows his eyes as he scans the document. It looks normal enough to him, though one name is formatted differently. Yours.

Present Day

After you say your name, you suddenly feel like it’s easier to breathe, a barely-there pain vanishing as Victor realizes who you are. If you didn’t know his name before, that would be all the evidence you needed to identify him as the NWA’s most wanted EO.

“Why?” Victor demands, pulling you from your thoughts. “Why are EOs worth risking your ordinary, perfect little life? What makes us worthy of treason and getting yourself killed?”

You nod as he speaks, his voice as dark as the forest behind him.

“It’s not about what happens to me, it never has been,” you answer carefully but honestly. “EOs aren’t so different, and you know it. Just because you can do something that scares people like Smoak doesn’t mean you deserve to die or live in constant fear and hiding. I would do anything for good people, including EOs, no matter what the government says or does to me.”

“That’s the what, not the why.”

“Because this isn’t freedom, Mr. Vale. This is just another dictator taking out what he is scared of, anything different than him. He’s no different than Hitler, any of the others. And someone has to do something; I can’t sit on the sidelines and watch innocent people be murdered because they died and came back a little different. It’s not right, and if I can make a difference, why shouldn’t I?”

Victor drops his eyes, gazing at your badge before inquiring, “Why me?”

“You’re the most wanted EO. But I will protect you and your friends however I can.”

At the mention of his ‘friends,’ Victor has to decide if he can trust you. He can take you out with a thought, but taking you near Mitch and Sydney is a greater decision, and one that he cannot make lightly.

You toss your badge on the ground at his feet. “I didn’t want this position. If I could have walked away, I would have, but I couldn’t. Not when I know that my job was putting me in the place to help, to get EOs out of the line of fire. There is a chance to get the world back from the New World Charter; tell me you see that.”

Victor takes a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he considers your words and actions. You seem genuine, but part of Victor thinks this could still be a trap. So, he gives you an out.

“If you do this,” he begins slowly, “turn your back on all of them – on your country – for us, there is no going back. You will be a ghost.”

Your lips twitch up, the beginning of a smile. “I’ve been a ghost for years, but it’s finally time to do something with that invisibility.”

Victor nods. “If you’re sure. There’s a house about a mile from here where we’ve been waiting. For you, presumably.”

“I’m honored,” you reply, walking beside him. “This makes you a ghost, too, then?”

Victor hums.

“So, I’m in good company,” you muse. “Do you have a ghost name? I know it’s cliché, but can I be Casper?”

Sighing, Victor wonders what it’s like to be able to trust people and show who you really are.

✯✯✯✯✯

The earliest rays of light have just begun to shine over the horizon, turning the inside of the Gulfstream an orange hue. Daniels blinks his eyes open, waking quickly when he remembers where he is and why. Somewhere outside the window beside him, Victor Vale and his EO companions are hiding.

He calls your name, standing when there is no reply. After walking through the plane and failing to find you, Daniels curses and kicks the table beside the laptop you used to track Vale.

“Stupid girl,” he mutters, snatching the computer from the floor and failing to unlock it.

Concerned about what he will say when Smoak checks in, he sticks to his original plan: as far as anyone needs to know, he left to search for Vale and protect you, safe on the plane. Valiance is the best cover for narcissism, he decides. That concern makes way for anger quickly, though, and he abandons the laptop to open the plane’s door.

San Francisco looks different in the light, a deserted metropolis filled with what was lost in the transition to the New World. Daniels doesn’t see the symbolism, of course, too determined to find you and the EO trash you seem to want to protect.

✯✯✯✯✯

Victor is silent as he leads you through the woods, only glancing at you when he switches his path. You can tell he is reluctant, an internal battle occurring in his mind. He has no reason to trust you, though you are glad he is. No matter how long it takes, you will show him that you meant every word and will fight until your last breath.

“I’ll do whatever you want, anything you want,” you offer quietly. “But I can’t do this alone. Saving the rest of the EOs and taking down the New World Charter won’t be easy.”

You receive no reply, chewing the inside of your lip as you watch the ghost beside you. Victor is good, deep down, and you hope he can see that you are too.

A small house, likely a winter retreat or something of the kind, appears in a small thicket. Victor stops you, an arm extended in front of your chest as he turns toward you.

“You show me the smallest sign that you lied about who you are or why you’re here, or if I start thinking this was a trap… I will not hesitate to kill you,” Victor threatens, his voice even and serious.

“I understand. This is your life, and I know that I have to earn your trust. Like I said, I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Blindfold me, make me wait somewhere else, whatever you want. Your cautiousness is your privilege, and I know the risk I’m running if I misstep.”

Victor grumbles something under his breath before leading you to the door. He stops with his hand on the doorknob, his shoulders tensing before he gestures for you to enter first.

As you walk before him, you think about how you never felt this safe in front of Daniels. With him, you were concerned about getting a bullet in the back, but Victor’s presence behind you is a blanket of safety.

“Hey,” Mitch says, adding your name with a smile. “Thanks for coming.”

At your confused look, he adds, “I saw your picture. You’ll be glad to know the pictures have been scrubbed from most downloads.”

“Not yours, though, you’re better than that,” you deduce.

“You get it,” Mitch jokes.

A young girl stands in the doorway, looking between you and Victor as she clings to a large black dog. You recognize her from the file, the suspected EO that you knew you’d give your life to protect. Seeing her reinforces your belief that even without knowing her name, you would do everything and then more to keep her away from the NWA and safe.

Victor nods, a silent acknowledgment that everything is okay for now.

“I’m Sydney,” she says, stepping toward you.

You introduce yourself, offering your hand to shake. After Sydney releases it, the dog licks your hand.

“Nice to meet you too,” you say, kneeling to pet him. “I didn’t know you had a dog.”

“Dol,” Sydney tells you.

“You didn’t know?” Mitch repeats.

“The file listed two associates, just descriptions of you and Sydney, but apparently no one else was lucky enough to meet Dol here.”

As they arrange themselves around you, you can see they have been living a relatively normal life in this house, and you hate what you must do next.

“You’re all going to have to stay inside for now,” you tell them.

Victor’s unimpressed look alerts you that you’ll have to convince them it is more dangerous out there than they realize. Alone in this little pocket of domesticity, they are likely unaware of the degree of the assault targeting EOs across the world.

“I- I lost an EO a while back,” you admit. “Since I was assigned to Task O, I made sure to find them before my partner and send them somewhere safe. Then I would fake their deaths.”

“I told you!” Sydney interjects, looking at Victor. “There was too much life. The faked deaths were creating a rift in how much life I could sense.”

You glance at Victor with your eyebrows raised. He tilts his head to the side, a tiny movement.

“Sydney can raise the dead,” he tells you.

Your eyes widen as you look back at Sydney. “Whoa.”

She nods, pleased with your impressed reaction. “There’s connections, points that you have to pull together, and a few weeks ago I started sensing that there were more than there should have been. But if the world thought that the EOs were dead, but weren’t, I guess that explains it.”

“Continue,” Victor demands, gesturing for Sydney to pipe down.

“Okay, so I was hiding them, essentially, and lying to my partner. But there was this one EO that he got to first. When he radioed that he’d killed him, I didn’t know what to do. I thought that it was hopeless, that for every one I saved, the NWA would kill two or three more. But he had an EO partner, a guy called Rock. I managed to find Rock and keep him from taking out the entire city before I sent him to a safe place.”

“You have no way of knowing if those EOs ever made it where you sent them,” Victor argues. “For all you know, they’re all gone.”

“They’re not,” Sydney interjects. “I wouldn’t be able to feel them if that were true.”

“My point is, it may still be four versus the world. That’s not a plausible fight. If those EOs aren’t where you sent them, changed their minds, whatever, you’re right back where you started.”

“Not entirely true,” you whisper. “I didn’t have you on my side then.”

Sydney moves closer to Mitch, both convinced by your guilt at losing an EO.

“Please just listen to my idea. Give me one chance and if you still think it’s hopeless or impossible, I will leave,” you beg. “Please.”

Victor thinks he can handle whatever comes his way, and he can protect Mitch and Sydney without your help. But, as he looks at them, he decides to give you a chance. What harm can a chance do?

✯✯✯✯✯

Daniels completes a grid search of downtown San Francisco, the empty cityscape more reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic world than the lies the New World Charter is spreading about the coming changes. At the end of the first day since you abandoned your partner, Daniels uses his government-provided satellite phone to call Director Smoak.

“Smoak,” he answers.

“Director Smoak, this is Agent Daniels. My partner and I are in San Francisco to locate Victor Vale,” he explains.

“Very well. How are you doing?”

“All due respect, sir, but I didn’t trust her to join this fight. She seemed put off by your warnings about him as well, so I’ve taken point on this, and she is working from the plane.”

“An understandable and commendable leadership choice on your part, Agent Daniels. Keep me updated.”

Daniels ends the call and begins wondering how he will explain your death. After your treacherous actions, defying a direct order, he doesn’t plan to give you a chance to explain yourself.

Victor Vale, however, could take the blame. He may be able to put people in pain by seeing them, but can he take an entire army on at once?

Daniels smiles to himself as his plan comes together. A ticket is in his future, regardless of what happens to you.

✯✯✯✯✯

Throughout the first two days in the safe house with Victor, Sydney, Mitch, and Dol, you get to know each of them better.

“Wait,” Victor calls as you follow Sydney to bed. “A moment?”

Sydney disappears down the hall, and you turn toward Victor. The movement is a bit too sudden, and he mumbles, “Don’t.”

You stop, laying your hands across your stomach where he can see them. “Sorry.”

Victor watches you closely as he steps back. “What did you do before the NWA?”

“I was a police officer. Apparently I had promise, and when the department was shut down, the NWA decided that my record was worthy of attention.”

Victor’s jaw tightens at the mention of the New World, and you duck your chin.

“What was so great about your record?”

“I- honestly, I don’t know. I made a few arrests, but for the most part, I wasn’t an exemplary cop. I did it for the people, which you’d think would make me a terrible choice.”

“If you’d said no?”

You interlace your fingers together, and Victor watches your every move, prepared to drop you if you move too suddenly or make an unwarranted comment.

“There’s a place, it’s called the Canada Region by most people. It’s where they send agents who don’t agree with the ideals or ignore their orders. No one ever comes back from the Canada Region.”

“So, you risk your life for people you want to see taken down.”

“I know it sounds stupid, and maybe it is, but it seems like a chance to do something that makes it all better. Hopeless dreaming, perhaps, but at least I tried, even if I fail.”

“Failing isn’t the worst part of how that would end.”

“Save one life, and it’s worth mine,” you argue, shrugging.

Victor shakes his head, clearly thinking you’re wrong or unfounded in your beliefs. He doesn’t say anything though, as he leads you to your new bedroom.

“Night, Casper,” he mutters, so low you can barely hear it. “Be careful.”

Coming from anyone else, you’d question their motives in telling you to be careful as you go to sleep, but from Victor Vale, it’s both a necessary sentiment and a warning.

✯✯✯✯✯

When Victor walks into the kitchen, he stops when he sees you and Sydney sitting together. Sydney clearly likes you, even though you’ve only known each other for a few days. Victor assumes it has something to do with having another girl around; he’s never been one for making friends easily, regardless of what they have in common.

“What’s it like now, on the other side of where we hide?” Sydney asks you.

Victor hasn’t told you he and Mitch are keeping things from Sydney, only telling her one side of the truth, but you seem to know.

“It’s not great. A lot of cities were evacuated, but people found new places to live and they’re doing the best they can,” you answer, telling her some of the truth. “If you want to hear cool stories though, I’ve got a lot of fictional book knowledge and childhood stories,” you add.

Dol climbs onto the couch beside you, yet another resident who trusts you, as you tell Sydney about your favorite book and the world it depicts. As you distract Sydney, Victor grows more convinced that you are on the right side of this fight, even if you’re using a bad thing to get into the fight.

✯✯✯✯✯

Victor’s hand wraps around your bicep, tugging you into his room as you try to walk by.

“Tell me about Task O,” he requests, his hand slowly falling from your arm.

You take a shaky breath as you begin to answer, ready to tell the whole truth, no matter how ugly it is, how bad it makes you look, or what Victor decides to do to you when he learns what your fellow agents are doing to people like him.

“Task O is for all things ordinary, as I’m sure you know. At its simplest level, the task force is supposed to track down EOs and eliminate them. The director, Smoak, is over the whole NWA and he has a vicious vendetta against ExtraOrdinaries. My, uh, my partner Agent Daniels is really close with Smoak.”

“Still a boys’ club,” Victor says, causing you to smile before you begin talking again.

“Yeah, it is. Daniels doesn’t like me, doubts me and undermines me constantly, but he’s also the reason I was assigned to Task O. He pulled some strings to get himself on the team, and since I was his partner, I got roped into it too.”

Victor catches your use of was in referring to your partner, yet another point in your favor.

“EOs are being treated like criminals, but NWA agents are judge, jury, and executioner. No questions asked before they’re taken out, and anyone lost in the crossfire is collateral damage in getting the world back to normal.”

“I thought everyone wanted to be special.”

“Well, that’s just because you were never ordinary, were you?”

You smile as you focus on Victor rather than Task O for a moment. He’s nicer than he seemed at first, though he still threatens to kill you every once in a while.

“I just- I still don’t understand how you ended up in the NWA, let alone such an elite task force,” Victor explains.

Your smile falls. “I was young- I am young, and I think they saw someone who went through the police academy and could be easily indoctrinated. The NWA changes people at a fundamental level, like brainwashing. And Daniels was a sniper in the Army, with more awards than any one person should have, so when he saw a young woman who could shoot and do the job, and wouldn’t mind him taking the credit, he picked me.”

Victor’s eyes widen when he notices the tears running over your cheeks as you lower your voice to admit, “I thought about leaving, just running as far as I could when they told me that I was going to have to kill innocent EOs. Getting pulled into the NWA, handpicked by one of their best assets was terrible, but that first meeting felt like the end of everything I wanted to get back.”

Victor has never been good at comforting people, but he lays his hand on your shoulder and reminds you, “It was for a reason. No matter what you did or thought you’d have to do to survive, you did it for a good reason, and look how much progress you’ve made.”

Your tears slow as you relax under Victor’s touch. “Thank you.”

As you back out of his room, you see something change in Victor’s eyes: he’s starting to trust you, he’s more civil and trusting around you, and he’s the tiniest bit open, telling you about his past.

“Wait,” you call, stepping back in. “You didn’t correct me. I implied that all EOs are innocent and you didn’t say anything.”

Victor tilts his head as he says, “I thought you went to the police academy. ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ ring a bell?”

“That’s not how you used to operate.”

“You said it yourself, we’re ghosts now, and we have the privilege of hindsight. Doing good wasn’t necessarily an option before, not for people like me.”

“And now?”

“Let’s just say I’ve got your back, as long as you give me reasons to.”

“Victor. Thank you, and sorry for prying.”

“Trading answers for answers is only fair.”

“So, you’ll tell me about midnight now?” you ask hopefully.

Victor waits until you’ve stepped back over the threshold to close the door as he says, “Not a chance.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Nearly a week with Victor has changed you. You’re not as scared anymore, though you do have moments where you think you hear gunshots or Daniels asking if you did your job. Being a ghost and being haunted aren’t strictly connected, and you hope the haunting feeling doesn’t follow you into the fight or the old world as you try to revive it.

Daniels is miles away, slowly moving outside of San Francisco, though you don’t know where he is or how long you have as you fall asleep. In your dreams, he’s closing in much quicker than in reality. Tonight’s nightmare, though, ends differently than the others.

---

Standing in the living room with Sydney, everything is normal, good even. And part of you knows not to trust it, but the other part is desperate to hold onto any happiness you can find.

“What is that?” Sydney asks, moments before the door is kicked in.

Daniels steps inside, dragging Sydney away from you as he threatens to kill her the instant you move. Victor and Mitch rush in, freezing as Daniels points the gun at Sydney.

“What did you do?” Victor demands, looking at you with dark eyes.

You feel a bolt of pain shoot down your spine as you answer, “Nothing, nothing, I promise. I don’t know how he found us.”

“’Us,’” Daniels repeats. “Cute. Vale, over here now or the girl is no more.”

Victor takes three long steps across the room, keeping his eyes on you as Daniels nudges his knees to make him fall to the ground.

“Mitch,” you whisper, praying for someone to do something.

“He can’t help you. He’s dying tonight too,” Daniels says, summoning Mitch over.

You can’t move, can’t scream. The only thing you do is cry and fall to your knees as Daniels does his job, quick executions. Victor fills you with pain as he distracts himself from the bloody scene beside him.

“And the ticket,” Daniels says happily before pulling the trigger.

---

You scream, panting and crying as you sit up in your bed. Flinching, you notice someone lurking in the open doorway.

“You’re okay,” Victor promises, stepping inside. “It was just a dream.”

Reaching out, you grab Victor’s arm, and he allows you to touch his wrist, shaking as you locate his pulse point. He doesn’t know what to say to calm you down, so he sits on the bed beside you and thinks.

“When I was in college, I was pre-med,” he begins, hoping to distract you like you do with Sydney. “We had this big project where we had to pick a thesis, and my roommate and I were arguing over who had the better idea.”

You lean closer to Victor, aware that Eli wrote about EOs or started to, but interested in hearing Victor’s side of the story.

“I chose adrenal responses, fight or flight. My professor was impressed, and every bit of research I did made me more interested in the different types of responses. There’s an article that I think about a lot that argued there was one more: fight, flight, or freeze. It wasn’t widely accepted, but I think it’s a valid idea.”

“So, you were a nerd?” you ask with a chuckle.

Victor turns toward you, glad to see you look more like yourself.

“I prefer the term academically motivated,” he replies.

“That’s the same thing.”

Victor shrugs, letting you continue running your fingers over his wrist, though the touch burns after too long without feeling another’s skin on his.

“Thank you,” you whisper. “Would- Victor, would you use your power on a good person to do a better thing?”

Victor finds the question odd and its implications odder. He keeps his eyes on your hand as he answers, “I guess. Depends on the person and the situation, I suppose.”

You nod, hoping that if the need arises, he will be willing to use his powers on everyone standing in his way, even if you find yourself on the wrong side. Victor has more experience with fights like this, but if the time comes that you ask him to remove you from the array, you can only hope that he will do it without hesitation.

“Why do you ask?” Victor inquires.

“Just a question I’ve been wondering about. Thanks for calming me down and for trusting me. At least a little.”

Your fingers slide off Victor’s wrist, and the burning sensation makes way for a deep cold to settle over him at the loss of your touch. He doesn’t answer as he stands and moves to your door. You’re sure that he would do it again, though, and that he’s a much better man, a better ghost than he lets people see.

✯✯✯✯✯

Sydney seems very attached to you. You can see that she cares about and likes you, happy to spend time with you and talk to you. In return, you try to be kind and compassionate toward her, as open and honest as you can, and unknowingly act like a big sister or mother figure. Mitch is the only one who has noticed how easily Sydney attached herself to you and Victor, adopting you as her stand-in mom and dad without your knowledge.

Before you came along, Sydney’s safe place was Victor, but now it is both Victor and you. Victor is surprised that he doesn’t mind sharing the responsibility; he watches you with Sydney, and it’s clear that you mean every word you say, even what you said when you first met, and in every quiet, private moment since then.

In the quiet weeks of getting to know one another, you’ve inserted yourself into Victor’s dysfunctional family, and no one wants to return to a hidden life without you.

As the other powerless companion, Mitch trusts you, as well, though he never felt he had a reason not to. He was the one who found you and advocated for you to Victor, so your trust is readily returned.

“Which police department did you work for?” Mitch asks, interrupting your conversation with Sydney.

“Why? Wanna hack it?” you chirp happily.

He nods, and you excuse yourself from Sydney’s side to join him at the table. Security is nearly nonexistent after the department’s closure and the government’s dissolution, so you get him in quickly and help him navigate the records he is searching for.

“What are you planning to use these for?” you ask.

“To help,” Mitch answers, blunt and cryptic.

“Good talk, thanks for the informative answer,” you reply.

“I found something else you may want to see,” he adds, turning to look at you. “It’s up to you, but I found Daniels’ Army records. The original documents without any redactions.”

You freeze, pressing your lips together as you consider your options. They’re guaranteed to be graphic and full of confirmed kills, but they could give you an insight into how Daniels thinks and operates. He will be coming for you and the people you care about, so though the decision is hard, you make it quickly.

“I want to see them. How bad are they?”

Mitch tilts his head, enough of an answer that you take a deep breath to ready yourself. As he turns the screen toward you, he lays a hand on your shoulder when you move forward to view the images.

“His first name is Brian,” you read. “I didn’t know that.”

“There’s a lot of information there he probably doesn’t want you to know.”

“Then we should use it.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Victor shows the most change from the time you met him.

“Vic, do you ever wish you had killed Eli earlier?” you ask, flipping through a random magazine you found in a closet.

“Yes,” he answers quickly, without a second thought about confiding in you or exposing his thoughts and secrets. “All the time. Would have saved a lot of trouble, and more lives. Can you help with this?”

You stand, walking to his side and looking at the weapons lying before him. “I found them in the shed outside, but these were all disassembled.”

“This is field stripped,” you say, picking up a pistol. “That’s a tactical training move. Whoever this was knew what they were doing.”

“Can you put them back together?”

Looking through the pieces, you nod. “Assuming all the pieces are here, absolutely.”

You smile at Victor’s willingness to trust you to help with something small, though impactful. As you clip pieces back together, reassembling the weapons quickly, you know that Victor trusts you and that you made the right decision in finding him and recruiting him to your side.

“You know, I thought that meeting you was going to go one of three ways,” you admit.

“How else would it have ended?”

“Well, you would reluctantly trust me and join my plan, not trust me and ignore me, or recognize me as an NWA agent and kill me without a word.”

“I did recognize you as an agent,” he tells you. “I figured I could still take you out after hearing what you had to say.”

You laugh, the first genuine sign of happiness you’ve shown in a long time. “Would have made it more enjoyable too.”

“Maybe,” Victor agrees, turning away from you to hide his reaction to your pleased laugh.

“Being a ghost is starting to grow on me,” you say. “I don’t want to get my hopes up too high or anything, but to me… I think being ghosts gives us a better advantage than anything else. We’re invisible, underestimated, and most people don’t even believe in us.”

Victor reaches around you, his arm brushing you back as he adds, “And when the time is right for us, we show them who we really are and what we’re capable of.”

#to being ghosts.#victor vale x reader #victor vale #vicious ve schwab #vicious

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