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captainkirkk · 8 months

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✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

fill in the blanks by mindshelter

"You?” Tim blurts. Holy shit. “You’re Kon?”

A nod. “Are you in any pain?” he asks again.

Kon’s skin is sun-kissed, cheekbones dusted with a fine smattering of freckles; he is, without exaggeration, the prettiest person Tim has ever seen. “No, I’m—great,” he says, fidgeting. “Do you, uh, come here often?”

Kon raises a brow. “To the medbay?” he intones. “Definitely more often than I’d prefer."

Fault Line by sElkieNight60 (+ podfic)

Part 1 of Tectonics

"You’re invulnerable…” he whispers, but it’s clear that fact falters in his mind.

Confusion writes its way into the lines on Conner’s face and Clark takes a step back as though physically pushed.

“You’re not invulnerable.”

It is a statement, dull like stone.

“N-no, sir.”

— 🦸 —

OR: Conner's not as invincible as Clark thought. Suddenly, he's a lot more human.

Danny Phantom x DC

The Business of Family by Spaced_Ace

Jazz remembered the way their parents loomed in the living room as they’d laid out that verdict. Ever-present weapons gleaming, standing in such a way that they blocked access to both the front and back entrances. Their eyes had been what struck her the most of that horrible tableau. What made her stomach fill with jagged stones and drenched her back in a frigid sweat. The way they looked at her little brother, their gazes cold and hollow and -

Hungry.

(Things are not well in Amity Park.

With the GIW getting more and more aggressive and their parents becoming ever more suspicious of Danny each day that passes, Jazz knows that they're running out of time. It's not safe, and their options are painfully limited. Out of sheer dumb luck or a little intervention from Clockwork, she manages to discover a distant relative that just might be their salvation.

If asked Oswald Cobblepot would say that it's just good business. Adopting a few kids had done wonders for Bruce Wayne's reputation, why not his? It's not like he can't afford to put them somewhere out of the way if they get to be a problem. It's just business. Nothing more.

(His soft heart says otherwise))

The Witcher

Words of Love by ForestWren

"I should warn you,” Jaskier said between kisses in the soft darkness of the shed, “That I know some… very interesting people. You may want to avoid meeting them.”

“I’ve dealt with the Redenian court for decades. Your friends can’t be worse than that.”

Five times Radovid meets Jaskier's friends and family, plus one time they are alone.

Star Wars x The Mandalorian

Master Skywalker: The Absolute Worst by PrinceJakeFireCake

"Din got to his feet. He patted Boba on the shoulder affectionately.

“You should watch the recording of Skywalker fighting the death troopers,” he said, then pressed a kiss to Boba’s cheek and told Grogu to stop eating his blocks.

Boba watched the recording. He was pretty sure he would never be the same again. He was positive that he never wanted to meet Skywalker ever again.”

Boba Fett falls for Luke Skywalker. It isn’t the funnest thing he’s ever done.

Original Works

Call Me Menace by wingedcat13

You, Synovus, are a respectably terrifying supervillain. Your main rivals, a pair of superheroes named Legionnaire and Athena, are actually respectable as heroes. You hate having to stoop to kidnapping their child - but you hate more what the kid's behavior implies.

if it don't hurt now (just wait a while) by quandaries_and_contradictions

Part 27 of mage in a wolf pack

When the hunters first take him, Jaime knows everything will be okay.

He’s scared, of course. He wants his mom and dad and little sister. But he knows it’s going to be okay — because the wolves who protect his town will come for him. Lada’s mother and father and papa won’t let the hunters get away with this. All he has to do is hold on until they get here.

Months later, he's not so sure.

Stranger Things

No One Rides For Free by weird_witchcraft

"Are you okay Harrington?” Eddie asks gently, “Need me to get anyone?”

“No one to get,” replies Steve, so soft Eddie barely catches it. “You think I want anyone seeing me like this?”

Eddie Munson stumbles across Steve Harrington crying next to a bush at Tina's party and makes it his mission to cheer him up.

Clone Wars

mirci't be uja by ihathbenobiwankenobied for whitchry9

Obi-Wan is usually good at keeping track of his blood sugar levels–because he has to be–but this time, it’s out of his control.

(Or, a diabetic Obi-Wan is thrown for a loop after crashing on an unknown planet. Stim does his best to keep his General alive)

#hopefully this makes your monday a bit better #weekly fic round up #my posts #sw recs #original works recs #stranger things recs #dc recs #dp recs #witcher recs #fic recs

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themculibrary · 21 days

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Loki Needs A Hug Masterlist

A Place In Time (ao3) - SnakeCharmer2023 loki/mobius T, 7k

Summary: Loki knew what he'd signed up for, replacing the loom at the end of time and sitting alone on the throne.

But what if the end didn't have to be forever?

A fix-it fic after the ending of series 2, because my heart can't take it.

Beautiful Figments (ao3) - mudgems M, 104k

Summary: “Hold on,” Stark says, attempting flippancy but falling well short of the mark. “I’m confused.”

“I think that makes two of you,” Rhodes says under his breath, but his visible concern remains.

Vision is not confused. If anything, he thinks the situation is suddenly, painfully, clear. “You do not remember yourself, do you?” he asks gently, and Loki finally meets his eyes. The hollow fear Vision sees there is obvious, and he wonders why he did not notice it before.

Broken Beyond Repair (ao3) - kittyhazelnut T, 31k

Summary: Loki had committed treason on a level Asgard had never seen. He would not be welcome back to his home realm. He would remain at the mercy of those he tried to control: the humans, SHIELD, and, of course, HYDRA.

By the time the Avengers come knocking HYDRA's door, Loki's long gone in every sense but the physical. Fortunately, even in his silent, fearful state, he's managed to make some friends. Wanda and Pietro won't let anyone hurt him. The Avengers are nothing but a threat, and Ultron makes them a promise that they'll be free of those so-called heroes soon enough.

(Basically, it's an Age of Ultron au where Wanda and Pietro have adopted a very broken Loki and they're determined to keep him safe.)

Brother (ao3) - Lynsds T, 24k

Summary: Overwhelmed with grief after Loki's apparent suicide, Thor is overjoyed to hear that his brother may be alive, if not well, and invading Midgard. It's not Odin that sends him there, but Frigga, and in this world, Thor is ready to observe and to listen.

It's not just Loki who has a lot of healing to do. But they're not alone anymore, and where there's life, there's hope.

For Eternity (ao3) - himynameisv T, 2k

Summary: Sometime during his centuries of self-imposed time loops, Loki begins to hallucinate Thor.

This is perhaps not the best indication of his current mental status.

Free Fall (ao3) - Daffanddahlodil N/R, 14k

Summary: Loki tries to function after learning of his adoption, but he’s not doing as well as he’d hoped.

Here, Here, and Here (ao3) - AuroraWest M, 68k

Summary: Loki and Thor have returned to Earth after two and a half years in space, and Loki, even after a winter in New Asgard, isn't sure he'll ever feel at home.

It doesn't help that as the alien who invaded New York City in 2012, he's been placed on probation by the UN for six months. If he can go six months without leaving New Asgard and without causing any trouble, he'll be free to visit anywhere he pleases on Earth. It's only six months. He can handle it.

Except Loki is bored. And what harm would it do if he just broke his probation a tiny bit? What are they going to do—send him to prison?

Well, yes. Yes, as it turns out. That's exactly what they're going to do.

In The Dark Alone (ao3) - every_oak_tree G, 17k

Summary: It starts at the end, really, with Ragnarök, with Asgard's fall (but Loki's been falling for longer, hasn't he?). It starts with the Mad Titan and the Statesman's explosion. It starts with a dead brother, his broken body sprawled on a spaceship's floor, miles and miles away from a home that no longer exists.

___ Something stirs inside Loki. He acknowledges that this is what he wants—but not all he wants. A newfound anger makes its way into his heart, surrounding it with an impenetrable wall of ice. He will be stronger this time, ruthless and unforgiving. Because when the world has taken everything, when they have stripped you off your armour and left you for dead, you have nothing more to lose. He can do better—no, he will do better. There is no alternative. You either die a loser or live to see yourself become a winner.

___ Or: where Thor dies at the Stateman instead of Loki, but his death will not go unavenged.

Loved and Lost (ao3) - forever_whippoorwill loki/mobius G, 4k

Summary: Loki hadn't realized how much he had missed the man's comforting presence until he was here and he could see it. Let me sit here, Loki's bones begged, at the sight of Mobius just out in his yard, and watch the wind blow through your hair and ruffle it in all the ways I want to.

He was too tired to keep that thought from running through his mind.

Old Habits (ao3) - Yavvys G, 7k

Summary: Odin knows that Loki will not change - not a cycle, not a hundred cycles later. But still, weak hope and smoldering feelings pull him towards the new guise of his adopted son, and the All-Father goes to visit the reborn god.

Once More, With Feeling (ao3) - NovaWasTaken1 T, 25k

Summary: Loki survives Thanos' attack on the Statesman by the skin of his teeth, the Tesseract, and a suicidal plan to save Asgard or die trying.

This changes less than you might think.

rest your eyes, weary god (ao3) - panthor loki/mobius N/R, 3k

Summary: Something blooms in their chest with that touch, something they try their hardest to push back down. As they walk, Loki thinks about how kind Mobius has been to them tonight. Tender, even. Enough to where they let their guard down enough to sleep in front of him. As much as they hate to admit it, Mobius has shown them more humanity than almost anyone else in their life. Despite where he works, Loki can see the empathy radiating from Mobius.

Mobius is just a nice guy.

Stay With Me (ao3) - Bookwormgal T, 17k

Summary: Loki had lost almost everything important to him, one way or another. His place in the timeline, his family, his sense of identity, his purpose, Sylvie... Even his first true friend was snatched away, along with the familiar version of the TVA.

But part of what makes a Loki was that they never give up. He would claw his way back and reclaim some of what was taken from him. So he searched through countless versions of the TVA until he found his way back to the right one. The one that had the right Mobius.

And if fate wished to steal him away in a more permanent way, it would have to fight Loki for him. He refused to lose anything else.

Toil and trouble (ao3) - AnsibleMechanic T, 44k

Summary: “When he made it back to Asgard and managed to outwit Odin himself, he only thought of ensuring his own freedom and survival. When Thor refused the throne (his brother chose the worst time to grow wiser), Loki was still delirious in his glee of finally making the biggest, funniest joke in all the realms – the lying Jotun trickster on the throne, and not a soul suspects it!”

Loki didn’t just eat grapes and watched amateur theatre in his dad’s robes for five years. Everything from TR canon is thrown to the wolves, and we have Loki having mental health consequences of his actions in various locations, with some inter-realm politics thrown in, with eventual relocation to the Avengers Tower (in true 2012 fashion) for more angsting and agonising. Hopefully with some friends we found along the way.

to see the world (as you do) (ao3) - T, 16k

Summary: When Odin finds a newborn babe in the war-torn wasteland that is Jotunheim, he takes it home; Frigga is the one to insist they must treat it as their own, and Odin loves her, so he obliges.

And then she dies, and Odin has no time for a child that only reminds him of the very thing he lost - he barely has time for his own young, grieving son.

So he locks it in the Vault, and calls it a trophy from the frozen realm.

All Loki knew for a long, long time were there four walls that held them, and the distorted view into the room beyond - filled with trinkets they couldn't name.

There were flashes of something else, of a woman who held them close and hummed lullabies, of a boy with hair like the sun, and a bright blue sky - but the memories were insubstantial and fleeting, slipping through their fingers like smoke.

You Screamed For So Long We Forgot To Care Anymore (ao3) - GalaxyThreads T, 126k

Summary: Five months after Thor drags his half-dead brother to Earth to plead asylum, things take a turn for the worse. With the older Asgardian out of commission and a sizeable threat overshadowing them, Clint becomes aware of two facts: One: Loki was tortured, mind-controlled, and manipulated into attacking Earth. Two: Loki knows none of this. (gen, no smut)

#themculibrary #masterlists #marvel #mcu #loki #loki needs a hug #loki needs a hug masterlist

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baekhvuns · 2 years

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Yes Withmuu and Makestar (because holos) <3 sigh I saw Wonderwall is giving 1 out of 16?! They're unserious. But also I can't wait for my merch because I'M GONNA EAT HIM DO NOT STOP ME

I literally have no idea what kinda sounds should I expect, but they better not put a snooze fest emo song, pls

Gonna dress up as a roach to meet Jongho next time. Waaaaait you don't call them rodents? 🤔

Wtf both bodyguard and Love is Gone....??? Double assassination 🥴 I stayed up late to read LIG, my eyes almost started bleeding but it was worth it. Now timw for Bodyguard 🥴

Yeah I don't even know who the fuck decided to threaten Skz, but it's fucked up. Aghhhh their concert stage this tour is so cool THERE'S A GIANT SPIDER, a live band too, I'm so jealous. Not jealous of all the rona cases tho

Jsuudshshdhsbs maybe they'll swap their NFTs witch each other 😏😭🤡

I wouldn't say electricity, but something about their raw cucumbers is veeeery odd and sus 👀

Itzy.... my girls...my gals... I can't believe they did this to me after releasing Loco 😭😭😭😭 Loco was an amazing song and such a good MV. For a song that has "weirdo" in the lyrics it's painfully bland. Wish they committed more to the weird, instead of doing a glorified sneakers ad 💔 JYPE you're doing so well with Skz, hopefully deliver with Xdinary Heroes (if not I'm at your door in minutes), but what about my Itzy :<

I know what's up with my dream vision of Seonghwa 😭lmao I sent my friend some Rowoon scenes from Tomorrow also his fan cams that probably made me dream of him, but he's like my bestie... so why. Omggg noooo let me hack your brain maybe the dream is stored somewhere

Ok you had me at "if I include Seonghwa" 😖

THE WONDERWALL PHOTOS I'M CRYING SO CUTE SO PRETTY. That quiz is too hard I've already done it and got The Endearingly Awkward Ones then Sunshine in Human Form, now The Sweet Boys lol. Well that's very trueeeee

Hwa is my ult for a reason, always grabbing food <3333 Yunhwa knows what's up

Nooooooo it looks like Yeji and Giselle lmaooo stop. Throwback with Yeji and her clone plus Hwa

Andddd omg Lego Korea sent Ateez some legos?! I know Hwa is losing it, hope he shows us what they got <3. And uh San? Wtf is going on in Japan.

Lol someone sent me this comment and askes if I wrote it syushdushsjdhjd OP knows what's good. Agreed 100%, I saw his latest Twitter photo from the concert and thought "BALD" 😭😭😭😭 - DV 💖

hi hello!!

Yes Withmuu and Makestar (because holos) <3 sigh I saw Wonderwall is giving 1 out of 16?! They're unserious. But also I can't wait for my merch because I'M GONNA EAT HIM DO NOT STOP ME

STOP HE LOOKS SO DOMESTIC 😭😭😭 HIS HAIR LOOKS SO FLUFFY IM GONNA SCREAM HE SCREAMS A CHRISTMAS ETL 😭😭😭

I literally have no idea what kinda sounds should I expect, but they better not put a snooze fest emo song, pls Gonna dress up as a roach to meet Jongho next time. Waaaaait you don't call them rodents? 🤔

no literally pls anything but a ballad in a summer album 😭😭 like a slow beat is fine but not the whole orchestral thing,,, maybe in a winter album but NAUR 😭😭 FBWNDJWKDJLWDHWK PLS IF U GO SOKOR IN HALLOWEEN TIME DO IT !!!!!! nope absolutely not we just call them mice,, rodents sounds posh <3

Wtf both bodyguard and Love is Gone....??? Double assassination 🥴 I stayed up late to read LIG, my eyes almost started bleeding but it was worth it. Now timw for Bodyguard 🥴

hehe <3 double assassination indeed hopefully it’s all worth it bc it’s been 2 months jfvwkdbfk HOW DID U FIND LOVE IS GONE PT2 absolutely mf hate hana 😭😭😭

WHAT THE FUCK RUN OUT OF UR HOUSE no literally how fucked up to have to be to even tweet that like what crosses your mind 😭😭 PLS WHEN ARTISTS DO THE LIVE BAND IT JUST MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER >>>>

Jsuudshshdhsbs maybe they'll swap their NFTs witch each other 😏😭🤡 I wouldn't say electricity, but something about their raw cucumbers is veeeery odd and sus 👀

LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭😭 maybe they’ll debate who’s has the uglier drawing 😭😭 very odd and sus??? wHAT GOES ON TF 😭😭

it..almost sounds like a disney song??? like shake it up song??? the build up was nice but that weirdo lINE I PHYSICALLY CRINGED FBWKFHWK but like the beat was nice and then the chorus dropped it felt empty like some poof would’ve taken it to a different level 😭😭 omg hopefully xdinary heros save jyp’s discography,,, itzy’s bsides are rly good i just wanna know why they don’t pick those 😭😭

JFBWKDBSK DO I SMELL A ROWOON STAN??? 👁👁 rowoon fr so fine like that one comma hair thing he does 😮‍💨😮‍💨😩😩 no bc boxer seonghwa had a seonghwa reader x mingi pairing fbfbfb im genuinely not lying bc someone during duke era said what if u paired pretend mingi x the yn from duke together and i lost my shit ehfbdbdh

RIGHT PLS HES SO MF STUNNING I WANT JUST A .01 OF HIS BEAUTY PLS FBMWFB 😭😭😭 endearingly awkward ones 😭😭 seonghwa 😭😭😭 THATS aLL HIM

Hwa is my ult for a reason, always grabbing food <3333 Yunhwa knows what's up Nooooooo it looks like Yeji and Giselle lmaooo stop. Throwback with Yeji and her clone plus Hwa

LMFAOOOO he grabs foood like there’s none at home,,, tbh me as an idol id also do the same like free snacks?? lesgso man,, respecting hwa’s grind <3 JFBWKD THE GISELLE REALLLY SHOWS 😭😭😭 omg that’s the most legendary pair of animals,,, but ppl were like it also looks like yeji and karina 😭😭

Andddd omg Lego Korea sent Ateez some legos?! I know Hwa is losing it, hope he shows us what they got <3. And uh San? Wtf is going on in Japan.

SEONGHWA 3 HOUR LEGO LIVE WHEN 😭😭🤚🏼 no fr that’s so exciting his collection about to grow fbwmdh LMFAOOOO RBAMBDWK SANS RENT WAS DUE he joined the legendary pant ripping line <3

my first thought was this is literally u absolutely 100%,,, STOP IT 😭😭😭 HES GONNA GO BALD ATP UR PREPARING FOR MILITARY HWA ARENT U 😭😭😭🤚🏼

this guy

hello,,, yeah HANDS FOR U

ok i did find a really good quiz

is this your ceo?

#✉️ : ask #dv 💖 anon

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charliedawn · 3 years

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The other side part 1 : Imagine the Avengers as villains

(by the power invested in me, you are magically teleported to another dimension.)

Pov : You are an Avenger with the ability to shapeshift (nobody knows about your powers, not even the Avengers.) You prefer not to use them and concentrate on being a good agent for the SHIELD. However, one day, you wake up and find that some things have changed..

Tony Stark :

You wake up in a deserted place. Everything seems so familiar, and yet so different. You seem to be in the Avengers tower but, everything is so dark and gloom. There is no light and this is when you hear footsteps walking in your direction. You try to get up and get in a defensive position, but your head is swinging. Suddenly, there is light. It takes you a moment to get used to the blinding light, but once you do, you recognize the person instantly.

" T..Tony ?"

You manage to ask as the man is now clearly in view. However, he doesn't respond. He only eyes you up and down with a stare that makes you shiver in fear. He suddenly walks towards you and his hand slides in your inner pocket to get out your identity card. He takes a glance and frowns before uttering.

" Y/N L/N.."

He then looks up at you with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

" Who are you ? And how did you get in here ?"

You are surprised that he doesn't recognize you and you start to think that all of this is some kind of joke.

" Come on, Tony ! It's me ! I'm your friend !"

His eyes darken and he only chuckles.

" Sorry for you, sweetheart. I don't have any friends."

Suddenly, he puts on his suit that, instead of being its usual bright red and yellow color, is now black and silver. You frown in incomprehension and take a step back.

" T..Tony. You can't hurt me. You're a hero, remember ?"

But Tony only laughs from inside his suit at your words.

" Me ? A hero ? You are losing it.."

You shake your head, confused, and cry out.

" But, you are ! You saved me ! You care about people !"

He seems to think for a moment and, to your surprise, gets out of the suit to stare at you with an eyebrow raised.

"Me ? Care ? It's like you're describing a whole other man, sweetcheeks. The truth is..I don't care. The world can burn. Money is power. And if I follow that logic, I'm a God..And why would a God meddle with commoners ?"

You can't believe what you are hearing..Tony seems so cold now, looking down at you as if you are an ant on his path..It scares you..But then, someone crashes through the window and stands in front of you defensively.

" Mister Stark ! You're under arrest !"

To your surprise, you recognize the voice of Peter..But why would he attack Stark ?! It doesn't make any sense ! But, Tony doesn't seem surprised. He only gets back to his suit and smiles at Peter with a wicked grin.

" We meet again, Spiderboy. You know, my offer still stands. You can join me ?"

But Peter shakes his head negatively before shouting.

" Never !"

You are shocked and finally, try to talk to Peter that doesn't seem surprised either.

" P..Peter ?"

He turns his head towards you, surprised that you would know his name. However, before you could say anything else, you black out.

Bruce Banner :

You smile widely as you recognize Dr Banner. But the moment you take one step towards him, he cowers in fear. You instantly know that something is wrong, as he has marks of torture all over his body and wraps his arms around himself defensively.

" Who are you ?! I..I'll call them !"

You frown in incomprehension. Call who ? He seems to understand your confusion and adds.

" The..The Downfallers ! They're going to kill you if you touch me !"

You are about to ask who are the Downfallers when someone appears behind you.

" No need for that, my friend. They're all gone."

You turn around to see a man in a black suit, looking at Banner that seems to be extremely frightened by the man.

" Dr Kaecilius.."

He whispers almost painfully. You automatically put yourself in front of Dr Banner with your arms extended, ready to defend him if the man was to hurt him. The man arks an eyebrow at your action, but only asks with curiosity.

" Why are you defending him ?"

You try to see if it's a trap, but once you know he isn't joking, you answer.

" Because Dr Banner is a good man that protects lots of people ! Him and Hulk have done many good things to protect Earth and I won't let you hurt him !"

To your utter surprise, it's Dr Banner that replies spitefully.

" They caged me. They tracked me. They tortured me..Why would I ever protect them ?"

This..This can't be right. Doctor Banner loves people. He wants to help people. But then, Dr Banner screams and groans in agony. You want to kneel beside him to help, but the man suddenly tackles you to the ground as Dr Banner, now Hulk, throws a desk at you before jumping through a window. The last thing you see are the eyes of Dr Kaecilius before you black out.

Antman :

You wake up in a room you don't recognize and see Scott by your side. You smile in relief.

" Oh my God! I'm so glad to see you, Scott! You won't believe what happened ! One moment I'm in the lounge with everyone and then suddenly, I end up here and..What are you doing ?"

You notice that he has his hands inside a nearby cupboard and he suddenly stands up with his hands in the air.

" Oh. Oops. You got me. Guilty as charge. I was going to rob you but then I noticed that..well..you don't really have anything."

You ark an eyebrow. Scott ? Stealing ? This is new..

" Thank you..I think ?"

He then starts dancing and you frown in confusion.

" Humm..What are you doing now ?"

" Keeping you busy, darling."

You don't even have the time to understand what he means when you get hit on the back of the head by someone. You hear them running out of the house by the window, followed by another set of footsteps.

" Sh*t!"

It's the last thing you hear before blacking out completely.

Dr Strange :

You find yourself in a strange place where words seem to be floating around you. You can breathe and hear two people fighting not far from you. You get up and are shocked to see Dr Strange and Wanda..fighting ?! You don't have the time to think more about the situation when Wanda shouts.

" It's over ! Give up, Dr Strange ! I'm stronger than you will ever be !"

You crawl even closer to hear them better and try to understand the situation. Plus, who are you supposed to side with ?! However, the answer quickly comes as Strange let's out his best evil laugh before replying to Wanda in a threatening low voice.

" Maybe, but I will never tire. I can't say the same for you. I can keep dying and dying. But, there will be one time when you will be too tired to fight, and then, I'll kill you. This is how things are now, Witch ! You and me. Trapped in this moment. Endlessly."

She grits her teeths and starts shooting at him, trying to hit him. He only laughs while dodging every single one of her attacks. Suddenly, you lose your grip and fall right in the middle of the fight. They both look at you with widened eyes, surprised, as you get up and look at the both of them, unable to find your words.

" Who are you ?!"

Dr Strange finally yells and you turn towards him with an awkward smile.

" Ah ah. Funny you ask. My name is Y/N. And I come from a dimension where we are..friends ?"

He quickly checks your story and his eyes widen as he finds out that you are right. He wants to get to you, but Wanda puts herself in front of you defensively and Stephen frowns, clearly annoyed.

" Move, Witch. This has nothing to do with you."

But she refuses and Strange sighs loudly.

" Fine. I'll delay your death, for now."

He then clicks his fingers together and you find yourself on Earth. Wanda looks back at you to make sure you are alright, but you black out.

Bucky :

You don't even have the time to understand what's going on that Bucky is standing in front of you with a slight smirk.

" Hello doll..Mind if I borrow you for a second ?"

You don't have the time to answer that he takes you by the arm and points the head of his gun against your head.

" Get out of there, Loki ! Or I kill them !"

To your surprise, Loki gets out from underneath a car and raises his hands in surrender.

" Don't do it, Bucky. Let the human go.."

But Bucky doesn't and only digs the end of his gun further against your skull, painfully.

" I don't know..Depends. Are you willing to give me what I want ?"

Loki looks at you for a second before sighing in defeat and taking out a bright blue cube from underneath his cloak.

" Give me the human, and it's yours."

You bite your lower lip. Is it a nightmare ?! Loki is actually bargaining your life for the tesseract ?! He smiles reassuringly at you and you can't help but smile back..Even though Bucky is still threatening you with a gun.

" Give me the tesseract..and I'll consider it."

Loki takes a shaky breath before walking towards him with the tesseract in his hand. Suddenly, he stops and smirks at Bucky.

" Catch."

He then throws the Tesseract in the air and Bucky pushes you forwards to catch the tesseract. Loki catches you and whispers to you.

" Hold on."

To your biggest surprise, he gets out Mjölnir and summons a portal to get out of here. You look at Bucky that catched..nothing. The tesseract was a false and he glares at Loki that only winks in response. He lets out a scream of rage and starts running towards you, but you disappear before he can reach you.

Thor :

You smile when you recognize Thor and run towards him. However, you quickly slow down when you see his sour face. He continues to advance menacingly towards you with Stormbreaker in his hand. You quickly understand that something is wrong and throw yourself on the floor as he uses Stormbreaker to throw lightning at you. To your greatest horror, it hits some SHIELD agents behind you. You turn towards Thor with tears in your eyes as you scream.

" Thor ! What's happening to you ?!"

He doesn't answer you, he just uses his thunder to grab some SHIELD agents and throw them away. Your eyes widen as he seems to be on a murder rampage. You try to get to him, but someone does it first. You can't believe your eyes when you see Hella with tears in her eyes.

" Thor ! Brother ! Please ! Stop this nonsense at once !"

But he doesn't listen to her and grabs his axe to attack her. He isn't himself..and so isn't Hella. She just tried to save you ! And wasn't she dead ?! You are so confused and before you can really comprehend what's happening to you, you black out.

Captain America :

You find yourself in a deserted metro station and turn around to see..

" Oh thank God ! Captain, can you explain what's going on ?!"

But Steve stays quiet and you quickly notice that something is definitely wrong..He is looking threateningly at you and the way he moves makes you shiver in fear. You take a step back and this is when he asks coldly.

" Who are you ? And how do you know me ?"

This is when you know that this is not your Steve in front of you. It can't be..But then, another man appears that you don't recognize..He has long graceful blond hair and his whole appearance screams fantasy tale. He stands in front of you defensively and Steve automatically chuckles darkly in hatred.

" Ronan..I was wondering when you would show up.."

The blond man quickly looks back at you to check that you are alright before looking back at Rogers with a frown. Ronan..You had heard that name before..but where ?

" Surrender, Captain..Or you may regret it."

But Rogers doesn't listen to him and only whistles. An helicopter appears and Captain tauntingly waves goodbye before running outside and jumping to catch a rope. Ronan quickly runs after him. You try to get after them as well, but suddenly black out.

Falcon :

You see Falcon attacking some members of SHIELD and frown in confusion. Was there spies among your ranks ? You approach Falcon and start fighting by his side. However, at the end, he only glares at you before taking something that strangely looks like the tesseract..

" I'm taking this with me..I appreciate the help but, the tesseract is mine, cutie."

You frown..He had never called you cutie before. And if this is the tesseract, why sound so menacing when you would both bring it back to the tower ? However, you don't have the time to think more about it since you spot Zemo, looking down at Sam. You tackle Sam to the ground just in time as Zemo starts shooting at him. However, Sam suddenly pushes you out of him harshly and jumps out to fly away. You think it's like at training, you have to take his legs and you would both fly home..But when you jump and catch his legs, he seems surprised at first and then, gives you a hard glare before harshly stomping on your hands. You fall and scream. You close your eyes and try to contain your tears as the world goes black.

Hawkeye :

You don't have the time to truly process what's going on that you see an arrow lodge right in the eye of a SHIELD agent. You would recognize that arrow anywhere..

" Oh no..Hawkeye. What have you done ?"

You run in the direction of the arrow and find him, surrounded by many dead bodies. Your hand flies to your mouth so fast and you feel nauseous as Hawkeye turns towards you. His eyes are as cold as ice and they seem to pierce right through you.

" Well..That's a first..I missed one."

You are so shocked by his sudden change in behavior that you don't react when he walks towards you menacingly. He takes his bow and suddenly shoots an arrow at you, but a bright blue light runs in front of you stops the arrow. You automatically recognize..Quicksilver ? But..But that's impossible.

" Bet you didn't see that coming.."

He gets put his infamous line and you know, it's him. However, Hawkeye only chuckles darkly.

" As a matter of fact, I did."

Suddenly, the arrow exploses and sends Quicksilver flying against a wall. You immediately run by his side to check if he is still breathing and sigh in relief as you feel a pulse. You look up to see Hawkeye walking away and stand up to yell at him.

" What happened to you, Clint ?!"

Hawkeye stops dead in his tracks at his first name and turns around to look one last time at you. He narrows his eyes, as if he couldn't recognize you before running away. You want to get back to Quicksilver..But the world turns black.

Black Widow :

You end up in a sort of complex where you see multiple agents on the floor. You take out your own gun, wondering if an enemy had succeeded in entering..However, you are relieved to see Natasha walking towards you. You smile and want to ask if everything is alright, but she suddenly gets out two guns and starts shooting at you. You just have the time to jump out of the way. Your heartbeat quickens. Why is she shooting at you ?!

"Natasha! It's me! It's Y/N!"

But she doesn't seem to hear you..or to even recognize you. She just continues shooting until someone runs past you, avoiding all of her bullets with frightening agility. They start fighting each other and you are impressed by the other agent's fighting techniques. He is as or even better than Natasha ! His fighting skills are incredible. However, Natasha still manages to get the upper hand and throws a kick at his face that sends him flying. She then throws some kind of mini-bombs and you immediately put yourself on top of him. You didn't like using your powers, but you wouldn't let him die after he saved you life. You grow some kind of shell around you both. The bombs explode and when it's safe, you retract and get up. Natasha is gone and you have a knocked out agent on the floor..Great. However, you suddenly feel yourself blacking out and fall to the floor as well.

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capri-ramblings · 4 years

Text

Yikes,I know there's bound to be questions but trust me, chapter 3 will answer most of them. Aha,I'm sorry if this chapter is kinda confusing at first,I'm not good at planning out thoughts or stories systemically,it kinda makes it harder for me to write whenever I try to. But here,the second chapter of Raptured! Thank you for reading! ( ꈍᴗꈍ) ♥️

[ R a p t u r e d ]

Chapter 2: Banter

In the moment Riddle had finished telling his brothers what conspired with their human captive, the first to speak up was Azul.

"They offered what?" His words were a mix of shock and amusement, gaze fixated on Riddle who seemed almost flustered from how red his cheeks were.

The red haired sighed, sending him a narrow eyed glare before crossing his arms.

"The head of their own brother"

"By their own hands?" Kalim asked aloud, his features scrunched up worryingly. "Isn't that bad? Why would anyone want to kill their own brother so suddenly?"

From the chaise across the room,Leona let out a scoff, lips upturned into a smirk.

"What are you? A five year old? If you give a herbivore the chance of freedom,they'd leave their entire fleet open to make sure they survive. Humans aren't so different."

"Indeed" Vil joined in with a smile of his own. "Humans are very fickle things, they live out their life struggling and as a result they stink of repulsion."

"They can barely even stand on their own.." Idia added thoughtfully and as the gazes of his brothers turned to him, the flames on his hair flickered and he looked away.

"Maybe the isolation's got to their head?"

Riddle let out a scoff, his lips upturned in a sneer almost too vicious to be formed on such a delicate looking face.

"The cottage they were in was secluded from the rest of the village,they were already a reclusive. Why should it bother them now?"

"Maybe Idia has a point" Kalim interjected then "Before they were on their own by choice...and they weren't exactly trapped in a tower either"

"It's all the same" Leona snapped " Damn herbivores will always be too fragile."

"Though, our soft-shelled brothers have a sound reason" Vil's lips curled in an effortless smile,his ever sharp gaze glinting like jewels.

"At this rate our small hare is going to die before the homage from her brother, and that makes all of this pointless."

The room went silent then. Each males having their own thoughts wrapped around the situation.

When they came to a decision to face the hunter who killed their family beast, he was nowhere to be seen and left tending to his cottage was none other than their captive human, a young sibling unaware of what their fool brother had committed. They opted it was easier to simply kidnap them and have their brother come looking since neither one of them wanted to wait around. There was also the fact that the death of the beast had affected their Mother's health greatly, and all seven brothers fumed with rage.

"Our methods doesn't matter anymore" Riddle spoke up, "What's done is done. We can't exactly just put them back where we found them."

"I agree" Azul said "Though if the human dies in our care now, when we're fully able to change their situation, I fear the price of that loss would be great."

"What? Are the humans going to chase us around with pitchforks?" Leona sneered,his sharp fangs visible as he leaned back into the chaste. "You saw how further in their cottage was, chances are the herbivore doesn't even go down to the village often enough for people to notice them missing."

"They can't die." Idia drawled the words out this time,his gaze sharp and harsh as he stared down Leona who all but grinned at his brother.

"Why? Because you like them?" The laugh that barked out from Leona was cruel and Idia flinched.

"Go ahead and save the poor herbivore then,Prince Idia of the lands of burrowed moles. You think they'd ever look at you fondly?"

"Enough." Riddle came between the fight with his own ire and before he sent a glare towards Leona, he let Idia catch the solace in his.

The situation was getting worst. They needed a decision quick.

"You're not a five year old as well,Leona, so keep that tongue of yours tamed"

"What are you? Suddenly playing the role of the Eldest when you can't even reach his height?" Leona scrutinized Riddle with an aggression that seemed ready to claw him in the face, but Riddle kept his own spite and promptly choose to ignore his brother.

Instead,he turned to Azul.

"The hunter should've came back and see his sibling gone, you even sent those eels of yours to make sure he got the hints. Why hasn't he made a single move? It's been two months."

"Maybe he's forgetful?" Kalim chipped in, eyes glowing. Riddle wanted to tap the side of his face and gently tell him to shut up but Vil patted his head instead.

"A forgetful hunter managing to kill a wild beast is unlikely, mein bruder"

Azul crossed his arms,gaze narrowing.

"They've sent word that they have information regarding our human and the whereabouts of their brother"

"And?" Vil prompted.

"I told them to come meet us as soon as they can, which shouldn't be long."

The moment those words were uttered, a dull thud came from the would-be-entrance of the tower, and a familiar voice calling out.

"My Princes! Open the door please!" The urgency of the voice had all the present Princes turning their head, though the one who seemed genuinely surprised and concerned was Kalim.

"That voice..." He said, turning to Azul "Is that who I think it is?"

Azul's lips curled into a knowing smile and with a flick of his fingers, the sound of a door being swung opened then slammed shut could be heard within the tower itself,followed by light rapid footsteps approaching them.

Out of breath and desperately panting, a young girl made a hasty bow as she came before the Princes, though the way her legs slightly trembled suggested that she was near collapsing.

"It is her!" Kalim's eyes grew wide with familiarity, the worry in his voice replaced with joy as he came up to place his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"The last time I saw you, you were still learning how to walk!" Kalim's loud voice seemed to make her flinch but the girl met his gaze with warmth before she bowed her head again.

"Pleasure to meet you again,Prince Kalim." She's heard stories of him, the Prince Fae known to give out bits of his treasures to those who come wishing at his well. It seemed odd to act as if she's known him, but she knew better than to put logic before courtesy. He was one of the seven Princes after all. Acting too smart with them was a fool's mistake.

Before Kalim could say anything else, Azul stepped forward and the girl promptly met his side with a suddenly serious demeanor.

"I'd ask you for the information I had you fetch but I wonder why you were running in the first place?"

The girl laughed dryly if not nervously.

"Floyd wanted to see who could win in a race in getting here,your Highness."

Azul frowned, internally sighing.

"Why on Earth did you agree to that?"

Again, the girl laughed. "He terrifies me,my Prince."

Riddle couldn't place where he's met her, but hearing her words had him internally sympathising her. Azul's leeches were a pair he'd gladly avoid for eternity as well.

"So,you got a changeling to be at your beck and call as well,Azul?" Vil sounded amused as he turned to Azul, but the degrading glance he gave the girl bellied the smile coyly sitting on his lips then.

"She's indebted to us anyway" Azul stated simply "Why not put her to work?"

His gaze returned to the girl.

"What do you have about our human then?"

It took a full ten minutes for the young changeling to inform them of what she's managed to compile on their human and hunter. Turns out they aren't related by blood but by marriage. Apparently most of the villagers knew of the hunter but rarely saw the younger sibling as they took more liking in staying indoors. There was also talk that their relationship with one another was never close and answered Riddle's question as to why he hadn't showed up yet.

"So, he's just going to leave his sibling at our mercy?" Kalim asked,he had his expression scrunched up with worry and pity again but Leona shared none of it and only growled with distaste.

"There won't be mercy if they're left with us a second longer"

Riddle caught the flicker of Idia's flames and instantly reacted.

"Threaten to murder our captive one more time and I'll have your head,Leona."

"Hah, you're trying to scare me,Riddle?" Leona sneered,fangs glistening with malice. He's been irritated by the whole situation since the beginning. Taking in a human in hopes that another would appear to save them, it was all a damn fairytale. Leona knew humans were selfish, his brothers should've had that piece of common sense drilled into their heads as well. No one was going to play hero for their captive.

Riddle gritted his teeth and again instead of lashing out senselessly, he swirled around to face the changeling. Every bit of his anger flaring in his grey gaze.

"Where's the hunter now?" He asked,though it sounded painfully like a death threat.

The changeling bowed her head.

"He's at the human King's palace,Prince Riddle. King Aothor ...of Nostorne"

The words sent the entire room tilting, and Riddle would've gripped her by her neck if Azul hadn't stepped forward.

"King? Since when did the humans have a King?" The last time they came to the world,their mother's shrine was built almost everywhere to acknowledge her ruling. Had times changed so drastically since their absence?

"Yes. It's been this way for years now. A dukedom raised after Her Most Divine's departure from the human realm and ever since then a lineage of human nobles have taken the throne as the Human ruler."

"My, how futuristic, and here we were in the guise that we still sat on the top of their world" Vil was laughing but his words cut into the tension of the room like a blade coated in venom and the changeling girl shifted uncomfortably.

"It seems like the order of the slaughtering was made by him and ultimately fulfilled by the hunter. His name is Cyril and he's being celebrated by the King for his bravery."

Leona heaved a heavy sigh,leaning once more into his chaise. He looked ready to fall into a deep slumber already but his irritation kept him awake.

"So,we have information. Now what's the plan?"

***

Jade and Floyd,two of Azul's trusted companions came into the situation while the Princes were sorting out their thoughts and opinions (Which all greatly contradict one another) and brought word that their hunter had refused to save their sibling in a conversation Jade overheard him had with another hunter right before he was called on by the King.

"He said he knew of the Fae's trick and that by taking something of theirs as his own, he'd gladly give anything they took from him as compensation." Jade explained in his usual matter-of-fact tone,his mismatched gaze still and knowing.

Riddle clicked his tongue, brows furrowing. Idia's was the most sympathetic along with Kalim while Leona and Vil seemed ready to send a fleet of their army to storm into the human villages.

"I'm not really surprised though" Floyd spoke up lazily "He seems like a guy who'd do that kind of thing anyways"

"But now the Princes are stuck with keeping a human captive in their care", Boe,the young changeling from earlier, pointed out grimly.

"What if we sent you to negotiate with him in our stead?" Idia suggested which earned a rather hasty look from the girl.

"Human royals don't take too kindly to my kind,Prince Idia. I doubt he'd even let me enter"

Leona let out a menacing growl. One that reverberated through the tower walls.

"This is going nowhere. Riddle, go up to that damn herbivore and have them beg their brother come and pay his homage so we can give them back."

Riddle frowned.

"You heard the changeling,Leona. If their relationship with their brother is as bad as we've heard, do you really think they'd beg for him to come save them?"

"Couldn't you talk some sense in them?" Azul had eyes turning once more to the young changeling who all but reluctantly slumped her shoulders.

"I don't see how me being the one talking will get them to cooperate..."

"Clamshell,you should at least try,right?" Floyd's smile was sickly sweet and when he attempted to sling his arm over her shoulders, she avoided the outcome by shifting close to Jade.

"What would you want me to say to them?"

"The offer they gave" Riddle said "Have them elaborate more on that. I'm not going into a deal without knowing why it was proposed in the first place."

There was hesitation in her eyes but it was swiftly changed to a silent resolve as she nodded her head.

"I'll see what I can do."

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #twisted wonderland fanfic #twst mc #twst wonderland yandere #twst riddle #twst azul #twst idia #twst kalim #twst vil #twst Leona #twst jade #twst floyd #twst fanfic

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arizaluca · 6 years

Note

Maybe you could go more in depth on your Xara almost killing Romeo and Romeo having panic attack(s) headcanons? They're from the post S2 headcanons

It’s interesting how much of a nuisance being human (again, it hadn’t been the case for a long time, but he was a human again and he’d better damn remember it) can be, especially after being an Admin for the past several thousand years.

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to breathe. (Sometimes, Romeo found himself lightheaded and dizzy because his lungs hadn’t inhaled for the past two minutes and jeez he needed to learn how to actually breathe again.)

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to eat. (Romeo nearly starved to death while he was helping Stella rebuild Champion City at one point until Stella started supervising his meals and making him eat food. She can’t cook worth beans, but at least he was consuming food and not literally starving to death. )

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to drink. (Radar doesn’t like Romeo but he freaked out when he realized Romeo hadn’t had any water for the past two or three days and proceeded to give the former Admin a crash course on how if you didn’t drink water you would literally die.)

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to sleep. (Xara always loved sleeping, but he wasn’t Xara, and besides, every time he slept he always shot straight back up with his throat raw and his voice gone because he’d been screaming in his sleep and there was no one who was there– no one– who heard his sobs and screams and desperate cries.)

(But now he has to sleep or he’ll eventually die and he’s been saving up moments and snatches of sleep so that he’ll have as few nightmares as possible, wakes up with his pillow soaking wet and his lungs complaining for air because he’s been screaming into the pillow in his sleep.)

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to worry about people killing you. (Xara had grabbed a sword and started storming to him, dark eyes with dark circles underneath blazing with fury. It was only by sheer luck that Jesse had managed to restrain the woman long enough for Romeo to beat a hasty exit.)

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to worry about people looking at you with disguised (and undisguised) hatred in their eyes. (Romeo’d used to just teleport out of there when people started giving him looks, and he’s snapped his fingers a few times before remembering that he can’t do that anymore.)

When you’re an Admin, you don’t have to worry about having a panic attack in Jesse’s fridge because that’s the only one in Beacontown that’s structured so that an Admin a human being could feasibly fit in it without worrying about breaking and entering.

However, Romeo is not an Admin anymore.

Romeo hugs his knees tightly, shaky breath coming out in a little cloud. He is currently huddled up in the back of Jesse’s fridge, having shifted aside some cheese and a few slices of cake (there was practically nothing in Jesse’s fridge, what on earth did they eat?) to get inside.

His heart painfully constricts within his chest, tightening until it feels like it’s about to pop. His breathing is shaky and uneven and fast, faster than it should be, so fast that his head is light. He might as well not be breathing.

He’d been planning on using that ventilation shaft from the surface to the Underneath to go find Xara, but the former Admin, with her dark purple hair that was a frizzy, wavy mess that he’d used to love running a comb through in an attempt to tame it and she’d swat at him with a playful grumble but otherwise let him play with it, had beat him to it.

She’d arrived at the surface through the portal (the one with the item frame, the one that Fred had pleaded that they use birch to make because he loved birch), according to Jesse, who’d been visiting the Old Order’s temple to check up on things.

He could still see her dark, piercing eyes widen at the sight of him as he walked into the room to ask Jesse a question (because being a literal god for the past several thousand years made him forget how the heck you’re supposed to make bread).

He could still see those dark, angular eyes narrow into rage-filled slits at him. (At the murderer in the room.)

He’d been frozen like an ice statue, eyes wide as Xara seized a nearby blade and started striding towards him deliberately, knuckles standing out sharply against her bony hand (how long had it been since she’d slept properly? Eaten properly?), teeth gritting and baring in a snarl filled with utter hatred.

He could still see Jesse abruptly pouncing on Xara’s back into a sort of piggyback, the (ridiculously short) hero wrapping their arms around Xara in some sort of tackle-hug that made the purple-haired woman stop in her tracks and jerk the sword awkwardly away to avoid accidentally hitting Jesse with it, and if he hadn’t been feeling his heart shatter at seeing Xara in this shape, at this stage, looking like she’d been through hell (because he put her through it) and the javelin of hatred she’d just thrown at him using only her eyes, he would’ve laughed.

He could still see Jesse giving him a look to go you dummy or she’s actually going to murder you, feel his feet scrambling backwards as if he wasn’t controlling it, hand fumbling the doorknob as he stared at Xara. Jerk himself backwards through the door, slam it in his face so that he can’t see her anymore.

Can’t let her throw pure and utter hatred at him using her dark eyes that were filled with so much intensity.

Can’t let her take the memory of watching Fred die, watch one of his best friends die (Xara screams, Fred’s red eyes wide as he stared at Romeo, shock evident in every line of his face, that thin line of blood that appeared at the corner of his mouth, because he was an Admin, normal weapons didn’t hurt him, but this wasn’t a normal weapon, Romeo had summoned this out of thin air, paranoia and darkness and fear solidifying into a blade because he doesn’t want them to go, he hadn’t expected it to actually do anything) and throw it in his face as if he really meant to kill Fred.

As if he’d planned to do it.

Romeo’s breathing is practically nonexistent, the shallow panting that he’d adopted to try to calm himself down turning into a sort of horrible contraction of his lungs, where they begin to inhale before exhaling, pushing all the air out of his lungs, he can’t breathe–

The sound of the fridge door opening finally hits him. His eyes flick up to see Jesse’s green eyes blinking at him in surprise, behind the cheese and miserable excuse of the contents of a fridge that Jesse has.

“Romeo?”

Romeo wants to tell Jesse to go away. In fact, he gets so far as to open his mouth, but nothing comes out except for his strangled excuse for breathing.

“What are you doing in the–” Jesse pauses, thinking over what they’re saying, before apparently deciding not to finish the thought. “Never mind. Aren’t you cold?”

Another wheezing excuse of breathing.

Jesse stares at him blankly for a moment, before their expression shifts into something else.

It might be pity.

Romeo doesn’t know what’s worse– seeing hatred in Xara’s eyes, in the eyes of everyone he meets, even though it’s concealed (except for Jesse, for some reason, he’s not very good at reading their eyes), or seeing the pity on Jesse’s face right now.

“… okay.” Jesse carefully shifts aside the cheese and takes ahold of Romeo’s forearm, giving it a tug. Gentle, at first, as if testing to make sure it was firmly attached to his body, before more firmly, guiding his stiff, aching body out of the fridge.

Romeo doesn’t try to stay in Jesse’s fridge. He could, if he wanted, but he doesn’t really have the right to stay in their fridge, mainly because it’s not his refrigerator.

When Romeo’s finally standing, Jesse shuts the fridge door, making the kitchen descend into darkness except for the torch that they’ve set on the table to illuminate their surroundings.

He expects them to shoo him off to bed, because at this point he’s pretty sure they saw the dark circles under his eyes from the way he’s been forcing himself to stay awake until he absolutely cannot go without sleep anymore.

He does not expect for them to awkwardly reach up and take him by the shoulders.

“Romeo, you remember how to breathe, right?”

A vague nod. At least, Romeo hopes that was a nod. His lungs are still doing a poor imitation of human breathing.

“Okay.” Jesse’s voice is calm and steady, compared to Romeo trying so hard to breathe that he’s actually failing. “Try picturing a feather. Close your eyes if that helps.”

Romeo closes his eyes to try to picture it–

Red eyes, blood, shock and disbelief as he stares at his best friend–

His eyes snap back open, lungs now barely even trying to imitate breathing, but he tries to do what Jesse asks, pictures a feather.

“Now, imagine your breathing controls the feather. Exhale makes the feather go up, inhale makes the feather go down.”

Jesse keeps quietly coaching him through the breathing exercise (which Romeo still doesn’t quite understand), but by the time the torch has burnt halfway down, Romeo’s lungs have recalled what it means to properly inhale and exhale.

“Better?” Jesse’s tone is coaxing, almost as if they’re trying to help a child.

“Ye–” Romeo clears his throat. His voice just cracked, as if he was an awkward teenager in puberty. “Yeah.”

Jesse gives him a friendly grin, teeth showing slightly in a non-threatening way. (Fred used to smile like that.)

“That’s good. Want some hot chocolate?”

The former Admin stares at Jesse.

Of all the things he expected them to say, that was the last thing he would’ve thought would come out of their mouth.

“What?”

“Hot chocolate.” A look of joking horror crosses Jesse’s face. “Oh no, you’ve forgotten so many things during your time as an Admin, did you forget what chocolate was?!”

“No, no, I know what chocolate is. And hot chocolate,” Romeo hastily adds. He’s not sure what else to say to that.

Jesse immediately relaxes. “Oh. That’s good. Do you want some, then?”

Romeo stares at them some more.

“Do I have something on my face?” Jesse pokes their face slightly, a frown crossing their features. Romeo puts his hands in the air in a sort of vague surrender.

“N-no…” He pauses. “Hot chocolate would… be fine.”

Jesse nods and goes to grab a metal kettle and the ingredients necessary to make said beverage. “Cool. Feel free to sit at the table.”

Still feeling totally confused, Romeo lowers himself into one of the wooden chairs at the table (the chair grinds on the floor a little and makes him wince), watching as Jesse begins to work on the hot chocolate.

“I’m not, like, the greatest chef ever, but even I can make hot chocolate,” they inform him over their shoulder as they work at the stove for a moment.

Romeo gives a vague nod, but that seems to satisfy Jesse, because they continue chattering away cheerfully as they work on the hot chocolate. “I mean, I could make you some tea, or some coffee, but drinking coffee at–”

They check the clock.

“One in the morning is a recipe for never going to sleep ever. Radar used to do it, but then I told him he needed to stop. He still drinks an obscene amount of coffee but at least it’s at, like, 7 AM now. And I don’t have any tea bags or tea leaves; I meant to go shopping for them… hm, two weeks ago? Whatever– but…”

At this point, Romeo glances at the stove. While Jesse is moving at a speed that shows they’re clearly comfortable with cooking, the counter around the stove seems to have the thinnest coating of dust on it.

For that matter, so does the kitchen table, the chair that Romeo’s sitting on, even most of the chairs in the kitchen have a thin layer of dust settled over it.

Romeo knows that Jesse is busy– one glance at Radar’s schedule can confirm that– but do they ever sit down in their own kitchen to eat? Or do they just… eat as they go?

Heck, do they ever even use their kitchen?

Hm.

“Jesse?” he asks at last, looking up from the dusty bit of the kitchen table that he’s been staring at for the past minute or so at the short person currently making hot chocolate, accidentally interrupting them.

“Hm?”

Romeo wants to ask about how much they use their kitchen, but his mouth takes over and asks a different question, one that he’s also curious about but one that he wasn’t planning on voicing aloud.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

The question hangs in the air. The only sound left in the kitchen was Jesse’s movements as they continued to make the hot chocolate.

Honestly, for the past month or so Romeo’s been wondering. Petra gave him the widest berth possible, he hadn’t even looked at Jack since the whole fiasco, Radar squeaks and acts like a startled rabbit, and Xara, well, Xara tried to kill him, but Jesse’s just been acting as nice as they would if he was a good friend.

Not even a good friend with Jesse’s personality; if he was a total stranger.

Not an enemy.

Not someone who tried to kill them, multiple times.

Not someone who imitated them, pretended to be them, basically stole their identity.

Not someone who hurt them.

At first, Romeo was sure that it was just because Jesse pitied him. Pities him. The way they regard him sometimes… it’s definitely a reason.

But then, they pitied Hadrian, just a tiny bit. They didn’t treat him that nicely. In fact, he was probably one of the only people Jesse acted even like they mildly disliked him.

So then he thought it was just Jesse being Jesse. They had a very friendly personality. Surely that was it.

But then again, they didn’t get along with Stella too well before the whole fiasco. They were just sort of… neutral towards the leader of Champion City.

So then why?

Jesse finally finishes with the hot chocolate after a moment, turning around with two mugs. They slide one to Romeo and plop down in the kitchen chair across from him, hot chocolate slopping around in the cup as if it’s about to spill out.

Thankfully, it doesn’t, but still.

The short person considers Romeo for a moment, fingers cradling the cup of hot chocolate thoughtfully.

“Because you’re trying.”

Romeo blinks at the answer. “Sorry?”

“You’re trying to make up for what you’re doing. You’re trying to apologize, even when people look at you like… you’re scum. Even when Xara attempts to kill you every time you two get within a fifty-foot radius. You’re trying to apologize and make up for what you did.”

Jesse sips at the cup, glancing up at Romeo. “You’re making a huge effort to fix what you did.”

The former Admin stares at Jesse in total disbelief, as if they just declared that a unicorn was about to come in and start tap-dancing on the table wearing a sombrero and a tutu. Heck, he would’ve believed that more than what he’d just heard.

“I… you’re joking, right?” he manages, through a low, disbelieving chuckle. “I’m trying to apologize, so you just forgive me? Just like that? Jesse, that’s not a safe way of going around life. I killed somebody.”

“So did Cassie Rose,” Jesse promptly shoots back.

“She didn’t stab her best friend,” Romeo instantly snaps back, making Jesse blink at the way the red-haired guy across the table from her went from disbelieving to furious so quickly. “She didn’t summon a weapon and stab her best friend because she was paranoid and afraid that they would leave. She didn’t watch him die, choking on his own blood, knowing full damn well that she could’ve saved him and yet doing nothing. She didn’t wipe his blood off of her face.”

Jesse simply watches, blinking in slight surprise as Romeo’s hands tighten into fists, so tight that he can feel his nails cutting into his bare skin slightly. “I’ve killed people. I’ve locked them in an underground prison to starve. I’ve locked people– people from your town– up because they displeased me,” he nearly snarls at Jesse, because it’s so much easier for him to pretend he’s not terrified about seeing Fred every time his eyes close, every time he closes his eyes for longer than a second when he’s angry.

“I’ve held your town hostage, I’ve locked away an entire world to eternal darkness, I nearly did that to your world, I KILLED MY BEST FRIEND, I LOCKED THE OTHER ONE IN A PRISON TO GO INSANE FROM INSOMNIA, AND I PRETENDED TO BE YOU!”

Romeo isn’t aware he’s started screaming until Jesse starts back a bit. A deep flicker of fear flickers over their face– just for a second– before it goes back to just an unsettled one.

“I TRIED TO KILL YOU, I KILLED MY BEST FRIEND, I THREATENED EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT, AND YOU THINK IT’S OKAY TO FORGIVE ME BECAUSE I’M TRYING TO APOLOGIZE?!”

“I didn’t say that.”

Romeo catches himself before he can continue screaming at Jesse, letting out a slightly insane-sounding laugh because wow does Jesse sound calm right now. “Oh, really? Then what were you trying to say exactly? ‘Cause it sure sounds like it.”

Jesse winces at the sarcasm dripping off of his tongue, but they don’t respond immediately.

After a moment, they lift their hot chocolate to their mouth and sip it, green eyes glazing over for a moment as they seem to weigh their words. When they set the cup down, they meet Romeo’s eyes.

“You’re right. You’re not exactly what I would call a nice person. Or… even a sane one, really.”

Romeo accepts that barb. He deserves it.

“And I should probably hate your guts.” Jesse pauses, meets his eyes.

“But I can’t.”

Romeo blinks at that.

“I don’t hate you for… all the stuff you did. Yeah, you did it to hurt me. But everyone does something to hurt someone else at some point in their lives. Whether it’s an accident or not doesn’t matter. It happens.” Jesse shrugs. “The best thing to do is just try to make up for it. Try to fix it if you can.”

“You can’t just undo killing someone, Jesse,” Romeo says bitterly. “Trust me, I would’ve if I could’ve. You can’t bring back someone who’s dead.”

“Of course you can’t undo it, I know that. That’s not something you can fix. But you can apologize. And you’ve been doing your damndest to do that.” Jesse shrugs again. “I think you’re sincere. And I want you to keep being like… this.”

They pause. “Okay, not like, hiding in the back of my fridge and having a panic attack.”

The former Admin can’t help but let out a tired huff of laughter at that.

“But…” Jesse trails off for a moment, thoughts swirling around in their eyes, before their lips solidify into a thin line. “Before, you were arrogant, rude, mentally unstable to the point where I would’ve called it insanity, childish, and controlling.”

He deserves that barb, too.

“Now, though… you’re almost kind sometimes. You try to be helpful. You’re a little shy and awkward. You’re still a little childish, but hey, that’s cool. You can be a little bossy sometimes, but that’s okay too. You’re still not the sanest of people, but then again, half of everybody I know is kinda cuckoo, so.” Jesse chuckles at the expression on Romeo’s face.

“In all seriousness, though… you’re hurt. Not physically,” the short hero has to quickly butt in as Romeo glances down at himself automatically, “but… you’re a little messed up in the head. And I can honestly see why. I mean, you killed your best friend– I don’t know if it was an accident, or on purpose– but you clearly felt guilty about it afterwards.

“You just wanted you and your friends to stay together. You just wanted to be with them. Maybe you just cared about them a lot. Maybe you didn’t want to be alone,” Jesse continues.

(It had been both.)

“But then it happened, and… you ended up by yourself. You ended up losing both. You ended up having to deal with being crushed by your guilt of having one of your best friends dead and knowing that it was your fault.”

The former Admin wants to protest that, but he can’t.

It’s true.

“And, well… dealing with all of that over the course of who-knows-how-long is going to cause something to snap eventually.” Jesse gives him a tired smile, one that seems almost a little pitying. “You basically just started breaking yourself.”

Romeo opens his mouth to protest that.

But he doesn’t.

It’s hard to protest something when nothing comes out.

“I can’t hate you. Even if I could get angry at you, it’s not like you can help it when your mind starts to break. It’s not like a vase, because you can glue a vase back together and you can figure that out. It’s not like a heart, because time eventually heals that. But when your mind starts breaking, you don’t know how to fix it, and the longer you leave it, the worse it gets.”

Jesse finishes their cup of hot chocolate, setting it to the side. “If you really did have something break, Romeo, I want to help you fix it before it’s too late to start.” They let out a low, hollow chuckle. “Past experience has taught me that hating someone who breaks something, and then tries to fix it and apologize, is counterproductive.”

Standing up, they deposit their cup in the sink, giving their head a little shake and then a bit of a laugh. “Sorry, that’s just my two cents. Feel free to take it with a grain of salt if you’d like. I start waxing philosophical whenever I’m low on sleep.”

Romeo stays seated, staring at Jesse as they walk towards the kitchen door. It seems they now intend to go to bed.

“You want to waste your time on… what, fixing me? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Jesse, but I’m really screwed up.” He gives them a dry smile, trying not to show the fact that he feels glad.

He feels glad that they care enough to try to fix him.

Maybe if he hadn’t been so focused on having a friend that was worthy, of one that agreed with him all the time, he and Jesse could’ve been good friends.

“Romeo, time is valuable. If I thought there wasn’t a chance that you’d change, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now.” Jesse pauses at the door, one hand resting on the doorframe as they think.

They glance over their shoulder, giving him a slightly cheeky grin and wink. “Besides, I know lots of other people who are more screwed up than you could ever imagine.”

And then they’re gone before he can ask them to elaborate, leaving him with a mug of cooling hot chocolate to finish, the knowledge of how to have his lungs breathe properly, questions about Jesse that went unanswered, and this weird fuzzy feeling that he suspected was hope.

Holy moly, that took a long time to write.

Y’all, feel free to request as much as you’d like. Pairings, prompts, headcanons, whatever. Also, if you want me to talk about the ‘unanswered’ questions about Jesse, I’d be happy to oblige. Hope y’all enjoyed!

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